NewsBusted: 'MSNBC's Alice Wagner says Reagan would be a Democrat today'

Via Theo Spark:

'The Five' Discuss Komen Foundation Reversal on Planned Parenthood Funding

Pay attention to Greg Gutfeld's "knock, knock" joke especially, about half way through the clip:

And see also Mark Steyn, at IBD, "Lockstep Liberalism Makes the Komen Foundation Grovel."

London's Daily Mail Has Those Kelly Brook Bikini Pics From Brazil

Following up from the other day...

...check Daily Mail, "What happened to the bikinis you designed? Kelly Brook pours her curves into swimwear bought from a beach vendor in Brazil."

Race for the Smear

At Wall Street Journal, "A Cancer Charity Gets a Brutal Lesson in Abortion Politics":

Planned Parenthood is not about to let anyone escape without exacting retribution. With the help of allies in politics, the media and other advocacy groups, this week it undertook a vicious campaign against Komen that explicitly urged corporate donors to cut off the charity if it didn't relent. Individual Komen board members have been publicly attacked, as if trying to stay neutral in abortion politics is a crime against women.

Yesterday Komen responded by seeming to back down. "We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants," Komen founder Nancy Brinker said in a statement.

It's unclear whether Planned Parenthood has actually brought Komen to heel. Austin Ruse of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute argues that the wording of Ms. Brinker's latest statement reflects no actual change in policy. Komen never planned to revoke existing grants, and eligibility to apply for a grant does not necessarily mean eligibility to receive one. He advises that potential donors to Komen wait and see.

Apart from the brutal lesson in the intolerance of abortion advocates, the larger principle at stake is the right of a charity to donate to whomever it likes, for whatever reason it likes. Mr. Bloomberg is free to do whatever he wants with his money. But it is to his great discredit that he would join a campaign to smear Komen for exercising exactly the same right.

Word.

PREVIOUSLY:

* "Imaginary Mammograms."

* "Susan G. Komen Apology From CEO Nancy G. Brinker."

* "Susan G. Komen 'Snapped Like a Toothpick' Amid Left's Unprecedented Campaign of Hatred and Smears."

* "Susan G. Komen Caves to Murderous Radical Left Abortion Industry."

* "Truth Is, Planned Parenthood Doesn't Do Mammograms — Progressives Outraged at Funding Cuts While Donations Pour Into Susan G. Komen."

First, They Came For the Catholics

Here's Michelle's column from the other day, before the Komen backlash erupted:

President Obama and his radical feminist enforcers have had it in for Catholic medical providers from the get-go. It’s about time all people of faith fought back against this unprecedented encroachment on religious liberty. First, they came for the Catholics. Who’s next?

This weekend, Catholic bishops informed parishioners of the recent White House edict forcing religious hospitals, schools, charities, and other health and social service providers to provide “free” abortifacient pills, sterilizations, and contraception on demand in their insurance plans – even if it violates their moral consciences and teachings of their churches.

NARAL, NOW, Ms. Magazine, and the Feminist Majority Foundation all cheered the administration’s abuse of the Obamacare law to ram abortion down pro-life medical professionals’ throats. Femme dinosaur Eleanor Smeal gloated over the news that the administration had rejected church officials’ pleas for compromises: “At last,” she exulted, the Left’s goal of “no-cost birth control” for all had been achieved.

As always, tolerance is a one-way street in the Age of Obama. “Choice” is in the eye (and iron fist) of the First Amendment usurper.

Like the rising number of states who have revolted against the individual health care care mandate at the ballot box and in the courts, targeted Catholics have risen up against the Obamacare regime. Arlington (Va.) Bishop Paul Loverde didn’t mince words, calling the U.S. Department Health and Human Services order “a direct attack against religious liberty. This ill-considered policy comprises a truly radical break with the liberties that have underpinned our nation since its founding.” Several bishops vowed publicly to fight the mandate.

Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, Michigan asserted plainly: “We cannot—we will not—comply with this unjust law.”

It’s not just rabid right-wing politicos defying the Obama machine. Pro-life Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania denounced the “wrong decision.” Left-leaning Bishop Robert Lynch threatened “civil disobedience” in St. Petersburg, Florida, over the power grab. Lefty Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne wrote that Obama “botched” the controversy and “threw his progressive Catholic allies under the bus” by refusing to “balance the competing liberty interests here.”

Continue reading.

Jessica Mokdad Human Rights Conference Cover-Up

At Atlas Shrugs, "VIDEO: Pamela Geller on FOX News Report of Jessica Mokdad Human Rights Conference and Family Cover-Up."

Plus, "DEFENDING THE WEST: The Dhimmedia's Whitewashing of Honor Killing."

Second Teacher Arrested in Miramonte Elementary School Sex Abuse Scandal

I just can't even imagine how the parents are feeling. "Worst nightmare" only begins to describe the horror of something like this. Seriously.

At Los Angeles Times, "Second teacher arrested at L.A. school where Mark Berndt worked," and "Official: 2nd accused teacher at L.A. school will be fired quickly."

And at London's Daily Mail, "Second teacher arrested for 'fondling two 7 year old girls' at school where pupils were 'spoon fed semen on cookies'."

Imaginary Mammograms

From last year, via Live Action:

And here's this from Live Action just today, "The Numbers Don’t Lie: Planned Parenthood, Komen, & Breast Exams."

Susan G. Komen Apology From CEO Nancy G. Brinker

Here's the statement from the Komen Foundation, "Statement from Susan G. Komen Board of Directors and Founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker."

And see Los Angeles Times, "Consultants weigh in on how Komen for the Cure handled the crisis":

The days-long roller coaster of statements and reactions from Susan G. Komen for the Cure about Planned Parenthood is a good lesson in bad crisis management, say consultants who have been watching the events unfold.

The situation has been a "total embarrassment" for Komen, said Tom Madden, chief executive of TransMedia Group, a Boca Raton, Fla.-based public relations ad crisis management company. "There should have been a lot of thought through that kind of decision, and it sounds to me like the ramifications and pressures they were under were not anticipated, which was a failure of planning. I can't believe an organization like Komen wasn't aware of what was going on."

Continue reading.

Actually, Komen did know what was going on, but I doubt they anticipated how intense the reaction would be. For progressives, if you're not pro-abortion you're basically a Nazi.

I'm sure I'll have more on this ...

Obama's Tough Road to 270

From Ronald Brownstein, at National Journal, "Rocky Terrain: Obama's Electoral College Map Grows Steeper":

The Gallup state-by-state average approval numbers for 2011 released this week don't necessarily predict where President Obama will finish on Election Day, but they do measure the hill he must climb to win re-election.

The most important number in presidential elections, of course, is 270 - the number of Electoral College votes it takes to win. The best way to examine the Gallup numbers is to measure them against that yardstick.

In 2010, if you sorted down from Obama's highest approval rating to his lowest, he could reach 270 Electoral College votes by carrying the 22 states plus the District of Columbia where his approval rating stood at 46.9 percent or more. Since one of the states above that line was Mississippi, a state Obama has almost no chance of carrying in practice, a more realistic scenario was that to reach an Electoral College majority he would have to carry those 21 states plus Virginia, where his approval rating stood at 46.6 percent.

That would have been challenging, but not imposingly so. Political strategists used to believe that incumbents were unlikely to win elections (or carry states) where their approval rating lagged below 50 percent; but given the widespread cynicism about politicians many strategists on both sides believe the tipping point is now around 47 percent. Below that number, incumbents are a distinct underdog; above it, they are favored, with the ground tilting much more toward them once they cross 50 percent.

In the 2011 numbers, the situation looks much more difficult for Obama. From 2010 to 2011, Gallup found, his average approval ratings dropped in every state except Connecticut, Maine and (oddly enough) Wyoming. As a result, to reach 270 Electoral College votes based on the 2011 numbers, he would need to win 20 states plus the District of Columbia where his approval rating stands at 44.5 percent or more. Since one of the states above that line is Georgia, which is also a stretch for Obama in practice, to reach 270 he would more likely need to carry Oregon and North Carolina, where his approval ratings stood at 44.5 percent and 43.7 percent, respectively. (It's worth filing away that the scenario based on either year's numbers - Virginia and North Carolina  stand right at the tipping point between victory and defeat for Obama.)

In sum then, Obama in 2010 could reach an Electoral College majority by carrying states where his approval rating stood at least at 46.6 percent, something that would be difficult but hardly impossible. To reach a majority based on the 2011 results, he'd need to carry states where his approval stood at 43.7 percent or above. That's a much more daunting prospect.

And see Politico as well, "Why Obama should be worried."

RELATED: From Tyler Durden, "Record 1.2 Million People Fall Out Of Labor Force In One Month, Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low."

Susan G. Komen 'Snapped Like a Toothpick' Amid Left's Unprecedented Campaign of Hatred and Smears

See Brent Bozell, at NewsBusters, "NB Publisher Bozell: Komen 'Snapped Like a Toothpick' In Response to Liberal Media Pressure."

And see Daniel Foster, at National Review, "You Should Find the Anti-Komen Backlash Disgusting, Even If You're Pro-Choice" (via Memeorandum).

Susan G. Komen Caves to Murderous Radical Left Abortion Industry

Jammie has the story: "Komen Caves to Feminazis." (Via Memeorandum.)

And at Dallas Morning News, "Komen apologizes for 'recent decisions,' pledges to continue funding Planned Parenthood."

Also at New York Times, "Cancer Group Backs Down on Cutting Off Planned Parenthood."

'Atlas Shrugged' Sequel Secures Financing, Production to Start in April

At Los Angeles Times, "'Atlas Shrugged Part 2' to start production in April."

Well, progressive heads will explode at the news. I can't remember a film more reviled by the left. Liberty, initiative and personal responsibility ward off leftists like garlic to vampires.

No Fast and Furious Cover-Up? Eric Holder Defends Bloody Culture of Contempt

Michelle has the big story: "Fast and Furious showdown: Holder/Obama defend bloody culture of contempt; UPDATE: Fortress Holder, Stonewall City; vid clips added, Dems advise, “Don’t answer”."

Michelle has more video at the link.

Blake Lively's Smokin' Hot Photo Shoot for March Issue of Elle

She looks great.

At London's Daily Mail, "'I've never been with anyone that's not a boyfriend': Blake Lively insists she is whiter than white as she poses for Elle magazine."

Canadian Confusion Over Honor Killings

From Jerry Philipson, at American Thinker (via Blazing Cat Fur).

The Arab Spring One Year Later

I miss Glenn Beck on Fox News. He's a good man and great to see him at the clip here:

RELATED: A great piece from Melanie Phillips, "Why does the ailing west aid its Islamist enemies?"

Leslie Carter OD'd

Well, LAT says "may have": "Leslie Carter, sis of Nick and Aaron, may have OD'd, report says."

But see ABC News, "Leslie Carter Overdosed, Was Under the Influence of Several Drugs, According to Police Report":

Leslie Carter overdosed and was under the influence of several drugs before her death, according to an incident report obtained by ABCNews.com from officials who responded to her family's 911 call.

The report lists three drugs that were found near Carter: Olanzapine, used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; Cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant; and Alprazolam, used to treat anxiety or panic disorders, also known as Xanax.

The report reveals that Ginger Carter, Leslie's stepmother, told authorities that Leslie had "a long history of mental illness and was on medication for her depression." Her stepmother said that Leslie seemed depressed the morning of Jan. 30, and that she fell in the shower. Ginger Carter helped Leslie lie down, at first with Leslie's 10-month-old daughter, and periodically checked on her. Late in the afternoon, she found that Leslie was not breathing. Robert Carter, Leslie's father, tried to perform CPR on her, and Leslie's stepmother then called 911.

Ginger Carter also appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or both, according to the incident report. "Ginger had slurred speech, pinpoint pupils, glassy eyes and kept falling asleep," the report states. Ginger Carter told officials that she had taken "five to six pills for her depression," possibly Xanax, and took more than her usual dose of four "because of Leslie passing away." Authorities told ABCNews.com that they would try to reinterview Ginger when she is "more alert."

I knew when I first saw the story. She was just 25 years old and initial reports said she passed away at home without citing the cause of death. Photos of Ms. Carter then showed her looking sort of drugged out. My thoughts were someone was terribly wrong. The life of a beautiful young woman, with an obviously loving family, cut short. It's sad.

Media Matters Digs In

From Yid With Lid, "As Criticism Over Anti-Semitism Increases - Media Matters Digs In Its Heels."

The Escalating Craziness Among Republicans

See Robert Stacy McCain, "Quin Hillyer Denounces Jeffrey Lord as a ‘Purveyor of Smear Jobs … Despicable’."

And from Dan Riehl, "It's Insane For Conservatives to Back Romney In the General Election."

HBO's 'Game Change' Depicts Sarah Palin on Verge of Nervous Breakdown

At LAT, "'Game Change': Sarah Palin on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

I'd be interested in checking it out, although who knows how much of this to trust?  See ABC News, "Critics: HBO Movie Trailer Puts Sarah Palin in Bad Light":

HBO’s critics on the Right were apparently right about the network’s upcoming movie “Game Change,” about Sen. John McCain’s run for the presidency in 2008.

While the network claimed the movie would be even-handed politically, it seems Sarah Palin doesn’t come off too well in the trailer.

Critics decried the HBO film from the get-go as a hit piece on the former Alaska governor who became the target of a merciless media and political barrage after McCain chose her as his running mate.

Starring Ed Harris and Julianne Moore — who in the past has been critical of Palin — the movie, which premieres on March 10, depicts how McCain’s team picked the former Alaska governor and then subsequently, had second thoughts about it when Palin seemed to fold under pressure.

The book of the same name on which the movie is based is about the entire 2008 election, but the filmmakers — who also produced the Left-leaning HBO movie “Recount” — chose to focus on the Palin/McCain part of the book.

Included in the trailer is Palin claiming that Russia can be seen from Alaska as Woody Harrelson, who plays McCain adviser Steven Schmidt, quips, “Oh my God, what have we done?”

More at the link.

Truth Is, Planned Parenthood Doesn't Do Mammograms — Progressives Outraged at Funding Cuts While Donations Pour Into Susan G. Komen

John McCormick has a report on the Susan G. Komen controversy, at Weekly Standard, "After Lying About Providing Mammograms, Planned Parenthood Outraged That Breast Cancer Charity Cuts Off Grants."

And here's this, from Jill Stanek at Life Site News, "The inside story on Komen’s split from Planned Parenthood":

I was on the road this week when the news broke that Susan G. Komen for the Cure was defunding Planned Parenthood.

Since then abortion proponents and news organizations have worked themselves into a frenzy speculating why it happened and who is to blame – from George W. Bush, to new SGK VP of public policy Karen Handel.

This is the first chance I’ve had to sit down and write what I know.

