Krauthammer: Legacy or bust / UPDATED: Obama’s Special Brand of Climate Doomsaying

Charles Krauthammer  "Last Saturday, Barack Obama gained the second jewel in his foreign policy triple crown: the Paris climate accord. It follows his Iran nuclear deal and awaits but the closing of Guantanamo to complete his glittering legacy.

"To be sure, Obama will not be submitting the climate agreement for Senate ratification. It would have no chance of passing — as with the Iranian nuclear deal, also never submitted for the Senate ratification Obama knew he’d never get. And if he does close Guantanamo, it will be in defiance of overwhelming bipartisan congressional opposition.

1. 

"You see, visionary thinkers like Obama cannot be bound by normal constitutional strictures. Indeed, the very unpopularity of his most cherished diplomatic goals is proof of their prophetic farsightedness.

""After Iran’s first illegal launch in October, the administration did nothing. A few words at the United Nations. Weren’t we repeatedly assured that any Iranian violation would be met with vigorous action? No worry, again. As U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power told a congressional hearing last week, “discussions are a form of U.N. action.”

 . . . 

 "Only Guantanamo remains. Within a month, one-sixth of the remaining prisoners will be released. Obama will not be denied.

Also here.

Related: this column by Charles C.W. Cooke: Obama’s Special Brand of Climate Doomsaying  Excerpts below:
"Whatever power the environmentalists’ admonitions may once have had over the national psyche, they seem now to be received with a dull disinterest — or, worse, laughter. The Boy Who Cried Wolf was a warning, not an instruction manual. Do our doomsayers know this?"

"In 2009, we were told by Al Gore that “the entire north-polar ice cap during some of the summer months will be completely ice-free within the next five to seven years.' ”
"As I write, the sillier among America’s progressive commentariat are trying desperately to blame the rise of ISIS on excessive Western carbon emissions. It won’t end well."
. . . 
"It’s hard work selling radicalism when people can’t see the ill you’re attempting to fix. It’s even harder work transmuting the modest proposition that “Mankind is having an impact on the climate” into the alarming claim that “Mankind is irrevocably destroying the earth.” Both tasks become a good deal easier when you know how to bend your language to suit each and every occasion, and goodness knows Barack Obama is a past master at that. "

comicallyincorrect.comsettled-science

Democrats Don’t Want You to Watch Them Debate

Legal Insurrection
"It’s all about protecting Hillary."

"If you’re one of the political junkies who will be watching this Saturday, Noah Weiland of Politico offers some background on what to watch for:

Everything you need to know about the next Democratic debate

What’s Hillary Clinton’s challenge in this debate?
Clinton is more vulnerable to forces outside her own party than those inside right now. At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire this week, she lashed out at what she sees as Donald Trump’s vandalism of conservative and American politics. That doesn’t mean Sanders and O’Malley haven’t been criticizing what they see as Clinton’s policy weaknesses. O’Malley recently called Clinton’s immigration politics “worn out,” and Sanders had to retract negative ads from his campaign website that portrayed Clinton as a Wall Street shill.

Can Bernie Sanders make a dent in Clinton’s massive lead?
Recent polling suggests that Sanders’ candidacy should still be taken seriously; In a December Des Moines Register poll, Clinton is only 9 points ahead of him, and the strong New Hampshire polling puts him in a nice position with the audience on Saturday. National polling still spells doom for the Vermont senator, alas: only a few December polls have Sanders within even 20 points of Clinton.

What about Martin O’Malley?
While trying to distinguish himself recently as the candidate most supportive of refugees and dismissive of his rivals, 

O’Malley is barely registering in the polling. Only 7 percent of Maryland Democrats—O’Malley’s home state and the one he served as governor—are supporting his bid for president. His uphill climb is steep.

"The debate will air at 8 PM ET on ABC."

'Run, Hide, Fight' against government stupidity

Ethel C. Fenig  "Speaking from the National Counterterrorism Center on Thursday, President Barack Obama (D) reassured Americans that "at this moment, our intelligence and counterterrorism professionals do not have any specific and credible information about an attack on the homeland."  

"Well that's a relief.  But in case they are wrong – it has happened – or if some person violates commonsense gun laws and starts shooting in an area plastered with stickers of a gun with a slash through it – it has happened – the government has some helpful hints for protecting yourself, complete with a helpful video. 
. . . 

"Oh, by the way, about the time the president was speaking, these vacation spots made the following announcement.

Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal begin using metal detectors at theme parks

In a sign of how jittery the nation has become about terrorism and gun violence, Orlando's major theme parks on Thursday added metal detectors as a security precaution.

Walt Disney World placed walk-through metal detectors in front of all four of its theme parks. Universal Orlando began using wand-style metal detectors in an area leading into its parks and nightlife district. SeaWorld Orlando also began using wand-style detectors.

The safety measures extend outside Orlando. Disneyland and Universal Studios in Hollywood, Calif., are also using the devices.

"There, now don't you feel safer?"

Beauty Queen Has EPIC Response To Michael Moore’s We’re ‘All Muslim’ Sign

Mad World News  "In response to presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s proposal to place a moratorium on Muslim immigrants, liberal “filmmaker” Michael Moore stood outside one of The Donald’s buildings, holding a sign that stated, “We are all Muslim.” The stunt received much criticism, but perhaps nobody had a better reply than Miss America contestant, Destiny Vélez, who was crowned Miss Puerto Rico this year.

"Oddly enough, as Moore espouses pro-Islamic propaganda, he actually self-identifies as an atheist, which means he doesn’t even have a dog in this fight, really. So, for him to hold such a sign, being a non-believer and all, is purely an exercise in hypocrisy, and Miss Puerto Rico called him out on it in epic fashion." . . .

"Now, let’s have a look at Vélez’s incredible response to Moore’s utter stupidity:"  Article here.

. . . "Seriously, when was the last time you saw a prominent Muslim figure wear a Christian Cross in solidarity with the Christians murdered by their Muslim brethren? Hasn’t happened, has it? Nope, and it won’t because even if they decry the violence publicly, which is also a rare occurrence, their religion tells them it’s okay to lie to non-believers in order to spread their ideology. It’s called taqiya, and it’s encouraged in Islam."  Just asking.

The Volokh ConspiracyOpinion When is it okay to scrub embarrassing statements from a news story after it’s been published on the Web?

Volokh Conspiracy  "Peter Baker and Gardiner Harris of the New York Times reported on a “private session” between President Obama and a group of reporters and columnists about his administration’s response to recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino. As they explained:

The session with columnists was off the record, but the president’s remarks were recounted on Thursday by several people in the room after one of the writers, David Ignatius of The Washington Post, described some of the president’s thinking in a column without attributing it directly to Mr. Obama.

"As originally published, the article contained this passage:

In his meeting with the columnists, Mr. Obama indicated that he did not see enough cable television to fully appreciate the anxiety after the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and made clear that he plans to step up his public arguments. Republicans were telling Americans that he is not doing anything when he is doing a lot, he said.

"The Post’s Erik Wemple quoted this passage in a blog post last night, as didothers.

"Go to the article this morning, however, and the offending passage is gone, and there is no notation or other indication that the article is changed." . . .
Jonathan H. Adler teaches courses in constitutional, administrative, and environmental law at the Case Western University School of Law, where he is the inaugural Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Business Law and Regulation.

Democrats scheduled debates on days when no one will watch

 Vox "The Democratic National Committee, which organizes the party's primary debates, has faced accusations of scheduling them on dates that will receive poor viewership in an attempt to protect frontrunner Hillary Clinton. DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz has denied these claims. There are other hints Clinton wanted less exposure, including reports that her campaign privately lobbied the DNC for fewer debates.

"But when you just look at the debate schedule, it's hard to deny its absurdity — especially when you take a look back at political debates of years past."

HRC hugs DWS

Anti-Muslim? Say goodbye to your constitutional rights

The Strident Conservative

"A pastor is facing a court trial this week on a government charge that his online sermon was grossly offensive to the point of being criminal, and the outcome of the case could determine whether Christian Pastors will be allowed to preach biblical doctrine in the United Kingdom in the future.

"Following the sermon where he described Islam as a “doctrine spawned in hell,” Pastor James McConnell, 78, is facing a three-day trial for charges stemming from alleged violations of the 2003 Communications Act. He faces charges for the improper used of a public electronic communications network and causing a “grossly offensive message” to be distributed.

"McConnell is enjoying the support of hundreds of followers, but McConnell is realistic about the true implications of his case:

“[The fight] is important for every minister of the gospel of every denomination; of freedom of speech; and freedom of worship. This is, I believe, a test case.” . .

 . . . "While this case is taking place in the U.K., it serves as a precursor to what we could see in America in the very near future. Don’t believe me? Check this out!

"A judge in Massachusetts has ordered a landlord who was involved in a dispute with a Muslim tenant to learn Islam as part of her punishment. It happened at the sentencing for Daisy Obi (the landlord) for a physical altercation in which the tenant was allegedly knocked down a flight of stairs, suffering some minor injuries." . . .

Trump Won The Debate? Only If You Ignore What He Said

Investors.com

. . . "Whatever their political viewpoint, open-minded viewers watching the debate could not help but come away impressed with the GOP field.

"For more than two hours, they engaged in serious, sober and lengthy discussions about how to deal with Syria, ISIS, Russia, Iran and domestic terrorism. Yes, there are clear differences of opinion among the candidates — particularly Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul — which is precisely what a healthy, broad-based party should have.

"For the most part, everyone showed a depth of knowledge on national security matters that the country desperately needs after seven years of President Obama's disasters. With one notable exception.

"While several pundits declared Trump the debate's winner, all he managed to demonstrate in the few times he spoke up was that, on foreign policy, he still hasn't progressed beyond bromides and bombast." . . .  Hat tip to Lucianne

Despite Obama photo-ops, terror shoots to top American concern

http://terrellaftermath.com/

Andrew Malcolm . . . "For most of Barack Obama's reign, the economy and jobs -- or lack thereof -- have dominated Americans' everyday concerns.

"But given terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Paris, the rise of ISIS with murderous global tentacles and the administration's half-hearted, ineffective military response, terrorism has now become not only the top concern, but a major, volatile issue in the unfolding presidential election campaign.

"That was revealed in this week's final 2015 Republican debate, where candidates tied leading Democrat candidate and ex-secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Obama. The president has seen a plunge to record low public approval of his job performance addressing terrorism and ISIS." . . .

RELATED:

• The Incredible Shrinking President
• The warped world of our delusional president
• Obama to Americans: Stay gullible, my friends
• News Flash for Obama: Terrorism isn't scaring Americans; You are

Star Wars: Revenge of the Social-Justice Warriors

National Review Online

Mediaite video

"With the long-anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens opening tomorrow, news outlets and social media have been abuzz with the expectations of a new generation of fans. But with The Force Awakens as the first of the films to be released in the age of social justice, the question must be asked: At a time when the slightest violation of PC orthodoxy can set off a deluge of listicles, cable-news segments, and general media outrage, can Star Wars survive such an onslaught launched from the Social Justice Media’s veritable Sarlacc Pit — more commonly referred to as Twitter?

"The filmmakers and cast would serve both our own galaxy and the galaxy far, far away well by telling the Vox-splaining concern trolls, who will doubtless be poring over every story arc and line of dialogue in search of microaggressions, that they’ll get no such social-justice pleasure from them, but alas, that is probably too much to ask." . . .

