China and Vietnam Clash in South China Sea

The Philippines coast guard detained Chinese fishing boats as well.

At WSJ, "Vietnam, Philippines Incidents Raise Sea Tensions: Vessels Clash Over Chinese Oil Rig; Philippines Detains Fishermen Near Spratly Islands":

Strains between China and its neighbors burst to the surface in two parts of the South China Sea, taking the high-stakes struggle for control over the waters to new levels of friction.

Off Vietnam, dozens of Chinese military and civilian ships clashed with the Vietnamese coast guard, with Vietnamese officials complaining its vessels were repeatedly rammed. On the same day, Philippine police apprehended Chinese fishing vessels loaded with hundreds of sea turtles in disputed waters.

About 80 Chinese vessels moved into an area near the disputed Paracel Islands, where Hanoi has sought to prevent China from deploying a massive oil rig, said Rear Adm. Ngo Ngoc Thu, vice commander of the Vietnamese coast guard. He said the flotilla included seven military ships and that it was supported by aircraft.

He said the situation, which started brewing over the weekend, was "very tense" and said six Vietnamese officers had been injured in the standoff.

The confrontation—by far the most serious in recent years between the two neighbors—marked a significant escalation in Beijing's willingness to press its natural-resource claims, analysts said.

Theresa Fallon, a senior associate at the European Institute for Asian Studies, a Brussels-based think tank, said China's move represented the regional energy sector's "worst nightmare" and was bound to provoke Vietnam's anger.

"This is a huge rig—it's the size of a couple of football fields," Ms. Fallon said.

A senior administration official said the White House views the latest escalation as part of a pattern of behavior as China continues to try to advance its territorial claims. "We're obviously very concerned about it," the official said. "We have conveyed our concerns to the Chinese."

The standoff is "an unprecedented situation," said Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. The sheer number of Chinese vessels that appeared to be involved was a clear indication of China's "resolve to make sure this rig can operate in these waters."

China's state councilor described the move as part of Chinese business's normal operations and asked Vietnam to stop interfering, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said at a daily briefing.

China's Defense Ministry didn't respond to a request to comment.

Well, if Japan gets involved I wouldn't expect the Obama administration to lift a finger. They haven't been too forthcoming in the Ukraine situation, that's for sure.

More.

Marisa Miller Trying on Bikinis

Very nice.

I miss Ms. Miller. Haven't been seeing her around as much lately.

At WWTDD, "Polaroids of Marisa Miller Testing Bikinis for SI."

Tillis Wins, Boosts Prospects for GOP Senate Control

From Fred Barnes, at the Weekly Standard, "Tillis Wins, Boosts GOP's 2014 Hopes."

Avoiding a runoff election, Tillis is well position for a formidable run against the incumbent Kay Hagan, and it turns out he was backed by the Republican establishment, especially Karl Rove. According to Barnes:

With unprecedented help from outside groups—American Crossroads, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Rifle Association—Tillis got 45 percent of the vote, defeating two major challengers and averting a potentially destructive runoff election.

Tea Party favorite Greg Brannon trailed with 27 percent of the vote. Charlotte preacher Mark Harris came in third with 18 percent, but his appealing style suggested he will be a major player in Republican politics. Kentucky senator Rand Paul came to North Carolina on Monday to campaign for Brannon. Given the outcome, that may have been a political mistake.  Harris was backed by Mike Huckabee, the former Republican presidential candidate.

But the support of Republican groups proved to be crucial.  American Crossroads ran three separate ads touting Tillis.  And rather than vote for Brannon, a doctor, many Tea Party activists appear to have voted for Tillis.

A key loser was Senate majority leader Harry Reid.  His political action committee broadcast ads in the primary attacking Tillis, hoping one of the lesser candidates would be easier for Hagan to beat. The ads by the Democratic leader appeared to have little or no impact.

And the Dems are desperate alright, like I reported earlier, "Politics of Desperation: #Democrats Out of the Gate Trashing Kay Hagen Opponent Thom Tillis."

A lot of folks are playing up the establishment/tea party split, but Tillis sounds pretty conservative to me, and he's damn well positioned to take out Hagan. So let it rip, I say.

More at Hot Air, "Palin: Stop gloating over last night’s primaries, establishment Republicans."

Politics of Desperation: #Democrats Out of the Gate Trashing Kay Hagen Opponent Thom Tillis

Well, that didn't take long.

Kay Hagan can't run on the issues, and she especially can't run on ObamaCare (in fact she can't run fast enough from it), so her campaign is out with talking points attacking the Republican Senate nominee Thom Tillis, "MEMO: THOM TILLIS’ TOP VULNERABILITIES" (at Memeorandum).

It's a laundry list of allegations and smears, and I'll leave it up to North Carolinian conservatives to debunk the junk.

It's just very telling how fast the left has gone on the attack, with so much at stake in November's Senate elections, and Hagan's precarious political position in particular. Face it, leftists are f-king desperate and they'll do anything to win. We're beyond mudslinging. Depraved Democrats are going to murder this guy's character. Indeed, they'd murder him if they could, to get him out of the way.

See the hack Democrat operative with a byline Greg Sargent, at WaPo, "47 percenter-ism is back!":

This video was taken in 2011, but even Tillis himself appeared to understand his remarks were controversial, noting that such views could “get me railroaded out of town.” The Hagan campaign is circulating the video today, but observers who have been paying close attention to the race have known for some time that Tillis, the state House speaker, has a more conservative record than is commonly appreciated, one Dems might utilize to their advantage.

Basically, they're trying to Romney-ize him, a morally despicable attack which reveals --- once again --- the left's utter inability to run a legitimate campaign on the issues. I mean, seriously. Hagan's so desperate she's sunk to lying about Tillis' alleged "support" for ObamaCare? Pretty sleazy, I know: "Vulnerable #Democrat Kay Hagan Falsely Accuses GOP Opponent of Supporting #ObamaCare."

I'll be keeping close tabs on this race. Stay tuned.

More.

Monica Lewinsky, Hillary Clinton and the Left's #WarOnWomen

Here's the Vanity Fair story leading all day yesterday at Memeorandum, "Exclusive: Monica Lewinsky Writes About Her Affair with President Clinton."

Haven't read it, although Michelle Malkin nails it at Twitchy, "#WarOnWomen: Vanity Fair ‘clears the decks’ for Hillary; haters attack Monica Lewinsky, blame GOP."

Wanna see #WaronWomen ? Just look at all the libs on Twitter trashing Monica Lewinsky right now as @VanityFair clears the deck for Hillary.

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) May 6, 2014

And don't miss this awesome discussion at Laura Ingraham's talking points memo from last night. Stay through especially until Monica Crowley's comments. She nails the left's utter hypocrisy. Like I always say, for the left's disgusting political thugs, it's hypocrisy all the way down.

'Any Blacks on your team in DC?'

In response to Arianna Huffington's white newsroom tweet the other day:

Great meeting with HuffPost's DC editors and reporters. Such a great team! @HuffPostPol @HuffPostDC @HuffPostHill pic.twitter.com/5qDCM8BhWM

— Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) May 5, 2014

@ariannahuff @HuffPostPol @HuffPostDC @HuffPostHill Any Blacks on your team in DC?

— Dr Cornelius Castain (@ccastain) May 5, 2014

Via Twitchy, "Progressives of pallor alert! ‘#DiversityWin’ for HuffPo’s ‘so so so white’ meeting in DC [pic]."

Scumbag hypocrites. That's leftists in toto. Scumbag hypocrites.

