N. Korea and other rogue nations see through Obama

North Korea's nuclear and missile tests on Memorial Day weekend has sent shock waves internationally by defying a U.N. Security Council resolution. Now the isolated communist regime conducts more saber rattling by threatening U.S. and S. Korean warships.

And what's the Obama administration's reaction? Nothing but a statement voicing displeasure and resuming the Six-Party Talks. Yes, more talks, more official statements, and more meetings. No doubt more Security Council resolutions may come out, and no doubt that N. Korea would ignore them.

We have known since the presidential campaign days that President Obama is naive about threats from rogue nations, and that he prefers diplomacy above all. In other words, he prefers the talk and not the walk.

The crazy leaders of N. Korea and Iran know this. That's why since President Obama took office, there has been more and more news about missile tests and nuclear weapons development. Countries like Japan, S. Korea, and Israel are increasingly feeling uneasy about the situation. But what does the Obama administration do? Nothing concrete to secure our allies' security. Instead, more international meetings and talk about pressure from the international community.

Heck, it took the White House days to rescue an American from just pirates. What will happen if nations attack our allies?

Memorial Day salute

Thank you -- all of you brave men and women who have served our great country. You're an inspiration to the servicemen today and us grateful citizens!

Pawlenty outmaneuvers state Democrats

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is trying hard to balance the budget by rejecting the tax and spending bills from the Democrat-controlled legislature, but they just cannot understand "no means no." This is what Minnesotans would have to put up if Gov. Pawlenty relented:

...A new top income tax rate of 9% (the fourth highest in the nation); across-the-board income tax increases; sales taxes on Internet downloads; the end of the local property tax cap (enacted only last year); alcohol taxes; cigarette taxes; eliminating the deduction for an organ donation (no joke); and killing the home mortgage interest deduction.

But he stood firm and plays the trump card of "unallotment" -- a power granted to the governor to "take away any state spending for which there is no money to pay." (What an idea, right?)

This is the type of leadership we need in this recession. Minnesota may have a clown for a Senator, but the governor is serious about helping Minnesotans.

Another idiotic Democrat bill: Paid Vacation Act

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) believes the best way to stimulate our economy is mandating a week of paid vacation for both full-time and part-time employees after they've worked for an year. He wants to make companies with over 100 employees to do this. The reasoning? More vacation means less stress, less sick days, and happier workers.

Naturally, Rep. Grayson's proposal appeals to the tourism industry in his home state where Mickey Mouse and Shamu would love a piece of your wallet. Maybe he does have decent intentions of helping Florida's economy, but this Paid Vacation Act is pure idiocy.

Do we really need the government telling private firms how to manage their human resources? This is another case of a politician looking to control more of our lives. More government is never the answer. How would the founder of a medium-sized business feel? Stop hiring at 99 employees? Cut health care benefits in order to fulfill this mandate? And what if most people simply end up staying home to chill instead of spending money at theme parks? After all, American families are facing a financial crunch and have to watch their spending... many cannot afford a vacation at a Florida theme park.

Please, no more talk about government forcing stupid ideas down our throats! Rep. Grayson (and others like him), PLEASE just stay out of the way of capitalism. And about France's vacation mandate? Well, there's also a reason France has a high unemployment rate and frequent street riots!

Specter masters art of rear-kissing

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) is a true politician. After switching to the Democrat Party a few weeks ago, he now kisses up to one of his many bosses, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), by defending her in the whole lied-by-CIA brouhaha:

"The current controversy involving Speaker Pelosi and the CIA is very unfortunate, in my opinion, because it politicizes the issue and it takes away attention from ... how does the Congress get accurate information from the CIA? For political gain, people are making headlines."

Nicely done, sir. Now find a towel to wipe that brown nose.

Others, like former Speaker Newt Gingrich, is calling for her resignation on "Good Morning America":

"She really disqualified herself to be the speaker. She has a unique responsibility for national security. ... She made this allegation that smears everyone who's trying to defend her."

Gingrich has a valid point. If she is playing politics about this matter, slinging mud at the CIA, and lying to the American people, then she should do the right thing and resign. Otherwise, she ought to come out with evidence to support her allegations.

Angry voters reject California budget propositions

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California lawmakers face a greater budget battle ahead as angry voters soundly reject five of six measures to ease budget shortfall.

And the only proposition that was approved? Blocking pay raises for state lawmakers and elected officials in times of deficit.

That says a lot, doesn't it?

Miss California must've said something right...

It seems like attacking Miss California is the hip thing to do these days even in the White House. David Axelrod, the president's senior adviser, played NPR's "Not My Job" and made a caustic remark about Carrie Prejean:

When Axelrod was asked if he had weighed in on the Obama family’s dog choice, "the Rasputin in this kingdom" (as Sagal jokingly refered to him) sassed back, “I was only called in for the final three, and one was Miss California.”

Prejean made an unpopular (at least among liberals) but courageous public stand against gay marriage which may have cost her the Miss America crown, and now even Axelrod is talking trash about her?! The mainstream media and Hollywood types have been attacking her relentlessly since the incident. They cannot fathom a Californian being pro-traditional marriage between a man and a woman. And Axelrod thinks it's appropriate and funny to compare her to a dog?

Shut up, Mr. Axelrod. For your information, she's paying your and NPR's salaries. For you to show such disrespect to a young, intelligent lady and a Christian woman is evidence of your immaturity and prejudice. Mr. Axelrod, please don't try to be a comedian and do a better job at advising the president (he's not doing too hot, y'know).

Granholm to the Supreme Court? Michiganians rejoice!

The Washington rumor mill is abuzz about the possible Justice to be appointed by President Obama after the retirement of David Souter: Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

The media has nothing but accolades for her. Never mind that under her leadership (or lack thereof), the state of Michigan has doubled its unemployment rate. Detroit, once the pride of American auto industry, is turning into a dump with Chrysler bankrupt and G.M. in no better condition.

Perhaps the people of Michigan would welcome their governor going to Washington as a Supreme Court Justice...

In vacation mode...

Dear readers,

I'm in family vacation mode overseas so blogging will be sparse. Please excuse the brief hiatus and more activity shall return in another week or so!

In the meantime, feel free to drop me a note or comment about what's on your conservative mind...

God bless.

Crist not popular among conservatives

With the imminent announcement of Gov. Charlie Crist's (R-FL) decision to run for Senate, out comes the waves of criticism from conservatives. Whether or not you are a fan of Crist, you should be happy that a prominent Republican (albeit RINO?) is coming out to bid for the seat.

Hopefully a conservatives-approved Republican will come out to challenge Crist, like state House Speaker Marco Rubio. At least thank Crist for bringing the Senate race from Florida into the national spotlight, and for uniting conservatives behind somebody like Rubio should he decide to enter the race as well.

Crist to run for Senate

Good news coming out from Florida today: Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will announce on Tuesday that he'll run for Senate. In light of Sen. Mel Martinez's (R) retirement, this is great news for the Republicans as Crist enjoys high approval ratings in the state.

The strategy should be pro-state rights

The Republicans lost badly in the 2004 and 2008 elections, handing the Democrats control of Congress and the White House. The likes of Harry Reid (D-NV) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) dictate the legislative agenda, and a president with socialist ideology sits in the Oval Office. There was much soul searching post-elections, and even to this day some say that the Republican Party is still wandering the wilderness.

Blame Bush? Blame the media? Blame Sarah Palin? Blame disillusioned conservatives? Blame black voters? Blame young voters? Blame ACORN? Blame Iraq? ...

There's plenty of blame go go around. But as the saying goes, whenever you point a finger at somebody, three fingers are pointing at yourself.

Republican political strategists are pulling their hairs out trying to find the solution to a hard-to-define problem. Is it attracting more voters across all demographics? Or is it galvanizing the base? Or re-evaluating the overall Republican message? Or all of the above and then some...?

In light of President Obama's multi-trillion dollar budget, nationalization policies, and bankrupting America, concerned citizens have spoken out on the Internet and at Tax Day Tea Parties. Although the mainstream media paints a picture of a rightwing, conservative only movement, that is not the case. Many Obama voters are showing remorse, but you're not going to see that on CNN or MSNBC. There has been many cases of such past Obama supporters calling into conservative talk shows voicing their regret for casting a ballot for Obama.

This is not about anti-Bush and pro-Obama anymore. As our financial and automobile industries crumble in front of our eyes and our neighbors lose their jobs and homes, Americans understand that we are in a time of crisis. The majority of citizens are looking for help, not handouts, but the federal government is forcing handouts down our throats whether we like it or not. The W.H. and Congress is sending money to states with strings attached, enslaving the cash-strapped states. Bank and automaker executives are getting handpicked by the administration. Favors are still shown to stubborn unions in the midst of the turmoil.

The root cause of this unprecedented expansion of the federal government is clear: the blatant disregard of the U.S. Constitution by shameless politicians.

Therefore, there is a simple and coherent message the Republican Party can adopt: state rights. Review the Tenth Amendment again and study it carefully:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Washington today has lost sight of this important amendment to secure federalism principles. Congress has morphed into an unsightly assembly of ignorant, power-hungry politicians with only one thing in their minds: votes for re-election to stay in power. Laws are drafted and passed without respect to the Constitution. Think about it -- the federal government now has control over our labor, wages, retirement, education, drugs, firearms, and even entertainment!

But there seems to be hope and the tides are turning, beginning with Montana's law exempting federal jurisdiction over firearms manufactured and used within the state stamped with "Made In Montana." The law stipulates that because these firearms never leave Montana, it is not interstate commerce by nature and therefore free of federal rules. Certainly a logical and valid point, but it's sure to be tested in court. Montana has definitely made a splash about state rights, and other states like Texas, Alaska, and Utah are following suit.

Can you imagine if all 50 state legislatures pass a similar law? That would significantly limit the federal government's control of our right to bear arms and send a strong message to Washington that people are serious about the federal government meddling in their affairs.

The consequences will have profound effects and the potential to redefine the political landscape. State rights is a cause worthy of the Republican Party's attention. After all, to paraphrase President Reagan, government is the problem not the solution. The only solution is for the states to reign in Washington.

It is a concise message that people will understand. The federal government's powers are derived by the state and its people, not the other way around! Without the states there is no United States government. The Republicans need to work with all state legislatures to find kinks in this federal armor. Any Republican up for re-election needs to campaign on the message of state rights. Most voters only go to the polls once every four years to pick a president and don't quite understand how Washington works, but state politics hit closer to home and are easier to identify with. It is also a strategy that'll attract independent voters: let the state decide on the major issues instead of relying on Washington.

Will the Republicans embrace such a game plan? Is the party leadership still struggling to find footing? The great state of Montana and its people have already stepped up to face the challenge. The GOP should mobilize its resources to get more traction and preferably make a noise that the Obama administration and Congress cannot ignore.

U.K. Home Office Secretary expensed husband's X-rated movies?!

British P.M. Gordon Brown and his party is in the middle of an embarrassing storm prepared to shake up the government. Apparently many of them have been expensing all sorts of goods and services, most of them unrelated to their work.

What caught my eye is Home Office Secretary Jacqui Smith's expense: two X-rated movies her husband watched, although she did repay.

Yes, this is the same Jacqui Smith who's banning talk show host Michael Savage from entering the U.K. for his conservative ideas. After the revelation of her husband's curious taste in video, I'd think that she would understand what freedom of expression means!

I don't know much about British politics, but it's safe to say that this woman is a fool.

California gets a dose of W.H. strong-arm politics

What the federal government gives, it can also take away. The state of California is learning this the hard way as the Obama administration threatens to rescind stimulus funds if the California state government doesn't restore wage cuts to the unionized home health care workers.

Two things at play here: the intimate relationships between unions and Democrats and the White House's disregard for a state.

The unions in questions are the powerful Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and United Domestic Workers (not in the motherly sense). In fact, it was the SEIU which went to the W.H. to ask for a ruling on this matter.

This also shows the administration's disregard for a state. The wage cut is a necessary step in keeping California afloat as it's operating on IOUs already. These health care workers aren't the only ones affected by wage cuts. The state legislature passed a state law but looks like the W.H. has a problem with that. Does the administration truly have the state's interest in mind?

States which have accepted the stimulus money should take note. This money comes with strings attached -- many which aren't to the states' benefit. Be warned.

CIA documents prove Pelosi lied about waterboarding knowledge

You won't read about this in the mainstream media...

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was briefed on the controversial interrogation techniques since the beginning and had no objections. She knew all along!

But she acted shocked when she learned about it later. Maybe it's the excessive Botox that makes her always look surprised.

ACORN is clearly a nut

Can you believe that our President used to be a legal representative for ACORN? This is the taxpayer-funded organization with a mission to register low-income voters, but in reality many of its employees have been indicted and charged with voter registration fraud. The latest is from Neveda where the state charged ACORN workers for submitting false voter information and employing felons as canvassers. Worse yet, ACORN illegally offered an incentive program for canvassers who brought in more than 20 registrations per day.

Fox News show host Glenn Beck invited ACORN spokesman Scott Levenson to defend these charges against ACORN, but as Beck laid out the facts in front of the guest, Levenson couldn't offer any convincing defense that ACORN doesn't have a liberal agenda. And evidently during a commercial break, Levenson resorted to accuse Beck of racism and that was when he was shown the door out to the studio parking lot.

What angers me is that my tax dollars are funding this organization of leftist nuts! They are anti-America, lawless, and arrogant. And now they're partners with the Census Bureau to assist with the 2010 census effort?! An organization with a history of fradulent activities and rogue employees will play a role in helping the federal government... No, thank you! Something's wrong with this picture.

It boggles the mind that an organization with so much dirt can still get government funding and participate in a nationwide government census effort.

Israel knows it's on its own

The Obama administration is bent on the success of Palestinian statehood that it's alienating long-time ally Israel. The country faces the greatest threat from a nuclear Iran and the new Israeli government knows that America may not offer support to pre-emptively strike Iran. Rather than ask for permission from Washington, Israel will just keep us posted on the military operation should there be one.

And who can blame them? Israel has to do what's best for its people, even if that means ignoring what's going on in Washington. They need our support, and a strong Israel only helps America in its footing for a peaceful Middle East.

Specter not doing so well as a Democrat

Sen. Alen Specter (D-PA) isn't doing very well as a new Democrat. Did Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) promise him seniority upon departing the Republican Party? Well, it isn't happening! Specter's Democrat peers aren't granting him the seniority as he'd hoped for. Now he'll just be a senate junior Democrat, his influence greatly limited. His peers want to see how he performs in his 2010 re-election before giving him the perks.

It's becoming evident that Specter's career may not improve even with his jump to the Democrat Party. Had he remained a Republican to face Pat Toomey in the Republican primary for 2010, he'll likely lose but at least his he wouldn't have been seen as so self-serving. Now as a Democrat, he may still face an uphill battle as Republicans galvanize and gather resources to defeat him in Pennsylvania.

We'll know in 2010 whether this move becomes Specter's biggest career mistake.

Britain doesn't appreciate freedom of speech

The U.K. Home Office has released names of individuals who are barred from entering the country because of their ideas and words. If you preach hate, are anti-gay, or host a conservative talk show, then you can cancel your vacation to Britain. Michael Savage is apparently on the list.

I wonder if the Pope will be allowed on British soil?

Doing business the SEAL way is still preferred

NPR reports on the business aspects of Somali piracy. Oh yes, who says small businesses can't thrive in a third-world economy like Somalia? The story is interesting, but is NPR trying to demonstrate that these pirates are just decent men trying to make a living?

The pirates are trying to make a living all right, but as criminals. They endanger the lives of other innocent men and pose a threat to others' properties.

Thankfully the U.S. Navy SEALs don't have much business sense.

White House policy endangers ally Israel

The Obama administration is using peace talks with Palestinians as a bargaining chip to support Israel's efforts in preventing Iran's nuclear ambitions.

I can already hear what an Israeli may think: With a friend like Obama, who needs enemies?

Is this really the way to treat one of America's staunchest allies? The Jewish state is encircled by hostile neighbors, having the military capability to dominate the region but only uses force in self-defense and retaliation, and has shown kindness to Palestinians that's seldom reported. The leader of Iran has repeatedly issued threats to Israel, and now turned Iran into a nuclear power right in Israel's backyard. Yet the message from Washington is disturbingly clear: Sit at the table with Palestinian leadership or we'll cover our eyes and ears when it comes to Iran's nukes.

The White House is playing with Israeli lives. We need a strong friend in the Middle East, and Israel is the only candidate. Honestly, we need Israel more than it needs America. Just look at Israel's history. It has survived several wars and armed conflicts, yet it still stands. Seriously, it can do just fine without America.

But does President Obama realize it? Losing the faith and support of Israel will prove to be detrimental to America in the long term.

Curbing use of offshore havens solves nothing

In recent years more American businesses and wealthy individuals have moved their money into offshore havens and foreign banks to escape the tax consequences at home. The Obama administration sees this as a big problem -- possibly more of a "fairness" issue rather than a tax issue -- and will soon release extensive plans to curb such tax avoidance practices.

