Don Singleton: 2008-02-17

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Indonesians Protest Muhammad Drawings

The Associated Press reported Muslims protested in two Indonesian cities Saturday over drawings in Denmark portraying the Prophet Muhammad, with some calling for the artist to be put to death. "Enough is enough. They have to stop insulting Islam,"

I've got news for you. It is not going t happen. The West values free speech too much. If they are not going to stop criticism and insults to faiths like Judaism and Christianity, they are not going to provide that protection to Islam.

said Muhammad Djabir, one of about 1,000 protesters in the mostly Muslim country's second-largest city, Surabaya. Others in the crowd outside the Danish consulate shouted "Death sentence for the cartoonist!"

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Happy Birthday, RNC !!!

The Republican National Committee was established on this day in 1856 to coordinate nationwide opposition to the pro-slavery policies of the Democrats.

Clinton Soldiers On Despite Setbacks

Washingtonpost.com reported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton insisted Friday that she had not meant to signal surrender when she shook hands with Sen. Barack Obama during their Democratic presidential debate in Austin the night before.

It was not the handshake that signaled surrender. It was saying And, you know, no matter what happens in this contest -- and I am honored, I am honored to be here with Barack Obama. I am absolutely honored. Whatever happens, we're going to be fine. You know, we have strong support from our families and our friends. I just hope that we'll be able to say the same thing about the American people, and that's what this election should be about.

It was a measure of the dire circumstances her campaign now faces that she had to explain the gesture at all. Clinton said she still expects to win the Ohio and Texas primaries,

Some are already making fun of Obama, but she needs to confront Obama on some matters if she expects tp win. She seems afraid to make people mad by saying anything against Obama. Or is it true that Deomcrats are just tired of the Clintons.

but her increasingly pessimistic advisers did nothing to rebut a remark by former president Bill Clinton that his wife must win both states to continue her candidacy.

Canceling cancer patient's policy

Los Angeles Times reported One of California's largest for-profit insurers stopped a controversial practice of canceling sick policyholders Friday after a judge ordered Health Net Inc. to pay more than $9 million to a breast cancer patient it dropped in the middle of chemotherapy.... When Health Net dropped her in January 2004, Bates was stuck with more than $129,000 in medical bills and was forced to stop chemotherapy for several months until she found a charity to pay for it.... Earlier, Health Net had defended its actions, saying it never would have issued Bates a policy in the first place if she had disclosed her true weight and a preexisting heart condition on her application.

But they cancelled her for getting cancer, and being overweight and a heart condition are not risk factors for cancer.

Bates said a broker filled out the application while she was styling a client's hair on a busy day in her shop. She said she answered his questions as best she could. Bates said she already had insurance and wasn't in the market until the broker came by and told her that he thought he could get her a lower monthly premium if she switched to Health Net.

If you have a preexisting health problem it is not a good idea to change insurance companies, even to save money on the premiums.

At the arbitration hearing, internal company documents were disclosed showing that Health Net had paid employee bonuses for meeting a cancellation quota

Paying brokers to lre patients into changing insurance carriers and then paying people to find reasons to cancel their policy. This is what leads to so many being without insurance. They should require an insurance company to waive "preexisting conditions" if the customer is already insured, and the company wants their business.

and for the amount of money saved.

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Paying Patients Test British Health Care System

New York Times reported Created 60 years ago as a cornerstone of the British welfare state, the National Health Service is devoted to the principle of free medical care for everyone. But recently it has been wrestling with a problem its founders never anticipated: how to handle patients with complex illnesses who want to pay for parts of their treatment while receiving the rest free from the health service.

Take note of this when Hillary and Obama talk about their socialized health care plans

Although the government is reluctant to discuss the issue, hopscotching back and forth between private and public care has long been standard here for those who can afford it. But a few recent cases have exposed fundamental contradictions between policy and practice in the system, and tested its founding philosophy to its very limits.

One such case was Debbie Hirst’s. Her breast cancer had metastasized, and the health service would not provide her with Avastin, a drug that is widely used in the United States and Europe to keep such cancers at bay. So, with her oncologist’s support, she decided last year to try to pay the $120,000 cost herself, while continuing with the rest of her publicly financed treatment. By December, she had raised $20,000 and was preparing to sell her house to raise more. But then the government, which had tacitly allowed such arrangements before, put its foot down. Mrs. Hirst heard the news from her doctor. “He looked at me and said: ‘I’m so sorry, Debbie. I’ve had my wrists slapped from the people upstairs, and I can no longer offer you that service,’ ” Mrs. Hirst said in an interview. “I said, ‘Where does that leave me?’ He said, ‘If you pay for Avastin, you’ll have to pay for everything’ ” — in other words, for all her cancer treatment, far more than she could afford.

Officials said that allowing Mrs. Hirst and others like her to pay for extra drugs to supplement government care would violate the philosophy of the health service by giving richer patients an unfair advantage over poorer ones.

No, rich patients can still pay for, and receive the best. This just penalizes the iddle class, that can't pay for one thing they need, and get the rest like everyone else.

Patients “cannot, in one episode of treatment, be treated on the N.H.S. and then allowed, as part of the same episode and the same treatment, to pay money for more drugs,” the health secretary, Alan Johnson, told Parliament. “That way lies the end of the founding principles of the N.H.S.,” Mr. Johnson said.

Which is everyone gets the same bad health care.

Betsy Newmark blogged This is what happens with a nationalized health plan. Do Americans want to be told by the government that they can't spend their own money on their own treatment? I don't think so.... Ironically, the NHS is now willing to pay for Mrs. Hirst's treatment because her cancer has metastasized and she's now so sick that they're willing to pick up the tab for Avastin. Sadly, with her cancer spreading, they might not have to pay for very long.

Homeowners Losing Equity Lines

Washingtonpost.com reported In one brief phone call, Nancy Corazzi's lender yanked away what was left of the $95,000 home equity line of credit that she and her husband took out five months ago. The lender informed her that her Howard County home had plummeted in value and the company did not want the risk that she would owe more than the house was worth.

That is very smart ofon the part of the lender, and the Corazzis should be happy they saved them from potentially losing their house because they owed more than it was worth.

"I got off the phone and I was shaking," said Corazzi, who was using the money to pay preschool tuition for her twins ."I was near tears. We needed this credit line to get us through some tough times."

You borrowed money on your house to pay for preschool tuition??? And you call that tough times??? Lady, you don't know what tough times are. You have a nice home to live in, and food to feed your twins. Maybe they can't go to a ritzy preschool, but so what.

Several of the nation's largest lenders, along with smaller ones, are shutting off access to home equity lines in areas where home values are declining. It's an unusually aggressive move as the industry grapples with fallout from the mortgage crisis that began unfolding last year. Now that home prices have dropped in many parts of the country, lenders are nervous that they may never collect the money that they extended to borrowers. They are responding by freezing or lowering the credit limits on home equity lines,

Which is good business sense.

leaving thousands of borrowers like Corazzi in the lurch.

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A very good point

Hat tip to Ed Morrissey who said Reach Out And Touch Someone, Dammit. When the advocates of global-warming alarmism act as though we're in a crisis, then I'll give it some credence. Until then, talk to the hand(set).

Monitoring attacks on Islam

AFP reported Egypt on Friday deplored what it called gratuitous attacks on Islam

Do they also deplore violent attacks by Islam? In other words, what is worse printing a cartoon, or killing someone?

and said it was closely monitoring plans by a Dutch filmmaker to release an anti-Koran film.

Do they also monitor the release of anti-Jewish films or anti-Christian films?

"It is regrettable that European lawmakers and politicians use gratuitous methods to gain electoral votes by attacking the sacred values and religions of others," foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said in a statement. Dutch far-right deputy Geert Wilders has said he will be airing on television in the Netherlands in March a controversial anti-Islam film called "Fitna" (Ordeal), which accuses the Koran of inciting people to murder.

Like 9:29 Fight those who do not believe in God and the Last Day and do not forbid what God and his Messenger have forbidden — such men as practice not the religion of truth, being of those who have been given the Book [i.e., Christians and Jews] – until they pay the tribute out of hand and have been humbled and Surah 47:4 says So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks [cut off their heads] until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates. That (shall be so); and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have exacted what is due from them, but that He may try some of you by means of others; and (as for) those who are slain in the way of Allah, He will by no means allow their deeds to perish.

Such politicians, Zaki said in reference to Wilders, "focus their hatred on Islam" and plan to broadcast a film undermining Islamic symbols.

Are Islamic symbols so weak that they can be undermined by a film?

These acts "feed hatred against Muslims and encourage extremism and confrontation instead of opting for dialogue based on mutual respect," Zaki said.

Mutual respect. Does that mean you are willing to show respect for Judiasm and Christianiaty, or are we still apes and pigs.

Egypt is monitoring the situation "very closely," he added, but also noted the "comprehension" of the Dutch authorities over Cairo's concerns.

He thinks they may cave.

Wilders said in November that the film will show his view that the Koran is "a horrible and fascist book" that inspires people to commit "awful acts."

And quote verses in the Koran that they say told them to commit those acts.

"I hope that it will open people's eyes to the fact that the Koran should be banned like 'Mein Kampf'" by Adolf Hitler, he told the Dutch news agency ANP.

Good luck, Mr Wilders.

This month Egypt banned the sale of four European newspapers for printing pictures deemed offensive to Islam and summoned the ambassador of Denmark, where the press published cartoons that have enraged the Muslim world.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Clinton Campaign’s Spending

New York Times reported Nearly $100,000 went for party platters and groceries before the Iowa caucuses, even though the partying mood evaporated quickly. Rooms at the Bellagio luxury hotel in Las Vegas consumed more than $25,000; the Four Seasons, another $5,000. And top consultants collected about $5 million in January, a month of crucial expenses and tough fund-raising.

But wasn't queen Hillary "entitled" to the nomination, and wasn't this just part f her corination?

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s latest campaign finance report, published Wednesday night, appeared even to her most stalwart supporters and donors to be a road map of her political and management failings. Several of them, echoing political analysts, expressed concerns that Mrs. Clinton’s spending priorities amounted to costly errors in judgment that have hamstrung her competitiveness against Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

With all of her "experience" she does not know how to run a campaign.

“We didn’t raise all of this money to keep paying consultants who have pursued basically the wrong strategy for a year now,” said a prominent New York donor. “So much about her campaign needs to change — but it may be too late.”

At least someone that is that clueless about how to spend money will not be in the White House again. Now we just need to deal with the empty suit that has defeated her,

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Commander in chief

From the CNN Democratic presidential debate in Texas And here's the question. Are you suggesting that Senator Obama is not ready; he doesn't have the experience to be commander in chief? That's a question of: What did you mean by that phrase?

CLINTON: What I mean is that, you know, for more than 15 years, I've been honored to represent our country in more than 80 countries to negotiate on matters such as opening borders for refugees during the war in Kosovo, to stand up for women's rights as human rights around the world. I've served on the Senate.

Twice they threw her the softball, giving her a chance to blast Obama's readiness to be commander in chief, and twice she let it go. Hillary has given up. She knows she is defeated.

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FEC Warns McCain on Campaign Spending

washingtonpost.com reported The nation's top federal election official told Sen. John McCain yesterday that he cannot immediately withdraw from the presidential public financing system as he had requested, a decision that threatens to dramatically restrict his spending until the general election campaign begins in the fall.

Now I hope McCain understands why we were not happy with McCain Feingold.

... McCain's attempts to build up his campaign coffers before a general election contest appeared to be threatened by the stern warning yesterday from Federal Election Commission Chairman David M. Mason, a Republican. Mason notified McCain that the commission had not granted his Feb. 6 request to withdraw from the presidential public financing system.

The implications of that could be dramatic. Last year, when McCain's campaign was starved for cash, he applied to join the financing system to gain access to millions of dollars in federal matching money. He was also permitted to use his FEC certification to bypass the time-consuming process of gathering signatures to get his name on the ballot in several states, including Ohio.... Mason's letter raises two issues as the basis for his position. One is that the six-member commission lacks a quorum, with four vacancies because of a Senate deadlock over President Bush's nominees for the seats. Mason said the FEC would need to vote on McCain's request to leave the system, which is not possible without a quorum. Until that can happen, the candidate will have to remain within the system, he said.

And the chances that Congress will act to approve nominees now is somewhat less than the chance of a snowstorm in Hades.

The second issue is more complicated. It involves a $1 million loan McCain obtained from a Bethesda bank in January. The bank was worried about his ability to repay the loan if he exited the federal financing program and started to lose in the primary race. McCain promised the bank that, if that happened, he would reapply for matching money and offer those as collateral for the loan.

That does not even sound right.

While McCain's aides have argued that the campaign was careful to make sure that they technically complied with the rules, Mason indicated that the question needs further FEC review. If the FEC refuses McCain's request to leave the system, his campaign could be bound by a potentially debilitating spending limit until he formally accepts his party's nomination. His campaign has already spent $49 million, federal reports show. Knowingly violating the spending limit is a criminal offense that could put McCain at risk of stiff fines and up to five years in prison.

One term in the White Houst, and then one term in prison.

... Trevor Potter, a former FEC chairman who is McCain's top lawyer, immediately disputed the assertions in Mason's letter, saying McCain has a constitutional right to exit the federal program.

The Constitution? Let us see, didn't we mention the Constitution when McCain Feingold was passed?

He also dismissed the letter as unenforceable because the FEC lacks a quorum to resolve the dispute.... "This is serious," agreed Republican election lawyer Jan Baran. Ignoring the matter on the grounds that the FEC lacks a quorum, Baran said, "is like saying you're going to break into houses because the sheriff is out of town."

ROF, LMAO

Michelle blogged Hoisted by his own campaign finance petard. Can’t say I’m reaching for the Kleenex.

James Joyner blogged John McCain appears to be caught in the campaign finance system that he championed. There’s a certain delicious irony in this, especially enjoyable by those of us who opposed McCain’s efforts at “reforming” away the rights of citizens to spend their own money as they see fit on political speech.

It sounds, though, like McCain is merely caught in a technicality owing to vacancies on the FEC and that he would be well within his rights to have his withdrawal granted were there a quorum. The Congress has been deadlocked in partisan games for well over a year in confirming people to a bipartisan commission. One can’t imagine that Senate Democrats will be eager to break that if it means their presidential candidate, already presumed to be the favorite to win, will have a decided financial edge.

John Hawkins blogged Here's a guy who helped put together an anti-First Amendment campaign finance reform law that greatly harmed the Republican Party, and now, that very same law may put him in a position where he will have less money to spend between now and September than his most likely opponent can raise in a single month.

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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Australia seeking fatter mailmen

Yahoo! News Australia Post had a weight limit of 90 kgs (198 pounds) for "posties" because its 110cc motorcycles had a safe working limit of 130kg (286 pounds) -- that's 40kg (88 pounds) for letters and up to 90 kgs for mailmen and women fully clothed. But after talks with motorcycle manufacturer Honda it was agreed the bikes could safely carry a "postie" weighing 105 kgs (231 pounds), said Sydney's the Daily Telegraph newspaper. But the "posties" will only carry 25 kgs of mail.

Why did they have to have "talks with Honda" to decide that it would be safe if the mailmen were 15 kg heaver, as long as they carried 15 kg less mail?

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What a bank

AP reported A man was charged with withdrawing $2 million from an account after a bank confused him with a man who has the same name.

Did they not ask him for some ID or check his signature, or anything?

Benjamin Lovell was arraigned Tuesday on grand larceny charges. The 48-year-old salesman said he tried to tell officials at Commerce Bank in December that he did not have a $5 million account. He says he was told it was his and he could withdraw the money.

And he believed them?

Prosecutors said the bank—which advertises itself as America's Most Convenient Bank

Need money? No problem. We will find someone with the same name, and let you have some of theirs.

—confused Lovell with a Benjamin Lovell who works for a property management company. The lesser-funded Lovell gave away some of the withdrawn money and blew some of it on gifts, but lost much of it on bad investments, prosecutors said.

Hey, it wasn't his money.

The district attorney's office did not immediately have information on his lawyer. Calls left with Commerce Bank on Wednesday were not immediately returned.

They were too busy giving away other people's money.

Dave In Texas blogged The bank convinced him over his objections that it was his.Normally for me, it's kinda the other way around with my bank. I try to convince them I have money and they object.

Congratulations to all abord the USS Lake Erie

The Associated Pressreported Alluding to a video clip of the missile smashing into the satellite, which he showed at the news conference, Cartwright said, "We have a fireball, and given that there's no fuel (on the tip of the missile), that would indicate that that's a hydrazine fire."

They accomplished their objective.

The video showed the three-stage SM-3 missile launching from the USS Lake Erie at 10:26 p.m. EST, northwest of Hawaii, and of the missile's small "kill vehicle" — a non-explosive device at the tip — maneuvering into the path of the satellite and colliding spectacularly.

I wonder why they don't use an explosive.

He said the satellite and the kill vehicle collided at a combined speed of 22,000 mph about 130 miles above Earth's surface, and that the collision was confirmed at a space operations center at 10:50 p.m. EST. Asked about the satisfaction felt among those in the military who had organized the shootdown on short notice by modifying missile software and other components, Cartwright smiled widely.

I am smiling too. I wonder if Michelle Obama is as proud as I am.

"Yes, this was uncharted territory. The technical degree of difficulty was significant here," Cartwright said. "You can imagine that at the point of intercept there were a few cheers that went up."

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Obama blows his nose

John McCormick wrote in Baltimore Sun It's probably safe to say that you have arrived as a politician when your audience applauds when you blow your nose.

Maybe they were just happy that he finally did something.

Yes, just a day before a debate in Texas, Sen. Barack Obama has a head cold. And about a half-hour into a speech here, the Illinois Democrat announced that he had to take a quick break. "Gotta blow my nose here for a second," Obama said. Out came a Kleenex (or perhaps it was a hankie), and he wiped his nose. The near-capacity audience at the Reunion Arena, which his campaign said totaled 17,000, broke out in a slightly awkward applause.

Ann Althouse blogged Barack Obama blows his nose. And gets applause. And gets a news story about how he blew his nose and got applause. And 1,000 blog posts that link to it. Have we reached peak adulation yet?.... And don't you think — speaking of bodily fluids — that Hillary is salivating over the prospect of a weakened opponent at the debate tonight? Fate has to cut her a break occasionally, you know.

Betsy Newmark blogged I fear to ask what they'll applaud next.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

CNN: Be kind to Castro

Babalu Blog reported CNN coached its anchors to treat the subject of fidel castro in an early morning email today.

From: Flexner, Allison
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 7:46 AM
To: *CNN Superdesk (TBS)
Cc: Neill, Morgan; Darlington, Shasta
Subject: Castro guidance

Some points on Castro – for adding to our anchor reads/reporting:

* Please say in our reporting that Castro stepped down in a letter he wrote to Granma (the communist party daily), as opposed to in a letter attributed to Fidel Castro.
Forget anything you learned in Journalism school. Remember it is our job to distort the news to fit our agenda.
We have no reason to doubt he wrote his resignation letter, he has penned numerous articles over the past year and a half.

* Please note Fidel did bring social reforms to Cuba – namely free education and universal health care, and racial integration.
Just like the Democratic party promises.
in addition to being criticized for oppressing human rights and freedom of speech.
Just like the Democratic Party.
* Also the Cuban government blames a lot of Cuba’s economic problems on the US embargo, and while that has caused some difficulties, (far less so than the collapse of the Soviet Union)
Which was subsidizing their failed econmic policies.
the bulk of Cuba’s economic problems are due to Cuba’s failed economic polices. Some analysts would say the US embargo was a benefit to Castro politically – something to blame problems on, by what the Cubans call “the imperialist,” meddling in their affairs.

* While despised by some, he is seen as a revolutionary hero, especially with leftist in Latin America, for standing up to the United States.
And in leftist media outlets, like CNN, for the same reason.
Any questions, please call the international desk.

Allison

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Muslim science

LGF reported “astronomy researcher” Fadhel Al-Sa’d says the Sun is half the size of the Earth, and flat. Just like the Earth.

Teachers seem willing to cater to Muslims in some areas, do you think they are revising their science lectures?

Proud

Tell Michelle Obama to watch this. It is something she should be proud of.

Three Cheese Heads

I prefer the cheddar.

Playing Hardball

Roger Simon wrote at Politico.com Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign intends to go after delegates whom Barack Obama has already won in the caucuses and primaries if she needs them to win the nomination.

Anything to win. Sounds like Clinton

This strategy was confirmed to me by a high-ranking Clinton official on Monday. And I am not talking about superdelegates, those 795 party big shots who are not pledged to anybody. I am talking about getting pledged delegates to switch sides.

If you can't get the voters to vote for you steal their votes by bribing the delegates.

What? Isn’t that impossible? A pledged delegate is pledged to a particular candidate and cannot switch, right? Wrong. Pledged delegates are not really pledged at all, not even on the first ballot. This has been an open secret in the party for years, but it has never really mattered because there has almost always been a clear victor by the time the convention convened.

If the blacks were going to be mad if the super delegates stole the election from Obama, just imagine what they will think if this happens.

NBC's Mark Murray blogged Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe and surrogate David Wilhelm, who headed Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign, had some choice words for the other side. They called this a “disturbing pattern” and “grasping at straws;” that this is another example of a “say-or-do-anything-to-win tactic;” that the Clinton campaign is hoping this is a “rabbit they can pull out of the hat to win;” that the latest tactic “suggests there’s trickery that can be engaged in” to win. They said they “think that will be rejected” by voters and party leaders.

Kevin Drum observes that “a steady drumbeat of this kind of stuff can be deadly, especially for a candidate banking on her experience and party connections. She really needs to step up her game.” But maybe this is her game?

James Joyner blogged Just when it seemed that Barack Obama’s gaffes and the inevitable media swing away from the front-runner was breathing new life into Hillary Clinton’s campaign, she reminds us why half the country really, really hates her.

Ann Althouse blogged Should we conclude that the Clinton campaign is evil? Or is this just evidence of the campaign's competence, that it's exploring all the permutations of the fight for the nomination? The Clinton aid prefaces his remark with: "I swear it is not happening now." Ha. That reminds me of one of my favorite Nixon quotes: "We could do it, but that would be wrong."

Strata-sphere blogged Promises - or threats. Both work, but threats work better in the DC power struggles. My belief is Obama will have the heart of the left, but Clinton will wrestle the levers of DC power and pull out the delegate win. She cannot afford to lose, while Barack has more opportunities in later races. It is do or die for the Clintons - which means their opponents must die (politically speaking of course). These two forces will spell Obama’s slow undoing. He is losing the interest of America and the Clinton’s will force him to suffer a death of a thousand smears. And all McCain has to do is build off the success Bush has established in the war on terror, war in Iraq and safety of this nation to win out as the only serious candidate.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Another reason to not want government control of health care

Daily Mail Seriously ill patients are being kept in ambulances outside hospitals for

up to FIVE

hours so NHS trusts do not miss Government targets.

If he government was not the sole payer, it cou;d not justify this.

Thousands of people a year are having to wait outside accident and emergency departments because trusts will not let them in until they can treat them within four hours, in line with a Labour pledge. The hold-ups mean ambulances are not available to answer fresh 999 calls

Father stones 14-year-old daughter to death

Adnkronos international reported A man known as Sharif has reportedly stoned his fourteen-year-old daughter to death in southeastern Iran because for allegedly having a relationship with a man.

Isn't he supposed to let the government do that?

Sharif's wife reported him to police after he and a friend killed the girl in Zahedan, capital of Baluchistan province.

What are they going to do to him?

Sharif showed no sign of remorse, telling police who interrogated him: "I suspected that my daughter had a relationship with a man and I had to stone her to death as she had besmirched my honour."

Oh, well, if hour honor was besmirched.....

"I had no other choice," he said, telling police how he had carried out the stoning.

Actually you had plenty of other choices.

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Teach a 5 year old how to perform a beheading

Daily Mail reported A secret bugging device at the home of an Islamic fanatic convicted of a plot to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier recorded his attempts to teach his five-year-old son how to perform a beheading, it has been revealed.

It is nice that a parent is involved with his son's education, but maybe teaching him the alphabet and how to add two and two would better prepare him for life in the 21st century.

Parviz Khan was jailed for life today for his involvement in the plot. In mitigation, Michael Wolkind QC, defending Khan, told the court that his client's plot had been a "mixture of fanaticism and fantasy".

And that is supposed to make s feel better?

"His plan might have changed had British foreign policy changed," he said. "He might have withdrawn if the British troops were withdrawn."

And he might not, since they would still be kuffars

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Sunday, February 17, 2008

Barack Obama: NIU shootings call for action

John McCormick wrote on The Swamp Before speaking to a rally here, Obama said the nation must do a "more effective job of enforcing our gun laws, strengthening our background check system, being able to trace guns that are used in violent crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers -- so that we can crack down on them -- closing gun show loopholes."

The nut that shot the kids at NIU bought two of the guns just a short time before, in a gun store, not a gun show.

He specifically pointed to a California law as a possible model. "There was a discussion today about a law that has just passed in California that allows micro-tracing of bullets that have been discharged in a crime so that they can immediately be traced," he said. "This is something that California has passed over the strong objections of the NRA…That's the kind of common sense gun law that gun owners as well as victims of gun violence can get behind."

And how would that have helpd at NIU? The only thing that would have helped there is if some of the other students had cncealed carry permits, and could have shot the kid while he was reloading.

Obama said he believes in the Second Amendment, but that there is plenty of room for added gun regulations. "There is an individual right to bear arms, but it's subject to commonsense regulation," he said.

That should go over well in the Texas primary March 4.

Mentioning his home city, Obama said local entities should also have the ability to have their own more strict regulations.

And they don't have to be common sense???

"I think that local jurisdictions have the capacity to institute their own gun laws…The City of Chicago has gun laws, as does Washington, D.C.," he said. "I think the notion that somehow local jurisdictions can't initiate gun safety laws to deal with gang-bangers and random shootings on the street isn't born out by our Constitution."

NIU was not a gang banger or a random shooting on the street. A nut shot unarmed students like fish in a barrel.

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Shady Chicago socialist

Sarah Baker wrote in Times Online Leading Republicans believe they can trounce Barack Obama in the presidential election by tarring him as a shady Chicago socialist.

Hillary is the socialist; Obama is further left. And while Obama may be associated with Chicago style politics, the Senator from New York plays dirty too.

They are increasingly confident that his campaign could collapse by the time their attack machine has finished with him.

Anything to win

New York Post reported Barack Obama's primary-night results were strikingly under recorded in several congressional districts around the city - in some cases leaving him with zero votes when, in fact, he had pulled in hundreds, the Board of Elections said today

It looks like the Senator from New York will do whatever it takes to win. I wonder if the Senator from Illinois knows some of the tricks used in Chicago elections.

Unofficial primary results gave Obama no votes in nearly 80 districts, including Harlem's 94th and other historically black areas - but many of those initial tallies proved to be wildly off the mark, the Board of Elections confirmed.

If you are going to steal votes, you need to do it a little more believably

Truth is, in some districts getting a recount, the senator from Illinois is even close to defeating Hillary Clinton. Initial results in the 94th District, for example, showed a 141-0 sweep for the New York senator, but Board of Elections spokeswoman Valerie Vazquez said today that the ongoing recount had changed the tally to 261-136.

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