NYT's Takes Baby Steps Towards Understanding Communism

BEIJING — The mother of China’s prime minister was a schoolteacher in northern China. His father was ordered to tend pigs in one of Mao’s political campaigns. And during childhood, “my family was extremely poor,” the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, said in a speech last year.

But now 90, the prime minister’s mother, Yang Zhiyun, not only left poverty behind, she became outright rich, at least on paper, according to corporate and regulatory records. Just one investment in her name, in a large Chinese financial services company, had a value of $120 million five years ago, the records show.
 

Heh...the New York Times seems surprised that a Communist leader is taking advantage of his position and enriching those around him at a cost to the country's constituents. 

Pssst....NYT's...that's what they do. 

Something's Brewing in Iran

I think this is a big deal.  It hasn't gotten much international play, but it's big inside Iran.  The guy that produces all of  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's propoganda is rotting inside a cell for being critical of the Ayatollah.  Ahmadinejad (aka: Leisure Suit Larry, aka: Ima Nutjob) wanted to go visit, but was denied.

When a president's chief media guru is locked behind bars - and the president is barred from visiting him - something must be afoot. Ali Akbar Javanfekr is Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's top media strategist and the head of the IRNA, a news agency loyal to him. He was jailed recently after criticising the policies of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Last week, Ahmadinejad tried to visit Javanfekr in prison but was stopped in his tracks by the courts. It may not have got much coverage outside Iran - but it was big news there because his imprisonment and the legal case against him speaks volumes about the power struggle taking place behind the scenes in Iranian politics.
 

You have to ask yourself two questions: 

1.  Why would President Ahmadinejad want to visit a jailed blasphemer?

2.  Why would the Iranian Courts (controlled by the Ayatollah) prevent that?

If The Media Bias was Reversed

It's the Henkle Factor.  Apparently, in an effort to rip on the O'Reilly Factor the creators of this video inadvertantly gave a brief demonstration of how the public would be served if the media leaned way to the right instead of the left. 

I know it is a take on Bill O'Reilly.  But, as usual, they got things wrong, since Bill O'Reilly isn't Conservative.  He's a wish-washy moderate whose ideology has more to do with television ratings than personal principle.

Regardless, sometimes it's nice to sit back and dream of a media that is leaning to the right.  After all, this is what liberals get when they turn on their television, every single day.

About those Op/Ed's without an Author

I've reached the point where every time I see an Opinion Editorial where no author is identified, I immediately jump to the conclusion that an entity who holds the same agenda as that media outlet's leanings (predominately Left) wrote the talking points, and leave it to the newspaper to fit it into an article.  Sometimes, I think the entity seeking baptism writes the whole thing in total.

That's what I see when I read the nonsense USA Today tried to feed us today in reference to President Obama's Second Term Agenda.   Read this paragraph, and if you're honest, you will see no less than three (3) out and out lies with absolutely no contradiction of truth by the "Editorial Board" since they are allegedly writing the Op/Ed.

The document is slick, well-presented — and largely besides the point. Obama has always had an agenda, one that Democrats cheer and Republicans fear. It starts with trying to boost the economy while striking a deal to rein in future deficits, in part by raising taxes on the wealthy. It involves preserving his signature accomplishment, ObamaCare, through its full launch in 2014. And it also includes bringing troops home from Afghanistan, preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, enacting immigration reform, and trying to rekindle interest in combating climate change.
 

Not once in this praising article of Obama's Second Term Agenda did the "Editorial Board" ask the most important of questions.

WHY DOES A SITTING PRESIDENT HAVE TO ISSUE A SECOND TERM AGENDA?

The answer is quite simple.  It is thus:

BECAUSE THE NITWIT SCREWED THE POOCH IN THE FIRST TERM.

Secretary of State Rice Follows Romney's Lead

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is refusing to join the criticism of the Obama administration for its response to the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans last month, saying Americans should reserve judgment until official investigations have time to piece together the truth.

Rice, who has been campaigning for former Gov. Mitt Romney, echoed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s comment that the “fog of war” made it hard to grasp what happened when dozens of armed militants stormed the U.S. diplomatic mission and a nearby annex in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11.

“We don’t have all the pieces and I think it’s easy to try and jump to conclusions about what might have happened here,” she told Fox’s Greta Van Susteren in an interview Wednesday. “It’s probably better to let the relevant bodies do their work.”
 

You can almost hear the line of thinking of the mainstream media these days.  "Please say something stupid...please say something stupid...please say something stupid."  But, it's become patently obvious that the Mitt Romney campaign is pulling in all the sharp elbows and staying classy.  The very fact that Romney and his surrogates (Condoleezza Rice a surprising, yet, welcome one) have not attempted to gain traction with the failures of the current Administration in Benghazi reflects well because President Obama's campaign has become all about sharp elbows and flagrant jabs.

But, that's not all.  Romney has decided to take the high road for the remaining two weeks and this highlights his Presidential facade with each attempted "assault" by his competitor.  Additionally, we have Secretary of State Rice, who comes across as a thoughtful campaigner most interested in the future of the United States, and not a sycophantic believer in Romney's destiny.    Compare that with the absolute partisan vitriol that flowed and flows from past Democrat Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

I think if you got Secretary Rice alone and off the record, she would probably tell you just how much of a failure Benghazi was in terms of ineptitude.  But, she's not going to do that in public without all the facts in front of her.  One...she's way to classy for that.  And, two, that's exactly what the liberal media wants her to do, so they can attempt to create a non-story using their own false narratives, and innovative evaluations of Benghazi as source materials. 

The panic on the Left is just starting to ramp up.  Strap in...

Wasteful and Wanting (Obama Votes)

CHICAGO - President Barack Obama has cast his ballot early, returning to his hometown of Chicago to drum up support for early voting.

The president says, "all across the country we're seeing a lot of early voting." He says it was "really convenient" but jokes, "I can't tell you who I voted for."
 

 The President flew to Chicago in Air Force One.  He had his usual bevy of security before, during, and after.  Of course, there was ground transportation sent prior to his arrival along with all the manpower necessary to pull that off.  Citizens of Chicago dealt with the traffic headaches that accompany every visit from the President.  Fuel costs, security costs, inconveniences, blocked off street grids and on and on and on...

 Or he could have filled out an Absentee Ballot at the whopping high cost of 44 cents for First Class Mail.  This is a microcosm of President Obama's Administration.

Bank of America Give and Take

I'm going to steal an ongoing theme from Small Dead Animals.

jux·ta·po·si·tion: 

\ˌjək-stə-pə-ˈzi-shən\

the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side; also: the state of being so placed

 

This is the time at Delitescent Truths when we juxtapose.  Ready?

The Obama campaign, while leading in most September polls, took out a $15 million loan from Bank of America that is due to be repaid on Nov. 14, or eight days after the 2012 elections, according to a report in The Blaze published Saturday.
 

Eh...$15 Million greenbacks loaned to Obama by Bank of America to win an election.

The US has filed a fraud case against Bank of America Corp, accusing it of causing taxpayers more than $1bn of losses by selling thousands of toxic mortgage loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Wednesday's case, originally brought by a whistleblower, is the justice department's first civil fraud case over mortgage loans sold to the big mortgage financiers, which were bailed out in 2008.

It also compounds the legal problems that Bank of America Chief Executive Brian Moynihan faces over the second-largest US bank's disastrous 2008 purchase of Countrywide Financial Corp, once the nation's largest mortgage lender.

 

 

Obama Picks Another Loser...(foreign policy)

Hey...let's spread Democracy to Burma (Myanmar) and see how that works out:

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday eased sanctions against Myanmar to allow U.S. companies to invest there, calling it a "strong signal" of support for political reform taking root in the southeast Asian country. (July 2012)
 

Nice...things are going along swimingly.  This foreign policy schtick is easy.

A new wave of sectarian unrest in western Myanmar has left at least 20 dead, officials say, sparking an exodus of "thousands" of people and prompting the UN to express its grave concern.

Hundreds of homes were burnt on Thursday in the fresh outburst of unrest in Rakhine state, which was convulsed by Buddhist-Muslim clashes in June that tore apart communities and left tens of thousands of mainly Muslim Rohingya languishing in basic camps.

More than 100 people have now been killed in the state, according to the authorities, which have imposed emergency rule in the face of continued explosive tension in the region.

Rakhine state spokesman Myo Thant told the AFP news agency that the latest violence had left "at least 20 people" dead so far, from both the ethnic Rakhine Buddhist and Muslim communities, clashes since October 21.
 

Oh well...HEY LOOK, SQUIRREL!!!!!

This is getting silly (PA Voter ID)

HARRISBURG - Lawyers led by the American Civil Liberties Union asked a state judge Wednesday to speed up a case asking him to order Gov. Corbett's administration to do a better job ensuring that voters know they do not have to show photo identification on Election Day.

Commonwealth Court Judge Robert E. Simpson Jr. on Wednesday gave the Corbett administration seven days to respond to the ACLU's request, but Simpson had already let five days go by before asking the government to respond.

Witold J. Walczak, the ACLU's legal director in Pennsylvania, said the schedule Simpson laid out was "effectively a denial of the petition" because it would not allow his side enough time before the Nov. 6 election to appeal to the state Supreme Court.

"The writing's on the wall," Walczak said
 

This is insane.  The ACLU and various advocates challenged the Voter ID law in Pennsylvania.  As a result, proper indentification will not be required in Pennsylvania this general election.  But, that's not good enough for the ACLU. 

They filed another law suit requiring the State to, more aggressively, inform the public that identification would not be necessary to vote.  Why?  What reason could possibly be motivating the ACLU to push the State into vigorously informing the public that identification isn't necessary to vote?   If you show up this election, you can vote (provided you're registered).  Who is being disenfranchised?  No one. 

But, if you are an illegal immigrant, who cannot acquire legal identification, and might not keep up with the daily and nightly news casts (that occur in English).  You might not know.  Those folks and Helen Keller are probably still unclear.

Millenium Bomber Back For another Sentencing

You know how the current US Justice Department wants to try terrorists under the "rule of law?"  They are against that Military Tribunal thing, because for some reason, they believe that terrorists should enjoy protected rights under the US Constitution whether they are a citizen of the United States or not. 

Well, get in your wayback machine and travel back to 1999.

On two previous occasions, in 2005 and 2008, Coughenour has imposed 22-year sentences against Ressam for attempting to bring powerful bomb-making materials into the U.S. from Canada on Dec. 14, 1999, with plans to build and detonate a powerful bomb at Los Angeles International Airport during the millennium celebration. Ressam had trained in al-Qaida-sponsored training camps in Afghanistan and was part of a larger terrorist cell based in Montreal with ties to Islamic terrorists in France and Bosnia.
 

The US Justice Department touted this as a premier case showing that trying the crimes under the US Court system was the right thing to do.  Well, it didn't work out too well.  The reason there is a third Sentencing Hearing is reflective of just why you don't want to involve the US Courts in dealing with enemy combatants.

 Federal prosecutors have appealed both times, arguing variously that Ressam had stopped cooperating and had sabotaged the cases they had built with his help. According to prosecutors and federal agents, Ressam has again embraced his radical beliefs.

So, if Captain Terrorism gets released in the 22 short years he was originally sentenced, he'll only be 51 years old.  And, he'll still be a radical jihadist.  The Federal prosecutors are trying to save face by extending the sentence.  And, what is Captain Terrorist doing in the meantime?  Why he's issuing letters on record in the Court denouncing the US Government.

For his part, Ressam just wants the proceedings over. He will represent himself in court again — Hillier is acting as his standby lawyer — and in a letter addressed to Coughenour dated Oct. 16, he again renounced his cooperation with the U.S. — an irony since his initial decision to cooperate came after he told investigators he was impressed by the fairness of his 2001 trial.

In a letter translated from Arabic and filed with the court last week, Ressam again apologized for his "action," but pointed out that nobody died and that he is "against killing innocent people of any gender, color or religion."

"Look truthfully at yourselves you will see how many innocent people you have killed under the guise of various slogans," he wrote.
 

If we could all just be a bit more understanding...right?

About Those Gasoline Prices...

Although gas prices remain high, signs point to an extended downward slide.

"AAA expects that the national average is likely to be between $3.40-3.50 when American's head to the polls in just over two weeks and to be between $3.25-3.40 by Thanksgiving," according to the motorists group's Fuel Gauge Report.

As of Monday, the national price of a gallon of regular was $3.67, a dozen cents below the week before - the biggest weekly drop since 2008's economic woes dragged prices down from an all-time high of $4.11 in July to under $2 by year's end, according to the report.
 

Laughable.   Let me help.  Every autumn...gas prices decline.  It's called supply-side economics.  Currently (Autumn) the demand for gasoline goes down.  As consumption goes down, there is a bigger supply available to the market.  Therefore, the gasoline takes on a lesser value.  That is reflected in the price at the pump.  This happens every single year.

Now...in addition to this constant, there is the fact that 23 Million less people are driving to work everyday.  Less seasonal gifts will be purchased, because there is less throw-away income out there to purchase seasonal/holiday items.  Less people will be driving to the store to purchase said gifts.  Less commercial transportation will be required to keep stocks full.  Oil futures reflect this as well.

Short story:  Gasoline prices dip a little every autumn and early winter.  Then, guess what happens.

That Mark Levin is a Good Egg

Allow me the liberty to preface these comments by the personal belief that President Obama will be a single term president. 

I've wondered about the lame duck period between November 6th and January 20th.  Our president has shown a disturbing history of puerile behavior when things don't go his way.  Call it a tantrum or inimical comportment if you like.  Vindictiveness seems to be his natural reaction to those who get the better of him.  Considering this type of personality trait, it is not much of an exaggeration to suggest that the period between Election Day and Inauguration Day will be especially dangerous.

Traditionally, the Congress usually holds significant legislation in abeyance when the House and Senate are ruled over by separate parties and a new president is to take office.  However, that will not stop President Obama from imposing his will on those he will feel let him down.  In that period of less than three months, it is likely that myriad executive orders will be issued to circumvent Congress.  Non-elective agencies will lay down an alluvium of regulations and requirements that cannot help but damage our economy further. 

That's where Mark Levin, and Landmark Legal Foundation come in.

Landmark Legal has been aware that one of the most egregious offenders of these damaging regulations and requirements (The Environmental Protection Agency-EPA)  has been holding quite a bit of their proposed rule making in reserve until after the election.  Requests for details on these proposed regulations have fallen on deaf ears, and the attempt to expedite the acquisition of this information through the FOIA has been stalled purposefully and willingly by the EPA.  So, Mark Levin and the Landmark Legal Foundation has filed a law suit to secure this information.

I don't expect that they will be successful in acquiring this information before November 6, 2012.  But, you never know.  At the very least, it may provide the least bit of preparatory time in advance of what I suspect will be outgoing President Obama's own scorched Earth policy following his loss.

It comforts me to know that there are those such as Mark Levin and the fine men and women at the Foundation who were smart enough to look this far ahead.  President Obama will not go quietly.  He will be Scipio Aemilianus salting the fields of Carthage.  Bank on it.

Political Correctness: One Step Beyond...

The University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill has removed the word “freshman” from official university documents, citing as their reason an attempt to adopt more “gender inclusive language.”

We are “committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community,” reads a statement administrators sent to Campus Reform on Monday.

“Consistent with that commitment, gender inclusive terms (chair; first year student; upper-level student, etc.) should be used on University Documents, websites and policies,” it continues.

A spokesperson for UNC declined to further elaborate on the university’s reasoning for implementing the language change.
 

I saw this on Drudge, and it made me laugh.  This is one of those self-esteem deals...wrapped up in a politically correct mentality that does everything it can not to offend.  Here's the problem.  Political correct nonsense has no finish line.  There is always one more step to be taken to achieve Utopia.

In the words of the great Bruce Lee:

 "I believe in having a few pupils at one time as it requires a constant alert observation of each individual in order to establish a direct relationship. A good teacher can never be fixed in a routine... each moment requires a sensitive mind that is constantly changing and constantly adapting."
 

You see, the teacher must become the student to truly understand the best way to approach the task.  Therefore, a "first year student" is, in addition, a teacher as well.  Therefore, I propose that the University of North Carolina now refer to their first year students as "first year students and teachers."  Otherwise, you are just belittling their contributions to the institution of higher learning.

Cads....

Snatching Defeat from Victory in the Space Race

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AP) — A Russian spacecraft blasted off into a clear Central Asian sky Tuesday, carrying a three-man crew on their way to the International Space Station.

The Soyuz TMA-06M lifted off from the rolling steppes of Kazakhstan as scheduled Tuesday afternoon to deliver NASA astronaut Kevin Ford and Russians Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin to the orbiting station.

After a two-day journey, they will join U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams, Russia's Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide of Japan's JAXA agency.

Of the three, only Ford has been on a space flight before. He spent two weeks in space as pilot of the space shuttle Discovery in 2009 on a mission to transport scientific equipment to the station.

Wonderful...wonderful.  But, did you know that the Russians are charging us to send an American along for the ride?  Guess how much...go ahead....guess.

Dependable, yes. And a monopoly -- which lets the Russians charge NASA $60 million a ride, contributing roughly 10 percent of the entire space budget.

Of course, $60 million buys more than just a round trip on the Soyuz. American astronauts also get an extensive training program, which includes a dip in what may be the world's most specialized swimming pool.

But there are undercurrents of resentment at NASA that America's space program is now hostage to Russian technology. It's an issue that Palmer brought up with Oleg Kotov, deputy chief at the Gagarin Training Centre.
 

That's right.  Since we gutted our space program, we are dependent upon Russia for a ride.  They decided that $60 Million per trip sounded about right, and now the US taxpayer is shelling out for 10% of the Russian space program.  At least we still have our overgrown Tonka Toys on Mars.  Enjoy your day.

Hajj Podge

Saudi authorities stepped up preparations for the five-day annual Haj pilgrimage — which begins tomorrow — by mobilizing human and material resources.

More than three million pilgrims, including two million from abroad, are expected to take part in the spiritual event.

Groups of pilgrims have started the move from Madinah and other parts of the Kingdom to Makkah and Mina, chanting Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (O God, here I am answering your call).

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who is supervising Haj operation from Jeddah, instructed all related government departments to provide the necessary services to the guests of God.
 

In case you were curious, I'm not going this year.  There are a couple reasons for that choice.  First, I'm not a Muslim.  Second, fitting 2 Million people into a 2 sq. kilometer space is insane.  And finally, I rather stick needles in my eyes. 

Oh, I'll miss the ceremonial stoning of the devil.  But, there's alway the chance I'll find a rape victim in my own neck of the woods at whom I can throw rocks. 

Incidentally, non-Muslims are not allowed to approach the "Holy" cities of Mecca and Madinah.  It's in the Qur’an.

"Oh you who believe! Truly the idolaters are unclean; so let them not, after this year, approach the Sacred Mosque...."
 

I'm less heartbroken than you might think over this restriction.  It's like Tony Soprano telling me I can't enter Perth Amboy, NJ. 

(Note:  This is me exercising my 1st Amendment Rights.  I'm belittling the religion of Islam...just as you are free to belittle my own religion...which has to do with a mood ring I picked up at a farmer's market south of Denver, CO)

Who Ties Their Shoelaces for Them?

A JUDGE RULED earlier this month that a state-approved voter ID was not needed to cast a ballot in the presidential race Nov. 6, but voter-rights advocates say state billboards about the law are confusing people.

Like the 10 ads placed in predominantly Hispanic communities with a photo of a woman holding up her driver's license. "Esta jornada electoral si la tienes muestrala," it reads in Spanish, which means: "This Election Day, if you have it, show it."

"It's causing confusion with voters and now a lot of anger in the Hispanic community," Juan Ramos, a former Philadelphia City Council member and head of the Delaware Valley Voter Registration Education Project, said at a news conference in City Hall on Monday. He said the billboards went up last week. "The state should emphasize that you don't need it to vote."
 

For those of you playing along at home, Pennsylvania passed a Voter ID Law, but it was temporarily shot down this election cycle under the guise that more time was needed to inform the public.  The advocates against Voter ID will take a different tact, and attempt to shut it down permanently between now and the election after this current one.  That's beside the point.

The State of Pennsylvania has been running radio spots, putting up billboards, and noting the law on visual media since the lower court Judge made his ruling. 

Part of this ad campaign came to the Hispanic community in downtown Philadelphia with the billboards noted in the article.  They were written in Spanish.  And yet, the advocates of canning Voter ID think the billboards are vague, despite every other nationality and resident of Pennsylvania not having a problem with the State's new motto, "This Election Day, if you have it, show it."

Apparently, the advocates against Voter ID think that the Hispanic community amounts to a bunch of retarded shut-ins.  Were I part of that community, I would be insulted, perhaps even angry that they thought so little of my intelligence.  Of course, the whole basis of holding back Voter ID is to allow illegal immigrants to vote. So, in my opinion, the whole State should be angry.   Many people are.

The real objection by these advocates is that without emphasizing that ID is not necessary, there will be a significant number of Hispanics who won't bother to vote because they have, indeed, been shut-ins and make no effort to learn English or assimilate into the American way of life.  This fosters ignorance of current events and a lack of understanding of the Voter ID laws.  Too freaking bad.

I Notice a Difference

 

Joe Biden campaigns in Canton, OH

 

 

Paul Ryan campaigns in Canton, OH

Why, exactly, do media outlets go for the close in view on Biden's campaign events, and the opposite on Ryan's?

 



This is a Pesimist's View of the General Election

Hey look...an editorial from the USA Today Editorial Board.  They've got some wisdom for us all to absorb in reference to Congressional representatives.

For that reason, it's important that voters seek out lawmakers who see politics as the art of the possible, not as an exercise in partisan trench warfare. Lawmakers who know how to compromise, rather than hold out for some unlikely distant day when their side will have complete control.

This need not mean that voters should choose only moderates.

It is more than possible for liberal and conservative members to work together on some areas while disagreeing on others. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah conservative, and the late senator Edward Kennedy, the quintessential Massachusetts liberal, were famous for it.
 

The short form of this wisdom is...compromise your principals.  Of course, the Liberal editorial board of USA Today has consistently showed that they are only interested in compromise if they are in the weaker position.  And, if that doesn't work, there is always legislation via the Bench. 

Hogwash!!!  Damn the torpedoes...full speed ahead.

Teaching Monkeys to Juggle (aka The Associated Press Wisdom)

The Associated Press thinks we should be looking for five (5) things at this last debate on foreign policy.  I think the Associated Press is delusional.

1.  THE TIEBREAKER: Romney ran away with the first. Obama edged him in the second. Stakes are high for their third and final showdown. Does that mean a repeat of last week's ornery tone? Or will the gravity of the issues , war, terrorism, world leadership , inspire more dignified discourse?
 

First of all, President Obama didn't win the second debate.  The polls have shown a continuous gain by Romney following the second debate.  They wonder whether the discourse will be more...dignified.  Gosh, I hope not.  Obama's foreign policy has been a disaster in just about every Middle East country.  His flagrant attempt to dismantle our nuclear superiority by waging an effort to reduce our armaments by 80% unilaterally showed the mentality of a unicorn believing lightweight of such naivete that it would be hard to find an aging hippy with such fervor.  He refused to stand behind the people of Iran when they challenged their government's theocratic tyranny.  And the list goes on and on. 

If Romney can't and doesn't find "red meat" to chew on during this debate, it would be a shame.

2.   REMATCH ON LIBYA: It sparked one of the hottest exchanges of the second debate. And there's more to it than when Obama called the consulate attack an "act of terror." Expect to hear about failed security, intelligence lapses and the Obama administration's shifting account of what happened in Libya. After Obama's parry last week, Romney gets another try.
 

Exactly.  The Associated Press gets this one correct.  However, they left off the part where Candy Crowley played second chair in Obama's effort to mislead (pun intended) us all.  The real question on Libya is whether Bob Schieffer will be as accommodating and play an active part in Obama's defense.  I don't think he's spry enough to do so.

3.   ROMNEY'S TEST: The former governor and businessman has limited foreign experience. He took hits for comments that ruffled British and Palestinian leaders last summer, and for hastening to criticize the administration's response even as chaotic events were unfolding in Libya and Egypt. This debate is the prime moment for Romney to display the knowledge and judgment to lead on the world stage.
 

This is typical Associated Press agenda driven bias.  Romney ruffled feathers at the Summer Olympics, but his criticism was on the money.  It came from experience, having run an Olympic game personally.  The press (AP well included) was quick to jump on him in an effort to damage his campaign, not for the substance of his comments, but under the guise of "good manners."  As we saw ourselves, throughout the next week, his comments were accurate.  Venues were virtually empty at some of the premier events.  The largest hired security company of the Games, didn't have enough personnel  to cover all contingencies. 

Concerning Palestinian leaders...who the hell cares if they were offended.  Romney did something Obama should be doing (taking a position).  Romney was very clear that he found Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel.  If you ask a State Department representative or a current White House representative whether that is the case, they will give you a political answer (which is no answer at all).  They are vague, non-committal and highly aloof. 

Finally, Romney's comments on Libya were criticized simply because Obama, and his campaign staff wanted them criticized.  The sycophantic press followed suit.  The most important thing to take away from Romney's quick response to Libya is this.  HE WAS FREAKING RIGHT!!!!

4.  ON DEFENSE: Obama must defend four years of foreign policy. Expect Romney to accuse the president of weakening America's world leadership by mishandling Iran's nuclear ambitions, the pullout from Afghanistan, the Syrian conflict and the U.S. relationship with Israel. Can Obama rebut that criticism and focus on ending the Iraq War and killing Osama bin Laden?

I just love the way the AP puts Iraq in the win column for Obama.  They left out the part where as soon as our presence was not as prevalent, Russia came in and negotiated an arms deal with Iraq (surely tied to oil purchase) in the Billions and now hold influence on Iraq's foreign policy.  This was made possible by the quick, and unthinking removal of our troops.

5.  A NEW MEME? First Big Bird. Then "binders full of women." Watch Twitter to see whether another phrase catches fire while the debaters are still onstage.
 

I'm at a loss.  Presumably, the Associated Press hires real journalists with, at least, a smidgen of intelligence and ability.  This talking point nonsense has no effect on the election, other than to blow up in the face of the one flinging it.  The "binders" issue was a joke.  Just about every media outlet across the country put out a story on this non-story at the direction of the White House.  It did nothing to stop Romney's momentum.  The Big Bird issue was so bad that fellow Democrats asked that it be deep sixed.   This fifth point shows the AP to have applied importance to the efforts.  Of course, they were involved.

 WHAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REFUSED TO PLACE IN THEIR INQUIRIES, BECAUSE IT NAILS THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATE UPSIDE THE NOGGIN:

There have been a significant number of leaks of classified information to the media that could only have come from the White House.  The most recent was this past week in reference to negotiations with Iran.  The article by the New York Times was then edited.  The White House was scrambling to deny the "rumors."  In short, they know they have released classified information previously, and the Republicans scored big political points when explaining to the public.  Even Democrats were dismayed at the lack of scruples in regard to classified information.  The NYT thought they were giving Obama a trump card for tonight's debate.  Instead, they showed one of his arrogant weaknesses.

It has been showed that Obama routinely blew off his morning security briefings.  He didn't attend over half of them despite the growing unrest around the world.  It is merely a symptom of his detachment on many of the important issues facing this country and others. 

Obama has a disturbing quality of bowing to foreign leaders.  While he may view this as a diplomatic exercise, most of us here in the States see it as appeasement and weak.   Attach this item to Obama's caught on tape moment in Seoul at the nuclear summit stating that "after the election he'll have more flexibility" and you have to wonder at his foreign policy motives.

Over the last four years, our president has treated some of our long time allies with contempt.  He has treated such questionable organizations (Muslim Brotherhood) with appeasement and, more dangerously, indifference.  He has skirted around the Constitution and Congress in presenting a Presidential Finding to arm Libya.  He does all this while allowing foreign parties to donate to his election fund without hassle.

Oh..and China.  The Associated Press seems to have forgotten about that huge country in the Far East that manipulates its currency and overstates its GNP, sneers at intellectualy property rights, and enjoys a lopsided export/import policy towards the US.

But, the one thing to look for in tonight's foreign policy debate will have nothing to do with the topic.  It will be something very obscure and of little importance.  It will be a mispronunciation of some leader's name at some place like the Mauritius Islands.   Romney will mispronounce some leader's name during the debate in an afterthought, and that will be every media outlet's focus on the morrow.  Bank it.

This is How the United Nations Operates (i.e. Steals)

Songdo International Business District was selected to accommodate the secretariat of the U.N.-operated Green Climate Fund (GCF) during its board meeting Saturday.

At their meeting in Songdo, a town in Incheon and west of Seoul, the directors voted for the district over five other competitors. 

The fund is sometimes called the “World Bank” for global environmental protection with its size reaching $800 billion. Annual economic benefits from the GCF headquarters are estimated to about 380 billion won or about $344 million.
 

Let's summarize:  The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a bank account that holds about $800 Billion in funds extorted indirectly from taxpayers around the world.  It sits in an account, and they actually have to have a bidding war to see which country gets to reap the rewards of managing the account.

The rewards approach $350 Million to invest for the lucky winner of the auction.  In this case it is Songdo, Korea.  Peachy.

 It was not exactly known how the vote proceeded but the six bidders were supposed to be eliminated one per round until the winner was left.

The GCF’s mission is to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight other problems associated with climate change. Details on how much funds it will raise for the goal are likely to be decided at the Qatar conference.

The government expects the hosting will create more added value and jobs with financial services involving hundreds of GCF staffers, and improve the tourism industry along with GCF-related meetings and consequent accommodation, transportation and travel services. 
 

Wait...what?  An account of $800 Billion, and no one but the insiders at the United Nations know how the bidder was selected.  That seems...consistent with how the UN operates.  And, the fund is supposed to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight other problems associated with climate change just as quickly as the UN can make them up. 

Here's a thought.  If the fund is to benefit developing countries, why not manage the fund within a developing country, and allow them to use that $350 Million in spoils to put in indoor plumbing and string up some electricity instead of allowing Songdo to add another Noodle Palace through low interest loans?

Nevermind, I see now.  The UN needs to have hundreds of GCF jobs and set up their little homes away from home for "meetings" and "travel."  Gotcha...who'd want to travel to Rwanda (wink)?

It's an Absolute Buffet of Incompetence, Bias, and Shoddy Foreign Policy

The White House scrambled late Saturday to deny a New York Times report claiming Iran has agreed to meet directly with U.S. officials to discuss its nuclear program, sending New York Times editors rushing to quietly but substantially revise their initial reporting on a key foreign policy issue for the second time in as many months.

According to the Times, which anonymously quoted senior administration officials, Iran told diplomats it wanted to wait until after the November presidential election to put plans for the meeting in motion.

“It has the potential to help Mr. Obama make the case that he is nearing a diplomatic breakthrough in the decade-long effort by the world’s major powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions,” the Times report said, adding that “it could pose a risk if Iran is seen as using the prospect of the direct talks to buy time.”
 

So...obviously, the New York Times blatantly tried to give President Obama a trump card coming into the Monday "foreign policy debate."  You might think that the "White House scrambling" to deny that egregious bit of sychophantic "journalism" is an effort to blunt embarrassment of another "more flexibility after the election" moment.  That's not it at all.

This is another leak of classified information for the benefit of a sitting President.  You'll recall that the Republicans (led by John McCain) laid into the last few similar efforts like it was red meat, and it resonated with the public.  Well, this is more of the same.

This story is an absolute buffet of incompetence, bias and shotty foreign policy.  You have an in the tank media outlet setting the table.  You have "anonymous" sources confirming the menu.  Then, you have a repeat of the faire shared at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul.

The NYT tried to do Obama a solid.  It would have worked a year ago.  But, the more times they initiate such bias, the less credibility and integrity they preserve.  They've got none left, and the White House knows it.

Joe Biden Unleashed...

Joe's hometown newspaper decided to do a little expose on his style today.  That tells me they don't expect him to be around much longer. 

Within the Obama campaign, there is a cautious fear that Biden will go too far. Transcripts of his remarks are not regularly distributed, unlike President Obama’s and the first lady’s. And the vice president’s aides have sometimes tried to steer him away from unscripted encounters with reporters.

But Biden also fills a strategic role for the campaign. With evidence that his middle-class Joe ethos has made him a beloved figure among rank-and-file Democrats, the campaign has regularly dispatched him to working-class communities, union-heavy events and those aimed at Latino voters.
 

You'll notice that one of the Clinton minions got in a good shot.

 William A. Galston, an aide to President Bill Clinton who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said he’s “never seen a less presidential demeanor from a national candidate.” Biden has twice run for president and has not ruled out a third attempt in 2016.
 

And, what do the regular "joes" on the street think?

Polls show both sides of the coin. More than three in four Democrats view Biden favorably, but among all registered voters, the vice president is much less popular than he was as a running mate in 2008. In a Pew Research Center for the People and the Press survey early this month, Biden was viewed favorably by 39 percent of voters and unfavorably by 51 percent. In fall 2008, more than half of voters had favorable views of him.

 A survey by the Washington Post and Pew Research Center at the end of the summer found disparate views of the vice president. Single-word descriptions of him included “good,” “honest,” “clown,” “buffoon” and “idiot.”

Heh... my opinion has always been that Obama chose Joe Biden for Vice President because he could be dismissed...and wouldn't get in the way of the planned radical Left agenda.  Biden's a ham...a showman who loves the stage more than the play.  I haven't wilted in that opinion.  But, think about what happens to Joe Biden when the final act is over.  He goes home to Delaware and...and...?

Well, I'll bet the house he gets a book deal and Joe's been known to go that step too far.  How do you suppose they will control him then?