'Heaven'

From Los Lonely Boys:

Here's praying that heaven awaits the Aurora shooting victims.

Twelve Years After Boy Scouts v. Dale, Homosexuals Escalate Extremist Attacks on Traditional Organization

At great letter to the editor at the Los Angeles Times (responding to this idiotic "tolerance" editorial):

The Times' editorial bemoaning the "sad" and "unnecessary" evolution of the Boy Scouts reflected in its exclusion of gays and atheists should instead decry the fact that in many cases, democracy has evolved into a fanatic religion of the equal sign.

The support of Christian churches does not represent any nefarious and new penetration of religion into the Boy Scouts. Since its founding, the Boy Scouts has been based on traditional religious principles — nothing new here. The Supreme Court has affirmed the Boy Scouts' right to express this principle in its membership.

I do not see why it is so hard for some "democrats" to extend their love for equality and free choice to freedom of association. There is nothing to prevent the formation of parallel institutions that articulate their own values.

Jack Kaczorowski
Los Angeles

In fact, the radical homosexuals don't want "parallel institutions." They want to take over and fundamentally transform, as the president pledged, America's traditional institutions. And the leftist's couldn't care less about constitutional niceties such as freedom of speech or freedom of association. Once the homosexual extremists start to tighten their grip --- as they are now all over the nation with their hate-filled agenda --- they just tighten until their targets are near death and frankly give up. In our upside-down world the so-called oppressed have become the oppressors, and they've got an Oppressor-in-Chief in the White House. Thank goodness O's days are numbered. Soon people of values and decency can start rolling back the tide against the homosexual bigots and their disgusting Democrat allies.

'Dark Knight Rises' Director Christopher Nolan: Colorado Shooting 'Devastating'

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Speaking for the movie's cast and cast, he expresses "profound sorrow."

Reacting publicly to the shooting tragedy at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Chistopher Nolan issued a statement late Friday, speaking for the actors and crewmembers on The Dark Knight Rises.

"Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community," Nolan said. "I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime.

"The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me," he continued. "Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."

More at that link. Also, "NBC, Others Take 'Dark Knight Rises' Ads Off Air, Studio Revises Trailer."

'Build'

An absolutely devastating ad from American Crossroads, via Theo Spark:

Liberal Intolerance Strikes Chick-fil-A

Blazing Cat Fur comments on the progressive backlash against Chick-fil-A:

The latest conservative in liberals’ crosshairs is Chick-fil-A’s President Dan Cathy. An interview with the Baptist Press has caused a firestorm after Cathy stated he was “guilty as charged” in his company’s support of the traditional family."

BOSTON (The Blaze/AP) — The mayor of Boston is vowing to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant near the city’s “Freedom Trail” because of the company’s stance on gay marriage.

Homosexual freaks.

Check that link up top for the full report and linkage.

The Vetting: Obama, Radical Islam, and the Soros Connection

Shoot!

I couldn't make it to the conference!

See Buzz Feed, "Out: Birtherism. In: Islammunism."

There's a list of speakers and a preview video.

Looks awesome!

Throw the commie bastards out!

Fred Willard Fired by PBS

Actually, it's WGBH Boston, which canned Willard from its show "Market Warriors."

Fox News reports, "Fred Willard fired by PBS, denies he broke the law: Most embarrassing celeb sex scandal?"

And the Winner for the Left's Most Morally Bankrupt Response to Aurora Is...

Actually, the field of competition is deep, but I'm nominating this piece from Michael Grunwald at Time, "The Aurora Shooting: Sometimes There’s Nothing Wrong with Politicizing a Tragedy" (via Memeorandum):

The telegenic schoolmarms we call pundits are all denouncing the politicization of the tragedy in Aurora, calling out the crass opportunists who would dare to use human suffering to advance their preferred public policy choices. I feel terrible about what happened in that movie theater, and I’m agnostic about gun control, but there is nothing wrong with politicizing tragedy.

The talking heads don’t like it, because they think of politics as a silly game about who sang out of tune and whose words can be used against them and whose surrogate undercut whose message, but politics is about life and death and human suffering. At least that’s what it should be about.

Unsurprisingly, Steve M. at No More Mr. Nice Blog agrees with Grunwald, saying only that the former's diagnosis of how politics works is inaccurate. By all means, they claim, let's politicize "life and death" events because that's how we "solve problems." Recall that Steve M. also searched James Holmes' name to find tea party ties, only to find out he was too young to be the "James Holmes" he'd found at the boards. Bummer. That would have made for some freakin' awesome smears of "Greater Wingnuttia."

Right?

No, wrong.

Behold the completely despicable, morally bankrupt progressive left. There is absolutely no threshold of decency they won't crash through.

The day saw lots of examples of progressives jumping to conclusions and blaming the right for this senseless, diabolical killing. Michelle Malkin has a great roundup, "Blame Righty impulse blows up in media faces…again."

And this just in from Paul at Power Line, "THE POLITICAL USES OF MASS MURDER":

There was a time, I seem to recall, when no one attempted to tie mass murder by random sickos to politics. For example, I don’t remember anyone wondering about the politics of Richard Speck, the killer of Chicago student nurses, or Charles Whitman, the University of Texas shooter.

I don’t know when the turning point occurred. Perhaps it was the Oklahoma City bombing. In any event, the bounce Bill Clinton received following that event meant that, from then on, random killing sprees would always be viewed as candidates for political use.

Today, we saw this sad trend reach new heights when Brian Ross of ABC News attempted to tie the killings in Colorado to the Tea Party, incorrectly suggesting that the killer is a Tea Party activist. It’s difficult to believe that Ross did this in good faith, considering his apparent unwillingness, and that of his network, to recognize that the name of the killer, James Holmes, is quite common. In any case, the error would not have occurred had Ross not correctly perceived that there exists a mass audience hoping to be informed that the murderer was connected to the Tea Party. Absent such an audience, the story would have been duly fact checked.

Or, to put it another way, there was absolutely no reason to mention the tea party at all, except to smear the conservatives who've been the main drivers of the largest, most effective opposition to President Obama for the last three years. So yeah, there's certainly political motivation to smear tea partiers. They're a threat to the Democrat-Media-Complex stranglehold on power.

But see also, Peter Wehner, at Commentary, "Politicizing the Aurora Massacre":

...I want to say a word, too, about something Jonathan [Tobin] touched on in his post, which is the effort by some – in this case, by ABC’s Brian Ross — to attempt to politicize this tragedy almost as soon as the bullets from the killer’s gun had found their targets. (Ross mistakenly speculated, based on the flimsiest evidence, that the killer was a member of the Tea Party. ABC has since issued a retraction and an apology.)

This kind of politicization occurs in part because reporters on the air feel they have to comment on an event when they in fact have very little to say. It is also the result, I think, of an effort to draw some larger meaning from acts that often turn out to have no larger meaning. Sometimes they are what they are: the malevolent actions of poisoned minds. But part of it, too, is a reflex by some to fit a massacre like this into a preexisting political narrative. We saw it happen in the aftermath of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City; the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School; the 2011 shooting spree near Tucson; and we will undoubtedly see it after today’s slaughter.

To be clear: there is such a thing as political violence. But what is troubling is the immediate assumption by some people, usually those who are part of the political class, that every massacre can be ascribed to political motivations. Acting on this assumption, they contort things in order to make them fit a convenient political template.

This effort to interpret everything through a political and partisan lens – to reduce everything to a political and partisan interpretation – is itself a disfigurement of reality. Life is a complicated and endlessly variegated thing. Politics has a role in all our lives; but for it to play such a dominant role in people’s imagination is surely not a healthy thing. And for people to immediately and instinctively take every human event – no matter how tragic and how painful — and place it in the maw of our politics is wrong and even repulsive. It exploits people’s sorrow and grief in order to score cheap political points and frame stupid political argument.

A modest and civilized society would give room to the families and friends of the dead to begin to process their shattering losses. It would give room to the police to do their work and gather evidence. It would leave room for citizens of this nation to reflect with soberness and seriousness on what has happened; to participate, if only for a brief time, in a national mourning of sorts. And it might even resist the impulse to leverage a massacre into a political culture war. It would be helpful if members of the press and politicians understood this, and acted in a way that showed some measure of decency and compassion.

Tobin's post is here: "Rushing to Judgment on Aurora."

So, yeah, there is indeed something wrong with politicizing death and tragedy like this. There will be time to engage the policy issues that arise from this and other massacres. But that's not what Brian Ross was trying to do, and it's not what the epic asshole progressives have been trying to do all day. The left will exploit gruesome, horrendous human tragedy to destroy its enemies. It's as simple as that. And for anyone to say otherwise is completely bereft of God and decency.

Complex Portrait Emerges of Colorado Shooting Suspect James Holmes

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Complex portrait emerges of suspected Colorado gunman James Holmes."

I have a roundup of posts at Theo's, and for more on Holmes' background, see especially, "Colorado Theater Shooting: Gunman Looked 'Ready to Go Into Battle'."

Active Bomb Situation at Colorado Shooting Suspect's Apartment

At CNN, "Source: Robots may be needed to clear suspect's apartment":

[Updated 7:26 p.m. ET] It is possible authorities may wind up using robots to blow up the booby traps and explosives inside the shooting suspect's apartment because it may too dangerous to send people in to do it, a law enforcement source tells CNN’s Susan Candiotti.:

A decision isn't expected until tomorrow about entering the apartment, the source said.:

“There’s so much circuitry and collapsing circuits, it’s a difficult process,” the source said.:

Robots were sent in during the day and investigators, including explosives technicians, are going over all the information gathered from those robots.

Also at Reuters, "Police to detonate devices in Colorado shooting suspect's home":

James Holmes, who was arrested after allegedly opening fire on hundreds of people watching a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," apparently also set some audio equipment at his apartment on a timer, a second law enforcement source close to the investigation said.

The timer set off some loud music later in the night.

"It was to turn the music on ... it was on a timer. It came on loudly obviously to create a call for noise disturbance. People would make entry and potentially (trigger) those explosive devices," the second source said.

Colorado Theater Shooting: Gunman Looked 'Ready to Go Into Battle'

That's the banner headline at the New York Times homepage, "12 Are Killed and 59 Injured in Colorado Theater Rampage — Gunman Looked 'Ready to Go Into Battle'."

And CBS News looks for explanations at the clip:

More information is coming in but at some level, the suspect, James Holmes, was deeply and maliciously disturbed. USA Today has more on the suspect, "A closer look at Aurora shooting suspect James Holmes."

And see Michelle Malkin, "Movie theater shooting in Aurora CO: 12 dead, 50 injured; suspect in custody; victim Jessica Ghawi tweeted before death, had survived Toronto mall shooting; gun-control frenzy, Rush/Tea Party-bashing begins anew; ABC “apologizes” for “incorrect” Tea Party tie," and "Blame Righty impulse blows up in media faces…again."

Obama Supporters Cheer 'Four More Years' During President's Tribute to Colorado Shooting Victims

CNN reports on what should be a somber moment, "Obama, after shooting, tells supporters 'Such evil is senseless'."

I guess Obama failed at the solemnity part. The crowd is roaring "four more years" as he leaves the stage. Maybe O will schedule a campaign rally at a nearby Colorado university next week, in a much-needed call for civility.

Also, "Remarks by the President on the Shootings in Aurora, Colorado" (via Memeorandum).

Plus, at Weasel Zippers, "Obama Refers to Himself at Least 17 Times During Speech On Colorado Movie Shooting…", and Gateway Pundit, "Obama on Aurora Shooting: It’s All About Me, My Kids and I."

Jessica Redfield Killed in Aurora Movie Theater Massacre — Aspiring Sportscaster Survived Toronto Shopping Mall Shooting Last Month

Blazing Cat Fur had this earlier, "Colorado movie shooting victim wrote about escaping Eaton Centre shooting last month."

And New York Daily News has the story, "Aurora victim Jessica Ghawi had survived Toronto mall shooting last month."

The woman used a pen name, Jessica Redfield. Her blog post from last month's Eaton shooting is still up, "Late Night Thoughts on the Eaton Center Shooting":

I can’t get this odd feeling out of my chest. This empty, almost sickening feeling won’t go away. I noticed this feeling when I was in the Eaton Center in Toronto just seconds before someone opened fire in the food court. An odd feeling which led me to go outside and unknowingly out of harm‘s way. It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around how a weird feeling saved me from being in the middle of a deadly shooting.

Keep reading, if you're not crying too much.

All I can say is God rest her soul. And, well, perhaps shopping malls and movie theaters aren't the safest places to be, sadly.

More at the Detroit Free Press, "NHL blogger who died in theater massacre had escaped Toronto shooting."

And this part is, I guess, so contemporary, at Twitchy, "Aurora shooting victim Jessica Ghawi was tweeting just before her death; was present at mall shooting in Toronto six weeks ago."

Jessica's brother, Jordan Ghawi, is blogging.

May God be with you.

ABC News Apologizes for Tea Party Blood Libel in Colorado Movie Massacre

Mary Katharine Ham reports, "Details about Colorado shooter emerge as ABC apologizes for false Tea Party reporting."

I first saw the news this morning at my sidebar blog feed, for example, at Lonely Conservative, "Batman Massacre is Already Being Politicized," and Instapundit, "POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM":

CNN’s Piers Morgan, First to Use Colorado Tragedy to Assault Second Amendment Rights. I’m sure he won’t be the last.

Others may blame Hollywood. In both cases, it’s a mix of opportunism and a desire not to confront the existence of evil. Well, okay, in Piers Morgan’s case, it’s not much of a mix, really.

UPDATE: Left Blames Aurora Shooting On Rush Limbaugh. Of course they do. Hey, never let a tragedy go to waste, when you might use it to smear an opponent.

Every time something like this happens, they roll out the blood libels.

Click through here for all of Glenn's links. Plus, "FIRST, ABC NEWS CONNECTS THE COLORADO SHOOTING WITH THE TEA PARTY, now Brian Ross says oops, sorry about that" (lots of links there too). And, "BUT REMEMBER, THE BIG MEDIA FOLKS ARE “RESPONSIBLE,” NOT LIKE THOSE GRUBBY BLOGGERS..."

More, at The Other McCain, "MULTIPLEX MASSACRE: 13 Dead After Shooting at Colorado ‘Batman’ Opening; UPDATE: Suspect Identified by Police as 24-Year-Old James Holmes; UPDATE: ABC News Interviews Suspect’s Mother? UPDATE: Despicable — Stephanopoulos Implicates Tea Party in Tragedy," and "‘Higher Education Bubble’? Colorado Shooter Is Medical School Dropout."

And Steve at No More Mr. Nice Guy was out of the gate looking for a tea party perp:

Well, I'll confess that I tried to find this guy online, and, searching "jim holmes aurora" in Google Discussions, I found messages at rec.guns (the one here that begins "(unknown) Hitech sells them") and alt.survival (click the second "no one" message here) -- but in both cases the messages are from more than a decade ago. The suspect is 24. I don't think he'd be offering to buy a bunch of weapons (as he is in the second message) as a middle-schooler.

But boy, if there was an age match that would have made an excellent tea party smear, right Steve? Stay classy, dude. More at Memeorandum.

Added: Here's the Brian Ross segment:

Also at Twitchy, "Ghouls: Daily Kos editor, Amanda Marcotte say nothing wrong with ‘scoring political points’ on the backs of the dead; Update: Geraldo Rivera also ghoulishly defends politicizing tragedy."

100-Pound Mountain Lion Captured in Orange County

This was a few days ago, but amazing. The local news reports said that the coyote tried to drive off the mountain line, seen at the video. The lion is said to be the same one captured by authorities.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Mountain lion caught in O.C. park will be kept in captivity."

O.C. Parks spokeswoman Marisa O'Neil told the Orange County Register the mountain lion was first spotted July 9, prompting rangers to close the trail and set up a video camera to catch the cat on tape.

Rangers found mountain lion tracks in a nearby creek bed, but after the camera didn't capture any activity and no new tracks were spotted, officials reopened the trail Friday.

But park officials closed the park again Monday and contacted Fish and Game after a video posted online showed a coyote barking at the cat as it crossed the trail.

Mountain lion sightings are not unusual in the park. In 2004, a 120-pound lion killed one bicyclist and mauled another at the park, marking the state's first fatal mountain lion attack in a decade. Authorities shot and killed the cat four days later and later determined through forensic tests it was the animal responsible for both attacks.

Also, "O.C. park reopened after mountain lion is trapped."

Russia, China Veto Security Council Resolution on Syria

At the Wall Street Journal, "Russia, China Veto UN Resolution on Syria for Third Time":

Also at the New York Times, "Border Posts Fall Into the Hands of Syrian Rebels."

Rep. Michele Bachmann Wants Investigation of Huma Abedin, Aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Ms. Abedin has family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

See Robert Spencer, "Huma Abedin and the Muslim Brotherhood: Bachmann vs. McCain."

And David Horowitz writes:

It’s disgraceful that that there are still influential Republicans who are clueless when it comes to the internal threat to this country posed by the Muslim Brotherhood, its front groups and its allies in the White House and the Democratic Party. It is also dangerous.

Also, from June, Jamie Glazov's interview with Walid Shoebat, "The Dark Muslim Brotherhood World of Huma Abedin."

'This Is the Worst Economic Recovery America Has Ever Had'

You know it's really bad when the left-wing media outlets are saying it, but then again, O seems to have been losing some of the MSM folks of late, so there's change you can believe in.

Via The Right Scoop:

And ICYMI: "Soaring Unemployment Claims Showcase Failed Obama Economic Policies."

Three Burger King Employees Fired Over Viral Photo of Worker Standing in Lettuce Bins

Well, I prefer McDonald's actually.

At New York Daily News, "3 Burger King employees fired over viral photo of worker standing in lettuce bins."

DNC Regrets Offending Ann Romney, No More Horse Videos

From Jonathan Karl, at ABC News:

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now the Democratic National Committee is offering an apology of sorts to Ann Romney.

At issue is a DNC video featuring footage of Ann Romney’s dancing show horse. The DNC used the horse in mocking way to attack Mitt Romney for not releasing his tax returns (and dancing around the issue).

Continue reading.

Suspect Arrested in Pennsylvania Child Abduction Attempt

Every parents nightmare.

At the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Man, 34, surrenders in attempted abduction of girl."

It's Come to This: Obama Tells Supporters to Hit the Mute Button When Opponent's Ads Come on the TV

At Astute Bloggers, "DESPERATE OBAMA TELLS SUPPORTERS TO USE MUTE BUTTON WHEN A ROMNEY AD COMES ON THE TV."

'America's Not the Greatest Country in the World Any More...'

Shoot, Jeff Daniels sounds like a far-left Harvard academic.

This is typical lefty crap. If you haven't read it, don't miss Dennis Prager for the corrective, Still the Best Hope: Why the World Needs American Values to Triumph.

RELATED: From Sultan Knish, "Why The Newsroom is Good News for Republicans."

Israel's Burgas Terror Victims

At the Times of Israel, "Israel releases names of the five Burgas terror victims." Also at Jawa Report, "Five Israeli Victims of Bulgaria Terror Attack Named."

More: "Lifelong friends and an expectant mother, expecting a few days’ vacation, to be laid to rest today: Israel begins mourning Burgas bombing victims."

Duchess of Cambridge Visits National Portrait Gallery

Some remarkable photography, at London's Daily Mail, "Duchess of Cambridge heralds Olympics with hooped necklace as she visits Games exhibition at National Portrait Gallery - Kate visited the Road to 2012."

Inside Tom Cruise's World of Hurt

My wife's People Magazine came yesterday, and here's this from the cover, "Inside Tom Cruise's Private Pain":

This was not how Tom Cruise expected his life to be.

The 50-year-old megastar, who was blindsided when his wife of five years, Katie Holmes, filed for divorce on June 28, "was thinking, 'What did I not see?' " a source who knows the former couple tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story.

Especially tough: His month-long separation from 6-year-old daughter Suri, which finally ended when the pair reunited on July 17 in New York City.

What took so long?

"He's wanted to see her as fast as possible since this started," says a source, who cites Cruise's obligation to his sci-fi thriller Oblivion as the main obstacle. "He couldn't shut down production, cost people their jobs. People count on him."

In agreeing to a divorce settlement in a mere 11 days, "Tom tried his best to do what's right for Suri," according to his longtime friend and lawyer Bert Fields, who says the star is "sad" but not "bitter" about the situation.

More: "Tom Cruise Visits Suri in New York City."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Hints at Iran's Responsibility for Bulgaria Bombing

At the Times of Israel, "Gloating Ahmadinejad hints at Iranian responsibility for Burgas terror attack":

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gloated publicly on Thursday over the deaths of Israelis in a terror bombing in Bulgaria, and hinted that Iran was responsible for the attack.

Speaking hours after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had publicly blamed the bombing Wednesday at Bulgaria’s Burgas airport on “Hezbollah, directed by Iran,” Ahmadinejad described the attack as “a response” to Israeli “blows against Iran.”

“The bitter enemies of the Iranian people and the Islamic Revolution have recruited most of their forces in order to harm us,” he said in a speech reported by Israel’s Channel 2 TV. “They have indeed succeeded in inflicting blows upon us more than once, but have been rewarded with a far stronger response.”

He added: “The enemy believes it can achieve its aims in a long, persistent struggle against the Iranian people, but in the end it will not. We are working to ensure that.

RTWT.

Kenneth Turan Review: 'The Dark Knight Rises'

He likes it, hey Kenny!

At the Los Angeles Times, "Review: 'The Dark Knight Rises' more than shines, and on many levels":

Potent, persuasive and hypnotic, "The Dark Knight Rises" has us at its mercy. A disturbing experience we live through as much as a film we watch, this dazzling conclusion to director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard. So much so that, its considerable 2-hour, 44-minute length notwithstanding, as soon as it's over, all you want to do is see it all over again.

That desire comes despite — or perhaps because of — the fact that "The Dark Knight Rises" might be the bleakest, most despairing superhero film ever made. It uses a wholly terrifying villain to emphasize the physical vulnerability of a hero we sometimes forget is no more than human. And it underscores the black moods and sense of dark destiny that have always clustered around the psyche of billionaire Bruce Wayne and his somber compulsion to fight crime.

Read it all at the link.

Turan's review reminds me of when I first saw "Batman Begins." After it was over I thought, "Damn, that was an excellent movie."

Jessica-Jane Clement Strips Down for PETA

I can't stand PETA, but you gotta give it up for the advertising.

See London's Daily Mail, "What a playful bunny: Jessica-Jane Clement strips off completely naked for new PETA advert to urge against animal testing."

And for the record, Ms. Clement is a Nuts model, seen at the video here and a photo roundup here.

Officials Deny Bulgaria Bomber Was Guantanamo Detainee

The Lawfare blog has a summary, "Conflicting Reports on Whether Bulgarian Suicide Bomber Was Former Guantanamo Detainee Mehdi Ghezali."

Also at Forward, "Officials Deny Bomber Was Guantanamo Detainee," and the Times of Israel, "‘Bulgarian officials deny bomber is Mehdi Ghezali’."

However, the New York Times makes the Iranian connection, "Hezbollah Is Blamed in Attack on Israeli Tourists in Bulgaria":

BURGAS, Bulgaria — American officials on Thursday identified the suicide bomber responsible for a deadly attack on Israeli vacationers here as a member of a Hezbollah cell that was operating in Bulgaria and looking for such targets, corroborating Israel’s assertions and making the bombing a new source of tension with Iran.

One senior American official said the current American intelligence assessment was that the bomber, who struck Wednesday, killing five Israelis, had been “acting under broad guidance” to hit Israeli targets when opportunities presented themselves, and that the guidance had been given to Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group, by Iran, its primary sponsor. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that Hezbollah was behind the bombing, but declined to provide additional details.

The attacks, the official said, were in retaliation for the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, which Iran has blamed on Israeli agents — an accusation that Israel has neither confirmed nor denied. “This was tit for tat,” said the American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way.

The bombing comes amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes but Israel and the West say is a cover for developing weapons. The United States and Europe imposed sanctions this month aimed at crippling Iran’s vital oil industry, while Iran has sworn to exact revenge for the assassinations, as well as for cyberattacks on its nuclear industry.

A senior Israeli official said on Thursday that the Burgas attack was part of an intensive wave of terrorist attacks around the world carried out by two different organizations, the Iranian Quds Force, an elite international operations unit within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, as well as by Hezbollah.

“They work together when necessary, and separately when not necessary,” the Israeli official told reporters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss national security issues.

While the Burgas attack fit the modus operandi of Hezbollah, the Israeli official said, it was not clear whether the bomber intended to blow himself up or had suffered what the official called a “work accident,” adding, “We will never know.”

The bomber had a fake Michigan driver’s license, but there are no indications that he had any connection to the United States, the American official said, adding that there were no details yet about the bomber like his name or nationality. He also declined to describe what specific intelligence — intercepted communications, analysis of the bomber’s body parts or other details — that led analysts to conclude that the bomber belonged to Hezbollah.

“This looks like he was hanging out for a local target, and when this popped up he jumped on it,” the official said, referring to a bus carrying Israeli tourists outside the airport in Burgas.

More at Independent UK, "Israel threatens a 'heavy price' for Iran after deadly bus bomb: Mr Netanyahu went out of his way to link the attack with Tehran's nuclear ambitions."

Glenn Reynolds Talks to David Horowitz About His New Book, The New Leviathan: How the Left-Wing Money-Machine Shapes American Politics and Threatens America’s Future

I've been actually skeptical about Horowitz's new book, The New Leviathan: How the Left-Wing Money-Machine Shapes American Politics and Threatens America's Future. It's a good thing to expose the left, but the solutions to the progressive money machine end up sounding like the solutions the left proposes to silence the so-called right-wing money machine: to stanch the flow of money in politics, especially corporate money. Horowitz, however, is focusing on non-profits, which set up tax-exempt charitable organizations under IRS rules. At the clip below Horowitz advocates legislative changes, but that's going to affect both sides, potentially limiting conservative non-profits from advocating for political causes. So it's a balancing thing, and I sense the remedy is worse than the disease, as awful as it is.

Part of the first chapter is available at the Amazon page, and it's a familiar story about the stealth power of institutional progressivism. And this reminds me of the old saw about political money: if you dam up the river the water eventually backs up and bubbles over, finding a way to keep flowing. When the McCain-Feingold Act banned soft money contributions to parties, the 501(c) charities took off as a new big money vehicle, because some of the activities could be directed to political advocacy. What Horowitz is calling for is a new round of political finance regulation. At the clip he mentions that Planned Parenthood ran ads in Wisconsin, warning about the impact of Scott Walker's agenda on abortion rights. Okay. But the ad cited was placed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, which is a 501(c)(4) organization promoting political action. And what happened? They lost. Scott Walker defeated all the unions and the progressive interest groups like Planned Parenthood. That is, progressives got their money out there in a big way --- they were not out-funded by conservatives, as the lying hacks on MSNBC claimed --- but still lost in the marketplace of ideas. My sense is that for all the worry about this huge leftist money machine, Horowitz has lost his confidence. The best remedy is to get the facts out there and rebut the left's charitable institutions, not shut them down.

So again, that's why I'm skeptical of the basic outlines of the book, but check back with me when I've read the whole thing.

In any case, via Instapundit:

ADDED: Instapundit links. Thanks!

Chick-fil-A Punches Back Against Homosexual Extremist Agenda

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Is Chick-fil-A anti-gay marriage? 'Guilty as charged,' leader says."

It's going to be a trend.

The Chick-fil-A fact sheet is here.

PREVIOUSLY: "Waha Bar and Grill Won't Serve Brands Promoting National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)."

Added: From Linmaster Smith, "Chick-Fil-A Not Exactly ‘Reeling From Backlash’ Against Common-Sense Attitude."

Soaring Unemployment Claims Showcase Failed Obama Economic Policies

At LAT, "New jobless claims jumped sharply last week to 386,000":

WASHINGTON -- New claims for unemployment benefits rose sharply last week to 386,000, the biggest jump in more than a year as the labor market continued to show signs of struggling amid the weakening recovery.

The increase of 34,000 in initial jobless claims came a week after a dramatic drop to 350,000, the lowest level in more than four years. But that figure now looks like an outlier amid an avalanche of other data that show the economic recovery is stuck in low gear.

Stuck in low gear alright.

Frankly, the administration has blown the entire transmission. See Yid With Lid, "MUST WATCH Romney Video Just Released,Gives Face to Small Businesses Hurt By Obama":

President Obama, you’re killing us out here.

Word.

Mehdi Ghezali, Suicide Terrorist in Bulgaria Bombing, Was Released from Guantanamo in 2004 -- UPDATED!

UPDATE: "Officials Deny Bulgaria Bomber Was Guantanamo Detainee."

At the Times of Israel, "Bulgarian press names bomber: Mehdi Ghezali" (via Blazing Cat Fur and Memeorandum).

Russia Today has the video, "Burgas suicide bomber identified by media as Guantanamo jihadist (VIDEO)":

Bulgarian media have named the suicide bomber who blew up the bus with Israeli tourists on Wednesday, killing seven. The terrorist is alleged to be Mehdi Ghezali, an Algerian-Swedish Islamist who spent two years in Guantanamo Bay.

Sweden's The Local has more, "US held Swedish terror suspect 'for information'." And at National Post, "Bulgaria bus bomber in attack on Israeli tourists was ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee Mehdi Ghezali: reports."

Plus, from Michael Moynihan, at the Weekly Standard, "Double Jeopardy":

With a black baseball cap pulled tight over a mop of stringy long hair and a patchy, close-cropped beard, Mehdi-Muhammed Ghezali looked more like a Metallica roadie than a disciple of Ayman al-Zawahiri. He addressed the scrum of reporters in a clipped, heavily accented Swedish and accused the American government of wrongly detaining him for three years and "physically and mentally" torturing him. A book about his experiences was in the works; a documentary crew, cobbling together a film about American human rights abuses, had requested an audience; and his legal team was plotting a lawsuit against Donald Rumsfeld. It was 2004, and Ghezali was a free man.

In late 2001, Ghezali, a Swedish national, had been detained during the battle at Tora Bora, Afghanistan, handed over to the American military, and sent to the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay. According to his lawyers, he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although he spoke none of the local languages, Ghezali told his captors, in the midst of the Taliban's retreat into the mountainous hinterlands of Afghanistan, he had crossed that country's border with Pakistan to study Islam.

After an intense lobbying effort by Swedish prime minister Göran Persson--and a vague promise that the country's intelligence services would keep a watchful eye on him--Ghezali was delivered to Sweden (on the government's private Gulfstream jet). The Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter noted that Ghezali had achieved "rock star status" upon returning to his homeland, a native victim of America's rapacious imperialism. And after two-plus years in isolation, the emotionally fragile former prisoner would be happy to discover "that a majority of Swedes were glad that he was home."

That his story was threaded with head-scratching omissions and inexplicable gaps in chronology--the years in Cuba were, apparently, not enough time to concoct a consistent narrative--seemed to have little effect on his credibility. To his supporters, he was merely a bit player in a larger morality play. But even his most credulous supporters winced when, during a press conference in his hometown of Örebro, Ghezali offered the following opinion of Osama bin Laden: "I don't know him as a person and therefore can't pass judgment on him. I don't believe what the Americans say about him."

More the link.

Plus, at Legal Insurrection, "Report – Suicide bomber in Bulgaria was former Gitmo detainee from Sweden." And at Memeorandum.

Waha Bar and Grill Won't Serve Brands Promoting National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)

At KLEW CBS 3, Lewiston, Idaho, "Waha Bar and Grill owners don't carry popular brands due to Christian beliefs" (also at Northwest Cable News, Seattle, and Memeorandum).

At the video, the homosexual extremist group GLAAD spews lies about how Waha Bar's Christian policies will lead to bullying and violence against homosexuals. This is typical leftist bull. Frankly, folks like the Waha owners are just doing what more and more Americans will be forced to do in the years ahead, as the ungodly radical leftists bully mainstream institutions into endorsing their hate and bigotry. Towleroad has more on the hateful gay extremists: "Idaho Bar Refuses to Sell Pepsi, MillerCoors Over Gay Support: VIDEO." (At Memeorandum.)

Israel Blames Iran For Deadly Bus Attack in Bulgaria

A follow-up to my earlier report, "Israelis Targeted in Tour Bus Attack in Bulgaria."

See Pamela, "Jewish Women and Children Targeted in Today's Islamic Attack in Bulgaria," and "U.N. Chief Refuses to Call Islamic Slaughter of Jewish Women and Children in Bulgaria Attack "Terrorism"; Rights Commissioner Pillay Won't Say Anything on Israeli Victims." Also at Jawa Report, "Bulgaria: Possible 3 7 Dead Suicide in Bombing on Israeli Tour Bus" (via Memeorandum).

Plus, at Telegraph UK, "Iran blamed after seven killed in bomb attack on Israeli bus in Bulgaria." And at the Wall Street Journal, "Israel Says Iran Behind Deadly Blast in Europe":

Israel accused Iran of orchestrating the bombing of a bus packed with Israeli tourists in a Bulgarian resort town Wednesday that killed at least six people and injured 30 others, adding to tensions across the Middle East.

Fire engulfed the bus and nearby vehicles in an airport parking lot in Burgas, on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, sending up plumes of dark smoke. Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said his Bulgarian counterpart told him a bomb was planted on the bus.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised retaliation.

"This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading throughout the entire world," he said. "Israel will respond with force."

Single Moms Better Off on Welfare Than Taking a Job

Megan Carlson interviews Star Parker. It's good:

PREVIOUSLY: An earlier commentary from Parker, "The Left Fuels Santorum Surge."

War Porn: Taliban Sent to Hell by Hellfire Missile

Via Weasel Zippers, "Wednesday Evening War Porn…":

Has Mitt Romney Found His Voice?

From Paul Mirengoff, at Power Line.

Following the links takes us to John Podhoretz, at Commentary, "Romney Should Send Obama a Fruit Basket."

And here's Romney's full speech from yesterday at Bowling Green, Ohio:

BONUS: At Rasmussen, "Daily Presidential Tracking Poll":

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows Mitt Romney attracting 47% of the vote, while President Obama earns 46%. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) more are undecided.

Farnborough International Airshow Highlights

Via Theo Spark:

NewsBusted: 'Romney Booed by the NAACP'

Via Theo Spark:

'Middle Class American' Debbie Wasserman Schultz Has 'Unreported' Second Home in New Hampshire

Actually, the property is reported, but barely.

See The Shark Tank, "Wasserman Schultz Has Unreported Second Home in NH, Lives Large on the High Seas." Either way, she's claims she's just a "middle class American," which is rich.

More at Twitchy, "Wasserman Schultz has secret 2nd home? Holds secret press conference on Romney’s ‘penchant for secrecy’." And Marooned in Marin, "'Middle Class American' Debbie Wasserman Schultz Has 2nd Home In New Hampshire, Takes Expensive Cruises."

Where Did All the Obama Stimulus Money Go?

At The Other McCain, "VIDEO: New Mitt Romney Ad Slams Obama’s Wasted Stimulus Money."

The New York Times says this is not entirely accurate, "Romney Ad Contends Stimulus Money Went Overseas or to Donors." Not all the money went overseas, but some did. And of course, the political donor claims at the ad are true, but the New York Times is not going to report fully on Solyndra, so call it a wash.

Adam Carolla Fills In for Dennis Miller on 'O'Reilly Factor'

He pays his "fair share" of taxes, thank you:

Walter Russell Mead on City College of San Francisco

At Via Meadia, "Blue Blight Update: Largest CA College to Close?":

The collapse of blue California is picking up speed. California’s largest college, which enrolls 90,000 students, faces closure within a year unless the school can essentially reinvent itself. Bad administration, wasteful personnel spending, poor organization, a lack of strategic vision and a series of budget cuts as the state of California frantically hacks at its own budget deficit have brought City College of San Francisco to the brink.

As the Mercury News reports, the college has been ordered to prepare for closure by next March even as administrators and politicians search for ways to keep the school open. Threatening to pull the plug is the state’s accrediting commission that supervises junior and community colleges. Without major reform, the commission says, the College will lose its accreditation in March of 2013 and without accreditation it would lose access to the state funding that keeps it alive....

How exactly the school got itself into so much trouble is hard to figure out. It appears that both the administration and the board were incompetent and out of their depth; there are reports that board members (who get paid) were often no-shows at meetings. 92 percent of the total income was spent on personnel expenses; programs don’t seem to be well thought out and no overall strategy or shaping vision guided a school in which, apparently, the inmates took over the asylum and ran it into the ground....

But CCSF’s problems point to an important local failure: deep blue San Francisco is not doing a good job at helping low income people. The noble rhetoric about justice and compassion that liberal politicians so eloquently express doesn’t seem matched by particularly inspiring results. To let the community college that offers low income people their most hopeful route of escape from the poverty trap fall into ruin is not the mark of a compassionate or justice seeking political movement.

Ain't it a shame?

Mead reminds us that the community colleges are sinkholes of patronage. And with all the diversity programs, the college was probably being run by a bunch of hacks. See my report, "City College of San Francisco, Nation's Largest Two-Year College, On Brink of Closure."

And FWIW, here's this from the far-left San Francisco Bay Guardian, "City College fights back."

Despite Months of Negative Ads, Voters Not Buying Obama's Dishonest Attacks on Mitt Romney

Hey Dems, your despicable anti-capitalist attacks aren't working.

The Weekly Standard has it, "New York Times/CBS Poll: Romney 47, Obama 46."

And from the Times, "Poll Shows Economic Fears Undercutting Obama Support" (via Memeorandum):

Declining confidence in the nation’s economic prospects appears to be the most powerful force influencing voters as the presidential election gears up, undercutting key areas of support for President Obama and helping give his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, an advantage on the question of who would better handle the nation’s economic challenges, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Despite months of negative advertising from Mr. Obama and his Democratic allies seeking to define Mr. Romney as out of touch with the middle class and representative of wealthy interests, the poll shows little evidence of any substantial nationwide shift in attitudes about Mr. Romney.

But with job growth tailing off since spring and the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, wondering aloud whether the labor market is “stuck in the mud,” the poll showed a significant shift in opinion about Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy, with 39 percent now saying they approved and 55 percent saying they disapproved.

In the Times/CBS poll in April, when the economy seemed to be gaining momentum, 44 percent approved and 48 percent disapproved.

For all of the Washington chatter that Mr. Romney’s campaign has seemed off-kilter amid attacks on his tenure at Bain Capital and his unwillingness to release more of his tax returns, the poll shows that the race remains essentially tied, with 45 percent saying they would vote for Mr. Romney if the election were held now and 43 percent saying they would vote for Mr. Obama.

Including voters who lean toward a particular candidate, Mr. Romney has 47 percent to Mr. Obama’s 46 percent.

Continue reading.

And the raw data are here, "Results of The New York Times/CBS Poll."

Nearly two-thirds of respondents say the country's on the wrong track (64 percent). Fourty-four percent approve of Obama's job performance, and just 39 percent approve of the president's economic performance (55 percent disapprove). Seventy-three percent think the economy is fairly bad (39 percent) or very bad (32 percent). All of this is bad for Obama, as incumbents whose public approval numbers fall below 50 percent are not reelected.

Historically, the best predictor of a president’s re-election chances has been approval rating. Since World War II, every president with an approval rating at least a few points above 50 percent has won re-election. Every president with a rating clearly below 50 percent has lost.

That said, these are national polling numbers, and the election's going to come down to the decisions across a few battleground states. While the Times survey has some danger warnings for Romney, the race is essentially tied. As always, the trick will be for Romney to deflect the left's unscrupulous smears and regain the narrative.

RELATED: At the Washington Times, "In Ohio, fired-up Romney pledges to 'fight for soul of America'."

Big Electronics Sale at Amazon

At Amazon: "Shop Amazon - Deals in Computers, Office Products."

Sarah Silverman Offers Financier Sheldon Adelson 'Traditional Lesbian Sex' if He Gives $100 Million to Barack Obama

You have to admit, Obama's fundraising is lacking.

ABC News reports, "Comedian Sarah Silverman's 'Indecent' Political Proposal to Romney-Backer Adelson."

And the Hollywood Gossip has the unedited video clip, which is NSFW, "Sarah Silverman Makes Indecent Proposal to Sheldon Adelson."

And anti-Zionist Peter Beinart must think this reflects badly on the Jewish community (something of which he'd know about), at the Daily Beast, "Where Sarah Silverman Goes Wrong."


RELATED: At The Other McCain, "The Democrat Agenda 2012":

Far be it from me to be intolerant or judgmental, you understand, but when I check Memeorandum and see a story like this . . .

Web campaign targets Romney’s ‘extreme anti-LGBT agenda’
A pair of liberal super PACs are teaming up on a new Web campaign that accuses Mitt Romney of advancing an “extreme anti-LGBT agenda” that would make life worse for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

More at that link.

It's the Rocky Horror demographic.

Barack Obama's Stealth Money Operation Inside Bain Capital (VIDEO)

This is a big story, first reported in May, but back in the news as bloggers hammer Obama's epic hypocrisy.

See Gateway Pundit, "Oops!… Obama’s Top Bundler Jonathan Lavine Was In Charge of Bain During GST Steel Layoffs" (via Memeorandum), and Kerry Picket, at the Washington Times, "Obama bundler at Bain opens Obama camp to more criticism from Dems over Bain attacks."

And Jim Geraghty had this yesterday, "Obama: $34,250 in Donations from Bain Employees This Cycle":

Each time an Obama apologist tells you that Bain Capital is the root of all evil in the economy, remind them that President Obama has accepted $34,250 from employees of Bain Capital so far this cycle.

Most of the donors are senior executives who were with Bain when it made all of those allegedly controversial decisions from 1999 to 2002 that the Obama campaign is so focused upon.

Obama’s donors include managing director Joshua Bekenstein (at Bain since it began, including the Romney years); chief compliance officer Alan Halfenger; managing director & chief investment officer Jonathan Lavine (an Obama “bundler” of large donations from multiple donors), who has been with Bain since 1993; managing director Seth Meisel (began in 1999); managing director Mark Nunnelly (began in 1993); managing director Stephen Pagliuca (began in 1989); deputy general counsel Ranesh Ramanathan; and managing director Ted Berk (joined in 1997).

Of the above, Halfenger, Lavine, Meisel, Nunnelly, Pagliuca, and Ramanathan have donated the legal maximum of $5,000; two separate payments of $2,500 to Obama’s primary and general-election campaigns.

Jonathan Lavine is still at Bain. He's listed as a Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer."

And the Bain homepage staff listings are here.

The video above ran at CNN about six weeks ago. See: "Bain employees donate $ to Obama camp," and "Bain employees may have paid for TV ads bashing the company."

More at NewsBusters, "CNN Examines Obama's Donations From Bain Employees – But How Much Have They Actually Reported on It?":

Obama raised almost $125,000 from Bain Capital employees, including three who gave the maximum amount of cash the law allows. One of the donors was even helping the campaign raise money from other sources. "$125,000 is a lot of money from people who work at a company the Obama campaign and its allies vilify," Bash pointed out.

It is one thing for Obama to be a hypocrite by knocking Romney and Bain Capital while raising money from the financial sector and from the head of a private equity firm. It is an even bigger story, however, if he railed against Bain's practices and yet raised money directly from Bain employees. That is exactly what Bash reported, and yet that story has been largely – if not entirely – ignored by CNN.

Although CNN questioned the Obama campaign's attack ad on Romney and Bain, which first aired May 14, they did not report his donations from Bain employees in the hours after the ad broke.

Well, the bloggers are back on the story now. And CNN's actually been doing some solid reporting on the Bain lies this last week, so we'll see how it goes.

More at Memeorandum.

Elderly Florida Man Shoots at Two Would-Be Robbers at Internet Cafe

At the Miami Herald, "Video shows Fla. man shooting at would-be robbers."

Baseball Instant Replay Debated

So I'm watching the Phillies at the Dodgers last night with my wife. Philadelphia comes from behind in the 8th, scoring two runs off closer Kenley Jansen, who came in with two outs after Ronald Belisario lost his control, walking Chase Utley and beaning both Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz.

The Los Angeles Times reports, "Bullpen lets down Dodgers in loss to Phillies." ESPN has video snippets, and the Philadelphia Inquirer has a slideshow.

The Phillies' John Mayberry, Jr. scored off a single by Hunter Pence, and it was a close call at home. Umpire Wally Bell called Mayberry safe and my wife asks, "Do they have instant replay in baseball?" I said no, "baseball wouldn't be the same with instant replay."

So it's interesting that I see this piece at the New York Times this morning, "With Replay Being Debated, Missed Call in ’85 Resonates":

Visitors to the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame, beyond left field at Kauffman Stadium, can watch a short film about the history of the franchise. Nowhere in the film is the name Don Denkinger mentioned.

Denkinger was the first-base umpire for Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. He missed a crucial call at first base that sparked a ninth-inning comeback for the Royals, who won the championship the next night. It was probably the most significant missed call in baseball history.

“I went down to the Cardinal clubhouse, and I was on the platforms and everything for the Denkinger call,” said the broadcaster Tim McCarver, then working his first World Series, for ABC. “And a horde came out of the woodwork to disassemble what I was standing on. So I figured I’ve got to get out of here, because they are actually moving the stuff underneath me.”

Perhaps the Royals were due for such a cosmic break; they had reached the postseason five times without winning before 1985 and have not returned. In any case, they benefited from the so-called human element, the imperfection in umpiring that baseball seems so eager to preserve.

All these years since the Denkinger call, baseball still resists the wide implementation of instant replay. Home run calls have been reviewable since 2009, but blatant mistakes by umpires have become so pervasive that even “The Simpsons” recently poked fun at them.

Commissioner Bud Selig should be lauded, to a point, for proceeding carefully with technology and wanting to preserve the traditional rhythms and pacing of the game. But Selig also seemed out of touch Tuesday when he insisted that nobody really wanted expanded replay, anyway.

“We’ve added some more, we’re going to continue to do that,” Selig said. “But I can tell you very candidly, the appetite for more instant replay in the sport is very low. Everyone. There are some people who think we’ve maybe gone too far already.”

It is hard to accept that, though, when viewers at home clearly see Todd Helton being awarded a putout while standing three feet off first base, or Dewayne Wise getting credit for a catch he never made.

The recent missed call with the most historical impact, of course, was the one that cost Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game in 2010. The first-base umpire who blew that call, Jim Joyce, worked the same spot at the All-Star Game on Tuesday.

There's video from the 2010 blown call here.

I guess the instant replay would bring baseball into the 21st century, but I still think the game wouldn't be the same --- maybe it would be better?

More at this June piece at NYT, "Challenge System Enters Baseball Replay Debate." (And it mentions there that replays are used for disputed home run calls.)

Mysteries of Saturn: New Photos From the Cassini Spacecraft

A fascinating piece, at London's Daily Mail, "Mysteries of Saturn revealed: Nasa probe captures clearest views of planet's rings - and the tiny 'mini-moons' swimming inside them."

Also at Independent UK, "A ringside seat to see Saturn and her moons."

Israelis Targeted in Tour Bus Attack in Bulgaria

Blazing Cat Fur reports, "Suicide Bomber Attacks Israelis In Bulgaria - 3 Dead."

And at Telegraph UK, "At least seven dead in Bulgaria tourist coach bomb."

'Settle Down': No Doubt's First Single in 10 Years

These guys are cool. Of course, they're from the O.C., so natch.

At London's Daily Mail, "The return of No Doubt: Gwen Stefani and co. release new music video after decade away from pop scene."

More at Metro UK, "Gwen Stefani looks better than ever in No Doubt's new video Settle Down."

And at MTV, "'Settle Down' Video: Five Key No Doubt References!"

No Doubt are back and they sound hella good. Watching the SoCal band's latest entry into the world of music videos, the colorful clip for the Diplo-produced "Settle Down," it's clear that the ska-infused quartet just doesn't age. They also haven't lost the spunk that made them global superstars after the release of 1995's Tragic Kingdom.

Suicide Attack Kills Syrian Defense Minister in Damascus

The New York Times reports, "Blast Kills Core Syrian Security Officials":

BEIRUT, Lebanon — A suicide bomber killed at least three top aides to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria on Wednesday including the defense minister and Mr. Assad’s powerful brother-in-law, state television and opposition activists reported. The attack in Damascus, after three days of fighting in the capital, hit at the very military structure that has been directing the harsh repression of the 17-month-old uprising against Mr. Assad’s rule.

Also at Telegraph UK, "Syria: Assad's brother-in-law killed in bombing," and the Wall Street Journal, "Massive Bomb Strikes at Assad's Inner Circle."

Woman Tries to Ride Wheelchair on Escalator

Seems to me that's the first safety tip a wheelchair user would learn: never attempt to ride on an escalator. Apparently this lady didn't get the message:

The Boston Herald has the full video at the link: "MBTA warns: Wheelchair, escalator mix will flip you out."

Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer Calls for Limits on First Amendment Free Speech Rights

Although the Brett Kimberlin affair is fading from the limelight, at least temporarily, I continue to stand by my argument that the battle is indeed partisan. Recall my earlier entry: "Will People STFU About How Brett Kimberlin Affair is 'Non-Partisan'? This is an Epic Partisan Battle Over How 'Free Speech' Will Be Defined."

The key point, again, is that left and right define free speech differently. Democrats are now advocating limits on political speech, which has nothing to do with yelling fire falsely in a theater. But here's Sen. Schumer, in a late-night Senate debate on the Democrats' "DISCLOSE Act". See Rob Bluey, at Hot Air, "Schumer calls for “limits on First Amendment rights” during Senate debate."

Bluey has the transcript at the link.

I personally don't remember any instance where the First Amendment was argued to protect equality, but that's the rationale Schumer's proposing, that limits on free speech are needed to protect equality. Only radical progressive make such arguments. They make them when the attempt to shut down conservative speech. So I can't stress enough how it behooves those of us on the right to fight the progressive anti-speech effort with everything we've got. A successful push to amend the First Amendment is the real threat to equality, the equality of an open marketplace for political speech.

John Sununu Apologizes For Slamming Obama as Un-American

Picking up where I left off yesterday, the New York Daily News reports on John Sununu's apology: "Top Romney surrogate John Sununu, the fomer N.H. Gov., apologizes after charging that Obama needs ‘to learn how to be an American’."

Actually, I think Sununu's doing just fine.

PREVIOUSLY: "Romney Surrogate John Sununu: Obama Was 'In Hawaii Smoking Something'."

Romney Surrogate John Sununu: Obama Was 'In Hawaii Smoking Something'

At The Hill, "Obama Was 'In Hawaii Smoking Something'" (via Memeorandum).

BONUS: At Astute Bloggers, "THE REAL OBAMA: an effeminate privately schooled cocaine user who seemed completely white who defended Communism."

NRCC Hits Back: 'If You've Got a Business — You Didn't Build That'

Heritage had this yesterday, "Obama Tells Entrepreneurs “You Didn’t Build” Your Business."

And now here's this, from the National Republican Congressional Committee, via Ed Morrissey, "Video: NRCC hits Obama over small-business comments":

Added: From Weasel Zippers, "RNC Mocks Obama’s Belief That American Entrepreneurs “Didn’t Build” Their Businesses Without Government Help…"

Victoria's Secret Angel Barbara Palvin

Well, perhaps this is an improvement over Pauline Potter.

At Guyism, "Whoa… Barbara Palvin Works for Victoria's Secret." And the Sun UK, "Who's Hungary for Bra-bara Palvin?"

Pauline Potter, World's Heaviest Woman, Takes Off the Pounds With Marathon Sex

Dlisted has the story, "The World's Fattest Living Woman Is Sexing the Pounds Off" (via Linkiest).

Actually, this is say it ain't so territory.

More at London's Daily Mail, "'I've lost 7st thanks to marathon sex sessions!': World's heaviest woman has found a new way to slim down with husband who says her weight gain makes her MORE attractive."

ZOMG! Teresa Heinz Kerry Released the 'First Two Pages of Her 2003 Tax Return' — How Dare You Deflect Attention, Mitt Romney, How Dare You?

I guess it's working, a little bit, at least. Recall my report yesterday, "Mitt Romney Hits Back Against Obama's Shameless Dishonest Attacks." Romney mentioned that John Kerry's wife, Maria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira Heinz Kerry, one of the worlds richest women, never released her taxes in 2004. Well, here's the correction to that, at the Boston Globe, "John Kerry’s office blasts Mitt Romney over inaccurate claims about tax returns" (via Memeorandum):

In an interview on Fox News Channel Monday morning, Romney -- under pressure from not only the Obama campaign but also some in his own party to release additional tax returns -- suggested he is the victim of a double standard.

“John Kerry ran for president; you know, his wife, who has hundreds of millions of dollars -- she never released her tax returns,” Romney said. “Somehow this wasn’t an issue.”

In fact, Heinz Kerry’s reluctance to release tax returns, which she files separately from her husband, was a major story line during the 2004 presidential race. She eventually made public the first two pages of her 2003 return, which showed she earned $5.1 million that year, almost all of it from interest and dividends on investments. She paid $627,150 in federal taxes in 2003, only 12.3 percent of her total income.

Well, blow me down!

The first two pages! Neener, neener! Mitt Romney liar, liar pants on fire!

And checking back over at Memeorandum, the progs are all over this like it's the biggest scandal since Monica Lewinsky serviced Big Bill. And they're lying about it, at the aptly titled Crooks and Liars, for example:

While Romney is correct that Teresa Heinz Kerry declined to release any tax returns when her husband, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), ran for the White House in 2004, a candidate's wife is not usually held to the same standard as the candidate.

Oops! Not true, sorry. John McCain was under vicious pressure to release his wife's returns, and the Soros-backed Media Matters used the same lame Teresa Heinz Kerry comparison, "Several media outlets advanced comparison between Cindy McCain's and Teresa Heinz Kerry's release of tax info, ignoring key distinction." And Media Matters even deleted some of its smears, but the cached version of this one's still available, "Double Standard for Candidate Spouses."

Not such a double standard after all, it turns out. Ultimately, the McCain campaign released Cindy McCain's full 2006 tax returns, not just the first two pages: "Campaign releases 2006 tax filing for Cindy McCain."

Maybe some of the progs can set record straight? And kudos for Mitt Romney on turning back the left's false narratives. It's just a start though, so Team Romney better get cooking.

PHOTO CREDIT: Maria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira Heinz Kerry via Wikimedia Commons.