Aw: Obama Extends Wishes on Phony, Made-Up Holiday

It figures. A phony and his wife go out of their way to note the made-up celebration known as Kwanzaa.

President Obama and the first lady sent out Kwanzaa greetings Sunday on the first day of the seven-day celebration.

"Michelle and I extend our warmest thoughts and wishes to all those who are celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season," Obama said in a statement. "Today is the first of a joyful seven-day celebration of African American culture and heritage. The seven principles of Kwanzaa -- Unity, Self Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith -- are some of the very values that make us Americans."

The Kwanzaa holiday began in the U.S. in 1966, and the week culminates with a feast and gift-giving.

Collective work and cooperative economics are some of our values?

'They Really Have No Shame'

No wonder New York Democrats were so desperate to shove through the so-called 9/11 health bill. One of their fatcat contributors was making millions off it.

The law firm that pocketed more than $100 million suing the city over Sept. 11 is trying to cash in on the just-passed Zadroga 9/11 health bill.

The hunt was on even before the House put its final stamp of approval on the $4.3 billion James Zadroga Health and Compensation Act last Wednesday - and long before President Obama signs it next week.

Ads began popping up touting Zadroga-Act.com with the tease: "WTC Compensation Fund: Free Consultation. Call Us Today." Clicking on that link, though, doesn't take you to a do-gooder advice site. It leads to the website of Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern, the lawyers who represented most of the 10,000 9/11 plaintiffs and grabbed the bulk of the $150 million in contingency fees - about 25% - from the $625 million settlement.

A source said the firm also sent text messages to the phones of their 9/11 clients. Responders found the quick strike for new clients and paydays unsavory.

"Ten million each, or whatever they each cleared, wasn't enough for them?" said John Feal, a Ground Zero construction worker and leading advocate.

A source familiar with the legal dealings was disgusted the firm is using the Zadroga name to drum up business: "They really have no shame," the source said.

Another expert involved in settlements was more charitable, but agreed what's going on looks like "ambulance chasing."

"It's not unethical and it's perfectly legal, but I'm a little surprised," the legal eagle said. "It's bad judgment, and it's what gets lawyers in trouble with the public."

Marc Bern, one of the top partners at the firm and a veteran class-action warrior, reacted angrily to the suggestion the speedy client-seeking is unseemly. He said the online ads didn't start running until the House voted on the bill - but the firm clearly was prepared to jump.

Imagine how angry Bern would be if the news story noted how much he was giving to the same Democrats pushing this bill. Some $86,000 alone in the 2008 election cycle. Oh wait, he gave $1,000 to Peter King. The other $85,000 went to Democrats, who surely will reap the rewards come 2012. No coincidence Bern also lavished thousands on that ultimate ambulance chaser, John Edwards.

Big Sis: Uhh, Um, Don't Worry About Director of National Intelligence Being Totally Clueless

Um, uh, uh, well, uh, we, uhhhhh, like, I knew about it. Really, uhhh, gives you a safe feeling, no?

That is all. Move along now.

Days After Promising to Focus on the Economy, Obama Now Plans to Get Out of Washington More

This could also be a good reason for a tour of America's finest golf courses.

President Obama will spend more time outside of Washington, D.C., next year engaging with he public, according to a top White House adviser and close friend of the president.

One year before Obama faces reelection, he is expected to make a greater effort to connect with potential voters after facing charges being too aloof during his first two years in the Oval Office. The president's "biggest regret" was that because of economic turmoil, "He had to spend almost every waking hour in Washington working on solving that crisis," senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "And what he missed sorely was engagement with the American people.

He spent every waking hour dealing with the economy?

Huh? I thought he just pledged a "singular focus" on the economy after ignoring it for two years?

"He said right before he left for vacation was, 'When I get back, I really want to figure out a way where I can spend more time outside of Washington listening, learning and engaging with the American people,'" she added. "We're determined in the new year to make sure that his schedule reflects his priority."

Political observers have said that Obama must make a greater effort to connect with voters on a personal level the way he did during the 2008 campaign if he wants to be reelected in 2012.

So, what is it? Focusing on the economy or two years of schmoozing and campaigning?

Great News: ObamaCare Death Panels Kick in January 1

Just don't call them death panels. That might upset the ghouls on the left. They're now end-of-life care. To paraphrase Alan Grayson, Obama just wants you to die quickly.

When a proposal to encourage end-of-life planning touched off a political storm over “death panels,” Democrats dropped it from legislation to overhaul the health care system. But the Obama administration will achieve the same goal by regulation, starting Jan. 1.

Under the new policy, outlined in a Medicare regulation, the government will pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care, which may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment.

Congressional supporters of the new policy, though pleased, have kept quiet.

They're all for you dying quickly, they just don't want to public to know how thrilled they are.

They fear provoking another furor like the one in 2009 when Republicans seized on the idea of end-of-life counseling to argue that the Democrats’ bill would allow the government to cut off care for the critically ill.

Which is now what it will do.

Change!

Gibbs: It's Up to GOP to Help Us Close Club Gitmo or Something

Apparently one the of the major promises made by Barack Obama is being held up by those old meanie Republicans.

These people really have no shame.

Closing the Guantanamo Bay prison was one of then-Sen. Obama's major campaign promises during the 2008 presidential race and it has been a key issue for members of his liberal base, which has at times been put off by the White House's plans of action on their priorities.

The Obama administration had spent much of 2009 attempting to find a way to close the military prison that houses 174 detainees, but were unable to find enough support in Congress to open a prison on the U.S. mainland or settle on a location to hold civilian trials for some prisoners.

Gibbs said that President Obama is looking for Republican cooperation to close the prison.

"I think part of this depends on the Republicans' willingness to work with the administration on this," he said.

Obama could issue an order to close up shop tomorrow yet he doesn't have the guts to do it. That's self-evident after two years of vacillation and dithering.

Aw: Assange Fears He'll Be Killed 'Jack Ruby Style'

As if wasting perfectly good ammunition on this cretin is even worth it. Nice to see the megalomaniac put himself on the same par as an assassinated U.S. president. He really does think highly of himself.

Julian Assange has told the Guardian newspaper he doesn't believe Britain will deport him to the United States.

Dismissing a threat from the US government, he said if he were to be sent to America he could be killed in the same way as Lee Harvey Oswald; "Jack Ruby style."

The WikiLeaks founder said it would be politically impossible for Britain to extradite him to the United States on espionage charges as he had strong public support from the UK public.

As we've seen from the al-Megrahi fiasco, the Brits are easily subjected to folding under pressure, so this tool might want to think twice about his level of popularity.

CNN Anchor Sucks Wind As He Delivers the News

I'm not sure if the elevators are out of order at CNN studios or if Martin Savidge is just super-excited about the white Christmas some of us enjoyed today.

Either way, it's a minor train wreck and a slow news day, so it's hard to look away.



Via Mediaite. Cross-posted.

U.S. Forces Present Some Christmas Whoop-ass to Taliban

God bless our military. No rest on Christmas as they have to deal with these Taliban scum. Of course if our forces attacked during Ramadan, the "Muslim world" would be outrageously outraged, but apparently it's business as usual during Christian holidays.

Some great images at the link. Say a prayer for these guys and always keep them in your thoughts, especially this time of year.

Baby, It's Frozen Outside

Just keep telling us how much the planet is warming. The folks with chattering teeth in Europe will surely nod in agreement.

Traditional family walks to help the turkey go down could be off the cards this year as December 25 is set to be the coldest Christmas ever.

The mercury plummeted to -5.9C in Glenlivet, Scotland, in 1996, but the Met Office has now warned freezing conditions could see this record smashed today, with temperatures plunging as low as -12C.

And just as people will be thinking about heading home on Boxing Day, more snow will fall in the afternoon across England and Scotland bringing new misery to those who want to travel.

Weather forecasters say they are expecting 'heavy and prolonged snowfall' in some parts of the country, particularly from the Midlands up to southern and central parts of Scotland.

That will continue throughout Monday when it will head towards the South East and it will keep falling into Tuesday morning.

It feels even colder in Fahrenheit.

And as travellers endured yet another bitterly cold morning, weathermen said that should the icy weather continue, the UK could be heading for its coldest December since 1890.

Phil Jones and the clowns at East Anglia should be forced to spend the evening outdoors as punishment for thier global warming hoax.

Still, the idiocy continues, from the comments.

The gulf stream is blocked with the oil spill that BP created. This has been confirmed by several scientist here in the US. It will have a devastating effect on the US east coast and parts of Europe, including the UK for years to come.

Of course nobody should be surprised that it's cold during the winter. Even Al Gore must have the heat on.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Great News: Outgoing Accidental Governor Now Pardoning Illegals

Nothing quite says Merry Christmas to New Yorkers than pardoning two dozen illegal aliens while you on your way out of office.

Gov. David Paterson has issued pardons to 24 immigrants with prior criminal convictions, to prevent their deportation.

In a statement Friday, Paterson said his administration has reviewed more than 1,100 pardon applications and found that federal immigration laws are often "excessively harsh and in need of modernization."

Paterson said the 24 people he had pardoned committed offenses in the past but had paid their debt to society and are now making positive contributions to their communities.

In May 2010, Paterson created an Immigration Pardon Panel to collect information and help deserving individuals avoid deportation.

A shame we can't deport the idiot Paterson.

Meanwhile, having also pardoned a convicted killer in a racially charged case, the dunce decided it might be a good time to notify the victim's family.

A day after commuting the sentence of a black man in the racially charged shooting death of a white teen, Gov. Paterson today spoke with the angry family of the victim to explain why he set the convicted killer free.

The governor spoke for almost an hour with Daniel Cicciaro Jr.’s family in a Christmas Eve phone call.

But although he said the still-grieving parents gave him much to think about, Paterson said he had no regrets about cutting short the sentence of John White, who said he was protecting his family from an angry lynch mob in August 2006 when his gun accidentally went off in his driveway, killing the 17-year-old teen at point-blank range.

White was convicted in 2007 of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 months to four years in prison — a fraction of the maximum of 15 years.

As we can all see from the disaster in DC, lame ducks sure can do a lot of damage.

Confused North Koreans Send Christmas Greetings to Congresswoman

No, this isn't from The Onion.

North Korea's official news agency blasted the incoming chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee -- while mistaking her for a chairman.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), a Cuban immigrant, has been a regular target of dictator Fidel Castro and his Latin American allies Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivian President Evo Morales.

But the Korean Central News Agency, the mouthpiece of Pyongyang in a country with no free media, said Wednesday that Ros-Lehtinen's calls for North Korea to be relisted as a state sponsor of terrorism were "intolerable as it is malignant vituperation against the dignified DPRK and its system."

"Ros, man representing the U.S. conservative hard-liners, is human scum as he earned ill-fame as an anti-communist fanatic," the KCNA wrote. "He is a political illiterate ignorant of the background against which the nuclear issue cropped up on the Korean Peninsula and the processes to settle it.

These people are more clueless than your typical leftists.

"The U.S. conservative hardliners, however, are crying out for relisting the DPRK as a 'state sponsor of terrorism'. This is a despicable bid to check the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The army and people of the DPRK will never pardon Ros and his group."

MSM: Hot Damn, That Lame-Duck Session Was Productive!

Open wide, everybody - the lame-stream media has a preposterously euphemistic but totally objective narrative to spoon-feed to us.

You see, the Democrats of the 111th Congress - fresh off an unmitigated rejection at the hands of fed-up voters last month - nevertheless attempted to pass a plethora of pent-up left-wing legislation in the traditionally uneventful lame-duck session.

And with large majorities lingering in both Houses and a President who would eagerly sign a literal pile of garbage if Harry Reid dropped one on his desk, amazingly enough they managed to pass a lot of it.

Will wonders never cease?



Via Breitbart. Cross-posted.

Season's Beatings: Bad Santas Attack Swedish Palace Guard

'Tis the season, I guess.

Two men, dressed in Santa hats and masks, surprised and attacked the guard.

The men stole the guard's gun, which according to police was a loaded automatic weapon.

“This is serious. I have a hard time believing it is a prank. It might be premeditated,” said Anders Krook, station commander at the Norrmalm police.

Because the Royal Palace has been deemed an object to be protected (skyddsobjekt), guards are to have loaded weapons, Lieutenant Colonel Rickard Beck-Friis Häll told TT news agency.

After the incident on Thursday, they will review all of the regulations with the soldiers, including the level of force that the guards may use.

“We have the right to use the force that is necessary to defend ourselves and objects to be protected. In this case, we will review what happened,” Beck-Friis Häll said.

He emphasized that the event was extremely unusual and he has never hear of a similar incident during his 30-year-career.

They're probably not used to troubled Muslims blowing themselves up in public, either.

Ho Ho Ho! NJ Unfunded Pension Liability Grows to $53.9B

Imagine the horror as 50-year-old retirees realize they might have to work a little longer once the checks stop rolling in. But it's all Chris Christie's fault or something.

The hole in the state’s pension fund grew again this year, by more than $8 billion, a trend that continues after a decade of skipped payments and increased benefits.

The unfunded piece of the state’s pension liability — the estimated total amount needed to pay current and future state, county and municipal employees — grew by $8.05 billion between June 2009 and June 2010, according to a report released today by the Department of Treasury which indicted the state has a $53.9 billion unfunded promise.

Additionally, the state has a $66.8 billion unfunded promise to future and current employees for lifetime health benefits, the report found.

Gov. Chris Christie has said reforming the pension and health system is a priority for the new year and leaders in the Legislature have agreed to discuss reforms.

"If all the required contributions to the pension funds had been made over the last decade, New Jersey would still not have enough money to pay all the benefits state and local governments have promised to public employees," Treasury Spokesman Andy Pratt said in an e-mail.

In reporting the increase, the administration included a summary of the proposals Christie has made to reform the pension and health systems. They include rolling back a 9 percent increase that was granted for 2011, raising the retirement age to 65 and requiring all employees pay 8.5 percent of their salary to the pension. The plan would also require employees to pay 66 percent of their health costs.

Hetty Rosenstein, New Jersey director of the Communications Workers of America — the largest state workers’ union — said her members are aware of how serious the problem is.

"We want to be sure that our members’ pensions are secure. So we would never just ignore such a thing… And we want to help to figure out how best to address it," Rosenstein said. "And the governor has to share in the responsibility by discussing how the state is going to fund the pension and making a commitment to fund the pensions."

The state means you, the taxpayers. Clearly the unions aren't going to concede anything. It's all up to you to make sure they retire comfortably.

'Rape is a Crime of Capitalism'

The lengths people will go to to justify their ideology.

1. Rape is a crime of capitalism. It’s about power and dominance, and capitalism takes people’s power away. It is systemic.

2. The state will do anything to hide its secrets – even using women as a political tool.

3. WikiLeaks has done outstanding work; this is separate to the individual behaviours of Julian Assange.

4. Just because you’re a woman, it doesn’t make you a feminist.

5. The state currently has no interest in protecting women’s rights.

6. We want a justice system that works for the people.

7. Women are being used, as usual, for political purposes.

Got all that? Good. So Julian Assange is now a feminist hero or something. Even Uber-FemiNazi Naomi Wolf agrees.

Kook Global Warmer James Hansen: ClimateGate was a 'Viscous' Hoax by Professional Swiftboaters

How sad. The global warming hoaxers are reduced to smearing people and omitting critical information. Seems we've been down this road before.

IPCC scientists had done a good job of producing a comprehensive report. It is a rather thankless task, on top of their normal jobs, often requiring them to work sixty, eighty, or more hours per week, with no pay for overtime or for working on the IPCC report. Yet they were portrayed as incompetent or, worse, dishonest. Scientists do indeed have deficiencies—especially in communicating with the public and defending themselves against viscous attacks by professional swift-boaters.

The public, at some point, will realize they were hoodwinked by the deniers. The danger is that deniers may succeed in delaying actions to deal with energy and climate. Delay will enrich fossil fuel executives, but it is a great threat to young people and the planet.

Bill: You must be referring to the urgency created by climate tipping points. Is there new information about tipping points?
.
... several pages omitted here

Oh no, the dreaded tipping points!

According to the buffoon Hansen, ClimateGate was just a hoax by some character assassins. Sure, keep believing that.

Bill: What was the deal with “climategate”—the East Anglia e-mails and IPCC’s “Himalayan error”? Much of the public was left with impression that global warming may be a hoax!

Jim: There was a real hoax, for sure—perpetrated on the public by people who prefer business-as-usual, people who concocted a misinformation campaign. They want the public to think that the science is suspect. Doubt is all they need. Their tactics included swift-boating and character assassination, using e-mails stolen from scientists’ computers. They did an effective job. Now policy makers continue to sit on their hands, leaving fossil fuel subsidies in place, allowing fossil fuel companies to call the tune—and the devil with young people and nature.

Yes, the stolen e-mails exposed bad behavior by scientists, notably a reluctance of some scientists to give deniers the input data for global temperature analysis. That allowed global warming deniers to assert that global climate change was “cooked” data. But that assertion is nonsense. The NASA temperature analysis agrees well with the East Anglia results. And the NASA data are all publicly available, as is the computer program that carries out the analysis.

Look at it this way: If anybody could show that the global warming curve was wrong they would become famous, maybe win a Nobel Prize. All the measurement data are available. So why don’t the deniers produce a different result? They know that they cannot, so they resort to theft of e-mails, snipping private comments out of context, and character assassination.

Instead they give Nobel Prizes to idiots like Algore who promote this nonsense.

H/T Tim Blair.

Books For Christmas: Better Than Pink Bunny Pajamas, But Not By Much

Good call on the books there, Santa.



h/t: Viral Footage. Cross-posted.

'As You Can See, Airport Security is Kind of a Farce'

So what happens to someone who dares to question Big Sis? Why, they're punished, of course.

An airline pilot is being disciplined by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for posting video on YouTube pointing out what he believes are serious flaws in airport security.

The 50-year-old pilot, who lives outside Sacramento, asked that neither he nor his airline be identified. He has worked for the airline for more than a decade and was deputized by the TSA to carry a gun in the cockpit.

He is also a helicopter test pilot in the Army Reserve and flew missions for the United Nations in Macedonia.

Three days after he posted a series of six video clips recorded with a cell phone camera at San Francisco International Airport, four federal air marshals and two sheriff's deputies arrived at his house to confiscate his federally-issued firearm. The pilot recorded that event as well and provided all the video to News10.

At the same time as the federal marshals took the pilot's gun, a deputy sheriff asked him to surrender his state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon.

A follow-up letter from the sheriff's department said the CCW permit would be reevaluated following the outcome of the federal investigation.

The YouTube videos, posted Nov. 28, show what the pilot calls the irony of flight crews being forced to go through TSA screening while ground crew who service the aircraft are able to access secure areas simply by swiping a card.

"As you can see, airport security is kind of a farce. It's only smoke and mirrors so you people believe there is actually something going on here," the pilot narrates.

Shameful: Bloomberg and His Hacks Rigged Ground Zero Mosque Approval

This disgusting behavior should really help the tyrant Michael Bloomberg in the presidential bid he swears he's not pursuing.

Mayor Bloomberg's top deputies went to great lengths to help the developers of a planned mosque near Ground Zero - even drafting a letter to the community board for them.

A flurry of emails released by City Hall yesterday revealed the coaching Hizzoner's brass gave to the imam pushing to build the mosque, Feisal Abdul Rauf.

At one point, Community Affairs Commissioner Nazli Parvizi even drafted a letter for Rauf's wife, Daisy Khan, to send to Community Board 1, which was voting on the project.

"As a Muslim-American and a New Yorker, I take my role in keeping New York the greatest City in the world serious," the draft said. Parvizi also provided the contact information for the board.

Another email shows that Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Fatima Shama expedited a temporary public assembly permit for the group to conduct prayers in January at the site, known as 51 Park.

Of course if you found any of this objectionable Bloomberg tripped over himself to call you an Islamophobic racist bigot. What's obvious to everyone:

But one critic of the mosque charged that the emails prove that backers rigged the public approval process.

"They were in cahoots all along," steamed Andy Sullivan, a Queens construction worker and vocal mosque critic.

How much was Bloomberg in the tank?

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the documents show the city was an active proponent of the project.

"The mayor's office was at the beck and call of the ground zero mosque folks," Fitton said. "He obviously feels strongly about it, but he shouldn't turn the taxpayers of New York into advocates for this group."

At some point Bloomberg may have to toss someone under the bus. We offer a sacrificial lamb.

Another email reveals that Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Fatima Shama expedited a temporary public assembly permit for the group to conduct prayers in January at Park 51

In another letter, Shama congratulated the group after the project was approved by CB1's finance committee, writing,

"Sharif, Daisy, Iman Faisal,

Again—congratulations!!! This is very exciting for all of you and our community at large!"

And the team behind Park51 was grateful to the mayor's team for all of their help.

Wrote el-Gamal to his cohorts,

"Just spoke to Commissioner Nazli Parvizi.She will call Julie Mennon [sic] to thank them for passing the resolution and ask how she can assist. She knows the folks at the tribute center and will put us in touch with them as well."

Such a cozy relationship a thug like El-Gamal has with the mayor, isn't it?

By the way, few media accounts will note it, but it was Judicial Watch that forced Bloomberg's hand.

E-mails released by the city Thursday document the cooperation between Bloomberg's Community Affairs Unit and the Cordoba Initiative, even as a furor erupted this year over the center's proposed existence two blocks north of ground zero. The city released the documents in response to a public-records lawsuit by Judicial Watch, a conservative group.

Bloomberg's spokesman said the city has extended similar help to other religious groups. But Judicial Watch says the e-mails show the city government went too far with its assistance.

Judicial Watch had to sue for the release of these e-mails. Obviously Bloomberg and his hacks had plenty to hide after evading for several months.

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has filed a petition with the New York State Supreme Court to compel New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office to comply with a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request regarding contacts between the Mayor’s office, Ground Zero Mosque Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, and controversial Muslim organizations. Judicial Watch is seeking the following information pursuant to its open records request filed on August 9, 2010:

a. All records of communication between the Office of the Mayor and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf concerning the Cordoba Initiative’s proposed Cordoba House project.

b. All records of communication between the Office of Mayor Bloomberg and any of the following entities:

1. Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR);
2. Islamic Society of North America (ISNA);
3. International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT);
4. American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA);
5. American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC);
6. Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).

On August 19, 2010, Mayor Bloomberg’s office acknowledged receipt of the request and indicated a response would be forthcoming in 20 days. After the Mayor’s office failed to respond by its self-imposed deadline and to a subsequent administrative appeal, Judicial Watch filed its petition with the New York Supreme Court.