Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Political Digest for August 7, 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.

Charities I support

Excerpt: The man authorities say killed six in a Milwaukee-area Sikh temple before police shot him was a heavily-tattooed, 40-year-old ex-Army soldier, sources told Fox News, but what triggered his rampage remains unclear. (Well, my speculation that it was likely an internal Sikh versus Sikh thing, or perhaps a Muslim with a grudge against Sikhs from India was apparently completely wrong. Sikhs, in my experience, tend to be pretty good citizens, don’t try to push their beliefs on others. Very peaceful here, however warlike their history in India. Ignorant Americans often mistake them for Muslims, due to the distinctive turban Sikhs wear. I wonder if that was the case here, or the guy just had a beef with Sikhs for some yet to be known reason. ~Bob.)

Obama associate got $100,000 fee from affiliate of firm doing business with Iran
Excerpt: David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser who was President Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, accepted a $100,000 speaking fee in 2010 from an affiliate of a company doing business with Iran’s government. A subsidiary of MTN Group, a South Africa-based telecommunications company, paid Plouffe for two speeches he made in Nigeria in December 2010, about a month before he joined the White House staff.

Excerpt: Syria's prime minister defected to Jordan on Monday, according to news reports, becoming the most senior official yet to quit the embattled government of President Bashar al-Assad. (Looks like the Obama-supported Islamists are going to win. IMHO, they will spend the first year consolidating power and exterminating Christians, Kurds and supporters of the old regime, renew ties and support for Hezbollah terrorists, and turn their killing machine on Jews and Americans. You read it here. Maybe not first—I’m not the only voice in this wilderness. Allah Akbar, infidel—up against the wall. In 30 years, I fear they will be shooting Jews and Christians here. Pray God I’m wrong. ~Bob.)

United Nations Ignores Al-Qaeda Link to Syrian Rebels. By Joseph Klein
Excerpt: The resolution said nothing about al Qaeda and other Islamist jihadists who are hijacking the armed opposition and committing their own atrocities.

Excerpt: Uber-liberal MoveOn.org is apparently casting an uproariously funny and deeply insightful PSA (wait, I meant to say a tritely-clichéd and inanely superficial PSA), but – according to the URGENT casting notice placed today on the NYCastings.com website, the noble progressives at MoveOn are only accepting submissions from non-union talent. Because, you know, if they used union talent, they’d have to pay union wages. ...

Excerpt: There was no need for a law requiring price transparency. In every market where the dominant buyers are patients spending their own money, prices are always transparent. MinuteClinic posts its prices on a computer screen and on readily available pamphlets. Clearly, the organization is competing on price. Entities that compete for patients based on price usually compete on quality as well. One study found that MinuteClinic nurses following computerized protocols follow best practice medicine more consistently than conventional primary care physicians. They also do a pretty good job of knowing what kind of medical problems they are competent to handle and which problems need referral to a physician.

Organic Is Overrated: For safe, sustainable, and healthy food, there’s only one way to go: genetically modified. By Henry I. Miller
Excerpt: The benefits of genetically engineered crops are proven. According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, from 1996 to 2010, the use of modern genetic engineering technology increased crop production and value by $78 billion; it obviated the need to apply of 443 million kg of pesticide active ingredients to crops; in 2010 alone, it reduced CO2 emissions by 19 billion kg, the equivalent of taking approximately 9 million cars off the road; it conserved biodiversity by saving 91 million hectares of land; and it helped alleviate poverty by increasing the agricultural productivity and food security of 15 million small farmers who are some of the poorest people in the world. (But it doesn’t taste good if you are dining al fresco, wearing a tin foil hat to ward off mind control rays. ~Bob.)

Prison's Guards Are Part Wolf, All Business
Excerpt: States prison systems are increasingly adopting creative answers to sidestep budgetary constraints. At the Louisiana State Penitentiary, this includes the employment of approximately 80 wolf-dogs for the purposes of guarding the compound, says the Wall Street Journal. The wolves, which are a hybrid version of their wild counterparts, have taken the place of standard correctional officers. Acting as a significant deterrent to would-be escapees, the wolves have also managed to resolve many of the prison's budgetary problems.

