Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Larwyn's Linx: Executive Temperament in Evidence -- Chris Christie

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Nation

Executive Temperament in Evidence: Chris Christie: BigGovt
Obama's thuggery useless in fighting spill: Barone
So Why Does the Border Never Get Secured?: RWN

Crist leading by 11%?: JIP
Skeez Grayson Runs Fake Tea-Party Candidate: GWP
Barack and Bureaucracy: AT

Economy

How Far Nevada Has Fallen: RWN
Docs Refuse Medicare Patients at Record High: BlogProf
Obama announces 'Dad fund': Malkin

The Emperors Have No Doc Fix: LegalIns
Solis: Illegal Aliens Deserve Fair Pay: Proctor
Jobs Apartheid: Public vs. Private Sector Shock: BlogProf

Climate & Energy

The Jones Act Waiver: Patterico
Pelosi: Climate Change Legislation a 'Moral' Issue: CNS
Pelosi’s lame blame game: No ‘burrowed-in’ Bush appointees oversaw Deepwater Horizon: WashExam

Media

MSNBC Host Admits to Using White House Talking Points: AnBlkCon
McChrystal “Unimpressed” With Obama and His “10 Minute Photo Ops”: GWP
Border Disorder: Latest Violence Shows Why We Need to Get Serious About Immigration: PJM

Kagan Says Bork Hearings Were Best Thing That Happened to Constitutional Democracy…: GWP
Expecting Less From Our Black Children: BlkInformant
‘First, Do No Harm’: A Plea to the FTC: PJM

World

Iran Cannot Be Contained: Commentary
Supreme Court upholds bar on 'humanitarian' support for terrorist groups: Babbin
Mad and Madder: AT

Revealed: Photo of Obama’s Radical Mentor Chucking Rocks at Israeli Soldiers: GWP
On Doing God's Work: Goldseek
Gold reclaims currency status as global system unravels: Telegraph

SciTech

Emotional Immodesty on Facebook: First Thoughts
Photos: Oil Spill Hits 60th Day: SacBee
Note To Self: No More Pissing Women Off: Riehl

Cornucopia

Missouri man's incendiary sign on U.S. 71 draws fire: KC
Child Safety Hints: Hatless
Bombshell Study: Stupid Women Go After Rich Men: JWF

Images: Nate Beeler.
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: J.D. Hayworth for U.S. Senate

QOTD: "In 1936, during the Cable Street riots, the British Union of Fascists jeered at London Jews, “Go back to Palestine!”, “Palestine” being in those days the designation for the Jewish homeland. Last week, Helen Thomas, the doyenne of the White House press corps, jeered at today’s Jews, “Get the hell out of Palestine,” “Palestine” being now the designation for the land illegally occupied by the Jewish apartheid state. “Go home,” advised Miss Thomas, “to Poland and Germany.” Wherever a Jew is, whatever a Jew is, he should be something else somewhere else. And then he can be hated for that, too.

North Korea sinks a South Korean ship; hundreds of thousands of people die in the Sudan; millions die in the Congo. But 10 men die at the hands of Israeli commandos and it dominates the news day in, day out for weeks, with UN resolutions, international investigations, calls for boycotts, and every Western prime minister and foreign minister expected to rise in parliament and express the outrage of the international community. Odd. But why?" -- Mark Steyn


Monday, June 21, 2010

Recognize any of these 'community organizers' from the Los Angeles Lakers' Celebration Riots? If so, the LAPD Would Like You to Email Them

If you recognize any of these fine, upstanding young community activists, the Los Angeles Police Department would like to hear from you. The aftermath of the Lakers' victory over the Celtics turned ugly with the usual spate of arson and mayhem.




































Update: Shayne observes, "Those darn Teabaggers. I had no idea they were in Los Angeles!"

The Impeachment Chronicles

In increasingly respectable circles -- i.e., not this blog -- and on a more frequent basis, politicos and pundits are bandying about the I-word. No, not the I-word that President Obama won't use (Islam), but impeachment itself. Consider:

• At the invaluable American Thinker, attorney Raymond Richman asks, "Is Obama's BP shakedown an impeachable offense?" Richman is incredulous that Obama "insist[ed] that his own personal organization take over the job of paying claims" and that such an organization will operate "without any law, legal controls, or binding rules to guide it on how and how much those injured materially by the oil spill (and whom among them) will be paid"

Richman argues that the President has, through explicit ("ass-kicking") and implicit threats, forced BP to agree to the slush, I mean, escrow fund and that such an action is "beyond the powers of his office." He terms these actions fascist, Chavez-like, and that ultimately they represent an impeachable offense.

• Rep. Darrell Issa of California believes that the White House job offer to Joe Sestak is clearly illegal and "could lead to the impeachment of President Obama". Issa called upon the Justice Department to name a special prosecutor but, as expected, Attorney General Eric Holder has refused.

• Rep. John Kyl of Arizona has stated that President Obama told him privately that he will not secure the border, because Republicans would then have no reason to support "comprehensive immigration reform" (amnesty for illegals). Were this allegation proven true, the President would be violating one of his clearest requirements under the Constitution. Would a "dereliction of duty" charge or even an "accessory" status for crimes committed by illegals be possible?

• Few of President Obama's appointees are as controversial as Eric Holder. Holder appears to be the most unvarnished political operative to occupy the Attorney General's office since John N. Mitchell under Richard Nixon (the first A.G. to be convicted of illegal activities). Among Holder's outrageous decisions, none is as blatantly partisan as his decision to drop charges against the New Black Panther members caught on videotape harrassing voters at a Philadelphia polling station. Furthermore, the aftermath of these activities are also clouded in controversy as those officials charged with preserving the rights of voters are stonewalled at every turn. Could Holder and/or Obama be held accountable for a clear failure to discharge their duties?

Should the President be impeached? If so, on what grounds?

There are, after all, so many offenses and affronts against the American people that it seems difficult to choose.


Seven Frightening Images from the Deepwater Oil Spill

Alex Kearns posted this image and commentary on her blog earlier:

A researcher captured this image. A discarded flag (or one that has fallen from one of the many vessels in the area) rests on the ocean floor amid the oil and the bodies of dead crabs.

A two-inch layer of submerged oil is coating portions of the Gulf seafloor off the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge: a week after a smothering layer of floating crude washed ashore there. This scenario is being played out all along the Gulf shoreline.

Collecting in pockets and troughs in waist-deep water, the underwater oil is looser and stickier than the tarballs that cover the beach. The consistency is more like a thick liquid, albeit one made up of thousands of small globs. Unlike tarballs, which can often be picked up out of the water without staining the fingers, the submerged oil stains everything that it touches. If you passed your hand through the material it would emerge covered in oily smears.

There are a number of patches of submerged oil 40 to 100 feet off the beach, apparently collecting along rip currents and sandbars. The carcasses of sand fleas, speckled crabs, ghost crabs, and leopard crabs are spread throughout the oil, a thick layer of the material caking the bodies of the larger crabs - their claws looking as if they been turned into clubs made of oil.

And Washington's Blog raises an excellent question:

It's the largest environmental disaster in U.S. - and possibly world - history... But do you know exactly where it is? Could you point to a map and show where the oil rig sank?

Do you know what the topography of the surrounding area is?

Hint: If you think it's flat seafloor - as implied by BPs drawings - you'd be wrong (the spill site is actually located within a giant canyon system, rather than on flat ground).

...Some oil industry professionals are worried that a landslide at the spill site could make the oil spill much worse by carrying away the blowout preventer, riser and all other equipment. While I have no idea how likely it is that a landslide could occur before the well is capped, it is true that:


(1) The spill site is located in a steep canyon, as discussed above;

(2) There are hundreds of feet of loose mud and muck on top of the sea floor in this area; and

(3) Many deepwater, oil-rich areas within the Gulf are tectonically active.

Meanwhile, the President continues campaigning, golfing, undermining border security, bankrupting the country and -- to put it bluntly -- doing everything except what the American people expect of a Commander-in-Chief.


Hat tips: Washington's Blog and Alex Kearns.

Larwyn's Linx: Leftists, Islamists, Unions Blockade Israeli Ship in Oakland

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Nation

Leftists, Islamists, Unions Blockade Israeli Ship in Oakland: Zombie
Rahming Speed!: Belmont
Christians arrested in Dearborn for being Christian?: BlogProf

A Mercy Killing Strategy for New York: Become a Democrat: Langbert
Dems to Run on Joe Barton Campaign Platform: RWN
End of the Anonymous Senate Hold?: Patterico

Economy

Endless Zeros: AT
Spending will kill, not trigger, a recovery: Tapscott
Charter Schools Don't Work? Wrong!: WashExam

Astroturfing For Harry Reid: LegalIns
About those Medicare doctor reimbursement cuts…: RWN
States take aim at pension costs: Mish

Climate & Energy

Is Obama's BP Shakedown an Impeachable Offense?: AT
Did the BP disaster start in February?: Morrissey
Stopping Progress, but not the Spill: Tapscott

Media

Kyl: Obama told me he won’t secure the border until Congress agrees to amnesty: Hot Air
Dems Blame Rahm for Failed Far Left Policies and Thug Politics: GWP
Another Inconvenient Candidate: Betsy's Page

Obama's Straws and our Tired Back: Hanson
Mike Pence and the Winning Back of America: AT
NYT: 'Border Violence in Arizona Totally Exaggerated': AmPower

World

The Israel vs. Iran Betting Pool: Snapped Shot
Geert Wilders: Change Jordan's name to Palestine -- and We're Done!: YNet
Turkey cuts off water sales to Israel: GWP

SciTech

Get Free TV: Lost In the Details
The New, Goofy Washing Machine: Parkway Rest Stop
Changing the Rules of the Digg Game: CNet

Cornucopia

The One's discussion with the oil leak: Parkway Rest Stop
1-2-3 Strikes, You're Out!: RobTKraft
Police Video: Mob Torches Taxicab After Lakers NBA Championship Game: RWN

Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: The Complete List of Obama Statement Expiration Dates


Sunday, June 20, 2010

Doug's Book Club

Oprah? No, it ain't Oprah, b***hes. Moreover:

It ain't rocket science -- it's leadership.

Download this on your Kindle, now.

And learn from the master.

It. Is. Your. Destiny.


President Obama expresses outrage over BP CEO's yachting trip, fast greens at Bethesda country club

Citing news reports that BP CEO Tony Heyward spent the weekend at a yacht race, President Obama called for the resignation of the embattled executive.

"While the Isle of Wight Yacht Race is a prestigious national event, for Mr. Hayward to spend the weekend --"

"Fore!", screamed Vice President Joe Biden, who had just launched an errant drive at a foursome on Bethesda Country Club's challenging par-four fifteenth.

After the brief interruption, the President continued, "-- to spend the weekend enjoying a pristine water-based extravaganza when so many in the Gulf of Mexico are suffering."

The Vice President leaned over to whisper something to the President and his statement was accidentally captured by an open mic.

"Tell 'em about the greens... it's a big f***ing deal they can't keep these greens in good shape. This is Bethesda, for f***'s sake!"

"And another thing," the President droned on, "the greens here at Bethesda Country Club do a disservice to an otherwise fine reputation. They are so fast that golfers who aren't professionals have literally no chance of anything less than a three-putt."

The President's brief statement to the press ended when David Axelrod, playing in the foursome behind the President's group, beaned Politico reporter Mike Allen.


The Genius of California Governance: Furloughed Public Sector Employees Are Making the State's Long-Term Deficits Worse, not Better!

It was another 'Furlough Friday' in California last week.

The state's employees had their 46th unpaid day off Friday and it was supposed to be their last.

But the problem is California's budget deficit remains at "For the love of Pete"-level, totaling roughly $20 billion.

The ironic part of Furlough Friday is that California state employees have accrued in excess of $2.75 billion in paid time off. And unpaid leave actually makes the long-term deficit worse.

Data analyzed by The Bee show that state workers had 75.5 million hours on the books as of May 28. The time was spread across 17 types of leave employees can cash out when they quit or retire. That's equal to nearly 11 weeks of paid time off owed each of the 176,000 state workers whose leave data are tracked by the state Controller's Office. Average cash value: $15,655 per person.

How did California's state workers accumulate so much paid time off?

Turns out that the state's unholy alliance of Democrats and public sector unions have created one of the most generous leave policies in the U.S. While most states have high limits on accumulated leave -- New York has a maximum of 300 hours, Colorado's limit is 336 and North Carolina's is 240 -- California's max is 640 in some cases and unlimited in others. These hours turn into a cash balance that represent liabilities on the state ledger.

And, as you might guess in a state ruled by far left Democrats, the "Furlough Friday" policy has caused the state's unpaid leave deficit to grow far more than anticipated. Under state rules, public workers have to take three unpaid days each month before they can use a paid leave day.

The net result: much less paid leave was used last year by state workers, which adds to the overall amount of cash California owes to each worker.

Aren't Democrat-controlled Utopian states awesome?


Larwyn's Linx: Souter Attacks Originalism

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Nation

Souter Attacks Originalism: AT
Al Franken's Bad Judicial Comedy: RWN
The President Does a Jones Act: WSJ

Your Weekly Address: “Republicans Blocking Progress”: Patterico
Chicago Police Chief Can't Justify Dem Gun Ban: RWN
What I saw at the Lakers riots: Dunphy

Economy

White House slams BP CEO's Yachting while Obama golfs: DC
Stimtastic! Obama visits Columbus, Ohio: Virtuous
ACORN Youth Union Funded by... DOJ?: BlogProf

Climate & Energy

The Post Climate-Gate Consensus: AT
Scientists & Science Journalists - Please Grow Up: NoFrak
The Outlier: Collide-a-scape

Ouch! Enviros Call Democrats 'Notorious Terrorist Group': RWN
AGW Comedy Chart of the Week: CBullitt
BP Oil Spill is ‘Ecological Armageddon’: RWN

Media

Andrew Sullivan, Paranoid Gyn Nut: Instapundit
Newsweek Intern Attempts to Describe Hayek’s Road to Serfdom: Massive FAIL: RSM
My Evening with Bill Ayers, Cindy Sheehan, and Some Creepy Communist Lady: PJM

Landmark Files First Amicus Curiae Brief in Virginia Comonwealth Case Against Obamacare: Landmark
Islam: Antithetical to Religious Freedom: AT
A Needed Corrective: Ace

World

White House Undercutting Congress's Sanctions on Iran: BRubin
Left-Wing Lobbyists Orchestrate Gaza Campaign: Timmerman
Israel's Right to Exist Bubble: AT

Why Israel and the U.S. are in Crisis: Geller
Merkel says no to Obama: no more deficit spending: GWP
Saudi women threaten to breastfeed drivers: Maktoob

SciTech

National Science Foundation funds study to prove ObamaCare opposition is racist: BlogProf
Female Mutilation, Ivy League Edition: RWN
Report: Facebook '09 revenues as high as $800 M: CNet

Cornucopia

My Youth in One Email: AmDigest
Mixed Martial Arts: The Sport of the Future: Ace
An Oil Spill Runs Through It: BOOS

Images: Maktoob
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Sharron Angle for Senate: Defeat Harry Reid.