Alexa Shrugged

15 Years Later: Remembering Mildred Rose Naiman

2016-09-11T19:46:00.000-04:00

Every year on this blog I repost this September 11th tribute as part of Project 2,996, an initiative that seeks to honor the memory of every one of the victims of the terrorist attack.

It is so important to keep the memory of those who died on 9/11 alive and to honor them. Individual lives can get lost in the intolerable and overwhelming number killed on 9/11, so we owe it to each of them to remember them as more than just one in 3,000:

Mildred Rose Naiman was 81 and from Andover, MA, the town next to my hometown. According to WBZ Boston, over 200 people with ties to Massachusetts died on 9-11-01.

"Millie," as she was known to her loved ones, was on her way to California to visit her 2 sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren when she was killed. She was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to be hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center.

Born on March 24, 1920, Mildred Naiman worked at Western Electric Co. as a tester. In her later years, she lived in a self-proclaimed "bachelorette pad" - her apartment in a retirement community - where she was active in planning and organizing events with her friends.

In a profile published on January 6, 2002, her daughter-in-law, Carol Naiman, told the New York Times, "She had a little bit of a lead foot. She had been stopped for speeding and was totally insulted the officer would give an old woman a ticket."

Although the feisty great-grandmother had had several knee replacement surgeries, cataracts, and other health problems, she still loved to travel. Her son Russ said, "If something was wrong with her, she'd go to the doctor and say, 'Fix me up; I've got a lot of traveling to do.' "

While she needed the help of a wheelchair at the airport, she still managed to visit her family twice a year. The Sunday before her fatal flight, a family member had asked if she was afraid of flying; her granddaughter, Hope, remembers her reply: "No, I've gone everywhere already--to Germany, the Bahamas. I'm not afraid to fly."

Incredibly, on July 24, 2004, the New York Post reported that the medical examiner's office had identified her remains. Many 9-11 victims are still unaccounted for. I hope her family gained some sense of closure with this discovery and was able to finally put her body to rest.

Today, on the anniversary of her death, we celebrate the life of Mildred Rose Naiman.

May she, and the others tragically murdered on that day, rest in peace.

9-11: NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER FORGET

Obama's Nuclear Deal with Iran in One Image

2016-01-13T16:49:00.003-05:00

Yup, pretty much sums up the deal Obama made with one of our and our allies' biggest enemies in the world. More:

h/t:

Iran Releases Humiliating Images of U.S. Sailors in Captivity

This video apology was delivered despite Vice President Joe Biden‘s insistence that the U.S. government offered no apology, and Iran had sought none.

And proof this was directly related to the terrible nuke deal:

Iran says seizure of U.S. boats a lesson to 'troublemakers' in Congress

INFOGRAPHIC: How Law Enforcement Solves Crime Using Social Media

2015-10-23T14:17:00.000-04:00

Interesting look at how law enforcement uses social media to solve crime. For normal people, the rule is, don't post anything you don't want your mother to see. For politicos it's, don't post anything you don't want to see on the front page of the NY Times. For criminals it's, don't post anything you don't want the cops to use as evidence. Then again, I kind of want criminals stupid enough to post about their crimes on social media to get caught... So, criminals, please disregard that last rule and carry on! :D

Via: Sosinsky NYC Law Firm

Today, on the 14th Anniversary of her Death, We Celebrate the Life of Mildred Rose Naiman

2015-09-11T16:49:00.002-04:00

Mildred Rose Naiman was 81 and from Andover, MA, the town next to my hometown. According to WBZ Boston, over 200 people with ties to Massachusetts died on 9-11-01.

"Millie," as she was known to her loved ones, was on her way to California to visit her 2 sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren when she was killed. She was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to be hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center.

Born on March 24, 1920, Mildred Naiman worked at Western Electric Co. as a tester. In her later years, she lived in a self-proclaimed "bachelorette pad" - her apartment in a retirement community - where she was active in planning and organizing events with her friends.

In a profile published on January 6, 2002, her daughter-in-law, Carol Naiman, told the New York Times, "She had a little bit of a lead foot. She had been stopped for speeding and was totally insulted the officer would give an old woman a ticket."

Although the feisty great-grandmother had had several knee replacement surgeries, cataracts, and other health problems, she still loved to travel. Her son Russ said, "If something was wrong with her, she'd go to the doctor and say, 'Fix me up; I've got a lot of traveling to do.' "

While she needed the help of a wheelchair at the airport, she still managed to visit her family twice a year. The Sunday before her fatal flight, a family member had asked if she was afraid of flying; her granddaughter, Hope, remembers her reply: "No, I've gone everywhere already--to Germany, the Bahamas. I'm not afraid to fly."

Incredibly, on July 24, 2004, the New York Post reported that the medical examiner's office had identified her remains. Many 9-11 victims are still unaccounted for. I hope her family gained some sense of closure with this discovery and was able to finally put her body to rest.

Today, on the anniversary of her death, we celebrate the life of Mildred Rose Naiman.

May she, and the others tragically murdered on that day, rest in peace.

9-11: NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER FORGET

My Obamacare Story in 1 Picture

2014-11-19T15:00:00.002-05:00

THIS is why Obama had new insurance premium prices held until AFTER the election! Last year, they were posted October 1st.

Thanks, Obama! And thanks Gruber and the “stupidity of the American voter!”

Read the rest of my post at The Political Insider.

Thanks, Obama! It will take 80,000 troops to restore Iraq to where it was before Obama cut and ran

2014-11-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

It's been almost three years since President Obama callously cut and ran from Iraq so he could proudly proclaim, “I ended the war in Iraq, as I promised," as he ran for reelection. Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta confirmed he "viewed the White House as so eager to rid itself of Iraq that it was willing to withdraw rather than lock in arrangements that would preserve our influence and interests."

Panetta concluded that "to this day, I believe that a small U.S. troop presence in Iraq could have effectively advised the Iraqi military on how to deal with al-Qaeda’s resurgence and the sectarian violence that has engulfed the country." As predicted, because of Obama's actions, the country has fallen to Islamic terrorists, horrific violence, and more war.

So much has been lost to ISIS under Obama that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress on Thursday, "We're going to need about 80,000 competent Iraqi security forces to recapture territory lost, and eventually the city of Mosul, to restore the border."

America's top general also testified that because the Iraqi army is in such bad shape after losing its American support that he is considering sending in U.S. ground troops again:

General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, indicated to the House of Representatives armed services committee that the strength of Isis relative to the Iraqi army may be such that he would recommend abandoning Obama’s oft-repeated pledge against returning US ground troops to combat in Iraq.

Retaking the critical city of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest, and re-establishing the border between Iraq and Syria that Isis has erased “will be fairly complex terrain” for the Iraqi security forces that the US is once again supporting, Dempsey acknowledged.

“I’m not predicting at this point that I would recommend that those forces in Mosul and along the border would need to be accompanied by US forces, but we’re certainly considering it,” he said.

... But should the Iraqi military prove unwilling to take back “al-Anbar province and Ninewa province” – the majority of territory in Iraq seized by Isis – or should the new Iraqi prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, exclude Sunnis from power, “I will have to adjust my recommendations,” Dempsey said.

Once again, if Obama had negotiated a responsible draw down that left provisional forces to protect our interests and progress, none of this would have happened.

Instead, Iraq will need 80,000 troops and additional U.S. ground troops to recover. Thanks, Obama!

Post-election poll confirms: Americans want Obama to go away

2014-11-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

Last year, after the government shutdown, President Obama challenged, “If you don’t like my policies, go out there and win an election.”

Then last month, Obama infamously said of his liberal agenda, “Make no mistake: these policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them.”

Last Tuesday, the American people responded, handing Obama, his policies, and his party an historic defeat. But somehow the message Obama received is “to push hard to close some of these divisions, break through some of the gridlock, and get stuff done.”

If that was the message the voters sent, then it certainly wasn’t directed at Obama. A post-election poll from Gallup confirms that it is the GOP that the American people want to “get stuff done” – by a margin of 53% to 36%:

This is on the heels of a poll last month which found that 32% of registered voters planned to send a message of opposition to Obama’s agenda with their vote – the highest ever recorded by Gallup – with only 20% planning to send a message of support.

How many more ways can the American people tell Obama STOP! CEASE! DESIST! Obama only hears what he wants to hear, and it’s the sound of his own voice.

Reporter Sharyl Attkisson: CBS held Obama Benghazi quote that could have changed the election

2014-11-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson revealed explosive information on Fox News Channel’s “MediaBuzz” that CBS worked unethically to help President Obama win reelection.

Of course, you remember the infamous moment in the second presidential debate when moderator Candy Crowley interjected to wrongly say that Obama had called the Benghazi attack an act of terror on September 12, 2012. It turns out CBS sat on a clip of the president refusing to call the attack terrorism in an interview with Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes” from September 12th.

Here is the exchange that CBS hid – even from Attkisson who was heavily involved in reporting the story – until the waning days of the election (emphasis mine):

KROFT: Mr. President, this morning you went out of your way to avoid the use of the word “terrorism” in connection with the Libya attack. Do you believe that this was a terrorist attack?

OBAMA: Well, it’s too early to know exactly how this came about, what group was involved, but obviously it was an attack on Americans. And we are going to be working with the Libyan government to make sure that we bring these folks to justice, one way or the other.

Instead, CBS repeatedly aired a more ambiguous clip from the interview that Attkisson used for an October 23rd segment on “CBS Evening News:”

SHARYL ATTKISSON, CBS INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Fourteen hours after the attack, President Obama sat down with Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes” for a previously scheduled interview and said he did not believe it was simply due to mob violence.

OBAMA: You’re right that this is not a situation that was exactly the same as what happened in Egypt. And my suspicion is that there are folks involved in this who were looking to target Americans from the start.

Attkisson was outraged when she found out that CBS hid the footage from her and the American people at such a relevant time:

Attkisson said, “Let me say that that exchange should have been pulled out immediately after the debate, which would have been very newsy at the time. It was exclusive to CBS. It would have to me proven Romney’s point against Obama. But that clip was kept secret.”

“I was covering Benghazi, nobody told me we had it and directed me from the ‘Evening News’ to a different clip of the same interview to give the impression that the president had done the opposite. And it was only right before the election that somebody kind of leaked out the transcript to others of us as CBS and we were really shocked. We saw that was something very unethical done to have kept that up.”

She added, “The ‘Evening News’ people who had access to that transcript, according to the emails that I saw when it was sent from ’60 Minutes’ to ‘Evening News’ the very day it was taken, they, in my view, skipped over it, passed it up, kept it secret. And I think that was because they were trying to defend the president and they thought that would be harmful to him.”

H/T Breitbart

How "How to Get Away with Murder" Gets Away with Murder in its Depictions of Gay Sex

2014-10-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

Warning: As you might have guessed by the blog title, graphic discussion to follow.

I'd noticed that the fall's hottest new show "How to Get Away with Murder" has had an usual focus on its gay character Connor Walsh and his sex life, but last week's episode "Let's Get to Scooping" that aired on October 16, 2014 was so out-of-control, over-the-top, and in-your-face that I knew there was something else at play.

The episode featured a graphic, kinda rough and dominant gay sex scene followed by a character saying THREE TIMES, “He did this thing to my ass that made my eyes water" - it was repeated because it was part of a recorded conversation, but inclusion of that line when the tape was replayed was so COMPLETELY unnecessary that I could only conclude its purpose was to provoke. A quick Google search instantly confirmed my suspicions:

How To Get Away With Murder Creator: Get Used to Two Men Kissing:

Out TV writer/producer Peter Nowalk is using the gay character in the show he created, How To Get Away With Murder, to push his gay agenda. ...

Do it, man. Keep it going. Desensitize the shit out of viewers.

Gee, thanks, Gawker ...

So it WAS purposefully out-of-control, over-the-top, and in-your-face. In fact, the creator Peter Nowalk told E!Online:

"I knew I wanted to push the envelope, especially with the gay sex," Nowalk explained to me. "And to me, writing the gay characterization and writing some real gay sex into a network show is to right the wrong of all of the straight sex that you see on TV. Because I didn't see that growing up, and I feel like the more people get used to two men kissing, the less weird it will be for people. I just feel like it's a lack of vision that you don't see it on TV, but ABC has never had a note about any of the weird stuff in the show, so I'm gonna keep it going."

Wow. He wants to "right the wrong" of straight sex on TV. Dude, seriously? I am so sick and tired of TV shows pushing their radical liberal agenda on viewers. But Nowalk goes so far above and beyond the typical encouragement of tolerance of gay relationships and marriage, he is pushing us to accept and celebrate gay sex! (BTW, you know what I didn't see growing up? Any TV roles depicting smart, strong, conservative women shown in a positive light - not liberal fantasies of what a conservative woman should believe, ala Calista Flockhart in Brothers and Sisters. When can we right that wrong?)

Furthermore, there is rarely a reason for any kind of sex to be on network TV shows except to be titillating and "progressive." I guess TV producers feel like they've pushed as far as they can go with straight sex for sensationalism that now they have to exploit gay sex. I told Shonda Rhimes as much and surprisingly she responded to me:

@Dabdelhakiem A-freaking-men! The graphic gay sex goes way beyond anything ever seen on network TV! Shame on @shondarhimes's exploitation
— AlexaShrugged (@AlexaShrugged) October 23, 2014

@shondarhimes Pretty low standards when, "He did this thing to my ass that made my eyes water” is repeated 3 TIMES - outrageous gay or str8!
— AlexaShrugged (@AlexaShrugged) October 23, 2014

The editor of a gay entertainment website seemed to agree that some of the gay sex scenes "felt a little craven:"

Maybe my unease with the show is that, so far, it depicts gay intimacy as something shocking rather than natural and universally relate-able.

How to Get Away with Murder and other Shonda Rhimes shows are definitely unsettling conservative viewers with gay content. Which may be a great thing– but less of a great thing when it inadvertently reinforces the stereotype that gay men are hyper-sexual creatures. ...

The remedy for the lack of gay representation in television maybe isn’t to load it up all in one series. Can’t we spread it out a bit? Having so much Connor action in HTGAWM and so little everywhere else on the TV dial feels a little like gay gerrymandering.

(This writer also had me laughing when he said, 'But I find myself cringing when his onscreen conquests say things like “he did this thing to my ass that made my eyes water.” What, did he stick an onion up there or something?')

So, to all who say, "Don't like it, don't watch it," fine, I won't, although, maybe I'll follow along by reading spoilers online. Sucks that the show has forced me into that choice by having a mission that seems to be to make viewers uncomfortable, "unsettled," and "desensitized" in some bizarre reverse micro-aggression fantasy.* But it's their loss to alienate a viewer in the coveted women with disposable income aged 18-34 demographic.

BTW, I watched the episode on the Watch ABC app where I was bombarded with J.C. Penny commercials at each break. So, good job on advertisement placement, J.C. Penny, I now associate you with eye-watering anal.

*This isn't my only reason to stop watching. I also hate every character on the show and find myself rolling my eyes every other minute at some smug and pretentious piece of dialogue, implausible and ridiculous "legal" breakthrough, or frustrating and incomprehensible character action. Also, this kid's dumb facial expressions:

Never Forget: Honoring 9/11 Victim Mildred Rose Naiman

2014-09-11T01:16:00.000-04:00

It is so important to keep the memory of those who died on 9/11 alive and to honor them. Individual lives can get lost in the intolerable and overwhelming number killed on 9/11, so we owe it to each of them to remember them as more than just one in 3,000.

Every year on this blog I repost this September 11th tribute as part of Project 2,996, an initiative that seeks to honor the memory of every one of the victims of the terrorist attack:

Mildred Rose Naiman was 81 and from Andover, MA, the town next to my hometown. According to WBZ Boston, over 200 people with ties to Massachusetts died on 9-11-01.

"Millie," as she was known to her loved ones, was on her way to California to visit her 2 sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren when she was killed. She was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to be hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center.

Born on March 24, 1920, Mildred Naiman worked at Western Electric Co. as a tester. In her later years, she lived in a self-proclaimed "bachelorette pad" - her apartment in a retirement community - where she was active in planning and organizing events with her friends.

In a profile published on January 6, 2002, her daughter-in-law, Carol Naiman, told the New York Times, "She had a little bit of a lead foot. She had been stopped for speeding and was totally insulted the officer would give an old woman a ticket."

Although the feisty great-grandmother had had several knee replacement surgeries, cataracts, and other health problems, she still loved to travel. Her son Russ said, "If something was wrong with her, she'd go to the doctor and say, 'Fix me up; I've got a lot of traveling to do.' "

While she needed the help of a wheelchair at the airport, she still managed to visit her family twice a year. The Sunday before her fatal flight, a family member had asked if she was afraid of flying; her granddaughter, Hope, remembers her reply: "No, I've gone everywhere already--to Germany, the Bahamas. I'm not afraid to fly."

Incredibly, on July 24, 2004, the New York Post reported that the medical examiner's office had identified her remains. Many 9-11 victims are still unaccounted for. I hope her family gained some sense of closure with this discovery and was able to finally put her body to rest.

Today, on the anniversary of her death, we celebrate the life of Mildred Rose Naiman.

May she, and the others tragically murdered on that day, rest in peace.

9-11: NEVER FORGIVE, NEVER FORGET

Days before 9/11 Obama authorizes additional embassy security for Baghdad

2014-09-04T06:42:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, the White House announced that it's sending more troops to Iraq to protect the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad:

Press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement that that the Defense Department authorization stemmed from a State Department request for “approximately 350 additional U.S. military personnel to protect our diplomatic facilities and personnel.”

“This action was taken at the recommendation of the Department of Defense after an extensive interagency review, and is part of the President’s commitment to protect our personnel and facilities in Iraq as we continue to support the Government of Iraq in its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). These additional forces will not serve in a combat role,” Earnest said.

