Advertisers Ditch 'Wonkette' After Diabolical Attack on Trig Palin

You have to check Robert Curlin's Twitter page, which is lighting up with tweets and re-tweets about major advertisers pulling their ads from the despicable left-wing blog, Wonkette.

See Weazel Zippers, "Über-Classy: Liberal Website Relentlessly Mocks Palin’s Son With Downs Syndrome – Update: Papa Johns, Huggies Pull Their Ads From Wonkette…"

And NewsBusters, "Liberal Website Wonkette Disgracefully Attacks Trig Palin On His Third Birthday" (via Memeorandum).

And for the record: This is not an aberration. This is not an anomaly. Try denial as they might, progressives simply can't get around this, for this is what they do.

God help them.

ADDED: From Glenn Reynolds, "EVEN TODAY, AND EVEN FOR WONKETTE, THERE ARE LINES. Wonkette crossed one. Now people are boycotting advertisers."

Soak the High Achieving Students

From each according to ability, to each according to need:

And don't miss William at Pirate's Cove, who has video from the petition drive at UC Merced to redistribute grades. Not going over too well, (un)surprisingly: "Libs Love Redistributing Everything But What Is Their Own."

Ban the Burka?

Perhaps.

See Licia Corbella, at Calgary Herald, "More evidence why the West should ban the burka" (via Blazing Cat Fur):

"Women who do not wear head scarves are being threatened with violence and even death by Islamic extremists . . .," states opening sentence of an April 18 story in the Daily Mail in Britain.

Sadly, nothing unusual there, except that these threats are being made to non-Muslim women. Again, this is not unusual, since that happens throughout much of the Islamic world that imposes rules about dress on all women, regardless of their religion.

What makes the above news so disturbing is the women who are being threatened with violence and even death by Islamic extremists for not wearing a hijab (the Muslim head covering) and a veil (the niqab) are non-Muslim women living in . . . wait for it . . . Great Britain. Yes, you read that correctly. Non-Muslim women in a free and democratic country are being threatened with violence or death in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood of London, no less.

But hey, no need to worry about creeping sharia in the West.

RTWT.

President Obama's Addiction to Lies

"We Lost By a Few Percentage Points in Texas?" Sorry, Mr. President, it was by about 10 percentage points, as WFAA-TV's Brad Watson pointed out on Monday, to the scorn of the Thugger-in-Chief.

And yesterday we heard about "Millionaires and Billionaires" (yet again) and "Collapsing Bridges."

Here's the video from Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, Virginia:

The Wall Street Journal, in a Monday editorial, corrected the president on his "millionaires and billionaires" claim: "Obama targets the middle class while pretending to tax only the rich."

And lots of folks are picking up on the failed bridge dishonesty, including Ed Morrissey: "Video: Obama uses false bridge-collapse argument to argue for more taxes," and CBS News --- CBS News!! --- "Obama invokes bridge collapse in criticizing GOP budget plan."

Progressives lie.

Lying is the basic foundation of the progressive model for the socialist political economy. But it's not just top conservative blogs taking exception. The local Texas news channel grabbed some glory on Monday, but hey, even the folks are CBS News are getting tired of the deception.

More at The Blog Prof, "Video of Obama's Madness: Raising Taxes On Rich Will Encourage Them To Keep Their Businesses In America or Something." And Memeorandum.

Los Angeles Times Wins Pulitzer Prize for Public Service

No begrudging this.

The Los Angeles Times did good. When I first blogged on this last year I had a hunch the paper would get a Pulitzer, and sure enough, what d'ya know? A throwback to old-school journalism. Good to see we still have some reporters keeping alive a tradition of excellence in investigative reporting. See: "The L.A. Times' coverage of the Bell scandal, which led to multiple felony charges against city officials, wins the Pulitzer for public service. Images that document the lives of crime victims win for feature photography."

California Teachers Union Plans 'State of Emergency Week'

It's embarrassing, but this is my union.

I just got the word that a mass protest is planned next month at Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles on Friday the 13th, naturally. It's the culmination of the union's State of Emergency Week, May 9-13.

Allyshia Finley had a report earlier, at Wall Street Journal, "When Unions Get Desperate" (via The Last Refuge):

There haven't been any major earthquakes or wildfires in California recently, but teachers apparently think that the potential budget cuts to education merit a "State of Emergency Week."

The California Teachers Association, the state's largest teachers union, is planning a week of activities in May. The goal is to pressure Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and the state legislature to raise taxes rather than cut education spending.

Earlier this week the union posted a 10-page list of potential activities on its website, CAstateofemergency.com. Ideas included stalking legislators for a day; boycotting corporations like Microsoft that advocate for education reform; attempting to close down major roads; dyeing their hair red; holding night-time vigils with coffins and black arm-bands; picketing companies; and withdrawing funds from banks that "are not paying their fair share of taxes." They also planned to work with Ben & Jerry's to create a "labor-union flavored ice cream."

Apparently, the union didn't realize that documents posted to the Internet are available for public consumption. Once the CTA heard that the list was bouncing around blogs, it was removed. Soon, a new three-page list appeared that omits many of their more ludicrous and heavy-handed ideas but still includes plans to use students as props. Instead of bullying and boycotting businesses, the union now intends to meet with local chambers of commerce and to "focus [their protests] on how much money has gone to bail out Wall Street and big corporations."

These people aren't too smart.

More at the link above.

God and History Will Judge

Via Theo Spark:

The Face of Progressivism

Yeah, you know, because radical progressives are just so much more intelligent than everyone else:

BONUS: Progressive anti-school choice thugs show their true colors in D.C., at Washington Times (via Memeorandum):

Sixteen Years After the Oklahoma City Bombing

From Garrett Graff, at Fox News, "How the Attacks Led to the FBI's Counterterrorism Focus":

Also, at Time, "Oklahoma City Remembers Terrorist Attack, 16 Years Later."

Jerry Brown's Sweetheart Deal For Corrections Union Members Could Lead to Massive Payouts, in $100s of Millions, When Prison Guards Retire

This is extraordinary.

No other interest group in California politics is getting this kind of deal. See LAT, "New contra for California prison guards lifts cap on saved vacation":

Deep in the 200-page contract that Gov. Jerry Brown recently approved for state prison guards is a provision that could generate a cash windfall to the officers when they retire.

The guards, who are among Brown's largest political benefactors, would be able to save an unlimited number of vacation days under their new deal. When they leave state service, those days could be exchanged for cash at their final pay rate, which would probably be higher than when they earned the time off.

The governor is extending this benefit only to members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., a union that spent nearly $2 million to help him win election last year.

Removing the decades-old limit on accrued vacation — now 80 days for most state employees — would be a "huge liability" for taxpayers, said Nick Schroeder of the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. Schroeder said he had not determined the cost of lifting the cap, but his analysis of the deal showed the average corrections union member has accumulated nearly 19 weeks of leave time to date. All of that time off has "a current cash value of over $600 million," he said.

The deal also would give the members 18 more days off over the life of the two-year contract, according to Schroeder, bringing the typical prison guard's time off to more than eight weeks in the first year.

Also in the proposed contract is a change in a provision that encouraged corrections officers to remain physically fit. In the past, they could get up to $130 extra each month if they met certain fitness standards. In the new contract, they would be eligible for the money if they simply go to the doctor for an annual physical, Schroeder said.

Hmm ...

No exercise recommendations. Prison guards as fat cats, literally.

More at the link.

California's going down, and I thought Schwarzenegger was bad. This is ridiculous. People in the private sector just don't get sweetheart deals like this. Brown campaigned on reform and reinventing government, but this might as well be news from today's Party Congress in Cuba. Propping up the old guard and delaying any meaningful Perestroika.

Trumka-Obama-Moonbeam Democrats.

Lord have mercy.

Fidel Castro Resigns as Head of Cuba's Communist Party

Actually, Los Angeles Times says he was removed as leader: "Fidel Castro officially removed as head of Cuban Communist Party." And noted there, Castro received a "sustained standing ovation" as he walked to the dais with the help of an aide. Also, at Wall Street Journal, "Cuba's New Guard Borrows From the Old Guard":

Cuba's ruling Communist Party named President Raúl Castro as its new leader and chose an aging former guerrilla as second-in-command Tuesday, dashing hopes the party might choose younger politicians to implement key reforms to the island's economy and introduce fresh ideas.

At the end of the first Communist Party assembly in 14 years, Mr. Castro, 79 years old, was ratified as first secretary, succeeding his brother Fidel, who last month said he had vacated the position. The party also tapped José Ramón Machado, 80, a hard-liner, as Mr. Castro's second-in-line.

While the choice of Mr. Castro was expected, the appointment of Mr. Machado, a vice president and former guerrilla fighter during the 1959 revolution, disappointed those who thought the party might introduce new faces to help manage major economic reforms that are planned.

The Cuban economy grew just 1.9% last year and the country's top leaders, including Fidel Castro, are old men. The party summit had been seen as a key chance for party leaders to manage change before it is thrust upon them by events, be it death or demands for change by the Cuban people.

"They're keeping to the hard-line, ideological old guard," said Uva de Aragón, associate director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. "The problem is you can't have Stalin and Lenin trying to be Gorbachev at the same time."

Andrew Breitbart on Sean Hannity's Show, April 18, 2011

I watched this last night. Breitbart has come into his own. He timed his talk with Hannity very carefully, stressing the history of his personal life transformation. He notes at 6:00 minutes that "people come out of the woodworks and thank you for doing what is right." So true. But he continues --- and I love this --- with his discussion of folks from Hollywood wanting to come out of the ideological closet, including "punk rockers, people with mohawks" who are conservative.

A great interview. Buy the book here.

EXTRA: Folks will have noticed the Ann Coulter banners at the sidebar. She announced her forthcoming book last night during Hannity's broadcast: Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America. And right on cue, progressives have attacked her (as racist?) because --- get this --- the book's cover is black. Of course the slam's from Demon TBogg, so no doubt Coulter's hit the bullseye at the heart of progressive evil. Expect far more diabolical assualts and who knows what else from these genuinely demonic freaks. Coulter's got 'em down cold, and the book's not even out yet.

Thugger-in-Chief!

Oh boy, Obama Hussein was not cottoning to this interview, discussed by Doug Powers, "‘Let Me Finish My Answers’."

And at the end of the clip, Chief Thug indicates his displeasure, "Let me finish my answers the next time we do an interview, all right?"

Yeah, and don't forget the cannoli Mr. President:

And see WFAA-TV Dallas-Ft. Worth, "News 8 goes one-on-one with President Obama," (via Memeorandum).

Half of All Americans Disapprove of Obama's Job Performance

I'm surprised it's that high, although we've got 57 percent disapproval of Obama on the economy, so he is trying.

At WaPo, "Economic anxiety threatens Obama in 2012, but in poll he edges GOP rivals" (via Memeorandum):

Deepening economic pessimism has pushed down President Obama’s approval rating to a near record low, but he holds an early advantage over prospective 2012 rivals in part because of widespread dissatisfaction with Republican candidates, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

In the survey, 47 percent approve of the job Obama is doing, down seven points since January. Half of all Americans disapprove of his job performance, with 37 percent saying they “strongly disapprove,” nearly matching the worst level of his presidency.

Driving the downward movement in Obama’s standing are renewed concerns about the economy and fresh worry about rising prices, particularly for gasoline. Despite signs of economic growth, 44 percent of Americans see the economy as getting worse, the highest percentage to say so in more than two years.

The toll on Obama is direct: 57 percent disapprove of the job the president is doing dealing with the economy, tying his highest negative rating when it comes to the issue. And the president is doing a bit worse among politically important independents.

If Obama is running into headwinds, however, his potential Republican opponents face serious problems, as well. Less than half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they are satisfied with the field of GOP candidates.

That field is still taking shape, but the sentiment is a big falloff from four years ago, when nearly two-thirds of Republicans were satisfied with their options.

Well, it turns out Sarah Palin launched a new website yesterday, which stoked speculation that she's going to formally announce her candidacy. I hope so. She'll fire up the GOP. Game on.

IMAGE CREDIT: Serr8d's Cutting Edge.

Panel on Egypt's 'Facebook Revolution' at Long Beach City College

I'm posting the video as promised. An outstanding event. Folks were quite pleased all around, and I'm proud of my colleagues for putting this together. My talk begins after 49 minutes:

And a write-up at LBCC's Viking newspaper, "Social Confrontation."

Rising Fuel Costs Hit Air Travel, Consumers Hammered; Los Angeles Food Trucks Feeling Economic Pinch: Who's Next?

Vin Suprynowicz discussed the role of fuel prices in his review of "Atlas Shrugged." Gas was at $37.50 a gallon, so railroads became the most economical form of transportation. At those price passenger air travel would be 100 percent prohibitive. We're not there yet, but it's happening. See LAT, "Summer airfares may climb 15% from a year earlier":

As the summer travel season approaches, airline industry experts predict that soaring fuel prices and a sharp pickup in passenger demand will push airfares up 15% over a year earlier — to levels not seen since before the economic downturn.

Fare hikes have already begun, with six of the nation's largest airlines each raising rates at least five times since Jan. 1 for nearly all routes.

By the time the peak summer travel season rolls, travel industry experts predict, domestic airfares may reach an average of nearly $390, up from a low of $302 two years ago.

"We are definitely getting higher and higher and higher fares," said Tom Parsons, who runs the popular website BestFares.com. "They've been going up once or twice a month, a nickel here and a dime there."

And at the video, L.A.'s food truck business is getting hammered?

RELATED: From Pat Austin, "Is Atlas Shrugging Where You Are?"

Man's Rights

Well, with all the recent talk about "Atlas Shrugged," I've been skimming back over some of her writings. The novel is almost 1,100 pages, and I have no plans to re-read it (although I'm considering The Fountainhead for another round). I have been reading some of Rand's essays, for example, "Man's Rights", which is featured in her book, The Virtue of Selfishness. A sample:

The principle of man’s individual rights represented the extension of morality into the social system—as a limitation on the power of the state, as man’s protection against the brute force of the collective, as the subordination of might to right. The United States was the first moral society in history.

All previous systems had regarded man as a sacrificial means to the ends of others, and society as an end in itself. The United States regarded man as an end in himself, and society as a means to the peaceful, orderly, voluntary coexistence of individuals. All previous systems had held that man’s life belongs to society, that society can dispose of him in any way it pleases, and that any freedom he enjoys is his only by favor, by the permission of society, which may be revoked at any time. The United States held that man’s life is his by right (which means: by moral principle and by his nature), that a right is the property of an individual, that society as such has no rights, and that the only moral purpose of a government is the protection of individual rights.

A “right” is a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man’s freedom of action in a social context. There is only one fundamental right (all the others are its consequences or corollaries): a man’s right to his own life. Life is a process of self- sustaining and self-generated action; the right to life means the right to engage in self-sustaining and self-generated action-which means: the freedom to take all the actions required by the nature of a rational being for the support, the furtherance, the fulfillment and the enjoyment of his own life. (Such is the meaning of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.)

The concept of a “right” pertains only to action—specifically, to freedom of action. It means freedom from physical compulsion, coercion or interference by other men.

More at the link.

Tricia Willoughby Speaks to Madison Tea Party Rally

Via Ann Althouse:

RELATED: From Althouse, "A 14-year-old girl speaks at the Tea Party rally in Madison and is drowned out by chants, boos, and cowbells."

Pentagon Clears Gen. Stanley McChrystal After Rolling Stone Hit Job

In case you missed it, I reference McCrystal here: "Patterson School of Diplomacy, University of Kentucky, Screens Steven Soderbergh's Che to Commemorate Fiftieth Anniversary of Bay of Pigs." (And the reaction in the comments is precious.)

And here's this from New York Times, "Pentagon Inquiry Into Article Clears McChrystal and Aides":

WASHINGTON — An inquiry by the Defense Department inspector general into a magazine profile that resulted in the abrupt, forced retirement of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal has found no proof of wrongdoing by the general, his military aides and his civilian advisers.

Pentagon investigators said they were unable to confirm the events as reported in the June 2010 article in Rolling Stone, and found the evidence “insufficient” to demonstrate a violation of Defense Department standards.

The inspector general’s report, released Monday, also challenged the accuracy of the profile of General McChrystal, who was the top commander in Afghanistan. The article, with the headline “The Runaway General,” quoted people identified as senior aides to the general making disparaging statements about members of President Obama’s national security team.

The profile prompted a furious debate about whether the commander’s staff had used insubordinate language, and about the professionalism of General McChrystal’s team. He was recalled by the president, accepted responsibility for his staff’s actions and resigned.

One aide was quoted referring to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. using the phrase “bite me.” Gen. James L. Jones, then the national security adviser, was labeled a “clown” by one aide, according to the article, and General McChrystal was described as reacting with disdain to an e-mail from Richard C. Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who died in December.

The article did not directly quote the general as saying anything overtly insubordinate.

More at the link above.

What a tragedy. Progressives stabbed McCrystal in the back. Progressives stabbed the people of Afghanistan in the back. Progressives stabbed our uniformed men and women in the back. And they're currently destroying our nation from within and without. As Andrew said to the Trumka-Obama hordes in Madison: "Go to Hell."

What Trump Wants

Don't forget that I was in the house at CPAC when The Donald announced he was a candidate for the presidency. That's when he smacked down the Paulbots, which was priceless. I wouldn't have expected that he'd come on as strong as he has in the polls. Ed Morrissey has in interesting headline on that, "Rasmussen survey shows Obama can’t clear 50% even against Trump."

But see Politico, "What's Donald Trump really after?" (via Memeorandum):

More than anything else, according to those who’ve spoken to him, he doesn’t want to be seen as the butt of this particular joke.

“He gets mad that people aren’t taking him seriously,“ said a Republican who’s spoken with him.

Still, while he is “serious” from the organizational point of view and appears very likely to emerge as a formal candidate for office, he will struggle hard to be taken seriously as a potential Republican nominee. Trump may not be in on the joke — he rarely jokes about himself — but he has been a punch line as long as he’s been a public figure. He’s still more of a sideshow than anything else, most Republican insiders are convinced, and his respectable showings in largely meaningless early polls reflect little more than his widespread notoriety.