Category: World News

Video: Bill Maher calls Republicans “A Deadly Enemy”

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This comes via NewsBusters:

Video:

Transcript:

BILL MAHER: And finally, new rule: someone has to explain to me how it is that the Democrats can’t talk about their accomplishments while the Republicans actually campaign on their fuck-ups. Last week President Obama had the frankest town hall meeting I’ve ever seen, and a woman named Velma Hart took the mike and told the president, “I’m exhausted defending you.” Well, if you’re like Velma and you’re tired of making excuses for Obama, just imagine how tired he is of making excuses for you.

[Applause]

I know. Unemployment is high but you’re the one who’s not working, not him. He has a job. And part of it is stopping John Boehner from throwing you off unemployment.

[Applause]

Now, I’m — I am not here to carry water for this or any administration, but the facts of the coming election are Democrats have real accomplishments to run on. Like preventing a depression and forcing insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions. Like stopping the banks from being the useless middle-man on student loans, and lowering taxes for non-rich people. Obama has passed a credit card bill of rights, he restarted stem cell research, and got our ass out of Iraq, and signed a nuclear treaty with Russia – not to mention the intangible of having a president who can pronounce “nuclear.”

[Laughter]

Why can’t the Democrats get props for what they’ve achieved? Oh, I know, I know. Obama is black. He’s used to being denied credit.

[Laughter]

And there’s nothing wrong with being hard on him. He is the president. It’s our job to keep him honest. But when it comes to voting, when we only have two choices, you got to grow up and realize there’s a big difference between a disappointing friend and a deadly enemy.

[Applause]

Of course, the Democrats are disappointing. That’s what makes them Democrats. If they were any more frustrating they’d be your relatives. But in this country, they are all that stands between you and darkest night. You know why their symbol is the letter D? Because it’s a grade that means good enough but just barely. You know why the Republican symbol is R? Because it’s the noise a pirate makes when he robs you and feeds you to a shark.

He’s a really funny fellow. He’d be good for something…. What it is, I really do not know; shoe-shine boy at the bar mitzvah convention or something? 😯

I know, I know, some of you all might object to what I just wrote up there. But you know what? I say, FUCK IT! They want to insult us? I will insult them and unlike some of the pansy ass Conservatives, who won’t go there, due to fear of the PC police. I just do not give a flying fuck. The Liberals hate this damned Country and they just do not care about whom or what they hurt; so, I believe it is time to fight fire…..with fire.

Also, I have to wonder what the people cleaning the National Mall after the jack-boot fest would have to say about this?

Remember this come November 2 and vote accordingly. Because this stuff has gone on long enough; it is time to take back the wheel and put in people who are really Conservatives; and not Neo-Cons, who are of Maher’s stripe and nose size; and take back the Country.

Count down to being called an Antisemitic so and so in 5….4….3….2… Like I really honestly give a flying fuck. 😛

My thoughts on Meg Whitman-Gate

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Here is the deal. This lady wanted to run for Senate. She knew damned well, what she did. But yet, she decided to run anyhow. Now, her husband is basically saying, “Well, maybe we did screw up.”

Michelle Malkin blames the maid; sorry, I do not buy that; I am not saying she isn’t being pushed to this stuff, and I am fully aware that she is faking the emotional crap.

I place the blame squarely on Meg Whitman. She knew damned well what she hired and decided to do it anyhow. Now that she’s caught, she’s playing dumb. Sorry Meg, we’re a bit smarter than that.

Which brings me to my point: Why the hell do people, who want to run for public office, do extremely stupid stuff? Makes zero sense to me. I mean, they should know that sooner or later, they are going to get caught. It is more than just an oversight; it is just blantant stupidity. Not that we need much more of that on our side of the political fence. I mean, we cannot critize liberals and thier idiotic polices, if we Conservatives are basically doing the same thing.

This about all that I have to say about this one. I mean, if the Republican Party of California cannot vet thier canidates any better than this; then they have no business being in power.

Video: Government Fundamentalists

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UPDATED: What in the hell was this meatball James O’Keefe thinking?

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From the “Seriously, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!?!?!?” file:

The Video:

The Story via CNN:

Lusby, Maryland (CNN) — A conservative activist known for making undercover videos plotted to embarrass a CNN correspondent by recording a meeting on hidden cameras aboard a floating “palace of pleasure” and making sexually suggestive comments, e-mails and a planning document show.

James O’Keefe, best known for hitting the community organizing group ACORN with an undercover video sting, hoped to get CNN Investigative Correspondent Abbie Boudreau onto a boat filled with sexually explicit props and then record the session, those documents show.

The plan apparently was thwarted after Boudreau was warned minutes before it was supposed to happen.

“I never intended to become part of the story,” Boudreau said. “But things suddenly took a very strange turn.”

Here is another quote, and I realize that I might just catch grief for linking and quoting this; but at this point, I personally do not give two flips. Over at the liberal Media Matters for America, the following was said:

Riding a motorcycle on a wire stretched across the Grand Canyon is a “stunt.” Wearing a chicken suit to mock a political candidate for refusing to debate is a “stunt.” Unscrewing the cap on a salt shaker so your dining companion over-salts his soup is a “prank.”

Lying to a reporter in order to lure her onto a boat under false pretenses, then secretly recording her reaction to being confronted in an enclosed, unfamiliar environment by a strange man with handcuffs and sex toys, all while disparaging her as a “bubble-headed-bleach-blonde,” is not a “stunt.” It is the vicious, misogynist act of a twisted person whose 15 minutes should have expired long ago.

Let me officially go on the record saying that I agree with this one hundred percent.  James O’Keefe should be chased out of the damned Conservative movement and ran out of it on a damned rail. This idiot is not doing a fucking thing for the Republican Party, for Conservatism, or any other damned thing related to it at all.

Of course, Sir-Idiot-Much, has this to say for his defense:

The document states it was written by “Ben.” According to the e-mail chain obtained by CNN, Ben Wetmore sent the document to O’Keefe and Santa. In a statement e-mailed to CNN, O’Keefe wrote: “That is not my work product. When it was sent to me, I immediately found certain elements highly objectionable and inappropriate, and did not consider them for one minute following it.”

He did not respond to follow-up questions. Wetmore did not respond to our questions about the document. Instead, he posted a YouTube video criticizing CNN’s coverage of the ACORN story.

What a lying piece of crap! This moronic tool got busted and now, he is trying to lie his way out of it. Here is hoping that CNN and this poor woman, sues the living crap out of this idiot and his so-called organization or that the Maryland Attorney General Office files charges against this moron. I mean, could you imagine the charges that this guy would faced; if he had actually went through with this and succeeded? Holy Hell! 😯

This goes well beyond your liberal versus conservative argument; this veers off into the misogynistic area. I notice that the Conservative Blogosphere is strangely silent about this too. I cannot for the life of me, understand why any conservative would even remotely defend this moron’s actions at all. There is no defense, he is a creep and ought to be blacklisted from the Conservative movement once and for all.

Please, folks, do not misunderstand me here, at all. I am all for arguing against the idea of big Government, entitlement of racial and gender type, and even protesting the Governmental take over of healthcare — hell, I even understand the liberals have basically overtaken the media and I am all for exposing their double standards. But not only do I think that this quite stupid, not to mention illegal.  This is just straight up wrong and immoral, not to mention folks; it is just downright destructive to our cause. I mean, seriously, what the hell is doing something idiotic like this, going to do for our cause? Nothing! —-But make us even more stupid looking, that we already look to the left now.

In short and the bottom line: This was ill-conceived and the people behind it ought to be ostracized out of the movement…. for good.

—

Memeorandum Roundup Here

Update: True to form, the Conservative media has turned out to denounce O’Keefe:

Brent Bozell III of Media Research Center:

The MRC unequivocally denounces James O’Keefe for his attempted assault on CNN. It isn’t just childish and immature; it’s ugly, dishonest and filthy. There is no place in the conservative movement for this type of behavior and that’s exactly what I warned about in a commentary piece I submitted to CNN.com just two days ago.

“Could the Citizen Journalist abuse the public trust?” I wrote in this piece that should run in the next few days. “Hypothetically, of course. Conservatives must all guard against this. Let there be scrutiny, by all means.” And I repeat: there must be scrutiny.

Bottom line: We want nothing to do with O’Keefe or his dirty antics.

If an enterprising citizen can expose media bias with a video camera and good idea, that’s a good thing. But I fail to see how luring a lone female reporter to a remote location and isolating her on a boat, surrounding her with sex toys and pornography, and trying to convince her that the virtual stranger sitting next to her is coming on to her, possibly in front of a “sex tape machine,” does that. That’s not a recipe for a gotcha video, it’s more like a step-by-step instruction on how to cause discomfort and fear. What an ugly and potentially traumatic situation to create on purpose. It’s not clever or funny, it’s sick.

There will no doubt be more details and, one assumes from the reporting, emails, that will fully establish who wrote what and whether O’Keefe was going to go through with the plan or not. Those details will probably be reported by Boudreau, an actual journalist.

So no, I don’t think “stunt” or “prank” are the right words. I think the one I would use is “despicable.”

Oh and Izzy Santa? Good for you.


Well put gentlemen, good form.

Democratic Party Representative Alan Grayson is a disgrace to the Jewish Race and to Judaism itself

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I have avoided writing about this topic, because not too long ago, I was branded a Neo-Nazi and Anti-Semite by those whose business it is to play that card.  However, as a Christian, as an American Conservative —- I will not sit idly by and allow a Jewish man to slander a Christian man in this manner.

However, let me say this; this is not about hatred towards a Jewish man.  This is about a liberal man, who happens to be Jewish, taking a very nasty swipe at Christianity —- All in the name of politics. Let me clear, I said this in the title and I will say it again. Alan Grayson is an utter disgrace to the Jewish race and to Judaism itself. Alan Grayson should be refuted and severely chastised by the Democratic Party and told to remove the ad or be removed as the candidate for the House of Representatives.  There is no place in politics for the bashing of political opponents religion.

Here is the video in question:

Now here are the words of Daniel Webster in their proper context:

Now this is very surprising, even Contessa Brewer over at MSNBC; much to her credit would not even let this one go:

Okay, can we be real about this now?  If a Christian Conservative Republican candidate had attacked a Democratic Party candidate like this, the outrage would be apoplectic.  However, because it is a Jewish man attacking a Christian — there is not a word of outrage. My question is why are not AIPAC and the many other Jewish lobbying groups putting out a statement condemning this sort of obvious slander of Christianity, by a liberal Jew?

I mean, could you just imagine; if a Republican Candidate put something like this out?

Could you just image what the Liberal Blogosphere would do to that person?  —- Not to mention some in the Neo-Conservative Blogosphere!  So, why is that this man is getting away with this, without any repercussions from the Democratic Party?  Why is not AIPAC condemning it? Why is this man getting a free pass by the liberals?

While you are thinking about this:

Donate to Daniel Webster’s campaign!

Again, this is not about hate at all, it is about realism folks —-  If the Republican Candidate had even remotely thought about putting an ad like the one above by a one David Duke.  The outrage would be off the charts.  However, because Alan Grayson is a Jewish liberal he gets a free pass.  Why is that?

Until those in the media are willing to ask those questions, it is nothing more the rube for the Democratic Party and for the likes of Alan Grayson.

Not that it is a big surprise, but Fox News is murdering MSNBC in ratings

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I happen to know why too… but first:

Via Politico:

More people are getting their news about the upcoming election from cable television than any other source, and from Fox News more than any other cable channel, according to a POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll released Monday.

The poll found that 81 percent of those polled get their news about the midterm elections from cable channels, like Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, or their websites, compared with 71 percent from national network news channels, such as ABC, NBC or CBS, and their websites.

Among cable news channels, Fox was the clear winner, with 42 percent of respondents saying it is their main source, compared with 30 percent who cited CNN and 12 percent who rely on MSNBC.

The results show the growing influence that 24-hour cable news has on shaping the political consciousness, despite the fact that network newscasts still draw many multiples of the number of viewers of even the highest-rated cable news shows.

“Because people can tune into cable at any time of day, I think the cumulative audience is probably larger than the cumulative audience for the three network news shows,” said Chris Arterton, dean of the George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.

The real funny part about this, is the following:

Fox’s opinionated personalities were also rated as having the greatest positive impact on the political debate in the country. Bill O’Reilly was rated as having, by far, the greatest positive impact, with 49 percent of respondents rating him positively, and 32 percent negatively.

Glenn Beck was the second most-positively rated personality, with 38 percent of respondents saying he had a positive impact, and 32 percent saying he had a negative impact.

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh was the third-most-positively ranked, with 36 percent saying he has a positive impact on the discourse, but his negatives far outweighed his positives, with 52 percent saying he has a negative impact.

“To some extent, Limbaugh has become almost a caricature in a way, so I don’t know how much influence he has beyond entertainment value,” Arteron said. “Whereas, in some way, the other people on Fox are seen as more legitimate news operations.”

MSNBC’s personalities were largely ranked as unknown by respondents: 70 percent said they had never heard of Ed Schultz, 55 percent said they had never heard of Rachel Maddow and 42 percent said they had never heard of Keith Olbermann.

The reason?

So True....

(Borrowed from Weasel Zippers)

There is a personal angle to this story and I am going to share it with you.  During the 1990’s, I was a watcher of CNN, mainly because that was about the only cable news outlet out there at the time.  Please keep in mind that back on those days, I was very unaware or unconcerned about media bias.  I always knew that the media, which I referred to, at the time, as the “secular media”; always had a bias against Christianity, Christians and the Church World as a whole.

However, I really do not know when it started really, most likely, after the election of George W. Bush; but it seemed like the bias and antagonistic mentality towards Christians, Christianity, and the Church World began to come to a feverish pitch around 2006 or so.  At least, that is when I began to notice it with any somewhat real cognizant effort.   The straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, is when CNN did a special called “What is a Christian?”  Which I felt was a purposeful attack on Christianity in general.  However, when they did a special on Muslims, it was titled “God’s Warriors.”  That is when I decided that CNN had “Crossed the Rubicon” in my book.  So, I switched to MSNBC.  I knew that MSNBC would be a bit like CNN, but they had tucker Carlson on there.  Therefore, that would balance it out.  I remembered tucker from the CNN days —- I also remember him being a bit of an asshole as well. I knew about his background, which admittedly made me cringe a bit. However, when I began watch his show, I found that I actually began agreeing with what he was saying.  I should also point out, that this was around the time, that I began blogging.  I was inspired, mainly by Lou Dobbs and with an utter frustration with what the Bush Administration was doing in Iraq.

However, things over at MSNBC began to change; first off, Tucker’s show was cancelled, that just flat out angered me.  I thought Tucker’s show balanced out the other opinions, like Olbermann. Then the jockeying of talent around, all of whom had one thing in common — They were all liberal.  That bothered me a bit. Therefore, I did what any sane, reasoned person would do.  I began to watch Fox News — in a very limited fashion at first.  I would watch Keith Obermann’s show at eight o’clock and then I would catch the repeat of Bill O’Reilly’s show at Eleven o’clock.

I should also mention that around this time, is when I began to see the writing on wall, so to speak, in the Democratic Party.  The Party that once stood for middle class people and people like me, who were held back, due to personal circumstances, was becoming the party of identity politics. I also began to see that the Democratic Party was much biased and geared against middle class and above white people —- like me.  Yes, I am aware, that identity politics and gender entitlement always was a faction within the Democratic Party.  However, until the 2007 Primary, I do not believe that it was the “mainstay” of that party.  In 2007, that all changed, with the battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama; it was the blacks against the feminists and that was when I decided that enough was enough.  Also around this time, my blog was hacked and I had to start over from scratch and I decided that cheering for the left; even though I was a left-of-center and not really ever a fully-fledged Democrat — was an exercise in abject folly.  Therefore, I began blogging from an Independent standpoint and as time went on, I found myself agreeing more and more with the right on most, if not all issues.

Now there are some issues that I am in disagreement with, however, they are nothing worth totally separating me from the right.  Most of them are on the framing of arguments against the left.  Example: Socialism and Unions —- I believe it to be a credible argument to say that socialism has contributed to the downfall of Michigan and the Detroit area.  Further, I believe it to be a legitimate argument to say that the Unions have added to the cost of vehicles offered by the auto companies.  The problem is that the right needs to work on the polish and verbiage of those legitimate arguments.  Casting unions in the light of some covert Communist operation does nothing but make the right look like total buffoons.

Finally, my viewing of MSNBC finally stopped, after a woman by the name of Janeane Garofalo took to the airwaves on MSNBC and declared on Keith Olbermann’s show that the Tea Party movement was nothing more than a bunch of racist white people and racist rednecks.  It was at that point, when I decided, that Keith Olbermann and his show were not something that I felt that I needed to watch any longer.  I am sorry, but when you use your show and one of your guests as a proxy to insult a particular ethnic group of people — especially one that I happen to be involved in — you are practicing the politics of exclusion; and that is, I am afraid, not something that I can and will ever support.  The Bush Administration tried this back in 2003, during the run up to and after the start of the Iraq War.  Those that were opposed to the war in Iraq were labeled by the Bush Administration and its supporters as Anti-American.  Conversely, it is believed by some, that certain persons within the Bush Administration purposely derailed the career of a covert C.I.A. agent of whom husband did criticize the decision to go to war.

This all again, is the practice of derisive politics, something I thought that the left detested; however, it seems that the left engaged in the same sorts of folly themselves — Not only in just the general politics itself, but also in the media coverage — but also in the actually reporting of news as well.  I remember well how Keith Olbermann and many of his fellow liberals liked and still do like to blast Fox News for allow opinion to seep into the normal news programs in the morning.  However, I have watched MSNBC, and have seen liberal bias in the morning news reporting there as well.  Therefore, to this writer, that nullifies any argument that the left has against Fox News or any other sort of Conservative outlet.  I mean, it only makes sense that you cannot criticize someone for doing something that you do yourself.  Then again, common sense does not seem to be in great abundance in liberal Democrat circles these days.  Just look at whom the Democratic Party installed as President — that ought to speak volumes as to the condition of liberalism, and the Democratic Party in general in this modern day and age.  I mean a perfect example of the elite liberal establishment can be seen, when Bill Maher calls those who do not want the nationalized heathcare, as stupid.  This is the attitude of the liberal populace and establishment as a whole; that most Americans are uneducated stupid people, who must have the enlightened ones makes the decisions, because most Americans are too stupid to know what it good for them — that is essentially liberalism distilled to its basic parts.  This is why I sided against them.  They do not trust people like me, to be able to make our own decisions.  Further, they wish to quell my free will, which is given to me, by God himself, to accept or reject what it is that they wish to foist upon me.

In closing of this rather long article — I am quite the windbag, when I want to be — the reason for these dismal ratings for MSNBC is that that network has and is continuing to engage in intellectual dishonesty.  This began right after the election of President Barack Obama.  This should be proof that you just cannot propagandize the American people — not for very long anyhow.  Americans are just smarter than the liberal elite and some elite among the Conservative establishment, give them credit for being.  Americans just have that uncanny ability to know when they are being sold a line of tripe.

This friends, is what makes us a great Nation and for this, I am eternally grateful.

The G.O.P’s “Pledge to America” is nothing more retread Neo-Conservative, Theocracy nonsense

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This is pretty rich; The Republican Party is trotting out the same old George W. Bush style of Governence, with some new promises. Promises that the Republican Party actually expect the American people to believe that they will actually keep.

Let us go through this thing, shall we?

This comes Via CBS NEWS:

CBS News has obtained a final draft of House Republicans’ legislative agenda for the next Congress, a 21-page "Pledge to America" that they will formally unveil Thursday morning at a Virginia hardware store.

"The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated," the introduction says.

It continues: "With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge to America."

Let look at this thing shall we? I mean, I need a good laugh! I will spare you the hum drum, "Patriot" sounding nonsense and puffery, and I will get to the meat and point out the crap.

We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.
We pledge to make government more transparent in its actions, careful in its stewardship, and honest in its dealings.
We pledge to uphold the purpose and promise of a better America, knowing that to whom much is given, much is expected and that the blessings of our liberty buoy the hopes of mankind.
We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance to the people we represent, and we invite fellow citizens and patriots to join us in forming a new governing agenda for America.

Hmmm, Sounds like they want to turn America into a theocracy. 

Continuing:

Permanently Stop All Job-Killing Tax Hikes: We will help the economy by permanently stopping all tax increases, currently scheduled to take effect January 1, 2011. That means protecting middle-class families, seniors worried about their retirement, and the entrepreneurs and family-owned small businesses on which we depend to create jobs in America.

• Give Small Businesses a Tax Deduction: We will allow small business owners to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their business income. This will provide entrepreneurs with a much-needed infusion of capital for investment and new hiring.

• Rein In the Red Tape Factory in Washington, DC: Excessive federal regulation is a de facto tax on employers and consumers that stifles job creation, hampers innovation and postpones investment in the economy. When the game is always changing, small businesses cannot properly plan for the future. To provide stability, we will require congressional approval of any new federal regulation that has an annual cost to our economy of $100 million or more. This is the threshold at which the government deems a regulation “economically significant.” If a regulation is so “significant” and costly that it may harm job creation, Congress should vote on it first.

• Repeal Job-Killing Small Business Mandates: One of the most controversial mandates of the Democrats’ government takeover of health care requires small businesses to report to the Internal Revenue Service any purchases that run more than $600. This 1099 reporting mandate is so overbearing that the IRS ombudsman has determined that the agency is ill-equipped to handle all the resulting paperwork.. We will repeal this job-killing small business mandate.

This was all promised before and never was enacted.

Act Immediately to Reduce Spending: There is no reason to wait to reduce wasteful and unnecessary spending. Congress should move immediately to cancel unspent “stimulus” funds, and block any attempts to extend the timeline for spending “stimulus” funds. Throwing more money at a stimulus plan that is not working only wastes taxpayer money and puts us further in debt.

• Cut Government Spending to Pre-Stimulus, Pre-Bailout Levels: With common-sense exceptions for seniors, veterans, and our troops, we will roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, saving us at least $100 billion in the first year alone and putting us on a path to begin paying down the debt, balancing the budget, and ending the spending spree in Washington that threatens our children’s future.

• Establish a Hard Cap on New Discretionary Spending: We must put common-sense limits on the growth of government and stop the endless increases. Only in Washington is there an expectation that whatever your budget was last year, it will be more this year and even more the next. We will set strict budget caps to limit federal spending on an annual basis. Budget caps were used in the 1990s, when a Republican Congress was able to bring the budget into balance and eventual surplus. By cutting discretionary spending from current levels and imposing a hard cap on future growth, we will save taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars.

• Cut Congress’ Budget: This year, Congress increased its own budget by 5.8 percent at a time when families and small businesses across the country are cutting back. We will make Congress do more with less by significantly reducing its budget.

• Hold Weekly Votes on Spending Cuts: Earlier this year, House Republicans launched the YouCut initiative to combat the permissive culture of runaway spending in Congress. Over the course of nine weeks, YouCut produced proposals to save taxpayers more than $120 billion. We will continue to hold weekly votes on spending cuts.

• End TARP Once And For All: Americans are rightly outraged at the bailouts of businesses and entities that force responsible taxpayers to subsidize irresponsible behavior. We will cancel the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), a move that would save taxpayers roughly $16 billion.

• End Government Control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Since taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage companies that triggered the financial meltdown by giving too many high risk loans to people who couldn’t afford them, taxpayers were billed more than $145 billion to save the two companies. We will reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by ending their government takeover, shrinking their portfolios, and establishing minimum capital standards. This will save taxpayers as much as $30 billion.

• Impose a Net Federal Hiring Freeze of Non-Security Employees: Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the engine of our economy and should not be crowded out by unchecked government growth. We will impose a net hiring freeze on non-security federal employees and ensure that the public sector no longer grows at the expense of the private sector.

• Root Out Government Waste and Duplication: Once created, federal programs almost never go away, even if the problem they were created to address is no longer relevant. More than 20 states have addressed this problem by requiring that programs end – or “sunset” – by a date certain. We will adopt this requirement at the federal level to force Congress to determine if a program is worthy of continued taxpayer support.

• Reform the Budget Process to Focus on Long-Term Challenges: We will make the decisions that are necessary to protect our entitlement programs for today’s seniors and future generations. That means requiring a full accounting of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, setting benchmarks for these programs and reviewing them regularly, and preventing the expansion of unfunded liabilities.

Again, this was all promised before in the past; and was never done. In fact, spending increased under the previous President.

My favorite so far…:

There is literally no aspect of our economy or our society that the federal government doesn’t tax, regulate or subsidize, and often it does all three at the same time. The most recent edition of the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance listed 2,050 different assistance programs available to states, local governments, for-profit and non-profit organizations, groups, and individuals. Taxpayers are literally funding programs from cradle to grave…

Yes, let’s defund programs for the actual needy, and the Handicapped — like my aunt. Let’s allow them starve. What idiots. 🙄

Here’s the REAL knee slapper!

• Read The Bill: We will ensure that bills are debated and discussed in the public square by publishing the text online for at least three days before coming up for a vote in the House of Representatives. No more hiding legislative language from the minority party, opponents, and the public. Legislation should be understood by all interested parties before it is voted on.

• Adhere To The Constitution: For too long, Congress has ignored the proper limits imposed by the Constitution on the federal government. Further, it has too often drafted unclear and muddled laws, leaving to an unelected judiciary the power to interpret what the law means and by what authority the law stands. This lack of respect for the clear Constitutional limits and authorities has allowed Congress to create ineffective and costly programs that add to the massive deficit year after year. We will require each bill moving through Congress to include a clause citing the specific constitutional authority upon which the bill is justified.

• Make It Easier to Cut Spending: By forbidding amendments on spending bills, Democrats have denied lawmakers the opportunity to tighten Washington’s belt and slash wasteful and duplicative programs. Structure dictates behavior, so we will let any lawmaker — Democrat or Republican — offer amendments to reduce spending.

• Advance Legislative Issues One at a Time: We will end the practice of packaging unpopular bills with “must-pass” legislation to circumvent the will of the American people. Instead, we will advance major legislation one issue at a time.

However, they wish to do this too:

* Pass Clean Troop Funding Bills: When asked to provide our troops with the resources they need, we will do so without delay. That means no more troop funding bills held up by unrelated policy changes, or extraneous domestic spending and pork-barrel projects.

• Keep Terrorists Out of America: We will prevent the government from importing terrorists onto American soil. We will hold President Obama and his administration responsible for any Guantanamo Bay detainees they release who return to fight against our troops or who have become involved in any terrorist plots or activities.

• Demand an Overarching Detention Policy: Foreign terrorists do not have the same rights as American citizens, nor do they have more rights than U.S. military personnel. We will work to ensure foreign terrorists, such as the 9/11 conspirators, are tried in military, not civilian, court. We will oppose all efforts to force our military, intelligence, and law enforcement personnel operating overseas to extend “Miranda Rights” to foreign terrorists.

• Fully Fund Missile Defense: There is real concern that while the threat from Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles could materialize as early as 2015, the government’s missile defense policy is not projected to cover the U.S. homeland until 2020. We will work to ensure critical funding is restored to protect the U.S. homeland and our allies from missile threats from rogue states such as Iran and North Korea.

• Require Tough Enforcement of Sanctions Against Iran: The Iranian regime is a state-sponsor of terrorism, has actively worked to harm our deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and violates the rights and will of its own people. It has declared its determination to acquire a nuclear capability, which threatens its neighbors and the security of the United States. We will work to ensure the government aggressively and effectively implements the sanctions tools Congress has provided.

• Establish Operational Control of the Border: We must take action to secure our borders, and that action starts with enforcing our laws. We will ensure that the Border Patrol has the tools and authorities to establish operational control at the border and prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from interfering with Border Patrol enforcement activities on federal lands.

• Work with State and Local Officials to Enforce Our Immigration Laws: The problem of illegal immigration and Mexican drug cartels engaged in an increasingly violent conflict means we need all hands on deck to address this challenge. We will reaffirm the authority of state and local law enforcement to assist in the enforcement of all federal immigration laws.

• Strengthen Visa Security: To stop terrorists like Omar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Christmas Day bomber, we will require the Department of Homeland Security to review all visa applications at high-risk consular posts and prevent aliens from attempting to avoid deportation after having their visas revoked.

As for immigration; how about we try this novel idea? END ALL IMMIGRATION FOR AT LEAST 10 YEARS! Then, using the Government’s already vast resources, we round up, and DEPORT ALL Illegal immigrants in this damn country and BAR THEM from returned to the United States, FOREVER!

Yes, we want to stick to the constitution; but we also want to keep funding the Military industrial complex! This one was really one that makes me ill:

Require Tough Enforcement of Sanctions Against Iran: The Iranian regime is a state-sponsor of terrorism, has actively worked to harm our deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and violates the rights and will of its own people. It has declared its determination to acquire a nuclear capability, which threatens its neighbors and the security of the United States. We will work to ensure the government aggressively and effectively implements the sanctions tools Congress has provided.

Oh yes, let’s antagonize the hell out of Iran, until they strike one of our interests overseas; like Iraq and we end up having to go into that Country or some other one, with our interests in it. Which would lead to more War…….again!

Here is a novel idea. How about ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now? Because Iraq is done; let them people deal with their own Country. Afghanistan is basically lost. The Russians tried rebuilding that god-forsaken wilderness and failed. Why do we think that we can do it any better? Al-Qaeda is basically in Pakistan and so damned well protected; that we will never get them, unless we keep hitting civilian targets. Which only inspires more terrorists. Why not just use CIA Drones and bring out troops home? That or just admit that the United States purposefully let down it’s guard; and end the lie, in the first damned place!  That way, we can usually save some money for defending America from Terrorism here; seeing that we have created this situation of possible blow back from those wanting to hurt America, because of our stupid invasion of Iraq, which had zero to do with 9/11. How is that for a novel idea?

However, no, we would rather continue with the same old Neo-Conservative, Israel-appeasing, polices that caused 9/11 in the first damned place. In the process, we want to bankrupt the Country, by continuing to fund crap like that. Plus, we continue to fund other Countries, like Israel and their healthcare plan, which includes a public option; which America does not even have. Until this stops. America will continue to be in debt for a long time to come.

For what it is worth, I am not the only person that thinks this is crap. Even the folks at RedState hate it.

Memeorandum thread is here.

One of the sad side effects of 9/11 and War, Military Crimes

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This is one of the saddest things that you would ever want to read.

Via the Washington Post:

AT JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH. The U.S. soldiers hatched a plan as simple as it was savage: to randomly target and kill an Afghan civilian, and to get away with it.

For weeks, according to Army charging documents, rogue members of a platoon from the 5th Stryker Combat Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, floated the idea. Then, one day last winter, a solitary Afghan man approached them in the village of La Mohammed Kalay. The “kill team” activated the plan.

One soldier created a ruse that they were under attack, tossing a fragmentary grenade on the ground. Then others opened fire.

According to charging documents, the unprovoked, fatal attack on Jan. 15 was the start of a months-long shooting spree against Afghan civilians that resulted in some of the grisliest allegations against American soldiers since the U.S. invasion in 2001. Members of the platoon have been charged with dismembering and photographing corpses, as well as hoarding a skull and other human bones.

The subsequent investigation has raised accusations about whether the military ignored warnings that the out-of-control soldiers were committing atrocities. The father of one soldier said he repeatedly tried to alert the Army after his son told him about the first killing, only to be rebuffed.

Two more slayings would follow. Military documents allege that five members of the unit staged a total of three murders in Kandahar province between January and May. Seven other soldiers have been charged with crimes related to the case, including hashish use, attempts to impede the investigation and a retaliatory gang assault on a private who blew the whistle.

Army officials have not disclosed a motive for the killings and macabre behavior. Nor have they explained how the attacks could have persisted without attracting scrutiny. They declined to comment on the case beyond the charges that have been filed, citing the ongoing investigation.

But a review of military court documents and interviews with people familiar with the investigation suggest the killings were committed essentially for sport by soldiers who had a fondness for hashish and alcohol.

The accused soldiers, through attorneys and family members, deny wrongdoing. But the case has already been marked by a cycle of accusations and counter-accusations among the defendants as they seek to pin the blame on each other, according to documents and interviews.

The Army has scheduled pre-trial hearings in the case this fall at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, home of the Stryker brigade. (The unit was renamed the 2nd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, when it returned from Afghanistan in July.) Military officials say privately that they worry the hearings will draw further attention to the case, with photos and other evidence prompting anger among the Afghan civilians whose support is critical to the fight against the Taliban.

This article is a seriously interesting read; so I will ask you, please head on over at read the rest of it.

Now, if I were a committed Neo-Conservative; like many of the Bloggers on the right, I would say something to the effect of, “Oh, this is just liberal, anti-war propaganda!”  If I were a committed Paleo-Conservative, I would say something to the effect of, “See?  This is what happens when you go to war!  See?  See?  See?”

Fortunately, I am not committed to either of those positions really.

One of the worst assumptions, that a person can make about the Military, is that every person that volunteers for service; is going to be an honest, upstanding person.  There are people out there, which are just hell bent on breaking rules.  Only difference is, these people were wearing our Military uniforms when doing so.  Could this crime cause problems for us down the road?  Maybe.  There could be blowback later on.  I hope that not — but it does happen.

I do not claim to know the motives for this crime; all I can really do is speculate.  One could blame the euphoria after 9/11; one could blame the kids for their desire to kill people.  All of that really does not matter; all that matters now is, that there are dead afghans, who really had nothing to do with 9/11, and officers from our Military killed them, for sport.  That is a real problem, when it comes to trying to get Afghans to trust us, so that we can make gains with Taliban and ultimately kill or capture the members of Al-Qaeda.

War is a game, a game of strategy; like chess.  The problem is the pieces of that game are real human lives on the line.  The bad part is this, these idiots, in their moronic desire to kill —- just kicked the damn chess game over.  Now, the Military leaders have to upright the game, and hopefully no pieces — or lives — get lost in the process.  It is a job and a responsibility that can make even the most steel-nerved person into a bumbling, pill-popping wreck.  Another thing is this is not 24 hours news cycle, news sound bite, work.  It is long, tedious work, and it can wear the strongest of them down quick.

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who are involved in this situation, at all levels. My Prayers go out to the Soldiers who are in the Afghan Theater fighting what the liberals used to call, “The good war.” God be with them.

Video: REALITY REPORT #61 – DHS Creates Citizenship Database

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Disclaimer: It should not be assumed that I agree with all the opinions expressed in this video. I present it for your viewing pleasure and for information purposes only.

Thank you,

-Pat

————

Synopsis:

In this edition of the Reality Report, Gary Franchi discloses how the Department of Homeland Security is maneuvering around the 1974 Privacy act to set up a new centralized database for citizens. He also travels to New York to find out what the media neglected to cover regarding 9/11 memorials planned for the 9 year anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. He interviews Richard Gage about Building 7’s collapse and 9/11 family member Manny Badillo recounts his confrontation with DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano while at the reflecting pool. John Uhlich is interviewed about why he traveled from Chicago to mourn his cousins murder at Ground Zero. Nina breaks down the headlines including DHS new Iris scanners and reveals the news about settlement connecting Autism to Vaccines. She also plays Candidate Marg Bakers inflammatory remarks about rounding up people for Concentration Camps and provides the truth behind the mysterious third beam of light that pierced the night sky in New York on 9/11. The viewers brand a new “Enemy of the State” and the mailbag is sifted.

http://RealityReport.tv | http://RestoreTheRepublic.com

Video: REALITY REPORT #60 – Obama’s Iraq Bushism

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In this edition of the Reality Report:

Gary Franchi points out Obama’s latest Iraq War Bushism and welcomes We Are Change Founder Luke Rudkowski to the show.

Nina breaks down the headlines including Homeowners Associations restricting Gadsden Flags, the Blogger Shakedown of Righthaven LLC, the recent Emergency Declaration in North Carolina that suspended the 2nd Amendment and how Blackwater Security used shell corporations to acquire tax payer money.

The viewers answer whether or not the World Trade Center was a Controlled demolition in the mailbag and keep watching to see the viewer pick for this week’s Enemy of the State.

Two Sites to check out: http://RealityReport.TV | http://RestoreTheRepublic.com |

…and now the video:

UPDATED: I hate to say it: Nicholas Kristof makes a very good point

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Rarely do I ever concede a point to a liberal. However, in this case; it is fair to do so.

This morning Nicholas Kristof writes in the New York Times, about the Mosque Controversy:

For a glimpse of how venomous and debased the discourse about Islam has become, consider a blog post in The New Republic this month. Written by Martin Peretz, the magazine’s editor in chief, it asserted: “Frankly, Muslim life is cheap, most notably to Muslims.”

Mr. Peretz added: “I wonder whether I need honor these people and pretend that they are worthy of the privileges of the First Amendment, which I have in my gut the sense that they will abuse.”

Thus a prominent American commentator, in a magazine long associated with tolerance, ponders whether Muslims should be afforded constitutional freedoms. Is it possible to imagine the same kind of casual slur tossed off about blacks or Jews? How do America’s nearly seven million American Muslims feel when their faith is denounced as barbaric?

This is one of those times that test our values, a bit like the shameful interning of Japanese-Americans during World War II, or the disgraceful refusal to accept Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe.

It would have been natural for this test to have come right after 9/11, but it was forestalled because President George W. Bush pushed back at his conservative ranks and repeatedly warned Americans not to confuse Al Qaeda with Islam.

As much as I hate to say it; Mr. Kristof is absolutely right. It should noted that Martin Peretz is, in fact Jewish and is, in fact, a rabid Zionist. In fact, Martin Peretz is known for the following comments:

Frankly, I couldn’t quite imagine any venture like [the Iraq War] in the Arab World turning out especially well. This is, you will say, my prejudice. But some prejudices are built on real facts, and history generally proves me right. Go ahead, prove me wrong. — Source

and:

But, frankly, Muslim life is cheap, most notably to Muslims. And among those Muslims led by the Imam Rauf there is hardly one who has raised a fuss about the routine and random bloodshed that defines their brotherhood. So, yes, I wonder whether I need honor these people and pretend that they are worthy of the privileges [sic] of the First Amendment which I have in my gut the sense that they will abuse. — Source

Like Kristof said; could you imagine if the above were uttered about the Jews or about the black race? There would a media frenzy about it. Believe me, I know; I have been attacked by those who are of the protected class and all for speaking my mind about them and how they attack those of whom they disagree.

The fact is, that this whole Mosque situation boils down to this; Islam versus Christian Nativists and Jews, Arabs versus Americans, whites versus non-whites. Am I calling those who oppose this mosque racists? Well, my question for you is this; do you feel that burning pages of the Koran normal acceptable practice? Would you feel the same way, if some Muslim took a page out of the  Christian Bible and began burning it? How about the Tanakh, the Torah, or The ?umash, the Siddur, the Piyutim or even the Zohar?

The point I am trying to make here is this; I realize that radicalized Muslims attacked the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and Flight 93. However, when you punish an entire religion for the actions of a few, you are practicing a forum of collectivism. That is not anything remotely Conservative, nor is it anything remotely American. Being vigilant against terrorism is one thing; but being idiotic is another, this situation with this Mosque is well beyond that — on both sides.

Update: On the Other hand… these are videos from 9/11:

There are two sides to every argument; one would suppose. There is also this here.

The Obligatory Obama will not extend Bush Tax Cuts Posting

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Well, duh, he is a liberal and a Democrat. He does believe in class warfare. Remember you Republicans and Libertarians that voted for him. (You know who you are…)

Via the NYT:

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday will make clear that he opposes any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package that is otherwise designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies.

Mr. Obama’s opposition to allowing the high-end tax cuts to remain in place for even another year or two would be the signal many Congressional Democrats have been awaiting as they prepare for a showdown with Republicans on the issue and ends speculation that the White House might be open to an extension. Democrats say only the president can rally wavering lawmakers who, amid the party’s weakened poll numbers, feel increasingly vulnerable to Republican attacks if they let the top rates lapse at the end of this year as scheduled.

It is not clear that Mr. Obama can prevail given his own diminished popularity, the tepid economic recovery and the divisions within his party. But by proposing to extend the rates for the 98 percent of households with income below $250,000 for couples and $200,000 for individuals — and insisting that federal income tax rates in 2011 go back to their pre-2001 levels for income above those cutoffs — he intends to cast the issue as a choice between supporting the middle class or giving breaks to the wealthy.

In a speech in Cleveland on Wednesday, Mr. Obama will also make a case for the package of roughly $180 billion in expanded business tax cuts and infrastructure spending disclosed by the White House in bits and pieces over the past few days. He would offset the cost by closing other tax breaks for multinational corporations, oil and gas companies and others.

While the speech will be centrist in its policy prescriptions other than the Bush tax cuts, Mr. Obama’s language will be partisan as he seeks to sharpen the contrasts between Republicans’ record and efforts by Democrats to create more jobs, aides said.

As much as I would like to jump up, holler and raise a fuss about this; I cannot. We all knew that this was coming. This should be a lesson to the Republican Party. That is, do not run weak or moderate Conservatives during elections. Because when you do; Conservatives, and I mean hardcore Conservatives will not vote — and this is what you get. I know that I, personally, will not be affected by this; neither will my family.

However, I am sure that there will be some families affected by this —  not to mention a myriad of business owners out there. This will, I am sure, cause a downtown in hiring by businesses; which will add to the huge downturn in the economy. It is all a domino effect, starts at the top and goes to the bottom.

Another thing to think about; we do have to eventually pay for these two wars. I believe that those who profited off of both of these wars ought to be targeted for taxing. I believe that a special “War Tax”, ought to be appended to anyone making over $500.000 or more a year. I would target multinational companies, like oil companies and so forth. Especially those in Iraq. Perhaps next time, the warmongering class will not be so eager to start a war next time. This taxing would reinforce the idea that those wanting said war, should they actually have to pay for it. Foreign Policy has a price tag; and those who want follow Woodrow Wilson’s steps, should be required to pay that price tag.

Memorandum Thread.

Want Living Proof that Nation-Building does not work?

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Here you go, a video of New York Times reporter John Burns, who, by the way, was the best person covering the Iraq War.

The Video: (H/T HotAir.com)

Ed Morrissey makes a very important point:

On Iraq, it’s hard to see how Obama could have improved the situation. He followed the SOFA pact that George W. Bush negotiated with Nouri al-Maliki, and the Iraqi government made it clear they wanted us to stick to that schedule. If the Iraqis want us out entirely by the end of next year, we have little choice but to comply; to do otherwise would be a de facto reoccupation that will not fly well here at home or abroad.  However, I’d say it’s entirely likely that Baghdad will rethink that final phase and ask us to remain for logistics, training, and air and sea protection for the next several years, and then the question will be whether Obama will agree to it or insist on a full withdrawal, even if it means the collapse of the nascent democracy in Iraq.

Afghanistan is a different problem, but one with potentially the same result.  Obama owns Afghanistan more than he does Iraq, having made the decision himself to add more troops and get more aggressive, which means a failure there can’t be left on the doorstep of his predecessor.  If Obama starts withdrawing from both fronts as they deteriorate, he will at least be the man who lost Afghanistan, if not Iraq as well, just as he has to prepare to convince Americans to give him another four years as Commander-in-Chief.  For that reason, I doubt we’ll see a significant drawdown in either theater, and Obama will just have to remind the Left that they have nowhere else to go in 2012.

Ever notice how Neo-Conservatives will never say Bush screwed up with Iraq, at all? They will never admit, that there was an intelligence error — never. That is what Party loyalty does to a person.

Anyhow, some good reading about Nation-Building over at The American Conservative:

“Nation-building is the most prominent — and most important — part of the neocon doctrine,” wrote Jed Babbin in the American Spectator. “And the decision to pursue it is the principal reason that we are losing in Afghanistan, Iraq is falling apart, and the real enemy — the terror-sponsoring nations — have grown stronger.”

None of these writers can accurately be described as a budding noninterventionist. But most conservatives who opposed the Iraq War from the beginning and favored no more than a limited mission in Afghanistan can agree with them on the following: neither Islam nor foreign lands can easily be reformed by either bureaucrats or the force or the force of arms; our interventions have produced something closer to sharia states than Switzerland’s; Iran is now more powerful in the region rather than less.

There have l0ng been three main foreign-policy tendencies on the American Right: old-style conservatives who agree with Randolph Bourne that war is the health of the state and therefore favor less military intervention abroad; neoconservatives who want to preserve the United States’ global hegemony and engage in armed proselytizing for democracy; and defense-minded conservatives who believe the U.S. should strike forcefully at its enemies whenever it perceives itself, its interests, or its allies to be threatened.

Roughly speaking, these groups can be described as the Jeffersonians, the Wilsonians, and the Jacksonians. Among rank-and-file conservatives, the Jacksonians are by far the largest group. In the postwar era, the Jacksonians have tended to align with the Wilsonians. But there is no reason why that conjunction is inevitable.

With the exception of Ron Paul and some Ron Paul Republicans, the Jeffersonians have no major political figure to speak for them. Yet the popularity of the Wilsonians was always greatly exaggerated. The invasion of Iraq and the mass conservative acceptance of the Bush Doctrine were made possible by al-Qaeda’s act of mass murder on 9/11.

Throughout the 1990s, Wilsonian neoconservatives called for regime change in Iraq, but they did not succeed in rallying the grassroots Right to the cause. The conservative base tuned out the PNAC crowd. Millions of conservatives voted for Pat Buchanan, who opposed even the first war with Iraq, in the 1992 and 1996 Republican presidential primaries—even as neoconservative commentators were writing essays attempting to purge Buchanan from conservative movement.

Grassroots conservatives were repulsed by American bloodshed during our humanitarian intervention in Somalia. They opposed using our armed forces to deliver groceries to Third World countries and restoring a dubious left-wing character to power in Haiti. They objected to the bombing of Serbia and canceled their subscriptions to the Weekly Standard when that magazine sided with the Clinton administration on military action in the Balkans.

The years after 9/11 were a Jacksonian moment hijacked by neoconservatives. While most American conservatives liked the idea that the we could increase others’ freedom by defending our own against despots overseas, very few of them wanted to go to war to build schools in Iraq or promote democracy. They wanted to pay back the people who murdered their countrymen and make sure that such an attack never happened again.

They trusted that George W. Bush was the man for the job and were patient when he talked about lighting a fire in the minds of men. But ordinary conservatives nevertheless agreed with the following sentiment expressed by John Derbyshire: “What matters most is not the fire in the minds of men, which will burn at some level for as long as there are men, but the fire that results when fissionable material undergoes a fast chain reaction.”

You see the problem is that the very same people that stood behind George W. Bush and cheered him, as he charged off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan; are the same one who stand and in unison blame President Obama for any failures for the war in both Countries.  The truth is that President Obama DID inherit BOTH of these wars for President Bush and it is because of utter incompetence of the Pentagon and State Department under President Bush, not to mention the entire intelligence community, is why we are in this mess in the first place!

So, instead of being noble and honest men, and admitting that they actually made mistakes, one being electing a President that was about as Conservative, as I am damned atheist; they would rather navel graze the whole thing and try and deflect the blame onto the Democrats, as much as they possibly can.  The problem is with that little idiotic plan is this; thinking Americans, like this writer are just smarter than that, we know what happened and we know who was responsible for the actions of the President.  I am fully aware of who goaded the President into declaring war with Iraq.  I have no forgotten and neither have the American people.  This is, one of a myriad of reasons, why John McCain lost the election.  Because the American people did not want someone, who would take marching orders from the Neo-Conservatives.

So far, Obama has been showing his independence of the warmongering class in the Republican Party. Thankfully, under Michael Steele the warmongering class have been pushed aside; which is why people like William Kristol want him to resign so badly, that being because Michael Steele will not march to their orders and is expressing his own views, and not those who wish the United States to fight a perpetual war.  I commend Michael Steele for that.

Another thing I think I need to be clear on; as you know, I did post a video, that was a warning to America.  Some would look at that and say, “Are you not talking about of both sides of your mouth?” to that I would say no. That is because that video essentially validates what I have believed all along; that the notion of, “We must fight the terrorists there, so we do not have to fight them here” is idiotic at best.  That is because there are radical Islamic terrorists that are already here now! That video proves as much.  My personal issue with George W. Bush was not with fighting terrorism, which he began in Afghanistan.  He however, was goaded by the warmongering class in the Republican Party to go to war with Iraq, which, for what it is worth, is what this class of people wanted to do during the Clinton years, but was rebuffed repeatedly.  This caused, I feel, a distraction, as those who planned had this strange idea, that the invasion would be a cakewalk.  I believe it would be understood that we all know now that this was a very flawed idea.

Much of what I said above, would be considered, what I like to call, “rearview mirror quarterbacking.”  We all know this now, the problem is, where do he go from here?  The best thing that can happen is Obama follow through with his promises to follow Bush’s pull out timetable in Iraq.  We cannot continue to be the World’s police officer.  If Iraq has an upheaval over there, let them.  We did our part over there; we rooted the major player in the insurgency.  We toppled Saddam.  What happens after we have left is not our concern.  As for Afghanistan, if we can catch or kill Osama Bin Laden, fine do so.  However, if the Afghan Government and the Pakistani Government is that corrupt and does not want to be partner against the war on terror.  I say cut our losses and pull out the troops and leave.  Then send in specialized CIA assassins in there to hunt Osama Bin Laden down and kill him that way.  I just do not see the justification for our Military personnel dying for a Government that is corrupt to its core.  It just does not make any sort of sense to me at all.

Bottom Line:  President Obama should not be blame for any of the failures of any of these wars.  The President who started them should be blamed.  President Obama should continue the turnkey plan given him by Bush, and should implement a better strategy in the Afghan theater.  If the Governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan will not work with the United States on the capture or killing of Osama Bin Laden, then President should use the CIA to kill him.

The obligatory President Barack Obama flings 50 billion out the window to save America posting

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Can you tell that I am tired of writing about this stuff, I’m getting there…:

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AFP) – US President Barack Obama Monday promised more than 50 billion dollars to create jobs rebuilding roads, railways and airports, targeting huge unemployment and ripping resurgent Republicans.

Obama, under intense pressure due to the sputtering economy ahead of November’s mid-term congressional elections, announced the new funding spree at a Labor Day rally with union workers in Wisconsin where the crisis has hit hard.

“This will not only create jobs immediately, but will make our economy run better over the long haul,” Obama said on a public holiday two months before congressional polls which Democrats fear could bring heavy losses.

“It’s a plan that says even in the aftermath of the worst recession in our lifetimes, America can still shape our own destiny.”

The White House called on Republicans to support quick passage of the measure, which would “front-load” 50 billion dollars of money as the first part of a broader effort to reauthorize transportation funding over six years.

“We’d like to pass this as quickly as possible,” a senior administration official said. The size of the total package, over and above the initial 50 billion dollar infusion of funding, was unclear.

via As Democrats fear rout, Obama launches new jobs push – Yahoo! News.

Of course, the Republicans are the ones being the evil white racists the grown up realists here:

Opposition Republicans, seeking to wrest control of both chambers in Congress from Democrats, immediately condemned Obama’s plan, signaling no let up to obstruction tactics which have slowed his presidency.

“A last-minute, cobbled-together stimulus bill with more than 50 billion dollars in new tax hikes will not reverse the complete lack of confidence Americans have in Washington Democrats’ ability to help this economy,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

John Boehner, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, sought to link the new plan to Obama’s previous stimulus package worth around 800 billion dollars, which critics say has failed to revive the economy.

“If we’ve learned anything from the past 18 months, it’s that we can’t spend our way to prosperity,” said Boehner.

This is why I do like two party politics. Because one party does equalize out the other party. What gets me is the fact that Obama accuses the Republicans of wrecking the car and that Americans should not “Give them back the keys.” The problem with that is this; and Yes, I have written this before, the Republicans seem to have learned the error of their ways. Where, the Democrats have not. They have taken that same car and driven it over a cliff and are not still trying to drive that mangled car. The sick part is, everyone else knows that car is wrecked and no longer drivable. But the Democrats are willfully blind of that fact and keep on trying to drive that same wrecked car.  I know, it is a bit of a weird analogy, but it works in this case.

The Bottom Line: Obama and Democrats are in trouble, grave trouble and they are trying every trick in the book. They pushed healthcare, when America needed Economic recovery, and yes, Jobs.  Now, they are trying to save face. Will it work? Doubtful. Many are angry and feel that Obama lied to them or told them anything to get elected. This angry will come out in the polls. Personally, I see a shift, but I do not believe it will be a huge sweep as some do. However, it will be interesting to blog about. I cannot wait. 😀

Well, You know, if Muslims do not like it, they can always leave

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This blog posting is most likely going to get me into trouble with some on the left… and maybe the right.  However, at this point, I could honestly give two flips less.  Yes, I am a moderate, when it comes to things like religion and social issues.  I also tend to shy away from those who fight against the Muslims and where they want to build their houses of worship, because I happen to believe in freedom of Religion and in personal freedom, to build whatever one wants within the accordance of the law.

However, I feel that the following stories that are being ginned up by the liberal mainstream media are borderline libel towards those of us; who feel that radical Islam is a threat to the security of our Nation and a threat to the America way of life.

First, an idiotic report by ABC NEWS on how the Anti-Islamic rhetoric is heating up:

Today, a Christian pastor will hold the second service in a series bashing the planned Muslim community center  in downtown New York City in a sign of increasing vocal anti-Islam rhetoric ahead of the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“When they decided to build a mosque and decided to preach what I consider a 1,400-year-old lie from Hell, I decided that somebody should be down there preaching the truth of God’s word,” Florida pastor Bill Keller said over the weekend.

Although his first service was sparsely attended, Keller is not alone.

Another preacher, Terry Jones from the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida, is planning what he called “International Burn a Koran Day” which encourages people to set fire to the Islamic holy book “in remembrance of the fallen victims of 9/11 and to stand against the evil of Islam,” according to a Facebook page dedicated to the event.

[….]

Critics said the rhetoric is fueling anti-Islam violence. Late last month a Manhattan cab driver was allegedly stabbed by a passenger  who reportedly asked him immediately before the attack if he was Muslim. Days later, a fire tore through the construction site of a planned Mosque in Tennessee. Investigators announced last week the cause of the fire was arson.

In response, leaders of Mosques from around the world are reaching out to other faiths for help.

“We are asking people to take into account security concerns… given the almost hysterical atmosphere we’re in right now,” said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

First, whatever happened to freedom of speech?   Since when did it become illegal to express ones feelings about another Religion?  The man is a Christian; this Pastor is denouncing Islam as a false religion, and is protesting against those who practice radical Islam; by burning a copy of the Holy Koran; he is protected by the first amendment of the United States Constitution.  Secondly, why is CAIR even being quoted in this article?  This group, CAIR, which stands for the Council of American Islamic Relations, is a terrorist front organization, which has been tied to various terrorist organizations abroad.  This proves to this writer, beyond a shadow of an ounce of doubt, that the liberal mainstream media is in alliance with or at least sympathetic to the cause of those who engage in the practice of radical Islam and who wish to wage jihad against this Country.

Oh, it gets better trust me.

If that is not enough to cause your blood pressure to skyrocket; how about this lovely report from the Wall Street Journal of how Gen. David Petraeus is now coming out against the Koran burning service planned by this Pastor:

KABUL—The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said the planned burning of Qurans on Sept. 11 by a Florida church could put the lives of American troops in danger and damage the war effort.

Gen. David Petraeus said the Taliban would exploit the demonstration for propaganda purposes, drumming up anger toward the U.S. and making it harder for allied troops to carry out their mission of protecting Afghan civilians.

“It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort,” Gen. Petraeus said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community.”

Hundreds of Afghans attended a demonstration in Kabul on Monday to protest the plans of Florida pastor Terry Jones, who has said he will burn the Quran on Sept. 11.

Gen. David Petraeus said the planned burning of Qurans on Sept. 11 by a Florida church could put the lives of American troops in danger.

Afghan protesters chanted “death to America” and speakers called on the U.S. to withdraw its military convoy. Some of the protesters threw rocks at a passing military convoy, although officials told the rock-throwers to stop.

Military officials fear the protests are likely to spread beyond Kabul to other Afghan cities. In interviews with various media outlets, Mr. Jones has denied his protest will put troops in danger. Mr. Jones has been denied a permit for the demonstration but has said he plans to go forward with the his protest anyway.

Mr. Jones leads a tiny church of just 50 people, but his threat to burn the Muslim holy book has been condemned around the world and has garnered him international attention.

Well, it is certainly nice to know that our Military has our back.  I guess the anti-war MoveOn.Org was right on that one.  As Petraeus did end up betraying us all right; the American people, who believe that radical Islam is on the rise and that freedom of Religion is a constitutional right. I always thought that Petraeus was nothing more than a “Yes Man” for the Government and he has proven that here.

Finally, another little news article on CNN about idiots overseas protesting that Koran burning:

Jakarta, Indonesia — Thousands of Indonesians gathered Sunday outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta to protest a Florida church’s plan to burn copies of the Quran.

The Dove World Outreach Center in Gainsville, Florida, plans to mark the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks by burning copies of the Muslim holy text. The center describes itself as a “New Testament church based on the Bible.” It made headlines last year when it distributed a T-shirt that said, “Islam is the devil.”

Protesters in Jakarta carried signs saying, “Jihad to protect Koran” and “You burn qu’ran you burn in hell.” The protesters included members of the hard-line Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia and the pluralism care movement, a multi-faith group.

“We hope that the U.S. government to stop this plan. We represent Muslim, Christians and other religions who all wants to avoid any clashes as a result,” Damien Dematra, the coordinator for the pluralism care movement, said in a news statement.

I have two words for these people — Boo Hoo, cry me a river.  Let me remind those who read this blog, whom it was which attacked this Country on 9/11.  First, it was not Radical Christians, Radical Hindus, or Radical Buddhists.  In case anyone has forgotten, radical Islamists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001.   Furthermore, I do not recall any of the Muslim community trying to stop Osama bin Laden from carrying out these attacks either from within the Middle Eastern Islamic World.  Also, please, do not try to tell me, that no one else in the Middle Eastern Islam world knew that these attacks were going to happen.  Believe me, they knew and they did not care or they wanted them to happen, just as much as radical Islamic jihadists did.

I said all that to say this here.  To the American Muslim community, if there is anyone to blame for the rise of the American resentment towards Muslims; it is yourselves that you need to blame.  You are blame for not rising up against these radical elements within your own Religion!  Therefore, to the American Muslim Community, I have one simple thing to say about the rise in Anti-Islam rhetoric and feeling in this Country —- Deal with it or leave.  For years, we Christians have been the victims of Anti-Christian rhetoric by liberals and various other sundry groups with missions to discredit us.  Furthermore, every time some mentally unstable buffoon out there did something idiotic in the name of Christianity, we have had to contend with morons disrespecting our Religion.  Now, it is your turn.  Either you deal with it or you can always pack your bags and return to the country of your origin, because frankly, no one is keeping you here.  You came here to live in freedom, and not under the oppressive Governments of your Countries of origin.  Part of that freedom, is the freedom to disrespect other Religions; that is the part of the American experience.  Either you learn to ignore that sort of a thing, or you leave.  Please make your choice quickly, and please, stop the whining; you look like children when you do such things.

May the our Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and Religion never be revoked.

Update: Now a Memeornadum Thread

Video: RedState Update on “Murfreesboro vs. Muslims”

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Redstate Update HQ

UPDATED: Memo to Fareed Zakaria: Overreact this you jackwad twit

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Speaking of stupidity….

Via this Nimrod:

I do not minimize Al Qaeda’s intentions, which are barbaric. I question its capabilities. In every recent conflict, the United States has been right about the evil intentions of its adversaries but massively exaggerated their strength. In the 1980s, we thought the Soviet Union was expanding its power and influence when it was on the verge of economic and political bankruptcy. In the 1990s, we were certain that Saddam Hussein had a nuclear arsenal. In fact, his factories could barely make soap…

Some 30,000 people are now employed exclusively to listen in on phone conversations and other communications in the United States. And yet no one in Army intelligence noticed that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan had been making a series of strange threats at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he trained. The father of the Nigerian “Christmas bomber” reported his son’s radicalism to the U.S. Embassy. But that message never made its way to the right people in this vast security apparatus. The plot was foiled only by the bomber’s own incompetence and some alert passengers.

Such mistakes might be excusable. But the rise of this national-security state has entailed a vast expansion in the government’s powers that now touches every aspect of American life, even when seemingly unrelated to terrorism.

No, you nimrod, terrorist-supporting, idiot. We did not overreact. We had information that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We acted on it. Yes, the intelligence was bad. So what? It happens. The truth is, once we weeded out the jack-wads, who did not know shit from shinola about running a fucking war; (Hello Rummy!) we were able to stabilize that Country and put leadership in there, that did not terrorize it’s own people.

So, yes, Iraq WAS worth it; and no we did NOT overreact.

Further more, once we break the back of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, it too will be worth it as well! People will die; that is the price you pay, when you fight a god-damned war. But in the end, when Afghanistan is free and clear of Al-Qaeda and their radical Muslim idiotic nonsense, it will be worth it.

I apologize in advance for the harsh tone of this posting. But I am about god-damned tired of these terrorist-appeasing, asshole, liberal retards telling me, that going to war against terrorists is not worth the god-damned hassle. Anytime, that the United States of America goes on the defensive, and also on the offensive, in the name of liberty and freedom, it is ALWAYS worth it! It was worth it in Germany, It was worth it in Japan, It was worth it in Korea, it was worth it in Grenada AND it was worth it in Iraq too, both god-damned times — and once the job is done in Afghanistan, it will be worth it there too.

So, on the behalf of all the Soldiers —- American and Coalition; both who died and especially those who came back in one piece and even those who did not — to Mr. Fareed Zakaria I say:

SHUT THE HELL UP!

That is all…..

Update: I suppose that I should explain something here. The reason why this article provoked such a strong reaction out of me is this; I watched 9/11 unfold on TV. At the time I was a CNN watcher. All of it played out in front of me. I remember being paralyzed with fear, when the report came out, that there was a plane headed to the White House. Watching those buildings fall and seeing those images over and over and over; drove me into one of the worst depressions, that I have ever experienced. It, honestly, took me about 2 good years to get over that stuff. It took much prayer and some good old fashioned Bible reading to pull me out of that mess. Al-Qaeda caused that; and for that, I want them to pay, and pay dearly. Now you understand why it is, that I feel the way that I do.

Update #2: ….and of course, some terrorist supporting asshole links here; talking out his ass, as always. 🙄

BREAKING NEWS: 7.1 Earthquake Hits Christchurch, New Zealand

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It also has affected the Blogosphere: (Via NoisyRoom)

Blog posting from the Blog, New Zeal:

Hi all – just a quick note to say that a 7.1 Earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand at 4:35 am this morning. Power and water is out through much of the city. My family and I are safe.

Solid aftershocks are still coming through. Thanks to everyone for their messages and prayers.

Here is a News Story on the quake via The News Herald in New Zealand:

Many Christchurch residents are counting themselves lucky to be alive after this morning’s massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the city.

Marsha Witehira, 30, was sleeping when the wall next to her bed collapsed in and falling bricks narrowly missed landing on her head.

Her friend, Tama Wharepapa, was sleeping in the lounge when items started falling on him from a wall unit.

He rushed into Ms Witehira’s bedroom and pulled her by the feet out of the way of the collapsing wall.

“It just missed my head,” Ms Witehira said.

“He literally pulled me by my feet in my sleep, just at the time that the bricks fell on my bed and it just missed me. It was pretty intense,” she said.

“I’m very lucky to be alive. If Tama wasn’t here to wake me from my sleep and pull me out, I really wouldn’t like to think what the result would be.”

Thoughts and prayers to those in the affected area.

Snort Worthy Story of the WEEK!: Jesse Jackson’s SUV Stolen in Detroit – Jackson in town promoting Green Jobs

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I were to file this one under anything. It would be under, “Blaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaw!”

The Video via WXYZ-TV in Detroit:

and the Story, Via the Michigan View at the Detroit News:

Add Jesse Jackson’s ride to prominent vehicles being stripped in Detroit.

Following the embarrassing news that Mayor Dave Bing’s GMC Yukon was hijacked by criminals this week, Detroit’s Channel 7 reports that the Reverend’s Caddy Escalade SUV was stolen and stripped of its wheels while he was in town last weekend with the UAW’s militant President Bob King leading the “Jobs, Justice, and Peace” march promoting government-funded green jobs.

Read that again: Jackson’s Caddy SUV was stripped while he was in town promoting green jobs.

Add Jesse to the Al Gore-Tom Friedman-Barack Obama School of Environmental Hypocrisy. While preaching to Americans that they need to cram their families into hybrid Priuses to go shopping for compact fluorescent light bulbs to save the planet, they themselves continue to live large.

“We need an economy that creates employment that can’t be shipped overseas,” the Green Rev wrote for CNN about the march. “Home-grown American labor will be installing windmills and solar panels. A green economy is not an abstract concept.”

Well, its certainly abstract to Jesse, but I digress.

Yeah, the labor would be; Jesse Jackson has not done a day of honest hard work in his entire life. Hell, I’ve worked harder than he will ever work. Oh, wait, Jesse Jackson has worked hard, yes, very hard. That is, if you consider running one’s mouth continually about how oppressed the black man is; and doing the continual race hustle that he is very much known for. Then, yes, he is a very, very hard working man.

Others giggling about this very funny story: AmSpecBlog, Red Dog Report and Weasel Zippers

This is one of those times, when you could not pay me to work in the White House

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That’s right folks, the President and his Administration are in one hell of a huge bind. If they do not do something fast; they are going to be sunk come the midterms and possibly come 2012.

Here’s your video:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now, for the Stories….

Via the New York Times:

American businesses added more jobs in the last three months than originally estimated, but the wheels of the economic recovery are still spinning in place.

The private sector added 67,000 jobs in August, according to the Department of Labor, higher than consensus forecasts, and the government upwardly revised its numbers for June and July, suggesting that job creation was slightly stronger over the summer than originally reported.

But the continuing wind-down of the 2010 Census, as well as state and local government layoffs, led to an overall loss of 54,000 jobs in August.

With businesses adding about half the number of positions needed simply to accommodate population growth — much less dent the ranks of the jobless — the unemployment rate ticked up to 9.6 percent, from 9.5 percent.

“The overall picture is one where the labor market is still kind of treading water,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief United States economist at MFR Inc. “It’s better than sinking, but it’s certainly not surging ahead.”

Given the continuing addition of private jobs — albeit at a tepid pace — Friday’s monthly snapshot of the labor market seemed to calm fears of a double-dip recession. But the numbers are likely to do little to assuage political pressure on the Obama administration in the run-up to the midterm elections.

Speaking from the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning, Mr. Obama called the latest job report “positive news,” but said he would be unveiling “a broader package of ideas next week,” to shore up the flagging economy, although he declined to give specifics. The president once again urged Congress to pass a stalled bill that would offer tax breaks to small businesses and create a $30 billion program to encourage community banks to lend.

“There’s no quick fix for this recession,” he said. “The hard truth is that it took years to create our current economic problems, and it will take more time than any of us would like to repair the damage.”

Responding to the higher-than-expected private sector numbers and revisions, investors pushed up the major stock gauges. By early afternoon, the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was up 1 percent. Market reaction to the jobs data was tempered somewhat by a report that said growth in the services sector had slowed in August.

The Labor Department revised its private sector number for July, raising the number of jobs added to 107,000 from the 71,000 originally reported. And private sector hiring in June, originally reported at 83,000 and lowered to 31,000, was raised again to 61,000.

This is not making Democrats happy at all… Jack Tapper Reports:

Flanked by members of his economic team – including outgoing Council of Economic Advisers Dr. Christina Romer, whose replacement has yet to be named – President Obama chose to look at the silver lining in the economic clouds of today’s jobs report – not even mentioning that August saw a net job loss of 54,000 jobs.

“In the month I took office, we were losing 750,000 jobs a month,” the president said. “This morning, new figures show the economy produced 67,000 private sector jobs in August, the eighth consecutive month of private job growth. Additionally, the numbers for July were revised upward to 107,000. Now that’s positive news, and it reflects the steps we’ve already taken to break the back of this recession.”

The net job loss for August is largely because of the layoffs of 114,000 Census temporary workers.

….and from David Corn:

Democrats are spooked by recent polls and predictions indicating the GOP may slam the Dems so badly that the D’s lose the House and possibly the Senate. The Republicans need to gain 39 seats to seize the House, and it’s not difficult these days to find nonpartisan handicappers who predict the R’s could gain 40 to 50 seats. The conventional wisdom in D.C.: A tsunami is heading toward the Democrats. A Democratic strategist toiling on the party’s House efforts refers to working on the “Titanic” (though he claims there may be some hidden life rafts). “The president keeps saying it’s a tough environment,” says a Democratic House staffer. “We know that. We want to know what he’s going to do about it.”…

“He still wants to be seen as post-partisan and bipartisan,” says a House Democratic leadership aide. “But we’re in a fight here.” Democrats expect Obama to come out swinging nonstop — bashing the R’s repeatedly and proposing economic initiatives that actually register with voters. At the same time, members of the House Democratic leadership are worried that Obama will cave and yield to GOP demands that George W. Bush’s expiring tax cuts for the wealthy be extended. “If he doesn’t do something immediately, our members will be livid,” says a House Democratic aide. “And when there’s fear of a bloodbath, it’s never too early to start the blame game.”

I just blogged about how the Democrats can fix this mess. However, knowing them like they do; they would rather let the Nation suffer and blame the Republicans for the entire mess, while living large on the taxpayers dime —- than to actually do something to fix the problem. FDR did this, to a certain extent as have many other Democrat Party Presidents; I mean, it is not like Obama is going to be affected by any of this economic downturn.

One there is very certain, the tide is turning, Democrats had the chance to actually fix things and they have failed at it miserably. The Tea Party has now crystallized into a political force to be reckoned with — even among Republicans. RINO’s are being flushed out and true-blue Conservatives are being brought to the battle. It is so bad that the liberal media is gone to terrible spinning facts, an example:

It is possible that coming at the end of the summer an uptick in people looking for work is not as positive as it appears. This is the time of year, after two hot months, when recent graduates start to actually think about their future and send out resumes. And you can image many other out of work people deciding to take off looking for a job in the summer. In August, with the summer ending, some of those people started looking again in earnest. But you would expect the big uptick in post-summer people searching for work to come in September. So the fact that it is coming early is a good sign.

Oh Yes, it is that bad on that that side of the political aisle. When you start reading that sort of idiotic spin in a liberal publication, you know that things are horrifically bad right now for the Democrats. This midterm election and possibly in the general election; will most likely go down as the worst ever failure of the Democrat Party ever. The Democratic Party roared into power in 2006 to take the keys away from the Bush Administration, then they won the General election in 2008. They then got the entire key chain of the Country —- and proceeded to drive the Country as a whole over a cliff!  Because of that and because of this economic that we are in, which was, in fact, created by the Carter and Clinton Administrations; whom were, Democratic Party Administrations — we are about to see a major collapse of a party’s authority in the political realm. I have written here, time and time again; that the Democratic Party has horribly overreached…..again. This happens just about every time the Democrats get into power. To be fair and as non-partisan as I can be; Republicans have done it too — Nixon did it, Bush did it and some others. However, this administration took it to another more frightening level.  Because of this; they are about to do what many call, “Paying the Piper.”

The ship is sinking and the rats are jumping. It should be very interesting to watch. 2010 looms and they have no answers.

Welcome to the meltdown. Get popcorn. Hold on tight and enjoy the show.

(H/T to HotAir on the story leads for this posting. Good show AP! 😀 )

It is amazing what terrible economy will do to a Democrat President

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If there is any truth to this; it can turn the most rabid Democrat into a Republican, real quick:

Administration officials have struggled to develop new economic policies and an effective message to blunt expected Republican gains in Congress and defuse complaints from Democrats that President Obama is fumbling the issue most important to voters. Following Obama’s vacation and focus on foreign policy in recent weeks, White House advisers have arranged a series of economic events for the president next week, including two trips to swing states and a news conference.

“We’ll continue to do everything we can, understanding that recovery will require persistent effort. There are no silver bullets,” senior Obama adviser David Axelrod said in an interview Thursday. “At the same time, we have to make clear our ideas and theirs, and the fact that the Washington Republicans, having helped create this recession, have attempted to block our every effort to deal with it.”

But with the unemployment rate expected to rise again in jobs numbers due out Friday, panic is setting in among many Democratic candidates who fear it is too late for Obama to convince voters that he understands the depth of the nation’s economic woes and can fix them.

[….]

Last November, Obama announced that he would turn his attention to unemployment, calling it “one of the great challenges that remains in our economy.” He declared the same intent two months later, telling House Democrats he would focus relentlessly on job creation “over the next several months.” Senior aides went on television pledging that the mantra would become “jobs, jobs, jobs.”

But other matters – health care, the BP oil spill – continually stole the limelight, creating the impression, some Democrats complain, that the president was barely focused on the economy at all.

His advisers described his attentiveness – noting, for example, that he discussed the economy with New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I) for 15 minutes before golfing – but got little traction.

“Obviously it’s going to be hard to get anything done before the election, but it’s really important for him to try, and to make the case to the American people that he’s trying to do something and the Republicans aren’t letting him,” said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic strategist. “We are at the final moments here.”

Obama has another incentive to act: Tax cuts enacted during the George W. Bush administration are scheduled to expire in January, and Democrats – accused by Republicans of plotting to let them vanish – feel compelled to do something before the midterms.

Obama campaigned on a pledge to let cuts expire for the richest 2 percent of households, but some Democrats say the economy is too weak to raise anyone’s taxes right now. And they fear a backlash from small-business owners who could be hit with higher taxes.

Pairing targeted business tax breaks with an extension of middle-class tax cuts could help alleviate those problems.

This article alone, ought to be a lesson for any Democrat thinking about running for office. That raising Taxes in a recession, just does not work. Only tax breaks for the wealthy and making the business climate more healthy will help. Also cutting spending is another way to bring down inflation. This article alone, should be a text book example of why Keynesian Economics does not work in a recession, at all. If you tax businesses to death, you spur growth, if you spur growth, jobs disappear — it is a vicious cycle. Democrats have been making these same stupid mistakes for years.

Which is why we need to vote them out, come November of 2010. Especially here in Michigan, where job growth is desperately needed.

REALITY REPORT #59 – DOJ Defines Constitutionalists as Terrorists

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The Reality Report
Restore the Republic

Hey, that speech was not so bad says William Kristol?!?!

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Calling all cars, Calling all cars, be on the lookout for a Neo-Conservative William Kristol; he has wandered off of the reservation again:

President Obama opposed the war in Iraq. He still thinks it was a mistake. It’s therefore unrealistic for supporters of the war to expect the president to give the speech John McCain would have given, or to expect President Obama to put the war in the context we would put it in. He simply doesn’t believe the war in Iraq was a necessary part of a broader effort to fight terror, to change the Middle East, etc. Given that (erroneous) view of his, I thought his speech was on the whole commendable, and even at times impressive.

[…..]

The close, was, I thought, well done. The president located those who fought in Iraq in the unbroken line of those who, from Lexington to Kandahar, “gave their lives for the values that have lived in the hearts of our people for over two centuries” and who “have fought to see that the lives of our children are better than our own.” There was a welcome implicit repudiation of Neville Chamberlain and appeasement, as President Obama praised our troops for having “fought in a faraway place for people they never knew.”

And at the end: “Our troops are the steel in our ship of state. And though our nation may be traveling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true, and that beyond the pre-dawn darkness, better days lie ahead.” Not a bad tribute to the troops, and not a bad statement of the importance and indispensability of hard power.

And, on the whole, not a bad speech by the president.

First of all, I highly recommend that you go read the rest of that entry.  It is a very fairly well written piece by someone of whom, I disagree with highly on foreign policy. The reason why I say this is because, quite frankly, last night, I watched Fox News channel, I listened to Steven Hayes and Monica Crowley tear President Obama’s speech to pieces. Plus, I sat and read the far-right wing blogs; and I actually sat and wondered, “Do these people actually get an order from somewhere to criticize everything that President Obama says and does?” Frankly, I find that to be absolutely ridiculous. But, I guess that is partisan politics anymore; criticize your opponent no matter what he does. That is why I am a bit different than the rest of these Bloggers who identify with the right. I only criticize Obama when he actually does something that I feel is wrong.  Not because he is a Democrat and I am not and not because it happens to be the sporting thing to do among Bloggers and pundits on the right.

In closing: Kudos to Kristol for at least giving the President a little credit and not going along with the swine pack and doing what comes naturally to Conservatives of his stripe.

The President’s Address: Ending Iraq

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I offer this without commentary.

Transcript Via The White House:

Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on the End of Combat Operations in Iraq

Oval Office

8:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  Tonight, I’d like to talk to you about the end of our combat mission in Iraq, the ongoing security challenges we face, and the need to rebuild our nation here at home.

I know this historic moment comes at a time of great uncertainty for many Americans.  We’ve now been through nearly a decade of war.  We’ve endured a long and painful recession.  And sometimes in the midst of these storms, the future that we’re trying to build for our nation — a future of lasting peace and long-term prosperity — may seem beyond our reach.

But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that the future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment.  It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century.

From this desk, seven and a half years ago, President Bush announced the beginning of military operations in Iraq.  Much has changed since that night.  A war to disarm a state became a fight against an insurgency.  Terrorism and sectarian warfare threatened to tear Iraq apart.  Thousands of Americans gave their lives; tens of thousands have been wounded.  Our relations abroad were strained.  Our unity at home was tested.

These are the rough waters encountered during the course of one of America’s longest wars.  Yet there has been one constant amidst these shifting tides.  At every turn, America’s men and women in uniform have served with courage and resolve.  As Commander-in-Chief, I am incredibly proud of their service.  And like all Americans, I’m awed by their sacrifice, and by the sacrifices of their families.

The Americans who have served in Iraq completed every mission they were given.  They defeated a regime that had terrorized its people.  Together with Iraqis and coalition partners who made huge sacrifices of their own, our troops fought block by block to help Iraq seize the chance for a better future.  They shifted tactics to protect the Iraqi people, trained Iraqi Security Forces, and took out terrorist leaders.  Because of our troops and civilians — and because of the resilience of the Iraqi people — Iraq has the opportunity to embrace a new destiny, even though many challenges remain.

So tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended.  Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.

Read More …

Judging Iraq, in the rearview mirror

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I am not much one for armchair quarter backing. However, I am speaking the non-partisan truth about a subject.

This one happens to be one, that was central to my foray in to the world of blogging.

The Iraq War.

It seems that there are some, that are really trying to put a “Tire Shine” on the Iraq War. In that process, they are basically trying to rewrite facts and basically distort realities. Which is quite common for the Neo-Right. They have been doing that since Buckley arrived on the scene many years ago.

Here is David Brooks basically either trying to recover any Conservative credentials that he might actually still have, either that or trying to suck up to President Obama….. again:

The U.S. venture into Iraq was a war, but it was also a nation-building exercise. America has spent $53 billion trying to reconstruct Iraq, the largest development effort since the Marshall Plan.

So how’s it working out?

On the economic front, there are signs of progress. It’s hard to know what role the scattershot American development projects have played, but this year Iraq will have the 12th-fastest-growing economy in the world, and it is expected to grow at a 7 percent annual clip for the next several years.

“Iraq has made substantial progress since 2003,” the International Monetary Fund reports. Inflation is reasonably stable. A budget surplus is expected by 2012. Unemployment, though still 15 percent, is down from stratospheric levels.

Oil production is back around prewar levels, and there are some who say Iraq may be able to rival Saudi production. That’s probably unrealistic, but Iraq will have a healthy oil economy, for better and for worse.

Living standards are also improving. According to the Brookings Institution’s Iraq Index, the authoritative compendium of data on this subject, 833,000 Iraqis had phones before the invasion. Now more than 1.3 million have landlines and some 20 million have cellphones. Before the invasion, 4,500 Iraqis had Internet service. Now, more than 1.7 million do.

In the most recent Gallup poll, 69 percent of Iraqis rated their personal finances positively, up from 36 percent in March 2007. Baghdad residents say the markets are vibrant again, with new electronics, clothing and even liquor stores.

[…..]

Of course, to be honest, he’ll also have to say how fragile and incomplete this success is. Iraqi material conditions are better, but the Iraqi mind has not caught up with the Iraqi opportunity.

There is still very little social trust. Iraq is the fourth-most-corrupt nation on earth, according to Transparency International’s rating system. The role of women remains surprisingly circumscribed. Iraqi politicians clearly find it very hard to compromise (though they may be no worse than American politicians in this regard).

Human capital is lagging. Most doctors left Iraq after the invasion, and it is hard to staff health clinics. The engineers left too, so American-built plants lie dormant because there is no one with the skills to run them. Schools are suffering because of a lack of teachers.

Ryan Crocker, the former ambassador, recently wrote an article in The National Interest noting that fear still pervades Iraq. Ethnic animosities are in abeyance, but they are not gone. Guns have been put in closets, but not destroyed.

If he is honest, Obama will have to balance pride with caution. He’ll have to acknowledge that the gains the U.S. is enabling may vanish if the U.S. military withdraws entirely next year. He’ll have to acknowledge that bottom-up social change requires time and patience. He’ll have to heed the advice of serious Iraq hands like Crocker, Michael O’Hanlon of Brookings and Stephen Biddle of the Council on Foreign Relations, and shelve plans to withdraw completely.

Such a move may rob him of a campaign talking point. But it will safeguard an American accomplishment that has been too hard won.

Okay, that is fine. But what about the Billions of dollars that were lost in Iraq, that cannot be accounted for? Plus, since when is nation building something that is a cool thing to do? I know, as a Tax Payer, that I am not too happy about my tax dollars going to build a Country that will most likely turn against us again in the future. What brooks also fails to mention is the person that was responsible for the entire Iraq debacle, and that is President Bush.

On the subject of Nation building; Some are trying to make the comparison to to Japan and Germany. That is ludicrous on its very face.  The difference is, that the war on Japan and Germany were constitutionally declared wars, after the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On the other hand, Iraq never attacked us directly, and there was not a constitutionally declared war on Iraq. Just a decision by congress to authorize Bush to use Military action on Iraq, based upon a few pieces of what is now known as faulty information.  Oh, the Neo-Right will trot out some letter written to the second in command of Al-Qaeda about wanting to move against Kuwait. But there is no proof that Al-Qaeda even received the letter. Further more, Osama Bin Laden could not stand Saddam. Besides, that letter was written back in the 1990’s, after the first gulf war. So, that so-called evidence linking Saddam to 9/11 is weak, very weak.

Ed Morrissey also flirts with the subject as well, and also gets it wrong:

When the story of this war gets written, most will lay the responsibility on the President who fought it the longest, George W. Bush, and we will see a slew of analysis over the next week that insist he paid too high a price for his neoconservative adventure.  However, perhaps later, cooler minds will prevail and put this in proper perspective.  We had two choices in 2003: either remove Saddam Hussein or abandon Iraq to him.  The coalition that imposed military limits on Saddam was falling away, and the sanctions regime had become so corrupt that it made Saddam a multibillionaire in his personal fortunes.  His sons were poised to succeed him in this reign of terror.  Our twelve-year truce had been repeatedly violated by Saddam, who also attempted to assassinate a former President, and we had done nothing to  address any of it.

The follow-up nation building in which we engaged can also be debated, but again, we had little choice in the matter.  We either needed to stay in Iraq to raise up a new government and army, or watch as Iran seized control through the Mahdi Army or Iraq became a Somalia in Southwest Asia.  Either of those outcomes would have been orders of magnitude worse than our occupation over the last several years.  The management of the occupation was certainly debatable, but once we invaded, we had no other choice but to see it all the way through.

In fact, the die was cast in this case twenty years ago when the George H. W. Bush administration stood up to Saddam Hussein and demanded his withdrawal from Kuwait.  The decision to leave Saddam in place created the twelve-year Phoney War that followed, and left the choice of either surrender or victory to one of Bush’s eventual successors.  In the end, the war removed a brutal dictator who was murdering his own people at a far faster rate than the war did and over a much longer period of time and who, left to his own devices, would have beaten the Iranians to a nuclear weapon with equally disastrous implications.  The freely-elected but still dysfunctional government in Baghdad is at least a bright spot of hope in a dismal region, if we can remain committed enough to nurture it through friendship.  That is what our men and women fought and bled to create, and it’s to their honor that it exists today.

Where he gets it wrong is here:

The coalition that imposed military limits on Saddam was falling away, and the sanctions regime had become so corrupt that it made Saddam a multibillionaire in his personal fortunes.  His sons were poised to succeed him in this reign of terror.

…..

We either needed to stay in Iraq to raise up a new government and army, or watch as Iran seized control through the Mahdi Army or Iraq became a Somalia in Southwest Asia.

See the problem with all that is this here. We overthrew a dictator, and broke up that Ba’ath Party leadership. However, we created a quasi-unity Government over there, which is very fragile. We also installed, or as the Neo-Right likes to call it; voted in, another basic dictator, who is friendly to the United States. The Iraqi Government, I personally predict, will collapse once all of the American military units, of all sorts, are out of Iraq come 2011. What will happen then, is this, there will be an all out civil war in that Country. The faction there that is loyal to Iran will win, and Iraq will align itself with Iran and will then begin the process to harboring terrorists to mount attacks on Israel and ultimately the United States.

So, in closing, we did not stop Iran from invading Iraq and creating havoc in the region. We just made it a little more difficult to carry out. But know this, it will happen and someday, someone is going to say, “Why didn’t we just leave that Country alone?” and when the next huge terrorist attack happens here in America, and we discover that the terrorists trained in Iraq. We will have no one to blame — but ourselves.