Quagmire: Rampant Murder Rate in Obama's Disorganized Community Greater Than Iraq Casualties

The renowned community organizer whined like a little bitch today after getting gangster-slapped by the hockey mom last night, but still cannot point to an actual accomplishment.

Well, here's one.

An estimated 123 people were shot and killed over the summer. That's nearly double the number of soldiers killed in Iraq over the same time period.

In May, cbs2chicago.com began tracking city shootings and posting them on Google maps. Information compiled from our reporters, wire service reports and the Chicago Police Major Incidents log indicated that 123 people were shot and killed throughout the city between the start of Memorial Day weekend on May 26, and the end of Labor Day on Sept. 1.

According to the Defense Department, 65 soldiers were killed in combat in Iraq. About the same number were killed in Afghanistan over that same period.

In the same time period, an estimated 245 people were shot and wounded in the city.

The South Side's Englewood District, which includes the Englewood and West Englewood neighborhoods on the city's South Side, fared the worst over the summer. A total of 14 people were shot dead there, and 48 were shot and wounded.

Check out the locations of the carnage.

Just as a further reminder, it's The Messiah who rose to prominence in an unelected capacity as an "organizer" on the South Side of Chicago.

A tour of Obama's far South Side haunts and interviews with past associates paint a somewhat more complex picture.

A few critics claim Obama, now 46, exaggerates his accomplishments, particularly in spearheading asbestos cleanup at a low-income housing project. He omits from his account of that fight a longtime community activist who many people say played a significant role.

And for all his emphasis on the value of grassroots organizing, Obama eventually decided he also needed a law degree to enact lasting change, attending Harvard University. Many associates also view his seven years in the marbled halls of the Illinois State Senate and three years in the U.S. Senate to be as formative as his three years in far South Side trenches.

Further blurring the picture are his descriptions of community organizing in his youthful memoir, "Dreams From My Father," in which he admits he disguises names, creates composite characters, switches some chronologies and uses "approximations" of dialogue.

Curious how the media no longer has any interest in Obama's fabrications and embellishments.

Maybe now they should.

Palin Bounce Bombshell: CBS Poll Now Tied

Consider these numbers don't even account for last night, so just imagine the possibilities.

The presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain is now even at 42 percent, according to a new CBS News poll conducted Monday-Wednesday of this week. Twelve percent are undecided according to the poll, and one percent said they wouldn't vote.

This is in contrast to a poll conducted last weekend, where the Obama-Biden ticket led McCain-Palin by eight points, 48 percent to 40 percent.

McCain has also closed the enthusiasm gap some with Obama, but it still exists. Fifty-five percent of Obama's supporters are enthusiastic about their choice, and now so are 35% of McCain's. Last weekend, just 25 percent of McCain's supporters were enthusiastic about him, compared to 67 of Obama's supporters.

The Grand High Exalted Mystic Community Organizer was unavailable for comment.

Consider the blockbuster ratings for last night and we may see a significant bounce for McCain by the weekend.

Media blowback's a bitch, isn't it?

NFL Week 1: Redskins at Giants

It's that most glorious time of the year as tonight we mark the return of the National Football League with the Washington Redskins paying a visit to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. When we last left off we were witness to the greatest play in Super Bowl history (above) and maybe the best play of all time.

Be aware this is a 7 pm eastern start as the game was scheduled early in order to avoid John McCain's acceptance speech this evening. As a friendly reminder for those who may be unfamiliar with my pigskin picks, since NBC is carrying the game, there the possibility that bedwetting douchebag Keith Olbermann may appear on the pregame and halftime, so feel free to change the channel at those time.

Since there's only one game today, we'll make our season prognostications and take a look at the rest of Week 1 later this week.

GIANTS -4 Redskins: The Giants are getting little respect coming off their remarkable Super Bowl run and from all accounts they like being viewed that way. They took a hit when Michael Strahan retired and another huge blow when Pro Bowl DE went down with a season-ending injury. Still, Justin Tuck has emerged and Mathias Kiwanuka was moved back to DE from linebacker, so there shouldn't be a major dropoff. And it's not as if their interior guys Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield are slouches. There are questions though at linebacker and it remains to be seen whether CB Corey Webster is the real deal after a huge postseason. Keep an eye out for hard-hitting rookie safety Kenny Phillips. Many teams will rue the day they passed on this Ed Reed clone.

Offensively, the Giants return all 11 starters from Super Bowl XLII and also have rising star Steve Smith and rookie Mario Manningham at wideout, along with a power backfield in Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward, who missed the latter part of 2007 with a broken leg. Offensively, they should operate efficiently and they have enough talent still on defense to be a contender.

Washington begins the Jim Zorn era with Jason Campbell back at QB after missing last year's playoff run; TE Chris Cooley and WR Santana Moss always give the Giants fits. The Skins embarrassed the Giants at the Meadowlands last December and the Giants need to show they can win at home after a dismal 3-5 slate last year. There's no way they're going 10-1 on the road again.

A pumped up crowd seeing the Super Bowl champions take the field for the first time and the desire for a quick start should be enough to propel the Giants, who have an easy early schedule and should be 3-0 when they have their bye week. Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning has a big game on a sultry late summer night. Giants 30-17

Vlad Paranoid, Line One

Cheney slams Russia over Georgia
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney vowed on Thursday to stand by Georgia in its showdown with Russia, calling Moscow's military push into the ex-Soviet state an illegitimate act that cast doubt on its reliability.

Cheney, one of Moscow's harshest critics, is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit Georgia since Tbilisi tried to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia by force in early August and was overwhelmed by the Russian military.

His typically strong comments may rile the Kremlin which has accused Washington of fuelling tensions by emboldening Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili a U.S.-educated lawyer with close ties to President George W. Bush's administration.

"After your nation won its freedom in the Rose Revolution, America came to the aid of this courageous young democracy," Cheney told reporters, referring to the peaceful revolution in 2003 which brought Saakashvili to power.

"We are doing so again as you work to overcome an invasion of your sovereign territory and an illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change your country's borders by force that has been universally condemned by the free world," Cheney said, standing next to Saakashvili on his first visit to Tbilisi.

Russian officials did not respond to the criticism from Cheney and have been dismissive about his presence in the region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday he was not paying much attention to Cheney's trip.

Cheney, on a tour of U.S. allies in the region that started in Azerbaijan and continued in Ukraine late on Thursday, said Russia's actions had cast "grave doubt" on its intentions and reliability as a partner in the region and internationally.

Azerbaijan and Georgia are links in the chain of a Western-backed energy corridor bypassing Russia which the West fears could be in jeopardy following the Kremlin's military thrust into Georgia.

Read the rest at Reuters

PMS-NBC's petulant bitch, Keith Olberman, was unavailable for comment.

Angry Feminist Relic on Palin: 'She is Phyllis Schlafly, Only Younger'

The Los Angeles Times opens up their editorial pages for possibly the most bitter editorial on Sarah Palin imaginable, courtesy of the irrelevant Gloria Steinem. It's so laden with misinformation and Democrat talking points, I'll assume she used a ghostwriter. Needless to say, this was clearly written before Palin brought the house down last night, but regardless, it speaks volumes about an era of feminism that is rapidly coming to an end. The far-left feminist crowd has been replaced by working mothers that don't revel in their status as victims. Instead of whining, they set out and get the job done.

Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."

How Steinem can say Palin's speech was divisive is beyond my imagination. As I said, it's obvious this was written well in advance of her speech as none of this column make any sense in relation to what Palin discussed last night.

As for Rush Limbaugh touting Palin all summer, I'd like her to point to one instance where he did that. I listen to Rush as much as possible and with the exception of her speech last Friday, I don't recall Rush ever talking about her much, if at all.

As far as McCain being owned by the right wing, that's just absurd. If that were the case, why did he propose Shamnesty for all the illegals?

I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.

Aww, I'm sure poor Sarah is glad to have your sympathy. Having said that, I hope Ms. Steinem tunes in October 3 and doesn't have someone write her column in advance. If she thinks a plagiarizer like Joe Biden is going to have his way with Palin, she's in for a long night.

Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

Cute. I guess Steinem's ghostwriter didn't get the memo about that the bit about creationism is a falsehood. As for mythical global warming, where's the evidence a majority believes in it?

Then again, Steinem is part of the left-wing hate machine, so why bother with the facts?

It's so painfully obvious these far-left fringe feminists are angry and bitter that a strong, successful woman like Sarah Palin has gotten where she is without them. This is so eerily reminiscent of the Clarence Thomas appointment to the Supreme Court. The reaction from the establishment left then just as now was unhinged bitterness, divisiveness and smear tactics.

It didn't work then and it won't work now.

Reaction to Speech: Palin Had a Speechwriter and Her Hair Style Is Outdated

They'll never learn, will they? Forget the fact Sarah Palin blew the doors off the XCel Center, she had Barack Obama stammering about George Bush's speechwriters. Lame. As if nobody writes his weak material. Here's a decent account of Palin's rousing speech.

And referring to Obama's acceptance speech in Denver a week ago, she added, "When the cloud of rhetoric has passed "... when the roar of the crowd fades away "... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot — what exactly is our opponent's plan?''

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton called the speech "well-delivered, but written by George Bush's speech writer and sounds exactly like the same divisive partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years."

"She has the hockey-mom schtick down,'' said Bruce Cain, director of the University of California-Berkeley's Washington Center, and gave an address designed for "mostly white, working-class women that Hillary Clinton was pursuing.''

In a poignant moment, Palin also made an appeal to parents of children with special needs. Her 4-month-old son, Trig, was born with Down syndrome.

Jayne Ham, a delegate from Cupertino and mother of a child with epilepsy, said, "She's the real thing. Her personal statements on children with special needs brought tears to my eyes.''

Palin also used the night to promote finding new sources of energy, including drilling in Alaska. And she repeatedly praised McCain as someone who has dedicated his career to improving the country.

In a scene reminiscent of Obama's surprise appearance on the stage a day early to congratulate his running mate, Joe Biden, McCain showed up at the end of Palin's address. "Don't you think we made the right choice for the next president of the United States?'' McCain said to a cheering hall. "What a beautiful family,'' he enthused.

While Palin's pick is designed in part to woo disaffected Clinton voters, Palin overnight has become the darling of conservatives. Before her speech, "I thought I died and went to heaven,'' said the Rev. Lou Sheldon, founder of the California-based Traditional Values Coalition. The coalition is planning a nationwide get-out-the-vote effort.

In her speech, Palin presented her story as an endearing populist tale of a young mother who sought to improve the local schools. "I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better,'' Palin said. Then she interrupted her own narrative: "You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull: lipstick."

And she brought house down.

Showing how shallow some people are, one reaction I see today is about her appearance.

Yes, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has a lot on her plate: a pregnant teen daughter, a son on his way to Iraq, an infant with Down syndrome and a looming national election.

But must her hair suffer? With her long, straight, often pinned-up locks, Palin looks one humid day away from fronting a Kiss cover band.

“It’s about 20 years out of date,” said Boston stylist Mario Russo of the Alaska governor’s ’do. “Which goes to show how off she might be on current events.”

For readers who are rolling their eyes about this nonissue - get real. People talk about hair - from Mitt Romney’s perfectly sprayed coif, John Edward’s Breck do, McCain’s unfortunate combover and Barak’s No. 3 buzz cut.

We know the former Miss Alaska runner-up’s stance on on stem cells and teaching creationism in schools, but what’s her position on scrunchies vs. banana clips?

Palin herself told Vogue magazine, “A reporter once asked me about it (her appearance) during the campaign, and I assured him I was trying to be as frumpy as I could by wearing my hair on top of my head and these schoolmarm glasses.”

“The color’s not bad,” Russo offered. “But I did see a picture of her showing up someplace with a fried-out perm. I was like, whoa.”

Whoa indeed. The 44-year-old Palin’s pulled-back, I’m-too-busy-for-blowouts-and-a-blunt-cut look says more than Joe Biden on the Senate floor.

This comment say it all.

Gimme a break. She's hotter than the surface of the sun. Her hair is fine.

Blue Collar Jersey Guy to Host $30K a Plate Obama Fundraiser

Man of the people Jon Bon Jovi will be swinging open the gates of his New Jersey mansions for $30,800 a plate fundraisers for Barack Obama Friday. If you're expecting to head to the Jersey shore for the weekend, plan to be stuck in traffic as roads are closed to allow the community organizer to get there in time for the arugula appetizers.

Barack Obama's visit to New Jersey on Friday will be brief -- but lucrative.

The Democratic presidential candidate is scheduled to attend a fund-raiser at the home of rock star Jon Bon Jovi, where attendees will pay $30,800 each for dinner with Obama, according to the campaign.

The dinner follows an early-evening reception at the home of Phil Murphy, the Democratic National Committee finance chairman. Tickets for just that -- without the dinner at Bon Jovi's place -- are $2,300.

The events at the two Jersey Shore homes will boost the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee run by Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Both are also being co-hosted by Gov. Jon Corzine. The prices reflect the maximum donation to a general election candidate ($2,300) and to a national party ($28,500).

Whatever you do, don't dare make fun of Obama for his relations to celebrities. It might hurt his feelings.

Obama Superdelegate to Plead Guilty Today, Resign Office

Bye bye, Kwame.

After a frenetic evening, when a tentative plea deal was alternately announced by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and then postponed, Kilpatrick is due in court Thursday at 9 a.m. before Wayne Circuit Judge David Groner in his criminal perjury case stemming from the text message scandal. A plea deal could be announced there — if all sides commit.

James Thomas, one of Kilpatrick’s attorneys, said this evening the mayor was negotiating jail time, which would be a change in Kilpatrick’s earlier reported stance that he would not agree to any deal that would put him behind bars.

“I am told that part of the negotiation is related to jail time,” Thomas said. “I’m not sure what the final agreement is, but you can expect that that was probably one of the most important parts of the agreement.”

One person familiar with this evening’s negotiations said jail time would be part of the deal, if it is reached, but the person would not commit to a specific number of days.

Number of days? We should be measuring his time in years, if anything.

More here.

Waaah! CNN's Schneider Whines Over Giuliani Speech

Poor CNN relic Bill Schneider. He's upset Rudy Giuliani had the temerity to pick on poor little Barack Obama.

This speech is about mockery – and I wonder whether that’s appealing to voters. I really think this tone is going to turn a lot of voters off – it’s ugly, it’s bitter, it’s nasty. There is a bullying tone to this speech, and to Romney’s speech, and I just don’t think it works.

Even less appealing: “When they gave up on Iraq, they gave up on America”? Now that’s insulting.

No, Bill, it's the truth.

I knew watching Giuliani these media relics would whine like little bitches. They're so predictable.

More whining here on how mean Giuliani and Mike Huckabee were.

Who Let Them in the Building?

A couple of Code Pink skanks somehow finagled their way into the XCel Center last night and nearly rushed the stage while Sarah Palin was speaking.

It would be interesting to know how they managed to get so close to the stage.

A pair of Code Pink activists just got to the very edge of the stage and were a moment away from apparently running on stage, right by the Kentucky slot on the floor next to a host of McCain's most senior staffers.

Secret Service men grabbed them at last minute and literally dragged them out.

Speaking of Code Pink, Jim Hoft went off on them yesterday and has more on this disturbance.

More here.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, who oversees security inside the convention hall, said the two California women had authentic credentials and had worked their way to the side of the stage backdrop. The women never made it on stage, McMaster said, but they did shout obscenities during the speech. As the women tried to push their way toward the stage, McMaster said, a sign language interpreter was bumped and slightly injured.

My suspicion? Someone in the media gave them passes.

So Much for That Addiction to Online Porn Tale

I figured that addiction to online porn story was probably bullshit. Granted, they're getting this via the Enquirer, so take it with a healthy dose of skepticism. Seriously though, you cheat on her?

David Duchovny cheated on his wife for years before finally entering a rehab clinic for sex addiction according to a US magazine.

The X Files star allegedly agreed to seek treatment after heartbroken Tea Leoni discovered his indiscretions and threatened to divorce him.

‘He said Tea gave him an ultimatum: Get treatment or our marriage is over,’ a source is quoted as telling the National Enquirer.

‘She felt it was ruining their marriage and affecting their kids.’

The actor has been married to the Deep Impact actress for 11 years, and the couple have a daughter, Madelaine West, nine, and a six-year-old son, Kyd.

According to the source, Duchovny has admitted that he is compulsively driven to be unfaithful and finds it impossible to turn down the legions of women who offer themselves to him.

I know the feeling. You've got to get tough with them, Dave, but let them down gently.

When in Doubt, Blame the Romans

Here all this time we were told Ronald Reagan was to blame for the spread of AIDS.

What, as the old Monty Python question goes, have the Romans ever done for us?

Well, apart from the usual answers of roads, sanitation and a fondness for wine, it appears they have also made us more vulnerable to HIV.

According to genetic research published on Wednesday, when Julius Caesar made his first exploratory visit to our shores in 55BC he triggered a chain of events which may have lowered our resistance to the virus which leads to Aids.

The theory is that as the Roman Empire spread so did an unknown illness that killed those carrying a gene that would one day give their descendants resistance to the virus.

As a result, today's inhabitants of nations once conquered by the Romans tend to lack the gene and so are more susceptible to HIV.

For instance, only 4 per cent of Greeks carry the gene, compared with more than 15 per cent of people in parts of northern Europe untouched by the Romans.

In England and Wales, which were occupied by the Romans for 400 years, up to 11 per cent have the gene which is called CCR5-Delta32 and stops HIV worming its way into the body's cells.

Obama Cleans Up at Clooney's Swiss Fundraisers

Memo to Team McCain: Here's some fodder for your next celebutard commercial.

Two Geneva fundraising events for US presidential candidate Barack Obama hosted by George Clooney have raised more than $900,000 (SFr1 million).

The Hollywood actor and director arrived in Geneva on Tuesday for his first appearance on behalf of the Democratic nominee.

Some 170 contributors – all US citizens – paid $1,000 a head to hear Clooney speak at a cocktail party held at a museum in Geneva's Old Town.

Afterwards, 75 supporters spent $10,000 each to attend "an intimate seated dinner" with the 47-year-old star at the organiser's nearby apartment, according to the American lawyer Charles Adams who set up the twin "private" events.

"Actually most of our guests for dinner are coming from elsewhere – people are flying in from Los Angeles, Prague, London, Zurich and so on," Adams said before the event.

Isn't that special?

So while Team Obama and their media whores trash Sarah Palin as some hick chick from the sticks, fatcat liberals are flying in from across the globe for foreign fundraisers for The Messiah.

Curious how last month Clooney pretended to distance himself from Obama. Guess he figured nobody would pay much attention. Naturally, the media largely ignored it.

Perfect Image of Media's Palin Coverage

This say it all.

Via Americans for Limited Government.

Thanks to Doug Ross for the link!

'I Guess a Small-town Mayor is Sort of Like a Community Organizer, Except That You Have Actual Responsibilities'

A nice choice cut from tonight's speech to be delivered by Sarah Palin.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin took a swipe at Democrat Barack Obama's level of experience on Wednesday and hit back at criticism of her in the U.S. media.

In excerpts of a highly anticipated speech she was to give to the Republican National Convention, Palin referred to criticism from Obama's campaign that she lacked experience to serve a heartbeat away from the president.

Obama began his political career as a community organizer in Chicago, while Palin was mayor of small-town Wasilla, Alaska, before she became Alaska governor two years ago.

"And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities," she said in the excerpts.

Guaranteed that line will get sustained applause.

As will this.

"But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country," she said.

Maybe all these media types are just pissed she's parlayed a degree in journalism into something worthwhile.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Megyn Kelly Hammers Us Weekly Tool

Not only is she the hottest thing on Fox, but she's also an attorney. And she lays waste this this moron.

Maybe the GOP can get her up on stage tonight as well.

Via Hot Air.

Drug Lords Fed Victims to Gators

Yuck.

Alligators kept in the home of a suspected Brazilian drug lord were used to terrorize neighbors and dispose of murder victims, Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said.

The alligators, measuring 80 and 40 centimeters (32 and 16 inches) long, were discovered by Rio de Janeiro police, along with a machine gun, cocaine and three grenades, in the slum house of a man identified only by his nickname, ``Spider,'' Folha reported, citing authorities.

Police struggled for 20 minutes to bring one of the reptiles under control after it escaped by jumping from the back of a police truck, Folha said. Police nicknamed the animals Celso and Maia, after the two officers who led the sting operation.

Police chief Ronaldo de Oliveira told Folha that other drug gangs have allegedly kept alligators to terrorize their victims and local residents.

Although on the upside, this may be a good way to dispose of the media.

Shocker: Newsweek Fawns Over Palin

Oh wait, that was last year.

Never mind.

Now she knows how her running mate feels.

In Alaska, Palin is challenging the dominant, sometimes corrupting, role of oil companies in the state's political culture. "The public has put a lot of faith in us," says Palin during a meeting with lawmakers in her downtown Anchorage office, where—as if to drive the point home—the giant letters on the side of the ConocoPhillips skyscraper fill an entire wall of windows. "They're saying, 'Here's your shot, clean it up'." For Palin, that has meant tackling the cozy relationship between the state's political elite and the energy industry that provides 85 percent of Alaska's tax revenues—and distancing herself from fellow Republicans, including the state's senior U.S. senator, Ted Stevens, whose home was recently searched by FBI agents looking for evidence in an ongoing corruption investigation. (Stevens has denied any wrongdoing.) But even as she tackles Big Oil's power, Palin has transformed her own family's connections to the industry into a political advantage. Her husband, Todd, is a longtime employee of BP, but, as Palin points out, the "First Dude" is a blue-collar "sloper," a fieldworker on the North Slope, a cherished occupation in the state. "He's not in London making the decisions whether to build a gas line."

In an interview with NEWSWEEK, Palin said it's time for Alaska to "grow up" and end its reliance on pork-barrel spending. Shortly after taking office, Palin canceled funding for the "Bridge to Nowhere," a $330 million project that Stevens helped champion in Congress. The bridge, which would have linked the town of Ketchikan to an island airport, had come to symbolize Alaska's dependence on federal handouts. Rather than relying on such largesse, says Palin, she wants to prove Alaska can pay its own way, developing its huge energy wealth in ways that are "politically and environmentally clean."
...
Although she has been in office less than a year, Palin, too, earns high marks from lawmakers on the other side of the aisle. During a debate earlier this year over a natural-gas bill, State Senate Minority Leader Beth Kerttula was astounded when she and another Democrat went to see the new governor to lay out their objections. "Not only did we get right in to see her," says Kerttula, "but she asked us back twice—we saw her three times in 10 hours, until we came up with a solution." Next week in Juneau, Alaska lawmakers will meet to overhaul the state's system for taxing oil companies—a task Palin says was tainted last year by an oil-industry lobbyist who pleaded guilty to bribing lawmakers. Kerttula doesn't expect to agree with the freshman governor on every step of the complex undertaking. But the minority leader looks forward to exploiting one backroom advantage she's long waited for. "I finally get to go to the restroom and talk business with the governor," she says. "The guys have been doing this for centuries." And who says that's not progress?

Seems to be a much different narrative this week, no?

Via Drudge.

Meanwhile, a couple of former members (let's hope) of the GOP had some, uh, disparaging comments today.

In a few years, everyone will remember Sarah Palin. Few will recall Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy.

Meanwhile, the full-court tabloid press continues. Shameless.

'My God, What Have I Done?'

She really is a take charge girl.

Language warning, of course.

H/T via here.

Sick Google Search of the Day

Granted, they day is still relatively young and a lot of Google hits can whiz by when one isn't checking referrals.

Since we may now be in the death throes of the left, their desperation becomes more evident.

Check out this search string: bristol palin forced to get pregnant

Yup. Her mother is so bloodthirsty and dastardly, she'd force her daughter to get pregnant.

What kind of sick twisted people even think this stuff up?

Oh, liberals do.

Never mind.

When All Else Fails, Invent Another Palin Smear

This is now what passes for "investigative journalism" from ABC's Brian Ross.

I really cannot believe this douchebag actually is reporting this as some alleged controversy.

Gov. Sarah Palin is already facing ethical questions over her firing of the Alaska public safety commissioner, and now she faces questions over the firing of a longtime local police chief.

After taking over as Mayor of the small town of Wasilla, Palin fired the longtime local police chief. The former police chief, Irl Stambaugh says he was fired because he stepped on the toes of Palin's campaign contributors, including bar owners and the National Rifle Association.

Stambaugh's lawyer, William Jermain, says the chief tried to move up the closing hours of local bars from 5 a.m. to two a.m. after a spurt of drunk driving accidents and arrests.

"His crackdown on that practice by the bars was not appreciated by her and that was one reason she terminated Irl," said Jermain.

Hey schmuck, when you become mayor, you can fire the police chief if you so desire. Is Ross really this fucking stupid?

See, if you are the mayor, that means you're in charge and the other public employees more or less report to you.

Really, I understand the media is stupid, and that never has been more on display than the past five days, but you would think something so simple as this couldn't possibly be reported.

Palin says she was up against entrenched insiders when she was elected mayor of Wasilla in 1996.

"We had a lot of people that were kind of dead wood," said Colleen Sullivan Leonard, a staff member in Palin's office. "We needed people with new energy and a new vision."

Further destroying any shred of credibility that Ross had is he goes on to quote a Democrat at length, the same Democrat leading an "investigation" of another purported "scandal" involving Palin.

What Ross unwittingly does here is provide evidence Palin is more experienced that the community organizer from Chicago. What was Barack Obama doing in 1996 except going to visit the terrorist William Ayers as he tried to launch his political career?

Blood in the Streets: Palin Ignites 'Mommy War'

Day Six of the media meltdown over Sarah Palin now brings us this absurd item from Reuters, how the warmongering John McCain has touched off a Mommy War with his selection of Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential nominee.

I kid you not.

I almost expect to see video of angry housewives bludgeoning innocents with vacuums and mops.

In America, where teenage pregnancy is a political issue and working moms subject to moral debate, the choice of Sarah Palin as the Republican vice-presidential pick has ignited a Mommy War.

Questions about Palin's qualifications were raised almost as soon as presidential candidate John McCain shocked the political world by picking the relatively unknown Alaska governor to be his running mate last week.

The emergence of personal details has fueled the debate.

News that Palin, a conservative Christian, is running for the country's No. 2 office while parenting both an infant son with Down Syndrome and a 17-year-old pregnant daughter has sparked both condemnation and commendation.

Should a 44-year-old mother of five, including a newborn with special needs and a pregnant teenager, take on a job that will keep her away from her home for much of the next two months to eight years?

Yes, it's true. The liberal media is now concerned about the welfare of conservative Christians.

Buried deep in the story (OK, at the very end) is this:

Kansas Republican Jacqueline McMahon said Palin's children -- newborn or pregnant -- should not be an issue.

"If she is qualified to do the job ... (the rest) is totally none of our business," said McMahon, a 39-year-old mother of two and business owner. She added: "Barack Obama's mother ... had him when she was 18. I think it is a nonissue."

The birth of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to a teenaged mother has received little attention, although Obama himself has raised it. Debate about his ability to balance work and parenthood of his two young daughters, aged 7 and 10, has barely been raised.

Why is that?

Frankly, it's none of our business. Nor should every minute detail of Palin's life be our business.

Democrat Anarchists Discussed Kidnapping Delegates

Oh, those wacky Democrat activists. Looks like throwing cement off overpasses wasn't the only mayhem they had in mind.

According to police, these nutjobs actually discussed kidnapping RNC delegates.

No doubt our hard-hitting investigative media unearthing every last detail of Sarah Palin's life can investigate this domestic terrorism.

A year ago, the Ramsey County sheriff's office began looking closely at a group called the Republican National Convention Welcoming Committee.

What it found, according to an 18-page search warrant application and affidavit, led to weekend raids on two Minneapolis homes and a temporary St. Paul office for the self-described anarchist group.

According to the document, investigation learned:

The self-described anarchist group — whose main goal was to "crash" the Republican National Convention," according to its Web site — traveled to or communicated with affinity groups in 67 cities to recruit members and raise money.

Group members discussed the possibility of kidnapping delegates, blockading bridges, using liquid sprayers filled with urine or chemicals on police and throwing marbles to trip police and their horses.

At an "action camp" held from July 31 to Aug. 3 in Lake Geneva, Minn., one member talked of concealing inside giant puppets "materials" that could be used on the street. Others discussed the need for Molotov cocktails, paint, caltrops (devices used to puncture tires), bricks and lockboxes for protesters to lock themselves together.

Erik Oseland, one of the six group members arrested here, produced a video called "Video Map of the St. Paul Points of Interest." It included such major companies as Travelers Insurance and Qwest, hotels such as the Embassy Suites and the Crowne Plaza. Also included: the Pioneer Press building.

They have a word for people like this: Terrorists.

Republicans Pay Tribute to Medal of Honor Recipient That MSM Ignored

Egyptian Pol Busted in Beheading

Sounds like a really swell guy.

Maybe the investigative journalists at the Daily Kos can tell us how she deserved it.

An Egyptian lawmaker and business tycoon was arrested yesterday for the savage murder of a Lebanese pop star, Egypt's chief prosecutor said.

Hisham Talaat, a lawmaker from the ruling party of President Hosni Mubarak, is accused of paying a former-cop hit man $2 million to kill Suzanne Tamim.

The beautiful singer was found decapitated in her Dubai apartment in July, chief prosecutor Abdel-Maguid Mahmoud told The Associated Press.

The shocking crime prompted a media ban in Egypt last month, following reports that high-profile Egyptian figures were involved.

Several Egyptian papers complained that the government was using the ban to protect big businessmen who have been playing an increasingly prominent role in the authoritarian president's rule.

Talaat, a senior member of Mubarak's National Democratic Party, was reportedly being considered for a Cabinet post.

His businesses include real estate and tourism developments in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

He owns several companies and is involved in the construction of upscale suburbs around Cairo.

Authorities said a former police officer, Mahmoud el-Sukkary, was paid to follow Tamim from London to Dubai, where he bought a knife to kill her.

El-Sukkary made his way into the singer's home pretending to be a real-estate agent, then stabbed her to death and beheaded her, he said.

Arab media has speculated that Talaat, a married father of three, was romantically involved with Tamim, but Mahmoud did not indicate a motive.

Daily Palinoia: Now the National Enquirer is a Reliable Source

Funny how when the National Enquirer was breaking the John Edwards love-child story the media scoffed at them as tabloid trash. All of a sudden they're now a go-to source, sitting at the top of Memeorandum this morning.

Politics of personal destruction is now the primary aim of the alleged mainstream media. The latest non-story is this absurd Washington Post claim that Palin "slashed" funding for teen mothers, a story quickly blown out of the water.In other urgent Palin news, the future Vice President's future son-in-law is heading to St. Paul.

Stop. The. Presses.

In other breaking news, some alleged former acquaintance supposedly doesn't like the gubmint. That's funny. For the last eight years the left has despised the government.

Guess it all depends who's in power. Memo to TPM: A lot of people dislike the government. It's called freedom of expression.

Meanhwile, Michelle Malkin notes the latest in Palin Derangement Syndrome.

Bias? What bias?

I noticed while Fred Thompson was speaking last night, a couple of the networks decided it was more newsworthy to talk about Bristol Palin. Classy.

In a shocking turn of events, as part of her vetting process, the McCain team apparently confused her for a liberal Democrat.

GOP advisers said before Palin was chosen, she filled out a survey with 70 questions, including such embarrassing ones as: Have you ever paid for sex? Have you been faithful in your marriage? Have you ever used or purchased drugs? Have you ever downloaded pornography?

Tonight, Mrs. Palin speaks to the country. No doubt Katie Couric and Company will probably talk over her.

There are some sane journalists left, however, and I sense a backlash brewing. Don't expect McCain to go wobbly on his pick, either.

Be sure also to check out Michelle Malkin's Four Stages of Conservative Female Abuse.

Atfer Sarah Palin speaks tonight, expect things to get even uglier. The left just can't help themselves. Their hatred has consumed them.

Sign of the Apocalypse: Men Now Allowed in Stiletto Heel Races

This just isn't right. With our long and storied tradition of bringing our readers the best in stiletto heel racing, it's with a profound sadness that I may now have to mark the end of such banal enjoyment due to a most unnerving sight.

Get a load of the closet case second from the left.


They're now allowing guys in the race.

WTF is going on here?

These ladies are taking the term killer heels to a whole new level.

But it seems the girls were not alone in their quest to win Sydney's annual stiletto race as even some brave male souls took part in the record-breaking event.

The race attracted 265 stiletto-wearing runners who were all vying to get a step ahead of each other to take the highly-coveted shoe.

The racers who wore a minimum of three-inch heels took part in the 80 metre sprint, which resulted in a mass pile-up after runners jostled for position.

But it was 18-year-old Brittney McGlone, 18 who towered above her rivals to win the race which took place in the harbourside area of Circular Quay.

Miss McGlone - who is the national under-20 400m hurdles champion - won a pair of designer sandals and £2,364 prize money for her chosen charity.

To erase the taste, at least have a gander at the winner.

Putie Puppet on Saakashvili: 'He Is a Political Corpse'

The Russians are just begging for a smackdown.

Get this from Vlad's poodle Dmitriy Medvedev.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev no longer considers his counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili to be Georgia's leader, telling Russian television Tuesday that Saakashvili is a "political corpse."

"For us, the present Georgian regime has collapsed. President Saakashvili no longer exists in our eyes. He is a political corpse," Medvedev said.

Just as Russia is an orphan of the political corpse known as the Soviet Union.

Does the Media Care That Joe Biden's Daughter Was Arrested?

Considering the anal exam the Palins are getting, isn't it worth noting that Joe Biden's daughter has an arrest record?

A charge of obstructing a police officer against the daughter of U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) was dismissed Tuesday after she apologized. Ashley Blazer Biden, 21, of Wilmington, Del., was with a group outside a North Side bar about 1:15 a.m. Aug. 3 when someone threw a bottle at an officer, said Jerry Lawrence, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office. When officers tried to make an arrest, Biden blocked one of them and made intimidating statements, police said. Circuit Court Judge William P. O'Malley dropped the misdemeanor charge after Biden and two of her friends apologized to police in court for their actions.

This happened less than six years ago.

Did the Obama team properly vet Joe Biden? Are we to have a man in high office whose daughter runs around making intimidating statements?

How come the media is hiding this story from the public? We must have a full and complete airing. How exactly did it come about that those charges were dropped? Since it was in Chicago, did then-State Senator Barack Obama wield any undue influence on the process? We must have sworn testimony from all officials involved proving there was no political influence in getting these charges dismissed.

Only then we will know if Joe Biden is fit to run as Vice President.

Joe Biden has now declared that children are off limits. Problem for him is Ashley was 21 at the time of her arrest.

With regards to the stuff you’re talking about. I have a simple proposition: Children are off limits.”

Back at the time, Biden also used the private matter defense.

A little late to the party, Joe.

Tell it to the Kos Kidz.

You folks opened this door. We're going to drive a Mack truck through it.

H/T Errol.

Update: I was only trying to contrast the treatment Bristol Palin has received from the media contrasted with the non-coverage of this Ashley Biden story. But since Lawhawk notes it in the comments, here's the item detailing Biden's son and brother's legal problems, also largely ignored by the media now salivating over the fortunes of a 17-year-old girl.

Cliche-Ridden Obamaton Promises Race War if Obama Loses

Considering Barack Obama is half white and half black, I'll assume he'll be conflicted as to what side he chooses to fight for in the impending race war.

Maybe he can take a poll.

This thing called Fatimah Ali, who I've never heard of, lives out on the far fringes of society, apparently, enjoys dining on every possible liberal nostrum she can consume, and regurgitates them zealously. She lives in that world where every day promises food lines and Hooverville.

Clearly she didn't see that news item about the GDP groiwng at 3.3% last quarter. It figures, since the media buried the story as fast as possible.

Anyway, read the whole thing if you care, but just brace yourselves for the impending firestorm.

If McCain wins, look for a full-fledged race and class war, fueled by a deflated and depressed country, soaring crime, homelessness - and hopelessness!

Plenty of Americans would rather stay in their dream state than to recognize the poverty sweeping across the country, right here, right now.

Obama understands that people are suffering. Every week, prices go up at the supermarket, and people are unable to feed their families. It already is dark and stormy for millions, who can't even afford pencils, book bags and lunch money for their children.

Joys of Islam: Women Buried Alive 'for Choosing Husbands'

No doubt this will get lost in the media's 24/7 coverage of all things Sarah Palin, but it's worth noting how women are treated in certain countries for trying to be independent.

Israr Ullah Zehri, who represents Baluchistan province, told a stunned parliament that northwestern tribesman had done nothing wrong in first shooting the women and then dumping them in a ditch.

"These are centuries-old traditions, and I will continue to defend them," he said.

"Only those who indulge in immoral acts should be afraid."

The women, three of whom were teenagers and whose "crime" was that they wished to choose who to marry, were still breathing as mud and stones were shovelled over their bodies, according to Human Rights Watch.

The three girls, thought to be aged between 16 and 18, were kidnapped by a group of men from their Umrani tribe and murdered in Baba Kot, a remote village in Jafferabad district.

According to some reports, Baluchistan government vehicles were used to abduct the girls, and the killing was overseen by a tribal chief who is the brother of a provincial minister from the ruling Pakistan People's Party.

Some accounts said that two older relatives had tried to intervene, but they too were shot and buried alive with the teenagers.

More than six weeks after the deaths no one has been arrested and human rights groups have accused local authorities of trying to cover up the executions.

Mr Zehri told parliament that a fuss should not be made over the killings, however several politicians stood up in protest, describing the so-called honour killings as "barbaric".

Human Rights Watch described the murders as a "heinous criminal offence".

Stunner: Media Turns on Maverick

Make no mistake, I'm fully supporting John McCain and will be voting for him come November. But really, I hope he isn't so naive to think the media is on his side. Or ever really was. Let's face it, the only reason they gave him so much attention back in 2000 was because they hated George W. Bush more, and anyone who was contending with Bush was automatically their flavor of the month.

The longtime love affair between John McCain and what he once called his ``base'' -- the national news media -- is on the rocks.

McCain's campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, yesterday lashed out at what he deemed ``offensive'' and ``demeaning'' coverage and questions from reporters after McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, confirmed her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.

``It used to be that a lot of those smears and the crap on the Internet stayed out of the newsrooms of serious journalists,'' Schmidt said at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Now, however, the media is the mistress of Barack Obama. It's not even a competition. They've gone so far in the tank for the guy, they'll never again regain credibility.

So here's my advice for McCain, not that he's looking for it: Run against the media as well as The Messiah. A huge majority of the base loathes the media and their approval rating is down there with the Nancy Pelosi Congress. Take them on and people will root for you. Stop sucking up to them. They hate you and want you to lose and they'll do anything to sabotage you and Sarah Palin.

Let them squeal about being cut off from you. It won't matter. Just get your message out to the public and bypass the press.

Duchovny Not Cheating, Just Addicted to Online Porn

You've got to wonder about these guys. Here you have Tea Leoni in your house and you're scouring online porn sites?

Dude!

Reminds me of that idiot who was married to Christie Brinkley, sitting there exposing himself online when you're married to a supermodel.

What is wrong with these people?

The truth is out there: He's addicted to porn.

Sex-starved "X Files" FBI agent David Duchovny is no cheat - unless surfing adult Web sites counts.

A pal told Fox News that "Agent Mulder" is not having an affair with his tennis instructor - or anyone else - but is battling online porn addiction.

The friend said Duchovny spends countless hours investigating X-rated chat rooms and is now seeking help in rehab for his sex addiction.

The friend was trying to dispel rumors that Duchovny was cheating on wife, actress Tea Leoni. He likened his pal's the condition to a gambling or alcohol dependency.

Leoni apparently was aware of her husband's problem and has been supportive.

Previously.

Memo To al-Gore

Sun Makes History: First Spotless Month in a Century
Drop in solar activity has potential effect for climate on earth.

The sun has reached a milestone not seen for nearly 100 years: an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.

The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity – which determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for climate on earth.

According to data from Mount Wilson Observatory, UCLA, more than an entire month has passed without a spot. The last time such an event occurred was June of 1913. Sunspot data has been collected since 1749.

When the sun is active, it's not uncommon to see sunspot numbers of 100 or more in a single month. Every 11 years, activity slows, and numbers briefly drop to near-zero. Normally sunspots return very quickly, as a new cycle begins.

But this year -- which corresponds to the start of Solar Cycle 24 -- has been extraordinarily long and quiet, with the first seven months averaging a sunspot number of only 3. August followed with none at all. The astonishing rapid drop of the past year has defied predictions, and caught nearly all astronomers by surprise.

In 2005, a pair of astronomers from the National Solar Observatory (NSO) in Tucson attempted to publish a paper in the journal Science. The pair looked at minute spectroscopic and magnetic changes in the sun. By extrapolating forward, they reached the startling result that, within 10 years, sunspots would vanish entirely. At the time, the sun was very active. Most of their peers laughed at what they considered an unsubstantiated conclusion.

The journal ultimately rejected the paper as being too controversial.

The paper's lead author, William Livingston, tells DailyTech that, while the refusal may have been justified at the time, recent data fits his theory well. He says he will be "secretly pleased" if his predictions come to pass.

But will the rest of us? In the past 1000 years, three previous such events -- the Dalton, Maunder, and Spörer Minimums, have all led to rapid cooling. One was large enough to be called a "mini ice age". For a society dependent on agriculture, cold is more damaging than heat. The growing season shortens, yields drop, and the occurrence of crop-destroying frosts increases.

Meteorologist Anthony Watts, who runs a climate data auditing site, tells DailyTech the sunspot numbers are another indication the "sun's dynamo" is idling. According to Watts, the effect of sunspots on TSI (total solar irradiance) is negligible, but the reduction in the solar magnetosphere affects cloud formation here on Earth, which in turn modulates climate.

This theory was originally proposed by physicist Henrik Svensmark, who has published a number of scientific papers on the subject. Last year Svensmark's "SKY" experiment claimed to have proven that galactic cosmic rays -- which the sun's magnetic field partially shields the Earth from -- increase the formation of molecular clusters that promote cloud growth. Svensmark, who recently published a book on the theory, says the relationship is a larger factor in climate change than greenhouse gases.

Heresy! Heresy! Who's he to contradict the teachings of al-Gore's Religion of Environmentalism™?

Solar physicist Ilya Usoskin of the University of Oulu, Finland, tells DailyTech the correlation between cosmic rays and terrestrial cloud cover is more complex than "more rays equals more clouds". Usoskin, who notes the sun has been more active since 1940 than at any point in the past 11 centuries, says the effects are most important at certain latitudes and altitudes which control climate. He says the relationship needs more study before we can understand it fully.

Other researchers have proposed solar effects on other terrestrial processes besides cloud formation. The sunspot cycle has strong effects on irradiance in certain wavelengths such as the far ultraviolet, which affects ozone production. Natural production of isotopes such as C-14 is also tied to solar activity. The overall effects on climate are still poorly understood.

What is incontrovertible, though, is that ice ages have occurred before. And no scientist, even the most skeptical, is prepared to say it won't happen again.

Article Update, Sep 1 2008. After this story was published, the NOAA reversed their previous decision on a tiny speck seen Aug 21, which gives their version of the August data a half-point. Other observation centers such as Mount Wilson Observatory are still reporting a spotless month. So depending on which center you believe, August was a record for either a full century, or only 50 years.

Busy saving the planet, al-Gore and Nancy Pelousi were unavailble for comment.

Via DailyTech

New Palin Shocker: She Was Busted Fishing Without a License

This may well be the beginning of the end for Sarah Palin. And I had such high hopes.

Just what the GOP needs, another scofflaw.

For Palin specifically, the team studied online archives of the state's largest newspapers, including the Anchorage Daily News, but didn't request paper archives for Palin's hometown newspaper for fear the secret review would become public.

Among the findings: Palin had once received a citation for fishing without a license.

What, does she think she's above the law?

H/T Hot Air.

Irony Alert: Feeble CNN Hack Says GOP Is Irrelevant

There's something oddly ironic seeing CNN has-been Jack Cafferty rail about a political party being irrelevant and calling a man six years his senior a feeble old white guy.

This week the Republicans gather for their convention. For four days, they will labor under the illusion their party is still relevant. It's not.

It is entirely fitting that the headliner for this masquerade is a feeble looking 72-year-old white guy who doesn't know how many homes he owns.

Wow, still using that homes bit? Geez, Jack, that's so two weeks ago. Freshen it up a bit.

It's more than symbolic that when a million Americans are losing their homes to foreclosure, the Republican candidate for president has lost track of his holdings.

Is he not aware they're in Cindy McCain's name? Is he really that dense?

McCain surrounds himself with people like former Republican Sen. Phil Gramm who called America a "nation of whiners" and said we are only suffering a "mental recession."

Reading this, I'd say Gramm had a legitimate point.

That's the same problem the Republican Party has. It has lost track of what it used to stand for: small government, a disciplined fiscal policy, integrity.

In a way, the perfect storm of a rapidly changing population -- old white people aren't going to be in the majority very much longer (and isn't that who most of the Republicans are?) -- has combined with the total abdication of principles, Republican or otherwise, of arguably the worst president in the nation's history to mark the beginning of the end of the Republican Party as we know it.

Republican Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia said it best: "The Republican brand is in the trash can. If we were dog food, they would take us off the shelf."

Being I'm not a feeble old white guy yet, that line sounded familiar. So a quick search of it turned up, ironically, in this Cafferty missive from two weeks ago.

As one GOP congressman put it earlier this year: “the Republican brand is in the trash can… if we were dog food, they would take us off the shelf.”

Is Jack getting so feeble he's recycling his own material from August 19?

Of course, that line from Davis is now nearly four months old. Lord knows how many times Cafferty has used it since.

Republicans under George W. Bush have done a lot of damage to this country in the last eight years -- but they have done more damage to themselves. It will take a good long while and a great deal of soul searching before their brand returns to the shelves in good standing.

Speaking of feeble old white guys, who runs over a bicyclist and doesn't stop for help?

Man Sells Tattoo Off His Back

This tattoo doesn't come cheap, either.

A SWISS man has sold an elaborate Virgin Mary tattoo on his back to a German collector, with the understanding it can be exhibited three times yearly, a Zurich gallery said today.

The extraordinary transaction - which gallery owner Jutta Nexdorf claims is the first of its kind - fetched 150,000 ($257,880), with the other main stipulation being that the 35-hour work can be removed from the bearer's skin upon death and handed to its owner.

The owner will also be allowed to sell the tattoo, created by Belgian artist Wim Delvoye and notable for depicting the mother of Jesus with a lifeless skull.

They say it'll be on exhibit, so I guess the guy will be sort of a one-man carnival sideshow several times annually.

Anarchists Attack at the RNC

Nice touch, throwing bags of cement off the overpass. I'm sure that'll be the least of it.

Classy.

Meanwhile, the peaceful anti-war types turn violent. Now there's a stunner.

Protesters smashed windows, punctured car tires and threw bottles Monday during an anti-war march to the site of the Republican National Convention. Police used pepper spray in confrontations with demonstrators and arrested five.

Instead of the single coherent march that organizers had hoped for, fringe groups of anarchists and others wrought havoc along the streets between the state Capitol and the Xcel Energy Center where the convention was taking place.

Police estimates of the crowd shifted during the event before settling on 8,000 to 10,000. The crowd was clearly in the thousands, many of them marching peacefully.

The arrests occurred in confrontations several blocks from the convention arena. Five people were arrested for lighting a trash bin on fire and pushing it into a police car, St. Paul police spokesman Tom Walsh said.

About 20 anarchists who had started the trash bin fire later tried to block the intersection of St. Peter and Exchange streets. Police quickly dispersed the group, then shot two tear gas canisters at the fleeing anarchists.

Rubber bullets would be nice. You know, just to send a subtle message.

The day's march was organized by a group called the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, whose leaders said they hoped for a peaceful, family-friendly march. But police were on high alert after months of preparations by a self-described anarchist group called the RNC Welcoming Committee, which wasn't among the organizers of the march.

Organized anarchy?

These aren't anarchists. They're urban terrorists and should be treated as enemy combatants.

Update: More here on the moonbattery.

Mary Gleason, a retired church musician from Minneapolis, said Hurricane Gustav "kind of worked in their favor. They won't have to wait for Bush and (Vice President Dick) Cheney to say something stupid."

Bristol Palin Pregnant, Kos Kidz More Unhinged Than Ever

Today brings us the earth-shattering news that Bristol Palin, daughter of GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin, is pregnant.

Naturally, the lovely folks who were afraid of looking stupid for suggesting she's the actual mother of Sarah Palin's five-month-old baby, are having a field day.

First of all, who says that Bristol Palin really is pregnant right now? She could suddenly have a miscarriage down the road and poof baby gone.

Secondly, Bristol could have had a baby back in April, and be pregnant again.

The McSame camp said two things

1. They knew Bristol was pregnant (but neglected to put that in Sarah's remarkable life-story)

2. This announcement was intended to stop rumors on the internet

Well Senator Songbird, we're just getting started.

This goes to core of the corruption of the Republican Party. Sarah Palin's only qualification to be the second most powerful person in the world is that she is against abortion and hates gays. Sound familiar -- it should. Whether it's the coalition provisional authority in Iraq, or the Justice Department here at home, qualifications don't matter, experience doesn't matter, only whether you stand on the "right" side of social issues.

This is even worse.

You can't make this shit up. "Evangelical Christian" Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter is knocked up. No word on the father yet. That'll help Palin's daughter to break the glass ceiling: start out life dragging a screaming kid around. Should work out fine on those job interviews.

Oh, but she's KEEPING IT. Wonderful. What's the name going to be: Bareback?

Palin is quickly being revealed as a White trash Protestant in the vein of Brintney Spears and the drunk Bush clan. What's next? The father of Palin's daughter is the family Pastor?

OF course, this nutcase is accused of being Karl Rove in the comments.

Rove tactic and brilliantly done...

I admit it, I can help but admire Karl Rove's cut throat tactics when it comes to politics. The man is a slug but he does understand what makes people tick.

Posting a diary on Daily Kos that is insensitive, racist, sexist and obnoxious under the guise of being liberal is exceedingly clever. All that is needed now is for a talking head like O'Lielly or Insannity to quote back to it as "an example of what the liberal bloggers are saying".

Bravo Monsieur Rove. Now piss off.

by LiberalCanuck on Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 10:31:06 AM PDT

Meanwhile, over at another freakshow, another commenter also have Rove on the brain.

NHGranite

This is just too Rovian. Again I say, McCain wants Lieberman, and picked a VP who will drop out of her own accord.

Here's another interesting comment. Can anyone translate?

barackobam

this another example of right wing hypocasy at its worse. Can you beleive this? This person is running around talking about family values and lecturing the American public when this is what is going on. This is hilorous and let McSame deal with this!

I'd expect the Politico to keep tabs of their comments, but it's also getting ugly there.

handycapt
Party: Independent

Reply #2
Date: Sep. 1, 2008 - 12:19 PM EST

Of course. A conservative family that can't even control their own daughter's sexual behavior. Is that what we want in a potential President? An unmarried pregnant girl about to have her second child out of wedlock. Her first, unfortunately, has Downs syndrome. Palin is the WORST choice McCain could have made. The man doesn't think with the head on his shoulders.

DSummers
Party: NA

Reply #6
Date: Sep. 1, 2008 - 12:21 PM EST

I knew the stuff going around was true when i was watching her at the 2nd really in Pennsylvanian and she said her daughter Bristol was in the bus with her brother Trig. Follow the bread crubs. McCain is retarded

More from Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, protein wisdom, A Blog For All.

Update: Obama reacts.

Obama used the moment to retiterate his beleif that "people's families are off limits and children are especially off-limits."

More to the point, Obams referred to his own birth, when his mother was 18, to say that the issue, for him, was irrelevant. "That shouldn't be the topic of our politics," he said.

More on how this might play.

A few other factors to remember when trying to figure out how this will play out.

* Palin has a VERY strong following among social conservatives who are nearly certain to give her the benefit of the doubt in this situation. She is a known commodity in social conservative circles and is regarded as "one of them" -- a fact that should lessen any criticism from the right.

* Democrats must be VERY careful not to take a false step here. Some Republicans have already insisted that the Obama campaign is behind the rumor-mongering about Sarah, Bristol and Trig -- although in our experience the campaign has not pushed the story AT ALL, in fact they have been encouraging reporters to focus on the issues of difference between the two candidates rather than personal stories. Any sense that Democrats are pushing this idea will almost certainly turn both Sarah and Bristol Palin into sympathetic figures -- and that spells trouble for her detractors.

They might want to also consider comment moderation. This genius wants to see the birth certificate.

I didn't believe it at first... but I've done just a bit of digging.

Gov. Palin did not announce "her" pregnancy until a month before the baby was born. (She'd have been seven months pregnant when she announced this, and apparently hiding it VERY well.)

Gov. Palin was in Texas when "her" water broke, a month early. While experiencing a high-risk pregnancy (her own age, carrying a Down Syndrome baby, and having signs of impending delivery a month early), she DECIDED TO FLY TO ALASKA to have "her" baby in a town of 4,500
people.

Apparently, the flight crew didn't notice that a woman about to deliver was boarding their plane.

Palin did not take maternity leave. Which is a bit odd on its face, but even more odd considering the challenges of learning how to deal with a premature infant who is born with Down Syndrome.

Of course, this evidence is circumstantial. I'd like to see the birth certificate. And if it's shown that she IS the mother, I'd like to see a genetic test (since she's Governor of the state in which "she" gave birth).

Posted by: Scott S | September 1, 2008 2:40 PM

Some more genius.

Way to go, all you red state born-again Republican hypocrits with false Christian values. First VP Cheney's daughter is a lesbian then a 17 year old is 7 months pregnant. You are great role models for the rest of us.

Posted by: Raraseal | September 1, 2008 2:37 PM

I smell a cover up. I believe that Trig is Bristols and the truth will come out.

I feel really sad because I also feel that Gov Palin is being used by John McCain or whom ever is pulling John McCain's strings.

But at the same time we dont need a Britney Spears mom as VP.

Posted by: Brenda | September 1, 2008 2:37 PM

Yeah Dave the Dems gave Palin 5 kids, a newborn with special needs, and forced her daugther to get pregnant so they can talk about it. If she is soooo smart, she would have declined McSame's losing white house bid and fouced on the important issues at home.

Posted by: Dave's alter-ego | September 1, 2008 2:31 PM

Update: Apparently Bristol's pregnancy was an open secret up in Wasilla. And, surprise, people reacted like adults.

People in Wasilla are Alaskan tough, so not only does a thing like teen pregnancy not seem like anyone's damn business, but it's also not seen as the calamity so many people in the lower 48 might think it is. This is dangerous country — it's not just the roughneck jobs on cable reality shows. It's real life here. I listened to the absolutely heartbreaking story of how the godfather of Track Palin, Sarah's oldest son, died in small plane crash just minutes after having dropped off four kids. Another family invited me into their home and told their incredible story; with one son in Iraq, their other son was working on a conveyor line in Anchorage, got caught in the belt and had his head partially crushed. He lived to stand across the kitchen table from me and his parents, looking fully healed just three months later, grinning at his dumb luck and wondering what comes next in life. "It makes you realize that a thing like a little teenage pregnancy isn't such a big deal," his mom said. "Bristol—and lots of other girl like her out there — are going to be just fine."

Via Hot Air.

Some more, ahem, reality-based opinion.

Let me disclose something. Bloggers and progressive activists talk to each other and strategize together. We didn't want to touch the Sarah Palin pregnancy story with a 10-foot pole and the overwhelming consensus was to strongly discourage anyone that was running with the rumors. These rumors were started in the spring by Republicans in Alaska and not by the progressive blogosphere. We stifled the story as much as we could without deleting people's diaries.

Oh, while we're at it, did you know Todd Palin had a DUI in 1986? That too, apparently, is newsworthy.

To cleanse you palate after that, check out this touching item from Ed Morrissey. Meanwhile, LGF has the reaction from Dr. James Dobson.

Thanks to Ace and Michelle for the links!

Update: The Democrats' 800-pound gorilla checks in with this classy comment.

Another Palin Pregnancy; Unclear if baby is fetus' uncle

Some Jew-hating kooks are getting in on the action.

Next up:

VICE PRESIDENT LIEBERMAN.

These bastard intentionally threw this entire family under the bus on purpose to using a straw man to make the Lieberman selection more acceptable.

Has everyone had it with Karl Rove’s evil act yet?

Decisions, Decisions: Islamic Leader Ordered to Divorce 82 Wives, Only Gets to Keep Four

This dude's a regular sex machine.

A Nigerian religious leader has been ordered to divorce 82 wives – but Islamic authorities have allowed him to keep four.

Mohammadu Bello Abubakar, 84, has agreed to comply with the decree after a Sharia court agreed to lift a death sentence against him.

The father of an astonishing 170 children had challenged Islamic scholars, saying there was no punishment stated in the Koran for having more than four wives.

Mr Abubakar, who lives in Niger state, now faces eviction after failing to comply with Saturday’s divorce ruling.

Putie Stages Rescue, Media Laps It Up

Just imagine an American politician trying to pull this off. Well, I'm sure they'd let Lord Obama get away with it. After all, He can do no wrong.

He's driven a big truck, flown in a Russian fighter jet and fished shirtless on national television.

Now comes Vladimir Putin's latest image-boosting escapade, a visit to a Russian wildlife preserve that gave him the chance to wear camouflage, stalk through the woods and shoot a tiger — all for a good cause.

According to Russian media reports, Putin, taking a break from lambasting the West over Georgia, was visiting the Ussuriisky Nature Reserve in the far east of Russia to see how researchers monitor the tigers in the wild.

Just as Putin was arriving with a group of wildlife specialists to see a trapped Amur tiger, it escaped and ran toward a nearby camera crew, the country's main television station said. Putin quickly shot the beast and sedated it with a tranquilizer gun.

"Vladimir Putin not only managed to see the giant predator up close but also saved our television crew too," a presenter on Rossiya television said at the start of the main evening news.

Sure he did. Just keep believing that.

Hate to be cynical, but maybe he was looking to distract attention from the murder of another journalist.

An opposition Internet news site owner in Russia's troubled Ingushetia region was fatally shot on Sunday soon after being detained by police, and his colleagues called for a rally to protest his death.

Magomed Yevloyev is one of the most high-profile journalists to be killed in Russia since investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead near her Moscow apartment in 2006, provoking condemnation of Russia's record on media freedom.

Yevloyev, owner of the www.Ingushetiya.ru website, was a vocal critic of the region's Kremlin-backed administration, accused by opponents of crushing dissent and free speech.

A lawyer for the website -- which survived repeated official attempts to close it down -- said police met Yevloyev at the steps of the aircraft after he flew in to Ingushetia's airport, put him in a Volga saloon car and drove him away.

"As they drove he was shot in the temple... They threw him out of the car near the hospital," lawyer Kaloi Akhilgov told Reuters by telephone.

'Chuck Was Out of Control'

Hard to believe that an obnoxious media whore would push others out of the way when it came time for a live shot.

Read it and weep.

HYPERAGGRESSIVE Sen. Chuck Schumer really outdid himself last week at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, lying to Gov. Paterson about an embarrassing incident and horrifying several associates with his antics, party insiders say.

Schumer lied to Paterson about the circumstances under which he upstaged the governor by denying him his agreed-on role of introducing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a senior Democrat told The Post.

"Chuck had agreed to turn the microphone over to Paterson when Hillary showed up at the New York delegation breakfast, but then he hogged it for himself and later told the governor that [Assembly Speaker] Shelly Silver knew this was the plan all along," the prominent Democrat said.

"But that wasn't the plan all along. The plan, and Chuck knew it, was for the governor to introduce Hillary.

"Chuck lied about what happened, and the governor knows he lied."

Added another prominent delegate, "Chuck was out of control.

"He was elbowing people on the floor of the convention, pushing his face into the picture whenever he could, and upstaging the governor at the delegation breakfast."

Schumer's failure to turn the gathering over to Paterson led to a second embarrassment for the governor.

So much time passed by the time Clinton was done speaking that Paterson was forced to put off for two days his opening address to the New York delegation.

Hot Air links. Thanks!

'We Look Stupid Pushing This Rumor'

Understatement of the year, courtesy of the Kos Kidz.

They now walking this one back, desperately trying to save face after three days of pushing the most ridiculous story, maybe ever, into the political discussion.

They still can't even get basic facts straight, however.

Unless someone has counter evidence, we can drop this crap now. Yes, there are still some interesting questions, such as why she flew to Dallas and back when she was this pregnant, and why the Alaska Airlines crewmembers insisted that she was not visibly pregnant on the flight. Nevertheless, until this photo is debunked, we look stupid pushing this rumor.

That is all.

Naturally, some of the idiot commenters can't let go.