Hey, Don't 'Obsess' Those 'Squishy' Overseas Terror Ties – Jihadis Converting YouTube Into Terror-Recruiting Tool

Send the memo to Brilliant Barbara at Teh Mahablog, and Steve "We Need More Female Downs Syndrome Suicide Bombers" Hynd:

At WND, "Jihadis Convert YouTube into Terror-Recruiting Tool: Al-Qaida Ally Posting News, Violence-Inciting Rants Online":

Islamic terrorists plotting attacks in the U.S. are recruiting, taking credit for bombings and calling for even more violence – all with the help of a popular U.S.-based website: YouTube.

In fact, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan – a group White House counterterrorism czar John Brennan said is "closely allied with al-Qaeda; they train together, they plan together, they plot together" – maintains a YouTube channel for posting news and violence-inciting rants.

"Today, dated 19th April 2010, through media I want to convey an important message to the Muslim ummah," states a video still viewable on the group's YouTube channel, reportedly with the voice of leader Hakeemullah Mehsud to the "ummah," meaning the spread of Muslims throughout the globe.

"America, which is the biggest evil of this world, [has] savagely massacred millions of innocent Muslims," the video continues. "From now on, the main targets of our fidaeen are American cities."

The video, which begins with the words "A message to the Muslim ummah and a warning to USA and NATO allies … step back or get ready to be destroyed," then shows a map of the U.S. with explosions erupting throughout.

"America/NATO, you will pay for your crimes," it concludes.

And note this from Anwar Al-Awlaki:

And via Jawa Report, at Fox News, "American-Yemeni cleric advocates killing of American civilians in al-Qaida video":

An American-Yemeni cleric whose Internet sermons are believed to have helped inspire attacks on the U.S. has advocated the killing of American civilians in an al-Qaida video released Sunday.

Anwar al-Awlaki has been singled out by U.S. officials as a key terrorist threat and has been added to the CIA's list of targets for assassination despite his American citizenship. He is of particular concern because he is one of the few English-speaking radical clerics able to explain to young Muslims in America and other Western countries the philosophy of violent jihad.

The U.S.-born al-Awlaki moved to Yemen in 2004 and is in hiding there after being linked to the suspects in the November shooting at an Army base in Fort Hood, Texas, and the December attempt to blow up a U.S. jetliner bound for Detroit.

"Those who might be killed in a plane are merely a drop of water in a sea," he said in the video in response to a question about Muslim groups that disapproved of the airliner plot because it targeted civilians.

Al-Awlaki used the 45-minute video to justify civilian deaths — and encourage them — by accusing the United States of intentionally killing a million Muslim civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

American civilians are to blame, he said, because "the American people, in general, are taking part in this and they elected this administration and they are financing the war."

He added that the Prophet Muhammad also sent forces into battles that claimed civilian lives.

The video was produced by the media arm of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, though the exact nature of al-Awlaki's ties with the group and possible direct role in it are unclear. The U.S. says he is an active participant in the group, though members of his tribe have denied that.

For its part, al-Qaida appears to be trying to make use of his recruiting power by putting him in its videos. Its media arm said Sunday's video was its first interview with the cleric.

Seriously. Not yet translated, but Awlaki's posted in full, at "Interview with Shaykh Anwar al Awlaki."

And of course, the neo-communist terror-deniers continue to tell us it's all our fault.

Added: Weasel Zippers, "US-Born al-Qaeda Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki Releases New Sermon Urging Murder of American Civilians…" (via Memeorandum, with AP).

Sela Ward Weekend!

Bob Belvedere, in his Saturday Rule 5 entry, noted that "One of my favorites is the under-appreciated Sela Ward." (The inspiration is Daley Gator's "All Time #18 Sela Ward.")

I have to concur, big time. One of the most frustrating part of 1993's "The Fugitive" with Harrison Ford is that Sela Ward plays Mrs. Kimble, and thus we don't have her beauty gracing the entire film:

I enjoyed Sela Ward on "Sisters" in the mid-1990s. I know, I know ... it's a ladies TV drama. But my oldest son was just born and I watched a lot of television, and "Sisters" came on on Saturday nights when not much else was playing. Ward's role in "Once and Again" was more enjoyable, and this clip catches the show's premiere with Billy Campbell, and it's just a perfect kind of romance:

In any case, she's one of the classiest ladies in film and television, and my personal policy is NOT to meet celebrities (because they disappoint you), but I'd break that rule to meet her:

Republican Charles Djou Wins Hawaii Special Election: From Obama's Home District!

William Galston, a left-leaning analyst, reiterates some points I made last week on the Critz win in PA-12, "A Single Democratic Victory in a Single Pennsylvania Race Doesn’t Change Anything."

So now that Republican Charles Djou has won in Hawaii, let's see how long it takes for the rest of the Democratic Media Complex to get honest and catch up with reality.

See, Gateway Pundit, "CHARLES DJOU WINS! First Republican to Represent Hawaii in 20 Years!" And Chris Cillizza, "Charles Djou, Republicans capture Hawaii House seat" (via Memeorandum).

Plus, at CSM, "Charles Djou: How did a Republican win in Obama's Hawaii hometown? Republican Charles Djou won the special election in Hawaii's First Congressional District – the Honolulu district where President Obama grew up. Djou is only the third Republican Hawaii has elected to Congress since statehood."

Video Hat Tip: Logistics Monster.

'Tommy' 35th Anniversary Screening

The screening was yesterday, so yeah, a little late on getting to this, "Tommy 35th Anniversary Screening: Film Based on The Who's Classic Rock Opera." But it's worth it at least for some Saturday night music jams:

Also, an e-mail interview at LAT, "Pete Townshend Discusses Filming 'Tommy'":

With an electrifying score by Pete Townshend including "Pinball Wizard," "I'm Free" and "See Me, Feel Me" and transcendent performances, the Who's seminal 1969 rock opera "Tommy" shook the foundations of the music industry.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Murray Lerner ("From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China") recalls that "Tommy" was a "mesmerizing" experience for those who saw it and felt it four decades ago.

Friday evening, Lerner will be hosting the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 35th anniversary screening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, which features a new digital cinema presentation with the original Quintaphonic soundtrack. "Tommy" was the only film ever produced in that stereophonic sound system.

Russell, who is now 82, may be known for his excessive hand on screen, but he's a man of few words when reached over the phone in England about the event. Lerner will be discussing the film with the veteran filmmaker.

When asked to explain Quintaphonic, Russell simply replied, "It was a new kind of stereo. It was rather unique."

On how he came up with the way to shoot a rock opera: "I discovered how to shoot it. It was fairly easy."

The Who's Townshend, who received an Oscar nomination for scoring and adapting the music for the film, was much more reflective in an e-mail interview ...

Follow the link for Townshend's comments.

Plus, spreading some linkage to good friends: The Astute Bloggers, Bill Dupray, The Classical Liberal, The Daley Gator, Kim Priestap, The Rhetorican, and The Washington Rebel.

BONUS: The Other McCain and Theo Spark.

MUSICAL EXTRA: PA Pundits International, "Sunday Music – It’s All Over Now Baby Blue – The Bob Dylan Series (Part 7)."

Obama's Commencement Address at West Point (May 22, 2010)

I have both read and listened to this speech. It's a serious moment for the President of the United States to deliver any commencement address, and especially that of the graduates at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. It's especially interesting to listen to President Obama here, because as I noted many times throughout campaign '08, Obama was the most antiwar candidate of either party. The president's foreign policy has only moderately improved since then. A heavily reluctant warrior, Obama spent much of his first year in office touring the globe apologizing for grievances held among anti-Americans the world over. (Obama even apologized for the "imperfect" Western democracies that liberated Europe in WWII.)

But there is a pull to both the American political system and the world balance of power, and the force of both of these structures are infinitely too much for one president to resist. The world demands leadership. Aside from the United States, no other country possesses the commensurate historical attributes of liberty or the requisite material bases of power. And no other country sees its historical mission as doing right by the world, to improve the quality of life, liberty, and happiness across the globe. And these realities make it that much more difficult to comprehend this administration's abandonment of democracy and human rights in U.S. foreign policy.

CBS News has the full text of the speech. The president's stressing what theorists call a "neoliberal international order." The emphasis is on American leadership in creating and sustaining multilateral institutions of cooperation in security and economic organization. Watch starting about 17:30 minutes at the video, especially these passages:

The burdens of this century cannot fall on our soldiers alone. It also cannot fall on American shoulders alone. Our adversaries would like to see America sap its strength by overextending our power. And in the past, we've always had the foresight to avoid acting alone. We were part of the most powerful wartime coalition in human history through World War II. We stitched together a community of free nations and institutions to endure and ultimately prevail during a Cold War.

Yes, we are clear-eyed about the shortfalls of our international system. But America has not succeeded by stepping out of the currents of cooperation - we have succeeded by steering those currents in the direction of liberty and justice, so nations thrive by meeting their responsibilities and face consequences when they don't.

So we have to shape an international order that can meet the challenges of our generation. We will be steadfast in strengthening those old alliances that have served us so well, including those who will serve by your side in Afghanistan and around the globe. As influence extends to more countries and capitals, we also have to build new partnerships, and shape stronger international standards and institutions.

This engagement is not an end in itself. The international order we seek is one that can resolve the challenges of our times -- countering violent extremism and insurgency; stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and securing nuclear materials; combating a changing climate and sustaining global growth; helping countries feed themselves and care for their sick; preventing conflict and healing wounds. If we are successful in these tasks, that will lessen conflicts around the world. It will be supportive of our efforts by our military to secure our country.

More than anything else, though, our success will be claimed by who we are as a country. This is more important than ever, given the nature of the challenges that we face. Our campaign to disrupt, dismantle, and to defeat al Qaeda is part of an international effort that is necessary and just.

Notice here the emphasis on American interests in security and cooperation. But in the next few passages, the president minimizes the threat from al Qaeda, for example:

Al Qaeda and its affiliates are small men on the wrong side of history. They lead no nation. They lead no religion. We need not give in to fear every time a terrorist tries to scare us. We should not discard our freedoms because extremists try to exploit them. We cannot succumb to division because others try to drive us apart. We are the United States of America. (Applause.) We are the United States of America, and we have repaired our union, and faced down fascism, and outlasted communism. We've gone through turmoil, we've gone through Civil War, and we have come out stronger - and we will do so once more.

There's a massive contradiction here, and Obama can't have it both ways while remaining intellectually coherent. On the one hand, he minimizes global jihad, which is an ideological thrust perfectly in line with the radical leftists who smear conservatives as scaredy-cats whenever we have an attack (or attempt) from a Nidal Malik Hasan or an Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab or a Faisal Shahzad. Frankly, for the left, there's really no terror threat. These are always "deranged" individuals exploited by the right's "neocon warmongers." And of course, the system always "works," so that the administration's always claims (wrongly) it's got it under control. Further, these same people see no exceptionalism in American power and values. There's no unique historical role for the United States, and hence international norms and institutions should supersede American power and leadership. So note that in his speech the president wants to have his cake and eat it too. Notice how he insists that America has no worries, because "We are the United States of America, and we have repaired our union, and faced down fascism, and outlasted communism," etc. But we have not prevailed in those crises by tucking tail, apologizing for every perceived national flaw, and capitulating to those nations and ideological factions that would destroy us. And this is where this president and this administration fails.

But the president's clever. He hits enough of the right notes to convince even some conservatives that it was a good speech. Perhaps it was good, yet not great. Compare President Barack Obama's West Point commencement address to President George W. Bush's in 2002. President Bush embodied exceptionalism, even messianism, in stressing the forward role of America in guaranteeing "a peace that favors human liberty":

In defending the peace, we face a threat with no precedent. Enemies in the past needed great armies and great industrial capabilities to endanger the American people and our nation. The attacks of September the 11th required a few hundred thousand dollars in the hands of a few dozen evil and deluded men. All of the chaos and suffering they caused came at much less than the cost of a single tank. The dangers have not passed. This government and the American people are on watch, we are ready, because we know the terrorists have more money and more men and more plans.

The gravest danger to freedom lies at the perilous crossroads of radicalism and technology. When the spread of chemical and biological and nuclear weapons, along with ballistic missile technology --- when that occurs, even weak states and small groups could attain a catastrophic power to strike great nations. Our enemies have declared this very intention, and have been caught seeking these terrible weapons. They want the capability to blackmail us, or to harm us, or to harm our friends --- and we will oppose them with all our power.

For much of the last century, America's defense relied on the Cold War doctrines of deterrence and containment. In some cases, those strategies still apply. But new threats also require new thinking. Deterrence --- the promise of massive retaliation against nations --- means nothing against shadowy terrorist networks with no nation or citizens to defend. Containment is not possible when unbalanced dictators with weapons of mass destruction can deliver those weapons on missiles or secretly provide them to terrorist allies.

We cannot defend America and our friends by hoping for the best. We cannot put our faith in the word of tyrants, who solemnly sign non-proliferation treaties, and then systemically break them. If we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long.

Homeland defense and missile defense are part of stronger security, and they're essential priorities for America. Yet the war on terror will not be won on the defensive. We must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans, and confront the worst threats before they emerge. In the world we have entered, the only path to safety is the path of action. And this nation will act ....

Because the war on terror will require resolve and patience, it will also require firm moral purpose. In this way our struggle is similar to the Cold War. Now, as then, our enemies are totalitarians, holding a creed of power with no place for human dignity. Now, as then, they seek to impose a joyless conformity, to control every life and all of life ....

A truly strong nation will permit legal avenues of dissent for all groups that pursue their aspirations without violence. An advancing nation will pursue economic reform, to unleash the great entrepreneurial energy of its people. A thriving nation will respect the rights of women, because no society can prosper while denying opportunity to half its citizens. Mothers and fathers and children across the Islamic world, and all the world, share the same fears and aspirations. In poverty, they struggle. In tyranny, they suffer. And as we saw in Afghanistan, in liberation they celebrate.

America has a greater objective than controlling threats and containing resentment. We will work for a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror.

More commentary and analysis at Memeorandum. And at NYT, "Obama Offers Strategy Based in Diplomacy," and WaPo, "At West Point, Obama offers new security strategy."

And compare especially my analysis to that of inveterate America-basher Steve Hynd at Newshoggers.

Starbucks Blogging

I'm not yet quite as skilled as Ann Althouse, where she's always got a unique café location from which to blog, for example, today "At the Living Roof Café ..."

And "café" is no metephor in my case (as is seemingly true with Ann sometimes), as I'm blogging from the Starbucks at Culver and Walnut in Irvine. The tables are a little cramped, but it's a nice spot with a lovely view from my window seat:

If you look carefully at the top picture, that's Exurban Jon's blog. He's reporting that the Lilith Fair concert in Phoenix, on July 8th, has been cancelled as part of the economic boycott of Arizona's SB 1070.

I found Jon's post via Instapundit, and while there I clicked to follow him on Twitter. He's in AZ, and I'll be out that way next weekend for the May 29th Stand With Arizona event.

I'll probably have a couple more Starbucks posts at that time as well!

Obama Establishes Bipartisan National Commission on BP Deepwater Horizon and Offshore Drilling

It's mind-boggling when you look at the big picture sometimes. Here's my morning paper, with this lovely front-cover photograph of the oil-soaked dead bird, with the headline, "Spill's Ugly Reality Sets In":

Millions of Southern Californians will see the paper, and naturally --- like any thoughtful, caring person --- they'll be filled with revulsion at the sight of the environmental damage and loss of life. Exactly what the Times' editors hoped to solicit.

Then on top of that, the neo-communist left is working the Gulf spill for all it's worth, rekindling hardline efforts to destroy the domestic petroleum industry and empower the radical green-government takeover of America. Of course, President Obama's been getting hammered by the radical hordes, who're steadily working him back into his radical ACORN community organizing roots:

And notice how it's all coming together nicely. Never let a crisis go to waste, remember? Obama's always been partial to a state takeover of energy:

And now, conveniently, the president's completely free to exploit BP Deepwater Horizon for massive ideological impact. See, "Weekly Address: President Obama Establishes Bipartisan National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling" (via Memeorandum). And here's the key open-ended commitment to "punish" big business:

First and foremost, what led to this disaster was a breakdown of responsibility on the part of BP and perhaps others, including Transocean and Halliburton. And we will continue to hold the relevant companies accountable not only for being forthcoming and transparent about the facts surrounding the leak, but for shutting it down, repairing the damage it does, and repaying Americans who’ve suffered a financial loss.

But even as we continue to hold BP accountable, we also need to hold Washington accountable. Now, this catastrophe is unprecedented in its nature, and it presents a host of new challenges we are working to address. But the question is what lessons we can learn from this disaster to make sure it never happens again.

This is how free markets --- to say nothing of democracies --- perish. Yep, behold the Democratic-left's modus operandi. And watch the upcoming feedback loop: The administration proposes more regulation, that's insufficient for the leftists, and after a couple more iterations of the policy cycle, the administration tops off the previous commission recommendations with a new beefier set of regulations.

Time for Americans to stand up and fight.

ICE Won't Enforce Arizona's SB 1070

From Glen Enloe, at Kansas City Star, "Feds might not process Arizona illegals, says ICE top official":

In an outrageous statement that may be a not-too-subtle message to the state of Arizona, John Morton, the assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reportedly stated that his agency would not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.

Morton also told the Chicago Tribune that “I don’t think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution.”

President Obama and DHS officials have ordered the Department of Justice to examine the civil rights and other implications of the law in response to Morton’s comments.

Although the administration may or may not back down from Morton’s bold words, in the early going it appears that his beliefs are more of a reflection of the administration’s own ideas concerning Arizona’s new law.

If ICE, Morton and the Obama White House continue on their current path, various pundits who refer to our government as a “regime” may be closer to the truth than we wish to believe.

Given the wishes of the American public (which don’t seem to mean much anymore), President Obama and the Democrats continue to sail dangerous political waters. Some may now stop referring to the administration as a regime and may be so bold as to call it a rogue government if it continues to not enforce its own laws and condemns states that do try to enforce them.

How Radical Leftists Draw Muhammed

Visiting Firedoglake provides the perfect window into what's happening on the extremes of the radical left. I mean, seriously, you can't make this stuff up. When neo-communists draw Muhammed, it's with the obligatory peace sign. Follow the link at the post for more. Truly otherworldly:

Winners were announced mid-week, and pressed for time, I wasn't able to get a big entry up then. One of the best lines I read was from Mark Steyn, who noted, with regard to the Muslim world's outrage at the original Jyllands-Posten Muhammed cartoons:

... the real provocateurs are the perpetually aggrieved and ever more aggressive Islamic bullies — emboldened by the silence of "moderate Muslims" and the preemptive capitulation of western media.

It always amazes me that when anti-jihad conservatives are attacked as xenophobic racists it's not like those "moderate Muslims" are storming the gates in their defense. Mindboggling. (And it's telling when not even bikini-clad Muslim hotties are considered moderate nowadays --- go figure.)

In any case, Blazing Cat Fur had outstanding coverage. And he adds this follow up, "The Voice of Islamic Reason ..."

And considering the Firedoglake laugher of the "peaceful" Muhammed, here comes the People's Cube with some art imitating life. Really, this is the best: "Everybody Draw a POSITIVE Mohammed Day":

More images at the link.

Lindsay Lohan Courthouse (Cocaine) Scandal!

Okay, here's a bit of posting on the Lindsay Lohan courthouse/bail-jumping/cocaine scandal.

TMZ posted on Lohans's hard partying in Cannes, and the gossip rags are having the ultimate field day. (And celebrities are different, I guess: "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Dina Lohan Admits Lindsay Told Not To Come Home.")

I love this headline's the best: "Lindsay Lohan is a Broke, Drunk, Debt-Ridden, Cocaine-Addicted Mess!"‎

I'm taking the cue here from Robert Stacy McCain for building some Google traffic (and Google's been real sweet lately, for example on Julio Aparicio and especially Ron Gochez ).

What the Hell Was Rand Paul Doing On MSNBC?

Joe Scarborough asks the most obvious question surrounding the whole Rand Paul affair. As I wrote at the time, you can't even debate nuanced states-rights positions with radical leftists, much less Rachel Maddow, who's basically a kook netroots blogger with her own television gig:

I'm not sure how Dr. Paul prevails here. I do know that it takes either a tremendous amount of courage or a tremendous amount of stupidity to take such a firm yet thoughtful stand on the left's signature bludgeon of political demonology.

And check the interesting roundup from Max Fischer, by the way, "Rand Paul Inspires Debate on Barry Goldwater's Legacy." As many have noted, this is a deeply intellectually --- honestly intellectual --- political debate. Indeed, that's why David Weigel has stood firm in his defense of Rand Paul (with links). I'm a big fan of Goldwater too, much more so than Rand Paul, because Goldwater was a firm advocate for a robust national defense. Frankly, I doubt I'd ever vote for Paul given his disastrous libertarian isolationism.

Interesting, in any case.

RELATED: From Lisa Graas, "Louisville Tea Party Organizers Defend Rand Paul."

Not Everyone Has Right to Live in U.S.

From Walter Williams, at IBD:

I believe most people, even my open-borders libertarian friends, would not say that everyone on the planet had a right to live in the U.S. That being the case suggests there will be conditions that a person must meet to live in the U.S. Then the question emerges: Who gets to set those conditions? Should it be the United Nations, the European Union, the Japanese Diet or the Moscow City Duma? I can't be absolutely sure, but I believe that most Americans would recoil at the suggestion that somebody other than Americans should be allowed to set the conditions for people to live in the U.S.

What those conditions should be is one thing and whether a person has a right to ignore them is another. People become illegal immigrants in one of three ways: entering without authorization or inspection; staying beyond the authorized period after legal entry; or by violating the terms of legal entry. Most of those who risk prosecution under Arizona's new law fit the first category — entering without authorization or inspection.

Probably, the overwhelming majority of Mexican illegal immigrants are hardworking, honest and otherwise law-abiding members of the communities in which they reside. It would surely be a heart-wrenching scenario for such a person to be stopped for a driving infraction, have his illegal immigrant status discovered and face deportation proceedings. Regardless of the hardship suffered, being in the U.S. without authorization is a crime.

Cartoon Credit: Michael Ramirez.

RELATED: At NYT, "Immigration Law in Arizona Reveals G.O.P. Divisions" (via Memeorandum). Putting the newspaper's leftist spin aside, I'm surprised that Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell opposes the Arizona law. Jan Brewer and Sarah Palin have formed a winning team on the issue, and it can only be local open-borders constituencies pulling those normally-reliable GOP stalwarts to the left. (Also interesting is the discussion of California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, who's been hammered by Steve Poizner on the issue. Whitman's flip-flopping illustrates perfectly how she'll be a Schwarzennegger clone if elected --- a likely scenario, dreadfully so.)

Friday Night Hula Hoop Blogging

Theo Spark solved the Friday night babe hunt, and boy this woman's got skills on hula hoop!

Now let's see if Stogie has some matching commentary to go with that. No doubt Bob Belvedere might be able to come up with something (not to mention Irish Cicero).

RELATED: Sir Smitty might have use for this post in his forthcoming "Rule 5 Sunday" entry.

Julio Aparicio, Spanish Bullfighter, Gored at Feria San Isidro, Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, Madrid (May 21, 2010)

At Spain's leading daily, El Pais, "Julio Aparicio sufre una cornada muy grave en Las Ventas":

More pictures here.

And from Promoción Madrid, "BULLFIGHTING: FERIA DE SAN ISIDRO":

From May 6 to June 12, the San Isidro and Aniversario bullfighting events will be held in Madrid
May is Madrid's month for bulls. The Feria San Isidro, the most important bullfighting event in the world, will take place at Plaza de Toros de las Ventas in May, and then the Feria del Aniversario takes over the celebrations.

Since Livinio Stuyck included all of the May events in the Madrid patron saint festivities in 1947, Madrid has become one of the most significant bullfighting benchmark events in the world. In the beginning, the event had five bullfights and one of the main innovations was the inclusion of a season ticket so audiences could attend all the festivities. The event has only continued to grow and the once modest festivities have expanded to 25 afternoons.

Hat Tip: iOWNTHEWORLD.

Added: More video here.

Mary Helen Berlanga, Radical Open Borders Attorney and Obama Democrat, Pushes Left-Wing Extremism in Texas Curriculum Battle

The Houston Chronicle has a left-leaning report, "Texas Board to Finish Social Studies Guidelines" (scroll down for the debate on President Obama's middle name). And at Dallas Morning News, "Vote on Social Studies Standards Likely Today":

One potential division was averted when a Republican board member, David Bradley of Beaumont, withdrew an amendment to list President Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein, in the standard calling on high school history students to examine the historical significance of the 2008 presidential election – the election of the country's first black president.

Fellow Republican Bob Craig of Lubbock questioned the motion. "The intent of what you're doing is pretty obvious, but I don't think it is necessarily correct," Craig said, noting that other presidents like John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan don't have their middle names listed in the standards.

Board member Mary Helen Berlanga, D-Corpus Christi, was more blunt, telling Bradley, "I'm getting pretty fed up with this conduct and the way you're trying to be derogatory. You're braying in trying to make fun here, but we're talking about a serious subject, the election of the first black president – and you're making it sound derogatory.

"These are very bad manners."

Fox News has a report as well, quoting Mary Helen Berlanga's claim that including the president's full name was "derogatory":

Well it turns out the Ms. Berlanga, the hardline leader of the leftist faction on the Texas Board of Education, is a radical open borders attorney with the Corpus Christi law firm of Bonilla and Chapa, P.C., Inc.

The firm is headed by Ruben and Tony Bonilla, who are both past national presidents of the open-borders Latino advocacy group, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), see here and here. According to the organization's entry at Discover the Networks:

In 2005 LULAC created an online petition calling for comprehensive immigration reform that would convert all illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States, into legalized citizens. Referencing only the needs and rights of “immigrants” generically, the petition makes no distinction between legal and illegal immigrants. For example, it calls for legislation that “treats immigrants with respect” and “provides a reasonable, realistic and legal path to earned permanent residence and citizenship for those already within the United States”; it asserts that “the vast majority of immigrants … work hard and they pay taxes”; and it rejects immigration-control proposals "that criminalize immigrants and their families, and the people and organizations that come in contact with them." According to LULAC, “Since the 9/11 terrorists, efforts have been focused on terrorizing good people simply because they are foreigners.”

LULAC has joined in a broad coalition of radical LA RAZA groups to organize the economic boycott against Arizona's SB 1070 (see the neo-communist Firedoglake, "Boycotting Arizona: A Conversation With Brent Wilkes, National Executive Director of LULAC"). More from KTRK-TV Houston, "LULAC denounces immigration law in Arizona":

BONUS VIDEO: Additional clips of Mary Helen Berlanga advocating the radical revisionist open-borders school agenda:

Imagine There's No Countries

A great laugh. Andrew Klavan knocks it out of the park, or, umm, over the border:

And listen to John Lennon's "Imagine" as well. Not something I'd normally post, but given the circumstances, peacenik lefty trolls might enjoy it: "Imagine all the people ... Sharing all the world..."

World's Fastest Memory Hole: Washington Times Yanks Dale Robertson Column!

Just in, from Tommy Christopher, "Washington Times Pulls Dale ‘N-Word Sign’ Robertson’s Tea Party Column."

And, just a few minutes earlier, from Tabitha Hale at Red State, "Dear Washington Times: Seriously?":

The Washington Times has managed to give credibility to this delusional racist who claims to be the founder of the Tea Party. As Tommy Christopher points out, they’ve consistently quoted him as a Tea Party leader, and now they’re showing no qualms about him signing up to write on their Tea Party Report blog. I shouldn’t even have to say this out loud, but for the sake of argument I will: Dale Robertson is not the founder of the Tea Party movement. He happened to register TeaParty.org. It probably cost him $9 on GoDaddy. That does NOT a Tea Party leader make. In fact, many Tea Party players have shunned him and uninvited him from any related events. However, none of this seems to matter to Dale.

Plus, from David Weigel, "From the 'N-word' to the Washington Times."

Added: "Epic FAIL: TeaParty.org fraudster-in-chief Dale Robertson." More at Memeorandum.

PHOTO CREDIT: Houston Tea Party.

Bashing Arizona: House Democrats' Standing Ovation for President Felipe Calderon's Open-Borders Lawlessness!

What an ass. Blaming Mexico's problems on the U.S. See, "Calderon Urges Congress to Ban Assault Weapons." And, "Calderón Again Assails Arizona Law on Detention."

Plus, at Fire Andrea Mitchell, "What a disgrace! House Democrats stand and cheer on Mexican President Felipe Calderon as he bashes Arizona’s law":

Plus, Juanell Garrett, "My nominee for 'Hypocrite of the Week' - President Calderon":

RELATED: "Unions to spend $100M in 2010 campaign to save Dem majorities." Figures. The open-borders lobby opens the union-thug checkbook.

Five Masterpieces Stolen From Paris Museum of Modern Art

At Washington Post, "In Paris, a $100 Million Heist":

In a brazen display of stealth, cunning and cool nerves, a thief using a sharp cutting tool opened a gated window and sneaked into the Paris Museum of Modern Art.

Three security guards were on duty at the time, but the thief -- or perhaps thieves -- detached five major cubist and post-impressionist paintings from their frames without being detected and slid back into the night with a rolled-up treasure worth well over $100 million.

The embarrassing heist -- of paintings by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani and Fernand Léger -- was discovered just before 7 a.m. Thursday, Paris officials said, probably long after the celebrated canvases had disappeared.

The operation was "a serious loss for the national patrimony" and one of the most damaging art thefts in recent years, said Christophe Girard, a city hall cultural attache.

"I am saddened and shocked by this theft, which is an intolerable attack on the universal cultural heritage of Paris," Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said in a statement. The museum was closed temporarily, he said, to allow police to investigate unhindered by art lovers.

Officers descended on the museum, in the tony 16th Arrondissement, just across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, seeking to determine how anyone could have entered the museum without setting off an elaborate security system. Wearing rubber gloves and surgical masks, the officers powdered the gilded frames in an effort to gather fingerprints, and they examined the pried-open gate and the fractured glass window to see how it was isolated from the alarm system.

But the mystery remained, particularly concerning what the security guards were doing while the paintings were being stripped from their frames and hauled away. Responding to news reports, Delanoe said the alarm system had been malfunctioning since late March.

Smart theives with good taste --- now that's a thought!

Photos at the link.

SHOWN ABOVE: Pablo Picasso, The Pigeon with Green Peas (1911).

Debating the Right to Discriminate

My motivation on this issue, first, is to pushback against the radical left's "racist" Rand Paul meme. I do, second, appreciate the free speech claims that underlie the libertarian argument. And no one is talking about going back to pre-1964 American politics (despite what the nihilists at Firedoglake and elsewhere would have).

Besides, Megyn Kelly looks great:

Previously: "Rand Paul Sets the Record Straight," and "Rand Paul on Rachel Maddow: 'IDEOLOGICAL EXTREMISM = RACISM'."

Added: From Melissa Clouthier, "The Predictable Treatment of Rand Paul."