Political Digest for March 1, 2012

The Old Jarhead Blog: Bringing you news and information the MSM is too busy covering American Idol, celebrity affairs and sensational missing person cases to cover. Please forward to friends who need to be informed.

I post articles because I think they are of interest. Doing so doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree (or disagree) with every—or any—opinion in the posted article. Help your friends and relatives stay informed by passing the digest on. In some cases I post things sent to me by readers I might not have posted on my own, to get ideas circulating.

Mitt Romney wins Arizona, Michigan primaries

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-im-not-willing-to-light-my-hair-on-fire-to-win-conservative-votes/2012/02/28/gIQADDk9fR_story.html?wpisrc=nl_politics

Excerpt: Mitt Romney won both of Tuesday’s Republican presidential primaries, routing Rick Santorum in Arizona and narrowly securing Michigan, his birth state. The victories will provide an important boost for Romney, a former Massachusetts governor who has sought to cast himself as the GOP’s inevitable nominee. He has now won primary contests in six states: New Hampshire, Florida, Nevada, Maine, Michigan and Arizona.

Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe to retire in blow to GOP

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/maine-sen-olympia-snowe-to-retire-in-blow-to-gop/2012/02/28/gIQAkzWkgR_blog.html

Excerpt: In announcing her plans, Snowe, 65, emphasized that she is in good health and was prepared for the campaign ahead. But she said she was swayed by the increasing polarization in Washington. (If a Democrat wins her seat, and it puts Harry Reid and liberals in charge of the senate in 2013 instead of conservatives, people who complained she was a RINO may sorely miss her! ~Bob.)

Obama Administration Ignored Iranian Opposition’s Advice

http://pjmedia.com/michaelledeen/2012/02/27/obama-administration-ignored-iranian-oppositions-advice/?singlepage=true

Excerpt: The president had come to office promising to establish good relations with the Islamic Republic, but no progress had (or has) been made. Moreover, there was mounting public evidence of the Iranian role in both Iraq and Afghanistan, ranging from the provision of explosives and components of the murderous IEDs (the so-called “roadside bombs”), to training terrorists (who subsequently killed Americans) inside Iran, to supporting and housing al-Qaeda members, including relatives of Osama bin Laden, to sending officers and soldiers of the Revolutionary Guards Corps onto the battlefield (several hundred were in American military detention camps in Iraq). (I've never had reason to question Ledeen's integrity or accuracy. Look for the link that says “Read it here” about halfway through Ledeen’s article. If this document and story are true, everyone in Washington should hang their heads in abject shame. Ron P.)

U.S. Military Burned Bibles at Bagram in 2009

http://bigpeace.com/bshapiro/2012/02/27/u-s-military-burned-bibles-at-bagram-in-2009/

Excerpt: While Muslims riot in Afghanistan, murdering soldiers over the accidental burning of Korans – Korans which had been used by terrorists to transmit Islamist messages – it turns out that the U.S. military has routinely burned Bibles in Afghanistan to be more sensitive to Muslims.

Would Suicide-Bomb Suspect Have Won 'Prosecutorial Discretion​'?

http://townhall.com/columnists/terryjeffrey/2012/02/29/creators_oped/page/full/

Excerpt: The would-be suicide bomber who allegedly tried to attack the U.S. Capitol two weeks ago is living proof the people who run our government are not serious about enforcing our immigration laws. Amine El Khalifi was born in 1983. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he had been in the United States illegally for more than a decade when he attended an inopportune meeting in the presence of someone the FBI would later describe as a "confidential human source."

LIGHTSquared CEO resigns amid revelation​s of proximity to White House

http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/28/lightsquared-ceo-resigns-amid-revelations-of-companys-proximity-to-obama-white-house/

Excerpt: LightSquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday amid revelations of his company’s political proximity — and his own closeness — to the White House and Obama administration officials. The Daily Caller first reported one week ago on emails and documents that indicate political ties and numerous meetings between LightSquared and Obama administration officials as the was undergoing regulatory review. Ahuja’s resignation comes after Obama’s FCC suspended conditional approval of a waiver LightSquared needed to complete its high-speed broadband network. Until two weeks ago, the company’s final approval appeared imminent.

