Did Panetta lie?

David R. Graham comments at Camp of the Saints:"Panetta lied patently when he said US military does not go into a hot, emergent situation with insufficient and multiply-confirmed intel. There are military units accessible to every Regional Command tasked with doing exactly that, because life, including diplomatic and military life, is full of situations that must be addressed immediately, on-the-fly, without question and without sufficient prior knowledge of goings-on in the subject area. And there are multiple tiers of units every Regional Command can summon to be sent in to back up the first response unit if requested by that unit or resolved upon by the Regional Commander." "Those first responders know they are going in more or less blind. They train for that mission. Their training lets them asses, their commo lets them describe and their authority lets them request – all in real-time – whatever they need to accomplish the mission once they have “hit the ground running,” which mission typically has more than one objective. Normal response procedure to first responders is, give them what they want, because as “boots on the ground” their knowledge and recommendation govern." http://thecampofthesaints.org/2012/10/30/benghazi-there-must-be-a-reckoning/#comments

Who will re-build damaged areas on the east coast?

Will illegal Hispanic immigrants be in the forefront of re-building the east coast? Alex Nowrasteh, writing at Cato@Liberty, says that has been the case in previous disasters. “Hispanics, documented and undocumented, dominate anything to do with masonry, concrete, framing, roofing, and landscaping,” said Bob McNelly, a contractor with Nash-McCraw Properties." Read more here: http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/immigrants-are-important-for-disaster-reconstruction/

There must be a reckoning

Bob Belvedere at Camp of the Saints says, "No matter the outcome of the Elections on 06 November, there must be a calling to account of those in this Adminstration who refused to do their duty and who let four men be murdered by our wartime enemies. There must be a reckoning." I think that is right. Go here to read more: http://thecampofthesaints.org/2012/10/30/benghazi-there-must-be-a-reckoning/

We will see

"A soft answer turneth away wrath, but does it win elections?" Ben Stein wonders. "Is it not terrifying, by the way, literally life or death terrifying, that Mr. Obama explicitly plans for unilateral disarmament? Isn't amazing that in a world as dangerous as ours, he plans deep cuts in the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marines? Isn't it amazing that while Iran races toward nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver them on Israel, Western Europe, and the USA, Mr. Obama refuses the slightest effort to build an ABM defense? And that he plans to unilaterally disarm the U.S. nuclear force in the face of enemies with nuclear weapons? Whose side is he on? This by itself makes a vote for Romney a necessity." Stein says Romney is not following the path laid out for him by Ronald Reagan. I don't know about that. Reagan calmly said to Carter, "There you go again!" That was pretty soft, when you think about it. Read more of Stein here: http://spectator.org/archives/2012/10/30/he-called-you-a-bch-gov-romney via Camp of the Saints: http://thecampofthesaints.org/2012/10/31/the-real-terror-threat-obama/

Who is Mitt Romney?

via http://www.brutallyhonest.org/brutally_honest/2012/10/what-does-mitt-romney-do-when-nobodys-looking.html

Let's award them the Presidential Medal of Freedom

How about awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ty Woods and Glen Doherty?

http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/20888-Presidential-Medal-Of-Freedom-for-Tyrone-Woods-and-Glen-Doherty.html

Using Obama's own words

via http://www.bizpacreview.com/new-romney-ad-higher-gas-prices-obamas-fault/

"No way to take possession" of terrorists!

http://www.bizpacreview.com/u-s-denied-access-to-benghazi-suspect-executive-order-to-blame/

One percenters!

via Instapundit

Fear of Failure

Michael Ledeen speculates that the primary reason for Obama issuing stand down orders in Libya was fear of failure. If the attackers had weaponry that could have brought down a C130, the impact on the election would have been disastrous for Obama. "Certainly a big part of Stevens’ mission was to recover the materiel left on the ground by Qadaffi’s troops, much of which was captured by the jihadis. It may have been reasonable to fear that the attackers had some." Read more here: http://pjmedia.com/michaelledeen/2012/10/30/the-shadow-knows/2/

"Cooling out" voters until after election day

Is President Obama a "confidence man?" Thomas Sowell thinks so, and tells you why in yesterday's column in Jewish World Review. "Confidence men know that their victim — "the mark" as he has been called — is eventually going to realize that he has been cheated. But it makes a big difference whether he realizes it immediately, and goes to the police, or realizes it after the confidence man is long gone. So part of the confidence racket is creating a period of uncertainty, during which the victim is not yet sure of what is happening. This delaying process has been called "cooling out the mark." "We are currently seeing another "cooling out" process, growing out of the terrorist attack on the American consulate in Benghazi on September 11th this year." "From the time it took office, the Obama administration has sought to suppress the very concept of a "war on terror" or the terrorists' war on us. The painful farce of calling the Fort Hood murders "workplace violence," instead of a terrorist attack in our midst, shows how far the Obama administration would go to downplay the dangers of Islamic extremist terrorism. The killing of Osama bin Laden fed the pretense that the terrorism threat had been beaten. But the terrorists' attack in Libya exposed that fraud — and required another fraud to try to "cool out" the voters until after election day." Please read the whole thing, as Dr. Sowell always says just what needs to be said, and not a word more.http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell103012.php3#.UJFIT663jvg

The "Vote Early" Democratic Ploy

via http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/voter-fraud-will-democrats-vote-early.html

It's a bill!

http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/cartoon-round-up_31.html

Questions for Obama

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.). (AP) McKeon has written a letter to President Obama. “There appears to be a discrepancy between your directive and the actions taken by the Department of Defense," said in his letter to Obama. "As we are painfully aware, despite the fact that the military had resources in the area, the military did not deploy any assets to secure U.S. personnel in Benghazi during the hours the consulate and the annex were under attack. I find it implausible that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of U.S. Africa Command, and the Commander of U.S. European Command would have ignored a direct order from the Commander in Chief.” McKeon than listed four questions he is demanding that Obama answer: 1) “To whom did you issue this first directive and how was this directive communicated to the military and other agencies--verbally or in writing?“ 2) "At any time on September 11, 2012, did you specifically direct the military to move available assets into Libya to ensure the safety of U.S. personnel in Benghazi? If so, which assets did you order to Libya? 3) "At any time on September 11, 2012, other than ISR assets, did you provide the authority for the military to take any and all necessary measures to secure U.S. personnel, including specifically the authority to enter Libyan airspace? 4) "Did you have any communication with the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or any Commanders of regional Combatant Commands regarding military support to U.S. personnel in Benghazi on September 11th? If so could you please describe any recommendations provided to you regarding available military support and any orders you gave them?" Chairman McKeon told the president that members of the Armed Services Committee are concerned that there might have been a 'breakdown in communication" between the commander in chief and U.S. military forces while the crisis was unfolding in Libya. "Members of the Committee on Armed Services are keenly concerned that any breakdown in communication that may have occurred not be repeated," McKeon wrote the president. "Given your stated interest in transparency and sharing all relevant information with the American people and the families of our fallen, I am hopeful you can promptly address these questions." Read more here: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/armed-services-chair-demands-obama-whom-did-you-order-do-what-91112

"Without Iran, al Qaeda cannot function"

There is not going to be a deal with Iran. Why? They want to destroy us! Every President from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama has tried to reach a deal with Iran. No deal will be forthcoming, until we realize that their goal is to destroy us, says Michael Ledeen, the foremost American expert on Iran. http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/what-medias-not-talking-about-when-it.html

Happy Halloween!

http://www.theospark.net/

Is it Terrorism 101?

The New York Post has a story about a class at NYU in which students are asked to step into the shoes of a terrorists and plan a terrorist attack. Students are required to write a ten to fifteen page paper on their battle plan. Read more here: http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/10/nyu-terrorism-class-asks-students-to-plot-a-deadly-jihadist-attack.html

Al Qaeda "brother" put in control of U.S. Embassy in Libya

Pamela Geller writes a post at Atlas Shrugs entitled SECRET DOCUMENT REVEALS AL QAEDA "BROTHER" PUT IN CONTROL OF U.S. EMBASSY IN LIBYA. The period covered was from 2011 through at least the spring of 2012. Read more here: http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/10/secret-document-reveals-al-qaeda-brother-put-in-control-of-us-embassy-in-libya.html The actual article quoted at Atlas Shrugged was written by Walid Shoebat and Ben Barrack. I have noticed that those who are exposing Islamist violence are very good at sharing articles among each other's blogs.

Islamists attacks on Christians and people of other faiths

Pamela Geller posts a summary of crimes committed against Christians by Muslims between October 8 and October 29 in Egypt, Tanzania, Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bosnia, Iran, and Syria. Read more here in an article written by Rupert Shortt:http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/10/christians-persecuted-throughout-the-world.html

Pedophilia urged for Egypt by Islamists

Egypt is drafting a new constitution. Someone named Assad Eleptysent to Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs a report that Islamist members of Egypt's Constituent Assembly are seeking to lower the age of marriage from 18 to 9, in keeping with the prophet's example. Read the whole report here, detailing the way women are treated in the new Arab Spring nation of Egypt: http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/10/egypt-devout-muslim-groups-attempt-to-legalise-paedophilia-.html

Now do we know why General Ham "resigned?"

Arnold Ahlert writes in Front Page Magazine "Over the weekend, the newest, and by far the most disturbing, revelations surrounding the Benghazi attack were revealed. Several sources have pointed to the possibility that a major CIA gun-running operation aimed at arming anti-Assad Al-Qaeda-affiliated forces was in danger of being exposed. If true, the information casts an even more devastating pall over the Benghazi terrorist attack and the administration’s botched handling of the region. The decision to stand down as the Benghazi terrorist attack was underway was met with extreme opposition from the inside. The Washington Times‘s James Robbins, citing a source inside the military, reveals that General Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, who got the same emails requesting help received by the White House, put a rapid response team together and notified the Pentagon it was ready to go. He was ordered to stay put. “His response was to screw it, he was going to help anyhow,” writes Robbins. “Within 30 seconds to a minute after making the move to respond, his second in command apprehended General Ham and told him that he was now relieved of his command.” Read more here: http://frontpagemag.com/2012/arnold-ahlert/arming-jihadists-backfires-in-benghazi/

Might some states put off voting due to Sandy?

Apparently there is some talk about some of the states affected by Hurricane Sandy deciding to postpone voting next Tuesday. Andy is not too worried about it: http://andysredneckramblings.blogspot.com/2012/10/put-off-presidential-election-due-to.html

Summarizing the implications of Benghazi

Lawrence Auster tries to sum up the implications of Benghazi: "The president was aware in real time of an organized military assault on our consulate and the nearby CIA annex in Benghazi. As the assault was proceeding, the president rejected the urgent requests of the personnel under attack for military assistance that could have stopped the attack on the annex. Then, having refused to take action to stop the military assault, he concealed the very fact that this military assault had even occurred, claiming that it was only a spontaneous mob protest against an obscure anti-Islam video on the Web which had gotten out of hand, and, further, that the source of the problem was not organized jihadist enemies in the country we had “liberated,” but Islamophobia in the United States. He and his administration, in every conceivable venue, repeated this false claim for two weeks, only dropping it when the truth came out and the lie was no longer sustainable. A month later, he told a bald-faced Orwellian lie in the second presidential debate that he had not concealed the nature of the attack, because he had said the day after the attack that it was a “terrorist” attack. The moderator, in an unheard of step, interjected herself into the debate to back the president up in this bald-faced Orwellian lie; the rest of the media backed up the moderator and the president; and the media also continued to spout the administration line that the only reason there is any issue about the Benghazi attack is that the Republicans are seeking partisan advantage from it. The Republican presidential nominee at the third debate declined to discuss the issue at all, allowing the president to get away with his spectacularly dishonest and arguably treasonous behavior. Finally, the zombie-like American people, whose only concern is their personal lives and whose entire grasp of politics is that the Republicans are for the rich and the Democrats are for the little guy, are on the verge of re-electing this spectacularly lying and arguably treasonous president. http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/023659.html

Why did Obama choose to stand down?

Paul Mirengoff at Powerline tries to assess the administrations's actions and inactions in Benghazi. He concludes: "(1) the administration erred grievously by leaving open our mission in Benghazi while turning down requests for more security, (2) the administration made the wrong decision on the day of the attack by not bringing our military to bear, a decision consistent with Obama’s instincts, and (3) the administration has not been forthcoming or honest in its discussion of Benghazi after the fact. These facts, without more, present a serious indictment of Obama.

Are you an over-adrenalized fan at the Republican vs. Democrat football game?

Lawrence Astor takes umbrage with Mark Steyn's assertion that Obama's campaign has "collapsed." Astor writes, "This is a further example of why you can’t trust Republicans: even though they are far better human beings than the Democrats and are far more honest, they remain, at their core, over-adrenalized fans at the Republican vs. Democratic football game, not seekers of truth." Read more here: http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/023667.html

Is horror the ultimate reality?

Lawrence Auster has a different take on the modern celebration of Halloween. "What is the connection between the liberal elites’ relentless, boastful celebration of their wonderful selves, their wonderful lives, their wonderful families, their wonderful homes and vacations, and their simultaneous fixation on horror and ugliness, for example, their attraction to hellish representations of reality in fashionable contemporary movies, plays, and novels, and the fact that their children disfigure their bodies with monstrous tattoos and metal studs? I think it’s the fact that the liberal self has no transcendent good in which it is rooted. Since the liberal self believes in nothing higher than itself, it must worship itself. At the same time, since the liberal self believes in nothing higher than itself, it is vulnerable to and attracted to horror, and, indeed, suspects that horror is the ultimate reality." Read more here: http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/023668.html

Will Governor Christie reschedule Halloween?

From the blog A View From The Right: "Are New Jersey residents so brain-dead, helpless, and out-of-control that their governor has to order them to keep their own children safe at home?" This question is referring to a tweet by Governor Chris Christie in which he said he would "reschedule" Halloween if he felt it necessary for the safety of children. Buck writes, "Does he believe that parents are so ignorant and mindless that they will be shoving their scared, costumed young children out into dark, un-lighted, storm-damaged, flooded neighborhood streets, if he doesn’t use the force of government to stop them?" Sage McLaughlin writes, " New Jersey is a state so mindlessly statist that it is illegal there to pump one’s own gas. This ban is justified on the incandescently stupid grounds that it provides jobs to gas station attendants, an idea one would have expected to encounter in Communist Russia circa 1922. I have yet to meet a person from New Jersey who either objects to this on principle, or understands why it is so idiotic, or is the least bit comprehending of the obvious arguments against it. I’ve tried, and I get nothing but blank stares. In fact, I have never visited any place where the government is so in-your-face from the moment you arrive as New Jersey. It is no surprise that the loudmouthed, self-important Christie was elected there, nor that he assumes the people there are incapable of figuring out something like whether or not to send their children out on Halloween in a flooded state." Read more here: http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/023678.html P.S. I see where Governor Christie and President Obama are together tonight in New Jersey, where Christie is praising Obama for showing concern.

"Do you want to live in a world where your President can incarcerate citizens for no reason beyond political gain?"

Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, is pissed because Obama has put resources behind medical marijuana prosecutions in California. He has been attacked by readers of The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, Gawker, Mediaite and other "Low Information" sites! He wants Obama fired: "In summary, if President Obama is devoting limited federal resources to go after marijuana dispensaries for no reasons other than political gain, including, for example, attracting campaign funding, he should be fired. If he has a reason for jailing a small businessman, and he chooses not to share it, that too is a firing offense." Furthermore, Adams asserts, "The best way to fire an incumbent president who is running for reelection is to vote for the only candidate with a realistic chance of beating him. If a voter switches from Obama to Romney it causes a two vote difference: one less vote to Obama and one more for Romney. Moving one vote from President Obama to a third party candidate is a one vote difference in the competition between President Obama and Romney." For those who argue that one must always look at the big picture, Adams responds sarcastically, "If President Obama decides to give our nuclear codes to Iran, let's agree to count that as one mistake that should be weighed against all of his good work. For example, there's the time he recycled, and the time he could have lied but didn't. So that's two good things versus one bad thing." Adams asks his critics, "Do you want to live in a world where your President can incarcerate citizens for no reason beyond political gain?" As for his views on Romney, the man he plans to vote for, well, he isn't exactly complimentary. "Romney knows that the electorate is full of idiots and he needs to be a gigantic liar to win their votes. I totally get that. The funniest part is his budget plan that he promises to describe in detail after he gets elected. Dumb people see this as "He has an awesome fiscal plan!" Democrats see it as "He's a liar with no plan!" I see it as "You know I'm a brilliant and experienced turnaround guy. I know how to do this sort of thing. And if I give details now it just paints a target on my back. So chill." Read more here: http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/interesting_day/

Halloween in America 2012

Gerard Vanderleun writes at American Digest: "If you've noted, as I have, the increasing lust for gruesomeness in costumes at every new Halloween, you might have reflected that dark humor has taken a back seat to darker fascinations." He writes about having been in Spain on All Saints Day, one of the holiest days of the Spanish year. He and his girl friend were trying to hitch a ride, and car after car of Spanish families drove right by them. "The Spanish tradition on this day is for the whole family to load up the car with flowers and other offerings and haul off to the local graveyard for a visit and picnic with the dearly departed." "These people still had the one thing that more and more Americans lack at the core of their lives: a belief in something greater than themselves, a belief in something greater than man, greater than death." "What the empty among us are compelled to do when confronted by death is a bit of mass-culture symbolic magic. We dress as what we fear most, and we deck our halls with symbols of death and decay." "In my neighborhood in Seattle many don't believe in anything sacred other than, at best, Obama. Their entire belief system centers on that tin god then on themselves and their "only one life to live, live, live!." All of which makes for an empty skin sack of existential desolation that they try to fill every Halloween with the greatest of American secular concepts: fun. "Fun" is a curiously American concept that seems to have begun its invasion of all aspects of our shared life shortly after the end of WWII. I suppose that after the Great Depression and the war, the nation felt it could use a little fun. And, as usual, that great American axiom, "If it is worth doing, it is worth overdoing," came into play. Nowhere do we see the idea that life should be "fun" pumped up into bigger balloons of pure vanity than on Halloween." Vanderleun concludes, "There really is no bottom. Is there?" Read more here: http://americandigest.org/mt-archives/american_studies/hitchhiking_in.php I would only add to this that the vehicle for achieving this "fun," is sugar. In recent years more and more medical and nutrition experts have explained to us the dangers inherent in sugar. The drastic rise in obesity is an epidemic. The economy may be bad, but you would never know it when you observe how much money is being spent on sugar treats this month.

"Opening the door to radicals, then failing to deal with the threat they posed"

Walter Russell Mead, writing at The American Interest, points out that the Benghazi story is not helping President Obama's re-election. "The President in his naive eagerness to spread democracy and build bridges to moderates opened the door to radicals and then failed to deal with the threat they posed." "President Obama needs Benghazi to go away. Even with hurricanes and tsunamis it appears unlikely to do so; count this as another factor that has risen up to complicate what once looked like a relatively smooth campaign to renew President Obama’s White House lease." Read more here: http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/10/28/the-benghazi-story-refuses-to-die-and-its-hurting-the-president/ via Instapundit

"The Obama administration took the phone off the hook"

John O'Sullivan writes at The Corner about three previous cover-up scandals, and how they might compare to the Benghazi cover-up. "The first scandal from the past is Watergate where the echoes are those bouncing back from the Benghazi cover-up. What did the president know and when did he know it? Did the president order that help be sent to the embattled Americans or not? He says he did. In that case, to whom did he give that order — the defense secretary? The secretary of state? His national-security adviser? Why wasn’t it carried out? Who was to blame for that? And if none of the above was to blame, then the questions return like a boomerang to the president “personally.” And as the questions multiply, so do the leaks, prompting still more questions." Read more here: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/331998/libyagate-lessons-past-scandals-john-o-sullivan# via Instapundit

Hey, monasteries have bills to pay, too!

The Telegraph reports that "Two women were arrested on suspicion of prostitution after seven rooms were found in a building close to Sretensky Monastery where sexual services were offered from 1,750 roubles (£35) per hour. Father Tikhon, the abbot of the monastery, is said to be a religious counsellor to Mr Putin, who is a confirmed Russian Orthodox believer."

Read more here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9640920/Moscow-police-discover-brothel-on-monastery-premises.html via Instapundit

The public's right to know - before it votes!

In an effort to help Americans find the truth about Benghazi before the election, Roger L. Simon has set up an email account for persons who may know something factual that would add to our knowledge about what happened or what should have happened there. Simon writes, "Despite the extraordinary nature of the event and its immense implications for the War on Terror and for U.S. foreign policy in general, most mainstream media outlets are devoting little or no attention to it. Meanwhile, an election is being held on November 6 that is considered by many to be the most important in our lifetimes. Some are already voting. Yet the electorate remains largely in the blind on this key issue." "We further know there are a number of individuals out there who know the truth or part of the truth about what happened in Benghazi that night. Most probably those individuals work for the government (intelligence agencies, State Department, etc.) or the military and are not permitted to divulge this information in public. We sympathize with them, their requirements, and their privacy. But we also suspect those people are feeling pangs of guilt when they see the father of one of our slain heroes on television, demanding to know the truth." "Our purpose is only the public’s right to know — before it votes — so we are not kicking ourselves in the shins three years later when it all comes out at a congressional hearing." Kudos to PJ Media! via Instapundit http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2012/10/29/email-benghazi-at-pjmedia-com/

It's hard to distinguish between conspiracy and groupthink

Jonah Goldberg, writing in the L.A. Times, points out that "Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said last week that the "basic principle is that you don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on, without having some real-time information about what's taking place." If real-time video of the attack and communications with Americans on the ground begging for assistance doesn't constitute "real-time information," what does?" Goldberg goes on to write about the media's "groupthink" on what stories they desire to cover or not cover. Read more here: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-goldberg-msm-benghazi-20121030,0,6605340.column via Instapundit

21st Century Elite Liberalism: A Psychological Condition

Victor Davis Hanson asks some questions of liberals today: "Did Barack Obama think that the Keystone pipeline or new gas and oil leases in the Gulf were superfluous, or that we do not need oil to make gasoline, wheat to make flour, or to cut timber to produce wood?" "Did liberals (and their hand-in-glove employer supporters who wished for cheap labor) think that letting in millions from Central Mexico, most without legality, English, or a high school education (and in some sense at the expense of thousands waiting in line for legal admission with capital, advanced degrees, and technological expertise), was not problematic and that soaring costs in law enforcement, the criminal justice system, the schools, and the health care industries were irrelevant?" "Liberalism is an elite person’s psychological investment in enjoying a guilt-free affluence." "Large percentages of the population now work for government — federal, state, or local. Millions more are divorced from the tragic world of mining or drilling where nature is unforgiving. That distance has allowed Americans in droves to disengage from both the private sector, where one either makes a profit or goes broke, and the grimy processes by which we live one more day. A San Francisco professor, a Monterey lawyer, and a Sacramento bureaucrat do not know how hard it is to raise beef, grow peaches, find and pump oil and gas, and haul logs out of the forest and into Home Depot as smooth lumber, or what it takes to build a small Ace Hardware business. The skills needed to keep a 7-Eleven viable in a rough neighborhood, I confess, dwarf those of the classics professor." "For some, especially those who are well-educated and well-spoken, a sort of irrational furor at “the system” governs their political make-up. Why don’t degrees and vocabulary always translate into big money? Why does sophisticated pontification at Starbucks earn less than mindlessly doing accounting behind a desk? We saw this tension with Michelle Obama who, prior to 2009, did not quite have enough capital to get to Aspen or Costa del Sol, and thereby, despite the huge power-couple salaries, Chicago mansion, and career titles, felt that others had far too much more than the Obamas. “Never been proud,” “downright mean country,” “raise the bar,” etc., followed, as expressions of yuppie angst. The more one gets, the more one believes he should get even more, and the angrier he gets that another — less charismatic, less well-read, less well-spoken — always seems to get more." "In short, twenty-first century elite liberalism has become a psychological condition, not a serious blueprint on how to solve real problems. The president knows that — and so without ideas has been reduced to name-calling and sermons on Big Bird." Read more here: http://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson/why-liberals-think-what-they-do/?singlepage=true via Instapundit

Who gave the orders to "Stand Down?"

Investors Business Daily editorializes: Benghazi: The president says the election has nothing to do with four brave Americans getting killed, but, as in 1980 at another embassy, it should — just as it matters who gave the order to stand down. We have speculated that a reason the cries for military help during the seven-hour assault on our consulate in Benghazi were ignored was due to fears of another "Blackhawk down" incident as in Somalia under President Clinton or a repeat of the Desert One mission that crashed and burned in the Iranian desert in a failed attempt to rescue our hostages in Tehran in 1980. After all, according to Richard Miniter's book "Leading From Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him," it was at the urging of White House adviser Valerie Jarrett that President Obama canceled the operation to kill Osama bin Laden three times before finally approving the May 2, 2011, Navy SEAL mission. Her concern: the political harm to Obama if the mission failed. As we've written, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has falsely said we didn't have real-time intelligence of the terrorist attack on our consulate in Benghazi. The administration has also suggested it was the CIA that put the brakes on any attempt at relief or rescue. ABC's Jake Tapper reports that a CIA spokesman, presumably at the direction of CIA Director David Petraeus, has put out a statement saying, "No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate." Someone did, and the question is who? Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/102912-631261-benghazi-stand-down-order-goes-unexplained.htm#ixzz2AoFIejAe via Instapundit

"Cries for help and support went unanswered"

Retired Admiral James A. Lyons, writing in The Washington Times: "We now know why Ambassador Christopher Stevens had to be in Benghazi the night of 9/11 to meet a Turkish representative, even though he feared for his safety. According to various reports, one of Stevens’ main missions in Libya was to facilitate the transfer of much of Gadhafi’s military equipment, including the deadly SA-7 – portable SAMs – to Islamists and other al Qaeda-affiliated groups fighting the Assad Regime in Syria. In an excellent article, Aaron Klein states that Stevens routinely used our Benghazi consulate (mission) to coordinate the Turkish, Saudi Arabian and Qatari governments’ support for insurgencies throughout the Middle East. Further, according to Egyptian security sources, Stevens played a “central role in recruiting Islamic jihadists to fight the Assad Regime in Syria.” "Once the attack commenced at 10:00 p.m. Libyan time (4:00 p.m. EST), we know the mission security staff immediately contacted Washington and our embassy in Tripoli. It now appears the White House, Pentagon, State Department, CIA, NDI, JCS and various other military commands monitored the entire battle in real time via frantic phone calls from our compound and video from an overhead drone. The cries for help and support went unanswered." "The person who made that callous decision needs to be brought to light and held accountable. According to a CIA spokesperson, “No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need.” We also need to know whether the director of CIA and the director of National Intelligence were facilitators in the fabricated video lie and the overall cover-up. Their creditability is on the line. A congressional committee should be immediately formed to get the facts out to the American people. Nothing less is acceptable." Retired Adm. James A. Lyons was commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and senior U.S. military representative to the United Nations. Read more: LYONS: Obama needs to come clean on what happened in Benghazi - Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/28/lyonsobama-needs-come-clean-what-happened-benghazi/#ixzz2Ao9IKKe5 Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

"Is anyone screening your calls?"

Each weekday morning I try to catch a little of Laura Ingraham's radio program. This morning I caught the last five minutes. Laura had a doctor on the program advising people on sleep habits. A woman called in and said she had married a man who lived in an earth home. Laura asked the woman, "Did you say you married a man in a "Nurse Home?" The woman said, "earth home." Laura said, "birth home?" No, the woman said, "an earth home, like the earth." "It was a home built into the side of the earth." Laura said, "Oh, an earth home?" The woman said "Yes. I only got about five hours of sleep in eight years, because of the mold." The doctor quipped, "Laura, do you have anyone screening your calls?"

Dissembling, Deflections, and Outright Lies

Frank Gaffney lists some of the information that is now known about Benghazi. As the attack was underway, the President knew what was going on. Thanks to two unmanned drones, real-time intelligence was being fed to as many as eight different critical civilian and military nodes - including the White House. Published reports indicate that Mr. Obama himself, as well as his senior subordinates, were exposed to those video feeds. Consequently, it was apparent in the actual course of the event that jihadists were engaging in a murderous military-style assault on a U.S. diplomatic mission, not simply demonstrators running amok. There had been no demonstration in Benghazi. Period. Yet, administration spokesmen, up to and including Mr. Obama himself, said otherwise repeatedly. There had been requests for improved security at the Benghazi facilities and other sites in Libya. There had also been requests simply to retain the security forces that had been in place in-country up until summer's end. The Obama administration denied those requests and then prevaricated about having done so. Think Vice President Joe Biden in his debate with Rep. Paul Ryan. Within an hour of the start of the attack, Mr. Obama met with his national security team's senior civilian and military national security leaders. The President has claimed he issued an order to "make sure that we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to." It is not clear at this writing to whom that order was given. What is clear, though, is that serial requests for supporting fire and reinforcements from some of those personnel were denied. Reportedly, Ambassador Christopher Smith chose on September 11th to be in Benghazi, even though he had expressed growing concern that it and the rest of Libya were becoming increasingly dangerous. He had a first-hand appreciation of just how dangerous since he had, for over a year, helped arm, finance and otherwise support Libya's most aggressive Islamist elements in the interest of achieving the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi. What was so important as to prompt our top diplomat in Libya to make such a dangerous foray? It seems the ambassador felt compelled to meet with the Turkish consul general that evening for the purpose of damage-limitation following the compromise of the secret weapons pipeline Chris Stevens was then running to Syria. By some accounts, the Russians, Iranians and others had discovered that he was covertly providing automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and even shoulder-fired, man-portable anti-aircraft missiles to "the opposition" there, including known jihadists associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda. The revelation that Barack Obama was presiding over an operation involving gun-running to our enemies - including weapons virtually certain to be turned against us, later if not sooner - could have been fatal to his reelection bid. Add to that the evidence that a serious U.S. military response to the violence in Benghazi would provide of the fatuousness and mendacity of the administration's "Arab Spring" and "lead-from-behind" in Libya narratives. Toss in, too, Mr. Obama's refusal to act to save American lives and you have a perfect storm for a president. In the crisis, President Obama was evidently paralyzed, not decisive let alone courageous. Regrettably, the loss of four of our countrymen that fateful night and the cover-up that followed will come to be seen by history as simply the leitmotif of a Commander-in-Chief whose record is a virtually unmitigated disaster for the United States. It behooves all of us, and most especially the mainstream media, to stay focused - despite the devastating impact of hurricane-force winds, widespread blackouts and massive flooding - on the insights and lessons of the still-unfolding Benghazigate firestorm. Read more here: http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/p19137.xml

The incredible segregation of Chicago

found here: http://all-that-is-interesting.com/radical-segregation-chicago

"He exuded a kind of an odor"

Maetenloch at Ace of Spades reminds us that there once was a football player named Dick Butkus.

Who vetoed the strike on terrorists in Benghazi?

From Ace: Blackfive: A US Troop Would Not Have Been Painting a Target Unless There Was a Spectre or Armed Predator In the Air to Fire On It —Ace Now that he points this out, it's obvious-- a laser designator isn't a weapon. It's a designator which a flying weapons platform sees and then strikes. A SEAL wouldn't just be pointing a laser designator at a target for shits and giggles. If there were no platform in the air that could fire on the target, he wouldn't be pointing a laser designator at the target. He'd be pointing a gun. So there was almost certainly a platform capable of firing the weapon in the air. And further: At that point, only two men would have been in a position to veto the strike. The AFRICOM command, or the President. Rush has an interview with a Special Operations planner who says that in an in extremis situation, as the attack on Libya was, the good guys would not have needed an explicit order to protect US personnel. Their standing general orders to protect US citizens and personnel would have already enabled them to act, absent a contrary order. Only a negative order would have stopped them. http://ace.mu.nu./

Nothing is a given...everything is a gift

"What has wounded you? What is keeping your hands closed? How do you fill with hope and empty of hurt? How do you open up your hands and take the dare to fully live? Closed to grace? How do I wake up to grace and joy? It is a choice. Can we live with loss, and still choose to say yes to God's grace? Deep joy is found only at the table of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving always precedes the miracle. Hands open wide in gratitude for the moment. Dare to name all the ways that God loves you. At all times, at all times, thank God." Beautiful Ann Voskamp writes the beautiful blog A Holy Experience. Please watch this video to be inspired to live a life of thanksgiving. Then, go to her blog and learn about "plucking feathers, making thanksgiving your default, unyielding gratitude to God, nothing is a given...everything is a gift." http://www.aholyexperience.com/

Listen to your children!

It's not always easy, but the savage murder of Jessica Ridgeway brings home this point: listen to your children! Denver Post reporters interviewed families who lived near the murder scene. In a nearby neighborhood, Emily Alexander said her 11-year-old daughter came home scared a few days before Jessica disappeared. Some "creepy teenager" had been staring at her and a friend while they played at a park near Lukas Elementary School in Westminster. After Jessica was abducted, Alexander said her daughter was adamant that the "creepy teenager" was responsible. "She kept telling me, 'I know who it is,' " Alexander said. "And I just thought she was being paranoid." Read more: Enigmatic portrait of Jessica Ridgeway suspect's family emerges - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_21870983/enigmatic-portrait-jessica-ridgeway-suspects-family-emerges#ixzz2Ae1rYcTf Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

Getting hotter? Nope!

Last summer was a hot one here in Colorado. But, not the hottest. Here is a map that tells what year and decade were the hottest for each state.

From a guest post by Steve Goreham here: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/10/24/climate-and-state-high-temperature-records-wheres-the-beef/

"We do not need another generation of liars"

via http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=55315

Negligent, irresponsible, or complicit?

Vlad Tepes links to Tim Brown at Freedom Outpost, who writes, "In piecing together the details of the Benghazi attack up the U.S. consulate, it is becoming clear that there were U.S. Special Operations forces on the ground, at least two drones overhead and lasers being used to paint at least one target. The question then becomes, if these things were in place for a strike against attackers, who called it off? There can only be one answer, the commander-in-chief Barack Obama." Brown continues, "Just how much information did you need? The White House had emails. They had forces on the ground, drones overhead, a live feed, painted targets. For four hours nothing was done while the consulate was attacked. There was a Special Operations team operating in Central Europe that could have been called upon, but weren’t, and could have flown there in less than two hours. But none of this was done." Read more: http://freedomoutpost.com/2012/10/bombshell-benghazi-targets-painted-air-support-overhead-obama-calls-off-strike/#ixzz2AdlOaOpF

Why has General Ham been replaced?

Did you know that General Carter Ham has been replaced as head of U.S. Africa Command? James Robbins writes about it today in The Washington Times. General Ham would have been the one who could have brought in troops and aircraft to save American lives in Benghazi on September 11. Read more here: http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/robbins-report/2012/oct/28/general-losing-his-job-over-benghazi/print/#ixzz2AdIahnG5

Ten Questions for the White House

William Kristol, writing in The Weekly Standard has posed ten questions to President Obama, and directly asked those questions to the White House. 1.) To whom did the president give the first of his "three very clear directives"—that is, "make sure that we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to?" 2.) How did he transmit this directive to the military and other agencies? 3.) During the time when Americans were under attack, did the president convene a formal or informal meeting of his national security council? Did the president go to the situation room? 4.) During this time, with which members of the national security team did the president speak directly? 5.) Did Obama speak by phone or teleconference with the combatant commanders who would have sent assistance to the men under attack? 6.) Did he speak with CIA director David Petraeus? 7.) Was the president made aware of the repeated requests for assistance from the men under attack? When and by whom? 8.) Did he issue any directives in response to these requests? 9.) Did the president refuse to authorize an armed drone strike on the attackers? 10.) Did the president refuse to authorize a AC-130 or MC-130 to enter Libyan airspace during the attack? http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/ten-questions-white-house_657977.html

Special Operations Speak

The Progressive Case Against Obama

Does federal government policy benefit entrenched economic interests? Here is an excerpt from a post written by former Democratic congressional aide Matt Stoller: "There are many good arguments against Obama, even if the Republicans cannot seem to muster any. The civil liberties/antiwar case was made eloquently a few weeks ago by libertarian Conor Friedersdorf, who wrote a well-cited blog post on why he could not, in good conscience, vote for Obama. While his arguments have tremendous merit, there is an equally powerful case against Obama on the grounds of economic and social equity. . . . after the crisis, after the Obama inflection point, corporate profits recovered dramatically and surpassed previous highs, whereas home equity levels have remained static. That $5-7 trillion of lost savings did not come back, whereas financial assets and corporate profits did. Also notice that this is unprecedented in postwar history. Home equity levels and corporate profits have simply never diverged in this way; what was good for GM had always, until recently, been good, if not for America, for the balance sheet of homeowners. Obama’s policies severed this link, completely. This split represents more than money. It represents a new kind of politics, one where Obama, and yes, he did this, officially enshrined rights for the elite in our constitutional order and removed rights from everyone else (see “The Housing Crash and the End of American Citizenship” in the Fordham Urban Law Journal for a more complete discussion of the problem). The bailouts and the associated Federal Reserve actions were not primarily shifts of funds to bankers; they were a guarantee that property rights for a certain class of creditors were immune from challenge or market forces. The foreclosure crisis, with its rampant criminality, predatory lending, and document forgeries, represents the flip side. Property rights for debtors simply increasingly exist solely at the pleasure of the powerful. The lack of prosecution of Wall Street executives, the ability of banks to borrow at 0 percent from the Federal Reserve while most of us face credit card rates of 15-30 percent, and the bailouts are all part of the re-creation of the American system of law around Obama’s oligarchy. Found here: http://www.volokh.com/2012/10/28/the-progressive-case-against-obama/

"That's not good enough, Mr. Secretary!"

General Minerney adds his voice to the many, many others who are demanding to know who gave the order to stand down in Benghazi. "The person who gave the order to stand down is the person who is responsible for the murders of Sean Smith and Ambassador Stevens." Please go to The Right Scoop to see the video of the Fox News interview of General McInerney: http://www.therightscoop.com/lt-gen-mcinerney-on-benghazi-whoever-gave-the-stand-down-order-is-responsible-for-killing-ambassador/

Needed: Truth, Justice, and Forgiveness

Charles White to Obama: "Stand up, admit your fault, and change the direction of your life!" "God is in control of every situation." And, wow, this Judge Jeanine Pirro is something else! I do not have a t.v., so I have just this week been introduced to her work, as blogs such as The Right Scoop have posted videos. "The President watched my son being killed in a live feed." "The Navy Seals have a Code of Honor: they will never leave anyone behind." "This was not necessary. I decided to honor my son and we also want there to be truth and justice, as well as justice."

Teleprompter Earpiece

Obama was wearing an earpiece during the third debate. Who was talking to him? What did they tell him to say?

I found this picture here: http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/2012/10/bizarre-obama-death-stare-in-3rd-debate.html

Did you know stingrays could dance?

Read more here: http://presurfer.blogspot.com/2012/10/flight-of-baby-stingray.html

Who says there are no jobs?

Found here: http://presurfer.blogspot.com/2012/10/waitress-needed.html

Did Obama seek to reestablish full diplomatic relations with Iran soon after he took office?

An Israeli paper, Maariv, has reported that

"Soon after he took office, President Barack Obama began a process ultimately designed to reestablish full US diplomatic relations with Iran, including a reopening of embassies, an Israeli daily reported Sunday. The initiative, part of a wider shift in America’s diplomatic orientation, aimed at reaching understandings with Tehran over suspending its nuclear program, Maariv claimed, citing “two Western diplomats very close to the administration.”

The initiative led to at least two US-Iran meetings, the report said. Israel was made aware of the contacts, and opposed them.

But Iran rebuffed the “diplomatic hand” offered by the White House, Maariv reported. The Islamist regime “opposed any sign of normalization with the US, and refused to grant a ‘prize’ to the Americans,” according to an anonymous Israeli source quoted by the paper."

Read more here:  http://www.timesofisrael.com/obama-offered-to-reestablish-ties-with-iran-paper-reports/

Via The Drudge Report

"He had no remorse"

Charles Woods, father of heroic slain Seal Ty Woods, should be front and center as the nation learns about what happened in Benghazi. He calmly analyzes Obama as a "conflicted person not at peace with himself," and "he had no remorse." Also, he describes Hillary Clinton as "not telling me the truth."

"A Cowardly Disgrace, Culpable Negligence"

One of the most powerful videos I have ever seen, especially the Commander of the USS Cole:

Summarizing Benghazi and media silence

Melanie Phillips summarizes some of the facts that are now known about Benghazi in this blog post: http://bobagard.blogspot.com/2012/10/focus.html

Focus!

American lives could have been saved

Benghazi: We had the forces in the air and on the ground to have stopped the attack at any point, eliminating the terrorists and saving American lives. An AC-130U gunship was on the scene at Benghazi, and the Obama administration refused to let it fire. Bob Owens writes about it at PJ Media: http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/26/ac-130u-gunship-was-on-scene-in-benghazi-obama-admin-refused-to-let-it-fire/

Needed: Urgent Political Hygiene!

Mark Steyn weighs in on Benghazi: "The only remaining question was whether the administration had knowingly lied or was merely innocently stupid. The innocent-stupidity line became harder to maintain this week after Fox News obtained State Department emails revealing that shortly after 4 p.m. Eastern, less than a half-hour after the assault in Benghazi began, the White House situation room knew the exact nature of it."

 "Nevertheless, when the president and other prominent officials stand by as four Americans die and then abuse their sacrifice as contemptuously as this administration did, decency requires that they be voted out of office as an act of urgent political hygiene."
Read more here:  http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/obama-375873-video-one.html

Local reporter asks Obama four good questions

Here are some questions Denver's 9 News reporter Kyle Clark asked President Obama yesterday. When have you heard any national reporter ask questions like this? You can go here to read more, and there is a video of Obama's response to the questions, if you want to waste seven minutes. http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Wow!-Local-News-Reporter-Asks-Obama-About-Libya-Crony-Capitalism-and-Civility (via Instapundit)

1. Were the Americans under attack at the consulate in Benghazi Libya denied requests for help during that attack? And is it fair to tell Americans that what happened is under investigation and we'll all find out after the election?
2. Were they denied requests for help during the attack?
3. In a national address, you touted the stimulus money going to Abound Solar - a Colorado company connected to one of your billionaire fundraisers. Now, as you may know, Abound Solar is out of business and under criminal investigation. The jobs are gone and taxpayers are out about 60 million dollars. How do you answer critics who see Abound Solar as Colorado's Solyndra - a politically connected clean energy company that went under and took our money with it?
4. Mr. President, you've called for more civility in our nation's political conversation - and much has obviously been made about the tone of this race. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, you called Governor Romney a "bullshitter." What did you mean and why did you choose that word?

How America can avoid another impeachment

Roger L. Simon writes today at PJ Media, "Which is the worse, lying to cover up a party office break-in, lying under oath about extra-marital sex with an intern, or lying to the American public about a terror attack that resulted in the deaths of four of our worthiest citizens while covering up the continued power and presence of al-Qaeda and its allies throughout the Islamic world and maybe beyond?

You be the judge. I think Benghazi is worse. A lot worse. But if you want to avoid an impeachment (not to mention the ascendance of the cognitively disadvantaged Joe Biden to the presidency) and all that entails for our country when we have so many problems to resolve, there is a simple solution — vote Romney on November 6.

 Read more here: http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2012/10/27/if-reelected-obama-should-be-impeached-over-benghazi/?singlepage=true

Vandal keys "Obama" into two cars

via Instapundit

Democrat of theYear convicted of exploitating elderly disabled woman

Lynn Bartels, arguably The Denver Post's best reporter, writes in today's paper:
Three days before Jefferson County Democrats were scheduled to hand out their Democrat of the Year award, they were warned that the recipient was under investigation for exploiting an elderly woman with physical and mental disabilities.

Now, the party faces the embarrassment of seeing its honored volunteer — Estelle Carson — as a convicted felon.

A Jefferson County jury on Thursday convicted Carson of identity theft and theft from an at-risk person, both felonies, according to Pam Russell, spokeswoman for the district attorney. Carson, 67, is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

Read more: Jefferson County "Democrat of the Year" convicted in at-risk adult case - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21864891/colorado-democrat-year-convicted-at-risk-adult-case#ixzz2AWKHK251
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

Supporting the Obama presidency

Did you know that in addition to his cabinet, his 469 assistants to the president, each paid near or above $100,000 per year, and other support staff, President Obama now has 43 czars? Each is paid more than $170,000 per year, and each has his own costly staff and office operations. Here is a partial rundown on the $2 billion dollar operation supporting the Obama presidency: http://patriotupdate.com/articles/obamas-43-czars-how-much-help-can-one-president-need

Did Petraeus just throw Obama under the bus?

C.I.A. spokesman: "No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate.”

So, asks Bill Kristol,

"Who in the government did tell “anybody” not to help those in need? Someone decided not to send in military assets to help those Agency operators. Would the secretary of defense make such a decision on his own? No.

It would have been a presidential decision. There was presumably a rationale for such a decision. What was it? When and why—and based on whose counsel obtained in what meetings or conversations—did President Obama decide against sending in military assets to help the Americans in need?

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/petraeus-throws-obama-under-bus_657896.html

The Destructive President

"When Bill Clinton and Barack Obama entered the White House, their problems became our problems."
via  http://politicsandfinance.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-must-read-psychological-analysis-of.html
(and Theo Spark)

Impeachment of Obama: what would that accomplish?

So, now where do we go? The Trifecta presentation below powerfully makes the case that, if Obama wins re-election, we the people should immediately move forward with Articles of Impeachment in the U.S. House of Representatives. They are correct, of course, but what will that accomplish? If Obama wins, that means that the U.S. Senate will likely still be in the hands of his party, with the despicable Harry Reid remaining at the helm. Look what happened to Bill Clinton, impeached in the House, then acquitted in the Senate, and now filthy rich and revered by half of America!

Rush: "Bottom Line: Somebody Refused To Make A Gutsy Call"

Colonel Curt Dale brings my attention to this video from Right Scoop. I was listening to Rush Limbaugh yesterday when this call came into his program from Doug, a Lt.Col. Special Operations planner for fifteen years.

The Cold Consequences of Incompetence

http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/benghazi-gate-should-congress-start.html

Don't count your chickens until they're hatched!

Bill Whittle believes Mitt Romney has fundamental decency, and will win this election. Let us pray that he is right. 
via http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/afterburner-with-bill-whittle-running.html

Not only cowards, but also murderers

Father of slain Seal (Benghazi) hopes the cowards in the White House will eventually change the direction of their lives. There will be much more on this blog about this. God bless this father.
via http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/father-of-slain-benghazi-seal-slams.html

Jerry Doyle

Sometimes late at night when I am winding down and trying to get organized for the next day, I listen to talk radio. I used to turn on Michael Savage, but since he was taken off the air for a while due to a law suit against his syndicator, the station I listened to Savage on changed to Jerry Doyle. I like Doyle much better! Savage is very entertaining, but completely full of himself. Doyle, on the other hand, talks out loud about things I think about during the day. He articulates very well the questions I am turning around in my own mind, and coming to the same conclusions I have come to!

Scaring people with high tech

"An LG viral. IPS (In-Plane Switching) is a technology used for Liquid Crystal Displays. Here IPS monitors are installed on the floor of an elevator."

http://presurfer.blogspot.com/2012/10/so-real-its-scary.html

Cartoons from Debate 3

Three cartoons I saw at Theo Spark's blog

President Obama and I cancel each other's votes today

President Obama and I voted today. We canceled out each other's votes, and, unlike him, I did not have to present an i.d., since I voted by mail, and had already presented my i.d. when I registered several years ago. Watch the president get his absentee ballot in Illinois: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/331695/obama-gets-idd-while-voting-katrina-trinko

Fatherless homes

One blogger who has very strong opinions, and backs them up with facts, is the blogger at The Burning Platform (http://www.theburningplatform.com/). Even though he is a supporter of the Occupy movement and Ron Paul, I read his blog, because he makes his points in a thought-provoking manner with lots of statistics and graphs and such. On fatherless homes:

• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
• 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
• 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes
• 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes
• 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
• 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes
• 85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes. 

Mitt and Barack: Two prototypical guys

Joy Overbeck writes in The American Thinker that women know both Mitt and Barack. In fact, they are "the two prototypical guys nearly every one of us women has encountered in our romantic lives: the Boy Scout and the Bad Boy; Mr. Clean-Cut, and Mr. Mystery.  

Barack-Guy turned out to be a short-term infatuation, but he left you with some great material for your diary and a few sappy poems.  And the inevitable heartbreak.  Still, you were glad if a bit surprised when you heard he had done very well in life.  You know now he was just an adolescent phase, a warm-up for the real thing.  You chose the other guy: the honest straight arrow you could depend on, the guy with the shining future and the clear vision.  And how happy you are that you chose wisely.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/10/women_know_mitt_and_barack_weve_dated_them_both.html#ixzz2AMeHhSo8

Specializing in the art of artifice

Is the President of the United States a liar? Selwyn Duke believes so, and lists his reasons why at the American Thinker blog. http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/10/barack_obama_is_a_liar.html

What works best?

So, if statism, communism, fascism, socialism, liberalism are not the answers, could the answer be conservatism?
I found at http://thatmrgguy.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/must-see-video-conservatism-is-the-answer/

Cover-up

Joel B. Pollak, writing at Breitbart.com, says both CBS and Obama have some explaining to do regarding what did the President know about the Benghazi attack, and why the cover-up? Obama gave an interview to Steve Kroft at CBS's 60 Minutes on the day after the attack. Pollak writes, 
"Obama told Kroft that the attack in Benghazi was different from the violent protest at the U.S. embassy in Cairo: "You're right that this is not a situation that was exactly the same as what happened in Egypt, and my suspicion is, is that there are folks involved in this who were looking to target Americans from the start."

Obama's remarks pointed towards a premeditated attack, in contrast to the story the White House went on to tell for weeks.

CBS chose not to air that portion of the interview with President Obama--not even in the days and weeks that followed, when it was highly relevant--first to the question of the nature of the Benghazi attack, then to the question of whether the president had in fact called it an act of terror from the start."
Read more here:  http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/10/25/CBS-Busts-Obama--and-Itself-Hidden-60-Minutes-Clip-Proves-White-House-Lied-About-Benghazi?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BreitbartFeed+%28Breitbart+Feed%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

Is Colin Powell "dishonorable?"

Is Colin Powell "dishonorable?" Quinn Hillyer, writing today at Pajamas Media, thinks so. Furthermore, Hillyer writes that nobody should give any credence to Powell's re-endorsement this week of Barack Obama. Go here to read why Hillyer believes Powell is dishonorable: http://spectator.org/blog/2012/10/25/the-dishonorable-colin-powell

I read Rumsfield's autobiography, Known and Unknown, and Powell does not come out looking very good in that book. Neither does Condi Rice. However, I am now reading Bob Woodward's book, State of Denial, about the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq, and, in that book, Rumsfeld comes off as a complete control freak.

Ted Turner thinks it's "good" that American soldiers are committing suicide

Want to hear what an "enlightened" jackass thinks about the fact that suicides are outnumbering combat deaths in the U.S. Army this year?  http://www.humanevents.com/2012/10/25/ted-turner-tells-piers-morgan-soldier-suicides-are-good/
via Instapundit

Mail it in!

Based on weather forecasts, I wrote a few days ago that the visit to Colorado this week could be hampered by a change in the weather. Actually, the Romney event at Red Rocks had the two Rs in shirtsleeves, but Obama's event the next day in a park near downtown Denver had people huddling up to keep warm. The blizzard waited until last night to appear, with me and my little car barely making it up the last hill.

Now the weather forecasters are predicting bad weather for you folks living near the east coast this weekend and next week. Better mail in that ballot this time.
http://pjmedia.com/weathernerd/2012/10/25/hurricane-sandy-could-seriously-disrupt-the-election/
via Instapundit

More on the alleged killer of Jessica Ridgeway

Seventeen-year-old Austin Reed Sigg, who was arrested on charges that he is the alleged killer of ten-year-old Jessica Ridgeway, enrolled in a local community college in August. When asked in his psychology 101 class what he was going to choose for his major, he said, "mortuary science." When one student presented a paper on anti-social personality disorder, she used a case study on serial killer Ted Bundy, and pointed out that Bundy had no empathy for his victims. At that Sigg chuckled, and became excited, saying that he was intrigued about dead bodies.

Last spring he was enrolled at a technical high school. He took a "forensic science" course, in which he learned about things like decomposing bodies, blood splatters, DNA, (his DNA was found on Jessica's backpack) and hair analysis. He won second place at the school's science fair. His topic: decomposing bodies! He compared bodies decomposing in water, versus dirt or keeping the body frozen. High school students need to learn this?

Before his arrest, Siggs lived with his mother and 14-year-old brother. His mother is the one who called police. Siggs "turned himself in," said his mother. Where is the father? The father has a criminal history, which includes domestic violence, and financial misdoings.

One student at the community college described Sigg as "very charming and very intellectual."

His paternal great grandmother lives in Independence, Missouri. At a press conference yesterday she said she would like to "light Sigg on fire and send him off to Hell in a blaze of glory!"

A girl who lived seven houses down from Sigg said Sigg was a "real sweetheart." "If you were walking by yourself, he would be the one who would come up and walk with you." She and Sigg used to throw knives at each other. She said he had a large collection of knives.

I am not making any of this up, folks. Everything above is from stories in today's Denver Post: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21852488/austin-sigg-suspect-jessica-ridgeway-murder-due-court

Update: More on the father of Sigg:  As documented by Fox31, his criminal history dates back to 1983 and includes more than a dozen arrests. In addition to a bank-fraud conviction, the charges include DUI, selling and distributing drugs, burglary and assault, assault and battery, resisting/obstructing arrest, domestic violence, driving under the influence of drugs and being a habitual traffic offender. http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2012/10/austin_reed_sigg_robert_sigg_media_empire_law_troubles.php?ref=trending&page=2

Suspect arrested in murder of Jessica Ridgeway

Police have announced the arrest of a suspect in the murder of 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway. He is 17-year-old Austin Reed Sigg. He is also the suspect in an attempted abduction of a woman at a nearby lake.
http://www.850koa.com/main.html

Who won?

Obama dominated the conversation, and had the "death stare." The challenger showed that he is a credible alternative ("Nobody ever got fired for hiring I.B.M.") Romney is competent, confident and cool. Obama looked small, as he ridiculed Romney, and told the Middle East that America had been dismissive and derisive. Watch the Trifecta here: 

Deceiving America

Thomas Sowell begins his latest column saying, "It was a little much when President Barack Obama said that he was "offended" by the suggestion that his administration would try to deceive the public about what happened in Benghazi. What has this man not deceived the public about?" He then goes on to tick off a comprehensive list of deceptions. Read the whole thing here: http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell102312.php3#.UIgxqq63jvg

Gun-walking in the Middle East

Frank Gaffney says the mystery of what happened that night (September 11) in Libya, and the subsequent cover-up, is beginning to unravel. Has Obama been transferring weapons to our enemies? Was the facility in Benghazi a "consulate?" Or, was it a shabby building used to support insurgencies in the Middle East? Was Ambassador Stevens helping to recruit jihadists to fight in Syria? Has President Obama been engaged in gun-walking in the Middle East, as well as on our southern border with Mexico?
found here: http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/frank-gaffney-obamas-middle-east-fast.html

Bowing to China

found here: http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/american-crossroads-bow.html

Fat and Broke

From Rico at Theo Spark's blog: two things that are on the rise in America: obesity and credit debt. Click to enlarge.
http://www.theospark.net/2012/10/two-american-growth-storiesfrom-rico.html

"Me-too Mitt"

The Denver Post welcomed President Obama to Denver today with an editorial chiding "Me-Too Mitt" for his performance in the third debate. That's all Obama needs, one more derisive phrase to attack his opponent! Read the Post editorial here: http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_21838737?source=commented-

Romney and Ryan at Red Rocks

Last evening I heard on the radio that there were tremendous traffic jams on C470, which goes around the western edge of the Denver metro area. Then I remembered, Romney and Ryan are here tonight at the "magnifient" Red Rocks amphitheater. The place was overflowing with more than ten thousand people. A very grateful Mitt Romney thanked Coloradans, including Democrats, for the welcome and "send-off."
Be sure to watch this second video, which shows more of the huge crowd and the beautiful surroundings!

Obama to kill Osama binLaden again...two days before the election

The New York Times reports that Obama will have a starring role in Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden, the movie about the killing of Osama bin Laden, and that it will be released on t.v. two nights before the election, and on Netflix one day before the election. A November surprise! Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, big Democrat fundraiser, bought the film, which had already been edited by its director, then brought in Michael Moore's producer to edit in several scenes of Mr. Obama. But wait, I thought we needed to be careful not to inflame the Muslim world with our films! Don't worry, though, as Steve Gilbert posted at Sweetness and Light, only an idiot would blame Muslim violence on a movie.

found here: http://sweetness-light.com/archive/weinstein-edited-osama-movie-to-boost-obama#.UIgRhq63jvg

Targeting America's economy

You may have heard about the recent Muslim bomb plot to blow up the Federal Reserve. But, do you know what the would-be-bomber hoped to accomplish? Read this from the federal arrest affidavit:  The Federal affidavit states that Nafis wanted to carry out a major terrorist attack to “make one step ahead, for the Muslims… that will make us one step closer to run the whole world”.

Nafis believed that, “Targeting America’s economy is most efficient way to draw the path of obliteration of America as well as the path of establishment of Khilipha (Caliphate.)”
Read more here:  http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2012/10/friday-afternoon-roundup-real-gaffe.html

Weather not cooperating with candidates

The presidential candidates are going to be greeted by some rough weather here in Colorado this week. Today the winds are so high that a semi was overturned a little while ago on I-25 south of Denver. Tonight Romney and Ryan will be at the Red Rocks Amphitheater west of Denver, where the winds like to come roaring down, when there is a change in the weather. And, a change is predicted. It will be much cooler tomorrow when Obama speaks at a park near downtown Denver. Thursday snow is predicted, with a high temperature only 32 degrees.

A compilation of humor and thought-provoking cartoons and photoshops I saw in surfing the net today.

Irreconcilable differences

Dennis Prager speaks at a Republican campaign rally in California.

Freedom, justice from sea to shining sea

Please go to Snopes to read the  remarks given by Judge William Young to convicted shoe bomber Richard Reid, as he sentenced Reid to life in prison.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/shoebomb.asp
via small dead animals

Juxtapose

Obama last night:

Marine Corps training:

via small dead animals:

Unequivocal: Romney Won

Charles Krauthammer: "It's unequivocal. Romney won. Not just tactically, but strategically. Romney went large; Obama went small: very, very small."

He tried to stop thugs from stealing his Romney sign

This is what a Wisconsin man looks like today, after he tried to stop two thugs from stealing his Romney sign. From Breitbart and Gateway Pundit: Early Friday morning, thug supporters of President Obama beat up the son of Wisconsin State Senator Neal Kedzie, outside of his apartment in Whitewater. Kedzie caught the two men removing a Romney sign outside of his apartment around two o’clock in the morning. After telling them to put the signs back, one of the thugs attacked Kedzie and then put him in a choke hold and continued to beat his head.

"Come home, America"

George Will noted last night the death of George McGovern, and the fact that both presidential candidates appear to have been endorsing foreign policy in line with the McGovern's 1972 losing presidential bid.

“The fact … that this debate occurred in the immediate aftermath of the death of George McGovern underscores a remarkable reversal in presidential politics for both parties,” Will said. “That is 40 years ago tonight, George McGovern was running on the slogan, ‘Come home America.’ He then lost 49 states. Forty years on, ‘Come home America’ is pretty much the foreign policy of an American plurality, and perhaps an American majority, as the president seemed to understand as he repeated three times, by my account, said we have to get back to nation-building here at home.”

Will said Romney “pulled back” during the debate from offering aggressive solutions to the situation in Syria.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/23/george-will-debate-shows-remarkable-reversal-in-public-sentiment-on-us-foreign-policy/#ixzz2A8t0KaDc

The candidate of vengeance

William Saletan, writing in Slate: No wonder the president capped the debate with a joke about horses and bayonets. Bayonets are for hand-to-hand combat. They’re for getting bogged down in a situation of prolonged peril. Obama has no interest in that. He’s a man of drones, not bayonets. He’s for using modern technology to administer, at minimal risk, the ancient rite of punishment. And, God help us, we love it. Barack Obama, the liberal law professor, has become the lord of drones, raids, ousters, and assassinations. He hates troop deployments but loves to purge, punish, and liquidate. He’s not the candidate of war. He’s the candidate of vengeance.
Read more here:  http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2012/10/obama_s_foreign_policy_debate_from_bin_laden_to_libya_to_drones_he_s_the.html

Dick Morris on Debate 3

"Mr. President, America has not dictated to other nations. We have freed other nations from dictators!"

http://patdollard.com/2012/10/romney-hammers-obama-over-apology-tour-we-dont-dictate-to-nations-we-free-nations-from-dictators/

Hey Barack, The Marines Still Use Bayonets!

via Gateway Pundit

Update:  According to the official U.S. Marine Corps website, every Marine is STILL required to complete a bayonet training program ... because "the weapon becomes just as effective [as a rifle] in close combat situations."

Read more: http://www.knst.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104707&article=10516788#ixzz2A8qmsy18

Chris Wallace on which man seemed presidential

via Gateway Pundit

Snark, arrogant, and condescending versus coming off as the nicer guy who is willing to work in a bipartisan fashion

Betsy Newmark: "I guess Romney decided that he didn't want to be on the attack for this debate to slash Obama on Benghazi and some other points. He showed that he knows the foreign policy and passed the commander-in-chief test. He gambled that it was better to come off as the nicer guy who is willing to work in a bipartisan fashion rather than being the angry warrior that Obama is."

"I don't think that Obama did much for his likability numbers tonight. He was snark, arrogant and condescending."