Souter Retiring

Justice David Souter is retiring in summer.

Obama will have an opportunity to plant a fringe Leftist on the court. Terrific.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Justice David Souter has told the White House that he will retire from the Supreme Court at the end of the court's term in June, a source said Thursday night.

The source spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for Souter.

Speculation that the 69-year-old justice will be stepping down has been fueled by his failure to appoint law clerks from the fall term.

National Public Radio reported that Souter will remain on the bench until a successor is confirmed.

The Supreme Court declined to comment on the report.

Souter's retirement would give President Barack Obama his first pick for the high court. Court watchers expect him to choose a woman to join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, currently the only woman on the Supreme Court.

Why choose a woman?

As a woman, I find that insulting.

Obama's nominee shouldn't need to have XX chromosomes to be considered worthy as a replacement for Souter. The nominee's qualifications should be the basis for Obama's choice.

The law is the law. A woman's interpretation shouldn't be significantly different from a man's interpretation. It is what it is.

We're talking about a justice, not a lobbyist or an activist for women's issues.

Replacing Souter won't change the balance of the Court. He turned out to be a lib. Obama will replace him with a lib. No big deal.

I think this Supreme Court revelation was leaked by the White House tonight to get people to stop talking about how royally f---ed up its response to the swine flu outbreak has been. That's not going to work.

Maybe Joe Biden was the source of the leak.

ABC: "The CIA's $1,000 a Day Specialists on Waterboarding, Interrogations"

I was alerted to this story when listening to Mark Levin.

This is outrageous.

ABC's Brian Ross, Matthew Cole, and Joseph Rhee have exposed the identities of two psychologists responsible for designing the interrogation techniques used on terrorists to get information that would protect Americans and prevent another 9/11.

The ABC report includes the names and photos of the two men. There are video links as well.

Why would ABC do this to these individuals?

The lib media and Leftists went completely berserk over the supposed outing of Valerie Plame. They created a scandal that didn't exist and ran with it.

But the propagandists at ABC have no qualms whatsoever about hanging these men out to dry and serving as mouthpieces for the Obama administration.

It's unconscionable.

It's as if they're begging Leftists to attack them and destroy their lives. By exposing their identities, ABC has put them in physical danger.

ABC gives enough details to make them and their families easy targets. Does Brian Ross think that al Qaeda operatives aren't monitoring American news outlets?

This hit piece is beyond irresponsible. It's vindictive and hateful.

As Levin pointed out, the headline of the story is loaded, "The CIA's $1,000 a Day Specialists on Waterboarding, Interrogations."

It's clear where ABC stands.

Question for Brian Ross and the hacks at ABC: Who is the enemy?

ABC's allegiance is with al Qaeda. The network has no problem outing the psychologists.

It's disgraceful.

These men being crucified by ABC may have played a part in saving Ross' life and the lives of his family and friends. The same goes for Matthew Cole and Joseph Rhee and Shepard Smith and other hacks. The same goes for Obama and his flunkies.

This is truly disgusting.

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jimspice points out that Mark Benjamin, Salon, wrote a piece on the psychologists in June 2007, "The CIA's torture teachers."

The hypocrisy of the Leftists knows no bounds. Being freaked out over Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson's lies while eagerly giving the identities of these psychologists and providing NEW details to demonize them is sickening.

Lam Luong Sentenced to Death

Lam Luong has been sentenced to death for killing his four children by throwing them off a bridge.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Lam Luong was sentenced to death today for throwing his four children from the Dauphin Island bridge one year ago.

Luong, 38, turned to his wife Kieu Phan in court this morning and apologized in Vietnamese, his voice cracking.

"I apologize to my wife," the court-appointed translator said for the record after Luong spoke.

Mobile County Circuit Judge Charles Graddick ordered that Luong be shown photographs of the four children every day on death row.

Luong threw Ryan Phan, 3; Hannah Luong, 2; Lindsey Luong, 1; and Danny Luong, 4 months, off the Dauphin Island bridge and into the coastal waters of Alabama on Jan. 7, 2008.

It's an interesting order from the judge. Every day Luong spends on death row, he must be shown photographs of the children he murdered.

However, I don't think looking at pictures of his dead children will have any impact on Luong.

If one is capable of tossing one's own kids off a bridge to their deaths, that individual has no conscience and is likely beyond redemption.

What he did was so horrific. If he can take his four little children in his arms and then drop them off a bridge to drown, I think he lacks the goodness in his soul that would be needed for the photos to affect him.

Robert Gibbs, Joe Biden, Jake Tapper

This exchange between Robert Gibbs and ABC's Jake Tapper on Joe Biden's declaration this morning that he has told family members not to fly or use mass transit is priceless.

TV Newser:

CNN, FNC and MSNBC were all live with Robert Gibbs' press briefing just after 2pmET today when ABC News' Jake Tapper asked for clarification. After one attempt, Tapper followed up: "I sympathize with you trying to explain the Vice President's comments, but that's not even remotely close to what he said." Then, to laughter from the room, Gibbs said, "I understand what he said, and I'm telling you what he meant to say."

Translation: Gibbs says, "Don't pay attention to what you heard Joe Biden actually say. Listen to what I tell you he meant to say."

Video.



Janet Napolitano also does damage control, explaining what Biden really meant to say.

JANET NAPOLITANO: I think the vice president, if he had, if he could say that over again, he would say, 'If they're feeling sick they should stay off of public transit or confined spaces,' because that indeed is the advice that we have been giving.

Video.

Dennis Miller: Obama News Conference and Miss California

Dennis Miller gives his take on Obama's Day 100 news conference, April 29.



Transcript

DENNIS MILLER: First off, I find it weird that we've come to a point in history where a chick running for Miss USA gets harder questions than the President of the United States.

And I don't know what that Zeleny guy from the Times is thinking with that "enchanted" question. It was like I was watching a Brownie Scout meet the Jonas Brothers, for God's sakes. I guess he's back to the Times Building now, sitting there around the fondue ... putting their bread into the fondue pot, talking about how they made a little sense there, like Sammy Sosa when he hit a home run.

BILL O'REILLY: I think Colmes is there, too.

MILLER: Yeah, yeah. They're all feeling good. They got the Ouija board out. It's a beautiful thing. Now conversely, I, like you, dug the Knoller guy from CBS Radio. And I hope CBS Radio had the good sense to take out some wazoo insurance on that guy 'cause he's about to be gang-audited.

Now my other perceptions were: I missed Ed Schultz tonight. I didn't see him, but I guess that the carpooling schedule dictated that he drive the audience home tonight.

I thought Helen Thomas looked beautiful, although the more I see her the more I think that she's Janet Napolitano before you add water.

I noticed the light bulbs behind Barack Obama were not green.

I like the fact that he gave Bush a little credit; and he might call Bush now that Iraq's heating up again, ask him to come over and put his special touch on it, 'cause Bush kept it tamped down. Looks like Barack's letting it go a little bit.

And I would say this about Barack: I like the cut of his jib. I think he's very smooth. But you know something? If my kid said "uh" that much, I would say, 'Hey! Stop saying "uh" that much.'

Biden: Stay Off Planes and Subways

UPDATE, May 1, 2009: Despite His Own Flu Warning, Biden Takes Train Home

One day after saying he wouldn't travel in tight quarters because of the swine flu scare, Vice President Joe Biden rode a train Friday from Washington to Delaware.

Known for speaking freely, Biden told NBC's "Today" show on Thursday that he had urged family members to avoid airplanes and subways for fear of contracting the H1N1 flu virus.

