‘F*** JOHN McCAIN!’

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That was the complete text of a Twitter message — except I spelled out the first word — I sent when I heard about this:

Mr. McCain mocked Tea Party-allied Republicans in the House for believing — wrongly, he said — that President Obama and Democrats will get the blame for a default if Republicans refuse to increase the nation’s debt ceiling.
By that flawed logic, “Democrats would have no choice but to pass a balanced budget amendment and reform entitlements and the Tea Party Hobbits could return to Middle Earth,” he said, quoting a Wall Street Journal editorial.
“This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O’Donnell into G.O.P. nominees,” he jeered, referring to two losing Tea Party candidates for the Senate in 2010.

(Video via Eric Scheiner at CNSNews.com.)

If there were any justice in the world . . . Well, it probably wouldn’t be wise to finish that sentence. But I think you see why I supported J.D. Hayworth in last year’s Arizona primary, and why I bragged on Election Day 2008: “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for Bob Barr.” However, I felt it necessary to apologize to my Twitter followers today:

And this seems like a good time to remind readers that I’m raising money for a shoe-leather trip to Iowa.





UPDATE: Ed Morrissey offers a Tolkienesque rejoinder:

By the way, just in case in you don’t recall … the hobbits win in Lord of the Rings. They got a lot of ridicule from the elite and the powerful along the way, but they end up saving the West from ruinous destruction.

And just in case anyone’s discouraged by these RINO gestures from twerps like Crazy Cousin John, remember that the Democrats don’t have their act together, either:

Dem lawmaker: ‘Nobody I know’ has seen Reid plan

UPDATE II: This is the fun stuff:

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he ordered GOP lawmakers to “get your ass in line” behind his debt proposal during an interview Wednesday on a conservative radio show.
“My goal is to continue to work with all our members so we get them to the point where they say ‘yes,’ ” Boehner said on Laura Ingraham’s radio show.

UPDATE III: As of this writing (3:18 p.m. ET) the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down nearly 200 points. I blame John McCain.

UPDATE IV: Ace of Spades has some good stuff.

Herman Cain: He’s In It To Win It

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Late Tuesday night, I had about 45 minutes of frustrated confusion when California writer Jim Henson sent a couple of Twitter messages to Shane Vander Hart and me:

My reaction to that — knowing that such a rumor could have no basis in fact — was something like, “WTF?” To which Henson replied:

Well, you can’t just say stuff like that without any backup, so I asked Henson to send me a link to the article he was talking about. Meanwhile, I started furiously Googling and failed to turn up any such thing. Finally, Henson found the article — an unsourced item by “Race 4 2012” blogger Matt Coulter:

So my prediction? Herman Cain will stay in until the day after the Ames Straw Poll, then drop out and endorse Mitt Romney. . . .

What Coulter was reacting to was (a) the fact that Cain canceled a planned appearance this week on “The Colbert Report”; and (b) a report that Cain had canceled a scheduled Aug. 6 event in Iowa. As to (a) there was a scheduling conflict and as to (b) it ain’t exactly so.

This morning I called Cain spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael, who explained that the “canceled” Iowa event had never been on the schedule at campaign headquarters. One of Cain’s local supporters had wanted to have the candidate at that event, but Cain had already made plans to be somewhere else on Aug. 6, and so it was reported as “canceled” even though it had never been officially scheduled.

Ellen Carmichael was kind of miffed that Matt Coulter (or anyone else) would write something like that without calling her first. She is super-easy to reach — (678) 601-2772 or e-mail [email protected] — if any reporter or blogger has questions about the campaign.

So before anybody else goes writing something nutty like that again, please call Ellen first. Continue reading Herman Cain: He’s In It To Win It →

Nancy Pelosi’s Class-Warfare Rant: ‘We Get the Sacrifice, They Share the Wealth’

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San Francisco multi-millionaire populism:

“The budget deficit is an excuse for the Republicans to undermine government plain and simple. They don’t just want to make cuts, they want to destroy. They want to destroy food safety, clean air, clean water, the department of education. They want to destroy your rights. . . .
“[House Speaker John Boehner] has said that between him and the president they have a different vision of America and that’s how come their budget proposals are different. Quite different . . . We get the sacrifice, they share the wealth.”

“We”? We? And “sacrifice”? Sacrifice?

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s net worth skyrocketed 62% last year, to a jaw-dropping $35.2 million, according to financial disclosure forms released [June 15].

What a transparent phony! The great comfort is that she will never — never — be House Speaker again.

I Have, In Fact, Fathered One Ridiculously Handsome Fellow

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by Smitty

Not to get too cocky about matters, lest the Almighty put me in check, but the World’s Youngest Blogger really sports a surfeit of cute. I told him that his name is Niklas Dietrich Smith. Then I told him that, as a result of government irresponsibility, he was starting out in the hole 60 large:

That’s a 9 pound, nearly 2 foot long piece of pissed off American right there. Fortunately, we calmed him down for a better pose with dad:

So, yeah, I may be a little busy doing the daddy thing here the next few days.

