Blog Heap o'Links for June 2011

On May 11, Judge Clark Waddoups, presiding in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Central Division, gave FBI officials until Thursday to complete several tasks related to Salt Lake City lawyer Jesse Trentadue's quest for answers related to the Oklahoma City Bombing and the death of his brother, Kenneth Trentadue, who died under suspicious circumstances several months later while in custody at the U.S. Bureau of Prisons Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City. Jesse Trentadue suspects the FBI will respond to the judge's order in one of four ways:

a mysterious, ongoing nationwide terrorism investigation with an unusual target: prominent peace activists and politically active labor organizers. The probe — involving subpoenas to 23 people and raids of seven homes last fall — has triggered a high-powered protest against the Department of Justice and, in the process, could create some political discomfort for President Obama with his union supporters as he gears up for his reelection campaign. The apparent targets are concentrated in the Midwest, including Chicagoans who crossed paths with Obama when he was a young state senator and some who have been active in labor unions that supported his political rise. as terrorists. The apparent targets, all vocal and visible critics of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and South America, deny any ties to terrorism. They say the government, using its post-9/11 focus on terrorism as a pretext, is targeting them for their political views.

The conspiracy of silence surrounding the disclosure of who is responsible for the violent racist mob violence and the fact that people are being urged NOT to protect themselves undermines the security of ALL Americans. People KNOW what's going on, and the refusal of those in the public eye to honestly address it is not only going to cause the violence to continue but it will also stoke whole new level of suspicion and animosity between people of different ethnicities. This thing has the potential to undermine all the progress this country has made over the years in race relations. More innocent people, of all colors, are going to get hurt.

The fall guy designated to short-circuit Rep. Darrell Issa's investigation of the "Gun Walker" outrage, acting ATF director Ken Melson, has noticed the open grave yawning at his feet, and apparently doesn't feel like jumping in. According to the L.A. Times, Melson is "strongly resisting pressure to step down," and is "reportedly eager to testify to Congress about the extent of his and other officials' involvement in the operation."

The fall guy designated to short-circuit Rep. Darrell Issa's investigation of the "Gun Walker" outrage, acting ATF director Ken Melson, has noticed the open grave yawning at his feet, and apparently doesn't feel like jumping in. According to the L.A. Times, Melson is "strongly resisting pressure to step down," and is "reportedly eager to testify to Congress about the extent of his and other officials' involvement in the operation."

Rep. Michele Bachmann kicked off her presidential campaign on Monday in Waterloo, Iowa, and in one interview surrounding the official event she promised to mimic the spirit of Waterloo's own John Wayne. The only problem, as one eagle-eyed reader notes: Waterloo's John Wayne was not the beloved movie star, but rather John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer.

Tonight, around 11 p.m., a group of at least 60-70 African American youth marched down one of the side streets (W. Thrush) to the 4 lane main drag (Sheridan). They were yelling threats to white residents. Things such as we need to kill alll the white people around here. They were physically intimidating anyone calling for help from the police. They were surrounding cars. Cars on the main drag had to slam on their brakes to either avoid the youth blocking not only all four lanes, but a large section of the side street as well. fights were breaking out among them. They were rushing residents who looked out their doors, going on to porches, yelling threats to people calling the police for help.

It looks like the rest of America is starting to get a taste of the type of racism that I witnessed for decades and even was a victim of, although nobody would do a damned thing to stop it or even acknowledge that it existed because calling it what it is would be considered "racist". I am talking about hateful, vicious and violent black racism.

Some sixty years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began the process of taming the Missouri by constructing a series of six dams. The idea was simple: massive dams at the top moderating flow to the smaller dams below, generating electricity while providing desperately needed control of the river's devastating floods. ... The Clinton administration threw its support behind the change, officially shifting the priorities of the Missouri River dam system from flood control, facilitation of commercial traffic, and recreation to habitat restoration, wetlands preservation, and culturally sensitive and sustainable biodiversity.... Greg Pavelka, a wildlife biologist with the Corps of Engineers in Yankton, SD, told the Seattle Times that this event will leave the river in a "much more natural state than it has seen in decades," describing the epic flooding as a "prolonged headache for small towns and farmers along its path, but a boon for endangered species." He went on to say, "The former function of the river is being restored in this one-year event. In the short term, it could be detrimental, but in the long term it could be very beneficial."

So, my reflections upon having returned to New York from Dearborn after this eventful weekend: during the entire time I spent at the Arab International Festival, my overall sense was one of unease because of a palpable feeling that bad things were happening all around me. I came to the conclusion that Dearborn is a very, very bad place. It is lost. It is no longer part of America. It is a primary source of a virus that is spreading throughout this country -- of which the school situation in Farmington Hills is a perfect example. It is very easy to be discouraged. The Islamists are totally relentless; if we beat them in one place, they ooze out somewhere else. Furthermore, their greatest allies are Jews and other leftists who mistakenly think that they will escape the fire if only they show the Islamists that they "love" them. The words "fairness" and "multi-culturalism" have been twisted into potent weapons against western culture and civilization with the aid of useful idiots who enable the Islamists to hide their true nature. There is an all-important lesson from this weekend for all who care about preserving American culture: wake up! If you were to travel to Dearborn, the "belly of the beast," you would no longer have doubts concerning the danger that we face.

A Russian woman died from a heart attack ought on by the shock of waking up at her own funeral.

Satellite pictures in January revealed this community was living near the border with Peru. A flight expedition over the area in April confirmed that they are about 200 in numbers.... The community and its four straw-roofed huts were spotted in the Javari Valley, which is believed to be hiding around 2000 uncontacted tribes in the world....

As Mexico and other foreign countries sue the state of Georgia for its new illegal immigration law and Pres. Obama is attempting to ram through the DREAM Act, all sorts of chaos is ensuing at the southern U.S. border.

A shocking report prepared by Russia's Federal Atomic Energy Agency (FAAE) on information provided to them by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) states that the Obama regime has ordered a "total and complete" news blackout relating to any information regarding the near catastrophic meltdown of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant located in Nebraska. According to this report, the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant suffered a "catastrophic loss of cooling" to one of its idle spent fuel rod pools on 7 June after this plant was deluged with water caused by the historic flooding of the Missouri River which resulted in a fire causing the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) to issue a "no-fly ban" over the area. [h/t to Zilla http://zillablog.marezilla.com/2011/06/did-obama-order-news-blackout-ove...

Obama's illegal war in Libya is costing us nearly $9.5 million every single day. Congress held two votes on June 24, 2011 regarding Obama's Libyan Lunacy. The first vote admonished Obama for his illegal war in Libya and the House overwhelmingly spanked Captain WTF, with 70 Democrats joining in, including progressive Congressman Jerrold Nadler, from New York City, who said that Obama was becoming an "absolute monarch". (H/T The Lonely Conservative) The second vote was to de-fund Obama's illegal war in Libya (where he has our troops helping al qaeda and other jihadis who have a history of helping to kill Americans). That vote failed, thanks in part to the 89 Republicans who joined 149 Democrats in voting against the measure. (See who voted how HERE) http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll494.xml ... Darryl Issa, Allen West, Michele Bachmann and Paul Ryan voted arm in arm support with Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and the other rabid progressives to continue this constitutional violation and allow President Obama to continue violating the law.

Some factions just won't accept shrinking the size of government. Most in them run in the same tight circles as Geithner. Never hearing anything other than support for increasing the size of government, they assume that's what Americans want. But quite a few Americans have been wanting to cut government for decades, and that number is growing as the almost intractable problems created by overspending have become more obvious.

American Crossroads, a conservative outside spending group, announced it's starting a $20 million ad campaign to hammer President Obama's economic policies. The group, which was co-founded by former Bush strategist Karl Rove, said Friday it would run ads over the next two months both nationally and locally in several states that will be key in the 2012 election.

US commodity regulators were examining Friday whether word of a decision to coordinate a release of global oil stockpiles was leaked ahead of Thursday's announcement by the International Energy Agency

Our secretary of state questions the patriotism of those criticizing the administration's Libyan policy and disregard of the War Powers Act. Remember when dissent was the highest form of patriotism?

Quit is a strong word, I know. Everyone I've talked to has repeated that I've had a marvelous career and that I've retired with honor. Maybe that's true on paper; I guess that it's reflected by the record. But that's not how I feel. I feel like I've quit. And because I'm not a quitter, I feel I have to explain why — not that anyone is asking, but because perhaps they don't know to ask.

"Throughout my service, first as a senator and then as a presidential candidate and then as a President, I've always run into you guys. And for some reason it's always in some rough spots. First time I saw 10th Mountain Division, you guys were in southern Iraq. When I went back to visit Afghanistan, you guys were the first ones there. I had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn't receiving it posthumously." The problem is, Jared Monti was killed in action in Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, September 17, 2009. President Obama handed the framed medal to his parents, Paul and Janet Monti. He and the First Lady comforted them in the Oval Office following the ceremony.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told the House Small Business Committee on Wednesday that the Obama administration believes taxes on small business must increase so the administration does not have to "shrink the overall size of government programs." [Getting it exactly backwards. But thanks for the connection. Let's cut taxes on small business!]

"My favorite? Oh, this is a tough one. It is tough, you know, because if I say something not healthy, people will be, like, you aren't really committed to health. If I say something healthy, you know -- I do -- honestly, I like all kinds of foods. [Indian food ... Mexican food ...] No, if I picked one favorite, favorite food, it's French fries. (laughter) Okay? It's French fries. I can't stop eating them. (laughter) But eat your vegetables. (laughter) And exercise." [Cringe! (no laughter)]

C'mon, Baby! [He never looked more realistic.]

A "National State of Emergency" is national martial law plain and simple, other than in name. We were in a national state of emergency from 1939 to 1945 for World War II and from 1950 to 1978 for the Cold War. We are now in a national state of emergency and have been since September 2001. It's administered discreetly and with softened edges, but martial law it is. It's been made largely unobtrusive but forbearance is always at their pleasure, not ours. When the federal government declares a national state of emergency the lead agency is the Department of Homeland Security, under the direction of the Commander In Chief. It's why the TSA can grope you and your kids with impunity, it's why local police have been equipped with combat gear and armored vehicles and fill-in-the-blank search warrants, it's why the armed forces train for urban warfare and nation-building rather than to defeat other armies or repel invasion. ... Here is what to expect under "worst case scenario" martial law ....

A group of hackers that has claimed attacks on websites run by the U.S. Senate and the Central Intelligence Agency posted a cache of documents from Arizona police, calling it a protest against a controversial state law. ... LulzSec, as the group commonly refers to itself, said the posting of the documents was a protest of Arizona's SB1070, controversial state legislation that critics say is anti-immigration. The key provision of the law has been frozen because of legal challenges. ...

Although Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has championed women's rights from Azerbaijan to Zambia, it took her weeks to respond to an appeal to publicly support a campaign by Saudi women to be permitted to drive. Even then, her comments on Tuesday came not of her own initiative, but in response to a question at a press availability — and after Saudi women activists and journalists had questioned her public silence on the subject.

Metro has responded to 339 calls for service in the first half of 2011 involving a suspicious person, package, bomb threat or similar condition, according to the transit agency. That's almost two cases every day. ... It was not immediately clear how many — if any — of the 339 cases involved actual bombs or credible threats.

The metal object that killed a Waterbury woman while she was riding in a sport utility vehicle on Interstate 95 south in Greenwich on Saturday was a locking pin that likely flew off a one-ton dump truck, State Police said Wednesday. Investigators at Troop G in Bridgeport are trying to uncover what happened around 12:34 p.m. that led to the object smashing through the windshield of a 2003 Ford Escape and striking the victim, Sara Betancourt, who was sitting in the front passenger seat....

Chicago's new top cop says the accessibility to firearms in America is an extension "of government-sponsored racism" that goes back to the days of slavery and Jim Crow. ... said the topic of race is a sensitive issue "because everybody's afraid of race" but that he wasn't afraid to broach the subject. ... "Now I want you to connect one more dot on that chain of the African American history in this country, and tell me if I'm crazy. Federal gun laws that facilitate the flow of illegal firearms, into our urban centers across this country, that are killing our black and brown children," he said. "The NRA does not like me, and I'm okay with that. We've got to get the gun debate back to center, and it's got to come with the recognition of who's paying the price for the gun manufacturers being rich and living in gated communities," McCarthy said. McCarthy illustrated his point by recalling a crime scene investigation while he was a police official in Newark, New Jersey where five children were shot, two of whom were killed. McCarthy said when he got home, he turned on his television to unwind and found an episode of "Sarah Palin's Alaska" showing. "She was caribou hunting and talking about the right to bear arms. Why wasn't she at the crime scene with me?" [Uh... okay, I'll tell you. You're crazy. "Say Anything!" continues. WTF???]

Those who belong to the conservative movement known as the Tea Party are acutely aware of the power of popular culture, so they have been cautiously delving into the creation of entertainment that promotes their values. It usually manifests itself in snippets of online political parody. Coming Sunday, though, is perhaps the most ambitious effort yet: A "TV show" created by a couple of Tea Partiers who have formed their own production company. The one-hour drama is called Courage, New Hampshire, and it premiers Sunday at a movie theater in Monrovia, Calif. Co-hosting the red carpet activities are Saturday Night Live alumna Victoria Jackson and radio personality Tony Katz, both of whom regularly speak at Tea Party rallies.

A 62-year-old Holiday woman missing for four days was found Tuesday afternoon neck deep in mud and tangled in mangroves along the shore of a lake. ... a pedestrian... heard faint cries for help.

Al Gore: "One of the things we could do about [the absurd notion he's still pushing of human-induced global warming] is to change the technologies, to put out less of this pollution, to stabilize the population, and one of the principle ways of doing that is to empower and educate girls and women. You have to have ubiquitous availability of fertility management so women can choose how many children have, the spacing of the children. You have to lift child survival rates so that parents feel comfortable having small families and most important — you have to educate girls and empower women. And that's the most powerful leveraging factor, and when that happens, then the population begins to stabilize and societies begin to make better choices and more balanced choices." [Someone stick a fork in this blowhard. He's cooked to puffy perfection.]

It's not surprising that it took me so long to discover the extent of my miseducation, because the last thing an elite education will teach you is its own inadequacy. As two dozen years at Yale and Columbia have shown me, elite colleges relentlessly encourage their students to flatter themselves for being there, and for what being there can do for them.

During his remarks to troops at Fort Drum today, the President was reminiscing about the times he has spent with the US Army's 10th Mountain Division, when he got something wrong. "...Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn't receiving it posthumously." ... Jared Monti was killed in action in Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously ....

Sheer Quackery [graphic]

What is this incessant need and desire of the President to continually inform the enemies of the United States of our military intentions?

A regular Hawaii golfing buddy and Punahou School friend of President Barack Obama was among four people arrested Monday night during a prostitution sting operation in Kakaako by Honolulu police. Waialua resident Robert Richard "Bobby" Titcomb, 49, was arrested at South and Pohukaina streets at 9:40 p.m. Monday.

The California Federation of Teachers produced the perfect solution with "Trouble in the Hen House: A Puppet Show." To spare you the unpleasantness of reading this bilge, here's the basic plot: a bunch of hens feel "oppressed" by the farmer, so they band together and create Hens United. The angry unionized chickens are too powerful a force for the farmer to handle, so he capitulates to the hens' demands.

In Defense of 'Hurtful' Speech Yesterday was a beautiful day for freedom of speech in the Netherlands. An Amsterdam court acquitted me of all charges of hate speech after a legal ordeal that lasted almost two years. Yesterday, the Dutch people learned that political debate has not been stifled in their country. They learned that they are still allowed to speak critically about Islam and that resistance against Islamization is not a crime. ... It has been a tenet in European and American thinking that men are only free when they respect each other's freedom. If the courts can no longer guarantee this, then surely a community is in the process of dissolution. -Geert Wilders

Seriously, this piece in Time Magazine is either utter bullsh-t, or he is literally incapable of reading and understanding the words of the Constitution and other related laws. I was so stunned to read this drivel in Time Magazine that I then looked up who the hell Richard Stengel is, and apparently he is their Managing Editor! And by the time you are done reading this post you will be stunned with the cluelessness on display.

Nearly ten years after islamic terrorists hijacked planes and used them to murder 3000 innocent people on our own soil, we have the freaking TSA destroying evidence in a criminal investigation of an islamic terrorist threat.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Wednesday escalated his standoff with the Department of Justice over a gun-tracking program that might have contributed to the death of federal agent. As the family of slain ATF agent Brian Terry pleaded for justice, Issa said officials should be "ashamed" for handing over heavily redacted documents about the program.

If they're not stumping for him and serving as an unofficial economic advisor during the 2008 campaign or footing the bill for his swearing-in ceremony, they're accommodating the 2012 campaign with special deals involving their new advertising product.

Was Mrs. Weiner (Huma Abedin), the Deputy Chief of Staff to Hillary Clinton unaware that her mother was reported as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood? Did western media miss what has been REVEALED in several Arab newspapers, which remained SECRET in American government circles?

The lethal fallout from a botched operation by the US Department of Justice which allowed almost 2,000 illegally purchased firearms to be transported from the streets of Arizona to drug gangs in Mexico has been laid bare in a scathing Congressional report, which concludes that it resulted in countless deaths. A mixture of arrogance, over-confidence, and staggering ineptitude by the Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives [ATF] was outlined in a 51-page investigation by two Republican members of a House panel charged with getting to the bottom of what went wrong during a two-year operation called "Fast and Furious".

On Friday, the Obama administration issued a memo announcing that federal immigration officials do not have to deport illegal aliens if they are enrolled in any type of education program, if their family members have volunteered for U.S. military service, or even if they are pregnant or nursing. This new policy of "prosecutorial discretion" was quietly announced on Friday afternoon, and completely ignored by the mainstream press.

Several Democrat strategists candidly admit that the president has not been very effective at communicating in a manner that reaches voters. "They do not believe he shares their values and their concerns," conceded one. Simple things, such as Obama not receiving economic briefings for more than a month, make voters scratch their heads -- especially when the jobs data are anything but optimistic. Obama will be a formidable force against whatever Republican emerges from the GOP primaries. Beating an incumbent is never easy. Yet no modern president has won re-election when unemployment was at 8 percent or higher. Most economists predict joblessness will still be above that number on Election Day 2012.

Say what you will about President Barack Obama, but when he misrepresents the truth, no matter how much evidence surfaces to the contrary, he stands by his falsehoods.... In the first paragraph of an exclusive Father's Day essay for People Magazine, Obama continues the fiction that his father, Barack Obama Sr., "left when I was two years old."... If the president persists in lying about the first few years of his life, why should we accept his account of the first few days?

[Obama] then told everyone fill up on the food offerings that included hot dogs, hamburgers, fried chicken and funnel cake. "I want you guys to eat until you can't eat any more. All right?" he said. And perhaps because his wife was right there, Obama added, "And then tomorrow you can 'Let's Move.'"

White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer told the Netroots Nation blog conference this morning that the Barack Obama never filled out the 1996 questionnaire, when he was running for the Illinois legislature, in which he averred that he supports gay marriage. The questionnaire - two questionnaires in fact - have been out there for years - 15 years in fact - and it has caused the President, who now claims to oppose marriage equality for gay couples, a good amount of heartburn as reporters, such as the Blade's Chris Johnson, keep asking the White House it.

Yes, he's historic, alright. [A horrifying list of Obama's "firsts"]

it is the left which wants to control everything that goes on in every other room in the house to include the kitchen and garage... proposed "voluntary" regulation by the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.... calls for voluntary compliance, but apparently there's also a proposed penalty for those foods which aren't reformulated... "If the food is not reformulated, no more ads or promotions on TV, radio, in print, on websites, as well as other digital advertising such as e-mail and text messaging, packaging, and point-of-purchase displays and other in-store marketing tools; product placement in movies, videos, video games, contests, sweepstakes, character licensing and toy branding; sponsorship of events including sport teams and individual athletes; and, philanthropic activity tied to branding opportunities...." Between the EPA, the Department of Interior, and now this bunch, the war on US businesses continues apace. Choice — the lost concept of freedom.

A 7-year-old Michigan boy barefoot and in pajamas drove a car for 20 miles, sometimes hitting speeds of 50 mph, before finally slowing down and stopping with the help of authorities.

The chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee harshly attacked on Tuesday proposed new rules from the National Labor Relations Board designed to drastically shorten the period workers have to consider a vote to join a union.

U.S. officials say Pakistan failed another test to prove it could be trusted to go after American enemies on its soil by intentionally or inadvertently tipping off militants at two more bomb-building factories in its tribal areas, giving the suspected terrorists time to flee.

Socialism, like the old policy from which it emanates, confounds government and society. And so, every time we object to a thing being done by government, it concludes that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of education by the state — then we are against education altogether. We object to a state religion — then we would have no religion at all. We object to an equality which is brought about by the state then we are against equality, etc., etc. They might as well accuse us of wishing men not to eat, because we object to the cultivation of corn by the state.

Far more disturbing than the salacious details of Weiner's dalliances is the fact that apparently his mother-in-law is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. ... How is it that the Western media, with its hourly analyses of Weiner, missed this salient point, yet Arab news sources revealed this connection? ... Why are so many at the highest levels of American government ignoring the methodology of Islamists like Gulen, who has declared that the best way to seize power is to lie in wait "with the patience of a spider" in order to "wait for people to get caught in the web"? Is Clinton so nave? Thus, Huma Abedin's position with Clinton in the State Department, as well as her marriage to Representative Weiner, has given her enormous exposure "to state secrets and access to the inner workings of Congress." This would be unsettling enough if it were not also for Obama's latest appointee. The 44th president has just appointed Azizah al-Hibri to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Al-Hibri believes that sharia law is superior to American law. Yet, al-Hibri is only one of the pro-sharia adherents that Obama has placed in influential positions since he became president. Dalia Mogahed was one of the earliest appointees and as Nonie Darwish has written, "[t]he empowerment of Radical Islam under the Obama administration" is extremely disturbing. Last year, Obama appointed two devout Muslims to Homeland Security.....

We've tracked down satellite photos of these unnerving places, based on a report from Forensic Asia Limited. They call it a clear sign of a bubble: "There's city after city full of empty streets and vast government buildings, some in the most inhospitable locations. It is the modern equivalent of building pyramids. With 20 new cities being built every year, we hope to be able to expand our list going forward."

Israeli officials were up in arms Tuesday after Apple cleared for release into the iPhone App Store an application that encourages violent uprising against Israel, and advocates violence against "settlers," generally defined by Arab anti-Israel groups as all residents of Israel. Called "The Third Intifada," the Arabic-language app features articles and stories by radical Arab members of Fatah and Hamas, as well as members of the Palestinian Authority. They discuss strategies to use in fighting IDF soldiers, and glorify acts of violence that have already taken place. The app also features photos and images of Arab youths throwing stones and bombs at Israelis, and a collection of "intifada music" popular in the PA. In addition, it has a social media component, designed to allow activists to organize "flash mobs" on the go, gathering quickly at specific times and places to attack Israelis. [Know the enemy: APPLE]

Pictures of an unhealthy horse in Bartlesville are spreading across the internet. The owner says his reputation is being ruined because people are accusing him of animal cruelty, but that's just not the case. "She got bred by an accident, she's 24 years old and now she's having to nurse a foal, and the foal is pulling her down," says Cecil Moles about the horse in question named Baby.

CHASE KYLA HUNTER has been WARNING US! And SHE, according to her Twitter Profile, is a "Spirit Led Cherokee writer, news blogger. Genetic Clairvoyant. Jesus lover Bible Urantia. Nature mama. True blue conservative. Sun surf wine women & song :-)" YOU probably don't even know what "Urantia" MEANS! NEITHER DID I! Until I LOOKED! I LOOKED and I SAW!!! [Sarcasm much?]

Glamour girl Abedin accesses our most sensitive national secrets through her longtime, joined-at-the-hip relationship with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This jihadist penetration into our government's innermost sanctums is A-OK with Bill Clinton, who risibly presided over Abedin's wedding to proud pervert Anthony Weiner. And then there's Clinton's former chief of staff, CIA chief Leon Panetta, who we now discover may be hiding a colorful past of Communist entanglements. Naturally, Panetta's odd choice of friends proved no impediment to his confirmation as Secretary of Defense; the Senate just unanimously approved him. This Unholy Trinity in the news -- Weiner, Abedin, and Panetta -- brings back memories of the many splendored treacheries of the Clinton years. It seems just yesterday that Bill and Hill were guzzling down illegal campaign contributions from China and handing them advanced military technology in exchange for cash. And who can forget the Clintons' most heinous betrayal of all, which was...what, exactly? We'll probably never know because Sandy Berger took care of that. ... When pathetic Anthony Weiner committed a complete Twitter-ectomy of his career, the spotlight suddenly turned on his most curious marriage. A devout Muslim married to a Jew, with no repercussions from the excitable elements back home. An elegant sylph with expensive tastes married to a dorky jerk on government pay. And a rushed romance that seemed oddly timed to suggest a deal: the Clintons' support for Weiner's New York mayoral ambitions, in exchange for him dousing the growing scrutiny of Hillary's unusual relationship with her closest aide. The Muslim Brotherhood's charter explicitly states its plan to infiltrate the infidels' highest ranks. The sad thing is, I don't think our betters are putting up much of a fight; do you? Oh well. Maybe President Palin can order an investigation into how the Muslim Brotherhood penetrated our government. First witnesses: Bill and Hillary Clinton.

An early skirmish for women's votes in 2012 has broken out in the House — among women. A prominent Democrat fired the first shot by claiming that majority Republicans are waging a "war on women." And now, Republican women are returning fire by raising their profiles, making clear what they stand for and, implicitly, who they are not: Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. Neither of the GOP's most visible women rated a mention by a series of House Republican women who on Tuesday defended their party against Democrats. Bachmann, a three-term congresswoman, presidential candidate and chairwoman of the Tea Party Caucus, was not among the speakers on the House floor. Those who did described themselves as every-women who run businesses, farms and families and wove their life stories into a broader narrative designed to help the GOP hang onto its gains among females in the 2010 elections.

The GOP is eager to recapture the Senate majority in the 2012 elections, and party leaders are optimistic about their chances given that 23 Democratic seats are up for grabs and a half-dozen of those races are considered toss-ups. Republicans need five additional seats to take effective control of the chamber. The GOP captured control of the House last year. But the restless electorate the GOP hopes to harness to help win those seats is also threatening longtime Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Richard Lugar of Indiana, who are being targeted in Republican primaries by the Tea Party movement and other conservative groups. Republicans will likely end up retaining those seats, but it may not be Hatch and Lugar who win them.

My self-appointed task as part of the Conservatives4Palin email review has been scanning the emails for notes from other Democrats who support Sarah Palin. I would like this post to be used as a counter-argument that "Democrats will never vote for Palin". Actually, yes they will — and here is proof.

A Father's Day Tribute to Todd Palin… A Man for All Seasons

Now the overall vote. Sarah Palin takes the top spot decisively. Rick Perry holds on to second. Michele Bachmann bounces into third, followed by Herman Cain and Mitt Romney. Compare the disparity between Palin's vote and the votes of Bachmann and Perry, though, and consider that in those head-to-head matchups… the undecideds swing to both of Palin's challengers in huge numbers.

Yesterday, several House Republican women denounced charges that their party is anti-women. They described themselves as pro-family, pro-economic growth, and pro-small business.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said this week he prefers Jon Huntsman to Mitt Romney in the GOP Mormon presidential primary, has taken a lot of money from the Huntsman family, and the former Utah governor appointed Reid's son, Josh, to Utah's Board of Regents. So no wonder Reid said Tuesday, "If I had a choice in that race, I'd choose Huntsman over Romney."

If you liked George Bush, you will love Rick Perry. Every day we in Texas hear disbelieving conservative citizens on local talk radio asking "...is the national media serious about Rick Perry as a conservative president?" Because here in Texas, we know Rick Perry is anything but a conservative.

Old and busted: Rigging elections New hotness: Rigging elections by preventing other people from rigging elections This seems to be the central theme of E.J. Dionne's latest polemic against election reform laws currently being enacted around the country. Of course these efforts at "voter suppression" are cleverly disguised and, to be sure, they aren't taking place everywhere. Just where conservatives are in power.

Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a bill Friday that could have eventually required voters to provide a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot. In the closing days of the legislative session, lawmakers passed an amendment to the state's constitution mandating a photo ID to vote and a bill putting the amendment into practice. Voters will have the final say next year on the amendment, but by vetoing the implementation bill Nixon has prevented the law from going into effect even if it is approved by voters.

Thomas alleges in the lawsuit that he was advised by some superiors that the BPD was a "paramilitary organization" ...

Three firefighters are fired and the Baxter Springs fire chief is placed on administrative leave while an investigation is underway into the looting of Joplin businesses on the night of the May 22nd tornado.

President Obama does any number of things that annoy or downright enrage House Republicans, often in the context of constitutionalism. Now a handful of them, many freshmen who ran on platforms of strict constitutional adherence, are unhappy that the president used a so-called autopen to sign legislation extending the U.S.A. Patriot Act, and have written him a letter demanding that he re-sign the bill. [Note how the Times puts this in terms of the "handful" of "freshmen" Republicans, not in terms of the Constitutional crisis Obama potentially creates ... with practically everything he does, come to think of it.]

"Well, I don't have anything specific," White House press secretary said... "He did not know about or authorize this operation," Carney told the press about President Obama's lack of involvement....

Asked on "Fox News Sunday" if the U.S. was engaged in hostilities in Libya, Gates said: "The way I like to put it is, from our standpoint at the Pentagon, we're involved in a limited kinetic operation. If I'm in Gadhafi's palace, I suspect I think I'm at war." [Depends on what the definition of "is" is?]

A Marine Corps Reserve lance corporal who was carrying suspected bomb making materials and pro-al Qaeda literature was arrested in Arlington National Cemetery early this morning, triggering a bomb scare that snarled Washington's morning rush hour. The FBI, however, determined that the material in the man's backpack was harmless. ... a naturalized citizen and lance corporal in the Marine Corps Reserve, 4th engineer batallion out of the Baltimore, Md.... Melaku allegedly told police in Arlington when he was captured that there were other "devices" in the area and also the location of his vehicle. But the FBI said there was no reason to believe other individuals were involved and they believe the suspect acted alone....

The report, which was ordered by Newark's former TSA director in the wake of complaints from BDOs, said passengers found to have lapsed visas or expired passports would be referred for additional screening or turned over to immigration officials. It was an easy way, the report said, for the behavior detection unit to boost its referrals and appear productive.

Led by FBI Special Agent Karen Springmeyer, about a dozen officers used a battering ram to enter Adams' rented Orchard Street home in a search for Sondra Hunter, then 35. But Hunter hadn't lived at that address for almost two years.

A Montana resident says an energy company has identified the cause of a brief power outage as "deer with wings." ... a dead fawn on a power line. ... suspects that an eagle dropped its prey and couldn't retrieve it....

A captive on a hunger strike had been jamming something foul up his nose to contaminate the pathway for medical staff who feed him a nutritional shake twice a day. Political protest or mental illness? The captive was jamming his own excrement up his nose.... The guards see it as a tactic meant to demean those tasked with keeping the captive alive... Guantánamo guards have for years told visitors that their war on terror captives "weaponize" their body waste. They throw cups of urine and feces at troops in what soldiers and sailors call "a cocktail."...

At a congressional hearing on Muslim radicalization in U.S. prisons, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said that investigators needed to analyze Christian militants in America because they too might try to "bring down the country."

...what prosecutors had described as a "pretty simple, straightforward spanking case." They noted she didn't use a belt or leave any bruises, just some red marks.... A judge in Corpus Christi, Texas had some harsh words for a mother charged with spanking her own [2yo] child before sentencing her to probation. "You don't spank children today," said Judge Jose Longoria. "In the old days, maybe we got spanked, but there was a different quarrel. You don't spank children." [Just when did that memo get distributed?]

AURORA, Colo. — The mother of a 22-month-old girl hit and killed by a van last month... in the parking lot of her apartment complex... was allegedly using Facebook when the accident happened.

A 911 dispatcher handled a call for a water rescue at a state park — only to learn later that the drowning victim was her [17yo] son.

The University of Colorado's Sea Level Research Group decided in May to add 0.3 millimeters -- or about the thickness of a fingernail -- every year to its actual measurements of sea levels... director of the widely relied-upon research center, told FoxNews.com that his group added the 0.3 millimeters per year to the actual sea level measurements because land masses, still rebounding from the ice age, are rising and increasing the amount of water that oceans can hold....

A local woman and her 13-year-old son have been arrested in connection with an incident that allegedly has left a 5-year-old boy in critical condition.... "... alleged that a 13-year-old living in the home had picked the boy up over his head and slammed him to the ground as well as having the child fight other children." ... [Mother] was baby-sitting the victim along with four other children at the residence.... the five were in addition to her own four children... seven children total were taken into protective custody....

Police didn't have to look far to find a man hoping to buy marijuana Thursday. Michael Krebes, 31, of Vernon, put an ad on Craigslist looking to buy pot, police said. Members of the East Central Narcotics Task Force answered the ad, and set up a location to meet Krebes.

A bad case of superiority complex, maybe! There can only be one thing worse than someone talking loudly on the train ... and that's someone talking loudly on the train about how intelligent they are. Captured on a cellphone by a fellow passenger on a New York-Connecticut train is a commuter straight out of the 'do you know who I am?' school.

Rick Santorum isn't afraid to come right out and speak the truth about what an unmitigated disaster Obama and his leftist cohorts have been for Americans. ... Rick Santorum recently (correctly) stated that sharia is evil ... Rick Santorum understands, far better than many, the insanity of not stopping CRIMINAL ALIEN INVADERS from crossing our porous southern border and that there is a "Gathering Storm" coming our way from Latin America that we ignore at our grave peril, even as Obama does nothing useful to stop it and even worsens the problem all while making bad jokes and snide remarks.

I honestly don't understand why Rick Santorum isn't getting more coverage in the right blogosphere when he is on the right (as in correct) side of all the important issues and he has a strong record to prove it. Perhaps it's because of the awful and disgusting abuse he's been subjected to by far left radicals, I mean you can't do a web search for information about him without seeing the most vile explicit filth at the top of the results thanks to the efforts of cyber bullying creep Dan Savage and his merry band of Google-bombing cretins. Which begs the question for Conservatives, what is going to determine who you support to run against Obama; competence, righteousness and experience, or hardcore leftist jackals?

The White House is telling Congress that President Obama has the legal authority to continue American participation in the NATO-led air war in Libya, even though lawmakers have not authorized it.... The two senior administration lawyers contended that American forces have not been in "hostilities" at least since April 7, when NATO took over leadership in maintaining a no-flight zone in Libya, and the United States took up what is mainly a supporting role...

Breitbart starts off the segment reminding everyone just how much false reporting about him drove the Weinergate story early on. Breitbart also hammers away at the liberals who write Salon and other online publications and blogs that tried turning the scandal into yet another excuse to attack Breitbart's credibility.

Just one day after the author behind a popular Syrian lesbian blog admitted to being a married, American man named Tom MacMaster, the editor of the lesbian news site Lez Get Real, with the tagline "A Gay Girl's View on the World," acknowledged that he is also a man. ... In the guise of Paula Brooks, Graber corresponded online with Tom MacMaster, thinking he was writing to Amina Arraf. Amina often flirted with Brooks, neither of the men realizing the other was pretending to be a lesbian....

Agenda 21 is a two-decade old, grand plan for global 'Sustainable Development,' brought to you from the United Nations. George H.W. Bush (and 177 other world leaders) agreed to it back in 1992, and in 1995, Bill Clinton signed Executive Order #12858, creating a Presidential Council on 'Sustainable Development.' This effectively pushed the UN plan into America's large, churning government machine without the need for any review or discussion by Congress or the American people. 'Sustainable Development' sounds like a nice idea, right? It sounds nice, until you scratch the surface and find that Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development are really cloaked plans to impose the tenets of Social Justice/Socialism on the world. At risk from Agenda 21; Private Property ownership Single-Family homes Private car ownership and individual travel choices Privately owned farms

If theory and evidence disagree, real scientists scrap the theory. But official climate science ignored the crucial weather balloon evidence, and other subsequent evidence that backs it up, and instead clung to their carbon dioxide theory — that just happens to keep them in well-paying jobs with lavish research grants, and gives great political power to their government masters.

Why? Without Palin in the race a massive segment of the GOP base—Tea Party patriots and other independent conservatives—will find themselves once again with the prospect of choosing from a manipulated field of Next-In-Line GOP establishment liberals. And make no mistake—that is exactly who will prevail. Despite the desperate and not surprisingly shallow belief by the boys in control of the GOP, Palin cannot be replaced by another woman, or another Tea Party supporter, or another Brunette (no matter how much they think a Stalking Horse will split the Tea Party vote).

At last night's Republican debate, the seven candidates talked about unemployment, taxes, regulations, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty's talk of a goal of 5% GDP growth, the individual mandate in the health care bill, the Independent Medicare Advisory Board, welfare reform, the Tea Party, currency policy, the National Labor Relations Board, Boeing, TARP, the auto bailout, Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare proposal, former Gov. Mitt Romney's health care program in Massachusetts, raising the debt ceiling, raising the retirement age for Social Security, the role of religion in public life, the 10th amendment, Libya, Afghanistan, and so on. But President Obama's 2012 campaign is sending out a DNC video suggesting the candidates spoke only about sharia law, an anti-gay-marriage amendment, repealing health care, Sarah Palin, and the space program.

President Barack Obama said yesterday that you would want Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D.-Fla.) "on your side" because "she's got a cute smile," and you would want her "in your foxhole" because "not only is she charming" but she has a "dazzling smile," and is "tough as nails." ... "Don't mess with Debbie...." [a/k/a Sgt Schultz]

Barack Obama has long sought to bankrupt the coal industry. But, Cook County politician that he is and always will be, the relevant question is: who benefits from his plans wreck a major portion of our economy while also boosting electricity prices across America? A clue: he and his pals from Chicago have incestuous ties to the one company whose prospects will be boosted by Obama's policies. ... From the Tribune article: One company that expects to benefit from the changes is Chicago-based Exelon Corp., which has a large fleet of nuclear power plants that have low emissions and are cheap to run compared with coal plants.... What political figures close to Barack Obama have long ties to Exelon? David Axlerod, Obama's campaign strategist and chief domestic policy adviser (who had the office closest to the Oval one before he left the White House to return to the 2012 campaign trail), has reaped quite a few rewards from doing business with Commonwealth Edison, which became part of the Exelon octopus through corporate mergers... There are the legions of investors in green schemes who are Obama supporters and whose uneconomic projects can only succeed through government arm-twisting (an Obama talent). ... For history buffs, Com Ed at one time was headed by Tom Ayers, a power broker par excellence in Chicago. Ayers was the father of Bill Ayers....

Via Ace, remember how angry we all were when he admitted that "shovel-ready" public works projects — the ostensible target of the stimulus — um, don't really exist? The Democrats spent weeks before he was inaugurated selling voters on the concept and did a good enough job that they ended up with a $787 billion check from Congress for their trouble. Well, get ready to turn those frowns upside down, America: It was explained to Obama [at today's event] that the permitting process can delay projects for "months to years … and in many cases even cause projects to be abandoned … I'm sure that when you implemented the Recovery Act your staff briefed you on many of these challenges." At this point, Obama smiled and interjected, "Shovel-ready was not as … uh .. shovel-ready as we expected." The Council, led by GE's Jeffrey Immelt, erupted in laughter.

On Sunday John Zieger wrote a piece at the Daily Caller entitled, "The Sarah Palin I know". In his very lengthy article Ziegler writes what I would consider a self indulgent chronology of his interactions with Governor Palin, beginning just after the 2008 election. Between anecdotes of what seems like every single interaction Ziegler has had with the Palin family and their staff, he argues that not only is Sarah Palin unelectable in 2012 but her entering the race would ensure a second term for President Obama. At BigGovernment.com John Nolte does a fantastic job summarizing Ziegler's argument (using Zieglers own words) and disarming the bogus bombshell claims.

The one missing element? Overflowing crowds.... The top level of the 2,200-seat concert hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts was entirely empty, as were the seats along the side of the second and third levels.

"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious." -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War 6. More time to quietly Organize4Palin under the radar, saving up for the big push. 4. More time for Obama to screw up (again and again and again).

Why is the Los Angeles Times sitting on a videotape of the 2003 farewell bash in Chicago at which Barack Obama lavished praise on the guest of honor, Rashid Khalidi — former mouthpiece for master terrorist Yasser Arafat? At the time Khalidi, a PLO adviser turned University of Chicago professor, was headed east to Columbia. There he would take over the University's Middle East-studies program (which he has since maintained as a bubbling cauldron of anti-Semitism) and assume the professorship endowed in honor of Edward Sayyid, another notorious terror apologist. The party featured encomiums by many of Khalidi's allies, colleagues, and friends, including Barack Obama, then an Illinois state senator, and Bill Ayers, the terrorist turned education professor. It was sponsored by the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), which had been founded by Khalidi and his wife, Mona, formerly a top English translator for Arafat's press agency.

Remember the hysteria the greeted Hurricane Katrina? The denunciations of George Bush and the Army Corps of Engineers? The round-the-clock charges of racism?The unremitting media consternation about government "failure"? Compare all that with the formerly mainstream media's response to the devastation wrought by tornadoes these last few weeks in the Midwest. In order to help you with the exercise, I pass along a few photographs from that unfolding horror, with accompanying questions that a friend sent me. [UPDATE: some of these photographs come from previous natural disasters in the Midwest: the response, however was always the same.]

A new 32-page comic book entitled "Political Power: Hillary Rodham Clinton" details the behind-the-scenes machinations of Clinton's contentious 2008 presidential run against then-Sen. Obama, up through his nomination of her as secretary of state. It's a follow-up sequel to the Bluewater Production's first comic book of Clinton, which focused on her early life.

During Monday night's GOP debate in New Hampshire, CNN's John King, the moderator, had a hard time keeping the candidates under the 30 second-per-answer time limit. So he resorted to what sounded a lot like grunting. Instead of interrupting the candidates forcefully, King would signal that their time was up by uttering "uh" over and over again or repeatedly saying "all right" or "OK." The tactic wasn't very effective, but King did succeed in annoying many people who tuned in to watch the debate.

SHADY GROVE, Md. - Trains are running again on the Red Line in Montgomery County, after a woman "threatened to blow up the train." Train service between Shady Grove and Grosvenor was shut down for about two hours during a police investigation. Shuttle bus service was established for those two hours. ... According to Metro officials, the woman got down on her knees and "threatened to blow up the train." She reportedly said, "You killed my family."... The woman is of Indian origin. She is a permanent resident of McLean, Va., but carries an Indian passport.

Yes, that is an actual headline at Cnn money. Yes, really. Go look at the link and you will hardly believe it (and I have screenshots, anticipating a full scrubbing of this). And, I will note, there isn't anything there labeling it an editorial. And even then, wingnuts? Really? ....

I've been annoyed for a few years now at the identification of American conservatives with the color red. The connection of particular colors to the two major US political parties was inconsistent prior to the late 1990s, though the parties had existed for well over a century by that time. As far back as the 1888 national elections, the Republicans were blue and the Democrats red. This was used off and on for most of the last century.

Stories about violent "flash mobs" roaming Chicago's North Side neighborhoods have been in the news the past 2 weeks. People are worried about the impact these mobs will have on tourism and the city's economy. Some are asking why this social unrest is happening, now, so soon after Mayor Daley left office. Kevin O'Neil writes in the CTA Tattler, "Chicago police and Streeterville universities are warning residents and passersby to be aware of traveling mobs of teenagers who use the CTA and cell phones to meet up in the Near North Side area and commit crimes..." According to Jack Marshall, "The Chicago media has adopted an odd policy in reporting the incidents: it has not reported the fact that the mobs were made up of African-American youths." Flash mobs of African-American youths are not the only reporting about race that is ignored in the Chicago media. For too long the media has ignored the hypersegregation in the city, as well.... The Chicago Democrats have controlled the city for more than fifty years. The mayors Daley instituted policies that not only segregated the city and the schools, but also insured the survival of the Democratic Party at the expense of many neighborhoods.

What justification does Congress have to trample on the Bill of Rights? They use the commerce clause. When the Constitution with the approval by the states. Congress is delegated the authority to regulate commerce between the states. The word regulate has a different meaning today than it did back in 1789. In the early days regulate meant keep regular and free flowing, and unrestricted. Today it that very word has changed in its meaning now is defining as to restrict, restrain and control commerce. This has created an economic climate with draconian laws putting an undue burden on the people and small business with regulations that are counterproductive.

If you live in the UK, you are not supposed to see part of this video. Does it contain pornography, graphic violence or slander? Nope. It contains a document of something that happened in a public place. [Innocuous video of a public effort based on the Magna Carta]

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie met his Mexican counterpart Guillermo Galvan Galvan here Wednesday to promote bilateral military cooperation. Liang, also China's state councilor, said that Mexico is China's good friend and partner in the Latin American region, adding China attaches great importance to developing ties with Mexico. China is willing to boost its military ties with Mexico and deepen bilateral military exchanges and cooperation in various fields, he said.

A Chinese national company is interested in developing a 10,000- to 30,000-acre technology zone for industry, retail centers and homes south of the Boise Airport. Officials of the China National Machinery Industry Corp. have broached the idea — based on a concept popular in China today — to city and state leaders. ... "Idaho's the last state that should say we don't want to do business with Asia," said Lt. Gov. Brad Little. "Asia's where the money is."...

In its latest court pleadings in a lawsuit against WND co-author David Gaubatz and his son Chris, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, effectively demands that the blockbuster book "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America" be removed from bookstores, online retailers and any supplier and "returned" to the Muslim group. ... After filing two unsuccessful versions of its complaint, CAIR has filed yet another amended complaint that asks federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., to bar the Gaubatzes and anyone related to their effort from publishing the documents and recordings obtained in the undercover operation.... "Even if lawsuits ultimately fail in court, they can be deadly," Garbus wrote. "The cost, time, and harassment value of extensive litigation can compel publishers and authors to delete controversial passages from books critical of government officials and their policies."

A Bartlesville woman died early Saturday from injuries sustained a week before in a fall near the Caney River. David Cox said his wife, Deborah Cox, 60, stepped off the Pathfinder Parkway — near a steep trail leading to the river — and tumbled down the bank onto some rocks while the couple was at the end of Delaware Avenue, south of the river, watching their grandchildren fish around 4:15 p.m. on June 3.

Earlier this year, the Transportation Security Administration halted a program that allowed airports to privatize their screeners, citing safety concerns, but airport administrators say TSA stopped the program with little warning and without adequate justification.

There were two stories of Sino-American relations in the 1960s and 1970s, the oft-told tale of normalization with tbe People s Republic of China and the less-noted saga of friction with, and final abandonment of, the Republic of China. [How Kissinger and Nixon threw Taiwan under the bus in their haste to be the first to open up Communist China]

If you're not laughing along with Sarah Palin's playing Gotcha! with the media, you're not paying attention.

I took on Ziegler when he was pro-Palin, so let's dispense with any Palinista crap, shall we? That was after Ziegler was dragged out of CPAC-W for going off on David Keene. Scroll down for the full audio of my inteview with him and some CPAC video, as well. I ended it by telling him to have a nice life, after he suggested I had no ethics because I said I'd post the audio he had agreed to my recording. He then claimed he expected me to transcribe it and only post the text. Yeah, right! That made a lot of sense after the fact. I suspect he realized how bad he actually comes off when you hear him going on.

Yesterday, in an interview with CBS News, GOP Presidential hopeful Herman Cain was asked whether he thought homosexuality was a sin and whether being gay was a choice. His answer: "I believe homosexuality is a sin because I'm a Bible-believing Christian, I believe it's a sin. But I know that some people make that choice. That's their choice. And I believe it is a choice." Am I pleased with this answer? No. Do I agree with Mr. Cain? No. I know being gay isn't a choice and I know it firsthand. I also do not believe that homosexuality is a sin. Does any of this change how I feel about Herman Cain? Not at all. The bottom line is that Herman Cain's personal position on whether being gay is a sin or a choice has no bearing on whether the policies he supports would be good for gay and lesbian Americans. The truth is that Herman Cain is running on a campaign centered on conservative policies that would improve the lives of all Americans — including gay Americans.

Even though the media too often sadly chose sound-bites over substance, they did get lots of substance during our "One Nation" tour from the nearly two dozen opportunities I got to speak candidly with them and talk about policy, politics, history, and everything in between. More importantly, I got to talk with countless everyday Americans who want to get our country back on the right track. It's been an extraordinary honor to meet so many fellow patriots who care deeply about this country, who want a brighter future for all of us, and who recognize the undeviating line that connects our history to our future.

[Video summary of Palin's education-promoting vacation]

Sarah Palin imagined God talking to her in a deeply touching email she wrote two weeks before her fifth child, Trig, was born with Down's Syndrome, it was revealed today. The poignant message to family and friends, included in 25,000 pages of her private emails made public on Friday, may alter the way the former Governor of Alaska is viewed by the American public.

What the press does not realize is that they've exposed their own pathetic bias. By taking part in this witch-hunt, the media exposed themselves as nothing more than a politically driven, organized group of DNC opposition researchers. WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU: The media is cherry-picking small excerpts to highlight, but they are leaving the bulk of the 24,199 pages out of their reports. That's where you come in… We need to gather links from the email database that prove what kind of leader Governor Palin really is.

well worth listening to. Levin chronicles the email dump and media hypocrisy in his inimitable style. The Great One even does a hilarious imitation of Ron Paul.

The New York Times reports that U.S. government funding is helping to develop and deploy "shadow" Internet and mobile phone systems to undermine repressive regimes that seek to prevent dissidents from getting their stories out to the world. [Who will help us develop such systems when our own government comes after us?]

An eccentric California salvage diver is fishing for proof that al Qaeda overlord Osama bin Laden is really dead. Bill Warren, 59, has vowed to scour the north Arabian Sea to find the corpse and deliver photographic evidence that he was killed.

Volunteers found Iditarod veteran Melanie Gould alive Saturday in the Cantwell area, more than 11 days after the Talkeetna musher first disappeared.... The 34-year-old Gould's late-May disappearance sparked a broad search of the trails and woods east of Denali National Park, with volunteers pressing on after troopers ended the official hunt..... unclear where she's been.... Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said the details of the lost week are Gould's own business. "She indicated that she saw search efforts but stayed away...."

A North Carolina-based bus company was ordered Saturday to cease operations because government inspectors say the company hires drivers who don't have the required licenses or who aren't medically examined and qualified. It was the third company ordered to shut down within a few days in a string of inspections that follows the deaths of four people in a wreck involving a bus owned by another North Carolina company.... The FMCSA earlier ordered Sky Express Inc. of Charlotte to shut down after an accident on May 31 in Virginia that killed four passengers and injured dozens of others. Within days, the government had to order the company to shut down again after investigators discovered the carrier was repainting its buses and continuing to sell tickets ... Also Saturday, the government ordered Haines Tours of Gladwin, Mich., to cease commercial bus operations after passengers were found in a luggage compartment with mattresses and pillows during a trip to Ohio. And on Thursday, regulators shut down Georgia-based JCT Motor Coach Inc. for the second time since 2009, saying the company changed its name to avoid a previous order to cease operations because of safety violations.....

Residents of Woodland, in County Durham, claim that every night a noise permeates the air similar to the throb of a car engine. It is sometimes so strong that it even shakes the bed of one of the householders.... constant from midnight until 4am every night and stops them sleeping.... started about two months ago...

Texas Governor Rick Perry's prayer and fasting event slated to be held in Houston later this summer is drawing criticism from advocates of separation from church and state and gay rights organizations.... found fault with a description found on the event's website that says all those in attendance will be there "to proclaim Jesus as Savior and pray for America...."

Between the plethora of jokes being made at the elite media's expense today, there is now discussion of using the FOIA request process to obtain records on President Obama. Interestingly, I did a brief search to see of records of Obama from his Illinois Senate days have been released. Judicial Watch reports that this records have been made to disappear.However, you can be sure every Palin-supporting conservative organization is placing a series of FOIA requests on Obama emails wherever they may reside.

Congress has received a letter ostensibly from Moammar Gadhafi that calls for a cease-fire and urges the U.S. to take the lead in negotiating a deal for peace in Libya.

The Al Qaeda operative behind the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania has been killed, U.S. officials tell Fox News. Somali officials have determined that a man killed by security forces on Tuesday was Fazul Abdullah Mohammed

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a division of the federal government's National Institutes of Health (NIH), has spent $3,634,807 over the past decade funding research that involves getting monkeys to smoke and drink drugs such as PCP, methamphetamine (METH), heroin, and cocaine and then studying their behavior, including during different phases of the female monkeys' menstrual cycles.

A 14-month-old girl was thrown from a speeding getaway car late Thursday night after the suspects were caught shoplifting at KMart... "She accelerated to a high rate of speed, sending a 1-year-old out of the back of the vehicle into the parking lot, causing serious injury." The child was not restrained and the door was not secure.... Once she realizes the child's been thrown out of the vehicle, she stops. She and the other individual come running out of the KMart, picked the child up, put the child in the car, and then take the child to the hospital." ... child has broken ribs, a collapsed lung and multiple abrasions....

Last Saturday, one of Wendy Bordeleau's two cows got loose from her 30-acre farm. About a dozen people were trying to coral 800-pound Houdini across busy Mammoth Road when police showed up with their tasers. "They said 'We're going to tase her, we're going to taser it,' and the group was pleading with them. Everyone was kinda yelling, 'Please don't taser the cow, it's only going to make it worse...." zapped at least four times. "It didn't really affect the cow all that much. It kind of realized that something had hit it and that it was comparable to a bee sting."

A man aged 76 and two members of his family were arrested after a 'vicious' punch-up on a plane that took cabin crew 30 minutes to break up. Derek Edmond, his daughter Zoe King and her husband Martin were on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Gatwick to Barbados when a Danish family sitting nearby accused them of being too noisy. Police said Mrs King, 46, was celebrating her birthday and she and her family had been drinking for much of the eight-hour flight.

A German passenger stripped naked on an Iberia flight from Madrid to Frankfurt, forcing the pilot to turn the plane around so the man could be arrested

Apple will ban from its online store future applications that inform users of checkpoints not publicized by police. The move comes three months after four Democratic U.S. senators — Charles Schumer of New York, Harry Reid of Nevada, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and Tom Udall of New Mexico — asked three smartphone manufacturers to quit selling such downloadable apps or to remove the DUI checkpoint function....

Zygomycosis, now known as mucormycosis, is a fungal infection that spreads rapidly and can be caused by soil or vegetative material becoming embedded under the skin. It's more prevalent in people with weakened immune systems or untreated diabetes but can affect healthy people who suffer trauma and are injected with contaminated soil. ... Treatment currently consists of aggressive serial surgical debridement with IV amphotericin therapy."

This method of using readers to dig dirt is actually called crowd sourcing. It is a method of mine data. What I want to know is why didn't the New York Times or the Washington Post employ this method on something that is truly vital to America like the 3,000 pages of ObamaCare. We all know no one in Washington read that monster before it passed. Yet, here are two supposedly legitimate newspapers getting a mob together to create a Palin Hating gang bang. The whole thing reeks of media bias and fascism to me. One thing for sure, Sarah Palin's greatest strength is that she generates so much hate from the left, that they are willing to drop all their phony veneers of compassion, tolerance, objectivity, you name it just to smear her. This unmasking will only work in her favor.

Barack Obama has come under fire for extending a formal invitation to a shamed African dictator who has ruthlessly plundered billions of dollars from his own country. The U.S. President is today having a coveted private meeting with President Ali Bongo of Gabon in the Oval Office despite his appalling track record. Bongo's family has ruled the impoverished African nation with an iron fist for five decades and have used its oil riches to fund a life of outrageous luxury.

An Ohio restaurant mentioned last week by President Barack Obama as an indirect beneficiary of the government's Chrysler bailout will go out of business Sunday after a more than 70-year history.

Texas authorities said suspected drug runners in Mexico began shooting at U.S. law enforcement agents from across the Rio Grande on Thursday, forcing the U.S. officers to return fire and injuring at least three of the suspects on the other side of the border.

The Obama administration has intensified the American covert war in Yemen, exploiting a growing power vacuum in the country to strike at militant suspects with armed drones and fighter jets.... The acceleration of the American campaign in recent weeks comes amid a violent conflict in Yemen that has left the government in Sana, a United States ally, struggling to cling to power....

Survivors from a World War II-era minesweeper sinking have traveled from across the state and country to celebrate their reunion in the City of Legends this week. During their stay in Bartlesville, the veterans — who survived an attack on the USS Salute on June 8, 1945 — will see local hot spots such as Discovery 1 Park, Frank Phillips Home and Woolaroc.

Senate Bill 978, a bipartisan measure introduced last month by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.), is backed by supporters who say it closes glaring loopholes in current copyright infringement law created by the realities of the digital age. ... But critics say a section of the bill provides for steep penalties -- up to five years in prison -- for "publicly performing" copyrighted material and embedding the video to sites like YouTube. "It seems like (the bill) is attacking the core of the Internet itself, which is to promote communication amongst people all over the world" ....

This strange, hypothetical, article, which first appeared on April 24, hammers home again and again the message that an Iranian nuclear test will not lead to disaster. On the contrary, life will go as before except that Iranians will feel better about themselves.

when I describe what's gone up as a "security fence", what I actually mean is "privacy fence". It's a shower curtain, not a ring of steel. And of course, by "privacy" what I actually mean is "shame". It's a shame fence. A massive white fence of embarrassment.

In a transparent effort to block access as attendees arrive for this year's Bilderberg meeting in St. Moritz, Switzerland, officials have claimed a bomb threat and closed a major road in and out of the historic alpine village.

According to AFP journalist and legendary Bilderberg sleuth Jim Tucker's inside sources, the agenda now under review includes a number of critical issues at the top of the elite's to-do list.... that the American Congress may soon turn against the illegal and immoral invasion under humanitarian cover by NATO and the UN against the north African dictator Moammar Gaddafi.... the global elite work behind the scenes to take take down national economies... The elite now meeting behind closed doors in Switzerland are pushing for a wider war and incalculable suffering in the Middle East.... concerned about a diverse liberty movement that has grown exponentially with the help of an open and free internet.... pocketed pawns in Congress have introduced a raft of bills over the last few months designed to take down the internet and blunt its impact as a medium for alternative news and information.... will work on an effort to sucker an already economically besieged American public into further fantastic debt producing bankster bailouts, specifically for Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and other member EU nations sliding toward bankruptcy and social disruption on a monumental scale.... the plan is to take down national sovereignty, impose drastic austerity measures, hold fire sales on national assets, consolidate wealth and power, and use an endless economic crisis as an excuse to usher in world government, a one-world currency, and a sprawling high-tech police state.

The caller said he was being chased by a white sport utility vehicle — adding that he himself had a flat tire put was not stopping. Police sent to the area saw an older SUV on Adams go through the intersection with Dewey Avenue and then the light at Cherokee Avenue, but saw no SUV following it or any flat tire on the vehicle. At the request of police, the RV's driver — identified as Madera — pulled over and spoke with police. According to police, they found him "confused and incoherent" and found him telling conflicting stories. He seemed extremely nervous, said police. [Meth, of course]

A Chinese migrant seeking refugee status in Canada on the grounds that he faced persecution back home for his Christian beliefs was repeatedly asked by the Immigration and Refugee Board last year to describe what Jesus was "like as a person."

Trouble, the pampered pooch that Leona Helmsley bequeathed $12 million to, died in luxury at age 12.

A New Jersey Supreme Court decision announced Tuesday should make it easier for individuals associated with online publications and traditional media to invoke the protections of the state's shield law.... While the court... found that the shield law does not apply to the defendant in the case, the decision threw out parts of an appellate court decision that would have required those seeking the law's protections to show that they adhere to professional journalistic standards or have credentials from traditional media

An underwater "river" has been discovered snaking along the ocean bed off southwestern Australia. The undersea phenomenon — layers of dense water that creep along the ocean floor at a rate of about a half-mile (1 km) a day — was found to be some 65 feet (20 meters) thick and stretches for more than 60 miles (100 kilometers). Researchers say it's the first time these rivers have been glimpsed in such warm waters.

Last night Wichita experienced a very rare weather phenomenon known as a "Heat Burst." At 12:22 a.m. the temperature at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport was 85 degrees. At 12:44 the temperature spiked to 102 degrees. This was a 17 degree increase in only 20 minutes.

With Mine Division 34, Salute began the pre-invasion sweep for the landings in Brunei Bay, Borneo, on 7 June 1945. The next day, she struck a mine, buckled amidships, and both bow and stern began to sink. Two landing craft attempted to salvage the minesweeper, but they were unable to control her flooding, and the ship sank.

Delta Airlines has changed its luggage policy regarding U.S. Servicemen and women. The policy change comes after soldiers returning from Afghanistan claim the airline charged them hundreds of dollars in extra baggage fees.... They were told they had to pay an extra $200 for a fourth bag as excess luggage....

Aides to Newt Gingrich have resigned from his presidential campaign in protest of what they felt was a takeover by Callista Gingrich, the candidate's wife since 2000.

Of course Governor Palin was a public servant (Governor), so she, as a public servant, should be subjected to scrutiny and to the same rules and vigorous scrutiny as other politicians. We need to know about our public servants and all of them. That includes Governor Palin. No one — including Govenor Palin — should get a pass. It makes sense to spend resources to report about her — including reviewing her work — but of course it should be commensurate with how other public servants are reported and commensurate with its importance. It should be good, smart aggressive and thorough journalism — not more, not less. One question you might ask, is she getting about the same treatment as other politicians under about the same circumstances? If not, why not?

On Friday, the State of Alaska will release more than 24,000 of Sarah Palin's e-mails covering much of her tenure as governor of Alaska.... We're asking readers to help us identify interesting and newsworthy e-mails, people and events that we may want to highlight....

Over 24,000 e-mail messages to and from former Alaska governor Sarah Palin during her tenure as Alaska's governor will be released Friday. That's a lot of e-mail for us to review so we're looking for some help from Fix readers to analyze, contextualize, and research those e-mails right alongside Post reporters over the days following the release.

The entire top echelon of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign resigned on Thursday, a stunning mass exodus that left his bid for the Republican nomination in tatters. But the former House speaker vowed defiantly to remain a candidate.... They cited differences over the direction of the campaign....

The family was going through security when two TSA agents singled Drew Mandy out for a special pat down. Drew is severely mentally disabled. He's 29, but his parents said he has the mental capacity of a two-year-old, which made the experience that followed at metro Detroit's McNamera Terminal that much harder to deal with. "You have got to be kidding me. I honestly felt that those two agents did not know what they were doing,"

I recently had the opportunity to see The Tree of Life while sitting two rows in front of Terrence Malick's 99-year-old mother. The special screening took place in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, a small town north of Tulsa.

It is hard not to reach the conclusion that the announcement was deliberately released at this juncture to weaken US public support for Israel. If my hunch is right, and the Obama administration decided to use the sanctions as a means to humiliate Israel, then this represents a stunning blow to the US's credibility as an ally.

President Obama's claims to have saved the U.S. auto industry with government bailouts, takeovers and buyouts in 2009 don't quite square with the facts. Actually, according to The Washington Post's Fact Checker by Glenn Kessler, Obama's claims are "one of the most misleading collections of assertions we have seen in a short presidential speech. [h/t to Cuz BD]

In a May 31 Facebook message, Voelkert, pictured at left, told "Studebaker" that he had secretly installed a GPS tracker in his wife's van and was using the device to monitor her movements. He "went on to discuss what kind of trouble that they could get in for doing this," and asked the teenager to "delete the message so there is no trace of talking about it," Dane reported. Along with disclosing that he planned to flee with his children in early-June, Voelkert wrote that he was "going to find someone to take care of her and now it will be easier because I know where she is at all times." He then added, "you should find someone at your school, there should be some gang bangers there that would put a cap in her ass for $10,000. I am just done with her crap!"

A police shooting of a man in Miami Beach on Memorial Day was terrifying, but when it was over, officers turned their attention to a man filming the violent scene with his cellphone. They demanded the device, smashed it and probably thought that was that; no video anymore. It was not: Narces Benoit had had the presence of mind to pull the phone's memory card with the video on it from his cellphone and put the card in his mouth. ... contends that officers "smashed several other cell phones in the ensuing chaos." ...

An eyewitness said: 'The two elephants entered our city and started stomping over everything that came in their way. 'One of them even entered a market place and crushed a man to death within minutes.'

Police say a vehicle travelling eastbound near Luskville, Que. hit the 300-pound black bear at about 10:30 Monday night, sending the animal into the opposite lane. The bear was then struck by an on-coming car, sending the animal through the windshield and out the back window.

Two heartbroken parents have slammed 'inhumane' nurses who left their dead son lying in the middle of a hospital corridor and stepped over his corpse for more than ten hours thinking he was asleep. CCTV captured staff pulling the lifeless body of Peter Thompson along the floor like they were 'dragging the body of a dead animal'.

A British pharmaceutical company was working Wednesday to develop a new breed of cannabis-based products aimed at treating a range of conditions including diabetes, epilepsy and Crohn's disease.

Chinese scientists have genetically modified dairy cows to produce human breast milk, and hope to be selling it in supermarkets within three years.

Many of the messages 29-year-old Jennifer Smith is accused of sending to students are just too graphic to outline. Police say she asked the five male students to erase the photos and the messages.

Seventy-seven Air Force cadets are being sent to a local hospital after a lightning strike at the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center near Hattiesburg, Miss. While there did not appear to be serious injuries, two of the cadets were taken by amdulance to the hospital....

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)... His concern: press accounts suggest that National Park Service resources were made available to an extent beyond that which an average American family would receive.... David Barna, a Park Service spokesman, told ABC News that with the exception of the Statue of Liberty visit, it was business as usual at all the sites Palin saw.... [Emphasis added.]

During their £10,000, two-and-a-half month "Alaska Adventure" tour from the Arctic to the Caribbean, the passengers on the luxury P&O liner Arcadia had become more than accustomed to passing US immigration with little formality. By the time they docked at Los Angeles on May 26, for a one-day visit it was their 10th stop on US soil. But when a handful of them questioned whether the lengthy security checks at the port were strictly necessary for a group of largely elderly travellers officials were not amused. Although they had already been given advance clearance for multiple entries to the country during their trip, all 2,000 passengers were made to go through full security checks in a process which took seven hours to complete. The fingerprints of both hands were taken as well as retina scans and a detailed check of the passport as well as questioning as to their background. Passengers claim that the extra checks were carried out in "revenge" for what had been a minor spat over allegedly overzealous security.

President Obama's chief consumer affairs adviser, Elizabeth Warren. On multiple occasions this year, members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have asked Warren, a former Harvard University professor, simple, direct questions about her decisions and actions regarding the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In response, Warren has resolutely responded with a systematic evasion that cries out for a contempt of Congress citation.

according to RAND Corporation researcher Gregory S. Jones. ... At its current rate of uranium enrichment, Tehran could have enough for its first bomb within eight weeks.... says, there is nothing the US can do to stop Tehran, short of military occupation.....

Walter Ehlers's squad scrambled up the beach at Normandy in France under heavy German fire, and all his men survived that historic turning point of June 6, 1944.

The underground world of computer hackers has been so thoroughly infiltrated in the US by the FBI and secret service that it is now riddled with paranoia and mistrust, with an estimated one in four hackers secretly informing on their peers, a Guardian investigation has established.

despite the web's green promise, this explosion of data has turned the Internet into one of the planet's fastest-growing sources of carbon emissions. The Internet now consumes two to three per cent of the world's electricity. [And what are the energy offsets for not using paper, vehicles, etc? IRRELEVANT if you want to propagandize about "carbon bigfoots"!]

California's attempts to switch to green energy have inadvertently put the survival of the state's golden eagles at risk.

Members of Orlando Food Not Bombs were arrested Wednesday when police said they violated a city ordinance by feeding the homeless

The edge of our solar system is filled with a turbulent sea of magnetic bubbles, … key to our understanding of how fast-moving particles known as cosmic rays are spawned, and how they reach near-Earth space. … NASA hasn't revealed many details …

A family lawyer who devoted most of her time outside of work to caring for feral cats, 70 to 80 at one time, in her Oakland, Calif. home is entitled to much of her claimed $12,068 in cat care expenses as a charitable deduction on her 2004 income taxes, according to a recent Tax Court case. Basically, the case says that unreimbursed volunteer expenses, to the extent they are incidental to charitable work for a qualified charity and are properly substantiated, are deductible.

Three New Jersey women are behind bars for a crime, that is becoming more and more common according to police. Authorities say they stole brass markers from the graves of veterans at local cemeteries, and sold the stolen markers to a scrap yard. Authorities tell Eyewitness News the suspects needed drug money.

Five U.S. soldiers were killed Monday in an attack in central Iraq , the U.S. military said in a statement. ... An Iraqi security source said that the five U.S. soldiers had been working as advisers on a base for Iraqi national police in eastern Baghdad when their quarters were targeted by rocket fire shortly before 7 a.m. local time. ...

When his wife unveiled the USDA's new nutritional plate yesterday, there definitely wasn't a space for chili dogs. But that didn't stop Barack Obama wolfing down two in Toledo today - with fries and an extra bowl of chili on the side.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka... said he'd like to see the U.S. become more like a European nation that provides pensions and health care for all its citizens. He said he is accustomed to criticism and doesn't mind if conservatives call that socialism. "Being called a socialist is a step up for me...."

Obama even reversed an earlier decision to open access to coastal waters for exploration, placing a seven-year ban on drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Oil production in the Gulf is expected to drop by 220 thousand barrels per day in 2011, which is going to cost the U.S. some $1.35 billion in revenues in 2011. Not only are we losing oil production and revenues, the administration's actions are destroying jobs in the oil industry and elsewhere. Many companies are going out of business.

Obama even reversed an earlier decision to open access to coastal waters for exploration, placing a seven-year ban on drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Oil production in the Gulf is expected to drop by 220 thousand barrels per day in 2011, which is going to cost the U.S. some $1.35 billion in revenues in 2011. Not only are we losing oil production and revenues, the administration's actions are destroying jobs in the oil industry and elsewhere. Many companies are going out of business.

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will finally hit the links for a round of golf — and al fresco negotiation.... Obama prefers to hit public courses with a handful of friends and White House staffers while Boehner favors private courses, golf fundraisers and schmoozing sessions with other pols....

In the 1960s, America's education schools began conditioning teachers to peddle impossible social and economic theories to captive human sponges in K-12 classrooms. Since then, teachers taken in by progressive indoctrination have been planting fallacies in students' minds using a pernicious device: the "deconstruction" of reality.

Techdirt reports that Senate bill 978 — a bill to amend the criminal penalty provision for criminal infringement of a copyright, and for other purposes — may be used to prosecute people for embedding YouTube videos. ... It will also set the stage to criminalize linking to copyrighted information — like corporate media news sources — and shut down the alternative media....

The World Bank will suggest a global levy on jet and shipping fuel in recommendations to G20 governments later this year on raising climate finance

How wrong could [Martin Bashier] be? Let us count the ways: a: There isn't a flag on her bus, I only see red & white stripes. b: It isn't a campaign bus, it's their RV they used for the last couple of years, with a new paint job. c: The wavy stripes look very similar to the campaign bus that obama (who is not a muslim) used (to roll over grandma) d: Hmm, what about the clips of an actual American Flag waving in the opening to a series about Liberty used by MSNBC (which is a business advertising an upcoming segment)

Anti-Semitic drawings and the San Francisco anti-circumcision campaign Zombie illustrates that an anti-Semitic cartoon has been pressed into service in the San Francisco fight to ban circumcision. It was only a matter of time.

A healthy democracy needs a free and diverse press — but Americans today have access to more sources of news and opinion than ever before: more broadcast networks than before, cable networks, satellite TV and radio, the Internet. Any diversity argument for NPR and PBS is now a sad joke.

Why do so many of us not only permit our teenage daughters to dress like this—like prostitutes, if we're being honest with ourselves—but pay for them to do it with our AmEx cards? ... I have a ... theory. It has to do with how conflicted my own generation of women is about our own past, when many of us behaved in ways that we now regret. A woman I know, with two mature daughters, said, "If I could do it again, I wouldn't even have slept with my own husband before marriage. Sex is the most powerful thing there is, and our generation, what did we know?"

The Gliese 581 system has already yielded evidence of a number of exoplanets. This one, though, is in the 'Goldilocks zone' where the temperature could be bearable, liquid water could exist on the surface and an atmosphere be sustained…. the most Earth-like exoplanet yet discovered….

Health ministers from around the world agreed Tuesday to put off setting a deadline to destroy the last known stockpiles of the smallpox virus for three more years, rejecting a U.S. plan that had called for a five-year delay.

Careful studies of electrical potentials in discrete zones of the human brain have demonstrated the power of sustained negative emotions, such as fear of approaching disaster, to "unbalance" the brain's normal state. ... The best therapy for the individual human brain turns out to be precisely what is needed by society as a whole: active engagement with others in the solution to our predicament.

Palin used the opportunity to rail against recently tightened fishing regulations, which she said have hit New Hampshire fishermen especially hard because the state’s coastline was so short.

One thing many viewers have probably missed in all the horse-race speculation is that Palin is perfectly willing to discuss her positions on key issues, if anyone wants to ask. In fact, in recent days, weeks, and months, we've seen a lot of policy commentary from the former Alaska governor.

Did you hear? Sarah Palin is sooooo stupid. She believed that Paul Revere warned the British. ... [many bloggers & reporters cited] And gosh, isn't that funny how stupid she is. Aren't all those liberals clearly her superior in both intelligence and knowledge? Um, really, you know where this is going right? Well, Professor Jacobson points out that she was right. Paul Revere did warn the British.

"At some point the establishment has to be paid its due," he said. "She gets sort of an initial pass, but at some point the goodwill gets used up." Vis a vis the establishment, why? Perhaps they should get off their duffs and climb aboard, and realize that politics can change. How'd doing things the old way work out in 2006 and 2008? Then consider, how'd doing things different work in 2010?

MARTIN BASHIR: In fact, the whole thing could be in breach of a federal law because the United States Flag Code establishes important rules for the use and display of the stars and stripes, the flag of the United States. [h/t http://hillbuzz.org/2011/06/01/lsm-sarah-palins-bus-violates-federal-law...

There is nothing the U.S. media wants more than something it thinks it can't have. Hence the power of news leaks that manipulate the thrust of their initial presentation. Hard-to-get is a rigid rule of human behavior. Ask any teenage boy or girl. And there are few things more sweet to Palin and her fervent supporters cheering their TV sets this week than the image of a hungry know-it-all "lamestream media" caravan of 15 or more vehicles traipsing along behind her red-white-and-blue bus enroute to they-know-not-where to do they-know-not-what.

Though he was standing among better-known Republicans such as Tim Pawlenty and Ron Paul, Cain's rich baritone, business smarts, and sharp one-liners connected. It's easy to see why: He was frank and refreshing. But more notably, on a stage full of state and congressional leaders, Cain used his outsider status to his advantage.

The guy that NPR executives and the New York Times and your average Subaru-driving Whole Foods shopper were afraid George W. Bush was? Rick Perry is that guy.

[No comment necessary.]

[No comment necessary.]

Days after a top TSA official conceded that the agency would be forced to reconsider its policies in the aftermath of a nationwide backlash against invasive screening procedures, the agency was dealt another two huge blows yesterday with the news that the TSA budget would be slashed by $270 million, in addition to the return of a bill in Texas that would make grope-downs a felony.

After a woman refused to go through a full body scanner she was pulled aside and made to undergo the pat down procedure. When the TSA agent touched the woman's breasts, she broke down into tears and screamed for a police officer. ... The family was previously subjected to similar scrutiny from the TSA at Sky Harbor earlier in the year, prompting them to voice protest over violation of their Constitutional rights. The previous incident was also captured on video (below) and was evidently remembered by some of the TSA workers who claimed to know that the whole family are routine troublemakers&hellip. [video]

The thing is, I cannot find Barack Obama's great piece of work, the scholarship one would presume he researched, drafted, crafted, and honed, that earned him the presidency of the Harvard Law Review. The name "Obama" is the kind of search term that should do the job. But I cannot find any scholarship published by him that reveals the exceptional brilliance that paved the way to his achievement.

The president has been unable to curb the nation's nine percent unemployment rate, so he will be forced to put the best possible face on a sputtering recovery. Democratic strategists say that means adopting an ungainly three-pronged political approach: Talking up economic gains since the darkest days of 2008 and 2009, highlighting a modest job-creation agenda blocked by Republicans and making the case that things would be far worse if the GOP were in charge. Above all, he must avoid even the slightest hint of triumphalism on the economy — no missions have been accomplished — to avoid angering Americans still struggling to find jobs. [Obama looks at gardening gloves]

Crossing party lines to deliver a stunning rebuke to the commander in chief, the vast majority of the House voted Friday for resolutions telling President Obama he has broken the constitutional chain of authority by committing U.S. troops to the international military mission in Libya.

According to the unemployment data released this morning, the economy added only 54,000 jobs, pushing the unemployment rate up to 9.1 percent.... If Morgan Stanley is correct, about half of last month's job growth came from the venerable fast-food chain. That is hardly the sign of a healthy economy....

Wildlife officials are warning Northeast Philadelphia park visitors about rabid beavers after three people were bitten near a city creek in the past few days.

Obviously Democrats will now be demanding his resignation.

An 11-year-old girl died after falling from the Ferris Wheel at Morey's Mariner's Landing Pier on Friday. She was on a field trip with her school.... about half-way up.... about as high as a five-story building....

Ruskin, Florida -- Two people have been arrested for trying to steal parts of a Ruskin railroad track.

Taunton — A CSX railroad engine en route to a delivery in Taunton's Myles Standish Industrial Park derailed Wednesday afternoon after thieves cut away two 8-foot sections of solid steel track... No one was injured....

China has dropped 97 percent of its holdings in U.S. Treasury bills, decreasing its ownership of the short-term U.S. government securities from a peak of $210.4 billion in May 2009 to $5.69 billion in March 2011

With a nod to Michelle Obama, for the first time in my adult life, I'm beginning to believe that government is my enemy. Not a nuisance, nor a necessary evil, but a conglomeration of self-absorbed, self-interested people working directly against the interests of the American public. People who, if Americans ever got the courage to openly rebel, would instinctively seal off Washington, D.C., rather than seriously address the source of the peoples' discontent. Americans are being subjected to the most lawless president and administration in the history of the nation.... The 2012 election is the most important one in modern history, and someone had better emerge from the ranks who is able to articulate that reality. Someone willing to call out this socialist/marxist president and his crony capitalist, gangster government for exactly what they are — policy by damnable policy. Someone willing to not only withstand a media as determined to destroy them as the president and his administration is, but dish it right back to both in no uncertain terms....

I am obliged to speak. For the Netherlands is under threat of Islam. As I have argued many times, Islam is chiefly an ideology. An ideology of hatred, of destruction, of conquest. It is my strong conviction that Islam is a threat to Western values, to freedom of speech, to the equality of men and women, of heterosexuals and homosexuals, of believers and unbelievers.

Another video has Leonard Goldberg — who executive produces Blue Bloods for CBS and a few decades ago exec produced such hits as Fantasy Island, Charlie's Angels and Starsky and Hutch — saying that liberalism in the TV industry is "100 percent dominant, and anyone who denies it is kidding, or not telling the truth." Shapiro asks if politics are a barrier to entry. "Absolutely," Goldberg says.

Believe it or not I found this on a Progressive Organization's website that is made up of residents that are against Smart Meters. Funny how the Government and the Utility Companies are the only ones who think this is a good idea.

The makers of Silver Bullet Gun Oil claim it contains 13 per cent USDA liquefied pig fat thus making the product 'a highly effective counter-Islamic terrorist force multiplier.'

James Arness, a real-life World War II hero who came home to create television's ultimate lawman in Marshal Matt Dillon, died today at his entwood, Calif., home. He was 88.

on Wednesday, after 65 years as identical twins wearing the identical brown robes of the Franciscans... Brother Julian Riester and Brother Adrian Riester died together... Julian died Wednesday morning, followed by Adrian in the evening.... "They weren't even separated for 12 hours." ...

Jack Kevorkian... Dr. Death... 83, died... kidney and heart problems... "It was peaceful. He didn't feel a thing...." no artificial attempts to keep Kevorkian alive....

On his way home Tuesday from Jim Plain Elementary School in Leander, fourth-grader Marshall May, sitting in the passenger seat of the family minivan, was ticketed for not wearing his seat belt properly. Problem is, Texas law says a person must be at least 15 years old to commit such an offense. ... "He made me sign my signature, but I don't have a signature because I'm 10 years old." ... Marshall was in the passenger seat when he decided to stick his head out the window for some air, he said. As he stretched, the seat belt slipped up toward his neck and shoulder area, he said. That's when the police officer pulled over the minivan....

HOUSTON -- A West Point cadet from Houston has filed a lawsuit against Patti LaBelle, her bodyguards and Bush Intercontinental Airport, claiming that he was viciously beaten by the singer's bodyguards for standing too close to her luggage. ... When an ambulance came and took King away, the lawsuit claims the singer didn't exit her limo. But when police arrived, LaBelle allegedly got out and posed for photographs with the officers. "That was really a sad scene for me to see a Houston police officer posing for a photograph with Ms. LaBelle literally standing over the blood of cadet King,"... The extent of the damage to King's military career has yet to be determined.

We must get Sarah in the White House just to get Piper in there

Only on very rare occasions does this maestro hit a decidedly sour note. And these false notes are starting to become glaringly tinny when Krauthammer opines on Sarah Palin. With Palin, Krauthammer's reliable sights become suspect. He lowers himself from wise man to wise guy. He leaves his well positioned observation post to take up a sniper's position in the mud.

On-topic, clear on issues, greeting all equally, continuously smiling, concerned mom, nicely apologetic for little slights and for continuing to refuse to answer the question "are you running?" and... no teleprompter in sight.

Twice in the last two weeks has Time magazine devoted a page to Mark Halperin's oddsmaking on who will be the Republican nominee -- the May 23 issue (page 35) and the June 6 issue (page 16). Twice, there's been no mention of Herman Cain. [Surely, just a minor(ity) oversight...]

Sarah Palin's bus is plastered with a mock-up of the U.S. Constitution. But her entourage — both the three-vehicle motorcade that includes the bus and the smaller, two-SUV version she uses for smaller events — hasn't been very respectful of traffic laws. [Which, of course, is unConstitutional??] They speed. They run red lights and stop signs. They make last-second lane changes to get off the highway, sometimes without signaling. So do the reporters following them. [Who says?] Journalists in the caravan trailing her [Now, if you can't believe them, who can you believe?... And even worse...] just missed driving through a tornado on the road into Boston. [gasp! And just LOOK at what she's FORCING those POOR reporters to do...] The reporters who are speeding, tailgating, cutting off other cars, blasting through roundabouts and passing on the right in an effort to keep up, say they have no other choice... [NO CHOICE! JUST LIKE THOSE POOR MUSLIMS WHO HAVE TO MURDER PEOPLE BECAUSE SOMEONE SOMEWHERE BURNED A KORAN!] [Mr. Roger's voice: Hey, kids! Can you say BS? I know you can!] "It's like paparazzi," said one reporter [AND IT'S ALL HER FAULT!]

The Riverside police officer struck by lightning while helping with the Joplin tornado died this morning at a Springfield hospital. Jefferson "Jeff" Taylor, who volunteered to go to Joplin, was 31 years old. He is the first Riverside officer ever to die in the line of duty.

RepWeiner Gives Worst Press Conference EVAH! (Video)

An aspiring doctor was killed in a horrific subway accident yesterday when she passed out on a sweltering Upper East Side platform and fell onto the tracks -- realizing what happened too late to escape an uptown train bearing down on her.

Retired Marine Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers has stood at this post since 2002. "It's an extremely long time to hold a salute that long," says Air Force Master Sergeant Russ Ware of Columbia, MD. "Takes a lot determination and a lot of discipline. This guy does it every year." With a stiff spine and straight shoulders, this lone marine stands at attention as the Rolling Thunder rumbles by...for more than three hours. "They zoom by me and I'm getting an eyeball at them," says Chambers. "I'm trying to give every one of them that 'Welcome home' they didn't get." Chamber says it started as a spontaneous 'Thank you' nine years ago but has now become his moral obligation.

They lambaste her as trivial, while obsessing over her shoes, glasses, and hair — and turning one of her misspelled words on Twitter into Watergate. They label her a grievance-monger for calling out media double standards and then kvetch, moan, and wallow in a pool of self-pity when she doesn't spoon-feed them coveted political scoops. They call her dumb and then run around in circles trying to figure out her "mystery" tour and blame her for "faking them out." They blast her for incompetence, but grudgingly acknowledge that she is a master of social media who has changed the rules of the presidential campaign game.

A 40-year-old Bangladeshi woman cut off a man's penis during an alleged attempted rape and took it to a police station as evidence, police in a remote part of the country said Monday., MyFoxNY.com

The Maryland Transit Administration says more training may be called for after three MTA officers detained a man for taking pictures at a light rail station.

Two Iraqis living in Kentucky have been arrested on charges that they tried to send sniper rifles, stinger missiles and money to Al Qaeda operatives in their home country

You can see why the party professionals don't take Palin seriously. The way people talk, you'd think Sarah Palin was a political newcomer, rather than a 20-year veteran of elected politics. But there is another, bigger reason why the Republican insiders find it so difficult to take Palin seriously. Their game is political chess, a game of movement, and Palin plays Chinese Go or weiqi, a game of position, where you put down counters and never move them. With Going Rogue, she put down a counter that positioned herself as a "commonsense conservative." With America by Heart she positioned herself as a "commonsense constitutional conservative." Now, with her "One Nation" bus tour, she is mounting a "campaign to educate and energize Americans about our nation's founding principles, in order to promote the Fundamental Restoration of America." That's the new counter that Sarah Palin is placing on the board as she moves up the Northeast corridor: the "Fundamental Restoration of America." It has quite a ring to it. It is just the line you would want to take if you were running for president against Barack Obama and his czars, his crony green capitalists, his waivers-for-friends ObamaCare, his regulatory blizzard, his jobless recovery, and his 1967-borders foreign policy. With "Restoration," Palin appeals to the patriotism of the white working class without getting into tricky economic details.

"I know for a fact that Roger Ailes admires and respects Sarah Palin and thinks she is smart," Shine tells the New York Times. "He also believes many members of the left wing media are extremely terrified and threatened by her. Despite a massive effort to destroy Sarah Palin, she is still on her feet and making a difference in the political world. As for the 'Republican close to Ailes' for which the incorrect Palin quote is attributed, when Roger figures out who that is, I guarantee you he or she will no longer be 'close to Ailes.'"

Now, regarding the issues, Palin is pretty much on the same page as most of us tea party patriots: drill baby drill, smaller government, etc. And once again, I must cite her boldness and confidence when espousing her conservative beliefs. You never see Palin dancing around questions from liberal media hacks trying to make her conservative ideas sound mean, heartless, stupid, and racist. It is extremely refreshing and encouraging to see someone on our side fearlessly challenging the liberal media! And what about presidential charisma? In my nationwide travels on four Tea Party Express tours, in which Palin participated, nobody sparked excitement nor struck a stronger emotional chord with audiences at the rallies than Sarah Palin. She is a rock star. The people love her. I pray that whoever we select as our presidential candidate will grasp the seriousness of the situation in which we find our country. Various potential Republican presidential candidates are good people with great conservative ideas to get our country back on track. The most important criterion for a candidate to win my support is a willingness to launch a shock and awe, all-out assault on Obama's horrific record and terrifying agenda. Obama has the bully pulpit of the Oval Office, his Democrat minions, racist black so-called civil rights groups, and a sycophant liberal mainstream media all working in concert for him to be reelected in 2012. America cannot survive another Republican presidential candidate committed to "playing nice" for fear of being called racist. As they say in AA, "Half measures avail us nothing." If Obama is reelected in 2012, America as we know it is over. King Obama must be politically dethroned.

Since Palin and her team won't share where the potential candidate is headed, reporters and producers have little choice but to simply stay close to Palin's bus. This has resulted in scenes of the Palin bus tooling down the highway followed by a caravan of 10 or 15 vehicles all trying to make sure they don't lose sight of the Palin bus. It adds up to a dangerous situation, says CBS News Producer Ryan Corsaro. … Corsaro asked a member of Palin's team if he thought it was dangerous to have reporters forced to chase her from stop to stop. "You're the ones that are trailing us," he replied. [BWAH HAH HA HA HA HAAAAH!]

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D.-Fla.), chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, denounced Republicans last week for believing illegal immigration "should in fact be a crime." [Seriously!]