THE OBAMA-REZKO SCANDAL DEEPENS AND WIDENS

Obama is a product of the corrupt Chicago Machine. One of the key players in this corrupt machine is Tony Rezko - a Syrian real estate developer/slumlord who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the machine and to Obama's law firm and to Obama's various campaign fuinds - and was VERY connected to the governor of Illinois.

We've covered it previously HERE.

NOW, THERE"S NEW NEWS:

1. There real estate agent who sold Obama the house he now lives in - for more than a million bucks - was a pal of Rezko, someone he'd been pressuring the guv to put on the state real estate board. (MORE HERE.)
2. Rezko had access to the governor because he was a huge contributor. Rezko had access to the CLOUT LISTS - the lists of people that were connected to contributors with clout. This amounted to nothing more than patronage lists for the corrupt machine. (MORE HERE AND HERE.)
3. And there's a long Arab money trail which leads righ to Rezko and Obama. Very troubling.
4. In this face of all these charges we've had lame excuses by Obama: he's called himself "boneheaded" for making the house deal with Rezko, and he's trickled out a few other details. Like the fact that he had gone on a tour of WITH homes with Rezko - not something you do with a casual acquaintance.
5. The Rezko trial will begin the day before the Texas and Ohio primary - perhaps too late to save Hillary.
   
6. (Several conversations with Obama was reportedly taped by an FBI mole while they were gathering evidence for this case. It will be interesting to see if these conversations are made public during the trial.)
   

I hope the truth comes out BEFORE it's too late for America.

America deserves to know the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Obama.

Otherwise we might not only elect an unabashed socialist and dove appeaser, but a major league crook.

*******UPDATE: THE IRAQI CONNECTION: WHY REZKO WAS NOT ALLOWED ON ON BAIL:

Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko should remain behind bars because there is still a danger that he will flee to avoid his upcoming fraud trial, federal prosecutors told an appeals court Friday.

The 52-year-old real estate developer and fast-food magnate is a naturalized U.S. citizen but has retained his Syrian nationality, prosecutors said in a 22-page brief filed with the appeals court.

Rezko, who has been a major fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is asking the appeals court to free him from the Metropolitan Correctional Center where he has been held since Jan. 28.

He is due to start trial March 3 on charges that he schemed with millionaire attorney Stuart Levine to shake down companies seeking business or regulatory approval from a pair of powerful state boards.

Rezko had been free on $2 million bond. But U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve ordered him jailed after it was disclosed that he received a $3.5 million loan from London-based Iraqi billionaire Nadhmi Auchi.

She said his access to overseas money made him a flight risk.

WHO ELSE GOT A LOAN? ANOTHER CROOKED FUNDRAISER FOR THE GOVERNOR'S DEMOCRAT MACHINE.

WHO IS THIS IRAQI???? HERE: WIKI:

Auchi has been convicted of fraud in France. Several US political fundraisers are currently on trial for corruption in connection with loans received from Auchi. Auchi is currently barred from entering the US by the state department as an undesirable alien.[2]

REZKO + AUCHI + OBAMA + BLAGOJEVICH CHICAGO/ILLINOIS DEMOCRAT MACHINE = CROOKED SCUM

READ THIS DISCLAIMER BEFORE VOTING FOR OBAMA

READ THIS NOW.

GREAT BRITAIN: LOSING ITS BEST AND BRIGHTEST - DUE TO LEFTISM

TIMES OF LONDON:

In all the anxiety about migration, which is an infuriating new euphemism for immigration, little is said about emigration. Yet just as immigration has hugely increased, so has emigration. In particular, large numbers of skilled Britons are emigrating. Perhaps that doesn’t mean much and perhaps, in the churning melting pot of 21st-century globalisation, it doesn’t matter much, but it is striking.

According to new figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Britain is going through the biggest brain drain of any country and its biggest exodus for more than 50 years; one in 10 of our most highly skilled graduates has left and no other nation is losing so many qualified people; overall, only Mexico has more emigrants.

There are now more than 3.2m British-born people living abroad; of them 1.1m are highly skilled university graduates, according to the exhaustive OECD report. Of these professionals, more than three-quarters have lived abroad for more than 10 years.

Their most favoured destinations, rather unsurprisingly, are North America, the Antipodes, Spain and France. Figures from the Office for National Statistics for 2006 show that 207,000 Britons left that year - one every three minutes.

UK TELEGRAPH:

Britain's exodus is far higher than any of the OECD's other 29 members. Germany has lost only 860,000 highly-skilled workers, America 410,000 and France 370,000.

The OECD found that 27.3 per cent of those emigrating had health or education qualifications, 37.7 per cent had humanities or social science degrees and 28.5 per cent were scientists or engineers.

Britain has a shortage of graduates in many of these fields and universities have long warned that some of the brightest hopes are being lost to higher salaries abroad.

The report cited research suggesting that 62 per cent of the world's "star scientists" live in the US, primarily because of the efforts made by American research universities to attract them.

Danny Sriskandarajah, a migration expert at the IPPR think-tank, said: "There is a long-term trend of British people lured abroad by a slightly better lifestyle.

SO HOW'S THE LEFTIST LABOUR PM GORDON BROWN GONNA STEM THE FLOW? HE ISN'T. UNBELIEVABLY, HE'S GOING TO RAISE TAXES EVEN MORE:

I have never known so many City friends get so angry about anything as they are now over the Government's tax proposals for non-domiciliaries. One Canadian trader friend, who has worked on and off in the UK for 15 years and is now with a big European bank, told me last week that if ministers go through with the £30,000 levy on "non-doms" then he will return to Bermuda, where he has worked for the past few years.

He's well paid by most standards – if not City ones – with a basic salary of £100,000 a year plus the same again as a bonus. He has a small house bought for his retirement in Vancouver, which he lets out, paying tax on the income in Canada. Under the new rules he will have a choice: pay a £30,000 levy, or become liable to UK tax on the rental profit. If he doesn't declare it as worldwide income, he pays the £30,000. He already pays the same income tax on his £200,000 as you or I would.

My trader friend lives outside London, spends a fortune on train travel into the City, sends his daughter to a private school and pays for his family's healthcare. You can see why he is angry; he's not a drain on the state, quite the reverse, as he has more to spend on goods in this country than most. He says many of his non-domiciled City colleagues are also contemplating leaving.

I know many others – French and US bankers and Moroccan hedge-fund traders – who say this will tip them into quitting the UK too. Quite apart from the extra money they may have to pay, they are being made to feel unwelcome.

I don't believe these are empty threats. All these people are highly educated, sophisticated and well travelled; they are the new international nomadic tribe, which migrates easily to the best work. While they may prefer the lycée in Kensington for their children, they would be equally at home in Dubai or Dublin.

About 40 per cent of all investment bankers working in the City are estimated to be non-doms; that's about 40,000 people. Of these it is estimated that about 70 per cent of the City's senior talent is non-domiciled while even more of the younger graduate recruits are foreign, many of them having studied in the UK. How this group is going to be treated under the proposals is crucial because they could find themselves paying the levy after only three years working if their period in education is included in the seven years.

• HISTORY IS REPLETE WITH EVIDENCE FROM ALL QUARTERS THAT SOCIALIST POLICIES SUCK BIGTIME:
• PRE-REAGAN USA, PRE-THATCHER UK, PRE-DENG XIAO PING CHINA, THE USSR, MUGABE'S ZIMBABWE, FIDEL'S CUBA, THE KOREAS AND HUGO'S VENEZUELA, TO NAME BUT A FEW!
• HIGHER TAXES AND SOCIALIST REDISTRIBUTION SCHEMES ALWAYS FAIL,
• YET LEFTISTS LIKE BROWN AND HILLARY AND OBAMA STILL PROMOTE THEM.

WHY!?

• IN PART IT'S DEMAGOGUERY: THEY TRY TO EXPLOIT CLASS-WARFARE AND STIR UP COVETOUSNESS IN ORDER TO GET ELECTED.
• (THEY PROMISE TO TAKE SOMETHING AWAY FROM THE OTHER GUY AND GIVE IT TO YOU.)
  
• AND IT'S PART DISTRUST OF THE FREE MARKET AND OF THE PUBLIC:
  
• THEY THINK THAT AN ELITIST GROUP OF WELL-MEANING LIBERAL GENIUSES (A POLITBURO) CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS AND EFFECTUATE BETTER OUTCOMES THAN THE FREE MARKET.
• REALITY PROVES THAT A FREEMARKET IS THE MOST EFFICIENT AT THIS - IN ADDITION TO BEING THE MOST MORAL POLITICAL ORDER.
  
