What is going on in the Land of Lincoln?

Political corruption is an industry that thrives on the banks of Lake Michigan. The Daleys, Otto Kerner, George Ryan, Dan Rostenkowski, and now, Rod Blagojevich.

With all the wit and charm of a used car salesman, Blago was recorded by the feds trying to sell the senate seat vacated by Comrade Barry. Veteran FBI agents involved in the wiretaps and bugging were shocked by the outright salacious tone of Blago's sales tactics. Based on the content of the affidavit filed by the U.S. attorney he may as well have rented billboard space along I-55, dropped leaflets over downtown Chicago and robo-called every household in Cook County.

In Chicago, if you're not cheating, you're not winning. This industry has produced a fair share of bottom feeders. And now, a spawn of this revolving door has found his way to the highest office in the land. Make no mistake about it, Barry Obama is part and parcel of Chicago politics. Nobody rises to the levels he has risen in that region without writing a few IOUs along the way. How many will come due on 1/20/09?

Blago's wife Patty, the First lady of Illinois, chooses a book each month for the Children's Reading Club. Her choice for this month - How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

What he said

Ted Nugent is the voice of reason. Yes, you heard right. The Nuge is the most rational free thinking individual since Ronald Reagan. I just finished his book, Ted, White and Blue, and it was excellent. If I were to ever hire someone as a spokesperson it would be Uncle Ted.

He wrote an article today declaring open war on RINOs. A RINO (Republican In Name Only) is a great pretender. Someone who takes a conservative position for the sake of political expediency. They are an insult to true conservatives.

The narrow minded, intellectually flawed Comrade Obama cultists will deride Ted's stream of consciousness thinking, but that is strictly out of fear and the lack of a substantial counterargument. We need you, Ted. Now more than ever!

Buy the book here. Read the article here.

Confirmation

Barry can no longer duck and bob and weave. He has no plausible deniability. He has confirmed it to all of America. He intends to redistribute income as president. Watch and listen for yourself right here. I weep for the future.

Great minds think alike

I married wisely. Check out my better half's blog here.

Character Counts

I'll admit that this election is slipping away for John McCain. His campaign has had some missteps lately. They have been slow to react to events. The candidate himself has been off point and unable to connect. But, for the most part, he has been a victim of circumstance. A feeble economy is a severe drag on the party that occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

All of these events have made me more resolute. I am fully prepared to go down with the ship. But I will keep a stiff upper lip, and, as Winston Churchill said, "never, ever give up". This steadfastness is in stark contrast to the emotionally shallow left. I recall reading news articles in the days following the 2004 election about Kerry supporters, so overwhelmed with despair at Bush's reelection, flocking to psychiatrist offices by the thousands. Well, I don't have a therapist on speed dial, nor will I need one. I know a thing or two about disappointment. I'm a Philadelphia sports fan.

This brings me to another severe character flaw on the left - a severe lack of common courtesy.

CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds has spent most of the last year traveling with the Obama campaign. He recently moved over to the McCain campaign and wrote a recent article about the behind the scenes differences between the two. He writes that Obama's "national headquarters in Chicago airily dismisses complaints from journalists wondering why a schedule cannot be printed up or at least e-mailed in time to make coverage plans." He also says that "aides who deal with the national reporters on the campaign plane are often overwhelmed, overworked and un-informed about where, when, why or how the candidate is moving about."

And this little tidbit doesn't seem very environmentally friendly - "I would love to have someone from Obama's campaign explain why the entire press corps, the Secret Service, and the local police idled for two hours in a Miami hotel parking lot recently because there was nothing to do and nowhere to go." Mr. Reynolds states that incidents like this are not isolated.

He contrasts these with the McCain campaign, saying:

"The McCain folks are more helpful and generally friendly. The schedules are printed on actual books you can hold in your hand, read, and then plan accordingly. The press aides are more knowledgeable and useful to us in the news media. The events are designed with a better eye, and for the simple needs of the press corps. When he is available, John McCain is friendly and loquacious."

As for Obama's give and take with the press:

"Obama holds news conferences, but seldom banters with the reporters who've been following him for thousands of miles around the country."

Oh, and Obama's campaign plane stinks.

There is much more. I encourage you to read it here.

Hmmm, sitting around, idling, because there is nothing to do or nowhere to go. Why do I feel this is a portent of what is to come over the next four years?

CYA

Expectations were set low for Sarah Palin in last night's VP debate with Lunch Bucket Joe. But who set those expectations? Was it Sarah Palin? No. John McCain? No again. It was, in fact, your friendly, unbiased (sarc) mainstream media pundits. There pre-debate take was if Palin was able to walk out on stage without falling on her face, that was a victory.

This is classic Cover Your Ass mentality. Either way, if she underperforms or if she does OK, they don't see their prediction as incorrect or off the mark. But what do you say when she not only holds her own, but takes it to her opponent? What do you do when she knocks it out of the park? You get angry and demeaning!

The bitter trio over at MSNBC were caught flat-footed after Palin's excellent turn and, as most libs do when they can't counter with substantive arguments, tried to marginalize her through personal attacks.

Chris Matthews referred to her as a "dolt" for looking into the camera when responding to questions. Rachel Maddow said she looked "cartoonish". And Keith Olberman? Well, Keith just wears too much make-up to be taken seriously.

The MSNBC experiment has been an abject failure. Fox got the jump in the late 90's with the "Fair and Balanced" mantra. I'll freely admit that they lean right. But they offer dissenting opinions from the left. MSNBC saw the success over at Fox and tried to mimic this format. Except, they went left. Very left. And, in the process, got shreaded in the ratings.

How many times can you hear someone say Bush is a liar, a war criminal, a moron? Those on the left are bitter. No question about that. They're eager to point out what is wrong with this country. They look to cast blame. But they don't offer solutions, just vitriol. And who wants to listen to that? Obviously, not many.

Mad Cow

Enough politics and economic woe. Let's get to some real human interest stories. I think this one would be a good launching point. Enjoy!

It's a big sh#! sandwich...

...and we've all got to take a bite. Then we have to swallow. And finally, rinse thoroughly. The do-nothings in DC are deciding how deep to dig into somebody else's (mine and yours) pocket to bail out the ass-hats of Wall Street. The most expensive socialist mandate in recorded history is about to descend upon the masses.

When all is said and done and all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed I want to see some blood shed. Maybe not literally, but figuratively. I want names named. I want responsible parties publicly shamed. I want reputations ruined and careers destroyed. The DC pigs and their Wall Street benefactors should be forced to run the gauntlet of humiliation.

Let's not stop there. The institutes of higher learning that granted degrees to any and all at the apex of this disaster should be toppled to the ground. Those MBA's are worth as much as the meaningless paper sitting on the books of all those insolvent banks.

I've got the pitch forks. Somebody grab the torches. We've got work to do.

The Blame Game

So, who's to blame for the current financial crisis? The popular sentiment throught the years is to blame the party in power for economic downtimes. That would lay the blame at the feet of the Republicans. But is it really fair to make this assessment?

I came across an article published in the New York Times on September 11, 2003. It outlined a Bush administration proposal to overhaul the regulation and oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac after an independent investigation earlier that year showed manipulation in accounting to mislead investors.

The proposal was well received by both Fannie and Freddie, as well as their competitors. But not everyone was in favor. Barney, who was the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee at the time of the proposal and is now the chairman, had the following to say of the proposal:

''These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis. ''The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.''

Feel free to make your own assumptions regarding who is to blame. Read the full NYT article here. Also check out an excellent article by John Lott that delves deeper into the credit mess here.

A Man Ahead of His Time

This is getting entertaining. I would love to see the looks on the faces of Barry's campaign staffers each time someone sticks a microphone in front of Joe Biden. It has to be just utter pain and anguish. Lunch Bucket Joe offered the following bit of historical perspective while discussing the current financial crisis with Katie Couric:

“When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed,” Biden told Couric. “He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.’”

OK. Let us disect:

1. When the stock market crashed - October 29, 1929. "Black Tuesday" as it was known. The President of the United States? Herbert Hoover, not FDR. FDR was not elected until 1932.

2. Franklin Roosevelt got on the television - Well, we've already established FDR was not president at the time. Now, the television was still in development in 1929. The first household TV sets weren't introduced for another ten years. If you happened to have a TV at the time, you wouldn't have seen FDR or Hoover anyway since there were no broadcast networks in existence.

I gotta tell you, this Biden is a godsend! And it's only September. Bravo, Joe! Bravo! Let's keep the good times rolling! I'll bet the Obama camp wishes they could sequester him and send out a body double for the debate.

Bill Hearts Sarah

The boy president's got a crush! Sarah makes Willy's toes curl. But, alas, the Dope from Hope isn't in the same league as this classy lady. Moose-hunting hockey mom and a juvenile sex addict? Please, Sarah wouldn't give someone the likes of Mr. Depravity a second thought. But I'm sure he's had some sleepless, sweaty nights since the Thrilla from Wasilla burst onto the scene. Better not let Hill catch you swooning!

The Patriot

Continuing on this theme of taxation and income redistribution, I want to focus on a statement that was made by Barry's VP pick, Joe Biden. First of all, Biden likes to refer to his working class roots and he considers himself a "lunch bucket Democrat". This couldn't be farther from the truth. His father was a car salesman and later a mid-level exec. His grandfather was a state senator in Pennsylvania. He graduated from the prestigious Archmere Academy in Delaware and then from the University of Delaware and Syracuse University law School. So spare me the cliched pulled myself up by the bootstraps storyline.

Back to my point. This morning on Good Morning America, Lunch Bucket Joe said that paying more taxes was the patriotic thing for wealthy Americans to do. He also said specifically, "We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people".

There you have it. It doesn't get much more succinct than that. They are going to take money. In other words, it is un-patriotic to keep that money you worked hard to earn and do with it as you please. We, meaning Barry and Joe, will decide what to do with that money.

Now, Joe has been known to stick his foot in his mouth from time to time, so there will be some serious spinning on this statement to deny that it represents a redistribution of income. Don't buy it. They mean what they say and say what they mean.

Neighborly Economics

In the continuation of Barry's much ballyhooed interview with Bill O'Reilly last night, the focus was on economics and taxation. Bill was framing Barry's tax plan as a socialist program of redistributing income from the haves to the have nots. Barry had a differing view. He describes it as follows:

"The problem is, if I am sitting pretty and you’ve got a waitress who is making minimum wage plus tips, and I can afford it and she can’t, what’s the big deal for me to say, I’m gonna pay a little bit more? That’s neighborliness."

Translation - If you work hard and make a lot of money you should feel guilty and you must give some of it to someone who doesn't deserve it. The One has spoken!

Obama Family Values

Brother, can you spare a dime?

Interesting. Check out the story.

The Ceiling of Excellence

Last Friday evening I watched an interview with musician Ted Nugent on The Glenn Beck Show. Among the topics that The Nuge waxed philosophical about was something he called the "ceiling of excellence". This is akin to the mercy rule whereby someone is penalized for performing well.

The Motor City Madman provided examples, both actual and theoretical, to make his point. An actual example is the recent case of a 9 year old boy in Connecticut who was told by officials of the local little league that he couldn't pitch any longer because they said he was too good and he would frighten the other players that he played against.

I was witness to the ceiling of excellence this past Saturday. My son played his first soccer game of the season. His team got off to a fast start and scored a few quick goals. There is one boy on the team that is especially good. When he scored his 3rd goal of the game he had to come out of the game for a time because of a league rule. Also, the team had to be short a player because they were winning by several goals. Well, they continued to score even though they were shorthanded. After each successive goal they had to be short one more player until it was 6 players for the other team against 3 players for my son's team. This caused some consternation because the players on my son's team had to wait longer to get back in the game while the other team's players got much more playing time.

What is gained by this? Who benefits? What example is being set? In my opinion, much more is lost than gained and no one wins. Someone is penalized for doing well. They are basically being told that there is a limit to what you are allowed to achieve.

Artificially leveling the playing field because you believe it is helping a child's psyche can actually do the reverse. You give those that are underachieving a false sense of achievement. They won't set realistic goals and when they encounter a situation where the playing field has not been adjusted to accommodate them, they will surely fail. As for those that overachieve, they are discouraged from progressing and doing even better.

This is classic socialist ideology. This fallacy that we are all the same. This lie is perpetuated by left-leaning ideologues. We see it every day in racial and gender quotas at colleges and universities and through affirmative action. It is the very definition of a nanny state.

What if these same standards were applied to someone like Thomas Edison? Or how about the Wright brothers? Or Jonas Salk? Where would this country be?

Parents, teacher, coaches - they all have the sacred responsibility to nurture and encourage achievement. But no one, not even the state, can guarantee it.

Community Organizing 101

Seems like The New Yorker wasn't too far off the mark. Check out this little tidbit from Investor's Business Daily.

Fear & Loathing

It has become as obvious as Joe Biden's hair plugs that the attacks on Sarah Palin's character are because of the left's unmitigated disdain for her. Why such animosity? First, she's not the prissy, submissive, seen-but-not-heard female that they had hoped. And second, she doesn't subscribe to the woe is me, womanhood is a burden, feminists unite crap typical of the loony left.

She is a traditionalist and, boy does that grind the femi-nazi's gears. She juggles her duties as a governor with a complicated home life and does it with a glint in her eye. She has accomplished more at the age of 44 than your run-of-the-mill feminist kook could accomplish in 2 lifetimes.

MIA

Where are they? Where are all those dyed-in-the-wool feminists who screamed bloody murder when the press raked Old Pantsuits over the coals during the Dimocratic primaries? They are silent while the MSM attempts to paint Sarah Palin as an unfit mother.

The press questions her ability to govern while faced with various family issues. Do they ask the same questions of male candidates? Barry is the father of two young children. Has anyone posed the question of whether being a father will have an impact on his ability to govern?

Blatant sexism. And this is from a male perspective. Nothing from NOW or their minions. The silence is deafening.

Nan Book Review Update

OUCH!

Trivial Pursuits

I had an epiphany. I never realized how much liberals trivialize human life until I listened to Barry Obama’s response to a question posed to him last Saturday by Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church. Pastor Warren asked Obama when he thought a baby has “human rights”. Barry was about as graceful as a one-legged tap dancer when he said that giving a specific answer was “above his pay grade”.

This answer is at the same time empty as well as insightful. It is empty in the fact that it displays a deep lack of compassion for the unborn. The left affords more sympathy to lab rats than it does to unborn children. They lessen the human element by turning it into a “woman’s choice” to do with her body what she wants. This puts the slaughter of an unborn child on the same level as getting breast enlargements or a facelift.

It is insightful because it reveals the true character of Barry the politician. Popular sentiment often dictates political positions. Candidates like to position themselves on the popular side of arguments. And so it goes with Barry. For example, the popular sentiment on the war in Iraq is that it was a mistake. Hence, Barry wants us out of Iraq.

Abortion is different. There is a great divide between those that oppose it and those that support it. Barry the politician realizes this and tries to steer clear of firmly planting his flag on one side or the other. However, he is being disingenuous. He has a clear position, but he doesn’t want the masses to know it.

In 2001 the Illinois state legislature introduced the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. The bill was inspired by Jill Stanek, a Chicago nurse who personally witnessed babies that survived late term abortions being left to die alone in soiled linen closets. Barack Hussein Obama was the only legislator to speak against the bill. He argued that the bill was flawed because it could interfere with a woman’s right to choose. This argument was rendered moot when the federal government passed a nearly identical bill a few months later. However, this did not deter Barry. The bill was killed in 2003 by a committee that he chaired.

When Barry was running for the U.S. Senate in 2004, his opponent brought up his vote on this bill. Barry responded by saying that he would have voted for the federal bill because it contained an additional meaningless clause that stated the law would have no effect on abortion policy. Now he wants us to swallow this BS again. Not me. I’m going to do what I can to make sure he doesn’t go up a pay grade.

Birthday

Today is my birthday. I got my skates sharpened and bought a new pair of underwear. Yee-frickin-haa!

The Decline of Western Civilization

I took my kids shopping yesterday at a major retail chain. As is the norm, I gave them 5 minutes to explore the toy section. While waiting for my young ones to complete their perusal I noticed that there was an inflatable pool on clearance. I decided to take a closer look. On the cover of the box is your traditional American family: mom, dad and 2 kids frolicking in the pool. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the father had what appears to be a tattoo on his upper arm. I think to myself that this is not possible. It must be a blemish on the box. I checked another box. Sure enough, it’s there in the same spot. WTF!

This raises several questions which I just don’t have the time to get into. My primary issue is this whole mainstreaming of body art, whether it is in the form of tattoos or piercings. You can’t walk down Main Street or turn on the television without seeing someone who is conspicuously displaying a tattoo. And there is no divide between genders. An equal number of females and males seem to have tattoos.

Without delving into the history of tattoos too deeply they were used in ancient times to signify many things: membership in a particular tribe, to indicate a particular skill, to ward off evil spirits, etc. While there are those today that get tattoos to display allegiance to a group (i.e. any of the various military branches, motorcycle gangs, inner-city gangs, etc.) it has primarily become a fashion statement.

It’s not just Mongo from the Warlocks getting “Berzerker” tattooed across his forehead these days. You’ve got Suzy Homemaker getting a tribal tattoo just above the crack of her ass to show off to all the other soccer moms on Saturday.

Men and women, outside of the groups that I mentioned previously, who get tattoos “just because” lack self-confidence. They need something that draws attention to them. Something that will make them seem interesting. But what happens when the interest wanes? Will they get another one? Will they try to cover up the first mistake?

Don’t just think twice before getting a tattoo. Think several times. Because having someone inject ink just below the surface of your skin because it's "hip" doesn’t build character. It reveals a lack of it.

A Thousand Words

Courtesy of MichelleMalkin.com

No commentary necessary. It speaks for itself.

Worthwhile Cause

Please support the Semper Fi Fund. Click here for more info.

The Liberal Credo

"Do as I say, not as I do!"

Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on a crusade to save us. From what is she saving us? Apparently, from ourselves. For we are responsible for this impending doom known as global climate change. How is she going to save us? By going on a 5 week vacation.

San Fran Nan has shut off the lights in the House of Representatives and left the building. Except for some Republican stalwarts the shiftless lay-abouts of the 110th congress have fled to their various taxpayer subsidized retreats until after Labor Day.

Nancy pulled the plug early on this session of congress last week in order to block debate on offshore drilling. Last Sunday she appeared on “This Week with George Stephanopolous” and gave an empty and bumbling response to the question of why she would not allow a debate. Stephanopolous did a good job of keeping after her.

What’s the real reason she won’t allow a vote? She argues that offshore drilling will do serious harm to the environment. Is she right? Hardly. It’s all about image. She knows that she will lose. This is her attempt at saving face under the guise of saving the environment and it is all at our expense. Her answer is to have the President release 700 million barrels from the Strategic Oil Reserves. This is an old election year tactic that she knows hasn’t a snowballs chance in hell of happening. Why won’t it happen? Just before the 2000 election Republicans made the same demands from President Clinton that went absolutely nowhere.

She’ll continue to attempt to manipulate the voters by claiming she’s battling the threat of global climate change and that the Republicans are “hand maidens” of the oil industry.

There are real threats and there are imagined threats. Real threats are tangible and can be measured, such as radical Islamic terrorism. How can this be measured? Check out the gigantic hole in the middle of Manhattan.

What is an example if an imagined threat? Global climate change. This is an outright fantasy that exists in the minds of left-wing ideologues like Madame Speaker. And she whips it out and wields it like an axe to thwart any attempt at a reasonable debate on energy.

By the way, in case you’re wondering how Nan is spending her vacation, she’s going on a tour to promote her latest book, “Know Your Power: A Message to America’s Daughters”. Judging by the reviews at Amazon.com, Nan should have followed her own advice and saved some trees. But then again, that would be contrary to the old liberal credo of “Do as I say, not as I do”.

Funny Money

Image courtesy of my lovely and talented wife.

You have to wonder why he keeps doing it. Why he keeps making these clueless, inane statements. Does he think nobody is listening? Does he think no one will care? Or is it that he is a complete and utter buffoon? I'm leaning toward the latter.

His latest is a doosy. If you haven't heard about it, click here.

To summarize, Barry says that the McCain campaign will try to scare voters away from voting for him by saying he doesn't look like "all those other presidents on the dollar bills." The Obama campaign says that Barry was not playing the race card when he made this statement.

Let's examine this, shall we? What would a rational person surmise from this statement? First of all, they're not all presidents on U.S. paper currency (Alexander Hamilton - $10 bill, Ben Franklin - $100 bill). What is it that binds all of these historical figures together? What is the common thread? Is it their hair color? No. Do they all have facial hair? Nope. Are they all wearing glasses? No, again.

I can only think of two recurring common traits:

1. They are all male, and

2. They are all caucasians.

Ok, so, a rational person can surmise after some examination that Barry is telling us that he is not a man, or he is not a caucasian. Now, the first option may be up for some debate, but I would tend to think a rational person would surmise that the underlying meaning of Barry's statement is the following:

"The McCain campaign will tell you not to vote for me because I am black."

Seems rational to me. But I'm a product of the public school system so I may be pushing the envelope. I'll let the more rational of us make up their minds for themselves.

There is a lot of campaigning left, but Barry seems to have a chronic case of foot-in-mouth disease. Will the Obamanians try to blame this latest gaffe on campaign fatigue? Because traveling across these 57 United States can take a toll on a guy. Or will they try to blame it on those racist crackers at the U.S. Mint? One thing's for sure: They hope you're not paying attention.

Call him "Keg-stand John"

I get a kick out of these sanctimonious a-holes on the left that bring up George W. Bush's problems with alcoholism in his past. They call him a drunk and a party animal who's just looking for a good time.

I wonder if they have anything to say about Longface's recent cavorting with a group of dopy, half-in-the-bag twentysomethings. Check it out here.

Barry's Wealth Redistribution

Globe-trotting statesman and mass media darling Barry Obama has redefined the income classes in the U.S. According to Barry, if you make less than $250,000 annually you are “somewhere in the middle class.” Based on this he would raise taxes for families making $250,000 or more and lower taxes for those making $150,000 or less.

This is disturbing.

Collapsing of the classes and massive income redistribution have been mainstays of liberal ideology for decades. With this proposal we see the very real potential of it being enacted. This is the crux of an Obama administration – Smug elitists will decide how to spend your money because you are not nearly as smart as they are and that renders you incapable of making such important decisions.

The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 ushered in communism. Private bank accounts were confiscated. Factories were put under the control of the government. Land was redistributed. And wages were fixed. We’ve seen how well this system of government has “helped” people. Just ask the starving masses in North Korea and China. That is, if you could ask them. Capitalism isn’t perfect, but it’s a damn sight better than the alternative. Make no mistake about it – Barry has an alternative plan.

As a former student of economics at university I am a proponent of Laissez-faire. The literal translation is “let do”. In theory, it calls for minimal intervention in private markets by the government. Barry is at the other end of the spectrum.

The government, according to the Declaration of Independence, has 4 main duties:

Provide for the common defense
Promote general welfare
Establish the rule of law
Ensure domestic tranquility

It’s not in the business of making people happy. We ourselves are responsible for that.

President of the World

Unprecedented, mesmerizing, unequaled, earth shattering. Words to describe Barry’s speech in Berlin yesterday? Not exactly. These are words that aptly describe the level of arrogance he displayed during his foreign odyssey.

The Berlin speech was the icing on the cake. In his attempt at a Kennedy-esque moment he described himself as a “citizen of the world” and spoke about all of the barriers he will break down. Many have dubbed him the black John Kennedy. After seeing the hubris of this man he’d probably say that John Kennedy was the white Barack Obama.

Barry’s body language says a lot. When greeting foreign leaders on this trip, he would shake their hand and then immediately turn his attention to the assemblage of cameras as if he were on the red carpet. It’s all about image for the Obama campaign. It has to be because there is no substance to his message.

Barry has denied that this was a campaign trip. He called it a “fact-finding mission”. He canceled a visit with injured American soldiers at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. An Obama spokesman said “it would be inappropriate to make a stop to visit troops at a U.S. military facility as part of a trip funded by the campaign.” Hmm. He didn’t have a problem shooting hoops with servicemen and women in Afghanistan. Guess there weren’t any facts to find from brave injured American soldiers.

I have one final note. The Obama campaign has begun the process of forming a White House transition team. This is shocking! I thought for sure he would have had this setup months ago. Better get back on the ball, Barry, if you’re going to save the world!

Brian, Charlie and Katie. Oh My!

Photo courtesy MichelleMalkin.com

The Obama Foreign Express has taken on a few noteworthy passengers for their overseas tour. The Holy Trinity of broadcast network news is along for the ride. Brian Williams of NBC, Charlie Gibson of ABC and Katie Couric of CBS.

Yes, let the coronation begin. The unbiased mainstream media is in full tow for the dog and pony show of the decade. The supreme triumvirate will bestow their blessing upon Barry, the man who would be president and the Bush-hating Europeans will embrace the new messiah.

It doesn’t matter what you think. Damn the Constitution! It’s overrated. The MSM has gone to the voting booth and pulled the lever for you. Don’t make any special plans on November 4th to go to your local polling place. This one’s already been decided.

They were robbed in 2000 and 2004. They’re not taking this one for granted. They’ve pulled out all the stops to make sure this one goes into the win column. Besides, they know what’s best for us. Don’t they?

FOOTNOTE: For those on the left too dim to grasp the concept of sarcasm, the preceding was an example.

The 300

Statesman-in-training Barry Obama has assembled a group of foreign policy advisors that rivals the cast of The Ten Commandments. A group of 300 talking heads have been put together to tell Barry what to think and say. Basically, it’s a bureaucracy within a bureaucracy.

Is this a surprise? It shouldn’t be, given Barry’s frightening lack of foreign policy acumen. But, of course, that didn’t stop him from making a bold statement about withdrawing all U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months of the beginning of his presidency.

What will happen when Barry and the Obamaniacs journey to Iraq in the near future? Will he acknowledge the progress, both military and civic, that has been made in the last year?

In 480 B.C. 300 Spartans held the Persian army, which was estimated to number over 200,000, at bay for 3 days in Thermopylae. I doubt that Barry’s 300 have the same mettle as those Spartans. After all, a Spartan warrior was trained to destroy his enemy, not appease it.

Stupidelphia

The pride of South Philly

Two women from St. Louis, MO were in Philadelphia last week to watch their hometown Cardinals play the Phillies. The women, Cindy Grassi and Sandra Wacker were best friends who taught school together. After the game had ended on Thursday the two were crossing Broad St. when they were struck by an allegedly impaired hit-and-run driver who had run a red light. Cindy Grassi died from her injuries on Sunday while Sandra Wacker remains in intensive care with brain trauma, a broken leg and 2 separated shoulders.

The driver, 18 year-old Joseph Genovese, Jr. of South Philadelphia later turned himself in to police. In a televised interview on the local NBC affiliate, he claims that he was not under the influence and that the women ran out into the street while he was coming through a yellow light at the intersection. In other words, it was just a terrible accident and he is extremely remorseful.

There’s an old saying: “Youth is wasted on the young.” Does this apply to Mr. Genovese? In spades. The information age allows us an insight into the character of this South Philly ding-dong, for Mr. Genovese has a MySpace page! (See Philadelphia Daily News article for more info)

What little trinkets are on his page? Well, for instance, he is using his police mugshot as his profile picture. There are several pictures of him smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, even though he claimed in his TV interview that he is not a drinker (he also has a pending charge for marijuana possession from last March).

One photo, apparently taken from the driver’s seat of his car shows the speedometer at 105 MPH.

He claims that he makes $250,000 a year and lists his occupation as “Chronic Dealer”.

Anyway, you get the gist.

The feelings of this dimwit’s mother regarding this situation give you the impression that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. According to Lt. Jim McCarrick of the Philadelphia Police she “thinks the whole thing is overkill” and that “he [Genovese] just ran a red light and got into a car accident.”

For all the bragging Genovese does on his website he was anything but when he turned himself in to police on Tuesday. A police source said Genovese looked “pale-faced and kept throwing up.”

Oh yes, this tough guy is going to love prison. And prison is going to love him right back.

The Religion of Peace

There was a story from the Associated Press a few days ago about the execution of two women in Afghanistan by the Taliban. The AP reporter who was present took several photos leading up to the execution and, for good measure, took a video of the actual execution. Click here to access the video from The Jawa Report (WARNING: Graphic video!).

From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan through shear brutality. There was no formal government. In fact, what government they had was only recognized by 3 nations: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They imposed Sharia law to the fullest extent. Public executions, usually of women, were commonplace.

Under Sharia, women were forbidden from pursuing an education after the age of 8. They were forced to wear a burqa in public. And they could not be treated by a male doctor without a male chaperon present. Violations of Sharia were punishable by public floggings or execution.

Both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan claim to be our allies in the war on terror. I would beg to differ. They are, in fact, breeding grounds for jihadists. How do they create these terrorists? Are there secret camps in the desert used to train them? No. They just simply use the public school system.

The Hudson Institute, a non-profit research organization, translated text books from the Saudi Ministry of Education. What are some of the things they teach?

• Every religion other than Islam is false.
  
• Those that die outside of Islam will enter hellfire.
  
• It is not permitted to be a loyal friend to a non-believer.
  
• Jews and Christians are enemies of Islam and do not approve of Muslims.

The text also breaks down blood money for human life. For example, a Muslim man’s life is worth 100 camels. A Muslim woman’s is 50 camels. A male infidel is 50 camels and a female infidel is 25 camels.

In my estimation, this nothing short of state sponsored terrorism. And, contrary to what the peacenik movement may want everyone to believe, we do not manufacture these terrorists through our policies. They are carefully crafted from birth based on warped beliefs handed down from generation to generation.

Earned Reputation

The cover of the latest issue of The New Yorker magazine has a caricature of the Obamas (Barry & Michelle) that depicts them as Muslim radicals in the Oval Office. Barry is dressed in traditional Muslim garb fist-bumping his fatigue-wearing, gun-toting wife while a portrait of Usama bin Laden hangs over the fireplace where an American flag is burning.

The cover artist, Barry Blitt, intended the illustration as a parody, saying that “depicting the concept [that the Obamas are unpatriotic] would show it as the fear-mongering ridiculousness that it is.” While it may be over the top it is not altogether untrue. The Obamas reputation is not a product of the mass media or some vast right-wing conspiracy. They have only themselves to blame.

It’s the little things that add up. Telling people you think the United States is “just downright mean”. Having associations with unrepentant terrorists. Claiming that wearing a U.S. flag pin is a substitute for real patriotism. The real patriotism the Obamas favor appears to involve “dissing” your country.

This new practice of bad-mouthing the U.S. to express your love for it is puzzling. I love my wife. Should I go around bad-mouthing her? No thank you. I’m a traditionalist. This new wave of patriotism is not for me.

As for the Obamas, your reputation wasn’t manufactured overnight. You earned it through many years of being “patriots”.

Gaseous Expulsions

There’s a scene in the movie “Jaws” that I am particularly fond of. Capt. Quint (played by Robert Shaw) is describing what it’s like to look into the eyes of a shark and says “Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes.”

I feel the same way when I look at Nancy Pelosi. She’s got lifeless eyes. Clueless is a good way to describe her views on high gas prices and oil exploration. She calls drilling in protected areas a hoax and blames Bush administration policies for driving up prices. Really? That gigantic gas bubble, Al Gore, used fancy charts and graphs to make his case. I shall do the same, but without boring you to tears.

Let’s take a look at gas prices before and after the Dimocrats seized control of both chambers of Congress:

Click to enlarge. Chart courtesy of Michelle Malkin and GasBuddy.com.

I think this graph speaks for itself. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.

Still Pals?

World renowned racial extortionist The Rev. Jesse Jackson made an open mic gaffe on Sunday prior to an interview on FOX News. While chatting with a guest he chastised Barry Obama over his speeches at black churches, saying he is “talking down to black people” and that he (Jesse) wants “to cut his nuts off.”

Obama, to his credit, has been speaking about the responsibilities of parents and fathers’ taking an active role in their children’s lives. Why would Jackson be opposed to this? Quite simply, it would be bad for business. Jackson and others of the same ilk (Al Sharpton, Jeremiah Wright) make their living off the plight of the black community.

A solid family structure means less delinquency. Less delinquency means more time in school. More time in school means better education. Better education means improved career prospects. Improved career prospects means less crime. You see the trend. And so does Jesse. Where most would see a chance at a better life, Jesse sees impending irrelevance.

It is so blatantly obvious how these so called black leaders manipulate the trust of the communities they are supposed to serve. They tell the oppressed masses what they want to hear. Whitey is the reason for your suffering! But don’t call them on the carpet for it lest ye want to be branded a racist (or Uncle Tom, if you’re black). You cannot question their authority. They are above reproach. They answer to no one.

Jesse called a hasty press conference yesterday and apologized up and down for his remarks. The Obama camp responded that Barry will continue to speak about family responsibility, but that he accepts Jesse’s apology. Jackson seems to have sidestepped the bus, for now.

Not too subtle Willy

The Boy President, Willy Clinton, recently took a thinly veiled jab at John McCain’s imprisonment during the Vietnam War. While speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival with former socialist president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, he made the following statement about POW’s:

“If you know anybody who was a P.O.W. for any length of time, you will see, you go along for months or maybe even years and then something will happen and it will trigger all those bad dreams, and it will come back, it may not last 30 seconds…”

Depraved sex monger turned psychoanalyst? Willy lacks the moral gumption to sit in judgment of anyone, let alone a decorated war hero. His validity period expired years ago and he is becoming more irrelevant by the day. He is but a pathetic sidekick to his pantsuit wearing partner. The Jimmy Carter wing of the insignificance hall of fame is calling.

The last few months have been enjoyable watching the Clinton machine come to a screeching halt. Seeing the wheels come off gives me hope that bad things can happen to bad people.

How to Tree a Numbskull

The city of Berkeley, CA is a place where common sense goes to die. There is a group of protesters that have been living in a grove of oak trees on the campus of UC Berkeley. Some have been there since December 1, 2006. Why are they living in the trees? They are opposing a plan by the university to construct a new athletic center where the trees are currently located.

This place is truly the bizarro world. The squatters’ tactics for evading capture include tossing their own excrement at the university police trying to remove them. Just recently, a supporter of the group was arrested for assaulting a police officer.

I have no sympathy for either side in this dispute. The attention-starved dim bulbs wasting away in the foliage have accomplished nothing and will eventually lose. The lifelong contrarian elitist university administration is experiencing the fruits of their labor. Reap what you sow!

People that place the value of an inanimate object over all are a severe drag on society. And those that praise and support them are just as damaging. What a jolly goods show it would be to start dropping these trees, nuts and all!

His flips are flops

In a recent posting I longed for the days of Ronald Reagan and wondered who would be the next great leader of the GOP. Well, I think we may have found our man and his name is, gulp, Barry Obama! What?! I’m being facetious, of course. But let’s take a look at some of the recent positions that Barry has taken.

• In reference to his forthcoming trip to Iraq, he said “I am going to do a thorough assessment when I’m there. I’m sure I’ll have more information and continue to refine my policy.” Continue to refine his policy? He has said from the beginning of his campaign that he would withdrawal all U.S. troops within 16 months of taking office. What is he going to refine? Will he acknowledge the significant progress that has been made in the past year?



• He voted for FISA last month after having said the following last February; “I am proud to stand with Senator Dodd, Senator Feingold and a grassroots movement of Americans who are refusing to let President Bush put protections for special interests ahead of our security and our liberty."



• A staunch anti-capital punishment advocate, he opposed the Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw the death penalty for child rapists and supported their decision to overturn the District of Columbia’s gun ban.



• He has pledged to expand President Bush’s faith-based initiatives program and is openly courting evangelical votes.



• He is currently running ads touting his Midwest upbringing and values.

I’m sensing a theme here. He’s trying to be all things to all people. He’s got the loons on the left behind him now it’s time to go after the traditionalists. You know, the ones that cling to guns and religion. Only an elitist twit would have the gall spit in your face one day and the next be telling you he’s got your back.

Are all of these flip-flops? Perhaps not, but they are definitely not reflective of his voting record in the Illinois state senate and the congress, where he enjoys a liberal score of 95.5, the highest in the Senate.

The Republicans were able to expose John Kerry’s flip-flops in 2004 and it was damaging to him. Barry has provided the ammo. I think it’s time the GOP fired at will and with impunity.

Forlorn 4th?

Chris Satullo, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inkwaster, recently wrote a piece that called for Americans to cast aside their 4th of July celebrations and spend the day atoning for recent U.S. atrocities (Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, etc.). He states that we have sullied the memory of our founding fathers who would have been appalled by such things. He goes on to say that we are to blame because we stood by silent while those on high ordered these actions.

Since we are supposed to be atoning, let’s make sure we have a complete list. Have we properly atoned for My Lai? How about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII? What about Wounded Knee?

And what about slavery? Oops, I forgot. We don’t have to have a day of silence. We just need to fork over our hard earned money to wipe the slate clean for that one.

Let’s take this thing international. Should the Germans forgo Oktoberfest to atone for the Holocaust? How about the British cancel St. George’s Day to make up for the exploitation of India?

Liberal guilt is an amazing thing. It knows no limits. Someone else did a bad thing so we have to deprive ourselves of experiencing joy. What nonsense!

We who are of sound mind and strong moral fiber celebrate the 4th of July to honor the sacrifices of the many, not the cowardice and evil deeds of the few.

Mr. Satullo and the rest of the emotionally fragile left can atone all they want on the 4th. I’ll be raising my glass in tribute to those who really matter.

Get the FARC out of here

In an audacious rescue yesterday, the Colombian military freed 15 hostages from captivity. Some of the hostages had been captive for 6 years. The hostages were being held by the terrorist group called FARC, the self-proclaimed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Among the hostages were 3 Americans (Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell) and a former Colombian presidential candidate (Ingrid Betancourt).

The rescue involved months of planning and a fair amount of deceit and cunning. Spies had infiltrated FARC and were able to convince the group to hand over the hostages believing they were being transferred to another camp.

Just who is FARC? FARC was established in 1964 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party. They are recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the EU. They are heavily involved in the cocaine trade which is the primary source of their funding. They also receive assistance from a sympathetic neighbor.

Megalomaniac dictator and chum to Hollyweird A-listers Hugo Chavez is linked to FARC. Documents seized in a raid on FARC last March revealed several years of cooperation between FARC and the Venezuelan government. Chavez was about to loan the group $250 million to purchase arms. Prior to this discovery in January Chavez had been lobbying hard to have FARC removed from a list of terrorist organizations.

Sean Penn could not be reached for comment. He was vacationing with the Castro brothers.

Warm up the Bus

Many political pundits had Wesley Clark on a short list of potential running mates for Big Government Barry. That list is one name shorter today after Wes made some half-ass comments about the military record of a decorated war hero. Ol’ Wes has grooved one right over the middle of the plate for the McCain campaign.

Yes, indeed, let’s put McCain’s military service out there and compare it to, um, let me see, oh yes, Barry’s “community service”. Does Wes think Barry’s work with leftists better qualifies him to be president?

Wes used to be a shill for the pant-suited one and her depraved husband. But, alas, the political winds shifted and along with it Wes' allegiance.

Wonder how long it’s going to take for the Obama camp to toss Wes under that bus. It’s getting mighty crowded under there. Move over Jeremiah! A little to the left, Granny! You’ve got company!

Short Road to Ruin

I miss Ronald Reagan. Rarely got any BS from him. Cool. Calm. Affable. Down to earth. Defeated communism. Restored America’s prominence in the world after a peanut farmer flushed it down the toilet.

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Still gives me chills when I hear it.

In 1984, The Gipper was facing Walter Mondale in the general election. In their first debate, Reagan performed horribly. He stumbled over several questions and appeared lost and confused. The press branded him as too old and out of touch.

At the time of the ’84 election Reagan was 73. Mondale was 56. The next debate was a critical test for Reagan. He needed to quash any speculation that he would be unable to govern in a crisis. During the debate one of the moderators asked President Reagan point blank about his age as a factor in governing during a crisis. Reagan’s response became a classic:

“I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience.”

The entire audience, including Mondale, broke into laughter. The eternal optimist had slayed ‘em. He cruised to reelection in a landslide.

Alas, the party of Reagan is a distant memory. The gains of the Republican revolution of the 90’s have been frittered away. The GOP is on life support. A shot of adrenaline to the heart is needed, but none is available.

I admire George W. Bush. He has faced unprecedented criticism on every major policy decision he has made. But the thing that thing that puzzles and ultimately frustrates is his unwillingness to fight back against often unwarranted criticism. What happened to the W that called NY Slimes reporter Adam Clymer a “major league asshole”? A strong and forceful rebuttal to the hypocrites on the left would’ve defined him as the unquestioned leader of the GOP, but that has not happened and is unlikely to in the future.

McCain? I’m sure he’s a fine man and he has my vote, but he’s too nice to the Democrats. He is more harsh in his criticism of those in his own party.

The wait continues…

Emergency Room Vistits Courtesy of Al Gore

My strikingly beautiful wife recently brought to my attention a news article about a new game that kids are playing. What is this game? Well, it involves a simple plastic water bottle. Basically, you take an empty bottle, loosen the cap and twist the center of the bottle. Then, you slam the bottom of the bottle with your hand and the cap shoots off at a high rate of speed. This “cannon” is causing a growing number of eye injuries to not only the participants in this game, but also innocent bystanders.

Now, you can’t use just any kind of bottle. There’s a new kind of bottle that producers of bottled water are using and it is made with a thin plastic. I just happen to have one of these bottles sitting on my desk as I write this posting. Why are they using a thinner plastic? Of course, it’s better for the environment. The law of unintended consequences has also made it better for ocular surgeons and prosthetic eye manufacturers.

Let me get to the point: What does this have to do with Al Gore? Perhaps, very little. But it has everything to do with junk science. And that pompous windbag is the biggest purveyor of this particular form of junk science on the planet. I absolutely rail against global warming alarmists and their minions! The vast majority of them aren’t scientists, don’t hold any scientific degrees or have any specialized training on the subject. They compare global warming to the holocaust. They brand anyone that dares to disagree with them as a Nazi. My blood pressure rises at the very sight of Gore-bot or any Hollywood ding-dong preaching about the environment and how it needs to be “saved”. Surely Al practices what he preaches, right? Umm, no. See this. Only in this country can a mannequin win an Academy Award for a PowerPoint presentation.

Some friendly advice…Leonardo DiCaprio is no Archimedes. And, brother, if you hold him in high regard because of his environmental theories, you need to stop living on Weird Street and come home for a reality check. And by reality check I mean a good pistol whipping! Wake the f up! You are being scammed!

I’ve said my piece. You know where I stand. If we happen to be engaged in polite conversation in a social setting, for your safety and the safety of those around you, steer clear of the aforementioned subject!

The Pimple List v1.0

One huge, festering pimple with two heads.



Joseph Goebbels of the Enviro-Nazis.



Empty suit.



Settled in nicely to his role as a diplo-moron.



Baby daddy?



"You know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes."



Just let your soul glow!



Why the long face?



Not sure he's in control of his own bowels any longer.

Shakespeare was right

“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”
Act IV, Scene II
Henry VI

There is probably no one in the history of recorded time as quotable as the Bard. He is still relevant even 400 years after his death. This particular quote is my favorite. I find it inspirational. Now, the scholarly interpretation of the quote is that he was referring to politicians. But, hey, when you come down to brass tacks lawyers and politicians are mere bastard children of the same wayward mother. The boy president, Willy Clinton, happens to be both. As well as an unequivocal bastard.

There is one particular lawyer/politician who has managed to swim his way to the bottom of the cesspool. Massachusetts State Representative James Fagan, a Dummycrat, said the following on the floor of the Massachusetts state house when referring to the cross examination of child rape victims:

“I’m gonna rip them apart. I'm going to make sure that the rest of their life is ruined, that when they’re 8 years old, they throw up; when they’re 12 years old, they won’t sleep; when they’re 19 years old, they’ll have nightmares and they’ll never have a relationship with anybody.”

This rant was during a debate on a law that would require stiff mandatory sentences for child sex offenders, aka Jessica’s Law. Rep. Fagan defended these comments by saying it was his duty as a defense attorney in order to save his clients from such “draconian” punishment.

Draconian describes Fagan’s warped sense of morality.

A lawyer’s conscience: Is there such a thing? Not likely. The voters of Massachusetts get what they deserve when they elect this rabble. It’s not surprising. After all, they’ve continuously reelected the Chappaquidick Marauder.

Click here to read the article. If you’d like to send Mr. Fagan a friendly note:

Telephone: 617-722-2040

E-Mail: Rep.JamesFagan@hou.state.ma.us

Address: 26 Dean St.


Taunton, MA 02780