LorieByrd.com

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: