The Left's 'Smoldering Wreckage' Leads to Smothering Agenda

I simply can't absorb all the information on the left's historic drubbing on Tuesday. I'm most fascinated by the progressive response to the conservative victory in Wisconsin. This really has forced a total appraisal of progressivism's raison d'être.

I suppose I'll just keep blogging the meltdown as it unfolds, but again, the epic angst is utterly phenomenal.

Take some time with Matt Stoller's piece, for example, "Wisconsin Recap: Thanks to Obama, American Left Lies in Smoldering Wreckage." Stoller is a long-time far-left blogger/activist who is steeped in progressive credibility. I used to read his old blog Open Left once in a while, before he turned from blogger to congressional staffer and Democrat political consultant.

Here's the introduction to his "Smoldering Wreckage" piece, via Memeorandum:

On Tuesday, Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker humiliated his Democratic opponent, Tom Barrett, by easily turning back a popular recall attempt sponsored by unions and liberal activists.  The numbers in the election, which were supposed to be close, were ugly, in favor of the Republican.  But this wasn’t just any Republican, Scott Walker is THE Republican, the politician who made his governorship a referendum on a hard right agenda, in a blue state.  Walker waged a direct and very public attack on the major constituencies of the Democratic Party, rolling back rights for women, the working class, and the young with measures such as ending collective bargaining for state employees, privatizing state assets, and repealing Wisconson’s equal pay provisions for women. His agenda provoked a fierce reaction – – Wisconsin citizens occupied the Statehouse for months -  and then a recall.

Yesterday, Walker’s agenda was ratified by the voters of Wisconsin, the state where public sector unions were born.  It’s hard to overstate how bad this is – Wisconsin is now on the road to becoming a right-to-work state, in what is likely to become a right-to-work country.  Right-to-work laws are provisions that allow individual employees to withdraw from unions, and they make it much harder for unions to organize.

And the deeper you look into the race, the worse it looks.   By calling for a recall instead of a general strike after Walker stripped collective bargaining rights and cut benefits for workers, labor and Democratic leadership in the state diverted and then subverted populist energy, channeling it into an electoral process (at least one union, one very active in the occupation of the Capitol, stood apart from the electoral stupidity).  Then, Barrett, an anti-labor centrist, won the Democratic primary by crushing his labor-backed opponent, Kathleen Falk.  Finally, Barrett himself was destroyed by Scott Walker, who outspent Barrett 7-1 with corporate money.  In other words, first, liberals lost a policy battle, then they failed to strike, then they lost a primary election, then they lost a general election to the most high-profile effective reactionary policy-maker in the country.  The conservative beat the moderate who beat the liberal.  And had Barrett won, he wouldn’t even have rolled back Walker’s agenda.  Somehow, in a no-win electoral situation, Democrats and labor managed to lose as badly as they possibly could.

What happened?

Continue reading at the link.

And bear in mind, Stoller's is a criticism from the left. If you read the whole thing you'll see that it's not just Obama, but the entire left-"liberal" institutional apparatus. And while Stoller genuinely believes he's offering up an alternative, his piece is really nothing more than a desperate call to double-down on failure (the giveaway is the attack on corporate "neoliberalism" and the rousing huzzahs to Greece's socialists now raging desperately against the EU).

But Stoller is not alone.

Focusing more narrowly on unions, Richard Yeselson raises points parallel to Stoller, at the New Republic, "Not With a Bang, But a Whimper: The Long, Slow Death Spiral of America’s Labor Movement." And see also Doug Henwood, "Walker’s victory, un-sugar-coated."

But pay special attention to the concluding passage from Ezra Klein at the Washington Post, "Wisconsin recall shows labor isn't coming back. So what's next?":

Republicans have had great success arguing that organized labor has too much political power. So much success, in fact, that it seems clear that labor will soon have too little. But last night showed that Democrats aren't going to get very far simply disputing Republican claims on this point. Rather, they should argue that all interest groups have too much political power, and unite behind legislation that would weaken them.

You have to ponder the implications of that for a second, for Klein's bottom line is simply astounding. It's an admission that the left is losing the political battle in the marketplace of ideas, and its only hope of revival lies down the road of ever increasing authoritarianism. Seriously. Klein offers the Fair Elections Now Act and the DISCLOSE Act as the magic bullets to the progressive resurrection. But make no mistake. Such proposed legislation is just the tip of the iceberg for the left's ultimate goal, which is repeal of the First Amendment to the Constitution. Seems unfathomable, I know. But Klein himself argues that legislation is needed to weaken all interest groups. Not just conservative and business groups, but all interest groups. Of course anyone with even a glancing familiarity with constitutional theory knows that interest groups are to liberty as air is to fire. You can't have democracy in America without interest groups. And that's not all. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the chief congressional advocate for the DISCLOSE Act, is on record as advocating a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and by implication the right of individuals and groups to spend as a matter of First Amendment rights. On MSNBC last night, Rachel Maddow broadcast portions of her Wednesday interview with Minority Leader Pelosi. The whole segment is entitiled, "Is there a Democratic 'Plan B' to defeat dark money?" But the key passages come after the 10 minute mark. Pelosi again announced the goal of a constitutional amendment to limit speech:

It's essential to note that the left's "dark money" meme is ridiculously false. There was no "10-to-1" Republican spending advantage in Wisconsin, as Ben Sharpiro reports: "Spending Gap? Media Ignores $21. Million Unions Spent in WI." And as always, the left is never actually concerned about its assploding political hypocrisy. See Jammie Wearing Fools, "Democrats Lament Too Much Money in Politics as Obama Heads to California for Five More Fundraisers."

So there you have it.

Progressives were crushed decisively on Tuesday, and up from the "smoldering wreckage" is an emboldened agenda to clamp down on conservative speech. This "smothering agenda" has been building for some time. But all the talk about big "dark money" will work as an even greater smokescreen as progressive seek to disguise their historical failures. So keep your eyes peeled. Free speech issues are looking to be up front among the key ideological battles of 2012. It's going to be a nasty fight.

RELATED: From Phil Kerpen, "ALEC Bullying Shows What DISCLOSE Act Is About."

ABC News Reports on Brett Kimberlin Criminal Intimidation Network!

It's happening. A little at a time, but conservatives are generating a spotlight on the left's criminal intimidation and harassment network.

Here's the report from Arlette Saenz at ABC News, "Senator Asks DOJ to Investigate SWAT-ting Attacks on Conservative Bloggers":

A number of conservative bloggers allege they have been targeted through the use of harassment tactics such as SWAT-ting (fooling 911 operators into sending emergency teams to their homes), in retaliation for posts they have written, and now Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., has stepped into the matter. He has sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging him to investigate the SWAT-ting cases to see if federal laws have been violated.

“I am writing with concern regarding recent reports that several members of the community of online political commentators have been targeted with harassing and frightening actions. Any potentially criminal action that incites fear, seeks to silence a dissenting opinion, and collaterally wastes the resources of law enforcement should be given close scrutiny at all levels,” Chambliss wrote in the letter.

“Regardless of any potential political differences that may exist, threats and intimidation have no place in our national political discourse. Those who choose to enter into that political discourse should not have to worry about potential threats to their or their family’s safety,” Chambliss continued.  “While I am certain that local law enforcement is reviewing each of these instances, I am asking you to please look into each of these cases as well to determine if any federal laws may have been violated. Future targets of SWAT-ting, whether engaged in political speech or not, may not be so fortunate as to escape physical harm.”

ABC News spoke with two prominent conservative bloggers who were victims of SWAT-ting, a hoax tactic used by some hackers to infiltrate a victim’s phone system, often through voice over IP (VOIP) technology to make calls appear as if they are coming from a residence. The perpetrators call police to report a violent crime at that home to which the police respond, sometimes with SWAT teams.

RTWT.

ABC News contacted Kimberlin! (He denied everything, of course.)

And The Other McCain is quoted at the article:

Robert Stacy McCain, a contributor to the American Spectator and founder of The Other McCain Blog, wrote about Kimberlin, and shortly after, his wife’s place of employment received a phone call from Kimberlin accusing McCain of harassment. Based on Kimberlin’s ability to find his wife’s employer, McCain became concerned Kimberlin also knew the location of his home, so the McCain family relocated to an undisclosed location.

“If I was going to continue doing this story, I couldn’t do it from my home,” McCain told ABC News. ”This kind of intimidation — it’s a threat to protected first amendment expression.”

“It’s being treated as these are just bloggers playing around on Twitter, but this is serious business.  It’s much more serious I think than most people now realize,” McCain said.

See also the Lonely Conservative, "ABC News Reports Sen. Saxby Chambliss Requested DOJ Investigation of Blogger Swattings."

And at Goldfish and Clowns, "An Update On He Who Must Not Be Named." See also Joy McCann at Conservative Commune, "THE FIGHT AGAINST THE SPEECH-SUPPRESSORS."

More later...

PREVIOUSLY: "Conservative Bloggers Keep the Pressure On — Senator Saxby Chambliss Seeks 'SWAT-ting' Inquiry at Department of Justice!"

So That's Why Forbes' Erik Kain Quit Politics and Started Geek Blogging...

That is, besides already being a buttfreak pissant geek.

See William Jacobson, "Worst and Best Wisconsin Recall Predictions":

Worst Prediction

Erik D. Kain channeling David Frum in Forbes Magazine, March 10, 2011, Is Wisconsin the Real Republican Waterloo? (italics in original):

After the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, conservative writer David Frum called the passage of the bill the GOP’s “Waterloo” in reference to Napoleon Bonaparte’s crushing defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington. This earned him the ire of his fellow conservatives and pushed him further outside the conservative movement.

But David was wrong. If anything, the healthcare reform victory was the GOP’s Siege of Acre. Wisconsin is shaping up to be the real Waterloo….

And now conservatives have chosen public-sector workers and teachers as their hill to die on….

Republicans have a long history of union-busting and anti-labor rhetoric, but taking on teachers and cops is a big mistake. This blatant effort to weaken the Democratic party will have precisely the opposite effect….

This is the Democrats chance to recapture that narrative, to turn the discussion back to the dignity of the middle class, to the importance of policies that do not simply push power and capital ever upward. This is the Republican’s Waterloo….

This is the moment that Waterloo has begun, and the Republican party has sealed their own fate. Nothing they could have done could have roused the Democratic base the way this vote in Wisconsin has. I think they’ve bitten off much more than they can chew. This is the beginning of the end. Nor did Republicans need to take such drastic steps. They had the momentum and could have run on their budget concerns into 2012. They didn’t need to take on labor, but they did, and whatever minor victory Scott Walker has made now will be overshadowed by later defeats.

Also – perhaps Pearl Harbor is a better analogy.

Best Prediction ...

It'd be hard, but I doubt Kain could ever screw up remotely that bad as a geek blogger.

Sheesh. What a loser.

As for winners, well, you'll have to check the post for the best prediction.

HINT: The winner's an Associate Clinical Professor at some Ivy League school, and not in a political science department. (Political scientists dream of making predictions that accurate!)

FLASHBACK: "E.D. Kain Denies 'Disciplinary Action' as Motive for Workplace Intimidation!"

Donald Trump Threatens to Sue Miss Pennsylvania for Dissing Miss USA Pageant as 'Rigged'

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, "Donald Trump, former Miss Pa. in a beauty of a disagreement."

Also at London's Daily Mail, "Donald Trump to sue 'bitter' Miss Pennsylvania over her claims Miss USA 2012 was rigged."

The big deal is that Miss Monnin is Christian and she's apparently not happy that transgendered contestants will be allowed to participate in upcoming pageants. Either way, that's kinda strong arm if Trump's really going to sue. Sheesh.

Fourteen-Year-Old Caiden Cowger: Homosexuality is 'Perverted'

We're seeing more and more young people standing up and calling it like it is.

At TMZ, "14-YEAR-OLD TALK SHOW HOST: Gays Choose Perversion No Matter What Gaga Says." (Via Memeorandum.)

Well, Obama's the first gay president, so what can you do?

RELATED: "Barebackers for Barack, UPDATED! — Andrew 'Milky Loads' Sullivan Cover Story at Newsweek, 'The First Gay President'."

A Post-Wisconsin Victory Lap

Via AoSHQ:

'Your Mama Don't Dance...'

I should play some music!

Enjoy Loggins and Messina.

This top clip's from just a few years ago:

Time for U.S. Military Action in Syria

It seems like nothing has changed in Syria, and indeed, there were reports of new atrocities out on Wednesday.

See  Jerusalem Post, "At least 78 killed in Syria's Hama province." And at Telegraph UK, "Government forces accused of fresh Syrian massacre":

Reports of a bloody mass killing of in the Syrian province of Hama emerged on Wednesday, with dozens dead, including several women and children.

Pro-government militiamen attacked collections of buildings in the farming district of Mazraat al-Qabeer and killed civilians in their homes, activists said.

The killings came less than two weeks after a massacre in the town of Houla, in which security forces and pro-Assad militia men known as “Shabiha” killed 108 people, nearly half of them children.

Meanwhile, President Bashar al-Assad faced mounting pressure at home and abroad as rebels attacked his chief strongholds and Washington threatened his regime with UN sanctions.

Both massacres have happened in the presence of United Nations observers, a 300-strong force sent into Syria to observe a ceasefire deal brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan. The truce was hardly observed by the government or the rebels, who last week said they would no longer honour the ceasefire because of recent killings.

“Today the regime troops started to shell the village. Under this cover the shabiha [government militia] entered the village while people were hiding in their homes. They killed everyone they found in the houses or streets by knives,” said Mohammed Abu Bilal, who claimed to have spoken to a survivor.

This has gone on long enough. The U.S. should act, unilaterally if necessary, and Max Boot makes the case. See, "Toppling Syria's Assad":

After the Holocaust and the genocide in Rwanda, the world said: Never again. And there have been interventions to stop the killing — in Bosnia, Kosovo and Libya. But these have been the exception, not the norm. Even now, as horrifying violence unfolds in Syria, the U.S. and its allies find reasons to limit their response to economic sanctions accompanied by strongly worded, but ineffectual, statements of condemnation.

This, despite the fact that the stakes in Syria are higher, from a strategic standpoint, than in Libya. By the time NATO acted against Moammar Kadafi, he was an isolated despot who had given up sponsoring terrorism and building weapons of mass destruction. Not so with Bashar Assad: His regime sponsors Hezbollah and Hamas. It has a large stockpile of chemical weapons and would be on its way to developing nuclear weapons had not Israel bombed its nuclear reactor in 2007. And it has close links to the Iranian regime, which is the No. 1 enemy of the U.S. and its allies in the region.

Moreover, the longer Assad stays in power without being able to stop the uprising against his government — which is now more than a year old — the greater the odds that regional powers will be drawn into the fray and that extremist groups such as Al Qaeda, already responsible for several grisly bombings in Syria, will be able to establish safe havens on Syrian soil.

There are risks in a post-Assad Syria, to be sure, but toppling him as swiftly as possible — something sanctions have shown no sign of achieving — holds out the promise of meeting significant strategic as well as humanitarian objectives.

Those in favor of a go-slow approach will admit much of this but then argue that there are no good options for intervention. It is true that action to topple a regime always carries risks. It is never an operation to be undertaken lightly, as we learned in Afghanistan and Iraq. But no one is proposing sending U.S. ground troops into Syria; the riskiest option of all isn't on the table, nor should it be.

Even less risky options, such as airstrikes, would be harder in Syria than in Libya because the Syrian opposition is less unified than in Libya, and it does not control any cities or discrete territory. Thus it would be harder to strike regime assets without injuring civilians.

But is this an argument for simply sitting by and letting the killing continue? That isn't a "good option" either...

Read it all at the link.

Boot has a plan.

The President Tweeted 'Present'

A great read, from James Taranto, at the Wall Street Journal, "We Are the 119% - MSNBC: My Schadenfreude Now Blankets Cable":

Last night we got home from a dinner and discovered something wonderful when we switched on the television. There's an entire cable network called MSNBC devoted to the entertainment of conservatives. Apparently all they have on this station is disconsolate lefties 24/7. We assume it's part of the Fox empire. Roger Ailes is a genius, isn't he?

A guy named Lawrence O'Donnell hosts a show called "The Last Word," a misleading name, since here we are getting in a latter word. Even so, the show is awesome. O'Donnell cracked us up when he opened yesterday's show: "Tonight, the really big winner in Wisconsin's recall election is--President Obama." Later he had one of his fellow hosts, Rachel Maddow, on as a guest, and she agreed: "It's going to be hard to see this as a bad night for Obama," she declared, citing the president's "11-point margin of theoretical victory . . . over Mitt Romney." (Charlie Spiering has a video montage.)

Theoretically, Obama was on the side of the government employee unions that were behind the unsuccessful attempt to oust Gov. Scott Walker, who last year signed legislation abolishing most of their corrupt "collective bargaining" arrangements. "Understand this," the future president declared in 2007: "If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I'll walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner."

In practice, Obama tweeted "present": "It's Election Day in Wisconsin tomorrow, and I'm standing by Tom Barrett. He'd make an outstanding governor." But he was only theoretically present. Not only was he standing, not walking; he was standing someplace far from Wisconsin. In fact, for all we know he was sitting at the time. We can't be sure he was even wearing shoes.

Even the sad clowns of MSNBC couldn't deny the election was a big loss for the man who was standing nowhere near Obama. Milwaukee's Mayor Tom Barrett received just 46% of the vote to Walker's 53%, slightly widening Walker's margin of victory over Barrett in 2010, the year that Middle America gave Republicans their biggest landslide perhaps in living memory.

This despite what the Boston Globe's Derrick Z. Jackson calls "huge turnout in Wisconsin's liberal strongholds," especially Milwaukee and Dane counties. The latter includes Madison, the ultralefty capital, where turnout was as high as 119% by some accounts...

More at that top link.

I was watching, for a little while at least. See: "Public Unions Dealt Costly Blow in Wisconsin."

Wisconsin Voters Beat Back a Campaign of Union Revenge

At the Wall Street Journal, "A Victory for Self-Government":

The resounding failure by unions and Democrats to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on Tuesday is a significant moment for democratic self-government. It shows that an aroused electorate can defeat a furious and well-fed special interest that wants a permanent, monopoly claim on taxpayer wallets.

The crisis unfolding in Europe is less about the euro than it is about whether the union-dominated entitlement state can reform so it can pay its bills. In Wisconsin as in Greece and France, unions and the political left were trying to demonstrate that power and privileges once granted are eternal. They wanted to run Mr. Walker out of Madison as an object lesson that trying to limit collective bargaining and mandatory dues collection for government unions will end your political career.

One of the stranger analyses of the Wisconsin brawl has been that it could have been avoided if only Mr. Walker had sought "consensus." We're all in this together, yada, yada. Tell that to Governor John Kasich, who passed similar reforms in Ohio to much less fanfare, only to see unions use a referendum last year to repeal his collective-bargaining changes. Public unions are never going to cede their dominance over taxpayers without a fight.

And it's worth recalling how brutally they fought. They occupied the state capital for weeks. They harassed GOP lawmakers and their families, tried to recall state Senators and defeat a conservative Supreme Court judge, while Democratic lawmakers abdicated their legislative duty by fleeing the state. They lost in the end because Mr. Walker and Republicans rode out the storm, passed their reforms, and are now able to show Wisconsin voters the beneficial results.

The longer-term impact of Mr. Walker's vindication will depend on the lesson other political leaders take from it...

Continue reading.

And ICYMI, see Althouse from yesterday morning, "'The Whupping in Wisconsin: Seven Key Conclusions'."

P.S. The video's from WISN Milwaukee, and it's a great recap of the whole last 18 months.

D-Day 68th Anniversary

At the Washington Post, "On 68th D-Day anniversary, WWII veterans visit memorial that honors them."

And Doug Powers reports, at Michelle's, "D-Day: 68 years ago today."

Conservative Bloggers Keep the Pressure On — Senator Saxby Chambliss Seeks 'SWAT-ting' Inquiry at Department of Justice!

We're getting results with the push-back against the left's criminal harassment and intimidation network!

First, Robert Stacy McCain continues to pump out Pulitzer-worthy reports on the Kimberlin-Rauhauser thug syndicate. See, "‘A Faint Whiff of Vigilante Hysteria’: Weinergate’s Kimberlin Connection," "Fear and Loathing on Capitol Hill: The GOP Caucus Is Decadent and Depraved," and "Did Brett Kimberlin Stalk BlogCon?"

Second, Robert also has the report on Aaron Worthing's appeal. See, "Walker Files Appeal in Kimberlin Case;Ali Akbar Says: ‘We’re Not Stopping’." And see also Michelle Malkin, "Won’t back down: Amidst threats, National Bloggers Club announces Aaron Walker appeal; blogs to crank up pressure on Congress":

When I asked Ali Akbar of the National Bloggers Club for help with a website/infrastructure to support the blogger targets of convicted bomber/online terrorist Brett Kimberlin two weeks ago, he didn’t hesitate or waver. He stepped up to the plate because he believes in free speech and new media. I knew and respected him from his past work on grass-roots conservative campaigns and online projects. I was honored to join the NBC board of directors when he asked me late last year. There is no vast, deeply-funded conspiracy behind how it all came together — as some deranged progressive operatives (who habitually indulge in such rancid psychological projection) are claiming. I simply asked for help with organizing/fundraising tasks that were way beyond my paygrade. Ali volunteered to help and hasn’t stopped. The blogosphere owes him bottomless thanks.

Continue reading.

Plus, see the big report at Camp of the Saints, "The #BrettKimberlin Report D+12 Part II: Flak And Return Fire."

And note that UCLA's Eugene Volokh has stepped up for some pro bono assistance to Aaron Worthing, "Consulting on the Aaron Walker / Brett Kimberlin Case."

Third, GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss has energized the right with a request to the Attorney General's offce. See, "Chambliss Demands Inquiry Into Attacks Against Conservative Commentators" (via Memeorandum).

Michelle has more, "GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss to DOJ: What are you doing about SWATtings?" And following the links takes us to the write-up at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Saxby Chambliss calls for probe into ‘SWAT-ting’ of conservative pundits." Plus, Kerry Picket has this at the Washington Times, "Chambliss demands DOJ inquiry into 'SWAT-ting' incidents against bloggers."

Also blogging, Jawa Report, Riehl World View, and Urban Grounds.

Fourth, Robert Knight has a blockbuster piece up at Townhall, "The Left's Assault on Free Speech and Conscience." Knight offers an outstanding review of events, but his larger discussion of the issue is worth quoting at length:

SWATing is just one of the nastier tricks played by the intolerant Left, which increasingly employs smears and intimidation.

In early May, The Chronicle of Higher Education fired author and blogger Naomi Schaefer Riley for opining that some black studies dissertation topics were “a collection of left-wing victimization claptrap.” Thousands of liberal academics signed a petition demanding her firing, which the Chronicle dutifully did after holding out for a few days.

In April, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which represents conservative state legislators, was attacked by former White House “green jobs czar” Van Jones and his Color of Change movement. ALEC had posted on its website model voter photo ID legislation, which Jones’ group describes as an attempt to “disenfranchise over 5 million people in the upcoming elections.” ALEC soon caved and removed the post after losing corporate sponsors including Coca-Cola, Mars, Wendy’s and Kraft.

A union front group, Change to Win, then began bullying health insurer Wellpoint over, among other things, its support of ALEC.

The Center for Political Accountability, run by Democratic operative Bruce Freed, is promoting “transparency” so that businesses contributing to conservative causes can be hounded and boycotted, as Target was over its support for a Republican gubernatorial candidate who favored traditional marriage. This is the corporate version of the smear campaign against people who donated to California’s Proposition 8 marriage amendment in 2008. Leftwing activists posted a Google map with donors’ names and addresses, inviting harassment. Vandalism, firings and some terror incidents conducted against the Mormon Church followed.

Jackboot leftist tactics have reached even the therapist’s couch.

In California, the legislature is weighing a bill (SB 1172) making it a crime for concerned parents to take a confused child under 18 to a therapist to reinforce the child’s gender identity. There is also a nationwide movement to criminalize pro-straight counseling. Dr. Robert Spitzer, an architect of the 1993 removal of homosexuality as a disorder in the psychiatric diagnostic manual, did his own study of ex-gays in 2003, in which he concluded that some people could change their orientation. A former hero of the Left, he was terrorized, ostracized and hounded until he did a partial mea culpa a few weeks ago.

“He had been attacked so violently on account of his study that he had nearly broken down emotionally. …” writes Dr. Gerard van den Aardweg, author of many books on homosexuality. “I understood hell had broken loose against him. I thought: and this is ‘free’ America, where a good-intentioned, humane psychiatrist is stoned for having the courage to publish a careful study with a very careful conclusion that merely calls into question the gay dogma of irreversibly programmed homosexuality?”

In March, the Obama Administration threatened to bankrupt Catholic hospitals if they wouldn’t violate their beliefs regarding contraceptives, abortifacients and sterilization. To some people’s surprise, the Catholic hierarchy hit back with multiple lawsuits, a spectacular story ignored by the “mainstream” media.

Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Jim McGovern is going for the gold medal of leftwing censorship. He is sponsoring the Orwellian-named “People’s Rights Amendment,” which would undo the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and strip “all corporate entities—for profit and non-profit alike” of freedom of speech. The First Amendment? As co-sponsor and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would say, “Are you serious?”

As the political Left faces a bruising comeuppance in November, leftist bullies are going for outright control of what’s said, written and done.

The full article is here. Be sure to share it.

Finally, Ace of Spades has a blackout event planned for Friday: "National Day of Blogger Silence -- This Friday."

I will post links of Congressmen's and Senator's email addresses and offices and phone numbers, and urge every concerned American citizen to let them know, in no uncertain terms, that a crime in progress against the First Amendment (and people's safety) is occurring, and we humbly request they take this seriously.

They are literally going to get someone killed. That is their endgame here.

Will the media and Congress pretend "we didn't know" when this happens?

ABCNews knows.

The Weekly Standard knows.

The Daily Caller knows.

And many, but not yet all, Congressmen and Senators know.

I encourage all bloggers and twitterers to essentially strike that day, or write nothing except your desire that you expect your Congressmen to take threats to your First Amendment rights seriously.

I will be following up with my congressman on Friday. See previously, "Is Convicted Terrorist Brett Kimberlin Abusing Tax-Exempt Status? Calling for Congressional Hearings on Continuation of Section 501(c)(3) Benefits."

Bloggers are encouraged to research the committee jurisdictions of their Members of Congress. Look to those areas over which representatives have authority and can initiate government action against illegal progressive intimidation and harassment.

And most of all, don't stop. Keep the pressure on --- it's working!

IMAGE CREDIT: Right Klik.

Fullerton Voters Recall Three Council Members After Beating Death of Homeless Man Kelly Thomas

This is a big story, making the front-page banner headline at this morning's Orange County Register, "Fullerton recalls 3 councilmen":

FULLERTON – A recall campaign aimed at ousting three councilmen in the wake of the Kelly Thomas death cruised to success Tuesday night.

All three council members easily lost their seats, according to unofficial results.

The push to remove Don Bankhead, F. Richard Jones and Pat McKinley was prompted by the death of the homeless man after a confrontation with police officers in July. The death left two officers facing charges and put the Police Department and the city's leadership under great scrutiny.

Three challengers who each won handily will take their seats, possibly at the July 17 council meeting.

Travis Kiger, an information-technology specialist who says he favors small government, captured 55.5 percent of the vote to easily finish above four others in the race to replace Jones. Attorney Doug Chaffee, one of four targeting McKinley, had 42.3 percent of the vote. Greg Sebourn, among four targeting Bankhead, had 40.5 percent.

Provisional ballots must be counted, and the results officially recognized, but the numbers are not expected to budge much.

Before the numbers were final, Sebourn said that if the three council members lost their posts, “I'd expect big changes in Fullerton.”

 He said one of the first actions he plans to take is to demand a top-down audit of all city departments.

“I'm grateful to the voters for giving me their vote of confidence,” Sebourn said.

The recall campaign was bankrolled by local activist Tony Bushala, who runs the blog Friends for Fullerton's Future.

I've written previously on Fullerton. See, "Fullerton Cops to Stand Trial in Kelly Thomas Beating Death."

RELATED: From Reason, "How the Kelly Thomas Killing Sparked a Citizen Revolt."

Added: CNN's Casey Wian reported that the council members-elect may look into abolishing the police department and contract local security out to the county sheriff. I'll update with that once CNN posts the video. Here's Wian's tweet:

Fullerton City Council recall effort succeeds in a landslide. Now, will Police Dept. survive beating death of Kelly Thomas?

More later...

VIDEO: Democrat Tom Barrett Slapped in the Face After Conceding Wisconsin Recall Election

Man, it's hard out there for a prog!

See Kerry Picket, at The Washington Times, "PICKET: Report - Woman slaps Mayor Barrett for conceding too early" (via Memeorandum).

And check Stable Hand, at My Pet Jawa: "This is what progressive civility looks like."

California Voters Reject $1 Tax Hike on Cigarettes — Proposition 29 Goes Down, 50.8 to 49.2 Percent

Only 25 percent of precincts were tallied when I posted last night, and apparently those didn't include some from the more anti-tax regions in the state.

The tide shifted the other way in what was definitely a squeaker.

See the Orange County Register, "Prop. 29 tobacco tax loses; Prop. 28 term limits passing."

A ballot measureto raise cigarette taxes by $1 narrowly lost with 50.8% of voters statewide voting no with all precincts reporting Wednesday. A second measure to change Legislative term limits won handily with 61.4% approval.

Proposition 28 will amend term limits by cutting the total number of years politicians spend in Sacramento while increasing the amount of time they may serve in either the state Assembly or state Senate.

Proposition 29 would increase the state tax on cigarettes by $1 to raise money for cancer research and anti-smoking programs. That race was flooded with millions of dollars from tobacco companies hoping to defeat the measure while avoiding the topic of smoking.

Proposition 28 was proposed by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and found support among Republicans and Democrats. It sought to bring more continuity to Sacramento by amending legislative term limits, which currently allow lawmakers to serve six years in the Assembly and eight in the Senate for a total of 14 years.

I voted no on Prop. 28 as well.

Legislative term limits have been a disaster for California, and I doubt the new initiative will make much of a difference. (The move to a possible 12 years in one chamber might be good, but I favor abolishing term limits for the legislature altogether --- this initiative won't reduce the role of special interest lobbying, which has always been one of the main arguments for the measures. And we'll still see legislators using their seats as stepping stones to higher office or fatter paychecks outside of government. But check back with me in 12 years and we'll return to the topic. I'll bet voter frustration will be just as high as today, especially if the Democrats remain in power, beholden to unions. That said, perhaps a change is coming, and it wouldn't be too soon. See Glenn Reynolds for more on that, "SAN DIEGO PASSES PENSION REFORM by a wide margin.")

Public Unions Dealt Costly Blow in Wisconsin

At the Wall Street Journal, "Governor's Victory Deals Costly Blow to Organized Labor" (via Google):

Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker's victory marks a costly blow to organized labor that could weaken its political muscle over the long term.

Governors and legislators in Republican-led states across the country could be emboldened to pursue the same type of curbs on union-worker rights that Mr. Walker installed, and to move forward on right-to-work legislation, which would bar contracts requiring employees in private-sector firms to be union members and pay union dues. In Wisconsin, the change has significantly reduced public-employee union membership since last year.

The shift could hit union membership across the country and weaken labor's ability to raise money that is a significant source of Democratic political funding.

The political-action committees of public-sector unions have donated $4.7 million to candidates for Congress so far in the 2012 election, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. That made public-sector unions one of the biggest sources of donations to candidates behind Hollywood, Wall Street and the insurance industry, according to the center.

About 90% of the donations from the public-sector PACs went to Democrats.

The three largest public-sector union PACs have so far raised $23.4 million in this election cycle. That money can be used to donate directly to candidates or pay for television advertisements, mailings or other election activities.

Republicans control legislatures and governorships in 24 states, making them the most likely to pursue curbs to union-worker rights and benefits if they haven't already, according to Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative anti-tax group.

RTWT.

And watch that video above carefully.

I was watching MSNBC last night and I tweeted, with some surprise, the network's early call for Scott Walker. Rachel Maddow handled the news quite professionally. She just reported it without getting too hot and bothered. But boy did Ed Schultz have a hard time with the news. You can see him go through a couple of stages of grief right there in those few minutes. First he was denying it, looking a little depressed. But as he kept talking he started to accept the results and then got combative about what progressives need to do in November. And I mentioned it earlier, but the left is going to blame this on the money. You'll be hearing all week reports about how much money big out-of-state donors sent to Wisconsin. And while it was a 7-1 advantage for Walker over Barrett, less than three percent of voters decided at the last minute. Indeed, about 90 percent of voters were fully committed to their vote weeks ago. What mattered most was the ground game. CNN's Dana Bash reported last night from Walker's victory headquarters and she said that in all of her reporting she'd never seen a more enthusiastic victory crowd --- and that was after reporting on the GOP primaries all year long! Enthusiasm made the difference, and obviously a lot of Wisconsinites are pleased with Walker's record on government.

It's going to be interesting to watch how the left spins this out. One thing I can tell you, though, Baracky was smart to stay away from the Badger State. What a disaster for the left.

I'll have more later...

G.O.P. Governor's Win Is Seen as Blow to Labor Unions

Here's your ultra-mainstream reporting on last night's failed recall election, at the New York Times, "Walker Survives Wisconsin Recall Vote":

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker, whose decision to cut collective bargaining rights for most public workers set off a firestorm in a state usually known for its political civility, easily held on to his job on Tuesday, becoming the first governor in the country to survive a recall election and dealing a painful blow to Democrats and labor unions.

Mr. Walker soundly defeated Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee, the Democrats’ nominee in the recall attempt, with most precincts across the state reporting results. The victory by Mr. Walker, a Republican who was forced into an election to save his job less than two years into his first term, ensures that Republicans largely retain control of this state’s capital, and his fast-rising political profile is likely to soar still higher among conservatives.

Here in Waukesha, some Republican voters said the result ended the most volatile partisan fight in memory, one that boiled over 16 months ago in the collective bargaining battle and expanded into scuffles about spending, jobs, taxes, the role and size of government, and more. Democrats, some of whom are already pledging to mount strong challenges for state lawmakers’ seats in November, seemed less sure about the meaning of Mr. Walker’s victory.

“Tonight, we tell Wisconsin, we tell our country and we tell people all across the globe that voters really do want leaders who stand up and make the tough decisions,” Mr. Walker said, delivering a victory speech to supporters here. “But now it is time to move on and move forward in Wisconsin.”

In his concession speech in Milwaukee, Mr. Barrett said: “We are a state that has been deeply divided. It is up to all of us — our side and their side — to listen, to listen to each other.”

The result raised broader questions about the strength of labor groups, who had called hundreds of thousands of voters and knocked on thousands of doors. The outcome also seemed likely to embolden leaders in other states who have considered limits to unions as a way to solve budget problems, but had watched the backlash against Mr. Walker with worry.

 Some Republicans said they considered Mr. Walker’s victory one indication that Wisconsin, which President Obama won easily in 2008 and which Democrats have carried in every presidential election since 1988, may be worth battling for this time.

“Obviously, Scott Walker winning tonight means that the Republicans are here for real,” said Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee. “Conservatives are here for real.” Mr. Priebus was attending Mr. Walker’s victory party at the Waukesha County Exposition Center, where “We Stand With Walker” signs were all around.

RTWT.

And at Freedom's Lighthouse, "Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s Victory Speech after Winning Recall Election by Wide Margin – Video 6/5/12."

April Rose: A Decade of Hometown Hotties

April reports from Maxim's command center:

U.S. Kills Abu Yahya al-Libi, al Qaeda's No. 2 Operative

This is good news.

At the Wall Street Journal, "CIA Kills al Qaeda's No. 2: Senior Terrorist Official Dies in Drone Strike in Pakistan, U.S. Says, Citing New Blow to Organization":

WASHINGTON — The militant considered to be the No. 2 leader of al Qaeda was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Abu Yahya al-Libi was seen as al Qaeda's most versatile leader, and his death on Monday was the latest setback for a group that U.S. officials say is reeling from recent losses.

The operation that killed Mr. Libi also showed the U.S. has maintained its intelligence capacity in Pakistan amid tension with the Pakistani government and despite enhanced security measures that al Qaeda has taken in the wake of the raid that killed its leader, Osama bin Laden, a year ago.

The attack was the latest in a rapid succession of Central Intelligence Agency drone strikes in recent weeks, after attacks slowed in the wake of the accidental killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers by U.S. helicopters at a post at the Afghan border in November. There have been 22 strikes reported so far this year, according to the New America Foundation, which tracks them.

Yep. Good news, but again the progs are unhappy. See Firedoglake, "How Coverage of Obama’s Role in Drone Executions Provokes Liberal Outrage."

FLASHBACK: Andrew Breitbart at Madison, Wisconsin, Tax Day Tea Party 2011

Andrew is smiling down on Wisconsin this morning. I'll tell you.

And I'm moved to post this since he calls out the AFL-CIO's Richard Trumka. As I reported earlier, the AFL-CIO is the biggest f-king loser in all of this, one hella sore f-king loser.

Via Liberty Chick on Twitter:

Miss Ohio Claims 'Pretty Woman' Prostitute is 'Positive Role Model' (VIDEO)

I don't know.

I guess if the movie has a happy ending it's alright.

At London's Daily Mail, "Miss Ohio names Julia Roberts hooker in Pretty Woman as 'positive portrayal of women'."

No Democracy Didn't Die Tonight, Progressivism Did

As I reported earlier, progressivism died tonight.

But for some people, progressivism and democracy are the same thing, or something. Via Dan Riehl:

And I'm going to have more on this, but get a load of No More Mister Nice Blog: "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY." (Hint: It's the money, to the progressives at least. But as much as it helped, it wasn't all about the money. More on that later...)

California's Prop. 29, Tax on Cigarettes for Cancer Research, Holds Narrow Lead

I see only 25 percent of the precincts reporting at the moment, so who knows how it'll end up?

Proposition 29 leads 50.6% to 49.4%.

But see the San Francisco Chronicle, "Dollar-per-pack cigarette tax passing."

Progressives Utterly Crushed After Failed Wisconsin Recall

I'll be trolling around looking for updates, but I doubt you could find a more abject sore loser than the AFL-CIO. And this ultimate sore-loser tweet was posted after the networks projected the Scott Walker win. It wasn't a "win or lose" scenario by that time. The left lost, and they lost bad.

And see Twitchy, "Walker wins; Twitter explodes."

I tweeted Markos Moulitsas:

You lose, @Markos. Progressivism died tonight. You should quit. You and your movement objectively suck. #WIRecall
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) June 6, 2012

Markos threw in the towel here.

And I really do believe that progressivism died tonight. For the last 18 months we've heard leftists proclaim a surge and revival of progressivism, following the first protests against Walker in Madison, and then when the Occupy movement gave fresh hopes to so many more. But when push came to shove in the Badger State, all the left's forces couldn't get it done. But note something here: While progressivism as a functional, viable ideology in American politics is dead, the activist left will continue to drone on like a Zombie starved for brains. As Roger Simon noted a couple of weeks back:

Liberalism as an ideology is in its death throes. Only the power trip remains.

More later...

Added: Hey, Instalanche! Thanks!

BWHAHAHA!! Check out Erik "Union Boss" Loomis, at Lawyers, Guns and Money:

As I mentioned before, I am generally opposed to the idea of recall on principle.

Yeah. Right.

And if Walker would've lost you'd be dancing a jig until the cows come home. What a loser and a clown.

More, from PoliPundit, "Bwahahahahaha!":

In 2010, the greatest Republican landslide in decades, Scott Walker won by 6 points. In 2012, with the left throwing everything it had at him, Walker became the only governor ever to survive a recall, crushing his hapless opponent by… 10+ points!!

Bwahahahahaha!

Republicans also appear to have taken all four senate seats by massive margins.

Bwahahahahaha!

I love it!

More, 9:30pm, at Lonely Conservative, "Forget the old media. They stink. Try the new media. We rock."

Also, at Blazing Cat Fur, "Hope For Canada: Scott Walker Wins - Parasite Public Service Unions Defeated."

Too Close to Call in Wisconsin? — UPDATE! Rachel Maddow Projects Scott Walker Win With 23 Percent of Precincts Reporting!!

UPDATE: MSNBC just called it. See Teri Christoph on Twitter.

*****

I'm updating all night, so check back periodically for fresh posts.

William Jacobson has a live event tonight: "Wisconsin Recall LIVE."

And exit polls are showing a 50-50 race. See Twitchy, "Exit polls show dead heat in Wisconsin."

Plus, at New York Times, "Close Race Could Mean Recount; Absentee Ballots Remain."

Folks on Twitter are reporting that Walker is pulling out a lead, but it's early.

Also, at WaPo, "Unions flex muscle in early Wisconsin recall exit polls" (via Memeorandum).

'We Could Get a Replay of Florida 2000'

Via James in the comments at Althouse:

Stephen Hayes just tweeted:
"Two WI GOP sources say Dems/Barrett preparing lawsuit to keep polls open late in Dane & Milwaukee counties. GOP will fight it."

We could get a replay of Florida 2000.

And while there's some doubt that Democrats will fight to keep polling places open (check Hayes' Twitter feed), I'm sure something will happen to drag this recall late into the night, if not longer.

Meanwhile, this thug says he hopes Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch gets colon cancer. See Twitchy, "This is what civility looks like: Anti-Walker protester wishes death on Wisc. Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch."

More at Memeorandum.

Democrats Busing-In Out-of-State Supporters for Wisconsin Recall

Well, Fox News is reporting that Democrats are "busing people in" to Wisconsin, and there are allegations of Democrat voter fraud.

See Gateway Pundit, "Wisconsin Democrats Are Busing in Supporters From Minnesota for Recall Vote (Video) …Update: Michigan Too!"

William Jacobson is updating: "Wisconsin updates."

And check Memeorandum for all the updates.

BONUS: There's some debate on the exit poll data coming out. See Althouse, "'Early exit polling in the Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election suggests that union household comprise roughly a third of all voters...'"

Expect updates...

Woman Who Snatched Donald Driver Cleat From Boy Wants to Apologize, Return Shoe to Young Fan

Seems like this stuff is happening way more often lately. And this one's over a stinky cleat.

Here's the report at the Herald Times Reporter‎, "Woman who took cleat from boy at Donald Driver Charity Softball game will return shoe."

And the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the story, which went viral, "Video: Someone really, really wants Driver's cleat." And see, "Wagner, Driver are Good Morning America bound."

9th Circuit Rejects Proposition 8 Appeal

It's about time.

See LAT, "Prop. 8 ruling may soon face the Supreme Court."

Added: From Althouse, "'The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined to rehear arguments over California's ban on gay marriage...'"

Battleground Wisconsin: Democrat Fleebaggers Prepare for the Worst

The Lonely Conservative comments on today's recall election in Wisconsin:

Will the Democrats live to regret this recall election in Wisconsin? We’ll find out soon enough, but it looks like they’re kind of freaking out.

And Michelle has the key headline: "Decision day in Wisconsin: Democratic fleebaggers prepare for the worst."

The MacIver Institute is tweeting the election in real time.

And expect a lot of great blogging at Althouse.

BONUS: From Byron York, at the Washington Examiner, "Wisconsin labor fight started ugly, ended ugly":

For some so-called progressives in Wisconsin, the threat posed by Gov. Scott Walker's policy limiting the collective-bargaining powers of some public employees has justified almost any response.

Democratic lawmakers fled the state rather than allow a vote on Walker's proposal.

Some teachers and other public employees abandoned their jobs to protest in the streets.

Some doctors violated ethics standards by issuing medical excuses for protesting teachers who walked out on students.

Unions threatened boycotts against businesses that declined to publicly side with organized labor.

AFL-CIO officials equated the cause of comfortable and well-paid unionized employees with the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and striking Memphis garbage collectors.

Anti-Walker forces set off an astonishing controversy amid a state Supreme Court election when they alleged that one justice had physically attacked another.

Unions successfully pushed for recall elections against several Republican lawmakers, resulting in two losing their seats.

And finally, the intense, lasting anger on the union side led to a recall election for Walker himself. And in the final hours before that vote, anti-Walker activists have spread ugly and baseless rumors that Walker is about to be indicted and -- in perhaps the lowest and most ridiculous point of the entire spectacle -- that Walker fathered an illegitimate child in college...

Keep reading

EXTRA: At Politico, "Wisconsin recall: Democrats prepare for recall recount." (Via Memeorandum.)

And at World Workers Party, "June 6 Wisconsin: ‘Keep it in the streets’."

It could get violent out there.

I'll have more throughout the day...

What's at Stake in the Wisconsin Recall Election

At the Wall Street Journal, "The Wisconsin Recall Stakes":

A single election rarely determines a democracy's fate, but some matter more than others. Tuesday's recall election of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is one that matters a great deal because it will test whether taxpayers have any hope of controlling the entitlement state and its dominant special interests.

Specifically, we will learn if a politician can dare to cross government unions and survive. Mr. Walker isn't facing this extraordinary midterm challenge because he and a GOP legislature asked public workers to pay 12.6% of their health insurance premiums and put 5.8% of their paychecks toward their pensions. Those are small sums compared to what private employees typically pay.

His political offense was daring to challenge the monopoly sway that public unions have come to hold over modern state government through collective bargaining. Public unions aren't like private unions that negotiate labor terms with a single company or workplace. Public unions have outsize influence because they can often buy the politicians who are supposed to represent taxpayers. The unions effectively sit on both sides of the bargaining table.

Thus over time they have been able to extort excessive wages, benefits and pensions, as well as sweetheart contracts like the monopoly provision of health insurance. Their focused special interest trumps the general interest of taxpayers, who are busy making a living and lack the time to focus on politics other than during elections or amid a fiscal crisis.

RTWT.

And see James Taranto, "What's at Stake in Wisconsin."

RNC Rips Obama's Anna Wintour Ad

At ABC News, "RNC Web Video Lampoons Obama’s Anna Wintour Fundraising Effort."

'Fear' #hopechanged

From American Crossroads, via Theo Spark:

The DDG-1000 Zumwalt, the U.S. Navy's Next-Generation Destroyer

This is cool.

At London's Daily Mail, "Navy's answer to a rising China: $3 billion warship that can sneak up on coastlines undetected and fire missiles at twice the speed of sound."

IMAGE CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons.

Ed Schultz: From Panic to Incoherence Over Wisconsin Recall

Notice how Schultz is sounding pretty combative at the video clip from his MSNBC broadcast last night. That's an obvious attempt to rally the troops for a final push to victory. Remember, the polls have looked bad for the unions for some time. And in fact, a number of outlets have been downplaying expectations on the left. For example, here's the headline for AP's report at the Washington Post: "Nothing to see here: Wisconsin recall will provide few hard clues on who wins the White House." That's a genuine headline, not a joke. And Will Oremus piles on the stupid at Slate: "What the Wisconsin Recall Tells Us About November: Nothing."

Now check NewsBusters, which plots how Schultz himself has come around to the combative tone in just the last couple of days. See, "Ed Schultz Lurches From Panic to Incoherence Over Wisconsin Recall."

Read it all at the link. This is going to be something else tonight.

Marine Le Pen Threatens to Sue Madonna Over Swastika Concert Image

At Telegraph UK, "Marine Le Pen threatens to sue Madonna":

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French far-Right, has threatened to sue Madonna over a video depicting the National Front chief with a swastika on her forehead.

The fleeting image was shown at a concert the US-born singer gave in Tel Aviv last Thursday as part of her MDNA world tour.

Projected during the song Nobody knows me, the film morphed Madonna's face with a number of famous figures, including Chinese leader Hu Jinatao, US Republican former presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Pope Benedict XVI.

Miss Le Pen's eyes and forehead then appear for a second before a swastika and the eyes of Adolf Hitler are superimposed onto the FN leader.

Furious, Miss Le Pen threatened to sue the singer if she kept the video unchanged when she performs in Paris on the July 14 national holiday and in Nice in August. "If she does that in France, we'll be waiting for her," she told Le Parisien.

Hitting back at Madonna, she was quoted by the newspaper as asking: "By the way, has Madonna given back the children she stole from Africa? Or did she end up buying them?" Madonna adopted two children, David and Mercy in Malawi in 2007 and 2009, sparking a coalition of around 85 local NGOs to accuse her of "child kidnap".

Also at London's Daily Mail, "Madonna attacked by French National Marine leader Marine Le Pen after depicting her with swastika on face during Israeli concert."

The image appears at about 1:30 minutes at the clip.

Ali Akbar Targeted by 'Breitbart Unmasked'

Linkmaster Smith has the report: "Gauntlet Thrown Down @ali."

The likely Brett Kimberlin front-site "Breitbart Unmasked" posted a photograph of Ali's mother's home in Texas --- a clear thug-style warning and implied threat of violence.

Bob Belvedere links to the Breitbart Unmasked hit piece: "The #BrettKimberlin Report [D+10]: Ali Akbar And Family Targeted":

Ali Akbar, one of the founders of the National Bloggers Club and a conservative political consultant, is the latest conservative to be targeted by Leftist thugs.

As is typical, they’ve gone after Ali’s family as well.

And see AoSHQ, "National Day of Blogger Silence -- This Friday."

Plus, check Twitchy as well: "National Bloggers Club president targeted by Brett Kimberlin supporters; National Day of Blogger Silence planned for Friday."

Purported Tunisia Apostate Beheading is Recycled Video From Syria's Al-Nusra Front (al Qaeda) — EXTREME CONTENT WARNING!

The video below is c/o Blazing Cat Fur.

It's getting a lot of attention, for example, at Israel Matzav, "Graphic video: What a 'moderate' Islamic revolution does to Christians (and to Jews if they get the chance)." And Gateway Pundit, "Arab Spring... Muslims Behead Christian Man in Tunisia While Reciting Anti-Christian Islamic Prayer" (via Memeorandum).

But Jawa Report indicates this is a recycled clip said to show al Qaeda forces in Syria (see here):

The BBC has background: "Does al-Qaeda have a foothold in Syria?" And at Telegraph UK, "Al-Nusra Front jihadists claim Damascus suicide bombs."

Audiotapes From Aaron Worthing's 'Peace Order' Hearing in Maryland

William Jacobson posted a vital reminder yesterday on the importance of keeping the spotlight on the Brett Kimberlin story. William praised Robert Stacy McCain for his investigative reporting: "Good job." And William also points us to the latest developments this morning: "Another good job."

It turns out that Patterico has the transcriptions from the Aaron Worthing hearing. See: "Audio and Transcripts from the Hearing Where Aaron Walker Was Arrested for Blogging About a Public Figure."

And Michelle Malkin has a shout-out: "Contempt: Free speech-trampling judge in Kimberlin case exposed; help Aaron Walker fight back."

Now, checking back over at The Other McCain, Robert has a new post up: "‘A Faint Whiff of Vigilante Hysteria’: Weinergate’s Kimberlin Connection."

Recall that I visited my congressman's office last week: "Is Convicted Terrorist Brett Kimberlin Abusing Tax-Exempt Status? Calling for Congressional Hearings on Continuation of Section 501(c)(3) Benefits."

I urge others to contact their representatives and keep blogging and tweeting this story. Keep the pressure on. As Michelle notes:

This isn’t just a one-day commitment. It’s an ongoing battle for free speech. Every voice, every blog post, every tweet, every e-mail counts.

Who to Blame On Wednesday?

Here, in a sense, are your overlapping memes for the Wisconsin recall.

It's full panic mode right now, remember.

At the second half of the video (skip to about 6:00 minutes), Rachel Maddow dissects the union defeat in Wisconsin, and she interviews Ed Schultz. There's a lot of pathetic leftist spin, and outright lies, but it's a beauty to behold the progressive dejection. And I completely agree with Maddow's thesis, that Republicans are determined to destroy unions across the states. Shoot, if we could get a conservative Republican in California this once-great state might have a chance:

Now, for a very different picture, check the report from Althouse on the mood in Madison:

By the way, I spent time in various Madison spots today — 2 cafés, walking on various streets including State Street and around the Capitol, basking and brat-eating on the Union Terrace — and I didn't see any activity related to Tuesday's recall election. No signs, no protesters, no drumbeating, no clipboards. And there were lots of people out on this beautiful June Sunday. I did see an old chalking on State Street.

And in the first café — where I sat alone, grading exams — there were about 6 people sitting at another table, talking politics. But they weren't talking Tuesday. They were talking Wednesday. What should they say on Wednesday? Who should be blamed for this calamity? They sounded especially upset at how much money had been thrown away. Not the $18 million dollars of tax money the state must pay to conduct the election, but all the contributions that went to the Democratic candidates... down the rat hole.

BONUS: From William Jacobson, "Desperation wearing a cheesehead hat" (via Memeorandum). And at Twitchy, "Last minute smear job: Dems claim Scott Walker fathered ‘love child’ 24 years ago; Update: Debunked by reporter" (via Memeorandum).

UNHAPPINESS = IMAGE - REALITY

I keep wondering if I'm going to have a midlife crisis --- I haven't had one yet, and this last year's been tough. But listening to Dennis Prager on happiness at the clip, I just think I'm pretty realistic about things. And I'm pretty happy, in any case. I'm not having a crisis.

Via Theo Spark:

And I've just about finished Prager's new book, Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph. I'm expecting to write some review-type comments when I'm done. Maybe tonight...

'Your First Amendment Right Can Be Terminated'

Via Glenn Reynolds:

And Althouse comments:

That this police officer would talk like that to news reporters is evidence that he talks like that on such a regular basis that he doesn't even notice how shocking it sounds to people who know what rights are. It's important to push back hard against this kind of policing for the sake of all the people who don't know what their rights are and who can be controlled and oppressed by false information coming from an authority figure.

Jessica Simpson's 'Baby Bliss' at People Magazine

I'm reading my wife's People Magazine, with Jessica Simpson featured on the cover, "Jessica Simpson, Daughter Maxwell Do First Photo Shoot."

She had a cesarean section. The baby was two weeks early, at 9 lbs. 13 oz. And she put on a lot of weight, apparently. Simpson is now a new spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, "Jessica Simpson Reveals After-Baby Weight Loss Plan."

She's going to be fine, but TMZ didn't take long to heap the ridicule: "Jessica Simpson -- Professional Fat Person -- Weight Watchers."

April Rose at Maxim: Top 100 Most Annoying Songs

April Rose is Maxim's Hometown Hotties 2008 winner.

She's lovely.

The End is Near for Higher Education in California

I'm only being slightly facetious at the title.

It's been 52 years since Gov. Pat Brown signed California's Master Plan for Higher Education into law. The commitment embodied in that program --- guaranteed public education at nominal cost to the state's citizens --- can no longer be sustained. But rather than serious proposals to reform the system, we're getting more and more hysterical warnings about declining quality and access only for the wealthy. And that's just in California. Now here comes the New York Times with this sky-is-falling report, "California Cuts Threaten the Status of Universities":

LOS ANGELES — Class sizes have increased, courses have been cut and tuition has been raised — repeatedly. Fewer colleges are offering summer classes. Administrators rely increasingly on higher tuition from out-of-staters. And there are signs it could get worse: If a tax increase proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown is not approved this year, officials say they will be forced to consider draconian cuts like eliminating entire schools or programs.

For generations, the University of California system — home to such globally renowned institutions as Berkeley and U.C.L.A. — has been widely recognized as perhaps the best example of what public universities could be. Along with the California State University system and the state’s vast number of community colleges, higher education options here have long been the envy of other states.

But after years, and even decades, of budget cutbacks from the state, that reputation is under increasing threat. University leaders, who had responded typically to earlier budget cuts with assurances that their institutions were still in top form, now are sounding the alarm. In trying to rally support, they openly worry that their schools do not offer the same quality of education as a decade ago.

“I’d be lying if I said what we offer students hasn’t been changed and that there hasn’t been a degradation of the learning environment,” said Timothy White, the chancellor of the University of California, Riverside, which has had record growth in recent years. Last year, plans to open a medical school on the campus were shelved after state budget cuts.

While there are more students than ever, the number of academic advisers has dropped to 300, from 500 a few years ago, for more than 18,000 undergraduates. Courses that used to require four writing assignments now demand half that because professors have fewer assistants to help them with grading papers, something other campuses have implemented as well.

While no one is arguing that cutting higher education spending is a good thing, some say that the state budget crisis makes it necessary — and may provide an opportunity for needed changes.

Jon Coupal, the president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which strongly opposes the proposed tax increase, said the colleges should do more to show they are cutting spending, like reducing pay for top administrators or closing programs that do not directly benefit the state.

“We’ve had the luxury in prior years of heavily subsidizing colleges,” Mr. Coupal said. “But like anything in California, the delivery of higher education is not performance based. They’ve created new campuses and programs based on politics and not need.”

Chancellor White and others say the concerns about the budget cuts are beyond academic. For generations, the universities have been economic engines for the state, graduating hundreds of thousands of students each year. At every level, the universities are receiving more applicants than ever. But without more state money, colleges are struggling to find room for eligible students.

Nathan Brostrom, executive vice president of business operations for the University of California, said the system was now in the middle of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In the last year, the state has cut $750 million from the system’s budget. This year, for the first time, the system receives more money from tuition than from state aid — but that only makes up for roughly a quarter of the cuts from the state. Over all, the budget is the same as it was in 2007, when there were 75,000 fewer students enrolled.

Continue reading at that top link.

We need reform. We need rationalization. And that's going to entail some program cuts and cost increases --- at least until we restore a full employment economy in the state.

PREVIOUSLY: "Community Colleges All But Eliminate Summer School Classes."

Sunday Cartoons

I've been hanging out watching baseball all day. I almost forgot to post my Sunday cartoons.

Check Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."

Also at Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's Sunday Funnies." And Theo Spark, "Cartoon Roundup."

BONUS: At Jill Stanek's, "Stanek Sunday funnies 6-3-12."