Thanks to the work of those well-respected criminologists ,the now-split-up Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines, Pearl Jam Frontman Eddie Fedders, and the Liberals at HBO, among others, the cause celebre known as the West Memphis 3 were freed yesterday, after serving 18 years in prison.

Trutv.com presented this synopsis of the case:

On the afternoon of 6 May 1993, West Memphis was rocked by the news of the discovery of the mutilated bodies of three eight-year-old boys. Rumors regarding the nature of the murders spread like wildfire through the town. It was soon well known that the boys had been cut with a knife, raped and at least one of the boy’s genitals had been cut, many of these rumors were based on inaccurate police assumptions. By 12.00 p.m. the next day, police were questioning their first suspect, Damien Echols. Several weeks later Jessie Misskelley, an associate of Echols, confessed to the murders, implicating Damien Echols and another friend, Jason Baldwin. Soon after, following a confession by Misskelley, the three teenagers were arrested and charged with the murders of James M. Moore, Steven E. Branch and Christopher M. Byers.

The citizens of West Memphis were relieved that the monsters that had committed these heinous crimes had been apprehended and justice would be served. There was a great deal of anger in the community directed towards these three adolescents, supposedly involved in Satanic cults, who were accused of killing three innocent boys as part of a Satanic ritual. Rumors of Satanic groups had abounded in this dominantly Baptist community for decades. Details of their exploits were well known although there was never any proof of any murders actually having been performed in the past. From the time the arrests were made until they were tried, local papers fed the community’s blood-lust, with stories of Satanic abominations appearing on a regular basis.

On Wednesday 19 January 1994, Jessie Misskelley was sent to trial after an attempt to have his confession suppressed was denied. Two weeks later, he was found guilty on one count of first degree capital murder and two counts of second degree capital murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole. He was seventeen years old.

The trial of Jason Baldwin and Damien Echols began on Tuesday 4 February 1994. On Monday 18 April 1994, they were both found guilty on three counts of capital murder. The next day Jason, just sixteen, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of forty years. Eighteen-year-old Damien Echols was sentenced to death by lethal injection.

…Damien Echols claims that he was found guilty long before the trial began because he was considered weird by many in the community, having practiced the Wicca religion and listened to the music of supposedly Satanic groups such as “Metallica.” Jason believes he was found guilty by association. Jessie claims that his confession was coerced, claiming he had told police whatever they had wanted him to so that they would let him go.

I apologize for the following.  However, with all the attention given to the freeing of these media darlings, I truly believe that a description of the crime scene is in order.

From religioustolerance.org:

The bodies of the three 8 year-old boys were discovered in a wooded area in Robin Hood Hills on the next day, 1993-MAY-6 at 1:30 PM. They were naked; each had had both left and right hands tied to their corresponding feet with black and white shoe laces. One child, had multiple wounds apparently made by a serrated knife, and injuries of a type often seen as a result of forced oral sex. A second boy had multiple stab wounds and indications of forced oral sex. The police believe that these two boys died by drowning. The third child appeared also to have been forced into oral sex. The skin of his penis was removed and he had been castrated. He had many cuts from a knife with a serrated blade. He had bled to death. Christopher Byers had welts on his back from the buckle of a belt. These were initially interpreted by the police to have resulted from ritual abuse by Satanists. However, Christopher’s step-father John Byers testified at the trial that he had beaten his step-son with a belt at 5:30 PM on the day of the murder.

The boys’ bodies had been dumped in a shallow drainage ditch which parallels Interstate 40 in West Memphis, AR. The water washed away fingerprints and other traces left by the murderer(s).

Damien Echols was viewed as being strange by his community, even before the murders. However, his behavior during his arrest and trial, and in a video seen on an HBO Documentary, did nothing to help his case.

From commercialappeal.com:

He [Echols] said when he was arrested in 1993, he lashed out, masking his fear with arrogance and contempt. During his trial, he glared at the victims’ families, licking his lips and hissing.

“Your average person won’t understand,” he said of that behavior. “Whenever you have your entire life destroyed and you’ve been set up, you’re in so much shock and trauma.

“That was trauma for me on a scale I can’t begin to articulate.”

When asked if his behavior could have helped convict him, Echols said: “On the surface, I would say: ‘Yes.’ ” But, he added that he believes the public had already turned against him due to pretrial publicity.

Tensions in the community were so high, police fastened bulletproof vests around Echols and his co-defendants to protect them before moving them through crowds. Echols said he didn’t know how to react to the hate and condemnation from “the mob.”

“I was a teenager sucked into a world I didn’t understand,” he said. “You’re raised to believe the police are the good guys, that you’re innocent until proven guilty. In reality, that’s not how the system works.”

During the 1994 trial, Echols said he never considered that he would be convicted. He said he thought, “There’s going to be a ‘Perry Mason’ moment where whoever actually did it will be exposed.”

In retrospect, he said, he would have censored his courtroom behavior.

Byers also said he would alter his own outrageous antics, captured on camera for the HBO documentary, including blasting a pumpkin with gunfire while pretending he was killing Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley.

“I was very embarrassed by a lot of my behavior,” Byers said during an interview Thursday. “Rage and anger and emotion had totally taken over.”

The Arkansas Supreme Court last year ordered new hearings, scheduled for this December, after defense attorneys said new DNA evidence could exonerate them. A courtroom date had been set for December, but Judge David Laser scheduled the Friday hearing without releasing details.

Recent DNA tests did not link the men to the crime scene and showed the presence of others who have not been identified.

In post-conviction plea bargain, rarely seen in a court of law, each of the West Memphis Three pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for having their sentences reduced to time served. Each continued to profess his innocence, but said their new pleas were ones of expedience; the quickest, cleanest ways to escape life sentences or, in Echols’ case, execution.

Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington said at the press conference after the 3, now in their mid-30s, accepted the deal and were freed:

I hope and pray that they have been rehabilitated. Only time will tell whether this was a right decision on my part.

Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore would now be 26 years old, and possibly have children of their own.

They remain unavailable for comment.

 

Have you ever taken your car to a garage, having been told it should only take a couple of hours, and been stuck without your car for several days?

Well, it looks like President Barack Hussein Obama sold us a lemon.

Secretary of Defense Gates was asked on ABC’s “This Week” by Anchor Jake Tapper, subbing for the feckless Christine Amanpour, if there will be a U.S. military commitment in Libya until year’s end, Gates replied:

I don’t think anybody knows the answer to that.

The fact that everyone’s covering up faster than a garage that doesn’t know how to fix your car, has Congress up in arms (no pun intended,…well, maybe). They want to hear some sort of logical explanation from the president and his administration as to why America is in the middle of another Muslim conflict and what the endgame is.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Gates told anyone who would listen yesterday that the objective was limited to protecting civilians, even as they hoped (and prayed) that the pressure of United Nations international penalties and isolation might be able to make Kadhafi’s remaining loyalists and cause the nutjob to be thrown out of power.

Gates said on NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

One should not underestimate the possibility of the regime itself cracking.

One Libyan ex-patriot is watching in anticipation.

Dr. Abdulmonem Hresha, a prominent leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, watched Kadhafi hang a political opponent at age 10. The Libyan Government made him and his classmates go watch the execution in order to scare them into submission.

He now lives in London, having taught at Tripoli University, and having escaped to Canada.  Dr. Hresha believes that the Muslim Brotherhood could become an important player in a post-Kadhafi environment, as it has in Egypt and Tunisia.

According to Hresha, the West has nothing to fear from the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya.

Yep.  I’m sure Anwar Sadat would agree about how harmless The Muslim Brotherhood is…if you guys had not murdered him.

I’ve lived for many years in Canada and the UK, and that’s exactly the political system that we want.

Hresha says that if his organization forms a political party, it would seek to legislate according to Koranic principles (aka Sharia Law).

Why shouldn’t we be able to press our point of view — we are humans too.

Hresha said the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood welcomes airstrikes in Libya:

I salute and am very grateful to the Americans, French and British governments for stopping the killing. I will never forget this.

Hresha said he hopes a post-Kadhafi Libya will be a close friend to the West.

We’ve been working secretly till this moment.

Meanwhile, unrest continues in Syria  as the Middle East implodes.

In interviews concerning Syria, Obama’s administration claims that the uprising appears to be widespread, involving different religious groups in southern and coastal regions of Syria, including Sunni Muslims usually loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

American officials are torn between the fear that Syria will turn on Israel and Lebanon, and the hope that this unrest will work in America’s favor.

61 people were confirmed killed by security forces on Saturday, as Syria’s status remains uncertain.

In an appearance on CBS’ Face The Nation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the U.S. will not intervene in Syria as we have in Lybia.

Jordan is experiencing civil unrest as well.  However, King Abdullah II appears to have things under control…at the moment.

Israel is preparing to defend itself.  Per google.com:

Israel on Sunday stationed the first batteries of its “Iron Dome” short-range missile defence system in the south of the country, but stressed the initial deployment was experimental.

The unique multi-million dollar system was stationed outside the southern city of Beersheva, days after it was hit by several rockets fired from the Gaza Strip amid a rise in tensions and tit-for-tat violence.

But officials were quick to point out that the system, the first of its kind in the world, could not yet provide complete protection for the hundreds of rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel.

“Israel has been under missile threat for 20 years, since the (1991) Gulf War. I do not want to foster the illusion that Iron Dome, which we are deploying today for the first time, will provide a complete or comprehensive answer,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet.

“Iron Dome is still in the experimental stage and we do not have the possibility of deploying batteries to protect every home, school, base and installation.”

So far, Israel has acquired just two batteries and no decision has been made yet on where to deploy the second unit.

So, with current regimes on the verge of falling in the Middle East and the Muslim Brotherhood rising, United States President Barack Hussein Obama takes the National Stage at 6:30 p.m. Central in an attempt to assure Americans that he is on top of the situation, and that there was a logical reason that he bypassed Congress and involved us in an International Coalition of the Unwilling, carrying on a Kinetic Military Action with all of the coordination and advance planning of a Three Stooges Comedy.

Obama said that the Libyan action was going to take days, now it is going to take months.  Is his planned endgame, the same as Dr. Hresha’s?  After all, Obama’s State Department called the Muslim Brotherhood, a secular organization. 

I don’t know, but I have a bad feeling as to how this is all going to turn out.

What made President Pantywaist go from chicken to chickenhawk last week and decide to enter into a war, err, excuuuse me, Kinetic Military Action, against Libya? Speculation is running wild that it is all because of Samantha Power.

Who?, you ask.

Samantha Power was first heard of nationally during her tenure on Obama’s Presidential Campaign, when she called the future president’s then-opponent Hillary Clinton “a monster”.

She must know Bill.

Anyway, Power is Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs of the National Security Council (since January 2009) and an advisor to President Barack Hussein Obama (mm mmm mmmm). She also just happens to be married to Cass Sustein, Obama’s Regulatory Czar, who wrote in his 1993 book The Partial Constitution that:

A restriction on access to abortion turns women’s reproductive capacities into something to be used by fetuses. … Legal and social control of women’s sexual and reproductive capacities has been a principal historical source of sexual inequality.

…Restrictions on abortion, surrogacy and free availability of pornography are troublesome.

…I do not mean to oppose equality to liberty. … Liberty does not entail respect for all ‘choices.

But, I digress…

It has been reported in the New York Post and elsewhere that Power was extremely instrumental in convincing Obama to authorize the Kinetic Military Action against Libya.

Power and others in last Tuesday night’s meeting told the president that the United States couldn’t stay on the sidelines as Kadhafi committed genocide while putting an end to his people’s revolt.

Power joined now-Secretary of State Clinton in that view.

In opposition to the ill-planned WAR were strange bedfellows National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Power’s boss and a staunch Liberal, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush Administration.

What seems to have pushed Obama to, in his mind, man up, was not some heartfelt concern for our national interest, but, was instead, being the president of the world that he is, an allegiance to a concept put forth at the United Nations euphemistically titled “responsibility to protect,” or R2P.

This is a wonderful decree from the hypocrites at the UN, calling for the creation of a new international moral standard to prevent violence against civilians.

There’s been one for thousands of years already, you international idiots. It’s called Christianity.

Where Power fits in to this moral crusade comes from the fact that she has a background in genocidal studies.

Per whorunsgov.com:

The journalist, activist and former Harvard professor burst onto the foreign-policy scene in 2003 with her book “A Problem from Hell”, which accused the United States of intentionally ignoring genocides. The work helped make her one of the foremost thinkers on human rights.

Of course, her book held America responsible for the world’s genocidal tragedies, including the 1915 attempt by the Turkish government to kill off the Armenians.  Here are a couple of quotes:

The United States had never in its history intervened to stop genocide and had in fact rarely even made a point of condemning it as it occurred. – Preface, xv

America’s lack of response to the Turkish horrors established patterns that would be repeated. Time and again the U.S. government would be reluctant to cast aside its neutrality and formally denounce a fellow state for its atrocities. Time and again though U.S. officials would learn that huge numbers of civilians were being slaughtered, the impact of this knowledge would be blunted by their uncertainty about the facts and their rationalization that a firmer U.S. stand would make little difference.

The Northwest Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Ethnic Education in the Woodring College of Education at Western Washington University offers this summary of Power’s book:

Ms. Power starts by elaborating upon history and etymology of the term “genocide” and then examining several genocides starting with the Armenian genocide at the beginning of the twentieth century and ending with the atrocity in Kosovo in 1999. Chapters are devoted to the Holocaust, the fate of the Armenians, the Genocidal Convention, Cambodia, Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Srebrenica and Kosovo. Final chapters carefully examine the failures of American foreign policy.

Power is a huge advocate of R2P. As a member of the National Security Council, she has been

trying to figure out how the administration could implement R2P and what doing so would require of the White House going forward.

Evidently, Hil has jumped on the bandwagon.

And, since Scooter is her boss, she may not have had any choice in the matter.

However, the question remains: Why did Obama dither around so long in making his decision, as he did in sending troops to Afghanistan?

I guess, going on vacation on the American public’s dime is easy. Actually doing your job as the President of the United States is hard.

As I sit here on a Saturday afternoon, watching, as a war brought about by procrastination unfolds in Libya, I’m struck by a sad and chilling thought: 

 The United States of America has gone from being a World Leader to just another World Follower in two short years.  And President Barack Hussein Obama is pleased as punch. 

His quest to destroy the idea of American Exceptionalism has brought us to this moment in history.

I wrote the following in my post, North Korea, the UN Human Rights Council, and Glass Houses, published November 23, 2010:

The U.N. Human Rights Council has presented our nation with 228 recommendations from 56 countries urging the U.S. to improve human rights for Native Americans, end the death penalty, eliminate racial disparities, stop torture, ratify key international treaties and more.

The council’s first review of the U.S. rights record took place Nov. 5 as part of the Universal Periodic Review, a mechanism by the U.N. General Assembly in 2006 to review human rights records of all 192 U.N. member states every four years. And the Obama administration, which doesn’t seem to like their own country very much, was more than happy to cooperate.

America joined the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2009, ending a boycott of the hypocritical council by President George W. Bush.

Per heritage.org:

The HRC was created in 2006 to replace the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, a body that had failed to hold governments accountable for violating basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. During negotiations to establish the HRC, many basic reforms and standards to ensure that the council would not simply be a repeat of the commission did not receive sufficient support in the General Assembly. As a result, the HRC has been no better—and in some ways, worse—than the commission it replaced.

Anticipating this outcome, the Bush Administration decided not to seek a seat at the Geneva-based council in 2006. Based on its subsequent disappointing record, the U.S. again declined to seek a seat in 2007 and 2008. The Bush Administration also withheld a portion of the U.S. contribution to the U.N. regular budget (equivalent to the part of the U.S. contribution allocated to the HRC) and distanced itself from the council’s proceedings except in instances of “deep national interest.”

The 30-member U.S. delegation was given an hour to present its report and respond to questions. Eighty-five countries had signed up to try to verbally tear down the United States, but there was time for only 56 to present. The results of the ensuing dog and pony show were compiled in a draft “outcome document” that was adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council on Nov. 8.

The U.S. will review the recommendations and present a formal response at the March 2011 session of the Human Rights Council.

Both countries and politically-driven Progressive organizations with an axe to grind against America presented a bunch of issues and recommendations involving anything that they could think up to try to harm America’s reputation. They were especially critical of our treatment of indigenous peoples.

Take this garbage for what it’s worth.  The Heritage Foundation reports that, during its review:

North Korea asserted that it “comprehensively provides” for fundamental rights and freedoms, including “the right to elect and to be elected, the freedoms of speech, the press, assembly, demonstration and association, the rights to complaints and petitions, work and relaxation, free medical care, education and social security, freedoms to engage in scientific, literary and artistic pursuits, and freedoms of residence and travel.”

These outrageous lies were accepted and approved by the majority of member states in the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The endorsement of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its full implementation was recommended by several countries, including such paragons of virtue as Mexico, Nicaragua, the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela, Egypt, Sudan, Iran, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).

One of the countries that passed judgement on America, that I did not list in my blog that day, was the one that Obama has authorized military action against, Libya.  They were suspended from the Human Rights Council on March 1st, 2011.  From this morning’s post:

…In the face of this injustice, the United States and the international community moved swiftly. (31 days later is swiftly?) Sanctions were put in place by the United States and our allies and partners. The U.N. Security Council imposed further sanctions, an arms embargo, and the specter of international accountability for Qaddafi and those around him.

…Once again, Qaddafi chose to ignore the will of his people and the international community. Instead, he launched a military campaign against his own people. 

And yet, in United Nations Human Rights Council Hearings, beginning in May, and concluding in November of 2010, this is one of the nations that United States President Barack Hussein Obama and his administration saw fit to pass judgement on America.

Barack Hussein Obama does not believe in American Exceptionalism and his judgement shows it.

Libyan forces are continuing to shell and launch airstrikes against the rebel capital of Benghazi, after an announcement by madman Moammar Kadhafi that he was going to call off the dogs and begin a cease-fire.

Figuratively thumbing his nose at the United Nations, Kadhafi proclaimed that the United Nations resolution authorizing international military intervention in Libya was “invalid.”

This nutjob claims that he sent a message to President Barack Hussein Obama, explaining why he is attacking rebel cities:

If you found them taking over American cities by the force of arms, tell me what you would do.

Even though you’re insane, Kadhafi, Americans have asked that same question.

Kadhafi also gave a letter to the French and British leaders, and the U.N. secretary general. In it, he told them that their resolution violates the U.N. charter and warning the leaders that they would “regret” any intervention:

Libya is not for you, Libya is for the Libyans.

Ol’ Moammar’s communiques came on the heels of rebels shooting down a warplane Saturday, last seen bombing the outskirts of Benghazi, sending up a massive black cloud of smoke.  According to an Associated Press reporter, the plane went down in flames and the reporter heard the sound of artillery and crackling gunfire in the distance.

A 50-year-old woman in Benghazi summed up the feelings of the Libyan people:

Where is France, where is NATO? It’s too late.

Don’t worry, ma’am.  The dynamic Leader of the Free World, United States President Barack Hussein Obama, is coming to your rescue…31 days after the Libyan Revolution began.

Obama spoke from the White House yesterday afternoon concerning the Libyan situation and the UN Resolution. Here are some highlights (with some additional comments):

…Over the last several weeks, the world has watched events unfold in Libya with hope and alarm. Last month, protesters took to the streets across the country to demand their universal rights, and a government that is accountable to them and responsive to their aspirations. But they were met with an iron fist.

…Moammar Qaddafi clearly lost the confidence of his own people and the legitimacy to lead.

…Innocent civilians were beaten, imprisoned, and in some cases killed. Peaceful protests were forcefully put down. Hospitals were attacked and patients disappeared. A campaign of intimidation and repression began.

…In the face of this injustice, the United States and the international community moved swiftly. (31 days later is swiftly?) Sanctions were put in place by the United States and our allies and partners. The U.N. Security Council imposed further sanctions, an arms embargo, and the specter of international accountability for Qaddafi and those around him.

…Once again, Qaddafi chose to ignore the will of his people and the international community. Instead, he launched a military campaign against his own people. 

Well, duuuh, Scooter.  A leopard cannot change his spots.

…And just yesterday, speaking of the city of Benghazi — a city of roughly 700,000 people — he threatened, and I quote: “We will have no mercy and no pity” — no mercy on his own citizens.

…Now, here is why this matters to us. (Evidently, not too much.) Left unchecked, we have every reason to believe that Qaddafi would commit atrocities against his people. Many thousands could die. A humanitarian crisis would ensue. The entire region could be destabilized, endangering many of our allies and partners. The calls of the Libyan people for help would go unanswered.

…And that’s why the United States has worked with our allies and partners to shape a strong international response at the United Nations. Our focus has been clear: protecting innocent civilians within Libya, and holding the Qaddafi regime accountable.

In other words, Scooter waited for other countries to take the lead.  How…courageous.

…Yesterday, in response to a call for action by the Libyan people and the Arab League, the U.N. Security Council passed a strong resolution that demands an end to the violence against citizens. It authorizes the use of force with an explicit commitment to pursue all necessary measures to stop the killing, to include the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya. It also strengthens our sanctions and the enforcement of an arms embargo against the Qaddafi regime.

And it only took ya 31 days.

…Now, once more, Moammar Qaddafi has a choice. The resolution that passed lays out very clear conditions that must be met. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Arab states agree that a cease-fire must be implemented immediately. That means all attacks against civilians must stop. Qaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi, pull them back from Ajdabiya, Misrata, and Zawiya, and establish water, electricity and gas supplies to all areas. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach the people of Libya.

So far, he’s blowing y’all off, Scooter.

…Let me be clear, these terms are not negotiable. These terms are not subject to negotiation. If Qaddafi does not comply with the resolution, the international community will impose consequences, and the resolution will be enforced through military action.

Well, he doesn’t seem too scared, so far.  President Reagan knew exactly how to handle this barbarian.

…In this effort, the United States is prepared to act as part of an international coalition. American leadership is essential, but that does not mean acting alone — it means shaping the conditions for the international community to act together.

Y’know, Scooter, I don’t think that you know what the word “leadershp” means.

…I have no doubt that the men and women of our military are capable of carrying out this mission. Once more, they have the thanks of a grateful nation and the admiration of the world.

Yes, they are our Best and Brightest…and they deserve a better CIC.

…I also want to be clear about what we will not be doing. The United States is not going to deploy ground troops into Libya. And we are not going to use force to go beyond a well-defined goal — specifically, the protection of civilians in Libya.

…Now, the United States did not seek this outcome. Our decisions have been driven by Qaddafi’s refusal to respect the rights of his people, and the potential for mass murder of innocent civilians.  It is not an action that we will pursue alone. Indeed, our British and French allies, and members of the Arab League, have already committed to take a leadership role in the enforcement of this resolution, just as they were instrumental in pursuing it. We are coordinating closely with them. And this is precisely how the international community should work, as more nations bear both the responsibility and the cost of enforcing international law.

To dream the impossible dream…

…This is just one more chapter in the change that is unfolding across the Middle East and North Africa. (Can you say, Caliphate?) From the beginning of these protests, we have made it clear that we are opposed to violence. We have made clear our support for a set of universal values, and our support for the political and economic change that the people of the region deserve. But I want to be clear: the change in the region will not and cannot be imposed by the United States or any foreign power; ultimately, it will be driven by the people of the Arab World. It is their right and their responsibility to determine their own destiny.

Sharia for everybody!

…Let me close by saying that there is no decision I face as your Commander in Chief that I consider as carefully as the decision to ask our men and women to use military force. Particularly at a time when our military is fighting in Afghanistan and winding down our activities in Iraq, that decision is only made more difficult. But the United States of America will not stand idly by in the face of actions that undermine global peace and security. So I have taken this decision with the confidence that action is necessary, and that we will not be acting alone. Our goal is focused, our cause is just, and our coalition is strong. Thank you very much.

See y’all later, I’m taking Moochelle, MuDear, and the kids to Rio.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley is out looking for work today, after being forced to resign from the Obama Administration after making a snarky remark about the Pentagon’s treatment of the traitor, Private Bradley Manning.  Manning leaked hundreds of thousands of documents to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, putting thousands of our Best and Brightest in mortal danger.

Crowley also shot off his mouth in the middle of the Egyptian crisis, a gaffe that definitely did not please his superiors.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a politically correct statement saying:

It is with regret that I have accepted the resignation of Philip J. Crowley as assistant secretary of state for public affairs. P.J. has served our nation with distinction for more than three decades, in uniform and as a civilian. His service to country is motivated by a deep devotion to public policy and public diplomacy, and I wish him the very best.

A side note: In the Professional Wrestling Business, this is called being “Future Endeavored”.

The now-former State Department Spokesman issued a bunch of gobbledygook, in an attempt to justify his running-down of the Pentagon:

The unauthorized disclosure of classified information is a serious crime under U.S. law. My recent comments regarding the conditions of the pre-trial detention of Private First Class Bradley Manning were intended to highlight the broader, even strategic impact of discreet actions undertaken by national security agencies every day and their impact on our global standing and leadership.

The exercise of power in today’s challenging times and relentless media environment must be prudent and consistent with our laws and values. Given the impact of my remarks, for which I take full responsibility, I have submitted my resignation.

Just last week, ol’ P.J. was at an MIT pretentiously-Progressive Conference on social networking, Twitter and the Arab revolution. While there, he was reportedly was asked by a guest in the audience about WikiLeaks and the “torturing” of a prisoner in a military brig (This is a Liberal reference to making the traitorous and suicidal Private Manning sleep naked in the brig, to keep him from hanging himself with his clothes. They also took away his pillow. I don’t know if they took away his Teddy bear, too.)

Per blogger Phillipa Thomas, Crowley instantly answered that what’s being done to Manning by military officials

…is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.

Nonetheless, Bradley Manning is in the right place.

Friday, David House, a spokesman with the Bradley Manning Advocacy Fund, agreed with P.J. Crowley:

There is no justification for Bradley’s inhumane treatment. I agree with Mr. Crowley that it’s just stupid and unproductive.

No, Tinkerbell. There is no justification for Manning’s betrayal of his country.

Defense Department spokesman Col. Dave Lapan, appearing on Fox News on Saturday, said that the Pentagon had “set the record straight” with the State Department press secretary:

We have since sent him the facts about Manning’s confinement. We also understand from the State Department that he has said the comments were his personal opinion and not reflective of the government.

President Barack Hussein Obama (mm mmm mmmm) didn’t exactly back Crowley up in a press Conference on Friday:

With respect to Private Manning, I have actually asked the Pentagon whether or not the procedures that have been taken in terms of his confinement are appropriate and are meeting our basic standards. They assure me that they are. I can’t go into details about some of their concerns, but some of this has to do with Private Manning’s safety as well.

Sources say that Scooter’s reluctance to back Crowley up stems from a remark P.J. made during the Egyptian Revolution. After Mubarak spoke on Egyptian national television, Crowley tweeted that it wouldn’t be enough to

…reshuffle the deck chairs.

Fox News has found out that Crowley’s Tweet was not approved in advance from the White House communications team and it did not appreciate his making that remark.

But the statement on Manning was evidently the icing on the cake.

Before P..J. Crowley worked in the Obama Administration,  he previously served as a Senior Fellow and Director of Homeland Security at the Center for American Progress, a Progressive Think Tank, run by President Clinton’s former Chief of Staff, John Podesta., and funded by George Soros 

Per discoverthenetworks.org:

The Center for American Progress (CAP) describes itself as “a nonpartisan research and educational institute” aimed at “developing a long-term vision of a progressive America” and “providing a forum to generate new progressive ideas and policy proposals.”

…Persistent press leaks confirm that Hillary Clinton, and not Podesta, is ultimately in charge of CAP. “It’s the official Hillary Clinton think tank,” an inside source confided to Christian Bourge of United Press International. Robert Dreyfuss notes in The Nation, “In looking at Podesta’s center, there’s no escaping the imprint of the Clintons. It’s not completely wrong to see it as a shadow government, a kind of Clinton White-House-in-exile — or a White House staff in readiness for President Hillary Clinton.” Dreyfuss notes the abundance of Clintonites on the Center’s staff, among them Clinton’s national security speechwriter Robert Boorstin; Democratic Leadership Council staffer and former head of Clinton’s National Economic Council Gene Sperling; former senior advisor to Clinton’s Office of Management and Budget Matt Miller; and others. In 2007, Mrs. Clinton told the Yearly Kos convention of leftwing bloggers that she “helped to start and support” CAP.

…After Barack Obama was elected President in 2008, CAP served as perhaps the most influential organization advising the new administration. Among Obama’s leading advisers were John Podesta and at least ten additional CAP experts.

Crowley’s position will be filled, for now, by Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Hammer, who moved to the State Department a few weeks ago from the National Security Council. Hammer may also be nominated to replace Crowley, a position that needs Senate confirmation.

Can’t you see the Want Ad?

WANTED:  One Progressive Pinhead to fill a lackey position at the State Department.  Must hate American Exceptionalism, Israel, and Average Americans, not necessarily in that order.  Must also know when to keep their big mouth shut.  Call Hil at …..

ABC, owned by the Disney Corporation, is floating around a television pilot by the outrageous name of “Good Christian B@#ches” .

Naturally, the title alone, has religious and women’s groups up in arms, and, rightfully so.

The proposed series is based on a novel by Kim Gatlin.  It will be produced by the same guy who produced “Sex and the City” and “90210”,  executive producer Darren Star.

According to everything released so far, the series centers around the life of a supposedly reformed mean young lady named Amanda, brought to the screen by “Talladega Nights” actress Leslie Bibb.  In the pilot, Amanda moves back to her hometown of Dallas and finds herself the subject of malicious gossip by women in the Christian community.

Even though the show’s development is still in the early stages and it has not been guaranteed a spot on ABC’s lineup, “Good Christian B@#ches” is already causing an uproar.

Gosh.  I wonder why?

This outstanding contribution to the arts features the snappy tagline:

For Heaven’s sake, don’t let God get in the way of a good story!

God has told a great story.  You idiots need to read it sometime.

Christian publisher Tessie DeVore is not very enthusiastic about the program:

I find the title offensive. I don’t think those two words should be combined.  A show like this can damage perceptions [of Christians in this country].

Melissa Henson, director of communications and public education for the Parents’ Television Council said that it could be all downhill for here:

In the past, we’ve raised concerns about changing language standards for television.  Once a particular profanity or obscenity has been embraced by a particular show, it quickly becomes mainstream.

Yana Walton from the Women’s Media Center thinks that Christians should not be the only ones concerned about the series:

It is not an appropriate term to use to describe any woman, regardless of their faith.  Entertainment media, especially music and films, have been normalizing misogynistic language for years.

Dan Gainor, head of the Culture and Media Institute, reminds us that there is more of this garbage out there:

ABC is doubling down on the offensive by also approving ‘Don’t Trust the B@#ch in Apartment 23,’ following up on the CBS show ‘$#*! My Dad Says.’ And this continued decline is unsurprising.

The media keeps trying to redefine words and morality to mean what they say, not what they really do mean.  One wonders which network will be the first to drop the F-bomb in a TV title and whether the FCC will even intervene.

Then, of course, there are the clueless idiots in the media, who just looove it, such as Los Angeles-based entertainment expert, Jenn Hoffman:

ABC’s core viewership is Christian, so the goal of the show won’t be to attack Christianity. Just like the book, this is a show by Christians, for (mostly) Christians, to enjoy a little prime-time self-deprecation.

Lovely.  Hey Jenn, what would you think about a factual biography about Mohammad, featuring the part where he married a 9 year old?

ABC executives are keeping their mouths shut.

Meanwhile, the cable network formerly known as The Discovery Channel for Kids, has a brand new superhero series set to premiere.

The funny thing is, The Hub, as it is now known, keeps pushing back the date that they will beginning airing the series.

Per an announcement that they sent out about all their upcoming series:

“The 99” (Hub Original Series)

Created by noted Middle East scholar and clinical psychologist Dr. Naif al-Mutawa and based on his popular and respected comic book, the animated series will follow the adventures of the comic’s superhero characters who must work together to maximize their powers. Each member of The 99 embodies one of 99 global values such as wisdom, mercy, strength or faithfulness, and they hail from 99 different countries on seven continents. The series’ superheroes portray characters designed to be positive role models, representing diverse cultures, who work together to promote peace and justice. Produced by Teshkeel Media & Endemol Digital UK Production Group.

The President’s diggin’ it:

President Barack Hussein Obama made a special mention about THE 99 superheroes and its creator, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, in his speech given recently at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship [by Muslims] held in Washington. The President commended THE 99 for capturing the imaginations of young people through the message of tolerance. Entrepreneurs from all over the globe are attending the summit, including Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of THE 99 superheroes.

Who is Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa?  From his website, al-mutawa.com, this little tidbit shines forth:

The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center has added Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa to their 2009 and 2010 lists of The Most Influential Muslims In The World.

Al-Mutawa has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University where he also earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. He holds a Masters in Organizational Psychology from Teacher’s College, Columbia University and an MBA, also from Columbia University. He earned his undergraduate degree from Tufts University, where he triple majored in clinical psychology, English literature and history.

Dr. Al-Mutawa has extensive clinical experience working with former prisoners of war in Kuwait and the Survivors of Political Torture unit of Bellevue Hospital in New York. He has seen first hand the cancer that intolerance can bring to any society. His direct contact with the horrors of people tortured because of their religious and political beliefs, led to his writing a timeless children’s tale that won a UNESCO prize for literature in the service of tolerance.

He received the Eliot-Pearson Award for Excellence in Children’s Media from Tufts University, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations “ Marketplace of Ideas” Award, and The Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award presented at the 2009 World Economic Forum.

Dr. Al-Mutawa is the Clinical Director of The Soor Center for Psychological Counseling and Assessment, Kuwait’s leading professional source of a broad range of psychological services.

He is married to Rola Banaja and the father of five sons. He travels extensively and has homes in Kuwait City and New York.

So, what are the Muslim Superheroes in The 99 all about? Dr Al-Mutawa explains, ever so diplomatically:

I left Bellevue, went to business school and started the comic book series “THE 99.” THE 99 references the 99 attributes of Allah in the Koran, things like generosity and mercy and foresight and wisdom.

What, no beheadings, honor killings, or spousal mutilations?

Fifteen hundred years after the birth of Christ, men representing the Catholic Church poured hot lead down the throats of Muslims and Jews to get them to accept Jesus as their Savior. Fourteen hundred years after Gabriel conveyed God’s message to Muhammad through the Qur’an, a tiny minority [yeah, right] of self-aggrandizing Muslims are using the lead of bullets to kill untold numbers in an unspeakable insult to name of Islam.

Today, through THE 99, this proud Muslim is using the lead of his pencil to take a stand. For all our sakes, I hope the pencil really is mightier than the sword.

Here is a video of Dr. Al-Mutuwa, speaking about his creation:

Funny, isn’t it, how the Progressive network executives that are pushing these programs are experiencing more resistance from the American public than they counted on?  Gosh, it’s almost like 75% of this nation identify themselves as Christians.

President Barack Hussein Obama (peace be upon him/) on Saturday said Libyan despot Moammar Kadhafi was no longer a legitimate ruler and proclaimed that he had to leave power immediately.

Gee, Scooter.  Ya think?

This proclamation breaks an eerie silence coming from the White House concerning this nutjob.

Perhaps Obama has been so slow in responding to the Libyan Crisis because, according to an article posted by Aaron Klein at wnd.com:

Jeremiah Wright, former pastor of Obama’s longtime Chicago church, went with [Rev. Louis] Farrakhan to visit Gadhafi in 1984.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Wright himself noted the trip could cause problems for Obama.

“When [Obama’s] enemies find out that in 1984 I went to Tripoli to visit [Kadhafi] with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell.”

Farrakhan, a close friend and associate of Wright, has been financed by Kadhafi, including with a $5 million interest-free loan in 1985.

Later that year, Kadhafi spoke by satellite to Farrakhan’s Saviour’s Day Convention in Chicago, and reportedly told Farrakhan supporters he was prepared to provide weapons to a black army in the U.S. to destroy “white America.”

In October 1995, Kadhafi reportedly called Farrakhan with congratulations on the success of the Million Man March. Kadhafi was said to have assured Farrakhan that together “we will unite our capabilities and efforts to achieve this.”

According to reports in 1996 from Libya’s news agency, JANA, Farrakhan and Kadhafi agreed to work together to mobilize “oppressed blacks, Arabs, Muslims and Red Indians” to help reshape U.S. foreign policy.

Gadhafi said that until his alliance with the Nation of Islam, “our confrontation with America was like a fight against a fortress from outside.”

He asserted his alliance with Farrakhan provides him with “a breach to enter into this fortress and confront it.”

Farrakhan went to Libya for multiple other events. He was the recipient in 1996 of the Gadhafi Human Rights Award, which came with a $250,000 prize. Farrakhan accepted the prize despite U.S. sanctions on Libya.

A statement released by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, summarizing a telephone conversation Scooter had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said:

When a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now.

Before now, Obama had been extremely mealy-mouthed as far as ousting the Libyan strongman was concerned.

By the way, do you get the feeling that Chancellor Merkel told Scooter the way that the cow ate the cabbage?

On Friday, the Administration froze all Libyan assets in the U.S. that belong to Gadhafi, his government and four of his children. Obama also closed our embassy in Libya and suspended the limited defense trade between the countries.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced on Saturday that the U.S. had revoked the visas of senior Libyan officials and their immediate family members. According to the former First Lady, applications from these people for travel to the United States would be rejected.

Clinton issued her own proclamation, saying Kadhafi “should go without further bloodshed and violence,”.

Obama has been trying to get a group consensus among world leaders about Libya’s revolution. Scooter is praying that other world leaders will jump on aboard the Oust Kadhafi Express, taking some of the heat off of him. In fact, Obama has sent Hil to Geneva today to berate, err, I mean, coordinate with foreign policy officials from several countries.

The U.N. Security Council (don’t get me started) debated new sanctions against Libya yesterday. These brilliant minds could not even come to an agreement concerning a proposal to refer Kadhafi and his top lieutenants to an international war crimes tribunal.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the U.N. should act immediately to protect Libyan civilians.  He’s visiting Scooter in Washington on Monday to try to figure out how they can provide themselves political cover.

According to witnesses, Kadhafi is arming civilian supporters to man checkpoints and initiate roving patrols in Tripoli, the capital.

After Americans were finally evacuated from Libya by ferry and chartered airplane, Scooter signed an executive order imposing financial penalties on Kadhafi’s government. According to this proclamation, the meltdown in Libya presents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy.

Libyan citizens have been protesting against Kadhafi’s government since Feb. 15 and rebels have gained control of most of the eastern half of the country.

Kadhafi has responded by having his troops open fire on civilians.

While Obama has been holding audio conferences with his buds at the U.N., Americans have been suffering at the gas pump.  In the Mid-South, gas prices are at somewhere in the $3.20-plus range and climbing.  The effects of these outrageous prices will soon be felt all over our already poor economy, as people stay home, instead of jumping in the car to go some place and spend money that they no longer have.

His domestic and foreign policies have failed and the Leader of the Free World can’t decide whether to wind his backside or scratch his watch.

God protect us.

Is it just me, or is everything in the world and our own country spiraling out of control?

Within the span of a few weeks, the entire Middle East has become one big revolutionary bonfire, with secular despots in the process of being overthrown, so that they may be replaced by Islamic Regimes, forming one big Caliphate.

Meanwhile, domestically, Public Service Unions, supported and organized by Private Unions, the Democratic Party, and the President of the United States’ self-named (barackobama.com) “community” website, are protesting attempts by state administrations to trim out-of-control budgets by actually making the Public Service Unions chip in a little toward their own “Cadillac” benefit plans.

And that’s not all…this country has a president who believes that he can rule by fiat, deciding which legislation he thinks is constitutional and worthy of defending, such as the Defense of Marriage Act.

This imperious leader has also decided that he is above any ruling by the Federal Courts, continuing a ban on oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico that had been legally struck down, and continuing with his plans for Obamacare, whose individual mandate has been ruled unconstitutional, thereby striking down the whole law.

Gas prices are beginning to go through the roof. Why hasn’t Congress said a doggone thing about it? Why aren’t they demanding that Obama obey the Federal Court’s ruling and allow drilling in the Gulf?  For that matter,  why aren’t they demanding that Obamacare be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court?

Maybe Chuckie Schumer was right, when he said that there are three branches of government:  the President, the House of Representatives, and the Senate.  Not Executive, Legislative, and Judicial, as was previously taught to every American in school.

How did we get here?  Have Americans become so cynical, so unaware, that we don’t care about what’s going on around us, as long as we can go home, watch American Idol, and eat our Hot Pockets?

I thought we were heading in the right direction, when I woke up on the morning of November 3rd, 2010 to discover that my countrymen had stood up on their hind legs and voted the rascals out.

It appears that all our national elections accomplished was to vote a new bunch of wishy-washy politicians in.  The moment any Conservative leader tries to do something on a state or national level, the Libs start screaming and pouting like 3 year olds, and bring up the new word du jour, civility.  Where was their civility when they rammed Obamacare down our cotton-pickin’ throats?

Where is their vaunted civility in  the case of Wisconsin and Indiana, where Democratic State Senators have fled their home states, like a bunch of yellow-bellied cowards, rather than stand and fight for what they believe in, because they know they are wrong, but they have already sold their souls to their Union paymasters?

Civility, my foot.  Immature snobbery is more like it.

If you believe that the Libs are being civil, they you probably also believe that the Muslim Brotherhood is a secular organization.

I know that I’ve written about this time and time again, and you are probably tired of me saying it, but 75 % of Americans claim to be Christians.  If you are among that 75 %, and even if you’re not, God has laid something on my heart that I want to share with you:

What made our country the greatest nation in the world, is that Divine Spark that Our Creator placed in each and every one of us.  That truly American ability to act on our courage and convictions, to care for our families, to care about our friends and neighbors, and to take care of one another, not relying on some Nanny-state socialistic form of Federal Government, but on each other.

Every generation has thought that they were living in the End Times.  We might be now.  There is only One who knows the day and time appointed.

As a Christian man/father/grandfather and patriotic American, I ask you to pray for our country, our leadership, and those in peril around the world, and to take to heart the words found in Ephesians 6:11 – 18:

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Stay strong and hopeful and may God bless.

KJ