Climate change protest cancelled...

...due to global warming !! Over four inches of global warming according to the NOAA's snowfall data.

Irrefutable proof that Gaia hates Al Gore.

Fly Eagles Fly

The Birds and 'Boys square off on Sunday to decide who wins the NFC East and possibly the #2 seed in the conference. In advance of the big game, the Eagles prepare to deal with the giant TV screens at Jerry Jones' palace.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Rush Limbaugh

As you probably already know, Limbaugh was hospitalized with chest pains.

Much to the chagrin of the left, it looks like Rush will be okay.

Take a look at how the compassionate left views the incident.

Cheney slams lawfare and our pretend President

Ouch !!!

“[W]e are at war and when President Obama pretends we aren’t, it makes us less safe,” Cheney said in a statement to POLITICO. “Why doesn’t he want to admit we’re at war? It doesn’t fit with the view of the world he brought with him to the Oval Office. It doesn’t fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency — social transformation — the restructuring of American society.”
.....
As I’ve watched the events of the last few days it is clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war. He seems to think if he has a low-key response to an attempt to blow up an airliner and kill hundreds of people, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if he gives terrorists the rights of Americans, lets them lawyer up and reads them their Miranda rights, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if we bring the mastermind of Sept. 11 to New York, give him a lawyer and trial in civilian court, we won’t be at war.

“He seems to think if he closes Guantanamo and releases the hard-core Al Qaeda-trained terrorists still there, we won’t be at war. He seems to think if he gets rid of the words, ‘war on terror,’ we won’t be at war. But we are at war and when President Obama pretends we aren’t, it makes us less safe. Why doesn’t he want to admit we’re at war? It doesn’t fit with the view of the world he brought with him to the Oval Office. It doesn’t fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency — social transformation — the restructuring of American society.

Maybe Cheney just didn't get the memo that the system worked.

Obama's take on the attempt to bomb NWA flight 253

..... ????

Jim Geraghty notes the sudden silence from the previously ubiquitous Captain Wonderful:

The fact that President Obama hasn't spoken to the citizenry in the 48 hours or so since the incident is . . . unexpected. Strange. If the bombing attempt had not occurred on Christmas Day, his silence would be unthinkable, correct? Somebody tries to blow up a plane, and while his effort fell thankfully fell short, it sounds like it could have turned out terribly and tragically different with a little less luck and a bit more chemical reaction.

Maybe he didn't get the memo

We don't know much about attempted airline bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. So maybe he doesn't know that Bush is gone and Obama is now President and it's okay to like us again. Or maybe he doesn't know that Gitmo is going to be closed.

Janet Napolitano is an incompetent moron

The DHS chief credits the failed plot to blow up a Christmas-day flight landing in Detroit as a proof that "the system worked". I guess that could be true if our "system" relies upon our enemies acquiring faulty detonators.

Asked by CNN's Candy Crowley on "State of the Union" how that could be possible when the young Nigerian who sought to set off the bomb was able to smuggle explosive liquid onto the flight, Napolitano responded: "We're asking the same questions."

Napolitano added that there was "no suggestion that [the bomber] was improperly screened."

Right, other than the fact that the bomber actually managed to get explosives on the flight!!!

Merry Christmas Slackers !!!

Wishing you all the best as I do not anticipate posting again until the 26th -- or until I get fed up with family.

Harry Reid: "I can't wait to get hear the American people tell me how frickin' awesome I am"

From Politico:

On the floor before the vote, Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "We're going to hear an earful, but it's going to be an earful of wonderment and happiness that people waited for for a long time."

Does Dingy Harry actually believe this ?? I doubt it. My guess is the Alderman-in-chief already has an ambassadorship lined up. Or maybe CEO of GM.

Dems to America: Merry F'ing Christmas

ObamaCare passes the Senate.

Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country's history.

"We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people," Obama said shortly after the Senate acted.

"This will be the most important piece of social legislation since Social Security passed in the 1930s," said Obama

Since Social Security eh ??? Well look how well that's worked.

Unfortunately, the bottom-line is that no matter what form the final bill takes, America has been fundamentally altered. Now that government can control our health care we are all wards of the state.

And, also unfortunately, it will pass. Because at the end of the day, the liberals know this bill isn't about public options, abortion, death panels or insurance mandates; it's about infrastructure. And they have now laid the foundation for a government-run single payer system.

They can, and probably will, get frustrated with the rate of implementation. But the government owns health care now. And by doing so they own me and you.

Rep. Parker Griffith abandons Team Unicorn

Politico reports that the freshman Dem from Alabama will run as a Republican when he tries to retain his seat in 2010.

Griffith’s party switch comes on the eve of a pivotal congressional health care vote and will send a jolt through a Democratic House Caucus that has already been unnerved by the recent retirements of a handful of members who, like Griffith, hail from districts that offer prime pickup opportunities for the GOP in 2010.


The switch represents a coup for the House Republican leadership, which had been courting Griffith since he publicly criticized the Democratic leadership in the wake of raucous town halls during the summer

So we now can identify the first casualty of ObamaCare. The real tragedy is that the casualties won't be limited to the political class. And, unfortunately, there will be lives and not just seats that are lost.

Oh my !! Public still not wild about ObamaCare

Ben Smith notes that Upchuck Schumer and company are predicting a big bounce for Obama and actually thinks that his approval rating will hit 60%.

an official predicted to me the other day that Obama's numbers would hit 60 after the health care bill passes, and Chuck Schumer seems to think roughly the same thing: that the public polling on the Democratic reform bill will turn around "soon."

When people see what is in this bill and when people see what it does, they will come around," Schumer said.

Considering the "benefits" don't kick in until 2014, I am not sure what kind of bounce they really expect.

But I don't think they had this in mind:

Welcome to Obama's America

Bills written behind closed doors and passed in the dead of night.

UPDATED:
Apparently bribes worth hundreds of millions of dollars, with tax-payer money, are not only common but expected.

Ed Morrissey compiles the list of pay-offs to get to 60.

Tom Harkin dismissed such bribes as "small stuff".

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, responded Tuesday to widespread criticism that Democrats only garnered the 60 votes needed to defeat Republican stalling tactics on the health reform bill by catering to self-interest, saying Democrats are focusing on the big picture; "trying to cross a demarcation line."

Harkin dismissed deals dubbed vote-buying by GOP senators as "small stuff" that distracted Americans from the primary focus of the overhaul bill.

"We have to keep our eyes on what we're trying to do here. We're trying to cross a demarcation line," Harkin told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. "On one side is health care as a privilege, on the other side is health care as a right. With these votes, with the vote that we'll take before Christmas, we will cross that line finally and say that health care is a right of all Americans."

And Dingy Harry goes further and mocks those that didn't line up at the trough:

“There are 100 senators here and I don’t know that there’s a senator that doesn’t have something in this bill that isn’t important to them,” Reid said. “If they don’t have something in it important to them then it doesn’t speak well of them.”

He likened the legislation to the defense bill, which is thick with earmarks and other provisions benefitting individual members and even private corporations.

Why Obama NEEDS a Teleprompter

My neck hurts just watching.

Also, RadicalSlackers's exclusive footage of the event taken from an off-stage angle:

ObamaCare derailed by Lieberman and global warming ??

Per Rich Lowry, Dingy Harry has to introduce his bill at around 7:30 a.m. tomorrow if he is going to get a vote on Christmas eve. I don't pretend to understand the Senate's rules but I will take Lowry's word for it.

But Harry's got a problem. Lieberman has skipped town. And Gaia has decided to mock the Copenhagen attendees further by dumping 1-2 feet of global warming on DC.

Hugo and Fidel pile on

Now even Chavez and Castro are mocking Obama. Probably because they're NASCAR lovin' rednecks. Castro essentially called Obama a pussy:

Veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro on Friday dismissed US President Barack Obama's trip to UN climate change talks in Copenhagen as a "show," and complained that the world's poor will shoulder the burden of any summit agreement.
.......

The former Cuban president, who still leads the Cuban Communist Party, earlier criticized Obama for accepting the Nobel Peace Prize and lashed out at his climate policies, accusing the US president of not fighting the "oligarchy of irresponsibly" who are opposing change.

"Obama is not ignorant. Like (Al) Gore, he knows the grave danger that threatens everyone, but he vacillates and is weak in the face of a blind and irresponsible oligarchy in that country," Castro wrote in an editorial published December 9.

However, Chavez hurls an even greater insult (at least to the Left)comparing Obama to BusHitler:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he "still" smelled sulfur after President Obama made a keynote speech at the Copenhagen climate conference Friday, accusing the American president of carrying the same satanic scent that Chavez believes followed Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush.

Chavez, who was not included on the original list of speakers for the final day of the summit, ended the proceedings with bitter references to the Peace Prize-winning Obama as the "Nobel Prize of War."

"The Nobel Prize of War just finished saying here that he is here to act. Well, show it sir. Don't leave by the back door," he said.

Three years after Chavez likened Bush to the devil during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the socialist strongman tore into Obama, claiming Friday that "it still smells like sulfur in the world."

Assembled world leaders cheered on Chavez Wednesday during his first, scheduled speech, a ringing attack on all things capitalist that earned him standing ovations from leaders of the Third World.

But at least the world loves us now, right?

India and China not feeling hopeychangey

Apparently President Awesome has had another unsuccessful trip to Copenhagen.

India and China have taken a united stand and walked out of the climate summit as Copenhagen talks fail.

Tensions prevailed at the climate talks at Copenhagen today, as Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and China premier Wen Jiabao walked out of the summit along with their respective delegations, as talks failed.

Obama's response:

US president Barack Obama says at the Copenhagen meet, "It is in our mutual interest to achieve a global climate accord. There is no time to waste, we should act, not talk."

Obama said he was all for a mechanism to monitor emission reduction actions, exchange of information and transparency. He added that this should not be intrusive or impinge upon sovereignty.

Obama said finance to developing nations is a must, and referred to America's pledge to raise USD100 billion by 2020, but he asserted that it will be done "only if" it is part of a broader accord. "Mitigation, transparency, finance - it is a clear format," he concluded.

Hey, a Bushism: Obama's prepared speech says there is no time for talk.

Also, it seems The Guardian has noticed the MO of Barry's approach:

What he could not do, however, if he hoped his presence would indeed help bring the summit to a deal, was leave Copenhagen without offering clear evidence to the 192 countries assembled here that he would push, and push hard, to make sure America did its share on climate change. After all, this was Obama's second trip to Copenhagen in a matter of weeks. The last time he was here, to push Chicago's bid to host the Olympics, Obama and his wife, Michelle, fell back on their store of compelling personal narratives to get things done.

It didn't work then and it won't work now.

Ouch!!

More "funemployment"

And just in time for the holidays !!! AP concedes reports that new jobless claims rise "unexpectedly".

The number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week as the recovery of the nation's battered labor market proceeds in fits and starts.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of new jobless claims rose to 480,000 last week, up 7,000 from the previous week. That was a worse performance than the decline to 465,000 that economists had expected.

The four-week average for claims, which smooths out fluctuations, did fall, dipping to 467,500, the 15th straight decline, viewed as an encouraging sign that the labor market is gradually improving. The four-week average is now at its lowest point since late September 2008, the period when the financial crisis was hitting with full force.

Got that. An additional loss of 400,000+ jobs is actually an encouraging sign. But remember when we were told about how horrible the economy was during the Bush years when unemployment was 5%.

Also, is "hope" really the economic plan of the Obama administration ?? Must be, because it seems that any bad news is always "unexpected" by this crew.

Guess it doesn't matter because it is all George Bush's fault anyway.

Dingy Harry hides the bill

Mitch McConnell (via Drudge) provides a status report from the front lines of the Senate battle field.

‘And here’s the most outrageous part: at the end of this rush, they want us to vote on a bill that no one outside the Majority Leader’s conference room has even seen. That’s right. The final bill we’ll vote on isn’t even the one we’ve had on the floor. It’s the deal Democrat leaders have been trying to work out in private’

I vaguely recall some promise from the "most transparent administration EVAH" that the whole process would be televised on C-Span.

The implosion of Obamacare ?

Obama may have swayed Joe Lieberman, now he's lost Howard Dean.

Dean sent shockwaves when he said Tuesday in an interview with Vermont Public Radio that the removal of the Medicare buy-in means Democrats should just kill the health care bill and start over.

"This is essentially the collapse of health care reform in the United States Senate," Dean said. "Honestly, the best thing to do right now is kill the Senate bill, go back to the House, start the reconciliation process, where you only need 51 votes and it would be a much simpler bill."

Of course Dean's opposition isn't exactly based on the same principles as the Tea-partiers. Dean doesn't see the bill as liberal enough:

"This is a bigger bailout for the insurance industry than AIG," former Democratic National Committee chairman and medical doctor Howard Dean told "Good Morning America's" George Stephanopoulos today. "A very small number of people are going to get any insurance at all, until 2014, if the bill works.

"This is an insurance company's dream, this bill,"

Hey - whatever works to stop this takeover is fine by me. But duelling lefties is always high value entertainment.

The benefits of "smart diplomacy"

Iran test fires it's most advanced missile to date.

Iran on Wednesday test fired an upgraded version of an advanced missile capable of hitting Israel and parts of Europe, an apparent show of strength aimed at discouraging attacks on its nuclear facilities.

The test of the medium-range Sajjil-2 fueled calls for tougher sanctions against Tehran, which has resisted U.N. demands that it rein in its nuclear ambitions. Iran touted the launch as a success proving it can deter any U.S. or Israeli military strike against its nuclear facilities.

Of course the comes on the heels of an earlier report indicating that Iran has been trying to develop nuclear triggers which I am sure are only for peaceful energy generating purposes. Uhm ... maybe not:

The revelations about the nuclear trigger were contained in confidential intelligence documents that were obtained by The Times and which foreign intelligence agencies date to early 2007 — four years after US agencies assessed that Iran had suspended efforts to produce nuclear weapons.

The documents reveal that Iran has worked on a neutron initiator, the component of a nuclear bomb that triggers an explosion.

By the way... just when is that no pre-conditions sit down with crazy Mahmoud taking place? My calendar says that there are only 5 weeks left in Obama's first year as President.

What a difference a week makes

Obama December 9, 2009 - "...stop trying to frighten the American people!"

President Barack Obama told House Republican leaders to "stop trying to frighten the American people" even as he and Democrats said they see a possibility for bipartisan cooperation on job creation legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters that Obama made the admonition during a bipartisan meeting at the White House on Wednesday

Obama December 16, 2009- ...the federal government "will go bankrupt' if we don't pass health care!

President Obama told ABC News’ Charles Gibson in an interview that if Congress does not pass health care legislation that will bring down costs, the federal government “will go bankrupt.”

The president laid out a dire scenario of what will happen if his health care reform effort fails.

“If we don't pass it, here's the guarantee….your premiums will go up, your employers are going to load up more costs on you,” he said. “Potentially they're going to drop your coverage, because they just can't afford an increase of 25 percent, 30 percent in terms of the costs of providing health care to employees each and every year. “

The president said that the costs of Medicare and Medicaid are on an “unsustainable” trajectory and if there is no action taken to bring them down, “the federal government will go bankrupt.”

Extreme sheep herding

Grade inflation

It has been a growing problem in academia, but now it has also infected the Executive branch. Obama was asked,by The Oprah, to grade his first year as President. Obama gave himself "a good solid B-plus".

President Barack Obama, in an interview that aired Sunday, gave himself "a good solid B-plus" grade for his first year in office.

Speaking with fellow Chicagoan Oprah Winfrey, the president claimed progress on economic and international fronts.

Obama said the only thing that stands in the way of giving himself a better grade is the fact that some elements of his agenda — health care reform and putting more Americans to work — remain undone.

"The biggest burden on me right now is that economic growth has happened, but job growth has not happened,"

So, he thinks this is a B-plus ?!? In other words, Obama thinks what we have is almost all we can expect out of an Obama administration ?!? So what do we have:

* Unemployment above 10%
* Quadrupling the deficit
* A national debt that has been increased to $12 trillion (yes, trillion)
* Spurned relations with solid allies such as Great Britain and Israel
* Stepped up uranium enrichment in Iran
* Continuing provocation from North Korea
* Gitmo still open for business
* KSM on trial in NYC/ Navy SEALs facing court martial
* A non-stimulative Porkulus
* Cash-for-clunkers
* Pay czars for the private sector while federal jobs and pay flourish
* Crap-and-trade

Please feel free to add your own. It's fun and cathartic.

Query: What would a C-minus/D look like ??

UPDATED
Clearly not a consensus opinion:

Too bad William Shatner is Canadian

There has been much reference to Shatner on the right side of the blogosphere lately. There was his recent interview of Limbaugh and a very funny bit on the Tonight Show.

Glenn Reynolds wonders if he may be the GOP's secret weapon. But even better is his alter ego from Boston Legal, Denny Crane, who has no such citizenship issue.

So, perhaps Denny Crane '12 ??

Don't know much about history

Apparently Barry doesn't. From his Nobel acceptance today comes this bastardization:

Let me also say this: the promotion of human rights cannot be about exhortation alone. At times, it must be coupled with painstaking diplomacy. I know that engagement with repressive regimes lacks the satisfying purity of indignation. But I also know that sanctions without outreach – and condemnation without discussion – can carry forward a crippling status quo. No repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of an open door.

In light of the Cultural Revolution's horrors, Nixon's meeting with Mao appeared inexcusable – and yet it surely helped set China on a path where millions of its citizens have been lifted from poverty, and connected to open societies. Pope John Paul's engagement with Poland created space not just for the Catholic Church, but for labor leaders like Lech Walesa. Ronald Reagan's efforts on arms control and embrace of perestroika not only improved relations with the Soviet Union, but empowered dissidents throughout Eastern Europe. There is no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement; pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.

WTF ?!? "Embrace of Perestroika ?!?!" The left can just never bring themselves to give Reagan the credit he deserves. Of course the fall of the Evil Empire was because of Gorbi. Anything else would be sacrilegious to the left! Of course these dopes never realize that Gorbi's Perestroika was a last gasp to save the USSR; not to end it!! But that is a rant for another day.

In the meantime, behold Reagan "embracing" Perestroika:



Thanks to reader LazyLibertarian for the heads-up on this blasphemy.

VDH's takedown of the boy king's Nobel acceptance speech

Hanson does the dirty work of listening to the speech. Thank God, because I just can't take anymore. Obama seem to be there every time I turn on my television.

A snippet of Hanson's analysis:

The president said some good things, but unfortunately, his long academic lecture on the nature of war itself had all the characteristics of we have come to accept from a Barack Obama sermon:

1) Verbosity (4,000 words plus!) and extraneousness (he finally even referenced the world’s farmers); 2) I/me exhaustion (34 times) and the messianic cult of personality; 3) the 50/50, split-the-difference trope; 4) the straw man: on the one hand there are realists, on the other idealists, and I Obama singularly reject this either/or dichotomy (as if no one else does as well); 5) veiled attacks on the previous administration; 6) reference to his own unique personal story; 7) good-war/bad-war theory of Afghanistan and Iraq; 8) the hopey-changy rhetorical flourish.

Is there a Microsoft program somewhere that writes these things out?

It is definitely worth reading the whole thing.

White House continues to pimp for ACORN ??

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but here are the cookies served at a recent White House Christmas Party:



Nothing says Christmas or winter like ...an acorn??

I like to think I am not a conspiracy-theorist. I can't imagine many life-forms lower than "truthers"; but I also can't conceive of any other rational explanation for this choice of theme.

Any alternative theories are welcome.

More "smart diplomacy"

This time Obama has snubbed the Norwegians:

Barack Obama's trip to Oslo to pick up his Nobel peace award is in danger of being overshadowed by a row over the cancellation of a series of events normally attended by the prizewinner.

Norwegians are incensed over what they view as his shabby response to the prize by cutting short his visit.

The White House has cancelled many of the events peace prize laureates traditionally submit to, including a dinner with the Norwegian Nobel committee, a press conference, a television interview, appearances at a children's event promoting peace and a music concert, as well as a visit to an exhibition in his honour at the Nobel peace centre.

He has also turned down a lunch invitation from the King of Norway.

According to a poll published by the daily tabloid VG, 44% of Norwegians believe it was rude of Obama to cancel his scheduled lunch with King Harald, with only 34% saying they believe it was acceptable.

"Of all the things he is cancelling, I think the worst is cancelling the lunch with the king," said Siv Jensen, the leader of the largest party in opposition, the populist Progress party. "This is a central part of our government system. He should respect the monarchy," she told VG.

Glad to see he is restoring our relationships with our allies after BusHitler. I guess this is what happens when you put a stupid cowboy Chicago alderman in the White House.

Obama: We have too much debt; Congress: Hey, lets raise the debt ceiling by $1.8 trillion!!!

More fiscal insanity from the folks that brought you Porkulus and want to control your health care.

In a bold but risky year-end strategy, Democrats are preparing to raise the federal debt ceiling by as much as $1.8 trillion before New Year’s rather than have to face the issue again prior to the 2010 elections.


“We’ve incurred this debt. We have to pay our bills,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told POLITICO Wednesday. And the Maryland Democrat confirmed that the anticipated increase could be as high as $1.8 trillion — nearly twice what had been assumed in last spring’s budget resolution for the 2010 fiscal year.


The leadership is betting that it’s better for the party to take its lumps now rather than risk further votes over the coming year. But the enormity of the number could create its own dynamic, much as another debt ceiling fight in 1985 gave rise to the Gramm-Rudman deficit reduction act mandating across-the-board spending cuts nearly 25 years ago.

Hmmm, maybe it really does make a difference that these people generally have no private sector experience.

Behold, the Christmas Truck...

3,000 lights, baby !!

With the exception of a few tickets for illegal use of lights, the only other downside to The Christmas Truck is when one of his sons decides to use it for a date.

"If you're picking up your girlfriend in the Christmas truck and she's not expecting the Christmas Truck that can be a dealbreaker."

Obama eschews democracy - part II

Announces support for "command-and-control" regulations of emissions.

The Obama administration is warning Congress that if it doesn't move to regulate greenhouse gases, the Environmental Protection Agency will take a "command-and-control" role over the process in a way that could hurt business.
......

But while administration officials have long said they prefer Congress take action on climate change, the economic official who spoke with reporters Tuesday night made clear that the EPA will not wait and is prepared to act on its own.

And it won't be pretty.

"If you don't pass this legislation, then ... the EPA is going to have to regulate in this area," the official said. "And it is not going to be able to regulate on a market-based way, so it's going to have to regulate in a command-and-control way, which will probably generate even more uncertainty."

Hey, but at least he's not a socialist or anything. Calling him anything like that we were told was too "extreme".

Surf's up !!!!

Kawabunga !!

Thousands of spectators and surfers are flocking to Hawaii's beaches to see the biggest waves in years crash ashore.

Heavy traffic backed up for miles yesterday along roads leading to Oahu's North Shore. Some of the world's most daring surfers took on the powerful and dangerous waves, which forecasters say could reach heights of 50ft (15 metres) by tomorrow.

The surf grew so large that a few beaches on Oahu and Maui were closed because lifeguards feared inexperienced sightseers could drown, according to state officials.

Obama administration eschews democracy; prefers administrative fiat

Today the EPA has decided that they will regulatate all business and economic activity in our country. The means to this end is the regulation of green house gases; particularly carbon dioxide.

The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded greenhouse gases are endangering people's health and must be regulated, signaling that the Obama administration is prepared to contain global warming without congressional action if necessary.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson scheduled a news conference for later Monday to announce the so-called endangerment finding, officials told The Associated Press, speaking privately because the announcement had not been made.

So, even when the "settled science" seems so very unsettled, Obama is more concerned with his own appearances (i.e. how he will be received at the dog-and-pony-show that is the Copenhagen summit) then the carnage he will inflict on a fragile economy.

Business groups have strongly argued against tackling global warming through the Clean Air Act, saying it is less flexible and more costly than the cap-and-trade bill being considered before Congress. On Monday, some of those groups questioned the timing of the EPA's announcement, calling it political.

"The implications of today's action by EPA are far-reaching...individual Americans and consumers and businesses alike will be dramatically affected by this decision," said Charles T. Drevna, the president of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. Drevna, in a statement, said "it is hardly the time to risk the remainder of the U.S. industrial sector in an attempt to achieve a short-term international public relations victory."

The added benefit, the EPA regulations are weapon to use to get Congress to give him a badly needed "victory" with cap and trade; a bill that's taxes will be necessary to fund his health care behemoth.

While the House has approved climate legislation that would cut emissions by 17 percent by 2020 and about 80 percent by mid-century, the Senate has yet to take up the measure amid strong Republican opposition and reluctance by some centrist Democrats.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., lead author of the Senate bill, has argued that if Congress doesn't act, the EPA will regulate greenhouse gas emissions. He has called EPA regulation a "blunt instrument" that would pose a bigger problem for industry than legislation crafted to mitigate some of the costs of shifting away from carbon emitting fossil fuels.

So Don Obama's message to the Senate is clear: pass the bill or what will be wrought through regulation will be much worse.

INFAMY !!!

They answered the call without "off ramps" and "exit strategies"; will we??

Dopiest defense of Obama's Nobel yet

From Ron Grossman at the Chicago Tribune. At first glance I though this was satire. Sadly, it isn't. Per Grossman, Obama earned the award by being elected!

The day the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was announced, I was in Florence, Italy, weary of butchering another people's language and half understanding what Italians were saying. Startled at the sound of English pronounced with an unmistakable New York accent, I looked up to see two black women. I asked if they'd heard the news.

"Yes," said one, who was about 70. "Ever since, they've been asking what's Obama done to earn it."

I asked what they thought. Maybe something in my voice encouraged them to be frank. Or, perhaps it was the magic of a chance encounter that turns Americans abroad from strangers to friends.

"He got elected, didn't he?" replied the other woman, who was in her late 60s.

That settled the issue for me. Barack Obama's election to the White House was, like the astronaut said on reaching the moon: "One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."

There is so much stupidity jammed in this column but a couple of points jump out:

1. If our "post-racial" President wins the Nobel because of his race; are we to then conclude that discrimination against someone because of their race is bad, but discriminating for someone on the basis of race is not only acceptable, but also noble?

2. What did Obama actually do to merit the award? Doesn't this award then belong to the American people were enlightened enough to elect Obama? If so, I want my share of the $1 million that comes with the award.

3. Doesn't the author's argument completely refute the premise that Obama was a post-racial candidate?

4. Does the author believe that Hillary deserved the Nobel if she had won; and if not, why not. And by that reasoning, where is Ms. Thatcher's award? (Hint: probably has to do something with a conservative ideology.) Could Sarah Palin win it 2012??

I guess this is what passes for deep thought on the left these days.

Operation Cobra's Anger

Looks like some Taliban are going to find out the hard way about the operational capacity of the US Marine Corps

About 1,000 Marines and 150 Afghan troops were taking part in "Operation Cobra's Anger" in a bid to disrupt Taliban supply and communications lines in the Now Zad Valley of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, the scene of heavy fighting last summer, according to Marine spokesman Maj. William Pelletier.

Hundreds of troops from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and the Marine reconnaissance unit Task Force Raider dropped by helicopters and MV-22 Osprey aircraft in the northern end of the valley while a second, larger Marine force pushed northward from the main Marine base in the town of Now Zad, Pelletier said.
......

Pelletier said insurgents were caught off guard by the early morning air assault.

"Right now, the enemy is confused and disorganized," Pelletier said by telephone from Camp Leatherneck, the main Marine base in Helmand. "They're fighting, but not too effectively."

Cobra's Anger, sounds a lot more promising than Operation Run Out the Clock to Avoid Appearing Like I Lied When I Said This War Was Essential.

Barack Hussein Bush ???

Jon Stewart seems to think so.

Lengthy but fun.

Job Summit at the White House today

Raises a great question from Newt Gingrich: "Who in the White House has ever created a job?"

A graphic reminder:

Gay marriage bill fails ...

... in New York.

Clearly the fault of those damn Christianists and redneck GOPers. I say this in jest but the Times seems to offer that as an explanation:

The bill was defeated by a decisive margin of 38 to 24. The Democrats, who have a bare, one-seat majority, did not have enough votes to pass the bill without some Republican support, but not a single Republican senator voted for the measure. Still, several key Democrats who were considered swing votes also opposed the bill.
......

The state’s Roman Catholic bishops, who had actively lobbied against the bill, said they were pleased by the vote.

Europe losing its love for Barry

Now it's the Der Spiegel:

Never before has a speech by President Barack Obama felt as false as his Tuesday address announcing America's new strategy for Afghanistan. It seemed like a campaign speech combined with Bush rhetoric -- and left both dreamers and realists feeling distraught.

One can hardly blame the West Point leadership. The academy commanders did their best to ensure that Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama's speech would be well-received.

Just minutes before the president took the stage inside Eisenhower Hall, the gathered cadets were asked to respond "enthusiastically" to the speech. But it didn't help: The soldiers' reception was cool.

One didn't have to be a cadet on Tuesday to feel a bit of nausea upon hearing Obama's speech. It was the least truthful address that he has ever held. He spoke of responsibility, but almost every sentence smelled of party tactics. He demanded sacrifice, but he was unable to say what it was for exactly.

Well, he still has the media and Hugo Chavez.

Being a goalie is tough enough

but this is ridiculous....

And of course, the obligatory "it's all Bush's fault"...

Obama tonight:

Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq War is well-known and need not be repeated here. It is enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq War drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention - and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.

Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011. That we are doing so is a testament to the character of our men and women in uniform. Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance , we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people.

But while we have achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda's leadership established a safe-haven there. Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it has been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient Security Forces. Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to take control over swaths of Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating acts of terrorism against the Pakistani people.

Throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq. When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive. That's why, shortly after taking office, I approved a long-standing request for more troops. After consultations with our allies, I then announced a strategy recognizing the fundamental connection between our war effort in Afghanistan, and the extremist safe-havens in Pakistan. I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian effort.

Counter translation: We didn't have enough troops in Afghanistan so I dicked around for a almost a year before deciding to send less troops my hand-picked commander told me were absolutely necessary.

Unprecedented.

UPDATED to add:

We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011. That we are doing so is a testament to the character of our men and women in uniform. Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance , we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people.

Let's not forget that Obama was part of the cut and run crowd on Iraq.

Chris Matthews: So smart he's pratically retarded

Per Chris: West Point is the "enemy camp".



Uhm, Chris -- did you forget that whole
Commander-in-chief thing??

We suck !!!

Of course Obama's speech had the obligatory "America is the source of the world's troubles" reference:

As a country, we are not as young - and perhaps not as innocent - as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. Now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age.

President Trillion Dollar Deficits tells the military to tighten its belt in A-stan.

From tonight's speech:

As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, our or interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I do not have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I am mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who - in discussing our national security - said, "Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs."

Over the past several years, we have lost that balance, and failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our friends and neighbors are out of work and struggle to pay the bills, and too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we simply cannot afford to ignore the price of these wars.

We can afford bailouts, non-stimulative stimulus packages and billions (with a B) of dollars for ACORN, and nationalizing health care but we can't afford about $30 billion a year for troops in Afghanistan?? In a war candidate Obama said we had to win ??

Obama's Afghanistan Speech

My initial take ...

We waited three months for THIS ?!?

Doesn't seem to have required much deep thought. This could have been rolled out weeks ago. And setting timetables is all about politics (i.e. re-election; not about actually winning a war.

Even more "unprecedented"-ness from the White House

From court jester Gibbsy:

Will Arlen Sphincter break his anti-tax pledge to pass health care ??

Obviously a rhetorical question as Snarlin' Arlen is loyal to nobody but himself. But passage of ChapaquiddiCare has put this douchebag in a tight spot:

The Senate healthcare bill presents a tricky political challenge to Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Arlen Specter (Pa.), the only two Democrats in the Senate to have signed anti-tax pledges.

Americans for Tax Reform, the group which persuaded Nelson and Specter to sign the pledge, will press both lawmakers on the issue during next month’s Senate healthcare debate, putting them in an awkward position.

“If they vote for this bill as the written it violates the pledge,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, in an interview.

The $848 billion piece of legislation would extend health insurance coverage to an additional 31 million Americans and would impose new taxes and tax increases. An analysis by Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee estimates the bill would raise taxes by $494 billion.

My money is on the slimy Dem-turned-Repub-turned-back-to-Dem coming up with some explanation for why his violation of the pledge isn't really a violation. In fact, Senator "Not Proven" has already had his staff lay the ground work:

Specter was unavailable for comment but an aide said the Pennsylvania lawmaker has repeatedly stated that he is committed to voting for a fiscally responsible bill that does not add to the deficit.

Are the Navy SEALs being punished ??

Retribution for rescuing Captain Phillips of the Maersk Alabama from Somali pirates?? Sean Linnane (a retired SEAL) seems to think so.

At the time of the capture, the media played up the angle that President Obama himself gave the order to the SEAL snipers to open fire. Having done extensive time in anti-terrorist units myself, I can tell you from personal experience this is ridiculous, a total fabrication. Nobody except those with “eyes on” the targeted individuals can make the judgment call to open fire.

The truth of the situation was that the SEALs were held off from infiltrating the AO (Area of Operations) for over 36 hours. There was a lot of resistance from the White House in letting them in theater in the first place; once they were in place they were given very restrictive ROE (Rules Of Engagement); so restrictive that they really couldn’t engage their targets. There were two previous opportunities to rescue Captain Phillips, and they were not allowed to engage their targets.

When they finally did execute, they did so by liberally interpreting the ROE; the onsite commander finally had enough with the situation and gave them a weapons-free command and they were able to engage and rescue Captain Phillips. The fallout from the National Command Authority was immediate and extremely unpleasant; the White House did not want the rescue to be conducted in the way that it was.

So the word on the street is that this latest development is payback for the SEALs violating the ROE in rescuing the captain of the Maersk Alabama. The Chain of Command is asserting itself, letting everybody know what’s going to happen to you if you don’t follow orders.

H/T - Hot Air

Yet another Obama promise reaches its expiration date

This time it's health care for illegals:

Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants could receive health care coverage from their employers under the bills winding their way through Congress, despite President Obama's explicit pledge that illegal immigrants would not benefit.

The House bill mandates, and the Senate bill strongly encourages, businesses to extend health care coverage to all employees. But the bills do not have exemptions to screen out illegal immigrants, who usually obtain jobs by using false identities and are indistinguishable from legal workers.

Graphic evidence of Team Obama's lack of experience

Seems that team O lacks any private sector (a/k/a real world) experience.


Swell!! Just what you want for President with ZERO executive experience in any sector. Especially since this is the team he is expected to turn to for advice.

Why, one might even say it's "unprecedented".

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Be careful out there and try not to do anything like that shown in these videos

Ho-ho-hobama

Get ready for the Oprah-Obama Christmas special:

The queen of daytime will interview the president of the country during an ABC holiday special that brings together Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.

The network has announced "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special," which includes an interview with the president, a conversation with the First Couple and tour of the White House. The special will also go behind-the-scenes as staffers prepare the White House for the holiday season.

The special marks the first time Winfrey has interviewed Obama since he took office. "Christmas at the White House" will air Sunday, Dec. 13, at 10 p.m.

Guess the White House feels that Barry needs some exposure.

Here's a thought exercise: What would be the media response to an opulent Christmas celebration in the Bush White House when unemployment is 10% and we have two ongoing wars ??

UPDATE: Link corrected -- I will blame this on our staff editor who will receive a 50% cut in pay.

Politico notices that the White House can't get over itself

Carol Lee notes the unprecedented use of "unprecedented":

The Obama White House is addicted to the “unprecedented.”

Perhaps it was a sign when President Barack Obama sat down in January to record his first weekly address and announced: “We begin this year and this administration in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that calls for unprecedented action."

What has followed is declaration after declaration of “unprecedented” milestones. Some of them are legitimate firsts, like the president’s online town hall at the White House in May.

But others the president wins merely on a technicality, and several clearly already have precedents.
.....
But at times Obama’s use of “unprecedented” is questionable.

Obama has said he “took office amid unprecedented economic turmoil” and that the situation demanded “unprecedented international cooperation” and resulted in his signing of the “unprecedented" Recovery Act. Yet it seems the Great Depression and the New Deal might be considered precedents for the current economic crisis and the $787 billion stimulus plan.

And Obama’s promise of “an unprecedented effort to root out waste and inefficiency” sounded a lot like promises of past presidents.

“I believe the Congress and the American people approve my goals of economy and efficiency,” President Lyndon B. Johnson told Congress in 1965. “I believe they are as opposed to waste as I am. We can and will eliminate it.”

Of course his spending IS unprecedented.

How NOT to fight a war

Three Navy SEALs are facing a court martial because in capturing the most-wanted terrorist in Iraq, the terrorist got a bloody lip:

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers.

Here's a thought: next time, spare our guys the legal jeopardy and just call in a Hellfire missile.

Oops, he did it again!

Obama just can't help himself. Somebody (aren't there protocol officers at State??) PLEASE stop him; it's embarrassing already.

SNL discovers that Obama ain't all that

Finally, it's okay to mock Dear Leader



"All of your plans to save money involve spending even more money. This does not inspire confidence." No, it sure doesn't!!

Richard Milhous Obama

Just like Tricky Dick, it seems Obama has developed both an enemies list and a reflexive instinct to engage in coverups. At least it looks that way in light of revelations of the firing of AmeriCorps Inspector General, Gerald Walpin.

If you recall, after Walpin was fired, we were told it was based upon complaints about Walpin's performance and suggestions of senility. Well, now it looks like those "reasons" were solicited after the decision to fire him had already been made.

The new documents support the Republican investigators' conclusion that the White House's explanation for Walpin's dismissal -- that it came after the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps, unanimously decided that Walpin must go -- was in fact a public story cobbled together after Walpin was fired, not before.

Walpin was axed on the evening of June 10, when he received a call from Norman Eisen, the special counsel to the president for ethics and government reform, who told Walpin he had one hour either to resign or be fired. The next day, congressional Republicans, led by Grassley, objected, charging that Walpin's dismissal violated a recently-passed law requiring the president to give Congress 30 days' notice before dismissing an inspector general.

Pressed for the reason Walpin was fired, Eisen told House and Senate aides that the White House conducted an "extensive review" of complaints about Walpin’s performance before deciding to dismiss him. According to the new report, Eisen told Congress that "his investigation into the merits of removing Gerald Walpin involved contacting members of the Corporation for National and Community Service [CNCS] board to confirm the existence of a 'consensus' in favor of removal." But Republican investigators later discovered that during that "extensive review," the White House did not even seek the views of the corporation's board -- the very people whose "consensus" purportedly led to Walpin's firing.

Other than board chairman Alan Solomont, the Democratic mega-donor and Obama supporter who originally told the White House of his dissatisfaction with Walpin, "no member of the CNCS board had any substantive input about whether the removal of Gerald Walpin was appropriate," according to the report. Only one other board member, vice-chairman Stephen Goldsmith, was even called by the White House, and that was on June 10, a few hours before Walpin was fired. According to the report, Goldsmith told investigators that "the White House had already decided to remove Walpin and wanted to confirm [Goldsmith's] support for the action."

The new documents show the White House scrambling, in the days after the controversy erupted, to put together a public explanation for the firing. On June 11, less than 24 hours after Walpin received the call from Eisen, the board held a conference call. The next day, Ranit Schmelzer, who is part of the corporation's press office, sent an email to board members giving them talking points to use if contacted by reporters seeking information about the matter.

"Indicate that you support the president's decision to remove IG Walpin," was Schmelzer's first instruction to the board. Then: "If asked why he was removed, indicate that the president lost confidence in Mr. Walpin." And then: "If the reporter continues to press, say that you can't get into details on a personnel matter, but you understand there were some performance-based issues." Finally, Schmelzer advised the board to avoid "getting into any specifics about IG Walpin's performance-based issues. The WH has stayed away from this and has counseled us to do the same."

TMI v2.0 ??

This seems like it should cause some concern:

We are learning more this morning about a reported radiation leak at Three Mile Island.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says later today it is sending two radiation specialists to the plant near Harrisburg.
.....

The NRC now says about 20 employees were treated for exposure following the incident at one of the reactors. Originally, there were reports that more 100 workers had to be decontaminated.

The cause of the leak is under investigation. The entire plant is shut down.

You can bet the environmentalists will be all over this shortly.

Sen. Leahy sees no need to interrogate Osama

The fact that this fuckwit is the chairman of a Senate Committee (Judiciary) demonstrates just how dire are the times in which we live. Seems that Leahy fails to see any value in interrogating bin Laden:

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of that committee, said that arguments raised by Republican senators about whether bin Laden would be afforded Miranda rights if he were captured amount to a "red herring."

"The red herring that my friend [Sen.] Lindsey Graham [R-S.C.] was covering is not realistic," Leahy said during an appearance on "Washington Journal" on C-SPAN.

"For one thing, capturing Osama bin Laden — we've had enough on him, we don't need to interrogate him," Leahy added.

So, the head of a terrorist organization would not be able to provide us any information about the organization he heads ?? Amazing; simply amazing!

Somebody is messin' with Joe

Remember when President Fabulous told us that we didn't have to worry about any waste, fraud or abuse with Porkulus because Slow Joe Biden would be personally responsible for overseeing the program and "nobody messes with Joe!"

Well, like everything else in Obamaland, reality has failed to meet expectation as it looks like millions billions are being spent in non-existent Congressional Districts

Just how big is the stimulus package? Well for one, it has doubled the size of the House of Representatives, according to recovery.gov, which says that funds were distributed to 440 congressional districts that do not exist.

According to data retrieved from recovery.gov, nearly $6.4 billion was used to “create or save” just under 30,000 jobs in these phantom congressional districts–almost $225,000 per job. The web site operates on an $84 million budget and is tasked with monitoring the distribution of the $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress–which, for the record, counts 435 members–in early 2009.

The site’s monitors, however, are not too savvy about America’s political or geographic landscape. More than $2 million was given to the 99th District of North Dakota, a state which has only one congressional district. In order to qualify for 99 districts, North Dakota would have to have a population of about 60 million people, almost 24 million more people than California.

The stimulus revived 8 recently retired congressional districts. Pennsylvania’s 21st District has received just under $2 million in funds. Mississippi’s 5th District and Oklahoma’s 6th received $1 million from the legislation, respectively. All three were eliminated by the 2000 census.

Many other recipients carried the banner for congressional districts that have been defunct for decades. South Carolina’s 7th took the cake, garnering more than $27 million in stimulus funds, despite being eliminated in 1930. And Virginia’s 12th District may have been written off at the start of the Civil War, but it must carry some sentimental value in Old Dominion–it received more than $2 million, according to recovery.gov.

And for anyone who is gullible enough to believe that these are simply clerical errors, there is this:

The federal government's website tracking the use of stimulus dollars overstated the amount of money going to boost New Hampshire's economy by more than $1.15 million, according to a review by the deputy attorney general in charge of monitoring the state program.

The findings follow revelations that Recovery.gov, the Obama administration website designed to help the public track spending, lists congressional districts that don't exist being the beneficiary of large sums of money and home to jobs that were either created or saved.

Um, so where did the money go???

Obama to troops: "You guys make a pretty good photo op"

Obama at Osan Air Base in South Korea

Obama arrived on the base 3:19 p.m. local time (1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time), and received a rousing welcome from 1,500 troops in camouflage uniforms, many holding cameras or pointing cell phones to snap pictures.

"You guys make a pretty good photo op," the president said.

Got that, you guys are a prop, like Greek columns at the nomination speech or the attempt to use the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Chalk this up as another opportunity to play the infuriating game of "what would the press do if a Republican said .....?" But of course they wouldn't.

Random thought of the day...

Is being in Joe Biden's motorcade like being a drummer for Spinal Tap??

Eric Holder defends KSM show trial

Andy McCarthy dissects the AG's testimony today. A little taste:

5. A civilian trial is no more a platform for KSM than a military commission would have been. That's ridiculous. KSM was ready to plead guilty and be executed eleven months ago. Whatever soapbox he was going to have, he'd largely already had, and while we'd have had to let him speak before sentence was imposed, that would have been the end of it. Now, he's going to get a full-blown trial — after combing through the discovery for a couple of years and after putting the Bush administration under the spotlight.

Holder derided Senator Kyl for pointing this out, saying Kyl had no way of knowing what KSM's position is today. That's a specious point. We do know what his position was eleven months ago when the Obama administration could have accepted his plea and pushed for his execution. Moreover, why would that still be KSM's position today, when he now knows Holder is ready to give him the stage in New York that he's been seeking since the day he was captured?

Do yourself a favor a read the whole takedown. Better than reading the transcript of the actual testimony which was, in essence, a lot of words to say "I know better than you".

Yet another Obama promises reaches its expiration date

And this time it is a very good thing. That little PR stunt about closing Gitmo by January; yep, that's not gonna happen.

President Obama directly acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay will not close by the January deadline he set, but he said he hoped to still achieve that goal sometime next year.

Obama refused, however, to set a new deadline.

But my favorite part of the explanation is this little gem:

Closing the facility, he added, is "also just technically hard."

Got that, being President is hard!!

By the way -- maybe Bush was right when he said that Gitmo was the best of a bunch of bad options.

Is the decision to try KSM in criminal court unfair and dangerous to American jurors

It is hard to speculate on the motivation of others, but Obama's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed could be construed as asking 12 ordinary American to do for Obama what he does not have the courage to do for himself; convict KSM.

Obama risks nothing new by seeking this conviction in criminal court rather than military tribunal. In fact, he risks less because whatever happens will be the result of the jury, the "system", etc. Typical Obama, kicking the can down the road and passing responsibility.

But what about the jurors ? They are being put in a unique position that is as fundamentally unfair as it is dangerous. It is unfair because they are being put in a position that isn't designed for the task they are being assigned. If there were a poster boy for the need for military tribunals it would be KSM. The jurors are going to be asked to decide his guilt in a framework that was never intended for this type of hearing.

More specifically, they will be asked to determine KSM's guilt under rules of evidence and constitutional protections that may severely limit the admissibility of such evidence. I bet it is safe to assume that KSM was never Mirandized. Would any information or confessions obtained from his interrogations even be admissible ?? Would any subsequent information obtained as a result of those statements ??

If the jury upholds its oath to only judge the case on the admissible evidence, it may be hard pressed to return a conviction if prosecutors find most of their evidence precluded. Let's remember, information was being obtained to prevent other attacks (which may have been imminent) NOT to build a criminal case. I think it is obvious that we do not have forensic teams putting up yellow crime scene tape and collecting evidence on the battlefield. So the jury may be forced to decide between an acquittal for lack of evidence or a conviction in a show-trial lacking compelling evidence.

But those jurors will still likely feel compelled to return a conviction. I still want to believe that most Americans still want justice and don't want KSM to "get away with it". The "it"in this case being murder; actually mass murder. How do they return home to their families, friends and co-workers if they give KSM a pass? Or do they feel forced to betray their oath as jurors and convict anyway? Either way, it is unfair for them to be put in this position.

But even more unfathomable is the danger that Obama is asking the jurors to undertake. The extreme security measures taken in mob trials will pale in comparison to those that will be necessary under these circumstances. Jurors will probably be cognizant of the fact that a conviction will probably lead to them looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives. It is doubtful that they will always be given protection and Al Qaeda isn't exactly know for letting bygones be bygones. And the sad fact is that the existence of military tribunals allows our citizens not to have to face such danger.

Let me be the first to thank and wish good luck to those brave jurors who have the courage that Obama lacks.

The KSM trial

Patterico asks the million dollar question:" “If Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Is Acquitted, President Obama, Will You Release Him?”

Patterico's point is that this is essentially a show trial and that Obama will not release KSM or any other truly dangerous terrorist even if they are acquitted of charges. He also notes that Obama himself has suggested that in prior speeches:

Now, let me begin by disposing of one argument as plainly as I can: We are not going to release anyone if it would endanger our national security, nor will we release detainees within the United States who endanger the American people.

This is also the rationale behind some of the criticism of the decision to to seek prosecutions in the criminal courts; i.e. that prisoners of war should be tried by military commissions which would alleviate some of the inevitable evidentiary problems. Despite the rhetoric I think hard core lefties do realizes that crime scene preservation measures are not employed on the battlefield.

However, I am not so sure that Obama wouldn't release an acquitted terrorist. It is consistent with his performance to date. What better way to show the world how reasonable and virtuous we have become in Obamaland than to release someone of the magnitude of KSM because a jury didn't convict. Also, let us not forget that 9/11 happened in the dark days pre-Obama so we deserved it. His spiritual advisor, Rev. Wright, even said so!

Sorry - likely to be no postings for the next few days

Out of town for the job -- the paying one !!

Remember our veterans -- and thank them

Happy Birthday USMC

The Corps turns 234

He just can't help himself

President "Don't jump to conclusions" jumps to the conclusion that the Fort Hood shooter possibly cracked under stress.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Well, look, we -- we have seen, in the past, rampages of this sort. And in a country of 300 million people, there are going to be acts of violence that are inexplicable. Even within the extraordinary military that we have -- and I think everybody understands how outstanding the young men and women in uniform are under the most severe stress -- there are going to be instances in which an individual cracks. I think the questions that we're asking now and we don't have yet complete answers to is, is this an individual who's acting in this way or is it some larger set of actors? You know, what are the motivations? Those are all questions that I think

Obviously it is not "jumping to conclusions" when the idea fits the liberal orthodoxy. It's okay to assume that Bush's war caused some sort of PTSD-by-proxy but it is illogical, immoral and possible criminal to speculate that Major Hasan went Jihadist.

Execution of DC sniper still on course

The Supreme Court has refused to stop the execution of John Allen Muhammad scheduled for tomorrow.

Muhammad is scheduled for the celestial dirt nap by way of lethal injection in Virginia. Bye-bye dirtbag!

Fall of the Berlin Wall

20 year ago today. While some seem inclined to forget the significance, others, including the current U.S. President and the current German Chancellor seem to think it was do to some sort of benevolence on the part of Gorbachev.

However, the real hero, the liberator of millions was:

220-215 ChappaquiddiCare passes the House

And the slide toward European-style socialism continues.

The House legislation would for the first time require every individual to obtain insurance, and would require all but the smallest employers to provide coverage to their workers. It would vastly expand Medicaid and create a new marketplace where people could obtain federal subsidies to buy insurance from private companies or from a new government-run insurance plan.

Though some people would receive no benefits -- including about 6 million illegal immigrants, according to congressional estimates -- the bill would virtually close the coverage gap for people who do not have access to health-care coverage through their jobs.
......

The complex package would affect virtually every American and fundamentally alter vast swaths of the health insurance industry. Starting next year, private insurers could no longer deny anyone coverage based on preexisting conditions, place lifetime limits on coverage or abandon people when they become ill. Insurers would be required to disclose and justify proposed premium increases to regulators, and could not remove adult children younger than 27 from their parents' family policies.

For the elderly, the group that has been most skeptical of Obama's initiative, the House package would immediately offer discounts on prescription drugs and reduce a gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage, closing it entirely by 2019. Uninsured people who cannot get coverage could join temporary high-risk insurance pools, and unemployed workers would be permitted to keep their COBRA benefits until the public plan and insurance exchanges started in 2013.

In four years, the measure would establish a new insurance system. Businesses with payrolls exceeding $500,000 would be required to offer their workers insurance or pay a fine of as much as 8 percent of payroll. Individuals would be required to obtain insurance or pay a fine of as much as 2.5 percent of income. States would be required to extend Medicaid coverage to as many as 15 million additional people. Low- and middle-income individuals who still could not afford coverage could apply for federal subsidies through an insurance marketplace that would negotiate with private insurers to provide comprehensive policies alongside a government-run "public option."

Congressional budget analysts say the package would cover an additional 36 million Americans, leaving 18 million people without insurance by 2019, about a third of them illegal immigrants. To avoid increasing the deficit, Democrats would pay for the coverage expansion by slicing more than $400 billion from Medicare over the next decade, and by imposing a variety of new taxes, primarily a 5.4 percent surcharge on annual income over $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for families. Initially, the tax would hit only 0.3 percent of taxpayers, but that number would climb rapidly, because the income thresholds would not be indexed to inflation.

John Adler (D NJ-3) says "no" to ChappaquidiCare

Adler, from my district, bails on Pelosi.

Rep. John Adler, a New Jersey Democrat, said today he’s voting no. He criticized the bill’s $1 trillion-plus price tag over 10 years, and said it doesn’t do enough to control health costs.

This has less to do with the total price tag than Adler's desire to hold on to his seat; a seat that had long been held by Republican Jim Saxton. Adler won the open seat on Obama's coattails following Saxton's retirement.

Jim Geraghty does the math:

Adler's congressional district includes parts of Burlington County, Ocean County, and Cherry Hill in Camden County.

Republican Chris Christie won Burlington County Tuesday night by two percent after Corzine won it by five percentage points four years ago; Christie won 66 percent of the vote in Ocean County. Four years ago, Jon Corzine won Cherry Hill, 13,615 to 8,630. This year he won it 11,108 to 9,453.

So, Nancy, please explain again how you won on Tuesday??

Sgt. Kimberly Munley: Hero

Maybe Obama should give a shout out to her since it seems Munley's actions took down the Fort Hood terrorist.

Munley's toughness and grace under pressure were on display Thursday when she and her partner responded within three minutes of reported gunfire, said Army Lt. Gen. Bob Cone.

Munley, who had been trained in active-response tactics, rushed into the building and confronted the shooter as he was turning a corner, Cone said.

"It was an amazing and an aggressive performance by this police officer," Cone said.

Munley was only a few feet from Army psychiatrist Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan when she opened fire.

Wounded in the exchange of bullets, the 34-year-old Munley was reported in stable condition at a local hospital.
.....

One of the bullets pierced an artery, requiring her to undergo surgery Friday.

I guess there are times when decisiveness counts.

Obama: "Don't jump to conclusions"

I guess it's time to put his indecision cool demeanor on display. In typical Obama fashion he was quick to scold the American public about their 'improper' thoughts:

Barack Obama cautioned a stunned public on Friday against drawing quick conclusions on a shooting rampage by an officer at a Texas military base that killed 13 people.

The president made the comments as the commander of Fort Hood, the US’s largest base for deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, quoted witnesses as saying the suspected gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, shouted the Muslim declaration “Allahu Akbar” – God is great – as he opened fire. Speaking at the White House, Mr Obama said: “We don’t know all the answers yet, and I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts.”

Actually, the advice isn't bad. And at least the President leads by example -- remember how he didn't jump to conclusions about Skip Gates and Sgt. Crowley and how he didn't jump to concluding that the "police acted stupidly".

Feeling stimulated??

Unemployment hits 10.2%

U.S. employers cut a deeper-than-expected 190,000 jobs in October, government data showed on Friday, driving the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent, the highest in 26-1/2 years.

The Labor Department said the unemployment rate was the highest since April 1983. It revised job losses for August and September to show 91,000 fewer jobs lost than previously reported.

But that doesn't stop Reuters from spinning for Obama:

The labor market is being watched for signs whether the economic recovery that started in the third quarter can be sustained without government support. The economy grew at a 3.5 percent annualized rate in the July-September period, probably ending the most painful U.S. recession in 70 years.

Got that. It's probably over. Except:

Payrolls have declined for 22 consecutive months now, throwing 7.3 million people out of work since December 2007, when the recession started.

But don't worry -- they really do have that health care thing figured out. Just trust them.

UPDATED to add graph thingy:



The words "uncharted territory" come to mind.