• BUT MANY IN THE PUBLIC HAVE BEEN BRAINWASHED BY THE LEFT-WING DOMINATED ACADEMY, AND THE LEFT-WING DOMINATED MSM.
• THEY FEEL THAT A BENEVOLENT DICTATORSHIP - A NANNYSTATE - IS SAFER AND MORE SECURE THAN TRYING TO HACK IT INDEPENDENTLY, ON ONE'S OWN.
• THAT'S WHY THEY WANT A PATERNAL NANNYSTATE.
• AND THEY VOTE FOR THE DEMAGOGUES WHO PROMISE THEM ONE.
• LIKE HUGO CHAVEZ. LIKE HILLARY AND OBAMA.
  

IT'S TIME EVERYONE GREW UP, ACCEPTED THEIR OWN INDEPENDENCE FROM THE STATE AND STOPPED LOOKING FOR A NANNY.

AND IT'S TIME THE LEFTIST POLICY-MAKERS STOPPED THE DEMAGOGUING AND STOPPED RAISING TAXES.

LIKE CLOCKWORK: DAYS AFTER DEMOCRATS VISIT ASSAD, HIS STOOGES IN LEBANON ATTACK HIS FOES IN LEBANON - THIS TIME: US EMBASSY EMPLOYEES

• DEMOCRATS ONCE AGAIN PAY HOMAGE TO REAL DICTATORS AND HURL NASTY EPITHETS AT IMAGINARY ONES - LIKE BUSHITLER.

• WHAT ARE THE FRUITS OF THIS APPEASEMENT?

• JUST WHAT YOU'D EXPECT - IF YOU'RE SANE; HERE'S NEWS OF THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE:

• ONE OF OBAMA'S FOREIGN POLICY GURU'S ZBIG BRZEZINSKI WENT TO LICK ASSAD'S ASS-AD LAST WEEK.
• ZBIG IS ONE IN A LONG LINE OF DEMOCRAT APPEASERS WHO HAVE PAID HOMAGE TO THIS EVIL DICTATOR.
  
• HERE'S THE RESULT OF THIS MOST RECENT HOMAGE: IHT:

  A bomb evidently meant to destroy a U.S. Embassy car exploded as the vehicle passed by Tuesday, narrowly missing the car but wounding its Lebanese driver and a fellow passenger and killing at least three civilians traveling in the car behind, according to local reports, aid workers at the scene and State Department officials in Washington.
  
  The bomb exploded on a coastal road just north of Beirut in an industrial district called Bourj Hammond. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
  
  Other reports and aid workers said that at least 20 other people had been wounded, including bystanders and people working in nearby shops and offices. At the scene, glass littered the road and the police had sealed off the area. Two cars were badly damaged in the attack, but the American car - a large, four-wheel-drive armored vehicle - sustained much less damage.
  
  Initial reports suggested that the bomb had been placed under a car on the side of the road but this could not immediately be confirmed.
  
  In Washington, the State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said that two embassy employees, including the driver, had been in the vehicle damaged in the blast. The driver was slightly wounded and the other staff member was fine, McCormack said. He said no American diplomats or U.S. citizens had been in the car.

  AS I PREDICTED BEFORE ZBIG'S BIG ADVENTURE IN DAMASCUS - (ZBIG'S DAMN-ASS-KISS IN DAMASCUS) - USUALLY WITHIN DAYS OF ONE OF THESE "DEMOCRAT-DICTATOR" LOVE SESSIONS - ASSAD ASSASSINATES A LEBANESE FOE TO CELEBRATE.
  
  NOW HE'S SO EMBOLDENED HE'S HAVING HIS HENCHMEN IN LEBANON ATTACK AMERICANS.
  
  THESE ARE THE FRUITS OF APPEASEMENT: APPEASEMENT ONLY REWARDS THE EVIL-DOERS AND ENCOURAGES THEM. ZBIG'S TRIP ENCOURAGED ASSAD TO BE AND TO DO MORE EVIL.
  

IF OBAMA "THE APPEASER" IS ELECTED - (OBAMA, WHO WILL MEET ANYWHERE, AT ANYTIME WITH ANY ENEMY OF THE USA - WITHOUT ANY PRECONDITIONS), THEN IT WILL BE AS IF GREAT BRITAIN HAD THROWN OUT CHURCHILL IN 1941 AND RE-ELECTED CHAMBERLAIN!

[ASIDE: A STUDY IN CONTRAST: AS OBAMA GURU ZBIG JETTED TO LICK ASSAD'S ASS-AD, BUSH ORDERED MORE SANCTIONS.]

• WHICH POLICY IS MORE EFFECTIVE?

• ASK CHAMBERLAIN.

Barack Obama in his own words: Socialism 2.0™

Shaun Mullen at The "Moderate" Voice borrowed my graphics (without attribution, mind you) and claimed I equated Obama with Stalin. Actually, it's Obama's own rhetoric that any moderate listener could rightly interpret as the most extreme brand of Socalism ever seen in the United States.

Consider Obama's own words from the 2/21 debate:

Amnesty for illegal aliens: ...We have to require that undocumented workers... are provided a pathway to citizenship...

Fix illegal immigration by allowing unchecked legal immigration!: ...it is important that we fix the legal immigration system, because right now we’ve got a backlog that means years for people to apply legally... they’ve got to pay thousands of dollars in fees. They just can’t afford it. And it’s discriminatory against people who have good character, we should want in this country, but don’t have the money...

Fix illegal immigration by repairing Mexico's economy!: ...we have to improve our relationship with Mexico and work with the Mexican government so that their economy is producing jobs on that side of the border.

Spanish as the official second language for all Americans: [E]very student should be learning a second language, because… I want to make sure that children who are coming out of Spanish-speaking households had the opportunity to learn and are not falling behind.

America is in a shambles and everyone is suffering!: ...our economy is increasingly in shambles. [Families] across America are feeling the brunt of that failing economy... ...families [are] suffering in very real ways... I’m running for president to start doing something about that suffering...

Death to free trade; death to NAFTA! (the very free trade act signed into law by Democrat Bill Clinton and praised by Democrat Hillary Clinton): [I've] talked to workers who have seen their plants shipped overseas as a consequence of bad trade deals like NAFTA, literally seeing equipment unbolted from the floors of factories and shipped to China, resulting in devastating job losses and communities completely falling apart.

Cuba's dictatorship is Bush's fault!: I would meet [Cuba's dictator] without preconditions... And I think it is absolutely true that either of us would step back from some of the Bush unilateralism that’s caused so much damage. But I do think it is important precisely because the Bush administration has done so much damage to American foreign relations that the president take a more active role in diplomacy than might have been true 20 or 30 years ago.

Redistribute wealth via Socialism™!: You don’t need an economist or the Federal Reserve to tell the American people that the economy’s in trouble, because they’ve been experiencing it for years now... [people] have been struggling for decades now [Ed: Bush has been president for decades now].... what I’ve said is that we have to restore a sense of fairness and balance to our economy...

America's too dependent on foreign oil (but don't drill in ANWR!): We send $1 billion to foreign countries every day because of our addiction to foreign oil. And for us to move rapidly to cap greenhouse gases, generate billions of dollars that we can reinvest in solar and wind and biodiesel — that can put people back to work...

On his $400 million in earmarks: Now, keep in mind, a lot of these are worthy projects in our states. I have actively pursued projects that I think are important...

On socialized medicine for everyone (including illegal immigrants!): ...95 percent of [the Edwards, Clinton and Obama] plans are similar. We both want to set up a system in which any person is going to be able to get coverage that is as good as we have as members of Congress. And we are going to subsidize those who can’t afford it...

On the evil drug and insurance companies, whose products and services save millions of lives annually: [Hillary went about] it in the wrong way, because it wasn’t just the fact that the insurance companies, the drug companies were battling here, and no doubt they were... the American people have to be involved and educated about how this change is going to be brought about... [if] we’re going to bring universal health care to this country.

* * *
Summary: We may be wishing for the good old days of Jimmy Carter if Obama gets elected. The result of an Obama administration: higher taxes, more government intervention, more handouts, more illegal aliens, weaker national defense, more "global warming climate change" scams, more political correctness and more feel-good United Nations incompetence.

Also see: Don Surber's Americans never had it so good and the London Times' Obama: is America ready for this dangerous leftwinger?

THE RISKINESS OF JOKES

Don't Joke in Britain

We read:

"When it comes to making your co-workers laugh, tread carefully. Sometimes even a great joke can lead to the punch line "you're fired." The daily grind has always been fertile ground for practical jokes, witty one-liners, rude gags and general clowning around. But it is becoming harder to avoid crossing the line into offensive territory, due in part to the ease of electronic communication and the workplace's growing attunement to cultural diversity and worker sensitivity.

Take the PR Newswire employee fired last month for using the term "loony-bin-rally" to slug a press release about a march for mental illness. The company published an apology saying it deeply regretted the "error" and understood how "such terminology feeds the prejudice and discrimination associated with mental illnesses."

Then there was the European head of Barclaycard--the credit card arm of Barclays (nyse: BCS - news - people )--who lost his job last month, allegedly because of a gag that offended fellow employees. According to The Daily Telegraph, Marc Howells was discussing quarterly results with his staff when he told the following joke: "The results were like Muslims--some were good, some were Shi'ite."

It may be difficult to determine when the punishment fits the crime, but there is no doubt jokes are dangerous creatures in an office environment. Careless e-mails build up a trail of evidence that can look 10 times worse when closely analyzed and wrenched out of context. An offhand riposte about a co-worker can worm its way through the office, resulting in an official complaint or even disciplinary action if there is the suspicion of discrimination.

Which begs the question: Is it even worth making a joke at work anymore? Not according to British writer Toby Young, whose 2003 book How to Lose Friends and Alienate People chronicled his many failed attempts to charm co-workers at Vanity Fair through humor. "It is a risk that simply isn't worth taking," said Young

Source

Jokes Risky in Australia too

In Australia and in Britain, the mayor of a major city is referred to as a "Lord" mayor. The city concerned below is Brisbane, Australia (capital of the State of Queensland). A municipal election takes place there shortly:

"A Lord mayoral aspirant is facing calls for her withdrawal from next month's elections after circulating an email that talks about being gang raped by her Labor opponent. Louise Day - who fronts a rock band under her stage name Punxie - was last night refusing to pull out of the race, saying the email was meant in jest.

Ms Day, a former speech writer for Education Queensland, says she does not feel comfortable referring to Labor's lord mayoral candidate Greg Rowell by his first name "in case he takes it as a come-on and invites his cricket team to gang rape me. "But Rowell just sounds like something I barfed. I think I am just going to call him, 'jug head' because, you know, of his ears," she wrote.

Source

Robust political abuse was once normal throughout the English-speaking world but an artificial politeness seems to be descending. I think the new way is more likely to lead to things being covered up.

Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

The day socialism comes to America

Excerpt:

"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened." - Norman Thomas, American socialist

With the initiatives being proposed by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential campaign, it appears Norman Thomas was right all along. Americans will, indeed, embrace every fragment of the socialist program in the name of liberalism. Both of the leading Democrats call for nationalized health care - for a power grab by Washington in which the federal government will seize full control of another one-seventh of the U.S. economy. This would, of course, be the most dramatic and irreversible step toward U.S. socialism in the nation's history.

Even today, however, the architects of these plans conceal from the public the centralized, command-and-control nature of the new system they devise. They are not asked by the press to show the American people even one successful program government has run. Yet the American people seem ready to put the lives of their children and grandchildren in the hands of Washington bureaucrats.

Now comes an even grander proposal by Barack Obama. It's called the Global Poverty Act, that would, in the next decade, transfer at least $845 billion of U.S. taxpayer money overseas. Think of Johnson's failed war on poverty going international - directed not by Americans but by the United Nations.

How we could even be debating ideas like this in the 21st century, after all of the climactic failures of socialism around the world, is amazing to me. But we're not really debating them. It seems we're not even capable as a people of debating them, reasoning over them, using our brains to consider them. Americans may simply be too far gone spiritually, morally and intellectually to reject the temptations of socialism.

Socialism is antithetical to human nature, yet it has great appeal to the human mind. It's one of the great lies of all time - similar to the one told by the deceiver in the Garden of Eden. You can be like God! You can have it all right here on Earth. You can live in utopia, and you don't have to obey the laws of the universe to achieve it. That's the essence of socialism. And it is finally seducing America as it has seduced much of the rest of the world over the last century.

Unfortunately, Americans don't even have a party representing clear, unequivocal opposition to socialism. The Republicans dare not even speak its name. John McCain admits publicly he doesn't know much or care much about economics. And so, Americans don't even have a reason or a mechanism to say no to the socialism that is coming to their country under the guise of liberalism - just the way Norman Thomas predicted it would come.

Source

And it will be the Fascist form of socialism -- the most insidious because it has a lot of popular support and retains some semblance of "life as before".

************************

Like all forms of socialism, Fascism is economically incompetent

As Fascist Russia proves yet again

At least he made the trains run on time. That was said of Benito Mussolini, Italy's fascist dictator from 1922 to 1943. Much the same is now said of Vladimir Putin, Russia's authoritarian president. He may have crushed the fragile shoots of democracy, but he has at least restored the economy, the state and his country's place in the world.

This view is shared by Mr Putin himself. He stated only last week that: "We have worked to restore the country after the chaos, economic ruin and breakdown of the old system that we saw in the 1990s." But it suffers from a drawback: it is false, as Michael McFaul and Kathryn Stoner-Weiss of Stanford University argue in a powerful article.

True, between 1999, the year before Mr Putin became president, and 2007, the Russian economy expanded by 69 per cent. But the economies of 11 of the 15 former republics of the Soviet Union expanded by more than Russia's. Indeed, only Kyrgyzstan did markedly worse. A number of the former Soviet republics did, it is true, benefit from an oil and gas bonanza. But so, too, did Russia: its oil and gas exports jumped from $76bn in 1999 to $350bn last year. Even so, the Russian economy expanded by less than Ukraine's.

Like all post-communist countries, Russia's economy suffered a steep initial decline, which reached its trough in 1998. Countries that reformed more decisively, such as Poland, bottomed out more quickly and are now far ahead. Again, Russia's recovery is in no way exceptional: tiny Estonia has done far better. Maybe this is why the Kremlin hates the Baltic state so much.

It is simply wrong to assign credit for the upswing to Mr Putin. Not only did it begin with the devaluation of 1998, but nearly all the reforms that underlay the improvement were initiated, if not brought to fruition, under Boris Yeltsin's despised rule. Under Mr Putin little progress has been made on structural reforms.

Source

Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

BARACK OBAMA: RECKLESS WITH THE FACTS - ESPECIALLY IF HE CAN SMEAR BUSH AND THE IRAQ WAR

Obama's recklessness with the fact was very evident in last night's debate when Obama misrepresented a story told to him by a Army Captain n an attempt to smear Bush and the Iraq War.

This was far from the first time Obama's has been so reckless.

JUAN DOS - a blogger in a comment at Gateway - provided a link to a post by Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times - (one of the few newspapers which has been doing investigative reporting on Obama and Rezko) - which details several:

• Marking the anniversary of the March 1965 "Bloody Sunday" in Selma, Ala., Obama, speaking at a church, said his parents got together "because of what happened in Selma." Obama was born in 1961.

• Obama told Larry King on CNN -- asked about that anti-Hillary Rodham Clinton YouTube ad, a doctored version of a spot created for Apple computers -- "We don't have the technical capacity to create something like that."

Obama did not know what he was talking about. Any professional media consultant can manipulate images on video. Turns out the creator -- unmasked last week as a political operative who worked for a firm overseeing the technical side of Obama's Web site -- made it at home on a Mac. ...

• One of Obama's stump lines is that the biggest obstacle he fights is not any of his rivals, it is cynicism. He used a variation of it during a reception he hosted at a conference here sponsored by AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Displaying a tin ear, Obama said that one of the enemies is not "just terrorists" or "just Hezbollah" or "just Hamas" -- "it's also cynicism."

• The Tribune dug this up: Obama, in his memoir, Dreams of My Father, writes of a story in Life magazine that influenced him -- about a black man trying to bleach his skin white. No such article could be found in Life or Ebony.

• Another Obama stump line -- he said it again Tuesday morning to the Communications Workers of America here -- is that "I've been long enough in Washington to know that Washington needs to change." He is running against Washington yet his campaign is populated with political professionals who are Washington insiders.

• Obama's embrace of some rhetoric used by rival John Edwards is getting attention. Edwards, in a 2003 speech made for his first presidential run said, "I've spent enough time in Washington to know how much we need to change Washington."
plus there's all the "borrowing" of Deval Patrick's rhetoric.

Another famous gaffe - ALSO MADE TO DISCREDIT BUSH AND THE IRAQ WAR EFFORT (as if 10,000 died cuz all their National Guard were in Iraq!). WELL... er um... 11 people died, and there were no shortages of National Guard. VIDEO:



WHAT DOES THIS ADD UP TO?

A sweet-talking hollowman, a vessel in which Bush-haters can pour their utopianistic dreams, a front-man for the Chicago Machine, a snake-oil salesman for the socialists. And so on.

SMART? No. Sweet-talking. Smooth. But also prone to lying. And mistakes.

HE'S UNFIT FOR COMMAND.

AUDIO: MICHELLE OBAMA'S VISION OF AMERICA

HERE, at Townhall.com on the February 15, 2008 edition of The Hugh Hewitt Show.

In one of her stump speeches, Michelle Obama says the following:

"We have lost the understanding that...we have a mutual obligation to one another....We have...to fix our souls?"

As Mr. Hewitt points out, Michelle Obama is talking about the government's fixing our souls. Huh?

Michelle Obama further asserts that her husband is the only person who can "fix" America.

There is much more to the above excerpts from some of Michelle Obama's stump speeches. Listen to the whole thing (about 10 minutes).

NOW THAT'S A RELIEF: HOLLYWOOD FINALLY SHOWS SOME GUTS

Some may have heard about the row Hasbro caused after they decided to stop including Israel next to Jerusalem on their list for the Monopoly world vote contest. I suppose the good news on that they decided to take all country names off the list as well following the Jewish community backlash, thus making it easier to keep voting. If you vote, do your best to ensure that Jerusalem will be able to gain a top spot on the leaderboard!

Now, there's some definite good news that came out, and it's that Dennis Quaid's new movie, Vantage Point, does portray the terrorists it features as Islamic, and thus properly reflecting the times. More on this from Debbie Schlussel (Hat tip: Hot Air).

Now maybe with this, we'll slowly start to see some guts being shown. You know where I'd really like to see some guts to deal with this, though? In the world of comic books, in just about any DC/Marvel book, and also in some independents. Maybe they'll start considering it as a way to draw audience?

OBAMA IN TEXAS DEBATE: LIAR, DUPE, OR ENEMY-PROPAGANDIST

WELCOME ABCNEWS READERS AND YGLESIAS READERS AND FOLKS FROM OBAMA'S CAMPAIGN WEBSITE!

*******UPDATE: SEE GATEWAY FOR UPDATES!!!!

*******UPDATE: ABC and Yglesias and Obama are attempting a push-back, but they fail. ALSO SEE: JAWA and ALLAHP and ACE and THE CORNER for refutations of these attempts.

MY CONCLUSION: OBAMA IS A NOT A DUPE; HE IS A LIAR DOING ENEMY PROPAGANDA.

WHY!? HERE'S ONE SIMPLE REASON:

• HE DELIBERATELY TWISTED THE STORY THE CAPTAIN TOLD HIM (BECAUSE USING CAPTURED ENEMY WEAPONS WAS INCIDENTAL AND COMMON) AND DELIBERATELY FRAMED IT AS IF IT WAS RECENT WHEN IN FACT THE CAPTAIN'S OWN VERSION WAS IN 2004 AND BEFORE THE LAST ELECTION.

• OBAMA MIGHT AS WELL BE TALKING ABOUT D-DAY'S MASSIVE ERRORS AND SMEARING IKE.

GATEWAY:** Barack Obama Insists US Soldiers Use Taliban Weapons!
--The Audacity of Stealing Guns from the Taliban.

... WOW!... Obama claims US soldiers in Afghanistan are capturing Taliban weapons because this was easier than getting weapons from the government.
You've got to be kidding?

He must think US soldiers are all Rambo's-- wrestling weapons out of the hands of the Islamists!
Here's the nutty video:

Obama said what?

OBAMA: You know, I've heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon -- supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon. Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq.

And as a consequence, they didn't have enough ammunition, they didn't have enough humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.

HERE'S THE VIDEO:

ANSWER FROM AMY PROCTOR, A COMMENTER AT GATEWAY:

Amy Proctor said...

Gateway, I was STUNNED by this statement. I'm trying to contact the Operation Enduring Freedom commander to get clarification on this. My hubby is active duty and just coming back from Iraq this weekend and I can GUARANTEE Barack is full of IT on this one. The U.S. Army is not under-supplied nor would a U.S. solder EVER use a substandard Taliban weapon. What an assinine thing to say. I cannot believe Barack actually let those words out of his mouth.
8:42 PM
Blogger Gateway Pundit said...

Thanks Amy.
Please let me know if you hear anything.
8:44 PM

...
Amy Proctor said...

Okay, Gateway, hubby e-mailed me pretty upset over the Obama transcript. He said this:

1. CPT’s command companies, not platoons.
2. Platoons are not divided up to go to 2 different theaters, EVER.
3. There is no ammo shortage in OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan). Many platoons are deployed to remote sites in the mountains and require aerial resupply. Those resupply missions are dependent on favorable weather conditions.
4. Taliban weapons are usually not very good and we would not use them without a very high level of command approval.
5. The CDR in Chief is so high above the platoon level that comment doesn’t even deserve a response.

He’s just trying to exploit democratic boilerplate about OIF being a diversion from “the good war” (OEF). He’s wrong on many levels. We are winning in OIF. I just left Baghdad. We have everything we need except for our OWN government to be united behind victory in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom).
11:32 PM

• OBAMA EITHER LIED, OR IS "BONEHEADEDLY" (TO USE HIS WORD) REPEATING LEFT-WING AND ENEMY PROPAGANDA.

• THIS COMMENT PROVES OBAMA IS UNFIT TO BE COMMANDER IN CHIEF.

• WILL THE MSM POINT OUT THE IDIOCY AND INCORRECTNESS OF OBAMA'S COMMENT? NO EFFIN' WAY.

BOTTOM-LINE:

BARACK OBAMA

Hillary, Opportunity Is Knocking

If Hillary Clinton really wanted this nomination, she and her people would go over Steven Spruiell's fact-gathering on Obama's tale of American soldiers in Afghanistan having to steal the Taliban's ammunition, and call BS on Obama's statement at the debate.

UPDATE: Jake Tapper talks to Obama's military source, who does not wish to be identified, and concludes that it checks out. Note Obama's statement:

"You know, I've heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon — supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon," he said. "Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq. And as a consequence, they didn't have enough ammunition, they didn't have enough humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief."

I think Tapper's being a bit generous, as the officer says they never had an issue getting ammunition for their standard rifles, but for heavier weapons, the "40 mm automatic grenade launcher ammunition for the MK-19, and ammunition for the .50 caliber M-2 machine gun ("50 cal.")" I think the Obama statement makes it sound as if the soldiers were motivated to raid the Taliban to get their weapons, which the officer says was not the case.

Finnish Fascists censor anti-censorship site

Saying it is "child porn"!

"Finnish police are blocking more than 1,000 legal websites, including one belonging to a well-known internet activist, under a secretive system designed to prevent access to foreign sites that contain child pornography, according to a group that advocates for individual rights online.

Among the estimated 1,700 destinations on the secret block list is lapsiporno.info, which has vocally criticized the Finnish censorship program, according to Matti Nikki, the site's creator and a long-time activist.

Of the 700 or sites that have been tested, only two are known to contain inappropriate images of children, said Tapani Tarvainen chairman of the Electronic Frontier Finland (EFFI). The remainder tend to be sites with adult-oriented themes, such as those offering legal porn, and forums for gay sex. In some cases, the sites - which include an online doll store, a Thai Windows advice forum and a computer repair service - have no visible link to porn or sex at all.

The program has its roots in a law passed in late 2006 that was narrowly drafted to filter only foreign websites that contained child porn. To critics, the inclusion of sites like Nikki's, which is located in Finland and contains no pornographic images of any kind, demonstrates the slippery slope that gets started once censorship is allowed.

What's more, the censorship system threatens sites that offer all kinds of content, including political forums blogs and message boards. That's because it requires Finnish internet service providers (ISPs) to block entire web servers, so a single user posting a single inappropriate link has the ability to get an entire service shut out. As a result, plenty of legitimate sites based in the US, Europe and elsewhere, are blocked solely because they share space with a bad actor.

Source

The Finns DID fight alongside the Wehrmacht in WWII. It sounds like the influence is still strong.

Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

Obama Fascism peeping out again

The hysteria Obama produces in his followers is not normal in democratic politics but it is VERY reminiscent of the 1930s German reaction to Hitler. And, like Hitler, Obama is an extreme socialist who want the government to control everything. But we now get another glimpse of the all-controlling Fascist leader in the words of his wife:

Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.

And note that Hitler was democratically elected too. And Obama even wants to invade Pakistan!. Not as ambitious as invading Russia but it is the thought that counts.

Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

The Legend of Barack Obama

CLICK TO ENLARGE










This looks pretty good, so long as it remains just a movie... and not reality.

Idea for image: Reliapundit

RELIAPUNDIT ADDS:

• NOTE: THE MOVIE BAGGER VANCE IS OFTEN CITED AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE "MAGICAL NEGRO" GENRE OF MOVIES.

• ALSO SEE BELOW.

• THE SLOGAN FOR THE PHOTOSHOPPED "BAGGER VANCE" IS ACCURATE, BUT THE ONE FROM THE ORIGINAL MOVIE MIGHT ALSO DESCRIBE HOW OBAMA'S SUPPORTERS FEEL ABOUT HIM: "SOMETIMES WE NEED A LITTLE HELP TO REACH OUR DREAMS."

"BDS" AND "BOW " (BARACK OBAMA WORSHIP) ARE INVERSELY RELATED TO REVULSION TOWARD THE REAL PERPETRATORS BEHIND 9/11

• THE MORE YOU BLAME BUSH (AND EXCUSE THE ENEMY), THE MORE YOU LOVE OBAMA.

• IOW: THE IRRATIONAL ENTHRALLMENT MANY FEEL TOWARD OBAMA (BARACK OBAMA WORSHIP) IS THE FLIP-SIDE OF BDS (BUSH DERANGEMENT SYNDROME).

THE MAGIC OBAMA'S LOVING FOLLOWERS INVEST IN HIM WITH IS FUELED BY THEIR DENIAL OF THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF WW4/GLOBAL JIHAD, AND IT'S PROACTIVE AND DEEP IDEOLOGICAL ORIGINS.

• IT'S IS LESS FRIGHTENING FOR THEM TO BLAME BUSH, THAN TO ACCEPT REALITY: THAT WE FACE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SUICIDAL/GENOCIDAL JIHADO-TERRORISTS - WHO ARE SUPPORTED BY MILLIONS OF OTHERS -
• THAT THEY'RE ALL OVER THE WORLD -
• FIGHTING WHAT THEY SEE AS A MILLENNIAL WAR.

• IT IS NOT A RESPONSE TO OUR POLICIES, BUT HOW THEY INTERPRET THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AS MUSLIMS.
  
  IT'S MUCH MORE PLEASANT TO BELIEVE THAT:
  

• BUSHITLER IS THE DEVIL.

• OBAMA IS THE MESSIAH - THE "MAGICAL NEGRO". (MORE HERE.)

• AND THAT ALL WE NEED TO MAKE THE WORLD A LOVELY PEACEFUL PLACE AGAIN IS GET RID OF BUSH IN TH NEXT ELECTION.

BOTH OBAMESSIAH AND BUSHITLER ARE IRRATIONAL, AND BOTH SPRING FROM THE SAME FOUNT: DENIAL.

• NO GOOD CAN COME FROM AN OUTLOOK SO MISTAKEN ABOUT THE NATURE OF WW4.
• PEOPLE SO WRONG ABOUT GLOBAL JIHAD AND SO WRONG ABOUT BUSH AND SO WRONG ABOUT OBAMA CANNOT POSSIBLY LEAD US IN ANY PRODUCTIVE WAY OR IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
• POLICIES BASED ON A WORLD OUTLOOK WHICH IS SO CLOUDED IN UN-REASON CAN NEVER WORK.

RUSH SAW THIS MONTHS AGO:

THE SIMPLY BREATH-TAKING HYPOCRISY OF THE DEMOCRATS

SCOTT/POWER LINE:

Victor Davis Hanson's column on the fantasy world of the Democratic presidential contenders reads to me like some kind of a classic:

Barack Obama may have gone to exclusive private schools. He and his wife may both be lawyers who between them have earned four expensive Ivy League degrees. They may make about a million dollars a year, live in an expensive home and send their kids to prep school. But they are still apparently first-hand witnesses to how the American dream has gone sour. Two other Ivy League lawyers, Hillary and Bill, are multimillionaires who have found America to be a land of riches beyond most people's imaginations. But Hillary also talks of the tragic lost dream of America.

Help, I'm afraid, is on the way.

Obama and Hillary and their followers are not proud of America; they smear it.

• I'D ONLY ADD THAT EDWARDS TOO WAS TOTALLY HYPOCRITICAL;
• HIS WHOLE "RAP" WAS ABOUT "THE TWO AMERICAS", BUT HE HIMSELF SIMULTANEOUSLY BRAGGED THAT HE WAS BORN POOR; (HE SAID THIS TO GAIN SOME "AUTHENTICITY" WITH THE DEMS, I GUESS).
• THEIR LIFE STORIES ACTUALLY PROVE THAT THE AMERICAN DREAM IS ALIVE AND WELL,
  
• AND YET THEY DO NOTHING BUT ATTACK IT.
• AND THEIR GULLIBLE FOLLOWERS - DUPES OF THE LEFT - EAT IT UP.

IT'S A CAMPAIGN BASED ON SOWING THE SEEDS OF CLASS-WAR, AND THE LEFT-WING MSM AND THE LEFT-WING MSM HAVE PREPARED THE SOIL WELL.

SO, WE HAVE A LOT TO WORRY ABOUT - THEY MIGHT WIN DESPITE THE PATENTLY FALSE NATURE OF THEIR ATTACKS, AND THE OBVIOUS WAY IN WHICH THEY THEMSELVES PROVE THE MENDACITY OF THEIR PLATFORM..

IS THE NYTIMES' MCCAIN SMEAR THE RUMOR THE LATIMES KEPT SECRET?

Back in October, 2007, there were rumors flying around that the LATIMES had a sexual scandal story against one of the candidates which it has on hold.

There was a lot of speculation - incluidng that it was about Hillary and her female chief aide.

NOW, THE NYTIMES PUBLISHES A BLATANT SMEAR AGAINST MCCAIN.

I wonder if the McCain smear by the NYTIMES (which had endorsed McCain months ago despite HAVING HAD THIS STORY AT THE TIME) is the same story the LATIMES kept buried?

And from the looks of it, it was kept buried because there's no THERE there; there is no scandal.

At least not involving McCain.

THE REAL SCANDAL IS THE EXTRAORDINARY BIAS OF THE MSM: Obama has been a corrupt lawyer for the Chicago Machine for a decade and deeply involved with an indicted slum-lord (REZKO - do a word search at this blog for the WHOLE slimy corrupt story) and no one will touch the story. The two CHicago newspapers have done several investigative pieces which are extremely disturbing - in that they reveal REAL corruption by Obama, but no one will "drive the story home; SURE: the NYTIMES did a single story on it and then dropped it - without ever confronting Obama; it was more like they ran it to inoculate him, than anything else.

COMPLETE RPUND UP AT MEMEORANDUM.

The laser again

I blog a lot on the horrors of the socialized medicine systems in Britain and Australia (See here) but I rarely say anything about how good the alternative private medicine systems are in those countries. So here is personal memoir about that:

It is a couple of years since my last visit to the laser but last Monday I had to go again. When my skin cancers get too big for excision or freezing, the laser is the last option before a graft.

So about three weeks ago I rang the best dermatological surgeon in Brisbane -- Russell Hills -- and made an appointment to see him a few days later. He agreed that it was laser time and booked me in for the procedure a couple of weeks later. If I had gone through the public hospital system, I would still be waiting for a consultation and the procedure itself would be a year or more off.

As I have had so much dermatological surgery over the years I am a connoisseur of it so when I say that Russell is the best, I am in a position to know. His excisions and joinups are so fine that they heal with maximum rapidity -- which is the main thing from my viewpoint. That skill does however make him much in demand by ladies for their facelifts etc. You can't see the scars where Russell has been.

Anyway I arrived at Northwest Private Hospital at the appointed time in the late afternoon and went through all the introductory bureaucratic procedures that are mandatory these days. I was however at the end of the day's listings so I was the victim of all the prior medical misadventures of the day. Russell's anaesthetist had been much held up by unforeseen circumstances on his morning list (surgery that was more complicated than foreseen and which therefore went on much longer than planned) so I was two hours late going into theatre. Russell came out personally to apologize and explain to me shortly after I arrived, however, so I kept my cool about that. Being treated with courtesy makes a big difference to my responses.

And in theatre I was given only locals at my request so I was awake and alert there. And I had the odd chat and joke with Russell and the nurses while my lesions were being attended to. It was very civilized.

So Brisbane private medicine is a dream as far as treatment of patients is concerned. I guess not all patients are on first-name terms with their surgeon but it can happen for repeat customers like me.

But there is a but. It costs a lot. Not nearly as much as in America but a lot by Australian standards. Russell charges $140 for a consultation versus $40 for a GP consultation and he charged a $850 co-payment for the laser work. The hospital charges were all covered by my insurance.

So if you get an education, work hard and save your money instead of spending it all on beer and cigarettes, you can get the first-class medical service in your declining years that everyone aspires to. I did and I do.

As I sat down to write this little memoir, I was listening to "Goodbye" (from "The White Horse Inn"). Most pleasant. You can see a small picture of the white horse referred to here

Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

The Castro "retirement"

Castro declares his reign at an end


Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

COPENHAGEN INTIFADA - 10TH NIGHT/20 FIRES

IHT/AP:

A wave of nightly arson attacks in immigrant neighborhoods across Denmark continued with about 20 small fires reported across the country, police said Wednesday.

Youths have been torching cars, waste containers and schools in unrest that started on Feb. 10.

However, police said the situation has calmed down since the weekend when hundreds of fires were set in Copenhagen and other Danish cities.

Some of the youths said the unrest started as a protest against police harassment. In an open letter published Tuesday in a Copenhagen newspaper they accused police of racist and brutal behavior.

Some observers say that the reprinting of a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers last week may have aggravated the situation.

• AND THERE WAS A BOMBING.
• WHY WOULD IMMIGRANT YOUTHS FEEL DISENFRANCHISED ENOUGH TO RIOT IN SUCH AN IDEAL WELFARE STATE?
• IN FACT, THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO DISENFRANCHISE THEMSELVES.
• THEY ARE CHOOSING SHARIA ENCLAVES AND SHOWING THEIR LACK OF RESPECT FOR SECULAR LAW.

THESE ISLAMOTHUGS NEED TO BE DEPORTED, OR JAILED.

WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE LEFT, THAT THEIR FAVORITE POLITICAL COMMENTATORS ARE A BOMBASTIC SPORTSCASTER AND A STAND-UP COMIC WHO SITS

OLBERMANN AND STEWART.

TALK TO ANY LEFTIE OR LIB OR DEM IN NYC - (AS I DO EVERYDAY!) - AND THEY TELL YOU THEY LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE THEM, WATCH THE RELIGIOUSLY, (BUT IN A LEFTIE ATHEISTIC RELIGIOUS WAY, NOT IN A GOD-WORSHIPING RELIGIOUS WAY).

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE GET THEIR POLITICAL INSIGHTS FROM OLBERMANN AND STEWART?

• THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO THINK MAN-MADE CO2 IS CAUSING THE EARTH'S CLIMATE TO CHANGE.
• THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO THINK IRAQ WAS BETTER OFF UNDER SADDAM.
• THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO THINK WE'RE LOSING IN IRAQ.
• THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO THINK A FLAT/ACROSS-THE-BOARD TAX-CUT IS A TAX-CUT FOR THE WEALTHY.
• THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE OBAMA.

JERKS.

MY J.C. WATTS THEORY IS SPREADING!

Ok, so I came up with my JC Watts theory even before Super Tuesday and shared it with some friends. Then I made it public last Friday in my post entitled, JC Watts for Vice President that I posted here and at my blog. Then Julie aka Mad Cow tipped me off to this Town hall article written by Matt Barber yesterday entitled, Vice President J.C. Watts? Here is an excerpt:

Speculation has already begun as to whom McCain might tap for his veep if he gets the nomination. I’ve heard some good names and some bad ones. There are many quality conservatives for McCain to choose from, but a name I haven’t heard mentioned is former Oklahoma congressman J.C. Watts.

Now, it’s quite possible the good congressman won’t appreciate my throwing his name out there at all, but it seems to me that, barring some major skeletons in his closet, J.C. Watts could bring a lot to the table.

He’s a rock-solid social and fiscal conservative and is pals with Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. If he were on the ticket, it might placate conservative heavy hitters just enough to call off the dogs.

He’s a former minister and is 100 percent pro-life, pro-family and pro-traditional marriage. This is a must for evangelical voters, who make up the preponderance of the GOP base.

Congressman Watts is young, vibrant, articulate and from the South (well, Southish). He’s a former Oklahoma Sooners football star and, I believe, would appeal to conservatives both young and old.

Oh yeah, and J.C. Watts is African-American. This might attract minorities whose values — especially on social issues — are more closely aligned with those of Watts than Clinton or Obama.

So, again, I’m not suggesting that J.C. Watts is the only potential running mate for McCain who might convince conservatives to poke his chad, or, for that matter, that any VP choice can.

But, since it’s the season for speculating about possible vice presidential candidates, I thought I’d go ahead and speculate.

Well, Matt Barber hadn't heard anyone mention JC Watts' name but thats because he doesn't read my blog, yet. Just remember, if this pans out that you heard it here first ;-)!!

NYTIMES: BRITS FLOCKING TO PRIVATE HEALTHCARE BECAUSE NHS SUCKS

AND THE SOCIALISTS DON'T LIKE IT ONE BIT!

NYTIMES:

Created 60 years ago as a cornerstone of the British welfare state, the National Health Service is devoted to the principle of free medical care for everyone. But recently it has been wrestling with a problem its founders never anticipated: how to handle patients with complex illnesses who want to pay for parts of their treatment while receiving the rest free from the health service.

Although the government is reluctant to discuss the issue, hopscotching back and forth between private and public care has long been standard here for those who can afford it. But a few recent cases have exposed fundamental contradictions between policy and practice in the system, and tested its founding philosophy to its very limits.

... the health service is riddled with inequities. Some drugs are available in some parts of the country but not in others. Waiting lists for treatment vary wildly from place to place. Some regions spend $280 per capita on cancer care, Professor Sikora said, while others spend just $90.

• TESTING THE FOUNDING PHILOSOPHY!?!?
• SHEESH: THAT WAS PROVEN BANKRUPT IN 1989 WHEN THE BERLIN WALL WAS TORN DOWN.
• SINCE THEN, SOCIALISM HAS BEEN IN RETREAT - MAKING UP EXCUSES, AND PATCHING ITSELF UP HERE'N THERE ALONG THE WAY. BUT IT'S POINTLESS.
• OH OH OH: SOCIALISM IS NOT IN RETREAT IN ZIMBABWE OR VENEZUELA - WHICH ARE NOSE-DIVING LIKE THE USSR DID.
• IF IT DOESN'T WORK IN THE UK - WHERE THEY'VE BEEN TINKERING WITH IT FOR 60 FREAKIN' YEARS, THEN IT WON'T WORK HERE.
• WHY TRADE OURS FOR THEIRS - WHICH IS "RIDDLED WITH INEQUITIES."
  

IF THE GOVERNMENT DID THINGS BETTER THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAN WE'D ALL BE DRIVING YUGOS.

DID OBAMA LIE TO GET INTO COLLEGE AND LAW SCHOOL?

• I WANT TO KNOW IF HE LIED ON HIS APPLICATIONS TO GET INTO COLLEGE AND LAW-SCHOOL.

• IF HE CLAIMED TO BE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN, THEN HE LIED.

• IF HE WON'T RELEASE THEM, THEN HE IS ADMITTING THAT HE IS A LIAR.

MORE ON HOW SAUDI PRINCE BANDAR TOOK BRIBES AND THREATENED UK

It's surprising that the Guardian, of all papers, would report this, but they have (via Israel Insider):

Saudi Arabia's rulers threatened to make it easier for terrorists to attack London unless corruption investigations into their arms deals were halted, according to court documents revealed yesterday.

Previously secret files describe how investigators were told they faced "another 7/7" and the loss of "British lives on British streets" if they pressed on with their inquiries and the Saudis carried out their threat to cut off intelligence.

Prince Bandar, the head of the Saudi national security council, and son of the crown prince, was alleged in court to be the man behind the threats to hold back information about suicide bombers and terrorists. He faces accusations that he himself took more than £1bn in secret payments from the arms company BAE.

