Monday, January 09, 2012

Larwyn's Linx: Is there not one ethical, courageous Democrat?

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Constitutional Crisis

Is there not one ethical, courageous Democrat?: RedState
Accelerating Toward Totalitarianism: Pelerin
The Top 5 Reasons Obama Must Be Removed as CINC: AT

Nation

Debate Night in the Titanic Ballroom: Steyn
Thoughts on the Meet the Press/NBC/Facebook debate: Barone
Nader: W.H. pressured Democrats not to challenge Obama: Hill

Romney's Fatal Flaw: How Conservatives Can Still Win: Riehl
Romney Mediocre, Santorum Strong, Gingrich Mixed: WS
How Marxists Wrote Ron Paul’s Defense Cuts Plan: NoisyRm

Noted Congressman calls for defeat of do-nothing Congress: Hot Air
Gingrich implies Romney is buying the election: DC
Candidates Reject Gay Marriage at GOP Debate in NH: AmPow

Economy

How To Win Power by Selling Out Your Own Union: Feldman
Detroit Feeling Greek As the Technocrats Close In: Mead
Why Your College Grad Can't Find a Job: Fox

What Worked in 2011... and What Didn't: ZH
The case for structurally high unemployment for a decade: Mish
UC salary criticisms fuel student protests: OCR

Gunrunner & Energygate

Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Shootout by 'High-Powered Rifle': Tucson
Arpaio Unjustly In Justice Department Crosshairs: IBD
What Financial Meltdowns Teach Us About the IPCC: Climate Realists

Media

Lefties Wet Their Pants Thinking about Post-Obama America or, I Want What They Fear.: Ace
Final Implementation of Obama Dictatorship in Progress on All Levels: NoisyRm
Shame on ABC for their pathetically moderated GOP debate in New Hampshire: FAM

HalloweenGate: White House Covered Up Massive 2009 Halloween Party (With Near-Exclusive Photos): VS
Tapper Acknowledges in 2008 the Media ‘Tilted on the Scales a Little Bit’ for Obama: NB
Kiss of Death: Pelosi Praises Ron Paul: WZ

Obama's Delusional Dog-Washer: Boortz
Everyone Must Sacrifice: Obamas Hid Extravagant “Alice in Wonderland” Bash From Public: GWP
Marco Rubio & Allen West Forging Political Alliance?: Shark Tank

Are Republicans Too Stupid...: ConSoul
Obama's Political Ploys Could Backfire: AT
A Special 2012 Campaign Reminder To America From The Democratic Party: Looking Spoon

World

Rogue's Gallery: Creeping Sharia
After the Fall: Tablet
Hamas TV: “Killing Jews An Act Of Worship” – With Allah’s Teachings “We Harvest The Skulls Of The Jews”: WZ

45 Beautiful Photos Of The U.S. Military From The Last Year: Insider
ECB Overnight Deposit Level Hits Another High: WSJ
Report: Iran Now Enriching Uranium: STACLU

Sci-Tech

World's largest passenger plane may be unsafe, some say: CNet
New kinds of dark forces are being unleashed online: smh
Toshiba Just Built The Thinnest 10-Inch Tablet Ever, And It's A Real Stunner: Insider

Cornucopia

Michelle Obama's Behind: The Scenes: MOTUS
I'd Really Like to Buy This Man a Drink: Wizbang
Daily scoreboard: Debates and football: Surber

Image: Zerohedge - There is no hope
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Please support Rick Santorum for President

QOTD: "The then-press secretary Robert Gibbs was apparently often dispatched to placate Mrs Obama when limits were put on the amount she could spend on clothes or White House redecoration, as well as to explain why she could not take private holiday while on state visits." --Raf Sanchez

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Remember the good old days when we had a real media?

Granted, they were always a bunch of left-wing kooks, but when push came to shove, they would actually report scandals, even if they involved a Democrat president. Remember these golden oldies?

But maybe there aren't any good, modern scandals to choose from. No 200 dead Mexicans and a couple of dead U.S. law enforcement officials thanks to a bungled Eric Holder operation to promote gun control.

No ongoing Constitutional crisis because of a would-be tyrant declaring that the Senate is in recess, when it clearly is not, to ram through appointees without confirmation.

No public outcry because a president signed into law a bill that allows him to detain American citizens indefinitely, without trial or charges.

No ongoing litany of egregious offenses against the Constitution, any single one of which would have had media screeching for the impeachment of, say, a George W. Bush.

Which, come to think of it, perhaps explains legacy media's ongoing meltdown.

Wait. Just. A. Minute. I don't know how in the name of Inigo Montoya that last cover got in there. Someone from Moonbattery must have hacked into the site.


Air Force Solving Problems [Papa B]

Papa B:

Air Force General: Mr. President, we've just invented an invisibility cloak for Air Force One.

Obama: No Way?

Air Force General: That's right, sir, the plane will be invisible. Will you be going along on its maiden flight?

Obama: Wouldn't miss it for the world.

Air Force General: Have a good trip, sir.

The Air Force: Solving Problems Since 1947!


Who's Lying to Who? [Dan from NY]

Dan from NY:

Only two days ago I sent around this story: US: Brotherhood says it won't break Israel treaty.

It had this subhead: State Department says America received private assurances from Islamist party contradicting its public statements on peace.

Today I’m sending around this story: Muslim Brotherhood says will not honor peace treaty with Israel.

It has this subhead: Deputy head of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party denies comments by U.S. State Department that Brotherhood made guarantees to honor peace deal with Israel.

Frankly, if I had to chose who to believe, Obama’s State Dept. or the Muslim Brotherhood, I’d put my money on the Brotherhood.


White House threw secret Halloween recession bash -- and I'll refrain from the obligatory Chewbacca jokes

Here wookie, wookie, wookie... c'mon, good wookie...*

A White House “Alice in Wonderland” costume ball — put on by Johnny Depp and Hollywood director Tim Burton — proved to be a Mad-as-a-Hatter idea that was never made public for fear of a political backlash during hard economic times, according to a new tell-all.

“The Obamas,” by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor, tells of the first Halloween party the first couple feted at the White House in 2009. It was so over the top that “Star Wars” creator George Lucas sent the original Chewbacca to mingle with invited guests.

The book reveals how any official announcement of the glittering affair — coming at a time when Tea Party activists and voters furious over the lagging economy, 10-percent unemployment rate, bank bailouts and Obama’s health-care plan were staging protests — quickly vanished down the rabbit hole.

“White House officials were so nervous about how a splashy, Hollywood-esque party would look to jobless Americans — or their representatives in Congress, who would soon vote on health care — that the event was not discussed publicly and Burton’s and Depp’s contributions went unacknowledged,” the book says.

However, the White House made certain that more humble Halloween festivities earlier that day — for thousands of Washington-area schoolkids — were well reported by the press corps... ...Unbeknownst to reporters, the State Dining Room had also been transformed into a secretive White House Wonderland.

Tim Burton decorated it “in his signature creepy-comic style. His film version was about to be released, and he had turned the room into the Mad Hatter’s tea party, with a long table set with antique-looking linens, enormous stuffed animals in chairs, and tiered serving plates with treats like bone-shaped meringue cookies,” reports the book, which The Post purchased at a Manhattan bookstore.

“Fruit punch was served in blood vials at the bar. Burton’s own Mad Hatter, the actor Johnny Depp, presided over the scene in full costume, standing up on a table to welcome everyone in character.”

With all the vacations and golf the Obamas enjoy, it's a wonder they have any time for parties.


* As long as you keep your hands away from the wookie's mouth while it's eating, you should be okay.


I am so f-ing sick of these left-wing, old media hacks running GOP debates. I want a conservative bloggers' debate!

So the chief political operative for a disgraced, impeached ex-president is the right guy to moderate a Republican debate?

And with America's debt surpassing 100% of GDP -- which makes us, officially, a debtor nation; with Iran threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz; with China gearing up for war; with Islamists rising throughout the Middle East; with rating agencies threatening to further downgrade the United States; George Stephanapolous wants to discuss banning contraception? Really?

No, that's the perverted worldview of a manic progressive, attempting to tar Republicans as religious throwbacks through his interrogatories.

Here's a solution: we need a conservative bloggers' debate.

I nominate Ace of Spades, Andrew Breitbart, Ed Morrissey, Erick Erickson, Jim Hoft, John Hawkins, Michelle Malkin and Glenn Reynolds.

I can guaran-damn-tee that their combined audiences dwarf Stephanapolous' ratings.

So who do we have to sue to pull this off?


Erick Erickson: Mark Levin and Sarah Palin unable to gauge true conservatism

I usually resist the urge to engage in internecine warfare, but RedState's Erick Erickson's attacks on Rick Santorum have moved me to action. As Rick Perry has faded in the polls after some disastrous debate performances, Erickson has likewise thrashed about trying to pump up the candidate. And similarly with Newt Gingrich, who -- after a brief surge in the polls -- has faded. Believe me, I'll happily support either, but right now Rick Santorum appears to be the most conservative candidate with momentum.

Erickson has been left with the proverbial dead parrot returned to his store, and must resort to arguing that it's still alive.

Owner: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.

Mr. Praline: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!

Dear Erick,

So you're saying Mark Levin, who is a personal friend of Santorum's and knows him as well as anyone (Santorum was an early campaigner for Reagan in 1980 in Pennsylvania with Levin) is wrong?

