A whole lot of speculation by political pundits, on both sides of the political aisle, is filling the “airwaves” concerning if, where and when a certain Arctic Fox is going to announce her campaign for the Presidential Nomination of the Republican Party.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard or read the following statement:

Palin can’t win. Independent voters will never vote for her.

As early as 1992, the Myth of the Independent Voter was being debunked.  A book by that name, now available in paperback, is summarized in the following manner on amazon.com:

Few events in American politics over the past two decades have generated more attention than the increasing number of voters calling themselves Independent. By the early 1970s Independents outnumbered Republicans, according to many eminent experts on voting behavior. Yet the authors of this incisive new commentary on American politics claim that most of this widespread speculation on declining party affiliation is simply wrong. They contend that most so-called Independents lean strongly toward one of the two parties and resemble–in all important respects–either Democrats or Republicans. Contrary to expert opinion, only a small segment of voters are truly “independent” of either major party.

Based on the most up-to-date 1990 data, The Myth of the Independent Voter provides a roadmap of the political arena for the general reader and scholar alike. Debunking conventional wisdom about voting patterns and allaying recent concerns about electoral stability and possible third party movements, the authors uncover faulty polling practices that have resulted in a skewed sense of the American voting population.

Demonstrating that most of what has been written about Independents for more than thirty years is myth, this challenging book offers a trenchant new understanding of the party system, voting behavior, and public opinion.

On July 7th,2011, Alan I. Abramowitz, Senior Columnist at Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, wrote about the Myth of the Independent Voter:

There they go again. The presidential campaign season is barely under way but already pundits and pollsters are making misleading claims about independent voters and the role they play in presidential elections. Here are some of the things you’ve probably read or heard in recent weeks:

Independents make up the largest segment of the American electorate.

Independent voters are up for grabs in 2012.

Whichever party wins a majority of the independent vote will almost certainly win the presidency.

These beliefs about the crucial role of independent voters in presidential elections have become the conventional wisdom among the Washington commentariat, reinforced by groups like “No Labels” and “Third Way” that try to promote centrist solutions to the nation’s problems. Recently, the Pew Research Center provided additional support for this theory with a report claiming that independents constitute a rapidly growing and diverse group of voters who swing dramatically back and forth from election to election.

It sounds convincing, but when it comes to media commentary about independent voters, you shouldn’t believe everything you read or hear.

It’s true that independents are a diverse group. But that’s mostly because the large majority of independents are independents in name only. Research by political scientists on the American electorate has consistently found that the large majority of self-identified independents are “closet partisans” who think and vote much like other partisans. Independent Democrats and independent Republicans have little in common. Moreover, independents with no party preference have a lower rate of turnout than those who lean toward a party and typically make up less than 10% of the electorate. Finally, independents don’t necessarily determine the outcomes of presidential elections; in fact, in all three closely contested presidential elections since 1972, the candidate backed by most independent voters lost.

Let’s start with the claim that independents make up the largest segment of the American electorate. That’s true only if you lump all independents together including those who don’t vote and those who lean toward a party. In 2008, according to the American National Election Study, independents made up 40% of eligible voters but only 33% of those who actually voted. Moreover, of that 33%, only 7% were true independents with no party preference. The other 26% were leaners.

And what about those independent leaners? Fully 87% of them voted for the candidate of the party they leaned toward: 91% of independent Democrats voted for Barack Obama while 82% of independent Republicans voted for John McCain. That 87% rate of loyalty was identical to the 87% loyalty rate of weak party identifiers and exceeded only by the 96% loyalty rate of strong party identifiers.

It’s hardly surprising that the vast majority of independent leaners voted for their party’s presidential candidate in 2008. The evidence from the 2008 ANES in the following chart shows that independent Democrats and Republicans held very different views on major issues — views that were very similar to those of their fellow partisans. Independent Democrats were more liberal than weak Democrats and about as liberal as strong Democrats while independent Republicans were less conservative than strong Republicans but just as conservative as weak Republicans.

From foxnews.com:

She [Sarah Palin] stoked the speculative fire once again on Friday, posting a slickly produced video of her trip on the SarahPAC website. In the video, which included shots of Palin interacting with the crowd interspersed with giddy media commentary, the narrator declared the ex-governor is still “grabbing the attention of Iowans and, yes, the media.”

The real tease came at the end, with a written reminder to Iowans that Palin will “see you again” on Sept. 3. That’s when Palin is expected to deliver a speech at a Tea Party rally in Indianola, Iowa.

Charlie Gruschow, co-founder of event host Tea Party of America, told FoxNews.com he doesn’t know what Palin will do at the rally, but that “all we’re being told is that she’s going to make a major announcement.”

Tea Party of America has already started running radio ads in Iowa promoting the event. And the group’s website has a poll asking readers not if but “when” Palin will announce her candidacy

Karl Rove, a Fox News analyst and former adviser to ex-President George W. Bush, said the movement looks “pre-presidential campaign” to him.

“I’m not much of a gambler but I’d put a little more money that she gets in than if she doesn’t, because of the schedule she’s got next week in Iowa, it looks like that of candidate, not celebrity,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”

Donald Trump, who had publicly entertained — and then snuffed — the thought of his own presidential campaign, said Monday that he thinks “she maybe is going to go into the race.”

Trump said he previously didn’t think she was entering and told Fox News that she was still undecided when he met with her in New York City this past May. But he suggested Palin’s recent schedule and comments are that of a potential candidate.

He noted that she’s already a known quantity.

“She certainly has a big voice in the Republican Party,” Trump said.

Y’know, judging from the traffic that any Sarah Palin Thread generates at Conservative websites, for somebody whom the “pundits” (professional and amateur) keep insisting is not running or doesn’t stand a chance, she sure is generating a ton of national interest.

Or course, what do I know? I voted for a guy who used to star in movies with a chimp.

It appears that the decades-long brutal riegn of Libya’s mad despot Muammar al-Qaddafi has come to a violent end.

According to the Libyan rebels’ top diplomat in London, only five percent of the capital city was still controlled by forces loyal to the Libyan leader, after a morning of intense fighting near Kadhafi’s compound in Tripoli.

Per Mahmud Nacua, there are “still some pockets” of support for Qaddafi, but rebels are asserting control.

He says they have not yet found Qaddafi but “the fighters will turn over every stone to find him, to arrest him, and to put him in the court.”

Sunday, United States of America President Barack Hussein Obama issued the following statement while on vacation with the First Family at Martha’s Vineyard:

Tonight, the momentum against the Qadhafi regime has reached a tipping point. Tripoli is slipping from the grasp of a tyrant. The Qadhafi regime is showing signs of collapsing. The people of Libya are showing that the universal pursuit of dignity and freedom is far stronger than the iron fist of a dictator.

The surest way for the bloodshed to end is simple: Moammar Qadhafi and his regime need to recognize that their rule has come to an end. Qadhafi needs to acknowledge the reality that he no longer controls Libya. He needs to relinquish power once and for all. Meanwhile, the United States has recognized the Transitional National Council as the legitimate governing authority in Libya. At this pivotal and historic time, the TNC should continue to demonstrate the leadership that is necessary to steer the country through a transition by respecting the rights of the people of Libya, avoiding civilian casualties, protecting the institutions of the Libyan state, and pursuing a transition to democracy that is just and inclusive for all of the people of Libya. A season of conflict must lead to one of peace.

The future of Libya is now in the hands of the Libyan people. Going forward, the United States will continue to stay in close coordination with the TNC. We will continue to insist that the basic rights of the Libyan people are respected. And we will continue to work with our allies and partners in the international community to protect the people of Libya, and to support a peaceful transition to democracy.

Scooter, we’ll be lucky if it doesn’t turn into a Muslim Theocracy.

What effect will the victory of the Libyan Rebels have on the tinderbox known as the Middle East?

Per reuters.com, it make spark a firestorm:

From the Atlantic coast to Gulf shores, live images on Arab satellite channels of rebels pouring into Tripoli, trampling on pictures of Qaddafi and chanting “From alley to alley, door to door,” taunting the leader with his own threats to hunt down his enemies, will rattle Arab leaders facing similar revolts.

Arab capitals have been enthralled as street protests forced Tunisia’s Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country he had ruled for 23 years and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak to step down after 30 years in power and now Qaddafi’s government to decompose.

Arabs who this month have seen Mubarak and his sons appear behind bars and who now see the rule of the longest-serving Arab ruler collapsing must wonder what else is possible.

From Syria to Yemen, Arab autocrats who sought to use force and repression to contain pent-up popular aspirations and fend off uprisings must have pause for thought after events in Libya.

Meanwhile, the Libyan Rebels are receiving back-up from NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has announced that combat air patrols over Libya will continue until all pro-Qaddafi forces surrender.

A NATO official called for Qaddafi to step down immediately in order to save lives and allow for a peaceful transition.

I hope he’s not holding his breath.

The rebels took over the capital city of Tripoli yesterday, facing just token resistance as Qaddafi’s forces disappeared, along with his 42-year-old dictatorship.  Rebels and citizens joined together in spontaneous celebrations in Green Square, known as the symbolic heart of the regime.

Qaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, was captured by rebel forces during the seige of the city. Al-Islam will be tried (supposedly) on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, and the court urged rebels to turn him over, rather than seek revenge. Another of the dictator’s sons was under house arrest.

Hundreds of men and women celebrating in Green Square, used a mocking nickname of the curly-haired Qaddafi, chanting:

It’s over, frizz-head.

During their celebrating, the partiers fired shots in the air, clapping and waving the rebels’ tricolor flag. Some of them set fire to the green flag of Qaddafi’s regime and shot holes in a poster of Qaddafi.

By Monday morning in Libya, the rebels, who controlled large parts of the capital, set up checkpoints alongside residents, many who had been secretly armed by rebel smugglers in recent weeks. However, small pockets of pro-Qaddafi forces still remained.

Per businessweek.com:

The U.S. State Department urged rebel leaders “to maintain broad outreach across all segments of Libyan society and to plan for post-Qaddafi Libya,” spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a written statement.

The rebel council will appoint a transitional government after moving its headquarters to the capital from the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, in eastern Libya, [Mahmoud Al-Nakou, Libyan charge d’affaires to the U.K] said. “Today, we start to rebuild Libya. We look forward to building a democratic country. We will have institutions, freedom in every part of the country and in different fields of activities.”

The rebel council was prepared to quickly restore normalcy to Libya, including the country’s oil production for much-needed income, [Mohamad Al Akari, an adviser to the National Transitional Council, the rebel governing body] said. Except for the refinery at Brega, damage was not major, he said.

Is the future of Libya going to be similar to that of Egypt?

The Jerusalem Post reported on 8/6/11:

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood held a public internal election on Saturday for the first time in its history in a display of openness before a parliamentary election in November.

The Brotherhood, Egypt’s most popular and organized political force, was banned and often harassed, but semi-tolerated, during the 30-year rule of former president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by an uprising in February.

“The group is doing this now as it wants to set a model in democracy and transparency ahead of the parliamentary vote,” Mustapha al-Sayyid, political science professor at Cairo University, said of the Brotherhood’s public vote.

“Having an internal election in public will certainly increase the credibility of the group among the public,” he said.

The Brotherhood is generally seen as the best prepared group for the November election in which its newly formed “Freedom and Justice” party will contest half the assembly’s seats.

…Saturday’s vote, to which journalists were invited, was to pick replacements for three senior figures who resigned from the Brotherhood’s administrative body in April to join the Freedom and Justice Party, which the group says will be independent.

The three men are party leader Mohamed Mursi, deputy leader Essam Elarian and secretary-general Mohamed Saed Elkatatny.

“The elections taking place in this open manner is one of the gains of the blessed revolution that has allowed freedom of expression and granted freedom to all Egyptian citizens, including the Muslim Brotherhood,” the group’s guide, Mohamed Badie, said in a speech at the event at a Cairo hotel.

The voters were members of the Brotherhood’s 122-strong decision-making Shura Council.

The Brotherhood then hosted a Ramadan Iftar banquet, at a cost put by a local newspaper at about a million Egyptian pounds ($168,000), with guests expected to include military council members, government officials and presidential candidates.

So…does this revolution turn out to be all about the Devil we know versus the Devil we don’t?

Hey…does anybody remember some guy named the Ayatollah Rouhollah Mousavi Khomeini?

 

 

As the Leader of the Free World plays golf and eats ice cream during a 10-day family vay-cay in the exclusive community of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, the area of the world known as the Middle East, once again sets on the precipice of a Firestorm.

Per breitbart.com:

A beleaguered Moamer Kadhafi urged supporters Sunday to “march by the millions” and quash a months-long uprising, as rebel forces advanced on Tripoli and claimed his 42-year rule was on its last legs.

The strongman’s appeal came as fighting erupted and rebels closed in on Libya’s seaside capital by claiming a third key city in 24 hours.

“We have to put an end to this masquerade. You must march by the millions to free the destroyed towns” controlled by rebels he labeled as “traitors” and “rats.”

“These scum enter mosques to cry ‘God is great.’ They are dirty. They are defiling the mosques,” Kadhafi said in an audio message carried on state television.

Earlier, a Tripoli resident said cries of “Allahu Akbar” could be heard from mosques in the city’s eastern sectors.

Kadhafi accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country is helping lead NATO-coordinated air strikes on the strongman’s military assets, of recruiting the rebels as “agents” to steal Libya’s vast oil wealth.

“To win the upcoming elections, he wants to be able to say to his people: ‘Here, I’m offering you Libyan oil’ and this is going to be achieved with the help of traitors.

“But the Libyan people will not allow France to take its oil or leave Libya to the hands of traitors,” he said.

As blasts and gunfire rocked Tripoli after the break of the dawn-to-dusk fast of Ramadan and witnesses reported fighting in the eastern neighbourhoods of Soug Jomaa, Arada and Tajura, the government insisted it was in charge of the city.

“The situation is under control,” Information Minister Moussa Ibrahim said, adding that pro-regime volunteers had repelled insurgent attacks in several neighbourhoods.

Ibrahim dismissed mounting speculation that the regime was on the brink as a “media attack,” but more gunfire was heard after he spoke on television.

Diplomats between the region’s leaders, Egypt and Israel feverishly worked on Saturday to smooth the strained relationship between the two nations, prompting the Israeli government to issue a rare statement of regret for the killing of three Egyptian security officers by an Israeli warplane.

The relationship between the two countries is so strained that Egypt announced Saturday that it would recall its ambassador from Tel Aviv. This new round of tension has been brought about by a burst of violence along the border which they share in the Sinai Peninsula. Eight Israelis were killed there in a series of attacks on Thursday. The Israelies then retaliated against Gaza-based militants, and the three Egyptians died in the crossfire.

Following Egypt’s announcement concerning its ambassador early Saturday, diplomats from other nations rushed to broker an end to the impasse between the Egyptians and the Israelis, according to a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the talks.

Meanwhile, in Syria, per foxnews.com:

A government owned Syrian newspaper on Saturday rejected U.S. and European calls for President Bashar Assad to step down, saying they revealed the “face of the conspiracy” against Damascus.

Despite the regime’s promises this week that it had wrapped up a military offensive against protesters, activists said that security forces killed 29 people on Friday, most of them in the central province of Homs.

The Syrian leader has come under mounting criticism for his assault on the 5-month-old uprising. The U.S. and its European allies on Thursday demanded Assad step down because of the crackdown, which rights groups say has killed more than 2,000 people.

The regime, however, has pushed ahead with its offensive despite the criticism.

Reinforcements were being sent Saturday to Homs, Syria’s third-largest city and the site of intense anti-regime protests, according to the Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and The Local Coordination Committees, an activist group.

“Shooting has not stopped since last night,” Abdul-Rahman said, quoting residents.

And, tensions are high between the anchor nations of the region, per nytimes.com:

In Cairo, thousands of protesters demonstrated for a second night outside the Israeli Embassy on Saturday, demanding the expulsion of the ambassador. One climbed up the building and took down the Israeli flag, drawing cheers from the crowd.

The crisis has been the sharpest signal yet that the revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak in February is transforming the three-decade-old relationship between Egypt and Israel that has been the cornerstone of Middle Eastern politics.

On May 19, 2011, President Barack Hussein Obama (peace be upon him) addressed the nation on the firestorm known as the Middle East.  He proclaimed:

There are times in the course of history when the actions of ordinary citizens spark movements for change because they speak to a longing for freedom that has been building up for years. In America, think of the defiance of those patriots in Boston who refused to pay taxes to a King, or the dignity of Rosa Parks as she sat courageously in her seat.

…The question before us is what role America will play as this story unfolds. For decades, the United States has pursued a set of core interests in the region: countering terrorism and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons; securing the free flow of commerce and safe-guarding the security of the region; standing up for Israel’s security and pursuing Arab-Israeli peace.

We will continue to do these things, with the firm belief that America’s interests are not hostile to people’s hopes; they’re essential to them. We believe that no one benefits from a nuclear arms race in the region, or al Qaeda’s brutal attacks. We believe people everywhere would see their economies crippled by a cut-off in energy supplies. As we did in the Gulf War, we will not tolerate aggression across borders, and we will keep our commitments to friends and partners.

Yet we must acknowledge that a strategy based solely upon the narrow pursuit of these interests will not fill an empty stomach or allow someone to speak their mind. Moreover, failure to speak to the broader aspirations of ordinary people will only feed the suspicion that has festered for years that the United States pursues our interests at their expense. Given that this mistrust runs both ways –- as Americans have been seared by hostage-taking and violent rhetoric and terrorist attacks that have killed thousands of our citizens -– a failure to change our approach threatens a deepening spiral of division between the United States and the Arab world.

Wow.  Smart Power! seems to be working great so far, Scooter.

By the way, I did not know that Mrs. Rosa Parks was a violent Islamic Revolutionary.

Yesterday, as the president was preparing for his ten day family vay-cay, with the rest of the Kennedys, in Martha’s Vineyard, word was released that he and his administration, including “Big Sis” Janet Napolitano, will halt deportation proceedings on a case-by-case basis against illegal immigrants who meet certain criteria, such as attending school, having family in the military or having primary responsible for other family members’ care.

…Bypassing our laws by Royal Diktat.

For months, Obama has claimed that he did not have the sweeping authority to halt deportations and said he must follow the laws as Congress has written them.

However, in letters sent to Congress on Thursday, Big Sis revealed that she does have the power to focus on “priorities” and that her department and the Justice Department will review all ongoing cases to see who meets the new criteria:

This case-by-case approach will enhance public safety. Immigration judges will be able to more swiftly adjudicate high-priority cases, such as those involving convicted felons.

What changed? The Democrats need more voters.

Of corse, Obama was immediately lauded by Hispanic activists and Democrats. These were the same individuals who hadgone to the mat with the administration on amnesty for those in our country illegally, saying that as long as Congress is deadlocked on the issue, it was up to the Leader of the Regime to act imperiously.

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois Democrat, a leader on this issue, gloated:

Today’s announcement shows that this president is willing to put muscle behind his words and to use his power to intervene when the lives of good people are being ruined by bad laws.

If they were “good” people would they have entered our country illegally?  I’m just asking.

The illegals who are affected by the Royal Diktat are those who have been apprehended and are in deportation proceedings, but have not been officially booted out of our country by a judge.

Big Sis said a “working group” (of Libs) will try to come up with “guidance on how to provide for appropriate discretionary consideration” for “compelling cases” in instances where someone already has been ordered deported.

Obama’s brave Administration officials announced the Royal Diktat just before Scooter got the heck out of Dodge, and while all the members of Congress were already out of town, back home in their districts.

While Americans remain deivided on Amnesty for illegal aliens, the majority still recognizes the importance of control our borders.

Per rasmussenreports.com, posted 4/20/11:

Nearly two-thirds of voters still believe border control should be the top priority in the fight against illegal immigration, but they also continue to support a welcoming immigration policy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of Likely U.S. Voters say when it comes to immigration reform, gaining control of the border is more important than legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States. Thirty percent (30%), however, feel legalizing undocumented workers is more important.

Support for border control as a legislative priority has been at this level for years now.

But while voters remain convinced that border security plays a pivotal role in reducing illegal immigration, 55% favor a welcoming immigration policy that keeps out only national security threats, criminals and those who would come here to live off America’s welfare system. Thirty percent (30%) disagree with such a policy, while 15% more are not sure. These findings, too, have remained fairly consistent for several years.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on April 17-18, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

On May 20. 2010, in my post Press “1” for English, I wrote the following:

A while back, the following allegorical story went viral.  You may have seen this already, but it explains illegal immigration as succinctly as anything I’ve come across:

Let’s pretend I broke into your house.  When you discover me there, you insist I leave.  But I say, “I’ve made all the beds, washed the dishes, did the laundry, and cleaned the floors; I’ve done all the work you don’t like to do. I’m hardworking and honest (except for breaking into your house). Not only must you let me stay, you must also add me to your insurance plan, educate my kids, and provide these benefits to my husband, too (he will do your yardwork, he’s honest and hardworking too–except for that breaking in part). If you try to force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house and proclaim my right to be there! It’s only fair, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I’m trying to better myself. I’m hardworking and honest…except for, well, you know. I will live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness and prejudice.

Oh yeah, I want you to learn my language so you can communicate with me.

Good plan..don’t you think?

Evidently, our anti-American President, his pinheaded Administration, and his Democratic minions in Congress are all for it.

 

Mere weeks after the nation’s largest credit ratings agency, Standard & Poor’s, downgraded our country’s credit rating from AAA to AA , Obama’s Justice Department, led by Attorney General Eric Holder, is investigating whether S&P improperly rated dozens of mortgage securities in the years leading up to the financial crisis.

According to anonymous sources, the investigation began before the credit rating downgrade (They probably knew what was coming).  However, this investigation will probably throw more logs onto the fire, of the attempt by the administration and their Democratic shills to burn S&P at the stake.

AG Eric Holder’s Justice Department has been looking into claims in which the company’s analysts wanted to award lower ratings on mortgage bonds but may have been overruled by other S.& P. business managers. If the government can come up with enough evidence to support such a case, it is likely to be tried in a civil court.

Ed Sweeney, a spokesman for S.& P., responded in an e-mail:

S.& P  has received several requests from different government agencies over the last few years. We continue to cooperate with these requests. We do not prevent such agencies from speaking with current or former employees. S.& P. is a subsidiary of the McGraw-Hill Companies, a company currently under pressure from some investors and has been considering whether to spin off businesses or make other strategic changes this summer.

Those ubiquitous anonymous sources claim the investigation had picked up steam early this summer, well before S&P dropped the hammer. Now members of Congress are investigating why S.& P. removed the nation’s AAA rating, which is highly important to financial markets.

Representatives of the Justice Department and the S.E.C., refuse to comment on the investigation, per usual.

Meanwhile, AG Holder’s boss, President Barack Hussein Obama, finished up the most boring bus (and hypocritical) tour in American History yesterday, in preparation for a 10 day family vacation at Martha’s Vineyard.

Most of us wll be lucky to make it to the apartment pool before Labor Day.  But, I digress…

From abcnews.go.com:

At his rural economic forum in Iowa Tuesday, President Obama exhorted the need to boost the manufacturing and export of U.S. cars and trucks to create jobs.

“We’ve got folks in America driving Kias and Hyundais. I want to see folks in Korea driving Fords and Chryslers and Chevys,” Obama said, drawing applause.

“I want to sell goods all over the world that are stamped with three words: ‘Made in America.'”

But it turns out the president’s new custom motor coach comes stamped with a brand that’s located someplace else: Canada.

The $1.1 million jet-black rumbling bus that has been carrying Obama through the Midwest this week was designed in part by Prevost, a motor coach manufacturer based in Quebec. The New York Post was first to report this, and Provost officials confirmed this fact to ABC News.

By the way, Scooter, why are those buses painted black?  Are you allergic to Red, White, and Blue?  I’m surprised you didn’t have pictures of Marx, Mao, and Alinsky painted on them.

One of the groups who have been his long-time allies are less than impressed.

Per Byron York at washingtonexaminer.com:

During a sometimes-raucous session of what’s being called the “For the People” Jobs Initiative tour, a key member of the Congressional Black Caucus told an audience in Detroit Tuesday that the CBC doesn’t put pressure on President Obama because he is loved by black voters. But at the same time, Rep. Maxine Waters said, members of the CBC are becoming increasingly tired and frustrated by Obama’s performance on the issue of jobs. Even as she expressed support for the president, Waters virtually invited the crowd to “unleash us” to pressure Obama for action.

“We don’t put pressure on the president,” Waters told the audience at Wayne County Community College. “Let me tell you why. We don’t put pressure on the president because ya’ll love the president. You love the president. You’re very proud to have a black man — first time in the history of the United States of America. If we go after the president too hard, you’re going after us.”

The problem, Waters said, is that Obama is not paying enough attention to the problems of some black Americans. The unemployment rate for African-Americans nationally is a little over 16 percent, and almost twice that in Detroit. And yet, Waters said, the president is on a jobs-promotion trip through the Midwest that does not include any stops in black communities. “The Congressional Black Caucus loves the president too,” Waters said. “We’re supportive of the president, but we’re getting tired, y’all. We’re getting tired. And so, what we want to do is, we want to give the president every opportunity to show what he can do and what he’s prepared to lead on. We want to give him every opportunity, but our people are hurting. The unemployment is unconscionable. We don’t know what the strategy is. We don’t know why on this trip that he’s in the United States now, he’s not in any black community. We don’t know that.”

As she discussed her dilemma — frustrated with the president but hesitant to criticize him lest black supporters turn on her — Waters asked the crowd for its permission to have a “conversation” with the president. “When you tell us it’s alright and you unleash us and you tell us you’re ready for us to have this conversation, we’re ready to have the conversation,” she said. Some members of the crowd immediately voiced their approval.

“All I’m saying to you is, we’re politicians,” Waters continued. “We’re elected officials. We are trying to do the right thing and the best thing. When you let us know it is time to let go, we’ll let go.”

“Let go!” some in the audience yelled.

If “the community” is searching for a Black leader to admire, I can think of three right off the top of my head:  Lt. Col. (and Congressman) Allen West, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, and Anti-Abortion Activist and MLK, Jr.’s niece, Alveda King.

A penchant for petulance, revenge, and hypocrisy are not qualities to be admired in a “leader”.

Yesterday, during President Barack Hussein Obama’s Magical Misery Tour stop in Iowa, his command to get in people’s faces was carried out.

Unfortunately for Obama, it was his face that was gotten into.

If you will, Gentle Reader, allow me to lay out a timeline for you first, before I reveal the incident of which I speak.

We start with an incident reported by that phenomenal Conservative, Michelle Malkin, on September 18, 2008:

Barack Obama sharpened his attacks on John McCain and mocked the Republican’s recent calls for reform in two stops in Nevada on Wednesday after days of listening to nervous supporters fret about the Democrat’s chances of taking the White House.

…The feistier, more sarcastic tone came as worried Democrats urged Obama to get tougher and show more passion. Obama has tried to assure donors and voters that he’s been schooled by Chicago politics.

“I’m skinny but I’m tough,” he says…

…In Elko, Obama tried to anticipate his critics and called on the crowd of about 1,500 to sharpen their elbows, too.

“I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face,” he said.

Fast forward to August 1st, 2011, in an article posted by politico.com, updated 8/2/11:

Vice President Joe Biden joined House Democrats in lashing tea party Republicans Monday, accusing them of having “acted like terrorists” in the fight over raising the nation’s debt limit, according to several sources in the room.

Biden was agreeing with a line of argument made by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) at a two-hour, closed-door Democratic Caucus meeting.

“We have negotiated with terrorists,” an angry Doyle said, according to sources in the room. “This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money.”

Biden, driven by his Democratic allies’ misgivings about the debt-limit deal, responded: “They have acted like terrorists.”

Biden’s office initially declined to comment about what the vice president said inside the closed-door session, but after POLITICO published the remarks, spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said: “The word was used by several members of Congress. The vice president does not believe it’s an appropriate term in political discourse.”

And that, Gentle Reader, brings us to yesterday, August 15, 2011, and the petulant President of the United States.  Here is a video of the “discussion”:

Last night, Senior Chief White House Correspondent for Fox News, Ed Henry, filed the following report, posted on gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com:

DECORAH, Iowa – President Obama got into a heated back and forth with a Tea Party activist who demanded to know at the end of a town hall meeting here whether or not Vice President Biden had called members of the Tea Party “terrorists” during the debt ceiling debate.

In public, Obama did not directly answer the question from Tea Party activist Ryan Rhodes about Biden. But Obama fired back that he knows better than anyone what it’s like to be slammed for his political views and was not about to accept a lecture on the topic.

“As someone who’s been called a socialist, not born here, taking away freedoms for providing health care, I’m all for lowering the rhetoric,” Obama said.

Obama did say he would discuss the matter further with Rhodes, founder of the Iowa Tea Party, after the event. And the duo was spotted in an animated conversation a few moments later.

In an interview later with Fox News, Rhodes claimed that the President insisted that Biden had not made the original comment.

“He just denied it, he said the Vice President didn’t make any of those assertions,” said Rhodes. “He doesn’t want to even admit what was on TV nationally — all over the place — then how can you have a conversation?”

Rhodes added that Obama brushed him aside. “Then he said ‘we can’t have a conversation because you’re saying I called you a terrorist,’” recalled Rhodes. “The fact is it demonstrates the deep divide that he is unwilling to negotiate without going after the other side, the whole day was about going after republicans and talking about how unreasonable they are.”

The private conversation between Rhodes and Obama was partially picked up by a TV camera but the audio was a little tough to make out. But Obama in general did seem to be saying the incident with Biden was misconstrued and that if Rhodes wanted to insist that the word “terrorist” was used then they were never going to see eye to eye.

The incident stems from a private meeting Biden attended at the height of the debt ceiling debate with House Democrats who were angry that Republicans were not meeting the President halfway. One lawmakers, Rep. Mike Doyle D-Pa.), went so far as to say that Republicans affiliated with the Tea Party had behaved like “terrorists” during the debate.

Some Democrats familiar with the meeting said at the time that Biden had appeared to agree with the sentiment expressed by Doyle and others as a way of moving the conversation along and convincing Democrats to support the final compromise. But Biden himself denied to CBS News that he had uttered the word “terrorist” in the meeting in the context of the Tea Party.

Here in Iowa, some people in the Iowa crowd here seemed to be unhappy with Rhodes. One woman was overheard confronting him by saying, “That was extraordinarily rude” to the President.

A second woman who did not want to be identified by name said she felt the exchange was “over the top aggressive.”

But Rhodes was not backing down. “I said my piece,” he said.

So, Gentle Reader, the moral of this story, which, evidently was not contained in the writings of Saul Alinsky, whose teachings in the book, Rules for Radicals, were embraced by a young Barack Obama:

Be careful what you ask for.  You just might get it.

…or…

It’s all on the wheel.  What goes around…comes around.

Tomorrow, the President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama (mm mmm mmmm) is going to step down off of the Throne of The Regime and embark on a bus tour of the Midwest, visiting the states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.

Wow. A bus tour of the Midwest! How unique! Where did the president’s people come up with that idea?

Oh, wait…

 

Obama will be speaking at a townhall meeting in Cannon Falls, Minnesota on Monday before heading to Decorah, Iowa.

He will preside over a rural economic forum in Peosta, Iowa, on Tuesday, and on Wednesday he will hold town hall meetings in Atkinson and Alpha, Illinois before returning to Washington.

And, if you think the ” average American supporters” seen on camera attending these “forums” will not be hand-picked, I have a bridge over the Mississippi River to sell ya.

Look for the Union Label…

In 2008, he won all 3 states, which contribute 36 of the 270 Electoral votes required to win the presidency.

You’ll notice that he’s not touring Dixie.

Speaking of Dixie, Obama compared himself to a historical figure who was tragically gunned down in the city of Memphis, Tennessee.

Per Keith Koffler, of whitehousedossier.com:

At a small, exclusive New York City fundraiser Thursday night featuring the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, Obama compared himself and his agenda to that of Martin Luther King Jr.:

And now that King has his own memorial on the Mall I think that we forget when he was alive there was nobody who was more vilified, nobody who was more controversial, nobody who was more despairing at times. There was a decade that followed the great successes of Birmingham and Selma in which he was just struggling, fighting the good fight, and scorned, and many folks angry. But what he understood, what kept him going, was that the arc of moral universe is long but it bends towards justice. But it doesn’t bend on its own. It bends because all of us are putting our hand on the arc and we are bending it in that direction. And it takes time. And it’s hard work. And there are frustrations.

And, just like the great historical figure and unparalleled leader that he is, Obama spent yesterday working feverishly to make this country a better place for all of us….errr…ahhhh…maybe not.

Also, per Mr. Koffler:

President Obama went golfing today [yesterday], heading out for the 18th time this year and for the 76th time in his presidency, but for only the first time in seven weeks, having somehow not gotten a round in FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF JULY.

Obama had not been golfing since going twice on the weekend of June 25, the last of an incredible 13 weekends in a row that he had made it out on the links. It seems with the debt ceiling showdown and other matters, Obama actually HAD TO WORK WEEKENDS, causing him to miss some golf.

He will certainly make up for lost time starting Thursday, when he leaves for a ten day vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. He’s out today at the Andrews Air Force Base course with one of his usual posse, White House trip director Marvin Nicholson, as well as Marvin’s lucky brother Walter and someone named Grant Campbell.

But, first, he has his Petulant Presidential Propaganda Tour to complete.

It’s interesting that one of the states that he’s visiting is Iowa, the site of yesterday’s Republican Presidential Candidate Straw Poll,  won by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

During her victory speech, Bachmann stressed faith and her Iowa roots (she was born in Waterloo) as well as her opposition to abortion rights and gay marriage. The crowd cheered when she declared:

We are going to make Barack Obama a one-term president.

Bachmann, riding high since entering the race earlier this summer, had hoped that a strong finish would give her even more momentum just as Perry looks to infringe on her base of tea party and evangelical support.  She invoked God and faith as she stressed what she called her conservative values, saying:

In Iowa, we are social conservatives and we will never be ashamed of being social conservatives.

Coming in second was perennial Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, followed by former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, in third place.

The straw poll is basically nothing but a popularity contest and a test of the organizational strength of each candidate.

Tickets to participate and vote in the event cost $30, although some campaigns picked up the tab for the tickets they distributed to their backers.

In the past, poor showings has forced some candidates, mostly those who are not well-known and are struggling to raise money, to abandon their campaigns.

The Iowa straw poll has a hit and miss record of predicting the outcome of the upcoming precinct caucuses.

That’s okay.  At the rate Obama’s job approval polls are dropping, the “Rent is Too D!@n High” Candidate Could Probably Run and Beat Him.

 

Every Saturday, the President of these United States (yes, Scooter, all 57 of them) Barack Hussein Obama (mm mmm mmm) gives a Weekly Address.  Let’s look at today’s, shall we?

On Thursday, I visited a new, high-tech factory in Michigan where workers are helping America lead the way in a growing clean energy industry.

Where each job cost 2 million dollars to create.

They were proud of their work, and they should be. They’re not just showing us a path out of the worst recession in generations – they’re proving that this is still a country where we make things; where new ideas take root and grow; where the best universities, most creative entrepreneurs, and most dynamic businesses in the world call home. They’re proving that even in difficult times, there’s not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with us.

Did that hurt to say, Mr. President?

That doesn’t mean we don’t face some very tough economic challenges. Many Americans are hurting badly right now. Many have been unemployed for too long. Putting these men and women back to work, and growing wages for everyone, has got to be our top priority.

Like the “yutes” outside your palace window, in Washington, D.C., 50% of whom, it has just been announced, are unemployed.

But lately, the response from Washington has been partisanship and gridlock that’s only undermined public confidence and hindered our efforts to grow the economy.

Huh.  Is that a fact?  According to a statement issued by Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan Survey Director Richard Curtin, unemployment at 9.1 percent of the workforce, low wage rises, and the protracted debate in Congress over raising the U.S. government debt ceiling spooked consumers.

The preliminary August reading on the consumer sentiment index fell to 54.9 in early August, down from 63.7 in July, and the index has fallen for three straight months in the survey released Thursday.

So while there’s nothing wrong with our country, there is something wrong with our politics, and that’s what we’ve got to fix. Because we know there are things Congress can do, right now, to get more money back in your pockets, get this economy growing faster, and get our friends and neighbors back to work.

You mean like not end President Bush’s Tax Cuts, as you’ve been desperately trying to accomplish, Scooter?

The payroll tax cut that put $1,000 back in the average family’s pocket this year? Let’s extend it. Construction workers who’ve been jobless since the housing boom went bust? Let’s put them back to work rebuilding America. Let’s cut red tape in the patent process so entrepreneurs can get good ideas to market more quickly. Let’s finish trade deals so we can sell more American-made goods around the world. Let’s connect the hundreds of thousands of brave Americans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan to businesses that need their incredible skills and talents.

And let’s quit punishing America’s small business owners…y’know…the ones who drive America’s economy?… with egregious taxes and regulations.  Okey Dokey, Scooter?

These are all things we can do right now. So let’s do them. And over the coming weeks, I’ll put forward more proposals to help our businesses hire and create jobs, and won’t stop until every American who wants a job can find one.

Yeah, right.  Let’s start with finding a competent individual  who can actually handle  your job, shall we?

But we can no longer let partisan brinksmanship get in our way – the idea that making it through the next election is more important than making things right. That’s what’s holding us back – the fact that some in Congress would rather see their opponents lose than see America win.

You mean, like your DNC Chair Debbie Wassmerman Schultz, who, while at the Iowa Stater Fair, said about Texas Gov. Rick Perry and the Republican Presidential Candidates:

It’s just another example of the utter lack of commitment to maintaining Social Security and making sure that safety net is there for seniors.

Republican candidates should be more committed to figuring out how to promote the long-term security of Social Security and Medicare rather than dreaming up new ways to get rid of them.

If he’s got to come to Florida and that’s what he campaigns on, he’s going to be sent back across the state line.

You mean cheesy scare tactics like that one, Scooter?

So you’ve got a right to be frustrated. I am. Because you deserve better. And I don’t think it’s too much for you to expect that the people you send to this town start delivering.

We do deserve better, Scooter.  And Americans are going to take matters in their own hands in November of 2012.

Members of Congress are at home in their districts right now. And if you agree with me – whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or not much of a fan of either – let them know.

We already have, time and time again.  Hence, the previous statement.  We’re fed up.…Or, haven’t you noticed that you’re sitting at 40% approval?

If you’ve had it with gridlock, and you want them to pass stalled bills that will help our economy right now – let them know.

Count on it. ..and make a reservation with “Two Men and a Truck” for January 2013.

If you refuse to settle for a politics where scoring points is more important than solving problems; if you believe it’s time to put country before party and the interests of our children before our own – let them know.

You mean like the 11th Circuit Court, who ruled yesterday that the Individual Mandate, in your Socialist National Healthcare Law,  forcing all Americans to buy Health Insurance, was unconstitutional?

They sent a shot across your bow, didn’t they, Scooter?

And maybe they’ll get back to Washington ready to compromise, ready to create jobs, ready to get our fiscal house in order – ready to do what you sent them to do.

Translation:   Please make those wascally Wepublicans shut up, get in line, and pass everything that I and my noble Democratic minions want them to.

Yes, we’ve still got a long way to go to get to where we need to be. We didn’t get into this mess overnight, and it’s going to take time to get out of it. That’s a hard truth – but it’s no excuse for inaction. After all, America voted for divided government, not dysfunctional government, and we’ve got work to do. And when we come together and find common ground, there’s no stopping this country. There’s no stopping our people. There’s no holding us back. And there is every reason to believe we’ll get through this storm to a brighter day.

…And maybe, someday…we’ll actually see a budget out of our minions in Congress…or some actual America-loving leadership from you, Scooter.

Although, I’m not going to hold my breath waiting.

Thanks for listening, and have a nice weekend.

It’ll be spent at home, Scooter.  Americans can’t afford to go out anywhere. 

Have a nice 10 day vay-cay at Martha’s Vineyard, and have some ice cream on behalf of us peons.