In Their Own Words: CBO Admits Obamacare Unsustainable

Heritage "Putting the federal budget on a sustainable path would almost certainly require a significant reduction in the growth of federal health spending relative to current law (including this year’s health legislation). In other words, our nation’s budget is on an unsustainable path and Obamacare did nothing to change that."

The National Security Strategy of 2010. Or 2006. Whatever.

Max Boot "...the Bush National Security Strategy of 2002 was a truly innovative and influential document that will be long remembered for declaring the need for preventative action against aggressors and terrorists. Eight years later, I can still recalls some of its lines: “The gravest danger our Nation faces lies at the crossroads of radicalism and technology” and “America will act against such emerging threats before they are fully formed.”
"There is no such intellectual groundbreaking in the Obama document, which is, as Peter Feaver notes, more than anything a continuation, with some slight adjustments, of the National Security Strategy produced by the Bush administration in its second term."

U.S. Churches Speak Out for Iraq's Struggling Christians

Weekly Standard "Struggling Christians in Iraq, as throughout the Middle East, must tread very carefully. Western Christians can be more explicit about the threat and its primary perpetrators. That even the National Council of Churches, with its mostly liberal dominated Protestant communions, is joining the U.S. Catholic bishops to advocate on behalf of persecuted Iraqi Christians is progress. But will they ever name the persecutors?"

Bloody clash off Gaza coast leaves 10 dead

Hot Air "The preferred media headline so far this morning has been “Israelis kill 10 peace activists in Gaza flotilla,” but that’s not quite what happened. The IDF attempted to head off a number of boats attempting to run the blockade on Gaza, a blockade necessitated by Hamas’ repeated attacks on Israel. They boarded the lead ship by helicopter, expecting to either convince the occupants to turn back or to commandeer the boat themselves. What they didn’t expect was to find armed “peace activists,” and a bloody melee ensued:"

Israeli commandos: Gaza flotilla crew tried to lynch us "A Reuters cameraman on the Israeli navy ship Kidon close to the six-vessel aid convoy said commanders monitoring the operation were surprised by the strong resistance put up by the pro-Palestinian activists. One of the commandos said some of the soldiers were stripped of their helmets and equipment and a number were tossed from the top deck to a lower deck and then leapt into the sea to save themselves. "
Eyewitness report: A brutal ambush at sea "One soldier who came to the aid of a comrade was captured by the rioters and sustained severe blows. The commandoes were equipped with handguns but were told they should only use them in the face of life-threatening situations. When they came down from the chopper, they kept on shouting to each other “don’t shoot, don’t shoot,” even though they sustained numerous blows".

You Can Take the Pol Out of Chicago. . .

Commentary "[Obama] ducked a personal response and had his lawyer issue a memo on the Joe Sestak job-offer scandal on the Friday before Memorial Day. He thereby succeeded in revealing that Sestak is a fabulist, his own White House is little more than a Blago-like operation, an ex-president has been reduced to the the role of a “cut out,” and the whole lot of them practice the same sleazy-politics-as usual that Obama ran against (which, ironically, was symbolized in the primary by Hillary Clinton)."    Jennifer Rubin

My Flag Will Be Flying at Half-Staff, Will Yours?

Big Government  "The National Moment of Remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day with one minute of silence to salute those who have died in service to The United States of America. As the founder of Moment of Remembrance, Carmella LaSpada stated, “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.” "

Remembering Those Who Have Served – Memorial Day 2010

Gateway Pundit   "This video never gets old. Thank you to those who fought to keep this country free."
Free for everyone, including the self-righteous campus and Hollywood liberals who pay no price for their silliness.
 Of course, I mean that in a nice way.

California voters favor Arizona law

Charleston Daily Mail “50% of registered voters surveyed said they support the law, which compels police to check the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally, while 43% oppose it… Strong majorities of white voters and those over 50 support the Arizona law, while Latinos and those under 30 are heavily opposed.” The 7% gap is well outside the margin of error. The gap also shows that every city council in the state that is boycotting Arizona is out of step with the electorate."
Apparently California isn't necessarily populated by idiots; it's only governed by them. But then there's that Chicken law...

U.S. Chooses International Consensus over Israel

Michael J. Totten   "...the United Nations passed a resolution on Friday demanding a nuclear-free Middle East and singling out Israel as the intransigent party instead of Iran. The Obama administration supports the decision, which makes about as much sense as disarming the Iraqi police right now in the name of a violence-free Baghdad. College sophomores might think these are brilliant ideas, but mature adults shouldn’t, especially not mature adults who make policy for a living and must account for the consequences.'

Oil spill tars Dems' reputation for competence. Wait...what?

Michael Barone   "Looking back on all the presidential contests held since Obama as a Columbia undergraduate was parroting leftist criticisms of Ronald Reagan, it can be argued that Republicans have won the elections that turned on ideology, and that Democrats have won the elections that turned on competence.
Republican victories in 1984, 1988 and 2004 were clearly endorsements of Ronald Reagan's and George W. Bush's policies. Democratic victories in 1992 and 2008 were indictments of the two George Bushes for incompetence and in 1996 an endorsement of the competence of Bill Clinton."
 I personally believe the Republican majority in Congress made Clinton more competent. But hey, that's just me.

Memorial Day 2010 - What price freedom?

Blackfive "I keep this photo as probably the most powerful reminder for me of what the real price of freedom looks like. Those that give their all as well as those they leave behind. We should remember both as we celebrate the freedom they've blessed us with and assured for us on this Memorial Day." Click link to see the photo; I'm not savvy enough to figure how to show it otherwise.

Stories from the battlefield; posts by C.J. Chivers

"For those that follow good reporting (from any source) on the war, you've probably seen the name C. J. Chivers. He was a Captain in the Marines, and decided to take a new objective: reporting. Few do it as well, and you really need to go read the story to learn more. You will also learn of some memorials, and Marine humor." Blackfive You can trust a NY Times report by C.J. Chivers.

When Afghans Seek Medical Aid, Tough Choice for U.S. "The boy [Sadiq] had opened a sack of grain at his home early on Wednesday morning, and a pit viper coiled inside lashed up and bit him above the lip. His father, Kashmir, knew his son was sure to die. With no hospital anywhere nearby, he rushed the boy to an American outpost to plead for help."

Remembering a Marine, Step by Step  "COMBAT OUTPOST LILY, Helmand Province — For Marines who have experienced combat together, the many rituals and gestures of bidding farewell to the dead, beginning from the point of medevac and continuing beyond the fallen Marine’s journey to the grave, are observed with a devotion that is at once quiet, fiercely followed and unsummoned. "
A memorial to Lance Cpl. Christopher Rangel, who was killed in early May on a foot patrol in Marja.

Versus America; the myth of the moderate Democrat

Hot Air "The sense of alienation between the United States and its Democrat Party grows steadily deeper. If you ask someone on the right side of our political spectrum whether they believe America is the greatest country on earth, you would most likely receive instant agreement. Ask the same question of someone from the Left, and the answer will probably be negative, or at least heavily qualified. If they agree at all, they’ll probably need at least five or ten minutes to get all the disclaimers and caveats out of the way… followed by the angry insistence they love their country."

