Obama Drives a Nail into the Coffin of our International Legal Order

Cartoon and Scripture quote below from HopeNChangeCartoons

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  - Genesis 12:1-3

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Jordan Blashek . . . "Eight years of Obama’s foreign policy have left the world on fire.  Now, with his final foray into geopolitics, he has attacked the last remaining vestiges of a rules-based order.

"For a president who prides himself on the long-game, this was an incredibly short-sighted and selfish move." . . .

Now, President Obama has used the Security Council to punish Israel, despite the protests of the incoming president and both parties in Congress.  Never before has a lame-duck president attempted to tie the hands of his successor in such a dramatic fashion.

. . . " Now, with this act, President Obama has driven a knife into the heart of the international legal order by poisoning the well for the incoming Trump Administration.  This is a tragedy for the U.S., for Israel, and most importantly, for people all over the world longing for liberty and security.     

"It’s deeply ironic that a man who came into office so committed to the integrity of international law has now caused its downfall."

Kerry to make final push for Mideast peace in speech that Israeli officials are blasting as a 'pathetic' move by 'the worst secretary of state in history'

Update: Kerry said the Israel action was in accordance "with our values"  Good grief.  To paraphrase Michelle Obama, for the first time in my life, I'm ashamed of my country. And those we voted for to lead us. And those who voted for them. Especially those who voted them in the second time. TD

UK Daily Mail  "U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will lay out his vision for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a speech today, days after the United States cleared the way for a U.N. resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlements. 

"Kerry is expected to make a final push for Israel to return to its pre-1967 borders and abandon plans to build new settlements in the Palestinian territories.

" 'He feels it's his duty in his waning weeks and days as secretary to lay out what he believes is a way towards a peaceful two-state solution,' his spokesman said. 

"It is being interpreted in Israel as another parting shot at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has had an especially acrimonious relationship with Obama since they both took office in 2009.

"Israeli leaders have hit Kerry as 'ignorant on the issues' and 'the worst secretary of state in history' and have called the move 'pathetic' and 'anti-democratic.'" . . .

Where this all began: Samantha Power, Obama's hit man...er, woman:

SABOTAGE: Obama Is Working OVERTIME To Undercut President-Elect Trump’s Agenda

If there’s one saving grace it’s that after eight years of letting the [petulant, vindictive] man-child lead from behind, adults are moving into the White House come January.

headlinepolitics

Clash Daily  "Barack Obama’s working harder his last month or so in office than he has his last eight years in office. When you’ve got a legacy to manufacture, and Donald Trump to set up for failure, hard work comes easily I suppose. The examples are many and new ones are being added almost daily.

"Take for instance his order to scrap a registry program designed to identify and track potential terrorists. He had eight years to abolish it but somehow only got around to doing so in December 2016?

"Same goes for the sudden round of hysterics over Chinese military movements in the South China Sea. We’ve heard more about a Chinese military build-up in that part of the world these past few weeks than we’ve heard in years, even though the build-up isn’t anything new.

"Then there was the unprecedented failure by the US ambassador to the UN to vote on a resolution condemning Israeli settlements. Like R.E.M. once sang, “silence means approval”, so abstaining from the UN vote was condemnation of Israel under another name.

"There’s Russia. Heaven only knows what Obama has up his sleeve to make sure Trump’s administration starts out on difficult footing with the Russian regime." . . .

Report: Obama's secret concessions to Iran revealed

WND  "A United Nations nuclear watchdog has revealed that the Obama administration gave Iran secret exemptions, allowing the terror-sponsoring state to stockpile uranium in larger amounts than the limits imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency posted documents on Dec. 23 indicating that Iran was given the concessions in January, according to the Weekly Standard’s Jenna Lifhits.

“ 'The agreements had been kept secret for almost a year, but recent reports indicated that the Trump administration intended to make them public,” Lifhits reported.

. . .  The Obama administration pushed the deal through and agreed to major terms without consulting with the U.S. Senate. The White House championed the plan as “the historic deal that will prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.” . . . 

"In September, the Institute for Science and International Security reported that the Obama administration allowed Iran to exceed limits imposed by the deal so as to claim Tehran was still in compliance with the terms.

. . .

Californian Climate Madness: Committed to Moving Forward, Ignoring Warnings From Business

Watts Up With That?

 California has committed to moving forward with its job destroying climate policies, regardless of vocal complaints from business leaders.

California, at Forefront of Climate Fight, Won’t Back Down to Trump…

“California can make a significant contribution to advancing the cause of dealing with climate change, irrespective of what goes on in Washington,” Mr. Brown said in an interview. “I wouldn’t underestimate California’s resolve if everything moves in this extreme climate denial direction. Yes, we will take action.”…

When California enacted its climate reduction standards last year, it drew fierce criticism from state business leaders.

The bills “impose very severe caps on the emission of greenhouse gases in California, without requiring the regulatory agencies to give any consideration to the impacts on our economy, disruptions in everyone’s daily lives or the fact that California’s population will grow almost 50 percent between 1990 and 2030,” the California Chamber of Commerce said.…

“California more than ever is strongly committed to moving forward on our climate leadership,” said Kevin de Leon, the leader of the State Senate. “We will not deviate from our leadership because of one election.”…

“If the president-elect and his administration work to undermine our climate leadership, they will hurt our economy, “ Mr. de Leon said. “They will kill jobs. And ultimately, they will hurt the economy of the United States. We are 13 percent of the overall G.D.P.”

Still, California officials and environmentalists said climate measures in place here will undoubtedly be undercut if the Trump administration rolls back environmental policies put in place by President Obama.

“Our system works better — our cap-and-trade system and other ways of addressing climate change — if we have more company,” said Anthony Rendon, the speaker of the Assembly. “The more company we have, the better.” …

. . . " Who do you think knows more about running a business and creating jobs, politicians or business leaders? Business leaders are sometimes happy to indulge in populist green washing, but Californian political plans go far beyond a little window dressing.' . . .

A Bit Late, But...Dave Barry’s 2016 Holiday Gift Guide

Bradenton Herald

"It’s the holiday season, a time when many of us look at our credit-card balances and say a bad word starting with “f,” and I am not referring to “fa la la la la.”

"Yes, this is the time of year when we traditionally spend money we don’t have to buy gifts for people we don’t even necessarily like. But do we really have to go into debt to celebrate the holidays? No! Think about the message of the heartwarming holiday song about the Little Drummer Boy. He was poor, and he had no gift to bring to the baby Jesus. So what did he do? That’s right: He robbed a convenience store.

"No! That is not true. Back then they didn’t even have convenience stores. The Little Drummer Boy gave the gift of his talent, which consisted of whacking relentlessly on his drum, which was no doubt greatly appreciated by the baby Jesus and his exhausted parents.

"Why don’t you do the same thing this holiday season? We don’t mean whacking on a drum for your loved ones (although that would still be more thoughtful than giving them fruitcake). We mean using your artistic talent to create a unique holiday-themed craft gift that sends the heartfelt message: “I spent very little on this.”

“ 'Wait a minute,” you are saying. “What if I have no artistic talent?”

"No problem! You don’t need artistic talent! All you need is a red ribbon and some pine cones, which are available for free in any national park. To make your holiday craft, get some item that you have sitting around your house — a candle, a bar of soap, a flower pot, a spatula, a lightly used toilet plunger, etc. Now simply use your ribbon to tie a pine cone to it, and … Ho! Ho! Ho! You’ve transformed your ordinary household item into a unique holiday-themed craft gift not sold in stores!

"Perhaps you are thinking, “That seems like a lot of work for a stupid and useless gift. Isn’t there an easier way?”

"Yes, there is. You can order one of the ready-made stupid and useless gifts featured in our Annual Holiday Gift Guide, which for the past 27 years has been rated the nation’s No. 1 gift guide by a distinguished panel of distinguished panelists." . . .

Example: A TV-viewing beer mug:

But wait! There's more!

Iran Says Will Only Pay Half Price For New Boeing Planes. Boeing Says ‘No Problem’

Earl of Taint

Pardon the interruption: Clinton allegation may force Obama to act; Clinton to admit

The Hill

. . . "In dashing through his last few weeks in office, will one of Pres. Obama’s final acts be to pardon Hillary Clinton for any violations of federal law she might have committed while she was secretary of state?

"It’s an interesting and complex question.

"We should first note that the Obama administration’s decision not to prosecute Mrs. Clinton would not bind the Trump administration. Until relevant statutes of limitations have expired, she could still be prosecuted by the new administration. It is possible in my opinion for Clinton to be prosecuted for either her improper handling of classified information on “home brew,” or allegations of “pay to play” arrangements between the secretary of state and donors to the Clinton Foundation, which could constitute bribery.

"The statute of limitations for most federal crimes is five years from the commission of the offense; that would apply to the two categories relevant to Mrs. Clinton. Her tenure as secretary of state ended Feb. 1, 2013, so it is possible that the statute of limitations will not run until Feb. 1, 2018, more than a year after Mr. Trump takes office.

"What looks like one question—will the president pardon Mrs. Clinton?—turns out, on analysis, to be two. The first question is: Would Mrs. Clinton wish to receive a pardon?" . . .

Cartoons added by TD

Why America needs the Electoral College

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query electoral college.

And an excuse for printing this cartoon:

The entertainment elite’s Inaugural boycott will backfire — again

The real issue is the bubble created by the left’s Stalinized airbrushing of non-liberals out of American popular culture.

NY Post

Few performers seem willing to step up and entertain the country when the new president is sworn in on Jan. 20. With the news last week that opera singer Andrea Bocelli had bowed to pressure and dropped out of the Inauguration Day concert, and with a member of the Rockettes leading a social-media rebellion against performing for the president, Kid Rock is currently the biggest name scheduled to appear.

And liberals are giddy. Because they still don’t get it.

Robert Reich, Bill Clinton’s labor secretary who has transformed himself into the Michael Moore of Facebook, is promoting something called the Freedom United Concert to air at the same time as the inauguration. The concert would benefit all the usual liberal charities and Reich hopes to get big names like Jay-Z and Madonna to perform. “Presto,” he writes. “The Trump inauguration loses all the TV ratings. Basically, no one watches it.”

"The all-encompassing liberalism in popular culture might not be hurting the performers’ financial bottom lines (so far), but it’s certainly not doing anything to help their political causes, either. As we learned this election, we ignore whole segments of the population at our peril."

Washington’s top-tier hotels are selling out fast for Trump’s inauguration
 . . . "But as they do for every inauguration, the hotels quickly sold out. "

Gingrich to Congress: Condemn Obama over anti-Israel resolution

Arutz Sheva, Israel National News

"Former House speaker urges Congress to condemn Obama for allowing anti-Israel resolution to pass the UN Security Council."

 

"U.S. funding for the UN unless the UN Security Council repeals the resolution it passed condemning Israeli settlements.

" 'It's that important to me," Graham told CNN. "This is a road we haven't gone down before. If you can't show the American people that international organizations can be more responsible, there is going to be a break. And I am going to lead that break."

" 'I will do everything in my power, working with the new administration and Congress, to leave no doubt about where America stands when it comes to the peace process and where we stand with the only true democracy in the Middle East, Israel," Graham added, noting that American funding accounts for 22% of the UN's budget." . . .

Leben in Jerusalem

Please explain to me Obama's high approval ratings.

"Obama is a small man with large dreams of destruction.  His malicious attack at the U.N. will rebound.  The permanent damage will be to Obama's own image.   The Wall St. Journal editorial called it "a defining act of Obama's Presidency.' " 

From American Thinker

Thomas Lifson: Obama’s ego and the future of the Dems  . . . "Obama cannot help himself.  He will keep picking at the racial scab, and that will not help the Democrats, nor will it help African-Americans.

"But it will gratify Obama’s ego as the First Black President.

"And that is what controls his future actions.  It will not end well for the Dems."

Obama's 'great' economy  "It is amazing how supporters of President Obama just rewrite history. In theWashington Post today, Catherine Rampell spouts the Obama party line that the economy is “great.' ”

Obama's hatred of Israel will rebound  . . . "Obama has chafed at the need to put on a mainstream front.  Now he is baring his leftist teeth.  The effect is more mean than frightening, and it will not have the outcome he wants. 

"Obama hates Israel, as he hates America.  He is the spiritual son of his Marxist father and of the openly anti-Semitic and anti-white Reverend Wright, as Obama told us from the first.  To the left, Israel and America are evil imperialists.  Obama has always wanted to cut Israel and America down to size. 

"Obama's last-ditch efforts to leave a legacy reveal his animus: flood our country with murderous jihadi "refugees" and make Israel a pariah nation in international courts.  It is a big "F you" from our perfidious president."

Watch: Obama one of worst foreign policy presidents ever  . . . "He said that the resolution "will make peace much more difficult to achieve, because the Palestinians will now say: 'We can get a state through the UN. We can get a state through the BDS movement...We can get a state through the International Criminal Court...We don't have to negotiate. We don't have to make painful compromises."

" 'He will go down in history, President Obama as one of the worst foreign policy presidents ever." he said of Obama's legacy."

Obama's Hatred for Israel  . . . "But what is to be expected from a president for whom everything is racist until he says otherwise?" . . .

WaPo’s Richard Cohen Rips Obama’s Failure of Leadership: ‘Waved a Droopy Flag’  (Emphases in the original) . . . “ 'Thanks to no-drama Obama, American leadership is gone,” which absolutely rips the bark off Barack Obama, all the more remarkable. Observing that Obama “has been all too happy to preside over the loss of American influence,” he describes the current president as having “waved a droopy flag. He did not want to make America great again. It was great enough for him already.” On Syria, Obama “threw in the towel. The banner he flew was one of American diminishment.”

"Concluded Cohen grimly: “Whether we liked it or not, we were the world’s policeman. There was no other cop on the beat. Now that leadership is gone. So, increasingly, will be peace.' ”

OBAMA’S VINDICTIVENESS AND ANTI-ISRAEL IDEOLOGY DROVE THE U.N. RESOLUTION  . . . "It’s clear, however, that the passage of the U.N. resolution won’t advance either objective. If anything, it may retard them. Obama could have no rational basis for thinking otherwise. Thus, we must conclude that he was, in fact, motivated by vindictiveness, raw ideological dislike of Israel, or both." . . .

The U.N. resolution isn’t even calculated to deter such building. It’s a blanket condemnation of all settlements. Israel is equally condemned whether it builds new housing for its citizens or not. No rational nation would stop building under that circumstance. Obama is too smart to believe otherwise.
If anything, now that it’s damned if it builds and damned if it doesn’t, Israel has all the more reason to build.

Obama flips Israel the bird

Obama’s UN Legacy: Whitewashing Iran’s Nuclear Cheating; Outlawing Jewish History  . . . "This is just a secularized version of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s September 2015 declaration that the PA “won’t allow Jew’s filthy feet” to defile the holy places in Jerusalem." . . .