CNN Drops Soledad O'Brien's 'Starting Point' — Show's Ratings Trailed Behind Robin Meade's Headline News 'Morning Express'

Well, old Soledad couldn't even beat out Robin Meade for the morning doctor's office demographic. CNN's resident Obama attack dog is on the way out, at least for now.

See The Other McCain, "CNN’s ‘Poorly Rated’ @Soledad_OBrien Will Lose Her Show Nobody Watched."

Unexpectedly! U.S. Economy Contracts in Fourth Quarter of 2012

The economy's shrinking and the Democrats are doing everything else besides working to fix it. That's not what we were promised during the campaign, but you already knew that. And that's Rick Santelli at the clip below, ranting away like only he knows how, apparently. As noted, I feel that populist insurrection rising, and it's not just over the libelous gun control narrative. The permanent political class is systemically worsening economic conditions to further cement its grip on power. Think about it.

At the Wall Street Journal, "U.S. Economy Unexpectedly Contracts in Fourth Quarter":

U.S. economic momentum screeched to a halt in the final months of 2012, as lawmakers' struggle to reach a deal on tax increases and budget cuts likely led businesses to pare inventories and the government to cut spending.

The nation's gross domestic product shrank for the first time in 3 1/2 years during the fourth quarter, declining at an annual rate of 0.1% between October and December, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

It was the first time the broad measure of all goods and services produced by the economy contracted since the recovery from the financial crisis began. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected 1.0% annualized growth.

The decline reflects worries about the so-called fiscal cliff. The economy reversed from a 3.1% pace of growth in the third quarter largely because federal government spending fell by 15% and private business, likely fearing slack in demand, let inventories dwindle.

"Think of it as a giant hand holding down the economy," said Tim Hopper, chief economist at TIAA-CREF. "The underlying fundamentals are quite strong."

With the worst effects of the pending budget cuts and tax increases averted after Congress and the White House reached an agreement this month, Mr. Hopper said he expects the economy to return to moderate growth this year.

However, tax increases and possible federal budget cuts could weigh on advances in the first half of the year, said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group PNC +0.03% . Exports are still a concern because of the recession in Europe.

"The economy has less momentum going into 2013 than initially thought, making it vulnerable to external shocks," Mr. Hoffman said in a research note. "A turnaround in the housing market will be a key support to the economy this year."

For all of 2012, gross domestic product expanded 2.2%, an improvement compared with 1.8% growth in 2011.

The decline in federal spending last quarter was the largest drop since 1973. Spending at all levels of government fell 6.6% in the period.

And see all the buzz at Memeorandum. The idiot leftist are blaming it on the decline in defense spending, losers.

Why Hillary Clinton Will Run in 2016

Look, Hillary Clinton will run. She's been spinning her machinations since before her philandering presidential husband left office. At this point it's just a matter of predicting when she'll make the announcement of her candidacy.

See Dorothy Rabinowitz, "Hillary's Future":

It was impossible to miss the foreshadowings of the future as Hillary Clinton's week of public appearances wound down to its ending. This, was, of course, the arranged love fest on "60 Minutes," a program that was once the pride of CBS, an unequalled model of investigative journalism. Whatever the object of this piece of investigation was would have been hard to say—but its results, like Mrs. Clinton's appearance before the Congress earlier in the week, left us with a powerful sense of the candidacy to come in 2016. A candidacy not only very much like the one that culminated in the victory of Barack Obama—but one modeled on all its claims, its assumptions.

Mr. Obama had won office despite an astounding lack of experience and a negligible record. His indisputable political skills, his race and all symbolic values attached thereto—not to mention the promise, now apparently abandoned, of a new and unified America that transcended race—had swept him into office. No one can miss the parallel track the outgoing secretary of state is set to pursue.

What is already clear—what should stand out blazing in neon—are the extraordinary claims now being made for Mrs. Clinton's achievements as secretary of state. One of the greatest secretaries of state America has known, according to the president—and his is one of the more modest assessments. It's not the sort of view, to be sure, for which she can be held responsible, but it is an indicator of the passions that would drive her candidacy for the White House: the first woman president.

No one would dispute Mrs. Clinton's hard work, her travels across the globe, her famous capacity to show up armed with encyclopedic detail on every issue, every side of every question. She has been the most dutiful of secretaries of state, has obligingly and diligently carried forth Mr. Obama's designs for shrinking the American presence in the world. She leaves office having left behind no imprint of a vision, no evidence of concerns other than the dictates of diligent obedience.

The Magic of Jerusalem

Via Israel Matzav:

Gabrielle Giffords Testimony Before Senate Gun Control Hearing

I hate to say this, but it's time for Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords to limit their political exposure. It's painful to watch Giffords testify and as Althouse reported earlier, she's vulnerable to political exploitation by the gun-grabbing left.

At London's Daily Mail, "'Too many children are dying, the time to act is now': Gabrielle Giffords makes emotional plea to Senate on gun violence."

Neil Heslin Wasn't Heckled

I took an interest in this story initially because I've posted a couple of times on Neil Heslin. Just seeing the headline, I thought, "You know, they should just let that guy say his piece." But I moved on to other topics and by yesterday afternoon the story had been brutally debunked on Twitchy, "Outrageous: How the left-wing media lied about Newtown ‘hecklers’." The radical left really went to town on this, eyeing a decisive takedown of conservative gun rights supporters:

Father of Newtown victim heckled by gun advocates at legislative hearing goo.gl/yIVT5
— The Raw Story (@RawStory) January 29, 2013

Pro-gun activists heckled the father of a 6-year-old Newtown victim. gaw.kr/DAT8wWf
— Gawker (@Gawker) January 29, 2013

Father of 6-year-old killed in Newtown heckled by pro-gun activists huff.to/1177Vt0
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) January 29, 2013

Father of #SandyHook victim is heckled during gun control testimony. Really. : on.msnbc.com/Wz8NVt
— msnbc (@msnbc) January 29, 2013

Mediate ran a piece last night reluctantly confirming that Twitchy debunked the left's malicious meme, "Did The Media Blatantly Mischaracterize Video Of Newtown Father Being 'Heckled' By 'Gun Nuts'? (VIDEO)."

And now MSNBC, which salaciously ran the false edited video clip of the alleged "heckling," is doing a review of its libelous reporting, "MSNBC ‘reviewing’ Newtown ‘heckled’ video" (at Memeorandum).

Check over at Twitchy for more, for example, "Ace of Spades shreds media for perpetuating Newtown heckling hoax."

Ruth Wisse on the Future of Conservatism

See, "What Is the Future of Conservatism?":

I take this presidential election as a call for university reform as well as tax reform. For a start, I suggest citizens challenge the use of “diversity” for racial and gender profiling and argue for reinvestment in teaching the foundational texts of Western thought. To conserve our liberal democracy, conservatives and other concerned citizens will have to work harder.

RTWT.

Mission Creep in Mali? Britain's Growing Military Commitment

At Independent UK, "Gamble for Africa: Mali mission sucks in 350 British troops":

Britain’s growing military commitment to Mali and West Africa is likely to pass 400 within a matter of weeks, sparking fears of “mission creep” and cross-party criticism that UK forces are being sucked into a Vietnam-style conflict without a defined exit strategy.

A fortnight ago David Cameron promised that Britain would only send “tens, not hundreds” of troops to help the French-led operation. That prediction from the Prime Minister has been shredded as UK assistance to the French-led operation has significantly increased.

The growing importance of the unrest in West Africa was highlighted last night when Downing Street announced the PM would be flying to Algeria tomorrow for urgent talks with Prime Minister, Abdelmalek Sellal.

Mr Cameron was already scheduled to attend a development conference in Monrovia, Liberia, but added the Algerian meeting following the recent hostage crisis at the Amenas gas plant which left six Britons and 47 others dead.

Number 10 said the discussions were likely to include the military campaign in Mali, a neighbour-state to Algeria.

The Defence Secretary Phil Hammond was forced to make a statement to the Commons today admitting that troop numbers in the region would substantially rise with new support for an EU training mission in Mali and up to 200 additional personnel who will assist a United Nations-backed training programme for forces from neighbouring West African states.

UK military advisers are already in place helping the UN’s Africa-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA). Ground and technical support teams for a Sentinel surveillance aircraft plus two C-17 transport planes protected by combat-ready troops from the RAF Regiment, have also been deployed.

Around 20 British personnel are in the Malian capital, Bamako, liaising with French forces that have already passed the 3500 mark. Further British military assistance in the form of a specialist ferry to help land French armoured vehicles at ports in Senegal or The Gambia, alongside the offer of expert personnel to help staff a joint UK-French logistics headquarters in Mali , is also being considered.

Britain’s national security adviser, Sir Kim Darroch, has been in Paris this week holding talks with his French counterparts. The talks – focused on France’s short-term military shopping list for Mali – suggest the UK’s role could grow...

Well, Britannia's not ruling the waves these days, that's for sure. You'd think the country which once boasted the world's most powerful empire could handled deploying a few hundred commandos to Central Africa. Sheesh.

New York Times Publishes Anti-Israel Screed by Radical Law Professor George Bisharat

Professor Bisharat has a long history of bashing Israel, it turns out. See, "George Bisharat uses NYT to publish out-of-context accusations":

Meet George Bisharat, currently a professor at the UC Hastings College of Law. Bisharat was born in 1954 in Kansas, to a Palestinian family from Jerusalem, eventually earning BA in Berkeley and MA in Georgetown. Later, Bisharat studied in Harvard, and assumed position of professor of law at University of California. Bisharat is an author of ‘Palestinian Lawyers and Israeli Rule: Law and Disorder in the West Bank’, worked with Palestinian Legislative Council and on editorial board of Journal of Palestine Studies.

I believe the above gives us clear understanding of Bisharat’s allegiance; however, it is also clear he is a smart man. Bisharat criticized Israel’s conduct in 2006 Second Lebanon War, pushes for the boycott of Israel, alleges Israel’s conduct in 2008 Gaza campaign constitutes war crimes and an avid supporter of a one-state solution (read: Israel ceases being a Jewish state).

Well, that's pretty much a perfect criticism of Bisharat's hit job at today's New York Times, "Why Palestine Should Take Israel to Court in the Hague." Virtually every one of Bisharat's attacks on Israel are decontextualized, and this one's a blatant falsehood:

No doubt, Israel is most worried about the possibility of criminal prosecutions for its settlements policy. Israeli bluster notwithstanding, there is no doubt that Jewish settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are illegal. Israeli officials have known this since 1967, when Theodor Meron, then legal counsel to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and later president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, wrote to one of Prime Minister Levi Eshkol’s aides: “My conclusion is that civilian settlement in the administered territories contravenes the explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

Under the founding statute of the I.C.C., grave violations of the Geneva Conventions, including civilian settlements in occupied territories, are considered war crimes.

Bull. See Danny Ayalon, "Israel Palestinian Conflict: The Truth About the West Bank." And especially Professor Michael Curtis, "Israeli Settlements an Obstacle to Peace?":

International law gives no clear answer on the issue of Israeli settlements. The Fourth Geneva Convention does forbid government deportation or "individual or mass forcible transfers" of population into territory it occupies. This Convention was formulated because of the activities during World War II of the Nazi regime, and by inference the Soviet Union, in transferring population into occupied territory for political or racial reasons, or for colonization. As a result of those activities, millions were subjected to forced migration, expulsion, slave labor, and extermination. On this issue two factors are pertinent. One is that Israeli governments have not aimed at any displacement of the population in any of the disputed areas. The other is that neither the Geneva Convention nor any other law prevents the establishment of voluntary settlements on an individual basis, nor on their location, if the underlying purpose is security, public order, or safety, and as long as the settlements do not involve taking private property. It is absurd to suggest that the state of Israel "deported" or "transferred" its own citizens to the territories.

This conclusion was buttressed by a report, in July 2012, of the independent Israeli three-member committee, headed by former Supreme Court Justice Edmund Levy, which held that the classic laws of "occupation" do not apply to "the unique and sui generis historic and legal circumstances of Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria spanning over decades." The committee held that consequently Israelis have the legal right to settle in Judea and Samaria, and that the establishment of settlements is not illegal.

Bisharat's not an honest commentator on Israel. And it turns out he's a contibutor at the anti-Semitic hate site Mondoweiss. (Last summer Armin Rosen posted a devastating take down of Mondoweiss, at the Atlantic, "A Reminder That Anti-Semitism Has No Place in Debates Over Israel.") And while I enjoy reading the New York Times, as readers can tell, the editors should be ashamed at publishing such a shitty little piece of anti-Israel propaganda.

Beth Humphreys for Front Magazine February 2013

At Egotastic!, "Beth Humphreys Topless Teasy Tasty Hot for Front Magazine (Prepare to Fall in Lust)."

Matt Lauer Interview With Epic Hypocrite Al 'Jazeera' Gore

It's really hard to find a bigger hypocrite than Al Gore. He just keeps putting out.

Lauer: "Isn't there a bit of hypocrisy in this" sale to Al Jazeera? Gore: "Well, I get the criticism. I just disagree with it, because this network has established itself. It's objective. It's won major awards in countries around the world. And its climate coverage, as I said a minute ago, has been outstanding and extensive..."

That's it? As long as Al Jazeera has "extensive" climate coverage no hypocrisy here. Check. Asshole.

And at Washington Free Beacon, "Gore Defends Current Sale to Oil-Backed Al Jazeera." And at Accuracy in Media, "Al Gore Says He Isn’t A Hypocrite for Selling Current TV to Al Jazeera [Video]."

Bloody Bodies Line River in Allepo, Syria

At the New York Times, "Fifty Corpses Line a River in Aleppo."

Also at Telegraph UK, "Aleppo executions: 79 bodies pulled from Syria river":

At least 79 Syrian men and teenage boys, each with a single bullet hole to the head, have been found dead in a river in Aleppo in the biggest mass execution of the country’s two-year civil war.

Some of the bodies had been so recently killed that blood still flowed from their wounds. Others had clearly lain stagnant in the water for days, their bodies bloated and the skin disintegrating and grey.

The hands of each had been roughly tied with string or wire. Each had circular wound in their forehead or eye. The large exit wounds at the backs of their heads suggested they had been shot at close range.

Family members arrived in their hundreds to identify missing sons, saying many had disappeared after crossing from rebel-held territory in Aleppo into regime areas on the other side of the river.

It was impossible to be certain who was responsible for their deaths. But those identified, at least half the total by nightfall, were from rebel-held districts, and locals blamed government checkpoints on the other side of the river.

Day of Resistance

John Hawkins talking about the national Day of Resistance:

I love the rallies. The tea parties tapered off but now we may be having Second Amendment parties. More at DayofResistance.com and Right Wing News.

'Crazy Crackers'

OMG this is hilarious:

MSNBC's @finneyk rails against the "hateful language" of the "Crazy Crackers on the Right". #newtone #racism youtube.com/watch?v=bU-4aq…
— Lefty Bollocks (@LeftyBollocks) January 29, 2013

Via Mediaite and Memeorandum.

Caleb Moore in Critical Condition After Monstrous Snowmobile Crash at Winter X Games 2013

Well, they call these extreme sports for a reason.

At ABC News, "Snowmobiler Caleb Moore in Critical Condition After Winter X Games Crash."

Why Would Anyone Jewish Want to Live in Britain?

I need to follow-up on my earlier piece, "Britain's National Sickness."

At that link is Melanie Phillips' essay discussing the disease of British anti-Semitism. It's a powerful piece. I beat a lot of folks to the story and, mostly out of haste, decided against posting the rabidly anti-Semitic cartoon that ran at the Sunday Times (William Jacobson has it, in any case).

It turns out there there's even more news out of Britain on this. Blazing Cat Fur links to Douglas Murray at the Gatestone Institute, "Britain's Little Anti-Semitism Problem." Murray discusses the recent London panel discussion on Israel's settlement policy held at Intelligence Squared, "Israel Is Destroying Itself With Its Settlement Policy," and he writes:

There are good places and reasons to debate Israeli settlement policy. But it is, to say the least, questionable to make the one Israel debate in a debate series a discussion proposing that it is settlements that threaten Israel's future. Rather than (plucking them off the top of my head) the promise of nuclear-bomb-owning Mullahs or say (admittedly old story) the seven-decade long refusal of any leading Palestinian to recognise the Jewish State? There is something obscene about presenting a debate in such terms. But debates need to be punchy and provocative. They also need to involve open minds. What Glick and the other Israeli guest on her side – Danny Dayan – had to witness was very far from a demonstration of that.

Glick rightly saw that the case for Israel needed to be made. But against her and Dayan were two young darlings of the London anti-Israel establishment. The undeservedly arrogant J-Street founder Daniel Levy enjoys a following in such London circles because of his father (Lord Levy)'s money. Meanwhile, the other member proposing the anti-Israel motion, William Sieghart, is a member of a prominent London family who did poorly in the family brains distribution and so has ended up promoting Hamas. Both are the sort of rich, privileged figures who mistake their own ignorance and stupidity for profundity with daring. Their careers are spent providing respectability to those who would erase the Jewish people.

Unfortunately, and predictably, the smart London audience sided overwhelmingly with the local idiots, heckling and shouting down points made by the visiting team. The hostility – heckling, booing and more – shown towards Glick and Dayan was unique and appalling. At the end the vote was 5 to 1 in favour of Levy and Sieghart.

In a searing response to what she had seen, Glick penned the article 'Bye-bye London', writing:

I can say without hesitation that I hope never to return to Britain. I actually don't see any point. Jews are targeted by massive anti-Semitism of both the social and physical varieties. Why would anyone Jewish want to live there?

There's more, but upon reading that I clicked over to Caroline's site for the links and immediately listened to her talk, and was riveted. I doubt few people are as knowledgeable on these things, and virtually no one evinces as much moral clarity. Do yourself a favor, take a few minutes and listen to this talk:

Caroline's entry is here, "Video of Intelligence Squared Debate in London." And here's "Bye-bye London."

And as I always point out, it's all of a piece. No matter how compelling, no matter what overwhelming evidence Caroline could have presented, the results of the debate were preordained. She landed in an ideological cesspool. Arguments against Israel are always based on hatred and illogic. People of decency, of moral righteousness just have to stand their ground and keep up the fight. And sometimes that requires removing yourself from the scene of so much utter atrocity. It's too bad for all of us that that includes the entirety of Britain itself.

Kate Upton for Sam Edelman Footwear

Via Ms. Upton on Twitter:

Newport Beach Murder Suspect ID'd as Stanwood Fred Elkus, Prostate Patient Battling Health Problems for Years

A follow up to last night's entry, "Doctor Shot and Killed Inside Newport Beach Medical Office."

The Orange County Register reports, "Shooting suspect had health problems":

NEWPORT BEACH – A 75-year-old man who has been battling health issues for years is suspected of shooting and killing a doctor at his office Monday night, authorities said.

A neighbor of Stanwood Fred Elkus said he was often negative about his persistent health problems, and after helping him work on a motor home Sunday night, Elkus insisted he take $10 for the work and a pair of wire cutters.

"I might not be alive much longer," James Lord, 54, said Elkus told him.

Lord said he didn't think much of the statement, knowing Elkus was often pessimistic about his health.

"I wish I could have seen the signs of it," he said.

Elkus was taken into custody in the second-floor offices of 520 Superior Ave., at the offices of Ronald Franklin Gilbert. Gilbert was identified by the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities said about a half-dozen shots were fired at about 2:45 p.m. inside the Newport Beach medical offices. When officers arrived, Elkus was taken into custody without incident, said Kathy Lowe, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Police Department.

Gilbert was the former chief of Hoag Hospital's Department of Urology, and had worked in the hospital for almost 20 years, according to a statement released Tuesday by Richard Afable, President and CEO of the hospital.

"Dr. Gilbert dedicated his career to serving others," the statement read.
His 53rd birthday would have been Wednesday.

Lord – the neighbor – said he'd known Elkus for about five years, and would be often asked to watch over his Lake Elsinore home while Elkus attended doctor appointments.
For years, Elkus had been battling prostate health problems, he said.

"I'd always tell him thinks would look better," Lord said.

More at that top link.

The dude flipped. His health problems were mental as well as prostate.

Video at KABC 7 Los Angeles, "OC doctor shooting: Suspect was longtime patient, employees say."

Naked Griffiti Girls

Amazing.

At London's Daily Mail, "Meet the naked graffiti girls: Trend for tagging women's bare bodies with street art becomes internet sensation."

Dana Loesch Debates Guns With Piers Morgan on CNN, Pulls Out Mini AR-15 Rifle

I was checking this out last night. It's a lighter she picked up at the gas station, via Gateway Pundit:

The full 10-minute segment is available here.