Israel Buries its Dead

The pictures are heartbreaking: "Islamic Antisemitism and Jewish Genocide: The Funeral."

And at Israel National News, "Shooting Victims Buried":

The victims of the Tuesday night terrorist attack near Hevron – Yitzchak Imas, his wife Talia Imas, Kokhava Even-Chaim, and Avishai Shindler – were buried Wednesday. The funeral procession began in Beit Chagai. As the town does not have its own cemetery, the burials were conducted in various cities around Israel.

Yitzchak and Talia Imas, parents of six children, were buried in the Mount of Olives (Har Hazeitim) cemetery in Jerusalem.

Their daughter Rut eulogized them, saying, “For 19 years you raised me... G-d, thank you for giving me wonderful parents.” She recalled their 25th wedding anniversary just two weeks earlier, “You promised you would reach your golden anniversary as well.”

“Mother, I promise to look over our family, to keep doing the things that were important to you, and to keep the family together,” she added. “I'll be there for the little ones, who will grow up with no mother or father.”

Kokhava Even-Chaim was buried in Ashdod. Her husband Momi spoke at her funeral. “I can't believe that I'm reading a goodbye letter to you, my wife, my beloved, the mother of our family. I've been to so many funerals, I want you to stay here with us.”

He spoke of the terrorists who murdered Kokhava and three others, saying, “Evil cowards, who harm innocent civilians... Only wicked people could call that war.”

Speaking to his wife, he said, “We are not the ones accompanying you. You are accompanied by the angels you created by the learning of a daily page of Gemara, by saying Tehillim [Psalms] - just in the past two weeks you finished the book of Psalms 22 times – and by the angels you created by guarding your speech. Few people know that you led a group of women committed to avoiding speaking ill of others.”

More at the link.

Larry Sabato's Labor Day Predictions

At the clip is Time's Mark Halperin, making the case for a massive blowout in November, with a tidal wave washing out as many as 60 Democratic House incumbents.

But Political Scientist Larry Sabato provides a more scholarly projection, "The Crystal Ball's Labor Day Predictions":

For decades I’ve advised students to let the facts speak for themselves, while avoiding the indulgence of shouting at the facts. In other words, we should take in all the available, reliable information; process it; and let the emerging mosaic tell its story—whether the picture pleases or not. The human (and partisan) tendency to twist facts into pretzels in order to produce a desired result must be avoided at all costs.

We’ve been patient and cautious here at the Crystal Ball as a year’s worth of facts has accumulated. We’ve sifted the polls, cranked up the models, and watched the candidates and campaigns closely. All political observers have “gut feelings” about an election year, but feelings make for good songs and lousy predictions. Forecasting is an imprecise art. People who get too far ahead of the facts or are too insistent about what will happen are usually partisans—openly or in disguise.

The Crystal Ball’s predictions are clinical. We are fond of people in both parties. We cheer for no one.

2010 was always going to be a Republican year, in the midterm tradition. It has simply been a question of degree. Several scenarios were possible, depending in large measure on whether, or how quickly, the deeply troubled American economy recovered from the Great Recession. Had Democratic hopes on economic revitalization materialized, it is easy to see how the party could have used its superior financial resources, combined with the tendency of Republicans in some districts and states to nominate ideological fringe candidates, to keep losses to the low 30s in the House and a handful in the Senate.

But conditions have deteriorated badly for Democrats over the summer. The economy appears rotten, with little chance of a substantial comeback by November 2nd. Unemployment is very high, income growth sluggish, and public confidence quite low. The Democrats’ self-proclaimed “Recovery Summer” has become a term of derision, and to most voters—fair or not—it seems that President Obama has over-promised and under-delivered.

Obama’s job approval ratings have drifted down well below 50% in most surveys. The generic ballot that asks likely voters whether they will cast ballots for Democrats or Republicans this year has moved increasingly in the GOP direction. While far less important, other controversies such as the mosque debate and immigration policy have made the climate worse for Democrats. Republican voters are raring to vote, their energy fueled by anti-Obama passion and concern over debt, spending, taxes, health care, and the size of government. Democrats are much less enthusiastic by almost every measure, and the Democratic base’s turnout will lag. Plus, Democrats have won over 50 House seats in 2006 and 2008, many of them in Republican territory, so their exposure to any sort of GOP wave is high.

Given what we can see at this moment, Republicans have a good chance to win the House by picking up as many as 47 seats, net. This is a “net” number since the GOP will probably lose several of its own congressional districts in Delaware, Hawaii, and Louisiana. This estimate, which may be raised or lowered by Election Day, is based on a careful district-by-district analysis, plus electoral modeling based on trends in President Obama’s Gallup job approval rating and the Democratic-versus-Republican congressional generic ballot (discussed later in this essay). If anything, we have been conservative in estimating the probable GOP House gains, if the election were being held today.

There's more at the link (and Sabato discusses GOP Senate prospects, the view on the governors' races, etc.).

As noted at the few times I've written about this, I personally wouldn't make predictions unless based on a district-by-district analysis of partisan electoral trends. So here we have in Sabato's analysis the kind of approach that's probably best for making projections, and that's topped off with the electoral modeling and the shares of the generic ballot. See my previous post, "How Bad For the Democrats in 2010?"

So, yeah, I guess JBW was smart not to take me up on the wager challenge. But bet or not, I'm not going to hesitate from a bit of gloating on election night. The administration is awful and the Dems just suck. And I'm not going be shy of saying good riddance.

Refusing to Give Up Books

From Emma Silvers, at Slate:

On the 2 train uptown during the morning commute the other day, I was in my usual state of sleepwalk -- face crammed into a fellow passenger's armpit -- when a young woman standing 3 feet away from me removed an Amazon Kindle from her oversize designer purse and began to read. A surprising wave of disgust overcame me as I stared at the smooth metallic back of the thing, at her manicured fingernails positioned against it, at her face as she read ... whatever it was that she was reading.
That was part of it, I realized, trying to analyze my own ridiculous, knee-jerk judgment of this stranger. I couldn't see what she was reading, and it bothered me. I couldn't peer in that tiny window onto someone's interior world, or delight in the juxtaposition that a book choice sometimes presents -- when you notice a stuffy, 90-something grandma buried in a trashy romance novel, or a would-be gangsta engrossed in "Love in the Time of Cholera."
But at 26, a supposed child of the Internet generation (who, I recently discovered, must henceforth be referred to as "The Millennials," and discussed in the media mainly in reference to our refusal to get real jobs or move out of our parents' basements), I've begun to feel out of step with this particular aspect of youth culture. I'm starting to understand what my grandmother must feel when she heads to the library once a week to dutifully check the e-mail account my uncle created for her. As I stared at the woman, fully engaged, happily using this very practical and very expensive device that, for all I know, she saved her pennies for a year to buy, I felt something entirely out of proportion with the situation: I felt personally slighted.
I never thought my lack of interest in e-readers made me particularly unique -- until recently, when Consumer Reports and national headlines started implying I was actually in a freakish minority. Earlier this summer, you could practically hear the collective weeping of small publishers nationwide when Amazon announced that Kindle books were outselling hardcovers by a 180-to-100 margin. Then came the drumbeat for the thinner, cheaper Kindle model forthcoming in September, and the competitors' accompanying rush to stay in the game. A crop of stories attempted to sort out the so-called e-reader wars: Kindle vs. iPad vs. Nook – which is right for you? More service-oriented articles provided tips for all the people who aren't me: "Copying Text From Your Kindle to Computer," or "The Best Way to Highlight Passages on Your Nook" (hint: not with an actual highlighter). These articles all had slightly different aims, but their bottom line was the same: Of course you need to buy an e-reader. What are you, a Mennonite?

One recent story in the New York Times went so far as to claim that iPads and Kindles and Nooks are making the very act of reading better by -- of course -- making it social. As one user explained, "We are in a high-tech era and the sleekness and portability of the iPad erases any negative notions or stigmas associated with reading alone." Hear that? There's a stigma about reading alone. (How does everyone else read before bed -- in pre-organized groups?) Regardless, it turns out that, for the last two decades, I've been Doing It Wrong. And funny enough, up until e-books came along, reading was one of the few things I felt confident I was doing exactly right.

More at the link.

I haven't made the leap yet, although I doubt I'm as opposed to e-reading as our essayist here. 

We're Gonna Disappear...

The lead guitar is irresistible, and interestingly, the song has a long shelf life in pop culture.

Man, There's Got to Be Somebody For Me...

It took me a while to figure out this song back in the day, but once you do you realize how depressingly lonely it is. And hearing this yesterday on The Sound LA I was amazed at the breadth of the station's playlist. Frankly I'd forgotten about the Counting Crows, and I have their debut CD and I saw them live at Santa Barbara's Arlington Theatre when they were big. Anyway, enjoy "Mr. Jones."

Flags Only

Pamela urges folks to get the message out: "NO SIGNS AT THE 911 GROUND ZERO MEGA MOSQUE RALLY -- FLAGS!"

The Left is True Evil

From ace commenter Dennis, in response to the death threats against Pamela Geller:

This unfortunately is what happens when one challenges the Left. The Left generally lacks the capability and capacity to put forth a well reasoned argument so they are left with name calling, wishing those that disagree with them disease, death or other forms disaster, death threats, and ultimately the attempt to put those threats into action.

It is why you see that the vast majority of violence and attempted, in some cases actual, killing of others. There is always the attempt at "transference" to others because in most cases they want to deny or to try to fool people into believing they are not the perpetrators of the vast majority of these actions. How many people has the Left accused of these actions and then found out the perpetrator is a leftist or leans to the left? For them it becomes a sort of if one throw enough stones at others then nobody will recognize who is really at fault.

The left is true evil and is the Dark side of life. Go to any Leftist site and you see it demonstrated in 90 to 99.9 percent of the comments.

Discovery Channel Gunman 'Was Just an Average DC Nut Job'

John Lilyea would know. See, "Yeah, I Talked With the Discovery Channel Gunman":

I had a long conversation while waiting for the Code Pink/IVAW protest last October ...

He was steeped in all kinds of Leftist blather. But he spewed out a lot of Ron Paul crap mixed with some Republican talking points – whatever fit his protest sign. He was a raving lunatic and I wouldn’t blame any political party for James J. Lee like some people have. He was just an average DC nut job.

I posted on this yesterday, especially on the typical leftist reaction to label this sick man a "right-wing extremist." See, "Charles Johnson, Think Progress Strain to Portray Discovery Gunman as Right-Wing Anti-Immigrant Extremist."

Additional background at Verum Serum, "Violence at the Discovery Channel (Video of James Lee Added)." (Via Memeorandum.) And at ABC News, "Police Say Discovery Channel Gunman James Lee Posed 'Grave Danger' to Hostages: Gunman's Brother Believes James Lee Wanted to Be Killed By Police."

Cutting Through the Left's Web of Deception on Israel

From Admirath:

"No other country in the world has been so heavily and unfairly scrutinized as Israel. Everything about it is questioned: its borders, its army, the places where its citizens live, the ways in which it defends itself from invaders, even the right to its existence…"

More at the link (via Blazing Cat Fur).

Scientist's Firing After 36 Years Fuels 'PC' Debate at UCLA

I'm not buying the school's argument. And 36 years? It's not easy to fire someone with that kind of tenure, although UCLA's Department of Public Health hired some non-tenured faculty members on a contract basis. That's great as far as performance standards are considered (folks wanting to inject more market approaches to university appointments, etc). But the dude's dismissal looks pretty politically motivated. The story's at Fox News:

Dr. Michael Siegel, professor and associate chairman at Boston University's School of Public Health, says the reasoning raises some red flags.

"The mission of the department is to study the impacts of the environment on human health and that's exactly what Enstrom does," Siegel told FoxNews.com. "…What the department appears to be saying is it's not the nature of his research but the nature of his findings."

Siegel says he doesn't even agree with a lot of Enstrom's findings, but he agrees with his right to relay them without fear of losing his job.

"The significance of this is a threat to academic freedom and it's also a threat to academic science," Siegel said. "If scientists have to produce work that meets a certain view to keep their jobs, researchers are going to stop publishing negative findings for fear of being fired."

But UCLA says Enstrom's findings had nothing to do with his dismissal.

"The nature of research results, political views or popularity are not appropriate factors and are not considered when evaluating individuals for reappointment," Hilary Godwin, associate dean for academic programs at UCLA's School of Public Health, said in a statement.

She said Enstrom's position at the school was non-tenured and was appointed for fixed terms that are renewable subject to established departmental and university review procedures.

Hat Tip: Moonbattery.

Double Tapper Customizes His IDF Issue M4 Rifle

With photos at the link:

Tea Party Tidal Wave

Awesome commentary, at IBD:

The defeat of Alaska's Lisa Murkowski by a little-known conservative lawyer is the latest evidence of a tidal wave building that may sweep aside an out-of-touch establishment. "We the people" won't be ignored.

Shays' Rebellion, an uprising of 1,200 farmers led by one Daniel Shays, angry over conditions in Massachusetts in 1786, prompted Thomas Jefferson to write to James Madison that "a little rebellion now and then is a good thing" for America.

A more peaceful rebellion is now occurring across the country, and we believe it's a good thing for America. Considering the excesses of this administration and Congress and their abuse of power to the point of ignoring the Constitution itself, it's also a very necessary thing, an idea whose time has come.

With her concession, Sen. Murkowski became the third incumbent to bite the political dust this season, joining Utah Sen. Bob Bennett and Pennsylvania party switcher Arlen Specter. The old argument about seniority and influence no longer flies among voters who increasingly believe, as Jefferson did, that government is best which governs least ....

America was born through a popular uprising that didn't like taxation without representation. It may be reborn from an aroused people unhappy with both their taxation and their representation.

This Day in History: The Invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939

We're dealing with international history in the first few weeks of my World Politics course (theory too, but the history's also a foundation for the class). And I thought about September 1st today, while discussing the German challenge to international security, 1919-1939. In any case, there's a report at Digital Journal, "Ceremonies Mark Invasion of Poland and Outbreak of WWII." And check Wikipedia for the historical entry there.

Biden Grudgingly Credits Bush on Success of Iraq Surge

The vice president is deeply pained to even minutely acknowledge the Bush administration's success on the Iraq surge strategy.

Of course, security has to precede political accommodation, so Biden's basically skipping over the military component of the Petraeus program. This is the same argument that hardline lefty bloggers made throughout 2007-08, since there was no way they could concede that President Bush not only did the right thing, but had the cojones to do so. Frankly, Biden should be praising the MILITARY component to high heaven, saying that this was 'a big fucking deal." What's even more interesting --- or troubling, if you will --- are these remarks on the continuing challenges:

"The fact of the matter is we're not there yet. We're making significant progress. The only time success will be able to be declared is when the Iraqis form a government and several years from now they are in a position to maintain their own security, they are not a threat to their neighbors, and their economy is growing and prospering. That's when everyone can say it's a success."

Well, if we're that far from being "successful," why in the hell are we pulling out? It's not as if there's a huge political liability here. National security is not the hottest of the hot-button issues this fall, and good money says the economy will still be tops in 2012. And by that time we'd have given the Iraqi forces two more years to consolidate the gains and for the political process to work out. And I'm not just making hay here. See Jennifer Rubin's post from this morning, "Deadlines." President Obama has committed a cardinal sin with respect to our military commitments: He's imposed a firm deadline on the end of military cooperation with the Iraqi government, which could literally blow up in his face --- not to mention the Iraqis' --- should the security situation go south. But I'm sure it'll all be fine. Obama picked Joe Biden as his V.P. running-mate to shore-up his credentials on foreign policy. While the jury's still out on Biden's foreign policy wisdom, he's no slouch on the political hedging end of things. Sheesh. You'd think we had a bunch of rookies in the Situation Room, or something.

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'."