Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!


These look like New Year's resolutions that we can live with.:-)

Thursday, December 30, 2010

NYT Plays Blame-the-Victim

This just in from Accuracy in Media:

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that police in Sweden and Denmark arrested five men suspected of plotting an “imminent” attack against a Danish newspaper that published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in 2005. The Times has nothing to fear, however, for it was one of several major American newspapers that cowardly refused to publish the cartoons out of fear of offending Muslim extremists.

The papers that did not publish the cartoons, in addition to the Times, were The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune....

Photographers Mourn Demise of Kodachrome (1935-2010)

An article in The Street announced that Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, Kansas will discontinue processing Kodachrome film, known for its archival qualities. Thus ends a popular slide film with a long and distinguished career.

A personal note: Paul Simon's 1973 hit, "Kodachrome," influenced me to buy my first Nikon camera, a 35-mm single-lens reflex model FG.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Nanny State Strikes Again (and Again)

With the deadly accuracy of a smart bomb, Michelle Malkin identifies the "Big Nannies of the Year." This bipartisan list includes names such as Michelle Obama, Gov. Huckabee, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and the city of Cleveland.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

We Beg to Disagree with Dr. Krauthammer

Charles Krauthammer announced on FOX News that "defunding ObamaCare is a bad idea." We beg to disagree - fighting for repeal, starving the beast, turning public opinion against socialized medicine, and pushing counter-proposals for real healthcare reform - they're all good. John Hayward of Human Events makes the following analogy: "To return to those car metaphors everyone in politics is so fond of, funding ObamaCare is like pouring gasoline into the tank of an old beater that’s already on fire." Allahpundit at HotAir.com raises the excellent point that it you gave the flawed program any start-up money, it would be much harder to kill it a few years down the road.

How the Competition Handles Slow-News Weeks

Click on cartoon to enlarge.

Monday, December 27, 2010

What Assange Must Do to Raise Money for His Defense Fund

FOX News has a story about the hard-driving negotiations Julian Assange is conducting with publisher Alfred A. Knopf over a book deal ($1.3 million). And Glenn Beck's The Blaze reports that two-thirds of WikiLeaks' salary budget goes to Assange himself. He will need every dollar he can lay his hands on for the anticipated legal fees.

Safety Advisory: Beware of Chimney Fires

This warning came from correspondent Joe Franklin:

As you enjoy the holidays, please, PLEASE keep in mind that burning that discarded wrapping paper in the fireplace is VERY Dangerous. [NOTE: Do not use your fireplace to dispose of cardboard boxes, Christmas trees, or trash.]

The ink used on the design plus the chemical composition of the paper itself, makes it one of the hottest things you can burn in any type of normal fires. Couple that with the super heated air and its lifting ability, you have a recipe for a chimney fire. A super hot fire in a confined area that is sucking in air like a jet engine type of chimney fire. Once ignited it will superheat and burn off the carbon and other deposits in the chimney – that “soot” from so many normal fires.

If you get one, close off as much of the air intake you can – close the doors or tighten down the draft regulators if it is a wood stove. Then, call the fire department – even if you think it has burned itself out. Often some part of it is still smoldering; waiting for you to open the doors or the air intakes so it can jump back to life.

Please – have a joyous holiday; but do it safely.

This is the voice of experience speaking – who, very fortunately, already knew what to do. It certainly cleaned out my chimney, BUT I most clearly do NOT recommend that approach.

For more information about chimney fires, read "The Facts About Chimney Fires."

This Is What You Get for Questioning TSA

TSA Silences Pilot For Telling The Truth
Source: Investor's Business Daily, 27 December 2010

Ever watchful all 364 days of the year, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has discovered a new security threat — pilots who fly our planes and have questions about the TSA's security practices and policies.

Three days after a 50-year-old veteran pilot living outside Sacramento, Calif., posted a YouTube video to shed light on the security gaps he believes exist at major U.S. airports, he had his home raided by four federal air marshals and two sheriff deputies, including members of an anti-terrorism task force.

The pilot, who was deputized by the TSA to carry a handgun in the cockpit as a federal flight deck officer (FFDO), had his federally issued firearm and badge confiscated....

UPDATE: Glenn Beck's The Blaze has an article revealing the identity of the pilot: Chris Liu, who ought to be commended for his courage instead of being hounded by the TSA.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year



Let us never forget the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Bombing at Christmas Mass, Courtesy of the "Religion of Peace"

This AP/NewsMax story describes how a bomb went off during church services on the predominantly Muslim Philippine island of Jolo, injuring one priest and 10 members of his parish. The most likely suspects: al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants, who have been exploiting the long-standing desire of many Filipino Muslims to secede from that country.

Friday, December 24, 2010

More Proof that Iran Is Supplying Insurgents in Afghanistan, Iraq

The legacy media in America have been strangely silent about this development, but the Telegraph [U.K.] reports what we have suspected for some time: that Iran has been shipping arms to our enemies in Afghanistan as well as Iraq.

"The officer, from the elite al-Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, was captured by US special forces on December 18, a NATO spokesman said. Described as "a key Taliban weapons facilitator", he was arrested in Kandahar province....

"It is the first reported instance of the capture of an al-Quds officer in Afghanistan. Several Iranian soldiers and operatives were caught in Iraq between 2006 and 2008.

"The Iranian government is also reportedly releasing al-Qaeda terrorists from prisons to join the fight in Afghanistan and Pakistan. An intelligence official stated that three members of Osama bin Laden's family were also among those released."

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Unintentional Humor from the CIA

The Telegraph (U.K.) has this interesting story:

WTF? CIA sets up WikiLeaks Task Force

The CIA has set up a task force to be known by the acronym WTF to assess what damage has been done by the mass release of thousands of diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks.

The WikiLeaks Task Force will "examine whether the latest release of WikiLeaks documents might affect the agency's foreign relationships or operations," CIA spokesman George Little said.

The task force, headed by the CIA's Counterintelligence Center, is to make an inventory of the leaked cables and will report on the impact of the leaks, particularly regarding the ability to recruit of informants, a source who asked not to be named said.

Some of the leaked documents originated on the protected SIPRNET, or Secret internet Protocol Router Network, which is used to share classified information between different government branches.

But I Thought Anybody Could Pass the ASVAB Test!

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran an AP article that described how 23% of recent high school graduates flunked the Army entrance exam.

"Too many of our high school students are not graduating ready to begin college or a career -- and many are not eligible to serve in our armed forces," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan. "I am deeply troubled by the national security burden created by America's underperforming education system."

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Begging for a Fatwa

One of the redeeming features of conservatives is our sense of humor, and Iowahawk is a prime example. In his blog post, "Great Satan Lauds Assange as Infidel of the Year," David Burge writes enough to make any Islamic cleric want to put a price on Assange's head. Life imitates art: Strategy Page has an article entitled "WikiLeaks Is Anti-Islam."

Saturday, December 18, 2010

End of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

The Senate has voted to repeal DADT, clearing the way for admitted gays and lesbians to enlist in the military, according to this Human Events report.

Leftist Fantasy Exposed: "Survey" of FOX News Is Flawed

Andrew Breitbart's Big Journalism reveals the unsurprising finding that George Soros' money was behind the following statement that appeared on Alternet.

Yet another study has been released proving that watching Fox News is detrimental to your intelligence. World Public Opinion, a project managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, conducted a survey of American voters that shows that Fox News viewers are significantly more misinformed than consumers of news from other sources. What’s more, the study shows that greater exposure to Fox News increases misinformation.

The body of evidence that Fox News is nothing but a propaganda machine dedicated to lies is growing by the day.

Palin Derangement Syndrome

Free Republic has a documented example of Palin Derangement Syndrome by mentioning a Salon article calling for the assassination of Gov. Sarah Palin. This is just the beginning; imagine the frenzy that would follow if she announced that she would be running for President!

Friday, December 17, 2010

New York Times on Another Slippery Slope

Bill McGowan of FOX News raises some excellent points in his article, "The New York Times Sleeps With the WikiLeaks Dogs and Now It's Got Fleas." How did Julian Assange equate the United States to real dictatorships such as North Korea, Iran, or Myanmar without striking a single blow for freedom and democracy in those benighted nations? Here are a couple of paragraphs:

"Naming names of diplomats who have issued candid assessments of sensitive foreign affairs and foreign leaders, under the expectation of confidentiality, will destroy or diminish the trust and credibility of our envoys, and work against candid communication and sound policymaking.

"Disclosing information about the endeavors of human rights activists and political dissidents in authoritarian regimes -- not the United States of Julian Assange's fantasy, but real jackboot places like China and Burma -- will put them and their work at risk. In the end, there is likely to be less transparency, not more...."

The only question remaining is: Of what use is it to gain another Pulitzer Prize, if you lose your soul?

Republicans Beginning to Mend Their Ways on Pork

Ed Morrissey of HotAir.com has made the following comment:

"The defeat last night of the OmniPorkulus bill, as the Boss Emeritus calls it, gives us a chance to revisit the long-held — and long-true — belief that both parties are equally addicted to pork-barrel spending. That certainly proved true enough when Republicans held power, as earmarks skyrocketed and both parties squealed with delight at the trough. However, a new study by a coalition of of watchdog groups on the FY2011 budget proposal shows that one party has made great strides in weaning itself from K Street slop in the past year — and it’s not the Democrats..."

Thursday, December 16, 2010

"When the Money Runs Out"


The above cartoon is a suitable illustration for this sobering Human Events article by John Hayward.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Judge Tramples on Ancient Alpine Tradition Because It Offends Muslims

Is NOTHING sacred? Israel National News has a story about an Austrian judge who fined a man 800 euros for yodeling on a Friday, when Muslims were having their worship services, because "his yodeling offended his next-door Muslim neighbors, who accused him of trying to mock and imitate the call of the Muezzin."

Even lower on the grossness scale: Switzerland thinking of repealing incest laws because they are "obsolete."

Soda Tax: A Cash Cow for Government, Not an Effective Weight-Control Measure


According to a UPI article, a study conducted by Eric Finkelstein reveals that a soda tax would affect middle-income Americans the most, and that cutting off subsidies to producers of high-fructose corn syrup would have a stronger effect.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Enviro-kooks, Behold Thy Patron Saint!

Jan Moorhouse, a solid conservative, has unveiled a new cartoon series. "...today I'm announcing my latest venture. You can find it at http://www.alpoxalips.com. Al Poxalips travels the world explaining to people that while they think they are living in an age of technological miracles, they should turn most of them off. Everyone except him, of course. If 'Global Warming' prevails, there will definitely be an "Al Poxalips" in your future."


The West to the West Wing blog pays attention to the threat posed by Hezbollah and other sinister organizations.

Hezbollah has bases all over Latin America, but especially in the ultra-remote area where the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. The Tri-Border Area, or TBA, is one of the most lawless regions in the world, and is the Latin American “headquarters” of Hezbollah — the center of its fundraising operations as well as its terrorist training camps. The illegal arms trade flourishes in the TBA, assisted by over 100 illegal airstrips. The TBA has been Hezbollah’s launching pad for terror cells all over the Americas, including the one that destroyed the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1992, and a Buenos Aires Jewish community center in 1994....

Another Sign of the Last Days

The Bible Prophecy Blog has a chilling interpretation of the so-called "food safety" legislation that will impose federal and international control over our agricultural industry. This brings to mind the deathless words of Thomas Jefferson:

"Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread."

True to its name, the blog quotes the following verses from the Bible:

Revelation: 13:16-17
"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This legislation sets the stage for the Revelation prophecy to be carried out legally in the United States. There will now be a system established that could incentivize turning in you neighbor for growing food, allows international authority over your land, and provides a fee system that can increase food costs at will.

Revelation 14:9-11 says,
"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb."

No matter how hungry you are remember the promise of Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:31 and 33,
"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink?, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?...But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Virginia Judge Knocks Down Pillar of Healthcare Law

This looks like a case that will be fought all the way to the Supreme Court. CNN reports that U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson announced that the "individual mandate" clause requiring Americans to buy health insurance by 2014 is unconstitutional. Read the text of his opinion here.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

"The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil"

Even though the Russians have had more than their share of problems with Islamic terrorists, nevertheless, they can't resist selling their second-rate equipment to countries or terrorist groups that could just as easily turn these weapons against them as they could against us. This New American article starts thusly:

"The release of over 250,000 diplomatic cables has revealed a lot about the intricacies of U.S. diplomacy. However, one aspect of the WikiLeaks release that has been much under the media's radar is what the leaked cables have said about Russia and its surrogate-state sponsorship of what would most accurately be described as an international terrorist network...."

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Bill Clinton Visit White House Again, Plays Co-President

An AP-Yahoo news story describes how President Obama, forced by political reality to cut a tax deal with the Republicans, enlisted the help of former President Bill Clinton.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Everything You Need to Know About Sarah Palin and the Left

Frank J. at IMAO has done it again! In his continuing "In My World" series he chronicles the behind-the-scenes action that the Lamestream media dare not touch.

It's Like a Rerun of the Cuban Missile Crisis


Shahab-3 missile launcher, with a 1300-1500 km range

Hudson New York ran an ominous story that makes us wish we had a President like John F. Kennedy to make a firm stand, instead of a self-absorbed wimp who obsesses on the threats posed by school bake sales, the Tea Party, and anyone who dares to criticize His Obamaness.

Iran is planning to place medium-range missiles on Venezuelan soil, based on western information sources[http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article11219574/Iran-plant-Bau-einer-Raketenstellung-in-Venezuela.html], according to an article in the German daily, Die Welt, of November 25, 2010. According to the article, an agreement between the two countries was signed during the last visit o Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to Tehran on October19, 2010. The previously undisclosed contract provides for the establishment of a jointly operated military base in Venezuela, and the joint development of ground-to-ground missiles....

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Bradley Manning Now Knows Where His Friends Are

The Associated Press reports that PFC Bradley Manning, whose name is mud in the U.S. military for collaborating with Julian Assange of WikiLeaks, is regarded as a hero in Berkeley, California, where the city council is considering a resolution calling for his release.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Iraq Had WMD Program and Plenty of Time to Get Rid of the Evidence

The Law Enforcement Examiner has an article that the dinosaur media would rather have you ignore: one WikiLeaks revelation that appears to vindicate President George W. Bush is that there was far more evidence of Iraqi WMD activity under Saddam Hussein than has generally been made public.

...U.S. military intelligence discovered chemical weapons labs, encountered insurgents who were specialists in the creation of toxins, and uncovered weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. However, Washington, DC officials and the news media have ignored this information.

One of the WikiLeaks document dumps reveals that as late as 2008, American troops continued to find WMD in the region.

There are numerous mentions of chemical and biological weapons in the WikiLeaks documents, however the U.S. media appear only interested in those portions of the leaked material that highlight actions that are viewed as embarrassing for the U.S. military such as the accusation that U.S. commanders were aware of abuse and "torture" of prisoners by Iraqi soldiers and police officers....

Assange's Arrest Seen as a Lucky Break

Jack Shafer at Slate.com discusses the possibilities that are opening up to a master manipulator like Julian Assange.

Although a stay in stir [jail] and the prospect of Swedish prosecution might not sound appealing or even advantageous, it's actually a lucky break for Assange. I don't expect him to express his gratitude publicly, but I'll bet he's gamed out how to turn the Swedish arrest warrant, the extradition hearing, and beyond to his benefit.

From his jail cell, Assange becomes something he wasn't yesterday: a martyr. As martyrs go, he's not very appealing. He looks like an alien, talks more insane trash than an NBA point guard (he says he's practicing "scientific journalism"), believes that the ends justify the means, and possesses such an ego-swollen head it's a miracle that he can walk without toppling over....

Monday, December 6, 2010

Is Governor Christie Being Targeted by the Obama Administration?


Ed Lasky at American Thinker seems to believe so. Since running against the weakest possible Republican nominee in 2008 worked for Obama, he may take more active steps in ensuring that the same thing happens again in 2012. Otherwise he will suffer the same fate as ex-President Jimmy Carter.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

No Honor Among Anarchists

One would have expected even a trace of professional courtesy, but Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, made this harsh statement against President Obama:

President Barack Obama should resign if it can be shown that he approved spying by US diplomatic figures on UN officials, the founder of WikiLeaks said in an interview published Sunday.

"The whole chain of command who was aware of this order, and approved it, must resign if the US is to be seen to be a credible nation that obeys the rule of law. The order is so serious it may well have been put to the president for approval," Julian Assange told Spanish daily El Pais....

CNN has video and still photo coverage of the WikiLeaks bunker in Sweden, which is said to be "fit for a James Bond villain."

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Chuck Norris To Become an Honorary Texas Ranger


The Blaze ran a story about how Gov. Rick Perry is making Chuck Norris, who played a Texas Ranger on TV, and his younger brother Aaron, honorary Texas Rangers at a ceremony in Dallas.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Talk Show Host Puts Up $50,000 Reward for Assange

Nationally syndicated talk show host Todd Schnitt of Tampa, FL has offered $50,000 for information leading to the capture of the man behind WikiLeaks, Julian Assange.

EDITORIAL NOTE: We hope that other people will be able to add to the pot, providing an incentive for his swift apprehension. Perhaps the words "dead or alive" will need to be added soon, in case the Russians decide that he is a threat to their national security.

UPDATE: The Swiss have cut off one of Assange's bank accounts, according to FOX News. This, in addition to PayPal's dropping him from their list of accounts, will hit him where it really hurts.

More Than Just a Car


The Car Lust Blog provides us with an account of the late Tyler Shipman's [seated in wheelchair] passion for the Pontiac Fiero.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Jeb Bush: Obama Should Take a Three-Month Vacation

In an exclusive interview with NewsMax, former Florida governor Jeb Bush said that President Obama can help the economy to recover by taking a three-month vacation. He also warned Republicans to avoid complacency, since Obama still has a fighting chance of winning a second term. “If the Republicans break up in our disparate parts, rather than focus on the bigger, broader concerns of the American people, I could see that the president could get re-elected,” Bush said.

The former governor of Florida also said that the popularity of his older brother, former President George W. Bush, is rising again in part due to the inevitable comparison with President Obama. The former president has been on a national tour promoting his book Decision Points.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again


William A. Jacobsen at Legal Insurrection has this to say about the latest WikiLeaks dump:

There have been many comparisons of Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter, focused on the economy. But the continuing leak of documents by WikiLeaks has become for Obama what the Iranian hostage crisis was to Carter.

The WikiLeaks folks trot the globe with impunity and funnel documents to the press at will, for the purpose of damaging U.S. relations with other countries, our war efforts, and our intelligence capability. And we do almost nothing about it....

Jet Planes Don't Take Off This Way, Says Retired General


WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon Tuesday said it was trying to determine if a missile was launched Monday off the coast of Southern California and who might have launched it.

The piece below is a studied response to the Washington D.C. response by Brigadier Gen. (Ret.) USAF Jim Cash. His resume listing is at the end of his response.

Sliding silently under the mud, muck and fog of national politics, is a current event that makes Bill Clinton's excursion into the world of elderly sex look tame in comparison. This time the nation's national security is truly threatened in my opinion, and it involves not only a weak President with limited problem-solving ability, but leadership at the highest levels in the Pentagon as well. The American people would do well to demand a full investigation by an unbiased group, and let the chips fall where they may. I am referring to the "missile shot" taken of California coast recently, and the lame response by NORAD, the Pentagon and the White House itself.

First, in hope of adding some creditability to my assessment of what really happened just off the coast of Los Angeles let me convey a bit of my background which can be checked easily by going to Google and typing in my name. An Air Force biography will appear.

During the late eighties I was assigned to NORAD, as a Command Director initially and later as the assistant Director of Operations for NORAD. The NORAD operation was located inside the Cheyenne Mountain complex just outside Colorado Springs, Colorado. Twenty four hours a day a team of approximately 150 highly trained individuals, lead by a Brigadier General, monitored one of the most sophisticated computer systems in the world. This system was fed data from many different sensors that were able to detect missile shots from any point on the globe. All this data was taken into consideration when making the "assessment" as whether or not North America and/or Canada were threatened by such a launch. If the launch was assessed as a true threat, the President was contacted immediately by NORAD through a military individual always close to the President who carried what we called, "the football", a black brief case with release codes for our nuclear forces. I know the system well, as for near three years I led one of those teams.

In addition, for over 25 years, I flew US Air Force fighters to include the F-106, F-4, F-15, F-16, and commanded an F-15 Squadron and an F-16 Wing. The sole purpose of the F-106 assignment was to maintain an ability to become airborne in minutes to intercept inbound bombers posing a threat to the US mainland. Untold hours were spent studying and being tested on visually identifying an air-to-air threat to include its type and threat potential. I understand the difference in an aircraft contrail and a missile launch contrail.

In my opinion there is absolutely no doubt that what was captured on video off the coast of California was a missile launch, was clearly observed by NORAD, assessed by a four-star General in minutes, and passed to the President immediately. That is the way the system works, and heads fall if there is a failure. This is one of the most important tenets of National Defense and its sole purpose of protecting the American people. Even the smallest failure in this system gets intense scrutiny at the highest level.

Now, the question that still must be answered is why NORAD's muted response was simply that North America was not threatened, and later our government approved the lame excuse that the picture recorded was simply an aircraft leaving a contrail. This decision was made far above the four-star level, and because the system in place demands it, was made by the President himself.

There are many possible answers to the question why. Normally, when a situation of this nature occurs the decision makers in Washington feel it would create panic among the mere mortals who go to work every day. To avoid shocking the population the truth is shaded, or sometimes just kept quite in hope it will just go away. I would say to our government officials who disregard the intelligence of the American people, be careful. The people are awakening, and their trust in our government is fading. This level of decision making will hasten that process.

In my opinion we must question the timing of this shot across our bow. The President was abroad being diplomatic, which means trying to placate China which is becoming overly concerned with our handling a totally out of control deficient in spending. They do not want our debt to them be paid in cheapened US dollars, and it appears that our current plan is to do just that. China is devoting a major portion of their GDP to defense spending, and what better time to show the US that they can slip a missile equipped submarine through the South Pacific undetected right up to one of our largest cities, than right now. And, the Chinese have the guts to do it.

Important in my opinion is that once again the leader of this nation chose to disguise the truth and keep the American people in the dark on an issue that constitutes a major threat to the entire population of the United States of America. This is no longer a threat to only our military thousands of miles from the homeland. This is a show of force sending a signal that downtown USA is now capably of being hit by an undetected submarine and at any time. It may very well be the beginning of the real power struggle between the United States and China. If so, I predict the next phase will be China's demand for the US to cease support of Taiwan, and so it goes.

President Obama is getting in over his head once again on this one. Hiding the severity of issues we face with China to include this possible signal of strength is a terrible mistake. It is happening at a time that our Secretary of Defense, under the guidance of the President, is literally gutting our military forces. We have seen it already when the F-22 buy was cut from over 600 aircraft to 187, and research and development for follow on systems severely reduced. This is but one of hundreds of examples of military reductions. I fear that this could be another reason for this cover-up. If the American people fully realized the severity of the threat they might demand restoring our military to face the growing threat from China and Russia, as opposed to the massive domestic spending that we have witnessed over the past two years.

So, where does this leave us? Again, the people must decide and place pressure on the government to insure that our National Security remains intact. Military strength prevents war. Military weakness invites not only war, but also a lack of deterrence for intervention and bullying on many fronts.

If there was ever a time for the people to look closely at the national leadership and demand honesty and integrity, it is now. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. At issue is electing those who have the ability to make proper decisions for our country, and will do so with no regard to their own personal gain. It is time to elect a President and a Congress who will put country above self, and defend this great nation against all enemies, foreign or domestic, and above all be honest with the people who honored them with election to high office.

Jim Cash

Brig. Gen., USAF, Ret.

BG Cash's resume may be viewed at the link below:

http://www.americandailyreview.com/authors/2009/1/30/brigadier-general-jim-cash-usaf-ret.html

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Leslie Nielsen Dead at 84


It is our sad duty to report the following FOX News story: Actor Leslie Nielsen, who brought Lt. Drebin and other characters to life, passed away in his sleep at a hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at around 5:30 p.m. today.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Where's the Outrage?

Doug Ross @ Journal dares to present photographic evidence of Hamas atrocities in Gaza that the legacy media will not (contents of a disturbing nature).

The Touchy-Feely TSA: Four Cartoons




Thursday, November 25, 2010

U.S. Only the 8th Most Obese Country

Global Post has a list of most obese countries, and the overwhelming majority are countries or regions where obesity is a status symbol, indicating that one is prosperous and well taken care of. Statistics are from the World Health Organization.

1. Nauru - 95%
2. Micronesia - 92%
3. Tonga - 92%
4. Cook Islands - 92%
5. Niue - 84%
6. Samoa - 83%
7. Palau - 81%
8. United States - 79%
9. Kiribati - 77%
10. Dominica - 76%

Honorable mentions: Kuwait, Argentina, Mexico, Australia, Egypt, Greece, Belarus, and the United Kingdom.

First the IRS Came for the Zionist Organizations...

Ben Smith of Politico.com, hardly a hotbed of conservatism, brings up this ominous turn of events:

"A Pennsylvania Jewish group that has claimed the Internal Revenue Service is targeting pro-Israel groups introduced in federal court today a letter from an IRS agent to another, unnamed organization that tax experts said was likely outside the usual or appropriate scope of an IRS inquiry.

"'Does your organization support the existence of the land of Israel?' IRS agent Tracy Dornette wrote the organization, according to this week's court filing, as part of its consideration of the organizations application for tax exempt status. 'Describe your organization's religious belief sytem toward the land of Israel....'"

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Lisa Benson Sums Up the Korean Crisis in One Cartoon



Stephen F. Hayes in the Weekly Standard does a good job of summing up our diplomatic dilemmas in his article "The Sixty Years War."

The Blessing of Gratitude

Robin of Berkeley, a recovering liberal and frequent contributer to American Thinker, has discovered the advantages of approaching the Thanksgiving holiday with an attitude of gratitude.

Don't Be Deceived by Tofukey!


This just in from Creative Minority Report:

Save the Tofurkey!!!

Vegetarians around the planet were horrified to learn today that the popular Thanksgiving dish for vegetarians called Tofurkey doesn't actually derive from the vegetarian bean curd known as Tofu but from a very small and extraordinarily cute endangered species called the Tofurkey.

This is the first photo of a Tofurkey taken at a farm in Rhode Island just moments before it was skinned, torn limb from limb, had its eyes removed while still alive, and was finally dipped in boiling oil.

A tofurkey farm is not a typical farm. The tofurkey is extraordinarily cute and very inexpensive to keep because they're fed exclusively by hugs and smiles. "That's all they need," said one tofurkey farmer. "And they've got these huge expressive eyes that melt your heart." It's those expressive eyes that make "slaughter season" very hard for tofurkey owners.

Most tofurkeys spend their days playing with balloons, blowing bubbles, and singing in high pitched angelic voices. "They don't speak English or nothing but sometimes just listenin' to 'em makes me think about puppies and angels," said one tofurkey owner.

The misunderstanding for vegetarians originated because of the similarities between the names Tofurkey and Tofu. One Tofurkey farmer said he never lied about where Tofurkey came from but he's glad to profit from the misunderstanding. "I think those wacky vegetarians just wanted to believe they were eating Tofu and I wasn't about to tell 'em no different."

He said that back when his "product" began doing brisk business he wondered why. "I know those little cute tofurkeys don't really taste so good so I wondered why so many people was eating 'em. But hey, who am I to complain?"

Vegans and vegetarians have been shocked and horrified at the discovery of this Tofurkey farm. "Every time I ate Tofurkey on Thanksgiving I felt so principled and better than everyone else," said one vegetarian. "I'm going to miss that feeling."

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Words We Want to Hear: Why Conservatives Are Happier than Liberals

Dennis Prager has this to say in his latest column on Townhall.com:

According to polls -- Pew Research Center, the National Science Foundation -- and studies such as Professor Arthur Brooks' Gross National Happiness, conservative Americans are happier than liberal Americans.

Liberals respond this way: "If we're unhappier, it's because we are more upset than conservatives over the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves."

But common sense and data suggest other explanations.

For one thing, conservatives on the same socioeconomic level as liberals give more charity and volunteer more time than do liberals. And as regards the suffering of non-Americans, for at least a half-century, conservatives have been far more willing to sacrifice American treasure and American blood (often their own) for other nations' liberty....

Monday, November 22, 2010

U.S. Scientists Qualify for Liar's Club Award

Now that I got your attention, there's a disturbing new article that says that American scientists LEAD THE WORLD in number of inaccurate or fabricated research reports. Physorg.com has this notable quote:

"US scientists are significantly more likely to publish fake research than scientists from elsewhere, finds a trawl of officially withdrawn (retracted) studies, published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics."

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Expendable

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- "A student at Jefferson Middle School is accused of offering to pay $100 to have someone kill his school bus driver, the driver told WXII on Friday.

"The threat was posted online, Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools spokesman Theo Helm said, and the student was disciplined...."

What was his punishment for this death threat? A six-day suspension, since the intended target was only a bus driver.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Airports with Full-Body Scanners

CNN has a list of 69 airports with 400 full-body scanners, in time to inform the public during Thanksgiving week. Most of the major, high-volume airports seem to be covered.

Etched in Acid

John Hawkins of Right Wing News has compiled a list of 25 choice quotes by Ann Coulter. Here's a free sample:

"With their infernal racial set-asides, racial quotas, and race norming, liberals share many of the Klan's premises. The Klan sees the world in terms of race and ethnicity. So do liberals! Indeed, liberals and white supremacists are the only people left in America who are neurotically obsessed with race. Conservatives champion a color-blind society."

UPDATE: John Hawkins does it again, with 25 quotes by Jonah Goldberg, Ann Coulter, David Horowitz, Rush Limbaugh, Thomas Sowell, and others.

Summed Up in Four Words: "Don't Touch My Junk"

Charles Krauthammer comments on the latest controversy over intrusive body searches in the Washington Post (video included).

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Russia Striving to Lead the World in Lavatories




World Toilet Summit, Moscow, Russia, November 2010


The Telegraph (U.K.) has this story:

"Russia must regain its pre-revolutionary status as the country with the best lavatories in the world, an official said on Wednesday, lamenting the current state of the country's lavatories." They have a lot of catching up to do, as they have neglected their toilets for decades.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A New Chapter in the Gold Standard of American Journalism - Chapter 11

ABC News reports that American Media, Inc. has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Wednesday. This firm publishes the National Enquirer, the Star, and Men's Fitness.

This drastic 60-day restructuring plan has won the approval of major investors and is designed to keep the enterprise alive. The recession, TMZ, and the Internet have cut into the tabloid and magazine business.

Is the Presidency Too Big for One Man, or Is Obama Too Small?

Newsweek has an article that attempts to cover up the shortcomings of the Obama administration by asserting that the institution of the presidency is responsible, rather than the chief executive himself.

UPDATE: Victor Davis Hanson's latest National Review column, "The George W. Bush Fixation," illustrates how blaming Bush-43 two years into one's own presidency is the same as being "stuck on stupid."

In Search of Martyrdom



Look what Gateway Pundit is reporting from Dearbornistan, Michigan:

Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, MI November 18, 2010 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM Fred Phelps and the WBC [Westboro Baptist Church] will picket the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, MI, the largest mosque in North America, to remind the idolatrous, doomed Muslims that Mohammed was a pedophile and a false prophet. Like most other false religious systems of modern doomed America, Islam teaches rebellion against the Lord Jesus Christ. Muslims claim Christ was merely a prophet and that He did not die and live again. They claim His blood is not sufficient or even necessary for salvation. They shall learn the truth when Christ himself returns!

UPDATE: The Dearborn Press & Guide reports that the Westboro Baptist Church was only able to field a paltry 3 demonstrators at the Islamic Center, and that they faced 25 to 30 counter-demonstrators.

Following the Money

From Glenn Beck's TheBlaze.com:

"This week, Mark Hemingway of the Washington Examnier reported that George Soros owns over 11,000 shares of OSI Systems, the parent company of Rapiscan, which manufactures the controversial TSA scanners. But a search today reveals that Soros has divested himself of all those shares...."

These tantalizing tidbits of intelligence are just what prospective investors need to be on the lookout for.

Cute Country Music Videos

"Mogipbob" has created a series of animated videos of cars and trucks singing country classics.

"He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones

"I Fall to Pieces" - Patsy Cline

"Elvira" - Oak Ridge Boys (The Smart Car gets to sing bass)

"Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell

"Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash

But wait! There's more - if you look at the sidebar of each Web page you pull up, you will find links to other tunes, including non-country oldies such as "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Promoting a False Sense of Security

Gizmodo has been waging an undeclared war against TSA's strip-and-grope "security" techniques. Check out the article, "TSA Full-Body Scanners: Protecting Passengers or Padding Pockets?" This is the same Web site that posted 100 supposedly confidential body scans on the Internet just to prove how easy it was to obtain this information.

UPDATE: An animated YouTube video from Taiwan (with English subtitles) could well go viral.

"Spooky Dude" - A New Song About George Soros

Glenn Beck, in TheBlaze.com, has brought this music video to our attention, which sums up the latest issue of "Cutting-Edge Conservatism" in a few minutes. Could become a Halloween classic.

Soldier Earns Medal of Honor - and Lives to Receive It


FOX News reports that Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta will be receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor today for outstanding valor during combat operations in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan in October 2007.

"Strip and Grope" May Be in Violation of 4th Amendment

Dan Miller of Pajamas Media raises an excellent point: The TSA may be barking up the wrong tree by installing full-body scanners and starting more intrusive body searches. Let us review the plain and simple language of the 4th Amendment:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Worth Waiting 100 Years to Read


The NPR Web site announced that the first volume (with 2 more on the way) of Mark Twain's autobiography has been published by the University of California Press.

Robert Hirst, director of the Mark Twain Project, spoke about the resulting "talked" autobiography, which follows a less linear path than a more traditional written work. "If you think about it, this is really the culmination — Mark Twain comes out of an oral tradition of humor," says Hirst. "And if you look at any of the books, you'll see this method of digression, even in Huck Finn — basically it's a trip with digressions, strung off it like beads, beads on a string."

Inside the temperature-controlled room that houses the largest collection of Twain papers in the world, Hirst explains that Twain made only minor corrections on the stenographer's dictated notes. The elegant structure of Twain's autobiographical dictations shows that the writer was able to translate complex ideas into spontaneous speech. "The evidence is that he's capable of composing entire paragraphs in his head," says Hirst. " I have editors who would come in and say, 'Listen to this,' and they would read it to me. They couldn't believe that somebody could dictate that."

Since the autobiography includes Twain's false starts, Hirst recommends that you skip those pages if they do not interest you.

Here's an example of a Mark Twain quote that shows him at his acerbic best: "In the matter of slavish imitation, man is the monkey's superior all the time. The average man is destitute of independence of opinion. He is not interested in contriving an opinion of his own, by study and reflection, but is only anxious to find out what his neighbor's opinion is and slavishly adopt it."

Sunday, November 14, 2010

An Interesting Fact About Terrorism in the USA

The FBI reports that in the United States, militant animal rights activists and the Earth Liberation Front were responsible for more terrorist incidents between 2002 and 2005 than al-Qaeda or other militant Islamic organizations.

"In keeping with a longstanding trend, domestic extremists carried out the majority of terrorist incidents during this period. Twenty three of the 24 recorded terrorist incidents were perpetrated by domestic terrorists. With the exception of a white supremacist’s firebombing of a synagogue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, all of the domestic terrorist incidents were committed by special interest extremists active in the animal rights and environmental movements. The acts committed by these extremists typically targeted materials and facilities rather than persons. The sole international terrorist incident in the United States recorded for this period involved an attack at the El Al ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport, which claimed the lives of two victims."

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Free At Last! Aung San Suu Kyi Released from Captivity

FOX News reports: "Burma's military regime frees pro-democracy leader and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been jailed or under house arrest for most of the past two decades...."

Friday, November 12, 2010

Summary of Obama's Trip to Asia

On FOX News, Stephen Yates and Christian Whiton have written an article, "The Trip About Nothing," that reinforces conservative impressions of what President Obama has to show for his most recent overseas junket.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “An empty plane arrived in Asia and when the door was opened, Mr. Obama got out.”

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Guaranteed to Stir Up Controversy

Phillip Greaves of Pueblo, Colorado has published a book (available on Amazon.com) with the title, “The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure.” Not surprisingly, it has stirred up instant controversy nationwide, particularly his assertion that children can make voluntary choices, which runs contrary to the bitter experience of many young people who have suffered sexual abuse from pedophiles.

UPDATE: FOX News reports that the book has apparently been pulled off Amazon.com.

First They Came - 2010 Version

First They Came - 2010 Version

Most everyone is familiar with the German anti-Nazi activist Martin Niemoller's renowned "First They Came" poem. It is an ageless and frightening reminder of the need for eternal vigilance in defense of human rights and freedom.

I submit the 2010 American version:

They first came for the light bulbs, and I didn't speak up because I'm okay with fluorescents.

Then they came for the salt, and I didn't speak up because I have high cholesterol.

Then they came for the air conditioners, and I didn't speak up because I live up north.

Then they came for the Happy Meals, and I didn't speak up because I'm a Wendy's guy.

Then they came for the Oreos at school parties, and I didn't speak up because I'd already graduated.

Tyranny is timeless. Whether it is born of good intentions or not, seeking to deprive citizens of their autonomy and independence is not a recipe for human happiness, but rather misery.

Though the outcry against it began on November 2nd, our "betters" continue trampling that which they are sworn to protect. May our resistance be fierce.

Peter is a public high school government teacher and radio talk show host in central Indiana. Email peter@peterheck.com or visit www.peterheck.com.

Majority of Top Ten Commentators in Newsweek's "Power 50" are Conservatives

Newsweek has compiled a list of top 50 "most influential political figures," and here are the first ten, with their annual earnings estimates:

1. Rush Limbaugh, $58.7 million
2. Glenn Beck, $33 million
3. Sean Hannity, $22 million
4. Bill O'Reilly, $20 million
5. Jon Stewart, %15 million
6. Sarah Palin, $14 million
7. Don Imus, $11 million
8. Bill Clinton, $7.7 million
9. Keith Olbermann, $7.2 million
10. Rudy Giuliani, $7 million

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Still in Denial: Nancy Pelosi Announces Party to Celebrate "Accomplishments"

Human Events has run this incredible story:

Nancy Pelosi is having a party to celebrate the accomplishments of the Democrat-controlled Congress. Although this invitation sounds like a parody from The Onion or the start of a Leno joke, it’s actually true. The Drudge Report obtained a copy of the invitation, which reads:

Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the United States House of Representatives requests the pleasure of your company at a reception honoring the Accomplishments of the 111th Congress on Wednesday, the tenth day of November, two thousand ten at three thirty in the afternoon Cannon Caucus Room 345 Cannon House Office Building....

Monday, November 8, 2010

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Be Grateful for Small Blessings

A. We will have Nacy Pelosi to kick around a little longer, according to this Real Clear Politics article. This living lightning rod touts her success in raising money for the Democratic Party and pushing lesgislation through as justification for hanging in there as House Minority Leader.

B. Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay for contributing to 3 Democratic candidates, CNBC reports.

UPDATE: Olbermann has been reinstated by MSNBC, and will be returning to his show next Tuesday.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

While Millions of Americans Are Suffering Hardship, President Obama Goes on a Junket to India


An Investor's Business Daily editorial calls it the "pasha tour;" moreover, we have NO ASSURANCE that America will gain anything worthwhile from sending President Obama and a retinue of 3,000 to Mumbai, India. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other representatives of the State Department are conspicuously absent. Gateway Pundit also commented on this obscene waste of the people's money.

The timing of this junket suggests that Obama is trying to avoid facing the many Democratic politicians who lost in yesterday's election. And even if they could catch up to him, he will deny responsibility for anything that happened.

UPDATE: This blogger is unconvinced that the imperial progress through Asia will cost $200 million a day; nevertheless, the picture of Obama in this posting will remain.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Kimberly-Clark Introducing Tubeless Toilet Paper in Test Markets

The Miami Herald has the following story:

USA Today is reporting that at Walmart and Sam's Club stores across the Northeast Kimberly-Clark will introduce tube-free loo rolls through the Scott Naturals brand. I first blogged about Scott Naturals back in August 2009 when Kimberly-Clark launched the recycled content brand, giving the company's sullied environmental reputation a boost. Well, it seems that K-C is on an, ahem, eco-roll with news of Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper....

Eliminating waste is the drive behind Scott Natural Tube-Free toilet paper. By Kimberly-Clark estimates, 17 billion toilet paper tubes are produced each year in the U.S. When placed end-to-end, those tubes could stretch to the moon and back - twice. All and all, these cardboard toilet paper tubes account for 160 million pounds of landfill-bound trash....

The Election's Not Over Yet, and Already the Democrats Are Acting Like Sore Losers

This just in from the Wall Street Journal, which reports that the Democratic Party and the highly politicized "Justice" Department is mobilizing an army of lawyers and bureaucrats to engage in "voter protection":

Multiple close races raise the possibility of inconclusive or disputed results of balloting, party operatives say, and allegations of impropriety flew in the final hours.

The Justice Department, which investigates election crimes, said its Civil Rights Division plans to deploy more than 400 federal observers and department personnel to 30 jurisdictions in 18 states.

The Democratic National Committee said it expects to deploy nearly 10,000 lawyers and other trained monitors as part of its "voter protection" effort....

Friday, October 29, 2010

Partisan Politics Holds Up Publication of Civil Rights Commission Report

Floyd Reports Abstract: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was set to vote on a 131-page draft report about the Obama administration’s decision to drop the Black Panther voter intimidation case today — but a partisan Democratic member prevented the commission from doing its job. Michael Yaki walked out of the meeting before the vote, preventing the commission from reaching quorum, a procedural motion designed to stall for time. A report now seems unlikely to be released until after the midterm elections. However, the left-wing blog Talking Points Memo obtained a leaked copy of the report...

Thursday, October 28, 2010

This Came a Little Late for the Election

Right Wing News informs us that the Heartland Institute is offering a set of FREE booklets, the "Tea Party Tool Box," for anyone interested in becoming "... more informed on the issues than your average member of Congress." Most of these publications can also be downloaded as .pdf files.

Is There Such a Thing as a Liberal Gene?

An NBC San Diego report makes the following startling assertion:

"According to scientists at UC San Diego and Harvard University, 'ideology is affected not just by social factors, but also by a dopamine receptor gene called DRD4.' That and how many friends you had during high school...."

Not so fast! says Martin Sieff of FOX News. The original source appears to be fuzzy as to defining a "liberal."

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

When in Doubt, Cheat

Another sure sign that the Democrats are getting desperate: reports about cheating are streaming in even before election day, among those who opt to vote early or mail in their ballots. We have already mentioned [blog post of 19 October] how secretaries of state in Democrat-ruled states have been trying to deprive military voters deployed overseas of the right to vote absentee. Here are a few more examples:

In North Carolina, a voter desiring a straight-party Republican ticket was astonished when the voting machine displayed all Democrats on its screen.

In Clark County, Nevada (where Las Vegas is located), some Boulder City voters intending to cast their ballot for senatorial candidate Sharron Angle found that the name of incumbent Harry Reid had already been checked. Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax denies that there is any voter fraud, saying the touch-screen machines are sensitive.

American Thinker's Scott Swett has written a short history of Democratic vote fraud over the past 18 years.

UPDATE1: Connie Hair of Human Events reports that Rush Limbaugh is warning us about the Secretary of State Project, bankrolled by George Soros (who could play a mega-villain in a future James Bond movie). He has faithfully been following what Stalin once said: "Those who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do."

UPDATE2: Count on Michelle Malkin to remind us that the Democrats, once they are cornered, will resort to their old tricks: cheat, call their opponents racists, use intimidation tactics, etc. More tricks from their extensive catalog: "Silence dissent. Criminalize watchdogs. Whitewash fraud. Discourage grassroots engagement. Deny, deny, deny. These are the signature tactics of the Left in the age of Obama. On November 2, Americans get their chance to say: Enough."

Friday, October 22, 2010

Dr. Krauthammer Identifies Another Mental Disorder

Psychiatrist turned political commentator Charles Krauthammer, who popularized "Bush Derangement Syndrome," has come up with another choice diagnosis: "Obama Underappreciation Syndrome."

"...Dr. Obama diagnoses a heretofore undiscovered psychological derangement: anxiety-induced Obama Underappreciation Syndrome, wherein an entire population is so addled by its economic anxieties as to be neurologically incapable of appreciating the 'facts and science' undergirding Obamacare and the other blessings their president has bestowed upon them from on high...."

Juan Williams Tossed in the Air by NPR; Lands on His Feet


Politico.com reports that NPR (National Public Radio) fired political commentator Juan Williams for saying that he gets "nervous" whenever he sees people in “Muslim garb” boarding a plane. Williams promptly received a consolation prize from FOX News, which offered him a $2 million contract.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Newsapalooza 2010 Visits Colorado Springs

This two-hour program, organized by Americans for Prosperity, was held last night at the Pikes Peak Center and featured celebrated conservatives such as "Joe the Plumber" [Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher] and S.E. Cupp. Of all the candidates who were invited to speak, only two showed up: Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes and Ken Buck (who is leading in the polls against appointed Senator Michael Bennet).


Joe the Plumber, doing what he does best (getting the audience pumped up)


Author S.E. Cupp also held the audience's attention


A rare view of Dan Maes, who is running for governor of Colorado


Radio talk show host Jeff Crank conversing with concerned conservative


Republican senatorial candidate Ken Buck

Trying Hard to Qualify for Breitbart's 100 Grand Offer

As many of you know, Andrew Breitbart has offered $100,000 for any proof of Tea Party racism, and, according to CBS News, the NAACP has published an entry:

The NAACP today issued a report detailing "the links between certain Tea Party factions and acknowledged racist hate groups in the United States."

"These links should give all patriotic Americans pause," NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Jealous writes in a forward.

Jealous allows that that "the majority of Tea Party supporters are sincere, principled people of good will." He urges "the leadership and members of the Tea Party movement [to] read this report and take additional steps to distance themselves from those Tea Party leaders who espouse racist ideas, advocate violence, or are formally affiliated with white supremacist organizations...."

UPDATE: National spokesperson for the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Niger Innis has a few choice words about this latest NAACP allegation.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

In Illinois, Prisoners Get to Vote Before Soldiers Deployed Overseas

Illinois Soldiers Wait for Ballots. Prisoners Get Hand Delivery.
by Capitol Confidential

Over 35 counties in Illinois missed the deadline to mail military ballots to our soldiers defending America. But in Chicago, county election officials have taken special steps to ensure that no inmates at the Cook County Jail are unable to cast a ballot.

The Chicago Board of Elections hand delivers ballots to the jail. They don’t even wait for the inmates to apply – they bring the applications with the ballots! Over 2,600 inmates have cast ballots so far – strikingly similiar to the 2,600 soldiers who will likely not recieve a ballot for the Nov 2 election.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Nassau County, N.Y. Outraged by Proposed Toilet Tax

CBS New York reports that County Executive Ed Mangano, a Republican, has proposed a one penny per gallon water usage tax that will apply to nonprofits such as fire stations, schools, hospitals, and libraries.

“It is being called taxpayer relief act when actually all we are doing is soaking the taxpayers with a toilet tax or sewer fee,” said Nassau County legislator Dave Denenberg, D-Merrick.

A Rare Venture into Political Endorsements

"Bloodthirsty Warmonger" has the following recommendations for Colorado statewide offices:

U.S. Senator: Ken Buck over appointed Senator and Obama stooge Michael Bennet.

Governor: Vote your conscience. This race is so bizarre that there is no clear favorite. John Hickenlooper has more executive experience than Maes and Tancredo combined, but has preserved Denver's status as a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants, and is likely to continue Gov. Ritter's tax-and-spend policies. On the other hand, we can safely predict that Tom Tancredo will do everything in his power to enforce state and federal immigration laws if elected. The disadvantage he will bring from day one is that independent and third-party governors tend to be orphans of the two-party system - look at what happened to Gov. Jesse Ventura in Minnesota. The real Republican candidate, Dan Maes, has the thinnest resume of the three and has scored only 15% in recent polls. At this point Hickenlooper still has an excellent chance of winning, as his opponents are divided.

State Attorney General: John Suthers, a brilliant and principled man, has our support, as does the rest of the Republican slate.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Now That the Chilean Miners Have Been Rescued, What Shall We Do with the Hole in the Ground?

Van Helsing at Moonbattery has a suggestion:-)

Pelosi Free with Other People's Money Again

The Washington Examiner reports:

"Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and members of her family and staff took 85 tax-paid trips on military aircraft between March 2, 2009, and June 7, 2010, according to new documents uncovered by Judicial Watch...."

Obama Attacks Karl Rove's Group, Which Proves Lucrative for American Crossroads

Hot Air has another tale of unintended consequences: When President Obama criticized American Crossroads, all he accomplished was to bring attention to their cause and get them to exceed their original fundraising goals.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

First of 33 Chilean Miners Rescued!

Breaking news: The Telegraph (U.K.) is providing a running account of how the Phoenix 2 capsule is bringing the miners, who had been trapped for 69 days, to a large throng of relatives, news media, and well-wishers. Here's one report:

04.10 As the world watches, Mr Avalos arrives back on the surface in the Phoenix 2 capsule to deafending screams and shouts of joy from the crowd at Camp Hope. The crowd erupts with shouts of "Chi chi chi, le le le!" as hundreds of balloons are released into the sky. Wearing sunglasses with a big smile on his face the first freed miner of Los 33 hugs his son and wife and then the president.

UPDATE: All Chile is in a state of mass jubilation as the last miner is liberated from the San Jose mine, and "Los 33" are welcomed as national heroes. FOX News has the story.