Thursday, August 9, 2012

Political Digest for August 9, 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.

Information on my books

Book Recommendation: The Zimmermann Telegram by Barbara W. Tuchman
I’ve loved everything I’ve read by the late Barbara Tuchman, so when I saw this audio book at my library, I grabbed it, though it was written 24 years ago. Tuchman is not only a fine historian, but the kind of writer who makes history read like a political thriller. And the period before the US entry into WWI was certainly a thriller. With Europe hanging in the balance, the Germans offered Mexico an alliance. If they’d attack the US in the event of war, Germany would help her with the reconquista of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona—the dream that has never died. The Germans in their arrogance never suspected that the British had broken their codes—and amazingly didn’t suspect it in WWII either! The political, military and diplomatic maneuvering between Germany, Britain, the US, Mexico and, yes, Japan made for a fascinating period. Tuchman gives the key details. History buffs will love it.

Worth Reading: Harlem Then and Now. By Thomas Sowell
Excerpt: But what I got growing up in Harlem was an education that equipped me to go on to leading colleges and universities, long before there was affirmative action. That is what youngsters growing up in Harlem today are very unlikely to get -- and affirmative action in college admissions is no substitute, if you come in unequipped to make the opportunity pay off.

Worth Reading: Liberals, Progressives and Socialists. By Walter E. Williams
Excerpt: Here's my question: Why are the horrors of Nazism so well-known and widely condemned but not those of socialism and communism? What goes untaught -- and possibly is covered up -- is that socialist and communist ideas have produced the greatest evil in mankind's history. … What's not appreciated is that Nazism is a form of socialism.

Excerpt: In the last ten days Mitt Romney has been reduced by various Obama surrogates, through rumor, innuendo, and falsity, to a tax-avoiding cheat who “probably” never paid taxes for a decade, a near felon who lied on a federal form, and a veritable killer who in piratical fashion destroyed a cancer victim’s chance of getting medical attention — all untrue and yet all damaging, as the corrections are not even out before Obama goes on to the next new inaccurate charge.

Egypt Airstrikes Reported in Sinai
Excerpt: Egypt was reported to have launched its first airstrikes in decades in the restive Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday, deploying attack helicopters to strike at gunmen after the shootings of 16 Egyptian soldiers on Sunday. (So, how’s that “Arab Spring” thing working out for you? ~Bob.)

Worried about IA much?
Excerpt: 9 Iowa cities in 3 days? Seems like Team Obama is more than a little worried about a state he won by 9 points in 2008. I guess we saw it coming, the Real Clear Politics average shows his lead dwindling to just 1 point and the AP and Des Moines Register have reported that Obama’s Iowa magic is long gone and the state is trending toward the GOP in voter registration.

Tweet from the Tolerant left @Shootingsparks
You Jews are such filthy lying vermin. Just saw your lie fest on Fox Jews. Nauseating. Kill yourself Israeli rag.

Elizabeth Warren backs off demand that Scott Brown release more tax returns
Excerpt: Elizabeth Warren demanded Monday that Senator Scott Brown release more of his tax returns. The only problem was that Brown, her Republican rival, had already released six years of tax returns while Warren has refused to release more than four years of her filings. Asked to reconcile that apparent conflict, Warren backed off her demand, saying today that six years was enough. She did not, however, offer to release any more of her IRS filings. (Think Injun not pay enough wampum. ~Bob.)

Economists: Obama “Recovery” A “Real Tragedy,” Would Be “Madness” to Raise Taxes
Excerpt: Stanford economist John B. Taylor examined July’s unemployment report and said the economic recovery under President Obama has been “a real tragedy.” Trillions of dollars in deficit spending, excessive new government regulations and red tape, the government takeover of health care, and the ever-present threat of tax hikes have led to what Taylor calls “a recovery in name only.” More and more economists now say stopping all of President Obama’s tax hikes is necessary to prevent further damage to our struggling economy.

White House Confirms Obama Wants To Ban Guns
http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/08/white-house-confirms-obama-wants-to-ban-guns/#ixzz22uTGqjFx
Excerpt: During the White House Press Conference on Monday, not only did Press Secretary Jay Carney put distance from Harry Reid’s comments concerning Mitt Romney’s failure to pay taxes for ten years, yet not disavow the remarks, but he also affirmed the fact that Barack Obama is also out to ban guns, something we’ve known all along. He affirmed Obama’s position to re-institute the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. (This Second Amendment issue must be made a critical part of the 2012 election. Not only for president but for every member of the US House and US Senate. And for anyone else that takes the oath to support and defend the Constitution including county sheriffs. --M. McNeely)

Report: ATF gun part of plan to kill Juarez police chief Julián Leyzaola
Excerpt: A weapon tied to "Operation Fast and Furious" was seized in Tijuana in connection with a drug cartel's conspiracy to kill the police chief of Tijuana, Baja California, who later became the Juárez police chief, according to a U.S. government report. The firearm was found Feb. 25, 2010, during an arrest of a criminal cell associated with Teodoro "El Teo" García Simental and Raydel "El Muletas" López Uriarte, allies of the Sinaloa cartel. (Your tax dollars at work, stimulating Mexico's drug-war economy. ~Bob.)

Indigestion for ‘les Riches’ in a Plan for Higher Taxes
Excerpt: “We’re getting a lot of calls from high earners who are asking whether they should get out of France,” said Mr. Grandil, a partner at Altexis, which specializes in tax matters for corporations and the wealthy. “Even young, dynamic people pulling in 200,000 euros are wondering whether to remain in a country where making money is not considered a good thing.” (The Socialist Dream--drive out the most productive! ~Bob.)

Democratic Abortionist: “Rid the World of “Ugly Black Babies”
Excerpt: Watch the video above, of a pro-life Christian group confronting an abortion doctor. The doctor says his abortions save taxpayers money, prevent shootings like the one in Colorado, and rid the world of “ugly black babies.” (No verification that he's a doctor or an "abortionist," could be just an obnoxious abortion supporter, unless I missed something. ~Bob.)

Papa John's: 'Obamacare' will raise pizza prices
Excerpt: Pizza chain Papa John's told shareholders that President Obama's health care law will cost consumers more on their pizza. (How long until the Rahmfather orders them out of Chicago for not having "Chicago Values." Least they can expect is an IRS audit. ~Bob.)

CNN: Wife of steelworker in new Obama Super PAC ad still had job and health insurance after he lost his
Excerpt: Now they’re trying again with a bolder, simpler narrative: Romney’s layoffs literally killed people. If you’re a low-information voter who pays attention to this stuff in bits and pieces, a story you’re half-listening to about a rich guy and a steelworker and a plant closing and a young wife tragically dying from cancer sounds really bad, even if it’s a gross smear. (Reports indicate that this happened six years AFTER Romney left Bain, and that she, in fact, still had health insurance from her job. Nothing about Obama’s responsibility for the murder of two US Agents and something like 300 Mexicans by guns provided by the US Government in “Fast and Furious,” which took place on his watch. If Bush was responsible for FEMA’s reaction to Katrina, then Obama is responsible for the ATF and Fast and Furious. ~Bob.)

Rep. Akin wins Missouri Republican Senate primary, will face Sen. McCaskill
Excerpt: Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) has won Missouri's hotly contested Republican Senate primary and will face Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) in the fall. Akin led the three-way race with 36 percent, while businessman John Brunner and former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman (R) trailed with 30 percent and 29 percent respectively. The Associated Press has called the race. The results are a big win for Akin, a one-time underdog in the race against Brunner — and for McCaskill.

Sen. Reid not alone in using unnamed sources to score political points
Excerpt: Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) citing of anonymous sources to rip Mitt Romney three months before the election has cast a bright light on how politicians use disputable claims to further their agendas. … The Washington Post’s Fact Checker has given Reid’s assertion a “Four Pinocchios” rating, while Politifact essentially said the same thing, labeling it “Pants on Fire.”

Economy remains Obama’s albatross
Excerpt: July’s job figures confirm the U.S. economy is running in place, a troubling sign for President Obama’s reelection hopes. While the monthly job figures have jumped up and fallen back down, growth in the United States has been remarkably consistent — and weak — for the last 19 months.

No Need to Get the Lead Out
Excerpt: In 1991 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service instituted a nationwide ban on the use of lead shot to hunt waterfowl due to studies that suggested ducks and geese often mistake the small pellets for food, resulting in lead poisoning. In June 2012, seven environmental groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), claiming that lead bullets are poisoning both wildlife and humans. The EPA is precluded from regulating or banning lead ammunition under an exemption to the definition of "chemical substance" in the Toxic Substances Control Act, says Alexis Hunter, an intern with the National Center for Policy Analysis. Research indicates that lead ammunition poses little or no harm to animals and humans. From an environmental perspective, banning or limiting lead ammunition would make hunting more expensive, resulting in fewer hunters, less funding for wildlife conservation and poorer wildlife management.

Excerpt: China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) this week offered to buy Canada’s Nexen, Inc., for $15 billion. Nexen’s board is recommending the bid to shareholders. If completed, this would be the single largest acquisition that Chinese companies have made in the outward investment splurge that started in 2005. It raises a series of issues for American policymakers to consider.

America’s Anti-Christian Middle East Policy. By Bob Livingston
Excerpt: The Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas are part of the Syrian opposition. In a not-so-secret “secret policy,” President Barack Obama is financing the “rebels” in Syria trying to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. Those rebels include al-Qaida terrorists who have fought against U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta—and therefore Obama—knows this. (Obama is MUCH more complicit in the deaths of Syrian Christians than Romney was in the death of a woman who was married to a Bain employee, who was laid off six years after Romney left Bain. Husband lost health insurance, but she had hers through her job. ~Bob.)

Richard Landes: Romney Is Right on Culture and the Wealth of Nations
Excerpt: Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat, correctly seeing an implied criticism of Palestinian culture, called Mr. Romney a "racist" and complained that Palestinian economic woes are really caused by the Israeli occupation. Analysts said Mr. Erekat's reaction was a sign that Mr. Romney has disqualified himself as a broker for peace. The episode reveals as much about the dynamics of the Middle East conflict as about presidential politics. (If you get a pay wall at the WSJ, you can probably find the article by Googling the title. ~Bob.)

Gunmen kill three in central Nigeria mosque attack
Excerpt: Gunmen killed three people in an attack on a mosque in the Nigerian town of Okene on Tuesday, a day after 19 were killed in gunfire at a church in the same town in a new outbreak of sectarian violence in central Nigeria, police said on Wednesday. (Don’t know if this was “an eye for an eye,” or Muslims killing “apostate” Muslims. ~Bob.)

Bank cuts growth forecast close to zero
Excerpt: The Bank of England has cut its growth forecast to close to zero from about 0.8% predicted in May, as the double-dip recession intensifies. (Wonder what Sir William Paterson would think? ~Bob.)

Guy open carry stopped by ex Marine Policeman
(No such thing as an “Ex-Marine,” of course. ~Bob. Comment from the UK: This is a 2-minute example of an ex- US Marine cop stopping a man exercising his "open carry" right to be armed is beyond the understanding of most Europeans. The man refuses to supply ID too. Watch the cop's reaction. We need a First and Second Amendment here. But I reckon 99% of Brits would disagree. Which is why we have become slowly and slyly enslaved. --George.)

Excerpt: Doctors are the only professionals in our society who are not free to repackage and reprice their services. If demand changes, if technology changes, if new information becomes available, every other professional is free to offer a different bundle of services to the market and charge a different price. It is precisely this freedom that leads accountants, lawyers, engineers, architects — and, yes, even economists — to compete for customers based on price and quality. In medicine, by contrast, no one ever sees a real price for anything.

Obama Thinks Romney Wants Petraeus for His Veep
Excerpt: But isn’t it fascinating that President GotALotOnHisPlate keeps not meeting with his jobs council, and keeps dodging questions from actual reporters, but keeps in close contact with the people who matter to him most: People who have money and are inclined to give it to him.

Obama’s sleaziest ad yet: Romney kinda sorta killed a man’s wife by closing down his steel plant
Excerpt: Romney stopped doing work for Bain in 1999; the steel plant in question here closed down in 2001; Soptic’s wife passed away in 2006; and yet, Romney’s somehow culpable. Perfection. You know what’s really interesting about this spot? It’s not even a health-care ad. It’d be sleazy under any circumstances, but there’d at least be a concrete policy angle if Burton was selling it as an argument for, say, single-payer, to decouple insurance from employment. He’s not.

Worth Reading: When 1,099 felons vote in race won by 312 ballots. By Brian York
Excerpt: During the controversy a conservative group called Minnesota Majority began to look into claims of voter fraud. Comparing criminal records with voting rolls, the group identified 1,099 felons -- all ineligible to vote -- who had voted in the Franken-Coleman race. Minnesota Majority took the information to prosecutors across the state, many of whom showed no interest in pursuing it. But Minnesota law requires authorities to investigate such leads. And so far, Fund and von Spakovsky report, 177 people have been convicted -- not just accused, but convicted -- of voting fraudulently in the Senate race.

Obama and 'Earning Your Success.' By Arthur Brooks
Excerpt: But one recent administration action in particular contradicts the president's claim that "you've got to earn your success." On July 12, the administration unilaterally weakened the federally mandated work requirements for welfare recipients.

Time to make the Chinese nervous. By Benny Avni
Excerpt: Over the weekend, Beijing’s foreign ministry summoned Robert Wang, our deputy ambassador there, to hose him over Washington’s statements on recent goings-on in the South China Sea. If Beijing is a bit nervous about America’s maneuvering in its neighborhood, then good. America would do well to make China, which is turning into a neighborhood bully, even more nervous.

Obama White House told GSA to 'stand-down' on Occupy protesters
Excerpt: Documents obtained by Judicial Watch confirm that somebody in the White House told officials with the General Services Administration (GSA) to "stand down" and not arrest Occupy Portland protestors who may have broken the law last year. (Protect your friends. It’s The Chicago way. ~Bob.)

Fear and Shame on the Campaign Trail. By Roger L Simon
Excerpt: Journalists know that the economy (the very heart of America) is failing. And they know they are responsible for some of it, because they promoted Barack Obama. Deep down they are embarrassed but they can never never admit it. So this shame is projected out in rage and, yes, loathing toward you, me, Mitt Romney, and anyone else who might deign to disagree with them.

The Worldwide Rise of Islamic Anti-Semitism. By Robert Spencer
Excerpt: Even if Israel were destroyed, the Jew-hatred manifested by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and so many others would not be assuaged, for it is based on Islamic teachings about the nature of the world itself, not on the vagaries of geopolitics.

Did White House Commit Perjury About GM Bailout?
Excerpt: In recent days, the scope of the Obama White House's cronyism has become shockingly apparent. A trove of emails shows it deprived thousands of workers of their pensions to benefit unions, then lied about it.

Look Who US is Supporting Now. By Aaron Klein
Excerpt: At lease 500 hardcore mujahedeen from Afghanistan, many of whom were spearheading efforts to fight the US there, have been killed in clashes with Syrian forces this week. The claim comes as Reuters reported that President Obama had signed a secret order authorising US support for rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government.

Syria: Christian monastery assaulted north of Damascus
Excerpt: Gunmen attacked the Catholic monastery of Mar Musa, north of Damascus. The old monastery, that dates from the fourth century, had been sacked but no casualties had been reported to Ansa by sources close the Italian Jesuit founder of the monastic community, father Paolo Dall'Oglio.

Blast kills four in Russia's volatile Chechnya
Didn’t get the memo. ~Bob. Excerpt: A suicide bomb blast that killed at least four interior ministry soldiers and injured others in the capital of Russia's volatile Chechnya region on Monday may have been organized by Islamist militants, regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov said.

Honour killing claims four lives
Excerpt: A father along with his two sons axed his wife and daughters among four people to death in the name of honour and injured three others in Bahawalnagar, police said. (As always, Muslim victims of Allahmurder exceed all others by far. ~Bob.)

Sweden: Muslim immigrant youth says “Calling Swedish women whore is normal”
Excerpt: Swedish schools with a high muslim population tackle a new problem that has not been present before in their docile and mild country. Muslim males are known to stalk and harass Swedish female students, throw lunch plates and meat at them to insult them (to refer to them as a ‘piece of meat’) and calling them names if they reject their advances. The muslims consider this normal male behavior. (Approved by all right-thinking progressives, because “all cultures are equally valid.” ~Bob.)

UK bank accused of Iran money laundering scheme
Excerpt: A British bank schemed with the Iranian government to launder $250 billion from 2001 to 2007, leaving the United States' financial system "vulnerable to terrorists," New York's financial regulator charged Monday.

White House Press Corps Goes Seven Weeks Without A Question. By Keith Koffler
Excerpt: President Obama has not taken a serious question from the White House press corps in nearly seven weeks, a remarkable string that points to a campaign-style White House operation that is seeking to insulate the candidate from tough cross examination.

Politics isn't Everything: The Sikh Temple Tragedy. By Amy Lutz
Excerpt: While we battle a collective sense of grief, some have acted out on their emotions by turning to politics, rather than prayer or introspection. While I understand how we all want take action against any future tragedies, we need to understand that politicizing tragedies is not only ineffective. It also cheapens the tragedy and distracts from the time of mourning we all need to experience.

Hospital Chain Inquiry Cited Unnecessary Cardiac Work. By Reed Abelson and Julie Cresswell
Excerpt: But the nurse’s complaint was far from the only evidence that unnecessary — even dangerous — procedures were taking place at some HCA hospitals, driving up costs and increasing profits. HCA, the largest for-profit hospital chain in the United States with 163 facilities, had uncovered evidence as far back as 2002 and as recently as late 2010 showing that some cardiologists at several of its hospitals in Florida were unable to justify many of the procedures they were performing.

The Mastermind of Al Qaeda in Europe? By Baron Bodissey
Excerpt: More information has emerged on the alleged Al Qaeda terrorists who were arrested in Spain last week (and who had reportedly been planning to apply for political asylum). According to the latest news from La Razón, one of the two “Russians” arrested is a Chechen whose real name is Eldar Magomedov, and who is said to be the “military commander” of Al Qaeda in Europe.

Obama Administration Making Concessions to the Taliban
Excerpt: During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama famously said that the U.S. should negotiate with Iran without any preconditions. Obama’s notion of diplomacy with the mullahs was widely ridiculed at the time, including by his then rival for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton. More than three years into the Obama administration, multiple attempts at negotiations with the Iranians over their nuclear program have not led to any progress.

Immigrants. By Baron Bodissey
Excerpt: In a series of raids, the Greek authorities have arrested and detained 6,000 illegal immigrants pending their deportation. An estimated one million illegal immigrants — nearly 10% of the population — currently reside in Greece. In other immigration news, according to a new report, 25% of Polish workers living in Ireland are now on the dole.

UK: What multiculturalism really means. By Shiraz Maher
/Excerpt: Multiculturalism has told a generation of immigrants – not of [Olympic medalists'] Farah or Ennis’ persuasion – that they need not integrate into British life, or contribute positively to the civic life of our country. It is ironical that multiculturalism promotes the precise opposite of what its proponents would have us believe, with the creation of parallel but distinct monoculture silos in our society.

The Culture of Rural Pakistan Helped Kill Shafilea Ahmed. By Rob Crilly
Excerpt: First the disclaimer: Shafilea Ahmed was murdered by her two angry and loveless parents in an act that should be seen for what it is, a breakdown inside one particular family, under one particular set of circumstances and at one time. But as I drove into the village where her parents grew up, along the road that Shafilea herself would have used during her 2003 visit, it was the generalisations that struck me. This corner of rural Punjab, alongside the Grand Trunk road that runs from Islamabad to Lahore, is famous for its link to Britain.

Corby: Should I stand? By James Delingpole
Excerpt: There's a mischievous online campaign now fast gaining momentum urging that I should stand in the Corby by-election following Louise Mensch's shock (well, actually not that shocking) decision to abandon the sinking ship SS Coalition. I'm torn, I must say. On the one hand I'm moving to Northamptonshire anyway next week and I'd certainly love to do my bit in parliament to help Chris Heaton-Harris MP with his campaign to stop this gorgeous and much-underrated county becoming the wind farm capital of Britain.

Obama Supporter Interviews Her 2008 Self
This is funny and sadly too true. –Steve

No More Boring White Guys for the GOP. By Jonah Goldberg
Excerpt: "...I'll tell you, in my life I never once have seen a Hispanic panhandler, because in our community it would be viewed as shameful to be out on the street begging." That was Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz of Texas on "Fox News Sunday." He went on to make the case that Latinos are culturally conservative and economically entrepreneurial.

VIDEO: CNN Slams 'Outrageous' Anti-Romney 'Cancer' Ad, Team Obama Refuses to Condemn. By Guy Benson
Excerpt: The downside here is that virtually no one saw this report as it aired. The positive angle is that CNN did its homework and got the story right:

Excerpt: They are just the latest top-ranking employees to quit the San Francisco-based company, which has lost a handful of execs following its poorly received IPO in May and tumbling share prices.

Is Adam Smith, the Chick-Fil-A Hater and America's Rudest Liberal, an Obama Donor? By Tim Stanley
Excerpt: Here in Europe we tend only to see the violence that exists on the Right – preachers condemning gays, race-baiters going after minorities. But an equal portion of hate can be found on the Left. Sometimes it is revoltingly explicit. Take abortionist Ron Virmani – a fierce champion of a woman’s right to choose – who told prolife activists that they ought to thank him for ridding the world of “those ugly black babies.” (Yes, across the pond, the news is all about 'American white racists.' I don't know if I have ever met an American white racist, but I certainly met a lot of racists during my time of trial in Los Angeles. All my life, I always thought I was left-leaning until Los Angeles showed me the way. –Kate.)

Am I a Homophobe? By Karen Norling
Excerpt: Now, if you're thinking that because I disavow homosexuality, I can't possibly be friends with homosexuals, can't love them deeply, can't enjoy their company, can't admire their intellect -- i.e., if you think my "disavowal" renders me a "homophobe" -- think again. I may be at odds with homosexuality, but I am not afraid of it.

Worth Reading: Economic Lessons from American History. By John Steele Gordon
Excerpt: Today we live in a world far beyond the imagination of those who were alive in 1607. The poorest family in America today enjoys a standard of living that would have been considered opulent 400 years ago. And for most of this time it was the United States that was leading the world into the future, politically and economically. This astonishing economic transformation provides rich lessons in examples of what to do and not do. Let me suggest five.

Will Tea Party Star Marco Rubio Get GOP VP Nod? By Greg Allen
Excerpt: Among the Tea Party successes in the 2010 congressional elections was U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. He is now one of those on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's short list of possible running mates. For any political party, Rubio would be worthy of consideration for vice president or a higher office.

Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Rahm Emanuel Praises Awesome Job Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is Doing. By Jammie Wearing Fool
Excerpt: The Mayor, who’s the same guy as the columnist, goes own to pump himself up in the most self-serving fashion possible.

Syrian rebels feel abandoned, betrayed by U.S. By Liz Sly
Excerpt: America, once regarded by the Syrian opposition as a natural friend in its struggle for greater freedoms against a regime long at odds with the West, increasingly is being viewed with suspicion and resentment for its failure to offer little more than verbal encouragement to the revolutionaries. (Gotta step it up if the Islamist rebels are to get power, exterminate the Christians and Kurds and start killing Jews and Americans on schedule. ~Bob.)

California: Blue Twilight on the Pacific. By Walter Russell Mead
Excerpt: Forced by the US Supreme Court to do something, the state has acted with its characteristic fecklessness and passed the buck: handing the problem off to local governments, which, we should add, are facing serious fiscal problems of their own and are ill-equipped to deal with new prisoners. California is in a hole but can’t seem to stop its compulsive digging. Schools, universities, prisons, pensions, cities and towns: the state has lost the ability to manage even the most basic elements of communal living. (Everyone I ever talked to about Los Angeles City College said the same thing: Chaos. --Kate.)

Reform is Not Enough: The Federal Government Needs a Complete Makeover. By Philip K. Howard
Excerpt: Behavior that would seem grotesque to most Americans doesn't raise an eyebrow inside the Beltway. Only radical change can fix the problem. (This quote also applies to Los Angeles, California. --Kate.)

First TV Spot for Special Ops Speaks
The group has made a great ad, short, clear, hard-hitting, that should get some attention to this really serious matter. I hope they get more and more support and keep the mission going. --Del

What 'The Jeffersons' Taught Me about being an American: An Iranian immigrant on the lessons he learned from George and Weenie.
Excerpt: News of Sherman Hemsley's death two weeks ago at the age of 74 hit hard around these parts. My mother called to share the news, and to offer the traditional Iranian blessing for the dead. George Jefferson fot kard, khoda biamorz.

Peace in Our Time: Asian Navies Converging on the Mediterranean. By J. E. Dyer
Excerpt: While Russia’s “interfleet naval task force” tootles around the Eastern Mediterranean making like it doesn’t know from Syria, China and India have joined the naval game in the Eastern Med. Both have a regular naval presence off the coast of Somalia, and each has dispatched its most recent antipiracy task group – now relieved on-station – to conduct port visits in the Med. The Chinese units are visiting ports in the Black Sea as well.

VIDEO: Now Obama Campaign Pretending It Didn't Know Details Of Steelworker's Story -- After Featuring Him in Two Ads.
Excerpt: So eager is lifelike talking-points robot Stephanie Cutter to keep the campaign’s fingerprints off the cheap lies in the PAC ad that she claims at 4:00 below not to know the facts about when Soptic’s wife got sick or when she died. Minor problem: The campaign itself featured Soptic in not one but two ads several months ago and had him tell the story of his wife’s death after he lost his insurance during a conference call with — ta da — Stephanie Cutter. You’ll find the audio of that below too; look out for Cutter’s cameo at the very end.

At 89, Indian hero Jack Jacob rests and recites—poetry. By Aimee Ginsburg
Excerpt: Lt. Gen. Jack Jacob, a national hero in India for likely saving hundreds of thousands of lives, is planning to fade away. … Jacob, then chief of staff of the Indian Eastern command, knew that a protracted war, of which he was the Indian commander, would claim countless more lives. As the war began, trudging through swamp terrain, his troops enacted a daring plan to capture Dhaka, the capital of East Pakistan. Two weeks into the war, Pakistan’s commander in East Pakistan, Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, invited Jacob to lunch to discuss a cease-fire. Jacob wrote up an “instrument of surrender” document for his counterpart and flew with it across enemy lines, unarmed and accompanied only by one staff officer.

Artur Davis Switches from Democratic to Republican Party.
Excerpt: Davis, who for a time had been considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, wrote a message on his website confirming that he is switching parties.

Obama’s Attack on ‘Workfare.’ The president’s goal is to spread the wealth by massively increasing the welfare state. By Robert Rector
Excerpt: Obama’s move is only the latest step in a long history of liberal opposition to work requirements. The Left blocked welfare-reform efforts under both Presidents Nixon and Reagan, for example.

Excerpt: Robert Rector’s piece today on Obama’s latest unconstitutional usurpation — this time, ending welfare reform as we know it — reminded me of the central role immigration played in the original debate in Congress over welfare reform in 1995–96. (For young people who don’t remember, “Congress” used to be the place where laws were debated and passed, back before it assumed the role of the Roman Senate under Diocletian.) The claim at the time was that close to half the projected savings from welfare reform would come from the limits on legal immigrants’ access to taxpayer-funded benefits.

Vengeance Is Ours: Misplaced compassion harms not only the victims’ families but all of society. By William Voegeli
Excerpt: Note that discarding capital punishment creates practical dilemmas. It reduces prosecutors’ leverage when seeking confessions or testimony in murder cases, increasing the likelihood that some murderers won’t be convicted. And, since there is nothing more the state can do to them, it effectively gives convicts already serving life sentences a license to kill prison employees or other inmates. Prison gangs have followed this incentive structure’s logic to lethal conclusions.

Muslims burn gays: I couldn't watch the whole thing
Obama pretends to want to protect the rights of homosexuals. Yet he supports Islam. There is no consistency in what the Left supports. They obviously aren't for gays or for Muslims. They just want to destroy everything we love and stand for: --Don Hank

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