Riehl World View

Sarah Palin's Uterus Swallows Andy Sullivan

2009-11-20T16:37:39-05:00

It's bizarre enough as it is reading Sarah Palin's uterus' blog. But to think that she actually follows Andy Sullivan? At least, it may explain some things.

How would you feel if you were a gay man and a uterus was following you on the Internet? It isn't that I'm surprised Andy is being stalked by a sexual organ out here. It just isn't the gender I actually had in mind.

There. I said it and I don't care who knows! I am utterly, madly, passionately addicted to The Daily Dish. At first I was a bit creeped out by Sully's obsession with me. But let's face it, who else out there shows any interest in my accomplishments? Ever since Trig moved out, the media won't give me the time of day . Life has gotten pretty dull around here. I can't remember the last time Vanity Fair tried to get me to give them the inside scoop about Sarah "off the record" (wink, wink...nudge, nudge).

Sarah Palin 2.0

2009-11-20T12:05:38-05:00

There's little point in engaging every small criticism, or attack against Sarah Palin. In most instances it would only amount to elevating what are no more than petty assaults. And no attempt to interject logic into any debate will work against those critics most desperately intent on nipping at Sarah's heels. No, unfortunately, logic will never stop the mental defective, Andrew Sullivan, from wanting to wear Sarah's heels, either, ... provided they're high and bright red, of course.

What's best to realize is that there is something larger going on, not that attempts at such are all that unique. When, for whatever reason, public figures get a bad wrap for something, there often comes a time when they choose to re-emerge, to fight back. Palin has chosen her time and she's selected her path, just as she should. And while it's too early to draw too broad a conclusion, it's silly to not acknowledge, ... well, so far, so good!

Going forward, it is not the Sarah Palin of 2008 and early 2009 that matters. What matters is who she is becoming now and who she will eventually be in the public's eye. And, while I already said it's too early to draw conclusions, it is nonetheless true that, for now, people appear to like what they see when they take a look at Sarah Palin. All that really does is bring them around to where a great many people have been all along. And evidence of it is quickly mounting up.

Despite being characterized by many as a divisive force in her party and the nation, Americans are much more likely to give Palin a positive rating (47 percent favorable) than another prominent female leader — Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (28 percent favorable). Moreover, about six in 10 Americans (61 percent) think Palin has been treated unfairly by the press, according to the latest Fox News poll…

Heavens, if this keeps up, Andy may just have to jump ship at The Atlantic to lose himself among some seaman. Or, perhaps he'll just go back to drowning himself in something similar sounding out on the Internet as he once was, mister RawMuslglutes.

Google Chrome OS By 2010

2009-11-20T10:34:32-05:00

An interesting, or revoltin' development. It depends on your opinion of Google to some extent.

Google Inc. said the first devices running its new Chrome operating system will be available by the end of 2010, as the company gave the first public peek of software that Google hopes will drive usage of Internet applications that include its own services.

Chrome OS is expected to initially run on small low-end laptops—known as netbooks—but Google expects the Chrome operating system will run on a broad range of computers over time, said Sundar Pichai, a Google vice president. He said the company is specifying what hardware features, such as chips and wireless cards, devices should have to run the software.

Feinstein Going After Hi-Def TV

2009-11-20T10:20:44-05:00

This via Congress Daily. (subscription required) Why is it that every little, or big technology advance always looks like an additional source of revenue, or regulation to these people? And, yes, the industry claims it will drive up the price of hi-def, among other things. Of course it will. They'll be forced to re-engineer. And so what if a little of the quality goes away? We have to feed Congress and preserve gaia if we want to sit around and watch great TV.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., wants the federal government to follow her state's lead in cutting the energy usage of power-hungry high-definition television sets.

The California Energy Commission on Wednesday approved a plan to cut the energy consumption of new televisions sold in the state by one-third beginning in 2011 and by one-half starting in 2013.

In a Thursday letter to Energy Secretary Chu, Feinstein urged the department to take a "serious look" at crafting national standards for TVs that are as rigorous as the ones adopted in California.

But the Consumer Electronics Association, which represents the views of most set manufacturers, wants to pull the plug on both the California requirements and the senator's proposal. "It will result in higher prices for consumers, job losses for Californians and lost tax revenue for the state," the group said.

CBC: Obama Doesn't Like Black People

2009-11-20T10:03:25-05:00

The Congressional Black Caucus is none too pleased with America's first black prez. Maybe it's sort of like the glass of milk argument. Is Obama half full, or half empty of concern for the black community? Looks to me like maybe he's half-empty but rapper Kanye West must think he's half full. Otherwise, he'd be dancin' all over his head. Right?

Quietly held meetings this week between Congressional Black Caucus members and top Obama administration officials failed to iron out growing frustrations that forced postponement of a House Financial Services vote on legislation that would overhaul the nation's financial regulatory system.

In announcing a delay in the committee's vote, Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank said he understood some of the Black Caucus' frustration because "you are talking about people whose constituents ... have been badly hammered by this and are concerned."

In raising concerns about the legislation, CBC members of the Financial Services Committee met with Treasury Secretary Geithner, White House Chief of Staff Emanuel and FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair, sources said. At those meetings, CBC members expressed concerns that the administration was not adequately addressing the needs of many segments of the black community.

Climate Science Fraud Exposed?

2009-11-20T09:43:50-05:00

Oh my. This looks as though it could leave a mark the size of a glacier or two receding. heh!

Someone has a lot of splainin' to do. But if this is genuine, he'll have plenty of time to do it, being unemployed until the next ice age and all. What?

From: Phil Jones
To: ray bradley ,mann@xxxxx.xxx, mhughes@xxxx.xxx
Subject: Diagram for WMO Statement
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 13:31:15 +0000
Cc: k.briffa@xxx.xx.xx,t.osborn@xxxx.xxx

Dear Ray, Mike and Malcolm,
Once Tim’s got a diagram here we’ll send that either later today or
first thing tomorrow.
I’ve just completed Mike’s Nature trick of adding in the real temps
to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) amd from
1961 for Keith’s to hide the decline. Mike’s series got the annual
land and marine values while the other two got April-Sept for NH land
N of 20N. The latter two are real for 1999, while the estimate for 1999
for NH combined is +0.44C wrt 61-90. The Global estimate for 1999 with
data through Oct is +0.35C cf. 0.57 for 1998.
Thanks for the comments, Ray.

Cheers
Phil

Prof. Phil Jones
Climatic Research Unit Telephone +44 (0) xxxxx
School of Environmental Sciences Fax +44 (0) xxxx
University of East Anglia
Norwich Email p.jones@xxxx.xxx
NR4 7TJ
UK

McCain In Trouble In AZ GOP Primary

2009-11-20T08:47:41-05:00

According to a new Rasmussen poll, McCain looks to be running about even in the upcoming GOP primary. Somehow I'm thinking Simcox's 4% wouldn't go to McCain were Simcox not involved. Simcox staying in for 4% of the vote would be foolish under the circumstances.

Senator John McCain’s future in the U.S. Senate may be a little less assured than previously thought.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely 2010 Republican Primary voters in Arizona finds the longtime incumbent in a virtual tie with potential challenger J.D. Hayworth. McCain earns 45% of the vote, while Hayworth picks up 43%.

Former Minuteman leader Chris Simcox gets four percent (4%) support, while two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate and seven percent (7%) are undecided.

The Incompetent McCain Aides Attacking Sarah Palin

2009-11-20T08:03:35-05:00

Read some of the blunders by the very same people who now wish to blame Sarah Palin for the failed campaign they ran. From an item by Roger Stone at The Stone Zone.

Schmidt Proved Incompetence in ‘08 Race

Schmidt is, after all, part of the gang that had McCain suspend his presidential campaign and rush back to Washington to take the exact same position as Barack Obama on the first Federal bailout bill which in the end, only bailed out Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street Bankers. With his endorsement of the bailout, McCain lost any chance to draw a contrast with Obama and wage a competitive race for the Presidency.

Schmidt, the political genius was also party to the late October announcement that the McCain campaign was writing off Michigan. Even if polling showed that Michigan was beyond reach, why would you announce it publically so the Obama campaign could shift resources from Michigan to another toss-up-state?

One Health Care Vote = $100 Million

2009-11-20T07:33:11-05:00

Outrageous. This amounts to a theft being perpetrated on American taxpayers by Democrats desperate to give the White House at least one accomplishment to coo about.

Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, one of three lawmakers being wooed by Senate Democratic leaders to back health-care legislation, won the inclusion of an extra $100 million in federal aid for low-income people in her state.

And that accomplishment will turn America's health care system inside out - not for the better, I'm afraid. Get ready folks, today is defeat state controlled health care day. Watch for more to come and get on the phone to your Senators.

And you might want to let these two below know that if they think they can play games moving this along while scurrying for cover down the line, they are going to be target #1 when they're up for re-election. I believe Lincoln is up in 2010, Nelson not until 2012.

Two other Democratic senators who have also voiced skepticism about the legislation, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, signaled yesterday they’re likely to support Reid’s effort to start debate before Congress takes a weeklong recess for the Thanksgiving holiday.

After talking earlier this week with the three lawmakers from Republican-leaning states, Reid said he’s “cautiously optimistic” he’ll win the vote set for 8 p.m., Washington time, tomorrow.

Tim Blair Has Moved

2009-11-20T00:28:38-05:00

Be sure to bookmark his new site. Tim's a great and often hilarious read.

Sarah Palin As Role Model

2009-11-20T00:17:42-05:00

Jackie, the young woman from this MSDNC video, has written up her experience at Sarah Palin's book signing for "Going Rogue" on her blog.

When is the last time you can recall the liberal media asking a young female fan of any liberal female political figure a question about policy? Don't they always cite the politician as simply a role model? I can't recall them taking the conversation much beyond that level.

It really troubles me that what they are actually saying here is, obviously Sarah Palin is no role model for a young woman, or shouldn't be in their biased view. Don't think these people aren't seriously twisted up by their politics, folks. They most certainly are.

Where on earth do I begin? This all started as me, a young 17 year old American going to see a woman I admire and turned into this crazy event hah I’ll start at the very beginning.

Frum On Palin: Frum Reveals His Latent Homosexuality

2009-11-19T23:16:18-05:00

h/t Instapundit. Pretty pathetic, even for David Frum. However, I do believe we can learn from this.

This is a woman who has got into a position of leadership by sending very powerful sexual signals. And we see that in the way that men like her much more than women do.

With about the same level of detailed analysis Frum cites here to reach his conclusion, clearly this Andrew Sullivan-like response suggests, married or not, Frum is obviously reacting to Paln as a homosexual would. Consequently, it can only be his latent homosexuality coming out. They are both from foreign countries and think similarly about Sarah Palin. What more proof could we want? It's simply so obvious to me, there's no reason to question the conclusion. Someone call NPR.

ACORN: About That Journalistic Integrity Thing

2009-11-19T22:45:19-05:00

Sad, but too bad, LA Times. Now, if it had been a conservative source, how many additional confirmations do you think they would have wanted? My guess is at least one solid one. Oh, but progressive Commie types? We know they never lie because they care so much!

Yeah, ... right.

In September, L.A. Times columnist James Rainey wrote a column in which he uncritically quoted ACORN worker Lavelle Stewart suggesting that she had turned Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe out of her office:

It Begins: Terror Suspect To Boycott NYC Trial

2009-11-19T19:34:16-05:00

I don't believe she was held in Guantanamo. However, she was named by KSM according to the Wiki. What a wonderful thing, an MIT education. Look at this as a preview of the sort of thing we can look forward to playing out, possibly for years, in NYC.

NEW YORK (AP) -- A scientist trained in the U.S. and suspected of being an al-Qaida operative has promised to boycott her January trial in New York.

Aafia Siddiqui (ah-FEE'-uh see-DEE'-kee) interrupted lawyers to announce in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday that she did not plan to participate in her trial.

Then, during a break, she told U.S. marshals she did not want to return to the courtroom when they led her out as she continued talking.

Siddiqui faces charges after U.S. authorities said she grabbed a gun and fired it at a police station in Afghanistan in July 2008. She was wounded in the struggle with American soldiers.

Siddiqui studied at MIT and Brandeis University before fleeing to her native Pakistan in 2003.

Rosie Gal Pal Replaced By Dog

2009-11-19T18:49:42-05:00

Yeah, it's a cheap shot. I feel bad. But only because I like dogs so much. Besides, it was time to bring back my Rosie O'Donnell favorite hit. See below.

O'Donnell confirmed: "She does! She burrows in the bed right next to me."

And, when asked who "sometimes looks after her," O'Donnell explained her four children all fight over caring for the pup, which she got three days after Carpenter left. "What happened [was] when Kelli moved out two years ago, I got the dog. Because I wanted another child or something to love. And I got the dog."

Hey, this took a while to make. And it still ticks the feminazis off.

Hamilton Confirmed

2009-11-19T17:50:13-05:00

So much for that battle.

Hamilton, who was President Barack Obama's first judicial nominee, came under Republican fire for several rulings he made in Indiana, from barring certain prayers in the state legislature to a ruling stating that abortion clinics should not be required to provide information on alternatives to abortion.

Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), who represents Hamilton's home state of Indiana, casted the lone Republican vote for the judge.

Updated: Glenn Beck Pwned?

2009-11-19T17:25:13-05:00

Update: Yeah, pwned. h/t Lala in comments. She's good!

Status: This exact quotation has not been found in any of the writings of Thomas Jefferson. It bears a very vague resemblance to Jefferson's comment in a prospectus for his translation of Destutt de Tracy's Treatise on Political Economy: "To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, ‘the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, & the fruits acquired by it.'"

Hmm. I have tried looking into this. Plenty of web cites for Jefferson. I did find one on a board attributing it to Washington, though. And one to unknown. Any help on the quote, let me know.

Beck was, as usual, standing in front of his blackboard. Chalked on it was:

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” Thomas Jefferson

It is a sentiment with which I completely agree. I’ve written whole books with that sentiment as the subtext. The problem: The quote is a fake. Thomas Jefferson never said it. Jefferson would have been sympathetic to the idea, as other writings clearly imply. But he didn’t actually say it. In front of a national television audience, Glenn Beck put up a quote that his researchers would have discovered is a fake if they had done the slightest bit of Googling.

Saw this on a board posting, not a definitive source. I'm getting spam to promote his Christmas picture book, too. Something about a boy and his sweater? What's that, his fourth book this year? The guy's a cash making machine, have to give him that.

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." ...George Washington

Media Got The Memo On Sarah Palin's Book

2009-11-19T15:29:48-05:00

This relatively pathetic MSNBC video from a Palin book signing makes it obvious that the media got their talking points from the Democrats. And they're working them for all they're worth. Where's the policy, Sarah???

Give me a break. If conservatives talk policy, they say you have no vision. We lay out a general vision, well, where's the policy at? The MSNBC idiot even has to keep going back to her note cards to keep refreshing herself, that's how canned and uninteresting are the fan interactions they provide. She's lucky some bitter clinger's wife didn't just rap her on the snout.

To the extent a policy book is written by a candidate, or potential candidate, which we have no idea Palin is, or will become at some point, are written the year before an election. These media hacks can't all be this dumb. Surely it's just a hit by design. And as far as why she may have embraced the bail-out, as McCain did? Well, doh! That question is as dumb as the rest.

Tune in to MSDNC below. Nothing is more clear than that.

GOP Reps Join Dem: Fire Geithner - Holder, Murtha, Rangel Under Fire, As Well

2009-11-19T15:04:58-05:00

Wherever Obama's administration was when he left town, it looks to be going somewhere else fast and in a hand basket, if you will. Two Republican Representatives have joined with Democrat Peter DeFazio in wanting Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to resign. Meanwhile, there was Holder's performance before the Senate and growing attention on his conflict of interest issues nipping at his heels.

Obama had better get around to making a decision on Afghanistan quickly. Between health care reform and mounting serious attacks on his administration, he looks to be fighting a two front war at home right now. I suppose he could re-deploy over the horizon and stay in China. Unfortunately, the man who came up with that strategy, Jack Murtha, is looking at problems of his own, along with other Dems. They're at least bad enough to qualify for a Phila Inquirer Editorial: Asking Questions, today.

Nobody has been accused of wrongdoing, but among the names on the list are Reps. Charles Rangel (D., N.Y.), the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.), chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee. Murtha and other appropriators are under fire for their questionable relationships with defense contractors.

A repeat of first link:

"You are the point man on the economy," Brady said to Geithner. "The buck, in effect, stops with you."

Brady cited comments made Wednesday night by a Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, to MSNBC's Ed Schultz that Geithner and National Economic Council director Larry Summers should resign. DeFazio told Schultz that President Obama is "being failed by his economic team. We may have to sacrifice just two more jobs to get millions back for Americans."

Echoing comments made by a Democratic lawmaker Wednesday night, two Republican members of the Joint Economic Committee today called for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to resign.

Two Republicans call for the treasury secretary's resignation during hearing."It's been a year since the president was elected," the panel's ranking Republican, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, said at a hearing this morning featuring Geithner. "It's appropriate for the American people to assess how well the administration's economic policies are working. They are not. They have failed."

Waxman Admits Current Health Care Bill Just A Ploy

2009-11-19T13:31:33-05:00

The entire video below is about 7 minutes long. The first part on climate change legislation is worthwhile, too. It reveals the full scope of the already passed House bill that Waxman believes they will get back to next year. But for the telling part on health care reform, fast forward to about 6 minutes in. On climate, it isn't just about limiting carbon, it's about government choosing what industries and solutions succeed and which ones fail. And his aim is to do it first to set a better example for the world. That's ridiculous. Most will not surrender the economic advantages gained from us selling ourselves short. And even France is already nuclear powered to a great degree. Something the progressives will never allow America to be. We'll come out behind economically, not ahead, as these world utopian-ists believe.

"I think we are going to get a bill passed. It may not be everything that I'd want, but if we get it in place we can build on it later and we could start down the road to making sure that we have a system that makes sense."

Waxman admits any health care bill isn't going to have everything he wants. But the plan is to "build on it". Eventually, he claims, America will have "a health care system that makes sense". How many guesses do we get to nail precisely what that means?

Point being, Waxman and the Dems are already plotting to build on it over time if they can only get this critical first step passed. Once in place, it will prove all but impossible to stop each incremental change before we find ourselves with the completely government run single payer system the progressives actually want. They simply don't want to be caught saying it straight up. h/t Washington News Observer. There is no honesty behind this health care plan. It's a trojan horse with potentially disastrous implications for all Americans concerned about health care that offers more competition to reduce costs. Not less competition and ultimately total government control.

Holder's Conflict Of Interest Problems

2009-11-19T12:18:10-05:00

Sorry, but if Lindsey Graham can make an utter fool out of you in a Senate hearing, it ain't saying good things about your smarts, there, skippy. That would be Eric Holder we're talking about. It's a wonder Grahmnesty didn't reach back, give Barney a second bullet and tell him to arrest Holder on the spot for sheer stupidity topped-off by incompetence.

So, would such an ass-tute legal mind as Holder have enough sense to avoid conflicts of interest in his new job? And what does it say about Obama? He hired him, after all. If we ever clear away the wreckage of this fast failing, already flailing administration piece by piece, there may be no end to the amount of Windy City-infested corruption we find. It's likely so bad, we'll just sweep the whole thing out of the way, along with their party, beginning in 2010.

Michelle Malkin has the latest on Eric "Bag Man" Holder. Don't let the light catch you holding that bag, Eric. After that testimony along with these revelations, the Right may just be bagging itself a bag Holder before too long. It's a good thing I'm putting on weight. I'm going to need a bigger belt to show off the scalps within four short years. That isn't to say they're mine, exactly. I just enjoy showing them off, as we all should. The Party of Bush-Hitler Derangement Syndrome deserves some pay back, doesn't it, folks?

If you’ve been paying attention, you already know all about AG Eric Holder and his DOJ staff’s national security conflict of interest as senior partner with Covington & Burling — the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm, which represents 17 Yemenis currently held at Gitmo.

I first mentioned it here in January and spotlighted the problem in chapter 4 of Culture of Corruption.

In fact, Holder and Covington & Burling have a lucrative niche in terrorist representation.

Eric Holder Pwned: M..m....M, .m, m... Miranda?

2009-11-19T11:52:34-05:00

Tell me these incompetent political hacks like Obama and Holder aren't putting America at greater risk? Our enemies have to be laughing their azzes off in their caves at the crew they find themselves up against.

And any street hood could probably tell you this is a one way ticket to freedom for terrorists who have already killed Americans. It's so unbelievably stupid, one can hardly believe it's driven by the Progressive ideology. But it is. It's so misguided and anti-American, they actually want to do everything in their power to weaken our ability to fight terrorism around the world.

Holder should be fired for incompetence. He can't even represent himself. How the hell is he going to represent the US Government when it comes to anything? The man is a fool.

Full List Of Tax Hikes In Health Care Bill

2009-11-19T11:35:11-05:00

Just saw this via Twitter.

BREAKING: Full List of Tax Hikes In Senate Democrat Health Bill

Decided to post it separately rather than update my recent health care bill post. That one warns of the likely consequences of the motion to proceed.

Andy's Jewels

2009-11-19T11:29:06-05:00

Or is that Jules' Andy?

Normalcy Promised It’s a tall order. It’s Andrew Sullivan, coming down off his Palin-induced state of brain implosion, or whatever that was:

Health Care Alert: Tax Increases, Motion To Proceed Assures Passage?

2009-11-19T11:19:00-05:00

Interesting. Democrats are arguing for a motion to proceed on the health care bill, claiming it is not the same as passage.

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) on Wednesday took aim at critics who have attempted to sway his vote on whether to support Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) effort to begin debate on a health care reform measure this week.

Just in from the GOP via email. They claim the reality suggests otherwise. Better safe than sorry, I say. Better to defeat the motion if we can. It's claimed there are major tax increases in it. See link below for that.

According to an analysis conducted for this office by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, between the 106th and 110th Congress, there were 41 cases in which the Senate approved the motion to proceed to a bill that the Senate eventually held a vote on final passage. Of those 41, 40 of the bills received Senate approval (S. 1805 in the 108th Congress was the lone exception). Based on these numbers, when the Senate votes to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to a bill, that bill has a 97.6 percent chance of inevitably passing the Senate.

*This analysis excludes any bill that may have been pulled from the floor for whatever reason after the initial cloture votes or that may have passed by unanimous consent or a voice vote.

They're coming for it eventually. This bill means they have to be, along with managing care to reduce costs.

The following is from the Joint Tax Committee estimate of the revenue effects of the Reid bill. I have listed provisions with major revenue effects (+$20 B / 10 years) and a few others that have significant policy or political impacts. There are some smaller changes as well, which you can see for yourself in the 3-page document. All revenue figures are revenues raised over the ten-year period 2010-2019.

Send In The Rubes

2009-11-19T11:08:47-05:00

Jaysus, these Nutroots types actually still believe they have any sway when it comes to the Democrats. How many times do they need to be played like fools before realizing how irrelevant they are, except for any campaign cash they can generate?

Are we out of Iraq? Is gay marriage going to be legalized? What about don't ask, don't tell? Is ..., is ...? Um, here's your answer folks: shove it. Shut up, you're going to vote for us anyway. You have no other choice.

Send in the rubes, we've got to have rubes. Never mind, they're here.

If Harry Reid truly cares about fighting for the good of the country over the good of Wellpoint, he will immediately dispense with the opt-out and move to reconciliation and allow a majority in the Senate to deliver to Americans what they want and desperately need.

McCain/Palin: What Really Went Wrong?

2009-11-19T10:46:06-05:00

Knowing what we do of Sarah Palin today, would anyone think it a wise decision to pair her with an ex-White House staffer out of CBS as her key contact for the entire 2008 campaign? The very thought of it is laughable. Yet, that's precisely what the campaign did, because it's what you would do with just another political up and comer looking to break out nationally over night before landing in Washington, DC.

They struck gold with the pick of Sarah Palin. Had she been managed and employed effectively - and if McCain hadn't made the disastrous decision to suspend and return to Washington, where Obama played him like a chump during the economic crisis - they might actually have pulled out a win. That, despite McCain's unsuitability for the office, not because he was the least bit well suited for it.

But like dead pan miners who struck it rich, they ran off to town, got drunk in the saloon, losing everything in a card game, before being shot and left for dead in an alley. Hey, it's a tough world out there and politics is one of the toughest of all. And don't forget, we're talking Chicago politics on top of that. But it isn't as though anyone deserves any sympathy here. And that includes Sarah Palin.

She's young enough to be or become just about whatever she wants to be in the world, is promoting a sure to remain for a while best seller and is well on her way to becoming a millionaire, if not already there. There are likely far worse fates awaiting too many a young gal from Wasilla. She'll be fine, in fact, more than fine in the end.

Whoever made the decisions inside the McCain campaign, at times it seemed to vary almost daily between Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt, more than enough bad ones were made to lose. Most of them had nothing to do with Sarah Palin. She wasn't the exception in that sense, she's simply the biggest player that proves the rule. It's only natural that she would be getting the most attention as regards what they did wrong. But picking her may have been the only major thing they did right after over-celebrating their primary win and taking the summer off. Obama was already poised to all but crush them by the time we got into the Fall.

That we're discussing her in that context is only because of the DC outsider gold she turned out to be. That McCain and company couldn't appreciate the value of what they had found, let alone know how to manage it, is not Sarah Palin's fault. That she has survived and even thrived in some ways is proof that she doesn't and likely never did need them to succeed.

After all, Palin's still going strong, while they're lying irrelevant and mostly politically dead out back in the alley somewhere in Chicago of all places. Sarah Palin's creating serious problems on a regular basis for the very people that won the election and they're non-factors and actors in America's more serious political discourse.

It's disappointing, though not surprising that McCain would scurry out to protect the standard political rats now stuck on a sunken ship with him; that's simply the way it's done in Washington, DC. You protect the people closest and most loyal to you, no matter what. I believe the reality few can appreciate here is, Palin is not the exception to the rule when it comes to McCain/Palin 2008. The campaign had similar problems at most levels and in most areas, ones that had nothing to do with Palin, or McCain - except to the extent they were driven by his personality and Senator's sense of the world. And those were not things that would ever have landed him in the White House in 2009 under almost any circumstances.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Senator John McCain on Wednesday strongly defended the top advisers from his 2008 presidential campaign in the face of sharp criticism from his vice presidential running mate, Sarah Palin.

The people who know the most about McCain/Palin 2008 aren't the people willing to go on record for the media. While the top political players have their respective careers, for better or worse - for most on the campaign, to talk now would be a career ender. So all we are getting is two of the most polarized views from the top. In my experience, that never is where the real story rests. But it's all that we've got. Make of it what you will, I'd suggest not too much.

Most everyone already knowns which, or whose side they're on. Whatever the futures of the various players, any back and forth doesn't exactly help either side. Given what Palin endured from the media and by way of an overall poorly run presidential campaign, she has every right to put her views on the record before moving on. As for the others on what was already an all but doomed campaign when she joined it, one that was ultimately lost in DC because of two economic meltdowns, America's and McCain's, and not Sarah Palin, the less they say the better off they'll be at this point. Unfortunately, that lesson seems lost on some rather typical DC talking heads.

LMAO: Mail Carrier Of The Year Announced!

2009-11-19T02:20:43-05:00

The stupid just keeps pouring off of the wires tonight. A female mail carrier, drunk, breaks into a home and plops down on the kitchen floor to eat some leftover noodles?? You can't make this chit up. Too bad we don't have guvmint health care, yet. They'd probably just transfer her to the critical care ward to help reduce costs. She wasn't even fired on the spot. You watch, it'll be rehab and back to work delivering mail to your house. Help her out and keep some warm noodles on the porch for when she stumbles past. ha ha ha

MARION, Iowa (AP) -- Police in Marion and postal authorities are investigating the case of a mail carrier who was allegedly found drunk inside a residence while on the job. Police said the postal worker, 46, was charged with public intoxication Nov. 3 after she was found sitting on the kitchen floor of 95-year-old woman's house, eating leftover noodles from her refrigerator.

Police Lt. Steve Etzel said Tuesday that the woman apparently entered the home through an unlocked front door. He said she was in uniform and had mail and a mail-carrying bag with her.

The woman, a 17-year employee of the U.S. Postal Service, was taken to the Linn County Jail. Marion Postmaster Rick Leyendecker said the woman is currently on unpaid leave.

Couple Calls Police Over Pot Theft

2009-11-19T02:15:08-05:00

Nah, smoking too much dope doesn't make you, like, uh, dumb, or anything. And within 1,000 yards of a school?? lol Morons like this don't deserve to get high.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- A man and woman who reported to police that robbers stole their marijuana are now facing charges themselves. The 32-year-old man and 29-year-old woman told police five armed men came to their Wichita apartment late Monday night and took marijuana.

Police said one suspect accidentally fired his gun and spooked the other suspects. They ran from the apartment to a white Cadillac, dropping marijuana along the way.

Police found more marijuana inside the apartment.

The couple were booked on suspicion of various drug charges, including selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school.

Andy Sullivan Phones Home, Or, Out Of The Bunker And Into The Light?

2009-11-19T01:36:32-05:00

He's baaack! Claims Andy, he will be up half the night writing, not truth, but narrative. Yes, we know that's what all good journalists resort to when they have the facts. Right?

What a maroon. In other words, his delusion will continue but it will all be soooo much clearer, now. What a laughable farce Sullivan has become. I'm considering a new category, Mental Health, just so as to have a compassionate place to archive posts on him. This is your brain, my friends. This is your brain having been lost on the Internet chasing a unicorn and a magical uterus for far, far too long.

In his hagiography of Palin, Matt Continetti accuses yours truly of earnestness about all this. I am grateful for his not accusing me of cynicism. I remain earnest in both suspecting every word she says but also in trying to find out the truth as best we can. It's not that Palin cannot tell the truth; it is that it is so mixed up with lies and delusions that separating them all out is not a quick or easy task. The Dish, meanwhile, has aired a whole range of views about her various 33 and counting verified lies, and the Dish's own Patrick Appel has weighed in independently on the whole, bizarre pregnancy/labor story, which has mystified me from Day One. So I feel obliged to do the homework properly - to be fair to Palin and to our readers as much as anything else.

Anyway, we're done now. And I hope to be up half the night trying to write a post on the great mystery of the stories about Trig, stories that have bedeviled the blogosphere and many others for months. There is no proof here of anything, but there is a much more nuanced and detailed narrative of the events(especially now we have Palin's first considered version of the events since the campaign) that when taken together has definitely helped illuminate what was once obscure and, well, bizarre. Believe it or not, it makes a little more sense now.

RS McCain calls for deportation. Lawd, no. He'd probably strip off his clothes and start swimming the Rio Grande yelling, "Andale, andale! Arriba, arriba!" at this point. Otherwise, we'd have to spring for a flight to the UK and they might not even take him at this point - his being such damaged goods and all.

Sarah Palin Audio: Get A Life!

2009-11-18T20:04:04-05:00

Audio from Mark Levin's interview with Sarah Palin. A very short clip of the Get a life quote below. Full interview here.

Friedersdorf Digs Sullivan's Crazy Anti-Semitism

2009-11-18T19:20:40-05:00

Valley of the Shadows has been on this angle.

I detest such vile displays. It's a good thing it isn't allowed on Talk Radio where they police such things for appropriateness. Why do these young post-menstrual, or whatever they are, faux conservatives support hate speech? Are they anti-Semites at heart?

Friedersdorf ... hmm, is that a German name?

Gosh, I hope that isn't it.

Dailykos: Dumbest Palin Smear Campaign Ever

2009-11-18T19:10:32-05:00

I saw this earlier. It has to be the dumbest smear campaign I've ever seen attempted.

Hoekstra: Fort Hood Info Just Tip Of The Iceberg

2009-11-18T19:01:38-05:00

On a recently concluded conference call, Rep. Pete Hoekstra claimed there is much more information to come out as regards the Fort Hood terrorism suspect, that any terrorism trials headed to New York may well last years and acquittals for any number of reasons should not be ruled out in trials that may dismantle previous efforts to bolster America's anti-terrorism capabilities, potentially handing them over to the courts to direct going forward.

He also had severe criticism for how the Obama administration is proceeding in some specific regards, saying they haven't even been able to produce a basic logic, or clear roadmap to explain, let alone defend recent actions when requested to do so.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI) said he believes that all currently public information on Fort Hood terrorist, Nidal Malik Hasan, represents only the "tip of the iceberg" and that there is "much more to come" on Hasan. Hoekstra is the Ranking Republican Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Also on the call was Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA). They also discussed the status of the closure of the Guantanamo Bay facility and terrorist trials inow slated for New York City.

As regards Fort Hood, Hoekstra said he had little doubt this was an act of terrorism, as opposed to a simple crime. He believes the Obama administration will eventually be forced to reach the same conclusion. While Hasan may fit the classic definition of a Lone Wolf terrorist, Democrats have already removed that provision from the Patriot Act.

As regards the planned trials of KSM and others in NYC, Hoekstra agreed that they present the possibility that much of the increased enforcement actions developed throughout the Bush years may be subject to being exposed and potentially dismantled. Ultimately, the trials could effectively put the courts in charge of the so called War on Terrorism.

He also cited the John Adams Project as being prepared to throw their full weight and resources behind bringing about that very result. He feels they will do all that they can to put the government, the Bush administration and affiliated government organizations and procedures on trial, while providing KSM and others a world stage, potentially for years to come.

The ACLU and NACDL have assembled defense teams to be available to assist in the representation of detainees facing prosecution at Guantánamo. We took this step because of our grave concerns that the Guantanamo military commissions process does not reflect our country's commitment to justice and due process.

Hoekstra also claimed the administration seems to lack any clear rationality for having some terrorists proceed to trial under military commissions, while others will enter the American Court system. When recently asked what course Osama bin Laden might be tracked on were he captured, the Obama administration was unable to answer the question. Evidently, they have not planned for such an occurence, though Obama did claim it to be job one during his campaign.

The congressman also called for the release of all known information on precisely who the individuals were that were to be tried, or held within the United States. Hoekstra believes if Americans knew their full backgrounds and current mindsets, citizens would most likely not what them moved into their states once they understood who the men truly were and what they may have done, or planned to do. That includes ways in which they currently resist efforts to hold and control them.

Chuck Schumer has already requested that 75 Million dollars be earmarked for the NYC trial. It's unclear if that is the money for one year, or the entire trial. Hoeksta believes the trial could last as long as from 4 - 5 years, potentially through the next presidential election.

Updated: Andy Sullivan: Our Own Little Joseph Conrad

2009-11-18T16:01:40-05:00

Update: More fun amid the madness via Ed Driscoll with additional links.

Good Lord, this is priceless. The Dish has gone silent. Shhhhhh.... Andy, the blogosphere's own little Joseph Conrad, steams along, deep into his own little heart of darkness to discover.... Dare we say it? "The horror! The horror!"

Oh man. 'e's funally flipped 'is frickin' lid, mates. Wudnt'ya say?

ha ha ha What a freaking lunatic!!

Since the Dish has tried to be rigorous and careful in analyzing Palin's unhinged grip on reality from the very beginning - specifically her fantastic story of her fifth pregnancy - we feel it's vital that we grapple with this new data as fairly and as rigorously as possible. That takes time to get right. And it is so complicated we simply cannot focus on anything else.

Rod Dreher Gets His Fweelings Hurt, Bashes Palin Book In Return?

2009-11-18T14:18:22-05:00

Gee. Do you think Rod Dreher may have had an ax to grind given his opening graph?

Sarah Palin is back to tell us that she loves Alaska. And America. And Todd, the First Dude. She loves God, Ronald Reagan, cutting taxes and serving those she calls "ordinary hardworking people." Who's on Sarah's enemies list? The media. Good ol' boys who condescend to her. Elites like the Alaskan gadfly she describes as a "Birkenstock-and-granola Berkeley grad." Oh, and she really hates cynical McCain campaign staffers who, in her view, sabotaged her vice-presidential campaign.

Blogging can bite you on the butt sometimes, no matter how high and virtuous you fashion your little throne in this world. NewsBusters suggests that's the case with Dreher's review. I can't say if that's the case, but he certainly didn't have much time to read and contemplate the book. Whether he went full-metal Ana Marie Cox and didn't finish it, or not, who knows? I'm sure he'll say he didn't.

Via Newsbusters:

But what if those conservative guests just happen to take a stand NPR likes? Case in point: on Tuesday night’s All Things Considered, NPR touted a Sarah Palin book review by "conservative columnist" Rod Dreher, who concluded: "She quotes her father's line upon her resignation this summer as Alaska's governor: Sarah's not retreating, she's reloading. On evidence of this book, Sarah Palin is charging toward 2012 shooting blanks."

On his Beliefnet blog yesterday, Dreher blogged at 12:35 pm that he was 100 pages in. All Things Considered starts airing locally at 4 pm. Did he really finish the book and write a script before the taping?

BBC Discovers New Climate Change Problem

2009-11-18T13:41:58-05:00

Someone should Re-Tweet this to Al Gore:

Also - our climate change posts never do that well.. .Why? let us know

4 minutes ago from web Reply

DNC After Palin's Book: What's Next, Book Burning?

2009-11-18T13:03:05-05:00

You may recall that one of the earliest false charges against Sarah Palin had to do with her allegedly wanting to ban books from school libraries. That wasn't the case. Fast forward to the same political machine in the form of the DNC desperately trying to do all they can to prevent more people from reading Palin's book, Going Rogue.

Just who are the would be book burners of the two? On top of that, she is a private citizen, whether they like it or not. Yet, they are unaware of how ridiculous they look by waging a liberal jihad against her. These people are nuts. And we're still supposed to buy the silly notion that she's irrelevant? ha! They have no self-awareness at all. Everyday their actions betray their rhetoric. They are making complete fools of themselves in a doomed to fail effort and even the media is acknowledging it in various reports.

Whom the gods, or Obama, would destroy, I guess. This is getting to be fun to watch! The latest commenter spin seems to be, we want her to sell more books!

LOL Yeah, we're buying that, just not as quickly as many are buying her books, it would seem. ha! ha! ha!

The Democratic National Committee has been, for days emailing reporters gleefully about Sarah Palin's media blitz, feeding the flames of what officials there see as a distraction for and a threat to the Republican Party.

In advance of Sarah Palin’s stop in Michigan today, please find below everything you need to know about Going Rogue – a memoir that has been received as 1) political payback for Palin’s rivals that adds to the tabloid nature of her profile rather than provide a display of substantive policy chops that would reset her ability to be taken as a serious leader; and 2) substantively more fiction than fact compounding the credibility problems she earned during the 2008 campaign. These factors are reflected in recent polling which shows extraordinary disapproval numbers and small minorities who feel she's qualified to be President. The sensational nature of Palin's book continues to dominate news cycles - and does so to the detriment of the Republican Party. Combined with her dismal polling numbers and Republican willingness to cede the party to her and her polarizing tea party following, the political impact of her re-emergence, spells political disaster for the GOP going into 2010 and beyond.

Yelling "Stop" To The GOP Base

2009-11-18T11:48:35-05:00

Eric at RedState is a blog friend and fellow conservative I like and respect, so I emailed him before engaging this debate regarding his post on targeting Bennett in Utah.

While we’re all focusing on picking Charlie Crist off in the Florida Senate Primary, I think if conservatives really want to send the GOP establishment a message, target number one a high priority should actually be Bob Bennett of Utah. Just to clarify for those of you freaking out that I said target number one should be Bennett: the Bennett race happens before the Florida race. That said, we should be targeting more than just Florida. Bennett is worth picking off because he is an incumbent troublemaker. Granted, it was a poor choice of words on my part, but I hope you get the drift — picking off an incumbent has added value.

Let's briefly consider some facts that can help in making this decision. As regards "we should be targeting more than just Florida," I thought we were. Was NY - 23 merely a bad dream caused by the terrible candidate Scozzafava was for us? For starters, we have to fight Owens at least to some degree in winning back a previously reliable GOP seat we've lost.

Does anyone believe defeating Crist in Florida is going to be a walk? Are we already throwing DeVore in California under the bus because the energy, cash and focus is needed to take out a popular state-level incumbent - never an easy thing in the first place, by the way?

Did Dodd concede to Simmons and does Toomey now have PA locked? Will Harry Reid continue to lead the Senate for the Democrats, or are those votes counted already? When are Portman and Kasich in Ohio sworn in, they both beat liberal Dems? Or haven't we taken back Ohio, yet? There's at least the possibility of some low hanging Senate and Governorship fruit in Illinois thanks to Blago. Are we going to wait and see if it falls to the ground so we can just pick it up? And I haven't even mentioned any Blue Dogs we might want to take out while the timing is good. That's especially true in parts of the South, where some GOP incumbents we like are going to face serious challenges, too.

The GOP was thrashed in the House in 2008. Was it only due to Obamania and are all those Dem incumbents going to do the right thing and simply step aside without a fight? Sorry, I don't think so, friends. There's a heck of a lot more than Rubio on our plates. And there's an out of control Leftist WH destined to take apart much of traditional America by 2012 without a Republican majority in Congress to stop him. Is now the time to take out a Republican who won with about 70% in 2004 only to gamble on someone who has never run statewide, let alone won, and hasn't been seriously vetted? Meanwhile, the Dems are looking at a moderate to run that Obama knows and said he would support.

Now, given all that, let's have a quick look at this scourge of liberalism, Bennett, we need to purge. I'll bullet point it to make this quick. Frankly, if this guy is such a threat to elements of the base it warrants putting a seat at risk in a year where we absolutely need to gain them, some of us conservative bloggers better get our resumes ready. It won't be long before we aren't welcome either. Or, maybe it's time for people to slow down and think before they go a Bennett too far. Always did like the similarly named war movie, though!

His record is solidly Pro-Life, Pro-Gun and Anti-Tax

Voted against Bush on No Child Left Behind on states rights grounds.

Voted against Obama stimulus bill

Voted against “Auto bailout”

Voted against “Cash for Clunkers”

Voted against the second round of TARP after pushing to break Bush's extreme emergency $700 billion request into two parts. He felt the $350 billion was enough and wanted to limit it.

Introduced an amendment to the Budget Resolution requiring additional TARP funds to be authorized by Congress and offset with reductions in discretionary spending.

Bennett introduced legislation with Thune to strip the Treasury Secretary’s authority to extend TARP beyond Dec. 31, 2009. The Bennett-Thune bill allows TARP to expire at the end of the year so Dems can't keep using it as a slush fund.

Voted against Hate Crimes legislation

Voted against the closing of Guantanamo Bay

Voted against the Obama budget

Voted against FY 2009 Omnibus bill

Voted against Sotomayor

Voted against Geithner

Voted against Sebelius

Will be voting against David Hamilton

Blocked David Hayes, deputy secretary of
Interior out of domestic energy concerns.

Passed an amendment to protect the charitable contribution deduction from being used to pay for health care to save American charities $9 billion per year.

Passed the Washington County Land Bill to set the precedent for how Utah and the West manage public lands issues. This was firm push back on extreme environmentalism

Introduced legislation requiring the Census Department to include a question on citizenship in census forms for purposes of apportionment and worked with Vitter on an amendment to restrict funding to the Census Department until the citizenship question is included.

Voted to prohibit funding to ACORN

Net Neutrality - Opposes efforts to regulate, or impose industry-wide rules based upon speculation about what may occur in the future of the Internet. He believes that government regulation will only threaten the innovation that continues to thrive through the internet.

Opposed the fairness doctrine (voted in 2/09)

Opposed the “Medicare Doc Fix” or Medicare Reimbursement bill proposed by the Democrats this year because there was no offset or plan in place on how to pay for it.

Respecting States Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009

The Guns in National Parks Legislation (passed on cc bill)

Amendment restoring gun rights to DC

He supports a Federal Marriage Amendment to keep marriage between
a man and a woman.

If someone with the record above can't fit under the tent, maybe it's time to learn to enjoy the feeling of fresh rain myself. There's no way my libertarian streak would make the cut, whether I live in Utah, or not. And it's a potentially disastrous strategic move no matter how you slice it given the serious challenges we already face. I'm strongly backing Bennett out of nothing more than the principle of the thing at this point. There won't be that many left in the conservative base if these are the types of standards allowed to be employed.

Waiting For Sarah

2009-11-18T11:15:22-05:00

Literally, too cool. Jaysus, I wouldn't do that to date an 18 year-old cheerleader at this point in my life. These people must got da love.

Hundreds Wait All Night In 30F Weather In MI To Meet Sarah Palin At Book Signing

Update: The Other McCain responds: Yeah, right. Only if they could use my stomach these days for an awning. And I don't mean that in a good way.

(But they'd camp out for a date with Dan.)

Putin Goes Gangsta

2009-11-18T11:10:55-05:00

Saw this the other day, Putin at a rap thing. He looked mostly puzzled, I thought.

Obama: The World Loves America Because Of Me

2009-11-18T10:46:24-05:00

What an ignorant, naive doofus this guy is. He seems to put a lot more stock in world polls than he does domestic ones. He dismisses those when it conflicts with his policy goals. This arrogant basturd cares more about what the world thinks of him, than what Americans do. And if he honestly believes the nation's that are important to us in the world, especially potential threats, are going to treat us any differently because of his image obsessed presidency, the guy is as dangerous, as he is clueless about world politics.

The man's a superficial fool, a fraud and a Leftist tool.

"I think that we've restored America's standing in the world, and that's confirmed by polls," he told CNN's Ed Henry in a wide-ranging interview this week during his trip to China.

"I think a recent one indicated that around the world, before my election, less than half the people -- maybe less than 40 percent of the people -- thought that you could count on America to do to the right thing. Now it's up to 75 percent."

The president said that makes it easier for world leaders to cooperate with the United States, noting Chinese and Russia involvement in nuclear talks with Iran.

Obama Exploits Wounded Troops, Has Talking Point Meltdown After Palin Question

2009-11-18T10:14:01-05:00

The post was written as below when I happened upon a late find via Google that makes Obama's hard to follow rambling the least of the issues below. Read what he says about Walter Reed. He invokes it to foster an image of himself as the compassionate chief exec more than anything. The first time he even went there as CIC was only a week ago. That was one day after Fort Hood. Obviously that was a politically motivated decision. He's never gone there to simply visit his troops. But that didn't stop Obama from couching himself as if he does it all the time.

Obama had a sit down with Chip Reid of CBS. "Sharp turn" is right. Not that it has anything to do with Palin so much - but is there any sense to be made of Obama's rambling in the paragraph below? Honestly, I don't understand how he gets from his weight fluctuations to visiting Walter Reed. As a whole, it's an incomprehensible mash of talking points, if anything at all. It's all disconnected, somehow. I thought he was, to quote seemingly dangerous motorcade mangler, Joe Biden, "articulate"?

"Put your seatbelt on, sharp turn here," Reid said. "Sarah Palin has given you a 'four so' far as president on a 10-point scale. Is that a fair assessment?"

"Well look," the president answered. "I have to say, obviously, Mrs. Palin is out there selling books right now, and I think she'll do very well. ... She and I have different political philosophies, and it's probably not the person I look to do see how our administration is doing."

Mr. Obama, Reid observed, talked "movingly" about the toll his job is taking on him.

"Well, look," the president said, "my weight doesn't fluctuate too much. It goes in a five-pound bandwidth; it has for the last 30 years. Um, skipping meals, that's usually just a scheduling issue, but I'm eating fine and I'm sleeping fine. My hair is getting grey, and it is the butt of a lot of jokes from my wife as well as my friends. ... You just don't have a comparable set of circumstances - with two wars, a financial crisis as bad as anything since 1933, a host of regional issues that have to be dealt with, a pandemic; you have a convergence of factors that have made this a difficult year not so much for me, but for the American people. And so, absolutely that weighs on me, because whenever I visit Walter Reed or other military hospitals, I see the sacrifice young people are making. That is a heavy weight. But it's an extraordinary privilege, as well, and I wouldn't trade my job for anything."

Too bad he never even enjoyed the privilege before a terrorist attack at a domestic military base required him to show up somewhere as CIC. What a manipulative cad.

The president's visit came a day after an Army psychiatrist who once trained at Walter Reed hospital allegedly killed 13 people at Fort Hood. The White House says the hospital visit was planned before the shootings.

Friday's visit was Obama's first to Walter Reed since taking office, though he visited as a presidential candidate.

Will Debt Signs Be Springing Up?

2009-11-17T21:40:04-05:00

When I entered the DC Metro today, I walked under a banner asking me if I could spare some change to defeat the debt. It had a huge number attached. This looks to be it. All I could think of is, when are they coming after far more than change for that. Because they are, my friends. They are going to have to, soon. Simply walking under that banner and trying to comprehend the number was an unsettling experience. Trust me on that.

Funny how that national debt clock isn't something we've heard much about lately. I assume the banner is from this group here. The Hot Sheet at CBS reports the current amount of the national debt. We are so screwed.

It's another record-high for the U.S. National Debt which today topped the $12-trillion mark. Divided evenly among the U.S. population, it amounts to $38,974.34 for every man, woman and child.

Technically, the debt hit the new high yesterday, but it was posted on the Treasury Department website just after 3:00 p.m. ET today. The exact calculation of the debt is a 16-digit tongue-twister and red-ink tsunami: $12,031,299,186,290.07

Updated: Wow, I'm A Gangsta! I Rock!

2009-11-17T21:18:46-05:00

Update: A translation of the voice in the ad here. Scroll down. Still dumb and twisted.

I don't know why Feministe is so upset. The game isn't that hard. Dayum, I knocked her around so well I scored 100% Gangsta first time out. Not quite as challenging as PacMac. But she mouths off so much, it makes it at least somewhat enjoyable.

I was curious as to what the end message was going to be, so I kept “hitting the bitch” thinking after one or two times there would be some sort of lesson in all of this. But… no. You have to hit the woman like 15 times as she cries and touches her face and staggers backward and is bruised and bloody. It’s horrific. When you finally reach “100% Gangsta,” she falls over.

Oh, that must be it. Fifteen times?? Chick must swing like a gurl. I had her down with about 5 or 6, including a good back hand. Now, that takes some skill. You can't land any body shots though. See, that way, the bruises are mostly hidden. You have to nail the broad square in the face. But the blood makes her less attractive, so hitting her again isn't such a big deal.

Click on the image here to play, maybe we should keep like a team score?

Warning: Allegedly some anti-domestic violence group in Denmark developed the on line ap to fight domestic violence. I can't find a source for the campaign. If that's true, the action group must be about as sick as half the wife beaters in the world. That is one very twisted game.

Yes, I did score 100% Gansta in far less than 15 shots. The imagery is not pleasant to see. You've been warned. I guess that's the point. But I still find the concept sick as a serious effort at anything.

How Geithner Could Hurt Dodd

2009-11-17T20:33:22-05:00

Man, I don't like that flag symbol at the Inspectors General site. Anyway, remember Special Inspector General for TARP Neil Barofsky? We first learned his name during Obama's early IG scandal. I wonder why they wanted him, along with others, to be quiet? Could it be that CBS is now saying Geithner gave away the farm? That farm was paid for with taxpayer money, in case you've forgotten.

Enter Rob Simmons, now targeting Geithner in an on line effort to have him removed. Dodd, Simmon's opponent, has been desperately trying to portray himself as a populist in an effort to hold on to his Senate seat. So, what would a good populist do when faced with this kind of information on Geithner?

It's going to be fun to watch Dodd squirm on this one. Who believes he has the guts to stand up to Obama? Frankly, if he's such a good populist, why has he waited this long?

If you recall, AIG's failure meant that the companies on the other side of all of its contracts (counterparties) were going to be left holding the bag. Under normal cases of bankruptcy, the court would impose haircuts to the amount of money due to counterparties, but because AIG didn't actually declare bankruptcy, the counterparties claimed that they were owed 100 cents of every dollar. The only bank that even considered taking a haircut was UBS - the Swiss, for goodness sakes - hard to imagine that a Swiss bank could make US banks look bad, but here's a case in point.

OK, so let's get this straight: the financial world is melting down, Uncle Sam had just saved the bankers' butts and now Tim Geithner the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) was going to wimp-out? Yes, the Great Gazoo strikes again! (My friend pointed out that our current Treasury Secretary and former tax cheat bears a striking resemblance to this esoteric character from "The Flintstones" — Geithner has been the Great Gazoo since!)

Politico Defends Palin And Co-author Lynn Vincent

2009-11-17T20:03:31-05:00

I sure hope Ben Smith doesn't lose his job over this one. ha! Actually, Ben has seemed to be a decent guy and straight shooter as far as the limited extent to which I've dealt with him behind the scenes. Good to see him step up here. He even gave Stacy McCain a link in an update to his piece at link above.

Blumenthal writes that the collaboration offers "the clearest window into her far-right politics." But -- having done my own profile of Vincent using many of the same data points a couple of months ago -- this seems both off target and missing something pretty basic about the version of Evangelical conservatism to which both Vincent and Palin belong.

The pastor of the San Diego megachurch Vincent attends (with Carrie Prejean, natch) is black. She's also spent most of the last few years on a pair of inspirational books about, basically, racial reconciliation in the friendship between a rich white art dealer and a homeless black drifter, the first of them a Times bestseller. More broadly, she hails from a (large) stream of Evangelicalism that puts racial reconciliation very high on the agenda.

Vincent is -- like Palin -- well to the right, as Blumenthal notes, on abortion; but the race card (in both cases) seems out of place.

Sarah Palin Thanks 1st Million Facebook Fans

2009-11-17T18:24:44-05:00

Not too shabby for the VP candidate out of Alaska and along for the ride on McCain's defeated campaign.

I would like to thank everybody who has signed up to follow this Facebook page. We are now over one million strong! Our voices have been heard loud and clear on issues ranging from energy to healthcare. Your support has made this unfiltered communication medium a success.

Thank you so much!

- Sarah Palin

Oh My Dear God ....

2009-11-17T17:53:42-05:00

They may have been around a while but I never saw them. Something different in the second one at link. This below is just so, ... so, so beyond words. Why, I do believe I could simply scream. Mourn the death of the trees if you wish to. As for me, I mourn the death of that many brain cells. Or did they simply not exist in the first place? These people must huff Turpentine to get off, so pine tar, or something. Put a hurt on you, that stuff will. Take a look. Good grief? Not so much....

Sarah Palin Goes Rogue And Dems Go Rabid

2009-11-17T16:50:30-05:00

Democrat operatives across America have been spotted hunched over keyboards and digital devices foaming at the mouth while trying to circulate poorly sourced rumors about Sarah Palin in between texting their GP's to refill prescriptions for anti-depressants and, or anxiety inhibitors in bulk. Some of the more deranged, infected Democrats have been seen gnawing off their fingers and hands when they felt they weren't hitting the keys quite fast enough.

The DNC has asked the WH to declare a national emergency on a scale surpassing Katrina; however, Obama is said to be unavailable, holed up in a combination Chinese opium den / ballet studio practicing his bows to strains of Chinese folk music played on the sheng, or mouth organ, by dance instructor Rahm Emanuel.

Sadly, many of them may yet have to be put down to spare the population at large. Andrew Sullivan has once again immersed himself into a previously discarded Web identity, RawMuslGlutes, seeking solace from the onset of yet another infectious malady attacking his already weakened mind. In NYC, when asked what she was currently reading, anchorwoman Katic Couric is said to have attacked the inquiring passerby with an old Emmy, shouting, I was perky once, biatches! WTF do you people want from me, anyway???

Meanwhile over at MSNBC, Keiff Olbermann has taken a one week hiatus from his show. The entertainer is said to be enjoying quality time alone under his desk, where two production assistants have been assigned to monitor his mumblings for signs of severe physical or emotional distress.

Sounds to me like "Going Rogue" is already a hit! America may never be the same, and certainly the Democrats won't be. Whatever has gotten into those people? It's only a book by a mostly irrelevant private citizen, right? Yeah, ... right. They fear her, Lord how they fear that woman. It's amazing to watch. And hilarious, too!

Wow, for somebody who's supposed to be such a political joke, an Arctic ditz and eminently dismissable as a serious anything except maybe a stay-at-home hockey mom, Sarah Palin is sure drawing an awful lot of attention from Democrats and eager critics.

The launch of her "Going Rogue" interviews Monday on "Oprah," of her book today, of her on-air chat today with Rush Limbaugh at 10 a.m. Pacific and of her mid-America bus book tour Wednesday ignited a surprisingly large blizzard of derogatory Democrat dis-missives.

Every few minutes another note from Democratic National Committee operatives and others dropped into electronic mailboxes across the media-verse, helpfully passing on even the tiniest tidbit of negative news about Palin.

You know how sometimes a friend tells you how much he/she doesn't really care about....

...someone else. Really doesn't! And repeats it a sufficient number of times that you become convinced of precisely the opposite?

So maybe she does matter after all.

In ABC interviews to be aired today, Palin says a 2012 presidential bid is "not on my radar," which is Politician for, "We'll see."