Norway, Free Speech, and the Counter-Jihad

From Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, at American Thinker.

And fro Pamela's introduction at Atlas Shrugs:

Please read the rebuttal that Robert Spencer and I wrote in response to the scurrilous Norway blood libel made against us by media shills and Islamic supremacists. We submitted our piece to publications that damned us and others -- the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the New York Post, National Review, the American Spectator, the London Spectator, the Guardian, and the Wall Street Journal. Nyet. The notorious Guardian, the New York Times, and the Washington Post have published any number of articles smearing us, but would sooner strap on a homicide bomb than let us challenge their lies.

Allow me to extend my deep thanks to the one fine and decent editor who had the integrity to run it, Thomas Lifson of the singular American Thinker.

Street-Corner Hot Dogs on the Way Out in New York?

After watching years of "Law and Order," with Lennie Briscoe cracking wise right before ordering a hot dog, I made sure to grab a dog when I was out there last year. And that's the first thing that came to mind while reading the New York Times, "Redefining the Hot Dog, a Cart at a Times":

If you’ve passed through the city in the past century or so, you might expect that pushcart to be serving what everyone (even a drooling aficionado) likes to call a “dirty-water dog,” a hot frank plucked with tongs from a metal vat full of warm, salty liquid.

The delivery system is simple. The cooking method is rudimentary. And the result, with the way that soft bun sops up spare droplets of broth, is so essential to the New York gestalt that visiting world leaders must take a ceremonial bite for the cameras when strolling our sidewalks.

Water-heated wieners can be found on countless blocks of the city, and plenty of people are still ordering and devouring them. The other day, Gerri Queren, an airline employee from Queens, was picking up one with sauerkraut and mustard near the southeastern corner of Central Park.

“This is like a staple of New York,” she said. “It’s a little soggier, but it’s the way New York is.”

But the way New York is has been changing. Parents who insist on wholesome, natural franks in Central Park are one of many challenges quietly, slowly chipping away at the street-corner dominance of the dirty-water dog.

Hot Shendelle Schokman Bikini Video

Shendelle Schokman's background is at Ask Men.

More pics here.

Re-Education Camps

Progressives are calling for the camps. I kid you not. See Matt Welch, "If Only Americans Weren't So Goddamned Stupid We Wouldn't Have to Send Them to Re-Education Camps."

The camps. Progressives love the camps. The world knows what happens in the camps. And the left wants you to forget why they need the camps. Kevin Robbins ASFL wants you to turn away from the camps. Socialism kills. Now time for your reeducation:

Hat Tip: LCR.

W. James Casper H8® — Was That Wrong?

The jokes write themselves. After years of fully-documented and systematic stalking and harassment, hatemonger white supremacist W. James Casper H8® has written yet another comedy manifesto attempting to slither out from under his programmatic campaign of hatred and harassment: "Workplace Harassment - (btdt FAQ files)."

And actually, no need to even read the whole thing. Laughingstock Racist = Repsac3 is the blogosphere's George Costanza: "Was That Wrong?"

Stalking, sponsoring workplace intimidation, recruiting attackers against my economic livelihood, posting my college administration's contact information with directions to harass, and hosting commenters spiking the football after workplace contacts: Was that wrong? Oh no, not at all, if you've got the situational ethics of the progressive nihilists. ASFLs. These are the exact same kind of people who'll strip you to your shorts and rob you blind. Fuckers. Don't ever knuckle under to these asshats. Never submit to the mob.

NewsBusted: 'Obama Celebrates His Birthday Like its 1929'

Via Theo Spark:

P-51 Mustang Red Nose

Flying along with these fellows ... well, that's almost heaven (via Theo Spark):

Kate Upton Tuesday Rule 5

Kate Upton's always good for some Rule 5 blogging:

And I didn't get a chance to post this, from Maggie's Notebook, "Rule 5 Saturday Night: Anne Hathaway Catwoman Vote for Your Favorite."

Texas Hotties for Rick Perry!

And of course, Robert Stacy McCain is on the case!

See, "Young Minions of the Sith Lord of Texas."

Also at the Des Moines Register, "Rick Perry to make Iowa speech on Sunday." And at Politico, "Rick Perry to make 2012 intentions clear Saturday."

2011 Jeep Liberty 2x4

I took the Jeep in today to get it washed. We're over in Santa Ana at 17th and Main Street. A full car wash with interior vacuum is $10.99, and they do a fabulous job. Most places around town are at 15 bucks, so I tip the guy 3 bucks and call it a day. The Jeep homepage is here and click "models." It's a V-6 two-wheel drive with the satellite radio I mentioned previously. It's my wife's SUV but we trade off pretty often, and this is the first new American car we've bought as a couple. I'm going to consider a Jeep Wrangler for myself next time we're in the market, although that might not be for a while.

'All Summer Long'

My summer's been long but is almost gone. School starts back at my college next Monday.

And we were trying different things
We were smoking funny things
Making love out by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long...

Markets Plunged Despite President Obama's Reassurance

I meant to post this yesterday. And Stormbringer provides extra incentive, "BARACKALYPSE NOW: IT TANKED AS HE TALKED!"

And the latest at Wall Street Journal, "Markets Sink Then Soar After Fed Speaks":

The Federal Reserve sent investors lurching from worry to hope as it warned that the economy would remain weak for some time but said it was prepared to take further steps to shore it up.

The Fed's statement, which included plans to keep interest rates near zero for at least the next two years, ultimately sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 4%, its biggest daily gain since March 2009. Yields on Treasurys dropped as money poured in.

Trading was chaotic. Investors were initially discouraged by the Fed's announcement just after 2:15 p.m. EDT, disappointed that policy makers didn't announce any new initiatives and disheartened by the Fed's gloomy appraisal of the economy. That sent the Dow down more than 200 points within minutes.

Then, just as quickly, the market rebounded as traders focused on a phrase low in the Fed's statement, which said the central bank had discussed a "range of policy tools" that it was "prepared to employ." That prompted speculation that the central bank might soon step in with additional measures aimed at spurring the economy. In the last hour of trading, the Dow shot up 500 points, closing with a gain of 429.92 points, or 4%, at 11239.77. In Asia Wednesday morning, Tokyo shares opened higher, rising 1.9% at the start of trading.

See also LAT, "Dow gains 429 after remarks from Fed."

When in doubt, parse the Fed's statements (and ignore President Barack "Steve Urkel" Obama).

London Riots Day 4: Manchester and Midlands on Fire

Criminal unrest continues in Britain as the government struggles to regain control. See Independent UK, "Riots spread north as London cools." And at Daily Mail, "Now it's Manchester and the Midlands' turn as London braces for FOURTH night of rioting." And also Telegraph UK, "London riots spread to Midlands and north-west on fourth night of trouble."

See also Amusing Bunni, "Save Our Streets," Daley Gator, "Would I be wrong to ask just one question concerning the UK riots?," JammieWearingFool, "Heroes of London: 'It Was Like Being in a War'," Right Wing News, "There’s Nothing Wrong With The Government Shooting Looters & Rioters Down Like Dogs In The Street," and Saberpoint, "Massive Rioting in the U.K., Black on White Violence: What's the Solution?"

Also, at New York Times, "Cameron Deploys 10,000 More Officers to Riots," and "London Riots Put Spotlight on Troubled, Unemployed Youths in Britain." (At Memeorandum.)

Britain Descends to Hell

I'll tell you this: If it's coming to America, I will never be forced to strip down to my underwear upon threats from possessed underclass ruffians. I will fight these people to the death. When society has lost its collective mind, and when authorities are helpless to do the thing that they are established to do --- keep order and decency --- then you have to protect yourself and your family. I will not have my wife and children stripped and humiliated and robbed of their clothing on the freakin' streets. And I would help anyone facing such raw brutality if I see it happening to them in person. It can happen here. See London's Daily Mail, "Forced to strip naked in the street: Shocking scenes as rioters steal clothes and rifle through bags as people make their way home." I'll have more on this. The British government clearly isn't up to the task of defending against lawlessness, and things aren't nearly as bad as they could be. God help us:

Police Overwhelmed in London Riots

See London's Daily Mail, "Scotland Yard braced for backlash over 'lack of police on streets' and London Fire Brigade criticised for 'not tackling blazes'."

And at Telegraph UK, "London riots: why did the police lose control":

The police have become so sensitive to the issue of race that it is impairing their ability to do the job.

See also Lonely Conservative, "Riots Rattle London."

PREVIOUSLY: "London Riots Continue for Third Day."

Farrah Fawcett Barbie Becomes Instant Collectors' Item

I love this story, at Daily Mail, "Mattel's Angel: Bikini-clad Farrah Fawcett Barbie doll becomes an instant collectors' item."

Some of the proceeds go to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation for the benefit of cancer research.

RSM Covers Herman Cain in Iowa

I commended Robert Stacy McCain the other day on Twitter, thanking him for his excellent coverage of the run-up to the Ames straw poll.

And now he's got some more great blogging, on the Herman Cain presidential campaign. See "Sioux City: Herman Cain Begins Iowa Bus Tour With Noon Speech to Jewish Group," and "Denison: Overflow Crowd Hears Herman Cain Slam Obama: ‘That’s Not Leadership!’"

Check for updates at The Other McCain.

Nagasaki 66th Anniversary of Atomic Bombing

August 6th snuck up on me before I could get one of my annual atomic bombing essays posted, so here's a little something for Nagasaki: At WaPo, "Nagasaki remembers bombing, US sends first representative to memorial." And at New York Times, "Aug. 9, 1945 | U.S. Drops Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki, Japan."

Joseph Fein Defends Pamela Geller

My friend Joseph Fein, who regrettably I haven't linked here in a while, made a very shrewd argument the other day in his post standing up for Pamela Geller, "History Will Look Kindly on Pamela Geller Not Glenn Greenwald." I'm not so focused on the commentary on Glenn Greenwald, who while I've slammed mercilessly in the past (he's a genuine asshole, frankly), I've also commended him for avoiding the herd Obama cult mentality (I recognize consistency when I see it). What caught my eye about Joseph's essay was this passage on ideological rationalization:

Glenn Greenwald wanted Gay marriage to be the norm in the United States. As a Social libertarian, I see no issue here. As a partisan, I see a weak person who won't even stay in his own country and fight for what he believes in. He expects others to do the heavy lifting. Speaking to partisans who think the same way you do on TV, radio and the Internet does not expand converts. (nor does sock-puppeting).

I voted No on 8; I support any two consenting adults to be happy. But every time Andrew Sullivan attacks Palin's family, I always have to rethink that vote.

Now, compare Greenwald to Pam Geller.

I've highlighted in bold the key sentence, but check the whole post for the context. I'd have to talk to Joseph in person to see how he'd vote on a gay marriage proposition next time around (if it's not decided at the U.S. Supreme Court beforehand), but the key is that Joseph would consider changing his position because of the ideological and political violence of the progressive left's pro-gay marriage ayatollahs. I cringed the other day when Andrew Breitbart announced he'd boycott CPAC over the organization's exclusion of GOProud. It's not so much that GOProud is either in or out at CPAC (I think the group's a Trojan horse but I'd let them compete in the marketplace of ideas rather than exclude them). It's that for all of Andrew Breitbart's super aggressive battles against the institutional left, he obviously doesn't get it on this issue. My sense is that he's got friends who are gay. Fine. So do I. But that doesn't mean one has to capitulate to the progressive barebacking agenda. It's bears repeating and repeating again: Gay activists are the most venal, vicious, and unprincipled political organizers going. It's like Rick Santorum noted the other day, when he suggested that gays enjoy "super rights." Progressive gay activists are the left's ultimate bullies. They are in your face, attacking anyone with the slightest inclination toward tradition as a "homophobe" and "racist." They browbeat, intimidate, and harass to get their way. They've threatened to destroy livelihoods over the simple act of voting on a proposition. They's lied and cheated in public forums, for example, with the mock judicial process that reviewed Prop. 8 in Federal District Court. Basically, they've raped the political process to leverage a disgusting and morally reprobate barebacking, rim-station sexual agenda that majorities of voters have consistently rejected nationwide. Fully thirty states continue to prohibit gay marriage across the country, but the tentacles of deathly progressivism have worked their subterfuge in the more left-leaning states, using all manner of deceit and duplicity to carry the day. Most of all is the sickening progressive discrimination that is the centerpiece of folks like the disgusting perv Dan Savage. I wrote recently on his sick bigotry and hatred of regular people: "Gay Sexual Abandon and the Perverse Inversion of Values by Same-Sex Extremists." The gay progressive program of ideological bigotry works because society has been beaten down by political correctness. No one wants to appear intolerant. No one wants to be attacked as anti "civil rights." The problem of course, is that gay marriage isn't a civil right, although regular people have been so brainwashed by progressive Orwellianism they don't know what is good and moral, and to even speak up for something decent is to be viciously attacked, with people's very lives being threatened. So this is why I think Joseph's rethinking of his vote on Prop. 8 is such an incisive opening on this issue. If it were me I'd leave it to the states, and if the voters choose full gay marriage rights so be it. But the process is hijacked by extremists and thugs, and it's not likely those rights would come around through a free and fair democratic process. And thus those folks so happy to call themselves libertarian on the issue just end up being fellow soldiers in the left's campaign to destroy decency in this country.

London Riots Continue for Third Day

Lots of coverage at Telegraph UK, "London riots: breakdown of Monday night's violence," and "London riots: Guerrilla warfare erupts as no one knows where mob will strike next."

And again, stunning coverage at London's Daily Mail, "Britain burns at the hands of the mob as the PM finally flies home: Gangs armed with petrol bombs and poles on THIRD night of riots."

Also at ABC News, "Britain Burning: Riots Rattle London, Spread Across U.K."

Stock Market Plunges

At USA Today, "Crisis of confidence leads to fears of bear market," and New York Times, "Stocks Plunge in Worst Day in Two Years." Also, at Wall Street Journal, "Downgrade Ignites a Global Selloff: Dow's Plunge Worst Since '08":

The downgrade of the U.S.'s credit rating sparked a global selloff on Monday, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its sharpest one-day decline since the financial crisis in 2008.

In scenes reminiscent of three years ago, selling accelerated as the day went on, and investors were forced to sell to meet margin calls from lenders demanding more collateral. The Dow ended the day down 634.76 points, or 5.5%, at 10809.85, its lowest close since last October. Trading volume of stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange hit the fourth-highest level in history.

It was the Dow's biggest percentage drop since December 2008 and its sixth-largest point decline ever. Other major stock indexes also fell heavily. Traders also dumped corporate bonds and industrial commodities.

Investors fled to the traditional refuges: gold, currencies of safe-seeming countries such as Switzerland, and, ironically, the very securities that Standard & Poor's downgraded on Friday, U.S. Treasury bonds. For most investors, Treasurys seemed a lot safer than stocks.

Tuesday morning in Asia, Tokyo shares opened lower, falling 3.4% in the first minutes of trading.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council, a group of U.S. regulators led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, held an emergency conference call Monday afternoon to discuss the financial-market volatility, a person familiar with the call said.

"There's probably as much uncertainty as we've seen since 2008," said Eric Pellicciaro of asset manager BlackRock's Fundamental Fixed Income division, which has $612.5 billion in assets under management. "There's a general feeling that policy options are few and far between. There's a feeling that fiscal austerity is coming at the worst possible time."

Interesting how Treasury securities remained a safe haven. That can't go on forever.

I'll have more on this tonight.

Newsweek Publishes 'Queen of Rage' Hit-Piece Cover Shot of Michele Bachmann

Go check Michelle Malkin's report, "The Conservative Crazy Eyes Cliche & Other Stupid MSM Photo Tricks."

She's got a larger image of this wild --- and wildly inappropriate --- cover photograph of Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. The key passage:

Rep. Bachmann is unabashedly conservative, willing to take both parties’ leaders to task, passionate about her work, popular with grass-roots activists on the Right, committed to reining in the size, scope, and power of government, and yes, expressive. For all this, she must be destroyed.

Also:

Disseminating unflattering photos of conservatives isn’t journalism. It’s Alinskyite narrative-shaping.

This comes of course as Michele Bachmann has rocketed to frontrunner status in Iowa. See Rasmussen Reports, "Iowa Caucus: Bachmann, Romney and Paul on Top." The poll samples likely causcus participants and has a 4-point margin of error. It's looking good for Bachmann.

RELATED: At the Other McCain, "Liberal Head-Explosion Warning VIDEO: Michele Bachmann Testifies for Jesus."

Update on Tottenham Riots

At Telegraph UK, "Tottenham riot: a community blighted by drugs and gun crime." And, "How technology fuelled Britain's first 21st century riot." There's a live blog as well, "Second night of rioting as violence and looting spread across London."

BONUS: A phenomenal report at London's Daily Mail, "Police and the riot blunders: Top officer flew off on holiday hours before mayhem and doubts emerge over shooting that sparked carnage."

Ross Douthat, Political Scientist

Douthat draws on political science research at New York Times, "Waiting For a Landslide." And for a second I thought he'd blow it, because "realignment theory," which he discusses, hasn't accurately explained, much less predicted, partisan trends for decades. But Douthat adds this, which is just right:

In reality, the next election may be no more transformative than 2008 turned out to be. The next Republican president may find himself as hemmed in and frustrated as President Obama has become. Meanwhile, America will still have a credit rating to fix, and a deficit to close.

More at that link at top, and Douthat had a great piece a few days ago on the debt deal, "The Liberals’ Dilemma." Note especially:

... American liberalism risks becoming a victim of its own longstanding strategy’s success. Because yesterday’s liberals insisted on making universal programs the costly core of the modern welfare state, on the famous theory that “programs for the poor become poor programs,” today’s liberals find themselves defending those universal (and therefore universally-popular) programs at the expense of every other kind of government spending — including, yes, programs for the poor. It’s a classic example of putting liberal political interests ahead of liberal policy priorities. In the short term, the insistence on ring-fencing Medicare and Social Security has left Democrats defending a system that often just ends up redistributing money from the younger middle class to the older middle class while accepting caps on programs that might do more (both directly and indirectly) to help downscale Americans get ahead. In the long term, by postponing any reckoning with the cost of entitlements, it’s making it more likely that the inevitable crunch will hit the poorest recipients of Medicare and Social Security harder than it should.

Read that whole thing. Basically, progressives will never cut entitlements because gargantuan socialist welfare states form the core of socialist existentialism.

Douthat's coming of his own as a New York Times columnist, by the way. He had cold feet or something after leaving The Atlantic, but he's been more consistent in posting some excellent commentary of late.

Killed U.S. Navy SEAL Team Was on Rescue Mission to Help Army Rangers Pinned Down by Insurgents

At ABC News, "SEALs on Rescue Mission Killed in Afghan Crash."

RELATED: At Los Angeles Times, "Afghanistan Chopper Downing Raises Concerns Over U.S.":

The downing of an American helicopter full of elite troops deepened concerns among some Afghans that it might symbolize an erosion of U.S. power at an uncertain crossroads in the nearly 10-year-old war.

In the rugged district of Wardak province where the U.S. Chinook helicopter crashed early Saturday, apparently after being struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, NATO and Afghan forces engaged in daylong skirmishes with suspected Taliban fighters, according to Afghan officials.

Wardak Police Chief Abdul Qayuum Baqizoi said there had been Taliban casualties in Sunday's fighting, but he did not know how many. Western military officials said only that the area was being secured.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for downing the helicopter within hours of the crash. Following confirmation from U.S. officials that the 30 American troops killed had included 22 members of the Navy SEALs, the Islamic movement reacted with jubilation.

"We killed America's most elite forces; we achieved one of our biggest goals," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Sunday in a telephone interview. "This shows that our efforts are unstoppable."

'New Age'

D.O.A., "New Age." The studio version's at the second clip, and dwell on that lead guitar solo for a minute or two. The rockin' guitar sounds set DOA apart back in the day:

And don't just take it from me. Keith Morris says DOA blew his mind at the Starwood on Santa Monica Boulevard in 1980. I was there as well. DOA opened for X, who were huge at that time. But Keith makes me laugh when he says, at 2:25 minutes, "I was thinking, how the f*ck was X going to follow these guys?"

See what I mean?

Secrets to Longevity

Hoping for a long life?

Check with Neo-Neocon for an informative essay on the topic, "Want to reach 100? Just do whatever you want…":

…and hope for the best.

HAT TIP: Instapundit.

The Alinksy-Obama Minions

I love this title, from Pat Austin, "The Alinksy-Obama Minions Would Have You Believe In the 'Tea Party Downgrade'.

EXTRA: At The Other McCain, "Liberals Spinning S&P Credit Downgrade: BLAME IT ON THE REPUBLICANS!"

Hamas-Linked CAIR Freaks Over Pamela Geller's New Book: Stop Islamization of America

And Pamela laughs, "The review is a badge of honor. My favorite one yet!"

See, "PRESS TV: LEADING SPOKESMAN FOR ISLAMIZATION HAMAS-LINKED CAIR RIPS GELLER'S NEW BOOK: STOP THE ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE RESISTANCE."

'Nothing From Nothing'

Perfect Democrat theme song. You don't gets to be hangin' with those mofos unless you be chippin' in some snaps (cash). And Billy Preston's 'fro is da kine!

I'm not tryin' to be your hero
'Cause that zero is too cold for me, Brrr
I'm not tryin' to be your highness
'Cause that minus is too low to see, yeah

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
And I'm not stuffin'
Believe you me
Don't you remember I told ya
I'm a soldier in the war on poverty, yeah
Yes, I am

Asian Markets Fall in Monday Trading After U.S. Downgrade

At New York Times, "Asian Markets Fall Despite Efforts by Policy Makers."

But see Los Angeles Times, "No rush from U.S. Treasuries, as yields fall while Asian stocks slump":

U.S. Treasury bonds' status as a haven seemed intact in Asia on Monday, as yields fell despite Standard & Poor's downgrading of Uncle Sam's credit rating on Friday.

It may have helped Treasuries that Asian stocks were broadly lower, as some investors bailed out ahead of European and U.S. equity trading.

The 10-year Treasury note yield slid to 2.50% in late Asian trading, down from 2.56% on Friday.

Shorter-term yields also fell. The two-year T-note dropped to a record low 0.26% from 0.29%.

More at that link above, and see, "What the U.S. debt-rating cut may mean for markets":

If investors dump Treasuries, where would the money go?

They don’t have a lot of options if they want to keep their money in something relatively safe.

The bond markets of other countries still rated AAA -- including Germany, Canada, France, Finland and Australia -- are far smaller than the U.S. debt market. The appeal of Treasuries in part is their great liquidity, meaning it's easy for investors to instantly buy or sell bonds.

What’s more, Europe has its own worries: The continent’s government-debt crisis has worsened in recent weeks, with investors now fearing that Spain and Italy could be forced to seek European Union bailouts, following the paths of Greece, Ireland and Portugal over the last 15 months.

Some investors are likely to run to gold, another classic haven. Gold has been streaking this year, rising 16% year-to-date through Friday, to $1,648.80 an ounce.

Haven’t Treasury interest rates been falling lately, anyway?

Yes. Investors have been pouring cash into Treasury securities since mid-April, driving interest rates down, as global economic growth has faded. The rate on the 10-year Treasury note, a benchmark for mortgage rates and other long-term interest rates, fell as low as 2.40% last week from 3.59% in mid-April.

Because worries about the economy have only worsened in recent weeks, many analysts believe that any jump in Treasury rates related to S&P’s downgrade could quickly bring a torrent of buyers into the market, happy to snag higher yields.

“The fundamentals of U.S. and global growth are weakening, and that’s a fertile time to be in Treasuries” as a haven, said William O’Donnell, head of Treasury-bond strategy at RBS Securities.

RELATED: At CNBC, "No Chance of Default, US Can Print Money: Greenspan" (via Memeorandum).

Back From Etnies

This photo's not so focused, and I didn't take any others, since I couldn't get a good vantage point. I'm standing up on the planter as it is.

I'm going to look into getting my own skateboard this week. I need to see how the summer funds are holding out. I'm not paid until September 1st, a couple of weeks after the semester begins (and we're taking the boys to Las Vegas for LOVE next weekend). So it's either a new board this week or hold off a bit, although I'm getting the bug to go skating again. Being with my young son all the time is getting me fired up. I've been enjoying seeing the thrills of skateboarding through the experience of my boy. It's an old saying but it occurred to me today it's true, when my son came up to where I was sitting, after a couple hours of skating, and said, "I want to come back tomorrow!" I told him sure, and I thought what am I waiting for on my own skating? You're only young once!

RELATED: Check the Etnies Skatepark homepage. There's going to be a grand opening for the expansion on August 20th.

America Gets Downgraded

At Wall Street Journal, "A spend and tax policy mix always leads to economic decline":

... is there anything that S&P said on Friday that everyone else doesn't already know? S&P essentially declared that on present trend the U.S. debt burden is unsustainable, and that the American political system seems unable to reverse that trend.

This is not news.

In that context, the Obama Administration's attempt to discredit S&P only makes the U.S. look worse—like the Europeans who also want to blame the raters for noticing the obvious. Treasury officials and chief White House economic adviser Gene Sperling denounced S&P for relying on a Congressional Budget Office scenario that overestimated the U.S. discretionary spending baseline by $300 billion through 2015 and $2 trillion through 2021.

But even adjusting for that $2 trillion would only reduce U.S. publicly held debt to 85% or so of GDP—still dangerously high. And that assumes that recently agreed upon spending caps are sustained over a decade, something which rarely happens.

We think the larger problem with S&P, Moody's and Fitch is that they make no distinction over how a nation balances its books—whether through tax increases or spending reductions. Like the International Monetary Fund, the raters care only about balance.

This takes too little account of the need for faster economic growth, which is the only real path out of a debt crisis. Britain's government has earned rater approval for its fiscal consolidation, but its increases in VAT and income tax rates are hurting its tepid recovery. Letting the credit raters dictate tax increases is the road to an austerity trap.

The real reason for White House fury at S&P is that it realizes how symbolically damaging this downgrade is to President Obama's economic record. Democrats can rail all they want about the tea party, but Republicans have controlled the House for a mere seven months. The entire GOP emphasis in those seven months—backed by the tea party—has been on reversing the historic spending damage of Mr. Obama's first two years.

Continue reading.

IMAGE CREDIT: The Astute Bloggers.

Etnies Skatepark Expansion

Etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest has opened a huge new skatepark addition. See O.C. Register, "Expansion done, skaters enjoy 'perfect' Etnies Skatepark." And at TransWorld Skateboarding, "Final Expansion Will Make It the Largest Free Public Skatepark in the U.S."

I'm taking my kid over there right now. I'll post some pics later.

The Progressive-Left's Communist Holocaust Denial

Judson Phillips, leader of Tea Party Nation, is trending at Memeorandum for his statement that...

I detest and despise everything the left stands for. How anybody can endorse and embrace an ideology that has killed a billion people in the last century is beyond me...

Actually, the numbers of those killed under communist totalitarianism probably don't reach one billion for the 20th century, but certainly hundreds of millions were killed during the rule of the Soviets to Communist China, with a turn at genocide in the "paradise" of Cambodia. One commenter at Alan Colmes' "Liberaland" compares the history of left-wing genocide to U.S. support for "death squads in El Salvador." That's the kind of moral equivalence that allows the left's search for ideological utopia to continue and thrive. Jamie Glazov wrote on this specifically, "Cold War Revelations and 'Progressive' Holocaust Denial":

The Western "progressive" milieu's refusal to acknowledge Communist crimes is, of course, rooted in that disease with which we have become all too familiar in the second half of the twentieth century: anti-Americanism. It explains well why not one Revisionist historian, including Gabriel Kolko, has come forward to apologize for his errors. However, the refusal to acknowledge grievous faults on the Cold War, and to seek refuge in other politically correct orthodoxies, is all part of a larger phenomenon: Holocaust denial. A clear analogy can be made between the neo-Nazi Holocaust denial and the Left's refusal to acknowledge Communist Holocaust. In denying that the genocide of Jews occurred, Holocaust denial perpetuates anti-Semitism and keeps it alive. By erasing historical memory, Holocaust denial gives birth to moral relativism, which, in turn, instills a mindset that facilitates the possibility of yet another Holocaust. Holocaust denial, in other words, is the craving for another Holocaust.

This is precisely the case in the Western Left's refusal to acknowledge the genocidal consequences of the socialist idea in the twentieth century. The causes of this Holocaust denial are directly rooted in the Holocaust itself. The Nazi Holocaust, for instance, was the logical outcome of anti-Semitism, but anti-Semites need to keep anti-Semitism alive. Thus, anti-Semitism's existence is kept alive easier if its darkest consequences are supported but simultaneously denied. So too, if Stalinism was the inevitable result of the pursuit of equality, then the belief in the possibility of equality must be kept alive by the socialist milieu. The historical memory and significance of the Gulag, however, must be wiped out.

It's the progressive-left's Communist Holocaust denial. It's alive. And it's deadly.

PHOTO CREDITS: Wikipedia Commons.

The Debt Downgrade Blame Game

I was up in time for the Sunday news shows. I flipped back and forth for a minute between ABC and NBC and finally settled on "Meet the Press." John Kerry and John McCain were interviewed, forgettably, with the exception of McCain's comments on Afghanistan. But the roundtable discussion was a keeper. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Allan Greenspan stole the show (a bit of which can be seen here). But frankly the reason I didn't channel surf further was Rachel Maddow. Maddow is maddening. The S&P downgrade dominated the discussion, and Maddow's entire shtick was political. David Gregory asked her about economic implications and she segued into an attack on "Republican intransigence." Check it out:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Maddow was sticking like glue to S&P's press release, which claimed that the downgrade was a comment on political gridlock in Washington. But Maddow's fascinating because she perfectly encapsulates all that's wrong with the Beltway media mindset: She blames Bush for the crisis, citing the revised GDP numbers to argue that "the hole we've been getting out of is even deeper than we thought." Well, I guess if you're in a hole you stop digging, but the Obama-Dems 2012 budget was pegged to add $7.2 trillion in new debt over the next decade, and that's after racking up $1.7 trillion after the administration's first year in office. Congressional Republicans stood up to this, and that fortitude so enraged the progressive political class that "tea party terrorists" were claimed to be the greatest threat to national security since Nazi Germany. But Maddow goes on. And bless his heart, but Alex Castellanos fails to get a smackdown rebuttal until much later in the broadcast. I reported on Janet Daley's essential piece earlier, "A Capitalist Economy Can't Support a Socialist Welfare State." The GOP talking point has to focus on the unsustainability of big-government entitlements. Republicans won the day by standing firm, and the S&P downgrade ultimately will damage Democrat reelection prospects next fall, hence Maddow's desperate efforts to spin this as not an economic issue at all, but one of tea party "intransigence."

In any case, see Karl at Patterico's Pontifications, "For Whom the Downgrade Tolls":

In sum, the S&P downgrade marks a post on the road where progressive demagogy loses its power. The downgrade marks a post on the road to extinction for 19th-20th century progressivism. That’s why the Obama administration — and true progressive ideologues — made S&P their first target, however futile the gesture.

RTWT.

I wouldn't separate the partisan left from the ideological left so much (Maddow is both, for example), but it's a really perceptive essay otherwise.

UPDATE: Linked at Atlas Shrugs and Yid With Lid. Thanks! Also linked at Blazing Cat Fur!

A Capitalist Economy Can't Support a Socialist Welfare State

The obvious realities are the ones people most desperately resist, especially progressives, who live in a utopian world where higher taxes and endless spending are held to promise a classless, want-free society, which is impossible.

See Janet Daley, "If we are to survive the looming catastrophe, we need to face the truth" (via Memeorandum):

Contrary to what the Obama Democrats claimed, the face-off in Congress did not mean that the nation’s politics were “dysfunctional”. The politics of the US were functioning precisely as the Founding Fathers intended: the legislature was acting as a check on the power of the executive.

The Tea Party faction within the Republican party was demanding that, before any further steps were taken, there must be a debate about where all this was going. They had seen the future toward which they were being pushed, and it didn’t work. They were convinced that the entitlement culture and benefits programmes which the Democrats were determined to preserve and extend with tax rises could only lead to the diminution of that robust economic freedom that had created the American historical miracle.

And, again contrary to prevailing wisdom, their view is not naive and parochial: it is corroborated by the European experience. By rights, it should be Europe that is immersed in this debate, but its leaders are so steeped in the sacred texts of social democracy that they cannot admit the force of the contradictions which they are now hopelessly trying to evade.

I discussed the political angle previously, "Time for Institutional Reform? Well, Only When Democrats Are Losing." But read Daley all the way through. Progressives argue that "politics is broken" when the people revolt against the socialist political class. If folks want to fix what's broken they need to look at what we're spending. Are we going to cut spending and reduce the size of government? It'll take a helluva lot more than downsizing defense. But America's Obama-Democrat-Socialists are impervious to reality. The reckoning is coming in 2012. Folks always say this election is "the most important election in my lifetime." I usually don't, but with the credit downgrade and America's military abusively stretched thin around the globe, my normal optimism is found wanting.

More on this in upcoming posts.

IMAGE CREDIT: The People's Cube.

That's Creepy? ABC's Lara Spencer Runs Her Hand Through Jon Bon Jovi's Hair During On-Air Interview

It's not that creepy, but check NYDN, "Lara Spencer and other reporters getting too close for comfortm creepy in on-air segments." Looks like Bon Jovi doesn't mind either. See, "The Hair Is Shorter, but the Career Goes On and On: Jon Bon Jovi on Longevity, Jersey and Outselling Justin Bieber."

North London Riots After Police Killing

At Chicago Tribune, "Riot hits north London following police shooting, double decker bus and patrol cars set ablaze."

And from Nile Gardiner, at Telegraph UK, "Tottenham riots: how long before the shameless Left starts blaming the Conservatives for the criminal actions of mindless thugs?":

Red Hot Chili Peppers Are Back

At Los Angeles Times, "A new beginning for the Chili Peppers: After a rough patch, the veteran L.A. band is back with a new guitarist and a new album due out this month."

What Do We Say When Johnny Comes Home?

One of my favorite anti-war songs, from T.S.O.L., mainly because it's so haunting on the apathy. Joe Wood sings on "American Zone," during a period when Jack Grisham had left the band. I really enjoyed the studio recording, but I don't see it online, so just turn this up on your tablet:

There's blood on the streets again today
All the people dying what a price we have to pay
Around the world they're fightin'
It's not that far away
feel the darkness
Can we change our ways?

[Chorus:]
We live in the American zone
Free of fear in our American home
Swimmin pool and digital phone
What do we say when Johnny comes home

Johnny just got back from war today
Beruit weekend, the powder keg
He was 20 years old and he lost both of his legs
We're all really sorry today

[Chorus]

What do we say
What do we say
What do we say
When Johnny comes home
and he lost his legs.

RELATED: "Washington Mourns U.S. Troops Killed in Afghan Helicopter Crash."

Fresno State Sweet Corn Is Best-Kept Secret No More

I got a kick out of this story, which ran on the front-page of the Los Angeles Times, "Customers stalk Fresno State's sweet corn."

Reminds me of my dad a little too. We used to go to some local produce stands to buy fruits and vegetables. You're surrounded by agriculture up there, so it brings back fond memories. And Fresno State is world-renowned for its ag programs anyway. If we don't move out of state, we'll probably retire up that way, although that's still a long time from now.

Joseph Nocera Apologizes

It takes a while to get around to it, but he's sincere, which is unusual for progressives. See, "The Tea Party, Take Two." (Via Astute Bloggers.)

Los Alamitos National Guardsman Holds One-Man Vigil for Troops Killed in Afghanistan

I felt so hollow when I first heard the news, and I know that the war's been going on so long now that for a lot people, beyond the initial sadness, there probably wasn't a whole lot of reflection about the sacrifices. So, this is something honorable: "One-Man Vigil for the ... Troops Killed Saturday."

Rawley's

Good stuff at Maggie's Farm, "Best Hot Dog in the Northeast, right off I-95 in Fairfield, CT."

August Birthdays

My mom turned seventy-five earlier this week. President Obama turned fifty on Thursday. And Lucille Ball would have turned 100 yesterday.

My youngest boy's going to be 10 years-old next week, but we had a little cake and ice cream party for him earlier. A few of his friends from school came over. They opened presents and played video games (the streamers are still up at top below, and not too messy). And then yesterday I took my boy down to my friend Mikey Hirsch's skateboard pro shop, So Cal Skateboards. I got him a Nijah Huston street skate for his birthday, seen at bottom. Nijah won the street Gold Medal at the X-Games last week, and my son digs him.

'Rich Man, Poor Man'

Afterburner, with Bill Whittle:

Whittle is speaking Thursday in Newport Beach, so look for a report.

Amilya Antonetti, Small Business Owner, Slams President Obama — 'I Don't Care If You're Red or Blue ... What Are You Doing to Our Country?'

She really unloads toward the end of the clip, via Memeorandum:

Rick Santorum's Family Off Limits to the Media

Robert Stacy McCain continues his coverage of the Iowa campaign: "Rick Santorum’s Iowa Barn Party." And here's Robert on some of the Santorum campaign's press rules:

Karen Santorum with her two oldest daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth. Right after I took this photo, Santorum’s press aide told me that the family are “off limits” to the media. But, of course, I’m just a friend of Lisa Graas, right? It’s not fair to treat me as “media.”

A beautiful family.

Related: At the Des Moines Register, "Santorum: Credit downgrade another example of Obama’s ‘epic failure’ in leadership." And from the Ames Tribune, "Santorum: Iowans 'can have a profound impact'."

And see New York Times, "Republicans Jockey as a Big Week Begins in Iowa."

Widener's Dean Linda Ammons Goes After Law School Professor Lawrence Connell

I read about this a couple of times earlier this year, and William Jacobson has an update: "Widener Law School goes Soviet, demands law professor undergo psychiatric evaluation."

Professor Connell was exonerated in a university disciplinary hearing, and William notes:

The faculty committee which heard the evidence found that Connell did not violate any university policy with regard to the allegations of racist and sexist conduct. The committee report, available exclusively here, while it ultimately vindicates Connell, is a depressing narrative of the sorry state of political correctness and race/sex politics on campus, in which the feelings and reaction of accusers carries as much weight as the objective reality of the statements made. While Connell was vindicated on a wide range of charges, this case surely will have a chilling effect on academic freedom on campuses as professors now know that regardless of the context, they are at risk of the subjective feelings of those with an agenda.

Read the whole thing. And background at Frontpage Magazine, "The Persecution of a Professor."

What's interesting to me is that, from what I can see, the attacks against Professor Connell were launched almost exclusively by Widener's Law School Dean, Linda Ammons. Checking her bio at the university's website, it turns out, no surprise, she's a "critical race feminist." And she's black, of course, a fact that in a rational world wouldn't matter a bit, but here in fact serves as the key variable doing most of the explanatory work. Connell mentioned the term "black folks" during classes, and was attacked as "racist." He'd also used Ammons as the subject of his classroom hypotheticals, which is apparently a completely harmless tradition going way back in the profession. After the university panel urged the administration to drop the charges against Connell, Ammons (or others in the administration) recruited students to make new charges, which allowed the witch hunt to continue. What William's talking about at his post is the requirement that Connell undergo a psychiatric evaluation as part of his reinstatement --- after he was already cleared of wrongdoing. The university, driven no doubt by Ammons, dug deep into campus regulations to find something, anything, with which they could convict Connell. They're alleging that his defense of himself, which included an explanatory e-mail to the university, was an act of "retaliation" in violation of college codes and his faculty contract, and that he should be suspended for a year. The university agreed with Dean Ammons' recommendation. It's perverse and pure evil. One must logically surmise that Dean Ammons' mind has been literally poisoned by years of progressive legal and ideology training in victimology and recrimination. Professor Connell is a middle-aged white man who has allegedly deviated from the accepted narrative. And for that, nothing less than complete professional destruction is pursued by his enemies. I'm reminded of Ann Althouse's quote, "'Isn't it funny the way lefties are, at bottom, puritanical about sex?'," because the same kind of insane, politically correct fanaticism has been driving the libelous allegations of sexual harassment that I've been defending against.

It's unreal.

Read the comments about this at Volokh, especially this one from "Blue":

Dean Ammons has now comprehensively crossed the line into Evil.

Word.

Michele Bachmann: 'President Obama is Destroying the Foundations of the United States Economy'

Via The Other McCain, "VIDEO: Bachmann Demands Resignation of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner."

Also at Gateway Pundit, "Michele Bachmann: “I Call on President Obama to Demand Resignation of Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner” (Video)," and "Geithner Flashback: “There’s No Chance US Will Lose Top Credit Rating” (Video)."

Taliban Shoot Down U.S. Copter in Afghanistan

At Los Angeles Times, "31 U.S. troops, 7 Afghans killed in Taliban attack on NATO helicopter."

In a rare event, Taliban insurgents shoot down a Chinook helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade near Kabul. It's the largest single-incident loss of military lives since the war's start.

And at New York Times, "31 Americans Killed as Taliban Shoot Down a Copter." (Via Memeorandum.)

Polar Bear Kills British Teenager in Norwegian Arctic

At Telegraph UK, "Nature's brutal lesson for young Arctic explorers."

Also at Scottish Daily Record, "Polar bear rips through tent and kills British teenager in camp attack terror."

Robert Stacy McCain Reports from Des Moines

See: "Fear and Loathing at the Quality Inn."

Pawlenty is pulling his ad buys from Iowa three days before the straw poll, but these spots are flooding the cable channels right now:

Stacy has more on what's shakin' in Iowa.

Progressive Shouts 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' at Scott Walker

It's the "new civility," remember?

Via Althouse:

The Debt Deal and the Progressive Crack-Up

From Peter Berkowitz, at Wall Street Journal (also Google or Sankei Digital):

In the congressional elections of 2010, the electorate, led by the tea party movement and disaffected independents, rendered its judgment on the president's priorities. The people dealt him and his party a historic midterm defeat, producing large Republican gains in the Senate and a comfortable majority in the House, including 87 freshmen.

The voters' message was clear: Cut spending, compel the government to live within its means, and put Americans back to work. In short, the president and his party badly overreached in 2009 and 2010; and in 2011 the Republicans, to the extent their numbers in Congress allowed, have effectively pushed back.

But that's not how progressives have tended to see things. They have ferociously attacked congressional Republicans, particularly those closely associated with the tea party movement, with something approaching hysteria ...

The use of crude and violent language to condemn conservatives as enemies of the state, the gross manipulation of law to make the Constitution say whatever is politically expedient, and indifference to the actual arguments made by their political opponents—these are all-too-familiar progressive vices. They were exercised with abandon in the fury with which progressives responded to the complex questions raised by the Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore, the detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay, and the invasion of Iraq. Tea party hatred is the successor of and stems from the same sources as Bush hatred.

Of course, a good bit of progressive vituperation can be chalked up to the ordinary passions of democratic politics, which can be high stakes and is a contact sport. But in the debt-limit crisis, the hypocrisy of progressives reached truly breathtaking proportions ...

The progressive mind is on a collision course with itself. The clash between its democratic pretensions and its authoritarian predilections has generated within its ranks seething resentment for, and rage at, conservatives. Unless progressives cultivate the enlightened virtues they publicly profess and free themselves from the dogmatic beliefs that undergird their political ambitions, we can expect even more harrowing outbursts to come.

Be sure to read it all.

We seem to have the same general dynamic every so often of late, during the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, for example, and more recently with Anders Breivik and now the debt ceiling debate. Berkowitz pretty much nails it, and of course James Taranto consistently hammers progressive idiocy and the media's hopeless partisanship. This is why I keep blogging. Progressivism is destroying this country. We need to pushback and continue the fight. 2012 is looking good too, so there's hope!

Who's to Blame for Terrorism?

From Cliff May, at National Review:

Who deserves the blame for the terrorist attacks in Norway? My answer would be the perpetrator and no one else — unless it turns out there really is a modern Knights Templar or some other organized movement that sent him on his mission of mass murder.

But there are those who disagree, who see this atrocity as part of a wider conspiracy — or, perhaps, as a convenient stick with which to beat their political and ideological opponents.

One example: The New York Times last week ran an editorial arguing that Anders Behring Breivik was “influenced by public debate and the extent to which that debate makes ideas acceptable.” The “broader” issue, says the Times, is that “inflammatory political rhetoric is increasingly tolerated.”

Which raises the questions: Who decides what constitutes inflammatory rhetoric? And if such rhetoric is unacceptable and intolerable, who should censor it and by what means? (Memo to young readers: Back in the day, great newspapers were defenders of free speech, including that which some would see as inflammatory.)

Great piece. Coolly reasoned. RTWT.

'Rhinestone Cowboy'

Heard it yesterday while out driving my wife's new Jeep Liberty (been meaning to post pics, and no excuses other than lagging). She's got Sirius radio in there, and she loves it. What a variety!

NewsBusted: 'Bachmann spends about $5000 on hair and makeup'

Via Theo Spark:

U.S. Urges Citizens to Leave Syria Immediately

At Jerusalem Post:

State Department warns that given the "ongoing uncertainty and volatility" American citizens are urged to leave immediately while transportation is still available.

See also New York Times, "Broadcasting Hama Ruins, Syria Says It Has Ended Revolt."

Reactions to Fjordman's Coming Out

Peder Jensen, a.k.a., Fjordman, is covered at New York Times, "Blogger Cited by Norway Killer Comes Forward to Denounce Him."

Folks might want to read Gates of Vienna, "The Forced Resignation of Fjordman."

Also, Andrew Bostom, at Big Peace, "Fjordman, Fairness, And The Brevik Mass Murderer."

Added: At Blazing Cat Fur, "Breaking! Fjordman A Jew...or at least part Jew... or he looks kinda Jew..."

U.S. Loses AAA Rating from Standard & Poor's

At Reuters, "United States loses AAA credit rating from S&P."

I'll update with reactions in a few minutes ...

6:27pm PST: At Doug Ross, "He's Historic, Alright: Standard & Poor's Downgrades US Debt to AA+." And a Memeorandum thread.

6:51pm PST: An analysis at Wall Street Journal, "S&P Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating":

WASHINGTON—A cornerstone of the global financial system was shaken Friday when officials at ratings firm Standard & Poor's said U.S. Treasury debt no longer deserved to be considered among the safest investments in the world.

S&P removed for the first time the triple-A rating the U.S. has held for 70 years, saying the budget deal recently brokered in Washington didn't do enough to address the gloomy long-term picture for America's finances. It downgraded U.S. debt to AA+, a score that ranks below Liechtenstein and on par with Belgium and New Zealand.

The unprecedented move came after several hours of high-stakes drama. It began in the morning, when word leaked that a downgrade was imminent and stocks tumbled sharply. Around 1:30 p.m., S&P officials notified the Treasury Department they planned to downgrade U.S. debt, and presented the government with their findings. But Treasury officials noticed a $2 trillion error in S&P's math that delayed an announcement for several hours. S&P officials decided to move ahead anyway, and after 8 p.m. they made their downgrade official.

Liechtenstein! I don't believe it!

8:12pm PST: At Zero Hedge, "S&P Downgrades US To AA+, Outlook Negative - Full Text."

'In For The Kill'

At the request of my youngest, and I really like La Roux:

Another version here (reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux).

'Money Doesn't Move Around in Ways That Are Unfair'

I watched Rachel Maddow last night (I know, a glutton for punishment). Maddow interviewed Ezra Klein on the economy, of all people. You'd think she'd get an economist, or something. I just rolled my eyes in any case, not just for poor Ezra's inexperience, but for Maddow's leading questions. She was trying to get Ezra to say that the crisis was essentially European, not American. She went on about how it wasn't a problem specific to the U.S. Markets are global, of course, and unhappiness with the debt deal and fears of a recession triggered a sell-off. Ezra didn't go for the bait, in any case. It was totally uninformative, and here he is on "Morning Joe" getting beat up by Rick Santelli, the tea party guy. Santelli schools the poor boy on the realities of markets. Folks are picking up on Ezra's whining about how if there's another recession, "it's going to be painful and it is going to move money around in ways that are unfair..." Typical progressivism, and Santelli lets him have it:

Via Hot Air, NewsBusters, and Verum Serum.

John Kerry: Media Should Not Give Time to Tea Party

The left's elitist fallback position is authoritarianism and suppression of dissent, but you knew that already.

At The Blaze, "JOHN KERRY: MEDIA HAS ‘RESPONSIBILITY’ TO ‘NOT GIVE EQUAL TIME’ TO TEA PARTY." Also at Memeorandum.

Long Knives Out for Michele Bachmann?

Yep, according to Robert Stacy McCain, who's on the ground in Des Moines, "Long Knives in Iowa."

And check this Google link for the click through to Wall Street Journal, "Behind a GOP Contender's Iowa Surge."

MARION, Iowa—To understand why presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has surged in Iowa, watch when she is handed a baby. On a recent stop here, she took off her bracelet, dangled it before the infant and cradled himDuring another campaign appearance, Ms. Bachmann climbed down from the stage to take the hands of a woman who asked a question, holding them as she answered. Meeting a teenager with Down syndrome, the Minnesota congresswoman swept him up in a hug, then signed his T-shirt.

Ms. Bachmann has built a national reputation for hard-line conservative stances—most recently, she bucked her own Republican leaders to oppose the debt-ceiling compromise—and her repeated vow to retire President Barack Obama.

But here in Iowa, the tough rhetoric is sheathed in a soft presentation. Ms. Bachmann hugs, dances and offers girl talk on the campaign trail—"That's a rockin' shirt!"—as if baking her steely conservatism into a warm apple pie. while he teethed on the pearls.

It's true. She's the warmest in person!

Kate Upton Beach Bunny Rule 5

A follow-up to, "Beach Bunny Swimwear at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week." More Kate Upton, as promised:

Also blogging, Randy's Roundtable, "Thursday Nite Tart: Michelle Vawer."

Check back for Rule 5 updates through the weekend!

BONUS: All around blogging available at Blazing Cat Fur.

Ezra Levant Interviews Mark Steyn

Mark Steyn's new book, After America, is out Monday. Pundette already has her copy.

And Blazing Cat Fur has the interview, "Video: Ezra Levant Interviews Mark Steyn on SunTV's 'The Source'."

Rep. Joe Walsh: 'I'm Not a Terrorist'

I like the video, but Rep. Walsh is an alleged deadbeat dad. I guess he's fighting it. See Chicago Tribune, "Walsh: I'll privately fight child support claims," and Northwest Herald, "Walsh tries to clear air at town hall-style meeting." (Added: A Memeorandum thread.)

The Keynesians Have Fired All Their Ammo and Here We Are

At Wall Street Journal, "The Global Rout."

Just read that whole thing. Nation-states can't afford their entitlements, and "structural reforms" are unavoidable. Better to do it earlier than later, before we end up like Greece. President Obama ... are you listening?

Senator John Cornyn: 'Time to Give GOP New Mandate to Govern'

From the Texas Sanator, at The Houston Chronicle:

With the support of the American people, Republicans told the president that raising taxes during a weak economy was unacceptable. Once again, the president backed down. And that option came off the table as well.

Republicans held the line on taxes and canceled the president's blank check. We won the argument that spending cuts are the key to reducing our debt and balancing our budget. That's pretty good work for a party that only controls one-third of one-half of the federal government.

Yet despite refocusing the debt-ceiling debate on out-of-control federal spending, the actual spending cuts in the compromise bill are too small. The $2.1 trillion in potential debt reduction is far less than we need to prevent a downgrade in the U.S. credit rating, according to many analysts. All the spending cuts so far are backloaded, with only $21 billion scheduled to be cut from next year's deficit. The Pentagon is specifically targeted for spending cuts, even as our troops are fighting three wars and other security threats loom on the horizon.

So I sympathize with my colleagues, as well as many Republican candidates, who say that the compromise bill does not fix the problem. They are right. A far better alternative was Cut, Cap, and Balance. A far better budget is the Pathway to Prosperity. I voted for both of those plans, and I wish we had the votes to enact both of them into law.

RTWT.

Republicans are looking ahead to 2012.

See also New York Times, "Republicans Set Sights on Balanced Budget Amendment."

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.