Fired Employee Shoots Former Co-Worker at Empire State Building — GRAPHIC VIDEO

At the New York Post, "Fired worker kills ex-colleague at Empire State Building, 9 others injured before cop shoots him."

A fired worker gunned down a former coworkers on a busy Midtown street and then turned his weapon on police officers right in front of the Empire State Building — and in the ensuing gun battle he was killed and nine pedestrians were struck, some by cop bullets, Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said today.

The 9 a.m. mayhem sent commuters and tourists in a panicked scramble from the jam-packed intersection of 34th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Bloomberg identified the shooter as Jeffrey Johnson, 53, who had been fired two years ago from Hazan Imports at 10 W. 33rd Street, around the corner from the scene.

Continue reading.

More at Memeorandum.

And see the New York Times, "Fatal Shooting at Empire State Building - One Victim Killed; Gunman, Who Had Lost His Job, Dies."

Plus, see Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, "Empire State Building shooting leaves several wounded, two dead, including suspect."

Rachel McAdams 'Passion' Trailer — Hot Lesbian Lovemaking, Oh My!

Ooh, this is sexy.

Off the porn mags and onto the big screen, I guess. And with newcomer Noomi Rapace. I'm not familiar with her, which adds a nice touch — of freshness.

At London's Daily Mail, "Blindfolded Rachel McAdams shares lesbian tryst with masked Noomi Rapace in trailer for erotic thriller Passion."

And the guys over at Egotastic are in heaven, "Our Favorite Lezzy Love Scenes Safe Enough to Watch on YouTube."

Oh My! Mitt Romney Revives 'Birther' Controversy — 'No One's Ever Asked to See My Birth Certificate' (VIDEO)

I personally wasn't expecting this, but since Team Obama's campaigning for reelection on the dirtiest platform in American history, it makes perfect sense. Indeed, joking about O's birth certificate is a brilliant burst of spontaneity on the eve of the Republican National Convention. Progressives can get all bent out of shape that Mitt dared even question --- even jokingly --- Barack Hussein's eligibility for the Oval Office. Meanwhile, O's media lapdogs will eat it up, looking to smear the GOP ticket as extremists and "birthers," which nicely takes the focus off the left's abortion obsession. The trick, however, is not to let "birtherism" really take hold again. The convention starts Monday. Get the focus on the economy.

In any case, see William Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection, "Barack Obama again jokes about his birth certificate, outrage ensues …. oh, wait":

Oooooh, Mitt Romney made a joke about his own birth certificate, and the MSM and nutroots go wild!

More at that link, and also at Memeorandum. And at Twitchy, "Romney: ‘No one has ever asked to see my birth certificate’; Update: Team Obama feigns outrage" (at Memeorandum).

I'm gonna check around for some of that nutroots outrage and see if I can come up with some knee-slappers. Check back.

Teachers, Unions, and Students

From the letters to the editor, at the Los Angeles Times, "Re 'A good teacher is hard to keep,' Opinion, Aug. 19":

Bhatt scapegoats teachers. She cites a report that says it takes 11 hires by a district to yield one truly great teacher, and no doubt is confident that she is one of those rare ones.

The problem is that students aren't responsible for anything anymore. And a system that doesn't make students responsible allows low-performing students to slow everyone down. The students who are failing are, for whatever reason, just not dialed in. Show me a student who reads outside of school and I'll show you a successful student. Show me a student that does his or her homework, and I'll show you a successful student.

It's time to stop blaming teachers and realize that we have a societal problem that is aggravated by a lack of rewards or consequences for students. Too many of our students learn the importance of their education years after high school.

Stan Brown
Victorville

I'll disagree only so much as, yeah, there are some shitty teachers --- and the unions themselves are hopelessly warped by social justice ideology --- but it's true that students are disastrously unprepared for the rigors of academic life. I'm always pleased when I get some really motivated students, but sadly, that's generally a small minority of the students who come through the doors at my college. They may think otherwise, having been pumped up by touchy-feely pedagogy for their entire K-12 careers, but it's a culture shock when they're confronted with the university-level curriculum that I present in my classes. Sad, kinda. And it's a struggle for dedicated faculty to get the support of the administration for a rigorous program. All a student has to do these days is cry about some civil rights violation or another, and poof! They'll be pushed right through as the administrative talking heads browbeat the faculty into compliance.

Anyway, here's the original essay, from Sujata Bhatt, "A good teacher is hard to keep." It's no wonder why teacher retention is so bad, and it's not likely to get a whole lot better anytime soon.

'I Want to Be a Crony'

Via Lonely Con, "More Cronyism in the Obama Administration – The President’s Utility, and More."

Anders Behring Breivik Gets Maximum Sentence in Norway Mass Murder Trial

At the New York Times, "Norway Killer Is Ruled Sane and Given 21 Years in Prison."

Only 21 years. And no death penalty in Norway?

That dude deserves it. Look at him smirking at the clip.

New Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS Poll

It's pretty much in line with other current polling. See, "In Poll, Obama Is Given Trust Over Medicare."

At the clip, CBS News political analyst Leigh Ann Caldwell breaks it down:

The raw data is here.

And here's the new Fox News poll, from Dana Blanton, "Fox News poll: Race for the White House tightens." Mitt Romney leads Barack Obama 45-44 percent among likely voters, the first time this season that Fox has polled likely/registered voters. The findings are the first Fox poll to also assess the selection of Paul Ryan as running mate.

See also the Los Angeles Times, which has Obama up by 3 nationally, "Obama has slight lead over Romney in new nationwide poll."

And yet more at USA Today, "Poll: As conventions open, a more negative view of politics":

* The enthusiasm gap that boosted Obama in 2008 has turned around this year. Now 53% of Republicans and those who lean Republican say they are more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year, compared with 46% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

* Obama gets more blame for negative attacks than he did in 2008. Then, 30% accused him of attacking his Republican opponent unfairly; now 44% do. In contrast, 40% say Romney is attacking Obama unfairly, compared with 48% who said that of McCain four years ago.

Two Women Electrocuted While Trying to Help at Crash Scene in Los Angeles

This is an unbelievably sad story, at the Los Angeles Times, "Two women fatally electrocuted trying to help at crash scene":

Irma Zamora's husband urged her not to get out of the car as they approached the scene of a spectacular traffic crash in Los Angeles' Valley Village neighborhood. But as he pulled over to call 911, she rushed out anyway, eager to help.

A sport utility vehicle had just careened through the intersection of Magnolia Boulevard and Ben Avenue, shearing off a concrete light standard and knocking over a fire hydrant before coming to rest on a front lawn. Water spewed skyward from the broken hydrant and quickly pooled in the intersection.

Zamora ran toward the wrecked SUV and stepped into an electrified pool of water. She was immediately –- and fatally — electrocuted, struck by what firefighters estimate was 48,000 volts of electricity.

A second woman died while trying to help Ms. Zamora. There's also a video report at NBC Los Angeles, "Councilman: Valley Village Electrocution Was Moment of 'Tragedy, Heroism'."

Anderson Cooper Destroys Debbie Wasserman Schultz on DNC's Despicable Lies Attacking Mitt Romney on Abortion

She's morally-repugnant, personally and politically. Between her and Stephanie Cutter, it's been lies and libel 24/7, all with the backing Baracky.

They just lie, and lie again. Cooper calls her out brutally. Notice Wasserman Schultz saying, "It doesn't matter," when pushed on the accuracy of the DNC's email. These people will do anything, anything! They're totally discredited freak-ball liars.

Here's the email, published at BarackObama.com/truthteam:

In a recent statement that was both factually inaccurate and horribly offensive, Republican Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin said that victims of “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan tried to distance themselves from the remark—but the fact is they’re in lockstep with Akin on the major women’s health issues of our time. Just this morning, the Republican Party voted to include the “Human Life Amendment” in their platform, calling for a constitutional ban on abortions nationwide, even for rape victims. Several Romney supporters and advisers stood silently by while this vote took place, and the Los Angeles Times reports that the platform “was written at the direction of Romney’s campaign.”

More at that link.

And here's the Los Angeles Times piece in question, "Ron Paul delegates taking aim at Republican Party platform":

TAMPA, Fla. _ It didn't take long for strains within the Republican Party to surface Monday as national delegates got down to work on a final draft of the party platform, one week before the nominating convention opens.

Ron Paul delegates are making a diligent effort to wedge the defeated presidential candidate's libertarian ideas into the party document. Among them: curbing the power of the Federal Reserve, enhancing the constitutional rights of individuals and opposing the overseas role of U.S. military forces.

There is no doubt about who is in charge, of course. Delegates for presumptive nominee Mitt Romney are voting down substantive changes to the platform language that was written at the direction of Romney's campaign. The biggest question is whether the tone remains polite, as it was at the outset of two days of deliberations, or whether dissenters spoil the image of harmony that the Romney campaign is working hard to produce.

Wow.

The piece isn't even talking about abortion. And as everyone's been highlighting for days, the GOP's abortion plank has been in place for the past couple of election cycles. Indeed, folks have been making hay about how it's possible for a nominee to disagree with a substantive policy position approved by the delegates.

The Democrats are lying. They're distorting the issue, attempting to smear the Romney campaign as abortion extremists. All this demonstrates once again how bankrupt these people are. That's not to say they'll dial it back. The attacks, at minimum, work to keep discussion of the economy off the table. The GOP's biggest challenge next week is to force the national debate back to economic issues. This prospects scares the living shit out of the Democrats, which explains why they'll stop at nothing to sabotage the Republicans, using dirtbag methods so repugnant they're literally unprecedented in American politics.

BONUS: Lighten things up a bit with AP's hilarious post, at Hot Air, "Anderson Cooper grills Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: Why are you lying about Romney’s position on abortion?"

Armed Forces Salute

Via Theo Spark:

Shooting Suspect James Holmes Failed Oral Examination, Made Threats, Prosecution Reveals

This is what I expected.

Suspect James Holmes failed his oral exams in the Ph.D. neuroscience program and was advised by his department to find a new line of work. He was getting booted from the program pretty much as I laid out in my essay, "Suspect James Holmes' Rapid Descent":

The department will usually not advance to candidacy those who've been struggling.

I posted more on that, along with the video from the university's press conference, here: "Suspect James Holmes No Easy Fit for Mass Murderer Profile."

The Los Angeles Times has the latest, "Colorado theater shooting: New details emerge on James E. Holmes":

CENTENNIAL, Colo. – The first glimpse of a once-promising career beginning to unravel emerged Thursday during a hearing in the case against James E. Holmes, accused of killing 12 and injuring 58 in a packed movie theater last month.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Karen Pearson revealed that 24-year-old Holmes, once a doctoral student in an elite neuroscience program at the University of Colorado Denver, had failed oral exams on June 7, made unspecified threats serious enough for campus police to be notified, and had his access to university buildings on the Anschutz Medical Campus revoked. He withdrew from the university June 10....

“What is going on in the defendant’s life is extremely relevant to the case,” Pearson argued as she sought to review all of Holmes’ academic records – including grades, course schedules and admission application -- as well as emails to professors during the time he attended.

She speculated about how disappointed Holmes must have been about his deteriorating university career and said faculty had asked him to leave the program.

The prosecution had subpoenaed the university records, which were turned over to the judge last week. They remain sealed, and the defense wants to keep it that way.

Defense attorney Daniel King rejected Pearson’s rationale and the validity of the scenario she sketched out on Thursday, strongly opposing the release of information about his client’s time at the university. He said that it was irrelevant to the case and that the prosecution was on a “fishing expedition that needs to be stopped.”

Claire McCaskill Pulls Out Ten Point Lead in New Rasmussen Poll #MOSen

I'm not sure "pulls out" is the appropriate political terminology here, considering, but hey, it's big news.

Legal Insurrection reports, "McCaskill up 10 pts in non-troll poll."

And at Ace of Spades HQ, "BREAKING: McCaskill up 10 pts over Akin in Missouri Poll."

And also at AoSHQ, "Akin Camp: You Should Ask Claire McCaskill to Drop Out":

That'll work.

Another winner from the House of Ideas.

He's joking, of course.

Here's the statement from the Akin campaign: "Akin Campaign Response to Rasmussen Poll" (at Memeorandum).

Salma Hayek in Germany's Vogue

Beautiful photos here, "TOP LOOKS VON SALMA HAYEK."

And I don't read German, so I would have missed this, at the Hollywood Reporter, "Salma Hayek Clarifies Remarks About Mexico That Were 'Lost in Translation'":

The "Savages" star was saddened that her thoughts about her native country were misinterpreted.

Salma Hayek wants the world to know she is proud of her Mexican roots.

The Savages star, 45, has issued a statement in response to a new interview in German Vogue magazine in which she is quoted as saying that she hardly has "any memories of what it is to be Mexican. My life is completely different now."

The comments ruffled some feathers, particularly in Mexico, where Hayek is adored as a national treasure.

Also at E! Online, "Salma Hayek's Controversial Comment Regarding Her Mexican Roots Spurs Backlash."

Pat Caddell Slams Barack Obama: 'Most Negative Personal Campaigner in the Oval Office Ever...'

I was watching Hannity last night, and this exchange was freakin' amazing, via RCP, "Caddell: Obama "Most Negative Personal Campaigner In The Oval Office Ever":

"Let me tell you what's really bad, Sean. The president is running the real risk, every time you keep lowering the standard, breaking tradition -- this is Chicago politics. We don't care, we are going to disrupt your convention. For all the times we have had conventions, we have honored the idea in politics, you have yours, we have ours; then we engage a campaign. They're taking down all of this, just like the president's campaign; he has been the most negative personal campaigner in the oval office -- ever, ever," former Democratic pollster Pat Caddell said on FOX News' Hannity" tonight.

"You know what?" Caddell asked. "Winning matters more and that's what he is risking."

Watch it at the link.

Caddell is a Democrat pollster and former key advisor to President Jimmy Carter. He spoke at the David Horowitz West Coast Retreat in 2001. He's got an uncanny take on politics, extremely perceptive and completely confident of his opinions. While he's been attacked as a Democrat turncoat, his inside credentials add some powerful gravitas to the attack on Team Obama's unprecedented politics of destruction.

More at The Hill, "Team Obama breaks precedent to try to spoil Romney’s convention in Tampa." (At Memeorandum.) And see Mark Hemingway, at the Weekly Standard, "Obama's Risky Convention Gambit."

PHOTO CREDIT: Wikipedia.

Ta-Nehisi Coates Screams RAAAAACISM to Silence the Opposition!

You gotta love Ta-Nehisi. He sho' loves him some race card politics.

See "Fear of a Black President" (via Memeorandum):

The irony of President Barack Obama is best captured in his comments on the death of Trayvon Martin, and the ensuing fray. Obama has pitched his presidency as a monument to moderation. He peppers his speeches with nods to ideas originally held by conservatives. He routinely cites Ronald Reagan. He effusively praises the enduring wisdom of the American people, and believes that the height of insight lies in the town square. Despite his sloganeering for change and progress, Obama is a conservative revolutionary, and nowhere is his conservative character revealed more than in the very sphere where he holds singular gravity—race.

Keep reading --- and remember, when your entire existence revolves around race and racism, any disagreement --- and hesitation to speak out on tough issues --- can be blamed on white supremacy, the enduring legacy of slavery, or whatever other RAAAAACISM! slogan-of-the-day of the shuck-and-jive grievance hustlers.

More at The Other McCain, "President of a Black Fear":Show of hands:

Nearly four years into the Age of Obama, is there anybody — anybody – interested in reading a 9,582-word “What It Means” essay about the racial significance of Obama’s presidency?

Would you be more interested if I told you that Ta-Nehisi Coates uses the Trayvon Martin shooting as the contextual prism through which he seeks this wisdom? Would your interest be whetted if I told you that Coates name-checks a list of right-wing villains — Newt Gingrich, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, etc. — en route to a rather nebulous conclusion about the persistence of white racism as the dominant and defining reality of America’s past, present and future?

Admit it, honky: You don’t want to read it.

Keep reading.

IMAGE CREDIT: The People's Cube.

VIDEO: Senator Infanticide Said He Was 'Pro-Choice' on Third-Trimester Abortions in 2003

What a find!

At the Weekly Standard, "Video: Obama Says He's 'Pro-Choice' on Third-Trimester Abortions."

Well, it's good timing, that's for sure. See, "Democrat National Convention Shaping Up as Unprecedented Celebration of Infanticide."

FLASHBACK: "The Secret Life of Senator Infanticide."

Anaheim's Canyon High School 'Seniores' and 'Señoritas' Events Cancelled After Complaints Alleging Racism

What's really interesting is that the school's been having these events for years. Check the photos at the report. Some just awful denigrating stereotypes. And Canyon High used to be a really elite school in the area. It's Anaheim Hills, where the big money neighborhoods are.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Anaheim high school cancels events found to be demeaning":

"Seniores" and "Señoritas" events held at an Anaheim high school — in which students dressed as gang members and a pregnant woman pushing a baby stroller — have been canceled after officials concluded the activities were demeaning toward Latinos and their culture.

The events, which have been held for at least three years at Canyon High School, took place during senior activity week in June and were approved by campus administrators, according to school district officials.

RTWT.

'A Lost Part of History' — Man Discovers Forgotten Martin Luther King Audiotape in Attic

What a wonderful thing.

At USA Today, "Unreleased Martin Luther King audiotape found in attic."

I am convinced that when the history books are written in future years, historians will have to record this movement as one of the greatest epics of our heritage. It represents struggle on the highest level of dignity and discipline.

And the progressives today are so undignified and undisciplined ... I don't think MLK would recognize what's happened to the so-called forces of "tolerance."

Brain-Dead 'Liberal Feminists' Attack 'Chicks on the Wrong'

This is hilarious, at Chicks on the Right, "“Liberal Feminists” Are Hilarious and Mockworthy."

$timulus $hocker

Here's Michelle on Hannity's last night, discussing the Obama administration's mind-bogging MSNBC stimulus corruption:

And from earlier, "'The President's Utility' — Chicago Energy Behemoth Exelon Corporation Scored $200 Million in Stimulus Funds, and Holder's Justice Dept. Approved Exelon's $7.9 Billion Utility Merger With Constellation Energy of Maryland."

Paul Ryan, Fundraising Powerhouse

I didn't know this about Ryan, and it says more about scaling the heights inside the Congress than anything else. Although the major corporate backing for the GOP ticket is a huge plus.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Paul Ryan runs well-oiled fundraising machine":

WASHINGTON — Rep. Paul D. Ryan has cultivated his "affable wonk" persona into an effective moneymaker, winning over CEOs and K Street lobbyists to build a fundraising machine that has boosted his standing on Capitol Hill and helped make him one of the GOP's most influential figures.

In 2002, the Wisconsin congressman established a so-called leadership PAC, a fund that allows him to raise money to give to other lawmakers, but the fund did little until 2006, when he began his rapid rise in the House Republican hierarchy. That year, Ryan's PAC distributed $322,000 to Republicans, a 607% increase in giving from the cycle before, according to the nonpartisan campaign finance group Center for Responsive Politics.

After the 2006 election, Ryan, who is now the GOP vice presidential candidate, became the top Republican on the House Budget Committee.

"Part of what you do when you're a member of Congress who has ambitions and wants to become committee chair is you start raising money and you start giving money to your colleagues," said Steve Northrup, a Republican healthcare lobbyist who has hosted several Ryan fundraisers.

"You can't divorce that from his personality and his smarts," Northrup added.

The high-profile post and the exposure it has brought has helped Ryan raise even more, which, in turn, has allowed him to cement ties to his congressional allies. In this election cycle, he has brought in $8.5 million to his campaign account and political action committee combined. Of that, Ryan still has more than $6 million in the bank, a notably high reserve compared with his congressional colleagues.

The PAC so far has given more than $539,000 to Republican candidates and lawmakers, a figure that ranks among the top 10 leadership PACs in contributions to federal candidates, alongside prolific congressional fundraisers Reps. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco).

"Even the most idealistic members of Congress realize that the way to power is to raise money and to spread it around to your colleagues," said David Donnelly, executive director of Public Campaign Action Fund, a campaign finance reform group. Ryan "certainly learned that early on."

Ryan has become one of the most requested fundraising surrogates for House Republicans. And he has invested in a multimillion-dollar direct mail campaign that has bolstered his name recognition and given his finance network a national scope.

RTWT.

VIDEO CREDIT: The Other McCain, "Paul Ryan in Roanoke, Virginia: ‘This is President Obama’s Imaginary Recovery’."

Business as Usual: Obama Spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter Lies and Prevaricates Her Way to Election Day

The video is gold, and Lonely Conservative has the lies.

See: "Wow! That Stephanie Cutter Sure is a Liar!"

Democrat National Convention Shaping Up as Unprecedented Celebration of Infanticide

From Paul Bedard, at the Washington Examiner, "Dem Convention becomes anti-Akin affair" (via Instapundit):

With an eye on Rep. Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comments and the GOP's mad dash away from the sinking Missouri Senate candidate, the Democrats are turning their upcoming presidential convention into a pro-choice assault on the Republicans with the help of major abortion supporters.

Just as the Akin crisis was reaching a crescendo, the Democrats on Wednesday announced that three starlets of the pro-choice movement will be featured at the convention, an event that will now drive the liberal charge that the Republicans are anti-women.

Democrats said that they will feature Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parent Action Fund, Nancy Keenan, president of the NARAL Pro-Choice America and Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University student whose plea for federal birth control funding drew the ire--and a subsequent apology--from Rush Limbaugh.

What's more, the Democrats are expanding their list of women ready to assail the GOP on women's issue, adding Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski and actress Eva Longoria to the list that already includes Sen. John Kerry and Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren.

Democrats led by party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz believe that the Akin controversy--and his refusal to leave the Missouri Senate race--has revived their chances of winning a majority of women in the presidential race, key to re-electing President Obama. On Wednesday, for example, the party turned their homepage over to the affair with the headline: "The GOP is dangerously wrong for women." And with a devilish move, they included pictures of Mitt Romney, running mate Paul Ryan and Akin.

"Romney, Ryan, Akin and the GOP want to take women back to the dark ages," the Democrats add.

Wow!

That's apocalyptic. Let's capitalize that: "THE DARK AGES!"

The infant-killers ought to get major distraction mileage out of that. Whoo!

Bring it on, I say. Let's get the Democrat abortion extremism out in to the open.

FLASHBACK: "The Secret Life of Senator Infanticide."

More at Lonely Conservative, "Democrats Finally Come Up With Convention Theme – It’s An Abortion Festival!" (via Memeorandum).

Tropical Storm Isaac Heads Toward Florida Ahead of GOP Convention

That'd be a freak of nature --- or an act of God --- if the storm hit Tampa just in time for the convention. A cancellation is possible, astonishingly.

At the Wall Street Journal, "Republican Convention Threatened by Storm."

'Progressive labor is a revolutionary communist organization. Its objective is to make revolution in the United States, overthrow the capitalist system and build communism...'

Well, yeah.

At Left of the Mark, "Mike Golash: 'Goal is to Overthrow Capitalist System and Build Communism'" (via Linkiest).

Tony Nicklinson, British Assisted Suicide Activist and 'Locked-In' Patient, Has Died

This is an interesting story, at the New York Times, "Briton Who Fought for Assisted Suicide Is Dead":

LONDON — A 58-year-old British man suffering from so-called locked-in syndrome died Wednesday, six days after a panel of High Court judges rejected his request for help in ending his life. His death is certain to galvanize the already contentious debate about assisted suicide in Britain.

The man, Tony Nicklinson, a former rugby player and sky diver who suffered a stroke in 2005, died at his home in Melksham, 80 miles west of London, at 10 a.m., according to a statement issued by the law firm that represented him.

Mr. Nicklinson’s family used his Twitter account to say that he died of natural causes. At a news conference, Saimo Chahai, the family lawyer, said Mr. Nicklinson had been refusing food since the court ruling and had declined rapidly over the weekend after contracting pneumonia. “The fight seemed to go out of him,” she said.

After having a stroke while on a business trip to Athens, Mr. Nicklinson, a civil engineer, developed locked-in syndrome, an incurable condition in which a patient loses all motor functions but remains awake and aware, with all cognitive abilities. He had spent the last seven years paralyzed from the neck down and unable to speak, feed himself or even clean his own teeth, communicating through a system that allowed him to write messages on a computer screen by blinking his eyes.

He had argued in court that he would be physically unable to administer a lethal drug to himself, and that his only path to release from his “living nightmare” would be permission from the court to have somebody else — in his suggestion, a doctor — administer the necessary dose without fear of prosecution.

Under British law, anybody, including a doctor, who knowingly helps a terminally ill person to die faces possible criminal prosecution and a lengthy jail term if convicted.

In an essay he wrote before the court case, Mr. Nicklinson said, “It cannot be acceptable in 21st-century Britain that I am denied the right to take my own life just because I am physically handicapped.” He added, “It is astonishing that in 1969 we could put a man on the moon, yet in 2012 we still cannot devise adequate rules for government-assisted dying.”

More at the link.

And also at Telegraph UK, "Right-to-die campaigner Tony Nicklinson dies of pneumonia after refusing food."

'Now, you're on notice that making distinctions between types of rape could utterly destroy you. Don't talk about it...'

That's from Ann Althouse, who's got a very informative --- and fascinating --- discussion of rape, and the politics of rape. See, "Big UK lefty George Galloway fired for saying something about rape."

Althouse's discussion is breezier than that of Louise Mensch, who also compared Galloway to Todd Akin in an essay the other day, at Telegraph UK, "George Galloway, Todd Akin and other male politicians still getting it wrong on rape."

I guess that piece went over pretty well; there's a write-up on Mensch at the paper, "Louise Mensch: male politicians diminish rape."

Good advice, in any case, not to talk about rape. It's not good for your career, obviously.

'The President's Utility' — Chicago Energy Behemoth Exelon Corporation Scored $200 Million in Stimulus Funds, and Holder's Justice Dept. Approved Exelon's $7.9 Billion Utility Merger With Constellation Energy of Maryland

I'm surprised this piece is even running at the New York Times. It's falling way outside of the approved narrative. See, "Ties to Obama Aided in Access for Big Utility":

WASHINGTON — Early in the Obama administration, a lobbyist for the Illinois-based energy producer Exelon Corporation proudly called it “the president’s utility.” And it was not just because it delivers power to Barack Obama’s Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago.

Exelon’s top executives were early and frequent supporters of Mr. Obama as he rose from the Illinois State Senate to the White House. John W. Rogers Jr., a friend of the president’s and one of his top fund-raisers, is an Exelon board member. David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s longtime political strategist, once worked as an Exelon consultant, and Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago mayor and Mr. Obama’s former chief of staff, helped create the company through a corporate merger in 2000 while working as an investment banker.

With energy an increasingly pivotal issue for the Obama White House, a review of Exelon’s relationship with the administration shows how familiarity has helped foster access at the upper reaches of government and how, in some cases, the outcome has been favorable for Exelon.

White House records show that Exelon executives were able to secure an unusually large number of meetings with top administration officials at key moments in the consideration of environmental regulations that have been drafted in a way that hurt Exelon’s competitors, but curb the high cost of compliance for Exelon and its industry allies.

In addition, Exelon, which provides power to more than 6.6 million customers in at least 16 states and the District of Columbia, was chosen as one of only six electric utilities nationwide for the maximum $200 million stimulus grant from the Energy Department. And when the Treasury Department granted loans for renewable energy projects, Exelon landed a commitment for up to $646 million allowing it, on extremely generous financial terms, to finance one of the world’s largest photovoltaic solar projects.

Exelon’s seemingly easy access to top administration officials has hardly gone unnoticed among competitors.

“I would like to get some treatment in Washington like that,” said Ken Anderson, general manager at Tri-State G&T, a Colorado-based power supplier that has been at odds with Exelon over environmental regulations. “But Exelon seems to get deference that I can’t get.”

Continue reading.

This company is the administration's mother load for green energy crony capitalism.

My gosh. They've got open access to the White House.

My first thought at reading this was how Michelle Malkin could have a field day here, and lo and behold, she already has. See, "Obama’s Green Robber Barons":

Had enough of fat cat Barack Obama, his jet-setting wife and his multi-millionaire Chicago consigliere/real-estate mogul Valerie Jarrett attacking the “rich”? Well, brace yourselves. You’ll be hearing much more from the White House about the “wealthy few” who aren’t paying their “fair share” as Obama’s re-election campaign doubles down on class-war demagoguery.

As usual, there’s always a set of immunity charms for the privileged friends and family of the ruling class. When it comes to all the Green Robber Barons who’ve reaped an obscenely unfair share of billions of tax dollars from the Obama administration, the envy trumpeteers will be quieter than a nest of mute church mice.

Obama’s State of the Union address defiantly pitched a new round of clean energy spending orgies to help the “middle class.” But how have the serial bankruptcies and near-bankruptcies of several federally subsidized solar companies — all under Obama’s watch — helped anyone but an upper-crust elite of eco-crats and their lobbyists and consultants?

*****

My scouring of White House visitor logs shows nine visits from another Green Robber Baron, Illinois-based Exelon’s CEO John Rowe, who met with the president and former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel multiple times. As Forbes magazine reported: The clean energy company “has very deep ties to the Obama Administration. Frank M. Clark, who runs ComEd, helped advise Obama before he ran for president and is one of Obama’s largest fundraisers. Obama’s chief political strategist, David Axelrod, worked as a consultant to Exelon. Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, helped create Exelon” — where he raked in more than $16 million over two years.

Right.

"Very deep ties" indeed.

Heading back over to the New York Times' piece, here's this:

... one person who met with Exelon representatives as a federal official, and requested anonymity because the discussions were confidential, said that while the company’s connections did not guide specific decisions, federal officials knew to handle Exelon carefully.

“It is not necessarily unethical or immoral,” he said, “it is just a fact of life that Exelon has more relations with senior administration officials than others, which means Exelon has a direct line to fairly high places in the White House if they need to.”

Even without any political connection, as a nuclear energy producer Exelon was well positioned to take advantage of the administration’s drive to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

The administration’s tightening of clean air rules was a particular boon, since it took aim at Exelon’s main competitors — coal-burning power plants in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions. In 2010, Exelon estimated it would earn an extra $400 million annually because the regulations would force dozens of coal-burning plants to close.

“We were the hyena looking for the dead stuff on the road,” John W. Rowe, Exelon’s recently departed chief executive, told Wall Street analysts this year.

While other nuclear and natural-gas-focused energy producers also stood to benefit, Exelon stands out for its size. Last December, the Justice Department approved its $7.9 billion merger with Constellation Energy of Maryland, despite objections from Maryland’s consumer advocate. Although Exelon agreed to sell three Maryland power plants, among other concessions, it still emerged as the nation’s largest unregulated electricity generator, meaning that in many of the states its rates are not set by government officials but by what customers will pay.

Oh brother.

This is frankly just a pay-out racket, since there's not been a single green energy company so far that's created a successful new renewable program.

There's still more at the Times. It's just one big exposé on the Obama administration's pay-to-play cronyism. We'll see how much play this gets among the MSM types today, however, the same people Jake Tapper claimed had tipped the scales for O in 2008.

Who knows? Maybe the Niall Ferguson piece at Newsweek was a bellwether.

PHOTO CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons.

UPDATE: Now a Memeorandum thread. And linked at Jawa Report and iOWNTHEWORLD. Thanks!

More at The Lonely Conservative. Thanks!

Chicago Teachers Union Attacks 'Hating Breitbart' Filmmaker Andrew Marcus

This is amazing, at Legal Insurrection, "Teachers Union releases hit piece video against director of Hating Breitbart":

The Teachers Union may ... have been upset about Marcus’s coverage of some of their protest marches, particularly the documentation of their collaboration with Occupy and Anarchist organizer Lisa Fithian...

More at "Hating Breitbart" on Twitter.

According to Discover the Networks, Fithian "Served as a human shield in actions conducted by the International Solidarity Movement in the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus," and "Has accused Israel of “slaughter[ing] Palestinians every single day in Gaza and the Occupied territories”." Plus, Fithian "Is the top street-level organizer of the Occupy Wall Street movement..."

Boy, that's a huge surprise.

See also, FrontPage Magazine, "Occupy Wall Street: The Communist Movement Reborn."

Prince Harry Nude Photo Scandal

At the Mirror UK, "Back to face the music? Prince Harry flies home after Las Vegas naked photos scandal" (via Twitter):

The 27-year-old flew into the UK today amid a storm surrounding the saucy snaps published on a US website.

The U.S. website is TMZ, "PRINCE HARRY: NAKED PHOTOS - During Vegas Rager" (via WeSmirch).

CBS News has a video report, "Do we love Prince Harry for his flubs?"

He's a cool chap.

Rose Mayr and Elizabeth Nass, Both 19-Years-Old, Killed in Maryland Train Derailment

This CNN report is abrasive in its constant reference to the two women as "girls." They were both 19-years-old, actually --- old enough to serve in combat.

See: "Two Maryland teenagers killed when train derails, spills coal."

The Los Angeles Times does better, "Train derails, tumbles from bridge near Baltimore; 2 women killed":

A coal train derailed and tumbled from a bridge in Maryland early Tuesday morning, crushing cars in a nearby parking lot and killing two women who were on the tracks, officials said.

Just after midnight Tuesday, 21 of the train’s 80 cars flipped over on a bridge in Ellicott City,  about 12 miles west of Baltimore. Some cars spilled coal across the town’s Main Street, and seven cars fell onto vehicles in a county-owned parking lot nearby, Howard County Police Department spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn told The Los Angeles Times.

"All you could see was train cars tumbled every which way and coal everywhere,” Benjamin Noppenberger, a chef at restaurant on Main Street, told the Baltimore Sun. “Cars were on the road and parking lot and everything in the lot was crushed.”

As officials cleared the scene Tuesday, using cranes to pry the train cars from the wreckage, they found the bodies of two young women, Llewellyn said.

The victims have been identified as Elizabeth Conway Nass and Rose Mayr, both 19 from Ellicott City. Nass was studying at James Madison University in Virginia and Mayr attended the University of Delaware, police said.

Two train operators were not harmed in the accident, officials said. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

Howard County officials declined to comment further, saying the National Transportation Safety Board had taken charge of the investigation.

More at the link.

Tweet CNN here and CNN Breaking News here.

These two women were attending university. And CNN's calling them "girls." If they'd been deployed and killed in combat would the network still be calling them "teenage girls."

All this talk about how the left --- and by extension the MSM --- is so "tolerant" toward women is about to make my hurl.

'Dug In, Defiant, and Going Rogue'

I'm watching CNN, and the caption on their Akin coverage is, "Dug In, Defiant, and Going Rogue."

I doubt Sarah Palin appreciates the similarities (she wants Akin to quit), but the slogan pretty much sums it up. Akin gave some hints at withdrawing this morning, apparently, but it's prime-time on the East Coast now, and there's no word yet.

Here's this at Hot Air, "Akin: “I don’t know the future”."

My previous coverage is here.

More at Memeorandum. And see especially, William Kristol, "Advice Regarding Akin."

#ObamaSpellingBee — Epic Lulz From Baracky's 'O-I-H-O' Moment

Seriously.

This isn't supposed to happen to a sitting president --- you DON'T make these kind of mistakes, period.

But of course, we've been saddled with Baracky "57 States" Obama for almost four years now, and that's to say nothing of the corrupt Democrat-Media-Complex that's been covering for the administration's world-historical stupidity.

November 6th can't come soon enough.

At Twitchy, "H-I-L-A-R-I-T-Y: Obama’s Dan Quayle moment inspires #ObamaSpellingBee," and "Bias: WaPo ‘real reporters’ falsely claim Obama ‘O-I-H-O’ pic was photoshopped."

More at Instapundit.

Sino-Japanese Conflict Over Senkaku Islands

The conflict has a long history.

There's video here, "Japan-China island row opens diplomatic wounds."

And at the New York Times, "Dispute Over Islands Reflects Japanese Fear of China’s Rise":

ISHIGAKI, Japan — When the flotilla of 21 fishing boats arrived at an island chain at the center of a growing territorial dispute with China, the captains warned the dozens of activists and politicians aboard not to attempt a landing.

Ten of the activists jumped into the shark-infested waters anyway, swimming ashore on Sunday and planting the rising sun flag that evokes painful memories of Imperial Japan’s 20th-century march across Asia.

“We feel that they dragged us into an international incident,” said Masanori Tamashiro, one of the boat captains.

That feeling is widely shared in Japan, where a small number of nationalists has pushed the country to assert itself more boldly to counter China’s and South Korea’s economic rise and China’s quickly evolving territorial ambitions. The conflict with China has raised the specter that the United States, Japan’s longtime defender, could be pulled into the fight.

The nationalists have gained traction for their cause in recent months by taking advantage of the government’s political weakness, forcing the governing party to take a tougher stand on the islands west of here, known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

But the activists are also tapping into a widespread anxiety over China, which intensified two years ago during the last major flare-up over the Senkakus. China retaliated then for Japan’s arrest of a fishing captain by starving Japan of the rare earths needed for its already struggling electronics industry. That anxiety became more pronounced in recent months as China expanded its claims in the nearby South China Sea, challenging Vietnam, the Philippines and others over more than 40 islands in a vast area, and backing its statements with aggressive moves that included sending larger patrol boats to disputed waters.

There is still little appetite in pacifist Japan for a full-blown confrontation with China. But analysts say consensus is growing on the need to stand up to China as power in the region appears to slip further from economically fading Japan and the United States.

“We are all gearing up for an international tug of war in this region,” said Narushige Michishita, an expert on security issues at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. “Whenever the distribution of power changes in a dramatic way, people start to redraw lines.”

I personally welcome the dispute --- one, because neither China nor Japan has the slightest interest or inclination toward military conflict; but second, in the case of Japan, a forceful and independent stand will allow it to make the case for its geographic interests independent of the United States. It's time to cut the cord. The U.S. will need Japan to stand up as China's regional balancer in the Pacific. The balance of power is changing, but Japan's a powerful country. Let those two East Asian giants work things out on their own.

'Keith Lemon: The Film' — World Premiere

Time flies when you're having fun, so enjoy Kelly Brook while she's still lovely.

Obscene Undercover Video of Inhumane Killing at Central Valley Meat Co. in Hanford, California

It's hard to defend such treatment of animals. I don't like it. Millions of cows are killed annually, I imagine, for meat consumption in the U.S. Technically, by definition, the slaughter is inhumane --- you simply wouldn't kill the animals at all, for meat production or any other reason. So, the only purpose of videos like this is to get people to stop eating meat altogether, which is an agenda item of environmental extremism. I can't stand those idiots.

The video is here. Viewer discretion is advised.

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Central Valley slaughterhouse closed over inhumane treatment."

This quote is good, but again, how do we know all the animals really killed "humanely"?

Fallout from the video was swift, with Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger announcing Tuesday it had severed its relationship with Central Valley Meat, one of its suppliers.

"In-N-Out Burger would never condone the inhumane treatment of animals and all of our suppliers must agree to abide by our strict standards for the humane treatment of cattle," Mark Taylor, In-N-Out's chief operating officer, said in a statement.

You make a choice when you eat meat. You have to kill the animals. They're going to puke up bile and gunk, their eyes are going to bulge out, they're going to go down ugly, no matter how it's done. So, make a choice. If animals were blessed with "human" rights, then we wouldn't eat them. They're not. But environmentalists are anti-human, so it goes without saying they'll put the welfare of animals over that of humans.

Labor Department Spent $100s of Thousands in Obama Stimulus Funds for Ads on Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow's

Because progressives really are all about corruption.

The Lonely Conservative Reports, "Stimulus Funds Went to Advertising Obama Policies on MSNBC."

Misogynist Hatebag Tom Boggioni of Firedoglake Attacks Dana Loesch as Just 'Like Herpes'

Longtime readers are quite familiar with the racist misogynist Christian-bashing hatebag TBogg of Firedoglake. His latest putrid attack is routine for this asshole:

@jesseltaylor @dloesch When you've lost Dana Loesch ... well, she's like herpes. So actually she'll probably be back.
— TBogg (@tbogg) August 21, 2012

Republican Abortion Platform Rejects Exceptions for Rape and Incest

The Fox News panel discusses the Todd Akin scandal, and the discussion inevitably moves toward the GOP's "extreme" position on abortion. Krauthammer notes that the rejection of exceptions for rape and incest have always been in recent Republican platforms, but Democrat demagoguing on social issues has heightened the focus this time around. And the Akin scandal is the gift the keeps on giving.

At the New York Times, "G.O.P. Approves Strict Anti-abortion Language in Party Platform":

Even as the Republican establishment continued to call for Representative Todd Akin of Missouri to drop out of his Senate race because of his comments on rape and abortion, Republicans approved platform language on Tuesday calling for a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion with no explicit exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

The anti-abortion plank, approved by the Republican platform committee Tuesday morning in Tampa, Fla., was similar to the planks Republicans have included in their recent party platforms, which also called for a constitutional ban on abortions. The full convention is set to vote on the party’s platform on Monday.

While Republican officials stressed that the plank did not go into granular details, saying that they were better left to the states, the language of the plank seems to leave little room for exceptions to the abortion ban. It states that “the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.”

“Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” said the draft platform language approved Tuesday, which was first reported by CNN. “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”

The timing of the approval of the Republican anti-abortion plank was awkward for Mitt Romney, who has denounced Mr. Akin’s comments about rape and abortion and who has said that he supports exceptions to allow abortions in cases of rape. And it comes as his selection of his running mate, Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, was already drawing scrutiny for his support for a more absolute ban on abortions, even in cases of rape or incest.

RELATED: At the Los Angeles Times, "Todd Akin touts support from crusader who espoused theories on rape" (via Memeorandum).

NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll: Romney Faces Hurdles Heading Into Conventions

At MSNBC, "NBC/WSJ poll: Heading into conventions, Obama has four-point lead" (via Memeorandum).

Here's the Wall Street Journal's report, "In Tight Race, Romney Faces Hurdles" (via Memeorandum):

Heading into next week's Republican convention, Mitt Romney remains within striking distance of President Barack Obama but faces steep challenges in inducing voters to warm up to him as a candidate, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found.

Mr. Romney's choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate has stirred excitement within the GOP that he can defeat the president. But the poll found little evidence the pick will affect the election, beyond helping unify Mr. Romney's conservative base.

Mr. Obama's lead over Mr. Romney was 48% to 44% in the new poll, about the same as a month earlier and within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3 points.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters, taken Aug. 16-20, showed that significant swaths of the electorate harbor reservations about the former Massachusetts governor, concerns that have budged little since the general-election fight began in earnest four months ago.

At the same time, Mr. Obama continues to receive low marks for his handling of the economy, particularly among undecided voters, who are more pessimistic than are voters overall about the country's economic future. The dour outlook among undecided voters could hamper Mr. Obama's ability to turn his current lead into a winning majority.

Mr. Romney outscored the president on leadership qualities. He polled higher when those participating were asked which man has better executive skills, ideas to improve the economy and ability to change "business as usual'' in Washington.

But since the spring, Mr. Romney has made scant headway in persuading the public that he understands the concerns of average Americans.

Barely a third of those polled gave him better marks than the president on caring about average people, dealing with the concerns of women or seniors, or being a calm and steady leader.

More than half said Mr. Romney was "out of step with most Americans' thinking," compared with 44% who said that of Mr. Obama.

"Mitt Romney heads into his convention with a lot of repair work to do with his image," said Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the poll along with Republican Bill McInturff.

The full results are here. Looks like a good sample, although it's a little heavy on Democrat respondents (34 percent). That said, the findings are in line with what we know already, and swing state polling shows Romney very competitive.

This race is too close to call.

More at Hot Air, "Bounce: New polls show Romney leading in Michigan, Wisconsin after Ryan pick."

Kelly Brook Afternoon Rule 5

Via Tumblr.

And see London's Daily Mail, "Hello, boys! Kelly Brook strips off (again) in sexy photos to launch her second New Look lingerie line for women with curves." Lots of photos at the link.

BONUS: At AceofSpadesHQ, "In Which, Depressed and Bored, I Post An Article About Christina Hendricks, Hoping To Get An "I'd Hit That" Thread Going."

Reince Priebus: Akin 'Ought to Do the Right Thing for the Country and Get Out of the Race...' (VIDEO)

I mentioned how abortion has moved to the center of the debate on the GOP. The Republican Convention is gearing up in Tampa, and I'll have more on that. Meanwhile, here's the RNC Chair putting the pressure on Akin::

PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

* "Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'."

* "'Rush to the Gunfire': Embattled Todd Akin Vows to Stay in the Race."

* "Dana Loesch Withdraws Support for Todd Akin."

Dana Loesch Withdraws Support for Todd Akin

She's been fighting almost a one-woman battle for Akin. And she's from Missouri, knows local politics, and has talked with the candidate personally.

Unfortunately I can no longer go forward with confidence believing that Akin can win this race. #mosen
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 21, 2012

After Akin attacked party ticket I'm not sure how he can walk it back. It's his decision to withdraw , I hope he makes right one. #MOsen
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 21, 2012

I have been on the front lines of this battle for a long while. Akin is a good person, has a good record. He and the party hurt his chance.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 21, 2012

And the golden rule: as a GOP candidate, you DO NOT attack the ticket. Period, period, period, period, period. THE END.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 21, 2012

Check Dana's Twitter feed for updates.

PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

* "Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'."

* "'Rush to the Gunfire': Embattled Todd Akin Vows to Stay in the Race."

More at Memeorandum.

Akin's dug in. The question now is whether the GOP can force him off the ballot? If he goes, will that help? And if he stays, can he beat McCaskill? She's not well liked in Missouri.

I think the whole thing sucks. But if Akin's a shitty candidate, my sense is that it's up to the voters to decide, not the party bureaucrats.

CNN's reporting that abortion's now becoming a key issue for the GOP, so I doubt that an Akin exit from the race will make this go away or make things better for the national ticket. The left has been running on social issues for a while so it's no surprise they'll keep hammering on 'em. Perhaps #RomneyRyan can get the focus back on the economy. Even Mitt's called on Akin to go, "Mitt Romney calls for Rep. Akin to drop out."

'Rush to the Gunfire': Embattled Todd Akin Vows to Stay in the Race

Rockin' conservative Dana Loesch gets an awesome interview with Rep. Akin, and the Los Angeles Times reports, "Todd Akin says he will 'rush to the gunfire,' stay in Senate race":

Defiant Senate candidate Todd Akin said in a pair of radio appearances Tuesday that he will not drop out of his race against Sen. Claire McCaskill, promising to “rush to the gunfire” rather than away from it, following his controversial remarks about rape and abortion.

Despite urgings from much of the Republican Party hierarchy to drop his candidacy before a deadline this evening, Akin told radio hosts Mike Huckabee and Dana Loesch that he still believes he can beat McCaskill.

Akin, 65, portrayed himself as a man of principle, unwilling to give up his fight just because of comments that he portrayed as a minor misstep. “One word, one sentence, [on] one day out of place and all of a sudden the entire establishment turns on you,” Akin told Loesch, whose syndicated show is broadcast from KFTK-FM in St. Louis.

More at the link. And follow all the action at Dana's Twitter feed.

Plus, Anne Sorock updates at Legal Insurrection, "Akin confirms he’s staying in on The Dana Show, Huckabee."

PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

* "Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'."

CNN's doing back-to-back stories on this, so expect more updates. Akin's not dropping out. This leaves the state and national GOP establishment stuck with a quandary. But listen to the interview. Akin sounds like a patriot and a fighter to me. Lots of folks on the right are out for this guy's blood, but he's apologized and made that emotional plea for "foregiveness." How often do Democrats do that? Right. Never, the f-king asshats.

"Rush to the gunfire" is right. Take 'em out, Akin.

Expect updates...

'Toddler Fight Club': Delaware Daycare's License Revoked After Video Shows Kids Fighting

Howard Portnoy reports, at Hot Air, "Daycare workers arrested for urging toddlers to fight one another."

And at News One, "Child Care Workers Cuffed For Organizing ‘Toddler Fight Club’."

It was two black chicks and a f-king Latina --- but we wouldn't want to make any "sweeping generalizations" about these stupid c*nts. That would be unfair.

I hope the childrens' families win a huge settlement.

Gallup/USA Today Poll: Americans Worse Off in 12 Battleground States

Glenn Reynolds keeps reminding us not to get cocky, but my gut sense says a president at 45 percent nationally, with unemployment still above 8 percent, cannot be reelected. The election is close, I believe, because the White House has been successful in deflecting from its own historical failures, and also because of missteps on the part of Mitt Romney's campaign. But the Paul Ryan pick has powerfully clarified the choice facing Americans, and with the national party conventions beginning next week, we'll truly see an epic campaign for the future of the nation.

USA Today reports, "Obama faces historic challenge":

Barack Obama, who made history when he was elected president four years, would make a different kind of history if he wins re-election in November: claiming a second term when most Americans say they aren't better off than they were when he moved into the Oval Office.

Since Ronald Reagan challenged President Carter nearly three decades ago, the rhetorical debate question has become an iconic one for voters. Are you better off than you were four years ago? Now, in USA TODAY/Gallup polls nationwide and in the 12 top battleground states, most voters say the situation for them and their families hasn't improved over the past four years -- the most downbeat response of the electorate in elections since then.

Even so, President Obama, who in 2008 became the first African American elected president, maintains a lead over challenger Mitt Romney in the battleground states likely to decide the election, 47%-44%. That's better than his standing in the non-battleground states, where Romney leads 47%-45%.

Despite airing millions of dollars in TV ads and taking a high-profile trip abroad, Romney has failed to budge in the swing states, stuck at 44% or 45% since April. In that time, Obama has maintained a steady 47% despite a string of disappointing monthly jobs reports and an 8.3% unemployment rate.

The president's vulnerabilities on the economy have opened the door to a re-election rebuke, analysts of all stripes agree, but so far Romney has failed to walk through that opening. In the survey and follow-up interviews, voters say they have lost much of their faith that Obama can fix the economy but aren't convinced they can trust Romney to watch out for them and their interests.

Romney's biggest opportunities to do so lie ahead, at the Republican National Convention that opens Monday in Tampa and in the presidential debates in October. "I'm really kind of torn, and I'm glad I don't have to vote today," says Kerry O'Hearn, 55, of Grandville, Mich., who was called in the poll. "There's just something about Romney that I'm not sure I like." She voted for Obama four years ago, but if she had to grade him now on the economy, she would give him a D.

Romney will close the deal in the remaining months of the campaign.

More, Ed Morrissey parses the numbers, "Gallup swing state poll shows virtual tie, only 40% better off than in 2008."

GOP Congressman Apologizes for Nude Swim in Israel

Rep. Kevin Yoder took off his clothes before jumping in the water --- the only one of six GOP members of Congress present for the drunk skinny-dipping in Israel.

Sounds like fun to me. At The Hill, "Rep. Yoder apologizes for skinny-dipping in Sea of Galilee."

And here's the report at the New York Times, "House Member Is Rebuked After Nude Swim in Israel":

WASHINGTON — They came to town promising something new and different, a fresh reprieve from the antics and proclivities of a “Washington” they disdained.

But during a trip to Israel last summer, several House Republican freshmen engaged in a late-night swim in the Sea of Galilee, complete with one skinny-dipping congressman whose choice threatened to tarnish the reputation of the House newcomers as superserious number-crunchers who sleep on their office couches and go to bed before midnight.

On a trip billed as a foreign policy fact-finding mission last year, a large group of Republican members of Congress, and some of their staff and family members, decided to take a swim in the sea after a long day.

Several members — including Representative Steve Southerland II of Florida, who jumped into the water holding hands with his 21-year-old daughter — said they were moved to dip for religious reasons. (The sea is believed by Christians to be the location where Jesus walked on water.)

While most of the members remained clothed, or largely so, Representative Kevin Yoder of Kansas decided to disrobe entirely, as reported first by Politico on Sunday. This sent most of the members fleeing for the shore, said a participant, and prompted a harsh rebuke the next day from  Representative Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, who was on the trip but did not swim in the sea.

More than 80 members of the House went on the trip, which was arranged by Mr. Cantor, as guests of the American Israel Education Foundation, a charity affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group. It was believed to be the largest number of members of Congress to make the trip during a single recess, according to the organizers at the time. Mr. Cantor’s comments were made to the entire traveling group, said one person there, saying that members should not detract from the trip’s mission.

RELATED: At LAT, "FBI not investigating Republican skinny-dipping, drinking in Israel."

GRAPHIC: Video Shows al Qaeda in Iraq Executing Policemen in Haditha

It's at Long War Journal. They've got a content warning up there and they're not kidding.

An extremely violent clip, "Al Qaeda in Iraq video details deadly raid in Haditha."

The situation is badly deteriorating there. See the Guardian UK, "Iraq hit by wave of deadly bombings and shootings." Apparently, the insurgency in Iraq is being revived by the war in Syria.

Good going, Baracky! You came with open arms to Cairo, saying that America and the Muslim world shared more in common than not, and the natives rose up to greet you, just not the way you were hoping.

Apple Now Biggest-Ever U.S. Company

An interesting report, at the Wall Street Journal:

Apple Inc. AAPL surpassed Microsoft Corp. MSFT Monday as the largest U.S. company ever, measured by stock-market value.

Apple hit the new milestone—$623.52 billion—at a time when its influence on the economy, on the stock market and on popular culture rivals that of some of the most powerful companies in U.S. history: General Motors Co., GM whose Corvette and Impala typified a confident postwar manufacturing giant; Microsoft, whose technology heralded the arrival of the personal computer and the early Internet age; and International Business Machines Corp., IBM whose buttoned-down rigor inspired rivals to reach for greatness.

"It is one of those iconic companies," says Richard Sylla, professor of financial history at New York University's Stern School of Business. "When I think about these companies, their products were used by all kinds of people and their leaders were considered geniuses."

Continue reading.

Missouri's Todd Akin Asks for 'Forgiveness'

I can't remember anything like this. It's not quite the Checkers speech, but Akin invoking his "two daughters" provides some emotional impact.

At Politico, "Exclusive: Akin ad asks for 'forgiveness'" (via Memeorandum):

PREVIOUSLY:

* "Progressives Call for Rape of Missouri Rep. Todd Akin."

* "Conservatives Push for Todd Akin to Quit Missouri Senate Race."

* "'I Would Be Thinking About What's In the Best Interest of the Party' — Sean Hannity Interview With Embattled Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin."

* "Social Conservatives Stand Up for Todd Akin."

* "Obama Emerges From the Bunker to Declare 'Rape is Rape'."

EXIT QUESTION: How long until Akin drops out?

Tempted Angela? Breaking Up the Euro Area

I mentioned previously that I'd try to come back to this story.

At the Economist, "The Euro: Tempted, Angela?":

FOR all you know, Angela Merkel is even now contemplating how to break up the euro. Surely Germany’s long-suffering chancellor must be tempted, given the endless euro-bickering over rescues that later turn out to be inadequate. How she must tire of fighting her country’s corner, only to be branded weak by critics at home. How she must resent sacrificing German wealth, only to be portrayed as a Nazi in some of the very countries she is trying to rescue.

But for this very practical woman there is also a practical reason to start contingency planning for a break-up: it is looking ever more likely. Greece is buckling (see article). Much of southern Europe is also in pain, while the northern creditor countries are becoming ever less forgiving: in a recent poll a narrow majority of Germans favoured bringing back the Deutschmark. A chaotic disintegration would be a calamity. Even as Mrs Merkel struggles to find a solution, her aides are surely also sensibly drawing up a plan to prepare for the worst.

This week our briefing imagines what such a “Merkel memorandum” might say (see article). It takes a German point of view, but its logic would apply to the other creditor countries. Its conclusions are stark—not least in terms of which euro member it makes sense to keep or drop. But the main message is one of urgency. For the moment, breaking up the euro would be more expensive than trying to hold it together. But if Europe just keeps on arguing, that calculation will change.

Keep reading.

This piece adds up the costs of break up, and it ain't pretty. But it might be a sooner or later question, so who knows?

But see C. Fred Bergsten, at Foreign Affairs, "Why the Euro Will Survive."

Bernard-Henri Lévy: Regime Change in Damascus

The French philosopher supports Western military intervention in Syria, and sees France leading the charge.

At The Daily Beast, "End the Syria Slaughter Now!":

Is it possible to intervene? What can be done in the face of the Russian and Chinese vetoes in the U.N. Security Council? The answer is not as complicated as those who are determined not to intervene would have us believe. It is the answer that French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave to the representatives of Libya’s Transitional National Council on March 11, 2011, when they asked him what would happen if France and the United States could not persuade the Security Council to go along with their plans. “That would be very unfortunate,” Sarkozy responded. “And we have to do everything we can to keep that from happening, but if we don’t succeed, then it will be necessary, together with the appropriate regional organizations (the Arab League, the African Union), to establish an alternative supervisory authority that will enable us to act.” Indeed, that is just what Susan Rice, the U.S. permanent representative to the Security Council, suggested with respect to Syria on May 30, 2012, following a briefing by Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Kofi Annan’s deputy, who was already beginning to come to grips with the failure of the U.N. mediation. If it did fail, Rice said, the international community would have to consider “whether they’re prepared to take actions outside of the Annan plan and the authority of this Council.” From the American ambassador! In this case, it was a question of law. Or more precisely of the need to amend the law when its provisions conflict with the requirements of natural law and justice. The Russian and Chinese vetoes are not an argument—they’re an alibi, the alibi of those who secretly believe that Assad will be strong enough to crush the insurrection and get us off the hook. The bloodbath is his—the crocodile tears, ours.

Keep reading.

He's not calling for a full-on Iraq-style ground invasion, favoring limited measures like a no-fly zone instead, but I doubt a stepped-up military initiative would avoid a large ground deployment in the long run. Interestingly, BHL sounds a lot like Max Boot on this.