Sunday, January 20, 2013
McCain’s Mideast Blunders
Andrew McCarthy at NRO "No, no: The problem was that we sided with Qaddafi, giving the dictator — at the insistence of, well, McCain and the State Department — foreign aid, military assistance, and international legitimacy. If we just threw Qaddafi under the bus, the rebels would surely become our grand democratic allies.
"This, of course, was a much more sophisticated theory than you’d get from lunatics like Michele Bachmann. Sit down for this, because I know it’s hard to believe anyone could spout such nutter stuff, but Bachmann actually opposed U.S. intervention in Libya. She claimed — stop cackling! — that many of McCain’s heroes might actually be jihadists ideologically hostile to the U.S. and linked to groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the terror enterprise’s North African franchise. She even thought — yeah, I know, crazy — that if Qaddafi were deposed, the heroes would get their hands on his arsenal, ship a lot of it to AQIM havens in places such as Mali and Algeria, and maybe even turn rebel strongholds such as Benghazi into death traps for Americans.
Good thing we listened to McCain, no?
"This, of course, was a much more sophisticated theory than you’d get from lunatics like Michele Bachmann. Sit down for this, because I know it’s hard to believe anyone could spout such nutter stuff, but Bachmann actually opposed U.S. intervention in Libya. She claimed — stop cackling! — that many of McCain’s heroes might actually be jihadists ideologically hostile to the U.S. and linked to groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the terror enterprise’s North African franchise. She even thought — yeah, I know, crazy — that if Qaddafi were deposed, the heroes would get their hands on his arsenal, ship a lot of it to AQIM havens in places such as Mali and Algeria, and maybe even turn rebel strongholds such as Benghazi into death traps for Americans.
Good thing we listened to McCain, no?
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Alan Caruba; Comparing Two Inaugural Speeches, Reagan's and Obama's
Warning Signs
Victor Davis Hanson; Second-Term Reckonings
...."In short, this is the time when a careful Obama should be calling for bipartisan implementation of the recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles commission, redoing a Gingrich-Clinton compromise, seeking non-polarizing appointments of the Panetta/Gates sort, and cooling his presidential partisan rhetoric.
"Unfortunately, he had done the opposite, and so a reckoning is on the near horizon. Let us pray it does not take us all down with his administration."
"The challenges in 1981 were not that unlike those in 2009. History records that Reagan met those challenges, lifted our spirits, and did his best to reduce the size of government. It also records that Obama has exacerbated our problems and done his best to increase the size of government and its intrusion into our lives.
"Obama’s legacy thus far has been a polarized society based on class warfare; a society in which millions more Americans are purchasing guns in anticipation of an attack on the Second Amendment, and a government that menaces the Constitution. His second inaugural speech will be as filled with false promises and failed policies as his first."
Victor Davis Hanson; Second-Term Reckonings
...."In short, this is the time when a careful Obama should be calling for bipartisan implementation of the recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles commission, redoing a Gingrich-Clinton compromise, seeking non-polarizing appointments of the Panetta/Gates sort, and cooling his presidential partisan rhetoric.
"Unfortunately, he had done the opposite, and so a reckoning is on the near horizon. Let us pray it does not take us all down with his administration."
CBS advises Obama to go for the Republican's throats
Newsbusters "The president who came into office speaking in lofty terms about bipartisanship and cooperation can only cement his legacy if he destroys the GOP. If he wants to transform American politics, he must go for the throat."
So astonishingly wrote CBS News political director John Dickerson at Slate Friday evening in a piece astonishingly titled "Go for the Throat! Why if he wants to transform American politics, Obama must declare war on the Republican Party."
....
"Obama’s only remaining option is to pulverize," Dickerson wrote. "Whether he succeeds in passing legislation or not, given his ambitions, his goal should be to delegitimize his opponents.
....Did I mention this man was the political director for CBS News? Read more:
Is CBS your main source of news? With everything including the mainstream media stacked against Republicans, the 2012 popular vote was still close. But what difference will it make if the party does get a candidate that can make the case for conservative principles but the MSM will not carry the message?
So astonishingly wrote CBS News political director John Dickerson at Slate Friday evening in a piece astonishingly titled "Go for the Throat! Why if he wants to transform American politics, Obama must declare war on the Republican Party."
...."Obama’s only remaining option is to pulverize," Dickerson wrote. "Whether he succeeds in passing legislation or not, given his ambitions, his goal should be to delegitimize his opponents.
....Did I mention this man was the political director for CBS News? Read more:
Is CBS your main source of news? With everything including the mainstream media stacked against Republicans, the 2012 popular vote was still close. But what difference will it make if the party does get a candidate that can make the case for conservative principles but the MSM will not carry the message?
Has all common sense disappeared from those who govern our lives?
'Zero Tolerance' "Kindergarteners in Pennsylvania are being dragged into the nightmare of the liberal progressive paradigm, to control a lawless society they helped create. A five-year-old girl was suspended for 10 days and her sentence reduced to two for threatening another girl at the bus stop. Get this, with a Hello Kitty toy gun that blows soapy bubbles, her crime: issuing a "terroristic threat." "
25 Examples Of What America Would Be Like If Everyone Was A Liberal One sample:
17) Activists would be able to sue on behalf of individual plants and animals in court.
Obama´s Greatest Legacy Might
Be Destroying the Media...."NBC News accidentally did some actual reporting. In a First Read article that opened with the question, "Is the nation better off than it was four years ago," senior political director, Mark Murray, did something that neither he, nor NBC News, nor the mainstream media was willing to do during this last presidential campaign: report on Obama's record.
“The Usual Sex, Diversity, and Nutty Profs” Week at College Insurrection (Plus Guns!) Just a small sampling from this article:
A List of American College Courses for Radical Leftists
Report confirms American History courses now contain more diversity than facts
Academic-victimology complex infects college prep curriculum
Justice Sotomayor Unaware of Affirmative Action’s Impact on Her Career?
Wisconsin ‘American Diversity’ Course Teaches ‘White Guilt’
25 Examples Of What America Would Be Like If Everyone Was A Liberal One sample:
17) Activists would be able to sue on behalf of individual plants and animals in court.
"But there it finally was: The Truth -- and from NBC News, no less."....
J.R. Dunn asks How Stupid is Obama? "What kind of mentality deliberately arranges a brawl over government finances in the midst of a sensitive and fragile recovery? Obama was obviously out to steal an issue from the GOP and wreck their 2012 campaign plans. But at what cost? Wrecking the national economy? This isn't thinking of any description -- it's the mentality of a street punk who spots somebody in another gang and decides to take him down at no matter what happens to passersby or himself."“The Usual Sex, Diversity, and Nutty Profs” Week at College Insurrection (Plus Guns!) Just a small sampling from this article:
Conde Nast
WSJ; A Gun Ban That Misfired "Some in Washington who owned firearms before the ban were allowed to keep them as long as the weapons were disassembled or trigger-locked at all times. According to the law, trigger locks could not be removed for self-defense even if the owner was being robbed at gunpoint. The only way anyone could legally possess a firearm in the District without a trigger lock was to obtain written permission from the D.C. police. The granting of such permission was rare." But wait! There's more!The gun ban had an unintended effect: It emboldened criminals because they knew that law-abiding District residents were unarmed and powerless to defend themselves. Violent crime increased after the law was enacted, with homicides rising to 369 in 1988, from 188 in 1976 when the ban started. By 1993, annual homicides had reached 454.
Krauthammer: A new strategy for the GOP
'"One faction feels committed to try. It wishes to carry out its small-government electoral promises and will cast no vote inconsistent with that philosophy. These are the House Republicans who voted no on the “fiscal cliff” deal because it raised taxes without touching spending. Indeed, it increased spending with its crazy-quilt crony-capitalist tax ”credits” — for wind power and other indulgences.'"
Dr. Krauthammer points out the obvious:
Obama’s postelection arrogance and intransigence can put you in a fighting mood. I sympathize. But I’m tending toward the realist view: Don’t force the issue when you don’t have the power.Here is his tactic, which looks like a solid one and one which a Republican has since proposed:
"The more prudent course would be to find some offer that cannot be refused, a short-term trade-off utterly unassailable and straightforward. For example, offer to extend the debt ceiling through, say, May 1, in exchange for the Senate delivering a budget by that date — after four years of lawlessly refusing to produce one.
"Not much. But it would (a) highlight the Democrats’ fiscal recklessness, (b) force Senate Democrats to make public their fiscal choices and (c) keep the debt ceiling alive as an ongoing pressure point for future incremental demands."
Science must drive government policy, but under Democrat Obama, policy drives science
From Towhall Hat tip to Americans for Prosperity; "Something’s amiss at the Department of Interior. Eight government scientists
were recently fired or reassigned after voicing concerns to their superiors
about faulty environmental science used for policy decisions. Which [prompts] the
question, “Are some government agencies manipulating science to advance
political agendas?” "....
...."The government’s use of fictional science in the Klamath dam removal project should concern every American. Our public servants at DOI are brazenly advancing their own agendas at the expense of the truth and regardless of adverse impacts on the environment, humans, and on rural communities. Environment and human interests are not incompatible. We have to find solutions that work to the benefit of both. That requires agendas be put aside and allow complete science to determine policy.
"DOI Secretary Ken Salazar is stepping down in March. His replacement needs to be someone who can be trusted to end the culture of fictional science as a means to advance environmental agendas." Emphasis added.
This article Facts and fiction on the Klamath River Settlement Process and dam removal appears at first glance to be unbiased, but is written by a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council, which wants the dams removed.
I find this interesting: Talking Points on Klamath Dam Removal.
Have you ever wondered how advocates for positions get their information when they write letters to the editor or speak in public? Have you noticed when they are challenged, they are accused of speaking in "talking points"? Here is just what they are talking about and principled, informed journalists know to follow up each statement made from these to test the knowledge of the speaker. Media advocates of the speaker's cause will let these points go unchallenged, unlike true journalists with integrity such as Chris Wallace, Jake Tapper and the late Tim Russert.
This article begins with: "Talking Points on Klamath Dam Removal
Use the talking points below then click here to send a letter to the editor to newspapers."
