The Ramble: 1-19-12

Ulster, NY- Been a hell of a long week. Tomorrow’s the last day I’ll leave here and run to Newburgh, then to Northern NJ to grab some pasta… and head to Rochester with it

• Huntsman: Huntsman joins the list of those who dropped out….( alongwith Perry, who is a seriously classy act, but shoulda dropped out some time ago.) Already I’m hearing about how Huntsman couldn’t cut it in the GOP race because he wasn’t being hateful enough. Wouldn’t call Obama what he is… a grade one socialist. Two things strike me about this; First, that Romney wouldn’t either… and he was until recently running away with the thing. Funny how they don’t even attempt to explain that one.  The other thing that strike me here is that the timing is suggestive that Romney’s people got to him and are dangling the prospect of Vice President in his face.  If I’m correct about that, it’s the ultimate slap in the face to the GOP rank and file and will ensure a GOP loss.
• Oh… and About Romney…  After touting a win in Iowa….. turns out he lost to Santorum.
• Gingrich: Newt’s picking up support from those who dropped out. Romney, who was mere days ago being touted as the nominee, is now at serious risk as the UnRomney is revealed…. and it looks like Gingrich is the one.  Newt’s a point and a half back in the polling numbers. Remember, Gang…. at no point has Romney ever gotten over 25% in the polling…  except in New Hampshire… which Romney threw everything he had at. In case I need to spell this out for you, 75% of the party wants Romney nowhere near the White House. Those numbers are starting to gel, now around the survivor…. Gingrich. Watch for the press attacks to start up on Gringrich… including yes, sexual innuendos. His response at the Debates tonight on THAT topic was spot on. He came out kicking ass and not worrying about the names. Good for him, and good for us.
• Ron Paul:  … is still an inexcusable moron. His still being in the race only goes to prove how far people are willing to go to eliminate the liberal death grip on this nation. He has no chance at all of winning. Thank God.

This may be the greatest debate answer in the history of presidential primary debates and the loudest standing ovation ever in any debate,  video via Jill, Pundit & Pundette:

Juan Williams, for whom I have some regard and respect, persisted in the most ill-fated attack since what July 3, 1863.

Williams suggests that saying that blacks should look for jobs before Food Stamps is racist.    Yet no one ever become successful looking first for welfare.

The grounding of the Costa Concordia shows that like  Captain Francesco Schettino our culture is headed in the wrong dirction, from Daily Mail (UK) via Jill, Pundit & Pundette:

Men refused to prioritise women, expectant mothers and children as they pushed themselves forward to escape. Crew ignored their passengers – leaving ‘chefs and waiters’ to help out

Shocked?

More:

Frenchwoman Isabelle Mougin, 38, who is five months pregnant, wept as she described her battle to get off the sinking ship with her husband. Interviewed in hospital, she said the captain refused to let them leave the vessel, even though she pleaded that she was a priority case because of her pregnancy.

Alas, it not a baby, only a choice, non-viable tissue mass.

Reax, Jill:

That woman had some very old-school expectations of “grown men,” it seems. And special treatment for pregnant women? Based on what?

Sadly predictable.

Mere chronological advancement does not equal to progress.   We becoming both more technologically advanced and more culturally backwards.   Like it girls?

Who knew piss was offensive?  The hyperbolic over reaction to the Marine0s’ short arm salute has me well pissed, from, Wikipedia:

Piss Christ is a 1987 photograph by artist and photographerAndres Serrano. It depicts a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass of the artist’s urine. The piece was a winner of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art‘s “Awards in the Visual Arts” competition,^[1] which is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a United States Government agency that offers support and funding for artistic projects. A print of the photograph was damaged using a screwdriver or icepick on April 17, 2011 while on exhibit in Avignon, France.

Maybe the four Marine gentlemen should apply to National Endowment for the  Arts for a grant to  cover the cost o their legal defense.   I mean it is not like the tax payers have never paid for stuff like this before.    I mean if offending millions of Christians should qualify for a federal grant,  what is the problem with offending Muslims, or the difference?

If  the Marine gentlemen had  urinated on the Taliban gentlemen while  they still alive, it would be called kinky.    If the Taliban were dead,  it then becomes performance art.

According to the latest Gallup poll,This conservatives are the largest ideological group in the country. Of course you’ll never hear this from the main street press. Trouble is you won’t hear it from the GOP much either.

Whereas the GOP seems intent on chasing the supposed center, it turns out that the center isn’t even the lion’s share of the votes. In the end it comes down to the question of what kind of wake up call me to be issued to get the GOP back to its conservative roots?

Do we need to see another defeat along the lines of Bob Dolr and  John McCain?  And after getting their heads handed them on two separate occasions, if they haven’t gotten the message yet what makes anyone think they ever will?

Don Surber reports on Moochelle Obamaj, link:

She just gave it weight by going on CBS News this morning and saying: “…I guess it’s more interesting to imagine this conflicted situation here and a strong woman and- you know? But that’s been an image that people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced, that I’m some angry black woman.”

And reaxs:

Michelle Obama has the right to remain silent.

She should have exercised that right.

More from American Thinker:

Why would anyone think Michelle is an angry woman (of any color)? Maybe it has something to do with her demeanor…. (Hat tip to iOwnTheWorld.com)

Evidence at the link.

Been there and blogged that,  Eric on Jun 8, last.    I commented at the time, that Moochelle sees herself as victim.  There is simply not enough room in Moochelle’s head for for her to be both a victim and happy.:

If Moochelle does not want to b e perceived as angry, she needs to quit acting as if she were angry.

Moochelle to CBS News:

“But that’s been an image that people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced, that I’m some angry black woman.”

I am willing to stipulate that Mrs. Obama is both black and female. That much is obvious and not subject to change. So why does an Ivy League educated former lawyer deem it necessary to bring up her race and sex? Does she think we the public are too dumb to notice?

As to Mrs. Obama’s characterization of herself as a strong women, then democrats talk about strong women, they mean bitchy women, see Mrs. B.J Clinton.

A video shows four purported Marine rendering due respect to purported dead Taliban fighters, from Useless Toady:

WASHINGTON (AP) – Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Thursday condemned as “utterly deplorable” a video that purports to depict four U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. He said such behavior is “entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military” and those responsible will be held accountable.

I have my opinion of what the Marines are doing and my attitude has to how appropriate the short arm salute,  may or my not be.    However,  the linked video does not shows any short arms on display.   So Secretary Panetta does not know  just what the four standing gentlemen are in fact Marines or just what they are doing.   Given Panetta’s lack of information it is time for him to pull his proverbial Johnson out of his mouth and shut the flock up.   Is Panetta attempting to exert command influence for over an investigation he ordered?   Is Panetta even aware of the prejudicial nature of remarked   I am tempted to nominate Panetta for a sheet on the John Murtha Roll of Shame.   Permission to speak freely granted.

The oldest military convention is the rule of Tit for Tat.   Then I suppose Panetta would wanted Tarleton’s Quarter investigated as well.

Addendum:   Passion north of border, Kathy Shaidle certainly lives up to her blog title, from Five Feet of Fury

Why not piss on them first, THEN kill them?

Besides: urine is sterile.

Diana West is more polite.

Concur that West is more polite, but I am linking her.

Thomas Erdbrink, Washington Post:

TEHRAN — An Iranian scientist involved in purchasing equipment for the Islamic Republic’s main uranium-enrichment facility was assassinated Wednesday when a magnetic bomb attached to his car exploded in morning rush-hour traffic, Iranian media reported.

Iranian officials accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the attack, which also killed the scientist’s driver.

[…]
“The United States strongly condemns this act of violence and categorically denies any involvement in the killing,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

The only correct response for the State Department would have been, “The State Department can neither conform nor deny involvement.”   Iran is not our friend and it should not be the role of the State Department to make our enemies feel better.    Call it what you will, this is not smart diplomacy.    Then it is Mrs. Clinton’s State Department.

From Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor:

Though tensions have continued to rise, with Iran sentencing Iranian-American Amir Mirzaei Hekmati to death yesterday for allegedly spying (his family says he returned to Iran to visit his grandmother) and new US sanctions on Iran’s central bank, two peaceful opportunities to underscore the US naval reach in the region literally fell into America’s lap.

Last week, the Navy destroyer USS Kidd swept in and rescued 13 Iranian fishermen who’d been held hostage on their small boat by Somali pirates for over a month. The fishermen, who’d been through a “horrific” ordeal according to one of their American rescuers, were given food, medical treatment, and enough fuel to steam homeIf

Iran has kidnapped yet another American tourist and dutifully awaits it next ransom payment.   Meanwhile back at the ranch, the US Navy has rescued more Iranian sailors from pirates.

Note Iran is rattling anchor chains in an attempt to cow the US Navy, but they can’t even intimidate a modern day pirate,  who are not known for being the modern day incarnation of William Kidd

Rather than futile good will gestures on the part of the Obami,  and instead of yet another ransom for an Ameican tourest, I suggest the the Navy detain all future Iranian sailors as spies.   It is a plan.  It works for me.    What say you?

Old Chinese proverb, never get into political urination contest with a politician with a tighter OODA Loop.    Christie may be fat,  but he knows how to turn inside an Occutard political ambush, video:

Hat tip video:  Nice Deb

Carlisle, PA– A quick run down from Rochester last night, and I’ll be headed for the Albany tomorrow. From there, likely back to Rochester, but I don’t know yet.

It’s snowed around Rochester Saturday night/Sunday morning,m and we’re looking at somewhat colder temps. Was nearly 60 on Saturday around home. It’s as I tld my wife… we have a January thaw going with no real winter in front of it, this year. Actually, I don’t mind, because I would have had to drive through all that snow that we didn’t get.  But I can’t get over the feeling that nature usually balances are books, and doesn’t give us a whole bunch of warning about the matter.  I’d take note due in predicting this, but we’re going to end up with a wing-dinger a storm … and soon.

• The Debates vs Reality:After the first couple of debates went by, I began to sense a feeling of total loss on the part of many Americans.Allow me to explain ; we have unquestionably a country which is in debt of record proportions.  In short, we are broke.  There is no question in my mind that this is in fact the largest threat against our country.  Of course the Democrats… the party currently in power, doesn’t want to discuss this. Indeed, they are running away from their disastrous record.Yet, what do we see being discussed in the presidential primary debates of the only party in position to do anything about it?  Homosexual adoption, and other politically correct minutiae. With, of course, the definition of politically correct being defined by the left and it’s house organ the supposed mainstream media.What we have here is a group of individuals attempting to secure the Republican nomination who are seemingly more about playing along with the nonsensical questions that the leftist news media is force feeding them than they are about addressing the real issues that face the nation. On what basis are we to believe that any one of these candidates with the possible exception of Newt Gingrich is going to have the stones, much less the political ability, and determination to stand up to the left leaning establishment once in office?As an example, Believing such things will happen, seems to me about as likely as Romney reversing course on government health care.The last thing any of them want to do, apparently, is offend leftists sensibilities.Gingrich, for his part, seems quite willing on occasion to let those flashes of anger come out, and mop up the floor with the press. Candidly, it is at the moment his most endearing quality as far as I’m concerned. I think it’s time to start offending some leftist sensibilities with a little reality. Unfortunately, with this bunch that doesn’t seem likely.
• America has been defeated, and the  enemy is us.I’m watching this election season with a somewhat more than jaundiced eye.  The lack of ability of the GOP to come up with any seriously conservative candidates, indeed their unwillingness to do so, in combination with the obvious lean of the Democrats and specifically Obama leads me to a rather startling conclusion;If this bunch is the best we’ve got perhaps we deserve to go down the destructive road that any one of these individuals would lead us.Make no mistake, here. I take no great pleasure in saying this. I simply observe that which is.At the same time, I make no argument that any one of the GOP candidates with a possible exception of Ron Paul wouldn’t be better for the country than is Obama and company. Yet, the differences are marginal ones.I suggest you all that the GOP candidates currently on the stump offer us is a somewhat slower path down the same road. Frankly, I see no salvation from that between now and election day.The thing that really disturbs me about all of this, as it there so many of the electorate who are quite willing to let it happen. Indeed, they seem to be driving these questions, and the apparent lack of concern over our financial well being. I suggest this is the result of years of conditioning. After a while, you get rather used to the idea of that elephant in the room, to the point where you tend to ignore it. Another apt description of this would be the boiled frog syndrome.This country has been leaned left by its media for so long now, since the thirties in fact, that anyone daring to have actual conservative thoughts is deemed an extremist.  The left, is the new center.  We are actually starting to see descriptions in the mainstream media of Obama of being center-left.  When in fact, Obama is undeniably the farthest left POTUS this nation has ever had.  It is that being extreme leftist, that is causing our current problems.  I will guarantee you you’ll never see that in the press of course. Rather, you’ll see them covering his backside, and theirs.   And with this bunch, you never going to see it at the Republican debates, either.   I think tha spells our destruction… and frankly the frustration I see among the electorate suggests they see the same problem I do.
• As to that destruction…. I see we’re being set up for it by way of a slashed military.  There should be as no surprise to anyone.  Allow me to illustrate; What government program has ever been cut by Democrats, that did not specifically involve defense?  And, yes, you may take that as a challenge.
• The Result of Liberal policy: Walter Russel Mead posts a must read, today:
  

  The city of Henry Ford continues on its road to nowhere. Elected officials don’t want to make savage cuts in pay and benefits for some city workers while firing many others — for understandable reasons both political and humane. On the other hand, there isn’t any money and neither the state nor the feds will bail Detroit out.

  Nod to Glenn, who says, correctly:

  And, of course, anyone who wants to seriously address the problem is a racist.

• Radical Right Question I’ve been hearing the phrase “radical right” much too often these last few days. In response, I will pose a question. Were our founding fathers, moderates? The obvious answer is no, they were radical. They were revolutionaries. King George considered moderates to be his subjects. So, can anyone explain to me the value of being a moderate? I ask, because I seen none.
• Moderate question II?Why is it that we never hear that the left most moderate its views? It is always the “radical right” that must alter its views. Why is that? Is it because the dominant media is more leftist than they would leave us believe? pick your favorite leftist. Barney Frank. Maxine Waters. Obama. Why is it we never see them being told that they must lean to the center? Here’s a possibility that not many of thought of; it is because there is a serious attempt afoot to relabel the far left as the center.

Two losers attempt to paint Mitt Romney as out of touch, Russell Goldman and Michael Falcone, ABC News:

ROCHESTER, N.H. — Mitt Romney attempted his own version of an “I-feel-your-pain” moment at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sunday, telling a crowd that like so many Americans he too has worried about getting fired.

“I know what its’ like to worry about whether or not you are going to get fired,” Romney said. “There are times when I wondered whether I was going to get a pink slip.”

Worrying about keeping your job is what happens in the real world. I doubt that ABC’s two economically illiterate reporters understand this, but the higher your salary, the more your company would save by firing you.   Higher rewards entail higher risks.

Being out of touch is throwing a lavish Alice in Wonderland party, on the public’s dime, while the nation’s unemployment hovered at ten percent, from Karen, the Lonely Conservative:

The Obama’s, who no doubt believe they are America’s royal family, threw a lavish “Alice in Wonderland” party on Halloween in 2009. They posed for photos while handing out candy to children, without letting on that inside the White House there was a star-studded soiree. Unemployment at the time was at 10%

It time to make Obama start worrying about keeping  his day job.

Piglet, Chelsea Clinton, daughter of B.J and PIAPS, is out at NBC,from NY Post:

So there was huge anticipation for her Dec. 12 debut. Time wrote, “While it was never going to have the magnitude of the moon landing, the amount of hype leading up to Chelsea Clinton’s debut . . . was akin to one small step for Chelsea, one giant leap for network television.” The Washington Post’s Hank Stuever wrote after it aired, “Either we’re spoiled by TV’s unlimited population of giant personalities or this woman is one of the most boring people of her era.”

Reax,  Ann Althouse:

If you accept a job that you’re not capable of doing, you’re setting yourself up. If the expectations were unrealistic, you should have said no. Don’t compound your failure as a journalist with a display of character failure. You’re a Clinton, and that brings some advantages, but there’s also the disadvantage that whatever you do may resonate with the wrong Clinton characteristics.

What character does the good professor expect from Arkansas trash?   Maybe Keith Overbite will put good word in for her at Currente?

Oneanta, NY-  I’m set to deliver at Latham, NY in the morning.

Sorry for the long time between posting a Ramble, but the internet connectivity is an issue again. It’s frustrating because I don’t understand WHY.  (shrug)

Only one topic, today…. because frankly, it’s all I’ve had time to follow:

• Iowa:Thanks to Art Smith for adding notes directly from Iowa.  I have a few thoughts of my own.The first being that anyone being shocked at Rick Santorum doing well, there, seems silly to me at least. Iowa voters are values voters and that’s one plkace where a large part of Santorum’s strengths lie.

  Whatever else might be said, Santorum’s nearly beating out Romney at least suggests that there’s problem with Romney in those areas where Santorum has strength. Romney is clearly weak, on family values issues. And regardless of him talking a good game, now, his record is weak as dishwater on most conservative issues.

  I note with great amusement, John McCain’s endorsement of Romney. I called Romney, McCain v2.0. Nice to see McCain himself agrees.While clearly this endorsement was a catered and timed affair… so as to link with Iowa, it seems to me that all it will do is remind the rank and file GOP voters how many of them were disenchanted with McCain… and why. That’s gonna leave a mark.

  As for the also rans… Perry stayed in because Bachman dropped out.

  I suspect Gingrich will do better for the rest of the cycle. Romney’s got him annoyed, and rightly so. You do know, for example, the ACU rates Gingrich’s legislative record at 90%, right? No? Apparently whoever’s running the attack ads…. and I think it’s clearly Romney…. doesn’t want you to know that. Negative cmpaigns do work, but Romney’s folks had best figure out that they have a limited useful lifespan, after which they tend to backfire.

  There’s this, also… Romney, for all of his takent at mudslinging, still hasn’t put togetheer anyhting over 25% of the party…. translated, 75% of the party want someone other than Romney nominated. Where can this possibly go but McCain v 2.0? The raw numbers of voters in Iowa is suggestive of a dedication to the defeat of Obama and his policies. My read is that Obama is the real loser, here. Look, I have been saying for months the field of GOP candidates is far from strong…. but even against these, Obama is in serious, and inescapable trouble. But McCain showed clearly the GOP rank and file won’t be fooled…. they want Obama out but want a real conservative in.

Sarah Palin warned the nation about momma grizzlies.   Well it appears that one momma grizzly is an Okie.  Perp learns lesson the hard way, from Kevin Dolar and Ryan Owens, ABC News:

A young Oklahoma mother shot and killed an intruder to protect her 3-month-old baby on New Year’s Eve, less than a week after the baby’s father died of cancer.

Sarah McKinley says that a week earlier a man named Justin Martin dropped by on the day of her husband’s funeral, claiming that he was a neighbor who wanted to say hello. The 18-year-old Oklahoma City area woman did not let him into her home that day.

[…]

When Martin kicked in the door and came after her with the knife, the teen mom shot and killed the 24-year-old. Police are calling the shooting justified.

video

Well done We have no need to have a three month old orphan.   An armed isociety is a safe society.