LorieByrd.com

Great vintage Michael Jackson

Ace posted this great old clip of The Jackson Five singing "I Want You Back." Bonus: The clip also includes Bill Cosby and Tommy Smothers.

In shocking contrast

Here is a link to the Patterico post everyone else has linked already.  It is a contrast between the Twitter posts from Iran and those from Mark Knoller covering Obama's ice cream trip.  It gave me chills.

Columns this week

In my column at Townhall this week I explain why even some Democrats might be running against Obama next year.

In my column at American Issues Project I look at the $100 million Chamber of Commerce campaign to teach free enterprise -- to Americans.

Please take a look and add your comments to the mix.

TOTUS on Today

Gotta give some credit to NBC...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

More fun video

This one via Bob Owens, via Rachel Lucas, via Allah.

If you liked that, check out this one too.

I love this video

My aunt sent me this one:

North Korea warns of military strike on S. Korea

Via AP:

North Korea warned South Korea and the United States on Wednesday that Seoul's participation in a U.S.-led program to intercept ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction is equal to a declaration of war.

South Korea announced its participation in the U.S.-led program on Tuesday, one day after North Korea defiantly conducted a nuclear test, drawing international criticism.

The North's military said in a statement that it will respond with "immediate, strong military measures" against any attempt to stop and search North Korean ships under the Proliferation Security Initiative.

Testing, testing from Bookworm Room

"N. Korea says it is no longer bound to the armistice which ended the war and says the peninsula will soon be returned to the state of war."

Not quite 3 a.m. in the White House, but close enough, right? The only thing I know with pretty perfect certainty right now is that BHO has absolutely no idea what to do. Let's hope (a) his advisers have some plans and (b) he picks a good plan from the options presented to him.

When Obama is working to triple deficits and takeover the banks and the auto manufacturers, etc. is the time to hope he fails. When it comes to dealing with an international situation like the one we see today, is the time to hope he doesn't fail. To PRAY he doesn't fail. Let's hope the teleprompter is in good working order. And let's pray he doesn't really believe all that stuff he has said over the past couple of years about trying to reason with madmen.

Update: MUST READ from James Lewis at American Thinker:

Forget Obama's grabbing the banks and the car companies. Forget his eleven trillion dollars of new debt for the next generation. Forget his egomania. Eight years after the jihad assault of 9/11, 2001, on New York City and Washington, D.C., we are back to national life or death. Americans were suckered into believing that the world was suddenly a safe place, and elected a grossly unqualified Chicago pol to lead the nation, because he looked good on TV. That is a mistake we may come to bitterly regret.

Update II: Another MUST READ from Steve Schippert .

North Korea warned South Korea and the United States on Wednesday that Seoul's participation in a U.S.-led program to intercept ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction is equal to a declaration of war.

South Korea announced its participation in the U.S.-led program on Tuesday, one day after North Korea defiantly conducted a nuclear test, drawing international criticism.

The North's military said in a statement that it will respond with "immediate, strong military measures" against any attempt to stop and search North Korean ships under the Proliferation Security Initiative.

Testing, testing from Bookworm Room

"N. Korea says it is no longer bound to the armistice which ended the war and says the peninsula will soon be returned to the state of war."

Not quite 3 a.m. in the White House, but close enough, right? The only thing I know with pretty perfect certainty right now is that BHO has absolutely no idea what to do. Let's hope (a) his advisers have some plans and (b) he picks a good plan from the options presented to him.

When Obama is working to triple deficits and takeover the banks and the auto manufacturers, etc. is the time to hope he fails. When it comes to dealing with an international situation like the one we see today, is the time to hope he doesn't fail. To PRAY he doesn't fail. Let's hope the teleprompter is in good working order. And let's pray he doesn't really believe all that stuff he has said over the past couple of years about trying to reason with madmen.

Update: MUST READ from James Lewis at American Thinker:

Forget Obama's grabbing the banks and the car companies. Forget his eleven trillion dollars of new debt for the next generation. Forget his egomania. Eight years after the jihad assault of 9/11, 2001, on New York City and Washington, D.C., we are back to national life or death. Americans were suckered into believing that the world was suddenly a safe place, and elected a grossly unqualified Chicago pol to lead the nation, because he looked good on TV. That is a mistake we may come to bitterly regret.

Update II: Another MUST READ from Steve Schippert .

For the latest on the SCOTUS nominee

Read the Anchoress.  She not only has an excellent post, but has links to some other great posts from Michelle Malkin, Ed Morrisey and others.

Honoring Their Commitment

I didn't do a Memorial Day post yesterday, but in my column at Townhall today I honor not only those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but all who made the commitment to serve in our armed forces. Here is an excerpt:

One thing most anti-war protesters learned from Vietnam is that Americans do not like it when those who fight wars on their behalf are disrespected. As a result, for the most part, returning heroes from Afghanistan and Iraq were spared the treatment their brothers who fought in Vietnam received. Thankfully those returning home have not been called baby killers or been spat upon by opponents of the war.

What has happened in many instances, however, is instead of making war heroes into villains, as happened during the Vietnam era, opponents (particularly of the war in Iraq) have made them into victims or they have simply ignored them.

...A couple of years ago I wrote that those in our armed forces don't want pity, which is what they have been getting a good bit of over the past few years. They do not want to be portrayed as victims, because they are not victims. They want our respect and support. More important, they deserve our respect and support.

My column at American Issues Project

I am now writing a weekly column for American Issues Project.  My first two columns can be found here:

The Real Deal on Stimulus "Jobs Now"

The Biggest American Business

Another Fake Veteran Against the Iraq War

Isn't it funny how if you say you are a veteran of the war in Iraq, the media embraces you, but if you are a plumber asking a presidential candidate a question in your own neighborhood you get a rectal exam? Same treatment if you are a young woman who dares to say she personally doesn't believe in gay marriage in response to a beauty pageant question -- dig through her trash, investigate her background and even make fun of her breasts (if you are an MSNBC fake journalist).

Meet the latest fake veteran against the war (via Michelle Malkin):

You remember Jessie MacBeth, don't you? He was the fake "Army Ranger" thug who lied about serving in Iraq and was promoted by the Iraq Veterans Against the War until milbloggers exposed him as a total fraud.

Well, meet a guy who makes Jessie MacBeth look like a choir boy.

And add this story to the ever-growing file of bogus Winter Soldier Syndrome tales from MacBeth and Micah Wright to Josh Lansdale and Amorita Randall.

"Rick Duncan" of Colorado Springs was a prominent anti-war activist who claimed to have served in Iraq on three tours of duty AND survived the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. He has now been unmasked as a lying mental patient (via Colorado Springs Gazette with a big hat tip to This Ain't Hell)

Colorado Springs Gazette reports:

Federal authorities are looking into whether Rick Duncan, whose real name is Richard Glen Strandlof, could have pilfered money he raised in the name of Colorado veterans, said Daniel Warvi of the Colorado Veterans Alliance (CVA), the group that Duncan founded.

"We were all taken aback," Warvi said.

Strandlof, 31, who invented the name Duncan and claimed he was a former Marine captain and 1997 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, never served in the military and falsely claimed that he was in the Pentagon during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the group said.

Two members of CVA said the group became suspicious of the man they knew as Duncan after discovering inconsistencies in his personal story...The group said it found that Strandlof had been a patient in a mental hospital in Washoe County, Nev., at the time of the roadside bombing in Fallujah, Iraq, that he claimed left him severely wounded. CVA members contacted the FBI field office in Denver, which opened an investigation in early May and arrested him Tuesday night in downtown Denver on a traffic warrant originating in El Paso County.

According to Warvi, when an FBI agent asked whether he was Strandlof or Duncan, he responded "both," then requested an attorney.

This guy was anything but in the background. He even appeared in a campaign ad last year:

You'll notice one of the Lieutenant Colonel's supporters has a banner across his chest that says "Three Tours - Iraq" - that man is an escaped mental patient and, until yesterday, a powerhouse in the IVAW and Vote Vets, yet he's never served a day in the Marines, as he has claimed

And here is a real veteran who left the Iraq Veterans Against the War (partially because of the way the fakes were embraced by the organization).

The Real Deal on Stimulus "Jobs Now"

I have a column at American Issues Project today. Here is an excerpt:

Governor Beverly Perdue recently announced that with every construction project in North Carolina funded by federal stimulus money a sign will be posted saying "Jobs Now." She said, "That is going to be the logo in North Carolina. We want people to know that we are putting folks back to work."

In the coming months there will be similar announcements from state and federal officials identifying specific jobs that are being financed by the stimulus funds. Some will bear signs, as in North Carolina, while others will be listed on websites tracking the money.

Brian Balfour of the Civitas Institute asked the following when hearing of the "Jobs Now" project: "It's easy to see the 'Jobs Now' projects of government roads and bridges. But where does that money come from? What use would that money have been put toward if not taken by the government to finance their public works?"

We know that money comes from taxpayers, but there is no definitive way to know where that money would have gone otherwise - if other policies had been in place. How it might have been spent is a matter of speculation, but it's a pretty safe bet if that money was left in the pockets of taxpayers it would be less likely to end up growing government at the expense of the private sector.

The i-House

I thought this article about a new concept in modular homes was pretty cool.  It is sleek and modern, but I still couldn't help but think of this really cool Sammy Kershaw song, "The Queen of My Double Wide Trailer."

Some sample lyrics:

So I made her the queen of my double wide trailer
With the polyester curtains and the redwood deck
Sometimes she runs and I've got to trail her
Dang her black heart and her pretty red neck

Elizabeth Edwards' New Book Details How She Learned of John's Affair

She does not go into the issue of Edwards' paternity of Rielle Hunter's baby and the bizarre attempt to cover it up using a married campaign worker, but she does talk candidly about the revelation of the affair. The story is very sad, but Elizabeth Edwards is definitely a survivor.

After the former presidential hopeful confessed his betrayal, Elizabeth Edwards writes in her new book, "I cried and screamed, I went to the bathroom and threw up."

...Edwards denied paternity, and his wife's book doesn't address that issue.

But it does highlight Elizabeth Edwards' anger and sorrow at being duped by a man whose four children she'd borne and whose political ambitions she'd passionately supported for so many years.

Hunter initially seduced Edwards using a worn come-on line, Elizabeth writes:

"You are so hot," Hunter told him outside a swank New York hotel. The campaign ultimately paid Hunter $114,000 to produce a batch of short films on his candidacy.

She lashes out at Hunter, now 45, whose name she never actually uses in the book, as a parasitic groupie who invaded the Edwardses' life.

Her own life may be tragic, she concludes, but Hunter's is "pathetic."

Even when Edwards confessed to his wife, he lied, claiming he had slipped up just once, Elizabeth writes. His original version of the story "left most of the truth out," she writes.

Another TOTUS Moment

An Alternate Theory for the Specter Switch

The obvious reason that Arlen Specter switched parties is that he saw he could not win the Republican primary and would soon be an ex-Senator if he didn't switch to run in the Democrat primary. Maybe things aren't so obvious though. I just read at Politico that Joe Biden talked to Specter 14 times.

In the Democratic Party's courtship of Arlen Specter, no one may have played a bigger role than Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden has been trying to convince Specter to switch parties for at least the past five years, but those efforts were stepped up once he was sworn in as vice president, a senior White House official said.

Biden has met or spoken on the phone with Specter an average of once a week since the Inauguration. And after Specter became one of three Senate Republicans to support the administration's stimulus package, those conversations were increased.

Maybe it was not a desperate, last ditch effort to save his political hide after all. Maybe Specter just wanted to shut Joe Biden up. It's not like he'd be the only person Joe Biden had driven crazy.

Nuff Said

I love it when Lucianne runs this picture of George Bush.  Today she posted it as part of the side-by-side below with the caption "Nuff said" (alternate title from Brutally Honest):

 

 

A Ground Zero in LA Prevented by Enhanced Interrogation Techniques?

Earlier Kim Priestap wrote about Dick Cheney's request that additional memos be declassified so that the American people could see the rest of the story, regarding the intelligence obtained through enhanced techniques used by the CIA. It might not even be necessary to view additional memos to show that, if the media would report the full contents of the memos that have already been made public. I had not seen the following anywhere in the media until reading it in the The Washington Post today (thanks to a link from Lucianne.com):

In releasing highly classified documents on the CIA interrogation program last week, President Obama declared that the techniques used to question captured terrorists "did not make us safer." This is patently false. The proof is in the memos Obama made public -- in sections that have gone virtually unreported in the media.

Consider the Justice Department memo of May 30, 2005. It notes that "the CIA believes 'the intelligence acquired from these interrogations has been a key reason why al Qaeda has failed to launch a spectacular attack in the West since 11 September 2001.' . . . In particular, the CIA believes that it would have been unable to obtain critical information from numerous detainees, including [Khalid Sheik Mohammed] and Abu Zubaydah, without these enhanced techniques." The memo continues: "Before the CIA used enhanced techniques . . . KSM resisted giving any answers to questions about future attacks, simply noting, 'Soon you will find out.' " Once the techniques were applied, "interrogations have led to specific, actionable intelligence, as well as a general increase in the amount of intelligence regarding al Qaeda and its affiliates."

Specifically, interrogation with enhanced techniques "led to the discovery of a KSM plot, the 'Second Wave,' 'to use East Asian operatives to crash a hijacked airliner into' a building in Los Angeles." KSM later acknowledged before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay that the target was the Library Tower, the tallest building on the West Coast. The memo explains that "information obtained from KSM also led to the capture of Riduan bin Isomuddin, better known as Hambali, and the discovery of the Guraba Cell, a 17-member Jemmah Islamiyah cell tasked with executing the 'Second Wave.' " In other words, without enhanced interrogations, there could be a hole in the ground in Los Angeles to match the one in New York.

Here is more from the same piece by Marc Thiessen:

Critics claim that enhanced techniques do not produce good intelligence because people will say anything to get the techniques to stop. But the memos note that, "as Abu Zubaydah himself explained with respect to enhanced techniques, 'brothers who are captured and interrogated are permitted by Allah to provide information when they believe they have reached the limit of their ability to withhold it in the face of psychological and physical hardship." In other words, the terrorists are called by their faith to resist as far as they can -- and once they have done so, they are free to tell everything they know. This is because of their belief that "Islam will ultimately dominate the world and that this victory is inevitable." The job of the interrogator is to safely help the terrorist do his duty to Allah, so he then feels liberated to speak freely.

This is the secret to the program's success. And the Obama administration's decision to share this secret with the terrorists threatens our national security. Al-Qaeda will use this information and other details in the memos to train its operatives to resist questioning and withhold information on planned attacks.

