Sunday, January 31, 2010

Former Fetuses Unite: So What, Really, Is the Problem with the Tim Tebow Ad?

Kyle-Anne Shiver "Tim Tebow, with quite astounding football prowess, is one child who was allowed to live. And grow and prosper. And succeed. To the delight of his parents and his family, friends and football fans. Since 1973, 51 million Americans just like him were not given this privilege. They were killed by abortionists before they had the chance to show what they could be. And that is a message that the abortion lobby cannot dare let come to light. Therein lies the problem with the Tebow ad."

AHMADINEJAD: 'Iran will deliver telling blow to global powers on Feb. 11'

Atlas Shrugs "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the nation will deliver a harsh blow to the "global arrogance" on this year's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution."The Islamic Revolution opened a window to liberty for the human race, which was trapped in the dead ends of materialism," Ahmadinejad said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday."

The Shaming of John Edwards

PoliticalWire "...I am starting to believe that ABC News is playing a major role in something important: a public shaming of Edwards. And that is news, because it has seemed, at least since Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, that our culture has lost touch with the concept of public shame." H/t to Taegan Goddard.

Thomas Sowell : "Great Scott!"

Townhall "One seat did not deprive the Democrats of big majorities in Congress. But one seat was the difference between being able to shut off debate in the Senate and having to allow debate on what was in this massive legislation. From day one it was clear that concealing what was in this bill was the key to getting it passed. " 'People Aren't Stupid' By JOHN FUND "Nonetheless, Mr. Brown is clearly sensitive—and a tad defensive—about his state's own universal health-care system. It now covers about 95% of the population; but it has also led to the nation's highest insurance premiums. It is driving hospitals towards bankruptcy and making it more difficult for people to see a doctor. Mr. Brown voted for the system in 2006 .... We were being eaten alive by health-care costs." Universal coverage hasn't changed that, however."

As Predictable as Clockwork — the Obama Three-step

Victor Davis Hanson "...we’ve come full circle from the idealistic-sounding, centrist candidate Obama, to the Carter-McGovern President Obama, back to the wannabe Clinton triangulator. The only constant — no real identity, no firm belief, no core convictions from which to make the argument that his left-wing vision is good for the country. You see, Mr. Obama never had to: left-wing dogma was always a state religion in the circles Obama thrived, and once Obama the nightingale started in his song, few of the hypnotized worried about the inane message that followed."

Mike Ramirez cartoon

Lech Walesa: “America Is Moving Towards Socialism”

Gateway Pundit "Lech Walesa: “The United States was always the last resort and hope for all other nations. There was the hope that whenever something was going wrong one could count on the United States. Today we lost that hope.” " More here: Founding Bloggers "Lech Walesa tells his American audience that the United States no longer leads the world politically or morally"

Obama Organizing in High School

Atlas Shrugs "Children must be advised to expose this ugly propaganda. Children must tell their parents how they are being used and manipulated. Parents, warn your kids. Better yet, home school. Check out the recommended reading list page 4: Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky The New Organizers, Zack Exley Stir It Up: Lessons from Community Organizing and Advocacy, Rinku Sen Obama Field Organizers Plot a Miracle, Zack Exley, Huffington Post Dreams of My Father Chicago Chapters, Barack Hussein Obama" umm umm umm. Be sure to follow some of the enclosed links.

Democrats at Risk

Jennifer Rubin "A tactic that would have seemed far-fetched a year ago, when the new president was sworn in with a 67 percent job approval rating, is now emerging as a key component of the GOP strategy: Tie Democratic opponents to Obama and make them answer for some of the unpopular policies associated with the chief executive."

Rep. Jeb Hensarling Corrects Obama’s Inaccurate and Dishonest Statements on the US Deficit

Gateway Pundit "Hensarling, in criticizing government spending, told Obama that the yearly deficits Democrats complained about under George W. Bush had now become “monthly” deficits in lengthy remarks that clearly frustrated the president."

Obama's Nuclear Lie

Brian Sussman, AT "Nuclear power is a clean, green, carbon-free source of electricity. However, it's also an energy source that is completely opposed by Obama and environmentalists at large. The primary scare tactics this crew employs are Three Mile Island and Chernobyl." Don't forget the movie, "The China Syndrome".

Obama Gets Real with Republicans, Without His Teleprompter

Andy Wickersham, AT "However, it was part of the president's response (begins at 36:40) to Tennessee Representative Marcia Blackburn's question about health care that I thought was most interesting, and telling:"...."Earth to Barack Obama: It isn't the Republicans on Capitol Hill that have blocked your attempts to put America on the path towards government-run health care. It was the American people -- the same people that punished your party in 1994 when they tried to pull this stunt the last time."

ObamaCare Rocks the Dolt Vote!

Bernard Chapin , PJM "A new ad encourages young people to withhold sex from all who oppose socialized medicine." This happens when you get a rock star president supported by rock stars and voted in by rock fans.

Heavyweight Showdown in Texas GOP Primary for Governor

G.M. Roper, PJM "Medina’s numbers are showing an upswing, but whether she can catch the two career politicians depends a lot on whether Perry or Hutchinson stumble in the debates or on the campaign trail. Another question is whether Medina can project the conservative values that attract the typically conservative Texas Republican primary voter. Medina believes that she can. Regardless of how the race turns out, this year promises to be one of the most interesting Republican primary elections in Texas in a very long time."

What's Wrong with Celebrating Life?

American Thinker "Even though the ad won't be run until Super Bowl Sunday on February 7, Mr. Tebow is already becoming a household name. His premature celebrity comes not from his athletic ability on the gridiron, but from the mere fact that he's alive. .... Ms. Tebow repudiated her doctor's advice to abort the child, and she gave birth to Tim. Ordinarily, this would rank up there with many other heart-warming success stories that celebrate life. However, abortion proponents don't view life as something to celebrate.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Don’t Mess With Success/ Is now the time to overturn Don't Ask, Don't Tell?

William Kristol "The advocates of repeal say, it’s a matter of basic rights. No, it’s not. Leave aside the fact that there are difficult and unresolved questions of how our society should deal in various areas of public policy with questions of sexual orientation. There is no basic right to serve in the military. That’s why forms of discrimination we would ban in civilian life are permitted: Women have less opportunity to fight than men. The disabled are discriminated against, as are the short, the near-sighted, and the old."

Eight reasons why KSM will be tried by military commission.

Bill Burck & Dana Perino, NRO "8. Trying KSM in a military commission will kill the story before the midterm elections. The election of Scott Brown, who made his advocacy of enhanced interrogation techniques and opposition to trying KSM in civilian court central parts of his campaign, was a wake-up call that national security remains an important issue, particularly after Abdulmutallab’s failed attack, and one that does not favor the Democrats. The administration has begun to backtrack by signaling that the trial will not be held in New York City. Their next step will be to kill the controversy entirely by announcing that charges against KSM and his co-conspirators will be reinstated before a military commission. "

Our narrow escape in 2004

American Thinker "Think about it America. The Democrat Party offered you a presidential ticket in which a totally phony war hero sleazebag like John Kerry, who, should he have died in office, would then be succeeded by this noble fellow who was, just a couple of years later, out screwing a young camp follower into illegitimate motherhood while his wife was dealing with possibly terminal cancer."

James O'Keefe explains himself

Ethel C. Fenig, AT "The public will judge whether reporters who can't get their facts straight have the credibility to question my integrity as a journalist."

Osama parrots the left ( Notice that's OSama; not OBama)

American Thinker "Bin Laden's wisdom is too important to withhold from the world. Just think how much good could be achieved if we were able to tap his knowledge regarding global warming, world hunger, etc. Are we not hurting ourselves by forcing this intelligence to remain in hiding? How long will it be before some fool proposes that this mass murderer has too much to offer to not be pardoned?"

