Crescent City Harbor Destroyed by Tsunami

That's pretty amazing.

At LAT, "Tsunami: Much of Crescent City harbor destroyed; 4 people swept into sea, 1 feared dead [Updated]," and at SF Appeal, "Man Swept Out to Sea by Tsunami Waves Near Crescent City."

And minutes ago at ABC News, "1 Missing, 4 Rescued as Tsunami Hits West Coast."

Prayers to the family members.

Hundreds Dead in Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Dramatic headlines at Los Angeles Times, "8.9 Earthquake Kills Hundreds in Japan." Also, at New York Times, "Japan’s Strict Building Codes Saved Lives."

Also at Michelle's and Memeorandum. I'll update with progressive reports that climate change caused it, and of course, leftists are already exploiting the crisis to attack the evil GOP: "Tsunami Relief and Preparedness Cut in GOP Budget Proposal: National Weather Service."

Dr. Barry Rubin, Lecture, Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, Los Angeles March 10, 2010

Sometime later I'll probably post to NewsReal Blog a summary of Dr. Rubin's lecture last night in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rubin spoke of "revolutionary Islamism" as the most important current challenge to U.S. national security, far outstripping the importance of al Qaeda in policy planning. More on that at Rubin Reports, from December, "Poll Reveals Frightening Popularity of Revolutionary Islamism."

Also, from yesterday at Rubin Reports, "Why Does the Media Report the Opposite of What's True in the Middle East?" That's a nice synopsis of a good bulk of Dr. Rubin's talk.

More later.

Gabrielle Giffords Plans to Attend Husband's Shuttle Launch

Some good news amid all the progressive hatred and violence. At ABC News, "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Plans to Attend Husband Mark Kelly's Shuttle Launch: Plans Could Change Depending Upon Health and Other Factors":

Look for the Union Label: Socialism

Look, some progressive asshats continue to deny the communist takeover of the progressive left, but hey, there's some truth in advertising when these thugs slap "Socialist Worker" on the bullhorns (via Althouse):

And be sure to peruse the revolutionary agit-prop at The Socialist Worker.

I should have more blogging later tonight ...

'Redistribution Nation' — 2nd Prize in Center for Freedom and Prosperity's First Annual Free Market Video Contest

I'll post more later. Gotta love it:

Betsy Liley Contradicts Initial NPR Statement on 'Refusing' $5 million Donation From Phony Muslim Education Action Center (MEAC)

Man, the hits keep coming.

At Big Journalism, "Newest Project Veritas Video Exposes NPR’s Deception; Time For Congressional Hearings." And Daily Caller, "New video: NPR was going to accept Muslim Education Action Center donation and hide it from the government":

New video released Thursday afternoon indicates National Public Radio intended to accept a $5 million donation from fictitious Muslim Brotherhood front group Muslim Education Action Center (MEAC) Trust – and that the publicly funded radio network might have helped MEAC make the donation anonymously to protect it from a federal government audit.

When a man posing as Ibrahim Kasaam asked, “It sounded like you were saying NPR would be able to shield us from a government audit, is that correct?” NPR’s senior director of institutional giving, Betsy Liley, responded, “I think that is the case, especially if you are anonymous. I can inquire about that.” According to conservative James O’Keefe, whose Project Veritas organization conducted the NPR sting organization, the man posing as Kasaam made two follow-up phone calls to Liley after their lunch.

Liley said a $5 million donation would amount to about “10 years of support.”

It's a long tape, but after 23:00 minutes you hear talk of keeping the donation quiet ... there are firewalls between news and funding, etc., and that NPR put the hush-hush on an earlier big George Soros donation. George Soros!

Man, this is wild.

At Hot Air as well, "New O’Keefe video: Sure, says NPR exec, we can hide a donation from a Muslim Brotherhood front group from the government" (and also Memeorandum).

Allah updates there with the news that NPR denies Liley speaks for NPR, although she is "Senior Director of Institutional Giving." Postmodern denialism, or something.

Death Threats Against Wisconsin GOP Officeholders

The volume of information coming out is overwhelming, but I'd be remiss not to report on this. The Twitter messages don't faze me, although I can't ever recall anything that bad occurring on the right wing. And William Jacobson asks, "Why do these people, many of whom are professionals, feel no fear in expressing such death wishes in the open?" The short answer is that these people have no morality and they feel no restraint, given the mass thuggery that's become the norm in Wisconsin, with the blessing of the White House, the Democratic Party, and the Big Labor interest group machine. It's progressive SOP :

More at Badger 14, "VIDEO: Democrat staff engineered mob’s unlawful invasion of Wisconsin Capitol Building." And get this, at Althouse, "Everybody wants to take a photo of a man wheeling the large pile of shit that has a "Hello My Name Is Scott Walker" sign stuck in it." So yeah, when the culture's reduced to equating the Governor of Wisconsin with a large pile of excrement, those death threats don't take long in coming. Charles Sykes had the big report today. Now this fazes me:

If you and your goonies feel that it's necessary to strip the rights of 300,000 people and ruin their lives, making them unable to feed, clothe, and provide the necessities to their families and themselves then We Will "get rid of" (in which I mean kill) you.

Sounds like how Scott Eric Kaufman wanted to "end me" --- which I don't doubt for a second. Murderous progressive bastards.

Sheila Jackson Lee — Hey, Muslims Are Hovering Because Someone Might Suggest They're Eager to Do Terrorist Acts, or Something

No, we wouldn't want to suggest that Muslims were eager to do terrorists acts!

Whoa! That is whacked!

Gotta love that "living breathing Constitution," although I'm not exactly sure how that relates here, since no one's saying you can't be Muslim, and of course the hearing's not about constitutional interpretation, or whatever. The background's at Daily Caller, in any case: "VIDEO: Sheila Jackson Lee’s rant at terrorism committee hearing." Yeah, I can see where folks might have a hard time working with her:

Crybaby Keith Ellison

Jeez, maybe Barack Hussein's cold, uncaring exterior's a good thing.

Look, I cry when I go to the movie theaters. Other than that, I try to put a handle on it.

At Daily Caller, "Muslim congressman breaks down in tears during committee hearing on Islamic extremism":

Rep. Keith Ellison, one of two Muslim members of Congress, broke down in tears while delivering his testimony in defense of the Muslim community during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing Thursday.

The Minnesota Democrat ended his testimony with the story of 23-year-old Mohammad Salman Hamdani, a Pakistani-born American who was killed in New York on Sept. 11, 2001 while trying to save victims from the World Trade Center buildings. Before his remains were found near the north tower, rumor spread that he had been involved in the killings.

Ed Morrissey responds to the allegations that the King hearings are a "witch hunt":

The problem with describing these as “witch hunts” is that there were no actual witches to be found. In this case, we’ve not only been repeatedly attacked by radical Islamists from abroad, but also from within as well. Anwar al-Awlaki has American citizenship, for instance, and has become one of the most dangerous terrorist leaders in the world. He inspired Major Nidal Hasan’s massacre at Fort Hood, Faisal Shahzad’s attempt to bomb Times Square, just to name two recent plots, and may have had a hand in the Zazi plot as well.

King and others in this hearing have gone out of their way to repeat that they are looking into radical Islam as a major problem in home-grown terrorism. Even that won’t satisfy Ellison, who seems determined to shout (or sob) down any attempt to talk about the nature of radical Islam and the threat to national security it represents as somehow an attack on all Muslims. Ruth Marcus isn’t fooled ...

Follow the link to the Marcus essay, and more.

I can only imagine the lulz we might see in an upcoming attack ad: Planes bursting into flames as they slam into the Twin Towers? Fade into Keith Ellison bawling on Capitol Hill.

Mohammad Salman Hamdani, who gave his life on 9/11, is a hero. Keith Ellison, not so much.

Wisconsin Protesters Retake Capitol!

Remember, as I noted previously, it's an occupation, not a sleepover.

So yeah, get this. At Gateway Pundit, "LEFTIST FREAK OUT!… Wisconsin Loons Lock Capitol Doors." Following the links there takes you to Ann Althouse, but she's updated with video from the scene, "Meade's video of the scene at the Capitol tonight":

I'll have updates later today.

Meanwhile, I'm still not convinced that progressive unrest is having an upside for the Democrats. We'll see? For now though, Nate Silver has this, "Wisconsin Dispute Could Mobilize Democratic Base."

Cool! Possible DDoS Attack on Little Green Footballs Forthcoming!

Barrett Brown reports that he already hit King Charles (via Diary of Daedalus). But it wasn't a full-blown denial of service attack --- yet. I communicated with Barrett by e-mail today and he said that, yeah, it was "a more precision manner in retaliation for his conduct vis a vis Anonymous. He may face a ddos simply because his failure to acknowledge why his site was down ...." The reference is to the Lizard Dork's entry, "Midday Open Thread and Server Reboot."

Pamela has more, "Back at the Psych Ward."

Great News! Firedoglake Launches Benefactor Membership Program!

Hey, act now!

In addition to the phenomenal benefits listed below, benefactors will enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own their very own 8 1/2" x 14" glossy Sarah Palin F-Me Pumps photograph dribbled with T-Bogg's spooge!

For as little as $45/year, you get:

✓ Personalized membership card

✓ Discounts from progressive partners

✓ Invitations to members-only planning sessions

✓ Access to exclusive FDL chats & discussions

And don't miss Hammering Jane Hamsher's solicitation essay, where she indicates that FDL is going after the NPR model of membership and philanthropy journalism --- and hey, Jane's definitely got a good start on catching NPR in the anti-Semitism department (yay!, no more Joe Liebermans!). So what are you waiting for?!! You too can be part of the elite club of progressives slamming "racist" tea partiers as inbred stupid f#&kety f#&ks! Go progs! Sign up today!

Eyes Wide Shut: Unbundling the Middle East — Lecture by Dr. Barry Rubin

Tonight, at the Luxe Hotel on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles.

Full details here.

Hope to see you there!

Wisconsin Republicans Pass Collective Bargaining Bill Without Democrats

At Weekly Standard, "Breaking: Without Democrats Present, Wisconsin Senate Voting on Largely-Intact Budget Repair Bill," and New York Times, "Wisconsin Senate Limits Bargaining by Public Workers" (via Memeorandum):

CHICAGO — The bitter political standoff in Wisconsin over Gov. Scott Walker’s bid to sharply curtail collective bargaining for public-sector workers ended abruptly Wednesday night as Republican colleagues in the State Senate successfully maneuvered to adopt a bill doing just that.

After a three-week stalemate, Republican senators pushed the measure through in less than half an hour even as the Senate’s Democrats remained many miles away, trying to block the vote. Democrats in the State Assembly complained bitterly, and protesters, who had spent many days at the Capitol, continued their chants and jeers.

The Republicans control the Senate but had been blocked from voting on the issue after Senate Democrats left the state last month to prevent a quorum. But the Republicans used a procedural maneuver Wednesday to force the collective bargaining measure through: they removed elements of Governor Walker’s bill that were technically related to appropriating funds, thus lifting a requirement that 20 senators be present for a vote. In the end, the Senate’s 19 Republicans approved the measure, 18 to 1, without any debate on the floor or a single Democrat in the room.

The remaining bill, which increases health care and pension costs and cuts collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state, still needs approval from the State Assembly on Thursday morning, but that chamber approved the measure once before, and many in Wisconsin’s Capitol now consider approval a foregone conclusion.

More at Althouse, "Chaos at the Wisconsin Capitol tonight."

Progressives Mount All-Out Attack on King Hearings

I've said it before, but I'm sometimes ashamed to call progressives my fellow Americans. They simply don't represent American values, and in fact they're working to subvert them, and weaken the country. Case in point today is the despicable rationalization against Rep. Peter King's hearings on domestic radical Islam: "As King Targets Muslims, There Have Been Almost Twice As Many Plots Since 9/11 From Non-Muslim Terrorists." Domestic terrorism cases, no matter the background, are serious matters. Yet statistically, the list doesn't serve Think Progress very well. Sixty-seven of the alleged attacks cited are by "right-wing extremists" and "KKK/NeoNazi/White Supremacist." Five of the alleged plots were mounted by "unknown" assailants. Three were mounted by "Christian Extremists/Anti-Abortion" activists, and two were "by anti-immigrant extremists." Finally there was one attack by an "anti-Semitic extremist" and an anarchist, Joseph D. Konopka, who was identified by the FBI as a "lone wolf" terrorist. No doubt neo-Nazis and KKK terrorists are bad actors, but I'm not seeing much here that rivals the barbarous scale of Islamist jihad, which time after time has shown its relentless and implacable campaign to murder Americans on a scale equal or greater to September 11, 2001.

Jawa Report offers more on the absurdity of Think Progress:

Muslims are thought to be about .08% of the total US population. Cross Worshipers, pardon me I've been hanging with too many Muslims, are about 85% with Jews and heathens representing the rest (just kidding).

Of course lumped in with Christians are the "lost"who just happen to live in a Christian nation. Do you really believe that 98 percent of the French are devout? Muslims don't make that distinction. Born Muslim, you are Muslim, axe murderer or not. Kind of like being French.

So that means that one third of all incidents come from a small minority of a small minority of 8/10 of one percent of the folks out there.

And you're telling me you want to brag on these statistics? I'm all for skin head hearings, gang hearings, Mexican drug cartel hearing as well if you like.

Wait a minute? Don't we have those already? We do? So why not one about Islamic radicalization?

Think Progress updates its report with the news of today's arrest of the suspect in the Spokane bomb plot, who is alleged to be a member of the neo-Nazi National Alliance.

Of course there's no mention at the Soros-funded smear-site of Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, who pleaded guilty in New Jersey last week to plotting attacks on non-Muslims in the United States. The men were caught last year as they were boarding planes bound for Egypt. They admitted plans to join with al-Shabaab, a virulent al Qaeda branch in Somalia.

See Religion of Peace for more on these folks ("List of Islamic Terror Attacks For the Past 2 Months"), and at FrontPage Magazine, "King Hysteria Grips the Left."

Workforce Fairness Institute: 'Big Unions, Big Money, Big Payback'

At The Hill, "Video seizes on union leader's boast of daily contact with White House." And Gateway Pundit, "New Video Seizes on Big Union’s Daily Briefings With Obama White House":

More progressive dirtbag scumsuckers.

Ann Althouse Slams Lying Abe 'Sauerkraut' at The Awl!

No doubt THERS = DOUCHEBAG will register his outrage, considering how much he hates lying scumbags, or something.

I commented on this previously while smacking down Thers on the Wisconsin clean-up. The Awl's post is here, "Class War: Who Were Those Folks at the Madison Budget Address? Ann Althouse's Husband, For One."

And Ann responds, "Abe Sauer — blogging at The Awl — goes on a bizarre rampage about Meade getting in to see Scott Walker's budget address." Check especially the part where Sauerkraut lied about State Representative Brett Hulsey's office not providing tickets to Gov. Walker's speech:

Meade spoke to Hulsey's office yesterday, and they said they would not disclose such information about their constituents. Maybe Sauerkraut thinks it's important, newsworthy information about me and Meade. Is it? I think you'd first want to know what the procedure is for getting into a Governor's speeches and whether there's anything amiss if a legislator gives a ticket to someone outside of his district.

Sauer didn't bother to do the research before he began flinging mud shredded pickled cabbage around. Meade, however, did the research. It turns out the Governor's office controls the tickets to his speeches. That's true now, and it was true in the past when there were Democratic Governors. The Governor's office distributes some tickets directly and gives other to the majority and minority leaders of both houses, who then pass those out however they want. (If Hulsey, a freshman, didn't get any tickets, it was, I think, his own party leader's decision.) Now, the minority leader of the senate is one of the fleebaggers. So no tickets went that way. Anyway, one of the legislators who had tickets to distribute offered me 2, and I accepted the one for Meade. (I had to teach a class.)

OMFG!! WHAT A SCANDAL! I doubt that'll stop the scumbag progressives from smearing Athouse as sucking Koch.

Muzzammil Hassan Gets 25 Years-to-Life in Sensational New York Honor Killing Case

At Weasel Zippers, "Moderate Muslim Who Founded TV Network to Depict Muslims in “Everyday Real-Life Situations” Gets 25 Years for Beheading His Wife."

Violent progressive thug religion.

RELATED: At NewsReal Blog, "Inside the Mind of an Islamist: 5 Keys to the Psychology of an Honor Killer."

Vivian Schiller Fired!

James O'Keefe claims a huge prize on this one. NPR CEO Vivian Schiller has been fired at National Public Radio. The report is here: "NPR CEO Vivian Schiller Resigns" (via Memeorandum):

As we reported earlier, NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik was on Morning Edition earlier and said that he's been told Schiller was forced out.

And from yesterday, "Vivian Schiller Shocked — Shocked! — at NPR Exec's Bigoted Attack on Racists Conservatives and Zionists Jews."

O'Keefe targeted NPR in response to its treatment of Fox News analyst Juan Williams, and here's a flashback from last year:

California's Hispanic Challenge

At WSJ, "Hispanics Surge in California":

Latino children for the first time made up a majority of California's under-18 population in 2010, as Hispanics grew to 37.6% of residents in the nation's most populous state.

A new U.S. Census report showed the state's non-Hispanic white population fell 5.4% over the past decade, a continuing trend offset by a 27.8% surge in Hispanics and 30.9% increase in non-Hispanic Asians.

Though in decline, white Californians remained the state's largest demographic group at 40.1%. But demographers said Hispanics were poised to take the lead.

Underlying the demographic shifts, California grew at its slowest pace in the past decade in more than a century. The population rose 10% to 37.3 million, an increase in line with the national average.

As in California, Hispanics are gaining ground in many other states, such as North Carolina, as whites are on the verge of becoming a minority among all newborn children in the U.S.

The report released Tuesday is the latest to indicate major shifts in where Americans live. Census figures released earlier this year showed that Chicago's population fell to its lowest level in 90 years.

Other census figures showed that blacks migrated to the faster-growing South from cities in the Northeast and Midwest in the greatest numbers in decades. That boosted North Carolina, whose population rose 18.5% in the decade—compared to the nationwide rate of 9.7%.

In a first, California failed to gain a congressional seat in the latest census count. Los Angeles experienced its lowest numeric increase since the 1890-1900 Census, growing 2.6% to 3.8 million. The state's slower growth reflected tough economic times but also an exodus of Californians to less crowded Western states

"The big story for California is it's now becoming an anchor rather than a magnet in the West," said William Frey, demographer and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. "It is still able to disperse its population and culture throughout the West."

Some of the demographic changes could reshape politics in the Golden State.

In the conservative bastion of Orange County, for example, minorities for the first time passed whites to become the majority of the population, according to the census figures. Because many minorities are Democrats, political observers say that trend could dilute the historic strength of the Republican Party there over time.

Yeah. Tell me about it. Now if we could just get a good lot of these folks speaking English.

RELATED: At the Center for Immigration Studies, "A Day in the Life of an Arizona Rancher: Border Fences, Illegal Aliens, and One Man’s Watchtower":

'Gays Getting Married Is Not Perverse. Lying About Climate Change - That's Just F#&king Disgusting'

Sick. I know.

That's a really f#&king angry THERS = DOUCHEBAG, who says f#&kety f#&k f#&k f#&k it to the "new tone." Funny, though, it's lefties who called for it in the first place, despite getting burned for blood libel on the Giffords shooting:

My argument is and has been that civility is a lesser value than truth, and that any individual or group without a demonstrable commitment to reasonable norms of discerning truth that is conceded to have a place in any discursive situation perceived to have any sort of "official" social sanction is exercising a wholly pernicious function and deserves a swift, forceful punch to the genitals.

The Public Discourse is debased when liars dominate it, not when people say "fuck."

Well, of course, I beg to differ, especially since Thers is about as dishonest as they come. And a domestic enemy, to boot:

you peer through the darkness, billy clubs aimed.
they smash ya once or twice till ya don't look the same.
ya gotta know who your enemy is.
the enemy.
ya gotta know who your enemy is.
the enemy.

they rope ya to a time clock.
to keep you on the line.
and now your losin' the pieces of your mind.
ya gotta know who your enemy is.
the enemy.
ya gotta know who your enemy is.
the enemy.

the newsmen are lying.
drawing line like black & white.
makin' you believe it's your brother you gotta fight.
ya gotta know who your enemy is.
the enemy.
ya gotta know who your enemy is.
the enemy.

Vivian Schiller Shocked — Shocked! — at NPR Exec's Bigoted Attack on Racists Conservatives and Zionists Jews

The clip below's from Big Journalism, "NPR Chief: Point to Specific Stories Where We’re Biased":

But see Kerry Picket, at Washington Times, "NPR CEO dodges questions on NPR willingness to accept donations from supporters of Muslim Brotherhood" (audio):

Following remarks to the National Press Club on Monday, NPR President Vivian Schiller refused to answer my questions about whether or not NPR would be willing to accept donations from any group that backed Sharia law or supported the Muslim Brotherhood ...

And Roger Simon nails it, "The Protocols of the Elders of NPR."

Also, some lamestream media attention at NYT, "Lawmakers’ Fire, NPR Sees New Setback":

The chief executive of NPR, Vivian Schiller, who is unrelated to Mr. Schiller, said in an interview that she was shocked by the comments.

“I consider them an affront to NPR as a news organization; those comments were really contrary to what we stand for, everything we do,” she said, declining to single out specific comments because she did not want to repeat them.

Mr. Schiller and another NPR executive who attended the lunch, Betsy Liley, were put on administrative leave, Ms. Schiller said, “while we review the situation.” Mr. [Ron] Schiller had been scheduled to leave NPR in the next several weeks for a job at the Aspen Institute, a move that officials said was unrelated to the video.

In a statement issued later Tuesday, Mr. Schiller said: “While the meeting I participated in turned out to be a ruse, I made statements during the course of the meeting that are counter to NPR’s values and also not reflective of my own beliefs. I offer my sincere apology to those I offended.”

Referring to his scheduled departure, he added, “In an effort to put this unfortunate matter behind us, NPR and I have agreed that my resignation is effective today.”

Not reflective. Right.

More at CNN, "Activist says he targeted NPR because of Juan Williams firing" (via Memeorandum).

National Palestinian Radio

Bare Naked Islam has the perfect headline, "NPR executive caught on tape bashing Christians and Jews, praising Muslims."

I read Ed Morrissey's account earlier today. He covers most of the bases and suggests that the discussion on public/private funding is the key moment of the tape. The tea party racism stuff is typically boring, although the section on the need for more progressive elites is pretty good. But by far the most damning sections are those in which Ron Schiller is shown nodding approvingly as actors Ibrahim Kasaam and Amir Malik roll off a litany of anti-Semitic statements. And not only does Schiller remain nonplussed, he laughs at NPR's designation as "National Palestinian Radio," and vigorously defends NPR as untainted by "Zionist" influence. Meryl Yourish responds:

So the Jews Zionists control the media, except at NPR, and this guy, who has a Jewish last name, is only too happy to agree with undercover citizen journalists posing as Muslims offering $5 million to NPR. So, Ron Schiller — are you Jewish? Because if you are, that makes your actions even more offensive.

Yeah. It's pretty bad, but typical for the Israel-hating left. The fact that NPR executives are meeting with a (fake) pro-Sharia outreach group claiming ties to the Muslim Brotherhood is mind-boggling, but again, par for the course. See Washington Times, "NPR seeks funding from Sharia backers."

See also The Blaze, "NPR Issues New Statement: Exec Put on ‘Leave’ & We Need Public Funding." And Memeorandum.

Updates coming ...

Cantor Rips National Public Radio: 'Taxpayer Dollars Should No Longer Be Appropriated to NPR'

I'll post the video later, but here's this from The Daily Caller, "Republicans tee off on NPR after latest O’Keefe video":

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican, ripped National Public Radio (NPR) on Tuesday after NPR foundation’s nonprofit president Ron Schiller was caught on video saying the radio network and most of its member stations would survive without federal funding.

“As we continue to identify ways to cut spending and save valuable resources, this disturbing video makes clear that taxpayer dollars should no longer be appropriated to NPR,” Cantor said in an e-mail to TheDC. “Not only have top public broadcasting executives finally admitted that they do not need taxpayer dollars to survive, it is also clear that without federal funds, public broadcasting stations self-admittedly would become eligible for more private dollars on top of the multi-million dollar donations these organizations already receive.”

The NPR and public broadcasting defunding debate has heated up as of late, and the new video conservative activist James O’Keefe released emboldens their cause. Congressman Doug Lamborn, Colorado Republican, told TheDC “it’s amazing, the attitude that these guys have,” and their “arrogance and condescension” is “just amazing.”

The initial exposé is here: "NPR executives caught on tape bashing conservatives and Tea Party, touting liberals" (via Memeorandum). Also at POWIP, "Latest O’Keefe Sting: NPR Exec Ron Schiller."

Expect updates. Meanwhile, John Cole doubles down on the racist allegations.

Muslims Were Literally Threatening to Kill Blazing Cat Fur!

Muslims threatening to kill Jews? Michael Coren quips, "I don't believe that for a moment."

The key section starts around 4:00 minutes, via Blazing:

New F#&king Tone: Wisconsin Senate Democrats 'Misleading the Public' on Plans to Return to Capitol

At WaPo, "Wisconsin's Walker accuses Senate Democrats of blocking negotiations" (via Memeorandum):

A chance to end the legislative standoff that has paralyzed the Wisconsin government for weeks seemed to slip away Monday after Gov. Scott Walker (R) accused the leader of the state Senate Democrats of blocking negotiations to end the impasse ...

The governor said members of his staff seemed to be making progress in negotiations with some of the absent Democrats, only to have Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller stand in the way. He also accused Miller of being in the pocket of organized labor, whose leaders Walker blames for escalating the conflict into a national drama.

"Senator Miller is misleading the public, just like he misled us," Walker said, adding that Miller was also "misleading his own caucus."

Word.

PREVIOUSLY: "The New Tone — Mary Katharine Ham."

IMAGE CREDIT: Grandpa John's.

The New Tone — Mary Katharine Ham

"The F#&king New Tone Is Finally F#&king Here!", via Glenn Reynolds.

Perfect. Progressive douchebags. Like Thers.

What If Gaddafi Holds On?

From Bret Stephens, at WSJ, "Other regimes in the region will wonder just what, exactly, are the benefits of an alliance with a diffident America":

Top government officials and ordinary newspaper pundits are debating whether the U.S. and its allies should intervene militarily against Moammar Gadhafi, perhaps by establishing a no-fly zone. This is the wrong question. The right question is: What happens if Gadhafi holds on?

That possibility no longer seems remote, as the colonel and his loyalists keep a firm grip on Tripoli and start inflicting military reversals on the rebels. A society as brutalized as Libya's will retain a powerful fear of its dictator even in his hour of weakness. Many Libyans will recall how Saddam Hussein crushed the Kurdish and Shiite uprisings of March 1991. They will recall, too, that the first Bush administration—which included then-deputy national security adviser and current no-fly zone skeptic Bob Gates—stood aside as Saddam viciously struck back.

What happened next is one of the darkest chapters of recent memory. An estimated 60,000 Iraqis, perhaps more, were killed in the revolt. Two million fled the country. The Iraqi people had to endure another dozen years under Saddam. The U.S. spent billions enforcing a no-fly zone that was a case of too little, too late. The war that ultimately toppled Saddam's regime exacted another huge toll in lives, including those of more than 4,000 Americans.

Looking back, it's worth noting that all of this may have been avoided if only the U.S. had forbidden Saddam from flying his helicopter gunships, which proved decisive in turning the tide of revolt. So why won't President Obama run the comparatively minor risk of doing similarly in Libya? Does he think he needs the U.N.'s permission? Sadly, he probably does.

Should the conflict in Libya turn into a protracted civil war, it will mean more killing, more refugees, and even higher energy prices. And should Gadhafi's counteroffensive begin to show results, previously emboldened Libyan rebels could start to panic, and their reversals could quickly turn into a general rout.

Folks can see where Stephens is going with this. It goes without saying that the administration's waffling and timidity is sending powerful signals to the world's tyrants. Iran last year and Egypt last month. Tunisia went under the radar and was expected to be an anomaly by realists like Harvard's Steven Walt. But the message is clear: Don't expect democracy promotion from these amateurs. I like the idea of a no-fly zone, actually. Although I wonder how deep a military commitment the American public will support, particularly without presidential leadership? Not only that, a protracted civil war with massive humanitarian losses could trigger demands for ground troops, and I cringe at the thought of a ground incursion under Barack Hussein's command.

Side note: Bret Stephens is a treasure. He sounds more neocon than Charles Krauthammer. Cool!

The New Economic Club Will Produce Conflict, Not Cooperation

A great piece from Ian Bremmer and Nouriel Roubini, at Foreign Affairs, "A G-Zero World":

The recent financial crisis and global market meltdown have sent a much larger shock wave through the international system than anything that followed the collapse of the Soviet bloc. In September 2008, fears that the global economy stood on the brink of catastrophe hastened the inevitable transition to the G-20, an organization that includes the world’s largest and most important emerging-market states. The first gatherings of the club -- in Washington in November 2008 and London in April 2009 -- produced an agreement on joint monetary and fiscal expansion, increased funding for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and new rules for financial institutions. These successes came mainly because all the members felt threatened by the same plagues at the same time.

But as the economic recovery began, the sense of crisis abated in some countries. It became clear that China and other large developing economies had suffered less damage and would recover faster than the world’s wealthiest countries. Chinese and Indian banks had been less exposed than Western ones to the contagion effects from the meltdown of U.S. and European banks. Moreover, China’s foreign reserves had protected its government and banks from the liquidity panic that took hold in the West. Beijing’s ability to direct state spending toward infrastructure projects quickly generated new jobs, easing fears that the decline in U.S. and European consumer demand might trigger large-scale unemployment and civil unrest in China.

As China and other emerging countries rebounded, the West’s fear and frustration grew more intense. In the United States, stubbornly high unemployment and fears of a double-dip recession fueled a rise in antigovernment activism and shifted power to the Republicans. Governments fell out of favor in France and Germany -- and lost elections in Japan and the United Kingdom. Fiscal crises provoked intense public anger from Greece to Ireland and the Baltic states to Spain.

Meanwhile, Brazil, China, India, Turkey, and other developing countries moved forward as the developed world remained stuck in an anemic recovery. (Ironically, the only major developing country that has struggled to recover is the petrostate Russia, the first state welcomed into the G-7 club.) As the wealthy and the developing states’ needs and interests began to diverge, the G-20 and other international institutions lost the sense of urgency they needed to produce coordinated and coherent multilateral policy responses.

Politicians in Western countries, battered by criticism that they have failed to produce a robust recovery, have blamed scapegoats overseas. U.S.-Chinese political tensions have risen significantly over the past several months. China continues to defy calls from Washington to allow the value of its currency to rise substantially. Policymakers in Beijing insist that they must protect their country during a delicate moment in its development, as lawmakers in Washington become more serious about taking action against Chinese trade and currency policies that they say are unfair. In the past three years, there has been a sharp spike in the number of domestic trade and World Trade Organization cases that China and the United States have filed against each other. Meanwhile, the G-20 has gone from a modestly effective international institution to an active arena of conflict.

I love this essay: It's short, to the point, and totally doomsday-ish!

Check back at the Foreign Affairs article and at the homepage. There's lots more coverage of global currencies, and I'll have some updates later ...

California's Public Pensions Crisis

From Steven Greenhut, at O.C. Register, "Pensions Pushing California to the Brink":

There's no getting away from the pension issue these days or from the fact that the state's pension system is on the brink of disaster unless pensions for state and local workers are pared back dramatically. The only people in denial these days are the Brown administration and the state's legislative leaders, as their response to a prestigious government report makes clear.

The well-respected and non-partisan Little Hoover Commission drew some conclusions that even many pension reformers have been reluctant to make – namely, that pensions must be reduced for current employees. The state's unfunded liabilities, or pension debt, is estimated as high as a half-trillion dollars. That is the amount taxpayers will owe to make good on pension for current retirees and employees. Most of the debate has centered on reducing formulas for new hires, but as Little Hoover explained, that won't put a dent in the problem.

More at the link.

I'll be heading to Sacramento if anarcho-communists stage an occupation of the state capitol. Of course, we've got Governor Jerry Brown, so lefties should be well taken care of. Still, some of the anarchists don't care who's in power, so that'll make things tough for the SEIU commie thugs, who'll end up beating on folks who're basically on the same side.

RELATED: AT LAT, "GOP senators claim 'impasse' in budget talks with Gov. Jerry Brown."

Photo Credit, "Anne Stausboll, chief executive officer for the California Public Employees Retirement System, testifies on the state retirement system during a legislative hearing at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, March 2, 2011," Albany Times Union, "Democrats cool to targeting workers' pensions."

Yo, Michael Moore ... Are We Broke Yet?

Glenn Reynolds has the video, "Are We Broke Yet? Michael Moore Says No, Reality Begs to Differ."

And from Serr8d's Cutting Edge, "Jabba the Filmmaker":

RELATED: from Domenico Montanaro (via Memeorandum):

Over the weekend, liberal communist filmmaker Michael Moore said the fight in Wisconsin has “aroused a sleeping giant” for union rights across the country.

But the fight may have aroused a different “sleeping giant” -- the activist liberal Wisconsin electorate, which was dormant in the 2010 midterms.

A poll out today by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute shows President Obama’s and Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s approval ratings heading in opposite directions.

I discussed that poll yesterday and the numbers for the Democrats aren't that robust, actually. And speaking of not that robust, at CBS, "White House memo notes shortage of applicants for contest to have Obama to speak at high school graduation."

Maybe they'd settle for Jabba the Filmmaker. Not.

Islamic Supremacists and Pro-Terror Thugs Protest King Hearings in New York

Okay, here's an update to my previous entry, "Barack Hussein Works to Reassure Muslims Ahead of House Hearings on Homegrown Islamic Terrorism."

See the reports at Atlas Shrugs, "How about .... "I am an American!" Rally Islamic Supremacists and Useful Tools Protest Counter Terror Efforts," and Vigilant Squirrel, "Imam Rauf Rally Times Square."

Check Jihad Watch as well, "Useful idiots rally against King hearings," and "More protests on King hearings: Muslims feel "unfairly singled out" over jihadist terrorism."

Barack Hussein Works to Reassure Muslims Ahead of House Hearings on Homegrown Islamic Terrorism

Folks should be reading my friend Gary Fouse's blog, Fousesquawk. Gary teaches at UCI and his blog specializes in countering jihad on campus. Despite the backlash against Irvine's Muslim Student Association, the campus will once again hold Israeli Hate Week in May. I'm planning some coverage of that myself, which will augment my recent investigation into pro-terror Islamic radicalism at UCLA. It's never a dull moment with these thugs. Right here at home we have an anti-Semitic fifth column, and of course the White House is doing all it can to strengthen these forces and enable the progressive left's Islamization of America. At LAT, "White House seeks to reassure Muslims":

The White House took a preemptive step to defuse an emerging controversy Sunday, sending out a top aide to reassure American Muslims that the U.S. government doesn't see them as a collective threat.

Denis McDonough, deputy national security advisor to President Obama, addressed a largely Muslim audience days before congressional hearings into homegrown Islamic terrorism. The hearings, which sparked protests in New York on Sunday, will be led by Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

In his speech to members of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, McDonough said, "The bottom line is this: When it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem; you're part of the solution."

Earlier Sunday, King told CNN's "State of the Union" that Al Qaeda terrorists were "attempting to recruit within the United States. People in this country are being self-radicalized."

The Obama administration is clearly worried that the hearings, which begin Thursday, could open a rift with Muslim leaders, whose cooperation is needed to foil terrorist recruitment. A message from McDonough's speech was that the Muslim community is vital to a larger strategy of preventing the radicalization of American youths.

Leader of Wisconsin Senate Democrats Seeks Meeting With Gov. Walker

At Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel, "Top Senate Democrat wants meeting with Walker."

The leader of Senate Democrats hiding out in Illinois is seeking a face-to-face meeting with Gov. Scott Walker and the Senate GOP leader.

Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller (D-Monona) said in a letter sent out Monday that he wants to meet with Republicans "near the Wisconsin-Illinois border to formally resume serious discussions" on Walker's budget repair bill. Two other Democratic senators met with Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) last week in Kenosha.

Democrats have been holed up south of the state line since last month to block action on Walker's budget repair bill, which would end most collective bargaining for public employee unions in the state.

"I assure you that Democratic state senators, despite our differences and the vigorous debate we have had, remain ready and willing to find a reasonable compromise," Miller said in the letter.

Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie could not be reached immediately for comment.

On Monday morning, a small but dedicated group began to chant in protest of Gov. Walker’s budget-repair bill in the Capitol rotunda.

Outside the Capitol, there is little or no sign of the mass protests that have engulfed the Capitol square in recent weeks.

Yeah, Althouse shows that the progressive scumbag protests are winding down.

More later ...

Stephen Walt, Harvard's Israel-Bashing Political Scientist, Implicated in Libyan Influence-Peddling Scandal

While many supporters of Israel are well acquainted with Stephen Walt, who co-authored the wildly controversial attack on the Jewish state in "The Israel Lobby," my familiarity with the Harvard political scientist goes back to the 1990s. Walt's theories on realism and the balance of threat in strategic studies formed a basis for my dissertation work. I had no idea that Walt was a far-left wing crackpot until the controversy over "The Israel Lobby" burst out in 2006. Even then I looked at it mostly as a matter of scholarly differences within political science. But since Walt became a blogger at Foreign Policy a couple of years back I've really gotten a handle on his hatred of the Jewish state. I went back and read The Israel Lobby in book-length, and I assigned the essay from the London Review in my World Politics classes. So it's pretty fascinating that Professor Walt is deeply implicated in the Libyan lobbying controversy that's been in the news this last couple of weeks. David Bernstein writes on this at Volokh Conspiracy, "Stephen Walt on Libya." And in the comments there especially, from Gary Rosen:

Walt is just one more in a long line of Western hypocrites who make[s] a living demonizing Israel while winking at her enemies which are mostly bloody human rights hellholes. He and his ilk have been hugely responsible for enabling the repression that infects the region.

Walt lied, people died.

So true, although Walt's precise location within the Libyan lobby is sketchy. He took a recent junket to Libya at the invitation of the Gaddafi dictatorship "to give a lecture to its Economic Development Board ..." The nature of the financing or compensation is unknown, but given that a number of other well-connected academic have previously traveled in these footsteps, it's obvious that Libyan lobbying efforts in the U.S. are paying off. And there's a detailed analysis at Elder of Zion as well, "Stephen Walt and Gaddafi's Libya." Following the links there takes us to a killer piece from Martin Peretz at The New Republic, "The Qaddafi family didn’t lack for Western allies." Folks should just click the link and RTWT. Peretz provides a beautiful background to some rather ignominious writing Walt's done recently on his Foreign Policy blog. Walt predicted that the Tunisian revolt wouldn't spread to the rest of the Middle East. Big mistake, obviously, and Walt offered a sort of apologia sometime later, at "What I got wrong about the Arab revolutions and why I'm not losing sleep over it." Peretz makes mincemeat of it all:

Smart man, this Walt! But spread, the revolution did, to Egypt even before it went elsewhere, which now makes it almost everywhere in the Arab world. Barely a month later, Walt had to admit in Foreign Policy, the journal that routinely carries his enormous mistakes in fact and in judgement, “What I got wrong about the Arab revolutions and why I’m not losing sleep over it.” But his was not just an evaluative error. It was a basic misunderstanding of Egyptian realities: “I underestimated the degree of internal resentment” in Egypt, which is the basic fact about Egypt, isn’t it? This is like a doctor saying, “I thought it was a common cold. I’m sorry; it turned out to be pneumonia.” The physician, if a person of conscience, however, did lose some sleep over his bungle, as Walt is proud to tell us he did not. Apparently, Arab life is cheap not only to the collapsing regimes but also to this Kennedy School professor. One thing is for sure, and it is that there’s no wisdom in taking his classes.

No, no wisdom there at all.

RELATED: "Libyan Opposition Leaders Slam U.S. Business Lobby's Deals With Gaddafi."

Ha! Fleebagging Democrats to Return to Madison!

At Wall Street Journal, "Democrats to End Union Standoff":

Playing a game of political chicken, Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin to stymie restrictions on public-employee unions said Sunday they planned to come back from exile soon, betting that even though their return will allow the bill to pass, the curbs are so unpopular they'll taint the state's Republican governor and legislators.

The Wisconsin standoff, which drew thousands of demonstrators to occupy the capitol in Madison for days at a time, has come to highlight efforts in other states to address budget problems in part by limiting the powers and benefits accorded public-sector unions.

Sen. Mark Miller said he and his fellow Democrats intend to let the full Senate vote on Gov. Scott Walker's "budget-repair" bill, which would also limit public unions' collective bargaining rights. The bill, which had been blocked because the missing Democrats were needed for the Senate to have enough members present to consider the bill, is expected to pass the Republican-controlled chamber.

He said he thinks recent polls showing voter discontent with Mr. Walker over limits on bargaining rights have been "disastrous" for the governor and give Democrats more leverage to seek changes in a broader two-year budget bill Mr. Walker proposed Tuesday.

Andrew Welhouse, a spokesman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, said the short-term budget-repair bill can no longer be amended. He said when Democrats return they will be able to speak on the bill, "but we plan to pass it as soon as possible."

Right. Disastrous. That's why Gov. Walker laughs it off at the piece:

Mr. Walker said he would not be swayed by the polls.

"If I governed by polls I'd still be in the state Assembly," Mr. Walker said on Friday. "I won reelection twice as county executive in an area of the state that went two-thirds for President Obama by identifying a problem, telling people how I was going to deal with it, and then moving forward with the solution."

RELATED: At Gateway Pundit, "Fleebagger Smackdown! Greta Van Susteren Embarrasses AWOL WI Dem Lena Taylor."

Now at Memeorandum.

Supporters Rally for Scott Walker's Budget Plan at Alliant Energy Center in Madison

At Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel, "Pro-Walker Bus Tour Ends in Rally in Madison":

Madison — A bus tour around the state of Gov. Scott Walker supporters ended Sunday in Madison with several hundred coming to the Alliant Energy Center holding signs that said "Collective Bargaining is Not a Right" and "Remember November? Wisconsin Majority Stands with Gov. Scott Walker."

Joe the Plumber, who rose to national fame during the 2008 presidential election, told the group that many workers in the private sector don't have lifetime job guarantees.

"The state of Wisconsin is in dire straits along with a lot of other states," said Joe, who's full name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. He added that union members had "had a guarantee most of their life."

Nancy Mistele, a former Madison school board member, said Walker has been "demonized" for trying to balance the state's budget and she took aim at the 14 Democratic senators who fled to Illinois to avoid a vote in the Senate.

"They instead attempt to nullify our November election by running away," Mistele said of the 14 Democrats.

The crowd cheered when Americans for Prosperity state director Matt Seaholm said Walker is making good on one of his campaign promises.

"Gov. Walker said I'm going to balance the budget without raising taxes," Seaholm said.

The video above's from Newly Conservative, "Quick report from Pro-Walker Rally and Capitol Cleanup." And I love this:

The rally was great! Joe “The Plumber” was there and gave a nice little speech. It was great to finally be around conservatives in this town! I wish I could say the same for the cleanup. Apparently the liberals found out the Tea Party was planning on cleaning today so they cleaned up most of it yesterday. I still went with a trash bag and cleaned up a bit, and found myself hassled by numerous protesters.

Yep, it's a pigsty, like I've been reporting all along. Progressives got word that tea partiers were taking the trash out, and they cleaned up before the video cameras could roll.

Asshat THERS = DOUCHE has been editing the links to my comments at Whiskey Fire, so I saved another one and will post it later. Progressives: Liars, cheats, and thugs. Scummy too.

Until then ...

Fire the Fleebaggers!

Well, here's this from the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute: "HIGHLY POLARIZED WISCONSINITES SPLIT OVER WALKER PLAN" (via Memeorandum). Actually, a bare majority of 51 percent supports the GOP budget proposals, and on public pensions --- much of the basis for Gov. Walker's get-tough approach to unions --- eight in ten favor "requiring public employees to contribute to their own pensions ..." That said, there's a lot of resistance to Gov. Walker's specific proposals. Significantly, two thirds of those polled somewhat or strongly oppose laying off state workers. Not mentioned are the fleebaggers themselves, who'd be fired if Gov. Palin was on the job. At The Daily Caller:

"When times get tough, the tough get going … or they go on Fox News.

On Saturday’s “Justice with Jeanine” on the Fox News Channel, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin weighed in on the turmoil in Wisconsin. Her solution: fire the senators standing in the way of Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal":

Bwahahahaha!! THERS = SELF-DOUCHE Got Da Althouse Fevah!!!

An update to my previous entry, "Clean Up in Madison Today — UPDATE!"

Here's my commentary at Whiskey Fire:

Bwahahahaha!!!

THERS = EPIC SELF-DOUCHE COMMIE SCUMBAG.

Oh god, thanks for the lulz!!

I'm going with the double entendre, LOL! Progressives are trash! Thanks for that link, Thers. You da best, bro. Citing the "demented" Althouse as an authority at my thread and then in your very next post smearing her husband as a source for the next "Internet tradition." You gotta love the obsession. Ann calls that the "vortex." And man, you got da fevah!!

Hey, you are too fuckety, fuck fuck fucking good!

Bwawahahahahahaha!!!

*****

OMFG!!

More hilarious Thers self-douchbaggery!

Not only does THERS = SELF-DOUCHE cite Althouse on how "clean" the Capitol is, he posts in the next thread on Althouse's husband Meade, who responds there to the disputed $7.5 million clean up claims: "'Don't believe the widespread reports about "$7.5 million" in damage to the Capitol, either.' Personally, I would charge twice that to correct the damage I saw done to the historic building'."

Bwawahahahahahaha!!!

Don't change, Thers. YOU DA FUCKETY FUCKING BEST!!

Again, pardon the F-Bombs. That's a parody of Thers' liberal progressive profanity usage.

Anyway, it turns out that Abe Sauer at The Awl posted on Meade's coverage of Gov. Walker's speech last Tuesday. The Capitol was basically in lockdown, but somehow Meade got press credentials, and apparently this is evidence that Althouse and Meade are among the Wisconsin power elite: "Class War: Who Were Those Folks at the Madison Budget Address? Ann Althouse's Husband, For One." That's the thread where Meade rebukes skepticism about the $7.5 million in damages, saying, "Personally, I would charge twice that to correct the damage I saw done to the historic building."

And now we have Althouse's video update from Meade's visit to the cleaning at the Capitol building, "Meade encounters the cleaning crew scraping stickers off the marble at the Wisconsin Capitol." From the second half of the annotation:

At 3:00, we see the use of fingernails to scrape off the stickers that have been moistened with something from a spray bottle that is referred to as "fresh water" (at 5:06) but produces foam.

At 4:00: A middle-aged woman says to the supervisor: "They're filming that really well and that's what everybody in America thinks this is about — how much work it is to clean up after us." With narrowed eyes, she looks at Meade and nods a few times. We then see another woman who is photographing Meade. He asks her if she's a protester, and she says, "I'm a citizen," and Meade says, "So am I," an answer she seems to find quite unsatisfying.

At 5:28, there's some camaraderie between Meade and the worker who's doing the cleaning, and we learn some details about the difficulty of removing different kinds of tape from the "polished marble." "Scotch Tape is the worst."

8:46: Meade asks, "So, is it just water?" and the supervisor intervenes. Meade inquires whether they are doing anything that they think they should hide. Supervisor: "This is something that he does every day." Worker: "Only not in such great multitude."

9:34: Meade asks, "When did they catch on to the idea that they should use blue painter's tape?" Worker: "I'm not sure." Supervisor: "Just don't give him any comments... probably not the press, because he's no credentials, but just another one of the bloggers."

"No credentials"?

Yeah, because that's all part of the devious Koch-hatched plan. Meade somehow manages to get into all of these Capitol events, and who knows if he's got credentials or not? Seriously. To read that Awl thread is to understand the conspiratorial mind of the radical progressive leftist. And as for THERS = SELF-DOUCHE, hey no damage to the building, man, no damage at all! Clean as a whistle, and no trash either!

Yet another fail!

Bwahahahahahahaha!!