Earlier Kim Priestap wrote about Dick Cheney's request that additional memos be declassified so that the American people could see the rest of the story, regarding the intelligence obtained through enhanced techniques used by the CIA. It might not even be necessary to view additional memos to show that, if the media would report the full contents of the memos that have already been made public. I had not seen the following anywhere in the media until reading it in the The Washington Post today (thanks to a link from Lucianne.com):

In releasing highly classified documents on the CIA interrogation program last week, President Obama declared that the techniques used to question captured terrorists "did not make us safer." This is patently false. The proof is in the memos Obama made public -- in sections that have gone virtually unreported in the media.

Consider the Justice Department memo of May 30, 2005. It notes that "the CIA believes 'the intelligence acquired from these interrogations has been a key reason why al Qaeda has failed to launch a spectacular attack in the West since 11 September 2001.' . . . In particular, the CIA believes that it would have been unable to obtain critical information from numerous detainees, including [Khalid Sheik Mohammed] and Abu Zubaydah, without these enhanced techniques." The memo continues: "Before the CIA used enhanced techniques . . . KSM resisted giving any answers to questions about future attacks, simply noting, 'Soon you will find out.' " Once the techniques were applied, "interrogations have led to specific, actionable intelligence, as well as a general increase in the amount of intelligence regarding al Qaeda and its affiliates."

Specifically, interrogation with enhanced techniques "led to the discovery of a KSM plot, the 'Second Wave,' 'to use East Asian operatives to crash a hijacked airliner into' a building in Los Angeles." KSM later acknowledged before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay that the target was the Library Tower, the tallest building on the West Coast. The memo explains that "information obtained from KSM also led to the capture of Riduan bin Isomuddin, better known as Hambali, and the discovery of the Guraba Cell, a 17-member Jemmah Islamiyah cell tasked with executing the 'Second Wave.' " In other words, without enhanced interrogations, there could be a hole in the ground in Los Angeles to match the one in New York.

Here is more from the same piece by Marc Thiessen:

Critics claim that enhanced techniques do not produce good intelligence because people will say anything to get the techniques to stop. But the memos note that, "as Abu Zubaydah himself explained with respect to enhanced techniques, 'brothers who are captured and interrogated are permitted by Allah to provide information when they believe they have reached the limit of their ability to withhold it in the face of psychological and physical hardship." In other words, the terrorists are called by their faith to resist as far as they can -- and once they have done so, they are free to tell everything they know. This is because of their belief that "Islam will ultimately dominate the world and that this victory is inevitable." The job of the interrogator is to safely help the terrorist do his duty to Allah, so he then feels liberated to speak freely.

This is the secret to the program's success. And the Obama administration's decision to share this secret with the terrorists threatens our national security. Al-Qaeda will use this information and other details in the memos to train its operatives to resist questioning and withhold information on planned attacks.

The Response to the Tea Party Protests (or Liberals' Great Fox Mind Control Theory)

The liberal responses to the Tea Party protests can be described as lame, clueless, angry and scared.

First there was the lame attempt to organize a counter protest, but that flopped pretty spectacularly.

When people turned out all over the country in the thousands to attend tea parties, the explanation from critics was that the protests were from "fake" grassroots, not "real" grassroots. Those people didn't get in their cars, take time from work, find parking in downtown cities, show up in the rain, etc. on their own. NOOOOO! Fox News did it all. Fox somehow has control over those people and forced them, against their will, to go to the trouble to make signs, interrupt their normal activities, pack up the kids and their diaper bags and strollers, travel to their nearest tea party site, find a parking space, walk to the protest area and raise their signs and their voices. No wonder they fear Fox so much. Fox's control over their viewers is un-freaking-believable. And Fox is the number one cable channel.

Here's another way Fox opponents are reacting. Lame.

The Teabaggers are convinced that Obama is going to raise their taxes, the result of unsubstantiated Republican claims - repeated over and over again by FOX News anchors - that Obama is going to raise taxes on all Americans.

Obama's Making Work Pay tax cut reduces income taxes for the vast majority of families by $800 this year. The RNC is distorting the truth with the help of ally FOX News, and some misguided Americans are buying it.

Our goal is to let FOX News know that Americans are fed up with their bias and misinformation.

With your help, we will build a coalition which proves that the Teabaggers are not the silent majority but far-right radicals.

Not just lame, but ignorant and uninformed. That is not what the tea parties are about. They are about opposition to our tax money being spent in a reckless, foolish fashion and at an unprecedented rate, tripling the deficit with thousands of earmarks and tons of pork. They are about a bunch of politicians who signed onto a spendulus bill they didn't bother to read and that they rushed through before anyone else had time to read either. They are also about the government taking over private enterprise -- determining the salaries of privately employed individuals, demanding resignations from US executives and even getting into the business of guaranteeing our automobile warranties.

It's not rocket science. Read a few of the signs and you really should "get it." Stop the spending. Get out of our business. Let us keep more of the money we make. Stop the bailouts. Just common sense. Are they really this blind and ignorant or do they just refuse to let their followers know what is really at issue?

Even more lame: Silly, nasty little jokes about "teabagging." If you don't understand the reference you can look it up here where you will also see this definition of a "teabagger:"

2. n. A conservative activist who is so ignorant that they protest against tax cuts (that benefit them) by throwing tea into a river.

Billy Ray cheered while he watched the teabaggers protest on FOX news.

Did any conservatives throw tea into any rivers today? Does any tax that adds thousands of dollars of debt to your grandchildren and gets spent on pork really "benefit" anyone who works for a living?

I did an unusual thing tonight that not many people do. I watched Keith Olbermann. He is one of the most clueless of all. He kept trying to make the point that those attending the tea bag protests were stupid because they did not realize that they are really getting so much more for their taxes than they realize. He pointed out that Texans got back a certain amount of cents on every dollar they sent to Washington. This is NOT what the protests are about. Many would gladly turn down those funds coming from Washington (and some governors are doing just that) because they don't want the federal control, or would prefer not to spend their grandchildren's money to bail out Wall Street bankers or people who bought houses they couldn't afford or to make up for the taxes that Obama nominees neglected to pay the IRS. People do like to get government freebies. Heck, they figure they are paying out the rear so they might as well get something to show for it, but I think that mentality is on its way out. Americans are waking up to see the ultimate cost, not just to them, but to their children and grandchildren and to their freedom, is not worth it.

Olbermann is perpetually angry and snide, that's his shtick, but one CNN employee took the cake as the rudest bully I have ever seen masquerading as a reporter. Behold.

Did you catch the recurring theme? The "reporter" tried to tell the protester how much money the Obama administration was giving him. Sigh. They just honestly don't have a clue. It almost makes you feel sorry for them, doesn't it?

Update: Just another thought... when liberal unions bus people to protests and when liberal groups pay people to protest, the media does not deem it worth reporting. But if a cable news channel decides to cover (and announces that they will cover) a protest taking place in all 50 states there is a sinister plot. The media does not know what to think of the tea parties and they are freaking out. In the process they are, once again, providing irrefutable evidence of their extreme bias.

Update II: Doug Ross compares the coverage CNN and other MSM gave the tea parties to the coverage given to Cindy Sheehan and Code Pink protests against the war in Iraq.

According to Todd, tea parties have not "caught on"

People too blind or stupid or delusional to acknowledge what is in front of their eyes, hundreds of protests involving thousands of people in all 50 states across the country today, are going to be in for a big shock.

Via Newsbusters:

NBC also addressed the tea parties in passing on April 15 "Today." Chuck Todd dismissed the protests as "so-called" tea parties and said "the idea hasn't really caught on."

Tea Party pics

Kim Priestap emailed this picture from a Traverse City tea party:

"Tirades"

Just turned the TV on and decided to see how (or if) the MSM was covering the tea parties.  CNN is predictable as heck.  I predicted the tea partiers would be portrayed as voters were in the 1994 elections.  After Democrats were trounced in 1994, in reaction to the first two years of the Clinton administration, those in the media declared voters were "angry white males."  I turned CNN on and the first thing I saw was the part of their iReport segment captioned "Tax Day Tirades."  

A brief interview was shown of a tea party attendee who said the tea parties are about people from all political parties gathering to get back to the principles and values the country was founded on, less government, helping the market grow through business, helping small businesses.  She said that government was a little out of control and people weren't having a voice anymore and they were interested in educating people about the things the country was founded on.  That is  a pretty good representation of a tea partier, even if she was introduced with a "tirade" graphic. 

What immediately followed that interview were the real tirades:

Reporter Tyson (I missed his last name): Now Tony we've been hearing some really strong opinions from our reporters today, particularly those who are actually opposed to these tea parties.   I want to play a couple for you. There's one that says basically, "It's time to stop whining after eight years of tax breaks."  Another who says "These tea parties are nothing more than a conservative stunt." Let's go ahead and take a listen to these:

Webcam iReport video from Egberto Willies "It is unAmerican for those who have so benefitted from the tax code to want a tax cut at this time.  Most Americans that complain about too many taxes likes to pay very little taxes themselves.  Our roads, bridges and other infrastructure are crumblin'.  Our healthcare system is a disaster.  Do you think this can be fixed by less money into the government coffers?"

Webcam video from David Seeman: "You know the conservatives haven't been very graceful losers in my opinion.  If I wanted to stand around all day long, sipping tea and listening to conservative Republicans whining and lying about how Bush's eight years in office were this time of unprecedented economic prosperity,  this absolute fantasy time that never actually existed in reality, I would probably just turn on Fox News or listen to some good old fashioned crazy right wing radio." 

Tyson:  All right Tony, yeah, pretty powerful. 

Obviously the "absolute fantasy" is that anyone at any of the 800 or so tea parties ever claimed Bush's eight years were times of "unprecedented prosperity."  It is also a mischaracterization to say the tea parties are about people who "likes to pay very little taxes themselves" asking for additional tax breaks.  It is quite apparent who is doing the "whining and lying."  Are these people just absolutely ignorant of what is going on at tea parties or are they intentionally lying and mischaracterizing them?  Are they just repeating what some liberal bloggers have told them the tea parties are all about?

Tracking the Tea Party Crashers

Michelle has a couple of examples of those planning to crash tea parties.   This one from Daily Kos is pretty brazen:

Tomorrow, my husband and I will be venturing into the wilds disguised as a news crew to do some in person interviewers with teabaggers here in Rhode Island (if we can find any). We’ve got some questions lined up to ask, but I’d love to get suggestions!

The great thing about owning professional video equipment is that armed with it, you can pass yourself off as being a professional news crew pretty easily.

So tomorrow, “WSFR” is going to send a cameraman and on air news personality out into the field to cover this “teabagging” phenomenon.

We’re going to ask open ended questions that seem to have a slight conservative bent to (hopefully) get them to open up and just start ranting. Then, we take any examples of racism, hatred, ignorance, and stupidity that we catch on camera and make a little movie out of it. Probably a YouTube special.

Here’s the list we have so far

* What are you celebrating (The Boston Tea Party), and can you explain its historical relevance? [We're hoping to get some hilarious flubs from this one]

* Is this your first time teabagging? [OK, so, a juvenile one, but worth it]

* Do you approve of Michael Steele’s plan to expand the GOP through a “hip-hop urban-suburban marketing strategy”? [hoping to get some juicy racist stuff from this question]

* (as an intentional misunderstanding/follow up, presuming that someone complains about wasteful government spending) “So you disapprove of your tax dollars going to the Iraq War?” [should elicit some confusion]

Anyways, it’s a start… but I’d love to have some suggestions for questions that sound fine, but should prompt an outpouring of crazy.

Thanks in advance, and I’ll be sure to post a link to the finished video when it’s available!

Dan tells tea partiers to show respect for tea party opponents.

NC Tea Parties

I received the following list of tea parties scheduled in North Carolina from Dallas Woodhouse:

Events taking place on Wednesday, April 15, 2009 unless otherwise noted.

Asheville
4:30 pm
Sidewalk in front of Asheville City Hall and Buncombe County Courthouse
Non-partisan Movement to Repeal the Pork!
Email: erikafranzi@mac.com

Boone
4:00-6:00 pm
Hardees' parking lot across from the Holmes Convocation Center
Email: info@afpnc.org

Charlotte
2:00pm - 4:00 pm
City Hall Lawn
600 E. Trade Street
Charlotte , NC
E-mail: charlottetaxdayteaparty@gmail.com
Register online here.

Currituck
11:30am - 1:00pm
Currituck Judicial Center,
2801 Caratoke Hwy.,
Currituck, NC.
Register Here

Davidson
5:30-7:30 pm
North Harbor Club, exit 30 on I-77
Email: info@afpnc.org

Eden
5:30 pm
Boat Landing
Email: info@afpnc.org

Edenton
5:00 pm
Edenton Courthouse Green ( Chowan County)

Note: The Edenton Tea Party was one of the earliest organized women’s political actions in United States history. On October 25, 1774, Mrs. Penelope Barker organized, at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth King, fifty-one women in Edenton, North Carolina. Together they formed an alliance wholeheartedly supporting the American cause against “taxation without representation.”

This event will include Revolutionary war re-enactors to celebrate the famous Edenton Tea Party. This is a once in a lifetime event to celebrate our past and protect us from a future of debt and high taxes.

Please register today here.

Read more about the history of the Edenton tea party here.

Elizabeth City
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Sidewalk in front of Pasquotank County Courthouse, 206 E. Main Street
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Fayetteville
12:00 pm
Liberty Point Resolves Marker, Corner of Bow and Person Streets
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Franklin
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Town Gazebo in Downtown Franklin
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Goldsboro
12:00 noon
City Hall in Goldsboro
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Greensboro
12:00-1:00 pm
Tea Party will be held at the Governmental Plaza in downtown Greensboro, near the Courthouse
Register Here.
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Greenville
3:00 pm
Town Commons
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Henderson
5-8:00 pm
City Hall on Rose Ave.
Need info: Tim McAlister 252.213.3701 moonlighter07@nc.rr.com

Hillsborough
5:30-6:30 pm
Historic Orange County Courthouse at 104 E. King Stree
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Kill Devil Hills
10:00 am
Wright Brothers Monument (Milepost 7.5 on US Highway 158)
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Lincolnton
11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Lincoln County Court House
Email: info@afpnc.org

Louisburg
6:30-8:30 pm
Franklin County Courthouse, Main Street
Email: info@afpnc.org

Mooresville
4:30-7:00
Post Office on Williamson Road
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Morehead City
4-6pm
Parkway Shopping Center located on Hwy 70. 4841 Arendell Street.
Register Here

Morganton
12-1:00 pm
Old Courthouse Square
Need info: info@afpnc.org

New Bern
6-8 PM
Begins at County Commissioner Building and then moves to Union Point Park
Register Here

Newton
12:00 noon
Newton Courthouse100 A South West Blvd.
Government Center on 321

Raleigh
Note: Two Raleigh Tea Parties on this date—different times and locations—attend both!
4:30-6:00 pm
Federal Courthouse. New Bern Avenue across from the Post Office. New Bern Ave. and Person St.
6:30pm - 8:30 pm
NC State Capitol at One East Edenton Street (east side-Wilmington Street side)
Register online here.

Roanoke Rapids
5:00-8:00 pm
Colliers Harley Davidson
Email: info@afpnc.org

Rockingham
4:00-9:00 pm
Post office in Rockingham, 119 W. Washington St.
Email: info@afpnc.org

Rutherfordton
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Rutherfordton County Courthouse Lawn, 229 N. Main Street
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Smithfield - [CANCELED]
2-4:00 pm
Smithfield Post Office, 201 N. 3rd Street, Smithfield 27577
Need info: idspeck@yahoo.com

Southern Pines
4:00-7:00
Post Office on Broad Street
Need Info: info@afpnc.org

Statesville
12-5:00 pm
In front of Civic Center, corner of Center St. and Front St.
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Stella (Carteret County)
6:30pm
Boondocks beside the Stella bridge,
Need info: info@afpnc.org

Sylva (county seat for Jackson County)
12:00-7:00 pm
Downtown Sylva
Email: info@afpnc.org

Wilmington
5pm to 7pm
Corner of Oleander and College Road
Register Here

Winston-Salem
12 to 2pm
Winston Park on N. Marshall St in downtown Winston Salem.
Register Here

Waynesville
1:00-6:00 pm
Haywood County Courthouse
Email: info@afpnc.org

Date: Thursday, April 16

Washington
5:30-6:30 pm
Beaufort County Courthouse
Email: info@afpnc.org

Date: Friday, April 17

Asheboro
Randolph County Tea Party
12-1PM
Randolph County Republican Headquarters at 122 Sunset Ave. Asheboro, 27203 NC
Register Now

Date: Saturday, April 18

Jacksonville
5:30pm
Marina Cafe & Marina, 110 S Marine Blvd, Jacksonville, NC 28540
Register Here

No Longer Left at the Water's Edge

I missed this from Powerline over the weekend.  In it, Scott, John and Paul explain why Obama's statements in Europe were so reprehensible.  Here is a snippet from the post:

JOHN adds: Obama's constant criticism of his predecessor is doubly reprehensible because it is false. Thus, in his Strasbourg speech Obama said:

I don't believe that there is a contradiction between our security and our values. And when you start sacrificing your values, when you lose yourself, then over the long term that will make you less secure. When we saw what happened in Abu Ghraib, that wasn't good for our security -- that was a recruitment tool for terrorism. Humiliating people is never a good strategy to battle terrorism.

Obama thus repeats the slander that the pointless abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib by a handful of low-life Army Reservists was part of President Bush's "strategy to battle terrorism." This is an absurdity. The Reservists in question violated every known policy, which is why they went to jail when their crimes were discovered. For Obama to defame his own country in this way is contemptible.

Amazing Photography

This is some of the most beautiful wildlife you will ever see. Link via Conservative Grapevine.

Attacking the Tea Party Movement

In my column at Townhall today I look at the attacks many on the left are making on the Tea Party Movement.

The latest attack from the left is not aimed at the Republican party or Michael Steele or Rush Limbaugh, but at Democrat, Republican and Independent Americans across the country who have dared to organize "tea parties" to oppose rising taxes, more government control over private enterprise and less individual liberty.

The Tea Party Movement has caught fire and spread from one end of the country to the other. It has captured the imagination of the conservative grassroots and has taken hold. So far the reaction from the national media has been to downplay or ignore the tea party rallies. Reaction from many on the left most recently is to ridicule and openly attack tea party participants.

According to Michelle Malkin, "Bob Beckel appeared on Fox News this morning to sneer at the nationwide event. He derided tax revolters in Montana, joking that 'It was a good thing it wasn't a vodka party, because I guarantee you they all had guns.'Bigoted Beltway jerk. Beckel also claimed the Tea Parties were 'nothing new' and recycled the debunked Playboy website report (deleted from the site) spreading false and illogical rumors that the grass-roots movement is directed from the GOP, national tax groups, and CNBC."

Melissa Clothier has a related blog post regarding "projection."

Update: At first I thought this was a joke, but it appears to be for real.

PA ACORN is hiring an organizer to recruit & mobilize low and moderate income people to win on a variety of issue based legislative campaigns, including passing health care reform, stopping foreclosures, and increasing resources for local schools. The organizer will also be responsible for working with grassroot leaders to identify local issues for local campaigns.

The organizer would work out of the Pennsylvania ACORN office in Philadelphia with daily travel to specific communities in targeted legislative districts, including Norristown, Upper Darby, & Chester City.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a commitment to social justice issues, strong work ethic, a commitment to indigenous grassroot leadership, and the ability to work both independently & as part of a team. Previous organizing experience, Spanish, and knowledge of voter databases is also helpful but not required. Starting salary is commensurate with experience and organizer must have valid drivers license and reliable vehicle.

The joke is that this is how liberals staff their protests. I got an email saying Neil Cavuto had a report today about ACORN and others planning to infiltrate the tea parties by carrying racist signs to make the tea party protestors appear racist. And it looks like your tax dollars might be paying for it. Here is the obvious question: If the tea parties are nothing for liberals to worry about, and they are lame, etc., as our lefty commenters here seem to think, then why do those on the left need to crash them and try to make them look like something they aren't? Why is it that so many activists on the left have to be paid to do it? The same question goes for the "community work" done by Americorps "volunteers."

"Peeps" Cupcakes

I got an email from a reader who found my Peeps cupcakes while searching for something to prepare for her daughter's class party.  I decided to post a picture of them again for anyone looking for a really easy Easter treat.  The ones in the top picture are from a batch I made for my daughter's class party last year and the second picture with the chicks all in a row is the batch I made last year for Easter Day.  These were really easy.  Just decorate a cupcake with green frosting, then put a marshmallow Peep on top.  We added a couple of speckled jelly beans on each side of  the Peep.  I frosted and the girls decorated.  It was not only easy, but really quick, too.

Update 2008:  I got an email from a teacher who found my post above from last year and is making the cupcakes for her class.  These are really, really easy and they look adorable.  There are Peeps bunnies available too, in many colors, so there are many possible variations.  Enjoy!

Update 2009:  I'm rerunning this post because I noticed a lot of Google search hits on it.  There are even more Peeps colors this year.  I saw some at Target that looked peach, but might technically be orange.  Enjoy!

I got an email from a reader who found my Peeps cupcakes while searching for something to prepare for her daughter's class party.  I decided to post a picture of them again for anyone looking for a really easy Easter treat.  The ones in the top picture are from a batch I made for my daughter's class party last year and the second picture with the chicks all in a row is the batch I made last year for Easter Day.  These were really easy.  Just decorate a cupcake with green frosting, then put a marshmallow Peep on top.  We added a couple of speckled jelly beans on each side of  the Peep.  I frosted and the girls decorated.  It was not only easy, but really quick, too.

Update 2008:  I got an email from a teacher who found my post above from last year and is making the cupcakes for her class.  These are really, really easy and they look adorable.  There are Peeps bunnies available too, in many colors, so there are many possible variations.  Enjoy!

Update 2009:  I'm rerunning this post because I noticed a lot of Google search hits on it.  There are even more Peeps colors this year.  I saw some at Target that looked peach, but might technically be orange.  Enjoy!

Tea Party Update

Michelle Malkin has posted an updated roundup of tea party links and information including a link to the Nationwide Tea Party protest website (find your closest tea party there) and the #teaparty Twitter feed. She even has links to graphics you can download for signs to take to the rallies. Check Michelle's post for lots of other info, including the good news that the Cape Coral FL Tea Party, reportedly canceled over the weekend, is back on again.

Candidate Obama vs. President Obama

Natasha Richardson

I have followed the ski injury and death of Natasha Richardson this week with sadness.  It is sad anytime someone so young loses their life in such an unexpected way, especially when they leave behind a loving husband and children.  I am a big fan of Liam Neeson and recognized Richardson's face, but did not realize why she was so familiar to me until this morning when my daughter and I were watching the morning news while getting her ready for school.  They showed a picture of Richardson and mentioned that she was in The Parent Trap, something my daughter knew before they even said it.  That is one of our all time favorite family movies.  We have probably seen it a dozen times.  My daughter said "Aww man, that really stinks" when she saw the news of her death.  Yes, it sure does.

Update:  This is a wonderful story about a little girl whose life was saved because her parents heard about Richardson's death.

A young girl in Ohio who suffered the same brain injury as Natasha Richardson is alive today because her parents took her to the hospital after hearing about Richardson's brain injury and death.

CNN reports that Morgan McCracken, 7, was hit in the head with a baseball during a game with her dad and brother in the family backyard. The girl's parents iced her injury, and she seemed fine for two days, even getting an A on her spelling test.

Morgan's mom and dad, Connie and Donald McCracken, learned of Natasha Richardson's accident, in which she injured her head but was lucid and talking afterward, and wondered if their daughter was truly OK following the baseball accident, CNN reports. That night, Morgan began complaining of a headache, so the family ventured out to the emergency room. Morgan was in such bad shape by the time they got there that she had to be transferred to a children's hospital by helicopter, where she was immediately taken into surgery, according to CNN.

Political Blogging

If you have not been following my political blogging at Wizbang, here are my most recent posts:

• 2009.03.10: Card Check
• 2009.03.10: It sure is tough being President
• 2009.03.07: The Real Obama Doesn't Measure Up to the Promise
• 2009.03.03: Democrats Deserve Credit
• 2009.03.03: A Picture is Worth...
• 2009.02.25: Whoever Kidnapped the Real Bobby Jindal Returned Him This Morning
• 2009.02.24: Jindal Review
• 2009.02.24: Exceeding Expectations
• 2009.02.23: Now Is the Time to Speak Up
• 2009.02.21: Here Come the Tax Hikes (and the tea parties)

Whoever Kidnapped the Real Bobby Jindal Returned Him Today

This is the Bobby Jindal Republicans are used to seeing and expected to see last night. This guy is a force to be reckoned with. I especially appreciate him telling Democrats they should read what's in their bill. Be sure to watch the whole video. (hat tip Steve Schippert)

Update: For those who say this doesn't matter because no one will remember anything but Jindal's first impression last night, here is my response. First, watch the video before commenting. Regardless of what anyone thought of him last night, and I was pretty hard on him, you can't deny the effectiveness of the Today interview. The GOP should put him on every interview show they can find. The performance last night may hurt Jindal's chances in 2012, but his interview on Today could hurt Obama's chance of getting all his big spending bills passed this year. I hope we see Jindal interviewed as frequently as possible. He destroyed the Dem plan, and he did it in a matter of fact likable way.

This is the Bobby Jindal Republicans are used to seeing and expected to see last night. This guy is a force to be reckoned with. I especially appreciate him telling Democrats they should read what's in their bill. Be sure to watch the whole video. (hat tip Steve Schippert)

Update: For those who say this doesn't matter because no one will remember anything but Jindal's first impression last night, here is my response. First, watch the video before commenting. Regardless of what anyone thought of him last night, and I was pretty hard on him, you can't deny the effectiveness of the Today interview. The GOP should put him on every interview show they can find. The performance last night may hurt Jindal's chances in 2012, but his interview on Today could hurt Obama's chance of getting all his big spending bills passed this year. I hope we see Jindal interviewed as frequently as possible. He destroyed the Dem plan, and he did it in a matter of fact likable way.

Now Is Your Chance to be Heard

Fred

My kids introduced me to Fred. I could try to explain who Fred is, but it is probably best to just watch a Fred video for yourself. Here is the first one I saw, Fred Loses His Meds:

Unlike some of the things that make my kids laugh, I thought Fred was pretty funny. Tonight he will be appearing on one of my kids' favorite shows, iCarly, on Nickelodeon. iCarly is actually one of the shows they watch that my husband and I enjoy as well. With all the heavy, important stuff going on in the world, sometimes it is fun to just kick back and laugh your head off at silly stuff. It is really great if you can do it with your kids. If you think Fred is really silly and stupid, then you would be right. I completely understand that he is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but he makes me laugh. If your kids like Fred and/or iCarly, tonight's episode should be fun.

Retail Sales Rebounded in January -- first gain in 7 months

This is the real reason the "stimulus" bill had to be passed in such a rush -- it had to be done before the economy had a chance to rebound on its own. My theory, which comes from personal experience and observation, is that when gas prices dropped so significantly over the past few months it put extra cash in peoples' pockets. I estimate my family has an extra hundred bucks or so a month as a result of less than $2/gallon gas. I don't know if that contributed to the increased retail sales, but it has made a difference in my house. Via the AP/Reuters:

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly rebounded in January, new government data showed Thursday, likely boosted by post-holiday discounts and providing a glimmer of hope for the recession-hit U.S. economy.

The Commerce Department said total retail sales rose 1 percent, advancing for the first time in seven months, after slumping by a revised 3 percent in December, previously reported as a 2.7 percent decline.

The January report shows strong increases in sales of automobiles and in general merchandise stores -- the "big box" outlets -- though sales by department stores, carrying fewer varieties of items, posted a decline.

And this happened without a trillion dollar spending bill. This is just one number of one economic indicator from one month, but it sure doesn't jibe with the worst recession since the Great Depression doom and gloom catastrophe "if we don't pass spendulus now we will NEVER recover" talk Obama and the Democrats used to get their trillion dollar wish list passed.

UPDATE: I like Jim Hoft's spendulus name better than mine -- from his post explaining why Republicans are so upset with Specter, Snowe and Collins:

How anyone can vote for the Trillion-Dollar-We're-All-Going-To-Die-Unless-The-Government-Pays-Off-Liberal-Interest-Groups Bill and still insist they are a Republican or conservative is beyond belief. After all, there's not too many socialists in the party. Dick Morris nailed it last night on The O'Reilly Factor. He said if the three traitors would have voted "no" democrats would have been forced to come up with a better bill. They didn't. Now we have this liberal pork-laden trillion dollar crap sandwich to chomp down.

This is the real reason the "stimulus" bill had to be passed in such a rush -- it had to be done before the economy had a chance to rebound on its own. My theory, which comes from personal experience and observation, is that when gas prices dropped so significantly over the past few months it put extra cash in peoples' pockets. I estimate my family has an extra hundred bucks or so a month as a result of less than $2/gallon gas. I don't know if that contributed to the increased retail sales, but it has made a difference in my house. Via the AP/Reuters:

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly rebounded in January, new government data showed Thursday, likely boosted by post-holiday discounts and providing a glimmer of hope for the recession-hit U.S. economy.

The Commerce Department said total retail sales rose 1 percent, advancing for the first time in seven months, after slumping by a revised 3 percent in December, previously reported as a 2.7 percent decline.

The January report shows strong increases in sales of automobiles and in general merchandise stores -- the "big box" outlets -- though sales by department stores, carrying fewer varieties of items, posted a decline.

And this happened without a trillion dollar spending bill. This is just one number of one economic indicator from one month, but it sure doesn't jibe with the worst recession since the Great Depression doom and gloom catastrophe "if we don't pass spendulus now we will NEVER recover" talk Obama and the Democrats used to get their trillion dollar wish list passed.

UPDATE: I like Jim Hoft's spendulus name better than mine -- from his post explaining why Republicans are so upset with Specter, Snowe and Collins:

How anyone can vote for the Trillion-Dollar-We're-All-Going-To-Die-Unless-The-Government-Pays-Off-Liberal-Interest-Groups Bill and still insist they are a Republican or conservative is beyond belief. After all, there's not too many socialists in the party. Dick Morris nailed it last night on The O'Reilly Factor. He said if the three traitors would have voted "no" democrats would have been forced to come up with a better bill. They didn't. Now we have this liberal pork-laden trillion dollar crap sandwich to chomp down.

This is the real reason the "stimulus" bill had to be passed in such a rush -- it had to be done before the economy had a chance to rebound on its own. My theory, which comes from personal experience and observation, is that when gas prices dropped so significantly over the past few months it put extra cash in peoples' pockets. I estimate my family has an extra hundred bucks or so a month as a result of less than $2/gallon gas. I don't know if that contributed to the increased retail sales, but it has made a difference in my house. Via the AP/Reuters:

Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly rebounded in January, new government data showed Thursday, likely boosted by post-holiday discounts and providing a glimmer of hope for the recession-hit U.S. economy.

The Commerce Department said total retail sales rose 1 percent, advancing for the first time in seven months, after slumping by a revised 3 percent in December, previously reported as a 2.7 percent decline.

The January report shows strong increases in sales of automobiles and in general merchandise stores -- the "big box" outlets -- though sales by department stores, carrying fewer varieties of items, posted a decline.

And this happened without a trillion dollar spending bill. This is just one number of one economic indicator from one month, but it sure doesn't jibe with the worst recession since the Great Depression doom and gloom catastrophe "if we don't pass spendulus now we will NEVER recover" talk Obama and the Democrats used to get their trillion dollar wish list passed.

UPDATE: I like Jim Hoft's spendulus name better than mine -- from his post explaining why Republicans are so upset with Specter, Snowe and Collins:

How anyone can vote for the Trillion-Dollar-We're-All-Going-To-Die-Unless-The-Government-Pays-Off-Liberal-Interest-Groups Bill and still insist they are a Republican or conservative is beyond belief. After all, there's not too many socialists in the party. Dick Morris nailed it last night on The O'Reilly Factor. He said if the three traitors would have voted "no" democrats would have been forced to come up with a better bill. They didn't. Now we have this liberal pork-laden trillion dollar crap sandwich to chomp down.

Wars aren't "ended" they are won or lost

Uncle Jimbo at his best:

My biggest fear about a President Obama was that he has a totally flawed view of what to do about our two ongoing wars. He was spectacularly clueless about what to do in Iraq and had we followed his bad advice we would have lost there. His continual demand that we "end" that war is symptomatic of his misunderstanding of the gravity of having US troops on a battlefield.

It is just this simple Mr. Wannabe Commander in Chief, and I say wannabe because while you hold the title you haven't earned it or the trust of the troops yet. The first SF team room I walked into had a sign over the Captain's desk that said "Shut up sir, we'll throw you a pen when we need you to sign something". That sign stayed up for every new Captain assigned to a team of seasoned NCOs to serve as their Detachment Commander, and it only came down when he had gained the trust and became the Team Leader. Well so far Mr. Obama you can hang onto your pen for a while yet. You have a choice to make about your BS 16 month withdrawal from Iraq campaign promise. It was BS when you first came up with it and it's BS now. Your military leaders came to you and told you this and we'll see if you listen to them or play politics. You, Reid, Murtha and the rest of the defeatocrats did your level best to lose that war and if President Bush wasn't a real leader you might have prevailed. I hope you have learned from that but you still seem to be lost as far as what the job of CinC entails. Well as a courtesy from this NCO to a new Commander, I will give you a very important lesson.

You can't end a war, you either win it or lose it.

Read it all.

My biggest fear about a President Obama was that he has a totally flawed view of what to do about our two ongoing wars. He was spectacularly clueless about what to do in Iraq and had we followed his bad advice we would have lost there. His continual demand that we "end" that war is symptomatic of his misunderstanding of the gravity of having US troops on a battlefield.

It is just this simple Mr. Wannabe Commander in Chief, and I say wannabe because while you hold the title you haven't earned it or the trust of the troops yet. The first SF team room I walked into had a sign over the Captain's desk that said "Shut up sir, we'll throw you a pen when we need you to sign something". That sign stayed up for every new Captain assigned to a team of seasoned NCOs to serve as their Detachment Commander, and it only came down when he had gained the trust and became the Team Leader. Well so far Mr. Obama you can hang onto your pen for a while yet. You have a choice to make about your BS 16 month withdrawal from Iraq campaign promise. It was BS when you first came up with it and it's BS now. Your military leaders came to you and told you this and we'll see if you listen to them or play politics. You, Reid, Murtha and the rest of the defeatocrats did your level best to lose that war and if President Bush wasn't a real leader you might have prevailed. I hope you have learned from that but you still seem to be lost as far as what the job of CinC entails. Well as a courtesy from this NCO to a new Commander, I will give you a very important lesson.

You can't end a war, you either win it or lose it.

Read it all.

Possibly the funniest thing I have ever read

Doug Giles has written one of the funniest things I have ever read. I am going to blockquote the first part of it, but please, please read it all. It goes on for a while and it is all good.

The Obama Hangover is the pain a moderate Obama backer is now feeling after having been promised the moon and realizing they have instead . . . been mooned. It's got to be humiliating watching your Mr. Hope & Change fumble these first few weeks like a leprous teen would his girlfriend's bra.

You must be feelin' like my buddy who recently got married to his eHarmony "soul mate" who turned out to have no soul nor the desire to mate.

It's a similar vibe this dude we call "Awood" felt who was sold the bill of goods that LSD would cleanse his doors of perception, lead him to strawberry fields and unleash his creativity. The only thing Awood's acid trip got him was shaved eyebrows, Bruce tattooed on his left shoulder and a twelve-hour conversation with a giant Raggedy Ann doll.

The Obama Hangover is kinda like . . . okay . . . I'll stop.

I know it hurts. You feel screwed, glued and tattooed.

Seriously, it only gets better. Read it all.

The Obama Hangover is the pain a moderate Obama backer is now feeling after having been promised the moon and realizing they have instead . . . been mooned. It's got to be humiliating watching your Mr. Hope & Change fumble these first few weeks like a leprous teen would his girlfriend's bra.

You must be feelin' like my buddy who recently got married to his eHarmony "soul mate" who turned out to have no soul nor the desire to mate.

It's a similar vibe this dude we call "Awood" felt who was sold the bill of goods that LSD would cleanse his doors of perception, lead him to strawberry fields and unleash his creativity. The only thing Awood's acid trip got him was shaved eyebrows, Bruce tattooed on his left shoulder and a twelve-hour conversation with a giant Raggedy Ann doll.

The Obama Hangover is kinda like . . . okay . . . I'll stop.

I know it hurts. You feel screwed, glued and tattooed.

Seriously, it only gets better. Read it all.

At this rate, by tomorrow we may find that 500 Americans oppose Spendulus

Harry Reid gave the impression earlier tonight that he had the votes to pass Spendulus (aka: Porkulus, 2009 Generational Theft Act, etc.), but at 9 p.m. he announced the Senate would reconvene in the morning. I hope the 14 or so moderates that are meeting to try to come up with something they can all agree on check their email and phone messages before they vote. The way the polls are sinking for this porker we may wake up to find 500 million Americans oppose the bill. Heh. Mary Katharine has a good report on the latest regarding the polls and negotiations.

Chuck Schumer called Republicans "out of touch" on the floor tonight. The next time Republicans need lessons in being "in touch" with just 22 percent of the electorate, I'm sure they'll let him know.

Senators vote for this crap sandwich at their own peril. Nothing is firm yet. There is still time to make your voice heard. MELT THE PHONES. I tried to get through quite a few times today and never could. I am going to be calling tonight. Hopefully I will be able to at the very least find a voicemail box that is not already full and leave a message. Email too.

It is a bit ironic that if we are successful in stopping this big spending bill we might be doing a huge favor not only to the country, but to Democrats and Obama for saving them from themselves.

 Here is the link to the list of Senators' websites, email and phone numbers.

More contact info here.

The main Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. It was jammed all day, but you might be able to get through tonight or in the morning to leave a message.

UPDATE:  The "Evil Republicans" are to blame.

Chuck Schumer called Republicans "out of touch" on the floor tonight. The next time Republicans need lessons in being "in touch" with just 22 percent of the electorate, I'm sure they'll let him know.

Senators vote for this crap sandwich at their own peril. Nothing is firm yet. There is still time to make your voice heard. MELT THE PHONES. I tried to get through quite a few times today and never could. I am going to be calling tonight. Hopefully I will be able to at the very least find a voicemail box that is not already full and leave a message. Email too.

It is a bit ironic that if we are successful in stopping this big spending bill we might be doing a huge favor not only to the country, but to Democrats and Obama for saving them from themselves.

 Here is the link to the list of Senators' websites, email and phone numbers.

More contact info here.

The main Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. It was jammed all day, but you might be able to get through tonight or in the morning to leave a message.

UPDATE:  The "Evil Republicans" are to blame.

Obama Meeting with Families of Cole and 9/11 attacks

President Obama has a meeting scheduled tomorrow with families of those killed in the terrorist attack on the Cole and the families of 9/11 victims most likely to discuss with them dropping charges on one of the Cole bombers.

Andy McCarthy has been following this story closely.

...it is noteworthy that, before the appointing authority acted this evening, Obama had scheduled a meeting for tomorrow afternoon with victims and families of victims not only of the Cole bombing but of of the 9/11 attacks. At a minimum, he appeared poised to announce he was dropping the Cole charges against Nashiri. All evening, however, it has been floated from several knowledgeable sources that the president was prepared to announce the dismissal of all the commission cases -- i.e., not only against Nashiri but against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other 9/11 plotters. That suggestion is supported by the fact that the 9/11 families were invited to the White House meeting: there would have been no need to invite them to discuss an announcement that impacted only the Cole case.

Dismissals, if they happened, would surely be couched as "without prejudice." That is, Obama would be able to tell the families -- whether he meant it or not -- that he could always re-file military commission charges if he ultimately decided that commissions, rather than civilian trials, were the best way to go.

The Anchoress is following as well.

President Obama is going to talk to the families of 9/11 victims and those killed on the U.S.S.Cole. From what we have seen of the president these past few weeks, his talking to them will be very nice, and their concerns will have no affect on his position, whatsoever. Rather like "inviting" the opposition in for a talk and telling them, "I won."

Michael Goldfarb has more details about the meeting:

According to the Post, among those who will be in attendance are family members opposed to the decision. Also quoted in the story is Retired Navy Cmdr. Kirk S. Lippold, the commanding officer on board the USS Cole when it was attacked in Yemen in October of 2000. He's been a vocal critic of Obama's order closing the facility, accusing the president of failing to take into account the effect his decision would have on the families of al Qaeda's victims. The Post quotes one unnamed activist dramatically warning that the event may produce "fireworks."

Related: Move America Forward has a new ad out about the closing of Gitmo.

Text of the ad follows:

AUDIO:

Guantanamo Bay

Where America imprisons terrorists,

including the alleged mastermind of Nine Eleven

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed

But President Obama has ordered Gitmo closed with no plan for the prisoners. He may even bring terrorists here.

Fort Leavenworth

Charleston

Camp Pendleton

Even Obama now admits,

OBAMA: "Of course, I'm worried about it."

Keep terrorists locked up at Gitmo, NOT here.

Sign the petition at

Move America Forward dot org

Before it's too late!

President Obama has a meeting scheduled tomorrow with families of those killed in the terrorist attack on the Cole and the families of 9/11 victims most likely to discuss with them dropping charges on one of the Cole bombers.

Andy McCarthy has been following this story closely.

...it is noteworthy that, before the appointing authority acted this evening, Obama had scheduled a meeting for tomorrow afternoon with victims and families of victims not only of the Cole bombing but of of the 9/11 attacks. At a minimum, he appeared poised to announce he was dropping the Cole charges against Nashiri. All evening, however, it has been floated from several knowledgeable sources that the president was prepared to announce the dismissal of all the commission cases -- i.e., not only against Nashiri but against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other 9/11 plotters. That suggestion is supported by the fact that the 9/11 families were invited to the White House meeting: there would have been no need to invite them to discuss an announcement that impacted only the Cole case.

Dismissals, if they happened, would surely be couched as "without prejudice." That is, Obama would be able to tell the families -- whether he meant it or not -- that he could always re-file military commission charges if he ultimately decided that commissions, rather than civilian trials, were the best way to go.

The Anchoress is following as well.

President Obama is going to talk to the families of 9/11 victims and those killed on the U.S.S.Cole. From what we have seen of the president these past few weeks, his talking to them will be very nice, and their concerns will have no affect on his position, whatsoever. Rather like "inviting" the opposition in for a talk and telling them, "I won."

Michael Goldfarb has more details about the meeting:

According to the Post, among those who will be in attendance are family members opposed to the decision. Also quoted in the story is Retired Navy Cmdr. Kirk S. Lippold, the commanding officer on board the USS Cole when it was attacked in Yemen in October of 2000. He's been a vocal critic of Obama's order closing the facility, accusing the president of failing to take into account the effect his decision would have on the families of al Qaeda's victims. The Post quotes one unnamed activist dramatically warning that the event may produce "fireworks."

Related: Move America Forward has a new ad out about the closing of Gitmo.

Text of the ad follows: