Friday, April 29, 2011
Did Libya Just Invade Tunisia?
Sounds crazy but, "Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi crossed into neighbouring Tunisia and fought a gun battle with Tunisian troops in a frontier town as Libya's conflict spilt beyond its borders...Pro-Gaddafi forces fired shells into the town of Dehiba, damaging buildings and injuring at least one resident, and a group of them drove into the town in a truck, local people and a Reuters photographer in the town said. The Libyan government troops were pursuing anti-Gaddafi rebels from the restive Western Mountains region of Libya who fled into Tunisia in the past few days after Gaddafi forces overran the border post the rebels had earlier seized." So is this the carte blanche that Pro Oil liberation forces need in order to justify a land invasion of Libya? And what happens to oil in that case when Gaddafi's back is truly against the wall?
From the Telegraph:
From the Telegraph:
Tunisia, which recently lost its own dictator, has decided to issue a statement, sternly warning against further incursions or else:"There were lots of clashes in the town this morning. Lots of gunshots. The Tunisian military clashed with Gaddafi's forces ... Some of Gaddafi's people were killed," said Reuters photographer Zoubeir Souissi from the town.
"There are a lot of Gaddafi's people who were injured. They are in the hospital in Dehiba," he said.
Two residents also told Reuters that shells had fallen on the town from pro-Gaddafi positions across the border in Libya.
"Rounds from the bombardment are falling on houses.... A Tunisian woman was injured," one of the residents, called Ali, told Reuters by telephone.
He said later the fighting and shelling had stopped. "The Tunisian army is combing the town. We have no idea about the fate of Gaddafi's forces there because the Tunisian army closed the gates to the town and nobody is allowed to enter."
A Libyan rebel said anti-Gaddafi fighters had retaken control of the border crossing near Dehiba. The main crossing into Libya, two hours' drive to the north, remains firmly under Libyan government control.
"Right here at this point I'm looking at the new (rebel) flag flying up there at the border. The rebels have got control of it, the freedom fighters. We're just in the process of opening it up," rebel Akram el Muradi said by telephone.
h/t StuartTunisia's government late on Thursday issued a statement condemning incursions by Libyan forces after shells fired by Gaddafi loyalists fell into the desert near the border.
"Given the gravity of what has happened ... the Tunisian authorities have informed the Libyans of their extreme indignation and demand measures to put an immediate stop to these violations," a statement from the foreign ministry said.
Friday's clashes marked the first time that Libyan government ground forces had crossed the border and entered a Tunisian town.
White House Lists 'Mideast Stability' as a Main Aim
The White House statement regarding the long-awaited release of President Obama's original, long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate includes the following revealing sentence:
At a time of great consequence for this country – when we should be debating how we win the future, reduce our deficit, deal with high gas prices, and bring stability to the Middle East, Washington, DC, was once again distracted by a fake issue.
In fact, America's most important ally in the region--after Israel--was stable until Obama emboldened and encouraged the Muslim Brotherhood to topple Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Obama's complicity in Mubarak's overthrow recalls Jimmy Carter's involvement in Iran's Islamic Revolution.
Obama also supported the overthrow of Tunisia's president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, another U.S. ally and staunch opponent of Islamism.
More important, Obama, without consulting the United States Congress, committed the U.S. to an unnecessary armed intervention in Libya, whose dictator had given up terrorism and weapons of mass destruction in the context of an overall deal with the West that also brought about meaningful Libyan cooperation in the war against Al Qaeda (the only remaining radical Muslim group that Obama is not presently prepared to engage). Obama intervened in Libya--on the side of violent, Islamist-linked rebels--who began their anti-regime protests by raiding arsenals and setting fire to police stations.
Finally, the Obama administration has pressured and embarrassed U.S. ally Bahrain, made Saudi Arabia exceedingly nervous--to the point of pushing the Saudis to cozy up to Russia and China, both of which long ago ceased being potential threats to the Arab monarchy--and weakened Israel by (a) allowing Iran to continue its nuclear/ICBM program, and (b) obsessively squeezing the Jewish State to abandon its capital, Jerusalem, and the disputed and strategically situated West Bank lands (captured from Jordan in the defensive Six-Day War of June 1967) in order to make room for a second Arab state in historic Palestine (the first such entity being the Hamas-ruled terror-mini-state in Gaza).
American voters should understand that the Obama administration's idea of Middle East stability is a dangerously diminished Israel, forced behind indefensible borders--the infamous "Auschwitz lines," in the memorable words of the late, great, distinctly dovish Israeli foreign minister, Abba Eban--and a string of so-called Islamic democracies, or Islamocracies, ruled by supposed "moderate Islamists" (a concept akin to moderate Nazis or moderate Communists).
POSTSCRIPT: In the White House statement, notice the phrases "win the future" and "deal with high gas prices." What happened to wealth and job creation--meaning millions of well paying, permanent jobs with benefits? What about energy independence--unlocking the country's truly awesome but neglected oil and gas and coal reserves? How about prosperity? Is that the same as winning the future? Or, has prosperity become a dirty word in Obamanation?
Former Miss USA Alleges TSA Abuse
Posted on Apr 27, 2011
 |
| TSA.gov |
Two and a half weeks after an airport pat-down of a 6-year-old ended up on YouTube and in the mainstream media, the Transportation Security Administration is in the middle of another controversy. In a new video on YouTube and other websites, a tearful former Miss USA charges she was sexually violated during a TSA search. Susie Castillo said she was improperly touched by a screener at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport last week.
The TSA implemented its “enhanced pat-down” program in August as an alternative to the full-body X-ray scans now becoming standard at major airports. These body searches have infuriated a growing number of passengers, ranging from young women to elderly men with medical conditions. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano continues to defend the security measures, vowing they will remain in place for the “foreseeable future.” —KDG
Daily Mail:A former Miss USA has blasted airport screeners for groping her after she refused to go through a naked body scanner.Susie Castillo, now 31, complained that she was ‘violated’ by a female TSA agent at a security checkpoint at Dallas airport in Texas.
Miss Castillo, who held the Miss America title in 2003 and is now an actress, wept as she recounted her traumatic ordeal in a video filmed at the airport.
Convicted RFK assassin says girl manipulated him
The documents filed this week in federal court and obtained by The Associated Press detail extensive interviews with Sirhan during the past three years, some done while he was under hypnosis.
The papers point to a mysterious girl in a polka-dot dress as the controller who led Sirhan to fire a gun in the pantry of the Ambassador Hotel. But the documents suggest a second person shot and killed Kennedy while using Sirhan as a diversion.
For the first time, Sirhan said under hypnosis that on a cue from the girl he went into “range mode” believing he was at a firing range and seeing circles with targets in front of his eyes.
“I thought that I was at the range more than I was actually shooting at any person, let alone Bobby Kennedy,” Sirhan was quoted as saying during interviews with Daniel Brown, a Harvard University professor and expert in trauma memory and hypnosis. He interviewed Sirhan for 60 hours with and without hypnosis, according to the legal brief.
Full Article
Tornado Hell
The NYTimes is front-paging a raft of heart-stopping pictures, stories and video from last night’s record-setting barrage of tornadoes:
The Red Cross has a request for donations up on its site. No dedicated link at the ASPCA site, yet, but if you are shopping for Mothers Day/wedding/graduation gifts, GreaterGood.org has a page for donations to the International Fund for Animal Welfare through the Animal Rescue site store.
I did not grow up in tornado territory, and when I first moved to the Midwest I found it difficult to appreciate how dangerous ‘mere wind’ could be. This super-storm, though… I guess the best analogy I can think of is “a tsunami of air.” As another NYTimes story about the “guessing game of prediction” phrases it, “Tornadoes in particular, researchers say, straddle the line between the known and the profoundly unknowable.”
Tuscaloosa—At least 285 people across six states died in the storms, with more than half — 195 people — in Alabama. This good-time college town, the home of the University of Alabama, has in some places has been shorn to the slab, and accounts for at least 36 of those deaths. Thousands have been injured, and untold more have been left homeless, hauling their belongings in garbage bags or rooting through disgorged piles of wood and siding to find anything salvageable.
While Alabama was hit the hardest, the storm spared few states across the South. Thirty-four people were reported dead in Tennessee, 33 in Mississippi, 15 in Georgia, 7 in Virginia and one in Kentucky. With search and rescue crews still climbing through debris and making their way down tree-strewn country roads, the toll is expected to rise.
“History tells me estimating deaths is a bad business,” said W. Craig Fugate, the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, in a conference call with reporters.
President Obama announced that he was coming to Alabama on Friday afternoon, saying in a statement that the federal government had pledged its assistance.
The Red Cross has a request for donations up on its site. No dedicated link at the ASPCA site, yet, but if you are shopping for Mothers Day/wedding/graduation gifts, GreaterGood.org has a page for donations to the International Fund for Animal Welfare through the Animal Rescue site store.
I did not grow up in tornado territory, and when I first moved to the Midwest I found it difficult to appreciate how dangerous ‘mere wind’ could be. This super-storm, though… I guess the best analogy I can think of is “a tsunami of air.” As another NYTimes story about the “guessing game of prediction” phrases it, “Tornadoes in particular, researchers say, straddle the line between the known and the profoundly unknowable.”
... Usually, when tornadoes strike, they will devastate a single town or small area of a state. What was unusual in Alabama was that a mass of twisters ravaged the entire northern half of the state.
No single storm took a linear path. Rather, an untold number of tornadoes hit an untold number of homes and buildings in a chaotic flurry, touching down and picking up power at different places at different times. By the time they were gone Wednesday night, the devastation was huge, in terms of lives lost, neighborhoods crushed…
Alabama is not part of what is traditionally considered Tornado Alley, which covers the Plains States. But it is part of Dixie Alley, which runs through the South. Tornadoes in Dixie Alley can be worse because they are more violent, the Southern states are more densely populated, and the tornado season is less predictable, so residents are not always prepared. Studies have also said that housing in the South was made of less sturdy material than that in other parts of the country, making homes more susceptible to storm damage.
April 27 Tornado Outbreak: Why So Many Deaths?
Vince Condella:
BY Tom McMahon
The Storm Prediction Center and local National Weather Service offices did a terrific job highlighting the dangers of this weather systems. For several days in advance, residents of Mississippi and Alabama knew they were under the gun for tornado-producing thunderstorms.
The storms April 27 were fueled by strong wind shear due to a low-level jet stream from the south and a southwest-to-northeast flowing stream of high speed winds aloft. This created the wind shear (change of wind direction and/or wind speed with height) that provided strong lift and rotating supercell thunderstorms. The storms were moving very fast - up to 50 miles per hour in some cases. So many of these tornadoes could have simply reached people before they had a chance to get to shelter.
Power was also out when many of the tornadoes struck. That's because morning storms knocked out power and even broadcast towers for NOAA Weather Radio. When the afternoon storms struck, some people had to rely on text message warnings from the National Weather Service or their favorite TV station. And even some cell towers were destroyed in the first wave of storms.
And finally, so many of these tornadoes were powerful, probably EF3 or higher. When winds exceed 165 miles hour (EF4) or 200 miles per hour (EF5), there may be no way to escape. Even if you are in a place of safety, homes can be scraped clean off their concrete slabs. (Many homes in the south do not have basements.)
BY Tom McMahon
United States Tornado Deaths Since 1950
On Wednesday, nearly 300 people were killed in storms and ensuing tornadoes across the southern US . This was the nation’s dealiest tornado outbreak in almost four decades with deaths across six states (Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia, and Louisiana). To provide some context, the New York Times mapped annual deaths by tornado in the United States since 1950.
To see the map, click here.
Source: New York Times; Reuters
To see the map, click here.
Source: New York Times; Reuters
Obama's Favorite Catholic Suspended by the Church
What is it with Obama and wacky left pastors?
Citing what he called threats from the Rev. Michael Pfleger to leave the church, Cardinal Francis George has removed the outspoken priest from St. Sabina parish and has suspended his “sacramental faculties as a priest.”Given how political Pfleger was, I'm guessing it wouldn't take a very detailed look at his politics to discover that he often strayed far from Catholic teachings. I'll never know why the church allows so much of that. I can think of any number of Catholic politicians who are ardently pro-abortion, and that ought to earn them an immediate ticket to excommunication...but for some reason it never does.
Pfleger had publicly feuded with the cardinal about possibly being reassigned to Leo High School, telling a radio show recently that he would look outside the Catholic church if offered no other choice.
“If that is truly your attitude, you have already left the Catholic Church and are therefore not able to pastor a Catholic parish,” George wrote in a letter dated today.
President Obama Jokes About Birther Flap On “Oprah”
The exhausting news about the president not being a “True” American citizen have been a constant annoying issue for the president since he was elected into office four years ago. Now that he is up for re-election and up against potential republican candidate Donald Trump. He has brought special attention towards the matter again questioning his birth place. This week the White House
Reps released the files of Barack Obama’s original birth certificate. Obama felt that the focus of the candidacy was gearing in a direction that took away the real focus of the the candidacy.
As we know we are in the final days of the Oprah Winfrey show , so it’s only right that Oprah invites the President back for a final time to discuss everything that he has gone through since he took office and for ho speak on his citizenship.The President went on to say he obtained what he called special dispensation from the governor of Hawaii to dig into the archives to come up with the original document. Obama explained the nation needs to have a serious conversation about the issues that really matter to people. He added those issues were being sidetracked by the ongoing controversy about his birthplace and birth certificate.
Superman Renounces U.S. Citizenship
In the 900th issue of Action Comics, Superman renounces his American citizenship after a "clash" with the federal government. GOP flacks are outraged. Outraged, I tells ya! "Besides being riddled with a blatant lack of patriotism, and respect for our country, Superman's current creators are belittling the United States as a whole. By denouncing his citizenship, Superman becomes an eerie metaphor for the current economic and power status the country holds worldwide," Hollywood publicist and GOP activist Angie Meyer told Fox.Wired weighs in:
In an age rife with immigration paranoia, it’s refreshing to see an alien refugee tell the United States that it’s as important to him as any other country on Earth — which in turn is as important to Superman as any other planet in the multiverse. The genius of Superman is that he belongs to everyone, for the dual purposes of peace and protection. He’s above ephemeral geopolitics and nationalist concerns, a universal agent unlike any other found in pop culture.
posted by Joe
A Bit of Royalty in New Jersey
By Richard A. Lee
Maybe it’s because of the extensive coverage of the royal wedding, but don’t be surprised if some New Jerseyans are thinking that their state is becoming more and more like a monarchy every day.
The state’s constitution already makes whoever is sitting in the New Jersey Governor’s Office one of the most powerful governors in the nation. Other than the lieutenant governor (a position that was not even created until 2005), the governor is the only statewide, non-federal, official elected by voters. In many other states, attorney generals, comptrollers and other cabinet-level officials are elected positions. In New Jersey, the governor gets to appoint his or her cabinet members, as well as judges, county prosecutors and a host of other officials.
The New Jersey governor also has line-item veto authority, which allows him or her to delete part of a bill passed by the legislature that involves spending – a provision that has been coveted not just by other governors, but also by occupants of the Oval Office.
Into this scenario comes Chris Christie, New Jersey's 55th governor. Christie’s powerful personality matches the tremendous constitutional powers of the office, and he appears to be taking things a step or two further.
In his first 15 months in office, Christie and his administration have often treated the legislature more like a nuisance than a co-equal branch of government. Lawmakers have at times been frustrated by the administration's level of cooperation. The governor also has made a habit of ridiculing the state Senate and Assembly for failing to act on his tax reform tool kit, while passing bills he considers frivolous, such as a measure requiring that dental patients be notified if their dentures are manufactured outside the U.S.
Christie has been critical of the other co-equal branch of state government – the judiciary. He is not the first chief executive to charge that courts are overstepping their roles and legislating from the bench. But he raised the stakes recently by suggesting he may defy the New Jersey Supreme Court if it rules that the state must restore school aid funds that were cut from the state budget.
The governor also has not been shy about giving advice to the unofficial fourth branch of government – the press – on how to do its job.
Meanwhile, he is seeking expanded power over the state’s independent authorities, and he raised eyebrows a few weeks ago by taking a visible role during the legislative redistricting process. Earlier this year, his administration opted not to implement a new state law requiring restaurants to post calorie counts and wait instead for federal regulations to take effect. “I’m baffled,” the sponsor of the new law, Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, told The Star-Ledger. “I don’t understand. How does the executive branch have the right to ignore the law?”
More recently, the Christie administration took a pre-emptive step in this fall’s legislative elections after former Olympian Carl Lewis’ candidacy for state senate was challenged in court by Burlington County Republicans on the grounds that he failed to meet residency requirements. An administrative law judge ruled against the GOP, but the decision was overturned by Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno in her capacity as Secretary of State. Guadagno’s ruling came on the same day the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Christie personally attempted to talk Lewis out of running, and that when it became clear the former track star intended to enter the race, plans were halted for a youth fitness program he had been discussing with the administration.
Clearly, there is a pattern developing in New Jersey. We have a powerful governor who is becoming even more powerful. Watching Chris Christie as he continues to test the boundaries of his office could be quite interesting, perhaps even more interesting than watching a royal wedding.
# # #
Today's News NJ Book of the Month: "EMPATHY:
Timaira Whiteside currently resides in Philadelphia Pa where she was born and raised. Her writing first began when she was in middle school. It started off with poetry and short stories. At age 15 she began writing local newsletters and continued that for a year. Around 2004 she decided to write her own work of fiction which birthed her book, EMPATHY.....
Empathy is a passionate,love-filled, drama novel. It's a tale about a young married couple. Markel and Jisela share a love so strong, that there in tuned into one another. A chemistry that causes them to stay united at last. Read how they battle the pressures of the modeling industry. Discover how Jisela handles being raped, a strong lust for the men who come into her life, and a jealous, and hot-tempered husband. Embark on this journey with them as life-altering experiences take them through ups and downs.
To Buy goto: Amazon.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Devil Is a Liar: Family Doubts Story of Father Who Claims 2 Year Old Shot, Killed Mother
I
have heard some bizarre stories in my day, but this is one definitely
takes the cake. A Florida man wants us to believe that his 2 year old
son took his gun and shot and killed his mother. Really? You really
expect me to believe that the 2 year old just happened to get his hands
on a 9mm seimautomatic that the father just happened to leave lying
around when he came to visit. Child Please! Now, I'm not oblivious to
the fact that accidents like this happen all the time, and even if it
happened the way the father said it happened he is still negligible as
far as I am concerned.
It
appears that I am not the only person having a heard time believing
this story because even the victim's family and neighbors are expressing
doubt.
The child's great aunt, Marva Anglin, said the boy doesn't understand what happened and keeps asking for his mother. Bennett's relatives said they had never met the child's father, but told the judge they did not want him in their home for supervised visits with the child because they are afraid of him.
She and other family members do not believe the baby killed Bennett.
"We're not buying it," said Hugh Pearce, whose 33-year-old niece Julia Bennett was shot and killed about 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Ashlar apartments off Pembroke Road near University Drive.
"We just don't think it happened that way," said Pearce. "But we want to see police finish their investigation."
Police did question the father for a long time before releasing him.
Bennett's loved ones spoke out for the first time Thursday night to CBS4′s Peter D'Oench.
"We really didn't expect this," said Pearce. "She was a medical technician who had such a future. Yesterday I saw her doing her wash and her clothing and not I hear about this on the news. This is terrible."
It happened inside apartment number 303. The boy's father called 911 about the incident claiming that the boy used his 9 millimeter, semi-automatic glock pistol. Neighbors say they saw police testing the boy's hands for gun residue but police would not say what they found.
Inside a West Miami-Dade store, one gun owner said he had serious questions about the claim that the two-year-old boy fired the gun.
"It's highly unlikely that this would have been possible because it requires five pounds of pressure to pull the trigger of a nine millimeter semi-automatic glock pistol like this one," said longtime gun owner Kevin Gleason. "Even if the gun was chambered and ready to fire, this would have been very difficult. I don't buy this story."
I'm going with the gun store owner on this one. As the old folks use to say, "The Devil is a Liar, and the Truth ain't in him!"
Poll: Most Not Sure Trump Was Born In US
From USA Today:
Poll: What kind of president would Donald Trump make?
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
April 26, 2011
WASHINGTON — Republicans may be ready for a fling with Donald Trump, but a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows they have reservations about installing him in the White House.
The real estate developer and reality TV star, who scores at the top in polls of the GOP field these days, falls to fourth when Republicans are asked to rate who among the contenders would be a “good” or “great” president in office.
Fifty percent of Americans, including 31% of Republicans, say Trump would make a “poor” or “terrible” president.
His possible bid faces broad resistance: 63% of Americans, including 46% of Republicans, say they definitely will not vote for Trump for president.We’re not huge fans of Donald Trump, but how is possible that he is atop so many polls, if 31% of Republicans say he would make a "terrible" President?
Besides, where were polls like this about Mr. Obama 19 months before the 2008 elections? In fact, we don’t recall seeing polls like this about any Democrat candidate — ever. But the media’s knives are out for Mr. Trump, and indeed, any potential Republican candidate.
In comparison, 46% of Americans say they definitely will not vote for President Obama — significantly lower but itself a hurdle to winning the 2012 election.But a detail you won’t hear too much about from the news media.
Though Trump initially got attention by expressing doubts whether Obama was born in the USA, that issue is not driving his support. Among those who say they definitely or might vote for Trump, only about a third question whether the president was born in the USA…
Still, in the USA TODAY poll, only 38% of Americans say Obama definitely was born in the USA, and 18% say he probably was. Fifteen percent say he probably was born in another country, and 9% say he definitely was born elsewhere.And don’t think that the media doesn’t love this. It fits right in with so many of their caricatures of Republicans.
Republicans are inclined to say the president was born abroad by 43%-35%.
For what it’s worth, not everyone is convinced Trump was born in the USA either: 43% say he definitely was born here, and 20% say he probably was; 7% say he definitely or probably was born in another country. Nearly three in 10 say they don’t know enough to say…Just in case you were wondering if this was a serious poll, or even if USA Today is a serious publication. This once again shows how polls are only done to make the news, not to report it. Their questions are manipulated and their respondents oversampled to produce whatever message the media wants to get out on any given day.
In fact, you should bear this ‘poll’ in mind every time you hear about any poll. They are simply another way for the media to promulgate their agenda. They have no other real significance.
By http://sweetness-light.com/
BREAKING: CIA Director Panetta To Be US Secretary of Defense, General Petraeus To Be CIA Director
General Petraeus and CIA Director Panetta. The Atlantic
CIA's Panetta To Head Pentagon, Petraeus To CIA -- Yahoo News/Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama plans to nominated CIA Director Leon Panetta as his new U.S. defense secretary and will replace him at the CIA with General David Petraeus, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
The announcements are expected later this week. Obama is also to nominate veteran diplomat Ryan Crocker as the next U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
Read more ....
Breaking News: Obama Posts Long-Form Birth Certificate; Trump Takes Credit; Videos
Hot off the press, via WhiteHouse.gov:
CNN reports that White House spokesman Jay Carney is supposed to talk about the birth certificate sometime today.
WND.com quotes Donald Trump in response:
RealClearPolitics has another video of the same press conference wherein Mr. Trump questions Mr. Obama’s scholastic credentials.
From CNN:
Very interesting stuff. The White House recently castigated evangelist Franklin Graham for even questioning Mr. Obama’s eligibility. And as has been reported here and other places, individuals such as Donald Trump and Dr. Jerome Corsi have respectively been performing their own investigations into Mr. Obama’s past.
And, apparently “just like that,” Mr. Obama allegedly releases his long-form birth certificate. This is after dozens of lawsuits over more than two years requesting for Mr. Obama to reveal this type of information.
If he had been able to produce it all this time, why didn’t he do so from the beginning?
-Phil
CNN reports that White House spokesman Jay Carney is supposed to talk about the birth certificate sometime today.
WND.com quotes Donald Trump in response:
“First we have to look at the certificate,” he said. “I want to look at it, but I hope it’s true, so we can get to more important national issues.”
“Why he didn’t do it when the Clintons asked for it. Why he didn’t do it when everyone else was asking about it, I don’t know,” he said.
“You’re going to have many people looking at it …. It’s amazing that all of a sudden it materializes. Experts will look at it … and I’m very proud that I was able to bring this to a point.”RealClearPolitics has a video of Mr. Trump’s press conference this morning.
RealClearPolitics has another video of the same press conference wherein Mr. Trump questions Mr. Obama’s scholastic credentials.
From CNN:
Very interesting stuff. The White House recently castigated evangelist Franklin Graham for even questioning Mr. Obama’s eligibility. And as has been reported here and other places, individuals such as Donald Trump and Dr. Jerome Corsi have respectively been performing their own investigations into Mr. Obama’s past.
And, apparently “just like that,” Mr. Obama allegedly releases his long-form birth certificate. This is after dozens of lawsuits over more than two years requesting for Mr. Obama to reveal this type of information.
If he had been able to produce it all this time, why didn’t he do so from the beginning?
-Phil
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Crashing Home Prices: The Obama ‘Stimulus’ has Failed
“The Obama ‘stimulus’ has failed to
achieve its always unrealistic and yet essential goal of propping up
home values closer to their bubble highs. Housing prices are still
deflating to more realistic levels. The irony is that we should have
just let prices hit the bottom without intervention in the first place,
and we would already be in recovery. Now, Obama and Bernanke have
prolonged the recession in housing by avoiding this necessary
correction. They wanted a soft landing and, well, they got one. Good
job.
“We have wasted more than $2 trillion on a
lie. The American people were sold the bailouts on the basis that
they were saving the value of their homes, and what they are learning
now is the only effect of propping up failed institutions was to reward
those who failed so remarkably. The proper course of action was
always to allow a market-based correction to run its course, even if
that meant allowing financial institutions that bet poorly on housing
to fail.
“Now we are in a double-dip recession in
housing, which Obama promised would be avoided if all his policies were
implemented, which they were. Obama got everything he wanted, and he
has failed. Unemployment remains high, home values continue to slowly
contract, and the so-called ‘recovery’ is nowhere to be found. America
needs new leadership, and less government ‘assistance’ that only makes
the problems it claims to address even worse.”
Is China Preparing to Dump its $1 Trillion of Treasuries?
By Bill
Wilson
China may be preparing to cut its foreign exchange reserves by about
two-thirds, down to about $1 trillion from its current $3.04 trillion
level, according
to Chinese news service Xinhua.
Why? China simply has too much money, according to Zhou Xiaochuan, the head of the People’s Bank of China. “Foreign-exchange reserves have exceeded the reasonable level that our country actually needs,” he recently said.
Zhou noted that China’s stockpiling cash is “feeding inflation and becoming difficult to manage”. To be certain, China is suffering from an inflation problem, already up over 5 percent, not to mention a tremendous real estate bubble that threatens its very financial system. It needs to figure out a way to restore price stability.
So, Zhou wants to diversify the country’s assets of foreign exchange holdings, an obvious target.
Get full story here.
Why? China simply has too much money, according to Zhou Xiaochuan, the head of the People’s Bank of China. “Foreign-exchange reserves have exceeded the reasonable level that our country actually needs,” he recently said.
Zhou noted that China’s stockpiling cash is “feeding inflation and becoming difficult to manage”. To be certain, China is suffering from an inflation problem, already up over 5 percent, not to mention a tremendous real estate bubble that threatens its very financial system. It needs to figure out a way to restore price stability.
So, Zhou wants to diversify the country’s assets of foreign exchange holdings, an obvious target.
Get full story here.
Gulf Coast Remains ‘The Aorta of the U.S.’ Despite BP Disaster But Obama Administration Needs to Go, Industry Leader Says
By Kevin Mooney
British Petroleum is anxious to start drilling at 10 existing development and production wells in the Gulf of Mexico before the end of the summer. However, officials with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, have told members of the press that no new permit has been issued and environmental organizations have expressed opposition.
Even before the explosion last year the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, BP had a checkered safety record that included accidents in Texas and Alaska. But, its public relations overtures to the now discredited concept of man-made global warming distracted from this long history of transgressions. It is worth recalling that many of the same green groups that now condemn the company provided it with political cover and legitimacy in the news media. This would include the Sierra Club, which has joined with a Justice Department lawsuit filed last December in the District of Court of New Orleans, that would impose fines under the Clean Water Act.
While the antipathy toward BP is understandable, residents and industry officials who depend upon the energy industry in the Gulf Coast are still living with the economic fallout from the spill. Don Briggs, president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA), commented on the Obama Administration's policy agenda during a luncheon in New Orleans.
Get full story here.
British Petroleum is anxious to start drilling at 10 existing development and production wells in the Gulf of Mexico before the end of the summer. However, officials with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, have told members of the press that no new permit has been issued and environmental organizations have expressed opposition.
Even before the explosion last year the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, BP had a checkered safety record that included accidents in Texas and Alaska. But, its public relations overtures to the now discredited concept of man-made global warming distracted from this long history of transgressions. It is worth recalling that many of the same green groups that now condemn the company provided it with political cover and legitimacy in the news media. This would include the Sierra Club, which has joined with a Justice Department lawsuit filed last December in the District of Court of New Orleans, that would impose fines under the Clean Water Act.
While the antipathy toward BP is understandable, residents and industry officials who depend upon the energy industry in the Gulf Coast are still living with the economic fallout from the spill. Don Briggs, president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA), commented on the Obama Administration's policy agenda during a luncheon in New Orleans.
Get full story here.
-Nicolas Cage may be investigated for child abuse.
Reportedly, Nicolas Cage caused injury to his 5 year old son on April 15 while in a drunken state. Sources say there may be an investigation for child abuse due to the injury.
Cage’s wife, Alice Kim, said on the police report that she and Cage were arguing “due to his intoxicated state”and Cage “fell while holding their son. The fall caused the 5 year old to suffer minor abrasions to his left knee.”
A man who witnessed the incident said he saw “Mr. Cage pull the male child to the ground by his hand.”
The report says that police wanted to interview Kal-El, but that Kim did not let them. According to the report, a child abuse detective was notified. The detective reportedly reported that no further investigation was necessary but that Child Protective Services may be contacted.
The Oscar winner reportedly got “very drunk” in New Orleans that night and a taxi driver witnessed the couple having words and saw Cage push his wife. The driver called the police. Kim denied the violence took place and did not press charges and said “her husband was not attempting to injure her, but instead he was attempting to get her to follow him.”
When the officers showed up, Cage taunted them into arresting him. He refused to go home quietly and said, “Why don’t you just arrest me?” The Oscar winner was cuffed and taken in. Bond of $11,000 was posted by Dog the Bounty Hunter.
Is The Threat Of A Nuclear Strike One Of The Reasons Why Osama Bin Laden Has Not Been Captured?
The Guantánamo Bay
files contain new claims about Osama bin Laden's escape from Tora Bora,
which is regarded as one of the early key lapses by foreign forces in
the Afghan war. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
Why Was Osama Bin Laden Not Captured? --
IBTimes
Wikileaks has unravelled some of the documents which reveal the truth behind inaction than action by the United States in Afghanistan in the last one decade.
It was long wished that the U.S. army would one day nail down the most wanted terrorist Osama bin-Laden and bring him to Guantanamo Bay detention center. But the latest string of leaks reveal that al Qaeda had warned to set off a “nuclear hellstorm” if Osama bin Laden is ever captured or killed.
Read more ....
Remember the mom who drove her car into the lake with her children? Even the funeral for the 3 kids turns into a big fight!
Hudson tragedy: Everyone loses as
family feud turns sad, solemn funeral into raucous shouting match
Jean Pierre (2nd from left), dad of kids who
died when their mom, Lashanda Armstrong, drove their car into the
Hudson, and Datrice Armstrong (3rd from left), Lashanda's mother, leave
the funeral home.
You would think that having to eulogize a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old and a baby who didn't make it to her first birthday is the most terrible thing in the world.
You would be wrong.
An even more terrible thing is allowing a family feud - however understandable - to turn a sad, solemn funeral into a raucous shouting match in which everyone loses.
That's what happened at the funeral of Landon, Lance and Lainaina Pierre, who died with their 25-year-old mother, Lashanda Armstrong, when she drove them all into the Hudson in a suicide plunge on April 12.
Fury erupted after the children's father, Jean Pierre, gave police a list of 80 people who should be allowed into the service at the Alphonso E. Brown Funeral Home in Spring Valley, Rockland County.
Only 18 of the invited mourners were members of Armstrong's family.
"Enough is enough!" shouted Gwendolen Green, 48, a nurse and Armstrong cousin whose son was blocked from entering.
"This side of the family matters, too! You know it's wrong!"
Green objected to the display of grief shown by Pierre, who had quarreled with Armstrong on the night of the tragedy over his philandering and an order of protection she'd gotten against him.
"He's carrying on so [much] in there, screaming and hollering. The guilt is filling him up," said Green, who wore photo-buttons of the children.
"Treat the mother right! Don't abuse! Pay child support! You're supposed to take care of people when they're alive!"
At the Gethsemene Cemetery in nearby Congers, relatives from both sides of the family wailed loudly in unison as the three tiny white coffins were lowered into the ground, fitting together into one burial plot.
They were supposed to be buried with their mother in another cemetery last Thursday, but Pierre, 26, stopped that plan at the last minute, decreeing they should not be buried with the woman who killed them.
Armstrong's 10-year-old son, Lashaun Armstrong, who escaped the vehicle by swimming into the frigid waters, attended his mother's funeral. He stayed home with an aunt yesterday, relatives said, to spare him more pain.
As gravediggers from the Nugent Bros. Co. finished their work, one paused to tenderly arrange three bouquets of white lilies and tiny blue forget-me-nots atop the grave, right next to the headstone of Cornelius Mahoney, who died at the age of 95.
Along with the sadness and anger one question loomed: How could a mother kill her own children?
How could she do it, no matter how much she wanted to punish their father for cheating on her?
Jean Pierre (2nd from left), dad of kids who
died when their mom, Lashanda Armstrong, drove their car into the
Hudson, and Datrice Armstrong (3rd from left), Lashanda's mother, leave
the funeral home. You would think that having to eulogize a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old and a baby who didn't make it to her first birthday is the most terrible thing in the world.
You would be wrong.
An even more terrible thing is allowing a family feud - however understandable - to turn a sad, solemn funeral into a raucous shouting match in which everyone loses.
That's what happened at the funeral of Landon, Lance and Lainaina Pierre, who died with their 25-year-old mother, Lashanda Armstrong, when she drove them all into the Hudson in a suicide plunge on April 12.
Fury erupted after the children's father, Jean Pierre, gave police a list of 80 people who should be allowed into the service at the Alphonso E. Brown Funeral Home in Spring Valley, Rockland County.
Only 18 of the invited mourners were members of Armstrong's family.
"Enough is enough!" shouted Gwendolen Green, 48, a nurse and Armstrong cousin whose son was blocked from entering.
"This side of the family matters, too! You know it's wrong!"
Green objected to the display of grief shown by Pierre, who had quarreled with Armstrong on the night of the tragedy over his philandering and an order of protection she'd gotten against him.
"He's carrying on so [much] in there, screaming and hollering. The guilt is filling him up," said Green, who wore photo-buttons of the children.
"Treat the mother right! Don't abuse! Pay child support! You're supposed to take care of people when they're alive!"
At the Gethsemene Cemetery in nearby Congers, relatives from both sides of the family wailed loudly in unison as the three tiny white coffins were lowered into the ground, fitting together into one burial plot.
They were supposed to be buried with their mother in another cemetery last Thursday, but Pierre, 26, stopped that plan at the last minute, decreeing they should not be buried with the woman who killed them.
Armstrong's 10-year-old son, Lashaun Armstrong, who escaped the vehicle by swimming into the frigid waters, attended his mother's funeral. He stayed home with an aunt yesterday, relatives said, to spare him more pain.
As gravediggers from the Nugent Bros. Co. finished their work, one paused to tenderly arrange three bouquets of white lilies and tiny blue forget-me-nots atop the grave, right next to the headstone of Cornelius Mahoney, who died at the age of 95.
Along with the sadness and anger one question loomed: How could a mother kill her own children?
How could she do it, no matter how much she wanted to punish their father for cheating on her?
President 2012: Haley Barbour is OUT – Is Mitch Daniels IN?
Governor Haley and Marsha Barbour – Governor Mitch and Cheri Daniels
Republican Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has
withdrawn from an exploratory campaign for the Presidency. His
statement is here.
Daniels has kept his decision close to the vest and will not announce one way or another until the Indiana Legislative session is over. The session ends this Friday. And, as Daniels has said, “It’s time to cut bait.”
So, is this a convenient withdrawal?
Stay tuned…..
Posted by: Flap
“I will not be a candidate for president next year. This has been a difficult, personal decision, and I am very grateful to my family for their total support of my going forward, had that been what I decided.
“Hundreds of people have encouraged me to run and offered both to give and raise money for a presidential campaign. Many volunteers have organized events in support of my pursuing the race. Some have dedicated virtually full time to setting up preliminary organizations in critical, early states and to helping plan what has been several months of intensive activity.
“I greatly appreciate each and every one of them and all their outstanding efforts. If I have disappointed any of them in this decision, I sincerely regret it.
“A candidate for president today is embracing a ten-year commitment to an all-consuming effort, to the virtual exclusion of all else. His (or her) supporters expect and deserve no less than absolute fire in the belly from their candidate. I cannot offer that with certainty, and total certainty is required.
“This decision means I will continue my job as Governor of Mississippi, my role in the Republican Governors Association and my efforts to elect a new Republican president in 2012, as the stakes for the nation require that effort to be successful.”Haley Barbour has not been polling particularly well and as a Republican operative of the highest order can read the handwriting on the wall. But, now does this open the path for Barbour’s good personal friend Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels to run?
Daniels has kept his decision close to the vest and will not announce one way or another until the Indiana Legislative session is over. The session ends this Friday. And, as Daniels has said, “It’s time to cut bait.”
So, is this a convenient withdrawal?
Stay tuned…..
Posted by: Flap
Gay McGreevey Denied Priesthood For Being "Jackass"
Former Governor, Gay American, and New Jersey Corruptacrat has beeen denied the priesthood by the Episcopalians because, and I quote, he is a "jackass."
Do I hear an amen?
I mean how lame do you have to be turned down by the organization headed by the lady in the clown outfit? I mean even people who were turned down for entrance into clown college look down on McGreevey.
How lame? This lame.
Maybe Jefferts Schori didn't think he was man enough. Who are we to argue?
Do I hear an amen?
No longer governor of New Jersey, Jim McGreevey, 53, thought he could become a priest. However, he can’t — at least not yet. The Episcopal Church has denied McGreevey his bid to join the priesthood.Being denied priesthood in the Episcopalian Church is humiliating. I mean, this lady is in charge of the Episcopalian Church.
McGreevey drew national attention in August 2004 when he abruptly announced his plans to resign in November 2004. He told the world “I am a gay American” as he stood on stage with his ex-wife Dina. After that, their sensational divorce proceedings played out publicly.
...
Another source said that McGreevey was rejected not for being gay, but for being a “jackass” in his divorce proceedings, which damaged his reputation. They feared that McGreevey was possibly using the clergy as a tool to rebuild his tarnished image rather than focus on God. Both McGreevey and Newark Diocese’s Bishop Mark Beck declined to comment.
I mean how lame do you have to be turned down by the organization headed by the lady in the clown outfit? I mean even people who were turned down for entrance into clown college look down on McGreevey.How lame? This lame.
Maybe Jefferts Schori didn't think he was man enough. Who are we to argue?"Christian" President Fails to Recognize Easter; [Update: God Apparently Not Happy About This]
I don't believe Barrack Obama is a Muslim. I also don't believe he's a Christian:
Barrack Obama has faith in one thing: the overwhelming awesomeness of Barrack Obama.
Thanks to Kenny.
UPDATE: Apparently either JHVH or Zeus is pretty pissed about this.
Source: Easter storm lightning hits White House
UPDATE: Double post alert! Oops. Ah, oh well. Worse things have happened around here. Pssst, Stable Hand .... FIRED!
By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D.
President Obama failed to release a statement or a proclamation recognizing the national observance of Easter Sunday, Christianity's most sacred holiday.
By comparison, the White House has released statements recognizing the observance of major Muslim holidays and released statements in 2010 on Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hajj, and Eid-ul-Adha.
The White House also failed to release a statement marking Good Friday. However, they did release an eight-paragraph statement heralding Earth Day. Likewise, the president's weekend address mentioned neither Good Friday or Easter.Now, he did "celebrate" Easter by taking the family to a church, but I don't think church going every once in awhile qualifies one as a Christian. Especially when church attendance is done for purely political reasons.
Barrack Obama has faith in one thing: the overwhelming awesomeness of Barrack Obama.
Thanks to Kenny.
UPDATE: Apparently either JHVH or Zeus is pretty pissed about this.
Source: Easter storm lightning hits White House
UPDATE: Double post alert! Oops. Ah, oh well. Worse things have happened around here. Pssst, Stable Hand .... FIRED!
By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D.
Another Depressing Fact
Image credit: click here for full size
Writing this almost two years ago:
The sad thing about conspiracy theories is that once they get started, they never really die. The 9/11 "Truthers" are a case in point. The evidence that they were wrong has been presented so many times, in so many ways, that you'd have to be deliberately ignoring it not to see it. No doubt, there are still people who believe that the Clintons had Vince Foster killed.And yet, as Taylor Marsh notes, we now have at least one "serious" Presidential candidate who says he thinks that Barack Obama isn't a natural-born American citizen. This is beyond absurd.
Now, we have a new conspiracy theory for a new age. The adherents of this theory believe that Barack Obama isn't a natural born U.S. citizen, and therefore not qualified to be President.
Another Wacko Conspiracy Theory Is Born
Let me quote from the individual whose job it was to check the validity of birth records in Hawaii, back in 2008:
There have been numerous requests for Sen. Barack Hussein Obama’s official birth certificate. State law (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes §338-18) prohibits the release of a certified birth certificate to persons who do not have a tangible interest in the vital record.For convenience's sake, I added the link to the law the document refers to.
Therefore, I as Director of Health for the State of Hawai‘i, along with the Registrar of Vital Statistics who has statutory authority to oversee and maintain these type of vital records, have personally seen and verified that the Hawai‘i State Department of Health has Sen. Obama’s original birth certificate on record in accordance with state policies and procedures.
Statement By Dr. Chiyome Fukino
As the non-partisan organization Fact Check pointed out back in 2008:
We beg to differ. FactCheck.org staffers have now seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate. We conclude that it meets all of the requirements from the State Department for proving U.S. citizenship. Claims that the document lacks a raised seal or a signature are false. We have posted high-resolution photographs of the document as "supporting documents" to this article. Our conclusion: Obama was born in the U.S.A. just as he has always said.That link has photos taken by Fact Check's reporters of the original birth certificate.
Born In The U.S.A.
Politifact also looked into the allegations. Here is their conclusion, also from 2008:
At PolitiFact.com, we're all about original sources. We don't take anyone at their word or take the reporting of other media organizations as proof. We go to the heart of the story, the source of the truth — original, corroborating documents.The pathetic excuse that Obama didn't publish the long form of his birth certificate is some of the most feeble grasping for straws that I've witnessed in American political discourse. No one who isn't convinced by the evidence produced so far is going to be convinced if that form ever makes it into the public record. As Fact Check notes:
When the official documents were questioned, we went looking for more answers. We circled back to the Department of Health, had a newsroom colleague bring in her own Hawaii birth certificate to see if it looks the same (it's identical). But every answer triggered more questions.
And soon enough, after going to every length possible to confirm the birth certificate's authenticity, you start asking, what is reasonable here?
Because if this document is forged, then they all are.
Obama's birth certificate: Final chapter
The certificate has all the elements the State Department requires for proving citizenship to obtain a U.S. passport: "your full name, the full name of your parent(s), date and place of birth, sex, date the birth record was filed, and the seal or other certification of the official custodian of such records." The names, date and place of birth, and filing date are all evident on the scanned version, and you can see the seal above.In sum, the short form indicates that someone in officialdom has checked the long form, and it's as legitimate as any form can be in a U.S. government bureaucracy.
Born In The U.S.A.
As National Public Radio points out, there was plenty of corroborating evidence for his birth in the local newspapers:
FactCheck.org and Politifact and a number of independent fact checking groups have also pointed out that there are two contemporaneous birth announcements in newspapers, The Honolulu Advertiser and The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, announcing the birth of Barack Obama on August 4th, 1961.Which, as far as anyone who is in the least bit sane is concerned, is enough. I'm as skeptical as the next guy, but there comes a point where skepticism becomes obstinacy, and that's where these people are now. Note how often the words "in 2008" and "in 2009" come up just in this short article. This matter was settled long ago.
What Impact Do 'Birthers' Have On GOP's 2012 Field?
I wish Barack Obama weren't the President. The man is worse than useless. If you want a list of reasons, check this list, or just check the Barack Obama keyword here, and have at it. But the man was born in the United States, and he was elected President by a wide margin. That makes him at least as qualified for the office as his predecessor, whose legitimacy seems to be beyond question to nearly all of the people who don't want to believe Obama belongs in the White House.
It's absolutely depressing to realize that I will probably have reason to write about this subject two years from now, because people refuse to listen no matter how obvious it is that I'm telling the truth. The same fools will believe the same nonsense two years from now, just as people keep believing that George W. Bush knocked down the World Trade Center, and that progressives will get what they want some day by supporting Democrats hard enough.
The human ability to ignore basic facts would be absolutely awe-inspiring if it weren't so damn depressing.
Monday, April 25, 2011
High Oil Because of the Weak Dollar; Obama Administration, Fed to Blame
April 25, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement blaming the Obama Administration and the Federal Reserve for weakening the dollar and increasing oil and other commodity prices:
“The Obama Administration once again wants to blame so-called ‘speculators’ for the commodities inflation caused by its own weak dollar policies. Oil is soaring because of the weak dollar — it’s the only explanation that makes any sense. There is no oil supply problem, and demand is only slightly increased from a year ago.
“Yet, prices are soaring. U.S. crude alone has more than tripled from a low of about $35 a barrel in 2009 to over $110 a barrel today, and today gasoline prices are soaring quickly to $4 a gallon, and soon $5. The reason is the weak dollar.
“Since the last commodities bubble in 2008, the Federal Reserve has increased its balance sheet by $1.78 trillion to $2.73 trillion, a whopping 188 percent increase. Prices for food, gold, oil, and other commodities have all behaved accordingly. Price increases in a broad range of commodities indicate a clear inflationary problem, caused by the expansive monetary policies of the Federal Reserve.
“If there should be any investigation, it should be into the Obama Administration’s weak dollar policies that are destroying the purchasing power of average American families, who now have to pay even more for staples like food and energy.”
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