Obama Lifted Sanctions on Iran to Grease Nuclear Deal That Devastates Israel's National Security

The news is buzzing today with talk of an "historic" diplomatic deal on Iran's nuclear weapons program. The Wall Street Journal has that, "Kerry, European Ministers in Geneva as Iran Talks Continue: French, German and British Foreign Ministers Also in Attendance":

GENEVA—Iran and world powers raced to try to seal an initial deal Friday to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for some easing of sanctions, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and several European foreign ministers arriving in Geneva to push the talks forward.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the possible deal. Asked about Mr. Netanyahu's concerns, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said "any critique of the deal is premature."

President Barack Obama called Mr. Netanyahu later Friday to underscore what the White House described as the president's "strong commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

Western and Iranian officials said Friday that while there had been significant advances, a deal wasn't nailed down yet.

"I want to emphasize there are still some very important issues on the table that are unresolved. It is important for those to be properly, thoroughly addressed," Mr. Kerry said upon his arrival in Geneva.

Yeah, "some very important issues" are left, like how Israel's getting reamed up the ass by Obama's terror-enabling foreign policy.

Blazing Cat Fur has that, "Netanyahu slams Obama's Iran deal..."



Plus, Eli Lake reports that this "breakthrough" has been in the works for awhile. Turn's out Obama's been selling out Israel's security for some time, with the lifting of Iran sanctions going back to earlier this year. See, "Exclusive: Obama’s Secret Iran Détente":

The Obama administration began softening sanctions on Iran after the election of Iran’s new president in June, months before the current round of nuclear talks in Geneva or the historic phone call between the two leaders in September.

While those negotiations now appear on the verge of a breakthrough the key condition for Iran—relief from crippling sanctions—began quietly and modestly five months ago.
A review of Treasury Department notices reveals that the U.S. government has all but stopped the financial blacklisting of entities and people that help Iran evade international sanctions since the election of its president, Hassan Rouhani, in June.

On Wednesday Obama said in an interview with NBC News the negotiations in Geneva “are not about easing sanctions.” “The negotiations taking place are about how Iran begins to meet its international obligations and provide assurances not just to us but to the entire world,” the president said.

But it has also long been Obama’s strategy to squeeze Iran’s economy until Iran would be willing to trade relief from sanctions for abandoning key elements of its nuclear program.

Listen to Netanyahu at the clip.

The terror-coddling Obama White House threw the Israelis under the bus --- and then rammed a nuclear-tipped intermediate range missile up the Jewish state's butt.

Also at Pamela's, "NETANYAHU TO KERRY ON IRAN DEAL: 'THIS IS A BAD DEAL, A VERY, VERY, BAD DEAL'." And, "KERRY THREATENS ISRAEL WITH 'THIRD INTIFADA'."

Yeah, he would. The Democrats want Israel eradicated.

Fresno State's Fearsome Bulldog Mascot Is Street Gang Symbol

As an alumnus, I can attest to the enormous popularity of Fresno State's athletics program, especially its football team. With the exception of minor league baseball, there are no professional sports teams for hundreds of miles. Fresno State is the epicenter for popular athletic culture. And with such an aggressive mascot, it's no surprise that the bulldog has become a fearsome gang insignia.

At the New York Times, "Fresno State Loves Its Bulldogs, but So Does a Gang":

Fresno and the surrounding region have long been overrun by Bulldogs. And where the violent pack goes, trouble follows.

The Fresno State Bulldogs college football team is exceedingly popular here in the country’s fruit and vegetable epicenter, where more than a million acres of cropland stretch to the horizon. “From Sacramento to L.A., there is nothing except agriculture and Fresno State football,” said Kenny Wiggins, a former Fresno State lineman who plays in the N.F.L. for the San Diego Chargers. “We were the only show in town; everyone, and I mean everyone, goes to the games.”

The team’s logo is a cartoon bulldog, a muscled beast with sharp teeth, a spiked collar and floppy ears. But the bulldog is no longer just a college sports mascot. It has been appropriated by members of a savage street gang who call themselves the Bulldogs.

The gang started in a prison and quickly earned a reputation as unusually vicious, even in the bloody world of California gangs. At their height, in 2006, the Bulldogs were responsible for 70 percent of the city’s shootings, the police said. Three of four inmates in the county jail are Bulldogs.

“They grew and grew and grew until there were Bulldogs everywhere you looked,” Jerry Dyer, Fresno’s police chief, said.

The mascot now plays a double role as football icon and gang symbol. Confusing the two can have fatal consequences. In 2011, Stephen Maciel, a father of four who the police said had no gang affiliation, was shot and killed by a Bulldogs gang member in a liquor store parking lot. Maciel was wearing a red Fresno State shirt.

The gang’s embrace of the bulldog logo has put university administrators in an excruciatingly awkward position amid a gang crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives. The situation has vexed them, even as sales of Fresno State apparel and merchandise increased tenfold since the gang took hold in the city. The university has considered dropping the logo, and has approached law enforcement officials for guidance.

The issue is trickier than ever this season, with the football team 8-0 and ranked in the top 20 nationally. An adage here says the city’s cultural season starts with the first kickoff. And it is true: the Bulldogs are ascendant. Discussion of recent games is heard up and down the radio dial. Billboards feature the top players, including quarterback Derek Carr, a contender for the Heisman Trophy.

The police, meanwhile, have made cracking down on the Bulldogs gang a top priority, with some success. But the Bulldogs are still dangerous enough to have cost the lives of Maciel and others.

“If you love sports, you want to be all geared up in the team’s colors,” said Maciel’s widow, Marisol Aguirre. “But I don’t wear any of it anymore, and I don’t let my kids wear it. It’s too dangerous.”

Continue reading.

The slideshow is here, "Identifying With the Bulldogs."

RELATED: At the  Washington Post, "Wyoming hopes veteran defensive coordinator can help slow No. 17 Fresno State, Derek Carr."

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in Video Murder Rant

At USA Today, "Enraged Toronto mayor vows 'murder' in new video."

And at BCF, "Rob Ford sounds like he’s doing a Hulk Hogan impression because…"

New York Times Buries Obama's 'Apology'

Why am I not surprised?

At Twitchy, "‘Your intrepid press, everyone’: NYT lapdogs dutifully bury Obama’s sorry-ass ‘sorry’."

The New York Times article about Obama's apology today is on page A14.
— Matt Welch (@mleewelch) November 8, 2013

Headline is interesting, too: "Apologizing, Obama Yields To Criticism of Health Law." http://t.co/hBWdwCRB61
— Matt Welch (@mleewelch) November 8, 2013

Obama Apologizes for Insurance Cancellations

He didn't really apologize, actually. It's more like he feels sorry that people got screwed, not that he's sorry for actually screwing people. It's a few huge difference and people have noticed.

At WSJ, "President's Comments Mark Departure From 'Keep Your Plan' Pledge":

The president's comments marked a departure from his previous defense of the law and his oft-repeated vow that "if you like your plan, you can keep your plan." Before Thursday, he had stood by his words, while adding some caveats. He had argued that the small percentage of people forced to buy new coverage would find more comprehensive plans in the new marketplace.

About 15.4 million people—about 5% of the population—are covered by individual health plans. Industry experts have said many of them will see their policies terminated by the end of the year as insurers switch to plans that comply with the health law.

Mr. Obama repeated Thursday that only a small percentage of Americans were seeing their plans canceled, but he acknowledged it was "scary" for those people and conceded the law was responsible for their situation. "Obviously, we didn't do a good enough job in terms of how we crafted the law," he said. "That's something that we're going to do everything we can to get fixed."

Mr. Obama declined to spell out details but said the administration is considering a range of options. White House officials said the president was mainly referring to potential administrative fixes, rather than new legislation, to help those whose policies have been canceled and now face higher premiums.

A number of lawmakers have called for extending the open enrollment period that ends March 31 or delaying the mandate to carry coverage starting in 2014 or pay a penalty. On Thursday, Sens. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) and Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) proposed legislation that would delay the penalty for a year.

More at the link.

PREVIOUSLY: "#ObamaIsSorry."

RELATED: At Twitchy, "Laura Ingraham: If you like your apology, Mr. President …"

Independents Favor #GOP on the Economy by Whopping 46%-30% Margin

From Andrew Kohut, at WSJ, "The GOP Is in Better Shape Than You Think":

Tucked away in recent polls—which have documented the extraordinary anger directed at the Republican Party during the shutdown crisis—are measures of clear disappointment with the Democratic Party. The disappointment is substantial, and it raises big questions about the 2014 midterms.

The Republican Party's favorable ratings fell substantially in most every national survey that uses this yard stick, declining to 28% in the Gallup poll at one point. Yet when the GOP was matched up against the Democrats on key political measures, it did not look so bad.

A mid-October Pew Research national poll found that a plurality regard the Republicans as "better able to deal with the economy" than the Democrats (44%-37%). Independents favored the GOP on the economy by a whopping 46%-30% margin in that survey.

The Republicans took most of the blame for the shutdown, yet a growing number see the GOP as "better able to manage the government." In December 2012, the Democratic Party held a 45%-36% advantage over the GOP as the party Americans viewed as better able to manage the government. By Oct. 15—in the midst of the shutdown and debt crisis—the Democratic lead on this measure disappeared: 42% said the Republican Party is better able to manage the federal government, compared with 39% who named the Democrats.

An early read of voter preferences for the House in 2014 by the Pew Research Center in mid-October had the Democrats with a six-point edge: 49% to 43% among registered voters. In historical terms, this is a relatively modest margin. Six points is the same lead the Democrats had in 2009, a lead that steadily eroded in 2010. The GOP picked up six Senate seats and 63 House seats in that year's midterm.

One clear troubling sign for the Democrats at this early stage is independent voters, who decide most elections. They are evenly divided, according to Pew's mid-October survey: 43% say that "if the elections for Congress were being held today," they would vote for the Republican candidate in their district, 43% say they would vote for the Democratic candidate.

It is not too much of an oversimplification to say that Democrats are struggling because President Obama is struggling.

Look, the Democrats are screwed.

Things are only going to get worse now, a year out from the 2014 midterms. Obama never says he's sorry, for anything. Forget his pathetic, passive mealy-mouthed "I'm sorry people find themselves in this position..." non-apology. Obama took an angry earful from Senate Democrats in the "secret" White House meeting yesterday. They're clearly to the point of panic and will to do anything to shift the debate away from the ObamaCare debacle. Funny, but this cheesy non-apology only opens the door for the ultimate confession: that the Democrats committed massive, despicable fraud on the American people. The reckoning is coming next year, and if you're on the left, it's going to be harsh. A bitter wake up call.

More at the link.

#ObamaIsSorry

Here's Twitchy, "Breaking news: #ObamaIsSorry about a whole lot of things."

And at National Review, "Obama: I’m Sorry for Obamacare (Sort Of)."

Also, from AceofSpadesHQ, "Obama Can't Really Say If He Has Confidence In Kathleen Sebelius."

Dramatic Footage Shows Captive Jaguar Snatching Heron in Mid-Air

Law of the jungle prevails, even in captivity.

It's at the Sao Paulo Zoo, via Telegraph UK:

Visitors viewing the jaguar were shocked when it suddenly darted up a log and leaped at the bird, dragging it through the air with its claws and down into the water.

The heron put up a struggle, pecking at its predator's head, but ultimately succumbed to the jaguar's killing skill.

Children could be heard wailing as the cat then carried off its quarry to the back of the enclosure.

Fundamental Transformation of America

Via Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Promises Promises":

'The study theorizes that while women may love seeing their guy vacuuming or making dinner, something may shift in their subconscious. When they see men doing “feminine” chores, the primitive part of their brains might be telling them that something isn’t quite right, and they’re less turned on...'

Women like it when men do "manly" chores around the house --- and indeed, guys are less likely to get laid if they do "lady"chores like washing the dishes.

Via Instapundit, "WOMEN ARE SEXIST: Study: Only “Manly” Chores Get You Laid."

#ObamaCare Cancellations Hit Loyal California 'Cradle' Democrats

At ProPublica, "Loyal Obama Supporters, Canceled by Obamacare."

Megyn Kelly covered this story last night, mentioning that the couple, Lee Hammack and JoEllen Brothers, were still committed Democrats, but were insisting that the White House make changes to the law.

I'm about to overdose on schadenfreude. Not that I'm happy at all about people losing their plans --- employer plans may be the next to face cancellations (gulp) --- but that I'm delirious over the pure ecstasy of watching the Democrats' meltdown. Best of all, conservatives predicted it. It's the most satisfying "I told you so" ever.

Also at iOWNTHEWORLD, "“We’re not changing our views because of this situation” – Obamabot Burned By Obamacare."

'Crisis in Confidence' — Fox News' Ed Henry Reports on White House Meeting with Nervous Senate #Democrats

Henry says the meeting got "spicy" at times.

Senate Dems are pissed at the president. They're freakin' out over their diminishing reelection prospects. And there's a "crisis in confidence" in Obama's ability (and willingness) to staunch the bleeding.



Here's Senator Mark Begich's press release, "Begich to President Obama: Promises Not Enough, Need Results Now."

It's like Groundhog's Day for the Democrats. This nightmare's not going away. Bummer for 'em, the dicks.

Fox News 'Special Report' Panel on White House Meeting with Nervous Senate #Democrats

Krauthammer remarks: "Democrats are going to get slaughtered."



More at Twitchy, "Obamascare: White House meets with nervous Senate Dems up for re-election next year."

New Emily Ratajkowski Photos from New York Filmmaker Jonathan Leder

Very nice.

At Egotastic!, "More Emily Ratajkowski Photos by Jonathan Leder."

The dude's blog is here.

Senate Democrats Press Obama on #ACA Monstrosity

At Roll Call, "Democrats Up in 2014 Vent Their Obamacare Anger in White House Meeting (Updated)":

President Barack Obama heard an earful at the White House Wednesday from Senate Democrats running for re-election next year who are fuming about the Affordable Care Act’s rocky rollout.

During a two-hour meeting that was not on the president’s public schedule, the president met with 15 Senate Democrats facing the voters next year, as well as Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Michael Bennet, D-Colo.

Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska issued a release after the meeting torching the administration.

“It is simply unacceptable for Alaskans to bear the brunt of the Administration’s mismanagement of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and that is the message U.S. Senator Mark Begich delivered to President Obama today,” his office said in a statement blasted to reporters.

The release went on to say that Begich complained about “an unworkable website, technical glitches and inaccurate information about peoples’ individual situations. Begich demanded the administration fix the problems immediately so Alaskans, including the 55,000 eligible for subsidies to lower monthly premiums, can realize the many benefits due to them as a result of the health reform law.

“Alaskans should be appreciating the critical benefits of the Affordable Care Act but there is an understandable crisis in confidence because the administration has yet to get it off the ground,” Begich said.

Listen to that liar. The f-ker parroted the White House talking points himself, "Five Senate Dems pushing for Obamacare enrollment delay said existing plans could be kept":

“If you got a doctor now, you got a medical professional you want, you get to keep that. If you have an insurance program or a health care policy you want of ideas, make sure you keep it. That you can keep who you want. That we keep that patient-doctor relationship very strong,” Begich said in a July 27, 2009 statewide iTownhall with Alaskans.

Uncle Obama's Bait-and-Switch

At the San Diego Union-Tribune, "President Obama’s obnoxious bait-and-switch":

The last time we had a Democratic president who wanted to overhaul the entire U.S. health care system, his measure never even got out of a single congressional committee.

Why? Because Bill Clinton had no compelling response to an insurance-industry ad campaign in which “Harry and Louise” talked about the president’s proposal and the likelihood it would force them to lose their current health coverage and choose from a handful of government-approved options.

The ad campaign was so potent because it understood that most Americans are satisfied with their health coverage — and thus fear change.

The blowback Democrats faced because of the Clinton health initiative led to a Republican takeover of the House in November 1994 for the first time in nearly a half-century.

Barack Obama knew this history. So when he became president in January 2009 and began his push for a similarly ambitious overhaul of U.S. health care, he told people over and over that if they liked their health plan, they could keep it. There were no caveats. No strings attached. If you liked your doctor, you could keep your doctor.

It’s quite possible that the president said this so many times that he came to believe it. But it is a matter of fact that three months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, the Obama administration issued rules that will force the cancellation of vast numbers of policies. This is from the administration’s own words in the Federal Register: “The Departments’ midrange estimate is that 66 percent of small employer plans and 45 percent of large employer plans will relinquish their grandfather status by the end of 2013.”

So three years and four months ago, the Obama administration anticipated that some 90 million Americans would be forced to change their coverage. Yet as recently as last month, the president once again said, “If you like your plan, you can keep it.”

This is White House dishonesty on an epic scale...

It is.

An epic swindle.

People won't buy the product, so you've got to cheat 'em.

That's the Democrat-Socialist way.

IMAGE CREDIT: The People's Cube, "Come on down to Uncle Obama's Health-O-Rama at your local STALIN STOREHOUSE and check out these DEALS!"

New York City Takes Hard-Left Turn

At WSJ, "Election of Bill de Blasio as Mayor Could Be Test of Revival of Liberalism in American Political Life":

For the past 12 years, the nation's largest city has been run by one of the country's wealthiest corporate titans, a self-declared iconoclast untethered to either party.

On Tuesday, New York overwhelmingly elected an unabashed liberal activist and political strategist who is sympathetic to the Occupy Wall Street movement and once spent time in Nicaragua supporting the Sandinistas.

Political analysts say the election of Democrat Bill de Blasio —who ran on a platform of raising taxes on the wealthy to fund education programs, cracking down on aggressive police tactics known as stop-and-frisk and creating a more inclusive, collaborative government—could become the biggest test yet of a recent revival of liberalism in American political life that is occurring in urban areas.

The test will have many pundits keeping a close eye on the new mayor's many challenges, including the delicate task of appeasing business leaders used to dealing with one of their own, and of resolving the city's biggest showdown with unions in a half century. "Bill [will be] the most liberal big-city mayor in America today and a lot of people are going to be watching it: Can he pull it off?" said Harold Ickes, a mentor to Mr. de Blasio and former White House deputy chief of staff for Bill Clinton.

In 2000, Republicans led five of the nation's largest dozen cities. By the end of 2012, they no longer led any. In Tuesday's election, the candidate favored in opinion polls to be Seattle's new mayor, Ed Murray, appealed to voters partly by citing his role in passing the largest tax increase in Washington state's history to fund transportation improvements. In Boston, State Rep. Martin Walsh was elected after squaring off against another progressive Democrat to succeed Thomas Menino, a Democrat who built strong relationships with the city's business community.

Liberals are emboldened, said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report. He said that after decades of feeling that Democrats had to move to the center to be elected, "we're seeing more and more in the Democratic Party a sense of confidence and outspokenness among progressives."

But observers say that with momentum can come some obvious risks, including overstepping mandates and stepping out of the mainstream. "They could go too far left, because there's a tolerance for moderation, not necessarily for liberalism," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. "If they show themselves to be incompetent then they'll pay a price." Mr. de Blasio has said he has made, and will make, an effort to reach out to all sides.

The shift hardly means liberals are taking over. Conservatives hold safe seats in the House of Representatives, and the rise of liberalism in some places reflects increased partisanship on both ends of the political spectrum. In 1982, 344 members of the House were considered to have some ideological overlap with the opposing party. In 2012, there were 13 such members, according to an analysis of voting data by National Journal.

In New York, Mr. de Blasio, 52 years old, will be the first Democrat to be mayor in 20 years. "Make no mistake," Mr. de Blasio said in his acceptance speech Tuesday night. "The people of this city have chosen a progressive path."

The victory could "make other Democrats think of this 'tale of two cities' theme as a possible driver of their campaigns in 2014," said Jeffrey M. Berry, a political-science professor at Tufts University.

The question for critics is whether Mr. de Blasio has enough experience running a large city, and can run it in an effective manner. As the city's public advocate, a government watchdog, Mr. de Blasio managed a staff of 40 people with an annual budget of $2.3 million. New York City employs around 300,000 people with an annual operating budget of $69.9 billion.

"I have no trouble praising de Blasio's political skills," said Fred Siegel, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank that focuses on economic choice. "It's his governing that worries me."

In response, Mr. de Blasio has said that he has learned under some of the most skilled leaders in the Democratic Party, including Mr. Ickes and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. They taught him "to always to check reality against your presumptions," he said in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal.

New Yorkers rejected several of Mr. de Blasio's positions in a poll last month, despite their overwhelming support of his candidacy. A majority of voters said they wanted to retain Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. (Mr. de Blasio promised to remove him, which the city's mayor can do.) They wanted more charter schools. (Mr. de Blasio has expressed skepticism.) And nearly half of voters support the stop-and-frisk tactic used by police officers. (Mr. de Blasio's criticism of the practice is one of his central platforms.)

More, "De Blasio Elected Next New York City Mayor in Landslide: First Democrat to Win City Hall Since David Dinkins in 1989."

California Insurance Commissioner Defends #ObamaCare After Browbeating Blue Shield Into 113,000 Policy Extensions

Yes, because it's an excellent law. Most excellent!

Democrats have to destroy the private market in order to "save it" with government-run healthcare.

And it's working so well!

Wait! Don't make those Blue Shield customers suffer. Give 'em an extension! That'll do it! Appease those mofos until the "glitches" are all gone!

At LAT, "State insurance chief faults health exchange for cancellations":

RT @PMgeezer RT @MyCancellation: Another cancellation, all thanks to #ObamaCare. #myhealthplandied pic.twitter.com/yL9ziOi7V5

— Cindy Kennedy (@CIndyStarbuck) November 5, 2013

Stepping into the national backlash over health policy cancellations, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones faulted the state's health exchange for requiring insurers to terminate coverage Dec. 31, but acknowledged that he has little power to stop it.

Jones reiterated his support for President Obama's healthcare law Tuesday, but he said these cancellation notices and the resulting avalanche of consumer complaints were an unnecessary blunder.

"There are areas where implementation could be done better, and this is an example of that," Jones said. "Individuals could have been allowed to stay in their plan for another year. Don't force people out arbitrarily Dec. 31."

With that in mind, Jones said he pressured Blue Shield of California to offer an extension until March 31 to about 113,000 customers. Their policies were being canceled Dec. 31 because their coverage doesn't meet all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Overall, an estimated 1 million Californians with individual health insurance have received termination letters in recent weeks. They are among several million people affected nationwide.

Covered California, the state insurance exchange, estimates that nearly 600,000 of those customers getting cancellation notices may see higher rates next year while also benefiting from more comprehensive coverage.

Jones said Blue Shield failed to give the affected customers adequate notice of the change. State regulators will scrutinize cancellation notices from other companies, Jones said, but he downplayed the idea that other insurers will be forced to make similar moves.

"If I see legal violations I will enforce the law, but I'm doubtful much else will change," he said.

Jimi Hendrix on 'American Masters'

I watched it last night. Fascinating, "Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin’."



Also at NYT, "A Talent Whose Light Was Bright but Brief: Revisiting Jimi Hendrix on PBS’s ‘American Masters’." And LAT, "Review: Jimi Hendrix seen through a gentle purple haze."

"He didn't like being flattered [as the best guitar player in the world]. He fended it off..."

Such a humble, beautiful man.

'The Education of Ezra Klein continues, at great expense to the nation. We might as well enjoy the spectacle...'

Heh.

Mickey Kaus is diggin' the groovy serotonin rush with "the current Obamacalypse," at Instapundit.