Get Well Soon

Declaration of Dependence

Evidence Mounts: Ayers Co-Wrote Obama's Dreams

Under water grottos, caverns
Filled with apes
That eat figs.
Stepping on the figs
That the apes
Eat, they crunch.
The apes howl, bare
Their fangs, dance . . .

Linda Sue Grimes, Ph.D, critiqued the above poem on Feb 6,2009, saying

This versification fails on three important levels: misuse of grammar/diction, awkward enjambment, lack of meaning. While the apes are charming and endearing with their figs and their musty pelts, the reader leaves them sadly wondering what they might have conveyed through the hand of a genuine poet.

You may be wondering, why would a Ph.D comment on something so laughably amateurish? Why would a respected professor waste time assessing the literary equivalent of a train wreck? Because the poem above is one of only four writings in print by Barack Obama before he penned Dreams From My Father, a book that Time Magazine has called "the best-written memoir ever produced by an American politician."

According to Jack Cashill at American Thinker

It would be another decade before Obama had anything in print, and this only an edited, unsigned student case comment in the Harvard Law Review unearthed by Politico. Attorneys who reviewed the piece for Politico described it as "a fairly standard example of the genre."
Once elected president of the Harvard Law Review -- more of a popularity than a literary contest -- Obama contributed not one signed word to the HLR or any other law journal.
In 1990 Obama also contributed an essay to a book published by the University of Illinois at Springfield, an anthology called After Alinsky: Community Organizing in Illinois...I believe that after failing to finish his book on time, and after forfeiting his advance from Simon & Schuster, Obama brought a sprawling, messy, sophomoric manuscript to the famed dining room table of Bill Ayers and said, "Help."

Cashill pointed out in a column last year that in contrast to "Dreams," the Obama writing samples unearthed before 1995 "are pedestrian and uninspired."

"There is no precedent for this kind of literary transformation," Cashill wrote. "It is as if a high 90s golfer suddenly showed up with his PGA card – with no known practice rounds in between."

And now this. Christopher Andersen in Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage lays it out just as Cashill envisioned it;

Obama was faced with a deadline with the Times Books division of Random House to submit his manuscript after already having canceled a contract with Simon & Schuster. Confronted with the threat of a second failure, his wife, Michelle, suggested he seek the help of "his friend and Hyde Park neighbor Bill Ayers.

Go out and buy (or better yet, check it out from your library) Fugitive Days: A Memoir by Bill Ayers. Read it. Pay attention to the vocubulary, syntax, metaphors, etc. Then, uncomfortable as it may be, listen to Bill Ayers speak and you'll find that it's obvious that you're listening to a talented and gifted individual, someone who "sounds" like his book.

Go out and find other examples. From the left, read something by James Carville, or Chris Matthews. On the right, perhaps Fred Barnes or Charles Krauthammer. You'll find that even when speaking casually, they use a cadence and vocabulary consistent with their writings.

Now go out and buy Dreams from My Father. Read it. Then listen to his interviews. Listen to his unprepared remarks, away from the teleprompter. You may be surprised.

The mythology of Barack Obama is becoming increasingly unraveled, giving way to the amateurish, bungling reality underneath.

Read more here

10.2 %: Off The Chart

16 Million out of work. Anyone else notice that Obama's graph stops at 10%? Time to send Axelrod to Kinko's to get a new chart made.

Maine Same-Sex Marraige Law Appears Headed For Repeal

USA Today

With 86% of the vote counted, Maine voters are on their way to repealing a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. A 'yes' vote on Question No. 1 was for the repeal and it was leading 52% to 47%.

Follow more at Bangor Daily News

Krauthammer: Republican Wins Explode The Mythology Of Obama Election

Obama 'Saved Job' Deception' Doesn't Add Up In Chicago

From the Chicago Tribune

More than $4.7 million in federal stimulus aid so far has been funneled to schools in North Chicago, and state and federal officials say that money has saved the jobs of 473 teachers.

Problem is, the district employs only 290 teachers.

Other districts in the area are reporting similar "discrepancies"

In the official report, Wilmette Public Schools District 39 was credited with 166 jobs saved by stimulus aid. Superintendent Raymond Lechner said the number should be zero.

At Dolton-Riverdale School District 148, stimulus funds were said to have saved the equivalent of 382 full-time teaching jobs -- 142 more than the district actually has.


Kankakee School District 111, where the stimulus report logged the equivalent of 665 full-time jobs saved. "That's impossible," a top Kankakee school official said, adding that the entire payroll -- full and part time -- is 600 workers.

A spokesperson for Education Secretary Arnie Duncan called the "discrepancies" troubling, but said that it's a pattern unlikely to repeat in other cities. Isn't that the same defense that Acorn used?

Read the rest here

Acorn, Working Families Party, SEIU et al...

NEW JERSEY GOES RED!!!
Republican Christie beats incumbent democrat in state Obama won by 16 points.

Gibbs: Obama Not Watching Returns

No doubt suffering jet lag from his trips to New Jersey...what was he doing there again?

Read more here

NBC's "The Biggest Loser" At The White House

In a story almost too ironic to be true, The Biggest Loser is airing a special episode from the White House tonight. NBC, Obama, and Losers. Hilarious. Read more here

GOP Stampedes Dems in Virginia - Sweep Top Three Spots

In a state that Barack Obama carried by 7 points in 2008, Republicans have stormed back and for the first time since 1997, swept the top 3 state offices with Ken Cuccinell winning the Attorney General race and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling retaining his seat in addition to Bob McDonnell stomping the democrat Deeds by 22 points.

Read more here

Out of Control Forklift Driver Destroys Vodka Warehouse

Remember Belushi's reaction when the guy drops the case of booze?
Imagine if he'd witnessed this...

Showdown!!!

Jim Geraghty from National Review has an interesting take on Dede Scozzafava's withdrawl from the NY-23 race and her subsequent endorsement of the democrat candidate

...a Conservative party candidate eking out a plurality in a three-way race is one thing. A Conservative candidate winning head-to-head against a Democrat, with the endorsement of the Republican... well, the potential reverberations from this potential earthquake just got even bigger.

This was the issue last week that all of the "legitimate" news outlets cited as a perfect example of the impending demise of the republican party. I wonder if this is what Obama intended when he snatched a nine term congresman from an area that republicans have represented since 1872 and made him next secretary of the Army. More unintended consequences from the Obama administration? The latest PPP poll shows conservative party candidate Hoffman with a 15 point lead in a two-way race over the democrat Owens.

Perfect Ten

From Rasmussen Reports

For the first time in recent years, voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on all 10 key electoral issues regularly tracked by Rasmussen Reports. The GOP holds double-digit advantages on five of them.

Republicans have nearly doubled their lead over Democrats on economic issues to 49% to 35%, after leading by eight points in September.

Obama's like one of those Chinese plate spinners. Only the plates keep crashing. And decapitating the audience.

Remember in 2008 he accused McCain of trying to shift the focus of the presidential campaign away from the economy saying

‘‘The notion that we would want to brush that aside and engage in the usual political shenanigans and smear tactics that have come to characterize too many political campaigns is not what the American people are looking for.’’

The latest Rasmussen poll shows that more than a year later, Obama and the Democrats still have no idea what the American people are looking for.

Biden, Halvorson Blamed For 'Dine and Ditch'

From Kristen McQueary

When Vice President Joe Biden flew to Chicago Aug. 20 to raise money for U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-11th), Biden relied on local law enforcement to ensure swift, safe passage.

Police interrupted travel from the airport, cleared city streets, monitored protesters and helped the vice president's motorcade of unmarked squads and the Secret Service snake through Chicago's West Side and South Loop.

While part of his trip could be considered official business, the primary focus was a fundraising luncheon at Custom House for Halvorson, one of the Democratic caucus' most vulnerable freshmen heading into the 2010 election.

Read the rest here

Terry Hawthorne Doesn't Quit

Sixty thousand groaned collectively. Groaned collectively at a scene displayed so many times before. A scene at once routine and familiar, while at the same time singularly capable of providing fresh despair no matter how many times it's been witnessed previously. A flash of maize and blue, an unassuming field of green. A winged helmeted interloper from the north, racing unimpeded towards the goal. As sixty thousand groaned collectively, heads in hands, fists clenched in helpless rage, Terry Hawthorne gave chase.

For seventy six yards Terry Hawthorne pursued, chasing, not quitting...closing. And for what? To turn a seventy-seven yard touchdown pass into a mere seventy-six yard reception? To tackle the receiver at the goal line, denying him his prize, only to reward Mighty Michigan with three (or four) opportunities to hammer it in from inside the one?

Terry Hawthorne contested those seventy-six yards so his teammates would have a chance to make a stand over the final eighteen inches. And make a stand they did.

After fending off the Wolverines on four attempts from inside the one yard line, the offense took over and marched ninety-nine yards to take the lead. Michigan didn't score again.

An obvious benefit of competition is it's ability to teach us lessons that extend to and inspire us in our daily lives. Lessons that can sometimes be elusive or vague, consisting of a reward perhaps only realized over time, or one mired in statistics, measured in wins or losses. The true wonder, however, lies in those rare occasions when the lesson is stripped naked of pretext and associations, it's existence devoid of nuance and complexity, impossible to miss. The lesson that one person, refusing to give up, can make a difference. A lesson that I witnessed firsthand today in the most remarkable 5 minutes of college football I've ever seen. Read more here

Obama Honors Fallen Soldiers At Dover AFB

Obama Meets With Families Of Eighteen Fallen Soldiers

Some may call it a photo-op, or characterize it as an attempt to save face, or just another smoke screen to divert attention from the real issue of Afghan troop levels. To all that would criticize, I would simply ask, wouldn't you judge him twice as harshly if he didn't go at all?

For me, there certain events, occasions, or duties that transcend partisan dissent or ideological dissimilarities. President Obama meeting with families, writing letters, and making personal phone calls to the loved ones of American heroes who have given the last full measure, is one of those occasions. There will be detractors, no doubt, but today I'm proud of our Commander in Chief.

Read more here

Obama Supporters

From Glenn Beck...

They've had progressive leadership in Detroit for almost half a century. What has that leadership brought to Detroit? 17% unemployment, the highest homicide rate in the nation, one third of it's residents live in poverty, fewer than 6 in 10 graduated from high school last year, the median price for a home in Detroit is $7100. Progressive policies are keeping these people in slavery. Slavery to government, welfare, affirmative action, regulation, control.

Don't Know Much About (space) History...

Congressional whiz kid Shiela Jackson Lee delivered a speech on the House floor characterizing Rush Limbaugh as "divisive" and unfit to own an NFL team. You may remember her as the one who asked an interesting question during her visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory...(from the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space website)

...The Congressional bonehead award goes to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) who, on a visit to JPL, asked if Mars Pathfinder had taken an image of the flag planted there in 1969 by Neil Armstrong! Quipped Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) to the Washington Times: "We just don't teach enough science." Worse, Jackson Lee, who represents Houston, is a member of the House Science Committee's space subcommittee. Perhaps some committee reassignments are in order...

Read more here

All Reverends Look The Same To Contessa Brewer

Racist or just stupid? If this had happened over at Fox there'd be sit ins and protests, as it stands, the girl who once said "republicans think Americans are idiots" just proved who the real idiot is.

Whats The Difference Between Rahm Emanuel And Juan Epstein?

Juan Epstein wouldn't be caught dead in a freakin tutu.

Newt Gingrich says,

"They're trying to distract the country. Imagine if your're Rahm Emanuel and you think, I can talk about unemployment rising or have a fight with Fox News and next week I can talk about health care being too expensive or I can pick a fight with Rush Limbaugh. They have a deliberate policy of trying to find a way to keep the news media focused on trivia in order to not deal with the real issues, because the real issues are all going bad for them right now."

Well said Mr. Speaker.

The Iran Attack Plan

When the Israeli army's then-Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Halutz was asked in 2004 how far Israel would go to stop Iran's nuclear program, he replied: "2,000 kilometers," roughly the distance been the two countries.
Read the details here

Real Racism Comes From The Left

Evidently racism and sexism is acceptable, as long as you're protecting a leftist, politically correct agenda.

Unintended Consequences?

As Rahm and the White House put their smear campaign into high gear, Fox News' ratings continue to improve. Here's the Oct 19th primetime cable news ratings, with Fox News beating all the other networks combined. Has this administration attempted anything that hasn't had the opposite effect?

FNC – 2,055,000 viewers
CNN— 622,000 viewer
MSNBC –678,000 viewers
CNBC – a scratch w/ 99,000 viewers
HLN – 548,000 viewers

CNN Poll: Half The Country Disagrees With Obama On Issues

How long until the White House declares CNN not a "real" news organization? Read more here

I Recollected That Her Eye Excelled In Brightness

I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids—She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.—She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shewn and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her. Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?

Benjamin Franklin 1775

Ballot Shocker!!!

Rahm Emanuel on the President’s Olympic Pitch; "We’ll Make Sure (Critics) Get Some Good Seats”

He's only the most recent foot-in-mouth crybaby in an gaffe prone administration full of partisan, juvenile, thin-skinned underachievers. Tell you what Rahm, throw in some Portuguese lessons with those seats and you got a deal! Read more here

Happy Anniversary

Remember last year when The One got his own anniversary date wrong? Just a reminder Barack, this is number 17. And unlike what you did for the British PM, try to pick her up a gift from somewhere other than the White House gift shop.

Obama Pitches Socialism To Black Caucus

Whether it's European socialists at The Brandenburg Gate, Muslims in Cairo, or race-baiting Congressmen in Washington DC, Obama knows that anywhere you go in the world, the cheapest way to get applause is to bad mouth the United States. In response to the mystery world leader not understanding why we don't want to be like Europe, Daniel Hannan said it best; The European Union has a charter that begins with the words “His Majesty, the King of the Belgians.” Ours begins with "We, The People." I know which one I prefer.

Date Night Denmark; Obama Chooses Legoland, Tivoli Gardens Over Iranian Threat, Afghan War

Steve Chapman from The Chicago Tribune

With two wars, a battered economy, an overextended budget and a health care battle to attend to, he shouldn't be bothering himself lobbying the International Olympic Committee over where some athletic events will take place seven years from now...

The bad news is that this means it's already been decided. Just like Bill Clinton not risking his reputation on going to North Korea unless a deal was hammered out, there's no way Obama goes to Copenhagen if he hasn't been assured that Chicago will win the bid. Read the rest here

Don't You Wish Your Leader Sounded Like This

Instead of this...

Run Roland! Run!

He does a good Debbie Halvorson impersonation.

Obama On Kanye; He's A Jackass

ACORN Officials In Baltimore Fired; Offered To Help Undercover Camerman Setup Child Prostitution Ring

In the past, if you were a pimp and wanted a government loan for setting up a brothel of child prostitutes from El Salvador, and naturally wanted to avoid paying any taxes on your new enterprise, there was no one that you could turn to for help. Until now. Pretty funny, until you think about the $5.2 billion that Obama gave to Acorn in the stimulus bill. When is the mainstream media going to get out of bed with this dangerously unqualified, inexperienced, inept, corrupt administration? Read more here

We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

-Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg, Pennsylvania November 19, 1863

NEVER FORGET

Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.
--President George W. Bush

There is no diplomacy with Bin Laden or the Taliban regime.
There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror.
Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must.
--British Prime Minister Tony Blair

War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing.
--President George W. Bush

We're going to find out who did this and we're going after the bastards.
--Sen. Orrin Hatch

Shovel Ready - How It Was. Where It Was

To watch the steel structures of new Twin Towers pierce New York's skyline floor-by-floor – after all New York has been through – would be to experience one of the greatest moments in modern history." — Nicole Gelinas | New York Post 5/18/04

From The Twin Towers Alliance
We, the undersigned, share the belief that nothing could be more inspiring to our people, or disheartening to our enemies, than Twin Towers, at least as tall as before in every respect, soaring above Ground Zero. Read the rest here

Obama’s Legal State Department Adviser: Impose Sharia Law on America. In Other News, Somali Islamists Chop Off Hands Of Mogadishu 'Thieves'

Read more here and here

White House; Greenjob Post Created Specifically For Van Jones

From Politico

A White House official conceded that Jones “was not as thoroughly vetted as other administration officials,” though the official suggested it had more to do with the relatively low level of Jones’s job than with the power of his patrons.

There was little immediate talk of possible successors to Jones, largely due to the sense he would be difficult to replace in an advisory post designed specifically for him, due to his past work in promoting green jobs.

So he's not important enough to be vetted properly, yet important enough to have a position created specifically for him. I guess that makes about as much sense as anything else in this administration.

Rachel Maddow; 'Incredibly Shrinking Republican Party'

Some quotes from Rachel's Thursday show: "Incredibly shrinking republican party," "not in good shape," and "minority faction." Let's check with Rasumssen Reports to see if we can find any evidence.
Obama Approval Rating
Overall, 48% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. Fifty-one percent (51%) disapprove.
Obama Approval Index
33% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -8
Health Care
53% Oppose President’s Health Care Plan, 44% Favor
Generic Congressional Ballot Tuesday, September 08, 2009
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 44% would vote for their district’s Republican congressional candidate while 37% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent.
2009 New Jersey Governor Race
Chris Christie (R) 46%
Jon Corzine (D) 38%
2009 Virginia Governor's Race
Robert McDonnell (R) 51%
Creigh Deeds (D) 42%
Trust on Issues Surveys of 1,000 Likely Voters September 4-7, 2009
Education
Republicans 40%
Democrats 45%
Health Care
Republicans 44%
Democrats 44%
Social Security
Republicans 41%
Democrats 43%
Taxes
Republicans 48%
Democrats 40%
Economy
Republicans 47%
Democrats 39%
National Security
Republicans 51%
Democrats 39%
Iraq
Republicans 47%
Democrats 37%
Abortion
Republicans 44%
Democrats 37%
Government Ethics
Republicans 35%
Democrats 34%
Immigration
Republicans 45%
Democrats 33%

Ok, thats all the Rachel Maddow I can take for one day. Well maybe just one more picture...
Enchanting...

Has Anyone Ever Seen Rachel Maddow And Elvis Costello Together?

If she could get Elvis to appear on her show it'd be like Geraldo opening Al Capone's vault, the moonlanding, and who shot JR all rolled into one. A veritable ratings bonanza.

Obama Lied; Congressional Research Service Says Illegals WILL Receive Health Care

CRS CITES THREE IMMIGRATION LOOPHOLES IN HR3200
taken from Center for Immigration Studies

NO LIMITATION ON ACCESS
NO VERIFICATION SYSTEM
CARE EXTENDED TO "MIXED STATUS FAMILIES"

Open access to Insurance Exchange: HR 3200 contains no provisions preventing illegal immigrants from participating in the Health Insurance Exchange that is to be created, including the government-run "public plan" that will be available through the federally-run and federally-subsidized Exchange.

According to CRS: "Under H.R. 3200, a 'Health Insurance Exchange' would begin operation in 2013 and would offer private plans alongside a public option…H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens—whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently—participating in the Exchange."

No verification mechanism: Democrats point to language in the House bill that says illegal immigrants cannot get benefits. While that may be technically accurate, it is far from the truth.

The fact is that the statement is meaningless because the bill contains no verification mechanism to ensure that illegal immigrants do not receive benefits. Democrats defeated amendments in two congressional committees to close this loophole, including amendments that would use the very same verification mechanism that already exist in statute for other federal programs. Why not include the same verification mechanisms in this bill as already exist for other federal benefits programs? Without the requirement that there be a verification mechanism or a specific verification mechanism provided in statute, the Commissioner could determine that the eligibility requirements could be met either without verification or with as little as a signed attestation.

According to CRS: "Some have expressed concerns that since H.R. 3200 does not contain a mechanism to verify immigration status, the prohibitions on certain noncitizens (e.g, nonimmigrants and unauthorized aliens) receiving the credits may not be enforced. However, others note that under §142(a)(3) of the bill, it is the responsibility of the Health Choices Commissioner (Commissioner) to administer the "individual affordability credits under subtitle C of title II, including determination of eligibility for such credits."

Family eligibility for affordability credits: Section 242(a)(2) of the bill provides that "[e]xcept as the Commissioner may otherwise provide, members of the same family who are affordable credit eligible individuals shall be treated as a single affordable credit individual eligible for the applicable credit for such a family under this subtitle." This suggests that if one member of a family is legally eligible, every family member will be considered eligible. This is significant in terms of numbers — the Pew Hispanic Center estimated that there are almost two million families in the United States where illegal immigrant parents have U.S.-born children. That does not include other "mixed status families" - one legal parent, one illegal parent and illegal child, etc.

According to CRS: "There could be instances where some family members would meet the definition of an eligible individual for purposes of the credit, while other family members would not. For example, in a family consisting of a U.S. citizen married to an unauthorized alien and a U.S. citizen child, the U.S. citizen spouse and child could meet the criteria for being a credit-eligible individual, while the unauthorized alien spouse would not meet the criteria. H.R. 3200 does not expressly address how such a situation would be treated. Therefore, it appears that the Health Choices Commissioner would be responsible for determining how the credits would be administered in the case of mixed-status families."

In 2005, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that up to 3 percent of the 30,000 individuals called for jury duty from voter registration rolls over a two-year period in just one U.S. district court were not U.S. citizens.

If they can get on the list and show up for something as masochistically tedious as jury duty, you can damn well better believe they’ll find their way onto a government health care plan.

Republican Lawmakers Respond To Obama's Request For Input On Health Care Legislation

That was fast. Be careful what you wish for, Barry. John Boehner says no republicans have been invited to White House to meet with Obama on health care since April. So much for transparency, so much for televised meetings on C-SPAN. So much for an end to politics as usual, so much for reaching across the aisle, so much for bipartisanship. Obama's attitude over the break (remember the "I don't want the folks who created this mess to do a lot of talking, just get out of the way speech?)shows he has no intention of working with republicans or compromising on health care and made it very clear in his speech last night. Republicans over the last 5 months have offered nearly 800 pieces of legislation and amendments, with every last piece being rejected.

Wait A Second - Who's In Charge Of Tort Reform?!?

Kathleen Sebelius served from 1977 to 1986 as a lobbyist and executive director of the Kansas Trial Lawyers' Association. So Obama has chosen a former industry lobbyist to run tort reform.That sounds about right. Read more at the WSJ

NBC: Parents Who Object to Obama’s Speech Aren’t Smart Enough to Raise Their Kids

Perhaps John Harwood would prefer it if the State raised the children instead. Panic is setting in, and it's not coming from the right.

Israel Announces 6 Month Settlement Freeze

Apparently this will go into effect after the construction of the 455 they announced last week. An attempt to appease the settlers, the Palestinian Authority, and the US, this will no doubt satisfy none of the parties involved. The belief in the PA sitting down and contributing anything consequential to the process simply because Netanyahu agreed to a settlement freeze, is hallucinatory at best.

Appeasing Obama is a dangerous one way street. His recent declarations that American foreign policy should be rooted in "modesty and humility" and his apologies for an approach that too often sought to "dictate policy" while "failing to listen" seem to apply to everyone except Israel. A recent Smith Research poll taken on behalf of The Jerusalem Post shows that just 4% of Israeli Jews believe Obama's policies to be pro-Israel' a poll that, amazingly, was conducted before Gibbs' declaration last week that Obama "does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and urges it to stop."

In exchange for putting a halt to construction, Israel wants the PA to end the incitement against Israel in the PA media and education system - the effect and policing of which appear complicated and difficult to assess, and is possibly a delaying tactic while the construction of the 455 settlements goes forward. A delaying tactic that Obama has permitted the Iranians to exploit by allowing them to continue enriching uranium during nuclear talks, essentially 'dribbling out the clock' while the existential threat to Israel continues unchecked. Those 96% of Israelis seem to understand the urgency of the situation best, perhaps they're the ones Netenyahu should be acknowledging.

Obama's Lesson

White House Releases Text Of Obama's Speech To Students
Of course there's nothing wrong with this speech. The initial criticism the Obama Administration drew was from the lesson plan. That was wrong on two counts: First, the fact that a lesson plan even existed was illegal. Federal law expressly forbids the Secretary of Education or any officer from exercising "any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum, program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system." Second is the fact that he attempted to slip in a lesson plan so ridiculously biased and indoctrinating as one that requires students to write letters to themselves asking how they can 'help the president'. It's not difficult to see how this, coming on the heels of school officials apologizing for showing Oprah and Demi Moore's 'I pledge allegiance to Obama' video, would make people a little wary.

Had he not included an illegal, self serving lesson plan from the beginning, people would perhaps be a whole lot more eager and accepting of what is, after all, a positive message. Simply another example of Obama's arrogance trumping his better judgement. Just like when he talked for 55 minutes on health care, then used the last 5 minutes of his news conference calling the Cambridge Police Dept. stupid, sabotaging his own message at the same time. Time and time again his arrogance gets in his way and prevents him from getting his own message across. A lesson that Obama seems incapable of learning.

Read the law at http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/20C48.txt

Radical, Repugnant, Retired. Good Riddance

Obama 'Green Jobs' Adviser Van Jones Resigns Amid Controversy
Here's his resignation letter;

I am resigning my post at the Council on Environmental Quality, effective today. On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide.I have been inundated with calls - from across the political spectrum - urging me to "stay and fight." But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future. It has been a great honor to serve my country and my President in this capacity. I thank everyone who has offered support and encouragement. I am proud to have been able to make a contribution to the clean energy future. I will continue to do so, in the months and years ahead.

Wow. What a crybaby. On the "eve of historic fights" he bails. Because some republicans were mean and used "lies and distortions". As if he really wasn't the 46th person to sign the 911 truth petition. As if he didn't really refer to Senate republicans as assholes. Or call George Bush a crackhead, complete with a little skit. Of course he was really fired, which makes his parting shot all the more feeble and absurd.

There's nothing more pathetic than someone who acts like an idiot, gets caught, gives a half-assed apology/explanation (he says he didn't understand what he was signing), gets fired, and then attacks the people who caught him. He should be mad at whomever is in charge of vetting at the White House. Unless, of course, nobody is. That would explain a lot.

So... Who's the asshole now, Asshole?

Krauthammer Comedy Hour Steamrolls Van Jones

Dr. Krauthammer at his finest.

Here He Flips Again

Obama Flashback: Combining Private & Public Healthcare Sectors = ‘Worst of Both Worlds’

We now have the worst of both worlds, the price gouging of the private sector and the beurocracy of the public sector. - Obama, 2006

Watch the video here

In Over His Head - Unemployment Hits 9.7%

"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear" - Barack Obama, Jan 20

"A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into catastrophe." - Barack Obama, Feb 4

On January 9th, the Obama team released "The Job Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan" predicting that without a stimulus plan, unemployment will reach 8.5% . With the stimulus, they predicted unemployment peaking at just under 8%. He also pledged the creation or saving of 3 million jobs. With the help of the mainstream media and a good deal of fear mongering, Obama talked us into spending $787 billion and we were rewarded with 8.9% unemployment in April. Stooges like Charlie Gibson, Lester Holt and Lisa Myers jumped on board, repeating the White House's flimsy and fabricated "saved jobs" claims.

Which takes us to today, and 9.7%. How many more times will we have to listen to Biden excuses like "The truth is, we misread the economy", or "I want to be clear about something: Less bad is not good." Becoming used to lowering expectations, Obama himself is now predicting unemployment will pass 10% this year.

So we spend $787 billion and we still go over his projection by nearly 30%? Along with the $2 trillion he added to the budget last month? Why wouldn't we trust him with health care?

College Football 2010 - GO ILLINI

It's here. The traditions, the rivalries, the bands, the cheerleaders, the tailgates, the reunions. The early morning drives, the kickoffs under the lights. Big flags, cannons, flyovers. No preseason, no playoffs, every game counts. God help me, I do love it so.

Halvorson (D-IL 11) Phones It In

Where does one begin? Managing to stay "above the fray" as she puts it, Debbie Halvorson held a teleconference on health care Thursday night. Now, telephone call in shows are wonderful things; wonderful for radio hacks and telethons. I would expect, though,that a member of the United States Congress, elected by the people and for the people, would actually have the decency and sense of duty to want to meet with the people. But I realized after listening to 2 1/2 hours of her bogus, cosmetic saleswoman sincerity and her sophomoric attempts to prove herself capable of anything other than reading off of her Pelosi issued cheat sheet, to expect anything else out of her would simply be too much.

The safety net was provided in the form of operators who pre-screened her calls, and the training wheels were provided by Dr. Mary Wakefield, (HRSA administrator, who incidentally is a not a medical doctor, but a nurse PhD) who seems to have been busy lately, tagging in for Senate whiz kids Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

A summary of the call can be found here. Some highlights: She said "wow" about two dozen times. In response to a caller's question concening "death panels" she let out a sarcastic snicker, rather unbecoming of a United States Congresswoman. When asked if she read the bill, she said she did, and in fact to prove it she mentioned that she found a typo in the bill, on page...and then she promptly forgot which page. She then recovered by asking listeners to read the bill and then call her office and tell her what page the error was on, assumedly with the first ten callers receiving a Avon Botanicals Mini Treats Gift Set.

At best, her responses were vague and rambling. At worst, considering she had the questions screened and Dr. Wakefield's assistance, they were condescendingly juvenile, showing a level of preparation one would scarcely tolerate from a grammar school debate team, much less a member of Congress.

Read the summary from the link above. Her professed understanding of the legislation appears to have serious contradictions with reality. Or perhaps, just like her flip on cap and tax, she's only telling us what she thinks we want to hear. But for now she can let out a sigh of relief because, like Ichabod Crane racing to the bridge, Halvorson is headed safely back to Washington, having successfully escaped her constituents and her responsibilities.

Biden Tribute 'One of The Most Partisan, Liberal Men in the Last Century'

I seem to remember someone renouncing partisanship while running for president, someone who campaigned on reaching across the aisle and putting an end to politics as usual. Here are some quotes from that guy

If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent's patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose.

And those who do are likely to be those with the most insular views of faith, or who cynically use religion to justify partisan ends...

Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions

We need a leader who can finally move beyond the divisive partisanship of Washington and bring Democrats, Independents, and Republicans together to get things done.

Partisanship is why we can’t tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that’s what we have to change first.

Who Needs a Drink? Obama Approval Hits All Time Low

Two new lows, actually. Today, Rasmussen reports that the president's Approval Index (the number of likely voters who strongly approve of his performance, minus those who disapprove) has fallen to -14. That's two points below his previous low of -12, set on July 30.

The percentage of likely voters who Strongly Approve of Obama's performance, 27%, also marks a new low and that's not all. More here

Friday Afternoon Dump

FRIDAY ANNOUNCEMENT - OBAMA RAISES 10 YEAR DEFICIT TO $9 TRILLION
The nation would be forced to borrow more than $9 trillion over the next decade under President Obama's policies, the White House acknowledged late Friday, bringing their long-term budget forecast in line with independent estimates.

The new projections add approximately $2 trillion to budget deficits through 2019. Earlier this year, the administration had predicted that Obama's policies would require the government to spend $7.108 trillion more than it collects in tax revenue over the next decade.

Read more here

Send Pizzas to Israeli Soldiers

I'm going to assume that this is legitimate...I'll let you know for sure after I try it. Here's what's on the menu.

Five Pizza & Soda Packages
Pizza & Soda for a patrol(5 soldiers)
1 pizza pie & 1 bottle of soda $25.99
Pizza & Soda for a section (10 soldiers)
2 pizza pies & 2 bottles of soda $47.99
Pizza & Soda for a platoon (30 soldiers)
6 pizza pies & 6 bottles of soda $145.99
Pizza & Soda for a company (90 soldiers)
18 pizza pies & 18 bottles of soda $439.99
A Full Month of Pizza
1 pizza pie & 1 bottle of soda each week for a month $97.99
Sderot
Pizza & Soda for a wonderful family in Sderot
1 pizza pie & 1 bottle of soda baked in Sderot $25.99
Summer Fruit Salad (Minimum order of 5 portions.)
$3.99 per portion
All our products are Kosher l'Mehadrin
allowing all soldiers receiving them to be able to eat them.
Delivery included in price.
Your gifts of over $250 are eligible for a US IRS tax deduction

I'm not too sure I'd wanna be the first to test out the tax exemption part. Anyway, if you've got the dough(couldn't resist) to spare send em a pizza. But make sure you wait until Ramadan is over because...

ALERT!!! Send no Pizzas; IDF Says No Eating in Front of Muslims During Ramadan

The IDF has announced several gestures meant to ease life and "demonstrate respect" for Palestinian Authority Arabs, the majority of whom are Muslim, during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The new procedures will go into effect on Saturday.
Read more here

Palestinian Militants' Fists Unclench as Obama Speaks

In a video message to Muslims preparing for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, President Obama picked up where he left off in June. To the uninspiring and self-absorbed tripe he spewed in Cairo we can now add this Hallmark moment, where he cited (with a straight face) principles we have in common such as "Islam's role in advancing justice, progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings."

Anyone turning on a TV in the last 72 hours can see justice being done in Libya as people celebrate the release of a terrorist, convicted in the mass murder of 270 people: As for progress, in 1996, the Saudi Patent Office granted its first patent since its establishment in 1990 in contrast to the 670 patents that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted in the same year...to residents of Utah: Tolerance? Since September 11, 2001 there have been 13881 deadly attacks carried out by Islamic terrorists: The greatest indignity of Islam is it's treatment of women. This week a young girl who converted to Christianity, fled her family's home fearing of becoming yet one more victim of a "mercy killing." And where is she from? Just outside of Baghdad you say? Suburban Rusafah perhaps? Try Columbus Ohio.

Moving away from placing the US at the receiving end of the negative moral equivalence he demonstrated in Cairo, Obama has let his more giving nature take over. He previously chastised Muslims for their treatment of women while at the same time he was unable to resist placing similar blame on the United States, saying "the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life," no doubt equating Afghan girls having acid thrown in their face while walking to school to a women's lacrosse team in the US not receiving equal funding under Title IX. He talked about Jewish persecution on one hand and the Israeli "occupation" of Palestine on the other, attempting the obscene comparison of the holocaust with Palestinian dislocation (which occured as a result of Arab invasion) ignoring Israel's acceptance of the 1947 partition and Arafat's rejection of the Camp David offer in 2000. Now he tries to do the opposite by taking American values and ideals and projecting them onto the Islamic world, attempting to make them their own, with the same failed result.

You can watch the video here (Huffpost link, beware)

Rush; Obama's Healthcare Plan Will Be...

1 - Written by a committee who's head says he doesn't understand it, John Conyers.
2 - Passed by a congress that has not read it.
3 - Signed by president who smokes.
4 - Funded by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes.
5 - Overseen by a surgeon general who's obese.
6 - Financed by a country that's nearly broke.

What could possibly go wrong?

To Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill...

On the evening of December 21, 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in mid air and pieces of the plane fell onto the Scottish town of Lockerbie, killing 259 people on the plane and 11 people on the ground. Convicted in the bombing, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was released Thursday after serving only eight years of a life sentence in a Scottish prison because he has cancer, the moral equivalent of setting Michael Vick free with athlete's foot.

I'd like to join Johnny Cash in letting Kenny MacAskill, al-Megrahi, and all past, present, and future Ramsey El Kabooms know exactly what we think of them.

"Four hundred parents lost a child, 46 parents lost their only child, 65 women were widowed, 11 men lost their wives, 140 people lost a parent, seven lost both parents.... They are also victims of the Lockerbie bombing."

—Colin Boyd
Chief Prosecutor,
Lockerbie Bombing Trial

Remember Pan Am Flight 103

Write this coward and remind him of the 270 people who didn't get a chance to die in peace, surrounded by friends and family.

Kenny.MacAskill.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Kenny MacAskill MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice,The Scottish Government,St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh EH1 3DG

2012 I Told You So?

Recent approval poll shows Hillary topping her boss 66% to 53%...and guess who's approval is dropping? Read the rest here

Halvorson [D-IL11] Says No to Townhall Meetings, Complains District 'Too Big'

Debbie Halvorson (D-IL 11), seen above petitioning constituents for gas money, has decided not to schedule any townhall meetings, complaining, in Goldilocks fashion, "this district is too big."

In other news, Denny Rehberg (R-MT) recently finished a one week, 1300 mile tour of his home state, listening to constituents and doing his job, holding 14 town halls and granting five interviews to local radio stations.


Kankakee to Joliet to Ottawa to Bloomington? 157 miles. That's why Congressmen Rehberg is in his 5th term, working hard to serve the people of Montana, and Debbie won't be in Washington long enough to unpack.

Here's what Halvorson's [D-IL11] Been Looking For

Nancy Pelosi says,"We have given our members this card to take home.It talks about what’s in it for the American people. There will be a drumbeat across America, a positive drumbeat across America about what this means for the American people."

If you're reading this, and you're Debbie Halvorson, feel free to print one up.