Old Jarhead's Political SitRep for March 14, 2013
Your one-stop-shop for political news and opinion. Please forward to friends who need to be informed. This SitRep (Military for “Situation Report”) is created by many readers who send me items for inclusion, which I would have likely missed or skipped. And I can only spend at most three hours a night pulling stuff, plus the healthcare or economic stuff that crosses my desk at work. As always, I—and you—owe them thanks and appreciation. I post articles because I think they are of interest and will stimulate thought and discussion. Doing so doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree (or disagree) with every—or any—opinion in the posted article, or that I was able to verify the information presented, which is the responsibility of the author. I try not to post things that are false, or too far a stretch, regardless of the view point, but I don’t always succeed. As always on the Net, or in the legacy media, you must read critically and with skepticism.
Resources
For those who want further information about the topics covered in this blog, I recommend the following sites. I will add to this as I find additional good sources.
Worth Reading : Why Is Washington So Polarized? By John Goodman
Excerpt: Despite President Obama’s recent overtures to Republican members of Congress, people who have been around for a while all seem to agree: Never in living memory has the atmosphere on Capitol Hill and in Washington , D.C.
Worth Reading : Illinois
Excerpt: The order documents how Illinois politicians systematically have cheated public workers who trust in their pension system, investors buying bonds under false pretenses — and taxpayers left holding the bag for untold billions of dollars in unfunded pension obligations. ... But 19 years after lawmakers passed their slipshod pension funding scheme, Illinois Illinois Washington
Worth Reading
Excerpt: Once we recognize that large differences in achievement among races, nations and civilizations have been the rule, not the exception, throughout recorded history, there is at least some hope of rational thought -- and perhaps even some constructive efforts to help everyone advance.
Excerpt: French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran introduces Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina
Tweet from KAREN D @Kazport
Ironic White Smoke come from the Vatican
Tweet from FloridaJayhawk @FloridaJayhawk
Obama Senate Democrats, no budget in 4 years. Vatican
Tweet from @tartanmarine
Hope the new Pope will “cast his arms abroad for agony and loss, And called the kings of Christendom for swords about the Cross.”
Tweet from Larry Sabato @LarrySabato
Wild speculation about new Pope in media. Latest report: Cardinal Dewey has defeated Cardinal Truman.
Tweet from The Fake CNN @TheFakeCNN
Breaking: Justin Bieber elected Pope in landslide vote.
Tweet from Tom Bevan @TomBevanRCP
Al Gore probably on air complaining about carbon emissions from white smoke.
Tweet from Erick Erickson @EWErickson
So we have a conservative traditionalist from Latin America who opposed commies back in the day. I may have to convert.
Tweet from @tartanmarine
How long until the Left Media starts calling Pope Frankie a "White Hispanic"?
Obama’s approval drops as Americans take a dimmer view of his economic policies
Excerpt: The afterglow of President Obama’s reelection and inauguration appears to have vanished as increasingly negative views among Americans about his stewardship of the economy have forced his public approval rating back down to the 50 percent mark, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. (After four long, hard years, anyone who is just now taking a dim view of Obama’s economic policies is what we technically call “a slow learner.” ~Bob.)
Some great pictures. ~Bob. This is fascinating. Some of our politicians keep telling us that having Egypt run by the Muslim Brotherhood is really not as bad as people might thing, they're reasonable after all. Well, this latest move on the part of the authorities sure raises some doubt in my mind about how things are going to go with these fanatics in charge. I feel sorry for all the non-fanatic Egyptian Muslims and especially for any non-Muslim Egyptians, because this kind of narrow-minded religious zealotry is always bad for everyone living in it. And as the article points out, Egypt Egypt Del
Excerpt: He had three women and a little kid riding with him in the vehicle at the time. The boy, a 7-year-old, was apparently Burton Burton
Focus Groups Highlight That Many Patients Object To Clinicians’ Focusing On Costs. By Roseanna Sommers, Susan Dorr Goold, Elizabeth A. McGlynn, Steven D. Pearson, and Marion Danis
Abstract: Having patients weigh costs when making medical decisions has been proposed as a way to rein in health care spending. We convened twenty-two focus groups of people with insurance to examine their willingness to discuss health care costs with clinicians and consider costs when deciding among nearly comparable clinical options. We identified the following four barriers to patients’ taking cost into account: a preference for what they perceive as the best care, regardless of expense; inexperience with making trade-offs between health and money; a lack of interest in costs borne by insurers and society as a whole; and noncooperative behavior characteristic of a “commons dilemma,” in which people act in their own self-interest although they recognize that by doing so, they are depleting limited resources. Surmounting these barriers will require new research in patient education, comprehensive efforts to shift public attitudes about health care costs, and training to prepare clinicians to discuss costs with their patients.
Green Cars Have a Dirty Little Secret: Producing and charging electric cars means heavy carbon-dioxide emissions. By Bjorn Lomborg
Excerpt: Electric cars are promoted as the chic harbinger of an environmentally benign future. Ads assure us of "zero emissions," and President Obama has promised a million on the road by 2015. With sales for 2012 coming in at about 50,000, that million-car figure is a pipe dream. Consumers remain wary of the cars' limited range, higher price and the logistics of battery-charging. But for those who do own an electric car, at least there is the consolation that it's truly green, right? Not really. (The purpose of Green Cars is the same as the purpose of other Green dreams—to make Progressives feel good, regardless of the results. That’s all that matters to them, so they will continue to jam economy and environment destroying Green down our throats. ~Bob.)
Myths of American ‘Cowboy Capitalism.’ A factual analysis reveals a modern-day America
Excerpt: A mantra heard from Western European socialists and American progressives is that a political economy of frontier-style, “cowboy capitalism” runs amok across the fruited plains of the United States U.S. business environment, one would think that a pro-market, libertarian utopia existed in America
Fabricating consensus on immigration. By Dan Stein
Excerpt: The last legislative effort to enact a massive amnesty for illegal aliens in the U.S. US
Another fake Vietnam
Excerpt: A rare case of denouncement was brought up in Thua Thien-Hue Province Del.
Is North Korea
Excerpt: The party daily Rodong Sinmun reported the Armistice is invalid as of 11 March. It also reported the North has placed its strategic missiles and multiple rocket launcher systems on standby to go to war and the entire population has become soldiers. It reported all government and party organizations and agricultural cooperatives have been placed on emergency mobilization status and the Red Worker-Peasant Militia and the Young Red Guards have been ordered to man their numerous posts.
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/venezuela-opening-investigation-into-whether-chavez-given-cancer-by-us/#ixzz2NQfBvCoi
Excerpt: Chavez may be gone, but the Bolivarian revolutionary lunacy goes on. TheDC's Jamie Weinstein reports: "The Venezuelan government announced Monday that it will open an inquiry into the conspiracy theory that the cancer that helped kill Hugo Chavez last week was implanted by his American imperialist enemies, but doctors say such a scenario is impossible....
Nine explosive presidential biographies to be released in 2013. By Jamie Weinstein
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/revealed-9-explosive-presidential-biographies-to-be-released-in-2013/#ixzz2NQfUU04J
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/revealed-9-explosive-presidential-biographies-to-be-released-in-2013/#ixzz2NQfUU04J
Excerpt: The Daily Caller reveals for the first time 9 explosive presidential biographies set for publication in 2013: … The Presidency of William Henry Harrison: 30 Days that Shaped America and Changed the World. (For the humor impaired, this is satire. ~Bob.)
Private financial info for Michelle Obama, Jay-Z, Hilary Clinton, Beyoncé exposed
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/private-financial-info-for-michelle-obama-jay-z-hilary-clinton-beyonce-exposed/#ixzz2NQg7r07E
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/private-financial-info-for-michelle-obama-jay-z-hilary-clinton-beyonce-exposed/#ixzz2NQg7r07E
Excerpt: The private financial information of several celebrities and politicians was made public on the Internet by Russian hackers Monday. The Social Security numbers, addresses, credit reports of first lady Michelle Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin were posted to a website bearing a suffix from the former Soviet Union — .su. (If you steal Michelle’s identity, I’d suggest you book an expensive vacation to keep the bank from catching on. Just say that the taxpayers will reimburse them. ~Bob.)
The Hand of the Prophet: A Novel of Islamic America
Quote
Society can exist only on the basis that there is some amount of polished lying and that no one says exactly as he thinks. –Lin Yu-tang
Tribesmen stone Pakistani soldier to death
Excerpt: Tribesmen tied a Pakistani soldier to the hood of a car and stoned him to death in the country's restive northwest for allegedly having a romantic relationship with a local woman, government officials and a tribal elder said Wednesday. (when the media describe a place as “restive,” it usually means, “Don’t got there—the Muslims will likely kill you.” But in places like Mexico or South Chicago , it could mean the drug gangs will kill you. ~Bob.)
Five killed in militant attack on police camp in Kashmir
Excerpt: Two militants hiding automatic rifles and grenades in cricket kit opened fire on a paramilitary camp on the Indian side of Kashmir on Wednesday, killing five Indian personnel and wounding five, police said. (A “militant” is a Muslim with a gun. ~Bob.)
Member of EU Syria delegation killed in Damascus
Excerpt: Ahmad Shihadeh, an EU policy officer, was killed in Darayya, to the south-west of the capital, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.
Syria's children shot at, tortured, raped: charity report
Excerpt: Rape is being used to deliberately punish people, said Forsyth, adding that it is underreported due to the sensitivity of the issue, especially among conservative communities. … It said that there are also reports of early marriage of young girls by families trying to reduce the numbers of mouths they have to feed, or hoping that a husband will be able to provide greater security from the threat of sexual violence.
Excerpt: Last year, during the presidential campaign, Team Obama reached out to America
‘The Nation’ of Tyranny Lovers. By Daniel Greenfield
Excerpt: Operating from the American Committee for Cultural Freedom, Greenberg denounced the magazine that he had worked for, accusing it of echoing Stalin’s interests. And The Nation responded by suing its own former editor for libel.
Obama’s New Libya
Excerpt: Remember all the hoopla the Obama administration engaged in after helping Libya’s “freedom fighters” oust (and sodomize and murder) the nation’s former president, Muammar Gaddafi? Remember the rationale used by Obama to justify using the U.S. military to help Libya Libya
Excerpt: Court papers filed in an Illinois Holy Land case showing Mustapha singing, "O Hamas, teach us the rifle … O Hamas, raise the banner of Jihad." A child holding a machine gun joins the singers on stage, along with "a man wearing a mask traditionally associated with Hamas." (Another moderate member of “The Religion of Peace” suffers discrimination. ~Bob.)
Excerpt: The attack had occurred through the actions of Jihadists who drove in a tricycle armed with machine guns. They opened fire on residents at the two areas – killing three on the spot – while many more sustained injuries. (It will be terrible if this makes the victims’ families Islamophobic. ~Bob.)
Obama to Nominate Sharia Supporter, Illegal Immigrant Advocate as Labor Secretary. By Matthew Vadum
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/03/obama_to_nominate_sharia_supporter_illegal_immigrant_advocate_as_labor_secretary.html#ixzz2NR2b4okr
Excerpt: Perez is apparently in favor of Saudi-style anti-blasphemy laws. InSaudi Arabia United States
http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/03/obama_to_nominate_sharia_supporter_illegal_immigrant_advocate_as_labor_secretary.html#ixzz2NR2b4okr
Excerpt: Perez is apparently in favor of Saudi-style anti-blasphemy laws. In
Report: Iranians with nuclear components arrested
Excerpt: Germany and Turkey arrested seven suspected Iranian smugglers who were transporting materials for that country’s nuclear program from India and Germany Arak , Iran
Can States Say No to the Feds? Cities Show the Way of State Sovereignty
http://politicaloutcast.com/2013/03/can-states-say-no-to-the-feds-cities-show-the-way-of-state-sovereignty/
Excerpt: The United States of America ARE, not the United States of America IS. Each state in the union of states has its own constitution, governor, and body of laws. Each state has its own way of collecting taxes. No group of states can tell other states how to run their state. (An interesting idea, one that many of us will find both reasonable and attractive. The Federal government cannot keep taking all power for itself and treat the states like a parent treats seven year old children. It appears to be time, or close to the time, for states to reject federal authority in certain areas, and move the country back towards a better balance of power between state and federal authorities. Let the cities that create their own problems deal with them, while the outlying communities split off and take care of themselves, and in some areas let the states split off from the rulings of the fed if they see those rulings as inappropriate and counterproductive. And the states that like those rulings can then go ahead and live with them and see how it works out. In the end I believe we'll see some states prosper and others go bankrupt. In a real democracy, you get the government you deserve. If the voters in some areas are consistently stupid about whom they elect to take care of them, they can lie in the bed they've made. Where the voters make better decisions, life will be better. That all seems reasonable. --Del
Excerpt: The United States of America ARE, not the United States of America IS. Each state in the union of states has its own constitution, governor, and body of laws. Each state has its own way of collecting taxes. No group of states can tell other states how to run their state. (An interesting idea, one that many of us will find both reasonable and attractive. The Federal government cannot keep taking all power for itself and treat the states like a parent treats seven year old children. It appears to be time, or close to the time, for states to reject federal authority in certain areas, and move the country back towards a better balance of power between state and federal authorities. Let the cities that create their own problems deal with them, while the outlying communities split off and take care of themselves, and in some areas let the states split off from the rulings of the fed if they see those rulings as inappropriate and counterproductive. And the states that like those rulings can then go ahead and live with them and see how it works out. In the end I believe we'll see some states prosper and others go bankrupt. In a real democracy, you get the government you deserve. If the voters in some areas are consistently stupid about whom they elect to take care of them, they can lie in the bed they've made. Where the voters make better decisions, life will be better. That all seems reasonable. --
Who is this man?
Image of Satan from History Channels' "The Bible". Who does this look like?
Excerpt: Then Italy Germany
Tweet from Wayne Dupree ✌✊ @NewsNinja2012
BTW, I didn't leave the liberal plantation to join a conservative movement that is going to sit on their hands. I believe in the values. (One of several black conservatives I follow. ~Bob.)
Getting ObamaCare coverage could be more painful than doing your taxes: Want health insurance? Get ready to fill out 15 pages of forms. By Keith Wagstaff
Excerpt: Love doing your taxes? Of course not. And that means you probably aren't going to be a fan of applying for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. ObamaCare. According to the Associated Press, the government's draft application for applicants who want government help in paying for and obtaining insurance coverage is 15 pages long, and will be looked at by at least three federal agencies, including the IRS. (Now you know why they don’t want people to have guns. ~Bob.)
Tweet from willspencer @willspencer
Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. - Douglas Casey
Youth Baseball Team Raffling AR-15 Rifle. By Todd Starnes
Excerpt: The Atwood-Hammond baseball league said they only raised $10 with last year’s raffle. So a local gun shop provided the league with a Rock River Arms Tactical Operator Two. (From Facebook link: “For those of you wanting to purchase raffle tickets and do not live in the area, you can mail a check to ATWOOD ARMORY, 65 E CR 1175 N, Atwood , IL 61913
Hezbollah’s new low: Ethnic cleansing in Syria
Excerpt: For 30 years, the Lebanese Hezbollah has claimed that its army is solely designed to take on Israel Syria
The Obamacare Revolt: Physicians Fight Back Against the Bureaucratization of Health Care: Will it make a difference? By Jim Epstein
Excerpt: "Direct primary care," which is the industry term for Neuhofel's business model, does away with the bureaucratic hassle of insurance, which translates into much lower prices.
Tweet from David Burge @iowahawkblog
I don't care what you diploma says. Your name tag says "try the Loco Dorito Tacos."
American Crossroads: "Appropriate"
Good ad.
Dr. Ben Carson: Ryan's Budget 'Really Works.' By Jerome Hudson
Excerpt: Weighing in on President Obama's so-called "charm offensive," Dr. Carson said, "It is interesting that there's been a rather abrupt change in his demeanor, from blaming everybody to reaching out. (How long before the left calls this distinguished neurosurgeon a Step and Fetch It Uncle Tom? ~Bob.)
Excerpt: On Monday, the Hamilton Country prosecutor announced the culmination of several investigations. Richardson said she was fighting “for Mr. Obama and for Mr. Obama’s right to sit as president of the United States
Voter Fraud Nun Resigns as Dean
Excerpt: An Ohio Cincinnati
Thrown in Prison for Shredding the Koran. By Andrew Harrod
Excerpt: A court convicted a man for shredding a Koran on March 6, 2013. The court imposed a four-month prison sentence and a 600 euro fine upon him. (We should start a campaign to mail the judge shredded copies of the Qur’an. ~Bob.)
House Republicans offer bill to withhold Obama's salary when budget is late
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/287839-gop-says-obamas-salary-should-be-withheld-when-budget-is-late#ixzz2NRTSkS7X
Excerpt: House Republicans introduced legislation on Tuesday that would withhold President Obama's salary any time he's late submitting a budget proposal to Congress. The bill from Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) is similar to the No Budget, No Pay Act that was signed into law earlier this year by Obama…. The bill's title is the President's Salary Suspended Unless Budget Measure Is On Time (SUBMIT) Act. (I’d be for withholding vacations and golf outings. ~Bob.)
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/287839-gop-says-obamas-salary-should-be-withheld-when-budget-is-late#ixzz2NRTSkS7X
Excerpt: House Republicans introduced legislation on Tuesday that would withhold President Obama's salary any time he's late submitting a budget proposal to Congress. The bill from Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) is similar to the No Budget, No Pay Act that was signed into law earlier this year by Obama…. The bill's title is the President's Salary Suspended Unless Budget Measure Is On Time (SUBMIT) Act. (I’d be for withholding vacations and golf outings. ~Bob.)
Obama to nominate new Libya
http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/287927-obama-to-nominate-new-libya-ambassador#ixzz2NRSYXWJH
Excerpt: President Obama will nominate Deborah K. Jones as the State Department’s new ambassador toLibya Benghazi , Libya
Excerpt: President Obama will nominate Deborah K. Jones as the State Department’s new ambassador to
Excerpt: The OFA, on the other hand, is much more than a group hoping to influence the choice of a candidate in a race and to be a source of funding for ads and a campaign. It is a group more akin to the Alinskyite community organizing force with which young Obama cut his teeth, an organization meant to mobilize the Left to pressure for things like “taxing the rich” via organizing and actions such as those the now-defunct ACORN used to engage in….
Excerpt: Today the Department of Justice inspector general released a report on potential Labor secretary nominee Tom Perez’s DOJ Civil Rights Division. The timing of the release to coincide with his nomination was certainly accidental, because the report paints a damning portrait of the DOJ unit he managed. …The report was prepared in response to Representative Frank Wolf’s (R-VA) outrage over the New Black Panther voter intimidation dismissal.
Six months later, where are the Benghazi
Excerpt: Today marks six months since the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks on the U.S. compounds in Benghazi , Libya U.S. U.S. compounds in Tripoli
Obama blames his guards for closing White House tours
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/obama-blames-secret-service-for-closing-white-house-tours/#ixzz2NRLMMCVx
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/obama-blames-secret-service-for-closing-white-house-tours/#ixzz2NRLMMCVx
Excerpt: President Barack Obama is blaming the U.S. Secret Service for the politically damaging decision close the popular White House tours, and also suggested he would restart the tours….His claim clashes with a March 7 statement by his press secretary, Jay Carney, who declared that “the White House made the decision that we would, unfortunately, have to temporarily suspend these tours.” Obama is now trying to backtrack. (Himself throwing the SS under the bus? –Barb.)
Christian college professor smears Jesus statue with vacuum crud, calls it art
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/christian-college-professor-smears-jesus-statue-with-vacuum-crud-calls-it-art/#ixzz2NRKbwLv7
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/christian-college-professor-smears-jesus-statue-with-vacuum-crud-calls-it-art/#ixzz2NRKbwLv7
Excerpt: David Hooker, an associate professor at Wheaton College in the suburbs of Chicago
Hundreds of family pets, protected species killed by little known federal agency
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/13/hundreds-family-pets-endangered-species-killed-by-little-known-federal-agency/#ixzz2NRYS5eLn
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/13/hundreds-family-pets-endangered-species-killed-by-little-known-federal-agency/#ixzz2NRYS5eLn
Excerpt: It was an August morning two years ago when Maggie, a spry, 7-year-old border collie, slipped through the backyard fence of her family's suburban Oregon Gresham , Ore.
Excerpt: Over the weekend, FT noted that China
UN to Syrian Rebels: Behave! By Walter Russell Mead
Excerpt: The Syrian rebels have violated the UN’s standards for proper conduct in war, according to a UN report. Based on information from more than 400 interviews inside Syria Syria a “gun-free zone,” like Chicago
Excerpt: The ancient, brutal practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), once considered primarily a problem of the developing world, is a growing threat to girls and women in the United States
Paul Ryan takes on chief critic Paul Krugman
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/paul-ryan-takes-on-chief-critic-paul-krugman/#ixzz2NRjAuqE4
http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/13/paul-ryan-takes-on-chief-critic-paul-krugman/#ixzz2NRjAuqE4
Excerpt: “Well, so I have three certainties in my life — death, taxes and liberal attacks from Paul Krugman,” Ryan said. “It’s something I’ve come to realize. Keynesians, which is what Krugman would call himself, believe in just, in the constant pumping of the prime, and just spending more money to grow the economy. They believe in this, that if you spend more money, it produces more than a dollar’s worth of economic growth for every dollar you spend.”
Joe Biden on domestic violence: Not ‘your garden variety slap across the face’
Dear Mr. VP: My wife would like to know what constitutes a “garden variety slap” in case I get out of line. ~Bob.
Wary of Attack With Smallpox , U.S.
Excerpt: The United States
2 Afghan Sisters, Swept Up in a Suicide Wave
Excerpt: On the surface, the Gul sisters seemed to have it all: they were young, beautiful, educated and well off, testing the bounds of conservative Afghan traditions with fitted jeans, makeup and cellphones. But Nabila Gul, 17, a bright and spunky high school student, pushed it too far. She fell in love.
Tweet from Dave Kopel @davekopel
RepWright: During 1992 LA riots, shopowner was attacked by mob; he saved his life with a 30 round mag, firing 19 rounds. #magban would kill.
Former administration insider skewers Obama national security team
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/12/former-administration-insider-skewers-obama-national-security-team/#ixzz2NS0gMKSw
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/12/former-administration-insider-skewers-obama-national-security-team/#ixzz2NS0gMKSw
Perhaps most arresting, however, is Nasr's portrayal of President Obama. The commander-in-chief is depicted here as "dithering" on key Afghan war decisions, tasking national security aides with the same questions, rephrased in minor ways, over and over. Nasr also casts Obama as quick to abandon foreign policy promises made on the campaign trail and too reliant on individuals unqualified to weigh in on foreign policy.
Education in Egypt
Excerpt: Why is it that we so often hear of Muslim children being subjected to severe physical abuse in Madrassahs or Islamic educational institutions, in Islamic countries and here in the West? Instead of receiving bad marks on their school papers for alleged poor academic performance, these children are instead receiving bad marks on their frail little bodies from their teachers, sometimes to the point of death. Here’s why. Hitting children is religiously mandated in Islam and is often quite severe.
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