Michael Moore’s open letter to Obama: Please be a quitter on Afghanistan

Michael Moore posted a bat shit crazy open letter to Obama on his website today. It seems to have been written in another dimension because some of the things Moore mentions have little resemblance to America today.

For example, take a look at the opening paragraph: 

 Do you really want to be the new "war president"? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do -- destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they've always heard is true -- that all politicians are alike. I simply can't believe you're about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn't so. 

Really, young people have not already turned cynical after being told by Obama that unemployment would not go over 8% with the passage of the stimulus? I am willing to bet much of those young people fresh out of college desperately hunting for jobs could live with Obama’s decision on Afghanistan, if they could find some decent paying work today.

Moore in his over dramatics even invokes Martin Luther King: 

What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do? What would your grandmother do? Not send more poor people to kill other poor people who pose no threat to them, that's what they'd do. Not spend billions and trillions to wage war while American children are sleeping on the streets and standing in bread lines. 

Just a guess, but I don’t think Martin Luther King would not have dithered for 3 months on Afghanistan either way. Plus where the hell are all these American children sleeping in the streets and standing in bread lines?

Not all of Moore’s letter is complete leftwing foolery, he does correctly state that the Afghan government is corrupt. However, Moore sees no downside to dropping a war in the lap of that corrupt government.

If you can read through the whole thing, Moore’s letter to Obama on Afghanistan can basically be summed up, as “Please be a quitter”! Moore basically wants Obama to walk away from Afghanistan and forge ahead with spending us into oblivion.

Track-A–‘Crat does a very nice take down on the rest of Moore’s craziness over at the Greenroom.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Michael Moore

WaPo finds that Limbaugh and Beck fans love Palin. Well duh!

It never ceases to amaze me how completely foolish the media gets when discussing Sarah Palin. Clearly since so many in the media has an agenda to discredit her, they tend only focus on the trial and end up looking foolish in the process.

In the latest bit of folly, the Washington Post declares that people who listen to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck have a higher favorable view of Palin an other Republicans.

From The Washington Post:

In a new Washington Post poll, Palin beats other GOP leaders on two questions: who best represents the party's core values, and who Republicans would vote for if the presidential nomination battle were held today. But she has particular appeal to the loyal followers of Limbaugh and Beck, two of the most popular conservative talk show hosts in the country.

Overall, 18 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents cited her as the person most representative of the party's core values, the highest percentage among prominent Republican figures. Among those who regularly listen to Limbaugh, however, Palin was cited by 48 percent, and among Beck's viewers, it was 35 percent, far surpassing others.

The pattern held when Republicans considered their possible choices for 2012. Palin led other Republicans, but with the support of just 17 percent. Forty-five percent of regular Limbaugh listeners said they would vote for her if their state's primary or caucus were held today, however, as did a third of those who regularly tune in to Beck's radio or television programs.

Well duh! It should come as no surprise that both Limbaugh and Beck listeners like Palin more, considering both Limbaugh and Beck actually spend time looking at Palin’s record rather than the silly stuff the mainstream media focuses in on.

The media’s theme for Palin is that she is too stupid to be president. However anyone who spends five minutes looking up her actual record will find that this impossible. Palin runs her own business, ran a city, ran a state, headed up an oil and gas conservation commission, dropped dime on swindlers in her own party, renegotiated complex oil contracts for her state, restarted a decades stalled gas pipeline project and kept her state’s spending well under budget. Palin was highly successful in all of these endeavors. How then are we to believe that someone who is supposedly a hillbilly hayseed is capable of all these accomplishments? If these are the accomplishments of a stupid person, then must contact the Pope, because miracles have happened in Alaska.

Both Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have highlighted these accomplishments on their shows, this is why their listeners have a much better view of Palin that those who simply swallow whole the nonsense from the mainsteam media.

What is both interesting and very telling about the Washington Post poll is what they failed to mention about how people view voting for Obama again.

From the Washington Post poll:

15. Thinking ahead to 2012, at this point would you definitely vote to re-elect Obama, would you consider voting for him, or would you definitely not vote for him?