That Mark Freaking Levin is supporting a big-government Statist?

That Santorum's leadership work on the 1996 Welfare Reform Act -- arguably the most successful re-engineering of an existing entitlement program ever -- is not worth discussing, especially now?

That Santorum's obvious knowledge and support of national security is to be dismissed as China prepares for war and the Middle East boils over?

That Santorum's brave battle for a Balanced Budget Amendment was all a sham?

That cherry-picking a couple dozen from thousands upon thousands of votes that Santorum cast -- many of which were thrust upon the GOP caucus by the big-spending Bush 43 administration -- are somehow representative of his personal interests?

That because he lost an election in a disastrous year for Republicans nationally, a year that swept the Democrats into power, as the most conservative Senator from Pennsylvania in the last half-century?

Why, didn't Barack Obama lose a Democrat Primary to Bobby Rush just a decade ago by 31 points? Uhm, yes. Yes, he did.

No. I don't get it. So Mark Levin and Sarah Palin don't know that Santorum is really a big-government guy, that he's fooled them for all of these years.

All candidates are imperfect, some more so than others.

But tearing down good conservative candidates like Rick Santorum to me makes no sense, especially when other good candidates like Gingrich and Perry appear to be losing momentum.

Some introspection, I believe, is necessary.


Larwyn's Linx: Oops! The Senate Conducted Business During Its ‘Recess’

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Constitutional Crisis

Oops: The Senate Conducted Business During Its ‘Recess’: Tatler
Only one Senate Democrat supports Obama’s recess claim: DC
What Is the Separation of Powers?: Foundry

Nation

Dear Voters, Vote For Romney, You Idiots.: Publius
Rick Santorum, Conservative Stalwart: Hillyer
36 Senators File Brief Challenging Obamacare: INN

The Tucson massacre: One year later: Malkin
No, Santorum Never Supported an Individual Mandate: Riehl
Newt slams media for ignoring anti-Christian bigotry: Scoop

A Movement With No Followers: Pagun
Santorum Surge Hits Hollis, N.H.: RS
Gingrich: Obama the ‘best food-stamp President': Union-Leader

Must See: No Class Act: Moonbattery
21 Percent of Dems Have Left Party: Morris
Santorum: Election Is About Obamacare: WS

Economy

Obama's Lost Labor Force: ProWis
Those New Jobless Numbers: NRO
Being There — the Obama Sequel: Hanson

Obama jobs plan for youth is great if you like not getting paid: NakedDC
Union President: Time to Make Charter Schools ‘Ours’: BG
What Liberals Don’t Understand About Business and Profit: Foundry

Gunrunner & Energygate

Fast and Furious Defense Strategy: Keep Them Quiet: Owens
ATF Heads Starting To Roll Over Fast and Furious But the Cover-up Continues: Nice Deb
Drug Trafficker /Fast and Furious Links to Cartel: LE Examiner

Climate & Energy

Looks like “global warming” is off the hook for honeybee deaths: Watts
“Climate Change Castaways” Have Long Years To Wait: RWN
GM tweaks Volt's battery pack, fiery death now less likely: DVice

Media

LFM Review: Page One, The New York Times & Modern Media Bias: Libertas
The Media Blasts Republicans While Obama Destroys Nation: BigJourn
The most ridiculous charge of racism ever?: Lifson

Confirmed: Anti-Semitism at Think Progress: VS
Obama Media Sycophants Renew Their Race Cards Just In Time For 2012 Election: Nice Deb
On MSNBC, Journalist Asks About Bachmann: 'We Will Be Rid of This Woman for Good?': NB

Did Obama Start Blogging at the Daily Kos?: Powers
Report: Mooch Ripped Into Obama After Scott Brown Won Mass Senate Race: WZ
Gibbs Peeved at Jarrett: DC

How Glenn Beck Got His Groove Back: Productive Class
Sunlight Down the Spider Hole: NoisyRm
Eugene Robinson Apoplectic About a Conservative in the White House: RWN

World

The Decapitation of Hope in Cuba: Babalu
Red Flag on the Red Planet: China's Great Leap Marsward?: AT
Inside David's Tower: A tour of Venezuela's skyscraper squatter city.: ForPol

Arab Spring: Egyptians Chant “One Nation for a New Holocaust” at Soccer Game: GWP
It took just a week for 2012 to become a very dangerous year: AT
Hamas-linked CAIR in Your Kid’s Classroom: Geller

Is America Prepared for Total War?: Loudon
Obamalateral Disarmament Dooms Arsenal Of Democracy: IBD
ICE – Deporting American Citizens and Displaying Massive Incompetence: NoisyRm

Sci-Tech

Discrimination Against Straight People At Google?: GayPatriot
Nigerian government hosts Halifax phishing site: Netcraft
NASA Questions Astronaut's Right to Sell Apollo 13 Memorabilia: Fox

Cornucopia

Matt's Do It Yourself: Make Your Own Biased Liberal News Network! At Home!: Morlock Revolt
Help Wanted: Adult monitors for recess: MOTUS
Welcome to the First Annual Zilla Awards for Awesomeness in the Dextrosphere!: Zilla

Image: iOwnTheWorld
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Rick Santorum for President

QOTD: "Given the total distortions of reality with respect to not counting people who allegedly dropped out of the work force, it is easy to misrepresent the headline numbers. Digging under the surface, the drop in the unemployment rate is nothing but a statistical mirage.

