Job Security: Clinton and Obama Style

The Hill reports on the $787 billion stimulus stimulus package passed by Barry and Congress was most effective in ensuring job security. Unfortunately for the rest of America, the stimulus bill served none other than Clinton and Obama's campaign pollsters and fellow campaign staffers.

"Federal records show that $5.97 million from the $787 billion stimulus helped preserve three jobs at Burson-Marsteller, the global public-relations and communications firm headed by Penn." "Burson-Marsteller won the contract to work on a public-relations campaign to advertise the national switch from analog to digital television. Nearly $2.8 million of the contract was issued to Penn’s polling firm, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, according to federal records.
Federal records also show that a former adviser to President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign received nearly $70,000 from that contract to help alert viewers in difficult-to-reach communities that their televisions would soon no longer receive broadcast signals. "

The nation should be nothing short of appalled. At a time where the economy and citizens alike are struggling to survive, these career politicians use taxpayers money to ensure their future candidacy, and it's disgusting. I say we throw all of these bums out and start from scratch. Their egotistical sense of entitlement is costing the nation billions at a time when we can't afford it.

Mayor Bill White makes campaign stop in San Antonio ::snore::

Texas gubernatorial candidate and San Antonio native Mayor Bill White made his first campaign visit in the Countdown City this week.

White blasted Perry on a handful of issues including education. White states he's eager to work towards improving the education system in Texas with specific programs geared towards helping "Hispanics and other minorities." Additionally, White has a brilliant scheme for decreasing the drop out rate: "...Letting people know that by leaving school early they will cut their earning ability in half." With ideas as revolutionary as this one, White should have world hunger and world peace solved BEFORE he ever makes it to the Governors Mansion.

White's, obviously targeted statements to the Hispanic community of South Texas are nothing short of insulting. If his overall goal is to advance the quality of public education for the state of Texas, then that's fine. I'm all for it, but by singling out the Hispanic community he is reducing his statements to political rhetoric to advance the Hispanic GOTV while simultaneously insulting the whole of the Hispanic community. Clearly, those po' Mesicans wouldn't get anywhere without
that White guy, guey. Enough with the political pandering, let's see some action. Show me how you are going to better the quality of education FOR ALL students, not just those Hispanic sounding names.

New Gallup Poll shows Obama at 47%, WH responds with "Nuh Uh!"

The latest Gallup poll shows Obama sittin pretty at 47%, which is the lowest December rating of any President in US history.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs fired back at the poll by questioning the reliability of the organization. "I'm sure a 6-year-old with a crayon could do something not unlike that. I don't put a lot of stake in, never have, in the EKG that is the daily Gallup trend" stated Gibbs.

It's alright Gibbs, denial is always the first step.

911 Call: "I don't want to have to kill this man, but I will kill him graveyard dead, ma'am"

This is by far one of the most amazing and saddest videos (audios) I have ever seen/heard. More than anything else, the following is exhibit A about lawful gun owners in America, particularly those who have used their weapons to defend themselves. Far from the gun-crazed, trigger happy racists the liberal antigun crowd would have you believe, they are really just regular folks who want to go about their business. The remorse in the woman's voice at the end of the video gave me goosebumps. And the dispatcher deserves a medal for being as supportive as she was of this brave woman defending herself and her home. It's a tragedy, no matter how you look at it. You can read the full story and hear the entire 34 minute 911 call here.

Rick Perry Goes After Kay Bailey Hutchison's Washington Record As A Big Spender

Governor Rick Perry is turning up the heat on Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's record as one of Washington's biggest spending Republicans. Fiscal and economic issues is, after all, Rick Perry's strong suit heading into this primary election, which should prove to be a tough and bloody one. I'm supporting Rick Perry, but will obviously vote for Kay Baby in the general election should she win the primary. The following ads sure do hurt, though. Don't they, Kay?







Frankly, Kay Bailey Hutchison has really picked a bad time to challenge Rick Perry for governor. While she isn't getting any younger, the good Senator isn't too old to wait four more years to run when there will be an open primary with no incumbent, one she could almost certainly win hands down. But the fact of the matter is that the battle between these two Texas political heavyweights will come down to the one thing that is on everyone's mind right now: the economy. And on tht issue Kay Bailey Hutchison cannot compete with Governor Perry. Period. He's a fiscal hawk and a committed conservative on economic matters. Kay Bailey's record will kill her chances at the govenor's mansion if Rick Perry continues to hammer her with ads like these. The last thing Senator Hutchison needs is to be portrayed as "one of them," but Rick Perry does that quite effectively in these ads.

By The Numbers

A few numbers and statistics for you today:

The number of Americans who view torture as "justified" is now at a five year high according to a Pew Poll.

President Obama's job approval is at 48% according to...CNN? It's about time. Rasmussen has known this for weeks! His RCP average is below 50% as well, at 49.3%.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is getting pounced by his two likely Republican opponents by as much as 10 points. Poor Harry.

The unemployment rate dropped to 10% according to the government report released today, likely due to the traditional uptick in employment during the holiday season.

it's currently 30 degrees in San Antonio, and Houston (yes, Houston, as in Houston, Texas) recorded its earliest snowfall evah!! today, which surely came as a surprise to green geeks everywhere who probably don't think much of the mega-huge scandal involving hacked emails from some of the top global warming fanatics out there, otherwise known as "climategate". If you haven't heard of it it may be because the networks have been virtually silent on the matter.

Dem run Congress to American public: We Own You

Washington Examiner reports on the demo proposed health care bill.

"Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius would be awarded unprecedented new powers under the proposal, including the authority to decide what medical care should be covered by insurers as well as the terms and conditions of coverage and who should receive it...The HHS secretary would also have the power to decide where abortion is allowed under a government-run plan."

The end result would be the federal government having direct control over the insurance market as opposed to the current system where the states have the discretionary power to regulate the market. The American public made it perfectly clear that a universal health care system was not to be tolerated, and now the demos have the audacity to implement this backdoor policy in attempts to control the insurance market.

The articles continues with: "Critics of the bill said this was an example of how the new bill could empower HHS to alter health care delivery, but Democrats argue they would rather have the government making these decisions." THEY ARE THE GOVERNMENT. Even if Congress was doing an amazing job, it would still be absurd to allow this much government intervention.

Gallup polls show Congress approvals at a mere 21%. Not a stellar rating there, Nancy. Additionally, their is a higher percentage of Americans disapproving the health care bill, also according to Gallup.

Demos attempts to force this issue down the throats of Americans will result in a "throw the bums out" GOTV effort come election time. Keep it up and you won't be there for long.

Disappointment has a name

Obama's long awaited speech from West Point was nothing short of disappointing. After prioritizing a litany of important matters (i.e. family vacations or lobbying to have the Olympics held in Chicago), President Obama has decided that it is time to send our boys overseas some reinforcements and get them home by 2011.

The Commander in Chief, against the advice of General Stanley McChrystal, decided to send in 30,000 troops, hoping that the rest of Americas allies will pick up the slack and make his 18 month time table work. Work---just in time for his re-election campaign. Writer Gabor Steingart put it best: "the horror of war is to end and the draw down will begin. The doves of peace will be let free."

Although el Presidente did mention the pros and cons of Islam, he failed to mention if or when the Afghanistan military (or government for that matter) would be able to adjust to the 18 month plan.

Americans watching the event were left with the glaring and obvious question: is this course of action going to lead us straight into the hands of the Taliban and other terrorist networks?

Granted, I understand Obama can't lay out in detail their plans for the next few months on national television, but it would be nice to know that the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces was listening to the advice of his generals as opposed to putting soldiers to sleep with his tired and empty speeches.

Whether it's the War on Terror, the economic crisis or the health care bill --- this is not time for rhetoric. It's time for action, not political pandering. The decisions he and our legislators make (or refuse to make) directly impact the lives of millions of Americans...Americans who can't afford to wait on "hope" any longer.

Wake up Mr. President.

President Obama Still Sitting On His Hands as Troops Wait For Reinforcements

Hey, remember when I wrote about President Obama's dithering on whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan? That was two months ago. At the time of that writing, on October 1, it had already been a month since General McChrystal's request for more troops had been leaked to the pubic. Now, three months after that first request, President Obama has still not made up his mind about what he will do. Despite the recommendations of his military brass, President Obama has decided to host state dinners and golf instead.

This isn't just the musings of your humble blogger. No it appears that troops all over Afghanistan are waiting for assistance from their brothers and sisters in uniform. This from The Washington Times:

A Washington Times reporter and photographer spent much of October - the deadliest month for American troops there thus far - with U.S. Army soldiers in southern Afghanistan, who spoke openly of the need for more boots on the ground, the more and sooner the better.

"We need more troops," said Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Paul Rabidou, 24, stationed at a small combat outpost in the Maywand district. "It's just as simple as that."

The Blackwatch unit - Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, with the 5th Stryker Brigade - arrived at the outpost Sept. 13. Since their arrival, they have lost three soldiers and two civil-affairs officers. Bombings have destroyed three of their four Stryker vehicles.

But don't worry Tusk readers, because President Obama is expected to announce an increase in troops (a "surge" some people may call it) of about 30,000 to 40,000. Hey, why I believe that's just about how many General McChrystal said he needed three months ago! Hold on a second, and I'll double check. Why, yes! Yes, it is! Thank you, Mr. Obama, for taking 90 days to make sure you really had your thumb completely up your ass before doing precisely what your generals told you was needed to begin with. Kudos, sir. You are a paragon of military genius. Truly.

Wadda schmuck.

Texas vs. California

I came across an article during my daily google search for "why texas is awesome." (That was a joke, I only do that about once a week.) The article, written by Olsen Ebright, Jonathan Lloyd and Jenna Briand, lists the "top 10 reasons" California is better than Texas. Written on November 2 of this year my first thought was why an article of this sort would need to be a collaborative effort between three journalists; especially since this scathing rebuttle will be written by only me, and be totally effective at that. But I digress.

Among the best reasons given are the following uber-convincing "facts"(I'm not making this up):

Number 10 - "People want to come here."

Number 8 - "Our waistlines are under control."

Number 6 - And I quote; "Our governor can beat up your governor."

Number 4 - "Plenty of eyecandy"

Number 1 - "Texas isn't home to George W. Bush"

As you can see, the list is a real intellectual masterpiece. Don't worry, though, I think I can manage responding to this without pointing out that Californians are leaving in droves to come to Texas. I can do it without mentioning that Texas is now viewed as the model of how to run a state. I'll even refrain from using silly (but true) arguments like "Texas doesn't have earthquakes". No, I don't have to do any of those things because it really boils down to this:

"Journalists" in Texas aren't writing pitiful, pansy-ass, laugh-out-loud hillarious articles begging Texans to stay here. Jealous much?

How The GOP Got Her Groove Back

There is a tendancy, perhaps, to believe that the Repulican party has had little to do with it's recent surge in popularity. One would be misguided, however, to overlook the steely discipline and "return to principles" the GOP has undergone since the great Democrat takeover. Still, you have to admit that the blunders of our amateur-in-chief have certainly helped. His daily (and I do mean daily) fuck ups are piling on, leaving onlookers either deathly nauseated or utterly confused.

As of this post, there have been three polls in the last week showing our gallant leader with an approval rating under 50%: Gallup, 49, Rasmussen, 45, FNC, 46. Most importantly within the data is the the glistening jewel of hope amid the numbers of the Rasmussen poll. Not only is his approval rating at 45%, but The One's disapproval numbers are at a whopping %54. That leaves President Hopenchange with an approval index of -9 points. Ouch, Barry. Ouch.

Alas, he has brought it all upon himself. Three months (Three months! Three! One, two, three!) after General McChrystal asked for additional troops, President Obama has finally decided to send 34,000 soldiers to Afghanistan to reinforce our military there. Or (to measure time the same way liberals preferred to measure time during the Iraq war) three months and about 170 dead U.S. soldiers who died waiting for the President to quit dithering and make a decision. This is change we can believe in.

Or maybe the change comes in a Healthcare reform bill opposed by 56% of Americans:

The big takeaway from the internals is, as always, independent voters. They are looking a lot more like Republicans on this issue. Where Republican voters oppose ObamaCare 83/13, independents aren’t far behind at 70/23. Self-described moderates have fled as well, opposing ObamaCare by almost exactly the overall topline, 55/39.

Majorities of both men (61%) and women (52%) among likely voters now oppose ObamaCare. Every age demographic except 18-29 year olds oppose it by majorities ranging from 58% to 65%. Every income demographic except the under-$20K group opposes it by a majority, even the heretofore sympathetic $100K+ demo, which opposes it 58/41 — with 50% strongly opposed.

It alost makes me sad for Mr. Obama, except not really because I completely hope his healthcare bill flops like a fat guy at a diving contest.

Maybe it's not Afghanistan or healthcare that is causing independents to flock to the GOP by a 24-point margin. Maybe Americans are disgusted and appalled that tens of billions of dollars in stimulus money went to congressionsal districts that do not exist!!! That's right. Even though there are 435 congressional districts, the government-run economic recovery website lists 875...more than double the actual amount. Perhaps its the fact that the guy in charge of Obama's "Recovery Board", Early Devaney, says he is not able to certify that the jobs "created or saved" listed on the administration's recovery.org website are accurate. In fact, at least 10% of the jobs listed are phony. That includes over 90,000 (and counting) phantom jobs that newspapers have found so far, to say nothing of the 60,000 jobs the administration itself slashed from the report for not being able to justify the numbers.

Maybe it's one bow, after another, after another.
I used to call the administration a clown car, but it's really more like a gas chamber where accountability, logic, reason and class go to die.

Fiasco: Healthcare Showdown Underway in the House UPDATE: Bill passes 220-215; 39 Dems vote No, 1 GOPer votes Yes

Debate opened today in the House of Representatives on the Democrats' proposed healthcare reform bill with the intention of voting on the 2,000 page proposal sometime Sunday - or later. Who knows? After all, the Democrats are in charge of this so, ya know, whenever.

The House version under consideration currently contains mandates that everyone buy insurance with stiff penalties if you don't. Those Americans not willing to comply with the government's mandates on health insurance will be made to pay up to $250,000 in fines or face as much as five years in prison, which is precisely the kind of gentle nudging one expects from liberals hell-bent on seeing their Utopian society come to fruition on the backs of their fellow citizens. Congressman Dave Camp, the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee fills us in on some important details:

Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

In response to the JCT letter, Camp said: “This is the ultimate example of the Democrats’ command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail. It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately.”

With a price tag of a nice and tidy 2.6 trillion dollars according to the Heritage Foundation, one might wonder how we're going to pay for all of that. But don't worry! If we do our patriotic duty and pay more taxes then we can well cover the cost of our socialized healthcare debacle. I mean, hey, it works in Canada, right? I mean, er...nevermind:

After more than a decade of public healthcare with mandatory coverage, so many Canadian doctors have left the practice and so many young people have entered other fields that Canada ranks 26th of 28 developed nations in its ratio of physicians to population. Once, Canada ranked among the leaders in the number of physicians, but that was before government healthcare drove doctors out of the practice in droves.

The fundamental fact is that we cannot cover 36 million new patients without more doctors and nurses, much less with the declining census of medical professionals the Canadian experience points to. A recent survey of doctors by the Pew Institute found that 45 percent of all practicing doctors would consider retiring or closing their practices if the Obama healthcare bill passes. This scarcity of medical personnel heightens the likelihood of draconian rationing, lengthy waiting lists and lower-quality medical care for all of us, particularly for the elderly.

But, honestly, why should grandma undergo a necessary life saving surgery when she can just take a pain pill and die quietly at home? I mean, right? I guess that's Democats' idea of "cost saving measures". Not that there's anything wrong with a good vicodin from time to time, but I'd hardly call this sort of healthcare "rational".

But there is reason to be hopefull, my dear Tusk readers. As of this post, fully 35 Democrats oppose this legislation, according to Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia. Although that is short of the 41 Democrat "no's" needed to defeat it, it is still a good start. And remember, the bill still has to pass the Senate, where Tom Coburn of Oklahoma may force a reading of the full bill that could literally take months to complete. As Hot Air points out, the bill could quite literally filibuster itself.

And this is what it boils down to ladies and gentlemen; the democrats' manic obsession with controlling the most essential and personal aspects of your life. If you fail to comply with their clumsily mapped out formula of the "good life" then you are subject to massive fines or even jail time. This is the essence of freedom under their regime. It is a system in which the most basic and fundamental liberties are stripped from the citizen, wrapped in a nice little bow and handed to the government. If you think stopping them from taking it is hard now, wait until you see how hard it will be to get that freedom back once (if) we lose it.

I've said it once, and I will say it again: Vote Republican, and everything will be ok.

More White House Idiocy On The "Jobs" Report, via ABC's Jake Tapper

ABC News's Jake Tapper is becoming one of my favorite White House reporters, and has been working on that status for months now. Much like the CBS News report on the same "stimulus" update, ABC is now calculating that if the White House numbers are correct, then it would have cost us about $160,000 per job! The White House says that's "calculator abuse," which is precisely the sort of answer you'd expect from a government run by a bunch of 5 year olds:

Posting its results late this afternoon at Recovery.gov, the White House claimed 640,329 jobs have been created or saved because of the $159 billion in stimulus funds allocated as of Sept. 30.

Officials acknowledged the numbers were not exact, saying that states and localities that reported the numbers have made mistakes.

Ed DeSeve, senior advisor to the president for Recovery Act implementation, said he'd been "scrubbing" the job estimates so much since they came it at the beginning of the month that he now has "dishpan hands and my fingers are worn to the nub."

White House officials heralded the unparalleled transparency in reporting job numbers to the public, but acknowledged there is no consistent standard across states or localities, or among federal agencies giving out stimulus funds, in differentiating between a “saved” job and a “created” job.

The White House argues that the actual job number is actually larger than 640,000 -- closer to 1 million jobs when one factors in stimulus jobs added in October and, more importantly, jobs created indirectly, such as "the waitress who's still on the job," Vice President Biden said today.

So let's see. Assuming their number is right -- 160 billion divided by 1 million. Does that mean the stimulus costs taxpayers $160,000 per job?

Jared Bernstein, chief economist and senior economic advisor to the vice president, called that "calculator abuse."

That's just beautiful. There is "no consistent standard across states or localities, or among federal agencies" for deciding what actually constitutes a saved or created job? What kind of shim-sham operation is this? Is this the government at work, or is it a bad episode of Animaniacs? Perhaps that's a distinction without a difference.

Awesome!: CBS News Goes Nuclear On White House "Jobs" Report; "Not worth the paper it's printed on."

After months of demonizing Fox News Channel, which finally culminated in an outright attempt to ban the network from interviewing administration officials, it appears the Obama White House may now hav to set their sites on another much less likely foe: CBS News. That's right. The Tiffany Network, better known for its laugh-out-loud hillarious "fake, but true" standard of journalism during the 2004 President Bush Guardgate scandal, is attempting to earn back some of its credibility by shedding some light on the past incompetence of the Obama administration in reporting how many jobs their "stimulus" bill has "saved or created".

There's something about thinking of press secretary Robert Gibbs's reaction to this report that really warms the soul. As Hot Air's Ed Morrissey wonders: "So when does CBS start getting the Fox treatment from Robert Gibbs and Velerie Jarrett?"

One Solid Gold Coward: Obama Dithers on Afghanistan; Questions Linger About Uncooperative Iran

Earlier this month I reported on President Obama's "ultimatum" to Iran regarding their nuclear weapons. Of course, the very next day I was forced to write another article criticizing the administration's lack of resolve, backing off on their "ultimatum" after less than just 24 hours. And now, according the LA Times, Iran has completely blown off the essentials of the agreement altogether:

The proposal would have depleted Iran's stockpile of nuclear fuel below the threshold necessary for making a single nuclear bomb, possibly creating diplomatic breathing room for a broader agreement between Tehran and those worried about its atomic research program.

But according to the diplomat, Iran wants to send its uranium abroad in smaller batches over an undetermined stretch of time rather than the lump transfer by year's end outlined under the proposal offered by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

Such a change would allow Iran to quickly replenish its stock.

Why doesn't the LA Times (and, for that matter, the American diplomat who called Iran's response "inadequate") just come out say what really happened: Iran has essentially outright declined our offer, as their alternative proposal completely defeats the stated purpose of the original deal. The question remains, though, will Barack Obama finally concede that when it comes to Iran you gotta play hardball. Most likely not, especially if his reaction to this menace is anything like his complete incompetence when it comes to managing his "war of necessity", the war in Afghanistan.

On October 3, I wrote about Barry's inaction on the Afghanistan question. At that time, it had already been over a month since the president had received the recommendations from his generals on the ground. As of today, he still has not offered any direction, and now even the Europeans are growing impatient with his indecision. From the German news magazine der Spiegel :

For once, this hesitation cannot be attributed to widespread war fatigue in Europe. The mission in Afghanistan is seen as a toxic issue in all Western nations, and every government that has provided troops has come under sharp criticism at home. What the US’s NATO allies now find far more irritating is US President Barack Obama’s silence on the issue.

The world has been waiting for clear words from the White House for months. Obama has had government and military analysts studying the military and political situation in the embattled Hindu Kush region since early January. He appointed Richard Holbrooke, probably the US’s most effective diplomat in crisis situations, to be his special envoy to the “AfPak” region, he has replaced generals and he has deployed more troops. The answers Obama asked his experts to provide after taking office have been sitting on his desk for a long time. But the conclusions vary. Obama will have to make his own decision, one that will shape his political fate. …

Whether it means withdrawal or a troop buildup, NATO expects Obama to make a decision. So far, no one knows which direction he favors. Even experienced Washington insiders have encountered a wall of silence at the White House, leading Europeans to question whether Washington even believes in its war anymore.

Funny that the Europeans are demanding an answer--any answer--from Obama on the Afghanistan issue. In fact, what they are really wondering is why it is taking Obama so long to retreat after they were so nice to preemptively give him that shiny new Nobel Peace Prize.

It is simply an undeniable fact that our president is in over his head and has no idea - none - how to deal with this situation or a host of others. Confronted with a reality that is far different than his "hope" and "change" message, he is completely hopeless. The brave new leader the American people put their faith in has turned out to be a paper tiger, indeed. As the world grows more and more dangerous, and more and more troops die in the mountains of Afghanistan, our president is taking his good time in making any decision concerning their struggle, ignoring his generals' pleas for reinforcements while thinking of more "solutions" that only undermine our mission and needlessly cost us more American lives.

And so this is the price we pay for placing our trust in pretty words and lofty rhetoric. The One who was supposed to usher in a new era of international goodwill towards America is only earning us the confusion of our friends and the emboldening of our enemies.

Obama Golfs While America Burns

President Obama, having won his election and a new, shiny Nobel Peace Prize, has apparently deemed himself eligible for a little R&R. Or, perhaps not a little. A lot, actually. After nine months in office, President O (it looks like a zero, get it?) has tied President George W. Bush for "number of rounds of golf played in office". 24 rounds in case, you were wondering. It took President Bush 2 years and 10 months to put in that much time on the links.

Call me crazy, but am I the only one who remembers all of the liberal bellyaching over how much time spent at Camp David, a fully outfitted presidential retreat, often accompanied by aides and advisors? I'm not a golfer, but I don't believe golf courses typically lend themselves to handeling national crises. Now again, frankly I don't care how many times the president plays golf. The only point here is that liberals acted as if Bush were never working on anything, only enjoying the benefits of being the most powerful man in the world.

Aw shucks mister! Those polls don't mean nothing

Peggy Noonan had a great OpEd in today's issue of the Wall Street Journal entitled It's His Rubble Now. In it she describes the huge disparity in approval ratings and overall demeanor between George W. Bush post 9/11 and Barack Obama post 01/20/09.

In the aftermath of 9/11 Bush didn't stand before the American people making excuses. Nor did he stand around pointing fingers at previous administrations, scrambling to find a scapegoat. He stood before international media and vowed to keep America safe and he did just that for the remainder of his administration.

Comparatively, Obama seems content to stand around blaming everyone and anyone within his vicinity for the status-quo. Noonan writes:

The president said last week, at a San Francisco fund-raiser, that he's busy with a "mop," "cleaning up somebody else's mess," and he doesn't enjoy "somebody sitting back and saying, 'You're not holding the mop the right way.'" Later, in New Orleans, he groused that reporters are always asking "Why haven't you solved world hunger yet?" His surrogates and aides, in appearances and talk shows, have taken to remembering, sometimes at great length, the dire straits we were in when the presidency began. But their recent return to this theme is unbecoming. Worse, it is politically unpersuasive.

We know that it's politically unpersuasive, the best indicator of this is every approval rating poll within the last few months. Noonan continues:"The polls now, with the presidential approval numbers going down and the disapproval numbers going up."

The American people were fooled into believe that this was the man who could turn our economy around and restore our international street cred and they are quickly realizing that he is incapable of doing so. Not only is he incapable of doing so, but he is unwilling to do so by continuously blaming the previous administration and the whole of the Republican party for his shortcomings.

Wake up America. We did this to ourselves...remember that come 2010 and 2012.

White House Attempts to Ban Fox News From Interviewing "Pay Czar"; Major News Groups Rebel

In his on going effort to demonize Fox News Channel, President Barack Obama and his advisers attempted one of the most egregious abuses of executive power in it's short history - and only one of the firsts, no doubt - by attempting to ban Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett from interviewing one of the mysterious White House "czars". The White House's "war on Fox News" has even involved senior advisers telling other media outlets that they "ought not treat" Fox as a legitimate news organization:

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told CNN on Sunday that President Obama does not want "the CNNs and the others in the world [to] basically be led in following Fox."

Obama senior adviser David Axelrod went further by calling on media outlets to join the administration in declaring that Fox is "not a news organization."

"Other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way," Axelrod counseled ABC's George Stephanopoulos. "We're not going to treat them that way."

George Stephanopoulos, a former Bill Clinton advisor, is one of countless former Democrat aides an officials now working for "legitimate" news organizations as journalists. Chris Matthews of MSNBC is another.

But frankly, the more important part of this story is how the other media outlets, as explained in the clip at the bottom of this entry, managed to salvage their own integrity by refusing to go along with any interview if Fox News was not included. This, by anyone's measure, is a complete repudiation by the major news organizations of the White House's claim that Fox News should be ostracised. And this rebellion by the MSM could be a turning point in my view from the warm reception the media has given the president so far. Just yesterday, ABC News's Jake Tapper, questioned the appropriateness of the White House's eagerness to "decide that a news organization is not one". He even calls Fox News one of "our sister organizations":

Tapper: It’s escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations “not a news organization” and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it’s appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one –
(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that’s a pretty sweeping declaration that they are “not a news organization.” How are they any different from, say –

Gibbs: ABC -

Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?

Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o’clock tonight. Or 5 o’clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a “news organization” -- why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That’s our opinion.

Is this for real? Where is the outrage from the liberal consortium in this country regarding this most blatant assault on such a fundamental part of any democratic society - a free, open and adversarial press?

This attempt at censorship by the White House proves what I have said over and over again; this administration is accustomed to a campaign in which they were fawned over by the media and the people at large. Now, unable to adjust from "campaign mode" to "leader mode", they have been reduced to a bunch of crying pantywaists who can no more lead this nation than Chris Matthews can do a sit up. It's amateur hour at the White House, and we've all got front row seats.

Pathetic.

D-Day Veteran Philip Spooner Speaks Up For Gay Marriage

Seriously one of the most awesome videos I have ever seen.

Citing the ovens at Buchenwald and Dachau, he says: “I have seen with my own eyes the consequence of a caste system and of making some people less than others or second class. Never again. We must have equal rights for everyone.

“It’s what this country was started for.”

Hot Air's Allahpundit Should Have Faith In The Numbers...and so should you.

The election of Barack Hussein Obama may well go down in history as one of the most bizarre events of the 21st Century. It will, at least, if his presidency continues on as it has throughout his first year so far. I must confess, I was very confused by his election last November. I simply could not believe that people actually believed what he believed. And it turns out I was right. In fact, less than half of Americans believe what the president believes on "important issues":

WASHINGTON (CNN) – For the first time since he took over in the White House, Americans don't see eye to eye with President Barack Obama on the important issues, according to a new national poll. But the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey does indicate that a majority approve of how Obama's handling his duties as president.

According to the poll, which was released Tuesday, 48 percent of people questioned say that they agree with Obama on the issues that matter most to them, with 51 percent saying no. That's a switch from April, when 57 percent said they agreed with the president on important issues, with 41 percent disagreeing.

While I feel a little comforted with the fact that Americans "no longer" see eye to eye with the president, can anyone explain how a nation in which less than half of the people agree with the man on top can still enjoy a 55% approval rating? It's mind boggling to me that people who disagree with the president on "important issues" still approve of his handling of the job. Is it that they find his enormous ears to be endearing? Is it his toothy (very toothy) smile? Do they think it's cute when he kinda sorta almost starts talking ebonics when he's talking to a mostly black audience? I don't get it. Anyone? (For my real explanation, continue reading)

Allahpundit at Hot Air(my favorite blog) is reporting that it's not just CNN finding these grim "single issue" numbers for Obama, either. Rasmussen and Harris are finding precisely the same thing. On virtually every single issue the voters do not support the president. But, like me, Allahpundit is stomped by the overall approval numbers. He thinks something is fishy, using the approval numbers on Iraq as an example:

Actually, I’m more interested in the numbers on Iraq. Why would the GOP lead by 19 points? And why would that lead have almost doubled in just the past month? Iraq’s been completely off the media radar screen. Either the respondents are so disillusioned with Hopenchange that they’re now reflexively answering each question with the equivalent of a middle finger to The One or there’s something fishy going on here.

But not as fishy as this. From the Harris Interactive poll, among a sample of 2,293 adults. You’ve got to be kidding:

On 12 separate issues, the number willing to say he’s doing “pretty good” tops out at 41 percent? CNN has his job approval at 55 percent; even assuming that’s a bit skewed, it can’t be much worse than 50. In which case, how you do get from a high of 41 on individual issues to overall approval of 50? My inner pessimist says things can’t be this rosy for the GOP. Can they?

Well, yes, Allahpundit, they can. Personally, I am more inclined to believe the issue by issue numbers for this reason: While issues like Iraq have not been pushed in the media very much, the accusations of racism against anyone who disagrees with or questions the president's policies has been. It is this bloggers opinion that the voters are fooling themselves into saying "I support the president, I only disagree with him on this one issue...and this one...and this one, and this one, and this one. But other than those he's doing a great job, so I'm not racist, see!" If you care to be more optimistic about the voters' motives behind weird numbers (and I'm not) then you could even say that Americans are anxious to see our first black president do well, and therefor give him high marks overall, but low marks when it comes down to the nitty gritty specifics.

But if Allahpundit is really interested in seeing if the GOP can really be doing so well (in every last poll issued) then let's look at where the money is going. WSJ is reporting that the RNC has outraised the DNC for the last two months, due largely to a "rise in small donors". That means "average Americans", the same people polled who gave us the odd skew in approval numbers.

So don't worry Allahpundit. Nothing fishy going on. We really are doing that well!

Less Than A Year And Already Less Popular Than Hillary. Ouch.

"Why do people hate you?" asked little Terrance to the President of the United States. His answer is the most interesting part of the conversation, however:

Well, now, first of all. I did get elected president, so not everyone hates me, nah. I got a whole lotta votes. I wanna make sure everyone understands.

Here, once again, we witness the president dismissing honest disagreement and opposition to his ultra left wing government takeover to being "poke(d) a little bit" so that we can "keep him on his toes". Or, as he more succinctly puts it, it's just "politics".

Let us, for a moment, study the president's assertion that not everyone hates him. After all, he did get a whole lotta votes! The latest Fox News Poll show less than 50% of Americans would vote for Barack Obama if an election were held today. As a matter of fact, its not even close to 50%. It's 43%. Dayum, Barry. Dayum.

In what may be the ultimate job rating, 43 percent of voters say that they would vote to re-elect President Obama if the 2012 election were held today, down from 52 percent six months ago, from April 22-23, 2009.

Obama's job approval rating comes in at 49 percent this week. That's down just one percentage point from late September, but it marks a new low approval for the president -- and the first time the Fox News poll has measured his approval below 50 percent.

Well, hey, I mean 43% isn't that bad. Come to think of it, that's just about the same share of the vote that Bill Clinton won in 1992. Of course, that was back before Democrats pretended to care that sometimes president's get elected without a "clear majority".

Anyway. That FNC Poll is not the only problem Mr. Obama is facing in the polls. Despite her declaration that she will not run again, no one can write off the political calculation of one Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's Secretary of State and former Democrat primary rival. I can't help but see her as miserable every time she is on television. We would be kidding ourselves to believe she would never consider another primary challenge to her new boss, especially given that Gallup now shows that she is more popular than the president himself, a fact that must have her licking her chops in anticipation of an inner-party "Draft Hillary" moment:

Gallup points out that in this latest survey, Hillary Clinton is now more popular than Obama. Sixty-two percent say they have a favorable impression of the Secretary of State, versus 34 percent who have an unfavorable impression. That's a big change from the height of the battle for the Democratic nomination last year; in February 2008, just 48 percent had a favorable impression of Mrs. Clinton, versus 49 percent who had an unfavorable impression.

Frankly, the only thing more fun than watching those two duke it out again would be the laugh-out-loud hillarious spectacle the entire Democrat party would put on as they simultaneously try to cast Republicans as racist for opposing the reelection of the first black president while nursing a large faction within their own party that doesn't want him there, either. Why, it would be like conservative political porn!

Obama continues to cater to illegal immigrants

And we thought McCain was bad....

Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, known through out the country for his no nonsense stance on illegal immigrants in his home county, has been reprimanded by the Obama Administration.

Sheriff Arpaio (better know simply as Sheriff Joe) and his deputies were authorized by the federal government to detain, question and verify the status of suspected illegal immigrants in the area. After receiving a litany of complaints from liberals various individuals, the Obama Administration revoked his ability to make immigration arrests. Sheriff Joe responded by stating that he would continue to make arrests and drive those suspect individuals to the border if federal officers refused to make the arrest: "I'll take a little trip to the border and turn them over to the border," he said.

Paco Fabian, spokesman for America's Voice, was pleased with the Obama Administration and had the following to say: "The federal government is lending its full force and legitimacy to a rogue cop certain to go down in history as a serial violator of civil rights and an enemy of the Latino community." The vast majority of individuals Sheriff Joe dealt with were ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS and thus had no civil liberties or rights. Those individuals who he did question who were American citizens ceded certain of their liberties to the federal government under the Social Contract in order to secure a safe nation and indefinitely ensure their rights. This has been the case since the inception of our nation, just because you throw the PC term of "racial profiling" in the mix doesn't change the facts.

Side note: It's not racial profiling. Being Hispanic or Mexican isn't a race, it's an ethnicity people.

The article further sympathizes with illegal immigrants by stating: "...But critics of the programme say it wastes police resources needed to fight street crime, promotes racial profiling of Hispanics, targets peaceful workers, breaks up families and breeds distrust of police among immigrants, who become afraid to report crime for fear they will be asked for immigration papers."

The last time I checked it was a crime to be in the country illegally. Moreover, it is the members of the Mexican mafia that are the cause of the violence and street crimes in the vast majority of these border towns in Texas and California.

Sheriff Joe's actions are not targeting peaceful workers,they are targeting individuals who are illegally in the country. Irrespective of how you try to spin it to invoke sympathy from the American people, this is what's happening. Same goes for the remainder of that quote...I'm sorry, but individuals who are here legally do not fear being asked for immigration papers. Who is scared of handing over documents? Is that some strange phobia that has taken over the hispanic community that I'm not privy to? And individuals who do not report crimes to the police for whatever reason, lack the moral character to be citizens of this country.

I had a pretty good understanding of immigration very young age having been born in Juarez, Mexico. I knew that there was a difference between LPR status and citizenship and understood the responsibilities, rights and obligations that came with the latter...as should they.

Is It "Game Over" For Harry Reid?

The Tusk has mentioned his prospects in this race before, but now it looks like it's all over for Senate Democrat Leader, Harry Reid of Nevada. Polls are consistently showing him lagging behind his two potential competitors, Sue Lowden and Danny Tarkanian. But the surest factor indicating his assured retirement is this:

Though respondents can't decide whom they want to win the Republican primary, they're certain they don't support Reid, the Senate majority leader seeking his fifth consecutive six-year term.

In one general election scenario, 49 percent of respondents picked Lowden and 39 percent chose Reid. In another, 48 percent picked Tarkanian to 43 percent for Reid. That poll, which surveyed 500 voters Tuesday through Thursday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points...

...For months the perception of Reid among voters has been fixed, with near 100 percent name recognition and a high number of voters viewing him unfavorably. In the latest poll, 38 percent of voters viewed Reid favorably compared to 50 percent with an unfavorable view.

50 percent unfavorable rating for the one of the most powerful Democrats in America? The most interesting part is that no one really cares who runs against him, the prevailing attitude seeming to be simply "get him the hell outta here." It's about time.

Oddly enough, this particular poll is a bit better than last month's Rasmussen Reports survey (my favorite, and the most reliable pollster out there) which showed Reid with a 54% unfavorable rating, including 42% who have a "very unfavorable" view of the Senate's leading liberal. My money is on the Rasmussen poll, given his accuracy in the past. This is good news for Nevada.

DNC Ad: "Healthcare bill is bipartisan. No, wait. Nevermind."

You really have to hand it to Barack Obama and his crew over at the Democratic National Committee for their abiity to turn virtually nothing into a whole lot of something. In his weekly address, President Obama touted what he seems to think is a wave of bipartisanship over his healthcare reform bill. It doesn't exist, of course, but that didn't stop the DNC from releasing an ad just hours after the address. Why, it almost seems like a concerted effort by liberals to fool the American people into thinking Republicans (the good guys) are now for this heaping pile of bile. The nerve!
That's right! This dramatic government takeover of 1/6 of the nation's economy is so bipartisan that two former Republican senators, one liberal Republican governor and a former Bush cabinet official like it! Well, actually, Bill Frist immediately clarified his remarks once Democrats started using his "I'd probably vote for it" comment. He amended his response 5 days ago, but that didn't stop Democrats from thuggishly quoting him in their ad:

“There are five bills on the floor now -- none of them are perfect. People try to put words in my mouth saying ‘You support the Baucus bill.’ I don’t support the Baucus bill as written today,” Frist told ABC News Radio on Monday. "It’s going to cost way too much and we’re not going to get all the uninsured into the marketplace .... There’s some egregious things in there that will cost all the taxpayers too much money and not give them anything.”

Nothing about this bill is bipartisan. The ad all but admits that by quoting just four Republicans, claiming bipartisan support, then admitting they don't have enough bipartisan support to pass the bill. It's the ultimate flip flop and all within a 30 second ad.

And don't forget, Democrats shouldn't need a single Republican to vote for this bill. They have super-majorities in both chambers of Congress. The fact that they are resorting to ads like these means one thing: they don't even have all of their own ducks lined up to vote for this thing. Not even close. I'm reminded of Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele's comments on this very point. "Up or down, baby!"

Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. No seriously, stop laughing, he really did. Back in February, twelve days after being sworn in as president, someone thought Barack Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. So, they nominated him. Apparently, 204 other people and organizations were also nominated but couldn't hold a candle to America's first black president, whose crowning achievement thus far is to be America's first black president. Well, that and he's not George W. Bush, which apparently gets you lots of points judging by two of last several choices:

This makes three times, incidentally, in just seven years that the committee’s turned the Peace Prize into a “f*** Bush” award by bestowing it on a liberal American Democrat. The Goracle got it in 2007 and Carter received it in 2002, making today’s announcement yet one more reason to consider The One his presidential heir.

Exit question: There was no one more deserving? Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe’s nemesis in Zimbabwe? Iranian protesters? Hello?

If you think you were surprised, guess again? Apparently no one in the White House could believe it either, one of them wondering out loud, "It's not April 1, is it?" No, it's not April 1, and this isn't some fucked up dream, either. What used to be one of the most prestigious committees in the world just awarded what used to be one of the world's most prestigious medals to an amateur, unaccomplished president in the first year of his first term. Only two other sitting U.S. presidents have ever recieved the award, and this year's winner tarnishes the name of one of my favorites, Theodore Roosevelt:

Obama is the third sitting U.S. president -- and the first in 90 years -- to win the coveted peace prize. His predecessors won during their second White House terms, however, and after significant diplomatic achievements. Woodrow Wilson was awarded the prize in 1919, after helping to found the League of Nations and shaping the Treaty of Versailles; and Theodore Roosevelt was the recipient in 1906 for his work to negotiate an end to the Russo-Japanese war.

These two men had meaningful and substantive policy accomplishments, were true statesmen and had regular sized human ears. Meanwhile, the Democrat National Committee is comparing anyone who thinks he doesn't deserve it to terrorists.

This entire ordeal makes this blogger wonder if Barack Obama has ever actually earned anything. He coasted into the White House without ever having muttered a single coherent thought. It was a campaign of anti-Bushisms sprinkled with some Hope and Change rhetoric, and he's been able to deliver on precisely 0% of it. He won his U.S. Senate seat because his opponent's divorce papers were unsealed and revealed some embarrassing things about the candidate. Coincidentally, that's also how he won his state senate seat in Illinois. His is a life not marked by hard work and sacrifice, and certainly not by working for peace, but it is a life marked by charming his way into positions of influence and power, and then squandering it away for lack of a basic ability to lead.

Never before has such a low standard been set for achieving such a prestigious honor. He won this prize precisely the same way he won the presidency. He didn't do anything. He talked about doing something, hoping his giant smile would keep anyone from noticing that he doesn't know what the hell he's doing. Now that Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama have joined the ranks of those previously honored designees, it can be safely said that the Nobel Peace Prize means very little now. Very little, indeed.

Disgraceful.

UPDATE: "Gasps echoed through the Nobel Hall" as prize was announced.

UPDATE: Blogosphere united in utter disbelief. "This is insane."

UPDATE: Time online has field day teasing Obama over his award.

The Other War

Chris Burgard of Big Hollywood Blog has a great entry out today entitled the War on Propaganda. Burgard writes: "From Sun Tzu to Psy Ops, propaganda has won wars, toppled cultures and changed civilizations. As a self-identified enlightened and educated culture, we thought ourselves beyond such base manipulation. We were wrong."

Burgard continues "On Sept. 20, 2009, President Obama stated that he would look into bailouts for print newspapers because he is concerned that blogs will take over the world and be a threat to democracy. Imagine that: the President of the United States is concerned free speech may be a threat to democracy. Is anybody paying attention?"

The answer is: yes. The conservatives are payin attention, as per usual. The left, however, does not seem to care as they have traditionally been the party that pisses over those...what's the word again?...Rights. RE: The Supreme Court reviewing a case that would further limit our Second Amendent Right. I'm eager to see how that wise Latina woman is going to objectively handle the case.

"President Obama and his team are convinced that they are smarter than the average American citizen. They don’t just say Middle Americans “cling to their Bibles and guns out of fear,” they truly believe it. This administration has banked on using fear to push stimulus packages, carbon taxes, bailouts and health care reform. That is their Waterloo.
Fear is not at the core of the American psyche; independence and patriotism are. And when enough Americans step back, take a breath and realize the extent of this manipulation, they awaken with a determination and that is truly frightening to those that would attempt to govern from the shadows.The fear is now on the other foot" Burgard states.

And so, Burgard concludes: "Apathy can no longer be counted on as a tool for those who would seek to control the populace and erode the Constitution. In this “Constitution Revolution,” the American people are not coming after you with guns or explosives; they are armed with truth, a desire for transparency, a desire for enlightened and informed public discourse, a demand for civic responsibility and a call to politicians to honor their oaths to the US Constitution."

Overall great piece and a fantastic way to start the day combating the liberal agenda.

Attention John McCain: It's Our Party, Too, And, frankly, we don't like you that much.

Not quite satisfied with having run one of the worst presidential campaigns ever, Senator John McCain is now seeking to reshape the Republican Party in his on image. In other words, to make it a "centrist" party, or as I prefer to call it, "a group of dithering cowards who wet themselves at the slightest sign of liberal hostility".

It’s all part of an approach that is at odds with most other recent failed presidential nominees, whose immediate response to defeat was to retreat from the electoral arena. But those familiar with McCain’s thinking say he has expressed serious concern about the direction of the party and is actively seeking out and supporting candidates who can broaden the party’s reach.

In McCain’s case, that means backing conservative pragmatists and moderates.

Bitter much? That is exactly what this really boils down to. John McCain, after failing to win over the party faithful (also known as "conservatives") is now upset and seeking to make the party as inpalatable to them as his own campaign was. Remember when Ann Coulter threatened to support Hillary Clinton if McCain won the nomination?
Or the cover of Newsweek magazine with conservative big shots staring down on McCain with the headline "There Will Be Blood"? The fact is that Republicans were as enthusiastic about John McCain as Democrats were about John Kerry in 2004. Which is to say, many of us faked it and many more of us didn't even bother.

Liberals within the Republican Party need to make way for a new generation of Republican leadership that does not sacrifice our conservative principles just to be the flavor of the week in the media.

We are the party that believes that a small government is better than a big one; that the unborn have rights; that "the people" have a right to gun ownership; that freedom is for every human being, not just a civilized few; that America is a unique place with a unique role; that taxes should be lower, not higher; that "you cannot help the wage-earner by tearing down the wage-payer"; that the rich are no more guilty than the poor are innocent; that people seeking an American way of life should do so legally; and that there is more good in this country than on any other place on Earth. We are the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. We are the Grand Old Party and on these issues THERE CAN BE. NO. COMPROMISE.

Move over, John McCain. Your fifteen minutes are up.

Correction: Barack Obama Has No Testicles; I'm Mad As Hell And You Should Be Too

This is The Tusk's first correction since we began publication about two months ago. But I'm not embarrassed about it. Yesterday I stunned Tusk readers everywhere by admitting that, despite our previously held beliefs that the president has no balls, he just had "little" ones. But we can all breathe a sigh of relief tonight. Our initial assessment, made after careful observation during the campaign, is true. The president is indeed suffering from a lack of bulk in the male region generally used for reproduction, a condition medical officials call "having no balls to speak of. At all. Period." I believe you can find that in the medical literature between the entries for "hallitosis" and "herpes".

Hot Air is all over this, and I encourage you to read their stuff, but here is a brief synopses of events. Yesterday, at around 3:00pm Barack Obambi issued an ultimatum to Iran: Let inspectors in within two weeks, or else!:

President Obama delivered an ultimatum to Iran Thursday, saying it must allow international inspectors "unfettered access" to its recently disclosed nuclear facility at Qom in two weeks or face increased pressure from the international community.

That pressure would likely come in the form of tougher sanctions on the Iranian government and on Iranian firms operating internationally. Such measures could target the country's oil and gas sector, as well as firms that insure shipments to Iran.

That ultimatum didn't last 24 hours before the State Department began back pedaling. It's disgusting, and frankly he looks like a friggin' chimp, uh, I mean chump. From our glorious bastion of freedom and hope, the State Department:

A State Department spokesman on Friday signaled that the president's mandate that Iran has two weeks to permit inspections of its recently unveiled uranium refinement plant was not "written in stone."

"I don't think that there's a hard-and-fast deadline,"State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said during Friday's press briefing, after a reporter asked what the consequences of Iran's inaction might be.

Cover your ears mom. Are you fucking kidding me?! This is the new foreign policy of the United States of America? To issue harshly worded ultimatums about allowing inspectors into Iran within two weeks, and then turning around in less than a day and saying that it isn't "written in stone" and that there aren't any "hard-and-fast deadlines"? Never was there a position of such stupidity that emboldens our enemies so much while encouraging our allies so little.

Will the left in this country finally admit that they thrusted upon this nation a circus act for a government, anxious to control our lives and repugnantly reluctant to defend this country and stand up to our enemies while damned straight giddy over the prospect and opportunity to betray our allies.

Seriously? FYB

Confirmed: Barack Obama Has Small Testicles

There was no doctors' report. No official White House statement on the matter. There was no press release and not even an annual presidential physical. But the world will note that yesterday, September 30, 2009, was the day that the answer to one of the world's greatest lingering questions was finally revealed: The leader of the free world has small balls. This came as a surprise to many of us on the right who have long suspected that the president had no testicles at all.

Yesterday, the White House announced that President Obama will take several weeks to review the nation's Afghanistan "strategy", a code word liberals use when they're really talking about "surrender". Yes, my friends, Barack Hussein Obama will now take several more weeks to review proposals his military advisers gave him more than a month ago. Since the requests for reinforcements began gathering dust on the president's desk, some 43 American troops have been killed waiting for commander-in-chief to respond to their commander's plea for aide.

Of course, there will be no aide, and Barack Obama is showing us what liberals meant as they shouted "What about Afghanistan?" during their protest of the Iraq war: "Why can't we surrender on two fronts instead of just one?" It is simply a fact that liberal Democrats were never truly interested in "finishing the job" in Afghanistan. Certainly they are no more interested in peace in Afghanistan than they were truly interested in freedom for the Iraqi people, a fraudulent support that quickly unraveled as they pretended to be shocked to learn that people die in wars.

The president's blinding ineptitude in managing this war is a result of inexperience, disinterest and weakness. He announced all the way back in March what he touted as a "new strategy" for Afghanistan, but as late as September was saying no new troops should be committed until we have the right strategy, a tacit admission that either a) his "new strategy" has completely failed or b) there never was a "new strategy" to begin with. Just words. My money's on option "b".

September 30, 2009 - Another American died in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the final day of September--and exactly one month after the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan sent a confidential war assessment to the Obama administration, warning that more forces are needed--soon.

On August 30, Gen. Stanley McChrystal sent Defense Secretary Robert Gates a war assessment in which he said more U.S. troops--and a new U.S. strategy--are needed if the U.S. is to defeat the insurgents in Afghanistan.

Since that Aug. 30 date, a total of 43 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have died in a war that is now the subject of much discussion--and apparently some confusion--in Washington...

..In his confidential report, which was leaked to the Washington Post on Sept. 21, Gen. McChrystal warned that defeating the insurgents will not be possible if the United States fails to "gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum" over the next 12 months.

As CNSNews.com reported on Tuesday, Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to reinforce U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which he described as war we “have to win.”

As president – in March 2009 – Obama announced a “comprehensive new strategy” for Afghanistan: “I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan and to prevent their return to either country in the future,” he said.

The same president who devised America's new "Bend Over, Western Europe foreign policy and is cheerily optimistic about our "constructive beginning" in talks with Iran is will not travel to Copenhagen to talk about the upcoming Olympic games, of which his hometown of Chicago is a competing bidder.

Nice, Barry. Absolutely brilliant. What a clean, bright and articulate black man. The president of the United States lacks the will power to stand up to our enemies and do what is necessary to win the wars in which we are currently engaged. Good choice, America.

Unemployment Rate Among Young Explodes to Over 52%; Young Obama Voters Learn Meaning of "You Reap What You Sow"

Last year the media did not mince words in their race to announce that young voters were flocking to Obama. In fact, a google search I conducted while doing research for this entry yielded 210,000 results for the very specific search phrase "young voters flock to Obama". The link provided is to the first one on the list. It was hardly surprising after young people's ridiculous choice at the polls in 2006, when they helped usher in a new era of governmental horrors by voting in droves for Democrats thus handing them control of Congress.

Back in 2007 the new Democrat Congress passed a bill to raise the minimum wage, as promised. Businesses warned that this would make it more difficult to hire new employees, expand businesses and invest in research and development. They were politely told to "shut up" and to stop being so damned greedy. What do these stupid business owners think this is, anyway, capitalism? Sheesh! Well, now the young voters who have steadfastly supported liberals in the past two elections with the hopes of earning a higher minimum wage for flipping patties down at the Burger Barn are finding that the Burger Barn is no longer hiring. In fact, the entry level positions that young people depend upon in order to enter the workforce have all but vanished.

And so today there is a 52.2% unemployment rate among young people.

And worse, without a clear economic recovery plan aimed at creating entry-level jobs, the odds of many of these young adults -- aged 16 to 24, excluding students -- getting a job and moving out of their parents' houses are long. Young workers have been among the hardest hit during the current recession -- in which a total of 9.5 million jobs have been lost.

"It's an extremely dire situation in the short run," said Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute. "This group won't do as well as their parents unless the jobs situation changes."

Well, Heidi, unfortunately the "jobs situation" (that's what liberals call an unmitigated domestic policy disaster of their own doing...a "situaton") will not change anytime soon. The fact of the matter is that virtually no one, and I do mean no one, works for the minimum wage in this country anyway. Anytime a liberal on television starts asking you to imagine raising a family on the minimum wage, consider that only 1.5% (yes, the decimal really does go there) of all American workers actually earn the minimum wage. As the Heritage Foundation points out, when you exclude the number of workers who make minimum wage or less, but also earn tips, thus pushing them over the minimum wagee threshold, that number falls to 1.1%. Not 11%. 1.1%. The facts only get worse for liberals from there:

Most workers who earn the minimum wage or less fall into two categories: young workers, usually in school, and older workers who have left school. The majority of minimum wage-earners fall into the first category: 53 percent of those earning $5.15 or less per hour are between the ages of 16 and 24. [4] The remainder are 25 years of age or older...

...Even the vast majority of older adults who earn the minimum wage live above the poverty line. They have an average family income of $33,600 a year, well above the poverty line of $19,806 per year for a family of four. Most of them choose to work part-time, and a sizeable number are married. The average older minimum wage-earner simply does not fit the stereotype of a worker living on the edge of destitution.

Not that any of this matters. Even though the minimum wage was raised just two years ago, purportedly to help all these starving "families" who now can't find any job anywhere because we tried to "save" them, you can still hear screams from the left that the minimum wage is too low. The following articles were all written in the two years since the wage was raised from $5.15 to $7.25. I've translated the titles of the articles so they can be more easily understood to ordinary Americans:

Whaa!! Whaa!!
The Big Apple's Big Heart Ache
Boo Hoo!! Boooo Hooooo!
Blah Blah Blah living wage Blah Blah Blah
"Please Sir, I want some more."

That's a very small sample of the articles out there, although admittedly it's a far greater amount than the number of Americans earning minimum wage while supporting a family.

Now, if you're asking "Russ, when will it ever be good enough for these leftists boobs", then congratulations! You're a sane person and probably a certifiable patriot. But, if you're one of those asking "But, Russ, why doesn't the government force my employer to pay me even more" then I don't think you're exactly what the founders had in mind. Maybe you should move to Iran. The only rich people in Iran are in the government, and I hear the "average man on the street" just loves it there! I mean just look at them!


OK OK OK maybe that was a bad example, but I'm sure it's lovely otherwise! I hear on Fridays there are only 5 public stonings now instead of the traditional 8. So things are improving!

But what am I saying, I mean, nothing could ever compare to the miserable life of the minimum wage earner in America, most of whom are subjected to the humiliation of having a car, a home, a television, a refrigerator and other really terrible third world things like cell phones and computers. Don't you monsters have hearts! I mean we're talking about literally dozens of people here!

Seriously, though. Give me a break.

Now That's What I Call A Protest!

h/t Hot Air

Hardly a week after Nancy Pelosi nearly wet her panties worrying that healthcare protests and townall meetings could turn violent (whaa! whaa!), a worry being fueled by the mainstream media and left bloggers. But in the midst of the G20 protests by liberal anarchists and anticapitalists, we see what a violent protest actually looks like.Nice. Via Hot Air:

Of course, the media didn’t bat an eye at the larger implications of the real violence from the same leftist crowd in Saint Paul, Minnesota, during the Republican convention, either. It seems that conservatives exercising free speech in a passionate but responsible manner freaks out the national media far more than leftists engaged in actual political violence.

As Ann Coulter explains, the most popular argument for liberals is to throw things, usually food, although in this case it appears to be a giant dumpster presumably filled with the garbage that is the liberal idea of what America should be.

Fired Up! Ready To Go!

And they made fun of George Bush for being a former cheerleader. At least he never did this. Seriously, it's kind of embarrassing, Barry. Just stop it already.

Chris Dodd Facing Big Trouble In Connecticut

Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid's imminent demise notwithstanding, perhaps the most scrumptious victory Republicans have a more than good chance of having will be the defeat of Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, a man whose fifteen minutes are finally up. The most recent polls show that Dodd's Republican challenger, Congressman Rob Simmons, now leads in the race by an average of over 6 points. Indeed, the most recent Rasmussen poll shows Dodd down by 10 points, a staggering number to say the least. It seems the people of Connecticut are really unimpressed by the Senator's financial misdeeds and are looking for someone a little more, well, ethical to represent them in the august chamber that is the U.S. Senate.

Good luck to Rob Simmons. You can donate to his campaign here.