Amen.

Message to Senator Obama, et al,

Was the invasion of Iraq a mistake? Was the ensuing violence and death not worth it? Was "The Surge" a failure? Rather than sit 2000 miles away and pass judgment, why not ask someone who actually experienced things first hand, like Army Specialist Joe Cook.

And make sure you watch it to the end.



Worth it or not, my heart and gratitude goes out to all our troops. Thank you for your service.

Community Organizers LOVE loopholes

Pay attention people. Pay close attention. Senator Obama promises that he, once elected, will not raise taxes on anyone making over $250,000, $200,000, $150,000 a year. Perhaps someone should ask the Boy Wonder how he defines the term "tax increase". In it's simplest forms, Senator Obama's tax plan will let the Bush Tax Cuts expire in 2010, returning everybody's tax rate back to what it was in 2000. Senator Obama doesn't consider this a tax increase. He considers this as "just letting a tax cut lapse."

He promises not to raise taxes on 95% of working Americans. And he won't. Once he allows the Bush tax cuts to lapse, he will have raised the taxes not on 5%, but 100% of working Americans. We will ALL pay more. And this is BEFORE his actual promised tax increase for some of us.

Ned Barnett from American Thinker explains this (as well as the other 3 lies loopholes in Senator Obama's tax plan) very well...

Check this for yourself. Go to http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/ and pull up the 1040 instructions for 2000 and 2007 and go to the tax tables. Based on your 2007 income, check your taxes rates for 2000 and 2007, and apply them to your taxable income for 2007. In 2000 -- Senator Obama's benchmark year -- you would have paid significantly more taxes for the income you earned in 2007. The Bush Tax Cuts, which Senator Obama has said he will allow to lapse, saved you money, and without those cuts, your taxes will go back up to the 2000 level. Senator Obama doesn't call it a "tax increase," but your taxes under "President" Obama will increase -- significantly.

According to the tax tables in Ned's article, a married family, filing jointly and earning $75,000 a year, will pay $3,074 more in taxes after the Bush tax cuts lapse. A family making just $50,000 will see an increase of $1,512. Remember, Obama doesn't even consider this a tax increase.

Another loophole, pointed out by Ned, is in the Social Security tax.

Currently, there is an inflation-adjusted cap, and according to the non-profit Tax Foundation, in 2006 -- the most recent year for which tax data is available -- only the first $94,700 of an unmarried individual's earnings were subject to the 12.4 percent payroll tax. However, Senator Obama has proposed lifting that cap, adding an additional 12.4 percent tax on every dollar earned above that cap -- and in spite of his promise, impacting all those who earn between $94,700 and $249,999.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather keep the money I make, rather than send it into President Obama for him to redistribute.

Over at Snapped Shot, captainfish has posted a very good synopsis on what Obama actually stands for, since the media certainly doesn't dwell on it:

Obama's Friends
Tony Rezko. Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Rev Phlegger. ACORN. Louis Farrakhan. Jesse Jackson. Al Sharpton. Saul Alinksi. Bill Ayers. Palestinian Activist Rashid Khalidi.

Obama's Supporters
ACORN. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Hamas. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Palestinians. Radical Islam. George Soros. Hollywood. Matt Damon. Anti-Semites. Palestinian Activist Rashid Khalidi. CAIR. Nation of Islam. New Party - Chicago (Socialist party of which he is a member).

Obama's Enemies. (People he does not like)
Christians. Gun Owners. Americans. White People. Corporations. CEOs. People Who Earn Profit. Israel. "People Clinging To Their Guns And Their Religion". Reporters Who Ask Questions.

What Obama Believes About The Constitution
Flawed. Created By White Slavers. Fluid Document. Does Not Protect Rights Of Minorities. Does Not Distribute Unfair Wealth. Does Not Speak Of Reparations. Affects Everyone Worldwide. "Constitution Is A Charter Of Negative Liberties". "Doesn't Say What The Governments MUST Do For You".

What Obama Believes About The Government
Should Ensure A Shot At Success. Should Distribute Wealth. Should Grow Economy From Bottom-Up. Does Not Do Enough To Give Money To Poor. Does Not Do Enough To Restrict Rights. Government's Job Is To Give All Desires To Everyone. Is To Free And Unregulated. Must Subsidize Everything. Must Grow.

What Obama Believes About The Courts
Should Create Laws To Redistribute Wealth. Should Create Laws To Push Immorality. To Mandate Abortion. To Enact Quotas In Employment, Education And Military. "To Enact Redistributive Change". Must Accept Foreign Rulings To Guide Decisions. Protect America's Enemies.

What Obama Believes About The Military
Unfair To Minorities. Terroristic. Murderous. Killers of Civilians, Innocents and Babies. Too Big. Too Mean. Unfair to Non-Militarized Countries. Too Technological. Must Share Technology With Enemies Else Not Have Technology.

What Obama Believes About The Economy
Must Be Regulated And Controlled. Must Be Taxed. Must Benefit Minorities First. Prices Of Goods, Supplies And Fuel To Low. Capitalism Benefits Rich And Harms Poor. Socialism Equalizes All. Marxism Assures Equality.

What Obama Believes About Election Process
Racist. Must Be Geared Toward Minorities. Too Regulated. Too Restrictive. Must Allow Non-Americans (illegals, foreigners, dead people, terrorists) A Voice In Deciding President. People Are Easily Fooled. Who Can Lie The Best. ACORN.

What Obama Believes In
Abortion. Reparations. Socialism. Marxism. Taxes. Reverse-Slavery. Quotas. Stalin. Alinsky. Chavez. Cuba. Restrictions Against Majority's Liberties. Racist America. Social Change. Taxes. Mass-Welfare. Censorship. Abortion For Teens. "Redistributionary Forces To Achieve Social and Political Justice".

What Obama Does Not Believe In
Capitalism. Liberty. Freedom. Constitution. Founding Fathers. Freedom of Speech. Gun Ownership. Property Ownership By Whites. Wealthy People Creating Jobs. America's Purpose. America's God. Less Government. Freedom of Choice (in all things). Legal Justice.

But don't dwell too much on any of this, lest anyone think you might be a racist.

Trick or Treat

Obama-nomics in a nutshell

Obama-nonics

Confused about whether or not Obama's tax plan will benefit you or not? Well, you're not alone. His own running mate must be as well. In a campaign speech in Pennsylvania yesterday, Joe Biden made the statement that their promised tax break to the middle class will benefit those who make less than $150,000 a year.

"What we're saying is, that $87 billion tax break doesn't need to go to people making an average of $1.4 million," Biden said. "It should go to middle-class people, people who make $150,000 a year."

Obama originally claimed his tax cuts will benefit those under $250,000, and then he changed it to those under $200,000. Seems the line between rich and poor keeps creeping downward. At this rate, those who make over $50,000 may be considered "rich" and may have all their "wealth" redistributed to those less fortunate.

Sure, his proposed tax plan does have to get passed by Congress first. But with the Dems having control of Congress, it might just be a rubber-stamp away from fruition.

Unfortunately, the McCain campaign is so dysfunctional right now and can't seem to get out of their own way. I have no confidence they will be able to capitalize on this new definition of "rich" enough to make a difference next Tuesday.

Be scared America...be very scared.

I would have expected nothing less

This from The Daily Telegraph...

Warner Brothers has delayed the re-release of a film about American prisoners of war in Vietnam in case it influences the outcome of the US presidential election.
[snip]
The studio has temporarily blocked the release of the DVD version of the 1987 film Hanoi Hilton, which will feature an interview with John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, about his imprisonment in Hoa Lo prison during the war.

The film, which gave a favorable portrayal of US prisoners, will now be released on November 11 - a week after the election.

But why?

Barry Meyer, the company's chairman and chief executive, last month attended a fundraising dinner for Barack Obama, Mr McCain's Democratic opponent.

Ahhh...that's why.

However, W, the 2-hour anti-Bush bash, was released this past weekend...3 weeks before the election (by a different studio)

Hollywood sure doesn't seem like they're playing sides, do they???

Brains

Images from The People's Cube.

Obama Hood

Robin Hood steals from the rich and gives to the poor. How is this any different than Obama Hood? His proposals claim to do just that.

Listen here as Obama explains to a small business owner why he will pay more taxes.

PLUMBER : “Your new tax plan is gonna tax me more.”

OBAMA: “It’s not that I want to punish your success, I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance at success, too. I think that when you spread the wealth around it’s good for everybody.”

Spread the wealth around? Is that how he describes it? How exactly does this help anybody? Rather than promote policies to spread economic growth, Obama would rather just spread the wealth. Rather than ween people from the welfare ranks, Obama would rather just spread the wealth. Rather than encourage others to work hard and succeed and better themselves, Obama would rather just spread the wealth.

Let's see. I can go out and get a job, work hard, apply myself, and get off the gobmint's teat, or I can just vote for Obama in November and he'll give me all "The Man's" money.

Hmmm. Decisions. Decisions.

He hasn't won quite yet...

I realize it's probably only a matter of time before the Chosen One ascends to his throne in heaven Washington, smiles upon us and grants us world peace and tranquility, with rainbows, and butterflies reigning o'er the land. But don't count the lemmings chickens before they hatch. On November 1, 2004, John Kerry had a large lead over George W in the polls, too.



Here's the link...

It's not over until the fat lady sings, right?

Scared yet?

Please tell me this isn't true...PLEASE...

From Thomas Lifson over at the American Thinker:

Another piece in the puzzle of Barack Obama has been revealed, greatly strengthening the picture of a man groomed by an older generation of radical leftists for insertion into the American political process, trading on good looks, brains, educational pedigree, and the desire of the vast majority of the voting public to right the historical racial wrongs of the land.

The New Party was a radical left organization, established in 1992, to amalgamate far left groups and push the United States into socialism by forcing the Democratic Party to the left. It was an attempt to regroup the forces on the left in a new strategy to take power, burrowing from within. The party only lasted until 1998, when its strategy of "fusion" failed to withstand a Supreme Court ruling, but the membership, including Barack Obama, continued to move the Democrats leftward with spectacular success.

Look here for some documentation on The Chosen One's alleged ties to this group.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Web Archives Confirm Barack Obama Was Member Of Socialist 'New Party' In 1996

In June sources released information that during his campaign for the State Senate in Illinois, Barack Obama was endorsed by an organization known as the Chicago "New Party". The 'New Party' was a political party established by the Democratic Socialists of America (the DSA) to push forth the socialist principles of the DSA by focusing on winnable elections at a local level and spreading the Socialist movement upwards.

Scared yet? Here's some more...

The Democratic Socialist Party of America published in their July/August Edition of New Ground 47 Newsletter.

"The Chicago New Party is increasely becoming a viable political organization that can make a different in Chicago politics. It is crucial for a political organization to have a solid infrastructure and visible results in its political program. The New Party has continued to solidify this base...

the NP's '96 Political Program has been enormously successful with 3 of 4 endorsed candidates winning electoral primaries. All four candidates attended the NP membership meeting on April 11th to express their gratitude. Danny Davis, winner in the 7th Congressional District, invited NPers to join his Campaign Steering Committee. Patricia Martin, who won the race for Judge in 7th Subcircuit Court, explained that due to the NP she was able to network and get experienced advice from progressives like Davis. Barack Obama, victor in the 13th State Senate District, encouraged NPers to join in his task forces on Voter Education and Voter Registration."

Is it true? Was he really associated with this group? Seems his alleged ties to Bill Ayers should speak volumes. It was Bill Ayers who launched Boy Wonder's political career.

Any chance the media will expose this within the next 25 days? I highly doubt it. To do so would mean they'd have to either admit they've all been had, or admit they're all in on the plan.

Scared yet?

Creepy, very creepy

For those who have had the privilege to see the YouTube video of the school children singing praise and adoration being brainwashed for Obama before it was pulled from YouTube, here's another version you might like as well:



If you're curious about the original version, it was pulled from YouTube after creating a huge uproar. The original video showed a school children choir performing a rendition of a rather catchy propaganda tune. The children are adorably cute, especially the little girl doing the solo in the beginning and the end. However, as this re-posted video version claims, indoctrinating and brainwashing our children, regardless of your political affiliation, is plain wrong. Let our children be children.

As a side note, the original version was a pet project produced and directed by Jeff Zucker, the head of NBC. Still think the mainstream media is unbiased?

Burning Down the House!!

If this link gets taken down, try this one .

When teleprompters go on strike...

Great piece from IowaHawk, posted over at Snapped Shot . This is goooood...

Bias? What bias?

As if we needed another example of the mass media's bias towards the Chosen One:

The moderator of Thursday's vice-presidential debate is writing a book to come out about the time the next president takes the oath of office that aims to "shed new light" on Democratic candidate Barack Obama and other "emerging young African American politicians" who are "forging a bold new path to political power."

Here's the Amazon.com listing for the book, due to be released on January 20, 2009, the actual date of the next inauguration. According to the Editorial Review, the book will be

shedding new light on Barack Obama’s stunning presidential campaign and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power."

Let me ask you this? Just how many of those books do you think she will sell if the Chosen One somehow doesn't ascend into the White House in January?

A crisis by any other name...

This from James Simspon @ American Thinker...

It's a loooong read, but it is soooo worth it. I guarantee you won't see any of this on the evening news. Are all his stated facts and assumptions accurate? You be the judge.

Here's a key excerpt:

As a young attorney in the 1990s, Barack Obama represented ACORN in Washington in their successful efforts to expand Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) authority. In addition to making it easier for ACORN groups to force banks into making risky loans, this also paved the way for banks like Superior to package mortgages as investments, and for the Government Sponsored Enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to underwrite them. These changes created the conditions that ultimately lead to the current financial crisis.

[snip]

Their strategy to create political, financial, and social chaos that would result in revolution blended Alinsky concepts with their more aggressive efforts at bringing about a change in U.S. government. To achieve their revolutionary change, Cloward and Piven sought to use a cadre of aggressive organizers assisted by friendly news media to force a re-distribution of the nation's wealth.

The piece introduces the theory that the current financial crisis we're facing has all been done intentionally in an effort to force the collapse of our capitalistic system, pushing us over the edge into socialism.

Take the time and read the entire article. It'll send shivers up your spine.

