President Skorton Tear Down This Fence

Cornell University students cross the Thurston Avenue bridge that leads to the school's main campus. Fencing has been installed after three recent suicides. (SIMON WHEELER Ithaca Journal)

President David J. Skorton if you value freedom and human liberty, tear down this fence.   Cornell is suppose to be an institution of higher learning and not a eastern bloc prison camp.

Hat tip photo:  Rochester, NY, Democrat and Chronicle.

Adam Clayton Powell IV to Challenge Charlie Rangel, Useless Toady:

Adam Clayton Powell IV made it official today, announcing he will run against Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. — the man who defeated his father in the Democratic primary 40 years ago.

Powell, a state assemblyman, stepped forward to challenge Rangel after the congressman ran afoul of the House ethics committee. USA TODAY’s Fredreka Schouten recounts Rangel’s troubles here.

Help me out.  Winston Churchill once said, to the effect:  If Hitler invaded Hell, he’d try to say a few good words about the Devil.  Ousting Fat Charlie would at least get him off the House Ways and Means Committee, where Charlie the tax cheat writes tax codes for others to follow.   Go Powell!

Libtard hypocrisy, the WaPo is all upset because they claim that ABC News claims that somebody, attending a Tea Party called Congressman Barney Fag a Frank.    Until shown otherwise, I am going to assume the remark was uttered by one of the Congressman’s staff.   In the mean time, Michael Graham, Natural Truth submits evidence, not allegations, of liberal hatred:

I want to commend Boston’s progressive Left for the outstanding job they’re doing fighting the hate-mongering of Sarah Palin and the Tea Partiers in advance of Wednesday’s rally on Boston Common.

To see more of their great work for peace, understanding and rational discourse, click here!

I am aware of plenty of evidence that Mrs. Palin is a conservative.   I am aware of no evidence that she is a bitch.   I mean it is not like there are reports of her calling people effing Jew bastards or throwing an ash tray at a Secret Service agent

Much more, Clifton B. , Another Black Conservative.

Presidential Pause,  Josh Rogin, Foreign Poliy,

“You seemed to be suggesting there was some equivalence between their issues of democracy and the United States’ issues, when you said that President Obama assured him that we, too, are working on our democracy,”

Ok, not a direct quote and maybe not accurate.   However if the characterization is accurate, it scares the daylights out of me.

• One, Barack Obama does not support freedom.
• Two, when Obama says we, he means himself, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.
• Three, the United States is not a democracy.   We are a republic.   A professor of constitutional law should darn well understand this.

Jersey Governor needs to cool his jets,  Associated Press:

TRENTON, N.J. — The president of a state teachers union left a meeting Monday with Gov. Chris Christie after refusing to fire a local president who wrote a memo that joked about the governor’s death, further escalating a rift that began before Christie’s election.

Christie spokesman Mike Drewniak said the governor wants Bergen County teachers union head Joe Coppola fired for his “irresponsible” memo. The memo from the Bergen County Education Association to its locals included a closing prayer that read:

Not so fast gov!   The prayer was stupid, but it  it still protected free speech.   In our country both freedom of religion and speech are protected.   So the teacher’s union prayer gets a double dose of constitutional protection.    As long as the state teacher’s union is stupid enough to keep the local president they are a fair target.   Good hunting, Governor.

Future Marine Corps wife posts video about former burlesque queen turned Army wife. via Cassy Fiano, video”

I will reserve further comment to our fifty-three percenters.

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the sphere… The BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

• POLISH GOVERNMENT:  Arthur Chrenkoff has a good piece up at Pajamas Media; Says he:
  

  The death of the president, together with so many key officials and guests, is not simply a tragedy in itself, but it throws the whole region into a sea of uncertainty of the kind not experienced since the fall of Communism.

  Very true. As Authur  points out, polish Russian relations thawed rather significantly while Kaczynski was President. it as an take a great deal of imagination to wonder if these events were intentionally set into motion. After all, there being people, or groups of people who don’t like the idea of a thawing of relations between Poland and Russia has been something that has been commented on in the past. If somebody wanted to engineer a change in the Polish government, and thereby a change in the region, one could hardly have engineered it better.
  As to the next logical question of who might want that change, the Russian government leaps to mind. We’ve seen in the last several weeks, particularly since the subway bombings in Moscow, a lot of power grabbing going on from the Kremlin… opposition media being shuut down and so on.I don’t know what the story is here but neither does anyone else in the public eye… and it seems odd to me that nobdy’s asking what seems to me the obvious question.

• RON PAUL: DISCONNETCED By way of OTB this morning, (…and Memeorandum frst, actually…) I note that Congress critter Ron Paul is being quoted widely by the leftosphere this morning as saying that Obama isn’t a socialist.  First of all, and perhaps most importantly, Ron Paul is confused under the best of conditions, and this certainly doesn’t qualify as one of those. So, I’m not sure that I would ever take at face value the assessment of Ron Paul on any subject, including the definition of sunlight.  If Mr. Obama as Mr. Paul suggests, is a “corporatist”, then how does one account for SEIU’s Andy Stern having a status in the White House that includes everything but having his own desk?
  On the other hand, there is the question of what exactly is a socialist. For example, it seems to me that his description of Obama as a corporatist, and what that constitutes, put him squarely into the realm of German style National Socialism. Which of course is still socialism, like it or not… (And Godwin law be damned… the comparison is an apt one on this and many other points. and frankly, I’ve always figured most people worshipping on the alter of Godwin’s law are people uncomfortable with the parallels presented.)
• FOREIGN POLICY HASH, OBAMA STYLE: VDH yesterday:
  

  During the 2008 campaign, the Obama group argued that Bush & Co. were insensitive to allies and had acted in clumsy, unilateral fashion, permanently damaging our stature in the world. Given the first 15 months of foreign policy in the new administration, we can see now that Obama’s critique largely meant that we had damaged relations with supposed belligerents like Cuba, Iran, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela — inasmuch as right now, British, Colombian, Czech, German, Honduran, Indian, Israeli, Japanese, Polish, and South Korean leaders might privately prefer the good “bad” old days of the supposed cowboy Bush.

  Just so… One cannot ignore the combination the American people are seeing… not only does he lean toward socialist dictators and anti-western interests in his foreign policy, but he goes well out of his way to implement domestic policy which echoes the socialistic domestic policy of those countries he embraces with his foreign policy. Are we really supposed to ignore this pattern? Of course the remaining consequences of this mess are fodder for Victor to discuss. Go and read.

In a recent conversation with a friend of mine, his comment was something like, “Those people on the far left must be from a different solar system.”  Another friend said, “We are living in Alternative Reality B” (referencing the line from the movie Back to the Future) where we momentarily leave the time-space continuum.   My personal take is that the far left is simply the result of a nasty turn taken on the path of evolutionary biology.  While we may still appear to be part of the same human species, liberals and conservatives will ultimately be seen as fundamentally different members of the mammalia branch.  And while I jest (but just a little), the question of what separates the “thinking” of liberals and the principles of conservatives is befuddling for many of us.

Most adults in America today (other than the most senior amongst us) have never had to directly face the ideology of the N. Pelosi’s, C. Schumer’s, J. Wright’s and E. Holder’s of the world.  Even the 1960’s form of “progressivism” was set against the backdrop of the known evil of an outwardly racist system, and an equally controversial war in Vietnam.  Today is different.  What we face today is an unforced and radical progressivism without any of the supporting historical props.   The problem with the interpretive thinking of conservatives today is that we are attempting to see the logic in the ideology of the left (or at least some form of semi-coherent palliative) that will allow us to understand the apparent vacuity.  But herein we are seeking to see that which simply does not exist.

When we look at the notion that some of us are from “another solar system” we are on the right track.  But it is us conservatives who are from the alien planetary system.  The history of the world is that of self-elevating power and the associated worldly riches that accompany the resultant control of resources.  America has been one of a small number of exceptions to the world’s power narrative.   To willingly give up available control (as has been done in America) is the exception, not the normal state of world affairs.  We are the spoiled children of a very rich political heritage, the leaders of which were painfully aware of the past and very oppressive history of humanity.

Where we have become confused is in the definition of words that are used to describe the phenomenon which is modern leftist radicalism.  To give the moniker “ideology” to the left is to cede far too much credit to whatever it is that progressivism stands for.  The word ideology artificially conjures up the notion of a level of intellectual coherence.  And this is our great error.  An ideology is based on a set of principles.  The radical progressivism of the Obama administration is based not on any set of principles, but rather just on the seizing of available power.   We are simply watching the history of world being played out in our own back yard.  To actually fail to see and understand the underlying logic of progressivism is the naturally expected outcome.

Let’s quit talking about the leftist as ideologues.  We credit them with the virtue of human thought.   Rather, let’s just refer to them as “political thugs.”  That will solve two problems.  The first problem solved is that of the obvious mislabeling.  The second problem solved is that of conservatives wasting their brain cells on “figuring out” the agenda of the current administration.   There is actually very little to figure out.

Remember this, equals is a mathematical concept.    The idea of equality has no relationship biological or social groups.    I hold that no two groups have ever been equal, Thomas Sowell, in Investor Business Daily:

One of the most ominous developments of our time has been the multicultural dogma that all cultures are equal. It is one of the many unsubstantiated assertions that have become fashionable among self-congratulatory elites, with hard evidence being neither asked for nor offered.

But, however much such assertions minister to the egos of the intelligentsia and the careers of politicians and race hustlers, the multicultural dogma is a huge barrier to the advancement of groups who are lagging economically, educationally and otherwise.

I quibble with Dr. Sowell’s characterization of cultural equality as dogma.    No one honestly believes that somehow all cultures are agically equal.  Nobody at all.   Cultural equality is not a belief.  It is a liberal talking point, to be used or discarded as per the situation.

If all cultures were indeed equal, then no culture could change, improve or degrade.   For no matter how you changed today’s culture it would be no more or less equal than what you would  change it into tomorrow.

Point of fact, if all cultures were indeed equal, then our contemporary culture is no better than the culture of Virginia say 1861-5    Case in point of rejection of cultural equality, Jon Meachm, barfs in the New York Slimes:

Last week, Virginia’s governor, Robert McDonnell, jumped backward when he issued a proclamation recognizing April as Confederate History Month. In it he celebrated those “who fought for their homes and communities and Commonwealth” and wrote of the importance of understanding “the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens during the period of the Civil War.”

The governor originally chose not to mention slavery in the proclamation, saying he “focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia.” It seems to follow that, at least for Mr. McDonnell, the plight of Virginia’s slaves does not rank among the most significant aspects of the war.

If Meacham were to believe that all cultures were indeed equal, then it would not be a jump backward, except chronologically, to Virginia circa 1961-5   If there were such a thing as an honest multiculturalist, he would have been obligated to defend Governor McDonnell.  i seemed to missed all such defenses.   And you?

It must be open season for the Obami.  Bill Kristol joins Sarah in the newest inside the beltway sport, making sport of the Dim Won, transcript:

I think I know, even though I’m not a nuclear expert, that Iran’s getting nuclear weapons is a heck of a lot more important than these paper treaties and these 46 nation conferences and the president is doing nothing from stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons. That is the bottom line. That dwarfs everything else from happening…

Let me just read one thing he said Friday morning, “You know the history of the Iranian regime like the North Korean regime is, you know, you apply international pressure on these countries. Sometimes they choose to change behavior, sometimes they don’t.” …Que Sera, Sera. You do your best. You get these four Security Council resolutions and then they go ahead and get nuclear weapons. The president’s attitude is “Hmph.”

video:

Hat tip Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit.

Janet Napolitano , calls your office. AP:

NEW ORLEANS — Evoking the memory of Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is telling Republicans that the policies of President Barack Obama and other Democrats are a “man-made disaster.”

Haley Barbour didn’t coin the phrase, but he uses for more aptly than the Obama witted Napolitano.

It is not Obami policy to arrest Muslims, Doug Giles, Townhall:

So you heard about the dipstick diplomat from Qatar firing up on a plane, but you didn’t hear about the three Muslims shooting at gays in the Bay area, you say? Well, that’s really weird. I wonder why most of you missed that? Oh, I remember: It’s because the Deranged Stream Media buries and/or severely downplays stories about Islamic whack jobs as well as flag-burning liberal protesters and skewers only those on the right, right? Here’s the untold story.

I wonder if the militant gay community is going raise Cain about these three Muslim cats going out and strafing their buddies because you know they would get righteously irate if three Pentecostal youth ministers were the culprits. But don’t hold your breath, folks

Nor is it MSM to offend Muslim sensibilities.   Now if we could only convince the media the  camel jockeys were just the Fred Phelps gang in towels.

No Chic’s need apply, Taylor Marsh looks over the presidential timber, post Obama and sees no liberal women:

If Hillary, Liz and Sarah are any representation, and they’re the leading women on the scene right now, even understanding that Hillary Rodham Clinton is out of politics for good. What we’re headed for in the future is a woman acting like a man as president. But women can’t simply mimic men, talk like them, manufacture machismo in order to effect change on national security and diplomacy, and hope to win the presidency and make the first female president matter by leading differently than her male counterpart might.

So, if we get a Liz or Sarah, what’s the big deal about having the first female president some day? That goes double because the left has no anti-Sarah/Liz. At this rate, the way these three talk on national security, I’d say it would be a wash.

I agree with Ms Marsh that politics and competency should trump sex.   I disagree with Ms Marsh that women need to talk like men to be taken seriously.   Mrs. Clinton was doing the Sunday Morning talk show circuit to redact the Obami nuclear policy to better reflect the views of Mrs. Palin and the American People.

Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit sums Mrs. Palin and the Obami:

Moose Hunter Bags Community Organizer… Obama Retreats on Nuke Plan

I’m presenting “2010 Trends in Social Media for Small Business Owners” with Kendra Ramirez at the Chamber’s 2010 Small Business Expo. We’re (Libertas) also an exhibitor again this year.

Attendees of the seminar will learn about:
– SMM Benefits
– The big three of social media (LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter)
– How they are the same
– How they are different
– Reputation management (don’t do anything stupid)
– Open discussion about how to use / Tips & techniques / Q&A

About the event from the Chamber web site:
Small Businesses Leading the Way

Discover the small businesses of your community, gain knowledge and save your company time & money!  Featuring 100 local businesses, two seminars, wine tasting (courtesy of Elk Creek Winery and StoneBrook Winery), Taste of NKY (consisting of 8 local restaurants) and three BIG door prizes.  We are expecting 1,000 in attendance this year!  Last year we had almost 700 attendees.  Click here to view the list of 2010 Exhibitors.  For more information on the event and the seminars click here.

Booths Sold Out: 0 out of 109 left, if you would like to be placed on a waiting list please submit your information below in the Need More Information? section. 

Cost: $5 Chamber Members; $10 Future Members

For more information, or to register, visit:
http://www.nkychamber.com/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=712

I’m presenting Facebook for Business for the NKY Chamber of Commerce on 4/30/2009 from 3:00PM – 5:00pm.

From the Chamber’s web site:

Tech Fridays 101 – Facebook for Business

Date: 4/30/2010
Time: 3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM

Related Website:
www.nkysmallbusiness.wordpress.com

Event Description:
Learn how to:

Setup your Facebook account;
Take advantage of Facebook etiquette;
Get your brand and message promoted by others;
Use Various applications (i.e. ads, groups …) to enhance Facebook functions;
Gain World Wide exposure to key customers.

Speaker
Back by popular demand, Dave Hatter, President and founder at Libertas Technologies, LLC. , adjunct Instructor at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Freelance Writer at Dave Hatter, LLC. His presentation will focus on how to build a successful Facebook page for your business.

Register Today!
$15 Northern Kentucky Chamber Members
$20 Future Members
$10 BRN Members

For more information, or to register, visit:
http://www.nkychamber.com/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=693

Dixie Cater, perhaps best know for her role in the TV Sitcom, “Designing Women” has died.

DixieCarter

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actress Dixie Carter, who played an outspoken liberal on the sitcom “Designing Women” and received an Emmy nomination for a guest role on “Desperate Housewives,” has died, according to TV gossip show “Entertainment Tonight.” She was 70.

Details about the time, place and cause were not immediately known.

“This has been a terrible blow to our family,” actor Hal Holbrook, Carter’s husband since 1984, was quoted as telling “Entertainment Tonight.” “We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy.”

I find interesting that she’s supposedly created with being this great ‘liberal’ voice in the role. I don’t seem to recall that being the central part of the role as so many liberal “news” people do. But…(Shrug)

United Airlines – 1: Terrorist – 0, United Airlines shows the intestinal fortitude so lacking among the Obami, from Associated Press:

DENVER—A Qatari diplomat who created a bomb scare mid-flight earlier this week tried boarding the same airline for his return flight to Washington. United Airlines said, “No.”

United spokesman Mike Trevino says they banned Mohammed Al-Madadi (Al-Mah-DAH-dee) from a United flight Thursday because he violated airline and Federal Aviation Administration policies when he tried smoking on a flight from Washington to Denver Wednesday

United Airlines is private company and thus beyond the reach of diplomatic immunity.  Job well done Gentlemen.   I would hope that all other domestic carriers follow United Airlines and .

Hat tip: DRJ, Patterico’s Pontifications says:

Unless another airline lets him board, the government of Qatar may have to pay for a private flight to D.C. Reports indicate he will soon be headed home to Qatar.

I say let Mohammed Al-Madadi ride a camel back to Qatar.  What say CAIR?  What say you?

Urban terrorist with fat legs stalks Karl Rove, video:

Hat tips: Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit and Hot Air Pundit.

If Ms Evans is going to stalk Karl Rove, can’t she find somebody without those Mrs. Clinton style thunder thighs?  I mean,  Rove is now single, but Ms Evan’s pick-up technique, such as it is, would amount to kidnapping.   Does O.J. really like Miss Clairol redheads?

Thoughts on the Nuclear Age, Donald Sensing:

From the first world war to the second was only 20 years. World War II ended almost immediately after the first (and thankfully only) use of atomic weapons.  It’s been 65 years since the end of the second world war. There has been no third world war. I don’t mean that the past six decades have been unicorns and rainbows, but can you imagine what a third world war might have been like even if fought with only conventional weapons?

Thoughts of a stupid blond, Eleanor Clift, Newsweak:

Fresh from signing a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia, President Obama hosts a mini-U.N. in Washington next week as more than 40 heads of state convene for a nuclear summit to explore ways to limit the spread of unsecured nuclear material, commonly known as loose nukes.

A group called Global Zero, which, like Obama, is dedicated to the goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons, is lobbying around the summit. Valerie Plame, the CIA officer whose outing in 2003 became a national scandal, is among the notables in that group, which assembled at the National Press Club Thursday morning to promote what Plame colloquially calls “making sure the bad guys don’t get the bomb.”

As Donald Sensing so well documents in his above linked essay, the World circa 1944 was not a good place.  I for one do not yearn to turn back the calender.   Do you?

Stupid blond II, Norah O’Donnell is a blond and she is stupid, via Jammie Wearing Fool:

“And I think it’s open to some criticism because it suggests that the president is an athlete and some people may suggest, you know, because all black people are good athletes. I mean that’s what it sort of sounds like to me.”

Did I mention racist as well.    O’Donnell is pandering to stereotype.   Anybody who would argue that all blacks are good athletes has never seen Barack Obama ever attempt to bowl or pitch.

Blacks are not better athletes.   Rather they tend to excel at some aspects of some sports.  Which for example in professional football blacks dominate the running backs position but are virtually non-existent as place kickers.

Indiana Right to Life, sees the light, Capital Watchblog:

After being burned by “moderate” Democrat Congressmen who caved in to their party leadership during the recent debate over abortion funding in health care reform legislation, IRL has apparently decided that they have had just about enough of Democrats in Congress talking one way in the district and voting the other way in Washington.  The move shows political courage and I wish more organizations that exist to advocate for their core beliefs would follow IRL’s lead.

Further lessons:  there are no pro-life democrats, no fiscally conservative democrats and no representative who supports Mrs. Pelosi can be considered as moderate.

Question #1 during much of the Health Care Debate was: “Why the rush?”.

I should have seen it at the time, but now, it is clear to me just how important it was for Democrats to pass Health Care Reform, in any condition.  Even torn to shreds.  Getting it done early in 2010 was absolutely essential.

Because that was the one chance that Democrats had of holding seats in November.

It’s a gambit that tries our souls and puts folks on both the left and right on edge.  By completing the effort early in the year, Democrats have essentially taken ownership of the election, or at least taken a position that gives them a stronger political advantage.  That is, stronger than they would have had if they had tried and failed to complete the work, or completed it in late summer or early fall.

The manner in which Republicans play this out over the next several months will have a greater impact than anything.  Even though a majority of Americans opposed the Democrats plan, ultimately the tide will shift on the perceived benefit of those in the middle.  Already, some Republicans are seeing the challenge of continuing to fight this head on.

Now, instead of fighting against a bad idea, instead of promoting a smarter model for Americans to address the real Health Care issues at hand, Republicans who go all in with the “Repeal ObamaCare” crowd will be quickly branded as trying to take away rights, because that’s what entitlements are to those who receive them.  Although the early days after the signing of the bill into law saw many Republican Legislators and Candidates clamoring to proclaim their commitment to repeal it, they might as well now be committing to drop Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment, Baseball, Apple Pie and Breathing.

Regardless of the right or wrong in your political discourse, elections hinge on perception.  One could make an irrefutable case for providing better quality health care at a lower cost, but the evidence would become so much blather in the face of chants that Republicans (EVIL Republicans) want to take away “free” health care.

The facts that the new law is full of so much junk (that’s my code for earmarks), that the financial model is consistently misrepresented by the Left (meaning the CBO report, while accurate, is over simplified), and that health care costs overall are certain to increase dramatically as a result of this legislation (weren’t we trying to reduce costs?), have already been forgotten.  Any attempt to promote a blanket repeal of this law will play well with conservatives and libertarians, but is likely to fall on deaf ears amongst Moderates who would much rather see the law fixed than scrubbed.  Having passed the bill, Democrats now have an upper hand.

But they don’t have to.

The key warning here is, that although conservatives like myself would love to wake up and read the headline “ObamaCare Repealed By 112th Congress”, and we love to hear candidates proclaim their commitment to reversing the law, and it is so easy energize the base by just saying you are going to repeal the law, it is dishonest to tell people it is that simple.   And it is highly unlikely to happen that way.

Better to have a plan that will gain broad support and have a positive impact on the lives of all Americans, by maintaining our cherished liberties and ensuring basic needs can be met.  This is possible.  This will take work.  This will take some explaining.  And it will be difficult to encapsulate into a 15 second sound bite.

As painful as it might be, the time may be here for analyzing the legislation that is now in place and producing a bill (or multiple bills) to correct it’s most insipid problems.  New legislation that keeps the parts of the current law that are actually useful (as few as they may be) and puts forth a plan to maintain the integrity of our social order while ensuring that all Americans have access to quality health care.  A plan to actually reduce what we already know to be a burgeoning level of cost for a health care system that could be less costly, less litigious, less fraudulent, and accessible to all.

One more thing.  If Republicans can put together (and gain broad candidate support for) such a plan, we might even get painted as the folks that helped avoid years of fighting in court over 10th Amendment States Rights to eliminate the legislation.  Do it right and we could gain bipartisan support to see the plan through.

Then, instead of the obstructionist label we hold right now, we can be seen as the party that makes a difference, that brings value, that serves the greater good.

Liz’s radical idea, Elizabeth Cheney at SPLC, via Andy McCarthy, National Review and Jennifer Rubin, Commentary:

In the era of Obama, American allies have their loyalty met with humiliation, arrogance and incompetence. The shabby reception Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu received in Washington a few weeks ago — being treated as an uninvited guest at the White House — was disgraceful. President Obama must not understand the most fundamental point about US-Israeli relations — the world is safer when there is no daylight between America and the state of Israel.

Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East and one of our strongest and most important allies in the world. Barack Obama is playing a reckless game that could have deadly consequences if he continues on the path of diminishing America’s ties to Israel. Israel is not the only ally to have felt Obama’s wrath — last year the Obama Administration pulled the rug out from under leaders in Poland and the Czech Republic by abruptly canceling a missile defense system they had committed to host. We did so because the Russians complained.

Afghan President Karzai, whose support we need if we are going to succeed in Afghanistan, is being treated to an especially dangerous and juvenile display from this White House. They dress him down publicly almost daily and refuse to even say that he is an ally. There is a saying in the Arab world: “It is more dangerous to be America’s friend than to be her enemy.” In the age of Obama, that is proving true.

Comments, Rubin:

Although Cheney is undeniably one of the most popular conservatives and the Left’s second-favorite bogeywoman, her message should not be controversial and is anything but extreme. Presidents of both parties at least tried to maintain robust alliances with like-minded democracies. It is extraordinary to have a president now who by design seeks to distance himself from loyal allies for the purpose of proving our bona fides to our foes.

Alan Grayson is an ass.  Tea Party Patriots.

On Thursday, April 8th, 2010, Congressman Alan Grayson, Democrat in Florida’s 8th district, interrupted a district meeting of the local Orange County Republican Executive Committee.  The meeting was being held at Perkins, a family restaurant.

Unanswered question: How did Alan Grayson know about this meeting?  Who informed him?  Was this staged?

Matthew Falconer, candidate for Orange County Mayor, quickly challenged Alan’s rudeness.  Grayson demanded not to be interrupted, but Falconer quickly reminded the congressman that he is in fact interrupting their meeting.

So what worse than some jerk who crashes your party?  A person to crashes your party and then gets rude to you.   The voters of Florida’s Eighth Congressional District deserve better.

Commentary, Jim Geraghty, National Review:

Never mind whether Grayson is a good representative; he seems . . . not entirely there, no?

Bad taste award. from Patricia Alex, North Jersey:

Bergen County representatives of the state teachers union have ratcheted up the campaign against Governor Christie’s agenda in a fiery memo that encourages members to “get some dirt” and “go public,” and adds the education commissioner to the “attack list.”

But it’s the memo’s closing “prayer” that is sure to ignite controversy:

“Dear Lord … this year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. … I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor.”

The memo, sent to locals in the county earlier this week and obtained by The Record on Thursday, is signed by New Jersey Education Association field representatives, including Joe Coppola, president of the Bergen County Education Association.

Coppola said the “prayer” was a joke and was never meant to be made public.

“Obviously, it’s inappropriate,” he said. “I would never wish anybody dead.”

I am sorely tempted to paraphrase Joe Coppola’s prayer, but I don’t want to invite a visit by the Secret Service.   Liberals don’t object to invoking God, provided it is a liberal god.

Coppola’s prayer is fully protected under the First Amendment and I fully support Coppola’s right to pray his prayer.    On the other hand,  I wonder to whose god Coppola is praying.   It would seem a mighty weak god to be moved to action by such a blatantly dishonest and transparent prayer.    It would be offensive to find that Coppola thought the god to whom you pray would be so naive and gullible to fall for Coppola’s prayer.   Coppola can only pray that the people he offended are willing to forgive hm.

Commentary, Jim Geraghty, National Review:

After this crap that the New Jersey Education Association — the state branch of the NEA — is pulling, I don’t want to hear any more whining about “incendiary rhetoric” at the Tea Parties:

Personal moan, after going all of March with no snow, a taught I saw a snowflake this afternoon.  Somehow warm weather of Spring sprung a leak.

Dumbo is as dumb about debate as he is about nukes:

White House

(Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Thursday made clear he was not going to take advice from Republican Sarah Palin when it comes to decisions about the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Barack Obama

Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, has not been shy about criticizing Obama’s policies and this week weighed in on his revamped nuclear strategy, saying it was like a child in a playground who says ‘punch me in the face, I’m not going to retaliate.’

“I really have no response to that. The last I checked, Sarah Palin is not much of an expert on nuclear issues,” Obama said in an interview with ABC News

Now where I come from, the United States, no response consists of no comment.  From acumen on nuclear the Obamatard in Chief has taken a position not taken by any American president of the nuclear age.  For her part, Sarah Palin advocates the same strategy as implemented by Presidents Harry S. Truman through George W. Bush.  Then unlike Obama, Sarah actually attended college.

I note that Taylor Marsh takes note.  I am not likely to agree much with Ms Marsh, but she gets it, from the Puffngton Post:

While Democrats and the Obama White House continue to take jabs at Sarah Palin, the fact remains they can’t resist rising to her bait, with the media loving to pit Palin against Obama whenever the chance arises. Even when Pres. Obama says he’s not going to respond, like he did on Palin’s nuclear policy criticism, Obama goes on to do exactly that. Never mind that Palin and other conservatives completely miss that Pres. Reagan dreamed about nuclear zero. Meanwhile, when you look to the left, there is no anti-Palin, no woman even close to competing with her star power.

Sarah Palin

Leaders pulls strings.  Clearly Sarah has gotten inside of Dumbo’s, b/k/a Barack Obama, head and is the one pulling his strings.  Dumbo can’t stop responding to Sarah even when he says is not going to respond.  Do you believe that foreign leaders like Vladamir Putin, Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad take notice of how easy it is to pull Obama’s string?  While I am no fan of former president B.J. Clinton, I note that Clinton was at least smart enough to leave the personal attacks to attack dogs like James Carville.

Sarah set  Dumbo up and pulled his string yet again, transcript from SRLC in New Orleans, via Michelle:

In foreign policy, we’ve got the makings of the Obama Doctrine: coddling our enemies while alienating allies.

The administration eased sanctions on Cuba and sided with Chavez against Honduran democracy. They won’t bring up human rights with China because, quote, ‘we know what they are going to say.’ They offer tepid sanctions on North Korea and ‘gold stars and cookies’ for the Sudanese President. They send letters to Iranian mullahs but can barely muster a word of support for the Green Movement seeking freedom and women’s rights in Iran!

And President Obama, with all that vast nuclear expertise he acquired as a community organizer, a part-time senator, and a candidate for president, has accomplished nothing to date with Iran or North Korea.

Meanwhile, this administration alienates our friends. They treated Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai poorly and acted surprised when he reacted in kind. And they escalated a minor zoning decision into a major breach with Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East.

Folks, someone needs to remind the President: Jerusalem is not a settlement. Israel is our friend. And the critical nuclear concerns of our time are North Korea, who has nuclear weapons, and Iran, who wants them.

Video:

Hat tip and more: Jim Hoft, Gateway Pundit:

She hooked him yesterday…  She reeled him in today.

Obviously, Jim and myself do not agree on the proper analogy.  Such is life.

Dumbo should note that he having a battle of wits with a half term ex governor of Alaska and losing.  Dim Won is the one who is  visibly agitated.  Whereas Mrs. Palin is having more fun than a moose hunt.

Welcome, one and all to the most intense nightly read anywhere on the ‘sphere; the BitsBlog Nightly Ramble

• STUPAK RETIRES: To the shock of nobody that was actually watching the thing, a retirement announcement today from MI congresscritter  Bart Stupak... I note the story by way of OTB, where I commented this afternoon:
  

  I said at the time that he backed off of his demands as regards Obamacare, he was simply playing for a better job.  Watch closely  now  for his next move, which will reveal what his price was to sell out his supposedly high morals.

  Of course, there is one other possibility, that being that he is reacting to the Tea Party specifically targeting him.  This is an election year, after all.  The thing is, neither of these possibilities will be covered in the mainstream media.  They will spin it as ‘being time to retire, now that his job as regards health care is completed’.  The context of that spin can be found in smaller quantities on any stable floor, of course, but you watch, that’s exactly what’s going to happen..

• OBAMA GOES AFTER PALIN: Obama apparently can’t take the heat. Not only does he dislike a strong woman...(Hey, that’s the only reason we went after Hillary Clinton, right?) … but he calls in the troops. The (Completely Barack’s Servant) network? Can you imagine they’d ever run a poll that made Palin look GOOD? And isn’t it interesting how this poll shows up a figurative 15 minutes after the statement from Obama? Tell me the White House didn’t pull a string here. What the Obami are fearful of, though.. and what CBS doesn’t report… is that around 55%… read that… a majority of Americans… agree with Palin in the matter under discussion. It’s an almost cliched response for the Democrats anymore. If you can’t argue the facts make it personal.
• DEMOCRATS AND UNIONS… ALL SWEETNESS AND LIGHT: Except for the occasional death threat against someone they don’t like. The thing that amazes me, is that anyone is amazed by this anymore.  This kind of thuggery is part and parcel of what they are.  Always has been, always will be.  Why are we treating these people with any degree of respect whatsoever?  It’s not like the lesson hasn’t been taught millions of times, already.  And of course, the largest union in the country, SEIU, the one whose leader has everything but his own White House office, should be taken is no indication of any collusion between the Democrats and the unions.  Criminal enterprises they are, and nothing but.  Both of them.
• TIGER SHOOTS TWO EAGLES: … and a seagull and a duck. So screams the headlines at OTB WHy is this news? His ability to get it in the hole has never been questioned. Oh.. wait a minute.

Terrorist – 1:  Obami – 0, Lisa Stark and Sarah Netter, ABC News:

The Qatari diplomat who caused a midair security scare won’t face charges after claiming he was trying to light his shoes on fire when it appears he was simply smoking in the bathroom.

Federal officials said Mohammed al Modadi was on official business when he boarded United Airlines Flight 663 from Washington to Denver, giving him diplomatic immunity. A law firm spokesman told The Associated Press that al Modadi has been released and was headed back to Washington.

Another good reason to drive.

Lt. Colonel Allen West on the Democratic Party history of violence, from Palm Beach Post:

The history of the Democratic party is steeped in intimidation. It was the Democratic Party that started the KKK to enforce Jim Crow segregation laws. It was the Democratic party that instituted lynching and other means of violence to preclude blacks from enjoying the Constitutional rights the Republican party established in the 13-15th Amendments and the early Civil Rights Legislation during the Reconstruction Era through the 1960s

Hat tip: Nice Deb.

Denial is a river in Searchlight, Greta Van Sustern, Fox News:

SEN. HARRY REID, D-NEV, SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Because the loud minority made a lot of noise. Now that the legislation passed, it is amazing how much different people attitude is. I mean traveling on an airplane people are so nice to me. We have people — it wasn’t that way before.

We have people coming, sending me notes in church. “I have a disabled daughter. Thank you very much for taking care of her.” People have changed. Even the Republicans have changed their tone.

I was in Salt Lake doing church business this past weekend, and it was interesting — the newspapers there and the conservative bastion of America, Utah, even the Republican leaders up there are saying we don’t want to change the things that are already in effect. What we want to improve some of the things that are going to happen later.

So everybody acknowledges with rare exception that what we did was terrific, and if there are some problems in out years we’ll be happy to look at them.

Yeah Dirty Harry, your bill was so terrific, you exempted yourself from it.

Hat tip:  Cassy Fiano.

Mrs. Clinton stuck on stupid, Mrs. B.J. Clinton, Guardian(UK):

Hat tip: Little Miss Attila.