Dude, Where's My Tax Cut?

Don't go spending that windfall of $13 a week just yet, especially if you haven't read the fine print on your gubmint warranty.

Smoke, meet mirror.

Millions of Americans enjoying their small windfall from President Barack Obama's "Making Work Pay" tax credit are in for an unpleasant surprise next spring.

The government is going to want some of that money back.

The tax credit is supposed to provide up to $400 to individuals and $800 to married couples as part of the massive economic recovery package enacted in February. Most workers started receiving the credit through small increases in their paychecks in the past month.

But new tax withholding tables issued by the IRS could cause millions of taxpayers to get hundreds of dollars more than they are entitled to under the credit, money that will have to be repaid at tax time.

At-risk taxpayers include a broad swath of the public: married couples in which both spouses work; workers with more than one job; retirees who have federal income taxes withheld from their pension payments and Social Security recipients with jobs that provide taxable income.

That basically is known as the American people, also known as suckers.

Instapundit link. Thanks!

Heh: Fox's 'Lie to Me' Wins 8 pm Timeslot While Obama Lied to Everyone Else

Sure, you can quibble that Obama's combined audience was greater than Fox's 'Lie to Me' airing opposite him, but Fox had better ratings than any other network during Wednesday night's 8 pm Eastern time slot.

FOX Lie to Me 2.4/7 2.1/7 7.88
CW Top Model 1.8/6 2.1/7 4.00
ABC Obama 1.6/5 1.4/5 6.12
CBS Obama 1.5/5 0.9/3 6.01
NBC Obama 1.6/5 1.1/4 6.68
UNI Obama 1.3/4 1.3/4 3.224

Smart move by Fox ignoring Obama's self-congratulatory, albeit inept, presser.

Of course if you're still reading newspaper sycophants, well, it was the best press conference in the history of mankind.

Thanks to Ace and Instapundit for the links.

'You Are So Hot'

This allegedly is the line Rielle Hunter used to pick up that hottie John Edwards. How do we know? Well, his wife says it's so.

Elizabeth, 59, who is terminally ill with cancer, speaks in far more detail than before about her husband's infidelity in her new memoir, "Resilience," due to be published May 12 by Broadway Books. A copy was obtained by the Daily News.

Despite feeling deeply deceived, Elizabeth Edwards nonetheless publicly stood by her husband's side, lending his candidacy the aura of a warm, loving family life.

But she had actually wanted him to quit the race to protect the family. Edwards admitted the hanky-panky to her days after declaring his candidacy in 2006 - almost a year before the National Enquirer reported it.

She was afraid of the destructive questions Edwards' affair with videographer Rielle Hunter would raise.

Later events proved her right. "He should not have run," she says.

Edwards did not publicly admit the affair until last August - seven months after he quit the race, and the National Enquirer had reported he was the father of Hunter's infant daughter.

Edwards denied paternity, and his wife's book doesn't address that issue.

But it does highlight Elizabeth Edwards' anger and sorrow at being duped by a man whose four children she'd borne and whose political ambitions she'd passionately supported for so many years.

Hunter initially seduced Edwards using a worn come-on line, Elizabeth writes:

"You are so hot," Hunter told him outside a swank New York hotel. The campaign ultimately paid Hunter $114,000 to produce a batch of short films on his candidacy.

She lashes out at Hunter, now 45, whose name she never actually uses in the book, as a parasitic groupie who invaded the Edwardses' life.

Her own life may be tragic, she concludes, but Hunter's is "pathetic."

If Hunter is pathetic, what does that make a guy who cheats on his cancer-stricken wife?

'Flamboyant Monks' Get Some Etiquette Lessons

I guess the proper ways to sashay and accessorize aren't included in these etiquette lessons.

SENIOR Thai monks are to teach Buddhist etiquette to homosexual novices to help curb "flamboyant" behaviour including wearing lipstick and overly tightening their saffron robes.

They said numerous reports of new monks plucking their eyebrows into a feminine arch, walking with a exaggerated swing of the hips and carrying handbags were all sullying the reputation of the conservative Buddhist faith.

"The aim of teaching them etiquette is to educate them on how they should act, talk, eat and dress properly," leading preacher Phra Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi, who is launching the behaviour classes next month, said.

"The biggest concerns are they don't walk properly, they wear lipstick... and carry colourful bags. Some also indulge in sexual behaviour," he said.

But Phra Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi said that, while monks found to have sex in their sleeping quarters would be thrown out, homosexuality itself was not banned.

"Otherwise more than half of them would be defrocked," he said.

Eight-Year-Old Granted a Divorce

She's now free to enjoy third grade.

AN eight-year-old Saudi girl who was sold into marriage by her father has been given a divorce after an international outcry over the case, Saudi media reports.

The marriage of the girl to a man reportedly in his 50s was annulled on Wednesday in out-of-court settlement overseen by a new judge in the city of Onaiza, after the original judge in the case refused to bend to pressure to grant the divorce, several newspapers reported.

Riyadh newspaper said the settlement was reached after the intervention in the case by an unidentified "important personality".

The girl's father had sold her last year to the man in exchange for a dowry.

When her mother found out, she petitioned the court for a divorce for the girl.

The judge twice rejected her case - though he stipulated that the marriage could only be consummated after the girl attained puberty.

An appeals court sent the case back to the judge suggesting he reconsider, but he ruled again last week against divorce.

The case garnered strong criticism from international rights groups and foreign diplomats raised the issue quietly with the Saudi government, according to AFP sources.

Luckiest Gal in the World

Just imagine being married to this insufferable lout for 13 years. I hope she is handsomely rewarded for all her pain and suffering.

THE misery is over for Robin Wright, the long-suffering wife of Sean Penn. The two-time Oscar-winner is divorcing the mother of his two children, Dylan and Hopper Jack. "Extra" reports he filed for legal separation last Friday. This comes as no surprise to Petra Nemcova, Helena Christensen, Ines Misan, Naomi Campbell and Natalie Portman, who all befriended Penn during his 13-year marriage to Wright.

Stunner: Not Everything About Miss California is Real

Hmm, I wonder why this is relevant news?

Miss California USA Carrie Prejean may have decidedly traditional views about marriage, but plastic surgery ... well, that's a different story.

The pageant princess was gifted with a new pair of knockers six weeks before competing in the Miss USA competition, Miss California pageant directors confirmed to "Access Hollywood."

And they should know - they paid for 'em.

Despite the bosum boost, Prejean was the first runner-up for the Miss USA crown. The blonde bombshell later blamed her second place finish on her conservative answer on whether states should legalize gay marriage.

Scandalous! Next thing you know we'll find out she secretly has her teeth whitened.

Linked at Instapundit. Thanks!

Swine Flu Fear Grips Egypt, Pigs Hardest Hit

Nothing like a calm, reasoned response to the flu outbreak.

Egypt began slaughtering the roughly 300,000 pigs in the country Wednesday as a precaution against swine flu even though no cases have been reported here, infuriating farmers who blocked streets and stoned vehicles of Health Ministry workers who came to carry out the government's order.

The measure was a stark expression of the panic the deadly outbreak is spreading around the world, especially in poor countries with weak public health systems. Egypt responded similarly a few years ago to an outbreak of bird flu, which is endemic to the country and has killed two dozen people.

At one large pig farming center just north of Cairo, scores of angry farmers blocked the street to prevent Health Ministry workers in trucks and bulldozers from coming in to slaughter the animals. Some pelted the vehicles with rocks and shattered their windshields and the workers left without killing any pigs.

"We remind Hosni Mubarak that we are all Egyptians. Where does he want us to go?" said Gergis Faris, a 46-year-old pig farmer in another part of Cairo who collects garbage to feed his animals. "We are uneducated people, just living day by day and trying to make a living, and now if our pigs are taken from us without compensation, how are we supposed to live?"

Most in the Muslim world consider pigs unclean animals and do not eat pork because of religious restrictions. One Islamic militant Web site carried comments Wednesday saying swine flu was God's revenge against "infidels."

Pigs are banned entirely in some Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Libya. However in other parts of the Muslim world, they are often raised by religious minorities who can eat pork.

Novel Ahmadinejad Campaign Slogan: 'Yes We Can'

Aw, it looks like Barack Obama has a special admirer.

Barack Obama's offer of a hand of friendship to Iran after 30 years of hostility may have met with a sceptical public response from Tehran. But now a rapprochement of sorts may be under way amid evidence that the US president's can-do electioneering tactics have struck a chord with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Obama's signature campaign slogan, Yes We Can, has been replicated by the Iranian president in a promotional video issued for Iran's presidential poll on 12 June, when Ahmadinejad is seeking re-election.

The video features a cover picture of Ahmadinejad wearing his trademark white jacket and pointing to the Farsi phrase Ma Mitavanim (We Can) on a blackboard. The film is aimed at students and capitalises on his former status as a university lecturer.

It also shows the swarthy munchkin going topless at the beach, video of him raining threes on the hardwood and plenty of golfing video.

Secretary Nincompoop's Worst Fears Being Realized

I am sure this is causing DHS secretary Janet Napolitano some sleepless nights, because we know the open borders doesn't. There is a rise in conservative right wing groups on *gasp* college campuses.

A student group that bills itself as "America's right wing youth movement" focused on countering radical multiculturism, socialism and mass immigration is causing a stir on a growing number of college campuses across the country.

The ultra-conservative political group Youth for Western Civilization is currently organized on at least seven university campuses. According to its Web site, the group hopes to inspire Western youth on the "basis of pride in their American and Western heritage," counter and ultimately defeat "leftism on campus" and create a social movement in which a right-wing subculture is an alternative to what it calls a "poisonous and bigoted" campus climate.

There are some brave young folks out there. They are not only having to battle the entrenched liberals in the halls of academia but risk running afoul of the highly vaunted Homeland Security. They have already drawn the attention of one of the most racist, pretending to be unbiased observers, organizations out there, the Southern Poverty Law Center. For those outside of the south, you probably aren't that aware of this group, but they are a thorn in the side of politicians down her. I think at one time right after hurricane Katrina they had FEMA on their watch list.

Officials at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which identifies and tracks hate groups in the U.S., told FOXNews.com that the YWC is not currently on its list, but some of the group's views are "suspect," including the notion that Western civilization is somehow superior.

If DHS had an actual list of right wing extremist groups it would probably be a faxed copy they received from this group. As far as I know, the SPLC doesn't know of any left wing hate groups.

I visited the groups web site and there isn't much there. If there is something more sinister we need to know, but so far I don't see that from this group.

Surprise! Michelle 'Guns' Obama Joins People 'Most Beautiful' List

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and apparently these judges are blind.

Michelle Obama, who has achieved celebrity status and has wowed the world as a fashion icon, made the list for the first time.
...
Also included in a "Barack's Beauties" section were White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and others.

They truly are the beautiful people.

Even the White House chef made the list.

Led by first lady Michelle Obama, with an assist from her guns, a group of Washington power players made up People's list of "Barack's Beauties." She was joined by White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House Chef Sam Kass.

Somehow Carrie Prejean didn't make the list. Sarah Palin was overlooked but her impersonator is on the list and, most egregiously, one of our favorite babes isn't mentioned in any news stories, rendering this list meaningless.

Norks Celebrate 100 Days of Change by Threatening to Enrich Uranium

Kim Jong "Mentally" Il might by a psychopathic nutcase, but he can read Obama like Mao's Little Red Book. Last month when Barack Obama absurdly called for the end of nukes, the little freakazoid lobbed a long-range rocket. Today, on Obama's 100th day of fecklessness laughably called Smart Power, Dear Leader threatened to start up his uranium enrichment program again.

Ah, thank goodness the world loves us again.

North Korea said Wednesday that it would start an uranium enrichment program, declaring for the first time that it intended to pursue a second project unless the United Nations lifted sanctions.

Calling the Security Council “a tool for the U.S. highhanded and arbitrary practices,” North Korea also threatened to conduct nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

It would take North Korea months to prepare a nuclear or ballistic missile test, and some Western intelligence agencies suspect that North Korea has already been pursuing a covert uranium-based nuclear program in parallel to its known plutonium-based program. New nuclear tests would use up some of North Korea’s fissile material, but give it more information to improve its technology, as would new missile tests.

By making public threats, the North used a familiar tactic to raise the stakes in the standoff between itself and Washington. Analysts say the country needs outside aid to feed its own people and outside enemies to justify its harsh rule. Since the collapse of the Soviet bloc, when North Korea lost most of its trade partners and aid providers, the impoverished country has used threats as a survival tactic. (When the United States and South Korea provide the North with aid, the government internally tells its people that the “enemies come groveling with tributes.”).

I wonder if any of the slobbering media Obama deigns to call on tonight will mention this?

Employee of the Month

Some folks just aren't made for customer service.

A worker at Radio Shack was arrested for punching a customer.

Officers arrested 52-year-old James Knol of Eau Claire on Sunday night for disorderly conduct and battery.

According to the police report, 56-year-old Leigh Carey was trying to return something at the Radio Shack on Clairemont Avenue.

Carey told investigators Knol wouldn't let him, so he asked to talk to a manager.

That's when he says Knol started punching him and a witness called 911.

Political Castaway's 100 Day Assessment

Read the Political Castaway's review of Barack Obama's first 100 days. For all the slobbering and fawning you see in the media, you won't get an in-depth analysis like this.

Here's the PDF. Read it all when you get the chance. Some well-researched information that can come in handy when trying to have a conversation with a braindead Obamaton.

Some pundits have declared the first 100 days of the Obama presidency to have been a success. While it is true that he has fulfilled some promises and has had some political victories, those accomplishments, when analyzed critically, are demonstrably harmful to the country. In fact, there are few critical decisions that the President has made over the course of the first 100 days of his administration that have not compromised our national security or worsened an already weak economic condition.

As a result, it is difficult to come to any conclusion other than that the President has suffered from a historically bad first 100 days, setting the stage for a potentially calamitous remainder of his term.

Happy 100 Daze: Obama Economy Shrinks 6.1%

The economy shrinks at 6.1% while Obama's spending and ego increases exponentially. Of course he'll blame Bush and the media will give him a free pass, although it should be the last one he gets.

Put on your big boy pants now, Mr. Presidunce, and take some responsibility for once in your life.

The U.S. economy contracted at a surprisingly sharp 6.1 percent rate in the first quarter as exports and business inventories plummeted.

The drop in gross domestic product, reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, was much steeper than the 4.9 percent annual rate expected by economists and followed a 6.3 percent decline in the fourth quarter.

GDP, which measures total goods and services output within U.S. borders, has now dropped for three straight quarters for the first time since 1974-1975.

Curiously missing from this 19-paragraph story? The name Barack Obama.

C'mon. The guy gets credit for everything from the sun rising to the sun setting, and he's not even mentioned in this story? Just a hunch, but I'll go out on a limb and say that if the economy showed improvement Obama would be getting all the credit. Instead, things worsen and his name isn't mentioned.

Advice for the Ladies

We get some feedback here about being cheap and tawdry for showing photos of hot babes and as a service to our female readers who may tire of Megan Fox photos, today we bring you some advice on how to get by in the workplace.

BUSINESSWOMEN clueless about how much leg to show at the office can now turn to Forbes for advice. The magazine's frothy new spinoff, ForbesWoman, out next week, advises females to avoid showing "the beauty minefields: scaly skin, poorly maintained toenails and cracked heels, to name a distasteful few." Also verboten is the dreaded "shrimp cocktail effect," in which toes hang over the front of the sandals. "That's the worst, isn't it?" Manhattan stylist Sarah Shirley tells the mag. "Nothing looks trashier."

Oh, and on casual Friday please avoid the dreaded muffin top.

Illustrating Obama's 'Massive' Budget Cuts

This more than says it all. Remember this tonight if you have the stomach to watch his self-congratulatory press conference.

H/T AP on Twitter.

The Second Wave of Attack on Manhattan

Obama comes in low on the EIB Building, adjacent to Madison Square Garden. I figured they first would have had Michelle fly over on her broom leaving a message of Surrender Rush. I think the EIB Southern Command may want to be on high alert.

Meanwhile, Rep. Darrell Issa's office is having some fun with this.

More here, via Instapundit.

'The Day When Swine Flew'

Charles Hurt lays the big hurt on the Arlen Specter, who so graciously handed Barack Obama more unchecked power than LBJ or Jimmy Carter ever had. Read the whole thing, but here's all you need to know about what a snake Specter is.

It was just last month that Benedict Arlen was vowing never to switch parties. The notion of "check and balance" against giving Democrats such absolute power was a "very important principle" to him.

So what changed?

His pollster called and told him that he couldn't win the Republican primary.

Specter, you see, is a world-class "negotiator" who can wrestle with any shred of his conscience and win every time.

He could teach Eliot Spitzer hooker Ashley Dupree a thing or two. At least, she wouldn't compromise on requiring johns to practice safe sex -- even if he was the governor of New York.

For Specter, anything is for sale and everything is negotiable. It's why he has thrived so well and for so long.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are wondering why with both chambers of Congress at his beck and call and the entire press corps in his back pocket, Obama needs Arlen Specter, too.

For more principled conservatives, this will be remembered as the day when Swine flew. They are relieved to be done with the constant thorn in their sides that was "Snarlin' Arlen."

And, of course, they are praying that he will be as helpful to Democrats as he has been to Republicans.

A roundup of opinion on Specter here.

Shocker: Specter is a Hypocrite

When Jim Jeffords jumped ship in 2001 it was none other than Arlen Specter who wanted the rules changed to prevent this from happening in the future. I'm thinking he's happy his proposal never saw the light of day.

Accepting Senator Jeffords ' decision was based on principle for the reasons he gave at his news conference on Thursday morning, a question still remains as to whether any such inducement was offered and whether it played any part in Senator JEFFORDS' decision. Questions on such offers and counteroffers should be considered by Senators and by the Senate in an ethical context, but at this moment I do not see any way to effect such conduct by rulemaking or legislation.

This week's events raise very profound questions for the governance of our country as well as the operation of the Senate. I intend to press a rule change which would preclude a recurrence of this situation and will be discussing with my colleagues the whole idea of inducements as an incentive for a party switch.

It will be interesting to see what inducements Chia Pet Biden offered old Arlen while they were pumping iron at the gym.

Wife Takes Deputy's Patrol Car for Joyride ... With Predictable Results

Good Lord, get a load of this crew.

A veteran Polk County deputy turned in his badge Monday after his wife and mother-in-law were accused of taking his patrol car for a joyride in Lakeland.

Jail records show Deputy Charles Buckner's wife, Gail Buckner, is a convicted felon. A man riding in the back seat of the stolen patrol car also is a convicted felon, reports show.

Charles Bucker, 44, had served 21 years with the Polk County Sheriff's Office, officials said.

Gail Buckner, 38, and her mother, Sharon Cooper, 54, face charges of vehicle theft, theft of a firearm and impersonating a law-enforcement officer, the arrest affidavit shows. Gail Buckner also faces charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Deputies said Alexander James Quintasket, 19, rode in the back seat of the patrol car. He faces charges of grand theft, impersonating a law-enforcement officer, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm or concealed weapon by a convicted felon and resisting an officer without violence.

Wonderful: Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic, Proceeded Anyway

One of those rare times I'm in agreement with Chuckie Schumer.

Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.

In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration's James Johnston said the agency was aware of "the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes" in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor's office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.

"To say that it should not be made public knowing that it might scare people it's just confounding," Sen. Charles Schumer said. "It's what gives Washington and government a bad name. It's sheer stupidity."

The flyover -- apparently ordered by the White House Office of Military Affairs so it would have souvenir photos of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background -- had President Obama seeing red. He ordered a probe and apologized.

The idea Obama had no knowledge of what was happening with his own plane is nonsense. It's just not plausible.

He deliberately allowed this to happen. Probably figures those chumps in New York love him so much already that he can just take a dump on them.

Now, where is the manifest for who was on that plane, Mr. Transparency?

Update: Thanks to Ace, Hot Air for the links.

The tab for this fiasco? How about $328,835?

I just got this info sent to me about the photo op / flyover yesterday with Air Force One ….the one that sent people running in NYC…yes, scared them to death! They now say it was a training mission…hhm….they needed training? and the cost? see (by the way, how much flu vaccination can you get for $325,000+? ) (by the way, I am 100 per cent in favor of the President having well trained pilots flying AF 1 — I am just not convinced on this one…I would like to know more about it.)

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Update: Very interesting, a tape of New York approach controllers and pilots of the presidential VC-25 (Boeing 747-200). (Link fixed)

Flyover Fallout: Obama Orders Review Of His Own Incompetence

After weakly pretending he had no knowledge of Monday's terrifying flyover of lower Manhattan, the grossly incompetent Barack Obama will now compound the error by wasting more taxpayer money on a "review" of this man-caused disaster.

President Barack Obama has ordered an internal review to determine how the decision was made to send of one of his official airplanes on a low-flying photo op past the New York City skyline.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that deputy chief of staff Jim Messina will lead the review. Gibbs said the point is to determine "why that decision was made and to ensure that it never happens again."

So after wasting an untold sum of money on this vanity photo-op we're now going to see some whitewash review likely claiming Obama had no knowledge of anything.

Memo to Louis Caldera: Update your resume.

First order of business from this fiasco: When will we see an accounting of who was on board during this flyover? Were there any compaign contributors getting a joyride?

C'mon, Mr. Transparency, the public wants to know.

Thanks to Ace for the link.

Gateway Pundit also links. Thanks!

Fox Beats MSNBC and CNN Combined for April

No wonder Fox Derangement Syndrome is so prevalent at these low-rated cable outlets. When they're beating the pants off you for 18 hours a day envy can set in.

Who knows, maybe if CNN and MessNBC tried being fair and balanced they might attract a few viewers.

How's this for cable news domination - Fox News beat CNN and MSNBC combined in every hour from 6amET to MidnightET in both Total Viewers and the A25-54 demo for April 2009.

FNC had the top 11 cable news programs in Total Viewers and 12 of the top 15 in the demo. FNC is the #2 network in Total Viewers on all of cable.

From 9amET on, every program grew by more than 60% in the demo. The 5pmET hour, now occupied by Glenn Beck, is up 212% in the demo and up 128% in Total Viewers. Your World with Neil Cavuto is up 102% in the demo and up 60% in Total Viewers. On the Record with Greta Van Susteren is up 75% in demo and up 55% in Total Viewers. Also in demo: FOX Report is up 75%, Special Report 70%, The O'Reilly Factor 74% and Hannity 64%.

Alan Colmes was unavailable for comment.

Poll: Americans Oppose Interrogation Witch-hunt, Favor Keeping Club Gitmo Open

Given a choice, respondents to this latest poll also offered to personally punch in the face these morons seen recently in Washington. I'm down with that.

Most Americans oppose a U.S. congressional investigation into harsh interrogation methods used on terrorism suspects during the Bush administration, a poll said on Tuesday.

A CBS News/New York Times poll found that 62 percent of Americans do not think Congress should hold hearings to investigate the treatment of detainees, about the same proportion as in a similar poll in February.

But no, the Democrats would much prefer to further divide the country, all while claiming they want to bring us together.

The poll found that 89 percent of Republicans opposed Congress holding hearings on interrogation policies, and 60 percent of independents also opposed such hearings. Democrats were more divided, with 46 percent saying Congress should hold hearings, and 51 percent saying they were not necessary.

Most of those surveyed -- 55 percent -- approved of Obama's handling of the threat of terrorism, while 28 percent did not approve.

But the poll found mixed views on Obama's decision to close the Guantanamo Bay U.S. prison for terrorism suspects by next January. The poll found that 47 percent think the prison should remain open, while 44 percent want it to be shut.

Obama on NYC Flyover: 'It Was Something We Found Out About Along With All Of You'

You've got to be kidding me. The President of the United States is actually claiming he had zero knowledge Air Force One would be buzzing the Statue of Liberty.

We now have the full quote. "It was a mistake, as was stated. It was something we found out about along with all of you, and it will not happen again."

All of you he's referring to is the media who, of course, who will blindly believe what he has to say.

Weak. Very weak.

Surprise! Media Lied About KSM Being Waterboarded 183 Times

This piece of garbage may have had water poured on him 183 times, but it wasn't waterboarding.

Let's see how fast all the media outlets and leftwing blogs who breathlessly reported this go and correct themselves.

The New York Times reported last week that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, was waterboarded 183 times in one month by CIA interrogators. The "183 times" was widely circulated by news outlets throughout the world.

It was shocking. And it was highly misleading. The number is a vast inflation, according to information from a U.S. official and the testimony of the terrorists themselves.

A U.S. official with knowledge of the interrogation program told FOX News that the much-cited figure represents the number of times water was poured onto Mohammed's face -- not the number of times the CIA applied the simulated-drowning technique on the terror suspect. According to a 2007 Red Cross report, he was subjected a total of "five sessions of ill-treatment."

"The water was poured 183 times -- there were 183 pours," the official explained, adding that "each pour was a matter of seconds."

The Times and dozens of other outlets wrote that the CIA also waterboarded senior Al Qaeda member Abu Zubaydah 83 times, but Zubayda himself, a close associate of Usama bin Laden, told the Red Cross he was waterboarded no more than 10 times.

Still, for all time the left will repeat the waterboarded 183 times mantra and never cite this report.

Thanks, New York Times, another great service to the nation.

Breaking News: Liberal Becomes a Democrat

Faced with certain defeat in the GOP primary next year, Arlen Specter takes the cowardly way out.

So long, farewell, DLTTHYOTWO.

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.

Specter's decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next Senator from Minnesota. (Former Sen. Norm Coleman is appealing Franken's victory in the state Supreme Court.)

"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary," said Specter in a statement. "I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."

Apparently he wasn't willing enough to take on Pat Toomey inthe GOP primary.

It'll serve him right if he's defeated int he Democrat primary.

Six weeks ago he declared he was staying a Republican.

Sen. Arlen Specter yesterday tried to snuff speculation that he was preparing to bolt the Republican Party in the face of a conservative uprising that threatens his bid for a sixth term.

"To eliminate any doubt, I am a Republican, and I am running for reelection in 2010 as a Republican on the Republican ticket," Specter said in a statement released by his campaign manager.

I guess he was lying.

When Will They Call For Knife Control?

Take a gun away from a killer and you still have a killer. He just finds another way to ply his trade.

It's human nature. Seems the geniuses in New York City haven't figured this out yet.

In 2008, even as gun killings fell, the number of killings committed with knives or other “cutting instruments” rose 50 percent in New York City, the Police Department said: to 125 from 83. Some other large cities saw no such increase last year, and police officials and experts are at a loss to explain what is either a new trend or a spike.

“It is hard to say with certainty what accounts for the increase,” said Paul J. Browne, the chief spokesman for the New York Police Department.

Uh, sorry, Mr. Browne, but it's not really all that hard. You have lenient sentences handed out to marauders who return to the streets to do what they do best: Terrorize people.

It was possible, but hard to document, Mr. Browne said, that measures like undercover gun-trafficking investigations and interrogations, in which people arrested for lower level crimes are asked to provide information on gun cases, had led to the rise in knife killings and the drop in gun slayings.

In 2008, 292 people were shot to death in New York, down from 347 the year before, continuing a longtime slide in deaths by firearms.

Over all, homicides of all kinds rose slightly last year, to 523 from 496 in 2007, which was a 45-year low. So far in 2009, about a quarter of killings in the city have been committed with knives or other cutting instruments, about the same percentage as in 2008. But the overall homicide rate is down: 97 through April 16, the Police Department said, compared with 135 in the same period in 2008.

“We may have made it harder for killers to get their hands on guns,” said Mr. Browne. “Knives are still easily and legally acquired.”

They've also made it harder for law-abiding citizens to get their hands on guns, with which they could probably protect themselves from knife-wielding criminals.

Palin Harassment Continues

Clearly, many people are deathly afraid of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. What else can explain the nonstop badgering and ethics complaints against her? Now it's just getting stupid. Inundated with frivolous ethics complaints, she's set up a legal defense fund, but is now accused of an ethics violation for setting it up.

An ethics complaint filed Monday against Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin claims the legal defense fund formed last week to challenge such claims is an ethics violation itself.

The complaint filed with the attorney general's office seeks an investigation by the state personnel board for violations of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. The complainant, Kim Chatman of Eagle River, claims Palin is misusing the governor's office for personal gain by securing unwarranted benefits and receiving improper gifts.

The governor's office said Monday the new complaint and others filed against Palin or her staff show a disturbing trend in Alaska politics.

"It's obvious the intent with this unprecedented action against the governor is to see her administration paralyzed and for her to declare personal bankruptcy," Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

The new complaint targets the Alaska Fund Trust, which Palin supporter and friend Kristan Cole established last week. Palin has said has said she's accumulated more than $500,000 in legal fees from defending herself against ethics complaints and in Troopergate, the Legislature's probe into the firing of Palin's former public safety commissioner.

Chatman's complaint cites as potential donors the 500,000 supporters signed up for Palin's Facebook account and various political organizations.

"Gov. Palin is perched to improperly receive an enormous amount of money for herself and her family and position a pool of pre-paid defense lawyers organized to deflect consequences of wrongdoings," the complaint says.

Well, if Chatman and her ilk weren't harassing Palin, then there would be no need for a defense fund. Seems to me the fact hundreds of thousands of people are willing to contribute is making Chatman a little jealous.

I recall a certain president named Clinton, along with his wife, had an enormous legal defense fund. I guess only Democrats are allowed to defend themselves.

If you'd like to donate, go here. Seems to me they're going out of their way to keep things honest.

More from Conservatives4Palin, who note Chatman is herself violation ethics rules.

Pelosi's Amnesia

I don't remember, I don't recall,
I have no memory of anything at all

So Nancy Pelosi now claims she had no idea enhanced interrogation methods were being used as far back as 2002. She apparently thinks we're all as dumb as she now appears.

Nancy Pelosi is "pushing back" against charges that she was aware of -- and acquiesced in -- the CIA's harsh interrogations of terrorist detainees nearly from the moment the practice began, reports the Politico Web site. Maybe she's suffering from amnesia.

Maybe, for instance, the speaker doesn't remember that in September 2002, as ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, she was one of four members of Congress who were briefed by the CIA about the interrogation methods the agency was using on leading detainees. "For more than an hour," the Washington Post reported in 2007, "the bipartisan group . . . was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk.

"Among the techniques described," the story continued, "was waterboarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder."

Or maybe the speaker never heard what some of her Democratic colleagues were saying about legal niceties getting in the way of an effective counterterrorism strategy.

"Unfortunately, we are not living in times in which lawyers can say no to an operation just to play it safe," said Democrat Bob Graham, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during the 2002 confirmation hearing of Scott Muller to be the CIA's general counsel. "We need excellent, aggressive lawyers who give sound, accurate legal advice, not lawyers who say no to an otherwise legal opinion just because it is easier to put on the brakes."

Or maybe the speaker forgot that after 9/11, the operative question among Americans, including various media paladins, wasn't whether the Bush administration had gone overboard. On the contrary:

"I asked the president whether he and the country had done enough for the war on terror," writes Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in his book "Bush at War." "The possibility of another major attack still loomed. . . . Was it not possible that he had undermobilized given the threat and the devastation of September 11?" (My emphases.)

Or maybe the speaker missed what former CIA Director (and Bill Clinton appointee) George Tenet writes in his memoir, "At the Center of the Storm," about the CIA interrogation of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed:

"I believe none of these successes [in foiling terrorist plots] would have happened if we had had to treat KSM like a white-collar criminal -- read him his Miranda rights and get him a lawyer who surely would have insisted his client simply shut up. In his initial interrogation by CIA officers, KSM was defiant. 'I'll talk to you guys,' he said, 'after I get to New York and see my lawyer.' Apparently he thought he would be immediately shipped to the United States and indicted in the Southern District of New York. Had that happened, I am confident that we would have obtained none of the information he had in his head about imminent threats to the American people."

Mr. Tenet continues: "From our interrogation of KSM and other senior al Qaeda members . . . we learned many things -- not just tactical information leading to the next capture. For example, more than 20 plots had been put in motion by al Qaeda against U.S. infrastructure targets, including communications nodes, nuclear power plants, dams, bridges and tunnels."

Maybe, too, the speaker no longer recalls what she knew, and when, about the Bush administration's other much-reviled counterterrorist program, the warrantless wiretaps.

None of this rings a bell for Queen Nancy, who's now hot for some Orwellian Truth Commission that will get to the bottom of everything she already knows.

OK, let's play along. How about we indeed have a Truth Commission. Mrs. Pelosi can be the first witness called and when she lies under oath she can be prosecuted for perjury.

Is that what you want, Mrs. Speaker?

Crazed Cabbie Chops Up Brooklyn Woman

OK, there's no mention of this killer's religion, but hedge a guess. Just seems certain people have a thing for chopping off heads and other body parts.

A Brooklyn livery driver apparently obsessed with a woman nearly half his age stabbed her to death, dismembered her body and packed the body parts in plastic bags inside his home, police said Monday.

Saleh Al-Muwallad, 53, was charged with second-degree murder in the grisly slaying Sunday night of Jessica Guidicci, 27, a home care attendant who lived near him in Coney Island that he knew from the frequent rides he used to give her in his car, police and her family said.

Al-Muwallad, who has no previous criminal record, stabbed Guidicci twice in the neck, cut up her body, then called 911, police said.

When officers arrived at his home, he had a chilling message for them: "I killed her - go inside," police said.

Inside the bedroom were four heavy duty plastic bags.

One contained Guidicci's torso, police said, and a second had her limbs. Other parts were in the third bag and her head was in the fourth, police said.

"He made statements implicating himself, including the fact he was angry at her for seeing another man," said New York Police Department Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne.

The victim's friends and relatives said she was not romantically involved with the suspect.

Sudden Surge in Corset Sales

The lovely and talented Megan Fox on the set of something called Jonah Hex. Frankly I could care less about the movie right now. Just thought you might enjoy these photos. She never really takes a bad one.

A nice little morning eye-opener, no?

Thanks to Ace for the link. BTW, for more Fox photos, click her name below and scroll down. You won't be sorry.

Thanks also to Instapundit for the link!

Oh, It's OK Now: White House Was Just Updating File Photo While Terrorizing New Yorkers

Sure, I can see Obama and his wife combing through White House files photos, making sure everything is all up to date lest nobody confuse them with all the tragically unhip people that came before them. They happen upon a file photo of Air Force One and figure, what the heck, this one needs updating.

What could possibly go wrong?

An administration official says a presidential Boeing 747 and a fighter jet flew low near ground zero in New York City Monday because the White House Military Office wanted to update its file photo of the president's plane near the Statue of Liberty.

Doesn't anyone in this most tech-savvy White House have Photoshop skills?

Updating file photos is really that important?

This official said the White House Military Office told the Federal Aviation Administration that it periodically updates file photos of Air Force One near national landmarks, like the statute in New York harbor and the Grand Canyon.

The official requested anonymity to give more details than the official White House announcement that took the blame.

Anonymity? What happened to openness and transparency?

The 100 Daze Celebration: Bumbling Submorons Apologize for NYC Flyover

The incompetents at the Obama White House today apologized for the incredibly idiotic flyover stunt that scared the daylights out of lower Manhattan.

Just imagine the wailing had the Bush White House, or any other for that matter, had ever done something like this there'd be mass firings, Congressional hearings and years of mockery.

Obama? Eh, he'll get a pass.

President Obama's White House was forced to issue an apology Monday after a photo opportunity gone wrong — an Air Force 747 plane did a low flyover lower Manhattan, prompting terrified citizens to flee from their offices and high-profile accusations of government insensitivity.

White House Military Office director Louis Caldera issued a brief statement.

"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision," he said. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, its clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

I though the buck stopped with Dear Leader? Who the hell is Louis Caldera and why the hell is he taking responsibility?

Will anyone in the slobbering media dare ask Obama's TelePrompter about this Wednesday?

The panic started Monday morning when a backup 747 used as Air Force One flew by lower Manhattan with a fighter jet closely following, rattling windows and causing some limited evacuations.

The late afternoon statement came as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg — an Obama ally so far — said he was outraged.

A few hours earlier, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had dodged questions about the incident, saying he hadn't followed it closely.

Some video, via Hot Air.

Savor the panic, Mr. Presidunce.

Cheapskate Obamas Stiff Sidwell Friends

What do you expect from people who are so clueless as to give Gordon Brown useless DVD's and an iPod to the Queen?

When Chelsea Clinton was a student at the Sidwell Friends School, the same school the Obama girls attend, the Clinton family’s involvement with the school’s annual benefit brought in big bucks. In 1996, a round of golf with Bill Clinton went for nearly six figures; another year Chelsea Clinton offered up her babysitting services to the highest bidder.

This past weekend was the Obamas’ first chance to participate in the Sidwell Friends School Dollars for Scholars benefit, and some families who remember the Clintons’ support are disappointed in the Obamas’ first showing.

According to a source with ties to the school, the only items up for bid from the Obamas included a signed copy of the Rolling Stone issue featuring the president and a signed copy of the January Vogue that featured the first lady.

Can we get a little more self-centered? Giving out magazine covers of yourselves?

“There were expectations that they might donate something more personal, like the Clintons did,” said another source who knew about the auction. “Lots of people were disappointed.”

Hey, what can be more personal that autographed photos of these two narcissists?

DoD Photo Op Panics New Yorkers

It's hard to believe what occurred in New York City this morning, but amazingly the Department of Defense set up a photo shoot that had planes flying low and buzzing by the Statue of Liberty.

Naturally, the public wasn't told about this in advance, although the mayor's office knew about it.

Nothing like completely freaking people out.

Some military aircraft flying over lower Manhattan caused a brief scare for residents, workers, and pedestrians on Monday, but CBS 2 has learned the jets were part of a Department of Defense photo shoot and that there is no threat to the city.

According to many callers who flooded CBS 2 with their concerns, at about 10 a.m. the aircraft were seen flying at low altitudes over the Statue of Liberty and parts of lower Manhattan. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that two F-16s escorting a Boeing 747 that beared a similar appearance to Air Force One were part of the Department of Defense photo shoot.

This is completely irresponsible and to not warn people in advance is obscene. You have people panicking and fleeing highrises. What happens is people get hurt in a stampede?

Just ridiculous.

'I Have a Gift, Harry'

He's also got a raging case of megalomania and a TelePrompter wherever he goes.

Everyone knows President Barack Obama can deliver a great speech, including the president himself, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The paperback version of Reid's book, "The Good Fight," is coming out May 5 with an epilogue called "The Obama Era." Reid said he was impressed when Obama, then a freshman senator from Illinois, delivered a speech about President George W. Bush's war policy.

Reid, D-Nev., writes: "'That speech was phenomenal, Barack,' I told him. And I will never forget his response. Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: 'I have a gift, Harry.'"

Update: Since everyone knows what a great speech Obama gives, maybe someone can remind his TelePrompter to stop messing up his inspiring oratory.

Check out this bumbling idiot.



He screws up even with the aid of visual devices and we're to believe he has a gift.

Newspaper Circulation Crumbles

Sure, people are cutting back on non-essential purposes during a bad economy, but I suspect even if were were enjoying a robust economy many of these newspapers would still be losing readers.

But this is as bad as it gets. Check that. It'll probably get worse.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations released this morning the spring figures for the six months ending March 31, 2009, showing that the largest metros continue to shed daily and Sunday circulation -- now at a record rate.

According to ABC, for 395 newspapers reporting this spring, daily circulation fell 7% to 34,439,713 copies, compared with the same March period in 2008. On Sunday, for 557 newspapers, circulation was down 5.3% to 42,082,707. These averages do not include 84 newspapers with circulations below 50,000 due to a change in publishing frequency.

The percent comparisons are for the same period ending in March 2008. (All daily averages are for Monday through Friday.)

Daily circulation at The New York Times dropped 3.5% to 1,039,031. The Times' Sunday circ was down 1.7% to 1,451,233.

The Washington Post lost 1.6% of its daily circ to 665,383 and 2.3% to 868,965.

USA Today, as reported earlier this month, lost 7.4% of its daily circulation to 2,113,725 due to a decline in hotel copies.

Daily circulation at The Wall Street Journal was up a fraction 0.6% to 2,082,189, but this was certainly the exception, not the rule.

Daily circulation at The Boston Globe skidded 13.6% to 302,638 copies. Sunday decreased 11.2% to 466,665.

New York's Daily News was off 14%, but rival New York Post lost even more, at minus 20%. The Star-Ledger of Newark shed over 16%. Newsday, by comparison, lost 3%*.

Daily circulation at The Miami Herald fell 15.8% to 202,122. Sunday is down 13.1% to 270,166.

San Francisco Chronicle shed 15.7% of daily copies to 312,118. Sunday fell 16.5% to 312,118.

Tribune Co. papers rolled out highly touted redesigns in this period, but lost readers. The Chicago Tribune lost 7.4% of its daily circulation to 501,202 and 4.5% on Sunday to 858,256 copies. Circulation plunged at the Los Angeles Times at 6.5% of its daily circulation (Monday through Friday) to 723,181 copies. Sunday was down 7.4% to 1,019,388.

The Philadelphia Inquirer lost 13.7% of its daily circulation to 288,298. Sunday was hit just as hard, down 12% to 550,400. Daily circulation at its sister publication the Daily News fell 7.6% to 99,103. (At the end of March the Inquirer started distributing the Daily News within its pages. The change does not affect the circulation for this period.)

Daily circulation at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution plummeted almost 20% to 261,828. Sunday decreased 7% to 462,011.

The top 25 in circulation are listed here.

These plummeting figures can't be strictly blamed on newspapers losing readers due to a liberal slant, especially when the one paper you could say that has a conservative op-ed slant, the New York Post, dropped 20%. Since the Post is owned by News Corp. (as is the WSJ), I'd expect them to weather this. However, some of these newspapers are hemorrhaging so may readers and losing ad revenue at record rates they just may not survive with a print model. Moving strictly online is already being done with some large dailies and that may be the only avenue of survival at this point.

Linked at Instapundit. Thanks!

NY Teacher's Union Funding ACORN and Working Families Party

Do the teachers in New York State even realize their union dues are going to radical groups such as ACORN and the Working Families Party?

Do they even care? I suspect if they realized the level of corruption within their own ranks they may not be too happy seeing huge chunks of money going to these very suspicious groups.

Next week, a coalition of advocacy groups will bus an army of parents into Albany for a "lobby day" against mayoral control of the city's schools -- a prime example of how Randi Weingarten's teachers' union shapes public perception and policy behind the scenes.

The May 5 event, part of the Campaign for Better Schools, is meant to show lawmakers that there's massive grass-roots opposition to Mayor Bloomberg's stewardship of the school system.

The lead organizer of the Campaign for Better Schools is the Alliance for Quality Education, whose celebrity spokeswoman is "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon.

It received $775,000 last year from the United Federation of Teachers' sister organization, New York State United Teachers, to fund a media campaign, federal Department of Labor filings show. That's on top of a $35,000 grant the UFT gave directly to the Alliance last year.

If they wanted better schools they sure have a funny way of showing it, opposing charters schools every step of the way, unless, of course, Weingarten can find a way to unionize them. Meanwhile, ACORN and the WFP are essentially on the union payroll.

ACORN, a national network of antipoverty community organizations, has worked hand in hand with Weingarten and is now taking a leadership role in the Campaign for Better Schools.

The UFT paid ACORN $406,730 to help the union organize 28,000 child-care providers that contract with the city.

Earlier this month, ACORN also helped organize protests against the proposed phase-out of PS 194 in Harlem to make way for a charter school. The Department of Education eventually caved, and the school will not be closed.

Even smaller participants in the Campaign for Better Schools receive funds from the teachers' unions. The New York Immigration Coalition accepted $15,000 last year. Another immigrant rights group, Make the Road New York, was given $5,000.

Community groups aren't the only outsiders receiving money from the UFT and its state affiliate.

The union-backed Working Families Party received $1 million from New York State United Teachers for a media campaign last year. New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, a pro-union think tank and advocacy group, received $190,000.

"I would challenge anyone in New York to find when they [ACORN, the Working Families Party, and the Alliance for Quality Education] have opposed anything on the union's agenda," said Joe Williams, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, an advocacy group funded by proponents of charter schools.

The last time the WFP organized a bus tour they didn't get too many people to show up, but they sure as heck got plenty of media attention.

'Dude the NYC Pimp Will Be In the House'

Thanks to his own stupidity, now the NYC pimp is in the newspapers.

With a new pension-scandal bombshell exploding almost daily, the city's pension czar is going off on a junket.

Joseph Haslip, the deputy comptroller for pensions -- and a self-described "pimp" -- is departing this morning for a three-day trip to Florida, as the state attorney general's probe of public pensions has widened to include the city's funds.

The three-day junket, called "Super Return 2009," is a closed-door soiree at the swanky Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne that matches institutional investors, like pension funds, with private equity firms.

Investigators are probing whether placement agents, such as indicted Democratic political guru Hank Morris, took kickbacks when they acted as middlemen between private equity firms and the city's pension funds.

The island resort, where rooms start at $409 a night, sits on the beach and has two swimming pools and complete spa service to get attendees in the mood for business.

It's unclear who foots the bill, but in the past, Haslip's travel was paid for by the New York City Employees Retirement System, a source said.

And these junkets aren't only about financial talk.

In April 2008, Haslip, 42, e-mailed his counterpart at the Los Angeles pension fund, Robert Aguallo, to ask if he planned to attend a private equity conference sponsored by Opal Financial Group in Chicago.

Haslip's message was sent under the subject line "Dude, Are U Doing-Opal Chicago?"

Aguallo replied, "Yes . . . This LA Pimp will be there . . . will brief you on my next adventure," according to documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Haslip wrote back, "Dude the nyc pimp will be in the house."
Haslip did not return calls, but his staff confirmed his attendance at Super Return.

Sounds like this guy is qualified for a top White House post.

The indicted Morris, by the way, is a former aide to New York Senator Charles Schumer.

A Carbon Footprint That Would Make Al Gore Blush

Environmental wacko Prince Charles has flown off on a whirlwind tour to promore the global warming hoax and is going in style.

Prince Charles is being accused of hypocrisy after it was revealed that he is chartering a luxury private jet for a five-day tour of Europe to promote environmental issues.

The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall, plus ten Clarence House staff, will fly from London to Rome this evening. Then they will fly on to Venice and Berlin, before returning to Britain.

Clarence House aides stress that the trip is at the request of the Government to promote its climate change policies.

But instead of using scheduled flights, the Royal party has hired a private plane, thought to be an Airbus A319.

According to experts from the Carbon Managers company, which carries out environmental audits, the aircraft's four European flights over 2,200 miles will leave a carbon footprint of 52.95 tons - nearly five times the average person's 11-ton footprint for an entire year.

Each member of Charles's party will leave a carbon footprint of 4.41 tons - 13 times more than if they had used a scheduled flight on the same type of plane, which can carry up to 156 passengers.

The flights on the specially converted jet, which boasts a master suite with its own lavatory and shower, will cost an estimated £80,000 - five times more than business-class fares on scheduled airlines.

Obama's 100 Days a 'Hallmark Holiday'

Maybe since they're naming it after a greeting card company they can send out some bereavement cards commemorating the death of capitalism.

President Obama starts the week of his "First Hundred Days" milestone (on Wednesday April 29) with a 69 percent approval rating, and 50 percent of the country thinking the U.S. is on the right track -- the highest rating in six years. (In October, only 8 percent of the American people thought the nation was on the right track.)

The White House calls the "100 Days" marker a "Hallmark Holiday" -- a day of little actual significance, but probably best to play along and exchange cards anyway.

Not everyone will be celebrating.

"All new presidents get the benefit of the doubt for the first three months," adds Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. "That benefit of the doubt will evaporate shortly when the impact of his policies becomes better known."

Domestic Dispute Taken To a Whole New Level

Geez, it sure seems the son isn't too fond of his dad.

Authorities in northeast Iowa say a man faces charges accusing him of cutting a pacemaker out of his father's chest.

The Delaware County sheriff's office issued a statement Sunday saying 32-year-old Jesse Fierstine struck his 63-year-old father, Charles Fierstine, on the head with a flashlight and a piece of firewood Saturday.

The sheriff's office said Jesse Fierstine then used a pocketknife to cut the pacemaker out of his father's chest.

The statement said the younger Fierstine was charged with attempted murder.

'Thoroughly Disturbing and Irritating'

What's so thoroughly disturbing and irritating? Wacky Germans hiking around with their junk hanging out.

Voters in the heart of the Swiss Alps have banned naked hiking after dozens of mostly German nudists started rambling through their picturesque region.

By a show of hands citizens of the tiny canton (state) of Appenzell Inner Rhodes voted overwhelmingly at their traditional open-air annual assembly to impose a 200 Swiss franc ($176) fine on violators.

Only a scattering of people on Sunday opposed the ban on the back-to-nature activity that took off last autumn.

The cantonal government recommended the ban after determining that citizens had found nude hiking to be "thoroughly disturbing and irritating."

A similar legal move is expected in neighboring Appenzell Outer Rhodes with legislation being prepared against "this shameless behavior."

Cruise Ship Fights Off Pirates: 'It Felt Like We Were In War'

How much you want to bet the Israelis wind up being criticized for this?

An Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people on board fended off a pirate attack far off the coast of Somalia when its Israeli private security forces exchanged fire with the bandits and drove them away, the commander said Sunday.

Cmdr. Ciro Pinto told Italian state radio that six men in a small white speed boat approached the Msc Melody and opened fire Saturday night, but retreated after the Israeli security officers aboard the cruise ship returned fire.

"It felt like we were in war," Pinto said.

None of the roughly 1,000 passengers and 500 crew members were hurt, Melody owner Msc Cruises said in a statement issued by its German branch.

Domenico Pellegrino, head of the Italian cruise line, said Msc Cruises hired the Israelis because they were the best trained security agents, the ANSA news agency reported.

'If You Started It, You Ought to Finish It'

Glad to see the rest of the world loves us again.

It's more than just a tough sell for Attorney General Eric Holder this week to persuade European allies to accept Guantanamo detainees.

"It's a 'Mission Impossible' for him, I think," one German analyst said ahead of Holder's arrival in London on Sunday.

President Barack Obama has set a goal of closing the U.S. military detention facility in Cuba by this coming January, and his administration is edging toward taking some prisoners to the U.S., most likely to Virginia. They are Chinese Muslims known as Uighurs. Their supporters claim say they never should have been at Guantanamo in the first place.

Republicans in Congress say Guantanamo should remain in operation and they are mobilizing to fight the release of detainees into the United States.

Against that backdrop, Holder hoped to reassure skeptical Europeans without generating too much public opposition back home. After meetings in London and Prague, the attorney general gives a speech Wednesday night in Berlin about Guantanamo.

Austria's interior minister, Maria Fekter, has insisted her country would not take any prisoners. "If the detainees are no longer dangerous, why don't they stay in the U.S.?" she asked.

Simon Koschut, an associate fellow with the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, spoke of the difficulty facing Holder in trying to find a consensus among European leaders.

"In Germany, many are asking why America isn't taking care of its own business. If you started it, you ought to finish it," Koschut said.

Holder's effort follows similar appeals from Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and other high-level U.S. officials. They have made some headway, but gotten few firm commitments.

Maybe we can chalk this one up as Mistake 101.

The First 100 Mistakes

The New York Post chronicles an exhaustive list of the first 100 mistakes of the disastrous Obama presidency. My only thought is why stop at 100?

Number 100:

"Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." -- Obama to Rep. Peter DeFazio, after the Democratic congressman voted against the stimulus bill.

Good to see someone's keeping score. I doubt the networks will be chronicling this list.

'She Has No Shame'

Sounds like a cable TV reporter is really endearing herself to her New York City neighbors. I just wish they'd name names.

A CERTAIN ambitious young cable-TV reporter better quiet down in her studio apartment in the East 50s. The walls are thin and the neighbors are sick and tired of listening to her having noisy sex with various boyfriends. Page Six heard a tape-recording made at 5:20 a.m. one Sunday last month that would make a porn queen proud. Complained one neighbor, "I've been tortured. It's just unbelievable. The headboard bangs and she's screaming, and he's screaming. She has no shame."

Well, looks to be a safe bet it's not Rachel Maddow.

Obama's Sleazy Urban Czar Finally Pays His Debts

Normally a guy with this much baggage would have long ago been jettisoned, but hey, we're dealing with the most transparent and honest administration ever, so let's all cut the deadbeat some slack and pretend nobody cares about corrupt hacks in high places.

White House aide Adolfo Carrion has finally paid the architect who designed his home renovation, a transaction that's part of an expanding city probe.

Carrion, the former Bronx borough president who became director of White House urban affairs, wrote out the $4,200 check this week - two years after the renovation was complete and a month after the Daily News exposed it.

The check was written to Hugo Subotovsky, architect of a major Bronx development called Boricua Village, which is at the crux of a Department of Investigation probe. DOI raided the project developer's office Thursday in a bribery and corruption probe.

The firm, Atlantic Development Group, got Carrion's approval for the Subotovsky-designed Boricua Village while Subotovsky was designing Carrion's home renovation.

More here on Thursday's raid.

Investigators Thursday raided the Manhattan office of a major developer who funneled thousands in campaign cash to local politicians, including White House aide Adolfo Carrión.

City Department of Investigation agents spent hours gathering documents from the 155 Sixth Ave. offices of Atlantic Development Group.

Armed with a search warrant from the Manhattan district attorney's office, agents and cops removed dozens of boxes of records.

DOI spokeswoman Diane Struzzi confirmed the raid but declined further comment.

A spokesman for Atlantic, Lee Silberstein, said only: "There's an ongoing investigation, and Atlantic is cooperating with authorities."

One target of the probe is a major Bronx project, Boricua Village, that's at the heart of a Daily News investigation into Carrión, the director of White House urban policy who, until last year, was Bronx borough president.

One would think Obama would be bright enough to tell Carrion to go work out his problems and appoint someone qualified for the job. Would probably save a few headaches if Carrion ultimately faces indictment.

I might add outside the Daily News there seems to be little attention paid this story. Why is that?

McCain: I Don't Always Agree With My Idiot Daughter

Such an attitude puts him alongside pretty much everyone else in the GOP, despite the media's lame attempts at making this twit some kind of Republican spokesperson.

Sen. John McCain told CNN Friday he doesn't always see eye-to-eye with his outspoken daughter.

Meghan McCain, the 24-year-old daughter of the former Republican presidential nominee, has grabbed the media spotlight this year, thanks to a string of attention grabbing blog posts, television appearances and speeches.

Her comments critical of some of her party's positions, and jabs at some senior Republicans like former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Bush senior advisor Karl Rove, have made her one of this year's hottest young GOP pundits.

Sorry, CNN, but she's not a GOP pundit.

An idiot, yes, but not a GOP pundit.

Networks Balk at Another Primetime Obama Egofest

You would think the most overexposed president in history would be satisfied with the nonstop slobbering media coverage and magazine covers. Although in the case of Barack Obama, his vanity knows no limits. Now for the fourth time in his brief presidency he asking the networks to shelve primetime programming during sweeps month so his TelePrompter can congratulate him on how wonderful his first 100 days were.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you a special address from President Barack Obama. Again.

For the fourth time since he took office, Obama's camp is asking the major TV networks to set aside their schedules for another of his primetime press conferences, costing them ad dollars.

With rare exceptions, the networks -- ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC -- accommodate such presidential requests, partly out of a sense of duty and partly to avoid getting on the wrong side of the Oval Office.

Getting on the wrong side of the White House wasn't a concern during Bush's presidency. Some of the networks refused to air his primetime pressers for one simple reason: they hated his guts.

Obama's supposed to be such a swell guy, so he wouldn't hold it against network executives trying to make some money if they skip this, right?

But programmers are starting to act peeved at Obama's primetime interruptions -- one a month since January -- because every speech and press conference results in a loss of ad revenue and scheduling problems.

Assuming a 30-second primetime spot runs an average of $150,000, media buyers estimate it costs the broadcast networks a combined $10 million per hour. The economy has already crimped TV ad revenue.

"It's really cutting into them, especially with what's going on with the advertising market," said Brad Adgate, head of research for Horizon Media, a media-buying firm. "I don't think their revenue models anticipated these monthly State of the Unions."

So the networks created this monster and are now concerned about it? Should have thought about that when they built this guy into some god-like figure.

CBS and ABC have lined up new episodes of their comedies, while Fox planned to air a new episode of "Lie to Me."

Quite the quandary for Fox. Either show "Lie to Me" or have Obama lie to us.

In the end, you know they'll all cave and give in to Obama. Fear is a powerful motivator.

Stunner: Book Chavez Gave to Obama a Popular Staple at American Colleges

Hard to believe there's leftist indoctrination going on at our universities, isn't it?

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wasn't the first to discover the book he gave to President Obama last week in an attempt to ease diplomatic tensions — college students in the U.S. have been turning its pages for years.

The 317-page "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" has been identified on the syllabi of at least 20 U.S. colleges and universities since 2003, and it's been taught for decades on American campuses.

The virulently anti-American book tells how for 500 years Europe and then the U.S. exploited Latin America, leaving it impoverished and governed by corrupt leaders.

It outlines how U.S. capitalistic forces purportedly raped the region's natural resources and stymied Latin America's own development, exploited trade agreements and tariffs for its own interests and victimized the people of the region in exchange for the U.S.'s industrial growth.

The left-leaning tome, reportedly ranked 54,295th on Amazon's bestseller list before Chavez gave Obama a Spanish-language edition last week, skyrocketed to No. 2 on Sunday and has now "settled down" at No. 19.

Professors contacted by FOXNews.com praised the book — written by Uruguayan journalist Eduardo Galeano and first published in 1971 — for having a strong, accessible narrative style backed up by solid historical evidence.

For all the reports about hos the book rose to No. 2 on Amazon, nobody ever points out what book prevented it from hitting the top spot.

I wonder why?