Fears grow of Israel-Iran missile shootout

http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/28/10534518-fears-grow-of-israel-iran-missile-shootout

Excerpt: With tensions between Israel and Iran running sky high over the latter’s nuclear program, U.S. officials and military analysts are growing increasingly concerned that Israel will launch a multi-phase air and missile attack that could trigger waves of retaliatory missile strikes from Tehran. Such a shootout could quickly spiral into a regional conflict that would potentially force the U.S. to intervene to protect its interests. (A war would help Obama's reelection. His problem is that his non-Jewish base hates Jews and Israel. ~Bob.)

Australian Ethicists Call For “After-Birth Abortions” In Medical Journal

http://weaselzippers.us/2012/02/28/australian-ethicists-call-for-after-birth-abortions-in-medical-journal

Who is surprised. Granny's next. ~Bob. Excerpt: Two ethicists working with Australian universities argue in the latest online edition of the Journal of Medical Ethics that if abortion of a fetus is allowable, so to should be the termination of a newborn.

New Navy Railgun Tests Leading to Ship Superweapon by 2020

http://news.yahoo.com/navy-railgun-tests-leading-ship-superweapon-2020-201003095.html

Excerpt: The first weapon-scale prototype of a futuristic Navy railgun began undergoing firing tests last week, the next big step toward putting the electromagnetic superweapon on U.S. warships by 2020. The Navy envisions using railguns to destroy enemy ships, defend against enemy missiles, or bombard land targets in support of Marines hitting the beaches.

DNC Boss Wasserman Schultz to Keynote Muslim Group's Fundraiser

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/blog/dnc-boss-wasserman-schultz-keynote-muslim-groups-fundraiser

Excerpt: Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will be the keynote speaker at the annual fundraising banquet of a Muslim group with some controversial connections. EMERGE USA -- which is aligned with the Florida-based Center for Voter Advocacy -- is headed by Khurrum Wahid, a South Florida attorney. According to the Florida Bar, Wahid “has defended individuals charged with allegedly committing or conspiring to commit acts of terrorism.”

Gun Walking Caused Death of ICE Agent Zapata

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/02/gun_walking_caused_death_of_ice_agent_zapata.html#ixzz1nm93Qo7J

Excerpt: Watching Congressman Darrell Issa, Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Senator Charles Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee go up against Eric Holder's Justice Department is like watching Golding's Piggy try to reason with Jack's bloodthirsty gang of sow-worshipping killers. But instead of a conch shell, the two men are writing letters -- lots of letters demanding the most corrupt Attorney General in history answer for the murders of two federal agents and hundreds of Mexican civilians.

Loans flow from Europe’s central bank, but analysts debate if they’re a cure or a crutch

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/loans-flow-from-europes-central-bank-but-analysts-debate-if-its-a-cure-or-a-crutch/2012/02/28/gIQAJQk0gR_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

Excerpt: Throughout his waning months in office, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet boasted that he had avoided the excesses of his counterparts at the U.S. Federal Reserve and kept the ECB’s response to his continent’s financial crisis relatively modest. It has taken his successor, Italian central banker Mario Draghi, less than three months to upend that approach, triggering a ­debate about whether the ECB has quietly solved the euro-zone debt crisis or simply postponed a reckoning by shuffling hundreds of billions of dollars among banks, governments and the central bank’s own coffers.

Obama Admin Spends $750,000 On Soccer Field For Gitmo Detainees

http://members.beforeitsnews.com/story/1828/603/Obama_Admin_Spends_750,000_On_Soccer_Field_For_Gitmo_Detainees.html

Excerpt: President Obama pledged to shut down Guantanamo Bay at the very outset of his administration; within two days of his inauguration, he issued an executive order to close the facility within a year. We are now three years into the Obama Administration, and Gitmo is still open.

Iran’s underground nuclear sites not immune to U.S. bunker-busters, experts say

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/experts-irans-underground-nuclear-sites-not-immune-to-us-bunker-busters/2012/02/24/gIQAzWaghR_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

Excerpt: Western spy agencies for years have kept watch on a craggy peak in northwest Iran that houses of one the world’s most unusual nuclear sites. Known as Fordow, the facility is built into mountain bunkers designed to withstand aerial attack. Iran’s civil-defense chief has declared the site “impregnable.” But impregnable it is not, say U.S. military planners who are increasingly confident of their ability to deliver a serious blow against Fordow, should the president ever order an attack.

Obama administration plan would kill rival bird to save spotted owl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ap-newsbreak-obama-administration-plan-would-kill-rival-bird-to-save-spotted-owl/2012/02/28/gIQAvxAUgR_story.html

Some owls live, some owls die. The One has spoken. (But did you even know spotted owls could make political contributions?) ~Bob. Excerpt: To save the imperiled spotted owl, the Obama administration is moving forward with a controversial plan to shoot barred owls, a rival bird that has shoved its smaller cousin aside.

Isn't It Ironic? (From an e-mail, no attribution.)

The food stamp program, part of the Department of Agriculture, is pleased to be distributing the greatest amount of food stamps ever. Meanwhile, the Park Service, also part of the Department of Agriculture, asks us to "Please Do Not Feed the Animals" because the animals may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves.

Romney looks ahead to Super Tuesday

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/christian-heinze/213217-romney-looks-ahead-to-super-tuesday

Excerpt: While Romney’s victories in Michigan and Arizona may have restored him to frontrunner status, the path ahead still poses challenges as attention shifts to the 10 states up for grabs on Super Tuesday.

Obama’s Energy Budget: Misplaced Subsidies, Overlooked Benefits by Robert Bryce

http://www.manhattan-institute.org/pdf/ir_1.pdf

Excerpt: When it comes to energy, the Obama administration consistently promotes subsidies for “clean” energy technologies while accusing the oil-and-gas industry of benefitting from excessive taxpayer support. But in setting its policy priorities, the administration overlooks some impor­tant facts: subsidies for the oil and gas sector aren’t all that big when compared to the amount of energy being produced; the vaunted “green” economy is not creating large numbers of jobs; and tens of thousands of jobs are being created by the oil-and-gas industry.

Subtitle: Obama Blackmailed. U.S.: North Korea suspends nuclear activities

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/29/us-north-korea-suspends-nuclear-activities/

Excerpt: Calling the agreement "important, if limited, progress" in addressing North Korea's behavior, Nuland said in return the U.S. work to finalize details for a proposed package of 240,000 metric tons of food aid "with the prospect of additional assistance based on continued need.' (We give them food, which frees up their funds to buy more weapons to oppress their people and threaten South Korea And a successful blackmailer always returns for more as long as the victim has more. As Kipling wrote: “It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation, For fear they should succumb and go astray, So when you are requested to pay up or be molested, You will find it better policy to say: "We never pay any one Dane-geld, No matter how trifling the cost, For the end of that game is oppression and shame, And the nation that plays it is lost!" ~Bob.)

White House Wants to Keep Gas Prices High

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/29/morning-bell-white-house-wants-to-keep-gas-prices-high/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBel

Excerpt: With the national average of gas prices hitting $3.65 a gallon, nearing $6 in some parts of the country, and poised to head even higher, America's families are wondering when the bleeding at the pump will stop. But for Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu, those steep prices aren't even a concern. In fact, he says his goal is not to get the price of gasoline to go down. Chu delivered those stunning remarks in testimony before Congress yesterday. When Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.) asked Chu whether it's his "overall goal to get our price" of gasoline lower, Chu said, "No, the overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy." (Obama 2012: “Grinding the poor to please rich greenies.” ~Bob.)

25 Suspected Hackers Arrested in International Raids

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/world/europe/25-suspected-hackers-arrested-in-international-raids.html?_r=1&ref=world

Excerpt: Twenty-five suspected members of the loose-knit Anonymous hacker movement have been arrested in a sweep across Europe and South America, Interpol, the global police agency, said on Tuesday. (I’m in for the firing squad. ~Bob.)

Carpenter accused of insulting Zimbabwe’s president over birthday balloon comment

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/carpenter-accused-of-insulting-zimbabwes-president-over-birthday-balloon-comment/2012/02/29/gIQAMpbnhR_story.html

Excerpt: A lawyers group says police arrested a carpenter who questioned whether Zimbabwe’s president still had the strength to blow up balloons at his 88th birthday celebrations. (Back in the bad old days of “white rule” in Zimbabwe, when black life expectancy was 63 instead of about 36 like it is today under black rule, leftists agitated for a change. That change apparently didn’t include any freedom of speech. But when you are starving, this isn’t that big a deal, I guess. ~Bob.)

Not a Parody: “Peace Now” Shocked to Discover Arabs Don't Want Peace By Jonathan Tobin

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0212/tobin022912.php3

Excerpt: However, it's hard not to chuckle a little bit at the indignant tone affected by Friedman in her op-ed published in the Forward as she conveys her shock and dismay to discover the Arab world believes Jews have no rights in Jerusalem or any other part of Israel. She and her group had so convinced themselves all it will take to create peace "now" was for Israelis to support a two-state solution and negotiate, it appears they never took the time or effort to realize the other side has little interest in peace, now or at any other time.

Al-Arabiya: US in talks to swap jihad terror Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman & 49 others for 19 Americans held in Egypt

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/02/al-arabiya-us-in-talks-to-swap-jihad-terror-sheikh-omar-abdel-rahman-for-19-americans-held-in-egypt.html

Just flipping beautiful. I hope this isn’t true. We get Americans out of jail in Egypt by trading them terrorists—and foreign aid, I’m sure. The terrorists then murder more Americans. Maybe your family. ~Bob. Excerpt: Al-Arabiya is reporting, in Arabic only so far, that the U.S. is talking with the Egyptian government to free the blind Sheikh and 49 other Egyptians currently imprisoned in the U.S. in exchange for the freedom of the 19 Americans the Egyptians are holding. The blind Sheikh, Omar Abdel Rahman, is in prison for his role in masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center jihad terror bombing. If he is freed, it will be the apotheosis of Obama's policy of appeasement toward the Islamic world.

Egypt lifts travel ban on US pro-democracy workers, officials say

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/29/egypt-lifts-travel-ban-on-us-pro-democracy-workers-officials-say/

Excerpt: Egyptian officials say a travel ban on seven Americans employed by pro-democracy U.S. groups has been lifted. The decision Wednesday appeared to signal the end of the worst crisis in relations between Egypt and the U.S. in 30 years. (Hopefully this means the above item was just typical Arab BS. I wonder how much this will cost American taxpayers., ~Bob.)

A Movie about Muhammad: An Idea whose Time Has Come. by Ali Sina

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/02/a-movie-about-muhammad-an-idea-whose-time-has-come.html

Excerpt: I started writing about Islam in 1998. When I read the Quran and the life of Muhammad it became clear to me that the world is in danger. Islam is a threat to mankind and this threat will not end until we all surrender to a global tyranny ruled under Sharia – the most draconian law since Hammurabi. Never underestimate the power of stupid people motivated zealotry. (Be a brave actor who took the part. ~Bob.)

Good Piece: A Guide to the Liberal Mind By Victor Volsky

http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/a_guide_to_the_liberal_mind.html#ixzz1nmtdQb7p

Excerpt: As a great fan of Jeff Foxworthy, it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to use his hilarious you-might-be-a-redneck comedy routine in an attempt to characterize the liberal mindset (tweaking Jeff's formula a bit to convert it from the suppositional to the unconditional). So, with apologies to the wonderful country comedian, here are some of the notable features of the liberal's mental landscape:

Worth Reading: Some Free Advice for the Republican Field by Bernard Goldberg

http://www.bernardgoldberg.com/some-free-advice-for-the-republican-field/?utm_source=BernardGoldberg.com+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f458297bea-NEWSLETTER&utm_medium=email

Excerpt: I still think Mitt Romney has the best chance to beat President Obama, but I also think he’s one of those rich guys who’s embarrassed about being rich. Rick Santorum is a train wreck. … I like Newt Gingrich. I think he’s smart and has some good ideas and would make Barack Obama look silly in a nationally televised debate. But every now and then he goes off the deep end and someplace along the line I fell out of love with him. Then there’s Ron Paul, who makes a lot of sense when he’s talking about money, and very little sense when he’s talking about a whole bunch of other things, especially foreign affairs. (I share his pain. ~Bob.)

Outraged by Mormon Proxy Baptism? Not This Jew By Jeff Jacoby

http://patriotpost.us/opinion/jeff-jacoby/2012/02/29/outraged-by-mormon-proxy-baptism-not-this-jew/

Excerpt: In a column many years ago, I described how I once attempted to chart a family tree. Most of my father's family had been killed in Auschwitz and my efforts to trace their genealogy left me, I wrote, with a family tree that "has stumps where branches ought to be" and "gets narrower, not wider, as it grows."

Fannie asks gov't for almost $4.6B after 4Q loss

http://srnnews.townhall.com/news/business/2012/02/29/fannie_asks_govt_for_nearly_46_billion_for_4q

Excerpt: Mortgage giant Fannie Mae said Wednesday that it lost money in its fourth quarter and is asking the federal government for $4.57 billion in aid to cover its deficit. Washington-based Fannie said it lost $2.41 billion in the October-December quarter, stung by declining home prices. Revenue was $4.53 billion. (We are still paying for Bill Clinton’s buying votes with affordable housing in the 1990s, and 95% of the voters don’t have a clue about that. Say, government, I didn’t have a great quarter, and for say, a niggardly $5M, I could get by and never ask for a penny again. ~Bob.)

Prohibition

http://townhall.com/columnists/johnstossel/2012/02/29/creators_oped/page/full/

Excerpt: But 10 years ago, Portugal decriminalized every drug -- crack, heroin, you name it. The number of abusers actually declined. Joao Goulao, Portugal's top drug official, said that before decriminalization "we had a huge problem with drug use ... around 100,000 people hooked on heroin." Then they started treating drug use more like a parking ticket. People caught with drugs get a slap on the wrist, sometimes a fine. Independent studies have found the number of people in Portugal who say they regularly do drugs stayed about the same. (Similar reports are available from other countries that have decriminalized drugs, but we’ll continue to ignore them. Think of all that D.A.R.E. money that would vanish if the prohibition went away. Can’t have that. Ron P. No one hates drugs and dealers like I do. But think this would work with draconian penalties for anyone selling privately. ~Bob.)

Holder loses cool during House hearing when asked about Fast and Furious

http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/29/holder-loses-cool-during-house-hearing-when-asked-about-fast-and-furious/#ixzz1nmt0IKQo

Excerpt: A visibly frustrated Attorney General Eric Holder slammed the table when responding to a question about Operation Fast and Furious during a Tuesday budget hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. “That was a fundamentally flawed program, fundamentally flawed,” Holder said of Fast and Furious. … “The inspector general at Justice has 80,000 pages and we have 6,000 pages, but even in those 6,000 pages we find damning evidence that high-ranking people in Justice knew all along and not only didn’t stop this program, but believed in it,” Issa said.

House subcommittee votes to repeal healthcare reform law's 'death panel'
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/213295-house-panel-repeals-health-laws-cost-cutting-board-with-bipartisan-support

Excerpt: Bipartisan legislation to repeal the healthcare law's cost-control board sailed through a House panel on Wednesday, raising pressure on the Senate to take up the bill and dealing President Obama a political blow. The Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee vote was 17-5, with ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) crossing the aisle to vote for repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board.

Obama's Latino Landslide?

http://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozell/2012/02/29/obamas_latino_landslide/page/full/

Excerpt: It seemed like someone had been inhaling something at CNN on Friday morning. They kept touting an upcoming interview: "Barack Obama could win the presidential election by a landslide. Op-ed contributor Charlie Garcia tells us how next." Garcia, a consultant to corporations on how to market to Hispanics, broke out rainbows and unicorns for Obama: "He's doing all the right things. He's basically saying, 'look guys, comprehensive immigration reform. I'm all for it. It's those Republicans that just keep getting in the way.'" (If I offer you $100 to vote for me, it’s a crime. If to get your vote I offer to pass a bill that will take millions of dollars from other people and give them to a program that benefits you, it’s democracy. Obama may well buy reelection as Clinton did in 1996. ~Bob.)

Economics for Five-Year-Olds

https://secure.piryx.com/donate/93uJ6Aql/Barry-Hinckley/hudson

Great campaign ad by a five year old. ~Bob.

Split on the Left as progressive indies tossed out by Mark

http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/division-left-prog-indies-tossed-out/400936

Excerpt: Don't expect it to get much coverage in the liberal mainstream media but there is a bitter split on the Left between funders and activists who want to be more closely identified with helping Democrats win elections and those who prefer to remain independent and focused on building a progressive infrastructure for the future. Huffington Post has the story this morning concerning the split in the ranks of the Democracy Alliance, the powerful umbrella funding panel formed a decade ago explicitly for the purpose of building a new progressive infrastructure explicitly modeled on that of the Right from the 1970s and 1980s. (The losers will flee to Mexico city, where a guy with an ice axe… ~Bob.)

“Climate Deniers” Are Giving Us Skeptics a Bad Name By S. Fred Singer

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/02/29/climate-deniers-are-giving-us-skeptics-a-bad-name/

Gallia omnia est divisa in partes tres. This phrase from Julius Gaius Caesar about the division of Gaul nicely illustrates the universe of climate scientists — also divided into three parts. On the one side are the “warmistas,” with fixed views about apocalyptic man-made global warming; at the other extreme are the “deniers.” Somewhere in the middle are climate skeptics. In principle, every true scientist must be a skeptic. (Well, I’m a skeptic. Can’t deny there’s a climate if you live in Chicago. ~Bob.)

Man Shows up Naked to Job Interview, Gets in Fight with Police

http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-man-shows-up-naked-to-job-interview-gets-in-fight-with-police-20120228,0,1338287.story

Excerpt: Jose Ayala didn't make the best first impression at a Del Paso Heights-area welding shop, but shop owner Chris Johnson won’t soon forget him. Ayala showed up to his interview naked and high on meth, and cell phone footage of his fight with police has gotten a lot of attention on the internet. (Even money the police get sued for violating his constitutional right to let it all hang out. ~Bob.)

Kentucky: Iraqi Refugee Bragged About Bombing US Soldiers

http://frontlines2011.blogspot.com/2012/02/kentucky-iraqi-refugee-bragged-about.html

Excerpt: An Iraqi man who settled in Kentucky as a refugee, boasted about having been an insurgent in Baghdad, as he plotted with a confidential informant to ship weapons and money to Al-Qaida in his home country, the FBI said in a search warrant application obtained Monday. FBI Special Agent Chris Faber quoted 24-year-old Mohanad Shareef Hammadi as saying he didn’t know how many explosives he had placed in Iraq because “By God I didn’t count them.” (Will President Obama please explain to this guy that “Islam is a Religion of Peace”! ~Bob.)

Update from Tom Kratman

Three items of some interest. One: The paperback for Amazon Legion came out yesterday. Two: Finished Countdown: H Hour, and sent it in. Still need to address a couple of editorial items but, ya know, it's not bad. Three: signed the contract for another five books in the Carreraverse, Molon Labe, The Rods and The Axe, and three for which I don't yet have titles. Best --Tom (For those not familiar, LtCol Tom Kratman, USA (Ret.) writes terrific, pro-freedom military science fiction. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by him. ~Bob.)

Army Dietitian Touts Warning Labels for Desserts and Fried Foods at Mess Halls

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/army-dietitian-touts-warning-labels-desserts-and-fried-foods-mess-halls

Excerpt: The healthy eating campaign has the U.S. military in its sights. During a panel discussion Thursday on how government can promote healthy eating habits, the U.S. Army touted its mess hall labeling system that places warning on desserts and fried foods. The event, held at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, saw Lt. Col. Sonya Cable highlight the “Go for Green” program, which labels healthy foods green, moderate foods amber, and high calorie foods red. (Maybe some baked Brie? A vegetarian quiche? And don't forget the Perrier at the "hydration station." Maybe some Activia yogurt to keep them regular and everything? Tofu burgers instead of sliders? Or a perfectly shaped lentil-and-brown-rice patty on a bun. Or, as you might know it, a veggie burger. --MasterGuns)

Bernanke warns lawmakers country headed for 'massive fiscal cliff'
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/801-economy/213351-fed-boss-warns-of-massive-fiscal-cliff

Excerpt: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cautioned Congress against taking the nation over a "massive fiscal cliff" at the end of the year, asking lawmakers to come up with more gradual plans to implement major policy reforms. The central bank head struck a nervous tone Wednesday about what the end of the year could hold for the fledgling economic recovery, given the slew of overhauls to taxes and spending set to occur if Congress does not step in. (Guess he just woke up. Welcome to reality, Mr. Bernanke, we hope you enjoy your visit. ~Bob.)

UK VIDEO: Proud and Prejudiced Part 2 - "Burn Burn USA! Burn Burn Democracy!"

http://englishdefenceleague.org/proud-and-prejudiced-part-2/

Excerpt: Last night [Britain's] Channel 4 screened a documentary entitled ‘Proud and Prejudiced’. The film-makers followed Tommy Robinson of the English Defence League and a group of Muslim extremists. Their aim was to show how tensions in Tommy’s home town of Luton led to the formation of the EDL, as well as to summarise the beliefs of both sides. The documentary covered many key events in the history of the EDL, but we believe that some important events were excluded. So, we’ve put together the following video to help ensure that people have the full picture:

Obama's fake accent on a big night.

http://spectator.org/archives/2012/02/29/no-there-there

Excerpt: But it's more than that. He also has a southern cracker imitation tossed in there to appeal to what he imagines are southern men who work in auto plants -- so he sounds like a strange mixture of Joe Hill, Martin Luther King, Jr., and George Corley Wallace of Alabama. It's a whole new accent never seen on earth before created by this master chameleon to disguise his ultra-privileged background.

BBC Manchester UK: Muslim Gang Members 'plied underaged white girls with drink and drugs for sex'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-1711753

Excerpt: The court heard that some of the girls were raped and physically assaulted and some were forced to have sex with "several men in a day, several times a week". Miss Smith said the girls were given alcohol, food and money in return for sex but that there were times when violence was used. The court was told that some of the defendants also took payments from other men to whom they supplied the girls for sex. (Hat tip: English Defense League)

How cuts hurt the military by Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Higginbotham, USMC (Ret.)

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012/02/29/1160682?sac=fo.opinion

Excerpt: Cutting Fort Bragg construction in half is bad enough for national security and North Carolina's economy ("Defense budget calls for $200 million in construction projects at Fort Bragg," Feb. 14). But it's nothing compared to the damage another $500 billion in budget "sequestration" cuts would do if they're allowed to take effect next year. Sequestration - chopping a mechanical 23 percent from every function of our military (including bases) - would hit critical functions, such as satellites and Special Operations, as much as lesser priorities such as marching bands and office supplies. The defense strategy the Department of Defense rolled out just weeks ago would be a dead letter: "out the window," in Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's words.

The English Defence League Condemns Rioting and Unchecked Lawlessness in England

http://englishdefenceleague.org/the-edl-condemns-rioting-and-unchecked-lawlessness-in-england/

Excerpt: We know it’s not the rank and file police who are responsible because we know we have huge sympathy in their ranks. There is something very rotten being fed down from the top, however. It’s obvious that, perhaps because of a perceived “un-whiteness” of the current criminal looters, the police have not been ordered to crack heads. Maybe individual police officers are too fearful of being later blamed if they injure someone but the reality is the human rights of these violent criminal looters have been placed way above the right of decent people to walk the streets, to sleep soundly in their beds and to expect the police will protect their businesses and livelihoods. (There was a creepy guy bugging me when I was living in the North of England in 1998. One night I couldn’t sleep and got up got up at 3 o’clock in the morning to make a cup of tea, and I heard the guy being arrested right outside the kitchen window I was standing next to. Later I learned he’d had an axe in his hand at that time, not to axe me, but to axe his way into a local shop. When he was not evicted from his flat, and persisted in bothering me after this incident, I rang the police. When the police officer came round, I told him I had a friend who’d offered to beat the guy up for me. The police officer pulled his chair closer to me and said, ”That’s what you have to do. That’s what people have to do now. Don’t tell anybody I told you this. Twenty years ago, we would’ve gone round there and given him a clout, but now you have to do it yourself. –Kate in LA.)

Senators Offer License To Strike Iran Nuclear Program

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/29/iran-nuclear-program-senators-obama_n_1310934.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing6%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D139539

Excerpt: That pledge came along with the unveiling of a resolution on Capitol Hill that appeared designed to pressure Obama into taking a tougher stance on Iran, and to foreclose any option of letting Iran achieve an atomic weapon. If Iran were on the verge of building a bomb, the resolution would seem to require that the administration destroy it, but Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said it was more of a show of support for such actions. "This resolution is not an authorization to use military force," Lieberman said. "But in opposing containment, it certainly is, I would think, sending a message to President Obama that if he decides as commander-in-chief that at any point that a military strike against Iran’s nuclear weapons facility is necessary in the national security interest of the United States, then he can expect broad bipartisan support from the United States Congress." (A President who is so little impressed by Constitutional and Congressional limitations is unlikely to be impressed by this, either way. On the other hand, if his re-election looks to be in doubt, he has surely noticed how his approval rating jumped with the death of bin Laden…. Ron P.)

Study: Milwaukee School Choice Program Leads To Higher Graduation Rate Among Participants

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/study-milwaukee-school-choice-program-leads-higher-graduation-rate-among-participants

Excerpt: The results of a new study show higher rates of graduation and attendance of four year colleges among students enrolled in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP) than public school students not enrolled in the program. “Students enrolled in the Milwaukee voucher program are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college than their public school counterparts, boast significantly improved reading scores, represent a more diverse cross-section of the city, and are improving the results of traditional public school students,” said the study’s press release. (I have to wonder if the parent’s interest by itself isn’t a contributing factor to this result. If the parent doesn’t care, why would the student? Attitudes of the young ARE influenced by parental example. Ron P.)

Democrats blast Bush for high gas prices in 2008 and now are criticizing Republicans for politicizing gas prices.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/02/video-flashback-obama-and-dems-blast-bush-for-gas-prices-in-2008/

VIDEO: BBC's Panorama: Muslims First, British Second

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=203oa4qatUc!

Let's Face It: Devotees of Our Modern Youth Cult Would Prefer That Old People Are Dead Already - Peter Mullen, Telegraph UK

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/petermullen/100140317/lets-face-it-devotees-of-our-modern-youth-cult-would-prefer-that-old-people-were-already-dead/

Excerpt: The problem is our crass misunderstanding of human nature. Modern types think so well of themselves and forget that we are not naturally good, not compassionate by nature. These are virtues and they have to be taught. The old words about this are “charity” and “vocation”. As soon as nursing cut free of those old-fashioned imperatives and turned itself into a heavily unionised profession, it was bound to degenerate.

My Persecution - as told by the English Defence League's Tommy Robinson

http://englishdefenceleague.org/my-persecution-as-told-by-tommy-robinson/

Excerpt: The United People of Luton (Bedfordshire, England) quickly turned into the English Defence League, and I soon found there were thousands of people just like me who were sick and tired of our spineless politicians and senior police officers who were too scared to stand up for our culture or our human rights when faced with the threat of militant Islam. It was February 2010 and I was at Luton airport travelling to Scotland for the first Scottish Defence League demo. When I went to check in I was pulled in and held by special branch. When I got into the room I was told I was being arrested for racially aggravated public order and criminal damage!

Worth Reading: Taking Out Dictators: Our interventions follow certain patterns. Do Syria and Iran fit them? By Victor Davis Hanson

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/292125/taking-out-dictators-victor-davis-hanson

Excerpt: In the past 40 years, the United States has intervened to go after autocrats in Afghanistan, Grenada, Haiti, Iraq, Libya, Panama, Somalia, and Serbia. We have attacked by air, by land, and by a combination of both. In the post-Vietnam, post–Cold War era, are there any rules to guide us about any action envisioned against Syria or Iran — patterns known equally to our enemies?

The Gas of Life By Jim Goodridge 

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/02/29/the-gas-of-life/

Excerpt: CO2 is literally the gas of life for all macro life forms we encounter.
The existence of extremophiles suggests very early non-solar energy sources. Demonizing CO2 started with the plan for peaceful use of atomic bombs.