Gingrich Surges Past Romney in GOP Race

At Wall Street Journal, "Gingrich Surges Past Romney in GOP Race" (via Google): Republican voters now heavily favor Newt Gingrich over Mitt Romney as the party's

nominee, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, but it also found deep unease with Mr. Gingrich among independents and swing voters who normally decide presidential elections.

With less than three weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa, Republicans give the former House speaker the most commanding lead of any candidate this year: He has 40% support among likely GOP voters, compared to 23% for Mr. Romney. All of the other Republican candidates fell short of 10% support in the poll.

Further showing Mr. Gingrich's advantage, his lead over Mr. Romney appears set to grow if other candidates drop out of the race. In a two-man contest, Mr. Gingrich leads Mr. Romney by 23 points, winning the support of nearly six of 10 Republicans.

The Gingrich surge comes after he drew support from only 13% of likely GOP voters in last month's Journal poll, which Mr. Romney led with 28%. Herman Cain drew 27% of the support in November, but he has since suspended his campaign.

The survey also offered stark illustration of the challenge Republicans face as they lean toward two candidates who have yet to generate much spark among the wider electorate.

Check that Google link for the full report.

And at WSJ's Washington Wire, "WSJ/NBC Poll: Republicans Rate GOP Field ‘Average’."

Fully half of Republicans said they would not vote for Newt Gingrich if he were the nominee, compared to 44 percent who would not vote for Romney.

See also John Harwood, at CNBC, "Gingrich Surges to Wide Lead Over Romney: NBC Poll."

RELATED: At Legal Insurrection, "Taking their anti-Newt ball and going home for the general election," and "Doomsday Poll – Who would cause you to stay home or vote for Obama?"

Added: At MSNBC, "NBC/WSJ poll: Romney struggles with primary voters, Gingrich with general electorate" (via Memeorandum).

Plus, linked at Astute Bloggers. Thanks!

'I Understand'

From Angelic Upstarts:

Nineteen years old
What an age to die
Ashford is a prison
where they hide a lie

Richard Campbell
Were you mad?
Or just a bit insane?

Was it being a Rasta
cause you so much pain

white nigger
black nigger

Bleed the same

white nigger
black nigger

Rasta boy in prison

white nigger
black nigger

they made sure,
He'd never
see his twentieth year

when you're a number
you're never a name

they took away his faith
...a candle
...without a flame

the law of animals
destroy what you don't understand...

Richard Campbell's death is discussed by Richard Smith, "The State of the Prisons," British Medical Journal (January 1984):

Campbell's family were unhappy with this verdict ["dehydration due to schizophrenia"] and arranged for the Battersea and Wandsworth Trade Council to hold a public inquiry. Many individuals and groups, but not the Home Office, gave evidence to this two day inquiry, which concluded: (a) that there had been no good evidence that Campbell was schizophrenic; (b) that he had been failed by the legal profession, by the probation service, and by the authorities at Ashford Remand Centre; and (c) that he died "because of the negligence of the authorities."

Occupy Wall Street to Attend Capitol Hill Meeting Chaired by Congressional Progressive Caucus

The congressional commies will hold a hearing with the anarcho-commie scumbag murderers and rapists.

See Weasel Zippers, "Report: Occupy Wall Street Protesters oo Address Congressional Progressive Caucus Meeting…" (via Astute Bloggers).

Yep.

Real revolutionary communists to meet with real congressional communists, despite the lies of their progressive enablers. See: "Communist REPSAC = CASPER Takes Umbrage?"

RELATED: At Commie Blaster, "PROGRESSIVES = SOCIALISTS = COMMUNISTS = LEFT-WING RADICALS = ANTI-CAPITALISTS = UNAMERICAN."

BONUS: At Fire Andrea Mitchell, "Marxist Congresswoman Susan Davis Speaks to Occupy San Diego talks about fishermen and cutting holes in boats."

The Basis of Left and Right

At Power Line, "NEW POWER LINE SERIES: THE BASIS OF LEFT AND RIGHT, PART 1":

The divisions between left and right are fundamental and unbridgeable. A frequent trope of political rhetoric is that everyone agrees about the ends; we merely disagree about the means. Although this is often true at the level of a discrete policy issue (for example, how to broaden access to health care), it is wrong at the deeper level of what might be called the “tectonic plates” that drive the individual political battles. Reducing left-right differences to disagreements only over means has a numbing effect on clear thinking, and is an obstacle to grappling with some of the larger problems that now need reform that goes far beyond the business-as-usual tinkering around the edges, such as entitlement spending. Liberals tend to believe in old-fashioned leveling egalitarianism; conservatives do not. (Much more on this point in due course.) Rather than evade or gloss over fundamental differences, highlighting them is the vital pre-condition to finding any middle ground for possible compromise.

That's one hefty essay, and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series ---although the main problem right now is that "liberalism" really isn't a left-wing ideology. It's an invention of American progressives to mask their socialist ideological foundations. This guy gets closer to the real American left, but also continues to call them "liberals" when they are not. See "Utopian Folly: Liberalism’s Philosophical Problem."

Supreme Court Agrees to Review 9th Circuit Ruling on Arizona's SB 1070

At New York Times, "Court to Weigh Arizona Statute on Immigration." (At Memeorandum.)

And Governor Jan Brewer applauds the Supreme Court's announcement on Facebook.

FLASHBACK: "'Phoenix Rising' for SB 1070 at Arizona State Capitol."

Romney Used a 'Bucket' When He Was a Mormon Missionary in France in the 1960s

Well, that's just going to sink his candidacy.

At London's Daily Mail, "Too much information, Mitt!":

Mitt Romney is seen as a boring and risk-averse candidate by many voters, so this latest nugget of information might turn a few heads.

The GOP presidential candidate has revealed he defecated into a bucket while serving as a Mormon missionary in France in the 1960s.

Mr Romney spent two and half years knocking on doors as he was greeted by locals with guns, or their barking dogs chasing at his heels.

‘A number of the apartments I lived in when I was there didn’t have toilets,’ he said in Hudson, New Hampshire, reported the New York Times.

‘We had instead the little pads on the ground. OK, you know how that works. There was a chain behind you. It was kind of a bucket affair.’

They used to bathe by using a hose in a sink. ‘I said to myself: “Wow, I’m sure lucky to be born in the United States of America”,’ Mr Romney said.

More at that link.

That's just the way they do it over there, Mitt. You're making it sound more gnarly that it is.

GOP Debates Making a Difference

Have the debates been lame? Have the numerous meetings been overkill?

I don't think so. And in fact this last debate in Des Moines was extremely significant. Decisive even, especially if Mitt's been finally banished from the perennial frontrunner's perch.

But see Jamelle Bouie, "Were the Debates a Mistake?":

If you can get past the attacks on President Obama, the disregard for actual economic conditions, and the assertion of “philosophical decreptitude” in American liberalism, you’ll find a smart point about the GOP presidential debates in Fred Barnes’s latest op-ed for The Weekly Standard. For your sake, I’ll just post it here:

Besides aiding Obama, Republicans have hurt themselves in numerous ways by letting the debates be the organizing events of the campaign. The stronger candidates have been diminished by appearing, debate after debate, on equal footing with also-rans whose chances of winning the party’s presidential nomination are nil.

Given the extent to which Barnes is a solid member of the conservative establishment, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were echoing the thoughts of many other conservative elites. The debates have had an astonishing and unprecedented impact on how conservative voters view and evaluate the Republican presidential candidates, and it’s hard to say that this has been a positive development.

Oh, Fred Barnes. So what? He's a reliable establishment conservative. And that's just it: He is establishment. The debates have been at times boring and excessive, but they've been the best thing for the nomination campaigns I can remember in a long time. And they're making a difference.

See Wall Street Journal, "The Front-Runners Start to Go at It."

Perry Web Video Slams Romney For $10,000 Bet

Via RealClearPolitics:

Naked Man Chased by Police Dog

Boy, everything's available via YouTube these days, and this was in Southern California as well.

At London's Daily Mail, "He's got some cheek! Naked man tackled by police dog 'after stealing limousine'."

Roundup on Newt Gingrich and the 'Palestinians'

In the odd case that you missed it, the video's here: "Newt Gingrich on Palestinians at GOP Debate in Iowa: 'These People Are Terrorists'."

Now, see Caroline Glick, "Gingrich's Fresh Hope." It's a long post, but interestingly the biggest challenge to Gingrich is not the Arab liars backing the Hamas-dominated Palestinians, but the U.S. conservatives attacking Newt for "turning his back on a 30- year bipartisan consensus" on the (failed) two-state solution for Middle East peace.

And check Daniel Greenfield, "A Badly Invented People." This is excellent:

Palestinian identity is just so much gibberish. The official definition of that identity encompasses only those parts of the Palestine Mandate which Israel holds today.

The people who live on the parts of the Palestine Mandate that were turned into the Kingdom of Jordan in 1921 are not Palestinians. There is no call to incorporate them into a Palestinian state. The people who lived in the parts of Israel that were captured by Jordan and Egypt in 1948 weren't Palestinians, and there was no call to turn the land that today comprises the so-called "Occupied Territories" into a state. But in 1967 when Israel liberated those areas-- only then did they magically turn into Palestinians.

How is anyone supposed to take this nonsense seriously?

But RTWT.

And from Melanie Phillips, "Hey, stop this dangerous candidate! He's told the truth!":

US presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich ... has recently demonstrated yet again Melanie’s First Rule of Modern Political Discourse – the more obvious the truth that you utter, the more explosive and abusive the reaction.

For Gingrich said the Palestinian Arabs were ‘an invented people’ – and the world promptly started hurling execrations at him, as if such a statement proved beyond doubt that Gingrich was indeed a dangerously extreme individual who, when it came to political positioning, was just off the graph altogether.

More at the link (with additional sources at the discussion).

And there's lots of stuff at FrontPage Magazine, for example, from David Horowitz, "Gingrich Gets It Right":

In an interview on Saturday, Newt Gingrich put some reality into the surreal discussion of the Middle East conflict and (as he put it) the delusional nature of the current “peace process.” The Palestinians are indeed an “invented people” — invented by the Nasser dictatorship and KGB by the way — and the Hitlerian lie that Israel occupies one square inch of “Arab” let alone “Palestinian” land needs to be buried for any clarity on what the conflict is about, let alone progress towards peace.

Of course there is no peace in the Middle East and there can be no peace so long as the Muslim Arabs want to kill the Jews and destroy the Jewish state. That is the explicit goal of the enemies of Israel in the terrorist entities of Gaza and the West Bank, and also of Israel’s principal enemy the Islamic Republic of Iran.

And another essay from Horowitz, "An Invented People Despite Some Doubters":

Some conservatives, most notably Elliot Abrams, have criticized Newt Gingrich’s observation that the Palestinians are an invented people by saying that even if they are — (and there is no real question but that they are) — they’ve been around long enough (50 years, or since the creation of the PLO in 1964) so that we need to deal with that fact — not. What makes anyone think this is a people even today? Last spring I spoke at Brooklyn College. My speech was attended and then obstructed by a sizeable contingent from the Brooklyn College “Palestinian Club” — at least fifty people, all ethnic Arabs claiming to be Palestinians. During my talk I referred to the Palestinian death cult, its admiration for Hitler, its determination to wipe the Jewish state from the face of the earth, its eagerness to kill any Jew and to blow up its own children in the process. I said it was a “sick, sick culture.” But when the members of the so-called Palestinian Club erupted at me, what they said was “Why do you want to lynch all Muslims?” (This is on video available on YouTube or on our site — under “Videos” — for anyone who wants to check. It comes in the Q&A period.) This does not sound like a nationalist movement.

But the evidence is that Palestinians are a political fiction for a movement whose organizing desire is the destruction of the Jewish state and expulsion of the Jews is far stronger than this small incident. In 1948, 80% of the so-called “Palestine Mandate” had been given to the Hashemite minority in control of Jordan. The Jews were given half of the remaining 20% and the Arabs the other half. A nationalist movement would surely have accepted the partition and then laid claim to the 80% controlled by the Hashemites in Jordan. No such thing happened. Instead the Arab states including Jordan attacked the Jewish state with the intention of destroying it.

The upshot of that war was a Jewish victory in 1949. Whereupon Egypt annexed Gaza and Jordan annexed the West Bank — all the territory that had been offered to the so-called Palestinians and rejected by them. There was not a peep out of the Arab world — or out of the so-called Palestinians — over this rejection. Why? Because a Palestinian state was never their agenda. Their agenda was and is the destruction of the Jewish state and the expulsion of the Jews from the Middle East — or failing that, their absolute subjection as a hated minority without access to state power.

See also Bruce Thornton, "Newt Challenges the Myth of Palestinian Nationalism," and Ryan Mauro, "History of ‘Palestine’ Becomes Center of GOP Debate."

BONUS: See the letters to the editor at New York Times, "A Spotlight on Gingrich and Romney."

Dominique Storelli: Winner Maxim's 2011 Hometown Hotties

Well, here you go:

Previously: "Maxim's 2011 Hometown Hotties: Jordan from Arizona," and "Maxim's 2011 Hometown Hotties: Windy City's Jelena."

VIDEO: West Coast Port Shutdown

More Occupy freaks to enliven your day.

Oakland at the video:

And a nice roundup from Long Beach at LAist, "Police Declared Occupy The Ports Unlawful Assembly, 2 Arrests Made." And at Los Angeles Times, "Occupy protests shut down 2 Portland terminals, spread to Seattle." And more for the Los Angeles Times here.

And ICYMI, Michelle has an epic post, "Your guide to D12: Occupiers return to ports for West Coast shutdown; Updated."

Nude Santas Occupy San Francisco

Really.

See Zombie, "S.F. puts the “X” back in Xmas: Occupying human rights for naked Santas."

Hey, these are some of those folks who "can choose to express their sexual desires freely, partnering in whatever ways make sense to them."

Freaks.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Goes All Baghdad Bob on Obama Administration's Epic Unemployment Numbers

U.S. unemployment was 7.2 percent in December of 2008, which at that time was the highest since 1993, according to a New York Times report from January 2009 (the month Barack Obama took office). But don't tell that to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who sounds like Saddam Hussein's Minister of Information, Baghdad Bob:

Via RealClearPolitics, "DNC Chair Denies Unemployment Has Gone Up Under Obama." And Miami Herald, "DNC chair Wasserman Schultz stumbles on Obama unemployment stat."

And more at Hot Air, "DNC chair: Unemployment didn’t go up under Obama!"

Lonely Conservative has it all graphed out: "Obama’s Unemployment Record." Plus, "Unemployment Is 11% If You Count Those Who Gave Up In Despair."

Right Wing News: 'The 40 Best Conservative Blogs For 2011'

John Hawkins has released his list of hot blogs for 4th Quarter 2011, and American Power made the cut at #38: "40 Best Conservative Blogs For 4th Quarter of 2011."

What's interesting is how many on John's list are either unfamiliar to me or infrequently visited. Frankly, it's hard keeping up with the 10 or 15 blogs on the top of my list --- and I don't even have a list! I guess that's the problem. I should really have a definitive list. I've started one over on my sidebar, although I'm still making additions. As usual, I tend to read and link to a lot of blogs that link here, and that generates some FMJRA action, or it at least it should. (And I read a lot of blogs not listed at John's, so others might consider writing up their own top blog lists.)

So, to get an early start a New Year's Resolution, here's the blogs on John's top 40 that I'm unfamiliar with (in alphabetical order). I'll try to read more widely going forward:

* Creative Minority Report.

* The Mellow Jihadi.

* Naked DC.

* Vox Popoli.

* Wintery Knight.

Romney Didn't Bargain for a Bitter Fight

That's not too smart. I don't know why he'd think he was a shoo-in.

At Los Angeles Times:

As voting for the Republican presidential nomination rapidly nears, Mitt Romney is facing a troubling truth: This is not the race he signed up for.

The former Massachusetts governor, who has spent most of the year as a shaky front-runner, may still be the most salable GOP candidate in a general election, given his comparative moderation and buttoned-down persona.

The favorite of the moment, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, remains in danger of spontaneously combusting, given his long record of doing just that.

But right now it is Romney who is struggling, and the reason is clear: For most Republican voters, this contest has ceased to be about jobs and the economy, and instead rests on which candidate can shove a fist the furthest down President Obama's throat.

Romney came into the GOP contest figuring his blue-chip business background would make him the strongest contender at a time when pocketbook issues seemed like voters' overwhelming concern. For a while, it worked. Though Romney has never enjoyed the support of much more than a quarter of the Republican electorate, he remained at or near the top of voter surveys as several would-be alternatives rose and then imploded.

But as Saturday night's boisterous debate in Des Moines demonstrated, the fight for the GOP nomination has become just that: a test of pugilistic skills.

Continue reading.

I'm not so sure that Gingrich will implode. He's chuggin' along pretty nicely now and handling the barrage of attacks against him rather effectively.

More later.

Interview With David Fincher, Director of 'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'

I'm reading the Stieg Larsson novel --- and it's fantastic. This movie looks like a don't-miss film. Fincher directed "Fight Club and "Seven," if that gives you an idea of his oeuvre.

At New York Times, "Obsession, Reignited."

Time for Jews to Wake Up to Renascent Bigotry and Hatred

From David Solway, at PJ Media, "Resisting the Obvious":

In much of my recent work — books and articles — I have addressed the issue of antisemitism in the contemporary world. That the beast is once again slouching, not only towards Bethlehem as in the Yeats poem, but towards Oslo, Paris, London, Stockholm, Malmo, Copenhagen, Vienna, Berlin, Warsaw, Washington, Toronto, Sydney, Caracas, Brussels, Amsterdam, and many other cities and regions around the globe, should come as no surprise. From biblical times to the present moment, in their own homeland or “scattered among the peoples,” Jews have never been safe. This is precisely what distinguishes the Jewish people from the rest of humanity, the specific nature of their “chosenness.” Wherever they may find themselves they are always at risk, whether actively or potentially, targeted for slander, exclusion, or extinction.

In developing this argument in such books as The Big Lie (2007) and Hear, O Israel! (2009), I have been condemned by a number of my critics, who accuse me of exaggeration, self-pity, or a sort of obsolescence, as if my gaze were fixed on the past at the expense of a more amenable or complex present. The fact that many of these detractors are themselves Jewish is only to be expected, for Jews have a long history of wilfully ignoring the signs and rejecting the self-evident. It is not only the JINOs (Jews in Name Only), the “non-Jewish Jews” flagged by Isaac Deutscher, or the apikorsim (“wicked sons” of Jewish public life) enamored of their enemies who are blind to the historical fatwa against them. It is also those whom I refer to as the “good Jews” and whom author and Sun Media columnist Ezra Levant calls the “official Jews” — that is, a significant number of Jewish communicants, as well as their secular counterparts — who refuse to read the writing on the wall even when it is in their own language, inscribed in block letters, and blazoned on every street corner.

These Jewish critics — I have in mind people like Richard Just, editor of The New Republic, éminence grise Clifford Orwin of the Hoover Institution, and Canadian poet Harold Heft, among others who share their inveterate myopia — assailed my analysis as, variously, hyper-inflated, unfair to Islam, scare-mongering, one-dimensional, and so on, as if I refused to align my perspective with the mores of the enlightened and democratic West.

But the enlightened and democratic West is no longer what it very intermittently was — or rather, it is certainly not what it presents itself as being. The legacy media, academia, the political class, and an alarming proportion of the public have made common cause with the anti-Israel and anti-Jewish campaign of the growing Islamic hegemony in the realms of ideology and practice. This is especially true of Europe whose Jewish population is increasingly under threat. As French philosopher Guy Milliere observes in his new manuscript Dissident: Why Europe Is Dead and What It Means for America and the World (not yet published), “Almost everywhere in Europe, it is now dangerous for a practicing Jew to wear a yarmulke,” a development that he regards as a visible and repellant symptom “of a wider and more disquieting decay.” There is no doubt, he continues, “that there is something rotten in today’s Europe.”

God, that sounds awful, and worse because it's so objectively true.

But continue reading here.

Zilla Brings Down the Hammer on Romney!

A crushing review of Mitt Romney's positions on Islam: "DhiMITTude."

'New Year's Eve'

I don't know about this one. Maybe I'll wait 'till it's out on cable.

At Reuters, "'New Year's Eve' leads as movie box office fizzles."

BONUS: "Lea Michele invites Ashton Kutcher home for the holidays, 'New Year's Eve' costar politely declines." I guess Ashton's gonna survey the field for a while before any more big commitments. That was a rough breakup with Demi.

Unraveling Autism

At Los Angeles Times:

Amber Dias couldn't be sure what was wrong with her little boy.

Chase was a bright, loving 2 1/2-year-old. But he didn't talk much and rarely responded to his own name. He hated crowds and had a strange fascination with the underside of the family tractor.

Searching the Internet, Amber found stories about other children like Chase — on websites devoted to autism.

“He wasn't the kid rocking in the corner, but it was just enough to scare me,” recalled Dias, who lives with her husband and three children on a dairy farm in the Central Valley town of Kingsburg.

She took Chase to a psychologist in Los Angeles, who said the boy indeed had autism and urged the family to seek immediate treatment.

But a team at the Fresno agency that arranges state-funded services for autism said Chase didn't have the disorder. His problems, staff members said, were nothing more than common developmental delays that he would eventually outgrow.

Unconvinced, Dias imagined the worst — that Chase would never have a girlfriend, a job, a place of his own. She pressed the agency to reconsider and hinted at a lawsuit. Finally, officials relented, and her son began receiving 40 hours a week of one-on-one behaviorial therapy.

She had to hint about a lawsuit? God, that is awful.

My wife's grandparents lived in Kingsburg. For a while, we went down there from Fresno every week or two for dinner with the whole family. It's total heartland territory. It feels like the Midwest, with all the agriculture and Scandinavian culture.

Anyway, continue reading at the link.

Jennifer Aniston Voted Hottest Woman of All Time — C'mon, Jennifer Aniston?!!

She's nice, but seriously, who are these people doing the judging?

See London's Daily Mail, "Jennifer Aniston named Sexiest Woman of ALL Time beating out arch-nemesis Angelina Jolie."

Actually, it's Men's Health, "The 100 Hottest Women."

And Neo-Neocon is having none of it: "Are you kidding?!!"

Everybody needs to boost their traffic, that's for sure.

West Coast Port Shutdown Planned for Today

I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago: "New Direction for Occupy Wall Street?" Here's the latest from Occupy Oakland, "MONDAY PORT BLOCKADE: last minute info." And from Occupy Long Beach, "Occupy the Ports."

And while the San Francisco Chronicle has this, "Opposition grows to Occupy's port shutdown plan," the Occupy Oakland organizers are pushing back, "Longshore Workers Being Told to Not Cross the Picket Line." My hunch is that regular hard-hats want to stay on the job but the militants inside the union and out want confrontation with the 1 percent. That said, here's this from a self-described New Left radical at Firedoglake, "#Occupy Oakland: WTFWMD":

This morning’s SF Chronicle has the requisite Occupy concern-troll stories spread throughout several sections, including a lead story headlined “Opposition growing to shutdown of Port.” In addition to interviews with union members and truckers who are conflicted about supporting the shutdown, the story says that “some activists” have concluded that a port blockade is “too extreme” and so strongly disagree with confrontational tactics that they now call themselves “99 Percenters” instead of “Occupiers.” Various groups affiliated with Occupy Oakland have been holding trainings on diversity of tactics and non-violence strategies in anticipation of tomorrow’s events. On several Facebook forums there are very heated discussions involving rumors of peacekeepers who may be planning to “kettle” any comrades who do not comport themselves in whatever they deem to be an acceptable fashion.

As I read this, as always, I think: What the Fuck Would Mario Do?

Check that link. This lady's a freakin' communist. Sheesh. (Also at Lonely Conservative and Memeorandum.)

RELATED: From The Other McCain, "ACORN Returns as ‘Occupy’."

Michelle Obama Secret Affair?

At Blazing Cat Fur, "Michelle's Havin an Affair and Is Barack Obama Gay?"

Well, it's a tabloid report, but you never know with these things.

Previously: "Obama's Gay Nightmare: Still Waiting for Barry's Backside Boogie Pics!"

Twitter and the Campaign

From the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, "HOW THE DISCUSSION ON TWITTER VARIES FROM BLOGS AND NEWS COVERAGE AND RON PAUL'S TWITTER TRIUMPH."

A detailed examination of more than 20 million Tweets about the race for president finds that the political discussion on Twitter is measurably different than the one found in the blogosphere-more voluminous, more fluid and even less neutral.

No surprise there, but RTWT.

Hat Tip: John Pitney.

God's Quarterback: Tim Tebow Phenomenon Gathers Acolytes

At Astute Bloggers, "VIDEO: TEBOW DOES IT AGAIN!"

At San Jose Mercury News, "NFL: There is no denying Denver Broncos, Tim Tebow in overtime win over Chicago Bears."

And see USA Today, "Networks look to cash in on Tebow-mania." And also Bleacher Report, "Tim Tebow and His Religious Rhetoric Should Be Applauded, Not Ridiculed." And New York Times, "Tim Tebow’s Gospel of Optimism."

PREVIOUSLY: "Tim Tebow Powers Broncos to 16-13 OT Win Over Chargers: Hardest Hit — TBogg, Racist Anti-Christian Bigot at Firedoglake."

Strong Support for Israel is Litmus Test for Conservatives

See David Bernstein, at Volokh, "Israel as a Litmus Test for Conservatives."

It's an interesting discussion of how support for Israel is becoming generally more widespread on the right side of the political spectrum. Bernstein also addresses Ron Paul's Israel problem. See: "Ron Paul Tells Newsmax: I Support Israel." And Jonathan Tobin, "No Need for the RJC to Invite Paul to Forum":

People like Ron Paul have taken the valuable libertarian creed of opposition to intrusive government and support for individual freedom and twisted it into a belief system that doesn’t view U.S. security abroad or the life of a besieged democratic Jewish state as something Americans should care about. Far from respecting Israel’s sovereignty, Paul is willing to watch with complacence as its very existence is called into question without the U.S. feeling obligated to lift a finger. His “respect” for Israel is little different from the sentiments voiced by an earlier generation of isolationists — the “America First” group — whose admiration of Nazi Germany and indifference to the fate of the Jews restrained the country’s initial response to both Hitler and the Holocaust.

And that is why I wrote two posts hammering Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. We went around on Twitter for a while and he was unable to defend his opposition to Israel. Faced with the fact that "Palestinians" repeatedly call for Israel's destruction, Mataconis was relegated to calling me names like "nutjob" and "Pamela Geller loon."

See: "Newt Gingrich Attacked By Weasels," and "Newt's Backtracking on Palestinians as 'Invented People'?"

Kate Upton GQ 'Body of the Year'

I'm not going all in for "body of the year," but she's definitely an up-and-comer.

At Gentlemen's Quarterly, "GQ's Model Behavior Body of the Year: Kate Upton."

And at The Other McCain, "Rule 5 Sunday: Obsolete."

See Bob Belvedere, "Rule 5 Saturday: Tanit Phoenix."

And at Maggie's Notebook, "Rule 5 Saturday Night: Bonnie Jill Laflin – Conservative ESPN Star," and Pirate's Cove, "If All You See…is snow created by too much CO2, you might just be a Warmist."

Now, at Randy's Roundtable, "Midweek Rule 5 Break: There is no such thing as too much Kate Upton.." Plus, from Gator Doug, "DaleyGator DaleyBabe Ali Landry."

Also, from Soccer Mom, "'House Bunny' Anna Faris - Rule 5." And Eye of Polyphemus, "Reese Witherspoon."

BONUS: From Theo, "Bedtime Totty..." And Proof Positive, "Friday Night Babe: Danielle Bux."

Drop your links in the comments if you'd like to be added...

UPDATE: From Jake Finnegan, "Burkalesque Babe: Scarlett Johansson," and "Burkalesque Babes: Jacksonville Jaguars Cheerleaders!"

Newt Gingrich on Palestinians at GOP Debate in Iowa: 'These People Are Terrorists'

Here's the video:

Somebody oughta have the courage to tell the truth: These people are terrorists. They teach terrorism in their schools...

Previously: "Newt Gingrich Attacked By Weasels," and "Newt's Backtracking on Palestinians as 'Invented People'?"

Newt Gingrich Attacked By Weasels

Jew-bashing weasels, especially.

Like Doug "Weasel" Mataconis, at Outside the Beltway, "On Gingrich, the Palestinians, and “Invented People”."

Doug "Weasel" Mataconis cherry picks sections from Barry Rubin to argue that Rubin made "the same point I did yesterday." And that's not true. Doug "Weasel" Mataconis claimed that Newt Gingich's comments about the Palestinians were "sinister" and he blames Israel for the Palestinian program to exterminate the Jews, claiming that "to deny that there are a Palestinian people strikes me as guranteed to just lead to more terrorism." Wrong. There is no "Palestinian people," and even if we concede there is one, the existence of a Palestinian nation serves only the purpose of delegitimation of Israel. As Rubin points out:

The fact that today, a Palestinian people does exist doesn’t give the Palestinians a right to invent history, of course. ABC News didn’t point out that they regularly claim a history of two thousand years or more. And Golda Meir was pointing to the fact that the dominant politics of the Palestinian movement certainly as late as 1945 was a pan-Arab nationalist one.

And despite Gingrich's decisive confirmation of his initial comments, Doug "Weasel" Mataconis doubles-down in his attacks, alleging that:

As I said yesterday, imagine if Gingrich had made these statements as President. The outrage would have been amplified a thousand fold, and any hope that the United States would be able to serve any useful purpose in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be out the window for the foreseeable future...

What Doug "Weasel" Mataconis does not do is cite Gingrich's full statements, which reaffirms his initial point about an "invented" Palestinian nation. From the transcript:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: 22:04:00:00 --- Speaker Gingrich, as I've said, this has caused quite a reaction in-- in the Middle East. The chief Palestinian negotiator, Sa-- Saeb Erekat, said, "Mark my words: These statements of Gingrich will be the ammunition and weapons of the bin Ladens and the extremists for a long, long time."

SPEAKER NEWT GINGRICH: 22:04:13:00 --- How would he know the difference? Look from historic, George, simply. Is-- is what I said factually correct? Yes. Is it historically true? Yes. Are we in a situation where every day, rockets are fired into Israel while the United States, the current administration, tries to pressure the Israelis into a peace process?

22:04:33:00 --- Hamas does not admit the-- the right of Israel to exist, and says publicly, "Not a single Jew will remain." The Palestinian Authority ambassador to India said last month, "There is no difference between Fatah and Hamas. We both agree Israel has no right to exist."

22:04:50:00 --- Somebody oughta have the courage to tell the truth: These people are terrorists. They teach terrorism in their schools. They have textbooks that say, "If there are 13 Jews and nine Jews are killed, how many Jews are left?" We pay for those textbooks through our aid money. It's fundamentally-- time for somebody to have the guts to stand up and say, "Enough lying about the Middle East."

Yes, folks should stop lying, especially Doug "Weasel" Mataconis, the paleocon Israel-basher who couldn't argue his way out of a paper bag.

As Pamela said yesterday, a point to which Doug "Weasel" Mataconis attempts to laugh off in his maniacal anti-Israel dementia:

The Palestinian nation was invented as a tool of the jihad against Israel.

Image Credit: The People's Cube.

Supreme Court May Rule on Arizona's SB 1070

The Obama administration challenged the legislation, and a ruling favoring Arizona could hand the president a huge election-year defeat.

At Los Angeles Times, "Supreme Court may weigh in on Arizona immigration law":

The court has already agreed to decide whether the Obama healthcare law is constitutional. If it takes the immigration case as well, both decisions probably would come down by late June, just months before the presidential nominating conventions.

FLASHBACK: "'Phoenix Rising' for SB 1070 at Arizona State Capitol."

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."

And from Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's Sunday Funnies," and Theo Spark, "Cartoon Round Up..."

Roundup on the GOP Debate in Des Moines

I think Newt Gingrich forcefully consolidated his newfound frontrunner status last night. He's especially vulnerable on his marital history, and that portion of the debate was dicey. But Gingrich handled his response well, and was fairly contrite. For me it's not whether someone divorces but whether they were unfaithful. I don't bother to keep up with the stories of Newt's family life, but he's a bit less straight and narrow on those issues than I'd expect in the presidency. But such is life.

I'll have more on this later.

Check Robert Stacy McCain, "ABC Iowa Debate Reaction Roundup UPDATE: Jennifer Rubin, WTF?"

And at Los Angeles Times, "Gingrich is favorite target at latest GOP debate"; New York Times, "Race Reshaped, Rivals Target Gingrich in G.O.P. Debate"; and Washington Post, "Gingrich comes under attack in GOP debate."

Professor Paul Derengowski Resigns from Tarrant County College After Muslim Students Launch 'Terroristic Act of Jihad'

Wow, this is one heck of a story.

At Fox News Dallas-Fort Worth, "Professor Calls Student Complaints “Terroristic Act of Jihad”."

And see The Blaze, "TX PROF. RESIGNS, THEN ASKS FOR JOB BACK, AFTER MUSLIM STUDENTS COMPLAIN HE CALLED ISLAM A ‘CULT’."

And see the professor's essay here: "Tell them the truth." And Derengowski emailed Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch, "Muslim students threaten, force resignation of prof who quoted from Islamic texts":

My name is Paul Derengowski, and I was hired by Tarrant County College in 2008 to teach Great World Religions, Bible History I & II, and Introduction to Philosophy.

On November 8, 2011, I gave the second of a two-part lecture on Islam, as I've been doing Spring, Fall, and sometimes twice in the Summer, dealing with Islamic history and doctrine, and more particularly Muhammad's move to Medina. A question had been raised by two Muslim students in the previous the lecture concerning the sources I used to discuss the raid at Nakhlah. At the start of the second lecture I provided my sources (The Life of Muhammad by Haykal and the Qur'an), which included reading Sura 2:216-217. That is when all hell broke loose.

Both Muslim students, for an hour, berated me, my sources, and my credentials. When other students in the class attempted to ask questions or make comments, then the Muslim students would interrupt them as well. Finally, toward the end of the class period, a student made a comment on how "scary" the person of Muhammad seemed to be. That's when the male Muslim blurted out "you ought to be scared," and then bolted for the door in a fit of outrage. I subsequently filed a campus police report on him out of concern for the safety of students and myself. The female followed suit as well, claiming later in a libelous email she passed around unbeknownst to me—that is, until one of the students forwarded the diatribe to me later—that she was not going to sit there and listen to me slander her religion, even though all I did was quote from Islamic sources.

It was the libelous email that really started the wheels in motion leading up to my resignation. The female Muslim student not only stealthily sent around the email to all the rest of the students in the class to (1) defame me behind my back, but also to (2) try and gather support for her reckless behavior.

Continue reading.

No doubt Walter James "Occupy" Casper III would be down with that "female Muslim student." The dude called for an investigation of Pamela Geller and berates conservative counter-jihad bloggers as racist. For pro-terror progressives like Racist Repsac3, the professor had it coming and he obviously deserved to be out on his ass, pounding the pavement for a job. See: "W. James Casper's Demonic Band of Progressive Totalitarians."

Scott Brown Faces Tough Challenge From Elizabeth Warren

At Wall Street Journal, "Scott Brown's Strategy":

This week Senate Republicans blocked President Obama's nomination of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Only two Republicans broke ranks -- Olympia Snowe of Maine and Scott Brown of Massachusetts -- and both senators are up for re-election next year.

Ms. Snowe should win handily if she isn't toppled by a primary challenger. Mr. Brown's re-election prospects, by contrast, are shakier. Two new polls show the GOP freshman trailing Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard law professor who helped establish the CFPB and is expected to be the Democratic nominee. The University of Massachusetts-Amherst gives Ms. Warren a four-point lead and a University of Massachusetts-Lowell/Boston Herald poll has her up by seven points. Three months ago, most polls showed Mr. Brown slightly ahead. The senator's approval rating has also fallen by eight points to 45%, though his favorables are still in positive territory and exceed Ms. Warren's.

While the poll results may be disconcerting for Mr. Brown and Senate Republicans, they're not unexpected. Ms. Warren's campaign has spent $1.5 million on an ad that portrays her as a defender of the middle class. And the League of Conservation Voters has dumped $2 million on spots that tar Mr. Brown as a Washington insider. The real surprise is that Mr. Brown still leads Ms. Warren, 53-37, with independents. Because Republicans constitute less than 15% of the Massachusetts electorate, Mr. Brown will probably have to win more than two-thirds of the independent vote and probably pick up some Democrats as well.

Continue reading.

VIDEO HAT TIP: Los Angeles Times, "Elizabeth Warren blasts 'ridiculous' charge in ad by Karl Rove group."

Weekly Republican Address: House Speaker John Boehner on Middle Class Tax Relief & Job Creation Act

From the GOP Conference:

Veena Malik Claims She Was Wearing Hotpants in Controversial FHM Nude Cover

Okay, bringing you the important news in comparative politics and international relations!

I saw this story previously at Foreign Policy, "Nude Veena Malik cover stuns Pakistani Twitterverse," and "The India subtext in the Veena Malik nude cover controversy."

Hey, even foreign policy specialists need some Rule 5 diversions.

But see London's Daily Mail, "'The stress added ten years to my age': FHM India's 'naked' covergirl claims she was threatened after claiming shoot was doctored."

Newt's Backtracking on Palestinians as 'Invented People'?

Newt Gingrich is absolutely correct. The "Palestians" are Arabs who lived on territory of the former Ottoman Empire, an area technically known as the Southern Levant. And the word "Palestinian" is derived from the "Philistines," the people who occupied the area during the Roman Empire.

And now this? At New York Times, "Damage Control From Gingrich on Palestinians."

You know, Gingrich isn't my man, but the backlash is completely typical of the Israel annihilation industry. See Wall Street Journal, "Gingrich’s Palestinian Comments Draw Flak":

According to the AP, Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi said that Mr. Gingrich had “lost touch with reality” and that his comments were “a cheap way to win (the) pro-Israel vote.”

A pair of Mr. Romney’s surrogates said Mr. Gingrich’s comments were evidence that the former House speaker is a loose cannon who struggles to stay on message.

“I’m not sure that statement gets us any closer to accomplishing an agenda,” former Ambassador Mary Kramer, a Romney supporter, said Friday on a conference call with reporters. “That’s one of the things that makes me a little nervous about Speaker Gingrich.”

Mr. Romney has adopted a choreographed approach to campaigning. “Gov. Romney is much more disciplined in his approach and much more thoughtful about the things he says,” said Renee Schulte, an Iowa State Representative and one of the Romney campaign’s Iowa co-chairs. “This comment is just another example of the difference between the two.”

The Romney people are extremely annoying. And I'm with Pamela on this whole affair:

Finally, the biggest lie of the late twentieth century has been called just that, a lie. And while I have many issues with New Gingrich (Bachmann or Santorum would be infinitely better), Gingrich must be heralded for speaking the truth about Yaser Arafat's enduring annihilationist narrative, the "Palestinian".

And of course, I'm not with Doug Mataconis, who's a leading paleocon member of the Israel annihilation industry: "Newt Gingrich Calls Palestinians an “Invented People”."

There is no "two-state solution" to the Middle East "crisis," because the so-called "Palestinians" don't want one. See Melanie Phillips:

For peace to be achieved, the belligerent has to stop making war. The Arabs have made war on the Jews in their ancient homeland since Israel became a state and indeed for three decades before that. For a solution to be arrived at, it’s necessary correctly to state the problem. The problem is not the absence of a state of Palestine. The problem is that the Arabs want to get rid of Israel.

You got that, Doug?

More at Memeorandum.

Newt Gingrich Stirs Up Old Memories: Former Speaker's Success Draws Mixed Reactions from Ex-Colleagues

From Los Angeles Times, "Gingrich the candidate? GOP lawmakers grapple with the idea":

As the prospect of Newt Gingrich landing the Republican nomination for president started feeling intensely real last week, the former House speaker placed a call to a man in a position to cause major damage.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina once led a band of GOP rebels who tried to oust Gingrich, and hadn't spoken to him about those days of internecine warfare in the 14 years since.

The two men talked for more than an hour, Graham said, and the senator came away hopeful that the man who once "drove us all crazy" had changed. "The question has to be, 'Is the Newt today different than the Newt then?' " Graham said this week. "Seems to me that he is, but time will tell."

Others who had a close-up view of Gingrich's leadership remain skeptical.

"Some people are willing to reconsider him. I'm not," said Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-Ohio), one of the remaining members of the Class of '94, whose arrival in the House made Gingrich the first Republican speaker in 40 years. "His leadership skills back in the '90s were not consistent with what I would want to see in the president of the United States."

As Gingrich continues to surge in polls, Republicans on Capitol Hill are grappling with their attitude toward their former leader. Few in Washington have more baggage than Gingrich, and most in Washington know what's in it. The question of whether Gingrich can convince his party that he's evolved may determine whether his support grows or falls back.

More at the link.

Wisconsin Union Thugs Launch Campaign of Harassment and Intimidation Against Pro-Walker Teacher Kristi Lacroix

The attack goons of the Wisconsin Education Association Council are attempting to destroy high school teacher Kristi Lacroix, who appeared in this pro-Scott Walker advertisement last month:

Greta Van Susteren interviewed Governor Walker on the developments, "Wis. Woman Allegedly Harassed for Criticizing 'Sour Grapes' Recall Movement on Gov. Walker":

VAN SUSTEREN: Now Kristi LaCroix said there is even an online campaign to get her fired. Law enforcement says there's been dangerous behavior from both sides of the recall effort. Governor Scott Walker joins us. Good evening, sir.

WIS. GOV. SCOTT WALKER: Good evening, Greta.

VAN SUSTEREN: Governor, do you have anything or would anyone within your close circle have anything to do with this ad or did the teacher come up with the ad herself?

WALKER: Actually it's our campaign that did the ad, but this teacher literally sat down in front of a camera like I am right now and just talked. She had no script. She just talked what was on her heart. We have another teacher starting with a similar ad today and we will have workers in the private sector and parents and grandparents.

But this woman just said what was on her mind. It's amazing to see how outrageous it is. That's what happens when you see so much influence coming in from outside of Wisconsin. That's not the way we do it in Wisconsin. We don't attack people because it's a difference of opinion. People came out to my home and attacked -- not attacked but harassed not only my family but my neighbors. They have been point to go people on Facebook and pointing to folks on my kids' Facebook site and they have said outrageous things about my family again today.

Again, it's one thing to inform a debate or another to distract or distort it. And nobody, whether they are for or against me, including those who oppose our recall, nobody should be doing things that cross the line like that.

VAN SUSTEREN: Explain something to me. When you ran for office you had a certain platform. When you got into office did you carry out that platform so that it was no particular surprise to the voters, or did you change and thus all of a sudden everyone gotten enraged and said Walker went much farther than he of told us? Or explain how that worked.

WALKER: No. And in fact, I talked very explicitly about the fact that I was going to balance the budget, one of the largest deficits we had of had, a $3.6 billion, and do it without raising taxes, do it without cutting core services. In fact a billion dollars more was added to the budget for Medicaid for needy families and children and seniors, and put resources more effectively like in the classroom to help the kids. We did all those things. Unlike states that raised taxes, laid off employees and did other things that damaged their states, we avoided that because we put reforms in that empowered our state and our local government to balance our budgets.

These are not normal people --- they're progressives, and they don't accept legitimate difference. They seek to demonize and destroy, nothing less --- and I can attest to that first hand.

More at Big Government, "Union Radicals Harass Teacher Who Dared to Support Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker."

RELATED: "Carl Salonen Libelous Workplace Allegations of Child Pornography and Sexual Harassment at Long Beach City College," and "Roundup on Progressive Campaign of Workplace Intimidation and Harassment."

Plus, "W. James Casper's Demonic Band of Progressive Totalitarians."

Newt Gingrich Hasn't Mastered Campaign Fundamentals

From Charlie Cook, at National Journal, "Not Sold on Newt":

The national and state polls are pretty clear: Newt Gingrich has moved into the top position for the Republican presidential nomination. Other candidates have surged in the past several months, first Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, then Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and, more recently, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain. But over the past week or so, even some Republican operatives who do not support Gingrich are starting to take seriously the possibility that his lead will last. Holding a 15-point advantage in the new Gallup national tracking poll, as well as leads in multiple polls in Iowa, South Carolina, and other key states, Gingrich has clearly become a force.

Even after stipulating that the former House speaker is a very smart guy with more ideas than any three politicians you will ever find, I’m still having trouble wrapping my brain around the possibility that he will be the GOP nominee. To accept that scenario, you have to buy the idea that the laws of political gravity have been suspended this year, that things that normally matter a lot aren’t going to matter this year—or, to borrow a title from a popular book, This Time Is Different.

We are asked to believe that having campaign money isn’t important. That campaign organization and infrastructure don’t matter, even in a fight for delegates spread across 50 states. That it’s OK for the entire campaign brain trust of the apparent front-runner to reside under one head of hair and between one set of ears. That it’s feasible for one person to not only devise but also implement a national strategy and tactical plans for every state.

Then we are asked to believe that Republicans, specifically conservatives, are going to ignore some of the more problematic aspects of Gingrich’s background and policy positions. I personally like and respect Gingrich a great deal, and he has always been nice to me and generous with his time, so I won’t rehash all of his potential problems among conservatives. Let’s just take one—sitting on a love seat with the reviled Nancy Pelosi talking about climate change, in a 2008 ad that he was asked to do by former Vice President Al Gore, another Democrat not held in exceedingly high regard among Republicans. How is that appearance going to look when an opponent cuts it up and puts it into an ad aired on Fox? A large closet, if not a whole warehouse, of opposition research on Gingrich is being readied and is just now starting to be unloaded. This material is arguably much richer than anything ever assembled against any other candidate. After all, Gingrich has been in the political arena for a very long time and has had far more than his share of detractors willing to share their grievances...

Oh boy, that does present some problems, doesn't it. I think that Ron Paul ad from last week is just the tip of the iceberg. But continue reading here.

'Sherlock Holmes' Premieres in Los Angeles

A slideshow at Los Angeles Times, "'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' premiere."

Rick Santorum Interview with Sean Hannity

Robert Stacy McCain, who's come out big-time for Santorum, has the video: "Santorum on Hannity."

And Zilla's on the Santorum bandwagon: "Anti-Jihad Blogger Announces Official Endorsement for President of the United States of America."

BONUS: At Des Moines Register, "Iowa Secretary of State endorses Santorum in GOP presidential race."

Candidates Prepare for Epic Debate in Des Moines, Iowa

This one's definitely going to be a don't-miss event.

At ABC News, "Mitt Romney Hints at Gingrich Face-Off."

Also, at Des Moines Register, "Romney says leadership makes him clear selection." Plus, "Romney pushes back on questioner’s Muslim description."

Opportunistic Obama, Zigzags for Reelection

He'll play the Occupy Wall Street card but chickens out like a coward on the morning after pill. The craven commie commander-in-chief. It's not like conservatives didn't predict it in 2008.

At New York Times, "Reality and Re-election Sharpen Obama’s Zigzags."

And from Rush Limbaugh, "President Obama's Osawatomie Speech was a Marxist Attack on America."

Plus, from Serr8d's Cutting Edge, "More on Barack Obama's Osawatomie Campaign Speech."

PREVIOUSLY: "Charles Krauthammer: Obama's Class Resentment."

Maxim's 2011 Hometown Hotties: Jordan from Arizona

Well, this is pretty amazing.

PREVIOUSLY: "Maxim's 2011 Hometown Hotties: Windy City's Jelena."

Gunman Fires on Motorists at Hollywood Intersection: Eyewitness Tries to Talk to Shooter

The gunman was shot and killed by police.

At Los Angeles Times, "Gunman fires on motorists, others at Hollywood intersection." And KABC-TV Los Angeles, "Eyewitness tapes interaction with Hollywood gunman."

And the dude was a jihadi? See Astute Blogger, "Hollywood Shooter Repeatedly Shouted 'Allahu Akbar' During Rampage?" And at Pamela's, "HOLLYWOOD JIHAD: SHOOTOUT, GUNMAN CALMLY TARGETED DRIVERS AND PEOPLE WHILE SHOUTING ALLAHU AKBAR!"

New York Times Reporter Nicholas Kristof Tear Gassed in Bahrain

At Washington Post, "Nick Kristof tear gassed, held by police in Bahrain (tweets)."

Kristof tweets here::

I was just pulled into police car here in Sitra, #Bahrain, but not sure if I'm being detained or protected.

Later tweets indicate that his cameraman was hit by rubber bullets, so I imagine being detained might also have afforded protection.

Bill O'Reilly Talking Points: Close Encounter with Occupy Protester

O'Reilly told some progressive asshat to bugger off, defended himself with his umbrella, and called the cops when the occupy goon wouldn't stand down.

And the radical gay extremists aren't pleased: "Bill O'Reilly: Cell Phone Armed Occupy Wall Street Anarchist Attacked Me."

Prime Minister David Cameron Stands Up for British Sovereignty

At Telegraph UK, "EU treaty: David Cameron stands as the lone man of Europe":

David Cameron took a decisive step to distance Britain from the European Union on Friday as he became the first prime minister to veto a new EU treaty.

Mr Cameron provoked widespread anger among European leaders by refusing to back a deal to rescue the eurozone, delighting Tories and raising questions about Britain’s future in the EU.

After Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, led objections to his “unacceptable” demands for legal protections for the City of London, the Prime Minister refused to give Britain’s backing for a new treaty to create a “fiscal union” among eurozone members.

At the end of an acrimonious summit in Brussels, all 26 other EU members signalled they could now support the new treaty, leaving Britain in a minority of one.

Conservative MPs welcomed Britain’s move back towards the traditional Tory stance of “splendid isolation” in Europe — a term for the foreign policy of the late 19th century.

Also at Telegraph, "Eurozone banking system on the edge of collapse."

Looks like a smart call by Cameron.

Charles Krauthammer: Obama's Class Resentment

Another great essay, "Obama’s campaign for class resentment."

In the first month of his presidency, Barack Obama averred that if in three years he hadn’t alleviated the nation’s economic pain, he’d be a “one-term proposition.”

When three-quarters of Americans think the country is on the “wrong track” and even Bill Clinton calls the economy “lousy,” how then to run for a second term? Traveling Tuesday to Osawatomie, Kan., site of a famous 1910 Teddy Roosevelt speech, Obama laid out the case.

It seems that he and his policies have nothing to do with the current state of things. Sure, presidents are ordinarily held accountable for economic growth, unemployment, national indebtedness (see Obama, above). But not this time. Responsibility, you see, lies with the rich.

Or, as the philosophers of Zuccotti Park call them, the 1 percent. For Obama, these rich are the ones holding back the 99 percent. The “breathtaking greed of a few” is crushing the middle class. If only the rich paid their “fair share,” the middle class would have a chance. Otherwise, government won’t have enough funds to “invest” in education and innovation, the golden path to the sunny uplands of economic growth and opportunity.

Continue reading.

Romney Goes Up With Merciless New Web Ad: 'With Friends Like Newt'

At The Hill, "Romney attack hits Gingrich from right," and Wall Street Journal, "Romney Goes After Gingrich With New Web Video."

And see the reporting at The Other McCain, "BREAKING: Team Romney Snubs Conservative Media in Anti-Newt Call."

Rand Paul: Newt Gingrich Nomination Will Destroy the Tea Party

Rand Paul has an op-ed at the Des Moines Register (via Memeorandum).

And at the clip, he dubiously gives Mitt Romney the soft ball criticism, but the attack on Newt Gingrich is devastating. The key discussion starts just before 2:30 minutes. I will never forget Newt "Dede Scozzafava" Gingrich throwing the tea party under the bus in favor of "An ACORN-Friendly, Big Labor-Backing, Tax-and-Spend Radical in GOP Clothing."

See also Peggy Noonan, "Gingrich Is Inspiring — and Disturbing" (via Memeorandum).

New York University to Offer Classes on Occupy Wall Street

Pamela has the report: "NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NYU) TO ADD COURSE ON #OWS NEXT SEMESTER."

The world is upside-down. Anarchists, communists, drug-addicts, murderers and rapists. And our institutions of higher learning think this is great material for academic coursework at an elite East Coast university. This is depraved. See Scared Monkeys, for example: "OWS Protesters at Zuccotti Park Put Up Women-only Tent to Stop the Sexual Assaults."

Oh, and don't forget. These people are basically Nazi progressives as well: "Documenting Anti-Semitism at Adbusters, Leading Backer of 'Occupy Wall Street'."

MORE HERE: "Manifesto: Occupy for the Revolution."

Christiane Amanpour Out as Anchor of ABC's 'This Week'

I wasn't thrilled with Amanpour's debut at "This Week," so I'm hardly bothered by the news out this morning. At New York Post, "Christiane Amanpour to Leave 'This Week'; George Stephanopoulos May 'Pull Double Duty' and Host 'Good Morning America' and 'This Week'."

I admired Amanpour as a war correspondent, however. At the clip she interviews Angelina Jolie, whose new movie is "In the Land of Blood and Honey."

Newt Gingrich Often Strayed from Conservative Beliefs

At Los Angeles Times, "Gingrich's record belies his conservative image":

For months, many Republicans have cast about for an alternative to Mitt Romney, decrying him as insufficiently conservative. Now they appear to have settled on a new front-runner — Newt Gingrich — who is no more conservative than Romney.

Both men have parted company with the party's most active voters on many of the same issues. Both backed requiring individuals to purchase healthcare insurance. Both supported the Wall Street bailout known as TARP and government subsidies for ethanol production.

Both agreed that human activity is contributing to climate change (though each has backtracked in recent months). In the past, both supported trading systems designed to cap carbon emissions. Gingrich has favored research using stem cells from fertility clinics, putting him to the left of Romney on that issue.

This year, Gingrich undercut his own candidacy by criticizing a House GOP plan to restructure Medicare as "right-wing social engineering" — though he pushed for a similar plan when he was House speaker in the mid-1990s. But unlike Romney, who supports moving to Medicare vouchers, Gingrich now favors letting seniors remain in the current system, a stance that puts him more in line with Democrats.

For some GOP voters it may come down to image: Gingrich, who boasts that he is more conservative than Romney, forged his by leading a partisan revolt in 1994 that brought Republicans to power in the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years. And some Republicans have chosen to forgive his ideological straying because they appreciate his lacerating tone, far more brittle than Romney's.

Like other longtime politicians, Gingrich, 68, has evolved considerably over the years, shifting rightward with his party. He started out as a liberal Republican, working for Nelson Rockefeller's 1968 presidential campaign against Richard Nixon (there were few Republicans of any stripe in the South at the time, and Gingrich, who had recently moved to Louisiana, filled a void in the Rockefeller campaign there). His shift has caused some awkwardness: Just this week, Gingrich said in a CNN interview that he regretted his 1979 vote to create the federal Department of Education, a target for elimination by many conservatives....

His rivals for the GOP nomination argue that Gingrich's record doesn't match his conservative image. Rep. Ron Paul, after cataloging what he deemed to be repeated betrayals by Gingrich and Romney, said that there's "not a dime's worth of difference" between the two men. Rep. Michele Bachmann calls them "the great pretenders."

The trailing candidates are likely to amplify their critiques in a televised debate Saturday night, when Gingrich will for the first time defend his position as the clear GOP front-runner.

Stand Up to Alarmism Over Global Warming

At Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

And from Doug Powers, at Michelle's, "Barbara Boxer: Climate Deniers Endangering Humankind."

Occupy Agenda Requires Regressive Tax System

At Investor's Business Daily, "Tax Hikes On Top Earners Won't Pay For Safety Net":

As Occupy Wall Street turns its focus to D.C. this week, its long-term agenda seems to be higher taxes for the top 1% and firmer government support for everyone else.

If so, then what the protesters want — even if they aren't saying it and almost certainly don't even realize it — is higher taxes for the 99%.

America's progressive income tax system is not particularly well-suited to financing an expansive safety net. And that would remain true even if the income tax becomes a whole lot more progressive with Senate Democrats' plan to slap a surtax on income more than $1 million.

Just look at what you can — or can't — pay for with this so-called millionaire's tax and a reversal of the Bush top-earner tax cuts.

Continue reading.

Obama's Stimulus Boondoggle

An excellent video from Reason.tv (via Instapundit):

Rick Perry's 'Brokeback' Jacket

I posted the new Rick Perry "Strong" ad earlier --- it's the one where Perry defends his Christianity and hammers the gay rights extremists.

Well, there's a backlash, and it's trending at Memeorandum.

The gay lobby is hitting back. I think they got him pretty good on that "Brokeback" jacket thing, although this video below is pretty over the top. "Vagina penetrators"? As if there's something wrong with that compared to radical rim-station bung-hole bungee jumping:

Sarah Palin on Obama and the GOP Candidates

At Fox News, "Palin Warns GOP Candidates: Quit Attacking Each Other and Focus on Obama."

Check the whole video at the link. Palin adds:

I would advise our candidates to remember to focus on the problems that Barack Obama has caused this country. Quit nitpicking at each other. Some of these candidates, Sean, are playing right into the left's playbook. They are doing that opposition research and broadcasting it for the left. Instead, let us concentrate on the problems under Obama and how we can fix them.