The Ultimate Culture War: the Left vs. the War on Terror

Jennifer Rubin "If nearly every reasoned step to defend ourselves against Islamic extremists flies in the face of liberal dogma, we are presented with a choice: take reasoned and legally defensible steps to defend ourselves (by cutting off the means by which radicals spread jihadism) or capitulate to the left’s dogma and let the consequences — and the American people — be damned. Obama has made his choice, and Americans should make theirs."  This must be how the Israelis feel when they have to go after enemy rocket launch sites.

The Toxicity of Tolerance

Commentary Magazine " “It goes without saying that tolerance is a value to which we should all be deeply committed.” Does it? Tolerance is not, in fact, a value at all. If Sue tolerates a kindly bore during a brief conversation is she employing the same moral standard as Tom who tolerates a stoppable violent crime in his presence? Moreover, does this standard qualify as one to which we should all be deeply committed?" Abe Greenwald

http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/MikeLester/2010/08/1

911 words about Obama's Mosque (Updated)

Kevin McCullough  "In fact since you've been in office you've repeatedly apologized to the Islamic world for America's action of liberation to fifty million muslims, you wholly redirected our space program to the unique purpose of making them feel good about how smart Muslims used to be, and on issue after issue you've sided with the views of the terrorists, even appointing several of the former defenders of the Gitmo detainees to your Department of Justice.
"But this last week, even though no one was asking you to, you stepped into the most painful issue related to the hallowed grounds of 9.11 to date.
"You chose sides, even when nobody cared if you did.
"But now it's in your file. We will discuss during your performance review in November and over the next two years."
Obama On The Mosque - The Backpedaling Begins "And on cue, here is President Obama on Saturday, backpedaling from the media so quickly he might be the answer to the Jets Darrelle Revis problem:"
Obama backs away from Ground Zero Mosque "What happened between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon to get Obama to modify his position? An easy guess: His political advisers must have told him that, given strong public feelings and opposition, he was making it even more difficult for Democrats in the November mid-term elections. Every 'Democratic candidate obviously would be asked whether he or she agreed with his endorsement of a Ground-Zero mosque.
"So, Obama backtracked. And rather clumsily."   How Carteresque.
Washington Post glosses over Imam Rauf's blaming US for 9/11 "A news article, particularly one about a national controversy about the advisability of mosque near Ground Zero, shouldn't take sides, but present both sides of this hot-button issue.
"By failing this basic journalistic test, the Post validates reader complaints that too much editorializing in pursuit of an ideological agenda permeates the paper's news pages. And that in turns tends to shred the Post's credibility -- a fragile and precious commodity."

Obama, Boxer, and the California Awakening

Townhall "And today, if you were to travel north or south through this region, on either “Interstate 5” or state route “99,” you’d see the influence of bad politics in Washington , and expressions of outrage that Central Californians feel towards their federal government.
"Despite the fertile soil of the San Joaquin Valley , the region would essentially be a desert if it wasn’t adequately irrigated. This means that in order for it to remain a top agricultural producer year after year, it needs a lot of water – and this is where Washington has damaged Central California . "

Congress-created dust bowl From an earlier Tunnel Wall post.

Netanyahu's warning

George F. Will "If Iran were to "wipe the Zionist entity off the map," as it vows to do, it would, Netanyahu believes, achieve a regional "dominance not seen since Alexander." Netanyahu does not say that Israel will, if necessary, act alone to prevent this. Or does he?
"He says that CIA Director Leon Panetta is "about right" in saying Iran can be a nuclear power in two years. He says that 1948 meant this: "For the first time in 2,000 years, a sovereign Jewish people could defend itself against attack." And he says: "The tragic history of the powerlessness of our people explains why the Jewish people need a sovereign power of self-defense." If Israel strikes Iran, the world will not be able to say it was not warned."

Director Mueller, Say No to CAIR

Andy McCarthy "CAIR reckons that the heat is off, so it’s back on the “Islamophobia” soapbox, demanding an apology from FBI director Robert Mueller.
"An apology for what? The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces had the temerity to invite Robert Spencer
— one of the nation’s leading experts on Islamist ideology* — to lecture federal agents on Islamist ideology."....
"A key tactic in carrying out this supremacist agenda is to suppress its critics. With their media acumen, CAIR operatives know there is nothing more debilitating for a public figure in America than to be portrayed as a racist or a bigot. Islamists have thus coined the phrase “Islamophobe” to stigmatize those who dare speak forthrightly about the extremely troubling aspects of Islamic scripture, particularly of sharia, Islam’s legal and political framework."

 Robert Spencer is director of JihadWatch

Barack Obama's Top 10 Apologies: How the President Has Humiliated a Superpower

Nile Gardiner, Ph.D. and Morgan Roach "President Obama's personal approval ratings across much of the world may be sky high, but that has not translated into greater support for U.S.-led initiatives, such as the NATO mission in Afghanistan, which is heavily dependent on American and British troops. The U.S. is increasingly viewed as a soft touch internationally, which has encouraged rogue regimes such as North Korea and Iran to accelerate their nuclear and missile programs."....
"The following is a list of the 10 most significant apologies by the President of the United States in his first four months of office as they relate to foreign policy and national security issues."...
Nile Gardiner is the Director of, and Morgan Roach is Research Assistant in, the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation.

9/11 Leader Responds to Obama’s Endorsement of [Ground Zero Mosque]

Big Peace "Statement of Debra Burlingame, Co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe & Strong America, in Response to President Obama’s Remarks about the Ground Zero Mosque."

 Obama Backs Ground Zero Mosque Video from Newsbusters.

Political Wisdom: Obama Backs the Ground Zero Mosque   "President Barack Obama, speaking last night at the White House’s iftar dinner marking Ramadan, defended plans to build a mosque and Islamic community center near Ground Zero. The nation’s commitment to religious freedom he said, “must be unshakable.” "

http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/DanaSummers/2010/08/5

Barack Obama, defender of the faith "With great reliability Obama stands athwart the feelings of ordinary Americans. Indeed, he is a much more ardent defender of the faith of Musims than he is of the United States, of its history or of its people. Obama's defense of the mosque at Ground Zero highlights his adversarial stance and is thus a particularly valuable addition to the record."

Obama Embraces Ground Zero Mosque "And note the strawman argument; no one that I know is advocating the notion that Muslims have no right under the Constitution to build the mosque where they please. It has always been the idea that the stated reason for building the mosque flies in the face of the Cordoba Initiative's actions. That, and the fact that Imam Rauf has some troubling connections to terrorists, and has made statements that would lead one to believe he is no friend of "tolerance and dialogue."

"I hope this statement by the president makes Democrats squirm. Imagine on the campaign trail or in a debate asking the Democratic candidate if he agrees with the president about the mosque? There will be much clearing of throats and hemming and hawing before any kind of an answer to that question is forthcoming."

Illustration from Always on Watch

How Obama Is Locking Up Our Land

Michelle Malkin "The bureaucrats behind Obama's "Great Outdoors Initiative" plan on wrapping up their public comment solicitation by November 15. The initiative's taxpayer-funded website has been dominated by left-wing environmental activists proposing human population reduction, private property confiscation, and gun bans, hunting bans and vehicle bans in national parks. It's time for private property owners to send their own loud, clear message to the land-hungry feds: Take a hike."

You're Teaching My Child What? The Truth About Sex Education

Heritage "I have read “Talk About Sex,” and in it there is no encouragement whatsoever to delay sexual behavior. It begins by informing kids that sexuality is a part of who you are and that everyone has their own way of expressing their sexuality. Then there are eight pages about sexual rights. Some quotes:

“Every human being has basic rights. Still, adults may say and do say things that make young people feel they don’t have rights. It’s important for you to know your rights so that you can stand up for yourself when necessary.”
“At every point in your life, you can choose if and how to express your sexuality.”
“It is up to you to determine how much risk you are willing to take.”
“Many teens choose to be sexually active, and many choose not to. You have the right to decide what behaviors, if any, you are comfortable participating in….”

...."From the thousands of hours I’ve spent with students, I can affirm that when sexual freedom reigns, sexual health suffers. Our kids are being taught that you can play with fire, and the waiting rooms of doctors and therapists are filled with people who’ve been burned, inside and out. Is every young person going to postpone sex? Of course not, but we are obligated to inform them of the risks they face and to teach them biological truths, even when they are politically incorrect."  Miriam Grossman, M.D., is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who writes and speaks to parents, students, educators, and health professionals internationally on the dangers of political correctness and incorrect science in her profession.

Heritage on Economic Issues

A Prescription for Export Growth—and Economic Recovery "The best prescription for increasing U.S. exports consists of four parts: (1) cutting federal spending; a smaller budget deficit would free up foreign dollars to buy U.S.-made goods and services; (2) taking a page from the Clinton Administration playbook and making global and bilateral free trade agreements a top priority; (3) enacting the already-negotiated free trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea, and Panama; and (4) reducing U.S. trade barriers whenever possible. Taken together, this medicine would cure much of what ails the U.S. economy."  PDF

Cronyism: Undermining Economic Freedom and Prosperity Around the World "The large expansion of the role of government in the U.S. economy over the last year has included major policies and expenditures that favor special interest groups and those with strong political connections to President Obama or the Democratic Party. Such favoritism is the very definition of cronyism, and will, if unchecked, retard growth and destroy confidence in the U.S. economic system for years to come. Urgent action is needed to restore the even-handedness and fairness of government expenditures, and to roll back and eliminate special interest funding."  PDF

Cronyism: Undermining Economic Freedom and Prosperity Around the World "The question, then, is: Why would a President who claims to be looking out for the little guy against the craven interests of the rich and the corporations want to make it more difficult for the little guy to accumulate wealth?"  PDF