SEIU behind anti-tea party website

Rick Moran "We received numerous complaints yesterday from AT readers who were concerned about a Google Ad that bashed the tea party movement. It turns out, that the website the ad was linked to was created with funds contributed at least partly by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)."

"We do not know whether Hitler is going to found a new Islam. ....The emotion in Germany is Islamic; warlike and Islamic"

Atlas Shrugs "While in Baghdad, Syria al-Husseini aided the pro-Nazi revolt of 1941. He then spent the rest of World War II as Hitler's special guest in Berlin, advocating the extermination of Jews in radio broadcasts back to the Middle East and recruiting Balkan Muslims for infamous SS "mountain divisions" that tried to wipe out Jewish communities throughout the region." History shows the Nazis disbanded the Muslim SS units; they were massacring Christian populations as well.

Osama bin Laden, Climate Expert by Alan Caruba

Warning Signs "The silence of Al Gore as the planet has cooled since 1998 suggests that even he knows that his self-enrichment plan is coming to an end. Only President Obama seems or pretends to be oblivious to the idiocy of cutting “greenhouse gas emissions” in the name of a planet that is not warming.In this quest, Obama has now been joined by Osama."

Climategate: NOAA and NASA Complicit in Data Manipulation

PajamasMedia "Recent revelations from the Climategate emails, originating from the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, showed how all the data centers — most notably NOAA and NASA — conspired in the manipulation of global temperature records to suggest that temperatures in the 20th century rose faster than they actually did." Emphasis added.

Another About-Face?

Jennifer Rubin "In a remarkable and entirely welcome reversal, the Eric Holder Justice Department has retreated in its effort to pursue ethics charges against Bush administration lawyers who authored memos on enhanced interrogation." Oh, by the way: Bay what? Guantanamo eyed for 9/11 trial "The trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed won't be held in lower Manhattan and could take place in a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, sources said last night." Related, wouldn't you say?: Why Shouldn’t Holder Be Fired?

What a Great Idea ( And gutsy of Obama)

Commentary "At a moment when the country is as polarized as ever, Mr. Obama traveled to a House Republican retreat on Friday to try to break through the partisan logjam that has helped stall his legislative agenda. What ensued was a lively, robust debate between a president and the opposition party that rarely happens in the scripted world of American politics." Idealogue; I*de"a*logue\, n. [Idea + -logue, as in theologue: cf. F. id['e]ologue.] One given to fanciful ideas or theories; a theorist; a spectator. [R.] --Mrs. Browning. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Stephen Hayes: “The President’s Claim That He Is Not an Ideologue Was One of His Single Most Ridiculous Statements” "Barack Obama saying he’s not an ideologue is like Barack Obama saying the global warming science is settled."

This Explains A Lot

PowerlineBlog "R]ight now, the market seems to be saying: "It's the policies, stupid." Specifically, the socialistic policies that the Obama administration keeps pushing at Americans who know that's not the way this great country was built. It isn't just the efforts to socialize medicine or nationalize the car industry or control banks or punish both consumers and industry for climate variations that have little to do with it either. It's every initiative that comes out of this White House."

Friday, January 29, 2010

Hatch warns of possible partisan 'war' over health reform

Salt Lake Tribune "Hatch said Thursday that using reconciliation would be "one of the worst grabs for power in the history of the country" that would permanently impact relations between the two parties. "It is going to be outright war and it should be, because it would be such an abuse of the reconciliation rules," Hatch said. "If they abuse those rules it is going to lead to even more heated animosities between not just the two parties, but even between individual senators." "

UW-Milwaukee Professor Predicts 50 Years of Global Cooling

MacIver Institute " “Now we’re getting a break,” Anastasios Tsonis, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at UWM, said in an interview with the MacIver Institute. Tsonis published a paper last March that found the world goes through periods of warming and cooling that tend to last thirty years. He says we are now in a period of cooling that could last up to fifty years."

Don't Ask; Don't Tell: When the Telling Starts

Commentary Magazine "Arguments against repealing DADT usually focus on the hazards of unit-level social interactions, and that’s a valid concern. But rules already exist for dealing with misconduct in the ranks; that aspect of adjustment won’t be the most difficult. The central question, rather, is whether having gays serve openly is a priority that justifies all the adjustments the military will have to make. Those adjustments will be necessary in two principal areas: military society, which includes family life and family-oriented services, and military administration. Intersecting with both of them is the prospect of lawsuits, guaranteed by the robust history of gay-activist litigation in government and the private sector."

Obama, Republicans Spar at House GOP Event

WSJ "At one point, the president complained that Republicans had painted the Democratic health bill as a "Bolshevik plot." He argued the legislation, which includes proposals to foster competition by creating a new national insurance marketplace, is "similar to what many Republicans proposed" during the Clinton-era fight over health care." Wait...what? I thought they said the Republicans had no ideas.

The Obamarang

Victor Davis Hanson "All politicians fudge on their promises. But this president manages to transcend the normal political exaggeration and dissimulation. Whereas past executives shaded the truth, Barack Obama trumps that: on almost every key issue, what Obama says he will do, and what he says is true, is a clear guide to what he will not do, and what is not true. It is as if “truth” is a mere problem of lesser mortals."

Quarterback Tebow Answers to God, Not the Mainstream Media

Big Journalism "Has Tim Tebow gone rogue by agreeing to ‘hawk life’ during Super Bowl XLIV? One advertising executive, Robert Tuchman, says that the University of Florida star quarterback’s decision to appear in an anti-abortion commercial is going to “affect his opportunities for endorsements down the road.” "...."Another, John Rowady, says , “His promotion of his ‘belief system’ has built a perception throughout the league that he has a long way to mature from a business perspective …” And this has hurt Kurt Warner, how? The Women’s Media Center fretted:..."

Soft on Terror / Islamist terrorism is not a law-enforcement issue.

Charles Krauthammer, NRO On the KSM civilian trial, sentiment is widespread that it is quite insane to spend $200 million a year to give the killer of 3,000 innocents the largest propaganda platform on earth, while at the same time granting civilian rights of cross-examination and discovery that risk betraying U.S. intelligence sources and methods. " Emphasis Added. And get this: U.S. and Abdulmutallab 'in Talks' “...authorities are inching toward an agreement that would secure cooperation from the suspect in the failed Detroit airliner attack.” Inching is the operative word here. It’s been over a month now that this terrorist has been exercising his “right to remain silent.” Each day that goes by when he does not talk is an outrage."

Mike Ramirez cartoon

Investors.com

Time's Joe Klein Loved Obama Attack on GOP and 'Its House Demagogues on Fox News'

Newsbusters Quoting Klein: "This was Obama at his best. He wasn't cuddly, but who cares? He was smart and he was funny -- and he was drop-dead serious about the country."

Morning Bell: It Is Time To Prioritize Security Over Terrorist Rights

Heritage Blog "It is high time for the Obama administration to stop allowing their leftist base to undermine our national security. As Heritage fellow Cully Stimson explains, returning KSM to a military court would be a great place to start:"...."The tide is turning against the administration’s approach to terrorism. Perhaps that is why the President did not mention KSM during his State of the Union address. Americans don’t think terrorist deserve constitutional rights. Americans also know that military commissions are fair." As it is, our national defense is being run by Code Pink and the ACLU.

The Differential Theory of Terrorism Alert Levels (Foreign Model)

Blackfive "The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out..."