The White House clearly understands this phenomenon of an outward flow of American dollars from multinational corporations and wealthy people. But instead of understanding the root cause, it chooses to punish further this legal albeit unpopular way of keeping money by avoiding to pay American taxes.

The U.S. tax code is several inches thick and not even our Treasury Secretary can explain it. (He's not known as "Tax Cheat Timothy" for nothing.) There will always be a way to find a loophole no matter how the code is patched up. These corporations and individuals have the means to hire a team of accountants and lawyers to find a way. Trust me.

So American businesses and folks want to keep more money in their bank accounts, but the IRS takes too much. The solution? CUT TAXES! DUH. It's not to make new laws to prevent tax havens and spend money enforcing them. It's that easy. So easy that I bet the liberal Democrats in the W.H. and Congress don't even see it.

What will the President's plan accomplish? Will it raise more money for the country? Not quite. History has shown that such a plan will have a reverse effect on increasing the treasury. Only when taxes are cut there has been significant fattening of the treasury's coffers. Additionally, more taxes means less work and less competitiveness. America's auto industry has already been decimated, what's next? Will tech giants like IBM and Cisco fall next? Or will it be G.E. and Coke?

It's unfortunate, but the President is in for an unpleasant surprise, a surprise that's well-known to anyone who's studied American economic history.

Al-Qaeda used webmail, simple codes

It's been revealed that al-Qaeda terrorists in the 9/11 attacks used no sophisticated hardware or software, and employed simple codes to communicate. They depended on pre-paid calling cards, public phones, webmail, and search engines to plan and execute attacks. These items and services are what everyday Americans use in their daily lives.

So just think about the administration's plans to shutdown Gitmo, relocate its prisoners, and the possibility that these terrorists may end up in the population with easy access to these services again.

With Obama in W.H. comes the Chicago way of strong-arm politics?

President Obama's Auto Industry Task Force is fighting off accusations of bullying the Chrysler shareholders and creditors into accepting the government's bankruptcy plan. In the center of the storm is Steve Rattner, the task force's leader with close ties to the Democratic Party. According to Thomas Lauria, the bankruptcy attorney representing the hedge funds and money managers, the administration threatened to use the White House press corp to ruin his firm's reputation if he doesn't go along with the White House plan for the troubled automaker.

These are only allegations and who knows what the real story is. However, personally I will not be surprised if Lauria is telling the truth. Why? Because since Obama's campaign, he's made to be invincible with the help of the media. Once he got elected along with the House and Senate being Democrat-controlled, I'm sure he feels he is unstoppable. That's how this administration sees itself. Look at how the TARP bills were passed without proper scrutiny. Look at how the White House is picking CEOs to run companies. Look at how a tax cheat gets to become Treasury Secretary and shows no sign of grasping the economic crisis.

Remember, too much power always corrupts. Are we starting to see the beginning of abuse and misuse of the federal government?

Bank of International Settlements: the mother of all banks

Project World Awareness found this obscure gem about the path towards a global currency. In the last G20 summit, these leaders have agreed to support the beginning of this global currency by activating the IMF's power to produce money in the form of SDRs (Special Drawing Rights). What could the next step be?

Some have speculated that the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) would be the undisputed choice as a global central bank. It is based in Basel, Switzerland, and boasts a client list of most major central banks around the world. Its influence and power is obvious, and it is known to make or break economies of a country -- the current U.S. recession included.

Australia is losing faith in America

Australia, our longtime ally on the other side of the globe, is beefing up its defense forces in anticipation of a weakened America and strengthening regional powers like India, China, and Russia, on top of threats from North Korea and Islamist terrorism. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has released a report about Australia's national security issues in the coming decades and the need to reduce reliance on America.

Who can blame him? America seems to have lost something when President Bush left Washington to make way for President Obama. Look at how this President is solving the financial crisis: borrowing trillions of dollars from China. And national defense? Obama hasn't taken long to cut defense budgets and scrap military projects. All this amid China spending way too much on its military, achieving innovative milestones in weaponry and modernization of its forces, including a shadowy cyber command which has infiltrated computer networks of other governments. China also maintains close ties with rogue North Korea and Russia, and is becoming an economic and military threat to democratic neighbors like South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, and Australia.

At least P.M. Rudd has the guts to face the problems and resolve to strengthen Australia. Meanwhile, our president prefers to go on the road to give speeches and do televised press conferences with feel-good scripts fed from the trusty (most of the time) telepromter.

Obama losing his mojo?

For all the glowing attention the media has showered on the President, it's hard to imagine his 100-day prime time TV press conference viewership dropping 29%. Maybe it's because he holds them too frequently? Since February he's had one each month, and of course the TV networks are losing ad revenues because of them. And it looks like Fox made the smarter move by rejecting Obama's request and carried on its regular programming. It does help the economy, right?

As jobless rates rise and the recession deepens, many Americans are starting to realize that their President can certainly talk the talk, but he cannot walk the walk. (And he only talks the talks when the teleprompter is present and operational.) His economic policies follow just one plan: let the government take over. Translation: transfer the burden to the taxpayers. The federal government is on a multi-trillion dollar spending spree. Future generations of Americans are going to suffer greatly.

Internationally, he may be well received but world leaders don't always see eye-to-eye with him. Even with our longtime allies like Britain and France and other NATO members. When he attended the Summit of the Americas, the biggest news that came out was Chavez's friendliness toward him and how other Latin American leaders were criticizing the U.S.

A dip of nearly one-third of viewers is significant. The media absolutely loves him, but I'm starting to think that the public has seen past the honeymoon period with this new president.

Souter to retire, Obama gets to nominate a Justice

Nothing to see here, people. I'm sure President Obama will appoint another liberal to fill Justice Souter's seat in June. Most likely, he'll appoint a woman and/or a minority.

More reason for Condi to run in 2012

Watch this video of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice schooling a university student. The kid wants to debate foreign policy matters with Rice? That's asking to be spanked.

She should run in 2012. I'm just sayin'.

PETA, where's the love for Egyptian pigs?

In a case of government knee-jerk reaction to the swine flu, Egypt has begun slaughtering pigs in an attempt to contain the spread of the illness. Do they know that there are less than 10 confirmed deaths worldwide from this flu so far, and none from Egypt? And they want to kill off 400,000 pigs.

(Un)surprisingly, animal rights organization PETA remains silent on the Egyptian swine mass massacre. PETA blames factory farming, even though I'm pretty sure free range pigs could contract this virus as well. Factory farms would actually make it easier to contain the spread of the virus because it's less difficult to cull them, as Egypt is doing.

Mexico closes itself before we close borders

In light of an imminent swine flu pandemic, Mexico is shutting down its government for five days as President Felipe Calderon urged his citizens to stay home with their families.

Should the U.S. close its borders with Mexico? The White House hasn't made a decision yet, although V.P. Biden has clearly made up his mind.

Terrorists release imminent

The White House has overridden FBI and DHS in a decision to release Chinese Uighur detainees from Gitmo. That's right, the Obama administration is welcoming terrorists onto our homeland instead of keeping them as far away from us as possible.

Do you feel safe already? It's no wonder gun sales are up.

Have you noticed that ever since Obama entered the White House, it's all about gaining more power. Just look at how he's "helping" the economy. The government taking control of banks, insurance agencies, automakers, etc. And how many czars do we have now reporting to the President? Probably more than old Russia. Now when it comes to national security, he's assuming to be the expert and brushing off recommendations from the FBI and DHS, two federal agencies responsible for America's safety.

We're fading fast as a republic. Soon we may no longer even recognize America as a democracy. Let's pray that it's not turning into a dictatorship!

Some Democrats already upset at Specter

After leaving the Republican Party, Sen. Arlen Specter may not find many friends yet among Senate Democrats. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) made a deal with Specter to allow him to carryover his seniority years to the new party, and that's upsetting some high ranking Democrats. You see, nobody likes the person who cuts in line. Worse yet, nobody likes the person who allows a line cutter!

Will Reid be able to hold the caucus together? My take is that Reid's leadership style is already unpopular among several Democrats, and they will be heard soon enough when more voting comes.

Don't over-analyze Specter's departure

Meghan McCain blogs about her disappointment upon Sen. Arlen Specter decision to jump ship to the Democrat Party. According to her:

Of course, this speaks to much larger problem in the GOP. We need to attract more centrist and progressive conservative voters at the primary level, so that level-headed candidates stand a chance. We need courageous Republicans more than ever. And this week, Sen. Specter turned his back. But he wasn’t the only one.

She then turns the attention to RNC Chair Michael Steele's statement on Specter's departure:

Some in the Republican Party are happy about this. I am not. Let’s be honest—Senator Specter didn’t leave the GOP based on principles of any kind. He left to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record. Republicans look forward to beating Sen. Specter in 2010, assuming the Democrats don’t do it first.

Sorry, Ms. McCain, but Steele is right on. There's no need to over-analyze the senator's decision to join the Democratic majority in Washington. Sen. Specter did it to save his career -- and there's nothing wrong with that, especially in this economy and political environment. What rubs conservatives and most Republicans the wrong way, however, is his insulting reasoning:

Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

His statement sounds principled, but don't be fooled: this man knew he doesn't stand a chance in his re-election bid in 2010 as a Republican. Not to mention the fact that he's been actively recruited by V.P. Joe Biden and the Democrats are showering favors on him for completing the 60-seat filibuster-proof Senate majority (after Al Franken is seated). President Obama promptly called him to welcome him and promised to help his re-election campaign. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has agreed to allow Specter to keep his seniority and therefore eligible to chair some important committees.

All this clearly shows Sen. Specter representing the constituency of himself.

Sen. Alan Specter to switch parties

The RINO Senator from Pennsylvania will change his party affiliation to the Democrats. After Al Franken (D-MN) gets seated, Sen. Specter will give the Democrats their filibuster proof majority of 60. Sen. Specter is a walking case study in political expediency.

But it's really no surprise. His voting record shows more similarities to the Democrats' than Republicans. His state has turned bluer in recent years so if he wishes to remain a career politician, he doesn't have much choice but to turn Democrat.

Good riddance for the GOP, but the timing is troublesome during this time when the Democrats have a stronghold on Washington. There's no doubt in my mind that with this move Sen. Specter is also angling to become a superstar among the Democrats by gifting them the 60-seat majority.

Glendon declines Laetare Medal from Notre Dame

Former ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon has declined acceptance of the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame, an award that's viewed to be the most prestigious for American Catholics. In her letter to the university president, Father John Jenkins, and also released to the public, she states her reasons in response to the institution's invitation of President Obama to deliver the commencement speech:

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.

Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.

The President has gone on record as a supporter of a woman's right to abortion. By allowing him to speak during such an occasion at such an American Catholic institution is clearly sending the wrong message. Yes, Barack Obama is our President and deserves the respect accordingly, but faith is a matter of the heart and should never be compromised.

I feel sorry for the graduating class to be caught in the middle of all this. They have weathered through the years to get a traditional Catholic higher education, many following the footsteps of their parents, and now it's come to this: having to hear an abortion supporter speak at your graduation ceremony.

Glendon's principled decision is to be applauded. Not only is she making a statement by not accepting this esteemed award, but her voicing the concern of the "ripple effect" of ignoring the bishops' guidelines is important too. God bless her for doing the right thing.

White House idiot(s) cause panic in New York

Is dealing with the economy too big of a task at hand for the White House that nobody cared to think through the idea of Air Force Once flying through Manhattan with two fighter jets on a "photo op" mission? Many New Yorkers panicked because of memories of 9/11. Buildings were evacuated, businesses closed down.

Can the city and state sue Washington for damages?

Fairness doctrine on taxation?

During the presidential campaign, Joe the Plumber leaped onto the national spotlight by exposing Obama's "spread the wealth" tax policy. Now in an interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, President Obama discloses that "fairness" is at the heart of his tax policy:

...Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness...

There you have it. The Fairness Doctrine is alive and well -- not in quieting the conservative spectrum on the radio waves, but with respect to federal taxation.

Al Gore afraid of a good global warming debate?

I mean "climate change" rather. After all, Colorado just saw a few feet of snow in April. What "warming"?

Is Al Gore afraid of some good debate about his most passionate subject matter? He sure put up a good fight in 2000 about the presidential election, but he's scared of arguing against Lord Christopher Monckton from U.K. about global warming?

Pelosi knew about waterboarding years ago

Apparently House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) isn't being truthful about her pre-existing knowledge of CIA's harsh interrogation techniques including waterboarding. In September 2002, a few members of Congress, Pelosi among one of them, were briefed by the CIA about the classified overseas detention sites and the interrogation techniques. At that time, no objections were made to what the Democrats label as torture now.

It's suffice to say that the Obama administration and Democrats' efforts to expose these CIA techniques and perhaps even release photographs of such "abuses" are politically motivated to further dig at the Bush administration and appease the liberal base. Never mind that these tactics kept America safe post-9/11. If these Democrats had at least the heart to acknowledge this fact, I wouldn't be so hard on them. But no, they refuse to give Bush and his CIA any credit, and since taking power in Washington, continue to go down a path of political revenge and kissing up to the liberal nutcases.

The Democrats simply have no intention of safeguarding our republic. Their latest actions only speaks of their immaturity and spitefulness.

France: a case study in socialism's sustainability

Do you love President Obama and all his socialist leaning ways? Do you think it's time for America to abandon capitalism and embrace something more radical?

Why don't you ask a French resident first. Or a French CEO.

Not again! Politicians want to save newspapers...

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) wants to save his local newspaper, the Boston Globe, which is losing $1 million a week. So much so that he's called a Senate hearing on the matter.

Banks, automobile manufacturers, insurance companies, and now dying newspapers? Is that really what the constituents are demanding?

Axelrod: Tea parties "unhealthy" (that's how much the administration is out of touch)

Senior White House adviser David Axelrod seems to think the tea parties are an "unhealthy" reaction to the current economy and the President's policies.

I'd hate to find out what he thinks is a "healthy" reaction. Maybe surrendering our bank accounts? Voluntarily hand over our wallets to Washington? Bow to the President like he did to the Saudi king?

Anybody who thinks embracing our First Amendment rights is "unhealthy" ought to rethink his or her American citizenship. Seriously, this is how out of touch the Obama administration is with mainstream America.

All I can say to the W.H. is: Keep it up. Prepare to be shocked in 2010.

Obama gets no love from Latin America, either

I hate to say it, Mr. President, but America's global reputation isn't improving much with you sitting in the White House, either. Europe already gave you the cold shoulder. Now you're at the Summit of the Americas, and you're not getting a warm reception. The only "friendly" leader turns out to be Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a known vocal critic of American policies and close ally of Cuba, China, and Russia (yes, countries which like to undermine U.S. efforts).

And you know why that is, President Obama? Because these politicians and leaders can see through you. They know you are not a decisive leader. They know you aren't even sure how to tackle domestic issues like the economy. They know you're losing strong friends in Europe and Israel. They closely observed your rise to stardom, but now they see just an empty suit.

Your presidency may turn out to be a very lonely place.

White House's "perspective" on post-9/11

President Obama is back to his leftist appeasing mode now, deciding to release Office of Legal Counsel memos about the legality of those CIA interrogation techniques. Anti-Bush liberals rejoice!

Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence (by the way, an oxymoron for this administration), seems to carry a romantic flair in doing his job. From The Weekly Standard:

...The perspective, the context, is that in the months after 9/11, "we did not have a clear understanding of the enemy we were dealing with, and our every effort was focused on preventing further attacks that would kill more Americans. It was during these months that the CIA was struggling to obtain critical information from captured al Qaida leaders, and requested permission to use harsher interrogation methods. The OLC memos make clear that senior legal officials judged the harsher methods to be legal."

Blair continues: "Those methods, read on a bright, sunny, safe day in April 2009, appear graphic and disturbing. As the President has made clear, and as both CIA Director Panetta and I have stated, we will not use those techniques in the future. But we will absolutely defend those who relied on these memos and those guidelines."

Terrorists don't really care about the weather when carrying out their criminal acts. I remember September 11, 2001 as a bright and sunny day, too! Just another effort to dig at the Bush administration.

Biden household contributed less than $2,000 to charities in 2008

The White House has released 2008 tax returns from the President and the Vice President. Interestingly, take a look at Joe Biden's charitable contributions for the year: $1,885. With an adjusted gross income of $269,256, that's not even 1% in charitable gifts. Okay, it's possible that the tax return doesn't tell the whole story. He may have donated money to individuals or entities which aren't tax deductible. Good for him, but somehow I don't think that's the case...

This man professes to be a devout Catholic. But where's the 10% in Biblical tithing guideline?

And this man once said it was our patriotic duty to pay more taxes?! I'm sorry, Mr. Vice President, but let's worry about charities before taxes.

(He received a refund.)

More evidence of this administration's hate towards military

Evidently earlier this year the FBI launched Operation Vigilant Eagle which searched for white supremacists and local militia groups with a focus on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. This was a few months before the controversial DHS report on "rightwing extremism" was released.

