Thursday, June 05, 2014

GOOD GRIEF: Hillary Clinton Uses Picture with Benghazi Caskets to Promote Her Ridiculous Book

Methinks someone in public relations at Simon & Schuster may soon be updating their resume.

The marketing material for Hillary Clinton's new book, "Hard Choices" (coincidentally the name of the book published by Jimmy Carter's failed Secretary of State Cyrus Vance), includes pictures of Hillary with the coffins of the Benghazi heroes she and Barack Obama left to die.

After all, Clinton has done her level best to whitewash any involvement with the Benghazi debacle.

Oh, and don't bother checking her new book for any details: it doesn't tell us what she and the president were doing for 10 hours after they found out that a U.S. Ambassador and dozens of other American personnel were under attack by Al Qaeda-linked terrorists. I mean, besides inventing a cover story and issuing press releases even as American heroes were fighting and dying.

And then, after all of that, to have the hubris to use pictures of the coffins of the Benghazi dead to promote her pathetic book?

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a book coming out next week. Today, her publisher released images from the back cover of the book. The pictures mostly show Hillary meeting global leaders and attending important meetings.

But one of the images is Clinton with President Barack Obama, standing in front of the Benghazi caskets at Andrews Air Force Base, dated September 14, 2012, just days after the September 11 attack.


Stephen F. Hayes has reported that Secretary Clinton tries to spin Benghazi in her new book. Politico reports that at least a chapter of the book is devoted to Benghazi.

It takes a special brand of miscreant to use the photos of an event at which she knowingly lied to the faces of the victim's families regarding the nature of the killings.


Hat tip: Mark Levin

AS GOOD AS IT GETS: Reagan at Normandy

Ronald Reagan died ten years ago today. Thirty years ago tomorrow, he spoke in Normandy, France at the anniversary of the 1944 D-Day invasion to liberate Europe from the Nazis. Many remember his Normandy remarks but forget that he gave not one, but two brilliant speeches that day. He delivered the first at the site of the U.S. Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc:


We're here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers -- the edge of the cliffs -- shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.

Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.

Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's poem. You are men who in your ``lives fought for life . . . and left the vivid air signed with your honor.''

Larwyn's Linx: Homeland Bound: Obama’s Ego Creates Another Scandal

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

Homeland Bound: Obama’s Ego Creates Another Scandal: The Wilderness
Obama Official: Bergdahl platoon may have been ‘long on psychopaths’: Renee Nal
Ted Cruz: We’re hearing Obama wants to release another Gitmo terrorist: Scoop

Why Obama had to have the Bergdahl deal: Paul Mirengoff
White House accuses Bergdahl's old squad of "swift-boating" him: WS
"5 4-Star Generals traded for 1 Private Deserter": Twitchy

Obama to Donors: I'm in a “Very Strong Position” To Amend Constitution…: RWN
Impeachment: Food For Thought: Camp o' the Saints
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has no idea who Thomas Jefferson is: Moe Lane

Economy

Obama is Not a Socialist: Thomas Sowell
Progressives shocked they have to pay for programs they voted for: Poor Richard
“We Are Seeing a Very Material Slow-down Across the Economy”: Mac Slavo

Scandal Central

ACLU Rejects Amendment to Corral Campaign Spending: Daily Signal
Holder vows to fight ” domestic terrorists” (i.e, Americans): Creeping
House Votes to Defund Eric Holder’s Anti-Gun Program: ConTrib

Police and prosecution roundup: Overlawyered
Attkisson: How the Government Violated Its Own Ethics Rules, Then Covered It Up: Daily Signal
ACORN Spin-Off Received HUD Grant Despite Federal Funding Ban: JW

Climate & Energy

Curbing Carbon Vs. Rationalizing Recklessness: RWN
Report: EPA Regulations Could Reduce Average Family Income By $1,200 A Year: DC
Isn’t It Cool How California Is Flooded By Inland Seas?: Cove

Media

NBC Reporter: Google Search Would Have Told White House Bergdahl Was Controversial: MRC
CNN Notices that Obama Likes Breaking Laws: Eagle Rising
Noam Chomsky: Obama ‘Determined To Demolish The Foundations Of Our Civil Liberties’: DC

“Footage of Obama’s Warsaw workout prompts security questions”: PW
Dangerous ‘Butterfield Effect’ Now Striking Non-Journalists: Ed Driscoll
Media Silent as Guns Used to Save at Least Seven Lives Since May 25: Breitbart

World

Czech President Delivers Bold Speech in Support of Israel: Jon Gabriel
Taliban Releases Propaganda Video Of Bergdahl Release Celebratingr Commanders' Return: WZ
Hagel Announces Bergdahl’s Release, Troops Respond With Silence: MenRec

Omidyar and the Oligarch’s Code: Enabling Extremism, Monetizing Dissent: Chris Floyd
Obama’s Syria Policy Rebuked From the Inside: Max Boot
The Photos China Doesn’t Want You to See: Daily Signal

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

The Decline and Fall of IBM: I, Cringely
Contact With 36-Year Old Spacecraft Results in Dancing, Hugs: UniverseToday
Google Glass-equipped rifles offer ‘mind-blowing’ fire superiority: Times

Cornucopia

A Warrior’s Homecoming: What Not to Wear: MOTUS
Last original Navajo code talker dies: Fox
Cop impersonator pulls over Fla. officer: PoliceOne

Image: This photo of the ISS looks like a scene from a space horror movie
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: BOOM: Chris McDaniel for Senate

QOTD: "It is necessary to name the enemy of human civilization and this enemy is international terrorism associated with religious fundamentalism and religious intolerance. This fanatical creed does not only attack a single nation, as we saw after September 11. Muslim fanatics in Nigeria recently captured 200 young Christian girls. And in the flower at the heart of Europe, an abominable killing took place at the Jewish Museum in Brussels.

I am not reassured by the claims that this is the work of only a small fringe group. Quite the contrary. I believe that xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism stems from the essential ideology that these fanatical groups are based on." --Czech President Miloš Zeman

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

SMART POWER: Obama Cedes a Critical Base in Asia as Russia Continues Its Aggressive Expansionism

By Investor's Business Daily

Global Power: The U.S. hands over control of its only central Asia base to Russia's old ally, Kyrgyzstan, continuing our retreat from the world stage as Vladimir Putin patiently reassembles the "evil empire."

In something of an ironic trip, President Obama is in Poland, one of the countries he betrayed in 2009, along with the Czech Republic, by scuttling missile-defense plans in Europe to celebrate the country's 25th anniversary of its break from communism.

Undeterred by this example of President Obama's "flexibility" with the Russians, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that the U.S. should open a major base in Poland.

Our advice to Sikorski, after our precipitate withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, and Obama's decimation of U.S. military strength, is — don't hold your breath.

"For the first time since the Second World War, one European country has taken a province by force from another European country," Sikorski said, speaking of Ukraine and Russia's annexation of Crimea.

"America, we hope, has ways of reassuring us that we haven't even thought about. There are major bases in Britain, in Spain, in Portugal, in Greece, in Italy. Why not here?"

Perhaps because America under Obama doesn't want bases anywhere. Our commander-in-chief is neutering what he considers America the bully, while Russia and China happily fill the strategic vacuum we are creating.

The latest example is our exit from our air base in the former Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic.

GOOD NEWS: Feds Dumping Thousands of Illegals Caught in Texas at Bus Stations in Arizona

And if some of the illegals are carrying communicable diseases, or are violent offenders wanted in other countries, or are gang members, well, let the people of Arizona sort it out!

But they're doing it for love, right, Jeb Bush?

Oh, and once again lifting the heavy rocks the decrepit, useless and feckless House Republican leaders won't, Judicial Watch reports:

As if it weren’t bad enough that even convicts qualify for Obama amnesty, check out what’s going on in Arizona; the federal government is dumping an unknown number of illegal immigrants caught in Texas at bus stations in Phoenix and Tucson.

The feds didn’t even have the courtesy to give state officials a heads up that hundreds, possibly thousands, of illegal aliens would be dropped off for processing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and subsequently released into the general population. A chunk of the migrants got apprehended in Texas over Memorial Day weekend after crossing into the state through the Rio Grande Valley, according to news reports.

Evidently Border Patrol agents in Texas are overwhelmed because there’s been a huge surge in illegal crossers in one concentrated area and the Obama administration hasn’t provided an increase in manpower. So someone at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came up with the brilliant idea of simply shuffling the weekend influx of illegal aliens to another state. In all, more than 400 families were relocated to the Tucson area as part of the operation.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer learned that the feds were using her state as a dumping ground for illegal immigrants in the media. She was rightfully outraged and fired off a letter to the president calling the plot dangerous and unconscionable.

Brewer's letter is a doozy:

THE MARKETS GO SCHIZOPHRENIC: Treasurys Are Screaming Crisis While Stocks Yawn

By Pam Martens

One critical gauge of how fair and efficient a market is resides in the degree to which it reflects the composite wisdom of all participants. A rigged market, for example, reflects the composite wisdom of just those doing the rigging since they are privy to information that is not shared with all market players.

On March 30, bestselling author Michael Lewis appeared on 60 Minutes to summarize the findings in his newest book, Flash Boys, as follows: “stock market’s rigged.” Michael Lewis was talking about stock market manipulation by high frequency traders.

Increasingly, the U.S. bond market is delivering almost the same message as Michael Lewis. The U.S. Treasury market, which is experiencing a flight to safety (that suggests a slowing economy, lower corporate earnings and thus a lower stock market in the future) is essentially saying that the current composite wisdom of the stock market is either nuts or the market is, indeed, rigged.

Stocks have been setting new highs of late while the yields on the benchmark 10-year and 30-year Treasurys decline. The 10-year Treasury began the year at a yield of approximately 3 percent and closed on Friday at a yield of 2.49. The 30-year Treasury started the year at a yield of approximately 4 percent and closed last week with a yield of 3.33 percent.

Strong economies produce a higher demand for money and, thus, rising interest rates. For stocks, which are wedded to earnings, to be rising while Treasury yields are falling shows a serious decoupling of market logic.

The question is, does high frequency trading and stock market rigging have anything to do with this decoupling?

HEROES: World War II Vets and Airborne Visit Omaha Beach

These are what heroes look like.


Over at London's Daily Mail, newly released aerial photos of D-Day taken by the RAF reveal the utter chaos and madness of the Longest Day.


Larwyn's Linx: Obama State Department: Bergdahl's Former Squad Members Are All Liars

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

Obama State Dept.: Bergdahl's Old Squad Members Are Liars: GWP
The story you haven’t yet heard about Bergdahl's desertion: Michelle Malkin
Prisoner swap: Did Hillary know?: The Hill

DHS transforms Phoenix bus station into a refuge for illegal immigrants: Twitchy
Hillary’s New Benghazi Cover-Up: RWN
#MSSen: Thad Cochran’s inspiring message: David Freddoso

Cruz: 42 Democrats Have Signed On To Repeal the First Amendment: WFB
Ted Cruz throws down, lectures fellow Senators on Free Speech: Scoop
Sanders’ Bill Sandbags Vets: Betsy McCaughey

The case for impeachment of Barack Hussein Obama: Allen West
High Strangeness at Obama Presser: Diogenes
What the Nullifiers Aren’t Telling You: Jen Kuznicki

Economy

It’s long past time: a letter to Speaker Boehner: PW
UAW Bosses Avoid Secret-Ballot Vote, Hit Members With 25% Dues Hike: LUR
The Job Killer You Probably Haven’t Heard About: DailySignal

Scandal Central

Taliban: Bergdahl Converted, Taught Us Bomb-Making, Ambush Skills: JWF
‘Do It Yourself, White Boy!’ Life at the VA: Ricochet
Man Who Left Four to Die in Benghazi: “We don’t leave men and women in uniform behind”: JWF

Climate & Energy

Mark Levin: EPA Rule is ‘greatest power grab since Obamacare’: Renee Nal
Trick the Bumpkin: Democrats and the EPA: Rick Wilson
Guess Which Loyal Obama Voter Bloc Will Be Punished Most By EPA’s Regulations: Surge

Media

Sharyl Attkisson on Journalism's Very Dangerous Trend: DailySignal
Mark Levin: The Bergdahl exchange was NOT a POW exchange: Scoop
What They Said Then: How the Liberal Media Savaged Reagan: MRC

GoreVision/Al Jazeera Analyst Demands ‘Jewish Humility’ From Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg: Algemeiner
Furious Ralph Peters TORCHES Obama over Jihadi trade and saying fellow soldiers are LIARS: Scoop
Ben Carson, CNN's Don Lemon Spar Over Obama's 'Fundamental Change' of America: Breitbart

World

Barack Obama, Judge of Life or Death: Ben Shapiro
Obama Admits Taliban May Resume Harmful Activities: Dossier
Analysis: Blowback from the Syrian jihad has begun: LWJ

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

The Danger of Focus Groups & Big Data: InnovExc
This one story illustrates why everyone hates Comcast: BGR
FCC Website Hobbled By Comment Trolls Incited By Comedian John Oliver: Slashdot

Cornucopia

Let US Troops Know You Care With A Care Package: LoneCon
Ethics Complaint Targets Harry Reid for Abuse of Power: Josh Siegel
What if Team Obama had just told the truth about Bowe Bergdahl?: Byron York

Image: Sad Hill News
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: BOOM: Chris McDaniel for Senate

QOTD: "Bergdahl['s father] apparently published a tweet last week about Guantanamo’s detainees. Except this tweet was directed at a Taliban spokesman. And it came just four days before it was announced that his son was finally being released.

“I am still working to free all Guantanamo prisoners,” the tweet said, according to various screen grabs. The tweet was subsequently deleted. “God will repay for the death of every Afghan child, ameen.”" --Sad Hill News

Tuesday, June 03, 2014

OH, DAYAM: Mad Magazine Sticks the Landing

On a scale of one to 10, this one earned a 12.9 (for degree of difficulty):



Hat tip: Twitchy

TED CRUZ ISSUES AN APB: Where Did the Liberals Go?

This is why conservatives rally around men like Ted Cruz. Because he speaks truth to power, whether that power is in the clutches of the Democrat Party or in the Chamber of Crony Republicans. He's a brilliant man, a Constitutionalist, and unafraid to take on the Beltway elites who have grown fat, soporific, and complacent as our form of government, our currency, and our culture are destroyed.

Cruz's statement to the Senate is a keeper:

America is an exceptional country.

When our country was founded, we crafted a constitution that Thomas Jefferson explained would serve as chains to bind the mischief of government. There has never been more mischief of government than there is right now.

And the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the constitution, are precious to every American. The Bill of Rights begins with the first amendment. For over two centuries Congress has not dared to mess with the Bill of Rights.

This amendment here today, if adopted, would repeal the free speech protections of the first amendment.

Mr. Chairman, when citizens hear that they gasp. As immune as we are to abuse of power of government, citizens are still astonished that members of Congress would dare support repealing the first amendment.

And let’s be clear, this amendment doesn’t just do it to for corporation or just do it to billionaires. Nothing in this amendment is limited to corporations or billionaires. This amendment would give Congress absolute authority to regulate the political speech of every single American with no limitations whatsoever.

This amendments is about power, and its about politicians, silencing the citizens.

Mr. Chairman, when did elected democrats abandon the Bill of Rights?

#GameOfThrones: In Real Life, Oberyn Martell Stands Next to Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane

For Game of Thrones viewers who missed Sunday's episode, I'll forego the spoiler and simply highlight the following Instagram from the set that compares the physique of Oberyn Martell to that of Gregor Clegane (AKA "The Mountain").


In real life, "The Mountain" is played by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (pronounced, oh, what the hell, I have no idea). Björnsson is 6'9" and started his career in professional basketball. He subsequently began entering the World's Strongest Man competitions, finishing second this year, third in 2013 and 2012, and sixth in 2011.


Hat tip: BadBlue Fame (caution: some PG-13 content)

The 10 Most Stunning Revelations Surrounding the Bergdahl Fiasco


In my pathetic and desperate attempt to mimic popular websites, I'm now resorting to BuzzFeed-style Top 10 lists.

10. White House Overrode Internal Objections To Taliban Prisoner Release
"To pull off the prisoner swap of five Taliban leaders for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the White House overrode an existing interagency process charged with debating the transfer of Guantanamo Bay prisoners and dismissed long-standing Pentagon and intelligence community concerns based on Top Secret intelligence about the dangers of releasing the five men, sources familiar with the debate tell TIME."

9. Bergdahl Never Listed By Pentagon As Prisoner Of War
"In his five years of captivity, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was never listed by the Pentagon as a prisoner of war... After disappearing in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009, Bergdahl was listed by the Pentagon on July 1, 2009, as “duty status whereabouts unknown.” Two days later his status was changed to “missing/captured,” and it did not change again prior to his release."

8. Bergdahl Deserted, Leaving Note Saying He Was Disillusioned with the Army
"Sometime after midnight on June 30, 2009, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl left behind a note in his tent saying he had become disillusioned with the Army, did not support the American mission in Afghanistan and was leaving to start a new life. He slipped off the remote military outpost in Paktika Province on the border with Pakistan and took with him a soft backpack, water, knives, a notebook and writing materials, but left behind his body armor and weapons — startling, given the hostile environment around his outpost."

7. Pentagon knew Bergdahl’s whereabouts but didn’t risk rescue for ‘deserter’
"The Pentagon on several occasions had ground-level intelligence on where ArmySgt. Bowe Bergdahl was being held captive at various times — down to how many gunmen were guarding him — but special operations commanders repeatedly shelved rescue missions because they didn’t want to risk casualties for a man they believed to be a “deserter,” sources familiar with the mission plans said."

6. Susan Rice Claims Bergdahl served with “honor and distinction”
"Did the White House send Susan Rice out on another Sunday talk show fool’s errand? Just as with the Benghazi attack, Barack Obama’s national-security adviser went out on a Sunday to discuss a burgeoning controversy, and perhaps without a full set of the facts in front of her. When questioned by George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week, Rice tried to parry the question about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s initial disappearance, which some of his fellow soldiers believed to be an act of desertion that cost more American lives. Rice insisted that Bergdahl had served with “honor and distinction,” a claim that will be tested in the coming days and weeks..."

5. Hours Later, White House Backpedals After Claiming Bergdahl ‘Served With Honor And Distinction’
"Deputy national security advisor Tony Blinken struggled to cover for his boss Susan Rice on Tuesday, backtracking from her contention that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl “served with honor and distinction” in the face of tough questions from NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell... Mitchell confronted Blinken over Rice’s Sunday claim that Bergdahl “served with honor and distinction” — an assertion almost immediately disproven by scores of Bergdahl’s comrades and official Pentagon reports, which show the soldier abandoned his post and may have been seeking to join the Taliban."

Larwyn's Linx: Bowe Bergdahl - - - Truth, Justice, and the Men Who Died For Him      

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

Bowe Bergdahl: Truth, Justice, and the Men Who Died For Him: VictoryGirls
Obama's illegal, and highly questionable, Taliban prisoner exchange: Hayward
Pentagon 2010: Bergdahl Deserted Post, Halted Efforts to Rescue Him: WZ

Cruz: With Hillary, It’s ‘All Politics, All The Time’, Especially On Benghazi: DC
“Leave no deserter behind.”: Roger Kimball
Why Were The Other 3 Americans in Militant Custody Not Included?: Breitbart

Obama Sprinting to Finish Line to ‘Transform’ America: RWN
Obama smiles upon hearing Bergdahl father speak fluent Arabic: Black Sphere
Gold Star mom: 'This guy was worth my son's life?': GWP

Economy

Pimco’s Keynesian Fool Returns: Minsky Moments And Free Money : Stockman
The VA Scandal: A Union Shares Part Of The Blame: Patterico
Treasurys Are Screaming Crisis While Stocks Yawn: Pam Martens

Scandal Central

If It's Illegal Where Are The F***ing Indictments?: Karl Denninger
Behind the Gibson Guitar raid, cont'd: Overlawyered
In Which Your Host Finally Loses It and Goes All Conspiracy Nut: Stephen Green

Climate & Energy

EPA Making “Greatest Water Grab That We Have Ever Seen By Federal Government”: RWN
Obama Seeks Death Blow to Economy With Absurd Carbon Proposal: JWF
New EPA rules may reclassify the meaning of “water”: Allen West

Sacrifices on the Altar of Obama’s Vanity: Jonathan S. Tobin
Climate Change Pentagon Expert: My Goal Was to Induce Fear, Not be Accurate: Outcast
Obama’s new climate war opens: Hill

Media

RLC straw poll shows deep dissatisfaction with establishment choices: ConIntel
WH Official on Bowe Bergdahl’s Possible Desertion: “Frankly, we don’t give a s–t why he left”: JWF
NY Daily News Asks 'Does NYU Have a Jewish Problem?': TR

Democrats’ Nightmare Scenario for 2016: Michael Barone
Tapper: Hillary "definitely" should be questioned about her involvement in Taliban deal: Breitbart
AFP’s TXOnline 2014 in Pictures (17 Pics): John Hawkins

World

Susan Rice: It doesn’t matter if Bergdahl deserted to join the Taliban: Hideout
Why is Bowe Bergdahl having trouble speaking English?: BNI
Afghan president fumes at prisoner deal made behind his back: Reuters

Flashback: Taliban Beheaded Two Children While Negotiating Bergdhal’s Release: MenRec
The White House Has Been Sanctified And Claimed For Islam: ConservativeWife
German Police: Scapegoats and Punching Bags: GoV

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Watch John Oliver’s Brilliant, Concise Primer On Net Neutrality: TechCrunch
Google's first fashionable Glass frames are designed by Diane Von Furtstenburg: Engadget
Fifteen toys, games and tools that teach programming : SD Times

Cornucopia

We Are On Correct Path Comrades, June 2014 edition: MOTUS
Check Out Opening Sequence of Dinesh D’Souza’s Upcoming Film ‘America’: Blaze
Cool pic :) Thanks Mr. Pinko @iotw: iOTW

Image: Useful Idiots and the Strange Release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: BOOM: Chris McDaniel for Senate

QOTD: "...all the pain that the EPA will cause won’t actually save a single cute polar bear, keep an Arctic ice flow from melting or those pesky oceans from rising, assuming you believe all of the alarmist claims at the heart of the new warming orthodoxy. What, then, is this all about? The answer lies in the gargantuan conceit of the man in the Oval Office.

The official explanation for the gap between the president’s rhetoric and the actual impact of the EPA’s dictates is that what the president wants is to start moving the country in “the right direction.” That’s a sobering thought if you consider that what is happening here is a massive government intervention in the private sector to achieve an ideological rather than an economic goal. Anyone inclined to accept the EPA’s new role riding roughshod over both Congress and the economic interests of the country should think long and hard about the prospect that this is merely the first of a new series of rulings from Washington that could hamstring any hopes of a real recovery in the coming years.

More than that, though, is the fact that what Obama really wants here is to show the international community that he means business about restricting the ability of America to do business. The real audience for this spectacle isn’t so much in blue states where any bow in the direction of environmentalism is applauded as it is abroad where other nations are watching to see if the U.S. is really going to walk the walk on climate change rules that could do damage to the American economy. The president wants the Chinese to see that the U.S. will handicap its own industries in order to set a good example for the Communist nation that almost certainly will do little if anything to cap their own growing carbon emissions." --Jonathan S. Tobin

Monday, June 02, 2014

The Most Tragic Chart You'll See Today

Any careful and honest analysis of Obamanomics -- which excludes work by propagandist hacks like Paul Krugman and Thomas Piketty -- would reveal some pretty horrifying statistics.

You probably know about the ever-declining Labor Force Participation Rate, but Daniel Halper offers another nasty reality slap for Democrats, drones, progressives and other miscreants.

Startling charts from the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee about male participation in the labor force, particularly men between the ages of 25-54...

"There are currently 61.1 million American men in their prime working years, age 25–54. A staggering 1 in 8 such men are not in the labor force at all, meaning they are neither working nor looking for work. This is an all-time high dating back to when records were first kept in 1955. An additional 2.9 million men are in the labor force but not employed (i.e., they would work if they could find a job). A total of 10.2 million individuals in this cohort, therefore, are not holding jobs in the U.S. economy today. There are also nearly 3 million more men in this age group not working today than there were before the recession began," the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee claim...

"Although defenders of the current economy attribute shrinking labor force participation to the increasing pace of retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, these new statistics above confirm a trend that Barron’s recently diagnosed: 'The ratio of those over 55 in the workforce actually ticked up'—in other words, older Americans are being forced to return to work in a poor economy to make ends meet while many younger Americans simply aren’t working at all. In short, there is an unprecedented supply of working-age Americans who do not hold jobs."

This is a tragedy for working-age Americans, especially the youngest generation of workers.

Hope and change, indeed.


Hat tip: BadBlue News

Harry Reid's Fanatical Jihad Against the Koch Brothers Threatens the Free Speech of All Americans

By Elizabeth Slattery

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has promised the Senate will take up a proposed constitutional amendment this year that would radically alter the First Amendment.

The Senate resolution would allow Congress to limit fundraising and spending on election campaigns and independent political speech. Reid and others insist restricting the amount of money that may be raised and spent on political speech is not the same as limiting speech. That’s like saying that limiting the amount of newsprint a newspaper can buy does not limit its speech.

Having lost the battle at the Supreme Court, Reid and his cohorts are now pushing this constitutional amendment to reverse decisions—including Citizens United v. FEC and McCutcheon v. FEC—that protect the rights of Americans to speak their minds about elected officials and candidates and to engage in the political process.

Shutting down conservative speech certainly appears to be a motivating factor behind this push to amend the First Amendment. Reid has given many interviews and speeches on the Senate floor demonizing the Charles and David Koch for “dumping unseemly amounts of money” into politics, “rigg[ing] the system” and “trying to buy the country.” Of course, he never mentions efforts by big Democratic contributors, such as George Soros and the SEIU. Imagine the audacity of those “un-American” and “shrewd businessmen” (Reid’s words) who would back candidates and causes they believe will make America better.

Very Cool Toy: Osmo

Now this is a really creative idea. The inventor, as I understand it, was concerned that kids no longer talked with one another when playing. They all had their heads buried in their smartphones or tablets, playing individually without collaborative problem-solving, interaction or social engagement.

Not your kids, of course. Other kids.

Anyhow, he created a very cool bundle of hardware and software that allows kids to learn and play together. It's called Osmo and you can check it out at PlayOsmo.com.

Osmo is a unique gaming accessory for the iPad that comes with games that will change the way your child plays.

Setup is a snap. Simply mount Osmo Reflector over your iPad's front‑facing camera. Reflective Artificial Intelligence and a built‑in mirror recognize and respond to your every real‑world move.

Osmo is crafted for kid‑durability and always ready to go: no batteries, electronics, or Wi‑Fi required. Works with the latest iPads including the iPad 2 and iPad Mini.

...Top educators from over 150 elementary schools nationwide, including the Bay Area’s best preparatory institutions, are raving about Osmo’s natural ability to foster creative, social, and emotional learning ‑ and how much their students love it...

...Osmo was invented by young parents out of Stanford and Google. Engineers at heart, the founders are personally committed to innovating new technologies that nurture positive play experiences for kids.

The basic gist of Osmo is that it intelligently reads the surface in front of the iPad when it's on its stand. It thereby allows kids to interact using game pieces, magic markers and the screen. Here are a couple of the games:

SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL: First words of Bergdahl’s father at White House were spoken in... Arabic

The indefatigable Allen West has the scoop:

Clare Lopez is a former CIA operations officer, a strategic policy and intelligence expert with a focus on Middle East, national defense, WMD, and counterterrorism issues, and a friend of mine.

She emailed me this morning a very poignant analysis that only someone knowing language and Islam could ascertain. She wrote:

“What none of these media is reporting is that the father’s (SGT Bowe Bergdahl’s father Bob) first words at the WH were in Arabic – those words were “bism allah alrahman alraheem” – which means “in the name of Allah the most gracious and most merciful” – these are the opening words of every chapter of the Qur’an except one (the chapter of the sword – the 9th) – by uttering these words on the grounds of the WH, Bergdahl (the father) sanctified the WH and claimed it for Islam. There is no question but POTUS knows this.”


Folks, there is a lot to this whole episode — like Benghazi — that we may never know. And this is not conspiracy theory, it is truth based upon Arabic and Islamic dogma and tradition.

Let me guess: we released five hardened terrorists -- who are certain to kill American soldiers and citizens again, perhaps by the score or thousands -- in exchange for an alleged Muslim sympathizer, deserter, and whack-job. With all due respect, of course.

Only in Obama's America.

See the video at Col. West's site.


Hat tip: BadBlue News

Larwyn's Linx: Bowe Bergdahl and His Father Have Some Serious Explaining To Do

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Nation

Bowe Bergdahl and His Father Have Some Explaining To Do: Nice Deb
Claim: Bergdahl deserted to join Taliban, 6 Died trying to find him: GWP
Illegal Bowe Bergdahl Deal Stinks to High Heaven: MB

Take THIS GOP and Shove It; There Is A Better Way: Jen Kuznicki
Eric Cantor: The Amazing Adventures of Cantor and Gutierrez: MagNote
Barack Obama’s first loyalty is to Barack Obama: DTG

Terrorist freed by White House were labeled ‘high risk’ in 2008: Times
War Is Peace, Citizens Are The Enemy: NoisyRm
Mpls. Park Police apologize to libertarian candidate: KARE-11

Economy

California Senate passes $13 minimum wage, jobs flee in terror: Toldjah
This Is What's Wrong With The Legal System In America: ZH
Detroit east: Wildlife encroaches on Buffalo's thousands of vacant lots: Marathon

Harry Reid Threatens Private Property in America: Star Parker
Mapping 100 Years Of US Immigration By State: ZH
Medicare recipients can seek coverage for sex-change surgery: Fox

Scandal Central

IRS fails to evade discovery in targeting of pro-Israel group litigation: Power Line
UNREAL: Obama Admin Flies 400 Illegals Caught TX To AZ, Drops Them Off At Greyhound Station: WZ
Jewish Lobbying Group Wins Suit Against IRS–Targeted Because of Being Pro-Israel: RWN

Climate & Energy

Obama’s big EPA announcement tomorrow translates directly to higher electricity prices: WUWT
Will Warmists Switch Back To Calling It “Global Warming”?: Cove
EPA Told to Enforce Rules Nationally After Court Loss: Bloomberg

Media

Clinton Hack Stephanopoulos Ignores Benghazi During Interview with Susan Rice on ABC: MRC
NBC Anchor Slammed By Rabid Drones for Hinting at Opportunistic Photo Op With POW Dad: Sooper
Charlie Rose's Hourlong PBS Interview of Susan Rice Never Mentions Benghazi: NB

Amity Shlaes, Artist Paul Rivoche Discuss New Graphic Novel of The Forgotten Man: Ed Driscoll
Chicago Tribune reporter Jeff Coen’s own personal “Tell-Tale Heart” got him arrested: IP2P
Philip Hamburger’s Is Administrative Law Unlawful?: NRO

World

Negotiating With Terrorists: Inside the Capture and Release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl: Brad Thor
Democrat Senate Armed Services Chairman Worried about Taliban Five: WS
Taliban Joyous Over Bergdahl Swap, Vow to Get All Mujahideen Released ASAP: Tatler

China Rises as America Weakens: Bill Gertz
“A Euphemism for Political Cowardice”: GoV
Santa Claus and the Israel Lobby: Daniel Greenfield

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Nissan's magic mirror makes passengers disappear: Fox
Google will reportedly spend over $1 billion to build satellites that deliver internet access: TNW
ARM developing processors to make wearables 'invisible': CIO

Cornucopia

There Is A Good Case For Reparations: Derek Hunter
Scene in Hollywood: Sondrakistan
Beat My Caption: C&S

Image: Amity Shlaes, Artist Paul Rivoche Discuss New Graphic Novel of The Forgotten Man
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: BOOM: Chris McDaniel for Senate

QOTD: "Forty-one Democrats have signed on to co-sponsor New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall's proposed amendment to give Congress plenary power to regulate political speech. The text of the amendment says that Congress could regulate "the raising and spending of money and in-kind equivalents with respect to federal elections." The amendment places no limitations whatsoever on Congress's new power.

Two canards are put forth to justify this broad authority. First, "money is not speech." And second, "corporations have no free speech rights."

Neither contention bears even minimal scrutiny. Speech is more than just standing on a soap box yelling on a street corner. For centuries the Supreme Court has rightly concluded that free speech includes writing and distributing pamphlets, putting up billboards, displaying yard signs, launching a website, and running radio and television ads. Every one of those activities requires money. Distributing the Federalist Papers or Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" required money. If you can prohibit spending money, you can prohibit virtually any form of effective speech." --Sen. Ted Cruz

Sunday, June 01, 2014

Epic Branding Fails

Logo designs gone bad.



"Have We Just Put A Price On Other U.S. Soldiers?" Ted Cruz vs. Clinton Hack/ABC Host Stephanopoulos

Ted Cruz is the real deal, today handling Clinton hack-and-ABC "News" Host George Stephanopoulos as easily as a mama handles a tiny little baby. Read the whole transcript:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: I think where we are today is uncannily, is eerily like the late 1970s. By the way, if there is one person on earth thrilled about the job President Obama is doing, it's Jimmy Carter.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANOPOULOS: Texas Senator Ted Cruz lighting up the crowd at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans yesterday. He won their presidential straw poll after that speech.

Senator, congratulations for that. Thanks for being here this morning.

CRUZ: Thank you, George. It's great to join you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: First let's get your reaction to the Bergdahl deal.

CRUZ: Well, look, all of us celebrate with Sergeant Bergdahl, with his family, I mean, looking at his parents there, I mean, that's emotional and it's powerful.

At the same time the terms of the deal are very troubling.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Why?

CRUZ: Well, for one thing, how many soldiers lost their lives to capture those five Taliban terrorists that we just released? You know, Ambassador Rice basically said to you, yes, U.S. policy has changed. Now we make deals with terrorists.

And the question going forward is, have we just put a price on other U.S. soldiers? What does this tell terrorists, that if you capture a U.S. soldier, you can trade that soldier for five terrorists we've gone after.