The Landrieu office break-in; Correction Request: Talking Points Memo

Big Journalism "There are no allegations of any wiretap plot in the FBI affidavit, and a law enforcement official has conceded that the four men were not attempting to wiretap, bug, or intercept calls. Furthermore, legal representation for the accused has gone on record stating there were no intentions to tap phones in the Senator’s office. We kindly ask you to issue a orrection/retraction to the story. We have been/will be making similar requests of other news sources to correct similar errors. Some, such as the Washington Post and MSNBC’s David Shuster, already have posted corrections or retractions." Statement from James O’Keefe "...It has been amazing to witness the journalistic malpractice committed by many of the organizations covering this story. MSNBC falsely claimed that I violated a non-existent “gag order.” The Associated Press incorrectly reported that I “broke in” to an office which is open to the public..."

The Harvard Law Review Must Be Aghast

Jennifer Rubin "First, it was arrogant and careless of Obama to call out the Supreme Court – and not get his facts right. Dan[a] Perino observes: “Misrepresenting a complicated legal opinion is dicey — but doing so in a prime-time address to a nation where the authors of that opinion are in the front row leaves you rightly exposed to criticism.” "

Sarah Palin Obliterates Narcissist in Chief’s SOTU Address

Gateway Pundit "He talked about “making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development,” but apparently it’s still too tough for his Interior Secretary to move ahead with Virginia’s offshore oil and gas leases. If they’re dragging their feet on leases, how long will it take them to build “safe, clean nuclear power plants”? Meanwhile, he continued to emphasize “green jobs,” which require massive government subsidies for inefficient technologies that can’t survive on their own in the real world of the free market."

Thursday, January 28, 2010

My Letter to President Obama

Rush Limbaugh "...These people are not your enemies, though, Barack. They are Americans. They are part of this country. They are part of what makes the nation work. You are not. You have nothing to do, and have had nothing to do, with this nation's greatness. You can't lay claim to greatness on any scale, not even rhetorical. But you have no direct relationship to the greatness of this country. You are damaging the possibility of further greatness. Nevertheless, like a bully, you continue to threaten all of these people. The Supreme Court, Big Oil, Big Pharmaceutical, Big Retail, talk show hosts, Fox News, the list goes on. You threaten anybody who does not agree with you. You try to intimidate them. You smear them..."

Is It Just Politics? Or does Obama actually believe in his nuclear option?

Max Schulz, NRO "That’s an odd position to take about the only viable technology capable of producing reliable, industrial-sized amounts of zero-emissions power. Either it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding about energy basics, or it suggests the president’s pledge to move to a green economy is more about serving Democratic constituencies (environmentalists and labor unions) than about curbing emissions to save us from global warming and rising sea levels." And this from NuclearPowerNow .

Trashing the Job Makers

Victor Davis Hanson "When it comes to creating a psychological climate that encourages employers to start hiring again, a little certainty and a little praise are a lot better than uncertainty and talk of taxing even more those who already pay the most." Hat tip to National Review

GOP Senator Rips Into MSNBC Host For ‘Absurd,’ ‘Dishonest,’ Statements

Newsbusters "Brewer then attempted to end the interview: “We appreciate your time today-” Gregg kept going: “You can’t be duplicitous about this. You can’t make a representation and then claim you didn’t make it. You know, it just shouldn’t work that way. You’ve got to have some integrity on your side of this camera, too.” Liberal Media Bias "Bernie Madoff stealing $50 billion leads the newscasts, but the Obama Administration stealing $1.8 trillion from our grandchildren falls on the cutting room floor."

America the Awful---Howard Zinn's History

MindingTheCampus "Indeed, Zinn found that his book was regularly adopted as a text in high schools and most surprisingly, in many colleges and universities." What history textbooks do your kids study?

Lawyer: Phone Scheme Meant to Embarrass Senator

BigGovernment "Instead, Jordan said, they hoped to get embarrassing video footage of Landrieu’s staff handling constituent calls. Her office received complaints last month that callers opposed to her health care stance couldn’t get through."

Obama Hoisted on His Own Foreign Donation Petard

Atlas Shrugs "Aside from the fact that what Obama alleges here is a big fat lie, it is galling that he is guilty of this very thing."

Pat Oliphant

Yahoo News

Obama fronts up to frustrated public, including 'Obama Girl'

New Zealand Herald Pre-State of the Union: "Even loyal supporter Obama Girl expressed disappointment towards Obama yesterday. "I feel like he should be focusing a lot more on jobs and the economy," said Lee Amber Ettinger, 28, who caused a sensation in the presidential race with her song "I got a crush on Obama"."

Morning Bell: A Speech Only Washington Could Love

Heritage "With the big-bang strategy officially a failure, President Obama’s State of the Union address last night desperately tried to keep all of these legislative efforts alive while also acknowledging that the country has firmly rejected his policy agenda."

A Response to the president's State of the Union speech

Bob Grant, AT "I'm not sure I can remember a time when a Commander-in-Chief with troops actively engaging the enemy on several fronts, failed to thank the brave people who risk their lives to keep this nation safe. Hell Obama didn't even see fit to mention them for an hour, and then it seemed as though it was an afterthought."

Just How Leftist Has the Democratic Party Become?

Pajamas Media "Employing statistics from the Americans for Democratic Action, a self-defined liberal activist group, we analyzed House and Senate voting records dating back to 1974. Using as a definition of “liberal” someone who votes with the ADA recommendation at least two-thirds of the time, we found that in 1995 nearly four out of five Democrats in the House (78 percent) qualified as liberal. That is more than double the 34 percent of 1974."

Avatar Is Heaven for America Haters

Pajamas Media "James Cameron's depiction of Americans as vile oppressors practically invites terrorists to take up arms against the U.S."

Truman, Obama, and Executive Orders

Blackfive "And if I was in the military, knowing that he doesn't consider the military a friend, how would I feel about a Commander in Chief who treats his political allies this badly? I guess what I'm saying is that I'd watch my back, if I was one of you active duty guys."

Left Goes Bonkers Over McDonnell’s Crowd

Jennifer Rubin "The Left is freaking out. Gov. Bob McDonnell gave an impressive, error-free, and remarkably effective response to the SOTU. He might be the next “It” on the Republican side. That means it’s time to attack! Over at Daily Kos, they don’t like the diverse crowd that was seated behind McDonnell..."

BARACK THE VOTE: A Who’s Who of Those Targeting Our Youth

Big Hollywood "For example, in the video, a geeky-looking guy holding a “no death panels” placard is described as a liar, and the hot chick wearing a partially-unbuttoned plaid shirt is told to “lie right back” to him by telling him, “I’m on my period and I don’t have a vagina.” Har-dee-har. (There’s more, but you can see the lameness for yourself, if you so choose.)"...."So who are the geniuses behind Rock the Vote? Big Hollywood takes a peek at some current and former key players."

Tim Tebow Open Thread: Is It Controversial to Celebrate Life on Super Sunday?

Big Journalism "The Heisman Trophy winner — un-aborted, home-schooled, and a devout Christian — is causing a stir on the Left with his upcoming Super Sunday ad extolling the virtues of the pro-life position. Since his mother was advised to abort him, maybe he ought to know."

Foreign Policy AWOL in SOTU

Max Boot in Commentary "Rather than offer any specific support for Iranian democrats or call for the overthrow of their oppressors, Obama devoted far more time to promoting “our incredible diversity” at home — including an effort to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which may make sense but is sure to bring him into conflict with substantial numbers of the soldiers under his command."

Obama's Words After Bush's Final SOTU Address

HotAir "Obama: "Tonight for the 7th long year, the American people heard a State of the Union that didn't reflect the America we see and didn't address the challenges we face...Tonight's State of the Union was full of the same empty rhetoric the American people have come to expect from this President...Tonight was President Bush's final State of the Union and I don't think that history will judge him kindly" "

Did Obama's SOTU Pass the Women's Intuition Test?

Janice Shaw Crouse, AT "The President promised the moon, but said nothing for which he could be held accountable. He did a brilliant job of giving the impression that he was addressing issues, but in case after case one could only wonder about the particulars. Most women listen carefully when a man dishes out flowery promises. Most have learned from bitter experience not to fall for vague promises; instead they look for the particulars and most importantly, they look at a man's actions."

AP’s ten whoppers from the SOTU speech

HotAir "Obama repeatedly insisted that he inherited massive budgetary problems from George Bush, but the Con Law professor may want to retake his high-school civics class. Congress passes budgets, not the President, and the last three budgets came from Democrats. "

Taliban Reintegration

Max Boot "It’s a good idea to create a “reintegration” program that will allow fighters to leave the Taliban with some prospect of employment, education, housing, and other essentials. That’s what the government of Afghanistan, in cooperation with the U.S., Britain, and other allies, is announcing today in London. Just don’t expect a lot of Taliban defectors to make use of the program until security conditions change on the ground."

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

State of the Union Live Blog

American Thinker Some pretty big names in political commentary participated in this blog. Read their first impressions.

US Communists Admit Obama Win Was a Turning Point in Our History

Gateway Pundit "The Communist Party USA is holding their national convention this May in New York City. The organization admits in their announcement that Barack Obama’s election win was a turning point for the country. They also admit that their goal is to continue to build a “broad progressive labor-led democratic movement” able to defeat Republican obstructionism." Progressive labor-led? Hmmm. Sounds familiar.

ACORN 'gotcha' man arrested in attempt to tamper with Mary Landrieu's office phones

N.O. Times-Picayune "Last fall, O'Keefe was hailed as a conservative hero for dressing as a pimp and taping ACORN employees offering advice on how he and a partner could get away with running an international underage prostitution scheme." Way to bump yourself off the high ground, kid. Fox News: Sources close to O’Keefe say it’s “not a case of wiretapping” "The affidavit didn’t accuse the group of “wiretapping” but of “willfully and maliciously interfering” with a government phone system, which may mean something less sinister in practice (albeit possibly still in violation of the statute). "

Analysis: State of the Union offers Obama a pivot point

CNN "The good news for Obama is that he tends to rise to the occasion for the big speeches. But the question mark hanging over this one is whether Obama is ready to chart a new course, or is still struggling to figure out which path to take. Here are three big questions he has to answer tonight:"...

Obama versus Obama

Victor Davis Hanson, NRO "The only catch is that Barack Obama no longer navigates among gullible Ivy League deans, naïve philanthropists, and inept organizers and bureaucrats. No, he is running a country that still has millions of no-nonsense truckers, teachers, small-business owners, and general skeptics who don’t give a damn about either Harvard or Chicago. And in their eyes, after a year, the game is about up." Hanson refers to Obama 1.0, Obama 2.0, Obama 3.0, etc. Sweet.

HuffPost Comedy's State Of The Union Drinking Game 2010

Huffington Post Obama says "let me be clear", Do one shot; Obama says "change isn't easy", Do one shot Obama says "make no mistake", Do one shot"

Sarah Palin Clobbbers Heartless Women’s Group Over Attacks On Tim Tebow Super Bowl Ad

Gateway Pundit "Florida quarterback and Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow said he is standing up for what he believes in a Super Bowl ad featuring him and his mother. The ad has drawn criticism from radical women’s groups because it is likely to convey an anti-abortion message."

The Real State of the Union: Fear.

Michael Ledeen "This fear is extremely broad-based. It is not limited to social class nor to domestic or foreign policies. Banks are not lending, companies are not hiring, because they are afraid of what Obama will do next. Both are afraid of onerous taxes, including new health care burdens, and the banks fear new regulations and the consequences of the recently declared war on evil bankers by the president. Seniors are afraid they will be deprived of medical treatment. Juniors are afraid they are going to be forced to buy health insurance they don’t think they need. Across the board, Americans are afraid they’re not going to find work, and won’t be able to afford a house. And, as the Massachusetts vote showed, Americans are worried about threats from abroad, worried about Iran, afraid of terrorist attacks, and afraid the Obama dministration doesn’t take all this seriously enough. "

9/11 Commissioners to Obama: What Were You Thinking?!

Jennifer Rubin "Scott Brown seemed to have a handle on this when he said that “our Constitution and laws exist to protect this nation — they do not grant rights and privileges to enemies in wartime. In dealing with terrorists, our tax dollars should pay for weapons to stop them, not lawyers to defend them.” Perhaps he can reach across the aisle and induce some of his new colleagues, just as we are seeing on health care, to set aside the foolishness of Obama’s first year in favor of some responsible governance."

"... a "more hopeful Obama" in the State of the Union address."

Politico "But, [Gibbs] added: "The president's going to explain why he thinks the American people are angry and frustrated." " I've been wanting to know. PLease let Joe Wilson be there tonight. H/T to Weasel Zippers.

OBAMA AIMS TO AX MOON MISSION:

Instapundit No, we can't.

Figures. Obama’s Socialist Advisers Are Behind His Push For Immigration Reform

Gateway Pundit "Why, in a time of high U.S. unemployment, is the Obama Administration seriously considering Rep. Luis Gutierrez’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity” bill which would grant citizenship to up to 12 million illegal immigrants? The answer has little to do with humanity, national security or prosperity. It is all about power- raw socialist power. It is all about 8,000,000 more Democratic Party votes and the creation of a “governing coalition for the long term”. Emphasis added.

Obama Will Push His Same Old Agenda

Sweetness & Light "That Mr. Obama will renew his call for amnesty shows that he is not serious about ‘healthcare reform,’ since giving millions of illegal aliens and their relatives amnesty will surely balloon the price astronomically. It also proves that he does not care one whit about helping the American middle class hold on to their jobs, since these millions of newly minted citizens will flood the labor market and depress wages and employment numbers across the country. However, it does show that Mr. Obama is very worried about the mid-term elections, and that he is worried the Democrats will lose big if they do not manufacture a new loyal voting bloc. But most importantly, it demonstrates just hopelessly out of touch Mr. Obama is with the vast majority American people. We do not want amnesty. But, despite all of his pretending, he does not care what we want." SEIU Exec VP: Reforming Immigration Could Add 8 Million Democratic Votes: Create Governing Coalition For 'Long Term' . Content warning: language in the site.

Political Cartoons by Gary Varvel

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

President Obama Finances Offshore Drilling in Brazil

BigGovernment "But it still doesn't allow the U.S. to explore in Alaska or along the East and West Coasts, which could be our equivalent of the Tupi oil fields, which are set to make Brazil a leading oil exporter. Americans are right to wonder why Mr. Obama is underwriting in Brazil what he won't allow at home."

Filmmaker Who Outed ACORN in Prostitution Sting Arrested

Pajamas Media "Conservative activist James O’Keefe has been arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Service for allegedly attempting to bug the offices of U..S. Senator Mary Landrieu. Also arrested were Robert Flanagan, the son of a federal prosecutor, and two others."More here. And Here: Olbermann in ecstasy. Finally, This from Michelle Malkin .

The Abdulmutallab Travesty

National Review Online "According to an Associated Press account, after Abdulmutallab chatted with customs officials about his plot, FBI agents showed up and talked to him for about 50 minutes. He told them he’d worked with al-Qaeda. The agents didn’t Mirandize him, relying on an exception in cases involving an imminent threat to public safety. Then, a new FBI team arrived with instructions from Washington to read Abdulmutallab his rights. It’s the last we’ve heard from him." Rich Lowry, NRO

Morning Bell: The State of Our Union

Heritage "If you devote all your attention to letting our private sector create jobs at home and achieving victory overseas, we will enthusiastically support your efforts, and the State of the Union in 2011 will be far better."

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Jane Jamison, AT "The occasion is made more sobering by the knowledge that today, Jews around the world are as much in danger as they were 60 years ago, if not more so. The FBI says Jews are more likely to be the victims of religious hate crimes in the United States than any other group."

George did it

Tony Gallardo, AT "There is evidence piling up that George W. Bush is working surreptitiously to undermine the Obama presidency. We know this because we have a perfectly reliable and unimpeachable source; Barack Obama himself. He whines, over and over again, that "....we inherited", "...from the last eight years", "...the previous administration", etc, etc." Words to listen for in the State of the Union speech, by the way.

Obama to meet with House Republicans

WaPo "The House GOP invited Obama this year to speak at its annual retreat, which will be held in Baltimore from Thursday to Saturday. Coming only two days after Obama's State of the Union address, the session could herald better relations between the two sides in 2010 -- or lift their tensions to an even higher level. "

Does the Middle East Need More Christians?

Pajamas Media "But if the people in the Middle East were saying, “We’re blowing you up for Jesus,” we actually know pretty well where to point to in the Bible to show them that’s wrong."

Pamela Geller, American Thinker: Forty Years of Feminism Now Bearing Fruit

Pam Geller, Atlas Shrugs "Virtue, self worth, and man's moral value are DOA in the age of the cultural domination of the left. What an awful stench this decaying corpse gives off, lying in a smoldering, fetid pile of ash."

Obama On Brink Of Crackup

Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard "One of the important tests of a president, especially a relatively new one like Obama, is how he deals with a serious setback. Does he respond rationally and realistically? In Obama’s case, the answer is no."...."This was the language of a rattled president in search of enemies to scapegoat. Obama didn’t mention that all but one of the major banks have paid back the bailout money with interest. There’s a word for this kind of rhetoric: Unpresidential."

ABC, CBS, NBC Skip Pro-Life March; NPR Airs Abortionist Calling Pro-Lifers Terrorists

Newsbusters- "NPR's Martin demonstrated balance in her booking but not in her questioning. Carhart's late-term "work" is uniquely controversial, and his rhetoric is harsh. But Martin sounded more like a fan-club president than a skeptical questioner."

Krauthammer Responds To Obama's 'Great One-Term President':

Breitbart TV "Krauthammer: Obama Forgot Option Three – ‘Mediocre One-Term President’ "

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee urges quick offensive for 2010

Politico "Showing that they’ve learned the lesson of Massachusetts, Menendez and his staff will distribute a memo Tuesday advising Democratic campaign managers to frame their opponents early — and to drive a wedge between moderate voters and tea-party-style conservatives." Please, TEA Partiers-NO THIRD PARTY! And: Blueprint for the Democratic counter-attack "This story in Politico about how the Democrats are going to go after Republicans is fascinating. It shows how far removed from ordinary people Democrats are and what voters think is important:"

The Worst Failure Isn’t Health Care

Jennifer Rubin "...Well the mullahs got time to consolidate their grip on the throats of the Iranian people while gaining some international legitimacy. The Iranian protesters got their funding cut and saw the United States go practically mute when it might have mattered the most. The U.S. seems only to have frittered away its moral standing in the world. What we got was another year in which Iran moved closer to membership in the international nuclear-arms club."

Shot heard ’round the world

Dick Morris "If Scott Brown wins the Senate seat vacated by Ted Kennedy, it means that any Republican can win at any time in any place. Such are the fortunes to which the Democratic Party has fallen under the ministrations of President Barack Obama."...."You can’t beat somebody with nobody. And the Republican Party has a candidate shortage."

Monday, January 25, 2010

Political Cartoons by Gary Varvel

It Begins: NY Times Suggests Sexism a Factor in Martha Coakley's Mass. Loss

Newsbusters "Not mentioned in the laundry list of accusations of "macho" politics: The womanizing and worse committed by the late liberal Sen. Ted Kennedy. " Good grief; first we're racist and now we're sexist.

The Centuries-Old Bond Between America and the Jews

John Podhoretz, Commentary "More on Levy’s astonishing life, including his six courts-martial and how his purchase of Monticello proved to be the salvation of Thomas Jefferson’s home, can be found here. It demonstrates that the course of true friendship between America and the Jews was not a simple upward arc."

CNN poll: 70% glad that Dems no longer have 60 votes

Hot Air "The way they phrased the question guaranteed that only the most robotic Democratic partisans would say they’re not glad (imagine if it had been framed in terms of greater Republican power to “obstruct”), but consider this evidence that the “party of no” label hasn’t exactly brought the GOP to its knees. And that ain’t all:"

Astroturfers For Obama Caught in Fake Letter-to-the-Editor Campaign

American Glob "It seems there are a lot of people named Ellie Light in the United States. Not only do they have the same name, but they live in different places all over the country and – would you believe it – they all wrote nearly identical letters to newspapers in various cities."

Public Employee Unions Are Sinking California

WSJ "An old friend of mine has a saying, "Even the worm learns." Prod one several hundred times, he says, and it will learn to avoid the prodder. As California enters its annual budget drama, I can't help but wonder if the wisdom of the elected politicians here in the state capital equals that of the earthworm. "

Horrid 2007 Iran NIE To Be Revised

ThreatsWatch "The principal authors - Department of National Intelligence employees previously transfered from the State Department - made point that Iran actually had a weapons program, but only in the false context that it had halted it in 2003. They were making political hay and, at the time, trying to derail what they perceived as a possible Bush attack inside and on Iran. That this perception was itself also patently false is of no consequence." More here: NIE Authors Have Partisan Histories

Gibbs: The FBI Learned All It Could About Abdulmutallab in a 50-Minute Interview

Stephen Hayes, Weekly Standard "Senator Lindsey Graham asked Attorney General Eric Holder about this at a congressional hearing in November."Let me ask you this. Let's say we capture him tomorrow. When does custodial interrogation begin in his case? If we captured bin Laden tomorrow, would he be entitled to Miranda warning at the moment of capture?"Holder responded: "Again, I'm not -- that all depends."It depends. Eric Holder can imagine a scenario in which a U.S. government official reads Osama bin Laden his Miranda rights at the moment of capture.Remember all of this the next time you hear an Obama administration official insist that we are at war with al Qaeda."

Robert Gibbs on Scott Brown’s Win: “More People Voted to Express Support for Barack Obama Than to Oppose Him” (Video)

Gateway Pundit "Like President Obama on Wednesday, Robert Gibbs today on FOX News Sunday denied that the Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts was an indictment of democratic policies and practices in Washington DC." And this: How the Left Opinion-makers Spin the Brown Victory: Bad Advice for Obama by Ron Radosh.

Apologize to Rush Limbaugh, Mr. Foxman

Big Journalism "Friday, Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League did what he’s most fond of doing: he focused his ire on a friend of Israel rather than an enemy in order to protect his allies in the Democratic Party. This time, he’s attacked staunch philo-Semite and pro-Israel bulwark Rush Limbaugh. Here’s Rush’s statement:"

Obama Uses Teleprompter to speak to 6th Grade Class

Atlas Shrugs "Apparently there is no venue too small to require multiple teleprompters....I saw these pictures and first thought they were photo shopped, but it ends up they are actual pictures from Obama talking to an elementary school classroom. And they made fun of Bush’s communication skills…" Mr. President, we're down here, on the floor! Look at us!

Five Easy Questions for Obama

Randall Hoven, AT "...So if you please, could you answer just a few simple and straightforward questions? I promise that there are no tricks. Here are five questions, four short-answer and one essay. "

Arkansas recruiting center killing suspect: 'This was a jihadi attack'

CNN.com ""My lawyer has no defense," he wrote. "I wasn't insane or post traumatic nor was I forced to do this act. Which I believe and it is justified according to Islamic laws and the Islamic religion jihad -- to fight those who wage war on Islam and Muslims.""

What are Republicans for?

Lamar Alexander, NRO "The law of unintended consequences means that when the only choices are the recent immigration, climate-change, and health-care bills, being a member of the party of “no” is a more responsible choice than being a member of the party of “yes we can.” "

Glacier scientist: I knew data hadn't been verified

Daily Mail "The claim that Himalayan glaciers are set to disappear by 2035 rests on two 1999 magazine interviews with glaciologist Syed Hasnain, which were then recycled without any further investigation in a 2005 report by the environmental campaign group WWF. "

Obama to Offer Aid for Families in State of the Union Address

NY Times "...a package of modest initiatives intended to help middle-class families, including tax credits for child care, caps on some student loan payments and a requirement that companies let workers save automatically for retirement, senior administration officials said Sunday."

Obama to California “Water, Its Not a Right its a Privilege”

Big Government "Officials are perplexed to find an explanation for the declining population of the delta smelt, a small bait fish. It is also true that the salmon industry is concerned. So it is understandable that regulators would force action. What is not understandable is why the game of man vs beast is tilted at every turn toward the beast. Consider that the judicial solution holds that if the fish population is declining, we will leave more water in the river and see if that works. No one knows if it will. Maybe there is a chemical or biological explanation, but we will take a chance because the lives of fish are at stake."

Democrats' Bush-bashing strategy goes bust

Politico "“Voters are pretty tired of the blame game,” said longtime Democratic strategist Steve Hildebrand, a top aide on Obama’s presidential campaign. “What a stupid strategy that was.”

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Oliphant

Yahoo News

Theism and Belief

Mike Adams, Townhall "This all leads to my belief that I’ve been wrongly defining liberalism for years. I think a new definition of the liberal is in order: A liberal is someone who only wants to be free from the consequences of freedom. "

AP Exclusive: The Christmas attack interrogation

Yahoo News "The Associated Press has a fascinating blow-by-blow account of the interrogation of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab that adds several new details to previous reports on his handling. Overall, however, this news does not change the disturbing picture of the reflexive, law-enforcement-first approach the Obama administration took with the al Qaeda operative. And with the new details come new troubling questions."

Obama's bank bashing killing wealth creation

Ron Lipsman, AT "This is what we get for electing an ignorant community organizer with no expertise in running a newsstand, much less a country. Republicans might be happy that his Presidency is going up in flames, but that brings scant comfort to those whose wealth he is shrinking. As for the Democrats, if I may quote Monty Pelerin in a blog in the Jan 23 issue of this magazine: The only happy Democrat today is Jimmy Carter. He probably senses the chance to pass his heavy mantle of "worst President in my lifetime" on to "The One." "

IPCC scientist admits Glaciergate was about influencing governments

American Thinker "The scientist behind the bogus claim in a Nobel Prize-winning UN report that Himalayan glaciers will have melted by 2035 last night admitted it was included purely to put political pressure on world leaders."

When Tolerance Trumps Principle

American Thinker  "Until both parties put aside agendas and assent to truth, legislative and political process based on tolerance of each other's beliefs is futile and laughable...or at least it would be, were the consequences not so serious. The result is a wasteland of abandoned principles. Tolerance is the pry bar by which the modern liberal moves boundaries."  (Emphasis added.)

For 2010 Election Strategy Dems Decide To Blame Bush For Their Failed Economic Policies

Gateway Pundit  "But, things changed in 2007. Democrats took over Congress, gas prices started to rise, and at the end of the year and into 2008 several financial institutions started to crumble as the housing bubble began to burst. Of course, it should be noted that President Bush publicly called for the reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac 17 times in 2008 alone before Congress acted. Democrats, on the other hand, blocked reform numerous times. It was later reported after the 2008 election that Bush had nothing to do with the financial crisis. ... Scott S. Powell wrote ...that the present crisis began in the 1970s, during the Carter administration, with passage of the Community Reinvestment Act to stem bank redlining and liberalize lending in order to extend home ownership in lower-income communities. This risk was acknowledged in the Bush administration’s first fiscal-year budget, released in April 2001. Sadly these warnings were ignored by Congress."

PJM Book Club: Blogging Rules for Radicals

Pajamas Media  "My optimism didn’t last long. The moment Obama announced Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff, every radical and former radical in the country knew where we were headed — though few could imagine how quickly we could get there. Then again, if you know your Alinsky and are beginning to fathom the extremism of Obama’s czarist empire, it should seem no surprise at all."

A YEAR AGO IT WAS ALL “HOPE AND CHANGE,” but now it’s Leviathan stirs again.

Instapundit  "Mr Obama’s appeal for pragmatism has some value: conservative attempts to roll back government regulations have led to disaster in the finance industry. But left-wing attempts to defend entitlements and public-sector privileges willy-nilly will condemn the state to collapse under its own weight."

Did the Obama administration blow an opportunity in the Flight 253 case?

WaPo  "...The Obama administration had three options: It could charge him in federal court. It could detain him as an enemy belligerent. Or it could hold him for prolonged questioning and later indict him, ensuring that nothing Mr. Abdulmutallab said during questioning was used against him in court. It is now clear that the administration did not give serious thought to anything but Door No. 1. This was myopic, irresponsible and potentially dangerous."  A mistake that can be rectified, part 4  "...But the decision to try Mr. Abdulmutallab turns out to have resulted not from a deliberative process but as a knee-jerk default to a crime-and-punishment model."

Would the White House Fall for This?

Jennifer Rubin   "Everything is fine, perfectly fine. According to Rich, the real issue is that Obama was not angry enough or wasn’t everywhere enough. Or Left-leaning enough. You can almost sense Republican candidates and operatives holding their collective breath, smilingly nervously and whispering to each other, “They couldn’t be that obtuse, could they?” "

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Congressman Lamar Smith: Media Fairness Caucus Helps Americans Get Facts to Counteract MSM Bias

Big Journalism "Voters see the media as biased, liberal and too powerful, according to a Rasmussen poll. Just two in ten Americans say reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of political campaigns. A majority of voters believe, “The average reporter is more liberal than they are.” And two-thirds think the media have too much power and influence over government decisions."

Shhh… US Marines Wrap Up Mission in Iraq– Victorious

Gateway Pundit  "If we had a responsible media in this country this would be front page news. Sadly, we don’t. Thank you US Marines. Thank you US military. Thank you Republicans for standing strong. Thank you George W. Bush."

Leftwing Professor Writes Hilarious Essay About 'Conan Obama'

Newsbusters "...a new development has set in recently: leftwing disgust with The One especially since it now appears that ObamaCare is DOA. And perhaps the absolute funniest of the leftwing critiques of Obama comes from the pen of David Michael Green, a professor of political science at Hofstra University in New York."

Obama can’t get 50 votes for Bernanke?

Hot Air "Bernanke didn’t tell Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy up all those loans and create securities from bad mortgages that wound up as crypto-junk bonds with the patina of federal guarantees. That blame falls squarely on Congresses from 1998 until 2007."

Still Time to Get It Right; But only if Obama reverses course on Abdulmutallab.

Andrew McCarthy, NRO "The big decision is the one made at the beginning of the Obama administration, by the president and nobody else: It is the default position of the administration that law enforcement is the preferred approach for dealing with international terrorism. The standing rule is that, if a person is apprehended in the United States — even if he is an al-Qaeda operative unleashed here to kill massively — he is to be regarded as a criminal defendant, not as a prisoner of war. " And here: Lawmakers to Holder: Who decided to give Miranda rights to accused Detroit bomber? "More importantly, a thorough and unrushed interrogation might have revealed information to detect and disrupt the next terrorist attack. However, because Mr. Abdulmutallab was given Miranda rights and ceased cooperating, that information is now lost." "

Step Aside, Mr. Foxman: Your Remarks About Rush Are Out of Bounds

Pam Geller in Big Journalism "As a passionate, proud Jew, I too stand with Rush Limbaugh and would take up against Foxman in a heartbeat. Thank G-d for righteous Gentiles like Rush. He is beyond delicious. He has such a yiddische heart, I’d marry him under a chupa! Here’s what Rush said today on his radio program:"

A modest health care reform proposal

American Thinker "If Congress mandated that insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions and did not mandate that everyone buy insurance, many people would simply not buy insurance, wait to get sick or injured, then sign up and leave the insurance company with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of bills that haven't been paid. Mandating that everyone buy insurance fixes this problem, but it leads to the following hideous policy cascade:"

Killing the Entrepreneurial Spirit: Government Is Not a Good Investor

Heritage "Private investors have a personal stake in the outcome of their investments. But when politicians play entrepreneur with taxpayer money, that link does not exist; instead, the risk/reward is measured in terms of political outcomes."

Holder hasn't revealed Justice Dept lawyers who defended Gitmo detainees

Washington Examiner "...the inquiries show Republicans growing increasingly assertive about questioning the Obama administration's actions and resolve in fighting what the GOP still calls the War on Terror. Unless Holder can offer convincing explanations for the Department's recent decisions, the questions will keep coming." H/t to Beltway Confidential.

Move Afoot in the Senate to Can EPA CO2 Regs

Pajamas Media "Murkowski’s resolution of disapproval is a gutsy action intended to safeguard the U.S. economy, government’s accountability to the American people, and the separation of powers under the Constitution. Naturally, Sen. Barbara Boxer and other apostles of Gorethodoxy denounce it as an assault on the Clean Air Act, public health, science, and “the children.” Rubbish!" For the children, always for the children.

The Demise of Air America

Jazz Shaw "And yet Fox News Channel continues to be one of the most successful outlets while MSNBC struggles to maintain an audience larger than reruns of Iron Chef America on the Food Network. So where were progressives going for their news and political entertainment? You can only fill up so many hours of the day reading Daily Kos and Democratic Underground."

After Massachusetts, Liberal Bloodletting Will Continue

Victor Davis Hanson "After a year Obama still has not yet figured out that his promiscuous talk of higher income, payroll, health care, and inheritance taxes, serial demonization of finance and business, and all sorts of new regulations, create a psychological climate in which the employer pulls in his horns and decides to ride things out — and this individual reaction is being repeated millions of times over, energized by the pique at everything trivial from Van Jones to apologies abroad to “Bush did it.” "

Full-body scanner catches cell phone, misses bomb on German TV [video]

Daily Caller “Admittedly, he only faced the scanner from the front and not from the side,” wrote computer security pro Bruce Schneier. “But he also didn’t hide anything in a body cavity other than his mouth — I didn’t think about that one — he didn’t use low density or thinly sliced PETN, and he didn’t hide anything in his carry-on luggage. Full-body scanners: they’re not just a dumb idea, they don’t actually work.” Hope you understand German but the point is clear.

A Warning For The Next Scott Brown

Legal Insurrection "Coakley's image problem was not the result of smears, but a result of the blogosphere and mainstream media publicizing Coakley's own words in context.There were, however, three key smears directed at Scott Brown, none of which took off because of the overall momentum in the race. Nonetheless, these smears are a road map as to how the next Scott Brown will be attacked." A good look at leftist tactics to appear in upcoming elections.

Obama in the Land of Oz.

Warning Signs Hat tip to Alan Caruba.

Radio's Steve Malzberg Fact-checks Olbermann's Brown Rants

Newsbusters "The anger over Keith Olbermann's disgraceful rants against Scott Brown continues to mount. On Thursday, WOR radio's Steve Malzberg voiced his opinion of the "out of control, leftwing nut-job" MSNBC host.

Hollywood Director: White Conservatives ‘More Terrifying’ Than ‘Any Jihadist’

Big Hollywood "Well, you have to keep in mind that in Leftist Hollywood comparing 100 million or so Americans to terrorists is what-you-call a resume enhancer. (If you just say that about the Marines, it’s called “Avatar.”) Now, had Carnahan said jihadists are more terrifying than white conservatives, the CAIR Apology Tour would be well underway."

America Rising; an open letter to Democrat politicians

Conservative Analysis "This is absolutely the best, most powerful video message since the Day of Great Darkness began our downward spiral on 04NOV2008. …and even moreso, because it was clearly produced by the PUMAs and other Dem-leaning independents that helped elect The One in the first place."

Friday, January 22, 2010

DoJ recommends Bush strategy for terrorist detainees

Hot Air "A Justice Department-led task force has concluded that nearly 50 of the 196 detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be held indefinitely without trial under the laws of war, according to Obama administration officials."

Krauthammer: The Meaning of Brown

Townhall "Obama pretended that the real cause was a generalized anger and frustration "not just because of what's happened in the last year or two years, but what's happened over the last eight years." Let's get this straight: The antipathy to George W. Bush is so enduring and powerful that ... it just elected a Republican senator in Massachusetts? Why, the man is omnipotent. "

Political Cartoons by Lisa Benson

Townhall

The revenge of the brightest and the best

Powerline "There are a number of recent developments that are gratifying for conservatives and Republicans. One small thing that gratifies me is the emergence of former Bush administration officials and staffers as powerful spokespersons in the fight against Obama's left-liberal policies."

CNN Christiane Amanpour Caught in her America and Jew hating Lies About "Torture"

Atlas Shrugs "If you don't have time for the whole thing... start at minute 5:30.............and check out how this Jew hater throws the Jews in - from out of nowhere - just because she can't contain her poison."

Progressives and Their Fallacies

American Thinker "Despite such problematic reality, capitalism-haters will persist in spreading tall tales to bolster their belief that socioeconomic injustice causes crime. They will push confiscatory taxes to spread wealth to those who've produced none so that said non-producers won't feel victimized, and they hurt actual producers who did nothing to harm the non-producers because the former were too busy creating jobs -- jobs which the non-producers summarily ignore in order to free up time to hold out their hands and grab producers' redistributed wealth. Confusing? Smile. This makes sense to progressives."

Five Memes Destroyed by Scott Brown’s Victory

Pajamas Media "On Tuesday night, Scott Brown shocked the world by defeating Martha Coakley and capturing the seat that Ted Kennedy held for more than 40 years. It was a momentous election, not just because it featured a Republican ending the Democrats’ filibuster-proof majority by capturing a seat in deep-blue Massachusetts, but because it shattered a number of memes that have been treated in many circles as conventional wisdom:" Meme: n. A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. (Dictionary.com)

REVIEW: ‘To Save a Life’ — Authentic, Touching Look at Teen Life and Faith (And Steven Crowder’s In It!)

Big Hollywood "...To Save a Life demonstrates the continuing evolution of faith-themed films from sub-par niche novelties toward full-blown, commercial art with broad cultural appeal. The film does not preach, but it does strongly and accurately advocate for its worldview, just like any other Hollywood film, although the worldview it advances is as un-Hollywood as can be imagined. For that reason, To Save a Life is perhaps even more a miracle than the average feature film. Not only did it beat the odds, it did so with its soul still firmly attached."

