Obama Takes Ownership of Wall Street Protests

Well, we've been saying for some time this Wall Street temper tantrum is an Obama production and today he confirmed it.

President Obama said Thursday that the Occupy Wall Street protests show a "broad-based frustration" among Americans about how the U.S. financial system works.

Speaking at an East Room news conference, Obama said he has monitored the movement, which has spread to dozens of cities nationwide.

"I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel, that we had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, huge collateral damage all throughout the country ... and yet you're still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on the abusive practices that got us into this in the first place," he said.

Nothing to do with our economic conditions has anything to do with him, of course.

Now wouldn't you know it, this organized effort by the Occupy Wall Street Democrats is going to blame everything on ... the Republicans!

The news media have been paying increasing attention this week to the "Occupy Wall Street" protests that started in New York and have spread to other cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington. Democratic strategists make the point that Obama is sympathetic to the protesters' underlying concerns. These strategists note that Obama and the Democrats are calling for legal protection for consumers and higher taxes on the wealthy and on big corporations so they pay their "fair share" while the GOP generally opposes those ideas.

Of course he's sympathetic. They're protesting on his behalf. Is the media too dense to see this?

You would think they might recall reporting on who Wall Street backed in 2008.

Wall Street is putting its money behind Democrat Barack Obama for president, despite worries that his administration would raise taxes and take a tougher line on trade and regulation.

The signs Wall Street reads point to Democrats prevailing in the November presidential and general election as voters punish the incumbent Republican Party for a flagging economy and lengthy Iraq war.

The economy is in much worse condition under him and now where has this gotten his Wall Street supporters? Why, Obama's dogs of war have now been unleashed upon them.

If anyone on Wall Street is dumb enough to give this guy a nickel from here on out they deserve no mercy.

Obama Attempts to Shore Up Hispanic Vote With Important Appointment

In a transparent attempt to recapture some of the Hispanic vote that's been fleeing his Titanic of an administration, Barack Obama decided to appoint Constitutional scholar Shakira to something called the Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Someone on a commission for educational excellence should first demonstrate some of her own.

"I'm not an expert on the Constitution but I know the constitution exists for a reason," she said. "It exists to protect human beings, to protect the rights of people living in a nation, with or without documents. We're talking about human beings here."

Lizzy Warren Says She 'Didn’t Take Her Clothes Off' to Pay for School; Scott Brown: 'Thank God'

That's going to leave a mark on the shrieking banshee.

Sen. Scott Brown seemed to be taking a shot at his Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren’s physical appearance during a radio interview Thursday morning.

Brown was asked to respond to a comment Warren made in a debate Tuesday night when she was asked about Brown’s nude appearance in Cosmopolitan magazine when he was a student at Tufts.

Warren said that she “didn’t take her clothes off” to pay for school.

When asked about the comment on WZLX radio, Brown said “Thank God,” and then laughed.

Warren’s spokesman had no immediate reaction.

Brown said he appeared in Cosmopolitan because he needed the money to get through college.

“You know what, listen: Bottom line is, you know, I didn’t go to Harvard, you know, I went to the school of hard knocks, and I did whatever I had to do to pay for school,’’ he said.

“It’s elitist of Professor Warren to look down at the decisions Scott Brown made to put himself through college and rise above the circumstances of his life. Scott has fought and scraped for everything he’s got,” Brown’s spokesman told the Boston Globe.

Confirmed: Soros Still a Convicted Criminal

Aw, the poor Democrat sugar daddy.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that France did not violate George Soros' rights when convicting him of insider trading, defeating a years-long effort by the billionaire financier to clear his name.

Though Soros has faced criticism for other investment decisions before and since, the French conviction over trades in 1988 left a particular stain on the Hungarian-born businessman and philanthropist's five-decade career.

He was fined euro2.2 million in 2002, or $2.92 million at current rates, for purchasing shares in French bank Societe Generale in 1988, days after being informed about a planned takeover bid for the bank.

That was the amount he was accused of making when he sold the shares shortly afterward. France's highest court reduced the fine in 2007 to euro940,000 ($1.25 million at current rates).

Soros argued that France's insider trading rules at the time were unclear, and that the length of the investigation - from 1993 until his indictment in 2000 - made it difficult to call reliable witnesses, violating his right to a fair trial under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The human rights court, based in Strasbourg, France, disagreed. In a 4-3 decision, the panel of judges argued that "the law applicable in 1988 was sufficient for Soros to have been aware that his conduct might be unlawful."

'Fart Smeller Movement' Joins Occupy Wall Street Protest

Obviously he represents the 99% of Americans who want to do ... um, something.

Three weeks into the revolution, there is no common theme.

At the periphery sit well-heeled thrill-seekers who’ve traveled from Virginia Beach, Seattle, Ohio and Portland, Ore.

Others come from Mars.

Like the guy who marched with a sign announcing that he was the “Fart Smeller.’’ Say what?

“It’s not a joke,’’ he said, as serious as open-heart surgery, showing me a photograph of his important work. “I go up to women and ask to smell their ...’’

At the stinky end of the park, I met a smart man, Phillip Belpasso, 64, in a filthy Army-style jacket, who said he’s been in Zuccotti Park “pretty much since the Towers came down.’’ A decade?

“This all happened around me, sort of,’’ he said. “Say, have you figured out what’s going on here yet? I don’t even know if they know what they’re for. ’’

Ian K., who passed as an official -- the word “Security’’ was on the “Hello’’ sticker on his chest -- informed silly me that having a point isn’t really the point.

“There isn’t a coherent message,’’ said Ian, 30. “The fact is that we are individuals. You’d have to ask every single individual and you’d get varying answers.’’

The lack of what Ian called a “uniformity of commonality of message’’ was wearing on Calum McPherson-Smith, 23, who’d taken a bus here from Virginia Beach 10 days earlier.

“I came because I’m hopeful this will grow into something to combat a giant, vast disease affecting our society and socioeconomic system,’’ he said. “We don’t look serious! We look like a bunch of dirty kids hanging out!’’

If Fart Smeller guy isn't amusing enough, it appears mental hospitals have released patients to beef up the numbers in Boston.

He Owns It: Obama Embraces 'ObamaCare' Label

It wasn't long ago Democrats sniveled over ObamaCare being used as a pejorative. Now the desperate Obama claims he cherishes the monkiker.

Sure.

President Obama is embracing the term “ObamaCare” on the campaign stump, attempting to turn the tables on critics who use it in a derogatory way.

“They call it ObamaCare?” the president told supporters at a St. Louis fundraiser Tuesday evening. “I do care! You should care, too.”

Earlier in the day, Obama told an audience in Dallas, “Folks go around saying ObamaCare. That’s right — I care. … That’s their main agenda? That’s your plank? Is making sure 30 million people don’t have health insurance?”

The president’s remarks are clearly part of a White House strategy to reclaim some lost ground on healthcare, taking the fight to Republicans.

“I have no problem with people saying Obama cares. I do care,” the president said in Minnesota, the first stop of his rural bus tour this summer. “If the other side wants to be the folks that don’t care, that’s fine with me. I do care.”

The second most senior Democrat in the House, Rep. John Conyers (Mich.), has been urging Democrats to embrace the term for months. He had even taken to handing out buttons with the words “I [heart] ObamaCare” as part of his campaign to rehabilitate the moniker.

Great strategy. I care, so therefore the other guys don't.

NY Times: You People Making Under $250K Have to Give Back Your Bush Tax Cuts

They must be out on the streets of Lower Manhattan being overwhelmed by the stench of the "99%" demanding their fair share of whatever. Sure, this will go over well. Have the middle class "give back" piddling tax cuts they got 10 years ago. What effing planet are these people living on?

Ultimately, families making $250,000, and even those making less, will have to give back some of the tax benefits they got from the Bush administration if the budget is to return to long-term health. Beginning that tax-reform process now makes more sense than confining the new tax to millionaires, whatever its populist satisfactions.

I encourage Democrats to go along with this plan.

Commenter "Cornholio" is down with the plan.

The tide is turning toward more progressive taxes, even punishment of the wealthy. Occupy Wall Street and its off-shoots will energize the left. Don't be surprised if we hear that Christie and Palin were scared away by this shifting tide. And don't expect the tide to only help us.

Can these people possibly be more delusional?

Irony: Delicate Jay Carney Tells Sharyl Attkisson to Toughen Up

Hmm. Who would you take in a fight, this prep school, Ivy League puke Jay Carney or an award-winning reporter who's a third-degree black belt in taekwondo?

I know where my money is.

At Wednesday’s White House daily briefing, Fox News Chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry asked Press Secretary Jay Carney to respond to a report that a White House official had “screamed and cussed at” CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson, over the unfolding Fast and Furious story. Carney said he didn’t know about that specific conversation, but elaborated in his response that, in general, “hard-bitten journalists” ought to be able to handle “tough conversations” and “an extra decibel or two in a phone conversation.”

Henry related Attkisson’s claim, which she made on Laura Ingraham‘s radio show. ”Sharyl Attkisson, a CBS News reporter, said, a few days ago that a White House official just yelled and screamed at her, she’s been reporting on this for some time, about this whole story,” Henry said.

He then framed his question within Carney’s experience as a journalist. “You were a reporter once, when government officials start yelling at you, sometimes it’s because they’re getting defensive, right?”

“I have no insight into the conversation she may, or may not, have had,” Carney began. ”I know that you guys are all hard-bitten veteran journalists, and probably don’t complain when you have tough conversations with sources sometimes.”

But when White House employees are abusive toward the press then why should the reporter remain silent? You can bet your last dollar the sniveling Carney would whine like a little bitch if he was screamed at in such fashion,.

We've never seen a White House get more favorable press yet whine endlessly when they perceive a reporter to be unfair. The notion of a Carney lecturing anyone to toughen up is laughable.

Stories were floating around Wednesday claiming Attkisson is being silenced. Sure doesn't look that way.

Don't worry! Nobody is being silenced. Thanks for the interest in the reporting on Gunwalker. #atf #ff #gunwalker

Stunner: March on Wall Street Turns Violent

Take a bunch of anarchist punks, add a dash of union goons and a generous helping of multimillionaire parade float Michael Moore and this is what you get: Violence.

Gee, never saw this coming.

Thousands of union workers joined protesters marching through the Financial District Wednesday for Occupy Wall Street's largest rally yet against "corporate greed."

The march was mostly peaceful - until after nightfall, when scuffles erupted and some of the younger demonstrators were arrested when they tried to storm barricades blocking them from Wall Street and the Stock Exchange.

Witnesses said about 200 people tried to push through barricades and police responded with pepper spray and penned them in with orange netting.

I'm getting nostalgic for the days of the water cannons. At least the human debris would finally get a shower.

Bob Masters of the Communications Workers of America said the spontaneous uprising was in keeping with popular revolts breaking out all over the world this year.

"Occupy Wall Street captured the spirit of our time," he said. "This is Madison. This is Cairo. This is Tunisia."

This is beyond silly.

Filmmaker Michael Moore railed against the fat cat bankers in plush offices far above the street, singling out Goldman Sachs.

"They are responsible for ruining the lives of millions of people," he said. "They weren't just satisfied with being filthy rich."

Says the guy who uses non-union labor.

If Michael Bloomberg has half a clue he starts sending the tab for all the police to the folks running this clown show: the unions.

The FBI might want to take notice as well.

Meanwhile, a video claiming to be by the group “Anonymous” has surfaced on YouTube. “Anonymous” said it will shut down the New York Stock Exchange website Monday.

It goes on to say that it will attack the New York Stock Exchange‘s site.

“This is why we chose to declare our war against the New York Stock Exchange. We can no longer stay silent as the population is being taken advantage of for the sake of profit. We will show the world that we are true to our word. On Oct. 10, NYSE will be erased from the internet. On Oct. 10, expect a day that will never, ever be forgot.”

The Democrats own this and should be held accountable. They could put a stop to it tonight, but they don't want to.

'Without Money We'd All Be Rich'

I've figured out how these occupiers are going to bring us to our knees. We'll be clubbed into submission by clever signage. Looks like the NYPD may have to break out the pepper spray and some nets.

This feels like a mighty, professional union rally. There are thousands upon thousands of people here in Foley Park - and they continue to stream in.

The crowd is more angry and aggressive than any of the other Occupy Wall Street rallies I have been to since September 17th.

This crowd feels for the first time in more than two weeks, like it is united in it's demands: the rich need to pay so "the 99%" can get paid. This crowd wants jobs. They are not asking. They are demanding.

The crowd is now shouting "Shut the country down!" as they prepare to march to Wall Street. Helicopters hover above.

Shut the country down? Do these people have the slightest clue how stupid they sound? Is anyone else getting a mixed message here? They want to shut the country down, but are demanding jobs.

Great News: Now You Can Win Dinner With Algore and Pelosi

Do the solicitations ever end with these people? Last week Michelle Obama pimped out a chance for dinner with Barack for a mere $3 donation.

Now I opened my in-box and was greeted by the most chilling subject line: From: Nancy Pelosi, subject: dinner Monday?

Shudder. And if that's not enough, she throws in the bloated windbag Al Gore.

Jammie --

As a special thank you, I wanted to give you and a guest the opportunity to have dinner with former Vice President Al Gore and me the evening of October 10th in San Francisco. Now is your chance to enter -- the contest ends tomorrow at Midnight.

Click here to be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip to San Francisco (airfare and hotel included). You and your guest will be my guests for dinner with former Vice President Al Gore on October 10th.

Now more than ever, grassroots Democrats like you are critical to our campaign to win the House Majority. We must stand united against Republicans’ extreme agenda.

Our special dinner with former Vice President Gore comes as House Republicans are continuing to push their radical, anti-environment agenda.

Please enter today -- you could be part of our extraordinary gathering in San Francisco on October 10th and have dinner with former Vice President Gore.

Thank you,

Nancy Pelosi

The minimum contribution is $10. So these two are worth more than Obama?

Fast and Furious Scandal: 'We're Gonna Hit the Reset Button'

Here we go, reshuffling the deck chairs on the sinking ship.

There's a major reshuffling at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms amid the Fast and Furious "gunwalking" scandal. In making the announcement this afternoon, Acting Director Todd Jones told reporters "we're gonna hit the reset button."

Among the changes, the current acting director of the beleaguered ATF Phoenix office where Fast and Furious was based, Tom Brandon, is being moved to Washington DC headquarters as Deputy Director. Brandon temporarily took over in Phoenix after the transfer of Special Agent in Charge Bill Newell, who led Fast and Furious.

Two key figures at ATF headquarters who were involved in Fast and Furious, and have testified before Congress, are being demoted. They include ATF Deputy Director Billy Hoover, who will become the Special Agent in Charge of the Washington field division; and Mark Chait, Assistant Director in Charge of Field Operations, who will become Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore field division.

Uh, when is Eric Holder's "demotion" coming?

There's speculation Sharyl Attkisson is being silenced by CBS. Sure doesn't appear to be the case.

Jesse Jackson Associate in Murderous California Shooting Rampage

Curiously, YouTube has yanked a video where this guy interviewed Jackson and where Jackson was listed as an executive producer. Why is that? If it was some conservative who interviewed a prominent Republican, do you suppose the video would go bye bye?

Anyway, the manhunt is on for Jackson's pal. Maybe the good Reverend can have him turn himself in.

Authorities say they have found a car abandoned by the suspect in the Cupertino, Calif., workplace shooting as a manhunt continues for Shareef Allman, 49, identified as the man who killed two people and wounded six others.

The suspect was seen driving a Brown Mercury Cougar, but police communications officers reported that officers have found the vehicle and Allman was no longer with it.

A manhunt was going on for the suspect Wednesday morning in Cupertino, where schools were closed and police were searching door-to-door.

The first shootings took place at a 4 a.m. safety meeting at the Lehigh Southwest Cement Co. in the hills above Cupertino.

Later, authorities said, the suspect attempted to steal a woman’s car, then shot her. She was taken to a hospital, where her condition was not immediately known.

Allman, 49, apparently runs a self-publishing business and has published a novel about domestic violence.

And in a video on Youtube, which has now been taken down, an individual identified as Shareef Allman can be seen interviewing the Rev. Jesse Jackson on a San Jose community cable TV station.

Here's a clip that hasn't gone down the memory hole. He's preaching about love. Of course!

Good Grief: Obama Plans Another Bus Tour

That last one went over so well, why not another?

A White House official says President Barack Obama is planning a bus tour through the politically important states of North Carolina and Virginia later this month to push for his jobs plan.

The trip is scheduled for Oct. 17-19, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement.

The trip will be similar to a three-day bus tour through Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois the president went on in August.

Will he be using that Canadian-made bus again?

Racism, Straight Up: Dems Unite Against Obama

As we've been told ad nauseum for three years, opposition to Barack Obama's policies are ugly racism and we just can't stand a black man in power. So how do we explain his own party throwing him under the bus?

After months of squabbling, Democrats on Capitol Hill have united in recent weeks. And in an unusual twist, they have done it in spite of President Obama.

House Democrats, who have helped the GOP pass controversial bills this year, drew the line on a stopgap spending bill last month. The White House, meanwhile, did not threaten to veto the Republican legislation.

Unable to persuade skeptical conservatives, House Republican leaders gambled by bringing the measure to the floor — and they suffered an embarrassing defeat.

While a subsequent bill passed, House Democrats had served notice: They were tired of being pushed around.

More and more Democrats are publicly challenging Obama on a range of issues.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) ripped the administration on Tuesday for considering keeping U.S. troops in Iraq beyond this year. In a floor speech on Tuesday, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) questioned Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), meanwhile, are at odds with Obama on the trade deals he just sent to Congress. Reid has committed to moving them, though he has made clear he is not a fan. Pelosi has put the White House on notice she will not be twisting arms to pass the agreements.

Fossils like Frank, Reid and Pelosi have plans to stick around and live off the taxpayers long after Obama is gone, so they're just looking out for their own selfish interests. Although the three of them will almost certainly be in a dwindling minority come 2013.

The Hill reported this week that Obama’s relationship with congressional Democrats is deteriorating. In a way, that could be good for Democratic legislators who are attempting to forge an identity away from the president.

Good luck with that.

Why do these liberals hate the black man? Straight up racism, obviously.

Unexpected! Announced U.S. Job Cuts Rise 212% in One Year

Are you better off than four years ago? Well, that question will be relevant this time next year as we prepare to sweep Barack Obama out of office. For now you should ask if we're better off than one year ago, and it's quite painfully obvious we're not.

U.S. employers announced the most job cuts in more than two years in September, led by planned reductions at Bank of America Corp. (BAC) and in the military.

Announced firings jumped 212 percent, the largest increase since January 2009, to 115,730 last month from 37,151 in September 2010, according to Chicago-based Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Cuts in government employment, led by the Army’s five-year troop reduction plan, and at Bank of America accounted for almost 70 percent of the announcements.

While the bulk of firings are not “directly related” to economic weakness, they “could definitely be a sign of more cuts to come,” John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement. “Bank of America is not the only bank still struggling in the wake of the housing collapse, and the military cutbacks are probably just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to federal spending cuts.”

More reductions will add to the pool of job seekers competing for work as policy makers, including President Barack Obama and Federal Reserve officials, strive to spur the labor market. Payrolls probably didn’t rise fast enough last month to lower the jobless rate, according to a Bloomberg News survey of economists before the Labor Department’s monthly jobs figures in two days.

Compared with August, job-cut announcements climbed 126 percent, the Challenger report showed. Because the figures aren’t adjusted for seasonal effects, economists prefer to focus on year-over-year changes rather than monthly numbers.

Government agencies announced 54,182 reductions in September. Of those, 50,000 resulted from the troop reductions announced by the Army, Challenger said.

Look at the upside, Democrats. The bulk of these jobs lost are by evil "bankers" and the military, so rejoice: Obama's right on pace to fulfilling his promise of transformational change. Of course he's being roundly rejected by Americans.

Faces of Occupy Wall Street: Mom's Basement Edition

These people are pretty much cartoon characters at this point. Life's losers with no direction, no self-esteem and no clue. So this tool claims he owes $87,000 in loans that he used to become a printer repairman? Can't mom help him feed the cats? Who's feeding the cats while he's running around Manhattan having a temper tantrum?

Then these two. Their sign pretty much sums things up, don't you think?

But don't forget, they're the 99% or something. Or so they think.

You are not 99 percent of America. I don't mean that in the obvious numerical sense. If 99 percent of Americans had actually joined your march, Manhattan would have flipped over by now.

What I mean is that if 99 percent of Americans actually sympathized with your cause, the entire nation's economy would have collapsed long ago -- apparently to the delight of the organizers of this current protest.

What I mean to say is, you have a marketing problem.

When you decided to sit in traffic and block the Brooklyn Bridge a few days ago, with that blazing pink "SMASH PATRIARCHY-SMASH CAPITALISM" sign in hand, you probably didn't see the regular people you stranded in traffic.

You know, the ones with real-world concerns, business to attend to, families to go home to, et cetera. You may have read about such people during college in a book called "The Petit Bourgeoisie," or something like that. Many of us grew up calling them "the middle class."

Still, the old-school hard lefties in the media are gushing over the fact today we'll be seeing an Axelrod production, a staged Big Labor push for the rest of the media to swoon over.

"The whole order of things today is absolutely upside down," said John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 100. "Tax breaks for millionaires, working people suffer, and no jobs for these kids."

Establishment critics of the Zuccotti Park events have no clue what is happening. By setting up camp near the scene of Wall Street's still-unpunished crimes, and by persevering round the clock for nearly three weeks, these kids have created a boot camp for social change.

A bootcamp for social change? Critics have no clue what's happening? Uh, we know exactly what's happening: A failed effort being engineered by Obama and his Occupier Democrats to distract us from his abysmal record and myriad scandals.

It's not working. It would be nice instead of slobbering over these nitwits that the media did a little digging into who's funding this.

Internet pledges arrive via two main websites: occupywallst.org was registered July 14, two months before the demonstrations began, by a Los Angeles privacy service that shields the owner's identity.

The second, nycga.cc, was registered Sept. 11 by Brooklyn resident Vladimir Teichberg, records show.

The Alliance for Global Justice, a nonprofit with 501c3 status, helped Occupy Wall Street to collect tax-exempt donations and open a credit union account to centralize funds.

The Washington-based organization's most recent 2009 tax return has revenues of $843,547, including contributions and grants of $789,509, records show.

Alliance for Global Justice, huh? Funny, but 10 seconds of research leads us directly to none of than George Soros and his Open Society Institute. These folks also show solidarity with Marxist regimes in Nicaragua and Venezuela. But remember, this is just some spontaneous grassroots movement in response to the Tea Party or something.

Thanks to John for the photo link.

Pew Research On The Military/Civilian Gap

Pew just recently released a poll in which they conducted a survey of veterans and civilians in an attempt to gauge not only the attitudes of the veterans towards their service in what they are dubbing the 9/11 era but also civilians for the same period. While I am still digesting some of the findings there were some key points that did stand out for me.

The first is this one. Only about one half of one percent of the U.S. population has been on active military duty at any given time during the past decade of sustained warfare. Next was this, half of the public say the wars have made little difference in their lives.

The veterans seem to be evenly split as to whether fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were worth it with half supporting the efforts in Afghanistan and about 44% supporting the war in Iraq.

When it comes to politics it seems another stereotype gets debunked with 36% identifying as Republicans, 35% Independents and 21% as Democrats. While the gap between Republicans and Democrats is big it is not as big as most assume. According to Pew the corresponding civilian numbers are 23% Republican, 35% Independent and 34% Democrat which shows a flip between veterans and civilians but also causes me to question their statistical breakdown. Maybe a breakdown of the Independents as to whether they lean Republican or Democrat would have been helpful, not because I question the numbers for veterans but I do for the civilians, but to be fair if I question one side of the equation I do need to question the other side.

Ready for some more preconceptions to take a hit?

What has it meant to serve in the military during the post-9/11 era? Compared with their predecessors of a generation or two ago, those who serve in the modern military are fewer, older, better educated and more likely to be married. A greater share is women and minorities.

All through the report there is evidence of the differences in opinions and attitudes between those who served and those who didn't.

Modern-era veterans would make good military recruiters. Some 82% say they would advise a young person close to them to enlist in the military; 74% of pre-9/11 veterans say the same. The general public is much more ambivalent. Despite their great admiration for the troops, just 48% of members of the public say they would advise a young person to join the military; 41% say they would not.

Anyway for all the veterans out there the report is worth a look, it is pretty extensive, and for civilians you might find some enlightening information in the report also. The report covers a range of topics from reintegration to civilian life, PTSD and a whole host of other topics so everybody should find something in it that will spark their interest.

I did not participate in this survey nor was I contacted, just to get that full disclosure thing out of the way.

'My Name is Palestine'

Tim Blair says it may be the best video he's ever seen. If you're not snickering uncontrollably within 20 seconds you have no sense of humor.

Charming Occupy Wall Street Freak: 'You’re a Bum, Jew'

Via Breitbart. Unhinged lunacy, or what I like to refer to as mainstream liberalism. This crank calls himself The Lotion Man. Figure it out. Then there's this clip here. Be forewarned. Lots of the n-word!

Rich Lowry sums up the mindset of these idiots.

“The Declaration of the Occupation of New York City,” the first official release of Occupy Wall Street, is Marxism for people whose familiarity with Marx begins and ends with seeing his bearded visage on some T-shirt. It thunders that “corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth.”

The charges against corporate America include poisoning the food supply, torturing animals and using the military to suppress press freedom. Of course, corporations stand accused -- in a hardy perennial -- of perpetuating colonialism. The long list of complaints is thoughtfully affixed with an asterisk and an accompanying note, “these grievances are not all-inclusive.”

The Tea Party had such an impact because it had a better claim on Middle America than its adversaries. It wrapped itself in our history and patriotic trappings. It plugged into the political system and changed the course of the country in the 2010 elections. The left went from ridiculing it to envying it.

Occupy Wall Street is both more self-involved and more ambitious than the Tea Party. This free-floating radicalism’s fuzzy endpoint is a “revolution” no one can precisely describe, but the thrust of which is overturning capitalism as we know it. If elected Democrats dare associate their party with this project, they need immediately to consult their nearest psychiatrist and political consultant, in that order.

Occupy Wall Street is toxic and pathetic, the perfect distillation of an American left in extremis.

The media is quite fond of using the term Tea Party Republicans in condescending fashion. I suggest we can using Occupy Wall Street Democrats. Any Democrat will suffice.

It's quite amusing seeing the media portray these loons in such romantic fashion. It's not going to end well, but the media enablers and Democrat bankrollers (read: unions) of this freakshow own it.

No Wonder They Set Up a Photo Op at Target

It's going to take a lot of trips to non-union Target to help defray the costs of this tab.

First lady Michelle Obama's family trip to South Africa and Botswana in June cost taxpayers well over $424,000, according to new accounting based on Air Force manifests obtained by Judicial Watch, a taxpayer watchdog group.

The use of Air Force aircraft alone for the June 21-27 trip cost $424,142, said the group, and that doesn't include the food, lodging, and ground transportation for the 21 family and staff members.

Man, that's some entourage she rolls with.

Oddly, the Obama kids are apparently on the government payroll already.

The Obama daughters were listed on the manifest as "senior staff."

Oh, and don't let that piddling $424,142 get you mad. This will:

The documents made public by Judicial Watch do not include the total of all costs for the First Lady's trip, such as expenses for security, transportation on the ground and so forth. For more information, go here.

CBS Reporter Says WH Screamed at Her Over Fast and Furious

On The Laura Ingraham Show today, CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson tells the story of abuse from the White House. Waaah, you're being so unfair!



H/T Matt Wolking.

From the transcript:

1:31 - In between the yelling that I received from Justice Department yesterday, the spokeswoman--who would not put anything in writing, I was asking for her explanation so there would be clarity and no confusion later over what had been said, she wouldn't put anything in writing--so we talked on the phone and she said things such as the question Holder answered was different than the one he asked. But he phrased it, he said very explicitly, 'I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.'

6:05 - Laura: So they were literally screaming at you?
Attkisson: Yes. Well the DOJ woman was just yelling at me. The guy from the White House on Friday night literally screamed at me and cussed at me. [Laura: Who was the person? Who was the person at Justice screaming?] Eric Schultz. Oh, the person screaming was [DOJ spokeswoman] Tracy Schmaler, she was yelling not screaming. And the person who screamed at me was Eric Schultz at the White House."

7:33 - Laura: Do we know the exact number [of guns] that went over to Mexico?
Attkisson: We know more than 2,000 in Fast and Furious and I will soon be reporting on the fact that that is not the only case. 2,000 for that operation according to the agents involved.

8:28 - ...Is it sort of a drip, drip. And I'm certainly not the one to make the case for DOJ and White House about what I'm doing wrong. They will tell you that I'm the only reporter--as they told me--that is not reasonable. They say the Washington Post is reasonable, the LA Times is reasonable, the New York Times is reasonable, I'm the only one who thinks this is a story, and they think I'm unfair and biased by pursuing it.

Attkisson is one of the few reporters pursuing this scandal threatening to consume Obama. No wonder they're freaking out.

Meanwhile, it's time for a special investigator.

Update: More thoughts at AoSHQ.

Christie Not Running

He really means it this time.

After days of silence over whether he'll run for the White House, Gov. Chris Christie will finally address the question today in Trenton at 1 p.m., an adviser said.

For the past week, speculation has swirled that Christie would reverse more than a year of denials and enter a crowded Republican presidential primary. But the plan for today's Statehouse press conference, announced by the governor's office this morning, immediately set off speculation that Christie will not run.

ABC News and the National Review, a conservative magazine, are reporting that Christie isn't going to run.

Accompanying the story is an undated photo of what Christie might look like if he lost 100 pounds.

Had he run some believe he would have devoured the competition, but that might result in rapid weight gain.

We like him where he is. If he no longer has the desire to be governor come 2013 he'd make a decent Attorney General for the next president. Prosecuting his predecessor for Fast & Furious would be his top priority.

Clueless Joe: 'Who's Van Jones?'

Is he playing dumb or does this just come naturally?

Tuesday morning on AM Tampa Bay on 970 WFLA, Vice President Joe Biden was asked by Jack Harris about the Occupy Wall Street Movement. The VP said "I really don't know about the Van Jones group, except what I read in the press." The group is currently protesting in New York City against the social and economic inequality, corporate greed and the influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government.

Later in his response in talking about the frustration seen in the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street Group, Biden said "you have on the one end Van Jones' guys, whoever he is, talking about Wall Street." Jack Harris and Tedd Webb stopped him to tell him he had previously been "Green Czar" in the administration. The VP responded, "Oh is that... alright"

All those Communists look alike to Joe.

Listen here:

Endangered Democrats Avoiding Obama

Most Democrats are unwilling to go on record and admit it, but with Barack Obama at the top of the ticket next year their careers are basically finished. It's all about The O and he could care less what happens to them. In fact, he doesn't even have the common courtesy to show up on time for speeches and most recently left Democrat senators waiting quite a while for a conference call. Now some don't even want to make public appearances with him.

Obama left his party’s top senators, who had assembled for a conference call, hanging on the phone for nearly 20 minutes before National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling came on the line with a seemingly vague notion of what the call was supposed to be about, Democratic sources said.

The White House and Reid’s office did not comment for this article.

Reid has been Obama’s most important ally in Congress, but the relationship has never been particularly affectionate, even though Reid was one of Obama’s first Senate colleagues to privately urge him to run for president.

Obama and Reid speak frequently on the phone, but the conversations can be terse. One Democratic source quipped that it’s often a contest to guess who will hang up on the other first. Reid, as it turns out, doesn’t have a habit of saying goodbye when he ends a call.

The White House has had to rely on Reid because, unlike former President Clinton, Obama has little appetite for regularly calling Democratic lawmakers.

“I think one of the problems with the White House is that it’s been too set apart. It’s been too Chicago-centric, and it needs to get out,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). “Clinton didn’t just talk to four leaders, he picked up the phone and he kind of said, ‘I really need your vote on this.’ ”

While Obama has personally leaned on members for their votes on controversial bills, House and Senate Democrats have been frustrated with the White House’s communication.

Senate Democrats note that Reid has been Obama’s faithful soldier since the start of his presidency. White House officials view Reid as easier to work with than House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).

Reid made a huge contribution to Obama’s legacy by uniting all 60 members of his conference in 2010 to pass healthcare reform, despite misgivings from liberals and centrists alike.

But as Democratic lawmakers near a tough election, rank-and-file members feel less inclined to stand close to Obama.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who is seeking a second term in 2012, said she would not join Obama for a public appearance in Missouri on Tuesday, citing the Senate’s busy schedule.

One Democratic aide, whose boss is facing reelection in a swing state, said of Obama: “There are no coattails.”

Republicans will capture control of the Senate if they net four seats in 2012 (three if Obama loses). The map favors the GOP; Democrats are defending 23 seats, Republicans only 10.

McCaskill apparently has had a change of heart since Friday.

McCaskill, up for reelection herself next year and a top target of Republicans hungry for video footage of her and the president, said she isn’t trying to avoid Obama.

“He’s the President of the United States. Of course I’ll be seen with him,” McCaskill said on Friday. “Whoever thinks that I’m going to avoid being seen with the president doesn’t know me very well.”

Republicans are a near lock to regain the Senate and considering Obama may be headed for a landslide defeat, grabbing 60 Senate seats may not be impossible. They still have a little bit of time to toss Obama overboard but their window of opportunity is dwindling.

The NRSC is already goofing on McCaskill:

How Convenient: Greedy Union Goons to Co-opt Wall Street Protest to Call for Higher Taxes

Sure, it's just a sudden grassroots movement or something that mysteriously looks as if it's being run from Obama campaign headquarters. These folks are joined at the hip, so pretending this is anything but a wholly-owned Democratic Party exercise is folly.

No surprise, but the municipal labor unions and their various front groups announced they will be marching tomorrow in “solidarity” with the Downtown demonstrators.

There will be commonality of rhetoric -- the horror of “corporate greed” and “inequality” and so on.

But they won’t be empty words for the unions: They are seeking to pave the way for higher taxes in New York -- in particular, for the so-called “millionaire’s tax” that eluded them during the past legislative session.

“It’s the right fight at the right time,” said Michael Kink, of Strong Economy for All, a pro-labor coalition openly pushing for higher state taxes on the wealthy.

Certainly, the protest’s broadest underlying fantasy fits well with the aims of many of the city’s unions.

“The crisis was caused by the excess of Wall Street,” a Transit Workers Union spokesman said, “and the consequences have fallen hardest on workers.”

That’s truly priceless: This, after all, is the very union that won fat salary hikes of 11 percent over three years -- just as the financial collapse was throwing private-sector employees (including many from Wall Street) out of work.

Talk about greed.

But the irony here is actually far richer.

Fact is, for years, the financial sector has been generating the very tax revenues that have paid public-sector payrolls.

Between 2000 and 2007, for example, revenues rose by 41 percent after inflation -- with much of that driven by Wall Street.

Banking tax revenues skyrocketed by some by 200 percent.

Without that ready cash, City Hall would surely have had to absorb multibillion-dollar budget shortfalls over the years -- with the public employees paying part of the price.

“The tax revenues that the MTA collected during the real-estate and credit bubble,” writes the Empire Center’s Nicole Gelinas, “funded the union’s pay and benefits packages.”

The media has laughably tried to compare these anarchist with the Tea Party. How pathetic.

Occupy Boston — the latest fist-shaking, sick-of-politics-as-usual movement — has a lot to learn, the founder of the Greater Boston Tea Party said about the new protest group that has been camped out downtown since Friday.

“I feel bad for them,” Tea Party boss Christen Varley said. “They have no charter, no mission statement. They are talking about anarchy, but they are in chaos.”

The loosely organized Tea Party movement grew rapidly in 2009, quickly developing principles and leadership that heavily influenced national politics with its small-government, anti-taxation message. As of yesterday, the loosely organized group calling itself Occupy Boston — inspired like others nationwide by the anti-corporate Occupy Wall Street — had failed to develop a mission statement or goals. The group calls itself a “horizontal democracy,” lacks leaders and devotes hours in “general assemblies” to getting group consensus on matters such hygiene and security, as well as arts and culture to entertain the campers, and media outreach — despite the lack of a cohesive message.

Sure they'll get plenty of media attention because these maniacs largely share the same ideology as most of the media. But mainstream America does not support these losers. It's clearly an effort by the Democrats to mobilize their base of whiners, malcontents and the braindead. In that regard it may succeed, but it will inevitably turn violent and will implode.

'When You Look at the Way That He Governs, You See That He is Very Inclusive'

At the current rate of progress, the Washington Post hit piece series on Rick Perry may result in him being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his stellar role in race relations. Judging by this article he's done a lot more to reach out to blacks than most any Democrats I can think of.

As governor of Texas, Rick Perry appointed the first African American to the state Supreme Court and later made him chief justice. One of Perry’s appointments to the Board of Regents of his alma mater, Texas A&M University, became its first black chairman. One chief of staff and two of his general counsels have been African American.

Perry, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president, also enjoys warm associations with many black leaders, who say he regularly reaches out to them and has personally backed some of their causes.

“When you look at the way that he governs, you see that he is very inclusive,” said Brian Newby, an African American who served first as Perry’s general counsel and then as his chief of staff before returning to private law practice in Fort Worth. “You see that in his appointments; you see that in his friendships; you see that in the way that he deals with minority legislators.”

Still, you know there's a but coming. There has to be. They've gone all in on painting him a racist and even after the humiliation of the racist rock story, they can't let go of their racism chew toy.

But many of those minority legislators say Perry has a long history — dating to his first race for statewide office more than 20 years ago — of engaging in what they see as racially tinged tactics and rhetoric to gain political advantage.

What they see as racially tinged. Not what his actual record reflects, but what one person sees as racially tinged, whatever that's supposed to mean.

Let's forget about the president marching with some of the most odious racists on the planet and attending a racist church for two decades. Rick Perry has supposedly engaged in racially tinged politics.

He could have an entire staff of African-Americans, could be married to an African-American, could call himself the First Black Governor of Texas and none of it would matter. He's a Republican and therefore must be destroyed.

I can't wait for the general election when the WaPo laments the politics of personal destruction any time Obama's faults are pointed out.

Madonna Compares John McCain to Hitler, Likely Rewarded With Super Bowl Gig

Word has it this shriveled tramp will be performing at halftime of the Super Bowl in February.

Funny, but I always thought entertainers likening prominent politicians to Hitler was frowned upon.

Madonna kicked off her Sticky & Sweet Tour in the U.K. Saturday, and stirred up a beehive of controversy by comparing Republican presidential nominee John McCain to Adolf Hitler in a video montage during the show.

During the song "Get Stupid," Madonna flashed images of McCain alongside photos of Hitler and brutal Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, as well as images of destruction and global warming, according to British paper The Times.

By contrast, in the next segment of the performance, she used the image of Democratic nominee Barack Obama alongside pictures of John Lennon, Mahatma Ghandi and Al Gore.

McCain spokesperson Tucker Bounds for was quick to respond to the slam, and pursued the Obama-as-celebrity tack the campaign has employed in recent weeks.

"The comparisons are outrageous, unacceptable and crudely divisive all at the same time," he said. "It clearly shows that when it comes to supporting Barack Obama, his fellow worldwide celebrities refuse to consider any smear or attack off limits."

Flash forward to today and look what happens if you compare Obama to Hitler.

The Hank Williams Jr. song that has opened Monday Night Football for 20 years was not part of the opening of this week's Indianapolis-Tampa Bay game after Williams made controversial comments about President Barack Obama.

Williams compared Obama to Adolf Hitler on Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends" show Monday morning.

ESPN, in a statement, said: "While Hank Williams, Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to Monday Night Football. We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast."

But EPSN will likely gush and slobber of Madonna, blissfully ignorant of her history.

If the NFL wants to put this shrew on stage (during an election year, mind you), they better have that delay button ready.

Calling people Hitler or even inferring it is a time-honored liberal tradition. Butg when someone on the right goes there then they must suffer.

Obama and the New Black Panthers: Perfect Together

Race-baiting charlatan Barack Obama has once again been exposed in devastating fashion by Andrew Breitbart today. In advance of a new book from J. Christian Adams, who resigned from Obama’s Justice Department in the wake of New Black Panther voter intimidation scandal that was squashed by Eric Holder.

Breitbart has photos and a story relating to Obama appearing and marching with member of the NBPP in Selma, AL, including with notorious racist Malik Zulu Shabazz.

I noticed some traffic to this post from March 2008, back during the height of Obama's primary with Hillary Clinton and who was featured on Obama's own website but none other than the New Black Panthers.

Barack Obama and a virulent racist hate group. Don't expect much media attention to that. Instead what is the media focusing on? Looking under every rock to find dirt on Republicans.

Deep Thoughts From Mark Ruffalo: 'We Live With Great Lawlessness in the Land of the Law'

If you have no idea who Mark Ruffalo is, he's some Hollywood twit who obviously has too much free time on his hands, so he's joined up with the filthy anarchists polluting the streets of Lower Manhattan, and he's offering up his keen insights into what ails America.

When people critique this movement and say spurious things about the protesters' clothes or their jobs or the general way they look, they are showing how shallow we have become as a nation. They forget that these people have taken time out of their lives to stand up for values that are purely American and in the interest of our democracy. They forget that these people are encamped in an urban park, where they are not allowed to have tents or other normal camping gear. They are living far outside their comfort zone to protect and celebrate liberty, equality and the rule of law.

Taken time out of their lives? Huh? These people clearly have no jobs or any interest in finding one. They're the 99%? No, they're Obama's 9.1%, left jobless because a guy Ruffalo surely voted for has run our economy into the ground.

It is a thing of beauty to see so many people in love with the ideal of democracy, so alive with its promise, so committed to its continuity in the face of crony capitalism and corporate rule. That should be celebrated. It should be respected and admired.

Crony capitalism? Has this genius heard of Solyndra, by any chance?

Their message is very clear and simple: get money out of the political process; strive for equality in taxation and equal rights for all regardless of race, gender, social status, sexual preference or age. We must stop poisoning our food, air and water for corporate greed. The people on Wall Street and in the banking industrial complex that destroyed our economy must be investigated and brought to justice under the law for what they have done by stealing people's homes and savings.

Um, who exactly is "poisoning our food, air and water"? Can this boob even clarify his statements or cite some examples rather than mouthing platitudes?

This movement transcends political affiliations. America has been debased and degraded by greed. This has touched 99% of America's population. The other 1% is doing just fine – with more than a third of the wealth of this nation.

This transcends political affiliations? Really? Can anyone identify a conservative who's out there sleeping on the street so he can speak truthiness to power or something?

The 99% of us have paid a dear price so that 1% could become the wealthiest people in the world. We all pay insanely high energy prices while we see energy companies making record profits, year after year. We live with great injustices in the land of justice. We live with great lawlessness in the land of the law.

Indeed, I saw plenty of lawlessness just the other day when some filthy maggots shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. But I guess now some wealthy Hollywood actor isn't part of the evil 1%. He should either fire his agent or find a better accountant.

I do agree with Ruffalo on one point: Maybe it's time to get some money out of politics. Let's start by having Ruffalo declare he won't be filling up Democrat coffers any longer or maxing out his donations to Obama. Speaking of which, Ruffalo ponied up $2750 to Obama in 2008, cleverly working around the maximum allowable contributions by splitting it up between the "Obama for America" and "Obama Victory Fund" accounts. But we've got to get money out of politics, according to Ruffalo.

Schumer and Durbin Admit Democrats Won't Vote for Obama's Tax Increases

Left unmentioned for the most part by the media is the fact Democrats have to defend 23 Senate seats in 2012, and with Barack Obama at the top of the ticket many of them realize they're going down with the sinking ship. So if any of them are to survive they understand one thing: Do not, under any circumstances, commit political suicide by voting for a massive, job-killing tax increase.

New York's senior senator said even the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate was balking at paying for President Obama's jobs bill.

"The main hangup is not the jobs bill itself," Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday. Obama has been calling on lawmakers to pass his $447 billion jobs bill in nearly every speech for almost a month and proposed paying for it with spending cuts, tax hikes on the wealthy and closing corporate tax loopholes.

"After [Obama] announced the jobs bill ... he proposed ways of paying for it that are probably not the best way to garner the votes," Schumer said.

But like a schmuck, you stood there and cheered him on, Chuckie.

Republican leaders in the House had been vocal arguing that now was not the time to raise any taxes. And Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) has said that Democratic senators standing for election won't vote for a tax increase - "even on the wealthiest people."

So there's no hope Obama's tax increases pass and Democrats won't even bring it up for a vote. But the clown in the White House is still running around to daily fundraisers demanding it be passed.

Be assured it won't.

'I'm Here to Foil the 1%, To Ruin Their Plans'

The Gothamist has a photo spread of the moonbats "occupying" Wall Street. Someone even brought their illiterate child along. How cute! How he plans to foil the evil 1% when he can barely write or spell isn't explained.

This guy can actually write legibly and conveniently uses all caps. Not quite sure what the message really means, though.

Mindless Sloganeering as Art Form

Thirteen minutes of psychobabble so painfully stereotyped you'll be left surprised these people aren't reading from a script. This is from the so-called "Occupy Boston" event the other day. These people are really unhappy about something. Maybe they should take it up with the Democrats who run their state. Fortunately I've learned today that people who own their own homes and don't have loans on them are suddenly losing their houses. Really.

Did Univision Try to Blackmail Marco Rubio?

Let's see. A network has a hit piece story involving drug-running from the 1980s involving a then-16-year-old Marco Rubio's brother-in-law. Nobody else bothered to pick up the story since it was a non-story. But it's now revealed they told Rubio they'd kill the story if he appeared on the station. Sure sounds like blackmail to me.

Days before Univision aired a controversial story this summer about the decades-old drug bust of Marco Rubio’s brother-in-law, top staff with the Spanish-language media powerhouse offered what sounded like a deal to the U.S. senator’s staff.

If Rubio appeared on Al Punto —Univision’s national television show where the topic of immigration would likely be discussed — then the story of his brother-in-law’s troubles would be softened or might not run at all, according to Univision insiders and the Republican senator’s staff. They say the offer was made by Univision’s president of news, Isaac Lee.

But Lee said in an email to The Miami Herald that any insinuation that he offered a quid pro quo was “incorrect” and “defamatory.”

In a written statement Friday, Lee said: “With respect to Senator Rubio, Univision covered the story in the same objective, fair manner we cover every significant story. Univision did not offer to soften or spike a story...we would not make such an offer to any other subject of a news story and did not offer it in this case.”

Rubio never appeared on Al Punto, a national political affairs program broadcast on Sundays. Univision aired the story about Rubio’s brother-in-law, a lower-level player in a 1987 coke-and-pot ring, on July 11.

"I always knew Univision to be a professional organization until this happened," said Rubio, who won’t comment specifically on the case.

The conflict provides a rarely seen view of a politician warring with the press, and it also underscores the highly charged issue of immigration in the Hispanic community.

Al Punto’s host, Jorge Ramos, is one of Univision’s most-recognized personalities and has advocated for the so-called “DREAM Act,” which Rubio has opposed on the grounds that it gives “amnesty” to illegal immigrants. The long-debated proposal would allow certain children of undocumented immigrants to become legalized U.S. residents.

Univision, headquartered in Doral, is a top-rated network, reaching 95 percent of the 13.3 million Hispanic households in the United States. Its ratings are tops in prime-time in such cities as Los Angeles, San Antonio and Miami — regardless of language. It recently created an investigative team.

The Rubio brother-in-law story was its first investigation. The story about Rubio and his brother-in-law was broadcast in English and Spanish on television and the web over two days.

Univision also pointed the story out to the governor, and emailed reporters from Washington to Miami to highlight “Rubio’s families ties to narco-trafficking.” Univision hyped it on Twitter with the hashtag code "#rubio, # drugs."

Mainstream media sources and bloggers barely gave it play due to the quarter century-old nature of the case and the fact it had no apparent peg to current news.

Rubio found the story — and the resources devoted to it — especially shocking. He had actually worked for Univision as a paid commentator before he ran for Senate. He announced his candidacy for Senate on Univision’s Miami affiliate.

I wonder if Univision has investigated Barack Obama's admitted past drug use?

Democrats Planning to Replace Embattled Queens Congressman With a Guy Already Under Investigation

This should be a smooth transition. Replace one corrupt Congressman with a guy already under federal investigation. Failing that, the backup plan is installing a guy who famously has declared war on Happy Meals. Yeah, that should work out.

Queens Democratic leaders are so worried that the ethical and criminal probes surrounding Rep. Gregory Meeks will bring him down, they held a secret meeting to pick his successor.

The clandestine cabal assembled last month at the Guy Brewer Democratic Club in Queens and included the borough’s Democratic boss, Rep. Joseph Crowley, according to two elected officials familiar with the gathering.

But the handpicked successor, state Sen. Malcolm Smith, seems a curious choice because he is under federal investigation himself.

“It would send a terrible signal to DC,” a source said of Smith’s coronation. “We would be the . . . joke of the country.”

Smith was at the meeting, along with City Council members Ruben Wills and Leroy Comrie, according to sources.

Meeks is up for re-election next year in a heavily minority and immigrant district that covers southeast Queens. If Meeks resigns or is expelled from Congress, the governor could call a special election to fill the seat or leave it vacant until the November 2012 elections.

A primary against Meeks is not being mulled because the embattled congressman’s premature exit is assumed, a source said.

“The problem with Greg is that he has done too wrong for too long,” said the source. “It’s just a question of which thing catches you first.”

Comrie was also tapped in the closed-door meeting to run for Smith’s Senate seat if Smith vacates it for Washington, said a source.

Both Comrie and Smith denied any knowledge of the meeting.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Meeks, 58, last month was named one of the most corrupt members of Congress by a Washington-based watchdog.

The House ethics committee is probing whether a $40,000 payment Meeks accepted from a Queens businessman in 2007 was a gift and not a loan, as the congressman maintains. The businessman, Edul Ahmad, was arrested in July on charges of operating a $50 million mortgage-fraud scheme.

“The jockeying for position began the day they indicted Ahmad,” said one of the elected officials. “Everyone assumes Ahmad is going to tell the feds what he knows about Greg.”

Comrie's a real heavyweight most famous for his war on McDonald's. He should fit right in down in DC.

'Personally, I'd Like to Bring About a Total Revolution'

Insufferable douchebaggery. The pimple-faced kid around the minute mark adds a special touch. But the hero of this romanticized, sanitized version of the Wall Street protests is the grating hipster at the 1:30 mark calling for revolution and sounding ominously like Tim Robbins.

See if you can find a single person who's not a self-parody.

Dimwit Wall Street Protesters Tie Up Traffic on Brooklyn Bridge, Many Arrested, Including NY Times Reporter

They so desperately crave attention and now they're getting it.

Thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters swarmed the Brooklyn Bridge Saturday, shutting down car lanes and setting up yet another showdown with the NYPD.

Dozens of people were arrested after standing in the roadway, blocking the Brooklyn-bound lanes. Traffic in the opposite direction was slowed -- but still running after the 4 p.m. standoff.

Police called in city buses to haul away some of the handcuffed demonstrators.

"People were trying to climb off [the roadway to the pedestrian] walkway, but they were freaking out," Mariana Flor, 23, said of the police.

Flor said cops warned protesters that if they didn't move, they'd be arrested.

Some of the demonstrators estimated more than 100 people were arrested. The NYPD couldn't immediately confirm the number of people in custody.

Remember now, this was to be the lefty antidote to the Tea Party. Strange, but I don't recall tea partiers tying up traffic or being arrested by the dozen. SEIU is busing in protesters, so it won't be long until they become violent. That's how they roll.

At the NY Times they note one of their own was caught up in the police dragnet. Just caught up in the excitement, I guess.

Officers began plunged into the crowd – with protesters at times chanting “white shirts, white shirts” — and, one by one, they made the arrests, using plastic flex cuffs. A freelance reporter for The Times, Natasha Lennard, was among those arrested. Charges against those arrested were not immediately available.

At the bottom it reads:

Natasha Lennard and William K. Rashbaum contributed reporting.

So the reporter has become a part of the story. Interesting.

The comments section are hysterical.

Much respect to the NY Times for putting this story out there. There is CLEARLY a media blackout in effect. Hopefully, the Times will be the ones to step up and report on one of the biggest stories of our generation...

And this:

It will be interesting to see if these protests receive anything like the coverage given to the Tea Party.

Yes, in coverage given to the Tea Party they were portrayed as an angry, raucous mob. Let's see if these mutants are portrayed as an angry, raucous mob.

Update: Boy, it sure does look like Times reporter Natasha Lennard is quite sympathetic with the movement.

if @radiohead play #occupywallstreet on saturday, shit gonna get crazy. do hope the rumours are true

Her Twitter feed this afternoon puts her square in the middle of the action.

Al's Pals Know Where The Suckers Are

Noted race warlord and PMSNBC token minority host Al Sharpton may be running into a little bit of trouble in Atlanta.

So far, no one has proven it's a scam, but they haven't proven it's for real either.

This week more than 700 senior citizens filled out a rather skimpy form promising a $500 check from the American Opportunities Stimulus Program.

The organization promising these handouts is the local branch of Al Shaprton's National Action Network. I have no doubt Revrund Al will invoke the liberal standard denial of "not in my name," but it is proof that the grifters and scammers in the world know their target audience.

Besides, that sure looked legit to me. Who wouldn't trust somebody in a t-shirt and capri pants sitting on the front steps of a building promising you money?

Comedy Gold: Wall Street Protesters March on NYPD HQ, But Get Lost Instead

Friday was not a good day for the clueless human debris in Lower Manhattan that have been bleating on about Wall Street, even though they haven't got the slightest clue what they're protesting. First they thought the group Radiohead was going to show up and play for them, but they got punked. Then later in the day they decided they were going to march on police headquarters, but since brains are evidently in very short supply, they wound up getting lost.

You can't make this stuff up.

Radiohead didn't rock out with the Occupy Wall Street mass yesterday, but the crowds sure did as the protest marched into its third weekend - but had a little trouble finding NYPD headquarters.

The British rock band's rumored appearance at the downtown protest - later branded a "hoax" by organizers - swelled the ranks at the Zuccotti Park base to several thousand.

While hundreds of people have camped out overnight in the plaza during the two-week old sit-in for social change, an online announcement that Radiohead was en route jammed the plaza.

"I actually think it's kind of ridiculous," said a dreadlocked 20-year-old who identified himself as Pigpen. "The only reason 500 people are here is because they think Radiohead is going to be here."

Organizers were red-faced.

"I got hoaxed," said Patrick Bruner, who has been e-mailing on behalf of the Occupy Wall Street protesters. "Radiohead was never confirmed. Completely our fault. Apologies. "

The band later wished protestors luck on their Twitter feed, but confirmed they would be no-shows.The band was in the city and performed two sold-out shows at the Roseland Ballroom this week.

But the infusion of new protestors lured by the Radiohead rumor brought renewed energy to the gathering, which roared as a group from the Transit Workers Union appeared at the plaza.

"I'm thrilled to be here," said retiree Joyce Gallagher, 64, from Midwood, Brooklyn. "I think we should have been in Wall Street for three years now."

A crowd of more than 2,000 people marched up Broadway, past a closed City Hall Park, under the arch of the Municipal Building and massed outside what some mistakenly thought was NYPD headquarters.

But most of the chanting horde plopped down in front of One St. Andrew's Plaza, which houses the U.S. Attorney's Office, not the NYPD.

Now if you weren't really sure what these drooling morons are protesting, it's quite obvious they have no idea either. You might want to put your coffee down before watching this.

Comedy gold:

Obama Keeps Repeating Himself

Apparently he's frustrated by foot-dragging Democrats who refuse to even have a vote on his so-called jobs bill.

President Obama used his weekly radio address to urge Congress “to get its act together” and pass his jobs bill.

"It’s been almost three weeks since I sent the American Jobs Act to Congress – three weeks since I sent them a bill that would put people back to work and put money in people’s pockets," Obama said. "And now I want it back. It is time for Congress to get its act together and pass this jobs bill so I can sign it into law."

Obama’s nearly $450 billion jobs bill – known as the American Jobs Act – would raise taxes on the wealthy, invest in infrastructure, extend the employee payroll-tax cut and fund unemployment insurance benefits, among other things.

The legislation faces opposition from Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Thursday that Democrats don’t currently have the votes to pass the bill, although Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in charge of messaging, said it was too "premature" right now to say whether there were enough votes.

So when this bill never passes he'll be out campaigning against Durbin and Schumer. Actually, nobody wants anything to do with it, except for some mythical people Obama has conjured up.

"Everywhere I go, they tell me they want action on jobs. Every day, I get letters from Americans who expect Washington to do something about the problems we face."

The only places he goes these days are fundraisers.