President Obama Skips Arlington for Chicago BBQ -- Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam Thugs Skirmish with Secret Service and Press pool

Atlas Shrugs "How did the President of the United States spend his Memorial day weekend? Honoring the glorious dead by laying a wreath at Arlington cemetery?? Not a chance. It is unclear, but he may have pow-wowed with race baiter, Jew-hater Louis Farrakhan, a frequent visitor to the White House. Back in March, Farrakhan blamed the Jews for O's woes."....
"We're outnumbered now by roughly a dozen Fruit of Islam agents for the Nation of Islam. As each casually dressed man arrives, he exchanges elaborate handshake/hug/double air-kisses with others. Two walked by your pooler chanting "Islam.""....
"Some observers will make light of the whole thing — just a little misunderstanding with those weird Nation of Islam guys — but the fact that Farrakhan’s security force is close to the president’s home is likely a matter of continuing concern to the Secret Service. And on Saturday night, the two forces ran into each other."
Farrakhan, press have minor ’stand-off’ in Obama’s neighborhood  "Indeed, notice how one of Farrakhan’s buds vouched for the New York Times and the rest of the press. What more do we need to know about them?"

The addiction of the Jews to the Democrats

Sick Addiction "Enough now, Jews! Speak up and defend the Jewish State and the right of its citizens to build in their eternal and undivided capital, Jerusalem, against a president who’s proving as inimical to you ..."
PAMELA GORMAN COMES OUT STRONG IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL "Congressional candidate Pamela Gorman today signed the “Israel Pledge” sponsored by Christians United for Israel today. Gorman said, “Too many politicians are afraid to offend someone by speaking the truth about what is going on in this country with our Israel relations under this administration. I am unapologetically pro-Israel and am not afraid to publicly say it.” "  God bless Israel and the state of Arizona as you are both surrounded by implacable foes. You can both only be spared if Arizona surrenders to political correctness and Israel converts to Islam.
How about this:  "...issue a pledge that would truly separate the pro-Israel candidates and those who proclaim their devotion to Israel but seek to hobble the Jewish state."
ANOTHER REVEALING ANTI-JUDEO/CHRISTIAN PRO-JIHAD DECISION BY OBAMA "The Obama regime reversed a Bush administration ruling and allowed Muslim Brotherhood supporter Tariq Ramadan to enter the country, now they’ve denied asylum and are trying to deport the unbelievably courageous Mosab Yousef, who millions of Islamists would love to kill for both spying for Israel and converting to Christianity…." From the Astute Blogger.

Major Mathew Schram's Memorial Day

Blackfive "The one part that I left out of this post is that Major Schram's convoy was followed by a car with a major weekly magazine reporter in it. Once the action began, the reporter and his driver turned and got the hell out of there. If it wasn't for Mat's charge up into the ambushers, they never would have made it out of there alive. The weekly magazine never ran a story about my good friend, Mat."....
"I started Blackfive and decided to write about Mat and other Americans like him - people that the media would never tell you about. It's Mat Schram's blog as much as it is mine. So, today, on the anniversary of the sacrifice of my friend, please take a moment to pray for the families who have lost their loved ones in our fight against terror.
"Mat would have liked that."
Afghan Soldier Embodies Warrior Spirit  "In the ensuing combat, Abrahim’s leg was nearly severed. Being an ANA medic and having the overwhelming urge to remain in the fight, Abrahim placed a tourniquet on his own leg and severed the remaining attachment with a medical knife." Mudville Gazette

The real problem with counterterror advisor Brennan's worldview

American Thinker "However, why did not Brennan suggest the correct name: hirabahists (unholy warriors)? Many Muslims understand that a hirabah is an unholy war, thus use of the term hirabahists would be effective in getting Muslims to take action against Islamic extremists."

The ‘Secular Crusader’: Former Air Force JAG Looks to Drive All Christian Symbolism from Military

Pajamas Media "...I do discern, nonetheless, a worrisome growing intolerance of the majority faith coupled with a kneejerk support of minority religions. Particularly, and unsurprisingly, Islam. This year alone, there have been four prominent attacks on Christian connections to the U.S. military:
– Charges of neo-Crusaderism against military supplier Trijicon for its gunsights inscribed with New Testament verses.
– Charges of neo-Crusaderism against an Army unit for daring to have a cross as part of its unit insignia.
– The branding as “a hate crime” the placing of a cross next to the the Air Force Academy’s neo-pagan worship site.
– The Army’s decision to disinvite prominent evangelical Franklin Graham from speaking at a Pentagon prayer service on the National Day of Prayer.
"These four incidents all have one major factor in common: the involvement of Mikey Weinstein and his “Military Religious Freedom Foundation” — which was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize last fall. " Emphasis added.

King Barack the Verbose

Mark Steyn   "Almost every problem we face today arises from the vanity of Big Government. Why has BP got oil wells 5,000 feet underwater in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico? Because government regulated them off-land, off-coast, and ever deeper into the briny."     The spill is a disaster for the president and his political philosophy.  "I don't see how the president's position and popularity can survive the oil spill. This is his third political disaster in his first 18 months in office. And they were all, as they say, unforced errors, meaning they were shaped by the president's political judgment and instincts."  Peggy Noonan

Higher Corporate Taxes Undermine American Competitiveness and Hurt Workers, Consumers, and Shareholders

Big Government "What the Democrats (either the blue or pink variety) apparently don’t understand, though, is that corporations don’t pay taxes. Yes, companies often write checks to the IRS, but all corporate taxes are really a burden on workers, consumers, and shareholders. Moreover, in a world where jobs and investment can cross borders looking for better tax policy, a high corporate tax rate is a huge competitive liability for a nation." I'm a retired hourly employee who used to carry a tool bag; if I can understand this, why can't the average Democrat?
Comrade Hillary: “The rich are not paying their fair share of taxes in any nation.”  "Once a socialist, always a socialist…"

The Asher doctrine applied

Powerline Blog "Using Mr. Asher's logic, Connecticut's Blumenthal must have served in Vietnam, Clinton must not have had "sex with that woman," and Mr. Madoff must have run an honest investment firm. This list could go on for pages and pages, but it's late Friday, after a long week!"

Swarm Power, all our energy problems are solved! Er, wait...

Chicago Boyz "Translation: Alternative energy is too unreliable to actually provide baseline power, so we’re going to need millions of fossil-fuel backup generators scattered everywhere to take up the slack. We’re going to use millions of relatively inefficient petroleum-burning generators so that we don’t have to build nuclear plants."

Hostile and provocative name has been chosen for Ground Zero mosque.

Atlas Shrugs "It is well known that the first Cordoba Mosque was built by Muslims in a city in Spain, after they occupied this Christian country, killing its men and capturing its women to bring them to Arab countries as slaves and servants to serve their sexual pleasure. The Arabs and Muslims have never ceased to take pride and bask in the glory of this imperialist history, which they consider to be a symbol of their strength and power, and they are unashamed of the fact that the annals [of their history] are full of shameful crimes."  Iraqi-American columnist Khudhayr Taher published an article in the Arab online liberal daily Elaph.com on May 18, 2010 in which he warns against the desire to turn the U.S. into a Muslim country.

Political Cartoons by Steve Breen

World Magazine Trust me; this in no way depicts the National Guard's planned role in border duty.

