The Other McCain

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

The Fate of Basseley Nakoula

Posted on | May 13, 2013 | 31 Comments

“Hillary’s promise of vengeance to the father of a fallen SEAL wasn’t that we’d get the jihadis who killed him but that we’d punish the filmmaker. That’s perverse, but in keeping with the fact that she decided to run ads on Pakistani TV apologizing for the film while Islamist cretins menaced American diplomats across the region.”
— Allahpundit, Oct. 25, 2012

The wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time: Nakoula was out on “supervised release” for a federal bank fraud conviction. He was $700,000 behind on restitution payments and operating under an alias when he made “The Innocence of Muslims,” a crappy movie that got turned into a YouTube video clip that in turn became the pretext of riots in Egypt and then — it is now generally acknowledged — was utilized as a flimsy excuse by the State Department in an attempt to distract from its embarrassing failures in the September attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Having become unintentionally famous, the con man Nakoula was arrested and hustled into federal court amid unusually high security two weeks after the Benghazi attacks. We need not wonder why Eric Holder’s Justice Department made this a top priority:

“We will make sure that the person who made that film is arrested and prosecuted.”
— Hillary Clinton, Sept. 14, 2012

There was a sort of argument last week between Ken White at Popehat and some conservatives who insist on calling Nakoula a “political prisoner.” Alternately, Rich Lowry calls Nakoula a “patsy,” but this really isn’t the argument we need to be having.

The Nakoula case isn’t about anyone’s free speech rights. The First Amendment doesn’t protect the right of convicted criminals to operate under aliases in potentially lucrative business while owing restitution to the victims of their earlier crimes. While I wholly endorse the right to speak truth about Islam — and to hell with any mob of violent savages who object — Ken White is correct that Nakoula is neither a “political prisoner” nor a heroic martyr for free speech.

But this isn’t really about Nakoula at all, is it?

What the case of Nakoula actually demonstrates is the strangely misplaced priorities of the Obama administration: Eight months later, they still haven’t caught any of the terrorists who killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, but they needed only two weeks to apprehend Nakoula.

Genuinely dangerous people seem to have no problem eluding federal investigators. Ariel Castro kidnapped women and kept them in his Cleveland basement for more than a decade, while the FBI never even considered the wife-beating school-bus driver a suspect. Nor was Castro the only menace to evade the FBI.

The good news? The feds are finally cracking down on those dangerous high-capacity pressure cookers. About damned time, too . . .

 

Category: Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton, Libya, Scandal

LIVE AT FIVE: 05.13.13

Posted on | May 13, 2013 | 7 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
As Many As 19 Injured In New Orleans Mother’s Day Parade

New Orleans police searching for suspects

New Orleans police searching for suspects

No fatalities; two children hit

Nawaz Sharif Hopes Third Time’s Lucky As Pakistan’s PM
What will he do about endemic economic woes and corruption?


Treasury Department, Federal Reserve To Investigate Bloomberg News Over Privacy Breach
How much were journos able to snoop using company’s terminals?



POLITICS
Democrats Claim 2016 Politics Driving Benghazi Controversy

Wishful thinking

Wishful thinking

Senators Durbin, Feinstein claim it’s all about getting Hillary

Environmentalists Vow To Elect Markey

Ohio Senate Plans Small Business Tax Cut

GOP Gets Tough With Obama: Obstructions And Delays Disrupt President’s Agenda


Senator Alexander Says HHS Secretary Sebelius’ Actions May Be Illegal

Elon Musk Quits Zuckerberg’s FWD.us

GOP Slams IRS’ Tea Party Targeting As “Chilling”, A Form Of Intimidation

Detroit’s Emergency Manager Offers Dire Report



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Oil Falls As Dollar Strengthens: NYMEX $95.21, Brent $103.24
Nikkei Hits 5 1/2 Year High On Weak Yen; Financials, Exporters Lead
PRC Investment Slows As Production Trails Estimates
Old Tech Fuels New Energy Boom
ECB’s Visco Says Economy Could Withstand Deposit Rate Cut
Lloyds Banking Chairman Bischoff To Retire Next May
JP Morgan Board Unanimously Backs Dimon As CEO
Sony Xperia ZR Lets You Shoot Full HD Video Underwater
Samsung 5G Hits 1Gbps In Tests
With Windows Blue, Microsoft May (Finally) Do The Right Thing
Google Quietly Kills SMS Search
Facebook’s iPhone Culture Builds An Overzealous Home On Android
Apple Deluged By Police Demands To Decrypt iPhones
Google Fights Glass Backlash Before It Even Hits The Street
Google Wallet Chief’s Resignation Another Bad Sign For NFC



SPORTS
Red Wings Finish Off Ducks 3-2 In Game Seven

Red Wings celebrate their win

Red Wings celebrate their win

Detroit does it without having to play in OT, for once


Warriors Beat Spurs 97-87 In OT, Tie Series At Two Apiece

Leafs Edge Bruins To Force Game 7


Rizzo, Cubs Agree To Seven-Year Extension

Lundquist Shuts Out Caps As Rangers Force Game 7

Mets, Valdespin Get Crushed By Pirates 11-2

Reynolds’ Pinch Hit In Tenth Gives Tribe Sweep Of Tigers

Giants Wrap Up Homestand With 5-1 Drubbing Of Braves

Astros Rally Late, Can’t Overcome 12-1 Rangers Lead

Frustration Abounds As Nats Fall To Cubs Late



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Barbara Walters Announces 2014 Retirement

Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters

Punching out after 53-year career; started with NBC’s “Today Show” in 1961

Seth Meyers To Replace Jimmy Fallon On “Late Night”

Lindsay Lohan Told She’ll be Jailed If She Changes Rehab Clinics

Halle Berry Loves Mother’s Day Because She Doesn’t Have To Plan It

NBC Cancels “The New Normal”

ABC Renews “Nashville”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Scandal”, More

Kanye West Flips Out On Photographer After Banging Head On Sign

Britney Spears And Her Brood Cruise For Coffee



FOREIGNERS
Chicom Anti-Corruption Agency Probes Top Planning Official
The EU Shadow Over David Cameron’s US Agenda
Predictably, Norks Wig Out Over USS Nimitz’ Arrival For War Games
Pope Francis Bestows Sainthood On Italians Massacred By Ottomans
Netanyahu Takes Flak Over Bed On Plane
British Tories In Fresh Turmoil Over EU
After Car Bombings, Turkey Calls For World To Act Against Syria
Boko Haram: Nigerian Opposition Rejects Emergency Rule
Australian Government Again Delays Foreign Aid Increases
Filipino Clans, Celebrities Dominate Midterm Polls



BLOGS & STUFF
Valley of The Shadow: Two Hacks Who Hate Nixon And Watergate, But Excuse Obama
Weasel Zippers: IRS Probes Extended To Groups Criticizing Government, Teaching About Constitution
Scared Monkeys: Senator Collins Disappointed That Obama Hasn’t Personally Condemned IRS Excesses
PJ Tatler: WaPo Calls For IRS To Be Investigated
Nice Deb: Pickering And Mullen Accept House Committee’s Invitation To Submit Depositions On Banghazi
Legal Insurrection: David Gregory Calls Carney’s Explanations Of Revised Talking Points “Not Accurate”
Gateway Pundit: Sorry, Libs – Whistleblower Hicks Not A Partisan Hack, He’s A Democrat
Ed Morrissey: Petraeus Called Final Benghazi Talking Points “Useless” The Day Before Rice’s Full Ginsburg
Atlas Shrugs: A Savage Culture – Jihottie
Riehl World News: Smitten Teen Girls Stir Up #FreeJahar Mania For Boston Marathon Bomber
Lonely Conservative: Happy Mothers Day
Gateway Pundit: Former Rep. Dennis Kucinich – Of Course Benghazi Talking Points Were Politically Scrubbed
Boris Johnson: We Must Be Ready To Leave The EU If We Don’t Get What We Want


Category: Live at Five

My Wife Is a Soldier’s Mom

Posted on | May 12, 2013 | 25 Comments

Today was Mother’s Day, and I realized I never got around to posting the photos of my Army son’s graduation from Infantry School. My wife cried, she was so proud of him. Here he is, wearing the infantry “blue cord,” with his favorite drill sergeant:

It was nice to see the boy all grown up and, despite all that training, still cocky as ever. Here he is during his 72-hour pass in Columbus:

Not much question where he gets the good looks, is there?

So now our son’s in Airborne school, and Monday will be his first jump. Paratroopers are divided up into “chalks” of 30 men, and the Number 15 man in the chalk is the first to jump. Hooah!

Mother’s Day is, by custom, also the final day of National Offend a Feminist Week, which Mr. G. celebrates with an entirely appropriate declaration: “Now go get me a beer.”

 

Category: Military, Mrs. Other McCain, National Offend a Feminist Week

No, You’re Not a Feminist

Posted on | May 12, 2013 | 12 Comments

Two years ago, I got in a long argument with my friend Little Miss Attila about feminism, specifically her claim that there is such a thing as “conservative feminism,” which I countered by citing the history of modern feminism from Betty Friedan to Susan Brownmiller as demonstrating that feminism always was a movement of the radical Left. And it still is, as can be seen by the ways in which feminists habitually align themselves in solidarity with other so-called “progressive” movement radicals. Consider this example, which I found in an article highlighted in the “Top Stories” feature of the blog Feministing:

Welcome to the very first post in Feministing’s new sex advice/education column! I’m Elliott, a poly queer kinky trans POC community organizer and radical sex educator. I’ve been educating folks on how to safely and consensually let their freak flags fly for 10 years. I’ve been a peer educator through Planned Parenthood’s ”Reach One Teach One” program, worked at the Sexual Offense Prevention Policy Offices of Antioch College, was a founding member of the Sex E Collective at the New School, and peddled sex toys at the feminist and queer-owned stores Smitten Kitten and Babeland.
I believe that having hot, safe(r), and consensual sex is a vital tool in reclaiming our bodies and giving patriarchy and misogyny a big old kick in the pants, as well as a potential tool for self-care and healing. I always approach this work from a body-positive, sex-positive, queer-positive, trans-positive, anti-oppressive lens . . . My framework is one that supports for all survivors of sexual assault and abuse, as well as one that stands in solidarity with folks who participate in sex work. I strongly oppose slut-shaming and victim-blaming, and want this to be a space where everyone feels comfortable bringing any and all questions.

Anyone can read that and see that there is nothing “mainstream” about it and certainly it does not reflect a conservative viewpoint. It’s about movement solidarity, and so there is the obligatory rainbow-flag-waving “poly queer kinky trans” identification, the citation of credentials that include working for Planned Parenthood, and the ritual denunciation of patriarchy and misogyny.

This is a declaration of the Left’s position on sex, offered by a self-described “radical sex educator,” and featured as a Top Story at Feministing. You cannot be a feminist if you don’t share that perspective, because the editors of Feministing do not tolerate dissent, as made clear by their comments policy:

What isn’t tolerated (and if you’re unsure, err on the side of caution):
– Blaming the victim
– Fat-shaming
– Racist, sexist, ageist, transphobic, sizeist, ableist, homophobic commentary
– Plain malice (i.e.: comments that don’t further the dialogue, but instead just harshly imply to writer that they need to educate themselves or that they are stupid) and personal attacks. Even if most of your comment is constructive, if the last line is “so thanks for that, asshole” we will probably not post it.
– Dismissal, silencing (ie: anything along lines of “Ehh, i don’t think that matters too much” or “This isn’t an issue”)
– Questioning the feminist validity of a topic or post (ie: Why do you care about this? You should really care about x, y, z because its more important)
– Derailing: Anything way off topic or leads the discussion in a completely different and unproductive from the original post

Now suppose, for example, that you think prostitution is a bad thing. YOU CANNOT BE A FEMINIST, because Feministing’s “poly queer kinky trans” radical sex columnist Elliott Fukui advocates “solidarity with folks who participate in sex work,” and disagreement would probably be considered “questioning the feminist validity” of that viewpoint. Therefore, no criticism of prostitution at Feministing.

This is what those who allege the existence of “conservative feminism” as a meaningful category fail to grasp: The Left created feminism, the Left defines what feminism is and what feminists believe, and the Left is not seeking conservative input. Conservatives are an enemy that the Left intends to destroy, and feminists are the Left’s allies in that cultural and political war of elimination.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering what  “poly queer kinky trans” radical sex educator Elliott Fukui chose as the topic of his first Feministing sex column, here’s a couple of hints:

Lubrication is going to be your best friend throughout this process. . . .
Once you have penetrated to the base of your hand . . .

Maybe you want to read the whole thing. Or maybe you don’t.

But remember: “Questioning the feminist validity” is not permitted at Feministing. Here, however, it’s still National Offend a Feminist Week, so maybe someone can explain why feminism requires lubrication.

 

Category: National Offend a Feminist Week, Sex

World’s Youngest Blogger: Did You Love Momma Today?

Posted on | May 12, 2013 | 5 Comments

If you can’t bring the cute, bring the flowers. Better still, bring both.

Category: World's Youngest Blogger

A Short Lesson in Liberal Media Bias: Has Alex Koppelman Forgotten Fitzmas?

Posted on | May 12, 2013 | 32 Comments

Scandals always highlight the disparity in how differently the media treat Republicans and Democrats. We are grateful to Alex Koppelman for this latest example:

It’s a cliché, of course, but it really is true: in Washington, every scandal has a crime and a coverup. The ongoing debate about the attack on the United States facility in Benghazi where four Americans were killed, and the Obama Administration’s response to it, is no exception. For a long time, it seemed like the idea of a coverup was just a Republican obsession. But now there is something to it.
On Friday, ABC News’s Jonathan Karl revealed the details of the editing process for the C.I.A.’s talking points about the attack, including the edits themselves and some of the reasons a State Department spokeswoman gave for requesting those edits.

How many millions of words were wasted by liberal journalists on the phony Valerie Plame “scandal,” and who ever could have doubted that it was a Democrat “obsession” — a ginned-up mountain of paranoia inspired by a minor molehill of events?

Does no one else remember how liberals pretended that Valerie Plame’s employment status at the CIA was America’s most closely-guarded national security secret, until that afternoon in July 2003 when Richard Armitage mentioned her to Bob Novak? And have we completely forgotten that the real scandal — the story Novak was actually trying to report — was the mystery of how Plame’s husband Joe Wilson, a diplomat with no genuinely relevant expertise, got the assignment to travel to Africa on a CIA-sponsored trip to investigate British intelligence reports that Iraq had obtained uranium ore from Niger? Has it also now been forgotten that, because Novak would not identify his sources, Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself) launched a witch hunt that blamed Karl Rove and/or Dick Cheney for “outing” Plame, who was not exactly a secret agent, thus leading to an investigation that resulted in the prosecution and imprisonment of Scooter Libby?

For the love of God, have we forgotten “Fitzmas,” the 2005 rumor that special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s federal grand jury was about to indict Rove or Cheney or both? Who could ever forget the ridiculous farce of “investigative journalist” Scott Leopold “reporting” in May 2006 that Rove had been indicted? I’ll bet Alex Koppelman recalls that fateful day — June 13, 2006 — when it was announced that Rove definitely would not be indicted.

All of that ridiculous “PlameGate” nonsense was taken very seriously by the mainstream media, as though it were a real scandal that might implicate the president in High Crimes and Misdemeanors, and yet it was transparently absurd from start to finish.

So fast-forward: Terrorists kill a U.S. ambassador and four other Americans in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi, and Obama administration officials — obviously concerned about political fallout during an election year — begin stacking up lies like cordwood. Everything we know about the matter leads to the conclusion that the administration failed before, during and after the attack, that they consistently lied at every step of the way, and that they’re quite likely still trying to hide the truth, especially in regard to who gave the “stand down” order to cancel a Special Operations rescue.

According to Alex Koppelman, however, this was just a “Republican obsession” until Jonathan Karl of ABC reported it, even though Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard had previously reported the same basic story about the edited Benghazi talking points.

Here’s a breaking story Koppelman might want to investigate: For a long time, it seemed like the idea of liberal media bias was just a Republican obsession. But now there is something to it.

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!





 

 

RECENTLY:

 


Category: Libya, Media Bias, Scandal

Rule 5 Sunday: In The Heat Of The Night

Posted on | May 12, 2013 | 15 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


Finally, back on schedule! Keep in mind that many of the links below are NSFW, so don’t open them where you shouldn’t.


Appropriately, we begin with Three Beers Later’s entry for Offend A Feminist Week: Hot Women With Guns! Laughing Conservative follows with a rather animated Mila Kunis, and WyBlog also noted Offend A Feminist Week in saluting Carrie Underwood for taking over Sunday Night Football. Randy’s Roundtable offers a Kelly Brookpalooza, Subject to Change has some interesting kitchen pix, and Blackmailers Don’t Shoot debuts with some Pretty Girls on a Thursday. Animal Magnetism has Rule Five Friday and the Saturday Gingermageddon, and Ninety Miles from Tyranny brings us Morning Mistress and Hot Pick of the Late Night. Fishersville Mike draws our attention to Zooey Version 2.


EBL brings home the bacon (with bonus Bjork!), and doubles down with Nigella Lawson. Also, butter!


A View From The Beach presents Doetzen Kroes (a Dutch treat), Joss Stone and some guy, a scholarly post on, er, chestplates, why sharks circle before they attack, Taiwanese talent, Orianthi, and Sex Slaves of Fairfax County.


Soylent Green’s Monday Motivationer asks, how’s your swordsmanship? Tuesday Titillation is provided by Stacey, followed by some linky-love for last week’s Rule 5 monster mashup, Humpday Hawtness Tiffany, Evening Eye-Opener Amanda, Fursday Fabulous Ginger, Corsetcare Cacophony, Overnighty Rima, and Afternooner Jeanette.


Proof Positive’s Friday Night Babe is Chiquinquira Delgado, his vintage babe of the week is Gina Gershon, Kim Basinger represents for Sex in Advertising,  and with reference to this week’s Tebow flap, there’s a Jaguars cheerleader. Dustbury has Zooey pics from the Met Ball and outside the Ed Sullivan Theater.


The DaleyGator’s DaleyBabes this week included Girls, Guns, and all the other things that upset Nanny Staters; more specifically, Winona Ryder, Selena Gomez, Chisato Morishita, Ananda Lewis, Aida Yespica, Melina Moye, Alejandra Martin, Dannie Riel, Hester Winkel, Vivi Pineda, Saffi Karina, and Carissa Rosario.


Thanks to everyone for their links! Deadline to submit links to the Rule 5 Wombat mailbox for next week’s roundup is Saturday, May 18.


 

Category: Rule 5

FMJRA 2.0: All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight

Posted on | May 11, 2013 | 3 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho

Don’t know if it’s the sudden eruption of multiple scandals surrounding our least favorite Chicago politician and his inept lackeys, people finally recovering from tax season, or just more folks having time to blog and link; maybe it was the Peter Dinklage graphic in yesterday’s Live At Five. Whatever the reason, I sure am glad to see all you folks back and linking.

A Festive Occasion!

Domestic Terrorists Teaching At Colleges?

Unsurprising Media Consensus: ‘Shut Up About Benghazi, You Stupid Republicans’

The ‘How Dare You’ Defense on Benghazi

Hope and Chains: #WarOnWomen Kidnapper Is Cuyahoga County Democrat

If @AmandaMarcotte Made You a Sandwich, Would You Eat It?

Obama Administration’s Benghazi Lies Exposed as State Department Cover-Up

FMJRA 2.0: Beer For My Horses

What Part of ‘Fuck You, Commie Scum’ Is So Hard for @BurkelyH to Understand?

Why I’m Not on the Harvard Faculty

The Highly Ironic Syrian End-Game?

You Disagree With @Instapundit At Your Peril, But I’m Going With Nicolaitanism Over Oikophobia

Rule 5 Sunday: Cinco de Mayo Massive Catching-Up Edition

Muslim Student Association Doesn’t Get Credit for Soccer League Sponsorship

Like Many Other Liberal Activists, @Political_Bill Doesn’t Like Police

LIVE AT FIVE: 05.07.13

Chip Gerdes, Remembered

To Quote Inspector Harry Callahan …

Death by Heartbreak: TV Psychic Told Mom Her Missing Daughter Was Dead

‘House of Horrors’: Kidnapped Sex Slaves Held in Chains by School Bus Driver

Cleveland ‘House of Horror’ Neighbors Called 911; Police ‘Didn’t Take It Seriously’

Occupation: Consultant

LIVE AT FIVE: 05.08.13

Monsters Could Face Death Penalty in Cleveland ‘House of Horror’ Kidnappings

LIVE AT FIVE: 05.09.13

LIVE AT FIVE: 05.10.13

Teaching Your Kids to Hate You

Whittle Breaks It Down To The Soft Drink Level For The Thirsty

The Big Benghazi Lie: State Department Deleted Key Facts From Talking Points

Has Somebody Told @Jack Dorsey That Twitter Was Invented by Ed Markey?

As a ‘Christofascist Godbag,’ I Need Some Civility Lessons From Melissa McEwan

Top linkers this week:

  1. Rick’s Rants (20 the hard way)
  2. Lonely Conservative (9)
  3. That Mr. G Guy (8)
  4. Daley Gator (7)
  5. The Camp of the Saints (6)
  6. Daily Pundit (5)

Thanks to everyone for their linkagery! Deadline to submit links to next week’s FMJRA is Friday, May 17.

Category: FMJRA Award
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