GOP Candidates Make Final Push for Tuesday Primary

When I first saw Steve Poizner campaign in January he spoke after Chuck DeVore and, with little interest, some folks starting wandering away. This pic's from the Irvine tax day tea party in April. More at the Los Angeles Times, "GOP Candidates Put Personal Touch on Final Pitches."

Also, at Inland Empire News, "Polls Give Whitman the Nod."

And at Fox News, "Incumbents Fight for Political Life, Newcomers Eyeing Victory in Tuesday Elections."

Pro-AZ Immigration Law Event Draws Thousands

A write-up from The New American:

There's that Ford pick-up in the background, with the "Speak English Asshole" bumper sticker.

Ann Althouse has a cool truck pic this morning as well. And so does iOWNTHEWORLD.

Pictures From 'Phoenix Rising' Rally

A couple of good shots at the Arizona Republic.

And here's a couple you won't see at the newspaper:

Pro-Israel Rally on Wilshire

El Marco has a preliminary report on today's D-Day protest against the Ground Zero mosque. I'm going to bed, so more later on the New York SIOA event.

But here's Charles Winecoff's brilliant, beautiful tweet in any case:

I didn't even know there was an L.A. rally this weekend, ha!

Anyway, at LAT, "Pro Israel rally draws large crowds," and "Israel supporters rally in L.A. after raid on Gaza-bound flotilla." And video from KABC Los Angeles:

El Marco's Initial Report From the 'Ground Zero Mosque'

Pamela Geller's got her big post up on today's protest at Ground Zero: "Excelsior! Upwards of Eight Thousand Protest 911 Mega Mosque on D Day!"

I'm going to work on an update for that in a few minutes, but I wanted to share El Marco's preliminary report yesterday from the 9/11 site, "Prayer Time at the Ground Zero Mosque: Just Another Monument to the Triumph of Islam." Having been doing original reporting on my blog for over a year now, I've come to appreciate the effort and intimacy that goes into the craft. It's a lot like being a journalist. In my case it's totally freelance, and I don't expect to make much money. Robert Stacy McCain does blog reporting and usually turns those into full reports for publications like the American Spectator. I trade e-mails with Zombie quite a bit. He's been an inspiration for my own anti-war photo-blogging. And El Marco's been an inspiration as well. Be sure to read the full post when you have time; it's fairly academic. What I noticed --- besides the ideology of conquer that's inherent to Islam --- is the bottom picture (below) in particular, where El Marco says "I noticed men performing ablutions by the curb." Ablutions are ritual cleanings, and as a public spectacle they're quite strange. As Islam continues to gain a widespread grip across society, expect "foot baths" to become public accommodations in schools and the workplace. Hey, respect diversity you know? But these guys are doing it right at the curb, with New Yorkers commuting past on the sidewalk, paying little heed I guess. Just seems highly unusual to me. It's imposing a culture. I remember a woman I often had dinner with 25 years ago. We weren't romantically involved. But she told me exactly the kind of ethnic men she liked, and she had no plans to date Arab or Persian men. The cultural difference was just too much, and this for a woman who dated widely outside of her white racial background. In any case, El Marco's got a story to tell here, so take your time:

'Today We Celebrate the Triumph of Democracy' — President Reagan, D-Day Anniversary Address, June 6, 1984

It doesn't seem that hard to both honor the dead and cherish our exceptionalism, but of course it's President Reagan: "Remarks at a United States-France Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, D-day June 6, 1984." I admire how the video editor made sure to include Reagan's approach the podium. No arrogance or hubris, only humility and responsibility to respect the sacrifices of those gone before:

Hat Tip: Cassy Fiano via Memeorandum. Also Blogging: Pat in Shreveport and The Other McCain.

See also MAinfo and Reaganite Republican, big Reagan fans as well.

Pressure Builds on Helen Thomas Following Anti-Semitic Remarks

I'm a little late getting to this, but incredulous in any case, and that's saying something. I used to call for Helen Thomas' retirement, but seriously, why would any news service still want her? Diane Nines, of the Nine Speakers press agency, gave Thomas the boot.

And see Ari Fleischer, at Fox News, "Fleischer Leads Charge for White House Reporter Helen Thomas to Be Fired." And Patrick Gavin, at Politico, "THOMAS UNDER FIRE FOR ISRAEL REMARKS" (via Memeorandum):

Longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas is coming under fire after a video circulated widely on Friday of her saying that Jews should "get the hell out of Palestine" and go back to Poland and Germany.

The Hearst newspaper columnist made the comment during an interview with RabbiLive.com's Rabbi David Nesenoff at last week's Jewish Heritage Celebration at the White House.

“Remember these people are occupied and it’s their land,” Thomas says in the video. “It’s not German and it’s not Polish.”

Asked what Jews in Israel should do, Thomas says “go home.” Asked where that home is, she replies: “Poland. Germany. And America and everywhere else.”

On a statement issued on her website Sunday, Thomas said she regretted her comments, made in late May but widely seen Friday after the Drudge Report picked them up.

The Drudge Report as of this writing shows a picture of Thomas with President Obama’s arm around her in the White House press room, and the banner headline: "WH PRESS QUEEN: JEWS GET OUT OF ISRAEL, GO BACK TO POLAND!"

Sheesh. I wish I woulda got a screencap!

And also at Politico, "More Thomas fallout."

Plus, at Blazing Cat Fur, "Kick Helen Thomas out of The White House Press Corp," and previously, "JDL 'Gaza Fauxtilla' Counter Protest Video Toronto June 5."

BONUS: At Astute Bloggers, "THE NYTIMES - LIKE OBAMA - IS BLAMING ISRAEL AND SIDING WITH THE TURKS AND JIHADISTS."

A Fight About Who is Going to Run Public Education in New Jersey

Lori Ziganto's got the analysis, "Bada Bing, Gov Christie: ‘You Punch Them, I’ll Punch You’":

Support Arizona!

It happened about 3 or 4 times. Each time I mentioned that I'd driven out from California for yesterday's "Phoenix Rising" event, I got a hugely enthusiastic thank you. Folks really appreciated that I'd taken the time to rally with them in support of SB 1070. That's Tony Katz at the viddy, by the way. He's working hard to build support for the Arizona BUYcott:

And thanks to Astute Bloggers, Doug Ross, Gateway Pundit, and The Other McCain for the links!

'Phoenix Rising' for SB 1070 at Arizona State Capitol

In blazing heat of 105 degrees, about 1000 supporters from around the country turned out today in support of Arizona's SB 1070 at the Wesley Bolin Plaza in downtown Phoenix. Check ABC News, "Hundreds Rally in Phoenix Heat to Support Arizona's New Illegal Immigration Law," the Arizona Republic, "Arizona Immigration Law Supporters Gather for Rally,"and the Orange County Register, "O.C. Activists Re-Energized at Pro-Arizona Rally." (The MSM coverage is pretty bland, although not particularly hostile to SB 1070 backers, surprisingly.)

In any case, it's not something I've seen at Southern California tea parties --- young ladies taking advantage of the state's open-carry legislation:

Another change of pace was the long discussion I had with Glenn Spencer, founder of American Border Patrol. More on that below --- the highlight of the day for me:

That's not to discount another round of some of awesome protest signs:

But the counter-protester on horseback didn't go over too well with the Phoenix Rising patriots:

Okay, here's the chronological run-down of events:La Shawn Barber posted the Phoenix Rising information earlier in the week. This was an afternoon event, so I started out from Orange County at about 7:00am. With no traffic delays at all, it was an easy drive to Phoenix. Here's the scene at around 1:00pm, as I made my way from the parking lot over to the Wesley Bolin park. I said hello to this gentleman on the corner:

And actually this guy, Antonio, across the way, was friendlier. I play dumb when I talk to SB 1070 opponents. That way they'll open up with me. Antonio denounced the law's alleged potential for racial profiling --- and he had some strong words for Sheriff Arpaio:

Unlike last weekend, when tens of thousands of reconquistadors descended on the Capitol, I was able to stroll around a bit and enjoy:

I think conservatives have had it with the pathetic "racist" attacks on SB 1070. This was a central theme of the day:

Boycott San Diego (and don't forget L.A. while you're at it):

Folks got it made in the shade with SB 1070:

Unhappiness with I.C.E:

And expectations for the rule of law:

A mixed message, but folks are saying Mexico's tougher on illegal immigrants than we are:

Bikers made a big entry lap around the plaza, but not sure if this guy was with the Texas group:

A nice guy, in any case:

Mainstream press outlets said illegals were "unauthorized migrants" last week. Folks are tired of the media's dishonest language:

More stress on the law:

"Arizona: The New Leader of the Free World!" Obviously, or I wouldn't be spending so much time over here, LOL!

It was getting close to 3:00pm now. But I was uncharacteristically uncomfortable. I normally can handle high heat pretty well, but at 105 degrees I didn't feel so much like listening to speeches (even Tom Tancredo's). I hung out at Glenn Spencer's booth. He spent time explaining his operations to a number of interested people:

He was all hooked up with an Internet connection, using his website to explain the facts on the ground and to argue that the federal government's practicing "non-enforcement enforcement." He said the administration's call for 1200 additional National Guardsmen for Arizona is purely for consumption. They won't actually apprehend border-crossers, according to Spencer. They'll most likely be deployed deep inland, away from the border, doing "administrative" backup (which means nothing in practice). Look closely at the bottom of the first entry at the page and click "Watch Open Border Arizona," the brief movie he's produced. Spencer's been on television quite a bit, although no doubt the media only rarely gives the public the full, brutal reality:

Spencer's ranch is right on the border at the Tuscon sector. He told me he's the world's foremost expert on the U.S. border with Mexico, but with the exception of the periodic MSM report, most in the media don't want to touch his stuff. Iindeed, he's invited the media to his ranch for tours, but he rarely hears back from them again after they visit. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled Spencer a "hate group," which is odd, since he runs a completely independent operation! Spencer dismisses faux civil rights organizations like SPLC. "A racist is a person who's winning an argument with a liberal," he jokes. (For more, see Robert Locke, "Lies About the Immigration Reform Movement.")

He seemed like a perfectly reasonable guy to me. Friendly even:

This is Cynthia Kyle with the Texas riders, also inteviewed by NBC12 at the link.

Can't be more clear on this one:

Some wanted to beat the heat at Arizona's Salt River. But commitment to SB 1070 took precedence:

When I got back over to the rally Sheriff Joe Arpaio was finishing up. He's always fun to watch. And I'd love to see some leftist label this first picture a Nazi salute. Arpaio gets animated when he talks:

I took a break for water. This guy posed on the way back

CNN's Casey Wian was demonstrably bothered by the heat:

You can see how much stress the heat is causing everyone:

Wian's piece is here: "Immigration law supporters rally in Arizona." I don't see any video. The guy below was stylin' with his orange sign:

People really did come from across the country:

Although I'm not sure where this guy came from. Saw him ride up and then rile up some of the SB 1070 supporters:

Nice flags, in any case:

Phoenix Rising Rally at Arizona State Capitol

I'm heading back to Arizona for the big "Phoenix Rising" rally today in support of SB 1070. See the information page, "Phoenix Rising in Support of Arizona and the Rule of Law." And at Stand With Arizona:

The rally is called Phoenix Rising for a reason. On this day Americans will come together and watch as the Phoenix rises from the ashes of non-enforcement of our immigration laws that has gone on for decades. They will stand for the rule of law and in support of Arizona and its new law SB1070. They will call for a groundswell of other states to take on the duty our federal government has failed to uphold.

This promises to be the largest rally in American history demanding that the states and federal government secure our borders and crack down on illegal immigration. The federal government has been shirking its duty for far too long as Americans have carried the burden of their lack of action. All the while Americans have been demanding that our laws be enforced - and we have been ignored.

The Arizona Republic has a report, "Immigration-law supporters plan rallies at Arizona Capitol":

Backers of Arizona's new immigration law will rally at the state Capitol on Saturday and the following weekend in another round of demonstrations over the controversial legislation.

Saturday's "Phoenix Rising" rally comes about a week after thousands of people on both sides of the Senate Bill 1070 dispute demonstrated in Phoenix and Tempe. The rally June 12 is being led by two Florida radio-show hosts ....

Saturday's rally could draw 10,000 to 15,000 participants, including people from outside the state, said organizer Daniel Smeriglio, head of the Pennsylvania-based Voice of the People USA, which opposes illegal immigration.

He said the rally will call for enforcement of immigration laws and support for Arizona businesses, as well as attempt to get the attention of politicians.

"The elected officials work for us," Smeriglio said. "We have to make them hear our voices. These mass demonstrations are a way to do so."

Unlike illegal aliens and their extremist backers, the Phoenix Rising folks won't be rioting:

Check back here late tonight for an update. I should have a full report with pictures sometime tomorrow morning.

Praise for Arizona's SB 1070

At LAT:

Tina McClendon was finally surrounded by her own people.

The 39-year-old postal worker stood in a minor league baseball stadium here last week with thousands of others who backed Arizona's new immigration law.

McClendon sported a T-shirt that read "Arizona: Doing the Job the Feds Won't Do!" It's one of four similarly-themed shirts she wears regularly. Her sartorial choices earn her frequent compliments from strangers — not a surprise, as polls consistently show large majorities backing the state's crackdown against illegal immigration.

But McClendon says she also gets dirty looks from Latino neighbors and believes her stance has led people to leave trash on her car. "So many legal citizens are scared to come out," she said. "They're afraid to speak up."

Earlier that day, tens of thousands of protesters denouncing the law filled the streets of Phoenix. But the rally McClendon attended couldn't even fill the 9,873-seat stadium. It's a dynamic that's persisted ever since April, when Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law.

The onslaught of criticism through boycotts, protests and lawsuits has frustrated many of the law's backers, who contend its broad support in polls — ranging from 51% to 70% depending on how the statute is described and who is surveyed — shows it is the people's will

The law makes it a state crime to lack immigration papers and requires police to determine the status of people they stop and also suspect are in the country illegally.

Backers of the law hope a rally planned for Saturday in Phoenix will draw foes of illegal immigration from around the country. Another Phoenix rally is scheduled for June 12.

"Mass public displays are a good way of sending a message to Washington, D.C.," said Daniel Smeriglio, a Pennsylvania activist who organized Saturday's rally. "The other side is trying to send their message out the same way we are."

Despite fewer events and lower turnout from the law's backers, it appears that their message is being heard more loudly nationwide than that of SB 1070's foes, who support reform that allows illegal immigrants who obey the law to become legal residents.

Comprehensive immigration reform stalled in 2006 despite support from both political parties. Its onetime prime advocate, Arizona's Sen. John McCain, who is being challenged in the Republican primary, has now taken a hard-line stance and disavowed his prior bill.

Democrats in the Senate last month outlined a possible immigration bill that is significantly more restrictive than what was proposed in 2006, and most observers agree it's unlikely to pass this year.

Immigrant rights advocates, such as Shuya Ohno of the Immigration Forum in Washington, D.C., can cite polls showing strong support for their critique of the law. Many of the polls that show as much as 70% support of SB 1070 also show that majorities of Americans believe it will cause racial profiling — a contention of immigrant groups. Other polls show even greater margins support allowing law-abiding illegal immigrants to become citizens.

"People are just fed up and frustrated and they want something done," Ohno said. "The idea that people who are for the bill are against immigrants is just wrong."

First, don't believe LAT's fudging of the polling numbers. Americans don't support "immigration reform" when they understand it to to be open borders, amnesty and reconquista. And second, don't forget that Senator John McCain has flip-flopped on the issue. If amnesty was so popular he'd still be leading the charge for "earned legalization." But Los Angeles has the largest urban population of Mexicans anywhere outside of Mexico City, so LAT's not going to alienate the homies.

Prescott Mural Controversy is Latest in Left's Campaign of Racial Double Standards

The main story's at the Arizona Republic, "Altered mural fuels racial debate in Prescott." But Wonkette's over-the-top commentary really sets the table for classic leftist hypocrisy, "Arizona School Demands Black & Latino Students’ Faces On Mural Be Changed to White" (via Memeorandum):

Hard to find even the Gallows Humor in this story, so maybe we won’t even try. Maybe it’s time to admit that large chunks of America are in the hands of unreconstructed racists and vulgar idiots, and that the popular election of a black man as president just might’ve pushed these furious, economically doomed old white people into a final rage that is going to end very, very badly. Ready? Here you go: An Arizona elementary school mural featuring the faces of kids who attend the school has been the subject of constant daytime drive-by racist screaming, from adults, as well as a radio talk-show campaign (by an actual city councilman, who has an AM talk-radio show) to remove the black student’s face from the mural, and now the school principal has ordered the faces of the Latino and Black students pictured on the school wall to be repainted as light-skinned children.

This is America, in 2010, and there’s a dozen more states and endless white-trash municipalities ready to Officially Adopt this same Official Racist Insanity ....

Remember where you were, when you could still laugh about teabaggers and racists and Arizonans, because funny time is almost over. If the unemployment keeps up — one in five adult white males has no job and will never have a job again — and people keep walking away from their stucco heaps they can’t afford and the states and cities and counties and towns keep passing their aggressive racist laws to rile up the trash even more, shit’s going to very soon become very bad, and whether it’s the National Guard having wars in the Sunbelt Exurbs against armies of crazy old white people who are finally using their hundreds of millions of guns, or whole Latino neighborhoods burned to the ground the way the Klan used to burn down black neighborhoods a century ago, we are in for a long dark night and no light-colored paint is going to fix that.

Oh boy.

That's some end-times scenario.

Yes, this "lightening" issue is detestable and wrong. But I doubt anyone in Arizona seriously condones such policy and a few drunk yokels driving by shouting epithets hardly constitutes the reimposition of Jim Crow. In any case, Blair says it was a misunderstanding, has apologized, and has been fired from his radio show. That doesn't sound much like a Klan-based institutional structure gearing up for a race war.

Besides, I don't recall Wonkette's outrage last weekend.

There really are people in Arizona calling for race war, the extremist indigenous separatists who reject the United States and want to ethnically-cleanse Anglo-Americans:

Campaign Memo Reveals Steve Poizner as Far-Left Candidate in 2004

He's a nice guy, but GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner advocated far left-wing positions on a range of issues in his 2004 campaign for California Assembly. The document is here: "2004 Poizner for Assembly Policy Positions." The Los Angeles Times obtained the report. See, "Document shows Poizner reversed course on public services for illegal immigrants," and "Poizner's positions have shifted more than was widely known."

Taking a look at his positions, Poizner's radical pro-abortion platform would make President Barack "Infanticide" Obama blush. On crime, Poizner advocated "reform" of the "Three Strikes" law and called for a moratorium on the death penalty. On civil rights Poizner favored "hate crimes" legislation and reparations for slavery. He's a radical progressive of gay and lesbian issues. And on healthcare he supports expanding Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and WIC to the "one million California children who are eligible and not yet enrolled" and he wanted to "Encourage all 3 million people who are eligible for public healthcare services to enroll." I don't see mention of extending these services to illegal residents, but according to the Times' interpretation, the document "shows he took liberal stands on abortion, services for illegal immigrants and reparations for slavery while running for Assembly in 2004."

The guy's pure RINO.

Liz Cheney On President Obama’s Response to Hamas Flotilla 'Tragedy'

From Liz Cheney at Keep America Safe:

Yesterday, President Obama said the Israeli action to stop the flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip was “tragic.” What is truly tragic is that President Obama is perpetuating Israel’s enemies’ version of events. The Israeli government has imposed a blockade around Gaza because Hamas remains committed to Israel’s destruction, refusing to recognize Israel’s right to exist and using territory under their control to launch attacks against Israeli civilians. The Israeli blockade of Gaza, in order to prevent the re-arming of Hamas, is in full compliance with international law. Had the Turkish flotilla truly been interested in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, they would have accepted the Israeli offer to off-load their supplies peacefully at the Israeli port of Haifa for transport into Gaza. President Obama is contributing to the isolation of Israel, and sending a clear signal to the Turkish-Syrian-Iranian axis that their methods for ostracizing Israel will succeed, and will be met by no resistance from America. There is no middle ground here. Either the United States stands with the people of Israel in the war against radical Islamic terrorism or we are providing encouragement to Israel’s enemies—and our own. Keep America Safe calls on President Obama to reverse his present course and support the state of Israel immediately and unequivocally

And don't miss Melanie Phillips, "So much for the 'humanitarian' fig-leaf."