More on the debate:It’s unlikely Congress will fund and implement Klamath River water and dam removal agreements this year. But what if it never does? What happens then?
"The company chose the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement because it put a $200 million cost cap on dam removal and removed the company’s liability if there are issues when the dams are removed, said Tom Gravely, PacifiCorp spokesman."But to renew the licenses without dam removal, the company would likely have to install fish ladders, which would cost more than the $200 million cost cap put on dam removal."
The dams provide electric power that is "green" energy and way more efficient than wind and solar; Disagreeing on dam removal: Klamath River Basin split on removal issue "Siskiyou County Supervisor Jim Cook said he and his four fellow supervisors oppose dam removal.
" "My personal stance as an individual is that I don't want to see that kind of green energy go away - not when fish ladders work," he said".
Friday, January 18, 2013
When the wolves come for us, are we the sheepdog or the sheep?
On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs " "Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.
" "Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.""
- Oregon. NOT a gun free zone. Shooter confronted by permit holder. Shooter commits suicide. Only a few casualties.
- Texas. NOT a gun free zone. Shooter killed immediately by off duty cop. Only a few casualties.
- Connecticut. GUN FREE ZONE. Shooters kills until the police arrive. Suicide. 26 dead.
- China. GUN FREE COUNTRY. A guy with a KNIFE stabs 22 children.
You know you live in a Country run by idiots if...
You know you live in a Country run by idiots if....You can get arrested for expired tags on your car but not for being in the country illegally.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if... Your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more of our money.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... A seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for calling his teacher "cute" but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if..... The Supreme Court of the United States can rule that lower courts cannot display the 10 Commandments in their courtroom, while sitting in front of a display of the 10 Commandments.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Children are forcibly removed from parents who appropriately discipline them while children of "underprivileged" drug addicts are left to rot in filth infested cesspools.
- You know you live in Country run by idiots if.... Working class Americans pay for their own health care (and the health care of everyone else) while unmarried women are free to have child after child on the "State's" dime while never being held responsible for their own choices.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Hard work and success are rewarded with higher taxes and government intrusion, while slothful, lazy behavior is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid and subsidized housing, and free cell phones.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... The government's plan for getting people back to work is to provide 99 weeks of unemployment checks (to not work).
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Being self-sufficient is considered a threat to the government.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Politicians think that stripping away the amendments to the constitution is really protecting the rights of the people.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... The rights of the Government come before the rights of the individual.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Parents believe the State is responsible for providing for their children.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... You can write a post like this just by reading the news headlines.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... You pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big screen TV while your neighbor defaults on his mortgage (while buying iphones, TV's and new cars) and the government forgives his debt and reduces his mortgage (with your tax dollars).
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Your government can add anything they want to your kid's water (fluoride, chlorine, etc.) but you are not allowed to give them raw milk.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you "safe".
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... You have to have your parents signature to go on a school field trip but not to get an abortion.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... An 80 year old woman can be strip searched by the TSA but a Muslim woman in a burka is only subject to having her neck and head searched.
- You know you live in a Country run by idiots if.... Using the "N" word is considered "hate speech" but writing and singing songs about raping women and killing cops is considered "art".
Children and liberal demagoguery
Obama's use of wide-eyed children to promote his gun-control proposals shows just how infantile the anti-gun campaign has become "There was something nauseating about the way Barack Obama surrounded himself with children as he unveiled his gun control plans. It looked like emotional blackmail. "Look these innocent babes in the face and tell them guns are good" – that was the implicit message of this cynical, innocence-exploiting press conference, which brought to mind one of the late Wacko Jacko's weird child-centred peace concerts more than it did a serious Lincoln-style presidential address." Via Lucianne
Shameless: White House Posts Videos Of Children Asking Obama To Crack Down On Guns…
"Even the New York Times concedes this is going to look like Obama “exploiting little children for his own political purpose.”"
"Even the New York Times concedes this is going to look like Obama “exploiting little children for his own political purpose.”"
Obama's Inauguration
Slew of celebrities heading to DC for Obama’s inauguration, parties "Grammy Award winner John Legend, who performed at several Obama fundraisers last year, will help ring in another four years for the president over the weekend at an official ball and other soirees. Legend, along with actress Rosario Dawson, La La Anthony, rapper 2 Chainz, Doug E. Fresh, Swizz Beatz, MC Lyte and “E! News” co-anchor Terrence J are among the expected guests joining music mogul Russell Simmons at what’s being dubbed “the dopest ball ever,” the Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball at The Harman Center in downtown D.C. on Sunday."
"President Obama's inaugural parade will feature eight floats, including a Hawaii float to honor his birthplace, an Illinois float to honor the first lady’s home state, and a Kenyan float just to mess with Republicans." –Jimmy Fallon
Get ready for more Republican-bashing and demagoguery, beginning with the inaugural address.
"If he cannot enact his policies fully, however, President Obama can still hope to begin the transformation of American government and society for which he has long hoped. To that end, he intends to shatter Republican resistance on principles that have long been the consensus view in Washington and which the left has been determined to destroy, because they interfere with its goals of social democracy and (leftist) world governance."
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