Anatomy of a Crisis

How did this economic crisis happen? And could it have been avoided? You be the judge.

Moooooooo

We've stooped to a new low here, people.

VERMONT -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace cow's milk they use in their ice cream products with human breast milk, according to a statement recently released by a PETA spokeswoman.

PETA's request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for 75 percent of the cow's milk in the food he serves," the statement says.

PETA officials say a move to human breast milk would lessen the suffering of dairy cows and their babies on factory farms and benefit human health.

Like all mammals, cows only produce milk during and after pregnancy, so to be able to constantly milk them, cows are forcefully impregnated every nine months. After several years of living in filthy conditions and being forced to produce 10 times more milk than they would naturally, their exhausted bodies are turned into hamburgers or ground up for soup.

PETA, where do you think human breast milk comes from? Pregnant human women. So, to lessen then suffering of cows, we should start forcefully impregnating human women every nine months to keep them "milkable"?

And just what do you propose we do with all the human babies created by this practice? That's a rhetorical question...no need to answer it. We all know what your answer is.

You do the math

I stumbled across this site the other day. Seems quite a people have spent quite a lot of time and effort to dig up some dirt and drag Sarah Palin into a scandal.

The most intriguing pseudo-scandal I find interesting is the idea that she's really the grandmother of baby Trig, and Bristol is really the mother. This scandal claims that the Palins concocted a cover-up story claiming the child was Sarah's son a effort to save face with the conservative base.

THE DAY SARAH GAVE BIRTH TO TRIG THEY STATE IN THIS ARTICLE THAT Palin’s labor began while in Texas, but she was able to board an Alaska Airlines flight and return to her home state before giving BIRTH.

Ok seriously, does this make any sense? who in their right mind would board a plane in Texas bound for Alaska knowing they had gone into labor? Lets say it is her baby,knowing she was carrying a baby with downs syndrome this would have been one of the dumbest decisions someone could ever make, what if she had the baby on the plane? This is just one of many events in this story that make no sense. We at palininvestigation.com dont buy her story but you be the judge.

Did Sarah use poor judgment by waiting until she got back to Alaska before she went to the hospital? If the details are actually true, perhaps. Who knows?

However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to be able to count. Trig was born in April of 2008. That would make the little guy almost 5 months old. Bristol, as reported, is 6 months pregnant. Do you see the problem here? Bristol's current pregnancy would had to have started before Trig was even born.

Come on people. Really. You want to dig up some dirt on an elected official, fine. But if you're going to fabricate a scandal to try and discredit her, at least make it make some sense. But then again, these people aren't really known for their intelligence, and they assume the general public is as bright as they are.

Pictures can be easily altered, and also mis-dated. Facts can be stretched and framed to fit almost any point of view. But mathmatics and science doesn't lie. A woman cannot get pregnant while she is still pregnant with another child.

Obama's new campaign strategy

Why not? It seems to be working for her, right?

Simply Irristable!

Now I'm gonna have this song in my head for a week!



Cheers to Ushanka.

The Return of Nine Percent Nancy

According to an article posted on National Review :

...the House is expected to vote as soon as tomorrow on Democratic legislation that would “allow drilling more than 100 miles from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and as close to 50 miles from the shore if coastal states agree to it.”

According to the Institute for Energy Research (IER,) the Pelosi Plan will:

• Permanently ban access to about 97 percent of the undersea oil lying within 50 miles of the California coast.
• Continue the ban on energy production in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.
• Impose a brand-new ban on oil and gas leases in Alaska’s coastal waters out to 50 miles.
• Not allow states that approve new leases beyond 50 miles to share royalties with the federal government, thus stripping any financial incentive for states to stand up to environmental pressure groups, who will continue to agitate against any new oil and gas operations offshore.

The Democrat's plan will PERMANENTLY ban all the blue and green, leaving only the red available for drilling and exploration.

Original chart can be found here.

How does taking 97% of the off-shore oil reserves "off the table" break our reliance on foreign-sourced oil? Once the Republican side of the House votes against this ridiculous piece of garbage, the Democrats will use it to deflect criticism away from themselves.

Politics as usual. All the more reason to make sure the Dems lose in November.

Don't rain on my parade

Barack Obama's worst nightmare...the war in Iraq starts winding down and troops start coming home before he ascends into heaven...er, the White House. This rather unfortunate scenario would undercut one of his campaign's main talking points...the illegal war in Iraq, which he didn't vote for, but has continually voted to keep funding. If the sheep...er, the common people start seeing progress in Iraq, they might start thinking that Bush's "Surge" was successful. And if the military signals that they are ready to start sending troops home sooner than later, that would diminish his anti-war campaign platform by highlighting the success of the current administration's management of the war. It would also highlight McCain's insight on how to manage the war.

So, what's a community organzier-turned Junior Senator to do? This can't be allowed to happen. So, this should come as no surprise to most people:

While campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

Wow. So rather than putting his country and the soldiers first, Obama tried to pressure the Iraqi government into postponing any troop-level agreement until after the U.S. elections, so they could deal with the next administration. Presumably his.

Mr. Obama, who the hell do you think you are? Criticize the war in Iraq all you want. But don't you dare stick your elitist head into vital national security issues that you have no business being part of, nor have any jurisdiction over. The media hasn't appointed you the Supreme Being quite yet, you jackass.

Spread the Lies!

Wow.

A Modern Day Robin Hood

Steal, er..Take from the rich and give to the poor. While certainly a noble and kind-hearted cause, I don't particularly appreciate my government FORCING me to do this. Ensuring that everybody gets the same-sized slice of the Prosperity Pie is nothing short of socialism. And socialism breeds complacency. Why should anyone want to better themselves and succeed in life when the government will just take it and give it do those who don't want to better themselves or succeed?

Pretty in Pink

Cheers to Sticky Notes

Birds of a feather

Did he sleep his way through Protocol 101 class?

As posted on the Associated Press:

LONDON (AP) — Britain's Gordon Brown has praised Sen. Barack Obama in a commentary published Wednesday, seemingly breaching protocols that prevent world leaders from endorsing candidates in foreign elections.

Brown hailed Obama's proposals for a mortgage foreclosure prevention fund and said he believed the Democratic Party is the organization offering policies to help people through the current economic woes.

"In the electrifying U.S. presidential campaign, it is the Democrats who are generating the ideas to help people through more difficult times," Brown wrote in Parliamentary Monitor magazine.

"To help prevent people from losing their home, Barack Obama has proposed a foreclosure prevention fund to increase emergency pre-foreclosure counseling, and help families facing repossession."

Why is this guy sticking his nose into something that doesn't concern him? Doesn't the prime minister of Great Britain have more pressing matters at home that should concern him?

Brown's Labour Party is traditionally allied to Obama's Democrats...

Oh, that's why...

...but under international conventions, foreign leaders refrain from intervening in ballots overseas.

Then shut the hell up, Mr. Prime Minister.

"A responsible British prime minister needs to be ready to work with either presidential candidate after the U.S. election, and should neither take sides nor be seen to be taking sides," said Conservative lawmaker William Hague.

A few words of advice, Mr. Brown. Stay the hell out of the ballot box of other countries. Telling other countries what they should do is OUR job, so we Yanks certainly don't take kindly when it gets done to us.

Inquiring minds want to know

Can someone explain to me why the liberal left supports abortion, yet is against capital punishment? I never quite understood stood this. Why is it OK to kill an innocent human life, but yet not OK to kill a guilty human life?

A baby, at one point in time, whether at the exact point of conception or at a later point in its development, becomes a human life...a completely innocent human life. The liberal left supports the woman's right to abort...a.k.a kill, this innocent human life. Even if this human life somehow manages to survive this procedure, their book says it's OK to leave the baby alone in a room to die. This human life is guilty of absolutely nothing, other than being in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

Contrast this with a convicted murderer...someone who has made the conscious decision to take the lives of others. Why should this human life be spared and allowed to live? Why isn't it OK to kill this human life? Why should everybody else have to pay for food, clothing, housing, medicine, etc. to keep this human life alive in prison for the rest of it's natural life? If any life deserves to be killed, it would be this one, right?

This just never made sense to me. And is a big reason why I have a difficult time understanding and supporting any liberal agenda.

Lipstick Jungle

In a campaign speech in Lebanon, VA, today, Mr. Hope-n-Change took quite a swipe at the Republican VP nominee, Sara Palin.

“You can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig.”

I know this saying is a common slang phrase, and is used to describe what happens when you take something negative (a pig) and try to dress it up (add lipstick). According to the Urban Dictionary:

slang for when someone tries to dress something up, but is still that something. usually used on ugly broads, when they put on a skirt and some lipstick and well, they still look like the same disgusting pig.

WOW. Did he really just do what I think he did?? Perhaps. Where was the last time we heard the term "lipstick" during this 2008 campaign? Ah. I remember. It was the punchline to a joke Sarah Palin made about herself at the RNC last week.

What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick.

Hmmm...did Barack really just imply that Ms. Palin as a "pig"??? Naaaaah. I'll give the guy a break. That is a phrase that has been used by countless politicians in the past, so I'm sure the Obama campaign didn't use the "lipstck" comment as a direct referral to Ms. Palin. Or did they?

The Democratic Congressman from Missuori, Russ Carnahan, also used the term "lipstick" in a direct swipe at Sarah Palin.

“For all his tough talk [McCain] buckled to the right wing of his party in his choice. Picked someone with zero experience in national government, zero experience in foreign affairs. There’s no way you can dress up that record, even with a lot of lipstick."

So, within 24 hours, we have the Democratic nominee for president "possibly" refer to Sarah Palin as a pig with lipstick, and another Democratic Congressman, when introducing Senator Joe Biden at a campaign stop, also play the "lipstick" card.

Way to go, Mr. Hope-n-Change. You are worried about losing a large share of female voters, and you and your campaign pull the gender-card. And if that wasn't bad enough, you yourself use a slang phrase that brings her physical looks into play. In what alternate-reality do you live in where a woman enjoys being called a pig? That's almost as bad as invoking the c-word.

I guess you feel you haven't alienated enough of the female voters, huh?

The best defense is a great offense

When praise comes from the San Francisco Gate, you know it has been earned... especially when that praise is levied on the "right" side of the aisle... According to Willie Brown from the SF Gate:

The Democrats are in trouble. Sarah Palin has totally changed the dynamics of this campaign.

Period.

Palin's speech to the GOP National Convention on Wednesday has set it up so that the Republicans are now on offense and Democrats are on defense. And we don't do well on defense.

Just ask John "Swiftboat" Kerry...

Suddenly, Palin and John McCain are the mavericks and Barack Obama and Joe Biden are the status quo, in a year when you don't want to be seen as defending the status quo.

From taxes to oil drilling, Democrats are now going to have to start explaining their positions.

You mean the Dems might now actually have to explain some of their positions? I'd love to hear some of the actual substance behind their mantra of change. How does a ticket with 2 of the 3 most liberal senators signify change? Senator Biden has even been in Congress longer than Senator McCain.

Her timing was exquisite. She didn't linger with applause, but instead launched into line after line of attack, slipping the knives in with every smile and joke.

And she delivered it like she was just BS-ing on the street with the meter maid.

She didn't have to prove she was "of the people." She really is the people.

She is certainly "of the people", while Obama is certainly "above the people."

It takes more than just a speech, but...

Now, I'm not ready to go all ga-ga over Sarah Palin quite yet, but I do think she gave one heck of a speech last night. Her points sat well with the audience, and I think she probably connected quite well with a lot of Americans. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she's a bit of a looker either, but this is not why I think she hit it out of the park last night. She has a story to tell, and she tells it very well. A lot of people see the GOP as the party of all the old people, while the democratic candidate is young and full of energy and idea about "change". Sarah represents this just as well, if not better, than the democratic ticket does.

Case in point - it's been reported that the teleprompter was broken during Sarah's speech. The text of the speech kept scrolling through the breaks for applause, putting Sarah quite a bit behind. However, it didn't phase her one bit. She relied on her memory and her notes and delivered the speech of her lifetime.

Feel free to contrast her performance to Obama's stuttering and stammering fiasco whenever his teleprompter breaks.

Certainly no media bias here

I wonder which lever US Magazine is going to pull in November...

Pics borrowed from The Drudge Report

Apples to apples

Huh?

Barack Obama contends that he is more experienced in executive matters than Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin because he has managed his presidential campaign for the past 18 months.

So, running for President makes you qualified to be President?

“Well, my understanding is that Governor Palin’s town of Wasilla has, I think, 50 employees. We’ve got 2,500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe $12 million a year. You know, we have a budget of about three times that just for the month. So I think that our ability to manage large systems and to execute I think has been made clear over the last couple of years,” Obama said.

You've got to be kidding me. Mr. Obama, are you TRYING to lose this campaign that the media is sooo willing to win for you? Why are you comparing your current job...running for President...with her old job...being mayor of a small Alaskan town. Are you afraid to compare apples to apples? Your current job...running for President...employs 2500 people and has a $432 million budget. Sarah Palin's current job...running the State of Alaska...employs 77,000 people and has a budget of $6.6 billion dollars..

So, by your standards, how does this make you more qualified than her to be in the White House? No wonder you don't want to compare apples to apples.

This is why he's The Man...

I've never heard of a singer offering refunds to his fans before.

After a subpar performance Monday night in Value City Arena, Neil Diamond yesterday apologized and offered refunds to the 11,000 people who attended the concert.

"Dear Fans in Columbus," the singer said in a statement, "I haven't let you down before, and I won't let you down now. Until you hear from me again remember, You are the sun. I am the moon. You are the words. I am the tune. Forgive me. I love you. Neil."

Diamond, whose voice was extremely hoarse throughout the show, said yesterday that he is suffering from acute laryngitis. Ordered by doctors to rest his voice, he canceled his two other shows this week -- today in Green Bay, Wis., and Friday in St. Louis.

Not sure how many people will actually request one, but it's refreshing to see a singer acknowledge a subpar performance and offer refunds to his fans.

Only time will tell

The Bush administration has effectively abandoned its staunch Pakistani ally, President Pervez Musharraf.

Even before Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's resignation on Aug. 18, President Bush cut loose his old ally in hopes that Pakistan will end up a stable democratic ally like South Korea or the Philippines.

Let's take another look at history for a minute. The Shah of Iran was also very much a pro-American ally, even though most of the Iranian people were not. In 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter dropped his support for the Shah, which ultimately led to the Islamic Revolution, and gave birth to the militant Islam that we all know and love today. Surely we're not stupid enough to do this again? Right?

In June, the White House announced Mr. Bush had spoken on the phone with Mr. Musharraf and urged him to stay in the presidency. Last week, with his position crumbling, Mr. Musharraf tried to call Mr. Bush at least twice, according to Pakistani sources. Mr. Bush did not take the calls.

Uh oh. Maybe we are...

The stakes could not be higher. Pakistan already has nuclear weapons. It is a central front in the war on terror. And it is besieged by Islamic extremists who already have a secure operating base in the country.

Only time will tell. Maybe the next president will have enough foreign policy experience and foresight to handle what might happen.

Let's just hope.

Ya gotta have friends!

Posted on TNOYF.

I'm voting Democrat!!!

I couldn't help but steal this post from Moonbattery. It's a gem! While I think some of the posts on Moonbattery are a bit too "right", even for my tastes, THIS one is dead-on...a great way to sum up the Democratic party's talking points. Cheers, Oaio!

Tragic news: Moonbattery has lost a treasured reader to the Dark Side. Oiao reports on his conversion:

NOW, I see the light! 'Change we can believe in.'

I'm voting Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody (except a Christian or a conservative) is offended by it.

I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they NOW think we're good people.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start riding the subway.

I'm voting Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates live.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that business should NOT be allowed to make profits for stockholders (pension funds, 401K's, etc). They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as government bureaucrats see fit.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe three or four pointy headed elitist liberals need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that when the terrorists don't have to hide from us over THERE, and they come over HERE (and they WILL!), I don't want to have any guns in the house to fight them off.

I'm voting Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. (I've decided to marry the Olsen Twins — both of them — AND their dog!)

I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene, but the GOVERNMENT TAX on gas at 18% isn't.

I'm voting Democrat because I don't want the USA to drill for oil off its own shores to preserve its economic freedom but will allow other countries that choice!! … and even let foreign countries drill off of OUR OWN coast — like China is doing off Florida!!

I'm voting Democrat because I want the Congress to take a vacation to avoid a vote on off-shore drilling.

I'm voting Democrat because I believe that 143 days in the US Senate is enough experience for a person to run the whole country!! (For a CHANGE)

I'm voting Democrat because we need a leader with the wisdom that tells us that if we just put more air in our tires instead of drilling for more oil that we can save as much oil as if we drilled new wells. This is the wisdom of 'Change.' WOW!

I'm voting Democrat because I want to PAY for illegal alien health insurance, illegal alien car insurance, illegal alien education, etc. This too, is the wisdom of 'Change'! DOUBLE WOW!

I'm voting Democrat because I want to pay reparations to all the people who once had ancestors who were ever treated poorly (only hyphenated Americans need apply), now that we've apologized to them. TRIPLE WOW!

But mostly I'm voting Democrat because I'm mad at anyone who makes more money than me; and I expect the government to PUNISH them by taking the extra and giving it to me. In fact, I should quit working and let the government give ME even more. QUADRUPLE WOW!

That's 'Change' we can believe in!

See ya at the DNC next week.

We're too dumb??

The Mighty Bill Maher has spoken..."Americans are too dumb to be governed."



This from the guy who had his talk-show canceled after he insinuated that the terrorist hijacker pilots were braver than the U.S. military, just 6 days after 9/11.

"We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly."

Bill is obviously a member of the Blame America First club, where we are the root of all evil. What's he gonna do once the media elects the Obamessiah in November? With the wave of a magic wand, some pixie dust, and a little hope and change, the whole world will like us again and peace will envelop the planet. Poor Bill will have nothing left to bitch about.

Above his pay-grade, indeed

No wonder he wants to keep debate forums scripted, predictable, and teleprompted. When forced to have a meaningful debate with John McCain, Barack Obama's inexperience and shallowness comes through loud and clear. In May, Obama told McCain he would be glad to debate him "anywhere, anytime," but has so far rejected McCain's challenge of 10 one-on-one town hall debates. While John McCain excels in open, candid, town hall-style debates, Obama prefers to hide behind his teleprompter.

The two candidates had a protodebate last week in the Saddleback Civic Forum. The pastor of the Saddleback Church, Rick Warren, was the moderator. I'm not sure I like the idea of a presidential debate taking place in a religious setting like this, but both candidates did agree to it.

Here's just a few highlights:

Question: Does evil exist and if so, should we ignore it, negotiate with it, contain it or defeat it?

Obama:Evil does exist.
I mean, we see evil all the time. We see evil in Darfur. We see evil sadly on the streets of our cities. We see evil in parents who have viciously abused their children and I think it has to be confronted. It has to be confronted squarely and one of the things that I strongly believe is that, you know, we are not going to, as individuals, be able to erase evil from the world. That is God's task. And I think one thing that's very important is having some humility in recognizing that, you know, just because we think our intentions are good doesn't always mean that we're going to be doing good.

Obama's reply made no reference to Iraq, Iran, al Qeda, or terrorism. Rather than confront the evil we face, he'd rather humbly blame America first.

McCain: Defeat it. Couple points - one, if I’m President of the United States , my friends, if I have to follow him to the gates of hell, I will get Osama bin laden and bring him to justice. I will do that and I know how to do that. I will get that done. No one should be allowed to take thousands of American -- innocent American lives. Of course evil must be defeated. My friends, we are facing the transcendent challenge of the 21-century, radical Islamic extremists. Not long ago in Baghdad, al-Qaeda took two young women who were mentally disabled and put suicide vests on them, sent them into a marketplace and by remote control, detonated those suicide vests. If that isn't evil, you have to tell me what is.

There you have it. McCain vowed to chase bin Laden to the gates of hell. He recognizes the evil and vows to defeat it, rather then coddle it and blame America first.

Question:At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?

McCain: At the moment of conception. I have a 25-year pro-life record in the congress, in the senate. And as President of the United States , I will be a pro-life President and this presidency will have pro-life policies. That's my commitment; that's my commitment to you.

No ifs, ands, or buts. Agree with his belief or not, at least he told us exactly where he stands.

Obama:Well, I think that whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.

Above your pay-grade? You've got to be kidding us, right? You actually imply that there are decisions that you don't get paid enough to make, and yet we're supposed to believe you are ready to be president and leader of the Free World? Will dealing with a nuclear Iran be above your pay grade too? How about dealing with the reemergence of the Russian bear...will that be too hard for you, too? Way to take a stand there, Wonder Boy.

Couldn't see THIS one coming, could ya?

Wow. I'm shocked. I never in a million years thought this would ever happen.

Russia vetoes security council action on Georgia.

Russia blocked UN Security Council action on the Georgian crisis, refusing to support a Western-backed draft resolution calling for an immediate Russian military withdrawal.

Good thing the Boy Wonder isn't running the show yet. Can you imagine what would happen if we relinquished all national security decision making to the wonderful United Nations? This stance didn't work for John "Litmus Test" Kerry in 2004, and it won't work for Barack "Hope and Change" Obama in 2008.

Is it 3am already?

Remember the Hillary campaign commercial implying that Obama isn't ready to answer that 3am call?



Well, 3am came on August 8 when Russian tanks and soldiers invaded Georgia, the sovereign, pro-Western, staunch ally of the US and nearly a member of NATO. How did our two presidential candidates respond?

Obama's response:

"I strongly condemn the outbreak of violence in Georgia, and urge an immediate end to armed conflict. Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war. Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected. All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis."

Really? Obama wants to report the matter to the UN Security Council and have them resolve the issue? In case you didn't know, Mr. Obama, Russia holds one of the 5 permanent seats on the UN Security Council, which pretty much ensures that UN will do nothing...something they excel in anyway. And urging both sides to show restraint is like criticizing the perpetrator and the victim of a rape.

McCain's response:

“Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory. What is most critical now is to avoid further confrontation between Russian and Georgian military forces. The consequences of Euro-Atlantic stability and security are grave. The government of Georgia has called for a cease fire and for a resumption of direct talks on South Ossetia with international mediators. The U.S. should immediately convene an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to call on Russia to reverse course. The U.S. should immediately work with the E.U. and the OSCE to put diplomatic pressure on Russia to reverse this perilous course that it has chosen.”

McCain also called for an immediate NATO meeting to review measures the alliance can take to stabilize the situation.

Now, I ask you. Who do you want answering the next 3am phone call? Someone who would rather sit down and talk and sing kumbaya, or someone who has no problem identifying and calling a spade a spade?

Remember when the newly elected President Bush returned from meeting Vladmir Putin for the first time? Bush claimed to have looked into the eyes of Putin and saw his soul. In response, John McCain also claims to have looked into Putin's eyes....and saw the letters K, G and B.

He wasn't that far off, was he?

Don't make me come over there

Cheers to Kathleen Parker over at RealClearPolitics.com.

One of the funniest and yet scariest pieces I've read lately. Go here to read it in it's entirety.

Here's a few snippets:

From Sen. Barack Obama:
Dear (Former) President Putin:

I'm sorry to be writing this e-mail instead of meeting you in person, preferably in the Oval Office, where I belong. Soon, soon.

Nevertheless, and notwithstanding the foregoing, I felt it imperative that I express my deep concern about Russia's invasion of the tiny, democratically elected sovereign nation of Georgia. It would appear that you are not familiar with my platform for change and hope. War does not fit into this template and I am quite frankly at a loss for words to express my deep, deep distress.

As the chosen leader of a new generation of Americans who speak a global language of peace, hope, harmony and change, this is simply unacceptable. Quite frankly, your actions pose potentially severe, long-term consequences. I'm not sure what those might be, but they won't be nice or fun.

Please picture me looking very serious when I say that I respectfully request you to calm down. Life is but a flicker in time and we're but actors strutting and fretting. That is to say, we're all on this planetary journey together and our karma is interrelated and interdependent. Thus, it would seem that our differences are best resolved through words, not bombs.

It is said that war is a failure of diplomacy. I would submit that it is also counterintuitive. If my Kenyan father and my Kansan mother and my multinational upbringing taught me anything, it is that we are all One. That said, I am The One the world has been waiting for -- and you are, quite frankly, blocking my chi.

As soon as possible, I'd like to sit down and begin talking about how we can resolve these and other differences that threaten peace-loving people, which I'm sure includes you. I haven't looked into your eyes and would never presume to know your soul, but I do know that we share a common humanity and that we can all just get along.

Yours in Global Harmony,
Acting President Barack Obama






From Sen. John McCain:
Hey, Putin.

Don't make me come over there.

McCain

Even though these letters are a parody, their accuracy is eery and should scare the living crap out of you.

He shoots! He scores! He dies!

I wonder what this guy was up to?

POSTED: 11:11 am MDT August 13, 2008
UPDATED: 8:06 pm MDT August 13, 2008

DENVER -- Police confirmed Wednesday that they found about a pound of sodium cyanide in a Denver hotel room where the body of a Canadian man was discovered earlier this week.
Police spokesman John White identified the white powder as sodium cyanide, the crystal form of cyanide. Fire officials say they found a bottle containing about a pound of the white powder, or between a pint and a quart by volume. An expert told the Denver Post that the amount of cyanide is enough to kill hundreds of people.

Canadian, eh? Maybe he was here to play ice hockey and drink Molsen.

The medical examiner's office said it is awaiting test results to determine whether cyanide killed 29-year-old Saleman Abdirahman Dirie, of Ottawa, Canada.

Something tells me he's not here to play ice hockey. In fact, I doubt they even have ice where he's originally from.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is assisting in the investigation but FBI spokeswoman Kathy Wright said the incident has no apparent connection to terrorism.

I guess all Canadians with Muslim names like to play with sodium cyanide in hotel rooms...enough sodium cyanide to kill a whole lotta people. But why Denver? What's happening in Denver that will bring a whole lotta people together?

The upscale Burnsley Hotel is about two miles away from the Pepsi Center, where the DNC will be held from Aug. 25-Aug. 27

Oh yeah. That's right. But wait, there's more.

An online threat posted in July by a man with a similar name warned of death.

"Having the bible in one hand, and a bread in the other hand, is not a correct thing! Kill Them , Kill them, Kill them, that is my massage (sic),!" read the posting by Abdirahman Dirie on the 'Solmali's for Jesus' Blog.

The link to the website is here. The comment is there. Look for comment #5. Sure, there's no proof these guys are the same person. But if it looks like a terrorist, smells like a terrorist, and acts like a terrorist...well, let's just say he probably wasn't playing with a pound of cyanide in a Denver hotel room two miles away from where the DNC will be held just because he's still sore that the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995.

From urine and feces bombs, to cyanide bombs...the Dems seem to attract the cream of the crop. Wanna throw some piss on each other? Go right ahead. But its probably not a good idea to poison and kill hundreds of Democratic senators, and quite possibly the Chosen One himself. While the Party of Defeat may be on your side now, they certainly won't be afterwards. What would you actually accomplish, besides hardening our resolve even more to make sure every last one of you murdering asshole towel-head sandworms are wiped from the face of the earth?

Hmmm.....

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. Aw heck, even us bitter, gun-clinging folk in flyover country can darn well see what is happening.


Image courtesy of IBD Editorials

This price drop, of course, can be reversed. It's all in the hands of Madam Speaker and her Do-Nothing Congress. The Congressional ban on offshore drilling expires at the end of September. Congress must act to either continue the ban, or lift the ban. Either way, their action will send a strong message to the oil market.

What would we like the message to be? America is doing what it takes, changing their decades-old policies, and expanding their own search and production for their own oil, thus reducing their dependency on oil sourced from the Armpit of the World?

Alas, not if Madam Speaker has her way, judging by her comments and inactions.

Weird Science!

Must be all that global warming stuff the government is doing.



What's worse? Believing rainbows are actually oozing from the ground, or videotaping and uploading proof of your absolute stupidity to the whole world? Somehow I think she didn't do so well in science class...or English class.

Any guess which lever she pulls in November?

Pure Evil

I am practically speechless here. In case you hadn't heard or read about this story, there was a brutal knife attack and murder on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba, Canada last week...so brutal that the victim was practically decapitated. Eye-witness reports also state that the murderer ate part of the victims flesh.

Tragic. Extremely tragic. The victim was in his early twenties, asleep and minding his own business at the time of the attack. Our hearts have to go out to his family. Just goes to show you that there is pure evil in this world.

Speaking of "pure evil",

In case you can't read the small print on this ad, it says:

"Right now, this exact scenario is reality for many. They are sensitive, they value their lives, they see what is happening, they cannot run away, and they often suffer greatly yet are being killed for nothing more than a fleeting taste of their flesh."

So, in PETA's eyes, the meat industry is no different than the psychopathic lunatic murderer on the Greyhound bus. And the victim is no different than an ordinary cow or pig.

We can debate all we want on whether or not humans should eat meat, since living animals must be killed first. Both sides of the debate make compelling points.

But when you take the gruesome, butchering murder of a human life and use it for your own gain, you've gone too far. How dare you imply that we shouldn't be shocked, upset, and sickened over this violent act of evil! How dare you trivialize the senseless butchering of an innocent human by comparing him to an ordinary cow or pig! How can you even sleep at night after questioning why

...it's a a criminal act to kill and eat our own kind but that it's "OK" to kill every other species but our own and eat them.

PETA, you guys are assholes.

How I spent my summer vacation

Dear Congress,

I hope you are enjoying your summer vacation. We all need to get away once in awhile to relax, reflect, and rejuvenate ourselves. Have a good time. Make sure you wear your sunscreen and drink plenty of fluids. The sun can get pretty brutal, you know, with all that global warming and stuff.

Oh, one other thing - in case there are no newspapers or radio or TV or Internet where you are, I think you ought to know that oil has fallen over 20% since July. I know you and your majority will attempt to take credit for this, but all us bitter, gun-clinging people are not as dumb as you think we are.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but didn't your arch nemesis in the Oval Office lift the executive ban on offshore drilling in July? I think he did. Yeah, I'm sure he did.

See, even if domestic drilling might not produce a significant amount of oil for 10 years or so, just the IDEA that we, the largest consumer of oil in the world, are one step closer to expanding our own oil discovery and production infrastructure, the stock market notices. Traders stop buying so many oil futures, since there may be a bigger supply of oil in the future and their contract purchases now might end up losing value. Simple Economics 101, Congress. Perhaps you ought to pick up a copy of Economics for Dummies while on vacation, and come back next month a little smarter and wiser than you are now.

Who knows? With a little more intelligence and action on your part, and you might actually be able to get your approval rating out of the single digits. Nine-percent is pretty lame, don't you think? Not only are you jeopardizing your own political hides and screwing the people you were elected to represent, but your 9% won't exactly help Wonder Boy in November.

Those who cannot learn from history

What the heck is this guy smoking? Is he so wrapped up in his own wonderfulness that he can't see what this will do?

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Friday announced an “Emergency Economic Plan” that would give families a stimulus check of $1,000 each, funded in part by what his presidential campaign calls “windfall profits from Big Oil.”

Adding tax to a product makes the price of that product increase. This is Economics 101, Mr. Wonderfulness. Penalizing "Big Oil" with an added tax burden will force them to raise the price of their product. This increase in price will be seen at the pump, and felt by everyone. To reduce their new tax burden, Big Oil will have to reduce the quantity of product they put on the market. This, in turn, will reduce the supply of said product on the market even more. And we all know what happens when there isn't enough supply to meet demand. Prices rise even more, and we become even more dependent on foreign-sourced oil.

Brilliant idea, bonehead. At a time when supply cannot keep up with demand, let's reduce the supply.

Don't think this will happen? Guess again. The last time "Big Oil" was penalized with a windfall profit tax, it was 1980, and Jimmy Carter was in office. What were the results? According to Nick Shultz from American Enterprise Institute:

The U.S. tried such a non-emergency tax in the 1980s, after a similar period of energy price spikes. Indeed, then president Jimmy Carter faced his own personal political crisis as he was responding to concerns about gas shortages and gas lines at filling stations. The results of that tax were not pretty.

The non-partisan and highly respected Congressional Research Service studied its effects. For starters, the levy did not raise the money its supporters believed it would. Initial projections had the tax bringing in a quarter of a trillion dollars. In reality, it brought in $40 billion. The researchers also found that the tax slashed domestic oil production by as much as 6% and increased oil imports by as much as 15%.

The actual tax that was generated was only 16% of what they had expected, while production fell by at least 6% and imports increased by 15%. Why did this happen?

Energy exploration, development, refining and distribution is a risky and capital-intensive industry. If the institutional framework of doing business, including the tax structure, changes significantly, firms will change their behavior as well. The response of energy firms to the 1980s tax in the U.S. was sensible. They cut back.

So, faced with the added tax burden, oil and energy companies cut back production. They did it in the early 80's when their tax structure changed. What makes Mr. Wonderfulness so sure they wouldn't do it again?

Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

We miss you, Ron.

Great words from a great man.

Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose. - Ronald Reagan

This should be our strategy for the war on terror. Criticize him all you want, but be thankful W firmly believes this. And be wary of his replacement.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help. - Ronald Reagan

Ring a bell, FEMA?

Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.
- Ronald Reagan

Obviously the Blame-America-First group on the left has never heard this one.

I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress. - Ronald Reagan

We'd probably never know. The only thing they seem to actually accomplish is to go on vacation.

It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

Yeah, but nowhere near as hot as this one.

Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book. - Ronald Reagan

Or write for the New York Times.

No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. - Ronald Reagan

Weapons of Mass Construction.

If we ever forget that we're one nation under God , then we will be a nation gone under. - Ronald Reagan

Amen.

Here kitty kitty...

While I prefer dogs over cats, I can't help but be amazed at this story. Two people from Britain bought a lion cub from Herrod's. Why a lion cub was being sold in a department store is beyond me. Anyway, they took it home and raised it. Once the lion became too large for them to house, they took him to Africa and reintroduced him into his natural habitat.

A few years later they went back to visit. Watch the video. It's amazing....




Almost makes me want to trade my dog in for a cat....Not quite, but almost...

At last we agree!

What's all the fuss about McCain's recent "celeb" campaign ad? You know, the commercial that compares Obama to other media phenoms such as Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears. I'm not sure why Obama would be so upset. Mr. Media Phenom compared himself to Ms. Hilton when he was elected to the Senate in 2005.

"Andy Warhol said we all get our 15 minutes of fame," says Barack Obama. "I've already had an hour and a half. I mean, I'm so overexposed, I'm making Paris Hilton look like a recluse."

Truer words have never been spoken. Mr. Obama IS more overexposed than Ms. Hilton, Ms. Spears, and Ms. Lohan combined.




Image courtesy of Time.com

Leave Barack Alone!!!

My apologies for extending this dweebs's 15 minutes. But I just thought this was pretty funny. It was only a matter of time. Good job, Slate V

Ahhhh...summer camp...

Remember back to the good old days of summer camp? For me, I remember it as a week of independence from my parents. I spent it swimming, horseback riding, meeting new people, making new friends, sleeping in dorms and eating meals in the mess hall.

I even remember making those dorky art-n-crafts, too. Remember painting those chalky ceramic molds and figurines? However, I don't remember making THESE arts-n-crafts...

A Palestinian girl holds a homemade model of a rocket that reads 'Israel' in Hebrew and Arabic on it during an Islamic Jihad rally in Gaza City, Wednesday, July 30, 2008. The rally was held for children who are part of summer camps run by Islamic Jihad funded organizations. Israel and Hamas are observing a cease-fire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip since June 19, 2008.

While they may be observing a cease-fire, it doesn't mean they have stopped preparing their next generation of terrorists.

Economic Justice?

"Economic Justice" is a catch-phrase very much prevalent in the Barack Hussein Obama presidential campaign. He used it at least four times during a recent NAACP speech. Although he hasn't defined exactly what that term means, he has vowed as president to make sure "economic justice" is served.

Economic justice...what could this term possibly mean? I read this to mean he wants to make sure everybody has an equal share of the economic pie. It means taking from the "haves" and giving it to the "have nots." It means punishing people's success by redistributing their wealth to those not quite so successful. Doesn't this sound a lot like socialism?

Now, fresh on the heels of yesterday's Congressional vote to issue a formal apology to Black Americans for slavery and segregation, Obama is talking about reparations.

Sen. Barack Obama told a meeting in Chicago the U.S. should review how it can make amends for "offenses" committed during its history. […]

"I consistently believe that when it comes to whether it's Native Americans or African-American issues or reparations, the most important thing for the U.S. government to do is not just offer words, but offer deeds," he said.

Don't get me wrong. I think what this country did to black Americans was absolutely horrible. The evils of slavery and segregation were a tragic mistake that has and will forever haunt our country. However, issuing a formal apology for something that happened so long ago doesn't really accomplish anything, other than starting us on a very slippery slope.

Is it any surprise that the first black candidate with a decent shot at the presidency wasted no time at all in opening Pandora's Box? It shouldn't be. Remember, he spent 20 years as a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ, where he sat and listened to Reverend Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright spew absolute hatred towards the "European white people."

Now we come full circle. Obama vows (during a speech to the NAACP) that he will make sure economic justice is served. Now he's talking about the government making reparations for slavery and segregation. How do you think these reparations will be funded? Economic justice.

If this isn't playing the race card, I don't know what is...

Old Blackwater, keep on rollin'

Perhaps he's had a change of heart, now that he's needed their help. In March 2008, according to Jeremy Scahill from The Nation, Obama heavily criticized the role of private armed security contractors in Iraq.

On Monday, Obama struck back. "Now, let me be clear: I actually introduced legislation in the Senate before Senator Clinton even mentioned this that said we had to crack down on private contractors like Blackwater because I don't believe that they should be able to run amok and put our own troops in danger, get paid three or four times or ten times what our soldiers are getting paid. I am the one who has been opposed to those operators.

Ok. That was back in March. I'll give the guy a break here. Perhaps his comments were just to save face against some harsh criticism from Hillary during a close primary season? After all, he is a politician. I'm sure he didn't really mean it. Or did he?

July 2, 2008
"When it comes to private contractors, there is room for private contractors to work in the mess hall providing basic supplies and doing some logistical work that might have been done in-house in the past. I am troubled by the use of private contractors when it comes to potential armed engagements. I think it puts our troops in harm's way. I think it creates some difficult morale issues when you've got private contractors getting paid 10 times what an Army private's getting paid for work that carries similar risks."

Enter Irony...Guess who provided the security during the Obama World Tour '08 last week? Yup. You guessed it...the same Blackwater operatives he thinks should only work in the mess hall.

What ARE we waiting for?

Borrowed from a Reader's Comment to an OP-Ed posting by A.W.R Hawkins on HumanEvents.com

Very well put op-ed piece, James A. Nollet from Poland. Very well put, indeed. (Also read the original post from A.W.R. It's a good one, too.)

Saying that America can't drill its way out of its energy crisis is like saying you can't dig a well to find water to alleviate thirst, or you can't plow a field to raise crops in order not to be hungry.

It is ABSURD on its face.

Then there's the John Kerry argument against ANWR (lamentably supported by John McCain), that it's pointless to drill in ANWR since by itself, it cannot lift America's energy crisis. By THAT illogic, America should never again look for ANY new sources of energy, since NONE, by themselves, can relieve America's energy shortage.

All steps to find new energy take America so much closer to the goal of being once again energy INdependent.

Pelosi and Reid do not like America's involvement in wars in the Middle East. I understand their opposition -- but then, why do they not see that America's current dependence on foreign oil is precisely what helps drag America into Middle Eastern wars?

So in 1990, Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Kuwait and threatens Saudi Arabia and even Iran; should Saddam get his hands on those oil sources, he's got over half of the world's oil under his thumb.

OBVIOUSLY the world had to stand up against Saddam and push him out of Kuwait. And please spare me the arguments that the Coalition was fighting for "oil." OF COURSE IT WAS FIGHTING FOR OIL! Oil is LIFE! Economies collapse, and real, ordinary human beings go jobless, hungry, cold, and even die when there's no oil. People shoot each other fighting for what oil's left.

But suppose the USA had been energy INdependent when Iraq invaded Kuwait? America then could have said to the world: "Dear World, we are AUFULLY sorry that Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait ahd threatens all of your economies. And if you wish to go to war to remove him from Kuwait, we totally understand. We might even help you logistically.

"But what we will NOT do is send armed forces over there. Because we don't NEED to. Because we've already seen to our own energy independence. Because we now have no dog in this fight."

Woiuldn't Pelosi and Reid and Kerry LOVE such a position of non-involvement?

Every single American president since LBJ has let America down with regard to energy independence. I most of all blame Ronald Reagan the so-called "Great Communicator" for not calling upon America to do for energy independence what JFK did for landing a man on the moon -- by calling for a crash program of energy independence, mission to be accomplished within 10 years.

Not sure I agree totally with singling out Ronald Reagan here. But Jim's point is on-target...they have ALL let us down with regards to energy independence.

But maybe THAT'S a way to sell energy independence and drilling to the Dhimmicrats -- if they don't want any more future Iraq wars, then let them NOW support drilling (and other forms of energy, such as solar, wind, nuclear, coal gasification, sugar-from-Caribbean-islands-to-ethanol, etc.) and maybe America can indeed afford to sit out the next Middle Eastern war.

Let's think grandly here -- maybe, when the next Middle Eastern war happens and America actually produces SURPLUSES of energy, maybe AMERICA could actually SELL energy to the rest of the world. Wouldn't THAT do wonders for the balance-of-trade deficit?

James A. Nollet; Milkowice, POLAND

Drilling alone certainly isn't the answer, while finding and developing other renewable sources of energy certainly is. However, it won't happen overnight. While alternative sources of energy are being researched and developed (wind, solar, hydrogen, etc), America must find it's own sources of oil, rather than becoming more and more dependent on Middle Eastern oil. Once we do become energy independent, the rest of the Middle East can return to the 7th century...what they all seem to long for anyway.