The End of America’s Strategic Alliance with Israel?
By Caroline Glick
The Corner on National Review Online

From an Israeli perspective, Pres. Barack Obama’s speech today in Cairo was deeply disturbing. Both rhetorically and programmatically, Obama’s speech was a renunciation of America’s strategic alliance with Israel.

Rhetorically, Obama’s sugar coated the pathologies of the Islamic world — from the tyranny that characterizes its regimes, to the misogyny, xenophobia, Jew hatred, and general intolerance that characterizes its societies. In so doing he made clear that his idea of pressing the restart button with the Islamic world involves erasing the moral distinctions between the Islamic world and the free world.

In contrast, Obama’s perverse characterization of Israel — of the sources of its legitimacy and of its behavior — made clear that he shares the Arab world’s view that there is something basically illegitimate about the Jewish state. Read more.

MAD MONEY

"Many Americans mistakenly believe the trillions of dollars to pay for Obama's unprecedented and historic government intervention, entitlements and social welfare is securely stashed away in a big safe somewhere in Washington. There is no vault and there is no cash; there is only "vapor paper" being created out of thin air.

Mr. Obama's government seems to think they can solve our debt problem by creating more debt. Monetizing government debt is what third world countries do. Today in Zimbabwe, for example, the government has printed so much money that the smallest denomination bill you can own is $1 billion - enough to buy a single loaf of bread!

China, the largest buyer of U.S. Treasury Bills, has already fired a shot across our bow. The Peoples Central Bank of China recently said "policy mistakes made by some central banks may bring inflation to the whole world" and "major currency devaluations may arise".

They are clearly worried their large holdings of U.S. dollars and Treasury Bills are about to get massively devalued. The scary thing is they are right."

-- RICHARD RAHN, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute

Immaturity in power
By RICHARD RAHN
Washington Times

A sign of immaturity - most often found in children and certain politicians - is being in denial or even unaware of the consequences of one's actions. The global political class has always suffered from an excess of immaturity, but every generation or so, political immaturity explodes like a star in its death throes and vaporizes everything in its vicinity.

Current examples are all too numerous. Much of the present global financial crisis was caused by the issuance of too much debt by both governments and by.......

IRS files $800,000 lien on '04 Kerry campaign

EXCLUSIVE:  - Washington Times

The Internal Revenue Service has filed a tax lien seeking more than $800,000 from Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, escalating a dispute over payroll taxes that the lawmaker's office blames on faulty government paperwork.

ABOUT THAT STIMULOUS PLAN

From the Patriot Post:

"From January to March, GDP plunged 5.7 percent, business spending fell 36.9 percent, and forecasters predict a 12-percent nosedive in 2009 manufacturing output. Foreclosure and mortgage delinquencies now stand at the highest levels on record, and unemployment has reached 9.4 percent -- far beyond President Obama's prediction of a high of 8.1 percent -- and 345,000 nonfarm jobs were lost in May. Since the "stimulus," 16,000 jobs have been lost every day, though surely Obama has "saved" millions of jobs. Here, it's worth noting that Wal-Mart plans to create 22,000 new jobs this year without a dime of stimulus money.

Meanwhile, this year's deficit has ballooned to $1.8 trillion, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke predicts that by 2011 the deficit will be 70 percent of GDP, an enormous leap from the 40 percent level extant before the financial crisis. Bernanke warns, "[W]e will not be able to continue borrowing indefinitely." But as yet, no end is in sight, in part thanks to Bernanke himself. And while Obama scrambles to claim victory for the stimulus, assuring us that we have "stepped back from the brink," it appears this assertion is backed only by his teleprompter.

In fact, Vice President Joe Biden displayed his usual keen sense of the obvious, saying of the stimulus, "We know some of this money is going to be wasted, there are going to be mistakes made. Some people are being scammed already." So at least taxpayers can take comfort knowing the VP is aware that the stimulus is a scam."

ON SACRIFICE

"Difficult days lie ahead. More jobs will be lost. More plants will close. More dealerships will shut their doors and so will many parts suppliers. But I want you to know that what you're doing is making a sacrifice for the next generation." --Barack Obama




As the Patriot Post points out, Barack is always willing to make Americans sacrifice for his agenda. So how is that "hope and change" platform working out for ya?

"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."

--Thomas Jefferson --

65% Oppose Closing Gitmo
by Michelle Oddis

A USA Today/Gallup poll released Tuesday states that "most oppose closing Gitmo," reporting that "by more than 2-1, those surveyed say Guantanamo shouldn't be closed. By more than 3-1, they oppose moving some of the accused terrorists housed there to prisons in their own states." But nowhere in the USAToday story do they post the actual percentage points or the even more convincing internal results.

Read the Full Story at Human Events

ON 2ND AMENDMENT

From HUMAN EVENTS.com:

"The National Rifle Association sued the City of Chicago, Illinois and Village of Oak Park, Illinois so citizens could protect themselves with handguns.

We lost. Gun ban won. The word came down June 2, 2009.

These two municipalities ban the possession of most handguns. But you are probably thinking we won in Washington, DC with the Heller case didn’t we? Didn’t that clear the right to own a handgun to protect yourself?

No. Here is why:

The courts felt that Washington, DC and the Heller case dealt with law enacted under the authority of the national government, while Chicago and Oak Park are subordinate bodies of state.

In short, courts are deciding the Constitution of the United States and the 2nd Amendment doesn’t apply to the entirety of the United States of America.

Beware:
1. This decision will be used around the country to ban you owning a gun.
2. Courts will decide that the 2nd Amendment will only apply to long guns because they better serve the intent of the Founding Fathers in that guns are for a citizen militia and long guns serve that purpose. Therefore handguns are unnecessary to the security of a free State according to the language of the Amendment.
3. States will argue that they are independent of the federal government and can ignore the Bill of Rights, as they successfully did in Chicago."


RELATED:
Bad On Guns
by Brian Darling

President Obama's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, 2nd Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor, owes the American people an explanation on her view of the Second Amendment.

Read the Full Story Here

The U.S. Department of Injustice
By Michelle Malkin

Uunder President Barack Obama’s politically corrupt Department of Justice, Lady Justice is getting the shaft. Let’s examine the uproar over Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to protect hate-mongering thugs who harassed and bullied precinct workers and voters on Election Day in Philadelphia. Oh, wait. There’s been no uproar. Let me tell you why…

State Department Mum on American Journalists Jailed in North Korea

(CNSNews.com) – Two American journalists remained jailed in North Korea and could face up to 10 years in labor camps for illegally entering the communist country and engaging in “hostile acts.” Although Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called their detention "absolutely unacceptable," the U.S. State Department has not made any public demands for their release, as it did in the case of the Iranian American journalist Roxana Saberi.

Pelosi Has Provided No Proof that CIA ‘Misleads’ Congress, DeMint Says

(CNSNews.com) - Contrary to her claim that the CIA “misleads” Congress “all the time” – in reference to the waterboarding of three al Qaeda terrorists – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has presented no proof that the CIA misled, nor has anyone else, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) told CNSNews.com. “It’s a very unfortunate statement," DeMint said, adding that Pelosi's statement was "irresponsible."

Obama's Takeover of General Motors Is 'Lunacy,' House Republican Leader Says

(CNSNews.com) - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) says the Obama administration’s plans for General Motors are “lunacy,” and that Congress needs to establish a special oversight body to serve as a watchdog, now that the administration has purchased a controlling stake in the company. Boehner said that the Obama administration, while saying it does not want to run GM, would most likely actually run the company by stealth by loading up the board with its people.

DOD Report:

One in Seven Released Gitmo Detainees Returns to Terrorism

(CNSNews.com) - Mohammed Ismail, shortly after his release from the Guantanamo Bay detention center in 2004, said, “They gave me a good time in Cuba. They were very nice to me, giving me English lessons.” He was repatriated to Afghanistan but recaptured in May 2004 for participating in an attack against U.S. forces in Kandahar. Ismail is one of two former Gitmo detainees who returned to terrorism after leaving U.S. military custody.
Read more.

Former House Speaker DiMasi indicted on corruption charges
The Boston Globe

You have to read the entire article before seeing it reported in the last paragraph that DiMasi is a Democrat. It's pretty amazing that this happens so often.

Not that Republicans are straight as an arrow in their dealings, mind you; but usually it is reported in the first paragraph of the news story if that is the case.

The media. You gotta love them don't you?

JUSTICES NEED TO FULFILL THEIR OATHS

"Why make this complicated? President Obama prefers Supreme Court justices who will violate their oath of office. And he hopes Sonia Sotomayor is the right Hispanic woman for the job. Here's the oath Supreme Court justices must take: 'I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as (title) under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.' Contrast that with Obama's insistence that the 'quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles' is the key qualification for a Supreme Court justice. ... [But] who says conservatives are against judicial empathy? I, for one, am all for it. I'm for empathy for the party most deserving of justice before the Supreme Court, within the bounds of the law and Constitution. If that means siding with a poor black man, great. If that means siding with a rich white one, that's great too. The same holds for gays and gun owners, single mothers and media conglomerates. We should all rejoice when justices fulfill their oaths and give everyone a fair hearing, even if that's now out of fashion in the age of Obama."

--National Review editor Jonah Goldberg

The Truth About ObamACORN
By Michelle Malkin

ACORN receives 40 percent of its revenues from taxpayers. Americans deserve to know whether and how much commingling of public money with political projects has occurred over the last four decades—and what role the Obama campaign played in this enterprise. Read more.

Social Security Sent $75.8 Million in Funds to Fugitive Felons
(CNSNews.com) - Since 2005, when it first began to crack down on the problem, the Social Security Administration has paid out $75.8 million to fugitive felons receiving payments on behalf of other Social Security beneficiaries. The SSA allows a “representative payee” to accept payments for beneficiaries whose age, mental state or physical condition inhibits their ability to manage their own finances.

Auto Task Force Not Overreaching Its Authority, White House Says
White House (CNSNews.com) - The White House is defending the work of President Obama's auto task force amid bipartisan criticism that the Executive Branch is exerting too much control over the automobile industry. Last week, 30 House Republicans and six House Democrats signed a letter saying the auto panel is making decisions that should involve Congress.

Visclosky subpoenaed in lobbying probe

Indiana Democrat pledges to cooperate
Washington Times

Rep. Peter J. Visclosky, Indiana Democrat, said Friday he has been subpoenaed in a federal grand jury probe of the lobbying firm PMA Group, the first tangible sign that the corruption investigation of the well-connected firm has spread to Capitol Hill.

The 13-term congressman is one of several lawmakers linked to the Alexandria-based lobbying firm, which shut down after it was raided last year by the FBI. The investigation appears focused on the firm's campaign contributions and millions of dollars in spending earmarks that lawmakers targeted for PMA's defense contractor clients. Read more.

Visclosky subpoenaed in lobbying probe

Indiana Democrat pledges to cooperate
Washington Times

Rep. Peter J. Visclosky, Indiana Democrat, said Friday he has been subpoenaed in a federal grand jury probe of the lobbying firm PMA Group, the first tangible sign that the corruption investigation of the well-connected firm has spread to Capitol Hill.

The 13-term congressman is one of several lawmakers linked to the Alexandria-based lobbying firm, which shut down after it was raided last year by the FBI. The investigation appears focused on the firm's campaign contributions and millions of dollars in spending earmarks that lawmakers targeted for PMA's defense contractor clients. Read more.

Why It's So Hard to Close Gitmo

Holding jihadists in excisting U.S. facilities probably violates international law.
WSJ.com

President Barack Obama is retaining many important Bush administration antiterror policies, including the detention without trial of jihadist captives as well as military commissions. He is determined, however, to close the Guantanamo detention facility because he believes doing so will not cause many problems in the U.S., and will improve our image abroad and bolster international support for U.S. antiterror policies. He will be disappointed on all counts.

Guantanamo has always been a symbol, rather than the substance, of complaints against America's "war on terror." It's the military character of the U.S. response to 9/11 that foreign and domestic critics won't accept. Read more.

Sotomayor's hearings are an opportunity for serious debate.

Republicans, Let's Play Grown-Up

"Let's play grown-up." When I was a child, that's what we said when we ran out of things to do like playing potsie or throwing rocks in the vacant lot. You'd go in and take your father's hat and your mother's purse and walk around saying, "Would you like tea?" In retrospect we weren't imitating our parents but parents on TV, who wore pearls and suits. But the point is we amused ourselves trying to be little adults.

And that's what the GOP should do right now: play grown-up. Read more at WSJ.com.

More isn't better.

Money and the Schools - WSJ.com

Brace yourself, because there's good news on education -- and in New Jersey of all places. On Thursday, the New Jersey Supreme Court let stand a 2008 law replacing a judge-made funding formula that had been in place since the 1980s. Under the old formula, created by the 1981 Abbott decision, 31 of the state's poor school districts received the lion's share of state education funding. Funding in these so-called "Abbott districts" has been exceeding $17,000 per student, well above the state average of $13,500. Read more.

Va. GOP fills out fall slate; conservativism applauded - Washington Times

RICHMOND | State Sen. Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II won the Virginia Republican convention's nomination for attorney general Saturday, electrifying delegates with a speech decrying the state of the Republican Party and proving that conservatives still have a voice in the party.

"We are in the minority in Washington and here in Virginia because Republicans abandoned their core principles," he said in a speech that garnered the greatest sustained applause at the Richmond Coliseum. Read more.

Gates issues tough warning to N. Korea

Washington Times

U.S. not willing to pay Pyongyang for cooperation

SINGAPORE | Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Saturday said North Korea had a stark choice — to remain a pariah or "chart a new course" — but suggested that the Obama administration would not return to a policy of trying to bribe Pyongyang to stop building nuclear weapons. Read more.

Lawyers tag nominee as 'terror on the bench' - Washington Times

Lawyers who have argued cases before Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor call her "nasty," "angry" and a "terror on the bench," according to the current Almanac of the Federal Judiciary -- a kind of Zagat's guide to federal judges.

The withering evaluation of Judge Sotomayor's temperament stands in stark contrast to....

EDITORIAL: Protecting Black Panthers - Washington Times

Imagine if Ku Klux Klan members had stood menacingly in military uniforms, with nightsticks, in front of a polling place. Add to it that they had hurled racial threats and insults at voters who tried to enter.

Now suppose that the government, backed by a nationally televised video of the event, had won a court case against the Klansmen except for.....