...The comments infuriated the travel industry and triggered several revisions from the Obama administration, whose official advice is less severe.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano commented, "If he could say that over again, he would say if they're feeling sick, they should stay off of public transit or confined spaces."

By Friday night, Biden seemed ready for his own do-over. A longtime rider of Amtrak, he took a train from Union Station to his Delaware home, his office said.

Does Biden usually go home to Delaware on weekends? Did his family accompany him?

Did he have some yardwork that he needed to do?

It's quite a coincidence that he just happened to need to hop a train.

Biden's little stunt must have been quite a headache for the Secret Service and the regular passengers.

Maybe Biden rode up with the conductor and wasn't exposed to the unclean masses he warned about on Today.

I wonder if he wore a surgical mask.

How will Biden return to DC? By train? I doubt it.

I wonder what this lame exercise is costing taxpayers. What's the carbon footprint of the Obama administration's attempt to correct Biden's latest foot-in-mouth episode?
________________

Joe Biden has some advice to avoid the swine flu.

He's lucky he doesn't ride Amtrak every day anymore.

From Politico:

Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not recommend taking any commercial flight or riding in a subway car “at this point” because swine flu virus can spread “in confined places.”

“I would not be, at this point – if they had another way of transportation – suggesting they ride the subway,” Biden said on NBC’s “Today” show.

That contradicted more restrained advice from President Barack Obama and the federal government, and could hurt tourism during a recession.

The administration said a clarifying statement is forthcoming.

Ha!

A "clarifying statement is forthcoming" from the Obama administration.

Oh, Joey! Champ! Another blunder!

Apparently, Biden blew it again.

From the Obama's administration perspective, bad things happen when Biden opens his mouth.

I know what the problem is. Unlike his boss, Biden speaks without a teleprompter. No wonder he offers up such an abundance of gaffes.

Host Matt Lauer had asked the vice president: “This is by no means a ‘gotcha’ type of question. … But if a member of your family came to you … and said, ‘Look, I want to go on a commercial airliner to Mexico, and back within the next week,’ would you think it’s a good idea?”

“I would tell members of my family – and I have – I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now,” Biden replied. “It’s not that it’s going to Mexico. It’s [that] you’re in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft. That’s me. …

“So, from my perspective, what it relates to is mitigation. If you’re out in the middle of a field when someone sneezes, that’s one thing. If you’re in a closed aircraft or closed container or closed car or closed classroom, it’s a different thing.”

Thanks for your honesty, Joe.

Here's yet another reason to avoid mass transit.

I really object to the way Obama is handling this.

He is not putting the public safety ahead of economic considerations.

That's inexcusable.

Screw tourism.


Obama said last night, "[E]very American should know that their entire government is taking the utmost precautions and preparations."

BS.

Video: Lauer interviews Biden on Today Show

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

_____________________

Biden's office responds to Joey's remarks.

From the Washington Post:

In an interview with NBC's Today show, Biden also seemed to recommend against using mass transit, answering a question about whether he would advise his own family against flying to Mexico by saying: "I would tell members of my family -- and I have -- that I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now. It's not just going into Mexico. If you're any place in a confined aircraft and one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft."

No.

Biden didn't "seem to recommend against using mass transit."

He admitted straight-out that he would tell family members to stay off planes and subways.

It was very clear.

But his office quickly issued a statement of clarification that seemed designed to narrow the warning, saying that Biden believes people should avoid unnecessary travel to Mexico, and "if they are sick, they should avoid airplanes and other confined public spaces, such as subways."

No.

Biden didn't make any qualifications. He didn't say sick people should avoid mass transit.

In fact, Biden said healthy people should avoid it.

Cut the spin.

I think it's a mistake for Biden to back off like this. The retraction/qualification has a reverse effect. It doesn't make it appear that he's really on the same page with Obama and the administration. Instead, it makes Obama look dishonest, holding back the truth from the public.

Can Obama, in good conscience, recommend riding mass transit during this flu outbreak?

If so, let him get on a crowded subway and sit next to a guy who's hacking and slobbering.

Probable Swine Flu in Wisconsin and Obama's "Barn Door"

The Wisconsin media have been waiting for this moment to arrive.

There are probably swine flu cases in Wisconsin.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Three probable cases of swine flu were identified in Wisconsin on Wednesday, including two in Milwaukee, prompting officials to close four city schools indefinitely as global health authorities warned that the virus could soon become a pandemic.

One adult and one child in Milwaukee are believed to have swine flu, Bevan K. Baker, the city's health commissioner, said during a news conference Wednesday.

The adult and child are not related, Mayor Tom Barrett said.

A third probable case was identified in Adams County, according to state health officials.

As of Wednesday, the state reported it has submitted 144 suspected cases for testing, 41 came out negative, 100 were pending and the three were listed as probable.

A number of children with connections to the two Milwaukee cases are exhibiting symptoms of swine flu, Baker said. Those children attend various Milwaukee Public Schools and are being monitored by health professionals, Baker said.

"Our goal is to minimize the spread of disease in this community," Baker said.

Officials did not identify any of the people who may have swine flu, provide information on their conditions, or say whether they had been hospitalized or quarantined.

But the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune, quoting a Wood County health official, reported on its Web site that the Adams County victim works in Wisconsin Rapids and had traveled to San Diego, where he was exposed to the virus.

The Journal Sentinel website is slow on getting the facts of the story out to the public.

According to WISN:

At least one swine flu case is being treated at Aurora St. Luke's in Milwaukee.

"An adult patient at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee has a probable case of swine flu. We have taken all appropriate steps at the hospital to make sure the flu does not spread to other patients, visitors or caregivers," the hospital said in a release.

From FOX 6:

"Local and state public health officials are investigating the circumstances of all three of these cases," State Health Officer Seth Foldy said at a news conference late Wednesday. "This should not be a surprise at this point. We've been anticipating and planning for something like this."

Milwaukee Health Commissioner Bevan Baker said the two probable cases involved one adult and one child. Officials said the adult and child are not related, but couldn't say whether the two had any contact with each other.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he didn't want to alarm residents, but he decided to go ahead and release limited details in the interest of public safety since a number of children had symptoms consistent with swine flu and were linked to the probable cases.

"Because I'm concerned about children being exposed to this, because we think there is a relationship between the children who has shown symptoms at these four schools, the prudent action is at least through the weekend, we've decided, the commissioner has decided, is these schools should be closed," Barrett said.

Releasing the very limited details does cause some alarm.

A little information is dangerous and likely to cause panic because people will attempt to fill in the gaps by speculating. Rumors and misinformation will spread faster than the virus itself.

I think it does make sense to close the schools.

It can't hurt and may help slow the spread of the virus.

That's what I don't get about the way the Obama administration has approached this flu outbreak.

Obama keeps yapping about the damn barn door.

From his alleged "news" conference last night:

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. With the flu outbreak spreading and worsening, can you talk about whether you think it's time to close the border with Mexico and whether -- under what conditions you might consider quarantining, when that might be appropriate?

OBAMA: Well, first of all, as I said, this is a cause for deep concern, but not panic. And I think that we have to make sure that we recognize that how we respond intelligently, systematically, based on science and what public health officials have to say, will determine in large part what happens.

I've consulted with our public health officials extensively on a day-to-day basis, in some cases an hour-to-hour basis. At this point, they have not recommended a border closing. From their perspective, it would be akin to closing the barn door after the horses are out, because we already have cases here in the United States.

Obama says there's no point in closing the border, yet he recommends closing schools.

OBAMA: Our public health officials have recommended that schools with confirmed or suspected cases of this flu strongly consider temporarily closing. And if more schools are forced to close, we've recommended that both parents and businesses think about contingency plans if their children do have to stay home.

That makes absolutely no sense.

Why close the school doors and not the border?

Isn't shutting down schools with infected students "akin to closing the barn door after the horses are out"?

Of course it is.

There's a disturbing lack of consistency in the way the Obama administration is addressing the outbreak.

If closing schools is a tactic officials believe will help, why not close the border?

Bryan Walsh, TIME, reports:

In hearings on Wednesday, members of Congress sharply questioned Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on the possibility of virtually sealing off the border with Mexico. Said Republican Sen. John McCain in a statement: "I continue to believe that all available options to end this crisis must remain under consideration, including closing the border if it would prevent further transmission of this deadly virus."

But Napolitano said the U.S. has no plans to close the border with Mexico, a stance that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the WHO support and which Obama reiterated at his press conference. "Intensive efforts at the border are not effective means for protecting against an infectious disease," said acting CDC director Richard Besser. Still, if the swine flu continues to worsen in Mexico, it's not hard to see how Obama and other world leaders would come under increasing pressure to try to wall off Mexico - just as an infected patient might be quarantined to prevent the spread of the disease.

Health officials argue that because the H1N1 swine flu virus is already present in so many countries, and readily capable of spreading from person to person, it's far too late to try to isolate one or two countries. Although uninfected countries may be able to delay the introduction of swine flu by imposing draconian limits on international travel, they would not likely be able to stave off the virus for good - and the economic losses resulting from the travel bans may far outweigh any benefits. One 2007 study by the Brookings Institution estimated, for example, that a 95% reduction in U.S. air travel would cost the economy $100 billion a year.

"Once the virus has spread beyond its initial focus, travel restrictions just aren't effective," says Ira Longini, a biostatistician at the University of Washington. With 4,000 flights a day between the U.S. and Mexico, "it's not worth the social disruption it would cause."

Again, why close schools but not restrict travel in an effort to minimize the spread of the virus?

If it's too late to stop, then it's too late.

Obama is playing politics with the public's safety.
___________________

Biden, Besser remain against border closing idea
___________________

News Release: State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services

News Release: Milwaukee Public Schools

Fact Check: Obama and the Deficit

Calvin Woodward, Associated Press, is a maverick.

Rather than spewing the pro-Obama party line like so many in the lib media, Woodward injects a bit of reality.

FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape

"That wasn't me," President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One.

It actually was partly him — and the other Democrats controlling Congress the previous two years — who shaped the latest in a string of precipitously out-of-balance budgets.

And as a presidential candidate and president-elect, he backed the twilight Bush-era stimulus plan that made the deficit deeper, all before he took over and promoted spending plans that have made it much deeper still.

Obama met citizens at an Arnold, Mo., high school Wednesday in advance of his prime-time news conference. Both forums were a platform to review his progress at the 100-day mark and look ahead.

At various times, he brought an air of certainty to ambitions that are far from cast in stone.

His assertion that his proposed budget "will cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term" is an eyeball-roller among many economists, given the uncharted terrain of trillion-dollar deficits and economic calamity that the government is negotiating.

He promised vast savings from increased spending on preventive health care in the face of doubts that such an effort, however laudable it might be for public welfare, can pay for itself, let alone yield huge savings.

Woodward proceeds to itemize a list of Obama's deceptive claims.

Read the reality that so many in the mainstream media are covering up.

I don't know if the Leftists can't handle the truth or they just don't like the truth.

Either way, they avoid it like the plague.

Chris Matthews and Jay Leno, April 29

The Obama First 100 Days celebration extended into Wednesday's late night programming on NBC.

Jay Leno recognized the joyous occasion on the Tonight Show.

As usual, Leno's monologue was peppered with jokes at the expense of President Bush and the Republicans. Obama remained untouchable.

To help mark Obama's 100th day in office, Leno had Chris Matthews as a guest, to discuss the historic day, the milestone that was so significant that it just had to be marked on late night TV.



Pathetic.

Mercifully, Matthews was not the first guest. Jimmy Fallon had that honor, receiving two long segments. Matthews, on after Fallon, had a rather brief amount of airtime.

Even though his time was limited, Matthews still managed to express his deep love for Obama.

It was embarrassing.

He didn't talk about a thrill going up his leg, but the effect was the same.

Matthews is not a nuanced guy. He speaks in generalities and delivers his opinion as if it were gospel. Naturally, that makes him sound like a hack propagandist rather than an intelligent analyst.

And lib Leno eats it up.

Leno wanted Matthews to grade Obama's first 100 days. Matthews initially wanted to go with a pass - fail grade. That was a ruse. Matthews wouldn't be content with awarding Obama a simple "pass." That would be inadequate.

He started citing poll numbers and asserted, "One thing you can say is nobody wants to go back to Bush."

"Nobody"? That's a stupid comment.

Matthews compared Obama to Reagan.

"He's like Reagan. People like him who don't agree with him."

Ronald Reagan won two terms. He was reelected in a landslide. I think it's nuts for Matthews to put Obama in the same league as Reagan at this early stage in his presidency.

Finally, Matthews got around to giving his grades:

The First Family -- A+
The First Dog -- A
Obama -- A-

Matthews adores Michelle Obama. Actually, it's creepy. Anyway, the A+ for the First Family makes sense.

A- for Obama?

Matthews was really rough on Obama, tacking on that minus. The audacity! Matthews said that the minus was because of the way the government is printing money. He said it was scary.

On the positive side, Matthews said, "We're a popular country again."

Good grief.

Of course we're popular. Why wouldn't other countries like an appeaser and a weakened U.S.?

Matthews also noted, "We've got the most popular world leader in the world. That's a big change."

He hates President Bush. That aside, this isn't a popularity contest. According to Matthews, a good leader is measured by his or her popularity. That's cult of personality stuff, not substance and ability.

Leno quickly asked for Matthews' views on some issues.

ON THE SOMALI PIRATES:

Matthews was impressed with the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips. Referring to Obama, he said, "Nobody can say this guy's a weakling."

I believe Obama was cowering in his office talking to lawyers to determine what to do in the hostage situation involving Capt. Phillips. The Navy SEALs who saved Phillips are the brave men, not Obama.

ON ARLEN SPECTER:

Matthews said Specter was "saving his butt" politically.

I agree with Matthews on that. I'm not sure he'll succeed, but that is what Specter is trying to do.

ON PAKISTAN:

Matthews declared, "I think that's where bin Laden is." Yeah? Well, go get him!

He talked about Pakistan being a powder keg.

Leno brought up the Taliban and said that it "has nothing to do with Islam."

That's crazy. Of course the Taliban has religious elements. It's made up of Islamic fundamentalists.

Matthews slightly corrected Leno by saying, "Well, it's extreme."

That's putting it mildly.

What's wrong with these Lefties that they don't want to say that Islam is an integral part of the Taliban's ideology? It is what it is.

ON THE TORTURE MEMOS:

When Leno asked if it was right to release the memos, Matthews replied, "I think we can handle the truth."

He said that the decision to torture came from the top, that John McCain and Lindsey Graham and the Republicans all signed off on it. Matthews then slipped in that Democrats were part of it as well, but he mentioned none of them by name.

As far as prosecuting anyone in the Bush administration, Matthews said, "Barack is probably right. We shouldn't have big show trials."

Earlier in the interview, Leno also called Obama "Barack."

He does that a lot, and so does Matthews.

Last July when Matthews was on the Tonight Show, he kept talking about "Barack." I thought it was so strange to refer to candidate Obama by just his first name.

At the time I wrote:

Matthews repeatedly called Obama "Barack." Have you noticed that the Dems and their mouthpieces in the lib media have taken to calling Obama by his first name?

Barack, Barack, Barack. I don't hear them calling McCain "John."

That practice really annoys me. It's so odd.

In general, this Obama-mania is annoying.

And no one is more of an Obama-maniac than Matthews.

Since the most momentous 100th day in an American presidency has passed, I wonder what the media will do now.

Start obsessing over the second 100 days?

Obama News Conference Transcript, April 29

Transcript of Obama's News Conference here.

Obama's comments about closing the borders due to swine flu were idiotic.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. With the flu outbreak spreading and worsening, can you talk about whether you think it's time to close the border with Mexico and whether -- under what conditions you might consider quarantining, when that might be appropriate?

OBAMA: Well, first of all, as I said, this is a cause for deep concern, but not panic. And I think that we have to make sure that we recognize that how we respond intelligently, systematically, based on science and what public health officials have to say, will determine in large part what happens.

I've consulted with our public health officials extensively on a day-to-day basis, in some cases an hour-to-hour basis. At this point, they have not recommended a border closing. From their perspective, it would be akin to closing the barn door after the horses are out, because we already have cases here in the United States.

Good grief.

Yes, we have cases in the U.S.

That doesn't mean we should allow more sick people to keep coming into the country.

It makes sense to close the barn door now.

The fewer cases we have in the U.S., the less it will spread. The more you keep feeding the beast, the longer it will take for the cases to peak and eventually drop off.

It's math.

Why keep fueling the spread of illness?

The outbreak has to burn out and it won't burn out while you continue to add to it.

Obama is playing politics with the public's health.



"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before."

--Rahm Emanuel

FOX 6 Airs Obama "News" Conference

On Monday, FOX announced that it would not alter its prime time schedule to carry Obama's 100 Days celebration "news" conference.

Milwaukee's affiliate FOX 6 was promoting its normal prime time lineup on its website, even as the Obama "news" conference was underway.



Although FOX had decided not to cover the Obama "news" conference, and FOX 6 was apparently on board with that decision, the local station made what must have been a very last minute decision to carry it.

Since Obama intended to address the swine flu situation, FOX 6 may have thought it could exploit the breaking news of the three probable cases of swine flu in Wisconsin and the closing of four Milwaukee Public Schools by airing Obama's remarks.

Bad, bad decision.

The way local and national media are handling this flu outbreak is irresponsible.

Isn't it convenient that this swine flu panic is occurring during sweeps?

Idol Shocker: Adam Lambert in Bottom Two

Based on the performances last night, I think Adam Lambert belonged there.

Danny Gokey and Allison Iraheta were the first two sent to safety.

That left Matt Giraud, Kris Allen, and Adam Lambert.

The next to sent to safety was Kris Allen.

In the end, Matt was booted off the show. At this stage in the competition, that really was no surprise. However, it was surprising that Adam was in the bottom two. I thought he had a really energized fan base.

Guess not.

Next week, the theme is rock. That should help Adam.
____________

There's conspiracy chatter online that Adam's place in the bottom two was fake, that it was staged, that he really didn't come in fourth in the voting.

If Idol is lying about results, then the show is dead.

It has to maintain its credibility.

Obama's Top Ten Faux Pas

CNN ranks Obama's TOP TEN FAUX PAS from his first 100 Days.

Jeanne Moos starts off her report by slamming President Bush, saying that he set the bar so high when it comes to faux pas that you couldn't expect Obama to match him.

She then proceeds to count off ten flubs.



There are so many more Obama missteps that Moos could have cited.

She must have had to swallow hard to recite the ten that she did.

Obama News Conference, April 29

In about thirty minutes, once again Obama will be seizing America's airwaves.

I will NOT be watching Obama's prime time 100th day celebration "news" conference.

I predict that Obama will say nothing newsworthy.

The man's ego is out of control.

Soon Obama may start giving 4-hour televised speeches, a la Castro, and blow through prime time and right into late night programming as well.

I admit I am Obama "news" conference weary. Enough already. For the love of God, leave prime time alone.

Obama Goes Gray

See the pictorial of Obama's graying progression here.

Obama, Tea Parties: "Let's Not Play Games"

UPDATE: Here is the transcript of President Obama's appearance at Fox High School in Arnold on Wednesday, as provided by the White House.

Note: The White House transcript never includes Obama's stumbling and habitual use of "uh" and "you know." Scroll down for a more accurate transcript excerpt.
_______________

Today in Arnold, Missouri, Obama mocked the masses, the Tea Party protesters.

He, Obama, was arrogant, dismissive, and derisive.

He also took a swipe at FOX News and its viewers.

I suppose that's no surprise. A man who will mock Special Olympics athletes certainly wouldn't hesitate to mock people protesting his high tax, anti-private sector policies.

Obama is so full of... himself.

Video.



Transcript

BARACK OBAMA: So, so, you know, when you, uh, when you see, you know, you know, those of you who were wa...watching certain news channels that, you know, on which I'm not very popular, and you see folks waving tea bags around; l..let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we're gonna stabilize social security. Claire [McCaskill] and I are working diligently to do basically a thorough audit of federal spending.

Uh, but, but let's not play games and pretend that the reason is because of the Recovery Act, because that's just a fraction of the overall problem that we've got. We are gonna have to tighten our belts, but we're gonna have to do it in an intelligent way. And we gotta make sure that the people who are helped are working American families, and we're not suddenly saying that the, the way to do this is to eliminate programs that help ordinary people and give more tax cuts to the wealthy. We tried that formula for eight years. It did not work. And I don't intend to go back to it.

Obama sounds like he's on the campaign trail. It's the same old, same old. He's playing class warfare.

He doesn't sound like the president of the American people. He sounds like a candidate appealing to his faithful base. He's not reaching out by tossing around insults.

Why would he trash hundreds of thousands of Americans?

In effect, Obama said he didn't take the protesters seriously.

I think Obama owes the Tea Party protesters an apology.

Obama's remarks were arrogant, dismissive, and derisive.
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More on Obama in Missouri:

Obama tells town hall he's 'confident of the future ... not content with the present'

Obama leaves crowd wanting more

Obama: 100 Days

Today is Obama's 100th day in office.

What a milestone!

For 100 days, Obama, global citizen, has been at the helm, leading the free world.

He made so many promises during the long, long campaign; and so many of those promises have been broken in just 100 days. It's quite an accomplishment.

There is saturation coverage of Obama's first 100 days. It's everywhere.

A sampling:

Wall Street Journal: Making Sense of a Dizzying 100 Days

Washington Post: Obama's First 100 Days: A Washington Post Special Package

New York Times: Obama’s Stand in Auto Crisis Shows Early Resolve

FOX News: Obama Marks 100th Day in Office Amid Outbreak

Associated Press: President Obama to spend 100th day in spotlight

Joe Klein on the President's Impressive Performance Thus Far

The White House wants you to know that Wednesday is just like any other day. But for those who insist on highlighting President Barack Obama's 100th day in office, the White House will play along.

The president will mark Wednesday's milestone with two high-profile events, both designed to highlight the accomplishments of his fledgling administration.

Obama starts his day with a White House appearance with Sen. Arlen Specter, the veteran Pennsylvania Republican who is switching parties, a development the president said he was "thrilled" about. Vice President Joe Biden, who had long encouraged his former Senate colleague to become a Democrat, also planned to attend.

Later, Obama was to hold a town hall-style meeting in Arnold, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, where aides say he'll note discuss his first 100 days but also focus on moving his agenda forward. Obama returns to Washington in the afternoon to prepare for a prime-time news conference, his third since taking office.

Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, said the White House is smart to try to take control of the message on the 100th day.

"It's always good to play offense," West said. "If you create a vacuum, someone else is going to fill it."

Spending at least part of his 100th day on the road is keeping in step with Obama's penchant for getting out of Washington. While debate raged on Capitol Hill over his massive economic stimulus bill, Obama took his case directly to the American people, holding town hall meetings in Indiana, Florida and Illinois. When Congress passed the bill, Obama opted out of a White House signing ceremony, choosing instead to sign the bill at a Colorado science museum.

Like most of the 12 states Obama has visited in his first 100 days, Missouri is politically important. A traditional bellwether in presidential elections, Missouri went to Obama's opponent, Republican John McCain, by just a few thousand votes in 2008. Not only will Obama be eyeing Missouri in 2012, but Democrats see an opportunity to pick up another Senate seat there in 2010 when long-serving Republican Sen. Christopher Bond retires.

Obama's efforts to fix the nation's economy have drawn comparisons to President Franklin Roosevelt, who is largely responsible for the 100 days phenomenon. Roosevelt launched many of his New Deal programs during that period and, with backing from Congress, signed 15 major bills into law.

"The White House wants you to know that Wednesday is just like any other day. But for those who insist on highlighting President Barack Obama's 100th day in office, the White House will play along."

Really?

Oh, give me a break!

The White House is hyping the event and milking it, even screwing up prime time TV by seizing the airwaves for ANOTHER news conference.

The White House is making sure that this day is not like any other day.

There is so much analysis that it's ridiculous.

The big question you should ask yourself: Are you better off today than you were 100 days ago?

I am not.

I wonder how Peggy Joseph is doing.

PEGGY JOSEPH: I never thought this day would ever happen. I won't have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage.

Has Obama eliminated Joseph's worries about day-to-day expenses?

How are things for Julio Osegueda?

JULIO OSEGUEDA: It's such a blessing to see you, Mr. President. Thank you for taking time out of your day, oh, gracious God, thank you so much!

Mr. President, my name is Julio Osegueda. I'm currently a student at Edison State College in my second semester. And, OK... I've been at the same job, which is McDonald's, for four-and-a-half years because of the fact that I can't find another job. Now, with the fact that I've been there for as long as I've been there, do you have any plan or any idea of making one that has been there for a long time receive any better benefits than what they've already received?

Is life better for Osegueda?

And what about the hundreds of millions of other Americans, along with the billions of citizens of the world?

How's it going for you after Obama's first 100 days?

For me, not good.
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John Hawkins: 20 Great Moments from Obama's First 100 Days!

Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary

Kathleen Sebelius is an anti-life extremist.

Yesterday, she was sworn in as the Health and Human Services Secretary.

WASHINGTON -- Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius won Senate confirmation Tuesday as the nation's health and human services secretary, thrusting her into the middle of a public health emergency with the swine flu sickening dozens of Americans.

The 65-31 confirmation vote came after Democrats urged quick action so that Sebelius could get to work leading the federal response to the flu outbreak.

...Sixty votes in the 100-seat Senate were necessary for approval. Immediately after the vote Sebelius resigned as governor in Kansas and headed to Washington to be sworn in. She drove directly from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to the White House, where she took her oath in the Oval Office.

...Republican opponents cited Sebelius' pro-abortion stances and her initial underreporting of campaign contributions from a late-term abortion doctor. They raised concerns about whether Obama administration plans to overhaul the nation's health system would cut out Republicans and lead to rationing of care.

"She is the wrong appointee for this particular assignment," said Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah. "She has backed a partisan process for health care reform. She has refused to support patient safeguards."

Sebelius isn't just a pro-abortion proponent.

She is in bed with the abortion industry. She has ties to the abortion lobby and has accepted tens of thousands of dollars from a late-term abortionist, George Tiller, and his clinic.

And Sebelius lied about how much money she received from Tiller during her testimony to the Senate Finance Committee.

Here are more problems with Obama's selection of Sebelius.

Bottom line: She's not fit to serve. She's the enemy of the unborn, she's a partisan hack, and she's a liar.

Michael D'Antuono: "The Truth" and Obama

UPDATE, November 27, 2012: Same old, same old.
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UPDATE, April 30, 2009: Artist Michael D’Antuono was interviewed on April 29, by Marc Maron on Air America's "Break Room Live."

D'Antuono cancelled his Union Square unveiling yesterday because he says that he was bombarded with over 3,000 e-mails (as of yesterday) from people outraged over the painting.

Maron wanted to know the tone of most of the e-mails.

D'ANTUONO: That's the reason why I didn't... I didn't... I cancelled the event today is because the overwhelming, 98 percent, were very upset on a religious level. And they were, you know, calling it blasphemy. And, I mean, I don't apologize for, you know, for showing it, creating it and showing it, but I really didn't mean to disrespect people's religion. It's meant as a political piece.

Yeah. D'Antuono's self-promotion continues. It's all about hype.

Of course he knew that he would offend some people. He claims that he had no idea people would be so hurt by his painting. What?

He says it was a sort of sociological experiment. He knew that he was pushing people's buttons on a very sensitive subject -- their faith.

Maron takes the opportunity to express his outrage over religious groups and individuals exercising their right to free speech and expressing their outrage. He bashes Christians as hypocrites, encouraging D'Antuono to do the same.

In my opinion, Maron has the right to express himself, as does D'Antuono and every other American.

Free speech is not a one-way street.

Watch the interview.
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Michael D'Antuono's painting, "The Truth"


Artist Michael D'Antuono

In honor of Obama's 100th Day in office, artist Michael D'Antuono is unveiling his painting, "The Truth."

There's been an effort to hype the painting and stir controversy, which is exactly what D'Antuono wants.

Can You Handle "The Truth"?

Painter Michael D'Antuono To Unveil Controversial New Work at NYC's Union Square

More than a presidential portrait, Michael D'Antuono's new painting "The Truth" is a politically, religiously and socially-charged statement on our nation's current political climate and deep partisan divide that is sure to ignite a passionate dialogue. Until now, D'Antuono's subject matter has been purely non-political, choosing instead to paint iconic celebrity portraits and hard-luck romantic narratives but now the artist feels the need to make a statement. "The Truth, like beauty is often in the eyes of the beholder" says D'Antuono "and this piece is merely a mirror, reflecting the personal and political emotions and opinions of the individual". What is your truth?

On D'Antuono's website hyping "The Truth," he asks people to tell him what they think of his work via e-mail, thetruth@dantuonoarts.com. He wants you to express "your truth."

He sees his painting as a mirror that will reveal "truth" about the viewer. The meaning of the painting is intentionally ambiguous. It doesn't have one "truth." It has many interpretations.



I'm interested in knowing Obama's interpretation of the painting. With Obama being a Christian, I would think he would be very uncomfortable being depicted as the crucified Jesus.

Maybe it doesn't bother him. Maybe he thinks he's earned his place in popular culture as being Christ-like, "more popular than Jesus."

There was an uproar in 1966 when commenting on the popularity of the Beatles, John Lennon innocently referred to Jesus.

Lennon took an incredible amount of heat for his remarks. The Vatican even weighed in on the controversy.

But this is a much different time. Unlike the Beatles controversy, there's not a massive uproar when Obama is compared to Christ or seen as the savior. Whether Obama as Jesus is accepted as legitimate or decried as blasphemous, it's not really a big deal in 2009.

I'm not sure D'Antuono will get the reaction he seeks.

Todd Pruitt writes that "anytime we invest a politician (any politician) with messianic qualities then we are headed down a very dangerous road."

I agree with Todd that it's dangerous to consider a politician to be a messiah, to believe that our salvation lies in the hands of a human being.

Personally, I don't think D'Antuono is interested in making Obama out to be Christ. I don't think he really cares whether people interpret his painting to be elevating Obama to a god-like status or to be slamming the ludicrousness of Obama as Jesus.

I think D'Antuono is interested in pure self-promotion. In that sense, the artist is a lot like the lib media, the White House, and Obama himself. He hopes to exploit the First 100 Days-mania, too. Hype, hype, hype.

D'Antuono's painting is a stunt. This is all about him, not Obama and not Jesus Christ. He wants personal recognition and he thinks this is the way to achieve it, by potentially offending many Christians.

It's really kind of pathetic.

That's the truth.

Adam Lambert Jumps the Shark, Danny Gokey Shines

Tonight, the American Idol contestants had the assignment of singing standards from the Rat Pack era.

There was a celebrity working with the contestants this week -- Jamie Foxx.

I thought each of the five remaining contestants had a good night.

Kris Allen ("The Way You Look Tonight"), Allison Iraheta ("Someone to Watch Over Me"), and Matt Giraud ("My Funny Valentine") all did well.

Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert were the last to perform.

Danny was dressed in a suit and looking really great. He sang better than he looked. He had his best performance in weeks, singing "Come Rain or Shine." He was phenomenal. His vocals were fantastic.

All the judges loved him. Randy thought he was great. Speaking of that Rat Pack swagger, Kara told Danny, "You had swag tonight." He really did.

Paula called the performance "stellar" and Simon said, "That was outstanding."

Adam was the last to perform. He sang "Feeling Good."

This was the night that Adam jumped the shark. He's been teetering on the edge of going over the top and he finally went a shrill screech too far.

Adam has always been theatrical but this was ridiculous. Dressed in a white suit and white tie paired with a black shirt, Adam stood at the top of a long staircase bathed in hot pink lights.

He dramatically made his way down the stairs. He had swagger, too, but it was sort of a Liza Minelli kind of swagger.

Adam has such an incredible voice and he's so incredibly talented that he doesn't need to go over the top like that. Rather than toning it down and reining it in, he vamped it up, WAY up.

Randy thought it was too theatrical, my thoughts exactly. As usual, Kara showered Adam with praise, calling him "sleazy." I think she meant that in a good way. Paula said that it's like this is the Olympics and Adam is Michael Phelps. Simon commented on his memorable entrance.

I don't think there's any question that Danny Gokey won the night. It belonged to him. His performance was so Rat Pack.
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Video: Danny Gokey, "Come Rain or Shine"



Video: Adam Lambert, "Feeling Good"

Obama: Flyover a "Mistake"

UPDATE, April 28, 2009: Obama orders review of New York City flyover

President Barack Obama has ordered an internal review to determine how the decision was made to send of one of his official airplanes on a low-flying photo op past the New York City skyline.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that deputy chief of staff Jim Messina will lead the review. Gibbs said the point is to determine "why that decision was made and to ensure that it never happens again."

Gibbs said Obama was "furious" when he heard about the incident.

...Gibbs said that the review would likely take about a week or so to complete. He said he would have to confer with White House lawyers before answering a question about whether the results would be made public.

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After Obama made some remarks to press as he prepared to meet with FBI Director Robert Mueller at agency headquarters, he attempted to avoid answering any questions.

That's understandable. Obama likes to control what he says and when he says it.

In this case however, the press demanded an answer even though Obama tried in vain to dodge their questions. "No! No, questions."

Reporters wanted to know his thoughts about the photo op flyover that traumatized thousands of New Yorkers.

Transcript

BARACK OBAMA: Uh... it was a mistake, as was, uh, as was stated. Uh, it was something, uh, we found out about, uh, along with all of you. And, uh, it will not happen again.

What? No apology to all those panicked by the low flying planes?

Obama is cold.

Arlen Specter: Democrat

Arlen Specter has finally made it official.

He's now a Democrat.

Here's Specter's full statement.

Excerpt

I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view.

While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.

Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the state, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable.

On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my 29-year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

Specter is pathetic.

He knows that he can't win the Republican primary. His challenger, Pat Toomey, is crushing him.

Apparently, organized labor was planning a $700,000 ad attacking him.

Specter has changed his party affiliation because he's desperately trying to salvage his political career. It's as simple as that.

Pathetic.

It will be interesting to see how Specter functions as a Dem.

If he thinks that Republican Party has become too far-Right, I wonder how he'll manage among the extremists of the Democrat Party.

I'm hearing some talking heads say that Specter jumping ship signals that the Republican Party is dying, with no room for moderates.

I didn't hear the lib media talk that way about the Dems when they forced Joe Lieberman out.

I see Specter's move as a positive sign for 2010. The Republican Party lost its way for a while. Now, it's in the process of reorganizing. The Paul Ryan Republicans are revitalizing the party and energizing a new generation of conservatives.
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On March 17, 2009, Specter pledged his allegiance to the Republican Party.

What a difference some polls make!


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Michael Steele comments on Specter.
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Flashback: Jack Cafferty calls Specter a "gutless Republican worm."

David Obey and Flu-fighting Stimulus Money

From the Washington Times:

Congress over the past four years has trimmed spending aimed at fighting a flu pandemic, most recently in this year's stimulus bill, when a key House Democrat tried but failed to get his colleagues to include hundreds of millions of dollars.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey, Wisconsin Democrat, said he included $420 million in flu-fighting money in the House version of the stimulus bill, but senators objected and he was forced to pull the allocation when the final bill passed in February.

"Whether or not this influenza strain turns out to have pandemic potential, sooner or later some strain will," Mr. Obey said. "We are not prepared today. Lets hope we dont need to be. Because we need to become prepared as soon as possible, I intend to again request additional funds in the upcoming supplemental."

The outbreak of swine flu has fostered a search for where to place blame. Although Mr. Obey didn't name names, liberal blogs have been particularly harsh toward Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, who during the stimulus debate touted her opposition to flu-fighting money. She was one of three Republicans who voted for the stimulus bill, and did so after the flu funds and some other provisions were removed.

The senator's spokesman said Miss Collins does want increased funding for flu preparedness, though she wanted it to be part of the annual spending process, not the one-time jobs-creation package.

"And, in fact, the omnibus appropriations bill that was signed into law in March, less than a month after the stimulus bill, contains $156 million for pandemic influenza research, which is $1.4 million more than the fiscal year 2008 level," said Collins spokesman Kevin Kelley.

It's self-serving on Obey's part to put out the word that he had the foresight to include $420 million in flu-fighting money in the House version of the stimulus bill.

Dems, like Obey, are looking to blame Republicans and score political points on a potential public health crisis. That's rather sleazy, but expected.

I won't carry water for Collins, but her claim that she supported flu preparedness funds, just not as part of the stimulus bill, makes sense. She shouldn't be a scapegoat for the country's lack of readiness to deal with a pandemic.

Four years ago, when doctors sounded similar warnings about the avian flu, President Bush pushed for more than $7 billion in fiscal 2006 to produce vaccines and pay for states to prepare readiness plans. The Republican-controlled Congress appropriated only half that money the first year, prompting a sober warning from the administration.

"We are in a race. We are in a race against a fast-moving, virulent virus with the potential to cause an influenza pandemic," said Michael O. Leavitt, the health and human services secretary at the time.

President Bush deserves credit for his efforts to prepare the country. He did the right thing.

...As the bird-flu threat receded, so did Congress' willingness to spend, under both Republican and Democratic control.

Funding was reduced despite health specialists' calls for a continued stream of money to help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health and Human Services Department and other agencies prepare for an outbreak.

Of all the wasteful spending by government, all the pork and pet projects, it's incredibly irresponsible for Congress to have inadequately funded preparations for a pandemic.

Let it be understood: Blame cannot be placed on President Bush.
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Read more about Bush's Flu Pandemic Plan.

Obama: "I Have a Gift"

Harry Reid reveals in an epilogue of the paperback version of his book, The Good Fight, that Obama told him, "I have a gift."

Translation: "I have a huge ego, poor judgment, and serious personality flaws."

WASHINGTON -- Everyone knows President Barack Obama can deliver a great speech, including the president himself, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The paperback version of Reid's memoir, "The Good Fight," is coming out May 5 with an epilogue called "The Obama Era." Reid said he was impressed when Obama, then a first-year senator from Illinois, delivered a speech about President George W. Bush's war policy.

Democrat Reid writes: "`That speech was phenomenal, Barack,' I told him. And I will never forget his response. Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: `I have a gift, Harry."'

A copy of the book's 15-page epilogue was provided to The Associated Press. Reid said in an interview he hesitated about citing Obama's comment because he knew it could be interpreted as bragging.

"To be honest, my wife, she said, `don't tell people that,"' Reid said. "She's afraid it could be taken the wrong way. But she's heard me tell lots of people that, and every time she goes `don't do that.' Now it's there for thousands of people to read."

Reid is struggling to do damage control and prevent Obama from appearing arrogant and conceited. By using his wife's remarks, he's trying to spin the goofy Obama quote to make Obama seem less like a jerk. Reid is failing miserably.

He makes Obama come off like a pompous ass or a creepy cult leader or both. Either Obama thinks he's superior and the smartest guy in the room, or he believes that he's the chosen one with supernatural forces at work.

Just what is Obama's "gift"?

That he can read a teleprompter? Actually, I don't think he's very gifted at that.

Reid said in the book that he talked to Obama in 2006 about running for president, and Obama expressed doubts about his ability to win.

"I was resolved to stay neutral in the coming campaign, but I told him that in my view the stars could align for him. `If you want to be president, you can be president now,' I said. `I don't know, Harry,' he said. `I don't think so."'

Obama became a U.S. senator in 2005.

In 2006, Reid told Obama that he could be "president now."

Really?

If Reid's ramblings are true, he certainly doesn't consider experience to be a very important aspect of a presidential candidate's qualifications.

I suppose Reid is trying to inflate himself by claiming early on he saw Obama as presidential material and ready to assume the office at his choosing. Reid is declaring himself to be a political soothsayer.

In the end, Reid looks like a doofus. Obama hadn't shown himself to be worthy of the presidency. Reid was obviously buying into the cult of personality.

To Reid's credit, he was right that the country would buy into the cult, too. An unqualified, inexperienced individual, if properly handled, can become president of the United States. Sad, but true.

On the matter of Obama's claim, "I have a gift, Harry"--

I suppose his supporters will swoon over that statement. Obama understands that he was chosen to be the savior. He has a gift. Greatness was thrust upon him.

I don't see it that way. Obama is not a great communicator. He's no Reagan.

Obama lacks sincerity and substance. He doesn't come clean about his radical Leftist principles. If his intelligence were truly off the charts and he didn't feel the need to disguise his Leftist extremism, Obama wouldn't be so frighteningly dependent on his army of teleprompters. He could function on his own. He wouldn't need the technology to prop him up.

When Obama told Reid that he has a gift, if he was referring to the gift of teleprompter technology, then I guess I'd agree with him.

Obama has a gift, but sometimes it malfunctions.

Swedish National Library and Child Porn

Europe is so sophisticated compared to the U.S.

The Leftists tell us all the time that we should be more like Europe.

Personally, I disagree.

For example, Sweden is a pedophile's paradise.

Swedish national library reported for child porn

The Swedish national library will on Monday afternoon be reported to the police for the possession and distribution of child pornography.

The police report will be made by two Swedish child protection groups, Hand i Hand (literally: hand in hand) and the Föreningen Anhöriga Till Sexuellt Utnyttjade Barn (ATSUB - The Association of Relatives to Sexually-abused Children).

Birgitta Holmberg at ATSUB told The Local on Monday that the purpose of the police report is two-fold.

Firstly to put a stop to the distribution of the National Library's collection of child pornography, and secondly to expose how much of the library's collection has been copied.

"We want the report to demonstrate that the same laws apply for all regardless of whether it is a state institution," Holmberg said.

The existence of the National Library's collection of child pornography emerged after a visit by the writer Valentin Bart in November 2008.

Bart, who spent a year working in a pornographic book shop in central Stockholm in the 1970s, told The Local that he wanted to see if the law which requires the library to archive a copy of everything printed in Sweden, also applied to child pornography.

He found that not only did the library hold large quantities of pornography, featuring children as young as 10-years-old, but access to the material was straightforward.

"All I did was sign up to check out books and send a letter explaining my reasons for wanting to view the material. Anyone could have done the same thing," Bart told The Local.

The large collection at the library was built up in the years between 1971, when the possession, distribution and display of child pornography was legalized in Sweden, and 1980, when the law was repealed.

Until Valentin Bart's November visit brought the issue to the library's attention, the material had remained easily accessible to the general public.

It's a disgrace that the Swedish national library has been supplying anyone interested, presumably including pedophiles, with child porn even though the material has been illegal since 1980.

An argument is made that the child porn collection be kept accessible for research purposes.

Research purposes?

Give me a break.

Scott Walker for Governor

Scott Walker is offering Wisconsinites change and hope.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker on Tuesday formally launches his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle with a full-throated attack on Doyle as a liberal big spender who's flubbing his chance to fix the state's deep budget deficit.

The 41-year-old Walker, a Republican, accuses Doyle of trying to raise state taxes and to shift some of the $5 billion deficit to the future. Walker also faults Doyle for proposing "a grab bag of every left-wing idea out there" in his 2009-'11 budget, including an early-release program for nonviolent prison inmates and requiring prevailing union wage rates to be paid on publicly funded building projects.

Those changes represent "a sellout to liberal special interests," Walker said Monday. "This is turning back the clock to the same kind of hopelessness Wisconsin had in the early '80s under (then Gov.) Tony Earl."

The Journal Sentinel is already setting up the narrative. Walker is negative and on the attack.

It's not mean-spirited or negative to be realistic.

Of course, Doyle is trying to raise taxes and he pushes Left-wing ideas.

...State Democratic Party spokesman Alec Loftus said Walker's criticisms of Doyle were overly negative and "show that he's lacking his own ideas and his own solutions to the problems that our state is facing." Doyle is working with President Barack Obama to help create jobs while Walker "is traveling around the state launching attack after attack," Loftus said.

"It shows desperation that he's starting out his campaign on such a sharply negative" tone, he said.

This is all politics.

It's ridiculous to say that Walker lacks his own ideas and his own solutions to problems facing the state.

I think it's also interesting that Loftus is whining about a Republican launching attacks.

Remember Obama's campaign? Gee, did he attack President Bush? I believe he did. In fact, he still does.

...Walker reaches out to conservatives in remarks prepared for his Tuesday campaign swing, saying he would move Wisconsin toward "the principles of limited government, economic growth and personal freedom."

Wait a minute...

Hey, Alec Loftus! Walker's plan to "move Wisconsin toward 'the principles of limited government, economic growth and personal freedom'" sound like ideas and a positive agenda.

I guess Loftus has difficulty distinguishing between attacks and ideas.

Anything Walker proposes will be framed by the Dems as an attack and being highly negative.

I can understand the tactic. Doyle has to run from the reality of his screw-ups and broken promises.

Wisconsinites need to ask themselves: Are you better off than you were four years ago?

...Walker also says Doyle's action - and inaction - harms Wisconsin businesses. The governor's push to enact combined reporting for income taxes on businesses played into Harley-Davidson's latest layoff decision, Walker said. Under the combined reporting measure signed into law earlier this month and made retroactive to Jan. 1, all companies with common ownership file a single tax return.

Harley spokesman Bob Klein said the state's new combined reporting law cost the firm $22.5 million in the first quarter this year, but said that "had nothing to do with our work-force reductions."

Walker also says Doyle failed to personally lobby executives at Thomas Industries to keep open a plant in Sheboygan. The firm's parent company, Gardner-Denver Inc., has announced plans to move about 280 factory jobs to Louisiana.

"When Gov. Doyle demonstrates a lack of interest in the problems facing employers it sends a clear message that Wisconsin is not the best place to do business," Walker said.

Walker said his approach to the state budget crisis would start first with budget cuts, including consideration of state employee wage reductions and layoffs. He also would push for state employees to pay for a bigger share of health care costs and to contribute more toward their pensions, Walker said.

He would also seek opportunities for privatizing some state services, Walker said. He'll unveil more specifics later in the campaign, he said. It's 17 months until the September 2010 primary and 19 months until the 2010 general election.

There are those pesky concrete ideas again from Walker.

It's nuts for the Journal Sentinel and the Demos to emphasize Walker's attacks, especially when he clearly has a lot to offer state residents.

I think the energy of the Tea Party movement is a big plus in Walker's favor.

People want change. Doyle two terms have been woefully ineffective. He has a record of broken promises and lies that will haunt him.

Eight years of Doyle's radical lib agenda have not left Wisconsin stronger. 100 Days of lib extremist Obama is enough. It's been too much.

The time is right for change we can believe in.

Obama Plane Photo Op: Inexcusable

UPDATE: 911 Calls

Audio
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Clueless.

The Obama administration is clueless.

From the Wall Street Journal:

On Monday morning, one of the 747s used to ferry around the U.S. president was dispatched to the Statue of Liberty, escorted by a fighter jet. Assignment: Get some fresh glamour shots of the plane.

The Air Force said the flight needed to remain confidential. So while New York police knew about it, as did at least one person in the mayor's office, regular New Yorkers remained in the dark.

As a result, to onlookers Monday all across downtown Manhattan -- where the World Trade Center once stood -- the photo shoot looked like a terrorist attack. People watched in horror as a massive aircraft, trailed closely by an F-16 fighter jet, banked and roared low near the city, in a frightening echo of the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Fearing the worst, thousands of people streamed out of the skyscrapers and into the streets. Some buildings ordered evacuations. "Oh God, it was mayhem in here, just mayhem," says Rubin Shimon, manager of Styling Haircutters, a barbershop near Ground Zero. Many people took shelter in the shop to call loved ones on their cellphones.

It was all over in a half-hour or so. Then the finger-pointing began. "I'm annoyed -- furious is a better word -- that I wasn't told," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a news conference. He'd been scheduled to talk about a swine-flu outbreak at a Queens school, but also sounded off at the federal government for its "badly conceived" flyover plan.

He chastised his own office for its role in keeping the flyover secret. On Thursday night, city officials say, a junior mayoral aide had been alerted to the flyover by the Federal Aviation Administration, which requested that it be kept secret. Someone in City Hall alerted the New York Police Department, but no public announcement was made.

Why would a flyover need to be kept secret?

A better question: Why was it necessary to get new publicity shots of the presidential plane?

Is that really high on the list of the administration's priorities?

The cost of the flights and the unnecessary fuel consumption was gluttonous.

That doesn't begin to address the extent of the fear that the idiotic photo op caused.

Putting people through that trauma is inexcusable.

Marc Mugnos was reprimanded for not apprising the mayor, and a disciplinary letter was placed in his file, a spokesman said. Mr. Mugnos couldn't be reached for comment.

The email sent to City Hall describes a "flying photo op" -- government-speak for a publicity photo -- to include two or possibly three passes over the area. The email, sent by an FAA official and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, lists flight patterns and specifies a photo-op altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet.

The email specifies that the information "only be shared with persons with a need to know" and "shall not be released to the public." It also says that, "Due to the possibility of public concern regarding [Department of Defense] aircraft flying at low levels, coordination with Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies...has been accomplished."

The email's author, James J. Johnston, of FAA air traffic, declined to comment.

An Obama administration official said the mission was "classified" by the military and that the FAA, which controls much of the airspace over Manhattan, did what the military asked. "The mission was to send [the aircraft] up to get a picture of it flying around the Statue of Liberty," this person said. "They said they needed to update their photo files." President Obama wasn't aboard.

The New York photo shoot wasn't the only one planned. The White House had scheduled a follow-up session on May 5 or May 6 in Washington, D.C., according to two government officials. The D.C. flyover has now been canceled, a government official said.

Louis Caldera, a former Secretary of the Army who runs the White House Military Office, took the blame. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption," he said. "I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

Mr. Caldera met Monday afternoon with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina "to hear the president's displeasure," an official said.

I imagine that Rahm Emanuel went ballistic.

It's horrible that the White House terrorized citizens.

Caldera is the fall guy. He had to apologize and take responsibility for this incredibly disruptive act.

It bugs me that Obama is so eager to apologize to dictators and tyrants and world leaders; yet he doesn't hesitate to slam America as arrogant, dismissive, and derisive. Obama apologizes to all our enemies and our allies. But when it comes to apologizing to Americans, he won't do it.

This White House has Obama in a bubble. The Democrats won't allow him to be seen as responsible for any screw-up. Nothing is his fault. Obama is protected from being held accountable for anything that goes wrong.

Worse, the lib media fall in line and spout this White House propaganda. They don't hold Obama accountable either.

It's incredible that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was completely in the dark on something as alarming as planes buzzing Lower Manhattan.

From the New York Post:

[Michael Bloomberg said,] "Why the Defense Department wanted to do a photo op right around the site of the World Trade Center catastrophe defies imagination. Poor judgment would be a nice ways to phrase."

Bloomberg said federal officials notified the NYPD and another city official, whom he declined to identify, of the flight plan.

"Had I known about it I would have called them right away and asked them not to," he said. "The good news is it was nothing more than an ill considered, badly conceived, insensitive photo op - with the taxpayers' money."

...Thousands flooded the streets downtown as buildings called evacuations.

Bloomberg's reaction is justified.

Obama claims to be furious as well. He could be upset that major missteps like this one are taking some of the luster off his image as the greatest president ever, just days before his golden 100 Days celebration. Maybe the word goes out that Obama is furious when Rahm Emanuel is furious.

The panic this photo op caused is inexcusable. I can't stand seeing the people running in fear. I find the images traumatic, reliving the terror of 9/11. The people in New York must have been overwhelmed.

I feel so awful for the people who had to experience that fear again, and all because of a lame photo shoot.



Add this to the list of Obama's mistakes in his first 100 Days.

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