King cashed in on wind with Solyndra-style loans
http://times247.com/articles/king-won-on-wind-energy-from-solyndra-loans
Excerpt: Former Maine governor and independent Senate candidate Angus King is an alternative energy entrepreneur who made the most of an electric-utility restructuring law that he signed during his governorship, while obtaining loan guarantees via the same program that loaned more than $500 million to the failed solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, records show.

White House considers executive order, leaves Internet takeover a possibility. By Josh Peterson
Excerpt: The White House has left open the possibility of enacting its Internet agenda via executive order after the failed effort to bring the Democrat-supported cybersecurity bill to a full vote in the Senate last week. In response to a question from The Hill, a Washington, D.C. political newspaper, about whether President Obama was considering advancing his party’s cyber-plan through an executive order, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney didn’t rule out the possibility. “In the wake of Congressional inaction and Republican stall tactics, unfortunately, we will continue to be hamstrung by outdated and inadequate statutory authorities that the legislation would have fixed,” he said

$465 For Amnesty: Obama Makes Illegals Legal Before Election Day
Excerpt: But as someone married to a woman born in Mexico, who as a young woman waited in line and followed the law to earn a citizenship she cherishes more than almost anything -- the thought of allowing line-jumpers is maddening enough. But for Obama to do this for divisive, cynical, political reasons -- that he is CHOOSING to ignore the law of the land he swore an oath to uphold -- is perfectly outrageous. And now, in a climate where Americans and Mexicans who are here legally alike can't find jobs, Obama has moved into the second phase of his cynical power grab by granting what can only be defined as amnesty for a measly $465: The Department of Homeland Security today announced details of the application and approval process for the DREAM Act-like program, outlining specific eligibility requirements and a $465 fee.

The Hysteria In Mexico Caused By Fast & Furious, By Mary Chastain http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/04/The-Hysteria-In-Mexico-Caused-By-Fast-Furious
Excerpt: Deroy Murdock is right. America needs to remember how Operation Fast & Furious has affected Mexico. Operation Fast & Furious was a scheme the Department of Justice used to sell state of the art assault weapons to straw purchasers who would give them to Mexican drug cartels.

All in the (Political) Family: Obama's Marxist Mentor. By Paul Kengor
Excerpt: No president in the long history of this republic has had a mentor like Obama's. Frank Marshall Davis was a literal -- and I mean literal -- card-carrying member of Communist Party USA. …Those documents reveal a Davis so suspicious that he was placed on the federal government's Security Index, which meant he could be immediately arrested if war broke out between the United States and USSR.

Close Obama aides say president now has personal ‘genuine disdain’ for Romney. By Alex Pappas
Excerpt: When he talked about Romney, aides picked up a level of anger he never had for Clinton or McCain, even after Sarah Palin was picked as his running mate. ‘There was a baseline of respect for John McCain. The president always thought he was an honorable man and a war hero,’ said a longtime Obama adviser. ‘That doesn’t hold true for Romney. He was no goddamned war hero.’

Governor Bobby Jindal Makes The Obama/Occupy Wall Street Connection. By Lee Stranahan
Excerpt: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal delivered a blistering attack on President Obama, saying that he believed the President showed the same thinking as the Occupy Wall Street movement. …In a statement to Breitbart News, Gov. Jindal echoed his remarks in the speech, saying: I think this election is about two different views of America’s future and the President’s view--where he talks about class warfare and dividing us--to me, sounds a lot like Occupy Wall Street, where people believe they are entitled to each other’s property. I think the American Dream is different from that. I think in America, you’re not entitled to equal outcomes.”