Lawmakers to Holder: Who decided to give Miranda rights to accused Detroit bomber?

Byron York, Washington Examiner "More importantly, a thorough and unrushed interrogation might have revealed information to detect and disrupt the next terrorist attack. However, because Mr. Abdulmutallab was given Miranda rights and ceased cooperating, that information is now lost.""

Vulnerable Democrats ask Congress, Obama to extend Bush tax cuts

The Hill "Reps. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.) and Mike McMahon (D-N.Y.) asked members in a “Dear Colleague” letter Thursday to support extending the tax cuts, which passed in 2001 and 2003 and are set to expire this year, for at least another two years. Specifically, Bright and McMahon are asking lawmakers to sign a letter to Obama asking him to include the tax cuts in his budget plans for 2010." Which makes more sense: to tax us out of our shorts and give money back to us for stimulus or to just not tax us in the first place?

Virginia governor to deliver GOP response to Obama

Breitbart.com "Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky called McDonnell "an impressive public servant and an excellent choice to offer Republican solutions for our country." McDonnell was inaugurated this past week. He won the Democratic-held governorship last fall, one of two major GOP victories. Republicans also unseated a Democrat in New Jersey."

OBAMA, WALL STREET AND THE STOCK MARKET

Neal Boortz "Obama's populist assault on the world of high finance, coupled with China's tightened lending, has left Wall Street in a state of uncertainty. Is this the way to grow jobs? Think about this. All the new regulations PrezBO proposed yesterday ... tell me how they're going to grow our economy and create jobs? The only jobs created by Obama's new regulations are government jobs --- government regulatory jobs."

Thursday, January 21, 2010

What Brown's Election Win Really Means

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER "The reason both wings of American liberalism — congressional and mainstream media — were so surprised at the force of anti-Democratic sentiment is they'd spent Obama's first year ignoring or disdaining the early signs of resistance: the tea party movement of the spring and the town hall meetings of the summer."

Whoppers of 2009

FactCheck.org "We review the choicest falsehoods from a year that kept us busy." This is the Snopes of politics.

A Death Blow to McCain-Feingold

Pajamas Media "To those for whom MoveOn.org and the countless left-wing 527 operations are the forces of truth and justice, and corporations the font of rich evil men of the 1930’s plutocratic cartoons, this case is a disaster for the commonweal. But for those of us who think free speech is inviolate, and more important in the context of elections than it is in flag burnings or obscenity cases, this decision is a long overdue righting of a preposterous error of legislative judgment."

Paul Ryan on Reconciliation

National Review "If reconciliation happens, Ryan predicts that the Democrats will still have a hard time pulling it off. “There are Blue Dog Democrats out there who are more survivalist than ideologues. One or two switches could be a game changer. The question is whether Democrats will continue to follow Pelosi off the cliff. After Massachusetts, the Democrats are quickly realizing that even if the president comes in to stump, and you get all the union support you need, it’s still not enough to get you elected.”

Which Do You Believe?

Mark Shannon "Seems as though we have a mother out there who is in need of some help. So she has come to the right guy - the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth. Here's the set up: Cary has an 11 year old daughter and she is trying to teach her daughter the difference between the political parties. Maybe we can have some fun with this on the air today." (Neal Boortz )

Can Obama change and save his presidency?

American Thinker "We'll know next week when he gives the annual State of the Union address. By then he will have had time to digest the election results and formulate a response. If he bows to the will of the people, puts health care on the back burner and takes viable measures to deal constructively with national security, economic and foreign policy issues without violating the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and general democratic principles his presidency might well be saved. If not, it won't."

The Fall of the House of Kennedy

Daniel Henninger, WSJ "Enter the Obama administration, the first one born and raised inside this public bubble, with zero private-sector Cabinet members. Act one: a $787 billion stimulus bill, which they brag mainly saved state and local jobs. Then came the six-month odyssey for Obama's $1 trillion health-care bill, dripping with taxes. Independent voters felt like everything was being sucked into a public-sector vortex." H/t to Rush Limbaugh.

System Failure by Stephen Hayes

Weekly Standard "Four top counterterrorism officials testified before a congressional committee that they were not consulted about how to handle the interrogation of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the al Qaeda operative who attempted to blow up Flight 253 on December 25, 2008. " Mr. Hayes is a frequent panel Member on Fox News Special Report with Brett Baier.

Rethinking Bush: A Year Later, How the MSM Cracked Up

Big Journalism "At times consciously and even triumphally, the media increasingly abused the traditional journalistic standards of independence and neutrality in favor of functioning as a virtual arm of the liberal Democratic Party. They took on, in effect, a new and disturbing identity. So consumed by politics, power and status did the MSM become during this period that bashing the former president became standard media fare. This death by a thousand cuts proceeded unabashedly, unabatedly, and largely without challenge by Bush and his staff during his presidencies."

With a Brown Win, Both the MSM and Obama Are Repudiated

Big Journalism "Scott Brown’s victory merely scratches the surface of America’s revulsion at the sting, the con, that Obama has been perpetrating. Everything Obama campaigned on, everything he said, was a lie — from Afghanistan to Israel, from healthcare to taxation. Everything. As a nation, we’re used to hollow campaign promises. But this is altogether different. This was a kind of media-sponsored coup, and the people are letting Washington know that they’re on to them."

Crazy Fool at MSNBC Continues to Smear Scott Brown (Video)

Gateway Pundit "What he lacks in logic he makes up for in fury." Factcheck: Olbermann Repeats Incorrect Anti-Scott Brown Claims of Racism & Vulgarity, Insists He's Correct "But there’s no reason to expect Olbermann to check into the context of why the circumstances of Obama’s birth were brought into the conversation by Brown since doing so might contradict the MSNBC host’s perpetual quest to find racism in every Republican’s shadow."

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Political Cartoons by Glenn Foden

Townhall

MIke Ramirez on the Massachusetts election

Obama Gets It Right

Roger Kimball, Pajamas Media "All eyes have been focused on the proposed bills to transform the way health care is managed, delivered, and paid for in the United States. The Democrats scored a rhetorical triumph by getting everyone, opponents as well as supporters, to refer to this proposed government takeover of medicine as “health care reform.” “Reform”? What is being proposed is “health care reform” in approximately the sense that Stalin’s collectivization of agriculture in the late 1920s was “agricultural reform.” "

Democrats’ Plan for Election 2010: Cheat

Sarah Durand, Pajamas Media "Destroying the integrity of U.S. elections has been a longtime project for the far left. For over a decade, elected Democrats have manipulated the American people into believing their counterfeit altruistic intentions to enable more citizens to vote. Though largely flying under the radar, they’ve been looking for ways to use our legislative system to trump up fraudulent votes and their subterfuge knows no boundaries. In 1993 Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act, commonly called “motor voter.” Under the deception that it would boost voter turnout, the bill laid the foundation for much of the voter fraud we’ve seen over the last 15 years."

Highlights of Brown's victory speech

Ethel C. Fenig, AT "Aside from embarrassing his lovely daughters, Senator-elect Scott Brown's (R-MA) (and doesn't that sound good?) victory speech was as forthright as his campaign; gracious to the loser, respectful to his predecessor, thankful to those who helped him and blunt in his goals."

George Floyd Revisited: Derek Chauvin Was Wrongfully Convicted

  The American Spectator | USA News and Politics Derek Chauvin and his colleagues did not murder George Floyd. Chauvin’s prosecution and tri...

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