Brandon

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Back Off Dominique!

Accused rapist of hotel maid in New York had an earlier moment with the Obamas!

Here's deposed  IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the French socialist who is accused of raping a maid from West Africa in a New York hotel, in an earlier undated photo with the Obamas:

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Notice the body language. Anyone want to write a caption for the photo?

Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day

Remember those who died for your freedom!

Looking back at past posts on Memorial Day you might think I have covered the theme (2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006). In these I found history, speeches from Lincoln at Gettysburg to Reagan at Normandy, monuments and music. All to highlight what this day means. What could I add that would be new or original? Nothing. But that's not the point. The sacrifice of so many who fought and died for our freedoms is not a new or original concept. But it does require we rededicate ourself to the memory of those who gave us what Abraham Lincoln called "that last full measure of devotion" so that we may be free.

Without so many brave young men (and now women) willing to give up the comforts of family and home to fight and many to die in overseas hell holes we would not be able to enjoy the freedom we have today. It is our duty to honor the sacrifice made by these heroes.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Michelle Obama Closes Out the Farcical Families Royal Tour

British press couldn't help but give another poke to the Obamas.

First it was the presidential limo getting stuck in Ireland. Then, President Obama signs the guestbook at Westminster Abbey with the date May 24, 2008. Next it was Obama flubbing the toast to the Queen in front of hundreds at Buckingham Palace.

Now, when it was the Obama's turn to give a dinner for the Queen at the U.S. Ambassador's residence, the Daily Mail couldn't help but notice that when Michelle Obama was photographed with the Royal Couple the picture gave the appearance of her in a giant afro hairdo:

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What's up with your hair Michelle?

One wonders what the error prone couple will do next to embarrass themselves and the U.S. on the rest of their european tour?

Senate Rejects Obama Budget 97-0

Ryan Budget also was defeated but got 40 votes!

Two largely symbolic votes in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday showed that the Ryan GOP plan has much broader support than Obama's.

The Senate unanimously rejected Obama's phony budget plan 97-0 but Ryan's plan got 40 votes (57 against).

Just as noteworthy is the fact that Senate Democrats refuse to even release a budget of their own. Just as Democrats in both houses last year failed to pass ANY budget, Dems in the Senate are continuing to punt.

While V.P. Biden has expressed confidence a budget deal can ultimately be reached, that optimism is undermined with the resignation of Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) from the "Gang of Six" senators who many thought could fashion a deal.

This leaves the Ryan Plan as the only one on the table. What a shame Dems seem  unable or unwilling to step up and do the job they were elected to do!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Despite Debt, Senior Dem Leader Declares "America is Not Broke!"

So why does the Obama Administration want to borrow trillions more?

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) the number two Democrat in the U.S. House said:

“America is not broke,” Hoyer said at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C.. “America has extraordinary resources and we can use those resources, both intellectual and financial, to get us to a place where we are again a fiscally sound nation, a fiscally balanced nation, and future generations are not at risk.”

Question for Mr. Hoyer: how does borrowing trillions more make us "a fiscally sound nation, a fiscally balanced nation, and future generations are not at risk.”

Contrast with Hurricane Katrina

Survivors of Joplin face the heartbreak of loss while Obama parties with Royals in Europe and flubs the Queen's toast!

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From the Daily Mail: Kyle and Alicia Gordon cry and embrace in their son's room after losing their home to the Joplin, Missouri tornado.

Meanwhile, Obama is partying it up at Buckingham Palace drinking wine that sells at $1,000 a bottle and even manages to flub the toast and continues speaking over the playing of the British National Anthem "God Save the Queen."

Watch the uncomfortable moment for yourself:



You can hear Queen Elizabeth II mutter something to Obama. Was it "that's very nice" or "shut up you idiot"?

Remember the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina where the press sought to portray President Bush as insensitive to the needs of disaster victims in New Orleans? How many stories will we see painting Obama with the same brush? I've found only one. Here's Jack Cafferty on CNN. Let me know if you see another. I doubt you will.


The images of Obama embarrassing himself with Royalty and the heartbreak of Joplin couldn't provide a more striking contrast which illuminates who and what Obama really is.

Netanyahu Scores Homerun in Speech to Congress

Too bad we can't find a Hawaiian birth certificate for him. He'd make a great President!

If you didn't get to see Israeili Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, C-Span has the video available. The Prime Minister's Facebook page has the text.
A 3:34 video highlight is below:

NETANYAHU: So far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it…

Our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state; it’s always been about the existence of the Jewish state. This is what this conflict is about…

President Abbas must do what I have done. I stood before my people — and I told you, it wasn’t easy for me — I stood before my people and I said, “I will accept a Palestinian state.” It’s time for President Abbas to stand before his people and say, “I will accept a Jewish state.”

Those six words will change history. They’ll make it clear to the Palestinians that this conflict must come to an end; that they’re not building a Palestinian state to continue the conflict with Israel, but to end it.

And those six words will convince the people of Israel that they have a true partner for peace.
NETANYAHU: "Israel is not what is wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East."

Obama Signs Wrong Date in Westminster Abbey Guest Book

Maybe he was thinking back to happier times when he thought all the world loved him!
In a visit to Westminster Abbey in London on Tuesday, Obama signed the guest book:
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Readers may recall how every mistake by President George W. Bush was seized upon by liberals who tarred him as unfit for office. Now that such a precedent has been established is turnabout fair play?

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Barack and Michelle Get their Moment with Wills and Catherine

To make up for the no-invite to the Royal Wedding?

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After being greeted by Queen Elizabeth II, the Obamas got a ten minute private meeting with Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. It was the first official royal engagement for the newlyweds after returing from their honeymoon in the Seychelles.

The Daily Mail has more photos and also a very curious post describing how thin Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, is. Yet in every photo she's seen standing next to Michelle Obama. Is that fair?

