How Many Electricians Does It Take to Screw In a Light Bulb?

Politiseeds  "I’m not sure how much you’d be willing to pay an electrician to change just one lamp, but I’m sure you would absolutely blow a fuse if you were asked to pay (as taxpayers did) the almost $1,100 that the county paid my company to replace just one light bulb on that day.  The county did in fact “party like it’s 1999,” but it did so on the taxpayer’s dime."


Danica Patrick on contraception mandate: ‘I leave it up to the government to make good decisions’

DISMANTLING THE PHONY CASE AGAINST VOTER ID

Power Line  Minnesota Majority has set up a web site called We Want Voter ID, which currently features a video of a League of Women Voters-sponsored meeting in Edina, Minnesota. The League spreads disinformation, but a lot of the citizens present at the meeting are on to them. The video begins with an ACLU lawyer objecting to being videoed. Why, exactly, is the ACLU teaming up with the League on this issue? Because voting whether you are legal or not is a “right,” but having your vote canceled out by an illegal voter isn’t a “right.”  Here is the video:

Obama Doctrine Failure; Will the Obama Administration submit US to Sharia law?

Heritage  "Three years ago, President Barack Obama set forth to recast American foreign policy in an image of his own design. It was one in which the White House engaged with enemies and undercut allies, apologized for American exceptionalism, and favored the “soft power” of treaties and international organizations. This “Obama Doctrine” was tailor made to burnish America’s supposedly flagging reputation on the world stage. Today we are seeing the disastrous results of a doctrine gone wrong."

All cartoons in this post fromTownhall

....In the course of three years, President Obama has pursued a foreign policy that has left America less secure today and even more at risk tomorrow. A nuclear Iran, a failed Afghanistan and Iraq, an unfriendly Egypt, an Israel at risk, and an underfunded military are all serious concerns for the American people. Rather than continue pursuing the ill-advised Obama Doctrine, it is time for the President to put defending America first and appeasing our enemies last. That is a doctrine the American people can depend on.

(emphasis added)

NY Times: Violent Uproar in Afghanistan Casts Shadow on U.S. Pullout  "But behind the public pronouncements, American officials described a growing concern, even at the highest levels of the Obama administration and Pentagon, about the challenges of pulling off a troop withdrawal in Afghanistan that hinges on the close mentoring and training of army and police forces."   


At right; An American soldier guarding the Parwan detention facility near Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan last year. Korans from the library at Parwan were mistakenly incinerated at the Bagram base last week


Dangers of the Obama Doctrine   "President Obama’s use of drone strikes to target terrorists is depleting U.S. intelligence on al Qaeda and making America less safe in the process, according to Marc Thiessen, an American Enterprise Institute fellow."

Sweetness and Light; Hillary: GOP Politics Inflame Koran Situation  "How come no one ever asks Mrs. Clinton about the reports that the Korans were defaced by Muslim prisoners writing in them? And how come no one ever asks Mrs. Clinton about her endless criticism of President Bush over his handling of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?"
...."At that time, Hillary scolded Petraeus, saying that his progress report on Iraq required "a willing suspension of disbelief." Of course, it turned out that the General was correct and Mrs. Clinton was laughably wrong.  (See this commentary about Kirsten Powers on Friday's Fox Special report)
"And never mind that, way back in June 2006, Hillary called the Republicans a "disgrace" for playing politics with the war in Iraq."

Blackfive; THE WAGES OF WEAKNESS 
"You have to ask yourself if anyone on Obama's team understands the mentality of the savages who form the profane cult of extremist Islam.   The answer is no, but you still have to ask yourself."

Robert Spencer:  WILL OBAMA BEHEAD THE QUR’AN-BURNERS?   "Some have rightly skewered Obama and his cohorts for their cowardice and eagerness to appease the Afghan mobs, especially as the death toll steadily mounts. No one, however, has noted the most remarkable aspect of this entire episode: the United States Government has, no questions asked, eagerly embraced Islamic law (Sharia) regarding the treatment of the Qur’an, and assured the Afghans that it will be enforced."
(Emphasis added)

TW agrees that an apology was fine since it is offensive to Muslims and we do need to work with them. But it should stop there and the issue should be raised as publicly as possible about what Muslims feel should happen to those who defaced the Korans by using them for message boards. 

The burning was not a crime according to US law and any attempt to punish those who burned them shows willing submission of the US to laws of Islam.  TD

Remember when Bibles were burned?  “Military personnel threw away, and ultimately burned, confiscated Bibles that were printed in the two most common Afghan languages amid concern they would be used to try to convert Afghans, a Defense Department spokesman said Tuesday.”


Obama Praises the Koran and Disrespects the Bible / Video
Hat tip to Dee Sutton Velez; Tampa, Florida

Save the Planet, Buy a Chevy Volt

ConservativeByte You'll love the Chevy Volt.

Hat tip to The Missouri Patriot

http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/

Obama likes to say, "I've got your back!"

photobucket.com

He says it here. And here. Here. 

Hamas’s Desertion of Assad is Body Blow

Commentary  "What is the significance of Hamas, an extremist group long resident in Damascus, suddenly throwing its weight behind the anti-Assad uprising? At first blush it is easy to dismiss it with a snort as rats leaving a sinking ship, and there is much truth in this analysis, but there is also more than that going on here–and it bodes ill for Bashar al-Assad’s longevity. A friend who follows the Middle East closely emails me this compelling analysis which bears a close read:"....

Rick Moran: Hamas finally abandons Assad - backs Syrian revolt   "Tehran is still sending arms, still supplying fighters through Hezb'allah who are apparently in the thick of the massacres, doing the dirty work Assad's troops are reluctant to do. They have little choice. Assad's Syria is one of their few friends in the region and if he goes down, they lose a valuable strategic ally on Israel's border."


Assad wins out against opposition as Russia and Iran strengthen ties

Jerusalem Post  

Saudis disgusted with Obama; To draw Iran into nuclear talks, Obama avoids ousting Assad   As one of the world’s richest oil and financial powers, Saudi Arabia could buy and sell Iran several times over, and after seeing the ayatollahs get away with insulting America time and time again, the Saudi foreign minister did not pull his punches when he faced his US colleague. He was frank about Riyadh and the Obama administration being miles apart in their perceptions of current Middle East events; resentment over the US role in the overthrow of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak remains a constant irritant.
...."Every attempt by Washington to find out what had gone wrong drew a blank. Iranian officials withdrew into total hush and let the entire diplomatic edifice so painstakingly constructed by Washington start falling apart.
"But Obama the eternal optimist has not given up."   Via  DEBKAfile

From the irony folder: Obama Says America More Respected Around World Under His Presidency  

Still clueless admirers of Obama cheer and adore his feckless presence.

Obama lifted his “licking their chops” line from the media

Patterico "Pres. Obama, in full damage control mode over skyrocketing gasoline prices, relied on the establishment media for part of his defense:

“Some politicians, they see this as a political opportunity. I know you’re shocked by that. Last week the lead story in one newspaper said, ‘Gasoline prices are on the rise and Republicans are licking their chops.’ That’s a quote. That’s the lead. Licking their chops. Only in politics do people root for bad news. They greet bad news so enthusiastically,” Obama said.

 "Although Allahpundit noted the general hypocrisy of Democrats when it comes to partisanship, It’s not like the Dems ever made rising gas prices a political issue is it?"


Here the Democrats attack President Bush over high gas prices. Plus they descended on the oil companies over their profits.



"Well, okay… maybe Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer and Chuck Schumer blamed the Bush administration for gas prices. But it’s not like Pres. Obama, great uniter that he hoped to be, ever made gasoline a political issue, did he?"

"It is worth noting that Obama lifted his “licking their chops” line from the media, as the press is going to help him with this issue as much as any other. Consider this gem buried in the NYT coverage of Obama’s problem:

Gas prices did not figure prominently in the Republican debate on Wednesday in Arizona, where the candidates trained most of their fire on one another.

"Translation: the fair and balanced crew at CNN did not ask the GOP field about gas prices on the day Obama felt compelled to publicly defend himself on them. The establishment media is interested in painting Republicans as fixated on birth control and cheering higher gas prices? Shocka!"

Obama, Oil and Algae

KRAUTHAMMER MOCKS OBAMA’S ALGAE ENERGY PLAN

"I was impressed by the President's analysis of this situation, where we have no control over the global price of oil," Charles Krauthammer said. "We're dependent on oil from unfriendlies. And he says, as we heard, drilling for oil to relieve our dependency is not a solution, it's not a plan. He said we have to go to clean energy. He talks about something really revolutionary today. Algae. A $14 million grant for the development of algae... I think this shows the vision, the hope and change he promised in 2008."  Hat tip to Bully Pulpit


PRAGER DESTROYS OBAMA’S ALGAE OIL SPEECH


Obama's oily deception  "It is beyond absurd that a country sitting on so much natural wealth refuses to exploit it for the benefit of its citizens and instead deliberately puts the nation in the position of being subjected to the whims of others and face national insolvency.  This can only be a deliberate strategy by those determined to destroy the basis of the American free-market economy.

Warning Signs:  Lower Than Pond Scum  "In a 2008 Wall Street Journal interview, Obama’s Energy Secretary, Dr. Steven Chu, famously said, “Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels of Europe.” Anyone who does not believe this administration has a deliberate policy of achieving this goal is just not paying attention. Remember that the next time you fill your car’s gas tank."

White House: We Got You 40 Bucks; Go Spend It on Gas  " He added that Obama has taken “a number of steps related to oil and gas production in this country,” including an exploration agreement with Mexico and additional drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

Earnest was pressed by another reporter on whether Obama was considering tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Krauthammer: Overreach: Obamacare vs. the Constitution

Charles Krauthammer  "Let’s accept his contention that this “accommodation” is a real shift of responsibility to the insurer. Has anyone considered the import of this new mandate? The president of the United States has just ordered private companies to give away for free a service that his own health and human services secretary has repeatedly called a major financial burden.

http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/2012/02/19/96576

"On what authority? Where does it say that the president can unilaterally order a private company to provide an allegedly free-standing service at no cost to certain select beneficiaries?"

Illegal Immigration, Legal Immigration and Our lying president

Neal Boortz   "This may be a small thing for you … but when a president lies --- and when he lies knowingly and intentionally --- it should be a big thing, no matter how insignificant the lie.

Here’s what has my boxers in a bunch. Yesterday on the Spanish-language TV network Univision Obama zeroed in on the subject of immigration. He was telling the Hispanic Univision audience that the Republicans were anti-immigrant and anti-immigration.

"Now it take about 10 seconds of conversation to show that this is simply not true, and Obama knows it’s not true." 

....

"But ---- when you are a ruler rather than a leader; when you wish to transform America rather than restore it; lying is an acceptable process. And so it has ever been with Marxist revolutionaries."

Joe Wilson, we need you!

Zazzle

Victor Davis Hanson:   Please, A Little Honesty about Illegal Immigration  "We can argue about the history or the future of illegal immigration. But please spare us the psychodramatic appeals to a higher morality.
"In most respects, illegal immigration has proven as immoral as it is unlawful."

Obama Gives Illegal Aliens Phones For Votes  "Illegal aliens now quite possibly can call a toll free government number, 1-800-259-0957, to get a free “Obama Phone.” The program, conventionally known as Safe Link Wireless, is available to those are on food stamps or Medicaid. Applying for work permits that give them drivers’ licenses provides illegals proof of identity. With that, they enter America’s entitlement class and even become enabled to vote in our elections — for Democrats, of course."

Maybe US allies should riot and threaten Americans with beheading to have Obama respect them

Andrew C. McCarthy:  Why Apologize to Afghanistan?

Just say we're sorry and they will be fine with that.

"Defiling the Koran becomes an issue for Muslims only when it has been done by non-Muslims. Observe that the unintentional burning would not have occurred if these “fiercely protective of their Islamic faith” Afghans had not defiled the Korans in the first place. They were Muslim prisoners who annotated the “holy” pages with what a U.S. military official described as “extremist inscriptions” in covert messages sent back and forth, just as the jihadists held at Gitmo have been known to do (notwithstanding that Muslim prisoners get their Korans courtesy of the American taxpayers they construe the book to justify killing)."

http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/2012/02/23/96712

Rick Moran: Afghans taking potshots at Americans: two more US officers killed  "Pretty soon, all Afghan security personnel will have to be disarmed if they are going to interact with Americans. You can be sure that for the present, meetings between Americans and Afghans are going to be tense affairs.
"Still waiting for President Karzai to apologize for the murderous behavior of his troops."

Atlas Shrugs: IRAN MILITARY OFFICIAL: ONLY BURNING WHITE HOUSE CAN MAKE UP FOR BURNING KORAN
"Coalition officials in Kabul dismissed claims by some Afghan officials that the two Americans were killed by a Western colleague."

WSJ: American colonel and major were both found shot in the head at the busy Interior Ministry  

http://conservativedailynews.com/2012/02/another-apology/

Koran-Burning In Afghanistan Connected To Cemetery Desecrations  "Headstones commemorating British and Allied servicemen, killed during World War II campaigns in the Western Desert, lay smashed and strewn across Benghazi Military Cemetery."
And under Obama, we will continue to buy our oil from these people.

"Barack Obama humbly apologized to the Pope  and said it was never his administration's intention to dishonor the holy book of Catholics and that he would be implenting(sp) harsh punishments for anyone in his chain of command found responsible."

.... And while there's nothing wrong with an initial apology, Hope n' Change is pretty unhappy about the fact that Obama is continuing to make apologies even after multiple people, including two US service members, have been killed in brutal anti-American violence.
"Analysts fear that Obama's continuing apologies are actually serving to make the violence worse by reaffirming that the incident was a big deal, while simultaneously showing weakness instead of resolve when our troops are attacked and murdered."

How 'bout them Republican Candidates?

Beltway Confidential: Campaign Roundup: links and commentary on all the candidates
Romney speech falls flat in Detroit.  Obama has got to be rolling on the floor, laughing.

I told Romney, you gotta go with the Greek columns!

Rick Santorum said Friday he regretted endorsing Mitt Romney for president in 2008.
Aw, geez, Rick.


Canada Free Press:  Republicans: still searching for a fight they can win   "This is because bills that pass Congress with bipartisan support and media approval in the days of Obama, are bills that increase spending and hasten our descent into drachma–based budgeting. And voting to extend the payroll tax cut is a perfect example."


NRO:   The Devil and Rick Santorum   Santorum " has been described, falsely, as an advocate of banning contraception. A dated joke about birth control made by one of his major supporters has been treated as a campaign scandal. A remark about Obama’s misguided environmental “theology” has been turned into an insinuation that the president is not a Christian.
"But the press has not had to invent controversial remarks by Santorum, who has supplied them himself."  Mona Charen says Don’t Pick Rick  He’d be too busy explaining his past statements to run for president. Michael Barone sees things pretty much the same way

Jonathan S. Tobin: Appeasing Ron Paul Won’t Work (01.13.2012)  Republicans are rightly concerned about Ron Paul playing a destructive role in the presidential campaign this fall. Efforts to keep him on the reservation are already beginning, and there is little doubt the significant number of delegates he may win for the party’s national convention in Tampa will have to be dealt with carefully lest they cause trouble and sabotage what will in all likelihood be Mitt Romney’s coronation.

UK Daily Mail: Newt Gingrich, R.I.P - and for the Last Time  "To forestall the usual responses from American "conservatives," let me make the obligatory denials: I regard Obama as the least competent president in American history and loathe the very sight of Mitt Romney.  Nonetheless, there is a candidate out there who is less competent than Obama and more duplicitous than Romney, and that is Newt Gingrich. He ruined the Republican Party once. Now, all he asks is a chance to destroy what is left of the United States." THOMAS FLEMING

http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/2012/02/24/96736