Jonathan Martin and Herman Cain

Jonathan Martin, Politico, isn't talking specifics about Herman Cain and the sexual harassment charges, no details, but Martin isn't hesitating to accuse him.

Unwilling to support claims - that's so typical of Leftists.

Video, from Breitbart.

JONATHAN MARTIN: We're just not gonna get into the details of exactly what happened with these women.

What a hack!

Obama: ANOTHER Executive Order

King Obama is bypassing Congress AGAIN.

This one is about drug shortages.

From the New York Times:

The order, the first since 1985 by a president to affect the functions of the Food and Drug Administration, is part of a series of recent executive orders involving such disparate issues as mortgage relief and jobs for veterans. They are intended to show that the president, plagued by low approval ratings, is working to resolve the nation’s problems despite a Congress largely paralyzed by partisan disagreements.

“The president’s action is a recognition of the fact that this is a serious problem, and we can and should do more to help solve it,” said an administration official who asked to remain anonymous to avoid upstaging the official announcement on Monday. “We can’t wait anymore.”

Executive orders have their place, but Obama is going crazy with his pronouncements.

Talk about an imperial presidency!

Ann Coulter: Herman Cain and Sexual Harassment

The liberal media have decided to take down Herman Cain.

They want him out of the 2012 Election landscape.

Politico: Herman Cain accused by two women of inappropriate behavior.

We seen this from the Leftists so many times before.

Ann Coulter comments on the despicable tactics of the Left.

Video.



Transcript

ANN COULTER: It's outrageous the way liberals treat a black conservative. This is another high-tech lynching....

There's nothing liberals fear more than a black conservative. Ask Allen West, ask Michael Steele, and ask Clarence Thomas.

Even what the allegations are here -- it just shows you how the civil rights juggernaut has gone off the rails. The idea of civil rights laws to begin with, ironically, was to protect blacks from Democrats in the South who wouldn't protect them. Now it's white women in Scarsdale who say, 'Ooh, [he] called me honey.'

And even what the allegations are in this... it's not groping, it's not touching, it's not that he demanded sex. It's that he had remarks that they found inappropriate. One is that he got inappropriate gestures that were not overtly sexual. Well, what were they then? This isn't dropping your pants and saying, 'kiss it.'

This is an outrageous attack on a black conservative who's doing extremely well and I think will be our vice presidential candidate.

...

Number one, Right-wingers never bring up personal attacks like this. There's just been an attack from The New Yorker magazine on Michele Bachmann, tracing her ancestors back 200 years. There was Rick Perry and the N-word rock story. There was the alleged affair by John McCain. And what Juan [Williams] has is Grover Norquist doesn't like Herman Cain's 999 plan. That is not a personal attack. It's in Politico, which is a liberal publication.

And when conservatives accuse someone of sexual harassment, it's true. Not with them. We accuse John Edwards. We accuse Bill Clinton. We don't go around like them, accusing John McCain of having an affair, or Clarence Thomas with Anita Hill. There's a long history of this from the Left.

...

What's being alleged here isn't even genuine harassment. Like I say, it isn't touching, it isn't groping. It's 'Ooh, you said something and we thought it was inappropriate.'

She's right.

Herman Cain, Bob Schieffer, and Smoking

Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer was very unprofessional while interviewing Herman Cain yesterday.

When he questioned Cain about his ad showing his Chief of Staff Mark Block smoking, Schieffer lost it. He behaved disrespectfully. He got angry. Schieffer lost control and gave Cain orders.

Transcript

BOB SCHIEFFER: I want to ask you about the ad that we just saw at the top of this broadcast.

HERMAN CAIN: Yes.

BOB SCHIEFFER: I just want to show you-- and-- and I will preface that by saying the person doing the talking here is your campaign manager, Mark Block.

HERMAN CAIN: Chief of staff, yes.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Just listen to this.

MARK BLOCK (Campaign Web Ad): We've run a campaign like nobody has ever seen. But then America has never seen a candidate like Herman Cain. We need you to get involved because together we can do this. We can take this country back.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Mister Cain, I-- I just have to ask you. What is the point of that, having a man smoke a cigarette in a television commercial for you?

HERMAN CAIN: One of the themes within this campaign is let Herman be Herman. Mark Block is a smoker, and we say let Mark be Mark. That's all we're trying to say because we believe let people be people. He doesn't deny that he's a smoker. This isn't trying to--

BOB SCHIEFFER: Are you a smoker?

HERMAN CAIN: No, I'm not a smoker. But I don't have a problem if that's his choice. So let Herman be Herman. Let Mark be Mark. Let people be people. This wasn't intended to send any subliminal signal whatsoever.

BOB SCHIEFFER: But it does. It sends a signal that it's cool to smoke.

HERMAN CAIN: No, it does not. Mark Block smokes. That's all that ad says. We weren't trying to say it's cool to smoke. You have a lot of people in this country that smoke but what I respect about Mark as a smoker, who is my chief of staff, he never smokes around me or smokes around anyone else. He goes outside.

BOB SCHIEFFER: But he smokes on television.

HERMAN CAIN: Well, he smokes on television. But that was no other subliminal message.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Was it meant to be funny?

HERMAN CAIN: It was meant to be informative, if they listen to the message where he said, "America has never seen a candidate like Herman Cain." That was the main point of it. And the-- the bit on the end, we didn't know whether it was going to be funny to some people or whether they were going to ignore it--

BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): Well--

HERMAN CAIN: --or whatever the case may be.

BOB SCHIEFFER: --let me just tell you, it's not funny to me.

HERMAN CAIN: Okay.

BOB SCHIEFFER: I am a cancer survivor--

HERMAN CAIN: Right.

BOB SCHIEFFER: --like you.

HERMAN CAIN: I am also.

BOB SCHIEFFER: I had cancer that's smoking related.

HERMAN CAIN: Yes.

BOB SCHIEFFER: I don't think it serves the country well. And this is an editorial opinion here, to be showing someone smoking a cigarette. And-- and you are the front-runner now. And it seems to me as front-runner, you would have a responsibility, not to take that kind of a tone in this. I would suggest that perhaps, as the front-runner, you'd want to raise the level of the campaign.

HERMAN CAIN: We will do that, Bob. And I do respect your objection to the ad. And probably about thirty percent of the feedback was very similar to yours. It was not intended to offend anyone. And being a cancer-- being a cancer survivor myself, I am sensitive to that sort of thing.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Would you take the ad down?

HERMAN CAIN: Well, it's on the internet. We didn't run it on TV. And once--

BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): Well, why don't you--

HERMAN CAIN: Once--

BOB SCHIEFFER: --take it off the internet?

HERMAN CAIN: It's impossible to do now. Once you put it on the internet, it goes viral. We could take it off of our website but there are other sites that have already picked it up. It's nearly impossible to-- to erase that ad from the internet.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Have-- have you ever thought of just saying to young people, don't smoke? Four hundred thousand people in America die every year--

HERMAN CAIN (overlapping): I--

BOB SCHIEFFER: --from smoking related.

HERMAN CAIN: I will have no problem saying that. And matter of fact--

BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): Well, say it right now.

HERMAN CAIN: Young people of America, all people, do not smoke. It is hazardous and it's dangerous to your health. Don't smoke. I've-- I've never smoked and I have encouraged people not to smoke. So, I don't--

BOB SCHIEFFER (overlapping): And it's not a cool thing to do.

HERMAN CAIN: It is not a cool thing to do. And that's-- that's not what I was trying to say. Smoking is not a cool thing to do.

BOB SCHIEFFER: All right.

Schieffer's behavior was very inappropriate. Scolding Cain was out of line.

If a conservative host badgered Obama about smoking in the same manner, that host would have been criticized for being condescending. The host would have been called racist.

Video.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Bill Clinton: Government is NOT the Problem, Successful Countries

In his first inaugural address, January 20, 1981, speaking on the nation's economic ills he inherited from Jimmy Carter, President Ronald Reagan said:

"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

Bill Clinton completely disagrees with the notion that government can exacerbate economic problems.

Here's video of Clinton speaking on October 28, 2011, at the home of Terry McAuliffe in McLean, Virginia. The occasion was a fundraiser for the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus.



Transcript

BILL CLINTON: Here's what I want to tell ya: I was a governor for 12 years. then I was the president.... I got a pretty good idea how the 21st century works. And, there's not a single successful country on the planet that operates on the theory that the government is the problem. Not one. Every successful country has both a strong private economy and a smart, strong government that work together to try to create economic opportunity, educational opportunity, provide decent health care, and get into the future.

Spoken like a true Leftist.

Is Bill forgetting the economic strategy of the Reagan administration and the ensuing prosperity?

Was he paying attention?

Ed Flynn and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Finally, readers of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are hearing Police Chief Ed Flynn's reaction to the newspaper's three part series humiliating police officers of the Milwaukee Police Department and victimizing their families.

Last week, the newspaper failed to report comments Flynn made about the series via other media outlets.

Inexcusable.

In an op-ed piece today, Flynn explains the exploitative nature of the Journal Sentinel's reporting.

He writes:

Are the stories the paper chose to tell shocking? Yes. Are they sensational? Yes. Are they humiliating? Without a doubt. Do they represent the norms of the members of the Milwaukee Police Department? Absolutely not.

We in policing know that decisions must be driven by data, not anecdotes. So what does the data say? We did the analysis for them:
Highlighted cases span 31 years;
86% occurred before my administration;
39% are more than 10 years old;
The 93 officers represent 2% of the nearly 5,000 officers who have been employed by MPD during the time span covered;
The median discipline for domestic violence and drunken driving was two days between 1997 and 2004. My median discipline has been 30 days;
Of the six overturned firing cases, three occurred before 1994; three between 2004 and 2007.

After 24 years as a police chief executive, I know the difference between attempting to reform a troubled system and exploitation. The Journal Sentinel "crossed the line."

It is one thing to draw attention to officers who engage in criminal behavior and were put back to work by an external review authority. It is quite another to publicly humiliate officers whose behaviors, although troubling, were manifestations of imperfect humanity rather than official, willful misconduct. It is even worse when the paper re-victimizes domestic violence victims by providing sufficient information to identify them, often years after the couples have reconciled and gone on with their lives.

...Policing is dangerous. The physical hazards of policing are memorialized on tablets of stone. But the psychic hazards of policing are even greater. Policing is the most emotionally hazardous occupation in government. Officers are subjected to an unremitting series of tragic human events. They see the worst of people and people at their worst.

It is no surprise that studies have consistently demonstrated high rates of alcohol abuse, divorce and suicide among officers. Too many turn to alcohol to relieve stress. Too often, the stress of work causes stress at home. Too often, troubled officers turn to their firearm for relief from depression. We at MPD are confronting these problems. Discipline has been stiffened. We are actively educating our officers. In a supportive environment, self-referrals to employee assistance programs have significantly increased. Cops want to do the right thing.

The newspaper is part of a police department's public accountability network. We in the profession must respect that even when we feel unfairly maligned. "Due process" holds officers accountable. But there is no due process in a newspaper. There, the price of public service is public humiliation.

I don't think the Journal Sentinel cares about the consequences of its irresponsible reporting.

There's no concern regarding the impact its series has on the lives of the police officers and their families.

Without question, the officers are being exploited.

The Journal Sentinel, rather than serving as a watchdog of the police department, has chosen the role of vicious attack dog.

Howard Stern: Occupy Wall Street - More Idiocy

Howard Stern is back with more Occupy Wall Street fools.

Audio.



The protesters have no idea what they're protesting. They are incoherent.

What fools!

Trick or Treat: I Got a Rock

Occupy Madison: Masturbation

This story doesn't surprise me.

Masturbation and the Occupy Madison protesters go hand in hand.

City officials temporarily denied Occupy Madison a new street use permit Wednesday after protesters violated public health and safety conditions and failed to follow the correct processes to renew or amend a permit.

The permit, which expired Wednesday at noon, required Occupy Madison protesters to relocate from their current space at 30 West Mifflin Street, also called 30 on the Square.

A neighboring hotel's staff alleged voiced concerns about having to recently escort hotel employees to and from bus stops late at night due to inappropriate behavior, such as public masturbation, from street protesters.

In addition, officials agreed further occupation should not be allowed to continue without restrooms on site to avoid further public health violations.

"You can't be affecting the safety and health of other people around you," Madison Fire Prevention Officer Jerry McMullen said. "With the public health violations and the complaints I've heard, I don't believe it meets the spirit of the ordinance to a street use permit."

Aspects of the public masturbation in Madison sum up the Occupy movement very well.

The protesters believe they are entitled to satisfaction on demand.

Where it strays a bit from the Occupy philosophy is the fact that the masturbators were willing to take initiative and actually achieve something on their own without government assistance.

Jon Huntsman's Daughters as Mark Block

From Jon Huntsman's daughters, here's a parody of Herman Cain's ad, starring Mark Block, aka "the smoking man":



The parody shows what an impact the Cain ad has had.

It's kind of cute, but the Huntsman daughters actually promote Cain more than their dad. We're still talking about Cain and Block.

Herman Cain is getting an incredible amount of mileage out of that one ad, just because Mark Block did one of the most shocking things possible - inhale.

"Yeah, I smoke. Deal with it."

Team Cain made a politically astute move.

Jimmy Fallon: Michele Bachmann, Jacket

JIMMY FALLON: Some election news here- Michele Bachmann's campaign is giving a new jacket to supporters who donate $75. And in honor of Bachmann's poll numbers, they're 100 percent down.

Halloween Costumes for Dogs

What will dogs be wearing this Halloween?

Here are some costumes:

Harem Dog Pet Costume



This one gives me the creeps. "Wow, that dog looks hot!"

Hippie Pet Costume



An Occupy Wall Street costume would be more trendy. Hippies were anti-establishment, and they called cops "pigs," too. I suppose the Hippie costume fits the current protesters.

Tattoo Dog Pet Costume



Who comes up with these costumes? "I want my dog to dress like a bad ass."

Shrek Pet Costume



This photo is strange. Where's the dog's hind legs?

Wonder Woman Deluxe Pet Costume



Wonder Woman's legs look saggy. Is this the elderly Wonder Woman?

Star Wars Princess Leia Pet Costume



I'm sure even a dog wouldn't want to wear that wig.

Big Daddy Pet Costume



Don't dress your dog like a pimp. Don't do that.

Trick or Treat: Pros & Cons

Jimmy Fallon gives the pros & cons of trick or treating.

Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake: History of Rap, Part 3

Here's video of the third installment: Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake join forces once again to deliver the History of Rap.

Watch.

Ed Flynn Interview - Mark Belling

Yesterday, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn was interviewed by Mark Belling on his radio program.

Belling asked straightforward questions and Flynn gave straightforward answers.

An issue that Belling has been covering on his show is response time by the police department. He highlighted a couple of cases that were clearly troublesome in terms of how long it took for police to respond.

Flynn stood by his department's police strategy and performance but he did state that there have been instances of inadequate response. Flynn said there were times when "we didn't meet our own standards."

Read a news release from the Milwaukee Police Department, Chief Ed Flynn: CHIEF FLYNN DISCUSSES RESPONSE TIMES

During the interview, Flynn also addressed the three-part series by reporter Gina Barton that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been running about Milwaukee police officers being disciplined.

Read the Journal Sentinel's report:

Part 1: A hidden problem

From shoplifting to battery, some 93 officers faced few consequences for violations.

Part 2: Drunken driving

A conviction can derail your career as a cab driver, but not as a Milwaukee cop.

Coming Sunday, Part 3:
Domestic violence

Abusive officers can keep their guns and jobs - and respond when battered women call for help.

Clearly, Barton and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have a major axe to grind when it comes to Ed Flynn and the police department.

Flynn was as straightforward in his reaction to the series as he was in his responses to Belling's questions about police response time.

MARK BELLING: This week, the newspaper has been running a massive series of reports, taking up a remarkable amount of space, on current Milwaukee officers who were not fired despite various violations of the law. In some cases, ordinance violations, and in some cases, incidents that were more severe - a focus, in particular, on drunk driving. The newspaper says it's been working on this for a year. I want to get, Chief, first of all, just a general question: Do you believe that the series has been fair, and if not, why not?

CHIEF ED FLYNN: OK. Again, thanks for the question. I'm going to take a deep breath and I'm going to answer very calmly. The short answer is no. It's a hatchet job. They developed their premise, devoted extraordinary resources to proving that premise, and then used a mallet to kill a flea.

Now, they had to go back 30 years to come back with their misconduct. They had to cover events that were committed by 19-year-olds. We have guys who got city citations for jumping snow fences to pee in the wrong place when they were 21 years old, and now they've got a mug shot in the newspaper. You know, we've got families who had trouble once, might have been an act of domestic violence. They've reconciled. They've been living together peacefully for years, and now any Tom, Dick, or Harry can go on this wonderful website and figure out who the victim of a domestic violence assault was ten years ago and humiliate that family when nobody else knew. I think it is despicable.

We ran the numbers ourselves, and once you clear out all the city ordinance violations and the one-time drunk driving violations and the guys that got jammed up on a traffic violation, you are dealing with 31 officers out of 4,989 who worked during those 30 years. That's .62 percent of the force.

I'd be happy if that newspaper spent one-tenth of the words of that article on the positive work of this police department rather than an all-out assault on an important civic institution which they seem committed to discrediting.

...I can't help but feel that bringing up all of this stuff now in the last quarter of my current appointment is motivated by something other than coincidence. I think they took their swing and they missed. But in so doing, I think they unfairly maligned a lot of good police officers who've done good things and made a mistake when they were baby cops, and now they're being humiliated in public. I think it's just a dreadful assault on good people who made mistakes.

...For some reason, it's a full-court press on this police department. We are up to our ears in freedom of information requests from those people. They can't get enough of trying to undermine us and undermine our credibility. I do not know what their motivation is, but I can tell you they have become a secondary job for me here. I spend nearly as much time trying to deal with just them as I do with crime, fear, and disorder.

Flynn was angry and I think justly.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has shamelessly smeared officers and their families. They're victims of its agenda. Apparently, decency is in short supply in the newsroom.

I don't understand why the newspaper is trying to undercut the police department.

It's disgraceful.

Once again, I find myself in the position of wanting to cancel my subscription to the Journal Sentinel, but I can't cancel what I already cancelled years ago.

Brian Robison Fined $20,000

The NFL slapped a $20,000 fine on the Vikings' Brian Robison for kicking T.J. Lang of the Packers.



From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The NFL fined Brian Robison $20,000 for the kick heard around the football world on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports.

During a field goal attempt in Green Bay's 33-27 win over Minnesota, the Vikings defensive end kicked Packers left guard T.J. Lang in the groin. After the game Sunday, Robison apologized on Twitter to Lang, the NFL and the Vikings. In response on Twitter, Lang accepted the apology.

A $20,000 fine for a groin kick.

Can you imagine being in a workplace where everyone is making so much money that it's reasonable to issue a $20,000 fine to an individual for a personal offense, even an egregious one?

The Packers and the Vikings and the other NFL players are members of the 1 percent. They're the bad guys, right?

I suppose the players can be seen as the downtrodden since the owners make more money than they do.

Why isn't there an Occupy Mall of America Field protest? Or Occupy Lambeau?

Are there protesters targeting the World Series?

Occupy Tony La Russa!

And then there's Hollywood.

Occupy Tom Hanks!

Occupy [fill in the blank]!


A demonstrator with Occupy Chicago held up a sign outside the Federal Reserve Bank building this month. (Scott Olson - GETTY IMAGES)

Peter Schiff and Occupy Wall Street

Peter Schiff, CEO and Chief Global Strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc., is public enemy #1.

He's a member of the "1 percent" allegedly abusing the rest of us, the 99 percent.

The gutsy Schiff went to Zuccotti Park and talked to some Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Luckily, the mob wasn't armed with pitchforks, because as Obama and the Leftists have been telling us, Schiff is evil incarnate.

Schiff tries to reason with them.

During the "discussion," Schiff sounds like an adult and the protesters sound like preschoolers at the peak of a tantrum.

Did you ever to try to reason with a kid having a tantrum?

Watch the video:



I think the OWS protesters need a time-out. And a nap. And maybe consuming less refined sugar would help, a better diet.

Bill Ayers and Occupy Chicago

Bill Ayers, unrepentant terrorist and radical, taught a master class in revolution for some Occupy Chicago protesters.

Here's video, from Breitbart:



It's pretty sick that Ayers' audience seems to be in awe of him, like they idolize him and want to be like him.

How can any decent person look up to a man like Ayers?

Obama and Dennis Miller's Joke

When Obama was on the Tonight Show, he got a laugh from the audience when he said this:

JAY LENO: Now, have you been watching the GOP debates?

OBAMA: I'm going to wait until everybody is voted off the island before --

(Applause, laughter)

Once they narrow it down to one or two, I'll start paying attention.

Did Obama's people steal Dennis Miller's line, "voted off the island"?Did they feed Obama Miller's joke? Did Leno's writers share it with Obama?

Video.



I think Miller is probably right. It's kind of an obvious line and it wouldn't be a stretch for others to come up with the same thought on their own. As Miller said, even Joe Biden could figure out that one.

Still, the way Obama echoes Miller is kind of funny .

Miller makes a good point when he says that it's not the possibility of Obama stealing a joke that concerns him. It's the real stealing - Solyndra, etc. - that bothers him.

King Barack Obama

Obama loves executive orders.

He bypasses Congress. He just gets his way by decree.

His executive order of the day: Easing Student Loan Payments.

The Wall Street Journal points out:

Wednesday will be the third day in a row Mr. Obama has announced an executive action aimed at bypassing Congress, including a housing refinancing plan and a proposal to train and hire veterans.

Why aren't the Leftists complaining about King Barack Obama's power grab?

Dictator Obama.

Obama: Student Loan Plan

The Associated Press offers some questions and answers about student loans and Obama's plan to excuse debt:

Recognizing that college students and recent graduates are facing rising tuition prices and burdensome student loan debt, President Barack Obama announced a plan that seeks to lessen the burden of paying back student loans.

Some questions and answers about student loans:

Q: How big a problem is student loan debt?

A: Total outstanding student debt has passed $1 trillion, more than the nation's credit card debt, and average indebtedness for students is rising. The College Board said Wednesday that the average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose an additional $631 this fall, or about 8 percent, compared with a year ago. The cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000 — an all-time high. The board said about 56 percent of bachelor's degree recipients at public schools graduated with debt averaging about $22,000. From private nonprofit universities, 65 percent graduated with debt averaging about $28,000. Experts say those average amounts usually are still manageable, at least for those who finish a degree. But they are concerned about the rate of increase, the growing numbers with substantially more debt and the increase in those apparently in over their heads repaying them. The Education Department said in September that the national student loan default rate for the 2009 budget year had risen to 8.8 percent.

Q: What does Obama's plan do?

A: Obama will accelerate a law passed by Congress last year that lowers the maximum required payment on student loans from 15 percent of discretionary income annually to 10 percent for eligible borrowers. It goes into effect next year, instead of 2014. Also, the remaining debt would be forgiven after 20 years, instead of 25. The White House said about 1.6 million borrowers could be affected.

Obama also will allow borrowers who have a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program and a direct loan from the government to consolidate them at an interest rate of up to a half percentage point less. This could affect 5.8 million borrowers, according to the White House.

Q: How much does it save borrowers?

A: Some borrowers will save several hundred dollars a month in payments.

Q: What's the difference between government-backed student loans and private student loans? And, does Obama's plan impact private loan borrowers?

A: Before the law change, borrowers wanting a student loan backed by the government could get loans directly from the government or from the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Those from the Federal Family Education Loan Program were issued by private lenders, but basically backed by the government. The law eliminated the private lenders' role as middlemen and made all such loans direct loans. The law was passed with the overhaul of the health care system with the anticipation that it would save about $60 billion over a decade. Private loans are one students typically get when they get all they can get from the government. They're typically from banks, and they are where students tend to get into the most trouble because they don't have the same government protections and they usually have higher interest rates. Obama's plan won't help students stuck in those. The amount of private lending has fallen sharply in recent years as lenders have cut back and demanded higher credit scores. However, for extremely expensive colleges, students may hit the maximum federal borrowing limits and have no choice but to look for private loans.

Q: Are there others who don't benefit?

A: Borrowers already in default won't qualify. The accelerated component of the income-based repayment plan only applies to borrowers who take out a loan in 2012 or later and who also took out a loan sometime between 2008 and 2012, according to the Education Department. To be eligible for the consolidated loan component, a borrower must have both a direct loan from the government and a loan from the Federal Family Education Loan Program.

Q: The White House says the plan is free to taxpayers. How can that be?

A: A White House official says it doesn't cost taxpayers anything because when the loans are consolidated, the government no longer has to pay a subsidy to private lenders on the Federal Family Education Loan Program loans.

Q: What do Republicans say?

A: Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the ranking Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a statement that Obama crafted his plan behind closed doors and "we are left with more questions than answers." Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a former U.S. education secretary, said the real way to reduce the burden of student-loan debt is to slow down the growth of tuition and the best way to do that is to "reduce health care costs and mandates that are soaking up state dollars that in the past have gone to support public colleges and universities."

Allow me to translate:

Be as irresponsible as you want to be.

Rack up as much debt as you want. You won't have to pay back your loans.

I am so pissed.

My husband and I sacrificed and busted our asses to pay back student loans, monthly payments for years.

But we did it.

We were schmucks.

What the hell?

I'm sick of paying for the irresponsibility of others. Why should we sacrifice and save and plan? Why should we deny ourselves things?

GIMME. GIMME. GIMME.

Did I mention I'm pissed?

Wait a minute.

This plan isn't so new?

Read "Obama’s student loan plan isn’t so new," from the Washington Post.

I can’t help but feel that President Obama’s new student loan proposal could take its title from William Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Technically, on paper, the “Pay as You Earn” plan that the president began trumpeting Wednesday is new because it’s a new regulatory action taken by the Department of Education. But that action is just fast-tracking an improvement to a benefit already mandated by Congress in an existing program.

...Let me put it another way so you are clear on who will benefit from this change. The president’s plan does not affect borrowers who took on loans before 2008 and who do not take out a new loan next year. So, if you are already in repayment and are not planning to take out new student loans, this plan does not affect you.

The changes could help borrowers who in 2012 and later consolidate loans from the government’s direct loan program and the nixed Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program. Overall, this measure would provide an estimated 1.6 million borrowers with more manageable monthly payments, the administration said.

By the way, if your loans are in default, you can’t take advantage of IBR based on the current program or the president’s plan.

Got overwhelming private student loans? No soup for you!

That’s my sarcastic way of saying parents and students with oppressively high private student loans won’t see any relief.

...Loans that are not eligible to be repaid under IBR: those currently in default, parent PLUS Loans (PLUS Loans that were made to parent borrowers) and consolidation loans that repaid parent PLUS Loans.

Obama is earning himself the nickname "Slick Barry."

Scott Walker's Policies: WORKING

Scott Walker's policies are working!

WINNING!



Recall Walker? Recall Republicans?

Why?

For enacting budget reform that is succeeding in Wisconsin?

WINNING!

Starting to get the concept now?

Obama and Leno - Video, Transcript

Obama was Jay Leno's guest on Tuesday's Tonight Show.

It was a campaign commercial.

No surprise there.

I expected Leno to be respectful and he was.

I expected Leno to be a total suck-up and he was.

Obama looked tired and old and frail.

This time, Obama didn't mock Special Olympics athletes, like he did during his appearance in March 2009.

I don't think he'll have to issue any apologies like he did when he revealed what a callous and cold individual he is. He could apologize to the viewers for his shameless politicking, but he didn't disgrace himself the way he did when he compared his poor bowling ability to that of a Special Olympics participant.

Certainly, Obama owes the country an apology for his disastrous policies.

Leno owes his viewers an apology for being the willing stooge, accepting Obama's spin without challenge.

I really don't blame Leno too much because he's not meant to do a tough interview.

The question becomes: What is a sitting U.S. president doing on the Tonight Show?

I think it makes Obama seem small. It diminishes the office.

Here's video, by topic:

President Obama on the death of Gaddafi.

President Obama on Republicans opposing the withdrawal from Iraq.

President Obama's reaction to the GOP debates.

President Obama on Halloween and the White House getting egged.

Here's the complete interview video:

Part 1: President Obama on Gaddafi, Bin Laden and withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

Part 2: President Obama on Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

Part 3: President Obama on stopping to eat at Roscoe's plus more on Halloween and GOP.

Here's Obama "acting":

Presidential Cold Open - President Obama's teleprompter.

Here's the complete transcript of Obama's interview, as provided by NBC.

US Flag Dog Chew Toy

The Occupy San Diego loons are showing just how much they respect the American flag and the country it represents.

Interesting that they want the government, meaning U.S. taxpayers, to provide them with everything they want, yet they hate the country. They hate the military, yet they expect to be free. They take their country for granted.

From Gateway Pundit:



Sickening.

KILL THE RICH

Herman Cain and Mark Block

UPDATE: Cain talks about the ad, and the reaction to Mark Block's smoking.

It begins at 8:00 minutes on the video clip.


_______________

Herman Cain has released a rather strange ad.

Cain's Chief of Staff, Wisconsin's Mark Block, gives a pep talk to supporters and encourages others to jump on the bandwagon.

The text is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff.

The tight close-up of Mark Block's face throughout the ad is a little weird.

What's really weird is the shot of Block toward the end of the ad. He's smoking. Staring into the camera lens, he takes a drag and exhales.



Then, at the very end, we see a shot of a smiling Herman Cain.



Very odd.

Here's the video:



Transcript

MARK BLOCK: Mark Block here. Since January, I've had the privilege of being the Chief of Staff to Herman Cain and the Chief Operating Officer of the Friends of Herman Cain.

Tomorrow is one day closer to the White House. I really believe that Herman Cain will put 'united' back in the United States of America. And if I didn't believe that, I wouldn't be here.

We've run a campaign like nobody's ever seen. But then, America's never seen a candidate like Herman Cain.

We need you to get involved, because together we can do this. We can take this country back.

[Block smokes]

[Music, Krista Branch singing: "I Am America."]

[Cain smiles]

Why is Block smoking?

Is Cain the smokers' candidate?

Is Cain being inclusive? Smokers are welcome in Cain's campaign.

Is it supposed to be a sign of honesty, a breath of fresh air, as opposed to Obama's hidden habit?

Is it a subtle, albeit weird, way of saying that Cain is for personal freedom and not a Leftist nanny, like Michelle "let's move" Obama, impinging on the individual?

I doubt it. That's overthinking it.

If Block is supposed to be Everyman, I don't know why he's smoking. Only about 20 percent of adults in the U.S. smoke.

Sometimes, things just get weird. This ad is weird.

A good campaign ad will get people talking, but it shouldn't leave people wondering what its message is.

It's not good that Block and his butt are drawing attention away from Cain.

350-Pound Burger

Mallie's Sports Grill and Bar in Southgate, Michigan has a big burger on its menu. Big is an understatement.

It's name: "Absolutely Ridiculous Burger."

“I got the idea to do this from the Guinness World Record book. I was actually thumbing through it and I see Thailand had the world record for a 78-pound burger. It just didn’t make sense having it in Thailand. So, I thought it would bring it home,” said owner and creator Steve Mallie.

This isn’t the first time Mallie has taken up the beefy challenge.

“The first burger we ever made was 134 pounds. That’s when we first got our Guinness World Record. Most recently, we did a 319-pound burger. Today, we’re going to beat it with a 350-pound burger,” Mallie said.

Mallie said it takes 20 hours to bake 270 pounds of hamburger and eight hours to cool it in a freezer.

“This actually cooks down to about a 180-pound patty. You actually lose about 100 pounds of grease,” Mallie said.

The bun weighs 100 pounds and takes four hours to bake.

“We’ve got 20 pounds of American cheese, 15 pounds of tomatoes, 15 pounds of onions, 10 pounds of pickles, 10 pounds of bacon and 10 pounds of lettuce,” Mallie said.

But the brave burger isn’t just for the record books, restaurant guests can also order one.

“Seventy-two hour notice and we can make one for you,” Mallie said.

The burger has a hefty price tag, too - $2,000.

