I’ll gladly tell you Tuesday, if you pass health care today.

Robert Gibbs told the press corps today that Obama will detail his decision on Afghanistan on Tuesday.  According to the White House Press Secretary, it is about the money.

“We are in year nine. We’re not going to be there another eight or nine years,” Gibbs said.

Obama will meet with members of Congress at the White House on Tuesday afternoon before the speech.

The president will address cost issues, Gibbs said.

“It’s $1 million a troop for a year; 10,000 troops is $10 billion,” he said. “That’s in addition to what we already spend in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That also does not include training, and it doesn’t include the maintaining of a security force. It’s very, very, very expensive.”

But, Gibbs said, “I think the president, throughout this process, has talked about the cost in terms of American lives and in terms of the cost to our treasury, and I think he’ll continue to talk about it.”

Suddenly, Obama is a fiscal conservative.

He has spent more in less than one year on a single piece of legislation than the Afghan war has cost in eight years but he wants you to believe that the cost is what is driving his tough decision.

Right.

“Anybody who believes that,” said Orin Hatch, “I know a bridge up in Massachusetts that I’ll be happy to sell to them.”

Watch John Cleese in “Decisions – Decisions“.

How sad.  CNN/Money headline on the CNN website says “Jobless Claims Plummet”.

Even the story headline says the same – “Initial jobless claims fall to 14-month low,” it says followed by the by-line, “Number of initial filers for unemployment insurance falls to 466,000 – lowest since Sept 2008.”

Oh, if any of this information was actually true.

First off – the report was a statistical blip.  The report was issued early due to the shortened week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

“It seems to be a statistical pop,” said Tim Quinlan, economist at Wells Fargo. “As much as I’d like it to continue, I don’t see claims continuing to fall at this pace.”

CNN reports that continuing claims also fell by 190,000.  But, they acknowledged that the numbers probably reflects mostly people moving to extended state and federal unemployment rolls.

WTF?

Plummet?  That is the word used to describe the drop in initial and ongoing claims.  Millions are out of work and this statistical blip is a “plummet”?

OBAMA POLLING AT HISTORIC LOWS

In a historic first, Obama is polling at the lowest ever for him.  His spread between those that strongly approve versus strongly disapprove is now at -15 for the second straight day. His overall approval is now below 50% consistently.

The health care plans favored by Obama and Democrats has fallen to 38% approval – another dismal showing.

Where are CNN, CBS, PBS, AB(S), NB(S), NPR(BS) and the rest of the BS-ers with this bit of shocking news?

They must all be busy fact checking SNL or Sarah Palin’s book.  Could someone spare a reporter to check into the emails released from the hackers?  I mean – they should investigate the  emails NOT the whistle-blowers who hacked and released the data.

Attorney General Eric Holder decided that the masterminds of the 9-11 attacks on the USA would be tried in civilian court – in New York.  He claims that he “informed” the President and only consulted his wife and brother-in-law or some such person because he was an ex-NY cop.

Obama is trying to go Arlen Specter here by claiming that he gave Holder the power to make the decision (even though it is Obama’s constitutional responsibility).

So Holder decided on civilian court.  Why?

Is it because we could get a more transparent and fair trial for … the defendants?

Did he consider any of the downsides to creating this circus atmosphere?

Did he consult an experienced prosecutor of war crimes from say, WWII? A book? Something legitimate?

No.

Holder consulted left-wing lunatics who are hell-bent on putting George W. Bush and Dick Cheney on trial.

When questioned by the US Senate, Holder said that he was not going to let defendants dictate where they’d be tried.  Really?  KSM said that he wanted to be executed in a military tribunal.  Does anyone really think that he thought that anyone would be STUPID enough to give him a regular trial in civilian court?

Perhaps Holder is being to harsh and unfair on the detainees.  Perhaps they can’t get a fair trial anywhere in the USA.   After all, we are ALL biased against terrorist (or most of us anyway).  How will they get a jury of their PEERS?

How much evidence will be left after the evidence collected against them in their act of war against the US is deemed tainted (i.e. they were never read their rights before they were suddenly more cooperative and admitted their roles)?  CNN’s analyst gives the defendants 99.999% chance of being convicted.

They are pleading not-guilty by reason of “justification”.  US foreign policy is to blame – according to the defendants.  Now they were given the right to say so in a public forum.

Never before in US history has such an error been so obvious.  Never before in US history have foreign nationals and prisoners of war been granted such rights that only US citizens possess.

Holder was bad when he suggested that Bill Clinton pardon Marc Rich at the 11th hour in 2001.  His influence on the clemcy of convicted terrorists in the mid-nineties by Clinton is well documented.  Holder’s idiocy must stop here.  The consequences of his decision regarding the 9-11 attackers will harm his own President and every one to follow.

So – is it a mistake or is he doing it ON PURPOSE?

When he was questioned at his confirmation hearing as number 2 to Janet Reno, he said the following: “I am not a proponent of the death penalty, but I will enforce the law as this Congress gives it to us.”

Perhaps this is a stealth move by the anointed AG to get this death penalty off the table by having these bastards acquitted.  The Hope himself accidentally announced that Muslims would not be offended when these suspects were found guilty and subjected to the death penalty.

Mad or Mad-Genius?

Saturday Night Live is better at making the stupid obvious with this President.  They actually like Obama and his team.  If what they think about economic policy is any indication, I cannot wait until they get to this stuff.  The liberals on that show know that we are being screwed.  They had the testicular fortitude to say so by having the leader of China ask Obama to kiss him (as in when someone is “having sex” on you).

The big brouhaha in the debate over the extent or even existence of climate change took a nasty turn last week when some hackers released a series of emails from scientists discussing their closely held issue.  Some of the details of those emails raised eyebrows when the word “trick” was used to explain adding temperatures to the actual readings in one study.

That will happen when you take tree ring data and connect it (seamlessly) to thermometer-based temperature readings of the last century or so.  The “trick” was mathematical in nature, but the attitudes of the researchers is what really caught my attention.

They seem to take their work so seriously that they have lost their objectivity.  Perhaps they are on the wrong track and need to re-evaluate their hypotheses.  No one will ever know, because so sure are some of these scientists that they will do anything to mute public expression of disbelief.

The media is happy to play along.

In spite of evidence that global temperatures have been steady or slightly lower in the last decade or so, reports are coming out weekly discussing possible catastrophic outcomes of global warming.

Exhibit One – Sea Level Rise Could Cost Port Cities $28 Trillion (WWF)

The World Wildlife Federation (how the wrestlers lost the WWF is beyond me) claims that the seas are on the rise, temperatures have gone up 7/10ths of a degree (we don’t know over what time period) and all hell is breaking loose because we are so damned greedy and evil that we keep exhaling and burning fuels to heat homes, power industry and move from place to place.

Possible – is the word used to describe the impact on cities and the amount is just $3 trillion today

BUT – with expected urbanization (an assumption yet to be tested by reality) the number could possibly reach as high as $28 trillion dollars.

Temps have risen .7 degrees and will also rise another 2-3 degrees by the end of the just started century.  There are a lot of “if” that must happen for these things to happen, but for the media, “It’s hysteria-On!”

The point of this is not the alleged science – it is political and it is brazen:

“If we don’t take immediate action against climate change, we are in grave danger of disruptive and devastating changes,” said Kim Carstensen, the Head of WWF Global Climate Initiative.

“Reaching a tipping point means losing something forever. This must be a strong argument for world leaders to agree a strong and binding climate deal in Copenhagen in December.”

Exhibit Two: World to End Due to Climate Change – Women and Minorities Hit Hardest

There is an old joke about God deciding to end the world as told by Rush Limbaugh.

God decided He was finally fed up with the human race and decided to end it for good. He called up a reporter at the New York Times to tell him the news: The world would end the day after tomorrow.

The reporter tried to talk God out of it, but God was firm and wouldn’t be swayed. The reporter then asked if he had an exclusive. God said that He was going to call three other newspapers.

Headlines the next day:

The New York Times: “God says world to end tomorrow; story and analysis on page B11.”

The Wall Street Journal: “God says world to end tomorrow; market to close early”

USA Today: “IT’S OVER!”

The Washington Post: “God says world to end tomorrow; women and minorities hardest hit.”

CNN reports that women are hardest hit by climate change.

The reality is this – the “scientists” are really just liberals who happen to be scientists.  They pray to their secular religion of global warming.  It is as much a scam as so many Ponzi schemes and faux-religions that trick people into leaving their hearts, minds and money to the religion.

When the data does not fit the story, the liberals in politics, media, academia and law all band together to demonize any dissenters.  The so-called “cap and trade” plans are all about power and control.   Taxation and changing what you can and cannot do is about power.

Remember that when a robo-call asks you if you support cap and trade.

Happy Thanksgiving America.  This is a holiday dedicated to the feast of Thanksgiving that had a very different meaning than the holiday we celebrate today.

For a true meaning – see this link on the true story of Thanksgiving.

No, it is not about Sarah Palin giving an interview in front of a guy killing turkeys.

This interview reminded me of something that I had seen before.  The intent was comedy (unlike this interview).

So, without further adieu, and since we have just embarked on a national change in direction that resembles a recycling of the Clinton Administration, coupled with the promises of the 1970s era politicians who recycled 1930s and 1940s-era economic plans, it is fitting to revive this late 1970s sitcom.

From a true period of American decline (the malaise days of Jimmy Carter) where unemployment and stagnation of our economy was much worse than the “crisis” we face today - we are thankful that we had a three decade reprieve.

Let’s just hope that this recycling of “change”of the past year doesn’t herald in the true economic crisis akin to the one our grandparents faced in the 1930s.

The inept management at WKRP ran a “promotion” intended to “help” out during a tough time.  It ended in a nightmare for all involved.  Especially for the turkeys.

“God as my witness.  I thought turkeys could fly.”

more about “Happy Thanksgiving – WKRP in Cincinna…“, posted with vodpod

I neglected to mention the death of another pop-icon from two decades ago.  Ken Ober who made one of the first non-music Music Television Network shows called “Remote Control” was found dead in his home at the age of 52 (yikes).

Here is what made him most famous -

Without Ken Ober, we may never have heard of Colin Quinn, Adam Sandler or Kari Wuher.

As the US Senate convened hearings on the Fort Hood “incident”, there are many who are fretting over the feelings of Muslim Americans and the potential backlash against people of that faith.

Others are creating new definitions of the shooting rampage that carry very non-ideological baggage.  The best one compared Hasan’s rampage to what was once called, “going postal.” And I mean in the deadly way, not the losing billions of dollars way.

My favorite came from a RAND research group:

The committee heard testimony from, among others, former Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Keane, Rand Corp. consultant Brian Jenkins and New York City Police Department intelligence analyst Mitchell Silber.

“At a glance, Major Hasan’s rampage at Fort Hood looks a lot like what used to be called ‘going postal,’” Jenkins said.

It was “a deepening sense of personal grievance culminating in a homicidal rampage directed against co-workers — in this case, fellow soldiers. For Hasan, ‘going jihad’ reflects the channeling of obvious personality problems into a deadly fanaticism,” he said.

Right.

It was just a disturbed loner.  If he had been a radical Christian who shot some doctors and staff at an abortion clinic, would there be so much angst over backlash or need for clinical terminology like “going jihad”?

I doubt it.

Meanwhile – as usual the media and Congress demands connecting dots.  As Senator Lieberman might say, “Oy, vey!”

The last time we connected the dots, we ended up searching in vain for WMDs in Iraq.

No one will examine what REALLY led to the deaths of all those murdered at Ft Hood.  If someone did, most of the Senate would have to resign and put themselves under arrest for their contribution to the deaths.

CNN has the audacity to publish a story on how women are outraged by a new government task force.  The task force says that women in their 40s don’t need mammograms.

The task force doesn’t argue that mammograms have saved the lives of many women like Sara Fought. In fact, the task force mentions in its statement that for every 1,000 women in their 40s who receive routine mammograms, two cases of cancer are detected. However, it also notes that 98 women will have “false positives.” In other words, the mammogram will pick up something that looks like cancer, but that further testing shows actually is not.

In its statement, the task force wrote that on balance, routine mammograms for women in their 40s aren’t worth the downsides, such as false positives and the exposure to a small amount of radiation

Well, what did you expect?  In this era of nanny-state, government weenie run everything – the “I want my MTV” is now grown up and wanting what they want – NOW!

Obama has obliged and so have his cohorts in the Congress on health care.

What do the “Health Care for All” assholes think this will lead?

Costs must be reigned in – Obama made an arbitrary cost ceiling of $900 billion.  From where do you all think the “savings” will come?

Beware of what you crave.  Sometimes, your cravings lead to heartburn and indigestion.  Other times, they lead to your death.  You will be taxed and charged high premiums beforehand.

The president has reportedly rejected all options on Afghanistan presented to him by his national security team.

Repeat – Obama has rejected all options presented by his team.  Not George W Bush’s team, or John McCain’s team, or even Rush Limbaugh’s team.

Barack Obama rejected all options presented by the very people he selected to give him advice on matters he knows less about than all the other things he knows little about – but still is in charge of running.

According to AP:

Obama still is close to announcing his revamped war strategy, most likely shortly after he returns from a trip to Asia that ends on Nov. 19.

What the..??

Instead of asking for more options he has asked how soon we can turn the country over to the locals.  Fine.  Is that not a decision?

If I were part of the esteemed media – I would report that the president HAS decided.  The decision is to get the f**k out of there – with the time line to be determined.

“Gee, it’s been fun guys, but I really have a thing…. so we’ll just be going now.  You can keep all the shell casings and extra body bags and, uh, here are some more Obama-Biden bumper stickers.”

He is taking his ball and going home.

Perhaps the mysterious attack at Fort Hood has him in a bind.  According to liberals, it is all our fault.  The 9-11 attacks, Ft Hood, or any other bad event is blamed on the USA and conservatives specifically.

We are just too selfish and greedy to get it.  So, Obama HAS decided.  He is not dithering or distracted by health care or the Koreas, or the conflict in Israel versus the Palestinians.  He has decided that our boys are coming home.

Perhaps he should just man-up and say it.  Many would oppose his decision, but it is his to make.  A leader would get out in front and make the announcement already.  Don’t wait for fancy speech writers or new updates to the teleprompter software – just spit it out.

Our finest men and women are in harm’s way over there.  They deserve better than this.

According to the Washington Post, Maj. Nidal M. Hasan warned a group of senior Army physicians that they should allow Muslim soldiers to resign as “conscientious objectors” if they want to avoid “adverse events.”

Maj. Nidal M. Hasan said that for certain Muslims, fighting against other Muslims would bring them to a level of internal conflict that could not be overcome.  He also had notes in his power point presentation (obtained by the WaPo) that used terms like “infidel” and “jihad” liberally.

It is not clear if Maj. Nidal M. Hasan himself requested a release from his obligation due to his objections to fighting against fellow Muslims in Afghanistan.