White House Raps MSNBC on the Knuckles for Halperin's "Dick" Comment

Talk about thin-skinned. An MSNBC commentator makes a completely accurate albeit crude comment about Barack Obama, and the President responds by having his press secretary call the network to express displeasure.

What country are we living in here - Cuba?



Via Breitbart.

Cross-posted.

Hugo Chavez Admits He Has Cancerous Tumor

What a shame. On the upside, he's receiving medical care in the worker's paradise, so expect him to expire by the end of July.

President Hugo Chavez acknowledged Thursday night that he had a cancerous tumor.

He made the admission in a late-night speech, his first since falling ill 21 days ago.

Chavez was last in Venezuela on June 6 when he left for a three-country tour of Ecuador, Brazil and Cuba. On what was to be the last day of the trip, June 10, he fell ill during a meeting in Cuba and was operated on for a pelvic abscess.

He gave a radio address two days later, but hasn’t been back to his home country in three weeks.

The Venezuelan and Cuban governments this week released photographs and videos of a visibly slimmer Chavez chatting happily with Castro. The video showed him reading a current copy of the Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde, giving the production the feel of a proof-of-life video used in kidnappings.

His absence has underscored the personality-driven nature of his administration, which has failed to inform the populace about the president’s condition other than to assure that he’ll be back soon.

If we actually had a real president the opposition in Venezuela would be prepared to overthrow the Chavez dictatorship. Who knows if Obama is even aware what's going on down there.

MSNBC Suspends Halperin for Calling Obama a Dick

Just imagine if they suspended their on-air talent for calling people teabaggers.

MSNBC has suspended Mark Halperin from being its senior political analyst after he called Pres. Obama “kind of a dick” on “Morning Joe” today. Statement from MSNBC:

Mark Halperin’s comments this morning were completely inappropriate and unacceptable.　 We apologize to the President, The White House and all of our viewers. We strive for a high level of discourse and comments like these have no place on our air. Therefore, Mark will be suspended indefinitely from his role as an analyst.

High level of discourse?

Really?

Good Thing They Passed ObamaCare So We Could Find Out What's In It

Just a minor glitch or something.

Older adults of the same age and income with similar medical histories would pay sharply different amounts for private health insurance due to what appears to be an unintended consequence of the new health care law.

Aware of the problem, the administration says it is exploring options to address a potential disparity that could mean added controversy for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The law expands coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people and would require most Americans to carry insurance.

The glitch mainly affects older adults who are too young for a Medicare card but have reached 62, when people can qualify for early retirement from Social Security. Sixty-two is the most common age at which Americans start taking Social Security, although their monthly benefit is reduced.

As the health care law is now written, those who take early retirement would get a significant break on health insurance premiums. That's because part or all of their Social Security benefits would not count as income in figuring out whether they can get federal subsidies to help pay for coverage until they become eligible for Medicare at 65.

"There is an equity issue here," said Robert Laszewski, a former health insurance executive turned policy consultant. "If you get a job for 40 hours a week, you're going to pay more for your health insurance than if you don't get a job."

The Obama administration says it is working on the problem.

"We are monitoring this issue and exploring options that would take into account the needs of Social Security beneficiaries, many of whom are disabled or individuals of limited means," Emily McMahon, a top Treasury Department policy official, said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the issue is politically sensitive, said the administration is concerned because the situation could create a perception that some people are getting a worse deal compared with their less-industrious peers.

Yeah, nothing like mis-perceptions.

MSNBC Hack: Mitch McConnell ‘Suffering Some Kind of Mild Dementia’

The dicks at MSNBC will fall all over themselves apologizing to Barack Obama, but will they be quick to apologize to Senator Mitch McConnell?

Time Editor Calls Obama a Dick on National Television

Well, if the name fits...

Mark Halperin, editor-at-large for Time, called President Obama “a dick” on Thursday on a popular MSNBC morning show and then quickly apologized.

“I thought he was a dick yesterday,” Halperin, who also is a senior political analyst for MSNBC, said on Morning Joe, referring to the President’s conduct during his press conference.

Host Joe Scarborough hoped to prevent the comment from being broadcast, saying, “Delay that. Delay that. What are you doing? I can’t believe… don’t do that. Did we delay that?”

Just minutes later, Halperin quickly apologized to the president and viewers for his choice of words. “Joking aside, this is an absolute apology. I shouldn’t have said it. I apologize to the president and the viewers who heard me say that,” Halperin said.

“We’re going to have a meeting after the show,” Scarborough said.

Lurch: "I Would Have Made a Good President - Maybe Even a Great One."

A man sure can dream.

Former presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) thinks he could have done a good job leading the country.

"I would have been a good president," he said Wednesday on Fox Business Network's "Imus in the Morning." "Maybe even a great one."

Kerry stopped short of agreeing with host Don Imus's assertion that a President Kerry would have been "better than the guy we have now."

Makes you wonder what Kerry's definition of "great" is.

Cross-posted.

Weiner Facing Hard Times in Rehab Stint

Gee, I thought he was supposed to be in rehab a month ago?

Randy ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner is planning to head to an "intensive" rehab program to deal with his penchant for sending women lewd photos of himself before he looks for a new job, one of his former colleagues told The Post yesterday.

"It's going to be something a bit intense," said a House Democrat who remains in contact with Weiner. "That's where he's headed next."

The source said that Weiner -- a Democrat who quit Congress in disgrace -- is now focused on saving his marriage.

His wife, Huma Abedin, is a senior aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and pregnant with the couple's first child.

News of Weiner's plans were disclosed the same day The Post reported that the he's trying to play kingmaker, inserting himself into the jockeying to select his replacement in a special election likely to be held on Sept. 13.

"I can't imagine he's going to have any say in it," said Assemblyman David Weprin, one of a handful of Queens Dems lining up for a shot at Weiner's seat in the Brooklyn-Queens 9th Congressional District.

Poor little Weiner. He so wants to remain relevant. Oh well.

"I don't think anybody's taking it seriously," one senior Queens Dem said of Weiner's effort to help find a successor. "People feel sorry for him."

He'd stab those same people in the back first chance he got.

Comedy Gold: Media Matters Throws Party to Celebrate Beck Leaving Fox News

I honestly never paid much attention to Glenn Beck's show on Fox News, but the clowns at Media Matters sure were obsessed with it. So he must have been doing something right. Now that he's about to the leave the network, they're taking all the credit as if his leaving has anything at all to do with them.

Now, these goofballs will have more time to focus on all the other "right-wing nuts" out there - if only they could name any of them. Check out the guy at the 0:32 mark. Dude can't even come up with "Rush Limbaugh" or "Sarah Palin" off the top of his head? Pathetic! No doubt he'll be demoted to Geraldo duty by the end of the week.



Via the Blaze.

Illegal Immigrant Kids Stage Protest, Get Their Wish

So a bunch of immigrants congregated at the Georgia state capitol today, some of them were in this country illegally, to protest the recently passed immigration legislation, and some of them got their wish. They got arrested.

A lot of news organizations are no doubt going to pick up on this because of the age of those arrested, they were minors. Here is what they aren't going to tell you. Those folks went with the express intent to get arrested. You see they are being led down this little primrose path that somehow their actions are noble and equivalent to the civil rights protests of the 60's.

The six undocumented immigrants were arrested at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Washington streets in downtown Atlanta after the rally at the Capitol, said Georgia State Patrol spokesman Gordy Wright. They were blocking the intersection by sitting in the roadway and refusing to disperse, he stated.

The three adults are being transferred to Fulton County Jail. They are Dulce Guerrero, an 18-year-old recent graduate from Pebblebrook High School and 18-year-old Jessica Vasquez, who will be attending Pebblebrook this fall. The other adult is Felipe Baeza, age 24, from New York.

The juveniles, two females and one male all age 16, are being released to their parents with copies of the charges for Juvenile Court proceedings.

I wish to call your attention to the high school mentioned because you see it is the same one my daughter attended and well you know how kids talk. In total there were 6 kids from Pebblebrook who attended, all illegals so I suspect that the juveniles whose names were withheld are from Pebblebrook. They started cooking up this little scheme a while back and emboldened by the success of a Kennesaw State student, who in wake of her arrest for driving without a license along with some other traffic violations and lying to the police was allowed to stay in the country by liberal judge and in fact is still a student at said university.

Pebblebrook H.S. fancies themselves as some sort of cutting edge illegal immigrant group. Just before school was out for the summer they staged a walk out by the students, what in my day would have been called senior skip day, to show their dissatisfaction with the passage of the illegal immigrant legislation. Once again they may feel good about themselves and they really are being led around by the nose by the illegal immigrant crowd but that little stunt was nothing more then kids looking forward to summer break and were bored.

They are betting that nothing will happen since the plan by illegal immigrant crowd is to make them martyrs, and right now I wouldn't bet against them no matter what the state wants to do. We already know that instructions have gone out from the federal immigration folks to go easy on those in this country illegally who are in school, and besides it is all about the children after all.

This will wind up being a pop test of not only states immigration laws but a good discovery phase of just how much support the states can expect to get from the federal government in enforcing their laws. It is time for ICE and DHS to decide just who they are sworn to protect and serve.

UPDATE: Remember when I said that it would probably be determined that the others who got arrested would be from Pebblebrook H.S.?

Nataly and her four other Pebblebrook classmates, Leeidy Solis and Rolando Zenteno, both 16, Dulce Guerrero and Jessica Vasquez, both 18, were training over the last couple of days for Tuesday’s protest with 24-year-old Felipe Baeza from New York.

They rehearsed their speeches about how they immigrated to the United States at very young ages with their families.

Deport 'em and then have ICE show up on the first day of school and clean out the rest of them that are using up my taxes to fund their vacation in America. Send them home.

Pathetic: Bloomberg Using Adam Gadahn in Anti-Gun Ad

Get read for saturation coverage of this abomination.

An ominous television ad commissioned by Mayor Bloomberg will soon blanket the airwaves - warning that Al Qaeda could exploit the so-called "gunshow loophole."

Bloomberg's anti-gun alliance raises the alar [sic] that terror thugs may be trying to buy powerful firearms within the U.S.

The 30-second ad, which debuts Tuesday, uses images from a June 3 video released by Al Qaeda that features its American-born spokesman Azzam Al-Amriki urging would-be jihadists to obtain their guns here.

"This is a golden opportunity," said Al-Amriki. "America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms."

Indeed, especially if you're getting them from the ATF.

You suppose gun-grabber Mike Bloomberg is even aware of Gunwalker? Yet here the little tyrant uses the words of our enemy to score cheap political points. Shameless.

The commercial urges viewers to contact Congress to change the law, but some top Republicans on Capitol Hill have already dismissed the proposal.

"Simply because terrorists abuse our liberties doesn't mean that we should limit the rights of law-abiding Americans," Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told the congressional newspaper The Hill after Al-Amriki's video first emerged.

Obamalitico: Bachmann Has a Thin Legislative Record or Something

Funny, but I don't recall such consternation when The One was being immaculated.

Rep. Michele Bachmann is surging in the GOP presidential polls and barnstorming Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, but as she sprints toward the front of the Republican pack, there’s a major hole in her political résumé: legislation.

Now in her third House term, Bachmann has never had a bill or resolution she’s sponsored signed into law, and she’s never wielded a committee gavel, either at the full or subcommittee level. Bachmann’s amendments and bills have rarely been considered by any committee, even with the House under GOP control. In a chamber that rewards substantive policy work and insider maneuvering, Bachmann has shunned the inside game, choosing to be more of a bomb thrower than a legislator. But will the lack of substantive accomplishments in Congress hurt Bachmann? Not necessarily, the Minnesota Republican’s supporters argue.

Bachmann advocates say her constant attacks on President Barack Obama, her fights to block legislation and her ability to articulate on the House floor — and on television — what grass-roots conservatives believe in is far more important to GOP primary voters than how many bills she got passed.

“I think she’s had a profound effect on debate,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). “It doesn’t mean you always win. In fact, as we know, [Winston] Churchill lost and lost and was a voice of reason in Great Britain for a long time before people finally realized he was right.”

Of course, having a thin legislative résumé isn’t a dead end for a presidential run — Obama started running for president just two years into his Senate term and didn’t have a substantive list of congressional accomplishments.

Didn't have a substantive list? He had zero accomplishments.

Between the pathetic media obsession over the John Wayne thing yesterday and this nonsense today we can safely say Bachmann is being Palinized.

Saboteurs Sabotaged

Savor the irony. A group of radical anti-Israel saboteurs discover their ship has been sabotaged. Allegedly. It's really quite a shame this happened while it was in port rather than out at sea.

The ship scheduled to carry the Swedish activists in the Ship to Gaza aid flotilla at the end of the week has been sabotaged in its berth in Greece, the organisation reported on Monday.

The group has reported that the ship Juliano has been sabotaged while berthed in Piraeus harbour, in Greece.

“It is time for the international community to put their foot down and say: It’s enough!” said Swedish spokesperson Mattias Gardell in a statement on Monday.

According to Mikael Löfgren, press coordinator of the organisation, it is not known who was behind the attack in which hostile divers destroyed the propeller housing and severed the two propeller axles beneath the boat.

“We didn’t catch anyone in the act, so we can’t be 100 percent sure, but we have our suspicions,” said Löfgren to The Local.

Obviously it was the Jooooooos.

“It is not so much a question of dealing with the sabotage to our boat. The impending question is really to urge Israel to end the blockade - then our problem would disappear by itself,“ Löfgren told The Local.

If only these losers would disappear.

Meanwhile, check out this cabal of human debris preparing to head to Gaza. Would be a shame if thier ships sank.



The Israelis are wisely prepared for these enemies.

Military elements monitoring the Gaza flotilla said that radical elements taking part in the sail have said they were planning "surprises for the IDF" and plan to kill many soldiers.

The information suggests that radicals are planning to equip some of the vessels with bags containing chemicals, possibly sulfur, which they will use against soldiers who may try to take over the ships.

They just won't learn until they swim with the fishes.

Carl In Jerusalem is quite amused.

'Oh, My. This is Not for Little Boys'

Welcome to Fun City, where advertising some "adult" services will now be illegal. The horrors.

Glossy cards emblazoned with graphic images of scantily clad or nude women may soon become a thing of the past in western Queens.

The state legislature recently took aim at prostitution by making the distribution of "chica" cards a crime punishable by fines and jail time. Gov. Cuomo is expected to sign the bill into law as early as this week.

"This is a good first step," said state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), who championed the law. "What I want to do is drive out prostitution from Roosevelt Ave. and at the same time help these victims of human trafficking."

The cards have phone numbers to escort agencies and are mostly handed out to men walking along Roosevelt Ave. in Jackson Heights.

But instead of winding up in their pockets, many of the X-rated cards are tossed onto the street and wind up in the hands of curious children.

The kids "start trading the cards as if they were baseball cards," Peralta said. "Parents are so livid."

The new law hopes to curb prostitution in Jackson Heights and Corona by making it tougher for pimps and sex workers to advertise their services, he said.

Images of fruits and vegetables are already beginning to replace lewd images on the cards in anticipation of the crackdown, Peralta said.

Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights), who introduced the bill in the Assembly, said it sends a "clear message to the community that we take this issue very, very seriously."

Parent Louise Mulvihill, 52, of Jackson Heights, said she certainly does. The first time her 8-year-old son picked up one of the cards, she said she was a bit "taken aback."

"I said, 'Oh, my. This is not for little boys,'" Mulvihill recalled. "I was hoping he wouldn't ask me a lot of questions."

So the kiddies won't be able to see scatily-clad women.

But on the last Sunday every June they get to see this parading down Fifth Avenue, where Governor Cuomo was treated as a hero the other day.

Which image is more offensive?

Iran Plans to Send Monkey Into Space

Can't wait to see the doctored footage of this alleged space launch.

Iran says it plans to send a monkey into space next month as the next step in a space program that Western leaders worry could also bring major advances in Iran's missile arsenal.

The state-run news agency IRNA quotes the head of Iran's space agency as saying Monday that five monkeys are undergoing tests and one will be selected for the flight on a Kavoshgar-5 — or Explorer-5 — rocket.

Last year, Iran announced it had launched a rocket carrying a mouse, turtle and worms into space.

The U.S. and allies are concerned that the technology in the space program could also be used to develop long-range missiles with possible nuclear warheads. Iran denies it seeks nuclear arms and says it wants only energy-producing reactors.

May we suggest they launch this primate?

Meanwhile, they've allegedly successfully fired some missiles today.

'That Would Just Be Awful to Him. Awful, Awful, Awful'

Poor Anthony Weiner. He should have thought about these things before he texted his junk around to young ladies.

His ego has no bounds.

In a dazzling display of arrogance, disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner is trying to insert himself back into politics -- calling power brokers and would-be candidates for his old seat, hoping they'll let him play a role in choosing his own successor, The Post has learned.

Weiner, who became a national dirty joke after he was caught sexting young women, now wants to be a kingmaker.

One Democratic insider confirmed that Weiner has spoken to the Queens party chairman, Rep. Joe Crowley, about whom the Dems should pick.

He has also reached out to several of the potential candidates, according to the insider.

"He's held the seat," the insider said.

"He knows the district better than anyone else. He's interested in a Democrat keeping the seat. I'm pretty sure he's spoken to everybody.

Another source added: "I think it's a very natural thing for him to do. This is something he cares about."

Barring a primary, it will be up to the Queens Democratic and Republican leaders to pick the candidates for a special election that Gov. Cuomo is expected to call in the fall.

At least half a dozen Queens Democrats are lining up for the job, including City Councilman Mark Weprin; his brother, state Assemblyman David Weprin; Councilwoman and Crowley's cousin Elizabeth Crowley; former Council Members Eric Gioia and Melinda Katz; and Assemblyman Rory Lancman.

If the Democrats don't play their cards right, the seat in the relatively conservative district is in danger of falling into Republican hands.

Republican City Councilman Eric Ulrich and former Republican candidate Bob Turner are widely considered to be eyeing the vacancy.

Weiner "would be loathe to see a Republican get into that seat. Loathe," another insider said.

"That would just be awful to him. Awful, awful, awful."

Funny, but nobody in the media seems the slightest bit interested in finding out why he's not in rehab, and apparently never was. They're more concerned with playing "gotcha" with Republicans like Michele Bachmann.

Sharpton: Offering Public Sector Employees 401k's Instead of Pensions Violates Their Civil Rights, or Something

Looks like the "Reverend" Al Sharpton gets a little testy when mildly challenged by an actual reporter. Surprise, surprise. Like so many liberals, he is accustomed to having media stenographers follow him around. He's just not used to fielding real questions.

All the reporter did here was ask Sharpton to elaborate on his specious assertion that offering 401k's instead of pensions to public unions amounts to a civil rights violation. Obviously, Sharpton couldn't back that one up.



Via Breitbart.

Democrats Waste No Time Fundraising Off 'Crazy Extremist' Michele Bachmann

Well, those fundraising emails didn't take long.

Can you believe this? House Republican, Tea Party Caucus Chairwoman, and extremist Michele Bachmann has now officially announced her campaign for President.

Not only does she think she can win, but many pundits think she's a contender. Even the latest polls show she's in a good position.

So why does this matter? Michele Bachmann is the EXACT kind of extremist we're fighting to keep OUT of Congress. We have just 72 hours left to put together the strongest possible mid-year fundraising totals and put Tea Party Republicans on notice that that we're going to defeat them in 2012.

Contribute $3 or more before the mid-year FEC deadline so we have the resources necessary to keep Republicans like Michele Bachmann out of Congress. Your gift will be triple-matched by House Democrats.

As Research Director, I’ve spent the last four years unearthing the truth about candidates like Michele Bachmann. Let me tell you, she’s only the tip of the iceberg.

With Bachmann's announcement, it's more critical than ever that we report strong fundraising totals to show the world that grassroots Democrats are the ones with the real momentum going into 2012.

Kevin McKeon
DCCC Research Director

P.S. We're fighting day and night to make sure President Obama has a Democratic Majority in the House. His agenda depends on it. But if we let tea party crazies like Michele Bachmann get elected to Congress, that agenda will go nowhere. Contribute today.

They really enjoy throwing the word "extremist" around. Just the other day, this gem from Bill Clinton showed up.

I’ve endorsed Janice Hahn for Congress in California’s 36th Congressional District, and I need your help to get her elected.

I think Americans get it. They understand that extreme solutions are not the right way to get out of a tough situation, like the one we face today with our economy. But right-wing extremists in Congress are persistent and, if we let them, they will hide behind a veil of concern for federal spending to push through a broad right-wing agenda dismantling Medicare, privatizing Social Security, undermining the environment, and balancing the budget on the backs of America’s most vulnerable people.

Janice Hahn’s opponent in this race is just such an extremist. We know that the voters of the 36th District will reject his policies once they get to know him, but getting that message out takes money. That’s why I’m asking that you make a contribution today to help elect Janice Hahn to Congress.

If I didn't know better I'd suggest they have a strategy at work here.

Next Boom Industry in New York: Gay Divorce

All those folks celebrating this weekend are in for a rude wake-up call. Not only will gay pre-nups be a hot commodity, get ready for a booming legal industry: Gay divorce.

Wedding planners aren't the only ones riding the gay-marriage gravy train.

Lawyers, too, are expecting a bonanza -- from gay divorce.

"Other than a divorce attorney, no one goes to a wedding hoping the marriage will fail," quipped Manhattan divorce attorney Daniel Clement.

And a gay marriage is no different. Lost in the euphoria of the historic passage of New York's same-sex marriage bill is the inevitability of bitter break-ups.

There will be support claims to resolve, property to divide and custody issues to settle, as with any other divorce.

"The same issues present themselves with same-sex couples: How do we split assets? What do we do with the children?" Clement said. "The law doesn't change merely because you have same-sex partners."

Mere months after Massachusetts passed its same-sex marriage bill in 2004, gay couples began filing for divorce -- sometimes having to use outdated forms that still listed "husband" and "wife."

Now they shall truly have equality. They'll be as miserable as a lot of straight couples.

RFK Jr.: There Was a 'Huge Appetite' for Air America

Damn, the heroin abuse really took a toll on this guy. There was a "huge appetite" for Air America? Realy? Where? They beat conservative radio in every market?

Dude really needs a reality check.

Good News: Obama Now Sending Out 'Mystery Shoppers' to Spy on Doctors

These people will not rest until every facet of our lives in run by the government.

Obama administration officials are putting together a team of 'mystery shoppers' to pose as patients, call doctors’ offices and request appointments to see how difficult it is for people to get care when they need it.

The move follows increasing alarm over the shortage of primary care doctors.

The administration says the survey will address the shortage and try to discover whether doctors are accepting patients with private insurance while turning away those in government health programmes that pay lower reimbursement rates.

Federal officials predict that more than 30 million Americans will gain coverage under the health care law passed last year.

'These newly insured Americans will need to seek out new primary care physicians, further exacerbating the already growing problem' of a shortage of such physicians in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services said in a description of the project prepared for the White House.

Plans for the survey have riled many doctors because the secret shoppers will not identify themselves as working for the government.

Dr. Raymond Scalettar, an internist in Washington, said: 'I don’t like the idea of the government snooping. It’s a pernicious practice - Big Brother tactics, which should be opposed.'

According to government documents obtained from Obama administration officials, the mystery shoppers will call medical practices and ask if doctors are accepting new patients and, if so, how long the wait would be, the New York Times reports.

The government is eager to know whether doctors give different answers to callers depending on whether they have public insurance, like Medicaid, or private insurance, like Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Dr. George J. Petruncio, a family doctor in Turnersville, New Jersey, said: 'This is not a way to build trust in government. Why should I trust someone who does not correctly identify himself?'

Dr. Stephen C. Albrecht, a family doctor in Olympia, Washington, said: 'If federal officials are worried about access to care, they could help us. They don’t have to spy on us.'

Dr. Robert L. Hogue, a family physician in Brownwood, Texas, asked: 'Is this a good use of tax money? Probably not. Everybody with a brain knows we do not have enough doctors.'

If they're concerned about a shortage now, just wait awhile, especially when you treat doctors like criminals.

An Obama stooge claims everything will be kept confidential. Sure, who wouldn't believe them?

In response to the criticism, a federal health official said doctors need not worry because the data would be kept confidential. 'Reports will present aggregate data, and individuals will not be identified,' said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss the plan before its final approval by the White House.

Michelle Obama's Healthy Diet: French Fries and Fat Cakes

Please, lecture us some more about eating well. They report with a straight face that she speaks of eating healthy, then she digs into the fatty grub the rest of us aren't supposed to have.

'Stop Dreaming' About Hugo's Death

Who's dreaming? We're just keeping hope alive.

Senior allies of Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez have dismissed reports he is sicker than the government has admitted, telling his enemies to "stop dreaming" of his death.

The normally verbose leader has not been seen in public since a June 10 operation in Cuba to remove a pelvic swelling. His long absence has prompted widespread speculation he may be seriously ill, possibly being treated for prostate cancer.

Accusing opponents of cynically rejoicing at his health problems, government officials insist Chavez, 56, is fine and that he should be back for a regional summit planned for Venezuela's 200th anniversary of independence on July 5.

"President Chavez is recovering well from his surgery. His enemies should stop dreaming and his friends should stop worrying," Vice Foreign Minister Temir Porras said on the social networking site Twitter.

"The only thing that has metastasized is the cancer of the Miami Herald and the rest of the right-wing press."

It's a vast right-wing conspiracy, perhaps.

Meanwhile, even though Dear Leader Hugo is ready to do jumping jacks and will allegedly return to Venezuela by next week, his brother is ready for an armed struggle.

With Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez incommunicado and reportedly convalescing in Cuba, his brother told an audience that both arms and the ballot box could be used for Venezuela’s ruling party to retain power.

“As authentic revolutionaries, we cannot forget other forms of fighting,’’ Adán Chávez said at a prayer meeting in Barinas, Venezuela, that was devoted to the health of his 56-year-old brother, who grew up there.

Quoting Latin American revolutionary icon Ernesto “Che” Guevara, he added: “It would be inexcusable to limit ourselves to only the electoral and not see other forms of struggle, including the armed struggle.”

Adán Chávez, a mild-mannered former university physics professor who has a close relationship with the president while maintaining a low profile, did not explain why it might be necessary for the president’s backers to consider the possibility of guerrilla warfare in the future, and the statement seemed to clash with Hugo Chávez’s own assertions.

The comments came during a day of intense speculation that the leader may be gravely ill after reportedly undergoing emergency surgery 16 days ago.

Fernando Soto Rojas, president of the National Assembly, said rumors that Chávez has been diagnosed with cancer are false. He added that he expected the president to return home before July 5, Venezuela’s independence day.

Throughout South Florida, the news — or lack of it — prompted discussions of a post-Chávez Venezuela.

“If we can get rid of him, we’re not going to have another Fidel Castro in our country,’’ Pablo Cardenas said after a dinner with friends and family at Caballo Viejo, a popular Venezuelan restaurant in Westchester where photos of Venezuelan telenovela stars hang on the bulletin board.

NYT Writer Smears Middle America: "Dance of the Low-Sloping Foreheads"

Nice attitude, eh?

This genius' name is David Carr, and he apparently writes a column for the New York Times. An unbiased one, no doubt.

Based on the slope of his forehead, I'm guessing he's from...Minnesota.



Via Breitbart.

Useful Idiots Aboard 'The Audacity of Hope'

This certainly qualifies as a target-rich environment.

Talk about audacity: Organizers of that 15-ship “peace flotilla” soon to be bound for Gaza are looking for some human shields before they set sail.

That could be a tough sell, given what happened in May 2010, when nine Turkish thugs were killed at sea in a clash with Israeli troops during Round One of the flotilla.

Ah, but the 36 Americans aboard The Audacity of Hope — the ship, not President Obama’s memoir — are in luck.

They’ve already come up with 10 useful idiots . . . um, make that credulous witnesses — volunteers from the Fourth Estate.

That is, reporters from The New York Times, CNN, The Nation and other outlets are coming along for the ride.

Strictly to observe, of course.

The ship will be running Israel’s maritime blockade of Gaza, which was imposed in 2008 to prevent arms from reaching Hamas by way of sea.

The activists’ stated aim: to end a “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza.

But what crisis?

Supermarkets there are stocked floor to ceiling; UN aid arrives every day — and, anyway, Egypt opened its border with Gaza earlier this year.

Israel’s blockade isn’t really the issue — the flotilla is meant to attack Israel itself.

Last year’s flotilla was organized by a Turkish Islamist group with longstanding ties to al Qaeda and Hamas. As Israeli special forces sought to commandeer its lead ship, Turkish “activists” — armed with knives and pipes — attacked the boarding party. The troops fought back, killing nine.

This year, the Turks are reportedly sitting the flotilla out, which is good news all around. But the fresh crop of activists appear spoiling for a fight — which means things could get violent, fast.

These media ciphers should be given no special privileges. They should rightfully be considered the enemy if things get out of hand, which it appears is pre-ordained.

Photo of the Day: Weiner Texting Again

Well, his infamous Twitter account is still active, so who knows what this degenerate is up to. But dude, right in front of the wife?

By the way, how's that "rehab" going?

Down boy -- your wife is sitting right there!

Disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner -- who had to resign after admitting to sexting with multiple women -- went out to lunch with his pregnant wife Huma Abedin yesterday, but seemed to be more involved with whatever was on his BlackBerry.

Moron-in-Chief Apologizes to Family of Fallen Soldier

I guess we should overlook his bumbling incompetence. He had all those fundraisers on his mind, so who could blame him for being such an idiot?

President Obama today apologized to the family of a Medal of Honor recipient whom he erroneously said was still alive.

On Thursday at Fort Drum, the president told troops from the 10th Mountain Division that he previously "had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously.”

Wrong. Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti was actually killed in Afghanistan on June 21, 2006. In September 2009, President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor posthumously.

It's all so clever of Obama to schedule these events so we can pick up the tab for his fat-cat fundraisers. Just like we'll be doing next week when his wife pulls the same stunt.

First Lady Michelle Obama will appear at three fundraisers next Thursday, June 30, bringing to seven the number of fundraisers she has held this month.

The heavy schedule of money raising this far our from Election Day suggests that the Obama reelection campaign is going to make frequent use of the first lady, both to raise money and campaign.

By comparison, former First Lady Laura Bush held 13 fundraisers in all of 2003, the year before George W. Bush’s reelection.

Mrs. Obama’s first fundraiser will be at a luncheon in Boston, followed by two early evening fundraisers in Burlington, Vt.

Much of the cost of Mrs. Obama’s travel will be borne by taxpayers since she has an “official” first lady appearance squeezed in between the Boston and Burlington fundraisers – an event “to show appreciation to the Vermont National Guard and their families,” according to the White House.

President Obama also usually has an “official” event to attend when he travels to raise money. Having such an appearance that defrays costs on the itinerary is common practice for presidents when they travel to fundraisers outside of Washington.

It would be nice if some day these two grifters picked up the tab themselves. But I won't be holding my breath.

Caught on Camera: Garofalo and Olbermann Hold Private Conversation on Tea Party "Racism"

Wait, you mean this was actually on television?

Who knew?

Brace yourself, because this is one of the most imbecilic, untethered discussions on the tea party you're ever going to hear. My head is still throbbing from watching it. Must be my limbic brain taking over, or something.

Chavez Returns ... to Twitter

Venezuelan madman Hugo Chavez, or someone tweeting for him, has emerged after two weeks of silence.

Viva la revolucion or something.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, not seen in public for two weeks, ended his unusual silence with several Twitter messages on Friday, but said nothing about his health after an operation in Cuba.

The reemergence of the loquacious leader on the social networking site will do little to squash speculation that his prolonged absence means he may be seriously ill.

Marking a public holiday that celebrates a victory in a battle against Spanish colonial forces in 1821, Chavez congratulated the armed forces and saluted all Venezuelans.

"Today is my army's day and the sun rose brilliantly! A huge hug to my soldiers and to my beloved people," he wrote from his Twitter account, @chavezcandanga.

"From here, I am with you in the hard work every day. Toward victory always! We are winning! We will win!"

Uh, doubtful.

Woman Wakes Up at Her Own Funeral, Then Dies of Heart Attack

The irony meter explodes. Sadly, she didn't even have time to sign the guest book.

A woman died from a heart attack caused by shock after waking up to discover she had been declared dead - and was being prepared for burial.

As mourning relatives filed past her open coffin the supposedly dead woman suddenly woke up and started screaming as she realised where she was.

Fagilyu Mukhametzyanov, 49, had been wrongly declared deceased by doctors but died for real after hearing mourners saying prayers for her soul to be taken up to heaven in Kazan, Russia.

Devastated husband Fagili Mukhametzyanov, 51, had been told his wife had died of a heart attack after she'd collapsed at home suffering from chest pains.

Mr Mukhametzyanov said: 'Her eyes fluttered and we immediately rushed her back to the hospital but she only lived for another 12 minutes in intensive care before she died again, this time for good.

Can't wait for socialized medicine to kick in here in America.

'I Think He’ll Start Talking and He’ll Start Taking People Down'

It's probably a safe bet there are a lot of current or former FBI agents and Boston cops who are sweating today as Whitey Bulger is returned to the scene of his crimes. The better hope he's diagnosed with Alzheimer's so they can worm their way out of a jam.

Notorious gangster James "Whitey" Bulger was expected to be returned home to Boston on Friday, a law enforcement official said.

Bulger, the former leader of the violent Winter Hill Gang, was captured in Santa Monica, Calif., Wednesday, along with his longtime girlfriend, Catherine Greig, after 16 years as a fugitive.

Christina DiIorio-Sterling, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, said Bulger and Greig are expected to be returned to Boston Friday and could have an initial appearance in federal court as early as Friday afternoon. Sterling said logistics are still being worked out.

After 16 long years, the arrest of Bulger appeared to end a long, frustrating manhunt that had embarrassed the FBI and raised questions about its efforts to find one of its most wanted fugitives.

But Bulger’s capture could be only the beginning of a new scandal for the Boston FBI and others.

If Bulger decides to cut a deal with prosecutors, he could implicate an untold number of local, state and federal law enforcement officials, according to investigators who built a racketeering indictment against Bulger before he fled in 1995.

"If he starts to talk, there will be some unwelcome accountability on the part of a lot of people inside law enforcement," said retired Massachusetts state police Maj. Tom Duffy. "Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t want my pension contingent on what he will say at this point."

One of Bulger's former soldiers thinks he'll start blabbing.

Edward J. MacKenzie Jr., a former drug dealer and enforcer for Bulger, predicted that Bulger will disclose new details about FBI corruption and how agents protected him for so long.

"Whitey was no fool. He knew he would get caught. I think he’ll have more fun pulling all those skeletons out of the closet," MacKenzie said.

"I think he’ll start talking and he’ll start taking people down."

Meanwhile, if you think Howie Carr is gloating, you'd be correct.

Bin Laden Planned al Qaeda Name Change to Combat Image Problems

Oh well. That double-tap he got left these plans permanently on hold. Rumor has it he wanted to the change the name al Qaeda to The Democratic Party, but that might have caused a lot of confusion on the left.

As Osama bin Laden watched his terrorist organisation get picked apart, he lamented in his final writings that Al Qaeda was getting a bad reputation and needed a name change.

His group was killing too many Muslims and the West was winning the public relations fight.

Faced with this challenge, Bin Laden, who hated the United States and decried capitalism, considered a very American business strategy.

Like Blackwater, ValuJet and Philip Morris, Al Qaeda would start afresh under a new name.

The problem with the name Al Qaeda, he wrote in a letter recovered from his compound in Pakistan, was that it lacked a religious element, something to convince Muslims worldwide that they are in a holy war with America.

Fatcat Fundraisers Flee From Obama: 'The Democratic Business-Donor Community is Demoralized'

Apparently there's a limit for people being demonized on a daily basis. At some point you learn not to reward your enemies.

President Obama hit the Big Apple last night hoping to score a fund-raising hat trick for his re-election campaign -- but he faced lackluster donors tired of being taken for granted and some pointed no-shows by prominent Wall Streeters.

"The Democratic business-donor community is demoralized," a Democratic fund-raiser told The Post before the three cash-currying events Obama was attending in Manhattan over a three-hour span. "There's not the level of enthusiasm or excitement. They don't believe he's interested in what they have to say."

Among those feeling burned by Obama are financial execs sick of being demonized by the White House and made a scapegoat for the nation's economic woes.

Although Obama raked in lots of cash last night from a dinner at the Upper East Side restaurant Daniel -- where about 70 hedge-funders and other deep pocketed donors forked over $35,800 a head -- it was big-time execs turning down the invitation who raised eyebrows.

Both JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon and Citigroup boss Vikram Pandit had made it clear they would not attend the event, which was closed to the press.

Also planning to skip the event were Blackstone Group President Tony James and its top real-estate exec, Jonathan Gray; Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman and its president, Greg Fleming; and Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn.

"I think there are a lot of Wall Street-types who are unhappy," said a financial exec who has supported Obama in the past.

"Do I think everyone's going to abandon the president? I'd say no -- I'm not going to abandon him -- but I get the sense he's going to get far less support than he did in the past."

Obama -- last night addressing the bankers he once derided as "fat cats" -- joked about his dwindling popularity among them.

"I know that it's not going to be exactly the same as when I was young and vibrant and new," he said. "Let's face it, it was cool to support me back then [in 2008] . . . Now I'm sort of old news."

'It's Ridiculous, and It Could Make Her Angrier'

Wait a minute. I thought Anthony Weiner was in rehab? What's he doing buying cheap flowers for his wife at a bodega?

Anthony Weiner thinks 23 bucks' worth of bodega blossoms will make love bloom again for his humiliated wife.

The disgraced former congressman was spotted outside his Queens home yesterday toting a bouquet of cheap flowers for Huma Abedin, his pregnant spouse who endured weeks of lurid revelations about her husband's sexting. He spent a whopping $22.97 on them at a bodega, according to the iPad publication The Daily.

But the gesture won't work, experts told The Post.

"It's ridiculous, and it could make her angrier," said Elayne Rapping, a professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo. "He knows there are photographers and reporters outside of his house. He could have easily called up a florist and had flowers delivered to her -- this seems to be more of a gesture for the press than for her. A way of him saying, 'I'm being a good husband.' "

A clerk at the ritzy Madison Avenue Florists identified Weiner's peace offering as orange roses, white carnations and blue agapanthuses -- and added that they're a lame way to say, "I'm sorry."

"It's ill-conceived," the clerk said. "Carnations are not really popular among women these days -- and orange roses? He should have stuck to red."

Quoting Lady Gaga, Obama Rolls Out Fresh Birther Jokes

What a deft comedic touch.

POTUS said he has had "tough calls to make" since becoming President, including the auto industry buyout, the process to "rebuild the middle class," and two ongoing wars. He then joked that he hoped people would have a little extra money in their pocket so they could perhaps "go to a play...because we're in New York."

Wait, what? Rebuild the middle class? Is he for real?

He then listed a series of his administration's accomplishments, including the passage of health care reform, the elimination of Osama Bin Laden, and his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan this month.

Let's see: Legislation due to be found unconstitutional, a no-brainer call on bin Laden, and a low-rated speech from last night. Now those are some accomplishments.

POTUS said his vision is for a "a big, compassionate America" and while he would cut the deficit, he would not turn his back on so many Americans. He said "it is up to each of us to perfect this union" and that the country needed to leave up to the words "we are all created equal."

Um, exactly how has he proposed to cut the deficit? Anyone? He's run up trillions in debt in record time and he's going to cut the deficit?

He said he grew up believing that discriminating against any people was "wrong" and quoted a Lady Gaga song lyric by saying he "had no choice - I was born that way," which drew laughs. He then added "...in Hawaii." POTUS said he believed gay couples deserve "the same legal rights as any other couple" which drew sustained applause.

POTUS was briefly interrupted by some in the audience who yelled "Marriage! Marriage!" to which he responded "I heard you' and joked that "he anticipated" that he would hear such comments. POTUS then said he believed the Defense of Marriage Act needed to be repealed and that Section 3 of DOMA was unconstitutional.

He then referred to the current debate of same-sex marriage in New York's capital of Albany and applauded the democratic process as "exactly what should be happening." A heckler yelled "Do you support it?" which POTUS did not acknowledge.

Of course he didn't acknowledge, because he has no character and no convictions. He can't even take a stand on an issue near and dear to the people he's standing in front of and whose money he's taking. And the joke is they sit there and laugh and applaud him, all the while knowing what a contemptible, shallow, pathetic empty suit he is. They're lavishing money upon him and he's spitting in their faces.

Then they clap and ask for more. It's humiliating.

He keeps saying he hears them, but really, does he?

The president was mid-sentence as several dinner attendees shouted, "gay marriage!"

President Obama replied, "I hear you."

He hears them. Whatever.

Meanwhile, he's brought the patented Obama jinx along with him, as the state senate still has no vote on gay marriage.

Clyburn: Obama's Too Busy to Bother With Debt Ceiling Negotiations, Or Something

Meanwhile, the bozo has plenty of time for fundraisers, including three tonight in New York City.

Clyburn's comments here are particularly lame. When asked by Neil Cavuto why Obama isn't more involved in the debt ceiling negotiations, Clyburn says that no, he is involved - then immediately proceeds to make excuses for why he's not involved.

Huh?



h/t: Breitbart.

NJ Unions Dealt Crushing Defeat

A historic win for Chris Christie. Taste the bitter tears of union members "forced" to pay their fair share.

New Jersey lawmakers tonight voted to enact a sweeping plan to cut public worker benefits after a long day of high-pitched political drama in the streets and behind closed doors.

Union members chanted outside the Statehouse and in the Assembly balcony, and dissident Democrats tried to stall with amendments and technicalities. Although they successfully convinced top lawmakers to remove a controversial provision restricting public workers’ access to out-of-state medical care, they failed to halt a historic defeat for New Jersey’s powerful unions and a political victory for Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

Nearly 8500 people gathered in the streets surrounding the Statehouse in Trenton to defend their stance on pension and benefit reform. Collective bargaining was the overall theme, but some delved deeper as to what exactly is important to them and their families as a bill awaits a vote in the state assembly.

"Together, we’re showing New Jersey is serious about providing long-term fiscal stability for our children and grandchildren," Christie said in a statement released after the vote. "We are putting the people first and daring to touch the third rail of politics in order to bring reform to an unsustainable system."

Imagine, a governor keeping the promises he campaigned on.

By the way, support was bipartisan. The media should love that, right?

Supporters of the bill — including Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) — have said the state needs to cut costs because the pension and health systems are underfunded by more than $120 billion in total.

Christie, who has staked his reputation on shrinking government costs, has called the bill an example for the rest of the country. New Jersey is one of 23 states that have asked employees to pay more for their pensions since the Wall Street financial crisis battered retirement systems in 2008, according to the Pew Center on the States.

Consider this a win-win for Christie, and a stinging defeat for the unions. Oh well.

Today’s union protest, like other recent demonstrations, did nothing to stop the bill. But it did highlight the growing fissures in the state Democratic Party, which has struggled to counter Christie.

The crybabies at the NY Times call it "deep cuts" and a "broad rollback" of worker rights. Aww.

What we've got here is a governor who's taken an unsustainable debt load and put our state on the path toward fiscal sanity. Contrast him with the current occupant of the White House, who's managed to do the exact opposite.

Obama-Weary Nation Tunes Out Afghanistan Speech

If television ratings are any indication, Barack Obama's appeal with the American public has pretty much cratered.

Some 25.3 million Americans watched Obama's speech on Wednesday, which was broadcast live on nine U.S. television networks, ratings company Nielsen said on Thursday.

Let's contrast that with December 2009.

President Obama got to make his case on Afghanistan to a lot of people -- 40.8 million, his largest television audience since a Feb. 24 address to a joint session of Congress.

This according to ratings from the Nielsen Company, which noted that Obama's prime-time address Tuesday was carried by 10 broadcast and cable networks.

Damn, it's almost like somebody saw this coming.

These numbers were actually even worse than his speech on Libya three months ago when that "conflict" was going to be wrapped up in 72 hours or something.

Super Genius President Fondly Remembers Awarding Medal of Honor to Dead Soldier

Let's cut the guy some slack. He was probably distracted by the logistics of his glitzy, big bucks fundraising blitz with the beautiful people in Manhattan tonight. So what if he fucks up and pretends to remember meeting a soldier who was already dead? It's not like he's some imbecile like George W. Bush or Sarah Palin.

During his remarks to troops at Fort Drum today, the President was reminiscing about the times he has spent with the US Army's 10th Mountain Division, when he got something wrong.

"Throughout my service, first as a senator and then as a presidential candidate and then as a President, I’ve always run into you guys. And for some reason it’s always in some rough spots.

First time I saw 10th Mountain Division, you guys were in southern Iraq. When I went back to visit Afghanistan, you guys were the first ones there. I had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously."

The problem is, Jared Monti was killed in action in Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, September 17, 2009. President Obama handed the framed medal to his parents, Paul and Janet Monti. He and the First Lady comforted them in the Oval Office following the ceremony.

No doubt MSNBC and CNN will be replaying this blunder for days upon end, ridiculing both his stupidity and insensitivity.

Naturally, his stooge downplayed the idiocy.

"“At Fort Drum, the President misspoke when discussing the first Medal of Honor he presented posthumously to Jared Monti, who was a member of the 10th Mountain Division.

He just misspoke. Let's not be so hard on the bumbling idiot. Misspoke now the common euphemism for he doesn't have the slightest fucking clue what he's doing and don't you dare embarrass him, or you're racist.

From Blackfive:

The ironic part of the speech, and this comes after the announcement of the politically pressured drawdown of troops in Afghanistan, was Obama's closing remark, "Know that your Commander-in-Chief has your back."

It shouldn't take a teleprompter for the C-in-C to get it right.

He's so far in over his head, and everyone knows it. But let's all pretend otherwise, and let him run around collecting money so the media can re-elect him.

Epic Rachel Maddow Beclowning

Smugness so thick you need a chainsaw to cut through it. Here's MSNBC's towering intellect Rachel Maddow Monday night goofing on the FBI for their campaign targeting women in the Whitey Bulger case. Watch it all the way through if you can stomach it.

Whoops.

Fugitive South Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, wanted for 19 murders, was captured last night in Southern California, the result of a tip from FBI television spots that began airing this week. His capture ended a 16-year manhunt that spanned the globe.

While also skeptical, Howie Carr, appearing on O'Reilly Tuesday, at least didn't make a complete buffoon of himself.

“Yeah. I don’t quite understand it, bill,” Carr replied. “They haven’t seen either Whitey or Catherine Grieg in the United States since 1996. they haven’t been seen anywhere in the world credibly since 2002. I don’t know why they are running all these spots on American TV because I don’t think they have been here for a long time.”

Top its credit, Fox News was the first cable news channel to report Bulger’s arrest in a special report a little after 12:30 AM last night, according to TVEyes. Both CNN and MSNBC waited until their morning programming kicked in to report the news.

Whitey Bulger Nabbed in Santa Monica

It figures. This bloodthirsty, Democrat-connected mob boss skipped one liberal enclave 17 years ago and finally is found. In another.

Fugitive South Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, wanted for 19 murders, was captured last night in Southern California, the result of a tip from FBI television spots that began airing this week. His capture ended a 16-year manhunt that spanned the globe.

Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office, and Steven Martinez, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office, released a statement this morning confirming that FBI agents had arrested the fugitive, who was on the bureau's Ten Most Wanted list, and his companion, Catherine Greig, in California. Neither resisted arrest.

"Recent publicity produced a tip that led agents to a residence in Santa Monica, California, where they located Bulger and Greig Wednesday evening," the statement said.

The arrests of Bulger, 81, and Greig, 60, were initially announced by FBI headquarters on Twitter.

The arrest is a long-sought victory for the FBI, whose reputation was sullied by its connection to the mobster and whose fruitless efforts to find the fugitive had been regarded by some with suspicion.

Bulger did not appear to be in good health, an official said.

"I don't think he's in a position to be fighting anybody," the official said, adding, "They got a confession from him."

Bulger's brother, former president of the state Senate William M. Bulger, had little to say this morning when a reporter knocked on the door of his South Boston home.

That of course would be Democrat William M. Bulger.

"No comment," said William Bulger, who answered the door in his T-shirt. Informed that his brother had been arrested, Bulger said, "Thank you."

I hope he was wearing some pants along with the t-shirt. (All you need to know about Billy can be found here.)

In case Whitey still isn't familiar, this may jog the memory.

Bulger, 81, has been the subject of several books and was the inspiration for "The Departed," a 2006 Martin Scorsese film staring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.

Bulger fled Boston in late 1994 as federal agents were about to arrest him in connection with 21 killings, racketeering and other crimes that spanned the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.

Howie Carr, author of The Brothers Bulger, is kvelling.

After all these years, how do the feds finally catch Whitey?

By running an ad on “The View.” Or “Rachael Ray.” Or some other silly daytime women’s TV show. Whitey, the president-for-life of the He Man Woman Haters’ Club, brought down by the likes of Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg.

And where were he and Catherine Greig living? Not in some dreary British tenement, but in Santa Monica, LaLa Land. And no Hollywood ending either.

Hey Whitey, in case you’ve forgotten, Oklahoma and Florida are death-penalty states.

The best part about this capture is that now our worst nightmare isn’t realized. His greedy little brother, Billy, does not get to step forward and claim the $2 million reward — one final thumb in the eye of the American taxpayer.

And who will be the first Globe columnist to write, “Well at least Jimmy kept the drugs out of Southie.”

Not a single confirmed sighting of the creepy old serial killer in the U.S. since 1996, yet the FBI suddenly decides to run those PSAs in a bunch of cities, including Los Angeles.

Did somebody give them a heads-up after all these years?

Stupid Union Tricks: 'Because They Really Lack Originality, They Rip Off the Dynamics of the Tea Party Movement'

Finally, a story about protesters acting "patriotic" and they're not being labeled as a racist mob.

The protest outside the New Jersey Statehouse had all the usual trappings of a tea party rally: colonial costumes, allusions to governments infringing on rights and rattlesnake-emblazoned Gadsden flags reading "Don't tread on me."

But this was no tea party. It was a union demonstration.

In rallies and public statements, unions are using tactics that seem pulled directly from the tea party playbook, such as appeals to follow the Constitution, heed the will of the Founding Fathers and protect the American way of life.

While slashing government spending is paramount to the tea party's ideology, maintaining or increasing state spending on pension and health benefits is at the crux of public workers' demands in New Jersey.

Unions are fighting tooth-and-nail against legislation that requires public workers to pay more for benefits and curbs their ability to bargain collectively for them. They're placing the blame for the state's budget predicament on politicians who didn't put enough tax dollars into the system to begin with.

"We all must continue to fight for our right to petition our government for redressive grievances. We all have a right to collective bargaining," said a woman impersonating Abigail Adams, the wife of the second president.

She wore an 18th century-style dress with white apron and cap as she joined about 200 protesters who arrived at Monday's rally after marching across a bridge from Pennsylvania to mark the "Second Battle of Trenton," a reference to the battle that followed George Washington's 1776 crossing of the Delaware River.

Clashes over collective bargaining rights for public workers have taken place across the country this year, most visibly in Wisconsin and Ohio. But in both of those states, Republicans control the governor's mansions and the legislatures, setting up a tussle between Democrat-backed unions and Republican politicians.

The dynamics are different in New Jersey, where Democrats control the Assembly and Senate. Republican Gov. Chris Christie cut a deal with Democratic legislative leaders, leaving labor scrambling for ways to avoid the appearance of having lost public opinion.

"It always makes sense to show even though you're protesting the system, the government, you want to identify as being patriotic," said Ben Dworkin, a political scientist at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. "That it isn't that you're opposing the country, just the people who are running it."

The Gadsden flag, an anti-British symbol of the American Revolution that has become a staple at tea party rallies, has started appearing in New Jersey.

While legislators hold hearings on the benefits legislation, protesters outside chant "Kill the bill," a mantra used during tea party resistance to federal health care reform. (Union leaders point out it's been used before in many contexts.)

"Impersonation is the best form of flattery," said Steve Lonegan, director of Americans for Prosperity-New Jersey, which backs the tea party movement. "Because they really lack originality, they rip off the dynamics of the tea party movement."

Of course when these stooges are doing it it's simply an act. I guess they've finally figured out the public has had enough of their greed and endless temper tantrums. Of course while they now wrap themselves in the flag, anyone opposing them is un-American.

"Our members are patriotic Americans," Baker said. "They love the Constitution and are very concerned about what they see happening in New Jersey, because it comes across as very un-American."

I eagerly await an all-white liberal panel at MSNBC fulminating on the racial overtones and the glaring lack of melanin at these rallies.

Jon Huntsman Snags the Coveted Harry Reid Endorsement

Can you say non-starter?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said this week he prefers Jon Huntsman to Mitt Romney in the GOP Mormon presidential primary, has taken a lot of money from the Huntsman family, and the former Utah governor appointed Reid’s son, Josh, to Utah’s Board of Regents.

So no wonder Reid said Tuesday, “If I had a choice in that race, I’d choose Huntsman over Romney.”

Suddenly, Mitt Romney doesn't seem so bad.

Money For Nothing: CBO Reports That Stimulus Doubled the Debt

So much for that idea.

Not only has the so-called "stimulus" doubled the debt, but the country got jack-squat in return. Except, of course, consistently high unemployment, a real estate market in shambles, and gas and food prices through the roof. Yippee!

If you think the Dumbocrats have learned their lesson yet, you better think again.

Is it 2012 yet?

A new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds that President Obama’s economic stimulus program helped nearly double U.S. debt.

The 2011 Long-Term Budget Outlook, released Wednesday morning, reports that the “the combination of automatic budgetary responses” and Obama’s stimulus “had a profound impact on the federal budget.” According to CBO projections, before Obama’s stimulus became law, federal debt equaled 36 percent of GDP and was projected to decline slightly over the next few years. Instead, thanks in large part to the stimulus, debt reached 62 percent of GDP by 2010.

The wonderful news doesn't end there. Keep reading.

Cross-posted.

Palin May Be Up for an Emmy

Frankly, I really don't care if she wins, loses or is even nominated. Just as long as it annoys the Democrats and their media stenographers. Winning, of course, would be enjoyable if only to witness the apoplectic reaction.

While Sarah Palin is busy touring America, she might want to plan a stop in Hollywood in September. While political pundits speculate about whether she'll seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012, she may potentially receive an Emmy nomination next month. She's an executive producer of her controversial series "Sarah Palin's Alaska," which the TLC network has entered for consideration in four categories: cinematography, picture editing, music composition and best reality program.

Really, the show was controversial? What little I saw of it I thought it was kind of hokey, but totally harmless. Or is it just because it's Palin they have to declare it controversial?

Now what Palin story would be complete without the obligatory Tina Fey reference?

If Palin is nominated for her series -- in which she guides the viewer on a tour through her home state -- it won't be her first brush with Emmy, and it may not be her last. Tina Fey won an Emmy two years ago for spoofing the ex-governor on "Saturday Night Live."

Palin's got more talent in her pinky toe than Fey will ever have in her life, so she would normally be a shoo-in. But somehow I suspect the Emmy voters won't be casting may votes for her.

Democrat Lists Convict Wife as Fundraiser Host

She'll no doubt be there in spirit.

With his wife still under house arrest until August, U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney will be going stag to Friday night’s major Women Taking the Lead for Tierney fund-raiser, spokesmen for the couple confirmed yesterday.

Patrice Tierney is listed on the host committee of the annual $100-a-plate cocktail party to take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Danvers. But Jennifer Flagg, spokesman for the Salem Democrat’s convict wife, told the Herald, “Mrs. Tierney is definitely not attending the event.

“She wouldn’t do anything to step out of the terms of her probation.”

Michael Goldman, a spokesman for John Tierney, 59, said the congressman will attend, and the nod to his wife of 14 years was strictly a formality.

Patrice Tierney, 60, pleaded guilty in January to aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns by her brother, Robert Eremian, a fugitive from federal charges of racketeering, illegal gambling, money laundering and witness tampering.

The petite jewelry designer completed a monthlong prison stretch on March 15 and is now on two years’ supervised release — the first five months of which she’s confined to her home, though not on a GPS bracelet.

How is this this crook got only 30 days for tax fraud? Oh, she's married to a Democrat Congressman. Never mind.

Law enforcement officials said Tierney's brother, Robert Eremian, ran a large-scale illegal gambling business in the United States from the early 1980s through the beginning of 2010. State Police raided his Lynnfield office in 1996, leading Eremian to move the business's headquarters to Antigua, but the business continued underground in Massachusetts, Assistant US attorney Fred M. Wyshak Jr. told the court in October.

Patrice Tierney began overseeing her brother's Massachusetts affairs after he returned to Antigua. Between 2003 and 2009, prosecutors charged, she managed a banking account that collected more than $7 million in illegal gambling profits. Over that time, prosecutors allege, Patrice Tierney paid bills for his three children and their ailing mother, balanced the account, and provided information to his tax preparer, resulting in false tax filings, prosecutors said.

Young also ordered Tierney to cooperate with the IRS and provide all the necessary financial information to determine the tax liabilities of her brother.

Obama Mentor: 'The State of Israel is an Illegal, Genocidal ... Place'

Gee, you suppose it's just a coincidence Barack Obama harbors such disdain for Israel? Well, if you sat stone-faced for 20 years listening to this garbage, it shouldn't be a surprise.

"Barack Obama was selected before he was elected," said Mr. Wright, dressed in black pants and a short-sleeved, African-style printed tunic. "Wall Street selected him. GM, Ford and Chrysler selected him. When you are selected by them, you are beholden to them."

Referencing the Book of Exodus, he warned churchgoers to "Please remember that Pharaoh was black, so not all of your oppressors are white." A chorus of "amen" and a phalanx of arms rose simultaneously into the air in agreement with Mr. Wright.

And he said faith was not a path to riches, repeatedly poking the expensively dressed Empowerment Temple Pastor Jamal Bryant for driving a Range Rover. "Every word that is in the Bible was written under six different types of [government] oppression," he said.

Mr. Bryant spent much of the hour-and-a-half interview with Mr. Wright with his immaculately manicured right hand on his head, slouched deep in his seat.

Mr. Wright spread the blame for black persecution around on lots of people and epochs. He hates Roman emperors for renaming months after themselves and upsetting their proper numerical order; Michelangelo for painting Jesus as white; U.S. public schools for teaching the American Revolution instead of African history. In particular, he hates the term "Middle East," as it implies Europe as the center of the world.

And he hates Israel. "The state of Israel is an illegal, genocidal … place," he said. "To equate Judaism with the state of Israel is to equate Christianity with [rapper] Flavor Flav." Laughter erupted from the mostly female audience on that remark.

The state-controlled media these days subjects GOP presidential candidates to anal cavity searches, and that's just on the day they announce. Imagine if Obama was subjected to similar scrutiny. He'd still be a community agitator, not the president.

H/T.