Update on Ali Akbar and Bloggers Against #BrettKimberlin

I hadn't planned on writing about this again so soon, but then again, I wasn't expecting the aggressive push back against the post.

But before I get into the details, let me stipulate a few important things.

First, it's not my intention to keep spinning out these internecine battles on the right. This is about clarification and truth. It turns out the statement that Paul Lemmen had been advised to STFU generated a good bit of controversy, and while folks kept it cool overall, I thought Ali Akbar came out of the gate like lightning and was getting too hot to handle. Now, to repeat, I'm not judging Ali. This isn't my fight. Again, this isn't my fight. In fact, I've blogged numerous times in his support throughout the last month. But Ali suggested I was posting lies at the blog --- and linking to liars. Moreover, he wasn't just aggressive in trying to contain any fallout, but also came off highly defensive even though unprovoked. Ali doesn't follow me and I didn't tweet the post to him, but he quickly DM'd me and asked that I call him. I couldn't send back a DM so just kept tweeting, to @Ali and @Vermontaigne mostly. Interestingly and unprompted, as seen below, Ali denied he's been "going to each blogger" who's blogged about him. No problem. I wouldn't want to come off looking like Brett Kimberlin either:

@AmPowerBlog And just FYI. I'm not going to each blogger. You post though came up in an email from a victim who was concerned. @vermontaigne
— Ali A. Akbar (@ali) June 20, 2012

Second, I'm interested in the truth. I wouldn't be writing if folks hadn't questioned the veracity of my statements. And I especially wouldn't be writing if folks hadn't questioned my veracity and then mocked me at the same time:

If you're going to link a post, please read it folks. Lord, have mercy.
— Ali A. Akbar (@ali) June 20, 2012

Actually, I did read the Da Tech Guy's post, which is the one Ali's referencing at that tweet. But my information was at odds with the statements there. For the record, I was told that both Ali and Stranahan advised Paul to stand down. So, I'm just out to set the record straight. Please don't impugn my integrity people. And don't bullshit me or lie to me --- or, as Robert Stacy McCain might say, don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining. Damn straight. I take my conservatism seriously. I value honestly and integrity and standing up for what's right. That doesn't seem to be happening among a lot of folks out here, and in fact, it looks like we've got a swarm of weasels trying to piss all over some decent folks just trying to get a place at the table. That's not right and most of all that's why I'm posting this update.

Third, I doubt folks appreciate being pushed around by self-appointed "bosses" of the conservative 'sphere. As I said last night, all of us have a job to do, and that's to provide backup to those who are under fire. For me, that was Aaron Worthing from the get go, and then later Robert after he went underground to continue his reporting without being either served or shot. And let me tell you: I love that guy. Robert's one of the most interesting bloggers going and I'm glad he's my friend. I'd go to hell and back with him at this point, he means that much to me. And I think Robert would be the first to say that's it's a community out here. We carry each other. All this infighting is only making bad blood and is certainly not helping the larger battles. And I've been fighting those battles, so folks can hold off on the pissing matches. I'm talking to you Scott Jacobs! When the California Attorney General investigates you like she has me, you'll know what I'm talking about. It takes guts to stay in the fight when the left puts a target on your back. I know what it's like. So when I read Aaron's initial 28,000 word post I knew the stakes. So let's keep some perspective. I want to beat the left --- I want to pound those f-kers. I want to see these criminals face justice. And for that to happen, folks engaged need to stand up and stop with the lies. "Don't tell me that today, if you know what's good for you you'll get out of may way, 'cause, I'm crazy and I'm hurt..."

And if it's not lies, or allegations of lies, it's at least cross-talk and missed signals, and while that may be the case, I'm still substantiating what I was told for the record. For example, during last night's Twitter exchange Paul commented at the blog:

Thank you Don. I have no words beyond there that will be believable by those who found it necessary to repeat their blacklist of me from March. I get it, okay? "STFU and go away" is the order of the day. They want and need the intel I have gotten but can't be seen putting me in any positive light.

That's okay with me, the fight is not about me but about Brett Kimberlin and his associates. That is what should be remembered instead of the rhetoric about me.

I didn't notice that Paul had commented until I signed off for the night, and by that time I'd promised folks an update. So, I sent Paul an email to get a statement on the record. I asked him if indeed there were crossed signals or mixed messages, and he wrote back:

lemmen 9:53 AM (9 hours ago)

to me

It wasn't mixed at all. Lee Stranahan: "Leave Ali alone, don't pay attention to him, just blog about something else, leave the Ali situation alone." Ali: "Who are you? I hadn't even heard of you two weeks ago." And the attached tweet that is the heart of it.

Paul

I also reached out to Zilla, who's been viciously thrown under the bus during the latest iterations of this mess. I asked her what she knew of Paul's statements, and so forth. She wrote back:

I saw with my own eyes in Ali's twitter feed where he attacked Paul and others on Saturday night, and if he hasn't deleted them then they should still be there. He implied that Paul Lemmen was working with Brett Kimberlin, he made nasty remarks about Paul's criminal record (as if he himself doesn't have one) and he implied that Paul's criticism of the NBC (which is legitimate criticism regardless of the source) was motivated by racism.


The National Blogger's club, long before any of this stuff started with BK and the gang, touted itself as an organization to help bloggers to be less marginalized; they gave out press credentials, and appeared on its surface to be a force for good in the dextrosphere, but there was never any discernible way for bloggers to request membership, there was no website or contact information made publicly available and they only had a basically blank facebook "like" page. I repeatedly asked people who said they were members how an interested blogger might apply for membership and they all said that they didn't know. Apparently, nobody knows, so it looks as if the NBC simply hand-selects whoever they deem fit for whatever reason to join their esteemed ranks. I suppose it's their prerogative to do so, but you can't claim to be an organization representing the conservative blogging community at large while at the same time deliberately excluding the majority of bloggers. There are many legitimate questions about the NBC that people should not be afraid to ask, or attacked for asking.

Finally, I contacted Ladd Ehlinger as well, especially with regard to his essay, "Good Luck National Bloggers Club." I told him that Ali had called him a liar on Twitter and asked I for clarification. He wrote back:

Hey Donald,

Super-busy at the moment, which is why I haven't written a follow up post from my last, but I did want to say this, which you can quote me on.

1) I firmly believe that Lee Stranahan did not pressure Lemmen to be silent. Just the opposite. Lee's been quite consistent with the notion that everyone should assist and unite in the effort to go against Kimberlin, and from what I gather from Lee, that includes Lemmen and Akbar both. Lee wants to reduce the infighting, and I believe whatever calls he made to Lemmen came from this motivation.

2) Unless there's something I don't know, I don't think that Ann Barnhardt wrote her piece (nor do I believe that Big Fur Hat posted it) in order to deflect attention away from Akbar's past crimes. The timing was based merely on Lemmen's high-profile involvement in the Kimberlin story. Both Ann and BFH have had a long history with Lemmen, and I believe they were motivated purely by that. They wanted to warn everyone about Lemmen's history as a con-man, which they honestly believe continues to this day. Lemmen disputes their characterizations of his recent behavior, but I think even he would agree that he still has a long road to walk before some will even consider looking at the details.

3) Like Ann and BFH, I have a history of observing the machinations of Akbar. If he were truly honorable and "all about the cause," he would've stepped down from the NBC when his crimes were revealed by the bad guys, and handed the reigns of it and its legal defense fund over to someone else by now, rather than dragging this out, and doing things like trolling for Lemmen's attorney via Twitter. A lot of good people are being asked to play the role of Madeline Albright in a game of "not a single time" or "the rap sheet isn't really as bad as it looks." I understand that Akbar claims he submitted his resignation twice to the board of the NBC and twice he was refused. Is it really that hard to step down? Really?

I would like to know why the following questions have never been directly answered:

1) How much money was raised by NBC in its Kimberlin effort?
2) How much money has been spent by the NBC from the legal defense fund, and on what? I'm told that money has been dispersed to victims, and that's a good thing - depending upon the whole entirety (i.e., how much has been raised, how much spent on overhead, etc.)
3) How does the NBC determine who is a Team Kimberlin victim, and who is not?
4) By what criteria does NBC decide who gets to be an NBC member, and who doesn't? Are such decisions made on the whims of a convicted felon who paints himself as a top blogger (who doesn't seem to blog), or is there a more up-front process? You know - a voting process. With by-laws. I know there are no fees to join. Other than that, how?
5) Why has there never been a website for NBC? Is it a serious organization or was it a throwaway thought, a branch-off publicity effort for Akbar's for-profit company?
6) Is it true that NBC shared its private email list of bloggers with Akbar's political clients?
7) Is it true that Akbar charged his political clients for introducing them to high-profile bloggers at events like CPAC? If yes, did any of that money make its way to the bloggers themselves?

I know a lot of people think this is an unnecessary distraction from the Kimberlin story.

I agree.

Ladd

So there you go. That's the record. People can sift through themselves. I wasn't posting lies last night, despite the allegations. And while there may still be some concerns about cross-talk and mixed messages, at least people can get this information straight from the principals involved.

And to close this out, see Paul's post, "A Simple Request."

House Oversight Committee Holds Attorney General Eric Holder in Contempt of Congress

Michelle updates to her entry from this morning: "House panel votes 23-17 to place Holder in contempt."

And check Michelle on Twitter for all the action.

Michelle links to this piece at Congressional Quarterly, "Contempt Citation Would Carry Limited Legal Consequences."

And at LAT, "House panel votes to find attorney general in contempt":

WASHINGTON -- The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform voted to find Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress for failing to provide subpoenaed documents in the flawed Fast and Furious gun-tracking case, just hours after President Obama asserted executive privilege and backed the attorney general’s refusal to release the material.

The vote for contempt and the White House insertion into the growing Southwest border “gun-walking” scandal set up a significant constitutional clash between the two branches of the federal government, one that ultimately may not be resolved until it reaches the courts.

The Republican-led committee, headed by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), voted strictly along party lines in finding Holder in contempt. It now sends the matter to the full House for a floor vote to ask the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., or a special prosecutor to force the Obama administration to provide the documents.

“The committee has uncovered serious wrongdoing by the Justice department,” Issa said of his investigation into Fast and Furious, in which several thousand illegally purchased firearms were circulated on both sides of the Southwest border and many wound up with Mexican drug cartels. “That wrongdoing has cost lives on both sides of the border.”

But Rep. Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the panel, said the Republicans caused the standoff by demanding the release of internal Department of Justice records. “The administration was forced into this position by the committee’s unreasonable insistence on pressing forward, “ he said.

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), put it on a more personal level and said she was “extremely disgusted” that her committee had come to this. “I am horrified you are going through with this contempt charge,” she said. “This shouldn’t be a witch hunt.”

All 23 Republicans on the panel voted for contempt, and all 17 Democrats against the contempt resolution.

A "witch hunt."

The family of Brian Terry begs to differ: "Family of murdered Border Agent lashes out at President Obama."

Greek Coalition Takes Power

At Telegraph UK, "Debt crisis: Greece clinches coalition deal to battle bailout":

Conservative leader Antonis Samaras was sworn in as the prime minister of new Greek coalition on Wednesday, as he took up the challenge of trying to revise the terms an unpopular EU-IMF bailout deal.

"I wish you good luck because the problems you have ahead of you are many and difficult," President Carolos Papoulias said before swearing in Samaras at a ceremony int he presidential palace following three days of coalition talks.

Samaras and his New Democracy party, the winners of an election on Sunday, are the senior partners in a coalition with the socialist Pasok party.

The government will also have the parliamentary support of the small Democratic Left party.

"I have the majority to form a long-term government of stability and hope," said Samaras, a US-educated former foreign minister.

Pasok leader Evangelos Venizelos said the new government would begin the battle to get the bailout deal rewritten at an EU summit next week.

"In those two days in Brussels we will carry out a major battle for revision of the loan and negotiate a framework that will boost the recovery and the fight against unemployment," Venizelos said.

Also at Business Week, "Greece's Samaras Becomes Premier of Three-Party Coalition."

More at Der Spiegel, "Same Parties in Charge: New Government, But No New Beginning in Athens."

BONUS: At Telegraph UK, "Debt crisis: markets bet Germany will be dragged down with everyone else."

Sounds lovely.

Arianny Celeste Revisited at Maxim's 'Maximum Exposure With April Rose'

Some hotties to tide folks over until later this afternoon.

I have a big post planned to update from last night's debate on bloggers against Brett Kimberlin. If you haven't yet, check out Robert Stacy McCain's interview with Lisa Graas on Blog Talk Radio: "What The….????"

And see Robert's latest: "‘Persona Management’ for Wackjobs: Rauhauser’s Methods of Deception."

Until then...

Microsoft Tablet Launched to Rival Apple's iPad

At the Wall Street Journal, "Microsoft Unveils Surface Tablet to Rival iPad":

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Microsoft Corp. on Monday unveiled the first computer it has ever made, a tablet called the Surface that comes with a keyboard and other features designed to stand out in a market dominated by Apple Inc.

The new device, unveiled by Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer at an event for journalists here, is a sign of the new tactics the software giant has been forced to embrace as it tries to make up lost ground in the mobile market.

Microsoft said the smallest Surface tablet is 9.3 millimeters thick and weighs 1.5 pounds, which is similar to Apple's iPad, at 9.4 millimeters thick and 1.44 pounds. The Surface has a 10.6-inch screen compared with the iPad's 9.7-inch screen.

The Surface has a built-in kickstand and magnetic cover, which also acts as a touch keyboard. Microsoft didn't say whether the device would connect to cellular data networks or would be Wi-Fi only.

The Surface will "be priced like comparable tablets," Windows Chief Steve Sinofsky said. Microsoft will sell the tablets itself at Microsoft's handful of retail stores and through some online channels.

Microsoft didn't identify contractors who will manufacture the hardware, or provide much clarity on timing—except to say that the first Surface models will arrive when Windows 8 is generally available, which is expected to be in the second half of the year.

Mr. Ballmer styled the new tablet device as a vehicle to exploit its forthcoming Windows 8 operating system, and a variant called Windows RT that relies on different kinds of computer chips. The software is the first from Microsoft designed with tablet computers in mind, offering an interface called Metro that is designed to be controlled by a user touching a display.

Mr. Ballmer and other Microsoft executives repeatedly use the words "no compromises" to describe the tablet computers they envision running Windows 8 and Windows RT—which means that users will be able to use work-oriented tools like Microsoft Word and Excel programs, not just be used for watching movies and surfing the Web.

Continue reading.

All the latest on this is at Techmeme, "Live from Microsoft's Windows Phone summit." Also, "Microsoft kept PC partners in dark about Surface."

BONUS: At Business Week, "Why Microsoft's Surface Tablet Shames the PC Industry."

Desperate Much? Obama Attacks Romney as 'Corporate Raider'

Obama can't run on his record, so we'll be seeing a variation of these ads for the next four and a half months.

At ABC News, "Obama attacks Mitt Romney as a ‘corporate raider' in a pair of new ad":

President Barack Obama's reelection campaign redoubled its assault on Republican challenger Mitt Romney on Wednesday, assailing him in a pair of new attack ads as a fee-hiking "corporate raider" who oversaw jobs flight to China and Mexico. The former Massachusetts governor's campaign hit back hard with a long rebuttal document calling into question some of the commercials' core charges.

The ads will run in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada. While some high-profile Democrats, like former president Bill Clinton, have expressed doubts about the strategy of hitting Romney over his time at Bain Capital, a poll out earlier this month strongly suggested that the approach resonates with voters in pivotal battleground states.

The two ads -- the one about fees was dubbed "Mosaic," while the Bain-focused one bore the name "Come and Go" -- reflect the Obama campaign's core argument on the economy, the president's greatest political vulnerability. They aim to tear down Romney's claim that, as a wildly successful investor, he knows best what can steady the sputtering economy and create jobs, while warning voters that Romney would favor the wealthy where Obama aims to help the middle class. And one of the ads throws in a reference to the former Massachusetts governor's vast personal wealth for good measure. Romney "did cut taxes — on millionaires like himself. But he raised taxes and fees on everyone else" the narrator says.

The video says he raised fees and other duties: "On health care. On school bus rides. On milk. On driver's licenses. On nursing homes. On lead poisoning prevention. On meat and poultry inspection. On fishermen and gun owners. On nurses. On electricians. On hospitals. On funeral homes. On mental health services. On hospice care. On elevator repair."

And "as a corporate raider, he shipped jobs to China and Mexico."

The Romney campaign countered immediately, with spokeswoman Andrea Saul saying "these misleading ads are the latest effort by the Obama campaign to distract attention from the president's failed policies that have led to high unemployment and falling incomes."

"It's still the economy and the American people aren't stupid," she said.

Here's RCP's polling average nationally: "General Election: Romney vs. Obama." Something's badly wrong with that Bloomberg poll --- it's a complete outlier.

Obama has ever reason to be worried and all the incentive to go heavily negative. He may have bought a brief reprieve with the amnesty ploy, but Fast and Furious is now in the pipeline and he's going come out looking like the thug he is on this one.

More later on the horse race.

UPDATE: Here's Andrew Malcolm, "Obama's immigration ploy gains him nada."

President Obama Claims Executive Privilege to Withhold Documents in 'Fast and Furious' Probe

Actually, this seems kind of unreal.

See Twitchy, "Disgraceful: Most transparent administration ever asserts executive privilege over Fast and Furious documents at Holder’s request; Update: Reactions from Congress."

And from Michelle, "Transparency: Eric Holder runs for White House cover; obtains executive privilege over Fast&Furious docs; Update: AG letter added." (Via Memeorandum.)

At the video, Obama attacked the Bush administration's claims of executive privilege, the f-king hypocrite.

New Mitt Romney Ad Hammers Obama for Failed 'Recovery Summer'

The Romney camp seems to come out with a new ad every single day.

I missed this one yesterday, via Freedom's Lighthouse:

No Back Door Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

Sen. Chuck Grassley and 20 other senators have sent the administration a letter rejecting its unilateral decision to change U.S. immigration policy.

See The Hill, "GOP Senators send letter to Obama challenging immigration directive."

And Grassley's letter is here: "Senators Question President’s Authority to Issue Immigration Directive."

Hispanics Are Suffering in the Obama Economy

The new ad from the RNC, via the Weekly Standard, "New Republican Ad Hits Obama's Policies that Leave Hispanics 'Suffering Disproportionately'."

Contempt Resolution Against Eric Holder Expected This Morning - UPDATED!

Here's the update: "President Obama Claims Executive Privilege to Withhold Documents in 'Fast and Furious' Probe."

*****

Fox News has video with Rep. Darrell Issa, "House Republicans tee up imminent contempt vote against Holder."

And see Business Week, "Holder Contempt Vote Nears in House Panel Amid Standoff."

Texas Father Who Killed Daughter's Alleged Molester Won't Face Charges

At the Los Angeles Times, "Texas father won't be charged for killing girl's alleged molester."

Clues Emerge on Romney's VP Pick

At the Wall Street Journal (via Memeorandum)

Speculation about Mitt Romney's running mate has kicked up a notch, as one possibility seemed to remove himself from the running, another took a more central role in the campaign and a third saw Mr. Romney confirm him as a serious contender.

The field of Mr. Romney's potential choices seemed to narrow Tuesday as Republican officials and friends of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said he was likely to be chosen as the next president of Purdue University, based on what they had heard from people at the university or inside Mr. Daniels's camp. Mr. Daniels's selection was reported by the Indianapolis Star. The governor's office and Purdue declined to comment.

On Tuesday, a friend of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a conservative favorite, said that he wasn't currently being vetted by the Romney campaign. Mr. Romney brushed off a question about Mr. Rubio during the day in an appearance on Fox News, but by evening he said that the senator "is being thoroughly vetted as part of our process.''

Meantime, attention increasingly is turning to Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor and onetime Romney primary-season foe. Of elected officials who joined Mr. Romney in a recent six-state campaign tour, Mr. Pawlenty stood out to party leaders as they handicapped who might be chosen to join the GOP ticket.

Privately, some Romney campaign officials have offered that Mr. Pawlenty has impressed them with his work as a Romney representative on the campaign trail and with the press. "He's never done a bad interview" while acting as a campaign spokesman, said one Republican operative.

Moreover, Mr. Pawlenty's background as the son of a truck driver from South St. Paul, Minn., is a potential counterweight to Mr. Romney's wealth. The former governor also could help Mr. Romney in the battleground states of Minnesota and neighboring Iowa, both of which the campaign sees as potential pickups from President Barack Obama's 2008 column.

More at Memeorandum.

Children Heckled While Singing 'God Bless the USA'

Patriotism is a partisan wedge issue, apparently.

At Weasel Zippers, "NYC Students Hold Rally To Sing “God Bless The USA” After Principal Bans It At Graduation Ceremony, Libs Promptly Heckle Them, Tell Kids To “Burn In Hell”…"

And at WND, "'BURN IN HELL!' FOR SINGING 'GOD BLESS THE USA'."

The earlier background is at Fox News, "NYC principal bars students from singing 'God Bless the USA' at graduation."

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: 'Bibi' Controls His Country, But Not His Destiny

A report at Vanity Fair, "The Netanyahu Paradox":

At one point or another for an entire week last November, most of the Israeli establishment showed up at the Bauhaus home in the Rehavia neighborhood of Jerusalem: members of the Cabinet and Knesset, security officials, rabbis, businessmen, journalists, supplicants of all stripes, “everyone who didn’t want to get in any trouble,” as one participant put it. They stood solemnly around the small stone courtyard with a tent on top, officially mourning, but also studying who else was there, who was whispering to whom. Ehud Barak, the defense minister and, by many accounts, the most vigorous proponent of an Israeli strike against Iran, was there. So was Avigdor Lieberman, the foreign minister, who then held the key to the current government’s survival. Even an Arab member of the Knesset, Ahmad Tibi, came by later on. The guest registry also included Sheldon Adelson, the ubiquitous gambling magnate, and Ronald Lauder, an heir to the Estée Lauder cosmetics fortune—a pair of American billionaires who, improbably, have also become major Israeli media moguls.

The occasion was the shivah, or memorial observance, for a man named Shmuel Ben-Artzi, who had just died at the age of 97. Luminaries like this wouldn’t normally show up to honor a beloved but relatively obscure Israeli poet and educator like Ben-Artzi; few of the guests had even met him. They were there more for his son-in-law: Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel. They had come to the prime minister’s official residence less out of friendship and respect—for Netanyahu is something of a loner, someone who antagonizes even his allies—than for reasons of realpolitik: even back then, before the shakeup that has left him with one of the largest majorities in Israeli history, Netanyahu was all-powerful. Attention had to be paid.

But, as is often the case in Israeli politics, it was even more complicated than that: many of the guests had come primarily for Sara Netanyahu, Ben-Artzi’s daughter and Bibi’s wife. Here, too, it was not so much out of love or respect, but fear. Even Bibi couldn’t stray very far, though he had other pressing business—like a memorial service commemorating the 1995 assassination of the Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. So, there he was, at his wife’s insistence, sticking around for the whole week, periodically reading her late father’s poetry aloud to the mourners in a way that elicited pity even from his detractors. “I have no choice,” lamented one tycoon about his reasons for coming. “She’s running the show here in Israel. She can make or break anyone.”

It is the paradox of Israel that in Benjamin Netanyahu, 62 years old, now entering his seventh year in office, the country has both its strongest and its weakest leader in memory—and, as things now look, will have both sides of him for many years to come.

As of early May, when his coalition suddenly and surprisingly swallowed up the largest opposition party, Kadima, Netanyahu now controls 94 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. An Iranian atom bomb may be some time off, but as Yossi Verter writing in Israel’s liberal daily, Haaretz, put it, an atom bomb has fallen on Israeli politics. Until elections in the fall of 2013, Netanyahu can now do pretty much what he wants. The question is just what that is, and whether even he knows, for he’s proven better at holding power than wielding it.

Continue reading.

Bloggers Against #BrettKimberlin Fracture Over Ali Akbar and the National Bloggers Club

It's been about a week since I last blogged about the Kimberlin affair. I've been following along closely, at The Other McCain, in particular, but haven't posted on developments, mostly because I've been busy. For example, on Father's Day I was offline and missed the pretty harsh backlash against Paul Lemmen of An Ex Con's View. See Ann Barnhardt's hit piece over at iOWNTHEWORLD: "Stop Drinking the LemmenAde – Ann Barnhardt." Folks should spend a few minutes with the post, and be sure to read the comments there and also at this one. Reading through there you will see how nasty things have gotten among conservative bloggers who would normally be allies in the fight against the left's criminal harassment network.

One reason I backed off Kimberlin blogging is my own issues with people like Scott Jacobs, which I posted about here: "Hip Hip Hooray for John Hawkins! — '7 Ways Conservative Activists Are Being Harassed By the Left'." But that was nothing, really. Now battle lines are being drawn between people who I consider good friends in the blogosphere. So I'm mostly just going so say just a few things here and link around to others who've taken sides.

Paul Lemmen quit his Kimberlin blogging in response to Barnhardt's attacks. See: "The Darkness" and "After Due Consideration." But he's also been contacted directly by Ali Akbar and Stranahan, both of whom pressured him to STFU. I have spoken to Paul on the phone. He decided to step aside, for now at least, in the interest of the greater good. I can't defend Paul against the attacks. He's got a very sketchy background and I'm still learning about him. But I can say that not once have I felt I couldn't trust him during these controversies and I think, frankly, he's got one of the more vital voices standing up against the progressive thugs. I hope he comes back to blogging the fight. He's being thrown under the bus after being a stand up guy in this so far.

Now, I've also spoken to Mare Zilla. She's pretty upset since she was attacked in the comments at iOWNTHEWORLD. Zilla can't blog a whole lot because she's dealing with some painful and debilitating illnesses. But few people have gone to bat for so many in the "dextrosphere," as she likes to call it. So it pains me to see this post of hers, which is a response to the conservative infighting, "It’s Just How I Am." Read the whole thing for the background (Zilla is a friend to everyone), but check the conclusion:

It has been many years since I have tended bar (or even drank alcohol, for that matter), but my little personality quirk has stayed with me and it has both served me well and caused me harm, but it is part of who I am and it’s just how I roll. Some people have a problem with that; they take issue with the fact that I am not quick to turn my back on outcasts or jump on a bandwagon to throw a social pariah beneath its wheels, but I think that perhaps that is more THEIR problem than it is mine.

Zilla's been good to me personally. She organized a blogburst to smack down the despicable hate-blogger Walter James Casper III. I won't ever forget that kind of support, so I'm doubly irked by how she's been treated by some folks on the right.

Most of this is directly a result of the revelations of Ali's criminal background. It turns out that Ali's not only been (seemingly) hiding a shady past, but it's not clear he's fully owned up to it when called out. I'm not one to judge, but I can see why a good number of people have some serious issues with Ali's management of the National Bloggers Club. Honestly, there's some history that makes people uncomfortable, especially since a lot of folks are putting their hard-earned money where their mouths are. So when the news came out that Paul had been pressured --- even harassed --- to step aside, that was the last straw for a few. See Film Ladd's post, for example, "Good Luck National Blogger's Club"

Look, I'm not a collectivist. I don't care about celebrities. I don't care if someone is "important" or not. Screw Ali's political connections. You love him? Want to blacklist me? Be my guest. Won't be the first time that's happened. Been happening for two years now anyway. It's the sort of thing I think Ali likes to do to people who get crosswise with him - trash them, prevent them from getting work, and so on. I could regale you with first-hand stories I've heard, but this post is already too goddamn long.

Go read it all at that link.

And don't miss Dan Collins as well, who's not pleased: "MORE INSIDE BASEBALL KIMBERLIN FALLOUT: PAUL LEMMEN, ALI AKBAR, LADD EHLINGER."

And this just in, from The Impolite Canadian, "WE WILL NOT BE BULLIED INTO SILENCE!!!":

Ann Barnhardt, one such elitist bastard, says she wrote the rag on Paul Lemmen at the request of friends. BULLSHIT. She wrote it to draw attention away from Ali Akbar, the president of the NBC where she is a full fledged member, for fear the recent revelations on him would bring her drama-queen ass down with him. She pushes the envelope as far as to TELL Paul to withdraw from the fight on the Kimberlin goon squad, and the SWAT-ing incidents. Followed by her kiss-ass minions, she goes on to say that Paul is still conning people.

WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU, Ann Barnhardt?? Who died and made you queen of the right-wing dextrosphere?? What gives you the right of life and death over smaller bloggers who engaged in this fight to expose the left wing terrorists?? You are the most self-centered, elitist piece of shit I have EVER encountered. Fuck you, Ann Barnhardt! You won't silence us! Nor will you silence the STRONG voices of MUCH BETTER bloggers than you are who sided with Paul.

Keep reading.

And after you finish that, go read Da Tech Guy's post, "And now by request…I jump into the middle of it."

Folks will have to read Da Tech Guy in full at the link. Bottom line is that the internecine battles are distracting from the larger war. And that's where I'll conclude. First, no one has a monopoly on this story. Of course those who have been personally sued, targeted or SWAT-ted should be rightly at the forefront, as best as they're able. But the battle needs reinforcements, especially when bloggers like Aaron Worthing have been silenced, albeit temporarily. It doesn't do any good for those more central to the controversy to attempt to marginalize those who're providing backup. We all have a lot to add to the fight, we compound the firepower. Michelle Malkin has repeatedly reminded us that conservatives have a common enemy in the left and that we can win if we keep the pressure on. Victory will take place piecemeal at times, but victory will certainly come. But if some so-called conservatives insist on taking exclusive monopoly ownership of the fight, attacking others for supposed heresies and other crimes, virtually the entire campaign will fold after a time, as conservatives decamp to their respective redoubts, holding grudges against folks nominally on their side. And that's not good, because the multiple blogbursts have been very effective so far. As it is, some of the biggest participants in past solidarity actions are now on opposing sides. It bugs the hell out me, frankly, and I'm already alienated a bit from entering the mosh.

Finally, I'll just repeat what I've said before: This is indeed a partisan battle of conservatives fighting a progressive program to shut down right-wing speech by any means necessary. A few well-meaning allies on the left have contributed quite a bit, but in the end it's going to break down along partisan and ideological lines. How it all shakes out, in the near-term, I don't know. I do know that the outcome of the Brett Kimberlin battle will have implications all the way to the top of national politics. Members of Congress have engaged and put pressure on the Justice Department. But that's only a start. Robert Stacy McCain and others keep digging away with their investigations and we may see some of the left's subversion reaching right up into the top ranks of the Democrat-Media-Complex. Time will tell. But either way, the push back against progressives criminals won't develop as well when various battalions are taken out with friendly fire. There's one common enemy ultimately, and for a variety of factors (diverse short-term interests on the right, outsized ego, etc.) the focus among conservatives has been lost.

I will continue to engage no matter what happens. But it'll be a whole lot easier without all the lame fissiparous backstabbing on the right side.


ADDED: I'm being told on Twitter that Paul Lemmen was NOT told to STFU by either Ali or Stranahan or both. But that's not what Paul told me personally. So, my essay stands until I have evidence otherwise that Paul wasn't told to stand down.

MORE: Here's Paul Lemmen in the comments, which I want to preserve at the post just in case he comes under more pressure:

Thank you Don. I have no words beyond there that will be believable by those who found it necessary to repeat their blacklist of me from March. I get it, okay? "STFU and go away" is the order of the day. They want and need the intel I have gotten but can't be seen putting me in any positive light.

That's okay with me, the fight is not about me but about Brett Kimberlin and his associates. That is what should be remembered instead of the rhetoric about me.

Someone, somewhere in all of this is not telling me the truth. So this all stays up for the record.

Mitt Romney Debunks ABC News Report: 'Marco Rubio is Being Thoroughly Vetted'

I like how Mitt Romney is completely at ease and confident at the clip. He looks like he's having a great campaign.

And check Memeorandum for all the commentary, especially regarding that ABC News report.

'Fast and Furious' Stalemate Continues: Eric Holder Contempt Charges Still Looming

Katie Pavich reports, "BREAKING: After Issa and Holder Meet, Still No Documents, Contempt Charges Still Looming":

The meeting between Attorney General Eric Holder and Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa has ended after 20 minutes of discussion. Holder came with an offer of a briefing on Fast and Furious documents, but did not physically turn over any documents. This is unsatisfactory to Issa who has said repeatedly that in order for Holder to avoid a contempt vote Wednesday at 10 AM, he must hand over 1300 Fast and Furious documents to the Committee.

"The documents they may choose to give in the future, we need before tomorrow," Issa said to reporters. "“Ultimately the documents needed for postponement seem to be in their possession.”

Holder's failure to produce documents at the 5 PM meeting come after he failed to present them by this morning as requested, after he failed to respond to an October 2011 subpoena as requested and after more than a year of requests for transparency surrounding his role in Operation Fast and Furious.

Issa said there is a chance Holder would submit the requested documents tonight but that a contempt vote is still scheduled for Wednesday and has released an official statement.

Continue reading (via Memeorandum).

Hosni Murbarak Declared 'Clinically Dead,' Egypt State News Agency Says — UPDATE: Egyptian Officials Deny Reports Mubarak is Dead

At Israel Matzav, "Mubarak declared clinically dead."

But see CNN, "Mixed reports about whether Mubarak has died."

And the election crisis continues. See Telegraph UK, "Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood backs away from conflict with army":

The Muslim Brotherhood signalled a step back from confrontation with the army as it called for dialogue to solve Egypt's worsening constitutional crisis.

Expect updates.

*****

UPDATE: From the Los Angeles Times, "Egyptian officials deny reports that Mubarak is clinically dead":

CAIRO -- Egyptian officials denied reports Tuesday night that deposed President Hosni Mubarak was clinically dead after he suffered a stroke and slipped out of consciousness at a prison hospital in Cairo, according to state and independent news media.

Conflicting reports about the former leader’s health emerged after a report by the official state news agency MENA that Mubarak was declared “clinically dead” after he was transferred from a prison hospital to a nearby military hospital. The report could not be independently verified.

Ahram Online said the 84-year-old Mubarak, who was sentenced to life in prison this month for complicity in the deaths of hundreds of protesters in last year’s uprising, was on life support. Al Jazeera quoted Mubarak’s lawyer Farid Deeb as denying his client was dead.

CNN quoted Gen. Mamdouh Shahin, a member of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, or SCAF, as saying: "He is not clinically dead as reported, but his health is deteriorating and he is in critical condition."

Also at Jerusalem Post, "Egyptian ex-president Mubarak on life support."

Harry Reid on DREAM Act: "That's a Clown Question, Bro'"

Actually, the Senate Majority Leader's a clown.

See Fox News, "Reid swipes line, says question on immigration is 'clown question, bro'."

And at USA Today, "Harry Reid loves Bryce Harper, invokes 'Clown Question, Bro'."

Roll Call's Steve Dennis questioned Reid, and here's his report: "Mitch McConnell Waiting on Mitt Romney on DREAM Act."

MSNBC Hack Andrea Mitchell Won't Apologize For — Much Less Retract — Doctored Footage Smearing Mitt Romney on Wawa Hoagies

The Right Scoop reports, "NO APOLOGY: MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell refuses to acknowledge they misled their viewers over Romney’s Wawa comments" (via Memeorandum):

This is pathetic. MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell refused to even apologize for misleading their viewers yesterday by distorting and mischaracterizing Romney’s comments yesterday. Instead Mitchell simply said there was more and “we didn’t get a chance to play it”, and then played a few more seconds adding context to Romney’s comments. And then they quickly moved on:

Ed Morrissey has more: "Video: MSNBC as apologetic as you’d imagine for deceptive editing on Romney WaWa visit" (via Memeorandum).

And the background from last night is here: "Mitt Romney's Story About Wawa Hoagies."

Added: At Twitchy, "#MSNBCIn4Words: Citizens hold lapdog media accountable for false reporting."

The Euro's Global Security Fallout

A great piece, from Walter Russell Mead, at the Wall Street Journal (via Google):

The crisis of the euro zone is a geopolitical as well as an economic event. While Europe may yet find a path out of its economic quagmire, it will turn inward for some time as it reorganizes some of its core institutions. The world will not stand still while this happens.

To begin with, Europe's disorder is a grand opportunity for Russia. It is not all good news in the Kremlin—Russia will hurt economically, as the European Union is its most important trading partner and customer for oil and gas. But geopolitically, Russia will have a lot of new opportunities. Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus will feel less pull from the West and more from the East.

It is also likely that Russian commercial and to some degree political penetration of countries like Romania and Bulgaria (to say nothing of Cyprus and Greece) is going to become easier. Those countries will be hurting from the general slowdown in Europe. EU aid budgets could be cut or redirected if the crisis deepens, and issues like judicial transparency and reform will loom less large in a Brussels consumed by the struggle for the euro. Europe's East will be less deferential to its West as this crisis drags on.

Elsewhere, the euro crisis has reinforced Turkey's decision to drop its long courtship of Europe and become an independent actor. Europe looks less and less to the Turks like a model to imitate and more and more like a fate to avoid. Turkey in any case would like to replace the EU as a major political and economic force in the Arab world, and it is likely to use this period of European introspection and preoccupation to advance its agenda.

Between Russia's new geopolitical opportunities and Turkey's detachment from Europe, the situation in the Balkans is going to become much more confused and perhaps even dangerous. If Greece ends up leaving the euro or is deeply embittered with Brussels and the EU over the long term, and if Cyprus is similarly affected (likely, given its close economic ties to Greece), we could see Greece and Cyprus tilt toward Russia.

Plus, Mead has summary comments here: "WRM on the Geopolitics of the Euro."

Kate Upton's 'Raunchy' at GQ Magazine

Actually, I don't think it's "raunchy" at all.

Kate Upton's got it going on and she's making the most of it --- more power to her.

At London's Daily Mail, "No need for a bikini! Kate Upton covers her chest with her hands as she poses for raunchy poolside shoot."

And don't forget, "Fantasizing About Young Sexy Women is Called 'Normal'."

ADDED: Here's the link to GQ: "Photos: Kate Upton's GQ Cover Shoot."

Vaginas Will Vote You Out of Office!

From Dave in Texas, at AoSHQ, "Overreacting to The V Word."

Despite my discomfort in general with this girl part thing (they are confusing like calculus except calculus has rules and shit) her specific statement, "'And finally, Mr. Speaker,’ she said. ‘I'm flattered that you're all so interested in my vagina, but no means no.’" is just silly. A cutesy little shocka line. The controversial part of the bill that was passed was a halfway mark "no abortions after 20 weeks" thing.

It seems silly to me for Republicans to muzzle her in response to her use of the word "vagina" however cutesy stupid her motivation.

Oh shit. I said it.

Yeah, it's silly, but radical progressives are using it like a cudgel to hammer the evil troglodyte Republicans.

And at the clip below, MSNBC's Ed Schultz interviews Michigan Representative Barb Byrum. It's boilerplate radical feminism, but don't miss the protest sign at 1:38 minutes: "VAGINAS BROUGHT YOU INTO THE WORLD AND VAGINAS WILL VOTE YOU OUT!"

Behold the modern Democrat Party-progressive feminist anatomical identification industry. It's the modern left's women's movement in a nutshell. Oops, I probably shouldn't say "nuts" --- I'll be attacked as a patriarchal oppressor!

More at London's Daily Mail, "Michigan congresswoman's Vagina Monologues performance in protest against being banned from using THAT word turn into 2,500 strong rally."

Linked at Weasel Zippers Headlines. Thanks!

Barack Obama's Lawless Presidency

At IBD, "Obama's Lawless Presidency Close to Totalitarianism" (via Memeorandum):

The Obama Record: The chief executive who swore to faithfully execute the nation's laws picks those he'll ignore and makes up others through regulation and executive order. He sees no need for a Congress or Constitution.

Maybe it's because Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts stumbled a bit in leading President Obama through the oath of office that the president doesn't feel bound by it.

But through the awkwardness these words were heard: "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

It would not take Obama long to make clear he meant his interpretation of the Constitution, not the Supreme Court's, a principle established in Marbury v. Madison, the 1802 case that formed the basis for the exercise of judicial review in the U.S. under Article III of the Constitution.

In his State of the Union address a year later on Jan. 27, 2010, he shamefully scolded the justices on national television for "having reversed a century of law" in the Citizens United ruling in which the court was protecting the freedom of political speech enshrined more than two centuries ago in the First Amendment. We agree with Justice Samuel Alito's eloquent rebuff of the president, in which he was seen mouthing the words "Not true."

Then came ObamaCare...

Continue reading. It keeps going, and going...

Luka Rocco Magnotta Back in Canada to Face Justice

At the National Post, "With Luka Rocco Magnotta back in Canada, police turn attention to finding Jun Lin’s head":

With accused killer Luka Rocco Magnotta back on Canadian soil, Montreal police must now question the 29-year-old suspect to try to get to the bottom of a grim mystery: where is Jun Lin’s severed head?

Dressed in a green sweatshirt, dark jeans and handcuffs, a sullen-looking Luka Rocca Magnotta faced the cameras back in Canada Monday night for the first time since his arrest earlier this month in Berlin.

Magnotta will appear in court at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday via video link to face five charges, including first-degree murder in the dismemberment death of 33-year-old Lin.

Lin’s dismembered torso was found inside a suitcase behind Magnotta’s Montreal apartment last month. His hands and feet were mailed separately to the offices of two political parties in Ottawa, and to two schools in Vancouver.

Also at CBC News, "Luka Magnotta arrives home to face Canadian justice" (via Blazing Cat Fur).

Back by Popular Demand: Wisconsin Anarchist Thistle Pettersen

I saw the video of this lady on election night, but didn't get a chance to post on her.

It turns out that the MacIver folks uploaded the full interview on request. Check it out:

Brooke Goldstein Discusses 'Lawfare' With Michael Coren

A great clip:

And see the Epoch Times, "Legal Warfare Undermining Global Court System."

Plus, check the homepage, The Lawfare Project.

Egypt's Presidential Election Crisis

At the Wall Street Journal, "Egypt Showdown Gains Momentum: Muslim Brotherhood, Claiming Victory in Presidential Election, Calls Protests and Moves to Reclaim Powers From Military" (via Google):

CAIRO — The Muslim Brotherhood appeared headed for a showdown with Egypt's ruling generals hours after claiming victory in Egypt's first freely contested presidential election, even as the military sought to assure the public it would hand over power.

The Brotherhood, intent on reclaiming some of the powers that the military has claimed for itself in recent days, said it would convene Parliament on Tuesday in defiance of a court order dissolving the body, and called on Egyptians to take to the streets to challenge the military's recent moves to consolidate power.

The calls sets up a possible showdown with security forces who have been ordered to keep all lawmakers from entering the Parliament building.

The Brotherhood's presidential candidate, Mohammed Morsi, and his rival, ex-Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, both claimed victory in the weekend vote. But the Brotherhood's precinct-by-precinct reporting of results convinced many analysts it was the more reliable of the two camps, showing Mr. Morsi winning 52% of the vote.

Mr. Shafiq's campaign has claimed victory by the same margin, but hasn't provided numbers of its own to challenge the Morsi campaign's results for any individual precinct.

Instead, Mr. Shafiq's campaign appears to be hoping the Presidential Election Commission will back its allegations of voter fraud and irregularities to tip the race in Mr. Shafiq's favor.

Mr. Shafiq's candidacy was made possible by the commission, which rejected a law passed by the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Parliament—and approved by the military—that would have banned Mr. Shafiq from running because of his ties to the old regime.

he commission is headed by a judge who was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Hosni Mubarak and came up as a judge serving in state security courts used to try political dissidents. The commission's decisions are unappealable.

The confrontation with the Brotherhood, brewing for months, has boiled over in just the past week, as the Egyptian state seemed to mobilize on multiple fronts to trim the Brotherhood's political ambitions.

See also Pamela Geller, "Obama Threatens Any Opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt with the Withdrawal of All U.S. Aid."

But compare to Max Boot, "Let the Brotherhood Rule in Egypt."

I doubt Boot reads Barry Rubin, who's commentary is 100 percent opposite. See: "Muslim Brotherhood Wins Presidency; Egyptian-Islamist/Hamas Jihad Against Israel (Apparently) Begins."

Obama Fails to Secure Support From Putin on Solution to Syria Crisis

From the Guardian UK:

US president sought pledge against Bashar al-Assad at G20 summit, leaving Syria facing the prospect of increasing violence.

Barack Obama and Russia's president Vladimir Putin completed a bilateral meeting on the margins of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Monday with an agreement that there should be a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

But, crucially, Obama failed to secure the support of Putin for regime change in Syria. The US president had been seeking Putin's help in trying to persuade Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power and leave the country.

A joint statement issued after their meeting said simply that the Syrian people should independently and democratically be allowed to decide their own future, but there was no joint call for Assad to stand down, as the White House has been urging.

Relations between the US and Russia have been cool for months over several issues, including continued concerns in Moscow over US missile plans for Europe as well as Syria.

The White House has publicly expressed frustration with Russia for its support for Syria, a Cold War ally, and its blocking of tougher United Nations actions against the Syrian government, such as sanctions.

There was little sign of rapprochment at Los Cabos, with Obama describing the discussion as 'candid', diplomatic-speak for disagreement. Their body language was poor too, with no smiles and little eye contact between the two in the short period in which journalists were invited in.

More at the link.

And that top clip has Wolf Blitzer interviewing David Gergen, and it's right on.

And ICYMI, that Thomas Donnelly piece from earlier is a must-read: "Obama Fails to Act In Syria."

Roger Clemens Acquitted on Drug Use Charges

Althouse reports, "Roger Clemens — not guilty."

And see Jonathan Tobin, "Arbitary Misuse of Government Power Struck Out in Clemens Case."

The news reports are at the Los Angeles Times, "Roger Clemens acquitted of all charges he lied about steroid use," and the New York Times, "Clemens Found Not Guilty of Lying About Drug Use."

Mitt Romney's Story About Wawa Hoagies

This is excellent, from Sooper Mexican, "Another Ridiculous Lie From Liberal Media – Distorting Romney’s “WAWAs” Hoagie Speech."

Here's the MSNBC segment, a disgustingly edited hit piece:

Sooper Mexican has the full clip, so head back over there, and see the reactions at Memeorandum.


BONUS: It's so bad even the left-leaning New York Magazine is calling out the cable network: "MSNBC Misrepresents Romney Speech, Invents Wawa 'Gaffe'."

Reports: University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan Fired Because She Wouldn't Cut German, Classics Programs

Actually, it's theoretical, but Inside Higher Ed makes a strong case.

See, "Reports Suggest UVa Board Wanted President to Eliminate Language Programs":

One of the key complaints of the board members who orchestrated the ouster of Teresa A. Sullivan as president of the University of Virginia was that she rebuffed their suggestions that she eliminate or sharply cut German programs, sources familiar with the discussions have told Inside Higher Ed. The Washington Post on Sunday reported that one of the most specific disagreements between board members and Sullivan was their view that she "lacked the mettle to trim or shut down programs that couldn't sustain themselves financially, such as obscure academic departments in classics and German."

To faculty members and others at the university who have been puzzled and dismayed since word last Sunday of Sullivan's forced resignation, news that she may have been punished for protecting liberal arts disciplines seems likely only to increase support for Sullivan and anger with the Board of Visitors. Protests by faculty members and students are expected today as the board meets this afternoon, and more calls came Sunday from prominent Virginians seeking to have Sullivan continue on as president. Sullivan has asked to speak to the board in open session, but has been told that she will be permitted to speak only in closed session.

Since her resignation, Sullivan issued a brief statement citing a philosophical difference of opinion with the board and has said nothing more. Board leaders have spoken about a sense that Sullivan was not moving to address changes in higher education and was not bold enough to deal with financial challenges facing the university. Since board members have declined to elaborate, and Sullivan had instituted a well-received new budgeting system that many have said was long overdue, various theories have been floating around campus (many of them without substantiation) about the clash between Sullivan and the board.

The reports that board leaders pushed for cuts of some liberal arts programs and that Sullivan resisted are the most specific details to date about what led the board to seek her removal. So even though most people at the university assume that multiple issues were at play, the difference of opinion over these departments has many faculty members and students angry, even beyond their frustrations with Sullivan's dismissal. In part that is because UVa -- unlike many universities -- is considered a place where liberal arts are central to the institution's identity.

Continue reading.

More at WSET-TV Lynchburg, "Debate Over UVA President's Resignation."

'This is Our Time'

Via Theo Spark:

Also at the Boston Globe, "New Mitt Romney video uses President Obama’s early term words to assign blame for the economy."

Spain Back in Cross Hairs as Greek Election Results Fade

At the Wall Street Journal, "Spain Back in Cross Hairs: Greek Election Results Fade Quickly as Madrid's Borrowing Costs Set Record" (via Google):

The brief afterglow from Greece's vote Sunday to try to remain in the euro was quickly extinguished by a cascade of bad news out of Spain that again rattled faith in the currency bloc's ability to support its most troubled members.

Fresh data from Spain's central bank showed the country's lenders were sitting on the highest level of bad loans in 18 years and that their deposits continued to leak away. The gloomy figures—and worries that consultants scouring the creaky banking system will find yet more problems—helped drive Spanish bond yields deep into territory that is widely viewed as unsustainable.

The yield on the Spanish 10-year bond was at 7.18% late Monday in London, an unwelcome euro-era record for the zone's fourth-largest economy. The worrying signal demonstrates how Spain's troubles continue despite what plays out in Greece or elsewhere in the bloc.

The Spanish stock market fell 3%, and Italian stocks slid 2.8%. Italian bonds weakened somewhat, and other global markets largely shrugged off the Athens results. The U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. In early Asian trading Tuesday, stocks edged downwards after rising Monday.

"Spain is the bigger uncertainty and until there is greater clarity around Spanish bank recapitalizations and sovereign funding costs, risk in financial markets will remain elevated," said Jeffrey Rosenberg, chief investment strategist for fixed income at asset manager BlackRock Inc. in New York.

Greeks voted Sunday for pro-Europe parties who will try to continue the troubled country's bailout program, relaxing fears of a popular uprising that could have threatened Greece's place in the euro zone. Many analysts had feared that a vote for antibailout forces in Greece could cause sudden deposit or capital flights there that would quickly spill over to Spain.

The streets were calm in Athens Monday as political leaders met to wrangle over the terms of a coalition government. That effort appeared on track, and even as Germany stressed it would not abide any delay in Greece fulfilling its budget-cut targets, the Athens stock exchange ended the day up 3.6% and the country's thinly traded, highly volatile bonds were stronger.

But Greece's results did little to help Spain's troubles. "The picture doesn't change that much for Spain," said Juan Pablo Lopez, an analyst with Espírito Santo Investment Bank in Madrid.

The country appears to be in a vicious cycle in which the deteriorating economy weighs on the banks, whose declining fortunes weigh on the government, which moves to slash spending, hurting the economy.

Spain's chief problems are its banks and its bonds. Last week, the country was thrown a lifeline of as much as €100 billion ($124.5 billion) from other euro-zone countries to rescue the banks from a morass of bad real-estate loans that is worsening amid the diving economy. There hasn't been any conclusion on how much bailout money is needed or whether the latest pledge will be enough.

That has helped crush investors' appetite for Spanish government bonds. The country's financial plan calls for it to sell more than €30 billion of long-term debt this year.

This week, the Spanish government is expected to receive the results of a "stress test" on its banking system, done by consultants Oliver Wyman and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. Preliminary news reports, which rattled investors Monday morning, said that the total needed funds recommended by the outside consultants could be higher than the €100 billion bailout figure.

Spain hired the external consultants in May, amid a surprise announcement that one of Spain's biggest banks needed €19 billion in funds. The government could disclose some aspects of the report as early as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter. Both firms declined to comment on the contents of the report.

Spain's going to need another bailout --- or it's going to default. Plain and simple.

Greek Pro-Bailout Parties Seek Governing Coalition

At the Wall Street Journal, "Parties in Greece Near Coalition":

ATHENS — Greece's two leading pro-bailout parties appeared late Monday to be headed into an alliance that would give them the majority needed to keep promised overhauls on course, but they were working to find support from others in Parliament for a broad cross-party coalition government.

After formally receiving an exploratory mandate from Greek President Karolos Papoulias earlier in the day, conservative New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras met with the heads of four other parties. Following those meetings, Mr. Samaras signaled a deal between him and his Socialist Pasok party counterpart, Evangelos Venizelos, would be reached within three days.

"Mr. Venizelos and I are in agreement that, no matter what, a government of national salvation must be formed within the deadline for the mandate given to me by the president," Mr. Samaras said after the third of the four scheduled meetings.

Although New Democracy won the most votes in Sunday's elections, it doesn't control enough seats to govern on its own and must seek a coalition partner to form a majority in Greece's 300-member Parliament.

Its former coalition partner, Pasok—which also supports the country's European-led bailout—came in third in the vote. Combined, the two parties would control 162 seats, giving them a comfortable margin of support.

The new government will face high hurdles, with a central administration threatened by a cash crunch within weeks, an economy in free fall and an angry public exhausted by two years of austerity measures.

Its first task will be to come up with €11.5 billion ($14.6 billion) or more of new austerity measures demanded by the country's creditors, which could further inflame the public.

Facing strident opposition in Parliament from Greece's antiausterity Syriza party—which came in a strong second in Sunday's vote—Messrs. Samaras and Venizelos have been trying to bring in other party leaders to gain broad backing for tough decisions ahead.

One possible candidate could be the small, Democratic Left party, which accepts the loan deal but wants an easing of the terms of the austerity measures.

But even without that support, the two are ready to reach a deal and have held advanced talks on forming a government, officials from both parties said.

Continue reading.

BONUS: From Walter Russell Mead, "The Greek Election Solves… Nothing."

Mitt Romney Predicts Wisconsin Win

At the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Romney predicts a win in Wisconsin":

JANESVILLE, WIS. - Mitt Romney, expressing confidence while campaigning with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, said Monday that he plans to win the battleground state that Democrats have dominated in recent presidential elections.

"We're going to win Wisconsin, and we're going to get the White House," the presumptive Republican nominee told an audience at a textile factory in Janesville.

Romney is keeping his focus on the economy as he campaigns through contested states, saying he'll promote a climate friendlier to small business, domestic energy production and job creation, while asserting that President Obama has mismanaged the recovery.

"If there's ever been a president who has not been able to provide the American people a fair shot, it's this president," Romney said. "We're going to replace him with someone who will go to work again for you."

Walker, introducing Romney at a Monterey Mills factory, referred to his recent recall election victory.

"It is my honor to still be the 45th governor of the great state of Wisconsin," he said. "And it's my honor to be on stage with the man I hope is the 45th president of these United States."

The Obama campaign called Romney's speech Monday "an exercise in angry and evasive rhetoric."

"He offered no ideas of how to create jobs now or strengthen the economy," campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith said in an e-mailed statement.

Romney was also joined by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the House Budget Committee chairman who endorsed him in March and is often mentioned in media reports as a possible running mate.

More at the link.

Nine San Diego 7th-Graders Caught Masturbating In Class While Watching Porn

The joys of technology in the classroom.

Pat Dollard reports, "Middle Schoolers Suspended For Masturbating While Watching Porn on Cellphones in Class."

But wait!

It turns out there's more to the story, at Huffington Post, "San Diego Students Suspended After 'Gay Test' Involving Watching Porn Videos On Cell Phones":

Nine seventh grade students at a San Diego-based middle school were suspended last month after watching pornographic videos as part of a so-called "gay test," according to reports.

According to U-T San Diego News, students in all-boys English class at Bell Middle School in Paradise Hills allegedly wore gym shorts as they watched videos on their cell phones. Whoever became sexually aroused while watching the videos was labeled gay, and several adolescents masturbated openly during the class.

In addition, peers complained of inaction by teacher Ed Johnson, who is now reportedly under fire because he did not respond to students who told him about the behavior while it was allegedly happening, according to NBC San Diego.

Among those to condemn the news was Patiti Boman of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, who called the incident "terrible," even though Bell Middle School officials have yet to confirm many details.

"I was thinking we were getting better and that’s why we go out and speak in schools. This is news to me and this gives me chills,” Boman, part of the team which helped craft the district’s anti-harassment policy, told U-T San Diego news. "They use that to attack and intimidate."

Oh brother.

They're 7th graders and obviously their teacher doesn't know how to manage a classroom. So instead of a discipline problem (and the appropriate consequences for the boys), this case will likely metastasize into a "hate crimes" investigation against these kids.

It's not getting any easier to be a kid these days, that's for sure.

Cherokee Activists Will Travel to Boston to Challenge Elizabeth Warren on Native American Claims

It seems to me that if one had such a wonderful background as a Native American you'd be exciting about meeting with those of your tribal origins. Of course, very few people make claims like Elizabeth Warren, so it's no surprise she's blowing smokescreens over the Bay State.

At the Boston Herald, "Cherokee, Warren showdown: Tribe activists find Liz claim ‘offensive’."

Cherokee activists who say Elizabeth Warren’s campaign has ignored their emails and phone calls will trek to Boston this week in hopes they can force a meeting with the Democratic Senate candidate over her “offensive” Native American heritage claims.

“It’s almost becoming extremely offensive to us,” said Twila Barnes, a Cherokee genealogist who has researched Warren’s family tree. “We’re trying to get in contact and explain why her behavior hurts us and is offensive, and she totally ignores that. Like we don’t exist.”

Late last night, a Warren campaign official told the Herald that staffers will “connect” and “offer to have staff meet with them.”

The four women, who Barnes said are all registered Cherokee tribal members — from Missouri, Oregon, Oklahoma and one within the Bay State — are due to arrive in Boston late today for four days. But they are closely guarding their itinerary, and Barnes would not say exactly what they have in mind.

“We’re going to be visible. We have some things planned,” said Barnes, hinting: “It’s (Warren’s) birthday this week.”

These women are Democrats and independents, so it's about authenticity not politics.

Should be good.

More at Legal Insurrection, "Cherokees travel to Mass but Elizabeth Warren refuses to meet them."

Mitt Romney Tours Rural America, Locking In Core Support Against Obama's Urban Progressives

At the Los Angeles Times, "Romney, cows and ice cream: Targeting conservative, white 'backbone'":

TROY, Ohio — Mitt Romney posed for a roadside photo with a herd of grazing cows in rural Pennsylvania. He scooped ice cream for locals in the quaint town square of Milford, N.H. In Brunswick, Ohio, he served pancakes at aFather's Day breakfast.

Romney calls his five-day trek across remote regions of presidential battleground states a journey along "the backbone of America."

It is also the backbone of Romney's campaign: Republican strongholds of older white voters, many of them blue-collar.

For Romney, rural areas, small towns and outer-edge suburbs like Brunswick, on the outskirts of Cleveland, are crucial to offsetting President Obama's strength in urban centers.

Shifting demographics — the Democrats' coalition of younger and racially diverse voters is growing while the Republican base of white conservatives is shrinking — play to Obama's advantage. In several states, such as Nevada and Colorado, Obama's order Friday to stop deportation of many young illegal immigrants could add to his edge by lifting his standing among Latinos, putting more pressure on Romney to turn out his own voters.

But the stalled economy has given Romney a chance to overcome any erosion of his party's core of support. As he traveled across swing-state back roads over the weekend, Romney focused relentlessly on the nation's meager job growth, laying blame on Obama.

Romney also played up the struggles of small businesses that are vital to the far-flung communities on his route.

In Weatherly, Pa., on Saturday, he pounded Obama in remarks to supporters at the Weatherly Casting & Machine Co. factory. Obama, Romney told the crowd, may be "well spoken and articulate and eloquent" on the economy, but has failed to turn it around.

"If you want to know who can really get this economy going, go and talk to small businesses in your community," said Romney, who was introduced by the company president, Michael Leib. "Talk to people like Mike."

Romney's tour, which hits Wisconsin and Iowa on Monday and Michigan on Tuesday, is aimed not only at ensuring robust turnout of conservatives who shunned him in the Republican primaries, but also at small-town voters inspired by Obama to abandon the GOP in 2008. Many are disappointed in Obama and poised to vote Republican, just as they did in the 2010 midterm election.

"When you just look at where the votes come from, clearly a Republican candidate has to do well in the suburbs, exurbs and rural areas to carry states like Ohio," said Russ Schriefer, a senior Romney campaign advisor.

Continue reading.

Also, "Scott Walker lends Mitt Romney a hand in Wisconsin."

And from Chris Stirewalt, at Fox News, "Romney’s Path to Presidency Runs Through Rust Belt."

Michelle Malkin at Right Online: 'We Are Winning'

Michelle illustrates how conservatives are dominating Twitter and how much the progressives hate it.

The video has some disconnections, but it's good.

And see Joel Pollak, "RightOnline in Review: What Would Breitbart Do?"

Russia Sending Marines to Syria

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Russia reportedly sending 2 warships with marines to Syria."

And see the New York Times, "Russian Warships Said to Be Going to Naval Base in Syria":

MOSCOW — Introducing an unpredictable new element into the Syrian crisis, a news agency said on Monday that two Russian naval vessels with marines on board were ready to head for Syria to protect Russian citizens and a naval base there, in what would be the first known reinforcement of Moscow’s military presence since the start of an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

The Interfax news agency quoted a Russian naval official, who was not identified, as saying that the two amphibious assault ships would head for the Mediterranean port of Tartus, where Russia has its only warm-water naval base in the region. Russia has been the staunchest ally of Mr. Assad in the 16-month-old conflict, shielding the Damascus government from stern international measures to remove him from office.

Moscow is also Syria’s biggest arms supplier, and the relationship provides Russia with its main foothold in Middle East diplomacy.

Interfax quoted the official as saying the ships were “ready to ensure security of Russian citizens and infrastructure of the Russian Navy logistics base” in Tartus.

The official said the crews “jointly with the marine units they carry are capable of protecting the security of Russian citizens and evacuating a part of the property of the logistics base.”

The Russia Today English-language television news channel said the vessels were currently moored in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Talk of evacuation of material and “protection” of Russian citizens in Syria, who include military advisers, seemed to be one more sign of alarm about the deteriorating security situation there after United Nations monitors announced over the weekend that they were suspending their operations as violence mounts.

The United Nations said the monitors would not be withdrawn from Syria, but were being locked down in Syria’s most contested cities, unable to conduct patrols. While the decision to suspend their work was made chiefly to protect the unarmed monitors, the unstated purpose appeared to be to force Russia to intervene to assure that the observers are not the targets of Syrian forces or their sympathizers. Russia has opposed Western intervention and, by some accounts, continues to arm the forces of Mr. Assad.

RELATED: From Thomas Donnelly, "Obama Fails To Act In Syria."

A Greek Reprieve

A commentary on the Greek elections, at the Wall Street Journal, "The Germans might have preferred a victory by the left in Athens."

There's no tasty quote to pull out so RTWT. I'll be updating on the market reactions throughout the day.

Los Angeles Times Pumps Up 'Difficulties' of 'Transgender Children' While Reporting That Clinical Treatment Is Based on 'Instinct and Observation' Rather Than Science

I'm sure it's a difficult thing dealing with the social ostracism of being "transgendered."

When I read the stories I feel sympathy for people, especially children. But I recall some reports over the last few years of parents of transgender children pushing their kids towards the opposite sex of their birth. For example, having young boys dress like girls all the time, which does nothing but cause gender identity confusion. See the recent story out of Britain, via the Daily Mail, "The boy of five living as a girl... helped by his parents, counsellors from the NHS and a school that give him a 'gender-neutral' loo," and also the commentary from Carl Sarler, "Pity poor Zach, a five-year-old victim of the politically correct gender identity industry."

So now here comes this report at LAT, "Transgender kids get help navigating a difficult path," with the moving introduction:

Amber, a soft-spoken, feminine 12-year-old who loves Hello Kitty and fashion design, lives with a secret. It is a secret most sixth-graders can't fathom, one she hides behind pink skirts and makeup. It is a secret that led to all her baby pictures being tucked away as though her childhood had never happened.

Amber was born a boy.

When she was 10, she stopped going by her given name, Aaron, and began dressing as a girl. Last year, she started taking medication to keep her from going through puberty.

"I can be who I am," Amber said. "I can be a girl."

An increasing number of children like Amber are realizing they are transgender and seeking care at clinics around the nation. Because of their age, the complex and emotional journey is as much their parents' as their own. Families are forced to make tough decisions about therapy and medication, and about what to tell friends and relatives. They are trying to give their children a normal upbringing with summer camps and sleepovers while protecting them from harm and embarrassment.

"How do you move through society with a gender-variant child?" said Nancy Quay, a psychotherapist at the University of Michigan gender services program. "What do you tell your neighbors? How do you keep your child safe?"

Okay, keep reading at the link.

Here's the part that just kills me:

Just a few clinics around the nation serve transgender children. It wasn't until about five years ago that doctors began treating them with puberty-blocking drugs to give them time to explore their gender identity before taking hormones whose effects would be irreversible.

The medication is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children who start puberty prematurely but not for transgender adolescents. Two professional organizations that study hormonal and gender issues recommend the drugs' use in certain transgender cases, but doctors remain divided on whether to prescribe the controversial and expensive medication.

Supporters say the drugs can prevent the devastation a transgender girl feels when she grows facial hair or her voice drops and when a transgender boy develops breasts or begins menstruating. They can reduce depression and anxiety and eliminate the need for some future surgeries, said Jo Olson, Amber's doctor and the medical director of the transgender clinic at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

"Puberty in the right body is hard enough," Olson said. "Puberty in the wrong body is really hard."

Other doctors, however, express caution based on a lack of research. Walter Meyer, an endocrinologist and psychiatrist in Texas who works with transgender patients, said that puberty blockers are helpful for some adolescents but that knowing which ones is sometimes difficult. Not all children who identify with the opposite gender end up as transgender adults, he said, and giving medication to those may be going too far.

The drugs are administered through a surgical implant in the arm or monthly injections. They suppress the production of sex hormones, making it easier to pass as the opposite gender, Olson said. If the youngsters stop taking the drugs, they will go through puberty.

Olson acknowledged that doctors are making clinical decisions based on instincts and observations rather than research. "That's what makes this incredibly difficult," she said. Olson said she prescribes blockers only to adolescents who are in counseling and have been persistent about their gender identity.

Amber's father said he thinks of the puberty suppressors as a stopgap to "make sure everybody is 100% on board with the way it's going."

But Amber insists she never wants to be male. "Why would I have started if I am going to change my mind?"

There's absolutely no science involved in such treatment. It's all touch-feely and emotionally driven.

So, back over to Sarler commentary at London's Daily Mail:

These days, ‘gender identity’ has become one of the fashionable syndromes of our time and, in the hands of the politically correct, one of the latest social tyrannies, to which we must all pay heed. ‘Trapped in the wrong body’ has been said so often that it has slipped into public consciousness in such a way that it is now beyond the pale to question it.

Ain't that the truth.