Overnight Open Thread
—CDR M
The above photo is SCOAMF's election platform. I think Chris Matthews just got a tingle. Any questions?
So here's a pop quiz. Can you name three government agencies that have lost more money than JP Morgan? Hmmm? Here's Your Answer. So where's the outrage against these government agencies Democrats? MSM? Crickets? Oh look, a squirrel!
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v.s.
You Dummies Better Lay Off Elizabeth Warren If You Know What's Good For You
Update: Story Not Confirmed
—Ace
A second bout of plagiarism?
Guys, timing. Let's wait a couple of weeks to make sure Elizabeth Warren is in fact the candidate.
Then hit her on the new stuff.
No, seriously, there's a second candidate running. If you beat the hell out of this moron hard enough, you'll knock her stupid high-cheekboned ass out of the race.
Thank Goodness! Looks like this one's not quite fully baked -- Amazon lists the publication date of Warren's book months ahead of the book she supposedly plagiarized.
Looks like we'll have to find out exactly which came first, or if they both cribbed fro m a third as-of-yet unknown book.
Jon Lovitz: Obama Is Peddling A Victim Mentality
Joe Rogan: Obama Is Shredding The Constitution
—Ace
There's a line in Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption about prisoners and homosexuality. Something like, "Most prisoners are straight when they get out of prison, but they're not as straight as when they went in."
Something like that.
Well, Jon Lovitz may protest that he's a Democratic Obama-supporter, but let's just say after three and half years of this horrific maladministration, his straight-ticket leanings aren't as straight as they once were.
And while we're noting his political sense, we should probably remember he's a pretty funny guy. His roast of Bob Saget was hilarious.
Meanwhile, comic/MMA announcer Joe Rogan seems to have reached a Tipping Point on Obama. From his Twitter stream:
I know it sounds crazy, but I'm starting to believe that Obama wasn't born in America [ink to Breitbart.com omitted]For those going nuts over my last tweet, it's due to what Obama's own literary agent wrote in 1991 - "Born in Kenya" http://pic.twitter.com/7VjLfgNX
By the way, I wouldn't care if Obama was born on the moon if he was a good president and wasn't butchering the constitution.Amazing how passionate people are about a debate over which patch of dirt the king of america was squeezed out on.
That's still America, big silly. When your publicist writes you were born in a 3rd world country I think you would complain.
Meanwhile, a guy who blogs at Comedy Central's "Indecision 2012" site, or whatever, ranked on conservatives for not being funny on Twitter.
Brad Thor, joking about "Obama in History," made the reasonably funny callback-joke:
He celebrated the first Thanksgiving w/ Elizabeth Warren's ancestors who brought him maize.
Not bad. Calls back yesterday's news, makes an unexpected connection between the thing you're talking about and the thing you were talking about yesterday.
Well, here's the Professor of Comedy Gonzalo R. Cordova on that:
What does that story have to do with the other story. If you want to make fun of Elizabeth Warren, just make fun of Elizabeth Warren. You're diluting the joke by roping Obama into it.
He's not "diluting" the joke. The surprise cameo by Elizabeth Warren is the joke.
Okay, so, obviously this guy isn't terribly funny, right?
You don't know. You don't even know.
The Daily Caller writes a post funnier than Doctor Hilarious', of course, and then does something really awful:
They link his comedy stylings, from YouTube.
Friends, I don't even want to make fun of him because I'd feel bad about it. It's like Blair's comedian cousin on Facts of Life, the one with cerebral palsy. You're not really supposed to think it's funny; you're supposed to think it's heroic.
So that's what I'll say: It's heroic.
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White House Leaks Details of SEAL Mission, Underwear Bomber... For Political Spin
—Ace
Reuters: Did White House "spin" tip a Covert Op?
White House efforts to soft-pedal the danger from a new "underwear bomb" plot emanating from Yemen may have inadvertently broken the news they needed most to contain.At about 5:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 7, just before the evening newscasts, John Brennan, President Barack Obama's top White House adviser on counter-terrorism, held a small, private teleconference to brief former counter-terrorism advisers who have become frequent commentators on TV news shows.
According to five people familiar with the call, Brennan stressed that the plot was never a threat to the U.S. public or air safety because Washington had "inside control" over it.
This was immediately interpreted, correctly, as meaning there was a double-agent somewhere in the cell.
As was obvious from the White House's words.
The next day's headlines were filled with news of a U.S. spy planted inside Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), who had acquired the latest, non-metallic model of the underwear bomb and handed it over to U.S. authorities.At stake was an operation that could not have been more sensitive — the successful penetration by Western spies of AQAP, al Qaeda's most creative and lethal affiliate. As a result of leaks, the undercover operation had to be shut down.
The White House is incompetent. There was no reason to out a double agent -- even for the crassest, most cynical of political reasons.
They could simply have said, "We got him." That itself is reassuring -- that you caught a would-be terrorist. What extra benefit is there to reassuring the public, "And you weren't in any danger because we've got a DOUBLE AGENT, yo!"?
But for the sake of a completely illusory need to appease critics, they outed a critical double agent. One who could have continued providing intelligence for years to come.
But that's business as usual for these sad little men. They also told secrets about SEAL tactics, just to peacock around after the bin Ladin raid, as if they were the heroes.
A New York Times reporter was stopped by an officer who wanted to "rip his lungs out" over the detailed reporting he did on the bin Ladin raid.
But, he revealed at a counter terrorism expo this week, the info came directly and officially from the White House, not some garbage can digging operation. “I said to him, ‘Sir, that information came officially to us from the podium at the White House,’” Shanker said.He added, “Your civilian leaders make choices about describing missions, perhaps for their own partisan political ends, perhaps to show the nation that their tax dollars are being spent well, but that’s the way it is.”
Shanker, an acclaimed Pentagon reporter and author, said he had a little advice for the unidentified officer: If you make general, “this is part of your new world.”
Not for much longer.
That About Wraps It Up For Justice4Trayvon: Witness Says Trayvon Attacked Him "MMA Style"
—Ace
In boxing, you can hit your opponent, but you must both be standing.
In wrestling, you can grapple to the ground, but you can't hit your opponent. (Okay I think Greco-Roman wrestling allows an open-hand slap or something.)
In MMA, of course, you can grapple your opponent to the ground, and then punch the shit out of him. "Ground and pound," they call it.
That's what this witness obviously means by "MMA style."
The witness said he was inside his home, about 30 feet away from the incident, when he heard a “commotion coming from the walkway” behind his residence. He said he had seen a “a black male, wearing a dark colored ‘hoodie’ on top of a white or Hispanic male who was yelling for help.” The black male “was mounted on the white or Hispanic male and throwing punches ‘MMA (mixed martial arts) style.’” The witness said he called out that he was dialing 911, then heard a pop and saw the black male “laid out on the grass.”
That's not such a horrible thing -- that's what really happens in brawls (and that's why MMA sells itself as real fighting, not the more artificial sport forms of boxing and wresting). I mean, that doesn't prove Trayvon was an awful person or anything. Brawls can get dangerous.
But it certainly does explain why Zimmerman could be legally "in fear of great bodily harm." When someone is pounding your head into hard pavement, you don't know when the next slam will knock you unconscious. You cannot carefully calibrate how much "Life" you have left in your Health Meter, like it's a video game.
At that point, you can have a perfectly legitimate fear you're about to be killed.
And yet this scumbag attorney, who grinned through her whole press conference like she was debuting a new low-carb Tiramisu miracle recipe that won't go straight to your thighs, is prosecuting this man for Murder 2, knowing she cannot possibly get a lawful conviction.
Joe Biden: I Totally Understand Why An Out-of-State Felon Almost Beat Obama In The West Virginia Primary.
It's Because of Bush.
—Ace
Yes, that was my first thought as well.
Joe Biden is senile and not fit to serve one heartbeat away from the Presidency.
ABC News: Cops, Witnesses Back Up George Zimmerman's Version of Events
—Ace
How on earth can the prosecutor maintain a murder 2 charge in the face of obvious reasonable doubt?
And it's at least reasonable doubt. It could be clear and convincing evidence that he's telling the truth.
Two police reports written the night that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin said that Zimmerman had a bloody face and nose, according to police reports made public today.The reports also note that two witness accounts appear to back up Zimmerman's version of what happened when they describe a man on his back with another person wearing a hoodie straddling him and throwing punches.
In addition, Trayvon Martin's father told an investigator after listening to 911 tapes that captured a man's voice frantically callling for help that it was not his son calling for help.
The new information is part of a trove of documents released by the Florida State Attorney today in the case against Zimmerman, who is charged with second degree murder for the Feb. 26 killing of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African American male.
Hey, remember ABC's earlier scoop that Zimmerman had no visible injuries?
What no visible injuries look like
It Looks Like Fauxcahontas Plagiarized Her 'Pow Wow Chow' Recipes
—rdbrewer
Michael Patrick Leahy at Breitbart.com:
Howie Carr released evidence that appears to confirm Ms. Warren may have plagiarized at least three of the five recipes she submitted to the 1984 Pow Wow Chow cookbook edited by her cousin Candy Rowsey.Two of the possibly plagiarized recipes, said in the Pow Wow Chow cookbook to have been passed down through generations of Oklahoma Native American members of the Cherokee tribe, are described in a New York Times News Service story as originating at Le Pavilion, a fabulously expensive French restaurant in Manhattan. . . .
The two recipes, "Cold Omelets with Crab Meat" and "Crab with Tomato Mayonnaise Dressing," appear in an article titled “Cold Omelets with Crab Meat,” written by Pierre Franey of the New York Times News Service that was published in the August 22, 1979 edition of the Virgin Islands Daily News . . . .
Leahy goes on to say that particular recipe is a word-for-word copy, with one exception: "Ms. Warren says, 'Let cook until firm and lightly brown . . .' and Mr. Franey says 'Let cook until firm and lightly browned . . . ."
Oh, my. When people are willing to lie that easily for little or no reason, they'll lie about anything. Someone should start reviewing her academic papers.
One more thing: Didn't anyone consider the threshold question before that book was published? Cherokees ate cold omelets with crab meat?
I thought Cherokees ate Italian crab bruschetta.
Thanks to @JammieWF.
Added: From commenter "Albie Damned":
Remember that scene in Dances With Wolves where Kevin Costner's character sat down with the Indians to a meal of Quenelles de Brochet with Seafood Risotto and Lobster Foam, paired with a nice bottle of slightly chilled Meursault-Perričres?
Krauthammer: "Appalling Double Standard" on Teenage Romney Prank Vs. Obama's Adult Adventures With Reverend Wright
—Ace
Obvious enough, but it can't be said enough.
I think there is an appalling double standard here. It’s okay for the Washington Post to run a five thousand word front page story on a prank that Romney, at the age of 15, committed. And yet it’s somehow illegitimate, the low road or whatever, for people to bring up the fact that the adult Obama had a 20-year relationship with a racist anti-American preacher whom he considered, spoke about, wrote about as his mentor and spiritual advisor. That is a double standard unlike any I’ve ever seen.
He thinks it's legitimate, but it would be a tactical mistake for Romney to bring it up:
But today, I would say, tactically it’s a mistake because we know who Obama is. He isn’t the unknown of ‘08. He’s got a record and you don’t have to bring it up. But in principle, if you want to do it, it would be completely legitimate and I think the double standard ought to be denounced rather than accepted as everybody, including Romney, does.
That's a fair distinction, one that I make all the time: You may have a right to do something, but that doesn't mean it's your best option.
He's right that Romney should focus on the economy. And so should Romney's supporters -- we should focus on that.
But that doesn't mean that we -- not Romney, but Obama critics -- shouldn't bring this other business up.
I continue to be flabbergasted that we have Reverend Wright on tape saying that an Obama crony offered him $150,000 to be silent until the election of 2008 and yet many on the right seem unaware of this.
On the left, sure, I'd get it. Cocooning, partisan bias.
Why is the right unaware of this?
This is breaking news, new news. You can say many aspects of the Wright relationship are old news and already baked into the cake, but not this payoff business. This just came out last week.
Of course it's relevant. And it reminds us of the Chicago Way of dirty politics, which Mr. Hope and Change seems to be a master of.
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2012/05/17/krauthammer-slams-media-s-appalling-double-standard-teenage-romney-v-ob#.T7XxdWKbyOI.twitter#ixzz1vF2sCAdH
On the Facebook IPO
—rdbrewer
The following comes from two emails I sent the cob loggers last September. I thought I was being dumb about Facebook's business model, so I didn't turn them into a post then. But now people are questioning the value of the stock offering.
Facebook is going to have an IPO eventually worth, I've heard, $100 billion dollars. Why? Why is it valuable? Because they can target advertising to people? How is that ability worth that kind of money?First, advertisers already have sophisticated ways to learn who their buyers are. Granted, their surveys aren't as detailed, but they move products to the right people. Especially because of the following...
Second, advertising is done en masse. Very little of it is targeted to individuals, and most of that would have to be via computer. I suspect most people stomp on that kind of advertising with with adware and spamware.
Third, this "Facebook is so very valuable" religion that is centered on information is starting to remind me of the hype surrounding chaos theory and complexity. For several years, everybody agreed chaos theory was a Totally Awesome Thing, but no one actually knew what it was or what it was good for. Its value wasn't intrinsic; it was based on social pressure. Everyone had faith we would soon find these awesome uses. And anyone who questioned the religion, say, at a complexity seminar was treated as if they had farted in an elevator. Questions like, "What can be done with this?" And "Does anyone have any empirical data that shows something complexity theory can prove?"
So the reputed value of Facebook has the feel of another one of those religiously-held social beliefs. The reality is, it's just people chatting on the internet.
Why is knowing what toothpaste individuals prefer so valuable? Don't we know what toothpaste people generally want already? If we need more detailed information, don't we already have ways of finding out? You know, like marketing companies, surveys, and actual sales data?
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Obama Drove Drunk, Too
Obama's Agent Required, And Still Requires, Authors To Submit Their Own Bios
—Ace
From the book, Dreams From Bill Ayers' Father:
The scene is Chicago, in front of Obama's apartment. A group of unruly young black men pulls up outside after midnight, music blasting. He has a guest in his apartment, and his neighbors have just brought home their newborn. He gets upset and goes outside to tell them off.Then he starts to think: They could be me from just a few years ago. And they might intend him harm. Then, finally, he considers how he -- a grown up with a job and a life -- is increasingly unlike these kids, and how they may never have the chance to mature the way he did:
Their unruly maleness will not be contained, as mine finally was, by a sense of sadness at an older man's injured pride. Their anger won't be checked by the intimation of danger that would come upon me whenever I split another boy's lip or raced down a highway with gin clouding my head.
He also chuckled at making Mexican maids cry.
Barack Hussein Obama
All liquored up & trashing the place.
Like Led Zeppelin, except you don't want to go to his shows.
Update: Obama's Literary Agent Requested Authors Submit Their Own Bios. Breitbart.com is killing it.
Submission guidelines at the Dystel & Goderich website (original emphasis): "[Y]ou should describe in two or three sentences—no more—what the book will be about. This is followed by another brief paragraph on why it is being written and then another on why you are qualified to write it....Finally, there should be a more formal narrative Bio of the author."
How does Breitbart know this? The source of the article is an author who was also with Obama's agency -- he's quoting from the materials the agency sent him.
All material she used in our proposals came directly from me and my writing partner. She edited our rough-draft proposals and gave us feedback, but the final versions were all ours. Our final versions, bio included, were then simply photo-copied, by us, and distributed to potential publishers. This was back in the pre-Google days, recall.I was asked to write the bio in the third person.
We seem to be going from "Rara Avis who actually writes his own stuff" to "Guy who completely checked out and let other people handle it for him."
And Still More: The bio was updated, corrected, and republished multiple times. For example, it was updated to include the new title of Obama's book.
And yet "Born in Kenya" remained.
Top Headline Comments 5-18-2012
—Andy
If you missed it somehow, the Facebook IPO is today.
Not sure I buy the business model and it seems like all the current owners can't wait to get through the exit door. I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole, but that's just me.
Government Motors poured some cold water on the company by pulling a $10 million ad buy, saying the paid ads didn't work, but Ford told GM, "u r doin' it rong". Who knows?
I've never clicked an ad there, and I honestly don't recall ever really noticing one. How about you?
Overnight Open Thread (5-17-2012)
—Maetenloch
Why Class Warfare Fails in the US
Because it turns out that a strong majority of Americans don't mind the rich and would like to join them one day.
And the percentages haven't really changed in over twenty years which leads to continual consternation among leftists who are always convinced there's a huge hidden appetite for class warfare among the American proletariat just waiting for the right candidate to tap into.
Plus Your Government Hard at Work:
Yes - You Can Legally Hunt Bigfoot (in some states)
No - Illegal Aliens Can't Own Guns
And Yes - We're Totally Willing To Share Movie Profits With Drug Dealers
(note that they were smart enough to get paid upfront rather than through the usual Hollywood Accounting rules)
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Five Things That Can Change the Wisconsin Recalls
—CAC
On the high of a growing projected lead for Walker, enormous GOP enthusiasm, and an incresingly-depressed Democratic party, it is easy to overlook a few things. Or remembering to smack them down.
1- A heightened effort against the Lt Governor. This race remains very, very close, with the few Democrats who have abandoned the fight against Walker now focusing on this one. If the numbers reverse into her challenger's favor, more Democrats could potentially show, and close the top ticket race up. However, the overall trend is depression on the Dem end, elation on the Rs, so it would take an all-in against her to have such a damaging effect.
2- A John Doe investigation "surprise". Since the investigator is a Democrat, and this has been talked about at length by Democrats already, a last minute indictment may move the race by only a point or two. Wait too late (like the last week) and its political nature looks even more obvious, backfiring and hurting Barrett. Barrett has tomorrow and next week to pull such a trick out. Even then, the politcal nature of those involved, and Marquette polling showing more voters think it's politics and not serious (among those who already know about it), makes this "last straw to grasp" a weak one.
3- The DNC changes its mind and decides to go after Walker, caving into liberal group and blog pressure. Not very likely, but could boost Barrett.
4- Fraud. If the race isn't close, it won't matter. If Barrett reverses the trend, the last stand against it would be having pollwatchers.
5- The students of UW. If enough of them actually managed to file for absentees properly, they could help Barrett, but from the news I have gathered, that isn't likely. Their absence may even shrink the advantage Barrett will enjoy in Dane, not nearly enough to flip it but to make any hope of winning impossible.
On a more serious note, I visit quite a few election prediction sites and forums frequently, and came across several leftists who feel they have uncovered something ugly: everyone who has released a poll, or story about high R/low R turnout, or admitted disgust with the constant recalls, has been part of the Walker Agenda. Silly, said I.
But the more I thought about it, I realized how wrong we all have been. Dave Weigel, Greg Sargent, Scott Rasmussen, We Ask America's management, Tom Jensen of PPP, Markos Moulitsas, Marquette University, Professor Charles Franklin, and Professor Jonathan Zimmerman are clearly struggling to walk around with their pockets stuffed full of Koch cash. It's so obvious, it doesn't even require a cerebrum to reach such an obvious conclusion. We should all applaud the brave souls born with a stump-topped nervous system for uncovering this grave injustice.
Trayvon Martin Had Drugs In His System, As George Zimmerman Suspected; Also Had Gashes on His Fists, Consistent With George Zimmerman's Story
—Ace
But let's lock Zimmerman up because "justice," at least of the "racial" subcategory, demands it.
Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old who was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer, had the drug THC in his system the night of this death, according to new information obtained by ABC News....
The autopsy report shows traces of the drug THC, which is found in marijuana, in Martin's blood and urine.
The autopsy also shows that Zimmerman shot Martin from a distance of between 1 inch and 18 inches away, bolstering Zimmerman's claim that he shot Martin during a struggle that landed Zimmerman on his back, Martin straddling him and banging Zimmerman's head on the ground.
Martin's autopsy report also revealed that there was a quarter-inch by half-inch abrasion on the left fourth finger of Martin, another indication of a possible struggle. The teen, who lived in Miami, was in Sanford while serving a suspension for a bag of marijuana being discovered in his possession.
Duke Lacrosse Part Two.
Update: Obama's Kenya-Born Bio Was Only Corrected in April 2007
—Ace
What does all this mean? Don't know, but facts are facts.
According to archive.org, a website that caches websites on a regular basis, the Dystel.com website – the official website for Dystel & Goderich, Obama’s literary agents – was using the Barack Obama “born in Kenya” language until April 2007, just two months after then-Senator Obama declared his campaign for the presidency.
Roger Simon, an author, talks to Jack Cashill, another author, about author bios.
Do authors get to view, correct, and rewrite their bios before being printed up?
Of course.
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WEEKLY AOSHQ WISCONSIN RECALL PROJECTION 5/17/2012
—CAC
After three straight polls released showing Walker ahead and Republicans hyper-mobilized, this week's projection shows an expanding lead for the Governor, now slightly larger than what he enjoyed in 2010. Barrett has failed to see any bounce from the primary, the DNC has refused to kick him cash, a positive jobs report was pushed out a month early and a deficit report friday sank the "Wisconsin is still in the hole" meme. To recap the polling numbers, Daily Kos' PPP poll showed Walker up 50-45, We Ask America showed him up 52-43, and Marquette University shows him up 50-44. Plugging in the numbers and taking enthusiasm levels into acount, here is the latest from the Ace of Spades HQ Decision Desk:
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Gallup: Romney's Favorables Rise to 50%; Still Low
—Ace
Sure, still low, but better, and headed in the right direction.
Bill Clinton, Gallup notes, had a 38% favorable rating in March (not May) of 1992; by May, he became better known and improved that figure to 50% -- also low, but enough to win.
Via Hot Air, two more minor polls show Romney very, very slightly ahead.
Which is nice news after yesterday's poop-in-the-punchbowl FoxNews poll, which has Obama up seven, 46-39.
It should always be remembered that polls have a Margin of Error of +/- three or four or even five points (or more), with 95% confidence -- 95% of time the "real number," if you asked everyone in the population, will be within that margin of error. 5% of the time the result will be completely outside the margin of error, and simply wrong.
But even when a poll is accurate, it is only accurate, as your GPS might say, within 100 meters.
FoxNews says the lead they show is "just outside" the margin of error. Perhaps. But there is that 1 in 20 polls which are simply erroneous from the start. Given that everyone else is showing a tight election, many with leads for Romney, this poll seems to just be wrong. Gallup has it 45-45 today, for example.
One more fun fact: 86% of Republicans know spending has gone up the past 10 years; 81% of independents know that.
And what of our Intellectual Elite, aka the liberal Democratic Party?
Even worse, among the self-declared elite Rasmussen terms the "Political Class," only 66% know this elemental, basic bit of knowledge. While 85% of the "mainstream" (non-political class) are aware of it.
Oh, Dear: 1991 Promotional Material Circulated By Obama's Literary Agency States, In His Bio, That Obama Was "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii"
—Ace
Breitbart's series, "The Vetting," continues.
Acton [Obama's agent], who spoke to Breitbart News by telephone, confirmed precise details of the booklet and said that it cost the agency tens of thousands of dollars to produce.He indicated that while "almost nobody" wrote his or her own biography, the non-athletes in the booklet, whom "the agents deal[t] with on a daily basis," were "probably" approached to approve the text as presented.
Dystel did not respond to numerous requests for comment, via email and telephone. Her assistant told Breitbart News that Dystel "does not answer questions about Obama."
The errant Obama biography in the Acton & Dystel booklet does not contradict the authenticity of Obama's birth certificate. Moreover, several contemporaneous accounts of Obama’s background describe Obama as having been born in Hawaii.
The biography does, however, fit a pattern in which Obama--or the people representing and supporting him--manipulate his public persona.
Well, the bio does not disprove Obama's birth certificate, but it certainly contradicts it. There are two claims; both cannot be accurate.
While I'm not a Birther (and Breitbart's senior management states that Breitbart.com isn't a Birther site, and Andrew Breitbart himself wasn't a Birther), it is very curious as to why whoever wrote this bio believed that Obama was foreign-born. While it's true that bios are often not written by the subject, the information in the bio must come from somewhere -- and the obvious place to get such information is the subject himself.
I've been asked to write these myself -- and in fact I owe someone one right now -- and while they may be rewritten and edited, the guy asking you for the bio wants the basic information. He doesn't want to go researching stuff which you can provide for him in 40 seconds.
So it seems very likely this came from Obama. Where else would Obama's birthplace have come from? In 1991, Obama had not yet written his two (ahem) memoirs. He was not a famous man.
So, why did Obama say this?
Update: Ricketts Backs Away From Wright Ad
—Ace
All Democrats need do is cry "hatred" and everyone falls into line, like good little conditioned monkeys.
Democrats Freaking Out That Right Is Interested in Wright
—Ace
Not just Reverend Wright, but this stunning new revelation that a close friend of Obama's -- and Michelle's benefactor in Chicago -- offered Wright $150,000 to remain silent in 2008.
Obviously this is newsworthy and relevant.
Which you can guess from the coordinated freak-out.
A Super-Pac is proposing a $10 million ad campaign highlighting the relationship between Obama and Wright.
So All The President's Men are trying to pressure Romney to disown the attack and stop it.
“Stunning! Will Mitt stand up, as [Sen.] John McCain did? Or allow the purveyors of slime to operate on his behalf?” claimed a 5.42 a.m. tweet from David Axelrod, the senior strategic at Obama’s campaign headquarters in Chicago....
The proposed advertising is a “hateful campaign being planned by GOP super PACs,” claimed Bill Burton, who runs a Democratic “super PAC” political action committee, dubbed Priorities USA Action, that is itself designed to run negative ads against Gov. Mitt Romney.
Burton’s tweet came at 5.58 a.m. — some 16 minutes after the alert from Axelrod, who has worked in Chicago politics for decades.
At 9.05 a.m., Brad Woodhouse, the spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, joined the hue and cry. “Unbelievable @MittRomney can’t do more on this Ricketts slime story than say he hasn’t read the story,” he said in reaction to a Washington Post report that Romney declined to comment.
At 9.32 a.m., Woodhouse followed up with another tweet, saying “If @MittRomney can’t clearly denounce the type of scum bag tactics planned by his allies as outlined by the NYT he’s not fit to lead.”
New Protest in Wisconsin
—CAC
But a kind that has me howling:
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Top Headline Comments 5-17-2012
—Andy
Nice chart from Golden Slacks to get the day started, courtesy of @JimPethokoukis.
The Obamaconomy:
Circling the drain.
A Wisconsin Map To Dream A Wonderful Dream Upon (If You're Scott Walker)
—CAC
The Marquette poll which Ace and I both posted about had some very interesting cross-tabs.
The most damning shows the dangers of the traditional Democratic "big cities" strategy.
Below is a visual of the areas surveyed broken down by Marquette University for their poll. Tomorrow's weekly recall projection will show a bit more favor to Barrett in the South and West, but the overall picture remains damning and shows why Walker as of now is likely to survive:
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Overnight Open Thread (5-16-2012)
—Maetenloch
Communism vs. Capitalism in Pictures
PJ O'Rourke once remarked on flying into East Germany that you knew an economic system was terrible when its failure was visible even from 25,000 feet.
Well here are some photos of scenes from East Germany under communism and then later under capitalism. Everything looks a bit brighter and even the trash seems more upscale.
I also highly recommend O'Rourke's essay "What Do They Do For Fun in Warsaw?" based on his 1986 visit to Poland - no one snarked on communism like PJ.
And see if you can guess what economic system these photos came from?
Trick question - both are of modern-day Detroit which has been under the rule of Democrats for almost a century.
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Nebraska and Indiana
—Dave In Texas
Not a football post.
I tossed this in the headlines today but I really wanted to come back to it because I really wanted to come back to it. This is how I make posting decisions, an arduous process involving what I'd like to do and how I hope it's interesting to the morons.
Jon Bruning and Don Stenberg joined Nebraska state senator Deb Fischer at a "unity rally" the day after she clobbered them in the primary to offer their support and demonstrate their commitment to defeating Bob Kerrey in November.
Bruning and Fischer both looked bleary-eyed and even teary-eyed at times during the press conference – with Bruning looking off to the side during most of the press conference, avoiding eye contact with the roomful of observers and reporters. He and Fischer embraced at one point. Asked what he thought of the election results, he declined to comment, saying everything was water under the bridge and “This is Deb’s day.” “I’m 100 percent behind her,” Bruning said. “This is about how we can get together and beat Bob Kerrey.” Fischer credited Bruning for being a tough campaigner whom she looks forward to campaigning with and credited Stenberg for being a public servant for many years. “He serves his state with his heart and his soul,” she said.
I find this refreshing, and admirable. Some may attribute this to my naiveté. I say, "and don't you find my naiveté refreshing?"
Contrast this with the response of 6 term crybaby Dick Lugar, who got his ass kicked in Indiana a week ago by state Treasurer Richard Mourdock. Instead of appearing with him to provide support in his upcoming race, this "elder statesman of the senate" pitched a 1400 word bitchfit on why conservatives suck.
Unfortunately, we have an increasing number of legislators in both parties who have adopted an unrelenting partisan viewpoint. This shows up in countless vote studies that find diminishing intersections between Democrat and Republican positions. Partisans at both ends of the political spectrum are dominating the political debate in our country. And partisan groups, including outside groups that spent millions against me in this race, are determined to see that this continues. They have worked to make it as difficult as possible for a legislator of either party to hold independent views or engage in constructive compromise. If that attitude prevails in American politics, our government will remain mired in the dysfunction we have witnessed during the last several years. And I believe that if this attitude expands in the Republican Party, we will be relegated to minority status. Parties don’t succeed for long if they stop appealing to voters who may disagree with them on some issues.
Reminded me a little of Nixon's nemesis, political consultant Dick Tuck, and his famous comment after losing his 1966 primary race for the California senate. "The people have spoken, the bastards."
I realize there's a difference between two Republican contenders vying for their first shot at the Senate and a senior Senator with 6 terms behind him getting taken down by a rookie, but genuine leaders know better than to cry like a bitch and unless it's not all about them they show a little class. So the hell with you Dick. And thank you Jon and Don. Well played gentlemen.
article via stephenkruiser
Piers Morgan Notches CNN's Lowest Primetime Demo Ratings in 15 Years
—Ace
"Demo" means adults 25-54.
Maybe he should stick to Twitter.
Wait....Rhode Island Gave Curt Schilling (Yes, THAT Curt Schilling) $112 Million In Loan Guarantees For His VIDEO GAME Company?
—DrewM.
And now the company is defaulting on the loans. Of course they are.
In 2010, the state of Rhode Island came a-calling. As part of the RI Economic Development Corporation's effort to create jobs in the state, they offered 38 Studios a $75 million loan, if only they would pack up operations and bring them to Rhode Island. Schilling and co. moved to Providence, and pledged to employ 450 locals. It was a gamble for the state, which only had $125 million for the entire job creation program, and took criticism at the time.
450 people? To design a video game? I worked in the industry about 10 years ago on a game that became really popular and was sold to a major company for a metric butt-load of money (not that I got any of that). If there were ever more than 30 people working there I'd be shocked and they never got anywhere near $75 million in cash until they sold out.
Of course Schilling's company only ever had 288 people working there anyway. 288 people? On development? For a game not even ready for preview at E3? Oh dear God!
They better have singing robots there for that kind of money.
Of course Schilling is a "conservative" who is happy to take government money (that he used to pay himself back money he "lent" his company) and now wants even more money from Rhode Island. It seems all this money apparently comes from Obama's so-called "stimulus".
People in government don't even know how to run a government. Why do they think they are qualified to be investors?
Remind me again, why do we have Rhode Island as a state?
Via @abumuqawama
Obama's Budget Rejected Unanimously By Senate, 99-0
—Ace
President Obama's budget suffered a second embarrassing defeat Wednesday, when senators voted 99-0 to reject it.Coupled with the House's rejection in March, 414-0, that means Mr. Obama's budget has failed to win a single vote in support this year.
Republicans forced the vote by offering the president's plan on the Senate floor.
Democrats disputed that it was actually the president's plan, arguing that the slim amendment didn't actually match Mr. Obama's budget document, which ran thousands of pages. But Republicans said they used all of the president's numbers in the proposal, so it faithfully represented his plan.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican, even challenged Democrats to point out any errors in the numbers and he would correct them — a challenge no Democrats took up.
Democrats don't want to be on record supporting $6.4 trillion in fresh debt -- and yet they also demonize the Republican budgets (paring debt down to $3.1 trillion or under $2 trillion, spending on the plan) as "extremist."
They hate the Republican budgets -- and yet they cannot, will not produce their own.
Walker Opens Six Point Can of Whoop Ass On Barnett In Latest Poll
—Ace
50-44, but don't get complacent, Wisconsin voters.
Just three percent say they are undecided.
This represents a five-point shift to Walker's side -- in the previous poll from late April, Walker barely edged Barnett 48-47.
The Lieutenant Governor is doing okay, but needs your vote too. She's been pitted against the president of a firefighters union. Kleefish is ahead, 47-41.
Meanwhile, Walker's highlighting a survey showing a 33,000+ boost in Wisconsin employment.
And Republicans are somewhat more enthusiastic about voting in the recall than Democrats. 91% of Republicans are "absolutely certain" to vote, as opposed to only 83% of Democrats.
Not too surprisingly, the latest head-to-head figures track Walker's approval rating pretty closely -- he's at 50-46.
One more thing: CAC keeps saying the Republicans can win Wisconsin. Many commenters doubt him on that.
One of CAC's points is that people haven't updated their own private electoral maps yet, but are still thinking in terms of 2000, 2004, and 2008. Some states, CAC says, have become more Republican friendly -- he puts Wisconsin in that category, and Pennsylvania (I think).
Others have become much more Democratic. I forget his list on that, but I'd guess it includes New Hampshire (no longer red at all) and possibly Ohio (no longer Republican leaning, but Democratic leaning) and Virginia (toss up, maybe slight D advantage).
Anyway, the latest polling shows that Romney and Obama are tied at 46 in Wisconsin, among likely voters.
So Wisconsin is genuinely in play, it seems.
John Lovitz Talks to Megyn Kelly
—rdbrewer
At Mediaite.
[Lovitz] felt that spirit threatened by the attacks on rich people from the chief executive. “I said what a lot of people are thinking,” he told Kelly, and explained that “a lot of people are thanking me… they feel like they are being vilified because they are successful.” . . .As for pushback, Lovitz went as far as saying it may have helped his career, and explained that he would “never tell anybody who to vote for.” “I think I’m a different kind liberal in that I think people should be true to themselves… if you’re Republican or Democrat or conservative, you should be that.” Saying he was not “qualified” to tell people who to vote for, he noted he had about 10,000 new twitter followers, and there, “people say you’re a racist, you’re a Nazi– I’m Jewish, I’m a Nazi now– I mean, that’s the most ridiculous thing i’ve ever heard!”
The John Lovitz Comedy Club and Podcast Theater is at Universal Studios. Just sayin'.
Video below the fold.
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David Letterman, Truther: We Invaded Iraq and Afghanistan Because Cheney Wanted To "Help Out His Buddies at Brown & Root and Halliburton" and "Grab Up All The Oil;" Went "Soft" on Getting Bin Ladin To Not Upset "Saudi Arabian Royalty Buddies"
—Ace
Brian Williams claims that every military leader, when asked, would say "we would like to kill" bin Ladin, but it wasn't a "priority."
Until Obama.
That exchange starts at 2:20. Later, at 7:00 or so, Letterman says of Obama: "What more do we want this man to do for us? Honest to God!"
"You should have gotten wise before you got old." -- The Fool to King Lear
Leno on Romney's Coolness Gap: Sort of funny.
Thanks to carey.
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Cherokee Geneologist To Elizabeth Warren: Tell The Truth, You Lying Monsterscrunt
—Ace
The last part is deftly implied.
Tell the truth….While you cling to a family story and the inaccurate report that ONE document was found that supports your claim, we real Cherokees understand that those things mean nothing. You see, we Cherokees have lots and lots and lots of documentation supporting our claims of our ancestry. Our Cherokee ancestors are found on every roll of the Cherokee Nation (30+ rolls!) dating back to before the removal and in all sorts of other documentation, including but not limited to claims against the US government for lost property; the Moravian missionary records; ration lists before and after the forced removal, etc…yet your ancestors are found in NONE of those records.
But, your ancestors are found in plenty of historical records, and every time, they are found living as white people among other white people. Never are your ancestors ever found living among the Cherokees. Never, never, never, never…….yet you claim they were Cherokee….
So, Ms. Warren, you see, it is not just your opponent who has questions. We Cherokees have questions too and those questions have yet to be answered by you. You see, for us Cherokees, this is not political. This is about the truth.
You have claimed something you had no right to claim — our history and our heritage and our identity. Those things belong to us, and us alone. These are not things we choose to embrace when they benefit us and then cast aside when we no longer need them, but that is what you seem to have done by “checking a box” for several years and then no longer “checking” it more recently, when apparently you no longer needed it.
And she says she's formed a special group to prove Warren is 32/32nds white, and that they'll be releasing documents establishing this soon.
Gallup: Economic Ratings and Public Satisfaction with Direction of United States Suggest Obama May Be a One-Term Proposition
—Ace
His numbers resemble those of George H.W. Bush (the first Bush).
Perhaps the broadest indicator of the public's mood comes from Gallup's satisfaction measure, which asks Americans if they are satisfied or dissatisfied with "the way things are going in the United States at this time." The 24% of Americans currently satisfied is most similar to the 20% recorded in May 1992 during George H.W. Bush's first and only term. Bush was also the only sitting president of the last four to lose his re-election bid.By contrast, satisfaction was above 35% in May of 1996 and 2004, in advance of Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's re-elections. And it was 48% in September 1984, the closest time period Gallup has to May of Ronald Reagan's re-election year.
This is even worse, it seems:
The extent of Americans' concern about the economy -- as evident in their top-of-mind mentions of it as the nation's "most important problem" -- is greater today than for any president seeking re-election since Jimmy Carter in 1980. The current 66% mentioning one or more economic concerns is substantially higher than it was in May 2004 or May 1996, and moderately higher than at the same point in 1992 and 1984. Americans' mentions of the economy did surge in August 1984 to 65% -- comparable to where they are today -- but fell to 51% by September.
That the economy was on the top of people's minds as a concern in May 1984 is, as usual, deceptive, because the U.S. was emerging from a very painful recession, but surging with explosive growth -- the economy reversed itself sharply in a positive direction as 1984 marched on.
So, nearer the election, the economy fell as a top mention to 51%.
It is virtually out of the question that there will be a sudden surge in US economic output in the near-term timeframe. The likelihood of a meltdown seems a lot higher.
NEW MARQUETTE LAW POLL: GOV WALKER 50% MAYOR BARRETT 44%
—CAC
ABOVE THE JUNK UPDATE- THE BLUE WALL CRACKS: BARACK OBAMA, MITT ROMNEY TIED 46%-46% IN WISCONSIN
New poll out, numbers developing as they announce results.
UPDATE- Poll is now online.
Their last LV poll showed Walker winning by 1, 48-47.
So far, since the primary we have seen a Rasmussen poll giving Walker a 5 point lead, a We Ask America poll giving him a 9-point edge, and a DailyKos/SEIU-commissioned poll giving him a 5-point edge so that makes four for four since primary day. All other pollsters are finding a dynamic Republican turnout, which seemed pretty obvious from their showing in the primary May 8th.
DEVELOPING
UPDATE- PER MULAW WALKER APPROVAL RATING: 50/46 (up from 47/51 last poll)
UPDATE- Like/Dislike what Walker has done?
37% Like 38% Dislike, 22% like but not the way he's done it.
UPDATE- LT GOV RECALL RACE: Rebecca Kleefisch (R) leads Mahlon Mitchell (D) 47% to 41%
UPDATE- MORE CONFIRMATION OF PARTY ID CRASH FOR DEMS: Democrats had an 8 point lead over GOP in February, that has plummeted to a single point.
UPDATE- Are you absolutely sure you will vote in the recall? 83% of Democrats said yes. NINETY-ONE PERCENT of Republicans said yes. We could be looking at Presidential election-level turnout amongst Republicans.
UPDATE- Should WI keep ACT 10? YES 50% NO 43%
Follow hashtag #AOSHQDD or me on twitter
@MULawPoll
I Hope Nebraska GOP Primary Voters Know What They Are Doing Nominating Deb Fischer For US Senate
—DrewM.
This isn't a double post of CAC's election night coverage. It's the morning after, "what the hell did they just do?" story.
Last night a little know state Senator knocked off two other candidates to win the right to take on Bob Kerrey for Nebraska's open Senate seat this November.
Ms. Fischer beat state Attorney General Jon Bruning, who had long been the front-runner, by 41% to 36% with all precincts reporting. Mr. Bruning had won statewide election three times before and raised far more money than Ms. Fischer.Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed Ms. Fischer last week, and a political action committee backed by TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts spent $200,000 over the weekend on ads criticizing Mr. Bruning and promoting Ms. Fischer.
The result was a setback for powerful conservative groups that backed the third major candidate in the race, state treasurer Don Stenberg.
Mr. Stenberg, who had 19% of the vote, positioned himself as the tea party-style challenger to Mr. Bruning. He benefited from roughly $2 million spent on his behalf by Club For Growth, the Senate Conservatives Fund and FreedomWorks, but he faded at the end.
I'm not even going to pretend to know enough about Fischer but I hope we aren't in Angle, O'Donnell, Paladino territory here. She seems to have the positions you'd expect for a tea party type. The question is, did she receive enough attention in a campaign that seemed to focus on the other two candidates. Can she stand up in a one on one fight against a well known and experienced guy like Kerrey?
Two years ago tea party candidates (like some "establishment" ones) were hit and miss. I was hoping that the Richard Mourdock would be more the model this time around but I guess not in every case.
Fischer might well be the greatest thing since sliced bread and Nebraska might be so in the bag it doesn't matter. Still, we did learn that inexperienced candidates can say the darnedest things and blow up. Let's hope that's not the case here and Nebraska GOP voters do know exactly what they are doing.
Dave Weigel: Massive Enthusiasm Edge for Republicans in Wisconsin Real
—CAC
Weigel's latest piece on Slate describes the massive swing indicated in Public Policy Polling's Kos poll of the state, in which Republicans hold a massive seven-point edge in turnout:
When I journeyed to Wisconsin last week, I saw a surge of public support for Walker -- signs, bumper stickers, little tokens like those -- unlike anything I've ever seen in a non-presidential race. The polling bears this out. It's not necessarily doom-saying for Obama. It does explain why the DNC is quietly backing away from the race. Easier to give up then to try and narrow this enthusiasm gap twice.
MULaw Poll will be up in 90 minutes.
Chris Matthews-- Idiot. Open Thread
—DrewM.
So....apparently Ace posted this yesterday. We have a minimum number of double posts we have to provide. I'm just doing my bit for the cause.
Also, it's inevitable that in a post where you call someone an idiot, you make a dumb mistake. You can't argue with it, it's just science.
Open thread!
Original Post:
A little late to it but still fun.
Matthews made a big deal of how stupid Palin was/is and how she should have to go on Jeopardy! to prove herself or something.
Well, Crazy Uncle Chris did go on the show and didn't fare too well. See for yourself below the fold.
How badly did he do? He lost to Robert "You Know I'm Lying Because My Lips Are Moving" Gibbs. Ouch.
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