He was accused in yesterday's high court hearings of flying to London in December 2006 and uttering threats which made the prime minister, Tony Blair, force an end to the Serious Fraud Office investigation into bribery allegations involving Bandar and his family.

The threats halted the fraud inquiry, but triggered an international outcry, with allegations that Britain had broken international anti-bribery treaties.

Tony Blair leaves behind a legacy of cowardice and appeasement of the most ludicrious kind, that may only be seen in England.

WHO'S PULLING THE PERJURY HERE?

Regarding the subject of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert says it's not being discussed in his "negotiations" with Mahmoud Abbas, but the latter says it is.

It makes no difference whether Olmert is being truthful here or not; that he would even talk to that fiend at all is a disgrace.

WHICH HYPHENATED AMERICAN WILL WIN THE PRESDIENCY, MCCAIN OR OBAMA?

WHO WILL WIN, THE ARAB-AMERICAN OR THE AMERICAN WAR-HERO? (OBAMA IS 50% WHITE AND ONE-EIGHTH BLACK; HIS FATHER WAS MOSTLY ARAB.)

WHO WILL WIN, THE LEFT-WINGER OR THE WAR-HERO?

WHO WILL WIN THE EMPTY-NOVICE OR THE TIME-TESTED STATESMAN?

DUH.

IN AMERICA, (SINCE "OLD HICKORY" WAS ELECTED HIMSELF), THE ANDREW JACKSON CANDIDATE ALWAYS BEATS THE JOHN QUINCY ADAMS CANDIDATE.

The general always beats the professor. (ONLY three way races change this.)

WHY OIL IS VERY EXPENSIVE: "IT'S THE SUPPLY, STUPID!"

NYTIMES TODAY - AND ME YESTERDAY, (WITH A SOLUTION!).

MUSHARRAF FOES ANNOUNCE THEY WANT TO TALK WITH JIHADISTS

MORE PROOF THAT MUSHARRAF WAS OUR BEST BET, AND HIS VICTORIOUS FOES PART OF THE PROBLEM - WHIO ARE GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE; NYTIMES:

The winners of Pakistan’s parliamentary elections said Tuesday that they would take a new approach to fighting Islamic militants by pursuing more dialogue than military confrontation, ...

The two opposition parties share similar views of how to tackle the terrorism problem. The new approach is more likely to be responsive to the consensus of the Pakistani public than was Mr. Musharraf’s and is more likely to shun a heavy hand by the military and rely on dialogue with the militants.

Mr. Zardari said his party would seek talks with the militants in the tribal areas along the Afghan border, where the Taliban and Al Qaeda have carved out a stronghold, as well as with the nationalist militants who have battled the Pakistani Army in Baluchistan Province.

Many in Pakistan, including several parties that boycotted the elections, have been strongly opposed to Mr. Musharraf’s use of the army to battle tribesmen in the name of the campaign against terrorism, which is seen as an American agenda.

“We will have a dialogue with those who are up in the mountains and those who are not in Parliament,” Mr. Zardari said. “We want to take all those along who are against Pakistan and working against Pakistan.”

THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE THAIS DID - AFTER THEIR COUP, AND THEY GOT THE EXPECTED RESULTS: THE JIHAD IN SOUTHERN THAILAND GOT WORSE.

APPEASEMENT HAS NEVER EVER WORKED - NOT ANYWHERE, NOT ANYTIME.

• WHAT MAKES THIS EVEN MORE IDIOTIC IN PAKISTAN IS THAT MUSHARRAF HIMSELF TRIED THIS - AND IT HAS ALREADY FAILED.
• THINGS ARE GOING TO BE GETTING WORSE IN PAKISTAN - AND I PREDICT IT WILL WORSEN IN A HURRY.
• THE ENEMY WILL SEE THE RESULTS AND THESE COMMENTS BT ZARDARI AND SHARIF AS A GREEN LIGHT.
• BRACE YOURSELF - AND STAY TUNED...

ASIDE: THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I PREDICTED WOULD BE THE RESULT OF THE OPPOSITION'S WIN: APPEASEMENT AND ALLIANCE WITH THE ENEMY.

SOME QUEER NEWS

Counselors ordered to argue for homosexuality

We read:

"A ruling by the American Counseling Association that members must not help homosexual clients change their sexual orientation is not sitting well with some in the professional organization who are seeking clarification to avoid "future legal actions."

The official policy of the ACA is that counselors asked by clients for help in changing their sexual orientation must offer only "gay affirmative" arguments. If the client persists, counselors must explore the "religious influences that underpin homophobia that may be harming the client."

Source

Once again, no free speech for those who are critical of homosexuality.





TN: Bill Bans Homosexuality Preaching in Schools

A last-ditch attempt to turn back the tide:

"For one state lawmaker, it's a disturbing trend in public education: Tennessee middle school teachers attending seminars on how to teach about transgender people and a Massachusetts kindergarten class being taught about homosexuality.

State Rep. Stacey Campfield, a Knoxville Republican, has proposed legislation to forbid 'any instruction or materials discussing sexual orientation other than heterosexuality' in Tennessee elementary or middle schools.

'It's such a blatant attack on freedom of speech,' responded Marisa Richmond, president and lobbyist for the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition. Advocates for gay and transgender rights say they have noticed an alarming trend of their own: an assault on their lifestyle, which has required them to raise their profile in Tennessee politics"

Source

But if Christian pastors were allowed to go into all classrooms and preach the Bible message that homosexuality is an abomination to God, that would not be entitled to free speech protections, of course.


Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

Mrs McCain has ALWAYS been proud of her country

SHE'S no whining Leftist



Michelle Obama. Millionaire. Harvard Law grad. Wife of a senator. A person who has been afforded the best of opportunities in that land of opportunity that we call the United States, told a crowd in Milwaukee this: "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change."

Cindy McCain. Also a millionaire. USC educated. Wife of a senator. A person who has been afforded the best of opportunities in that land of opportunity that we call the United States, told a crowd in Brookfield, Wisc.: "I am proud of my country. I don't know about you? If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country."

Reporters asked her if she was responding to Mrs. Obama's statement. Mrs. McCain replied: "I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country."

More here

There has been a LOT of adverse commentary about Mrs Obama's deeply ungrateful dislike of America. See for example here and here and here

Posted by John Ray. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS and for a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM

OBAMA WINNING; MUSHARRAF LOSING: IT'S A BAD DAY FOR THE GOOD GUYS

Musharraf loses; Obama wins.

The enemy strengthens.

Some days are like this.

Sigh.

Don't worry: we will prevail.

We will defeat the socialist appeasers.

YES WE WILL.

EVEN MORE PROOF THE MSM IS LEFTIST AND BIASED

BABALU: CNN: Be kind to castro

Michael Graham, blogging at The Natural Truth, brings us this disgusting but not surprising story about how CNN coached its anchors to treat the subject of fidel castro in an early morning email today.

I can now confirm independently that not only did such an email go out, here it is in its entirety:

From: Flexner, Allison
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 7:46 AM
To: *CNN Superdesk (TBS)
Cc: Neill, Morgan; Darlington, Shasta
Subject: Castro guidance

Some points on Castro – for adding to our anchor reads/reporting:

* Please say in our reporting that Castro stepped down in a letter he wrote to Granma (the communist party daily), as opposed to in a letter attributed to Fidel Castro. We have no reason to doubt he wrote his resignation letter, he has penned numerous articles over the past year and a half.

* Please note Fidel did bring social reforms to Cuba – namely free education and universal health care, and racial integration. in addition to being criticized for oppressing human rights and freedom of speech.

THIS LAST PARAGRAPH IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO WHAT THE NYTIMES WROTE:

His record has been a mix of great social achievements, but a dismal economic performance that has mired most Cubans in poverty.

He succeeded in establishing universal health care, providing free education through college and largely rooting out racism.

But he never broke the island's dependence on commodities like sugar, tobacco and nickel, nor did he succeed in industrializing the nation so that Cuba could compete in the world market with durable goods.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of its aid to the island, Cuba has limped along economically, relying mostly on tourism and money sent home from exiles to get hard currency.

Very similar. Like Deval-Obama similar! I think the NYTIMES set the tone for the rest of the left-wing MSM to follow - they do almost everyday. The CNN memo is merely an instant when they got caught.

• THEIR SOFT TAKE ON THE MURDEROUS TYRANT CASTRO IS THE PARTY LINE.
• AND ALL IT'S BULL.
• THERE IS PLENTY OF RACISM IN CUBA TODAY.
• AND THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM SUCKS.
• AND EDUCATION!?!? SHEESH: WHAT GOOD IS IT IF YOU ARE NOT FREE TO READ AND WRITE WHAT YOU PLEASE.

APOLOGISTS FOR CASTRO ARE LEFT-WING SCUM. AND THAT'S MOST OF THE MSM. SCUM.

OBAMA SUBTLY ATTACKS MCCAIN AS BEING OLD AND PASSE

Deval Obama - er um I mean Barack Hussein Obama attacked McCain in his victory speech tonight saying McCain is old and part of the past - YESTERDAY, and that HE - OBAMA -IS TOMORROW; HE - OBAMA - IS THE REVOLUTION!

Yawn.

McCain said this tonight:

I will fight every moment of every day in this campaign to make sure Americans are not deceived by an eloquent but empty call for change that promises no more than a holiday from history and a return to the false promises and failed policies of a tired philosophy that trusts in government more than people.

McCain should counters that he has GREAT experience and is a proven leader while Obama has NO EXPERIENCE and is entirely unproven. Here's how McCain should handle this line of attack, it's rhetorically much simpler than the above line:

"In risky times - when you don't know what challenge tomorrow may bring - you shouldn't put your trust in someone who is untested and inexperienced. The Oval Office is no place for novices - especially in today's world."

When Reagan made his old age joke, in the second debate against Mondale, he was kidding in a warm, humane and self-deprecating way. (About 2:12 into the video.)



With McCain the contrast is STARK and not so funny.

Mondale was vastly more qualified than Obama - perhaps more qualified than Obama will EVER be.

For this reason alone everyone should vote McCain.

DANISH POLICE IN DENIAL OVER COPENHAGEN INTIFADA

EXCERPT:

"The authorities say that most of those detained are immigrant youths who feel disenfranchised in Danish society."

NONSENSE. This is denial, pure-and-simple.

Denmark has one of the most extensive welfare state's in the world. It has been immigrant friendly for years - UNTIL most of the Muslims stopped desiring to assimilate.

The "immigrant youths" who are rioting ALL OVER Denmark are no different than the youths who rioted ALL OVER France, recently: they are UNLIKE their parents and grandparents who wanted to assimilate; they do NOT want to assimilate; they have been radicalized by the mosques and imams funded by the Saudis and they are the "muscle" - the thugs - who are helping these radical effort to transform their neighborhoods into sharia enclaves - FOOTHOLDS from which to make the rest of their hosts nation into dhimmis or under the rule of sharia.

It is reverse colonization and a culture war by stealth and by intimidation.

It couldn't work without the help of the postmodern left. The postmodern left has for years been softening up the host's connection to its own culture. This has left half the native population 50% disarmed and the entire nation 50% less defended than it might otherwise be.

The first step to REARMING the nation for its self-defense is to get the left to abandon their denial.

THIS MEANS ACCEPTING THE RIOTERS FOR WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE: a vanguard of the enemy; the first wave in their local battlefield in WW$: Global Jihad.

The longer people in the West wait to accept this, the worse the casualties in the war will be.

VIDEO: GOLD STAR MOTHER GIVES THE BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL HELL!

VIA MOVE AMERICA FORWARD!

MORE HERE - INCLUDING SOME BACKGROUND.

PICTURES OF THE LOONY ANTI-AMERICAN LEFT PROTESTING OUR TROOPS IN BERKELEY HERE.

Geldof: Bush better for Africa than Clinton

WASH TIMES:

Mr. Geldof praised Mr. Bush for his work in delivering billions to fight disease and poverty in Africa, and blasted the U.S. press for ignoring the achievement.

Mr. Bush, said Mr. Geldof, "has done more than any other president so far."

"This is the triumph of American policy really," he said. "It was probably unexpected of the man. It was expected of the nation, but not of the man, but both rose to the occasion."

"What's in it for [Mr. Bush]? Absolutely nothing," Mr. Geldof said.

Mr. Geldof said that the president has failed "to articulate this to Americans" but said he is also "pissed off" at the press for their failure to report on this good news story.

"You guys didn't pay attention," Geldof said to a group of reporters from all the major newspapers.

Bush did more than the "first black president."

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

The sad thing is: neither Bush or the GOP will get an additional African-American vote out of this.

Which makes Bush's and the GOP's commitment non-political and even more noble.

[ASIDE: If black Americans voted with their heads instead of just going along with the party of their grandparents, the the GOP would get more black votes.

Blacks should remember that the Civil Rights Acts were passed only with GOP support, and that the Democrat Party was the party which had been blocking it for decades.

The GOP was FOUNDED to rid the USA of slavery and has a better history in civil rights than the Democrat Party.]

OIL CLOSES ABOVE $100/BARREL FOR FIRST TIME - and what we can do about it!

*******UPDATE - 2/20/08: AS I WROTE BELOW (YESTERDAY!) IT'S ALL ABOUT SUPPLY AND DEMAND - NYTIMES:

Supply Fears Push Oil to Triple Digits
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS

HOUSTON — Crude oil closed above $100 a barrel for the first time Tuesday, vaulting through a longstanding psychological barrier amid persistent concern about whether production can keep up with rising global demand.

The day’s price rise of more than 4 percent capped a week-long run-up that began when President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela threatened to cut off oil exports to the United States over a legal struggle with Exxon Mobil. Crude oil fell from a record $100.10 a barrel in New York on speculation that a U.S. Energy Department report will show stockpiles rose for a sixth week, according to Reuters. Crude oil for March delivery dropped as much as 90 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $99.11 a barrel in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

... World supplies have been trimmed by substantial cutbacks in production in Iraq and Nigeria in recent weeks. Nigeria alone has lost about 10 percent of its daily production since guerrillas stepped up their sabotage and kidnapping of oil workers in the Niger Delta at the end of last year. Some analysts fear that OPEC could cut production further when it meets next month to counter the prospect that a softening world economy may eventually weaken demand and push prices down.

Oil is expensive.

Expensive oil drives up costs, increases inflation, and decreases the discretionary income people have to spend - and so increases the threat of recession, too.

And a recession in the USA causes the entire world to go into a recession - because the entire world depends on US consumption.

ON ALL COUNTS IT IS BAD.

There is an easy solution: INCREASE SUPPLIES.

This can be dome easily: just let the oil companies drill for more oil in places they think there is a great chance of finding a lot; (their belief is what will incentivize them to invest billions - and it won't cost the taxpayer a single penny!).

All that is necessary to have this happen is for Congress to OPEN UP ANWR, and demand that FLA and CA open up the waters off their coasts for drilling.

THERE IS NO RISK TO THE ENVIRONMENT:

• Canada safely and cleanly drills for oil right next door the ANWR.
• Louisiana allows drilling in the Gulf - off its coast. NOT ONE OF THESE OFF-SHORE RIGS LEAKED DURING KATRINA - THE WORST HURRICANE IN THE GULF'S HISTORY.
• And the waters off of California are easier to drill in than the North Sea - where Norway and the UK have safely drilled FOR DECADES!

People who claim that burning oil creates too much CO2 and that CO2 is causing global warming are WRONG:

• there is no "man-made" global warming;
• the world is actually cooling; this winter (2007-8) is one of the coldest and snowiest in DECADES - for both hemispheres.
• And the prior warming trend was NOT outside historical norms/cycles.
• AND CO2 IS A LAGGING INDICATOR OR PRIOR WARMING PERIODS AND NOT A CAUSE.

Therefore, there is simply no excuse for NOT ALLOWING the energy companies risk their own capital and drill as much as they want.

The moratorium on drilling in ANWR and off the coasts of FLA and CA are a MUCH GRAVER RISK than global warming or leaks or any other risk of "damage" to the local environment.

Continuing the moratorium is IRRATIONAL, and SELF-DESTRUCTIVE.

It puts at risk the entire world's economy.

OVERLY EXPENSIVE OIL is one of the two or three MOST important issues facing the entire world.

The USA must lead on this issue and IMMEDIATELY take the necessary steps in Congress to increase supplies.

I PREDICT, THE DAY THE CONGRESS ACTS THE PRICE OF OIL WILL DROP 25%.

That would help the entire world's economy IMMEDIATELY.

And it would also mean the USA would NOT be sending as much money to the Middle East, not per barrel, and not as many barrels, either.

IT'S A WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN!