Saturday, August 22, 2009

Conservatives for Patients' Rights Will Hammer Obama During Martha's Vinyard Vacation

From the Washington Post, "Critical Ads To Follow Obama on Vacation" (via Memeorandum):

Seeking to ensure that President Obama has a less-than-restful vacation, a group opposed to the White House's health-care proposals is launching an ad campaign this week that will run locally during his stay at Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Conservatives for Patients' Rights says it plans to run a spot titled "Surf's Up" in the Martha's Vineyard and Boston areas that implores the president to drop his pursuit of a public health insurance option. The ad is the latest salvo in a multimillion-dollar message war over the fate of health reform that has shown no sign of abating, even during the normally quiet final weeks of summer.

"The beach is nice this time of year," the ad's narrator begins. "But while President Obama vacations, concerns mount about his health-care plan. Why? Because his public-option health plan could lead to government-run health care, higher taxes on everything from paychecks to soda, and add a trillion to the deficit. Mr. President, when you go back to D.C., drop your government-run public-option plan. Let's get on with real reform to lower costs and protect patients' rights."

The group said it has laid out "more than $150,000" for the ad campaign, a relatively small amount given that more than $60 million has been spent on health-care ads this year, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group. But CPR hopes to make its dollars count by putting the ad on the air in front of Obama, his staff and the traveling White House press corps. The group made a point of buying time during next week's series between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox, Obama's favorite baseball team.

"While President Obama is vacationing in the surf at Martha's Vineyard, Americans are growing increasingly anxious that the public option will raise costs, not lower them," said Rick Scott, a former hospital chief executive who chairs CPR. "He should drop the public-option plan and go back to the drawing board."

On Wednesday, Scott sent out an internal memo, published on WhoRunsGov.com (a Washington Post Co. Web site), warning that "the public option isn't dead yet" and pledging to keep up the pressure on Obama with a "Martha's Vineyard ad strategy."
The White House is trying to deligitimize Rick Scott, who left the Hospital Corporation of America under a cloud. (Mother Jones ran a big expose on Scott in July, "Public Option Enemy No. 1.") And actually, the administration's pushback against Scott and CPR might well have been effective, were it not for the fact that Barack Obama himslef has brought to Washington arguably the most corrupt administation in presidential history.

More at the Astute Bloggers, "SURF'S UP, BUT OBAMACARE IS DOWN."

Tom Daschle: Inside Democratic 'Resource' to the Health Industry

In Culture of Corruption, Michelle Malkin discusses the breathtaking ethical lapses of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. The scope of Daschle's Democratic cronyism, influence peddling, and sleazeball inside politics is truly astounding, and the hits keep coming.

It turns out that despite his withdrawal as HHS Sectretary nominee, Daschle in fact remains one of President Obama's closest policy advisors on health policy. And unsurprisingly, Dashle's lobbying ties to industry power players are as great as ever. From the New York Times, "
Daschle Has the Ear of the White House and the Health Industry":

Six months have passed since the morning when Tom Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader, under fire for not paying certain taxes, called President Obama in his study off the Oval Office to withdraw his nomination as health secretary and reform czar.

But these days it often seems as if Mr. Daschle never left the picture. With unrivaled ties on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, he talks constantly with top White House advisers, many of whom previously worked for him.

He still speaks frequently to the president, who met with him as recently as Friday morning in the Oval Office. And he remains a highly paid policy adviser to hospital, drug, pharmaceutical and other health care industry clients of Alston & Bird, the law and lobbying firm.

Now the White House and Senate Democratic leaders appear to be moving toward a blueprint for overhauling the health system, centered on nonprofit insurance cooperatives, that Mr. Daschle began promoting two months ago as a politically feasible alternative to a more muscular government-run insurance plan.

It is an idea that happens to dovetail with the interests of many Alston & Bird clients, like the insurance giant UnitedHealth and the Tennessee Hospital Association. And it is drawing angry cries of accommodation from more liberal House Democrats bent on including a public insurance plan.

Friends and associates of Mr. Daschle say the interests of Alston & Bird’s clients have no influence on his views. They say he sees no conflict in advising private clients on the one hand and advising the White House on the other, because he offers the same assessment to everyone: Though he has often said that he favors a government-run insurance option, the Senate will not pass it.

“The message I deliver to labor unions and business leaders is the same one I share with doctors, hospitals and insurance companies,” Mr. Daschle wrote in a brief e-mailed statement. “I do not tailor my views to any specific group or client.”

Mr. Daschle is not registered as a lobbyist and recently told U.S. News and World Report that he preferred to describe himself as a “resource” to those in government and industry.

“I’d like to be a resource to my former colleagues, to the extent that I can, to the administration, to the stakeholders and to people interested in just kind of knowing how this is all going to play out,” he said. “I am most comfortable with the word resource.”
A "resource," eh?

This is what Michelle says about Daschle
in her book:

The Daschle nomination was a Shrek-sized stink bomb from start to finish. The limousine liberal's tax evasions were the least of his problems. Tom Daschle is the personification of all that Obama professed to detest during his campaign of Hope and Change - a consummate Beltway insider who parlayed his public service (where he earned a $158,000 yearly salary) into a $5.2 million personal fortune as one of Washington's biggest influence peddlers along with his lobbyist wife.
That's a some "resource" Daschle's providing for the Democratic Beltway establishment. Typical, in any case, and one of the reasons that ObamaCare is dragging this administration down faster than you can say ethical impropriety.

Don't miss Michelle's book,
Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies.

Wally Herger Town Hall: The 'Atmosphere of a Revival'

Wally Herger, who represents California's District 2 in the House, held an energetic town hall rally last Tuesday. Here's the local report from Redding, "Health Care Rally Draws Huge Crowd":



North state congressman Wally Herger enjoyed home-court advantage at an enthusiastic and sometimes emotional town hall meeting on health care Tuesday night in the Simpson University gymnasium.

Amid signs like "Keep Barackracy out of our Health Care System" and "Palin is right the bill is evil," Herger, R-Chico, addressed an overflowing crowd of 2,100 people inside the stuffy gym. The air conditioning wasn't working.

At times, the night took on the atmosphere of a revival as Herger worked the crowd into a frenzy, throwing out such names as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Barney Frank.

"I'm opposing a public plan with everything I have," Herger said to an ear-splitting standing ovation.

Bert Stead, 67, of Redding warned Herger that his work won't stop with his "no" vote on President Barack Obama's plan for health care reform.

"I'm a proud right-wing terrorist," Stead said to a raucous cheer. "We don't want government running our business."
There's more at the link.

From the sound of things, the Herger town hall was far more civil and engaging than most of the Democratic town halls we've seen (with folks like Barney Frank and Claire McCaskill upbraiding their very own constituents). But Amanda Terkel,
at Think Progress, has apparently gone hysterical over a quote from another report at the Mt. Shasta News, "Congressman Herger Calls Obama Plan 'Threat to Democracy'":

Republican Congressman Wally Herger held a health care town hall meeting Aug. 18 at Simpson University in Redding, where a partisan crowd of over 2,000 people loudly cheered Herger’s position that a public option was “unacceptable.”Although Herger called several times for the audience to “respect each other’s opinions,” those opposed to president Obama’s health care were greeted with cheers while the few in favor were interrupted with catcalls.Herger did not hold back on his opinion of the health care plan and the administration’s appointment of “czars” to head various departments and task forces. “Our democracy has never been threatened as much as it is today,” Herger said to a loud standing ovation ....

After denouncing the Obama plan to wild cheering, Herger offered a few solutions of his own including opening up competition among private health care companies by forcing companies to sell policies nationwide rather than just within individual states, tort reform to bring down malpractice costs and “risk pools like automobile companies” for those with preexisting conditions who Herger conceded are unable to get coverage [emphasis added].
Check the video at top. Herger clearly enjoys getting out there on the hustings with his constituents, and the crowd didn't hold back their exhortations at Herger's rallying cries. While the reports indicate at least one scuffle broke out, Herger shows, ideally, what a town hall rally should be all about. Members of Congress are supposed to represent the interests of the people back home. Of course, when Democratic Members of Congress dismiss the interests of their voters, as has been true so often of late, they court the kind of anger we've been seeing for weeks.

And then for Amanda Terkel to rip one line out of a clearly raucous rally, and then to impugn one gentleman attending, who announced he was proud to be a "
right wing terrorist," indicates a complete and utter desperation. Folks on the right have eagerly mocked the DHS report on the alleged threat from "single issue voters" worried about immigration and other policies. And while leftists continue to demonize regular citizens, the administration is now facing the complete repudiation in both policy and public opinion.

It must be hard for Democrats to brought down that low. But it must be especially painful considering that leftists brought much of this on themselves.

9-12 National Tea Party March on Washington

Actually, I'll be attending 9-12 West, the West Coast Tea Party on 9/12/2009, at the Los Angeles Federal Building on Wilshire. More information here.

SWAC Girl has some information on the Tea Party March on Washington. See, "Taxpayer Protest ... Sept. 12 March on Washington, D.C." The website is here, ". Plus, here's a Video Reminder from “Thomas Paine”:

Related: "From Tea Parties to The 912 Project, Americans Are Challenging The Government."

Recess Rally in Tampa Bay, Florida

From Carolyn Tackett, "Recess Rally In Front of Rep. Kathy Castor's Office":

About two dozen people showed in front of Rep. Kathy Castor's office today in Tampa to protest against government intrusion in to health care. The group was cheered on by passing motorists who honked horns, gave the "thumbs up" and several rolled down their windows and yelled "keep up the good work" and other words of encouragement.
More at the link.

Plus, from the Tampa Tribune, "
Citizens Protest Health Care Reform in Tampa." More town hall coverage at Instapundit and Memeorandum.

Recess Rally in Birmingham, Michigan

From the Blog Prof, "Report From The Birmingham, MI Tea Party Protest - August 22, 2009":
If you notice the signs, they are all home made. No professional looking signs like what the SEIU and ACORN bring to their events. Note that a large number of the protesters were seniors. So much for the AstroTurf accusations hurled by the left. Here are some choice signs:

Lots of video at the link (via Memeorandum). Plus, check A Conservative Teacher, "My Report from the Birmingham Healthcare Rally."

And, the Detroit News, "Health Care Debate Rages On at Birmingham Rallies."

Tony Blair Denies Libyan Claims of Lockerbie Deal

From CNN, "Blair Denies Libyan Claims of Lockerbie Deal":

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Saturday that no deals were made with Libya while he was in power to arrange the Lockerbie bomber's release, a move that has caused outrage in the United States.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Blair denied claims -- made Friday by the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi -- that he raised the case of Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi every time he visited Libya as prime minister.

"Let me make one thing absolutely clear. The Libyans, of course, were raising the case for Megrahi all the way along, not just with me but with everybody. It was a major national concern for them," Blair said. "But as I used to say to them, I don't have the power to release Mr. Megrahi." Blair, who stepped down as PM in 2007, was interviewed Saturday by CNN's John Vause in Guiyang, China.

The Libyan leader's son, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, made his comments in an interview with Libyan channel Al Mutawassit, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. The interview was conducted Thursday while he flew with al Megrahi from Scotland to Libya after the convicted bomber's release from prison.

"The release that has taken place is a decision by the Scottish executive, which has taken place on compassionate grounds," Blair said. "Those compassionate grounds didn't even exist a few years back.

"So yes, of course it's absolutely right the Libyans were always raising this issue, but we made it clear that the only way this could be dealt with was through the proper procedures."

Al Megrahi had been serving a life sentence for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which 270 people -- including 189 Americans -- were killed. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill freed al Megrahi after doctors concluded he has terminal prostate cancer and has three months to live.
I want to trust Tony Blair, but either he's uniformed or not telling the whole story, sorry to say. The release of al Megrahi is a gross injustice of world historical importance. I can't imagine this episode helps the cause of peace or amity among nations, and it certainly tells the victims' families that Scottish government cares more about compassion toward the world's heinous killers than the loved ones of those who slept well knowing the murderers were behind bars.

Related, from CBS News, "
UK Deflects Lockerbie Backlash to Scotland":

Britain on Saturday rejected any suggestion that it had struck a deal with Libya to free the Lockerbie bomber - questions that arose when Moammar Gadhafi publicly thanked British officials as he embraced the man convicted of killing 270 people in the 1988 airline bombing.

Gadhafi praised Prime Minister Gordon Brown and members of the royal family by name for what he described as influencing the decision to let the terminally ill Abdel Baset al-Megrahi return home to die. Thousands greeted al-Megrahi at the airport as he arrived in Tripoli after being freed Thursday from a Scottish prison.

But British officials insisted they did not tell Scottish justice officials what to do - and in any case, they could not, because the decision was not theirs' to make.
See also, Gateway Pundit, "Libyan Leader Gaddafi Praises Brown for Lockerbie Terrorist's Release," and Atlas Shrugs, "An Obama US Presidency: A Hero's Welcome for Muslim Lockerbie Bomber Received in Tripoli."

Plus, Jihad Watch, "Questions About Energy Deals Surround Release of Lockerbie Bomber."

Recess Rally at Senator Claire McCaskill's Office

Josh Schroeder provides these pictures from the Recess Rally at Claire McCaskill's office":

Also, check Gateway Pundit, "HUNDREDS RALLY AGAINST OBAMACARE At McCaskill's Missouri Office."

And from Michelle Malkin, "
Don’t tone it down ... Crank it up."

Will Democrats Get Slaughtered In 2010?

The Rhetorican says it might be "Contract With America II."

But I love the title at Clusterstock, "
Will Democrats Get Slaughtered In 2010?":

If Republicans make a comeback by the 2010 midterm elections, it will be one of the most amazing acts of political judo ever, seeing as they've done nothing substantive and have no leadership, and since a few months ago, there was talk about a permanent Republican minority.
Well, the buzz is over Charlie Cook, at Cook Political Report, who suggested that the GOP could pick up enough seats in for a majority in 2010: "Special Update from the Cook Political Report":

For those of you not addicted to the 1:00pm EDT daily release of Gallup’s three-night moving average tracking poll, President Obama’s job approval rating in both their August 16-18 and August 17-19 averages was just 51 percent, the lowest level of his presidency. The latter sampling showed his disapproval up to 42 percent, matching his all-time low hit in the August 15-17 tracking poll. The 51% job approval rating is identical to two other polls released in recent days conducted by NBC News and the Pew Research Center. Today’s regression-based trend estimate computed by our friends at Pollster.com from all major national surveys show an approval rating of 50.7 percent and disapproval of 43.7 percent.

These data confirm anecdotal evidence, and our own view, that the situation this summer has slipped completely out of control for President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Today, The Cook Political Report’s Congressional election model, based on individual races, is pointing toward a net Democratic loss of between six and 12 seats, but our sense, factoring in macro-political dynamics is that this is far too low.

Many veteran Congressional election watchers, including Democratic ones, report an eerie sense of déjà vu, with a consensus forming that the chances of Democratic losses going higher than 20 seats is just as good as the chances of Democratic losses going lower than 20 seats. A new Gallup poll that shows Congress’ job disapproval at 70 percent among independents should provide little solace to Democrats. In the same poll, Congressional approval among independents is at 22 percent, with 31 percent approving overall, and 62 percent disapproving.
Also, check Cook's discussion on Hardball’s Chris Matthews:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

One Term? White House Anticipating Tough Reelection in 2012

Well, that's the takeaway from Press Spokesman Robert Gibbs' statement that President Obama is "quite comfortable" with living and making decisions in this house for "four years."

That's bull, of course. All presidents look for reelection. Even Lyndon Johnson, at the height of the Vietnam War, sought a second term until his poor showing in the 1968 New Hampshire primary.

What Gibbs is admitting - and it's kind of surprising to me, actually - is that the White House is doubting the president's staying power in public opinion; and Gibbs' comment is a fearful acknowledgment that not only are things going poorly politically, but that healthcare reform may well be the administration's Waterloo.

For some related commentary, check out Fred Barnes' piece, "
Death of a Salesman: The More Obama Talks About Health Care, The Lower His Approval Rating Goes":

Between July 20 and July 30, President Obama was a busy man, barely out of the public eye while campaigning furiously for his health care initiative. He did four town hall events, spoke at two hospitals, delivered a radio address, was interviewed on two network TV news shows, and held a prime time press conference--all devoted to promoting his health care plan. On this issue as on no other, Obama personally took his case to the people.

Something else occurred during that time frame. The president's job approval rating fell 9 points, from 61 percent to 52 percent in the Gallup Poll. This was an unusually precipitous decline from which Obama hasn't recovered. In mid-August, after more weeks of barnstorming for his health care program, his approval rating remained in the low 50s. Only Bill Clinton among recent presidents had a lower approval after seven months in office.

For Obama, there's still worse news. Not only has he lost ground, but public support for his health care proposal has collapsed to the point that a majority of Americans prefer no reform at all to his plan. And the more he stumps for it, the less support it attracts. Rather than a peripheral phenomenon, the noisy opposition in congressional town hall meetings turns out to be a reflection of the deep national suspicion of Obamacare.

Two conclusions are inescapable. The first is that Obama is not Mr. Persuasive, a compelling orator like FDR, swaying public opinion with his words. Quite the contrary, he has failed to sustain public backing for his economic stimulus package, his decision to shut down Guantánamo, his proposed spending, the takeover of General Motors, bailouts in general, and now health care reform.

Health care is the big one for Obama, his signature program, the one that's most far-reaching and politically important. It's the real test of Obama. If he can't persuade the country to back it--and so far he's failed miserably--then he's not the spellbinding speaker or the master politician he's been cracked up to be. Yet the media won't acknowledge his failures. In the Washington Post on August 15, reporter Michael D. Shear wrote that Obama's "popularity and powers of persuasion may well make him the reform effort's most effective spokesman." If Shear is correct, then Obamacare is dead.

There's a corollary. The impulse at the White House to rely on Obama as salesman-in-chief, to put him on the road, is surely mistaken. For him, the bully pulpit has limited utility. In fact, presidential scholar George C. Edwards III argued in his book On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit that presidential speechmaking no longer moves public sentiment.

The second conclusion to draw is that Obama has been dragged down by his health care policy. The more he's identified himself with it, the less the public likes him. There's nothing irrational about this. Why should people without a partisan allegiance to Obama hang with him when they dislike his signature policy? There's no good reason.

Besides, it shows the public is paying serious attention to a national issue. This doesn't happen often. Democrats and Obamaphiles may not like the drift of the debate over health care, but it was Obama who prompted it. Now it's exposed his lack of persuasiveness.
Related: The Politico, "A Blue Dog's Lament: 'People Are Scared'" (via Memeorandum).

Nationwide Recess Rally: Anti-ObamaCare Protests Around the Country Today

A couple of great articles:

From The Hill, "
Health Protesters Plan Saturday Rallies Outside Offices," and Fox News, " 'Tea Party' Organizers Plan Anti-'Obamacare' Rallies Across the Country."

Here's this, from
the text of The Hill piece:



Many of the organizers of the anti-tax Tea Party protests are collaborating Saturday for a Nationwide Recess Rally to protest "socialized, government-controlled healthcare" outside members' district offices.

Backed by right-of-center bloggers and conservative groups, the effort calls for demonstrations at noon in each time zone at more than 1,000 congressional offices across the country.

"These events will represent a strong statement that we’ve been pushed to the edge and simply cannot be pushed any further," the nationwide organizers state on the Recess Rally website. "It is at this time that we will also hand deliver a coalition letter to every single congressional office in the country."

Protests are planned outside offices of both Democrats and Republicans, ranging from House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who famously answered a town hall protester's comment Tuesday about "Nazi policy" with "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"

Jim Hoft, who blogs at Gateway Pundit and has been covering many of the protest events in the St. Louis area, told The Hill that the demonstrations are being planned by activists on the local level.

Hoft, who will be outside Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill's (Mo.) office for the rally on Saturday, said he believes the protest efforts at town halls throughout recess have been making a difference.

"That's why we want to keep the momentum going," Hoft said. "This isn't about politics — some people say it would be a big defeat for Obama and the Democrats, but that isn't what's important to us in St. Louis.

"We want to defeat this legislation because we believe it's bad for America," Hoft said.

Hoft said more than 2,000 protesters are expected at the Missouri locations. Word about the events has spread through blogs, talk radio and some local news outlets.

Hoft brushed aside the characterization of the demonstrations as a right-wing event. "We're seeing in the polls most of America is against this piece of legislation today," he said. "The people out there who are passionate would include the right."

"If you look at many, if not most, of the state pages on the website - there are no rallies listed so it's hard to comment on something that doesn't appear in many places to be happening," Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine told The Hill. "Of course - this would match the trend we've seen over the last two weeks where the supporters of reform are outnumbering the protesters at town halls across the country. The opposition made a splash at a handful of town halls in the first few days of the recess, but after its tactics -- including hanging members in effigy and the use of Nazi symbolism -- backfired we've seen the opposition recede and supporters of health insurance reform emerge."
Gateway Pundit's report is here, "The Hill Reports on the 1,000 Rallies Planned For Tomorrow ...Update: DNC Slanders Town Hall Protesters!" But check out this, from the Fox report:

If Democratic lawmakers thought all the furor over President Obama's health care plan expressed this month at town hall meetings was dying down, they might be in for a surprise Saturday.

That's when citizens are planning anti-"Obamacare" rallies across the country Saturday in all 435 congressional districts.

And their message is clear: We will not stand for socialized, government-controlled health care.

The same groups who made the "tax tea parties" possible in April are behind this weekend's movement. American Liberty Alliance, FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity are working with The Sam Adams Alliance, among others, to stage the rallies.

They come as town hall clashes between Democratic lawmakers and protesters of Obama's health care plan have captured national attention. Some Democrats have dismissed those protesters as "mobs" organized by special interests. But many protesters have said they attended the town halls out of genuine concern.

Now they can express their concerns at Saturday's rallies.

"Obviously the idea behind this was to have a unified day for those concerned about government-controlled health care to talk outside their representatives' offices," said Paul Miller, spokesman for The Sam Adams Alliance, a Chicago-based political organization which is one of several groups promoting the event through new media.

They're not kidding about the "new media." See, CNN, "Liberal Bloggers Admit Conservatives Have Upper Hand on Twitter."

See also, USA Today, "
Town Hall Meetings Stir More Conservatives to Action."

Image Credit: Nationwide Rally Against Socialized Medicine.

Related: Legal Insurrection, "Throw Out the Democratic Health Care Sponge."

How Left-Elitists See Town Hall Citizens: 'Ill-Informed, Know Nothings Holding the Country Hostage With Total Irrationality'

Here's Ed Morrissey, writing during last year's election, on the long tradition of elite snobbery on the Democratic-left:
Elitism is a sense that the hoi polloi are simply incapable of governing themselves, let alone a nation, and that a small group of “experts” have to take control of everything they do. That goes far beyond mere matters of state. Elitists see people getting more obese and believe that government has to intervene to remove food choices from individuals, as one rather timely example, as in New York City. They believe that removing personal choices will keep people from making bad decisions, because they — in all their wisdom — will make the right choices for them.

This describes perfectly the policy direction of the Democratic Party ... That’s why the charge of elitism sticks so well to Democratic candidates in national elections. Their humble origins are immaterial to the concept of elitism. Candidates who want to grow the federal government in order to increase its nanny-state power are by definition elitists, because they believe individuals cannot make choices for themselves.
Well, we've been noticing the left's ubiquitous snobbery during the debates over health policy and the town hall meetings. Digby really captures it in her attempted takedown of Rush Limbaugh as a "gasbag":

If you wonder why people are so unbelievably misinformed in this country here's one good place to look ...

People listen to this kind of drivel all day long on talk radio and Fox News. Why should anyone be surprised that they think the government is going to be sending Death Agents to nursing homes to kill old people? ... They are being indoctrinated in idiocy by radical demagogues and for some reason everybody persists in thinking there is no harm in it.

These fatuous gasbags empower the teabaggers and swift boaters and I think we can see the result --- ill-informed, know nothings holding the country hostage with total irrationality.
Plus, here's Steve Benen on Representative Barney Frank's obnoxious response to a kooky LaRouche-Democrat attending his town hall:

There was no defensiveness, and no anger, just someone who knows what he's talking about making someone who doesn't look like a fool.

Matt Yglesias raised
a terrific point: "Voters don't have a great deal of knowledge about the issues, or a great deal of interest in acquiring knowledge about the issues. But they are human beings, equipped with our species' excellent ability to read the emotional states of other human beings. If they see a politician acting defensive about his 'side' in an argument, they conclude that this critics are probably on to something. If they see a politicians acting outraged and hitting back fearlessly, they're likely to conclude that he has nothing to apologize for."

Quite right. A low-information voter, with only a passing familiarity with current events, might catch an exchange like this one. Which of the two people in this clip -- the crazy person or Barney Frank -- comes across as credible?

I realize that Frank has the benefit of serving in a safe Democratic seat, in a highly-educated area. Vulnerable Democratic lawmakers may not feel comfortable openly ridiculing random lunatics who ask stupid questions like Frank did.

But the point is, reform advocates can show this kind of confidence and certainty that nonsensical beliefs are nonsensical beliefs.
It's not so much that the woman at the video was a lunatic or not (the fact that LaRouche voters are Democrats doesn't seem to bother leftists searching for something, anything, to help rescue Obama's falling fortures on socialized medicine). No, it's the totally condescending approach Democratic-lefitsts take to those of differing opinions. Benen's citing Matthew Yglesias, who I unveiled a couple of weeks ago as a "true revolutionary socialist expropriator."

Given the nature and stakes of the debate, I don't expect to convince my political opponents that they're elitist in the mold of Vladimir Lenin. Having said that, folks should at least keep an open mind in reading John Goodman's essay on the everyday citizens participating in the recent ObamaCare demonstrations, "
Explaining the Town-Hall Protests":
These are a very diverse group of people. Some of them are part of a 40,000-person network of former Obama supporters who are experiencing buyer's remorse. Others are part of various disease networks, including patients concerned about the future of cancer care. There are networks of senior citizens worried about cuts in Medicare and the possible closing of their private Medicare insurance plans. There are Christian conservatives worried about taxpayer-funded abortions and subsidies for euthanasia. And there are an enormous number of people who are simply concerned about their health care.

For the most part, these individuals are not funded or organized by anybody. They really are grass roots. Sure, there may be a few top-down "astroturf" groups and some special-interest groups that are secretly gleeful. But there is no way the kind of spontaneous outpouring we've witnessed could be bought or organized by anyone.

Why are they so angry? The reasons are manifold, but the single biggest reason is the arrogance of our elected officials in Washington. Think about it. For the past seven months a small group of politicians has been meeting behind-closed-doors with powerful special interests to decide whether you will be able to keep your current insurance, where you will be directed to get new insurance and at what price, what fines you and your employer will have to pay if you don't conform, and how they're going to get your doctor to change the way he or she practices medicine. In the process, they never asked you what you thought about anything. If you are not mad about this, odds are you don't understand the situation.

Remember, according to a Fox News poll conducted last month, 84% of Americans rate the quality of their insurance as "excellent" or "good." When they voted for Mr. Obama for president, they thought "universal care" meant helping some unfortunate Americans obtain insurance they cannot otherwise afford. Not once did candidate Obama say he was going to make changes that affected them and their health care. In fact, he promised the opposite.
Read the whole thing at the link.

And if leftists still aren't convinced, I'll simply recommend that folks read some of the latest polling results, for example, "
Faith in Obama Drops As Reform Fears Rise: Health-Care Effort Is Major Factor, Poll Finds." And it's not a bunch of "ill-informed, know-nothing" Limbaugh ditto-heads either. See Greg Sargent, "Major Factor In Obama’s WaPo Poll Slide: Drop Among Dems, Liberals." (Via Memeorandum.)

Friday, August 21, 2009

Obama the Anti-Bush: Er, How's That Working Out For You?

I'm having fun today picking on the airheads at Firedoglake, so let's continue with Eli's post, "The Anti-Bush, Or Bush Lite?"

Almost three years ago, way before Barack Obama was even the Democratic nominee, Michael Tomasky wrote a column titled "Obama the anti-Bush," presciently predicting that Obama's bipartisany oppositeness to The Worst President Ever would be a huge asset should he run for president. A year later, Paul Krugman even more presciently referenced that same column while exhorting Democrats to be more like Bush ...
I guess Krugman warned Dems not to play nice and succumb to the false allure of "bipartisanship' ... they should, in a word, be "Bush-like."

So how's that working out for you guys? Not so great, eh?

Here's
Eli:

Obama has shown little fire and little urgency, standing on the sidelines while Blue Dogs and Republicans stall Dawn Johnsen and whittle his campaign initiatives down to nubs. On healthcare, his support for the public option is fickle and unconvincing: He says he wants the public option, he prefers the public option, yet he was perfectly fine with letting Max Baucus stall it so that the teaturfers could turn Democratic town halls into armed madhouses. He made it very clear that he's willing to jettison the public option to pass something he can call healthcare reform, and backtracked (slightly) only when the Progressive Caucus refused to roll over as planned ...

President Obama took office at a moment of great risk and great opportunity, with the winds of recession and broken government in his face, and popular support and huge congressional majorities at his back. The situation was tailor-made for a president who is the Anti-Bush on policy and Bush Lite on politics, who would battle to roll back everything Bush did wrong. What we got was President Broder, who values bipartisanship above all else, and still believes that the party that drove America off a cliff is worth listening to. How's that working out for us?
Not so great, it turns out. Responding to Krugman's latest whiney essay this morning, the New York Times has published some letters to the editor, "Unease About Obama, From Liberals":

To the Editor:

Re “Obama’s Trust Problem” (column, Aug. 21):

Thank you, Paul Krugman, for so perfectly expressing the feelings of this progressive. I defended Barack Obama, despite his relative inexperience, during the primaries because I believed that his open style of governance was the best route to sound policy. I didn’t expect that this approach would result in the almost complete abandonment of core commitments, whether it was about torture, habeas corpus or health care.

Sadly, I am becoming edgy about how deeply he holds those commitments. While I won’t switch sides, in 2012 I will be far less willing to devote time and money to the Obama campaign than in 2008. I don’t think I will be alone in this resistance. At a minimum, I will be looking for a display of personal integrity and respect for all the progressives who were his deepest and most loyal supporters. It is indeed time for change.

Martha Holstein
Chicago, Aug. 21, 2009

*****

To the Editor:

Difficult times require strong leaders willing to act with courage and conviction — in short, to lead.

Barack Obama the candidate was charismatic, intoxicating and destined. President Obama has been cautious, compromising, even pusillanimous.

Presidential elections test likeability. Presidencies test leadership. We shall see.

Robert Ouriel
Los Angeles, Aug. 21, 2009
There are three more letters at the link.

See also, Greg Sargent, "
Major Factor In Obama’s WaPo Poll Slide: Drop Among Dems, Liberals," and Glenn Greenwald, "Has Obama Lost the Trust of Progressives, as Krugman Says?" (Via Memeorandum.)

And to answer Greenwald: That's a big, duh, at this point ...

Image Credit:
TrogloPundit.

WTF is Wee Wee'd Up?

Neo-Neocon's on the case, "Let's Not Get Wee-Wee'd Up":

And now for the official word on the origin of the expression:

“It’s a phrase I use,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today, hesitating at his press briefing to offer a physical demonstration of the phraseology.

“Let’s do this in a way that’s family friendly,” Gibbs said. “I think ‘wee-weed up’ is when people get all nervous for no particular reason …. Bedwetting would probably be the more consumer-friendly term for it,” the press secretary said.

Or even a more mature term for it. I prefer
this explanation, myself.

If Gibbs is correct—and I have no reason to doubt that he is—it is still extremely odd for Obama to publicly use a phrase that’s some sort of private joke between him and Gibbs, or between Gibbs and Gibbs’s friends and/or family. To use such a term without explanation as part of a public address is to be strangely tone deaf and unaware.

However, I’m not planning to get all wee-wee’d up about it—except to say, can you imagine what would have happened had Obama’s predecessor said such a thing?
You know, when I watch President Obama strutting up to the podium sometimes, he makes it look so natural, like he's down with the brothers getting ready to shoot some hoop. But when we hear these patently dumb inside lines like "wee wee'd up," the truth really starts to come out that Barack Obama's exactly the freaking goober Harvard dweeb that his resume promises him to be. And here's this from Allahpundit:

Two years ago in August the punditocracy thought he was going to lose the primary; last August they thought he was going to lose the election. Very wee-wee, baby. And this August? They’re calling ObamaCare an unholy clusterfark that’s been ineptly pitched to the public and tactically mismanaged by the White House. Who cares if Pelosi and her own majority leader can’t get their story straight about the public option? Remain calm. All is well. Resist the wee-wee at all costs.
Yep, dude's going down. See, "Obama's Big Bang Could Go Bust" (or wee wee), via Memeorandum.

**********

UPDATE: Also, from Grandpa John's, "Everybody in Washington Gets All Wee Weed Up":

The correct phrase is actually 'we weed up.' In Harvardese Ebonic parlance this means 'we really get stoned.'

Around the Harvard campus one often hears a conversation such as this:
"Yo, Dog."

"What up, Homeboy?"

"We weed up, bee-otch."

"Word to yo mutha!"
Obama is informing us that everybody in Washington is stoned to the max during late August and early September.

TrogloPundit Gets Results!

Check out Lance over at TrogloPundit, "When you think of blind blogospherical hostility along ideological lines, what’s the first name that springs to mind?"

Well, Troglo, of course!

The dude's cited at Pew Research, "
Health Care Shouting Moves to Blogs":

The angry partisan wrangling that permeated mainstream media coverage of the health care debate also raged in the blogosphere last week as the issue dominated the online conversation.

Supporters and opponents of President Obama's health care reform goals faced off online, with each side accusing the other of being dishonest and manipulating facts. Liberal bloggers charged that conservatives were spreading fear and falsehoods to weaken support for health care reform while conservatives asserted that liberals were hiding their real goals and were only interested in promoting a government-dominated system.

Polarizing commentary is often a part of social media's attention to current news events. Over the past few months, other hot-button political issues that have led to intense partisan arguments include the debate over torture, Obama's economic stimulus package and the resignation of Sarah Palin as governor of Alaska.
Okay. Yeah, yeah. What about Troglo? Oh, here:

Among bloggers, most of the hostile debate over health care last week referenced two controversial newspaper articles.

The first was a July 24 story in the New York Post which generated increased attention this past week. In an article titled "Deadly Doctors: O Advisors Want to Ration Health Care," former New York lieutenant governor Betsy McCaughey, also a leading opponent of Bill Clinton's health care reform drive in the 1990's, asserted that some of Obama's advisors should not be trusted with important health care decisions. McCaughey argued that Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, believes in rationing health care and that doctors should look past the interests of their patients to consider society as a whole instead, thus denying coverage to senior citizens and those with disabilities.

Conservatives echoed many of McCaughey's concerns ...

The second story was by Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein. On Aug. 7, Pearlstein claimed that conservative leaders and their followers opposed to health care reform were promoting misleading and disingenuous attacks.

Liberals agreed.

"His piece is probably the best counter to much of the Republican and right-wing spin out there," declared Joe Campbell at 2parse. "He chooses here not to defend health care reform against authentic conservatives or against fiscally conservative objections -- but only against those extreme views that are taking hold in the imaginations of those inclinded to be opposed to Barack Obama's success."

"The blatant and not-so blatant sabotage that's happening in our country today regarding health care reform is nothing short of criminal," added Kevin Charnas."

Conservatives saw the piece differently.

"As per usual the left want to shut everyone else up and end all discussion, or criticism of their ideas and desires," posted blogger One More Middle Aged White Guy.

"Steven Pearlstein, writing a column in today's Washington Post that is so atrocious you can almost hear the human refuse squishing up through the keys on his keyboard," assessed Lance Burri at TrogloPundit.
There you go!

TrogloPundit! International man of blogospheric renown!

Democrats Host Few Traditional Town Halls During August Recess: Henry Waxman Holds 'Secret' Climate Change Forum at UCLA

The video clip was just uploaded from Representative Henry Waxman's cap-and-trade town hall at UCLA today. At about 30 seconds, you'll see my friend Jonathan Wilson speaking into the camera:

But check this out: Just as Fox News reports that "Democrats Host Few Traditional Town Hall Meetings During August Recess," Representative Waxman has come under fire for holding a "secret" climate-change forum and for cancelling a town hall event.

The event announcement is a bit restricted, "
Climate Change Forum: Creating Security & Prosperity for the 21st Century":

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED: Seating will be limited only to those who registered via the UCLA RSVP site and received a confirmation or wait-list notice will be admitted. Individuals on the waitlist or walk-ups can not be guaranteed seats. This is a UCLA-sponsored event only. Only those who have registered with UCLA will be admitted.
Here's UCLA's press release, "US Rep. Waxman, state Sen. Pavley plan climate change forum at UCLA": "The event is at capacity and there is limited seating for news media. R.S.V.P. required." (Or, "general public keep out"!)

And as
Ari David notes in, "A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To a Town Hall Meeting":

I found out that one had to RSVP to the event to reserve a space ... I called his office and asked to be put on the list. A staffer told me about the ticketing process, and lo and behold the reservation system was not even being handled by Henry Waxman’s office but out of California State Senator, Fran Pavley’s website. How odd, the headliner, Waxman, is keeping access to the event focusing on his landmark energy bill hidden behind the opening act of a rather anonymous State Senator. I wonder why? ...

Next, I went to Senator Pavley’s website to follow the RSVP instructions for the event and instead of just having an online page to confirm that I am coming, the page took an “application” for the event and requested certain data about me in the “required fields” such as name, email address, organization, position in the organization and (not required) phone number.

I filled this all in and the page gave me a message that my application was being processed and I would hear back from them shortly.

Ok, so minus salary information and my SS# this was equal to the amount of information I gave on my first credit card application ....

There are many issues at play here. One is that the most powerful elected official from the LA area is either afraid of or smart enough not to face his voters after doing his best to wreck their lives with his two latest pieces of legislation. Another is transparency. When the Democrats took over Congress after the 2006 elections, Nancy Pelosi promised to “drain the swamp” of the culture of corruption. This theme was repeated when Obama took office and promised a “new age of transparency and government accountability.”

Some accountability this is.

Passing thousand page bills in the middle of the night that no one has or could read, rushing the bills through by claiming how urgent they are and then taking a couple days vacation to find the right photo opportunity for the signing… If anything this is the least transparent and most opaque government American’s have had in generations. We have no idea what the Cap and Trade and the health care bills will actually contain once they are written – other than a bunch of horrible things that will make our lives harder and cost us more money.
Plus, it turns out another event was planned for this evening. See, "Citizens to Host Town-Hall Meeting in Lieu of Representatives, Senators":

A group of young people will host a citizen-based town hall meeting Friday at 7:00PM at UCLA, in Bruin Plaza. The southern California based pro-life group, Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, was planning a protest for Henry Waxman's town hall set for Friday evening.

However, Rep. Waxman canceled the event for fear of disruption.

"The meeting was canceled almost as soon as it was announced," said Charles Cox, a representative of Survivors. "If our elected officials are too afraid to hold an honest town hall meeting then we will gladly hold one for them."

The group has recently launched a campaign against tax-funded abortion. As part of the campaign they attended another town hall meeting in Alhambra lead by Rep. Adam Schiff last week. After learning that the questions were pre-screened, the Survivors shouted their concerns to the panel. A video of the Survivors at the meeting is available at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SA3-Uq6-ao.

"HR 3200 contains provisions that are unacceptable to the majority of Americans," said Timmerie Millington, a volunteer with Survivors. "it provides a mandate for abortion on demand paid for by taxpayers through the Public Option."
This is pretty common nationwide, of course. See, "Officials avoiding town hall-style health care forums, " and "Lawmakers’ priority during recess: avoid town halls."

And recall Michelle Malkin's post, "
Phoning it in."

What Happened to the Antiwar Movement? Sheehan to Protest Obama at Martha's Vinyard

In another example that radical leftists are all about power, not principle, note how the Democratic Party, the media, and the netroots have all but ignored Cindy Sheehan's drive to revive the antiwar movement. Here's the letter she sent to Byron York at the Washington Examiner":

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I read your column about the "anti-war" movement and I can't believe I am saying this, but I mostly agree with you.

The "anti-war" "left" was used by the Democratic Party. I like to call it the "anti-Republican War" movement.

While I agree with you about the hypocrisy of such sites as the DailyKos, I have known for a long time that the Democrats are equally responsible with the Republicans. That's why I left the party in May 2007 and that's why I ran for Congress against Nancy Pelosi in 2008.

I have my own radio show, "Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox," and I was out on a four-month book tour promoting the fact that it's not about Democrats or Republicans, but it's about the system.

Even if I am surrounded by a thousand, or no one, I am still working for peace.

Sincerely,

Cindy Sheehan
Sheehan is responding to York's essay, "For the Left, War Without Bush is Not War at All."

But see this morning's piece, "
Sheehan: Pro-Obama Media Want the Anti-War Movement to Go Away":
This week ABC News anchorman Charles Gibson, who extensively covered anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan's demonstrations against George W. Bush in 2005, said "Enough already" when it comes to Sheehan's plans to protest next week at Martha's Vineyard, where President Barack Obama will be vacationing.

Now Sheehan has responded. "I am sure that he just wants me to go away like most of the rest of the anti-war movement has done under the Obama presidency," Sheehan writes at her
website.
Actually, we have had a couple of large protests this year, but they're not protests against the "regime" in Washington. They're protests against "the occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine." See, "Friday Protest in Los Angeles Against Gaza Assault." It's interesting that International ANSWER, the largest antiwar organization, which spearheaded dozens of nationwide protests against the Bush administration, has pretty much abandoned antiwar protests in favor gay marriage and immigration issues. And even when ANSWER has sponsored a major antiwar rally with President Obama in office, gone are the calls for war crimes trials and death to the "dictator" ... blah, blah, blah ...

Check the photo-essay from
Ringo’s Pictures, "Anti-War Protest - Hollywood, CA on March 21, 2009." There are a couple shots of protesters carrying anti-Obama signs, but the post-Bush/Cheney antiwar movement has shifted to a more generic revolutionary agenda that eschews specific attacks on the current administration:

More at Ringo’s Pictures.

Related: And back to the left's double-standards in the war on terror, see Gateway Pundit, "Outrage! ... ACLU and Gitmo Lawyers Accused of Passing Personal Info About CIA Agents to Al-Qaeda ," Kim Priestap, "ACLU and Jihadi Defense Attorneys Expose Under Cover CIA Operatives to the Enemy, and the Washington Post, "Detainees Shown CIA Officers' Photos: Justice Dept. Looking Into Whether Attorneys Broke Law at Guantanamo."

Added: USA Today, "Martha's Vineyard abuzz about the Obamas" (via Memeorandum).

Need I Say More?

Cross-posted from Vinegar and Honey, "Need I Say More?":

Need I say more?

No, but I will.

President Abraham Lincoln said a lot in his address at Gettysburg, but the one statement that has always gotten my attention was this:
"that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Abraham Lincoln - November 19, 1863

The speech, itself, was to honor the fallen of the war, and to dedicate a portion of the land where they had fallen, but it, in a sense, became much more than that, in that the words came to define democracy, itself, and are taken quite seriously by many with the strong conviction that the words meant what they said, and that it would ever be so. However, there are too many who think that they are nothing more than "words, just words," and what a travesty it all has become.

How far we have fallen as a nation, but the flaming fire of that conviction--the conviction that freedom, and the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth-- still burns as brightly as ever in the hearts of most of the citizens of our great country.

That in itself, should give us the determination to stand, even in the face of all adversity.
There's another cartoon at the link.

Say hello to my friend Jan in the comments. She's a great blogger and I love her analysis!

Cartoon Credit: William Warren at
Americans for Limited Goverment.

Ta-Nehisi Coates on Obama and Progressives

After citing Paul Krugman's angry repudiation of President Obama for selling out progressives, Ta-Nehisi Coates has this:

I don't quite understand why progressives would feel punked. Perhaps, I'm just a cynic but I voted for Obama in the primaries, because I thought he was most likely to beat John McCain--not because I thought he was to the left of Hillary Clinton. Obama always struck me as a very talented and cerebral politician, with a left-ish bent. Again, maybe I'm a cynic, but his flip-flops don't really surprise. Isn't this what politicians do?
And
Ta-Nehisi adds this regarding the ObamaCare debacle:

I have no idea what will happen, ultimately. Moreover, I'm not sure that most voters are bothered by any of this. still, it this whole escapade smacks of Obama being too clever by half--of an Obama who can't get over his own high-mindedness and holds out the bipartisan spirit as a kind of fetish, a gimmick. It's all so unserious.
Voters not bothered. Unserious.

Right.

That's why
the Washington Post reports:

Public confidence in President Obama's leadership has declined sharply over the summer, amid intensifying opposition to health-care reform that threatens to undercut his attempt to enact major changes to the system ...
But, of course, bipartanship is "a kind of fetish."

Image Credit:
The People's Cube.

Court Expected to Send Rifqa Bary Home to Near-Certain Death

World Net Daily has a report, "Christian Girl Begs State: Don't Let Them Kill Me! Judge Decides Fate of Honor Student, Cheerleader Who Fled Muslim Parents":

A young Christian runaway in foster care awaits her hearing tomorrow when Florida authorities will decide whether she will be forced to return to her Muslim parents – whom she says will kill her for converting to Christianity.
Also, Fox News is reporting, "Court Expected to Send Runaway Teen Home Despite Muslim Honor Killing Fears":

A 17-year-old girl who fled to Florida after converting from Islam to Christianity will almost certainly be forced to return home to Ohio, experts say, despite her fears that she will become the victim of an honor killing for abandoning her parents' faith.

Rifqa Bary, who hitchhiked to an Ohio bus station earlier this month and took a charter bus to Orlando, remains in protective custody with Florida's Department of Children and Families. A judge is expected to rule Friday on the jurisdiction of the case, but several legal experts contacted by FOXNews.com say the girl is bound to be sent back to Ohio.
The Fox piece interviews Phyllis Chesler:

Dr. Phyllis Chesler, an author and professor of psychology at the Richmond College of the City University of New York, said she believes Bary will be in danger if she is sent back to her parents.

"Anyone who converts from Islam is considered an apostate, and apostasy is a capital crime," Chesler wrote FOXNews.com. "If she is returned to her family, if she is lucky, they will isolate her, beat her, threaten her, and if she is not 'persuaded' to return to Islam, they will kill her. They have no choice."

Chesler, who wrote "Are Honor Killings Simply Domestic Violence?" for Middle East Quarterly, said the tradition of such slayings is not fully understood by most Americans, including those in law enforcement.

"She escaped from her family's brutal tyranny and shamed her family further through public exposure," Chesler said. "Muslim girls and women are killed for far less."
Here's what Phyllis wrote at her blog yesterday:

The mainstream American media simply refuses to cover the Islamification of the West. Publishers run scared when I mention this as a possible next book title of mine. Newspapers are reluctant to cover honor killings or attempted honor killings in America at all, or in an accurate and informed way. If and when they write about jihadist attacks against the West or honor killings in America, the information is often buried on a back page or is, amazingly, biased against the victim and/or sympathetic towards the killer–yes, even if he has confessed. Yes, even if his victim or victims are also people of color born into the Muslim faith.

Apparently, the victims win no sympathy even if they, too, have also been born in formerly colonized or “occupied” countries, are currently also immigrants of color, or Muslims. What matters is only who the perpetrator is. Muslim-on-Muslim crimes, including genocide, do not count.

As yet, I cannot find Rifqa’s amazing and important story anywhere in the national mainstream media. I know that Fox is working on a story because they’ve talked to me about the issues this case raises. Am I surprised? Not really. There was either no or very little coverage of the honor killings that took place in the last decade in North America in Cleveland, St. Clairsville, Toronto, Chicago, Jersey City, British Columbia, Scottsville, Ottawa, Toronto, Dallas, Atlanta, Oak Forest, Alexandria, Buffalo, Kingston, Canada, Roslyn. You may read about some of these honor killings in my study and in my many articles at this blogsite.

What is really going on?

The guiding, hypnotic template is Israel versus the Palestinians. The actual aggressors are seen as innocent, misunderstood, and noble, their real victims are seen as provocative, rebellious, evil or mentally ill–especially if they dare to fight back, run away, or expose the truth of the matter.

The Israelis are “Nazis” perpetrating a new “Holocaust” against the Palestinians. In the case of the incredibly brave Rifqa Bary, we now have a victim of a potential honor killing trying to save her own life–and she is being portrayed as “mentally ill” or as a liar. I am told that she is being characterized in the local Ohio media as unstable while her father is being portrayed as loving and caring.

See also, Jawa Report, "Extremist Ohio mosque becoming focus of Rifqa Bary custody dispute."

And from Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs:

* "Rifqa's Day in Court."

* "
Terrorizing Rifqa Bary: Media Crimes and Misdemeanors and Immorality."

* "
The Media Puts Rifqa and those trying to help her on trial: Orlando Sentinel Shills for Islamic Misogynists and Rifqa Bary's Promised Honor Killers, Continues to Prints their lies."

* "
Rifqa Bary Before her Escape: Beatings, Brutality, Subjugation."