BP and the Lockerbie Bomber's Release

From Bret Stephens, "A (Better) Reason to Hate BP: Did the Oil Giant Profit From the Lockerbie Bomber's Release?"

British Petroleum, with a pending $900 million drilling contract with the Libyan regime, did some hard lobbying, in 2007, in London. BP "told the U.K. government ... 'it was concerned that a delay in concluding a prisoner transfer agreement with the Libyan government might hurt' the deal it had just signed."

Of course, Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi is now expected to live 10 years (after being released with "just weeks" to live last year).

As Stephens notes:

BP has now spent the past 11 weeks promising to make things right for everyone affected by the Gulf spill. But for the families of Pan Am Flight 103's 270 victims, things can never be made right. Nor, following Megrahi's release, will justice ever be served. The question that BP could usefully answer—and answer fully—is whether, in that denial of justice, their interests were served. It won't restore the company to honor, but it might do something to restore a measure of trust.

Also at "The Lockerbie Case."

Rachel Maddow Reports From Kandahar; or, Just When You Thought DOD Got Beat Up on Rolling Stone and McChrystal...

I caught a little coverage earlier of Rachel Maddow's reporting from Afghanistan. Yeah, you read that right: The fever swamp leftist with her own show on MSNBC is actually in Afghanistan to report on the war. I guess the Pentagon didn't get beaten up enough from Rolling Stone's McCrystal coverage? And be sure to sample some of the headlines over at Maddow's blog, for example, "A Bold Gamble to Salvage Afghanistan." Of course, it's no "gamble." Lots of analysis indicates that victory's well within reach of U.S. forces (e.g., "Yes We Can … Win in Afghanistan," and "Defining Success in Afghanistan").

Rachel Maddow is perfectly representative of the leftist identity of ideological infallibility (anti-rationalist). Watching her show is like listening to the incoherent ramblings of a pathological liar on the verge of cocaine overdose. And our brilliant media people at DOD have rewarded her with an embed in Kandahar! Hmm... on second thought about victory in Afghanistan?

And I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that Ms. Maddow's been on a roll lately, for example, with her allegations of "fake" threats from the Afghan region. For experts she refers to Andrew Sullivan and Glenn Greenwald, the latter who writes:

So between Afghanistan and Pakistan combined, there are a few hundred Al Qeada members total. All of this ongoing war and those hundreds of billions of dollars spent and those deaths and the decade of occupation, and those bombings and shootings and drone attacks and lawless prisons and habeas-stripping court precedents: it's all (ostensibly) for a few hundred extremists total hiding in remote tribal areas. A few hundred.

Hey, it only took 19 to bring down the World Trade Center, and just 10 Lashkar terrorists completely demobilized Mumbai, but who's counting? Of course, Greenwald's expertise is constitutional law, not AFPAK, but when your conclusions fit the nihilist media meme you get marquee treatment on MSNBC.

It's not all bad, of course. DefSec Robert Gates recently sent out a memorandum outlining a crackdown on Pentagon press relations. No doubt that will get things under control --- well, hopefully before Rachel Maddow "discovers" the next My Lai in the meantime.

More Queers Against Israeli Apartheid — Special Free Speech Edition

Blazing Cat Fur has all your coverage, but I had to post this clip for a reminder of manifest tolerance of the peace and justice crowd:

Reminds me of some of my "colleagues" in the Business and Social Science Division.

RELATED: "Queers Against Israeli Apartheid: A group founded on the principle of censorship."

Lindsay Lohan Sentenced to 90 Days Behind Bars

Drug rehab's included in sentencing.

At LAT, "Judge Sentences Lindsay Lohan to Jail":

A Beverly Hills judge ruled Tuesday that Lindsay Lohan violated the terms of her probation in a drunk driving case when she failed to attend alcohol education classes and sentenced her to 90 days in jail.

Judge Marsha N. Revel stated several instances over the last few years in which the actress lied about taking drugs and drinking.

"It's like someone who cheats but doesn't think it's cheating if they don't get caught," Revel said ....

Before sentencing, a tearful Lohan addressed the court, saying "as far as I knew I was in compliance with my programs.”

“I wasn’t trying to get special treatment," the actress said. "I have to provide for myself. I have to work. Having said that, I did everything to balance my jobs and showing up. I’m not taking this as a joke. It’s my life. It’s my career...I take responsibility for my actions. I’ve tried to do the best I can. It’s been such a long haul, I don’t want you to think that I don’t respect you.”

Plus, TMZ has the videos if this YouTube comes down. And all the celebrity gossip's at WeSmirch.

Mercy Mercy Me: Obama Decried, Then Adopted, Bush Administration Drilling Policies

Yeah, well, thing's ain't what they used to be.

Marvin Gaye's 1971 hit "became one of his most poignant anthems of sorrow at the world dealing with the environment." And I imagine to the eco-extremist left, the Obama administration's blatant hypocrisy on offshore drilling is bit of a sorrow as well.

From WSJ:

Less than four months after President Barack Obama took office, his new administration received a forceful warning about the dangers of offshore oil drilling.

The alarm was rung by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., which found that the government was unprepared for a major spill at sea, relying on an "irrational" environmental analysis of the risks of offshore drilling.

The April 2009 ruling stunned both the administration and the oil industry, and threatened to delay or cancel dozens of offshore projects in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.

Despite its pro-environment pledges, the Obama administration urged the court to revisit the decision. Politically, it needed to push ahead with conventional oil production while it expanded support for renewable energy.

Another reason: money. In its arguments to the court, the government said that the loss of royalties on the oil, estimated at almost $10 billion, "may have significant financial consequences for the federal government."

The U.S. Court of Appeals reversed its decision and allowed drilling in the Gulf to proceed—including on BP PLC's now-infamous Macondo well, 50 miles off the Louisiana coast.

The Obama administration's actions in the court case exemplify the dilemma the White House faced in developing its energy policy. In his presidential campaign, President Obama criticized the Bush administration for being too soft on the oil industry and vowed to support greener energy forms.

But, once in office, President Obama ended up backing offshore drilling, bowing to political and fiscal realties, even as his administration's own scientists and Democratic lawmakers warned about its risks.

Hey Dems... how's that hope-and-change thingy workin' out for you?

RTWT at the link.

Obama Sues to Strike Down Arizona's SB 1070

William Jacobson's posted a copy of the complaint. The administration claims Arizona's law preempts federal authority and violates the "Supremacy Clause" of Article VI of the Constitution.

And here's this, from ABC News, "Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Challenging Arizona Immigration Law: Suit Says Arizona Law Treads on Federal Authority":

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today challenging Arizona's new immigration law, which takes effect July 29.

The suit challenges the law on the grounds that immigration is under the purview of the federal government and that Arizona has overstepped its bounds. Justice also claims that the law is too broad and could result in racial profiling and discrimination.

The lawsuit names Arizona and state Gov. Janice Brewer as the defendants.

While the legal challenge had been expected, signaled by Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama in statements soon after the statute was enacted, the lawsuit is sure to set off a firestorm of debate pitting the federal government against Arizona.

Michelle's got some links as well.

I doubt the feds can win on the racial profiling charge, although I suspect there's a pretty good case under doctrines of national supremacy (I'll look into the case law precedents). I'm interested to see what Gov. Brewer's attorney's have prepared to defend the law in court. The State of Arizona should prevail, I'd think, since it's clear by the nature of the legislation that all the authorized actions under SB 1070 are the same as those under federal law. I also can't see how challenging the law helps the Dems in November (huge majorities approve the bill), so obviously Obama's looking to beef up the Hispanic vote for 2012. He's certainly going to need it, considering how epic fail his administration's been so far.

And by the way, I'll check, but I'll bet there's going to be some big pro-SB 1070 rallies in AZ soon, and I'd like to head back out there for some additional coverage. I'll

Queen Elizabeth II Address to U.N. General Assembly

I'm simply fascinated by Queen Elizabeth II. It bothers me somewhat that she'd dignify the General Assembly with her presence (it's a bastion of Israel-bashers, socialists, and terrorist-enabling regimes), but I imagine she might be forgiven since she's avoided the institution since 1957.

The full clip's at Mediaite, "Queen Elizabeth Speaks To United Nations For The First Time In Over 50 Years." Plus, below, a CNN video as well as a background report from ABC NEWS, "Queen Praises U.N. but Says Much Work Remains to be Done: Queen Elizabeth Ends 'Cost-Conscious' Trip to North America With Visit to U.N. and Ground Zero." (CNN is reporting right now, "Awaiting Queen at Ground Zero.")

4th of July Holiday Wrap

I've posted roundups from today's blogging at Right Wing News and Theo Spark's.

At left is a good friend of mine, doing a little '60s-revival partying for the 4th:

Thanks for reading, everybody!

Check back tomorrow for more of American Power's neocon hotness!

BONUS EXTRA : At The Blog Prof, "theblogprof passes 1,000,000 visitors today!"

Tea Parties and the Constitution

As I've now mentioned a couple of times, tea party patriots are arguing --- at an increasing clip --- for activists to get in the business of political conversion. The San Juan Capistrano event on Saturday had just a bit more of an "outreach" feel to it, and recall too that Lt. Col. Allen West really hammered the point home in his Ft. Lauderdale address. Perhaps this is something of a maturation of the movement. While some leftists have been gleefully pronouncing the death of the tea parties, the movement's most likely here to stay in some form (as long as activists aren't co-opted into a third party --- I'm thinking Ross Perot in 1992 and after). The July 4th weekend demonstrated the point pretty well, I'd say. Indeed, there's a couple of articles out today discussing the tea parties, and most pertinent to my thinking is at Washington Post, "Tea party gatherings on the Fourth mix the educational and the patriotic" (via Memeorandum). I noticed earlier that some folks really are invested in their cherished interpretations of the Constitution (see here and here), and so the first couple of passages at WaPo are what interest me:

Tea party" activists across the nation tried to put the "independence" back in Independence Day this weekend with festivals and other gatherings focused on the Constitution -- and how to use it for political gain.

Coupled with an upsurge in organized classes and book clubs, the trend reflects a growing effort among conservatives to teach supporters how to do political battle using an inviolable weapon: the nation's founding documents. It's a change in emphasis for a movement that rose to prominence with spirited and sometimes unruly protests across the nation.

RTWT.

One of the points in the article --- that tea partiers are just now stressing constitutional principles --- doesn't square with my experience. I recall sometime after last summer's town halls finished up, the next batch of tea party events became even larger revivals for constitutionalism. And pretty much all this year, my local group has been hammering the nation's founding principles at events. In any case, Gallup's got some new findings that confirm it's mostly limited government principles of concern to tea partiers, and while yes, the Founders wanted to correct the deficiencies of the weak confederation of states during the Revolutionary War, it's probably not accurate to overstate the case that they unequivocally backed strong centralized government. I can't vouch for all of these quotes below, but not even Alexander Hamilton --- among the strongest proponents of federal power in 1787 --- could accurately be portrayed as completely favoring centralization over ultimate guarantees for the liberties of the people.

Man Blows Off Arm While Launching Illegal Fireworks

I was just thinking about this the other day, since I saw some fireworks stands popping up in Southern California. The New York man, Eric Smith, was apparently setting off heavy-duty fireworks, mortor rockets, but still, even smaller ones can be dangerous.

Via WyBlog and Sky News, "Man Blows His Arm Off With July 4 Fireworks":

Eric Smith, 36, had been using a three-foot-long metal tube as a launcher to shoot mortars from the street near his Long Island home.

Police believe he leaned over the device while trying to ignite a firework and it rocketed into his shoulder.

Friends and relatives attending a barbecue in Mr Smith's back yard heard a boom and rushed around to the front to find him injured.

Mr Smith's wife, Tania, saw the accident from her kitchen window. "I ran out to see if he was alive," she said.

One witness said the father-of-two "kept groaning: 'Oh, man, I messed up. I really messed up'."

Mr Smith has now been told his severed left limb cannot be reattached, according to the New York Post.

Yep.

The Post article is here: "Fireworks father's arm can't be saved."

Matthew Rothschild at The Progressive — 'I Don't Believe in Patriotism'

I really spoke too soon!

I knew there was something like this out there this weekend. I just missed it earlier. See, "Why I Don’t Celebrate July 4." And I have no response other than I doubt Rothschild even likes apple pie:

You can call me unpatriotic if you’d like, but really I’m anti-patriotic.

I’ve been studying fascism lately, and there is one inescapable fact about it:

Nationalism is the egg that hatches fascism.

And patriotism is but the father of nationalism.

Patriotism is not something to play with. It’s highly toxic. When ingested, it corrodes the rational faculties.

It gulls people into believing their leaders.

It masks those who benefit most from state policy.

And it destroys the ability of people to get together, within the United States and across boundaries, to take on those with the most power: the multinational corporation.

Plus, it’s a war toy, wheeled out whenever a leader needs to improve his ratings by attacking some other country—often after invoking God’s name, too.

It’s been so since the Spanish-American War and World War I and right up through the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War.

American patriotism has also gotten in the way of solving global warming. Many in the United States, which consumes 25 percent of the world’s resources but has just 4 percent of the world’s population, believe we have the God-given right to use up all the resources we can. And there is an all-too-common attitude that we don’t need to listen to any other countries, or the U.N., or obey any international agreements because we’re Americans, and we’re better than everybody else.

We’ve got to get over patriotism, and we’ve got to cure the American superiority complex.

So celebrate the 4th if you like.

But as for me, between God, country, and apple pie, I’ll take the apple pie.

Come to think of it, I will add this Moonbattery quote: "If his previous articles are any guide, Matthew Rothschild is a one-man parade of progressive left douchebaggery."

Queers Against Israeli Canadian Apartheid

It's basic to anti-Western hatred. It all blends together after a while.

From Jonathan Kay, "'Queers Against Israeli Apartheid' Declare Canada to Be An Apartheid state, Too."

And Blazing Cat Fur has some viddy, and pics at Lumpy, Grumpy and Frumpy:

Also, at Five Feet of Fury, "Do 'openly Christian' cops get to stick crusader flags in their helmets?"

RELATED: "Old Rebel Does Toronto!"

Old Rebel Does Toronto!

He's a master of disguise, you see:

On Twitter too! (Snark alert.)

The Democratic-Left: United in Hate With America's Foes

A reminder this holiday week on the Democratic Party's alliance with evil: "United in Hate With America's Foes."

President George W. Bush First Inaugural Address

The first inaugural address from the Non-Apology President.

At about 4:40 minutes into the speech:

America has never been united by blood or birth or soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them; and every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our country more, not less, American.

We are a country bound by common political ideals (not grovelling grievances and a refusal to place American exceptionalism in its rightful place of international leadership).

RELATED: Glenn Reynolds has some great 4th of July photos here, here, and here.

'You Got to Make People Understand That There Are Certain Principles and Values Upon Which This Great Country Was Established'

Allen West at a July 3rd tea party in Fort Lauderdale. He reiterates more forcefully the theme I heard at the San Juan Capistrano tea party on Saturday. Patriots have to expand the scope of conflict. We have to move beyond preaching to the choir and get in the business of political conversion. It won't work with implacable America-haters of course. But lots of independents are defecting from the hopey-changey coalition that brought the Obama thugs to power, and we need to speed that process along. Listen to Allen West starting about about 1:50 minutes especially. He says "you gotta take this message out into your workplaces, into your homes, to your friends and you gotta make people understand ..."

VIDEO HAT TIP: Right Wing News.

RELATED: "Lt. Col. Allen West: A True American Hero."

Thoughts on Blogging and Freedom

I'm past the point of writing "tips for bloggers" essays. I did that last year, and the advice is still pretty good over there.

No, I was thinking about a little update on blogging after see John Hawkins' post last week, "7 Things Every Blogger Should Know How To Do (Besides Write)." John has a comment about making money from blogging, but the more basic thing here is the traffic numbers he cites:

#5) How to make some money doing this: Here's an unpleasant truth. You can have 2,000 or 3,000 people a day reading your blog and make almost nothing off of it. In fact, from what I've seen, until you get big enough to stand out a little bit from the crowd, say at 6,000, 7,000, 8,000 people reading you a day, you will have great difficulty making enough money to do more than pay your bills for your blog. Then, even when you do get big, if you don't know what you're doing and dramatically underprice your ads, you can still make a lot less money than what you should. I've seen people who could DOUBLE their ad rates and probably not lose any ads.

While I'd love to make a little more money than I'm getting now (mostly from Amazon and the ad at the sidebar), I blog mostly to make a contribution to the debate (and we need more regular folks in new media, so hopefully I can hold out for a while). American Power has been doing well. My traffic has doubled since last year, and I'm co-blogging at both Right Wing News and Theo Spark's. (And that's something to think about, for the newer bloggers just getting started. Get going on the networking and seek high-traffic blogs to post essays and increase exposure.) I'm closing in on a solid average of 2000 visitors per day. A good chunk of that is from SEQ, but more and more it's due to the relentless promotion that's integral to serious blogging. As I've said previously, don't be shy about pimping your stuff (although adhere to some limits, naturally). In addition, I suspect one should think pretty carefully about making blogging a career. I'll be honest: If in a few years from now I'm able to find a way to make some serious, long-term money from blogging, I'll be no doubt looking to speed up retirement from my college. After ten years of teaching at LBCC, I've realized I probably don't have the ideological temperament for academe. It's my career, and I'm a professional, but I think I'd like to leave college teaching sooner rather than later. Maybe I can write books, or something. But that's a matter I'll discuss more another day.

There's one more thing: the frequency of recent "babe blogging." I posted a ton of "Rule 5" last week. Linkmaster Smith has the roundup:

American Power went on a bit of a Rule 5 rampage this week, NTTAWWT:

• Esti Ginzburg
• On location in Lisbon
• Jennifer Love Hewitt
• Brooklyn Decker
• SI Swimsuit Teaser #1
• Wednesday Diversions
• Canada Day
• Marisa Miller
• Friday Diversions
• Victoria’s Secret: Splash!
• Zoe Duchesne

This is mostly experimentation, especially the frequency of the hotness. I may or may not post Rule 5 in the future, or at least at regular intervals. There's clearly a demand for it. But what's important is that I CAN POST HOTTIES whether I want to or not. IT'S ABOUT FREEDOM. So if you like this kind of thing, enjoy it while it lasts. Meanwhile, maybe we'll see some increased blog frequency over at Swedish Meatballs Confidential!

Enterpriser

My results, at the Pew Center Typology Test. Pay attention to the "defining values" section, third down. I'd say that pretty describes my orientations:

Enterpriser

Based on your answers to the questionnaire, you most closely resemble survey respondents within the Enterpriser typology group. This does not mean that you necessarily fit every group characteristic or agree with the group on all issues.

Enterprisers represent 9 percent of the American public, and 10 percent of registered voters.

Basic Description

As in previous studies conducted in 1987, 1994 and 1999, this extremely partisan Republican group’s politics are driven by a belief in the free enterprise system and social values that reflect a conservative agenda. Enterprisers are also the strongest backers of an assertive foreign policy, which includes nearly unanimous support for the war in Iraq and strong support for such anti-terrorism efforts as the Patriot Act.

Defining Values

Assertive on foreign policy and patriotic; anti-regulation and pro-business; very little support for government help to the poor; strong belief that individuals are responsible for their own well being. Conservative on social issues such as gay marriage, but not much more religious than the nation as a whole. Very satisfied with personal financial situation.

Who They Are

Predominantly white (91%), male (76%) and financially well-off (62% have household incomes of at least $50,000, compared with 40% nationwide). Nearly half (46%) have a college degree, and 77% are married. Nearly a quarter (23%) are themselves military veterans. Only 10% are under age 30.

Lifestyle Notes

59% report having a gun in their homes; 53% trade stocks and bonds in the stock market, and 30% are small business owners – all of which are the highest percentages among typology groups. 48% attend church weekly; 36% attend bible study or prayer group meetings.

2004 Election

Bush 92%, Kerry 1%. Bush’s most reliable supporters (just 4% of Enterprisers did not vote)

Party ID

81% Republican, 18% Independent/No Preference, 1% Democrat (98% Rep/LeanRep)

Media Use

Enterprisers follow news about government and politics more closely than any other group, and exhibit the most knowledge about world affairs. The Fox News Channel is their primary source of news (46% cite it as a main source) followed by newspapers (42%) radio (31%) and the internet (26%).

I took the "Political Compass" test yesterday (here).

The graph shows my results. I'm over to the right and down, closer to the libertarian position. (If you check the website, folks like G.W. Bush are way up in the upper right quadrant, so who knows?)

Surprise! Republicans 'Racist' for No Vote on Unemployment Extension

I almost spoke too soon. Just after mentioning that I hadn't found too many anti-American blogs dissing 4th of July, here we have Zandar the Stupid smearing traditional Americans as racist for opposing the left's move to create an unemployment benefit entitlement. Paul Krugman slams folks like this as "heartless" and "clueless." But Sir Stupid takes it to the natural conclusion:

It's the same folks who say America is a the greatest country on Earth, that its people are exceptional and destined, who talk about how special we are as a people, invariably they are the first to turn on their neighbors and say "I don't care if there's not any jobs out there, go paint fences and collect aluminum cans. I'm not helping you. Get a job you lazy bastard."

The deficit numbers are just an excuse to heap more misery upon the unemployed. That's because a lot of people in Krugman's first two categories believe everyone who is unemployed still must be lazy, or trying to scam the system, or trying to fleece them personally. It's a depressingly cynical worldview, and in reality that's just covering up for fears of something far more nasty: that everyone who's still unemployed by this point is shall we say of a certain ethnic background.

Extending unemployment insurance is unsound economic policy. It reduces incentives for workers to find employment or shift to new industrial sectors. Even Krugman recognizes this, but says Republicans are mean anyway. Zandar the Stupid just uses this as one more chance to scream RAAAAACIST!!!

Added: William Jacobson links, "Is Paul Krugman Heartless, Clueless or Confused (Pick Only One)?"

Less Than 1 in 5 Leftists 'Extremely' Patriotic in Gallup Poll

I didn't really look around this year. Usually I find a few radical bloggers dissing 4th of July. I did have the run-in with the fringe college students at Saturday's tea party, so it's pretty much all around, in any case. In terms of raw data, Gallup shows a decline among both Democrats and "liberals" on the score of "extremely' patriotic." (See CNS News as well). Some folks may have noticed, but I don't use the term "liberal" to describe these dolts. They're leftists and socialists, frankly. The American usage of "liberal" may have had some relevance back in the Truman era, and possibly Kennedy/Johnson, but those on the left today favor socialism and they're the same types who reject patriotic love of country. This is not an insignificant number either. President Obama leads the America-bashing chorus whenever he feels it necessary to apologize for the United States. Most traditional flag-waving Americans have had enough of that. After decades of being told they're "racist" and after more than 45 years of consolidating a post-Jim Crow racial entitlement regime under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, right-standing Americans know that we have nothing to be ashamed of on the diversity front. And were it not for an American foreign policy of freedom, there'd be less liberty in the world today than there is now. So while no country is perfect, we have lots to be thankful for and plenty of reasons to be extremely proud of who we are and what we stand for.

Via Memeorandum.

See also, Scared Monkeys, "Poll Shocker: Conservatives Are More Than Twice as Likely as Liberals to Be Strongly Patriotic," and Linkmaster Smith, "Does Not Caring About The Country Correlate With Thuggery?"

Americans Celebrate Fourth of July

Got back a little while ago from the fireworks show in Irvine. Always a thrill.

At CNN, "Fourth of July celebrations abound across country‎":

From sea to shining sea, as the song goes, Americans celebrated Independence Day in a variety of ways Sunday, from the traditional barbecue to a decades-old hot dog eating contest at New York's Coney Island.

At the White House, President Barack Obama marked the holiday with a barbecue for 1,200 members of the armed forces and their families, an out-of-uniform event for the the troops.

"The backyard's a little bigger here, but it's the same spirit," Obama said.

Sunday marked the 234th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the 13 British colonies that later formed the United States. Obama said the "timeless" principles of that document "are just as bold and revolutionary as when they were first pronounced."

"On this day that is uniquely American, we're reminded that our declaration, our example made us a beacon around the world," Obama said from a balcony draped with red-white-and-blue bunting.

In addition to the barbecue and an opportunity to watch the fireworks over the National Mall, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted a USO concert on the South Lawn. Outside the presidential mansion, tens of thousands gathered on the Mall to watch Sunday night's fireworks and hear a concert that featured performances by David Archuleta, Lang Lang, Gladys Knight, Darius Rucker and Reba McEntire.

"It's a huge honor for me to be here in Washington, D.C., to be performing on the Capitol lawn on the Fourth of July," McEntire told CNN.

RELATED: "Celebrating the Fourth of July with Our Troops in Iraq." And, "Bomb Blasts Overshadow Biden Speech In Iraq."

Heading to bed ... tune back in tomorrow for all the news and analysis ...

Fourth of July Fireworks in Irvine

I'm heading out for the fireworks show:

The skies above Irvine High School Football Stadium will once again light up in celebration of Independence Day on Sunday with the return of the Irvine Police Associations 26th annual firework festival ....

The official Independence Day presentation will begin at 9 p.m., when the Irvine Police Department Color Guard formally presents the colors, followed by the "sky concert and firework extravaganza."

If I'm not too tired later I'll post a couple of pics. Either that, or check back in the morning.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Breitbart Launches 'Big Peace'

Can't be more cool than this.

From Andrew, "Big Peace: The July 4th Happy Birthday to America Launch!":

A little less than a year after announcing it, in front of Vice President Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and many other American foreign policy elites at Frank Gaffney’s “Keeper of the Flame” Award Dinner in October 2009, we are finally launching Big Peace.

RTWT.

Editor Frank Gaffney is neoconservative, so I'm looking forward to seeing how "Big Peace" develops. Should be good.

Naturally, the Soros-back Media Matters is completely freaked.

Well She Was an American Girl...

I'd say we're due for a little music on this 4th of July, so enjoy Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "American Girl" (lyrics).

RELATED: I want to offer a huge shout out to Linkmaster Smith at The Other McCain. Wise, prudent, and restrained, he's a very good fellow for a blogger to get to know.

Happy 4th of July!

Blazing Cat Fur offers a lovely homage to American freedom, "Happy 4th of July!"

Click and enlarge for full image.

Plus, don't miss the great FMJRA holiday edition at Pat in Shreveport's.

Hat Tip: Nation of Cowards and Linkmaster Smith's Rule 5 Roundup.

From the House GOP Conference...

...a Happy 4th of July:

More videos at the House GOP home.

Elena Kagan and Natural Rights

Every American should really get a chance to (really) watch the farce that is the modern day Supreme Court nomination hearing. It's especially interesting with Elena Kagan, since she argued back in the 1990s that the Robert Bork hearings were illuminating and indicative of how the process worked in the ideal. The irony of course is that because of the Democrats' "borking" of Robert Bork, no nominee to the Court will candidly discuss their political jurisprudence --- they'll be mercilessly caricatured by an array of (radical) interest groups and they'll be pilloried on the cross of public opinion. Also interesting, in the clips below, is how the short videos can't really capture the full context of the testimony. We see at top Tom Coburn's questions to Kagan on natural rights theory. She refuses to state her own position, repeating the standard line of all nominees that "it wouldn't be appropriate" to discuss anything larger that how she'd rule on the basis of text (of the Constitution). It's a game of dodgeball, frankly. And at bottom is the completely detextualized clip of Charles Grassley, which idiot leftists used to portrary him as confused over the founding documents. He's not, but there's little political gain to be had for leftists arguing from a position of truth and honesty:

VIDEO HAT TIP: Thunder Tales.

Best Politically Incorrect Tweep Evah!

And she's wishing you a great 4th of July!

.

Patriotic Opposition

From John Podorhetz, at NY Post (via Memeorandum):

How are those of us who stand in opposition to the domestic agenda and for eign-policy views of President Obama and his administration to think about this country in 2010 as we approach the nation's birthday on Sunday?

Or, to put it another way: How should a self-described patriot think, act and talk about the United States if that self-described patriot believes the elected leadership of the United States has led the country into a ditch that threatens to expand into a bottomless chasm?

Does the fault lie with the president and his party, or does it reside in the electorate that installed them? If it resides in the electorate, what does that say about the condition of the United States? ....

In the case of Barack Obama, the root questions are: Who is he and why is he doing this?

Opponents answer the question in many ways, from the clear-cut (he's a Chicago Democrat) to the more suggestive (he's a 1970s-era campus leftist) to the silly (he wasn't born in America) to the sinister (he's a secret Muslim or Communist).

Conveniently, this kind of focus on Obama personally exempts the rest of the country from any blame, except for being so foolish as to fall for Obama's patter: The fault lies not in ourselves but in our leaders.

But for those who are unsatisfied with this, the blame attaches not to Obama himself -- after all, he really did tell us what he intended to do, by telling Joe the Plumber he wanted to redistribute wealth.

Rather, the blame attaches to the electorate for its foolishness in believing the hype, or for falling for the siren song of the European social democracy that Obama is eager to impose. So the root question here is: Have the American people changed?

More at the link.

And now check out Mind Numbed Robot's awesome essay, "Robo Love":

Within the links on this one post should be, would be enough grievances to motivate the American people from just one generation ago to dethrone this radical jack-ass president and his minions. More offenses than necessary to unseat most members of congress for treason and yet, I have to wonder, where are those Americans now? Are they too complacent? Do they fear their government so much as to not defy it? Or are they still mostly asleep or in a trance?

Where is the tumultuous roar of an outraged population beset by the very government entrusted to protect them? What will it take for a the real revolutionaries to mount their battle steeds and sail headlong into the clash? Are we just shouting in an echo chamber? Do we dare wait until the errant children, the liberals and democrats and RINO’s wake to the world they have created and cry in disgust “My God, What have I done?”

Where are the law suits challenging not only ObamaCare but every piece of unconstitutional garbage the Obamachine spews forth? Where are the statesmen and commanders of industry, economy and agriculture willing to stand and fight?

Too few. Too few.

I see now why the regime would like to silence the bloggers and the pamphleteers. We are the last hope for this country. I believe that with the very fiber of my soul and yet I am afraid it will not be enough.

My blogging friends, I know how hard you work. I applaud every one of you. But we must find a way to recruit more to the fight if we are going to win.

I’m speaking of the every day people who go about their lives trying to ignore the depravity around them. There are times I wish I had the ability but I cannot and we must wake them up to the peril in the throne room.

Interestingly, but I heard almost the exact version of Mind Numbed Robot's exhortation at yesterday's tea party. It was O.C.'s 4th District Supervisor Shawn Nelson. In the spirit of revolution, he implored us to take our country back at the polls this year. But the most important thing he said is that we have to get more people involved. We have to expand the scope of conflict. Get more great patriots of sound mind and morals, and begin taking back America one district at a time, all the way up to Congress and the White House.

It's off the sidelines, dear readers. Get out, get active, and get busy fulfilling the dreams of the founders. We'll shut down the corrupt union-fueled Democratic-socialist machine. The hopey-changey era will be winding down soon, be assured.

Independence Day 2010

From Hall of Record:

This is the fourth year I have posted this.

Caution: This document contains politically incorrect material and may be subject to neglect and condemnation by members of the ruling elite.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The Declaration of Independence! A truly amazing thing.

RTWT.

RELATED: From Brian Calle, at O.C. Register, "We Must Preserve Our Gift of Freedom."

San Juan Capistrano Tea Party, July 3, 2010

As mentioned earlier, I attended an "Independence Day" tea party today in San Juan Capistrano. There's in fact another event tomorrow, so today was more in the Spirit of '76. The colonists had the Declaration of Independence prepared on July 2nd, of course, so I'm in the ballpark either way.

There were fewer patriots with protest signs today than I've seen previously. Below are a few that captured the feeling among the activists assembled:

*****

Okay, here's the chronological set of photos. It was great roster of speakers, although I socialized and took pictures more than listened to the speeches. I was happy to see my very good friend Opus 6 from MAinfo, and she's got some great posts with pictures and summaries: "Great Speakers at San Juan Capistrano Tea Party," and "Rep Ken Calvert Speaks in San Juan Capistrano." (GOP congressional candidate Star Parker, who is endorsed by Sarah Palin, spoke before I arrived --- so be sure to check Opus' links.)

Here's the entry to the event, at Historic Town Center Park:

That's Opus 6 sitting up front at center (holding a BlackBerry, which she used for instant blogging from the event). She recognized me right away and waved. There were well over 200 people by Noon. Most folks brought lounge chairs to kick back:

The setup at the stage. Activist Eldon Alexander speaks:

Long-time readers might remember this sign from my previous O.C. tea party coverage:

Immigration policy was completely off the radar thoughout 2009's tea party mobilizations, but it's big nowadays. San Juan Capistrano's long been under a gang injunction from the state:

Here's the setup, with a Spanish colonial feel:

At the stage, each of these panels featured one of great colonial revolutionaries and founders. Thomas Paine was in the colonies just two years when he broke out with Common Sense:

James Madison might not seem the model for the tea parties, but as the "Father of the Constitution," tea partiers are hoping to restore Madison's venerable tradition of thwarting corrupt and unjust majorities:

This is Brian Watt, the Barking Dog of the Radical Right. He was recently featured in the libertarian Orange County Register, so I sat down and listened to his speech. Knowledgable and very well spoken. He hammered President Obama on all the Marxist scholars who're drafting policies for the administration, including Robert McChesney and the FTC's Reinventing Journalism campaign:

Below is Representative Ken Calvert of California's 44th Congressional District (Norco/Riverside). I listened for just a few minutes before cruising around to take more pictures. Calvert said he spoke at the big congressional tea parties on Capitol Hill, and constituents from the district flew out to be in attendance. Speaking of the current crisis, Calvert noted, "We only need to look at Greece and the EU to see what happens with unrestrained spending. My father used to say you can't spend yourself out of debt, son."

Another friendly tea partier:

This was really cool --- kinda like flag row over on the south end of the lawn:

A friendly patriot:

Below, at one of the booths, a map of the gang injunction area. Big Hispanic population in San Juan Capistrano, with no doubt a large illegal enclave. While I don't think the entire event was about immigration, the Orange County Register's report suggests otherwise, "Hundreds Rally Against Illegal Immigrants." The piece quotes Representative Calvert's comments on the possibilities for immigration reform this year:

As he finished, I went over to thank Representative Calvert. He graciously posed for a photo:

I was distracted from some of the speakers by a group of radicals that was hanging out by the street. Members were engaged in discussion with a very attentive and patient conservative woman. I roamed nearby for a few minutes. Soon I heard one of the young men discussing Israel. He was arguing that Palestinans in Gaza lived in squalor, etc. I listened further. When he began arguing that Israel had no "Biblical right to occupy Palestianian lands." I couldn't remain silent. I told him that's not true. I said first Israel wasn't "occupying" the land, and secondly, the Jewish people have a biblical claim on Israel going back to before Exodus in the Old Testament. The fellow got agitated and walked toward me, calling me a "fool" for speaking out. I said to him: "Why are you calling me names? I'm simply rejecting your claim that Israel is 'occupying' the land ..." He seemed to mellow after that, and I imagine we could have conversed reasonably for a while. He said, for example, that he wanted "a two state solution" in the Middle East. So I asked him if he supported Hamas? He said, "No, I'm against violence, a peace activist." I told him that's exactly what the folks on the Gaza flotilla said. He told me he rejected the violence, and I said, "then we're in agreement." Basically, call these folks out on propaganda and if they're amicable, you might be able to get through a bit.

That said, the Register article notes that there was some additional conflict going on, which I missed:

While the event was mostly peaceful, a small group of anti-TEA party protestors gathered at the back of the park to engage in political discussion with the TEA party activists.

Alex Galindo, 23, from San Juan Capistrano, said the reception from the TEA party supporters was not friendly.

"It's gone exactly as I expected," the Saddleback College sophomore said. "I was arguing about the North America Free Trade Agreement and how it asks migrant workers to obey two unjust laws. Those would be the current immigration policy and the North America Free Trade Agreement. Only one person agreed with me.

Galindo said the rally's speakers had nothing important to say.

Adrian Castillo, 22, who met Galindo at the TEA party event, said h
e has felt discrimination since he was a child in elementary school.

"I want people in South County to know there is an opposition and that it's not just old, white, rich people," he said.

Galindo later got into an argument with members of the American third Position, a group based out of Westminster that wants to halt all immigration and expel illegal immigrants, after they started taking pictures of Galindo and his friends.

The story does not mention this woman below, who was much more outwardly militant than the young man I debated (who is not pictured). She was attacking the legitimacy of the United States, arguing against the U.S. government's "genocide" of Native Americans. When I said that in fact Native Americans were among the most brutal and oppressive populations in North America --- that they were not victims --- she got angry (she yelled at me, saying "I hate you"). She didn't want her picture taken, either, and perhaps refused to be interviewed for the Register's story. They're college students apparently, and somewhere they've been instructed by some extremely radical professors. It was almost a Ward Churchill seminar out on the lawn:

At left, partially obscured and wearing a cap, is the conservative woman who was trying to help the young militant woman see reason:

The event was winding down by now. I cruised back over to the front to say goodbye to Opus 6. I think I'll buy her a patriotic cap for next time to keep the sun out of her eyes!