Aerial Views of the Twister that Destroyed Joplin

More at the Daily Mail.
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Aerial photo shows the path of the tornado.
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Closer shot of the damage on the ground.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Pawlenty Makes it Official

Expect the pace of the overall campaign to quicken soon!
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Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty speaks during a town hall meeting Monday, May 23, 2011, at the State of Iowa Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa. At his first campaign appearance since announcing his bid for the Republican nomination, Pawlenty cast himself as the Republican candidate willing to tell the country hard truths. He told corn-dependent Iowa that its prized federal subsidies for ethanol should be phased out.
On a sidenote: where are the balloons? How come no one uses balloons anymore?

Obama Limo Gets Stuck in Ireland

Want another laugh? Obama gets praise as "most Irish U.S. President!"

Here's the limo with Barack and Michelle as they attempt to leave the U.S. embassy in Dublin:

Too bad the video cuts out before we see the Obama's get out of the stuck car and go to another vehicle.

But this idea of Obama being so very Irish must be puzzling to those in the Emerald Isle who recall how Obama dressed in 2008 during a visit to Africa:

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It's just more hilarious proof that Obama tries to be all things to all people (ask the Israelis about that) and ends up being exposed as a clown!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Mitch Daniels Out of GOP 2012 Race and World Did Not End Saturday

Clear beneficiary is Mitt Romney!

So now the intense speculation these past two weeks on whether Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels would run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 is over. Mitch said no and the world did not end.

Already the big winner is Mitt Romney who had already picked up steam with the recent withdrawal of Huckabee and Trump. Daniels would have been the establishment candidates preferred anti-Romney candidate but now those voters may drift back to Romney, who seems to be a very popular second choice for many, or find a new anti-Romney establishment candidate.

One such alternative might be Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty who must be breathing a sigh of relief with the news. Daniels was sucking all the air out of the room as Pawlenty readies his big announcement on Monday.

Herman Cain Makes it Official

Among the more non-establishment GOP candidates, Herman Cain made his intention to run official on Saturday. Note that the world still did not end. Michelle Bachmann, another strong non-establishment candidate may also soon announce.

So, we are starting to see a field made up of establishment GOP candidates like Romney and Pawlenty on one side, Cain and Bachmann on the other and Newt and others floating somewhere in between. The next debate is coming up June 7th in New Hampshire (debate schedule). It will be interesting to see who shows up!

American Self Reliance in the Wake of Mississippi Flood

These people didn't wait for government help that would never come!

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The Daily Mail, a British newspaper, has a photo essay showing how some Americans along the flood ravaged areas near the Mississippi took matters into their own hands to save their property.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

No need for a body language expert with this Obama/Netanyahu photo!

How would you caption this photo?

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US President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, May 20, 2011. Obama announced on Thursday in his long-awaited speech on the 'Arab Spring' revolts that territorial lines in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war should be the basis for a peace deal, a move Netanyahu has long opposed.
And what's with the rolled up newspapers in the bottom of the fireplace? Aren't the Obamas supposed to be recycling?

Friday, May 20, 2011

Beyond Appeasement

Obama's Peace at any price Middle East policy invites war!


I submitted the following as a Letter to the Editor of my local newspaper:

Students of history will recall how British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain wanted desperately to believe that Adolph Hitler was a man of his word when Hitler said in 1938 that after Czechoslovakia he had no further territorial ambitions. Even after Hitler invaded Poland, Chamberlain clung to his delusion that another land swap might restore peace. Over 50 million people died in World War II in part because of Chamberlain’s willful delusion about the nature of his enemy.

Fast forward to the Middle East where the Obama Administration seeks to relearn that lesson. First, they looked the other way and saw only the good side of the Egyptians demonstrating for the ouster of Mubarak. Now, as Christian churches burn in Cairo we see who many of these people really are.

Next, in Syria Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, propagated the myth that President Assad was a reformer. This, despite the fact that he is butchering his own people and has allowed his country to be a transit point for terrorists into Lebanon and Iraq where they killed American soldiers.

Finally, Obama’s speech on the Middle East demanded that Israel return to it’s pre-war 1967 borders without any meaningful concession on the side of Palestinians who continue to refuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist. No peace can exist without that.

Sharing my concern that Obama is in over his head is Andy McCarthy, who writes in National Review:

Would that the president of the United States were as worried about Arizona’s border as he is about “Palestine’s.”

There was less fanfare about this latest Obama oration on the future of the Middle East, staged at Foggy Bottom, than there was about his 2009 Cairo speech. It was, however, every bit as delusional, and twice as treacherous.
...
The president stumbled into a bracing truth when he compared the change achieved by the people in the region, on the one hand, and by terrorists on the other. The change both are seeking is the same: the creation of sharia societies. Obama and Democracy Project promoters like to frame the Arab Spring as the ultimate rejection of al-Qaeda. But it is, at most, a discovery that there are better tactical routes to the promised land than al-Qaeda’s crude brutality. That promised land is not Western liberalism; it is Islam in all its repression of free speech, religious liberty, and equality — American principles the president spoke of his boundless determination to promote, while avoiding a single mention of Islam or sharia, which make achieving those principles a pipedream in this region.

Regarding Obama's slap at Israel, an editorial in the Washington Post puts it this way:

Now, of all times, the Israeli and U.S. governments ought to be working closely together; they should be trying to defuse the U.N. threat, induce Mr. Abbas to change course, and above all prevent a resumption of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, Friday found Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu once again publicly and poisonously at odds with each other, thanks to a handful of lines added by Mr. Obama to his Middle East speech on Thursday. The president’s decision to publicly endorse terms for a peace settlement seemingly calculated to appeal to Mr. Abbas, over the strong objections of

Once again, willful delusion and appeasement join hands to create a situation which can only lead to disaster!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Romney Big Winner after Huckabee Trump Withdrawal?

