The Faren Report

No, All Cultures are Not Equal

2010-08-31T18:55:00.000-05:00

I once read a cogent remark by the great Mark Steyn that "By pretending that all cultures are equal, multiculturalism doesn’t preserve traditional cultures so much as sustain them in an artificial state that ensures they’ll develop bizarre pathologies and mutate into some freakish hybrid of the worst of both worlds."

Now this, from Joel Brinkley , professor of journalism at Stanford University:

Too often, soldiers on patrol passed an older man walking hand-in-hand with a pretty young boy. Their behavior suggested he was not the boy's father. Then, British soldiers found that young Afghan men were actually trying to "touch and fondle them," military investigator AnnaMaria Cardinalli told me. "The soldiers didn't understand."

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"Reality in Your Cup"

2010-06-30T12:53:00.000-05:00

BETSY NEWMARK:
"Michelle Malkin has a devastating list of all the ways in which the Obama administration, at all levels, has been avoiding transparency. It's quite an ominous list even if Obama hadn't made one of the hallmarks of his campaign about how he was going to bring back honesty and transparency to government while avoiding the dire influence of special interests. Yeah, right. THIS latest story about how White House aides are evading transparency by meeting lobbyists at coffee houses so that their names won't appear on White House visitor logs is just one more tear in the veil of honesty in which Obama tries to cloak his administration."
A MALKIN jewel: "The best part of waking up is reality in your cup."

Hope-n-Change, Baby!

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Amateur Hour 2010

2010-06-29T15:22:00.000-05:00

I figure this video is gonna leave a mark. One Gulf resident lady opines, "It's never gonna be the same." Well, Dear, he did promise CHANGE, didn't he? Well, there ya go! This is what happens when you (not me, I'm proud to say) send amateurs to Washington D.C. (a/k/a the "empty suit" syndrome)

Oil Spill Timeline from RightChange on Vimeo.

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Today's Message from Chief Forked-Tongue

2010-04-27T17:36:00.000-05:00

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And Now for Some Clarity

2010-04-18T09:46:00.003-05:00

On the 15th anniversary of the OK-city bombing, Bill Clinton appeared at a symposium sponsored by a left-wing think tank and linked the mad bomber to those Tea Party loons. HERE is a great blog post from professor Reynolds in which he offers his typical cogent thoughts and great related links. This is very educational stuff -- which is why I read/watch little of the "traditional" media and opt for reputable blogs like Instapundit [Reynolds]. You're welcome.

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Planter Wall Repair

2010-04-16T11:51:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I completed 24+ hours trenching/backfilling, building and installing two stabilizing walls perpendicular to the the long planter wall I built four years ago. [See HERE, then HERE, then HERE for that saga.]

Above is the 23ft-long front planter wall I constructed in May '06 using 2-1/2” x 3-1/2” Interlocking Landscape Ties from XPotential Products [Winnipeg, Canada].

Above shows cross-section of the ties. An 8-ft length of this material weighs 37 Lb! Company out-of-commission since Oct '06 due to destruction of factory via fire. Supposedly will produce again around Sept '10. [So retail inventory is VERY limited. Closest outlet with stock is 30m North -- so I drove there last week to buy 7 pieces, although only needed 5.]
Above shows the tilt-out of that long wall over four years. Unrelated to soil pressure, but rather that the material flexes fairly easily [no wood!]. I noticed modest flex-out at top at installation, but discounted it as a problem. Evidently gravity felt otherwise. You can rest one end of this stuff on a step, for example, then step on it... and material will remain curved..... unless you straighten via same method.

Above shows that flex-out moved that angled wall at right end, pulling apart the joint!
Above shows that wall is now vertical. Note that I had to raise the downspout 12-inches. It's directly above the NEW WALL [54-inches-long, 103 Lb]. New wall [5-layers-high] sits on four lengths of 1/2-inch "rebar" driven into the ground to [hopefully] inhibit movement toward driveway.
Installed two triple-galv straight mending straps to connect NEW WALL to long wall.
Above shows NEW WALL #2 at right end. Used two L-shaped triple-galv mending straps to hold new wall to long wall AND two 6-inch exterior lag bolts to fix angled wall to new wall. [Three "rebar" up inside lowest layer of NEW WALL material.]
I had to remove the spiral spruce tree shown in top photo -- not for planter repair, but because it was dying. Apparently not enough sun. Only got about 3-4 hours-per-day, and then only in Summer. Shoulda read the label more carefully before purchasing in June '06. Oops.

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Tea Party Rally Today in Joliet, IL

2010-04-15T14:52:00.005-05:00

... at the Will County courthouse. I estimate that the middle photo shows about 1/4 of the crowd.

"a wartime felony violation"

2010-03-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

In today's Wall Street Journal there's a great column -- "Gitmo's Indefensible Lawyers" -- that notes "Legal counsel to some of the detainees went far beyond vigorous representation of their clients", then rightly asks, "Doesn't the public have a right to know?"
Also, former "blind shiek" prosecutor ['93 WTC bombing] Andrew McCarthy deems the sharing of photos of CIA interrogators with Gitmo detainees BY LEGAL COUNSEL [as discussed in the above article] "a wartime felony violation". As I read the above article this morning in the dead-tree version of the Journal I quickly came to the same ... conclusion -- and I'm not even an attorney. The whole saga just wreaks. And what would the reaction have been had John Ashcroft staffed the Civil Rights Division with a lot of folks who had represented white supremacists?

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Remembering the 1960 Chile Quake....

2010-03-02T14:58:00.000-06:00

the most-powerful ever recorded...

Athens on the Potomac... Dupage... Hudson... Sacramento...

2010-03-02T10:39:00.000-06:00

Neal Boortz links to an important observation from Forbes Magazine and its likely link to the financial disaster that is Greece.

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Private Sector-1, Government-0

2010-02-20T11:15:00.000-06:00

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A Search Engine for Democrats

2010-02-19T13:13:00.002-06:00

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The Alarm Clock Rings More Than Twice

2010-02-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

In a post this morning titled "Sleeping with the Enemy", the "Blind Shiek" ['93 WTC bombing] prosecutor, Andy McCarthy, briefly outlines the ways in which our federal government endangers us all with its politically-correct crap. Sobering stuff. Great links [in case you think he's just engaging in hyperbole].

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Yes, the Nation's in Good Hands

2010-02-02T16:20:00.002-06:00

From a Department of Justice online job ad:
"The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division is seeking up to 10 experienced attorneys for the position of Trial Attorney in the Voting Section in Washington, D.C. The Civil Rights Division is primarily responsible for enforcing federal statutes and executive orders that prohibit, among other things, unlawful discrimination in voting... Division encourages qualified applicants with targeted disabilities to apply. Targeted disabilities are.... mental retardation, mental illness....."

Considering that Justice dropped a voter intimidation case last Spring against the New Black Panther Party related to Election Day 2008 poll shenanigans in Philadelphia I'd say DOJ has plenty of "internal" staff from which to draw. Eric Holder comes to mind.

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Head Stop

2010-01-22T10:36:00.002-06:00

Obama said he would “eliminate programs that don’t work”. Oh goody. So how about starting with the boondoggle called Head Start? An earlier version of the just-released multi-year study by Department of Health & Human Services had found a few modest improvements in the language skills of participating students while they were enrolled in the program. But by the end of the first grade, even those few effects had disappeared. Well, then, by all means let 'em run healthcare!

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FROM THE SCOTT BROWN RALLY AT WORCESTER

2010-01-17T18:15:00.000-06:00

Hmm, what could THIS mean? Methinks certain pols are about to re-learn [if they ever really knew] just what Abe was talkin' 'bout when he said, "... government OF the people, BY the people, FOR the people, shall not perish from the earth." -- or as the folk at Verizon would ask, "Can you hear us now?"

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"Ringers" in the Garden

2010-01-14T11:23:00.001-06:00

For the first time in my adult life I was proud of the White House garden -- and now THIS. The Big Sham that commenced on January 20, 2009 continues.

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Follow da Moolah

2010-01-12T17:31:00.000-06:00

So do you recall Mr. Obama decrying the influence of lobbyists during the '08 campaign? [It's one of very few issues on which I agree with him. ] Now look at who's working hard [i.e. $] to influence the race to fill the seat formerly occupied by Edward "Backstroke" Kennedy. This is why the little folk -- such as yours truly -- have been sending $ to the opponent of the big$ candidate. So much for Hope-n-Change, eh?
Oh -- you can donate HERE to help kill the Health "Reform" abomination currently being propagated.

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Today's PSA

2010-01-10T10:51:00.001-06:00

I just found out "How to brew a good cup of coffee" [video].
Are these guys nuts? Ain't gonna happen. So I dug-out a clipping from the Wall Street Journal from a couple years ago about how "coffee expert" Mike Sivetz does it -- and the way to approximate his method without special equipment:
Soak overnight a pound of freshly-roasted finely-ground beans in two quarts of lukewarm filtered water. Next morning, drain-off the extract, filtering through cheesecloth. Add 2 FL. OZ. extract to 5 FL. OZ. boiling water.... and drink up.
DISCLAIMER: No, never tried this.

UPDATE -- January 15, 2010 -- 3:04 PM
Sounds like nobody else has has tried that video method, either!

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Salman vs Barry

2010-01-10T08:44:00.000-06:00

"The election of Barack Obama was a fundamentally unserious act by the U.S. electorate, and you can’t blame the world’s mischief-makers, from Putin to Ahmadinejad to the many Gitmo recidivists now running around Yemen, from drawing the correct conclusion." -- Mark Steyn, in another brilliant essay explains how Salman Rushdie is actually smarter than that "clean", "articulate young man" [Biden's words] now playing golf in Hawaii -- Oh, wait, I guess he's back now.

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What a Real Woman Can Do

2010-01-09T19:29:00.001-06:00

Mark Steyn analyzes the security breach six days ago at NJ's Newark Air Terminal -- in which a lovesick guy who was "very excited to have a real woman" went to kiss his beloved good-bye. Steyn concludes that the breach was actually the hapless TSA's, not Mr. Jiang's.

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How do YOU spell "ouch" ?

2010-01-08T16:43:00.001-06:00

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Protect & Defend?

2010-01-07T16:17:00.001-06:00

That JammieWearingFool is calling for a 12/25 Commission. Probably warranted.
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Hope-n-Change, Baby!

2010-01-06T09:36:00.001-06:00

Tom Bevan discusses "Obama's C-Span Problem" -- and includes an important campaign promise video.
[Shamelessly cribbed from Glenn]

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Who Is the Enemy?

2010-01-05T16:10:00.000-06:00

Historian/Author Victor Davis Hanson wants to know. It's evidenced in his parting remark from a brief post yesterday: "Obama might show the same magnanimity toward his predecessor that he does toward the Muslim world." Don't miss it. Clear, straight talk.

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America's Top-40

2010-01-04T11:45:00.004-06:00

The 40 Most Obnoxious Quotes Of 2009 -- an annual compilation by John Hawkins. The hypocrisy evidenced in many of these is truly astounding. Stupidity characterizes much of the remainder.

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The Ultimate Low-Rider

2009-12-31T15:41:00.000-06:00

Without reservation, I officially pronounce THIS guy n-u-t-s. [4:15 video]
But -- what a ride!

We Will Never Forget

2009-12-24T09:37:00.000-06:00

-- 12/24, that is.

With the purchased Senate "Passage" vote, may the morning of December 24, 2009 be the beginning of the end of big government socialism in America, courtesy of an enraged public.

"We're left with party line votes in the middle of the night, a couple of sweetheart deals to get it over the finish line, and a public that's outraged." -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Uh, there were more than a couple of deals, Senator.

November 2, 2010 will be another infamy-level day too.
"CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?" -- Enraged Public

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Yes, LESS is Indeed More

2009-12-23T09:24:00.000-06:00

...when it comes to expansion of government. Example [brief -- but scary]

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Wanna Help Dismiss Charges Against Navy Seals?

2009-12-22T09:15:00.000-06:00

I mean those three who are charged with abusing a terrorist they captured in a daring raid in early September. As part of a platoon from SEAL Team 10, they captured and detained Ahmed Hashim Abed. In a move that is literally out of the al-Queda training manual, the barbarian complained of abuse, claiming he was struck in the stomach. [Better than having your head removed, ya goat-loving scum.] There's an online petition to Sec of Defense Robert M. Gates HERE. You are only asked to provide full name and email. That's an exceedingly-cheap price for me.

America's a Melting Pot, Alright

2009-12-20T11:46:00.000-06:00

[As in "Kettle, meet Mr. Pot".]
George Bush was oft-accused of "trampling on the constitution", but -- as Betsy Newmark explains HERE -- he was a piker compared to those who now control the House and Senate. She's dead-on in declaring the deals cut with certain senators to secure support for healthcare "reform" blatantly unconstitutional. [Don't miss the first Comment] If the current travesty passes, however, any future declaration of that point by those nine black-robed jurists in D.C. won't force a reversal of The Train Wreck. And lots of folk wonder why Glenn Beck gets so excited/animated night-after-night. We sit around and shrug our shoulders at our own peril.

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Close Enough for Government Work

2009-12-18T11:29:00.000-06:00

From the Washington Times:

When he earmarked $100,000 in taxpayer spending to go to Jamestown's library, Rep. James E. Clyburn meant for it to go to the library in Jamestown, S.C., which is in his district.
But in the bustle to write and pass the $1.1 trillion catchall spending bill, Congress ended up designating the money for Jamestown, CALIFORNIA - 2,700 miles away and a town that doesn't even have a library.
"That figures for government, doesn't it?" said Chris Pipkin, who runs the one-room library in Jamestown, S.C., and earlier this year requested $50,000, not the $100,000 that Congress designated, to buy new computers and build shelves to hold the books strewn across the room. The library is just one of more than 5,000 "earmarks," or pork-barrel spending projects, totaling $3.9 billion, tucked inside the report accompanying the catchall spending bill Congress sent to President Obama this week. Mr. Obama signed the $1.1 trillion bill Wednesday, violating his own pledge to allow the public five days to comment on bills before he signs them.

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Lionel Richie for 300 Points, Jay

2009-12-17T10:11:00.000-06:00

The cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore" -- of whom one critic described as "a gaggle of barely literate bridge-and-tunnel steakheads and slatterns as they spend their summer at 'the greatest meat market in the world' ” -- display their astounding cluelessness in front of Jay Leno and millions HERE. [30-sec commercial at start] This is our future? Amazingly, they're permitted to vote.

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More evidence that 2007 Iran National Intelligence Estimate was w-r-o-n-g

2009-12-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

It turns out that Iran has been working on atomic bombs all along -- including the "trigger" -- per the UK's Times today:

... notes, from Iran’s most sensitive military nuclear project, describe a four-year plan to test a neutron initiator, the component of a nuclear bomb that triggers an explosion. Foreign intelligence agencies date them to early 2007, four years after Iran was thought to have suspended its weapons programme.The estimable David Albright says "there is no civilian application" for this device.

Previous TFR posts HERE and HERE.

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The Nation is in Good Hands.

2009-12-11T11:03:00.002-06:00

From today's NY Times:

Senate Democrats have provided few details about their latest health care proposal, but this much seems clear: Anyone who wants to buy the same health benefits as members of Congress, or to buy coverage through Medicare, should be prepared to fork over a large chunk of cash.
You can read the rest HERE.

Remark from a typical supportive pol:
“Extending this successful program to those between 55 and 64 would be the largest expansion of Medicare in 44 years and would perhaps get us on the path to a single-payer model.”
Did he say "successful"?

UPDATE -- 2:26 PM

Charles Krauthammer, last night:
Look at the madness of this [Medicare expansion]. Why are the doctors and the hospitals opposed to it? Because the existing system of Medicare repayment is ruining them. We are killing the golden goose. We have the best doctors, the best hospitals in the world. This is going to be catastrophic. Without doctors and hospitals, you don't have a health-care system. All you have are politicians in Washington.

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Where in the World is Olivia?

2009-12-09T16:08:00.002-06:00

Hey, forget Waldo -- "Rich Strophe" has the scoop on Olivia Alair, now drawing six figures as the press secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Before that this election fraudster was on a certain transition team.

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When All Else Fails...

2009-12-09T11:07:00.002-06:00

This year's village Decorating Contest is now in the bag, Baby!

A True Hate Crime

2009-12-09T09:22:00.001-06:00

Although I absolutely detest the very notion of "hate" crime designations, I proudly use the moniker today.
Attorney John Hinderaker provides THIS brief post on the brazen hypocrisy of George Soros. Don't miss this one, kids. I can't help but conclude that this is essentially about hating America; simple as that. Well, then, there's the "making money" angle to which Hinderaker alludes too. Kinda reminds me of a certain former U.S. VP who's been flying all over the globe in an effort to "sell" his business interests too.

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"Cajones Grande" ALERT

2009-12-09T09:07:00.001-06:00

[Regarding those hacked emails to/from East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit]

Today's Wall Street Journal:

The opening days of the Copenhagen climate-change conference have been rife with denials and—dare we say it? — deniers. American delegate Jonathan Pershing said the emails and files leaked from East Anglia have helped make clear "the robustness of the science." Talk about brazening it out. And Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and so ex-officio guardian of the integrity of the science, said the leak proved only that his opponents would stop at nothing to avoid facing the truth of climate change.

You may read the whole thing HERE.

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President Nostradamus

2009-12-05T11:29:00.001-06:00

[Regarding the leaked emails and other documents of the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Center]
I've oft-read that Dwight David Eisenhower was, for years, considered merely a "so-so" president -- partly due to the contrast with his young activist successor, John F. Kennedy. [The oldest man ever elected --then-- handed the baton to the then-youngest.] But in his oft-referenced “Military-Industrial Complex” farewell speech he offered this caution:

“…the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded. Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.”

As many have charged for years, now, climate research elites have discounted [to put it mildly] data and views that run contrary to the religion of global warming/climate change -- or whatever we're gonna call it this week. The attitudes and admissions evinced in those leaked emails have finally provided proof of the suspicions held by those shut-out of the discussion. Common-sense "Well then, why..." questions have been shoved under the carpet out of deference/worship of now-highly-dubious computer modeling projections. [Good grief, "they" still often fail to accurately model the local weather more than three-days-out.]

And I'll bet you thought this was gonna be another snarky post about No. 44.

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Speaking Truth to Power

2009-12-02T14:52:00.001-06:00

Well, he does have a history of just making stuff up, Don.

And Now -- from the Carter Administration...

2009-12-02T11:08:00.000-06:00

When your mouth is bigger than your brain, this is what happens. You can believe he will apologize/tapdance -- but I'm here to reiterate: all you have to do to truly understand how liberals think is just let them talk.

Man Bites Dog

2009-11-28T11:10:00.000-06:00

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights steps up to hold America's first black Attorney General accountable for the civil rights of voters. Who'da thunk, eh?
As Jennifer Rubin explains, the USCCR is "...taking a major role in the high-profile New Black Panther party voter intimidation case. On Election Day 2008, members of the NBPP were caught on video threatening voters at a Philadelphia polling station. Department of Justice lawyers investigated and were poised to enter a default against the NBPP and three individual members. In May, though, Obama administration officials dismissed the case without explanation."
But -- just how "high-profile" is the case? Readers, how many of you were aware of that incident? If you weren't, it's time to start asking why your preferred news sources skipped that one. And I seem to recall that George W. Bush and his Justice Dept were dubbed the most-politicized in U.S. history. Go figure.

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Update ALERT

2009-11-26T08:53:00.000-06:00

.... to THIS March 2007 post. Just click-it.

"The Blind Side"

2009-11-24T09:32:00.002-06:00

Attorney Scott Johnson -- being the music lover he is -- ventured to his alma mater, Dartmouth, over the weekend to hear his daughter play in the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra. In THIS blog post today he also relates that he went to see "The Blind Side" movie while there. He essentially does a review of the flick that anyone thinking of seeing it may enjoy reading.

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In Case You Haven't Heard...

2009-11-21T09:52:00.000-06:00

Little Surprise Here
Attorney John Hinderaker of the great Powerline blog yesterday [excerpts]:

The biggest news story of the day is one that has barely begun to break and will continue to reverberate for months or years to come. Someone hacked into a computer at the University of East Anglia's Hadley Climatic Research Centre, one of the main centers of anthropogenic global warming research. The hacker downloaded 62 megabytes of data from the server, consisting of around 1,000 emails and a variety of other documents ....many.... emails convey the impression that these theorists are making the "science" up as they go along, with data being manipulated until it yields the results that have been predetermined by political conviction.

Left-wing politics is a common theme of the emails. Thus, Michael Mann, author of the notorious "hockey stick" hoax, attacked those who don't buy the AGW theory.... those who are "not as predictable as we'd like" are viewed with suspicion is a world of politics, not science.

Why "Little Surprise", you ask? Because the m.o. and mantra of the American Left is, indeed, "Whatever. It. Takes." -- and they're quite serious about the "Whatever" thing. Don't forget that.

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Reason No.432 Why Dems Have Abysmal Security Reputation

2009-11-19T15:16:00.000-06:00

Earlier today, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) -- chairman of the Senate Judiciary 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.

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Go Get 'em, Barky!

2009-11-19T11:12:00.000-06:00

I'll bet ~~Ahmedinejad~~ I'm-a-damn-nutjob is quaking in his boots with THIS.

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"The law isn't what's driving this train."

2009-11-19T09:22:00.001-06:00

Andrew McCarthy -- prosecutor of the "Blind Shiek" of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing -- dissects [it's brief] a critical exchange between Attorney General Holder and Senator Lindsey Graham yesterday. I'll just boldly blurt this out: Holder has no business being the AG of the United States -- and his boss is way-in over his head too. Chomp on that.

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Move Over, Bernie Madoff

2009-11-17T14:40:00.002-06:00

An online interactive map for tracking exaggerated stimulus claims.
"So far, more than 75,000 jobs — exceeding 10 percent of the total — are either highly doubtful or clearly imaginary. In the coming weeks, we expect to add many thousands more to that total as other media organizations scrutinize stimulus grants in their areas."

Hope-n-Change, Baby!

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"We're gonna be in the Hudson"

2009-11-15T12:55:00.000-06:00

Those were the matter-of-fact words of Capt. Chesley Sullenberger last January when he and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles set an airliner on/in that very wet "runway" only six minutes after liftoff. Kas Osterbuhr, an engineer at K3 Resources has created a computer-generated recreation of that event based on actual flight/radar data that day. Wow.

May He Enjoy Those 72 Virginal Goats

2009-11-10T20:38:00.000-06:00

They tell me justice was served at 9:11 PM ET this evening. I don't quite accept that notion; justice would have been about 7 or 8 bullets, each successive one a little more lethal than the previous, and about a minute apart. Just had to get that off my chest.

"...a strong incentive to see the government grow..."

2009-11-10T09:43:00.001-06:00

"And they have a majority of the votes." -- Veronique de Rugy

And she shares this, from Yahoo Finance:

Economist Gary Shilling has calculated that 58 percent of the population is dependent on the government for "major parts of their income," including teachers, soldiers, bureaucrats, and other government employees; welfare and Social Security recipients; government pensioners; public housing beneficiaries; and people who work for government contractors. By 2018, Shilling estimates, an astounding 67 percent of Americans could be dependent on the government for their livelihood.

Tick... tick... tick..............

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The Nation's in Good Hands

2009-11-09T09:11:00.000-06:00

From the AP:
Janet Napolitano says her agency is working with groups across the United States to try to deflect any backlash against American Muslims following Thursday's rampage by Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan...."

One can only trust that the Secretary -- as in Homeland SECURITY ["her agency"] -- is also feverishly working to assure that things like the following never happen again [from ABC News]:

U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Army Major Nidal Hasan was attempting to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda, two American officials briefed on classified material in the case told ABC News. It is not known whether the intelligence agencies informed the Army that one of its officers was seeking to connect with suspected al Qaeda figures, the officials said. One senior lawmaker said the CIA had, so far, refused to brief the intelligence committees on what, if any, knowledge they had about Hasan's efforts.

Well, you got your "Hope & Change", America. How's it working-out so far?

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Have We Reserved Judgment Enough, Barack?

2009-11-08T12:29:00.001-06:00

Hasan, the sole suspect in the massacre of 13 fellow US soldiers in Texas, attended the controversial Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Great Falls, Virginia, in 2001 at the same time as two of the September 11 terrorists, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. His mother's funeral was held there in May that year.

The preacher at the time was Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born Yemeni scholar who was banned from addressing a meeting in London by video link in August because he is accused of supporting attacks on British troops and backing terrorist organisations. -- The Telegraph

And the owner of Hasan’s apartment complex said Hasan gave him notice TWO WEEKS AGO that he was moving out this week.

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"They Call Me Mr. Gibbs."

2009-11-08T10:37:00.000-06:00

[OK, for you youngsters out there, that's a take-off on the most-quoted line from a movie.]

Now, moving-on.... two days ago, responding to signs foisted at anti-government-administered health care reform protests, W.H. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "Imagine just a few years ago had somebody walked around with images of Hitler. Hopefully we can get back to a discussion about the issues that are important in this country that we can do so without being personally disagreeable and set up comparisons to things that were so insidious in our history that anybody in any profession or walk of life would be well advised to compare nothing to those atrocities."
Now Bob [I'm sorry -- Mr. Gibbs] is either totally c-l-u-e-l-e-s-s, or figures everybody else is -- thus "lies". I know which way I'm voting.

Mary Katharine Ham does a bang-up job examining the history of "a few years ago" HERE. Do not miss her effort. Numerous links to photos. And, yes, he/they actually figure we're that clueless about the past -- but they likely figure most Americans are since many of the latter gravitate to news outlets like MSNBC, the NYTimes, etc. Hey, READ SOME "righty" BLOGS, Gibby! [Er, I mean Mr. Gibbs]

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So how's that "diversity" thing working-out in the U.S. military?

2009-11-07T18:31:00.000-06:00

"...his superior officers and other authorities knew about his beliefs but seemed to think it was just a bit of harmless multicultural diversity... America has the best troops and fiercest firepower, but no strategy for throttling the ideology that drives the enemy — in Afghanistan and in Texas." -- Mark Steyn, in a typically-brilliant straight-talking treatise about the Fort Hood terror attack. [Yes, that's what it was.]

I'm just hoping the families of the Fallen can -- and are going to -- pursue legal action against a very derelict Army command. Read Mr. Steyn's effort and WAKE THE HELL UP, America.

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So WHO defines “urgency,” and “moral clarity”?

2009-11-07T10:51:00.000-06:00

After all the screeching and whining about the tea-party crowd’s alleged disdain for the usual democratic process, I will look forward to hearing how the White House and its claque respond to what Gore has just said. -- Andrew Stuttaford

In other words, are the concerns of those Tea Party attendees "understandable", Al? .... er, I mean Mr. V.P., Sir. [I've been advised to maintain that all-important "respect" thing , you know.] Guess it all depends on who's ox is being Gored, eh?

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Priorities

2009-11-03T08:32:00.000-06:00

“What are we to make of a White House visitors list that includes 22 swiftly scheduled appointments with a union boss at a time when Gen. Stanley McChrystal can’t get face time with the commander in chief?” -- Investors.com

To see entire essay on one page, scroll-down and click on "Full Page" just above the Star-Rating line. It's not long. [Hat-tip to Instapundit]

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Update ALERT

2009-11-02T07:44:00.000-06:00

Added his photo to my Robert M. Murphy, POW post of May 30.

No Justice, No Peace!

2009-11-01T11:16:00.000-06:00

Hmmm -- did THESE coppers get transferred to NYPD from the Cambridge, MA P.D.? Didn't they know with whom they were dealing? Is there still no justice in racist 'Murica?

Sharpton honked her horn and tailgated the vehicle from the NYPD's Housing Bureau before finally losing her cool. She furiously swerved across the double yellow line and sped through a red light to get past the cop car, police said. The officers pulled her over, and she and her mother became belligerent and argumentative, the sources said. They were slapped in handcuffs and thrown in the cruiser. Dominique was charged with resisting arrest and issued summonses for crossing the double yellow line and running the light. Jordan was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.

The worst part about this development is that the rest of us are gonna have to listen to Dominique's motor-mouth father for the next week -- again. Heaven forfend.

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I'm Becoming Unhinged

2009-11-01T09:57:00.000-06:00

Well, sorta. Ya see, a couple days ago I noticed that the "Euro" door hinges below the lavatory in our "Visitor" bath had become rusty/corroded -- two of the four in particular. Also noticed an aerosol can of Lysol Disinfectant was rusty along the vertical seam and around perimeter seam at bottom. "Hmmm", I pondered, "A correlation?" So I read the ingredients and saw "ethanol" and "ammonium chloride". Googling the latter informed me that one of the quickest ways to create rust/corrossion on steel is to expose it to this chemical or its vapors. [The rather old can has now been removed from the premises. Ammonium chloride is used in many cleaning and disinfecting products.] So off to the local Homeless Despot in search of a couple replacement hinges. ARE YOU AWARE how many Euro-hinge styles there are? THIS page alone will show just how many there are by my "Salice" brand alone. Next stop was the nearest cabinet shop [1-1/2mile]. They had a Salice that likely would have worked, but I would have had to drill two new holes in the face frame for each new hinge [$10 each!]. [The cabinet shop who built these 5-1/2 years ago is around 11 miles away, so heck with that.] So back at home I elected to just soak them in "CLR" for 7 hours then use a brass scrub pad. Removed 98 pct of the r/c -- good enough for the girls I go out with! Rinsed them off, blew-dry with my air compressor, then sprayed with WD-40.

Drain That Swamp, Nancy!

2009-10-31T09:18:00.000-05:00

Dozens in Congress under ethics inquiry

AN ACCIDENTAL DISCLOSURE
Document was found on file-sharing network
The Washington Post

"The committee 'is taking all appropriate steps to deal with this issue'..."

No, no, not ethics violations -- the accidental leak. THAT issue!
I'll now confidently predict their will be noticeably more gators exposed having the letter "D" on their bellies than those with an "R".

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Bubba II

2009-10-28T11:36:00.000-05:00

From the Republican National Committee:

WASHINGTON – RNC Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today on the news reported by The Washington Times that President Obama has rewarded top Democrat donors with privileged access to the White House in exchange for pledges of high dollar donations:

“Bill Clinton turned the White House into a hotel and coffee shop. Now President Obama has turned the White House into a full service resort complete with amenities for the highest Democrat bidder. The seriousness of this issue requires an immediate investigation looking into the degree and details of fundraising efforts between the White House and DNC, whether there was any quid pro quo offered to donors, and the names of White House officials who were involved in such activities. The White House should also immediately release the names of donors who have accessed these perks or received special briefings from administration officials. Candidate Obama pledged to clean up the muddy waters of Washington, but President Obama has jumped in head first.”

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Brokeback Cockpit?

2009-10-26T14:56:00.001-05:00

"Will no one say it? If they weren't asleep, weren't arguing, and if the communications gear worked, then maybe the pilots were distracted by, um, their passion for flying?"-- Jonah Goldberg, at this morning's Corner blog.

YOUR Tax $ at Work

2009-10-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Feel better now?

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Rewriting 2001-2008 History, Part XVII

2009-10-24T20:03:00.000-05:00

Stephen F. Hayes:

On October 18, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel appeared on the Sunday morning talk shows and, in the process of answering questions about Barack Obama's strategy on Afghanistan, accused the Bush administration of failing to ask the most basic questions about that country and our war there:

"The president is asking the questions that have never been asked on the civilian side, the political side, the military side, and the strategic side. What is the impact on the region? What can the Afghan government do or not do? Where are we on the police training? Who would be better doing the police training? Could that be something the Europeans do? Should we take the military side? Those are the questions that have not been asked. And before you commit troops... before you make that decision, there's a set of questions that have to have answers that have never been asked. And it's clear after eight years of war, that's basically starting from the beginning, and those questions never got asked."

Then, after former vice president Dick Cheney used a speech on October 22 to accuse the Obama administration of "dithering" on Afghanistan, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs responded by claiming that the Bush administration did not care about U.S. troops.

"What Vice President Cheney calls 'dithering,' President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American public," said Gibbs. "I think we've all seen what happens when somebody doesn't take that responsibility seriously." Gibbs went on, calling Cheney's comments "curious" and claiming that a request for troops from General David McKiernan during the final year of the Bush administration "sat on desks in this White House, including the vice president's, for more than eight months."

Hayes goes on to handily refute the charges/l-i-e-s by Emanuel AND Gibbs.
HERE is the text of Cheney's speech. [In case you're unaware, the former VP vociferously denied Emanuel's allegations.]
You can watch the speech HERE.

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Architects of Ruin

2009-10-21T15:54:00.000-05:00

Peter Schweizer -- a Hoover Institution research fellow -- is author of "Architects of Ruin: How big government liberals wrecked the global economy---and how they will do it again if no one stops them".
He sketches the theme of his book HERE.
And HERE is audio of an interview with the author.

If you haven't read THIS TFR post now would be a good time, Bucky.

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"Then again, should we be surprised?"

2009-10-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

That's what blogger "of color" La Shawn Barber asks regarding Obama's appointment of Kevin Jennings as head of the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. Check-out her last link.

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Saved by the Whistle?

2009-10-08T18:30:00.000-05:00

What a dead-on sports analogy at JammieWearingFool blog. It's fairly brief. Sounds like somebody's losing the match.

"The authors of the 2007 Iran NIE have some explaining to do."

2009-10-08T09:05:00.001-05:00

The beginning of an editorial from today's Wall Street Journal:

When it comes to politicized intelligence in the Bush years, the critics may finally have a point. Perhaps the work of America's intelligence agencies was manipulated to suit the convenience of a small group of willful officials, intent on getting their way against the better judgment of their colleagues. Except the intelligence was about Iran, not Iraq, and the manipulators weren't conniving neocons but rather the Administration's internal critics on the left.
That's one way to look at last month's revelation that Iran is building a secret second site to enrich uranium, among other emerging intelligence details.

You can read the rest HERE. A previous TFR post HERE.

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"Transparent Weasels"

2009-10-07T10:36:00.001-05:00

That's what Glenn calls 95% of the American entertainment industry. [My percentage, not his] It's brief and to-the-point. A few links, too. I have news for him: this goes well-beyond the "ET" crowd -- but I'm sure he knows that.

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Today's "Ouch" Moment

2009-10-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

Both Obamas gave heartfelt speeches about . . . themselves. Although the working of the committee's mind is murky, it could reasonably have rejected Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games on aesthetic grounds -- unless narcissism has suddenly become an Olympic sport. -- George Will <== Ya gotta read the whole thing, folk!

[Via Veronique de Rugy]

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"I Really Appreciate Your Insight"

2009-10-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

Oh for God's sake, woman. Insight?

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O Ye of Little Memory -- UPDATED

2009-10-01T11:41:00.002-05:00

The estimable historian Victor Davis Hanson offers THIS brief "compare and contrast" exercise related to civility of discourse. Pot, meet the kettle. But "Little Memory", professor? Phtt! Their memory is just fine, thank you; it's that abominable double-standard at work. Then Jay Nordlinger offers more evidence HERE -- then HERE. The hypocrisy is downright palpable.

UPDATE -- Oct 2, 2009 -- 10:40AM
Then there's Garrison Keillor two days ago:

“Thirty-two percent of the population identifies with the GOP, and if we cut off health care to them, we could probably pay off the deficit in short order.”

Such a nice bunch, those "progressives". Makes me glad I'm not a Republican.

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So Who's the "Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkey" Now?

2009-09-26T08:54:00.001-05:00

Obama: “We must never stop until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of the earth.”

[French President] Sarkozy: “We live in the real world, not the virtual world. And the real world expects us to take decisions. President Obama dreams of a world without weapons … but right in front of us two countries are doing the exact opposite. Iran since 2005 has flouted five security council resolutions. North Korea has been defying council resolutions since 1993. I support the extended hand of the Americans, but what good has proposals for dialogue brought the international community? More uranium enrichment and declarations by the leaders of Iran to wipe a UN member state off the map. If we have courage to impose sanctions together it will lend viability to our commitment to reduce our own weapons and to making a world without nuke weapons."

It's pretty sad when a French leader is to the right of our own. Once again, Barky votes "Present".

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Not-so-Subtle Reminders

2009-09-25T17:02:00.000-05:00

This reminds me; I haven't been to Chicago's Adler Planetarium in years.

"You lie!"

2009-09-22T16:12:00.000-05:00

Boys-n-Girls, when it's true it needs to be said.
The Washington Post the other day:
Though O'Keefe described himself as a progressive radical, not a conservative, he said he targeted ACORN for the same reasons that the political right does: its massive voter registration drives that turn out poor African Americans and Latinos against Republicans. "Politicians are getting elected single-handedly due to this organization," he said. "No one was holding this organization accountable. No one in the media is putting pressure on them. We wanted to do a stunt and see what we could find."

The Washington Post today:
[Our] article about the community organizing group ACORN incorrectly said that a conservative journalist targeted the organization for hidden-camera videos partly because its voter-registration drives bring Latinos and African Americans to the polls. Although ACORN registers people mostly from those groups, the maker of the videos, James E. O'Keefe, did not specifically mention them.

Accuracy/Fairness in Media? Gimme a break.
[Credit: Mark Hemingway]

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First ACORN, Now....

2009-09-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

Sounds like it's time -- OK, past time -- to now de-fund the National Endowment for the Arts.
Patrick Courrielche [excerpt]:

Should the National Endowment for the Arts encourage artists to create art on issues being vehemently debated nationally? That is the question that I set out to discuss a little over three weeks ago when I wrote an article on Big Hollywood entitled "The National Endowment for the Art of Persuasion?” The question still requires debate but the facts do not. The NEA and the White House did encourage a handpicked, pro-Obama arts group to address politically controversial issues under contentious national debate. That fact is irrefutable.

It's a must-read [with audio evidence] -- HERE.

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"Another Health-Care Invention"

2009-09-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

That's the title of an editorial in today's Wall Street Journal. It begins:
Speaking of health-care distortions, as President Obama likes to do, consider his assertion to Congress that "buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer." He liked that one so much that he repeated it over the weekend in Minneapolis, this time as a swipe at "the marketplace." The media's "fact-check" brigade hasn't noticed, but this is simply false.

Well who says? A: the non-partisan CBO [Congressional Budget Office], that's who. You can read the rest HERE.

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Waiting for Big Daddy to Clean-up

2009-09-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

I saw some disturbing photos of Washington D.C. in the aftermath of The Big Celebration on January 20, but declined to remark for fear that somebody may have "photoshopped" the images. Alas, it seems they were genuine. So America, compare and contrast. Our "differences" don't get much clearer than this. And all who understand the concept of personal responsibility should feel proud how well they were represented on Saturday.

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Instapundit Reports on His 9/12 Quincy IL Visit

2009-09-13T12:09:00.000-05:00

"...those in the GOP who think that the Tea Party movement is for their benefit need to think again. Roger Stone spoke, and while nobody had anything against him in particular, several people told me that they thought the GOP was trying to co-opt the Tea Party Movement, and they weren’t happy about that. My advice to the GOP — and, for that matter, to those Democrats who care — is to try to find a way to address the Tea Party crowd’s interests, bearing in mind that if you don’t they’re just as happy to throw Republicans out of office as Democrats. But it probably doesn’t matter. Based on the level of organization, commitment, and sheer likability I saw this weekend, the folks from Quincy are going to wind up ruling the world anyway."

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Update ALERT

2009-09-12T15:57:00.000-05:00

.... to THIS post of 14 months ago. Hey, it's important; just click that link!

"...demand that they cover everything"

2009-09-11T10:21:00.001-05:00

From the Wall Street Journal:

[Mark] Lloyd was named in July to the new FCC post of chief diversity officer [Oh. Good. Grief.] as part of... an effort to "expand opportunities for women, minorities and small businesses to participate in the communications marketplace." ....... Mr. Lloyd in the past has criticized corporate ownership of media outlets, saying it has led to conservative dominance of talk radio, among other things. He has called for a broader range of voices in the media and advocated taxing station owners to subsidize public broadcasters and local media.
"If we as a nation...fully funded a broadcaster like the British citizens fund BBC, we might have an impact on what they cover and have more power to demand that they cover everything," Mr. Lloyd said at a 2008 media conference.
In 2007, while a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank with close ties to the Obama administration, Mr. Lloyd co-authored a report that proposed ways the FCC could change the balance of conservatives to progressives on talk radio by imposing new rules on the radio industry, such as more frequent license renewals and a national radio-ownership cap.

"Participate in the communications marketplace"? Fine -- now step-up to your bully-pulpit and repeatedly "encourage" them. But remember that it is a marketplace -- and customers will naturally gravitate to info sources they deem accurate/dependable. Government shouldn't "have an impact on what they cover"; let that marketplace work!

"Demand that they cover everything"? Why, what a great idea, Marko. Your first step should be to insist on that brand of journalism at MSNBC / CNN / NYTimes / LATimes, etc.

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In OVER HIS HEAD from "Day One"

2009-09-10T08:51:00.003-05:00

In the totally-unnecessary Dog 'n Pony Show conducted in front of both houses of the congress last evening His Imperial Majesty of Barackingham Palace said that “the time for bickering is over” and that he will not “waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it.”
Translation: I won. There's nothing more to discuss.
The arrogance of this guy is truly astounding. And from all I've read his opposition has offered numerous suggestions for "improvement".

Another jewel from Hopey-one Kenobi:
"But by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits, excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers."

His knowledge of private enterprise is truly astounding. But whadaya expect from a community organizer / comm.... ? Oh, never mind.

UPDATE -- 9:18 AM
By the way, Barky -- HERE are the suggested improvements from The Plan Killers.

UPDATE -- Sept 11, 2009

Byron York, today:

A search of the LexisNexis database of newspapers, magazines, television programs and major blogs finds about 3,000 mentions of the major House Democratic bill, H.R. 3200, in the past six months. (Those are just the stories that refer to the bill by its House number; there have been thousands more stories referring generally to the Democratic legislation.) A similar search found [only] 60 mentions of H.R. 3400, the Price bill.

Another Republican bill, H.R. 2520, the Patients' Choice Act, by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, received [only] 12 mentions in the same time period. And two other bills, H.R. 3217 and H.R. 3218, the Health Care Choice Act and the Improving Health Care for All Americans Act, by Rep. John Shadegg, together received [only] 20 mentions.

The virtual embargo on reporting Republican legislation has allowed Democrats and their allies in the media to keep up the "Republicans have no plan" attack. Just hours after the president's speech, for example, the Democratic National Committee released a new commercial claiming that Republicans "refuse to offer a plan" to reform the health care system.

Just for the record, in case you want to check them out, these are the bills proposed, so far, by Price and his allies in the House: H.R. 77; H.R. 109; H.R. 198; H.R. 270; H.R. 321; H.R. 464; H.R. 502; H.R. 544; H.R. 917; H.R. 1086; H.R. 1118; H.R. 1441; H.R. 1458; H.R. 1468; H.R. 1658; H.R. 1891; H.R. 2520; H.R. 2607; H.R. 2692; H.R. 2784; H.R. 2785; H.R. 2786; H.R. 2787; H.R. 3141; H.R. 3217; H.R. 3218; H.R. 3356; H.R. 3372; H.R. 3400; H.R. 3438; H.R. 3454; and H.R. 3478.

UPDATE -- Sept 12, 2009 -- 4:13 PM

Ya know, it's starting to appear that Joe "You lie!" Wilson was essentially correct last Wednesday night. The One, in a speech today in Minneapolis:

"I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution."

We're on to you, Barky.

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Update ALERT

2009-09-08T18:39:00.000-05:00

... to a June 20 post regarding those 46-47 million health-"uninsured" in the U.S.

Why I Read Blog Comments

2009-09-08T12:19:00.001-05:00

Byron York in today's Washington Examiner [excerpt]:

...when President George H.W. Bush delivered a similar speech on October 1, 1991, from Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington DC, the controversy was just beginning. Democrats, then the majority party in Congress, not only denounced Bush's speech -- they also ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate its production and later summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue.

The sixth commenter --alanleroy-- said this:
Democrats were not the majority in Congress in 1991. That statement makes Byron York look like an idiot. What are the requirements for a Chief Political Correspondent? Can they just make stuff up?

Uh-oh -- quite a number of alert readers then piled-on alanleroy about his knowledge of congressional "history".

alanleroy's learned response: you all are nothing but racist GOP shills trying to rewrite history

Another commenter soon observed:
alanleroy, I started feeling sorry for you when I read how everybody was piling up on you. But then I read your response and I have to jump on that pile. Jeremiah Wright, Professor Gates, Van Jones are all racists and birds of a feather flock together.

Then came this clincher from the obviously-wise "Jimmy T":
The problem with Alanleroy is he's this foolish and he probably votes. Sort of explains the administration we have.

Amen, Jimbo. That is, indeed, a real problem.

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'Green Jobs' Is Snake Oil

2009-09-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

... according to a pithy post by Stephen Spruiell at the great "Corner" blog -- essentially explaining why Van Jones' new job wasn't/isn't even necessary or wise. Ah, that Law of Unintended Consequences. Sounds like a great reason not to create any "Public" health insurance system. Seriously, how's Medicare working? If it was a private business it would have gone into bankruptcy long ago.

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A "deliberate end-run around transparency"-- UPDATED

2009-09-06T11:07:00.001-05:00

A few days ago Glenn Beck interviewed former "Radical Son" David Horowitz regarding the growing presence of "radicals" in the current administration -- with particular mention of one Van Jones [who resigned yesterday]. You say you weren't aware of any controversy regarding the history/ statements of Mr. Jones, Barky's "Green Jobs" czar? Bucky, you need to read things other that the NYTimes and Washington Post -- neither of which had been covering the mounting evidence against this guy. And you missed it if you watch ABC, NBC or CBS. As one internet pundit observed, "Obama czardom is the deliberate end-run around transparency."
The 10:45 interview is below [speakers UP!]. NOTE that you can expand to FULL-SCREEN by clicking on that emblem to the right of the red "Share" button -- and press your "Esc" keyboard key [top left] to minimize again.

At least one analysis I've read regarding the continuing appointment or nomination of dubious characters --- you know, tax cheats and commies -- for this administration chalks it all up to the inexperience and uber-hubris of The One. I'd say that pretty accurately sums things up.

UPDATE -- 8:41 PM

Andy McCarthy, an hour ago:
[The NY Times] is insipid in reporting Sunday that "Mr. Jones did not go through the traditional vetting process for administration officials who must be confirmed by the Senate. So it was not until recently that some of Mr. Jones’s past actions received broad airing."
The point, of course, is that Obama vetted Jones just fine. President Obama is not Mr. Magoo -- haplessly gravitating to Truther Van and Ayers and Dohrn and Klonsky and Davis and Wright and the Chicago New Party and ACORN, etc. Jones is a kindred spirit. Obama knows exactly who he is. Jones was given a non-confirmation job precisely because that circumvented the vetting process. This isn't one of those things that just happen. This is Barack "Transparency" Obama gaming the system.

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Planning for Major Life Events

2009-08-30T10:23:00.000-05:00

Calculators to check your financial preparedness for major life decisions and events. Lots more at Free Money Finance.

* 6 Car Calculators: How Much Should You Afford?
* 5 Moving Calculators: Does the Move Make Sense?
* 4 Wedding Calculators: Start Saving Now...
* 6 House Calculators: How Much is Too Much?
* 4 Children Calculators: See What it May Take to Raise Yours
* 4 College Calculators: Get Started Saving Now
* 7 Retirement Calculators
* 5 Death Calculators: Funerals are Expensive - What Will Yours Cost?

Related posts HERE and HERE.

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BULLETIN: Dems Acquiesce to Limbaugh

2009-08-28T09:34:00.002-05:00

Jonah Goldberg, today:

If you read the newspapers or watch the news, you will encounter a long list of accomplishments by the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. One thing you’re less likely to hear, however, is that in his death, Kennedy proved Rush Limbaugh right.
In March, the talk-show host and bête noir of progressives everywhere said that the health-care bill wending its way through Congress would eventually be dubbed the “Ted Kennedy Memorial Health-Care Bill.” At the time, the official position of the Democratic party was outrage and disgust. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee initiated a petition drive demanding that the Republican party formally denounce Limbaugh for his “reprehensible” and “truly outrageous” comments.

Fast-forward to a few hours after the announcement of Kennedy’s death. Suddenly, naming the bill after Kennedy would be a moving tribute. ABC News reports that “the idea of naming the legislation for Kennedy has been quietly circulating for months” but was kicked into overdrive by Sen. Robert Byrd, the Democratic party’s eldest statesman. Intriguingly, this suggests that either Democrats already had the idea when Limbaugh floated it, which would mean their protests were just so much opportunistic and cynical posturing, or they actually got the idea from Limbaugh himself, which would be too ironic for a Tom Wolfe novel.

But that Kennedy’s death should be marked by cynicism, opportunism, and irony is not shocking, given that these qualities are now the hallmarks of the party he largely defined.

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The Insanity of AT&T

2009-08-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

I don't need a cell phone very often, so have opted these past five years for AT&Ts [formerly Cingular] pay-as-you-go approach. I was only paying around $2.75-per-month for a couple years then got forced into a $8.90-per-month deal. Indeed I've built-up $492.50 of unused time [almost 33 hours ... see what I mean?]. They wouldn't accept my latest effort yesterday to "refill" online, so I called them a couple hours ago since TOTAL EXPIRATION is at Midnight. After having to input my cell number THREE times on the phone I finally was granted an audience with a real person who explained that there's a $500 account balance maximum and the only way to buy $25 of time and avoid TOTAL EXPIRATION is [are you sitting-down?] to make some calls and get that balance down to --at most-- $475. I am not making this up. So ol' Lar called his own landline and let those two simmer for 1:12 -- reducing the balance to $473.30. As I tell you this, yesterday's pending $25 purchase isn't really "Completed" yet [They say it may take as long as 2 hours! Oh, goody.] Now don't ya think they could have shared this Policy with me online? What a buncha maroons.
[I buy $25-at-a-time since that's the least amount that doesn't expire for 90 days; lesser amounts expire in 30.]

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The Perpetual Spank-O-Gram from Hyde Park

2009-08-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

Fouad Ajami in today's Wall Street Journal [excerpt]:

In one of the revealing moments of the presidential campaign, Mr. Obama rightly observed that the Reagan presidency was a transformational presidency in a way Clinton's wasn't.... At the core of the Reagan mission was the recovery of the nation's esteem and self-regard. Reagan was an optimist.... His faith in the country was boundless, and when he said it was "morning in America" he meant it; he believed in America's miracle and had seen it in his own life... At no time had Ronald Reagan believed that the American covenant had failed, that America should apologize for itself in the world beyond its shores. There was no narcissism in Reagan.

In contrast, there is joylessness in Mr. Obama. He is a scold...

I remind readers that there is a WSJ widget in the right column that contains today's Opinion Page articles [scrollable]. When you click on an article title a new window will open at the article.

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"It doesn't give you confidence, does it?"

2009-08-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

Why -- why no, it doesn't, Betsy.

The Great Irony of the Obama Presidency

2009-08-21T15:42:00.000-05:00

By Jonah Goldberg -- HERE. Excerpt:
It was Obama’s supporters who hinted, teased, promised, and prophesied that Obama would help America "transcend race". But now, it is they who shrink from their own promised land... That’s not transcending race, it’s using Obama’s race to bully the opposition into acquiescence. Actually transcending race would require treating Obama like any other president. Which is pretty much exactly what conservatives have been doing.

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An UPDATE

2009-08-17T19:38:00.000-05:00

... to THIS 18-month-old important post. Well I think it's important -- so just click that link.

The GWB43 Virus

2009-08-17T09:53:00.002-05:00

Hadn't heard of that one yet?

"This is their time, we've been told. And no one is going to stand in the way." -- Andrew Breitbart, in a veritable masterpiece essay.

If these ramrods aren't careful those important Nov2006 "wins" might well be reversed next Fall. We can only hope -- and make sure we drag our collective butts to the polls.
[Courtesy of Kathryn Jean Lopez]

UPDATE -- 11:17 AM
As Jonah Goldberg observed right after the Nov2008 Big Win, "If Democrats govern from the center, good for the country. If they govern from their instincts, good for the Republicans."

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This Oughtta Lower Unemployment!

2009-08-14T21:39:00.000-05:00

In case TFR readers are a tad skeptical about stories of PelosiCare supporters being PAID to be "grassroots activists" [you hadn't heard?] , I suggest you read THIS revealing compilation of craigslist ads [courtesy of Caleb Howe] for those very jobs. At the link you'll be instructed to "click for full size" on each cropped ad image. After you do, click again on the next screen to go full-size with the ad.
It just seems to me that real grassroots participants don't need to be enticed with money -- but as I think on it, this is primarily how a lot of votes are ~~purchased~~ won: the promise of sugar-daddy [or mommy] support in one way or another [or multiple]. I keep hoping Americans quit prostituting themselves like that.

High-level Democratic officials have dubbed townhall PelosiCare critics as part of an "astroturf" movement: not real citizen sentiment, but rather organized by FoxNews, etc. So I call those craigslist ads irony writ large.

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"Government" Administration

2009-08-13T08:11:00.000-05:00

Five employees of the Detroit public school system were charged Wednesday with multiple felonies as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and the loss of tens of millions of dollars in school funds.... paychecks going to 257 "ghost" employees who have yet to be accounted for..... 500 illegal health-care dependents ....have cost the district millions. -- The Wall Street Journal

Oh, yeah, Baby -- let's have them run the nation's health care! What could possibly go wrong?

Secretary-of-State Nostradamus

2009-08-10T10:29:00.000-05:00

These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. -- Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer in USA Today

The Secretary's 15-sec response below. [OK, so it was six years ago. Sue me.] Hope-n-Change, Baby!

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