Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Responds to State of the Union

From Midnight Blue and Mike's America:

I love this guy. Like I've said before, I wish we had him out here.

Obama is the Katy Perry of Politics

From Kathleen McKinley (also at Right Wing News):

Pres. Obama is the Katy Perry of politics.

Let's face it. Katy Perry cannot sing. Just as Pres. Obama cannot govern. But both are stars anyway. We just like them. Katy is fun, bubbly, and pretty, But even auto tune cannot hide the fact that Katy can't sing a lick. The first time I watched her sing on TV I wondered if everyone in the audience would start laughing soon ....

It's the same with Obama. The speeches, the words, the teleprompters all give us the show we want to see. He's so darn "articulate," to use Vice President Biden's term. He's so darn good with the words that we all pretend that maybe he can actually govern and lead. That maybe he can actually get this economy going and bring America together.

They are both fun to watch. But sadly, neither Obama nor Katy can do what they are trying so hard to do.

This is, of course, a wonderful chance to post Katy Perry bikini shots!

Interview With Michele Bachmann at 'Red County'

The link is here:

See also, "Can't Kill the Buzz of Liberty: Thoughts on Independence Hall."

Can't Kill the Buzz of Liberty: Thoughts on Independence Hall

Actually, this seems like a comment from folks like snark-ass JBW:

Dear Dr Douglas: If you want to see the Liberty Bell, or the place where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed, we have the originals here in Pennsylvania; you don't have to see faux copies.

But actually, that's from Dana at Common Sense Political Thought. I read his blog, and I admire is daughter, PFC Pico, and I link to him often - and most of all I wish I could have coffee with him in Philly. So, God bless him, why he was moved to post a little put down like that is beyond me. But it does serve as a catalyst to write about yesterday's event at further length.

I noted a couple of days ago that I hadn't been to Independence Hall at Knott's Berry Farm since I was in 5th grade. My class went there on a field trip. It's interesting that I've never forgotten the experience. I especially enjoyed seeing the replica of the Liberty Bell. As a local tourist website notes, "Walter Knott's deep love of country and home drove him to build the country's only brick-by-brick replica of Independence Hall." And that's the thing. Why would a Southern California entrepreneur spend his own money, in the 1960s, to build an exact version of the Pennsylvania State House, where our founding documents were signed? It's one of the most powerful affirmations of American exceptional one can make. Other people sure haven't taken that contribution for granted, as the Knott's Wikipedia entry notes, "Independence Hall was so well recreated that it was used in the 2004 film 'National Treasure'." And because admission is free, the facility is a phenomenal historical resource for our local communities. No doubt untold numbers of Southern California children have toured Independence Hall with their families and with their teachers and classmates. And I know many of those with less advantage -- and thus without the financial ability to travel to Philadelphia -- would never ridicule this fabulous historical recreation as a cheap "faux" copy. We're are blessed to have so cherished a replica here at home.

Of course, I'm sure Representative Royce knew exactly what he was doing when he invited Representative Bachmann to attend a rally at Knott's Independence Hall. The tea parties, and our few congressional leaders who really understand them, reflect the spirit of 1776. When I met Opus yesterday I told her and her friends that I've never participated as much in American politics as I have in the last year. I've been a political junkie for 25 years, and a political scientist almost as long. But I've learned more about our political system this last year -- and especially about the mass media! -- than I ever did inside a classroom.

And going to Knott's Berry Farm yesterday felt like I'd gone full circle from my childhood. That was forty years ago, and never would I have thought back then how much I'd come to love and appreciate our institutions so much. I teach the meaning of the Declaration of Independence every semester, and I can guarantee you that way too many students don't appreciate the fundamental philosophical foundations embedded in that piece of parchment. Many of them don't know that Jefferson's handiwork ties together a long line of Western political thought, handiwork that at that time was preserved for the ages in the founding of a new nation. They certainly don't know that later freedom fighters, like those fighting for liberty in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, would read the Declaration of Independence at their own revolutions from tyranny (e.g., Prague in 1989).

So, when we rally at events like this, no one takes for granted the real Independence Hall in Philadelphia. We wish we could be there with our fellow patriots. Michele Bachmann was so powerful yesterday in her effusive thanks to all the people who took time out from their busy lives to reaffirm the founding principles of our nation. She noted that it's going to take people like this to take the country back. David Horowitz, who gave a brief speech before Representative Bachmann was introduced, argued that the November 2010 elections were the most important elections in his lifetime. He even had to stop himself and admit, that yes, all elections seem like they're the most important ever. But he noted that the congressional midterms this year are an unmatched epic moment for Americans to apply the brakes, to slow the real push to Democratic-socialism in this country. This is not hyperbole. This is from a man who was one of the leading 1960s activists, one who knows real communist agitators and one who doesn't apply a lot of spin in his analysis (Horowitz rejects the "birther" talk and all that).

In any case, I just needed to vent about this -- since you can't kill the buzz of liberty! I told my good friend Jan at Vinegar and Honey that next to my family, I'm most happy when I'm with my fellow tea party patriots. I've been so enriched and strengthened this last year, with all the activism and comaraderie, I can't express how meaningful it's all been. My faith in America is constantly renewed. My hope is that my friend Dana at Common Sense Political Thought will keep these words in mind as we move forward in 2010 and work to rekindle the promise of events that took place nearly 235 years ago in his home state of Pennsylvania.

Keep Your 'Lectric Eye On Me Babe...

Well, Bob Belvedere left a comment at my Bowie post from the other night, but if I've still got fence-sitters, this clip of "Moonage Daydream" should be decisive. I don't know exactly, but when I reached rock musical sophistication in my mid-20s, I just had a thing for David Bowie. He's British, for one thing. And Americans have always had a soft spot for at least a couple of British bands, whether it was the Beatles, the Who, Elton John, or the Sex Pistols. We love 'em. I think Bowie was such a huge influence on the later rage of the "New Romantic" genre, and of course gothic rock and some punk, that I glommed onto to him (with one of my best friends, Steve Stone, who's now dead, sadly, from a heroin OD sometime back). And of course I mentioned previously I saw Bowie in concert at the US Festival in 1983 (see, "'Jesus Christ! Where'd You Get that Cadillac?'"), so that was something of a pinnacle of experience at the time. When you feel like you've reached the mountaintop there's much less urgency to later experiences.

Anyway, Bowie is cool as Ziggy Stardust here. Something about his early vocals that had an extra "Cockney" clang to them. But it's Mick Ronson who ultimately steals the show at the clip. This is Jimmy Page spaced-out (or Jeff Beck, Ronson's hero). And perhaps even better if you prefer your rock all glammed up. When Rolling Stone does those periodic fluff pieces on the greatest guitar songs of all time, you can discount it if Ronson's gig on "Moonage Daydream's" not included (as he is here, but can't find him here). Look at the women screaming and crying for Mick in the audience. Not since the boys from Liverpool toured the U.S. had you seen that kind of emotion.

And sorry for holding out on the babe blogging of late. Check Theo Spark and Washington Rebel for some of the hot stuff. Plus, check my good friend Anton's post, "Australia Day – January 26th 2010, with a little music there as well.

Rally at Independence Hall: Michele Bachmann in the O.C.!

As promised, here's my report on Michele Bachmann at Independence Hall, Knott's Berry Farm, in Buena Park. The location's just a few miles south from my campus. The event was from 3:00 to 4:00pm, and it was just incredible. As you can see, the park's Independence Hall is an exact replica of the original historic landmark in Philadelphia, PA. Both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed there. Here you can see contemporary patriots getting ready for the rally:

Here's the West Coast's Liberty Bell inside the hall:

A shot of the bell's famous crack:

Patriots inside the gift shop (the original Independence Flag took up the whole wall):

George Washington and Betsy Ross:

The sweeties at the gift counter, in 18th century dress:

Heading back outside, I introduced myself to David Horowitz. He would speak in just a few minutes to kick off the event:

Still waiting, I went back inside the hall for a couple of more pictures:

Amazing historical authenticity:

The Declaration of Independence (at the time, a piece of work in progress, to borrow from POWIP):

Back outside, Mr. Rooster and Mama Hens:

Here's Mr. Horowitz:

Representative Michele Bachmann waits before being introduced:

She thanked Congressman Ed Royce quite graciously and enthusiastically:

Representative Bachmann gave a rousing speech. She came to California straight from Washington and the last night's SOTU. She reminded the crowd that this time last year the big talk was Joe Wilson's "you lie," while this week it's Samuel Alito's "not true," and she turned that into a little chant to fire up the patriots in attendence. She was especially emphatic in stressing the president's defiance of the American people. Passing healthcare was not about improving lives, it was about Obama's personal agenda:

Down in front of the podium, Congressman Royce came back up for a Q&A:

Michele Bachmann's a political goddess. Lots of folks crowded around as she finished speaking. She posed for just a couple of pictures, and then was whisked away by her escorts/handlers:

My picture with Representative Bachmann will have to wait. But to my everlasting joy, I met Opus #6 of MAINFO:

She took some pictures as well, from right down in front (I'm in the picture at left). It turns out Opus headed straight over to the Lincoln Club fundraising dinner. She's mobile blogging the event. See, "Michele Bachmann Speaks in Newport Beach," and "I Am Sitting a Few Seats Down From Chuck Devore in Newport Beach."

You've gotta love the O.C.!!

UPDATE: In a correction, I've posted the right picture of the Declaration of Independence above.

'Freedom Makes Us Free'

Too hot for the National Post, at Blazing Cat Fur, "Guest Post By Laura Rosen Cohen: Freedom Makes Us Free":

If today, someone calls me a dirty Jew, I care very little -- and frankly don’t need the state to fight my battles. If suddenly, in Canada or America, the state were to suddenly decide that because we are Jews, that we are not legally entitled to own property or that we are no longer legally full humans, equal under the law, then, Houston, we would have a problem and civilized, western societies such as ours would reject the state’s totalitarian, antisemitic plans.

RTWT at the the link.

Try to Love Again...

GSGF sent me the American Power widget I just added at the sidebar. And for fun I included the "Moonage Daydream" clip as well (more on that tonight). So, I'll just post a little more music now before I head out to the Michele Bachmann rally. Sheryl Crow's liberal as all get out, but I like her, and she's beautiful in this video. (Pat Houseworth loves his '60s-era bands, even though they were all antiwar, so it's a common problem among conservatives). Actually, "The First Cut is the Deepest" is a Cat Stevens song, and I'm mostly familiar with Rod Stewart's cover. But Crow popularized it for me in the 2000s. I remember her live performance at the American Music Awards (I think), and the song stuck ... So, enjoy, and check back later to see if I was able to score a photo with Michele Bachmann!

Bachmann Bails on National Tea Party Convention

From Politico, "Lawmakers Back Out of Tea Party Event" (via):

In another sign that controversy is taking a toll on next week’s National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, Tenn., two of its top attractions — Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) — have decided to opt out of their prior plans to speak at the event.

The high-profile blows to the convention come as several sponsors have backed out and organizers are struggling to sell tickets to Sarah Palin’s keynote address amid controversy about the convention’s unusual finances.

As first reported by POLITICO, the convention is being run by a for-profit Tennessee corporation called Tea Party Nation, registered to a little-known Tennessee lawyer whose efforts to position himself as a national tea party leader have put him at odds with some state tea party activists. The lawyer, Judson Phillips, intended to turn a profit from the convention, with the stated goal of seeding a so-called 527 group that would air ads praising conservative candidates or criticizing their opponents, though he now concedes he’s hoping just to break even and has tabled the 527 idea.

Maybe the guy will cancel it. Some folks are taking Sarah Palin to task for her participation, although I just don't like the idea of ticket sales for a tea party.

I'll be heading over to meet Michele Bachmann this afternoon, so perhaps I'll hear more on this. And if I'm lucky I'll get some good pictures as well. So check back tonight for that stuff ...

Marcy Wheeler: 'I Didn't Actually Watch SOTU', But FU Obama and the Banks Anyway...

The admission obviously disqualifies Marcy Wheeler from being taken seriously:

I didn’t watch the SOTU last night – though I did follow along on Twitter.

Kinda like staying at Holiday Inn, I guess ...

Twitter's great -- awesome even -- although, naturally, you can tweet and watch/listen at the same time. That's just kinda the way it works, yo!

But this part is especially rich, on "punishing" the banks:

I am utterly fascinated by the way Obama dealt with this – probably his Administration’s single biggest failure – the failure to keep more people in their homes. Aside from the mention of those abstract children, asking why they have to move, there’s no admission of the human cost of the mortgage crisis. Instead, homes are just investments, the ability for individual families to spend more to stimulate the economy, a store of value ....

So while it’s perhaps a subtle rhetorical point, it is, to me, also a stunning revelation of the way in which the Administration still fails to see how the banks should be punished, because their fraud devastated all these families. Obama fails to see that housing has not just an upside–investment, jobs, growth–but also a huge downside of crumbling communities as one after another neighbor gets evicted from their home.

Actually, I watched and listened to the speech, and there's absolutely no question the president's concerned about foreclosures, and frankly, his latest plan imposing new regulations on commercial banks WILL punish them. The financial sector expects the administration to damage competitiveness, and thus to DESTROY jobs (which a rudimentary knowledge of business finance would indicate). Dr. Wheeler's thus not only disqualified, but clueless as well. Note how her essay constitutes post-modern conceptions of authority. Dr. Wheeler's supposed to be a expert on "literary-journalistic" traditions, but we're not talking state censorship here (which is apparently her expertise). We're talking about authenticity and credibility, and there's she's lacking. Note how without actually watching SOTU Dr. Wheeler privileges her own opinions over what actually happened -- and what actually has happened in the regulatory scheme of things -- which is exactly what she did with her allegations of Andrew Breitbart's involvement in the James O'Keefe bust at Senator Landrieu's office. Folks like this aren't to be trusted, especially coming from "Hammering" Jane Hamsher's crib (home of some of the netroots left's most despicable bloggers).

CA GOP Matchups With Boxer

From today's poll at the Public Policy Institute of California (via Memeorandum):

In a theoretical Senate matchup, Boxer falls short of a majority against each of the potential challengers. She and Campbell are in a close contest (45% to 41%). While 79 percent of Democratic likely voters favor Boxer, 84 percent of Republican likely voters favor Campbell. Independents are more divided but favor Boxer (42% to 37%). Gender differences among likely voters are stark: Boxer has a 14-point lead among female likely voters (50% to 36%), and Campbell has a 6-point lead among men (46% to 40%). Boxer has an 8-point lead over Fiorina (48% to 40%) and DeVore (47% to 39%).

There's not much difference between Fiorina and DeVore vis-a-vis Boxer, but considering the former's big money and name recognition, the results are a bit surprising to me (she should be doing better).

DeVore has improved a tiny bit in this poll (compared to here), although he's got a lot of ground to make up. (Name recognition is driving Campbell's support at this point.)

My sense is that he's got to get aggressive with some media and advertising, and that takes money. He's got a money-bomb gearing up for February 1st, so check that out if you're able to help. Tom Campbell will not protect innocent lives if elected, and as noted, Fiorina's pro-life posture is sketchy. See, "Life, Values, and California's GOP Senate Primary."

Noisy and Messy

From the president's speech last night:

Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That's just how it is.

Actually, a little messier than he'd like:

Update on James O'Keefe

Here's the latest from the Washington Post, "ACORN Foe Tweeted About Planned Sting of Sen. Landrieu's Office" (via Memeorandum). However, no tweet cited there says any such thing:

On New Year's Eve, conservative activist James O'Keefe telegraphed across the Internet that he was up to something big.

On the social networking site Twitter, he said that his past undercover video stings had exposed wrongdoing at Democratic-leaning organizations -- and he foreshadowed one more in the offing.

"2008: Planned Parenthood VPs fired 2009: ACORN defunded 2010: Get ready cuz this is about to get heavy," he wrote on his public Twitter page, dubbed "JamesOKeefeIII."

Actually, checking O'Keefe's Twitter page, it's interesting that it's the big media outlets who've been issuing retractions on this story. As I noted immediately on Tuesday, Marcy Wheeler at Firedoglake (who crudely characterizes the episode as "TeaBuggerGate") had already accused Breitbart of involvement before any facts were known, and of course ACORN was throwing a party at the news. Our media world is TFUBAR when stories like this get turned around and folks like James O'Keefe are painted as criminals before anyone knows a thing. (And if you dig real dirt on the left's demonic shakedown artists, that's not "real journalism.") We now know, of course, that initial allegations of intent to wiretap Senator Landrieu's office were false. Jill Stanek has written a post reflecting her belief in O'Keefe and her vindication as new information has come in. See, "The arrest of James O'Keefe."

But in case you missed it, here this from the comments at Althouse the other night:

What's wrong with you people? James O'Keefe did America a big favor once, and I'll wait to hear what he was fishing for this time before I condemn him or call him stupid. If he has a legal defense fund, I'm in. Why should he pay for doing what the media refuses to do? That kid's a hero. Investigative journalism ain't no "15 minutes of fame" bullshit, it's serious business - y'all need to get serious as well.

I support good people - not goodie-goodie - and James O'Keefe's contribution to this latest incarnation of conservatism - The Tea Party Movement - can't be overstated. It's bigger than Scott Brown's, though Brown was in a better situation to have an impact, because these were kids - acting when nobody else would - proving to the world we were right about the corruption of ACORN all along. That was the crack in liberalism's facade and you know it.

This young man realigned our political world. Like I said, I'm with him until I hear more. The fact the rest of you have to think about it, or are assuming anything already, gives me pause:

What does loyalty mean to you?

Worst SOTU?

Jim Hoft's a bit more critical than I was last night, "McCain Seen Mouthing “Blame It On Bush” During Obama’s Hyper-Partisan Attack Speech":

This may go down as the worst State of the Union Address in history. The current administration tripled the national deficit, nearly doubled the unemployment from the average during the Bush years, and nearly bankrupt the country on failed stimulus while focusing on nationalizing health care and energy, but blamed the previous adminstration for all of his woes. President Obama could not get himself to admit we won in Iraq and inappropriately attacked the Supreme Court all in one awful speech.

Also, from Ruby Slippers, "More Lip Reading the SOTU Audience." And Doug Ross, "Larwyn's Linx: Requiem for Obamacare."

And related, "Justice Alito's Reaction," via Memeorandum.

Howard Zinn, Marxist Historian, Dead at 87

I saw him speak at Fresno State in about 1990. This was frankly before I really understood the new communism in the U.S. The Boston Globe has the report, "Howard Zinn, Historian Who Challenged Status Quo, Dies at 87." I can't imagine any other public intellectuals who've contributed more to the soft-thinking destruction of generations of young Americans. Michelle Malkin has some background. See, "Hollywood & Howard Zinn’s Marxist Education Project," and "'Social Justice' for Grade-Schoolers: The Howard Zinn Education Project."

Via Memeorandum. See also, Joshua Pundit (some background on Zinn's contribution), and JammieWearingFoo, "Marxist Crank Assumes Room Temperature: Chomsky, Affleck Hardest Hit."

A Purple Pleasing Speech?

While this video embed if via MSNBC, I watched the speech on ABC. During to opening chit-chat George Stephanopoulos noted First Lady Michelle Obama's purple dress, suggesting the wardrobe selection was no accident: the president was intent to appeal to the great middle of America (not the blue states nor the red states, but the mixed palette). While I found Obama to be actually quite partisan -- almost extremely so when he blamed the Bush administration for bequeathing him a crisis -- and thus the speech wasn't so "purplish" after all, the dude can f***king deliver an address when the pressure's on! If you get the chance, and I haven't scrolled forward at this video, be sure to look at the president just after signs off with the combative declaration that "I don't quit." ABC News ended their broadcast with a frozen image of the president face, with a clenched-jaw determination and an almost Clint Eastwood squint in his eyes. He's not going to back down, and frankly, as he didn't mention the Massachusetts election, I doubt the supposed reset everyone's been talking about is really going to reset much.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I'm tired, so I'm not going to spend time right now trolling around for reactions. The text of the speech is at NYT via Memeorandum. My biggest takeaway policy-wise clearly is the president's discussion of the economy. I frankly want to check all his numbers on tax cuts and will look those up in the next couple of days. His claims to transparency in implementing the financial bailout are pure bull, and his call for posting congressional earmarks all together on one website for everyone to see, before a bill is passed, is essentially an a priori lie. Obama talks a good game, but he may have screwed up in asking for suggestions on healthcare. Mitch McConnell was all too happy to stand and applaud at that point, so look for possible gotcha moments on that down the road. (This administration is not known for soliciting outside opinions.) Also memeorable were some of the reactions in the audience of assembled congressional members, Supreme Court justices, and the Joint Chiefs. John McCain looked over to Lindsey Graham and said "blame Bush," Obama's "blaming Bush" for the economic crisis (and this is after the president swore off blaming others previously). Justice Samuel Alito rejected the president's comments that the ruling on campaign finance would "open the floodgates" to special interests. And the Joint Chiefs of Staff sat like cold stones while the president pledged to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" (almost twenty years later, and this seems like something from the first Clinton administration).

