Valentine’s Day Cards for the Political Animal

Are you in love with a staffer on Capitol Hill, someone who works at a think tank, or just a plain, old political wonk? Well, then today’s your lucky day because you can show them that you really do understand their weird obsession with monetary policy, parliamentary rules, and the Laffer Curve by giving them one of these nifty Valentine’s Day cards.

So says John Hawkins in mail this monring. This was too good to touch, so I didn’t.

The link is here. 

Hillary’s gonads must be sending out sci-fi rays that paralyze the paleo-feminist mind — because her career, attached to her husband’s flapping coattails, has sure been heavy on striking pious attitudes but ultra-light on concrete achievements.

Camille Paglia, Salon, via, Hot Air

• So what happens if/when Barrack Obama gets into office? Are we going to see the race hucksters coming out of the oval office woodwork every time someone questions an action by Obama, and charging racism? Will we in fact see race riots if he DOESN’T win?
• Hillary Clinton says she has experience. That may well be, but we won’t really know the experience she claims is comprised of until she gets around to releasing all the papers she has hidden down in the Double-Wide Trailer known as the Clinton Library, now, will we?
• We managed to get linked by one of the lower level Kossacks this morning. Not an unusual event in and of itself, and I would not remark on it at all, except for the idea that the commenters… the few that dared, had no answer for the idea of labeling taking money from Soros a BAD thing. They’ve no idea how to even speak of it as a problem, much less deal with it.
• I’m becoming convinced that the one thing that can make John McCain look good, is the Democrats. Mostly because they’ve begun work on that project, already. Then again, with the McCain -Soros connection, McCain’s own history is working against him maintaining the image of the lesser evil.
• Yes, Michelle, along with everyone else, I’m with you here.
• Today is the feast day of St. Olaf the Flatulent. Order of the day of course is Chili with beans.  The traditional fare for today usually involves Chili… hot… with Pinto beans soaked in Bourbon.  I swear, more feast days like this and we could solve the energy crisis.
• I’ve not once logged into Facebook. Based on the reports I’m getting I’ve begun to suspect this to be a wise move. Looks to me not only like marketing over technology, but it also looks like a ripe playground for hackers and other technoboobs. The place is full of people who haven’t a bloody clue about the technology they’re using, or experts there for less than above board purposes. I’m just as glad my two boys haven’t become involved with all that nonsense.
• Remember Nancy Pelosi yesterday telling us how there was not any politlcal progress in Iraq, and that the whole thing ws a failure? Apparently, Nancy is wrong yet again. You’re not really surprised by that, right?
• But let’s talk about failures in the Senate… Did you notice Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi failed to block the FISA bill? That’s od; the press pretty much ignored it, at least in a comparative sense. Look; Ol’ Harry has proven his incompetence many times over. He’s also proven many times over that what he and the left are about is working against US interests. But irony abounds… he also demonstrates why the Republican led congresses over the years didn’t get as much done as would have been wise. When I said this a few years back and since, I was told I was merely whining. But this situation proves otherwise. Oh… The Conservative Reader has more.
• That little flap over at OTB and elsewhere over the Obama Supporters with the Che flag, seems to have petered out somewhat, as revelations of leftist transgressions usually do. Usually, this happens as a result of misdirection in the discussion. I stand by my comments of last night.  Frankly, it doesn’t surprise me to see so many supposed ‘centrists’ leaping up to defend the ‘honor’ of Obama.  What should be of concern is why so many leap up to defend him with such weak arguments… essentially telling us not to look at that man behind the curtain over there because there’s no proof he’s control all the projections and effects with the knobs and levers.
• Boortz notes, on a slight tangent, notes the official response from the Obama camp on this, saying in part:
  

  “The office featured in this video is funded by volunteers of the Barack Obama Campaign and is not an official headquarters for his campaign.”

  Now the title headline did read “On Reports of an Inappropriate Flag in a Texas Obama Office.” So they did manage to get the fact that it was “inappropriate” … although that may be the understatement of the day.

  Again, did Barack Obama have anything to do with this flag? No. But it does show the kind of people that are supporting him … that they are willing to go so far as to hang the face of a communist butcher, criminal and murderer, as if he embodies the spirit of the Obama campaign.

  Bold is my own. And that’s pretty much the point I made yesterday. Would these pepople who hold Che so dear, be working for Obama if they though the politics of each were at serious odds with each other? You know they wouldn’t. Any other conclusion is dodging the obvious.

• By way of Reason, I note an article in Canada’s National Post which suggests Syed Soharwardy is withdrawing his complaint against Ezra Levant.  What this boils down to is flying the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. You’d be amazed how that improves both interpersonal and intergroup relationships, as well as life for all, in the end. Rather like an armed society. Too bad Canada hasn’t figured that one out, yet.
• Another bit of evidence that the real racism in this country is on the left.
• Fellow Swamp Stompers, I’ve been held up with events here at home as regards the podcast. I’ve not forgotten you, and well be getting back to it shortly. Expect an email from me about all of this in the next day or so explaining the holdup.
• Blue Crab notes the Bezerkeley City Council has thrown up the White flag.  Morons. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get the left to start working for America? Fact freakin’ chance, that. 
• Jawa Mike Pechar notes:
  

  Valentine’s Day is sinful, according to the Saudi government. As a result, red items that are symbols of love must be removed from store shelves this week. Apparently, symbols of love are simply not compatible with the religion of peace.

  And doesn’t that just say it all?  Isn’t it amazing what the strong religion of peace, feels itself so very threatened by? I mean comon’… Cartoons, (As above) and expressions of love. So,what say let’s piss off the terrorists… and all buy a Valentine’s day card. It IS tomorrow, you know. I’ll pass along a report tomorrow on how successful BitsBlog is in starting a trend on this.(Smirk)

By request, Michelle Malkin:

Two years ago, the Mohammed cartoon conflagration consumed the world and the blogosphere helped lead the way in fighting back. Longtime readers will remember that this site hammered the issue in support of Denmark. “Sammenhold,” you may recall, is the Danish word for solidarity. With the arrests this week of five jihadists accused of plotting to murder one of the Danish cartoonists, it’s time to demonstrate sammenhold again

Standing with Denmark.  Standing for freedom.

Brevity is the soul of wit, Shakespeare.

More and hat tip photo:  Michelle Malkin.

“Hillary Clinton! You’ve lost the last six primaries in a row, and now Obama is beating you even when your ace in the hole, the Superdelegates are counted. You’ve already blown out your campaign manager, and your asst campaign manager quit yesterday.  What are you going to do now?”

” I’m going to Disneyworld!”

That Texas is going to help Her Nastiness rebound in the counts is pure fantasy. Grab a fork; she’s done.

Haaretz is reporting:

Hezbollah said Wednesday its Deputy Secretary General Imad Mughniyah was killed Tuesday evening in a bomb blast in a residential neighborhood of Damascus, accusing Israel of being behind the explosion.

“With all pride we declare a great jihadist leader of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon joining the martyrs … The brother commander hajj Imad Mughinyah became a martyr at the hands of the Zionist Israelis,” said a statement carried on Hezbollah’s television.

The Prime Minister’s Office initially declined comment, but later issued a statement denying Israeli involvement. “Israel rejects the attempt by terror groups to attribute to it any involvement in this incident,” read the statement. “We have nothing further to add.”

So in short, the head wolf got attacked and killed by one of his own, by use of their favorite weapon… a car bomb. Such is the loyalty and comradeship bred in such individuals. May he forever roast somewhere warm.

Addendum:  (David L)

Bit a rather apt metaphor:

A petard was a medieval small bomb used to blow up gates and walls when breaching fortifications. In a typical implementation, it was commonly either a conical or rectangular metal object containing 5 or 6 pounds of gun powder, activated with a slow match used as a fuse

Wintery Mix, WHEC-TV:

Snow came down at a steady pace last night, but then as temperatures began to rise during the overnight hours…snow quickly turned into sleet and freezing rain. And that has left a layer of ice on just about everything outdoors. The plows were out all night clearing the roads for this morning’s commute.

Dead RINO  Alerrt:

CHESTERTOWN, Md. (AP)- A nine-term Republican congressman who voted to go to war in Iraq but later said he regretted the decision and that President Bush bungled the war was defeated by a well-funded Republican state senator who called the incumbent too liberal

Michelle Malkin: The FISA fight: Nutroots lose, America wins; Update: Senate passes FISA reform bill

The Clintons:   Mr. Clinton accuse, kind of, sort of, Mrs. Clinton of violating the Logan Act., vai Luciannne.

Gabriel Malor, Ace of Spades HQ,   Breaking up is so hard to do.

Whistling past Mrs. Clinton, Stephen Spruiell, National Review

Jerome Corsi at WND:

As Sen. John McCain assumes the GOP front-runner mantle, his long-standing, but little-noticed association with left-wing donors such as George Soros and Teresa Heinz Kerry is receiving new attention among his Republican critics.

In 2001, McCain founded the Alexandria, Va.-based Reform Institute as a vehicle to receive funding from George Soros’ Open Society Institute and Teresa Heinz Kerry’s Tides Foundation and several other prominent non-profit organizations.

OK, perhaps my reaction to McCain wasn’t so very far off, after all. But it gets better. Mr. Campaign Reform apparently got caught outside the law, here…

In 2006, the Arizona senator was forced to sever his formal ties with the Reform Institute after a controversial $200,000 contribution from Cablevision came to light. McCain solicited the donation for the Reform Institute using his membership on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, he supported Cablevision’s push to introduce the more profitable al la carte pricing, rather than packages of TV programming.

Yet, the Reform Institute still employs the McCain campaign’s Hispanic outreach director, Juan Hernandez, as a senior fellow of its Comprehensive Immigration Reform Initiative.

OK, perhaps someone can explain this to me…

Taking funds from Soros, and getting caught with his hand in the corruption jar.

... Can someone explain to me why I’m supposed to support John McCain, again?

See I said, earlier today, that the only thing that could make McCain look GOOD was the Democrat offerings. The trouble with that is, that McCain is… well… McCain.  His past keeps counterbalancing what he’s telling us NOW.

Oh… Interesting sidenote:

The Soros-Kerry funding connection with McCain was first exposed by Ed Morrissey at the Captains Quarters blog in 2005.

Subsequently, David Horowitz’s DiscoverTheNetworks.org website and Michelle Malkin’s blog gave renewed attention to the Reform Institutes’s funding ties.

Maybe he’ll be holding a conferrence call with the bloggers soon? I’m willing to bet Ed and Michelle won’t be invited.

Side note to Blue Wind:

The difference between Republicans and Democrats is that for the most part, we call out and try to remove corruptive infleunces from those claiming to be Republicans. You EMBRACE corruptive influences. Tell me; How much Soros money is involved this year between Clinton and Obama?

And as for falling apart, I wouldn’t give a plug nickel for the chances of not making it through this election without a fight in the Democrat party. Hillary is… well… Hillary, after all. Wanna know what the trouble is on both sides? Valuing ‘victory’ over PRINCIPLE.

Alex, it’s time YOU had a little lesson in logic.Think, now;

These people who hold Che and his way of thinking and acting dear enough to honor him with a place on their wall… would these be working to get Obama elected, as they are, if they for a minute thought that Obama would be working in the opposite political direction from Che? Clearly, they think otherwise.

Notice, please, What I’m speaking to is the perception of the people who put that flag up, and are ostensibly supporting Obama. Now, Obama actually thinking the same way, I grant is an open question. The perception of Obama’s ideals by the people who put up that Che flag, may or may not be correct.

But what does it say for an org that attracts such people? It seems logical to assume that they think their way of thinking will benefit by the person they are working for getting elected.

Further, what does it say that these people are still working for the campaign? For one thing, it’s a suggestion that the perception of his campaign workers in the matter isn’t all that far off, after all.

Some of the leftosphere is beginning to catch on to Miss Chelsea Clinton’s real age. Hint, it is twenty-seven and not twelve and they are becoming less supportive of Mrs. Clinton’s double standard. Guy Branum,  Slate. Chelsea Is All Grown Up

The recent emergence of Chelsea Clinton as a voice for her mother’s campaign has resulted in a chorus of “poor Chelsea” from various sources. Ms. Clinton is still deeply wary of the media, and the sentiment may be valid; her life has been dominated by attention she never chose to engender. But it’s got a nefarious underside, as exhibited by the suspension Friday of David Shuster, a commentator for Hardball who got put in the naughty chair for asking on the air whether Clinton had “pimped out” her daughter. Pimping is a common enough euphemism in modern parlance, but one which an indignant Hillary Clinton has managed to turn into a carnival of pity and remonstrations.

That is some, but not all, Jason Zengerle, New Republic

Hillary’s just being an appropriately overprotective mother. But how many Scorpio Moms have the Secret Service at their disposal?

Meanwhile, from the right, Tim Graham. 

If Mrs Clinton were just being a protective mother, which would have been her right, she would not have thrown her only daughter into the political arena.  Mrs. Clinton’s motherly prerogative to protect her daughter, ended the day Miss Clinton entered the arena, voluntarily or otherwise.

Hat tip:  Memeorandum.

• If anyone doubts there’s a rebellion within the Republican party against the Rockefeller Republicans, you’ll want to read this. Note the date on it, also. This rebellion has been coming for some time, now, people… it didn’t start with McCain… but I do suspect the nomination of John McCain will bring it to a head.

 

• Assuming McCain loses the election… which without the benefit of the base support, he will… what goes?  Well, I’ve been thinking about that. After the Bush tax cuts go… and thereby the economy hits John Crapper‘s wonderful invention , I’ll gauran-damn-tee you the first thing to go will be the Wendy’s Super Value Menu. Think about it; History has shown us that the nutball ideas on how to limit freedom which are embraced traditionally only by society’s crackpots, have a way of becoming ‘mainstreamed’ when liberals come to power. THEN, and only as a logical extension, guns. After all, the second amendment provides a recourse for those whose other freedoms have been trampled.
• Another cold morning here in Western NY.  I took a reading of 9° outside this morning, and the computer that I have watching the weather says that it’s been colder south and west of here.  It shows morning readings of 5° in Buffalo and a little bit colder as you head to the southwest along the Erie run. We’re supposed to see a warming trend, which will be announced by freezing rain, several inches of snow, and then an inch or two of rain. which, of course, means I’m going to have to get out with my snow rake, and get some of the snow off the roof before I end up with a small lake up there…  Happens every year, so I suppose I’m used to it, but it’s still a pain in the butt.

• And the heater, in this cold snap has been spinning away. Which of course makes me think of energy costs.  Look, let’s face it; The group most responsible for the price we’re paying at the gas pump is the environmentalist left. The cooperation of the left and the enviro-nazis have been working to raise the price of energy every step of the way… Drilling, Refining, distribution, consumption. I’m firmly convinced that the enviro-nazis responsible for our energy shortages, should be condemned to live in the northeast… without oil and gas. Let’s see how long they last with their own policies. It’s here in the northeast, I think where the phrase “No oil for pacifists” carries the maximum weight.
• A name that came up in an emal group this morning; Anyone know what Eason Jordan is doing, these days? Is he still with Praedict trying to give the enemies of America intel on how to attack our troops? I kinda lost track, there.
• My wife drives a Ford Fusion. Really, a great car. Rides great, the technology is there… Fair gas millage, (we get ~29 on the open road, mostly at 70mph which is where it seems to like to run) handles very well indeed… corners every bit as good as the Firebird I used to drive.. Goes like a scalded cat, for a family mover… 0-60 in 7 seconds… 1/4 mile in 16 or so, by which time it’s dong around 95.  First front driver with an automatic that I’ve ever had that (assuming you turn the traction control off) has enough torque to light the tires in the first two gears and ‘chrip’ them in the first three. (Like to see it with a stick!) She got the top of the line car…  All the toys. Great freeway car, too. Basically drives like a four door Mustang, which I gather they were aiming at in the design.  Altogether, a very impressive car. Looks great, too. So why is the turning radius on this thing so bloody wide? Feels like I’m driving a tractor trailer when I’m trying to park.  My conversion vans would turn tighter. I mean, look… If that’s the only fault with the thing, I’ll deal with it, (Indeed, if I didn’t have the camper to consider, I’d get one myself) but I won’t deny the turn radius is a sore spot. Are you listening, Ford?
• I dunno, Billy; Sounds rather like wishful thinking, to me.Such predictions have been issued about the dollar since the dollar itself was first issued. Certainly, all human endeavors come to an end with time, the great leveler that it is. And just as certainly doom sayers only need be correct once to be proclaimed a genius. Yet, they are more often wrong… usually so.  But tha doesn’t stop them making lots of money off predictions of financial doom, does it? It does tend to keep the gold markets hopping as such rumors have always done, over the last few hundred years. Such rumors also keep nut jobs like Alex Jones on the air, and their followers spouting nonsense.
• Dale finds yet again evidence linking the current personality cult with Barrack Obama, to the Socialism that has always driven such cults. Pay particular attention to the vidcap he’s posted there. It’s stuff like this that makes me re-question my statements about McCain. I don’t figure that’s going to change until the lever gets thrown, frankly. LGF notes this story and Ed Driscoll as well as John Cole, who predictably tries to defend the socialists, saying we’re making a big deal out of nothing.  Dale tags this one correctly:
  

  It’s particularly ironic that this is a campaign volunteer office of a candidate standing for office in a free election, and it’s decorated with the flag of a nation that hasn’t had a free election in three generations. But, they have “free’ health care, so I guess it all evens out, huh?

  Captain Ed notes the story as well, and graciously says he’s quite sure Obama doesn’t know about all of this. I’m afraid I can’t be so gracious. I think he knows very well in general, if not in particulars, the socialist leanings of his followers, and is quite ready to oblige them once in office. Says Ed;

  Along with the ubiquitous personal insult towards anyone with whom he disagrees, John tries to cast it as a courageous statement that our policy towards Cuba needs to be rethought. And he calls me a flack? I can remember when Balloon Juice was readable. Now they just revel in their bitterness. Too bad.

  Yeah, well, I gave up on the guy years ago. And one can easily apply the line from Dale, onto Cole, as well. How is it Cole can’t see a problem with such linkage? Has Cole so badly lost sight of freedom? It appears so, which is to my mind a huge reason to add to the list of why his site is no longer readable.

  Oh… and… James?
  Look, man… Regardless of any other factor, that these Obama supporters who hold Che so dearly, ARE in fact working feverishly to get Obama elected, would seem to suggest that THEY at least think their views about Che and the policies he called for and fought for, would find Support in an Obama White House. That assesment, is perhaps more damaging than anything else. Given the depth of the anger I see in response to Johnson’s comparison, I think others know that, as well.
  I think there are some people who find that linkage disturbing.  Voters, who didn’t know about it… and Obama supporters, who’d rather that this connection hadn’t come up… at least until after the election.

  And James… I must say, I’m a little surprised. From writing my own blog, I know that years of hipshooting will tend to cause the target to get missed once in a while.

  I’m going to be kind and not say more.

• Hey, McGehee…. OK, so The McGehee Zone is number one on Google for the search Georgia-Tennsee Border.  So? BitsBlog is number 10 on the search “The McGehee Zone”.  It’s all perspective, man.  (grin)
• Interesting to me that the one thing Al Gore CAN keep his mouth shut about is an endorsement from the current crop of Democrats. Sources say he’s not going to endorse anyone at all.  The shtick of course is that he’s above all that. The truth is a little different from teh claim, as usual…. He doesn’t want to be on the losing side, I suppose, and there’s no clear winner in the race yet. Imagine how illustrative the response would be were he to endorse Obama, and then Obama LOST, and Hillary, God Help us, somehow ended up in the WH. Suddenly the re-infested WH would lose all interest in matters of ‘global warming’, and Gore would end up being discredited as he should have been some years ago. He doesn’t want that infamous temper directed at him.

Coalition targets al-Qaeda in Iraq networks; two terrorists killed, two detained

Posted: 12 Feb 2008 06:18 AM CST

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Feb. 12, 2008) – Coalition forces killed two terrorists and detained two suspects Monday and today during operations to disrupt al-Qaeda networks operating in central Iraq. Coalition forces disrupt Special Groups criminal networks, detain two

Posted: 12 Feb 2008 06:06 AM CST

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Feb. 12, 2008) – Coalition forces detained two suspected Special Groups criminals early today during operations in the Suwayrah area, south of Baghdad.

John Hawkins, over at Right Wing News, looks at the list of possible VP’s that McCain is likely to chose from. Some interesting choices.  It’s my view that who he picks, in the end will matter only as far as how much power McCain is likleyt to invest in him. And THAT, we won’t know until well after the election. The problem here is the role of VP is largely (And I think, purposfully) left pretty much wide open.

Consider, for example, the role of Hubert Humphrey, vs the role of Dick Cheney, in terms of how much power within their respective administration and it’s policy design and implementation. Humphrey was lucky if he got to run the white house elevator, whereas the left is still screaming Cheney’s is the real seat of power.

Local Hero: Out of the thirty-six car pile up, me and Bit boggged about here and here, we have a local hero, from WHEC-TV:

While dozens of cars and trucks were crashing into each other in blinding, blowing snow on I-390 Sunday, another driver may have prevented the accident from getting worse.
A man driving north on 390, pulled off into a U-Turn area and started flagging down on-coming traffic, warning them of the disaster in front of them.

It wasn’t me..  I have an alibi. Congratulations to our unnamed hero.

Bit complained about the stretch yesterday, more:

(February 12, 2008) – The area of Interstate 390 where blowing snow caused a deadly 36-vehicle pileup Sunday has long been prone to whiteouts, officials said Monday.

The state Department of Transportation, which oversees the highway, lists the stretch of 390 southbound from Brooks Avenue to Scottsville Road – where Sunday’s crash occurred – as one of seven area roadways “prone to drifting

Peeve: How about you, personally I am feed up with bieing treated like a non-hmaan.  I am a human being, I have a sex, not a gender, which ionly a proper of nouns, masculine or feminine.  Don’t ask is, I don’t have one.  So are you a real person or just a noun?

Video Salute: Keith Olbermann pays tribute to Johnny Dollar, Olberman Watch, via Hot Air:

Job well done Johnny.

What Olberman is too stupid to reaize that blogging isn’t all that expersive.  It is fun.  Bashing Olberman is a public service and that Olbermann provides a steady stream of fodder.

Video diss: via Byran, Hot Air:

P-O Chris. A two week suspension and on-air apology would be the the least ESPN should offer. We have already had too many Heath Ledgers.