Republican Thom Tillis Wins Senate Primary in North Carolina

Here's a little roundup from Twitter:

Thom Tillis wins #NCSEN without a runoff, bead of sweat forms on Dems' collective forehead.

— Patricia Murphy (@1PatriciaMurphy) May 7, 2014

Thom Tillis Wins GOP Nomination Outright in North Carolina Senate Race http://t.co/Is9bKNCNG1 via @alexis_levinson

— Roll Call Politics (@rollcallpols) May 7, 2014

'Big win for GOP establishment': AP calls North Carolina Republican Senate primary for Thom Tillis http://t.co/sOcXckdezG

— TwitchyTeam (@TwitchyTeam) May 7, 2014

North Carolina Senate Republican Candidate @ThomTillis Avoids Primary Run-Off http://t.co/018IXcxl1K pic.twitter.com/5f3yg4rCTt

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) May 7, 2014

Meet Thom Tillis: 13 things to know about Sen. Kay Hagan's new opponent -- http://t.co/2oPjK7IcGL

— Reid Wilson (@PostReid) May 7, 2014

It’s Tillis vs. Hagan in North Carolina, with the GOP candidate buoyed by mainstream forces http://t.co/8iuh9LpqPY via @davecatanese #NCSEN

— U.S. News (@usnews) May 7, 2014

Kay Hagan's toast. Sure, a lot remains to be seen, but I feel it in my bones. Hagan's toast.

The Left Controversializes #Benghazi: The Story They Really Don't Want to Hear

Sharyl Attkisson's been hammering relentlessly on the left's "controversializing" of the Benghazi scandal, where depraved progs have been shamelessly attempting to place investigating the death of four Americans (due to craven political cowardice) outside the mainstream of political reporting. So far, it's working only for morally bankrupt Obama buttlickers who hate America in the first place.

Watch:



And from Michael Walsh, at PJ Media, "Why Benghazi Matters."

And following the links takes us to Andrew McCarthy, "Advice for Benghazi Select Committee: Don’t Draft McCarthy":

Benghazi is not an ordinary scandal — it involves an act of war in which our ambassador, the representative of the United States in Libya, was murdered (along with three other Americans) under circumstances where security was appallingly inadequate for political reasons, and where the administration did not just lie about what happened but actually trumped up a prosecution that violated the First Amendment in order to bolster the lie.

Only in the Manhattan-Beltway corridor do people think Benghazi is a GOP concern driven by 2016 political considerations...

More.

College Conservatives Speak Out — #MyLiberalCampus

Just saw this a little while ago, at Weasel Zippers, "Student: UC Santa Barbara Prof Warns Ted Cruz-Teabaggers to Leave Class or Go Home In Body Bag."

What caught my attention, beyond the normal attention-grabbing stupidity, is the picture of Professor Otis Madison. I recognized him immediately. In my last year at UCSB I taught an upper division course in Black Politics (I've forgotten the catalog number, and apparently the course is no longer offered by the department). Thinking I might be doing more teaching along these lines, I attended the first day of classes of Professor Madison's Black Studies (or Black Politics) course, mainly to get a copy of the syllabus. To say the guy was bizarre is putting it mildly. At the beginning of the class the guy just stood there, looking around the lecture hall, for what seemed like five minutes. It was extremely uncomfortable. He then proceeded to go off on some typical anti-American rant, blabbering on about pervasive racism, or something. UCSB's one of the more "white" campuses, especially back then, but young students are leftist, and Madison seemed to have a willing audience. (Although a strong vocal minority over the years has consistently and repeatedly hammered Madison for his "hate whitey" program of leftist indoctrination, at RateMyProfessors.)

In any case, it doesn't surprise me at all to hear Alice Gilbert, UCSB's College Republican co-chair, describe Madison as issuing a brazen threat to conservatives students. Watch:

What's it REALLY like to be Republican on a liberal campus? CRs tell all on @FoxNews #FoxandFriends #MyLiberalCampus http://t.co/4TNdxcwhPE
— College Republicans (@CRNC) April 27, 2014

And see National Review, "More Than 350,000 People Engage with #MyLiberalCampus Hashtag."

Apparently, this effort is gaining a lot of attention, and it deserves it. America's campuses are the greatest repositories of intolerance in the country.

Britain's 'Skull Cracker' Released on Prison Furlough, Somehow Fails to Return, Prompting 'Full Review' of Prison System

Leftists never learn.

It's all about "compassion" and "being better" than those who've committed heinous crimes.

F-king asshats. How bloody stupid can you be?

At Telegraph UK, "'Skull Cracker' on the run prompts review of 'lax' prison system":

Escape of violent armed robber nicknamed the Skull Cracker prompts review of the prison system after Michael Wheatley fails to return from temporary release.

The decision to free a violent criminal nicknamed the Skull Cracker on day release will be reviewed amid ministers’ fears over a “lax” prison system.

Michael Wheatley, an armed robber who beat several of his victims, is still on the run.

Wheatley, 55, who was given 13 life sentences at the Old Bailey in 2002, did not return to HMP Standford Hill open prison on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, after he was allowed out on Saturday.

Wheatley raided 13 building societies and banks over 10 months in 2001 and 2002 while on parole from a previous 27-year sentence for other robberies.

He earned his nickname after pistol-whipping victims during the raids.

Jeremy Wright, the prisons minister, said there will be a “full review” of the case, looking at the decision to grant Wheatley temporary licence to leave prison.

The case raises concerns about the way day-release schemes have been operating, he said.

"We are not prepared to see public safety compromised, the system has been too lax up to now and we are changing that,” he said.
In future when prisoners are let out on temporary licence they will be tagged, subject to tougher risk assessments and tested in the community under strict conditions before being released.

"Temporary release can be an important tool in helping offenders reintegrate but it should not be an automatic right,” he said.

Yes, "help them integrate," because compassion!

Screw "public safety," the "skull cracker" has rights omg! Reintegrating offenders is job one!

#NOAFW: So, Women Like Beefcake Studmuffins. Who Knew?

I guess it took a whole lot of rigorous --- rigorous, mind you!! --- social scientific research to figure it out.

From Amanda Hess, at Slate, "Study Finds That Women Aren’t Run by Their Periods. Scientists Everywhere Are Confused":

What do women want? Over the past two decades, scientists have endeavored to answer this question by bringing women into their labs, asking about their sexual preferences, and then monitoring their menstrual cycles to try to extract clues from the ebb and flow of hormones in their mysterious female bodies. In recent years, these researchers have told us that the status of our monthly cycle on Election Day can influence our decision to favor Mitt Romney’s chiseled individualism or Barack Obama’s maternal health care policies, that our periods determine whether we feel like nesting with our partners tonight or heading out to proposition a stranger, and that our cycle urges us to swing with Tarzan at our most fertile and cuddle up with Clay Aiken when that month’s egg is out of the picture.

Blech! Clay Aiken?!!

You gotta love Ms. Amanda's take though:

The researchers suspect that the drive to chart women’s choices on their fertility calendars reflects our desire to understand human behavior via rudimentary evolutionary explanations: “More modern evolutionary approaches,” they write, “recognize that social learning and innovation are central human adaptations that are enabled by biological processes” and that ”the evolution of the human brain did not stop with these ancient sensory, perceptual, and motivational systems.” For one thing, women just don’t menstruate like they used to—while our ancestors spent the bulk of their adulthoods either pregnant or lactating, modern women in industrialized societies menstruate regularly throughout their lives, taking just a couple short breaks to have some kids. The rise of birth control has also radically disrupted any evolutionary influences. Other studies have found that women desire greater masculinity in their partners if they live in economies with low GDPs, “in which men’s work may involve manual labor jobs and male brawn,” while women in wealthier countries that “rely more on knowledge workers” are freer to prefer “better-looking men.”

In other words, a woman’s cultural conditioning is even more powerful than progesterone. Women’s endocrine processes have officially taken a back seat to our own mental and physical capacities to regulate our preferences and our cycles to better contribute to our societies.

"To better contribute to our societies."

That's precious!

Whatever. I just love that Tarzan reference, which I'm sure will pique Robert Stacy McCain's interest.

Here's the study, "What do women want? USC study reveals what scientists might have gotten wrong."

Check back for more from the frontlines of National Offend a Feminist Week!

Leftists Scream Epithets at Patriots Near Live Oak High School

Mexican-American leftists, from what I gather.

At Twitchy, "‘What’s wrong with these white people?’ American flag wavers near Calif. high school called ‘racist’."

And also at Fire Andrea Mitchell, "You are now racist if you hold American flags near Live Oak HS in Morgan Hill."

Stay classy, leftists.

Lucy Pinder Salutes National Offend a Feminist Week!

At Bob Belvedere's, "National Offend A Feminist Week 2014 (#NOAFW) Has Begun!"

And here's Monday's entry at the Other McCain, "Sex Roles: ‘Me Tarzan, You Jane’."

I don't see any lingerie shots of Professor Caroline Heldman, so Lucy Pinder will have to do. Recall, Ms. Lucy's tearful visage graced the cover of Nuts' final issue.

The Coming #Democrat 2014 'Shellacking'

President Obama confessed that his party took a "shellacking" in the 2010 midterm elections.

It's still six months out from November 2014, but two polls out today paint a grim picture for House and Senate Democrats. At Pew Research, conducted with USA Today, a new survey shows Republicans leading Democrats by four points in the generic ballot, 47 to 43 percent. The key finding for me, however, is how dramatic the parties have traded places since last October, at the time of the ObamaCare rollout. Back then Democrats were leading the generic ballot by far, holding a six-point lead (49 to 43 percent) over the Republicans. See, "Midterm Election Indicators Daunting for Democrats: No Improvement in Perceptions of Job Market" (at Memeorandum).

And here's the USA Today report, "Poll: For the midterms, a tilt to the GOP." And check the beautiful graphic at the link. In November 2010, the parties were tied at 44 percent in the generic ballot, and the GOP still went on to gain 63 seats in the House. And Republicans picked up 6 seats in the Senate that year, taking the nationwide popular vote 49.4 to 44 percent.

Susan Page of USA Today is interviewed by Jake Tapper at the Twitter link below, and she indicates that Republicans haven't had this kind of lead in the generic ballot for decades.

Yes. MT @jaketapper Are Democrats in for a ‘shellacking’ in 2014 midterms? #TheLead http://t.co/P1PzwiXMNU … #ObamaSucks #DEMS
— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 5, 2014

And CNN's also out with a poll showing similar Democrat Party disadvantages, "CNN Poll: GOP advantage in midterms." Particularly noteworthy are the president's numbers, clearly a drag on Democrat prospects in the fall:

According to the poll, 43% of Americans say they approve of the job Obama is doing as president, with 55% giving him a thumbs down. The President's approval rating is unchanged from CNN's most recent survey, which was conducted in early March.

The President's approval ratings are hovering in the low to mid 40's in most non partisan national polling this year, slightly above where he stood in November and December, when he hit or matched his all-time low in many surveys....

While a majority of those questioned say the President is not a major factor in their vote this November, a quarter say they will be sending a message that they oppose Obama, with one in five saying their vote will be a message of support for the President.

"On the face of it, a majority saying that their vote is not based on their opinion of an unpopular president may sound like good news for Democrats," Holland said. "But President Obama has usually been the Democratic party's most reliable way to fire up the base, and this question suggests that Democrats won't turn out this year just because Obama asks them to. It's also worth noting that the current numbers are almost identical to 2010, when the President's party got shellacked in the midterms."

And Democrats, more than Republicans, appear to have more work ahead of them when it comes to firing up the base. Conventional wisdom dictates that the GOP has an advantage over the Democrats in midterm contests. White voters and older voters, key to the Republican base, tend to cast ballots in bigger percentages in midterms than younger voters and minorities, who are an important part of the Democrats' base.

Dana Bash, also interviewed with Jake Tapper at the link above, warns that there's simply too much that could happen on the Senate side to make any reliable predictions at this point. "Something big" could happen, like a Todd Akin, that could torpedo Republican hopes of recapturing the upper chamber. Commenters here, in previous posts, have also warned that the Republicans will probably snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and I'm not quick to blow off such sentiments. But barring a major campaign debacle that gives the Democrats unearned advantages in the fall media sound-bite cycle, I think "shellacking" won't be a strong enough term for the beating voters administer the Dems come fall.

More at Memeorandum.

Added: From Heather Ginsberg, at Town Hall, "65% of Americans Want Next President to Change Obama's Policies."

Utterly astounding numbers.

What Would America Fight For?

At the Economist, "The Weakened West":

“WHY is it that everybody is so eager to use military force?” America’s cerebral president betrayed a rare flash of frustration on April 28th when dealing with a question in Asia about his country’s “weakness”. Barack Obama said his administration was making steady, if unspectacular, progress. By blundering into wars, his critics would only harm America.

Mr Obama was channelling the mood of his people, worn out by the blood and treasure squandered in Iraq and Afghanistan. A survey last autumn by the Pew Research Centre suggests that 52% want the United States to “mind its own business internationally”, the highest figure in five decades of polling. But when America’s president speaks of due caution, the world hears reluctance—especially when it comes to the most basic issue for any superpower, its willingness to fight.

For America’s most exposed allies that is now in doubt...

A poisonous root

Admittedly, deterrence always has some element of doubt. Between the certainty that any president will defend America’s own territory and the strong belief that America would not fight Russia over Ukraine lies an infinite combination of possibilities. A lot depends on how each incident unfolds. But doubt has spread quickly in that middle ground—and it risks making the world a more dangerous, nastier place.

Already, regional powers are keener to dominate their neighbours. China is pressing its territorial claims more aggressively, Russia interfering more brazenly. In 2013 Asia outspent Europe on arms for the first time—a sign that countries calculate they will have to stand up for themselves. If Mr Obama cannot forge a deal with Iran, the nightmare of nuclear proliferation awaits the Middle East. Crucially, doubt feeds on itself. If next door is arming and the superpower may not send gunboats, then you had better arm, too. For every leader deploring Mr Putin’s tactics, another is studying how to copy them.

Such mind games in the badlands of eastern Ukraine and the South China Sea may feel far away from Toledo or Turin. But the West will also end up paying dearly for the fraying of the global order. International norms, such as freedom of navigation, will be weakened. Majorities will feel freer to abuse minorities, who in turn may flee. Global public goods, such as free trade and lower cross-border pollution, will be harder to sustain. Global institutions will be less pliable. Americans understandably chafe at the ingratitude of a world that freeloads on the economic, diplomatic and military might of the United States. But Americans themselves also enjoy the exorbitant privilege of operating in a system that, broadly, suits them...

Keep reading.

And ICYMI, from Charles Krauthammer, at WaPo, "Obama’s foreign policy of denial."

Leftist Publisher Lawrence & Wishart Issues Takedown Notice Against #Marxist Internet Archive

OMG this is rich.

As I started reading the piece I checked over at the Marxist Internet Archive, which posted an announcement that as of April 30th they were taking down their Marx collection, heh.

And the best part? The communists over at Crooked Timber are all up in a lather about it, bwhahaha!!! See, "Karlo Marx and Fredrich Engels / Came to the checkout at the 7-11."

Shoot, even the New York Times gets the irony, "Claiming a Copyright on Marx? How Uncomradely":

The Marxist Internet Archive, a website devoted to radical writers and thinkers, recently received an email: It must take down hundreds of works by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels or face legal consequences.

The warning didn’t come from a multinational media conglomerate but from a small, leftist publisher, Lawrence & Wishart, which asserted copyright ownership over the 50-volume, English-language edition of Marx’s and Engels’s writings.

To some, it was “uncomradely” that fellow radicals would deploy the capitalist tool of intellectual property law to keep Marx’s and Engels’s writings off the Internet. And it wasn’t lost on the archive’s supporters that the deadline for complying with the order came on the eve of May 1, International Workers’ Day.

“Marx and Engels belong to the working class of the world spiritually, they are that important,” said David Walters, one of the organizers of the Marxist archive. “I would think Marx would want the most prolific and free distribution of his ideas possible — he wasn’t in it for the money.”

Still, Mr. Walters said the archive respected the publisher’s copyright, which covers the translated works, not the German originals from the 19th century. On Wednesday, the archive removed the disputed writings with a note blaming the publisher and a bold headline: “File No Longer Available!”

The fight over online control of Marx’s works comes at a historical moment when his ideas have found a new relevance, whether because the financial crisis of 2008 shook people’s confidence in global capitalism or, with the passage of time, the Marx name has become less shackled to the legacy of the Soviet Union. The unlikely best seller by the French economist Thomas Piketty, “Capital in the 21st Century,” harks back to Marx’s work, examining historical trends toward inequality in wealth.

Despite this boomlet in interest, however, Lawrence & Wishart, located in East London, hardly expects to have an online hit on its hands, said Sally Davison, the publisher’s managing editor. The goal is to create a digital edition to sell to libraries in place of a print edition, which costs roughly $1,500 for the 50 volumes.

Lulz.

Even Marxist collectivists can't resist the filthy lucre when it suits them. Communism: the biggest scam in world history.

More at the link.

And really, the statement from Lawrence & Wishart is the kicker!

Over the last couple of days Lawrence & Wishart has been subject to campaign of online abuse because we have asked for our copyright on the scholarly edition of the Collected Works of Marx and Engels to be respected. The panic being spread to the effect that L&W is ‘claiming copyright’ for the entirety of Marx and Engels’ output is baseless and largely motivated by political sectarianism from groups and individuals who have never been friendly to L&W.

Because online Marxist trolls are so compassionate lol!

London's Daily Mail Boasts 690 Percent Growth in Unique Visitors Since '08 Relaunch

They've got an amazing publishing model. Some of the most minute local stories get blown up into big extravaganzas at Daily Mail. And of course, the celebrities.

And I love the "sidebar of shame," heh.

At the Press Gazette UK, "Mail Online has grown ten-fold since its 2008 relaunch, but is it journalism?"

'I have evidence there was a systematic, intentional decision to withhold certain documents from Congress...'

Rep. Trey Gowdy, on Greta's last Friday:

The #Benghazi-Industrial Complex? Politico's Michael Hirsh Pushes Back Desperately Against Ben Rhodes Bombshell

Michael Hirsh, the far-left former reporter at Newsweek and National Journal, breathlessly pushes the "right-wing conspiracy" meme at Politico, "The Benghazi-Industrial Complex: Will the pseudo-scandal be enough to stop Hillary from running?"

Typical hack piece by a typical court-reporting hack.

I called the f-ker out:

.@Michaelphirsh And it's crap. Some obscure 9th tier blogger can do better than this, sheesh: http://t.co/0ZDmgW2fcU cc. @Instapundit

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 5, 2014

Crap journalist @Michaelphirsh interviewed "dude" Tommy Vietor for his laughable propaganda piece. Dude! @Instapundit

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 5, 2014

.@Michaelphirsh So Judge Jeanine Pirro's a "right wing conspiracy monger"? She'd cut you to ribbons, you hack: https://t.co/SgJPtcSk9u

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 5, 2014

.@Michaelphirsh runs a invitation-only blog titled "Informing the 99 Percent." Bwhahaha!! Don't change, lol!! @Instapundit

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 5, 2014

And don't miss this great Howard Kurtz "Media Buzz" segment from yesterday, "Media Minimize Benghazi Story After Initial Release of Emails - Media Buzz Spin Cycle."

Dems' Plan to Counter Criticism: Outlaw It

From Seth Mandel, at Commentary.

Read it at the link. (Sighs, shaking head.)

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



Also at Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's SUNDAY FUNNIES."

And at Legal Insurrection, "Branco Cartoon – Little Big Foot."

Cartoon Credit: William Warren.

#LiberalRacism: The Left's Cynical Perpetuation of Racist Plantation Politics

Derek Hunter has the epic must-read summary analysis of the week, "Liberal Racism," via Instapundit:

"It’s been fascinating to watch the ultra-liberal MSM work overtime to portray" #Sterling as Republican. http://t.co/GriI7hcqPK @Instapundit

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 4, 2014

.@Instapundit As I've said all along, doesn't matter #Sterling's party ID. He's a liberal to the core. Oops! http://t.co/GriI7hcqPK

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 4, 2014

.@Instapundit And that's far-left Michael Hiltzik at LAT, a rank partisan of the first order. #Progs #Hypocrisy http://t.co/GriI7hcqPK

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 4, 2014

Donald Sterling never will be accepted in polite society again, and rightfully so. He may even be forced to sell his NBA team for his private racist comments. Meanwhile, Democrats will continue to exude racism publicly, and proudly, in the hope that it scares the hell out of voters, particularly minority voters, and keeps them from realizing their lives depend more on who they are and what they do than on any politician or party. Democrats will continue to convince people that even though their lives haven’t improved after decades of loyally voting for Democrats and their ever-increasing government programs, the alternative is worse, so don’t try it.

It’s divisive, cynical, cruel, un-American and racist. It’s also the path to, the reason for, and the basis of Democrats’ power. As long as it works, they’ll never stop doing it.

Donald #Sterling, Racism and Privacy

One of my students mentioned last week that he didn't mind Donald Sterling's "private" thoughts. It's when they become public that's a problem. I responded by saying that I think the distinction between public and private has been pretty much erased these days, and that folks should consider themselves always "in public" when they're speaking, since you never know when you're going to be taped. What about private comments in your own home, folks might protest? Perhaps that's the last bastion for the expression of politically incorrect views, but even that bastion is embattled.

It's taking it to another level to use that "personal" privacy argument to defend Sterling's racism. I think Ben Shapiro, for example, made a lousy defense of Sterling this week, mostly because it sounds as if it's an endorsement, which is how depraved leftists exploited it. See, "Shapiro: Of Donald Sterling's Racism and the Rise of Thoughtcrime."

That said, controlling for disgusting leftist hypocrisy, the issue of thought crimes will be with us as long as the left's regime of acceptable discourse remains the order of the day.

More from the letters at LAT, "The Donald Sterling Case":

Though I wholeheartedly agree that Sterling's remarks are abhorrent, this knee-jerk reaction and bitter reprimand set a dangerous precedent for us all.

I am not defending Sterling's words, but they are his words and his alone. They do not reflect a company policy, nor do they ask that we adhere to their ideals.

Where do we draw the line? How is it our right to tell someone that his comments made in private are cause for a fine of more than $2 million? How do we justify our demands that he forfeit a lucrative business simply because some of us have been gravely insulted?

This is a very slippery slope we have embarked on. When someone is denied the right to express a thought unacceptable in polite society, then we are all denied the right to think for ourselves, regardless of the unpopular nature of those thoughts.

Are we now entering the realm of "thought police"?

Tom DeSimone
Palm Springs

And see Mitch Albom, at USA Today, "Donald Sterling and what we're learning about privacy."

Albom suggests "there oughta be a law" against this kinda posting of private thoughts in the Internet age, but there are some laws already. People can think what they want. Situations will come up where they'll have to defend those views. Sterling's are pretty indefensible, even in the privacy of his own home. He's a small, bitter, hateful man, despite claims by V. Stiviano to the contrary. And for that he's being shunned. Not many NBA stars wanna play for him. The market works that way.

But again, politically it's best to hold the left to its own standards. Progs refuse to accept that fact that Sterling's one of their own, a dyed-in-the-wool Beverly Hills leftist. That's the part I will never stop hammering. Leftists --- and Democrats --- are racist hypocrites now destroying the very fabric of American life. The Sterling case is just the latest in what's going to be a long-running debate on the role of the individual in a PC-drenched and perpetually wired political space. Folks should gear up for the battle. Don't excuse the racism. Instead, pin the responsibility for it precisely where it belongs.

#Sterling Will Fight to Keep #Clippers, Mayor Garcetti Predicts

It's going to be an ongoing drama.

At LAT, "Donald Sterling will fight to keep Clippers, Garcetti predicts."

#Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff Blows Off #Benghazi Select Committee as 'Colossal Waste of Time...'

Pure politics.

Sad too, since the overwhelming evidence points to a massive political cover-up just weeks before the 2012 general election.

At Legal Insurrection, "Dem congressman dismisses Benghazi committee as ‘colossal waste of time’."

Watch it: "Rep. Schiff on Fox News Sunday: Benghazi Select Committee a 'Colossal Waste of Time...'"

Also from Darleen, at Protein Wisdom, "Democrats make it clear: Obama’s political reputation more important than American lives" (via Memeorandum).

Emily Grant, 16-Year-Old at Calvary Murrieta Christian School, Wins Award for Art Project Remembering Her Late Grandfather

I love this.

At the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "MURRIETA: Student’s winning photos tell of late grandfather’s life."

I especially love how Ms. Emily reveres her grandfather's patriotism and values:

A dozen photos representing a dozen memories.

Emily Grant tells the story of her late grandfather’s life in 12 snapshots.

Her piece, “Valor,” won The Press-Enterprise Sponsorship Award at the 52nd Annual Press-Enterprise Riverside County High School Art Show last month.

“My grandfather is a huge inspiration to me and the legacy he passed down will last forever,” said the 16-year-old junior at Calvary Murrieta Christian School.

Emily got the idea for the display when she and her photography teacher visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art last year to see a photo exhibit.

“It was great to see how inspired she was,” said April Estoch, photo teacher and fine arts director at Calvary Murrieta. “She took an idea she saw somewhere else and made it her own. It tells a story that’s very personal to her.”

Emily was able to use the photos for an assignment in her photography class. She got an “A.”

More.

Kids like Ms. Emily reflect the power of our culture's private, religious sphere over the state-worshipping culture of the political left. I mean, an artistic photo display of her grandfather's church marriage and military service? That's like garlic to the Obama-cult teeanagers of the ethnic urban big government constituencies of the Democrat-left. I'm sure leftists will be attacking her as "racist" in no time.

Top Domestic and Foreign Policy Analyst Will.i.am Joins 'Meet the Press'

Heh.

This is pretty delicious, at Twitchy, "Meet the Press jumps the shark: David Gregory invites will.i.am to talk Benghazi, foreign policy."

Lol. http://t.co/sh4CAulhDs discussing foreign affairs and military involvement as a "world traveler." @meetthepress pic.twitter.com/uRS83XXRJY

— J.C. Polanco Esq MBA (@JCPolancoNYC) May 4, 2014

The "as a world traveler" clip is here.

#RapeCultureIsWhen: Campus Sexual Assault is Not More Prevalent Than Any Time in the Past

From today's front-page at the New York Times, "Fight Against Sex Assaults Holds Colleges to Account."

And here's the bottom line up front:

While there is scant evidence that sexual assault is more or less prevalent than in the past — or of how Columbia compares with others — the storm of attention has forced university administrators to pay more attention to a largely unfamiliar set of duties, more akin to social work and criminal justice than to education.

And, well, more "social justice" than education.

Seriously, as I've reported with the shamelessly dishonest Professor Caroline Heldman, irrationalism and hysteria have taken over America's campuses.

More on that at the Other McCain, "‘Pervasive Culture of Sexual Violence’," and "‘Highly Intoxicated Vaginal Penetration’: #RapeCulture and Campus Reality."

The story at the Times focuses on the allegations made by Emma Sulkowicz, who says she was raped by a man with whom she had consensual intercourse two times previously. She also says she was not drinking at the time of alleged rape:

It was eight months before Ms. Sulkowicz of Columbia reported the alleged assault and an additional year before she went public.

In an interview last week, she said she had been assaulted at the beginning of her sophomore year in 2012. The accused, as is often the case in college, was someone she considered a friend, a man with whom she had had consensual sex twice the previous school year.

They went to her room. She said she had not been drinking. They started to have sex, she said, but then he began to choke her, slapped her face, pinned her arms and penetrated her anally. She said she had screamed for him to stop, but that he would not.

“It could take two minutes for it to stop, or he could have strangled me to death,” she said.

The university’s adjudication process, she said, left her feeling even more traumatized and unsafe. “I’ve never felt more shoved under the rug in my life,” she said.

Ms. Sulkowicz's case is one of a number discussed at Blue and White, "“Accessible, Prompt and Equitable”? An examination of sexual assault at Columbia." (And see NYT's, "Behind Focus on College Assaults, a Steady Drumbeat by Students.")

This so-called crisis of campus rape is leading the news following this week's initiative from the Obama administration on college sexual assault, "55 Colleges Named in Federal Inquiry Into Handling of Sexual Assault Cases."

KC Johnson responded to that at Minding the Campus, "The White House Joins the War on Men."

And Christina Hoff Sommers just eviscerates the administration's rank politicization of this important issue. Leftist lies and political exploitation have made things worse, and regressive ghouls are placing real victims of violent assault at even greater risk.

#Clippers Win Despite Distractions

From Bill Plaschke, at the Los Angeles Times, "Clippers are not riven by distraction: They win a series over the Golden State Warriors that could have finished them but instead defines them":

Their owner was thrown out of the league, their organization is buried in chaos, yet the Clippers play on.

They were humiliated by hate, distracted by protests, exhausted by stress, yet the Clippers play on.

It was a series that could have finished them. It was, instead, a series that has defined them.

Exactly one week after their world was rocked by the release of an audio recording containing racially charged comments by owner Donald Sterling, the Clippers finished their fight through the sludge Saturday with a 126-121 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the deciding Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.

A series of seething turmoil ended in screaming relief. A series mired in pain ended in joy. The gestures of Doc Rivers, the rarely celebratory coach who calmly led his team through the continuous controversy, spoke volumes in the final seconds with a fist-pumping dance down the sidelines.

“I needed to exhale ... this was a hard week, it feels like two months,’’ Rivers said afterward. “I just needed to be able to smile and laugh and cheer and be proud of something. And I was very proud of this team.’’

The Clippers' resilience began the night before the game, when the players began texting each other with inspirational messages.
“Guys were texting like, 'No, this can’t be over, it’s not our time to be over,' ’’ Paul said.

Well, the team's fourth quarter play last night was spectacular, as you can see at the clip at top.

And more at the link.

Sharyl Attkisson on the Forces of Obstruction, Intimidation, and Harassment in Obama's Washington

A fantastic Nick Gillespie interview with investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson, via American Glob.



PREVIOUSLY: "Judge Jeanine Pirro on #Benghazi: Mr. President 'This Dereliction of Duty Demands Your Impeachment...'"

Judge Jeanine Pirro on #Benghazi: Mr. President 'This Dereliction of Duty Demands Your Impeachment...'

Judge Jeanine brings down the hammer!



These Watergate-era comparisons are coming with increasing frequency. Previously, "Krauthammer: White House Benghazi E-mail 'Equivalent' to 'Nixon Tapes'." And from commenter Simon there:

The White House/Obama team decided to not send help to Americans locked in mortal combat, they let them die, they stood down the military and all so the Obama narrative that he has defeated Al Queda could be preserved for the election.

The election was put ahead of four American lives. Obama et al let them die so they could stay the course on a false election narrative.

Disgusting actions by truly disgusting people.

Indeed. Truly disgusting people.

#Clippers Advance to Second Round of #NBA Championship Tournament

Just now:

Clippers win Game 7, 126-121. They will advance to the second round of the playoffs.
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) May 4, 2014

Added: At LAT, "Clippers defeat Warriors in Game 7; play Thunder on Monday."

California Chrome Wins 140th Kentucky Derby

It's the one time a year I get into horse racing.

Via Twitter:

Giddyup! Kentucky Derby favorite California Chrome was up at 5:45 am to stretch his legs in advance of today's race. pic.twitter.com/Qn0dT38oRs

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 3, 2014

Victor Espinoza and California Chrome are the 140th #KentuckyDerby winners! Congrats to Victor and Chrome. 🏇🏆 pic.twitter.com/qO5JSAesKB

— Christopher Bagshaw (@ChristopherB502) May 3, 2014

California Chrome pulls away to clinch the win at Kentucky Derby. Read the full story: http://t.co/oCKbyEvOGa

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 3, 2014

California Chrome wins 140th running of Kentucky Derby - http://t.co/JefOAKnbkC

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 3, 2014

Here's video by @johnclayiv from April 30 when owner of California Chrome predicted a #KyDerby win http://t.co/eHYcYP1F4y … @KentuckySports

— Peter Baniak (@pbaniak) May 3, 2014

Casey Batchelor

Well, Egotastic's still in business, heh.

See, "Casey Batchelor Bikini Pictures With Such Proud Boobtastic You Might Miss Her Camel Toe."

More at Britain's Daily Star, "Blooming 'eck! Casey Batchelor breaks modelling vow to expose natural GGs."

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Dead at 95

An interesting obituary at the New York Times, "Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Star of ‘77 Sunset Strip’ and ‘The F.B.I.’, Is Dead at 95."

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. "received the Purple Heart after being wounded in the battle of Hürtgen Forest" in WWII. http://t.co/OlNomF7TSK #TCOT

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) May 3, 2014

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann Calls on Secretary of State John Kerry to Resign

Via Israel Matzav.

She's awesome. Remember, Rep. Bachmann lived in Israel. She hits it out of the park with her comments here. Wow.



Previously Kerry "apartheid" blogging here.

Radical Feminists Take Down Nuts Magazine, Leading British 'Lads Mag'

Perhaps other business issues were at play, but clearly the boycott campaign by bitter, ugly feminists played a huge role in the demise of this 10-year-old institution of men's interest publications.

At Independent UK, "Nuts final issue: Lucy Pinder cries on the front cover as the lads' mag."

Last year, the Lose the Lad Mags campaign was launched which called for the ban of such publications in high-street shops. The Co-Operative chain said that it would only sell such magazines if they were sealed in plastic bags. While Loaded complied, Nuts, Zoo and Front refused to acquiesce and consequently had their publications pulled from the store’s shelves.

Actually, I thought Nuts would weather the storm, but the magazine's circulation is down dramatically from ten years ago, when over 300,000 British men enjoyed each issue. Britain has its share of Lads Mags (so, competition), and interestingly, Nutz gave a shout out to Zoo, it's main rival, in the final edition. Last year Nuts announced that the magazine would not bow to demands to wrap its product in "modesty covers," and perhaps at that time it knew the end was near:

"As has been widely reported in the media in recent weeks, this is no longer a question of whether or not you like men's magazines, it is a question of how far you can restrict the public's ability to consume free and legal media before it becomes censorship."

The Nutz website has been taken down as well.

Check my "Lads Mag" search for more on the British feminist left's campaign of totalitarian censorship.

And at the Other McCain, "British Left’s War on ‘Page Three Girls’."

LOL! Prof. William Jacobson Rips Idiot @EricBoehlert on 'War Criminal' Hillary Clinton's 'Mushroom Cloud...'

#LiberalRacism.

I'm almost flummoxed at how tone (as in "skin tone") deaf are the racist, eliminationist regressives.

Following-up my previous entry, "#LiberalRacism: Condoleezza Rice Bullied Out of Rutgers Commencement."

I just saw this hilarious Twitter exchange via William Jacobson, at Legal Insurrection, "“College campuses essentially operate on mob rule at this point”":

@EricBoehlert Does that apply to Hillary?

— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) May 3, 2014

.@EricBoehlert " can you send me Hillary's "Mushroom Cloud" TV appearance" http://t.co/o2BN651i1H

— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) May 3, 2014

Be sure to tweet that to @MMfA and @EricBoehlert, the depraved, hate-addled liberal racist.

Yet more disgusting left-wing racism. One standard for whites like Hillary Clinton and another one for blacks like Condi Rice.

#LiberalRacism: Condoleezza Rice Bullied Out of Rutgers Commencement

Another day, another vile liberal racist eruption of hate.

At Newark's Star-Ledger, "Condoleezza Rice pulls out of giving Rutgers commencement speech":

Racist liberal students at @RutgersU win. RT @NROcorner: EXCLUSIVE: Rice Withdraws from Rutgers Commencement http://t.co/nF8OL8bUC4
— Marooned in Marin (@MaroonedInMarin) May 3, 2014

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice backed out of giving Rutgers University's commencement speech today amid growing opposition among the school's students and faculty.

In a statement, Rice said she informed Rutgers President Robert Barchi that she has decided not to give the May 18 address.

“Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families. Rutgers' invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time," Rice said.

"I am honored to have served my country. I have defended America's belief in free speech and the exchange of ideas. These values are essential to the health of our democracy. But that is not what is at issue here," she said. "As a Professor for thirty years at Stanford University and as its former Provost and Chief academic officer, I understand and embrace the purpose of the commencement ceremony and I am simply unwilling to detract from it in any way."

Rice wished good luck to the Rutgers graduates.

About two hours later, Rutgers officials released their own statement.

"While Rutgers University stands fully behind the invitation to Dr. Rice to be our commencement speaker and receive an honorary degree, we respect the decision she made and clearly articulated in her statement this morning," Barchi said. "Now is the time to focus on our commencement, a day to celebrate the accomplishments and promising futures of our graduates. We look forward to joining them and their families on May 18, 2014."

Barchi said more details about the commencement will be announced in the coming days. Rutgers has two weeks to come up with a new commencement speaker.

Added: At Twitchy, "Brit Hume, others slam Rutgers mob’s ‘sickening’ shut-uppery of Condoleezza Rice."

Wonder how graduates of #Rutgers feel about pushing away an accomplished black woman? I thought progressives were supposed to be tolerant.
— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonDC) May 3, 2014

Added: From Robert Stacy McCain, "The Left’s Mob Rule on Campus."

Krauthammer: White House Benghazi E-mail 'Equivalent' to 'Nixon Tapes'

At the Heritage Foundation.

And from Stephen Hayes, at the Weekly Standard, "Boehner to Form Select Committee on Benghazi."

V. Stiviano: Donald Sterling Should Apologize for Racist Remarks — #LiberalRacism

At USA Today, "V. Stiviano sits down for interview with Barbara Walters."

I'm still trying to figure this woman out, and this interview is frankly bizarre.

Kate Upton Shoots for Sports Illustrated in the Cook Islands

At London's Daily Mail, "'My butt doesn't get much attention': Kate Upton discusses the bottom line as she shoots for Sports Illustrated in the Cook Islands."

L.A's NAACP Chief Resigns Over Donald Sterling Ties — #LiberalRacism

Epic leftist hypocrisy.

The Los Angeles Times has been on the chapter's case, "Donald Sterling's ties to NAACP under scrutiny after race recording."

This Jenkins dude's been shaking down Sterling despite the latter's long history of liberal racism. Shameless. Leftists simply have no shame.

And here's this morning's report, "Head of L.A. NAACP quits over ties to Donald Sterling."

Also at Fire Andrea Mitchell, "NAACP-LA President Leon Jenkins resigns for sucking up to Donald Sterling."

17-Month-Old Baby Attacked by Rattlesnake Near San Diego

The heat's bringing out the serpents, and the child, playing outside at his parents 3-acre homestead, got in harm's way.

At NBC San Diego, "Infant Bitten Multiple Times by Rattlesnake: Cal Fire."

Extra: At KPBS, "It’s Rattlesnake Bite Season In San Diego County, Health Officials Warn."

A Question for Milquetoast Conservatives!

At Cold Fury, "Setup: the Empire strikes back."

Hat Tip: Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler, "'Conservatives' Continue to be Pig Ignorant Easy Targets for Alinsky…"

Josh Rogan: 'Damn Right I Taped Kerry’s 'Apartheid' Talk...'

A great piece.

Rogan's got chutzpah, at the Daily Beast.

PREVIOUSLY: "Secretary of State John Kerry Excoriated for Israel 'Apartheid' Slur."

Beverly Hills Liberal Donald Sterling Speaks Out — #LiberalRacism

At Du Jour, "DONALD STERLING SPEAKS UP":

#DonaldSterling tells DuJour, "I wish I had just paid her off." Full story here: http://t.co/5cTK4o29Qq

— DuJour (@DuJourMedia) May 2, 2014

The embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner on what he’d do differently": The embattled Los Angeles Clippers owner on what he’d do differently": While the dust in Los Angeles has yet to settle after recent revelations of Clippers owner Don Sterling’s regrettable remarks, nothing about the future of Sterling or the team is certain.

Some observers claim the NBA lacks the authority to force Sterling to sell the team while others, like basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabar, are questioning why the billionaire’s private conversations are being aired in public at all.

And while it could be weeks before any definite decisions are made about the future of the Clippers—Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon and Sean Combs are all said to be interested in buying the team—during an exclusive discussion with DuJour’s Jason Binn, Sterling expressed remorse for the way his situation’s unfurled. Speaking of girlfriend Vanessa Stiviano, who released to the media audio footage of Sterling on a racist tirade, Sterling says, “I wish I had just paid her off.”

Expect to hear more from Sterling, who tells DuJour he’s limiting himself to interviews with Barbara Walters and the NBA.

Also at USA Today, "Donald Sterling to 'DuJour' magazine: 'I wish I had just paid her off'."

And at the New York Post, "Sterling: 'I wish I had just paid her off'."

Donald Sterling speaks out: "I wish I had just paid her off" http://t.co/0qsqk93uDH

— New York Post (@nypost) May 2, 2014

And CBS Los Angeles.

Donald Sterling Reportedly Breaks Silence Amid Scandal: http://t.co/0vbmbhmxte

— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) May 2, 2014

I'll have updates...

#Benghazi, Lies and Videotape

From Nonie Darwish, at Frontpage Magazine:

Shocking White House emails released to the public Tuesday by government watchdog group Judicial Watch shed new light on the Obama administration’s brazen dishonesty with the public about the deadly Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Statements from top Obama adviser Ben Rhodes confirm what critics have long alleged: that the Obama administration’s to priority in the wake of the attack was not to seek justice for the fallen or confront the threat to our nation, but to lie to the public about the nature of the attack in order to improve President Obama’s image in an election year.

It is the tragedy of our times that that the US government advocated the video excuse as a justification for the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi — or even the attack on the US embassy in Cairo on 9/11/12. It should be common knowledge to Western governments by now that Islamic leadership habitually justifies Islamic terrorism as a reaction to some kind of injustice or offense perpetrated against Muslims. This happens all the time in the commission of terrorist attacks or after they have been perpetrated. But instead of exposing the Islamic lie as usual, America facilitated the terrorists’ excuses. This is not a bad deal for jihadists who are only too happy to see nations victimized by terror defend jihad on behalf of Muslims.

As a matter of fact, Muslims over many centuries have trained Coptic Christians and other Middle East oppressed minorities to blame themselves for Islamic jihad and to ignore the obvious Islamic jihad violence.

Since jihad against other nations is a violation of international law, Muslims have discovered that they have no choice but to lie about their motivation and religious obligation to engage in jihad. It is not the author of this article who is saying this about Muslim culture, but the Islamic law books themselves; they clearly state that Muslims are obliged to lie if it is for the benefit of Islam.

Lying to justify jihad comes to people of the Middle East naturally and without hesitation. Even I was guilty of protecting Islamic jihad at any cost when I used to be a young journalist in the Middle East years ago. Lying to protect Islam has thus developed into a virtue that comes naturally to Muslims after centuries of forced practice of the Sharia obligation — and most Muslims no longer realize the connection to Sharia nor realize that what they are saying is lying.

Muslims shamelessly justified 9/11 with incredible fabricated stories about oppression of Muslims, America’s foreign policy, the occupation, etc. But when such excuses were discredited, the Muslim leadership never gave up and, until today, continues the blame game. The versions range from how Arabs could not have accomplished such a sophisticated terror attack by airplanes (their favorite excuse) to how 9/11 was a Jewish conspiracy or that the American government itself is behind it, etc.

No one in the Bush administration was so reckless as to buy any of the Arab excuses. Even NYC mayor at the time, Rudy Guiliani, would not accept a $10 million donation for disaster relief from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal after the prince suggested U.S. policies in the Middle East contributed to the September 11 attacks. America cannot afford to collaborate with Arab excuses over terrorism under any circumstances. If America accepts Islamic excuses for terror it is not just an invitation to more terror, but it is descending to the level of banana republics, which fool their own people into believing lies.

Western nations have always understood this pathological Islamic game and never bought it — until Sept 11, 2012, when the Obama administration coordinated an excuse for the violent attacks on the US Embassy in Cairo to avoid the embarrassment that al-Qaeda was alive and well even in Egypt, which was headed by the Muslim Brotherhood at the time. It was the first time in US history that one could see the US government not only buying the jihadist excuse, but also facilitating it...

Utterly treasonous. And all for politics. Depraved.

Still more here.

Plus, from Stephen Hayes, at the Weekly Standard, "Benghazi Lies."

Victims of Communism Day — #MayDay

From Ilya Somin, at Volokh:

Today is May Day. Since 2007, I have advocated using this date as an international Victims of Communism Day. I outlined the rationale for this idea (which I did not originate) in my very first post on the subject:

May Day began as a holiday for socialists and labor union activists, not just communists. But over time, the date was taken over by the Soviet Union and other communist regimes and used as a propaganda tool to prop up their regimes. I suggest that we instead use it as a day to commemorate those regimes’ millions of victims. The authoritative Black Book of Communism estimates the total at 80 to 100 million dead, greater than that caused by all other twentieth century tyrannies combined. We appropriately have a Holocaust Memorial Day. It is equally appropriate to commemorate the victims of the twentieth century’s other great totalitarian tyranny. And May Day is the most fitting day to do so...

More.

Also from Gabriella Hoffman, at Town Hall, "Communists Aren’t Cool: Honor Victims of Communism This May Day."

BONUS: "‘Die yuppie scum’: Anarchists, illegal aliens march through Seattle [pics]."

#Sterling Could Face $360 Million Tax Hit on Clippers Sale, Hindering #NBA Push to Terminate Ownership

Today's New York Times feature a sensational front-page report on the high-dollar celebrity interest in the Los Angeles Clippers, "Stars’ Newest Must-Have Item: The Clippers."

But it's doubtful that Donald Sterling will relinquish the team without a fight. See Bleacher Report, "Donald Sterling Reportedly Will Sue NBA If Forced to Sell Clippers."

Frankly no matter how combative and cantankerous he is, no matter how big a fight he puts up, I suspect the prospect of massive tax savings from keeping the team is one of the biggest factors working against NBA moves to force a sale.

See the Los Angeles Times, "Donald Sterling could tie Clippers sale up in court":

If NBA owners ultimately vote to oust Donald Sterling and the embattled Clippers boss decides to fight back, the resulting litigation could drag on for years and set a precedent for American professional sports, legal experts said Wednesday.

While Sterling appears to face long odds in challenging his lifetime ban and $2.5-million fine, legal experts and lawyers who have faced the NBA in court see a more viable case when it comes to opposing a forced sale.

Sterling could seek an immediate injunction, then file suit raising breach of contract or antitrust claims.

If that happens, the courts will find little or no precedent for a team owner facing expulsion because of offensive comments about race.

"We're in a part of sports law where there isn't a playbook," said Michael McCann, a sports law professor at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. "We're in uncharted territory."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the fine and ban Tuesday and said he would encourage the other 29 owners to force the Clippers owner to sell. A three-quarters vote is needed to oust an owner.

The team is owned by the Sterling Trust, which includes Sterling, his estranged wife, Rochelle, and two living children. A Clippers spokesman did not provide percentages of voting rights or other details.

Banned from attending games or having any involvement as owner, Sterling could be motivated to hang on to the team if only for tax reasons. If he were to sell at an estimated $1billion, capital gains and state taxes could exceed $360 million, said Gary Slavett, a Beverly Hills tax attorney.

A large share of those taxes could be avoided if the owner bequeaths the franchise to his family upon death.

Sterling did not respond to a request for comment left at his Beverly Hills office. Two attorneys who have represented him in the past also did not respond to requests for comment.

More.

#Democrats on Thin Ice in 2014

I've been meaning to get back to my regular campaign blogging, but Democrat and liberal racists keep popping out of the KKK woodshed. Indeed, there's more on that in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, here's A.B. Stoddard, at the Hill.

RELATED: From Ronald Brownstein, at National Journal, "Poll Shows Problems for Obama, Peril for Senate Democrats."

'Feeling That Way'

From Tuesday morning's drive-time, at the Sound L.A.

Enjoy. I'll have more explosive reporting on all the leftist scandals, racism and hypocrisy tonight!

Tiny Dancer Elton John 6:54 AM

Feeling That Way/Anytime Journey 6:48 AM

Breakdown Tom Petty 6:45 AM

Dude (Looks Like a Lady) Aerosmith 6:39 AM

Eleanor Rigby The Beatles 6:36 AM

Another One Bites the Dust Queen 6:26 AM

Oye Como Va Santana 6:22 AM

Life In the Fast Lane (Live) Eagles 6:17 AM

Nights In White Satin The Moody Blues 6:10 AM

Oh My! @MSNBC's Krystal Ball: 'Animal Farm' Actually a Parable About Greedy Capitalists (Bumped)

I know.

The mind reels.

This woman is literally brainless. Piketty's book is titled "Capital" for a reason.

From Darleen Click, at Protein Wisdom, "Positively Orwellian":

"Even the aghast and ostensibly economically literate The Wall Street Journal tells him to read Animal Farm. Animal Farm, hmm. Isn't that Orwell's political parable of farm animals where a bunch of pigs hog up all the economic resources, tell the animals they need the food because they're the makers and then scare up a prospect of a phony boogie man every time their greed is challenged? Sounds familiar. Hey conservatives, it's time to stop the childish Cold War name-calling and deal with facts. Either that or be relegated to the kids and the crazy uncle table at holiday dinners."

Huh?

Look, even the left-wing editors at Wikipedia get it right:

Animal Farm is an allegorical and dystopian novel by George Orwell, published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalin era in the Soviet Union. Orwell, a democratic socialist, was an outspoken critic of Joseph Stalin and, especially after experiences with the NKVD and the Spanish Civil War, he was actively opposed to the controversial ideology of Stalinism. The Soviet Union, he believed, had become a brutal dictatorship, built upon a cult of personality and enforced by a reign of terror. In a letter to Yvonne Davet, Orwell described Animal Farm as a satirical tale against Stalin "un conte satirique contre Staline", and in his essay "Why I Write" (1946), he wrote that Animal Farm was the first book in which he had tried, with full consciousness of what he was doing, "to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole".

VIDEO: Via National Review.

We're Coming for You, John Boehner

From Richard Viguerie, at Politico, "I've been a GOP insurgent for 50 years. And I'm not done yet."

ABC's Jonathan Karl Eviscerates White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on #Benghazi

At Twitchy, "‘Asking real questions’: ABC News’ Jonathan Karl takes squirming Jay Carney ‘to the woodshed’ [video]."

MUST WATCH: Jon Karl vs. Jay Carney on Benghazi http://t.co/KLRYjw7iqr

— Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) April 30, 2014

More, "‘Unbelievable’! ‘Lying liar’ Jay Carney ties himself in knots over Benghazi email."

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to 'Get Help' After New Crack Smoking Video Surfaces

It's all over at Memeorandum.

But Blazing Cat Fur has the essentials, "Oh well... Mayor Rob Ford 'ready to take a break'... Nah he's done for good."

Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams Arrested

I saw this and I'm like, "Huh. The 1980s are calling..."

At the New York Times, "Gerry Adams Questioned Over Murder From 1972."

Narcissistic Rage, Envy and Revenge at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

At Director Blue.

Two Wealthy Leftists Go to a Ritzy Hotel Serving $16 Cocktails to Discuss Income Inequality...

Heh.

I love this, at AoSHQ:

Matthew Yglesias informs us that Thomas Pinketty is not a Marxist, but rather is a fan of capitalism...

This is what Matt Yglesias calls "Voxsplaining the News."

RTWT (if for nothing more but the hilarious mock-Yglesias photo).