Someone should tell Obama about this.

Last week, he said, "We used to have the best stuff."

OBAMA: We used to have the best stuff. Think about... the world used to say, let's travel to America. Let's see the Golden Gate Bridge. Let's see the Hoover Dam. Let's see these, these amazing things that America built. Are we gonna be the generation where we stop building?

Steve Mallie hasn't stopped building.

Soviet Union Citizen Schools OWS Protesters

A former citizen of the defunct Soviet Union confronts Occupy Wall Street protesters.

He tries to open the eyes of the self-professed socialists.

Video, from Breitbart.



Naturally, the protesters are clueless.

Ron Johnson's D.C. Home

Senator Ron Johnson, just one year into his 6-year term as a U.S. senator, has purchased a home in Washington.

Dan Bice, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, has a problem with that. He thinks that in less than a year, Johnson has become an inside the beltway guy, a detached career politician.

Bice writes:

For someone who vowed to serve as a "citizen legislator," U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson certainly is acting like a seasoned Washington insider.

First, Johnson hired a former lobbyist as his chief of staff. Then he announced that he was running for a top GOP post in the Senate and created a leadership fund.

Now it turns out that Johnson has paid cash for a $1 million-plus D.C. house within walking distance of his Senate office.

No sleeping on a cot in his legislative office for this first-term Republican.

Actually, the brick town house - guaranteed to "knock your socks off" in the words of the real estate agent - was bought by The Ronald H. Johnson and Jane K. Johnson Irrevocable Endowment Trust.

Apparently, Bice believes that serving as a "citizen legislator" means one takes a vow of poverty and sleeps on a cot in one's office.

I think Bice doesn't know what "citizen legislator" means.

I have no problem with Sen. Johnson buying a house he can afford. That has nothing to do with him being a conservative voice in the U.S. Senate, representing Wisconsinites.

Are we supposed to be ticked off that he bought the place?

Are we supposed to be jealous and demand that Johnson share his wealth with us because... because... because he has it and we don't?

I don't see how Johnson's D.C. home means he's become a Washington insider.

He bought a property. So what?

We all knew that Johnson was wealthy when we decided to vote for him and fire radical Leftist Russ Feingold. I certainly didn't imagine Johnson would be living out of his office.

He bought a house. Who cares?

Furthermore, what's wrong with Johnson hiring a former lobbyist?

Does that mean he's not looking out for my interests and representing me?

No.

And what's wrong with running for a leadership post?

We need new blood in those positions, people exactly like Johnson.

I think Bice should join the Occupy Milwaukee protesters. He seems to share their opinions. He does seem to be trying to stir up a class war.

The Leftists might enjoy Bice's story on Johnson's "pricey pad in D.C."

I think it's a joke.

It's a good thing Herb Kohl is retiring. The poor guy must be sick and tired from spending over twenty years sleeping on a cot in his office. Or Kohl give up his cot long ago and become a Washington insider? Maybe he eventually rented a studio apartment. How much room does a single guy need?

I wonder what Feingold's doing with his cot. Surely, the maverick man of the people Feingold didn't put down any roots in Washington. That would be so insider-ish. And there's that problem with roots. It hurts when they get ripped out. Feingold would know.

Since Bice is so interested in homes, he should give us the scoop on where Kohl and Feingold lived during their lengthy Washington stints, kind of a U.S. Senate version of Cribs.

Libya and Radical Islamic Law

Libya is liberated!

From the Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from Beirut— Libya's new leaders declared their nation "liberated" on Sunday, paving the way for elections and a constitution that the revolutionary government says will put the country on a path to its first representative democracy.

"Democracy" shouldn't be confused with freedom for all.

Libya is liberated but that doesn't mean the plan is for the country to be free from oppression.

The long-awaited pronouncement came with a heavy dose of Islamist sentiment, as Mustafa Abdul Jalil, leader of the transitional government, embraced the Muslim code known as Sharia law as a foundation for future legislation.

During his more than four decades in power, Moammar Kadafi viewed Islamists as a threat and jailed hundreds of suspected religious militants. But Jalil, a former justice minister in Kadafi's regime, signaled that Islam would have a central place in the new Libya, imposing two Islamic-style edicts — capping interest rates and lifting restrictions on how many wives men may have.

Islamists are one of a number of groups seeking a stake in the new Libya. Many Libyans are also advocating a secular state. The transitional leaders have repeatedly emphasized the nation's "moderate" version of Islam and dismissed as far-fetched the notion of an Iranian-style theocracy emerging in Libya. Still, some Western leaders who backed the rebellion have voiced concern about the possible rise of fundamentalist rule in Libya.

In his remarks about the killing of Muammar Gaddafi, Obama put a nice, shiny spin on the future.

OBAMA: The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted. And with this enormous promise, the Libyan people now have a great responsibility -- to build an inclusive and tolerant and democratic Libya that stands as the ultimate rebuke to Qaddafi’s dictatorship. We look forward to the announcement of the country’s liberation, the quick formation of an interim government, and a stable transition to Libya’s first free and fair elections. And we call on our Libyan friends to continue to work with the international community to secure dangerous materials, and to respect the human rights of all Libyans –- including those who have been detained.

We’re under no illusions -- Libya will travel a long and winding road to full democracy. There will be difficult days ahead. But the United States, together with the international community, is committed to the Libyan people. You have won your revolution. And now, we will be a partner as you forge a future that provides dignity, freedom and opportunity.

It seems to me that it's nuts for Obama to say "[w]e're under no illusions."

Radical Islam doesn't mean "dignity, freedom and opportunity" for all Libyans.

Liberation?

I don't think so.

Natasha Lennard: OWS Activist AND NYT Reporter

Journalistic ethics. We know how journalists love to tout their ethical standards.

It appears that New York Times reporter Natasha Lennard has thrown hers out the window.

From Lee Stranahan, Big Government:

A newly-discovered video–filmed by Occupy Wall Street supporters themselves–reveals that New York Times reporter Natasha Lennard is not merely covering the protests, but is also apparently taking part in planning and executing them.

In the video, Lennard is seen participating as a featured speaker in a discussion among anarchists, communists, and other radicals as they examine the theory, strategy and tactics of the Occupy protests.

The discussion was held at the left-wing Bluestockings book store in New York on Friday, Oct. 14, and filmed and promoted by the radical magazine Jacobin. The audience included participants in, and apparent organizers of, the Occupy Wall Street demonstration in lower Manhattan.

Lennard, who has also written for Politico and Salon, is identified in the video by the panel’s moderator as a freelancer for the Times, and also as the Times reporter who was arrested along with seven hundred activists on the Brooklyn Bridge on Oct. 1.

When Lennard reported on her arrest at the time, she appears to have concealed her own apparent role in the Occupy protests, implying that her arrest was an abuse of press freedom. She used her affiliation with the Times to win her early release.

Sympathetic media expressed shock that a reporter had been taken into custody by allegedly overzealous police. Only sources like Newsbusters questioned that narrative at the time. The video suggests that the skeptics were correct in their suspicions.

Here's the video:


Stranahan writes:

Lennard’s “outing” of herself at the panel discussion demands an immediate response from the New York Times.

...The Times should not allow Lennard to use her purported credentials as a reporter to shield her from revealing intimate knowledge of any apparent crimes being formulated against people and businesses in New York.

Nor should the Times allow Lennard to abuse her status as a reporter to avoid the legal consequences of her actions as an active participant in illegal Occupy actions.

I agree.

Lennard shouldn't be given a pass. She should face the consequences of her actions.

Occupy Wall Street: Jews and Israel

Here's another crazed, anti-Semitic rant from an Occupy Wall Street protester.

When will Obama and the Democrats comment on the hate that permeates the OWS movement? When?

As long as they believe it's politically expedient to remain silent on the subject, they will. They are that shameless.

Video, from Breitbart:



This guy is a disgrace.

PROTESTER: Google 'Jews and Wall Street.'

...

The JEWS commit more white-collar crime than any other ethnic group on the earth. And they go unprosecuted because they can buy their way out of it.

...

Whenever there's a billion dollar fraud, there's a Jew involved.

...

Millions of people are suffering because of what the Jews did on Wall Street.

...

Israel intends on wiping out the Middle East so that Israel can expand its borders.

...

The United States is afraid of Israel. All the congressmen, all the senators, are beholdened to Jewish money. Because of Jewish money, the Republican party and the Democrat party allows Israel to go unchecked.

It really is unbelievable that the president of the United States and elected Democrats are risking any shred of credibility they may have by supporting these hateful people.

The anti-Semitism has been evident at these Occupy protests from the beginning.

The Democrats are so hungry for power that they are willing to ignore the truth and lie to the American people about the protesters.

Instead of embracing the OWS crowd, they should be condemning them.

Brian Robison and T.J. Lang

Kicking was a big story in the Packers' victory against the Vikings.

Mason Crosby kicked for a franchise record.

After Aaron Rodgers was sacked late in the third quarter on Sunday, the Packers were back at the Minnesota 40-yard line, seemingly out of field-goal range, but McCarthy trusted his fourth-year kicker and immediately sent him out to try a franchise-record 58-yard field goal.

Crosby nailed it with plenty to spare.

Mason Crosby is on fire.

T.J. Lang may feel the same way.

Vikings defensive end Brian Robison didn't sack Aaron Rodgers. He sacked Lang, so to speak.

Here's video:



Is this worse than A.J. Hawk flipping the bird?

All males I've talked to about the incident say absolutely yes.

Robison tweeted an apology to Lang but it's not much of an apology.

My apologies to @tjlang70 , my team, my fans and the @nfl . I am not a dirty player and did not maliciously aim for the groin, just happened to be where it landed.

"Just happened to be where it landed"?

Sure.

Here's more on Robison's "apology," and reaction from T.J. Lang:

Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison issued an apology on Twitter to Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang after Robison kicked Lang in the groin during the game on Sunday.

"My apologies to @tjlang70, my team, my fans and the nfl," Robison tweeted after Minnesota's 33-27 loss to Green Bay. "I am not a dirty player and did not maliciously aim for the groin, just happened to be where it landed."

The altercation happened on a field goal try in the second quarter. Replays caught Robison kicking Lang in the groin, and he was flagged for a personal foul. Former NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira tweeted during the game that Robison should have been ejected for the act.

Lang called it "a cowardly act," but said he will be OK. He did not miss any of the game because of it.

"I don't think there is any room in the game for that kind of move," Lang said. "We'll see if there is any (discipline). From what it sounds like, the TV cameras caught it pretty well. I think it should be the same as a punch."

Throwing a punch in a game is cause for ejection under NFL rules.

Robison had a different story. He said that the cameras did not catch Lang and another Packers player picking him up and throwing him to the turf and Lang lunging at him while he was on his back on the ground.

"I think when you've got a guy standing over the top of you, you automatically go into defense mode," Robison said. "And as usual, they always catch the second guy. It is what it is."

I think Robison should have been ejected.

His excuses are lame.

Talk about being unsportsmanlike!

Robison is a terrible role model for kids.

The NFL needs to address this incident.


_______________

T.J. Lang is a classy guy.

He accepts Robison's "apology."

Lang tweets:

All joking aside I think @Brian_Robison is a heck of a player.. just caught up in the emotion of the game.. apology accepted

That's nice, not to hold a grudge; but Robison should be fined.

Whatever the outcome, the kick will live on in YouTube infamy. It's on Robison's highlight reel.

Election 2012

OWS Protesters: What's Next?

Ann Coulter tweets:

OWS protesters consider returning to their OMB protest. ("Occupy Mom's Basement.")

Kathy Bates: 'Rat Bastards'

Kathy Bates wants Obama, the president she adores, to "stand up on his hind legs and fight these rat bastards."

Hind legs?

Did Bates just call Obama a dog or some other animal with hind legs?

The "rat bastards" she refers to are Wall Street guys.

Video, from Breitbart:



Bates doesn't like the Tea Party and she's alarmed at the field of Republican presidential candidates.

She says she guesses she's "more of a Democrat at heart."

Yeah, I can tell.

Occupy Dayton Protester: F--- the Military, the Flag, the Police

Here's video of yet another crazed Occupy Wall Street protester.

This guy is part of Occupy Dayton.



A woman off camera can be heard calling him "Matt" and telling him to calm down and go back to his tent.

Remember, Obama and the Democrats and the Leftists in the media have decided to align themselves with these people.

OCCUPY DAYTON PROTESTER: F--- your flag, dog. F--- your flag. F--- the Army.... F--- the military. F--- your flag. F--- the police. That's my personal beliefs....

Go do whatever the f--- you gotta do. Go get f---ed in the ass like every other f---ing military vet that I've ever seen come back, and go die for your f---ing country....

I'm a f---ing white man, dog. I can be free wherever the f--- I wanna be.

Disgusting.

This protester is a real piece of work.

I can't stand what he's saying. This jerk believes all the rights he enjoys as an American are a given. He acts as if all one's needs are magically met and freedom is automatic.

Gimme. F---ing gimme everything I f---ing want. And f--- the military, f--- your flag, and f--- the police.

It's nauseating. It makes me angry.

MSNBC should track the guy down and interview him. Show the public what these protesters are about.

They don't resemble the Tea Party activists at all.

When are the Democrats going to stop praising these people? When is Obama going to disassociate himself from them?

Occupy Wall Street, its offshoots, and its supporters, including Obama, make me sick.

Obama and Jay Leno, October 25

Obama has some pressing, official presidential business to attend on Tuesday.

He's going to appear as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

President Obama will appear on Jay Leno’s late-night show next Tuesday, NBC announced.

Obama, who has visited Leno three times so far, made history in March 2009 when he was the first sitting president to drop by “The Tonight Show.”

Obama also appeared on the show in December 2006 and October 2007, as a senator and presidential candidate.

As his approval ratings keep sinking, Obama is looking for any way he can to win over Americans.

I think he wants to remind them that they once liked him.

It's not an issue of liking or disliking Obama. His unpopularity stems from his policies and the consequences Americans have suffered.

Obama can talk with Leno and try to be likable, but it won't matter.

People are hurting. Obama schmoozing on national TV isn't going to change what a mess he's made of the country.

Of course, Leno will fawn all over Obama. And Obama will prattle on about bringing the troops home from Iraq and killing bin Laden. Leno will give him plenty of opportunities to diss the Republicans. I'm sure when talking about the 2012 election, Leno will mock the GOP candidates and Obama will sit back and laugh.

There is no way Leno is going to ask Obama anything remotely challenging. He's not going to pose any questions about the horrible economy or Guantanamo Bay or gay marriage.

It should be smooth sailing for Obama, BUT....

Obama's Tonight Show appearances haven't been too smooth.

The worst was his disastrous visit on March 19, 2009.

Obama made some terribly inappropriate remarks, making a joke at the expense of Special Olympics athletes.

It was horrible.

Here's the transcript of the infamous "Special Olympics" exchange between Obama and Leno:

MR. LENO: Now, are they going to put a basketball –- I imagine the bowling alley has been just burned and closed down.

MR. OBAMA: No, no. I have been practicing all –- (laughter.)

MR. LENO: Really? Really?

MR. OBAMA: I bowled a 129. (Laughter and applause.)

MR. LENO: No, that's very good. Yes. That's very good, Mr. President.

MR. OBAMA: It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something. (Laughter.)

MR. LENO: No, that's very good.

MR. OBAMA: No, listen, I'm making progress on the bowling, yes.

How could Obama possibly come up with that Special Olympics remark?

It was very revealing about his sense of humor and his sense of decency.

Yes, we know that Obama is not a good bowler. That's precisely the point.

Obama was attempting to use self-deprecating humor, but in the process, he insulted the accomplishments of the participants in the Special Olympics. His cruelty was really stunning.

Obama's other Tonight Show appearances also weren't shining moments for him.

Here's an account of Obama on the show in December 2006, when he talked about his drug use.

Here's an account of Obama as Leno's guest in October 2007, when he yapped about not wearing an American flag lapel pin.

Will Obama do a better job during this 2011 appearance? He should be relaxed. He knows Leno won't attack him.

Of course, the fact that Leno won't be hostile doesn't help Obama that much. He has a knack for screwing up without any assistance.

World's Largest Pumpkin

Does size matter?

From the New York Daily News:

A puffed-up pumpkin weighing nearly a ton rolled into town Thursday after squashing the competition to be named the largest in the world.

The gigantic gourd will be carved Saturday at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

"I never thought I could grow a big one," said the supersized squash's still-surprised grower, Jim Bryson of Quebec, Canada. "I never dreamt I had a chance at setting a world record."

The 1818-pound pumpkin sits on bales of hay surrounded by three rotund runners-up, two from California, and one from Pennsylvania.

"These are the top four in the world," said Dave Stelts, a John Deere tractor salesman from Edinburg, Pa., who grew the second-largest pumpkin, an 1807-pound behemoth with a greenish hue.

"This is the pinnacle - the big pumpkins in the Big Apple."

...Bryson, who began growing pumpkins on a whim four years ago, happily revealed his winning technique.

In April he soaked pumpkin seeds from his maple farm in a wet towel and within 30 hours they sprouted. He grew the seedlings in one-gallon pots under grow lights for 10 days.

Next he moved the plants to a heated greenhouse. After the weather warmed, he took down the greenhouse walls and let the vines spread through his surrounding garden.

On June 21 Bryson and his 12-year-old daughter Kelsey pollinated pumpkin flowers by hand.

...Early this summer Bryson and Kelsey lopped off all but one flower so the vine would concentrate its energies on growing a single squash.

At the peak of growing season, the pumpkin packed on 40 pounds a day.

"You'd come back at night and you can see the difference," Bryson said. "It's amazing."

Growers can sell a single seed from a record-shattering pumpkin for over $1,500.

$1,500 for a single pumpkin seed?

Amazing.

Think of how many seeds these giant pumpkins have.

Probably more seeds than there are buyers.

Here's video of the four largest pumpkins in the world:

Precious Dupriest

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A 19-year-old prostitute, so disgusted that a 63-year-old client repeatedly tried to kiss her when they went to a motel room for sex, strangled the man with a pair of red suspenders, according to a criminal complaint.

Precious Dupriest is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the slaying of Billy W. Murray, according to the complaint.

Murray was found dead by employees Monday in a room at the Village Inn, 3001 W. Wisconsin Ave.

According to the complaint:

A maintenance worker and a housekeeper went to Room 127 of the motel to inform Murray and Dupriest that it was past the checkout time. When no one answered the door they used a master key to enter the room, where they found Murray on the floor without a pulse and a pair of red suspenders wrapped around his neck.

Drug paraphernalia was lying around the room, and surveillance video captured Dupriest and Murray arriving at the motel in a silver Cadillac. The video showed the two enter the room, Dupriest later leaving the room with what appeared to be the man's pants and Dupriest driving off in Murray's car.

...When police found Dupriest, she told them Murray picked her up on the street and asked her if she wanted to "get high and have fun," explaining that "having fun" meant performing sex acts.

The two then went to the motel room, where they smoked a $40 piece of crack cocaine.

"The defendant stated that the victim wanted to kiss her and that she told him no because 'that's disgusting,' " according to the complaint.

Murray tried to kiss her several times before she began choking him and they ended up on the floor.

After Murray passed out, Dupriest strangled him with the suspenders to make sure he was dead, according to the complaint.

Dupriest said "she could not stop strangling him because if he woke up then she could end up in trouble," the complaint said.

This incident really hurts Milwaukee's image.

If johns can't feel safe with the city's prostitutes, that's a problem.

Now, in 19-year-old Precious' defense, 63-year-old Billy W. Murray allegedly kept trying to kiss her even though she told him she wouldn't because "that's disgusting."

No does mean no. Prostitute Precious shouldn't have to do something disgusting, but she overreacted a bit, in my opinion.

Something else to consider: There could be an economic impact on the city as a result of this murder.

Will men prefer to go outside Milwaukee for prostitutes, spending their money in the suburbs? Will they leave the county to do business?

The city can't afford to lose more jobs.

Bashir: Can Cain Spell 'Iraq'?

Martin Bashir is a perfect personality for MSNBC.

He is insufferable. He insults Republicans and conservatives. He says despicable things. He's the face of 21st century yellow journalism.

From the New York Times, February 2003:

Martin Bashir, the British television journalist who followed Michael Jackson for eight months, should have introduced his interview floating face down in a swimming pool and speaking in a voice-over, like William Holden in "Sunset Boulevard."

Ethroned behind the gates of his private amusement park, the Neverland Ranch, Mr. Jackson comes off in this two-hour ABC special as the Norma Desmond of Motown: creepy, but almost touching in his delusional naïveté: a victim of an abusive father, of his own psyche and also of his interviewer's callous self-interest masked as sympathy.

The New York Times calls Michael Jackson a VICTIM of Bashir's "callous self-interest masked as sympathy."

Bashir is about Bashir, callous self-interest.

Yes, Bashir belongs on MSNBC.

Bashir, no Einstein, actually had the audacity to ask whether presidential candidate Herman Cain knows how to spell the word "Iraq"?

Here's video, from Breitbart:

MARTIN BASHIR: Just a final question: Do you think Herman Cain can spell the word "Iraq"?

How incredibly condescending and insulting!

Why isn't Bashir accused of being racist for belittling Cain?

We all know that his smart ass question is veiled racism, right?

Right?

I mean, MSNBC hosts are constantly accusing Obama's critics of being racist. They claim their opposition is rooted in racism. The real problem is Obama's critics have a problem with Obama's skin color. MSNBC hosts spew that trash all the time.

So, why isn't mocking the intelligence of Herman Cain considered a racist remark?

Say it with me: He's conservative.
_________________

Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters, points out that Herman is an intelligent, accomplished man. Bashir's credentials pale in comparison.

For the record, Cain received a Masters degree in computer science from Purdue while working full-time for the Department of the Navy as a ballistics analyst. He went on to be CEO of Godfather's Pizza, CEO of the National Restaurants Association, chairman of the Kansas City Federal Reserve, and has served on the Board of Directors for major companies including Nabisco and Whirlpool.

By contrast, according to Wikipedia, Bashir studied English and History at King's College in London; no degree was listed. He has been a journalist ever since.

Bottom line: It is not OK for the MSNBC thugs to trash Herman Cain and other conservatives like this day in and day out. No trace of integrity.

The NBC News brand is dead.

Obama: Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

Obama just announced that he is withdrawing all American troops from Iraq.

By the end of the year, our troops will be out. It's over.

Mission accomplished.

President Barack Obama said on Friday the United States will fulfill its pledge to pull troops out of Iraq by the end of the year.

"As promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over," Obama told reporters.

He spoke after a video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and said the two were in full agreement about how to move forward.

Obama said the two countries now move into "a new phase" and that it will be "a normal relationship between sovereign nations. An equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect."

The withdrawal of American troops marks a major milestone in the war that started in 2003 and resulted in the removal of Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq.

"Over the next two months, our troops in Iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home," Obama said.

"The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops," he said. "That is how America's military efforts in Iraq will end."

...Senior Iraqis say in private they would like a U.S. troop presence to keep the peace between Iraqi Arabs and Kurds in a dispute over who controls oil-rich areas in the north of Iraq.

Although Obama claimed to be in complete agreement with Maliki about troop withdrawal and moving forward, that's questionable.

From the Washington Post:

The Obama administration has decided to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of the year after failing to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government that would have left several thousand troops there for special operations and training.

President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki spoke Friday morning to cement that agreement in a scheduled telephone call.

The two leaders also agreed to continue informally discussing the need for and the terms of a U.S. military presence in Iraq into next year, people familiar with the agreement said. As a result, the only U.S. military presence that will remain in Iraq after the end of the year will be the roughly 150 troops needed to protect the large U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad and its thousands of American diplomats and other personnel, as well as provide training related to new military sales and other tasks.

“The rest of our troops in Iraq will come home at the end of the year,” Obama said Friday at the White House. “After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over.”

The failure to reach an agreement could pose security problems for the Iraqi government, still largely divided by sect and ethnicity, and for an Obama administration that inherited the war but has pledged an orderly withdrawal.

If sectarian strife or other violence should break out in Iraq once U.S. forces have left, Obama could be blamed, particularly by his conservative critics, for abandoning Iraq after nearly nine years of war before it was ready to protect itself.

You have to parse words to find "complete agreement" about the way to move forward.

I want all our troops to be home and out of harm's way. I'm glad they're coming home, but I worry about Obama's decision.

The statement seemed like a political move, like Obama has his eye on the 2012 election more than making sound judgments, or telling the truth for that matter.

The "as promised" bit was clearly a campaign line.

I thought it was really cheesy the way Obama said Iraq veterans will be the beneficiaries of his plans to create jobs at home. That was a lame campaign ploy.

Whatever it takes... to get reelected.

I find it strange to hear Obama speak about success in Iraq with any degree of pride, given his opposition to the war.

In 2007, when Obama was campaigning in Madison, here's what he said about Iraq:

Obama talked about Iraq. He told of how he spoke out against the war during his Illinois Senate campaign in 2002.

"This is a dumb war, ...and we shouldn't fight it."

I wish Obama would have started his announcement today with that line.

"Of course, as you know, Iraq is a dumb war and we shouldn't fight it. It was a mistake. I'm bringing American troops home."

When Obama spoke of the loss of American lives in Iraq, he didn't say they died in a dumb war.

The many faces of Obama.

Occupy Milwaukee Protester Arrested: M&I Bank

UPDATE, October 24, 2011: Arrested Occupy Milwaukee Protester Registered to Vote in Wisconsin, Georgia

Last Thursday, Occupy Milwaukee protester Austin Lee Thompson (DOB 10/15/1986) was arrested by Milwaukee Police at M&I Bank after allegedly yelling “this is a hostile takeover!” inside the bank.

Now, after exclusive Media Trackers research, serious questions have come to light regarding Thompson and his political activity in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board reveals that Austin Lee Thompson registered and voted in the April 5, 2011 spring election. The address that Thompson claimed as his residence is 7275 N. Port Washington Rd. Glendale, Wisconsin. This address belongs to the Residence Inn, a hotel in Glendale.

When registering to vote on election day prior to the new Voter ID law as Austin Lee Thompson did, one had to have been a resident of Wisconsin for 10 days with intent to stay and provide proof of residence.

...Claiming residency at a hotel in Glendale raises significant questions about what Thompson used as a proof of residence to vote on April 5, 2011.

Furthermore, two traffic incidents in May and June 2011, incidents that occurred after Thompson voted in April, raise questions about Thompson’s Wisconsin residency.

According to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access records, Thompson was cited on May 11, 2011 in Milwaukee County for speeding. The case details show Austin Lee Thompson’s given address to be 14250 Morning Mountain Way, Alpharetta, Georgia 30004. Furthermore, Thompson was driving a vehicle with Illinois license plate X188468.

Shortly thereafter, Thompson was cited again in Racine County for failure to yield for an emergency vehicle and speeding 14 MPH over the limit. Once again, Thompson’s given address is 14250 Morning Mountain Way, Alpharetta Georgia 30004. This time, Thompson was in a vehicle with Wisconsin license plate L273747. Records show this vehicle is a 2011 Chevy Equinox.

Adding further to the questions surrounding Thompson’s Wisconsin residency and his April 2011 vote, records from the Georgia Secretary of State reveal that Austin Lee Thompson of 14250 Morning Mountain Way, Alpharetta, Georgia has an active voting status.

...In sum, Austin Lee Thompson registered and voted on April 5, 2011 using a Residence Inn as his voting address. In subsequent months, Thompson was cited for traffic violations and gave officers an address in Georgia as his residence. Furthermore, Thompson’s voting status remains active in the state of Georgia. Thompson is actively registered to vote in two different states, with his Wisconsin registration tied to a hotel.

Sound fishy?

Yes, it does.

I can't say I'm surprised by these revelations.

When Thompson shouted "this is a robbery," he may have been thinking about stealing elections.
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Although there are different versions of the story, it's fair to assume that Occupy Milwaukee protester Austin Thompson is not too bright.

Of course, if he set out to get arrested, then I guess he can be considered a smart, successful guy.

From Media Trackers:

According to reports by Sharif Durhams of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Occupy Milwaukee Facebook page, an Occupy Milwaukee protester walked into a downtown Milwaukee M & I Bank and yelled “this is a hostile takeover!” Fearing the bank was in the midst of a robbery, a bank teller hit an alarm, thus alerting police of the incident.

The Milwaukee Police Department have not confirmed the identity of the 25 year old individual, but they have confirmed that he has been arrested before at previous demonstrations.

The Occupy Milwaukee Facebook page was quick to confirm the incident with photographic evidence showing a young man in a brown sport coat being led away in handcuffs by two police officers. The individual who posted the picture said “our protest speaker got arrested downtown for apparently “disturbing the peace.”"

It's not a good idea to go into a bank and yell, "This is a hostile takeover!"

That sounds like a robbery in process to me.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A 25-year-old man identified as Austin Thompson entered the downtown M&I branch and "yelled something to the effect of 'this is a hostile takeover' causing at least one clerk in the bank to believe that they were being robbed," said Anne Schwartz, police spokeswoman.

Police said they were not tying the man to the Occupy Milwaukee protests that started over the weekend, but noted he has been previously cited at demonstrations in Milwaukee.

However, people who identified themselves as participants in the gathering organized by Occupy Milwaukee said no one had threatened the bank or anyone else. The group is an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which focuses on the role large banks and multinational corporations play in government and the economy.

A video posted on the group's Facebook page late Thursday afternoon carried about nine minutes of footage from Thursday's protest. The video does not give a complete record of the gathering; it's not clear what might have happened before or after filming, or whether the video was edited.

At different points in the video, police can be seen in the background observing the event. Then, a man at the center of the protesters yells: "Folks, this is not a recession, this is a robbery. We are being robbed, and they're stealing and taking away from us every day."

At that point, officers can be seen on the video interceding and taking the man away. They refused to give any reasons for the arrest to other protesters.

You don't go into a bank and yell about robbery.

That's threatening. Customers and employees of M&I should feel safe. They should be able to go about their business without fear of criminal activity occurring.

Here's the Occupy Milwaukee press release on the arrest:

Occupy Milwaukee: “Drop the Charges and Release Austin Thompson!”

Milwaukee- Occupy Milwaukee organized a nonviolent “Teach In” to protest TARP bailout recipient M&I Bank on Oct. 20, 2011 at 12:00pm at 770 N. Water St.

Participants followed a script and left the building when asked. Police targeted Austin Thompson, an African-American organizer who led the Teach In, and arrested him later outside of the bank.

It’s been reported that Mr. Thompson stated to bank tellers that this is a “hostile takeover.” At no point during this demonstration did Mr. Thompson say these words or use any language that could be construed as threatening, hostile, or that would’ve endangered anyone in the bank.

“This is an attempt to criminalize Occupy Milwaukee and all those fighting against the greed and corruption of the banks, corporations, and elected officials” commented Occupy Milwaukee organizer and protest participant Khalil Coleman.

We call on all supporters and concerned individuals to share this and contact the District Attorneys office at 414-278-4646 and demand all charges be dropped against Austin Thompson.

Occupy Milwaukee is accusing Milwaukee police of "targeting" Austin Thompson because he's African-American.

That's a rather explosive charge. Racism?

The group denies that Thompson said anything threatening.

That's no surprise. What are the protesters going to say? Naturally, they're claiming Thompson is being treated unfairly.

These people will say anything.
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Watch video of the protest at M&I, posted on the Facebook page of Occupy Milwaukee.

The video is very choppy and incomplete and inconclusive. It doesn't include what happened INSIDE the bank. Apparently, something did happen inside or there wouldn't be this request:

URGENT! We're looking for someone who has video from the action today, from INSIDE the bank. If you have that, please get in touch with us right away.
Thanks!

Check out the comments from supporters, slamming the police:



I think it's awful that Occupy Milwaukee is suggesting Thompson was "targeted" by police because of his race.

Shameless.
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Video of Thompson's arrest:

AUSTIN THOMPSON: This is a robbery.

It's like saying "I have a bomb" when on an airplane.

If I were an M&I customer and heard a guy yell, "This is a robbery," I would be concerned.
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Video of TMJ4 interview with Austin Thompson: