Saturday, December 19, 2009

Top Nine Health Care Charts You've Never Seen Before

Trial lawyers are the second biggest donor to the Democrats' Political Action Committee, trailing only the union bosses of the IBEW.

The "lawsuit industry" gives more money (roughly $127 million in 2008) to Congress than every sector of the health care industry, combined.

Medical malpractice costs continue to skyrocket to new historical highs, growing far faster than any other component of health insurance premiums.

Which makes the percentage of your health premium going to pay for the trial lawyers' mansions roughly 75%.

And trial lawyers bring in more money than either Microsoft or Pfizer.





Tort reform is an easy way to reduce health care costs without destroying the entire system.

But Harry Reid -- in his current mentally-incapacitated state -- won't have any of it. He requires money and power. And the trial lawyers continue to provide him with both.


Update: ReidCare Throws a Bone to Tort Lawyers Too.

Charts: Source.

Hot or Not! (Part Deux)

As we did yesterday, please rate on a scale of 1 to 10:

Fractions are not permitted.

Larwyn's Linx: Nelson Cracking -- A Deal May Be Likely

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email. You can also install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget..

Nation

Nelson Cracking: Deal May Be Likely: Ace
Alan-Grayson-Is-Nuts-talanche: LegalIns
Al Gore May Save Us From Socialized Medicine: Ace

Why Health Care Polls Are Tanking, Part XVIII: Kaus
Obama vs. Carter: The Razor
The Time To Say 'The Time For Talk Is Over' Is Over: Nice Deb

Penetration at the Pentagon: Investors
Corruption on the Border: Prairie
A year since the Wasilla church burning: Moe Lane

Economy

The Long March From California to Copenhagen: Hanson
6.1 Million Jobs Not Saved or Created Since Stimulus: JWF
House Democrats Double Down With Another Stimulus: Corner

We Must Act Now: Gormogons
Profit Margin on Slaves vs. N.Y. Taxpayers' Burden: Langbert

Media

Bill Clinton's inner lout lurks just beneath the surface: PJM
Ever wonder what Obama would be like w/out a 'prompter?: Ace
I'm Hoping: Denny

I'm On The Precipice Of Defending Obama: JOM
Kahane Has Been Booked: Corner
McCarty trashed by HuffPo: BMW

Media Bash GOP 'Stalling', Praised Democrats for Fighting Bush: NewsBusters
Virginian Pilot Fudges the Facts: MoneyRunner

Climate & Energy

Climategate: History's Message: UnqualRes
AGW Today: Inhofe, Alarmist Media, And 40 Members Of Congress: STACLU
Enviros Are Like Watermelons: Green on the Outside, Red on the Inside: FloppingAces

Life in the faculty lounge is getting nasty: Dinocrat
Maybe They Could Devote The Weekend To Global Warming Climate Change: JOM
Global Warming Keystone Kops: Charlie Foxtrot

World

Smart Diplomacy(TM) Copenhagen Edition: Obama Insults China: Ace
Talk Is Cheap, Abundant, And Fuels Global Conferences: JOM
Developing nations slam U.S.-led climate deal: Maktoob

The Extended Finger from the Mullahs' Clenched Fist: Ledeen
Egypt headed for Iranian-style Islamic revolution -- with U.S. tax dollars: PJM
HRW: We're Not Sure About Garlasco's Nazi Obsession, But There's Definitely A Jewish Cabal...: MereRhet

Chavez: Obama smells of sulfur, too: Fausta
Middle East Peace? Look What Bill Clinton Offered: RubRep

Sci-Tech

Hackers are defeating tough authentication, Gartner warns: Network World
Why Google May Want Yelp: CNet

Cornucopia

The One's Report Card -- From 1970: Parkway Rest Stop
Nancy Scores Kudos from Gohmert: C & S
Thousands protest AGW: S, C & A


Friday, December 18, 2009

An Open Letter to Marxists, Communists, Maoists

Oops -- another open letter! In this case, a brilliant series of questions from W.

Do you accept the concept that a certain level of dictatorship and party leadership (Leninism) is a necessary step where the end goal is equitable distribution of the means of production?

If no; then please explain how that distribution of wealth is engineered.

If yes; how do you imagine moving from dictatorship to the end game of distribution of the means of production (property, wealth). In a dictatorship a handful of (ruthless - how else would they obtain the position if not by ruthless means) individuals representing the state design and impose it's mandates, And knowing that the greater the power concentrated in individuals or governing bodies the greater the reluctance to let go of it. Once their power is entrenched why would they ever concede that power and willingly move to a more democratic distribution. Does history offer up an example of that ever happening?

Everything we know of human nature suggests that it is impossible to progress from dictatorship to true communist democracy.

So, is your end game merely a compromise? - accepting dictatorship and the enormous police state necessary to prevent the citizenry from trying to improve their individual circumstances. And then there's the problem of production incentives, including forced labor, because of the unsustainable economic (un-)dynamic created by communism when individuals cannot profit from their own labor.

Given the atrocities necessary to see through another communist experiment, as documented by Soviet, Chinese, and third world attempts (and failures), is it really worth another try?

I have another and more fundamental question to ask you. Are you only concerned with property distribution? Why is it a good thing to know that your neighbors have achieved the same level of material comfort as you -- no matter what that level is?

And do you really imagine that the foundation of man's happiness or unhappiness is tied primarily to the material world? If that were true, why do we observe a distribution of unhappiness without regard to economic or social class? If I am wrong in my assumption that the end goal is happiness then what exactly are you looking to achieve?

I have a theory about the inability to let go of this monstrous ideology. At least some self-identified Marxists (professors come to mind) must understand the structural deficiencies that come with implementing communism, and yet are unwilling to change course. Why is that? Are they just stubborn people? Or is it a result of a very basic psychological condition named envy. Is it this human flaw which drives their desire to punish those they see as the winners. Do you not see that because of human traits such as envy it is impossible to design and implement both a good and complex social system of the scope you intend?

I have a suggestion for those suffering from pangs of occasional reality. Give Progressivism a try. It is the 'make it up as you go' plan. It's much easier to defend, which is why many of your comrades have signed on. You don't have to predict a path or an end. So you can avoid that messy question about the ideal condition for man. You know, the one about happiness.

These questions, of course, presuppose an IQ equivalent to or above that of a goldfish. So it may be a stretch for the current crop of SEIU, ACORN and AFT drones.

An Open Letter to Michael Mann, Disgraced Victim of Climategate

Talk show host Ben Barrack emailed disgraced "climatologist" Michael Mann (email address: mann@psu.edu) the following open letter.

Mr. Mann,

It takes a lot of gall to try to defend AGW [anthropogenic global warming] after it's been exposed as a complete and total fraud thanks to Climategate. The "Hide the Decline" email is but an ice chip in a glacier of examples -- so focusing on that exclusively is rather inconsequential.

There are other issues like the hockey stick chart (yours, I believe) that have been completely and utterly debunked; the Hadley Center's cherry-picking of data from Russia's meteorological stations; the stonewalling of freedom-of-information requests; the omission of accurate Medieval Warming Period (MWP) temperatures that were significantly warmer than the current period; the suppression and intimidation of opposing viewpoints; ... but I grow tired, should I continue? The whole thing is beyond shameful. If you possessed but a modicum of honesty, you would simply admit your crimes.

Oh -- are you familiar with Archimedes? When ice melts, water levels actually fall. It has to do with displacement and the density of ice versus water. Claiming that sea levels will rise because glaciers melt is either ignorant or fraudulent. Can you pass that along to your buddy-slash-current Science Czar John "Mass Sterilization" Holdren? He's actually been wrong about, well, pretty much everything over the years. Maybe you could help him out.

Mr. Mann, the best thing you could do would be to come clean and seek forgiveness. Such an act would be both humbling and liberating. You should try it. It's an option that's always available. And it's never too late to free yourself.

Would you agree that humility and contrition are noble endeavors?

Regards,

Ben Barrack

Walk towards the light, Michael.

Keith Olbermann Spy Shot!

Lisa, who claims to be one of Keith's ex-confidantes, offers this shot:

Word has it that uber-popular radio host Mark Levin has received a number of missives from Olbermann's ex-flames. They refer to him as 'Strap-on Keith', though I'm not sure what that means.


Hot or Not!

On a scale of one to ten...

...whatcha think?

Larwyn's Linx: If Nelson says 'no,' is Obamacare dead?

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Nation

This President Is No B+: Rove
Culture of Corruption, Part 52: NRO
Obama's Enabling Act: Grand Old Partisan

The Obama Doctrine: Govern By Decree: AT
'Lt. Col. Allen West rallies the base' clip: Hot Air
'We Want What Is Ours': JWF

If Nelson says 'no,' is Obamacare dead?: RSM
20 GOP Senators: Investigate of Offutt Threat: WklyStd

Economy

Obama's Vote-Buying Dilemma: AT
Green Lights and the Common Man: AJacksonian
Meet Philly’s community service thugs: 'Brigands': Malkin

There Is a Difference: No GOP Vote for Stimulus II: GWP
Obama Job Creation Program: ACORN is Hiring: Malkin
Kos math: Spend $833 billion, call it $21 billion savings: Surber

Media

Man of the Year Finalist #14: Surber
Trawling E. J. Dionne's Comments Section: Corner
The Real Person of the Year: Cold Fury

The Headline Stack Poetry of Matt Drudge: AmDig
Associated Press mystified by high unemployment: Doc Zero
Rasmussen: Huge Majority Support Offshore Drilling: Prairie

Climate & Energy

Who Needs Data?: AT
Climategate: ... And Just Like That, the Warming's Gone: PJM
Five Green Commandments: Corner

The State of Climategate Today -- 12/17/09: Ace
As Democrats Dither -- China Gobbles Up North American Gas Reserves: GWP
Climate Change Corruption: Raquel Okyay

Vintage Moonbattery: Copenhagen's A Battle To Humble And "Redefine Humanity": Mere Rhetoric
Nancy Pelosi: Global Warming Junk Science Is a Women’s Issue: GWP
Science.com: The upper atmosphere is cooling: Surber

World

So Many Despots, So Little Time!: PJM
Europe Cracks Down on Honor Killings: PJM
Obama offers $33 billion a year in climate reparations: AT

Chavez Tells Copenhagen Summit “Capitalism Is the Road to Hell” – Gets Standing Ovation: GWP
There Hugo Again: Paranoid Clown Fears U.S. Invasion: JWF
Chavez-hagen: Charlie Foxtrot

Iran's Global Bedfellows: Rosett
Gitmo Does Not Cause Terrorism. Doubt It? Ask the Blind Sheikh.: NRO

Russians Accuse Brits of Manipulating Global Warming Data!: GWP
Gore Effect Strikes Copenhagen Like Frigid Clock; Blizzard Dumps Snow on City: Ace
Obama adopts failed California blueprint in Copenhagen: PJM

Sci-Tech

Chrome for Linux: Good Browsers Come to Those Who Wait: LinuxInsider

Cornucopia

Jack Bauer Interrogates Santa Claus: Rebel Christmas Card
Christmas Memo: Physics Geek
Al Greenleaf Wordsworth Whittier Tennyson Silverstein Gore: Cold Fury

QOTD:

"Perhaps the president is finally accepting some responsibility for high unemployment, low economic growth, and setbacks and difficulties in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He keeps bemoaning 'the past eight years,' and obviously, by this date, one of those eight was under his watch." -- Campaign Spot reader Jeremie


Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Delusions (and Barbarism) of the 'Reality-Based' Community

Over at 538.com, Nate Silver devotes significant attention to the faux liberal outrage erupting over the nationalization of health care. Silver analyzes the responses to 20 of his questions posed to Markos Moulitsas (Daily Kos) and Jon Walker (FireDogLake).

I'll save you the effort of reading their neural diarrhea. Suffice it to say that the "Reality-based" Community devotes thousands of words to government-run health care without mentioning:

• The "dangerous" amount of national debt that we are assuming ($50,000 for each and every American by 2019 without a health care takeover);

• The exploding and extremely risky deficit;

• The impending bankruptcy of Medicare and Medicaid (the time-bomb is set to explode in less than a decade);

• Slashing $500 billion from Medicare while claiming to "improve quality";

• And the utter accounting fraud associated with booking six years of benefits against ten years of tax revenues.

Bernie Madoff is serving time for running a Ponzi scheme like this, only a 100 times smaller. Best of all, Silver is the supposed "numbers guy" for the socialist left. So he turns out to be just as intellectually honest as the rest of the Soros-funded troupe.

The numbers are real. And they are dangerous to the future of this country, according not to me, but the Congressional Budget Office.

So the "Reality-based" Community is either delusional or intent on the utter destruction of the American experiment. Choosing which is an exercise best left to the reader.


Note: Yes, this is the same Nate Silver of the Dealergate beclownment. No one tell Natey that a variety of lawsuits by dealers alleging partisan activities by the Obama administration are still wending their way through courts.


Stiff Competition

Matthew Vadum emails a quick reaction to the "KSM before" photo posted yesterday ("KSM Glamor Shot, Trial Serve as Infomercials for Jihad"):



Every time a friend of mine looks at the mugshot for KSM he asks, Why does Ron Jeremy hate America?


If KSM does indeed serve time in Illinois, perhaps he could reenact the catcher roles from Backdoor to Hollywood 2, California Reaming, Caught from behind 4, Tailgunners and other Ronny classics.

Third Party, Tea Party, Whatever. Just Call It Suicide.

Intentionally dividing your army into two distinct, warring factions would be unthinkable for a military commander. It is equally suicidal for a resurgent conservative movement. That is why talk of a third-party run is nonsensical and defeatist.

But don't believe me: consider the history of third-party presidential candidates in America:


YEAR PARTY CANDIDATE VOTE% ELECTORAL OUTCOME in Next Election
1832 Anti-Masonic William Wirt
7.8
7
Endorsed Whig Candidate
1848 Free Soil Martin Van Buren
10.1
0
5% of the vote, absorbed by GOP
1856 Whig-American Millard Fillmore
21.5
8
Dissolved
1860 Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge
18.1
72
Dissolved
1860 Constitutional Union John Bell
12.6
39
Dissolved
1892 Populist James B. Weaver
8.5
22
Absorbed by Democratic Party
1912 Progressive Teddy Roosevelt
27.5
88
Returned to Republican Party
1912 Socialist Eugene V. Debbs
6.0
0
Won 3% of the vote
1924 Progressive Robert M. LaFollette
16.6
13
Returned to Republican Party
1948 States' Rights Strom Thurmond
2.4
39
Dissolved
1948 Progressive Henry Wallace
2.4
0
Won 1.4% of the vote
1968 American Independent George Wallace
13.5
46
Won 1.4% of the vote
1980 Independent John Anderson
6.6
0
Dissolved
1992 Reform H. Ross Perot
18.9
0
Won 8.4% of the vote
1996 Reform H. Ross Perot
8.4
0
Did not run
2000 Reform Ralph Nader
2.7
0
Ran Next election
2004 Green Ralph Nader
1.0
0
--

The Republican Party must be the vessel for conservatism to succeed. Ronald Reagan ran as a GOP outsider and won two successive landslides.

We must politically crush the Republican moderates, who stand for nothing, and replace them with those who believe in the Constitution. We must stand for limited government, national defense, free markets, legal immigration, fiscal prudence and -- most of all -- the Constitution as the founders intended it. And we must do so from within the GOP.

Ross Perot delivered us the disastrous Clinton presidency and crime syndicate -- a legacy of terrorism, Chinese missile deals, and Fannie Mae accounting scandals. A 2012 version of Ross Perot would result in another Obama term and a true catastrophe.

That is why talk of a third party run must be dismissed. Consider it a fool's errand -- or the surreptitious work of a Pelosi-Obama-Reid Democrat.


Hat tip: Mark Levin.

2009 Performance Review



Hat tip: Oceander.

Google Type-Ahead Fun




Obama's Legacy

Dan from New York:

Fellow over at the Weekly Standard asks a good question: "Why is Iran pumping billions more into building and protecting triple the number of facilities required to build a basic nuclear weapon, akin to the Fat Man or Little Boy bombs detonated in 1945?"

Then answers it:

Iran Could be Developing Hydrogen Bomb

At the rate we're going, Obama will not be remembered as the man who suffocated our children under a mountain of debt, attempted to turn us into a socialist state, lost the war in Afghanistan or governed ineptly.

He will remembered as the last man on earth who could have stood in the way of evil obtaining the means to destroy us, and he chose to stand aside.



Hilarity: the Ultimate Sock-puppets Accuse Lieberman of Sock-puppetry

Just minutes ago Nita Chaudhary of MorOn.org personally emailed me the following missive:

Joe Lieberman's behavior over the last few weeks has been outrageous and inexcusable. But too many people still don't realize how destructive Lieberman has been to the cause of health care reform.

Fortunately, some friends of ours put together a video with sock puppets—yes, sock puppets—that makes his role clear... After you watch, call Congress and the president and tell them not to let Joe Lieberman hold reform hostage.

Thanks for all you do.

Yep, you read that right. The penultimate sock-puppets -- MorOn.org, a subsidiary of "Open Society Institute" and pet project of anti-American financier George Soros -- is accusing Joe Lieberman of sock-puppetry. This is somewhat akin to Michael Moore lambasting New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for obesity.

Come to think of it, the MorOn.org sock-puppet actually looks a lot more like Soros than Lieberman. In fact, I recognize those bunion-shaped lumps!

Remember, folks, pay no attention to that Swiss financier behind the curtain. Just go about your business as the Democrats vote to uphold the Constitution and all of America's traditions: rich social programs, an enormous welfare state, lifetime unemployment payments, free health care and certain national bankruptcy.


Larwyn's Linx: Democrats' Michael Moore Diet Plan

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Nation

The Real Reason America Hates Universal Health Care: ZomBlog
The Beating Heart of America: Corner
12 Orgs to Congress: Fire Jennings: GWP

Gutierrez Creates Tidal Wave of Illegal Immigration: STACLU
Every City a Sanctuary City: Corner
Flashback: Obama healthcare reform promises: Pundette

PalinTracker: Messin' with Gore, Dead Heat with Obama: PJM
The Persecution of Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Corner
It's On: Boycott Entire State of Connecticut: LegalIns

Economy

Obama brings the Gitmolympics home: Malkin
Obama Panics, Solemnly Utters Lies #4,826-4,848: Surber
Sharia Coke: Atlas

How Democrats Hide Costs of Health Care Bill: AT (Lifson)
Is deregulation to blame?: Power Line
The 2009 Obama Achievement List: AmDig

Obama Now Says U.S. Will ‘Go Bankrupt’ if Senate Bill Not Passed: BigGov
Europe: An Impending Disaster: Denninger
"The US Dollar Has Failed. We Need To Delink.": Zero Hedge

Media

Inevitable "Two Black Role Models Fall From Grace" Post: LegalIns
Proof: the AP just lied to cover Al Gore's ever-widening butt: GWP
Time's Taqiya: Feature Story on Islam's 'Soft' Revolution: Atlas

Grudging respect for republicans, open disdain for democrats: Ace
Michael Moore Threatens to Eat Connecticut: JWF

Climate & Energy

Palin to Jerkinator: How's that green economy working for Cali, pal?: Morrissey
Richard Branson: Global Warming Hypocrite-slash-Buffoon of the Day: Surber
Climategate: European Carbon Credit Trading System Plagued by Fraud: PJM

Russian IEA claims CRU tampered with climate data – cherrypicked warmest stations: WUWT
Russians Confirm: UK Climate scientists Manipulated Data: Telegraph (UK)
Hadley-Russian Surface Temp Fraud; Where's the Solar Activity?: Wolf

Polar Bear Hunts Jones in Copenhagen: CBullitt

World

Democracy Under Arrest: Bolton
Obama Won't Support Killing Taliban in Pakistani Cities: Jawa
Iran's Missile Test: Corner

Obama Shields Fort Hood Jihadi: Why?: Atlas
Gibbs Cites al-Qaeda’s Criticism Of Gitmo As A Reason To Close It: FlAces
Shakedown in Northern Sealand: GoV

SecState in a Headband: Anchoress

Sci-Tech

You Want Wi-Fi with That? McDonald's To Make Wi-Fi Free: Newsfactor
Four fired for playing NFL fantasy football at work: CNet

Cornucopia

Lunchbreath's Top Sekrit Health Plan: AmDig (Language Warning)
You Know, Infrastructure!: SondraK

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Officials in Southern California prepare for inevitable nuclear attack, thanks to SmartPower™ policies of Obama, Clinton and Holder

Given an administration that coddles terrorists, cozies up to nutcases like Kim Jong-Il and wink-winks at a nuclear Iran, these preparations seem sensible.

...local officials are inventorying hundreds of old bomb and fallout shelters as part of their preparations for a "radiological or nuclear event"... Los Angeles and other metropolitan areas are drafting emergency plans while federal agencies study how to prepare the public for what county public health Director Jonathan Fielding describes as a "low-likelihood, huge-consequences event."


His department hosted a workshop earlier this month for the emergency operations staff of the county's 88 cities in preparation for "Golden Phoenix," an exercise scheduled for June 2010 that simulates the scenario of a 10-kiloton nuclear device detonated in Los Angeles... "We think this is a great opportunity for us to open a dialogue with the 88 cities so they can begin to amend their emergency plans to include planning for a nuclear device."

...Interest in such civil defense activities was renewed in recent years amid fears that a terrorist group or rogue nation like Iran or North Korea might gain access to nuclear weapons.

The federal Homeland Security Council is urging state and local governments to prepare in the event of a nuclear detonation in a major city.

And Matthew Chandler, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is studying how to incorporate a nuclear detonation scenario into a citizen preparedness campaign.

...Experts are also concerned about nuclear threats posed by Iran and North Korea and, to a lesser extent, China and Russia. The president of Iran has threatened to wipe Israel off the map and experts believe North Korea has missiles that can hit the West Coast.

Experts are especially concerned about the possibility that Iran one day could launch ship-based nuclear missiles, said Brian Kennedy, president of The Claremont Institute's Ballistic Missile Defense Project.

"The West Coast of the U.S. has limited missile defense against a North Korean missile," Kennedy said. "And, unfortunately, we're almost completely vulnerable to a ship-launched ballistic missile attack."

Kennedy is also concerned a ship-launched nuclear missile detonated at a high altitude would create an electromagnetic pulse, possibly destroying electronic equipment and knocking out the nation's power grid - leaving the country with little or no communications and no ability to provide food and water to potentially hundreds of millions of people.

Congressional reports suggest such an attack could result in more than 100 million deaths in a year, said Sharon Packer, executive director of the American Civil Defense Association.

...Ken Kondo, spokesman for the county's Office of Emergency Management, said the recent 50th anniversary of the county's Civil Defense program piqued a lot of interest in the shelters, along with the post-apocalyptic films, "The Road" starring Viggo Mortensen and "The Book of Eli" starring Denzel Washington, slated for release in January.

"Hollywood is raising awareness about the aftermath of a mega disaster and what needs to be done to survive," Kondo said.

"So to Hollywood, we say, `Thank you.' Now it's up to us to start to locate and find these fallout and bomb shelters and make preparations and plans to utilize them in the event that people need to take shelter because of a terrorist attack or man-made event."

Cheering news, but not unexpected from the hard left Democrats that support, enable and appease world despotism.

KSM Glamor Shot, Trial Serve as Infomercials for Jihad

Writing at American Thinker, J. R. Dunn poses some fascinating questions.

Is anyone else as puzzled as I am by the new stock photo of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed? It could hardly be more different from the hairy chested view of him taken upon his apprehension.

I'm referring to the photo that appeared at the same time that the New York trial was announced, portraying him in traditional Arab dress. The picture is odd in a number of respects. For one thing, it's extraordinarily ambiguous. While KSM appears to be trying to look ferocious, the robes, wide-eyed expression, and cocked head all work to give him a distinctly feminine air. The picture fairly reeks of the homoeroticism that Christopher Hitchens, among others, has detected in the Jihadi subculture.

But the oddest thing of all is this: it's obviously a recent photo. This individual is several years older than the figure in the well-known "crazed pizzeria worker" photo that introduced KSM to the world. So it had to be taken since he was in custody, and it is alleged that the International Red Cross took it.

The question is: why?

Look at what he's wearing. The white headdress, the turban. This is a sheikh's costume. The clothing of a figure of respect in the Arab world. This photo was designed to impress, to portray KSM not as a prisoner, not as a terrorist, but as a man of distinction within the framework of his home culture.

This picture was apparently taken while KSM was in American custody, processed with American acquiescence, and released with American permission. It's exactly as if we were acting as KSM's PR firm, hired to make him look as imposing as possible.

There is no better example of the Obama administration's skewed priorities than this single photo.

KSM admitted -- and it was independently confirmed through multiple sources include Usama Bin Laden -- arranging the murders of some 3,000 American citizens, easily the greatest single act of terrorism in world history.

Men and women going about their business, reading their emails, answering the phones, cleaning toilets and arranging for babysitters.

Men and women left at the real precipice, clothes melting on their bodies as a hundred stories of air offered the only release.

What kind of administration permits KSM to publish glamor shots that market Jihad around the world? What kind of Attorney General supports these efforts?

The same kind of A.G. that expends enormous effort to cover up voter intimidation by its New Black Panther allies, in a seeming effort to encourage anarchy and violence at polling places.

The Justice Department has ordered its career trial lawyers who have been subpoenaed by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights not to appear to provide testimony or give documents in the investigation of DOJ’s dismissal of the New Black Panther Party voter-intimidation case...

How a personnel guideline can supersede the force of a subpoena issued by the commission remains a mystery...

A source tells me that Adams was “not quite” threatened with the loss of his job, but plainly he and his colleague, Christopher Coates, the voting rights section chief, are being strong-armed to disregard a lawful subpoena. This is abject lawlessness, the sort of executive imperiousness that, if practiced by a Republican administration, would bring howls of protest from Congress, the media, and liberal lawyers’ groups. The Obama Justice Department doesn’t want to respond to a subpoena because they have a personnel rule? Next thing you know they’ll be claiming executive privilege for a social secretary. Oh yes, that’s right...

Any liberal with an ounce of intellectual honesty will receive a full and fair hearing on this blog if they can explain this outrageous behavior.

Mark my words: the trial of KSM will turn into a months-long miniseries as well as an effective infomercial for jihad. And, as was presciently stated in the days of Bill Clinton, Americans will needlessly die as a result of these policies.

In the case of Clinton, however, it was due to simple incompetence, arrogance and corruption. Under the current regime, however, it appears entirely intentional, perhaps step number six in the 12-step program to shred the Constitution.


Hat tip: Larwyn.

Google Adds Real-Time Twitter Updates to Search Results

Well, this is interesting. Google appears to have added real-time Twitter messages into its standard search results.


Click to Zoomify

You can also choose Updates as a channel like News, Blogs, Groups, and such.

It's an interesting development, to be sure, and that also highlights the importance of Twitter as a platform.

As an aside, is anyone else seeing this search behavior -- or am I a one-off, as usual?

Larwyn's Linx: Debt Crisis Portends Liberalism's End

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Nation

The 'Most Disturbing, Disgusting Act' in Health Care Drama: VS
Is Any of This Healthy?: Mullings
Senate Solution: Consumer Choice is D.O.A.: AT

Command and Control: Cold Fury
Selling another out-of-control entitlement program: PJM
Communists revel in health care nationalization: New Zeal

Bombshell: Crist 43, Rubio 43: Hot Air
Making Schools Safe for Exploitation: AT
U.S. Attorney Subpoenas Working Families Party: JWF

Economy

Debt Crisis Portends Liberalism's End: Tapscott
Who do you trust?: Anchoress
The Hard Truth Concerning Health Care: NoisyRoom

U.S. Uranium Enrichment Funds Go To... The French?!?: AT
Bring on the Bad Guys: Wizbang
Using taxpayer money to subsidize electoral victory: AT (Lasky)

Media

NYT: Heck of A Job, Barack: JOM
Happy Bill of Rights Day!: Surber
Keith 'Strap-On' Olbermann says Lieberman Should Kill Himself: Strap-On Watch

Pondering and Rating Obama: Anchoress
It’s Official! Media Matters Morphs Into One-Stop Fisting Information Clearinghouse: GWP
America Under Barack Obama: An Interview with Nat Hentoff: Review Messenger

Climate & Energy

Climategate: massive evidence of fraud worldwide: PJM
Greenland, Antarctic Temp Reconstructions Show No Historical Warming: Virtuous
Dessima Williams: Another Socialist Negotiating Away Our Future in Copenhagen: New Zeal

Climategate's Stubborn Facts: AT
The State of Climategate Today: Ace
New Scientist becomes Non Scientist: JoNova

World

Surprise! Freed Lockerbie Bomber is Missing: YWL
North Korea Caught Red-Handed Selling Arms -- Again: PJM (Rosett)
Copenhagen Pigeon Drop: JPA

Words that must remain unsaid: Gates of Vienna
Why One Auschwitz Survivor Avoided Doctors for 65 Years: Spiegel
French minister tells Muslims: dress properly, find a job and stop speaking slang: Reuters

Waiting: Belmont
The Palestinians Tell the World Their Strategy: Why Make Peace with Israel?: RubRep
Harassed Mideast women forced off streets: Maktoob

Hillary Admits Failure on Iran: Commentary
The End of America As We've Known It: Riehl

Sci-Tech

Size Matters: Wizbang
Pics, Video of Boeing 787 Dreamliner Takeoff: AirlineReporter
Breaking News Flash: Gormogons

Cornucopia

Sheriff Holley Was Right: Crazy Uncle
My Kind of Christmas Tree: Denny
They're Both Batt-y: Michelle's Mirror

"AGW theory is deader than Monty Python’s parrot. Get over it." -- Melanie Phillips