                 Definitely   Consider   Definitely

                  vote to      voting     not vote       No

                  re-elect    for him     for him      opinion

11/23/09 All adults  24          31          41           4

11/23/09 Lean Reps    2          16          81           1 

A solid 41% will not vote to re-elect Obama. That is a big number to start out with. Unless Obama switches gears and finds a way to REALLY create jobs and lower the deficit, I expect that 41% to steadily grow between now and 2012.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Washington Post

Via: Washington Post

Huck PAC releases a very weak statement on Clemmons

From Huck PAC: 

NOVEMBER 29, 2009 - 11:14 PM

STATEMENT REGARDING WASHINGTON STATE SLAYINGS

by Press Team

The senseless and savage execution of police officers in Washington State has saddened the nation, and early reports indicate that a person of interest is a repeat offender who once lived in Arkansas and was wanted on outstanding warrants here and in Washington State. The murder of any individual is a profound tragedy, but the murder of a police officer is the worst of all murders in that it is an assault on every citizen and the laws we live within.

Should he be found to be responsible for this horrible tragedy, it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State. He was recommended for and received a commutation of his original sentence from 1990, this commutation made him parole eligible and he was then paroled by the parole board once they determined he met the conditions at that time. He was arrested later for parole violation and taken back to prison to serve his full term, but prosecutors dropped the charges that would have held him. It appears that he has continued to have a string of criminal and psychotic behavior but was not kept incarcerated by either state. This is a horrible and tragic event and if found and convicted the offender should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our thoughts and prayers are and should be with the families of those honorable, brave, and heroic police officers. 

This is weak. It seems to try to spread the blame all over the place. Huckabee commuted this guy’s sentence and that is why he was free to roam. It would be nice if Huck and company owned up to this fact.

If there is one thing the electorate is looking for today, it is integrity. That includes owning up to your mistakes, both big and small. This statement reeks of the same old Washington slip and slide when it comes to taking responsibility.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Huck PAC

Maurice Clemmons suspect in Tacoma Police Ambush granted clemency by Huckabee

From Michelle Malkin’s blog: 

A deadly ambush at a coffee shop near Tacoma, Washington on Sunday morning left four police officers dead. A vigil attended by an estimated 700 mourners and well-wishers was held Sunday night for the fallen at Champion’s Center church in Tacoma. Read about the lives, loves, and dedication to service of the fallen officers here.

The man being sought by police was granted clemency by former GOP Arkansas Mike Huckabee despite his violent history and vehement protestations from prosecutors and victims’ family members.

He was most recently in jail for alleged second-degree rape of a child. 

This looks like it's Michael Dukakis time for Mike Huckabee. I wonder if Huckabee had a heads up on this story? Perhaps that is why he told Fox News Sunday yesterday that he was “less than likely to run in 2012”. Clemmons will make a Huckabee 2012 run nearly impossible, especially when you look at Clemmons record, the man should never have seen the light of day. Just read what Clemmons is accused of at the tender age of 17.

From the Seattle Times: 

News accounts out of Arkansas offer a confusing — and, at times, conflicting — description of Clemmons' criminal history and prison time.

In 1990, Clemmons, then 18, was sentenced in Arkansas to 60 years in prison for burglary and theft of property, according to a news account in Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Newspaper stories describe a series of disturbing incidents involving Clemmons while he was being tried in Arkansas on various charges.

During one trial, Clemmons was shackled in leg irons and seated next to a uniformed officer. The presiding judge ordered the extra security because he felt Clemmons had threatened him, court records show.

Another time, Clemmons hid a hinge in his sock, and was accused of intending to use it as a weapon. Yet another time, Clemmons took a lock from a holding cell, and threw it toward the bailiff. He missed and instead hit Clemmons' mother, who had come to bring him street clothes, according to records and published reports.

On another occasion, Clemmons had reached for a guard's pistol during transport to the courtroom.

When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he was already serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft of property and possessing a handgun on school property. Records from Clemmons' sentencing described him as 5-foot-7 and 108 pounds. The crimes were committed when he was 17.

Clemmons served 11 years before being released.

News accounts say Huckabee commuted Clemmons' sentence, citing Clemmons' young age at the time the crimes were committed.

But Clemmons remained on parole — and soon after landed in trouble again. In March 2001, he was accused of violating his parole by committing aggravated robbery and theft, according to a story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

He was returned to prison on a parole violation. But in what appears to have been a mistake, Clemmons was not actually served with the arrest warrants until leaving prison three years later. As a result, Clemmons' attorney argued that the charges should be dismissed because too much time had passed. Prosecutors dropped the charges.

It seems to me that there was much bungling going on in Arkansas. Not just will his getting clemency, but with properly recording Clemmons’ crimes and correctly identifying what a dangerous man he was.

Michelle Malkin puts the blame squarely on Huckabee. She details Huckabee’s history of granting clemency to violent criminals like Maurice Clemmons and Wayne Dumond.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Michelle Malkin

Via: Seattle Times

Mike Huckabee: “less than likely I will run in 2012”…Yeah, right!

From Politico:

Sorry Huck, but I am not buying this.  Today Huckabee’s numbers are looking too good to ignore. He has weekly exposure because of his show. He has been mimicking too many of the Tea Partier’s words and his none too subtle slaps at Sarah Palin, leads me to believe he is going to go for it again.

I am not a big fan of Mike Huckabee. From the get go, he immediately struck me as a Republican Bill Clinton.  Like Clinton he oozes that faux compassion of “I feel your pain”. His overt play for Christian conservatives also reminded me of Clinton’s play to blacks.

In 2008 he could have done a lot better had he dropped the “I am above attacks” nonsense and leveled his guns directly at Romney or McCain.  I am also sure that Huckabee would have tripped up Obama more than once during the debates. I am not too sure how Huckabee will play in 2012. 

In 2012 America will need a no nonsense true believer of fiscal conservatism. Huckabee’s record in Arkansas simply doesn’t measure up to that standard. While Huckabee maybe able to work around that shortcoming in the general election, it is going to be a major hurtle to overcome in the primaries, especially when stacked up against Romney’s record of turning around failed enterprises and Palin’s strong fiscal conservative record.

In the end, Huckabee will be in the race for the White House once again.  The media will be singing his praises because they believe he is beatable. If Huckabee decides to go for it, he had better go all in for trying to win it. Simply sticking around to play the spoiler like last time ain’t gonna cut it.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Politico

St. Louis Tea Party with James O’Keefe draws 4,000 patriots

It’s great to see that the fire behind the Tea Parties is still going strong. James O’Keefe the ACORN Slayer must have been the icing on the cake at this event.

More images of the rally at Gateway Pundit and A Traditional Life Lived.  Be sure to see the video of a Cuban American warning that Cuba could be our future.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Gateway Pundit

Via: A Traditional Life Lived

CRU to release all its data … sort of

Now that Climategate is heating up, the scientists at the Climatic Research Unit at the University of Anglia have agreed to release all their data to the public.

From The UK Telegraph: 

The U-turn by the university follows a week of controversy after the emergence of hundreds of leaked emails, "stolen" by hackers and published online, triggered claims that the academics had massaged statistics.

In a statement welcomed by climate change sceptics, the university said it would make all the data accessible as soon as possible, once its Climatic Research Unit (CRU) had negotiated its release from a range of non-publication agreements. 

First, one has to wonder why this information was never made public from the get go. One would think with so many world governments willing to wreck their economies over climate change, that the very data supporting climate change would have been exposed to the light of day already.

While exposing this data to millions will seem to be the answer to clearing up the whole climate change debate once and for all, there seems to be a major fly in the ointment. This from the UK Times Online [emphasis added mine]: 

SCIENTISTS at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have admitted throwing away much of the raw temperature data on which their predictions of global warming are based.

It means that other academics are not able to check basic calculations said to show a long-term rise in temperature over the past 150 years.

The UEA’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU) was forced to reveal the loss following requests for the data under Freedom of Information legislation.

The data were gathered from weather stations around the world and then adjusted to take account of variables in the way they were collected. The revised figures were kept, but the originals — stored on paper and magnetic tape — were dumped to save space when the CRU moved to a new building.

The admission follows the leaking of a thousand private emails sent and received by Professor Phil Jones, the CRU’s director. In them he discusses thwarting climate sceptics seeking access to such data.

In a statement on its website, the CRU said: “We do not hold the original raw data but only the value-added (quality controlled and homogenised) data.”

In other words all we are going to see is data that has already been manipulated with no way of proving just how the data was manipulated. The more you peel back the onion here, the more man made climate change is looking like a big fat hoax carried out by a bunch of bullies masquerading as scientists. 

It will be interesting to see if the Democrats are still going to be willing to push Cap and Trade with climate change looking so shady. It will also be one hell of a YouTube moment when some enterprising journalist corners Al Gore on Climategate.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: UK Telegraph

Via: UK Times Online

Tiger Woods’ wife throws him a beat down, now the story is interesting

When I first heard that Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant for no apparent reason, I thought; humm sounds a little fishy. Now that TMZ is reporting that his wife scratched his face and was preparing to give Tiger a first class beat down with a golf club, because she suspected him of cheating, well that got my attention.

I only hope that the media will spare us two weeks of drawn out drama. All they have to do is gather all the juicy info and make one big report. That will satisfy all of us.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: TMZ

Jim Imhofe declares Cap and Trade dead

From The Wall Street Journal: 

So declares Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, taking a few minutes away from a Thanksgiving retreat with his family. "Ninety-five percent of the nails were in the coffin prior to this week. Now they are all in."

If any politician might be qualified to offer last rites, it would be Mr. Inhofe. The top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee has spent the past decade in the thick of Washington's climate fight. He's seen the back of three cap-and-trade bills, rode herd on an overweening Environmental Protection Agency, and steadfastly insisted that global researchers were "cooking" the science behind man-made global warming.

This week he's looking prescient. The more than 3,000 emails and documents from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit (CRU) that have found their way to the Internet have blown the lid off the "science" of manmade global warming. CRU is a nerve center for many of those researchers who have authored the United Nations' global warming reports and fueled the political movement to regulate carbon.

Their correspondence show a claque of scientists massaging data to make it fit their theories, squelching scientists who disagreed, punishing academic journals that didn't toe the apocalyptic line, and hiding their work from public view. "It's no use pretending that this isn't a major blow," glumly wrote George Monbiot, a U.K. writer who has been among the fiercest warming alarmists. The documents "could scarcely be more damaging." And that's from a believer.

Well Amen to that! I was never a believer in man-made Global Warming. The whole idea of carbon playing the main role in rising planetary temperatures seemed absurd to me from the get go.  Whoever hacked those emails, did the free world one great huge favor as so many governments were willing to grab power in the name of “saving the planet”.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that man-made global warming scientist were cooking the books, expect many Democrats (and a few RINOs) to still keep pushing it. Why? Simple, billions if not trillions in wealth transfers are at stake. Don’t expect those who stood to gain to just give up. I would look for GE to push is fraud science to the bitter end.

Something interesting to note here. At Thanksgiving dinner, I brought up the hacked emails to my liberal friends and extended family. None, not even one, had heard of it. When I showed them the stories online, many  were bitter and angry at the cover up, only one held hope there might be a reasonable explanation. Given these reactions, I think it would be best for the left to come clean and not try to hide these findings. 

For many on the left, climate change/ global warming was almost a religion. Finding out about the blatant lies and exaggerations is almost like finding out Christianity was just a fairy tale. It is devastating and many on the left will be beyond bitter.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Wall Street Journal

Epic Fail: Canadian comedian tries to punk Palin

Many on the left are trying to use this video as proof that Palin got punked by a fake reporter. Methinks not! First and foremost where is the funny? This second rate Dame Edna wanna be is as dry as chips. Second, Palin is right, Canada’s healthcare system is in desperate need of free market principles. Just ask Steven Crowder!

