The Uncool President; Voters who feel they were had in 2008 have had enough.

Victor Davis Hanson  "In place of his previous “no red states or blue states” healing rhetoric, Obama has sown all sorts of needless divisions in hopes of cobbling together a thin us-versus-them coalition, as independents flee. The 99 percent claim oppression by the 1 percent. Young single female professionals are supposedly at war with Republican Neanderthals. Beleaguered gays apparently must fight the bigotry of the homophobic right wing. Greens should go on the offensive against conservative polluters who are okay with dirty air and water. Latinos must “punish our enemies” at the polls, and Attorney General Eric Holder’s “my people” are to be set against “a nation of cowards.” With all the advantages of incumbency and an obsequious media, why is Barack Obama reduced to stooping to save his campaign?"
Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and the author of the recently released The End of Sparta. You can reach him by e-mailing author@victorhanson.com. © 2012 Tribune Media Services

5 Serious Questions On Smoking Gun Benghazi Cable That Deserve Answers

RiehlWorldView; 5 Serious Questions On Smoking Gun Benghazi Cable That Deserve Answers
"James Carafano at The Heritage Foundation asks 5 fundamental and serious questions about the Benghazi cable that was ignored by the Obama Administration."....

1. Why was the cable kept secret for so long?
2. How could anyone rule out a terrorist attack?
3. Why didn’t the Administration provide any interim findings of their investigation into the Benghazi attack?
4. Why wasn’t a coordinated rapid response force ready to go?
5. How long do we have to wait to get answers to obvious questions?

Boom! House Committee to White House: Show Proof You Ordered Military to Secure Benghazi Compound  "But, despite his words, there is no proof that the White House ever ordered the military to secure the consulate. The US military did not deploy any assets to secure U.S. personnel in Benghazi during the seven hours the consulate and the annex were under attack. 
"On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee sent a letter to the White House to demand proof that the military was ever called up to secure the Benghazi consulate."

Leaked security documents reveal the Obama Administration hired a top al-Qaeda brother to run security at the US embassy in Tripoli.  
"As for Belhaj’s bonafides as an Al-Qaeda ally, consider the words of the notorious Ayman al-Zawahiri. In a report published one day prior to the date on the memo above, ABC News quoted the Al-Qaeda leader as saying the following – in 2007 – about the man the NTC put in control of Tripoli in 2011:

“Dear brothers… the amir of the mujahideen, the patient and steadfast Abu-Abdallah al-Sadiq (Belhaj); and the rest of the captives of the fighting Islamic group in Libya, here is good news for you,” Zawahiri said in a video, using Belhaj’s nom de guerre. “Your brothers are continuing your march after you… escalating their confrontation with the enemies of Islam: Gadhafi and his masters, the crusaders of Washington.”

The School Staffing Surge: Decades of Employment Growth in America’s Public Schools

I know a number of teachers in public schools and find it interesting how many of them want to get out of the classroom and into school administration. TD

Friedman Foundation  "...teachers’ numbers increased 252 percent while administrators and other staff experienced growth of 702 percent, more than seven times the increase in students."
"In a recent Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, Lindsey Burke (2012) reports that since 1970, the number of students in American public schools increased by 8 percent while the number of teachers increased 60 percent and the number of non-teaching personnel increased 138 percent."

....
"There is no evidence in the aggregate that the increase in public school staffing caused student achievement to improve. In a shocking finding, economist and Nobel laureate James Heckman and his co-author, Paul LaFontaine, found that public high school graduation rates peaked around 1970. Thus, as staffing was rising dramatically in public schools, graduation rates were not."  Via Heritage.


When politicians speak of more money going into education, how much of it goes into a bloated bureaucracy? If any conservative speaks of cuts in this bloat, you can be sure they will be attacked by the left and the teachers unions (but I repeat myself).

Yeah, yeah, the President looks presidential over the storm. But let's keep focused on his 3 am moment with Benghazi

My eyes were opened a bit last night on how so many can support Obama in light of all his failures. A family member said he feared the reelection of Obama, but nothing more was said on the subject- we were having a party for the kids- until later when  Benghazi was mentioned. His wife asked what was the story on Libya, that they knew nothing because they did not watch news. Yet they knew they did not want Obama in office.
How many Obama supporters are just like that; that all those cheering, smiling people behind Obama at his rallies know nothing about what is being said of any of his failures as president? Couple that with the fact that most news sources have carried little on the subject of the Libyan embassy attack and you have the perfect storm-if you will- of ignorance.
The still unanswered question for me is why those who do know of the disasters caused by the Democrats since 2008 still support this president and my only guess is what I see as the leftist incubator in which these people have been formed . That and the anti-conservative views papers impose on their staffs tend to reinforce those very philosophies.  TD

Townhall; White House Silent as Benghazi Questions Mount
"We'll see if and how that plays out. In any case, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey is appalled by the White House's lack of competence and transparency on Benghazi:"...

Obama’s Foreign Policy Delusion "Contrary to President Obama’s statement on 60 Minutes that “over the long term we are more likely to get a Middle East and North Africa that is more peaceful, more prosperous and more aligned with…our interests,” hatred of America has increased over the last four years even as our influence has diminished, and the region is heading toward more violence and more assaults on human rights."

Ann Coulter; Romney is what the country needs now

Ann Coulter;

"If Obamacare if not stopped, it will permanently change the political culture of this country. There will be no going back. America will become a less productive, less wealthy nation. What wealth remains will have to be plowed into Obamacare — to the delight only of the tens of thousands of government bureaucrats administering it.

"There won’t be one moment marking the end of America. Everything will just gradually get worse, like trains and the tax code, until a bustling, prosperous nation is as distant a memory as pleasurable train travel and one-page tax returns."  More...

CBS/NYT Poll: Americans Disapprove Of Way Obama Handling Benghazi Attacks By 51%-38% Margin…

Weasel Zippers  "Should be way higher, but the MSM has circled the wagons around their guy."

WZ links us to this column by Jennifer Rubin:
Obama’s Libya stonewalling isn’t working   "Quite apart from what Obama did or didn’t do once the attack was underway, there are still many open questions, as Paul Wolfowitz reels off:"

- The persistent misleading comments about the motives of the attackers.
- The failure to do more in advance to respond to the evidence — including pleas by Ambassador Stevens himself — to provide better security for US facilities in Benghazi or for the Embassy in Tripoli.
- The low priority given to AFRICOM — which had hardly any forces assigned to it — despite growing evidence since the start of the Arab uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya almost two years ago that the governments in those countries (particularly in Libya) were incapable of providing adequate security.

- The failure, after Qaddafi’s fall, to begin quickly training, equipping, and organizing capable Libyan forces so that the new Libyan government — which is evidently pro-American — could exercise better control over security. (To be fair, we were also slow previously in building up Afghan and Iraqi security forces, but why make the same mistake a third time?)
- The strategy of “leading from behind” during the Libyan uprising, which left the training and equipping of the Libyan opposition to governments that do not share our views about which groups should be armed — and even gave priority to Islamist militias over others.

- The current repetition of that same mistake in Syria, creating a situation where Islamist groups appear to be the ones which are best armed.  More...

The politics of Hurricane Sandy

.Hurricane Sandy and the politics of disaster funding  "The GOP has already done its best to tie Obama to the sequester, despite the fact that Republicans in Congress voted for the measure. For their part, Democrats have are seizing on the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy to use Romney's past words against him in a bid to suggest he's in favor of shifting the burden to the states. In a Republican primary debate last year, the former Massachusetts governor said states should have more control over disaster relief, including the possibility of private-sector involvement."

Obama prepares to visit Hurricane Sandy victims: Situation room photo

Argus Hamilton on Sandy; "Chicago residents were warned Monday to expect twenty-five foot waves out in Lake Michigan. The hurricane is tearing across the continent. Shooters on the South side of Chicago had to hire caddies to advise them about how to compensate for the wind speed.
"President Obama flew back to Washington D.C. from the campaign trail on Monday to monitor the hurricane. He came on the radio and issued safety instructions. He blamed Hurricane Sandy on an anti-ocean video currently making the rounds on YouTube."....

Sandy is reminder of all other broken Obama campaign promises  "At his inauguration, President Obama famously proclaimed that his election in 2008 was "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal." With the storm surges caused by Hurricane Sandy, yet another campaign promise has been broken. "....
...."Coming down the home stretch, President Obama picked up endorsements from three international political heavyweights: Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez, Cuba's ruling Castro family, and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Given Obama's track record, that might say it all.
"Obama promised to court international leaders, and these three really love the direction he has our country going. They were drawn to Obama by his nationalizing the healthcare industry, chasing businesses out of the country, and redistributing the wealth of the most productive to areas that will benefit him."

Well, gee, thanks, but no thanks; Iran offers to help cities devastated by Hurricane Sandy
" "Iran's Red Crescent is prepared to help the victims in the US," said Mahmoud Mozaffar, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society's Relief and Rescue Organization."

Neal Boortz on Politicizing Sandy   "I wouldn’t expect anything less from this campaign. After all, we are talking about a campaign that chose the word “forward” to begin with, which has historically been used for communist publications and campaigns for over 100 years. "
Plus some Sandy stories:  ..."There’s a greater disaster out there.  One that doesn’t threaten buildings.  One that doesn’t flood businesses.  One that doesn’t leave people stranded on roofs and construction cranes hanging precariously from tangled cables over city streets.  This disaster is destroying economic liberty.  It has already destroyed millions of jobs – the livelihood of millions of families across the nation.  It has left prized businesses in ruins.  This disaster is on course for destroying a 236 year-old experiment in government that has lifted more people out of poverty and into prosperity than any other system of government in the history of mankind. "

The White House situation room during Hurricane Sandy

Rich Terrell

Our thoughts are with all of you in the storm's path. Rich and Lucy

UPDATED: Debunking the case of General Carter Ham

The story of General Ham as it was first published, and as the Tunnel Wall  prepared to use it:

Here: Is a U.S. general losing his job over Benghazi?  "The information I heard today was that General Ham as head of Africom received the same e-mails the White House received requesting help/support as the attack was taking place. General Ham immediately had a rapid response unit ready and communicated to the Pentagon that he had a unit ready.

"General Ham then received the order to stand down. His response was to screw it, he was going to help anyhow. Within 30 seconds to a minute after making the move to respond, his second in command apprehended General Ham and told him that he was now relieved of his command."

And here: “Rogue”U.S. General Arrested for Activating Special Forces Teams; Ignoring Libya Stand-Down Order .

General Ham then received the order to stand down. His response was to screw it, he was going to help anyhow. Within 30 seconds to a minute after making the move to respond, his second in command apprehended General Ham and told him that he was now relieved of his command.

But this is today's comment on the story: Debunking the case of General Carter Ham
"These reports are filled with sensationalism and should, for the moment, be 100% discounted as they claim he was arrested and relieved of duty.
"Many reports have claimed that General Ham was actually arrested. Specifically, reports declare that General Ham was arrested by his deputy commanding officer, General Rodriguez. But again, this information is highly unlikely.....
"....it is critical we all think logically and dissect rumors in an attempt to clearly find real and credible answers.

"The rumor about General Ham is alarming. And so far, there is absolutely no clear evidence proving such an incident happened. In fact, much more evidence would suggest none of the rumor to be true.
"General Ham isn’t retiring. If these rumors were true, he would have quietly been asked to retire or he would have been fired. To date, it appears that General Ham will be taking over one of America’s largest commands in the very near future. What that command is, well, we should just wait for confirmation of such."

Kerry Patton, a combat disabled veteran, is the author of Contracted: America's Secret Warriors (scheduled release Dec, 2012.). You can follow him on Facebook or at kerry-patton.com.

UPDATE from the military blog, Blackfive: Rumors of General Officers Arrested, Relieved, or Resigning in Protest 
"It's hard to say what is truth and what is fiction right now. This is all speculation for the moment. And some of these rumors might have been started to ensure that the truth doesn't come out until after the election.

Admiral Charles M. Gaouette

"Are the two removals related?
"Are Ham and Gaouette fall out from a cover up of Benghazi?
"Is there any truth behind the rumors?

On November 6th, Remember Obama’s Record

Conservative Daily News

...."Mr. President, when you needed them, the SEALs responded and killed Bin Laden. When they needed you in Benghazi, where were you?

"We are repulsed by the President’s lawlessness as he signed executive orders circumventing Congress and changing U.S. policy toward illegal immigration, effectively implementing “The Dream Act” without Congressional approval. And by refusing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and negating key work provisions of Bill Clinton’s Welfare Reform Act, he violated his oath, and the law, once again.
....
"We’ll remember our men and women in uniform and wonder if their Commander in Chief truly values their lives and the sacrifices of their families.
"Business owners will wonder if they’ll be able to expand and hire new workers or if they’ll be forced to lay off more of their valued employees. Even worse, if they’ll be forced to close their doors forever.
"And entrepreneurs will wonder if opportunity will still exist in America. If free enterprise can survive another four years of Barack Obama.
"Americans will remember the Obama record."....

For all those fish who gave their lives that we might live; the tomb of the unknown fish

Do Irvine's dead fish deserve a memorial?

"The fish had been stored in large tanks that cracked open as a result of the Oct. 11 accident. When firefighters opened the back of the truck, some fish flopped out, and others had already died. None of the people in the accident were seriously injured.

"Although such signs are traditionally reserved for human fatalities, I hope you'll make an exception because of the enormous suffering involved in this case, in order to remind drivers that all animals -- whether they're humans, basset hounds or bass -- value their lives and feel pain," Kourda wrote.

So help me, this is how Paul Whitefield closes his article quoting the above words from PETA:

 "So maybe Dina Kourda of PETA is on to something. Maybe those dead sea bass were just fish. But maybe even fish can -- should -- have their day.

"Maybe it's the least we can do."

Well, it is LA.

This was in the Times earlier:

"She wrote that the sign should be placed at the edge of the right-of-way, at a spot far from the road, so it wouldn't interfere with traffic.

"City spokesman Craig Reem said he was not familiar with Irvine's procedure for dealing with such a request.

" "I do think it's fair to say we have no plans to erect a memorial," he said."

From the Jan 2011 Tunnel Wall.

PETA should have referred to the fish as "sea kittens" 

PETA Attempts To Make Fish More Adorable ""PETA thought that by renaming fish sea kittens, compassionate people who would never dream of hurting a dog or a cat might extend that sympathy to fish, or sea kittens," PETA campaign coordinator Ashley Byrne says.
"Byrne says that rebranding fish as sea kittens was obvious."
And these people vote.

Nice Try Libs, Romney’s Hats Are Not Made In China…

Buzzfeed "This photo comparing a Romney cap made in China and an Obama cap made in the U.S. is going viral online."

But it is nothing more than a Photoshop fake, a libscam. Pictured below is an actual non-doctored Romney cap:

"The Romney campaign website doesn't even have tan hats for sale right now. So the image could either be a total fake or a hat made by an outside group."
Hat tip to Weasel Zippers