Ousted Honduras Leader Accused of Drug-Running

No wonder Hugo Chavez threatens to take military action. His narcotics shipments are apparently being interrupted.

The regime that ousted Manuel Zelaya in Honduras claimed Tuesday that the deposed president allowed tons of cocaine to be flown into the Central American country on its way to the United States.

"Every night, three or four Venezuelan-registered planes land without the permission of appropriate authorities and bring thousands of pounds ... and packages of money that are the fruit of drug trafficking," its foreign minister, Enrique Ortez, told CNN en Espanol.

"We have proof of all of this. Neighboring governments have it. The DEA has it," he added.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Rusty Payne in Washington said he could neither confirm nor deny a DEA investigation.

Zelaya was traveling from New York to Washington and could not immediately be reached to respond to the allegations.

Honduras and other Central American nations have become major transshipment points in recent years for Colombian cocaine, particularly as Mexico's government cracks down on cartels.

Naturally this makes you wonder why on earth Barack Obama is taking this guy's side.

Sullivan: MSM Should Die Because They Won't Go Trig Troofer

The slow unraveling of Andrew Sullivan continues. You'd think the guy might figure out why nobody in the mainstream media wants to join him on his insane quest to determine somehow that Sarah Palin isn't the mother of her son Trig.

As I have said all along, I do not know what happened and the benefit of the doubt should go to Palin in the absence of actual journalism being committed. But the more her pregnancy with Trig becomes a campaign platform, a serious inquiry into exactly what happened in those few surreal days - days and decisions that she has made public and that reflect vital questions about her character and judgment - remains on the shelf of media deference. And the key witnesses who could verify it all - Palin herself, her husband, her doctor - still refuse to even take questions on the most bizarre series of events in Palin's entire life.

I believed then and I believe now that the MSM is too concerened with their own reputations and too deferent to power to even ask the questions. Which is another betrayal of their core purpose. And why they are dying. And deserve to.

Sullivan is in the midst of career suicide yet still remains undaunted.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dee Dee Myers authors the latest hit piece on Palin.

These people really do fear her.

Here's a little something for Crazy Andy to think about (via Ace). Amazing how quickly she shed that baby fat, huh?



Hot Air links. Thanks!

Senate Prepares to Tackle Really Major Issue

I guess things will be really slow around Washington next week. Seriously, there isn't anything more pressing than the college football BCS?

The Senate plans to hold a hearing next week looking into antitrust issues surrounding college football's Bowl Championship Series.

It will be the second hearing on the BCS held on Capitol Hill this year, following a contentious one in the House in May.

The Senate Judiciary Committee Web site says the hearing will be next Tuesday in the committee's subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the subcommittee's top Republican, had sought the hearing. His office did not immediately return telephone and e-mail messages.

Not that the geniuses at the NCAA who run the BCS have got it running smoothly, but I have more faith they can run their sport than the U.S. Senate can.

Senator Hatch ought to find something more constructive to do with his time than continue whining that the University of Utah was unfairly denied a spot in the BCS Championship last year.

Obama Approval Index Now Below Zero

The Big O is now less than zero.

How fitting.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 31% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-three percent (33%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -2. That matches the lowest level yet recorded.

Over the past two weeks, the Presidential Approval Index has stayed in a narrow range between +2 and -2. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Democrats Strongly Approve while 60% of Republicans Strongly Disapprove.

Just a hunch, but maybe that shameless lying every day is catching up with him.

'He Came Out With the Truth. They Don't Want the Truth at the EPA'

They can't handle the inconvenient truth.

A top Republican senator has ordered an investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency's alleged suppression of a report that questioned the science behind global warming.

The 98-page report, co-authored by EPA analyst Alan Carlin, pushed back on the prospect of regulating gases like carbon dioxide as a way to reduce global warming. Carlin's report argued that the information the EPA was using was out of date, and that even as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased, global temperatures have declined.

"He came out with the truth. They don't want the truth at the EPA," Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla, a global warming skeptic, told FOX News, saying he's ordered an investigation. "We're going to expose it."

The controversy comes after the House of Representatives passed a landmark bill to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, one that Inhofe said will be "dead on arrival" in the Senate despite President Obama's energy adviser voicing confidence in the measure.

According to internal e-mails that have been made public by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Carlin's boss told him in March that his material would not be incorporated into a broader EPA finding and ordered Carlin to stop working on the climate change issue. The draft EPA finding released in April lists six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, that the EPA says threaten public health and welfare.

Seems to be a global problem here where those who disagree with the current alarmist dogma and back it up with facts are not welcome in the public arena.

Why is the left so afraid of those who disagree with them and have the facts to support their argument?

News You Can Really Use

Consider this a public service announcement, with the emphasis on service.

Having sex every day improves the quality of men's sperm and is recommended for couples trying to conceive, according to new research.

Until now doctors have debated whether or not men should refrain from sex for a few days before attempting to conceive with their partner to improve the chance of pregnancy.

But a new study by Dr David Greening of Sydney IVF, an Australian centre for infertility and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, suggests abstinence is not the right approach.

He studied 118 men with above-average sperm DNA damage and found the quality of their sperm increased significantly after they were told to ejaculate daily for seven days.

On average, their DNA fragmentation index -- a measure of sperm damage -- fell to 26 percent from 34 percent, Greening told the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

Frequent sex does decrease semen volume but for most men this is not a problem.

Ten Madoff Associates to Face Fed Charges, NYT Tells Victims to Get Over It

This report doesn't detail who'll be facing charges, but it's likely a safe bet his sons and possibly his wife may be brought up on charges.

Federal authorities are pressing a probe of 10 associates of Bernard Madoff despite a sentence that means the mastermind of one of the biggest financial frauds in history will spend the rest of his days behind bars, The Associated Press has learned.

A person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, wouldn't detail potential charges or say whether the 10 would include Madoff's family or former employees. So far, only Madoff and an accountant accused of failing to make basic auditing checks have been criminally charged in the multibillion-dollar hoax.

It will be interesting to see if there was anyone at the SEC who was looking the other way all these years.

Meanwhile, a business columnist at the New York Times tells the victims to quit whining. He has a point.

Besides, as I’ve argued before, the S.E.C.’s negligence notwithstanding, shouldn’t the Madoff victims have to bear at least some responsibility for their own gullibility? Mr. Madoff’s supposed results — those steady, positive returns quarter after blessed quarter — is a classic example of the old saw, “when something looks too good to be true, it probably is.” What’s more, most of the people investing with Mr. Madoff thought they had gotten in on something really special; there was a certain smugness that came with thinking they had a special, secret deal not available to everyone else. Of course, it turned they were right — they did have a special deal. It just wasn’t what they expected.

Outside the courthouse today, television reporters interviewed victims, all eager to tell their tales of woe. And their stories, in many cases, truly are heart-wrenching. Hopes and dreams have evaporated. Homes have been lost. Retirees are having to take minimum-wage jobs. Their anger at Mr. Madoff is understandable, to say the least. But to see them lash out at Irving Picard, the bankruptcy trustee, made me realize that too many of them still seem to think that someone should have to make them whole. The whole point about Ponzi schemes is that there is not enough money to make anybody whole — they were robbed, pure and simple, and the government is not in the business of reimbursing for robberies. Not even when the cops stumble across the robbers and then mistakenly let them go.

I'd suggest they go ask Chuckie Schumer for help, but he's laying low right now.

Headline You Won't See Today: 'Schumer Pal Gets 150 Years'

By now you're aware the loathsome Bernie Madoff has received a 150-year sentence.

Bernard Madoff, the former Wall Street financier that pleaded guilty to defrauding clients out of billions in an unprecedented Ponzi scheme, was sentenced to 150 years in prison Monday.

It was a crime of epic proportions - one that wiped out fortunes, drained retirement nest eggs, ruined charities and foundations, and even pushed some investors to commit suicide.

Several hundred spectators piled into the federal courthouse in Manhattan to hear Judge Denny Chin's ruling on Madoff's fate.

Before the sentencing, Madoff apologized to his family and to the victims of his multibillion-dollar fraud scheme.

The 71-year-old financier said that he "will live with this pain, this torment, for the rest of my life."

Madoff also expects "to live out his years in prison," his lawyer said.

Throughout this case we've repeatedly noted Madoff's close association and enormous contributions to Democrats, notably Chuckie Schumer, who is conveniently unavailable for comment.

Your assignment for today, boys and girls: See if you can find a single news story today that notes Modoff was a Democrat sugar daddy.

Good luck.

Back during the Enron fiasco, it was noted often that Ken Lay and Enron executives had contributed to Republicans (as well as some Democrats). We simply wonder why the same level of scrutiny is applied to Madoff and his coziness with Democrats?

Oh, and for the record, Schumer also received contributions from Enron.

The company backed Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) in his successful 1998 campaign to oust Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato. Schumer's views on electricity deregulation dovetailed closely with Enron's. Two years later Schumer, who has advocated deregulation as a way of reducing New York state's high power costs, co-authored a bill to restructure electricity markets along lines favored by Enron.

Shameless Israel Basher Gets Tenured at Columbia

It should come as no surprise that a school that so openly welcomed the madman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a couple of years ago would tenure, undeservedly, to an open hater of Israel.

Compounding the insult, the folks at the esteemed Ivy League university went about their duplicity in hush-hush fashion, lest anyone know they're just fine with an anti-Semitic, anti-gay creep being tenured.

Just disgraceful.

JOSEPH Massad's scholarly contribution during his decade as a faculty member of Columbia University's Middle East Studies Department may be summed up as follows: Israel is racist, and homosexuality is an insidious Western invention.

Yet that was enough for Columbia, which officially -- if quietly -- awarded Massad tenure earlier this month.

Columbia's process for reviewing tenure candidates is as rigorous as any Ivy League school's. Ordinarily, an academic of Massad's caliber would be bounced from Morningside Heights. And in fact, the system did work -- it denied Massad tenure two years ago.

But now the school's academic standards have succumbed to ideological tensions and campus politics -- in what appears to be a remarkable manipulation of the tenure process and a breach of fiduciary trust.

Read on for an eye-opening look at Massad.

If fecklessness were an academic pursuit, Columbia President Lee Bollinger would be at the head of the class.

Previously.

'The Child Was Genuinely Interested In Islam'

Hey, what 11-year-old wouldn't be interested in a dark ages religion as preached by psychopaths?

This is the shocking picture of a young, white schoolboy being converted to Islam by a cleric linked to a radical Muslim hate preacher.

The bewildered 11-year-old, who gives his name as Sean was filmed repeating Arabic chants and swearing allegiance to Allah.

The boy is prompted throughout by controversial cleric Anjem Choudary, a follower of exiled hate-preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed.

The incident was filmed during a demonstration by Choudary's Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah group in Birmingham city centre earlier this month.

Choudary, 42, was one of the masterminds behind the protests at the homecoming parade of heroic British soldiers in Luton earlier this year.

He praised protesters who branded British troops 'murderers' and later appeared at a press conference flanked by thugs who took part in the demo.

Choudary defended the young boy's 'reversion' to Islam but admitted his parents were not with him and were not consulted.

He said: 'The child was genuinely interested in Islam.'

'The boy told us he wanted to become a Muslim and, of course, some people are intellectually more mature than they are physically. I don't see there is any harm in this.

'He was with his friends, but I didn't see if his parents were there,' he added.

A message on Choudary's website offers advice for those who become Muslim at his Islamic Roadshow.

Boehner Aptly Describes 'Climate Change' Scam

You can't say you haven't been warned.

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) had a few choice words about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) landmark climate-change bill after its passage Friday.

When asked why he read portions of the cap-and-trade bill on the floor Friday night, Boehner told The Hill, "Hey, people deserve to know what's in this pile of s--t."

Using his privilege as leader to speak for an unlimited time on the House floor, Boehner spent an hour reading from the 1200-plus page bill that was amended 20 hours before the lower chamber voted 219-212 to approve it.

Eight Republicans voted with Democrats to pass the bill; 44 House Democrats voted against it.

An Animal in the Sack

The next time you read about Riana van Nieuwenhuizen, it'll probably be a story about her face getting clawed off.

Talk about animal "crackers."

A South African woman shares her bed with four cheetahs -- and five lions and two tigers roam her house and 3-acre property.

Riana van Nieuwenhuizen, 46 and single, started adopting wild cats in 2006 in an effort to preserve the endangered species.

As her menagerie of exotic felines expanded, she decided to give up her government job and her social life to create a sanctuary for her furry friends.

"The last feeding is at 10 p.m., so they don't leave much time for dating or a social life. But they keep me happy," van Nieuwenhuizen told The Post.

Scott Lope, operations manager of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla., says sleeping with big cats is a bad idea.

"The biggest misconception is that when you raise these animals, that they are somehow tame," he said. "They're dangerous creatures. That doesn't change because someone sleeps in a bed with them."

'I Didn't Fall In Love With Any of Them'

Leave it to disgraced love guv Eliot Spitzer to find the silver lining in Mark Sanford's troubles.

THERE'S a huge difference between what South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford did, and what ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer did. "I didn't fall in love with any of them," Spitzer was overheard telling LMDC executive director Avi Schick the other day at Solo in the Sony Building on Madi son, where they had the $24 prix-fixe lunch. And Spitzer didn't use any taxpayer money on his trysts, while Sanford is reimbursing the state about $12,000 for travel expenses to Buenos Aires.

Yeah, Client Number Nine just used his inheritance money on $4,000 an hour hookers.

What a guy.

Hot Air links. Thanks!

Praise The Lord, Pass The Ammunition

Actually, the ammo is being kept out of the church, though this should make for some interesting services this afternoon.

A Louisville pastor is welcoming gun owners into his church's sanctuary Saturday for what he says is a show of support for the right to bear arms.

Ken Pagano is asking visitors to bring their unloaded handguns in a holster at a late afternoon event at New Bethel Church in southwest Louisville.

Pagano says he got the idea after some members at the Pentecostal church expressed concern over the Obama administration's views on gun control. He says the gathering is meant to promote safe gun ownership.

The "Open Carry Celebration" will include a handgun raffle.

Previously.

Finally: A Movie About Iraq That Doesn't Completely Suck

Over the years there have been at least a half dozen movies about the war in Iraq, seemingly all from the anti-war crowd, and they all wound up as colossal bombs.

Well, we now have a movie seemingly free of politics and it's getting good reviews.

Hollywood, for all its liberal talk, continues to be an all-boys club. Yet Kathryn Bigelow hasn't only made a place for herself there, she'd done it by blithely avoiding the femme-film ghetto of indie tragedies and making terrific, testosterone-pumped action pictures that have impressed even the toughest fans.

After all, what fanboy director wouldn't give up a few of his mint-edition comic books to be able to brag that he made the cult hits "Point Break" and "Near Dark"? Even Bigelow's misses - the apocalyptic "End of Days," the Harrison-Ford-as-a-Russian "K-19: The Widowmaker" - had interesting things to say about risk and reward, duty and loyalty.

Bigelow's newest film, "The Hurt Locker" is her smartest and most suspenseful yet.

It's set in Iraq but it's not really a film about the Iraq war - something that should be said early, since that's one genre no one's embraced lately. Instead, "The Hurt Locker" is about men under pressure, forced to rely on one another, and how that changes when a new boss who loves the rush of risk enters the picture.

These men are soldiers - bomb disposal experts, in fact - but they could be cops or fireman (or the cavalrymen in John Ford's classic "Fort Apache"). It doesn't matter. What does matter is that their new boss is an adrenaline junkie who never feels more alive than in those moments when he's close to death.

And the closer he walks to it, the closer he drags all of them to it too, risking their lives along with his.

Bigelow has always had an eye for good compositions and big moments, but her approach here is grimier, grittier, handheld and painfully realistic. There are none of those movie moments built around countdown clocks or red-wire/green-wire dilemmas; it's all sweat and shouting and men working quickly while other men watch, frozen in the shadows.

Bigelow's three main characters are quickly drawn, but the skill of her actors makes them archetypes rather than cliches. Brian Geraghty is the young soldier barely holding it together; Anthony Mackie is the by-the-book sergeant who just wants everybody to make it home alive. And, in a star-making performance, Jeremy Renner is Staff Sgt. James, the cocky bomb expert who puts everyone's life on the line.

It's an interesting point, and it's at the heart of the film: Is fear sometimes just another word for "survival instinct"? Is courage just one more side-effect of having a death wish? Bigelow's movie (based on a script by journalist Mark Boal, who was embedded with a bomb unit in Iraq) suggests that the motivations are just as tangled as the wires these men need to cut through. And just as dangerous.

Here's a trailer.

Classy French Weigh In On Jackson

Looks like the French are seeking to give Perez Hilton a run for his money to see who can hit rock bottom the fastest.

A FRENCH newspaper has branded Michael Jackson a "mutant" whose music was "kitsch".

A number of columnists have dug the daggers in deep with some calling Jackson "the icon of our disturbing modernity".

"Neither monster nor extraterrestrial," Michael Jackson was a "mutant" according to Gerard Lefort writing in the daily newspaper Liberation on Saturday.

For Herve Cannet of the La Nouvelle Republique Jackson was "neither black nor white; neither old nor young; neither child nor adult; neither man nor woman" but rather a "sort of androgynous imp".

Philippe Waucampt wrote in the Republicain Lorraine newspaper that the "little Afro-American became a sort of alien between white and black, between young and old, as unclassifiable, universal and kitsch as his music."

For Francis Broche of Le Progres daily, Jackson may have been an icon, "but an icon for our times, the head of planetary promotion."

When Are Dead Celebs Fair Game?

Apparently there's no longer a moratorium on trashing dead people. Michael Jackson's body wasn't even cold Thursday when alleged comedians started yukking it up.

THE first commandment some pundits forgot on Thursday, shortly after Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died within hours of each other, was: Thou shalt not speak ill of the dead.

On his late-night ABC show, Jimmy Kimmel said, "What's especially sad is that most people of a certain generation only know Michael Jackson as a crazy guy who had a lot of plastic surgery -- whereas the truth is . . . He was an extremely powerful symbol -- a black performer who whites could relate to and then later in life, a white performer who blacks could relate to."

When the audience didn't laugh, Kimmel asked, "Is it too soon? I can never tell."

Uh, Jimmy, there was plenty of room for Jackson jokes before he was dead. Mere hours after he died? Not so funny.

Speaking of unfunny, they also note the odious Perez Hilton, as noted here yesterday. If anyone gives this moron a second of attention any more it's their problem.

Meanwhile, Jackson wasn't the only dead celebrity getting getting mocked. The always classy New York Times decided it was a good time to criticize the just-deceased Farrah Fawcett's acting chops.

Similarly, Fawcett fans were disgusted with yesterday's "appraisal" of her by Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times. "Not all of her performances will stand the test of time, but what is worth remembering is how hard Farrah Fawcett tried," the piece said.

Then, trashing NBC's "overproduced and overpromoted" special, "Farrah's Story," Stanley seemed to blame Fawcett for her anal cancer, saying the documentary "never made the public service point that . . . the HPV vaccine is the most promising form of prevention against this type of cancer, which in most cases is sexually acquired."

Stanley said, "She really tried. And for a sex symbol that alone can be like an accomplishment."

When Alessandra Stanley pases on, we'll all remember she was a no-talent hack at a worthless rag with junk-bond status, but she really tried hard to cobble together coherent sentences.

Stanley, in fact, may have already set records for most corrections to her stories.

At this point, New York Times star television critic Alessandra Stanley has all the credibility of a Wikipedia entry. Most of the information is probably right, but you shouldn't take anything as gospel because you never know what's real and what's just been invented by a bored 13 year-old in Iowa. Alessandra Stanley Correction Watch has gone from an evergreen subject to an old joke. Geraldo had to threaten to sue the Times to get them to correct something Stanley invented out of thin air. As a service to the human resources department at the New York Times, after the jump, we present the best (worst?) Alessandra Stanley mistakes since the last time we rounded them all up.

She might be consistently wrong, but hey, she tried hard.

Republicans Pass Cap and Trade Legislation

Image courtesy, shamelessly lifted from Michelle Malkin.com

You read that right. Yesterday afternoon, just before 7 PM EST the House of Representatives voted on the Democrat crafted legislation that imposes the so called cap and trade language and thanks to 8 Republicans they were able to pass it. You can blame the Democrats for crafting this most invasive and sweeping government control of your life, but it is the Republicans who passed it. Without those eight votes the measure would have failed.

I was in a unique position yesterday, being able to work from home. Since all of the so called news channels were in all Michael Jackson all the time mode I put the TV on CSPAN and watched the debate all day long. For those that didn't watch and can't be bothered with what goes on in Washington by your elected officials you deserve exactly what you will get with this legislation if it manages to pass through the Senate. For those of us paying attention, unless this is stopped we will be punished right along with the lemmings.

If it does pass we will be easy to spot since we will all be gathering down at the local unemployment office. Beyond what it will do to our economy, at the end of the debate House GOP Leader John Boehner took to the floor and started reading from the 300 page amendment that the Democrats drafted and dropped on the legislatures at 3 AM, there was literally hundred of items to impose federal control over your life. Here are some highlights.

Want to replace a window? Not so fast. First you must pay for an appraisal of your house to measure its energy efficiency and receive calculations of both before and after the proposed change. Hey, it may be a great excuse for those guys trying to avoid putting in that big bay style window that the missus has been bugging you about.

Are you having a new house built? Back up, Skippy. This bill includes language that tells you exactly where you can put your electrical outlets.

Did you know that for one sort of appraisal service related to determining energy efficiency there is only one company you can use? Yup, it is right in there along with the name of the company. How is it that this one company managed to land the only contract to service 300 million Americans? Who is this company?

I wish I could answer those questions, but all of those provisions and more, Rep. Boehner went on for almost an hour citing them and still didn't get through the whole 300 pages, is not available. You see because of when the Democrats dropped this amendment at 3 AM the text of it is not available. So much for that transparency. The total bill runs on for more then 1500 pages and it controls every aspect of your life, from what type of car we will be able to produce and buy to what type of appliances you have in your house.

Under some of these provisions you won't be able to sell your house. Got your eyes and a quaint little place out the way and off the beaten path? Forget about it. By the time you went through the time and expense to get it up to the new code proposed in this legislation that little place in the woods will resemble something out the Jetsons.

So for those who were at work and getting ready for their weekend, and were simply tired of the wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson, you came just one more step closer to being less free today then you were yesterday. And by the way, Congress has blown town for a two-week vacation. It is hard work turning a Republic into a Socialist state. This must be stopped in the Senate.

My biggest fear now, however, is if the Republicans couldn't stop this, a bill that will throw hundreds of thousands if not millions out of work as the companies they work for go belly up or leave the country and imposed what amounts to a national homeowners association on all of us, what chance do they have of stopping the nationalized health care?

Michelle Malkin had a running commentary on all of the shenanigans that went on yesterday so go to her site if you want a blow-by-blow description of what went on yesterday from the Dems refusing to extend the debate time to their late night early morning document drops.

The other questions I have are what did these eight corruptocrats get in exchange for voting away our futures and the futures of our children? This bill goes far beyond trying to cripple the coal industry as many of the talking heads are still saying.

'Jackson's Not Dead, He's Living In a Bunker With Elvis Presley'

Good grief. All the loons are coming out of the woodwork.

Within just a few hours of the announcement of the death of Michael Jackson, the internet was flooded with unanswered questions and conspiracy theories relating to the star.
Such bizarre theories came in all shapes and sizes and included the mad, bad and also the plain sad.

One of the earliest and most unpleasant claims came from Hollywood blogger Perez Hilton, who alleged Jackson was 'pulling a stunt' to get out of his concert commitments at the O2 in London.

Perez added: 'Jacko pulled a similar stunt when he was getting ready for his big HBO special in '95 when he ''collapsed'' at rehearsal!

'He was dragging his heels on that just like his upcoming 50 date London residency at the O2 Arena, of which he already postponed the first few dates.'

The turd Hilton lamely redacted his post, but some folks saved it. Oops.

He truly is a disgusting human being.

The conspiracy theorists were given their starting pistol by the abovetopsecret.com site which hours after reports Jackson was taken to hospital said: 'Michael Jackson is dead....Now how long until it becomes a conspiracy?'

One of the weirdest claims emerged on a site called 68comeback which reported that Jackson was living in a 'bunker' with Elvis Presley.

'You can believe the mainstream media if you want... or you can believe that he faked his own death in order to escape a) bill collectors, b) the pressure from his planned “re-emergence,” c) the supreme daily pain-in-the-assness of being a ultramegasuperduberstar, and/or d) any or all of the above, plus e) any other rationales, realistic or feverish, that might be attributed to a man of Michael Jackson’s demeanour, for wanting to pretend to be dead when he is not, in fact, dead.

'Surely you’ve heard of the secret, seven-story deep bunker that Elvis Presley had built underneath Graceland, prior to faking his own death?

'MJ lives there now with Elvis and certain other "dead" celebrities. You don’t have to be sad for him anymore.'

NY Dem: Paterson a 'Coke Snorting, Staff-Banging Governor'

Let me tell you, nobody quite brings the comedy like New York Democrats. Could you imagine the reaction if a Republican said something like this about David Paterson?

Albany's dysfunctional follies veered further into the inane on Thursday: Gov. Paterson cut off some Senate pay, a lawmaker branded the governor a "coke snorting" womanizer and the Senate - once again - accomplished nothing.

The only sign of progress in ending the impasse that began June 8 with a Republican-led coup was that warring senators agreed not to battle for the gavel.

Democrats and Republicans held short, separate sessions in which they did no business. Sources hinted that a deal may be near - but there were no details.

Among the day's lowlights:

- Paterson ordered that the per diems and travel expenses paid to do-nothing senators be withheld.

- Democrats blasted the governor for keeping them in Albany day after day and hot-headed Sen. Kevin Parker called Paterson a "coke snorting, staff-banging governor." Paterson has admitted youthful drug use and several extra-marital affairs.

Parker isn't one to talk.

Parker, who is under indictment for felony assault, said lawmakers don't need a "coke snorting, staff-banging governor to lecture us about behavior in government."

He was unapologetic about the attack.

Corrupt Democrat Alert: Monica Conyers Pleads Guilty

You have to figure they've really got the goods on her if she's not even going to trial.

Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers is pleading guilty this morning to conspiring to commit bribery.

Conyers, the wife of powerful Democratic congressman U.S. Rep. John Conyers, is due to appear before U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn at 10 a.m. to answer charges in connection with the wide-ranging probe of wrongdoing at Detroit city hall.

The charge reads: Monica Ann Conyers beginning on a date unknown and continuing until or about December 2007, did knowingly and voluntarily conspire and agree with an aide and others to corruptly solicit and demand for the benefit of herself and others and to accept and agree to accept things of value from persons while an agent of the City of Detroit, an entity that received more than $10,000 in federal funding during the calendar year of 2007, with intent that Conyers would be influenced and rewarded in connection with any business transaction or series of transactions of a value of $5,000 or more with the City of Detroit.

Overt acts: On Nov. 20, 2007, at approximately 3:15 p.m., Conyers met with an individual sent by Rayford Jackson in the parking lot at Butzel Family Center and received an envelope containing cash. On Dec. 4, 2007, at approximately 2:30 p.m., an individual sent by Rayford Jackson met Conyers and her aide in a McDonald's parking lot in Detroit at which time the individual delivered an envelope containing cash.

She has been at the center of FBI questioning for months about the city’s sludge disposal contract with Synagro Technologies and her activities as a member of the city pension board.

I wonder if she put that cash in the freezer? And what did her husband know and when did he know it?

Gaffe-tastic Biden Strikes Again

Your daily dose of comic relief from the bumbling Joe Biden. Just remember, it took one incident to make Dan Quayle a punchline for all time. This clown delivers on a daily basis.

Inside, Biden spoke 20 mins. Lots of applause. "I am not unaware of the controversy swirling around this dinner and swirling around the speed or lack thereof that we are moving on issues that are of great importance to you."

Boasted the new administration has appointed 60 gays or lesbians, including nine requiring Senate confirmation. Promised to "put some pace on the ball."

Standing ovations as he pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, Don't Ask Don't Tell and get passage of the Lieberman-Baldwin bill on health benefits.

Additionally, Biden promised to put a ban on workplace discrimination, get adoption rights for all and end the HIV travel ban.

Biden also praised Tim Kaine as the "great governor of New Jersey."
One problem: Tim Kaine's not governor of New Jersey.

Jon Corzine is governor of New Jersey (Remember, he didn't wear his seatbelt in the state patrol car for the big high-speed crash).

Tim Kaine is governor of another state, called Virginia.

He's also chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Biden is from Delaware.

He used a Teleprompter.

Not quite sure how Biden is going to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act considering his boss supports it.

Or does he?

Hot Air links. Thanks!

Watch Where You Put That Laptop, Guys

Consider this a public service announcement of sorts. Don't say I didn't warn you.

A Chicago fertility expert warns that, along with such activities as wearing briefs and soaking in the hot tub, laptop use may diminish sperm count. "Laptops are becoming increasingly common among young men wired into the latest technology," says Dr. Suzanne Kavic, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology at Loyola University Health System. "However, the heat generated from laptops can impact sperm production and development, making it difficult to conceive down the road." Kavic says when couples try unsuccessfully to conceive, males are the cause in 40 percent of cases.

'I'm Terribly Sorry, But David Gregory Had a Fit'

Looks like the pressure of following in Tim Russert's footsteps is getting to David Gregory. I guess Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews aren't the only egomaniacs at NBC.

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough was all set to appear this Sunday on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos until yesterday, when Scarborough canceled because David Gregory, the host of NBC's "Meet the Press," allegedly threw a fit.

"What is David Gregory so afraid of?" asked one network insider.

Stephanopoulos was first pitched to have Scarborough as a guest by Scarborough's "Morning Joe" co-host on MSNBC, Mika Brzezinski.

"About three weeks ago, George got a handwritten note in the mail and a copy of Scarborough's book, 'The Last Best Hope,' " said our source. "The note said, 'Would you consider putting Joe on your show?' "

Last week, the booking was finalized. "She [Brzezinski] said she checked with all the high-ups at NBC," said our source.

But on Wednesday night, Stephanopoulos was alerted there might be a problem. Scarborough is said to have informed him, "I'm terribly sorry, but David Gregory had a fit." Yesterday morning, Scarborough canceled his appearance, leaving Stephanopoulos scrambling to find a replacement guest.

Stephanopoulos declined to comment, but an ABC source said, " 'Meet the Press' has lost more than half a million viewers on David Gregory's watch. That explains his tantrum, but it does not excuse it."

Since Gregory took over on "Meet the Press" last December after Tim Russert's death, viewership of the still top-rated Sunday morning show has plummeted. "Meet" topped "This Week" by 2.2 million a year ago, compared to 240,000 this past Sunday.

Michael Jackson Dead at 50

The iconic pop star turned oddball has died today in Los Angeles.

On a magical night in 1983, Michael Jackson struck a pose on stage, clasping the black fedora on his head with his white sequined glove. His black jacket and silver vest glittered as white socks showed under his high-water black pants. Then he erupted into a flurry of fluid dance moves in a performance of Billie Jean that would catapult the former child singing sensation into full-blown superstardom.

Probably no celebrity has been as revered and reviled over the past 40 years as Jackson, 50, who died Thursday in Los Angeles. The troubled, reclusive star was rushed to UCLA Medical Center by paramedics responding to a call from his home at about 12:30 p.m.

A troubled soul. May he rest in peace.

This Is Sanford's Girlfriend?

Well, I hope she was worth it.

H/T Allahpundit.

FNC On Track For Best Year Yet

The explosion you just heard was heads popping at Obama affiliates CNN and MSNBC.

Despite relentless Fox-bashing and endless whining from the Baby-in-Chief, the cable news king is on track for the best ratings year ever.

Fox News is on track to have its most-watched year ever, showing significant ratings growth despite having just come off a highflying election year.

With the second quarter coming to a close, Fox News averaged about the same number of viewers as the top three other cable news networks combined. And while rivals including CNN (-22%) and MSNBC (-18%) took hits following last quarter's inauguration-fueled boost, Fox News (-3%) remained nearly steady.

Compared with last year, the Fox News (averaging 2.1 million viewers, 509,000 adults 25-54 quarter-to-date) is up 35% over last year in primetime viewers and 48% in the demo. CNN (805,000 viewers, 210,000 in demo) fell 16% in viewers and 29% in the demo. MSNBC (787,000 viewers, 259,000 in demo) climbed 15% in viewers and about on par, -3%, in the demo. And CNN Headline News (553,000, 201,000) showed very strong growth, up 39% and 37%, respectively, and is on track for its best second quarter.

The new standings are strong enough to rank Fox News third behind USA and TNT among all ad-supported cable networks for the quarter among primetime total viewers. In its core demo, Fox News had eight of the top 10 cable news shows. It had similarly sunny increases for total day, while CNN and MSNBC were roughly on par with last year.

Earning double-digit growth after an election year is quite a feat for a news network. With Fox News best known for such right-leaning personalities as Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly, one might assume having a Democrat in the White House somehow helps boost viewership.

A dominant political party indeed can fuel the popularity of opposing voices -- Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" and liberal online news hubs Huffington Post and Daily Kos came to prominence during George W. Bush's tenure, just as talk radio conservatives like Rush Limbaugh and news sites like Drudge Report rose during the Clinton years.

But it's important to note that when Fox News took the ratings lead during the Bush era, some pundits declared that the network was winning only because a Republican was in charge. Those at the network get weary of outsiders assuming their success must be due to some fortunate external factor rather than their own day-to-day work.

"I don't look at who occupies the White House, I just look at it as news," said Bill Shine, senior vp programming at Fox News. "How well are you going to report on that news? And certainly, over the course of the last 10 years, we've done a better job at that than anybody else."

Still, Shine acknowledged that a Barack Obama presidency probably helps because viewers will "see some sides of an issue that they won't see elsewhere."

In other words, they don't censor out news that makes Obama look bad.

H/T Tammy Bruce.

RIP, Farrah Fawcett

This is sad. The poor woman went through such a painful illness. Let's hope she's in a better place today. She'll always be remembered for that iconic poster that seemingly every teenage boy had on their wall in the late 1970's.

Farrah Fawcett, who skyrocketed to fame as one of a trio of impossibly glamorous private eyes on TV's Charlie's Angels, has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 62.

Fawcett died at 9:28 a.m. PST at St. John’s Heath Center in Santa Monica, Calif. She had recently returned to St. John's for treatment of complications from anal cancer, first diagnosed three years ago. Her longtime partner Ryan O'Neal was at her side throughout her final days.

Like so much about Fawcett's life – including her bumpy relationship with O'Neal – her heroic struggle to beat the disease was closely followed by her legion of fans.

"I've watched her this past year fight with such courage and so valiantly, but with such humor," Fawcett's Charlie's Angels costar Kate Jackson told PEOPLE in November 2007.

O'Neal, in particular, remained a steadfast supporter of Fawcett, who, despite her frailty, spent the last months of her life filming a TV documentary chronicling her illness, including several trips to Germany to undergo experimental treatment. Fawcett is survived by her son with O'Neal, Redmond, 24, who is currently serving a prison term in California after repeated drug offenses.

ObamaCare Infomercial Crushed in Ratings

Looks like the bloom is off the rose. The most overexposed president in history apparently is losing his drawing power. It's pretty much buried in this item. No doubt if this informercial sham on ABC won the hour it would be headline news.

The "Got Talent" lead-in helped NBC's new drama "The Philanthropist," 4.8/8, get off to a decent start at 10, winning the hour in viewers and adults 18-49 despite a slightly higher household number for "CSI: NY," 4.9/8, on CBS. An ABC News special with President Obama drew a 3.1/6.

Update: Hot Air links. Thanks!

By the way, it should be noted for clarification the Fox affiliates air news at 10 pm, so they aren't listed in the ratings. Bottom line: Obama got smoked by both NBC and CBS.

I hope ABC is happy they sold their credibility for lousy ratings.

Update: More here.

President Obama's town hall meeting on health care delivered a sickly rating Wednesday evening.

The one-hour ABC News special "Primetime: Questions for the President: Prescription for America" (4.7 million viewers, 1.1 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) had the fewest viewers in the 10 p.m. hour. The special tied some 8 p.m. comedy repeats as the lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

The only comedy it probably beat was Keith Olbermann.

It's Come To This: Jim McGreevey Offering Advice to Mark Sanford

Nothing like the media seeking commentary from a man who trolled New Jersey Turnpike rest areas for anonymous gay sex. Say what you want about Mark Sanford, but the last guy to be chiming in should be Jim McGreevey.

Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey today told Gov. Mark Sanford, the beleaguered governor of South Carolina, to "move forward with humility," comparing Sanford's struggles with what McGreevey called his "own moment of truth," during an interview on The Today show this morning.

"I'm filled with a sense of pain and anguish for him and for his family," McGreevey said in the interview. "I think it was a very human moment."

Sandford [sic] admitted Wednesday he had secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he was having an affair, after a widely covered disappearance over Father's Day weekend.

McGreevey had a similarly shocking news conference in 2004, where he revealed he was having a secret affair with Golan Cipel, one of his aides, and declared in front of television cameras to be a "gay American."

On the upside, he managed to avoid cracking any Sarah Palin jokes.

'Absolutely, People Are Afraid of It'

He's got nothing to offer but fear itself.

President Obama conceded Americans are queasy about his health care reforms, but he tried to reassure people in a prime-time TV house call that the changes will cure many of the system's ills.

"Absolutely, people are afraid of it," Obama said Wednesday night during the one-hour ABC special from the White House. "They know they're living with the Devil, but the Devil they know they think may be better than the Devil they don't."

In fact, an ABC News/Washington Post poll done for the broadcast found that fear may be the biggest stumbling block Obama faces with the public - with eight of 10 people worrying proposed changes will cause a turn for the worse.

Yeah, and since 90% of the public is satisfied with their health care, let's just blow the whole thing up and ram through a multitrillion-dollar scam.

Change!

By the way, get ready for the tax hike to pay for this.

'I Want To Be Your Friend'

Considering Barack Obama is friends with all sorts of miscreants, why not add one more to the stable? Besides, they both count Bill Ayers as a friend. Who knows, if Hugo plays his cards right, he'll be invited over for hots dogs next Saturday.

Venezuela and the United States moved to end a bitter diplomatic spat that entangled both countries last year, signaling a thaw in Washington's relationship with one of its fiercest opponents in South America.

Patrick Duddy, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela who was expelled by President Hugo Chavez last year, is expected to return to Caracas, while Bernardo Alvarez, who was serving as Venezuela's envoy to Washington when the quarrel erupted, will return to his post.

The administration of President Barack Obama has expressed its desire to improve relations, "and we're willing to move forward," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said in an official statement Wednesday.

"It's a clear attempt to improve the relations between both countries," said Michael Shifter, a vice president at Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank. "It's a logical step."

The bad blood between Chavez and Washington reached a boiling point last September, when the fiery former paratrooper expelled Duddy "in solidarity" with Bolivia, which had told a top U.S. diplomat in La Paz to leave for allegedly supporting separatists in the Andean nation's eastern provinces. Bolivia has yet to re-establish diplomatic ties with the U.S.

Chavez had often accused the Bush administration of plotting against him, repeatedly called the former U.S. president a "donkey" and famously referred to him as "the devil" at the United Nation's General Assembly in 2006.

Bush administration officials had often charged that the Venezuelan government had abetted, if not aided, Colombian terrorist groups, and said Chavez was growing increasingly authoritarian at home.

Since coming to power in January, President Obama has sought to improve relations with Venezuela, a top oil exporter to the U.S. A turning point in the U.S.-Venezuela relationship came in April, when Obama and Chavez shook hands and smiled in Trinidad and Tobago during a regional heads-of-state gathering. During their encounter, Chavez said to Obama, "I want to be your friend."

The statement was seen as a major change in the Venezuelan leader, who usually deploys anti-U.S. rhetoric for political gain and to defend his socialist-inspired policies.

Since coming to power a decade ago, Chavez has spearheaded a wave of leftist leaders in the region who are openly critical of Washington, including Bolivia's Evo Morales.

Now he's got a leftist leader in Washington who's openly critical of the United States. They should get along swimmingly.

Meanwhile, Barack's new pal is lining up with the psychopathic "president" of Iran.

Today Mr Ahmadinejad struck back and accused the US President of following his predecessor's lead.

"Mr Obama made a mistake to say those things. Our question is why he fell into this trap, and said things that previously (former President) Bush used to say," Mr Ahmadinejad said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela who is an ally of Mr Ahmadinejad, added: "People are in the streets, some are dead, they have snipers, and behind this is the CIA, the imperial hand of European countries and the United States."

Sounds like a guy we want to have a relationship with, no?

It's a Shame John Kerry Doesn't Go Missing

John Kerry, laugh riot.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry must have been channeling his inner Letterman yesterday.

The Bay State senator was telling a group of business and civic leaders in town at his invitation about the “bizarre’’ tale of how South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford had “disappeared for four days’’ and claimed to be hiking along the Appalachian Trail, but no one was really certain of his whereabouts.

“Too bad,’’ Kerry said, “if a governor had to go missing it couldn’t have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin.’’

What a nasty man.

We'll just chalk this one up to John Kerry being drunk. He should really consider help for that alcohol problem of his.

Cap and Trade: Largest Tax Increase in World History

While you're all being bamboozled by Barack Obama's lastest follies, keep in mind you're about to be whacked with the biggest tax hike ever. Be sure to send thanks to the ugliest man ever, Henry Waxman. That's if you can afford to send a thank you once this boondoggle hits home.

THE House votes this week on the American Clean Energy and Security Act -- which claims to be about slowing global warming, but in fact is a massive tax hike that would vastly expand the federal government's power over the economy.

Indeed, the Waxman-Markey bill (as it's commonly called, after its two chief sponsors) would be the largest tax increase in world history, as well as transfer vast wealth from consumers to big-business special interests.

And it would put Washington in charge of people's lives in a way not seen since the Second World War -- which was the last time Americans needed ration coupons to buy gasoline, food and other commodities.

The core of the complex 1,201-page bill is what's called a "cap and trade" system. This would put a cap or limit on greenhouse-gas emissions -- mainly on carbon dioxide produced by burning coal, oil and natural gas, three fuels that provide more than 80 percent of America's energy. And the law lowers the cap every few years -- ordering emissions to drop 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent below by 2050.

The "trade" part of the scheme would let companies buy and sell the government-issued ration coupons. Thus, a business closing down a factory and moving overseas could sell its no-longer-needed coupons to a firm that's still trying to stay in business.

Cap-and-trade backers tell us that it's a reasonable, effective way of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources and higher energy efficiency. But it's proving anything but reasonable or effective in the European Union, which started a similar scheme several years ago. The prices of ration coupons have fluctuated wildly, electric rates have risen steeply and emissions haven't gone down (at least not until businesses began curtailing production in this recession).

But even if it produced the promised results, cap-and-trade wouldn't be worth it.

For starters, the bill's sneaky, indirect tax is still a tax -- and a huge one. This would vastly increase fossil-fuel prices -- which would make greens happy by making higher-priced alternatives such as wind power competitive, but would make Americans as a whole miserable, by forcing us to use less energy and pay much more for it.

Realize, too, that almost every recession of the last 60 years, including today's mess, has followed a sharp rise in energy prices. Why would we want lawmakers to mandate a recession?

Understandably, Waxman-Markey's supporters pretend the bill's impact won't be too severe. But independent economic studies have estimated the costs from $1,500 to more than $3,000 per year for the average family.

Keep in mind that's on the low end, to be kind. Expect your tab to be at least double that number.

Sanford: 'I've Been Unfaithful to My Wife'

Well, it looks like Mark Sanford can cancel and plans for a presidnetial run. Unless, of course he switches parties and runs as Democrat, whereby this would become a resume enhancer.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, whose mysterious disappearance last Thursday prompted national headlines, acknowledged this afternoon that he had an extramarital affair.

"I've been unfaithful to my wife, and I developed a relationship with what started as a dear, dear friend from Argentina," he said.

Sanford said he would resign as chair of the Republican Governor's Association.

"I've let down a lot of people," he added. "That's the bottom line."

Sanford's office initially explained Sanford's disappearance from the state by saying the governor was hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

His communications director, Joel Sawyer, said on Tuesday morning that he had spoken to the governor, who was returning from his trip and had been taken aback by the interest in the story. Sawyer did not indicate then that Sanford had been in Argentina, leaving the Appalachian Trail story in place.

TV Anchor Gets Restraining Order ... Against Co-Host

Apparently those morning fluff programs are a really cutthroat business. Although this sounds like something straight out of Anchorman.

A western Wisconsin anchorwoman was granted a restraining order Tuesday against her morning co-host after he admitted knowing his roommate was sending her harassing e-mails.

Amy DuPont, a 30-year-old anchorwoman for WXOW-TV, testified that she received 21 harassing e-mails since August 2007 -- some while the show "Daybreak" was airing.

According to court records, DuPont said the author of the e-mails wrote that he was sick of hearing about her child and that she should go on extended maternity leave. The author, who signed the e-mails "Mario," wrote that she was terrible at her job but that co-host and meteorologist Zach Brown was great, she testified.

The e-mails also were sent to her co-workers and bosses, said DuPont, who believed they were sent to scare and humiliate her.

In a phone interview, La Crosse County sheriff's Captain Kurt Papenfuss said the Houston County, Minn., sheriff's department traced the e-mails to a computer at Brown's apartment in La Crosse.

The IP address never lies, baby.

Brown's roommate, Jonathan Edwards, testified that he sent the e-mails, which he called "constructive criticism." He said DuPont was mean to Brown, 27, but Brown never stuck up for himself.

Brown testified that he knew his roommate was sending the e-mails and asked him to stop, but it never occurred to him that it was harassment. Brown said he took the e-mails "with a grain of salt."

DuPont said she and Brown had a good working relationship and that she told him about the e-mails. She claimed he knew they upset her, which Brown denied.

La Crosse County Family Court Commissioner Gloria Doyle called the case disturbing and ordered Brown to not have any contact with DuPont, to stay 100 feet away from her home and to stay away from her child. The restraining order lasts for five years.

White House Weenie 'Seriously Reconsidering' July 4th Hot Dog Party With Iranians

They're giving it serious consideration. You'd think the fact people are being murdered in the streets might lead to a bit more than serious consideration, but hey, Obama's got to figure out how to have it both ways before he makes a decision.

The Obama administration is seriously considering not extending invitations to Iranian diplomats for July 4 celebrations overseas, senior administration officials tell CNN.

The officials said intense discussions on the issue were taking place, but the final decision had not been made.

Late last month the State Department sent a cable to its embassies and consulates worldwide informing them they “may invite representatives from the government of Iran” to their July 4th celebrations.

The U.S. receptions marking Independence Day usually feature symbols of Americana, such as hot dogs, red-white-and-blue decorations and remarks by U.S. officials about America’s founding fathers.

The Obama administration had decided to invite Iranians to the celebrations at overseas posts as part of President Obama’s policy of engaging the Iranian regime.

As part of that engagement Obama videotaped a message for the Iranian people on the Persian New year and U.S. officials have engaged members of the Iranian government.

Rush Limbaugh suggested today the best way to wriggle out of this one would be to announce they're serving Hebrew National hot dogs.

Update: It appears the Iranians may be giving the Simpleton-in-Chief an easy way out.

US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Wednesday he does not believe that one single Iranian diplomat has accepted invitations to July 4 events at US embassies worldwide.

So much for his outreach to our enemies.

Update: After serious consideration, the Idiot-in-Chief figured out this might not be a good idea.

There's No Escaping Him: Obama to Throw First Pitch at All-Star Game

Geez, we just had months of Obama and his stupid basketball picks relentlessly promoted by ESPN. Now he's got to use the baseball All-Star game to promote his agenda.

President Obama will travel to St. Louis on July 14 to throw the first pitch at the Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, the White House has announced.

Mr. Obama will join Kennedy, Nixon and Ford as the fourth president to deliver the first pitch at an All-Star Game. The St. Louis Today reports that every president since Taft has delivered an opening pitch at either opening day or at an All-Star Game.

"Major League Baseball is truly honored that President Obama will be in attendance to throw out the first pitch at the 80th All-Star Game on July 14 in St. Louis," MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement reported on MLB.com

The president is also using the event to call attention to his "United We Serve" initiative to encourage community service this summer.

"The central theme of the 2009 All-Star Game is community service, celebrating the extraordinary work being done by ordinary people. We are thrilled that we can come together with President Obama, who has encouraged a renewed spirit of national service, and illustrate a call to action in our communities. President Obama will continue a great tradition that joins our nation's leader and the national pastime," Selig said.

'I See Many People With Broken Arms, Legs, Heads — Blood Everywhere'

Since Obama said he'd be happy to "negotiate" with anybody in Iran, the monsters today decided to let him know just who he'll be pandering to.

Security forces wielding clubs and firing weapons beat back demonstrators who flocked to a Tehran square Wednesday to continue protests, with one witness saying security forces beat people like “animals.”

At least two trusted sources described wild and violent conditions at a part of Tehran where protesters had planned to demonstrate.

“They were waiting for us,” the source said. “They all have guns and riot uniforms. It was like a mouse trap.”

“I see many people with broken arms, legs, heads — blood everywhere — pepper gas like war,” the source said.

Around “500 thugs” with clubs came out of a mosque and attacked people in the square, another source said.

The security forces were “beating women madly” and “killing people like hell,” the source said.

How charming.

I wonder if there are any breaking developments tonight whether ABC will interrupt their ObamaCare infomercial?

Update: Here's a clip from CNN



Listening to the despair and pleas for help, does this help Obama along in his intense discussions over the Fourth of July BBQ?

Finally, Some Good Economic News for Obama: Imports to Iran Nearly Double

Who knew the media wants to bury good economic news? We finally see an economic success story for Barack Obama and it passes with little notice.

Iran spent nearly twice as much on U.S. imports during President Barack Obama's first months in office as it did during the same period in 2008, showing that despite trade penalties and tense relations, the two countries are still doing business.

The U.S. exported $96 million in goods to Iran from January through April, according to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. government trade data compiled by the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research in Holyoke, Mass. U.S. exports to Iran totaled $51 million during the same period in 2008 and $27 million over those months in 2007.

Hmm. Maybe the Great Negotiator can lets his buddies know this aid may cease while schmoozing at the Fourth of July barbecue.

Of course most of this reportedly goes to humanitarian aid because we have a desperate need to make sure our enemies know we care about them even though they thirst for our destruction. Besides, it's not as if there's any accountability and we know those in actual need are receiving aid rather than the ruling elite.

In allowing exports of necessities such as grain and medical supplies, the U.S. has tried to send a message to the Iranian people that it is a friend to them and has no interest in punishing them for their government's policies. At the same time, by helping Iran feed and provide medical care to its population, Washington can't help but provide an unintentional benefit to the Tehran government.

Well, duh.

While business moves forward, more people are being massacred on the streets of Tehran.

Mark Sanford Returns ... From Argentina

Well, it turns out South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford wasn't off on an Appalachian hike after all.

He was in Argentina.

Huh?

Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning, having wrapped up a seven-day visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, he said. Sanford said he had not been hiking along the Appalachian Trail, as his staff said in a Tuesday statement to the media.

Sanford's whereabouts had been unknown since Thursday, and the mystery surrounding his absence fueled speculation about where he had been and who's in charge in his absence. His emergence Wednesday ended the mystery.

Sanford, in an exclusive interview with The State, said he decided at the last minute to go to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over how to spend federal stimulus money.

Sanford said he had considered hiking on the Appalachian Trail, an activity he said he has enjoyed since he was a high school student.

"But I said 'no' I wanted to do something exotic," Sanford said "... It's a great city."

Sanford, in a brief interview in the nation's busiest airport, said he has been to the city twice before, most recently about a year and half ago during a Commerce Department trip.

Sanford said he was alone on the trip. He declined to give any additional details about what he did other than to say he drove along the coastline.

Sanford, who was wearing a blue and white button down shirt and brown denim pants, said he left for Buenos Aires on Thursday night from Columbia International Airport and had originally planned to come back tomorrow.

Cheney Inks Book Deal, Heads to Explode

We have at least two years of build-up before his book is released, giving the angry left plenty of time to have an enduring freak-out. I'll say this: You can virtually guarantee this will be a No. 1 bestseller and will be greeted with ignominious disdain by literary critics. One can almost envision protest marches outside the offices of Simon & Schuster already materializing.

The memoir by Cheney, widely considered the most powerful vice president in history, is expected to be published in Spring 2011, a few months after President George W. Bush's book comes out. Cheney's work is currently untitled and will cover his long career in government, from chief of staff under President Gerald Ford to vice president under Bush, from Vietnam and Watergate to the first Gulf War and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

In a telephone interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, the 68-year-old Cheney noted that he had never written a book about his years in government, which dates back to the 1960s.

"I'm persuaded there are a lot of interesting stories that ought to be told," Cheney said. "I want my grandkids, 20 or 30 years from now, to be able to read it and understand what I did, and why I did it."
Financial terms were not disclosed. A publishing official with knowledge of the negotiations, but not authorized to publicly discuss, said the deal was likely worth at least $2 million. Cheney's literary representative, Washington attorney Robert Barnett, declined comment.

Known for his secrecy while in the Bush administration, Cheney has made it clear since leaving office that he was planning a memoir. He is working on the book — in longhand and on computer — at his home outside of Washington, D.C., and in collaboration with his daughter, Liz Cheney.

Books by former vice presidents rarely attract a lot of interest unless the author is likely to run for president (Richard Nixon had a best seller in the early 1960s with "Six Crises"), or claims an expertise outside of electoral politics (Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," released in 2006 and the companion to the Academy Award-winning documentary about global warming).

What exactly is Algore's expertise outside of bamboozling a gullible public with misinformation while lining his pockets?

The book will be published by Simon & Schuster's Threshold Editions imprint, founded in 2005 and headed by a longtime Cheney friend and former aide: Republican strategist Mary Matalin. Threshold has become an unofficial publishing home to the Cheney family, releasing memoirs by Cheney's wife Lynne Cheney and by daughter Mary Cheney.

Matalin has not only reaffirmed her Washington connections, but tapped into — like few others — the current conservative market. She has published one of the most popular works of 2009, Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny," and recently released "Glenn Beck's Common Sense," which on Tuesday ranked No. 1 on Amazon.com.

At least when contrasted with Barack Obama, we'll actually know who wrote this book.

Stunner: McCain Not Running in 2012

Granted, with Obama being such a disaster he'd probably have a decent shot, but thankfully for the GOP we won't have to envision the possibility.

With unusual ubiquity for a losing presidential candidate, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain has been popping up all over the media these days.

So it was probably inevitable that he'd get the same question asked of virtually every breathing Republican in these, the Grand Old Party's Days of Disarray: Will you be running for president in 2012?

First of all, McCain's got to win Senate reelection next year.

Second, the party's conservatives still don't like him, although as long as he lost in November, they've pretty much shut up about it for now.

Third, he'd have to raise an awful lot of money, which he genuinely hates doing.

Fourth, if many Americans thought he was too old last fall, how would they feel when he's 76?

Fifth, Republicans do not generally do well running legislators for the White House. (Yes, yes, Nixon was in both the House and Senate -- and that turned out well, didn't it?)

Sixth, I doubt the GOP is going to let the media pick their candidate next time around.

More Good News for Craigslist

Nothing like becoming an online service for rapists.

The Oscar-winning composer of the schmaltzy hit "You Light Up My Life" raped 11 young women he lured to his apartment with Craigslist ads promising to turn them into stars, authorities charged yesterday.

Joseph Brooks, 71 -- who traded on his fame from the 1977 Academy Award for Best Song -- convinced his victims to take off their clothes on his personal casting couch, and when they needed an extra push, pulled out his Oscar and put it in their hands, police said.

"This could be you. This could be you holding the Oscar. I could make you a star," NYPD Lt. Adam Lamboy of the Manhattan Special Victims Squad quoted Brooks as saying.

Authorities said he had his 42-year-old female personal assistant, Shawni Lucier, from Washington state, help him choose his victims.

"We are looking to have someone who we want to turn into a star," his ads said, according to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Lisa Friel.

The ads -- posted on Craigslist and talent sites -- said an "Oscar award-winning composer" was looking for a "new face," a "young girl between 18 and 22" who is beautiful, but did not mention Brooks by name.

He turned himself in to police yesterday to face 82 counts of rape, sexual assault and many other charges. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $500,000 bond.

One of his accusers -- a 24-year-old student who lives in Brooklyn and spoke on condition of anonymity -- said she was happy that Brooks might finally face justice.

"If he were put in jail for the rest of his life, I'd be happy," she said. "I just don't want to see this happen to any other girl. He is just a very sick old man on a power trip."

Obama Reaches Out to Ayatollahs, Gets Laughed At

It's funny. Americans who disagree with the guy are dismissed with a cavalier "I won," but the guy has no problem making clandestine overtures to these maniacs who are murdering people in the streets. Then he gets touchy in press conferences when reporters ask a mildly challenging question.

Never thought I'd say this, but I'm almost getting nostalgic for the steady-handed leadership of Jimmy Carter.

Prior to this month's disputed presidential election in Iran, the Obama administration sent a letter to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling for an improvement in relations, according to interviews and the leader himself.

Ayatollah Khamenei confirmed the letter toward the end of a lengthy sermon last week, in which he accused the United States of fomenting protests in his country in the aftermath of the disputed June 12 presidential election.

U.S. officials declined to discuss the letter on Tuesday, a day in which President Obama gave his strongest condemnation yet of the Iranian crackdown against protesters.

An Iranian with knowledge of the overture, however, told The Washington Times that the letter was sent between May 4 and May 10 and laid out the prospect of "cooperation in regional and bilateral relations" and a resolution of the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

What is there to cooperate on? The Iranians have been waging war on us for 30 years now and their stated goals is our destruction. Geez, we can't even send them a strongly-worded letter. Instead we pander to them and they laugh at us.

The Iranian, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the topic, said the letter was given to the Iranian Foreign Ministry by a representative of the Swiss Embassy, which represents U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of U.S.-Iran diplomatic relations. The letter was then delivered to the office of Ayatollah Khamenei, he said.

The letter was sent before the election, whose outcome - delivering a supposed landslide to incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - has touched off the biggest anti-government protests in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Obama administration, while criticizing a violent crackdown on demonstrators by Iranian security forces, has said that it will continue efforts to engage the Iranian government about its nuclear program and other issues touching on U.S. national security.
...
"On the one hand, they [the Obama administration] write a letter to us to express their respect for the Islamic Republic and for re-establishment of ties, and on the other hand they make these remarks. Which one of these remarks are we supposed to believe? Inside the country, their agents were activated. Vandalism started. Sabotaging and setting fires on the streets started. Some shops were looted. They wanted to create chaos. Public security was violated. The violators are not the public or the supporters of the candidates. They are the ill-wishers, mercenaries and agents of the Western intelligence services and the Zionists."

Sure looks like they're ready for some of that vaunted dialogue.

Obama doesn't even realize it, but the game is over.

He lost.

Before June 12, Obama's eagerness to negotiate with Ahmadinejad -- ridiculed by his conservative critics -- was hailed by the establishment and the left as proof of his high-minded faith in diplomacy, a healthy antidote to President George W. Bush's allegedly close-minded approach.

But now, if the clerical junta prevails, anyone who shakes hands with Ahmadinejad will have a hard time washing the blood off his own hands.

For some reason, Obama can't fully accept this. In his press conference Tuesday, the president finally condemned the outrages in Iran in terms he should have used a week ago. But he also kept alive the idea that the current Iranian regime could be a fruitful negotiation partner, despite what has happened in that country.

"It's not too late," Obama explained, for the regime to negotiate with the international community. He wouldn't even cancel plans to invite Iranian officials to Fourth of July barbecues at US embassies.

That amounts to tacit approval of the bloodshed and fraud that we've already seen and acceptance of the ultimate triumph of the regime. And it won't work.

Neda Fiancé Says She Was Deliberately Targeted

I don't doubt that she was targeted and if this deliberate murder of Neda Agha-Soltani was intended to send a message, it certainly has.

And backfired badly.

An Iranian woman shot dead during an election protest rally was deliberately targeted by undercover soldiers, her fiancé said today.

Caspian Makan claimed Neda Agha-Soltani had been picked out by Basij paramilitaries before being shot in the heart.

He also described his desperate attempts to dissuade her from going out in the streets on the day she was killed.

But the student, 27, told him the protests were worth attending 'even if a bullet hits my heart.'

'Unfortunately, that is how she died,' Mr Makan, a photographer, said. 'A bullet hit her heart and her lung, and maybe five or six minutes later, she died.'

Foreign media are banned from reporting on 'non-official' events in Iran and dozens of journalists have been arrested or deported in the latest crisis.

But the video of Neda bleeding to death has been broadcast across the globe and has become a rallying point for protesters

Friends have posted images and accounts of her life online. She appears to have been a happy, vivacious woman who embraced both traditional Iranian values and a more liberal lifestyle.

Some photographs show her in dress hugging her fiancé; others are of her in the traditional veil associated with stricter forms of Islam.

The second of three children, Neda's father is a civil servant while her mother is a housewife.

She had been studying Islamic philosophy at Azid university in Tehran but had dropped the course to pursue a career in tourism, taking private lessons and learning Turkish.

She had been to Thailand and Dubai as well as Turkey with friends.
Music was one of her great passions. She had been taking piano lessons and was said to be a gifted singer.

Mr Makan met her a few months ago when she was on holiday in Izmir, Turkey, a town on the Mediterranean.

He described Neda as a plain-spoken woman who loved poetry - Iran's Rumi and America's Robert Frost were her favourites and that her pacifism marked her out as a true Iranian.

'She didn't believe that we always have to fight and quarrel and be violent and have death,' he said.

'Neda only ever said that she wanted one thing, she wanted democracy and freedom for the people of Iran.

'There's only one thing (Iranians) must fight and that's ignorance. And you don't fight ignorance with a sword or a gun. You turn on a light.'

Consider the lights on.

Previously.

'Well, I'm Clearly Not Ugly'

Well, sweetie, you certainly aren't ugly. Insipid, maybe. The question has now been asked: Is Megan Fox the dumbest star ever?

Could be. She sure as hell doesn't hold anything back.

Megan Fox looked like a Greek goddess at the Los Angeles premiere of Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen.

The actress made a stunning appearance last night at Mann's Village Theatre, but the words that tumble out of her mouth aren't quite in the same league.

The 23-year-old American has amazed fans with her ignorance as she travels the world promoting her movies with red-carpet comments and magazine interviews.

She's quite happy to discuss drugs, sex and even flatulence but take this example of her discussing her 'Brian' tattoo - dedicated to on/off boyfriend Brian Austin Green.
She said: 'I wouldn't regret the tattoo if we weren't together. I can always have a kid and name him Brian. There are options.'

MailOnline has trawled through two years of clangers to provide an insight into her 'wisdom'.

During a recent interview with American magazine Entertainment Weekly, Megan questioned her mental health, saying: 'I think that I'm so psychotic and so mentally ill that if I could tap into that I could do something really interesting.'
...
She told FHM last year: 'I really enjoy having sex, and that's offensive to some people. Women are the quickest to call other women slags, which is sad.

'I haven't met a lot of men who've said, "You like having sex? What a dirty whore you are!" That's because they wish their wives or girlfriends would have more sex with them.'

Megan makes no attempt to hide she is aware of her good looks, declaring: 'Well, I'm clearly not ugly.'

I'll say one thing. She's bright enough to know where not to go.

Discussing a possible third Transformer movie, she counters: 'I can't s**t on this movie because it did give me a career and open all these doors for me. But I don't want to blow smoke up people's a*s. People are well aware that this is not a movie about acting.'

Further disparaging her industry, Megan told GQ: 'When you think about it, we actors are kind of prostitutes. We get paid to feign attraction and love.

For a less than kind review of the new Transformers, go here.