Peter King Goes Nuclear on Holder: 'It's Disgraceful. You Wonder Which Side They’re On'

Yes, I've been wondering that for some time.

A "furious" Rep. Peter King, the hawkish, maverick Long Island Republican, blasted a "disgraceful" Eric Holder for opening an investigation of CIA interrogators and chided his own party for what he described as a weak response to the move in an interview just now with POLITICO.

"It’s bulls***. It’s disgraceful. You wonder which side they’re on," he said of the Attorney General's move, which he described as a "declaration of war against the CIA, and against common sense."

"It’s a total breach of faith, and either the president is intentionally caving to the left wing of his party or he’s lost control of his administration," said King, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security and a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

King, channeling both the sense of outrage and of political opportunity felt in parts of the GOP, defended in detail the interrogation practices -- threats to kill a detainee's family, and or to kill a detainee with a power drill -- detailed in a CIA inspector general report released yesterday.

"You're talking about threatening to kill a guy, threatening to attack his family, threatening to use an electric drill on him – but never doing it," King said. "You have that on the one hand – and on the other you have the [interrogator's] attempt to prevent thousands of Americans from being killed."

"When Holder was talking about being 'shocked' [before the report's release], I thought they were going to have cutting guys' fingers off or something – or that they actually used the power drill," he said.

Pressed on whether interrogators had actually broken the law, King said he didn't think the Geneva Convention "applies to terrorists," and that the line between permitted and outlawed interrogation policies in the Bush years was "a distinction without a difference."

"Why is it OK to waterboard someone, which causes physical pain, but not threaten someone and not cause pain?" he asked, warning of a "chilling" effect on future CIA behavior.

"You will have thousands of lives that will be lost and the blood will be on Eric Holder's hands," he said.

Interesting how Holder's old law firm is in the business of releasing Club Gitmo terrorists and now he's aiming to prosecute the men who helped put them there.

Change!

I will say Obama's desire to change the subject while he's busy golfing sure has worked. The left is wee-weeing with joy all over themselves at the notion that our nation's heroes could be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, King isn't the only one sending out the warnings.

“This is a political act….It’s awful, just awful” said Vince Cannistraro, who headed CIA counterterrorism efforts in the early 1990s. “There’s a lot of sadness among the professionals that have been doing this…They’re scaring the hell out of people. A lot of people are going to just retire.”

Cannistraro said he viewed many of the extreme techniques, such as waterboarding, as unhelpful and unwise, at least in retrospect. But he said it was “stupid” to expose people to criminal liability for excesses such as trying to frighten a detainee by staging a mock execution in another room.

“There were a lot of stupid things done, no question about it, but do you want to prosecute them for doing the same kind of thing you saw on TV in a drama?” the former CIA official said. “We are now forgetting why they were doing what they were doing. Whether it was right or wrong is another question.”

Stolen Manhood: 'It's a Popular Souvenir'

Well, we know Barney Frank wasn't the thief since he was spotted in Fire Island the other day. Although I'm sure he'd just love a nice souvenir like this.

Visitors to a tourist attraction in Berlin have been making off with an unusual memento -- the 30 cm long penis of a Lego giraffe.

The Lego phallus belongs to a six metre tall model that has stood outside the entrance to the Legoland Discovery Centre on Potsdamer Platz since 2007.

"It's a popular souvenir," a spokeswoman for the centre said Tuesday. "It's been stolen four times now ..."

The penis is made out of 15,000 Lego bricks. It takes model workers about one week to restore the long-necked animal's manhood at a cost of 3,000 euros (2,600 pounds), the spokeswoman said.

Update: At some point Reuters changed any penis references to tail. Here's how it's now quoted.

09:23 25Aug09 RTRS-CORRECTED-German Lego giraffe tail repeatedly stolen
(Correcting to ‘tail’ from ‘penis’)
BERLIN, Aug 25 (Reuters) – Visitors to a tourist attraction in Berlin have been making off with an unusual memento — the 30 cm long tail of a Lego giraffe.
The Lego tail belongs to a six metre tall model that has stood outside the entrance to the Legoland Discovery Centre on Potsdamer Platz since 2007.
"It’s a popular souvenir," a spokeswoman for the centre said on Tuesday. "It’s been stolen four times now …"
The tail is made out of 15,000 Lego bricks. It takes model workers about one week to restore it at a cost of 3,000 euros ($4,300), the spokeswoman said.

Here's a screen-grab via Regret the Error.

Dr. (MAJ) Kevin Chungs' Robot

Is this the coolest thing or what? The Army now has a robot that can assist doctors in checking up on their patients, even if they are in Baghdad and the patient is at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. You've got to admit that ACU camouflage pattern is big plus too compared to most hospital equipment, which is either white or tan.

Maxine Waters: ObamaCare Opponents are 'Neanderthals'

Always nice to see the charming and classy Maxine Waters weigh in on the public debate. Let's see, opponents of ObamaCare have been called Nazis, un-American, evil and now Neanderthals.

Keep it up, folks, this is really helping your cause.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Fidel Castro, New MSNBC Host?

You have to figure if MSNBC put Fidel Castro on the air he couldn't do any worse in the ratings than their abysmal lineup of wacko leftists. Considering he's parroting their talking points, not to mention seemingly every NY Times columnist, he may to be a natural fit.

President Barack Obama is trying to make positive changes in the United States, but is being fought at every turn by right-wingers who hate him because he is black, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Tuesday.

In an unusually conciliatory column in the state-run media, Castro said Obama had inherited many problems from his predecessor, George W. Bush, and was trying to resolve them. But the "powerful extreme right won't be happy with anything that diminishes their prerogatives in the slightest way."

Obama does not want to change the U.S. political and economic system, but "in spite of that, the extreme right hates him for being African-American and fights what the president does to improve the deteriorated image of that country," Castro wrote.

"I don't have the slightest doubt that the racist right will do everything possible to wear him down, blocking his program to get him out of the game one way or another, at the least political cost," he said.

Castro, who writes regular commentaries for Cuba's state-run media, has criticized Obama, complimented him occasionally and said that he is watching him closely to see if he means what he says about changing U.S. policy toward Cuba.

His latest column comes during a visit to Cuba by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson that has stirred speculation that he may try to push U.S.-Cuba relations forward.

Of course if Guillermo Richardson had any testosterone he'd condemn Castro for this nonsense, but the problem is he probably agrees with him.

Hot Air links. Thanks!

'The Body Bags Aren't Taking a Vacation'

You would almost feel sorry for Barack Obama that he has to suffer the nonsense from this woman, but he should be happy the media is running interference for him. She long ago outlived her usefulness, back around January 20, 2009.

On his first official vacation since taking office, President Barack Obama has tried to leave his work at home. So some demonstrators are bringing the issues to him.

Noted war protester Cindy Sheehan is scheduled to arrive today on Martha's Vineyard to hold a series of peace vigils and other events to confront the president about the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sheehan, who has toured the country in protest since her son, Casey, was killed fighting in Iraq in 2004, will host a gathering starting tomorrow near Blue Heron Farm, where the Obamas are spending the week.

She could not be reached yesterday for comment.

"The body bags aren't taking a vacation," Sheehan, a California native, wrote in a released statement. "As the U.S.-led violence surges in Afghanistan and Pakistan, so are the needless deaths on every side."

Sheehan will host peace vigils tomorrow and Saturday at Ocean Park in Oak Bluffs, with a news conference and media interviews in between. She will also lead a series of boat trips throughout the end of the week, hosting members of the public and the media in discussions of the wars on a ship, named the SS Camp Casey, after her son.

Outside of this, Sheehan's appearance on Martha's Vineyard has gained little if any attention.

Hmmm. I wonder why?

Meanwhile, the scarce Republicans on Martha's Vineyard are laying low.

Across the Vineyard, Republicans are considered either an endangered species or a secret society, depending on who's talking.

Once a majority of island voters, the bloc has dwindled over the years, local residents and political leaders said. The Vineyard-wide Republican organization disbanded several years back, and no active organization exists today, supporters said.

"I'll have people come up to me and tell me 'I'm with you,' but they won't say it in public," said Morris, who also counts an inflatable punching bag featuring a cartoon picture of Obama among his prized collectibles. "I'm waiting for my window to get broken. If it doesn't, I'll be surprised."

Tolerance!

Instapundit links. Thanks!

Cheney Unloads

Cheney Statement on CIA Documents/Investigation
Former Vice President Dick Cheney gave The Weekly Standard a statement Monday night about the CIA documents and the coming Justice Department investigation.

The documents released Monday clearly demonstrate that the individuals subjected to Enhanced Interrogation Techniques provided the bulk of intelligence we gained about al Qaeda. This intelligence saved lives and prevented terrorist attacks. These detainees also, according to the documents, played a role in nearly every capture of al Qaeda members and associates since 2002. The activities of the CIA in carrying out the policies of the Bush Administration were directly responsible for defeating all efforts by al Qaeda to launch further mass casualty attacks against the United States. The people involved deserve our gratitude. They do not deserve to be the targets of political investigations or prosecutions. President Obama’s decision to allow the Justice Department to investigate and possibly prosecute CIA personnel, and his decision to remove authority for interrogation from the CIA to the White House, serves as a reminder, if any were needed, of why so many Americans have doubts about this Administration’s ability to be responsible for our nation’s security.

Indeed.

'I Think It’s Probably a Prank But It’s a Pretty Sick Sort of a Joke'

Maybe it's just me, but I bet this guy has fallen for the banana in the tailpipe gag. Whatever the case, it's still pretty mean. I can think of more than a few punishments for the punks who did this.

MEAN pranksters glued an elderly man's bottom to a toilet seat in the public loos at Cairns Central, forcing him to sit tight during a highly embarrassing rescue.

The 70-year-old Cairns man was stuck so fast he had to be taken from the men’s toilets with the unwelcome fixture still attached, in full view of a gathering crowd of curious Saturday shoppers about 10.30am.

He was taken by ambulance to Cairns Base Hospital where it is understood industrial-strength solvents were used to dissolve the glue.

Police said it was the second case of a strong, fast-acting glue being smeared on a seat in the same men’s toilets that day, although in the earlier incident the man had been able to get up before the glue set.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman yesterday said the elderly man, who did not want to be identified, was "pretty distressed about the whole thing".

"That sort of thing would be bad enough to go through if you were a young person but for a person of his age it must have been particularly humiliating," the spokesman said.

"I imagine having to go out like that through a major shopping centre on a Saturday morning wouldn’t have been the best and all those emergency services would have gathered a fair sort of a crowd. We covered him up as much as possible."

Cairns Police District’s Supt Brent Carter said he was "ropeable" about the thoughtless prank and appealed for public help to identify the culprit.

"I think it’s probably a prank but it’s a pretty sick sort of a joke," Supt Carter said.

"The humiliation of sitting on a toilet while emergency services are working around you trying to free you … I just feel for the man.

"Then to have to be wheeled out of the shopping centre with the toilet frame still attached to your body is just dreadful."

More Government Efficiency: 1200 Vets Mistakenly Told They Have ALS

Really inspires our proposed big brother government health care, doesn't it?

At least 1,200 veterans across the country have been mistakenly told by the Veterans Administration that they suffer from a fatal neurological disease.

One of the leaders of a Gulf War veterans group says panicked veterans from Alabama, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming have contacted the group about the error.

Denise Nichols, the vice president of the National Gulf War Resource Center, says the VA is blaming a coding error for the mistake.

Letters dated Aug. 12 were intended to notify veterans who have Lou Gehrig's disease of disability benefits available to them.

Calls to the VA were not immediately returned Monday.

Thanks to Hot Air for the link.

Whiny Paterson Doubles Down on Race Card

I didn't think it could get any more pathetic than Friday's racial outburst from the accidental governor, yet here he continues to dig his own political grave. One must wonder if he needs to be removed from office before he completely loses it.

Gov. Paterson is not backing away from blaming his troubles in office on race.

After complaining on a Friday radio show that he is the victim of an "orchestrated" campaign to push him out of office, Paterson told a blogger that some people are uncomfortable with too many black people in power.

"Part of what I feel is that one very successful minority is permissible, but when you see too many success stories, then some people get nervous," Paterson told political blogger Gerson Borrero over the weekend.

Paterson's comment is sure to catch the ear of the White House, which already asked him to tone down his rhetoric after he said Friday that President Obama will be the next target of a racist media.

Defensive and at time self pitying, Paterson indicated he's been stewing for some time.

"I have been quiet for 17 months on this issue," he said.

"I played by the rules. It was a very difficult position to find myself in and I've given it my best. I've done the best I can under the very trying circumstances the state is facing."

Paterson created a firestorm last week after telling Daily News columnist Errol Louis in a radio interview that a racist media is trying to kill his chances of running for a full term next year.

He said he understands the criticism over the budget and the Senate leadership battle, but Paterson suggested to Borrero that he is held to a different standard.

"It seems I have to work twice as hard as others," he said.

And it still bothers him that people refer to him as the "accidental governor." He took office in 2008 after former Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal.

"It was not an accident. It is a constitutional mandate," he said. "I became governor by a constitutional mandate."

He said the successors to disgraced governors Jim McGreevey of New Jersey and John Rowland of Connecticut were not dubbed "accidental governors."

Probably because they went about doing their jobs and not feeding on racial paranoia, Dave.

In Your Face POTUS Now Longs for Privacy

You've got to chuckle. The most over-exposed politician in our nation's history, a man who runs around appearing on everything from ESPN to pre-school specials, is (ahem!) asking for privacy and he traipses around Martha's Vineyard.

President Barack Obama and his family began a weeklong vacation on this Massachusetts island with a message to the reporters who have crowded the New England villages: Chill out and don’t expect much.

Pleading for privacy, the White House said Obama would have no public events while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard with his family and close friends.

Aides also asked that the journalists also not take pictures of the Obamas’ two young daughters, age 8 and 11, when they aren’t with the president.

The story, of course, is accompanied by a photo of him and his kids.

“He wants you to relax and have a good time. Take some walks on the beaches. Nobody’s looking to make any news,” spokesman Bill Burton told reporters flying with the Obamas from Washington to
Massachusetts.

Good luck with that.

My heart goes out to the poor Obamamedia, who all went out and bought new kneepads for the trip to Martha's Vineyard and now they can't mingle with their hero.

Today's Profile in Cowardice

Seems we may have stumbled upon a daily theme. Cowardly Democrat Congressthings so afraid to face their constituents they're lamely reduced to holding town halls over the phone.

In today's installment, we have Democrat John Tierney of Massachusetts, who's apparently so deathly afraid of the folks in his overwhelmingly Democrat district he'll be hiding behind Ma Bell on August 31.

Congressman John Tierney has set the dates for his two "telephone town hall" meetings on health care.

Earlier this month, Tierney announced he would discuss health care reform over the phone instead of at a town hall meeting, a forum that has drawn rowdy and disruptive crowds elsewhere in the country.

Tierney is opting for a "telephone" meeting to reach as large an audience as possible, not to avoid vocal opponents of proposed changes to the nation's health care system, he has said. While a "town meeting" reaches 50 to 200 attendees, a conference call set up so people can ask questions and hear responses over the phone can involve upward of 30,000 constituents, according to Tierney.

The first town meeting conference call will take place on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and is open to residents of 16 communities, including Rockport. Registration closes for the first meeting on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

A second conference call is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m. The second call is open to residents of 20 communities including Gloucester, Manchester and Essex. Registration to participate in that call closes at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 28.

Participation in the call is free. All registered participants should receive a call inviting them to participate, according to a release sent by Tierney to a North Shore Democrats' group.

"I welcome the opportunity to use this innovative technology to facilitate a broader dialogue regarding the health insurance reform legislation currently debated by Congress," Tierney said.

A telephone is innovative technology? Wow, I never realized how out of touch these Congress critters were.

Well, this cowardice certainly serves as fodder for the GOP.

The Salem Democrat's choice has created an early line of attack for his Republican challenger in 2010.

"(Tierney) is a representative of the people in this district," lawyer Bill Hudak of Boxford said earlier this month. "Why he is choosing not to speak with his constituents directly is a mystery to me."

To his credit, Hudak has called his own town hall and is actually man enough to face the people.

Elsewhere, Minnesota's Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar also took the easy way out this weekend.

Klobuchar's goal was to hear from "all areas of the state and all viewpoints," Zakula said. Her staff was told not to screen callers to prevent critics from expressing their views, he said. They were to ask callers their names, where they were calling from and what subject they wanted to address so the same questions wouldn't be repeated.

But he turned down a request from the Pioneer Press to observe how the senator's staffers selected callers who got through to Klobuchar.

Transparency!

Style News: Now You Too Can Dress Like Your Favorite News Anchor

This week's sign of the apocalypse.

WANT to look just like the anchors and reporters on the news?

Well, now you can. In fact, you can buy the clothes right off their backs.

A new web site has opened up that sells the slightly used stuff that TV news people believe they can't wear anymore because viewers have seen the clothes too often.

Tvcloset.com is aimed at TV professionals consigning clothes to other pros -- but anyone can buy, according to the site.

"Whether you are an anchor, reporter, meteorologist, sportscaster, or host, you can make money and save money with TVNewsCloset.com," says the site's home page.

Actually if you click through the clothes available the prices aren't too bad if you want second-hand clothing.

'My Life is Complete'

The King and Queen arrive in Martha's Vineyard Sunday and their fawning subjects slobber uncontrollably.

The first couple of minutes is uneventful, but get a load of the gushing college student beginning around the 2:40 mark.

He sees a passing motorcade and now his life is complete. Good grief, don't these kids strive for anything more than a passing glimpse of Obama?

Stimulus Money Finally Being Put to Good Use

Who said the stimulus money wasn't being well spent? It's about time such important research was funded.

Among the most titillating grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health are studies that would:

* Examine "barriers to correct condom use" at Indiana University, at a cost of $221,000.

* Study "hookups" among adolescents at Syracuse University. Study's cost: $219,000.

* Evaluate "drug use as a sex enhancer" in an analysis of "high-risk community sex networks" at the University of Illinois, Chicago. That study will cost $123,000.

* Study how methamphetamine, thought to produce an "insatiable need" for sex among users, "enhances the motivation for female rat sexual behavior." Some $28,000 has been awarded for the University of Maryland at Baltimore study.

Venezuela Still Good for Something

The country may be a socialist basket case being run into the ground by Communist thug Hugo Chavez, but the women are still holding up very well.

Miss Venezuela was the fairest of them all once again, winning the 2009 Miss Universe crown for the second year straight and the sixth time since the pageant's creation.

Dressed in a flowing red gown, 18-year-old Stefania Fernandez hugged the runner-up from the Dominican Republic and danced in joy as her victory was announced Sunday.

The crown briefly fell to the floor as it passed from one Venezuelan beauty to the next.

But Fernandez said there was time for outgoing Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza to whisper in her ear that she must have worked hard for Venezuela to win consecutive crowns.

"What do we Venezuelans have?" Fernandez, an international relations student, told reporters after the pageant. "That we are ourselves."

The other top-five finalists were runner-up Ada Aimee de la Cruz, followed by Miss Kosovo, Droga Ganusha; Miss Australia, Rachael Finch; and Miss Puerto Rico, Mayra Matos Perez.

During a question-and-answer segment with the five top finalists, Fernandez said she believed women have overcome obstacles such as hitting the proverbial glass ceiling.

"I feel we have reached the level that men are at," she said.

When asked later how she thought beauty contests promoted equality between men and women, Fernandez said they provided exposure.

"We have quite a following worldwide," she said. "We are models to follow."

The new Miss Universe is from the city of Merida in the west of a beauty-obsessed South American country where hard-fought pageants are something of a national sport, with contestants widely dissected by the public and the media.

Fernandez said she did not know whether Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would receive her. He did not meet with Mendoza when she won and made no public statements at the time.

But Fernandez said he might change his mind.

"We'll see, because we are making history," she said.

The top 15 Miss Universe finalists appeared in bathing suits before the final 10 were chosen for the evening gown segment.

Pageant co-owner Donald Trump told reporters, "I think this is the most beautiful group of women I've ever seen."

Here's another shot of the lovely Miss Fernandez.

Meanwhile, some guy named Flo Rida does his best Barack Obama impersonation by checking out the goods. Can you blame him?

Good News: Less Than Half of Obama Appointees in Place

Just imagine the damage he may have done already if he actually had a full staff in place.

As President Obama tries to turn around a summer of setbacks, he finds himself still playing without most of his own team. Seven months into his presidency, fewer than half of his top appointees are in place advancing his agenda.

Of more than 500 senior policymaking positions requiring Senate confirmation, just 43 percent have been filled so far — a reflection of a White House that grew more cautious after several nominations blew up last spring, a Senate that is intensively investigating nominees and a legislative agenda that has consumed both.

The sluggish pace has kept Mr. Obama from having his own people enacting programs central to his mission. He is trying to fix the financial markets but does not have an assistant treasury secretary for financial markets. He is spending more money on transportation than anyone since Dwight D. Eisenhower but does not have his own inspector general watching how the dollars are used. He is fighting two wars but does not have an Army secretary.

He sent Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Africa to talk about international development but does not have anyone running the Agency for International Development. He has invited major powers to a summit on nuclear nonproliferation but does not have an assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation. He has vowed to improve government efficiency but does not have the chief performance officer he promised.

“If you’re running G.M. without half your senior executives in place, are you worried? I’d say your stockholders would be going nuts,” said Terry Sullivan, a professor at the University of North Carolina and executive director of the White House Transition Project, which tracks appointments. “The notion of the American will — it’s not being thwarted, but it’s slow to come to fruition.”

Ah, it's probably just easier to have a bunch of czars who don't need approval.

Semper Fi

Short, sweet and to the point.

Great job, Marine!

H/T: Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood

Another Profile in Cowardice: Connecticut Dem to Hold Townhall ... Over the Phone

Coward

I'm detecting a trend here. First we noted New York's Jerrold Nadler phoning it in when he was too afraid to face the angry mob from the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Now the cowardice viruse has spread north to Connecticut, where the timid Joseph Courtney has decided he's not man enough to face his constituents.

U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney is planning to talk to constituents about the red-hot topic of health care next week, but his decision to do it by telephone instead of in person is drawing criticism.

The Vernon Democrat's teleconference Monday evening comes as Congressional Democrats face increasingly angry crowds at town hall meetings to discuss proposed health care changes. Some Democrats have stepped up security or turned to teleconferences, which can reach more constituents than town halls, and be more easily controlled.

Chris Healy, Connecticut Republican chairman, calls it "a classic you-can-run-but-you-can't-hide" meeting.

Courtney's another one who may want to plan an alternate career after November 2010.

Seems phoning it in is becoming quite popular among certain Democrats.

Dingy Harry Trailing by Double Digits in 2010 Race

Why the long face, Harry? Oh, now I see why.

It's the highest stakes ever for a Nevada election, and former boxer Sen. Harry Reid is on the ropes early. Either Republican Danny Tarkanian or Sue Lowden would knock out Reid in a general election, according to a recent poll of Nevada voters.

The results suggest the Democratic Senate majority leader will have to punch hard and often in order to retain his position as the most accomplished politician in state history, in terms of job status.

Nevadans favored Tarkanian over Reid 49 percent to 38 percent and Lowden over Reid 45 percent to 40 percent, according to the poll.

Reid's status makes him an icon of the Democratic Party and ties him to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Barack Obama, both of whom are losing ground among centrist and right-leaning voters in the country.

Winning "becomes more difficult when you are actually the one having to carry the water for the president," said Richard Davis, a professor of political science at Brigham Young University in Utah. "He (Reid) has got to get something out of the Obama administration that he can claim as his own."

He's more than welcome to claim any number of Obama's failures. In fact, I wonder if Obama will even be campaigning for Reid, or anyone else for that matter, in 2010, considering his own dwindling fortunes.