Why Obama's image doesn't match his record

Al Neuharth, USA TODAY "An example of Gibbs' media shortcoming occurred Sunday on Face the Nationwith Bob Schieffer on CBS. In answer to a question from Schieffer about the Gulf Coast oil mess he said, "The government is doing everything humanly and technologically possible to plug the hole 5,000 feet above — ar — 5,000 feet below — the floor —below the ocean." Gibbs appeared amused rather than embarrassed by his answer. Every president needs a press secretary who is adept not only at answering questions but also at anticipating them. Obama suffers because Gibbs is better at dealing with politicians than he is with the press."

Obama’s Dividend Tax Proposal Means More Debt, More Instability

Heritage Insider "The President has proposed raising the tax on dividend income from 15 to 20 percent while his allies in Congress have created a procedural path whereby the income tax rate on dividends could again reach 39.6 percent. At the same time, it has been suggested by some that the deduction for business interest expense is a subsidy, implying that it should be curtailed or eliminated. Raising the tax on dividends and curtailing the deduction for business interest expense are related in that they would both profoundly influence the capital structures of business. They are also both wrongheaded and harmful."

White House Must Stop Playing Politics with Immigration and Arizona Law

Heritage Foundation "The Administration has used the public controversy over the Arizona law to push for its own political agenda—granting amnesty to millions unlawfully in the United States. This approach to solving the problem has been tried before and found completely wanting. In 1986, for example, the U.S. granted amnesty and the unlawful population exploded, as did associated costs."...."There is a better approach to border and immigration reform that will keep the nation free, safe, prosperous, and sovereign. Incremental in its implementation, this approach includes:"...

There's Obama's Story, And There's History

JustOneMinute "John at Powerline debunks Obama's claim that the BP oil spill was a top priority from day one:"...

Did Congress really vote to repeal DADT?

Hot Air "Barack Obama had dodged the question of DADT for the most part, offering public support but claiming that he wanted Congress to act instead of ordering the change himself. Now Congress has handed the issue back to Obama — or possibly even another President farther down the line — by forcing him to pull the trigger instead of Congress."

Obama, the ‘Juvenile in Chief"

Human Events  "But there was also a fresh criticism from the press once thought to be eating out of Obama’s hand: namely, that the President is increasingly sounding juvenile, whining about others and playing the “blame game” that his subordinates insist the administration is not playing." John Gizzi

Issa: White House memo doesn't hold up, Clinton and Sestak need to answer questions

Washington Post "I’m very concerned that in the rush to put together this report, the White House has done everything but explain its own actions and has instead worked to craft a story behind closed doors and coordinate with those involved." Usually the most damaging announcements are released on Fridays before a long weekend.

Something Stinks At the White House

Fox News via Lucianne;  "The president knew full well that the strategy was to release the shocking revelation that former President Clinton spoke with Congressman Sestak on the Friday of the long Memorial Day weekend and at a time he knew that the media would be focused almost exclusively on his trip to the Gulf for the BP oil spill disaster. The president himself is now participating in a cover up. It has long been the practice of presidential administrations to release damaging news on a weekend or better yet a holiday weekend when the public's attention is elsewhere, hoping that the bad news would pass without major exposure." Speaking of which: The Sestak Smell Test  "Jobs open up, in the language of the White House memo, "alternative paths to service" (read: power) that could give a man second thoughts about a Senate run. Could this just be sloppy language from Sestak? Maybe, maybe not."

Whose Blowout Is It, Anyway?

Charles Krauthammer "Obama didn't help much with his finger-pointing Rose Garden speech in which he denounced finger-pointing, then proceeded to blame everyone but himself. Even the grace note of admitting some federal responsibility turned sour when he reflexively added that these problems have been going on for a decade or more -- translation: Bush did it -- while, in contrast, his own interior secretary had worked diligently to solve the problem from the day he took office. Really?"

A 'war on terror' by any other name

Ed Lasky in AT "After a series of terror attacks (some successful; some thankfully not) Barack Obama has begun to realize his "see no evil, hear no evil" approach towards threats to Americans does not resonate with most voters.".....  WH Counterterror advisor: Jihad a 'legitimate tenet' of Islam "I am not confident that we will escape the next three years without a massive terrorist attack. At this level of denial comes extreme danger. Seeing the enemy as potential welfare customers will not win any battles and will probably get a lot of innocent people killed."  Rick Moran

That Thursday presidential press conference. (Or "presser", as they now say)

1. Sympathy for Obama? "Needless to say, Chairman Mao, Pol Pot, Fidel Castro, Robert Mugabe, Louis Farrakhan and Rev. Jeremiah Wright never had to deal with an oil spill. And there's certainly no mention of any such thing in the Most Holy Qur'an; not a single sura. So one can't really blame poor Barack for seeming to not know anything about oil spills. In this particular case, he doesn't have a single model to follow." American Thinker........

2. White House in Disarray  "To be sure, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a disaster. BP must bear the economic costs of cleaning up its mess and the cause of the spill must be found. But now is not the time for President Obama to turn an environmental tragedy into an economic disaster. " Heritage. ......
3. Obama struggling to show he's in control of oil spill  "This is the familiar Obama: resolute and in charge. But six weeks after the spill began, those words seemed to highlight the difficulty he has had in convincing the country that he is on top of the situation. As oil continues to foul the gulf, the conflicting signals coming from the president and his team have imperiled his reputation for competence and coolness in the face of crisis." WaPo; Karen Tumulty.....
4.  Obama's Modesty: At Least I Never Said 'Drill, Baby, Drill'  "Nevermind that there's a place called ANWR--where it's much safer to drill--that Obama wants to keep off limits."  Weekly Stndard.....
5. He Was Supposed to Be Competent  "The spill is a disaster for the president and his political philosophy." Peggy Noonan, WSJ....
6. A frustrated White House press corps bites the hand that feeds it  "A press corps that was accused early in his administration of treating him with kid gloves has grown increasingly critical of its limited access to him, and the result Thursday was an aggressive and skeptical line of inquiry." McClatchy...

Mike Ramirez cartoon; IBD

Boortz's list of Government Outrages for this week.

Nealz Nuze   One article of many:  Chicago 2016 paid six-figure compensation packages to executives on failed Olympic bid . And so on...

"Squanderville versus Thriftville"; making economics understandable

Warren Buffet via FreeRepublic.com  "...take a wildly fanciful trip with me to two isolated, side-by-side islands of equal size, Squanderville and Thriftville. Land is the only capital asset on these islands, and their communities are primitive, needing only food and producing only food. Working eight hours a day, in fact, each inhabitant can produce enough food to sustain himself or herself. And for a long time that's how things go along. On each island everybody works the prescribed eight hours a day, which means that each society is self-sufficient. " Hat tip to Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries' Point of View . From Kerby's book, Making the Most of Your Money in Tough Times

Atlanta TV Station Channel 2 - special on Arizona Border

WSBTV  This video will curl your hair.
Hat tip to Tom Mills, Santa Maria, Ca

Obama’s Fed Picks Promise More Keynesian Failure: Amity Shlaes

Amity Shlaes "All hail Keynes. That’s the message in President Barack Obama’s decision to nominate Janet Yellen, Peter Diamond, and Sarah Bloom Raskin to fill vacancies at the Federal Reserve. This trio makes sense only if you believe the philosophy of the most influential economist of the modern era, John Maynard Keynes. What makes them odd choices is that the events of the past five years don’t make Keynes look good. Other schools of economic thought come to mind instead. One is the public choice school, which holds that Keynesianism uses crises as pretext to enlarge governments. "
What is Keynesianism?

What's really behind SEIU's Bank of America protests?

Nina Easton "Targeting homes and families seems to put SEIU in the ranks of (now jailed) radical animal-rights activists and the Kansas anti-gay fundamentalists harassing the grieving parents of a dead 20-year-old soldier at his funeral (the Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on the latter). But that's not a conversation that SEIU officials want to have."
Nina Easton is a frequent panelist on Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier.

North vs. South Korea: How Bad Could a War Get?

 Pajamas Media "Turkey has already de facto left NATO, in favor of rising Persian power. Obama has personally handed Israel its hat and coat, and shoved it towards the door. Britain has been insulted, India snubbed, and the French ignored. It wouldn’t take much more to see what remains of our alliances blown apart. In fact, it wouldn’t take anything more than the slightest wobble in dealing with a Second Korean War.
"And as this administration continues to do little or nothing as “the risk of all-out war” reaches historical highs, the signal being sent is most un-American.
" “Tread on Me.” "

Our Chief Confessor

Victor Davis Hanson    "Instead of seeing his nation or its states as the problem, our president would do better to focus on the woes of the European Union, North Korea’s sinking of a South Korean ship, Iran’s plans to get the bomb, continued terrorist attacks in the U.S., wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Mexico’s encouragement of its own citizens to violate American immigration law. Right now there are quite enough foreign felonies in the world without dwelling on American misdemeanors."

Escalating problem of terrorist infiltration via the southern border

Eileen F. Toplansky in AT ; "The rules of warfare have changed immensely and while "profiling is not congenial to our tender postmodern sensibilities" as Andrew McCarthy has written, the security of our country is supposed to be the number one priority of the President of the United States. The chickens don't invite the fox into their coop ~ why should we encourage terrorists into our country?"  Policing without profiling makes no sense  "We have met the enemy, and it is militant Islam. Yet we refuse to acknowledge that fact, pretending that the enemy is “terror” — a method of attack — rather than the terrorists who employ that method. The latest expression of our refusal to identify the enemy is our ongoing debate over “racial profiling.” One cannot listen to this debate without wondering whether three decades of political correctness have undermined not only the common sense necessary for survival, but our will to survival itself." ANDREW C. McCARTHY

U.S. police chiefs say Arizona immigration law will increase crime

Washington Post "While the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police opposes the new law, elected sheriffs including Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, head of the Arizona Sheriff's Association, back it. Babeu said cooperation from illegal immigrants, particularly those coming from Mexico, is already low because they are in the United States illegally and because of law enforcement corruption in their native countries.
"The people of Arizona believe the overall majority of Americans are not only supportive of this law, but that our measure of generosity has been crossed, a line has been crossed," Babeu said. "

Democrats propose tax hikes in response to Schwarzenegger's fiscal plan

LA Times "The Democrats who control the Legislature have fired their opening salvo against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's spending blueprint, which proposed eliminating California's welfare program and cutting deeply into other state services, by proposing that the state rely instead on billions of dollars in new taxes to balance the budget. The Assembly's Democrats detailed a plan Tuesday that would tax oil companies and borrow billions from the nickel-and-dime deposits that consumers make on recyclable bottles and cans. Tax breaks for businesses that are scheduled to take effect soon would be delayed under the plan."
Neal Boortz's comment on this: "Read this article and then tell me why any sane person with an ounce of drive to succeed would move to California and/or start a business there."

Joe Sestak Wants Terrorists Tried in Open Court

Jennifer Rubin "It’s not easy for a politician to get to the left of the president on anti-terror policies, but Sestak has done it. He may find it difficult if not impossible to get elected when you’re to the left of Obama on the war against Muslim extremists." This from Dick Morris: Capitalize on Sestak scandal;   "Either Sestak is lying and there was never an offer or the White House has skirted very close to having committed a crime or may have stepped over the edge. And, considering the stakes and the nature of what the offer would have to have been, this scandal could reach very high indeed."

Teaching the Pig to Dance: Fred Thompson Opens Up About Life, Politics, and ‘Law and Order’

Big Hollywood "When the subject turned to the last few seasons of the show and its decidedly leftward slant, Thompson got quite animated and passionate. “I do think it has changed somewhat since I left. I noticed a year or so ago, there was one episode about a lawyer who signed off on the so-called torture memos and Cheney and all that. And it was really, really rough and skewed. I didn’t think I saw anything like that when I was there.” "

The Job Nobody Wants

WSJ  " "Anybody in their right mind would turn the job down," Missouri Sen. Kit Bond, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said Wednesday after speaking to National Security Adviser James Jones about the post. Mr. Bond said the post of director of national intelligence lacks authority and presidential support."  Related: When It Comes to National Intelligence, One Head Is Better than Two "Here’s a thought from out of left field: why not appoint Panetta to the job while letting him keep his current appointment as CIA director?" Max Boot.

‘Don’t Worry, The NG Won’t Do Anything’

Sweetness-Light "The troops, rather than carrying out operations to dismantle drug cartels or human smuggling rings, will be working in back offices helping intelligence officials process information, or be posted as lookouts between ports of entry. "
"Just as we predicted. These National Guard troops are merely tokens."...

Daryl Cagle cartoon . Hat tip to Gail Downie, Nehalem, Oregon

Obama to Suspend Arctic Oil Drilling Until 2011

WSJ "Shell officials appeared resigned to the decision. They acknowledge that Mr. Obama can't halt oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, which is crucial to U.S. energy security. But he can stop oil companies drilling in virgin areas if they haven't started yet. But the decision will be hugely frustrating for the Anglo-Dutch major, which won a slew of legal challenges from environmental groups. It has already started moving equipment up to staging areas in Alaska, ready to commence drilling in July."

MODERN CIVIL RIGHTS: COCKFIGHTING AND SAME-SEX PROMS

Ann Coulter "I just want to say: I think it's fantastic that the Democrats have finally come out against race discrimination. Any day now, maybe they'll come out for fighting the Cold War. Perhaps 100 years from now, they'll be ready to fight the war on terrorism or champion the rights of the unborn. It would be a big help, though, if Democrats could support good causes when it mattered."

Don't ask; don't tell: Joint statement from Milbloggers

 Repeal of DADT seems imminent and I have searched the web for military bloggers' thoughts on the matter. I fear the consequences of this and wanted to see what those with hearts for our military felt.
Tigerhawk    "Over at BLACKFIVE today, Uncle Jimbo posts a Joint Statement from Military Bloggers advocating an end to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Uncle Jimbo (Jim Hanson as signatory to the Statement) is a Retired Special Operations Master Sargeant(sp), and I believe it is fair to say that he is someone who would self-identify as a conservative. Judging from the mixed comments under the post, there is not universal acceptance."
Go visit some San Francisco street event and see if you would repeal DADT.

Deal to End Ban On Gays in Military Takes Shape

WSJ " "We are committed to repealing `Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' a policy that has forced thousands of gay men and women from serving openly in our Armed Forces," said a statement Monday from Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Murphy. "It is our firm belief that it is time to repeal this discriminatory policy."

"Opponents of gay rights were dismayed. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins called the agreement "a back room deal that disregards the views of our troops and uses the military to advance the political agenda of a radical special interest group.""

Obama Loses Border Battle

Human Events  "Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has every right to celebrate the hard-won moral victory for her state. Brewer stood up to the press, the open borders lobby, criticism from arrogant Obama administration officials who haven’t read the Arizona law, a lecturing President of Mexico and illegal alien protesters taking to the streets hurling threats and the dreaded “R” word at her.
She has led the state of Arizona through the gauntlet and the moral victory is theirs.  Connie Hair is a freelance writer, a former speechwriter for Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) and a former media and coalitions advisor to the Senate Republican Conference.

Islamophobia is a Social Disease

Mike Adams "Have you ever wondered why liberal professors spend class time characterizing conservative Christians as dangerous while describing Islam as a “religion of peace”? Ever wonder why these liberal professors compare conservative Christians to the Taliban while giving the real Taliban a pass? I think I finally figured it out a few weeks ago after I got a surprise visit from the campus police on the final day of the spring semester."... Background article: How to Offend Barbarians and Promote Diversity .
Mike Adams is a criminology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and author of Feminists Say the Darndest Things: A Politically Incorrect Professor Confronts "Womyn" On Campus.

A Crisis of Competence in the Gulf

Heritage "...Worse, Obama administration regulators continue to deny Louisiana officials permission to build up barrier islands between the coast’s marshes and the gulf. Federal regulators have so far refused to permit the state to act, fearing the unintended long-term damage to local wildlife. So instead of action, the oil continues to float on shore threatening the livelihoods of millions of Louisianans."

Obama's Ticking Time Bomb

Political Wire "The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico appears to have reached a public relations tipping point, with pundits and ordinary people turning against President Obama's response."
Cartoon: http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/EricAllie

Democrats won't call THIS guy a racist.

Les Phillip.com  First heard this on the Mark Davis program this morning. You've gotta love his "They won't call me a racist" comment.

Admiral Sestak Needs Loose Lips To Save His Sinking Ship

Legal Insurrection  "Keep it up, and Sestak may end up on the receiving end of a special prosecutor, likely as witness not target, but one never can be too careful. Just ask Scooter Libby. (Eric Holder apparently is refusing to appoint a Special Prosecutor, but I do not expect that refusal to last.)"
Look Who's Behind the White House/Sestak Stonewall  "After three months of zipped lips and feigned ignorance, the Obama White House is finally taking real heat over Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak's consistent claims that the administration offered him a job to drop his Senate bid. Now it's time to redirect the spotlight where it belongs: on the top counsel behind the Washington stonewall, Bob "The Silencer" Bauer."

Death of the Postmodernist Dream

Victor Davis Hanson   "The more provocation is ignored in one region, the more it is pursued in the other. The new audacity is predicated on the universal notion that the new United States either cannot or will not fulfill its retrograde function of deterrence — or might even privately sympathize with the assorted grievances that serve as pretexts for ignoring the sanctity of the border, selling missiles to terrorists, pursuing the bomb, or aiding in uranium enrichment."

Europeans Miss Cowboy Diplomacy

Commentary  "The about-face in the Obama administration is not going unnoticed among our allies and our enemies. The latter are learning to play us — as Russia did in extracting a free pass on UN sanctions. Our friends (Israel, Eastern Europe) are learning not to trust us. And those despotic states like Syria, China, and Iran realize that it’s not such a bad thing to be a foe of the U.S...."  Jennifer Rubin.

The 'Gringo Mask' and Political Correctness

David Paulin in AT;
"According to the ad agency's web site:

"We understand from your responses that some people might equate the word "Gringo" with an ethnic slur. We do not. It is simply a slang term used to describe Caucasians, and we don't assign any negative connotations to it."

Oh, well, OK then.

Photo from the Palm Beach Post

Obama on beheading: 'It captured the world's imagination'

Greg Halvorson in AT; "Imagination is captured by triumph. Redemption. Beheading doesn't qualify, nor does it "remind us" of anything besides evil. The President's refusal to acknowledge evil empowers evil. What he should have said is, "The killing of this man of Jewish faith, this American, offended all who love freedom. It reminded us that liberty must be fought for and protected." But we all know that he'd rather appease. "

Memo Complicates Challenge To AZ Law

Sweetness and Light "In the legal battle over Arizona’s new immigration law, an ironic subtext has emerged: whether a Bush-era legal opinion complicates a potential Obama administration lawsuit against Arizona. "

"The document, written in 2002 by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, concluded that state police officers have "inherent power" to arrest undocumented immigrants for violating federal law. It was issued by Jay S. Bybee, who also helped write controversial memos from the same era that sanctioned harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects."

Emphasis added to point out the guilt-by-association demagoguery technique. How subtle.

Constituents Using a Forum to Register Displeasure With Representative: Spooky!* 700 Angry Protesters on a Bankster's Front Lawn: "About damn time"

Reason  "I thought about that Congressman this past Sunday as I watched more than 700 protesters from National People's Action gather on the front lawn at the home of Gregory Baer, deputy counsel for the Bank Regulatory and Public Policy Group at Bank of America. [...]"
Now lets discuss those violent TEA-partiers...
DC Bank Protest: So, SEIU Now Owns the Cops Too? "Last week, 500 union thugs descended on a private home and terrorized a teenage boy. They violated someone’s most personal space, their home. And they attacked their most precious gift, their child. The police in two jurisdictions knew about this. They did nothing."

Some Arizona Latinos Embrace Immigration Law

NPR Wait! What? NPR?  "Though Latinos in Arizona and nationwide have mobilized in protest against the state's new immigration law, not all Hispanic Americans are opposed to it. In Arizona, many Latino voters see it as a much-needed crackdown." H/t to Weasel Zippers

Terror by Lawsuit

Bill Burck and Dana Perino    "Will Congress ease the way for terrorists to sue U.S. officials?"...."...the prosecutors themselves, and even high-level officials in Washington, could personally face lawsuits from Shahzad if a bill sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter in the Senate or a similar one by Rep. Jerrold Nadler in the House becomes law. Congressman Nadler’s bill will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee as early as next week and could hit the floor not long thereafter."

Don’t Let the Lights Go Out: Defend Against EMP (No, this isn't about tinfoil hats!)

Heritage; The Foundry "...an EMP can occur when a nuclear weapon is detonated high in the atmosphere above the Earth. The resulting explosion interacts with the Earth’s magnetic fields, sending a pulse, or current, throughout all electrical systems. Nearly everything we depend on from day to day would be affected. Imagine a world without computers, ATMS, cell phones, water systems, the internet, ambulances and even cars. The U.S. would essentially be knocked back to the 19th century. "

Slouching Towards Irrelevance

Heritage "One might hope that the Obama administration would look at the path Europe has gone down ...and decide to change course. But President Barack Obama’s speech at West Point on Sunday quashed any such hopes. Speaking to graduating Cadets, President Obama laid out the increasingly identifiable pillars of the Obama Doctrine: greater reliance on international institutions; substituting soft power for hard power; and a more subdued and less self-reliant America – a scheme designed more to manage American decline than to ensure its people remain safe, free and prosperous."

Obamacare’s Cooked Books and the ‘Doc Fix’

NRO "The number of employers looking to dump their workers into subsidized insurance is almost certainly going to be much higher than either CBO or the chief actuary now projects. And the price inflation from the added demand of the newly entitled isn’t factored into any of the official cost projections.
"We’ve seen this movie before. When the government creates a new entitlement, politicians lowball the costs to get the law passed, and then blame someone else when program costs soar. Witness Massachusetts. Most Americans are sensible enough to know already that’s what can be expected next with Obamacare."
63% Favor Repeal of National Health Care Plan  ; from Rasmussen.

The War Over America’s Past

Pat Buchanan "If we forget what we did, we won’t know who we are. I’m warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit.”
"Teaching American history to America’s children is done so that they will come to know and love their country. And while all nations have sins of scarlet, none has a greater, more glorious past than ours.
"And if teaching that is what the Texas Board of Education is all about, ensuring that the children of Texas know both sides of every great American quarrel and come away loving their country all the more, then God bless ‘em."

Obama's Nominee to Run Medicare: 'The Decision is Not Whether or Not We Will Ration Care--The Decision is Whether We Will Ration Care With Our Eyes Open'

CNS News “Limited resources require decisions about who will have access to care and the extent of their coverage,” Berwick wrote in the Jan. 27, 1999 edition of Nursing Standard.
“The complexity and cost of healthcare delivery systems may set up a tension between what is good for the society as a whole and what is best for an individual patient,” Berwick wrote in an article entitled, “A Shared Statement of Ethical Principle.” Emphasis mine. When conservatives predicted this, Democrats called it "the same old argument", which, if you think about it, is no denial.

A Response to Elvis Costello

Commentary "As I noted last week, Elvis Costello, with great fanfare and sanctimony, decided to boycott Israel. A response was penned by Assaf Wolf, for whom I think some sort of award should be named that celebrates those who debunk and undo Israel-bashers.".... "Wolf wrote a “Dear Costello” letter that must be read in full. Here’s a sample:"... Jennifer Rubin. 
 All liberal celebrities are sanctimonious, are they not?

Obama backs 'don't ask, don't tell' compromise that could pave way for repeal

WaPo "The compromise was finalized in meetings Monday at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers will now, within days, vote on amendments that would repeal the Clinton-era policy, with a provision ensuring that any change would not take effect until after the Pentagon completes a study about its impact on troops. That study is due to Congress by Dec. 1."  Monty Python's take on this.

The Miley Cyrus Effect: Young Girls Acting Like (Trashy) Adults

Culture and Media Institute  "With role models like the former Hannah Montana, we shouldn't be surprised when girls behave more provocatively." Sarah Knoploh

Why Obama Won’t Be Going to Israel

Commentary  "...a Knesset speech would invite comparisons with George W. Bush’s Knesset address — which, Seth Lipsky correctly observed, “will stand as a measure for those who follow him” and which captured an extraordinary moment in history. Speaking on Israel Independence Day, Bush began as follows:

"We gather to mark a momentous occasion. Sixty years ago in Tel Aviv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed Israel’s independence, founded on the “natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate.” What followed was more than the establishment of a new country. It was the redemption of an ancient promise given to Abraham and Moses and David — a homeland for the chosen people, Eretz Yisrael."

  Rick Richman

Sarah Palin's “I Can See November from My House” speech at the University of Denver

The Right Scoop "Sarah Palin gave a great speech tonight, focusing on the topics of what she would say to President Obama if she were given the chance. She focused on an array of issues, including immigration and health care, also paying homage to Ronald Wilson Reagan as her hero. I must say that I think this is one of my favorite speeches by her. She also coined a new phrase tonight: “I can see November from my house!” "

Obama: Neither Naïve nor Foolish nor Misguided

Edward Cline "Obama is the vengeance dream of every anti-American “radical” who ever demonstrated against this country over the last half century, a dream come to life as the nightmare it must be. Examine more closely the root motive of his policies, actions, designs, and principles. Obama is neither naïve nor foolish or misguided. His means and ends are conscious, deliberate, and calculated to destroy. He has built a super car bomb in his fiscal policies and his foreign policy, with every hope of seeing them explode with the maximum collateral damage. He is a home-grown terrorist in slow-motion.  Obama is perilously and vastly worse than Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, or Bill Clinton. It requires honesty and moral integrity, based on the mounting evidence open to all, to reach that conclusion."

Graphic evidence of what Arizona is up against

Ethel C. Fenig "Illegals are not just Mexican or Hispanic. A large militant Arab population goes to South America to learn enough Spanish to "pass" as Mexicans. They colonize in Arizona, especially in the south around Tucson. Arizona has become a gateway for Al Qaida and other anti-American groups. There are parts of Arizona that resemble third world slums where English is not spoken."
Radical Islamic Terrorists and America’s Immigration Crisis: "For unknown reasons the Obama Administration has deliberately refused to publicly address the clear and present danger of radical Islamic terrorists and the immigration crisis. As previously reported here, Terrorists have applied for Green Cards..."

Read about the "radical" changes to the social studies curriculum the Texas legislature voted to implement.

Sweetness and Light  "Texas schoolchildren will be required to learn that the words "separation of church and state" aren’t in the Constitution and evaluate whether the United Nations undermines U.S. sovereignty under new social studies curriculum." Those who depend on the mainstream media for information and opinion will be encouraged to feel outraged over this. H/t to Neal Boortz. Texas, please save us from this kind of stuff:  Saudi-funded textbooks being used in America's K-12 classrooms: "For instance, did you know that Muslims discovered America? Or that Jerusalem is an Arab city? That's just some of the "history" that students in America's K-12 classrooms have been taught in recent years--with the help of taxpayer money."...."One book ignored the Jewish roots of Christianity, saying the faith was founded by a "young Palestinian" named Jesus. Another stated as fact that the Koran was revealed to Mohammed from God. Yet another said ancient Jewish civilization contributed "very little" to to the arts and sciences. Textbooks like these are used by millions of schoolchildren in all 50 states.[...]"

....

America's new culture war: Free enterprise vs. government control

WaPo  "Our leaders in Washington, aided by the unprecedented economic crisis of recent years and the panic it induced, have seized the moment to introduce breathtaking expansions of state power in huge swaths of the economy, from the health-care takeover to the financial regulatory bill that the Senate approved Thursday. If these forces continue to prevail, America will cease to be a free enterprise nation." .... "So here's a puzzle: If we love free enterprise so much, why are the 30 percent who want to change that culture in charge?" Arthur C. Brooks. Via Neal Boortz.

The Buck Stops Nowhere

Heritage "Our Founding Fathers specifically created a Constitution dividing the legislative, executive and judicial functions of government into three branches so that the separation of these powers would limit the size and scope of the federal government. Americans would know who to punish for bad policies at the ballot box because it would be clear who was responsible for creating and enforcing them. But that is very obviously not the system we have today. Our federal government has devolved into an incomprehensible mish-mash of alphabet soup government agencies and commissions that no one American could possibly understand. Why is our country in this state? What happened?
The Progressive movement happened."  More on this subject:  Senate Dems to give federal commission say over legal immigrant workers

The New Lords of Finance

WSJ "Big Finance will more than hold its own with Big Government, as it always does, while politicians will have more power to exact even more campaign tribute. The losers are the overall economy, as financial costs rise, and taxpayers when the next bailout arrives. This new power for Washington flows from the politically convenient Washington analysis that a lack of regulation caused the financial panic."

Quotes from "The Tree of Liberty"

The Tree of Liberty "The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails us. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.” Author unknown. H/t to Patti Vaughan

" "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people - it is wholly inadequate for the governance of any other" - John Adams.  We are no longer a moral and religious people. Our morality and religion has been watered down and replaced by other moralities incompatible with the liberty we were entrusted with. And Christians bought the lies and false gospels and remained silent while the entire bulwark underpinning of liberty was torn down around them. This is why fools clamored for and got a boy-king who is a tyrant.
"Look in the mirror Christians - we listened to a false doctrine, bought into the ideas of a whole new prosperity Jesus and sat down and did nothing while the culture we were entrusted to uphold and protect, rotted under our watch. Now we are surrounded by fools and the ignorant and lack any shred of wisdom as a people and nation. So we will be governed by the dictates of fools."

Memories of Munich, Threats from Tehran

Warning Signs "In the history of the United States, no previous president has ever had less experience for the job. In contrast to George W. Bush who told nations he would invade you if you posed a threat, most of the world’s leaders have concluded Obama is an empty suit, a dunce, and an easy mark. The Iranians openly mock him while the rest have the decency to do it behind closed doors." Alan Caruba.

Hitler had a plan to conquer Europe. He began by taking Austria, then Czechoslovakia. Again, no one tried to stop him. As Winston Churchill, who became Britain's wartime leader, said, "Britain and France had to choose between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor. They will have war." Scholastic ; "World War II: An Overview"

Obama And Accountability

JustOneMinute "

"Mr. Obama all but declared victory in Iraq, praising the military, but not Mr. Bush, for turning it around. “A lesser Army might have seen its spirit broken,” he said. “But the American military is more resilient than that.” "

"The US Army has spent four years teaching these young officers the importance of accountability. One wonders what lesson they took watching their commander-in-chief duck his role in opposing the successful surge. Or was it successful? Last we checked, Obama had never said the surge worked, but he wanted one in Afghanistan."

Oil disaster: Was the Response Adequate? Part III

Powerline Blog "The Mobile newspaper story rings true. It isn't really an indictment of the Obama administration -- presumably the government didn't have fire booms on hand during the Bush administration either -- it's an indictment of the federal government. Obama stands indicted for wanting massively to increase the scope and power of the federal government."

Another Arizona Pinata approach

Glenn Foden, Townhall

At West Point, Obama offers new security strategy

NY Times  "The speech offered a glimpse of his first official national security strategy, to be released this week, including four principles: to build strength abroad by building strength at home through education, clean energy and innovation; to promote “the renewed engagement of our diplomats” and support international development; to rebuild alliances; and to promote human rights and democracy abroad."

Have the AP or Denver Post Actually Read the New Texas Curriculum?

Newsbusters "Probably no more than Janet Napolitano or Eric Holder has read the new Arizona SB1070. Ann Althouse has described the Washington Post's dereliction of duty in its description of the Texas curriculum. The AP articles are no better.
"In two articles over the last two weeks, the AP has written the following (sometimes more than once) about the new Texas curriculum:"... More: FNC’s Megyn Kelly Analyzes AZ Immigration Law, Finds Less Stringent Than Federal Law

Republican Wins in Hawaii Special Election

 Political Wire "Republicans are likely to point to this election, which breaks a string of special election defeats, as indicative of a national trend, while Democrats will note that Djou won only because the two Democratic candidates split the vote."  Yeah, Ross Perot; thanks for eight years of Bill Clinton. Third parties are a curse on the land, unless they are something like Ralph Nader. But they still taint elections.

RE: Judicial Victory

Jennifer Rubin "There are two possible conclusions one might draw. First, there is no coherent vision here, and all the mumbo-jumbo about “returning to our values” was meant to snow the left and to impugn the record of his predecessor, who prevented any attack on the homeland for seven and a half years."

New Trickle Down Theory

Victor Davis Hanson  "One wonders not that President Obama tells untruths ....since all politicians fib.
"Rather the wonder is that he does it so serially, after promising such hope and change from the past political culture — and that his base and the favorable media care so little, the same media that for nearly a decade boasted that their signature was to care so deeply and passionately about presidential veracity."

Media and Discernment

Kerby Anderson, Probe Ministries "It is also worth questioning whether a majority of media professionals who labeled themselves as moderate in the survey really deserve that label. John Leo, writing for U.S. News and World Report, says that it has been his experience "that liberal journalists tend to think of themselves as representing the mainstream, so in these self-identification polls, moderate usually translates to liberal. On the few social questions asked in the survey, most of the moderates sounded fairly liberal." "

Obama, the Sinking of the Cheonan, and the Failure of Nuclear Deterrence

Pajamas Media "And that can give ideas to terrorism-sponsoring states. Take Iran, for instance. As the Islamic Republic builds its links with al-Qaeda and accelerates the enrichment of uranium, we have to wonder whether the mullahs think the slow — and uncertain — response to the sinking of the Cheonan will make nuclear terrorism a possible option for them. So there is a lot riding on Washington’s response to the sinking of the Cheonan. This is not just about South Korea."  Meanwhile America's clothing stores feature the "peace" symbol and slogans such as "Make Peace Happen"  .

Obama: He’s Better than Teflon — He’s a Democrat

Pajamas Media "President Obama isn’t the teflon president. He’s got better armor. He’s the Democratic president. It’s like a super power: it makes the press incurious, stupid, and strangely unwilling to draw conclusions.
"The people of Nashville do notice. How can they not? The question is: do the people of New York and New Orleans notice?
"The president’s handling of all these messes has not inspired confidence. In fact, it’s caused profound concern. President Obama seems as incompetent and distant as many feared before the election.
"It would be nice if the press demonstrated an ounce of fairness between a Republican and Democrat leader. But it’s just the same old, same old."  Melissa Clouthier

The president has become the latest Western liberal to try to hammer Daniel Pearl’s box into a round hole.

Mark Steyn   "Barack Obama’s remarkable powers of oratory are well known: In support of Chicago’s Olympic bid, he flew into Copenhagen to give a heartwarming speech about himself, and they gave the games to Rio. He flew into Boston to support Martha Coakley’s bid for the U.S. Senate, and Massachusetts voters gave Ted Kennedy’s seat to a Republican. In the first year of his presidency, he gave a gazillion speeches on health-care “reform” and drove support for his proposals to basement level, leaving Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to ram it down the throats of the American people through sheer parliamentary muscle.
"Like a lot of guys who’ve been told they’re brilliant one time too often, President Obama gets a little lazy, and doesn’t always choose his words with care. And so it was that he came to say a few words about Daniel Pearl, upon signing the “Daniel Pearl Press Freedom Act.” "

Taking a whack at Arizona

Warning Signs "And you thought the real problem was illegal aliens entering the US?" Alan Caruba. 

Judicial Victory

Max Boot "It is simply impossible to apply domestic standards of civil liberties to a foreign battlefield — not if you want to be able to defeat ruthless organizations like al-Qaeda. The Obama administration deserves credit for recognizing that and for fighting Judge Bates’s misguided decision. Credit also goes, of course, to the three-judge panel of the D.C. Court for unanimously overturning his ruling."

Sick of It

Legal Insurrection "President Barack Obama is trying to ride the wave of anti-incumbency by taking on an unpopular politician steeped in the partisan ways of Washington. It doesn’t matter that George W. Bush left office 16 months ago. The White House’s mid-term election strategy is becoming clear – pit the Democrats of 2010 against the Republicans circa 2006, 2008 and 2009, including Bush. "

Valley girl kind of like asks David Horowitz dumbest question ever

Daily Caller Like, y'know..."A student questioner at the University of California – San Diego on May 10 confronted guest speaker David Horowitz with a question so manifestly brilliant that the crowd stood stunned in awe-struck silence and Horowitz was left muttering “Jesus” under his breath. The student, who compared the Founding Fathers to Islamic terrorists because of their battlefield tactics and the Salem Witch Trials, left after Horowitz began to speculate on the origins of what he perceived as the woman’s abject stupidity." Like, wow.

The Fruits of Weakness

Charles Krauthammer "This is not just an America in decline. This is an America in retreat -- accepting, ratifying and declaring its decline, and inviting rising powers to fill the vacuum. Nor is this retreat by inadvertence. This is retreat by design and, indeed, on principle. It's the perfect fulfillment of Obama's adopted Third World narrative of American misdeeds, disrespect and domination from which he has come to redeem us and the world."

Congressman McClintock Answers President Calderon

American Thinker "Saying what many of us feel. Congressman McClintock (R-Ca), responds to the outrageous address to Congress yesterday by Mexican President Calderon." Clarice Feldman

Getting Lectured on Human Rights by Mexico

"While the two presidents were fulminating about the Arizona law, Amnesty International was issuing a report on our southern neighbor." Mona Charen.   Cartoon by Gary Varvel, Townhall

Dean of Harvard Medical Not a Fan of Obamacare

Insider online "Dr. Jeffrey Flier, Dean of the Harvard Medical School, has given Obamacare a failing grade. Here’s his recent talk at the Pioneer Institute:" (41 minute video)

From Banning Books to Banning Blogs; How the DISCLOSE Act will restrict free speech

 Insider online "Now that Democrats in Congress seek to ram through an expansive regulatory regime for regulating political speech by Independence Day (no joke), it seems Kagan would defer to Congress’s wisdom on such restrictions rather than the plain text of the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”
"If Congress can ban political TV ads and pamphlets, why not blogs?"

Raising Arizona’s Defense

Heritage "It isn’t easy being Arizona these days, especially when President Barack Obama puts politics before Americans’ interests, a foreign head of state before the United States, and an agenda of apology before much-needed, sensible reforms."

Did Obama's speechwriters write Calderon's speech?

Althouse "I thought that before I heard Rush Limbaugh say that's what he thought. Read the whole thing. Don't miss the Wolf Blitzer interview. "

Mexican president: Of course we ask immigrants to show their papers

Hot Air "...Mexico’s best deterrent against illegals isn’t its statutes but the fact that abuse of immigrants is so vicious and endemic that Amnesty International called it a “human rights crisis” just last month. Bear this in mind the next time you see some leftist idiot applauding Calderon’s fine principled stand on the dignity of all individuals:"...This article covers what was discussed on Rush Limbaugh's Thursday show. Read on:

Fight Illegal Immigration: Buy from Arizona

Pajamas Media "By buying products from these and other Arizona-based companies, conservatives around the country (and the world) can help offset any economic impact the sporadic boycotts against Arizona might have.

"In the process we can send a strong message to other states that want to pass legislation similar to Arizona’s but are currently waiting to ascertain the fallout. That message is that Sharpton can give up his boycott and go back to his day job of falsely accusing white police officers of atrocities against black citizens. The American people are outraged over illegal immigration and are subsequently thrilled that Gov. Brewer has the gall to do what needs to be done.
"Sarah Palin said it this way: “We’re all Arizonans now.”
"As such, we can do our part in the fight against illegal immigration by buying products and services from Arizona."

Texas county moves to save its health care system from illegal aliens: no ID now means no service!

Collins Report "The problem faced by Williamson County and local governments across the country comes down to a Medicaid ruling that it won’t reimburse health care providers seeking to get paid for services provided to anyone who does not have a valid Social Security number. This ruling is choking hospitals to death because they are caught between it and the ever raising costs of running a medical facility."

Is the left finally reckoning with Rush?

Thomas Lifson in AT "I believe that Rush plays a huge role in the rise of conservatism. But to credit him with the role of leader of the conservative resurgence ignores the fundamentals: that Barack Obama has taken America in a radical new direction, and the American people (we are a center-right nation, as Rush often correctly notes) are waking up to the looming "fundamental change" in store. Rush may be the Paul Revere of the effort to restore America to the vision of its founders, but many others also deserve credit for the resulting political movement."

Spot the offensive picture

American Thinker "My online friend bgates, created this for Draw Mohammed Day and invites anyone who want to republish it. It is right on target, I think:

Trespassing law may turn more illegal immigrants into citizens

AZCapitolTimes.com  "Arizona’s new immigration law may have been aimed at deporting as many illegal immigrants as possible, but an ironic side effect will allow more undocumented residents to apply for temporary work visas and permanent U.S. citizenship, according to research by the Arizona Capitol Times."
Related: ARIZONA'S LAW .. A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP??

The connection of debt and dependency

Washington Times "You don't have to be a political guru to peg 2009 as a watershed year in American public policy. But even seasoned Washington insiders might not appreciate just how special that year was.
Not only did the federal government effectively take over half of the U.S. economy, it also expanded public-sector debt by more than all previous governments combined. And much of that growth in debt came in programs that actively increase citizens dependence on government."

Climate bill would strangle economic recovery

The Detroit News "Households will pay $1,000 more per year in energy costs, including $1.20 more per gallon of gasoline. Net worth for a family of four will decline by $40,000, while its share of the national debt will increase by $27,000 per family member."

Shall We Laugh or Cry at Morgan Hill?

Victor Davis Hanson "If there were a “metaphor” in all this, then it is how multicultural instruction results in moral equivalence, cultural relativism, ignorance of American law — and irony in that millions of Mexican nationals are fleeing Mexico to enter America only within a few years to see their children wave the flag of the country they fled, and resent those who wear the flag of the country they desperately sought to join.
So all in all, another depressing California moment."

The Specter of Obama

Weekly Standard "Remember when President Obama assured nervous Democrats that "the big difference here and in '94 was you've got me"? Oops. In the last few months Obama worked to get four high-profile Democrats elected: Creigh Deeds, Jon Corzine, Martha Coakley, and Arlen Specter. Each of them lost, by an average of 8.5 points." Jonathan V. Last

Now entering Greece

The Political Class "Eric Allie nails this one."...."Is it that bad? Look at the numbers yourself."