The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Hard Choices Is Sort Of The Literary Equivalent Of Healthcare.Gov, Then

Posted on | June 17, 2014 | 20 Comments

by Smitty

Pardon me while I munch on the schadenstrudel:

According to this source, a Simon & Schuster insider, “They sold 60,000 hard covers first week and 24,000 ebooks.” The publishing house was “hoping and praying for 150,000 print first week.”

“The 60k represents a less than 10% sell thru based on what they shipped,” says the source.

It’s been reported that one million copies of Clinton’s book were shipped weeks before the June 10 publication date. “They will be lucky to sell 150,000 total lifetime,” the source writes in the email.

Read the whole thing to find out how much Simon & Suckers paid for this steamer. Of course, you peasants will all rue the day when Her Majesty ascends the throne, and you’re taxed by law for a copy.

via Drudge

Category: Hillary Clinton

Back to Iraq

Posted on | June 17, 2014 | 32 Comments

The “optics,” as they say, are unpleasant:

Nearly 300 armed American forces are being positioned in and around Iraq to help secure U.S. assets as President Barack Obama nears a decision on an array of options for combating fast-moving Islamic insurgents, including airstrikes or a contingent of special forces.
The U.S. and Iran also held an initial discussion on how the longtime foes might cooperate to ease the threat from the al-Qaida-linked militants that have swept through Iraq. Still, the White House ruled out the possibility that Washington and Tehran might coordinate military operations in Iraq.
Obama met with his national security team Monday evening to discuss options for stopping the militants known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Officials said the president has made no final decisions on how aggressively the U.S. might get involved in Iraq, though the White House continued to emphasize that any military engagement remained contingent on the government in Baghdad making political reforms.
Still, there were unmistakable signs of Americans returning to a country from which the U.S. military fully withdrew more than two years ago. Obama notified Congress that up to 275 troops would be sent to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the American Embassy in Baghdad. The soldiers — 170 of which have already arrived in Iraq — were armed for combat, though Obama has insisted he does not intend for U.S. forces to be engaged in direct fighting.
About 100 additional forces are being put on standby, most likely in Kuwait, and could be used for airfield management, security and logistics support, officials said.

As with the hasty and unwise total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, this redeployment is essentially a matter of domestic politics for the Obama administration. Having made opposition to “Bush’s war” a centerpiece of their campaign rhetoric since 2004, when John Kerry was the anti-war candidate, Democrats then nominated Barack Obama in 2008 based on his promise to completely withdraw from Iraq.

From a standpoint of policy, it would have made sense to leave at least a token military presence there — say, 5,000 troops holding a small base near the Baghdad airport — both as a tactical foothold, and to signify a continued U.S. commitment to defend a stable, peaceful and democratic Iraq. But, no, the Democrats (and Obama foremost among them) were fanatically determined to un-do all Bush had done, and so the U.S. presence had to be reduced to zero.

Now, predictably, we realize that zero was not an ideal number.

Yet it is still obvious that domestic politics — not policy — is controlling the Obama administration’s response to the Iraq crisis. While partisan apologists scramble to exculpate the president for the consequences of his errors, the administration is caught between its own pacifist commitments and the pragmatic political realization that anarchy in Iraq looks bad for “swing voters.” The pressure to “do something” — anything — was irresistible, yet Obama will make only a token deployment, too small to make a difference, because a larger deployment would be tantamount to an admission that his general policy has been all wrong.

Now, imagine the cussing of senior NCOs at Fort Bragg as they react to chatter about sending Special Forces into the Iraq mess. This scenario has “Mogadishu” written all over it and, as much as these guys love to fight for the sake of fighting, the prospect of being thrown willy-nilly into this Iraq disaster cannot be a welcome thought. The seriousness of the Iraq crisis is impossible to exaggerate:

[T]he events unfolding in Iraq point toward a much wider war, reaching from the Iranian frontier to the Mediterranean coast. The long open border between Iraq and Syria, and the big stretches of ungoverned space, has allowed extremists on each side to grow and to support one another. . . . [T]wo of the strongest groups fighting in Syria, were created by militant leaders from Iraq, many of whom had fought with Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia against the United States. The vast swath of territory between the Euphrates and the Tigris — from Aleppo, in Syria, to Mosul, in Iraq — threatens to become a sanctuary for the most virulent Islamist pathologies, not unlike what flourished in Afghanistan in the years before 9/11. Among those fighting with isis and Al Nusra are hundreds of Westerners, from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. At some point, the survivors will want to go home; they will be well trained and battle-hardened.

Meanwhile, a “senior advisor” to the Obama administration is blithely describing a return of the Islamic caliphate as inevitable.

 

Category: Barack Obama, Democrats, Iraq

LIVE AT FIVESEVEN:06.17.14

Posted on | June 17, 2014 | 1 Comment

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
White House Reportedly Considering Sending Special Forces To Iraq

Shiite militiamen rallying against the Sunni insurgency

Other stories say administration still insisting it won’t send ground forces to Iraq

Gazprom Shuts Off Gas To Ukraine
Kiev missed $2 billion payment due for natural gas


Israeli Economy Minister Threatens Hamas
“We’re going to change a Hamas membership card into a ticket to hell.”



POLITICS
Calling Off The Speech Police

The Supreme Court

Supremes allow challenge to Ohio law restricting campaign speech

Border Patrol Overwhelmed By Flow Of Illegals

Supremes Rule Straw-Buyer Bans Constitutional

Congress To Investigate Alleged Computer Crash That Made Lerner E-Mails Allegedly Disappear

Report: Obama To Expand Pacific Ocean Sanctuaries

NM Governor’s Former Campaign Manager Pleads Guilty In E-Mail Hacking Case

Alabama Court Strikes Down Sodomy Law

“Duck Dynasty” Cousin Running For Congress



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Asian Crude Eases: NYMEX $106.72, Brent $112.70
GM Recalls Another Three Million Cars For Ignition Defects
IMF Cuts US Growth Outlook, Says Full Unemployment Years Off
Hillshite Dumps Pinnacle For Tyson Deal
Corn Trades Near Four-Month Low As U.S. Crop Conditions Improve
Judge Rules For Macy’s In Martha Stewart Case
Parallels Remote Desktop App Arrives On Android, iPhone
Blackberry Launches BBM Protected For Secure Enterprise Messaging
Amazon Triples Android App Content, Still In Third Place
Unicode Announces Over 250 New Emojis
Girl’s Tearful Facebook Post Credited With Saving Dad’s Life



SPORTS
Hall Of Famer Tony Gwynn Dies, 54

Fighting back the tears at his final game in 2001

Died of cancer Gwynn believed was from his tobacco-chewing habit


Padres Cap Somber Day With 5-1 Loss To Mariners

Tribe Rallies Past Angels To Snap Skid


Murphy Goes Yard Twice As Rangers Outslug A’s 11-8

Royals Rock Verlander, Tigers For Eighth Straight Win

Pete Rose Gets A Taste Of Baseball Again

Harry Reid Makes Redskins Fans Happy, Vows Not To Attend Games Until Team Changes Name

Phillies Break Through In 13th To Beat Braves 6-1

Brewers Surge To 9-3 Thumping Of Snakes

The Rotation Strikes Back



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Teresa Palmer Land Female Lead Role In “Point Break” Reboot

Last featured in 2013’s “Wish You Were Here”

Remake to be set in world of extreme sports



Nikki Finke Lawyers Up

Zendaya To Star In Lifetime’s Aaliyah Biopic


Is Terry Richardson An Artist Or A Predator?

Injury To Sideline Harrison Ford For Eight Weeks

“Heroes” Alum Jack Coleman Set For NBC’s “Heroes Reborn” Miniseries

“Bachelorette” Andi Dorfman Resigns From DA’s Office



FOREIGNERS
Argentina “Won’t Submit To Extortion” On Debt
Royal Bank Of Australia Says Cash Rate Not Moving Soon
UK Inflation Falls To 1.5% In May
Fifteen Killed As Somali Jihadis Hit Another Kenyan Coastal Town
41 More Palestinians Arrested As Israeli Army Continues Manhunt For Kidnapped Teens
Canada Takes Hard Line On Iran Nuke Talks
Al-Sisi Swears In New Egyptian Cabinet
Ukrainian Forces, Rebels Clash Near Russian border


BLOGS & STUFF
Blackmailers Don’t Shoot: Vegas Shooters Hung Out With #Occupy Crowd
First Street Journal: Wendy Davis Plays The Race Card
Doug Powers: Obama Slams Climate “Deniers” Before Firing Up Air Force One To Go Play Golf
Twitchy: “Shows Why Noone Watches MSNBC” – Network Summed Up In One Perfectly Pathetic Pic
American Power: In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, A Seemingly Endless Surge Of Illegal Immigrants
American Thinker: Benedict Obama’s Invasion Of America
BLACKFIVE: Marines Head Back To Iraq
Conservatives4Palin: “Going Rogue” Tips For “Hard Choices”
Don Surber: Daily Scoreboard, June 16
Jammie Wearing Fools: The Whining Never Stops – Politico Laments Obama’s “Bush Hangover”
Joe For America: Clueless, Insane, or Downright Evil?
JustOneMinute: Harshing Barry’s Mellow
Pat Dollard: Stinger Missiles Likely In ISIS Hands
Protein Wisdom: SCOTUS Begins Demolition Of Second Amendment
Shot In The Dark: Fortune Favors The Bold
STUMP: Public Pension Watch – Chicago Not Waving But Drowning
The Jawa Report: Idiots Question Authenticity Of ISIS Atrocity Photos
The Lonely Conservative: Veterans’ Problems Solved, VA Tweeted About Global Warming This Morning
This Ain’t Hell: National Guard To The Border? Again?
Weasel Zippers: State Department’s Jen Psaki Denies Terrorism’s On The Rise
Megan McArdle: 23 Ways To Win Your Wedding Registry


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Category: Live at Five

‘Homo-Maniacal’ Cyberstalking

Posted on | June 16, 2014 | 41 Comments

Jeanette Runyon (@No1Important00) is a name that should be familiar to our regular readers. During the weeks when the Kaitlyn Hunt case was the subject of in-depth coverage here, Jeanette distinguished herself in keeping tabs on the “Free Kate” movement, which embraced the lesbian sex offender as a victim of homophobia (see, “Kaitlyn Hunt Is Guilty and, Yes, There Is a Movement to ‘Normalize Pedophilia'”). What she did was actually very simple: Jeanette screen-capped comments from the “Free Kate” Facebook page and posted them to Twitter. As simple as that sounds, it took a lot of dedication and, by exposing the bizarre claims and crude hatred of Hunt’s supporters, Jeanette’s work did a lot to show how dishonest and deranged the “Free Kate” movement was.

They hated her for that. Bad causes attract bad people, and “Free Kate” supporters included some of the most vicious people imaginable, who did everything they could to make Jeanette Runyon’s life miserable.

John Biver at BarbWire has a column about what kind of harassment Jeanette has experienced over the years — an experience that long preceded the “Free Kate” drama:

A few months ago BarbWire’s senior editor Jeff Allen used the phrase “homo-maniacal” to describe the behavior of these radical lefties.

Biver quotes Tammy Bruce:

Childhood trauma, stress disorders, and the resulting malignant narcissism all play a part in the Left’s victim mentality and in their effort, mostly subconscious, to shape our world to mirror their own damaged psyches.

Read the whole thing. Biver promises this is just “Part One” of a series, and I look forward to future installments.

 

Category: Gays

Police: Arkansas Teacher, 57, Admits ‘Inappropriate’ Lesbian Sex With Girl, 16

Posted on | June 16, 2014 | 57 Comments

Helen Banks molested teenage girl, police say.

Alleged sexual predator:

On Wednesday, June 11, 2014, Drew Central High School Teacher Helen Banks, 57, of Monticello was arrested by authorities with the Drew County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police.
Banks was interviewed by authorities stemming from an investigation which alleged that Banks was having inappropriate contact and communication with a 16-year-old female student.
Banks admitted to the allegations during the interview, she was booked into the Drew County Detention Facility and has since bonded out on a $25,000 commercial bond.
She was arrested for Sexual Assault in the 2nd degree, which is a class B felony in Arkansas. However, more charges may follow.

More from KATV:

School officials uncovered e-mails back and forth between the 16 year-old female student and Banks; e-mails that originated on school computers.
Lt. Tim Nichols, detective with the Drew County Sheriff’s office said the district called the Crimes Against Children hotline in Little Rock with their findings. The agency then forwarded the investigation to Drew County.
“We got the e-mail, I began looking at the report and I went and talked to the victim,” said Nichols.
Nichols said the victim corroborated the story, leading investigators to interview Banks.
Banks declined to go on camera and do an interview with KATV, but Nichols said she admitted to the sexual assault during the interview with her.
“She stated that she knew what she had done was wrong,” said Nichols.
The investigation found the alleged relationship didn’t involve intercourse, rather inappropriate touching, but according to Nichols the touching occurred while on school grounds.

An interesting case: Suspect accused of a felony sex crime against a minor in Arkansas. Who would possibly defend such a suspect?

 

Category: Crime, Education, Gays, Sex, Uncategorized

In Which @AmandaMarcotte Reveals Her Disturbing Lack of Self-Awareness

Posted on | June 16, 2014 | 49 Comments

Everybody’s Favorite Feminist™ begins her latest column by ranting about — what else? — the “misogyny” of abortion opponents:

Anti-choice activists are well aware that their position would be seriously undermined if the public understood the misogyny that actually drives their movement, so . . .

Yadda yadda yadda. What follows is mostly routine Marcottean feminism: Abortion is the essence of Women’s Rights; ergo, anyone who is against abortion must be motivated by hatred of women. The belief requires her to ignore, inter alia, the result of a Gallup poll which found that 41% of women are pro-life, and a National Journal poll finding a majority of women favor banning late-term abortion.

Marcotte’s hostility to facts and her tendency to present her bloodthirsty fanaticism as expressing the interests and beliefs of all women are nothing new, and there would be no point in calling attention to her latest screed, were it not for the bizarre lack of self-awareness she exhibits in criticizing conservative arguments about how marriage benefits women:

What this shows is that, with social conservatives, we’re dealing with a view of heterosexual romance that assumes men and women are fundamentally at odds, imagining men as selfish and even violent hedonists and women as priggish police officers who bring unruly men into line by manipulating them sexually.

WHOA! Who has spent the past four decades portraying men and women as “fundamentally at odds,” condemning “heterosexual romance” as oppressive to women, and denouncing men as “selfish” and “violent”? Feminists, that’s who.

“Feminism is the theory, lesbianism is the practice.”
— Ti-Grace Atkinson, 1971

“Lesbianism is a threat to the ideological, political, personal, and economic basis of male supremacy. . . .
“Lesbianism is the key to liberation and only women who cut their ties to male privilege can be trusted to remain serious in the struggle against male dominance.”
— Charlotte Bunch, 1972

“The simple fact is that every woman must be willing to be identified as a lesbian to be fully feminist.”
— Sheila Cronan, 1988

“Heterosexual intercourse is the pure, formalized expression of contempt for women’s bodies.”
— Andrea Dworkin, 1989

“Fucking is a large part of how females are kept subordinated to males. It is a ritual enactment of that subordination which constantly reaffirms the fact of subordination and habituates both men and women to it, both in body and in imagination.”
— Marilyn Frye, The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory (1992)

“Male sexual violence against women and ‘normal’ heterosexual intercourse are essential to patriarchy because they establish the dominance of the penis over the vagina, and thus the power relations between the sexes. . . . Men’s sexual violence against women is the primary vehicle through which the dominance of the penis over the vagina is established.”
— Dee Graham, Loving to Survive: Sexual Terror, Men’s Violence, and Women’s Lives (1994)

“Male supremacy is centered on the act of sexual intercourse, justified by heterosexual practice.”
— Sheila Jeffreys, 2005

The typical response of feminists, when confronted with evidence of their implacable hostility toward men, per se, and toward heterosexuality, per se, is denial.

No matter how many examples of anti-male sentiment by important feminist activists, authors and professors you quote — and I’ve only scraped the surface here — the evidence is never sufficient to compel feminists to admit that their core ideology involves a radical hatred of men that makes lesbian separatism the logical expression of feminist philosophy. (Even Melissa McEwan denies being a man-hater.)

What is remarkable about Amanda Marcotte’s latest rant is how she manages to project onto social conservatives her own anti-male beliefs, evidently without seeing the paradox. But if she were capable of introspection, she wouldn’t be a feminist, would she?




 

Category: Feminism

Liberals in Line to Buy Hillary’s New Book Can’t Name Her Accomplishments

Posted on | June 16, 2014 | 34 Comments

Video from Viral Read:

 

Category: Hillary Clinton

Shorter Krugman: ‘Kool-Aid, Anyone?’

Posted on | June 16, 2014 | 26 Comments

Delusional partisan cheerleading:

Several times in recent weeks I’ve found myself in conversations with liberals who shake their heads sadly and express their disappointment with President Obama. Why? I suspect that they’re being influenced, often without realizing it, by the prevailing media narrative.
The truth is that these days much of the commentary you see on the Obama administration — and a lot of the reporting too — emphasizes the negative: the contrast between the extravagant hopes of 2008 and the prosaic realities of political trench warfare, the troubles at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the mess in Iraq, and so on. The accepted thing, it seems, is to portray Mr. Obama as floundering, his presidency as troubled if not failed.
But this is all wrong. You should judge leaders by their achievements, not their press, and in terms of policy substance Mr. Obama is having a seriously good year. In fact, there’s a very good chance that 2014 will go down in the record books as one of those years when America took a major turn in the right direction.

A major turn in the right direction? Krugman isn’t just drinking the Kool-Aid, he’s huffing the glue and smoking the meth.

 

Category: Barack Obama, New York Times
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