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…