Darth Vader was not based on James Earl Jones, nor was the actor who wore his suit black. George Lucas rightfully decided that Englishman David Prowse’s heavily accented and somewhat silly-sounding voice was nowhere near as powerful or intimidating as the role demanded. So he had Vader’s dialogue dubbed over by Jones, and the rest is history. A black man did not cut off the hand of a white man (Luke Skywalker) as suggested by Perry, as the character of Anakin Skywalker, Luke’s father (spoiler!) was white. Harris-Perry’s argument boils down to being about the color of Darth Vader’s costume and nothing more. #SithLivesMatter

Michelle Obama Ticks Off Marine…So He RIPS Her to Shreds In Must Read Letter

Clash Daily  "This is what happens when Michelle Obama ticks off a Marine so much that he decides to respond.

"This letter is brutal and filled with hard truth…not to mention, it also echoes what so many of those who love our country feel about MO and BHO.

. . . "So many have thanked me for my service and I will always be grateful. I pray that one day you and your husband might cause me to be grateful for yours. You will never be remembered as the First Lady of Color but soon forgotten after you leave the White House. You nor your husband shall ever divide us. I wish you no harm, but pray you will take your troubles to a land you no longer hate. Hate shall come and go but His love shall last forever."

Harvard Brands Anyone Opposed To Bringing In Refugees From Syria “Islamophobic”…(Apology update)

UPDATE: Harvard apologizes for ‘Holiday Placemat for Social Justice’

. . . "Academic freedom is central to all that Harvard College stands for. To suggest that there is only one point of view on each of these issues runs counter to our educational goals. We appreciate the feedback that we have received about this initiative. Moving forward we will, with your continued input, support the growth and the development of independent minds."

Weasel Zippers

"Via Free Beacon:" (Quoting:)

Placemats recently distributed to students by an office at Harvard University appear to brand Americans worried about accepting thousands of refugees from Syria Islamophobic.

The “holiday placemats for social justice,” first reported by Campus Reform, were distributed by Harvard’s Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, a university official confirmed to the publication, and were found in an undergraduate dining hall.

The placemats, produced in collaboration with the Freshman Dean’s Office, are meant to serve as a “guide” for students to discuss race and justice with their families over the holidays. They present students with four topics and accompanying statements that students might encounter at the dinner table and also offer appropriate responses to each statement.

One of the four topics displayed on the mat is “Islamaphobia/Refugees,” with the accompanying statement reading, “We shouldn’t let anyone in the U.S. from Syria. We can’t guarantee that terrorists won’t infiltrate the ranks of refugees. They’ve already done it in France.” The placemats incorrectly spell “Islamophobia.”

The placemat advises students to respond to loved ones exhibiting such “Islamophobic” concerns by encouraging the Syrian refugee program as a method of “racial justice.”

“The U.S. has been accepting refugees from the war-torn areas around the world for decades. Remember the wars in Central America?” the model response reads. “They were extremely violent, and the U.S. accepted refugees from all sides of the wars with very strict vetting and not one incident of violence. Racial justice includes welcoming Syrian refugees.”

Keep reading….

End quote. Welcome to the world that created President Barack Hussein Obama.

Those "social justice" placemats

. . . "Ironically, the office’s website includes a button to “report bias.” Presumably, they do not mean political predispositions.

"The pictures were sent to us by a source at Harvard, who expressed concern at the rise of progressive dogmatism on campuses. “I think this is a good example of how the [United States’] premier academic institution is enforcing an environment of intolerance to conservatives.' ” . . . 

"Princeton is seriously considering rewriting its own history by renaming any buildings and institutions dedicated to alumni and former President Woodrow Wilson, whom campus crazies say is too racist to be remembered fondly. After having won the power to erase history, year-zero style, it’s little wonder that politically-biased groups on campus feel they can run rampant."

More on college "racial justice" indoctrination here

Ridding the Campus of the Social Justice Pox  . . . "The key point here is how ridding the campus of the SJW folk will improve higher education and do so without much upheaval. Undergraduates will now on average be smarter, work harder and will no longer substitute feelings for knowledge. As an added bonus, schools like Yale and Brown that have shamelessly surrendered to the SJW mob will regain some lost intellectual prestige. The reign of the Social Justice Warriors will be remembered just as many parents of the SJW’s fondly recall the anti-War protestors of the 1960’s.