Taking Bachmann Seriously

At one of the least expected places: Salon, and the essay there from Steve Kornacki (via David Swindle, who's more open-minded about reading progressive websites than I am): "Why we need to take Michele Bachmann seriously."

Many Fans Don't Feel Safe at Chavez Ravine: Dodgers Hire Bratton to Develop Security Plan

Two stories at Los Angeles Times, here and here.

And a news report from KABC Los Angeles:

Allegations of Fraud in Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

At Daily Caller, "Election fraud allegations fly in close Wisconsin Supreme Court race":

Wisconsin citizens and election experts are questioning the veracity of the state’s Supreme Court race, which the Associated Press reports left-wing legal activist JoAnne Kloppenburg won by 204 votes over Justice David Prosser, out of the more than 1.4 million votes.

On an estimated more than 10,000 ballots in Dane County, Wisconsin, where the state capital Madison is, voters selected only a pick in the Supreme Court race, while leaving even the hotly contested mayoral and county executive choices blank. That raises red flags for election experts like Scott St. Clair of the Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank.

“This is the state that wrote the book on squeaker elections,” St. Clair told The Daily Caller. “I wouldn’t put it past somebody in Wisconsin to be selectively revealing ballots or conveniently finding ballots because this is the kind of stuff we’ve seen in the past before. I think it’s also important to note that Wisconsin and Illinois are neighbors and how they vote in Chicago doesn’t necessarily stop at the state line.”

Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund, who authored ‘Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy’, said Wisconsin’s sketchy election history as well as its election-day voter registration policies make the state ripe for electoral fraud. Fund wrote that a recount, which is now considered inevitable by many accounts, “will be scrutinized for irregularities and possible vote fraud.”

Portugal Seeks Financial Bailout From European Union

At WSJ, "Portugal Pleads for Rescue: Bailout Request — Europe's Third — Will Test the Euro Zone":

LISBON—Running out of money and paralyzed by a political crisis, Portugal said Wednesday it would ask the European Union for a financial bailout—setting up a crucial test of the bloc's emboldened efforts to contain its sovereign-debt crisis.

Portugal is the third nation in the 17-member euro zone to turn to its peers for help, and one that has long been seen as a firewall between small economies whose bailouts are painful but manageable and large economies—like Spain—whose infection would set the crisis on a far darker course.

After days of pressure in financial markets, Prime Minister José Sócrates told Brussels authorities Wednesday that he needed help, and late that evening broke the news to his countrymen in a televised address.

It has appeared inevitable for weeks. Portugal has struggled to raise cash from wary financial markets, and its persistent deficits are draining state coffers.

Politics are at a standstill: Two weeks ago, Mr. Sócrates's government collapsed after parliament rejected his latest bid to rein in Portugal's budget. Mr. Sócrates had adamantly refused to countenance a bailout. Wednesday night, he said he had no choice.

"It is time to assume the responsibility to the country," Mr. Sócrates said in his speech. "It is in the name of national interest that I tell the Portuguese people that we need to take this step."

The country's been running continual budget deficits for thirty years and chronic unemployment is a way of life for large segments of society. Portugal's a basket case --- and a case study in where today's progressive left will take the U.S. under Democrat Party spending and taxing programs.

See, "Government Shutdown Showdown: Obama, Republican and Democratic Congressional Leaders 'Narrow the Issues': Obama Meets John Boehner, Harry Reid at White House in Bid to Facilitate Spending Deal." And all the latest budget news at Memeorandum.

'Transitioning Off' or Shutting TFU? Oh Well, Glenn Beck's Just Too Big for Fox

Since when was "transition off" a verb/adverb compound of note. Yeah, it works grammatically, but seems a little weird. And maybe Beck's not "transitioning off" after all? Maybe he's getting the boot for speaking truth to power, or as Pamela suggests, "Beck Bolts Fox":

Was it "I stand with Israel?" Was it his expose on the Muslim Brotherhood? Or does Glenn Beck want to be Roger Ailes? The media is saying that Beck's ratings have tanked or advertisers have bolted, but this is not so. Beck's numbers are strong, very strong. He holds at two million easy, beating Shlep, Brett, and at times, Hannity.

There is more at work here.

Keep reading Pamela's for all the ratings data. The commie dolts at Booman and Think Progress hope you'll ignore the reality of Beck's support.

Meanwhile, check out Business Insider, "Here's The Real Reason Glenn Beck And Fox News Are Parting Ways":

Beck and Fox are parting ways because Beck had too much power and Fox couldn't control him.

It's not exactly a secret that Beck was unhappy with many aspects of Fox's tightly controlled (and not always friendly) media machine and was eager to be free of it.

As I've noted numerous times, Beck employs his own PR firm outside of Fox's famous PR team. It is they, not Fox (who, in my experience, have rarely to never reached out on behalf of Beck, particularly after he began announcing things like his 100 Year Plan and really started gaining steam) who deal with Beck's many public relations.

Fox likes to wield absolute control over their stars. Glenn Beck, whose office is outside the Fox building, and whose many media holdings put him on track to become some sort of media mogul in his own right, has increasingly been outside of their control.

It's perhaps not a coincidence that Fox News' website has been noticeably stepping up its game ever since Beck's site The Blaze launched last year.

People are very focused on Beck's loss of advertisers and the crazier statements he's made (the one that pops up with most frequency is the time he called Obama a racist, even though that happened way back in July of 2009) as the impetus for this parting. And surely they were contributing factors.

But tune into Fox and Friends in the morning and you will quickly hear plenty of people say incredibly offensive things on Fox every single day -- the difference is that should Fox want to reign them in they are generally able to do so. Less so with Beck.

So to say this was a mutual decision is likely far more accurate.

For Beck it's almost a lateral move -- this is no Keith Olbermann we are talking about, Beck has an entire media empire waiting for him and will likely become his own case study in what a new media world might look like once stars become less dependent on traditional cable platforms.

For Fox it means they no longer have to answer for someone who doesn't like to answer to them.

More later ...

Michele Bachmann: 'We Have a Very Strong Opportunity to Make Barack Obama a One-Term President'

Well, since I'm on a roll here, check the full clip from O'Reilly's program last night, which is better quality from the last one, in any case:

And the reactions to the surging interest in Michele Bachmann are entertaining, at the least. The anti-Semitic Booman Tribune writes a long essay hammering Congresswoman Bachmann on her lack of qualifications, with all the disclaimers about "not being elitist," and those just come after praising a candidate who attended an Ivy League university (like you know who). Of course, Barack Obama was an unknown community organizer and state senator before anyone had heard of him, and he hoodwinked the nation with a mellifluous baritone voice plus an in-the-tank press corps. So why not Bachmann? Well, Doug Mataconis has a bit on that, and I agree with his comments on Sarah Palin:

I no longer believe Palin will run. That means that Bachmann has a chance to surprise everyone there, especially when she has people who’ve won there before advising her. Michelle Bachmann has no chance of winning the GOP nomination, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the opportunity to make a splash.

Never say never, I always say. So yeah, while Bachmann's a long shot, hey, we have the most radical and unqualified guy sitting in the Oval Office right now. So check back with me after Florida and the Super Tuesday primaries (which will be held February 7th, barring unforeseen changes).

Michele Bachmann on O'Reilly Factor: 'I Have a Very Broad, Extensive Background'

Update to my birthday wishes for Representative Bachmann.

From Christian Heinze, "Bachmann: Why I'm qualified to be president" (via Memeorandum):

RELATED: At Cubachi, "Bachmann: We have a strong opportunity to make Obama a one-term president."

Happy Birthday Michele Bachmann!

Congresswoman Bachmann was born April 6, 1956.

Readers can sign her birthday card here. Her election homepage is here.

And check Jonathan Chait (FWIW), "How Michele Bachmann Could Win," and Josh Marshall (same warning), "Is She Unstoppable?"

Unions Made Wisconsin Judicial Election a Referendum on Walker's Budget Reform Bill, and They Still Couldn't Put It Away

And since the election's too close to call, progressives will likely steal a victory in the end. See Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Supreme Court race still too close to call, Kloppenburg has narrow lead":

As of 9:45 this morning, the Associated Press had results for all but 5 of the state's 3,630 precincts and Kloppenburg had taken a 311 vote lead after Prosser had been ahead most of the night by less than 1,000 votes.

That close margin had political insiders from both sides talking about the possibility of a recount, which Wisconsin has avoided in statewide races in recent decades. Any recount could be followed by lawsuits - litigation that potentially would be decided by the high court.

The razor-thin result was the latest twist in Wisconsin's ongoing political turmoil. The state has drawn the attention of the nation in recent weeks because of the fight over a controversial law sharply restricting public employee unions, which caused massive weeks-long protests in the Capitol, a boycott of the Senate by Democrats and attempts to recall senators from both parties.

Interest groups on both sides had portrayed the election as a referendum on Gov. Scott Walker's agenda and particularly on the collective bargaining law. Conservatives backed Prosser, and liberals supported Kloppenburg, even though the candidates themselves insisted they were politically neutral.

As this race goes to recount, conservatives should keep two words in mind: Al Franken.

Ed Morrissey has more, with special attention to the left's epic underperformance:

The recount process may take weeks or even months, depending on who wins the official tally and how hard the other fights. In Minnesota, we have some experience with recounts, of course, and the one that finally settled the 2008 Senate campaign between Al Franken and Norm Coleman took until the following summer to conclude. It’s an easy bet that the unions have already begun to flood the zone with lawyers to assist in the recount and cash for operations supporting Kloppenburg. If anyone in Prosser’s camp wants to heed the lessons of the Minnesota recall, calls should be going out today for a similar effort — and probably should have started a week ago or more.

But the unions have a bigger problem. Many gave Prosser little chance of holding his seat in this off-year, otherwise sleepy election, as unions organized fiercely to unseat him before the state Supreme Court could hear the challenge to Scott Walker’s law. Given the usual lack of turnout for April elections in off years, the organizing power of the unions should have been overwhelming, and Prosser should have been toast even in less-progressive areas of the state. Instead, Wisconsin voters thundered to the polls to support Prosser, and Kloppenburg turned out to do poorly outside of Dane and Milwaukee counties — and even in Milwaukee, Kloppenburg led by just a 57/43 margin.

What should have been a slam-dunk if Walker’s proposal was really as extreme and disaffecting as unions claim turned out to be an even split. Given their power and the investment of time and money by the unions, this is an eye-opening stumble.

Photo Credit: Ann Althouse.

RELATED: "Recount may not be able to start for weeks" (via Memeorandum).

Rough Language, Gay Sex Restored to James Jones' From Here to Eternity in New E-Book Edition

No doubt Scott Eric Kaufman will be thrilled.

At Los Angeles Times, "Profanity and more to be found in uncensored 'From Here to Eternity' e-book":

When James Jones published "From Here to Eternity" in 1951, his editors had pulled back some of the frank language and description in his original draft. The resulting novel, which chronicled the drinking, brawling and illicit affairs of soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the months before Pearl Harbor -- was a titillating, critically acclaimed bestseller. The 1953 movie, which starred Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, got a similar reception, winning eight Oscars, including best picture.

Now, a new e-book edition of the novel will include the profanity and mentions of gay sex that were left out of the 1951 version. The uncensored "From Here to Eternity" is being published by Open Road Media and Jones' heirs, including daughter Kaylie Jones.

"It's been on my mind for quite a few years, and the right moment just hadn't come up yet," Kaylie Jones told the New York Times. “My father fought bitterly to hold on to every four-letter word in the manuscript. The publisher was concerned about getting through the censors."

More at the link. James Jones was one of the greatest American novelists, homosexual sex scenes or not.

Portland State Muslim Students Association Boots Citizen Vlogger From Public Event

From Gabriella Hoffman:

Our greatest arsenal to expose the truth on campus is to film/capture footage of blatantly hurtful, anti-Semitic, anti-American, etc. things. We must not let anything slide or go unnoticed. If you’re in a public place, especially Library Walk or any free speech zone on campus, you have every right to film whatever lies before you.

Check out this video from a citizen journalist who went to an MSA meeting at Portland State University:

The MSA's organizing is based on lies. They support terrorism and they don't want any scrutiny. I said the same things to Hamzah Baig at UCLA, when he refused pictures, whining about how I was "harrassing" his people. Oh brother. That was just one more lie. It's all lies, like this dungheap of propaganda:

They will learn that Israel, the Jewish state, is a racist, colonialist, imperialist, apartheid country that was born from the "ethnic cleansing" of the perfectly innocent, indigenous Palestinian population that wanted nothing more than to tend their Sacred Olive Groves in peace when militarist Jews marched out of Europe in the middle of the twentieth century and shoved them off of land that their ancestors had lived on for hundreds of thousands of years... from time immemorial.

They will learn that Hamas, a genocidal organization that calls for the slaughter of the Jews and that owes an ideological debt to the Nazis, is actually a moderate organization that was elected by the good people of Gaza because they are not nearly so corrupt as Fatah, which, because it has considered peace with Israel, is clearly a sell-out to the Jews and the Americans... despite the fact that they rejected that peace and continue to incite hatred toward Israelis.

They will learn that of all the nations on Earth only one is worthy of total condemnation, the Jewish nation. They will learn that of all that states on Earth only one should never have come into existence, the Jewish state. They will learn that since the Jewish state should never have come into existence that it must be opposed on every level and eventually dissolved in favor of a 23rd Arab country.

I'm getting sick to my stomach at the ignorance and stupidity of this, and the minds that hate. And this is taking place at our public universities, where we're supposed to be enlightening and enriching. Even worse is that this is America!! God, they're Nazis!! And that's no lie!!

NewsBusted — Wisconsin Teacher E-Mailed Death Threats to Legislators

Via Theo Spark:

Union Leader Pledges 'Thousands of Dead Bodies' at Greater Boston 'We Are One' Protest

A report from Nicole J. Pearce.

She covered the Greater Boston Labor Council's "We Are One" MLK exploitation protest at the Massachusetts Republican Party headquarters:

Yesterday I was able to attend the We Are One rally in Boston. This video is of the closing remarks of the event by Greater Boston Labor Council leader Rich Rogers ...

And check Kimberly Morin, "Violent rhetoric from AFL-CIO union rally in Boston":

’And to the Republican party of Massachusetts, if you think this is gonna happen here, it is going to be over thousands of dead people’s bodies. If you think Wisconsin was anything, we need to stop these guys in their tracks now and kill their bills at the State house.”

Another fine example of civility brought to you by a union boss (who is also a Democrat). Death threats from a teacher in Wisconsin ; AFSCME threatening businesses; and a male Wisconsin Democrat State Legislator telling his Republican colleague ‘You’re f*cking dead’ because she voted YEA on Governor Walker’s budget bill . Is this the new tone of the Democrat Party? Or is this just the typical behavior that the Left and unions have been using for decades? Why isn't this violent tone being reported by the main stream media? ...

Well, goes against the narrative, of course --- especially on the anniversary of MLK's assassination. Crass hijacking of the King legacy. Supposed to be all Gandhian non-violence, dontcha know?!!

Progressive union dirtbag thugs. Get the word out on these ghouls.

Added: Linked at Blazing Cat Fur, "We'll at least he's up front about it."

Also, at Maggie's Farm, "Union Civility in Boston," and Lonely Conservative, "Union Leader to MA GOP: If you think this is going to happen here, it’s going to be over thousands of dead bodies."

Plus, at Weasel Zippers, "Mass Labor Leader Pledges “Thousands of Dead Bodies” If Republicans Attempt Wisconsin-Style Union Reforms…"

Hispanics Suspected in Savage Beating of Giants Fan at Dodgers' Opening Day

Oh, but you can't say "savage."

But as the Los Angeles Times reports:

Brian Stow, 42, a Santa Cruz paramedic, a father of two and a Giants fan, was walking through the Dodger Stadium parking lot with two friends after the Dodgers' 2-1 victory over San Francisco. Stow was wearing Giants apparel, police said, and two young men began taunting him. One of the assailants then cursed the Giants and blindsided Stow with blows to the back and head, police said.

The two assailants repeatedly kicked and punched Stow while he was on the ground. Stow's friends attempted to help, and were also punched and kicked before the attackers fled in a car driven by a woman. Police said it appears there was also a 10-year-old boy in the car.

Stow has a brain injury and is in a medically induced coma at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He remained in critical condition on Monday.

Part of Stow's skull has been removed to reduce the pressure on his brain, said Rebecca Mackowiak, his colleague at a paramedic service. Even if he recovers physically, she said, "he won't be the same person again."

The attack has helped add to Dodger Stadium's reputation as the home to what former major league player Dustan Mohr a few years ago told a reporter might be "the worst crowd" in baseball.

A ten year-old was driving the getaway car, naturally. Don't be surprised if we find out that the suspects are MS-13 operatives.

Paul Ryan: The Most Rational Man in America

Representative Paul Ryan lays out the path to prosperity, at Wall Street Journal (via Memeorandum):

No one person or party is responsible for the looming crisis. Yet the facts are clear: Since President Obama took office, our problems have gotten worse. Major spending increases have failed to deliver promised jobs. The safety net for the poor is coming apart at the seams. Government health and retirement programs are growing at unsustainable rates. The new health-care law is a fiscal train wreck. And a complex, inefficient tax code is holding back American families and businesses.

The president's recent budget proposal would accelerate America's descent into a debt crisis. It doubles debt held by the public by the end of his first term and triples it by 2021. It imposes $1.5 trillion in new taxes, with spending that never falls below 23% of the economy. His budget permanently enlarges the size of government. It offers no reforms to save government health and retirement programs, and no leadership.

Our budget, which we call The Path to Prosperity, is very different. For starters, it cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the president's budget over the next 10 years, reduces the debt as a percentage of the economy, and puts the nation on a path to actually pay off our national debt. Our proposal brings federal spending to below 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), consistent with the postwar average, and reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion.

RTWT.

Also, an analysis at National Journal, "The Ryan Budget: Big Cuts, Bigger Questions."

If there's time, I'll work on a roundup of left-wing reactions to the Ryan budget. The question isn't so much are things "workable" or that Ryan's economic projections are "ambiguous." The issue is that Ryan's serious about changing the mindset of unlimited government largesse. And for that he'll be pilloried by the radical left's entitlement mandarins and the demon-screamers of the Democrat-Socialist Party.

Dennis Prager at David Horowitz's West Coast Retreat, April 3, 2011

Diane Schrader, my blogging colleague at NewsReal, reports, "Why You Better Pray that God is Not Dead – Dennis Prager Diagnoses America’s Disease":

What passes for faith in most mainstream (liberal) Christian denominations and most of Judaism (outside Orthodox) has become a mushy pablum of warm fuzzy feelings instead of concrete moral standards. One can’t even discuss concepts like sin and hell (which are necessary prerequisites, by the way, for mercy and grace) without being accused of “extremism” and, in a torturous logical twist, of being just like “radical Muslims.”

The lack of critical thinking skills from which these illogical flights of fancy emerge is of course the fault, in part, of our current educational vacuum, but Prager frames it in an interesting way. If a student was homeschooled in a strict Christian home his or her entire life, never allowed to watch television, listen to popular music, read anything other than the Bible, get on the internet, or even leave the house – would you consider them somewhat brainwashed? You might – although of course, I defy you to actually find anyone who has experienced this (despite the fevered imaginations of teacher unions that oppose homeschooling or any type of Christian education).

Now Prager turns this on its head. Keeping in mind the virtually lockstep leftist leanings of popular culture, the media and our educational institutions – if a student went to a secular K-12 school system his or her entire life, absorbed countless hours of secular TV programming, listened to nothing but popular music, read nothing about teen-oriented magazines and books, and went to movies, concerts etc. that were all completely non-religious and non-conservative in nature, would you consider them to be somewhat brainwashed? Because you should – and I guarantee that you can find thousands and probably millions of kids whose lives mirror this set of experiences.

What does this have to do with God? Well, an entire generation has been inoculated against thinking about Him in any kind of serious way. And without an understanding of God, as Prager says, our concepts of good and evil grow blurry indeed, and we get all mixed up, just like the leftists who confuse hating people who fight evil with hating evil.

Be sure to read the whole thing, at the link. Diane does an masterful job recounting Prager's talk, which was a sight to see. I'll have my work cut out for me later this week when I have some time to write up a couple of reports myself.

UCSD Professors Slam Anti-Israel Hostility on Campus

From Bruce Kesler, at Maggie's Farm, "Professors Call BS On Campus Anti-Israel Groups":

At college campuses across the US, student organizations that attack Israel have become more and more active, and obnoxious, over the past decade. The members are drawn from some of the Moslem students and their far leftist companions. Most students are there to get an education, or at least get their degree ticket punched. While there's little evidence these anti-Israel groups have much support, through their activism they load student governments and with their loud voices they usually dominate campus debates.

Over the past year or so, at many campuses Jewish groups have formed to counter this vileness. Others of sound minds have joined in.

The University of California, San Diego is one of the top-ranked academic campuses in the country. This week a group of professors joined together to call BS on the anti-Israel groups.

Dr. David Feifel, a professor at UCSD and Vice President of the UCSD SPME (Scholars for Peace in the Middle East) chapter, wrote a powerful editorial about the hypocrisy on campus relating to the Arab and Muslim students' focus on Israel Apartheid Week and their failure to acknowledge the suffering of the Arabs being murdered for demonstrating for democracy in Arab countries. Shockingly, the UCSD Guardian newspaper after an initial acceptance, at the final hour refused to run the editorial. SPME contacted SDIC [San Diego Israel Coalition, of which I'm a member, a group of about 2500 members who support Israel] and asked for our help, we brought in our partner StandWithUs who generously paid for a full page ad which today featured the editorial with 28 signatures of UCSD Professors.

The editorial is below the fold. It is quite educational, and directly confronts the hypocrisy of the on campus anti-Israel groups for actually not giving much of a darn for oppressed Arabs but, instead being preoccupied with vilifying Israel.

These strong counters need to be spread to every other college campus. Please distribute this post to students and professors at other campuses.

Read the letter at the link.

RELATED: From Gabriella Hoffman, "UCSD Guardian Fails to Uphold Principles of Unbiased Journalism."

Lindsey Graham Blames Kooky Koran-Burning Pastor for Animalistic Beheadings of United Nations Workers in Afghanistan

This story got going yesterday with Senator Graham's comments on Face the Nation. I've never been a Graham-hater, but I'm definitely not a fan at this point. The dude fails the most basic lesson of the First Amendment: The antidote to offensive speech is more speech. I hate flag burning, but the Supreme Court's 1989 ruling in Texas v. Johnson is central to preserving the marketplace of ideas. By allowing someone to burn the flag we uphold the values for which the flag stands. It's extremely offensive. But as symbolic speech it affirms our freedoms.

So I cringe at this interview with Senator Graham at National Review. I denounced Koran-burning last year during all the controversy surrounding the Ground Zero mosque. Pastor Terry Jones is an idiot, and while I support his right to burn Islam's holy book, the same rule applies: Burning the flag is extremely offensive, and so is Koran burning. I don't endorse either form of expression, but I wouldn't attack either as un-American. That's not to say burning the Koran is the right thing to do, especially with how freighted the act is in this environment. But one lone wacko is not responsible for rampaging murderous Muslims 6 thousand miles away. What's evil is the reversal of responsibility game that everyone's playing, from the White House on down. And the headline sets the debate at New York Times, "Afghans Avenge Florida Koran Burning, Killing 12." And also, "Afghans Protest Koran Burning for Third Day." Well, at least the editors at the Baltimore Sun get it. "The U.S. has condemned Quran burning; will Afghans condemn the violence?":

There's no doubt that the publicity-seeking Florida minister who burned a Quran to demonstrate his hatred of Muslims committed a pointlessly provocative and reprehensible act. But the reaction of Afghan rioters who killed at least innocent 20 people in retaliation for what they saw as an intolerable insult to Islam is even more indefensible. And while there are plenty of Americans willing to speak out against anti-Muslim intolerance, where are the Afghan leaders willing to condemn the violence committed by their fellow Muslims?

And check this out:

To their credit, the national news media withheld the lavish coverage it had previously provided the minister's obvious play for attention. As a result, Mr. Jones' reckless provocation initially went largely unnoticed in the Muslim world. But then for some reason known only to himself, Afghan President Hamid Karzai chose to resurrect the issue in a speech on Thursday, in which he sharply criticized U.S. forces for accidentally killing innocent civilians and called for Mr. Jones' arrest for the "crime" of insulting Islam.

Having lived in the U.S., Mr. Karzai knows perfectly well that U.S. law doesn't permit police to arrest people simply for exercising their right of free speech — however repugnant such speech may be. He also had to know that publicizing Mr. Jones' lunacy during a televised address might very well stoke extremist elements in his own country to commit acts of violence and cause the loss of innocent lives. But whatever twisted political calculation led him take such a risk, Mr. Karzai's criticism of his American partners and his calls for Mr. Jones' arrest have only grown more strident since the rioting began on Friday.

One almost gets the impression the Afghan leader is deliberately fomenting unrest among his people, perhaps in a desperate attempt to deflect criticism from the corruption and incompetence of the government he leads. He has always been a shaky ally whose integrity was doubtful at best.

But Mr. Karzai's is not the only voice in Afghanistan. Where are the other leaders of that country who have the moral authority to condemn the violence and the courage to speak out against bigotry and intolerance? Mr. Jones acted recklessly and without regard to the danger others might find themselves in as a result of his shameless self-promotion and puffery. He is a vain, selfish man, the exact opposite of what a true spiritual leader should be. Perhaps that is why he has never been able to attract a flock of followers and relies instead on the anonymous audiences provided by the television news cameras to get his twisted message across.

Yet for all his failings, Mr. Jones did not commit a single act of violence or cause any person physical harm. It was the mullahs in Afghanistan, who whipped their congregations into a frenzy, and the rioters themselves who are to blame for the 20 deaths so far around the country, including seven at a United Nations compound, and injuries to dozens more.

Nope. Not a single act of violence, but Graham's ready to criminalize political opinion in America. (And President Obama's "condemning" the "hate speech.") Boy, wouldn't want to offend those murderous mobs across Afghanistan.

See also Mark Steyn, who calls Graham a "wretched buffoon": "Re: Lindsey Graham and the First Amendment."

Pig's Foot and 'Evil Jews' Message Sent to Congressman Peter King's Office

From CNN's Dana Bash (via Memeorandum):

Washington (CNN) - A frozen pig's foot and a note laced with anti-Semitic rants were sent to Rep. Peter King's Capitol Hill office, a congressional source familiar with the situation confirmed to CNN Monday.

The source said the note included statements such as "evil Jews will return this hoof to Palestine." Neither King nor his aides have seen the package, the source said, because all mail sent to the U.S. Capitol is now screened and the package was intercepted before it went to his office. King's office was notified Monday afternoon.

There was no direct threat to the congressman and law enforcement officials know who sent the package, the source said.

Peter King is Catholic, so the message to gentiles? Watch your back because we'll be coming after you as well. Which is expected. Israel is the canary in the mine, as David Horowitz likes to say. Defense of Israel is defense of moral right and Western civilization.

More on this later. I'd like to see what else the terrorists wrote at that note, which, by the way, never made it Representative King's office. Postal inspectors check all congressional mail for bombs and other contraband before delivery. So add severed pig's feet and anti-Jewish hate mail to the list.

Added: At Pamela's, "Bloody Pig Foot, Jew-Hating Ramblings Sent to Rep King's Office --- Hamas-Tied Hate Group CAIR, "It was an anti-Muslim bigot, not being brain surgeons they got their signals crossed."

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 9/11 Mastermind, to Face Trial in Guantanamo

At Michelle's, "Obama administration retreats (again) on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed civilian trial; Holder blames Congress."

Also at LAT, "9/11 suspects will be tried at Guantanamo, not in New York, Atty. Gen. Eric Holder announces." And Fox News, "Holder Blames Congress for Forcing Hand on Military Commissions for 9/11 Detainees" (via Memorandum).

John Yoo spoke at the Horowitz West Coast Retreat. He mentioned the need to keep Guantanamo open, and this administration keeps proving it.

Unions Hijack MLK Legacy in Assassination Day Exploitation

I suggested this morning that Barack Obama, in launching his 2012 reelection effort on April 4th, the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., "might have used this day to remind Americans of his commitment" to family values and to the restoration of the black family in American life. Absent that, the president's launch frankly seems a bit disrespectful. But that's nothing compared to the big labor unions, who're shamelessly exploiting King's death to make strained comparison's between the assassination and today's controversies over unions and state budget crises, etc. See the Soros-funded Think Progress, "43 Years Ago Today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Died Fighting For The Rights Of Public Workers" (via Memeorandum). And at the AFL-CIO, "We Are One Honors MLK, ‘A Champion for All’."

They're calling April 4th a "national day of solidarity." It's certainly true that Dr. King's vision placed him on the left on occasion, but his overall program of individual liberty was an affirmation of this nation's founding --- and inherently conservative. It's thus horribly shameful for progressives to hijack the King legacy as if they own it. "Solidarity"? Civil rights protesters marched against Democrats throughout the South who for decades had disenfranchised blacks and had denied them of equal protection of the laws. Dr. King carried out the vision of Abraham Lincoln, and President Lyndon Johnson warned that he was consigning the Democrats to minority status by signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It's just sickening to see progressives not just cheapen the legacy, but to conflate this nation's historic legacy of victory over discrimination with the union entitlement culture that's bankrupting the states.

Obama Launches Reelection Campaign on Fourth Day of Fourth Month, Same Day as MLK Assassination

At Politico, "President Obama launches reelection campaign with video" (via Memeorandum).

Seems to me the Obama camp might have taken advantage of the historical symbolism, if you're going launch on the fourth day of the fourth month, which happens to be the day Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. Obama could have returned to the rhetoric of his 2004 keynote address to the Democratic National Convention:

Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can’t teach our kids to learn; they know that parents have to teach, that children can’t achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. They know those things.

Obama might have used this day to remind Americans of his commitment to these values. He might have spoken on the crisis of education in the black community, and the need to strengthen the family and commit ourselves to a politics of life. For more on this, see Ken Blackwell and Robert Morrison, "Crisis in the Black Community."

Islamists Seek Takeover of Egyptian Revolution

I'll have lots of commentary on the Middle East over the next few days. Especially noteworthy is Victor Davis Hanson, who gave a phenomenal keynote speech on Saturday morning at the Freedom Center's Western Retreat. More on that later. Meanwhile, looks like the Los Angeles Times is playing catch-up to the New York Times on the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egyptian politics. See, "Islamists in Egypt seek change through politics":

Egypt has long been the touchstone of the Arab world. The protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square that ended with Mubarak retiring to his villa on the Red Sea riveted the Middle East. That drama suggests that Egypt's post-revolutionary era — its emerging blend of politics and Islam — will have tremendous influence on what evolves in coming generations across the region.

The political Islam popular in Egypt strikes more the tone of the moderate Muslim party running Turkey than the fundamentalist theocracies presiding over Saudi Arabia and Iran. Political parties based solely on religion are still illegal here, but the military council ruling the country has astounded many by permitting Islam a wider role. Analysts suggest this tolerance is calculated so that in coming months the army can hand over the nation to an elected parliament after assurances from the Brotherhood that it will not run a candidate for president.

Egypt is not the only nation where Islamic messages are whispering alongside the clamor of revolt. In Yemen, religious radicals are seeking to exploit anti-government protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a U.S. ally against Al Qaeda. In Syria, conservative Sunni Muslims more antagonistic toward Israel than President Bashar Assad could fill the vacuum if his government is toppled.

The Muslim Brotherhood's calls for a relatively mainstream Islamic government appeals to its majority of educated and professional members. In Egypt's first taste of true democracy, the Brotherhood and more fundamentalist Salafist organizations, however, told followers that it was their religious duty to vote to approve a referendum on constitutional amendments that benefited Islamists by speeding up elections.

One of Egypt's leading ultraconservative sheiks, Mohamed Hussein Yacoub, influenced by Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi strain of Islam, was quoted as saying after the referendum had passed: "That's it. The country is ours."

Such sentiment shows that in a span of weeks, age-old religion, not the enthusiasm and slogans of the Facebook generation, is likely to be a crucial factor in choosing a new Egyptian government. This swift change has surprised even the Brotherhood, which avoided references to Islam during an uprising that was not inspired by religion.

More at the link above.

And at the New York Times previously, "Islamist Group Is Rising Force in a New Egypt." And at Director Blue, "The Rise of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Right on Cue."

'I'm In!' — Michele Bachmann Weighs Bid for GOP Presidential Nomination

Well, can't complain about the timing, as this gives me another chance to run this lovely picture!

And check the link at New York Times, because Representative Bachmann's wearing the same outfit at the photo, "A Tea Party Star Stirs Iowans, and She Isn’t Palin":

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Sarah Palin, the reigning heroine of many social conservatives, has given few signals that she will make a presidential bid. Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 on the strength of his appeal to evangelicals and other constituencies, has mostly offered reasons for not joining the race.

So into that space has come Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

Best known as a fiery presence on cable television and the founder of the House Tea Party caucus, she is now exploring whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination. And early reaction to her in Iowa, where she was born and raised, suggests not only that she might do it, but also that she could have a substantial impact on the race.

On a break between meeting voters and conducting radio and television interviews — a staple of nearly every day — Ms. Bachmann took a seat in the bar of a hotel here and left no doubt that she was serious about running.

“It isn’t that I was born thinking I had to be president,” she said, leaning in and talking softer than she does on television or at Tea Party rallies. “I’m getting a lot of encouragement to run from people across the country. I don’t believe this is a rash decision.

More at the link. The picture's from AP, and the caption doesn't indicate the location. It looks almost like the lobby at the Terranea Resort, where the Horowitz retreat was held.

There's no doubt Bachmann's serious about running. She delivered a barnbuner keynote speech in Palos Verdes on Saturday, focusing almost exclusively on President Obama's failures and endless hypocrisy. She hammered ObamaCare, saying that the country doesn't want it, and that the law is stripping people of their liberty. We heard some of these same lines in Palos Verdes:

“What we need is a change of address form for the person living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” she said over loud laughter. As she talked about what she contended was government expansion under the new health care law, she declared, “I want a waiver from the last two years of President Obama!”

Sarah Palin's mentioned at the piece, and Bachmann has nothing but kind words for her. And just think of it: Both Bachmann and Palin running head to head in the Iowa caucuses? The New Hampshire primary and beyond? I think progressives would die from an overdose of demonizing conservative women!

David Horowitz: 'It's Time for the Jews to Stand Up for Themselves'

I've been home from the Freedom Center's West Coast Retreat for a few hours. I'm decompressing. I've attended loads of professional conferences in the past, but never to one as intellectually stimulating as this one. I've got more photos to upload and publish, and I'll be doing some long-form analysis of events here and at NewsReal Blog. (Previous entries are here and here.) At the check-in table on Friday, I picked up some of the literature from the Freedom Center. Available in a glossy print format was David Horowitz's essay, "It's Time for the Jews to Stand Up for Themselves." It's a report from David's lecture at Brooklyn College, which was touch-and-go for a while, due to a campaign of intimidation that was being planned by pro-jihad campus organizers. It turns out that CUNY trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld put some heat on Brooklyn's administration, and security was beefed up in time, which facilitated a successful event. It's worth reading the whole essay at FrontPage Magazine. Meanwhile, it's also worth sharing the related smear job on Horowitz at Mondoweiss, the rabidly anti-Israel hate-site which I referenced recently on the five-year anniversary of Mearsheimer and Walt's "The Israel Lobby." The fiends at Mondoweiss spliced a video hit-job on Horowitz, taking his comments out of context in an attempt to smear him as "racist." The Freedom Center put together a rebuttal, and both those are below. And here's this from Mondoweiss' Zoe Zenowich, "King hearings come to Flatbush: David Horowitz stokes anti-Muslim sentiment at Brooklyn College":

Brooklyn College had its own Peter King hearing last night when right-wing commentator David Horowitz spoke to a feisty crowd of students and faculty.

At first I debated whether or not to even give voice to what David Horowitz said. After all, it is pretty well known that Horowitz is the Glenn Beck of Zionists—a rambler of hate who continually contradicts himself and history.

But given the current political climate and the audience filled with faculty and students who eagerly echoed Horowitz’s calls of anti-Muslim sentiment, I feel it is important to document.

Outside the library where the lecture was held, security guards insisted that ten or so peaceful protesters huddled in the rain stand behind steel gates they had brought out for the occasion. Inside, security guards searched bags before running a handheld metal detector over everyone entering the lecture hall—security measures I have never before experienced in my four years of attending guest speaker events at the college. In his opening comments, Horowitz remarked, “How does it feel to go through a check point? I’ll tell you one thing, I feel safer and that’s what check points are about—making people feel safe when they’re under attack by terrorists and Middle East Jew haters. “ Later, Horowitz added, “check points are there to protect the innocent from the guilty.”

Perhaps it was no coincidence that Horowitz was brought on campus with the help of two faculty members only a month following the controversy over the school administration’s decision to reinstate Political Science adjunct Professor Kristofer Petersen-Overton, who was fired following outside political motivation due in part to his scholarly work on Palestinian national identity. Horowitz was sure to make reference to the apparent “hostile environment” that “liberal professors” create and to which students are subjected. Apparently, “Jewish organizations across the country have been intimidated from presenting their case.”

But it became all the more clear last night that this so-called “hostile environment” is something being created by the very people pointing to its existence.

You can continue reading this lying manifesto here. Zoe Zenowich quotes Horowitz comments on the Palestinians, but offers no factual rebuttals, only more allegations of "hate speech."

Michele Bachmann at David Horowitz West Coast Retreat in Palos Verdes, April 2, 2011

Well, if at first you don't succeed!! Here's Congresswoman Michele Bachmann after her keynote address last night to the awards dinner at David Horowitz's West Coast Retreat:

It's been a whirlwind weekend, and I have lots to report --- and loads of great photos to post. But I'm about to grab a quick shower and head back up to Palos Verdes for Day 3 of the conference. Check back later this afternoon for an update!

David Horowitz's West Coast Retreat — Terranea Resort Palos Verdes, April 1, 2011

The weather warmed up just in time for the conference, no doubt to the great pleasure of those who traveled from out of area. It was in the mid-80s yesterday. Here's the view as I arrived at the Terranea Resort, which is situatuated on the Palos Verdes peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Catalina Island is in the distance:

Walking down to the lawn, I follow the walkway to the point. I'm looking back here at the coastal bluffs south from the resort:

Here's the Wall of Lies set up at the reception area:

David Horowitz opens the event:

There was a screening of the Freedom Center's "Wall of Lies" film:

Fox News contributor Charles Payne delivered the keynote address. He gave an excellent talk, speaking of his own life and development, and the crisis of personal responsibility in America today.

David Swindle is updating with frequent posts throughout the event, so check back ...

I'll have an update later ...

Penn State Young Americans for Freedom Assaulted for Putting Up David Horowitz's 'Wall of Lies'

Totally predictable.

Confront a pro-terror fanatic with the facts and he'll resort to violent thuggery.

The report's at FrontPage Mag, "VIDEO: Penn State YAF Students Assaulted for Putting up Palestinian Wall of Lies." And you gotta love this Arab student, at 1:30 minutes, "I don't have problems with the Jews. I have problems with Israelis, okay?" Oh brother. Get along to class now. Critical Thinking 101? Hey, smart pick:

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

The latest in progressive douchebaggery, from John Nolte, at Big Government, "Devastating New Ad Might Be Game Changer in Wisconsin’s Crucial April 5th Election" (via Memeorandum):

We all know Democrats and public unions plays dirty. That’s not the question. The question is only how dirty, and in their bid to get [Joanne] Kloppenburg on the court, they played it as dirty as anyone can ...

Click through above for the Kloppenburg ad. You'll have the context for this response:

And then check over at Althouse for more: "2 new anti-Prosser/pro-Kloppenburg ads... presented for discussion purposes here."

RELATED: "Palin endorses Prosser in Wisconsin supreme court race."

Michele Bachmann Collects Over $2 Million in First Quarter, Tops Romney in Presidential Fundraising

From Rachel Weiner, at Washington Post, "Michele Bachmann collects $2 million in first fundraising quarter" (via Memeorandum).

I'm a huge Bachmann fan, as long-time readers will recall. I still get a kick out of this clip, so here's a flashback:

I covered Bachmann's town hall event at Knott's Berry Farm last year, although I didn't have a chance to meet her personally. But she'll be speaking this weekend at David Horowitz's West Coast Retreat, at the Terranea Resort at Palos Verdes, so perhaps this time. I'll be attending events there through Sunday, so blogging will be spotty. Here's the line-up:

Charles Payne, Dennis Prager, Victor Davis Hanson, David Horowitz, Congresswomen Michele Bachmann, Renee Ellmers, Marsha Blackburn, Congressmen Steven King, John Eastman, Tom McClintock Thaddeus McCotter, and Ed Royce, Kansas Sec. of State Kris Kobach, Andrew McCarthy, Ralph Peters, Tammy Bruce, John Yoo, Pat Caddell, Steven Emerson, Robert Spencer, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, and Andrew Klavan.

Tonight's the opening banquet. I'll try to post a few pictures later this evening.

Until then ...

UC Irvine's Terror-Supporting Olive Tree Initiative

There's a new report at FrontPage Mag, "UC Irvine Students’ Secret Meeting with Hamas."

I wrote on this earllier: "UCI's Olive Tree Initiative Met Secretly With Hamas Speaker Aziz Duwaik."

And Professor Gary Fouse also reports, "Olive Tree Initiative -- Was There a Meeting With a Hamas Official in 2009?"

In way of background for those readers unfamiliar with the Olive Tree Initiative, it was formed in 2007 at UC-Irvine in order to send selected groups of Jewish, Muslim and other students to Israel and the West Bank to meet with various figures on both sides of the Israel-Palestinian dispute. To date, there have been three trips, 2007-2008-2009. In addition, the program has spread to other UC campuses. Funding for the travel of Jewish students is handled primarily by the Rose Project, which was established by the OC Jewish Federation. In addition the OTI, in its brochure, solicits public donations. Finally, it is known that the Federation and Hillel of UCI have supported OTI-the Federation monetarily. At the university, the program falls under the Dept of Social Sciences.

In the past few months, there has been an on-going controversy within the Jewish community concerning some of the Palestinian figures that the Jewish students have been meeting with in the Holy Land. They include figures who have been part of or even helped found the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), an international organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel.

As stated, the OTI claims that it is exposing the students to both sides of the dispute. The Jewish Federation claims that this exposure makes the Jewish students better equipped to argue Israel's side. Yet, many members of the local Jewish community, including those who have donated money to the Federation, are questioning the wisdom of sending Jewish students to be influenced by older, experienced activists who are dedicated to deligitimizing Israel through so-called peaceful protests and the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement (BDS). The OTI-sponsored speaking appearance in November of 2010 of George S Rishmawi at UCI also sparked questions. Rishmawi, is a Christian Palestinian figure, who was a co-founder of ISM, with whom he claims not to be presently involved. He is one of the top OTI contacts in the Palestinian territories.

More at the link.

RELATED: The Jerusalem Post reported the story, "UC-Irvine students secretly met with Hamas official."

Plus, Hamas Speaker Aziz Dweik met with Mahmoud Abbas earlier this week to work out a reconciliation: "Palestinian leader Abbas meets with Hamas leadership for first time in two years." The meeting was repudiated by Israel:

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu said last week that reconciliation of the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority with Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization, would seriously hamper peace talks with the Palestinians.

And from last year, at the Wall Street Journal, "Israel's Foes Embrace New Resistance Tactics: Hamas and Hezbollah Find Inspiration In Flotilla, Support Protest Movement." It's all one big campaign to delegitimize and eventually destroy Israel.

There'll be more on this ...

Who Stands With Israel?‎

Glenn Beck has been developing his theory of war in the Middle East, and all indicators point to a progressive campaign to destroy Israel. Here's the March 29th transcript, "Beck: Who Stands With Israel?" Also below are clips from the March 30th and 31st broadcasts.

Beck mentions top State Department official and Harvard Public Policy scholar Samantha Power, who has long been considered hostile to Israel. She was featured in a Los Angeles Times puff piece yesterday, "Samantha Power, long a critic of U.S. foreign policy, now helps shape it." God bless Glenn Beck. He pulls together snippets and strings of information that mainstream outlets refuse to touch, lest they incite the anger of the global progressive left's Israel demonization industry. It's pathetic.

Lieberman and McCain: Regime Change Should Be Goal in Libya

From my favorite senators, at WSJ, "In Libya, Regime Change Should Be the Goal." After laying out praise for President Obama's stirring words of support for Libya, and also identifying the military and communications requirements needed beyond airstrikes and humanitarian assistance, the senators indicate:

Some critics still argue that we should be cautious about helping the Libyan opposition, warning that we do not know enough about them or that their victory could pave the way for an al Qaeda takeover. Both arguments are hollow. By all accounts, the Transitional National Council is led by moderates who have declared their vision for (as their website puts it) Libya becoming "a constitutional democratic civil state based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and the guarantee of equal rights and opportunities for all its citizens."

If there is any hope for a decent government to emerge from the ashes of the Gadhafi dictatorship, this is it. Throwing our weight behind the transitional government is our best chance to prevent Libya's unraveling into postwar anarchy—precisely the circumstance under which Islamist extremists are most likely to gain a foothold.

We cannot guarantee the success of the Libyan revolution, but we have prevented what was, barely a week ago, its imminent destruction. That is why the president was right to intervene. He now deserves our support as we and our coalition partners do all that is necessary to help the Libyan people secure a future of freedom.

I love the robust moral vision, but after nearly two months of studying change in the Middle East, I'm much more skeptical of the prospects for Western-style democratization. Of course, the U.S. is fully deployed at this point, and despite announcements of a handoff to NATO, the U.S. will continue to play first among equals in this war, and despite Secretary Defense Robert Gates' assertions to the contrary, it's increasingly plausible the U.S. ground contingents could be sent in. Shoot, the CIA could be preparing covert operations as this post goes live. Lots of scenarios are unknown except to those in the highest ranks of power. And I'm not convinced that Lieberman and McCain represent the bulk of thinking on the conservative right. Ann Coulter penned an excellent critique of the administration earlier, and Victor Davis Hanson warns against the deployment at Pajamas Media, "Libya: The Genesis of a Bad Idea." (Hanson does indicate that by now we'd better get Gaddafi or look out for some major blowback.) And at Flopping Aces, "Arming Libyan rebels? The Deaf, Dumb and Blind errors of western leaders."

And to round it out, see Ron Radosh, who's not quite so skeptical, "Our Libyan War: What Position Should Skeptical Conservatives Take?"

More later ...

Community Colleges Make Sharp Cuts in Enrollment

My college is discussed, at LAT, "California community colleges to slash enrollment, classes":

Facing a state funding cut of up to 10%, California's community colleges will enroll 400,000 fewer students next fall and slash thousands of classes to contend with budget shortfalls that threaten to reshape their mission, officials said Wednesday.

The dire prognosis was in response to the breakdown in budget talks in Sacramento and the likelihood that the state's 112 community colleges will be asked to absorb an $800-million funding reduction for the coming school year — double the amount suggested in Gov. Jerry Brown's current budget proposal.

As it now stands, the budget plan would raise community college student fees from $26 to $36 per unit. The fees may go even higher if a budget compromise is not reached.

Keep reading at the link above. LBCC President Eloy Oakley is interviewed. And below is Ann-Marie Gabel, Vice President of Administrative Services: