THE FRUITS OF APPEASEMENT: GAZA

VIA POWER LINE:

• ATTACKS BY GAZANS ON ISRAEL HAVE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED SINCE WITHDRAWAL.
• AS HAS LAWLESSNESS, INTERNECINE MURDER AND POVERTY IN GAZA.
• THESE ARE THE FRUITS OF APPEASEMENT.

PEACE IS A BY-PRODUCT OF VICTORY.

OBAMA IS A RACIST HYPOCRITE WHO SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE SENATE

RWV:

Obama was one of the first to call for Imus' firing from MSNBC. ...

April 11, 2007 -- "I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus," Obama told ABC News, "but I would also say that there's nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group. And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude."

• WE SHOULD HOLD OBAMA TO THE SAME STANDARD HE HELD FOR IMUS AND FOR HIS OWN STAFF.
• HE LIED ABOUT WHAT HE'D HEARD OVER THE YEARS IN TRINITY CHURCH.
• HIS FAILURE TO CONDEMN IT - ALL THOSE YEARS - PROVES HE EMBRACED IT.
• FOR THIS RACISM AND HYPOCRISY, OBAMA SHOULD RESIGN FROM THE SENATE.
• AT ONCE.
  

Nicholas Stix' Obama scoop: four years too early

In 2004, Nicholas Stix ("Barack Obama, Man of Faith") nailed the key elements of the Obama-Wright-Meeks story nearly four years ago.

The only recognizably Christian position Obama takes is his opposition to same-sex marriage, due to the “religious connotations” of marriage... However, I would expect his position on same-sex marriage to begin “evolving” around, say, … November 3. Once Obama is safely ensconced in the U.S. Senate, he knows that his black base will stick by him, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse. Then he will doubtless begin the sort of “education” of the Christian black electorate in matters of same-sex marriage, which black leaders earlier conducted in the matter of abortion.

...Obama’s closest religious advisers -- Fr. Pfleger, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, and Illinois State Sen. James Meeks, who moonlights as the pastor of Chicago's Salem Baptist Church – may have quotes from Scripture always handy, but are theologically closer to Karl Marx and black nationalism, than to Christianity... The transcendent-non-transcendent motto the Rev. Wright has given Trinity is, “Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian.”

According to State Sen./Rev. James Meeks’ humble, personal church Web page, “Meeks’ practical and charismatic style of instruction motivates the hearer to take action and has resulted in accomplishments of miraculous proportions.” When the good Senator/Reverend is not accomplishing miracles and other feats “never before documented in history,” he serves as the executive vice president of Jesse Jackson Sr.’s National Rainbow-Push Coalition. Why a man of God would want to be identified with Jackson’s personal den of iniquity is a question only the Rev. Meeks can answer.

Keep in mind the parallels between Obama, his black constituency, and the Democrat party. As black Chicagoans have suffered less and less under racism, they have become increasingly racist. Conversely, once the Democrat party gave up its role as a pillar of Jim Crow, it increasingly has come to trade in race hoaxes. And as leading black preacher-politicians (witness Jesse Jackson Sr.’s former opposition to abortion) and white Democrat pols alike have made “Christianity” indistinguishable from the program of the left wing of the Democrat party, so too have millions of black Christians “revised” their Bibles. And so, just as “rights” have become merely a euphemism for whatever black, “progressive,” or homosexual Democrats desire, so too has Christianity.

Apparently, the only thing that the “Christianity” of Barack Obama, Fr. Pfleger, the Rev. Wright and the Rev. Meeks forbids, is voting Republican...

SPITZER GOT A BETTER DEAL THAN MCCARTNEY

SPITZER: SPENT $85,000, AND HE LOST A LOUSY JOB HE SUCKED AT. SHE GOT ONLY $1000/HOUR.

MCCARTNEY: LOST $48,000,000. THATS $1 MILLION FOR EACH MONTH OF MARRIAGE. OUCH.

IT WOULD'VE BEEN CHEAPER FOR PAUL TO USE HOOKERS.

THEN AND NOW

The left wing of the media and the blogosphere has gotten a little carried away by Barack's defense of his mentor, Jeremiah Wright. We've heard some commentators who think that Barack's speech is the most moving American oration since the days of Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. We don't think Barack -- or his mentor -- hold a candle to the brilliance that preceded them.

But don't believe me, judge for yourself.

Then - the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:





And now, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright:




Even to put Wright's video in the same post with Dr. King's is too much.

And Wright's disciple, Senator Barack [middle name redacted] Obama, is going to bring American together?

Face it, as John Derbyshire said today at the Corner:

Having slept on the matter, I am now going to come out of the closet and declare clearly and firmly that I don't like Barack Obama one little bit.

What kind of person would traduce his grandmother (who is still alive) to score a political point? Yesterday's speech, read through in the clear light of dawn, is worse than I thought: an ugly mish-mash of ancient socialist clichés and Gen-X spoiled-brat self-congratulation, all enveloped in clouds of flatulent Oprahnian rhetoric. Ugh!

Obama's just a red-diaper baby with a nice smile. I actually like Jeremiah Wright better than I like Obama. At least you know where you are with Wright. Obama, I wouldn't trust to mail a letter.

Don't think so? Just watch him in action:

A slick Chicago operator giving cover to a race-baiting hate-monger.

BIN LADEN'S MOTOON RAGE REVEALS DEEP SCHIZOID SACRILEGIOUSNESS

NYTIMES/AP:

Osama bin Laden criticized the publication of drawings insulting to the Prophet Muhammad in a new audio message posted late Wednesday and warned Europeans of a strong reaction to come.

The message, which appeared on a militant Web site that has carried al-Qaida statements in the past and bore the logo of the extremist group's media wing al-Sahab, showed a still image of bin Laden aiming with an AK-47.

A voice believed to be bin Laden's described the cartoons as taking place in the framework of a ''new Crusade'' against Islam and warned Europeans that a reaction would come.

''The response will be what you see and not what you hear and let our mothers bereave us if we do not make victorious our messenger of God,'' he said, without specifying what action would be taken.

THE INTENSE AVERSION TO DEPICTING MOHAMED REVEALS A SCHOZID TENDENCY IN RADICAL ISLAM.

As extreme monotheists all Muslims are taught to reject and oppose any depiction of God. God is beyond and above any depiction, and depictions are (or could lead to) a form of idolatry. This is something they stole from from Judaism: As the Second of the Ten Commandments says:

"You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I The Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Commandments."

When Muslims oppose depictions of God, they are on solid ground.

BUT... when they oppose depictions of Mohamed they are on very shaky ground; in fact, when the radicals oppose it violently they are being sacrilegious. For ONLY God cannot be depicted - and to prevent and discourage the depiction of Mohamed is to elevate him to the same level as God.

When the radicals like Bin Laden commit this sacrilege, they are also being schizoid because they do it in the name of religious purity - they commit a sin in the name of religious zealotry.

This isnlt surprisng: people who murder they own daughters and sisters and call it "honor-killing", who commit suicidal acts of genocide to get virgins in Heaven are schizoid. Totally effed up. To the core. ORCS.

ASIDE: What do you think Bin Laden means when he threatens us with something we will see but not hear!?

******UPDATE: MY GUESS: A BIOLOGICAL WEAPON SIMULTANEOUSLY AND SURREPTITIOUSLY DISTRIBUTED IN A FEW MAJOR CITIES IN EUROPE.

BENAZIR BHUTTO DISSEMBLES AS SHE DECOMPOSES

JIHAD WATCH:

Imagine my surprise yesterday afternoon when a reporter asked me for comment on the late Benazir Bhutto's attack on me in her book Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West.

I hadn't read the book, and hadn't heard of any such attack, but I picked one up last night, and sure enough, there it is on page 245:

Robert Spencer is the author of the well-known Web site Jihad Watch. He uses the Internet to spread misinformation and hatred of Islam, while claiming he is merely putting forward the truth. But as in much extremist advocacy, he presents a skewed, one-sided, and inflammatory story that only helps sow the seeds of civilizational conflict. For example, he takes apparently violent verses of the Quran out of context and then does not provide any peaceful verses as a balance.

Unlike many of the more mainstream authors presented, Spencer does not understand the true Muslim faith or differentiate between moderate Muslims and violent Islamists, and so lumps them all in one boat:

Islam is a totalitarian ideology that aims to control the religious, social and political life of mankind in all its aspects, the life of its followers without qualification, and the life of those who follow the so-called tolerated religions to a degree that prevents their activities from getting in the way of Islam in any way. And I mean Islam: I do not accept some spurious distinction between Islam and "Islamic Fundamentalism" or "Islamic terrorism." The terrorists who planted the bombs in Madrid, and those responsible for the death of more than 2,000 people on September 11, 2001 in New York and the Ayatollahs of Iran were and are all acting canonically; their actions reflect the teachings of Islam, whether found in the Koran, in the acts and sayings of the Prophet, or Islamic law based on them.

That long quote from me sounded funny to me -- it just didn't sound to me like the way I write. But Bhutto's endnote said it was from page 11 of The Myth of Islamic Tolerance, an essay collection by many different authors that I edited, and so when I was laboriously typing all this out I went into the Word document of the material I wrote for that book, hoping I could just paste the paragraph in here. But...it wasn't there!

It turns out that that quote is from the book's Foreword, "The Genesis of a Myth" by Ibn Warraq. Page 13, not 11.

So while excoriating me for allegedly quoting the Qur'an out of context, Benazir Bhutto attributed to me words written by someone else.

And that someone is, like Bhutto, a Pakistani who was raised a Muslim.

BWAHAHAHA! SERIOUSLY:

• WHEN ALIVE, BHUTTO WAS A LYING, LOW-LIFE PIECE OF CRAP, WHO AS PM ENABLED THE TALIBAN, AS HER PPP - AND HER CORRUPT HUSBAND P- LUNDERED THE NATION.
• IT IS ALTOGETHER FITTING THAT HER POSTHUMOUSLY PUBLISHED MEMOIR HAS THIS BIT OF FALSE PROPAGANDA IN IT.
• PROPAGANDA THAT SOFT-PEDDLES THE GLOBAL THREAT SHE HELPED TO UNLEASH.
• I HOPE SHE'S ROTTING IN HER GRAVE.

OBAMA: HYPOCRITE, RACIST, LIAR.

THE CORNER ON BARACK OBAMA JUNIOR:

Obama then and now [Mark Steyn]

From a reader of mine in Quebec:

Old Barack:

Don’t tell me words don’t matter.

‘I have a dream.’ Just words?

‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.’ Just words?

‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words? Just speeches?

New Barack:

'God damn America.' Just words.

'US government created Aids, supplied drugs to our community.' Just words.

'US of KKKA.' Just words.

'What we are doing is the same thing al-Qaeda is doing.' Just words.

'Until now, I was never proud of my country.' Just words from my wife.

03/19 09:04 AM

AND:

Wright v. Imus [Jonah Goldberg]

From a reader:

April 11, 2007: Obama on why Don Imus should have been fired for uttering the phrase “nappy-headed hos” during a single, spontaneous riff on a radio show:

“He didn't just cross the line. He fed into some of the worst stereotypes that my two young daughters are having to deal with today in America.

The notions that as young African-American women — who I hope will be athletes — that that somehow makes them less beautiful or less important.

It was a degrading comment. It's one that I'm not interested in supporting."

"What we've been seeing around this country is this constant ratcheting up of a coarsening of the culture that all of have to think about.".

“As a culture, we really have to do some soul-searching to think about what kind of toxic information are we feeding our kids."

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3031317&page=1

March 18, 2008: Obama on the prepared remarks of Reverend Wright, whose church Obama attended for 20 years, who married Obama and his wife, and who baptized Obama’s daughters:

“we've heard my former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation; that rightly offend white and black alike.”

“Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely.”

“But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial.... Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country - a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America.”

“Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html

So Imus, who peddles “toxic information,” “stereotypes,” and “degrading comment[s],” should be deprived of his livelihood. While Reverend Wright, who peddles in “incendiary language,” a “profoundly distorted view of this country,” “racially charged” remarks, and views that “rightly offend white and black alike,” gets the honor of baptizing Obama’s daughters.

Explain.

03/19 09:19 AM

AND THIS FROM HOT AIR AND ABCNEWS:

ABC News took a closer look at the Barack Obama speech on race yesterday and found curious discrepancies from past positions. Brian Ross and Avni Patel also note similar contradictions in Obama’s positions on Tony Rezko. It looks like some of the media has finally begun vetting the Democratic front-runner for the nomination:

Buried in his eloquent, highly praised speech on America’s racial divide, Sen. Barack Obama contradicted more than a year of denials and spin from him and his staff about his knowledge of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons.

THAT SAYS IT ALL: OBAMA: HYPOCRITE, RACIST, LIAR.

McCain Mobbed by Crowds at Western Wall

Wash Post:

... Sen. John McCain [WENT] to the Western Wall this morning ...

The crush of people surrounded McCain (Ariz.) after he and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) briefly touched the towering wall at the base of the Temple Mount, where the Second Temple stood until its destruction nearly two thousand years ago.

The senators placed notes in the cracks between the ancient stones, a common tradition. McCain declined through a spokesman to reveal what his note said.

Accompanied by a rabbi, McCain then headed toward the underground tunnels that connect the wall to parts of the old city.

I WONDER WHAT EACH NOTE SAID???

NPR On Global Warming: Decrease In Temperatures = "Less Rapid Warming"

Indeed, if the globe was warming, and now it is cooling, I guess that could be called "less rapid warming."

Well no, actually, that's illogical. Cooling can not be defined as warming, being that they mean the opposite thing, right? Have I got that right?

Here's what NPR has to say about it:

Some 3,000 scientific robots that are plying the ocean have sent home a
puzzling message. These diving instruments suggest that the oceans have not
warmed up at all over the past four or five years. That could mean global
warming has taken a breather. Or it could mean scientists aren't quite
understanding what their robots are telling them.

This is puzzling in part because here on the surface of the Earth, the
years since 2003 have been some of the hottest on record. But Josh Willis at
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory says the oceans are what really matter when it
comes to global warming.

The buoys can dive 3,000 feet down and measure ocean temperature. Since
the system was fully deployed in 2003, it has recorded no warming of the global
oceans.

"There has been a very slight cooling, but not anything really
significant," Willis says. So the buildup of heat on Earth may be on a brief
hiatus. "Global warming doesn't mean every year will be warmer than the last.
And it may be that we are in a period of less rapid warming."
In recent
years, heat has actually been flowing out of the ocean and into the air. This is
a feature of the weather phenomenon known as El Nino. So it is indeed possible
the air has warmed but the ocean has not.

But it's also possible that something more mysterious is going on.

Yeah, there is something mysterious going on. It appears that scientific data is being ignored, or reinterpreted to support a scenario which is contradicted by the data itself. It would seem that money and notoriety have become part of the scientific method.

That is mysterious, isn't it?

In fact, it would seem that what is "anthropogenic" about Global Warming is that it is the theory itself, not the temperatures, which are man-made.

Russian scientists disown global warming

The report in Russian English immediately below was originally headed: "Global Warming to Serve Politicians". It refers only briefly to a Russian language website and appears to be a response to the Russian site. It would be nice to get a proper translation of the Russian site but I append the Babelfish translation below.

Babelfish translations always have their lighter moments and I like the way "Kyoto" is referred to as "Kiotskiy". Sounds fair to me! "Albert gor" sounds an improvement on Al Gore too! The Russian spokesman seems to be saying at one point that they are fortunate in Russia not to have the computing power which would enable them to waste their time on "models".

I rather agree with that. I have often noted that poor raw data is commonly associated with very complex statistics in published research reports in my own field. I have never been much persuaded by such reports. It's usually a case of putting lipstick on a pig -- with apologies to my providers of bacon.

I would be cautious of the word "officially" in the article below. Nothing is official in Russia until Vlad says so. But the great skepticism of Russian scientists in the matter is well-known. If it is confirmed that the Russian Academy of Sciences officially rejects the IPCC conclusions, it would be a real blow to the IPCC. Regardless of what is true of Russia's government, there is nothing wrong with Russia's scientists

Russian Academy of Sciences officially claims main reasons of global warming are totally different from that announced by UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Experts of IPCC's working group concluded that main reason of global climate warming was emission of various greenhouse gases. Such a conclusion was reported during a press-conference by one of the research supervisors, who based his words on numerous research results and mathematical modeling of climate changes.

IPCC's report describes in detail possible effects of climatic changes on environment, human beings and society and predicts further changes, as well as suggests some mitigation measures. The essence of suggested "therapy" is lowering greenhouse gases' emissions. IPCC experts calculated that as little as 0.5% of world GDP (Gross Domestic Product) would be enough for development and assimilation of technologies, allowing decrease of gaseous emissions in 2030 (reaching figures of 1990).

Experts claim reducing greenhouse gases' emissions is not very difficult: Russian emissions lost 37% compared to emissions of 1990. However, UN officials forget to mention that new technologies have nothing to do with such an abrupt emission drop - this effect was due to steep fall of total production and long-term economic stagnation. Some experts admit that developing countries, e.g. China and India, can develop their economy and at the same time reduce greenhouse gases' emissions only when receiving funds from abroad. IPCC's working group expresses confidence that energy-saving technologies allow Russian industry to put down the use of natural gas for 230 million cubic meters per year. As for funds for such technological breakthrough, experts suggest to withdraw them from housing and public utilities by canceling some state subsidies.

IPCC's experts emphasize that Kyoto Protocol promotes introduction of energy-saving technologies and development of alternative power engineering, however they fail to explain how fulfilling the protocol can reduce greenhouse gases' emissions, since only 161 countries, responsible for 61% of world emissions, ratified Kyoto Protocol as of February 2006. Other scientists claim this share of 61% would reduce due to rapid development of China, India and other countries, which do not participate in Kyoto Protocol.

UN experts commented nonconcurrence of their conclusions with point of view of researchers from Russian Academy of Sciences, who tend to think that main reasons of global warming lie in natural factors. IPCC's working group said they have done an enormous work on mathematical modeling, considering many climatic parameters, and Russian Academy of Sciences had neither computers, nor models to make right conclusions.

We would like to remind our readers that UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 together with former US vice-president Albert Gore "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change".

Source

Babelfish translation of the Russian language website follows:

Global warming on the service of the politicians

The conclusions about the basic reason for the global warming of climate, made an intergovernmental appraisal group for climate variation with THE UNITED NATIONS (MGEIK), do not coincide with the official position in this question of the Russian academy of sciences.

The experts of working group MGEIK (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC) came to the conclusion that the basic reason for global warming - emission of greenhouse gases. On this Igor bashmakov reported at the press conference in RIA- news one of the authors of report. According to him, this conclusion is based on the results of the studies, carry ouied by hundred scientific different countries of peace, and the analysis of the mathematical models of climate variation.

In the report, prepared BY MGEIK to 2007, are in detail described the possible consequences of climate variation - for nature, man and society as a whole, the forecast of its further change is made and measures for the softening of its consequences are proposed. Essence of these measures - reduction in the ejections of greenhouse gases. As it reported another author of the report Of kirsten Of khalsnes (Denmark), according to the calculations of group, it will be required only by 0,5% world VLADIMIR PUTIN for development and introducing the technologies, which make it possible to 2030 to attain reduction in the ejections to the level of 1990.

Igor bashmakov noted that stated problem of attaining not too it is difficult: "today in Russia the emission of greenhouse gases they decreased by 37% in comparison with 1990", he said. However, it did not refine that this decrease occurred not due to the introduction of new technologies, but due to sharp drop in the total volume of production in our country and prolonged economic stagnation. Kirsten Of khalsnes recognized that the developing countries, such as China and India, can develop their economy, simultaneously decreasing the ejections of greenhouse gases only with the condition of financing their economy because of the boundary.

Igor bashmakov expressed confidence that in Russia it is possible to reduce the consumption of natural gas on 230 million cu. m per year due to the energy-saving technologies. Where to take money for the introduction of these technologies, explained one additional author of report, the economist Aleksandr Novikov based on the example ZHKKH. In its opinion, this it would be possible to make due to the means, isolated today by state on the subsidy.

Igor bashmakov emphasized that to the introduction of energy-saving technologies and to the development of alternative power engineering contributes The kiotskiy protocol; however, I could not explain, as its fulfillment will make it possible to dostich' the stated goals on reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases, if one considers that as of on 14 February, 2006, the protocol was ratified by 161 country of peace, which are together critical approximately only for 61% of world-wide ejections. And this portion, apparently, will decrease, takeing into account the high rates of the development of such countries as China and India, which are not participants In the kiotskogo protocol.

"Kiotskiy protocol - this is the trial step, which will help us to understand that they can make several states, and such countries as China, they will pass to the energy-saving technologies and without The kiotskogo protocol", he said.

With it did not agree Kirsten Of khalsnes, which noted that The kiotskiy protocol "created many economic initiatives and allowed many countries to improve economic indices".

Relative to the noncoincidence of conclusions for the basic reason for global climate variation in the working group MGEIK and the scientific Russian academies of sciences, which consider that the present warming up bears natural nature, Igor bashmakov he said that "experts MGEIK they made many calculations they built the mathematical models, which consider many climatic parameters... in our academy of sciences there is neither such models nor such computers, on which them it was possible to cheat in counting".

Let us recall that the intergovernmental appraisal group for climate variation was honored the Nobel Peace Prize of 2007, which it subdivided with the former Vice President OF THE USA Albert gor. As said in the official communication of Nobel committee, so high award MGEIK it was honored "for the efforts and the work for the propagation of knowledge about climate variations and the adoption of measures for purposes of the suppression of the propagation of negative processes".


Posted by John Ray. For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS Also, don't forget your summary of Obama news and commentary at OBAMA WATCH

The Union of Soviet Socialist Europe

Democracy, No!

Poland may soon join Ireland as the only EU members to hold referendums on the new Lisbon Treaty, the latest attempt to ram through a European "Constitution." If it does, euroskeptics will cheer and europhiles howl.

Plebiscites are rarely justified or necessary. Governments routinely sign treaties and make other decisions on behalf of citizens. Yet the Lisbon Treaty is a case apart because of the way it has been presented. Born as the EU's Constitution, the original document was put up for a vote in various EU countries, where it was roundly rejected by the French and the Dutch.

Anywhere else, that would be the end of the story. Not in Europe, which decided it would be stuck in "crisis" without the document's key provisions. So a new "reform treaty" was drawn up and signed last year in Lisbon. Though the failed Constitution's most overtly state-like elements such as an EU anthem were dropped, it remains a transformative treaty. It establishes the EU as a legal personality for the first time, creates new or enhanced offices to represent the bloc globally and significantly changes the ways decisions are made.

Only this time around, the voters are to be shut out. Britain promised and then withheld a referendum. The French and the Dutch won't get a second chance to vote "no," as they did in 2005, or yes. Only the Irish are being given a chance to express their views at the ballot box.

And now, possibly, the Poles. A referendum in Poland, however, would have far more to do with domestic political gamesmanship than with the EU. The opposition Law and Justice Party led by former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski is threatening to block approval in Parliament -- likely leading to a popular vote on the treaty -- if certain conditions are not met regarding Poland's sovereignty. A parliamentary vote is expected within the next week....

With all the effort put into avoiding referendums, it's hard to escape the conclusion that EU politicians are trying to pull a fast one on their voters. On the one hand, they're selling Lisbon as a grand reform treaty that propels Europe out of the malaise that followed the French and Dutch no votes. On the other, they say the treaty is a small tightening-up exercise that doesn't require a return to the ballot box. Which is it?... Should Lisbon be rejected in Ireland or Poland, EU leaders and Brussels insiders will proclaim yet another crisis for Europe. It couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch.

More here

Posted by John Ray. For a daily critique of Leftist activities, see DISSECTING LEFTISM. For a daily survey of Australian politics, see AUSTRALIAN POLITICS Also, don't forget your summary of Obama news and commentary at OBAMA WATCH

UN: Indonesia failing in bird flu fight

YAHOO/AP:

Efforts to contain bird flu are failing in Indonesia, increasing the possibility that the virus may mutate into a deadlier form, the leading U.N. veterinary health body warned.

The H5N1 bird flu virus is entrenched in 31 of the country's 33 provinces and will cause more human deaths, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement released late Tuesday.

"I am deeply concerned that the high level of virus circulation in birds in the country could create conditions for the virus to mutate and to finally cause a human influenza pandemic," FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said.

Indonesia "has not succeeded in containing the spread of avian influenza,"

WE'VE BEN SAYING THIS FOR A WHILE.

OBAMA: NOT A MOMMA'S BOY

• HE DIDN'T VISIT HER WHEN SHE GOT VERY SICK WITH CANCER AND DIED.
• DESPITE WORKING FOR A BIG/CONNECTED LAW FIRM, HE DID NOT HELP HER WITH HER MEDICAL BILLS.
• BUT THEN... SHE WAS WHITE.
• SHE DIED AFTER HE WROTE HIS PAEAN TO HIS FATHER - THE ABSENT PARENT.
• HE WASN'T A VERY NICE SON, IF YOU ASK ME.
• SOURCE.
  

EL RUSHBO DISSECTS OBAMA'S PERFORMANCE

RTWT.

NEITHER OF THE MEN IN THIS PHOTO IS BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA JUNIOR

I KNOW NEITHER OF THESE 50/50 B&W MEN IS BARACK BECAUSE BARACK IS 100% BLACK - (IN HIS SOUL, THAT IS).

THIS IS NOT A PHOTO OF IMAM JEREMIAH WRIGHT IN MUSLIM GARB

THIS IS BLACK SANTA, AND NOT IMAM JEREMIAH WRIGHT.

GLAD THAT'S CLEARED UP.

(I KNOW IT'S NOT WRIGHT BECAUSE OF THE RED, WHITE & BLUE THEME. THAT WOULD BE TOO PRO-AMERICAN FOR IMAM WRIGHT!)

ULTIMATE IRONY: OBAMA'S CANDIDACY RUINED BECAUSE HIS PASTOR'S RACIST CHICKENS CAME HOME TO ROOST

• YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

• OBAMA CHOSE THAT CHURCH BECAUSE OF IT'S BLACKNESS, AND NOW HE MUST LIVE - AND DIE WITH IT.

• WRIGHT'S "AUDACITY" (LIKE SAYING 9/11 WAS ONE OF OUR CHICKENS COMING HOME TO ROOST) MEANS OBAMA DIES.

• HERE'S VIDEO MEDLEY OF WRIGHT'S BIGGEST HITS. VIA ACE.

• SOMEONE SEND OBAMA A LINK - HE'S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS, I BET. NOT.

NOT ALL DEMOCRAT BLACKS FALL FOR OBAMA'S CRAP.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright's 'War on Iraq IQ Test'

Jeremiah Wright has two fundamental problems. First, he believes the world economy is a zero-sum game (hint: it ain't. See The Economic Zero-Sum Fallacy). Second, he buys into the conventional leftist moral equivalence argument. That is, there's no distinction between good and evil.

In 2003, Wright published the following quiz. It could have been written by a member of Hamas.

41. Q: How many UN resolutions did Israel violate by 1992?
A: Over 65

42. Q: How many UN resolutions on Israel did America veto between 1972 and 1990?
A: 30+

43. Q: How much does the U.S. fund Israel a year?
A:$5 billion

44. Q: How many countries are known to have nuclear weapons?
A: 8

45. Q: How many nuclear warheads has Iraq got [sic]?
A: 0

47. Q: Which is the only country to use nuclear weapons?
A: the US

[Ed: Wright obviously needs a history lesson. Perhaps he could read about the millions of lives saved by ending the war before Operation Olympic]

48. Q: How many nuclear warheads does Israel have?
A: Over 400

49. Q: Has Israel every [sic] allowed UN weapon inspections?
A: No

50. Q: What percentage of the Palestinian territories are controlled by Israeli settlements?
A: 42%

51. Q: Is Israel illegally occupying Palestinian land?
A: Yes

52. Q: Which country do you think poses the greatest threat to global peace: Iraq or the U.S.?
A: ????

Make that three fundamental problems. Wright also visited Libya, one of the poorest countries on Earth -- with Louis Farrakhan, an acknowledged racist and hater -- in order to schmooze with terrorist Muamar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi, you'll recall, ordered the attack on Pan Am 103. A Libyan bomb hidden in a suitcase exploded aboard the flight and killed 270 people. Among the dead were entire families and many children, toddlers and babies:

Asrelsky, Rachel M., 21, New York, NY, American
Concannon, Bridget, 53, Banbury, England. Irish
Concannon, Sean, 16, Banbury, England. Irish
Concannon, Thomas, 51, Banbury, England. Irish
Davis, Shannon, 19, Shelton, Connecticut. ,American
Gibson, Kenneth James, 20, Romulus, Michigan American
Herbert, Pamela Elaine, 19, Battle Creek, Michigan, American

Hudson, Melina Kristina, 16, Albany, New York. American
Ivell, Elizabeth Sophie, 19, Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England. British
Jeffreys, Rachel, 23, Kingston-upon-Thames, England. British
Jermyn, Kathleen Mary, 20, Staten Island, New York. American
Johnson, Beth Ann, 21, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. American
Owen, Bryony Elise, 1, Bristol, England. British
Owens, Laura Abigail. 8, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, American
Owens, Martha, 44, Cherry Hill, New Jersey. American
Owens, Robert Plack, 45, Cherry Hill, New Jersey . American
Owens, Sarah Rebecca, 14, Cherry Hill, New Jersey . American
Rattan, Anmol, 2, Warren. Michigan. American (Indian)
Rattan, Garima, 29, Warren, Michigan.,American(Indian)
Rattan, Suruchi, 3, Warren, Michigan. American (Indian) ("The little girl in the red dress...")

Roller, Edina, 5, Hungary. Hungarian
Stevenson, Hannah Louise, 10, Esher, England. British
Stinnett, Stacey Leanny, 9, Duncanville, Texas. American
Thomas, Jonathan Ryan, 2 months, Southfield, Michigan. American
Williams, Brittany Leigh, 2 months, Crown Point, New York American
Williams, Stephanie Leigh, 1. Crown Point, New York. American
Woods, Chelsea Marie, 10 months, Willingboro, New Jersey. American
Woods, Joe Nathan, Jr., 2, Willingboro, New Jersey . American

Wright's support of Gaddafi, Farrakhan and his hateful statements are signs of a serious problem for Obama.

Wright is provably a racist; a hater; and a despicable, divisive figure. That Obama claims not to have known of Wright's background is ludicrous. He must think we're as stupid as the Clintons assume we are.

Hat tip: LGF and reader mcs

MORE OUTRAGEOUS OBAMA HYPOCRISY ON RACISM

MUST READ POST: Obama excuses Wright, but he pilloried Imus.

OBAMA: Hypocrite.

OH OH OH MY BAD: Imus is white, so he can't get away with occasionally saying on radio what black Pastor Wright said every Sunday... in Church.

SORRY MY BAD.

Not.

MORE - INCLUDING VIDEO OF OBAMA CONDEMNING IMUS - HERE.

SECULARIST LAW-SUIT AGAINST TURKEY'S RULING ISLAMIST PARTY MOVES FORWARD

Ever sinceTurkey's Islamist party took power in 2002 Turkey had been a weak ally - at best.

They wouldn't allow us to use their country to enter Iraq, and forced us to change our strategy just weeks before the war. These changes made the post-war period worse than it would have been.

They are now refusing to send COMBAT troops to Afghanistan; (they have non-combat troops patrolling in some pacified cities). GEE: Thanks again you ungrateful scumb*gs.

Some deeply secularist Turks don't like it, and they're trying to get the courts to do something about it.

Analysis from The Kuwait Times:

Turkey faces a lengthy period of political uncertainty that could undermine its economy and European Union entry bid after prosecutors launched a case to shut down the ruling AK Party for alleged Islamist activities. But many analysts predict the centre-right, pro-business AK Party will survive the legal challenge, which they characterise as the last stand of an unaccountable and discredited conservative secular elite out of step with modern Turkey.

There will be a period of uncertainty, but it is 90 percent certain the AK Party government will survive this," said William Hale, author of books on Turkish politics and now teaching at Istanbul's Sabanci University. "The problem is it could all take as much as two years, though my impression is the court will act much more quickly in this particular case, perhaps within three to five months.

A top prosecutor asked the Constitutional Court on Friday to close the AK Party and ban Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and some 70 other party officials from politics for five years on the grounds that they are trying to build an Islamic state. NATO member Turkey is overwhemingly Muslim but has a secular system. Its secularist elite, including the judges and army generals, has long accused the AK Party of plotting to erode the separation of state and religion, a claim the government denies.

Erdogan, Turkey's most popular politician by far, has branded the lawsuit an attack on democracy and vowed to fight. Prosecutors have been weighing an indictment against the AK Party for years, analysts say, but parliament's recent decision to ease a ban on women students wearing the Muslim headscarf in universities gave them the crucial ammunition to act.

LOCAL ANALYSIS:

2008 was supposed to be a year of reform and progress. So far things have not exactly gone as planned as Turkey enters another period of volcanic activity with the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Turkey's radical secularists square up for yet another battle.

For the second time in a decade the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals filed a closure case against a ruling party. The first time was against the Islamist Welfare Party (RP), again brought on charges of acting against the secularism principle of the Turkish Republic and lasted seven months, resulting with the Constitutional Court closing down the party. Now it is the turn of the AK Party. This is the latest twist in an ongoing story to remove the party from power and cast its most influential members into political exile for as long as possible. They were unable to do this in 2007 during the turbulent days of Abdullah Gül's presidential nomination. Paradoxically, their underhand behavior and manipulation of the judicial system helped Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan enhance his popularity and win a second term in office. Now those very same people who claim to be working in the best interests of the nation are having a second bite at the apple.

The prosecutor, who argues that the AK Party has become "the focal point of anti-secular activities," has compiled a 162-page indictment listing alleged infringements of Turkey's strict constitutional separation of religion and the state under AK Party rule. Although I am opposed to some of the activities carried out by certain circles of the AK Party (and have witnessed them first hand) -- e.g., support for the implementation of a ban on alcohol in public spaces, distributing copies of the Quran and preferential treatment given to women wearing a headscarf at some municipalities, there are still clearly no grounds for the closure of the party, which would be a clear strike against democracy. So in that respect one could say that the chief prospector himself is "the focal-point of anti-democratic activities."

• I THINK IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE SUIT WOULD WIN, AND THE AK SHUT DOWN.
• OR ELSE TURKEY WILL SLIDE INTO ISLAMICIST RULE LIKE SAUDI ARABIA.
• BUT IT IS LIKELY THAT THE SUIT WILL FAIL AND TURKEY BECOME LESS WESTERN.
• LIKE EUROPE IS.

1960'S FREEDOM-RIDER REJECTS BARACK'S APOLOGY

ROGER SIMON - WHO WAS CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN THE 1960'S, WHEN IT COUNTED - REJECTS OBAMA.

READ IT.