I have a source who reaches into the SGK board of directors. My source told me in December this split was in the works but that SGK did not want to make a big splash about it. Their plan was to disentangle from Planned Parenthood quietly and move on.

It was Planned Parenthood, not SGK, that tipped off the Associated Press with the news of the break, just as it was Planned Parenthood that tipped off the AP about Live Action’s sex trafficking sting, and Planned Parenthood that tipped off Washington Post’s Sarah Kliff about Congressman Cliff Stearns’ investigation.

Planned Parenthood’s modus operandi is to try to destroy its enemy first. Planned Parenthood does this to try to manage the messaging and ameliorate the damage. Note from the AP article:

Komen, while not publicly announcing its decision to halt the grants, has conveyed the news to its 100-plus U.S. affiliates. Richards said she was informed via a phone call from Komen’s president, Elizabeth Thompson, in December.

My source said Planned Parenthood broke the story for an additional reason: to frighten other corporations from trying to do what SGK did. See what will happen to you if you dare, is Planned Parenthood’s underlying warning. My source said this will not work. Other organizations are anticipated to follow SGK’s lead.

Continue reading.

And see Steve Ertelt, at Life News, "Komen Donations Jump 100% After Cutting Planned Parenthood."

BONUS: Check the New York Times' report, "Uproar as Komen Foundation Cuts Money to Planned Parenthood" (via Memeorandum).

'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love'

This clip's apparently from 2007 and includes the current lineup.

More blogging tonight.


PREVIOUSLY: "Hey, Hey, Hey!"

Gwyneth Paltrow on March Cover of Harper's Bazaar

The public relations office at Harper's sent me some pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow.

See: "The Real Gwyneth."

Scores Killed in Riots After Egypt Soccer Match

At CNN, "Egyptian health ministry: 74 dead, hundreds injured in soccer riots," and Los Angeles Times, "Egypt soccer match brawl leaves at least 73 dead."

Mitt Romney, Cheap and Empty

Check George Neumayr, at the American Spectator, "Romney's Cheap and Empty Win":

Mitt Romney's plastic and philosophically vapid campaign secured an easy victory in Florida on Tuesday night. Sunshine state GOP voters swallowed his "electability" argument whole, according to the exit polls.

It appears that country club Republicans have succeeded again in duping the GOP electorate into crowning a "centrist" Republican. Never mind that "centrist" Republicans rarely win the center. They usually lose the center while sapping the spirit of the party's conservative base.

Out of Bob Dole's and John McCain's tattered Big Tent steps another "reformed" RINO, Mitt Romney, who will receive, should he win the nomination, a similar thumping from the Democrats.

But let's say that he is "electable," for the sake of argument. Who cares? The purpose of politics in a republic is not simply to win but to win on sound principles. A party that pursues victory by scrapping or sidelining its platform will have no truth left with which to govern once it does.

If "electability" is the goal, why don't the politically correct plutocrats of the GOP just call for a one-party state? That way they could win every time.

The "electability" argument is bankrupt on both philosophical and practical grounds. It destroys the party's soul and guarantees defeat.

Even though Romney paid for this Florida win on his debit card -- outspending Newt by millions -- he still couldn't nail down the rank-and-file vote. Seven out of ten self-described conservatives didn't vote for him. This foreshadows the boredom and disgust that will keep conservatives home in the fall.

Continue reading.

Standing Firm Against the Genocidal Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign

This is good.

Blazing Cat Fur has the background, "Stop Calling Me Hitler Warns Hitler."

Blazing links to the outrageous outrage at the Electronic Intifada, where we find an outraged attack on Professor Rubin Gur of the Departments of Psychiatry, Radiology and Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania.

And the source of all that outrage? Well, it's Professor Gur's righteous essay at the Daily Pennsylvanian, "BDS is 'Hateful', 'Discriminatory'":

I could barely believe my eyes. It is bad enough that Penn has allowed itself to be associated with this hateful genocidal organization, but for you to give room for their “explanation” and then dignify this outpouring of misinformation and anti-Semitism to the level of guest column without any kind of balancing opinion? Is this fair and balanced journalism? Is this the Daily Pennsylvanian I was reading daily since I came here in 1974?

The “explanation” itself presents a fuzzy “anti-Israel” cloak that barely conceals the Hamas and Hizballah daggers. It will deceive only those who, knowing nothing of the history, cannot tell lies from truth, or who, so blinded by animus against Israel and Jews, are willing to be deceived.

The agenda of this group is totally negative and aimed at the only Jewish state on the planet, scheming to inflict damage on it as an alleged violator of human rights. No mention of most of the Arab world, or any of the many countries where human rights are trampled on daily.

If the organizers truly cared about Human Rights, perhaps they should consider targeting the primary perpetrators of abuse, and not the only country in the Middle East that is free and democratic by numerous metrics. Israeli Arabs enjoy better civil rights than Arabs in most Arab countries, while by contrast Palestinians are treated as second-class citizens in many Arab countries to this day. If this group really wanted to improve the lot of Palestinians, they should target Lebanon, Syria, and the Hamas gang currently ruling Gaza.

The purpose of BDS as presented seems similar to what was apparently stated in their version of “Mein Kampf” (I am referring to Omar Barghouti’s book titled “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions”) and base my understanding of it on the article in the Harvard Crimson.

Notably, true to Crimson’s standards the referenced piece by Mr. Don is written in a way that does not slander any of Penn’s esteemed faculty. By contrast, your Guests from BDS are allowed to introduce our esteemed colleague Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz as a “notorious Israel apologist.” And this passed your editorial review under the guise of an “Explanation”?

The aim of the hateful and discriminatory BDS rhetoric is to delegitimize Israel in preparation for the ultimate goal of its destruction. A relevant precedent for such a movement is the groups organized by the Nazis in the 1930’s to boycott, divest and sanction Jews and their businesses. Sadly, now as then, there are Jews among the posse in the assault on their own people. The macabre sight of the likes of Stella Kübler, (arguably Hannah Arendt) and the Capos in the extermination camps is about to be replayed here at Penn.

The students organizing this event and their sponsors will tarnish Penn for generations to come. Penn’s moral backbone has allowed it thus far to balance the sanctity of free speech against the need to prohibit hateful speech. That backbone will break that day. From then on Penn has made an exception: Unproductive, hateful speech is allowed – as long as it singles out Jews and Israel.

Shame on you DP. Shame on you Penn. Shame on you.

Occupy Wall Street: The Communist Movement Reborn

David Horowitz is out with a new pamphlet, "Occupy Wall Street: The Communist Movement Reborn."

And see also Rick Moran, at FrontPage Magazine, "The True Face of Occupy Wall Street":

More than 400 Occupy Wall Street protesters in Oakland were arrested after a wild night of violence, vandalism, and confrontations with police. “Officers were pelted with bottles, metal pipe, rocks, spray cans, improvised explosive devices and burning flares,” reports the New York Times. The rioters also broke into historic Oakland City Hall, smashing display cases, spray painting graffiti on the walls, cutting electrical wires, and with the crowd chanting “Burn it! Burn it!” set fire to an American flag. City authorities estimate that damages to city property amounts to about $5 million since the protests began last October.

A CNN headline reporting on the riot: “Occupy Oakland demonstrations, arrests inject new life into movement.” Perhaps this is true. But at the cost of rampaging rioters destroying public property? What kind of movement needs that kind of impetus to receive “new life”?

The Oakland riot is proof positive that whatever claim to innocence and idealism the movement purported in the early days of occupations around the country has been lost to the gimlet-eyed revolutionary left, now openly seeking violent confrontation with authorities using the bodies of the naive and foolish who still believe that OWS is a protest against income inequality and corporatism. Cadres of organized leftists came prepared to the Oakland protest with homemade gas masks and shields — a clear indication that they fully expected to provoke a police response. Innocent protesters do not come armed with “bottles, metal pipe, rocks, spray cans, improvised explosive devices and burning flares.” The transformation of the occupy movement from protest to “direct action” — the preferred tactic of the European Communist Left for generations — is nearly complete. There can be no sniveling denials from OWS apologists any more: The driving force behind the OWS movement — the goal of those who control the streets — is revolution and the overthrow of America’s capitalist system.

Continue reading.

PREVIOUSLY: "Manifesto: Occupy for the Revolution."

Crossroads GPS Goes Up With Huge New Ad Buy Slamming Obama on Solyndra

At The Hill, "Crossroads GPS hits Obama over Solyndra with new ad campaign":

Crossroads GPS is taking aim at President Obama over his administration’s $535 million loan guarantee to failed solar company Solyndra with a new national television advertisement.

In the new ad, the nonprofit group created by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie paints the Solyndra loan guarantee as a corrupt deal aimed at benefiting the president’s campaign donors.

“Laid-off workers forgotten. Tell President Obama we need jobs, not more insider deals,” the $500,000 ad, which will run on cable for a week, says.

It’s the latest attempt by conservative groups to punish Obama politically over the loan guarantee. Americans for Prosperity — a group partially funded by the billionaire Koch brothers — has spent more than $8 million on two advertisements that hit Obama over the loan guarantee.

More at the link.

The Last Tradition Rocks Some Kelly Brook!

Dude, that's what I'm talkin' about!

See, "Kelly Brook teeny bikini is driving 'em nuts in Brazil."

That video's from a couple of years back, but TLT has the recent pics, so check that link!

Demi Moore's Desperate Attempt to Shag Zac Efron

This lady needs help.

It's too bad too --- she's very beautiful, but that "cougar" thing is bad for your health.

At Los Angeles Times, "Demi Moore plot thickens: Pursuing Zac Efron, fountain of youth?":

Demi Moore isn't having the best week, as far as newsstands are concerned. The actress has reportedly been battling massive insecurity with age and weight, as well as chasing young things like Zac Efron.

After her January hospitalization, allegedly thanks to a bad reaction to nitrous oxide and a smoke inhalant, reports are charging the "Margin Call" star with massive insecurities surrounding the breakdown of her marriage — all leading to this current crisis.

"She's been really down, and she's surrounding herself with young people to make her feel better," Us magazine cites one source as saying.

And by "surrounding" the report suggests Moore "tracked down" 24-year-old actor Zac Efron for companionship. This proposed hunt led to a party in L.A.'s Venice Beach neighborhood, prior to Moore's medical treatment.

"As Demi got older, she convinced herself that she needed to stay young and skinny to remain attractive to her husband," People magazine added to the party, via their own inside source.

Well, I guess there's a way to grow old gracefully, and then there's not...

Romney Screws Up With Comments About the Poor

At Los Angeles Times, "Mitt Romney trips up as GOP race moves westward":

The Republican presidential contest shifted to the West and Midwest on Wednesday as an exultant Mitt Romney dueled with the man he hopes to meet in November, President Obama, but found himself sidetracked when an infelicitous remark was seized upon by his opponents.

Romney's comment came as he sought, following his landslide win Tuesday in Florida, to cast himself as the inevitable nominee, a posture that had eluded him since his Jan. 21 collapse in South Carolina.

"I'm in this race because I care about Americans. I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it," he told CNN.

His characterization about the poor immediately metastasized online. Asked about it later, Romney explained, "Of course I'm concerned about all Americans — poor, wealthy, middle class — but the focus of my effort will be on middle-income families who I think have been most hurt by the Obama economy."

Newt Gingrich, a distant second in Florida, sought to take advantage of Romney's wording as he spoke to hundreds of supporters packed into Great Basin Brewing Co. in Reno.

"I am fed up with politicians in either party dividing Americans against each other," said Gingrich, at his first Nevada event before Saturday's caucuses. Drawing a sharp distinction between himself and Romney, he added, "I am running to be the president of all of the American people, and I am concerned about all of the American people."

Romney's comment also drew condemnation from Obama partisans who have repeatedly exploited the candidate's quotes to argue that Romney is out of touch. And Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who endorsed Romney four years ago, encouraged him to "backtrack," saying the very poor needed jobs, not welfare programs.

I'm with DeMint on this. While Romney's comments aren't really that controversial --- at least not when placed in context --- this is hardly the message you want to send. The problem isn't that we don't have enough public assistance, but that we have too much of it. We've got soul-crushing dependence on government and destruction of personal responsibility. Dan Riehl has more, "Mitt Explains, Only to Step In It, Again ... And, Again."

See also Jennifer Rubin, who says his comments were decontextualized, "Romney on the safety net; anti-Romney media still unhinged."

'Like a Rolling Stone'

From Monday's drive time, "10 at 10" from 1965 at The Sound LA:

Get Off of My Cloud - Rolling Stones
Gloria - Them
In the Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett
Do You Believe in Magic - Lovin' Spoonful
The Kids are Alright - The Who
Wooly Bully - Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs
Set Me Free - The Kinks
Like a Rolling Stone - Dylan
For Your Love - Yardbirds
You Won't See Me - Beatles

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kidding you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're going to have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him, "Do you want to make a deal?"

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinking, thinking that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it, babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Taliban Ready to Seize Power in Afghanistan After NATO Pulls Out

Great, just as the Obama administration confirmed that the U.S. will end its combat role at the end of 2013.

The news is at London's Daily Mail, "So is it all worth it? Secret files reveal Taliban will retake control of Afghanistan when NATO troops withdraw":

The Taliban is set to return to power in Afghanistan when British and Coalition forces end their combat role in 2014, a damning leaked confidential report reveals.

Despite 10 years of fighting by NATO forces and their huge sacrifices - 397 members of the British military alone have been killed and thousands wounded - the report says that in the past year there has been unprecedented interest, even from within the Afghan government, in joining the Taliban.

And it points accusingly at Afghanistan’s neighbour Pakistan, a key ally of NATO, where powerful elements in the security and intelligence services support the Taliban and describes how insurgent leaders maintain homes within the heart of the capital Islamabad.

Based on 27,000 interviews with over 4,000 Taliban and Al Qaeda prisoners, the detailed report effectively questions the Coalition’s own assessment that it is winning the war in Afghanistan.

The report - The State of the Taliban - was described as ‘devastating’ yesterday (W) by former soldier Ian Sadler, whose son Jack, a 21-year-old reservist serving with the Honourable Artillery Company, died in a roadside bomb blast in Helmand in December 2007.
‘It has been a waste of time operating in the way that the British have,’ he said, ‘Hearing details of the report makes me wonder why our soldiers were sent there in the way they were and the cost that has been paid.’

The report compiled by US forces describes how weapons and vehicles given to Afghan forces have in turn been passed on to the Taliban and says that Pakistan’s feared Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) is actively colluding with the insurgents by actually directing attacks.

Continue reading.

I can't help but think that we're screwed.

Secretary of State Rice, upon leaving office, warned that if we wanted another 9/11, all we had to do was abandon Afghanistan. Let's hope she was wrong.

I'll have more later.

Is Peyton Manning Washed Up?

I talk football with my colleague Professor Greg Joseph when we're out to lunch. I mentioned Peyton Manning yesterday. I was wondering if he's going to retire, and the news last night and today doesn't look good. See the Los Angeles Times, "Peyton Manning likely will never play football again, sources say":

Peyton Manning's football career is likely over, two sources close to the Indianapolis Colts quarterback with knowledge of his recovery from neck surgery told Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.

Although the vertebrae in Manning's neck have healed as expected, which allowed him to start throwing again back in December, the same can't be said for the nerves in his arm, according to the sources. They say the velocity on his passes has not improved and possibly never will.

All of which, the sources say, indicates the four-time MVP will probably never play again.

Two league-affiliated doctors with experience in spinal fusion surgery told Cole that it would be too risky for Manning to play again and that it could take as long as a year for Manning to know whether a return is possible.

Manning could not be reached for a comment on the Yahoo! article, but he has indicated that he has every intention of resuming his NFL career.

More at the link.

And see "High stakes in Peyton Manning decision," and "Irsay: Peyton Manning situation 'a very complicated medical issue'."

The Most Important Election of a Lifetime?

Seems like I'm hearing that a lot, either on blogs or on TV. And Professor John Pitney takes a look at the question --- and says not to worry. At Christian Science Monitor, "The important election of a lifetime? So say Gingrich et al.":

Newt Gingrich sometimes refers to 2012 as "the most important election since 1860," which set the stage for the Civil War. His Republican competitors are a bit less flourishing in their comparison, describing November as the vote of a lifetime (though Mr. Gingrich also uses that phrase). Across the political divide, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi agrees: It's "the most important election of our generation."

If such descriptions sound familiar, it's because Americans hear them every four years. "This is certainly the most important election in my lifetime – not just because I'm running," said Barack Obama to a Wisconsin crowd early in 2008. Democrats and Republicans applied similar language to the Bush-Kerry contest. In his 1976 campaign against Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford said, "Make no mistake – this election will decide the direction America is going to take in its third century of independence."

So every presidential race is the most momentous in modern times – until the next one.

Continue reading.

I tell my students the same thing. Every four years we're told this is the most important election ever. But I think this year, on the conservative side of things, there's a deep sense of foreboding over the possibility of Obama's reelection. Some argue that ObamaCare will never be repealed if we don't get the Democrats out now. And on top of that some fear that the left will continue to work its ways through the institutions, achieving a revolution of bureaucratic socialism on a scale to make the ghost of Antonio Gramsci do somersaults. But more than that, this election seems to reflect a realization that the Obama administration has signaled the decline of the American culture of individualism, affluence and unlimited opportunity. We've seen these trends before --- trends toward "malaise," in the 1970s, for example --- and the U.S. roared back with optimism and vigor. But this time the changes appear exponentially more dramatic --- the left's assault on our values is literally apocalyptic for conservatives who feel embattled in defending what they believe are the moral foundations of this nation.

New Rick Santorum Ad Slams Newt Gingrich as 'Big Government-Mandating Politician'

Well, big government-mandating and a whole lot more.

This is nice work:

And remember, Michelle offered Santorum a powerful endorsement the other day.

Plus, see William Kristol, "Why February Could Matter":

Rick Santorum: There's lots of speculation as to Gingrich's chances to mount a comeback against Romney, the clear frontrunner. But what if Newt's campaign collapses? What if he's simply jumped the shark with the "Holocaust survivors" robocall? (The call charged that the former Massachusetts governor once "vetoed a bill paying for kosher food for our seniors in nursing homes--Holocaust survivors, who for the first time, were forced to eat non-kosher, because Romney thought $5 was too much to pay for our grandparents to eat kosher.")

What if Santorum does as well or better than Gingrich in the Nevada caucuses Saturday, or in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses next Tuesday? What if Santorum is competitive with Romney in the Missouri beauty contest primary next Tuesday, where Gingrich isn't on the ballot? Couldn't non-Romney voters begin to move nationally from Gingrich to Santorum? Couldn't populist and Tea Party leaders like Sarah Palin do so as well?

In the Gallup tracking poll today, Gingrich is at 28 percent, Romney at 27, and Santorum at 17. Romney will surely move up several points over the next few days--but couldn't Gingrich fall enough and Santorum rise enough that Santorum's number approaches or passes Gingrich? Couldn't Santorum move into second place?

In sum: Could we be heading towards a Romney-Santorum contest on February 28 in Michigan and Arizona, and then in March and beyond? Romney would certainly be a strong favorite in such a contest, given his lead in votes, delegates, money and organization. But wouldn't Santorum ultimately have a better chance than Gingrich to upset Romney, even if it's still a slim one?

Hey, anything's possible.

See also the Los Angeles Times, "Mitt Romney's Florida win won't seal race."

Megyn Kelly Interviews Michael Coren on Canada Honor Killing Verdicts

A great clip, via Atlas Shrugs, "Religious Slaughter: Michael Coren on FOX TV Discussing Honor Killings."

Rep. Allen West to Switch Congressional Districts

At the Miami Herald blog, "Rep. Allen West to move north, run in Palm Beach congressional seat vacated by Tom Rooney."

And at The Caucus, "Allen West to Switch Districts":

Representative Allen West, Republican of Florida, will switch Congressional districts to greatly increase his chances of winning re-election.

Mr. West now represents the Democrat-heavy 22nd Congressional District – which is about to get far more Democratic under proposed redistricting maps. He will move into the newly configured 18th District, which is a bit more Republican than Democratic.

That district is represented by Representative Tom Rooney, who had already decided to stake his claim to the far more Republican-rich environs of Florida’s new 17th Congressional District on the state’s west coast, which will contain many of his current constituents.

Democrats have balked at the maps, which await court approval, but many members of Congress have begun to position themselves under the assumption that the maps will hold.

William Jacobson has more, "Alan West switching districts."

Mitt Romney Florida Victory Speech

Following up on my earlier report, "Mitt Romney Florida Victory Could Deal Mortal Blow to Once-Resurgent Newt Gingrich."

And check The Other McCain, "BREAKING NEWS: MITT ROMNEY WINS FLORIDA REPUBLICAN PRIMARY." And also Legal Insurrection, "Florida primary results."

Mitt Romney Florida Victory Could Deal Mortal Blow to Once-Resurgent Newt Gingrich

I wouldn't count out Gingrich just yet, but the momentum is back with Romney in a big way tonight.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Mitt Romney wins Florida GOP primary":

Reporting from Tampa, Fla. — Mitt Romney won the Florida presidential primary Tuesday, taking a long stride toward capturing the GOP nomination and dealing a potentially mortal blow to the hopes of the once-resurgent Newt Gingrich.

The television networks called the race for the Massachusetts governor soon after polls in the westernmost part of the state closed; by that time Romney already held a big lead in the votes already tabulated. The result ended what had become a suspenseless campaign over the last few days, as multiple opinion surveys showed Romney opening a commanding lead.

His victory handed Romney Florida's 50 delegates, the biggest cache yet, but more than that the win shows his ability to capture support in a big, costly and diverse state that will be a major battleground in the fall contest against President Obama.

Speaking to reporters before the polls closed, Romney said he learned a lesson from the double-digit loss he suffered at Gingrich's hands 10 days ago in South Carolina.

“If we’re successful here, it’ll be pretty clear that when attacked you have to respond and you can’t let charges go unanswered,” Romney said after visiting campaign volunteers at a Tampa phone bank. “I needed to make sure that instead of being outgunned in terms of attacks that I responded aggressively. I think I have and hopefully that will serve me well here.”

Also at the New York Times, "Romney Wins Big in Florida Primary," and the Washington Post, "Romney claims decisive victory in Florida." (Via Memorandum.)

More Florida blogging throughout the evening...

Van Halen: 'Tattoo'

Enjoy some music for the day, some lightening up.

Reactions to Guilty Verdicts in Canada 'Honor Killing' Trial

From Phyllis Chesler, at Fox News, "Will Guilty Verdict in Canadian 'Honor Killing' Trial Be a Turning Point for Justice?":

Western-style domestic violence and even domestically violent femicide is not the same as an honor killing.

For example, Westerners rarely kill their young daughters nor do Western families of origin conspire or collaborate in such murders. While Sikhs, and Hindus, (mainly in India), do commit honor killings, the majority of such murders in the West (91%) are Muslim-on-Muslim crimes.

The high-profile Shafia case may be a watershed decision in terms of Canada’s long standing Multiculturalism Policy which was passed in 1971 under Prime Minister Trudeau and legally enshrined in 1988 as the Canadian Multiculturalism Act.

According to Dr. Salim Mansur, a Muslim Canadian professor and author, such policies are ultimately “racist.” They keep immigrants confined to their “group” and do not encourage members to become “individuals” and “citizens” of a modern liberal democracy.

Although some have called for a special “honor killing” law, it is important to note that the Shafias were tried and convicted under existing Canadian law. They were not tried for committing a culturally approved “honor killing,” but for having conspired to commit a cold-blooded and pre-planned murder on Canadian soil.

So, too, were Muslim-Canadian Aqsa Parvez’s father, Mohammed, and her brother, Waqas, who were tried and convicted for murdering the 16-year-old girl because she refused to wear the hijab and other traditional clothing.

Her mother, who was not tried, lured her daughter home from a shelter for battered women to her death.

After the Shafia jury was individually polled, (it was a unanimous decision and the evidence of guilt was overwhelming), the Justice, Robert Maranger said “It is hard to imagine a more heinous crime, a cold-blooded and shameful crime, (committed because of) a sick notion about honor that has no place in this society.”

And in a statement following the verdict, Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson called honor killings a practice that is "barbaric and unacceptable in Canada....This government is committed to protecting women and other vulnerable persons from all forms of violence and to hold perpetrators accountable for their acts."

Defense lawyer David Crowe has vowed to appeal.

The accused continue to insist they are innocent.

I hope that Canadian and North American Muslim associations and experts will welcome this decision in which three murdered Muslim girls and one murdered Muslim woman were considered important enough to merit a long and expensive trial in the search for justice.

VIDEO HAT TIP: Blazing Cat Fur, "Ezra Levant Rips Political Correctness & CBC"s Coverage of the Shafia Honour Killing."

California Penal Code Section 653m on Criminal Harassment With Intent to Annoy: Report on Unwanted Illegal Contacts by Fascist Hate-Blogger Walter James Casper III

As promised, I reported Walter James Casper III to the Irvine Police Department yesterday. The officer I spoke with indicated that Casper's actions are serious, potentially criminally actionable offenses under Section 653m of the California Penal Code, which states:

a. Every person who, with intent to annoy, telephones or makes contact by means of an electronic communication device with another and addresses to or about the other person any obscene language or addresses to the other person any threat to inflict injury to the person or property of the person addressed or any member of his or her family, is guilty of a misdemeanor. Nothing in this subdivision shall apply to telephone calls or electronic contacts made in good faith.

b. Every person who makes repeated telephone calls or makes repeated contact by means of an electronic communication device with intent to annoy another person at his or her residence, is, whether or not conversation ensues from making the telephone call or electronic contact, guilty of a misdemeanor. Nothing in this subdivision shall apply to telephone calls or electronic contacts made in good faith.

c. Every person who makes repeated telephone calls or makes repeated contact by means of an electronic communication device with the intent to annoy another person at his or her place of work is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment. Nothing in this subdivision shall apply to telephone calls or electronic contacts made in good faith.

The police found Casper to be harassing, although he's just short of being criminally implicated under California Penal Code Section 646.9, as discussed at my previous entry, "California Penal Code Section 646.9 on Criminal Harassment and Cyberstalking: Statement of Warning to Hate-Blogger Walter James Casper III. In fact, Casper's deranged actions are literally at the limits of legality under the law. Upon review of the evidence presented, the officer suggested that in her experience people like this are indeed highly dangerous and mentally unstable. In fact, the officer suggested that Casper was basically a dirtbag and a loser and wondered if someone like this was worth my time. She said that Casper was "beneath me." I said she had a point --- Casper IS a scuzzy racist sleazebag --- although I then further explained that Casper is the publisher of a hate blog whose co-bloggers and commenters have engaged in campaigns of workplace harassment and intimidation against me (and my family, since workplace attacks are threats to my family's economic livelihood). Given that, she said she understood why I wouldn't let a pattern of despicable intimidation such as Casper's slide by without challenge. Indeed, the officer indicated that Casper's unwanted communications --- communications through the Blogger commenting system, and especially those sent by e-mail after having been warned to cease and desist --- were potentially substantive violations of Penal Code Section 653m, cited above. The key qualifying factor here is Casper's pattern of persistent harassing and annoying contacts AFTER THE HARASSER HAS BEEN TOLD TO CEASE. At this point, while I issued a formal complaint against Casper, I agreed with the officer to hold off on opening a criminal investigation until the complaint process through Google has been exhausted.

Thus, I will be continuing my communications with Google in order to obtain action against Casper to desist from harassing me at the blog and by email.

It's also interesting to note the police department's reaction to Casper's comments after he was banned from American Power:

"As long as Donald Douglas is posting a public blog that accepts comments, I'm going to continue to comment on what he posts, whenever and wherever I choose. He's welcome to delete anything and everything I contribute to his blog if he so chooses -- it is his blog, after all -- but that won't stop me from making the contribution in the first place, and pointing out every cowardly deletion he makes (on my blog, I mean), as well."

I first showed these comments to the officers at the reception, as well the harassing emails Casper has sent me personally. The reception personnel then contacted the officer I spoke with, and I then filed the complaint. The officer and I also discussed strategies to deal with people like Casper who hide and harass under free speech protections to cause emotional and physical distress to their targets. I will be following up with her as soon as I know more from Google.

I will also be expanding the investigation on workplace harassment and intimidation with the Long Beach Police Department. In previous discussions with LBPD the possibility of restraining orders was raised with respect to outside complaints. I will be investigating what the LBPD will recommend regarding Walter James Casper III. Particularly, I will be indicating that it was his blog that first published my workplace information with the intent to harass and intimidate, and I will be indicating that Casper has continued to attempt to cause substantial emotional distress by making contacts to me that serve no legitimate purpose --- contacts that I have explicitly and repeatedly told Casper not to make. I will update on this further.

So until then, I am once again reiterating my demand to Walter James Casper III: Stop contacting me. Such contacts are in violation of the law, for you have been told to stop. Do not comment on this blog. You are banned. And cease and desist from further contacting me by email. You are in violation of California state law and continued contacts by you will be placed on file with the appropriate law enforcement authorities and I will continue to notify Google of your intent to annoy and cause emotional and physical distress.

Budget Cuts Force 'Rationing' at California Community Colleges

This isn't just about cutting class offerings, which is discussed at the clip by Ann-Marie Gabel, LBCC Vice President for Administrative Services.

The community college system will begin prioritizing enrollment, placing part-time, recreational, and self-enrichment students at the bottom of the priority list for registration. See the Sacramento Bee, "California community colleges prepare to ration their offerings":

Faced with state budget cuts since the recession – annual funding is now 12 percent below its 2008-09 high-water mark – community colleges have pared back course offerings. Yet demand remains sky high as costs at four-year universities shoot upward and unemployed Californians seek retraining.

Community college leaders say it has become necessary to ration classroom seats like water in a drought. They plan to impose statewide rules that prioritize students working toward a degree, certificate or basic academic skills. To meet that end, students who make little progress or take classes for enrichment purposes will move to the back of the line.

The hope, says California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott, is that new students won't get locked out. State leaders want to increase the percentage of students who graduate or transfer to universities, rates that suffer when students can't register for classes.

"It was never my wish to ration attendance at community colleges, but this was forced upon us by the very severe budget cuts," Scott said. "The reality is, we just can't offer everything to everybody."

Boy, it's going to be a tough year.

PREVIOUSLY: "Dr. Gaither Loewenstein Appointed New Vice President of Academic Affairs at Long Beach City College."

Michelle Malkin Endorses Rick Santorum for GOP Nomination

And boy, this is some doozy of an endorsement.

See, "For Santorum" (via Memeorandum):

Rick Santorum opposed TARP.

He didn’t cave when Chicken Littles in Washington invoked a manufactured crisis in 2008. He didn’t follow the pro-bailout GOP crowd — including Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich — and he didn’t have to obfuscate or rationalize his position then or now, like Rick Perry and Herman Cain did. He also opposed the auto bailout, Freddie and Fannie bailout, and porkulus bills.

Santorum opposed individual health care mandates — clearly and forcefully — as far back as his 1994 U.S. Senate run. He has launched the most cogent, forceful fusillade against both Romney and Gingrich for their muddied, pro-individual health care mandate waters.

He voted against cap and trade in 2003, voted yes to drilling in ANWR, and unlike Romney and Gingrich, Santorum has never dabbled with eco-radicals like John Holdren, Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi. He hasn’t written any “Contracts with the Earth.”

Santorum is strong on border security, national security, and defense. Mitt the Flip-Flopper and Open Borders-Pandering Newt have been far less trustworthy on immigration enforcement.

Santorum is an eloquent spokesperson for the culture of life. He has been savaged and ridiculed by leftist elites for upholding traditional family values — not just in word, but in deed.

He won Iowa through hard work and competent campaign management. Santorum has improved in every GOP debate and gave his strongest performance last week in Florida, wherein he both dismantled Romneycare and popped the Newt bubble by directly challenging the front-runners’ character and candor without resorting to their petty tactics.
He rose above the fray by sticking to issues.

Most commendably, he refused to join Gingrich and Perry in indulging in the contemptible Occupier rhetoric against Romney. Character and honor matter. Santorum has it.

Of course, Santorum is not perfect. As I’ve said all along, every election cycle is a Pageant of the Imperfects. He lost his Senate re-election bid in 2006, an abysmal year for conservatives. He was a go-along, get-along Big Government Republican in the Bush era. He supported No Child Left Behind, the prescription drug benefit entitlement, steel tariffs, and earmarks and outraged us movement conservatives by endorsing RINO Arlen Specter over stalwart conservative Pat Toomey.

Read it all at Michelle's.

Also blogging, Lonely Conservative, "Michelle Malkin Endorses Rick Santorum," and The Other McCain, "Like an Earthquake in Vanuatu: Michelle Malkin Endorses Rick Santorum!"

Shafia Convictions Put Focus on Culture of Honor Killings

At Wall Street Journal, "Afghan Immigrants in Canada Found Guilty of Honor Killing":

TORONTO—A Canadian court found two Afghan immigrant parents and their eldest son guilty of murdering four female family members in a so-called honor killing Sunday, the climax of a case that's transfixed Canada and sparked a wider debate about clashing cultures amid the country's large immigrant population.

Mohammad Shafia, his wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, and eldest son, Hamed, were found guilty of killing Mr. Shafia's three teenage daughters and Mr. Shafia's first wife in an elaborately staged, though ultimately bungled, car accident in June 2009. The defense argued the four died after a late-night joy ride went awry.

The four-month trial opened a relatively rare window onto honor killings in North America. The crime, where victims are murdered for bringing shame on their family, is increasingly common in western European countries like Britain and Sweden, which has seen large-scale immigration from countries where researchers say the custom happens most—such as Pakistan, India and Turkey ....

The prosecution argued it was honor rooted in Afghan tribal traditions that led Mr. Shafia to cleanse the shame he felt from the conduct of his rebellious daughters, Zainab, 19 years old, Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13. The eldest two took unapproved boyfriends, and all three disobeyed their father through their independent behavior and sometimes-revealing dress. Rona Amir Mohammad, who was Mr. Shafia's first spouse in the polygamous family, was killed, the prosecution argued, because she was a troublesome first wife and lenient step mother.

The trial filled the Canadian press with the macabre details of a murder in which police believe the victims were drowned and then placed into a car that was then pushed into a lock outside of Kingston, near Toronto. The local press printed police transcripts of a ranting Mr. Shafia calling his daughters "whores" and boasting, "nothing is more dear to me than my honor."

Video c/o Blazing Cat Fur.

And my previous roundup is here: "Shafia Family Guilty of Honor Killings in Canada: Updates."

Costa Concordia Cruise Ship Will Take Up to 10 Months to Removed From Italy's Coast

At Telegraph UK, "Costa Concordia will take 10 months to be removed":

The Costa Concordia cruise ship will take up to 10 months to removed from Italy's coast, according to officials, as rough seas off the Tuscan coast forced the suspension of recovery operations.

Officials called off both the start of operations to remove of 500,000 gallons of fuel and the search for people still missing after determining the Costa Concordia had moved an inch and a half over six hours, coupled with waves of more than three feet.

A 17th body, identified as Peruvian crew member Erika Soria Molina, was found Saturday. Sixteen crew and passengers remain listed as missing, with one body recovered from the ship not yet identified.

Officials have virtually ruled out finding anyone alive more than two weeks after the Costa Concordia hit a reef, but were reluctant to give a final death toll for the Jan. 13 disaster. The crash happened when the captain deviated from his planned route, creating a huge gash that capsized the ship. More than 4,200 people were on board.

"Our first goal was to find people alive," Franco Gabrielli, the national civil protection official in charge of the operation, told a daily briefing. "Now we have a single, big goal, and that is that this does not translate into an environmental disaster."

RTWT.

Newt Gingrich Pledges 'Straight Out Contest For the Next Four or Five Months'

I posted on this previously, and now here's the video:

And see also Mark Levin, "Character Matters and Romney's Worries Me":

I am beginning to think that the nature and level of attacks being launched by Mitt Romney against Newt Gingrich, which he would surely use against any conservative threatening his nomination, are going to make it very difficult for Romney to unite the different factions of the GOP and the conservative movement behind his candidacy should he win the nomination.  While I have said that I would vote for Rick Santorum, I am appalled at the "anything goes" assault on Gingrich. See here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/us/politics/the-calculations-that-led-romney-to-the-warpath.html?pagewanted=all?

Romney is not a conservative in the traditional sense, and he has a record of big-government Republicanism.  Even many years after the success of the Reagan administration, he sought to distance himself from Reagan and the GOP, self-identifying as a progressive and independent.  Thus, he resorts to spending multi-millions of dollars trashing his opponents, rather than providing thoughtful arguments on conservatism and constitutionalism.  Lest we forget, it was Gingrich who was trying to run a positive campaign and who offered to debate Romney one-on-one, asking Romney to stop with the millions in unanswered ads attacking him.  Romney declined.  I have no doubt that Romney would do the same thing to Santorum if Santorum was rising in the polls, albeit on different issues.

I have said that Romney is in many ways Richard Nixon, and that Romney would not successfully lead efforts to repeal Obamacare but, in fact, would grow the federal government in many respects.  Romney's advisor, former senator Norm Coleman, has now said as much.  That is Romney's record.  Despite having been a businessman, he was not a defender of free market capitalism while governor.  Romneycare is, as Santorum pointed out, a top-down government health care system with an individual mandate that is breaking Massachusetts' treasury and destroying private health insurance.  It is a disaster.  Romney also backed cap-and-trade and TARP (as did Gingrich).

My great fear is, however, that he is the weakest candidate who can face Obama and will go into the general election with a fractured base, thanks to his own character flaws, which are now on display, and his tactics of personal destruction.  Moreover, while Romney can swamp his Republican opponents by 3 to 1 or more in every state with his spending advantage, Barack Obama will be raising more and spending more to beat him in the general election, meaning Romney's financial advantage will be non-existent.

Continue reading.

NewsBusted: 'Gas expected to hit $5/gallon in summer'

Via Woodsterman:

Prosecutor Heckled by Shafia Guilt-Deniers at Press Conference in Canada Honor Killings Trial

More from Blazing Cat Fur:

The Economy Isn't Expanding Fast Enough to Make Up for Lost Years of Growth

From James Pethokoukis, "The economic chart that may doom the Obama presidency":

See also, "U.S. Economy Picks Up Steam: Fourth-Quarter Growth Rate of 2.8% is Fastest in 18 Months, but Doesn't Appear Sustainable."


PREVIOUSLY: " The Economy Still Sucks and It's Not Likely to Surge In Time to Save Barack Hussein," and "The Economy Still Sucks Democrat Donkey Dongs, No Matter What Islamo-Socialist President Barack Hussein Says Otherwise."

Hellfire Missile Takes Out Taliban Jihadist

Via Weasel Zippers:

And from yesterday, "The Taliban Go Mainstream: Afghanistan Terror-Sponsors Seek 'Softer Side' to Medieval Political Regime."

Occupy Protesters Burn the Flag at Oakland City Hall

Because, you know, they're just strangers from out of town, or something.

[VIDEO PULLED]

Also at CNN, "Oakland's mayor says city is fed up after hundreds of Occupy activists arrested."

PREVIOUSLY: "Racist Walter James Casper III Doubles-Down on Endorsement of Revolutionary Anti-Semitic Occupy Wall Street." And "Occupy Wall Street: Anti-Semitism, Socialism, Crime and Public Defecation."

Laura Ingraham on 'This Week': 'I Don’t Know If Mitt Romney Can Beat' Obama

From Jake Tapper at ABC News, "Laura Ingraham: Romney Has to Bring ‘A’ Game If He’s Going to Beat Obama." Scroll forward at the clip to just after 9:00 minutes

Millionaire Elizabeth Warren Claims She's 'Not One of Them' Wealthy Individuals...

At Weasel Zippers, "OWS-Founder Elizabeth Warren Says She’s Not In The 1% Despite Being Worth $14.5 Million…"

Progressives: liars, hypocrites, losers.

Shafia Family Guilty of Honor Killings in Canada: Updates

Okay, my earlier post is here: "Guilty Verdicts in Canada Honor Killing Trial."

And see Pamela here, "GUILTY! First Degree Murder Verdicts in Shafia Honor Killing Trial."

And don't miss the excellent Christie Blatchford, at National Post, "No honour in ‘cold-blooded, shameless’ murder of Shafia girls."

Plus, London's Daily Mail has a huge article, "Honour killing family jailed for life as judge says: 'It is difficult to conceive of a more despicable, more heinous crime'."

And an update at Blazing Cat Fur, "Shafia Murders: CBC Finds Apologist Who Implies Canada Racist & Just Like Islamist Hell Holes."

And here's an earlier clip with Ezra Levant on the tragedy of honor killings in Canada:

Whoa! Rep. Allen West Tells Democrats to 'Get the Hell Out of the United States of America'

Well, it's a good guess he's fed up with the left's bullshit civility meme.

Via Gateway Pundit, "Allen West: Obama, Pelosi, Reid… “Get the Hell Out of the United States of America” (Video)":

Well, yeah. You have to stand up against the mob.

See: "California Penal Code Section 646.9 on Criminal Harassment and Cyberstalking: Statement of Warning to Hate-Blogger Walter James Casper III."

Romney Hopes to Deliver Knockout Punch to Gingrich

At LAT, "Romney keeps pressure on Gingrich as Florida primary nears":

Reporting from Naples, Fla.  —

Seeking to deliver a knockout punch to Newt Gingrich in Tuesday’s Florida primary, Mitt Romney and his surrogates continued their heavy assault on the former House speaker’s record, urging voters to study his temperment, his work for mortgage giant Freddie Mac and the ethics investigation into his fundraising in the 1990s.

As a Romney rally got started before a crowd of several thousand outside a theater in downtown Naples on Sunday, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV contrasted Gingrich’s “very checkered past when it comes to ethics and honesty” with that of Romney, whom Mack said has lived his life “honestly, with integrity and character.”

Echoing that line a few minutes later, Mack’s father, former Florida Sen. Connie Mack III, called Mitt and Ann Romney “role models for all Americans” and said the former Massachusetts governor has “presidential temperament.”

“A lot of people say he looks presidential. And you do!” the former senator said. “But the important thing is, he acts like a president. Under fire, under attack, under challenge. He responds as a cool, calm and collected man, a person that we need in the White House.”

For his part, Romney keyed off his strong performances in two recent debates, as well as an NBC/Marist preference poll released Sunday morning that showed him leading Gingrich by 15 percentage points in Florida. He accused Gingrich of “making excuses” for his sliding poll numbers during the Sunday morning talk shows.

“He’s on TV this morning going from station to station complaining about what he thinks were the reasons he’s had difficulty here in Florida,” Romney said, “but you know, we’ve got a president who has a lot of excuses, and the excuses are over; it’s time to produce.”

“If we failed somewhere, if we failed the debate, if we failed to get the support of people, it’s time to look in the mirror,” Romney said. “My own view is the reason that Speaker Gingrich has been having a hard time in Florida is that people of Florida have watched the debates, have listened to the speaker, have listened to the other candidates and have said, ‘You know what, Mitt Romney’s the guy we’re going to support.’ ”

And see "Polls see Mitt Romney cruising to Florida victory."

Plus, at Astute Bloggers, "ATTENTION PSEUDO-POPULIST GINGRICH AND HIS NEWTNUTZ EVERYWHERE: CAPITALISM WORKS; SOCIALISM NOT SO MUCH."

Sarah Palin: 'Newt Gingrich Would Clobber Barack Obama'

She's talking about "clobbering" Obama in a debate, and by implication in the general election. Palin says GOP voters should take that into consideration in the primaries. And this is pretty much a Palin endorsement for Gingrich, which has been mostly unarticulated at this point, but see C4P, "Governor Palin’s Clarion Call: “Rage Against the Machine…Vote for Newt!”"