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Mediaite

Silly ramblings from a white liberal: Joy Behar on Black Friday

Oh brother! I know that The View is not a show known for its intellectual heft, but this scene takes the cake. Kudos to Whoopie for not buying into Joy’s foolishness and correctly pointing out that the word “black” is used to describe store’s balance sheets. Someone needs to tell Joy Behar that just because a word or phrase contains the word “black” doesn’t mean that it automatically pertains to black people. So words and phrases like “blackmail” and “black sheep” are not racist.

If white people don’t get all bent out of shape over the phrase “White Sale”, then I think us black folk should be cool with the phrase “Black Friday”. There is a huge chasm between racial sensitivity and utter foolishness and Joy clearly crosses that chasm here.

Newsbusters makes an important observation about Joy's selective sensitivity:

 It's somewhat ironic Behar would be concerned about offending sensibilities in this harmless use of the word black to describe the day of an event when she herself has had little regard for the sensitivities of personalities that tend to fall right of center on the ideological spectrum. Behar recently noted the past addictions of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and George W. Bush as marks of conservatism and has repeatedly taken shots at the intellect of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Yep, a few more years of sensitivity training for Joy is in order. 

Via: Memeorandum   

Via: Newsbusters 

Dick Cheney 2012?

From CNN Politics: 

Washington (CNN) – A new group wants former Vice President Dick Cheney back in the White House.

The organization - "Draft Dick Cheney 2012" - launched on Friday, and unveiled their new Web site. Their aim: To convince the former vice president to seek the Republican presidential nomination in the next race for the White House. But there may be a major roadblock to the group's pitch - Cheney himself.

"The 2012 race for the Republican nomination for President will be about much more then who will be the party's standard bearer against Barack Obama, the race is about the heart and soul of the GOP," said Christopher Barron, one of the organizers of the Draft Cheney movement. "There is only one person in our party with the experience, political courage and unwavering commitment to the values that made our party strong – and that person is Dick Cheney."

I would much rather see Dick Cheney (or his daughter Liz) involved in national security come 2012. They both have their heads screwed on straight regarding the threats facing America.

In 2012 America will need the mother of all fiscal conservatives to clean up after Obama and the Democrats' spending orgy. Cheney just doesn’t strike me as a strong fiscal conservative. His support of Kay Bailey Hutchinson over Rick Perry in the Texas governor's race, gives me pause about his understanding of conservatism across the board.

Plus will America be willing to revisit any aspects of the Bush administration? I am thinking not. Luckily Cheney himself is squashing the idea.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: CNN Politics

Rasmussen: Number of Americans who find US healthcare system Good to Excellent now at 49%

Rasmussen’s latest poll on how Americans view our healthcare system shows that the number of people who rate it good to excellent has increased to 49%.  This number has been steadily increasing since May 08 when on 27% said it was good to excellent.

I am not surprised by the increase. The healthcare debate (such as it is) has focused a lot of attention on single payer systems and the shortcomings involved. Americans do not know rationing and despite our system’s shortcomings Americans still have options to work around them. Not so in single payers systems where the government calls all the shots.

What is interesting is that the longer Congress works on healthcare reform the more Americans do not want it. It really shows up how there really is no healthcare "crisis" in America. Yes, we are in need of some fixes, but it isn’t like our current system is a complete failure. Which brings us to the big question, why are Democrats still pushing reform so hard when so many Americans are not up in arms about the status quo.

Hopefully these new numbers will be another warning sign to Democrats not to shove their horrid reform plan down our thoats.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Rasmussen

Boy, am I stuff!

I think I gained 20 pounds in one sitting! Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving with your friends and family. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to try to eat one more piece of Pumpkin pie! Burp!

Leftwingers wrong again, Kentucky census worker Bill Sparkman killed himself.

Remember how the lefties screamed that the right’s anti big government words killed Kentucky census worker Bill Sparkman. They said that our words incited violence against government workers.  Well what do you know, just like the stimulus, the left has failed again.

From McClatchy:

A U.S. Census worker whose death in a secluded Kentucky cemetery sparked worries about a backlash against the federal government killed himself but tried to make the death look like a homicide, authorities have concluded.

Bill Sparkman, 51, of London, Ky., might have tried to cover the manner of his death to preserve payments under life-insurance polices that he had taken out. The policies wouldn’t pay off if Sparkman committed suicide, state police Capt. Lisa Rudzinski said.

“We believe it was an intentional act on his part to take his own life,” said Rudzinski, who helped lead the investigation.

Sparkman’s nude body was found Sept. 12 by people visiting the cemetery. There was a rope around his neck tied to a tree, and he had what appeared to be the word “fed” written on his chest in black marker.

His census identification card was taped to his head.

The bizarre details of the death caused a firestorm of media coverage and widespread speculation on the Internet, including that someone angry at the federal government attacked Sparkman as he went door to door, gathering census information.

Michelle Malkin is making sure to the left knows their indictment of the right was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: McClatchy

Via: Michelle Malkin
CYQ4QSA5RB9V

Outrageous! Navy SEALS to be court-martialed for giving terrorist a fat lip!

How is this for outrageous? Three Navy SEALs secretly captured a most wanted terrorist and in the capture the dirt bag terrorist got fat lip and now charges are being brought against the SEALs!

From Fox News:

Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq — the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards in Fallujah in 2004. And three of the SEALs who captured him are now facing criminal charges, sources told FoxNews.com.

The three, all members of the Navy's elite commando unit, have refused non-judicial punishment — called an admiral's mast — and have requested a trial by court-martial.

Ahmed Hashim Abed, whom the military code-named "Objective Amber," told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.

Now, instead of being lauded for bringing to justice a high-value target, three of the SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges and have retained lawyers. MORE

There is indication that the SEALs may not even have punched the creep.

United States Central Command declined to discuss the detainee, but a legal source told FoxNews.com that the detainee was turned over to Iraqi authorities, to whom he made the abuse complaints. He was then returned to American custody. The SEAL leader reported the charge up the chain of command, and an investigation ensued.

Something tells me that Ahmed Hasim got his fat lip from the Iraqis but is pinning it on the SEALs because he knows how squeamish and PC some Americans can be. Quite frankly, I could not care less if the SEALs beat the guy to a bloody pulp.  These Islamic fascists kill without a second thought, yet we are suppose to play by the Marquis of Queensbury rules, give me a break.

I sear to God Political Correctness will be the death of America! This is the same retarded thinking that allowed Nidal Hasan to hide his crazy jihad ass right inside our armed forces.  Could someone please tell the powers that be that war is NOT an academic exercise and the war on terror is not a parlor game! 

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Fox News

CYQ4QSA5RB9V

Obama plans to send 34,000 troops to Afghanistan

It appears that The Won has finally made a decision about Afghanistan. From McClatchy:

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama met Monday evening with his national security team to finalize a plan to dispatch some 34,000 additional U.S. troops over the next year to what he's called "a war of necessity" in Afghanistan, U.S. officials told McClatchy.

Obama is expected to announce his long-awaited decision on Dec. 1, followed by meetings on Capitol Hill aimed at winning congressional support amid opposition by some Democrats who are worried about the strain on the U.S. Treasury and whether Afghanistan has become a quagmire, the officials said.

The U.S. officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and because, one official said, the White House is incensed by leaks on its Afghanistan policy that didn't originate in the White House.

General Stanley McChrystal gave Obama three options, a low-risk option of 80,000 troops, a medium-risk option of 40,000 troops and a high-risk option of 20,000 troops. Obama decision seems to fall short of the medium risk option and it will be interesting to hear his decision why. Here is the breakdown of the troops Obama will send:

As it now stands, the plan calls for the deployment over a nine-month period beginning in March of three Army brigades from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., and a Marine brigade from Camp Lejeune, N.C., for as many as 23,000 additional combat and support troops.

In addition, a 7,000-strong division headquarters would be sent to take command of U.S.-led NATO forces in southern Afghanistan — to which the U.S. has long been committed — and 4,000 U.S. military trainers would be dispatched to help accelerate an expansion of the Afghan army and police.

But what is rather disturbing is that the plan contains “off-ramps”. These are dates for Obama to decide whether to continue the flow of troops or to retreat.

 The administration's plan contains "off-ramps," points starting next June at which Obama could decide to continue the flow of troops, halt the deployments and adopt a more limited strategy or "begin looking very quickly at exiting" the country, depending on political and military progress, one defense official said. 

I just don’t understand the need to announce to your enemies when and why you will throw in the towel. It should seem quite obvious that if the Taliban wants us out of Afghanistan all they have to do is intensify the fighting over the next six months.  Furthermore, the whole idea behind McChrystal’s surge is to gain confidence from the Afghan people so that they will begin helping US forces. Why should they help out if our commitment is so tentative? It would be far safer for them to wait the six months to make sure we stay.

Something tells me come June 1, we will be packing it in under the banner of defeat and the White House claiming it was Bush’s fault.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: McClatchy

CYQ4QSA5RB9V

Big Government goes dumpster diving and catches ACORN by the nuts

If you thought that the ACORN Prostitution Scandal sent ACORN reeling, then get ready for round two. The ACORN offices in California were suppose to be investigated by Attorney General Jerry Brown [HACK, HACK] as announced on October 1, but days later the ACORN office in National City (San Diego County) did a massive document dump. Wouldn’t you know it, an intrepid private investigator retrieved the dumped documents and brought them to our friend Andrew Breitbart.

What was found you ask? Well aside from improperly dumped sensitive  documents containing employee social security numbers, drivers license information, etc, Big Government is reporting this: 

ACORN’s political agenda is also exposed, with thousands upon thousands of documents revealing the depth of the political machine that is ACORN, and its disturbing ties to not only public employee labor unions but some of the most radical leftist organizations. 

Now this sounds like something enquiring minds want to know. Come on Andrew show us the good stuff. You can read more about Brietbart’s dumpster dive here.

Andrew Breitbart is trying to force Eric Holder and Jerry Brown to do their jobs and perform a clean and thorough investigation of ACORN. I think he is wasting his time; both these men are hardcore partisan hacks. They will never given ACORN the once over it deserves. I hope he simply releases the information in drips and drabs and slowly destroys ACORN’s façade of credibly bit-by-bit.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Big Government

Chris Matthews compares Obama to Carter

(video h/t News Busters)

Talk about the bloom being off the rose.  Did you ever think Chris Matthews could be so brutal to Obama?  Perhaps it is because he did not get an invitation to the White House like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddows did.

I am sure Obama must be saying this about Chris Matthews right now:

Via: Memeorandum

Via: News Busters

Approval Numbers: Palin vs. Obama. Reality asserts itself

This morning Andrew Malcolm from the Los Angles Times points out that Sarah Palin and Barack Obama’s approval numbers are starting to equal each other. Obama’s numbers are dropping and Palin’s are rising and at some point they will meet in the 40’s.

From the LA Times [emphasis added mine]: 

Not that it matters politically because obviously she's a female Republican dunce and he's a male Democrat genius.

But Sarah Palin's poll numbers are strengthening.

And President Obama's are sliding.

Guess what? They're about to meet in the 40s.

Depending, of course, on which recent set of numbers you peruse and how the questions are phrased, 307 days into his allotted 1,461, the 44th president's approval rating among Americans has slid to 49% or 48%, showing no popularity bounce from his many happy trips, foreign and domestic.

Riding the wave of immense publicity and symbiotic media interest over her new book, "Going Rogue," and the accompanying promotional tour, Palin's favorable ratings are now at 43%, according to ABC. That's up from 40% in July. 

See that first line I highlighted? This is the main reason why I believe Palin’s numbers will eventually surpass Obama’s.  The 2008 presidential elections were driven by false themes pushed by the media.  The media did everything in their power to tell America that Palin was a stupid hayseed and Obama was the second coming. The problem with the media’s strategy is that reality is a relentless bitch.

In reality Obama had little next to no experience before getting elected. This is a man who breezed through his Illinois and US Senate seats, leaving little next to nothing behinds as accomplishments. Obama has never run a business, a city or state. His executive experience was nothing more than a fairy tale told by the media. Now occupying the nation’s chief executive position his inexperience is showing big time.

In Sarah Palin’s case, the reality is that she is a smart and accomplished woman. She has run her own business, a city, a state and has headed up a very important commission. None of which failed or collapsed under her leadership. If Palin was half as stupid as the media would like us to believe, surely she should have failed miserably at any one if not all of these tasks.

Reality will continue to exert itself in the Palin vs. Obama drama. As more people read Palin’s book, they will learn of her true accomplishments and will see that the Palin is stupid theme is impossible to believe. Reality will also exert itself in Obama’s case as well. As the nation’s problems continue to mount and Obama is unable to live up to the Superhero image pained by the media, more an more people will finally see that Obama was a poser all along.

By the time 2012 rolls around, reality will have completely demolished the Palin stupid/ Obama genius theme. Already, some in the media are on to a new tact that goes something like this: Palin is dangerous and Obama is cautious. This won’t work either, because like I said reality is a relentless bitch.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The LA Times

SNL mocks Obama’s visit to China

This skit would be even more hilarious if it wasn’t both our president and our country that is the butt of the joke. Sadly though, Obama’s economic policy of “spend your way out of debt” is a laughable idea. The only reason why he has gotten this far with it is because we have such a bias media who invested their entire credibility in his election.

There are two things interesting to note here. First, Saturday Night Life is filmed in the very liberal New York City. You will note that there is not one moan, groan or catcalls from the audience. Instead we find hardy laughter in agreement with the skit.  This is bad news for Obama if he cannot find one faithful defender in NYC.

Second, there appears to be growing noise from the left that Obama ain’t all that and a bag of chips. Just this Sunday, lefty hack Maureen Dowd, suggests that Obama needs to be more like Sarah Palin. Of course Dowd says it in her snarky anti Palin sort of way, but she still speaks of Obama not measuring up.  Even Chris Matthews seems to have lost his man crush.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Ms Underestimated

Via: New York Times

What Jeff Jacoby has forgotten: We’re broke!

Jeff Jacoby has penned an opinion piece in the Boston Globe arguing that conservatives are wrong to want to deny the children of illegal aliens instate tuition rates. He argues that conservatives should be against the flawed immigration policy and not the illegal immigrants themselves.


Jeff Jacoby:

YOU’RE A sensible, principled conservative. You want America to be a land of boundless opportunity and freedom, where people are treated as individuals and judged on their merits. You reject the divisive identity politics of the left - what matters most about any of us, you would insist, is not race or class or ethnic origins: it is personal character and achievement. There are few things about contemporary politics you deplore more than the demonizing or scapegoating of entire groups (“white males,’’ “the rich,’’ “the Christian right,’’ “gun owners’’), as though every member of the group is interchangeable and indistinguishable, wholly defined by a single disparaging label.


But let someone mention “illegal immigrants,’’ and your principles fly out the window.


So when Governor Deval Patrick recommends allowing young illegal immigrants - residents of Massachusetts who have graduated from high school - to attend a public college and pay in-state tuition, you flip out. This is outrageous, you protest. It rewards people who broke the rules. It’s unfair to the taxpayers who subsidize public higher education. Why should an illegal immigrant get a valuable tuition break that Massachusetts wouldn’t give to a kid from Maine or New Hampshire?


You vigorously agree with Charlie Baker, a Republican candidate for governor. “If you’re illegally here, you’re illegally here,’’ Baker said last week. “The notion that we should treat illegal immigrants with the same benefits and opportunities that legal immigrants and legal citizens have doesn’t make any sense to me.’’

What Jeff Jacoby (like so many in Washington) has forgotten is that America is $12 trillion dollars in the hole. Half of every dollar we spend is borrowed money. Money that must be paid back by a generation that is too young to vote their objections or accept the responsibility.

 Sure it would be nice not to punish the children of illegal immigrants for the parents’ lawbreaking. However the stark reality is that for us to be generous the way Jacoby suggests, requires us to be cruel to our very own children by robbing their futures to pay for our current mistakes.

So rather than consider ourselves cruel for forcing the children of illegal immigrants to pay higher out of state tuition, we should accept the hard cold reality that we have created a situation where we desperately need their money.


Via: Memeorandum
Via: The Boston Globe