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I have been thinking a lot lately about any good advice I can give my son who is a senior in college, and my other son who lost his job in a downsizing move in this rotten economy.
I stumbled across an article by Penelope Trunck via Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit who has done some high powered thinking that may benefit both of my boys and maybe you or yours as as well.
"15 THINGS that overachievers do."
Congratulations. You survived the first semester of college! You made it through the first two weeks of sitting in your son's empty bedroom with a box of tissues, wondering how the time flew by so quickly and how that little boy you used to rock to sleep in this room grew up and moved into a dorm three states away. Pat yourself on the back for not being the stalker parent who calls three times a day and instead settling for creeping on his Facebook page and watching for Twitter updates! You've been marking off the days on the calendar until Christmas break, planning all sorts of family activities—a whole month of family togetherness! It's going to be just like old times!
Before you carve those plans in stone, take a few minutes to read through some of the common mistakes parents of college students make and consider how you might avoid them:
Most likely your son spent the last two weeks in a sleepless blur, sustained by coffee, energy drinks, and cold pizza. If he's a decent, conscientious student he hunkered down in the library or his dorm room writing papers and studying for finals until all hours of the night.
On top of that, he attended Christmas parties and tied up loose ends with his extracurricular activities and athletic commitments and squeezed in some last -minute quality time with his new "family" at school. When he arrives home with his duffel bag full of rancid laundry, don't be surprised if he shows up on the verge of a complete crash or even a meltdown. He may be an emotional wreck from all the pent-up stress he's been experiencing or he may simply be dog-tired and ready to sleep for three days straight. As a parent, if you can anticipate this possibility and allow some time for your student to unwind and recharge, everyone will be happier and the holidays will be much more pleasant. Manage your expectations and be sensitive to his feelings and energy level. If you expect your child to walk in the door and immediately jump into the flurry of family activities, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment and adding to the family stress level during the holidays. It's best to maintain a flexible schedule, at least for the first few days of Christmas break.
OBAMA'S BENGHAZI FALL GUYS."It took long enough, but President Gutsy Call finally located three State Department employees who don't have enough political juice to protect them from getting blamed for the predictable failure of the administration's Libya policy." Mistakes were made, but not by anyone who matters . . .
ADDRESSING SCHOOL SECURITY AND EMPLOYING VETERANS at the same time.
We are completely devastated that some very BAD actors are out there, stealing goodies meant as care packages for our troops in Afghanistan. Some Christmas for our soldiers.
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – About $5,000 worth of packages that were meant for the troops in Afghanistan were stolen from a Sacramento warehouse.
"There's all sorts of stuff in here," said Scott Raab, at the charity Move America Forward.
The big boxes were loaded and ready to go. Inside were some of the comforts of home like coffee, beef jerky, jelly beans, deodorant, sanitation wipes, and something for the season.
"We, of course, got this Christmas stocking," said Raab.
There were also Christmas cards, along with personalized notes from Americans saying thank you for your service.
Sometime Monday morning there were some creatures stirring as the last of the Christmas care packages were being sent out.
"We had loaded up all the care packages to be delivered for Christmas, and what happened is they actually broke the lock," said Raab.
And they broke the hearts of those at the Move America Forward.
"They just took off in a scramble," said Raab.
The thieves snagged up about two dozen boxes.
"You know it's really sad that someone would take this from the troops," said Raab.
But the organization is packed with positive thinking and vowing to "move on," and hoping the thieves move in the right direction. Postage on the packages is already paid, so they could still reach the troops.
"I really hope whoever took them won't be so much of a Grinch, and will take them down to the post office."
Assuming that didn't happen, the organization is scrambling to send out more care packages.
If you'd like to help, visit the Move America Forward website. www.moveamericaforward.org
by Stephen Frank on 12/17/2012
BYD to Set Up U.S. Plant in California By Deborah Crowe Monday, December 17, 2012 BYD Co. Ltd., the Chinese battery and electric vehicle producer with U.S. headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, plans to open its first wholly owned assembly plant overseas next year somewhere in California, according to a Monday news report. Li [...]
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY:Obama Exploits School Shooting Tragedy To Score Political Points
Meanwhile, seen on Facebook:
The part about the F-16s is true, by the way. You'd think they might want to hold off on that.
St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says after the shooting last week in Newtown it is time to arm the teachers. Local KMOX reported:
St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says it is time to talk about arming civilian school personnel following Friday's massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, comparing it to arming airline pilots after September 11, 2001.
"I see it no differently," he said. "Pilots have been armed now for many many years, we've not had another hijacking and the issue is, for the bad guy, he doesn't know which airplane he's getting on, if the pilot is armed or not."
Fitch said the killing will not be stopped by legislation or laws. "If there's somebody that's really hellbent on doing something like this, they're not going to care what the law is."
St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says it is time to talk about arming civilian school personnel following Friday's massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, comparing it to arming airline pilots after September 11, 2001.
"I see it no differently," he said. "Pilots have been armed now for many many years, we've not had another hijacking and the issue is, for the bad guy, he doesn't know which airplane he's getting on, if the pilot is armed or not."
Fitch said the killing will not be stopped by legislation or laws. "If there's somebody that's really hellbent on doing something like this, they're not going to care what the law is."
I can't stop thinking about the tragedy that has befallen the stricken community of Newton, Ct. after the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school.
But the move by liberal Democrats is completely off-base. Here is an oldie but goodie to remind you why.
People Don't Stop Killers: People With Guns Do.
Denver Drug Agent: Our Problems 'Have Exploded' With Pot Legalization
No matter how regulated marijuana is, now that pot is legal in Colorado it will be hard to keep away from curious and unknowing kids, according to a member of a Denver-area drug task force.
"There's plenty of evidence that this a harmful thing for kids. I can't even believe I have to say that," Sgt. Jim Gerhardt with the North Metro Drug Task Force told CBS4. "We've seen children infant age that have been getting into this stuff and hospitalized, and this has been under medical marijuana. I can't imagine how bad it's going to get with full blown legalization."
At Arapahoe House, a drug and alcohol counseling center in Thornton, Angela Bornemann said marijuana use is already the most common addiction in teens they see. She says they are now expecting to see more and more problem dependance cases with the passage of Amendment 64.
California is the No. 1 "judicial hellhole" in America, the American Tort Reform Foundation concludes in its annual, end-of-year report on alleged abuse of the legal system.. 1 "judicial hellhole" in America, the American Tort Reform Foundation concludes in its annual, end-of-year report on alleged abuse of the legal system.
This is the first time the state grabbed the top spot; last year, it was second to Philadelphia.
Reasons why the honor went to California? It's "the undisputed heavyweight champion of the consumer class action," says the report, released Thursday.
California attracts class action and asbestos lawsuits, allows exploitative disabled access lawsuits and fraudulent slip-and-fall cases, and decimates the court system through budget cuts — while the plaintiffs' bar relentlessly tries to overturn reasonable limitation on damages in medical cases, the foundation concludes.
"The fact that businesses view California as the worst legal environment in the nation tells us that other jurisdictions are making improvements and that California can't afford to just stay the same," Kim Stone, president of the Civil Justice Association of California, said in a news release. "Meritless lawsuits clog our overburdened and underfunded court system, making it harder for truly injured people with valid cased to get their day in court."
The foundation compiles significant court rulings and legislative actions for the report, and surveys members of the American Tort Reform Association for feedback. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit is dedicated to reforming the American civil justice system. Members are mostly large corporations and trade associations.
"Consider the source," said J.G. Preston, a spokesman for trial lawyers and their own association, Consumer Attorneys of California. "The 'judicial hellhole' designation comes from companies that want to keep you from taking them to court."
The tort reform association is funded by corporate giants the likes of Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Nationwide, the group said.
"ATRA once again is proving to be the Grinch that stole Christmas when it comes to consumer protection and preserving basic legal rights," Brian Kabateck, president of Consumer Attorneys of California, said in a news release. "Big business simply doesn't trust the purest form of democracy — our courts with citizen juries. Unless, of course, they're the ones filing the lawsuits."
Yesterday, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed right-to-work legislation into law. The death threats against him are pouring in. The Left is blaming the conservative victims of union violence, as usual. The progressive climate of hate is always our fault. Today's column sets the Democrats' call for blood in the context of Obama-era union violence and incitement.
He helped build that.
"There Will Be Blood": Union Violence in the Age of Obama by Michelle Malkin Creators Syndicate Copyright 2012
Not so many moons ago, President Obama urged us all to "make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds." He Who Heals advocated "a more civil and honest public discourse" in the wake of the January 2011 Tucson massacre. As usual, though, the White House has granted Big Labor bullies a permanent waiver from the lofty edicts it issues to everyone else.
This week, menacing union goons unleashed threats, profanity and punches in Michigan, which is now poised to become a "right-to-work" state. Obama met the initial outbreak of violence with the same response he's given to every other union outbreak of violence under his reign: dead silence.
On the floor of the Michigan legislature on Tuesday, Democratic state Rep. Douglas Geiss thundered: "We're going to pass something that will undo 100 years of labor relations, and there will be blood. There will be repercussions!" Geiss referenced the Battle of the Overpass, a violent 1937 incident between the United Auto Workers and corporate security officers for the Ford Motor Company. Dozens of union activists were beaten.
Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R- UT) told Breitbart News on Wednesday that he has been "thwarted" by the State Department from seeing any Americans who survived the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi. Many people forget that there were Americans who survived the Benghazi attack, some of whom were badly injured and are still recovering.
UNPATRIOTIC BILLIONAIRES: The Day After Calling for Higher Estate Taxes on the Rich, Warren Buffett Helps Billionaire Save Millions in Taxes.
Editorial by Stephen Frank…..I am a "Conservatarian".
by Stephen Frank, 12/11/12
Last week I met with a recent USC grad who wanted to get involved in politics in a meaningful way. During the discussion we talked about issues and the State of the conservative movement. At that point he informed me he was a "conservatarian".
This is a new term for me. I am a conservative and if you read the California Political News and Views for any length of time, you know I am a believer that government is the cause of our economic calamities.
What is a conservatarian? To me that indicates someone who is conservative on the social issues and libertarian on the economic issues. I am pro-life and oppose government financing the killing of babies (or any killing of babies) or bailing out failed companies like Solyndra or General Motors.
In the early 1960's I started out as a Goldwater conservative. Strong patriotism and a belief in Constitutional government. It was later in his career that Senator Goldwater became more of a libertarian than conservative—including open borders and little support for social conservatives.
When I returned from Viet Nam, after a tour with the First Infantry Division, I was more of a traditional, National Review, type conservative. I was a social conservative but more interested in anti-communism and foreign policy. By the 1980 campaign, in which the Moral Majority was a strong influence, I was a social conservative first and foremost.
In 1988, Pat Robertson ran for President, but I supported George Bush, the Vice President, for President. By now I was working with evangelicals all over the State, and nation. While the Religious Right was almost exclusively one issue, Pro-Life, I thought it needed to use that as a base for an economic policy.
That is when I started using the phrase, "every dollar of taxation is a dollar less of freedom." I told evangelicals if they wanted to afford religious schools for their children and afford to raise more children, they had to roll back government and its theft of major portions of their paycheck. To me, to be a conservative meant family and personal freedom and government meant enslavement.
One lesson that Kennedy, Reagan and even Clinton proved was that to raise revenues you lowered taxes. Lower taxes meant economic growth and freedom from government.
The Bush years gave us out of control spending, plus a War on Terrorism—both very expensive. Obama has taken away our health care rights, total taxes on MOST Americans —-income, sales, property, etc, plus those passed along by corporations that government puts on them—now top 50% of money earned. We live in a society of takers, not makers.
Ideology, issues and understanding of how the world works evolves. At this point, I believe that all decisions are economic. As long as the choice of car, home and job is based on government regulations and government induced costs, we are not free to truly live our Faith, support our families and be what we want to be—government is standing in the way. Government schools teach our children propaganda and how NOT to think for yourself (the Global Warming canard is the best example—only one side of the debate is allowed by government schools.) Big businesses use government to punish their smaller competitors, and then demand to be bailed out when their strategies fail—just look at General Motors. Worse, the greedy use government to openly steal from families—look at the solar industry and firms like Solyndra. While billions are given to crooks, who have friends in Washington, the White House assures high energy prices and a loss of jobs by not allowing drilling, refusal to allow pipelines be built and tearing down dams to close down hydroelectric facilities.
For the future we need to fight for the Constitution. That includes religious freedom, freedom of speech. To secure these rights, we can no longer expect government to protect us—especially when it is protecting hundreds of thousands of lawbreakers from foreign nations. In San Jose the police no longer respond to break-in reports—you are on your own.
Remember, when seconds count, the cops are minutes away. In San Jose, they are no where to be found—same for Oakland. The Los Angeles Police Chief has a memo to the police to arrest anyone selling rabbits illegally—but allow illegal aliens to violate our laws.
We can count on government to take away our rights, freedoms and money. As a conservatarian I will fight back. We can educate folks that most Americans are no longer better off than Cubans or those in Venezuela.
Join the conservatarian movement—it is a freedom and faith.
MICHAEL BARONE: Soul-Crushing Dependency.
"This is painful for a liberal to admit," writes liberal New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, "but conservatives have a point when they suggest that America's safety net can sometimes entangle people in soul-crushing dependency."
Kristof is writing from Breathitt County, Ky., deep in the Appalachian mountains, about mothers whose Supplemental Security Income benefits will decrease if their children learn to read. Kristof notes that 55% of children qualifying for SSI benefits do so because of "fuzzier intellectual disabilities short of mental retardation," far more than four decades ago when SSI was just a new program.
Evidently SSI administrators decided to be more generous to parents of such children. But, as Kristof notes, giving parents an incentive to keep children from learning to read works against the children's long-term interest.
Kristof's column makes a point similar to that in my De. 2 Examiner column on the vast rise in people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance payments. As with SSI, one imagines that those responsible for extending benefits to those not previously eligible did so out of a sense of generosity. But as I noted, "there is also a human cost. Consider the plight of someone who at some level knows he can work but decides to collect disability payments instead. That person is not likely to ever seek work again, especially if the sluggish recovery turns out to be the new normal. He may be gleeful that he was able to game the system or just grimly determined to get what he can in a tough situation. But he will not be able to get the satisfaction of earned success from honest work that contributes something to society and the economy." Generosity that produces "soul-crushing dependency" is not really generosity.
"This is painful for a liberal to admit," writes liberal New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, "but conservatives have a point when they suggest that America's safety net can sometimes entangle people in soul-crushing dependency."
Kristof is writing from Breathitt County, Ky., deep in the Appalachian mountains, about mothers whose Supplemental Security Income benefits will decrease if their children learn to read. Kristof notes that 55% of children qualifying for SSI benefits do so because of "fuzzier intellectual disabilities short of mental retardation," far more than four decades ago when SSI was just a new program.
Evidently SSI administrators decided to be more generous to parents of such children. But, as Kristof notes, giving parents an incentive to keep children from learning to read works against the children's long-term interest.
Kristof's column makes a point similar to that in my De. 2 Examiner column on the vast rise in people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance payments. As with SSI, one imagines that those responsible for extending benefits to those not previously eligible did so out of a sense of generosity. But as I noted, "there is also a human cost. Consider the plight of someone who at some level knows he can work but decides to collect disability payments instead. That person is not likely to ever seek work again, especially if the sluggish recovery turns out to be the new normal. He may be gleeful that he was able to game the system or just grimly determined to get what he can in a tough situation. But he will not be able to get the satisfaction of earned success from honest work that contributes something to society and the economy." Generosity that produces "soul-crushing dependency" is not really generosity.
A monkey wearing a tan winter coat with shearling trim spotted in a Canadian Ikea store might sound like either the beginning of a bad joke or an attention-drawing publicity stunt.
The Ikea monkey has become an overnight sensation. (Photo: dzd_lisa via Instagram)
Turns out, the scene caused at a Toronto Ikea Sunday involving a rhesus monkey first spotted wandering the store's parking lot was the (illegal) pet of shoppers who have since been fined.
(Photo: @borniewyn/Twitter)
According to The Globe and Mail, the diaper-clad monkey escaped its owners' car after unlocking its crate. Being directed inside by store employees and the police until animal services could arrive, the monkey caused quite a stir among customers:
Lisa Lin, an Aurora resident, had just arrived at Ikea, around Leslie St. and Highway 401, Sunday afternoon to make some returns and purchase Christmas cards when she noticed the activity. She immediately snapped a picture of the monkey and later posted it on Instagram.
"It was pretty surreal," said Ms. Lin, 30. "I thought 'Is that really a monkey?' Who brings a monkey to Ikea?"
Bronwyn Page, a Toronto resident, was at Ikea buying a Christmas tree when she noticed the monkey. She said the small animal seemed nervous as it surrounded by a group of people, and made screeching noises.
She tweeted her pictures of the monkey, which instantly went viral on Twitter. Ms. Page received interview requests from media outlets across the city. Of her experience, she said: "I'm glad I took a picture. This day has taken a big turn. I didn't expect it."
Lisa Lin, an Aurora resident, had just arrived at Ikea, around Leslie St. and Highway 401, Sunday afternoon to make some returns and purchase Christmas cards when she noticed the activity. She immediately snapped a picture of the monkey and later posted it on Instagram.
"It was pretty surreal," said Ms. Lin, 30. "I thought 'Is that really a monkey?' Who brings a monkey to Ikea?"
Bronwyn Page, a Toronto resident, was at Ikea buying a Christmas tree when she noticed the monkey. She said the small animal seemed nervous as it surrounded by a group of people, and made screeching noises.
She tweeted her pictures of the monkey, which instantly went viral on Twitter. Ms. Page received interview requests from media outlets across the city. Of her experience, she said: "I'm glad I took a picture. This day has taken a big turn. I didn't expect it."
Rebels guard the front line on the road between Ajdabiyah and Brega as forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi threatened to push them further away from strategic oil refineries in eastern Libya March 31, 2011. (REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly)
As early as March 2011 there were reports that as many as 1,000 Al-Qaeda members had infiltrated the rebel forces in Libya.
But the Obama Administration chose to arm these rebels. One year later US Ambassador Chris Stevens was murdered by Al-Qaeda rebels in Libya. Eurasia Review reported:
In spite of the threat of American weapons ending up in the hands of terrorist groups, President Barack Obama secretly approved an arms transfer to Libyan rebels through Qatar at the height of the rebellion against Moamar Khadhafi, a knowledgeable source noted on Friday.
However, American counterterrorists are discovering that some of those U.S. weapons ended up in the hands of radical Islamists including associates of al-Qaeda, according to a law enforcement source who trained police in the Middle East.
Some Americans who are retired from the military, as well as intelligence and law enforcement agencies, believe there should be an investigation into possible connections between the weapons provided by the Qataris back then and the attack that killed an American ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012.
During the months leading up to the terrorist attacks, the Obama administration worried about its part in helping to arm the Libyan rebels who were members of terrorist organizations especially so close to Election Day.
Experts believe that Obama's experience with arming Libyan rebels is why his administration is nervous about arming the rebels in Syria, where money and weapons are flowing in from Qatar and other countries. It's widely believed that al-Qaeda in Iraq and other terrorist groups are active in the Syrian rebellion.
In spite of the threat of American weapons ending up in the hands of terrorist groups, President Barack Obama secretly approved an arms transfer to Libyan rebels through Qatar at the height of the rebellion against Moamar Khadhafi, a knowledgeable source noted on Friday.
However, American counterterrorists are discovering that some of those U.S. weapons ended up in the hands of radical Islamists including associates of al-Qaeda, according to a law enforcement source who trained police in the Middle East.
Some Americans who are retired from the military, as well as intelligence and law enforcement agencies, believe there should be an investigation into possible connections between the weapons provided by the Qataris back then and the attack that killed an American ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012.
During the months leading up to the terrorist attacks, the Obama administration worried about its part in helping to arm the Libyan rebels who were members of terrorist organizations especially so close to Election Day.
Experts believe that Obama's experience with arming Libyan rebels is why his administration is nervous about arming the rebels in Syria, where money and weapons are flowing in from Qatar and other countries. It's widely believed that al-Qaeda in Iraq and other terrorist groups are active in the Syrian rebellion.
PSY is one of the most watched YouTubes in history with almost a BILLION views, but Americans were unaware of his despicable rabid rapping about killing American soldiers, their wives, daughters, sisters, mothers, fathers and brothers - oh - and raping and torturing them too.
PSY says he's sorry.
President Obama believes him and he and HIS two daughters are going to see him perform Gangnum style.
Maybe the Secret Service should intervene, if they aren't too busy hiring whores.
Details here.
A team of researchers in the Netherlands found that 90 percent of conversations are gossip. But not all gossip is malicious.
The team of psychologists at the University of Amsterdam says that gossip in the workplace can be to warn co-workers about others who are not pulling their weight, or try to get lazy workers to contribute more.
Bianca Beersma and Prof. Gerben Van Kleef, co-authors of the study, told the Daily Telegraph that organizations can "minimize the negative and optimize the positive consequences (of gossip)."
"Speech makes it possible for group members to warn each other against those who do not behave in accordance with the group's norms," they wrote in the study.
The study asked 121 university's undergrads for their motive in gossiping. Although answers varied, some said they chose to gossip to protect a group from harmful behavior among members.
"Moral codes derived from Christian and Jewish religions condemn gossip and incorporate a number of severe punishments designed to discourage it," the authors wrote. "Even in societies in which religion no longer plays a central role, gossip is often frowned upon and is seen as reproachable. But is gossiping really that negative? By gossiping, one can warn group members against others who violate group norms, and it is possible that this explicit motive is a reason to instigate gossip."
The study was published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.
DeMint shows how a marquee name can raise the profile of the already venerable foundation. | AP Phot
Four decades after its launch, the most powerful conservative think tank in Washington is getting new blood.
Jim DeMint's surprise departure from the Senate reinvigorates the 39-year-old Heritage Foundation at a time when much of the ideas and policy output flowing from conservative think tanks has become predictable, uninspiring and often lacking in influence.
The ultimate impact of DeMint's move remains to be seen, but in round-robin interviews with The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, he is already showing how a marquee name can raise the profile of the already venerable foundation.
But DeMint's appointment is raising concerns among conservatives that, given his past experience on the political battlefield, the former senator will be tempted to turn Heritage into a weapon against Democrats, rather than as a fount of bold new ideas to inspire the right.
(Also on POLITICO: Think tank jobs a lucrative landing spot)
"Heritage under Jim DeMint could well be a powerful political force," Bill Kristol, founding editor of the Weekly Standard, told POLITICO. "But will it be a powerful think tank, a source of new policy ideas and fresh thinking? I hope so."
Because DeMint is founder of the Senate Tea Party Caucus, his appointment also bodes well for more conservative members of the Republican Party who champion Heritage's recent moves further to the right, including the creation in 2010 of Heritage Action for America, which made an aggressive push for the repeal of President Barack Obama's health care law.
(Also on POLITICO: All eyes on Nikki Haley to pick Jim DeMint successor)
"Republican congressmen have been deeply upset by the aggressiveness of Heritage Action for America, which sprung from The Heritage Foundation. There had been hope that HAFA would not be as forceful in the new year," Erick Erickson, founder of conservative blog Red State, told POLITICO.
"DeMint not only ensures HAFA will continue to be forceful but also ensures The Heritage Foundation will continue being the conservative standard-bearer instead of trying to find ways to fit general Republican policies under a conservative banner," Erickson added.
Meanwhile, DeMint will have greater influence on conservative policy than he ever could as a senator, those on the right said.
As president of Heritage, and freed from the constraints of lawmaking, DeMint will now have more than $80 million at his disposal to shape and push a conservative agenda and lead an aggressive opposition to Democrats.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is the top pick for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, with a narrow lead over other hopefuls, according to a poll out Thursday, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic nod.
Rubio was the top choice of 18 percent of Republicans surveyed, leading New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who took 14 percent, and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who both clocked in with 12 percent support, according to a new poll from Public Policy Polling. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a 2008 GOP hopeful, was close behind with 11 percent support.
On the Democratic side, a whopping 61 percent of those surveyed said they wanted to see Clinton score the Democratic nomination for president in 2016. She was followed by Vice President Joe Biden, who was the pick of 12 percent, the same percent who said they were undecided or wanted some other candidate. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren were a distant fourth with 5 percent and fifth place with 4 percent respectively.
The poll surveyed 454 Democratic primary voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percent, and 475 Republican primary voters, with a margin of error of 4.5 percent.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/2016-marco-rubio-hillary-clinton-top-picks-poll-shows-84742.html#ixzz2EMztNOJu
These politicans can't negotiate. We are more screwed than Marilyn Monroe in a room full of Kennedy's. {Ed.}
In the latest round of back-and-forth on the fiscal cliff, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner talked on the phone Wednesday and announced they would have a highly anticipated face-to-face meeting. But don't get too excited: there was no announcement of any deal—or even any hint of a compromise. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told CNBC on Wednesday that the president is "absolutely" ready to jump over the fiscal cliff in Republicans won't budge on tax hikes for the wealthiest Americans. If a budget deal is not made by Jan. 1, a set of draconian spending cuts will automatically go into place at the same time that the Bush tax cuts expire—a set of conditions known as the fiscal cliff.
A new animated video released by the California Federation of Teachers shows the rich "1 percent" urinating on and stealing money from the less fortunate and middle class. The purpose of the video is to explain "economic inequality" and the need for wealthy people to pay their "fair share of taxes."
The video argues that the rich got richer by evading taxes and using loopholes to hold onto their money. The union claims this is why Congress needs to repeal Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
Narrated by actor Ed Asner, the full video is currently featured on the official California Federal Teachers website.
Here is how CFT summarizes its new cartoon video:
Tax the rich: An animated fairy tale, is narrated by Ed Asner, with animation by award-winning artist Mike Konopacki, and written and directed by Fred Glass for the California Federation of Teachers. The 8 minute video shows how we arrived at this moment of poorly funded public services and widening economic inequality. Things go downhill in a happy and prosperous land after the rich decide they don't want to pay taxes anymore. They tell the people that there is no alternative, but the people aren't so sure. This land bears a startling resemblance to our land. After you watch this video, click here to share with friends, and send an email to your elected officials to let them know they need to restore higher federal tax rates on the wealthy so that we may once more enjoy properly funded public services.
Tax the rich: An animated fairy tale, is narrated by Ed Asner, with animation by award-winning artist Mike Konopacki, and written and directed by Fred Glass for the California Federation of Teachers. The 8 minute video shows how we arrived at this moment of poorly funded public services and widening economic inequality. Things go downhill in a happy and prosperous land after the rich decide they don't want to pay taxes anymore. They tell the people that there is no alternative, but the people aren't so sure. This land bears a startling resemblance to our land. After you watch this video, click here to share with friends, and send an email to your elected officials to let them know they need to restore higher federal tax rates on the wealthy so that we may once more enjoy properly funded public services.
CFT Communications Director Fred Glass, who wrote and directed the video, told TheBlaze the cartoon is not intended for children.
"I love animation and I believe it is an effective way of communicating ideas that is a little different," he said, adding that there are no plans to show the video in California classrooms.
"The CFT is working on helping citizens understand growing economic inequality and the need to restore tax higher rates for the wealthy in order
Who better to put together a documentary about the effects of greenhouse gases than a film director with a carbon footprint bigger than size of Pandora together with an actor and former California governor who took a jet to work every day and drives a Hummer? For a project that revolves around the burning fossil fuels, we demand to be lectured by experts, and we've got 'em:
Arnold Schwarzenegger is reuniting with director James Cameron for a new documentary series on climate change.
The series, "Years of Living Dangerously," will air on Showtime in 2013 and "will explore the human impact of climate change," according to a statement from the network. It will consist of six to eight one-hour episodes.
Schwarzenegger is an executive producer of the series, along with Cameron, film producer Jerry Weintraub and Joel Bach and David Gelber, who have worked on "60 Minutes." The series will feature New York Times columnists Thomas Friedman and Nicholas Kristof, as well as MSNBC host Chris Hayes, according to Showtime.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is reuniting with director James Cameron for a new documentary series on climate change.
The series, "Years of Living Dangerously," will air on Showtime in 2013 and "will explore the human impact of climate change," according to a statement from the network. It will consist of six to eight one-hour episodes.
Schwarzenegger is an executive producer of the series, along with Cameron, film producer Jerry Weintraub and Joel Bach and David Gelber, who have worked on "60 Minutes." The series will feature New York Times columnists Thomas Friedman and Nicholas Kristof, as well as MSNBC host Chris Hayes, according to Showtime.
The series will be rated PG-13 for extreme depictions of Gore.
When I first heard Arnold was involved in a project called "Years of Living Dangerously," I assumed it was going to be about… you know… something else.
**Written by Doug Powers
The Chevrolet Volt's 16 kWh battery pack (Chevrolet)
Whether you like it or not, you are an investor in the electric vehicle (EV) battery of tomorrow.
Late last week, the Department of Energy announced plans to spend $120 million to establish a major battery research center at the Argonne National Lab outside of Chicago. The stated goal: to create a new "Manhattan Project" that will develop an EV battery in the next five years that lasts five times as long and costs one-fifth as much as current EV batteries.
And they say it's all in the interest of national security.
The Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) will become a think tank for multiple government entities like the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, in addition to private companies like Dow Chemical and Johnson Controls. Even General Motors is an affiliate – and likely future licensee of the technology.
"The taxpayer is an investor, so what can we do that pays the investor back? The answer is security – to do our best to use energy inside the boundaries on our soil," says Jeff Chamberlain, the deputy for development and demonstration at JCESR. Chamberlain says the U.S. imports a billion gallons of oil per day. But if even 5 percent of drivers switched to EVs, that could mean $100 billion in battery purchases that would be powered largely by domestically produced energy.
"The Chevy Volt sticker price is $40,000. If we can have a battery with five times as much energy [as the one in the Volt] at even a third of the cost, then those vehicles become cost competitive with gas vehicles. If they are competitive on the lot, and they can save on costs to drive, people will buy them," says Chamberlain.
The plug-in hybrid Volt has a battery-powered range of 38 miles, while most of the all-electric cars on sale today can go less than 100 miles per charge. Only the Tesla Model S can come close to the range of liquid fueled cars, travelling up to 265 miles between charges, but at a cost of $77,400, which is more than twice the average price of a new car today.
"Batteries have made their way into every form of our life," adds Amy Francetic, an executive director of the Clean Energy Trust based in Chicago, a business accelerator that helps transfer government research to industry. "Any time [something] is critical to our way of life, or an advancement of industry, it should be the role of the US government. It is hard to make those advancements without the US government."
Still, experts in the automotive industry and materials science research are wondering why the US government is sponsoring such a massive research effort.
"This is the definition of a money hole," says Rob Enderle, an analyst who has studied battery innovations. "They aren't going to the Moon, they are just making something that exists better and setting goals that can't be achieved in a reasonable time."
Enderle says a better plan would be to focus on a specific goal, such as figuring out how to improve the energy grid for charging a growing number of EVs, or to invent a new wireless charging technology so the electric cars of the future don't have to literally plug-in.
Ozzie Zehner, a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley STSC and the author of "Green Illusions," says the main problem with funding government labs for electric car research is that the U.S. should look for entirely different green initiatives to fund, and to stay out of the EV market.
"Both the National Academies and, more recently, the Congressional Budget Office, have found no benefit to the environment from subsidizing electric cars," Zehner says, arguing that taxpayer money could be wasted.
Chamberlain counters the argument about misplaced funds by pointing out that even the largest U.S. companies do not have massive supercomputers, linear accelerator labs (like the one in Stanford), or a staff of what will eventually become about 120 researchers at JCESR.
The only other non-government entity to have that many materials science researchers? The Toyota Motor Company, which likely has a staff of about 100 researchers in Japan developing new battery technologies for imports, says Chamberlain. The company's Prius hybrid is the best-selling electrified car of all time.
Francetic says that the automakers do have research teams dedicated to developing new battery technologies for EVs, but not at the level of basic physics – which requires a team of materials science experts and cooperation between government labs and private industry. "Physicists are behind inventing battery science, manufacturers are behind manufacturing," she says.
Toyota, Ford and GM declined to comment on the new research center. "We're not in a position to comment about this yet," says Alan Hall, a spokesperson for Ford.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/12/05/taxpayers-footing-bill-for-next-generation-electric-car-batteries/?test=latestnews#ixzz2EBZPS9Jr
Then check out the 10 countries where you pay ZERO taxes here.
IF REPUBLICANS HAD DONE THIS IT WOULD BE PORTRAYED AS SINISTER: Billionaire-Funded Liberal Stealth Groups Paved Obama Win.
More than 4 million people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 did not vote this year. But by applying new voter science, Obama nudged enough replacements in key states — many who were rare or first-time voters — to give him his margin of victory (leveraged even larger by the Electoral College).
Years of stealthy multimillion-dollar efforts paid off forAmerica's left in the 2008 and 2012 victories by President Barack Obama. Using new voter science to get rare and first-time voters to go to the polls, the races have changedAmerica's electorate — those who make the country's decisions by showing up and voting.
Aided by $5 million minimum from George Soros, plus millions more from others, at least two secretive institutions were created to enable this effort by focused research on behavioral science. Their results are made available only to liberals and their causes.
More than 4 million people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 did not vote this year. But by applying new voter science, Obama nudged enough replacements in key states — many who were rare or first-time voters — to give him his margin of victory (leveraged even larger by the Electoral College).
Years of stealthy multimillion-dollar efforts paid off forAmerica's left in the 2008 and 2012 victories by President Barack Obama. Using new voter science to get rare and first-time voters to go to the polls, the races have changedAmerica's electorate — those who make the country's decisions by showing up and voting.
Aided by $5 million minimum from George Soros, plus millions more from others, at least two secretive institutions were created to enable this effort by focused research on behavioral science. Their results are made available only to liberals and their causes.
And there would be calls for regulation to put a stop to it. Along with press coverage suggesting that it's creepy and probably racist.
Some people have NO sense of humor!
A Florida firefighter is out of a job after putting toilet paper with President Barack Obama's face in his fire department's bathroom.
Clint Pierce, who admitted placing the Obama toilet paper in the restroom as a "gag," had until 5:00 p.m. Friday to turn in his badge after the city of Pompano Beach, Fla. determined his joke was a disrespectful repeat offense, according to a report from the Sun Sentinel.
The Oct. 19 incident marked the third time Pierce brought political props onto city property, after he was told to stop.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/03/firefighter-canned-for-installing-toilet-paper-roll-printed-with-barack-obamas-face/#ixzz2DzcI8qPW
I am inordinately fond of monkeys. I like to watch them, I like to tease them, I like any commercial that has a monkey and I will buy any product advertised by a monkey, especially if it involves a smoking monkey.
Monkeys are little people in monkey suits.
Stealing a monkey is NOT cool. And somebody stole Banana Sam from the San Francisco zoo. If I found that person I would beat them with a monkey stick. I don't know what a monkey stick is, but it sounds like appropriate punishment.
Getty Images
Banana-Sam is a squirrel monkey like the ones in this picture.
By Mike Anderson
"...Someone broke into an exhibit and stole a monkey from the San Francisco Zoo, the zoo discovered Friday morning.
The one-foot-tall squirrel monkey's name is "Banana-Sam." He is 17 years old and weighs about two pounds.
The vandals apparently cut through a zoo gate overnight. Then they got onto the roof of the primate exhibits. The zoo found two holes cut through the mesh net where Banana-Sam was stolen.
Although he appears cute and cuddly, Banana-Sam has very sharp teeth and will not hesitate to bite if provoked, according to Zoo staff. His bites can easily cause infections. The monkey also eats very particular food.
"This was a criminal act of vandalism and trespassing and we are working with the police to identify the perpetrators," said Tanya Peterson, President and Executive Director of the San Francisco Zoological Society.
GOVERNMENT: Philly Councilwoman to Retire and Collect $478,000 Pension, Then Start Back To Work On Monday.
Honey, it's really as simple as the story above. Some things in life are unfair, and Republicans have to fix them.
Three days and counting until the Iowa Hawkeye Cauci begins and the national process to ridding ourselves of one of the worst President's in modern history begins.
via Drudge Report:
Golly! I'll be you are as surprised as I am that an extensive analysis by the Washington Post (yes, the liberal WaPo) has discovered that the "green policies" of the Obama administration, and in particular the Solar energy scam, were ONLY about politics.
Nothing. But. Politics.
Original Article
by Abby Schacter, New York Post
Ace of Spades HQ
Major Victory For Obama And Congressional Democrats: Payroll Tax Holiday Will Only Be Two Months Long, Not The Full Year Those Mean Republicans Wanted!
Those Wascally Wepublicans!
Just try to pry the cold, hard cash from between his fingers ....
Figures that Friday news dump was just some chump bait after all. Does it really come as an surprise Obama still has his hands out for some of that Corzine cash?
President Obama is trying to put some distance between himself and the wreckage of bankrupt brokerage MF Global. But not too much distance.
After returning more than $70,000 to Jon Corzine, the CEO who led MF Global into bankruptcy, the president's re-election organizations are still hanging onto nearly $150,000 connected to the firm, The Post has learned.
An Obama campaign official said no MF Global donations besides Corzine's have been refunded. "Contributions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and if the facts merit it, they will be returned," the official told The Post.
President Obama is trying to put some distance between himself and the wreckage of bankrupt brokerage MF Global. But not too much distance.
After returning more than $70,000 to Jon Corzine, the CEO who led MF Global into bankruptcy, the president's re-election organizations are still hanging onto nearly $150,000 connected to the firm, The Post has learned.
An Obama campaign official said no MF Global donations besides Corzine's have been refunded. "Contributions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and if the facts merit it, they will be returned," the official told The Post.
Late Friday, aides revealed that Obama had given in to Republican pressure and returned to Corzine the money the former New Jersey governor and his wife gave to the re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The move was an effort by the president to distance himself from the scandal that has erupted in the wake of MF Global's meltdown.
Late Friday, aides revealed that Obama had given in to Republican pressure and returned to Corzine the money the former New Jersey governor and his wife gave to the re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The move was an effort by the president to distance himself from the scandal that has erupted in the wake of MF Global's meltdown.
"...Rep. Ron Paul, the presumptive frontrunner of the Iowa caucuses, has come under fire again for racist material that appeared in a series of newsletters, written he says by someone else and published under his name nearly two decades ago. Paul has disavowed the letters' content repeatedly in numerous interviews.(Snip)Meanwhile, Barack Obama's ties to the Reverend Jeremiah Wright are a non-issue again this election year. Why? Reverend Wright was named among the Simon Wisenthal Center's top ten anti-Semites of the year this week."
Is Ron Paul a racist? I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and just say no. But does he blame America for the world's problems. Absolutely. Will he celebrate our greatness and burnish our legacy as all Americans deserve? Decidedly not.
The Paulinistas will blast away ...but facts are facts. Ron Paul blames America for the world's ills. Do not vote for this man.
Original Article
by Dorothy Rabinowitz
..at least according to the Mayan Calender.
And the Mexicans are not going to let an economic opportunity pass by, and are promoting tourism to the Quintana Roo and Yucatan area where the ancient Mayan ruins reside.
I can safely assure Norte Americano's that if they visit this region, the end may come sooner than expected - since the area is overrun with Drug Cartel mobsters.
Gingrich's numbers are slumping, as more Republicans realize what a risky candidacy Gingrich offers.
Now Iowans are shifting gears. Let's hope (for the cuntry's sake) that they figure out that Ron Paul is on the crazy train with foreign policy.
"...The question for Gingrich will be whether he has enough time to rebound in the two weeks left to campaign in Iowa or if he has begun a political free-fall that will be hard to stop.
"The problem is he has probably waited too long," said Craig Robinson, former political director for the Iowa Republican Party. "This is the frantic finish. The clock might run out on him."
Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has seen his national lead in polls over rival Mitt Romney disappear in the last week, with new CNN and Washington Post/ABC polls showing him falling back into a tie with Romney."
When will it stop? The lawlessness that runs through the veins of the Internet ...hackers with petty temper tantrums and keyboards that bring good men and women to their knees.
Say a prayer that no one is hurt from this latest bout.
We will NEVER be able to thank our troops enough. But let's keep trying.
(Courtesy ABC News)
U.S. Army soldiers from 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas watch a concert by the band Filter, who performed for troops waiting to go home after their deployment in Iraq, Dec. 15, 2011, at Camp Virginia, Kuwait. After nearly nine years, 4,500 American dead and 100,000 Iraqi dead, U.S. officials formally shut down the war in Iraq. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo)
Please don't forget our troops remaining in Afghanistan. We are continuing to send, with love, care packages until every troop is home.
Donate at www.moveamericaforward.org Thank-you.
A SURVEY OF Republican Presidential Candidates' Positions on Higher Education.
A particularly fascinating subject for me as the Mother of an Economics major at USC.
via Lucianne.com
Who knows what will happen in next year's historically demanding election? No one. We all wish we could predict the future, and if I knew that Obama was getting re-elected, I would liquate what few assets I have remaining and head to Roatonga in the Cook Islands where the Maori wear flip flops and sell a few beads to the Kewi tourists.
But since I have no crystal ball, let's examine what the election dynamics are telling us.
(via Lucianne.com)
The White House has classified the Fort Hood massacre as "workplace violence."
I am feeling slightly nauseous at the stupidity of that statement. This administration is putting all of us in jeopardy with delusional thinking.
"....Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday blasted the Defense Department for classifying the Fort Hood massacre as workplace violence and suggested political correctness is being placed above the security of the nation's Armed Forces at home.
During a joint session of the Senate and House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, the Maine Republican referenced a letter from the Defense Department depicting the Fort Hood shootings as workplace violence. She criticized the Obama administration for failing to identify the threat as radical Islam."
PEARL HARBOR TRIBUTE: Remember that it's our responsibility to keep the memory alive and to pass this history on to the younger generations. Never Forget.Below you will find videos, photos and many Pearl Harbor links related to that horrible morning 70 years ago. Take your time browsing through this post and feel free to pass it on to others.Before you continue, though, take a moment to think about how your day is going. Then think of how their day must have been. Never forget them, honor them always, thank them, pay tribute to them.**Attack scene from the movie PEARL HARBOR:
CBS RADIO NEWS BULLETIN. ("We interrupt this program")
FDR addresses the Nation.DEAD and WOUNDED by SERVICE:*Navy--2001--710*Marines--109--69*Army--231--364*Civilian--54--35Entire Pearl Harbor casualty list here. Chronology of events here. All things Pearl Harbor here.
USS Arizona Memorial
Admiral Kimmel removed, testifies before congress--(newsreel)
Bush creates World War II monument for Pacific.
View Pearl Harbor 1941 YouTube Tributehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwQ742SEjzI&feature=player_embedded--
The Newstalk KGO legacy station is now just half of what it used to be. News, no talk. Kinda.
For those of you who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area listening to Dunbar & Wygant, Ronn Owens, Rosie and Ed, Morgan and Beck, and the rest of the gang - the last few days have been shocking. Beyond words for many of us who worked for a damn fine station that won every award available many times over.
Now the aptly named Dickey Bros from Atlanta, Georgia think they can take their Stanford MBA's and do something which most say is impossible...make more money from a declining industry by firing their way to prosperity.
Maybe Lew and John Dickey are right.
Today, we hear that Wall Street likes the numbers and their stock is now at $3.00 a share. I also read that the Dickey's filed papers with the SEC increasding THEIR financial compensation and improving their severance package. God forbid they should be left with two weeks of Cobra insurance and two weeks severance if they belly flop in this venture.
Folks, these are public airwaves that the Dickey's are ruining. The Dickey's are worth several fortunes. So how did these multi-millionaire's handle the dismissal of KGO long-time staffers? According to media columnist Jerry Del Colliano, a Cumulus hatchet man named Bill Bungeroth (who laid off my husband) brought together the air talent and announced the station was going another direction. And then walked out. Meanwhile, Del Colliano reports that there was an apparent sucide by a Cumulus employee who was fired shortly before her death last week.
KGO is a mishmash of nothingness. KGO is neither fish nor fowl ...neither news nor talk. It is a hybrid. Of NOTHINGNESS.
I'm not saying that Cumulus Broadcasting doesn't have the right to do what they did. It's called Capitalism, and I'm a big proponent.
But we have a right to protest the loss of some excellent programming by hitting back at those who hit us.
Rich Lieberman, a Bay Area Media critic, writes more about that here.
Look, I am not ignoring the obvious. KGO is a left-leaning radio station. I am a committed conservative. But when selfish interests dominate and destroy the livelihoods of hundreds and hundreds of talented individuals - speak out. If it can happen to them, it WILL happen to us. Is KSFO, KGO's sister station and conservative talker up next? Who knows?
Radio is part of the daily fabric of our lives, from health and fitness (represented by the hugely talented Joanie Greggains) to news and talk (like Gil Gross, Len Tillem and the others) and it just feels unfair. I haven't even started on the loss of the behind-the-scenes producers and administrative people who helped make a great station greater.
It seems to me that there is a perfect opportunity for someone with some bucks to come into the San Francisco radio market and put together a radio station that could kick ass ...liberal AND conservative...if done properly.
I think I know just the right folks for the job.
Newt is now positioned quite well, according to the pundits. But will the exit of Herman Cain make room for someone new?
Here is the latest on the end of Herman's Candidacy from the LA Times.
KGO Newstalk radio in San Francisco is going to call itself KGO 81, the News and Information Station (a rip-off of the old NBC News and Information format slug from 1978.)
For those of you who are not familiar with the San Francisco radio market, this is a shocking development followed by a series of deeply upsetting years long lay-offs that have claimed not only myself (in 2008) but my husband Jack Swanson (former Operations Director, 2011) and so many of our friends.
That's right...one of the most venerated radio stations in the country will no longer be talking about local, state and national news - forget about politics or lifestyle issues.
Talk is gone.
KGO is going All News - right up against KCBS and KQED - and it's not gonna be pretty.
Gone are Bay Area favorites such as Gill Gross, Gene Burns, John Rothman, Ray Taliaferro, Lloyd Lindsay Young , Bill Wattenburg and Len Tillum. All of their producers were fired today. And more dismissals are likely to follow. UPDATE: My BFF Joanie Greggains, Queen of health and fitness, let go too.
I started my career in San Francisco at KGO TV in 1981 - the same weekend a relatively obscure weatherman by the name of Lloyd Lindsay Young ....he became a local legend, and inspired many laughs and good times on KGO Radio. I worked at KGO Radio from 1982 until 1989, traveling the world as an international hotspot reporter, from Beijing to Beirut. I had the privilege to return to the best damn radio station in the world in the most beautiful city by the Bay.
WOW. I still can't wrap my brain around the vast changes to the lives of so many good people. My good wishes to all of them and their families as they struggle to find new jobs and re-gain their emotional bearings, right before Christmas.
Way to go, Dickey Brothers.
Sometimes things just suck. But then they get better. I can say from personal experience that getting laid off is sometimes the best game changer in the world. But it sure doesn't feel that way for quite some time.
(via SFgate.com)
"....A big shakeup is coming to KGO radio: Many of its most recognizable voices are being let go as the station, which can be heard up and down the West Coast, switches to "all-news" format from 2 p.m. to midnight starting Monday.
"What we are doing is adding a tremendous amount of news content to KGO," Paul Hosley, the station's news and program director, told us late Tuesday shortly after staff was notified of the changes.
Among those who will leave the station are talk-show veterans Gene Burns, Gil Gross, Ray Taliaferro and John Rothmann.
Ronn Owens, who reportedly has one of the highest-paying contracts in radio, will continue his popular morning show from 9 a.m. to noon. Brian Copeland will also keep his weekend show.
The switches come amid major turbulence in the Bay Area media market. KGO's one-time dominance in the a.m. Arbitron ratings has taken a big dive in recent years as increasing numbers of listeners have switched to satellite and internet radio. Just two months ago, Citadel Broadcasting sold both KGO (810 a.m.) and its sister station, KSFO (560 a.m.), to rival Cumulus Media, which already owned four other stations in the market, including all-sports KNBR (680 a.m.).
One station insider told us KGO had simply lost its way and hopes to reinvigorate itself with a news-driven format.
Incidentally, it's longtime moniker "Newstalk 810" will also be replaced. The new slug: "KGO-810 - the Bay Area news and information station."
At least that is the headline over at WaPo and writer Jonathan Bernstein contends that Romney is going to make it to the finish line.
I'm not so sure about that. Your thoughts?
10:06 p.m. | Updated More than 100 Occupy Wall Street protesters marched to a Midtown hotel on Wednesday night to protest a fund-raising event for President Obama.
Escorted by police vehicles as they helped snarl traffic across the Times Square area, beginning at Bryant Park, the group settled in front of barricades on the southwest corner of 53rd Street and Seventh Avenue, in view of the Sheraton hotel at which Mr. Obama was expected to appear by 9 p.m.
Demonstrators held signs that leveled some of the Occupy protest's most pointed criticism to date of the president. "Obama is a corporate puppet," one said. "War crimes must be stopped, no matter who does them," read another, beside head shots of President George W. Bush and President Obama.
One man, wearing a mask of the president's face and holding a cigar, carried a sign that read, "I sold out!"
Ben Campbell, 28, one of the march's organizers, said he hoped to prove to skeptics of the protests that the demonstrators were political critics of equal opportunity.
"President Obama is coming to town solely to raise money from the richest of the rich," Mr. Campbell said.
On Nov. 10, 2011, the New York Times (NYT) reports that Reggie Love, Obama's 30-year-old "personal aide, shadow, caretaker, basketball buddy and roving diplomat" and all-around "body man" made "what friends and colleagues called a painful decision to leave the president's side" at the end of this year.
But in his exclusive-to-subscribers report of November 14, 2011, investigate reporter Wayne Madsen wrote:
"The fallout from Penn State has universities and colleges across the nation checking their records for indications of child abuse and other sex scandals. The Citadel is now embroiled in a scandal involving child sexual abuse by a summer camp counselor. Past gay-oriented sex parties at Duke and the University of North Carolina involving then Duke basketball and football player Reggie Love reportedly cost him his job as President Obama's 'body man.' De facto White House chief of staff Pete Rouse, upon hearing of potential problems regarding Love at Duke and UNC and on the heels of the scandal at Penn State, forced Love to leave the White House staff immediately, even over the objections of Obama."
Yesterday evening when I began a draft of this post, I had seen on Wikipedia's entry on Reggie Love a reference to him "overcoming" an un-named "scandal" when he was at Duke University to secure a job in Obama's Senate office. This morning, however, that reference has disappeared from Wikipedia.
Booker Rising, a website that describes itself as a "news site for black moderates and black conservatives," has the dirt on Reggie Love.
(Read it all. Poor Obama...)
After the major media declared President Obama "resurrected" from his stunning defeats in the last election cycle, I wondered if that wasn't, ahem, a bit premature. Okay, out-and-out stupid is what I was really thinking.
Obama has won nothing politically.
His polls prove it.
The spate of legislative accomplishments in the lame-duck session celebrated by the White House appears to have had little effect on President Obama's approval rating, according to Gallup's latest tracking poll. Between Dec. 26 and 28 – soon after Obama arrived in Hawaii for his Christmas vacation – Obama's approval rating was 47 percent, two points lower than his rating from the previous week, Gallup reports. He has averaged a 46 percent rating since November. Before leaving for Hawaii, Obama called an end-of-the-year press conference to recall some of Congress's final moves, like repealing "don't ask, don't tell," ratifying the START pact with Russia and passing his tax-cut plan with Republicans. He labeled the activity "a season of progress for the American people." The poll's results were based on interviews with 1,531 adults.
I wonder what President Obama will have to say to his super close pal Andy Stern, President of the SEIU, and all his other government employees BFF's during their weekly lunch get together.
Especially after the New York Post reports that New York City snow plows were kept garaged in order to get more money. Killing people in the process.
These garbage men really stink.
Selfish Sanitation Department bosses from the snow-slammed outer boroughs ordered their drivers to snarl the blizzard cleanup to protest budget cuts -- a disastrous move that turned streets into a minefield for emergency-services vehicles, The Post has learned.
Miles of roads stretching from as north as Whitestone, Queens, to the south shore of Staten Island still remained treacherously unplowed last night because of the shameless job action, several sources and a city lawmaker said, which was over a raft of demotions, attrition and budget cuts.
"They sent a message to the rest of the city that these particular labor issues are more important," said City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens), who was visited yesterday by a group of guilt-ridden sanitation workers who confessed the shameless plot.
Halloran said he met with three plow workers from the Sanitation Department -- and two Department of Transportation supervisors who were on loan -- at his office after he was flooded with irate calls from constituents.
The snitches "didn't want to be identified because they were afraid of retaliation," Halloran said. "They were told [by supervisors] to take off routes [and] not do the plowing of some of the major arteries in a timely manner. They were told to make the mayor pay for the layoffs, the reductions in rank for the supervisors, shrinking the rolls of the rank-and-file."
New York's Strongest used a variety of tactics to drag out the plowing process -- and pad overtime checks -- which included keeping plows slightly higher than the roadways and skipping over streets along their routes, the sources said.
The snow-removal snitches said they were told to keep their plows off most streets and to wait for orders before attacking the accumulating piles of snow.
They said crews normally would have been more aggressive in com bating a fierce, fast-moving bliz zard like the one that barreled in on Sunday and blew out the next morning
COLFAX, CA - WORLD EXCLUSIVE: The airline pilot who lost his federally-issued gun and badge for posting video on YouTube critical of airport security has chosen to go public with his identity.
"My name is Chris Liu and I'm an airline pilot," Liu said during an exclusive interview Monday with News10 at his home in Colfax.
Liu's cell phone video tour of security at San Francisco International Airport led to a team of six federal agents and sheriff's deputies coming to his home on Dec. 2 to take his handgun and Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) credentials.
Liu's state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon was also suspended by the Placer County sheriff.
Liu contacted News10 last Tuesday to share his story, but insisted that neither he nor his airline be identified for fear of retaliation.
Liu decided to reveal his identity Monday because he wants to become actively involved in changing what he believes is a major flaw in airport security.
"I just found a disparity between what happens upstairs and what happens downstairs," Liu explained.
As Liu pointed out in the video, pilots and flight crew are subjected to real-time TSA security screening while ground crew are not. "Upstairs they're going through the metal detectors and the X-ray machines, and downstairs they're swiping a card," he said.
News10 established a relationship with the Liu family last July after their rental home in Sacramento's Oak Park was destroyed by an arsonist. Four firefighters were injured when the house exploded.
Although Liu is no longer an FFDO, his flight status with his airline has not changed. Liu's wife, Sandra, said she worries about repercussions from the publicity, but supported her husband's decision to go public.
"I think my husband was very courageous. He did what he believed what right," Sandra said. "It's not all about us. It's about the safety of every American."
For those of you who have never visited the creative geniuses (genii?) at I Own the World, this might get you motivated.
Behold, the Lean Forward Network's Chrissy Matthews wears his favorite Christmas present — the Dork Bike Helmet. We've heard he refuses to remove it, because it helps him sleep peacefully in his bed at night.
Tune in tonight to the LEAN RIGHT network -- find it at The ANDREA SHEA KING SHOW -- we're on at 9p ET -- linkage below.--
Weeknights @ 9 pm EST
The Radio Patriot l Big Hollywood l Big Government l Big Peace
Surfin' Safari @ World Net Daily
Twitter.com/RadioPatriot l Facebook
VOICE of LIBERTY Podcast Network
Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, says troops need more time between deployments to ease the emotional strain and to curb occurrences of post-traumatic stress disorder.
"We need more time at home between deployments," Chiarelli told ABC's Christiane Amanpour in an interview aired Sunday on "This Week.""I went to an aviation brigade of about 1,500 folks. Those senior pilots in that brigade, those individuals who have been flying mission after mission — 62 percent ... [were] on their third deployment and almost 40 percent were on their fourth deployment with very, very little time at home."
Chiarelli emphasized that repeated and sustained deployments affect "everything" in the lives of those who have taken multiple trips to Iraq and Afghanistan — from increased suicide rates in men to struggles faced by women who lose custody battles for their children."It affects everything: it affects the divorce rate, it affects substance abuse. It affects everything. We've tried to take our focus and shift it," he said.
The general also pointed to a serious lag in time between "initiating events" that trigger PTSD and when those who are affected seek treatment. Chiarelli said there is typically a 12-year gap between the event and treatment, citing civilian figures from the National Institute of Mental Health.
"The issue isn't that they finally seek help. It's all the things that happen in between," Chiarelli said, repeating drug abuse, anger management issues and high divorce rates as common problems among troops.
Fairbanks, Alaska. December 26, 2010 -- Joe Miller, Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, will not oppose state certification of the U.S. Senate race in Alaska. For the sake of the integrity of the election, Miller will go forward with the federal suit, which was filed last month, but required a final determination by the Alaska state court to proceed further. He will be filing a motion in federal court to stay the post certification election contest timeline until after the federal case has concluded. "After careful consideration and seeking the counsel of people whose opinion I respect and trust, I have decided that the federal case must go forward. The integrity of the election is vital and ultimately the rule of law must be our standard. Nevertheless, I have also decided to withdraw our opposition to the certification of the election, ensuring that Alaska will have its full delegation seated when the 112th Congress convenes next month." Miller added, "This decision will allow Alaskans to focus on bringing fairness and transparency to our elections process without distraction of the certification issue."In its court filings, the Miller legal team pointed out several issues that require further review including: whether the U.S. Constitution's Election Clause was violated by ignoring the legislature's mandatory provisions for write-in candidates; whether the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause was violated by the different vote counting standards that were applied, dependent on the candidate in question; and other issues such as at least hundreds of felons voting and at least hundreds of ballots being filled out by a handful of people.Miller stated, "We want the end result of this legal action to be for the people of Alaska to not only have full faith in the outcome of this race, but a confidence in the manner in which elections will be conducted in our state in the future. Election integrity is vital."
P.S. Please click here to donate a gift of $100, $75, $50, or $25.
Lee Rodgers, foe of stupidity and friend to none who annoy, is back amongst the living. My former co-host at KSFO radio is emerging from a death-defying series of unfortunate medical circumstances.
It's a Christmas miracle!
I'll re-print his words from his blog. And now if someone, anyone, will let please let him know that you don't capitalize every word on the Internet, we'll have Mr. Cranky Pants into the 21st century :-)
From my friend Lloyd Marcus, singer/songrwriter and Tea Party Express member.
"..While minding my own business reading emails, I was included with numerous recipients receiving a holiday greeting email from a dear black relative. The email reminded us that the holidays are a great time to be "thankful for" the "blessing" of having Obama as president. The email oozed with syrupy over-the-top praise of Obama including his, (and I quote), "room-lighting" smile.
Remarkably ill-informed and distorted, the email listed every item of Obama's hostile takeover of our country as blessings to be "thankful for" (http://blackwaterdog.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/im-greatful-2/)
Fighting my gag reflex and not wanting to make waves, I was about to simply delete the absurd propaganda email. However, an earlier phone conversation with my 83 year old dad led me to decide to respond to the liberal bull-crap.
Dad, Dr./Rev. Lloyd Marcus Sr., has always been a great source of wisdom and inspiration for me. As we chatted over the phone, I thought, "Wow, at 83, Dad is as sharp and bright as ever".
"Jesus said we are the salt of the earth. But, if the salt has lost it's savor, it is useless", said Dad. Dad also quoted the scripture about letting your light shine rather than hiding it.Liberals freely spout their rhetoric as if it were gospel, while conservatives tend to be careful, non confrontational and low key about their beliefs. And still, conservatives are branded by liberals as pushy and intolerant.
I thought, "My relative chose to include me as a recipient of her "Obama is Just Below Jesus" holiday greeting email". I know the truth about Obama. Thus, it is my duty to share that truth. America is under attack by an evil enemy within. Patriots must be salt and light; boldly standing up for truth and righteousness.
There are several issues I could have shared to explain why Obama is bad for America. However, since my relative is a Christian, I thought it wise to inform her of Obama's policies which do not align with her Christian values.
I sent my response via, "reply all" for everyone on her list to receive it. Prayerfully, at least one person on her list will see the light. Here is my reply.
. . . . . "Hi Folks, I DO NOT share my politics with those I know disagree. However, this email praising Obama was sent to me. Thus, my reply. As a Christian, when casting my vote for president, I had the audacity to lookbeyond Obama's skin color and at the man.
Obama is pro abortion. 50% of black babies are aborted. (Blackgenocide.org)
Obama is pro partial birth abortion. Everything except the baby's head is delivered. Scissors are inserted into the baby's brain to kill it. They justify this hideous murder by claiming it is for the health of the mother. 99.9% of the time, it is because the mother says she is not emotionally ready for a baby. Why is Obama pro abortion? Answer: To guarantee the radical feminist vote.
Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, with Obama's blessing, said within the next ten days he hopes to pass a law permitting gays to serve openly in the military.
Obama canceled the White House National Day of Prayer because, in his own words, "Did not wish to offend anyone". And yet, he permitted the Muslims to celebrate their day of prayer on Capitol Hill.
Though vilified for being a black who refuses to worship at the feet of Obama simply because he is the first black president, I choose to answer to a higher authority.
Y'all have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year." . . . . .
I received a speedy reply to the above email from my Obama loving relative. Amazingly, she and her liberal friends who also replied totally ignored every point I made about Obama. My relative accused me of being offensive and of spouting republican talking points. Her liberal friends were annoyed with me. Their consensus was "how dare I reply disagreeing".
Typically liberal, they feel free to send me unsolicited liberal crap. But, if I reply with a conservative point of view, I am a jerk. Still, I believe, by faith, that my "salting" made a difference. Someone on my relative's list will be compelled to seek the truth.
My relative's response is typical of blacks emotionally seduced by Obama. Though as a Christian, she would never admit it and may not even realize it, I believe my relative's blind loyalty to Obama is rooted in her suppressed "black racism".
Encouragingly, there are a growing number of black Christians awakening from their Obama trance; no longer able to justify sacrificing Godly principles for loyalty to skin color. It is critical that white conservatives not be intimidated and black conservatives continue sharing the truth with black America."
Lloyd Marcus, Proud Unhyphenated American Forward-to-a-Friend
Howdy folks!
Sorry for the prolonged abscence from my website but I have been super sick with a cold, and forced to travel to Los Angeles (the floods were exciting but the mud - not so much.)
I'm back with a gossipy report on fellow Marin talk show host Michael Savage now tussling with my former boss Mark Masters at TRN. Nobody likes to be sued. But hey! it's show biz!
"...Conservative radio talk show host Michael Savage has filed a lawsuit against his syndicator Talk Radio Network, claiming TRN is attempting to force him into "indentured servitude."Savage's contract with TRN expires at the end of the year, and he has received an offer to move his show to Courtside Radio, which is headed by Norman Pattiz, founder of industry giant Westwood One.According to court papers, the proposed Savage network would have links to the RightNetwork, an on-demand video service backed by actor Kelsey Grammer and sports and media mogul Ed Snider. Savage's contract with Pattiz offers him 1 percent of the equity in the fledgling network.TRN has the right to match an outside offer and has attempted to do so, but Savage asserts in his suit filed Monday that TRN's proposal falls short of the offer from Courtside Radio. For example, he argues that TRN can't match the stock equity offer proffered by RightNetwork.Savage's suit filed in federal court in the Northern District of California states: "Through the use of illegal and unenforceable contract provisions . . . and other strong-arm tactics designed to intimidate Dr. Savage, TRN is attempting to force Dr. Savage into accepting a sub-standard agreement containing what can only be described as an indentured servitude provision."The suit claims the TRN offer falls short financially and contains anticompetitive provisions that limit Savage's negotiating rights and other terms not in the Courtside proposal.The lawsuit also maintains that Savage's show — which currently reaches about 8 million listeners a week — would receive "greater publicity" by moving to Westwood One's Courtside Radio, and charges that TRN is attempting to "force him into an arbitration that wholly ignores his due process rights."Savage seeks a declaration that TRN failed to match Courtside's offer and that an arbitration provisions in his TRN contract is illegal and unenforceable.Without a favorable court ruling, Savage's suit states, he faces the "significant risk of losing the Courtside opportunity, which is valued at several million dollars, and being forced to submit into an illegal arbitration."TRN's President and CEO Mark Masters said: "Michael's lawsuit against us is unjustified and frivolous" and "we are 100 percent confident that the courts will justify our position."Talkers magazine reports that Savage is the third-most listened to radio host in the nation behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, and his show is currently aired on more than 300 stations across the nation."
Read more: Michael Savage Sues Talk Syndicator
START Treaty will come up for a vote Sunday. Melt the phone lines, folks. Do you really trust Barack Obama
to negotiate our nuclear and missile defense? Really? http://www.uncoverage.net/2010/12/saturday-senate-dream-dies-gay-military-advances-start-on-deck/
How's that global warming going? Coldest winter in Britain in 100 years...planes grounded, trains stopped, fuel shortages...and on and on
GAO report on schools: Pedophile teachers are in the schools and protected by the system. Teachers' union tool Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) is "shocked, shocked" that this is happening...
FCC internet power grab vote is Tuesday....so much for "transparency." The FCC has shut down its website this weekend so that you can't access what they will vote on, who is on the commission or leave a message. The phone number for Monday is on this post. MELT the phone lines Monday or frankly, I may be in the gulag by Wednesday.
Gates of Vienna are toppled by a song.....Muslim call to prayer=good Austrian yodeling=illegal
The royals and the British public DO NOT want the Obamas to attend Prince William's wedding
New report on prime TV and Hollywood over-sexualizing young girls.....pay attention to what they are watching, folks.
Alert the local TV news crews, because here's an early Christmas present, Visuals Division: A conservative group -- with links to the Tea Party -- will be in Berkeley Tuesday night to protest its City Council thinking of celebrating the Army private accused of leaking the WikiLeaks documents.
As Comrade Jones told us, Berkeley's Peace and Justice Commission (yes, yes, we know, "sooo Berkeley") recommended the city pass a resolution lauding Private Bradley Manning "for his courage in bringing the truth to the American people and the people of the world."
That is the same commission that called the U.S. Marine Corps "unwanted intruders" in 2008 for opening a recruiting station in town.
Swooping into Berkeley tonight will be the faithful from Move America Forward, a conservative organization founded by Melanie Morgan, the former KSFO morning show co-host and Tea Party activist. Natch, they're unhappy about this.
"If Manning did indeed leak thousands of sensitive documents to Wikileaks, then he has directly endangered the lives of American troops, and he is a TRAITOR, NOT a HERO!" said Move America Forward's Danny Gonzalez. He'll be in Berkeley tonight, carting a bunch of petition signatures against the Manning love.
"The fact that the Berkeley City Council would call someone a HERO after turning their backs on their fellow troops and publishing information that could lead to the death of more troops, is an outrage," according to Gonzalez.
The last time Move America Forward came to Berkeley, it resulted in some intense street protest over the Marine recruiting controversy. We await the video. Nothing beats people shouting at each other while close enough to smell each other's last meal.
Medea Benjamin v Melanie Morgan...this is what democracy looks like.
My website will be quiet as a digitized library this weekend while I load and unload my considerably down-sized belongings.
I am not moving to Texas (although sorely tempted) although I am moving further up Highway 101 in Marin County, California where liberals are downright scary.
I'll be back online with you folks (hopefully) by Monday!
Christ Matthews has a giant-size egohead...I know from personal experience. And now, ladies and gentlemen of the conservative stripe ...feel free to engage in laughter.
Chris Matthews Insists 'Hardball Is Absolutely Nonpartisan'
Patrick Gavin at Politico captured revelations from a Thursday interview Chris Matthews granted at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in DC. On his show: "Obviously, I think I'm the best. But each one of the other people think they're the best, too....I think I'm the best, generally....There's no doubt about it, in fact, but other people have different views....'Hardball' is absolutely nonpartisan."
How then, does Matthews explain his Thrill Up My Leg reputation? Is he a journalist? He says yes: "Absolutely. I have to deal with facts every night. I have to cover the news every night." Does he really believe people watching his show buy that he's running a fact-based nonpartisan seminar?
Ted Turner's Craziest Scheme Yet: Cap and Trade...With Children
Media mogul Ted Turner, who founded cable networks CNN and TBS, wants a global child-bearing "cap and trade" system to combat climate change. He has thought up a bizarre take on China's one-child policy: set a strict one-child limit, and let poor people sell credits for children they don't have!
At the ongoing climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico, Turner told attendees:
"...environmental stress on the Earth requires radical solutions, suggesting countries should follow China's lead in instituting a one-child policy to reduce global population over time. He added that fertility rights could be sold so that poor people could profit from their decision not to reproduce."
Barbara Walters Slams 'Uninformed' Sarah Palin: Many Find the Idea of You as President 'Scary'
Barbara Walters dismissed Sarah Palin as "uninformed" on Thursday, telling the former Republican governor, "...Many people find the thought of you as president a little scary."The View co-host appeared on Good Morning America to promote her upcoming 10 Most Fascinating People special. She derided Palin, "You hear, 'Oh, she's very charming, but she's uninformed.'"
Pfc. Bradley Manning is accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks that Pentagon officials say endangers U.S. operations and informants.
Amid calls from some politicians to press treason charges -- which could carry the death penalty -- against whoever leaked secret cables to WikiLeaks, the Berkeley, Calif., City Council is entertaining a resolution to declare that an Army private accused of leaking some classified information to the website is an American hero.
City Peace and Justice Commissioner Bob Meola, who authored the resolution, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Pfc. Bradley Manning, 22, is a patriot who deserves a medal.
"If he did what he's accused of doing, he's a patriot and should get a medal," Meola told the newspaper. "I think the war criminals should be the ones prosecuted, not the whistle-blowers."
Manning -- accused of leaking a video that depicted an Army helicopter attack that left 11 people dead in Baghdad and widely suspected of leaking hundreds of thousands of secret cables to WikiLeaks -- is currently being held in a Virginia military brig.
And that's where he belongs, say members of a national veterans group, who call the Berkeley resolution "appalling."
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Ryan Gallucci, a spokesman for AMVETS, which represents roughly 180,000 U.S. veterans, said the City Council "would be wise" to vote down the resolution in support of Manning. A city commission has already approved the measure, and the Berkeley City Council will vote on it on Tuesday.
"AMVETS believes it would be appalling to commend someone like Bradley Manning, who has betrayed his country and disgraced the uniform," Gallucci wrote in a statement to FoxNews.com. "Manning not only compromised American interests across the globe, but he has blood on his hands for our Afghan allies sought out by the Taliban from the first leak."
Gallucci said Berkeley lawmakers should be "ashamed" that the proposal ever surfaced.
Manning, who has not commented publicly on his case, faces up to 52 years in prison if convicted of leaking the video. Though widely suspected, he has not been charged in connection with the release of hundreds of thousands of classified military documents to WikiLeaks, many of which have been released in the last couple of weeks.
His civilian attorney, David Coombs, did not return a call seeking comment. Army officials also did not immediately comment when reached by FoxNews.com.
But Jeff Paterson, an organizer for the Bradley Manning Support Network, said he's "hopeful" the Berkeley resolution will pass.
"I believe he's a hero," Paterson said. "There's an international witch hunt against WikiLeaks and if Bradley Manning is the source of the material, he needs all of our support."
Paterson, who will attend Tuesday's vote along with Meola, says he considers the resolution's chances of passing to be "50-50."
James Carafano, national security expert at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, said he considered the resolution to be jumping the gun.
"First of all, someone is innocent until proven guilty," Carafano said. "And the investigation is not done. They're kind of pre-judging the judicial system -- at least wait and see what evidence and charges are presented. They have no evidence to base this judgment on."
If Manning is ultimately charged and proven guilty of leaking the sensitive documents, Carafano said, the resolution could be construed as encouraging millions of U.S. military officials with access to sensitive information to disseminate that material.
"I'm a great lover of democracy and I'm a great lover of federalism," he said. "But if people of that city want to earn the disdain of other Americans, that's their right. If these people want to vote against the crowd, have at it."
Helen Thomas is still pushing her anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Her latest rant prompted Wayne State University to end an award that had been given in her name for the last ten years: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/6/helen-horribilis/
Never Forget:
One of the TV networks aired their America's Ten Most Fascinating People of the Year Special. Kim Kardashian was one of the people selected. Nothing against this young lady, but what has Kim Kardashian done other than being Kim Kardashian to be bestowed the high honor of a place on the list of ten most fascinating individuals in the country?I remember the old days when fame did not come so cheaply; one had to achieve something unique. I have decided to offer my "Top Ten Most Fascinating Tea Party Individuals/Groups of the Year".Number ten on my list are First Time Candidates. Folks, do you have any idea the courage it took for these concerned citizens to step into the political arena? Talk about the Christians vs the lions; the ruling class elites and their liberal media minions attempted to, without mercy, eat our first time tea party candidates alive. Remarkably, several tea party candidates rose victorious. Kuddos to these brave "true patriot" souls.Number nine, the more than 30 Black GOP Candidates who ran for congress in 2010; the most since Reconstruction. In large, blacks, white liberals and the liberal media view republican blacks as Uncle Toms. They believe blacks who love their country, do not resent white America and do not view themselves as victims are simply suffering with "Stockholm Syndrome". I'm known for wearing my trademark hat. So, I give a "Lloyd Hat" salute to my courageous fellow black patriots who ran on the GOP ticket choosing principles above skin color.Number eight, Sharron Angle who ran for US Senate Nevada against the all powerful Harry "Darth Vader" Reid & his Evil Empire. I met Sharron Angle early in her campaign. Two things about Angle struck me as refreshing and uniquely different than most politicians. One, Angle was bold and open about who she was; a Christian and a Conservative. Two, Angle's genuine love for her state. I even teased her a little, which Angle did not seem to find particularly funny. I said (opening my mouth and inserting my foot), "Wow, you seem to know every boring fact about Nevada."Against all odds, remarkably, Sharron Angle almost defeated "Lord Vader" Reid. I still find it difficult to believe Nevada voters re-elected Reid despite epidemic unemployment and home foreclosures amongst the highest in the country. As my mom use to say, "There's something rotten in Denmark (Nevada)."Number seven, Conservative Musicians: "Tea Are The World". Conservative musicians across America gathered in Florida and recorded the song, "Taking Back America". The song is featured on the "Tea Are The world" CD project along with 40 other songs selected from hundreds of submissions by conservative bands & singer/songwriters. All genres are included. "Tea Are The World" is historic; encourages and inspires listeners via it's infectious unity. Proceeds benefit AmericasMightyWarriors.org; a non profit which supports the families of U.S. fallen soldiers. VIDEO: Tea Are The World: Taking Back America DocumentaryNumber six, Glenn Beck. Other than on Christian TV, Political Correctness has banned God from the public square. Offenders are punished; accused of being fanatics and intolerant. I give Brother Beck a "Lloyd Hat" for being a "secular" radio/TV talk show host who is bold and unapologetic about proclaiming his faith. Beck has repealed the ban of positive talk about God in the public square.Number five, Sarah Palin. I love the "kahoonies" of this woman. Palin is a proud, bold and confident advocate for Conservatism. She is a character and principle driven self thinker. Palin refuses to be lectured regarding what is acceptable behavior for a woman and/or presidential candidate. I love Palin's "in your face" attitude in expressing We The Peoples' disagreement with Obama's plan to "fundamental transform America". It seems like only our conservative women have a "fire in the belly" to stand up for America. Here's a "Lloyd Hat" to Sarah Palin and all of my feisty conservative sisters.VIDEO: Our Girls; Tribute to Conservative WomenNumber four, The First National Black Conservative Press Conference Attendees. The NAACP launched a despicable campaign against the Tea Party Movement attempting to brand it as racist. The NAACP's attack sparked a historic gathering of Black Conservatives to defended the Tea Party Movement. The first national Black Conservative press conference was held at the National Press Club in Washington DC hosted by Tea Party Express. White America's response to the press conference was extremely emotional. Many expressed how refreshing and unique it was to see blacks who were proud Americans without resentment. Black conservatives are vilified; "Lloyd Hats" to my fellow black conservative patriots who shared their stories at the press conference.VIDEO: First National Black Conservative Press ConferenceNumber three, Rush Limbaugh. No one has been a more powerful and consistent defender of Conservatism and the Tea Party Movement than radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Case in point. In the Delaware US Senate race, the GOP employed us tea party folks to "be reasonable", sacrifice conservative principles and support their RINO who could easily win the seat. Rush sided with We The People and backed our conservative tea party candidate, Christine O'Donnell. Rush "gets it". Rush, you the Man! A big "Lloyd Hat" to ya' pal.Number two, Herman Cain; entrepreneur, black conservative radio talk show host and extremely popular tea party speaker. Blacks such as Cain are hated by the Left. His inspiring successful life story threatens to shatter the Left's paradigm that America sucks for minorities. Cain is considering a run for the Oval office in 2012, sure to win millions of white tea party patriot votes. White voter support for Cain will further crush the liberal media and the Left's lie that the Tea Party Movement is really about white racists against a black president.And Number One on my list of the Top Ten Most Fascinating Tea Party Individuals/Groups of the Year, Tea Party Express.Tea Party Express is the undisputed "troops on the ground" voice of "We The People". TPX has toured America four times; championing conservatism, uplifting and inspiring millions of patriots to continue fighting to take back America from an overreaching tyrannous Obama administration. With a physical presence and financial support, TPX campaigned for conservative candidates in several races including New York, Alaska, Delaware and Nevada.Boldly flying where only eagles dare, TPX has maintained a laser focus on getting Conservatives elected. A voter told me, "Whoever TPX says to support, I support." What a great testimony to the leadership and character of TPX.TeaPartyExpress.orgA common thread which joins together the superstar patriots on my list is the true essence of the American Spirit; character and backbone. Thus, confirming that American Exceptional-ism is alive and well in the Tea Party Movement.
Our national trust has been violated, our security is at stake, and yet - nothing, no action at all to get Julian Assange..the devil himself.
President Obama - do something! Do it now before someone gets killed!
WIKILEAKS READY TO LAUNCH 'DOOMSDAY FILES'Govt Workers Ordered Not to Read Cables...List of facilities 'vital to US security' leaked...Senators introduce anti-WIKILEAKS bill...Mirror Sites Appear by the Hundreds...US forced to shake up embassies around world...Swiss cut off WIKILEAKS' bank account...
Me & Mrs. Sherrod — And The Pigford II Black Farmers Settlement
Please forward Andrew's response in this riveting piece to everyone you know.
Really, Hillary Clinton says that when she is finished serving her country as Secretary of State ...she is done with public office!
Why in the world would we trust anything Ms. Clinton has to say about her political aspirations?
Let's jump aboard our wayback time machine, shall we?
October 2008
(AP) Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton puts the chances of her running for president again at near zero - slightly higher than the chances she gives for becoming Senate majority leader or a Supreme Court justice.In an interview aired Tuesday on "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Channel, Clinton, D-N.Y., was asked the chances, on a scale of 1 to 10, that she would be the next majority leader in the Senate."Oh, probably zero," she said. "I'm not seeking any other position than to be the best senator from New York that I can be."Being nominated to the Supreme Court?"Zero," Clinton said. "I have no interest in doing that."Running for president again?"Probably close to zero," she said. "There's an old saying: Bloom where you're planted."The former first lady, who was elected to the Senate in 2000 and re-elected in 2006, said she looked forward to working as a senator with a Barack Obama administration.
And another thing: this is news because?
The two biggest stories this week are WikiLeaks' continued publication of classified government documents, which did untold damage to America's national security interests, and the Democrats' fanatical determination to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" and allow gays to serve openly in the military. The mole who allegedly gave WikiLeaks the mountains of secret documents is Pfc. Bradley Manning, Army intelligence analyst and angry gay. We've heard 1 billion times about the Army translator who just wanted to serve his country, but was cashiered because of whom he loved. I'll see your Army translator and raise you one Bradley Manning. According to Bradley's online chats, he was in "an awkward place" both "emotionally and psychologically." So in a snit, he betrayed his country by orchestrating the greatest leak of classified intelligence in U.S. history. Isn't that in the Army Code of Conduct? You must follow orders at all times. Exceptions will be made for servicemen in an awkward place. Now, who wants a hug? Waitress! Three more apple-tinis!" According to The New York Times, Bradley sought "moral support" from his "self-described drag queen" boyfriend. Alas, he still felt out of sorts. So why not sell out his country? In an online chat with a computer hacker, Bradley said he lifted the hundreds of thousands of classified documents by pretending to be listening to a CD labeled "Lady Gaga." Then he acted as if he were singing along with her hit song "Telephone" while frantically downloading classified documents. I'm not a military man, but I think singing along to Lady Gaga would constitute "telling" under "don't ask, don't tell." Do you have to actually wear a dress to be captured by the Army's "don't ask, don't tell" dragnet? What constitutes being "openly" gay now? Bringing a spice rack to basic training? Attending morning drills decked out as a Cher impersonator? Following Anderson Cooper on Twitter? Also, U.S. military, have you seen a picture of Bradley Manning? The photo I've seen is only from the waist up, but you get the feeling that he's wearing butt-less chaps underneath. He looks like a guy in a soldier costume at the Greenwich Village Halloween parade. With any luck, Bradley's court-martial will be gayer than a Liza Minelli wedding. It could be the first court-martial in U.S. history to feature ice sculptures and a "Wizard of Oz"-themed gazebo. "Are you going to Bradley's court-martial? I hear Patti LaBelle is going to sing!" Maybe there's a reason gays have traditionally been kept out of the intelligence services, apart from the fact that closeted gay men are easy to blackmail. Gays have always been suspicious of that rationale and perhaps they're right. The most damaging spies in British history were the Cambridge Five, also called "the "Magnificent Five": Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, Donald Maclean and John Cairncross. They were highly placed members of British intelligence, all secretly working for the KGB. The only one who wasn't gay was Philby. Burgess and Blunt were flamboyantly gay. Indeed, the Russians set Burgess up with a boyfriend as soon as he defected to the Soviet Union. The Magnificent Five's American compatriot Michael Straight was -- ironically -- bisexual, as was Whittaker Chambers, at least during the period that he was a spy. And of course, there's David Brock. So many Soviet spies were gay that, according to intelligence reporter Phillip Knightley, the Comintern was referred to as "the Homintern." (I would have called it the "Gay G.B.") Bradley's friends told the Times they suspected "his desperation for acceptance -- or delusions of grandeur" may have prompted his document dump. Let's check our "Gay Profile at a Glance" and ... let's see ... desperate for acceptance ... delusions of grandeur ... yep, they're both on the gay subset list! Obviously, the vast majority of gays are loyal Americans -- and witty and stylish to boot! But a small percentage of gays are going to be narcissistic hothouse flowers like Bradley Manning. Couldn't they just work for JetBlue? America would be a lot safer right now if gays in an "awkward place" psychologically could do no more damage than grabbing a couple of beers and sliding down the emergency chute. Look at the disaster one gay created under our punishing "don't ask, don't tell" policy. What else awaits America with the overturning of a policy that was probably put there for a reason (apart from being the only thing Bill Clinton ever did that I agreed with)? Liberals don't care. Their approach is to rip out society's foundations without asking if they serve any purpose. Why do we have immigration laws? What's with these borders? Why do we have the institution of marriage, anyway? What do we need standardized tests for? Hey, I like Keith Richards -- why not make heroin legal? Let's take a sledgehammer to all these load-bearing walls and just see what happens! For liberals, gays in the military is a win-win proposition. Either gays in the military works, or it wrecks the military, both of which outcomes they enthusiastically support. But since you brought up gays in the military, liberals, let's talk about Bradley Manning. He apparently released hundreds of thousands of classified government documents as a result of being a gay man in "an awkward place." Any discussion of "don't ask, don't tell" should begin with Bradley Manning. Live by the sad anecdote, die by the sad anecdote. COPYRIGHT 2010 ANN COULTER
For non-presidential contender Jeb Bush, "Mother Knows Best."
Even if she does shoot off her mouth from time to time and embarass the kids!
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is supporting his 85-year-old mother in her apparent feud with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, while also praising the former GOP vice presidential candidate for having "fantastic political instincts."
In an exclusive interview Monday, Bush told Newsmax.TV: "If it's between my mom and Gov. Palin, I've got to go with my mom, just in general, because she's my mother."
He added with a smile, "So you're not going to get me in trouble with disagreeing with my beloved mother of 85 years, who occasionally from time to time says things that give us all great joy, and sometimes some consternation."
Read the full story at newsmax.com
Those BASTARDS are giving away our money like drunken wood chippers. TARP wasn't just about saving American businesses, it was a massive give away to foreign banks and favorite news entities like GE (parent company of NBC.)
It's enough to make a skunk vomit.
"...The Fed's efforts to prop up the financial sector reached across a broad spectrum of the economy, benefiting stalwarts of American industry including General Electric and Caterpillar and household-name companies such as Verizon, Harley-Davidson and Toyota. The central bank's aid programs also supported U.S. subsidiaries of banks based in East Asia, Europe and Canada while rescuing money-market mutual funds held by millions of Americans.
The biggest users of the Fed lending programs were some of the world's largest banks, including Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Swiss-based UBS and Britain's Barclays, according to more than 21,000 loan records released Wednesday under new financial regulatory legislation.
The data reveal banks turning to the Fed for help almost daily in the fall of 2008 as the central bank lowered lending standards and extended relief to all kinds of institutions it had never assisted before.
Fed officials emphasize that their actions were meant to stabilize a financial system that was on the verge of collapse in late 2008. They note that the actions worked to prevent a complete financial meltdown and that none of the special lending programs has lost money. (Some have recorded healthy profits for taxpayers.)
But the extent of the lending to major banks - and the generous terms of some of those deals - heighten the political peril for a central bank that is already under the gun for a wide range of actions, including a recent decision to try to stimulate the economy by buying $600 billion in U.S. bonds."
Looking for a great novel to put under the tree? My neighbor Sheldon Siegel writes some great mystery books and I highly recommend his newest one called "Perfect Alibi".
I liked it. I really really liked it (thank you Sally Field!)
"..For Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez--former spouses and current law partners--the stakes have never been higher. In the seventh installment of Sheldon Siegel's best-selling, critically-acclaimed series, the duo learn that their sixteen year-old daughter's boyfriend has been arrested on suspicion of murdering his father, a prominent judge. Bobby Fairchild, however, claims to have found his father's body upon returning home from a date with Grace. The police, who found Bobby at the scene of the crime holding the murder weapon, contend that his parents' acrimonious divorce sent the boy over the edge.
With their daughter as Bobby's only alibi, Mike and Rosie dig deeper and discover that Judge Fairchild's life was filled with secrets. As the evidence against Bobby mounts, they also begin to question Bobby's story and their daughter's credibility. PERFECT ALIBI is Sheldon Siegel's most personal story yet. From the Victorians of Cole Valley and the colorful streets of the Haight to the squalid corners of the Bayview and the teeming sex parlors of the Tenderloin, Mike and Rosie must deal with issues involving parental trust and loyalty as they embark on a desperate search for evidence that will exonerate their client--and their daughter.
"Sheldon Siegel is a practicing attorney and the married father of twin sons. He knows the law and he knows the innerworkings of a family. This knowledge has given him great insight in the writing of Perfect Alibi, which for Siegel fans is his almost perfect book. This is Siegel's most emotional story yet. All of his books challenge the readers' brains, but this story also challenges their hearts. Humanizing the hero is a good move on Siegel's part and in this book he does it through and through." Jackie K. Cooper. Huffington Post.
"I've read all six of what I call the Mike and Rosie books, but this one is the best. . . Perfect Alibi exceeds [Siegel's] high standards for characterization and page-turning prowess, and has more surprises than any half-dozen mysteries you'll read this year. Siegel weaves a family story that reveals more about love and marriage, love and children, and love and justice than you'll find in a whole shelf of mysteries." Jim Schock. San Francisco Commuter Times.
In the 2010 Midterm Elections "We The People" fired Nancy Pelosi from her failed performance as House Speaker.
Now we take the next step by working to fire Barack Obama in the 2012 elections. But in order to be successful we will have to build a massive campaign to ensure that in 2012 we are strong enough to "Defeat Barack Obama" and stop this nation's slide towards socialism.
Please join the "Defeat Barack Obama" campaign that we at the Our Country Deserves Better Committee have launched (we're the same people who brought you the hugely successful Tea Party Express effort).
Sign the petition below and then send this to as many friends as you can who share our view that it's time for "We The People" to "Defeat Barack Obama" once and for all!
...and I'll be back in 2010 to resume blogging next week.
And when I return, I'll have some BIG BIG news.
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
Via politico.com
Clad in red and armed with Grinch dolls, grim reaper scarecrows, posters and their loud voices, several thousand tea party protesters rallied near the Capitol Tuesday to send a single message: "Kill the Bill."
The crowd's message and energy was only intensified by the encouragement of some of the nation's best known conservatives, including Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) and radio personality Laura Ingraham.
"I've never seen so many attractive domestic terrorists in all my life!" Armey yelled at the adoring crowd. "It's so nice to be here again together, isn't it?...You mean you actually came to town on your own terms? To say what you wanted to say? And to be heard? Sounds pretty much like terrorists to me."
The crowd was most excited, however, by an unscheduled appearance by Bachmann, who organized the most recent major tea party protest, a "House Call" on Washington Nov. 6.
"You came before, you came again, I guess they must be deaf. They can't hear you!" Bachmann screamed over the cheers. "We're not leaving until you understand that no means no. What part of no don't you people understand?"
The congresswoman, who has emerged as a conservative icon, led the crowd in chants of "Kill the Bill," before suggesting President Barack Obama, Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on their lack of knowledge of the U.S. Constitution.
If you are in Washington D.C. today or near a telephone - it's time to jump on-board the Code Red Band Wagon.
Michelle Malkin has details of what you can do to participate.
With Demcare now in critical condition, Tea Party activists are turning up the heat today in Washington for the Code Red Rally on Capitol Hill. Laura Ingraham is hosting. Speakers include Sen. Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Okla.) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Folks are traveling from across the country to be there.
If you are in the D.C. area today, join them at 1:30 pm, Upper Senate Park, on Constitution Ave. between New Jersey and Delaware St. NE.
More info here and here.
Sign the petition to intervene on the behalf of three Navy Seals! The three men are charged with "abusing" a terrorist they captured in a daring nightime raid.
More details available at Human Events.
As you are struggling to keep food on the table, and unemployment at bay, think about this: the Federal government has increased salaries for its workers (our employees!) to the point that six figure salaries have exploded!
When you tune into my show America's Morning News everyday ( and who doesn't?) there are a couple of young studs behind the scenes who keep me and John McCaslin in check ...they are wildly talented producers - and musicans, too.
Check out the "Fox and Rice Experience" and their new season's greeting song "Feliz Navidad"....hint: it's not what you think it is!
Joseph Weber
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele said Wednesday the Obama administration is handling the recession no better than millions of helpless Americans.
"I'm unemployed and running up my credit card," said Mr. Steele, referring to Mr. Obama's plan to spend more federal money to create jobs.
In February, Congress passed a $787 billion economic-stimulus package. Now Mr. Obama wants to spend $200 billion left from the Troubled Asset Relief Program largely to help small businesses, amid a growing federal deficit.
"Then to say, 'I'm now going to get another credit card to pay off the other one?' " said Mr. Steele, questioning Mr. Obama's plan. "You're talking about spending money at a time when people don't have jobs."
Mr. Steele also continued his reproach of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat who on Monday compared opponents of health-care reform to those once wary of ending slavery.
He said Mr. Reid made the "stupid comment" because he cannot control the divide now among Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Mr. Steele also called on Democrats to remove Mr. Reid from his leadership position.
"These liberals who live in their little ivory towers think that when they get into trouble they can just start playing the race card and every one is going to fall in line or back off and say, 'OK, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was like slavery. And I don't want to be called racist so you get you way,' " Mr. Steele said on The Washington Times' "America's Morning News" radio show. "So bunk that. We're not doing that. Those days are gone."
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical profits from swine-flu related drugs have soared – with earnings between $10 billion and $15 billion in 2009, investment bank JP Morgan estimates.
As WND reported, the WHO Director General Margaret Chan initially raised the influenza pandemic alert to its second highest level in May – but evidence reveals the agency may have made it easier to classify the flu outbreak as a pandemic by changing its definition to omit "enormous numbers of deaths and illness" just prior to making its declaration.
President Obama's approval ratings have again dropped under 50 percent, after a small jump up after his military strategy for Afghanistan was announced last week.
Mr. Obama has gone from the nosebleed section with 70 plus numbers immediately after his inauguration and now Gallup says he clocks in at 47 percent.
It's the economy, stupid.
"..Thus far in December, Obama has averaged 50% job approval. That is similar to the December averages for Ronald Reagan (49%) and Bill Clinton (53%), who also took office when the economy was struggling. All other recent presidents elected to their first terms had approval averages of 57% or above in their first December in office."
No matter how Rahm Emmanuel, David Axelrod or Robert Gibbs spins these numbers, it doesn't look for Obama.
"...Any slight bump in support Obama received coincident with his new Afghanistan policy proved to be very short-lived, as his approval rating returned to below the majority level by the weekend, and slipped further to 47% in Dec. 4-6 polling.
Afghanistan is just one of many high-profile issues with which the president is dealing. Immediate public reaction to his new Afghanistan policy showed 51% in favor and 40% opposed, according to a Dec. 2 USA Today/Gallup poll.
Obama spent part of Sunday on Capitol Hill talking to lawmakers as they continue working on healthcare reform legislation. In the most recent Gallup update, more Americans said they would advise their members to vote against healthcare legislation than said they would advise them to vote for it."
That was the sentiment, pretty much, at the 9/11 Family members protest of Attorney General Eric Holder's stupid plan to bring KSM and his fellow thugs from Gitmo to New York so they can enjoy superior legal rights than an average American.
It's infuriating.
But some amazing people are fighting back, including my friend Debra Burlingame whose brother Chick was the pilot of the American Airlines plane that was crashed by terrorists into the Pentagon, not more than a few minutes away from where I now live.
Urban Infidel has video and pictures
Coming UP: Andrew McCarthy at 6:35 EST on the protest this weekend live on America's Morning News.
Please look and feel free to comment.
New polling out: and it doesn't look good for Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. Even in his own home state, folks shudder at the thought of Obamacare.
"...President Barack Obama has lost ground in the last month in getting Nevadans to embrace his health care reform package and, for the first time, opposition is above 50 percent and support is below 40 percent, a new poll commissioned by the Las Vegas Review-Journal reveals."
Is this why President Obama raced to the Hill to save his signature legislation today?
"...Democrats met throughout yesterday to seek an alternative to Senate Majority Harry Reid's plan to create the new national program to cover the uninsured. Opposition within his party leaves Reid at risk of falling four votes short of the 60 he needs to pass the legislation, the most sweeping overhaul of the nation's health-care system in more than four decades.
Obama's scheduled visit comes as the bill's backers need a jolt to come together, said Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry.
"We have to talk about how to put the final pieces together," Kerry said. "It's good to hear from the president now, because it's getting to that stage where you have to come to a decision with your heart as well as your head."
Reid called the rare weekend session to meet his deadline of getting a bill by year-end. Republicans, unified in opposition, forced the Democrats yesterday to reiterate their support for cutting more than $40 billion in home health-care services funding under Medicare. It was the latest Republican effort to highlight the bill's potential impact on the elderly.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Republicans see the debate stretching into 2010 and that they gain the more the public learns. Republicans say Obama's visit reflects a weakening Democratic position. "
...gee, I wonder why Mr. Gore abruptly canced his Global Hoaxing appearance in Copenhagen?
I think I know the answer, and I'll bet you do too.
President Obama is pledging to avoid a repeat of Vietnam during his nationally televised speech that is defining his young administration.
Reviews are mixed. Public opinion polling is not.
Senator John McCain says that he isn't thrilled about announcing a withdrawal date, but he is pleased with the rest of the strategy because it's modeled after the Iraq surge.
Meanwhile, Chris Matthews says that President Obama delivered his speech in "enemy camp" last night ...apparently Matthews thinks that West Point is our enemy.
Video is available at Allapundit.
Breaking news from the Associated Press via Climate Depot! www.ClimateDepot.com
One Down: ClimateGate Scientist Phil Jones to temporarily step down...'pending investigation into allegations that he overstated case for man-made climate change' UK climate scientist to temporarily step down
The Associated Press LONDON — Britain's University of East Anglia says the director of its prestigious Climatic Research Unit is stepping down pending an investigation into allegations that he overstated the case for man-made climate change.
The university says Phil Jones will relinquish his position until the completion of an independent review into allegations that he worked to alter the way in which global temperature data was presented.
The allegations were made after more than a decade of correspondence between leading British and U.S. scientists were posted to the Web following the security breach last month. The e-mails were seized upon by some skeptics of man-made climate change as proof that scientists are manipulating the data about its extent.
I am very happy to slam the door on 2008, and I am looking forward to 2009. I feel downright optimistic, in fact.
I joined 6 million plus people who lost their jobs in the past year. And that is a rotten thing to go through. I also watched my retirement funds decline by 30 percent (and I feel lucky, because so many others lost much more) and I watched the American people vote for Barack Obama, buddy of terrorists and nutty preachers. One has to wonder what the usually smart folks of this country are thinking.
Let's laugh our way into the New Year ... I am posting some of the most amusing conservative videos to emerge from the dismal electoral landscape last year.
Danny Glover at Eyeblast.Tv (also new on the scene and a very talented guy who is giving hope to those of us fighting the dopey Democrats) compiled the list.
Here are my picks for the Top 10 Conservative Videos of 2008 and why I chose them:
10) I Am Sarah Palin: Top female, conservative bloggers took a stand for Sarah Palin amid sexist media coverage of the Republican vice-presidential candidate. The video showcased the right's online superstars and their creativity.
9) Children Sing Hymns To Obama: California parents who supported Obama gathered their children in a home to sing praises to "The One." Negative publicity about the incident, including video parodies like this one, prompted the user to yank the video from YouTube. Other worshipful videos suffered the same fate later in the campaign.
8) Just Tell Us The Truth: This four-minute compilation of clips drew a clear distinction between the views about life expressed by Barack Obama, John McCain and Sarah Palin. It was one of several compelling videos about abortion, a topic largely ignored by the media during the presidential race.
7) Hillary Clinton's Bosnia Lie: When Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton "misspoke" about being under sniper fire while in Bosnia as first lady, the press accepted it at face value. But Rich Noyes of the Media Research Center smelled a lie and found the CBS clip that exposed it. He showed conservatives how to do the investigative work that liberal journalists won't. Clinton's lie became a major story in the Democratic primary because of the clip, which also inspired a much-watched parody.
6) Obama's Passion For Spreading The Wealth: A anonymous producer known to the online world as Naked Emperor News unearthed multiple audio and video clips that revealed the radical views of Obama, including this one about redistributing wealth. Like the Bosnia video, Naked Emperor News' grassroots opposition research provided the kind of scrutiny Obama should have faced from the mainstream media and proved that conservatives can be the media. If you can't beat 'em, bypass 'em.
5) Exposing Planned Parenthood (Episode 1, Episode 2): These are the first of two videos in the "Mona Lisa Project" being produced by Live Action Films. The investigative videos expose the illegal and unethical practices of Planned Parenthood counselors. Students for Life of America has produced similar videos. All of them are noteworthy not only for what they reveal but because YouTube has banned several of them as "inappropriate content."
4) Not Wallet: In a video titled "Not Alex," the liberal extremists at MoveOn.org manipulatively used a baby and distorted McCain's words to criticize his views on the Iraq war. A conservative blogger answered with this "Not Wallet" parody, which effectively used the same 30-second ad format and theme of MoveOn's ad to turn the discussion toward Barack Obama's pro-tax economic views.
3) Burning Down The House: When conservatives create videos that strike a chord with the public, they often become the target for copyright-infringement "takedown notices" at YouTube. That's what happened to this video about the financial crisis and what caused it. The mash-up showed people that liberals are really to blame for the current housing crisis. David All of techRepublican landed an exclusive interview with the video's creator after the copyright controversy.
2) Joe The Plumber's American Dream: Conservatives may not be great at creating original content, but they know a good clip when they see one and work relentlessly to make people notice. American voters definitely noticed Joe (The Plumber) Wurzelbacher. This is the clip that started the Joe the Plumber phenomenon and helped expose Obama for the spread-the-wealth radical he is. McCain arguably would have been defeated more soundly by Obama had this video not become a centerpiece of discussion late in the campaign.
1) Dear Mr. Obama: The power in this video comes from the personal experience of the veteran who made it. He practiced the message of sacrifice that Obama preached. The video earned 13 million views on YouTube, was mentioned as the top Obama-related video by a liberal publication, The Nation, and finished second to "Yes We Can" among election-related videos.
After a week-long smear campaign against conservatives over a year old Rush Limbaugh Show parody, the mainstream media is now OUTRAGED to see the far left play the race card in Illinois by Brian Maloney at Radioequalizer.blogspot
...and in case you missed it, Andrew Breitbart of Breitbart.tv interviewed Debbie Lee about our trip to Gitmo here.
The snort meter is pegging in the red, as Hot Rod Blago makes the only move left to him - and daring the Democrats to do anything about it. The embattled Governor of Illinois appointed a reliable crony to the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by President-Elect Obama.
The media is going crazy.
And frankly, what's not to love about this story? Corrupt Democrat political machine with ties to the incoming administration.
It's the gift that keeps on giving to the GOP.
I love this story. But I must admit that there is something very creepy about the physical appearance of Rod Blagoyevich.
It must be the hair. It's always the hair.
Yes, I was speaking of the Times ...in the previous post. This blogburst is about the New York Times, and the pickle its editors find themselves in right now.
In its efforts to play "gotcha" journalism, the reporter and editors at the Gray Lady published a story saying that Senator John McCain had a relationship (hinting sexually here) with a Washington lobbyist.
Miss Vicky Iseman took exception to the story. And now she's suing.
"..Vicki L. Iseman filed the defamation suit in U.S. District Court in Richmond. It also names as defendants the Times' executive editor, its Washington bureau chief and four reporters.
Iseman represented telecommunications companies before the Senate Commerce Committee, which McCain chaired. In February, as McCain was seeking the Republican presidential nomination, the Times reported that McCain aides once worried the relationship between Iseman and McCain had turned romantic.
The article said that both McCain and Iseman denied any romantic relationship, but the lawsuit says most readers would find that obligatory.
"That The New York Times would make such aggressive and sensational allegations and insinuations in the face of on-the-record denials by Ms. Iseman and Senator McCain only reinforced the message to readers that The New York Times in fact believed that Ms. Iseman and Senator McCain had indeed engaged in an `inappropriate relationship,' a relationship that was romantic, unethical, and a conflict of interest," the lawsuit says. "Otherwise, reasonable readers would conclude, The New York Times would never have printed the story at all."
The Times maintained its defense of the story in a statement Tuesday."
27 million reasons to thoroughly check your sources before you publish details about a sex scandal. Especially if it involves a Republican.
No one asked, but here's my advice: Hurry hurry, Miss Iseman! At the rate the NY Times is burning through the bucks, there may not be anything left to collect.
The invisible RNC chairman who found his "voice" in time to criticize Chip Saltsman, a competitor for the gig, has destroyed any chance of being re-elected in 2009.
And he can thank "Barack, the Magic Negro."
Mike Duncan is done. Toast. Cooked. The RNC Committee chair has now succeeded in aggravating the conservative wing of the Republican party, and he's never going to recover.
...and just wait until Rush Limbaugh starts in on him when he gets back from vacation. Whew! I can't wait!
Georgia wasn't big enough for former Congresswoman and tinfoil hat brigade member Cynthia McKinney, so she moved to my neighborhood - Marin County, Calif.
A gaggle of other lunatics pandhandled some dough, and chartered a boat to Gaza where she plans to give her bloody bucks to terrorists in the Palestinian territories.
Good luck with that.
"...Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, unimpeded by the "closed military zone" imposed by Israel, was among 16 people aboard a medical supply boat that collided with an Israeli naval ship Tuesday as it tried to enter coastal waters around Gaza.
The yacht, owned by the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement, was reportedly carrying 3.5 tons of medical supplies donated by Cyprus. A press release from the group claimed "several Israeli gunboats intercepted the Dignity she was heading on a mission of mercy to Gaza." They said the Israeli military fired machine guns into the water in an attempt to stop the Dignity's progress.
The boat, registered under the flag of Gibraltar and with an English captain, reportedly took on water and experienced engine problems, according to the group's Web site. It also said the incident occurred 90 miles offshore in international water. The boat's captain was given permission to dock in Lebanon, where it was regrouping to try again.
Israel's foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told Reuters that an Israeli vessel and the 60-foot Free Gaza Movement boat did make "physical contact," but only after the aid boat failed to respond to radio contact. He denied any gunfire had occurred, and he said no one was hurt in the incident. He told Reuters the Israeli ship escorted the damaged boat back to Cypriot territorial waters."
Hmm...it appears that New York Democrat politicans and media members (who, after all, like to think of themselves as queen-makers) are less than impressed with Caroline Kennedy.
Kennedy's second effort to woo the media has not worked any better than her first try.
Maybe Lady Caroline is discovering that a famous last name is no guarantee of dynastic employment. Perhaps Jeb Bush should take note. (see below.)
Maybe, or maybe not. But it looks like another Bush is ready to serve America.
NewsMax.com has video here.
The Gray Lady is calling attention to the fact that the media is quietly rolling up its operations in Iraq, slinking out of the country without mentioning the fact that the war has essentially been won. Perhaps it is for the best, since so many reporters lied and omitted the truth on the ground for the entire duration of this war.
"..Quietly, as the United States presidential election and its aftermath have dominated the news, America's three broadcast network news divisions have stopped sending full-time correspondents to Iraq.
"The war has gone on longer than a lot of news organizations' ability or appetite to cover it," said Jane Arraf, a former Baghdad bureau chief for CNN who has remained in Iraq as a contract reporter for The Christian Science Monitor.
Joseph Angotti, a former vice president of NBC News, said he could not recall any other time when all three major broadcast networks lacked correspondents in an active war zone that involved United States forces.
Except, of course, in Afghanistan, where about 30,000 Americans are stationed, and where until recently no American television network, broadcast or cable, maintained a full-time bureau.
At the same time that news organizations are trimming in Iraq, the television networks are trying to add newspeople in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with expectations that the Obama administration will focus on the conflict there."
Fed up with two years of attacks by Hamas, the terrorist group in charge of the Gaza strip, Israel finally returned fire and rained hellish rocketfire into the settlements causing more than 1,000 injuries, and over 280 deaths.
Predictably, the Palestinians are bitching about the airstrikes.
The Israelis are pretty smart, I think. They are taking advantage of the lull between one American administration and the next, and handling some long overdue business. While they are at it, how about taking out the Iranian nuclear plants and save us all the aggrevation later on?
Mainstream Media is sending these images around the world but where were they when Jews were being murdered by Hamas for the past 24 months?
It is interesting that the Palestinians are "only" claiming 40 civilians are dead ...usually they lie up the numbers in the hundreds or thousands. I think that the Israelis were on their game.
She wants us to know that she really isn't um, well, er, ah, shy ...at least not as much as people might think.
Caroline Kennedy, sitting with um, reporters, who you know, um, are, well, recording her um, comments, are you know ...you know...you know profiling her.
"...Criticized for ignoring reporters after her name surfaced as a possible Clinton replacement, Kennedy sat down with the media this weekend. Displaying her notorious shyness during the 30-minute chat, the mother of three, author and public education advocate was pleasant, but spoke softly and rarely made eye contact. Her speech was often punctuated with extra "you knows" and "ums."
Kennedy said she is excited and up to the challenge of not only serving in the Senate but mounting a run for the seat in 2010 and 2012.
"I'm not as shy as everybody makes me out to be," she said.
Kennedy revealed she has had several recent discussions with her former cousin-in-law, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is also considered a serious candidate for the Senate seat."
Senate hopeful Caroline Kennedy speaks to the Daily News Saturday morning.
A defiant Caroline Kennedy says she "wouldn't be beholden to anybody" - including Mayor Bloomberg - if she's picked to become New York's next U.S.
For those who just can't get enough of our trip to see the throat-slitting terrorists at Gitmo, please read MAF Blogger Danny's entire report here.
I can't wait to fire off a letter to President-Elect Obama about the incredibly STUPID decision to close down Gitmo. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
(via SlantRight.com)
Read my column "Monsters with Air Conditioning" about our trip from WorldNetDaily.com here.
I looked into the eyes of terrorists and I've seen the professionalism with which our troops treat the monsters.
I just returned from a trip to Guantanamo Bay with my nonprofit group, Move America Forward, the nation's largest grass-roots, pro-troop organization. We took thousands of goodies to thank our troops for their professionalism. We thought this was highly appropriate given President-elect Barack Obama wants to close Gitmo (despite danger to American citizens). And we wanted to see with our own eyes if the big mouths and leftist attorneys who talk smack about our troops' treatment of the terrorists are lying. They are.
Here's what I know for sure: The terrorists at Gitmo are given more religious consideration than our troops, they get more meal plans, they live in air-conditioned state-of-the-art buildings, and they get more playtime than American school children.
Sounds like real torture, huh?
You know the pictures of prisoners that the mainstream media show you? Those are exercise cages where American troops have painted arrows pointing to Mecca so the radical Muslims can pray five times a day. They don't sleep in those areas. Nope. They have air conditioning.
Marooned in Marin reminds me that our friend Lt. Colonel (ret.) Gordon Cucullu has a new book out about the abuses our troops suffer guarding the filth that passes for humanity at Gitmo. Recommended reading for everybody.
Move America Forward staff plus special friend Kylie Williams, Miss Florida 2007, are back in the good ole United States after an exhausting but very gratifying trip to visit some of our finest troops at Guatanamo Bay, Cuba.
Here are some pictures of our goodwill mission. Our tour of the "detainee" camps (we are not allowed to call them terrorists) are available at the Daily Blog here.
Merry Christmas to all my readers and blessings to all of our military men and women worldwide, and their families, wherever they may be.
With Love, Melanie Morgan
U.S. Marine Corps "The White House"
U.S. Navy Port Security detachment
MAF visits "The Galley" (how the navy says chow hall)
Joint Task Force Detention Centers
A fitting goodbye
LIVE FROM GITMO, it's Monday morning and Move America Forward and Kylie Willliams, Miss Florida 2007 are here at the BOQ, or Bachelors Officers Headquarters
overlooking Gutanamo Bay. Debbie Lee, Cat Moy, Kylie Williams, and I
are warming up our vocal chords to sing Christmas Carols to the
terrorists in "CAL TRAN orange jumpsuits" and after that we are
treating them to 72 Virginia hams.
Seriously folks, we began the tour of the island where our military men
and women are serving with honor and distinction. We are very excited
to spread Christmas cheer to our brave warriors. We are far away from
our families but it doesn't matter as we are joining America's sons and
As we crossed Gutanamo Bay on the GITMO Queen we saw a little boat
filled with a lot of people. I thought it was half the Cuban Navy, but
no in fact it was the Russian Naval warship which came here to threaten
us for the first time since the cold war. We had a beautiful view from
our Naval transport whose officers informed us we would have a great
view of manatees and escapees. There were signs that warned us to be
careful of the manatees but not the escapees. We looked!
Today we will be eating in the chow hall and distributing thousands of
goodies and gifts that we brought from home. Stay clicked for updates
and pictures of our scheduled "water activities."
OK. The secret's out. I am headed to one of the most dreaded, brutal, bloody spots in the world – if you're a liberal.
Gitmo. The word sends lefties running to the bong for another hit of weed to ease their misery. I'm looking forward to seeing with my own eyes the base where we cage beasts that want to cut our throats because we aren't radical Muslims.
I have to admit – I also want to warm myself. Despite what Al Gore-ites say, we in Northern California haven't experienced global warming. In fact, I have to crank up the heat – bless me Algore, for I have sinned – to defrost my bones in the morning.
Anyway, my nonprofit, Move America Forward, thought it was high-time to travel to Guantanamo Bay to thank our troops for their steadfast work with some of the most vicious beings to walk this earth (aside from Code Pink freaks I've met on the streets of Berkeley).
Over the past couple of weeks, MAF has traveled the country to hold rallies for our troops. Patriots have come out to the rallies and gone to our Website at www.moveamericaforward.org and sponsored care packages for our troops.
Yes, we actually love our troops and respect them for their work keeping us safe. We are also aware that the left in this country wants to close Gitmo.
Important safety tip to you whiney liberals: If you want to close Guantanamo Bay like your leader, Barack Obama, you need to make your home their home. That's right. But make sure that you don't offend them. Call them to prayer five times a day. Feed them culturally appropriate food. Give them prayer caps, prayer rugs and prayer beads and a brand new Koran. They're used to all of these items, thanks to the dreaded Americans who run Gitmo.
But make sure to put away the kitchen knives, or you may wake up in the morning without your head.
Tune in later when I give you the lowdown on club Gitmo. I plan to eat well, relax, an d kick back in the 80-degree weather after some afternoon waterboarding!!
Mostly, though, I'm going to thank our troops for keeping us safe from the real live monsters that are foaming at the mouth to get at us.
As you read this, I am on my way to a super secret location
– and it's not Vice President Cheney's bunker. My nonprofit group, Move America
Forward, is on the tail-end of its Honoring Heroes for the Holidays II tour in
which we traveled the country and held rallies to thank our troops for their
Patriots came out to our stops and sponsored care packages
and sent personal messages to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is
especially important during the Christmas holidays when the troops are
thousands of miles away from their homes.
So now we're headed to visit with troops and thank them
personally. I wish I could tell you where we are going, but security concerns
won't allow me. I hate keeping secrets around Christmas time.
Let's move on. But make sure to tune in next week so I can
tell you about our visit with American heroes. For now, let's talk about
Guantanamo Bay, which was back in the news this week when Cheney defended the
prison for terrorists.
Whiners on the left have complained about the Bush
Administration's use of Gitmo and some of the interviewing techniques used on
the terrorists held in the Cuba prison. Even President Bush
said in 2005 he might close Gitmo. It was a weak moment. Cheney has held
the line, saying the prison is appropriate for the terrorists who started a war
with the United States in earnest when they launched the Sept. 11, 2001,
The base at Guantanamo is a perfect place for terrorists. In
fact, it's too good. The weather is nice, the prisoners eat better than they
did in the caves of Afghanistan, and they have government-issued Korans and
prayer rugs. Most importantly, these beasts aren't out plotting another 9/11 or
trying to kill Americans or other innocents.
Prisoners held at Gitmo on average gain 15 pounds
, while our troops are traversing frozen mountains and eating canned meals,
when available. The United States has even had to buy them bigger pants because
they got so fat on their Gitmo meals.
"They can garden," said Maj. Kyndra Rotunda, according to Ronald
Kessler.. "They can check out videos. They can take classes in English or
in their native language. There are all kinds of sports. They get a selection
of Nike tennis shoes to choose from."
As Muslims, detainees receive halal meals.
"The average detainee has gained about 15 pounds," Rotunda
says. "Detainees are very picky. Like if there's a piece of fruit that has a
bruise or is at all bad, they send it back, and the military just takes it back
and gives them something a little fresher."
Sounds like pure torture.
Cheney this week warned President-elect Barack Obama
to think hard and long before closing Gitmo.
"What are you going to do with those
prisoners?" Cheney said in a
television interview. "I don't know any other nation in the
world that would do what we've done in terms of taking care of people who are
avowed enemies."
How could Cheney say such a thing? Think of the
care terrorists took with the Americans they beheaded. It could have been
worse, right? The terrorists could have fed the men through huge shredders feet
first, just like Saddam Hussein did when he ran Iraq.
Cheney also said that waterboarding isn't torture
and the United States used it appropriately when interrogating the mastermind
of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The nerve of Cheney!! I remember being held
under water while roughhousing with other kids, and it is torture. How
could anybody think that it's OK to do such a thing to Mohammed? After all, he
only helped murder 3,000 innocents on Sept. 11.
Of all the things the Bush-haters have
complained about since he took office, the most ludicrous is the treatment of
terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. Liberals will do and say anything as long
as it is directed at somebody with an R behind their name. That includes
arguing for the release of terrorists, or bringing them from Cuba to the United
States where they can have a great defense by some Ivy-school-trained lawyer.
Speaking of which, it is now considered chic
to have your own Sheik to defend from Gitmo. Big-name lawyers from around the
world are lining up like jumbo jets to land a terrorist for a client. I am glad
to see that Freedom for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) is now filing amicus
briefs for the actual victims of terrorism, whose killers are now residing in
air conditioned cells in Cuba.
If Obama does close Gitmo, I hope he will be a
real good host and invite the terrorists to live with him and his radical
friends where he can feed them arugula. Chicago's Hyde Park is a nice
neighborhood, from what I hear. Terrorist-to-terrorist block watch parties
could be the next cool thing. Bill Ayers has so much to learn about security,
and so many excellent teachers could become available very shortly!
Cheney is absolutely correct in his defense of
America's detainee camp at Gitmo. Since the first days of America, this country
has held enemy combatants in prisons until the war was over.
This war is long from over. Obama knows it.
I agree that it would be nice to close Gitmo,
but only after every terrorist who wants to hurt Americans or other innocents
is safely burning in the hottest corner of hell.
The Pinko's are so very upset. Wow. I can't believe I am even reporting this. But hang with me for a minute.
The Pepto-Dismal ladies are pitching hissy fit in Berkeley over the incarceration of an Iraqi so-called "journalist" who hurled the ultimate insult at his liberator, a shoe or two, at President George W. Bush.
By Kristen Bender, Contra Costa Times
"....We are here in solidarity with the Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at Bush in response to some of the outrageous statements Bush was making
about (the journalists') country and about the terror and occupation the troops are reigning on his country," said CodePINK activist Zanne Joi. "We are here to say that we also do not accept our country's policies in Iraq."
Organizers said their demonstration was also to show support for the Iraqi people who have been killed, tortured or maimed and U.S. soldiers who have died since the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq nearly six years ago.
The CodePINK protest didn't affect operations at the Shattuck Square recruiting station, said U.S. Marine Corps spokesman Sgt. Matt DeBoard.
"CodePINK has been protesting at Shattuck Square for almost a year now," he said. "They don't bother us and we don't bother them."
DeBoard said it is the Marines' position that their recruiting and military operations help defend Americans' right to freedom of speech. "Our position is that we do what we do so that everyone can express their opinion," he said.
Melanie Morgan, the head of Move America Forward, at pro-troop organization, said CodePINK's protest Wednesday was "on par for their insulting and demeaning activism."
"They are always siding with the forces that are against America," she said.
Morgan said she was outraged when she learned of the shoe-throwing incident. "But I am usually filled with outrage with CodePINK at any given moment so I'm not surprised that CodePINK would sympathize with (the Iraqi journalist)," she said.
For more than a year, members of CodePINK have picketed weekly in front of the Marine recruiting center at 64 Shattuck Square in downtown Berkeley. They say the Marines are not welcome in liberal Berkeley and that the office should shut its doors. The Marines have said there are no plans to do so; they hold a lease that is not up for another year.
In January, the Berkeley City Council got involved when it called the Marines "uninvited and unwelcome intruders" and granted CodePINK a permit waiver and a free parking space in front of the Marine center for the weekly protests. The move angered people across the country, who flooded City Hall with about 25,000 letters and e-mails."
Pennsylvania conservatives aren't sitting around waiting for someone to lead them out of the political darkness ...they are organizing, agitating and constructing an new model, using some of the old model.
Skye at MidnightBlue.com is helping.
Conservatives across the country should think about slipping on this pretty party frock, designed out of scraps from discarded political actions. My advice to all conservatives: start sewing ...our principles look beautiful on us.
"...We've received an overwhelmingly positive response in our call for conservatism, so thank you all for your support. It is clear that the Pennsylvania Conservative Council will quickly become a powerful and positive voice in standing up for our values.
Quoting the late, great Tony Snow, "Now, we need to roll up our sleeves. We've got work to do and we need to do it as a team."
We already have our first speaking engagement under our belts. The adviser of the East High School Republicans welcomed Tania and Sean out to speak with their growing Club. As expected, the East HS Republicans were intelligent and engaged, and we were proud to come and speak with them.
Up next is the Chester County Commissioners meeting on Thursday, December 18th, 10:00 AM in the 5th floor of the Chester County Courthouse. We urge everyone available to show up and make your voice heard! We have two important items to discuss: the County budget/tax increases and the atheist tree on the Courthouse lawn. Sean is leading our effort on these two important matters, please e-mail him if you plan to attend.
To keep our momentum going, the members of the Steering Committee have put together list of immediate activities in need of volunteers. Please read through the following projects and consider where you may best put your talents to use.
Letter Writing Group
This is a fun way to get together, in person or on-line, with other like-minded conservatives to draft and submit letters to local and national papers. All you need is a passion for conservative values, the group will help articulate and polish them. Together we can begin to create a conservative narrative in the local media. Summer will lead this effort, so any interested parties please respond back to her.
Committee Survey
We are looking for an individual or two to create a survey which will be submitted to Chester County committee people. The purpose of this survey is to identify committee people who share our conservative values. It is a valuable tool for our organization to use to help us connect and build working relationships with local committee people. Tania will lead this project, interested voluteers please respond back to her.
Speaking Opportunities
We are seeking individuals to contact local colleges, universities and high schools to see if their Republican group would like to have us speak at one of their meetings. We are also looking for anyone who would like to volunteer as a speaker. We need to get our message out, and we need to arm our defenders with effective ideas. The Pennsylvania Conservative Council is a perfect vehicle to recruit and support conservatives for generations to come. Sean is leading our public speaking effort, so please contact him if you can help out.
There is a spot for all of you in this organization. Feel free to contact me with your thoughts or suggestions for these or other projects. Interested volunteers please respond back in the next two weeks, as we'd like to get these projects started by the New Year.
And remember, our next meetings are January 10th and January 24th. We will send more details about these meetings soon.
Tania, Sean, Jason, Denine, and Summer
Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Harold R. McAlindon
Just remember folks - the Elite Media says THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO THINK THAT TEAM OBAMA IS CONNECTED TO THE CORRUPTION PROBE IN CHICAGO.
(From Ed Morrissey at HotAir.com)
Up to now, the only member of the incoming Obama administration worried about ties to Rod Blagojevich was Rahm Emanuel. Today, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that another key appointment by Barack Obama hasn't told the complete truth about his work for the disgraced governor of Illinois. Eric Holder, who already will face questions about his role in the controversial Marc Rich pardon and the deportation of Elian Gonzales, left off a key role on his resumé:
Before Eric Holder was President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be attorney general, he was Gov. Blagojevich's pick to sort out a mess involving Illinois' long-dormant casino license.
Blagojevich and Holder appeared together at a March 24, 2004, news conference to announce Holder's role as "special investigator to the Illinois Gaming Board" — a post that was to pay Holder and his Washington, D.C. law firm up to $300,000.
Holder, however, omitted that event from his 47-page response to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire made public this week— an oversight he plans to correct after a Chicago Sun-Times inquiry.
Before Eric Holder was President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be attorney general, he was Gov. Blagojevich's pick to sort out a mess involving Illinois' long-dormant casino license.
Blagojevich and Holder appeared together at a March 24, 2004, news conference to announce Holder's role as "special investigator to the Illinois Gaming Board" — a post that was to pay Holder and his Washington, D.C. law firm up to $300,000.
Holder, however, omitted that event from his 47-page response to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire made public this week— an oversight he plans to correct after a Chicago Sun-Times inquiry.
Meanwhile ...
A lot of people are following our care package sponsorship tour across America online ...and have been asking for updates.
FreeRepublic.com has compiled lots of information, reaction, photos, and holiday wishes here.
Read all about us!
"I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system."
– George W. Bush
Michelle Malkin: "...stop me before I hurl a shoe"
California is facing a nearly 40 billion (that's billion with a B) dollar deficit in the next few months, and our liberal democrat-majority lawmakers are acting like - well, idiotic democrats.
Yesterday on the California State Assembly floor Democrats refused to allow Republican Assemblyman Chuck DeVore to read the Bill of Rights on the floor. This was no grandstanding moment. The Senate and Assembly are required by law to read the Bill of Rights into the record on the first session after December 15th.
Here's Chuck's take on what happened:
"In 1998, the legislature unanimously passed Senate Concurrent
Resolution 82 to annually honor the approval of the Bill of Rights.
Per SCR 82, we are to read aloud the Bill of Rights on the first legislative day after December 15. That would be today. My request to read the Bill of Rights was denied by the Speakers office.
At first I thought that the majority Democrats' denial of SCR 82's requirement to read the Bill of Rights on the floor was due to the fact that they would be too busy with the debate on the budget crisis and big tax increases - afterall, we have read the Bill of Rights before.
But, as we were waiting around for an hour for business to start, I realized it wasn't for lack of time.
Then, when the Speaker Pro Tem introduced a delegation from Communist China, I really knew we weren't reading the Bill of Rights for lack of time.
Chuck set up a quick petition set up to voice objection to the CA Democrats:
The California Legislature: The Bill of Rights, no; Tax increases, yes; Communist China, yes. "
Mark Curtis has a blogpost called "When Will the Nepotism End?"which sums things up nicely from my point of view.
....any my friend Martha Zoller, who is a talk show host and a regular conributor at Human Events, analyzes the trial balloon for Caroline Kennedy - who appears to want the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Clinton. (But does Hillary want Caroline? Hillary has a memory like an elephant, no offense to elephants, and it was Caroline and her Uncle Teddy who jumped into the Obama camp early, stabbing Clinton in the back by providing star power endorsements- and cold hard cash....)
Is Being a Kennedy Enough?
by Martha Zoller (more by this author)
Posted 12/17/2008 ET
As I read about another Kennedy throwing a hat into the ring on another open senate seat, I recalled a column the late John Kennedy, Jr. wrote in the late 1990s for George Magazine about the next generation of Kennedys. He didn't have much to say about the transgressions of his cousins, but he implied it and he talked about a life of service.
He seemed like the "good Kennedy," "the hope of Camelot." This was at a time when one Kennedy had just been acquitted in a rape trial in Florida and another had left his wife for the babysitter and then was killed in a skiing accident. Less than a year afterward, John Jr. would too be dead.
If you are of a certain age, you can remember the young boy saluting his father's casket on a late November day. You know what the "Kennedy mystique" is. As the Republican Party has been looking for the next Ronald Reagan, the Democrats cherish Camelot and the Kennedys. The cheesy "Clinton Dynasty" will never eclipse it.
At the end of the Clinton presidency, John Kennedy, Jr. was considering a run for the senate seat that his Uncle Bobby held briefly in the 1960s. He would ultimately yield to the power brokers of the Democrat Party. The then-First Lady, Hillary Clinton, ran and won her seat in the U. S. Senate.
Then John Kennedy died in a plane crash with his hand on the controls. At the funeral, there was Sen. Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy, the last remnants of Camelot, and all those Kennedy cousins. Other than Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the activist, and Douglas Kennedy, the Fox News reporter, most people don't know much about this generation of Kennedys.
Monday, the New York Times reported that Caroline Kennedy is seeking the favor of Gov. David Paterson to be appointed to the Senate seat that will be vacated by Hillary Clinton if she is confirmed as Secretary of State. Across the country in the Midwest, Chris Kennedy, another son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of Sen. Ted Kennedy, is being considered by the Lt. Governor of Illinois for the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would be the guy to appoint the replacement for Obama if the embattled Gov. Blagojevich resigns. The Kennedys have been a constant fixture in Chicago politics and on the Chicago social and business scene with land holdings, non profits and other businesses run by the myriad next generation Kennedys.
Being a Kennedy is not always enough to be elected or appointed to elected office. In New York, many established Democrats were Hillary supporters in the primary, and there is still some bad blood between them and Sen. Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy for coming out so early and strongly for Sen. Barack Obama. Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) said last week he didn't know what Caroline Kennedy's qualifications were, "except that she has name recognition -- but so does J. Lo." I guess that's how they go after people when you are from Queens…comparing Caroline Kennedy to "Jenny from the Block." But since most people will say, "Who is Gary Ackerman?", and every one knows who Caroline Kennedy is, it won't make much difference.
There are at least 12 names being tossed around for Hillary's seat. From the flamboyant TV actress Fran Drescher to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to William Jefferson Clinton, Caroline Kennedy seems to have the top spot. She has written some great books and conducted herself with the kind of Jackie O class that would make her mother proud. Hell, we just elected a community organizer President of the United States; maybe we should have another Kennedy in the Senate.
There is one point to consider, and that is the lack of vitriol towards Caroline Kennedy's credentials or lack thereof. Caroline has the right name, went to the right schools and lives in the right neighborhoods. She is New York and American high society. She was born into it and anything she has done in her life has been cast in that light. She's a wonderful writer, wife, and mother, but I'm not sure if she's a politician or is very knowledgeable of law or policy. But it's clear from the last election that Americans don't care about that right now.
Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of women who have raised their families getting into politics. I think that women who have managed a family through all the ups and downs have qualifications can't be measured in the traditional way. Sarah Palin is an example of that. She took her public school education and normal connections and became one of 50 governors in the United States of America. That is an accomplishment. But will Caroline, if she is appointed and then elected, get the kind of scrutiny of her hair, make up, clothes that Sarah Palin got? I think not.
Being a U. S. senator is not the same as being vice president. I asked Jed Babbin, editor of HUMAN EVENTS, "What makes a good vice president?", to which he answered, "What makes someone qualified to be vice president is the knowledge of history and world affairs necessary for a president. Sarah Palin wasn't entirely ready for prime time. That doesn't mean she won't be in '12. But the job of senator is profoundly different than the job of vice-president. Heck, if Chuckie Schumer or Babs Boxer is qualified to be a senator, why not Caroline Kennedy?"
Taking that into consideration, I'm betting on Caroline Kennedy in New York. Not because she's the most qualified, but I think the time with Sen. Ted Kennedy is limited, and there will be a desire to continue the legacy and in these uncertain times. New Yorkers will want to believe in a better time. The Illinois U. S. Senate is harder to pick. Everything is up for grabs in Illinois right now. I'm still interested in watching the destruction of the current governor of Illinois. The only thing that's sure is it will be a Democrat.
Ms. Zoller is a political analyst and conservative talk show host for WDUN AM 550 in Gainesville, Georgia and syndicated on The Georgia News Network. She is one of the Talkers Magazine "Heavy Hundred" Talk Shows in America for 2005-2007. She can be seen regularly on cable news. She is the author of "Indivisible: Uniting Values for a Divided America." You may contact her through www.marthazoller.com.
The alleged journalist (at a minor TV station) in Baghadad is in jail today awaiting a possible criminal prosecution for throwing two shoes at President Bush during his farewell visit.
As Move America Forward travels across the country sponsoring care packages for our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting for the right of an Iraqi journalist and the Iraqi people to democratically disagree, it is infuriating to see this man disrespect the man directly responsible for their liberation.
The family of the shoeman paints a complex portrait of his background here.
BAGHDAD – The Iraqi TV reporter who hurled his shoes at George W. Bush was kidnapped once by militants and, separately, detained briefly by the U.S. military. Over time, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, a 28-year-old unmarried Shiite, came to hate both the U.S. military occupation and Iran's interference in Iraq, his family told The Associated Press on Monday.
Al-Zeidi's act of defiance Sunday transformed an obscure reporter from a minor TV station into a national hero to many Iraqis fed up with the nearly six-year U.S. presence here, but also fearful that their country will fall under Iran's influence once the Americans leave.
Several thousand people demonstrated in Baghdad and other cities to demand al-Zeidi's release. The attack was the talk of the town in coffee shops, business offices and even schools — and a subject across much of the Arab world.
The defiance of the Arab street is predictable, but the Iraqi government needs to slap the shoe slapper with some jail time. And force him to meet with Debbie Lee, whose son Marc Alan Lee, died for his freedom from Saddam Hussein's murderous regime.
Debbie is scheduled to appear on Neil Cavuto's show on Fox News Network shortly.
As the leader of United States largest pro-troops group, Move America Forward, I am in a unique position to meet thousands of American heroes who have served their country with honor and distinciton, and for whom they have received medals and recognition.
So nothing chaps my a-- more than a poseur, someone who uses the uniform to play politics.
This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here (a popular website) has such a story. Watch your blood pressure, people.
"...Several weeks ago, someone sent me some pictures of Robert Dennen, a frequent anti-war protester in West Chester, PA. This person told me that Dennen claimed to be a Navy veteran and asked me to identify the medals he was wearing;
The only one I could identify is the American Campaign Medal - it was a World War II medal awarded for service between Dec. 7, 1941 and March 2, 1946. The other two medals I couldn't find anywhere on the internet. So I ran the guy's name through Military dot Com and came up completely empty.
You can tell by the black T-shirt, he's a member of the Delaware Valley Veterans for America, he appears on their website protesting John McCain and Sarah Palin in Philadelphia. That's him on the viewer's far right;
The Delaware Valley Veterans For America's website is unsurprisingly plastered with pictures and events of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Vietnam Veterans Against the War and Vets For Peace.
Someone sent me another picture of Dennen wearing the same medals and a Vets For Peace pin on his cap;
And a picture of him claiming to be a gay veteran in West Chester, PA demanding "whats due" gays;
In this picture from Skye, that looks like his hat and his trademark woodland camouflage, but he's hiding behind a very confusing sign;
I'm told his distinctive hat with the buttons stuck in it have earned him the nickname "Pinhead" from the West Chester Sheepdogs.
So there's really no doubt that he's trying to pass himself off as a veteran, but his medals and the lack of a record say otherwise.
Liberals like Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, are peddling lies about why Detroit can't compete with Toyota, Honda.
Alaska's Governor visited her church in the small town of Wasilla yesterday, after a monster took a torch to the church in which she and her fellow Christians pray.
Is it Palin Derangement Syndrome? Or an Alaskan off his or her med's? No one seems to know, as police have no suspects yet. But I recieved an email from a member of that church, who says that their Pastor has received numerous anonymous and threatening phone calls possibly because of Palin's membership there. Everyone is quite worried.
The truly sad part of this story is that the Wasilla Bible church lost more than its building - hundreds of toys for the poor were also destroyed.
Team Sarah is asking that everyone chip in to help. More details at www.teamsarah.org or simply click on my link above.
I have written a personal check to the Wasilla Bible Church. I hope you can, too.
Here's the address: Wasilla Bible Church, 1651 W. Nicola Avenue, Wasilla, AK 99654
...and prayers are welcome, too.
The big day began yesterday in Sacramento and Move America Foward has already held our first tour stop on the Honoring Heroes at the Holidays II tour. The Sacramento crowds were good as we all stood up to honor our men and women in the Armed Forces. The air was cool, as it should be in Northern California as we approach Christmas. Special attention today went toward our Vietnam Veterans, as Sacramento held a parade for them!!! Cat Moy writes that "it warms my heart that we in the United States are trying to make up for the horrible way we treated our warriors as they returned from Vietnam. No man or woman serving our country should EVER be spat upon or called a baby killer."
Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee, whose son Marc was the first Navy SEAL to give his life in Iraq, is traveling with the tour. She will forever have an empty place at her table and in her heart, but she wants to make sure that our troops are remembered every day. That is why she has taken time away from her family to travel with Move America Foward across the country to send a strong message: We REALLY support our troops AND their mission!!!!
We are especially excited about this year's tour because we have a surpise ending!!! Due to security concerns, we cannot disclose our final destination. But we can tell you that we will be bringing holiday cheer to our brave men and women who have given their lives to the effort of American safety and security.
Our next stop is at 9 a.m. Sunday 9 a.m. tomorrow) in Henderson, Nevada, at the American Legion Post 40 425 E Van Wagenen St.
From there the bus will go to Phonenix, Ariz., for a 4 p.m stop and rally at the Veterans of Foreign Wars 804 E Purdue Ave.
During these stops, you may sponsor a care package for our troops and drop off Christmas cards that we will deliver to our troops!!!
Please keep coming back here and to MoveAmericaForward.com for continual updates.
HHHII T-Shirts
My dear friend SEAN HANNITY is going solo at the Fox News Network. Alan Colmes is leaving, and Sean gets to shine all by himself!
Exclusive: TVNewser has learned Fox News will debut a new program at 9pmET, entitled "Hannity," featuring Sean Hannity as host. The program premieres January 12.
"Hannity" will include a "Great American Panel" of three nightly in studio guests — a liberal, a conservative and an "X factor." The show will mix commentary, interviews and special segment like a "Hate Hannity Hotline."
This is the first time in FNC's 12-year history it will alter programming at the 9pmET timeslot.
Ever since Alan Colmes announced he was leaving "Hannity & Colmes" on November 24, speculation has run rampant as to what FNC would do in his absence. TVNewser has run a poll since the announcement, and more than 26,000 votes have been cast. Within the last 24 hours, the poll was linked once again on Hannity.com and for the first time, "Hannity Solo" is the leading option.
> Update: In the release, FNC SVP of programming Bill Shine says: "Sean is one of the top television and radio personalities in the business and we're excited to be working with him on this venture. When Alan Colmes left us with a void last month, we decided to build a new program utilizing Sean's signature talents rather than take on the monumental task of replacing someone as exceptional as Alan and attempting to rebuild a rare chemistry that is unlikely to ever be matched in cable television again."
For those who aren't lucky enough to know Sean personally, let me tell you that he is the nicest, most sincere and truly dedicated conservative person you can ever imagine. He is a great husband, father and friend. His generosity is renowned - he has donated over $30,000 to Move America Forward, my organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of our soldiers serving in harms way. He has raised millions of dollars through his Freedom concerts, with the proceeds going to support our militay and veterans across this great country, all the while performing beyond expectations on his radio ratings and TV shows.
Way to go, Sean!
Sorry for the light-blogging today, but I have been super busy with a camera crew from NBC Universal out of New York. They are spending the next two days following me around for a special that will air in March called "Intervention: In Depth." It is produced by the same people who do the show "Intervention" on A&E, which happens to be destination TV in my house.
I must say, though, it is a giant pain in the ass to have a camera crew shooting in your home, with your friends, family and loved ones, especially because I have been sick with a bad bout of bronchitis.
The only reason I am doing this is because I am a lucky survivor of addiction.
For those who don't know the particulars, I became a compulsive gambler when I spent four years in Seattle in the 90's. I nearly wrecked my life, and created a living hell for my husband and sons.
So today I have been re-visting the painful memories that causes me shame and embarrassment to recall internally, let alone expose to the rest of the country. But I feel very strongly that by sharing my story, accepting responsibilty for the things that I did, and making amends to those whom I harmed, so I can go another day without placing a bet.
I'll keep you posted on when the special will air.
Meanwhile, back in the dirty world of politics, I saw a tidbit from Radio and Records (an industry publication) that is simply appalling. In the criminal complaint filed against Hot Rod Blagojevich, we learned about alleged extortion attempts for the Senate seat, and even a children's hospital.
But what about extorting the radioheads? How low can you go? Too close for comfort, I say :-)
Blagojevich Scandal Hits Hall Of Fame: Interviewed on Chicago public television station WTTW, Radio Hall of Fame chairman Bruce Dumont said recently arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich offered him $8 million in state funds for the hall in 2005. Construction began based on those promises, but the money never materialized. After construction stopped, an Illinois resident offered a loan to keep the project moving, but a governor's aide said they needed to "check everybody's political stripes." When it turned out the donor contributed to Blagojevich's opponent, DuMont was told to pass on the loan or forfeit the state funds.
UPDATE II! It's dead ...the bail-out bill is as cold as a corpse.
UPDATE! Republican leader Mitch McConnell re-discovers his cajones ...stops bailout bucks - for now.
Politico.com is breaking the story here.
Now back to my regularly scheduled blogburst.
It is really hard to understand what the Democrats are proposing on Capitol Hill for the Big Three - other than billions of our dollars are going to fly out of the treasury, with few strings attached.
Christopher Cox, head of the Security and Exchange Commission has a great piece up today at the Wall Street Journal.
"... it is incumbent upon federal policy makers to ensure that the extraordinary actions of the past months are understood to be temporary, and constructed so that they are self-liquidating. Since government programs do not on their own go away, there has to be a deliberate design to eliminate them, and a relentless adherence to execution of that plan. Anything short of this will almost certainly guarantee eternal life for these vast new federal roles.
Focusing on exit strategies now is of vital importance to ensure that we do not stumble along a dangerous path of confusion that may end in far greater financial exposure for the American people, and a far worse situation for America's taxpayers and investors. If we answer the tough questions now, and make sturdy plans for the future, we can position our mortgage market, our financial services industry, and the broader economy for renewed growth and prosperity."
Quin Hillyer from the DCExaminer.com comments on Cox's perspective:
Chris Cox, as usual, is right: These bailouts need a sunset date, and a means to achieve them.
Look, Cox got blamed for a lot of things that either weren't in his purview or that he privately opposed but was overruled on and felt an obligation because of his position not to speak up about. He was right abut the obligations of his position; his self-restraint is rare in Washington these days.
But here he is finding a way within his purview to offer a well-timed warning about the life-span of these atrocious bailouts. His warning ought to be heeded.
(And John McCain, by the way, ought to read this piece himself, learn from it, and then go crawl under a rock and eat worms since he won't eat his words from September blaming Cox for the crisis. And I hope somebody quotes me on this parenthetical remark.)
Gary Sinese, star of CBS's prime-time ratings hit "CSI:NY"
was grinning from ear- to- ear yesterday as he received a Presidential Citizens
medal for 2008 during a White House ceremony.
Sinese, by his own admission, had an awakening about the
dangers of ascendant radical Islam after September 11th.
He has worked very hard, and quietly, to supporting our
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is a huge honor that Mr. Sinese richly deserves.
I salute him, and all right-thinking Americans should too.
Senate "physicans" to dying automaker "patients" ...drink this arsenic and you'll feel better in the morning.
The House pressed toward passage of a $14 billion bailout for the nation's imperiled auto industry Wednesday night, but the hard-fought deal between Democrats and the Bush White House was in jeopardy amid strong opposition from GOP senators.
Republicans were in full revolt against their party's lame-duck president over the measure, balking at helping Detroit's struggling Big Three without hefty concessions from autoworkers and creditors, and furious about an environmental mandate House Democrats insisted on including in the measure.
Democratic leaders still held out hope that the emergency aid could be enacted by week's end.
Oh yeah. By insisting on environmental mandates for the carmakers, the Democrats are assuring the death of The Big Three, and hundreds of thousands of jobs on the process.
Freaking brilliant, guys.
But hey...at least the Republicans are grabbing up some guts and taking a stand against the deal. A little late on the draw, but still commendable.
Quoting Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. from his press conference in Washington, D.C. earlier today: "I never had financial relations with that man- Rod Blagojevich - I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you."
Or something like that.
I was duped!
..and how is your Gay-less day going? Enquiring minds want to know. For answers, I'm checking in with SFist.com, an on-line gay-oriented newspaper.
Shockingly, head San Francisco Political Gay Guy Mark Leno is (gasp) actually working! BTW, may I add that Leno's hair is FABULOUS!
Today's is Day Without a Gay. Are you without? How very sad for you.
Anyway, SFist asked Mark Leno for his thoughts on Day/Gay, whether he will be taking the day off today. He tells us that while he's all kinds of proud of gays and stuff, he isn't taking the day off.
I am proud of our community's peaceful grassroots response to the historically unprecedented and likely unconstitutional act of having our basic human right to marry the person we love taken away by a slim majority vote. The choice of whether to participate in Day Without a Gay is a deeply personal one. While the state budget crisis demands my full attention this week, I am confident that all of our collective efforts will continue to educate people as to the great danger of having anyone's equal protection under the law undermined.
The Mainstreamers in Media are still freaking clueless when it comes to Sarah Palin.
Warner Todd Houston, one of my favorite conservative writers on the subject of the media, has an excellent post up featuring the shocked internet executives who can't understand why so many people are searching for information about the Governor.
"...This particular Palin report is funny for it's cluelessness, but a spokesman for the Internet search engine company Lycos is astounded that people are still interested enough in Governor Sarah Palin to put her name in the search field of an Internet search engine like Lycos or Google. After all, we have Obama, now, the spokesman says. Why do we need Palin info still?
The quotes from Kathy O'Reilly, a spokeswoman for Lycos, were reported by Politico last week and goes to show that the appeal of Sarah Palin is still little understood in many quarters.
Sarah Palin has stayed in the list of the top 5 Internet searches since she was chosen as John McCain's running mate in October.
The scope of the GOP ticket's loss — and the role her critics assigned to her in that defeat — hasn't cooled interest in Palin. She ranked as the No. 2 top news search at Ask.com this week and No. 2 (after Obama) among newsmakers on the AOL 2008 year-end hottest searches list, and she occupied two slots on Politico's list of the site's 10 most searched terms. Palin also ranked fourth among Yahoo searches, behind "Black Friday," a Czech model and a contestant on the hit television show "Dancing with the Stars." She was the only politician on the Yahoo top 20 list.
The scope of the GOP ticket's loss — and the role her critics assigned to her in that defeat — hasn't cooled interest in Palin. She ranked as the No. 2 top news search at Ask.com this week and No. 2 (after Obama) among newsmakers on the AOL 2008 year-end hottest searches list, and she occupied two slots on Politico's list of the site's 10 most searched terms. Palin also ranked fourth among Yahoo searches, behind "Black Friday," a Czech model and a contestant on the hit television show "Dancing with the Stars." She was the only politician on the Yahoo top 20 list.
To Lycos spokesman O'Reilly, though, it's all a mystery.
"People are still searching for her in record numbers," said Kathy O'Reilly, a spokeswoman for Lycos. "How bizarre is that? Obama is the president-elect after the most historic election of all time and you'd think he would be dominating search activity and he only now is going ahead of her."
"It's astounding that someone who should have faded into the background after the election is not only making headlines but being searched for in record numbers online," said O'Reilly. "People still have a fixation with her, for whatever the reason."
"People are still searching for her in record numbers," said Kathy O'Reilly, a spokeswoman for Lycos. "How bizarre is that? Obama is the president-elect after the most historic election of all time and you'd think he would be dominating search activity and he only now is going ahead of her."
"It's astounding that someone who should have faded into the background after the election is not only making headlines but being searched for in record numbers online," said O'Reilly. "People still have a fixation with her, for whatever the reason."
Michelle Malkin is reporting that the Democrats are turning on Hot Rod like a pack of rabid wolves.
Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs calls for Blago to resign…
Echoing Chicago Trib, which calls for Blago's resignation in its lead editorial.
And a bunch of Illinois state lawmakers demanding Blago's head.
Democrat Jack Franks on Fox now threatening impeachment move if Blago doesn't step down.
Get thee under the bus, Blago:
(Photoshop credit: RightVoices)
The California state legislature has seized up in an Oliver Twist of its knickers over the "budget crisis" ....now Governor Schwarzenkennedy is going begging to the federal government for money to bail-out the state.
The following graph proves state Democrats are addicted to SPENDING and their enabler in the horse-shoe can't or won't get a handle on it.
(courtesy of politicalvanguard.com)
The scandal that is rocking the country, involving Democrats corruptocrats, is spreading. Where will it end? Some hard questions have to be asked: what did the President-Elect know and when did he know it?
President-elect Obama's transition office has yet to comment on the news of the arrest of Gov. Rod Blogojevich, but there is some suspicion that the Obama team at least knew of the investigation.
Transcripts of wiretap conversations suggest that the governor had conversations with Obama's transition team about Senate Candidate 1. Marc Ambinder makes a very strong case that this "is probably senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett."
In fact, just days after the presidental election, there were reports that Obama favored Jarrett for the Senate appointment. However, it's also clear from the complaint that the transition team refused to play ball with Blagojevich. The complaint states the governor said he knows
that Obama wanted Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but "they're not willing
to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them."
As Ben Smith notes, Jarrett's "abrupt withdrawal from consideration for the Senate seat suggests Obama's circle aware of the investigation" and wanted to distance themselves from any contacts with Blogojevich.
Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin wants to introduce us to a "pay for player" in this rotten reality show.
Meet the First Lady of Illinois, Patty Blagojevich, via the official state website: "As a wife and mother, Patricia Blagojevich brings firsthand experience and personal commitment to her strong advocacy on behalf of the women and children of Illinois. As First Lady, she works hard to promote initiatives that will help the families of Illinois bring up happy, healthy, and successful children."
Meet Patty Blagojevich, hardball political thug, via the criminal complaint in her hubby's massive corruption scandal, page 44 (language warning), involving a deal the Tribune newspaper company wanted on behalf of the Cubs baseball team:
73. In another call between ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Deputy Governor A that occurred a short time later on November 3, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Deputy Governor A discussed an editorial from the Chicago Tribune regarding the endorsement of Michael Madigan and calling for a committee to consider impeaching ROD BLAGOJEVICH.
During the call, ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife can be heard in the background telling ROD BLAGOJEVICH to tell Deputy Governor A "to hold up that fucking Cubs shit. . . fuck them."
ROD BLAGOJEVICH asked Deputy Governor A what he thinks of his wife's idea. Deputy Governor A stated that there is a part of what ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife said that he "agree[s] with." Deputy Governor A told ROD BLAGOJEVICH that Tribune Owner will say that he does not have anything to do with the editorials, "but I would tell him, look, if you want to get your Cubs thing done get rid of this Tribune." Later, ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife got on the phone and, during the continuing discussion of the critical Tribune editorials, stated that Tribune Owner can "just fire" the writers because Tribune Owner owns the Tribune. ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife stated that if Tribune Owner's papers were hurting his business, Tribune Owner would do something about the editorial board. ROD BLAGOJEVICH then got back on the phone. ROD
BLAGOJEVICH told Deputy Governor A to put together the articles in the Tribune that are on the topic of removing ROD BLAGOJEVICH from office and they will then have someone, like JOHN HARRIS, go to Tribune Owner and say, "We've got some decisions to make now." ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that "someone should say, 'get rid of those people.'"
73. In another call between ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Deputy Governor A that occurred a short time later on November 3, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH and Deputy Governor A discussed an editorial from the Chicago Tribune regarding the endorsement of Michael Madigan and calling for a committee to consider impeaching ROD BLAGOJEVICH.
During the call, ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife can be heard in the background telling ROD BLAGOJEVICH to tell Deputy Governor A "to hold up that fucking Cubs shit. . . fuck them."
ROD BLAGOJEVICH asked Deputy Governor A what he thinks of his wife's idea. Deputy Governor A stated that there is a part of what ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife said that he "agree[s] with." Deputy Governor A told ROD BLAGOJEVICH that Tribune Owner will say that he does not have anything to do with the editorials, "but I would tell him, look, if you want to get your Cubs thing done get rid of this Tribune." Later, ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife got on the phone and, during the continuing discussion of the critical Tribune editorials, stated that Tribune Owner can "just fire" the writers because Tribune Owner owns the Tribune. ROD BLAGOJEVICH's wife stated that if Tribune Owner's papers were hurting his business, Tribune Owner would do something about the editorial board. ROD BLAGOJEVICH then got back on the phone. ROD
BLAGOJEVICH told Deputy Governor A to put together the articles in the Tribune that are on the topic of removing ROD BLAGOJEVICH from office and they will then have someone, like JOHN HARRIS, go to Tribune Owner and say, "We've got some decisions to make now." ROD BLAGOJEVICH said that "someone should say, 'get rid of those people.'"
We come from different ends of the ideological spectrum, but I am really beginning a cyber attraction to Brock Keeling at SFist.com...and before the lefties start circulating poisonous attacks about my fidelity, my marriage, and my family values, did I mention Brock is gay? Or, at least I think he is.
Here's the story. We actually are agreeing on something. Brock and I agree that the Berkeley City Council is by definition - totally freaking insane.
Under the false impression that Melanie Morgan doesn't already have enough ammunition, the fruit-and-nut granola bar that is the Berkeley City Council will vote today on whether to demand the U.S. government charge Berkeley resident, UC Berkeley Boalt Hall School tenured professor, and former Bush adviser John Yoo with war crimes.
This all stems from a 2002 that Yoo drafted that provided "the legal basis to justify torture in interrogating terrorism suspects." Yoo argued "that habeas corpus and other legal protections don't apply to CIA detainees because Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib are not on U.S. soil."
The measures attacking him also wants some sort of deal that would allow Boalt students - ones who disagree with Yoo - to be able to take alternative courses.
This, of course, is insane. And not all council members agree.
"This measure seems to fly in the face of a good liberal arts education," says Councilman Laurie Capitelli. Also, according to the Clog, no student is forced to take his courses.
This makes the 574286739th time the Berkeley City Council has dipped its toes in national policy.
The gays of California are having a hissy fit tomorrow over the issue of same sex marriage. Homosexuals and lesbians are determined to punish everyone who voted for Proposition 8, (and everyone who didn't) by an economic boycott.
Wednesday is officially Call in Gay Day.
"Despite the attempt ... to fashion a positive approach, some organizers of the street demonstrations that drew massive crowds in many cities last month have been reluctant to embrace the concept, saying that it could be at best impractical and at worst counterproductive to "call in gay."
"It's extra challenging for people to think about taking off work as a form of protest, given that we are talking about people who may not be out at work and given the current economic situation and job market," said Jules Graves, 38, coordinator of Colorado Queer Straight Alliance."
So...if you are bisexual, do you call-in a half day?
If you are just curious, do you get a long lunch hour?
So many questions, so little time.
Last time I checked (and yes, it has been awhile) you can't run around trying to sell a United States Senate seat.
But try telling that to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.
He has been arrested for putting the seat up to the highest bidder.
A 76-page FBI affidavit said the 51-year-old Democratic governor was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.
Otherwise, Blagojevich considered appointing himself. The affidavit said that as late as Nov. 3, he told his deputy governor that if "they're not going to offer me anything of value I might as well take it."
"I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain," Blagojevich allegedly said later that day, according to the affidavit, which also quoted him as saying in a remark punctuated by profanity that the seat was "a valuable thing — you just don't give it away for nothing."
All the news channels are breathlessly waiting for a live presser. Democrats cheating! Scandal! Corruption! Read all about it! Oh wait - you can't in Chicago, because the Chicago Tribune has gone bankrupt.
Oh, and Blagojevich had a plan to screw the Tribune, too.
Who could ever imagine this kind of thing happening in all places, Chicago?
...and the Democrats really want us to believe they are capable of directing bail-out bucks totalling nearly a trillion dollars honestly?
Laast time I checked, it was illegal to sell a seat for the United States Senate. But try telling that to the DEMOCRAT Governor of Illinois.
Rod Blagojevich has been arrested.
76-page FBI affidavit said the 51-year-old Democratic governor was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.
The affidavit said Blagojevich also discussed getting a substantial salary for himself at a nonprofit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions.
It said Blagojevich also talked about getting his wife placed on corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director's fees.
The news channels are breathlessly waiting for a presser to begin in Illinois about the arrest of Rod Blogojevich ..and what it all means! Corruption! Scandal!
Hint: The Democrats are not all about honesty in government. Is it possible there are crooked politicans in Chicago? Inquiring minds need to know.
...Guns, you don't need no stinkin' guns!
President-Elect Obama advises Americans that there is no need to rush out and buy weapons.
"I believe in common-sense gun safety laws, and I believe in the second amendment," Obama said at a news conference. "Lawful gun owners have nothing to fear. I said that throughout the campaign. I haven't indicated anything different during the transition. I think people can take me at my word."
Somebody needs to tell the President-Elect that actually, no, we don't really believe him.
News Flash.... it is lock and load time all across the country.
The perfect Christmas gift this year! A portion of the proceeds
from this incredible original artwork from Jim Wainwright benefits Move America
Forward and our troops abroad.
Buy early and often.
...you know, the story that he can't actually produce the damn thing? Later today, the United States Supreme Court is going to take up the issue of President-Elect Obama's actual citizenship.
But according to Politico.com, it is conservatives like my buddy Brian Sussman and others in talk radio who are engaged in a whispering campaign to deny Obama's legal right to ascend to the throne - er, Presidency.
"...The claim has reverberated in conservative media outlets, especially talk radio. According to Media Matters, conservative radio hosts Michael Savage, Brian Sussman, Lars Larson, Bob Grant, Jim Quinn, Rose Tennent and Mark Davis (who was guest-hosting for Rush Limbaugh) have all repeated the widely discredited claim.
"We're getting ready for the Communist takeover of America with a noncitizen at the helm - I love it," Savage said during an episode of his nationally syndicated radio show "Savage Nation."
"He won't even produce a birth certificate. Don't you love that?" he continued. "Something as basic as Obama's birth certificate now is an issue. I mean, if he's got nothing to hide, show it to me. Doesn't exist. It does not exist. They can't find it in the Hawaii government. It's never been produced. The one that was produced is a forgery."
Excuse me while I burst out laughing. Politico is actually quoting the most phony, lying left-wing so-called Media fact-checkers in the country. Yup, the MSM is getting its information from Media Matters, funded by GEORGE SOROS.
So. It's settled. Nobody can ask any questions AT ALL about Obama's citizenship because Media Matters has said "the story was widely discredited."
Uh, No. Whatever Media Matters says, do the opposite, believe the reverse and run like hell before its minions attempt to slander you.
Two items directly from Instapundit that interested me:
ERIC POSNER: Was Bill Ayers a terrorist? Pretty much. "Under current law, Ayers was a terrorist. This definition is not idiosyncratic; similar definitions can be found in the laws of foreign countries and in international treaties. Ayers seems to think he ought to be excused for violence because his motives were good, but that is the excuse that terrorists always offer."
WILLIAM "FREEZER CASH" JEFFERSON is defeated: "Indicted U.S. Rep. William Jefferson suffered what may be the final blow of his storied political career in the most improbable way Saturday, when an untested Republican opponent took advantage of Louisiana's new federal voting rules — and an election delay caused by Hurricane Gustav — to unseat the nine-term Democrat. With the upset victory, Anh 'Joseph' Cao, a eastern New Orleans attorney who fled war-ravaged Saigon as a child, becomes the first Vietnamese-American in Congress. He will represent a district that was specifically drawn to give African-Americans an electoral advantage and one in which two of every three voters are registered Democrats."
The Mainstream Media is on the ropes, fighting for its very existance. Will The Chosen One reward his friends with a bail-out?
You can read about the death rattle for the Chicago Tribune here.
These certainly look like dark days for the newspaper industry generally. ABC's Michael Malone writes in 2006:
It was just a year ago that I predicted -- to considerable consternation and censure from the press -- that most major newspapers would be dead or dying by the end of this decade. Apparently, I was being conservative.
As I look around California, for example, I see the San Francisco Chronicle turning into the Daily Worker for baby boomers, the Los Angeles Times selecting stories based on political considerations, and now, the only real newspaper of any size left, the Mercury News, apparently orphaned. Meanwhile, McClatchy's strategy appears to be that of snatching up small-town papers, the last redoubt of daily print journalism. But that is just buying time before Yahoo and Google start putting local Little League box scores online.
Ed. As a journalist with over 33 years experience, and one who has been laid-off by a company that can't manage its way out of a paper bag, it is depressing to see what is going on with the communications industry in America.
It is a different day, and a different era. But the outrageous bias and the funneling of news choices makes these changes and choices inevitable. The American public simply does not trust the media. And why should they? The media isn't trust-worthy with the truth.
It was just a year ago that I predicted -- to considerable consternation and censure from the press -- that most major newspapers would be dead or dying by the end of this decade. Apparently, I was being conservative.
As I look around California, for example, I see the San Francisco Chronicle turning into the Daily Worker for baby boomers, the Los Angeles Times selecting stories based on political considerations, and now, the only real newspaper of any size left, the Mercury News, apparently orphaned. Meanwhile, McClatchy's strategy appears to be that of snatching up small-town papers, the last redoubt of daily print journalism. But that is just buying time before Yahoo and Google start putting local Little League box scores online.
Ed. As a journalist with over 33 years experience, and one who has been laid-off by a company that can't manage its way out of a paper bag, it is depressing to see what is going on with the communications industry in America.
It is a different day, and a different era. But the outrageous bias and the funneling of news choices makes these changes and choices inevitable. The American public simply does not trust the media. And why should they? The media isn't trust-worthy with the truth.
During the final days of the Saxby Chambliss race in Georgia, my group's political action committee, MAF Freedom PAC, went into the state to make a final stand for some balance in the upcoming Obamunist government. Chambliss was the person who could do that.
We had fought for other candidates during the election that believed in a strong security for the United States. When the election results rolled in, it was clear that America is in a heap of trouble. The man who wants to redistribute wealth, surrender in Iraq and who has voted consistently against the Second Amendment won the presidency, and he is surrounded by like-minded socialist-leaning senators and House members.
America had surrendered its personal rights and responsibilities in exchange for a false security blanket called Barack Hussein Obama. The only thing left for America to do was stop the radicals from having complete freedom to impose their agenda on America and the sheeple who gave them power.
Obama was not satisfied with the presidency and majorities in the House and Senate. He wanted the pure power to crush the minority, those who represent support for the military and foreign policies that have kept Americans safe on our homeland since Sept. 11, 2001.
Never mind Obama's psychobabble about including everybody and listening to his detractors. He wanted it all. He sent hundreds of his foot soldiers and 6,000 union activists into Georgia in an attempt to take out Chambliss, a champion of the military and the war against radical Muslim jihadists.
Hello, it's Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward (the nation's largest pro-troop
organization) and I have a favor to ask of you.
Our group is trying to make sure every single U.S. military servicemember serving in Iraq or Afghanistan receives a care package
this holiday season. We want all of our troops to know how much we love and appreciate them.
I've looked over our orders for the past week, and we need many more Americans to sponsor care packages if we're going to meet
this goal. I don't believe in failure, especially when it comes to our troops, so I am pleading with you for your help.
Would you please sponsor care
in your name via the links below, so that we can send a giant shipment
of love and support to our troops this Christmas and Hanukkah
holiday season?
And you can learn more about our care package operations and what this is all about by watching this short video on Move America
Forward's care packages for the troops
Don't doubt for a moment that the Big Three automakers will get a super-sized bail-out for their companies.
Why? Because they are still engaging in legal bribery of Congress.
Does Congress ever wonder why Americans hold them in utter, complete, total contempt?
(CBS) As Congress mulls over a bailout for U.S. automakers, some may be thinking about more than jobs and the economy.
The auto industry spent nearly $50 million lobbying Congress in the first nine months of this year.
And people tied to the auto industry gave another $15 million in campaign contributions, CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.
It's not surprising that a lot of that money went to members of Congress from Michigan, where the auto industry is the biggest employer and politicians are passionate advocates for their constituents.
Take Sen. Carl Levin, who received $438,304 from the automotive industry. And in the House, Rep. Joe Knollenberg received $879,327. Rep. John Dingell got nearly a million from the industry. All have enjoyed generous support from the auto industry over their careers, with GM and Ford as their two top contributors. All support a bailout.
But nobody's been a bigger advocate for Motor City interests than Dingell. And for him, the stakes aren't just political, they're personal.
"There's an actual conflict," said Ryan Alexander of the nonprofit group Taxpayers for Common Sense. "His personal financial health, you know, the wealth of his family is tied up in the car industry."
Dingell's wife Debbie once worked as a lobbyist for GM.
When she married the congressman, she became a senior GM executive at an undisclosed salary. And we found the couple has extensive GM assets.
Dingell's current financial disclosure filed in May lists GM stock worth up to $350,000, options worth up to $1 million more, and a GM pension fund. In 2000, among the Dingells' GM assets were stock options worth up to $5 million.
And in 1998, the congressman reported selling GM stock options worth up to $1 million dollars.
Dingell wouldn't agree to an interview.
It's bad enough that real patriots with an abiding passion for politics have to fight the unhinged left-wingers (both inside and outside of government) but when the attacks come from our side, it is even more despicable.
Erick Erickson, proprietor of RedState.com, is an award winning investigative blogger and damn fine writer who is in the trenches every day.
Now some dope is trying to dig up the dirt on him. But it looks like a spectacular backfire.
In California, where Democrats are the ruling party, the class elite, the powerful and rich, you are given passes that other mere mortals, like Republicans, are not allowed.
Here is a case in point.
A terrible tradgy has taken place in Southern California where four young men clashed with three others, and when the fight was over, a young man was murdered.
Among the suspects: the son of the former Speaker of the California Assembly Fabian Nunez. in the article about this horrific situation, no where was it mentioned that Fabian Nunez is a Democrat.
You see, the media really is biased. No kidding. You can see it in the writing of Pauline Repard of the San Diego Union Tribune.
I'm glad they arrested the people involved in my son's murder," his father, Fred Santos, said last night. "Who these people are, who their parents are, doesn't make the pain less or more. It changes nothing. Nothing can bring my son back."
Police said Luis Santos and three other students, two from Mesa College and one from San Diego State University, left a party and were walking on 55th Street about 2 a.m. when four men confronted them. An argument broke out, then a fight. Santos was dead when officers arrived.
Fabian Nuñez, 41, has been appointed to the board of directors of Zenith National Insurance Corp., the company announced Monday. Also, Mercury Public Affairs, which runs public-policy campaigns, named Nuñez last week as legal counsel for its California operations.
If the situation were reversed, and a Republican former speaker's son was arrested on murder charges, the (R) would be splashed all over the pages of the local newspapers, with graphics pointing to a pattern of crimes among the children of Republican lawmakers. I'm just sayin', ya know?
Remember this holiday card - that if memory serves won an award or two - last year?
This year the same group, Southern Strategy Group offers up this one:
The caption? "All the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names."
(courtesy of Shenanigans at politico.com)
Our favorite Moose Hunter was responsible for shooting a hole in Democrat dreams of a filibuster proof Congress...so says Senator Saxby Chambliss in a post-election interview.
Lady Sarah packed houses up and down the state of Georgia.
In the end, it wasn't even close, but the Chambliss/Martin contest in Georgia sent a wake-up call to every Republican in the country.
Tonight's victory for Senator Saxby Chambliss dances the GOP back from the edge of complete, utter diaster with a veto-proof Senate and unending and unaffordable liberal agenda.
My organization Move America Forward and its political action committee met the devil when we went down to Georgia last week--rather, six thousand devils wearing union t-shirts sent by Obama and his wholly owned and operated union minions.
Jan Johnson and I campaigned in Augusta, Savannah, Columbus and Macon ..asking Georgians to sensibly return Senator Chambliss to Washington. Jan is a Gold Star Mom whose son Justin was killed in Iraq in 2004, and whose husband enlisted at age 46 to avenge the death of his boy by the jihadists. Their son Joshua has also served honorably in Afghanistan.
Jan and other military families understood that the Democrats are talking about an immediate 25 percent cut to the Defense Department - across the board cuts that directly affects folks there.
Georgia decided it couldn't afford to send Jim Martin to our nation's capitol.
Now, let's keep our fingers crossed that the psycho-stalker Al Franken doesn't end up cheating his way into the U.S. Senate.
Read what Obama "Man of the people" just bought the wifey. What? The economy? I don't see no stinkin' problems with the economy.
.....Michelle Obama is to receive this £20,000 thank you from her husband for her support during the election.The Harmony ring is made of rhodium and encrusted with diamonds.
Ruh-Roh ....it looks like there are some lefties out there who are getting restless with The Chosen One.
Human Events reports that the t-shirt collection of Obama supporters is getting bigger and bigger.
This story is dedicated to all the sleep deprived talk show hosts I have known and loved (oh yeah, a few I despised as well) who, like myself, suffer from insomnia.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An insomnia drug that helps the body produce more of the sleep hormone melatonin may improve sleep for jet-lagged travelers and shift workers, researchers reported on Monday.
Maryland-based Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported on two studies of its drug tasimelteon, also known as VEC-162, that showed it helped patients sleep longer and more deeply than a placebo.
They said that people with so-called circadian rhythm disorders could be helped. These disorders are common causes of insomnia that affect millions of people whose activities are out of sync with their internal body clocks.
These disorders entail persistent sleep disturbances, insomnia when trying to sleep and excessive sleepiness while trying to remain awake, the researchers said.
One of the people whom I admire most in the conservative movement is Michelle Malkin, who is about 20 years my junior, and light-years ahead of everyone with her sterling journalistic skills and fearless blogging.
She has honored our intrepid group at Move America Forward with her 2007 year-end round-up of most memorable photos ...and it does all of us proud.
Here's the photo she picked for special recognition.
Move America Forward counter-protesting the Code Pinko crowd in Berkeley:
Thanks Michelle!
Fred Thompson has FINALLY made the most compelling arguement for his
candidacy to date. In a 17 minute talk, he asked voters in Iowa to pick
him as the GOP presidential nominee in their Hawkeye Cauci.
But he was really talking past Iowa to the rest of the country.
Typically, he used the Internet to do it.
Grab a seat on the Fred Express --it's rolling down the track.
Matt Sanchez, who is one of the premier embedded milbloggers from Iraq and Afghanistan, has dedicated the last seven months of his life to bringing us the truth from the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I met him in Kuwait, and now he has filed his own report on what he saw, said and did there.
Debbie Lee is a leggy blonde from Arizona, almost six feet tall, with piercing blue eyes, and an inner glow that could power the San Onofre nuclear power plant here in California. She's kind, gentle, and never has a bad word to say about anybody. She clings to her Christian faith, which helped raise her out of a family that was often cruel. She is a widow of 13 years, with two surviving children who love her very much.
Debbie Lee is a Gold Star Mom. It's exclusive club to which she never aspired.
It means that she lost a child in the war. The war against nascent Radical Islam. A war that we are still fighting, and will be fighting for decades to come.
Debbie has told and re-told the story of how her hero, Marc, was killed in a hail of gunfire fighting radical Islamic terrorists.
She has shared the intimate details of his life and death in Ramdai, the first Navy Seal who was killed in the fighting in Iraq, and how he stood up not once but three times to save his fellow soldiers from a murderous attack by Al Quada.
She has done this for over a year for Move America Forward and our country, with no compensation, other than the gratitude of our soldiers and fellow Americans.
Deb filed this report from our MAF delegation (of which I was a part until last week) in Baghdad, Iraq.
It is a moving account of Christmas day with our troops. Grab a hanky.
It's Christmas morning 2007 and I arise, but not to the typical Christmas traditions. There is no Christmas Tree with sparkling lights to be plugged in, no presents to be opened, no stockings are hung, no Stereo to play the Christmas CD's. There will be no Christmas table set with fine china and family gathered around smelling the aroma of a roasting turkey or pumpkin pies. No children or grandchildren with their excitement and laughter filling the air. No snow falling on the ground. That doesn't mean that I won't be celebrating and remembering the birth of my savior who was born to be a sacrifice and give the best gift of all, an eternity with Him for those who believe. I'm closer than I have ever been to the physical place where Jesus Christ was born. This Christmas I am in Baghdad, Iraq sharing Christ's love and hope with the troops.
From WorldNetDaily.com
A lot of trees have died for newsprint about the success of the "surge" of troops into the chaos of the old Iraq, but reports are thin on details (except for the fine work of milbloggers who are embedded with the troops).
First, the media pronounced the war lost. Then in July, when it became apparent that the change of strategy by Gen. David Petraeus is achieving measurable victories, the mainstream media became strangely mute.
Now the storyline is that the armchair generals, talking-head pundits on cable-clown shows, editorial writers and opinion makers knew all along that Iraq would stabilize, but it was because of the efforts of "others" and not U.S. military forces. Exactly who the "others" are depends on which left-wing anti-American chin-wagger needed some face time on TV.
I have just returned from an American base in Kuwait (unidentified for security purposes) where I spent a good chunk of time talking to soldiers and officers who were transiting home for the Christmas holidays, and others who are returning in theater. During perpendicular rainstorms that turned desert talcum-powder sand into packed mud, I interviewed hundreds of Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force officers, as well as coalition forces from Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan. A highly pixilated image of what is happening is now visible to even the naked eye.
While I have been home nursing the infection I picked up in Kuwait, I am checking my computer seventeen times a day (or thereabouts) worrying about my friends Debbie Lee, Gold Star Mom, Danny Gonzalez, Move America Forward's Director of Communications, and Mary Pearson, our extraordinary photographer for news and photos.
My stretched thin nerves were rewarded this evening. From Iraq, here's Danny's blogging on the shocking assassination of Benizar Bhutto, and photographs from 'inside the sandbox.'
Vice-President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne signed the 100,000th Christmas card collected by Move America Forward for our military in Iraq and Afghanistan during our 'Heroes for the Holidays Tour' across the country, stopping in 40 cities to rally support for the troops AND their mission.
We weren't sure that we could collect that many, despite our hopes and boasts. In the end, Americans who love our men and women overseas sent us over 200,000 and still counting!
Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee, whose son Marc Alan Lee was the first Navy Seal killed in action in Iraq, is with our delegation in Baghdad. Please see our website www.moveamericaforward.com for reports on their journey, and the first-hand stories of how the 'surge' is succeeding.
General David Petraeus launched the change in strategy in July , and now we are seeing the pay-off.
While in Kuwait, where thousands of troops are transiting into or out of Iraq, I interviewed hundreds of soldiers who gave very specific examples of this stunning reversal.
As Americans, we can be very proud of what we are accomplishing--even the liberal media is accepting this truth!
With gratitude to everyone who contributed to our efforts --
Melanie Morgan
Chairman, Move America Forward
KSFO Radio, San Francisco
Debbie Lee, whose son Marc Alan Lee was the first Navy Seal killed in Iraq, is now in Bagdad with Danny Gonzalez, and Mary Pearson of Move America Forward. They are still trying to get into Ramadi, where Marc was killed, and where they have named a camp in his honor. Debbie is living for the moment she can see Camp Marc Lee.
The military is a mess with trying to get media into Iraq. From what I have been told, there's a rift between Centcom and the Army over who has control of applications and paperwork. It's causing a giant hassle for people who are trying to get 'inside the sandbox' and it's not generating a lot of goodwill.
Anyway, it was the middle of the night when Debbie wrote to me.
"Merry Christmas Mel! We are okay, tired but doing well. Mary is starting to get a little sick. I think I personally I have given out at least 2000 Christmas Cards and loved on soooooooooo many of the troops. I'm starting to get attached to some of the boys. It's amazing the difference they have made in their area of operation.
After a punishing 22 hour plane ride from Kuwait, I gratefully surrendered to the loving arms of my family here in San Francisco, a luxury that most of our military do not have in the Christmas season.
Before I click you over to Danny Gonzalez's excellent blogging from Baghdad, I have a few things to say about Move America Forward's efforts in a tangled war zone six thousand miles away in Iraq.
As most of you folks know who follow me on the radio, blogging, in my column at WorldNetDaily.com or on television, I have little patience for the Hollywood elites who are directly undermining the support for the war and our efforts to thwart the murderous intentions of radical Islam.
It's fr-fr-freezing cold here in the desert, which seems weird to me because the last time I was in Kuwait, it was 130 degrees in the shade.
But at this American transit station where I have been handing out thousands of holiday cards, the wind whips around a body like a string of lights around a Christmas tree.
I got my passport back this morning, which means that I should be on an airplane back to the United States in about 12 hours.
I'm hearing that Mary Pearson, Debbie Lee and Danny Gonzalez all got into Baghdad after a grueling night and day of travel, and now our MAF staff is attempting to get into Ramadi.
About the best thing that you can say about rain in the desert here in Kuwait is that it turns the powdery sand into packed mud.
It is shockingly cold as the water pours off the faces of young Marines and other service members, bone weary by their efforts to leave Iraq and Afghanistan and get home to their families by Christmas.
Some are trying to sleep in the breezy tents, no heat and not much to do for two weeks.
The lucky ones wait two days.
Hi Everybody!
It's the middle of the night here in Kuwait where we landed with our delegation from Move America Forward .
We are already running into some snags from the military end of our efforts to get into Ramadi, which used to be called the 'Triangle of Death' before our counter insurgency plan put into place by General David Petraeus started kicking in with phenomenal results.
Some of the aggregavation is big, some of it's small. No one met us at the airport to transport us to the military base where we are supposed to grab a chopper into Ramadi. Bureaucratic snafus. But I was prepared for that from my previous trip to Iraq in 2005.
Media giant NBC caught with it's knickers down! Michelle Malkin has this VERY interesting blogpost up on her site about how the lawyer who turned down FreedomsWatch.org SPECTACULAR Christmas television spot honoring our troops got is a LIBERAL DEMOCRAT DONOR AT NBC!
Shocked, shocked, I tell you.
Addiction is a terrible thing. And it has claimed a young woman with much promise as an entertainer, who was scheduled to appear at our A Song for their Service concert at the Lincoln Theatre on December 14th. She won't be attending, unfortunately, as she is otherwise detained.
Jessica Sierra needs some time and space to work out her problems --whether in a jail cell or a rehab unit.
Move America Forward wishes Jessica well. I hope she gets the help she needs.
Michelle Malkin, an itty-bitty thing with a HUGE heart for our troops, blogs about our road-trippin' Move America Forward tour "Honoring Our Heroes at the Holidays.'
Next up, The New York Times.
Just kidding.
Outrage. Disgust. Contempt.
Those are the three words that immediately jump to mind after hearing this news from my fellow pro-troop organization Freedoms Watch.
NBC's legal beagle has decided that a television commerical produced by the great folks at FreedomsWatch THANKING OUR TROOPS isn't good enough for the 'high' broadcast standards on the once proud Peacock Company.
This isn't the first time that John Kelly, head of the Broadcast Standards department for NBC has shut-down America's right to be heard on OUR airwaves. He denied Move America Forward the right to spend money on 'his network.'
He claims that FreedomsWatch website is 'too political.' He said the same thing about MAF.
FreedomsWatch.org is sponsoring a seven-figure ad campaign across America thanking our brave troops. Even the LIBERAL New York Times printed an ad featuring a child thanking our soldiers.
Sigh. When did it become 'political' to support our troops during a time of war?
Ronald Reagan is spinning in his grave.
Today, President of Freedom's Watch, Brad Blakeman, issued a letter to John Kelly of NBC to express our deep disappointment in the station's decision not to air our new ads thanking the troops for their service.
The ads, seen here, are our way to express our appreciation for the sacrifices the troops make. This is not a political issue, but rather a way to show our troops who will not be able to see their families during the holidays that we are grateful for everything they do to protect our country. It is sad that NBC would choose to deny any message that would thank them.
While our brave men and women our out fighting for our rights and freedom, NBC is brazenly limiting them here at home. We have to come together and tell NBC that no matter what their opinion is of the war, the troops are heroes and should have the support of the country. Call NBC and ask for John Kelly and tell him you support the troops, and ask him why NBC does not feel the same.
NBC News
John Kelly
Marooned in Marin has his doubts..
I want to take a few minutes to say THANK-YOU to all our friends at Gathering of Eagles who have been working furiously to support our efforts across America to honor our Heroes at the Holidays.
Vets for Freedom, EaglesUp, and many others have pitched in selflessly to make sure our military men and women are remembered this holiday.
See the YouTube videos of FreedomsWatch.org "Thank You" to the troops by clicking here and here.
Freedoms Watch is doing the heavy lifting to help Move America Forward with our tour, and all the other groups, too!
Check out their website www.FreedomsWatch.org !
Don from Lake Ronkakoma, New York has been collecting hundreds, and now
thousands of letters from school kids around his small town to send
with me to Iraq to honor our troops at the Holidays.
He was kind enough to pass along a sampling of messages. As I read them
for the post, it struck me --the grown-ups might not get it, but
children sure do understand why our soldiers are so important!
Dear Soldiers,
Happy Holidays!! Thank you for protecting us. Have a good
holiday. I am thinking of you during the holiday. Do you
sleep at night?
Merry Christmas! Go USA
You are cool
You Rock!!
Dear Soldier,
Happy Hollowdays
Hope you are doing well in Iraq.
I know the weapons you're using because I watch this TV Show called Future Weapons.
It is on channel 27. Thanks for protecting us.
Dear Troops,
I hope you have a Merry Christmas even though you are not at home.
PS Hope you win!
Dear Savior,
I would like to say Happy Holidays to you from far away, and thank you for protecting me and the people around me.
And From our Move America Forward Christmas Cards and Letters!
Dear Soldier,
I'm making you a card. I
hope you be careful out there in the Army. Make sure you watch out for
those line minors (land mines). I know - I hate those too. Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.
By Demar (8 years old)
Thanks for fighting for
our lives!!! If you have loved ones, fight for them. If not, fight for
your dream wife! Love is the strongest feelings of all.
(Pink card with pink heart cutouts)
Soldiers Stay Strong.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Don't worry,
We'll see you.
You're out there
And we're at home,
I'll see you soon.
You don't have to worry about anything cause I'll be by our side through the night and day.
God bless America, our home sweet home.
From: Keanu
Merry Christmas
Solgiors!! I'm gong to war when I'm 18. I'm sorving my country in war.
I'm not being funny. Happy B-Day – if it's your b-Day.
Dude, Thank you and Merry Christmas. Sebastian.
Our road trippers heading across America for "Honoring Heroes at the Holidays'are being welcomed with open arms and huge hearts to express unstinting love and support for our troops.
I haven't updated in awhile, but I've got a long list of media (radio, TV and print) that I will pass along shortly.
Meanwhile, enjoy this moving story from the Houston Fox TV affiliate.
Sometimes blogging is easy. And sometimes it is hard.
This posting is tricky, because I want to get the words exactly right.
David Blumberg, a San Franciscan who happens to be gay, Jewish, Republican and a TRUE PATRIOT-- sent me the following e-mail. .
I wish we were friends. But we haven't had the time together to become close. We are great acquaintances!
But, as David says, we are young and the struggle is long.
A month ago, I was having a late lunch at the Harvard Club in NYC and the only other diners were three older folks at the next table who were complaining very loudly about the Bush Administration.
Lady #1: This administration is just awful; the worst ever! Cheney and Rumsfeld are crazy and the ones that aren't crazy, like Powell, are weak!
Me: I couldn't help overhearing your discussion so if you would like to speak with a nice progressive gay Jewish San Franciscan who has come to respect, appreciate and support the Bush Administration, here's my card, I'd be pleased to share the lessons from my political evolution.
Silence...then a fork dropped; the blood drained from their already pale faces.
Lady #2: How on earth could that happen?
Me: It was a long process, but after 9/11, I diversified my news sources from exclusively National Public Radio and The New York Times to a balance with conservative talk radio and the Wall Street Journal, and I realized there was a whole other world of important data and opinion filtered out by the leftist perspective of mainstream media like NPR.
Lady #2: (pointing to Lady #1) Do you realize you are speaking to Sylvia Poggioli, Senior European Correspondent for National Public Radio?
Me: It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Poggioli. I have listened to you for years and love your voice...
Lady #1 (Poggioli): NPR is not biased to the Left, she hissed, it presents objective journalism!
Me: What about Leftist analysts Daniel Shorr and Lorren Elkins among many others and the choice of Left focused topics?
Lady #1 (Poggioli): Well, we have David Brooks!
Me: There's one for a start, but most of NPR's presentations skew Left. How about adding more diverse, conservative perspectives?
Lady #1 (Poggioli): We don't need to add more; I know many conservative people who work at NPR.
My conclusion:
OK, well that settles it, right? Hooray for the open-minded, self-critical, objective media. ;-)
David J. Blumberg
San Francisco, CA
Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Tom McNamee must be getting some heat after my blog busted him for a profanity-laced description of our President and our policies to detain suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay.
Jack in Libertyville, Illinois (I'm not making up the name of his town!) wrote to McNamee about his sophomoric, delusional and suicidal point-of-view.
Tom got back to him.
The suddenly conciliatory tone of McNamee's response to Jack stands in stark contrast to his earlier response.
"1] Holding any human being indefinitely without charge, without access to an attorney, without a fair and full trial, is immoral, wrong, a fucking sin. I don't care if it's a citizen or not.
2] FDR was wrong. Doesn't make Bush any less of a complete asshole."
These terrorists detained are not common criminals; they are enemy combatants in our war against terrorism. They are not entitled to all of the rights that someone arrested in this country gets. Just like we held German and Japanese prisoners of war during World War II, we have to confine enemy combatants so they stop killing Americans serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I regret dropping a couple of swear words in there..." in NOT the same thing as apologizing.
Contact Tom McNamee at the Chicago Sun-Times.
I love getting e-mail.
The hate mail is especially entertaining, but occasionally I recieve a nugget that demands attention.
Today was such an occasion when I logged onto my computer and found a missive from Jack in Libertyville, Illinois.
He was rightly OUTRAGED by Tom McNamee, a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, and his subsequent thread with him that started out innocently enough... some seventh graders writing for their class project.
It quickly went downhill from there.
They all say one true thing: Don't let fear trump freedom.
I'm reading a big handful of essays on the Bill of Rights by seventh-graders in the Evanston public schools, and they make wildly different points:
• • Kids should be allowed to wear saggy pants at school -- so says the free speech provision of the First Amendment.
• • Prisoners being held at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be provided lawyers and a fair trial -- so says the Sixth Amendment.
"... I can't read a newspaper these days without worrying that the very freedoms that make this country worth defending, enshrined in our Bill of Rights, are being trashed in the name of the "War on Terror."
The Bush administration would allow federal agents, without a court order, to spy on your international calls and e-mails; to rifle through your library records; to arrest and hold you indefinitely.
And if you are not an American citizen -- like those detainees at Guantanamo Bay who have been held for years without charge or trial -- God help you."
Jack wrote Tom McNamee back --politely, of course.
While you and your fellow constitutional scholars are pillaging the not fully developed minds of the youth of Evanston, why don't you add in a pinch of truth about Gitmo. The US Constitution does not apply to non-citizens.
While you are at it, give them an appropriate comparison with the Japanese internment camps of WWII. This was indeed a violation of the Constitution. Why? Because they were US citizens.
And toss in the truth about who implemented this illegal internment. Democrat icon FDR. Bush wasn't around back then, nor was Cheney. If they had been they would have gone to the Halliburton lab and created a Katrina to beat back the Nazis and Japanese. And then turned their wrath on American minorities.
While you and your fellow constitutional scholars are pillaging the not fully developed minds of the youth of Evanston, why don't you add in a pinch of truth about Gitmo. The US Constitution does not apply to non-citizens.
While you are at it, give them an appropriate comparison with the Japanese internment camps of WWII. This was indeed a violation of the Constitution. Why? Because they were US citizens.
And toss in the truth about who implemented this illegal internment. Democrat icon FDR. Bush wasn't around back then, nor was Cheney. If they had been they would have gone to the Halliburton lab and created a Katrina to beat back the Nazis and Japanese. And then turned their wrath on American minorities.
1] Holding any human being indefinitely without charge, without access to an attorney, without a fair and full trial, is immoral, wrong, a fucking sin. I don't care if it's a citizen or not.
2] FDR was wrong. Doesn't make Bush any less of a complete asshole.
Don't you just love Liberals who accuse thoughtful conservatives of denigrating 'civil' discourse?
These terrorists detained are not common criminals; they are enemy combatants in our war against terrorism. They are not entitled to all of the rights that someone arrested in this country gets. Just like we held German and Japanese prisoners of war during World War II, we have to confine enemy combatants so they stop killing Americans serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Please feel free to contact Mr. McNamee and let him know how his suicidal, delusional and dangerous his thinking is to America, our troops, and the western world.
Politely, of course.
When is Michelle Malkin going to be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize?
A Christmas gift for the staff of TNR, courtesy of Borderpundit:
Depending on which search engine you use, "Honoring our Heroes for the Holidays" tour has recieved between 705,000 and 1.5 million hits.
Looks like America loves our troops and wants to support them, despite the disgusting stuff you see on TV and in your newspapers (you know, the usual lies about highest rates of suicide for our troops in Iraq, drug and alcohol abuse at highest levels ever --the crap the MSM LOVES to make-up.)
Here's a blog from Ron Winter on the Clintonista News Network, Hillary, HHH and Move America Forward.
Is there a corner of hell hot enough for whomever is responsible?