Also quite noticeable was the president's faux outrage at the nation's partisan temper. This administration failed at post-partisan transformation all by itself. Thank goodness the GOP's been as unified as it has. I'd expect no less in the face of the Democratic-socialist onslaught.

I should note too that while I can sit and listen to an Obama address, because he really is a talented communicator, up there with Reagan and Clinton, in my opinion, it's not fun at all to have Vice President Biden and Speaker Pelosi back there with their s***eating grins and hubristic nods all night. That was almost too much. Fortunately, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell gave an awesome speech hitting all the right notes. And the Jeffersonian touch -- stressing federalism and states rights -- was perhaps the most important volley of words launched all night. I'll have more on McDonnell's speech later. That man is presidential material, and I hope sooner rather than later.

Advice for Obama's State of the Union

This clip is from the House Republican Conference:

That's Conference Chairman Mike Pence, who is introduced as a "moderate." I'm not exactly sure what that is, since I'm not very familiar with Mike Pence. But he's certainly right that the administration doesn't get it.

I like watching the SOTU for the majesty of the event, frankly. While the importance of the speech can be debated (check the links below), I'm fascinated by the notion that this is the one time when you can actually see the entire U.S. government together in one place (and I still love the ritual of the "designated survivor," when at least one cabinet secretary skips the president's speech and instead is whisked away to a secret location with a briefcase containing the nation's nuclear launch codes).

Anyway, Jennifer Rubin makes a great case for lowering expecations, "When Conventional Liberalism Fails, What Next?"

And for those libertarian readers I seem to be picking up, check Matt Welch and Nick Gillespie, "Advice to Barack Obama by Two People Who Didn't Vote for Him (or John McCain)."

I'll naturally comment on the speech itself, so check back later.

RELATED: From the Washington Post, "President to Address GOP Opponents Directly." (Via.) And Reaganite Republican, "State of the Union Address 2010" (live streaming).

From 'Protesting Activists' to 'Proactive Americans': O.C. Group to Hold 'Vet the Candidates' Workshop

This just in from a good friend in the local tea party movement: "VETTING THE CANDIDATES FACE-TO-FACE":

IT IS TIME

TO VET THE CANDIDATES FACE-TO-FACE

IT IS TIME

FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT from “protesting activists” to “Proactive Americans”

We are about to embark on a grand adventure - the re-taking of America.- and it starts in our own back yard.

Come join us for a hands-on Proactive American workshop on Saturday January 30, 2010.
There is no charge for the workshop - donations are appreciated to help us offset expenses.

CONTACT: Jim Cover

RSVP HERE AND THEN REGISTER FOR THE EVENT AT JamesCover.com.

This workshop will inform and empower you so that you can help make effective change in our government. You will learn about the political process as our founding fathers intended it to be, how to get involved and implement what you have learned. You will also help us identify and vet citizen candidates for local political office, including the Orange County Central Committee.

We are going to take our country back - starting with our own back yard - Orange County.

Click here as well, "VETTING THE CANDIDATES FACE-TO-FACE."

Joseph Farah Hits Back at Los Angeles Times

It's not my first stop on the Internet, although it was really cool when World Net Daily's Aaron Klein picked up my coverage of Michaele and Tareq Salahi's Palestinian ties. See, "White House 'Gatecrashers' Tied to Terror Sympathizer."

So I was a bit surprised that today's Los Angeles Times features a write-up of World Net Daily founder Joseph Farah. It's no surprise, though, that the piece is a poorly-edited hatchet job:

Sipping coffee in a strip mall, Joseph Farah looks like something out of a spy novel -- suave, mysterious, bushy black mustache. He's surprisingly relaxed, considering he believes his life is in danger because of his occupation. He runs a must-read website for anyone who hates Barack Obama.

Once a little-known Los Angeles newspaper editor, Farah has become a leading impresario of America's disaffected right, serving up a mix of reporting and wild speculation to an audience eager to think the worst of the president.

"Minister: Obamacare kills African-American babies . . . Sign at homeless camp: Welcome to Obamaville," the headlines holler at WorldNetDaily.com, an online tabloid thatrelentlessly skewers the administration and its every move.

The topic it pursues with tireless zeal, though, is the claim that Obama was born not in Honolulu but in Africa, and is therefore ineligible to be president. Farah has used his widely followed website to launch an electronic petition demanding proof of Obama's birthplace, a national billboard campaign ("WHERE'S THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?") and more than 400 articles suggesting America's first black president might not be a "natural born" citizen.

If Farah believes Obama is bad for the country, the president has been indisputably good for Farah's business.

WorldNetDaily's unique visitors nearly doubled to 2 million a month after Obama took office, according to Nielsen's ratings. Farah says his traffic is at least twice that, citing private data from Google Analytics, a traffic-counting service. By either count, that's higher than the online readership of the conservative mainstay National Review, not to mention many of the nation's regional newspapers.

Revenue is on track to hit $10 million annually, Farah says. (That figure could not be independently verified.) His success comes in no small part from the storehouse of "birther" T-shirts, books, DVDs and postcards for sale in his virtual "superstore."

WorldNetDaily's book division publishes titles from high-profile conservatives such as former Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, a leader in the anti-illegal-immigration movement, and former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, whose role in George W. Bush's disputed 2000 presidential victory made her a conservative heroine. Perhaps one of Farah's greatest assets is the WorldNetDaily mailing list, recently rented by the Republican National Committee for a fundraising appeal.

Some Republicans wish Farah would abandon the birther issue, fearing his work makes the entire conservative movement seem wacky.

Obviously the folks at WND aren't too thrilled, with a link there reading, "L.A. Times: WND Feels Like a Scandal Sheet." And here's Joseph Farah's response, "L.A. Times Gunning For Me":

A few hours before I dashed off this column, the L.A. Times published this story: "Joseph Farah has found his calling in Obama-bashing."

I'll let you judge the paper's mission and motive.

But, first, there's a story behind the story.

I sat down for a series of interviews with one of the reporters bylined in this piece – Peter Wallsten – about six months ago. He wrapped up the story months ago and turned it in to his editors. It sat around for such a long time that Wallsten ended up leaving the Times and going to work for the Wall Street Journal.

He's been there for a couple months. I assumed the story would never see the light of day because it was fair.

The story Wallsten wrote never did see the light.

At some point, the editors at the L.A. Times looked over the story and determined it made me look responsible, eclectic, maybe even, God forbid, likable. So they turned the story over to another reporter, Faye Fiore.

Did she interview me?

No.

But she rewrote the story nonetheless – with an eye toward making me look like some kind of irresponsible, opportunistic monster.

Farah's full rebuttal is at the link.

Peter Wallstein wrote a fair and accurate report. The Times' editors created a hit piece out of it. The average reader, of course, knows none of this backstory, so it's just one more example of irresponsible journalistic ethics (that leaves the bulk of the readerships ill-informed).

No wonder the mainstream press is barely treading water these days.

Michele Bachmann at O.C. Independence Hall Rally!

I was in 5th grade the last time I visited the Knott's Berry Farm's replica Independence Hall (exact replica, by the way, down to the 2,075-pound Liberty Bell). But if my schedule works out tomorrow I'll be heading over there to meet Michele Bachmann, who is speaking at a local GOP rally, "Michele Bachmann in Southern California Jan 28th":

A fundraiser's scheduled for early evening at the Lincoln Club, the bastion of big-business conservatism in the O.C.: