Desperate Corzine to Inject Himself Into GOP Primary

Lagging far behind Republican Chris Christie, the very unpopular incumbent Governor of New Jersey, Jon Corzine, is tearing a page out of the playbook of Gray Davis, former unpopular Governor of California, in a desperate attempt at winning in November.

The idea is to attack Christie, the GOP frontrunner, in the hopes he's sufficiently wounded for the general election, or, even better for Corzine, handing the GOP primary to former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, the conservative candidate who would have little chance at winning the general election in a very blue state.

Corzine is playing dumb and pretending he has nothing to do with this effort, but there's no question he's working in concert with the Democrat National Committee and other liberal groups who realize what an embarrassment it would be for a Democrat to lose New Jersey this year, realizing it could help propel the GOP in the 2010 midterms.

Allies of New Jersey’s Democratic governor, Jon S. Corzine, are so worried about his re-election prospects that they are going to start spending and advertising heavily — in the Republican primary.

Mr. Corzine’s allies plan to attack the Republican they consider more formidable, the former federal prosecutor Christopher J. Christie, in an attempt to knock him out in the June primary, according to people briefed on the matter.

That would leave Mr. Corzine facing Steven M. Lonegan, a former small-town mayor from the party’s right wing, whose support for a flat income tax and a ban on abortion are popular with conservative voters, but could be a problem in the general election.

Mr. Corzine’s popularity has nosedived along with New Jersey’s economic fortunes, and recent polls show him trailing Mr. Christie, the former United States attorney for New Jersey.

Mr. Christie has based his campaign almost entirely on his credentials as a corruption fighter, having obtained convictions of some 130 New Jersey politicians and public employees and promises to bring the same forceful leadership to tackling the state’s fiscal problems. The Democratic assault, according to one of the people briefed on the plans, will aim to tarnish that image.

The strategy could benefit Mr. Corzine even if it does not result in Mr. Christie’s defeat in the primary, if the Republican is significantly damaged before the general election.

The Democratic intervention in a Republican primary would be reminiscent of a much more brazen move by Gov. Gray Davis of California in 2002. That year, Mr. Davis openly poured $10 million into a blitz of television commercials portraying Richard J. Riordan, the runaway Republican favorite and a moderate, as having changed his positions on abortion, the death penalty and other issues. The ads battered Mr. Riordan, who lost the primary to a conservative neophyte, Bill Simon Jr., and the unpopular Mr. Davis pulled out a win in November.

Whatever it boils down to, come the general election Corzine will focus heavily on two issues that Democrats zero in on every year. Abortion and gun control. While the two issues rank fairly low on the voter's radar in this state, Democrats are obsessed with abortion and lie with impunity about any GOP candidate's stance on guns. It'll be a diversion from the fiscal mess Corzine has created. He doesn't want to discuss his record as he knows it a sure loser.

The assault on Mr. Christie, which is being planned by a group including officials at the Democratic Governors Association and other Democratic donors and strategists, is not being coordinated with the governor or his aides, said the people briefed on the plans.

“It’s the first I’m hearing of it,” said Robert Asaro-Angelo, executive director of the Democratic state committee. “We’ll focus on our opponent when the Republican primary is over.”

These people are such brazen liars. Like outside groups are going to willy-nilly insert themselves in local politics and the governor is unaware.

As if.

Whatever the case, Christie's people say bring it on.

Mr. Christie’s top strategist, Michael DuHaime, greeted the Democratic plan like a badge of honor. “This move is unsurprising, given that Chris Christie is the only Republican who can beat Jon Corzine,” he said.

Do These People Even Listen to Themselves?

Get these people a drool bucket. This slobbering is just out of control.

Though the room was filled with luminaries from around the world, most were star-struck to be in First Lady's company - even old friend Oprah Winfrey, her tablemate at the event.

"Seeing as how Michelle is the greatest First Lady we've ever known, not to take anything away from the other First Ladies, but I think its so fantastic that she's tonight's guest and leads the pack of influentials," Winfrey told the Daily News.

"I think that we see that Michelle is someone of multi-dimensions, and that you don't have to be just one thing, you can be many things," said Diane Sawyer. "In many ways were just getting to know all that she can and will do."

"She's very warm. She's very sane," said "The View" co-host Joy Behar. "She's not crazy like some people in politics."

"Michelle is incredible, I think she's amazing," said designer and Beatles scion Stella McCartney, who also made Time's list. "The half-American in me wants to dress her."

Out of control.

Hot Air links. Thanks!

'She Has Painted a Target On My Back'

Radio talk show host Michael Savage was not pleased to find out some kook had banned him from entering Great Britain, especially since he didn't have any plans to visit.

My question is how did Rush Limbaugh not pop up on the no entry list?

'I have been banned from Great Britain. I had not planned on going there, I had not been there in over 25 years. When I woke up this morning I just thought I could not be true. The point is that today it is me, tomorrow it will be somebody else,' he said.

Miss Smith said the move was aimed at naming and shaming extremists and to demonstrate behaviour the Government will not tolerate. But the publication appears to have backfired spectacularly on the minister, whose job is already hanging by a thread due to a string of expense scandals.

Mr Savage, who is listened to on around 350 radio stations across the U.S., used his show The Savage Nation to attack the decision and the Home Secretary in particular.

At first he poked fun at British food and the state of people's teeth: 'My first thought was, damn, there goes the summer trip where I planned to have my dental work done.

'My second thought was, darn, there goes my visit to the restaurants of England for their great cuisine,' he said.

But then he turned on 'this lunatic' Jacqui Smith.

'For her to link me up with skinheads who are killing people in Russia, to put me in league with mass murderers who kill Jews on buses, is defamation,' he claimed.

'I thought this was a joke or a mistake. How could they put Michael Savage in the same league with mass murderers when I have never avowed violence? As a result of this, I am going to sue.'

He added: 'When has this witch heard my show, since it's not syndicated in England?'

Mr Savage, real name Michael Weiner, even argued that Miss Smith had put his life in danger.

‘She has painted a target on my back, linking me with people who are in prison for killing people,’ he said. ‘Does she not think people might hunt me down?’

More damagingly for Britain as a whole, he also called on his 'eight to 10 million listeners' to cancel their trips to England and stop buying English products.

'I don't know what they make there any more, but whatever they make, I suggest you don't buy it,' he said. 'If they want to play hardball, we'll play hardball.'

The problem the left has with conservative talk radio is in their minds any views differing from their own they consider them "fomenting hatred," as they just cannot fathom that everyone is not marching in lockstep with them.

I doubt Smith has even heard a minute of Savage's show.

The joke of it is the UK is overrun with Muslim extremists but they spend their time catering to them. And they consider a radio host to be a danger?

The irony is Smith will soon be out of a job and Savage will probably have a larger audience.

Linked at Instapundit. Thanks!

Obama's Media Bailout

If you're a member of the enchanted Obama media, don't worry about your newspaper going under or your network being mired in the ratings basement.

You can always count on Barack Obama for a job.

• Warren Bass: Former deputy editor of The Post's Sunday Outlook now serves as an adviser and speechwriter for U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.

• Jay Carney: The former TIME Magazine Moscow bureau chief and campaign chronicler (and husband of ABC's Claire Shipman) now serves as communications director for Vice President Biden.

• Linda Douglass: Former Congressional correspondent for CBS and ABC and writer/editor at National Journal left journalism last year to serve as traveling press secretary for the Obama campaign. She'll help guide the administration's communications efforts during this summer's battle over health care reform, working out of the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House.

• Peter Gosselin: The former Los Angeles Times reporter now writes speeches for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

• David Hoff: The Education Week reporter and blogger started yesterday on the communications staff at the Education Department.

• Beverley Lumpkin: A former Justice Department reporter/producer for ABC and CBS, she left journalism, worked for the Project on Government Oversight and joined DOJ last month as press secretary, turning sources into colleagues.

• Geoff Morrell: A holdover from the Bush administration, the former ABC newsman became spokesman for Defense Secretary Robert Gates in 2007.

• Rick Weiss: Former Washington Post science reporter left for the Center for American Progress and now serves as communications director and senior policy strategist for the White House Office of Science and Technology.

• Jill Zuckman: The former Washington correspondent for the Chicago Tribune works with Ray LaHood as communications director at the Department of Transportation.

You know what happens when Obama is out of office, right? Well, they all go back to high-ranking media positions as (ahem) objective reporters covering a Republican administration.

I don't think MSNBC has to worry about losing any of their overpaid talent. They're already doing their job for Boss Obama.

Shrewd Move: Ailing Newspaper Jacks Up Price to $2 Daily

A surefire way to keep customers and add new ones. I figured reducing the daily price might help gain back some of the readers they've been losing in droves, but hey, they're the self-anointed geniuses.

Oh, and on Sunday it'll now set you back $6.

Good luck with that.

The New York Times is raising its newsstand prices for the third time in less than two years as a severe advertising slump forces readers to shoulder more of the costs of producing newspapers.

With the latest changes announced Tuesday, individual copies of The New York Times on Mondays through Saturdays will have doubled to $2 since July 2007.

The upcoming increase, effective June 1, will boost the Times' weekday price by 50 cents, or 33 percent, from the current price of $1.50. The Times, which has the third-highest U.S. circulation on weekdays, increased the weekday price by 25 cents during each of the previous two summers.

The New York Times also is raising the price for its Sunday edition, which is the nation's top-selling newspaper on that day. Sunday's national and Northeast editions will cost $6, an increase of $1. In the New York area, it will cost $5, also a dollar more.

Mark it down: By this time next year readership will be down another 10% and they'll jack it up to $2.50 daily.

Raising the prices of newspapers is risky because it threatens to drive away readers, particularly as the Times and most other newspapers give away their stories on the Internet. The recession also has made many consumers more frugal.

No matter how high the evidence piles, they'll just never admit their far-left slant has anything to do with losing readers.

Taking a Cue From the Boss, Biden Flacks Display Total Incompetence

I guess you could say Greasy Joe is leading by example.

Huh?

Hey, Vice President Biden isn’t the only one who can make a mistake. His press office yesterday showed it is equally as capable.

Usually his press people have to send out a statement clarifying what the vice president meant. On Monday, they had to send out an email clarifying what they meant.

But it was only a minor mistake. Like the city where the vice president was going. And the vice president’s name.

Subject

“Vice President Buden Kicks Off $32 Million Renovation and Restoration of Wilimington Train Station,” reads the subject line.

Bringing back memories of last week when a corrective email was issued following Biden’s disastrous appearance on the Today Show, his flacks quickly hit the re-send button correcting the mistakes.

Ah yes, the best and brightest shall lead the great unwashed.

Report: No 'Torture Memo' Criminal Case

Let the frothing begin.

An internal Justice Department inquiry into the conduct of Bush administration lawyers who wrote secret memorandums authorizing brutal interrogations has concluded that the authors committed serious lapses of judgment but should not be criminally prosecuted, according to government officials briefed on a draft of the findings.

The report by the Office of Professional Responsibility, an internal ethics unit within the Justice Department, is also likely to ask that state bar associations consider possible disciplinary action, including reprimands or even disbarment, for some of the lawyers involved in writing the legal opinions, the officials said.

The conclusions of the 220-page draft report are not final and have not yet been approved by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. The officials said it is possible the final report might be subject to revision, but they did not expect major alterations in its main findings or recommendations.

The draft report is described as very detailed, tracing e-mail messages between Justice Department lawyers and officials at the White House and the Central Intelligence Agency. Among the questions it is expected to consider is whether the memos reflected the lawyers’ independent judgments of the limits of the federal anti-torture statute or were skewed deliberately to justify what the C.I.A. proposed.

This whole idea of prosecutions here is a complete loser politically. Sure, the far left is all for Nuremburg trials but it's completely unnecessary and frankly, quite obscene. Of course, maniacs like Chris Dodd are all for it.

Anything to distract the public from his myriad scandals.

Barack and Joe Go For a Burger, Later Spotted Strolling, Holding Hands

OK, I made up the last part there. I'm still getting over the breathless reporting over the weekend about how the Obamas went for a walk, the earthshattering news delivered by the AP. Well, today our heroes actually leave the White House and go for a burger, and the stenographers from AP chronicle the breaking news.

It's like this: When you want a burger, you have to have a burger.

In this state of mind, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden took a short — but wholly noticeable — motorcade ride from the White House to Virginia and pulled into a small, independent burger joint called Ray's Hell Burger.

The two leaders went right up to the counter where the meat was being grilled and ordered.

Each fetched cash from his pocket and paid, and then the pair stood like the rest and waited for their number to be called before going to a table.

Gee, what regular folk they are.

Is it any wonder why MSNBC is Obama's network of choice? Check out the slobbering:



Update: For whatever reason the video was yanked, probably because it represents another low in journalistic history.

Anyway, Breitbart has it.

Obama's Mother Snags a Book Deal

I know you're saying isn't his mother long deceased? Well, yes, she is. But being dead apparently doesn't preclude you getting a book deal considering you're the woman who brought The One into this world.

Duke University Press will publish a book by S. Ann Dunham, the mother of President Barack Obama, in December 2009. Dunham, who died in 1995, completed the dissertation in anthropology for the University of Hawaii in 1992.

The book is based on Dunham’s research, over a period of 14 years, among the rural craftsmen of Java. At the request of Dunham’s daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng, two anthropologists -- Alice G. Dewey, Dunham’s graduate adviser, and Nancy I. Cooper, a fellow graduate student -- have revised and edited the dissertation, which is called “Surviving Against the Odds: Village Industry in Indonesia.”

“Surviving against the Odds” centers on the metalworking industries in the Javanese village of Kajar, and how they offer a viable economic alternative in a rice-dependent area of rural Southeast Asia.

Maybe they should call it Dreams of His Mother.

Seems to me if this work was so groundbreaking someone would have published it in the past 17 years.

“It is a great privilege for Duke University Press to be publishing this remarkable work by Ann Dunham,” said Ken Wissoker, editorial director of Duke University Press. “Her global perspective and obvious respect for other people’s intelligence and self-direction is a model we all can learn from. Her children clearly have.”

Obama Classifies Photos of Air Farce One Day of Terror

More effective use of government money. Rack up a $329,000 tab terrifying New Yorkers, and now we don't even get to see the photos of the little people running for their lives.

The $328,835 snapshots of an Air Force One backup plane buzzing lower Manhattan last week will not be shown to the public, the White House said yesterday.

"We have no plans to release them," an aide to President Obama told The Post, refusing to comment further.

The sole purpose of the secret photo-op, which sent thousands of New Yorkers running for cover, was to take new publicity shots of the presidential jet over the city.

"The photos . . . are classified -- that's ridiculous," Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., said.

The photos have not technically been "classified," a White House aide said, but they are being kept from public view.

Oh, thanks for clearing that up.

Good thing for Obama his enchanted media quickly buried the story. I doubt they'll follow up with any relevant questions, such as why is Louis Caldera still employed?

Orobator Spared? Not So Fast

I first saw this story on the web yesterday about the British citizen, Samantha Orobator, who had been arrested in Laos and charged with smuggling heroin. She faces the death penalty.

A lot has been made out of the fact that she is pregnant and concerned parties are hoping that this will make a difference in the determination of her sentence, in an attempt to spare her life.

Well today Fox News, which is repeating a Sky News story has this headline.
Pregnant U.K. Woman Will Not Be Shot in Drug Trafficking Case

Now before everybody gets all happy and breaks their wrists slapping themselves on the back I would like to splash a little cold water in their faces. It is true that most often these countries will not execute pregnant women, but pregnancy is a temporary condition. Just like in the Muslim world, they will quite often carry out the death sentence once the woman give birth.

The Laos government says the country's law bans executing pregnant prisoners.

So don't get all happy just yet and make sure you aren't losing something in translation.

Relentless Assault on Miss California Continues

The message is pretty clear. You oppose the left on gay marriage and the stormtroopers will do anything to destroy you.

Isn't freedom of expression wonderful?

With partially nude photos of her popping up on Web sites questioning her Christian credentials, Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has fired back, claiming the racy pictures are just modeling shots and vowing to continue her battle against same-sex marriage.

“I am a Christian, and I am a model,” Prejean said in a statement released overnight to the media. “Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos. Recently, photos taken of me as a teenager have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith. I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be.”

Of course these thug tactics by the left only make her more popular and hurt their cause, but since gay marriage is such an emotional issue for the far left they can't help but think clearly and realize they're dooming themselves.

Their loss.

Buy American ... Or You're Fired

I joked yesterday that before long we'd be required to shop at the Obama Motor Company or face reprisals from the union goons. Well, what do you know, one Michigan mayor is already forcing political appointees to drive American vehicles or seek employment elsewhere.

You’ve got to admire James Fouts and his eagerness to start a courtroom brawl.

The mayor of Warren, Mich., has issued an executive order requiring that all political appointees drive an American-made car. For those who now drive a Honda or a Lexus? Get shopping.

According to Fouts, they have to guarantee that their next car purchase will be a vehicle made by General Motors, DaimlerChrysler or Ford.

To those who don’t want to make the switch?

“They can find another place to work,” Fouts said.

Nice attitude. Considering the shape Michigan is in, hundreds of thousands of former residents are looking for work.

In other states.

Seem harsh? Consider this: GM and DaimlerChrysler are the town’s number one and two employers, respectively.

Tax revenues generated by the two carmakers account for 15% of the city’s $98 million annual fiscal budget, and one-third of the Detroit suburb’s 138,000 residents rely on the auto industry for their livelihood.

That’s a lot of folks.

When someone dared to point out that Honda and Toyota make many cars in the U.S. with U.S. workers, Fouts shrugged.

Let's not confuse him with the facts.

I wonder if the town will be picking up the tab for repairs to the shoddily-made vehicles employees are forced to buy?

Happy Cinco de Cuatro!

We noted last night the Idiot-in-Chief flubbed some basic Spanish while commemorating Cinco de Mayo.

Here's the clip. Somehow I doubt we'll be seeing this on King Obama's favorite network.

H/T Michelle Malkin.

How Convenient: Murtha Nephew Gets $4 Million in No-Bid Pentagon Contracts

All just a coincidence, of course. The fact this company is called Murtech should not raise and suspicion (cough, cough).

The headquarters of Murtech, in a low-slung, bland building in a Glen Burnie business park, has its blinds drawn tight and few signs of life. On several days of visits, a handful of cars sit in the parking lot, and no trucks arrive at the 10 loading bays at the back of the building.

Yet last year, Murtech received $4 million in Pentagon work, all of it without competition, for a variety of warehousing and engineering services. With its long corridor of sparsely occupied offices and an unmanned reception area, Murtech's most striking feature is its owner -- Robert C. Murtha Jr., 49. He is the nephew of Rep. John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who has significant sway over the Defense Department's spending as chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

Robert Murtha said he is not at liberty to discuss in detail what his company does, but for four years it has subsisted on defense contracts, according to records and interviews. He said Murtech's 17 employees "provide necessary logistical support" to Pentagon testing programs that focus on detecting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, "and that's about as far as I feel comfortable going." Giving more details could provide important clues to terrorist plotters, he said.

Murtha said he does not advertise being the nephew of John Murtha and considers it "unfortunate" that some will unfairly assume Murtech received its federal contracts because of his uncle's influence at the Pentagon.

Yes, it's very unfortunate for John Murtha that he's busted funneling money to his nephew's company.

A spokesman at Murtha's office did not return calls seeking comment. The lawmaker, a former Marine, has said in the past that he is proud of his family's service to the military and the government.

I guess he's proud he called our Marines cold-blooded killers, in that case.

Want Border Enforcement? Well, You're a 'Right-wing Extremist'

Nice to see we have an entire dictionary of terms to identify the real threats to this country, such as people who want the laws enforced and other radical types such as pro-lifers.

It even includes opponents of the tax system, which apparently would make outlaws of half the Obama administration.

The same Homeland Security Department office that categorized veterans as potential terrorists issued an earlier report that defined dozens of "extremists" ranging from black power activists to abortion foes. The report was nixed within hours and recalled from state and local law enforcement officials.

Whites and blacks, Christians and Jews, Cubans and Mexicans, along with tax-hating Americans were among several political leanings listed in the "Domestic Extremism Lexicon" that came out of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) in late March.

The lexicon lists definitions for key terms and phrases used by Homeland Security analysts "that addresses the nature and scope of the threat that domestic, non-Islamic extremism poses to the United States," the report said.

Black separatism was defined as a movement that they said advocates the establishment of a separate nation within the U.S., and its members "advocate or engage in criminal activity and plot acts of violence directed toward local law enforcement" to advance their goals. Black power is a "term used by black separatists to describe their pride in, and the perceived superiority of the black race," the report said.

Under the listing "antiabortion extremism," the lexicon cites a movement that "advocates violence against providers of abortion-related services." It notes that some people in the movement "cite various racist and anti-Semitic beliefs to justify their criminal activities."

"The lexicon was not an authorized I&A product, and it was recalled as soon as management discovered it had been released without authorization," said Amy Kudwa, Homeland Security spokeswoman.

"This product is not, nor was it ever, in operational use," Ms. Kudwa said.

In other words, we never intended for you or the media to know about it.

The 11-page lexicon document lists terms from A through W, beginning with "aboveground," which is defined as extremist groups or people who "operate overtly and portray themselves as law-abiding," and ending with "white supremacist movement." The listing notes six categories of white supremacists: Neo-Nazi, Ku Klux Klan, Christian identity, racist skinhead, Nordic mysticism and Aryan prison gangs.

A "left-wing extremist" is described as someone who opposes war or is dedicated to environmental and animal rights causes, while a "right-wing extremist" is someone who is against abortion or for border enforcement.

I also take issue that opposing war makes someone a left-wing extremist.

This whole thing is just idiotic. Can't we just monitor groups that pose an actual threat without classifying them by some political identity?

It's just ridiculous.

Speaking of ridiculous, they're even crazier over in the UK, where radio host Michael Savage has been banned from entering the country.

The list of the 16 "least wanted" includes radio talk show host Michael Savage, real name Michael Weiner.

"This is someone who has fallen into the category of fomenting hatred, of such extreme views and expressing them in such a way that it is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence if that person were allowed into the country," Ms Smith told BBC Breakfast.

I guess the Brits must be on the Media Matters mailing list.

Super-Genius President Celebrates 'Cinco de Cuatro'

Oh yeah, and Bush was the idiot. Funny thing is, at least Bush can speak Spanish. As far as I know, Obama and his Teleprompter only speak English. No doubt the cerebral titans over at MSNBC and The Daily Show will be yukking it up over this gaffe.

President Barack Obama is celebrating Cinco de Mayo a little early.

On the eve of the Mexican holiday, Obama on Monday had an event in the East Room of the White House with Mexico's Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan.

Obama joked that it was "Cinco de Cuatro," botching a play on the Spanish word for "four" when he meant to say "Cuatro de Mayo," or the Fourth of May. He tried again, but he still did not get it right.

Moving past the jumbled translation, the president assured his guests that the White House wants to be early in commemorating the holiday.

Nice to see how his AP stenographer reminds us what he meant to say. How about he meant to say what he actually said and the dunce just doesn't know elementary Spanish?

Giant Hero

You may recall Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, noted here last year prior to the New York Giants win over New England in Super Bowl XLII. Well, he's still recovering from wounds resulting in the amputation of both legs above the knee and has been been fit with a pair of high-tech prosthetic legs.

Meet the Bionic Fan.

Iraq war hero and double amputee Lt. Col. Greg Gadson -- whose bravery helped inspire the New York Giants to their last Super Bowl victory -- recently became the first person in the world to land a pair of super-high-tech prosthetic legs that practically think for themselves.

Gadson was made an honorary co-captain of the team and credited as a driving force behind Big Blue's success.

And, at the next Super Bowl, he hopes to be jumping for joy -- literally.

"I was in a wheelchair last time," he said. "Next time, hopefully I'll be up there with the team."

Gadson -- who lost both legs above the knee when his convoy was hit by a roadside bomb two years ago -- has been fitted with the Power Knee, a revolutionary, battery-powered prosthetic developed by Icelandic company Ossur.

"[The prosthetic's] intelligent," Gadson said last week from his home in Virginia. "It gauges my weight, my speed . . . It's the closest thing to normal legs that I've experienced.

"The difference is if you're walking on a normal prosthetic and you step in a pothole in the street, you're going to fall. With this, it's going to accommodate that.

"Going from a regular prosthetic to this is like going from driving a school bus to a top-of-the-range sports car," he said.

Gadson was in Walter Reed hospital two years ago when he was visited by Mike Sullivan, a former teammate from a West Point football squad and an assistant to Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

Sullivan invited Gadson and his family to a game in DC, where the injured warrior spoke to the team about perseverance, spirit and teamwork.

That day, the Giants began a six-game winning streak that took them to Super Bowl XLII.

"The credit I got was a little strong," Gadson said of the wins. "I didn't play. I didn't call a play. But that season, we formed a special bond, and I like to think we inspired each other and helped each other realize what we are capable of."

More here.

Gadson, 43, of Fort Belvoir, is an Army officer whose legs were amputated above the knees and the first person in the world to receive the completed version of the second generation of the Ossur Power Knee prosthetics device.

"The biggest difference is just how smoothly they operate, obviously the appearance," he said. "These knees are lot lighter, they're quieter and they have a lot longer battery life, so that makes them logistically a lot easier for a bilateral to manage."

According to developers of the power knee, ground contact sensors allow users to control and manage their walking without thinking about it and the device provides maximum support in any given angle of flexion as soon as contact with the ground is made, while allowing for a natural and easy gait.

"These legs really mimic how you walk," Gadson continued. "This is much more natural. I can already see myself doing things that I would normally not do, like going shopping and browsing instead of just going in to get something."

Here's more from Ossur's website.

Joba-Mom in Meth Bust

Damn, she looks a lot tougher than her son.

The mother of Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain has been jailed in Nebraska and faces a felony charge after being arrested on suspicion of selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in February.

Lincoln Police Capt. David Beggs said Monday that 44-year-old Jacqueline Standley was arrested at her apartment Saturday night.

Beggs said she allegedly sold 1 gram of a substance believed to be meth to an uncover officer for $110 on Feb. 11. The substance tested positive for meth in testing at the state laboratory.

A bit of a resemblance, no?

Rock Bottom: Paterson Down to 19% Approval

I'll say this for the accidental governor: At least he's consistent. This is the Marist poll that now has him at 19%.

How low can New York Governor David Paterson’s job approval rating go? Based on the latest Marist Poll numbers, it can still go lower, but not by much! Not quite one-fifth of New York registered voters statewide — 19% — report that Governor David Paterson is doing either an excellent or good job in office. That is a seven percentage point drop since The Marist Poll last asked this question in its March 2009 survey. In fact, voters are so dissatisfied with the governor’s performance that a majority — 51% — say they would prefer his sex scandal-plagued predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, be in office than he. On both questions, Paterson doesn’t even receive backing from a majority of voters in his own party. Just 22% of Democrats think he is doing well as governor, and half say, “Resurrect Spitzer!”

Dear God, help us.

Curiously enough, Paterson has the same 19% approval in the Siena poll six weeks ago.

Now if only the hapless NY GOP could capitalize.

GOV. PATERSON was prominently mentioned on "Meet the Press" yesterday -- but not the way he would have liked.

Paterson's name was invoked during a discussion of what it would take to revive the Republican Party around the nation, and, according to former Florida GOP Congressman and MSNBC "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough, New York's accidental governor is doing a fine job, thank you very much, helping its effort in the Empire State.

Ticking off the names of several states, including Connecticut, where he said the GOP's fortunes are on the rise, Scarborough said, "Even New York state, thanks to David Paterson, is a state that could very well go Republican."

What he didn't say was, "especially if former Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani runs against Paterson" -- a conclusion backed by several recent polls and privately conceded in the upper echelons of the state Democratic Party. "Paterson is the best organizing tool the Republicans have," one of the state's most prominent Democratic consultants told The Post.

Yet another statewide poll, from Marist College, is due out today, and while its details remained unknown last night, political insiders expect the governor's record-low approval ratings to remain the same or decline still further.

Paterson's increasingly tough talk about seeking election no matter what poll numbers show isn't being taken too seriously in Democratic circles.

"He can say whatever he wants, but everyone agrees that if David is doing anywhere nearly as poorly in six months as he's doing right now, it will be all over for him," said a prominent Democrat who has frequent contact with the governor. "Paterson's challenge is to accomplish something that makes this a better state and have the public recognize that, and, until he does, he's not going to be doing much better in the polls."

Stunner: Just 18% Think Obama's Union Thug Motor Company Will Do A Good Job

I'll assume this 18% accounts for the union goon vote, assuming their membership is even that high. If it's less than 18%, we can probably factor in the braindead liberal vote.

Just 18% of Americans think the United Auto Workers union and the federal government will do a good job running Chrysler and General Motors, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Forty-seven percent (47%) believe the union and the government will do a bad job, while 35% are not sure.

35% aren't sure? Geez, nothing like having an informed public willing to answer a simple question.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of Americans oppose the auto bailouts.

Seventy percent (70%) continue to oppose any additional bailout funding for GM and Chrysler, while 13% think it’s a good idea. Just two weeks ago, 60% said the bailout loans already given to the auto companies were a bad idea, although the Political Class disagreed.

Through stock ownership, the UAW and the government are expected to have a majority say in management decisions of both companies as the result of deals worked out by President Obama’s auto task force to ensure more federal money to keep them in business. Chrysler is now going through a structured bankruptcy to keep going, and GM is expected to report back with its reorganization plan by the end of this month.

It's a virtual no-brainer that Chrysler will turn out junk autos nobody will buy, and who knows, it'll probably be mandated before long that we have to buy one just to prop them up.

Here's an idea: Let them put their money where their mouth is. Make the government and government employees but these vehicles. How much you want to bet these limousine liberals would balk at that?

She Has the Life

This cute young lady sure seems to be enjoying the life of leisure.

Roll out of bed, lay around the pool, crush a few beers, look really hot while doing it.

Sorry I can't be there.

Watch the video at the link. You won't be sorry.

Update: How did I miss this one? Via today's NY Post.

Just think, if you ever get bored you can spend some time reading her.

Whack Job: 'Maybe He Thinks That We're Still Married'

I guess it's tough severing ties when you've been through so much together. Still, I think he should move on and cut off any further contact if he knows what's good for him.

She hacked off her hubby's manhood, and now, in their first encounter in 16 years, Lorena Bobbitt suggests that she may have taken a little piece of John Wayne Bobbitt's heart, too.

"He keeps on leaving me messages or sending me Valentine's cards or flowers, roses," the unrepentant amateur surgeon tells "The Insider" in the exclusive interview to air tonight and tomorrow as part of the ex-couple's bizarre reunion. "Maybe he thinks that we're still married."

In a cringe-worthy whack job that scared men witless -- and spawned a flood of tasteless jokes -- Lorena, then 24, cut off more than half of then-husband John's penis as he slept on June 23, 1993, after returning drunk from a night of partying and allegedly raping her. The penis was successfully reattached.

GOP Looking For Help In All the Wrong Places?

What do they expect, for them to go looking for help from that pudgy little traitor Scott McClellan?

For my money, you could do worse than seek help from Dana Perino.

Republicans looking to recover from Bush-era defeats are turning to an unlikely source for advice: top aides to former President George W. Bush.

Former White House press secretary Dana Perino, former Bush counselor Ed Gillespie and former White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto are among those set to provide words of wisdom to House Republican press secretaries at their annual workshop this Friday.

GOP House Conference Communications Director Matt Lloyd said Perino, Gillespie and Fratto represented “the gold standard for Republican communications professionals” and were obvious choices to advise the party’s messengers.

But Democrats are deriding the move to bring in the Bush veterans, calling it proof that the GOP has failed to recognize that Bush’s policies are at least partly to blame for the party’s minority status.

“Reuniting the Bush operation is like making a sequel to a very bad movie. House Republicans are better off staying home, watching soaps and coming up with new ideas for their out-of-touch party,” said Doug Thornell, spokesman for Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Funny, isn't it, how the Democrats are so eager to offer advice to the Republicans? I'm sure they have their best interests in mind.

Seems to me having advice from people who helped win two national elections can't hurt all that much.

It Must Be Mental Illness: Sullivan Still Suffering From Trig Trooferism

You would think the endless ridicule might make the guy reconsider going down this road again, but here he is back with the Trig Palin conspiracies. This is really bizarre.

For the record, she says that she kept her pregnancy secret for seven months because there were "neanderthals" out there who would have refused to believe that a pregnant woman could handle her public duties as governor, and because of her own conflicted feelings about having a Down Syndrome child at the age of 44. She does not explain the bizarre circumstances of the day-long labor on various airplanes. But, hey, maybe at some point, she will. When she does, I will do my best to bring it to you. Maybe one day - who knows? - a journalist might even ask.

Funny how he mentions neanderthals. Take a look in the mirror, pal.

Sullivan also has a glaring error in his "report" as he claims Palin was speaking in Kansas when she was in Indiana. Guess we can't get it right all the time.

He really needs to move on with his life. Trig Palin was born to Sarah Palin. Is that too much to understand?

H/T Videmus Omnia.

Stars Come Out to Honor Decrepit Communist

Naturally, the modern-day man of the people, Bruce Springsteen, was on hand to laud this old maggot.

Last night, at the Pete Seeger birthday bash at Madison Square Garden, Bruce Springsteen described the 90-year-old legend best, telling the sold-out house, "Behind his grandfatherly facade lies stubborn, nasty, defiant optimism."

The Boss, who was the unofficial headliner for the all-star musical tribute that featured more than 50 acts, added a personal note to Seeger, saying, "Pete, you outlasted the bastards."

I guess "the bastards" are people who are opposed to Communism.

Naturally, Springsteen made it all about himself.

Certainly, the show itself had a more contemporary, and far more optimistic, tone than it would have had the recent election turned out differently. Many stars evoked the hope of President Obama, including Springsteen, who gave a long and rousing speech at the end recounting his trip to the inauguration with the birthday boy.

Yawn.

These people are so tedious.

NY Times 'Bullies' To File Notice Shuttering Boston Globe

This is like watching the Crips and Bloods in a street fight. Both parties are so loathsome you can't root for a winner. You just hope they inflict enough wounds they both eventually die off.

The New York Times Co. said last night that it is notifying federal authorities of its plans to shut down the Boston Globe, raising the possibility that New England's most storied newspaper could cease to exist within weeks.

After down-to-the-wire negotiations did not produce millions of dollars in union concessions, the Times Co. said that it will file today a required 60-day notice of the planned shutdown under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification law.

The move could amount to a negotiating ploy to extract further concessions from the Globe's unions, since the notice does not require the Times Co. to close the paper after 60 days. The deadline, however, would put the unions under fierce pressure to produce additional savings, and the Boston Newspaper Guild promptly called the step a "bullying" tactic by the company.

Some industry observers have expressed skepticism that Times Co. Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. would want his legacy to include the shuttering of the Globe, which his company bought in 1993.

But the Times Co. itself is under strong financial pressure. It recently mortgaged its new Manhattan headquarters, borrowed $250 million from a Mexican billionaire at 14 percent interest, laid off 100 newsroom staffers and cut salaries by 5 percent.

A couple of weeks ago we noted how John Kerry was lamenting the loss of his local newspaper. I guess he hasn't convinced his wife to pony up the $20 million to keep it open.

More here.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

You Stay Classy, Arlen: 'I Think Jack Kemp Would Be Alive Today'

This is just astonishingly gruesome. If Arlen Specter felt this way in 1970, why was he ever a Republican?

Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Democrat, said part of the reason he left the Republican Party last week was disillusionment with its healthcare priorities, and suggested that had the Republicans taken a more moderate track, Jack Kemp may have won his battle with cancer.

Mr. Specter, responding to a question from CBS's Bob Schieffer over whether he had let down Pennsylvanians who wanted a Republican to represent them, said he felt his priorities were more in line with those of the Democrats.

"Well, I was sorry to disappoint many people. Frankly, I was disappointed that the Republican Party didn't want me as their candidate," Mr. Specter said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "But as a matter of principle, I'm becoming much more comfortable with the Democrats' approach. And one of the items that I'm working on, Bob, is funding for medical research."

Mr. Specter continued: "If we had pursued what President Nixon declared in 1970 as the war on cancer, we would have cured many strains. I think Jack Kemp would be alive today. And that research has saved or prolonged many lives, including mine."

Apparently Specter is unaware he's still alive. Using his own logic, shouldn't he be dead by now?

I hope the Democrats are happy now that he's in the fold. My only advice to them is they should watch their backs.

What's next for Specter, quoting Kemp from the grave?

Update: Bruce in the comments notes:

From the National Cancer Institute:

The President’s Budget proposal for FY 2009 recommended $4.81 billion for NCI.

[...]

NCI’s budget for FY 2008 was $4.83 billion.

Seems to me Specter should be taking Obama to task for proposing a reduction in the NCI funding, instead of blaming the GOP.

If Bush had done that, the headlines would read "Bush hates cancer patients!".

Indeed, they would. Also, Ed Morrissey points out what a despicable lie this is by Specter.

It’s also a grotesque lie. During Republican control of Congress, federal spending on health research and regulation increased 46% after inflation, from $49 billion a year to $72 billion a year, or about 7% increase each year. That’s almost the same rate of increase as Defense spending got in the same period (48%), when we actually had a real war on our hands, and not a political contrivance for excusing federal spending.

And Specter wonders why he can’t get within 20 points of Pat Toomey in a primary race?

Specter should immediately apologize for this. Otherwise I hope the GOP hangs this around his neck and he becomes a liability for the Democrats, who must be so proud to have this punk in their ranks.

Aw, Aren't They Cute? The Obamas Take a Walk

Must have been a very slow news night for AP writer Chrstine Simmons if this is passing for news.

The first couple took full advantage of the cool spring night.

After a date night out on Saturday evening, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama decided to take a stroll when their motorcade arrived back at the White House.

So they began walking on the driveway of the White House South Lawn while holding hands. First they passed the West Wing, then their children's swing set. They kept walking, swinging their hands together.

There were no Secret Service agents right behind them — the agents stood off, in one of the rare moments that the Obamas had private space outside the White House walls.

As the Obamas walked behind shrubbery and out of sight, the unscripted moment left reporters guessing where they were going. To the vegetable garden? The basketball court? No final word, but they eventually came back the same way from where they started, rounding out their 8-minute walk.

Pulitzer worthy stuff, I tell you.

Rumor has it they later brushed their teeth and went to bed.

Update: Here's some video. The TV talking head marvels at how they can ignore cameras that are apparently hundreds of feet away. It's because they have mystical abilities, don't you know.

Last Rites for the Boston Globe?

The countdown is on for the employees and unions at the Boston Globe to accept $20 million in concessions as demanded by the New York Times Co., otherwise it's the end of days for that newspaper.

With a midnight deadline looming that could determine the future of the Boston Globe, the newspaper's largest union said it has offered cuts in wages and benefits that "should be more than adequate" to meet the demands of the New York Times. Co., which has threatened to shutter the paper unless it gains millions of dollars in concessions from its unions.

The Times Co. is seeking $10 million from the Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents more than 600 editorial, advertising, and business office workers - half the $20 million the company is seeking from all the paper's unions.

Yesterday, Teamsters Local 259, which represents more than 200 drivers who deliver the paper, said it has offered enough concessions to meet the Times' demand for $2.5 milion from its members.

Meanwhile, some can barely contain their glee.

The honorable Reverend Carr is already presiding over the rituals.

I know, they can’t brag enough about their Pulitzer prizes, like they’re on the level or something. Seriously, the limousine liberals who pass the Politically Correct Pulitzers around among themselves every spring ought to rename them the Olbermanns and run the awards ceremony live on MSNBC. Truth in advertising.

I’m sure Pinch Sulzberger this weekend is fielding phone calls from his Park Avenue squash partners, the Beautiful People who’ve been pulling strings over the last decade or so to line up no-work sinecures at the Globe for their shiftless offspring.

Belatedly, the Globe has been trying to present as its public face the salt-of-the-earth types in the backshop, guys who live in towns like Weymouth and went to work at the paper out of high school.

These are the same blue-collar Massachusetts natives that the bow-tied bumkissers upstairs alternately disdain or despise as mean-spirited bigots who can’t be trusted to vote the “right way.”

Outside the employees themselves and a few limp bloggers, nobody cares about the Globe’s demise. Let the epitaph be: Smug Is Not a Workable Business Plan. These pampered poodles assumed they had a monopoly. Nobody ever has a monopoly, at least not for long.

I’ll miss the old Globe. It was a laff-riot - remember in 2006 when its crack sports columnist previewed the Final Four matchup between George Mason and LSU, except there was no such game. They were in opposite brackets.

One last thing to all my dear friends on the Boulevard.

We’re not hiring.

'John Edwards Is a Leader In Misleading the Public'

Imagine my surprise. A greasy politician using donor money to support a honey on the side?

RALEIGH Federal investigators are sifting through the records of money that helped John Edwards' presidential campaign to determine if any was used to keep quiet his affair with Rielle Hunter.

Edwards, a Democrat and former U.S. senator, acknowledged the investigation to The News & Observer.

“I am confident that no funds from my campaign were used improperly,” Edwards said in a statement.

“However, I know that it is the role of government to ensure that this is true. We have made available to the United States both the people and the information necessary to help them get the issue resolved efficiently and in a timely matter. We appreciate the diligence and professionalism of those involved and look forward to a conclusion.”

Edwards declined to discuss the matter.

A review of Edwards' campaign money will turn up a cluster of nonprofits, some not subject to the same rules of transparency as official campaign organizations.

Records of one group that does disclose donors, the Alliance for a New America, show that Edwards' 2008 campaign got a huge boost from a single source: $3.48 million from a holding company for Rachel “Bunny” Lambert Mellon, a 98-year-old matriarch of industrialist Andrew Mellon's fortune.

The riches that bankrolled Edwards' bid for president will be tough to sort, campaign finance experts say.

“This may be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of Open Secrets, a campaign watchdog group. “John Edwards is a leader in misleading the public.”

Records show that Hunter was paid by a political action committee aligned with Edwards. She received $114,000 to film Edwards as he hopscotched the nation to rally crowds in the fight against poverty. She followed him to Uganda, where he met with starving children orphaned by attacks by rebel forces. Her “webisodes” still live on the Internet.

And the baby Edwards fathered with Hunter also still lives on. Although he still claims it's not his.

Sure.

Please, Make It Stop

OK, I think this spread from the Daily Mail may outdo any of the slobbering profiles we've seen here on this woman. What's next, soft-core porn? There should be some sense of decorum when you're the First Lady and not pretending you're some kind of sex kitten.

As for this shot, all I can think is: Patrick Ewing wears dresses?

Update: Yes, I know it's not the real Mrs. Obama. After all, she doesn't look that much like Patrick Ewing. But if they're going to have stand-ins, at least get back to using Alicia Keys.

RIP, Jack Kemp

Well, this is certainly some sad news.

A spokeswoman says Jack Kemp, the former Bills quarterback, Buffalo-area congressman and one-time vice presidential nominee, has died at age 73.

Kemp, the former U.S. housing secretary, was undergoing treatment for an "undetermined" type of cancer, according to a previous statement released by his office.

Kemp was a major figure in national Republican politics for more than three decades. He served nine terms as a Hamburg-based congressman from 1971 to '89, following a 13-year career in professional football.

Here's a bio.

More here.

Jack Kemp, the ex-quarterback, congressman, one-time vice-presidential nominee and self-described "bleeding-heart conservative" died Saturday.

His spokeswoman Bona Park and longtime friend and former campaign adviser Edwin J. Feulner confirmed that Kemp died after a lengthy illness.

Kemp had announced in January 2009 that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He said he was undergoing tests but gave no other detail.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called Kemp "one of the nation's most distinguished public servants, Jack was a powerful voice in American politics for more than four decades."

More on his life before politics.

Kemp played quarterback for the Bills from 1962 to '69, compiling a 43-31-3 record. His name is on the team's Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium. During his 11-year pro career, Kemp was named first-team All-Pro on two occasions.

One of his finest moments as a Bill came during the 1965 season when he led the team to an AFL championship, capped with a 23-0 victory over the host San Diego Chargers — a two-touchdown favorite — in the title game.

Kemp also led the Bills to the 1964 AFL title with a 20-7 victory over the Chargers in War Memorial Stadium.

He was a 17th round 1957 NFL draft pick by the Detroit Lions but was cut before the season began. After being released by three more NFL teams and playing in the Canadian Football League over the next three years, he joined the AFL's Los Angeles Chargers as a free agent in 1960. A waivers foul-up two years later would land him with the Bills, who got him at the bargain basement price of $100.

Out: Global Warming; In: 'Our Deteriorating Atmosphere'

Goodness, this one is nearly as dumb as calling terrorism a man-caused disaster.

The problem with global warming, some environmentalists believe, is “global warming.”

The term turns people off, fostering images of shaggy-haired liberals, economic sacrifice and complex scientific disputes, according to extensive polling and focus group sessions conducted by ecoAmerica, a nonprofit environmental marketing and messaging firm in Washington.

Another problem with global warming is it's complete nonsense, a hoax, a scam. In fact people were turned off several years ago to the nonstop doom and gloom, they renamed it climate change. I also don't necessarily envision a shaggy-haired liberal. More like a pedantic, over-fed, failed politician, but I digress.

Instead of grim warnings about global warming, the firm advises, talk about “our deteriorating atmosphere.” Drop discussions of carbon dioxide and bring up “moving away from the dirty fuels of the past.” Don’t confuse people with cap and trade; use terms like “cap and cash back” or “pollution reduction refund.”

Cap and cash back? Are these people for real? Cap and trade will result in an enormous increase in prices to the consumer and we're supposed to play some Orwellian word games and call it cash back?

Is this kind of like Obama's tax cuts that will result in higher taxes?

EcoAmerica has been conducting research for the last several years to find new ways to frame environmental issues and so build public support for climate change legislation and other initiatives. A summary of the group’s latest findings and recommendations was accidentally sent by e-mail to a number of news organizations by someone who sat in this week on a briefing intended for government officials and environmental leaders.

Ooops, cat's out of the bag. Accidentally sent by e-mail. Hey, why be so cumbersome with the language? I've got a better, more eco-friendly word for accidentally sent by e-mail? How about stupidity?

This part I find curious, and frankly I'm surprised the New York Times even mentions it.

Environmental issues consistently rate near the bottom of public worry, according to many public opinion polls. A Pew Research Center poll released in January found global warming last among 20 voter concerns'

That's right, dead last.

Makes you wonder why we're pummeled over the head 24/7/365 about something nobody cares about.

Alas, there's a sinister reason why.

“We know why it’s lowest,” said Mr. Perkowitz, a marketer of outdoor clothing and home furnishings before he started ecoAmerica, whose activities are financed by corporations, foundations and individuals. “When someone thinks of global warming, they think of a politicized, polarized argument. When you say ‘global warming,’ a certain group of Americans think that’s a code word for progressive liberals, gay marriage and other such issues.”

Huh? Gay marriage? Oh yes, another one of those issues, along with global warming, that few people care about yet the progressive liberals are obsessed with.

Hmm. Maybe it's time for a focus group to come up with a new phrase for gay marriage?

Peaceful Leftists Celebrate May Day in Berlin, 273 Police Injured

Maybe they ought to take a cue from Tea Party protesters on how to get your message out without resorting to violence.

Then again, these are leftists we're talking about. They're not interested in peace.

More than 270 police officers were injured in this year's May Day riots in the German capital, prompting criticism Saturday of Berlin security officials and calls for more officers.

Though the majority of the 273 officers suffered only minor injuries Friday, 14 were badly enough hurt that they will need to take time off work, said Berlin police chief Dieter Glietsch. He did not have more specifics.

In all, 5,800 police officers were on hand to try to keep a lid on the violence that has become a yearly ritual in Berlin. They used tear gas, pepper spray and water cannon as some of the roughly 5,000 leftist demonstrators, marching under the motto "capitalism is war and crisis," threw stones and bottles.

Dozens of demonstrators were injured but there were no exact figures; 289 were arrested. A bank and a fire station had windows broken.

This year's demonstrations turned violent earlier than in previous years, leading to more injuries and arrests. Last year, 112 police officers were hurt and 150 demonstrators arrested.

Rainer Wendt, chairman of one of Germany's national police unions, criticized Berlin interior minister Erhart Koerting's handling of the operation, saying protesters were allowed too much time to get out of hand and urging that a "no tolerance" policy be adopted in the future.

"Whoever throws a stone or wears a mask must be immediately taken out of play," he told the Neuen Osnabruecker Zeitung newspaper.

Fire away.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Trailer; Added Bonus: Megan Fox In Hotpants

This looks like it'll be good. And how can it not be when you have the incredible Megan Fox in hotpants?

Pay attention around the 25-second mark.

In case you miss it, here's the key shot. Click to enlarge. You know you want to.

More here.

As if watching giant robots fighting for control of the planet wasn't enough, producers have given film fans another reason to watch the new Transformers sequel - the sight of Megan Fox in hotpants.

The stunning actress squeezes her curves into a tiny pair of denim shorts as she reprises her role as sexy biker Mikaela Banes in the upcoming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

That's box office gold, my friends.

'He's a Rock Star!'

The Fox network may not show Barack Obama's evening press conferences any longer, but it looks like The Overexposed One may surface on American Idol.

God help us.

The "American Idol" contestants have enough pressure dealing with the critiques of Randy, Kara, Paula and Simon – and if "Idol's" harshest judge gets his way, they'll be performing for President Obama.

"We would put out an invitation on a daily basis," Simon Cowell told The Hollywood Reporter about "Idol's" attempt to get the Commander in Chief to appear on the hit FOX show.

"I'd love him to come on, his wife to come on, kids to come on." Simon said of the First Family. "I could only picture now what it would be like if he actually turned up."

Adding, "He's a rock star!"

Will the slobbering over this guy ever end?

Maybe Obama's TelePrompter can lip sync a couple of numbers for the fawning audience.

An Enchanting Twosome

Even the New York Times is dropping it's jaw over the deal the UAW is getting form the government over the Chrysler bankruptcy.

Labor unions usually dread bankruptcy, and for good reason. Their pay, benefits and pensions typically suffer significant cuts, as airline and steel workers can attest.

But for the United Automobile Workers union, Chrysler’s Chapter 11 case, which began in New York on Friday, could turn out to be — if the company survives and thrives — the Cadillac of bankruptcies. The U.A.W., for example, has received upfront protection from the Treasury Department for its pension plan and the fund that will take over responsibility for retiree medical benefits.

Moreover, that fund, called the voluntary employee beneficiary association, or VEBA, will control 55 percent of the equity in the new Chrysler once it emerges from bankruptcy, and hold a seat on the Chrysler board.

The deal as requested by the government would involve a transfer of at least $10 billion from the secured creditors (the bond holder's) to the unsecured creditors (the union and TARP banks). So it looks like the UAW is getting a good return on it's investment in getting Obama elected.

And according to attorney Tom Lauria of White and Case, the White House is resorting to openly threatening the bondholders with being publicly destroyed by the White House press corps if they do not accept the deal.

Frank talks with Tom Lauria, who represents a group of lenders that object to the Chrysler sale.

About 1 minute and 30 seconds in to this clip Lauria goes into great detail on threats and intimidation tactics allegedly being perpetrated by the White House.

Gee, who would think that the White House press corps would serve as hit men for this White House?

How enchanting.

Clueless Joe Jetting Off to Europe

Word has it the simpleton Vice President will be placed inside a plastic bubble and kept separate from other passengers for their own safety and to preserve their sanity.

Vice President Joe Biden -- who stuck his pig's foot in his mouth Thursday by saying he "wouldn't go anywhere in confined places right now" -- is jetting to Europe later this month.

Despite his swine flu hysteria, Biden probably won't be complaining about the flight. That's because, unlike commercial-plane passengers, he likely will be aboard Air Force Two for his trip to Bosnia, Serbia and Kosovo.

Biden -- who took the train home last night -- immediately drew the ire of the airline industry and caused backpedaling by the Obama administration when he dissed plane and subway travel in light of the swine flu surge.

Uh Oh: Berlusconi Challenges Obama's Status as Supreme Leader of Earth

The Obama cultists, especially those in the media, will not be taking this declaration lightly.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has compared himself to Jesus Christ and Napoleon, boasted on Friday that he was the world's most popular leader.

The conservative premier, in his third term in office, said opinion poll findings in his possession showed his popularity at just over 75 percent, making him far more popular than U.S. President Barack Obama -- or any other head of government.

"The opinion polls I know say that he (Obama) is at 59 percent. Only (Brazilian President Luiz Inacio) Lula tops 60 percent -- he is at 64 percent. So mine is a record high," he told reporters in Naples where he attended a May Day concert.

On his way out of the concert hall, the 72-year-old Berlusconi -- who has proclaimed himself the Jesus Christ of Italian politics and once said he was second only to Napoleon, except taller -- was heckled by protesters who shouted "Go Away!."

Last year Berlusconi had some peculiar praise for Obaam.

Shhh! Gov. Paterson Secretly Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Just imagine if this were a white governor and the roles were reversed, the condemnation would be thunderous. Even worse if it were a Republican. But I guess if you're a Democrat you're allowed to be racist. Oh, wait. That may be too harsh. Show racist tendencies.

Gov. Paterson, who raised state taxes by $8 billion last month, just cost state taxpayers $300,000 more.

The state has secretly settled an embarrassing federal racial-discrimination lawsuit, The Post has learned. The suit accused Paterson, back when he was Senate minority leader in 2003, of firing a white Senate photographer in order to replace him with an African-American.

The lawsuit had been scheduled to go to trial in federal court Monday in Syracuse, with Paterson, the state's first black governor, as a key witness. The case was settled earlier in the week, although a few glitches delayed the final deal until yesterday, legislative sources said.

The settlement ends a civil-rights action first filed in 2005 by Joseph Maioriello, 56, of Schenectady, a 26-year Senate employee who originally sought $1.5 million.

He was fired from his $34,000-a-year job as a photographer two years earlier and replaced by a black employee, El-Wise Noisette. The shakeup happened after Paterson ousted then-Sen. Martin Connor (D-Brooklyn) as the minority leader.

Connor was expected to testify that Maioriello was a good photographer.

While neither Paterson nor the state admitted that Maioriello was a victim of racial discrimination, the size of the settlement means "that the state wouldn't have made out very well if it had gone to trial," said a source close to the lawsuit.

"If nothing wrong happened, why is the state paying out this kind of money?" the source asked.

Indeed.

Through it all, Paterson managed to maintain that notoriously sharp wit of his.

Paterson, who is legally blind, claimed in a sworn deposition that he didn't see well enough to have fired Maioriello because of his race.

A spokesman for Paterson later said the comment was "a quip, a joke."

Nobody's laughing.

Vice President Paris Hilton

It's bad enough Clueless Joe Biden is a national laughingstock, but it gets even worse as the boob is drawing comparisons to nitwit heirhead Paris Hilton.

Paris Hilton says "I don't eat that" when asked about swine flu in an online video. She's not the only one confused about the outbreak.

Others have vowed to stop eating pork. Some, worried about germs spreading in confined spaces, won't fly — anywhere. Or they think petting zoos and farm visits are off limits.

Like the swine flu itself, misinformation is spreading like a virus across the Internet, around the watercooler and across the backyard fence.

It doesn't help when the Vice President urges New York City to shut down.

This begs the question: Who's dumber, Paris Hilton or Joe Biden?



Here's Gaffemaster Joe with a blast from the past:



Update: Hey, why not take a poll?

America's Fashion Icon Steps Out in $540 French Sneakers

Wasn't her husband just saying something about buying American? I guess America's new fashion darling didn't get the memo.

Nice signal this sends during a recession.

Michelle Obama has taken casual to a haute new level.

While volunteering Wednesday at a D.C. food bank, the First Lady sported her usual J.Crew cardigan, a pair of utilitarian capri pants and, on her feet, a sneaky splurge: trainers that go for $540.

That's right: These sneakers - suede, with grosgrain ribbon laces and metallic pink toe caps - are made by French design house Lanvin, one of fashion's hottest labels. They come in denim and satin versions, and have been a brisk seller all spring.

They're out of stock at posh Meatpacking District boutique Jeffrey, and Barneys New York boasts a limited selection of the sneaks, which are a cult favorite among fashionistas.

It's likely Michelle got hers through Ikram, the Chicago retailer that often outfits her.

"They're shoes," the First Lady's reps sniffed when curious reporters inquired about the fancy footwear.

I guess it pays to be one of the beautiful people.

Comrade Fidel Celebrates May Day, Trashes Obama

Chalk up another victory for smart diplomacy as Fidel Castro unclenches his fist and slaps Barack Obama upside the head.

Fidel Castro blasted US President Barack Obama Friday in provocative May Day remarks, saying the United States only wanted Cuba to return "to the fold, like slaves."

Castro, 82, who led Cuba for almost 50 years and remains head of the Cuban Communist Party, was not in outreach mode, though Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro, 77, have made remarks aimed at easing Cold War-era tensions.

"Today, they stand ready to forgive us -- as if we would resign ourselves to returning to the fold like slaves, who after tasting freedom, go back to the yoke and whip," Fidel Castro said in a defiant address published in Cuban state media to mark May Day.

Obama has said the United States wants to see progress on human rights and political freedom from Cuba. That runs counter to Cuba's main interest in maintaining and projecting the Americas' only communist regime into the future.

Castro, who for decades referred to the United States as the enemy, warned: "The (US) adversary must never delude itself into thinking that Cuba will surrender."

I guess Fidel isn't too enchanted with Obama.

Elsewhere, open borders advocates and other sundry Communist groups today will also mark May Day with rallies nationwide. With the swine flu outbreak emanating from Mexico, I do say they have impeccable timing.

Immigrant rights advocates planning marches around the Bay Area and across the country today are optimistic that they have support in Washington, D.C., for immigration reform, but the fact that the rallies take place during a week of panic over Mexico's swine flu outbreak is further complicating a complex issue.

Aw, isn't that a shame. A possible pandemic may hurt their cause. Sigh.

Groups that favor a crackdown on illegal immigration have seized on the flu epidemic to call for closing the border with Mexico. The World Health Organization recommends not closing borders, and medical experts say overblown fear can lead to discrimination against Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans.

"There's real potential for harm to vulnerable groups like immigrants," said Jay Battacharya, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. "It doesn't reduce the spread of the disease."

Nonsense.

Naturally they take a swipe at those who argue for reducing the number of illegals in the United States.

And conservative commentators on blogs and talk radio, including Michael Savage and Michelle Malkin, were blaming illegal immigrants for spreading swine flu to the United States.

Seems to me what Michelle Malkin has to say makes plenty of sense, and I'm sure the majority would agree.

I’ve blogged for years about the spread of contagious diseases from around the world into the U.S. as a result of uncontrolled immigration. We’ve heard for years from reckless open-borders ideologues who continue to insist there’s nothing to worry about. And we’ve heard for years that calling any attention to the dangers of allowing untold numbers of people to pass across our borders and through our other ports of entry without proper medical screening — as required of every legal visitor/immigrant to this country — is RAAAACIST.

It appears The San Francisco Chronicle reporter Tyche Hendricks is getting his talking points from the fever swamps of the AlterNet, which, conveniently enough, gets its information from (where else?) Democrat front group Media Matters, the vicious slander outfit bought and paid for by sugar daddy George Soros.

How convenient a group purportedly "monitoring" media is basically handing them their slanted talking points disguised as news.

No wonder the Chronicle's readership is down over 15% the past year.

Hot Air links. Thanks!