No doubt now that he is the front runner. But still time for others to get in and make their mark!

Dick Morris has a column out Tuesday in which he states that Romney will pick up a considerable bounce from the decisions not to run for the GOP nomination by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and businessman Donald Trump. Morris says that Romney was the second choice of a significant portion of Huckabee and Trump voters and therefore will propel him into a solid lead over the nearest announced competetior which is Newt Gingrich.

Newt has the additional problem of having shot himself in the foot by telling NBC's David Gregory on Meet the Press that Paul Ryan's budget plan was "right wing social engineering." That mistake did not go over well with one Iowa voter who famously confronted the former Speaker very directly in this video.

Morris also points out the well known tendency of GOP voters to give the nod to the guy who came in second last time. In 2008 both Huckabee and Romney were approximately tied as 2nd place finishers to John McCain (who himself got the nomination after coming in 2nd to George Bush in 2000). With Huckabee out of the way, Romney can inherit the votes of those who say "it's his turn."

While voters in the Iowa Caucus may go out on a limb for social conservative candidates (they gave Huckabee his first big win when many of us were still saying "Hucka what?") primary voters tend to vote for more established (some say "establishment") candidates. Romney has a clear advantage in New Hampshire which neighbors Massachusetts, but is still perceived as weak in South Carolina.

Romney will need to nail down early victories to prevent any anti-Romney upstarts from making a serious effort. He seems inclined to do just that by winning the all important early money contest. Just this week he pulled off a fundraising coup by raising $10.3 million in a single day.

Still plenty of time for others

But before we hand the nomination to Romney let's recognize that it is still early. Romney's albatross is RomneyCare, the model for ObamaCare and despite what the candidate says the issue still dogs him. The early polling which gives Romney an early lead is based largely on name recognition and the "it's his turn" factor. There is still plenty of room for other candidates to make their mark. A win by any of the social conservatives (Bachmann or Santorum) in Iowa would give them the money and momentum to compete effectively in South Carolina. Others like Pawlenty and Daniels, who appeal to establishment GOP voters may also emerge. The next debate on June 7th in New Hampshire (debate calendar) will be an opportunity for new faces to get their message out provided they decide to participate.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Donald Trump OUT for 2102 Race

Whew! Dodged a bullet there!

Donald Trump will NOT be a candidate for President in 2012.

I can only say I am relieved because as readers may know, I never felt he was the right candidate to carry our message forward. I viewed him as another Pied Piper of populism that would only lead the GOP to defeat and reassure the re-election of Obama.

The remaining field of GOP candidates will be shaping up in the next few weeks after months of anticipation. My best guess is that a handful of strong conservative candidates will emerge but perhaps not have enough name recognition, funding or organization to compete against candidates who might be considered more representative of the GOP establishment. More on that later.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

In Email to Supporters Huckabee Hints at Run in 2012

We'll find out Saturday night at 8 PM!

UPDATE: Huck's OUT! Romney thrilled!

Time Magazine has an email the Huck sent to his supporters in advance of his Saturday show on Fox News in which he will announce whether he will run for the GOP nomination for President in 2012.

A few phrases stand out as a hint to his decision. Emphasis has been added by me:
"Tomorrow night (Saturday) I will announce the next step in my plans for 2012 during my show on the Fox News Channel."

"frankly isn't fair to you to tell you the details and then put you in the awkward position of saying you didn't know."

"I will look forward to speaking with you soon and once I fulfill my sworn obligation to Fox, I will be free to discuss things that I can't now due to promises to them and to some possible legal considerations of the announcement."

"I expect that once I pull the trigger Saturday night, things will get even crazier, as if that's possible."
Sounds to me like he's running but we'll find out for sure in a few hours.

Run Ryan Run

UPDATE: Ryan says no to Senate run. Will former Guv Tommy Thompson step up? Thompson would be a likely winner, but has his own baggage with early support for parts of ObamaCare!

Dem Senate retirement in Wisconsin opens the way for Paul Ryan!

PhotobucketSen Herb Kohl, Democrat from Wisconsin despite being a shoe in for re-election in 2012 announced this week that he will retire. That leaves the seat wide open for Republicans in 2012 in an election cycle in which they are already heavily favored to regain control of the Senate. All Republicans need to take control is to win four more seats. With Democrats defending 23 seats and the GOP only 10 the Democrats have many more vulnerable seats than the GOP.

However sad we would be to lose Ryan as House Budget Committee Chairman, Ryan in the U.S. Senate would add another young, solid conservative to the growing GOP team.

Will Ryan run? A statement following Kohl's retirement announcment leaves the door open:
RYAN: "I was surprised by Senator Kohl’s announcement and want to take some time over the next few days to discuss this news with my family and supporters before making any decision about how I’m best able to serve my employers in the First Congressional District, our state and nation."

Friday, May 13, 2011

Dems and GOP Offer Contrasting Policy to Deal with High Gas Prices

Dems want investigations and an increase in taxes. GOP House passes bill to increase oil production!
Thursday on Capitol Hill provided the perfect contrast between Republican and Democrat approaches to the problem of high energy costs. In the Senate Finance Committee Democrats grilled Oil Company Executives over record profits, while conveniently ignoring higher profit margins for non-oil businesses and the huge windfall in federal gas taxes which dwarfs oil company profits.

The move by Senate Dems matches Obama's order to Attorney General Holder to investigate high gas prices. No similar investigation has been launched into businesses like Apple Computer which saw a recent 95% increase in profits.

On the other side of the Capitol, The GOP, with some bipartisan support, passed another bill in a series known as the American Energy Initiative. The bill, titled" “Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act” effectively forces the Obama Administration to permit drilling and increase domestic oil production whether they like it or not. Included in the bill:
  • Require the administration to allow drilling in at least 50 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf areas known to contain the most oil and gas. Specifically, that means southern California, the Arctic, mid-Atlantic and Eastern Gulf of Mexico.
  • Open up other areas in the southern Atlantic and allow governors there to to opt in to the plan if they chose.
  • Require the federal government to establish production targets for oil and gas. Currently, that would mean 3 million barrels a day of oil, or roughly three times more than the U.S. currently produces from offshore sources.
The House GOP is working to increase supply. Senate Democrats and Obama are investigating and seeking to punish the very firms we need to unleash to produce more energy for America.

Which party has the better approach to finding the energy America needs?

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Newt's In

The former Speaker will make the GOP contest much more interesting!

Newt Gingrich officially entered the race for the GOP nomination for President in 2012 on Wednesday with this short campaign video:

"I’m Newt Gingrich and I’m announcing my candidacy for President of the United States because I believe we can return America to hope and opportunity, to full employment, to real security, to an American energy program, to a balanced budget.

I worked with President Ronald Reagan in a very difficult period. We got jobs created again, Americans proud of America, and the Soviet Union disappeared.

As Speaker of the House, I worked to reform welfare, balance the budget, control spending, to cut taxes to create economic growth – unemployment came down from 5.6% to under 4. For four years we balanced the budget and paid off $405 billion in debt.

We’ve done it before, we can do it again.

I want your help because no one person from the oval office can get this done. We Americas are going to have to talk together, work together, find solutions together, and insist on imposing those solutions on those who don’t want to change.

There are some people who don’t mind if America becomes a wreck so long as they dominate the wreckage. But you and I know better.

We owe it to our children, our grandchildren, our country and frankly to ourselves. So let’s get together, look reality in the face, tell the truth, make the tough choices and get the job done.

There’s a much better American future ahead: with more jobs, more prosperity, a better health system, longer lives, greater independent living, in a country that is decentralized under the 10th Amendment, with power once again back with the American people and way from the Washington bureaucracies.

No one person can accomplish this. It can’t be done from the oval office. We have to work together. We Americans have to get it done.

I hope you will decide to join me. Let’s work side by side. Let’s get this done for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and for our country.

I hope you will come to Newt.org, see what we are trying to get done, and to join us in getting American back on the right track. "

But the video I like better is how he describes Barack Obama. In this short clip Newt shows he's ready to take the gloves off and FIGHT!



Newt has his flaws. A number of GOP voters will not forgive him for his marital problems and of course the Borking he got from Dems during his time as Speaker still hangs over him. But Newt will have his chance to go to the American people directly and make his case.

He's a man of ideas, not slogans and that would certainly be a hopeful change!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Obama's Payoff to Hispanics with Latest Amnesty Push

Not like it's going to go anywhere and he knows it!

You bet Hispanic voters remember this:
“What I can guarantee is that we will have in the first year an immigration bill that I strongly support and that I’m promoting,” Mr. Obama said in an interview with the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision in 2008.
With solid control of both Houses of Congress Democrats never even brought a bill up for a vote. But Obama knows that unless he can hang on to gullible Hispanic voters he will lose re-election in 2012 so he's out there promising the same old soap he's sold before hoping Hispanics are too dumb to notice.

He took Air Force One for a spin down to Texas on Tuesday and before his big fundraiser in Austin (the real purpose for his trip) he stopped off in El Paso to pose in front of a bunch of American flags and denigrate those who put border security before further immigration reform.

The teleprompter was loaded with the usual straw men arguments that Obama uses as a substitute for meaningful discussion:
THE PRESIDENT: You know, they said we needed to triple the Border Patrol. Or now they’re going to say we need to quadruple the Border Patrol. Or they’ll want a higher fence. Maybe they’ll need a moat. (Laughter.) Maybe they want alligators in the moat. (Laughter.) They’ll never be satisfied. And I understand that. That’s politics.
He "understands" it all right. It is politics and that is what his speech was all about.

With the border carnage we've seen going on in Arizona, how could any President seriously suggest we are anywhere near a sufficient level of border security? It's as if he is mocking those who lives and property are being put at risk on a daily basis along the border.

Border is NOT Secure!

A recent Government Accounting Office study found that there are '"varying levels of operational control" over just 873 miles, or 44 percent' of the border. And only 15% of the border could be considered controlled, or more fully secure.

It may be relatively easy to dismiss Obama's pathetic attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of Hispanic voters once again. What's worse is that he and his Administration still do not take border security seriously. And that failure impacts far more than immigration legislation. People's lives are being put at risk!

"Allahu Akbar" Where's the Bathroom?

Yemeni Crazy Rushes Cockpit Amid bin Laden Revenge Fears!

Associated Press: A Yemen native accused of twice trying to barge through the cockpit door of a San Francisco-bound American Airlines flight yelled "God is Great," passengers said, prompting them to fear that he was plotting an attack.

Rageh Al-Murisi is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday on a charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

In the court affidavit filed on Monday, Air Marshal Paul Howard said after being told that wasn't the restroom, Al-Murisi made eye contact with the crew member, lowered his shoulder and rammed the door. The crew member told Howard he then got between Al-Murisi and the door, but Al-Murisi kept yelling and pushing forward in an attempt to open it, according to the affidavit.

Al-Murisi, 28, of Vallejo, Calif., was subdued by the crew member and several passengers, including a retired Secret Service agent and a retired San Mateo police officer, and taken into custody after the flight landed safely around 9:10 p.m. Sunday at San Francisco International Airport, according to authorities.

Al-Murisi went toward the cockpit door about 20 minutes before the flight from Chicago was supposed to land, according to Howard's affidavit. He was yelling unintelligibly as he brushed past a flight attendant, witnesses said.

Maybe it's a good thing that Obama decided not to show the death photo of bin Laden. If nutjobs like this are going to board planes and go berserk now, one wonders if their behavior might be even more insane if the photo had been released. Talk about getting "po'd" about bin Laden!

Team of Lawyers on Standby for Possible bin Laden Capture

Just what you DON'T need in a war!

This story provides a revealing insight into how the Obama Administration views the war on terror:
President Obama had a team of lawyers, translators and interrogators on stand-by in case Osama bin Laden was captured alive during the raid on his Pakistani compound last week.

The New York Times has a story on the contingency plans. Obama had increased the size of the military operation so that the Navy Seals could fight their way out of Pakistan in case local police or troops interfered.

He also had two teams of specialists on stand-by. The lawyers were available in case bin Laden was captured alive, and burial experts were available in case bin Laden was killed.

In the capture scenario, bin Laden would have been brought aboard a Navy ship to avoid any battles over jurisdiction, the story says. Interrogators would have conducted initial interviews for information that could prevent a pending attack or identify al-Qaida leaders.
What do you suppose those lawyers were on hand to do? Make sure bin Laden's right to remain silent was protected? Restrain the interrogators?

With Obama's weeklong victory lap over the death of Obama and all the hoopla from his supporters about what a great leader he is, this news nugget is more revealing. The Obama team only refers to this as war when it suits their purposes. Otherwise, it's a criminal matter.

Do you suppose those lawyers will recommend prosecution of the Navy Seals for failing to read bin Laden his rights?

Monday, May 09, 2011

Mitt Romney Putting All His Campaign Eggs in NH Basket?

If true, Romney will lose!

Despite an April poll which showed Romney in 2nd place in SC to Mike Huckabee for the GOP 2012 presidential nomination, questions continue to swirl about Romney's commitment to contest and win the South Carolina primary in 2012.

Questions started in April with the news that former 2008 SC staffers for Romney were headed to other jobs. Those questions were compounded by Romney's failure to show up at the debate sponsored by the SC GOP in Greenville on May 5th.

And now, Politico has a new story describing how Romney may not contest SC because he feels that his Mormon background may be an insurmountable obstacle in a primary dominated by evangelical Christians.
[Romney's] top aides, several allies said, view anti-Mormon views as a challenge in South Carolina, and it’s widely thought to be part of the reason he’s keeping the state at arm’s length.
Another reason could be that Romney may not be able to count on the support of Sen. Jim DeMint, who endorsed Romney in the 2008 primary where Romney came in at 4th place. DeMint is the conservative king maker in SC and has voiced strong concerns about Romney's continuing handicap of being associated with the Massachusetts health care law which served as a model for ObamaCare.

It's important to note that no GOP candidate has ever gone on to win the nomination without winning SC. Can that history be upended?

A Must Win in New Hampshire?

Questions also swirl about Romney's commitment to contesting Iowa (1, 2, 3). That makes New Hampshire a must win for Romney in the early contests. But even here, support often seems lukewarm:
Granite State Republicans have lingering concerns about the Massachusetts health care legislation Mr. Romney signed and doubts about his commitment to pro-life and gun ownership issues. Some even question the depth of his appreciation for the legacy of Ronald Reagan.

Gary Brown, a 56-year-old businessman, said he likes Mr. Romney's business experience but gives him the dreaded tag of RINO," or "Republican in name only."

John Moscillo, a 39-year-old real estate agent, said Mr. Romney reminds him of a "used-car salesman" and "will tell you what you want to hear."

State Rep. Laurie P. Pettengill, a 2008 Romney volunteer who rode the tea party wave into the New Hampshire Statehouse last year, said the former Massachusetts governor "doesn't resonate."

"I love the guy, but I just think that the average American doesn't connect with him," Ms. Pettengill said. "I think to a lot of people he says what they want to hear, and it doesn't come from his heart."
That last statement questioning Romney's sincerity is exactly how I felt upon speaking with him when he visited Hilton Head Island in 2007.

Still, Romney was the walkaway winner of an April poll of 416 likely GOP voters in New Hampshire with 35%. Trump came in second at 11%.

It's a pretty risky strategy for any candidate to put all their eggs in one basket. If you lose Iowa, you'll be facing a greater challenge when you get to New Hampshire even if you were the front runner the week before. If you manage to eke out a win in New Hampshire but then go on to lose South Carolina you are headed for trouble.

Readers may recall the strategy that Rudy Giuliani engaged in for 2008. He downplayed campaigns in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina yet hoped for the big prize in Florida. Yet McCain, who had the wind at his back after winning SC took Florida and that ended Rudy's hopes for the nomination.

Romney should think twice about making a token effort in either Iowa or SC. Weakness in those states may signal he's too weak to win the nomination!

Sunday, May 08, 2011

66 Years Ago Today and a Lesson for the Future

What Winston Churchill could teach Obama!
Victory in Europe Day, May 8th, 1945:


Note the adulation of the crowds for Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the statement of one participant in the celebrations that "nothing is too good for him." Less than three months later his party was voted out of power and he was out of office.

What a shame Obama banned the bust of Winston Churchill, that the British had loaned the U.S., from the White House after he was inaugurated. Winston's scowling face might be a good reminder of what happens to even the best of politicians. And NO ONE could say that Obama ranks among the "best of politicans" or anywhere near the same class as Churchill!

Former V.P. Cheney Insists Waterboarding Should Return to Protect Nation from Terrorists

Calls Obama Administration investigation of CIA agents who waterboarded three terrorists an "outrage!"

Great interview on Fox News Sunday with the former Vice President throws some cold water and clear thinking on Obama's bin Laden Victory Tour:



Cheney also discussed the heart pump implant that was installed following heart failure last year. He has yet to decide whether to get a heart translplant.

Earlier in the show Chris Wallace interviewed Tom Donilon, Obama's National Security Advisor. Wallace asked why it was ok to shoot and kill bin Laden but not o.k. to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Donilon's sputtering answer clearly showed the weak claim the Obama Administration holds on any moral superiority in how terrorists are handled.

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Are Obama's Hands Tied in Exploiting Intel Found at bin Laden House?

He's already signaled to detainees and future captures that he won't resort to enhanced methods to get the answer that might save American lives!

ABC News has a story "Osama Bin Laden Raid: Al Qaeda 'Playbook' Revealed." In it they discuss the treasure trove of intelligence that was captured at the bin Laden house in Pakistan. Names, addresses and possible plots have now been exposed.

In short, intelligence analysts just had a load of new puzzle pieces dumped onto the table from which they need to sort the good from the bad and put together a picture leading to the next terrorist capture and foil future plots.

A sure help with that process will be the fact that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba is still open and the worst of the worst terrorists are still there to be interrogated should they be needed to help clarify this new information. They are not scattered around the world in foreign countries and outside U.S. custody as the Obama Administration planned to do.

The downside is that all these terrorists are no doubt keenly aware that Obama changed the rules once he became President and they have nothing to fear from any future interrogation. Will "pretty please" be enough to persuade them to disclose new information useful in connecting the dots with the intell from bin Laden's hideout and stop future plots?

Since we know that key terrorist leaders like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of 9/11, only talked AFTER being subjected to enhanced interrogation, what makes us think that he'll provide further info now that he knows Obama has resorted back to treating this as a criminal matter? Obama has thrown away the very useful tool of enhanced interrogations with nothing to take it's place.

Should a future attack succeed and it is later learned that a terrorist currently in U.S. custody could have helped us prevent it, Obama will be to blame. Yet, somehow we can count on the liberal news media to cover it up and try and blame it on Bush instead!

Friday, May 06, 2011

Debate on Bush Enhanced Interrogation Continues

Democrats continue to deny clear and convincing evidence that Bush policy provided puzzle pieces leading to bin Laden discovery!

In a May 4th column for the Washington Post, former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen described the important role enhanced interrogations played in the discovery of bin Laden's lair and how they remain important tools in the war on terror:
Thanks to President Obama, this program, which helped lead us to bin Laden, is no longer part of America’s counterterrorism arsenal. Indeed, outside of the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq, there have been no reported U.S. detentions of high-value terrorists since Obama took office.

Earlier this year, Umar Patek, the highest-ranking terrorist captured alive at this point in the Obama administration, was taken into custody by Pakistani authorities. Patek had traveled from Southeast Asia to Abbottabad — the same place where bin Laden was hiding. Coincidence? What was Patek doing in Abbottabad? With whom did he meet and what did they discuss? He should be in CIA custody answering such questions.

The time has come for Obama to restore the CIA interrogation program that made bin Laden’s demise possible — and to instruct Eric Holder to end his witch hunt against the heroes who helped lead us to bin Laden’s lair. That is the least Obama can do for the men and women responsible for the crowning achievement of his presidency. They don’t deserve a special prosecutor, Mr. President. They deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Debra Burlingame, whose brother "Chic" was a pilot on the plane which slammed into the Pentagon on 9/11 confronted the President regarding the continuing investigation of CIA agents who were able to acquire the information which ultimately led to bin Laden. During Obama's first visit to Ground Zero in New York on Thursday (he refused earlier invites on 9/11 anniversaries) she asked him to suggest to Attorney General Holder that no further investigation was required. He flat out refused to do so and turned his back on her and walked away:


Burlingame describes the encounter with Obama: "As a former attorney I know you can't tell the Attorney General what to do, he said, 'No, I can't.' But I said 'we -- that shouldn't stop you from giving your opinion. We wouldn't be here today if they hadn't done their jobs. Can't you at least give them your opinion.' And he said 'no I won't,' and he turned around and walked away."

Cheney Should Apologize to Obama?

It's bad enough that some on the left want Obama to use the death of bin Laden to declare victory in the war on terror and close up shop.

David Corn, writing at Mother Jones goes one step further demanding that former Vice President Dick Cheney apologize to Obama for his criticisms of the president which center largely on Obama's refusal to acknowledge the importance of enhanced interrogations. It's important to note that Obama refused Cheney's request to declassify and release CIA memos which showed just how effective enhanced interrogations were. Ultimately, that exchange led to the bizarre situation where Obama scheduled a major speech on national security at the same moment of a long scheduled address on the same topic by Cheney.

Obama and the Democrats who cling to their false mantra that enhanced interrogations did not work continue to display their foolish delusions where national security is concerned. We got lucky with bin Laden due to the groundwork laid by President Bush. But now, there is plenty of room to wonder if we might be missing the next big lead that will save American lives!

Obama to Federal Contractors: Don't Give to GOP or You're Out!

It's all about punishing his enemies and rewarding his friends!

Remember when Obama told latino voters that he would "punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends?" We've already seen that maxim of corrupt Chicago politics at work with the mass exemptions to ObamaCare going to big union backers of Obama and General Electric being exempted from environmental regulations.

Now, Obama wants to take it one step further and force those who do business with the federal government to disclose their political activity which might include contributions to Republican candiates and conservative groups.

Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is inscensed. In an interview with Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal she describes Obama's move this way:
The administration's argument that this is about disclosure is "a fraud," she declares. The very notion "offends me deeply," she says, since the order undermines decades of work by her and others to ensure federal business is free of corruption of political influence.

The politics of the order have been so ugly that she argues the media has missed the equally profound policy implications. It's the "equivalent of repealing the Hatch Act," she argues, the seminal 1939 law designed to weed out federal pay-to-play.

It has taken decades to create a federal contracting system based on "best prices, best value, best quality," Ms. Collins says, and the effect of the Obama order is to again have "politics play a role in determining who gets contracts." Companies may choose not to bid, which will reduce competition and raise government costs. And the order puts "thousands of civil servants" who oversee contracting "in an impossible situation."
In a letter dated April 26, 2011 Collins and 19 other U.S. Senators expressed their concerns to the President. [PDF]To date, no response from the White House has been received.

Obama's move is yet another example of his corrupt "pay to play, the Chicago way" style of thug government!

Unemployment Back Up to 9%

Now you know why Obama was so desperate to wave the flag after bin Laden killing!
Even with the unemplyment rate going back up to 9% April saw job growth at 244,000, largely due to the one time hire of 62,000 hamburger flippers at McDonalds. Hardly anything to brag about especially since a year ago Vice Presiden Biden WAS bragging "I'm here to tell you some time in the next couple of months we're going to be creating between 250,000 jobs a month and 500,000 jobs a month." Yeah, well, that promise was worth as much as the big lie that unemployment wouldn't go above 8% if Obama got his way with the $trillion stimulus bill.

It would take more than 300,000 a month in new jobs for a sustained period to do anything meaningful to lower unemployment. And yet, Obama's tax, spend and anti-energy policies are KILLING jobs that would otherwise be created.

The result of Obama's economic policies means the longest, deepest, most sustained period of unemployment since World War II.
Obama's victory lap over bin Laden will soon be over and once again the American people will face front and center the economic debacle that Obama has created!

Thursday, May 05, 2011

White House Feeds Confusion/Conspiracy Theories Over bin Laden Death

Refusal to release photos and conflicting stories keep issue alive and keep Americans from talking about high gas prices, etc.

Say you are a president whose approval rating is steadily dropping in the polls. What's the best way to turn things around? Change the subject and keep people talking about something you did right, not all the things you are doing wrong.

That may help explain why the White House has refused to release the photos of Osama bin Laden taken after his death and why there have been conflicting stories about what happened at the compound in Pakistan where bin Laden was found. [Now we learn that only one of the five people who were killed was armed].

Sure, the confusion is just another example of the incompetence we have come to expect from team Obama. But there's no question that the Obama Administration's stumbling efforts to explain the raid in Pakistan have kept people from talking about high gas prices, the debt crisis or the shrinking dollar.

Obama's attempt at a grand distraction gets a further push with his victory lap at Ground Zero Thursday. Remember, this is the President who refused to attend the two anniversaries of 9/11 which have happened on his watch and has strained relations with the 9/11 families.

But the grand distraction can only work for so long. Once the novelty of the bin Laden story wears off people will start asking those other tough questions again. What do you bet that's about the time Obama releases the bin Laden photos?

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

More Details on Obama's Kill Not Capture Order for bin Laden

O.K. to shoot him, but waterboarding would have been a violation of bin Laden's human rights?

More details are coming out about the bin Laden event. Apparently Obama has decided NOT to release the photos of Osama bin Laden taken after death. Is Obama just trying to stretch this out as a distraction like his birth certificate? Will we need to put Donald Trump on the case? Lacking the Osama photo, all we have is this Obama photo:

Obama, the smallest man in the room at critical moment

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Sitting in the corner, a diminished looking President Obama watches along with Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton and others as mission to kill bin Laden proceeds.

Kill not capture?

On Tuesday, the White House admitted that bin Laden was unarmed at the time of his death yet somehow resisted and was shot in the head. If he was unarmed would it not have been possible to shoot him in the leg and disable him and take him into custody?

A story from Politico confirms other reports that the real mission was to kill, not capture:
Officials described the reaction of the special operators when they were told a number of weeks ago that they had been chosen to train for the mission.

“They were told, ‘We think we found Osama bin Laden, and your job is to kill him,’” an official recalled.

The SEALs started to cheer.
It's important to note that this Seal Team was the same group that captured Saddam Hussein alive so that he could face justice.

Waterboarding Key to bin Laden Kill

In the last few days the disinformation brigades have been working overtime to deny that the waterboarding of JUST THREE TERRORISTS played any role in the discovery of bin Laden's hiding place. Yet that denial was upset by the statement of CIA Chief Leon Panetta in an interview on NBC:
“We had multiple series of sources that provided information with regards to this situation… clearly some of it came from detainees [and] they used these enhanced interrogation techniques against some of those detainees,” he told NBC anchor Brian Williams.
Spin has they might, Democrats are unable to deny that the interrogations of the three waterboarded terrorists was the first key to unlocking bin Laden's location. Prior to waterboarding, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was demanding a lawyer. After waterboarding he sang like a canary. The information he gave about a courier set the CIA on the trail.

Al-Libbi was another of the three waterboarded terrorists. Here's how the Washington Post describes his role and connection with enhanced interrogations:
A crucial break appears to have come on May 2, 2005, when Pakistani special forces arrested a senior al-Qaeda operative known as Abu Faraj al-Libbi, who had been designated bin Laden’s “official messenger” to others within the organization. Libbi was later turned over to the CIA and held at a “black site” prison where he was subjected to the harsh methods that the George W. Bush administration termed “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Libbi and other detainees pointed CIA interrogators to another messenger with close ties to the al-Qaeda leader.
Obama's bump in the polls won't last

Obama is on his way to Ground Zero in New York City on Thursday. It's his first trip to the site of so much tragedy. This is an interesting change since Obama has refused to visit the site on the two 9/11 anniversaries which have taken place at the site since he became President. He has also had his run-ins with 9/11 families who were displeased with the delays in military tribunals set up to deal out justice to those who conspired to murder their loved ones.

No doubt much of that troubled connection with 9/11 will be swept away by a carefully orchestrated set of photo-ops with selected 9/11 families at the site. Expect all of this propaganda to give Obama a short term bounce in the polls.

But in the long run, it won't matter. Unless Obama can show that killing bin Laden will result in lowering gas prices, his bump in the polls won't last.

The bottom line is that this event hasn't changed Obama. He's still the same weak leader he always was and not even a brilliantly executed plan by the Navy Seals can rescue him.

Monday, May 02, 2011

Thank George Bush and Waterboarding for bin Laden Kill

And why were orders given to kill, not capture?

Amid all the hoopla over the death of bin Laden two items stand out. With the first, you need to do a bit of reading between the lines of news reports like this one in the Washington Examiner:
Some time after Sept. 11, detainees held by the U.S. told interrogators about a man believed to work as a courier for bin Laden, senior administration officials said. The man was described by detainees as a protégé of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and “one of the few Al Qaeda couriers trusted by bin laden.”

Initially, intelligence officials only had the man’s nickname, but they discovered his real name four years ago.
A story in the New York Times confirms "detainees at the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, had given the courier’s pseudonym to American interrogators."

And we know from an extraordinary article in the Washington Post from August 2009 titled "How a Detainee Became An Asset, Sept. 11 Plotter Cooperated After Waterboarding," that it was Bush's enhanced interrogation policy for JUST THREE TERRORISTS which gave us a motherlode of information.

It certainly must make those who whined about the inhumanity of the gitmo detention facility and waterboarding uncomfortable to think that the information which led to bin Laden was obtained using the hated Bush detention and interrogation program.

Kill, not capture?

I wonder if there is an equal level of discomfort from the Bush era hand wringers regarding the news that the Special Forces team which went after bin Laden had orders to kill, not capture? Let's put aside for a moment that fact that no one in U.S. custody ever died from waterboarding and that two bullets to bin Laden's head were certainly an infringement upon any so-called rights terrorists might have.

The bigger issue here is that killing bin Laden, while it may help Obama avoid the embarrassment of sending him to Gitmo or putting him on trial, also means that we do not have access to any information he might have been able to provide. Of course according to Obama it would have been wrong to waterboard Osama. Much better to shoot him instead!

Bin Laden Dead from CIA Bullet to Head

No worry about waterboarding, or questioning a dead man!

Forgive me for being a bit underwhelmed with the news, good though it most certainly is, that Osama bin Laden is dead. I can't quite get myself in the same frame of mind as celebrants outside the White House  seem to be in. Bin Laden's death won't end the war on terror and might even make it worse as terrorists seek revenge.

I suppose what restrains any joy for me the most is the fact that bin Laden was apparently killed with a bullet to the head by CIA agents and not captured. We'll learn more details about this as time goes by.

But unlike the capture of the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the admitted mastermind of the actual September 11th attacks, bin Laden is dead. KSM's capture alive gave us a great deal of information that helped to prevent further planned attacks. Of course this occurred only after he was waterboarded along with two other top Al Queda figures (that's right, ONLY THREE terrorists were waterboarded).

Readers may recall all the hand wringing over potential violations of KSM's rights because of the Bush Administration policy for enhance interrogation in those THREE CASES. Something tells me we won't see any concern for bin Laden's rights being violated with a bullet to the head. And we certainly won't be learning anything from a corpse about continuing Al Queda operations. The Obama policy seems to be that it's ok to kill terrorists, just not waterboard them.

And the Obama Administration won't be saddled with the thorny question about where and how to handle a live bin Laden. Yes, it all seems just a bit too convenient.

Still, I'll wait for more details before making a final judgement. It's good news that we got bin Laden but somehow I just can't cheer about it.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Royal Wedding Wrap Up

Wedding may signal successful transition of the British Monarchy into 21st Century!

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Catherine Middleton walks up the aisle of Westminster Abbey to the tune of Hubert Parry's "I was Glad" [video of the procession].

I'm sure readers will forgive me for posting a photo wrap up of the Royal Wedding. After all, the wedding may mark the successful turning point for the Monarchy after decades of bad news. Readers may recall that the last royal wedding held in Westminster Abbey was in 1986 between Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. That marriage turned into a mess. The union between Kate and Prince William may be the answer to that failed marriage and all the others that went sour in the 1990's and led to the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Primary sources for the following are:
And if you would like a copy of the official program from Westminster Abbey, it is available in PDF style format here.

Official Wedding Photograph

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The Royal Wedding at Buckingham Palace on 29th April 2011: The Bride and Groom, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the centre with attendants, (clockwise from bottom right) The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Miss Eliza Lopes, Miss Grace van Cutsem, Lady Louise Windsor, Master Tom Pettifer, Master William Lowther-Pinkerton,

Taken in the Throne Room.
Picture Credit: Photograph by Hugo Burnand

Full size photo here.
Other official Buckingham Palace photos, including those with the Queen are found here.

Full story on the photographs, including a comparison to those of Charles and Diana as well as information about the photographer are found here.

More information on Catherine's dress and how the secret was kept are here.

Favorite Photos of the Day continues below....

Donald Trump's M--F--ing Meltdown

Imagine what his state of the union speech would be like!

I'm wondering whether this might be the beginning of the end of the Trump delusion which has gripped some voters over the past few weeks. I've long had my doubts about Trump's suitability as a GOP nominee for president (he's not a conservative and here's the proof) but the speech he delivered to a GOP women's group in Las Vegas on Thursday raises those earlier concerns still more.

Starting off with a mild comment about "friggin politicians" [video] he soon went all the way in repeatedly dropping the four letter "f" bomb. Here's a video with just two examples:


Transcript from Mediaite:
Once while discussing Iraq.

“We build a school, we build a road, they blow up the school, we build another school, we build another road they blow them up, we build again, in the meantime we can’t get a f***ing school in Brooklyn,” Trump says.

To the audiences approval, while talking oil.

“We have nobody in Washington that sits back and said, you’re not going to raise that f****ing price,” he says.

And finally, while speaking about taxing Chinese goods.

“Listen you mother f***ers we’re going to tax you 25 percent,” Trump says.
While many of us, myself included, would like to tell the rest of the world to go "F" themselves on occasion, we are not running for president and we do expect a higher standard of at least public behavior from those whom we consider trustworthy to hold that office. I know that in the last few years standards have slipped dangerously low for that office but do we want to restore the office or continue watching it slide?

F-- Trump!
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