The Democrats have made it widely known that they have no love for the military and its operations. Since 9/11, liberal Democrats have come out with crazy statements about the U.S. military and the War on Terror. Their rhetoric reached its peak during the Iraq War. Elected officials here at home badmouthed our troops, and some even went overseas to trash America and her warriors.

And now the W.H. and federal agencies consider these veterans a threat? These veterans are no more of a threat than terrorist-turned-scholar Bill Ayers and his good friend, our president.

Even Sarkozy is annoyed by Obama

Ouch. The hits keep on coming, even from across the pond. French President Sarkozy sees right through President Obama and his rhetoric.

America, under Obama, displays no leadership in the world. Just a bunch of glam and hot air. And even that's mostly from a teleprompter! Ugh.

A great day for America, not so good for liberal Washington

Simply amazing. Thousands lined the streets of major U.S. cities to protest big government. They brought their homemade signs with thoughtful messages (none of that "Bush = Hitler" crap). They brought along their children. They demonstrated peacefully. And best of all, they chanted "USA" whenever given the chance.

The success of Tax Day tea parties is revealing in many ways:

• It proved that ordinary citizens do care. They care about their kids' future, their families, and more importantly, their beloved country.
• It proved that the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress are very out of touch with America. President Obama pretends he's never heard of these tea parties, further insulting Americans' intelligence.
• It got on the nerves of the liberal mainstream media big time. Why else would they refuse to cover them? Or why would CNN's Susan Roesgen make an ass of herself on national TV? More evidence of the MSM's leftist alignment with the current administration.
• It also promoted the FairTax! (Hey, Chuck Morris is a believer!)
• It demonstrated that conservatives are even better with grassroots organization. These parties were not led or organized by political parties, established organizations, etc. They were organized by volunteers around the country. Conservatives get the last laugh when it comes to utilizing technology.

Nashville, Tennessee: 10,000. Rochester, NY: 1,000. Cincinnati: 4,000. Madison, Wisconsin: 8,000. Chicago: 4,000. Olympia, Washington: 5,000. Boise, Idaho: 2,500. Austin, TX: 1,500. Lansing, Michigan: 7,000. Jacksonville, FL: 2,000. Atlanta: 20,000. And that's only the tip of an iceberg...

And those ACORN or liberal saboteurs? Probably decided to stay home and watch the rallies on TV instead. I have no doubt that they secretly tuned into Fox News tonight.

DHS' Napolitano should resign over "rightwing extremism" report

This controversial report has touched the nerves of half the country by broadly defining "rightwing extremists" as anyone who is pro-life and supports states rights. It even warns of military veterans being vulnerable to be recruited by rightwing extremist movement.

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, fully aware of this report, comes out to say she stands by it 100%. Does she realize that this report pretty much categorizes any supporters of the U.S. Constitution as a rightwing extremist?! How ridiculous is that?! This report clearly targets the conservatives who are speaking out against the liberal Obama administration. The report includes no particular names of organizations or individuals.

Secretary Napolitano should resign for this shameful report. Today we have a President who's a good friend of domestic terrorist Bill Ayers and foul-mouthed pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, yet she's standing by this report?! Obama wouldn't pass a security clearence for a regular federal job with his past associations!

Today is Tax Day, time to have Tea Parties

Tax Day has finally come. And as the WSJ points out, nationwide there are more than 300 tea parties being organized. Each state of the union will have one:

Today American taxpayers in more than 300 locations in all 50 states will hold rallies -- dubbed "tea parties" -- to protest higher taxes and out-of-control government spending. There is no political party behind these rallies, no grand right-wing conspiracy, not even a 501(c) group like MoveOn.org.

The most revealing aspect of these tea parties is that it's not led by a political party, labor union, or organization. It is purely a grassroots movement of ordinary Americans who want to give the government a piece of their mind. Of course, liberals are making snarky comments at these protesters, and the mainstream media joins the chorus. They label the tea party movement as "AstroTurf," claiming it is not a real grassroots movement. (Liberals would like to trademark "grassroots" if it were legal to do so.)

Whatever. Nobody really cares what the liberals think anyway. Look back at their rallies and you'll notice something oddly similar. They're often coordinated and led by organizations such as ACORN, MoveOn, Code Pink, NOW, etc. In their case, the protesters are mindless followers.

Today's tea parties, the protesters are leaders. Everyday citizens who work hard to feed their families, make payments on mortgages, and have a simple message: We want more of our own money kept in our wallets. They are not gathering because a political party or activist organization tells them to. In fact, many conservative organizations are the followers of the movement.

Look at this map. This is the real change we can believe in.

It's official: Administration sees conservatives as "rightwing extremists"

This is unbelievable. Michelle Malkin confirms the validity of this DHS report about "rightwing extremism" after Obama's historic election. Check out this footnote on page 2:

(U) Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or
rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

Now you may close your jaws and take deep breaths. No kidding about the "broadly divided" categorization! This pretty much sums up how this liberal administration sees its conservative opposition.

It gets better! Big Brother is watching and listening on the Internet (page 3):

(U//FOUO) Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the
economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures. Anti-Semitic extremists attribute these losses to a deliberate conspiracy conducted by a cabal of Jewish “financial elites.” These “accusatory” tactics are employed to draw new recruits into rightwing extremist groups and further radicalize those already subscribing to extremist beliefs. DHS/I&A assesses this trend is likely to accelerate if the economy is perceived to worsen.

Conservative bloggers, radio show hosts, Twitter users, or even visitors of conservative Websites who like to leave comments -- be warned! Especially if you like to criticize the White House's economic policies.

With the revelation of this DHS report, I'm going to assume that federal agents will be present at the tea parties in major cities. That's a reasonable assumption now. I'm also going to assume that federal agencies will compile reports about these mass demonstrations, too.

Obama's economic policies pave way for America's indebted future. What future awaits us now we know how serious his administration views the opposition?

Are Republicans really anti-gay?

Sen. McCain's daughter, Meghan, writes in support for "A Gayer GOP"... She makes very good points:

The Log Cabin Republicans’ mission "is to work within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians." The group is centered on core Republican values, such as limited government, individual liberty and responsibility, an economy based in free markets, and a strong national defense. And in the spirit of the GOP’s founding beliefs—personal freedom and liberty—they are dedicated to securing full equality for gays and lesbians in America to create a stronger, larger, and more-unified GOP.

What I found most interesting about the Log Cabin Republicans is where and when they got their start: in California, during the late '70s. At the time, much of the progress made in securing equal rights for gays was drawing a backlash. A successful movement to overturn antidiscrimination laws in Dade County, Florida, was led by singer Anita Bryant. States like Arkansas and Oklahoma prohibited gays from teaching jobs. And a California Republican state senator suggested a proposition for voters to keep gays and lesbians from teaching in public schools. (At one point, the initiative was leading in polls with more than 60 percent of voters supporting it.) In the end, voters rejected the proposition in November 1978, by a margin of more than a million votes. While several prominent Democrats and Republicans rallied to secure its defeat, one Republican in particular helped turn the tide—former California Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan.

She's absolutely correct about those Republican values. Also, bonus on bringing up the tidbit about Reagan's fight for gay rights. But President Bush's eight years have brought about an unexpected split among the GOP: the "social conservatives" no longer identifying with the "political conservatives," the Republican Party we know today. And that's one of the reasons Meghan's father lost to Barack Obama. Disillusioned conservatives punished the GOP by not voting or worse yet, voting for Obama.

Perhaps the Republican's message on gay issues isn't clear enough? The anti-gay backslash stemmed primarily from gay activists' agenda of redefining marriage on a national level. Marriage is an institution established way prior to the gay rights movement. Most Americans don't care what adults do in their own homes and in their own times, but most Americans aren't ready to accept a family with two "married" daddies or mommies. More importantly, gays today enjoy the same civil liberties as everyone else. It's left to the states to determine how they want to treat marriage and that's just fine. The Constitution says nothing about the federal government defining marriage, so it's reasonable that this decision is left to the state legislatures.

I applaud Ms. McCain's effort in turning the GOP into a more gay-friendly political party, but should that be the focus of party leaders? There is comfort in knowing about the existence of the Log Cabin Republicans and gay conservatives. After all, we hardly ever hear about pro-life liberals. Doesn't that clearly illustrate the Republican Party's wider acceptance? Let's hope her efforts do not end up being a distraction to the core GOP agenda.

Navy SEAL snipers save captain

Three dead Somali pirates. One held in custody. The captain is safe and lives to tell the story of exceptional SEAL sharpshooters.

