BLOGOSPHERE NEWS:
December 4 2008

MORNING INTELL: Thursday October 8 2009

A WORLD OF NEWS

1. WHY PAY SPIES WHEN YOU’VE GOT ABC? Is the U.S. Preparing to Bomb Iran?.

2. JIHAD!!: China: Al-Qaeda urges holy war to defend Muslims.
   

   A leading Al-Qaeda militant on Wednesday called on Muslims worldwide to defend Uighurs in China’s restive northwestern region of Xinjiang. He told Uighurs to prepare for a holy war or Jihad and urged a “vast media campaign” to raise awareness of their fate at the hands of “oppressive” China.

   In the video posted to jihadist websites, Abu Yahya al-Libi appeared to launch a frontal assault against China. “This massacre is not being carried out by criminal Crusaders or evil Jews who have committed crimes against our nation,” al-Libi stated.

   Other complaints included the Chinese calling the province “Xinjiang” instead of “East Turkestan”.
   At least, it may keep both the Chinese and jihadists busy with each other.

3. MORE ACORN STUFF: Firefighters lose large U.S. grant to ACORN.
   

   Nearly $1 million in Homeland Security funding typically earmarked for fire departments has been awarded to ACORN, despite a clear signal from Congress that it intends to cut off federal funding to the embattled group.

   The grant to ACORN’s Louisiana office became public on Oct. 2, less than three weeks after the House and Senate voted to cut off ACORN funding after employees were caught on video advising a fake prostitute and pimp on scams.

   It was one of only three such grants issued to the state and made up almost 80 percent of the firefighting money earmarked for Louisiana, prompting one of the U.S. senators from the state to demand that the funds be taken back.

   Instead of funding local fire departments, the Department of Homeland Security funds ACORN????
   Corruption–it didn’t start with this administration, but it’s being raised to an art form–is systemic to Washington. Congress is mostly a collection of crooks. We’ve heard it for years, but every day brings more revelations of deceit and sheer chicanery on the part of elected officials. THIS is just one more instance.

4. MORE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS MIGHT CURE WHAT AILS ‘EM: We Need a Bigger House.
   GREAT argument–but that’s just me. The meat of Goldberg’s argument:

   A Congress of, say, 5,000 citizen-legislators would change that overnight. Would it cost more money? Yes. But today’s huge staffs could be cut, and perks and pork might even be curtailed by using the old chewing gum rule: If there’s not enough for everyone, nobody can have any.

   Term-limit activists have the right idea — getting new blood in Washington — but their remedy is anti-democratic. The trick is to swamp Congress with new blood and new ideas. Want more minorities in Congress? Done. Want more libertarians? More socialists? More blue-collar workers? Done, done, done.

   In free-speech debates, it’s often said that the cure for bad speech is more speech. Well, the cure for a calcified Congress just might be more members; the remedy for an undemocratic system, more democracy.

   Can’t fire the bastards? Dilute ‘em! That’s the ticket.

5. Jimmy Fallon:
   “A new study says that the city with the smartest residents in the U.S. is Raleigh, N.C., followed by San Francisco, Boston, and Minneapolis. The study ranked America’s smartest from one to 55. Fresno, Calif., came in 55th. The mayor of Fresno was like “That’s great, but who came in last?” ”

6. THE MOOD IN BERKELEY: The Trauma of Obama.
   A Berkeley shrink assesses the local mood.

   Interestingly, there’s this eerie silence about Obama. You don’t hear a peep about him. Or course, liberals are still foaming at the mouth about Sarah Palin, tea baggers, birthers, and all things conservative.

   But adulation for Obama: Missing in Action. A telling sign: the life size black and white cardboard doll of Obama in a storefront near my office has been taken down. Where did it go — to the local recycling center with other discarded Obamabilia?

   Just because the Left agitates for a trendy cause (e.g., the government emasculation of capitalism) doesn’t mean that they want to live under its consequences. They depend on the good sense of the Center and Right to mitigate the damage to the country from Liberal Left ideas.

7. OBAMA FIDDLES, AFGHANISTAN UNDER FIRE: Report: Obama Rejects Biden’s Afghanistan Strategy. Still No Decision On Troop Increase
   

   What exactly is the hold up here then? If you aren’t going to cut down on troops and go with a counter terrorism option that leaves the counter insurgency plan (unless military genius Obama has a heretofore unheard of Third Option). Obama committed to COIN in March and apparently reconfirmed that yesterday. That means he needs to give the general he picked to implement that strategy the resources he says he needs.

   Committing to more troops is a grave decision fraught with peril but it’s a simple decision once you have committed to the COIN plan.

   Weighing the politics or longing for the time when he could just vote, “present”?

8. SAFE FOR WHO?: Obama Safe Schools Czar Kevin Jennings, Henry Hay, and NAMBLA: Jennings Faces Scrunity over Purported Speech Praising Hay.
   Money time: “Any attempt to counteract this information with claims of “bigotry” and partisan right wing smear tactics won’t play. This tactic might work if Jennings were Obama’s “Safe Car” or “Safe Jobs” Czar but it won’t work when Jennings’ job is Obama’s “Safe Schools” Czar and the issue of NAMBLA is involved.”

QUICK HITTERS

• CONGRESSIONAL LITERACY IS A GOOD THING: Senate committee: Hey, we found more taxes in Obamacare.
  Money Quote: Ed Morrissey: “If we have to wait five days to purchase a firearm, it’s not unreasonable to require the Senate to take three days before pulling the trigger.”

• IT’S NOT REAL MONEY, IT’S TAX MONEY: The government health care takeover tab: $829 billion/10 years…for starters.
  These are preliminary numbers only.

  Jeff Emanuel also reminds us: “They also said Medicare would cost $12 billion by 1990. It ended up being $107 billion – eight times the government estimate.

  Somebody would have to pay for this.
  And it’s not going to be Members of Congress.

• UH OH: Townhallers: The answer is still No!.
  The teaser:
  “At a town hall meeting on health care reform at Suffolk County Community College on Monday, Congressman Israel caught an earful from his boss — the constituents of his district.”
  It’s not a new plot, but it’s soooooo entertaining!

• BA Dmmp!: From Conan O’Brien:
  “This weekend, President Obama is going to speak to the nation’s largest gay rights group, and members of the group are upset that he hasn’t kept his campaign promises to them. However, the gay rights group says all will be forgiven if Obama makes the speech shirtless.”

• WHO GETS THE SOFA and PENSION FUND?: SEIU Divorces ACORN?.
  “The Service Employees International Union’s Anna Burger shocked political observers last week when she told a congressional hearing that her union “cut all ties to ACORN.”"
  The end of an incestuous relationship is always messy.

• AN ANGELIC TRAP? Edwards Blog Mystery Woman Vanishes?.
  Mickey Kaus is skeptical that blog poster “Cherubim” is Elizabeth Edwards.
  “It’s also possible that the Cherubim story is some kind of trap, attempting to bait the blogosphere and MSM into jumping to irresponsible conclusions. … Yes, I’m that paranoid. …”
  Does Kaus imply reporting on a subject is “irresponsible”? That sounds a bit like a question on the exam they give reporters trying out for the New York Times.
  ht: Instapundit

• LETTERMAN HYPOCRISY WATCH: Letterman threw spitballs from his own glass house.
  Money:

  In March 2008, Letterman was taking potshots at Eliot Spitzer, then governor of New York, who was embroiled in an investigation into a high-end prostitution operation.

  “It’s so sunny and bright outside that, earlier today, Eliot Spitzer came out of a brothel squinting,” Letterman cracked in a monologue. But in Spitzer’s case, he didn’t stop at lampooning. During an indignant rant, he called for the scandalized governor to step down.

  “I mean, can you imagine,” said Letterman, “if this happened to me how fast they’d have my … (backside) out of here?”

  So, this is news?

• TURNING AMERICANS INTO RATS ON A SINKING SHIP: ‘This is Really Crazy, It’s Not Worth All This’ .
  

  Thousands claw to get some housing relief in Detroit. From Jammie:
  Consider this a sneak preview of what to expect under ObamaCare. Long lines, rationing and a lot of angry people. Naturally this is taking place in a city controlled entirely by Democrats in a state governed by a Democrat. Just extrapolate it out across the nation and you’ll get what Democrats love: Chaos.

  This is your health care system. This is your health care system on ObamaCare. Any questions?

SEE ALL, KNOW ALL

1. DICTATORS MOCK OBAMA: Campaign Video or Good Prediction?

   This originally came out before the election as a prediction of how an Obama presidency’s foreign policy would look.

   How accurate is this hateful racist piece of campaign video?
   h/t Free Republic

2. LENO on NBC’s RATINGS:
   “David Letterman was a victim of extortion this week. I also had the same problem recently. A producer from “Dateline NBC” tried to blackmail me, but luckily no one watches NBC.”

3. AN ADVISER IN EVERY POT, A CZAR in EVERY GARAGE: Who’s Vetting These Guys?.
   Money: “What’s a little more irony from a guy who was never vetted?”

4. FUNDING OBAMACARE…TAX ON TAMPONS REPLACED BY: A new mommy tax
   Making health care more affordable by raising the cost of health products. Only liberals and the government think this way. How about a tax on everyone that proposes a new tax? Or requests an earmark?

5. USING THE WHITE HOUSE WEBSITE TO WHINE: Arrogance, Ego and Insecurity.
   Doug Ross: “Has an official White House press release ever pilloried a television network for criticizing a President’s policies?”
   Chris Wallace: “Crybabies”.
   DBKP: “The Obama Administration may not be accomplishing anything because they’re too busy trying to counteract every news story or commentary that doesn’t fit their narrative. Campaign’s over. You won. Get used to it.”

MEATY LINK FUNK GOODNESS

• LEARN ART, THE NEA WAY!: INSTALPUNDIT via IOWAHAWK VIA SILICON GRAFFITI: Earn Big $$$ The NEA Way!

  When life hands you lemons, make art.

• MULTIPLE STAKES IN AFGHANISTAN: Gates. Gets. It: The Battle for Narrative in Afghanistan.
  

  The war in Afghanistan is not just about denying al Qaeda physical space from which they could launch attacks against US interests. The much more important battle is to deny al Qaeda the intellectual space necessary for them to propagate a narrative in which the mujahideen are once again victorious over a superpower.

  and

  To win the war against al Qaeda we must win the war over who’s narrative will be passed on to the next generation. In 50 years will the Muslim world be speaking of the second defeat of a world super power by the warriors of Allah? Or will they see the defeat of the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan as part of a righteous effort to root out extremism and terrorist networks?

  And now the money question: Does Commander O get it?

• MORE ABOUT AYERS and DREAMS From MY FATHER: Whose Dreams?.
  Why it matters: “We write about more important Obama-related matters all the time. I wrote about this one, not because it is important in itself, but because it is interesting.”

• CAMELOT QUIP of the DAY: TED KENNEDY: “I SLEPT WITH OVER A THOUSAND WOMEN!!”.
  National Enquirer: “Ted Kennedy slept with more than a thousand women – and spent at least $10 million in hush money over the years to keep his skirt-chasing a secret! The late senator made those sensational confessions in a chapter of his autobiography, but horrified family members and advisers cut them out.”
  A good reason for calling health care reform “Kennedy Care”.
  New Slogan: “LESS beds! MORE beddings!”

• ZEN LESSONS for OBAMA: Does Obama know who we are?.
  ….because Zen lessons are cool.

• THIS DAY IN PELOSI HISTORY: House Spectacle Pelosi, Worst Ever?.
  

  Pelosi has looked like one of the worst Speakers in history from the get go. And the public has caught on. Now, here’s an interesting end point. Just yesterday the Left was pushing its usually BS – the Republicans are mostly male and all white.

  Well, we have our first female House Speaker and first black president. Both of them look like incompetent morons. So, how much do you think the American people are going to care about the typical cards the liberals always play? My guess is, not much.

  Strong words about weak leadership.

• CAN’T TELL HOW THE DAY WENT? Daily scoreboard.
  Wednesday was a Good Day.

• HA HA HA HA: This is Laughable and Infuriating.
  Video link: Greg Gutfeld on CNN fact-checking SNL.
  More Yuks for your broadband bucks.

• BASEBALL PLAYOFFS OVERVIEW: Let the playoffs begin
  Remember when the baseball playoffs helped make your schedule?

• ‘BURGH HOPES RISE: Steelers’ Polamalu working back into form.
  “Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said safety Troy Polamalu could return to practice today, albeit on a limited basis, to test his injured left knee.”
  Not a moment too soon.

• NASCAR NEWS: Montoya surprise so far of Chase.
• JUST LIKE A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM: The Dome That Wouldn’t Die.
  Not named the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for nothing.

by Mondo Frazier
images: DBKP file