My latest Pajama Media article is up and it’s not open for interpre-ta-tion.
September 17th, 2008
The Most Obnoxious Anti-Palin Quotes
John Hawkins at Right Wing News has rounded up the 20 most obnoxious anti-Palin quotes so far.
My favorite:
“They shouldn’t have the right to call themselves Christian, for they have no Christ-like attributes. I am a feminist and a Christian – and when I see Sarah Palin – I see neither. And it is official. She is evil.” — Margaret Cho
Guess Cho doesn’t think that whole bit Jesus said about “let him without sin cast the first stone” applies to Feminists.
August 26th, 2008
The Ayers Ad Obama Doesn’t Want You To See
If Obama‘s, and now Biden‘s, ties to convicted fraudulent fundraiser Tony Rezko weren’t enough to show that whatever “experience” Obama might have it’s not the kind we need in Washington, the “candidate of change’s” ties to a domestic terrorist should make that point perfectly clear.
Only problem is, if you aren’t plugged in to the internet you might never hear about those ties because Obama’s campaign has launched a letter-writing campaign to stop television networks from airing the ad while calling for the DOJ to investigate the PAC behind it. (.pdf file)
Here’s the ad they don’t want you to see:
If this is how Obama treats the right to free speech of those who oppose him while he’s campaigning, what should we expect if he does get elected?
As Michelle Malkin asked: “Will they come after bloggers next?” Unfortunately, it appears the answer is YES: self-described “anarchists” at the DNC are calling for Malkin’s death as I type this.
H/T to Glenn for the video.
UPDATE: More from Jonah Goldberg:
But it runs even deeper than you might think. Consider Bernadine Dohrn, Ayers’ wife and the co-host of Obama’s career-launching fundraiser. When she was in the Weather Underground she was one of those members typically fascinated with Charles Manson (I discuss this briefly in my book). Speaking of Manson’s famous murders she exclaimed, “Dig It! First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them, they even shoved a fork into a victim’s stomach! Wild!” In appreciation, her Weather Underground cell made a threefingered “fork” gesture its official salute.
UPDATE TWO: Read the American Issues Project’s response pointing out that if the DOJ investigates conservative groups and their donors, as Obama’s letter called for, then similar investigations should be carried out on liberal groups and their supporters, too.
August 26th, 2008
Biden Brings More Rezko Ties To Obama Campaign
While pundits still ponder what could possibly have motivated Obama to pick Biden as his running mate, maybe it’s as simple as former fundraiser they shared in common: Tony Rezko, who earlier this year was convicted on 16 corruption-related felony charges.
Obama, it turns out, had more ties with Rezko than we’ve been previously led to believe. Back when Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review his name made the local papers. That caught the eye of David Brint, a vice president at Tony Rezko’s company, Rezmar.
“I just cold-called him,” Brint said in an interview.
Brint said he wanted to know if Obama would come work for Rezmar, developing housing for the poor — something Obama had expressed interest in, according to the story Brint had read. Brint arranged for Obama to meet Rezko, but Obama didn’t take the job.
Obama, who has a law degree from Harvard, subsequently returned to Chicago to lead a voter-registration drive in 1992.
The next year, Obama joined Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland, a 12-lawyer firm that specialized in helping develop low-income housing. The firm’s top partner, Allison S. Davis, was, and is, a member of the Chicago Plan Commission, appointed by Mayor Daley. Davis was also a friend of Rezko. Davis and Rezko would eventually go into business together, developing homes.
As an attorney, Obama worked for Davis’ small Chicago firm, Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland. They represented Tony Rezko’s company, Rezmar and helped Rezko’s company obtain more than $43 million in government funding to rehab homes for the poor. Four years later, residents in many of those buildings spent five weeks shivering in the dead of winter because Rezko’s company didn’t pay the heating bill.
It was Rezko who organized Obama fundraisers in his own home, although the candidate can’t recall the precise amounts generated. Now, though, Obama claims he and his wife only socialized with the Rezkos “two or three times a year” and weren’t very close, but Obama asked Tony Rezko to tour his home before buying the place in 2005 because he wanted Rezko’s opinion. And, of course, it was Rezko’s wife who bought the lot next to the Obama’s house when they couldn’t afford to do so, then later sold a strip of it to Obama for well over market value. (That was, of course, before Rezko was convicted for kickback schemes.)
Likewise, although Obama claims he never did Rezko any favors, nine years ago Obama wrote a series of letters on Rezko’s behalf to obtain financing for one of Rezko’s real estate schemes.
The deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama’s former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama’s state Senate district.
Obama’s letters, written nearly nine years ago, for the first time show the Democratic presidential hopeful did a political favor for Rezko — a longtime friend, campaign fund-raiser and client of the law firm where Obama worked — who was indicted last fall on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich.
(Obama’s campaign has since claimed his letters weren’t intended as a favor to Rezko but, rather, for the community of Chicago.)
Now Biden turns out to have ties to Rezko, too, through Joe Cari, a longtime Rezko associate. Biden’s long-time advisor and friend of 30 years, Joseph Cari, helped Biden with his presidential runs both earlier this year and in 1988. He’s also a financial contributor to Biden’s campaign.
Investigated as part of the Rezko probe, Cari was indicted in 2005 although he later cut a deal with federal prosecutors under which he pled guilty to extortion in exchange for other charges being dropped. As part of the deal, Cari admitted to helping a Rezko associate make telephone calls as part of one of the kickback schemes for which Rezko was later convicted. Cari’s sentencing has been delayed while he cooperates with the investigation. (Rezko’s sentencing is scheduled for October.)
Cari’s ties extend to Obama as well, having served as a “top-level Democratic operative” and “money man” as Obama transitioned from state to U.S. Senator. Cari was also Biden’s “Midwest field director” prior to pleading guilty to participation in an $850,000 kickback scheme overseen by, you guessed it, Rezko.
For a ticket running on a platform of change and reform, the Obama-Biden camp certainly seems determined to continue playing Chicago-style politics.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden: sure, they may have some experience, but is it the honest kind?
August 18th, 2008
Another Take On Obama’s Inexperience
Not long ago, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter was asked why he didn’t think he’d be a good choice for the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee. Said Ritter:
I’ve been governor for 18 months. It’s been a great experience. But it’s just 18 months…Obama has to think about experience…levels of experience…
Not surprisingly, he immediately backed off from his statement because, after all, Obama himself only has 143 days of actual Senate experience yet believes he’s qualified to lead the free world.
To put things in perspective, it’s been barely over 143 days since Obama made his “typical white person” remark. (The coffee cup declaring that you’re a T.W.P. is still available.)
And it’ll be longer than 143 days before the next President is sworn in.
Yeah, he’s got that little experience. Perhaps that’s what he really meant about the “audacity of hope”.
July 25th, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen: Barry Glib!
(With all due apologies to — and a lingering guilty fondness for — the Bee Gees.)
Tellin’ You Lies
Well you can tell by the way I like to talk,
I’m a politician who doesn’t walk the walk.
That American flag on my lapel pin?
I’ll wear one now if it’ll help me win.
And now it’s all right. I say it’s OK,
Please everyone look the other way.
I don’t really understand
Why the New York Times turned against me, man.
Whether you’re a brother or someone else’s mother
I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Feel my poll lead slippin’ and all the Dems are flippin’
So I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, I’m tellin’ you liiiieeeees.
Well now I used to feel low and so I got high,
Read ’bout it in my book for $7.99.
I act like the Second Coming right down to my shoes,
Long as you don’t know it’s an act I just can’t lose.
And now it’s all right. I say it’s OK,
Please everyone look the other way.
I don’t really understand
Why the New York Times turned against me, man.
Whether you’re a brother or someone else’s mother
I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Feel my poll lead slippin’ and all the Dems are flippin’
So I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, I’m tellin’ you liiiieeeees.
My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see, yeah.
My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see. Tellin’ you lieeeees.
Whether you’re a brother or someone else’s mother
I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Feel my poll lead slippin’ and all the Dems are flippin’
So I’m tellin’ you lies, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, tellin’ you lies.
Ah, ha, ha, HA, I’m tellin’ you liiiieeeees.
My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see, yeah.
My promises mean nothing. Pretend you don’t see.
Pretend you don’t see. Tellin’ you lieeeees.
HA, yeah!
July 25th, 2008
Dems: Must Work To Watch
Dems interested in watching the Obama coronation ceremony in Denver can’t just show up expecting a free seat. Oh, sure the campaign wants supporters there, but with a catch: they’ve got to earn their way.
In a half-hour interview Wednesday with The Denver Post, Obama’s deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand, said he wants to use the ticketing process as a massive recruitment tool meant to bring in supporters from all 50 states and energize them to carry the campaign into the final 60 days of the general election.
“We’re going to ask those 80,000 people in that stadium to march out of there and go with very specific instructions and goals to register millions of new voters,” Hildebrand said. [...]
The Democratic National Convention Committee will work with the campaign and with state party officials to distribute the community credentials. Formulas for the states and longtime supporters and a small percentage of overflow, or standby, credentials are being worked out.
Hildebrand said that to ensure that the campaign fills the stadium, the application process becomes in and of itself a recruiting tool.
“Every single person is going to be a level of seriousness,” Hildebrand said. “You know, ‘Tell us how you’re going to get there from Maine. Tell us how you’re going to get there from Florida. Give us a sense of whether or not you’re really serious about this. If you’re not, we’re going to provide someone else with this.’ ”
Those who want a seat will begin the process at their local Democratic Party office. While demonstrating their ability to attend, they also will be encouraged to sign on to the campaign as volunteers.
“They fill out a form; there’s a conversation,” Hildebrand said. “We ask them and encourage them to register voters and to get out the vote and those activities that are important to us. It’s not a requirement, but it’s going to be an encouragement.”
Now we know what Michelle Obama meant when she said “he will make you work.” Just remember she also warned that Barack Obama “will demand you leave your homes” and “Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual…”.
Welcome to the land of forced free labor. We on the right have been subjected to it for years as our incomes have been taxed to pay for all of your lame-brain Nanny State ideas. I’d recommend packing extra undies if I were you — it sounds like Obamessiah has the next 4 years of your lives pretty much planned already.