Let's pause for a moment and really think about the circumstances of this mission. Captain Richard Phillips already had one failed escape attempt, and the pirates were ready to shoot him if he tries again, or if the negotiations break down. The snipers shot the three pirates when two came up to get fresh air and one through the window of the lifeboat. Remember, these sharpshooters are on a boat on the high seas. Their targets are on a boat, too. Imagine shooting a target that far away while bobbing up and down. And you only have one chance.

Amazing! They are truly American heroes.

Which part of "no supporters of abortion" doesn't Obama understand?!

The White House is struggling to find an ambassador for the Vatican. Strike two: Caroline Kennedy, who publicly supports abortion.

It's not that hard, really. The Vatican's requirements are quite straightforward and even has nothing to do with taxes: Don't send us an abortion supporter! That's it! Send us an ambassador who values life and preferably a Catholic.

But President Obama cannot get it through his head that no means no. And the choice of Kennedy? Obviously to make up for her blundered pre-campaign to fill Hillary Clinton's senate seat. He is clearly politicking this diplomat choice, and the result once again demonstrates that he's not as popular in Europe as he thinks. How arrogant of him to push the issue of abortion onto the Holy See?!

I'm not a Catholic and I'm even mad about this appointment! It's truly an insult.

The ginormous left-wing conspiracy

Forget about the vast right-wing conspiracy. You need to read about the ginormous ("gigantic" and "enormous") left-wing conspiracy. Happening right in front of your eyes.

Still any doubt of the mainstream media not being a left-leaning establishment?

Have a blessed Easter weekend

Thanks for all your support. I wish you a great Easter weekend with family and friends!

Beyond tea parties... FairTax!

If you're a reader of this blog, I assume you already know about the Tax Day Tea ("Taxed Enough Already") Parties organized across America on April 15. This is a grassroots movement of citizens to protest the irresponsible spending that's coming from Washington under the Obama administration and Democratic Congress. Concerned citizens realize that although we are in a recession, we believe the recent government economic measures prolong the suffering and we do not wish for our future generations to pay for this administration's expansion of power and path to socialism.

The mainstream media, as always, refuses to acknowledge the growing angst among not just conservatives, but any ordinary citizen. I bet you will not see a lot of news coverage about these tea parties. Why? Because in the MSM's minds, these protests are pro-Republican and anti-Obama. They have failed to understand that these tea parties are not about partisan politics. It is about America's principles and the attacks thereof from the current administration.

The hope is that these tea parties will send a clear message to Washington and wake Americans up. But I hope to see the momentum continue on April 16, the day after. America is the least productive from January 1 to April 14 because of Tax Day. Will the tea parties also educate the public about America's ridiculous tax code? Each year Americans spend countless hours filing their tax returns. It's a necessary evil, nobody likes to do taxes -- not even accountants. American corporations are losing competitiveness because of the tax code. Companies and talents are going overseas to build businesses. Something has to be done or we no longer stay as a global economic power.

The FairTax is a good answer and deserves more attention in this recession. It's no coincidence that supporters of the FairTax are also going to tea parties. The FairTax bill, sponsored by Rep. John Linder (GA-7), and endorsed by many other leading policitians and conservatives (e.g. former Gov. Mike Huckabee, talk show host and author Neal Boortz, etc.) is attracting more eyes in Congress as the word is spreading among constituents. People are fed up with taxes!

Take a closer look at the characteristics of a strong nation. It needs a powerful military and a strong economy. Look eastward to Asia and you'll find the Chinese economy and military rival ours. The only difference? China is ruled by communists and Beijing in recent years have been undermining America's military and diplomatic efforts. So it's fitting to say that a strong economy is even a matter of national security.

No one expects the tax code to be revised or the IRS abolished overnight. But now more than ever is a good time to start thinking about how to restore America's economic might again by way of a new tax system.

America's global image isn't any better with "surrender monkey" Obama

Seriously, I don't know whether to laugh or cry about this from the Telegraph:

Then came the dramatic bit, the authentic West Wing script, with the President wakened in the middle of the night in Prague to be told that Kim Jong-il had just launched a Taepodong-2 missile. America had Aegis destroyers tracking the missile and could have shot it down. But Uncle Sam had a sterner reprisal in store for l'il ole Kim (as Dame Edna might call him): a multi-megaton strike of Obama hot air.

"Rules must be binding," declared Obama, referring to the fact that Kim had just breached UN Resolutions 1695 and 1718. "Violations must be punished." (Sounds ominous.) "Words must mean something." (Why, Barack? They never did before, for you - as a cursory glance at your many speeches will show.)

President Pantywaist is hopping mad and he has a strategy to cut Kim down to size: he is going to slice $1.4bn off America's missile defence programme, presumably on the calculation that Kim would feel it unsporting to hit a sitting duck, so that will spoil his fun.

Watch out, France and Co, there is a new surrender monkey on the block and, over the next four years, he will spectacularly sell out the interests of the West with every kind of liberal-delusionist initiative on nuclear disarmament and sitting down to negotiate with any power freak who wants to buy time to get a good ICBM fix on San Francisco, or wherever. If you thought the world was a tad unsafe with Dubya around, just wait until President Pantywaist gets into his stride.

"President Pantywaist"? "Surrender monkey"? Where's the love from across the pond, President Obama? Europe absolutely went wild for you even when you were just a candidate! What has changed since January 20, 2009? You spoke of lifting America's global image, but look at us now.

Thanks, Topix readers!

Wow, a lot of traffic coming from Topix today! Thanks to Topix member "Agent of Chaos" for reposting. I take it a lot of readers are paying attention to immigration reform and the White House's take on it. This is an issue that demands more dialog and scrutiny.

EFF: Obama DOJ worse than Bush's

So there you have it. The Electronic Frontier Foundation says President Obama's DOJ is even worse than President Bush's. What really rubs the EFF lawyers the wrong way?

Sad as that is, it's the Department Of Justice's second argument that is the most pernicious. The DOJ claims that the U.S. Government is completely immune from litigation for illegal spying — that the Government can never be sued for surveillance that violates federal privacy statutes.

This is a radical assertion that is utterly unprecedented. No one — not the White House, not the Justice Department, not any member of Congress, and not the Bush Administration — has ever interpreted the law this way.

Well, I'm not surprised. President Obama and his administration has shown blatant disrespect for the Constitution and other principles of our Republic.

The polarizing president

Remember Obama's promise of bipartisanship during the campaign? Remember his message of unity at the inauguration? Well, that may be kind of hard when he's the most polarizing president in the first few months of his term:

The Pew Research Center reported last week that President Barack Obama "has the most polarized early job approval of any president" since surveys began tracking this 40 years ago. The gap between Mr. Obama's approval rating among Democrats (88%) and Republicans (27%) is 61 points. This "approval gap" is 10 points bigger than George W. Bush's at this point in his presidency, despite Mr. Bush winning a bitterly contested election.

Part of Mr. Obama's polarized standing can be attributed to a long-term trend. University of Missouri political scientist John Petrocik points out that since 1980, each successive first term president has had more polarized support than his predecessor with the exception of 1989, when George H.W. Bush enjoyed a modest improvement over Ronald Reagan's 1981 standing.

But rather than end or ameliorate that trend, Mr. Obama's actions and rhetoric have accelerated it. His campaign promised post-partisanship, but since taking office Mr. Obama has frozen Republicans out of the deliberative process, and his response to their suggestions has been a brusque dismissal that "I won."

Karl Rove in this WSJ piece also points out the fact that even moderate Democrats in Congress decided to join the Republicans to oppose the budget. Ironically, if any unity has been shown in Washington, it's from the Congressional Republicans.

The next bailout: illegal immigration!

The White House with the support of the Democratic Congress so far have bailed out irresponsible homeowners, banks, insurance companies, and automakers. And why stop there? The illegal immigrants deserve their piece of the pie, too!

President Obama strikes the iron while it's hot. With the country still struggling with the recession and jobs are hard to come by, he'll have the undivided attention of the illegal immigrant communities. According to the NYT, he's asking politicians for immigration "reform" to go out amongst the voters (wait, can illegals vote?!) to garner populous support:

That is why Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, a Democrat from Mr. Obama’s hometown, Chicago, has been on the road most weekends since last December, traveling far outside his district to meetings in Hispanic churches, hoping to generate something like a civil rights movement in favor of broad immigration legislation.

Mr. Gutierrez was in Philadelphia on Saturday at the Iglesia Internacional, a big Hispanic evangelical church in a former warehouse, the 17th meeting in a tour that has included cities as far flung as Providence, R.I.; Atlanta; Miami; and San Francisco. Greeted with cheers and amens by a full house of about 350 people, Mr. Gutierrez, shifting fluidly between Spanish and English, called for immigration policies to preserve family unity, the strategic theme of his campaign.

At each meeting, speakers from the community, mainly citizens, tell stories of loved ones who were deported or of delays and setbacks in the immigration system. Illegal immigrants have not been invited to speak.

Mr. Gutierrez’s meetings have all been held in churches, both evangelical and Roman Catholic, with clergy members from various denominations, including in several places Muslim imams. At one meeting in Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, officiated.

First, only the NYT would compare this to a civil rights movement. Sorry, but in America you only have civil rights if you're a lawful resident or citizen. (So the Democrats want terrorists to have civil rights, too, but that's another story...)

Second, "broad immigration legislation"? That's liberal-speak for "amnesty." Last time I checked America is still governed by rule of law, and we do have immigration laws in place for law-abiding immigrants to go through a process in order to obtain residency and citizenship. Millions of immigrants do it. Why can't these illegals? If the President and Congress have their way, these illegal immigrants get to take the easy and cheap way out.

Third, why don't we say what this is really about? Much like the other bailouts involving trillions of taxpayers money, illegal immigration amnesty is just indirect vote buying. This isn't just luring voters. This would actually create voters! And guess which party they'll likely to vote for?

Obama's sensitive diplomacy is idiotic

President Obama is afraid that accepting a sincere invitation from French President Nicolas Sarkozy to visit Normandy would offend the Germans and British. According to the Telegraph:

"During this trip, we wanted to maintain a balance between the British, German and France". A White House spokesman in London declined to comment. Last month, White House officials briefed that a Normandy visit had been considered but it had not been logistically possible.

Mr Obama will arrive in Strasbourg on Friday for the Nato summit. He will hold a meeting with Mr Sarkozy and a brief press appearance in Strasbourg and then fly to Baden-Baden to do exactly the same with Chancellor Merkel of Germany. He will then fly to Prague on Saturday.

This is so Obama, the celebrity. He thinks the presidency is a popularity contest. Since he gave the speech at the DNC as the junior Senator of Illinois, the mainstream media has been treating him like a king, and he really does think he's a global celebrity these days. He'll do anything to stay as the most likable world leader, even at the cost of showing his unprincipled diplomacy skills to the press.

When one of America's foremost European allies invites you to visit a historic site, it's a no-brainer. If for whatever reason the invitation is to be declined, you don't say it's for the sake of being sensitive to other nations. Come on, we're all adults, we've already learned from history and understand that life isn't fair.

What would he say if America suffers another Islamist terrorist attack? Would he refrain from issuing a statement for fear of offending the millions of Muslims in the world? His views on diplomacy is amateurish at best. I sure hope he has it in his heart knowing that America is great because it's not afraid to offend.

Sham bill: D.C. House Voting Rights Act

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) is sponsoring this bill, along with a bunch of other Democratic Senators and a couple of RINOs, to give the people of Washington, D.C. a House representative because their voices need to be heard blah-blah-blah...

Never mind that Article I Section 2 of the Constitution clearly states that only states can have members in the House:

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

D.C. is not a state. D.C. does not have a state legislature. So why are Congressmen sponsoring such a bill which blatantly violates the Supreme Law of the Land? I mean, how can this even be constitutional if passed?

Congressional Black Caucus politicking in Cuba

You think the North Korean nuts are demanding attention? I give you the Congressional Black Caucus. No, these black Congressmen are not shooting missiles, but they fly to communist Cuba to cozy up with the Castro brothers. Maybe the socialists and communists are exchanging ideas on how to better their respective countries. I'm waiting on the day that Islamofascists are invited to the meeting too.

The PUMA Weeniemobile: Detroit nails its own coffin

Say hello to PUMA, the Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility project from General Motors with the help of Segway. Obama doesn't think the G.M. Volt could save the company, so he "kindly" asks for a replacement project, and it's going to be PUMA. Oh yes, that's what happens when the government runs an auto company. The Volt was generating a lot of buzz, and G.M. poured so much time and money into the project, but now we have to look forward to PUMA.

Fierce sounding name, but it's just a glorified Segway. Top speed: 35 mph for 35 miles. That means commuters will have to wake up another hour early just to make it in time to the office. That is, if PUMA drivers don't get killed by SUVs and trucks first. And hoping the weather is balmy.

Seriously, nobody in Detroit would even want to drive this. Do you know how cold it gets in Detroit?

I want to see a picture of the President sitting in one of these ugly things. He ought to take the lead in endorsing this product.

Obama should re-read the Declaration of Independence

I get it: Obama wants to define his presidency as one of tolerance, unity, and change. That's probably why he made a global fool of himself while speaking in Turkey:

President Obama told reporters in Turkey that America is not defined by any one religion. "I've said before that one of the great strengths of the United States is, although as I mentioned we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values," said the president.

Is he not fan of U.S. history and our Founding Fathers? The Declaration of Independence, which founded the country, contains the words "God" and "Creator" and "Divine Providence." Look at the U.S. currency: "In God We Trust." Many leaders end their speeches with "God bless America"...

We are a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values and are not afraid to stand up for God (unless you're a President worried about how Muslims perceive you).

Chinese national plotted to help Iran with nukes

Chinese financier Le Wang Fei is indicted on 118 counts for using U.S. banks to help Tehran get materials for nuclear weapons. He set up shell entities and false identifies to open accounts in all the major N.Y. banks like Mellon, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia, Bank of America, and Standard Charter Bank.

Chance of extradition? I don't know, but Beijing has always been close to Tehran. Maybe the Chinese government is involved in this as well. Beijing will do anything to throw Washington off balance in the global grab for power.

Muslims don't want nearby restaurant to serve alcohol

Oh, please. America is a free country, and that's why Muslims can worship freely and build mosques. And because it's a free country, that's why restaurants can serve alcoholic beverages, sweet beverages, bland beverages, and all sorts of other drinks.

Of course, these guys claim that

...the protest isn't an attack on drinking in general, just a call for buffer zones for religious establishments.

"People may say 'we may not want to go to this mosque' if it's not a good environment," Sidiqqi said. "You want an area where you can bring your kids or your family."

Hill counters that mosque-goers are unlikely to be disturbed by noise or patrons from his restaurant. The entrances are on opposites sides of the two buildings, and Hill said that he has offered to work with mosque board members during the holy period of Ramadan, when Knoxville-area Muslims often pray at the mosque late into the night.

I mean, if it were a hog farm near the mosque, then okay I may call that insensitive (but not illegal). But come on, let the gentleman open his restaurant in peace!

Harold and Kumar go to White House, indeed

With all the crisis facing the nation, the White House apparently thinks it's important to have a liaison between the administration and Hollywood:

WASHINGTON -- The White House has hired actor Kal Penn as a liaison between President Barack Obama's administration and Hollywood.

White House spokesman Shin Inouye said Tuesday that the actor who has a recurring role on Fox's TV show "House" and has starred in several movies would join the staff as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison. His role will be to connect Obama with the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities, as well as arts and entertainment groups.

Penn starred as Kumar in the movie, "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

Penn was an Obama supporter during the campaign. The White House says a start date for Penn hasn't been set.

The hire was first reported by Entertainment Weekly.

Seriously? Many already consider Hollywood an extension of Washington in the west with all the liberals talking trash about the military and the environmentally unfriendly conservatives. Al Franken as Senator, Kal Penn as liaison... what next? Maybe Bono is looking for a job in D.C.

Successful D.C. voucher program killed, of course it doesn't affect Obama's kids

The D.C. school voucher program has been a success story in the country's often grim education system. This program allows disadvantaged D.C. children in failing schools to attend others to get a good education.

But the Senate killed the program. Worse yet, the White House and senators knew from a report how successful the D.C. program has been, and they delayed the release of the report until after killing the program.

The children of these politicians, including the First Daughters, won't be affected by this for obvious reasons. Poor minority kids are the ones who will suffer. Whatever happened to President Obama's promise on improving education for all children?

Blame the teacher's unions. Blame their lobbyists. Blame their cozy relations with the Democrats. Blame those Democratic Senators whose only concern is staying in power -- not the welfare of children.

The religion of peace?

Muslims in Egypt, followers of the religion of peace, certainly has a violent way of showing it to their Baha'i brothers.

High taxes will turn NYC into a dump

New York City is a great place to visit and to live. It's one of the top American cities which attracts millions of tourists per year. The Big Apple, in some ways, embodies what many others think of America.

But all that greatness may soon disappear as Gov. Paterson and the state legislature prepare to increase taxes, especially for those earning over $250,000 annually. Talk show giant Rush Limbaugh has already voiced his displeasure with this and contemplates relocating to Texas for a backup studio (he spends only a few days in NYC per year). The governor doesn't seem to mind the negative publicity Limbaugh has inflicted on the city.

Does the governor think New York is so great that people simply won't leave the state because of high taxes? Hopefully he knows that there are 49 other states competing against N.Y., and a few of them without state income taxes. When the wealthy decides to leave the state, they take with them not only the tax revenues, but also job creation and consumption power.

When the next election is up we'll find out how Gov. Paterson fare with this move. My prediction: a new governor.

Obama refusing repayment of TARP

Why would the White House refuse TARP repayment from banks? After all, it's millions and trillions of dollars we're talking about, not exactly pocket change.

Could it be that the administration wants to maintain power over these TARP recipients? This is very troublesome to know. It clearly shows the administration intends to push its own economic agenda to these financial institutions, and by now many of them are regretting to ever have received these government funds.

What's happening now is that the bank executives actually work for the federal government. These banks are no longer serving consumers, but rather serving its master, the gigantic federal government. The government will now dictate who runs the banks, who to lend money to, the interest rate, etc. Does that sound like a healthy banking system?

Obama cannot charm his way to NATO hearts

Realizing that he was wrong about our victory in Iraq, President Obama has sought to make his military mark in Afghanistan with the help of NATO allies. Unfortunately, his efforts fall short:

Gordon Brown was the only one to offer substantial help. He offered to send several hundred extra British soldiers to provide security during the August election, but even that fell short of the thousands of combat troops that the US was hoping to prise from the Prime Minister.

Just two other allies made firm offers of troops. Belgium offered to send 35 military trainers and Spain offered 12. Mr Obama’s host, Nicolas Sarkozy, refused his request.
...
Germany, Italy, Poland, Canada and Denmark said that they were considering their positions. After a meeting with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, Mr Obama tried to apply further moral pressure. “I am sure that Germany, as one of the most important leaders in Europe, will be stepping up to the plate and helping us to get the job done.”

This isn't being widely reported by the mainstream media as part of the President's hyped European G-20 tour. Why? Because it makes Obama look bad. But why aren't our European allies stepping up to the plate on Afghanistan? When Poland, Canada, and Denmark, typically our staunchest allies, still have to "think about it," then there's something very wrong.

Has the threat of the Taliban and its terror-support network diminished? Hardly. In fact, intelligence and military analysts have documented a growing Taliban.

Is the world just too caught up with the global economic recession? Maybe so, but why didn't these allies offer a few troops even as a gesture of support in the Afghan engagement?

The heart of the problem is that these world leaders see right through President Obama. They see that he was wrong about Iraq, so what makes them to be confident about his strategy in Afghanistan? They know that the President lacks foreign policy experience (they still remember his first European tour as a presidential candidate) and is trying to find a footing in that area. I think they believe that Obama is just politicking this to strengthen his reputation at home and abroad.

NATO's response would certainly have been different if it were President Bush.

Obama thinks he's protecting bank CEOs

"My administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks." That's the message the President gave to bank CEOs during a meeting at the White House. This is interesting and sheds light into this administration's psyche.

First, the administration thinks it is rescuing the banks and serving the people. Nobody disagrees that the banks are in trouble. Many people are angry. But the actions of the administration so far really does not have Americans' interest in mind. The Treasury is pouring money into an ailing financial system, what many thinks is just propping up a dead body. The government is removing the risk from the banks, and that is detrimental to a healthy capitalism. Wall Street rose to become a world financial center not because the entrepreneurs and executives avoided risk, but how they took risks and reaped the rewards.

The trillions of dollars injected into the system are sending the country into an abyss of debt, and ironically Communist China is the one hoarding U.S. treasuries. The well-being of future American generations now lay in the hands of Red China.

Secondly, it is clear the administration, along with the liberal Democrats' control of the Legislative branch, are taking advantage of our financial vulnerability to expand their powers. Congress has passed laws that members and the public had no time to scrutinize, giving the Treasury unprecedented powers over corporations receiving government money. Executive compensations are limited, and CEOs and board members are appointed by Washington.

Third, the fear mongering has driven some people to irrationally despise everything Wall Street. Never mind how Wall Street has helped the country to become a world economic power. Never mind how Wall Street has made money for countless investors. And never mind how Wall Street has provided the millions of jobs for Americans and even foreigners. The fear mongering merely deflects the attention that should be given to the perils of government intervention, namely Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. This two-headed monster in the course of a few decades brought the housing market to its knees today. And not surprisingly, the main political benefactors from Freddie and Fannie and from this crisis, have been Democrats and their sprawling entitlement programs...

Sorry, President Obama. You are arrogant to think that your administration is protecting these CEOs from the population.

Burleson, TX tries to cancel tea party

The city of Burleson in Texas thinks the tea party is "not in the public interest." Thanks to FreedomWorks for the tip. Now go and give Burleson a piece of your mind!

Tedisco leads for now

Some good news in the NY-20 special election as Jim Tedisco (R) takes a razor-thin lead of just 12 votes!

Before Obama, America hasn't bowed to a foreign king since 1776

President Obama, the 46-year-old political virgin, submits to Saudi King Abdullah at G20. This is the first time since 1776 that America bowed to a foreign king. Way to go, Sir. And the teleprompter didn't even tell him to do that...

Keeping score at the White House

President Obama to Rep. Peter DeFazio: "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother."

It's a subtle warning to the Congressman about his vote against the stimulus bill, and a reminder that this White House keeps tabs on such breaks with the administration.

Will this turn off some Democratic House and Senate members? When Obama was elected, both House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) spoke out publicly that they do not work for the President, so I wonder if they are keeping score on the White House, too?

Her Majesty receives video iPod from Obama, loaded with his voice

Well, it's better than what P.M. Gordon Brown received (25 DVDs not playable in the U.K.).

An example of what to expect with government-run health care

Patients from V.A. clinics in Tennessee and Georgia are infected with hepatitis and other viruses, and the number could rise. The infections are due to using unsterilized equipment! That's the quality government health care you'll get if the system is nationalized.

Congressman introduces bill to fund underprivileged bankers and realtors

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) plans on April 1 to introduce legislation to further boost the economy and assist the unemployed, especially those in the middle class who work in the financial and housing sectors. His Funding Underprivileged Bankers And Realtors (FUBAR) Act of 2009 would require troubled bankers and realtors to turn over a majority of their assets to the government in exchange for amnesty from any federal investigation and wrongdoing. Plus the bill promises not to conduct embarrassing public hearings of those who opt for FUBAR, even those who have owed back taxes and wouldn't pay for a decent CPA to file tax returns.

The bill is already meeting resistance from House Republicans, but Democrats are confident that they have enough votes to pass it because, well, they have the majority. President Obama has voiced his support of FUBAR, jokingly citing that he's honored to have part of his first name in this bill, as he slowly turns away from the big screen TV to take more questions at a joint press conference with Rep. Frank.

Conservatives, keep up the good fight (but also keep a sense of humor)! We must defeat this bill. Call your Congressman today (April 1st) -- America must say No to FUBAR before it's too late...

HuckPAC relaunches today! (No April Fool's joke!)

Got word that HuckPAC will relaunch with a new design on April 1 at 3:00pm EST! As far as I know it's not an April Fool's joke! We all know Gov. Huckabee has a great sense of humor, but I'm sure he doesn't take lightly something like this. :-)

And let's give the Governor a round of applause for helping Jim Tedisco in his NY-20 race as well as traveling with Bob McDonnell on the start of his gubernatorial campaign trail.

So again, remember to check out the new HuckPAC later this afternoon!

No April Fool's: Another tax cheat Obama nominee

Poor President Obama, he's still trying so hard to find the right person for the Health and Human Services secretary job and just settled on Kathleen Sebelius, but now the Associated Press has a letter about her paying $7,000 in back taxes for 2005-2007. Did she use TurboTax too? Or maybe sought tax advice from Tim Geithner?

This is getting r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s.

GOP distancing from Gov. Palin?

Should some staff members of Gov. Palin's office be fired? Or is there a deeper meaning in all of this? The annual Senate-House GOP dinner to be held in June now turns to Newt Gingrich as its keynote speaker instead of the Alaskan governor.

Hopefully this is just an amateurish mistake made between her PAC and her staff in the governor's office. The GOP should not distance itself from the former V.P. nominee. She still has star power and a loyal following among conservatives.

NY-20 race too close to call

The result of the first election after Obama's inauguration is still undetermined. Murphy (D) leads Tedisco (R) by just a handful of votes and now thousands of absentee ballots will come into play. This special election in the blue state of New York is viewed by many to be a gauge on the popularity of the President and his economic policies. Republicans are hoping to see an early victory before the mid-term elections come up.

Jim Tedisco FTW!