Thank God Obama seems to have learned from Benghazi that you don't deny State Department requests for more embassy security in a volatile region of the world - especially ahead of the anniversary of 9/11.

The PJ Tatler notes:

It also comes after Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) warned Sunday that Baghdad could be the next to fall.

“I believe their goal is Baghdad. I think it’s very, very serious and we have to have a strategy to deal with it in Syria and in Iraq in this new caliphate and to prevent that caliphate from expanding,” she said, stressing that ISIS “is on its way to Baghdad and I believe that they will try to attack our embassy from the West, which is a Sunni area where I believe they are infiltrating now.”

Scary stuff!

The infuriating part is that if we hadn't left in 2011, we wouldn't have to go back in now and the world would be a much safer place. Obama better get a strategy quick or ISIS is going to do a LOT worse than have a pool party at our embassy.

Originally posted at The Political Insider

WOW! This open letter to Obama from the parents of a fallen SEAL Team Six member is BRUTAL!

2014-09-03T06:43:00.000-04:00

The parents of SEAL Team Six member Aaron Carson Vaughn know what real courage and sacrifice is. Billy and Karen Vaughn's son was killed with 37 others on August 6, 2011, when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. After watching the sickening beheading of James Foley, they were inspired to write a scathing open letter to President Obama.

The Vaughns are expressing what everyone has been feeling in a way only they can. This powerful piece needs to be read in full and shared far and wide:

After finally choosing to view the barbaric, on-camera beheading by ISIS of freelance war correspondent James Foley, I have been left with a level of rage known only to those of us who have sacrificed unspeakable offerings on the altar of world peace.

My offering was my only son — Aaron Carson Vaughn. Aaron was a member of SEAL Team VI. He was killed in action when a CH47D Chinook, carrying thirty Americans and eight Afghans was shot down in the Tangi River Valley of Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011.

Many times over the past three years, I have been asked what drove my son to choose his particular career. What made him want to be a Navy SEAL? My answer is simple.

Aaron Vaughn was a man who possessed the courage to acknowledge evil. And evil, once truly acknowledged, demands response. Perhaps this is why so few are willing to look it in the eye. It is much simpler — much safer — to look the other way.

That is, unless you are the leader of the Free World.

As Commander-in-Chief, your actions — or lack thereof — Mr. President, cost lives. As you bumble about in your golf cart, slapping on a happy face and fist-pounding your buddies, your cowardly lack of leadership has left a gaping hole — not only in America’s security — but the security of the entire globe. Your message has come across loud and clear, sir: You are not up to this job. You know it. We know it. The world knows it.

Please vacate the people’s house and allow a man or woman of courage and substance to seize the reigns of this out-of-control thug-fest and regain the balance we, America, have provided throughout our great history.

Thanks to your “leadership” from whatever multi-million dollar vacation you happen to be on at any given moment, the world is in chaos. What’s been gained, you’ve lost. What’s been lost, you’ve decimated. You’ve demolished our ability to hold the trust of allies. You’ve made a mockery of the title “President.” And you’ve betrayed the nation for which my son and over 1.3 million others have sacrificed their very lives.

But this should come as no surprise, since your wife uttered a vile statement on Feb. 18, 2008, during the primary campaign — one that speaks volumes of your true convictions. “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country,” she said.

I am sure my deceased son thanks you for that, Mrs. Obama. Oh, and you’re welcome.
Never in my lifetime have I witnessed such despair and such growing fear that the world’s last best hope, America, has finally been dismantled. Perhaps the better word is transformed — fundamentally transformed. Come to think of it, it’s become difficult — if not impossible — to believe things haven’t gone exactly as you planned, Mr. President.

Amazingly, in five short years, your administration has lurched from one disaster to another. You spearheaded the ambitious rush to end the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan — with no plan on how to do so effectively. Also, the release of “the Taliban five” in exchange for one American — without consulting Congress — is also on your shoulders.

You have been at the helm during unprecedented national security leaks — including, but not limited to the outing of SEAL Team VI on the Bin laden raid, the outing of the Pakistani doctor who provided the intelligence for that raid, the outing of Afghanistan’s CIA station chief, and the outing of your personal “kill list” to make you look tough. In addition, 75 percent of American deaths in Afghanistan and 83 percent of Americans-wounded-in-action have occurred on your watch, according to icasualties.org.

And now, we have this recent, heinous event: the beheading of an American citizen by a barbaric organization you foolishly referred to as “the JV team” in your statements to the New Yorker magazine in January.

You, sir, are the JV team. It’s time for you to step down and allow a true leader to restore our honor and protect our sons and daughters.

America has always been exceptional. And she will be again. You, Mr. President, are a bump in our road.

HOOYAH!

This article was originally posted on The Political Insider.

SCARY: Obama doesn’t “have a strategy yet” for ISIS

2014-08-30T09:56:00.000-04:00

Does Obama even care anymore? I mean, really, could he be any more aloof and detached? After last week's tone deaf, out-of-touch, "now watch this drive" moment when he golfed immediately after expressing his heartbreak over James Foley's execution and pledging vigilance, now he says he doesn't have a strategy against ISIS:

“We don’t have a strategy yet,” Mr. Obama said of his plans for defeating the Islamic State in Syria. “We need to make sure that we’ve got clear plans. As our strategy develops, we will consult with Congress.”

After a week of speculation that he was about to expand U.S. airstrikes against the terrorist group — also known by the acronyms ISIL and ISIS — from its positions in Iraq to those in Syria, the president said he has ordered his military advisers to give him “a range of options.”

But Mr. Obama tried to tamp down the suggestion that his decision was imminent, saying “folks are getting a little further ahead of where we’re at than we currently are.”

That's because Obama should be much further ahead on this! This is an urgent situation and he's known about the threat from ISIS and its previous iterations for years (although he infamously dismissed them as the "jayvee team"). He should have already had a strategy and contingency plans, the admission that he doesn't is just more evidence of how unfit he is to be Commander-in-Chief.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest offered this inexplicable "clarification" of Obama's comments:

In his remarks today, POTUS was explicit - as he has been in the past - about the comprehensive strategy we'll use to confront ISIL threat.
— Josh Earnest (@PressSec) August 28, 2014

In what world is "we don't have a strategy" an "explicit...comprehensive strategy?!" A world where war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength.

