Number of Mexican Illegals Living in U.S. Has Dropped Significantly For First Time in Decades

Well, the wonders of what a bit of border enforcement will do.

Amazing.

At London's Daily Mail, "Strong border controls and a lack of jobs prompt mass emigration of illegal Mexicans from the U.S.":

The number of Mexican immigrants living illegally in the U.S. has dropped significantly for the first time in decades, showing a dramatic shift as many illegal workers are moving back to Mexico from the U.S. because there are so few job opportunities.

The new analysis comes amid renewed debate over U.S. immigration policy as the Supreme Court hears arguments this week on Arizona's tough immigration law.

Mexican immigrants make account for nearly 60 per cent of the illegal immigrant population in the U.S. and last year there were 6.1million in America. That number was down from its peak in 2007 when there were 7million confirmed in the U.S.

That drop was the biggest one in modern history, with the Pew Hispanic Center noting it was believed to only be surpassed in scale by losses in the Mexican-born U.S. population during the Great Depression.

Much of the drop in illegal immigrants is due to the persistently weak U.S. economy, which has shrunk construction and service-sector jobs attractive to Mexican workers following the housing bust.

In addition, increased deportations, heightened U.S. patrols and violence along the border also have played a role, as well as demographic changes, such as Mexico's declining birth rate.

In all, the Mexican-born population in the U.S. last year - legal and illegal - fell to 12million, marking an end to an immigration boom dating back to the 1970s. The 2007 peak was 12.6million.

Christian Ballesteros has been at a shelter for immigrants in Matamoros, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville, Texas.

He pointed to stiffer U.S. penalties for repeat immigrant offenders as well as brutal criminal groups that control the Mexican side of the border as reasons for the immigration decline.

See also the Los Angeles Times, "Report finds Mexican immigration to U.S. is at a standstill."

RELATED: At CSM, "Arizona immigration law: Mexico gets involved in US Supreme Court case."

PHOTO: "'Phoenix Rising' for SB 1070 at Arizona State Capitol."

French Far Right Challenges Both Europe and Sarkozy

At the New York Times, "French Far Right a Challenge for Europe and Sarkozy":

PARIS — To win re-election in the runoff on May 6 against the Socialist François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy will need the support of right-wing voters who have turned their backs on him, disappointed with his presidency.

But there are serious questions as to whether he can win them over, and even if he does, a strong shift to the right would make his European partners uneasy. The next two weeks of the campaign are likely to put a united Europe even more in the cross hairs, with Mr. Sarkozy calling for more protectionism and Mr. Hollande for more growth and easier money, challenging the German calls for austerity.

Already on Monday, major European leaders from Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel, to Sweden’s foreign minister, Carl Bildt, said they were disturbed by the level of support for the far right in France, and the markets are worried that the elections may disrupt efforts to solve the region’s debt and banking crisis.

Mr. Sarkozy won the presidency five years ago by attracting many supporters of the far-right National Front, but in Sunday’s first round, they deserted him, voting instead for the party’s own candidate, Marine Le Pen, who won about 18 percent of the ballots cast, a record for her party. Mr. Sarkozy won 1.6 million votes fewer than he did in the first round of 2007, when he got about 31 percent of the vote, compared with about 27 percent on Sunday.

Ms. Le Pen got twice as many votes as her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, did in 2007. She called it a fundamental change in French politics. “We have exploded the monopoly of the two parties,” she said. “Whatever might happen in the 15 days to come, the battle for France is only beginning. Nothing will ever be the same again.”

Still, France will have to choose between “the two parties” — Mr. Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Movement and Mr. Hollande’s Socialists — and which way the angry voters of France turn, from both the far left and far right, will decide the election. There are more right-leaning voters than left-leaning voters in France, but polls show that there is a significant group of right-wing voters who have apparently had enough of Mr. Sarkozy, even if the alternative is Mr. Hollande.

Ms. Le Pen and her officials called on her supporters to abstain on May 6 and instead concentrate on the legislative elections in June, and Ms. Le Pen’s father, the party’s founder, said bluntly that Mr. Sarkozy had lost.

Opinion polls are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to the National Front, since its supporters sometimes lie to pollsters about their intentions. But numerous Le Pen supporters share their leaders’ distaste for Mr. Sarkozy and the establishment of whatever stripe, and some youthful supporters of the National Front, jobless and angry about the European Union and globalization, are likely to find the social policies of Mr. Hollande more attractive than a continued dose of austerity. Despite her stands against immigration and radical Islam, Ms. Le Pen’s economic positions — including more state spending on jobs and benefits — were to the left.

Sylvain Crépon, a sociologist of extremist political movements at the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, said that Ms. Le Pen had skillfully democratized xenophobia by “tying it in republicanism,” the values of secular France. That is a Sarkozy theme as well, as he has railed against unlabeled halal meat and full-face veils. Just last week, Mr. Sarkozy joined with Berlin in calling formally for a radical restructuring of the Schengen agreement that provides for visa-free travel in Europe and proposing that governments be allowed to re-establish national borders temporarily in the face of poorly controlled immigration on Europe’s borders.

And see Der Spiegel, "Le Pen's Result 'Is a Blemish on French Democracy'."

John Edwards, Former Democrat Presidential Candidate, Goes on Trial for Accepting Illegal Campaign Contributions to Cover Up Extramarital Affair

Here's the latest report, at the Los Angeles Times, "'Sins but no crimes,' John Edwards' defense says."

But see also the earlier coverage, "John Edwards' trial set to begin on campaign finance charges":

GREENSBORO, N.C. — In a federal criminal case that has the markings of sex, money, betrayal and a handsome politician’s fall from grace, former presidential candidate John Edwards’ trial for alleged campaign finance violations opens Monday in Greensboro, N.C.

Edwards is accused of accepting more than $900,000 in illegal contributions during his 2008 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination to pay the expenses of his mistress and hide the extramarital affair that, if revealed to voters, almost certainly would have derailed his campaign and shattered his public image as a devoted family man.

The former senator from North Carolina has pleaded not guilty to six criminal counts related to campaign finance violations. If convicted of all charges, Edwards faces up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning and the much-anticipated trial is expected to last at least six weeks.

Prosecutors contend that bills paid by two Edwards benefactors, Rachel “Bunny’’ Mellon, a banking heiress from Virginia, and the late Fred Baron, a Texas lawyer, actually were unreported campaign contributions designed to cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter, a campaign videographer who gave birth to his daughter.

“The charges against John Edwards in this case flow from his knowing and willful violation of the federal campaign finance laws during his campaign for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president,’’ prosecutors said in court filings.

Justice Department prosecutors contend this is a straightforward case of broken campaign finance laws:

“A federal candidate may only accept and receive a limited amount of money from any one individual during an election cycle, and he must truthfully report the money he accepts and receives,’’ the department said a trial brief.

Edwards’ defense team contends that the payments were not political donations, but gifts from wealthy friends to help address a personal issue unrelated to the campaign. His lawyers suggest that Edwards did not know about the money from Mellon and Baron.

“The government assumes that Mr. Edwards knew about the monies; the evidence will prove otherwise,’’ his attorneys said in a court filing.

Edwards’ lawyers contend that the government's case requires the jury to accept a novel interpretation of a campaign finance law that “has never been the basis of criminal or even civil liability in the statute's history.’’

Guilty or not on the campaign finance charges, no doubt John Edwards is one of the left's biggest douchebags of recent years --- and it's a deep bench, so that's saying a lot.

Democrats Still in Denial on Entitlements Doom

Actually, I think both parties are in denial, with the exception of some free-market folks like Republican Paul Ryan.

But Democrat Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi resides truly in another world.

See the San Francisco Chronicle, "Social Security Trust Fund to Run Out Earlier Than Projected":

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said "despite the repeated efforts of Republicans to privatize Social Security and end the Medicare guarantee, these vital initiatives remain strong" and "Democrats will always ensure they are strengthened, never weakened."

Strengthened.

Right.

See Jonathan Tobin for more on that, at Commentary:

The annual reports of the trustees of these two federal programs were released this afternoon, and the verdict is just a bit darker than last year’s report. According to the figures, the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted in 2033, three full years earlier than last year’s estimate. The news about Medicare was no worse than 12 months ago but was already bad enough. It will collapse in 2024.

These alarming pieces of news ought to be greeted with dismay and resolve to deal with the entitlements problem that is leading the country to insolvency. But one end of the political spectrum believes things are just fine:

Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, said that “Despite the repeated efforts of Republicans to privatize Social Security and end the Medicare guarantee, these vital initiatives remain strong.” She argued that the trustees’ report “demonstrates that health care reform has strengthened Medicare by extending its solvency.”

This complacence would be shocking if it were not rooted in a basic tenet of liberal ideology. Despite the nonsense she uttered about the strength of the programs, Pelosi and other liberals understand that no government program no matter how financially ruinous will ever truly run out of money so long as the government retains the power to confiscate as much of the income of the public as the federal leviathan needs. The essential difference between the parties about how to deal with this problem is not so much about the existence of the problem but whether the solution should be found in the pockets of the taxpayers.

She's a genuine socialist monstrosity.

More at the link.

BONUS: At Weasel Zippers, "Pelosi: “I Wish People Would Earn More So They Can Pay More” In Taxes…"

PREVIOUSLY: "Social Security and Medicare Sliding Closer to Insolvency."

IMAGE CREDIT: The People's Cube, "Celebrate Socialism Success Story with Nancy Pelosi."

Claire Squires's Death at London Marathon

This is sad.

At Telegraph UK, "London Marathon 2012: thousands donated to charity after Claire Squires's death."

And from London's Daily Mail, "Marathon death girl was running in memory of her brother: Charity donations rocket past £200,000 for Samaritans."

She was only 30 years old. The cause of death is unknown but it's possible she had an undiagnosed heart condition.

Social Security and Medicare Sliding Closer to Insolvency

We're in the very best of hands.

No problem here, none at all.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Trustees warn of looming insolvency for Social Security, Medicare":

WASHINGTON - The nation's Social Security and Medicare programs are sliding closer to insolvency, the federal government warned Monday in a new report underscoring the fiscal challenges facing the two mammoth retirement programs as baby boomers begin to retire.

Medicare, which is expected to provide health insurance to more than 50 million elderly and disabled Americans this year, is expected to start operating in the red in its largest fund in 2024, according to the annual assessment by the trustees charged with overseeing the programs.

And the Social Security trust fund, which will provide assistance to more than 45 million people in 2012, will be unable to fulfill its obligations in 2033, three years earlier than projected last year.

“We must take steps to keep these programs whole for the future,” Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, the senior trustee, told reporters Monday.

When the Social Security and Medicare funds are exhausted, they will still be able to pay benefits because they will continue to collect tax revenue. But the deficits would probably force major cuts.

The dismal outlook was fueled in part by the sluggish economy, which has slowed growth in payroll taxes that sustain the trust funds, according to trustees, who include Cabinet secretaries and two public representatives.

More at the link.

Meanwhile, absolutely nothing will be done on entitlement reform, especially with Democrats in power. We might possibly see movement toward reform with a Romney administration and unified GOP control of Congress. And even that's longer odds than the slots at Vegas.

Obama Asserts Unitary Executive Power After Campaigning Against George W. Bush as Unconstitutional Warmonger and Torturer

Following up on Obama's political thuggery and fake "Mr. Nice Guy" image, here's this at the New York Times, "Shift on Executive Power Lets Obama Bypass Rivals" (via Memeorandum):

WASHINGTON — One Saturday last fall, President Obama interrupted a White House strategy meeting to raise an issue not on the agenda. He declared, aides recalled, that the administration needed to more aggressively use executive power to govern in the face of Congressional obstructionism.

“We had been attempting to highlight the inability of Congress to do anything,” recalled William M. Daley, who was the White House chief of staff at the time. “The president expressed frustration, saying we have got to scour everything and push the envelope in finding things we can do on our own.”

For Mr. Obama, that meeting was a turning point. As a senator and presidential candidate, he had criticized George W. Bush for flouting the role of Congress. And during his first two years in the White House, when Democrats controlled Congress, Mr. Obama largely worked through the legislative process to achieve his domestic policy goals.

But increasingly in recent months, the administration has been seeking ways to act without Congress. Branding its unilateral efforts “We Can’t Wait,” a slogan that aides said Mr. Obama coined at that strategy meeting, the White House has rolled out dozens of new policies — on creating jobs for veterans, preventing drug shortages, raising fuel economy standards, curbing domestic violence and more.

Each time, Mr. Obama has emphasized the fact that he is bypassing lawmakers. When he announced a cut in refinancing fees for federally insured mortgages last month, for example, he said: “If Congress refuses to act, I’ve said that I’ll continue to do everything in my power to act without them.”

Aides say many more such moves are coming. Not just a short-term shift in governing style and a re-election strategy, Mr. Obama’s increasingly assertive use of executive action could foreshadow pitched battles over the separation of powers in his second term, should he win and Republicans consolidate their power in Congress.

Many conservatives have denounced Mr. Obama’s new approach. But William G. Howell, a University of Chicago political science professor and author of “Power Without Persuasion: The Politics of Direct Presidential Action,” said Mr. Obama’s use of executive power to advance domestic policies that could not pass Congress was not new historically. Still, he said, because of Mr. Obama’s past as a critic of executive unilateralism, his transformation is remarkable.

More at the link.

Personally, I have no problems with the the model of strong executive power (unitary executive theory). What I'm no fan of is hypocrisy, which this president has in spades. See previously, at the Wall Street Journal, "Obama Shifts View of Executive Power" (via Google):

When he ran for president, Barack Obama promised to roll back President George W. Bush's use of executive power, a defining point of the Bush presidency. The pledge was part of a broader pitch about Mr. Obama's governing style, which he said would focus on solving problems in a pragmatic, cooperative way.

The allure of executive power, it turns out, is hard to resist. Most every chief executive has found ways to escape the shackles of the legislature and expand the power of the presidency. Three years into his first term, Mr. Obama has developed his own expansive view of going it alone, asserting new executive powers and challenging members of Congress in both parties.

F-king power-hungry hypocritical presidential thug. What a loser.

Rick Moran has more, at American Thinker, "New York Times Legitimizes Obama Power Grabs."

Sen. Joe Lieberman on 'Fox News Sunday': Obama 'Should Be Held Accountable'

Lieberman indicates that the Secret Service agents "were acting like a bunch of college students away on spring weekend." And toward the end of the clip, "the buck stops at the president's desk ... he's the leader of our government and he now has to be acting with a kind of a relentless determination to find out exactly what happened."

Right, just like with the Fast and Furious scandal.

See the Los Angeles Times, "Lieberman to call hearings on Secret Service sex scandal."

Plus, at the Wall Street Journal, "Obama Later Stayed at Same Hotel as Accused Secret Service Agent."

And more, "Who's Who in the Secret Service Scandal" (via Memeorandum).

Surprise: Small Grocery Stores Gouging Poor Customers on WIC Program

Here's another installment in the welfare reform series.

See the New York Times, "WIC Caps California Reimbursements After Stores Raise Food Prices":

At Rancho Grande Supermarket in San Pablo, a package of 18 corn tortillas recently cost $7.80.

Taxpayers footed the bill for the pricy tortillas, which were bought in early April with a government voucher from the California Women, Infants and Children program, a federally financed nutrition program that is administered by the state.

Despite its name, Rancho Grande Supermarket is a small grocery store located in a strip mall on San Pablo Avenue. Less than a mile away at FoodMaxx, a megastore where WIC vouchers are also accepted, the same tortillas are sold for $1.44.

The California WIC program, which provides staple foods like milk, dried beans and peanut butter to 1.48 million low-income Californians, is the largest in the country. But it is being hit hard by runaway food costs, driven by high prices at small stores, costing the program tens of millions of dollars a year. Under pressure from the United States Department of Agriculture, which oversees the program, California is scrambling to bring food costs down.

“No one should be using these programs to reap obscene profits off of the backs of mothers and young children,” said the Rev. Douglas Greenaway, president and chief executive of the National WIC Association, a nonprofit group.

In recent years, California WIC has seen a flood of small stores seeking to join the program, and it has welcomed many of them. Those stores, some of which have been increasing their prices and aggressively marketing to WIC shoppers, can receive higher reimbursements from California WIC than bigger stores do.

In February 2012, California stores with just one or two cash registers were reimbursed for WIC foods at prices that were 50 percent higher than prices paid to other vendors for comparable foods, according to the U.S.D.A. That is twice as high as the difference in prices paid to stores with one or two registers in fiscal year 2008-9.

While prices are going up in small stores, more WIC vouchers are being redeemed at them. Between October 2009 and September 2011, food costs to the WIC programs in other Western states went down a combined average of more than 7 percent. In California’s WIC program, they increased more than 4 percent.

“When food costs go up, it reduces the pool of food resources available to serve mothers and young children,” said Mr. Greenaway. The California WIC program currently spends about $94 million a month on food, according to the California Department of Public Health.

It is not the first time the program has struggled to contain escalating costs. In 2004, the proliferation of so-called WIC-only stores, catering to WIC shoppers, inspired Congress to impose new regulations on those stores, which curbed the problem.

While there's no excuse for gouging by these grocers, the more fundamental problem is the system of vouchers itself. Providing food aid by voucher is designed to make sure that families obtain needed food support. WIC administrators can't give cash to recipients --- because they could spend the money on alcohol, drugs, or anything else --- but they could distribute generic debit cards that don't identify the families as WIC recipients. Here's another program in which bureaucratic control can't get things just right.

Barack Obama Is Not a Nice Guy: Time for Straight Talk on Obama's Thuggery and Partisan Brutality

At Michelle's, "No More 'Mr. Obama Is a Nice Guy'."

And here's this from the video transcript, "Michelle Malkin on Fire on 'Hannity'":

MALKIN: The thing that has changed phenomenally between 2008 and 2012 is that we don't have to rely on Barack and Michelle Obama and their Alinsky- ites story-tellers in the mainstream media and all of their operatives to set the tone and the storyline for this election. That is what underscores all of the victory that we've seen over the last four years on the right. Conservatives online are not accepting these fables that have been shoved down our throat, the idea that Obama has brought us out of the light when he's plunged us deeper into the sinkhole of debt.

Somehow Obama has opened up Washington, D.C. to make it as transparent and open as possible when they've done all of these deals and subverted the rule of law behind closed doors. That somehow Obama is more likeable than any Republican and he is a nice guy -- I hate hearing this from Mitt Romney. He's got to get this talking point out of his mouth. Barack Obama is not a nice guy. He has dealed brutally with the right, with people like Paul Ryan and brave Republicans who have been calling him to the carpet on all of the disgusting culture of corruption that has rained and that is the darkness that we have to get out of in November.

Free Market America: 'If I Wanted America to Fail'

Lots of folks are tweeting this clip, also via Daley Gator and Ed Driscoll:

And check out the website for Free Market America.

Socialist Francois Hollande Beats Nicolas Sarkozy in French Presidential Election First Round

At The Economist, "Round one to Hollande."

And at Telegraph UK, "Francois Hollande 'beats Nicolas Sarkozy' in presidential election first round":

Francois Hollande beat right-wing incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in France's first round of the presidential race, according to early estimates from several polling institutes.

Both candidates qualified for the second round on May 6, with Mr Hollande taking 28 to 29 per cent of the vote and Mr Sarkozy 25 to 26, according to unofficial estimates from multiple sources.

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen came third with between 17 and 20 pe rcent, beating far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon, who scored between 10.5 and 13 per cent, according to the estimates.

More at Astute Bloggers, "AU REVOIR, SARKOZY! AND AU REVOIR FRANCE!"

Is Mitt Romney Really Trying to Get Conservatives in His Corner?

Here's the report yesterday from the front-page at the Los Angeles Times, "Mitt Romney trying to get conservatives in his corner."

It's a strange article, especially as it completely misses the partisan battles of the last couple weeks. The Hilary Rosen/Ann Romney story alone indicates that conservatives are more than ready to back Romney in the general election against Obama. Yeah, they may need nose plugs, but I expect conservatives will rally around Romney in the cause of defeating the greater foe:

That graphic is from The Monkey Cage, which draws from Gallup, "Romney, Obama in Tight Race as Gallup Daily Tracking Begins."

Conservatives are not necessarily Republicans, but as those on the right are more likely to identify with the GOP come November, perhaps the Times is overestimating the likely headwinds for Romney in unifying the base.

More on that later...

France Entered the 21st Century Walking Backward

A fascinating essay, from Olivier Guez, at the New York Times, "Voting for Yesterday in France":

France in 2012 is an old nation that increasingly cultivates the temptation to be an island unto itself.

So many examples from these last few years come to mind: magazine covers devoted to President Nicolas Sarkozy almost every week; the Jan. 7 issue of Le Figaro, naming Joan of Arc Woman of the Year. An issue of Le Figaro Magazine devoted to a portrait of the French people declared: “France is noble in essence, the mother of liberty, the rights of man, letters, arts, and sciences.”

Transfuge, a Parisian literary magazine, offered a harsh assessment this month: French literature, obsessed with the past, is entering the 21st century walking backward. Indeed, the French don’t like the 21st century, and would gladly give it back. Their desire has its roots in a confluence of failures (the defeat in 1940 and the loss of their colonial empire) and the rejection, by other European nations, of building a Europe à la française — France on a bigger scale. France has become a middling power, with a mass culture and a society of consumption like everyone else. Gaullism and Communism kept up the illusion that a great history, a great destiny were still France’s to be had. It didn’t pan out that way. So as the world heeds France less, the French long to shut themselves off from it, to turn toward olden days and protect themselves.

More at that top link.

And previously, "French President Nicolas Sarkozy Predicted to Lose Reelection to Socialist Francois Hollande."

Arizona's SB 1070 Headed to Supreme Court

At the Los Angeles Times, "Showdown on Arizona immigration law goes to Supreme Court":

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court and the Obama administration are set for another politically charged clash Wednesday as the justices take up Arizona's tough crackdown on illegal immigrants.

It will be a rematch of the attorneys who argued the healthcare case a month ago, and another chapter in the partisan philosophical struggle over states' rights and the role of the federal government.

And once again, President Obama's lawyers are likely to face skeptical questions from the high court. Last year, the court's five more-conservative justices rebuffed the administration and upheld an earlier Arizona immigration law that targeted employers who hired illegal workers.

To prevail this year, the administration must convince at least one of the five to switch sides and rule that the state is going too far and interfering with the federal government's control over immigration policy.

The election-year legal battle goes to the heart of the dispute between Republicans and Democrats over what to do about the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country.

Arizona and five other Republican-led states seek a stepped-up effort to arrest and deport illegal immigrants. They say the federal system is broken and fault Obama for what they consider a "relaxed" enforcement policy.

If cleared by the courts, Arizona would tell its police to check the immigration status of people they lawfully stop and suspect of being in the country illegally. If they were unable to show a driver's license or other "proof of legal presence," they would be arrested and held for federal immigration agents. Arizona also would make it a crime to lack immigration papers or for illegal immigrants to seek work.

FLASHBACK: "'Phoenix Rising' for SB 1070 at Arizona State Capitol."

How Psychedelic Drugs Can Help Patients Face Death

This is interesting, at the New York Times.

Obama Justice Department Referring Fast and Furious Inquiries to Media Matter for America

Okay, an update on Katie Pavlich and Obama's bloodiest scandal.

I saw this breaking on Twitter the other day, and thought it mostly just interesting. I checked the purported Media Matters "debunking" of Pavich's book, which wasn't all that impressive.

My thinking was that Pavlich's book needs a scholarly review in confirming the claims made there, and of course Media Matters is the least credible outlet to be doing any debunking in the first place.

But now here comes this fascinating piece at Big Government, "Vast Left Wing Conspiracy: DOJ Refers Reporter to Media Matters, Source Claims" (via Memeorandum). Especially interesting is the update at the post:

UPDATE : Deparment of Justice PR Katie Dixon also worked for the Democratic National Committee and Organizing For America, according to her LinkedIn profile. [Editor's note: following the publication of this article, the Past Employers section of Dixon's LinkedIn profile has been made private.]

Read the whole thing.

God, these people are f-king criminals. Seriously, it's f-king insane. People are getting killed by these idiots.

See also, "THE THIRD GUN: NEW BOOK CLAIMS FBI COVER UP OF THIRD GUN IN MURDER OF BORDER PATROL AGENT."

Why Holocaust Remembrance Is NOT Enough

I meant to post on Holocaust Remembrance Day earlier this week but didn't have the chance.

So, check out the post at Blazing Cat Fur.

Also, an outstanding entry at Pamela's, "Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance Day."

Smokin' Claudia Schiffer Gets Hot in Guess 30th Anniversary Photo Shoot

Hey, Neo-Neocon does some Rule 5!

See: "Stop the presses! Geriatric Claudia Schiffer still looks pretty darn good."

Also at London's Daily Mail, "How DOES she do it? Claudia Schiffer has barely aged a day as she poses for Guess 23 years after she first modelled for brand."

'The Mountain'

Via Theo Spark:

Democrats Increasingly Abandon Obama on Health Care and Keystone

At IBD, "Democrats Are Jumping Ship" (via Randy's Roundtable.)

RELATED: From Glenn Reynolds, "HYPOCRISY AMONG THE 1%: Elizabeth Warren chose not to pay a voluntary higher tax rate, which is an official option in Massachusetts."

Nancy Pelosi Wants Constitutional Amendment to Crush Conservative Speech

Mind-boggling.

Responding to the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United, Minority Leader Pelosi said:

“We have a clear agenda in this regard: Disclose, reform the system reducing the role of money in campaigns, and amend the Constitution to rid it of this ability for special interests to use secret, unlimited, huge amounts of money flowing to campaigns.”

Via CNS News and Linkmaster Smith:

BONUS: At Protein Wisdom, "When Nancy Pelosi Speaks…", and "Follow-up to Nancy Pelosi’s First Amendment Amendment announcement."

Senator Orrin Hatch to Face First GOP Primary Election in Decades

The main story's at the Salt Lake Tribune, but see Michelle, "Tea Party roars: Six-term incumbent Sen. Orrin Hatch forced into primary" (via Memeorandum):

Well, if you’ve been reading this blog and my column, the outcome of today’s Utah GOP convention will not be a surprise.

Despite amassing a giant, $6 million campaign war chest and calling in every last chit with Republican friends and cronies, 77-year-old GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch will now face upstart conservative entrepreneur and renowned state pension reformer Dan Liljenquist (with campaign coffers of about $200,000) in a primary contest. He fell short of the 60 percent needed to avoid the primary race.

Well, I guess those "radical libertarians" don't take well to threats.

Like Total Bummer, Dude: Obama Blows Off the Wiz Khalifi Constituency With U-Turn on Marijuana Legalization

Things aren't looking so great for the pro-pot movement, something I've been writing about here periodically.

No big deal. At least this gives me another chance to post the Wiz/Snoop Dogg video, which single-handedly exposes the abject scam of the legalization fraud.

See William Teach at Right Wing News, "Sorry, Stoners, Looks Like Obama’s Not On Your Side For Marijuana Legalization."

'God's Best Moment'

From Joel Kotkin, at the Wall Street Journal, "The Great California Exodus":

'California is God's best moment," says Joel Kotkin. "It's the best place in the world to live." Or at least it used to be.

Mr. Kotkin, one of the nation's premier demographers, left his native New York City in 1971 to enroll at the University of California, Berkeley. The state was a far-out paradise for hipsters who had grown up listening to the Mamas & the Papas' iconic "California Dreamin'" and the Beach Boys' "California Girls." But it also attracted young, ambitious people "who had a lot of dreams, wanted to build big companies." Think Intel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard.

Now, however, the Golden State's fastest-growing entity is government and its biggest product is red tape. The first thing that comes to many American minds when you mention California isn't Hollywood or tanned girls on a beach, but Greece. Many progressives in California take that as a compliment since Greeks are ostensibly happier. But as Mr. Kotkin notes, Californians are increasingly pursuing happiness elsewhere.

Nearly four million more people have left the Golden State in the last two decades than have come from other states. This is a sharp reversal from the 1980s, when 100,000 more Americans were settling in California each year than were leaving. According to Mr. Kotkin, most of those leaving are between the ages of 5 and 14 or 34 to 45. In other words, young families.

Continue reading.

And be sure to see Kotkin's earlier essay, "The Golden State Is Crumbling."

Big Old Saturday Rule 5

Well, I haven't done a roundup in a while, so what the heck?

Starting things off is Bob Belvedere: "Rule 5 News: 20 April 2012 A.D."

And an encore for Kim Novak, at The Last Tradition, "Kim Novak Rule #5 Sunday."

Our lovely brunette here is courtesy of Theo Spark:

Plus, a huge roundup at Daley Gator, "DaleyGator DaleyBabe Joelle Kayembe takes us on a Rule 5 tour! Updated throughout the weekend."

And an earlier entry at Maggie's Notebook, "Rule 5 Saturday Night: Kelly Brook." Also at American Perspective, "Irina Shayk - a little mid-week Rule 5."

Plus, at Randy's Roundtable, "Thursday Nite Tart: Lily Aldridge."

Also at Pirate's Cove, "If All You See…is an evil dog which causes the seas to rise, you might just be a Warmist."

Teresamerica bring us "Heidi Klum." And from Jake Finnegan, "Burkalesque Babes: Ke$ha."

And at Reaganite, "Oy Vey! 'Miss Israel 2011' is the Utterly Georgeous Kim Edri."

Wirecutter posts some "Beachside Bikini Babes." And Jamie Jeffords has Anne Hathaway.

Guns and Bikinis has some "Friday Rule 5 Models." And from A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, "The Friday Pin UP."

Plus, from Woodsterman, "When Did The Bikini Become an Accessory ~OR~ Rule 5 Woodsterman Style."

BONUS: Proof Positive has your weekend linkage: "Saturday Linkaround."

And be sure to drop your links in the comments for the updates.

The Obama Campaign's Reelection Death Rattle

It's not yet Mitt Romney's election to lose, but if President Obama ends up squeaking out a victory in November it won't be for having run on his record. Presidential campaigns are always polarized, but 10 will get you 20 on the early predictions that this will be the most negative campaign ever.

So with that, here's a Saturday morning roundup on election news:

At AoSHQ: "Gallup: President Obama on the Brink, Polls WORSE THAN CARTER." And at U.S News, "The Obama Campaign Should Be Hitting the Panic Button."

And this is amazing, at the New York Times, "Obama Sees Steep Dropoff in Cash From Major Donors" (via Astute Bloggers and Memeorandum).

EXTRA: Glenn Reynolds posts on Obama's improving numbers in Ohio: "Energy Jobs a Driving Force in Ohio Economic Recovery":

With new domestic oil and gas production being one of the few bright spots in the otherwise lousy Obama economy, it’s ironic that Dick Cheney’s legacy may be helping Obama get re-elected.

IMAGE CREDIT: The People's Cube, "Obama’s Necessarily Sky Rocket Gasoline."

More later...

Wolf Blitzer Interviews Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta

The full interview transcripts are available here: "Blitzer interviews Secretaries Clinton and Panetta."

The discussion of Syria policy is especially problematic --- the Democrats are deferring leadership to the international community. The presidential campaign could focus on this, and Romney has a chance to show a stark divergence in how Republican foreign policy can restore U.S. leadership and promote both increased security and more robust humanitarianism. Secretary Panetta especially sounds like he's overwhelmed.

'Check This Out, Bodyguard - You're Fired': Sarah Palin Speaks Out on Secret Service Prostitution Scandal (VIDEO)

At Fox News, "Palin to Secret Service agent: 'Check this out - you're fired ... the buck stops with the president'" (via Memeorandum):

Well, this agent who was kind of ridiculous there in posting pictures and comments about checking someone out. Well, check this out, bodyguard. You're fired. And I hope his wife kicks his ocoli and sends him to the doghouse, as long as he's not eating the dog, along with his former boss.

Greta, you know, a lot of people will just, I guess, say that this is boys being boys. And boys will be boys, but they shouldn't be in positions of authority. And yes, I think it's pretty embarrassing....

 It's a symptom of government run amok, though, Greta. And it's, like, you know, who's minding the store around here? And when it comes to this particular issue of Secret Service, again, playing with the taxpayer's dime and playing with prostitutes and checking out those whom they are guarding.

You know, the president, for one, he better be wary there of -- when Secret Service is accompanying his family on vacation. They may be checking out the first lady instead of guarding her.

And I say that not just tongue in cheek, but I say that seriously, that the president, the CEO of this operation called our federal government has got to start cracking down on these agencies! He is the head of the administrative branch and all these different departments in the administration that now people are seeing things that are so amiss within these departments.

The buck stops with the president. And he's really got to start cracking down and seeing some heads roll. You know, he's got to get rid of these people at the head of these agencies where so many things, obviously, are amiss.

More at Memeorandum.

Plus, at London's Daily Mail, "'I was really checking her out': Married Secret Service agent who quit over Colombia sex scandal joked about Sarah Palin on his Facebook page (and posted this picture to prove it)," and "First Pictures of the woman who shamed the Secret Service: 'Colombian hooker' who shook the White House after Obama's agent wouldn't pay for sex."

Barack Obama's Polygamist Roots

Well, here's another instance of messaging fail from the bright lights of the Democrat Party Obama cult.

From Ben Jacobs at The Daily Beast, "Montana Gov. Democrat Brian Schweitzer: Mitt Romney's ‘Family Came From a Polygamy Commune in Mexico’." (Via Memeorandum.)

Wow! Mitt Romney's really a freak!

Oh wait. Obama's family was an African polygamist commune, according to David Maraniss:

The line of polygamists in Obama’s family can be traced back generations in western Kenya, where it was an accepted practice within the Luo (pronounced LOO-oh) tribe. His great-grandfather, Obama Opiyo, had five wives, including two who were sisters. His grandfather, Hussein Onyango, had at least four wives, one of whom, Akumu, gave birth to the president’s father, Barack Obama, before fleeing her abusive husband. Obama Sr. was already married when he left Kenya to study at the University of Hawaii, where he married again. His American wife-to-be, Stanley Ann Dunham, was not yet 18 and unaware of his marital situation when she became pregnant with his namesake son in 1961.

So, Barack Obama, Sr., was a polygamist. Now that doesn't fit the left's Romney outsider meme too well, now does it? In fact, that Schweitzer dude just scored a ridiculous own-goal.

Also at Gateway Pundit, "Oops! Dem Governor Bashes Romney for Polygamist Roots – Forgets About Obama’s Polygamist DAD." (Via Memeorandum.)

BONUS: At The Other McCain, "Drip, Drip, Drip: ‘Mormon Mitt’ Meme Keeps Popping Up in Mainstream Media."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy Predicted to Lose Reelection to Socialist Francois Hollande

The Astute Bloggers has been reporting on the French election, scheduled for Sunday, "HOLLANDE MAY DEFEAT SARKOZY AND TAKE DOWN THE FRENCH ECONOMY."

And see the New York Times, "With Vote Days Away, Outlook for Sarkozy Dims," and the Wall Street Journal, "Sarkozy in Hot Seat as Election Nears" (via Google):

PARIS — After a sometimes testy campaign that laid bare the poor state of France's public finances and the ugly choices facing its next president, voters on Sunday will start the process of choosing who that person will be—with incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy on the ropes.

The 57-year-old center-right president has been trailing Socialist Party candidate François Hollande for months, despite some gains in popularity after a string of shootings in Toulouse last month that terrorized France. If he loses, Mr. Sarkozy would be the 11th euro-zone leader swept away since the sovereign-debt crisis began.

A victory for Mr. Hollande, meanwhile, could portend strains with Germany and might rattle financial markets.

Mr. Sarkozy has been campaigning fiercely in the election's final days, toughening his rhetoric as he promises to cut immigration and overhaul unemployment benefits.

Mr. Hollande has largely stuck to his lower-key approach, though he has spoken of raising France's minimum wage in a bid to tip voters on Sunday.

Though both men are polling roughly even in the first round, surveys show Mr. Hollande potentially securing a landslide victory in the second round.

The backdrop for Mr. Sarkozy's struggles has been the ever-deepening euro crisis, which has left deep scars in the French economy. Unemployment is at a 13-year high of nearly 10% and public debt is nearly 90% of the country's annual output, up from 64% when Mr. Sarkozy took office in 2007.

The deterioration of France's public finances led U.S. ratings firm Standard & Poor's to strip the country of its triple-A rating in January. Many indicators point to a progressive loss of competitiveness by the French economy. The trade balance, which showed a surplus until 2001, booked its largest annual deficit last year, with the gap between what the country exports and imports hitting €70.4 billion ($92.4 billion).

The gloomy picture has enforced a certain austerity compared to the expansive campaign promises of past elections. Both candidates have pledged, without many specifics, to trim the country's budget deficit to avoid stoking the euro-zone sovereign-debt crisis. And both have vowed to seek outside help from the European Central Bank as growth-stimulating measures run short—something Germany is likely to resist.

"Mr. Sarkozy knows there's no room for more spending, and Mr. Hollande has put the little money available on a few highly symbolic proposals," says Gérard Grunberg, a professor at Sciences Po University in Paris.

Mr. Sarkozy is also suffering from the French public's deep fatigue with his hyperkinetic ways, despite his efforts to convince voters he is no longer the "bling-bling" president they elected in 2007. "I've changed," Mr. Sarkozy said in a recent interview with French magazine Paris Match.

And see Toronto's Globe and Mail, "French polls show socialist Hollande pulling away from Sarkozy."

BONUS: One more from The Astute Bloggers, "FRANCOISE HOLLANDE MAY BECOME THE FIRST MUSLIM ELECTED PRESIDENT OF A EUROPEAN NATION --- SO TO SPEAK. IOW: HE MIGHT AS WELL BE --- ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE EURO-LEFT."

George Zimmerman Apologizes to Trayvon Martin's Parents, Will Be Released on Bail

CNN reports, "Zimmerman 'sorry' for loss of Martins' son; bond set at $150,000." (Via Memeorandum.)

And see JustOneMinute, "ABC Has New Photo of Bloodied Zimmerman." (Via Memeorandum.)

U.S. Economic Recovery Dims Amid Weaker Employment Outlook and Sluggish Home Sales

The Wall Street Journal reports, "Economic Reports Fan Fears" (via Google):

Rising layoffs, falling home sales and slowing manufacturing activity are sparking fears that the economic recovery is headed for a springtime stall for the third year in a row.

New data Thursday provided fresh evidence that the job market is losing the momentum it built earlier this year, which could pressure fragile housing markets that have been showing signs of life. Separate reports this week suggested that the factory sector, a source of strength in the recovery, now is being hurt by weak growth overseas.

However, recent signals have been mixed, with worrisome indicators following positive ones—such as consumer confidence and auto sales—that suggest the recovery remains on track. Economists generally believe total economic output in the first three months of the year grew at a rate a bit above 2%—slower than at the end of 2011 but significantly stronger than the same period a year ago.

"It's been the weakest recovery in the post-World War II period, and that hasn't changed," said David Rosenberg, chief economist for investment firm Gluskin Sheff.

New claims for unemployment benefits ticked down last week to 386,000 from 388,000 the week before, the Labor Department said Thursday. But those figures have been repeatedly raised in recent weeks, suggesting that the final number could be higher—and well above the 361,000 notched in mid-February. The less-volatile four-week average rose for the fifth time in seven weeks, a sign that layoffs are increasing again after approaching a four-year low earlier this year.

Economists cautioned that a range of factors, from a historically warm winter to an early Easter, have muddied the weekly figures and made it difficult to identify clear trends.

Nonetheless, the recent figures, combined with an unexpectedly weak March jobs report, suggest the job market is cooling. "It adds to concern about backsliding in job creation after faster employment gains earlier in the year," Credit Suisse economist Jonathan Basile wrote in a note to clients.

The New York Times also reports, "Rising Fears That Recovery May Once More Be Faltering" (via Memeorandum).

Recall that Obama's most vulnerable on the economy, so watch for more left-wing political diversions in the weeks ahead.

PREVIOUSLY: "New York Times/CBS News Poll Shows Doubts on Economy Helping Romney."

Lamestream Media, Team Obama Not Keen on Obama Dog Eating Story

Glenn Reynolds has been having a blast with the Obama dog-eater story.

The big newspapers are ignoring it, but CBS has this, "GOP hits Obama for eating dog as a child."

And the White House has no comment: "Question for Jay Carney: Does Obama know that people are talking about him eating dogs?"

And here's your double-standard: "'Dogs Against Romney' Defends Obama Over Dog Consumption Revelations."

IMAGE CREDIT: "Dogs Against Obama."

BONUS: From Spengler, "Dog-Eating and Obama’s Identity."

'Up on Cripple Creek'

This is a memorial video for Levon Helm.

See the obituary at the New York Times, "Levon Helm, Drummer and Rough-Throated Singer for the Band, Is Dead at 71."

Team Obama Keeps Trying to Change the Subject — to 'Fairness', a 'War on Women', Even Romney's Dog Seamus

Ed Morrissey has more on the new Mitt Romney ad, "New Romney ad: What you won’t hear at the Democratic convention."

And following the links, at The Hill, "Voters prefer Mitt Romney on economic issues but Obama leads in likability":

:

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, is confident that the economy will produce the winner, not perceptions of likability.

“Everybody cites ‘I like Ike,’ but that’s not why Eisenhower won,” he notes. “Does anybody think Nixon was more likable than Hubert Humphrey? Does anybody think Jimmy Carter was a better drinking buddy than Gerald Ford?”

Personal attributes, he argues, only become critical when the economy isn’t the major issue, but 2012 looks very much like an economy year.

“If people believe things are getting better and the next four years will be more prosperous than the last four, then Obama will be reelected. But if the storm clouds start gathering again, voters will switch horses — even a horse that will never be ‘My Friend Flicka.’ ”

PREVIOUSLY: "New York Times/CBS News Poll Shows Doubts on Economy Helping Romney."

Bar Refaeli Gets Felt Up by Pervy 'Lesbian' Airport Security Guard

Well, I hardly needed an excuse to post on this...

At London's Daily Mail, "'It left me no doubt about her sexual preference': Bar Refaeli felt violated after airport pat down by female security guard." And TMZ, "BAR REFAELI UNLOADS on Handsy Airport Screener - You MUST Be a Lesbian."

More at The Other McCain, "What I Needed Today …"

And from King Shamus, "Security Getting a Little Too Friendly With Bar Refaeli."

PREVIOUSLY: "Bar Refaeli Smokin' Hot Bikini Photo-Shoot for Agua Bendita Swimwear."

BONUS: At the Wall Street Journal, "Why Airport Security Is Broken — And How To Fix It."

India Launches Long-Range Missile Capable of Reaching China

Well, so much for nuclear non-proliferation during the Obama administration.

At the Wall Street Journal, "India Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile":

India tested its most advanced long-range nuclear-capable missile to date on Thursday, a launch experts say will serve as a deterrent against Pakistan and China.

Agni V, an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, was launched from Wheeler Island, off the coast of the eastern state of Orissa, said Sitanshu Kar, a spokesman for India's defense ministry.

"It was a perfect launch which took place at 0807 hours," said Mr. Kar. "It has achieved all the parameters and goals set for it." He didn't elaborate, but Indian media is saying it reached its intended target 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) out in the Indian Ocean, and was visually tracked along its whole path.

Avinash Chander, chief controller (Missiles and Strategic Systems) of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Research and Development Organisation, described the launch as a "marvelous achievement" in an interview on news channel NDTV. "We achieved exactly what we wanted to achieve." He said the team has "full confidence in the missile capability" and the missile landed "exactly where it was supposed to land. "

The launch of the locally built Agni V is part of India's broader missile-development program, a key aspect of the country's nuclear strategy. Its range of over 5,000 kilometers means it could reach as far as Beijing, Tehran or Pyongyang.

Experts say this makes it the most advanced missile in India's missile inventory. But though a successful test fire is a positive sign, it could take a few more years of tests to make the ballistic missile operationally ready.

Poornima Subramaniam, an Asia-Pacific armed-forces analyst with IHS Jane's, a global think tank specializing in security issues, said by email that Agni V would boost India's strategic position against China while improving its deterrence system against its other regional rival, Pakistan.

"The Agni V can strike targets across the depth of China, potentially freeing up other short- and intermediate-range missiles for use against Pakistan and much of west and south-central China," she added. "While India maintains a no-first-use policy, it views this road-mobile ICBM capability as technologically narrowing the missile gap between India and China."

New York Times/CBS News Poll Shows Doubts on Economy Helping Romney

At the New York Times, "Doubts on Economy May Give Romney Opening, Poll Finds":

A rising number of Americans see improvement in the economy, but a persistent wariness about their own financial circumstances is allowing Mitt Romney to persuade voters that he could improve their economic prospects more than President Obama, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Even as the nation rebounds from the recession, its lingering effects are reflected in the adversities facing families. Nearly two-thirds of people are concerned about paying for their housing, the poll found, and one in five people with mortgages say they are underwater. Four in 10 parents say they have had to alter expectations for the type of college they can afford to send their children. More than one-third of respondents said high gas prices had created serious financial hardships.

The general election match between Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney is opening with evidence that economic conditions are providing ammunition for both candidates. For Mr. Obama, there is a gradually growing perception that the general outlook is turning brighter, and for Mr. Romney, there are those individuals who are still not feeling substantial improvement in their own lives.

The poll found that the two men are locked in a tight race, with each gathering 46 percent of the support. Nearly an equal number of voters say they are as confident in Mr. Romney’s ability to make the right decisions on the economy and to be commander-in-chief as express confidence in Mr. Obama.

With less than seven months before Election Day, a furious scramble is under way by Democrats to define their opponent. Mr. Romney’s bruises in the Republican primary fight are evident — only 29 percent of voters have a favorable view of him — but more than one-third say they have yet to form an opinion, creating a chance for him to introduce himself as a fix-it man who can improve the personal economic circumstances of Americans.

“We need a president who has a business background, and Mitt Romney’s business background is tremendous,” Michael Larson, 55, a salesman and independent voter from Minneapolis, said Wednesday in a follow-up interview. “He has a vision that will bring the country back to economic strength.”

Continue reading.

The opening for Obama is to play the class warfare card, as "A majority of voters say upper-income Americans pay less than their fair share of taxes, while half say capital gains and dividends should be taxed at the same rate as income from work — a disparity highlighted by Mr. Romney’s own effective tax rate of about 15 percent." But then again, not so fast, "Americans are showing gradual signs of optimism: 33 percent say the economy is getting better now, compared with 14 percent who said the same last October. But only 27 percent of voters said Mr. Obama had changed the country for the better, compared with 20 percent who said he had changed it for the worse and 47 percent who said he had not changed it at all."

Either way, it's going to an extremely close election, and perhaps one of the nastiest in history.

Obama Ate Dog Meat as a Boy

In normal times, this wouldn't be a big deal. But I'm glad it is at this point, since it's now considered a disqualification for high office that the Romneys put their dog on the roof of the car during vacation, or something.

Let it rip, I say...

See James Taranto, "Bam Bites Dog: The Political Perils of Personal Attacks" (via Memeorandum).

And see Jim Treacher's post at The Daily Caller. It turns out Obama adviser David Axelrod may end up regretting this tweet.

U.S. Troops Posed With Bodies of Suicide Bombers in Afghanistan

At this morning's Los Angeles Times, "U.S. troops posed with body parts of Afghan bombers" (at Memeorandum):

The photos have emerged at a particularly sensitive moment for U.S.-Afghan relations. In January, a video appeared on the Internet showing four U.S. Marines urinating on Afghan corpses. In February, the inadvertent burning of copies of the Koran at a U.S. base triggered riots that left 30 dead and led to the deaths of six Americans. In March, a U.S. Army sergeant went on a nighttime shooting rampage in two Afghan villages, killing 17.

And differing opinions, at Jawa Report, "Sandcrawler PSA: Don't Try Suicide Bombing," and Jihad Watch, "U.S. condemns photos of soldiers posing with body parts of Afghan jihadists."

Ted Nugent on The Dana Show

Dana Loesch has an interview:

And check all the batsh*t reactions at Memeorandum.

PREVIOUSLY: "'Stranglehold'." (Linked at The Other McCain, "LIVE AT FIVE – 04.18.12."

Sweden's Minister of Culture Participates in Racist Black Cake Cutting Said to Depict Genital Mutilation in Africa

This reminds me of racist Tom Boggiani of Firedoglake.

Progs think racism is just hilarious.

Glenn Reynolds has the story: "OH, GOOD GRIEF: Swedish minister denies claims of racism over black woman cake stunt."

The cake was designed to simulate female genital mutilation --- and the artist screams as guests cut into the cake.

Only on the left, seriously. View it here.

And at London's Daily Mail, "'A tasteless, racist spectacle': Swedish minister in race row after being pictured cutting cake designed like naked, black, African tribal woman."

'Stranglehold'

The progs are going batsh*t crazy over Ted Nugent's remarks on President Obama and the Democrats: "We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November..." (at CNN and Memeorandum).

It'll be interesting to see if this faux controversy has as much staying power as Hilary Rosen's attack on Ann Romney. And should Mitt renounce Nugent's endorsement? Who knows? But in this era of prickly partisanship and progressives' suppression of speech (stranglehold), I'm not going to be surprised if he does.

Democrat Bob Beckel Drops F-Bomb on Live TV, Attacks Tea Party Activist Jennifer Stefano: 'You Don't Know What the F—k You're Talking About'

The dude's the biggest asshole, seriously.

At Pamela's, "VIDEO: Bob Beckel Abuses Female Guest, “You Don't Know What the F*ck You're Talking About!,” Refuses to Apologize..."

Beckel was Walter Mondale's campaign manager in the 1984 presidential race.

Stay classy progs.

BONUS: Check out this comment thread at No More Mr. Nice Blog. Freakin' progs are actually threatening me for calling out their bullsh-t "chicken hawk" meme --- and Steve M. loves hims some anti-Ann Romney misogyny!

The Rise and Fall of Japanese Industrial Power

With all the predictions of American decline this last few years, it's almost amazing to see this article, at the New York Times, "Declining as a Manufacturer, Japan Weighs Reinvention":

AMAGASAKI, Japan — A few years ago, the densely built-up coastal region around this port was called Panel Bay because of its concentration of factories making the sophisticated flat-panel screens that were symbols of Japan’s manufacturing prowess. But now the area has become a grim symbol of its industrial decline.

In recent months, many of those plants have been closed or partially sold off, as the once seemingly invincible electronics industry has lost out to Chinese and South Korean challengers. Panasonic alone shut down two of its three factories here in March while Sharp, desperate to cover losses from its $10 billion flat-panel plant in nearby Sakai, accepted a bailout from a Taiwanese technology company — a stunning reversal in a nation that once prided itself on being Asia’s economic leader.

The demise of Panel Bay is the latest sign of what many Japanese fear is the hollowing out of their heavily industrialized economy, which has been in a gradual but relentless decline since the bursting of its twin real estate and stock bubbles in the early 1990s. The decline is largely a result of growing competition from Asian rivals, an aging work force and merciless gains by the yen. But many officials and business leaders now fear that this trend has accelerated since last year’s nuclear accident in Fukushima, which has raised the prospect of higher energy prices and even power failures.

“We already had a sense of crisis about the loss of manufacturing and manufacturing jobs,” said Tetsuya Tanaka, a director of manufacturing promotion at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, or METI. “Now we are afraid the concerns about electricity could give manufacturers the excuse they need to move offshore.”

The increased price pressures have wounded many of Japan’s corporate giants. Last week, Sony — the Apple-like innovator of the 1980s — forecast a $6.4 billion loss amid reports it may cut 10,000 workers, a drastic step in a nation where layoffs are still seen as socially unacceptable. Even Japanese carmakers like Toyota, which last year handed back the title of world’s largest auto company to General Motors after the supply disruptions from the tsunami, fear that they are becoming vulnerable to game-changing competition in electric cars or just lower-cost producers in South Korea and elsewhere.

The reversals have gripped Japan with a sense of national angst over its future, though economists are divided over how much the nation will actually deindustrialize — and whether a shift away from factories is really such a bad thing. Most economists agree that Japan, which rose to economic superpower status in the 1980s by building compact sedans and color televisions, has outgrown the “Asian Miracle” template and needs a new economic strategy. What that approach should be, though, is the subject of intense and growing debate.

IMAGE CREDIT: That's the cover art from Paul Kennedy's, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers (1987). The United States was was supposed to go the way of previous great powers, like Great Britain. Hasn't worked out that way, apparently.

Feminists at Camden School For Girls 'Blast' Tesco Market for Sale of Nuts Magazine at 'Eye-Level'

Well, we wouldn't want any young fellas seeing anything improper, now would we?

At the Camden New Journal, "Camden School For Girls’ Feminist Group blasts Tesco for displaying ‘degrading’ lads’ mags at child’s eye level":

SIXTH-FORM pupils have formed their own campaigning feminist group and are taking on a shop selling “degrading lads’ mags” near their school.

They argue magazines such as Nuts and Zoo – with pictures of women posing in their underwear and showing off their cleavages – should be positioned away from the eyeline of children and teenagers.

The Camden School For Girls’ Feminist Group say they have asked staff at the Tesco, opposite their school in Camden Road, Camden Town, to move the magazines – but have so far been ignored.

The rack of magazines is next to where many children buy their sandwiches and drinks  at lunchtime.

Isabella Woolford Diaz, 17, one of the founders of the group, said: “If you walk in here, you can see where people go to get food, and the magazines are clearly on the eyesight level of us all.

“The magazine covers are not the image we should see – it is very submissive for women. In other shops, they have already moved magazines or put covers over the picture bit of the front cover. Marks & Spencer has been good at this.”

The feminist group is concerned that the racy front covers have two negative impacts: leading boys to see women only as sexual objects; and pushing girls into worrying about weight and appearance, possibly triggering eating disorders.

Asked what the group would say to models like Lucy Pinder – this week’s Nuts cover girl – if they met her, Ms Woolford Diaz added: “We are not about being aggressive or judgmental. I’d want to know the background, how she got into doing this.”

Hmm, Lucy Pinder at eye-level?

That would be horrible, just horrible!

Hearings on GSA Scandal: Republicans Hammer Administrators on Lavish Spending

At Washington Examiner, "GOP rips GSA for 'culture of wasteful spending'."

And at the Washington Post, "GSA official asserts right to remain silent as Congress begins hearings into spending scandal."

BONUS VIDEO: Via Michelle:

More at Memeorandum.

Obama's Bloodiest Scandal

From Katie Pavlich, at Townhall, "Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal":

If the majority of American people knew Fast and Furious like they know Solyndra or the GSA scandal, they would be outraged. Despite very few exceptions, the media has been complicit in the cover-up of Obama’s bloodiest scandal by ignoring and refusing to report about it. Why? To protect the President. This scandal, one that has left hundreds of bodies in its wake, would be deadly to the administration. This is the scandal that will bring President Obama down in November, so long as the American people know its details.

Wow!

That sounds like a blockbuster.

Check out the book here: Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up.

And Michelle seconds that emotion: "Katie Pavlich exposes “Fast and Furious: Barack Obama’s Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up”."

Anders Behring Breivik Goes on Trial

At Telegraph UK, "Anders Behring Breivik forced to confront cold reality of his crimes," and "Norway killer Anders Behring Breivik moved to tears."

Breivik's emotional at the video, but most of the coverage indicates he was defiant.

More here, "Anders Behring Breivik spent a year playing World of Warcraft role-playing game online," and "Anders Behring Breivik statement 'will determine legal sanity'."

And at London's Daily Mail, "The red dots died, the yellow dots survived: Court sees chilling map of Breivik's deadly rampage around island," and "'There's someone shooting just outside. He's coming in': Terrifying phone call of survivor of Breivik's massacre is played to court."

My previous reporting is here. And see especially, "Anders Behring Breivik — No Clear Ideological Program."

First Street Journal — Rule 5 Blogging

Recall Dana at First Street Journal posts our military's women warriors.

See: "Rule 5 Blogging: The Fashionistas."

I liked this one. I think shows endurance and sacrifice.

Toy Boarders

This is cool:

The homepage is here.

Madison Tea Party Rally — April 14, 2012

William Jacobson has a report, "Madison Tea Party battleground more divided, entrenched than ever."

And at Gateway Pundit, "THOUSANDS Turn Out at Pro-Walker Madison Tea Party Rally."

And here's video of Dana Loesch, via Althouse:

More from Althouse at her tags, here and here.

ZoNation: 'Liberals Are the Agents of Censorship'

A great clip:

BONUS: An example of progressive censorship, at Blazing Cat Fur, "'I am an atheist who opposes Wilson's ideas and supports gay rights. That said, our side acted like f----ng children tonight'."

Pat Condell: 'Israel and the United Nations'

Via Jake Finnegan: