Monthly Archives: January 2011

Egypt, Middle East, Politics

Caught By Surprise, Flat-footed, Mixed Message

That is how CNN described the Obama administration’s reaction to the upheavel in Egypt today on the Wolf Blitzer show. By now, it should become painfully obvious to the administration that the media can no longer carry their water when there are such big holes in the buckets. It is quite a shift from just two days ago when Obama adviser David Axelrod told ABC’s Jake Tapper how the president has been engaged with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from the beginning. Not to worry, that he has been on top of things for the last two years.

If the administration has been so engaged for the last two years, how could this event have caught them by surprise? They didn’t see the clues? Obama voting PRESENT on Egypt isn’t working.  The media is not yet calling the administration incompetent, although I am, but the fact that they can not longer ignore the contradiction shows they are looking out for their own survival now, instead of his.

He was on the wrong side of the fence when Iran had their political uprising. Now he has to play catch up in Egypt, and the Egyptian people are not fooled.

Another story that has not been reported in the U.S. media, if you want to connect some dots, is the unrest in other poor and mostly Muslim countries like Yemen, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Jordan. Andrew McCarthy has a pretty good idea for why we are seeing what we are seeing.

Al-Qaeda seeks to spread Islam by brute force. The Muslim Brotherhood and its American confederates – CAIR, the Muslim American Society, the Islamic Society of North America, etc. – agree with al-Qaeda on the endgame but part company on methodology.

Links: Analysis: Egypt crisis a fresh dilemma for Obama team

Middle East, Religion, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, ‘No Complaints On Religious Freedoms’

Was checking to see what Saudi Arabia’s take on what is happening in Egypt when this headline caught my eye. You will find this article in their digital version of the Saudi Gazette dated 1/31/2011 on page 4. See screen grab below. Couldn’t find it in the regular online version.

For a country that won’t let you bring a bible into the country or wear a crucifix or have a Christian church within their borders, you have to wonder just what kind of complaints they might have?

I guess it depends on what they mean by complaint? Maybe it means that no one who has complained has lived long enough to fill out the paperwork?

If building a trophy Mosque within yards of where 3,000 people were murdered in New York City is within the laws in the United States, then I have an idea. What is the procedure in Saudi Arabia to get a building permit in Mecca. I propose building a religious mall there. Complete with places of worship for Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Jainism. No mall is complete without a food court. How about an AYCE rib joint?

Egypt

Frustration In Egypt

A week after the rioting in the streets of Egypt, some of the conditions that the Egyptian people have been living under are only now beginning to dribble out. Like their economy sucks, and has been that way for years.

Who deserves the thanks, or in this case, the blame for the news blackout of the situation there? According to Dave Axelrod, President Obama has been involved with Mubarak since he has been president. So why are we just finding out about this now? And what other countries in the Middle East are on similar shaky ground?

The unemployment rate for college age up to 30 is reported as being anywhere from 25% to 75%. The highest nbr is from an Egyptian being interviewed on TV. The lower nbrs are from 2-3 yr old data I culled from the net and most of them seemed to be in the 35-40 % range. The 20-something woman who was interviewed said that the unemployment is so high that kids are not going to college. They say ‘what’s the point’ with unemployment so high?

The rioters are, for now anyways, turning against the government and its lack of democratic values. There are some Islamic extremist groups taking advantage of the situation by breaking their jailed jihadist buddies from prison, but reports so far are more of a call for Mubarak to step down, and for more freedom and democracy to take hold. Of course, most of the world would like to see that happen too.

With the economic situation there as dire as it is, there has been looting and destroying of artifacts in Egypt’s many rich museums. I can understand looting for resale in economic despiration. But I don’t understand destroying any part of Egypt’s rich history. As teed off as the people may be at their leader, why would they take it out on their thousands of years of rich history? That makes no sense unless perpetrated by the jihadist-types. Remember the Taliban blew up a several thousand-year old Budda that was chiseled into the side of a mountain in Afghanistan?

There’s just no place in civilization for animals, pigs like that. No offense to pigs.

Fair Tax, Politics

FairTax Introduced In Senate, S. 13

2 Comments

Sen. Saxby Chambliss [R-GA] introduced the FairTax in the Senate January 25, 2011. Currently there are 5 cosponsors:

  1. Sen Burr, Richard [R-NC] – 1/25/2011
  2. Sen Coburn, Tom [R-OK] – 1/25/2011
  3. Sen DeMint, Jim [R-SC] – 1/25/2011
  4. Sen Isakson, Johnny [R-GA] – 1/25/2011
  5. Sen Moran, Jerry [R-KS] – 1/25/2011

To contact your Senators and Representative go to:  http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Please ask them to cosponsor H.R. 25 in the House, and S. 13 in the Senate!

Egypt, Energy, Media, Politics

Axelrod, ABC, Cover For President Obama On Egypt

ABC, part of the propaganda wing of the West Wing, is getting out in front of the questions like this one. Where in the world did this political upheaval in Egypt come from, and why was it kept from the American people?

If we are to believe presidential advisor David Axelrod, and who believes Axelrod anyway, this is something that the president has been working on for the last 2 years. Oh really? This seems to have worked out about as good as the ‘I will not rest’ line he’s used for the past two years to give the illusion that he is creating jobs.

Which begs the question that Jake Tapper certainly will not ask. If Egypt was at the brink of some sort of revolution, why didn’t you talk about it? Why didn’t the State Department talk about it? Why would you keep the American people in the dark about something this big?

Would it have anything to do with oil? Since you apparently are so on top of what is going on in the Middle East, what is the state of affairs of the rest of our ‘allies’ in the Muslim world? Would hiding the threat of a radical Islamic takeover under the prayer rug work to our advantage, or to the advantage of the Islamic extremists? And one more. Does keeping this under the prayer rug have anything to do with our dependency on oil and your unwillingness to get our own?

It wasn’t Naziophobia to be against Hitler. It isn’t Islamophobia to know what radical Islamists are up to either.

If not Jake Tapper, who will ask President Obama or Sec. of State Clinton these questions?

Link: ABC News’ Political Punch, the Tapper-Axelrod show

Economy, Politics

Today’s Special – Obamacare’s Impact On Doctors

You know what you’ve been told about Obamacare. That it will ‘bend the cost curve.’ Premiums will go down. It will not increase the national debt. In fact, it will reduce it.   You can keep your doctor. You can keep your health care plan. There won’t be longer waiting periods for treatment or rationing of health care. Health care will improve in all these areas. While at the same time over 30 million more Americans will have ‘health insurance.’ That’s right. Whether they want it or not. If not, you will pay a penalty. But now that Obamacare is in court, the ‘penalty’ is now called a tax.

What makes Obamacare even more incredible, is to believe it that it won’t have any negative effect on doctors. In fact, the prospect that there will be enough doctors in the health care industry to take care of existing patients, let alone 30 million more, is right out of the Twilight Zone. Or as then Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) said, would ‘require a suspension of disbelief.’

Isn’t it terrible that who is running the show is more important than patients getting the treatment and care they need? In this case, the ‘who’ is government. I came across a quote from Daniel Webster that pretty much sums up President Obama and his agenda for America.

“There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.”

Below is a video of a Doctor in Atlanta and what burdens the government bureaucracy place on her practice. My question is, where are all the doctors for tomorrow going to come from? Why would they choose to subject themselves to such punishment when there are other industries that (so far) are not being controlled by or in the sights of Uncle Sam.  Oh no! Sights! A gun reference. Get over it.

Link: The Heritage Foundation

Media, Race Relations

Geraldo Rivera, Barack Obama ‘Is Black’

Last night on the O’Reilly Factor, Fox News host and sanctuary city apologist Geraldo Rivera still believes that, despite being elected by people of all races (that includes white people) and backgrounds two years ago, the dissatisfaction with him now is due to his being black. President Jimmy Carter, CNN, Bill Moyers, Hank Johnson, much of the Washington and New York press corps, Newsweek Magazine said the same thing two years ago.

Does opposition to President Obama’s policies and agenda exist because of his skin color? Don’t know. Let’s examine this proposition a little closer.

If Geraldo is right, he would have you believe of Americans right now:

  • We would be more than willing to welcome cap-and-trade with open arms, even if we paid a thousand dollars or more extra every year for our energy use, if Barack Obama were only white.
  • We would be dancing in the streets celebrating the dawning of government control of our health care if only Barack Obama were white.
  • It would be just dandy if government bureaucrats rationed health care for our parents, as long as the president is white.
  • We would jump at the chance of the government owning ALL of the auto manufacturing companies .. not just General Motors … if the president just didn’t have dark skin.
  • We would applaud those ACORN workers giving tax avoidance advice to a pimp and his prostitute if the workers hadn’t been black.
  • Most Americans – even ones that don’t pay income taxes now – would be more than willing to give 70% of everything they earn to the federal government when asked … so long as they are asked by a white president.
  • We would have been thrilled, I tell you … THRILLED to have all of those Islamic goons being held at Guantanamo be not only released, but sent to be school resource officers at our local government schools, if only a white president put that plan in motion.
  • It would be OK if a white president stood back and allowed Iran to build its coveted nukes … we’re only unhappy about that because a black president is doing it.
  • Deficits? We don’t care about deficits! Make our children and grand children and great grand children pay through the nose for our president’s spending habits … just so long as the president isn’t black.
  • Government pork? Like we actually care? Look … you folks in Washington can spend all the money you want – how about more studies of the mating habits of Polish Zlotnika pigs? – just make sure it’s not a black president who signs the spending bill into law.
  • We wouldn’t care if all illegal aliens were counted twice in the next Census … just so long as the president isn’t black.
  • Those Black Panther thugs who threatened voters in Philly? The ONLY reason we’re upset that they were given a pass is because Barack Obama is black.
  • Every single member of the president’s cabinet could be a tax cheat as far as we’re concerned … just so long as the president is white.
  • Forced unionization? Bring it on! We love card check! We love the idea of union goons threatening and intimidating workers to sign a card saying they want to belong to a union! What we don’t like is that a black president is pushing this idea.
  • Single-party talks with that Gargoyle that runs North Korea? It’s about time we legitimized that little pipsqueak. We’re only mildly upset here because the person who is doing that happens to be black.
  • More regulation of the finance sector? We could care less! For all we care you can nationalize the banks and decree that only the government can make home loans .. .and you can even apportion those home loans on the basis of race if you want to … just so long as the president is white!
  • Minimum wage? Like we care about that? Raise it to $15 an hour if you want! Just give us our white president back.

Upon further examination, I may be going out on a limb, being conservative and all, but I’d say that Geraldo is wrong.  Because if there were a white president trying to do all the above, most of America would still be against him, or her. I feel better about myself now. No white guilt or anything.

But I do weep for where this President and his party has taken this country. His party using the race card against any and all opposition to advance their agenda is a disgrace. Which may explain to some extent why the media has been more a cheerleader than an inquisitor when it comes to the President and his policies. Otherwise they would have to characterize themselves as being racist.

There is nothing post-racial about Obama’s administration, Democrats in Congress, and Geraldo Rivera. And every second that passes where Obama himself does not talk it down and put an end to it, is just digging their racial hole deeper.

Politics

Senate Filibuster Is Alive And Well

It seems that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has acquiesced in his strategy to end the filibuster, aka the nuclear option, by changing the rules where a simple majority would be needed to end debate. It also seems that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Reid are beginning to show signs of getting along to work together. Well, for now anyways. I mean, when your back is against the wall, you begin to become a little more cooperative. And by all accounts, the mid-term elections put Reid’s back against the wall.

Some things that were accomplished in the Senate yesterday . . .

1) Reid’s effort to kill the filibuster, which is the minority’s right to effect legislation, went down in flames in the final rules changes on Thursday. Both agreed to never try again to use the nuclear option, which is to change the rules of the Senate with only 51 votes, instead of the established 67 vote margin. Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall and realizing what goes around comes around, Marty Gold, a former senate leadership aide, said ‘The rules compromise reached today will look like a half-measure to the liberal blogosphere. But if Democrats go into the minority in two years, liberals will be happy for this day.’

2) The senate also ended the practice of secret ‘holds.’  The resolution to end secret holds, which passed 92-4, states that a Senator must publicly disclose a notice of intent to object to any measure or matter.

3) The two leaders agreed to not use two important procedural methods as often in order to preserve the great rights of the Senate: to amend and to debate. McConnell agreed that the Republicans would use the filibuster less often in this Congress. In return, Reid agreed to be less active in filling up the amendment tree to block out all Republican amendments.

The Majority Leader has the power to add the maximum amount of amendments to the tree, which locks out any amendments by the minority party. Reid agreed to not use up all the amendments, so that the Republicans can offer their alternatives to legislation. Over the past two years, Reid has used his power to fill up the amendment tree drastically more often than had been done in the past. “The Majority Leader used that power to cut off all amendments and debate 44 times. That’s more than the last 6 majority leaders combined,” said Sen. Alexander on the floor.

Senator Alexander summed up yesterday’s resolution this way . . .

“What they have done…is create a window in which we have had a good, open discussion about the kind of place we want to work, the kind of Senate we hope would serve the American people the best,” said Alexander.

“And we have come to a consensus about a change in behavior, which I believe, in the end, will be more important than the change in the rules,” he said.

Link: Reid’s Rules Scheme Defeated in the Senate

War On Terror

Imam Caught Sneaking Into US

So we’ve got an Islamic extremist Imam caught in the trunk of a car sneaking into the country from Mexico, and an extremist Islamic book from Iran found in the desert on the trail into the U.S..

Yawn, did you see Winter Wipeout on TV last night?

Fortunately, someone is staying on top of things like terrorists making way into the U.S. and how ICE is protecting us. Debbie Schlussel adds the rest of the story.

[t]he extremist imam who illegally tried to sneak into the U.S. has already agreed to testify against the traitorous American who drove him here.  He didn’t agree to do this “just ‘cuz.”  Usually that’s in exchange for some sort of deal–the U.S. government agreeing not to jail this bastard . . . or even giving the imam assurances that he can stay on U.S. shores indefinitely.

Are authorities kissing up to Imam Said Jaziri? I suppose time will tell.

Link: Imam Caught Sneaking Into US; Iranian Terrorism Book Found in Border Desert.