Mind-boggling.

Originally published on The Political Insider.

The 5 most nauseating quotes from Obama’s American Legion speech

2014-08-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

Originally posted at The Political Insider.

President Obama spoke to the American Legion National Convention in Charlotte yesterday, and the audience of vets was not impressed. Obama is used to appearing in front of vapid, adoring crowds so he was really out of his element speaking to serious men and women who have lived in the real world and made real sacrifices for our country.

The Daily Mail reports, "Most of the veterans sat on their hands, leaving awkward silences where White House speechwriters expected ovations." Who could blame them with disingenuous lines like these:

Even countries that criticize us – when the chips are down and they need help, they know who to call. They call us. That's what American leadership looks like.

... except for Ukraine. And Poland. And Israel. And Iraq. Well, maybe they call, but Obama doesn't answer. Suffice it to say, under Obama, our enemies are emboldened and our allies are frightened.

History teaches us of the dangers of overreaching and spreading ourselves too thin, and trying to go it alone without international support, or rushing into military adventures without thinking through the consequences.

Ummmm, whose history? I know he's not talking about Iraq because there were 48 countries in the "Coalition of the Willing," 37 of which provided troops on the ground, and 22 of which suffered at least one fatality. I'm also wondering when there was a time - before the Obama Administration, of course - that we were spreading ourselves too thin. Obama is the one abandoning the two-war strategy with draconian cuts to our military capabilities that an independent defense panel says "will lead to an America that is not only less secure but also far less prosperous" without thinking through the consequences.

In reality, history teaches us of the dangers of appeasement, indecision, and lack of resolve - lessons Obama is forcing us to relearn the hard way. "Leading from behind," and "Don't do stupid sh*t" are not American foreign policy strategies, they're phrases more suitable for a frat basement.

We removed more than 140,000 troops from Iraq and welcomed those troops home. It was the right thing to do.

It was NOT the right thing to do, it was the wrong thing to do in every possible way - morally, strategically, and for our security. But Obama acts as if we're supposed to be grateful to him for pulling the rug out from Iraq, thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, allowing terrorists to take over the country (as had been warned), and rendering the deaths of 4,500 of our armed forces and the sacrifice of countless others meaningless if we can't turn this around.

Here's a hint for Obama - and any other rote "bring our boys home" liberal - on military culture: Our soldiers don't want to be "brought home" just for the sake of being brought home - and certainly not to fulfill a campaign promise. They want to be brought home because the mission was successfully completed and structures put in place to ensure those gains are protected and progress continues.

Obama liked the symbolism of a full and complete withdrawal from Iraq, apparently not understanding what a residual force or its importance is. Until a month or two ago, we had 0 - ZERO!!! - troops in Iraq, a country that had just a few short years earlier been liberated from a murderous tyrant bent on supporting terrorism and threatening America. To put that in perspective, we have troops in 150 countries across the world, including our World War II enemies Japan and Germany where we have 50,000 and 40,000 troops stationed, respectively. When will the 70 year occupation of Japan end?!?! Let's welcome those troops home, it's the right thing to do!

Now, as I’ve always made clear, the blows we’ve struck against al Qaeda’s leadership don’t mean the end to the terrorist threat.

Now, whenever Obama talks about being clear, you can bet the words that follow are going to be lies or simply things Obama never made clear. In this case it's the latter. In just the three weeks following the Sept. 11, 2012, Benghazi terrorist attacks, Obama said al-Qaeda had been "decimated" - or used similar language - a whopping 32 times! So, no, he hasn't always made clear that the blows against al-Qaeda were not the end of the terrorist threat (or should I say, "man-caused disasters?")

And let me say it again: American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq. I will not allow the United States to be dragged back into another ground war in Iraq.

Well, let ME say it again, we never should have left the way we did, and the fact that we did is what put us in this mess that we're even mentioning another ground war in Iraq!

#Protip: Never tell your enemy what you're doing or what you won't do. Let them know that all options are on the table, from combat troops to nukes, whatever is necessary to protect American interests and national security. Just like you never set a red line you're unwilling to enforce when someone crosses it. Oh, wait... I forgot you went to the Neville Chamberlain School of Leadership.

God bless you. God bless our veterans. God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much.

Ok, so Obama's speech wasn't ALL bad. He did give some good shout outs to a few of our post-9/11 vets, amongst other feel-good, rah-rah patriotic rhetoric. Here's the full transcript from the White House.

Infographic: The College Majors with the Highest and Lowest Unemployment Rates

2014-08-27T14:10:00.000-04:00

So often we hear about students wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on useless majors that give them few job prospects and lots of debt upon graduation. Students need to make better decisions and this infographic with a list of the college majors with the highest and lowest unemployment rates will help.

Looks like psychology is a big losing major, and I'm not at all surprised to see majors like fine arts, history, library science, literature, and visual & performing arts on the list. Meanwhile, majors in the sciences, technology, and engineering are the big winners.

Students, if you want to get more bang for your buck and find a successful career, you need to check this out:

Via: www.CriminalLawOfficeNYC.com

My reaction to the British Embassy celebrating the 200th anniversary of burning down the White House in 5 GIFs

2014-08-26T09:46:00.000-04:00

Sunday, August 24, 2014 marked the 200th anniversary of the burning of Washington - including the White House - by the British in the War of 1812.

The Brits celebrated the event in a very, um, interesting way with this tweet from the British Embassy in D.C.:

Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time! pic.twitter.com/QIDBQTBmmL
— British Embassy (@UKinUSA) August 24, 2014

When I first saw that tweet I was like, Excuse me?!

I mean, who bakes a cake to celebrate burning down another country's capital in that country's capital?! How rude!

Then I was all, Whatever, I can't hear you over the sound of my FREEDOM:

Then, I imagined British General Robert Ross saying to U.S. President James Madison in the ashes of the White House, "You know, in 200 years we're going to look back on this and LAUGH!" and Madison punching him in the face:

But finally, I was like, Ok, UK, we've had this special relationship for 2 centuries now and we've been through a couple world wars together, we're cool:

I know it wasn't serious, but apparently the Embassy thought too many people took it that way and they apologized for the tweet:

Apologies for earlier Tweet. We meant to mark an event in history & celebrate our strong friendship today http://t.co/gs3heJDMzt
— British Embassy (@UKinUSA) August 25, 2014

Haha, all's well that ends well.

Originally posted at The Political Insider: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/british-embassy-washington-trolls-white-house/

No, Obama, ISIS isn’t the Jayvee Team, they’re the terrorist Dream Team

2014-08-22T16:45:00.001-04:00

I’ve talked about how ISIS is targeting Americans through Twitter, but even more terrifying is what ISIS can do to reach America beyond cyberspace. ISIS has only gotten stronger and more powerful – now al-Qaeda has announced its support after previously disavowing them – and their capabilities grow by the day.

We are living with the devastating consequences of reelecting a weak president who recklessly and prematurely pulled out of Iraq, turned a blind eye to the Middle East, and dismissed ISIS as the “jayvee team.”

Well, Mr. President, while you were out vowing to “maintain vigilance” against ISIS out on the golf course you may have missed the news from your Defense Department that the jayvee team has metastasized into the terrorist Dream Team:

The sophistication, wealth and military might of Islamic State militants represent a major threat to the United States that may surpass that once posed by al-Qaeda, U.S. military leaders said on Thursday.

“They are an imminent threat to every interest we have, whether it’s in Iraq or anywhere else,” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters at the Pentagon. …

Asked if the hardline Sunni Muslim organization posed a threat to the United States comparable to that of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Hagel said it was “as sophisticated and well-funded as any group we have seen.”

“They are beyond just a terrorist group. They marry ideology, a sophistication of … military prowess. They are tremendously well-funded. This is beyond anything we’ve seen.”

Meanwhile, as the President finalizes his plans to give amnesty to millions more illegals, Jihadists are in a prime position to take advantage of the Obama-made border crisis. Breitbart TV reports that Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), who sits on the House Judiciary Committee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, has said that ISIS and Mexican drug cartels are “talking to each other.” Gov. Rick Perry echoed that concern during a speech at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday, saying terrorists could be crossing the border.

ISIS teaming up with al-Qaeda and the drug cartels? That’s a recipe for a horrific terrorist attack! The question is, at this point does Obama have the ability – or will – to do anything to stop what he’s started?

Article originally published on The Political Insider: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/obama-wrong-isis-isnt-jayvee-team-theyre-terrorist-dream-team/#ixzz3B9iUCquL

ISIS Tweets Me Graphic Images of James Foley’s Execution

2014-08-22T16:41:00.000-04:00

Scary: CNN's Jake Tapper in Ferguson with "ISIS is Here" sign behind him

Two big stories in the U.S. this week revealed how ISIS is monitoring Twitter and using it to spread its propaganda and issue threats in entirely new and terrifying ways. The UK Daily Mail reports:

ISIS militants and their supporters are using social media to encourage protesters in Ferguson to embrace radical Islam and fight against the U.S. government.

Jihadists in Syria and Iraq and their sympathizers in the West have taken to Twitter to send messages of support to hundreds of demonstrators taking part in a ninth night of angry protests in the U.S. city following the shooting by police of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

The militants’ tweets denounce local officers for the way they have attempted to quell the violence, make reference to historic acts of police brutality, and even use the hashtag #FergusonUnderISIS in an attempt to get angry young men in the city to declare allegiance to the Islamist group.

The news comes as footage purportedly taken from the scene of the Ferguson protests appeared to show one demonstrator marching along a street holding a sign reading ‘ISIS is here’.

Although the Daily Mail notes that the sign may simply be a political statement comparing the police to ISIS, it says the “CNN footage [was] embraced by Jihadists who have claimed they prove Jihadists are already playing their part in the protests.”

Here’s an example of Jihadists calling for action in the U.S. based on Ferguson on Twitter:

@AmreekiWitness Preach, brother. We must organize brigades in preparation for the oncoming storm. #FergusonUnderIS #JihadinFerguson
— Amarka Al-Ahlam (@AmarkaAlAhlam) August 19, 2014

The photo of Tapper with the ISIS sign was made even more chilling with the news the following day of journalist James Wright Foley’s beheading.

Jihadists seized on the release of the video of his execution to target Americans on Twitter. After I used the hashtag #RIPJamesFoley, one tweeted at me a photo of his bloody decapitated head and body. Screenshot censored:

I reported the tweet but it is still up (as of August 22) at this link – GRAPHIC UNCENSORED IMAGE AT THIS LINK. If you decide to click the link, please report and block the image and account to Twitter.

Herman Cain’s former press secretary Ellen Carmichael was sent the following threatening image in a tweet that has since been removed, but the user is still active:

@ellencarmichael pic.twitter.com/IEN02wSRoe
— محمد الزوبعي (@AbuAli4ps) August 20, 2014

There are reports that Twitter is working to remove the images and ISIS accounts, but clearly they’re not working quickly enough.

This piece originally appeared on The Political Insider: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/shock-isis-infiltrates-twitter-feeds-threatening-images-james-foleys-execution/#ixzz3B9fsFxC9

Even the French are Mocking Obama’s Vacations!

2014-08-14T16:54:00.000-04:00

When even the French are calling you out, you know it’s bad:

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has a message about Iraq for Barack Obama: Get back to the White House and do something.

‘I know it is the holiday period in our Western countries,’ Fabius told a radio interviewer Tuesday in France, ‘but when people are dying, you must come back from vacation.’
Full-time workers in France are guaranteed a whopping five weeks of paid vacation every year, making his plea all the more urgent.

Obama is on a family and golfing holiday in a ritzy neighborhood of Martha’s Vineyard but says he will come back to Washington briefly on Tuesday before returning to fun, sun, and more golf.

Fabius visited refugees in Iraq on Sunday, Obama golfed.

Enough said.

Originally published on The Political Insider: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/even-french-mocking-obamas-vacations-now/#ixzz3B9lFn7jM

Hillary mocks Obama: "Don’t do stupid stuff is not an organizing principle"

2014-08-11T17:01:00.000-04:00

It wasn’t long ago that Hillary Clinton was the voice for the Obama Administration in the State Department, but now that the 2016 presidential election is getting closer, and as Obama’s foreign policy crumbles before our very eyes, we’re starting to see the gloves come off.

The Islamist threat has only grown under President Obama and Hillary did not mince words in her condemnation:

Clinton specifically faulted the US decision to stay on the sidelines of the insurgency against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad as opening the way for the most extreme rebel faction, the Islamic State.

“The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad —- there were Islamists, there were secularists, there was everything in the middle -— the failure to do that left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,” Clinton told the Atlantic.

Hillary went on to mock Obama’s self-declared “Don’t do stupid sh*t” foreign policy:

Clinton, however, suggested in the interview that Obama lacked a strategy for dealing with the jihadist threat.

“Great nations need organizing principles, and ‘Don’t do stupid stuff’ is not an organizing principle,” she said referring to an Obama slogan.

She said the United States must develop an “overarching” strategy to confront Islamist extremism, likening it to the long US struggle against Soviet-led communism.

Hillary is taking ‘don’t do stupid stuff’ to heart by smartly running away from a failed, unpopular president and quickly staking a claim to the right of his more disastrous policies.

Originally posted on The Political Insider: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/hillary-clinton-comes-out-swinging-against-obama-on-islamist-threat/#ixzz3B9mYRd4d

Vast majority of Americans say illegal immigration is threatening the nation’s culture and economy

2014-08-08T12:51:00.000-04:00

From Reuters comes this shock poll: Americans worry that illegal migrants threaten way of life, economy. The shock is, Americans are right! It’s been a while, I wish they could have been right in, oh, I don’t know, say, 2008 or 2012?!

But this poll will also be shocking to President Obama or any other person advocating for amnesty for illegals – the country is NOT on your side! Americans want immigration reform, yes – but not amnesty – they want prevention and enforcement reformed so that it actually works.

More details from Reuters:

(Reuters) – As President Barack Obama considers sidestepping Congress to loosen U.S. immigration policy, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Americans are deeply worried that illegal immigration is threatening the nation’s culture and economy.

Seventy percent of Americans – including 86 percent of Republicans – believe undocumented immigrants threaten traditional U.S. beliefs and customs, according to the poll.

The findings suggest immigration could join Obamacare – the healthcare insurance overhaul – and the economy as hot button issues that encourage more Republicans to vote in November’s congressional election.

With Congress failing to agree on broad immigration reforms, Obama could act alone in the next few weeks to give work permits to up to 5 million undocumented immigrants and delay some deportations, according to media reports.

Hispanic and liberal voters would welcome that, but the online survey suggests much of the rest of the nation may not.

Despite arguments from the White House and groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that legal immigration benefits business, 63 percent of people in the online survey also said immigrants place a burden on the economy.

While the economy and Obamacare remain the key concerns of voters, immigration has become more of an issue in recent months because of intense media coverage of a surge of illegal migrants, including tens of thousands of children, flooding into the United States from Central America.

It’s never good for Obama when his policy results are revealed instead of his promises.

Video proof that Hamas launches rockets from civilian areas

2014-08-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

A brave Indian news team captured exclusive footage of Hamas terrorists setting up a tent next to their hotel from which to launch a rocket attack.

Watch the amazing video:

Here’s a partial transcript of reporter Sreenivasan Jain’s incredible video report:

It’s fair to guess that this is a potential Hamas rocket launching site that’s been set up. There’s always been this question of how Hamas manages to fire its rockets without being detected by the Israelis, this perhaps is one of the ways of assembling it under a tent. It also establishes something which Hamas has always been accused of, that they actually use densely populated, civilian areas to fire their rockets. And if the camera zooms out a little more, you’ll see that this is an area is very heavily built up, a lot of residential and hotel buildings all around. And so if Hamas does fire a rocket from here, it will have immediate consequences for everyone around here. And I also must report at this point that the first night that we came here we did see – or rather hear – a rocket go off exactly at that plot of land. And the hotel and the hotels opposite us were evacuated because the Israelis sent a warning that there might be a strike on them. That didn’t happen. But if Hamas uses this site once again to launch a rocket, we’re not sure what’s going to happen.

Not only was simply the act of recording the movements of a terrorist group risky, but the news team stayed in the area and even attempted to go directly to where the rocket was launched with the possibility of an Israeli counterstrike hanging over their heads – as Jain emphasized, there could be “immediate consequences for everyone around here.”

Thankfully, the team safely left Gaza before their report was aired. I can’t imagine they’d be safe going back into Gaza ever again after exposing Hamas.

Independent defense panel says Obama makes us "less secure"

2014-08-04T13:08:00.000-04:00

There Obama goes again, giving comfort to our enemies and scaring the bejeezus out of our allies. A new scathing report from the National Defense Panel attacks Obama’s foolhardy cuts to the military at a time of global unrest:

The panel’s report said the past several years of budget cuts and mandated reduction in personnel and weapons have stirred deep unease among allies who would count on the U.S. in a crisis. “Not only have they caused significant investment shortfalls in U.S. military readiness and both present and future capabilities, they have prompted our current and potential allies and adversaries to question our commitment and resolve,” the report said. “Unless reversed, these shortfalls will lead to a high-risk force in the near future. That in turn will lead to an America that is not only less secure but also far less prosperous. In this sense, these cuts are ultimately self-defeating.” It calls the defense cuts “dangerous” as “global threats and challenges are rising.” The experts point to China’s and Russia’s new territorial claims, nuclear proliferation by Iran and North Korea and al Qaeda’s rapid rise in Iraq.

Of course, many of these dangerous global threats and rising challenges are of Obama’s own making. A hasty, ill-conceived full withdrawal from Iraq allowed terrorists to take over. And Putin’s saber rattling because he knows Obama is too feckless to have the will to do anything. The gutting of our military further exacerbates the dangers from Obama constantly projecting weakness and ineptitude. Our enemies are salivating and growing bolder, while our friends have lost faith and grown distant. The end to Obama’s reign can’t come soon enough, but I fear the disastrous effects will linger for years.

Originally posted at The Political Insider: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/obamas-plans-undercut-national-security/#ixzz3BQO4fuhk

Hours before 9/11 Bill Clinton boasted he could have killed Osama bin Laden, but didn't

2014-08-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

Explosive new audio was just rediscovered of former President Bill Clinton admitting – THE DAY BEFORE 9-11 – that he could have killed Osama bin Laden, but decided not to. And is it just me or does he sound boastful about it:

On the July 30th Paul Murray Live program on Sky News, guest Michael Kroger revealed an audio tape that he didn’t remember he had until the week prior to the program. Speaking at a luncheon in front of 30 business people, the former president was asked a question about international terrorism and answered:

I’m just saying, you know, if I were Osama bin Laden — he’s a very smart guy, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about him — and I nearly got him once. I nearly got him. And I could have killed him, but I would have to destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children, and then I would have been no better than him. And so I didn’t do it.

H/T Truth Revolt

Riiiiiight … here’s Slick Willie at his best, massaging language to his purposes. Sure, Kandahar is a “little town” – it’s the second largest in Afghanistan. Oh, and I totally believe it is solely populated by “innocent women and children,” and that our military is not capable of surgical precision to minimize civilian casualties. Give me a break!

Clinton also claims he nearly got bin Laden “once,” but we know that there were several opportunities to get him over the years:

1996: Sudan offered to turn Osama bin Laden over to Clinton Administration, but was rebuffed

1998: Clinton’s unavailability and indecision wasted a 2 hour window to get bin Laden

1999: CIA asked for authorization to kill bin Laden after spotting him in Kandahar, but the Clinton Administration denied it (this could be the instance Clinton was talking about in the audio)

2000: Clinton Administration was offered a way to extradite bin Laden

You can be sure this newly resurfaced audio is something the Clintons do NOT want you to hear. Just think of how they bent over backwards to stop ABC from ever re-airing or making the TV movie “The Path to 9-11″ available after it was first broadcast simply because it had scenes suggesting the Clinton Administration passed on opportunities to get Osama bin Laden – which it did! The Citizens United film “Blocking the Path to 9-11” details how the Clinton machine buried “The Path to 9-11.”

Well, they can’t bury this audio, and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that it was foreign media that broadcast it. Watch the Sky News segment with audio below:

Originally posted at The Political Insider: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/shock-day-9-11-bill-clinton-admitted-killed-osama-bin-laden-didnt/#ixzz3BQP1CZeH

5 Times Mitt Romney was Right about the Withdrawal of Troops in Iraq

2014-06-26T15:05:00.000-04:00

This article was originally published on The Political Insider:

America, you should have picked Mitt Romney. The last several years have shown Romney to be right, and Obama to be disastrously wrong on so many things — Russia, Obamacare, Detroit’s bankruptcy, just to name a few.

Right now we are watching in horror as terrorists take over Iraq after Obama cut and ran, leaving zero troops in the country, just so he could say he had fulfilled a campaign promise to “end” the War in Iraq. From the beginning, Mitt Romney warned against pulling out of Iraq too early and the importance of leaving enough troops to secure our victories.

Here are 5 times Romney was right about what would happen in Iraq:

In a speech announcing his entry into the 2008 presidential race, 2/13/2007:

“Across the nation, there is debate about our future course in Iraq. Our desire to bring our troops home, safely and soon, is met with our recognition that if Iraq descends into all-out civil war, millions could die; that Iraq’s Sunni region could become a base for Al Qaeda; that its Shia region could be seized by Iran; that Kurd tension could destabilize Turkey; and even that the broader Middle East could be drawn into conflict. The possible implications for America and for American interests from such developments could be devastating. It could mean a future with far more military involvement and far more loss of American life. For these reasons, I believe that so long as there is a reasonable prospect of success, our wisest course is to seek stability in Iraq, with additional troops endeavoring to secure the civilian population.”

At a veterans round table in South Carolina, 11/11/2011:

“It is my view that the withdrawal of all of our troops from Iraq by the end of this year is an enormous mistake, and failing by the Obama administration. The precipitous withdrawal is unfortunate — it’s more than unfortunate, I think it’s tragic. It puts at risk many of the victories that were hard won by the men and women who served there.”

In a statement on the withdrawal of troops, 11/21/2011:

“President Obama’s astonishing failure to secure an orderly transition in Iraq has unnecessarily put at risk the victories that were won through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of American men and women. The unavoidable question is whether this decision is the result of a naked political calculation or simply sheer ineptitude in negotiations with the Iraqi government. The American people deserve to hear the recommendations that were made by our military commanders in Iraq.”

On ‘Fox News Sunday,’ 12/17/2011:

“I think we’re going to find that this president, by not putting in place a status-of-forces agreement with the Iraqi leadership, has pulled our troops out in a precipitous way and we should have left 10-, 20-, 30-thousand personnel there to help transition to the Iraqi’s own military capabilities.”

In a speech at the Virginia Military Institute, 10/8/2012:

“In Iraq, the costly gains made by our troops are being eroded by rising violence, a resurgent Al Qaeda, the weakening of democracy in Baghdad, and the rising influence of Iran. And yet, America’s ability to influence events for the better in Iraq has been undermined by the abrupt withdrawal of our entire troop presence. The president tried — and failed — to secure a responsible and gradual drawdown that would have better secured our gains.”

I’d say Mitt Romney, and the many others who warned this would happen, gets the last laugh, but the situation in Iraq isn’t even remotely funny. There is no joy in this “I told you so,” only anguish at the lives lost in vain, progress squandered, and effort wasted.

As Romney once said, “I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed.” The problem is, we knew from the start Obama couldn’t succeed because he was just plain wrong. Mitt Romney was right.