Blog Heap of Links for the day 4 June 2011

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.