The official unemployment rate is 8.5%. However, if you start counting all the people that want a job but gave up, all the people with part-time jobs that want a full-time job, all the people who dropped off the unemployment rolls because their unemployment benefits ran out, etc., you get a closer picture of what the unemployment rate is. That number is in the last row labeled U-6.

While the "official" unemployment rate is an unacceptable 8.6%, U-6 is much higher at 15.6%. Both numbers would be way higher were it not for millions dropping out of the labor force over the past few years." --Mike Shedlock

Saturday, January 07, 2012

'Sir, Blogs Aren't Objective Reporters!' [Chris Muir]

The brilliant Chris Muir at Day by Day Cartoon combines President Barack Obama's Complete List of Historic Firsts with some horrific newspaper stats at Newsosaur to create this great riff:

Remember to bookmark Day by Day for your regular dosage of teh artzw0rk, right-style.

Oh, and for the first time in my life, I'm proud of my country!


Will You be Allowed to Read This in 2016? [Dan from NY]

Dan from NY:

There are many ways a determined president can undermine our freedoms and still go virtually unchallenged, especially when he has the conventional media in his back pocket. For example, I doubt you’ll see a mainstream news outlet follow-up on this important story. Bottom line: If we repeat the mistake we made in 2008 and give a man with hidden agendas four more years in the White House, I hate to think what this great country (and the world) will look like in 2016.

###

Stonegate Institute, January 6, 2012, by Soeren Kern

U.S., E.U. Spearhead Islamic Bid To Criminalize Free Speech


The European Union has offered to host the next meeting of the so-called Istanbul Process, an aggressive effort by Muslim countries to make it an international crime to criticize Islam... The announcement comes less than one month after the United States hosted its own Istanbul Process conference in Washington, DC.

The Istanbul Process – its explicit aim is to enshrine in international law a global ban on all critical scrutiny of Islam and/or Islamic Sharia law – is being spearheaded by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a bloc of 57 Muslim countries.

Based in Saudi Arabia, the OIC has long pressed the European Union and the United States to impose limits on free speech and expression about Islam.

But the OIC has now redoubled its efforts and is engaged in a determined diplomatic offensive to persuade Western democracies to implement United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution 16/18, which calls on all countries to combat "intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of … religion and belief." (Analysis of the OIC's war on free speech can be found here and here.)

Resolution 16/18, which was adopted at HRC headquarters in Geneva in March 2011, is widely viewed as a significant step forward in OIC efforts to advance the international legal concept of defaming Islam.

However, the HRC resolution – as well as the OIC-sponsored Resolution 66/167, which was quietly approved by the 193-member UN General Assembly on December 19, 2011 – remains ineffectual as long as it lacks strong support in the West.

The OIC therefore scored a diplomatic coup when the Obama Administration agreed to host a three-day Istanbul Process conference in Washington, DC on December 12-14, 2011. In doing so, the United States gave the OIC the political legitimacy it has been seeking to globalize its initiative to ban criticism of Islam.

If there's any pillar of this republic that the Obama administration isn't feverishly undermining, I have yet to hear of it.


Hat tip: Israpundit.

America's Most Hypocritical Earmark King Is... Ron "The Representative From Stormfront" Paul

Only a true Beltway insider -- and a cynical one at that -- can claim to be a "fiscal conservative" while loading up his district with pure pork.

One of the odd things I hear about from time to time from many of my libertarian colleagues and friends is their perception that Texas Republican Ron Paul is a rare model of purity in a political pigsty...

I have many issues of agreement with Paul, particularly on health policy, and I've defended him publicly in the past on many of his calls for government reform. But this perception of Paul as a principled crusader who serves only the Constitution is at odds with his wholehearted embrace of typical pork-barrel politics - a difference which is all the more stark in the wake of House Republicans' voluntary ban on earmarks last year. The record on this is available to the public, but it attracts scant attention...

...Paul made over $157 million in earmark requests for FY 2011, one of only four House Republicans to request any earmarks. Additionally, he made over $398 million in earmark requests for FY 2010, again one of the leading Republican House members...

Among Paul's earmarks are boondoggles like $38 million to "encourage parents to read aloud to their children", $18 million for a light rail study, $4 million for a "Trails and Sidewalks Connectivity Initiative", $11 million for an ACORN-like "Community-Based Job Training Program", $2 million for a "clean energy" pilot project, and many, many more.

All of the above earmarks can be found on Paul's own congressional website... Paul typically will make the earmark request, but then votes against or abstains from voting on final passage, so he can maintain his claim to have "never voted for an earmark", even the earmark requests he himself made.

So not only does Paul embrace the suicidal national security views of Dennis Kucinich, but his claims to be a fiscal hawk are as plainly fraudulent as his assertions that he never read his own newsletter.

How stupid does Ron Paul think Americans are? Uhm, for you Paul drones, that's a rhetorical question.


Update: The Mental Derangement of Ron Paul’s Campaign

500,000 Military Layoffs Planned As Obama Argues for Federal Pay Hikes and Need for $103K/year "Invitations Coordinators"

"The then-press secretary Robert Gibbs was apparently often dispatched to placate Mrs Obama when limits were put on the amount she could spend on clothes or White House redecoration, as well as to explain why she could not take private holiday while on state visits." --Raf Sanchez

The Washington Post reported yesterday that President Obama has proposed pay increases for federal employees.

The White House effort comes despite reports in USA Today and other media outlets that the federal workforce -- which has grown substantially under the Obama administration -- is already grossly overpaid compared to the private sector. Please consider the following snippets of articles from USA Today:

Federal workers earning double their private counterparts: "At a time when workers' pay and benefits have stagnated, federal employees' average compensation has grown to more than double what private sector workers earn... Federal civil servants earned average pay and benefits of $123,049 in 2009 while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis... The federal compensation advantage has grown from $30,415 in 2000 to $61,998 last year."

Federal workers starting at much higher pay than in past: "Newly hired federal workers are starting at much higher salaries than those who did the same jobs in the past, a lift that has elevated the salaries of scientists and custodians alike... A 20- to 24-year-old auto mechanic started at an average of $46,427 this year, up from $36,750 five years ago... A 30- to 34-year-old lawyer started at an average of $101,045 this year, up from $79,177 five years ago... And a mechanical engineer, age 25 to 29, started at $63,675, up from $51,746 in 2006..."

This sort of waste, fraud and abuse is exemplified by jobs like a $103,000-a-year Invitations Coordinator for the so-called "Consumer Financial Protection Bureau". The compensation package includes 10 paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and [up to] 26 days of vacation time each year (i.e., more than five weeks).

Furthermore, the Obama administration plans to lay off 500,000 military personnel.

The mighty American military machine that has for so long secured the country’s status as the world’s only superpower will have to be drastically reduced, Barack Obama warned yesterday as he set out a radical but more modest new set of priorities for the Pentagon over the next decade...

...Mr Obama’s blueprint for the military’s future acknowledged that America will no longer have the resources to conduct two such major operations simultaneously.

Instead, the US military will lose up to half a million troops and will focus on countering terrorism and meeting the new challenges of an emergent Asia dominated by China. America, the President said, was “turning the page on a decade of war” and now faced “a moment of transition”.

Why the egregious disconnect?

Why the abdication of the Commander-in-Chief's most important duty -- protecting the United States of America?

Because, my friends, federal bureaucrats pay union dues, which end up recycled into Obama's campaign coffers. Our Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen don't pay union dues, which helps explain why our critical national defense assets are being slashed as federal paper-pushers continue expanding their already ridiculous compensation packages and their unconstitutional control over every aspect of our lives.


Infographic: The Independent [UK].

Bumper Sticker o' the Day: Body Art

Found at Conservative Tree House, via iOwnTheWorld:

Larwyn's Linx: Obama escalates crisis, claims Cordray was confirmed

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Constitutional Crisis

Obama escalates crisis, claims Cordray was confirmed: DC
Obama's 'abuse of power' threatens to shut down Senate: Events
Cordray’s power stymied by 2010 law that created his new agency: DC

Meese: Obama’s Appointments ‘Constitutional Abuse of a High Order’: BG
Obama: The Mask Is Off: AT
Constitutional Scholar: Obama Ignoring Article 1, Section 5: CNS

The Living Constitution of the Left: AT
Obama Plans to Circumvent Congress With New Immigration Law: Blaze
Obama’s Appointees Weren’t Even on List of Nominees: LoneCon

Nation

One Politician of Principle: Dossier
Allen West rips McConnell, McCain over payroll debacle: Scoop
Obama Embraces Signing Statements After Ripping Bush For Them: Beast

Can the Individual Mandate Be Severed?: Cato
Like a Bad Dream: Cold Fury
Obama expands “hardship” waiver for illegal immigrants: Times

Obama’s super-czar is on the loose: Malkin
Report: Government Vastly Overstating Immigration Enforcement: NRO
White House proposes pay increase for federal employees: WaPo

Economy

$730M fed loan to Russian firm pulled after GOP challenge: Malkin
What dropping unemployment really means for Obama’s reelection: Peth
Bill Ayers Apostle Appointed White House Education Initiative Director: BG

Doctors Across U.S. Going Broke Due To New Regulations, Obamacare: Dollard
Labor unions primary recipients of Obamacare waivers: DC
Obama intends to kill seniors' pension plans -- literally: Denninger

Gunrunner & Energygate

Reuters reports on ATF 'Gunwalker' reassignments day after GRE, SSI: Codrea
Fast and Furious: Who's really the racist?: Blue Ridge Now
Perjurers' Row. Gunwalkers of a feather flock together.: SSI

Media

Three years later, David Frum’s crappy website finally closes down: Five Feet of Fury
“Impeach Obama” Banner May Fly Over Super Bowl: Dossier
Hilarious! McCain mistakenly refers to Romney as Obama: Scoop

The unhinged Left on parade: Pundette
Obama’s plan to steal the election of 2012: Aces
Santorum vs. the meat grinder: Bozell

Is Romney Really More Electable?: Commentary
Obama’s Judicial Nominees Deemed “Unqualified” by Left-Wing ABA: JW
Michelle Obama 'raged against Rahm Emmanuel and White House advisors': Telegraph

World

Face-off in the Gulf as U.S., Israel and Iran launch war games in show of force: Daily Mail
Michelle Obama’s warning to gun owners: DC
Media censorship of gang-raping of children now endemic in Britain: Creeping

Sci-Tech

Stuxnet cyberweapon looks to be one on a production line, researchers say: CSM
Occupy iPhone? 1% of Smartphone Users Use Half of Bandwidth and the Gap is Growing: VS
Microsoft Patents ‘Avoid Ghetto’ Feature For GPS Devices: CBS Seattle

IE Market Share Drops, Sub-50% Share Predicted by March: DailyTech
Symantec confirms hacker theft of Norton anti-virus source code: ZDNet
Anonymous Spoofs Stratfor Head George Friedman, Sends Blast Email To All Clients: ZH

Cornucopia

Here Are 25 Of The Most Amazing U.S. Military Photos From The Past Year: Blaze
Sweden Recognizes File-sharing as Official Religion: Tom's Guide
Fragrant Fouls – Something Stinks: Spew

Image: Sipsey Street Irregulars
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Rick Santorum for President

QOTD: "The history of the United States and its traditions of liberty and individual freedom should be a bulwark against the successful emergence of people like Obama and his cronies. Yet why are the media, or the opposition party, or the members of Congress or the judiciary not shouting from the highest hilltop and taking action to stop these power-grabs? Has this country enjoyed peace and prosperity so long that everyone is jaded and preoccupied with him- or herself, or in a self-induced stupor either ignoring what's happening or saying that these unconstitutional steps are minor? Is it because Obama happens to have black skin and everyone is too intimidated by political correctness to speak? Or is it as it was in Germany, Italy, and Russia among many -- a belief that the worst could never happen here?

...To the American people, it is far beyond time to wake up to who this man in the White House is and what his ambitions are. As for the Republicans in the Congress or running for office, the task is upon your shoulders to stop Barack Obama in his tracks before he goes any farther. It is time to do your sworn duty to preserve and protect the country. And for the Democrats who are so blinded by party loyalty that they would sell their country for the proverbial thirty pieces of silver, the long-term difficulties and potential downfall of the greatest nation on earth will be your legacy." --Steve McCann

Friday, January 06, 2012

Oh, you progressives are really going to enjoy the next Republican president...

You Democrats are a short-sighted bunch.

But that goes without saying, I suppose, since your philosophy of Utopianism has failed every time it's been tried throughout all of human history. But, I digress.

The point is that Democrat Congressional leaders are allowing Barack Obama to absolutely shred Constitutional limits on the Executive Branch -- without so much as a whimper -- and it is destined to come back and haunt them.

Consider the following hypothetical situation: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has retired and a seat on the Supreme Court is open.

Late one night, President Santorum declares the Senate in recess. He appoints a new Supreme Court Justice who just happens to be Miguel Estrada, a wonderful originalist judge.

After all, the precedent has been set by Obama. He's declared that the Senate is in recess, when it clearly is not. But don't believe me. Check the Senate's website (which happens to be controlled by Democrats).

Without checks and balances in government, President Obama has established a de facto dictatorship. He's said as much himself.

...when Congress refuses to act, and as a result, hurts our economy and puts our people at risk, then I have an obligation as President to do what I can without them. (Applause.) I’ve got an obligation to act on behalf of the American people. And I’m not going to stand by while a minority in the Senate puts party ideology ahead of the people that we were elected to serve. (Applause.) Not with so much at stake, not at this make-or-break moment for middle-class Americans. We’re not going to let that happen.

In other words, Obama spits on separate-but-equal branches of government. He urinates on the Constitution. And he is quickly, inexorably, transforming this nation into a Banana Republic.

So, liberals: you're going to pay a serious price for your failure to stand up for American laws, traditions and ethics.

You will live to regret tolerating lawless, anti-American behavior that undermines the foundations of this Republic.

Worse yet, Obama's behavior -- and its approval by Congressional leaders like the deplorable Harry Reid and the despicable Nancy Pelosi -- represents a slap in the face of every Marine, Soldier, Sailor and Airman, who take an oath to uphold the Constitution -- and then put their lives on the line to follow through with their sworn oath.

The modern Democrat Party is a lawless bunch that must be removed from office in 2012. At every level of government.


Related: Support a true Constitutional Conservative for President in 2012

Obama Labor Politburo Now Publishing Patently Bogus Unemployment Propaganda

Sure, "the unemployment rate dropped to 8.5%". And a unicorn-riding leprechaun is sprinkling gold nuggets like BaconBits™ on my front lawn at this very moment.

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to grasp the fudging the BLS has been doing every month for years now in order to bring the unemployment rate lower: the BLS constantly lowers the labor force participation rate as more and more people "drop out" of the labor force for one reason or another. While there is some floating speculation that this is due to early retirement, this is completely counterfactual when one also considers the overall rise in the general civilian non institutional population...

...In order to back out this fudge we are redoing an analysis we did first back in August 2010, which shows what the real unemployment rate would be using a realistic labor force participation rate. To get that we used the average rate since 1980, or ever since the great moderation began. As it happens, this long-term average is 65.8%...


It won't surprise anyone that as of December, the real implied unemployment rate was 11.4%... basically where it has been ever since 2009 - and at 2.9% delta to reported, represents the widest divergence to reported data since the early 1980s.

...And because we know this will be the next question, extending this lunacy, America will officially have no unemployed, when the Labor Force Participation rate hits 58.5%, which should be just before the presidential election.

In other words, if the Obama Labor Propaganda Bureau (which is the name they prefer, I hear) used a reasonable labor force participation rate, the real unemployment rate would be:

11.4%

To pull this off, they've been forced to use the lowest labor force participation rate that America has seen since... 1984. Which seems, eh, appropos.

As my wife asked the other day: "I wonder whose mortgage I'm paying when I clock in for work?"


The Movie Event of 2012... [The Looking Spoon]

The Looking Spoon:

If you have some extra coin, I urge you to upport Rick Santorum for President.


Another example of the unparalleled genius of capitalism [Papa B]

Papa B:

A bowling alley in Florida is doing record business despite a bad economy.

The alley reports a record number of 300 games.

Since opening in November 2010, 963 patrons have bowled a perfect game, including strikes in the warm-up frames.

This alley also has the highest bowling league average in the country, with a 237.

And that is the senior league.

What is the secret to this amazing bowling alley's success?

...

...

...



Exclusive Photo: GM Executives Announce Recall of All Chevy Volts

The headline reads -- and I quote -- "Because of Multiple Fire Problems, General Motors ‘Calls Back’ Every Chevy Volt Ever Sold":

Straining mightily to avoid the word “recall,” General Motors (GM) is “ask(ing) owners to return (Chevy Volts) to dealers” in what is being called a “customer satisfaction program call back” – of every single Volt ever sold...

...There were multiple Volt fires in 2011. Two private fires in April. Three government fires in National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) testing. And another private fire in November.

Remember: The two fires in April and the one in November involved Volts that were not involved in crashes. Yet GM and the Obama Administration are now claiming that the Volt fire problems only arise “days or weeks after a severe crash.”

Remember: GM and the Obama Administration until very recently only copped to one NHTSA fire. Now they are saying there were three...

Note: our lawyers tell us that the accompanying photograph may not be real, although Cub Reporter (Level II) Biff Spackle insists that it is.


Related: Exclusive Photo: First Chevy Volts arrive at local dealers.

Larwyn's Linx: Obama's Recess Appointments: An Impeachable Offense

Have a news tip or great story? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Constitutional Crisis

Obama's Recess Appointments: An Impeachable Offense: IBD
Obama to Congress: I’ll decide what’s constitutional: DC
The Lawless Obama Regime: EIB

The Abuse of Power by Pres. Obama: RWN
Levin: 'We Have a Constitutional Crisis': CNS
Obama Raising Cash Off Cordray Appointment: Dossier

Obama's Tyrannical Abuse of Power: Foundry
Pelosi 'glad' Obama made 'bold', illegal recess appointments: DC
Santorum: Senate Must Sue Obama Over Illegal Appointments: WZ

Nation

Obama Proposes Crippling Cuts To U.S. Military: Hewitt
Obama Visits Ohio, Sherrod Brown Skips Town: BigGovt
The Case for Santorum: DC

Obama Announces Huge Military Cuts: Hayward
Obama's Super Czar Is on the Loose: Malkin
Jerry Brown's new budget: more spending and higher taxes!: RS

Oops: Did Obama Screw Up His Cordray "Appointment": Dossier
An Imperial Sham: Goldberg
Report: Romney’s Iowa win may be due to a typo: Hot Air

Economy

Tracking the unreported (15.6%) unemployed: AEI
Search warrant issued for SEIU operative: BigGovt
The 2011 Occupy Movement In 10 Pictures: RWN

The Dirty Little Secret of "Income Inequality": Hayward
BofA Must Pay Excess Settlement Funds To Acorn Clones: IBD
What Happened to the ECB's Heroic Intervention?: McArdle

Gunrunner & Energygate

Grassley: New docs prove Admin knew about Fast & Furious: Examiner
Obama's Volts and Karmas recalled for being rolling murder-carts of fiery holocaust: Ace
Justice Turns Over Fast And Furious Info: WPXI

Climate & Energy

A Small Win Against The Great Biofuel Boondogle: Wolf Howling
Another Renewable Fuels Project Fails: Taxpayers Pick Up the Bill Again: Reason
Chevy Volt will receive safety enhancements, but don't call it a recall: Autoblog

Media

Paging Rick Moran Redux: If we correctly identify the President’s overt defenses of dictatorial power grabs as “overt defenses of dictatorial power grabs,” would that be considered extremist Visigothery, or just unhelpful?: ProWis
Brian Williams Gushes Over Shirtless Obama Vacation Photos: NB
You Stay Classy, Ron Paul Supporters: RS

CBS Just Makes Up Santorum Saying He Doesn't Want to Give "Black People" Money: Ace
Did Santorum really equate homosexuality to bestiality? Actually, No.: BigJ
Debbie Wasserman-Schultz Spins "Lie of the Year" Award: Ace

2011: Out with a whimper, not a bang: Hanson
Granny Rictus McBotoxImplants: I'm Proud My President Has Brazenly Assumed the Power of Tyrant: Ace
Why not apply 'Loser Pays' to the government?: Instapundit

World

Obama's Iraq withdrawal a 'snowball' of disaster in the region: Events
Iran building missile base in Venezuela: AT
Obama to Share Missile Defense Secrets With Russia?: Pollak

The 9/11 Commission Report - Part II: BarrackNow
The last Haditha Marine: Wuterich trial update: Malkin
Teen Tortured, Dismembered, Beheaded by Trafficking Gang in Bethany, Oklahoma: Borderland

Sci-Tech

Exec Forced Out Of His Job For Uploading His CV Onto LinkedIn: Insider
Twitter, Facebook, Google endorse alternate online piracy bill: Hill
Feds Want Judge to Force Suspect to Give Up Laptop Password: Wired

Cornucopia

Original Version of The Declaration of Independence Discovered: Diogenes
Hollywood Power In Bizarre Transgender Row: TSG
Crescent Roll Waffles: Primordial Slack

Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Rick Santorum for President

QOTD: "In his speech at Shaker Heights High School, Obama proved — as Dennis Green might say — that he is who we though he was. In fact, Obama — under the guise of Champion to the Middle Class (he’s looking out for you!) — has essentially said that separation of powers, checks and balances, and, in effect, the Legislative branch itself, are mere nuisances that need to be circumvented, and that the President has the power to ignore the Constitution and Congress when the Legislative body refuses to do as he says.

That is, he has stated — now quite directly and clearly — that the Constitution is but a show piece, a ceremonial document to which the Chief Executive pretends to defer only until its constraints prevent him from acting in a way he wants to act, at which point, it is the “obligation” of the President to seize complete and total control of the reins of power, denying advice and consent powers to the Senate, denying the jurisdiction of the majority holders of the House to allow for an extended Senate recess, denying the legislature its role in passing laws (Obama has decided he will execute only those parts of the omnibus budget bill he himself signed that he likes, and the rest he will not; just as he has directed his Justice Department not to defend DOMA, even though it passed Congress and was signed into law by President Clinton), denying states the jurisdiction to protect their borders or enforce their voting laws, denying the people themselves the franchise by setting up commissions and bureaucratic agencies explicitly beyond the reach of the electorate and beyond the oversight of Congress; and doing so all in your name, claiming a popular mandate that doesn’t exist to justify the very behaviors that are laying the groundwork for a permanent tyranny." --Jeff G., Protein Wisdom