Former SEIU Officer Indicted On Embezzlement Charges. By Scott Katz http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/04/SEIU-Officer-Indicted-on-Embezzlement-Charges
Excerpt: In a sweeping indictment handed down on Tuesday, federal prosecutors charged the former president of the Service Employees International Union’s largest California local with multiple counts of mail fraud, embezzlement, and other crimes in a broad scheme to enrich himself and his relatives. Tyrone Ricky Freeman, who headed the United Long-Term Care Workers, stands accused of misappropriating more than 1.1 million in union dues – money that allegedly financed his lifestyle of $175 cognac, $250 bottles of wine, and a $3,400 trip to the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii….Freeman, a one-time protégé of SEIU president Andy Stern, had been a rising star in labor and Democratic political circles.

Whither Holder? : 10K Joplin Voters Disenfranchised. By Dana Loesch http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/04/Where-s-the-DOG-10k-joplin-voters-disenfranchised
Excerpt: Eric Holder accused Florida lawmakers of disenfranchisment when the state took to cleaning up ineligible voters (due to death or felony) from its voter rolls. That same DOJ has been silent about a story brewing out of southern Missouri; after suffering through one of the worst tornados in history, Joplin residents will now face losing their vote. Many wonder if the DOJ's failure to act is because Jasper County is a heavily Republican area.

Obama Economic Plan Would Explode Debt To $25.4 Trillion. By Wynton Hall http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/04/Obama-Economic-Plan-Would-Explode-Debt-To-25-4-Trillion
Excerpt: In presidential campaign ads, President Barack Obama claims that his economic plan includes “$4 trillion in deficit reduction.” For a president who has increased the national debt more than all U.S. presidents from George Washington to George H.W. Bush combined, the claim seems incredible. ….In addition, the Obama budget contains $1.8 trillion in tax increases over the next decade.

The Government’s Awlaki Story Does Not Pass the Laugh Test. By Andrew C. McCarthy
Excerpt: In the early morning hours of October 10, 2002, Anwar al-Awlaki, the notorious al Qaeda operative, was detained by U.S. Customs agents when he arrived at JFK International Airport in New York City after a flight from Saudi Arabia. At the time, he was a prime suspect in the 9/11 attacks and had been placed on terrorist watch-lists. Nevertheless, the Bush Justice Department directed Customs to release him.

Worldwide Financial Crisis: Libor Scandal goes Global. By Robert Stevens
The UK Conservative/Liberal Democrat government this week announced the terms of a review into the deepening London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) crisis. Libor is a daily rate covering 10 currencies and is supposed to measure the average cost of short-term loans between major banks. It is set in London by 16 banks and is run by the British Bankers’ Association. The interest rates for tens of trillions of dollars in home mortgages, student loans and credit cards are pegged to Libor, as are derivatives valued at $350 trillion and eurodollar futures worth $564 trillion.

Obama's Coercive Secular State. By George Neumayr
Excerpt: "It's a scary time to be a Christian," to paraphrase his ads. Obama's arrogance is bottomless. Even as he violates the freedom of the religious -- reducing them to the status of serfs in his planned secularist and socialist state -- he has the gall to cast them as the victimizers.

O’s Israel reversal Don’t believe it’s sincere. By Arthur Herman
Excerpt: In this White House’s dealings with Israel, what a difference an election year makes. A year ago, the Obama administration had plainly brought America’s relationship with the Jewish state to its lowest point since Jimmy Carter — a deterioration so marked that, for example, it prompted Ed Koch to cross party lines to endorse Republican Bob Turner in a special House election in protest of President Obama’s Israel policies. Clashes over Jewish settlements in Jerusalem had Obama storming out of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, followed by Obama’s call for Israel to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of its cramped 1948 borders.

Turkey: 115 Kurdish rebels killed in offensive
Excerpt: Idris Naim Sahin said the rebels were killed in an airpower backed offensive near the town of Semdinli, in Hakkari province which sits on the border with Iraq. He said the offensive began on July 23.

Vidal, Buckley, and Anti-Semitism. By Jonathan Tobin
Excerpt: Buckley's youthful embrace of Charles Lindbergh did not prevent him from standing up against anti-Semitism during his career and being the man who almost single-handedly ran Jew-haters out of the modern conservative movement. By contrast, as Norman Podhoretz wrote in his classic COMMENTARY essay, "The Hate That Dare Not Speak Its Name," Vidal became a leading purveyor of vile anti-Semitic attacks on Jews and Israel.

Obama’s Drive to Disenfranchise Soldiers. By Matthew Vadum
Excerpt: U.S. military personnel tend to favor Republicans so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that President Obama’s reelection campaign has filed suit attacking an Ohio law that makes it easier for soldiers to vote. This nickel-and-dime approach to disenfranchisement was used by then-presidential candidate Al Gore in 2000. 9Just think. If the Democrats could have blocked the Soldier Vote for Lincoln in 1864, McClellen and the Copperhead Peace Party Democrats could have won, leading to an independent South and the extension of slavery for decades. ~Bob.)

Flashback: Democrats Worked Hard to Disqualify Overseas Military Ballots in 2000 Recount
Excerpt: In 2000, the nation's politics hung in the balance of a recount fight in Florida. George W. Bush had beaten Al Gore by a few hundred votes in the seminal swing state, and Democrats went all-in to reverse this result and hand the presidency to Gore. One of the lawyers hired by the Democrats during the recount fight was Mark Herron, how drafted a memo detailing how to disqualify military absentee ballots. (Memo is below.) His work had an immediate affect, as recalled by Bill Sammon in 2001:

How the Obama Campaign/Media Alliance Works: If this were a hockey game, you could say that Obama is playing with a man advantage. By Rich Baehr
Excerpt: Greg Sargent, a liberal columnist for the Washington Post, has written a remarkable column. It is remarkable most of all for its honesty in explaining what is happening on multiple fronts in the Obama campaign. In 2008, the mainstream media was in love with Barack Obama. They had a collective thrill running up their legs.

Excerpt: A recent Pew Research Center study, The American-Western European Values Gap, shows that the U.S. is unique in its percentages of: People who believe that “freedom to pursue life’s goals without state interference” is more important than “state guarantees [that] nobody is in need,” People who disagree that “success in life is determined by forces outside our control.”

Opposing view: Natural cycles trigger extremes in weather. By Joe Bastardi
Excerpt: The argument that global warming is causing more extreme weather is problematic because it presumes the globe is warming. In fact, the global temperature trend line has been stable for more than a dozen years, while carbon dioxide has increased 7%. If CO2 was the driver, then why have global temperatures stopped increasing?

No Tolerance for Chick-fil-A: Tea Party Critic Morgan Freeman Gets a Pass. By Larry Elder
Excerpt: As recently as 90 days ago, Cathy and President Barack Obama shared the same view. During the 2008 presidential debate hosted by Pastor Rick Warren, Obama explained: "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. (why no gay kiss-ins at Obama campaign headquarters? ~Bob.)

Football's Big Problem. By George Will
Excerpt: Are you ready for some football? First, however, are you ready for some autopsies? The opening of the NFL training camps coincided with the closing of the investigation into the April suicide by gunshot of Ray Easterling, 62, an eight-season NFL safety in the 1970s. The autopsy found moderately severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), progressive damage to the brain associated with repeated blows to the head. CTE was identified as a major cause of Easterling's depression and dementia.

Election Watchdog: 160 Counties Have More Registered Voters Than are Actually Eligible to Vote
Excerpt: A nonpartisan election integrity group has sent legal notices to 160 counties across the U.S. that it says have more voters on its registration rolls than actual live, eligible voters — and thus represent potential hotbeds for election fraud, the organization told TheBlaze exclusively. (Want to bet the vast majority of these counties are predominantly Democrat. –Steve)

Time to Close the "Bank of Washington"
Excerpt: "The Bank of Washington continues to help us!" bragged Solyndra CEO Chris Gronet in emails released last week. An investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee revealed that Solyndra—the solar company that went under, taking more than $600 million in taxpayer funds with it—wasn't ever supposed to be an independent business. It was built to rely on the taxpayers. "Getting business from Uncle Sam is a principal element of Solyndra's channel strategy," wrote Tom Baruch, founder of Solyndra investor CEMA Capital, in an August 10, 2010 email.

President Obama: The Biggest Government Spender In World History. By Peter Ferrara
Excerpt: The U.S. has never before had a President who thinks so little of the American people that he imagines he can win re-election running on the opposite of reality. But that is the reality of President Obama today. Waving a planted press commentary, Obama recently claimed on the campaign stump, “federal spending since I took office has risen at the slowest pace of any President in almost 60 years.” (More than a little to read, but here the budgets going back to Pres. Reagan are examined and interpreted. If you want to really understand what has happened over the years, and what became of the budget under Mr. Obama, then settle down to read this slowly, and after a while the full picture will begin to come into focus. About then your BP may take off. Good luck to all of us. --Del)

Nigeria: Jihad-martyrdom suicide bomber murders eight people
Excerpt: Clearly many Muslims around the world agree with Egyptian cleric Hashem Islam Ali Islam, who said recently: "I say to people who object to martyrdom operations that martyrdom operations are among the deeds most pleasing to Allah."

Suicide bombing kills 45 in Yemen
Didn’t get the memo. ~Bob. Excerpt: A suicide bombing in south Yemen blamed on al Qaeda killed 45 people, local officials said on Sunday, as residents voiced fears that a lack of security personnel on the ground will allow the jihadists to return.

Pakistani wife in disputed marriage murdered in court by her brother
Excerpt: The Palestinian Authority gives pardons or suspended sentences for honor murders. Iraqi women have asked for tougher sentences for Islamic honor murderers, who get off lightly now. Syria in 2009 scrapped a law limiting the length of sentences for honor killings, but "the new law says a man can still benefit from extenuating circumstances in crimes of passion or honour 'provided he serves a prison term of no less than two years in the case of killing.'"

Worth Reading: The Real 'Stimulus' Record: In country after country, increased government spending acted more like a depressant than a stimulant. By Arthur B. Laffer
Excerpt: Policy makers in Washington and other capitals around the world are debating whether to implement another round of stimulus spending to combat high unemployment and sputtering growth rates. But before they leap, they should take a good hard look at how that worked the first time around. It worked miserably, as indicated by the table nearby, which shows increases in government spending from 2007 to 2009 and subsequent changes in GDP growth rates. (If you hit a pay wall, you can probably find the full article with a Google search. ~Bob.)

The Most Dangerous Town in America: Camden, New Jersey
Excerpt: Camden, New Jersey, has long been one of the most dangerous places in America, but recent police cuts combined with the highest unemployment rate in New Jersey have made the city even deadlier. This year there have been 39 murders in the city of 77,000 -- on pace to break the all-time record set in 1995. In 2011, the murder rate was ten times than that of New York City and 30 percent higher than New Orleans, Louisiana, the most dangerous large city in the nation. (I moved a lot as a kid, but consider Collingswood, NJ my home town. My Hall grandparents lived there and my dad grew up there. I graduated from Collingswood High School in 1964. I would be happy to retire there except the costs are out of sight for taxes, insurance, etc.—Democrat state. It is right next door to Camden, but still defending itself as a middleclass town with low crime. I think because Rt-130, a VERY busy road, runs between them, and provides something of a barrier. ~Bob.)

Undue Process. By Baron Bodissey
Excerpt: As reported here last Thursday, my good friend Chris Knowles of the International Civil Liberties Alliance (ICLA) was fired from his job at the Leeds [North of England] City Council for exercising his rights of free speech and free association. ICLA has now posted a press release about what happened. You’ll notice that Chris was never informed of the specific charges against him, nor was he allowed to defend himself or have counsel present. He was simply told that he had “engaged in political activities, which could be viewed as improper activities for an employee of the council”.

Economy: The U.S. Retail Collapse Accelerates. By Jeff Nielson
Excerpt: Less than two weeks ago I wrote “Crash Warning.” It outlined the current economic parameters of the global economy and explained that we were careening toward a particular form of economic Armageddon which I believe was first described by John Williams of Shadowstats.com, when he coined the phrase “hyperinflationary depression” nearly a decade ago.

I'll Give Up My Gun When You Give Up Your Car. By Tom Selgas
Excerpt: If any rational person were to take a step back and look at the total number of non-natural caused deaths per day, they would realize that the number of fatalities caused by cars is significantly higher then the number caused by guns. Which begs the question: Why are people so adamant about getting rid of guns rather than their cars?

Swedish Defence League Members Attacked. By Baron Bodissey
Excerpt: Just received a message from “I”. He’s okay but his hat and cell phone were stolen. The other guy named “P” is from Poland and is okay also. They were attacked by The Revolutionary Front.

When Muslim Parents Kill A Beautiful 17-Year-Old Daughter Out Of Religious Conviction, I Feel Intolerant. By Cristina Odone
Excerpt: Shafilea Ahmed's parents have been found guilty of her murder. The beautiful 17-year-old Cheshire schoolgirl was killed by her own mother and father in a brutal honour killing they kept hidden for nine years. (Now, now, remember all cultures are equally valid… ~Bob.)

Look What the RNC Sent Barack Obama For His Birthday!
Excerpt: In the wake of Barack Obama’s claim that the GOP’s approach to the middle class is “Let Them Eat Cake,” the GOP thought it appropriate to give the president a little taste of his own medicine and it was brilliant! The Republican National Committee sent the Democrat National Committee a birthday cake on Friday. The DNC sent it back. Guess they didn’t like what was on it.

Good News From Russia. By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: The latest unrest in Russia has merited a fraction of the headlines about the Arab Spring, Palestine or upset Muslims in Burma. The old journalistic guidelines used to be, "If it bleeds, it leads." The new journalistic guidelines are, "If it's not about Muslims, we don't care."

Great Leap Backward: China's Leadership in Crisis. By Gordon G. Chang
Excerpt: As April passed into May this year, one electrifying story replaced another in the consciousness of the Chinese public. The first involved a ruthless official struggling for control of the ruling Communist Party and the second a solitary activist who, without this being his stated intention, challenged the one-party state from below. Soon, the two narratives began to merge, posing a threat of the first order to China’s increasingly fragile political system.

A Vietnam for Tomorrow: Change at Home before Changing Abroad. By Khanh Vu Duc
Excerpt: This past Monday, Dang Thi Kim Lieng, mother of Ta Phong Tan, died after setting herself on fire to protest the detention of her daughter. Ta, a blogger and former police officer, was arrested for conducting propaganda against the state—an all too common charge as of late. Standing trial in August alongside fellow bloggers Nguyen Van Hai (also known as Dieu Cay) and Phan Thanh Hai, each risks 20 years in jail if convicted.

Be A Patriot: Expand Your Carbon Footprint Today. By John Ransom
Excerpt; But over the last ten years, the left has gotten slicker in their rhetoric, more sophisticated in their packaging, and have sold American policy-makers the great swindle of energy efficiency as a matter of economics. And like all swindles, it takes money from the unsuspecting and puts money into the pockets of the liars and the cheats, leaving its victims worse off and often not knowing why.

Obama Campaign Wages War on Troops
Excerpt: Overseas troops often find it difficult to vote. For one thing, they can’t just drop their rifle and mail in their ballot especially if they’re stationed in a war zone, which is pretty much the entire Middle East. And not only that, since every state has a different law regarding absentee ballots, filling them out properly can be confusing.

Lawyer who defended suspected al Qaeda militants in Turkey killed in Aleppo
Excerpt: Osman Karahan, publicly known as the lawyer defending al Qaeda members in Turkey, has been killed in Aleppo, Syria. Turkish jihadist websites announced his "martyrdom" today, saying it had taken place three days earlier, on Aug. 3. Karahan's death was confirmed by a Turkish fighter who had gone to Syria "for the resistance," Ahmet Guzman. (He would have cheered your and my deaths at the hands of Islamists. I won’t cheer, but may not be able to work up a tear either. ~Bob.)

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