Charles Johnson, Think Progress Strain to Portray Discovery Gunman as Right-Wing Anti-Immigrant Extremist

If James Lee had been a right-wing militia member --- or a Glenn Beck tea party activist, for that matter --- Charles Johnson would have been all over the story, alleging that Fox News and the GOP were inciting far-right extremist violence. Instead we get this pathetic drivel (safe link):

It would be nice if everyone could just agree that James Jay Lee, the hostage taker killed today in a standoff at the offices of the Discovery Channel, was deranged. And leave it at that. But of course, we’re already seeing some extremely partisan bloggers trying to put him in the “left wing” category, simply because his weird views sprang out of a kind of extreme environmentalism ....

Right.

Last year King Charles was all over the James Von Brunn story, playing up the "white supremacy" angle like there was no tomorrow: "Shooting at Holocaust Museum in Washington DC" (cached version).

And then there's Think Progress, where the folks are just as desperate to paint the Discovery gunman as some wild right-wing anti-immigration stormtrooper, "Purported Eco-Terrorist Angered Over ‘Immigration Pollution And Anchor Baby Filth’":

This afternoon, a gunman entered the Discovery Communications building in Silver Spring, MD and appears to have taken at least one person hostage. Among his various bizarre, eco-related demands, one relates directly to immigration. The alleged hostage-taker, James Jay Lee, calls for the elimination of “anchor baby filth” and “immigration pollution”...

Look. I'm just glad that the hostages are safe. And God rest his soul, but James Lee was mentally disturbed. Almost as disturbing is the far-left's hopeless efforts to rewrite the storyline to fit their warped partisan agenda. The bottom line is that the gunman was motivated by radical environmentalism, and he even claimed Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" as inspiration. It's mostly just sad, either way. See Left Coast Rebel, "Following James Jay Lee's Trail on the Net: The Discovery Channel Ecoterrorist's second website 'World Guardian Voices'."

RELATED: At Pirate's Cove, "Excitable Liberals Still Attempting To Paint Discovery Channel Wacko As On The Right." And at Watts Up With That?, "When Warmistas Attack."

Radical Environmentalist is Suspect in Discovery Channel Seige — UPDATE!! Gunman James Lee is Dead

Nice Deb has the story, "Crazed, Anti-Life, Environmental Wacko Holds Seige In Discovery Channel Building Near DC":

I can’t help but notice how similar his ideas are to Obama’s Science Czar, John Holdren’s.

Ouch!

More at AoSHQ, "Radical Environmentalist Demanding Discovery Channel Stop Promoting Births of "Human Parasites" (aka 'Human Beings')."

And at WaPo, "Police: Hostage situation ends after suspect shot."

RELATED: At TMZ, "'Discovery' Gunman Ordered to Mental Institution in '08."

UPDATE: At ABC News, "Environmental Militant Killed by Police at Discovery Channel Headquarters." (Via Memeorandum.)

Why Shouldn't Neocons 'Demand Credit for the Work They've Done'?

The idiots at Think Progress on the "architects" of the Iraq war: "Where are they now?"

They’re on your TV screens, in your radio, and in your newspapers — shamelessly demanding credit for the work they’ve done.

Yeah. Okay. Right.

Like neocons shouldn't "demand credit" for the work they're done? It's not like Obambi should get credit or anything. You know, credit for winning the war after everyone else on the Democratic-left had written off the deployment as the next Vietnam. Obambi opposed the surge and repeatedly attacked the Iraq war as a failure. Shamelessly, come to think of it:

Reactions to Obama's Iraq Speech

I will likely have more on this today. There are a lot of questions following the president's speech. Megan O'Sullivan at the clip suggests Iraq is now in the grips of the worst political crisis since the early stages of the war and Obama again revealed his dishonesty in refusing to acknowledge that challenge for the post-combat situation. Others are hashing out how bad a speech it was, and it was awful. But the most important debate will be on the costs and value of the conflict. Was is worth it? Think Progress probably captures the leftist line perfectly, and what's interesting there is how much ground they concede to war supporters. And there are few wiser than Victor Davis Hanson on such issues, and I'll elaborate on some of his points later. As he notes:

So was Iraq worth the cost? And could Obama have cited anything positive other than banalities? In some sense, that was asked post facto of every war — whether it was the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, Korea, or Vietnam. The truth about Iraq is that, for all the tragedy and the loss, the U.S. military performed a miracle. After nearly seven years, a constitutional government endures in that country. It is too often forgotten that all 23 of the writs for war passed by the Congress in 2002 — from enforcing the Gulf I resolutions and stopping the destruction of the Kurds and Marsh Arabs, to preventing the Iraqi state promotion of terrorism, ending suicide bounties on the West Bank, and stopping Iraq from invading or attacking neighbors or trying to acquire WMD — were met and satisfied by the U.S. military. It is also too often forgotten that, as a result, Libya gave up its WMD program; Dr. Khan’s nuclear franchise was shut down; Syria left Lebanon; and American troops in Saudi Arabia, put there as protection against Saddam, were withdrawn. Perhaps a peep about some of that—especially the idea that in an oil-short world, Saddam Hussein might have been more or less free to do what he pleased again in Iraq. (The verdict is out on Iran; playing a genocidal Hussein regime against it was morally bankrupt. Currently, Shiites participating in consensual government could be as destabilizing to Iran in the long run as Iranian terrorists are to Iraq in the short run.)

Furthermore, the destruction of al-Qaeda in Iraq helped to discredit the entire idea of radical Sunni Islamic terrorists, and the loss of thousands of foreign radical Islamists in Iraq had a positive effect on U.S. security — despite the fallacy that we created them out of thin air by being in Iraq. Kurdistan was, prior to 2003, faced with the continual threat of genocidal attacks by Saddam Hussein; today it is a booming economy. All that would have been impossible without U.S. intervention.

Maybe some of the above was what President Obama meant by a “remarkable chapter,” or what Vice President Biden meant were his administration’s “greatest achievements”?

More at Memeorandum.

Democrat Dishonesty on Iraq

Devastating (c/o Yid With Lid):

Obama Ends Operation Iraqi Freedom

I anticipated the president's address in my previous post, "President Barack Obama Claims Credit on Iraq War." I can't add too much here, except to reiterate that I'm ashamed at Obama's political posturing. I'm ashamed at Obama's political opportunism, and I wish for a larger purpose than this poor president can hope to provide for those who've sacrificed for a better Iraq and for a better future for the Iraqis. It's no surprise that America's servicemen and women share this disappointment in this president's abject leadership in wartime. See, "Troops Yet to Give Obama Full Salute."

See also Michelle, "Barack Obama on Iraq: Then and Now." Glenn Reynolds has a nice roundup of reactions: "What Obama Said About the Surge When it Mattered."

And more at New York Slimes and Memeorandum.

Democrats Bail on Nancy Pelosi

It's come to this, funy thing.

At Politico:

Some of the Democratic Party’s most endangered lawmakers are taking steps to distance themselves from Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an attempt to inoculate themselves from charges that they are beholden to the unpopular House leader and supportive of the ambitious national Democratic agenda.

Three vulnerable Democrats from conservative-oriented districts are already running TV ads spotlighting their defiance of Pelosi. One freshman incumbent recently joked about the possibility of Pelosi not being able to take up the gavel next year because she might pass away. Another member from a tough district suggested he might run for speaker himself.

The roster of Democrats currently playing six degrees of separation from Pelosi spans the map, from the Northeast to the South and across the Midwest to South Dakota.

The GOP has used Pelosi, who represents a liberal San Francisco congressional district, as a wedge against vulnerable Democrats for almost as long as she has been in Democratic leadership. But with Election Day just nine weeks away, the sprint away from the House speaker highlights the increasing urgency with which the party’s most vulnerable legislators are trying to prove their independence from Democratic leaders and the Capitol Hill agenda that has defined President Barack Obama’s first term in office.

“Republicans have worked to define her as what’s wrong with Democrats,” said Dave Beattie, a Florida-based Democratic pollster who is working on several top-tier races. “It’s playing to partisan stereotypes and she’s just a vehicle for that.”

More at the link.

Image Credit: iOWNTHEWORLD.

Alaska Senate Recount in Anchorage

Robert Stacy McCain is on the ground with reports, frequently updated. And related, "64 Days to Decide: Election Monitors Descend on Alaska in GOP Senate Race" and "Murkowski Narrows Miller's Lead as Absentees Counted in Alaska Senate Race." Plus, check Anchorage Daily News as well: "Counting of absentee ballots begins."

The Los Angeles Times Teacher Ranking Controversy

The Los Angeles Times is running a new series called "Grading the Teachers." There's been a number of articles published so far, and I meant to write something earlier. The Numbers Guy at Wall Street Journal published an analysis of the current methodologies of teacher rankings, and he mentioned the Times' series right when the controversy kicked up: "Needs Improvement: Where Teacher Report Cards Fall Short." There's a lot of problems with the selection of student populations assigned to teachers (some teacher get great batches of students) and the "sample size" is small, perhaps as little as 20 students upon which a teacher could be evaluated. And if the evaluation is performed over just one academic year, it might not fully capture the learning taking place, so it's a double-edged sword: One the one hand, you might see dramatic learning in one class with one teacher, but a whole school over time --- say over a five year period --- might not show as much improvement as other schools with a student body beginning with a lower skill set. The latter school would be rewarded with higher "yearly progress" evaluations, while a top school considered exceptional in a community could be considered underperformimg. The Times series in fact look at that possibility in one of its previous reports, "L.A.'s Leaders in Learning."

In any case, ABC News covered this in a debate last weekend, "Top Education Officials Spar Over Teacher Reform, Student Success."And recall my essay on this from last month, "Michelle Rhee and Teacher Accountability."

L.A. Woman

Didn't get a chance to post this earlier in the month. Idol played The Doors cover at the Pechanga gig, and it was rockin':

Drew Barrymore!

Now she's someone I've been neglecting!

Call Me, Call Me Any Anytime...

Long Tuesday. Teaching all day, plus I'll be getting an update from Human Resources on my division's ideological wars. So until I get caught up on the news, enjoy "Call Me":

Pamela Geller Getting Death Threats

This is real, unfortunately.

I oppose the Muslim Brotherhood, their proxies, and Islamic supremacists like CAIR, ISNA, ICNA, MAS, and MPAC, who are actively working to subvert the constitution and, as it is put in a Brotherhood internal captured document, work toward "eliminating and destroying western civilization from within" -- with millions contributed by the Saudis and the State department.

Why mainstream media would host these avowed enemies of the state is beyond reason.

It is now a steady stream of threats, intimidation and violent screeds.

Pamela's posted some of the threatening e-mails.

It's really come to this. Terrorism hitting home. Truth. It's a dangerous thing.

Sharia Compliant Terrorist Funding

"And apparently this is just the tip of the iceberg."

At Jawa Report, citing Blazing Cat Fur.

'Are You Stacy McCain?'

So asks the dude behind Political Math, who bumped into The Other McCain at Salt Lake City, where Robert had a brief layover on the way to Alaska. Yep, it's another blogging junket for the one and only R.S. McCain. I'm still waiting for someone to come up and ask me, "Hey, are you Rockin' Doc D. at American Power?" Ha! That'll be the greatest!

In any case, check out the post. Blog burnout creeps up on all of us once in a while, but Robert shows how to beat it back with enthusiasm and humor.

Do You Fear a Muslim Backlash?

Read all about it at Blazing Cat Fur:

The only "Backlash" occuring in Canada is the Jihad being waged by Muslim Terrorists. Until the lying Imams who spread Islamic hate and their enthusiastic followers are exposed and rooted out by Muslims themselves I will not trust a word uttered by the "muslim community".

Camilla Belle Overnight

I'm a little burned out for some heavy duty analysis. (So is Charles Johnson, obviously.) The folks over at The Other McCain have been firing on all cylinders, however. So head over there after enjoying this clip of the beautiful Camilla Belle:

**********

And be sure to visit some of other friends of American Power:

* Another Black Conservative.

* American Perspective.

* Astute Bloggers (Honorary).

* Blazing Cat Fur.

* Bob Belvedere.

* Cold Fury.

* Classical Liberal.

* Daley Gator.

* Fausta.

* Left Coast Rebel.

* Mind Numbed Robot.

* Not a Sheep.

* Paco Enterprises.

* Panhandle Perspective.

* Political Byline.

* POWIP.

* Proof Positive.

* The Other McCain.

* Reaganite Republican (Honorary).

* Right Klik (Honorary).

* Saberpoint (Honorary).

* Serr8d (Honorary).

* Snooper's Report (Honorary).

* Stormbringer.

* Theo Spark.

* TrogloPundit.

* Washington Rebel.

* WyBlog.

BONUS: Don't forget Instapundit.

And drop your link in the comments to be added to the weekly roundups!

By Any Measure, Glenn Beck's 'Restoring Honor' Rally Was Huge

Dueling crowd estimates for Saturday's huge event in D.C.

From the obviously very perturbed Adam Serwer, "Was the Glenn Beck rally turnout really that impressive?" (Via Memeorandum.)

But contrast to Charlie Martin, "You Can See November From The Washington Monument," Doug Ross, "Glenn Beck's Rally: How Many Were Really There?", and Mike Opelka, "Just How Large Was the Attendance At Beck’s ‘Restoring Honor’ Rally?"

Also, at Doc Zero, "The Honor of a Great People."

No matter the size, actually. It musta been one hella event. Pics courtesy of Midnight Blue, "We Too Shall Overcome – Restoring Honor, Washington DC":

Total Costs of Iraq War Less Than Obama-Democrats' Economic Porkulus Package

At Fox News, "CBO: Eight Years of Iraq War Cost Less Than Stimulus Act":

As President Obama prepares to tie a bow on U.S. combat operations in Iraq, Congressional Budget Office numbers show that the total cost
of the eight-year war was less than the stimulus bill passed by the Democratic-led Congress in 2009.

According to CBO numbers in its Budget and Economic Outlook published this month, the cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom was $709 billion for military and related activities, including training of Iraqi forces and diplomatic operations.

The projected cost of the stimulus, which passed in February 2009, and is expected to have a shelf life of two years, was $862 billion.

The U.S. deficit for fiscal year 2010 is expected to be $1.3 trillion, according to CBO. That compares to a 2007 deficit of $160.7 billion and a 2008 deficit of $458.6 billion, according to data provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

In 2007 and 2008, the deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product was 1.2 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.

More at the link.

And how's that "stimulus" working out? Well, the worst is yet to come.

Image Credit: Michelle Malkin, "Flashback: Taxpayer-designed porkulus signs."

Orange County No Longer Nixon Country — It's Tea Party Country!

Hey. Wow.

The New York Times discovers The O.C.!

Yeah, we actually have diversity down here, and there's still a whole lot of patriotism left. But NYT is watching and waiting, hoping for that demographic tide to topple the county's GOP hegemony:

Orange remains a Republican county, at least relatively: an influx of immigrants certainly does not equate to automatic Democratic gains, here or anywhere else across the country. Many Vietnamese immigrants are socially conservative and run for office as Republicans. Until the increased identification of the Republican Party with tough measures on immigration in recent years, Latino voters were also clearly in play for Republicans. Most elected officials in Orange County are Republicans.

But the political texture of this county, which is larger in population than Nevada or Iowa, is changing, and many officials say it is only a matter of time before many Republican officeholders get swept out with the tide.

Well, it ain't happening any time soon, not if local tea party action is any indication:

From Palin Derangement to Acknowledging Left-Wing Sexism — Now That's Progress!

This line from Anna Holmes and Rebecca Traister captures a lot:

We progressives discount her references to the women’s movement — not to mention her validity as a candidate — by looking down on her as a dim, opportunistic, mean-girl prom queen, all spunk and no policy muscle.

That's fine. Funny though is how much these two can't stand the fact that a conservative woman is redefining feminism away from the left's culture of death. Holmes and Traister prattle on about "reproductive rights" and how Sarah Palin's intent is to roll back progress for women. This is such patent mendacity it's almost obscene. I can't take women seriously --- leftist women, or any others for that matter --- who insist that the ability to abort a pregnancy is the sine qua non of women's progress. And as much as I hate abortion, I've never argued for a 100 percent ban on it. There's so much caricature in discussions of conservative positions on the left --- seriously, I keep seeing so much of it of late (Markos Moultisas is getting to me, I guess). But what's good about the article, is the full-blown acknowledgement that Democrats are sexist. Yep, that's really the thesis here, for example:

... the sad truth is that Democrats often prefer their women fulfilling similarly diminutive models for behavior. Consider how Hillary Clinton has been treated, at times, by those in her own party: Democratic leaders never really celebrated Mrs. Clinton’s nation-altering place in history as the first female candidate to get so close to a major party’s presidential nomination. Indeed, she is most appreciated when she plays well with others in the Senate or the State Department; when she behaves like a fierce competitor, she is compared to Glenn Close’s bunny-boiling virago from “Fatal Attraction.”

If folks can remember all the vicious attacks on blogs like HillBuzz and the Pumas, well, it's clear that it's not women's progress that these people want, but lock-step ideological compliance. Kill more babies. Rob more taxpayers. Appease more Islamists. I could go on. It's all so strange sometimes. What drives that kind of hatred? I get it, but not always.

Reason.TV — 'What We Saw at the Glenn Beck Rally in DC'

It's an interesting video. I love the woman at about 2:25 minutes who reacts to the notion of "African-Americans" — "I'm not African. I'm American, black American." My thoughts precisely. She's a registered independent as well. Lots of folks are fed up with two-party politics as usual. In any case, be sure to read Glenn Reynolds' comments on the religious theme of the event. I can comment on that more when I listen to Glenn Beck's speech, but I agree with Glenn that you can't transform the tea party (small-government) movement into a religious one:

Leftists Search Desperately for 'Racists' at Restoring Honor Rally

William Jacobson has been covering this angle, and he notes:

Think Progress tried really, really hard to cover the Restoring Honor rally with photographers and videographers. I don't think it is a stretch to think that Think Progress was hoping beyond hope that it would find a sign or something else that would permit it to portray the rally as racist.

And Robert Stacy McCain has been getting good laughs out of the left's efforts to smear tea partiers as "racist." Turns out Rachel Maddow apparently found evidence of "racism" in one of the event's program guides, which "advised visitors to stick to the touristy parts of town." But it turns out the program guide was written by a Democrat, Bruce Majors, who's been a major contributor to Democratic candidates, including Howard Dean and John Kerry. And checking over at Charles Johnson's Twitter page, these dolts are working overtime to find "racist" posters at the rally and indications of "tea party racism" in Google searches. Google searches? And here's the brilliant analysis: "Here's a scary thought: It's easier to be a racist in America today than it's been in quite some time." Yeah, okay. Desperate much?

And reading AP's major report on the event this morning we find this at the lede:

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck and tea party champion Sarah Palin appealed Saturday to a vast, predominantly white crowd on the National Mall to help restore traditional American values and honor Martin Luther King's message. Civil rights leaders who accused the group of hijacking King's legacy held their own rally and march.

Civil rights leaders? Well, the writers neglected to mention Alveda King, the niece of the slain civil rights leader, until the very last paragraph of the article.

Perhaps the reporters might have spent a bit more time on the ground, talking with actual tea partiers in attendance. It looks like folks are having a little problem with the tiresome "tea party racism" meme. My good friend Skye at Midnight Blue was on the scene, with reports here and here:

The AP article does note that the event signaled a "show of strength" for the movement. And that's exactly what's giving radical leftists fits of apoplexy.

See also, "Martin Luther King would have been Proud of the Restoring Honor rally."

And "Beck, Palin, Faith, Hope, and Charity" (via Memeorandum).

Added: Linked at Instapundit!

President Barack Obama Claims Credit on Iraq War

For all of the socialism and Islamist-appeasement of this administration, the one thing that has bothered me the most about this president (and candidate in 2007-08) is his screechingly perverse antiwar ideology and opportunism. Barack Obama was the most antiwar Senator in Congress throughout 2007 and in 2008 he tried to play both sides of the fence: After opposing the surge he then turned around and hailed its success, while insisting once more that the war was wrong. As noted in his New York Times op-ed in July 14, 2008, "My Plan for Iraq":

In the 18 months since President Bush announced the surge, our troops have performed heroically in bringing down the level of violence. New tactics have protected the Iraqi population, and the Sunni tribes have rejected Al Qaeda — greatly weakening its effectiveness.

But the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true. The strain on our military has grown, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and we’ve spent nearly $200 billion more in Iraq than we had budgeted. Iraq’s leaders have failed to invest tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues in rebuilding their own country, and they have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge.

I do not hate this president. But he brings deep shame to the role of Commander-in-Chief. And that shame is seen one more time with this weekend's White House announcement on the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq. IMHO, Obama just lies when he claims to be upholding the "sacred trust" of our fighting men and women. It takes more than winning an election to win that trust -- you have to earn it. That said, folks may have different emotions than I do. But I think we can agree that getting the Democrats out of power in 2010 and 2012 will begin the process of restoring American power in the world. I cringe at the thought of this sick ACORN-sleazeball presidential interloper directing the force and capabilities of the U.S. abroad. But time heals all wounds, and the electorate is rumbling:

UPDATE: Also Blogging ...

* American Glob, "Let Me Be Clear: Obama Deserves ZERO Credit For Iraq."

* Cold Fury, "Obama singlehandedly wins Iraq war, comes home victorious, pats wonderful self on back."

* Ed Morrissey, "Obama: Iraq begins and ends with I, I, I."

* Sister Toldjah, "Obama: “Iraq was all about me”."

Cassadee Pope

Of Hey Monday:

She's a sweetie:

David Beamer, Father of Flight 93 Hero Todd Beamer, Condemns Ground Zero Victory Mosque

Via Weasel Zippers:

Alveda King, Niece of Martin Luther King Jr., Speaks on Anniversary of 'I Have a Dream' Speech

This is going to explode leftist heads like a nuclear detonation.

At Gateway Pundit, "CROWD ROARS at Restoring Honor Rally as MLK’s Niece Alveda King Declares: “I Too Have a Dream!” (Video)."

And at ABC News, "Alveda King Speaks at Glenn Beck's DC Rally":

On the 47th anniversary of her uncle's historic "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, politician and activist Alveda King has joined conservative commentator Glenn Beck at the same spot to bring people together in paying tribute to America's soldiers and "restoring honor" to America.

King, the niece of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. and daughter of his brother activist A. D. King, is currently the director of African-American outreach at the pro-life group Priests for Life and has recently stepped into the spotlight after several appearances on Beck's radio program.

"I am attending this rally to help reclaim America," she told "Good Morning America's" Ron Claiborne today from Capitol Hill. "I'm joining Glenn to talk about faith, hope, charity, honor. Those are things that America needs to reclaim. Our children need to remember to love each other how to honor each other, their parents, God and their neighbors. I agree with Glenn on all of those principles. So that's why I'm here. For me it's principles over politics."

King, who served as a Democrat in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1979 to 1981, was a keynote speaker at today's non-partisan rally, which also featured speeches from Beck and Sarah Palin.

Throughout her career King has courted controversy as an advocate for the pro-life movement. After having two abortions herself, King began speaking publicly, often at college campuses, about abortion issues. In 1996 she publicly condemned her aunt Coretta Scott King's support of abortion rights.

Earlier this month King grabbed headlines when she equated gay marriage with genocide.

"It is statistically proven that the strongest institution that guarantees procreation and continuity of the generations is marriage between one man and one woman," King said at an Atlanta rally. "We don't want genocide. We don't want to destroy the sacred institution of marriage."

King brushed off criticism that Beck was dishonoring her uncle's legacy by hosting a rally on the anniversary of his most famous speech, stating that the rally is about faith, honor and love, principles that her family has supported.

"My daddy, Rev. A.D. King, my granddaddy, Martin Luther King, Senior -- we are a family of faith, hope and love. And that's why I'm here today," King said. "Glenn says there is one human race, I agree with him. We are not here to divide. I'm about unity. That's why I'm here, and I want to honor my uncle today."

While speaking in front of tens of thousands today in DC, King said that she hopes that white privilege will become human privilege and that America will soon repent of the sin of racism and return itself to honor.

Related: The low-ball crowd estimates are coming in, "Glenn Beck Rally Attracts Estimated 87,000" (via Memeorandum). But see Glenn Reynolds, who reports much larger turnout.

Nation's Capital 'Jammed With Freedom Loving Patriots'

Tweets Amanda Carpenter:

More photos at Instapundit and Weasel Zippers. Michelle will be linking pics throughout the day, and she has this:

We’re hearing a lot about people criticizing the timing of the event, calling it insensitive for having the rally on the anniversary of Dr. King’s speech — but since most of this criticism is coming from people who are calling critics of the ground zero area mosque over-sensitive, let’s move on.

And heads continue to explode at the audacity of Glenn Beck and thousands of patriots marching to rescue liberty and the civil rights legacy. All Steve Benen can do is screech: "hate-filled demagoguery."

Plus, at ABC News, "Sarah Palin at Glenn Beck's Rally: 'Dr. King Would Be So Proud'."

Obama Pisses on Remains of the Fallen: Administration Drops Military Commission in USS Cole Bomber Trial

KICKIN' AND SCREAMIN' has the big picture, "BLOOMBERG AND OBAMA RUB SALT IN AMERICA’S WOUNDS."

But check Andrew McCarthy, former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, "Obama Administration Halts Commission Trial Against Cole Bomber":

It’s a sleepy Friday in late August, the president is on another vacation, Congress is out of town, no one is paying much attention. What better time for the Obama administration to pull the plug, once again, on military commissions? This time, it has halted the case of top al-Qaeda operative Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who was to be prosecuted by a military court for the Cole bombing. The Washington Post report is here, and Jen Rubin has thoughts at Contentions.

None of this is terribly surprising. Prosecuting the Cole case by military commission sticks in the Left’s craw because it shows the incoherence of the Obama/Holder position. They want to treat the war like a crime and endow our enemies with all the rights and advantages of civilian courts; yet, they went military in the Cole case, despite the fact that there is a pending Justice Department civilian indictment addressing that attack. There can be only one explanation for that: they are afraid the case against Nashiri is weak and might not hold up under (slightly) more exacting civilian court due process. That is, the Obama/Holder position is not principled — for all their “rule of law” malarkey, they are willing to go where they have the best chance to win. But there were no military commissions when the Cole was bombed, so what is the basis for trying it militarily? Answer: the 9/11 attacks and the ensuing war . . . except the Left doesn’t accept that it’s a war and the administration wants to prosecute the 9/11 plotters in civilian court. None of it makes any sense.

See also Newsmax, "USS Cole Bomber May Get Civilian Trial." And don't miss AoSHQ, "Obama administration shelves prosecution of alleged USS Cole bomber."

Summer Reading

Here's some of the books I'm savoring (Geller, Thompson); rereading (9/11 Commission); just starting (Emerson, Gwynne); or finishing up (Markos Moulitsas, on whom I'll have more):

Crush the Progressive Spirit

Here's Markos Moulitsas writing on the eve of the presidential election, Oct 12, 2008:

I've been making the case the last couple of weeks that we can't just focus on winning in November, but that we have an imperative to take advantage of a historic opportunity to break the conservative movement's backs and crush their spirits.

How's that working out for ya?

Broken backs? Spirits crushed?

Not so much. See Peter Berkowitz, at WSJ, "The Death of Conservatism Was Greatly Exaggerated" (via Memeorandum):

In late 2008 and early 2009, in the wake of Mr. Obama's meteoric ascent, the idea that conservatism would enjoy any sort of revival in the summer of 2009 would have seemed to demoralized conservatives too much to hope for. To leading lights on the left, it would have appeared absolutely outlandish.

In late October 2008, New Yorker staff writer George Packer reported "the complete collapse of the four-decade project that brought conservatism to power in America." Two weeks later, the day after Mr. Obama's election, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne proclaimed "the end of a conservative era" that had begun with the rise of Ronald Reagan.

And in February 2009, New York Times Book Review and Week in Review editor Sam Tanenhaus, writing in The New Republic, declared that "movement conservatism is exhausted and quite possibly dead." Mr. Tanenhaus even purported to discern in the new president "the emergence of a president who seems more thoroughly steeped in the principles of Burkean conservatism than any significant thinker or political figure on the right."

Messrs. Packer, Dionne and Tanenhaus underestimated what the conservative tradition rightly emphasizes, which is the high degree of unpredictability in human affairs. They also conflated the flagging fortunes of George W. Bush's Republican Party with conservatism's popular appeal. Most importantly, they failed to grasp the imperatives that flow from conservative principles in America, and the full range of tasks connected to preserving freedom.

Progressives like to believe that conservatism's task is exclusively negative—resisting the centralizing and expansionist tendency of democratic government. And that is a large part of the conservative mission. Progressives see nothing in this but hard-hearted indifference to inequality and misfortune, but that is a misreading.

What conservatism does is ask the question avoided by progressive promises: at what expense? In the aftermath of the global economic crisis of 2008, Western liberal democracies have been increasingly forced to come to grips with their propensity to live beyond their means.

It is always the task for conservatives to insist that money does not grow on trees, that government programs must be paid for, and that promising unaffordable benefits is reckless, unjust and a long-term threat to maintaining free institutions.

But conservatives also combat government expansion and centralization because it can undermine the virtues upon which a free society depends. Big government tends to crowd out self-government—producing sluggish, selfish and small-minded citizens, depriving individuals of opportunities to manage their private lives and discouraging them from cooperating with fellow citizens to govern their neighborhoods, towns, cities and states.

Yes, so let's crush progressivism in November. Let's break Markos Moulitsas' back, and crush the progressives' spirits.

NewsBusted — Justin Bieber Tweets Digits of Obsessive Fan!

Via Theo Spark:

Rule 5 Penelope Cruz — Where Have You Been Edition??!!

Man, I'm slacking!

I've got to get back to some regular Penelope Cruz blogging! I'm sure Linkmaster Smith will agree!

Don't Cry For Me, Next Door Neighbour...

Tubthumping, the ultimate one-hit wonder (although the band's been around for years):

Does Islam Suck?

Via David Swindle:

Sharia Compliant

Via No Sheeples Here!

Increasing Youth Participation in Politics

During classes this semester I've been asking students if they voted in the June primary. The response hasn't been overwhelming. That's one more reason I enjoy listening to young people like this gentleman:

Cultural Sensitivity Training for the Classroom

Look, I teach assimilation and the American political culture. We've got loads of multicultural curriculum in the classrooms. What we don't need is the radical reconquista agenda (combined with the new black nationalism that screams F*** YOU CRACKER!).

But hardline anti-assimilation groups keep escalating the agitation, and educational bureaucracies keep caving:

Lindsay Lohan Celebrity Rule 5

The paparazzi are in heaven now that Lindsay Lohan's out of rehab.

American Perspective should be working on some fabulous Rule 5 material, and Linkmaster Smith will round it all up:

Victory is the Only Option

I love this!

From the House GOP Conference:

While President Obama and Vice President Biden continue to seek credit for "ending the combat mission" in Iraq, this video praises the contributions of our troops for helping bring greater stability and security there -- significant progress that was only made possible through a surge strategy most Democrats like the President and Vice President opposed. As the drawdown of troops in Iraq continues, House Republicans are grateful to all the men and women in uniform, as well as their families, for the courage and sacrifices they have made, and continue to make, to advance freedom abroad and strengthen our security here at home.

Anna Maria Louisa Italiano!

Man, that is a hot name!

Anne Bancroft's given name before changing it for assimilation purposes. See New York Times, "New Life in U.S. No Longer Means New Name."

And enjoy Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman in a pre-affair scene from 'The Graduate'.

Now that's gotta be the topper for this weekend's Rule 5 production!

What d'ya say friends??!!

Pathetic GDP Report Signals Death Knell for Hopenchange-Onomics

At LAT (via Memeorandum):

The widening consensus that the U.S. economy has slowed to a crawl will be hammered home Friday with the government's expected announcement that the nation's second-quarter growth was far more anemic than previously estimated.

Many economists believe the Commerce Department will revise its estimate of growth in gross domestic product to 1.3% or lower, down from 2.4% — a dismal performance, especially as the country struggles to rebound from recession.

A bad GDP number would cap a week's worth of troubling developments in the housing and financial markets, and ratchet up the pressure on President Obama and congressional Democrats heading into November's midterm elections.

But just as there is widespread agreement that the economy is faltering, there is also a sense that the federal government is running out of options to rebuild momentum.

"Housing is in the tank. Confidence is going down. The stock market is going down. It's hard to imagine how consumers will spend," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at Cal State Channel Islands and former chief economist for Wells Fargo.

He put the probability that economic growth will slide back into negative territory — a double-dip recession — at "40% and going up."

On Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average closed below the 10,000 benchmark on the heels of worrisome new economic reports.

The government said that while initial unemployment claims last week dipped to to 473,000, from 504,000 the week before, the four-week average still reached its highest point since November. Unemployment was at 9.5% nationally in July and higher in many states, including 14.3% in Nevada, 13.1% in Michigan and 12.3% in California.

And a mortgage trade group said that, while foreclosures overall continued to ebb, more homeowners fell behind on their payments — the second straight quarter in which that has happened. With unemployment still stubbornly high, the data suggest that foreclosures could soon ramp up again.

Those reports followed news earlier in the week that home sales had fallen to their lowest level in more than a decade, despite mortgage interest rates that are at their lowest levels in nearly 40 years.

"All the indicators at the moment are pointing in the wrong direction," said Bart van Ark, chief economist for the Conference Board, a business research group.

See also Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, "The Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy."

Hotter than Hot Air

Robert Spencer reports on the fast growing readership at Jihad Watch:

The rise in readership here at Jihad Watch indicates that there is growing dissatisfaction among the American people about the quality of reporting they're getting on jihad issues from mainstream media sources. When Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews feature a spokesman for a Hamas-linked Muslim Brotherhood front group, without notifying their viewers about the unsavory ties of the spokesman they're featuring, and when they allow that spokesman to defame Americans who are trying to defend Constitutional freedoms and generally accepted principles of human rights, more and more people are realizing that these people are not journalists, but propagandists, and propagandists of the worst sort.

So they are turning away, in droves. And they are coming here, where the truth is told, fully and honestly and without obfuscation. With over three million unique visitors and counting, August 2010 has been our biggest month ever -- topping last month, which was our biggest month ever up to that point.

Maybe the new book had something to do with it as well.

Suhail Khan, Islamist and Terror-Enabler, Attacks Mosque Opponents as Insane Muslim Haters

Below is Suhail Khan appearing on radical leftist Rachel Maddow's show. He smears Pamela Geller, along with Frank Gaffney, Steve Emerson, and Robert Spencer, as "misfit anti-Muslim haters who couldn't make it in mainstream politics." Okay, sure. Perhaps folks might be interested in knowing that Khan's a jihadi-enabler whose father brought Ayman Al-Zawahiri to the United States to raise money for al Qaeda (recall that Zawahiri, along with Osama Bin Laden, issued a fatwa in 1998 urging Muslims to murder Americans as their Islamic duty). The guy's apparently spent most of his life attempting to break away from his family's jihadi background. But according to Gaffney, Khan still remains "a featured speaker at MSA, ISNA and CAIR events, as well as those of other problematic groups, including the California-based Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and the Islamic Institute." (Naturally, Charles "Bigotry and Hatred" Johnson is posting this clip as "evidence" of how evil are mosque opponents --- and as usual, it's all smears and distortions and no engagement with the actual issues).

See also Pamela's essay, "Grover Norquist's Jihad."

Revving Up Weekend Rule 5 — Courtney Friel Expecting Edition!

The lovely Courtney Friel is having a baby!

I love conservative women, and Sir Smitty does too!

But as always, check out MAinfo for some additionally wholesome offerings.

**********

And be sure to visit some of other friends of American Power:

* Another Black Conservative.

* Astute Bloggers (Honorary).

* Blazing Cat Fur.

* Bob Belvedere.

* Cold Fury.

* Classical Liberal.

* Daley Gator.

* Left Coast Rebel.

* Mind Numbed Robot.

* Not a Sheep.

* Paco Enterprises.

* Panhandle Perspective.

* Political Byline.

* POWIP.

* Proof Positive.

* The Other McCain.

* Reaganite Republican (Honorary).

* Right Klik (Honorary).

* Saberpoint (Honorary).

* Serr8d (Honorary).

* Snooper's Report (Honorary).

* Stormbringer.

* Theo Spark.

* TrogloPundit.

* Washington Rebel.

* WyBlog.

BONUS: Don't forget Instapundit.

And drop your link in the comments to be added to the weekly roundups!