Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Larwyn's Linx: SOTU 2012, Deconstructed

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Nation

SOTU 2012, Deconstructed: HayRide
Here's what you won't hear at the State of the Union: Instapundit
State of the Union: Populist-corporatist stew: Carney

SOTU Surprise: Mass Re-Financing of Mortgages: Peth
State of Obama's Tax Assertions -- ATR Fact Check: ATR
The Real State of the Union: Stossel

Zero People Turn Out For March for Life on DC: Ace
Party On, America: Pundette
Schools of Education: Williams

GOP Primary

New polls show a collapse in support for Mitt Romney: LAT
Romney vs. Kerry: Fair Share: WZ
Meet the men who gave us ObamaCare: Hot Air

What really happened in the Gingrich ethics case?: York
Chris Christie's absolutely bizarre judicial nominations: WyBlog
Congrats Capitalists: Reagan Democrats Abandon Romney: Riehl

Economy

'11 Stunning Secrets': ProWis
What the White House Really Knew About the Stimulus: IBD
WI State Senate Recall Petition Rife With Invalid Signatures, Duplicates, and Errors: BG

Barack Obama Is the Food-Stamp President: Blumer
State Dependency on the Federal Government: Cato
Non-Class Warrior Wants Millionaires to Pay Fair Share: AmPower

Scandal Central

Obama’s Green Robber Barons: Malkin
What a Surprise: Obama Supporter’s Company May Benefit From Keystone Pipeline Rejection: Powers
In 2010 SOTU, Obama Touts Solyndra: RCP

Climate & Energy

President Obama’s Very Dishonest Campaign Ad Regarding Energy: Watts
How Barack Obama used taxpayer dollars to outsource green energy jobs: RWN
Warren Buffett Stands To Make Huge Profit From Obama’s Rejection of Keystone Pipeline: WZ

Media

Palin to Christie: Don’t get your panties in a wad over Gingrich’s victory in South Carolina: Hot Air
Surprise! Obama Doesn’t Want The 2012 Election To Be About His Own Incompetence: Pirate's Cove
Santorum Socks Heilemann: MSM's Job To Defend Obama, Not Mine: NB

Chicago Tribune, Washington Post Defend Alinsky: Conservatory
Allen West says Newt best suited to communicate conservatism to the black community: Scoop
When you've lost Jack Cafferty...: NoisyRm

State-run media whitewashes Alinsky: BizzyBlog
1999 CNN report on Newt Gingrich’s exoneration by the IRS over ethics charges: Scoop
Video: Black Truck Driver Call's Rush Does Stunning Complete 180 On Obama: HyScience

WSJ Goes Into Full GDS Meltdown: Howling
Flashback: Ace
Nancy Pelosi Promises That Newt Gingrich Will Never Become President: Blaze

World

How Iran Could Trigger Accidental Armageddon: Bloomberg
Is Obama Trying To Replace The Pope?: IBD
56% Favor Building Keystone Pipeline, Think It’s Good for Economy: Rasmussen

Good for Gingrich, who dares to disavow Sharia: Spencer
Soros Warns of ‘Riots,‘ ’Brutal’ Clampdowns & Possible Total Economic Collapse: Blaze
Pentagon Looks to Sabotage Pakistan’s Bomb Supply: Wired

U.S. Raid in Somalia Frees Hostages: WSJ
U.S. 'Reset' Backfires As Brazil Turns To China: IBD
Widespread support for burka ban in Canada: Creeping

Sci-Tech

21 Tactics to Increase Blog Traffic: SEOMoz
Google announces privacy changes across products; users can’t opt out: WaPo
Fitness 2.0: it's genes versus gym: smh

Cornucopia

Obama's Re-Run SOTU: Ace
Florida Republican’s Ad Depicts Children Enslaved by Obama and Alan Grayson: RSM
MTV warns about perils of Obama's NDAA: MTV

Image: "US forces free aid workers held in Somalia", AFP
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Drop a dime on Rick Santorum's Campaign

QOTD: "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace." --George Washington, first State of the Union address

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Breaking: Official Seal of the Obama 2012 Campaign Released

Dear Mr. Axelrod:

You're welcome.


Say, didn't Illinois just try Obama's "tax the rich" crap last year? And didn't it fail, miserably?

Why, yes. Yes it did.

Republicans looking to combat President Obama's Castro-like State of the Union speech have an easy case laid out for them. It's called the state of Illinois, which dramatically increased taxes on individuals (especially the "rich") and businesses last year.

And not only did Illinois fail to close its budget gap, but Obama's ultra-left wing, union-controlled home state also got a ratings downgrade. Which means -- for you drones out there -- that its future borrowing costs will go still higher.

It's called circling the drain: more borrowing begets lower ratings, which increases borrowing costs, and so on...

Run up spending and debt, raise taxes in the naming of balancing the budget, but then watch as deficits rise and your credit-rating falls anyway. That’s been the sad pattern in Europe, and now it’s hitting that mecca of tax-and-spend government known as Illinois.

…Moody’s downgraded Illinois state debt to A2 from A1, the lowest among the 50 states. That’s worse even than California.

…This wasn’t supposed to happen. Only a year ago, Governor Pat Quinn and his fellow Democrats raised individual income taxes by 67% and the corporate tax rate by 46%. They did it to raise $7 billion in revenue, as the Governor put it, to “get Illinois back on fiscal sound footing” and improve the state’s credit rating. So much for that.

…And—no surprise—in part because the tax increases have caused companies to leave Illinois, the state budget office confesses that as of this month the state still has $6.8 billion in unpaid bills and unaddressed obligations.

Turn out that raising taxes, especially on the "rich", does three basic things:

• It destroys productivity, because the "rich" are the ones who invest, take risks, start businesses, and -- in general -- create productivity in the economy;

• It encourages the government to continue reckless spending;

• And never raises as much money as projected.

In other words, allowing government to raise taxes without first restraining spending is irresponsible at best.

And such a plan, should Obama somehow convince people to support it, is guaranteed to fail just like every other one of his fiascoes*.


* Including, but not limited to: "Stimulus" programs, HAMP, HARP, Cash-for-Clunkers, Obamacare, "Financial Reform", permanent 9% unemployment and 20% underemployment, the unlawful takeovers of GM and Chrysler, "Quantitative Easing", a new war, and $5.2 trillion in new Obama debt.


New Business Venture [Papa B]

Papa B:

An idea whose time has come:



More Water-cooler here.


Obama Henchman John Podesta Lumps Canada In With Terror States To Justify the Disastrous Keystone XL Decision

John Podesta is one of a long line of Soros-funded Obama stooges (which is the term they prefer, I hear) who runs the ill-named "Center for American Progress". From all appearances, CAP's mission is three-fold: (a) to de-industrialize America through eco-Marxism; (b) to continue pushing the country down the road to a failed, European social welfare state; and (c) to manufacture propaganda for the state, Hugo Chavez-style.

For the latter purpose, Podesta was able to secure a forum at The Wall Street Journal this morning. He used it to deliver one of the more malicious pieces of propaganda ever printed in an American newspaper. The op-ed was timed, of course, to reinforce tonight's State of the Union address and, in particular, to justify Obama's disastrous Keystone XL pipeline decision.

In the hubbub around the president's decision not to approve the proposed Keystone XL pipeline between Canada and the United States, Americans missed the big picture. While conservatives have been fighting to build a pipeline to import more foreign oil and deepen U.S. dependence, the U.S. is poised to transform its energy portfolio by developing domestic resources—renewable and mineral—that will let it become a net exporter of clean energy and energy technology in this decade...

Renewable energy resources like those produced by Solyndra?

And since when was Canada lumped in with America's enemies?

Only in the mind of a malevolent, Soros-controlled drone could Canada be equated with a totalitarian Islamist terror state.

Under President Obama's leadership, we appear to be at the beginning of a domestic gas and oil boom. After a four-decade decline in oil production, the U.S. is now producing more than half of our oil domestically. This can free us from our addiction to foreign-sourced barrels, particularly if we utilize our dramatically larger and cheaper natural gas reserves. Natural gas now costs the equivalent of less than $15 per barrel, versus the $100-plus barrels we import from the Middle East... [But there] are critical environmental questions associated with developing these resources, particularly concerning methane leakage and water pollution.

Buried in this pile of literary excrement is the caveat that applies to all Obama dictums: companies will get regulated out of business by the EPA, the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, and dozens of other elements of the bloated federal bureaucracy long before a single watt of energy is ever produced.

I'll spare you the rest of Podesta's verbal diarrhea.

Decades from now, when the complete history of the Obama administration is written, its accomplices like John Podesta -- who betrayed their country for a few pieces of Soros' gold -- will receive the full measure of scorn and hatred they deserve. Future generations destined to suffer because of nefarious individuals like Podesta will curse their names and, if there is any justice at all, turn their gravesites into landfills.


FDR Didn’t Bomb The Death Camps, Obama Won’t Bomb Iran [Dan from NY]

Dan from NY:



As more and more evidence accumulates that shows FDR and the allies knew about Hitler's death camps and decided not to bomb them, the more and more Obama’s unwillingness to take the atomic bat out of Iran’s hands starts looking like déjà vu all over again. Of course, there is one (and only one) big difference between now and then: Israel was born and has been blessed with the wherewithal to crush the Iranian viper in its infancy, before it becomes lethal. What’s yet to be determined, though, is whether Israel has the will to carry out its G-d-given mission. We should get our answer before the year is out.


Larwyn's Linx: Tea Party rising for Newt Gingrich

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

Florida Primary

Tea Party rising for Newt Gingrich: Wolf
Gingrich & The GDS-Suffering Republican Elites: Howling
The Founders vs. Alinsky: IBD

Seven things we learned in South Carolina: Hot Air
It's Complicated: Cal Thomas
Newt Surges in Florida: Hayward

South Carolina Message: Sowell
Romney's chickens come home to roost - a little: HayRide
Two Polls Put Gingrich Ahead by 9 in Florida: Ace

Nation

Hearings Scheduled on Illegal Non-Recess Appointments: Foundry
Does Iowa Electoral Fraud Scam Lead To White House?: IBD
Sen. Rand Paul ‘detained’ by TSA in Nashville, TSA denies: DC

The March for Life 2012: Malkin
54,559,615 Abortions Since Roe vs. Wade Decision in 1973: LifeNews
SCOTUS says no to debate over Elena Kagan health care role: Politico

ATR Presents Obama/State of the Union BINGO!: ATR
Obama Campaign Attacked Hillary’s Character: S&L
Sen. Mark Kirk suffers stroke, undergoes surgery for swelling: Hill

Economy

11 stunning revelations from the secret Summers-Obama memo: Peth
Federal Workers Owe $1.03B In Unpaid Taxes: S&L
1,000 Days Without a Budget: Facts on the Senate’s Failure: Foundry

NLRB Appointee Will Continue to Receive Payments from Union: Foundry
Will Unions Occupy Super Bowl Over Right To Work?: IBD
Obama’s New “Fairness Doctrine” and the American Ideal: Foundry

Scandal Central

Immigration authorities released man who then murdered three people in Florida: Hot Air
71% of Obama’s 2012 Bundlers Have Visited the White House, 19% Received Jobs: VS
Grassley: LightSquared offered me a political “win” in exchange for backing down on FCC probe: Hot Air

Climate & Energy

Report: Auto dealers turning down Chevy Volts: Foundry
Ford Motor withdraws from climate change group: Exam
Keystone activists to protest oil, Congress ties: Reuters

Media

The Self-Destruction of the Mainstream Media: McCann
The Unbearable Lightness of Being the MSM: AmSpec
Bill Maher: I Support SOPA, Because I'm Pretty Sure Absent Piracy Religulous Would Have Been A Huge Hit: Ace

The Question Is Not ‘Electability,’ but ‘Re-electability’: DLimbaugh
Gingrich Super PAC Head: Romney Is a Medicare Fraudster, but Will It Matter?: BG
“If That’s What the President is Going to Talk About Tuesday Night, I Think it’s Pathetic”: JWF

When Media Won't Talk About Race: AT
Allen West: There is No Racist Code Language in the “Food Stamp President” Claim – It’s a Fact: Marfdrat
Spotted in the wild: Obama food-stamp bumper-sticker: Urban Infidel

The Republican Base Simply Does Not Like Mitt Romney & Why The Press Rarely Reports It: Erickson
Mark Levin blasts Christie for parroting old left-wing ethics propaganda against Newt: Scoop
West raises $1.75M in fourth quarter: Hill

World

Failed treasury auction portends Egyptian disaster: Spengler
Davos elite: Capitalism is the problem: Q&O
Iran 'definitely' closing Strait of Hormuz over EU oil embargo: RT

Ex-CIA Agent, ABC and HuffPo Contributor, Busted for Leaks: Conservatory
New Docs Reveal How DOJ Kowtows to Muslim Brotherhood: Geller
Obama: Iran Has Nuclear Rights; I Did Not Want to Sanction Its Bank: Kahlili

Haditha Marine Wuterich Vindicated: Kesler
Soros Sounds Pretty Excited About Riots in the Streets: VS
U.S. Defense Cuts Hobble Allies, Embolden Enemies: PJM

Sci-Tech

Facebook Friends: 237. Real Friends: 2: Telegraph
Grassley’s Twitter Account Hacked: Roll Call
Megaupload Says They're Back And Almost Ready To Run Again Sans Domain Name: Consumerist

Cornucopia

Cliche' betting odds for the State of the Union Address!: TPC
Man Accidentally Plays Wrong Lottery Game And Wins $14.3 Million: Consumerist
The Ulsterman Report: Sex and Murder in The Land of Obama?: Newsflavor

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

QOTD: "Plato’s Republic, More’s Utopia, Hobbes’s Leviathan, and Marx’s workers’ paradise are utopias that are anti-individual and anti-individualism. For the utopians, modern and olden, the individual is one-dimensional—selfish. On his own, he has little moral value. Contrarily, authoritarianism is defended as altruistic and masterminds as socially conscious. Thus endless interventions in the individual’s life and manipulation of his conditions are justified as not only necessary and desirable but noble governmental pursuits. This false dialectic is at the heart of the problem we face today " --Mark Levin, Ameritopia

Monday, January 23, 2012

Pethokoukis: Secret 2008 Memo to Barack Obama reveals White House knew Stimulus was a partisan scam

Jim Pethokoukis alerts us to the stunning release of a confidential memo sent to Barack Obama by senior economic adviser Larry Summers on December 15, 2008.

In short, Obama and Summers both knew the Stimulus was a scam.

1. The Stimulus Had Nothing to Do With Reviving the Economy, It Was Designed To Reward Allies and Implement Left-Wing Policies - "The short-run economic imperative was to identify as many campaign promises or high priority items that would spend out quickly and be inherently temporary. … The stimulus package is a key tool for advancing clean energy goals and fulfilling a number of campaign commitments."

2. Obama knew that the deficits he was about to run were dangerous -- and didn't care - "[The spending] would leave an average deficit over the next decade that would be worse than any post-World War II decade. This would be entirely unsustainable and could cause serious economic problems in the both the short run and the long run."

3. Obama considered a Stimulus package greater than a trillion dollars, but was dissuaded when convinced the markets would rebel - "To accomplish a more significant reduction in the output gap would require stimulus of well over $1 trillion based on purely mechanical assumptions—which would likely not accomplish the goal because of the impact it would have on markets."

4. The Federal Reserve supported the disastrous Stimulus package - "Senior Federal Reserve officials appear to be of the view that a plan that well exceeds $600 billion would be desirable."

5. Obama knew the financial crisis was not solely Wall Street's fault - "A significant cause of the current crisis lies in the failure of regulators to exercise vigorously the authority they already have."

Read the whole thing.

The revelations in this document alone should be enough to bring down the Obama administration. The level of dishonesty laced throughout the Obama White House is both shocking and repellent.


Exclusive: Obama voters rush to post-election free healthcare centers [Joe Bill Scott]

@JoeBillScott:

Did someone say "free healthcare"?



Dual Disasters Boil Over in Egypt: "Millions of Egyptians will die"

Advocates of Egypt's "Democracy" movement -- Barack Obama included -- failed to note that there were no organized secular, liberal political parties that could offer a counterweight to Islamists in a popular election. The result, therefore, was utterly predictable. Predictable, at least, by anyone with a modicum of sense.

The United States and other Western governments must accept the new reality that Islamists have emerged to fill the power vacuum in the Arab world after a wave of popular uprisings, Human Rights Watch said in its annual report Sunday.

The New York-based group also urged Islamist parties, which have emerged as the biggest winners in recent elections in Tunisia and Egypt and are expected to fare well in Libya, to respect the rights of women and religious minorities, saying they cannot "pick and choose" when it comes to human rights. [Ed: delusional? You make the call.]

...Since the collapse of the regimes in Egypt and Tunisia a year ago, Islamist groups once largely confined to the political sidelines, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, have formed parties and contested parliamentary polls, winning the greatest share of seats.

As background, about half of all Egyptians are "functionally illiterate"; 90% of adult women have undergone ritual, genital mutilation; and nearly a third of Egyptians marry their first or second cousins. And nearly half of Egypt's citizens live on subsistence rations, earning less than $2 a day, much of which must be spent on food.

With that as context, Spengler's "Failed treasury auction portends Egyptian disaster" in Asia Times is unsettling, to say the least.

Investors bought less an a third of the 3.5 billion Egyptian pounds (US$580 million) worth of Treasury bills offered to the market on January 22, a red flag warning that Egypt's foreign exchange position is close to the brink.

Yields on Egyptian government debt maturing in nine months jumped to nearly 16%, but the government could not place its local-currency debt to Egyptian investors, even at that exorbitant rate.

This is a new and ominous decline in the financial position of the most populous Arab country. I have been warning since last May that "Egypt is running out of food, and, more gradually, running out of the money with which to buy it." How fast this may occur is hard to specify, but the government's inability to borrow on money markets suggests that the crunch is not far off.

Why are investors fleeing?

After Islamist parties won more three-quarters of the seats in recent parliamentary elections - 47% for the Muslim Brotherhood and 25% for the even more extreme al-Nour Party - the business elite that prospered under military rule is counting the days before exile...

...Egypt's middle class will leave and tourism, down by a third over the past year, will virtually disappear in response to Salafist restrictions. The Barack Obama administration in Washington will try to appease the new Islamist government whenever it takes power, but will succeed no better than the Jimmy Carter administration did when the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took power in Iran in 1979.

Spengler concludes with an ominous prediction: "Millions of Egyptians will die before this is through."

Should such a disaster come to pass, much of the blame will rightly fall on Barack Obama, who sold out a long-time U.S. ally in pursuit of heaven knows what.


Hat tip: Winterspirit.

The State of the Union? Profoundly Unhappy

My guess is he won't be mentioning the fact that Tuesday represents the 1,000th day that the country has gone without a budget, thanks to Democrats in the Senate. Let's just call that another Obama record. To accompany record levels of unhappiness with the state of the union:

As Obama takes the stage for tomorrow's State of the Union address, in which, among other things, he probably will not announce that the US debt limit is effectively $16.4 trillion, or 107% of GDP and rising, he faces a very unhappy audience: one which according to Gallup has seen its dissatisfaction with economic and political issues hit record levels...


...Among the Gallup observations: "As President Barack Obama prepares his annual address to Congress, Americans are broadly dissatisfied with the state of the nation in several specific issue areas, with satisfaction down sharply in some cases since January 2008. However, three issues -- the nation's economy, the size and power of the federal government, and the moral and ethical climate in the country -- fit both of these unwelcome criteria." And with the only response the administration has in the past three years consisting of either printing more money which sends all assets, especially energy, higher in price, or fiscal stimulus of which 90% and more is lost due to inefficiencies and corruption, we don't see satisfaction rising any time soon.

Let me be clear. While I prefer Rick Santorum, then Newt Gingrich, and then Mitt Romney for President, I would vote for a lint filter over Barack Obama. Because a lint filter would do considerably less damage to this country.


Quite Possibly the Best Cartoon of This Century [Papa B]

Papa B:

Considering a career in crime?

I personally would suggest government: they never go to jail.


Larwyn's Linx: Florida: "All your primary are belong to us"

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

GOP Primaries

Florida: "All your primary are belong to us": Sunshine
SC: Newt’s The Big Winner, Romney And Paul Losers: Cove
Newt Wins South Carolina: Bruce

Newt Notes: Crayfisher
Romney Flunks Critical Competency Test: Riehl
Ron Paul Supporters ‘No-Shows’ at Ron Paul Speech: Shark Tank

Gingrich win shows collapse of GOP establishment: Exam
RuPaul will skip Florida primary to focus on Nevada and Minnesota: FAM
Gingrich steals Romney's cloak of electability as president: Reuters

Nation

Time to Town it Down: Open Letter to the GOP Candidates: Hawkins
Obama’s 3rd-year approval lowest of anyone except Jimmy Carter: FAM
Gabrielle Giffords to resign from Congress: Politico

Newt Is Vindicated, But Nobody Knows It: Bozell (1999)
Romney: Alright, I’ll Release My 2010 Returns on Tuesday: Malkin
Romney's Ugly Politics Now Surfacing In Surrogates: Riehl

A Few Words in Defense of Negative Campaigning: Barone
Christie: Gingrich 'embarrassed' the GOP: Politico
Arrested guy’s the real SEAL: Post

Economy

Why Do Obama Officials Get So Rich?: Lowry
Despite Below Freezing Temps, Thousands Rally for Scott Walker: BG
Dripping with red ink: Will anyone fix Illinois' budget mess?: BND

Sundays with Sherrod: Occupier Solidarity: BG
Classy: “Occupiers” Steal From Church, Urinate on a Cross: JWF
Man of the People Hits NYC for Four Lavish Fundraisers in One Night: JWF

Gunrunner & Energygate

Breaking on Fast and Furious: Arizona Moves to Prosecute Those the Feds Won’t: BG
Boehner, Cantor press secretaries balk at calls for Holder’s resignation: DC
Attorney General Holder Continues To Defend The Rights Of The Dead To Vote: JWF

Climate & Energy

Obama Okays Gulf Oil Storage For Brazil: S&L
Update On The Environmental Scientist Caught On Video Faking Data; Now With A Kennedy Connection: Wizbang
Tom Brady’s Environmentally-Friendly 22,000 Square Foot Mansion Finally Ready: JWF

Media

The Disgrace Of The Fourth Estate - The Obama Media Group: JoshuaPundit
The Cry-Baby In Chief: FPM
Dennis Miller’s Rant on Obama’s Disneyworld Visit: VS

South Carolina Ended the Myth of Romney’s ‘Inevitability’ And Other Lessons: BG
Newt's Victory in South Carolina a Defeat for the Liberal Media: Bozell
Yes, Liberalism IS a Mental Disorder: MenRec

Willard Mitt Romney becoming unhinged, calls Newt Gingrich a failed leader who had to resign in disgrace: FAM
Revolution Moves Into The Overton Window: NoisyRm
Hugh Hewitt Channeling Liberals For Romney: Riehl

World

Pro-Sharia Textbooks Creeping Into Curricula Nationwide: BigPeace
Muslim Pilot -- with terror links and deemed a security risk -- accuses airline of racism after losing his job: Atlas
Cuba: The Truth in Black and White: babalu

Obama Official Confirms U.S. Meeting With Al-Qaeda Allied Haqqani Network: WZ
Obama Campaign Uses Old, Unrelated Footage in Attempt to Convince Voters He Is Pro-Israel: BigPeace
Syria rejects new Arab League plan to end violence: Fox

Amazing Look at Communism and the Secret Rise of Capitalism in Rural China: AllAm
Argentine Paper Apologizes for Hitler Themed Comic Strip Mocking Jews in Concentration Camps: Blaze
Egyptian Islamists Torch Homes and Businesses in Coptic Village: GWP

Sci-Tech

The Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips: Farnam Street
New App Helps Users Find Parking In NYC: NY CBS
Steve Jobs Freaked Out A Month Before First iPhone Was Released And Demanded A New Screen: Insider

Cornucopia

Get out of here! And take your little dog with you.: MOTUS
Winter, Snow, Ice and Oy!: PRS
Ga. judge orders president to appear at hearing: CBS Atlanta

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

QOTD: "...it’s [Judi Kantor's] portrayal of our Commander-In-Chief that is truly shocking. Barack Obama comes off as a man with deep personal issues, manifested in a supreme self-centeredness and tremendous insecurity. He is emotionally fragile, unable to stand criticism, and bewildered by dissent...

...Obama comes across in the book as profoundly power-hungry – he couldn’t get anything done as a State Senator, so he moved on to the Senate; he couldn’t get anything done in the Senate, so he moved on to the presidency.

He’s frustrated with the presidency, too. “When Obama reflected privately on the presidency that fall, he often spoke about the limitations of the office,” Kantor reports about Obama’s first autumn in the White House. He was suffering from a “dawning sense of political powerlessness.” This is the highest form of egotism known to man. The president of the United States is the most powerful individual on earth. He does not get to complain about his lack of power. No wonder Obama has publicly mused about the beauties of the Chinese system – the only step up from the presidency is monarchy or dictatorship." --Ben Shapiro

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Egotistical, bombastic embarrassment claims Newt Gingrich is... an embarrassment

For a guy who has never done anything at the national level; who has a personal cameraman following him around to capture those special "YouTube moments" where he confronts public sector union members; and who has taken troubling positions on gun control, illegal immigration, judges, global warming, and Obamacare (to name but a few), it takes real hubris to pillory Newt Gingrich.

I speak, of course, of Chris "Krispy Kreme" Christie, one of the darlings of the RINO establishment, who is doing his level best to sandbag conservatives.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday dubbed Mitt Romney’s showing in South Carolina “clearly disappointing,” but quickly turned his focus to Newt Gingrich, saying he has been “an embarrassment to the party.”

Christie, a key Romney surrogate in his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, blasted Gingrich on NBC's "Meet the Press" for his ethics violation fine and losing the speakership in the House, saying that “sometimes past is prologue... Newt Gingrich has embarrassed the party over time. Whether he'll do it again in the future I don't know, but Gov. Romney never has,” Christie said on NBC's “Meet the Press.”

"I mean he was run out of the speakership by his own party, he was fined $300,000 for ethics violations. This is a guy that has had a very difficult political career at times, and has been an embarrassment to the party," Christie added.

...While Christie has pointed to Romney’s difficulties in connecting with people before, he said Sunday it’s due to Romney being a “reserved guy.” He then turned to what he deemed Gingrich’s liabilities... “Strategic adviser? That is the oldest Washington dodge in the book. That's because he didn't want to register as a lobbyist,” Christie said.

...Christie also addressed the vice presidency question once again, saying, “If I'm approached I will listen, but my inclination, I want to make it very clear, is that I want to stay governor of New Jersey."

News flash, Krispy: you ain't gonna be the VP. And, by the way, Newt Gingrich has accomplished 20 times more for the conservative movement and the Republican Party than you have.

The results of Gingrich's ethics probe are publicly available; they involve a course that Gingrich taught at Kennesaw State College while serving in Congress. The trouble revolved around the fact that the course was backed by a tax-exempt group. Gingrich taught Constitutional, conservative values, which the IRS found were “consistent with its stated exempt purposes.”

The whole thing was a political setup. And doesn't Newt's "ethics violations" seem quaint given the likes of Maxine Waters, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, Diane Feinstein, and the rest of the modern miscreants of Congress who have mysteriously made millions in office?

So, Krispy, I'd advise you to keep your pie-hole shut. You're the embarrassment -- and we're not going to let you try to tear down conservatives in pursuit of a VP slot that you'll never get.


Debunking the Beltway Hacks' Latest Spin: Gingrich Will Harm Down-Ticket Republicans

The latest folderol emanating from the utterly embarrassed Beltway elites -- many of whom were surreptitiously on the Romney payroll -- is that Newt Gingrich's poor "likability" scores will harm down-ticket Republicans.

If history is any indicator, this is about as accurate as their mantra-like predictions, repeated ad infinitum, that Mitt Romney would run away with the nomination because of his "electability".

Rasmussen Reports explains what Obama's failed presidency really means to down-ticket Democrats:

Going into the final weekend of [Jimmy Carter's 1980] campaign..., Gallup had Carter’s Republican opponent, Ronald Reagan, up three points. Harris had him up five points, while Newsweek and The Washington Post had Carter up one.

But at the end, the bottom fell out for Carter. “I’ve never seen anything like it in polling,” said Pat Caddell, Carter’s pollster. What was a close race turned into a big Reagan lead in the last hours of the campaign; he ended up winning 489 electoral votes and a 51%-41% victory over Carter. Likely aiding Reagan at the end was the one and only debate between the two, held just a week before the election, when Reagan memorably asked voters “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” ...With Carter captaining the Democratic ship, election night in 1980 was Titanic-esque. Democrats lost 12 Senate seats and 33 House seats.

...Given the divided control of the government, some commentators we respect have noted the possibility of a total switcheroo in Washington next year: President Obama loses the presidency, the Republicans take the Senate and the Democrats re-take the House.

That, of course, is possible. But it would be a first in the modern history of the republic: Since 1860, an incumbent president has never lost the White House in the same election that his party won control of either house of Congress from the other party. Similarly, the House and the Senate flipping in opposite directions has never happened in the same election in the same timeframe. In other words, regardless of what happens in the presidential race, a scenario in which Democrats captured the House next year and Republicans captured the Senate would be, in a word, historic.

So history tells us that Democrats need Obama to roar back and win a second term in order to flip the House. And even that might not be enough.

So when Karl Rove, who has yet to reveal any financial interests he may have vested in one or more of the GOP candidates, next opines about Newt's "likability", you can take his "analysis" with a giant grain of salt.

Say, a 31 percentage point-sized grain of salt.


Larwyn's Linx: Lessons From South Carolina

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South Carolina

Lessons From South Carolina: Wolf Howling
Why Newt?: Domenech
Gingrich Looking Churchillian In Political Comeback: IBD

Hill: Romney Exposed As Very Weak Candidate That He Is: Riehl
Romney's Recipe for Disaster: Erickson
Money for Santorum: Erickson

After SC: What the Beltway Crowd Misses: Hawkins
Why Gingrich won -- Why Romney lost: York
Sarah Palin: Santorum should stay in the race: Scoop

Nation

S.C.: 900 dead voted in recent election: GWP
Fomer Obama staffer arrested in IA identity theft investigation.: RS
Identity Theft, Then and Now: Driscoll

Chris Dodd intimidating lawmakers on SOPA, PIPA: Patterico
Secretary of State Project: MoneyRunner
Republicans In Denial: Flopping Aces

Occupy protesters use Bibles as weapons — literally: Zombie
Occupy SF Turns Violent, 2 Police Officers Injured: VS
Obama’s continued assault on the First Amendment: ProWis

Economy

Chalk up 4,300 more layoffs to Dodd-Frank: OpenMarket
Good News: ObamaWorld Is Now Open For Business!: Pirate's Cove
Warren Buffet and Mitt Romney: Ricochet

Barack Obama Led #OccupyChicago – Circa 1988: Pollak
Forbes: Best Buy will be out of business soon: HillBuzz
In traditional Democratic Stronghold Harlem, Barrage of Protesters Greets Obama: PatUpdate

Gunrunner & Energygate

Not so fast: The simmering controversy over Operation Fast and Furious: Economist
Chevy Volt Fires: Feds Stop Investigating Volts, Announce $1,500 Incentive For California Volt Buyers: SHN
Fast and Furious: Arizona official to plead Fifth: Tucson

Climate & Energy

Environmentalism and the Leisure Class: AmSpec
Obama plays energy politics while China and Cuba drill wells: Exam
Here We Go Again: Globull Warming To Create More Snow: Teach

Media

#ChangeIs…Incredibly Easy to Mock. Come On, Everybody – Join in the Fun on Twitter: Marfdrat
Ingraham Challenges Romney on Message: NRO
Bubba Takes The Cake: At last, the Clinton Legacy: Publius

When ‘Unaccountably’ = ABC’s SOP: Driscoll
Newt Gingrich's Ethics Charges and Mitt Romney's Anniversary Cake: MagNote
Washington Post Ombudsman Tells Paper To Start Actually Scrutinizing Obama’s Record: Dollard

13 Photos Of Barack Obama At Disney That Will Probably Turn Up In Attack Ads: Buzzfeed
Some interesting details ABC left out about Newt’s 2nd marriage: Polipundit
Gingrich's College Records Show a Professor Hatching Big Plans: WSJ

Palin Factor Starts To Emerge in GOP Race: Sun
SC Primary Tweets of Night: LI
A Review Of Mark Levin’s Ameritopia From A Regular American: Kuznicki

World

The Sinking of the West : Steyn
More Racist Ethnic Cleansing By Illegal Alien Gangbangers: Federale
Greek Debt Talks Appear to Stall Amid Clash on Rate for New Bonds: WSJ

Death Comes to Nigeria (Again): GoV
Update on the Norwegian Niqab School Tour: GoV
Afghan Pedophilia: A way of life, say U.S. soldiers and journalists: Exam

Sci-Tech

Anonymous splinter group now targeting Democrats for SOPA support: DC
Inside the Lavish Life Of Web's Mr. Dotcom: WSJ
The Backbone of the Flavor Network: Nature

Cornucopia

The Finnish Fire Stove: C&S
Skull shirts out, sparkly pink swimsuits in …: ProWis
16-Year Old Laura Dekker Completes Solo Sail Around the World: AmSpec

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

QOTD: "Newt Gingrich’s rise has a lot to do with Newt Gingrich’s debate performance. But it has just as much to do with a party base in revolt against its thought and party leaders in Washington, DC. The base is revolting because they swept the GOP back into relevance in Washington just under two years ago and they have been thanked with contempt ever since...

...Newt has taken the worst the media, Romney and the left can dish out, and he’s still standing and fighting with passion and eloquence. Sure, he’d probably be an erratic President, but right now Republican voters don’t care about his Presidency. They care about the fight with the left both Mitt Romney, and the Washington Republican leaders like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell don’t seem inclined to engage in." --Erick Erickson

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Romney loses South Carolina by 31 points, Karl Rove hardest hit

Yes, Mitt Romney lost by 31 points.
       40% Gingrich
27% Romney
18% Santorum
The anti-establishment candidates -- Gingrich and Santorum -- literally crushed Mitt Romney 58 percent to 27 percent, a margin of 31 points.

Erick Erickson describes these results as evidence that the GOP conservative base far outnumbers establishment RINOs -- and that the conservatives are pissed.

Newt Gingrich’s rise has a lot to do with Newt Gingrich’s debate performance. But it has just as much to do with a party base in revolt against its thought and party leaders in Washington, DC. The base is revolting because they swept the GOP back into relevance in Washington just under two years ago and they have been thanked with contempt ever since...

...Newt has taken the worst the media, Romney and the left can dish out, and he’s still standing and fighting with passion and eloquence. Sure, he’d probably be an erratic President, but right now Republican voters don’t care about his Presidency. They care about the fight with the left both Mitt Romney, and the Washington Republican leaders like John Boehner and Mitch McConnell don’t seem inclined to engage in.

I support Rick Santorum over Newt and Mitt. I support Newt over Mitt. And I support anyone over Barack Obama.

But Doug, you might ask, what about Ron Paul? What about him? Ron Paul is a kook, an anachronism, a Kucinich Libertarian wearing GOP clothes, whose views on foreign policy are so outside the mainstream that they can and must be dismissed.

Congratulations to Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Oh, and here's a private word for Karl Rove: pfffffffffffffffffffffffffttttt.


Photo of Mitt Romney Tomorrow Morning [Wanda]

Wanda:

"But...... But....... But. I'M Electable. No...... I AM. REALLY!!!


Exclusive Photo: Prepping Your Garage For a Chevy Volt

If asbestos is still legal, I recommend plenty of it.

Electric cars might save you money at the pump, but they sure don’t save you time filling up. A typical electric car... takes upwards of 20 hours to recharge a fully drained battery when using an standard 120-volt outlet. While this might not be a problem for those looking to buy a second car for occasional outings, it certainly won’t cut it if an electric car is meant to be your primary vehicle.

In order to achieve a quicker charge, you’ll need to hire an electrician to install a 240-volt, 40-amp line that connects directly to the circuit breaker, a hookup similar to the one you might have for an electric oven or clothes dryer. With the increase in voltage, you can cut your charging time down to seven hours for a Nissan LEAF and four hours for the Chevy Volt, which means an overnight charge makes it a more practical purchase for daily use.

Super-fast charging stations capable of pumping out 480 volts are already on the market, and can recharge a car in 30 minutes or less. But these souped-up charging stations are currently for commercial use only because most homes can’t handle the kind of voltage and amperage required, at least not without some major rewiring of the power grid.

In related news, the federal government has decided to close its investigation of Volt fires.

The U.S. government on Friday closed its investigation of Chevy Volt battery fires, concluding that there is no apparent defect trend and that electric vehicles generally do not pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles.

Of course not. All of those modifications GM had to make were just for show.

There's nothing to be concerned about. Just go about your business.


Great news: Children with DNA from three parents only a few years away

For a society with fewer moral boundaries by the day, this report seems apropos:

Researchers from Newcastle University have been funded more than $9.3 million by the Wellcome Trust to begin experimenting with a method that could lead to children having DNA from three people to eliminate some genetic disorders.

According to The Telegraph, the technique involves removing the nucleus from a donor cell and inserting a fertilized nucleus from the hopeful couple or the unfertilized nucleus of the mother for fertilization later. This effort, researchers believe, could help couples where the mother has known genetic disorders carried on her mitochondrial DNA — DNA found in the mitochondria of a cell.

Mitochondrial DNA, which composes 0.2 percent of a human‘s DNA and doesn’t influence traits like physical appearance, is passed down from mother to offspring. But, there are several genetic disorders, such as muscular dystrophy and ataxia, which are associated with this type DNA.

...Sir Mark Walport, head of the Wellcome Trust, said the genetic impact of inheriting a third person’s mitochondrial DNA would be as minimal as changing the batteries in a camera...

...But, the research is not without its opposition. The Telegraph reports the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children as calling it “macabre and unethical” and cited fears of other “developmental abnormalities”.

While I'm all in favor of the unfettered pursuit of science, the idea of tampering with the creation of human beings seems not only amoral, but potentially dangerous. The phrase "unintended consequences" was invented for situations like this one.


Hat tip: BadBlue.