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Under the Fedora: Here comes the Hangover
I’m typing this on New Years Eve and while I’m not a drinker I’m thinking it’s is the perfect day to think of Obama’s Second Term.
New Year’s Eve generally is a binge that ends with big headache and on occasion the company of someone you regret the next morning. That is going to be America circa 2013 all over.
We asked for it, we’re going to get it.
The fiscal cliff deal is coming (UPDATE it has come) and Zachary Goldfard at the Post pointed out a change in one part of the argument that is being ignored.
R. Glenn Hubbard, dean of the Columbia Business School and an architect of the Bush tax cuts, said it is “deeply ironic” for Democrats to favor extending most of them, given what he called their “visceral” opposition a decade ago.
Personally I think they still oppose them, By the time you read this we will know if a deal is struck. I figure the re-imposition of those tax increases in such a way that Republicans can be blamed is a two-fer for democrats and their media allies, but if there is a deal and those tax rates are made permanent somewhere in Texas George Bush will be smiling.
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John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman have penned a piece (do people say “penned” anymore?) arguing for our involvement in Syria.
The United States must rally our allies to channel assistance to the newly established Syrian opposition council for distribution in the rebel-held areas. We must provide weapons and other lethal assistance to the opposition military command. And we must impose a no-fly zone in some areas of Syria, to include using the U.S. Patriot missile batteries en route to Turkey, to protect people in northern Syria from Assad’s aerial attacks.
If we remain on the current course, future historians are likely to record the slaughter of innocent Syrians, and the resulting harm done to America’s national interests and moral standing, as a shameful failure of U.S. leadership and one of the darker chapters in our history. That should unsettle us all as we pray for peace and goodwill this holiday season.
I understand the moral argument and it’s a fair point, but on the other end there is the question of aiding an opposition that is highly influenced by Al Qaeda and Islamists. They are likely to bring in a crew as bad or worse as the last bunch.
In for a penny, in for a pound if America goes in it has to be willing to commit the blood and treasure to keep this from happening. Like the fiscal mess with the GOP no matter what America does the Islamists and the left will blame us, so we should do what is in our best interests and, despite the crisis, I think our best interests to not intervene in Syria.
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Slightly related I found this absolutely hilarious:
Essam al-Erian, deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, called on Egyptian Jews to leave Israel to the Palestinians and return to their own homeland…
..”Egyptian Jews should refuse to live under a brutal, bloody and racist occupation stained with war crimes against humanity,” Erian said.
I think Egyptian Jews totally agree, that’s why they are living in Israel instead of Egypt.
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I find one aspect of the entire Gun debate pretty odd:
Given as stipulated [for the sake of argument] the vast majority of the right is one step away from the cliff of slaughter, might saying: “Next year we’ve coming for your guns” less than two weeks after Andrew Cuomo said “Confiscation could be an option“, be the push to send a bunch of heavily armed Chick-Fil-A eating psychopaths over the edge?
It’s gasoline on a fire ready to engulf the country in flames with only the police, the army and power of the presidency to hold back the impending holocaust of good and decent Obama voters.
Liberals, be afraid, be VERY afraid…
If the gun owners were as dangerous and as scary as our liberal friends tell us, those same liberals would not risk provoking them this way.
Strangely enough those same liberals have no problem keeping silent about Islamists who oppress women and slaughter gays.
As Rush Limbaugh said, the left will always tell you who they fear…
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Meanwhile speaking of the left
The privileged daughter of a prominent city doctor, and her boyfriend — a Harvard grad and Occupy Wall Street activist — have been busted for allegedly having a cache of weapons and a bombmaking explosive in their Greenwich Village apartment.
Morgan Gliedman — who is nine-months pregnant — and her baby daddy, Aaron Greene, 31, also had instructions on making bombs, including a stack of papers with a cover sheet titled, “The Terrorist Encyclopedia,’’ sources told The Post yesterday.
I suspect this will get very little play doesn’t fit the template. Maybe in twenty years they will serve in congress as reps from NY, after all in case you haven’t noticed from the Black Panthers to the mentors of Obama Ayers and Dorn the left always seems to embrace their terrorists.
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Speaking of the left and terrorists here is some news out of Saudi Arabia
Saudi religious police stormed a house in the Saudi Arabian province of al-Jouf, detaining more than 41 guests for “plotting to celebrate Christmas,” a statement from the police branch released Wednesday night said.
The raid is the latest in a string of religious crackdowns against residents perceived to threaten the country’s strict religious code.
Why do I get the feeling an awful lot of folks on the left would love to do the same here?
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Some sports? The Washington Redskins (5 -11 last year) took the NFC East with a win over the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. The Indianapolis Colts (2-14 last year) won 11 games and picked up the #5 seed in the AFC North.
On twitter somebody sent out the list of predictions for this year from ESPN’s experts. While the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants were all picked by people to win the division (in fact two “experts” picked the Dallas and Philly respectively to win the Superbowl, not a single person had either Indy or Washington going this far.
The Jets weren’t on any playoff lists but because of the acquisition of Tim Tebow they were all over the media. When Jeff Sanchez tanked NY rather than start Tebow went with 3rd stringer Greg McElroy. When he went down with an injury before the final game they pleased Tebow haters everywhere by putting Sanchez behind center one last time for one last loss.
One might wonder what harm It would have done for Tebow to start the final game, the answer is simple: What would they say if he won? That 10th loss is a small price to pay to avoid the embarrassment of Tim Tebow succeeding even slightly.
Just a reminder, Tim Tebow got the Broncos to the 2nd round of the playoffs last year, as of right now that’s the same place where Peyton Manning has them.
Of course compared to the entire NHL the Jets are a bunch of geniuses. At least they had the brains to play the season and get everyone paid. In an era of 24/7 entertainment and sports you don’t want to remind people they can do without you.
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Finally the Doctor Who Christmas special was excellent, the plot interesting, the setup for the next season really worked and the new credits reminded me of a combination of the credits for Jon Pertwee (3rd Doctor) & Tom Baker (4th).
My one issue? I’m getting sick of the constant “Gay Marriage” messages. It’s become obligatory to the point where it’s odd if there isn’t a married lesbian lizard lady in Victorian London, or a Horse in the old west renamed “Susan” from Joshua whose life choices we needed to respect, or ”thin/fat gay married Anglican marines.“ It’s almost as bad as the constant time paradoxes lately but in fairness those only became ubiquitous when Moffat became head writer.
Let give everyone a quick history lesson from 1989:
“The idea of bringing politics into Doctor Who was deliberate, but we had to do it very quietly and certainly didn’t shout about it,” said McCoy….Sophie Aldred, who played Ace, the Doctor’s feminist companion, said a shared contempt for right-wing ideology had inspired “a real bonding process” for cast and crew.
I’m not the first to notice, but let me say this: When the writing goes bad and there were some signs of that in series 6, expect them to go all social issues all the time because when the ideas run out there is always the agenda.
It killed off Dr. Who once, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again.
Happy New Year all.
Romney Responds To "Batman" Massacre
Romney Responds To “Batman” Massacre on the campaign trail today:
Some Indiana Democrats may vote in Republican primary
From the Indianapolis Star:
With so few competitive races on their primary ballot, Hoosiers who typically vote Democratic might be tempted to ask for a Republican ballot in Tuesday’s primary election.
In fact, at least one group backing Sen. Richard Lugar is encouraging Democrats and independents to vote in the GOP primary.
Mailings from the Young Guns Network — a Virginia-based group set up by former aides of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor — sent to Hoosier homes remind voters that Indiana does not register voters by party.
That means there’s little to stop anyone from either party, or independents, from asking for a Democratic ballot in one election and a Republican ballot the next — or from voting in the general election against the candidate they’d crossed over to support in the primary election.
While voters can be challenged by someone who just doesn’t buy that they’ve had a primary election conversion to the other party, all voters have to do is sign an affidavit saying they’re going to support a majority of that party’s candidates. As an election guide issued by the Indiana secretary of state’s office notes, because ballots are secret, “there is no way to prove that the voter has made a false statement.”
It’s not unheard of, but leaders in both parties think it’s rare for true party faithful to ask for the other party’s ballot. In 2008, in fact, conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh urged Republicans to vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton over Barack Obama in the Democratic primary election.
Senate Poll: Heller 47, Berkley 40… #NVSen
From the LVRJ:
A poll released today by Rasmussen Reports has Sen. Dean Heller up 47-40 over challenger Rep. Shelley Berkley, the first Nevada Senate survey in months showing either candidate in a lead greater than the margin of error.
It is Rasmussen’s first poll in the Nevada race, so it is difficult to judge it against earlier efforts. Plus, Rasmussen limits its crosstabs to paying subscribers so it is difficult for the public to dissect its findings.
Recent surveys by Public Policy Polling (in October), the Las Vegas Review-Journal (in December) and Public Opinion Strategies (in February) showed the race to be closer.
But most recently, Berkley grabbed headlines but also mixed reviews on a couple of high-profile issues. Earlier this month she demanded radio talker Rush Limbaugh to be taken off the air for insulting a law student who advocated for government-mandated insurance coverage of contraception.
Is this the best Shelley Berkley can do? #NVSen
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
If this is the best defense U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., can do in explaining how she differentiates between Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher, maybe we ought to not only question her judgment in standing up for basic American rights like free speech, but also her intellectual ability to think through issues.
Rush Limbaugh called a woman who testified before Congress at “slut.” He apologized. Berkley, who says she is outraged for women, is sponsoring a petition to remove Limbaugh from the airwaves.
Maher, meanwhile, who gave $1 million to re-elect President Barack Obama, does not register on her “ire-o-meter.” She says she will not sponsor a petition to remove him for calling Sarah Palin a “c—” and a “twat.”
Her reason for trying to force one off the air and not the other? She’s quoted today in “The Damon Political Report” saying:
“Berkley drew a distinction between Maher and Limbaugh, saying one is an entertainer and the other is tantamount to a Republican operative.
” ‘If you cross Rush Limbaugh and you’re a Republican office holder, then you have to crawl over and kiss his ring,’ Berkley said. ‘There’s a big difference between what is being said by Bill Maher and his humor, although I don’t find that funny, and what Rush Limbaugh does, who pretty much calls the shots in the Republican Party.’ ”
Rush Limbaugh calls the shots in the Republican Party? Seriously? Exactly what would be the specifics on that, candidate Berkley?
Embattled Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Doubles Down on Maher as Axelrod Steps Away #NVSen
In Nevada, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports that embattled U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley is defending Bill Maher’s disgusting jokes he has made about conservative women, U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley said Tuesday that entertainers like liberal comedian Bill Maher who make jokes at the expense of conservative women are not the same as Rush Limbaugh, who last week made disparaging comments about a Georgetown University law student.
- Meanwhile, Politico is reporting that even David Axelrod is distancing himself from Bill Maher. David Axelrod will not be appearing as a guest on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” despite reports last week that he was scheduled to do the show in the next few weeks. “He’s not scheduled to go on at this time,” said Ben LaBolt, the press secretary for President Obama’s re-election campaign. … Axelrod’s cold feet are not the only sign that the right’s attacks on Maher seem to be gaining some traction. On Thursday, The Daily Caller reported that the Alabama Democratic Party had scrubbed its website of an announcement for its upcoming fundraiser headlined by Maher.
- Additionally, the Associated Press reports that Senator Dean Heller wants to cut off lawmakers’ pay if they can’t pass a budget. The idea is simple. If Congress doesn’t pass a budget and all 12 of the accompanying spending bills setting annual agency budgets on time, every lawmaker’s paycheck would get cut off. No exceptions. … “I’m trying to help people understand that if you don’t have a job it has to do with uncertainties in the markets and it has to do with the fact that Washington, D.C., refuses to do its job, which is to tell people what their tax rates are going to be,” Heller said. “You take any other Nevadan or any other American and tell them you don’t have to do their job for 1,000 days — they probably don’t keep their job.”
- Finally, KTVN-TV in Reno reports that Heller assailed Berkley for supporting Barack Obama and Harry Reid’s failed energy policies. [Heller’s] campaign also says Obama administration energy policies endorsed by Berkley are to blame for higher gas prices.
Hey, Shelley Berkley: What about Bill Maher? #NVSen
“Shelley Berkley can’t play both sides of this issue. Will she continue her fight to defend women if it means going up against one of her political allies or is this just election-year hypocrisy? Shelley Berkley, where do you stand on Bill Maher?” said David Gallagher, Executive Director of the Nevada Republican Party.
Maher, who has established a long history of attacks on conservative women, has donated $1 million to President Obama’s Super PAC. The President of Concerned Women for America today wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to speak out against comedian Bill Maher’s comments.
Over the past several days, Shelley Berkley has launched a series of unfounded attacks on Dean Heller. Heller is on record calling Limbaugh’s recent comments “offensive.”
See the story below for contents of the letter:
Why we are calling on Obama’s Super PAC to return Bill Maher’s $1 million donation
FoxNews.com
Penny Young Nance
March 08, 2012
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/03/08/why-are-calling-on-obamas-super-pac-return-bill-mahers-1-million-donation/
After publicly chastising radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh on Tuesday, President Obama continues to send administration officials out to raise money for Priorities USA – the so-called “Obama Super PAC” which recently boasted about accepting a $1 million contribution from vile misogynist, comedian Bill Maher.
With that in mind, I sent the following letter today to White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew:
The Honorable Jack Lew
Chief of Staff
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. Lew:
As president of a women’s organization representing nearly 500,000 women nationwide, I write to demand that individuals in the Obama Administration immediately stop raising money for Priorities USA, often referred to as “Obama’s SuperPAC” – a group that has not only taken money from misogynistic comedian Bill Maher, but has publicly boasted about his support for their efforts.
According to The New York Times, President Obama has given a “blessing” to Priorities USA, and his chief political advisor David Plouffe headlined a fundraiser for the group last week:
“David Plouffe, a top political adviser to President Obama, is scheduled to appear at a West Coast fund-raising meeting Friday for the “super PAC” backing President Obama’s re-election bid, according to several people familiar with the event. … The event comes about a month after Mr. Obama essentially gave his blessing to the outside groups, signing off on a plan to dispatch cabinet officials and other senior White House advisers to address them on his behalf, signaling a turnabout from his attitude toward independent efforts in the 2008 campaign. The meeting in the Bay Area is for Priorities USA Action, a super PAC set up by Mr. Obama’s former aides.” (“Top Obama Advisor to Appear at ‘Super PAC’ Meeting, New York Times, 3/2/2012)
Just last week, a Priorities USA senior official publicly boasted about Mr. Maher’s support for their efforts. In a great irony, Priorities USA official Paul Begala wrote the following in a fundraising appeal:
“In case you missed it, last week, comedian Bill Maher pledged ONE MILLION DOLLARS to us at Priorities USA Action to help fight back against the right-wing money machine. Needless to say, we are thrilled. Bill’s commitment to fighting intolerance, extremism and right-wing hate (which is redundant, I know), is legendary. And now he is putting his money where his mouth is.” (Priorities USA Fundraising Appeal attached)
As I am sure you now know, Mr. Maher is a serially vile misogynist. Newsweek/The Daily Beast reports the following about Mr. Maher:
“…The grand pooh-bah of media misogyny is without a doubt Bill Maher—who also happens to be a favorite of liberals—who has given $1 million to President Obama’s super PAC. Maher has called Palin a “dumb twat” and dropped the C-word in describing the former Alaska governor. He called Palin and Congresswoman Bachmann “boobs” and “two bimbos.” He said of the former vice-presidential candidate, “She is not a mean girl. She is a crazy girl with mean ideas.” He recently made a joke about Rick Santorum’s wife using a vibrator. Imagine now the same joke during the 2008 primary with Michelle Obama’s name in it, and tell me that he would still have a job. Maher said of a woman who was harassed while breast-feeding at an Applebee’s, “Don’t show me your tits!” as though a woman feeding her child is trying to flash Maher. (Here’s a way to solve his problem: don’t stare at a stranger’s breasts). Then, his coup de grâce: “‘And by the way, there is a place where breasts and food do go together. It’s called Hooters!’” (“Rush Limbaugh isn’t the only media misogynist,” Newsweek/The Daily Beast, 3/4/2012)
Not only did the president’s chief political advisor and paid White House staffer David Plouffe headline a fundraising event for Priorities USA, but The New York Times previously reported President Obama’s campaign manager was encouraging “a handful of officials from the administration and the campaign” to “appear on behalf of Mr. Obama” at events for the group.
Active fundraising by the Obama White House for this group flies in the face of what the president said on Tuesday, in response to a question about Rush Limbaugh:
“I don’t know what’s in Rush Limbaugh’s heart, so I’m not going to comment on the sincerity of his apology. What I can comment on is the fact that all decent folks can agree that the remarks that were made don’t have any place in the public discourse. And the reason I called Ms. Fluke is because I thought about Malia and Sasha and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about. Even ones I may not agree with them on. I want them to be able to speak their mind in a civil and thoughtful way. And I don’t want them attacked or called horrible names because they’re being good citizens.”
As I am sure you understand, President Obama cannot put forth the eloquent position he announced on Tuesday, while sending administration officials out to raise money for an organization that not only counts a vile misogynist as its largest single donor, but whose executives actively boast about that vile misogynist’s support.
For the sake of the “public discourse” the president called for on Tuesday, Mr. Obama needs to publicly disassociate himself from Priorities USA and cease all further fundraising in support of the organization, until they return Mr. Maher’s contribution immediately. If Priorities USA prefers to donate Mr. Maher’s contribution to charity, my organization can recommend a list of charities that serve victims of domestic violence and abuse.
Sincerely,
Penny Nance
President and CEO
Concerned Women for America
Editorial: Shelley Berkley crosses the line with Rush Limbaugh petition
From the Reno Gazette-Journal (editorial)
Advertisers are free to abandon Rush Limbaugh’s syndicated radio talk show if they don’t want their brands associated with his controversial remarks about a young student who testified in favor of a copay-free mandate for birth control.
Listeners, too, are free to listen or not, as they see fit.
It is troubling, however, that a member of Congress, whose job includes protecting our most basic rights, among them free speech, is trying to convince radio stations to silence one of the most successful radio talkers of the day.
Yet, that’s what Rep. Shelley Berkley, a Democrat who represents Nevada’s 1st Congressional District and is running for the Senate seat currently held by Republican Dean Heller, announced on Thursday: a petition drive demanding that radio giant Clear Channel Communications pull Limbaugh off the air.
Berkley is right to be concerned about Limbaugh’s name-calling. But her attempt to use her important position to remedy it is wrong.
Berkley bids to tie Heller to Limbaugh
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
WASHINGTON — Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., launched an online petition Thursday calling for Rush Limbaugh to be taken off the air, joining a chorus of protests against the conservative talk show host.
Berkley’s petition posted to her campaign website demands Bob Pittman, chief executive of Clear Channel Communications, “stop giving Rush Limbaugh a national megaphone with which to launch hateful attacks against women.”
Limbaugh is the target of at least five online petitions seeking his removal in the wake of his comments last week attacking a Georgetown Law School student who had spoken out in favor of expanding women’s access to contraceptives.
The petition drive served two purposes for Berkley. Besides registering further objection to Limbaugh, she also used it as a base for a new attack on Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., her opponent in this year’s race for Senate.
Berkley called on Heller to sign her petition, a day after she called a news conference in which she linked the Nevada appointed incumbent to Limbaugh.
Berkley has contended that Heller’s vote last week against the government mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives puts him alongside the conservative talker as unfriendly to women. Heller has disputed the connection. He criticized Limbaugh’s comments on Wednesday.
Berkley campaign spokesman Eric Koch said the petition had gained more than 3,000 signatures as of Thursday evening, and they were being sent automatically to Clear Channel via email.
Freedom of Religion, Contraceptives and the Catholic Church Oh My
Ripped from the pages of Doug Welch’s: Stix Blog
While everyone is fighting over the words of Rush Limbaugh and who said what about females on both sides of the aisle, we are missing the big picture of what this battle is all about. This is a battle of Freedom of Religion and the right of Religious institutions to follow the tenets of their faith and not to have the Government infringe on those rights.
Many do not know that before the Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the Unites States of America, the various states had their state sponsored religions. And in the very beginning you could be thrown in jail if you do not attend Mass or the Religious services of that state. Catholics and Jews were discriminated and eventually found Maryland and Rhode Island where they could freely follow their own religions. This is a gloss over of most of the history, but the thing is that before the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, we did not have Freedom of Religion in America. This is why the 1st Amendment was added to the Constitution along with others, that was more or less a compromise between the Federalist and Anti-Federalists.
And now we come to the 21st century and the rights that the Founding Fathers had put in place are eroding. The whole mess and controversy is all about the wrong thing. This is not about Contraceptives, this is about the Freedom to worship and follow the tenets of the Religion you follow.
This started with a question during the GOP Debate by George Stephanopoulos, where he asked about contraceptives. And everyone and their brother was asking , “What the Hell does this have to do with the GOP Presidential Race?” Well, it seems that Stephie had an inside look or knew of the HHS mandate that was coming down the pike. (Or he can see into the future)
The argument is not about access or contraceptives in themselves. It is about the Government telling a Religious Institution to go against its teachings. The Catholic Church does not agree with contraceptive and even more against the “Morning After” pills that the Government is trying to force the Catholics to have in their insurance policies. This goes against the Freedom of Religion in this country and should scare to death out of everyone, even those that are not religious.
Now we come to the Fluke/Rush debacle. I do not think that the words Rush used were the best and he could have said it differently. But in essence, he is correct. Forcing a Religious institution to have Contraceptives and morning after pills is wrong. Fluke did not help her cause by making ridiculous statement about the cost of contraceptives. $3000 Really. Yes, we know that birth control pills are not only used to stop pregnancies, but they are not anywhere near the cost shes says. And in most cases an insurance company would pay for birth controls pills if it was medically necessary.
But this is all of the track of what is really at stake here. This is about the Government telling a Private Religious Institution to pay for something that goes against the Catholic teachings. This is nothing new for the Catholic Church, it has been pro-life since it inception. One of the reasons the Romans found Catholics weird was that they valued all life and did not discard the deformed or imperfect babies. Catholics had to worship in catacombs or risk being fed to the lions , and have done so for a millenia.
Obama and the Progressives are trying to change the way the Government interprets what is religious and what is not. They are saying that while attending Mass or Synagogue is religious, but the institutions that are not part of the services are not religious. This goes against thousands of years of history. This is an affront to religion in general and I think liberties for all. Even the non religious among us. As we have seen the Government is telling private companies where they can and cannot build a plant (Boeing) and force companies to buy health care (Obamacare).
We are loosing our country to tyranny and the nanny state. Our country was never meant to have a Federal Government tell us what we can eat, drive, what light bulb we can use and force Religious Institutions to go against their religious teachings. Wake up people. This is more than just Obama or this year’s elections. Our beloved country is loosing its way and we need to get it back on the path towards personal responsibility and a limited government.
