186 k per second

Barack Obama is not a Flip-Flopper he is merely a reviser of position seeking “latitude in framing his positions”.

Balloon Juice

Meanwhile, in matters political, the continued intransigence of left-wing bloggers and liberal Democratic interest groups that make up part of the Democratic voting block remains completely and totally mystifying to me. The utter unwillingness to allow Obama any latitude in framing his positions on issues so that they are more palatable to independent voters, demanding that he adhere to strict and rigid positions with no room for movement or nuance, appears to me to be an unwitting sabotage of a candidate who has always been a center-left pragmatist.

The problem is not that Obama has taken “latitude in framing his positions”, it’s that he has seismically shifted on almost every issue that made him the darling of the left.

• Iraq
• Abortion
• FISA
• Public Financing
• Special Interests

Obama has revealed himself as just another opportunistic politician who will do or say anything to get elected, like claiming to be a champion of equal rights but paying your female campaign staffers less than men.

To their credit, that’s why some of nutroots and far left are beside themselves and Obama is loosing support among democrats like Hillary Clinton supporters.

Redstate puts it best:

On the Absurdity of Being Shocked to see a Weather Vane Shift with the Wind

The transition from primary to general election campaign mode has seen Barack Obama (D-IL) perform whiplash-inducing 180°s on Iraq, on abortion, on the DC gun ban, on FISA and telecom immunity, on welfare reform, on the death penalty for child rapists, on debating John McCain “anywhere, any time,” on the financing of his campaign, and on too many others to recount here (not to mention on Jim Johnson, on Jeremiah Wright, on Wes Clark, on Austan Goolsbee, on Samantha Power, on Tony Rezko, and on Scarlett Johansson, as well as on too many other people to recount).

Those flips which have put him to the right of that famous Triangulating Moderate, Bill Clinton, recently caught the attention — and the ire — of the ever-vigilant New York Times editorial board.

But many of the Obama cult including a certain MSNBC media hack will continue to worship the messiah of “change” no matter how many and how fast he flip-flops.

Technorati Tags: obama, baloon juice, flip flops, 2008

One thing becomes clear in this latest AP piece of garbage complaining about how bad America is, America is now home to some of the biggest cry babies and spoiled sacks of self pity on the planet and the Associated Press could not be happier echoing their pessimistic, gutless complaining.

The Associated Press: Americans mark unhappy birthday: ‘Too much wrong’

Even folks in the Optimist Club are having a tough time toeing an upbeat line these days.

Eighteen members of the volunteer organization’s Gilbert, Ariz., chapter have gathered, a few days before this nation’s 232nd birthday, to focus on the positive: Their book drive for schoolchildren and an Independence Day project to place American flags along the streets of one neighborhood.

They beam through the Pledge of Allegiance, applaud each other’s good news — a house that recently sold despite Arizona’s down market, and one member’s valiant battle with cancer. “I didn’t die,” she says as the others cheer.

But then talk turns to the state of the Union, and the Optimists become decidedly bleak.

The only glimmer of sanity in Pauline Arrillaga’s 2367 word rant of why theres “too much wrong” as we Americans mark this “unhappy birthday” is the following:

In 2008, using history as a yardstick, life actually is better and richer and fuller, with more opportunities than ever before.

“Objectively things are going real well,” says author Gregg Easterbrook, who discusses the disconnect in his book “The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse.”

He ticks off supporting statistics: A relatively low unemployment rate, 5.5 percent in June. (Employers did, indeed, cut payrolls last month by 62,000 jobs, but consider the 10.1 rate of June 1983 or the 7.8 rate of June 1992.) Declining rates of violent crimes, property crimes and big-city murders. Declining rates of disease. Higher standards of living for the middle class and the working poor. And incomes that, for many, are rising above the rate of inflation.

It’s no wonder the AP is woried about bloggers clipping their content, putting out trash like this I’d be worried too.

The Optimist International organization seems like a very well intentioned organization aimed at helping kids but one would think with the name “Optimist International” they would go a little lighter on the pessimis, If not, I think I would reconsider the name “Optimists Club”.

Meeting the needs of young people in communities worldwide, Optimist Clubs have been “Bringing Out the Best in Kids” since 1919. Optimist Clubs conduct positive service projects aimed at providing a helping hand to youth. Club Members are best known in their communities for their upbeat attitudes. By believing in young people and empowering them to be the best they can, Optimist volunteers continually make this world a better place to live.

Technorati Tags: ap, associated press, july 4th, optimists club

Audio - Obama Racist Rant.
Dreams of My Father.

Just imagine if this was John McCain, no matter what the “context” (which will be the narrative of the left) the left and nutroots would be foaming at their mouths.

Gateway Pundit has more.

Technorati Tags: 2008, obama, racism, barack obama, dreams of my father

Does Josh Marshall really need someone to tell him if Obama has “clearly shifted his position on Iraq”..????

WTF !

Talking Points Memo | Lazy Bums

There’s no question Barack Obama has shifted his position on FISA. But I’m hearing more and more that Obama has clearly shifted his position on Iraq. I’ve been a bit under the weather the last few days. So maybe I’ve missed something. But can anyone show me any evidence that this is really true?

Under the weather..? I think under a rock is more like it.

Here is a primer on Obama’s Iraq flip-floppin’ for ya’ Mr. Marshall, and visit Newsbusters while you’re at it.

Update: There is NO SHIFTING, only REFINING! Barack Obama must have been reading Josh Marshall’s post because Obama said just this afternoon that he might “refine” his “Iraq policy”, whatever that plan is.

Democratic presidential
candidate Barack Obama left open the possibility on Thursday of
revising his 16-month timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat
forces from Iraq, saying he could “refine” his stance after he
visits the country.

Technorati Tags: obama, nutroots, 2008, talking points memo, josh marshall

Somehow I think Chris Satullo of the Philadelphia Enquirer opens up his desk drawer, breaks this diatribe out and reads it to himself every 4th of July. This year he decided to print it for all to see. It’s just a fill in the blank “Mad Libs” he created for the blame America first crowd.

Chris Satullo: A not-so-glorious Fourth | Philadelphia Inquirer

Put the fireworks in storage.

Cancel the parade.

Tuck the soaring speeches in a drawer for another time.

This year, America doesn’t deserve to celebrate its birthday. This Fourth of July should be a day of quiet and atonement.

For we have sinned.

We have failed to pay attention. We’ve settled for lame excuses. We’ve spit on the memory of those who did that brave, brave thing in Philadelphia 232 years ago.

The America those men founded should never (Insert Reason).

The America they founded should never (Insert Reason).

The America they founded should never (Insert Reason).

Such abuses once were committed by the arrogant crowns of Europe, spawning rebellion.

Today, our nation does such things in the name of our safety. Petrified, unwilling to take the risks that love of liberty demands, we close our eyes.

We have done such things, on orders from the (Insert U.S. Govt. Office). We have done them, without general outrage or shame.

(List some “Hot Topic” Attention grabbers here)…

It’s not enough that we had good reason to be scared.

The men huddled long ago in Philadelphia had better reason. A British fleet floated off the Jersey coast, full of hands eager to hang them from the nearest lampposts.

Yet they pledged their lives and sacred honor - no idle vow - to defend the “inalienable rights” of men. Inalienable - what does that signify? It means rights that belong to each person, simply by virtue of being human. Rights that can never be taken away, no matter what evil a person might do or might intend.

Surely one of those is the right not to be (Insert Talking Point). Surely that is a piece of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

This is the creed of July 4: No matter what it costs us, no matter how it scares us, no matter how foolish it seems to a cynical world, America should stand up for human rights.

No, not even the brave men who picked up a quill, dipped it in ink and signed the parchment that summer day in Philadelphia lived up perfectly to the creed. But they did something extraordinary, founding a new nation upon a vow to oppose all the evil habits of tyranny.

That is why history still honors them.

But what will history think of us, of how we responded to our great challenge? Sept. 11 was a hideous evil, a grievous wound. Yet, truth told, it has not summoned our better angels as often as our worst.

We have betrayed the July 4 creed. We trample the vows we make, hand to heart.

Don’t imagine that only the (Description of U.S. Evil Do’er Here) hand bears the guilt. The guilt reaches deep inside our Capitol, and beyond that - to us.

Our silence is complicit. In our name, (Bad things America did Here),(and Here), our Constitution mangled. And we said so little.

We can’t claim not to have known. The best among us raised the alarm. Heroes in uniform, judges in robes, they opposed the perverse logic of an administration drenched in fear, drunk on power.

But did we heed them? Hardly. Barely . . .

We were so busy. (Family Activity Reference Here).(Financial Reference Here). (Pop Culture Reference Here).

We left it to those in power to keep our precious selves from harm. Whatever it took.

We took the coward’s way.

The world sees this, even if we are too dim to grasp it. We’ve lost respect. We’ve shamed the memory of Jefferson, Adams and Franklin.

And all for a scam. The (Insert favorite America loathing catch phrases here) - all the diabolical tricks haven’t made us (Insert Goal of Current Administration Here). They may have averted this plot or that. But they’ve spawned new enemies by the thousands, made the (Insert American Enemy Here) rants ring true to so many ears.

So put out no flags.

Sing no patriotic hymns.

We deserve no Fourth this year.

Let us atone, in quiet and humility. Let us spend the day truly studying the example of our Founders. May we earn a new birth of courage before our nation’s birthday next rolls around.

Technorati Tags: left, chris satullo, philadelphia enquirer, july 4th, independence day

Dig It! Barack Obama and his terrorist friends.

Technorati Tags: obama, terrorists, democrats, 2008, william ayers, bernadine dohrn

Keith Olbermann’s finest “Special Comment” Ever!

Technorati Tags: olbermann, fisa, special coment, msnbc

Hot Air, Red State notes the despicable Democrat Congressman William Delahunt’s taking pleasure in the fact that Al Qaeda can watch and finger David Addington during a congressional hearing but prominent nutroot John Cole says “what’s the big deal…. they could’ve googled him anyway”.

The clueless left takes exception to criticism of Delahunt and says Delahunt meant nothing so shut up. The spinning tops from the left like John Cole say that it no big deal for a Democrat Congressman to signal his approval because after all you can “Google” picture of our government officials!

John Cole knows better….?

Balloon Juice

They are, apparently, serious. Think about that for a minute.

They are now demanding censure of Delahunt under the laughable premise that Al Qaeda is now going to hunt down David Addington. Never mind that John Yoo, who is just as responsible for much of administration policy, has had his face plastered all over everything for years and has been the target of approximately ZERO assassination attempts. At any rate, I think after they punish Delahunt, I think they should go after some other more high profile sources, who have clearly been posting Addington’s likeness in an attempt to have him offed by evil terrrorists. We can start with the following:

The Associated Press
Wikipedia
US News
Matt Yglesias
MSNBC
The Washington Note

Granted, finding all of those pictures requires a passing familiarity with the internet and “a google,” and these are Republicans at Red State and McCain supporters, so maybe this technology eludes them, too. But if Al Qaeda is watching C-Span as Mr. Addington asserted in one of his dodges during questioning, I am betting they use the intertrons.

It’s not that terrorist would ever initiate or plan such an attack it’s that a Democratic Congressman like William Delahunt would invite one on television during a congressional hearing!

Technorati Tags: congress, terrorism, nutroots, delahunt, addington, john cole

Surprise of the week (NOT), Nancy Pelosi supports revival of The Fairness Doctrine.
From Human Events.

What’s a committed group of progressive leftist democrats to do when all attempts at gaining a listening audience have failed.

Fairness Doctrine

It’s funny how the left begs for the fairness doctrine and radio but wants a hands of policy when it comes to the internet, perhaps because the left knows they have the advantage in online presence. Lets see how loud the lefties like Daily Kos and MYDD would be screaming if Uncle Sam told them they to provide “blog space” to voices from the right.

Technorati Tags: fairness doctrine, pelosi, democrats, radio, human events

What does the far left like The LA Times, The Huffington Post and Firedoglake consider a joke? When President Bush compliments and comments on “the great talent” of Filipino Americans including The White House Chef Cristeta “Cris” Comerford, who by the way is the fist woman to hold the position of White House Executive Chef.

President Bush Meets with President Arroyo of the Philippines

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

What does the far left think of President Bush complimenting the talent of Filipino Americans and hiring the first woman White House executive chef?

Firedoglake » Ladies and Gentlemen, “The President of the United States”

It’s been a long seven years, five months. And it’s getting longer.

Yesterday, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited the White House. The trip occurred in the wake of the tragedy in that country where a typhoon devastated the coast areas and capsized a ferry carrying over 800 passengers last week.

So, sad, but really not too difficult a duty for a Head of State when such a foreign leader visits; you sympathize and make a gracious statement on the tragedy.

But, not the worst Head of State in American history:

Bush jokes about the White House chef - Los Angeles Times

Cristeta “Cris” Comerford was named White House chef in August of 2005, after 10 years as an assistant chef in the White House kitchens. Trained in culinary arts in the Philippines, Austria and the United States, Comerford, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been unusually press-averse for a White House chef — declining most interviews and preferring to do her talking through her cuisine.

But Tuesday, welcoming Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the White House, President Bush couldn’t resist getting in a joke about his chef.

First, said Bush, “I want to tell you how proud I am to be the president of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine Americans. They love America and they love their heritage.”

Second, he continued, “I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine Americans when I eat dinner at the White House…. And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.”

It’s very interesting that the left sees a joke or stereotyping here, seems the left are the ones who immediately equates Filipino immigrants with”kitchen workers”. Leave it to elitist, white progressives to tell immigrants when to be offended because apparently the progressive lefties believe immigrants, including Filipino Americans can’t tell when and if they are being complimented or insulted.

I wonder what the left would say after learning of President Bush commenting on the talent of Filipino Americans when referring to the man who has “proven” the existence of “Global Warming”?

Over the past decade, the world has come to know about an alarming phenomenon called “global warming”. But very few know that the NASA senior research scientist who has proven it is a Filipino, Dr. Josefino C. Comiso.

……But Josefino Comiso, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, found precisely the proof that they needed. The study showed the amount of ice at the end of the summer 2005 was the smallest seen in 27 years of satellite imaging, and probably in 100 years. “It has never occurred before in the past,” said Comiso in an interview. “It is alarming. … This winter ice provides the kind of evidence that it is indeed associated with the greenhouse effect. I hate to say we told you so, but we told you so,” he added.

And It seems the comenters at the LA Times smear piece, some who are of “Filipino descent” see nothing wrong with President Bush’s compliment of the White House Chef;

Even though Bush is a dumbass.. I really don’t see anything wrong with his comments about Filipino-Americans.

Posted by: Brady | June 24, 2008 at 02:28 PM

……..Why does the LATimes sponsor a column that not only eagerly anticipates the end of the president’s term, but also warps a simple pleasantry into some kind of racist joke? Closer to graffiti than journalism.

Posted by: Nick | June 24, 2008 at 03:02 PM

Where’s the “joke” in this story? Am I missing something?

Posted by: George Feldt | June 24, 2008 at 03:19 PM

I am of Filipino descent and I do not find Pres. Bush’s comment about The Whitehouse Filipino Chef Cornerford insulting. I do not find anything wrong with what he said.. lighten up people!

-jasp

Posted by: JASP | June 24, 2008 at 03:41 PM

Bush To Filipino President: “I Am Reminded Of The Great Talent Of The — Of Our Philippine-Americans When I Eat Dinner At The White House” - Politics on The Huffington Post

Before discussing aide for the Philippines, Bush couldn’t resist beginning the sober meeting with a quip about a Filipino member of his kitchen staff. Read part of the transcript from the meeting and click here to read more about one of the “Philippine-Americans” Bush is referring to.

It seems like just yesterday when the democrats were virtually silent over their own DNC party chairman Howard Dean spouting actual racist jokes and stereotypical comments.

BAW: Was DNC Chair Howard Dean’s “Hotel Staff” Barb Racist or Racial?

During a meeting last month with black Democrats in Washington, D.C., Dean joked during a speech, “You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here.”

Dean’s Identity Crisis - June 9, 2005 - The New York Sun

In February, Dr. Dean told the DNC Black Caucus, “You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room? Only if they had the hotel staff in here.” His remarks not only accused Republicans of racism but also identified minorities with menial labor.

Technorati Tags: firedoglake, hufington post, white house chef, bush