Breakfast Scramble (Monday)

The state of the Obami, By Victor Davis Hansen, Pajamas Media:

Let me review the progress of the last two years, because the national mood reminds me of the free speech area at any California university where groups segregate by race while their professors celebrate “diversity.”

We had a green czar who claimed that whites pollute the ghetto and are more likely to be mass murderers. Our attorney general called the nation one of “cowards” for not holding racial conversations on his terms. He has no interest in trying Black Panthers who disrupted voting, but a great deal in trying the architect of 9/11 in a civilian courtroom, replete with Miranda rights, in Manhattan a few hundred yards from Ground Zero.

Obama administration versus democracy, from the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON — A senior adviser to President Barack Obama says the Democratic nominee for the Senate in South Carolina doesn’t appear to be a legitimate candidate.

South Carolina Democrats chose a political unknown, 32-year-old Alvin Greene, to run against Republican Sen. Jim DeMint this fall.

Greene is an unemployed military veteran who hardly campaigned for the office, and his victory last Tuesday has raised questions about who backed his candidacy.

And it turns out that he’s facing a felony charge.

Obama adviser David Axelrod says South Carolina Democrats deserve a strong, credible candidate. He says it’s a big mystery how Greene won.

Axelrod appeared Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Hat tip:   Steve Gilbert, Sweetness & Light.

Don’t look to me to explain Alvin  Greene’s win.   However, until shown otherwise, I will assume the results of the election in the sovereign state of South Carolina to be legitimate.

If the losers of the election, wish challenge the results, such is their right.   Absent an challenge to the election which is upheld by the state,  it is not for me to presume the results of the South Carolina election not to be legitimate.

As for Mr. Axelrod, if  he has evidence of election fraud, he should present it.   Otherwise, he should shut up.

Now it seems apparent that Mr.  Greene’s elevator does not run all the way to the top, video:

Hat tip: Jammie Wearing Fool.

Doug’s got seven more, from Doug Ross @ Journal

Harry S. Truman: “The buck stops here.”

Barack Hussien Obama: “The buck passes here.”

Roger Simon, Politico:

President Barack Obama said Friday that some members of Congress are being hypocritical when it comes to blaming the White House for its handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

In an interview with POLITICO, the president said: “I think it’s fair to say, if six months ago, before this spill had happened, I had gone up to Congress and I had said we need to crack down a lot harder on oil companies and we need to spend more money on technology to respond in case of a catastrophic spill, there are folks up there, who will not be named, who would have said this is classic, big-government overregulation and wasteful spending.”

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Year of the Woman? By Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Slimes:

GOP primary voters, a deeply conservative bunch, don’t appear to have much of a problem with strong women in public life anymore. Not only that: The GOP is consciously trying to turn gender into a selling point.  This isn’t just the march of equality; it’s a strategy. Republican strategists say female candidates should run well this year, when voters are dissatisfied with incumbents of both parties, because women are, by definition, outsiders; they’re not members of the “old-boys club.”

Real men do not have, and have never had, a problem with strong women.    Sadly, the ‘rats conflate being bitchy for being strong, and no sane man, or woman, is going to support a gender feminist bitch (hello Mrs. Clinton).

Year of Cleavage? How effective are the attacks on Mrs. Palin’s cleavage?    If you can use Taylor Marsh as a barometer, liberal but sane, I’d say not very:

So, Sarah, Hillary (and many of us) can feel your frustration.

It hardly matters if this cleavage kerfuffle about Sarah has any factual basis. It’s simply nobody’s business and if it wasn’t for Sarah’s incredible popularity and power no one would be noticing.  Obviously, the attack on Sarah is also a lot different. It’s interesting that it’s women that are doing the attacking, just like what happened to Hillary, at least at the beginning; though no one will ever have to endure what Hillary went through again. But I’m having none of it except to say, if you’ve got ’em and know how to flaunt ’em, then bring out those bad girls, ladies. Don’t let the political peanut gallery make you think twice.

Year of the Dim Wit, Lisa Miller, Newsweak:

Palin has been antagonizing women on the left of late by describing herself as a “feminist,” a word she uses to mean the righteous, Mama Bear anger that wells up when one of her children is attacked in the press or her values are brought into question. But while leftist critics continue to shred Palin as a cynical, shallow, ill-informed opportunist, and new polls show her unpopularity rating to be at an all-time high—53 percent—Palin is now playing to her strengths. Even if she never again seeks elected office, her pro-woman rallying cry, articulated in the evangelical vernacular, together with the potent pro-life example of her own family, puts Palin in a position to reshape and reinvigorate the religious right, one of the most powerful forces in American politics. The Christian right is now poised to become a women’s movement—and Sarah Palin is its earthy Jerry Falwell.

Newsweak likes neither women, Christians nor Sarah Palin.    So I am rather skeptical of  the rag’s attempt to bundle them all together in one burlap bag to be thrown in the river.    It was the left, like Newweak. who proclaimed a dim witted former community organizer to be a Messiah.   As for Mrs. Palin and Christians,  the former will not proclaim herself to be divineand true Christians already have the only Savior they need.

Boobgate debunked, Donald Douglas, American Power.    The  lame stream media seems confused.   Is Mrs. Palin a saint or a harlot?

Not all media is lame.  More coverage of the Taliban murder I wrote about on Thursday.   Unlike the pathetic Times of India, the Times of London gets it right:

A seven-year-old boy was murdered by the Taleban in an apparent act of retribution this week. Afghan officials said that the child was accused of spying for US and Nato forces and hanged from a tree in southern Afghanistan.

Well done.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20007418-38.html

We need a leader, Mitt Romney Useless Toady:

Has it come to this again? The president is meeting with his oil spill experts, he crudely tells us, so that he knows “whose ass to kick.” We have become accustomed to his management style — target a scapegoat, assign blame and go on the attack. To win health care legislation, he vilified insurance executives; to escape bankruptcy law for General Motors, he demonized senior lenders; to take the focus from the excesses of government, he castigated business meetings in Las Vegas; and to deflect responsibility for the deepening and lengthening downturn, he blames Wall Street and George W. Bush. But what may make good politics does not make good leadership. And when a crisis is upon us, America wants a leader, not a politician.

Mr. Romney is being charitable, in classifying Obama’s  leadership style, or lack thereof, as management style.

Dogmatic is not a leadership trait, George Will,Washington Post:

Today’s evidence suggesting sluggish job creation might give pause to a less confident person than Obama. But pauses are not in his repertoire of governance. Instead, yielding to what must be a metabolic urge toward statism, he says the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is yet another reason for yet another explosion of government’s control of economic life. The spill supposedly makes it urgent to adopt a large tax increase in the form of cap-and-trade energy legislation, which also is climate legislation, the primary purpose of which is, or once was, to combat global warming, such as it is.

Neither is indecision, Tom Bevan, RCP:

The reason Obama’s decision not to speak to Hayward felt “strange” to Matt Lauer – and feels the same way to millions of Americans as well – is not only because it simply defies common sense, but because it is an abdication of leadership on the part of the President during a time of crisis.

Sarah on Team Obama, from Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit

A few words on Boobgate, Tabitha Hale, Right Wing News:

The reason I chose to write about it was simple: The timing. I would have ignored this if it were any other day. Today, however, happens to be the day after Palin showed how much pull her primary endorsements really do have. Her (mostly female) candidates won across the country, the largest being the Carly Fiorina win in the California Senate race.  Disagree with her or not, she has influence, and it’s foolish to pretend that she is anything but a force to be reckoned with politically.

If this were only on Wonkette’s site, I would never have seen it. I don’t exactly frequent there. However, the story picked up some legs. It’s been talked about by the Boston Herald, local news, and all kinds of leftwing blogs.  Not to mention the “feminists” who claim that the question prompted “thoughtful discussion.” I picked it up initially via Jammie Wearing Fool.

I love the smell of p;anic in the air.   It seems that the lams stream media gave more coverage to Sarah Palin’s imaginary breat enhancement than they did to the contents of Helen Thomas’ bladder eruption prior to her resignation.

Presidential leadership failure, the problem for the President who is concerned about world opinions, at least the opinion of unelected tin pot dictators, is that he is simply not concerned about the opinion of the nation which he purports to lead.  Dorothy Rabinowitz, Wall StreetJournal explores the gulf between the President of the United States and the People of the United States:

The deepening notes of disenchantment with Barack Obama now issuing from commentators across the political spectrum were predictable. So, too, were the charges from some of the president’s earliest enthusiasts about his failure to reflect a powerful sense of urgency about the oil spill.

There should have been nothing puzzling about his response to anyone who has paid even modest critical attention to Mr. Obama’s pronouncements. For it was clear from the first that this president—single-minded, ever-visible, confident in his program for a reformed America saved from darkness by his arrival—was wanting in certain qualities citizens have until now taken for granted in their presidents. Namely, a tone and presence that said: This is the Americans’ leader, a man of them, for them, the nation’s voice and champion. Mr. Obama wasn’t lacking in concern about the oil spill. What he lacked was that voice—and for good reason.

Feminism, Cathy Young, Boston Globe, touches one what irks me about gender feminists, to with while they claim to speak for all women, their concerns are strictly liberal.

THE LATEST Sarah Palin controversy has to do with feminism. In a recent article in the Washington Post, feminist author and blogger Jessica Valenti blasted the former vice presidential candidate for “adopting the feminist label.” Valenti believes that any talk of a conservative version of feminism is a cynical right-wing ploy to fool women into supporting reactionary antiwoman policies. But while Palin may be far from the best spokeswoman for conservative feminism, the idea itself is essential to feminism’s health.

Nobody can creditably said to speak for all men, as men, while admittedly simple minded creatures , were all of life mind.   If  it is impossible, one person to claim to represent al of us simple minded males , how can anybody, even a female, be said present the concerns of all women?

Anti-incumbent hell, voters are anti incompetent, from Melissa Clouthier, Liberty Pundits:

Democrats and many Republicans participated in getting America to this bad place. If a Republican was principled and voted well, he’s relatively safe. If a Democrat is in a socialist district, he, too is relatively safe. But everyone else-those who directly defied the will of his constituents. Well, he’s in trouble.

So, I don’t buy the whole anti-incumbent thing. I think that’s a simple simon answer to a more complex question. It’s also a way for the Democrats and Republicans to not take difficult looks at themselves and the position they’ve put themselves in with voters

This ain’t rocket science.   Voters elect congress critters to represent their interests.   When a congress critter fails his duty to his constituents, who elected him, voters will find a new representative.

It is called murder, from Times of India:

KABUL: Suspected Taliban militants executed a seven-year-old boy in southern Afghanistan after accusing him of spying for the government, a provincial official said Wednesday.

Killing a seven year old child without any legal due process is simply murder.

Hat tip:  Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit.

The Obami speak, by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu, Arutz Sheva:

The Netanyahu government’s attitude to the United States shows it is “waiting for President [Sarah] Palin, an Obama official reportedly told Peter Beinart, writing for the Atlantic Monthly news site.  Palin was the Republican candidate for vice president two years ago and is considered a front-running candidate for the next presidential election in 2012.

Aren’t we all?   At least the non Muslim world.

Obama speaks, David Zurewik, Baltimore Sun:

Well, the president took thin skinned to a new level Tuesday morning in his interview with Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today” show. I do not know what the president and his advisers were trying to accomplish with this conversation that took place in Michigan before Obama spoke to a high school graduation in Kalamazoo. But I have never seen Obama look and sound more petty, petulant and tinny.

Obama’s big problem isn’t that he can’t act decisively, can’t emote on cue for the cameras, trusts experts too much or that he defers excessively to CEOs. His problem — and it is starting to look like a genuine fatal flaw — is that he can’t take criticism, particularly from the press, which he seems to have an unnatural and Nixon-like hostility toward. And this interview with Lauer showed that all too clearly.

Obama is thin skinned man of limited intellect.   It shows.

What Helen Thomas missed, Richard Cohen, RCP:

Ah, another teachable moment!

This one comes to us from Helen Thomas, the longtime White House reporter and columnist who announced her retirement on Monday. Thomas, of Lebanese ancestry and almost 90, has never been shy about her anti-Israel views, for which, as far as I’m concerned, she is both wrong and entitled. Then the other day, she performed a notable public service by revealing how very little she knew. Asked if she had any comments about Israel, Thomas said, “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine. … Go home. Poland. Germany. And America and everywhere else.”

Well, I don’t know about “everywhere else,” but after World War II, many Jews did attempt to “go home” to Poland. This resulted in the murder of about 1,500 of them — killed not by Nazis but by Poles, either out of sheer ethnic hatred or fear they would lose their (stolen) homes.

I just hate when a blogger excerpts  an article and then says read the whole thing.  So I will not say it.

The President too stupid to understand irony, continues to kick butt,his own, via RCP (video at the link):

“I don’t sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar, we talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick.”

No Mr. President, you don’t  sit around the White House talking to experts.   Rather,  you play gold, go to the theater,  make campaign stops, do photo ops and meet with college basketball teams.

The place for potty language in is behind closed  doors and not on the public’s airwaves.

The time for a pregame pep speech is before the event.

Mr. President, your plan, such as it was, did not survive execution.   You now need to do an after action analysis.   You can’t apprehend a bank robber by beating up on the bank guard, after the bank has been robbed.

Mr.  President, if  you ever again want to be thought of as presidential, you have to start acting presidential.   Good luck on that one.

Welcome to the would have been longer Scramble.  Might get my first version up it it can be recovered.

Juan Williams rips Obama administration, from Fox News, via Jennifer Rubin, Commentary:

I think the problem here is this is an administration that, as Hillary Clinton famously pointed out, you may not want to have answer the 3:00 a.m. call.

These are guys who have tremendous vision about legislative achievements and specific things like health care, going forward on immigration, those difficult issues for America that America so far has failed to deal with.

But when it comes to the crisis, when it comes to the gulf oil spill, the wars, the recession, they feel as if it’s being imposed upon them, rather than taking the helm. I think that’s what Americans are sensing right here. And I think it’s the source of their problem at the moment.  Are you able to handle a crisis in a convincing way that inspires confidence? And so far, the president hasn’t done that.

Now, some say he should just go into a rage. I don’t think that’s who Barack Obama is. I think he’s a pretty cool character, fairly analytical, and I think we all admire as part of the meritocracy in America. Those are people who are really smart. But you know what? They don’t know how to deal with this crisis, and I think lots of Americans therefore are blaming the president, fairly or unfairly.

In the Army, there is the expression that when it comes to battle plans, the enemy has an input.    The Obama administration is simply not prepared for the world in which we live.

Powers’ Point, Kristen Powers, New York Post:

The flap over the job offers to Joe Sestak in Pennsylva nia and Andrew Romanoff in Colorado shows that it’s time to move electoral politics out of the White House. Rahm Emanuel, this means you.

President Obama’s first step should be to shutter the Office of Political Affairs. Then he should jettison the various political henchmen — starting with Rahm — who’ve infested the West Wing and put them on the Democratic National Committee, where they belong.

Hat tip: Anchoress

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Just say no to the mosque.  Thanks to Fausta,  video:

It is the Bitsblog Snark of the Day.   And you thought the only videos Fausta posted were tangos.

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• WHY EXPEL ONE OF YOUR OWN? I notice Jennifer Rubin of Commentary asking the question why shouldn’t Helen Thomas be expelled from the White House press corps?  (David already has vid up on this topic)T  The answer to my mind is rather simple ; the White House agrees with her.
• THE WOOD SPLITS: I note with mild amusement the reported breakup of Al and Tipper Gore. My initial reaction is one that I’ve heard repeated several times in my dealings with various people throughout the day ; Namely, even the likes of Tipper Gore has limits.  I think that said however there is more going on here than we are being told as is usually the case with Gore.  Just as usually, whatever it is that does not make Gore look good at all.  Then again after all the years of lies that he’s promulgated , what would?
• IT WAS YESTERDAY PLUS 66 YEARS: D-Day, that is.  I think it appropriate that we ask the Gipper to speak on the subject.
  
  Amen and Amen.
• THE HUFF AND PUFF TAKES NOTE: when even the Huffington Post notices that things are not good in the job market, you’d think they’d make the next logical step and ask the question is this “Hope”, or is this “Change”?  Once again, my choice of career change appears to remain vindicated.  The article confirm something that I thought for quite some time; being the only logical explanation for the number of long-term unemployed at the upper end of the employment scale.
• HIGHER EDUCATION: Higher education isn’t worth much if it doesn’t translate to higher income, or at least a more stable job.  That’s in my conclusion for some time.  As an example; I spent twenty years supporting computers.  I did fairly well.  A fairly high five figure salary, a nice retirement fund, a nice office, and rewarding work.  The economy pretty much trashed that.  Then when I went looking for other work similar to what I’d been doing I found that kids with college degrees who are gone through the educational process that has been so much ballyhooed , we’re getting the jobs, but not because they had the college degrees, but because they were willing to work for half the money.  Glenn Reynolds speaks to this point yesterday, and it’s a good read.
• CONGRATS RUSH: I hear he got married again over the weekend. She’s a looker, too.

Update: (DavidL)

Helen Thomas has been effectively fired.  Shn resigned in lieu of disciplinary action, from the White House Correspondents Association:

June 7, 2010

Helen Thomas’ comments were indefensible and the White House Correspondents Association board firmly dissociates itself from them.  Many in our profession who have known Helen for years were saddened by the comments, which were especially unfortunate in light of her role as a trail blazer on the White House beat.

While Helen has not been a member of the WHCA for many years, her special status in the briefing room has helped solidify her as the dean of the White House press corps so we feel the need to speak out strongly on this matter.

We want to emphasize that the role of the WHCA is to represent the White House press corps in its dealings with the White House on coverage-related issues. We do not police the speech of our members or colleagues. We are not involved at all in issuing White House credentials, that is the purview of the White House itself.

But the incident does revive the issue of whether it is appropriate  for an opinion columnist to have a front row seat in the WH briefing room. That is an issue under the jurisdiction of this board. We are actively seeking input from our association members on this important matter, and we have scheduled a special  meeting of the WHCA board on Thursday to decide on the seating issue.

Ed Chen, Bloomberg
David Jackson, USA Today
Caren Bohan, Reuters
Ed Henry, CNN
Julie Mason, DC Examiner
Don Gonyea, National Public Radio
Steve Scully, C-SPAN
Doug Mills, The New York Times

Hat tip:  Daniel Foster, National Review.

Helen Thomas fired retires, from Politico:

“Helen Thomas announced Monday that she is retiring, effective immediately,” read a statement from Hearst Newspapers on Monday. “Her decision came after her controversial comments about Israel and the Palestinians were captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet.”

Thomas said in a statement that, “I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.”

Thomas had her Howard Cosell moment and paid the Cosell price.   Hearst made Thomas an offer sho  coujld not refuse.   If I were charitable, I quote Lucianne Goldberg’s quip that Thomas has passed her experation date.

More, La Shawn Barber, posting from Michelle Malkin

Helen Thomas’s comments that Jews should leave Israel and go back to Poland and Germany were especially weighty for me, as I’ve spent the last couple of weeks reading and watching documentaries about WWII and the Holocaust. I guess she forgot that Jews fled Poland and Germany to escape Nazi death camps, and suggesting they “go back” invoked Holocaust images.

Thomas is mean and morally ugly.  Her departure will only improve the White House press corps.