Chairman Obama! We want our money back!

President Obama says that he's determined to "punish" Wall Street executives and "fat-cat" bankers for allegedly hoarding taxpayer dollars. "We're not going to let Wall Street take the money and run," he proclaimed in his weekly radio address. Ironically, however, it is the President and Congressional Democrats who misused taxpayer dollars when they crafted their $787 billion Porkulus package [which has now been tagged at $862 billion].

Most of the Porkulus money went to special interest groups and had very little to do with stimulating the economy. The purported stimulus package was nothing more than a brazen act of thievery by the President and Democratic lawmakers who misappropriated taxpayer dollars for their own political gain.

In truth, it is Obama and his socialist cronies who are the real thieves. For it is they who have robbed Americans of their hard earned tax dollars, who have squandered the money and redistributed it to their constituents in order to satisfy their own political greed and aspirations! Indeed, the real extortionists and thieves reside, not on Wall Street, but on Capitol Hill and in the Oval Office.

Chairman Obama recently proclaimed, "we want our money back, and we're going to get it." I couldn't agree with him more. We do want our money back - all of the $787 billion in Porkulus funds that he squandered - but I know we are not going to get it! What's more, our Commander in Thief said tonight that he's planning on crafting a brand new stimulus - aka, thievery - package. Good grief!

The banks have already payed back most of the bailout money that they received, with interest. Obama, on the other hand, hasn't payed us back a dime - of the taxpayer-funded, Porkulus package. And now he's coming back for more.

Good grief!

A 'charming liar', or an incredibly honest, transparent and upright individual?

In an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer on Monday, Barack Obama insisted that he was firmly adhering to his campaign pledge to increase transparency in the White House. The secretive, backroom negotiations that have occurred over the last year, he said, were conducted by lawmakers in congress and had absolutely nothing to do with him:

"Let's just clarify," Obama said. "I didn't make a bunch of deals. There is a legislative process that is taking place in Congress and I am happy to own up to the fact that I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked. So, that's point number one. Number two is that, I think, it is important to know that the promises we made about increased transparency we've executed here in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!"

It was clearly evident from the interview that Obama absolutely abhors backroom negotiations and detests the shady and secretive deals that Congress recently hammered out to push through his health care proposals.

The recent closed-door meetings at the White House with Union leaders [concerning a proposed Cadillac tax exemption for the Unions], apparently, were arranged without the President's knowledge.

The sweetheart deal that Harry Reid cut with Sen. Ben Nelson to cover Nebraska's share of the Medicaid expansion, it seems, were also hammered out without Obama's knowledge, despite the fact that [as the Politico notes] the President's senior adviser, Pete Rouse, and his deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, were in the room throughout the entire meeting.

And, although, the White House recently awarded a $25 million federal contract to a company owned by a Democratic campaign contributor without entertaining competitive bids [even though Obama, in the past, had asserted that no-bid contracts were "completely unacceptable" and pledged to "end the abuse of no-bid contracts once and for all", saying that "the days of sweetheart deals for Halliburton will be over when I'm in the White House"] that too, was done without Obama's knowledge. What's more, the contract was awarded in a highly transparent, albeit, secretive manner.

It is also now quite clear that the sweetheart deal, cut between the White House and Big Pharma several months ago, was negotiated by Congressional Democrats without Obama's knowledge, despite the fact that the Democrats were opposed to the deal because Big Pharma had won a concession from the White House to bar the importation of cheaper drugs from abroad.

Conclusion: It is plainly obvious that the President was not privy to any of these backroom deals. And yet, for some reason or another, Obama's own supporters are assailing him over the matter - with some going so far as to call him a 'charming liar' - I'm shocked!



Apparently, Obama's constituents are suffering from a self-defeatist and self-sabotage mindset, and are unwilling to acknowledge the truth, namely, that Barack Obama - the man they succeeded in putting into the Oval Office - is, with out doubt, the most transparent and upright individual ever to ascend to the Presidency.

Officials passed up opportunities to "Take Out" Awlaki for fear they would be criminally prosecuted

Leave it to Obama and Eric Holder to strike fear into the hearts of the CIA, the Intelligence Community and the Military.

From ABC News:

White House lawyers are mulling the legality of proposed attempts to kill an American citizen, Anwar al Awlaki, who is believed to be part of the leadership of the al Qaeda group in Yemen behind a series of terror strikes, according to two people briefed by U.S. intelligence officials.

One of the people briefed said opportunities to "take out" Awlaki "may have been missed" because of the legal questions surrounding a lethal attack which would specifically target an American citizen.

A spokesperson said the White House declined to comment...

According to the people who were briefed on the issue, American officials fear the possibility of criminal prosecution without approval in advance from the White House for a targeted strike against Awlaki...

Apparently, the CIA's capability to "take out" terrorists has now been neutralized by the White House and the Justice Dept. - at least with regards to American-born terrorists, which is good news for Awlaki. As Southwest Airlines is wont to say: "You are now free to roam about [your] Country," Mr. Awlaki.

Yep, Anwar - your life is in good hands right now....

Other News: Leftists at the World Social Forum cheer capitalism's woes and rail against the World Economic Forum. Their talking points sound like they came straight out of Obama's playbook! It's simply amazing!

Haiti: Obama's Katrina

The following article was published in today's Wall Street Journal. It was written by Drs. Soumitra R. Eachempati, Dean Lorich and David Helfet. Dr. Eachempati is a trauma surgeon and incoming president of the New York State Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. Drs. Lorich and Helfet are orthopedic surgeons. All practice medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City:

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, a major earthquake overwhelmed a country one hour south of Miami whose inhabitants include American citizens and their relatives. Thanks to the Internet, pictures of the death and destruction were familiar to the world within hours, and the need for a massive influx of relief and specialized medical care was instantaneously apparent. While particular fatalities such as head injuries or massive blood loss are rarely treatable in mass casualty situations, delayed deaths from infection may be preventable.

On Wednesday, the day after the quake, we organized a relief team in cooperation with the U.S. State Department and Partners in Health (a Boston-based humanitarian organization) to provide emergency orthopedic and surgical care. We wanted to reach the local hospitals in Haiti immediately—but were only allowed by the U.S. military controlling the local airport to land in Port-au-Prince Saturday night. We were among the first groups there.

This delay proved tragic. Upon our arrival at the Haiti Community Hospital we found scores of patients with pus dripping out of open fractures and crush injuries. Some wounds were already infested with maggots. Approximately one-third of the victims were children. Most of the patients already had life-threatening infections, and all were dehydrated. Many had been waiting in the hospital compound for days without water, antibiotics or even pain medicine. The hospital smelled of infected, rotting limbs.

Our team spent the next 60 plus hours performing a variety of operations including orthopedic repairs to broken limbs and amputations. Sadly, a limb amputation in an underdeveloped country may be a death sentence.

We tallied over 100 operations between four surgeons and three orthopedic fellows (medical doctors getting additional specialty training), and evaluated perhaps 100 more patients for surgery... Hindering the effort was an absence of ventilators, anesthetic machines, and oxygen tanks. There was no blood bank or laboratory, and a dearth of surgical instruments. Due to the lack of resources, we know many patients may still succumb to infection and other postoperative complications.

The U.S. response to the earthquake should be considered an embarrassment. Our operation received virtually no support from any branch of the U.S. government, including the State Department. As we ran out of various supplies we had no means to acquire more. There was no way to transfer patients we were poorly equipped to manage (such as a critically ill newborn with respiratory distress) to a facility where they would get better care. We were heartbroken having to tell patients suffering incredible pain we could not perform their surgery for at least a day.

Even after hearing gunshots outside the hospital, we had no protection for ourselves or our belongings—though we observed that a Jamaican medical team came with armed guards...

Later, as we were leaving Haiti, we were appalled to see warehouse-size quantities of unused medicines, food and other supplies at the airport, surrounded by hundreds of U.S. and international soldiers standing around aimlessly.

With an organized central command dedicated to medical relief, we could have done much better... Preapproved groups of experienced civilian and military medical teams could have been consolidated in the U.S. from the Pensacola, Fla., military base or other locations, to avoid the airplane traffic clutter and delays that plagued landing of people and supplies into Port-au-Prince. Targeted teams with military support could then go to adequate facilities where they could be most effective.

After the disaster, certain roads should have been secured to allow the transfer of patients or supplies. A base hospital could have been established for patients requiring specialized services (such as a neonatal ICU and neurosurgery). A specialized, postoperative care center should have been established. In our case, however, we lacked the resources to ensure that patients were receiving basic wound care, antibiotics, nutrition or hydration.

The death toll from Katrina was under 2,000 people. Deaths in Haiti as of yesterday are at least 150,000. Untold numbers are dying of untreated, preventable infections. For all the outcry about Katrina, our nation has fared no better in this latest disaster.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media - which is, and always has been in the tank for Obama - is not only hiding the truth from the public, but is actually praising Obama for his inept response to the crisis. Meanwhile, while the fair and balanced media continues to pay homage to the President, thousands are dying needlessly. But who knows, maybe the dying are also singing Obama's praises.

From CNN: "Quake aid stuck at the airport"



Haitian hospitals aren't getting the necessary supplies; the supplies are sitting in the airport.



Related: Italy's Disaster Chief slams U.S. relief efforts in Haiti

Obama steers lucrative no-bid contract to Dem donor, violates campaign pledge and Presidential memorandum

From Fox News:

Despite President Obama's long history of criticizing the Bush administration for "sweetheart deals" with favored contractors, the Obama administration this month awarded a $25 million federal contract for work in Afghanistan to a company owned by a Democratic campaign contributor without entertaining competitive bids, Fox News has learned...

The legality of the arrangement as a "sole source," or no-bid, contract was made possible by virtue of a waiver... "They cancelled the open bid on this when they came to power earlier this year," a source familiar with the federal contracting process told Fox News.

"That's kind of weird," said another source, who has worked on "rule of law" issues in both Afghanistan and Iraq, about the no-bid contract... "There's lots of companies and non-governmental organizations that do this sort of work."...

As a candidate for president in 2008, then-Sen. Obama frequently derided the Bush administration for the awarding of federal contracts without competitive bidding.

"I will finally end the abuse of no-bid contracts once and for all," the senator told a Grand Rapids audience on Oct. 2. "The days of sweetheart deals for Halliburton will be over when I'm in the White House."...

Less than two months after he was sworn into office, President Obama signed a memorandum that he claimed would "dramatically reform the way we do business on contracts across the entire government."

Flanked by aides and lawmakers at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building on March 4, Obama vowed to "end unnecessary no-bid and cost-plus contracts," adding: "In some cases, contracts are awarded without competition….And that's completely unacceptable."

The March 4 memorandum directed the Office of Management and Budget to "maximize the use of full and open competition" in the awarding of federal contracts.

Read the full article

Obama transfers two terrorist detainess to Algeria, Will they be freed? Or will they be tortured?

From the Weekly Standard:

The Obama administration has reportedly transferred two Algerians from Guantanamo to their native country. Given the allegations levied against them at Gitmo, it is likely that the two are in Algerian custody. There is no transparency with respect to detainee transfers. So, we do not know how the Obama administration decided to approve the two detainees for transfer, or what will come of them back in Algeria. Press accounts do not indicate if the two remain detained, but it would be surprising to learn they have been outright freed.

One of the two was implicated in al Qaeda’s millennium plot against Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California. The other is allegedly a devout takfiri, who was plotting attacks against American forces in Afghanistan in 2002 and was also responsible for two attacks against churches in Pakistan that same year...

It would be an absolute travesty of justice if these two terrorists are ultimately freed. On the other hand, if they remain in Algerian detention, in all likelihood, they will be tortured. Not that this would be of any concern to Obama. As long as he closes down Gitmo and is able to evince phony compassion toward the the plight of terrorist detainees, does he really care what happens to them once they arrive in Algeria?:

The State Department 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices listed “reports of torture and abuse” as among the “significant human rights problems” in Algeria. In addition, in May 2008, the United Nations Committee against Torture expressed strong concerns about reported torture and other mistreatment of detainees in Algerian custody...

Human Rights Watch also noted that several Algerian detainees at Guantanamo have expressed serious concerns about torture or other abuse upon return home.

Barack Obama, defender of human rights! The epitome of altruism and compassion! Heh, what a facade!

Abdulmutallab, not the first time Intelligence officials were not consulted

In a blog-post entitled, 'Not an Onion Headline', The Weekly Standard on Thursday published a press release from Senators Susan Collins and Joe Lieberman with the following header: "Senators introduce bill to require Intelligence officials be consulted about arrested foreign terrorists." [Sure sounds like an Onion headline to me!]:

Senator Susan Collins, R-Me., Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced legislation Thursday to require that U.S. intelligence officials be consulted following a foreign terrorist’s detention by the United States.

The legislation would address a serious error that occurred in the handling of the so-called Christmas Day terrorist, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was charged in civilian criminal court.

At a Homeland Security Committee meeting Wednesday, Senator Collins learned during her questioning of witnesses that none of the three top U.S. intelligence officials had been consulted about that important decision. The determination to place Abdulmutallab into the U.S. civilian court system was made without their input or knowledge.

Senator Collins said this mistake “may have prevented the collection of valuable intelligence about future terrorist threats to the United States..."

The Director of National Intelligence, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Secretary of Homeland Security "were never consulted by the Department of Justice. The decision was made without them,” Collins said...

For the record, it should be noted that this is not the first time the White House has refused to consult with Homeland Security about decisions pertaining to terrorist detainees and US security.

As the Weekly Standard pointed out last month, the Justice Dept. never bothered to consult with Janet Napolitano about security issues that would arise with the transferring of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his terrorist cohorts to the U.S.:

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison found out when questioning Napolitano this morning before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Holder didn't even run this by the administration's top Homeland Security official:

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison: Were you consulted about the security issues that would surround such a trial before the Attorney General made that decision...?

Sec. Napolitano: I was not, not in the sense of being consulted as to whether security concerns would preclude the ability to try them in New York...

The Weekly Standard concludes in the aforementioned post: "This only further confirms what many have suspected: that left-wing ideologues at the Department of Justice -- not national security professionals -- are making the decisions on detainees. And what are the priorities of these lawyers? Before joining the Obama administration, many of them were defending these same terrorists from government prosecution..."

Government reaping profits on Wall Street's expense

Government reaping profits on Wall Street's expense: U.S. Treasury prices rise as stocks tumble on Obama plan

Other News:

First-time jobless claims rise by 36,000

Obama Spins Scott Brown Victory as Bay State Voters Being Mad at Bush

Pelosi: House lacks votes to okay Senate health bill

Is the Scott Brown Euphoria a little premature?

Upon learning of Scott Brown's victory in the Massachusetts senatorial race, I had planned on posting some triumphant and patriotic videos to celebrate the victory. But after a tad bit of reflection on Tuesday, I realized there may not be all that much to get excited about. I have my doubts as to whether Brown is really the savior that will ultimately stop ObamaCare dead in its tracks. Hence, I decided to hold back and not post any celebratory videos.

At a Press conference on Wednesday, Brown told reporters, "I'm not beholden to anybody. I've made that very clear." In his victory speech last night, Brown credited the "independent majority" for his victory. And on Wednesday he said, "I'm going to be a Scott Brown Republican. Maybe there is a new breed of Republican coming to Washington," USA Today reported.

When asked if he sees himself as the senator to put the brakes on the Obama agenda, "he didn't really answer it," USA Today reported. "He said he had a nice conversation with the president."

With regards to Brown's position on health care reform and bipartisanship, the Washington Post reports:

Scott Brown said he expects to be seated quickly in the U.S. Senate, but he was conciliatory on the question of what he will do there, noting that he voted for universal health insurance coverage in Massachusetts and wanted his election to encourage a new bipartisanship in Washington.

"We're past campaign mode: I think it's important for everyone to get some form of health care," Brown told a news conference Wednesday morning. "So to offer a basic plan for everybody I think is important. It's just a question of whether we're going to raise taxes, we're going to cut a half at trillion from Medicare, we're going to affect veterans' care. I think we can do it better."

"We have 98 percent of our people insured here," he said at another point. "We know what we need to fix it."...

"The number one thing I've heard is that people are tired of the business as usual," he said "And what does that mean? That means that behind-the-scenes deals... have just driven people crazy... And if I can just be the 41st senator and bring it back to the drawing board, there are some very good things in the national plan that's being proposed..."

Rush Limbaugh played the following song [parody] on his radio program today:

"The Day ObamaCare died"



I wish I could join in on the celebration, but I don't think ObamaCare is finished just yet, especially if Mr. Unbeholden has anything to say on the matter....

Hooray! White House connects the dots, designates Al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula a terrorist group!

It took some time, but the Obama administration has finally arrived at the conclusion that Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization!:

The US State Department on Tuesday designated al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) as a foreign terrorist group, offering legitimacy for the administration in taking financial and judicial actions on the group.

The designation was made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton after consultation with the Attorney General Eric Holder and the Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley in a statement.

No doubt a tough decision for Obama, but I'm sure he examined all the evidence and ruminated long and hard before he arrived at the conclusion that Al Qaeda is a terrorist entity.

Related: "Al-Qaeda May Be Training U.S. Citizens in Yemen - Officials are on 'heightened alert' because of the potential threat from extremists with U.S. passports and the challenges involved in detecting and stopping homegrown terrorists."

Obama: ‘Real Reform Means Giving the Public Access to Now Secret Conference Committee Meetings’

Related: "President Obama extends an invitation to go over health care line by line. Republican Congressman Phil Roe immediately fires off a letter saying "I accept." And then the White House simply ignores him, flat out ignores him." Read the full transcript of Greta Van Susteren's interview with Rep. Phil Roe.

Billy Miller vs Hasan, Mutallab and Kevin Jennings

Whether it involves protecting the US homeland from terrorist attacks or shielding American school children from despicable perverts, the Obama administration seems unable to connect the dots, or to be more precise, it has no interest in connecting the dots. For Obama would rather pursue his politically correct agenda and morally corrupt policies than keep this nation safe from the likes of Nidal Hasan, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and Kevin Jennings, the White House Safe School Czar and renowned porn connoisseur. Conversely, when it comes to court martialing and maligning a US soldier, the Obama administration is incredibly adept at connecting the dots, albeit, spurious dots:

The family of an Illinois National Guard soldier said Friday that he's been charged with possession of child pornography in Afghanistan over innocent snapshots of a 4-year-old relative in a swimsuit.

The U.S. Army has charged Spec. Billy Miller of Galesburg, Ill., with possession of child pornography....

Army spokesman Lt. Mary J. Pekas... said the charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Miller's unit returned to Illinois in August, according to the National Guard, but the Army said he remains in Afghanistan, awaiting the end of his case and possible court martial...

The pictures show the girl in a swimsuit playing in a pool and sitting on Billy Miler's pickup truck, according to the family.

The Millers say their son became close to the little girl after she was diagnosed with a serious illness while her own father was away for military training. The pictures were taken by Terri Miller and the girl's mother at the girl's birthday party last summer, Rodney Miller said.

The Army said any legal proceedings will happen in Afghanistan, but Rodney Miller hopes for some way to have his son tried in the United States if it comes to that. Anyone from his National Guard unit who can testify on his behalf isn't in Afghanistan, Miller said.

"If they court martial him in Afghanistan, he will be absolutely on his own," he said.

Apparently, the Obama administration believes that only pitiful and misguided terrorists - like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - deserve to be tried in the US. Billy Miller, however, does not fit that profile. He is nothing more than a spoiled and overindulged US soldier, and thus, it is indeed befitting that the witch-trial of this innocent and maligned individual be held abroad.

Meanwhile, while the President faithfully fulfills his duty as Commander-in-Chief by ensuring that our soldiers be protected from the likes of Billy Miller, we can rest assured knowing that he has appointed Kevin Jennings as his Safe School Czar to safeguard our school children from the likes of Kevin Jennings.........

News to Peruse

Bloomberg: Obama's bank tax will wreck New York!
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday that President Obama's plan to slap a tax on banks is aimed squarely at the city's lifeblood and could turn Manhattan into a crumbling wreck like Detroit. Bloomberg warned that the plan could bring about the collapse of the city's financial sector and starve New York of revenue it needs to provide basic services. "The way we pay our cops, firefighters and everybody else in the city is from tax revenues," Bloomberg said. "And if you want to see what happens to a city when their major industry fails, just take a look at Detroit," which has been reeling from the collapse of the auto industry. - Source - New York Post

FBI admits Spanish politican - Gaspar Llamazares - was the model for the so-called 'high-tech' ["cutting edge"] Osama bin Laden photo-fit; Llamazares says FBI's mistake shows "low level" of US intelligence - Source - Telegraph UK

Llamazares threatens to sue over bin Laden photo - Source - Yahoo News

JFK airport security breach triggers the evacuation of thousands of passengers; Reminiscent of the security meltdown at Newark Airport on Jan. 3. - Source - New York Post

Former CIA officer: Al Qaeda is "hell-bent" on acquiring nuclear weapons in Pakistan - Source - Times Online

Harry Reid's opposition to Jackson, Davis, Jones and Burris - was race a factor?

Harry Reid's now-famous statement [from 2007] that America was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate the likes of Barack Obama -- a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect", has touched off a firestorm of controversy as to whether Reid may or may not be harboring racial bias.

In January of 2009, a similar, but lesser-known controversy arose with regards to Harry Reid's candidate[s] of choice to fill Barack Obama's vacant senate seat:

Days before Gov. Rod Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn't want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones. [all 3 of whom happen to be African Americans].

Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

From CBS News - Jan. 4, 2009:

The defiant move by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to name a Senate successor to Barack Obama... presents Senate Democrats with a major distraction hanging over their return to Washington this week for the start of the new Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has made clear that he won’t swear in Roland Burris..., who was appointed to the Senate by Blagojevich last week..., and top advisers to Burris are suggesting that Reid doesn’t want an African-American to succeed Obama.

“It’s interesting that all those who are viable are white women and the ones who are unacceptable are black men,” said Prince Riley, a senior consultant to Burris.

Riley was alluding to a Chicago Sun-Times story Saturday indicating that Reid called Blagojevich on Dec. 3... [and] reportedly argued against appointing Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Rep. Danny Davis or state Senate President Emil Jones, all of whom are black, in favor of either state Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who is Thai-American, or Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who is white.

“If Mr. Reid and others are offended by his presence, I’m left with no answers,” Riley said. “Sen. Burris is a former attorney general, former comptroller, he has impeccable credentials. Why wouldn’t a man of that character be an asset to the Senate?”

Reid spokesman Jim Manley acknowledged that his boss talked to Blagojevich but deflected a question about Riley’s suggestion that race was a factor in Reid's preferences...

From the Chicago Sun Times - Jan. 2, 2009:

Sources say [Reid] pushed against Jackson and Davis -- both Democratic congressmen from Illinois -- and against Jones -- the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama -- because he did not believe the three men were ELECTABLE. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election...

From the Chicago Tribune - Jan 4, 2009:

A Democratic official familiar with the conversation told the Tribune that Reid expressed "some concern" about whether three potential candidates—U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and Illinois Senate President Emil Jones—could win a statewide election to keep the seat in 2010. All three are black. The official said Reid expressed greater confidence in the prospects of Illinois Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth, who is Asian-American, and state Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, who is white.

From the Las Vegas Sun:

"What is clear to me is that every candidate that was African-American was denied and every other candidate was acceptable", said [Burris] attorney, Timothy Wright.

From Fox News - Jan. 3, 2009:

Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, said Reid needs to explain his actions.

Reid "took the extraordinary step to lobby against two sitting U.S. congressmen and the state Senate majority leader in Illinois, and instead told Gov. Blagojevich that he supported an appointment for an individual who recently lost a U.S. House election," Cornyn said in a written statement, referring to Duckworth.

"The people of Illinois deserve a simple explanation from Sen. Reid," he continued. "Why does he believe these three Illinois officeholders are 'unelectable' to the U.S. Senate?"...

...William Walls of the Committee for a Better Chicago called Reid's opposition to the appointment of Jackson, Davis or Jones, all of whom are black, an act of racism.

"The U.S. Senate is an institution that is primarily white and has been forever and some people are more comfortable with people of their own kind," Walls told FOXNews.com. "Harry Reid seems to be one of those people."

From CNN's Political Ticker - Jan. 1, 2009:

Senate Democratic leaders think Roland Burris, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, will likely show up on Capitol Hill Tuesday for the opening day of Congress, according to a Democratic aide familiar with Senate Democratic leaders' plans.

They have prepared a contingency plan in case he does, the aide added. Burris will not be allowed on the Senate floor, according to this aide and a Senate Democratic leadership aide.

The aide familiar with Senate Democratic leaders' plans said if Burris tries to enter the Senate chamber, the Senate doorkeeper will stop Burris. If Burris were to persist, either trying to force his way onto the Senate floor or refusing to leave and causing a scene, U.S. Capitol Police would stop him, said the aide.

From the Gill Report - Jan. 12, 2009:

When... Governor Rod Blagojevich defiantly chose to appoint former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate... he put the Democrats in the Senate between the proverbial racial rock and a hard place. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has made it clear that he will not allow Burris to be sworn in on Tuesday when the Senate assembles: but will he physically block Burris from the floor of the Senate?

On June 11, 1963, Alabama’s Governor George Wallace kept a campaign pledge to stand in the schoolhouse door to block integration of the state’s public schools. Governor Wallace physically stood in the doorway to block the attempt of two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, to register at the University of Alabama. When President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard and ordered its units to the university campus, Wallace stepped aside and allowed the black students to enter. As a result of the incident, Wallace became a... pariah. Does Reid want to follow his lead by blocking the only black Senator from the Senate floor?...

"[Reid]... believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he said privately."

Officials: 'Credible Intelligence' on Terror Attack Planning Against U.S. - UPDATE: Threat extends beyond Aviation!

Fox News reports:

"Credible intelligence has emerged that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is plotting another attack against the United States and U.S. interests abroad, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official confirmed to Fox News on Thursday.

"The intelligence is described as not specific about time, place or method of attack, but is being taken seriously, according to this official..."

From CNN - Jan. 13:

The United States is closely monitoring a "credible threat" from al Qaeda in Yemen against the U.S. homeland, two senior officials told CNN...

[According to one source], the information has to do with aviation and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The level of concern is "measurable" this source said, adding "There is more prickling of the neck hair."

The U.S. has some information about time frame, this source continued, saying, "It is more definitive than it usually is."...

This source pointed out that aviation security is rigid already and that no additional protective measures have been taken. But, the source says, "there is a lot of stuff going on in the next day or two" relating to analysis.

Additional information in the video below:



UPDATE: From CNN:

Information gained since the attempted airplane bombing on Christmas Day has U.S. officials concerned that al Qaeda in Yemen has "trained and equipped ... viable operatives" to strike U.S. targets -- including targets unrelated to aviation, a reliable source familiar with the investigation told CNN Thursday.

"I have not seen people this ramped up on the terror front like this for probably two years," the source said. "The palpable level of angst is incredible."...

The source added that officials don't know where the operatives are but believe that there are "a lot" of them. This source said investigators have at least seven names. A second source said officials have identified at least some of the operatives but would not give numbers...

The concern extends beyond aviation, and AbdulMutallab has told investigators the other operatives were trained to attack more than planes... All of the "normal vectors" are on the table -- trains, etc. -- but the belief is they would like to attack planes just to prove that they can...

A source without access to intelligence said aviation security was "ramping up pretty hard. We don't do that for just anything." He said efforts were being made to put air marshals on all inbound flights.

Separately, a U.S. counterterrorism official told CNN that "the concerns have intensified since 12/25. There is every reason to believe AQAP is planning attacks against the U.S. There are people willing to assist them."...

The report about "viable operatives" came a day after two senior officials told CNN that the United States was monitoring a "credible threat" from al Qaeda in Yemen against the U.S. homeland...

Other News: The march toward Socialism continues: Obama administration considers mandating retirees to convert their 401(k) savings and IRA's into long-term treasury bonds

One news outlet aptly noted that the reason Obama is considering the aforementined mandate is due to the enormous government debt that he has racked up. Plain and simple: He needs the money!

The Barack Obama/Willie Sutton Anology is discomfiting, to say the least

"Class Envy" are the words Rush Limbaugh used to decribe Barack Obama's latest bank-tax proposal. John Carney of the Business Insider referred to it as 'The Willie Sutton Theory' [Sutton was a renowned and infamous bank robber]. Call it what you want, but ultimately this tax initiative is just another classic example [sorry for being so blunt] of just what kind of fake, phony and cunning extortionist Barack Obama really is.

At a White House press conference today, the President said that the proposed bank-tax will help "reimburse American taxpayers who bore the brunt" of last year's government bailout program.

"We want our money back!" Obama went on to exclaim. "And we're going to get it!"

However, if you've been keeping score, you should know by now that most of the money that had been doled out to the banks has already been paid back - with interest! What's more, the Federal Reserve actually hauled in substantial profits from the nations 'big banks' in 2009. [Sadly, these profits have been offset by losses incurred as a result of the failure of AIG and the automakers to pay back the money they had received from TARP. (Incidentally, both GM and Chrysler are exempt from the proposed taxes, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-supported companies seized by regulators in 2008.)]

Okay, so what is the "Willie Sutton" theory? Well it should be pretty obvious by now, but we'll let John Carney explain:

A key rationale for the new tax unveiled by the Obama administration this morning is that the revenues will be used to recoup losses from the TARP program.

The idea is that banks, now flush with profits, should pay for the program that rescued the financial system.

[However], the direct costs to taxpayers from the financial bailout cannot be attributed to the biggest banks, many of which have paid or will likely pay back the TARP funds they received. In many cases, the government earned a decent return on the bailout funds. This was one promise of Hank Paulson that actually panned out.

The losses instead come from AIG, Chrysler, GM, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And none of these institutions will be subject to the new tax. [Ed. note: Obama has apparently decided that he will levy the new tax on AIG too - however, Freddie, Fannie, and the automakers are to be exempt from the aforementioned tax.]

Which brings us around to the Willie Sutton Theory. A prolific bank robber who carried on a criminal campaign for decades, Sutton was supposedly once asked by reporters why he robbed banks. He is supposed to have said: “Because that’s where the money is.”

And that, ultimately, is why the new tax will fall upon the big banks—they’ve got the money.

And of course, these new fees will, in all likelihood, be passed on to the consumers.

Nevertheless, while Obama's economic policies may be a bit discomfiting right now, it could get even worse, as he still has another 3 years to cast himself as the modern-day Robin Hood and to transform the US into a full-fledged socialist country. And that, is even more frightening.

But even more discomfiting than that, is the fact that an overwhelming majority of the mainstream media and the left-wing masses are relishing in this extortion.

It goes without saying that Hugo Chavez and his ilk must also be beaming. For ultimately, Barack Obama has turned out to be the American Socialist these miscreants have long been yearning for.

And thus, I would like to congratulate Mr. Chavez on this most wonderful and magnificent triumph:

My beloved Hugo, 'let your eyes feast upon this glorious moment!' Clearly, even you - in your most fanciful and wildest dreams - couldn't have fathomed that the good ol' USA - once a beacon of freedom and Democracy, would become a socialist and fascist country, in such a short period of time! Ah, yes, my dear Hugo, permit me to borrow [and to slightly alter] a quote from the great American patriot and Revolutionary War hero, John Paul Jones:

'Barack Obama has not yet begun to fight!'

Neil Cavuto: 'Mr. President You Haven't Just Lost Support... You've Lost something more: YOUR SOUL!'

What's New?

The consequences of "Dithering": Obama's first year in office - 2009 - was the deadliest year for US troops in Afghanistan since the 2001-led US invasion

Coakley staffer who attacked Weekly Standard reporter had been nominated by Obama to serve on Broadcasting Board of Governors; GOP Senate aid calls on Obama to withdraw nomination

Limbaugh: See, I told you so!: 'A year later, Obama seen as a failure!'

Another "Limbaugh See, I Told You So": 'Buyer's Remorse for Obama Voters!'

2009 foreclosures hit record high - with no end in sight!

Scheduled weeks ago, 'African Americans for Harry Reid' launch will proceed as planned

Ah, the good ol' Senate Ethics Reform bill!

Last month, a day before the Senate voted and ultimately passed the health care reform bill, I noted that, by law, the vote could have been postponed and possibly blocked.

On what did I base this assumption? Well, here's the nuts and bolts of the argument:

On January 18, 2007, the Senate Ethics Reform bill was brought to a vote by the notorious "earmarker", Sen. Harry Reid. The bill passed 96 to 2 and was signed into law by President George W. Bush in September of 2007. The aforementioned legislation requires, among other things, that Senators who submit earmark requests on a bill be identified as the sponsor of their requests on a publicly accessible congressional website at least 48 hours before the item comes to a vote [Tile V (Sec. 521)].

Here's what the Ethics reform bill states [PDF file page 26]:

1. (a) It shall not be in order to vote on a motion to proceed to consider a bill... unless the chairman of the committee of jurisdiction or the Majority Leader or his or her designee certifies - (1) that each congressionally directed spending item, limited tax benefit, and limited tariff benefit, if any, in the bill... has been identified through lists, charts, or other similar means including the name of each Senator who submitted a request to the committee for each item so identified; and (2) that the information in clause (1) has been available on a publicly accessible congressional website in a searchable format at least 48 hours before such vote.

From my Dec. 23 post [with a few minor alterations]:

Question: [Were] all the requested earmarks - tied to the health care bill - and the names of the senators who requested these earmarks, identified through lists, charts etc.? [Was] all this information available on a publicly accessible congressional website in a searchable format at least 48 hours before the senate [voted] on the bill...?

Case in point: The senate bill contains a $100 million earmark for an unnamed health care facility. No one could ascertain who the intended recipient of the earmark was until Sen. Christopher Dodd - who was facing a difficult re-election campaign [before he decided to back out of the race on Jan. 6] - told the AP that he had requested the earmark for construction of a hospital tied to the University of Connecticut.

Who knows what other hidden earmarks are lurking within this 2000 page health care monstrosity!

Nevertheless, it would stand to reason that if any additional earmarks - and names of the senators who sought out these earmarks - [were not] identified both on lists, charts etc. and on a publicly accessible congressional website [in a searchable format] as of Tuesday, Dec. 22, a senate vote on the health care bill, by law, [should not have] proceeded [on Dec. 24].

Read the rest.

So, why am I regurgitating all of this now?

Well, The Hill is now reporting that 23 Republican senators sent a letter to Sen. Reid today essentially raising the aforementioned argument, saying Reid "may have violated the law by failing to disclose earmarks that various lawmakers received through the healthcare measure."

The 2007 ethics law requires bill sponsors to disclose directed spending items and limited tax benefits.

“We are concerned that the inclusion of these items without appropriate disclosure may violate the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 [the Senate Ethics Reform bill],” the lawmakers wrote.

Republican lawmakers asked Reid to share the information with them and post it on his website within 24 hours. They also asked that Reid disclose earmarks and carve-outs in the final healthcare bill produced from Senate and House negotiations.

However, I am still a bit concerned that the Republicans will not use the full force of the law to ultimately repeal this health care bill. Bear in mind, that Sen. Reid was required by law to make all of this information [including the names of each and every senator who requested these earmarks. (In the aforementioned letter, I did not notice any mention of the need to list the names of the senators who requested these earmarks. This is of particular concern to me; it should have been mentioned in the letter!)] readily available on a publicly accessible congressional website in a searchable format at least 48 hours before the Senate voted on the health care bill. If indeed, Sen. Reid did not abide by the law, this health care bill passed the senate illegally, and is thus, totally null and void.

Reid and his minions can fret all they want, but last time I checked, the Constitution was still intact, and still in effect. If indeed, Harry, "the notorious earmarker", did not fully disclose each and every handout [and the names of the senators who requested these handouts/earmarks] on a congressional website 48 hours prior to the vote, then I think this entire matter needs to be taken up by the US Supreme Court.

Demanding full accountability from Sen. Reid will not suffice, and neither will half-baked, symbolic gestures from the GOP; not when they have the constitution and the law on their side. Republican lawmakers must see to it that the rule of law is upheld and they must fight this thing till the end. And, if indeed the health care bill was passed illegally, it must be repealed forthwith.

GOP Sens. Tom Coburn (Okla.), John McCain (Ariz.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), John Cornyn (Texas), John Thune (S.D.), John Ensign (Nev.) and Olympia Snowe (Maine) were among those who signed the letter.

Contact these Senators, by clicking the highlighted links above. Thank them for their efforts, but demand that they see this thing through till the end, and I mean, the VERY end.

P.S. The Supreme Court Justices do not have email addresses. However, if you'd like to raise the matter with them, you can still contact them the ol' fashioned way: Just send them a letter. Contact information here. John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, are probably the best ones to contact.

Alveda King or Barack Obama, YOU decide!

Barack Obama and his cronies are of the opinion that it is up to them to decide who is, or who isn't a racist. They believe that the power has been bestowed upon them to choose which words, and whose words, should, or should not be construed as an affront to African Americans. But they are merely political opportunists who are pursuing an extreme left-wing agenda to remake America into a socialist and immoral country - and Harry Reid and his ilk are the pawns they have embraced to further their agenda.

The niece of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, however, released a statement on Tuesday calling Harry Reid's, now infamous, racist comments "sadly outrageous."

"If Michael Steele or any other conservative had said anything like it, the remarks would be labeled racist and plastered over every available news outlet," Alveda King said. "What would my uncle and my father think, to hear such things from one of the most powerful leaders in the country? Their 'beloved community' is sorely threatened when racism rears its ugly head once again."

“This type of thinking by Senator Reid and others," she said, "is sadly outrageous, no matter what the ethnic or political viewpoint happens to be. We are one human race, and polarizing people because of skin color is horrendous."

"As it stands," she continued, "only a few brave souls are publicizing the comments while there is a massive push at damage control from those who wish to bury the elitist pattern that is prevalent in our government today."

"Damage control", indeed!

Barack Obama likes to quote the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, wherever and whenever he can. But is Obama truly worthy of being the torchbearer of Martin Luther King's legacy any more than Alveda King? Should Obama - who attended the sermons of the race-baiting, firebrand preacher - Rev. Jeremiah Wright, be the one to determine what constitutes racism and what doesn't? Should Obama, who himself has uttered ugly, despicable invectives against so-called "greedy White Folks", be the one to decide which pol may or may not be a bigot? Is Obama - the unabashed basher of "White folk" - really deserving of donning Dr. Martin Luther King's mantle and conveying the Reverend's unifying message to the world?

However, it should be noted that Alveda King is a proud Conservative and a pro-life moralist. And thus, in all likelihood, her voice, unfortunately, will never resonate with the Liberal, left-wing masses.

It is a travesty that people like Barack Obama have now become the spokesmen for all race-related matters. The President and his ilk do not deserve this honor, for it is they themselves who are the epitome of bigotry. What's more, as they proceed to trample upon America's moral foundations, they are slowly, but surely dismantling this once-great nation brick by brick, inch by inch...

Why doesn't Michelle Obama ask Harry Reid what it means to 'talk like a White girl'?

During a visit to a Washington DC high school last year, Michelle Obama told the students that it's cool to be smart. She went on to say that as a child, kids in her neighborhood told her that she 'talked like a White girl', but that it did not disturb her in the least:

"I didn't care whether it was cool because I remember there were kids around my neighborhood who would say, 'Ooh, you talk funny, you talk like a white girl.' I heard that growing up my whole life. I was like, I don't even know what that means, but you know what? I'm still getting my A."

Question: If Michelle Obama has difficulty understanding what it means to 'talk like a White girl', why doesn't she ask Harry Reid to shed some light on the matter?:

[Reid] was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one," as he said privately.

Who knows, maybe, now that Sen. Reid's remarks have been made public, Michelle Obama will indeed ask the Senator the aforementioned question.

Incidentally, during the Presidential campaign, Joe Biden issued the following statement about Barack Obama:

"I mean, you got the first main-stream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a story-book man!"

Undoubtedly, it was the above statement that caught Obama's eye and compelled him to choose Joe Biden as his running mate, as evidenced by what Obama wrote in his best-selling memoir, 'Dreams of my father':

"People were satisfied so long as you were courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. They were more than satisfied; they were relieved; such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn’t seem angry all the time."

Clearly, Biden saw these qualities in Barack Obama, and Obama was smitten by Biden's keen perception and his appreciation for courteous and well-mannered African Americans.

Meanwhile, President Obama told TV One network today that Sen. Reid was trying to praise him when he referred to him as a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect".

Perhaps we can better understand what Obama told TV One network today, by paraphrasing the President's [previously cited] words in 'Dreams of my Father', substituting the words 'Sen. Reid' in place of the word 'people':

"Sen. Reid was satisfied so long as I was courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. He was more than satisfied; he was relieved; such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man."

Ironically, Eric Holder - who once described America as "essentially a nation of cowards" for not feeling "comfortable enough with one another to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us" - said he has no problem with Sen. Reid's [covert] remarks concerning Obama's 'light-skin' color and 'non-Negro dialect'. "I don't think that there is a prejudiced bone in [Reid's] body," Holder told the AP today.

Apparently - according to Holder - Harry Reid is one of those rare individuals who does not have a prejudiced bone in body, unless, of course, "he wanted/wants to have one."

And, finally, it would be remiss of me to conclude this post without citing at least a couple of morally instructive quotes from Barack Obama on the issue of race. Obama, after all, is the ultimate unifier, and clearly the only person in America capable of healing our nation's racial divide:

From 'Dreams of my Father:

1) "Ray assured me that we would never talk about whites as whites in front of whites without knowing exactly what we were doing. Without knowing that there might be a price to pay."

2) "The title of Reverend Wright's sermon that morning was 'The Audacity of Hope'... Rev. Wright explained [in his sermon]...'it is this world, a world where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where white folks' greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another hemisphere ...That's the world on which hope sits'!"

That last sentence, with all due respect to Mr. Obama and Rev. Wright, is incorrect. For indeed, the world on which hope sits, rests solely upon the shoulders of magnanimous leaders like Barack Obama, Jeremiah Wright, Joe Biden, Harry Reid and all the great luminaries who have fought against racial prejudice since time immemorial.

Undoubtedly, White folks, greedy White folks, light-skinned and clean, articulate African Americans - will forever remain indebted to these great American heroes....

Obama willing to bring terrorist detainees to the US, but not if it will benefit a few Navy Seals

The Obama administration insists on bringing terrorist detainees to the US when it can benefit the detainees and harm US interests, but when it can help out a few Navy Seals wrongly accused of mistreating a terrorist, forget about it!:

The trial of one of three Navy SEALs accused of mistreating an Iraqi detainee has been moved to Iraq.

A military judge on Monday set the court-martial of Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe for April 6 at Camp Victory, site of the alleged abuse. Prosecutors said they would not bring the detainee to Norfolk to testify. The judge ruled Keefe has the right to face his accuser.

Here's what Neal Puckett, an attorney representing one of the Navy Seals, told Fox News in November:

“I don’t know how they’re going to bring this detainee to the United States and give us our constitutional right to confrontation in the courtroom,” Puckett said. “But again, we have terrorists getting their constitutional rights in New York City, but I suspect that they’re going to deny these SEALs their right to confrontation in a military courtroom in Virginia.”

But apparently, the aforementioned military judge had the good sense to send the trial to Iraq to allow defense attorneys to question the terrorist. Barack Obama and Eric Holder may not be happy with the judge's decision, but the Obama administration should not be allowed to pursue a double standard that would would benefit the terrorists and destroy the lives of those who protect this country from the terrorists.

Other News: 'Game Change': '60 Minutes' doesn't mention Reid's racist remarks

AP: Stimulus spending on roads and bridges had no effect on unemployment rates; Despite all of this, Congress is moving quickly to give Obama billions of additional dollars for roads and bridges

AP: Missed signals in Fort Hood attack and thwarted Christmas day attack eerily similar

Violence Returns to Anbar as US troops withdraw; Released Al-Qaeda detainees engaging in attacks

Violence returns to Anbar province as US troops withdraw from Iraq; Al-Qaeda detainees - who were released from prison after the US military turned them over to Iraqi authorities - engage in attacks. - Source - Washington Post.

Shrinking U.S. Labor Force Keeps Unemployment Rate From Rising

A Labor Department report released on Friday showed the US economy unexpectedly lost 85,000 jobs in December while the jobless rate was unchanged. However, as The Consumerist notes, the reason why the national unemployment rate hasn't gone up is because "people are giving up hope and dropping out of the labor force entirely.":

The percentage of Americans taking part in the labor force is the lowest it's been since the mid-'80s, and over 900,000 people are no longer looking for work because they don't think any is available.

“About 1.7 million Americans opted out of the workforce from July through December, representing a 1.1 percent drop that marks the biggest six-month decrease since 1961, the Labor Department report showed. The share of the population in the labor force last month fell to the lowest level in 24 years.

The so-called underemployment rate -- which includes part- time workers who’d prefer a full-time position and people who want work but have given up looking -- rose to 17.3 percent in December from 17.2 percent.

The number of discouraged workers, those not looking for work because they believe none is available, climbed to 929,000 last month, the most since records began in 1994.”

The problem in this recession is not the unemployment rate, but the average length of time that each worker has been unemployed.

Last month, I cited another sad statistic with regards to long-term unemployment:

According to data released by the Department of Labor, long-term unemployment is soaring:

The number of Americans out of work for 27 weeks or more reached 5.9 million last month, the most on records dating from 1948. That's 18 percent more than just three months ago, when the total was just below 5 million.

Related Post: Broader measure of US unemployment stands at 17.5%

Harry Reid's hypocrisy on illegal aliens

From Newsblaze:

Reid, now an impassioned champion of amnesty for 20 million illegal aliens in America, once called illegal aliens "free loaders and scam artists" which he proposed to deal with in his Immigration Stabilization Act in the United States Senate in 1993.

From Canada Free Press - Powerful Democrat Calls Illegal Aliens ‘Free Loaders and Scam Artists’:

Sen. Reid's office released the following statements [in 1993] concerning illegal immigration:

[Excerpt] - “Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care, and other benefits often without paying any taxes.... Safeguards like welfare and free medical care are in place to boost Americans in need of short-term assistance. These programs were not meant to entice 'freeloaders' and 'scam artists' from around the world...".

Racist remarks from the Democratic leadership

Obligatory Post: A couple of interesting quotes from Sen. Harry Reid and former President Bill Clinton:

[Reid] was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one," as he said privately.

Bill Clinton:

After Obama won the Iowa caucuses, Clinton called Kennedy to press for an endorsement from the influential Massachusetts liberal. But the call backfired...The day after the [Iowa caucuses, Clinton] phoned Kennedy and pressed for an endorsement, making the case for his wife. But Bill then went on, belittling Obama [and] said, "A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee."

And, of course, who can forget Joe Biden's "Clean and articulate" comments.

Gitmo closure, a recruitment tool for Al-Qaeda?

An attorney representing several Al-Qaeda detainees says his clients would rather be incarcerated in Gitmo, where they are being held under 'Geneva Convention conditions', than in an Illinois 'supermax' security prison under near-lockdown conditions. - Source - Washington Examiner

Apparently, the President's decision to close down Gitmo is ticking off the detainees.

Hence, the question arises : Is Obama giving Al-Qaeda a new recruitment tool by shutting down Gitmo?

Related post from November 2009: Gitmo Detainees: We want to stay here!

Other News:

Did the FAA spend $5 million in taxpayer money on a Christmas party?

Iranian lawmaker says US hikers will not be freed anytime soon

Two Malaysian churches firebombed ahead of Muslim protest

What's New?

Obama's stimulus funds tagged for fake zip codes

1 in 5 released from gitmo go back to fighting

Security for 9/11 trials in NYC will cost more than $400M

Terrorists kill 7 outside Egyptian church as worshippers return from midnight mass

The Left loves to invoke George W. Bush: Not this time around

News to peruse

Iran welcomes non-deadline on nuke talks

Newsweek Exclusive: Osama Bin Laden's daughter and the Al-Qaeda, Iran connection

Related: 9/11 commission finds ties between Al-Qaeda and Iran

North Korea began uranium program after '94 deal

Dodd will not seek re-election, Democrats say

Dearborn students wear sweathshirts glorifying 9/11

Airport security cameras failed in Newark scare

Newark Airport breach: TSA waited 80 minutes before calling police

Democrats are dropping like flies

Pelosi takes a swipe at Obama: "There were a number of things he was for on the campaign trail"

Carlos Allen, the Salahis and the White House, a tangled web of dirt and corruption

From the Washington Post:

Another uninvited guest made it into the White House state dinner made famous by gate-crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the Secret Service announced Monday -- exposing more holes in the security perimeter around President Obama.

Unlike the Salahis, this newly revealed crasher got into the White House with the official Indian delegation...

A congressional source, who was granted anonymity to speak about the ongoing investigation into porous security at the White House, identified the man as Carlos Allen, a D.C. party promoter who runs an event space in Mount Pleasant. The source saw Allen's name in official e-mails and documents pertaining to the Secret Service probe. Allen, 39, did not respond Monday to repeated e-mails and phone messages. The Post spoke with him last month regarding a comment he made to a blogger about having attended the state dinner; in the brief exchange, he denied knowledge of anything to do with the dinner...

The Secret Service released its statement following a report by Ronald Kessler, a journalist who writes for Newsmax.com. Kessler reported that the agency discovered the third crasher after examining surveillance video of arriving guests and found one tuxedoed man who did not match any name on the guest list.

The White House declined to comment about the breach, although an administration official, who asked to speak without attribution, said the White House has known about the third crasher since mid-December.

On his Web site, Allen promotes his event space as the "HushGalleria Mansion." Like the Salahis, he has a knack for getting himself into photos with famous people: Gen. David Petraeus at one black-tie gala last fall, rapper Drake and actor Jeremy Piven at other events featured on his Facebook page. An acquaintance of Allen's said Monday that she spotted photos of Allen, purportedly at the state dinner, on his Facebook page in the hours after the dinner, but that the photos later disappeared after the Salahi controversy broke...

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said the new discovery may implicate not only the Secret Service, which is under the jurisdiction of the Homeland Security Committee, but also the State Department: "This incident, along with the terror attempt on a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day by Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab may well show that the State Department is a weak link in U.S. security." ...

On December 11, the Ask Miss A blog reported that rumors were floating around Washington that Carlos Allen may have also crashed the White House dinner:

There are rumors floating around Washington that Tareq and Michaele Salahi may not have been alone in crashing the State Dinner. It seems that Carlos Allen, CEO of Hush Society Magazine may have also crashed President and Mrs. Obama’s first State Dinner, too:

Interestingly, Carlos is friends on Facebook with the Salahi’s former attorney Paul W. Gardner. Did Paul Gardner help get Carlos and the Salahi’s into the State Dinner? I have no idea, but this is apparently the buzz.

Here's the buzz, Miss A is referring to.

From Politics Daily - Dec. 2, 2009:

I have some questions for Paul Gardner, attorney for the world's most famous uninvited guests...

I get the impression the Howard Law School graduate played a role in getting Mr. and Mrs. Salahi through the White House's East Entrance. The Baltimore lawyer has been linked through Facebook to a Defense Department official [Michele Jones, who happens to be one of Gardner's Facebook friends] whose e-mail correspondence reportedly led the couple to believe they could attend the state dinner a week ago.

Gardner, who advertises on MySpace, also shares the services of their publicist, Mahogany Jones. [Editor's note: Michele Jones - the Defense Dept. official who is Paul Gardner's Facebook friend - is an Obama appointee. Jones reportedly told the Salahis that she would try to get them tickets to the dinner. However, Jones later issued a statement saying: “I did not state at any time, or imply that I had tickets for ANY portion of the evening’s events. I specifically stated that they did not have tickets and in fact that I did not have the authority to authorize attendance, admittance or access to any part of the evening’s activities. Even though I informed them of this, they still decided to come."]

Tareq and Michaele... told NBC's "Today" show that the Gardner Law Group got them into a September formal dinner hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. [This is not the White House state dinner that took place in November in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But, the question arises as to whether Mr. Gardner may have also gotten them into the White House dinner.]

And, now I notice that Miss A. put a new post up today with some additional information:

A Congressional source has confirmed to the Washington Post’s Reliable Source that Carlos Allen, CEO of Hush Society Magazine is the “Third Crasher”. The blogger mentioned in the Post’s story was an AskMissA.com contributor, Sanam Toossi who mentioned in her write up of a Thanksgiving volunteer event at the Hush Mansion that she met Carlos Allen and that he said he attended the State Dinner. Seems that he was cool with telling everyone he was there….until he saw what happened to the Salahi’s.

After the Salahi’s Gate-Crashing story broke, a few Facebook friends of Carlos noticed that his State Dinner photos had disappeared from Facebook. One frenemy in particular started talking to various media outlets and telling all the dirt about how the Hush Society Mansion — now a charity — was once really a Swingers club, and may still be used in the evenings for some debauchery. I’ve also heard that Carlos and possibly the Salahi’s former attorney Paul Gardner have ties to Obama officials who may partake in this Swinger stuff and don’t want it getting out. Hush Mansion….Hush Money??? Interesting, isn’t it?

Supposedly, these contacts in the Obama administration helped get them all into the State Dinner. I have no idea if this is true or not, but that’s part of the dirt that was being told. After some of the undercover videos I’ve seen on ACORN nothing would surprise me. It’s only natural for President Obama’s grassroots support to have a little ”crabgrass” mixed in...

It will be interesting to see what will happen, if anything, to Mr. Allen and the Salahi’s. My guess is that no charges will be filed for the State Dinner, as I don’t think the White House wants to air their disorganized Social and Security laundry. I would imagine that the Salahi’s are being investigated by other government agencies in addition to the Secret Service and that is where their real troubles lie. As for Mr. Allen, I have developed a strong sense of “shade-ar” and something tells me something shady is going on there. We shall see.

Indeed, the Salahis are certainly no strangers to corruption and shady charities:

From Accuracy in Media:

What is known about the Salahis is that their past includes a bankrupt winery; a long string of civil suits, some of which involve Loudoun businesses; cars and at least one boat repossessed; a residence in foreclosure; and his elderly parents evicted from their home."

In addition, according to the article, Charles Muldoon says he was asked by Tareq Salahi to help him organize the inaugural America's Cup polo match to help raise money for Journey for the Cure, Salahi's "personal charity."

According to the Loudon Times, "Not only did virtually no money go to Journey for the Cure..., but many of those who participated in the event were not paid for their work, for the supplies they had to purchase, for their time and effort. Salahi, Muldoon claims, even went so far as to stiff the local civic club that provided for parking cars."

More unwelcome attention to the Sulahis came from a blogger known as TaxGirl, who found that the Salahis have failed to file some of their corporate tax returns, had tax liens filed against them, and were spending money on items such as Redskin luxury boxes while failing to pay some of their taxes that were due.

A few more tidbits:

Several weeks ago, bloggers took notice of a photo posted on the Internet showing the Salahis - in November of 2008 - posing together with then-Democratic Presidential nominee, Barack Obama. The photo was taken at an Americas Polo Cup Pre-Event. [The Salahis created the America's Polo Cup.] However, I have still not ascertained whether Obama was actually at the event or if his image was merely photo-shopped on to the picture.

The Salahis also attended the 2008 World Snow Polo Championships in Aspen, as well as various other polo events. Ironically, Craig Allen posted a picture of himself [on his website] attending an International Polo Club event in Palm Beach Florida. Birds of a feather, I suppose...

Incidentally, there is plenty of more corruption involving the Salahis and the America's Polo's Cup. To read more about that, see the Washington Post [Dec. 2, 2009] and Ask Miss A [November 28, blogpost].

And finally, in a separate article [on December 3], the Washington Post wrote that the Salahis' former attorney, Paul Gardner, will likely be called to testify before a congressional committee about the 'Crashgate affair:

The couple's previous lawyer, Paul W. Gardner, is himself embroiled in the affair. Gardner is one of the few Facebook friends of Michele S. Jones, the Pentagon official with whom the couple corresponded about coming to the event, and the Salahis cited the entertainment lawyer as the person who invited them to a Congressional Black Caucus dinner they are now suspected of crashing. Gardner has himself acquired legal representation: Mark Dycio, a Virginia lawyer, who said that Gardner was no longer speaking for himself as he had become part of the investigation.

"It is expected that he will be called before the committee just as the Salahis were," Dycio said.

So, as it turns out, both Carlos Allen and Michele Jones are Facebook friends of Paul Gardner, who just happens to be the Salahis' former attorney, and who just happened to get them into a Congressional Black Caucus dinner that - like the White House dinner - they are now suspected of crashing.

But wait, Paul Gardner is not only Facebook friends with Michele Jones, he is also, by his own admission, Miss Jones' attorney [or at least he was, at one time]:

From Paul Gardner's twitter account:

[My] client is being honored along with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Susan Taylor and Honorable Barbara Lee. My client is CSM [(former) Command Sergeant Major of the Army] Michele Jones!

Carlos Allen, the Salahis and the White House, a tangled web of dirt and corruption - indeed!