This blog is no longer active as of October 31, 2011
In a so-called Religion of Peace, I would not expect to see this: (Thanks Debbie)
or This: (thanks to “Silent Majority No More!“)
Wonderful. As if the gray lady did not have enough trouble. Some Ann Coulter wanna-be is filing a lawsuit for getting smeared by the New York Times:
Washington lobbyist Vicki L. Iseman has filed a $27 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times for a February article about Iseman and her relationship with Sen. John McCain.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond on Tuesday, alleges the article falsely communicated that Iseman and McCain had an illicit âromanticâ relationship in 1999 when he was chair of the Senate Commerce Committee and she was a lobbyist representing clients before Congress.
The suit also names the executive editor of the Times, its Washington bureau chief and four reporters who wrote the story as defendants.
William Keller, the paperâs executive editor, did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment on the suit.
The New York Times has responded:
“We fully stand behind the article. We continue to believe it to be true and accurate, and that we will prevail. As we said at the time, it was an important piece that raised questions about a presidential contender and the perception that he had been engaged in conflicts of interest.”
Roger L. Simon says this could spell trouble:
I have no direct knowledge of the case or of Iseman, but if I were the Times, I would be afraid. I would be very afraid. They have a lot more to lose than the 27 million bucks in the suit. Their reputation is already tarnished and their bottom line diminishing. If Iseman can prove her case to the publicâs satisfaction, it will constitute yet more bruising and a serious humiliation for the sometime ânewspaper of recordâ.  Those who have been accusing them of being nothing more than a scandal sheet – and a biased one at that, unlike the National Enquirer –  will be vindicated.  Indeed, if Ms. Iseman wins her case, the Timesâ editors and publisher will be revealed to have been simultaneously boneheaded and despicable – an ugly combination indeed.
I just wonder, if she happens to win and takes over ownership of the paper, whom will she make the Editor? Ann Coulter? đ
Way I see it, if she wasn’t bobbing the knob. Then honestly, what is the problem?
Can you say, cashing in? I knew you could! đ
(Via Memeornadum)
I say reluctantly, because quite frankly, I find all this quite stupid, if you want to know the truth about it. AllahPundit has the videos, if you care to watch it.
Originally, I had planned on coming on here and really laying it to the Democrats; But I just stopped and thought, “Why Bother?” I mean, this is what the American people wanted, when they elected Barack Obama and the Democrat Congress in 2006. So, why should I sit here and write a disparaging blog posting about it? I mean, Indentity Politics is what the Democrats do. They’ve done it for years, not like it is going to change anytime soon.
Anyhow, according to what I’ve seen, even they did go to court, they would win the right for Burris to keep his seat.
Adding to the Stupidity, Blago’s General Council is gone. I assume to help the feds.
So, stay tuned, it could get quite interesting here over the next few weeks. I’m sure ol’ Barry is just farking thrilled shitless over this one. I know I would be. Because really, Obama can basically do zero about it. Blago knows this too. He might be a crazy man on the take, but he ain’t stupid, that’s for sure. I mean, he had enough sense to do the black man political cover thing and knows what he do legally, he ain’t dumb. Ain’t no legally insane guy that damned brilliant. If that’s the case, Charles Manson belongs at farkin’ Harvard. đ
Anyhow, there it is, my opinion on that. If you ain’t noticed; I have not been feeling my normal self. My body clock is seriously foobarbed at this point. Sleeping when I should be awake, Awake when I should be asleep. It’s just farking beautiful. So, yesterday was not a good day. I ended up not going with the old man shopping, I just did not feel like it. I did help him bring the stuff (Food) in the house though. So, I should avoid the abyss; this time. đ
Hold on to your hats, because this one is huge.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected today to name former Illinois Atty. Gen. Roland Burris to replace President-elect Barack Obama in the U.S. Senate.
The action comes despite warnings by Democratic Senate leaders that they would not seat anyone appointed by the disgraced governor who faces criminal charges of trying to sell the post, sources familiar with the decision said.
Shortly after Obama’s Nov. 4 victory, Burris made known his interest in an appointment to the Senate but was never seriously considered, according to Blagojevich insiders. But in the days following Blagojevich’s arrest, and despite questions over the taint of a Senate appointment, Burris stepped up his efforts to win the governor’s support.
Though he is 71, Burris has said that Obama’s replacement should be able to win re-election and he has noted that despite a string of primary losses in races ranging from Chicago mayor to governor and U.S. senator, he’s never lost to a Republican.
Blagojevich, who has sole authority to name a replacement senator, scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference at his downtown Chicago office.
Of course, Harry Reid is having none of it, at all
The Senate will not seat Roland Burris if Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attempts to appoint him, a Democratic leadership aide said.
Majority Leader Harry Reid views Burris as "unacceptable," the aide said.
Oy. I bet that presser is going to be, um, Interesting. Allah Pundit calls it a "Total Clusterfark." Indeed. 
However, one could argue that this election cycle was a "cluster fark" from the word go. Especially the stuff with Hillary. She was like the child that just would not take no for an answer, funny thing is, she going to be the Secretary of State. Retreads Change you can appoint?
The neat part about all this, that it puts Reid in a spot. If he does not accept the appointment it could be, but most likely won’t be; viewed as racist by some. Which I think was quite the slick move by the Governor.
However, I most likely will not be around to see the whole thing go down. My Dad and I are supposed to go shopping. So, my blogging for the remainder of the day will be scattered. Lovely. đ
Have I ever mentioned how much I despise shopping? Especially with my dad? Oy. I’d rather be water boarded. (Well, Sorta…)
Others: The Campaign Spot, Don Surber (Via Memeornadum)
In 1975, when liberalism was on the march around the world, Reagan called for the rebirth of the GOP as a party “raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people.” A few months later, he declared that “I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism” — that is, the belief in small government.
Reagan’s stated beliefs made him the object of ridicule among those who considered themselves intellectuals, but he stuck to his guns. And then, in 1980, when the failures of Big Government were evident to all Americans, the people turned for leadership to the presidential candidate who had been right all along.
Over the last eight years, President Bush sought to tame Big Government and turn it to conservative ends. The administration experimented with the belief — as expressed by Huckabee, Gerson and Kristol — that Republicans and conservatives would do better by rejecting small-government conservatism and accepting Big Government. For generations, Democrats had bribed people to vote for them with one Big Government program after another, so Republicans did the same (No Child Left Behind, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, endless deficits and, finally, the bailouts). The results of the experiment are now in: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid, President-elect Barack Obama.
The Gang of Idiots
The Clueless Leader
The Executive turned behinds the scenes power broker
The insolent and grossly incompetent old man
The token negro
The Resident Tool
Vanity Fair gives these group of idiots the proper send off that they deserve. Unlike some of the morons of the Neo-Conservative Right, I will not sit here and act like the last 8 years did not happen. If this past President did anything at all. It was the fact that because his, and his administration’s gross incompetence, that I am writing today. 8 years ago, I could have given two flips about Politics and the Washington D.C. crowd. The only time that I even remotely cared about politics was either on or near election day.
Bush and his idiotic nonsense cured that, Iâm more political aware and active than anyone even remotely near me. I follow it like a rabid dog. I will continue to do so, until I feel that I can safely leave it to the experts. I am hoping that somehow, by some sort of magical fate, that I am able to work myself into a syndicated column or something to that effect.
Admittedly, at first, I made some serious missteps, thinking I was a hardcore liberal; Which I am not, nor could I ever be, considering my background. I did finally figure out my place in the political world, and it sure as hell is not in the same realm as the Neo-Conservative idiots like Bush and Co.
Thankfully, I am comfortable with the title of Paleo-Conservative or the old right. Which suits me fine. I am not an Ron Paul bot. I did read his latest book. I am a agreement with much that is within that Book. I think some of his ideas could be implemented in moderation. However, for America to implement it too fast would cause other problems, like rapid deflation, which could make things only worse.
I think I can speak for those who have suffered, and believe me, Iâve done my share of suffering; through the last eight years of gross incompetence⌠that George W. Bush and his group of Neo-Conservative thug goons cannot leave the damned White House fast enough.
Thank God it is just about over!
Others: danieldrezner.com, No More Mister Nice Blog
I cannot believe it, but it is here again. Another stink over the Rush Limbaugh inspired âBarack Magic Negroâ parody song. Seems the washed up hippy, who wrote the song is having a fit over the fact that it was even made. He calls it âracist.â
Well, I have a problem with that. As someone who knows what racism really is, and not this âknee jerkâ politically correct nonsense, created by the fascist, free speech hating far left.
I am showing this videos and the respective songs with Lyrics to show you something, the absurdity of this so called controversy.
First up, the âMagicâ video”:
Lyrics:
Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
âCause heâs not authentic like me.
Yeah, the guy from the L.A. paper
Said he makes guilty whites feel good
Theyâll vote for him, and not for me
âCause heâs not from the hood.See, real black men, like Snoop Dog,
Or me, or Farrakhan
Have talked the talk, and walked the walk.
Not come in late and won!Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
âCause heâs black, but not authentically.
Oh, Barack the Magic Negro, lives in D.C.
The L.A. Times, they called him that
âCause heâs black, but not authentically.Some say Barackâs âarticulateâ
And bright and new and âclean.â
The media sure loves this guy,
A white interloperâs dream!
But, when you vote for president,
Watch out, and donât be fooled!
Donât vote the Magic Negro in â
âCause ââCause I wonât have nothing after all these years of sacrifice
And I wonât get justice. This is about justice. This isnât about me, itâs about justice.
Itâs about buffet. I donât have no buffet and there wonât be any church contributions,
And thereâll be no cash in the collection plate.
There ainât gonna be no cash money, no walkinâ around money, no phoning money.
Now, Barack going to come in here and ……..
âŚand now a real racist song and video:
Lyrics:
L.B.J. was a-flyin’ one morn’
Over south Louisiana…feeling forlorn
When he looks down below, and what does he see?
Two cajuns pullin’ a nigger on ski’s!So he lands, and says, “Thanks for helping your black brother!”
And them two cajuns just looked at each other
And said, “He might be smart, but I’ll tell you something…”
“He don’t know a thing about alligator huntin’!”O-wop-bop-bam-bam
Who likes a nigger?
o-wop-bop-bam-bam (CHORUS)
Who likes a nigger?
o-wop-bop-bam-bam
Who likes a nigger?
And the hatin’, everybody, is a-gettin’ much biggerRich man travelin’ down thru the South
Stopped in Mississippi to get a tooth pulled out
When he paid the doctor the charges due
He said “My nigger chauffer’s got a bad tooth, too”“Well, I’ll pull it…”, said the doc, “but you’d better not holler!
Cause I’ll have to charge you $200.00
Cause here in Mississippi he can’t open his mouth
We’ll have to go thru his bottom, to get the thing out!”Chorus
There ain’t much difference ‘tween a nigger and a donkey
‘Bout as much between an ape and a monkey
Ones a little bigger, but you gotta agree
There’s not very much more that you can see.But a mule earns his livin’ by the sweat of his neck
While a nigger sits down and draws a gov’t check
The nigger should be smarter, as a general rule
But in a spelling contest, I’d pick the mule!
Now obviously, the second song is quite racist. Do you see the point that I am trying to make here? The first song is a light-hearted attempt at Humor and nothing more. Anyone who tries to paint it as anything other than this, is basically being a race baiter and someone whoâs business is identity politics.
Update: Michelle Malkin makes a very good point: (H/T Macsmind)
All of sudden â after eight years of âF**k Bushâ bumper stickers and âKill Bushâ assassination chic and Bush-or-Chimp parodies â the left is concerned about insulting the office of the Presidency?
Now, they are concerned with protecting the dignity of the office and with forging âcommong ground and mutual respect?
Not to mention, when someone like me, tries to makes a point of all the race baiting and identity politics and the hypocrisy, when it comes to racism and intolerance on the left, I get death threats. So, I ask again, what is racism? Whatever happened to free speech? Who are the real haters? The answer, I think, is quite obvious. đ
Others: Hot Air, Political Punch, Riehl World View, The Strata-Sphere, Jezebel, JammieWearingFool, Michelle Malkin, Blogs and Stories, BrothersJudd Blog, Commentary, The Hill, Wake up America and Real Clear Politics
Total counter state:
Hits: 89108
Hosts: 50945
Visitors: 58305
Sessions: 63190
From the beginning of the month:
Hits: 7355
Hosts: 4188
Visitors: 4742
Sessions: 5245
Last week:
Hits: 1550
Hosts: 1057
Visitors: 1087
Sessions: 1175
Not too shabby! đ
This is sick and sad. 
Via AP:
It’s the latest story that touched, and betrayed, the world.
"Herman Rosenblat and his wife are the most gentle, loving, beautiful people," literary agent Andrea Hurst said Sunday, anguishing over why she, and so many others, were taken by Rosenblat’s story of love born on opposite sides of a barbed-wire fence at a concentration camp.
"I question why I never questioned it. I believed it; it was an incredible, hope-filled story."
On Saturday, Berkley Books canceled Rosenblat’s memoir, "Angel at the Fence." Rosenblat acknowledged that he and his wife did not meet, as they had said for years, at a sub-camp of Buchenwald, where she allegedly sneaked him apples and bread. The book was supposed to come out in February.
Rosenblat, 79, has been married to the former Roma Radzicky for 50 years, since meeting her on a blind date in New York. In a statement issued Saturday through his agent, he described himself as an advocate of love and tolerance who falsified his past to better spread his message.
"I wanted to bring happiness to people," said Rosenblat, who now lives in the Miami area. "I brought hope to a lot of people. My motivation was to make good in this world."
Rosenblat’s believers included not only his agent and his publisher, but Oprah Winfrey, film producers, journalists, family members and strangers who ignored, or didn’t know about, the warnings from scholars that his story didn’t make sense.
The bad part about this is, it does true make those who did suffer from the evils of Hitler look bad. As I would expect the true Naziâs in America are quite amused by this story and are now saying that the whole holocaust was a lie.
Make good in this world, by lying?!?! What a Jerk! 
Iâm steamed, because I just recently saw the last part of âBand of Brothersâ, and now to learn that two Jews lied about being involved all that???! Oy. 
They owe the world and the Jewish Community a big apology.
Others: The Other McCain and Vox Popoli
Steve Sailor over a V-Dare.com gives a reasonable review on Tom Cruiseâs Movie.
I will be the first to admit, that every time that I think of Tom Cruise, I think of this:
The Forth Estate continues itâs assault on citizen media, or as it is commonly known as; The Blogosphere.
It seems that Paul Mulshine of the Newark Star Ledger is coming out swinging against us. However, instead of sounding like a legit reporter, he comes off sounding more like grumpy old man, full of sour grapes.
Of course, Glenn Reynolds, the Conservative Blogosphereâs God Father is having none of it. Glenn Says something that I totally agree with here:
That, of course â as Mulshine should have known then, and now â is exactly what J.D. Johannes does â along with Michael Yon, Michael Totten, Bill Roggio, and others in the blogosphere. Mulshine, meanwhile, brags about having once covered the Toms River Regional Board of Education in New Jersey. Thatâs worthy work, of course, but if his reportage there was as poor as his work in the Wall Street Journal, then â oh, who am I kidding? âIfâ?
Anyway, itâs certainly true that bloggers as a class are more competition for careless pundits like Mulshine than for go-getter reporters who find out things that people donât know, and report them truthfully. Itâs also true that those go-getter reporters who put the truth first are pretty scarce in the world of Big Media reporting, and that management shows no sign of wanting more of them, and many signs of wanting attitude-mongers like, well, Mulshine. This is, as Iâve noted before, a dumb business strategy, which explains in part why newspapers are doing so badly.
The awesome thing about the Blogosphere is this. We Bloggers; Yes, I do mean Conservative and Liberal, keep the press and Washington D.C. and dare I even say it? The White House honest. Gone are the days of the Nixon era, when you could pull the preverbal wool over the eyes of the American people. Bloggers are there, pointing out the half truths, lies and outright distortions.
Need I remind anyone, that it was the Liberal Blogosphere and the Libertarian and Paleo-Conservative Blogosphere, that basically pointed out the fact that George W. Bush was, quite frankly, full of crap, when he tried to say that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Something that the Republican Blogging world is still to acknowledge to this very day. Even after the White House is fully conceded that fact. This was well before the time that the Main Stream Media even tried to start questioning the tactics of the Bush Administration.
So, basically, either the Forth Estate can learn to work with us or die. But the way things are looking, theyâd rather die first. This might just be a good thing.
Others: Jules Crittenden, Wake up America, The Other McCain, Ed Driscoll.com and Fausta’s Blog
For some reason or another, I just don’t believe it at all.
The full report is over at Politico, if you care to read such stuff. Patterico also has a good take on it as well.
Quotable Quotes:
âParties become much more pragmatic when theyâve won,â says Joe Trippi, who heads the media firm Trippi Multimedia, and who managed Howard Deanâs 2004 presidential campaign and advised John Edwards in 2008.
âAt least in the initial stages, theyâre going to try to work together [with Obama] to see what parts of their agenda they can get through,â he says. And they recognize, he adds, that they will get more of their agenda passed if they donât start trouble when they donât need to.
[….]
For his part, Pariser says he will do what his members want, no matter which way it takes the organization or what the implications are for its future. âI believe the fact that we hear something from all over the place at the same time means it probably is what we should do with the country,â he says. âI maybe drank the Kool Aid in civics class a little too much, but I think if you put your faith in that, you really donât go wrong. People gravitate very quickly to the big things that are at the core of their problems.â
âIt also makes our jobs easier,â he adds, âbecause we just do what weâre told.â
Okay, here’s why I don’t buy this line of bunk for one minute. Because I know how Liberals think. President-Elect Obama is not in office yet, nobody, not even me; knows how he is going to Govern. The so-called experts say he will run from the Middle; and based upon his cabinet picks, this might be true. To me, however, it looks more like a Clinton retread White House. So much for the “Hope & Change” mantra throughout the campaign.
Anyhow, however; you let Barack Obama let one of his big campaign promises slip, like Nationalized Health care. The very minute that Barack Obama begins to make noises like he is not going to be able to pass Nationalized Health Care, and MoveOn and DailyKos will turn on Obama on a fucking dime. I know how Liberals are, They lack something that is pretty much a norm in the Conservative circles; and that’s Loyalty. Loyalty to Party, Loyalty to principles; this past election being a perfect example of that, and loyalty to a leader. Oh, they’ll be loyal to him, as long as Obama performs for them, and carries out their agenda. But the very minute he strays; it’s over man. The far left will turn on a dime and it will be Bush Derangement on the other foot in full force. Sorry Trippi, I don’t buy the B.S. line of Liberals being Pragmatic. If 1968 was proof of anything, it was proof that the far left or the rank and file within the Democratic Party is nowhere near Pragmatic.
So, to sum it up; while this might sound nice and pretty and all. It is nothing more than some sort of a “Dog and Pony Show” to appease those within the Democratic Leadership that might worried that groups like this may try an turn popular opinion against Obama. While the mindless sheep might buy it, I do not; because I know the mindset, I know how they act. Loyal, until you slip up and then BAM! It’s over.
Nice try guys, but we’re just a bit more smarter than that.
Personally, I hope Israel mops the floor up with them bastards. They’ve been bullying Israel for years, and they’ve taken enough from them idiots.
I just hope the United States stays out of it, and let Israel deal with thier own.
(fixed massively stupid typo….Ooops!)
When president-elect Barack Obama chose evangelical leader Rick Warren to lead a prayer at his inauguration the cultural Left threw the predictable fits. Said Kathryn Kolbert, president of People for the American Way, âthis decision further elevates someone who has in recent weeks actively promoted legalized discrimination and denigrated the lives and relationships of millions of Americans,â referring to the recently passed anti-gay marriage referendum, Proposition 8 in California. Said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, âby inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table.â Added Democratic political consultant Chad Griffith âRick Warren needs to realize that he is further dividing us at a time when the country needs to come together.â
In light of the Rick Warren controversy, such âcoming togetherâ rhetoric, so often mouthed by champions of âdiversityâ has one again proven to be a farce. For a true âcoming togetherâ of any sort on social issues, one might expect political opponents to either agree-to-disagree, yet still join and work together where they can, or for both sides to at least concede some principles as a compromise. In this case, as in most cases, the champions of diversity simply do not want an evangelical of Warrenâs stripe to even be allowed a seat at the table. And while Warren hasnât budged from his stance on gay marriage, neither will the Left anytime soon. It seems that the oft-desired âcoming togetherâ means not any new, warm embrace, but unconditional surrender, where only conservatives are always expected to wave the white flag.
The rise of social issues in American politics has as much to do with campaign strategies as the issues themselves. Gay marriage has become for the Democrats what abortion has long been for Republicans â issues that are better left unresolved because they are too useful in controlling certain voters. Any liberal or moderate Republican worried about shoring up his evangelical base can do so by mouthing just the right amount of pro-life rhetoric during his campaign, knowing full-well he has no intention of seriously revisiting the subject after the election. Just ask John McCain. To woo the cultural Left, the tiniest illustration by Democrats that they are at least favorable to gay-marriage is enough to garner those votes, even if itâs practically invisible on their actual agenda. Just ask Barack Obama.
Social issues like gay marriage and abortion remain trivialities not because they arenât important â but because neither are likely to be solved precisely because neither party benefits from doing so. Why do mainstream Republicans or Democrats not demand statesâ rights solutions, where individual states would be free to legalize or outlaw gay marriage or abortion according to the popular will? Because neither party really wants any real solutions. The purpose of a Republican supporting something like the Defense of Marriage Act is not to protect marriage per se, but to protect your office by signaling to voters that you stand on the right side of an issue that you and your successors hope never goes away. Likewise, in standing against the Defense of Marriage Act, Democrats benefit for the exact opposite reason.
Rick Warrenâs invocation at Obamaâs inauguration will not be a brighter, sadder or even different new day in the culture wars â but a symbolic gesture by the president-elect whose very rise to power has been more symbolic than substantive. Leftists who believe Warrenâs mere presence at the inauguration represents anything tragic are as naĂŻve as those on the Right who might believe it represents promise. And in both satisfying and enraging both sides of the social issues fence by inviting Warren to his swearing-in, the president-elect may indeed be introducing a new symbolic style, if only to cover-up the same old lack of substance.
When president-elect Barack Obama chose evangelical leader Rick Warren to lead a prayer at his inauguration the cultural Left threw the predictable fits. Said Kathryn Kolbert, president of People for the American Way, âthis decision further elevates someone who has in recent weeks actively promoted legalized discrimination and denigrated the lives and relationships of millions of Americans,â referring to the recently passed anti-gay marriage referendum, Proposition 8 in California. Said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, âby inviting Rick Warren to your inauguration, you have tarnished the view that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans have a place at your table.â Added Democratic political consultant Chad Griffith âRick Warren needs to realize that he is further dividing us at a time when the country needs to come together.â
In light of the Rick Warren controversy, such âcoming togetherâ rhetoric, so often mouthed by champions of âdiversityâ has one again proven to be a farce. For a true âcoming togetherâ of any sort on social issues, one might expect political opponents to either agree-to-disagree, yet still join and work together where they can, or for both sides to at least concede some principles as a compromise. In this case, as in most cases, the champions of diversity simply do not want an evangelical of Warrenâs stripe to even be allowed a seat at the table. And while Warren hasnât budged from his stance on gay marriage, neither will the Left anytime soon. It seems that the oft-desired âcoming togetherâ means not any new, warm embrace, but unconditional surrender, where only conservatives are always expected to wave the white flag.
The rise of social issues in American politics has as much to do with campaign strategies as the issues themselves. Gay marriage has become for the Democrats what abortion has long been for Republicans â issues that are better left unresolved because they are too useful in controlling certain voters. Any liberal or moderate Republican worried about shoring up his evangelical base can do so by mouthing just the right amount of pro-life rhetoric during his campaign, knowing full-well he has no intention of seriously revisiting the subject after the election. Just ask John McCain. To woo the cultural Left, the tiniest illustration by Democrats that they are at least favorable to gay-marriage is enough to garner those votes, even if itâs practically invisible on their actual agenda. Just ask Barack Obama.
Social issues like gay marriage and abortion remain trivialities not because they arenât important â but because neither are likely to be solved precisely because neither party benefits from doing so. Why do mainstream Republicans or Democrats not demand statesâ rights solutions, where individual states would be free to legalize or outlaw gay marriage or abortion according to the popular will? Because neither party really wants any real solutions. The purpose of a Republican supporting something like the Defense of Marriage Act is not to protect marriage per se, but to protect your office by signaling to voters that you stand on the right side of an issue that you and your successors hope never goes away. Likewise, in standing against the Defense of Marriage Act, Democrats benefit for the exact opposite reason.
Rick Warrenâs invocation at Obamaâs inauguration will not be a brighter, sadder or even different new day in the culture wars â but a symbolic gesture by the president-elect whose very rise to power has been more symbolic than substantive. Leftists who believe Warrenâs mere presence at the inauguration represents anything tragic are as naĂŻve as those on the Right who might believe it represents promise. And in both satisfying and enraging both sides of the social issues fence by inviting Warren to his swearing-in, the president-elect may indeed be introducing a new symbolic style, if only to cover-up the same old lack of substance.
Jack Hunter Blogs at The Southern Avenger and Taki’s Magazine
It seems that Bambi made it to see the vets. How nice. Pretty funny, seeing he hasn’t served a damn day in the Military.
I also have an e-mail to share, that I got this morning, I was wondering what it was about. Now I know.
President-elect Obama stopped by the Marine Corps base in Hawaii Kaneche Bay where servicemen and -women were eating Christmas dinner in Kailua Thursday evening.
âJust wanted to say hi, hey guys,â Obama said as he walked into the Anderson dining hall which was decked out in Christmas decorations.
The diners represented seven military units — Marine and Navy — some of whom were joined by their families for Christmas dinner.
As Obama entered the room, it was absent of the regular fanfare of cheering and clapping. The diners were polite, staying seated at their respective tables and waited for the president-elect to come to them to stand up.
Obama, dressed casually in a blue polo shirt and dark khaki trousers, worked his way around the room — table by table — and took pictures with the service members. He slapped them on the back at times, shook hands, and signed some autographs.
âHey guys, Merry Christmas,â The president-elect said as he walked from table to table.
The servicemen and -women were already seated at their holiday dinner when the president-elect made his impromptu visit. They were dining on salad, candied sweet potato with marshmallow topping, cream of mushroom soup, mashed potatoes, beef, ham, turkey, broccoli and corn.
The president-elect spent about an hour with the troops. Obama transition aides say that Obama did not eat with the uniformed men and women — he ate at his beach home with his family and friends Christmas night.
I think it goes without saying, that Obama was not among friends.
Others: Atlas Shrugs, Sister Toldjah, RedState, BLACKFIVE, Gateway Pundit, Hugh Hewitt, Power Line
A stunning admission from the far left, but not a huge surprise.
Via The L.A. Times:
I don’t love America. That’s what conservatives are always telling liberals like me. Their love, they insist, is truer, deeper and more complete. Then liberals, like all people who are accused of not loving something, stammer, get defensive and try to have sex with America even though America will then accuse us of wanting it for its body and not its soul. When America gets like that, there’s no winning.
But I’ve come to believe conservatives are right. They do love America more. Sure, we liberals claim that our love is deeper because we seek to improve the United States by pointing out its flaws. But calling your wife fat isn’t love. True love is the blind belief that your child is the smartest, cutest, most charming person in the world, one you would gladly die for. I’m more in “like” with my country.
A rather mind-numbing statement and a rather frank admission. That is the whole problem with Liberals, they would rather focus on America’s flaws, than focus on it’s greatness. He goes on to blather on about Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.
But this is what bothered me:
Conservatives feel personally blessed to have been born in the only country worth living in. I, on the other hand, just feel lucky to have grown up in a wealthy democracy. If it had been Australia, Britain, Ireland, Canada, Italy, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, Israel or one of those Scandinavian countries with more relaxed attitudes toward sex, that would have been fine with me too.
Hell, why stop there? Why not just move to somewhere more inline with your beliefs, like say, Iran, Russia or maybe North Korea?
The Communist Blathers on:
I wish I felt such certainty. Sure, it makes life less interesting and nuanced, and absolute conviction can lead to dangerous extremism, but I suspect it makes people happier. I’ll never experience the joy of Hannity-level patriotism. I’m the type who always wonders if some other idea or place or system is better and I’m missing out. And, as I figured out shortly after meeting my wife, that is no way to love.
Stop The ACLU agrees with my assessment:
And yeah, I understand the point of the column. Itâs a criticism. Weâre âblindedâ by love to the point where we donât even see Americaâs flaws. But thatâs not quite true. I see them, as do many conservatives. But unlike liberals, thatâs not all I see. I look at America and love her for everything she is, both the good and the bad. I look at my country, and despite the mistakes we have made and inevitably will continue to make, still know that this is the freest, best country on the face of the Earth, know that anyone from anywhere in the world can come here and build a good life for themselves if theyâre only willing to work hard and play by the rules, that America will always stand for freedom and justice and democracy.
Liberals look at America, and have a hard time feeling the love and patriotism that conservatives feel because they canât get get past the flaws. They canât love America unless she is perfect. Conservatives, however, donât require perfection to know that America is, indeed, a special, blessed place. It doesnât mean that the rest of the world is a terrible, terrible place. It doesnât mean that no one can possibly have a great life anywhere else. However, despite what many Little League coaches and PC teachers may believe, not every runner can finish the race in first, and while the rest of the world may be great, itâs just not the USA.
I could not have put it better myself.  However, I’ll take it a step further, if the Communist is dissatisfied with America and all of it’s supposed “Flaws”, he can always leave, there is not a law forcing him to live here.
Indeed, Toyota claims losses for the first time in 70 yearsâthough how Toyotaâs management was able to keep sales up in 1945, when Gen. Curtis LeMayâs B-29s were conducting their nightly visits, escapes me.
Bush may believe he has sinned against free-market principles, but he is following the path of his great free-market predecessor. Ronald Reagan, too, was not prepared to see Japan take down the U.S. auto industry, or steel industry, or computer chip industry, or Harley-Davidson.
Believing Japan was dumping to destroy U.S. companies, Reagan put patriotism before ideology and imposed quotas on Japanese imports. He, too, was castigated by the same commentariat that is berating Bush.
Vice President Cheney, too, has endorsed the bailout of Detroit. Of the senators who voted to pull the plug on General Motors, Cheney is said to have remarked, âItâs Herbert Hoover timeâ up there in the GOP caucus.
[….]
Like Prohibition in Hooverâs phrase, globalism is âan experiment, noble in purpose, that has failed.â
I must confess, I laughed, quite hard when I read this. đ
Via the Washington Post:
The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.
Four blue pills. Viagra.
“Take one of these. You’ll love it,” the officer said. Compliments of Uncle Sam.
The enticement worked. The officer, who described the encounter, returned four days later to an enthusiastic reception. The grinning chief offered up a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes — followed by a request for more pills.
For U.S. intelligence officials, this is how some crucial battles in Afghanistan are fought and won. While the CIA has a long history of buying information with cash, the growing Taliban insurgency has prompted the use of novel incentives and creative bargaining to gain support in some of the country’s roughest neighborhoods, according to officials directly involved in such operations.
In their efforts to win over notoriously fickle warlords and chieftains, the officials say, the agency’s operatives have used a variety of personal services. These include pocketknives and tools, medicine or surgeries for ailing family members, toys and school equipment, tooth extractions, travel visas, and, occasionally, pharmaceutical enhancements for aging patriarchs with slumping libidos, the officials said.
“Whatever it takes to make friends and influence people — whether it’s building a school or handing out Viagra,” said one longtime agency operative and veteran of several Afghanistan tours. Like other field officers interviewed for this article, he spoke on the condition of anonymity when describing tactics and operations that are largely classified.
[….]
After a long conversation through an interpreter, the retired operator began to probe for ways to win the man’s loyalty. A discussion of the man’s family and many wives provided inspiration. Once it was established that the man was in good health, the pills were offered and accepted.
Four days later, when the Americans returned, the gift had worked its magic, the operative recalled.
“He came up to us beaming,” the official said. “He said, ‘You are a great man.’ “
“And after that we could do whatever we wanted in his area.”
Hey, Whatever works I say. Although, I’m not sure what is more funny. The story itself, of some of the hilarious comments over at WaPo’s Site.
America has lost another legend
AP Video: (via Breit Bart)
Story Via AP:
Eartha Kitt, a sultry singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, has died, a family spokesman said. She was 81.
Andrew Freedman said Kitt, who was recently treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, died Thursday in Connecticut of colon cancer.
Kitt, a self-proclaimed “sex kitten” famous for her catlike purr, was one of America’s most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and nabbing a third nomination. She also was nominated for several Tonys and two Grammys.
Her career spanned six decades, from her start as a dancer with the famed Katherine Dunham troupe to cabarets and acting and singing on stage, in movies and on television. She persevered through an unhappy childhood as a mixed-race daughter of the South and made headlines in the 1960s for denouncing the Vietnam War during a visit to the White House.
[…]
Kitt was plainspoken about causes she believed in. Her anti-war comments at the White House came as she attended a White House luncheon hosted by Lady Bird Johnson.
“You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed,” she told the group of about 50 women. “They rebel in the street. They don’t want to go to school because they’re going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam.”
For four years afterward, Kitt performed almost exclusively overseas. She was investigated by the FBI and CIA, which allegedly found her to be foul-mouthed and promiscuous.
You do not speak evil of the dead. Just that simple. If this woman is to be remembered for anything at all. It is for having the guts to stand up in the White House and denouce an unconsitutional war. Which is what Vietnam was. I give her props for that. Plainly put, the broad had balls.
May she rest in peace, a true class act, all the way.
I do believe that I’ve heard it all now!
Via Breit Bart:
Whatever happened to just good old fashioned salt? I mean, Seriously!
Exit Question: Beet Juice?!?!?!?!? đ
There’s always something like this to make one go, “Ouch!” after the Holidays.
Raw Video from CNN: (thanks to Breit Bart)
Back Story at WTOP.com
I don’t think offering a Prayer or two for those involved in this would be out of order.
Some good news from Iraq.
Via FOXNews.com:
Iraq’s Christians, a small minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim country, quietly celebrated Christmas on Thursday with a present from the government, which declared it an official holiday for the first time.
But security worries overshadowed the day for many, particularly in the north where thousands of Christians have fled to escape religious attacks.
Overall security in Iraq has improved markedly in the past year, but a fatal car bombing in Baghdad on Christmas morning was a gruesome reminder that serious problems remain.
The bombing outside a restaurant frequented by police killed four people and wounded 25 others in the Shiite neighborhood of Shula, said a police officer speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give information to news media.
Also Thursday, an oil official said attackers blew up a pipeline in the city of Kirkuk. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack occurred Wednesday and pumping was expected to resume within three days.
In his homily on Thursday, Chaldean Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly praised the establishment of Christmas as an official holiday as a step toward easing tensions.
“I thank it too for making this day an official holiday where we pray to God to make us trust each other as brothers,” he said at the Christmas Mass before several dozen worshippers in the small chapel of a Baghdad monastery.
A senior Shiite cleric, Ammar al-Hakim attended the event, flanked by bodyguards, in a gesture of cooperation with Christians.
“I thank the visitors here and ask them to share happiness and love with their brothers on Christmas. By this they will build a glorious Iraq,” the cardinal said.
Unlike some liberals, who only want to look on the bad side of everything, (No wonder Sean threw you off of his show, idiot.) I think that this is proof that the surge is working. There is no doubt, that there is much work to do in Iraq. But this is a sign that there is some progress in Iraq.
What pisses me off, about the Liberals is this; they refused to admit that we won the overall war on terror in Iraq. Granted, we went there on bad information, I do admit that, as do many Conservatives; but the Liberals continue to repeat that dead fucking tired line of, “We cannot win, we have to leave and let these people fight their own battles.” Further more, they are the most irresponsible people ever. If we just pack up and leave, without fixing what we broke, without making DAMN sure that the Iraqi’s can defend themselves from attack from another Nation, we would be responsible for the worst case of genocide ever.
The Liberals refuse to see that Muqtada al-Sadr is all but irrelevant and hiding in Iran. The insurgency over, other than the spurious car bomb, things are back to normal. It sad that the Communist Liberals won’t give our Military the credit it deserves for accomplishing that enormous feat.
I just wonder how long it will be, before the Magic One will just remove all of our troops from Afghanistan and say, “Oh well, we deserved 9/11 anyhow, so, we’re not going to fight no more!” It would not surprise me at all.
The Moderate Voice, Scared Monkeys, TigerHawk, Gateway Pundit, and Don Surber
Not to make light of this, but man, it must be nice!
A family facing foreclosure is anything but a unique story in these troubled economic times.
But this is a happier story of one family whose financial ruin was averted by the actions of a friend, the compassion of strangers, the networking power of the Internet and the holiday spirit of giving.
“This is our Christmas story,” said Ebony Sampson. “It’s going to be told for generations and generations to come.”
Sampson, who lives in Aberdeen, Maryland, with her husband, Daniel, and their two young children, has overcome more hardship than one person should ever have to face. When she was in the 10th grade, she lost her entire family in a horrific car accident. Raised by a grandmother in New York, Ebony eventually used some life-insurance money from her parents’ death to buy the home in Aberdeen, near where she grew up.
But in June, Daniel got sick. After several tests, his doctors concluded that he was suffering from salmonella after eating a tainted tomato. As a new employee of Bank of America, he had not accrued enough paid time off to keep his job as a credit-card account manager.
Suddenly, the sole breadwinner in the Sampson household was out of work. Though the Sampsons received unemployment checks from the government, the money wasn’t enough to make ends meet.
First came the shut-off notices from the electric company. Then one of their cars broke down. One morning, Daniel woke up and looked out his bedroom window and saw his truck was missing. It had been repossessed.
With no job, no car and no income, the Sampsons got another surprise: Ebony Sampson learned she was eight weeks pregnant.
The Sampsons returned home from church, where they are practicing ministers, on a Sunday in November to find a stranger knocking on their front door. He wanted to put a bid in on their house. Ebony told him their home was not for sale. The next day, the Sampsons were notified that they were facing foreclosure unless they could come up with $10,000 in the next two weeks to bring their mortgage up to date.
“Once we received that letter, it was like, ‘Oh my God, what are we going to do?’ ” Daniel Sampson said. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would receive a foreclosure notice and not be rattled by it.”
Somehow, the couple maintained their sense of humor. Ebony Sampson called one of her oldest friends, Jaki Grier, and jokingly asked her if she had $10,000. Jaki told her, “Sure, just let me open up my invisible purse!”
But then Grier got an idea.
A self-described geek, Grier started blogging years ago. Since then, she’s contributed to a magazine’s Web site and regularly posts thoughts and life happenings on her LiveJournal page. So, she published Ebony and Daniel’s story, along with a link where people could make a donation.
Pretty bad when you gotta use a Blog and the internet as a tin cup. They were ministers, why didn’t the Church take up a collection for them?
Some Church. đ
Of course, when a white man like me says anything about it. I’m a raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccciiiiiist!
Update: For those who think I am being cruel or just being an asshole. Let me tell you something, ok? I used to be in over my head in debt. Finally, I filed for backruptcy. I filed for chapter 7, I lost it all, and started over. I had a Paypal account myself, did I get on the internet and cry, “Please send me money!”? No, I didn’t; I would never ask anyone else to help “Bail me out” of a sitution I put myself into. The facts are, they could have filed for backruptcy, even reaffairmed some of thier debts, like the house and could have been able to keep it. But no, they took the beggers route. It just steams me when I see people do that, I never did, I delt with my own problems and did what I could, I could have taken the route these people did, but I did the right thing and, as they say in the ghetto, “Delt with my own.”
