American Exceptionalism: Learning It Firsthand

National Review  "President Obama has downplayed American exceptionalism, comparing it to the national pride felt by the citizens of any country. I wish he had heard Kim’s story. There is something special about this place: This country is a beacon of freedom, of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And we have to work to keep it that way. We can start by preserving and protecting freedom, forever treasuring the inspiration that our nation is and needs to be — and never forgetting the dad from Hanoi who knew our work ethic better than some of us do today. Especially some of those who are working to change the nature of our country."   Kathryn Jean Lopez is editor-at-large of National Review Online. She can be reached at klopez@nationalreview.com.

The Two Vietnam Wars

American Thinker  Remembered and loudly acclaimed, instead, is the infamous anniversary date more than two years later of the tragic end of "Vietnam Two" -- which: 
(a) began in January 1975,
(b) involved no U.S. combat forces at all, and
(c) came to a tragic end on April 30, 1975.
That was when South Vietnam's capital city of Saigon fell to rampaging Soviet-supplied North Vietnamese armies -- and when televised pictures of helicopters rescuing American diplomatic personnel, Marine guards, and friendly South Vietnamese from the U.S. Embassy roof were first burned into our memories. The deceitful tactic: Loudly and relentlessly propagandize a first-ever "Defeat of America" when, in fact, all American combat units had departed the scene more than two years earlier.

What If Arizona Were Quebec?

American Thinker "No sane country has ever elected elites who have systematically undermined their own culture and erased their national borders. Even the French-Canadians know how to stand up for themselves. Who will stand up for the United States and demand, without apology, that the border be sealed and the illegals deported? The Republicans won't do it, the Tea Party is impotent and rudderless, and the Democrats are actively aiding and abetting those who seek to undermine us. If we are unwilling to police our own borders, we are doomed. I'm not certain what it will take to preserve the United States, but we had better come up with something effective -- and soon."

The Republican Party is showing some starch

Dick Morris "The Republican Party is showing some starch by standing up to Harry Reid on the financial regulation bill. We can only hope they keep it up."...."The financial regulation bill is a disaster in three major respects:"...

Times Square car bomb: Alert street vendor summoned police over smoking SUV

Jihad Watch  "A veteran rises to the occasion all over again. On the other hand, as for Comedy Central, it is clear their act of cowardice did not protect anybody from those who are determined to attack. Will they respond with more censorship, or decide now is the time for the gloves to come off? "

Obama overstretch

Thomas Lifson  "Will President Obama's attempt to bring "fundamental change" to America backfire and ultimately push America to the right? Although far from certain, the possibility grows, as the tea parties symbolize a growing public awareness that government is expanding rapidly, at the expense of individual liberty, the private sector, and our standard of living."

Police checking surveillance cameras after car bomb fizzle in Times Square

Rick Moran in AT:  "The New York Times is reporting that police believe the bomb was a fizzle:

Inside, they discovered three canisters of propane like those used for barbecue grills, two five-gallon cans of gasoline, consumer-grade fireworks - the apparent source of the "pops" - and two clocks with batteries, the mayor said. He said the device "looked amateurish." Mr. Browne said: "It appeared it was in the process of detonating, but it malfunctioned."

Political Cartoons by Brian Farrington

http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/BrianFarrington/2010/04

Malevolent Neglect

 American Thinker  "In America, our insurance companies and hospital groups have a market incentive to provide the best possible care for their customers. As with any capitalist venture, a poorly performing hospital or insurance company will soon find its revenue in a raisin-like condition, leading to both reforms and a subsequent boost in performance, or to Chapter 11 and new ownership. The ObamaCare legislation upsets this balance, weighing heavily on the side of regulatory bureaucracy." Related: ObamaCare: An Unmitigated Disaster "Finally, officials are owning up to what most Americans already knew. ObamaCare means higher costs and lower quality; ObamaCare means rationing and higher taxes - including a Value Added Tax (VAT)."

Yet another socialism success story

American Thinker "Socialism is premised on a faulty view of human nature, and fails every time it is used. Too bad nobody in the press corps has ever asked President Obama what he sees wrong with socialism, if anything. "

Environmentalists Prevent Cleaner Power Plant Construction

Pajamas Media "The truth is that no matter what we do, it’s never enough. Drive a hybrid? No good, it still uses gas. What about electric? No — byproducts of battery construction are toxic. They even put roadblocks in the way of wind farms on the grounds that they use too much land — and might kill birds.
Wind of course has it’s own issues. Kansas currently generates more than a gigawatt of electricity via wind power and is ranked behind only Texas in potential for generating electricity in this fashion."

Does Obama Bear Some Responsibility for Intimidation of Comedy Central?

Pajamas Media " “President Obama’s speech in Cairo projected a vision of American weakness where people think they can make violent threats and get away with it. He does not make strong statements that America will not tolerate these threats, but instead is conciliatory.” President Obama is sending out the wrong signals. Instead of political correctness, there should be statements and actions that make clear the government will protect its citizens’ rights."