Obama Kabuki Wrecking Your 401(k)

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Let’s see: Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped another 91 points Tuesday, down to 12,501.30, having lost 223 points in the past three sessions. If stocks are down, then bonds are up, right? Nope:

Treasuries fell [Tuesday], eroding a gain from [Monday], as President Barack Obama threatened to veto House Speaker John Boehner’s plan to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and reduce spending by $3 trillion.
The U.S. may have its top-level credit rating cut as politicians struggle to reach an agreement on how to increase the federal borrowing limit, a step needed to keep paying its debts, according to BlackRock Inc. and Loomis Sayles & Co. The Treasury is scheduled to sell $35 billion of five-year debt today, the second of three note auctions this week.

Hmmmm. Stocks down and bonds down. So . . .

Gold futures rose for the third straight session as the prolonged U.S. debt stalemate boosts demand for the precious metal as a haven. . . .
Gold futures for December delivery rose $4.90, or 0.3 percent, to settle at $1,619.30 an ounce at 1:48 p.m. on the Comex in New York. Earlier, the price fluctuated between gains and losses. The August contract reached a record $1,624.30 yesterday.

You should have listened to Glenn Beck!

UPDATE: And gold goes even higher:

Gold forged a record high above $1,625 per ounce (in London) on Wednesday, as investors parked their cash in the precious metal in the face of heightened concerns over a potential US default.
The price of gold struck $1,625.70 an ounce at about 0600 GMT on the London Bullion Market, beating the previous record of $1,624.07 that was hit on Monday.
“The threat of default by the world largest economy has led gold to a fresh peak above $1,625 this morning,” said FastMarkets analyst James Moore.

(Hat-tip: Don Surber.)

PREVIOUSLY:


LIVE AT FIVE – 07.27.11

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— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Motion In Debt Ceiling Debate?

Speaker John Boehner: driving the debate despite Dem childishness

No love for Boehner’s new proposal, but Senate Dems no longer insisting on tax increases

Norway Domestic Intel Chief: Breivik Lone Wacko
No evidence of links to EDL, other “far right” groups, or even other cells

Landslides Kill 16 In South Korea
Heavy rains pound Seoul, Chuncheon



POLITICS
Blagojevich Seeks New Trial

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich

Claims judge denied him the presumption of innocence; lawyers interviewing jurors

Congressman Wu (D-OR) To Resign Rather Than Face Ethics Probe




Huntsman Building Organization In New Hampshire

Jeffs’ Trial Forces Choice On Fundamentalist Mormons

Memphis City Schools Approve Budget Compromise, Will Start On Time

Congressman Gutierrez (D-IL) Arrested During White House Deportation Protest

Governor Brown Nominates Goodwin Liu For California Supreme Court

Environmentalist Wacko To Be Sentenced For Fake Energy Lease Bids

JCS Chairman Nominee Warns Against Deep Cuts To Defense



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Home Sales And Prices Reflect Crappy Economy
Nissan Beats Expectations As Quake Recovery Continues
IMF Warns “Clock Ticking” On US Debt Deal
Is August 2 A Real Deadline?
Lack Of Progress On US Debt Lifts Gold, Stocks Remain Flat
Soros Returns Investor Funds, Says Regulatory Red Tape Leading Him To Bow Out Of Public Hedge Fund Management
Treasuries Rise As Speculation Increases Demand For Two-Year Notes
Oil Falls After Industry Report Shows US Stockpile Increase
First Walmart Express Opens Today In Chicago
First Windows “Mango” Phone Unveiled
Amazon Q2 Sales Up 51%, Outlook Bullish
Al Franken Urges Regulators To Kill AT&T/T-Mobile Merger
Facebook Debuts “Facebook For Business” As Google+ Kills Company Profiles



SPORTS
Braves Win 19-Inning Marathon On Controversial Play

Pirates SP James McDonald

Julio Lugo called safe by umpires although it appeared Pittsburgh catcher Michael McKenry had tagged him out
After blown call costs Pirates, can we please have expanded replay?

Mariners Reach New Low After C.C. Sabathia K’s 18 En Route To 17th Defeat

Olympic Skier Jeret Peterson Commits Suicide

Is Dononvan McNabb On His Way To The Vikings?

One Year To Go Until London Olympics

Dodgers Score Three In Fourth, Edge Rockies

Trumbo & Weaver Lead Angels Past Indians

Phillies Rookie Worley Tames Giants With 3-hitter

NBA Shelves Annual Rookie Transition Program Due To Lockout

Washington Falls Into Cellar As Johnson, McKeon Manage One For The Aged

Nats Deal Prospects For Reds OF Gomes



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Crystal Harris Has Parting Shots For Hefner

Former Hefner fiancee Crystal Harris

Sad, predictable “news” about Hefner’s sex life

Amy Winehouse Cremated After Emotional Funeral

The Prequel They Said Would Never Happen: Introducing The New “Sex And The City” Girls

Gene Simmons Pops The Question To Shannon Tweed

“Walking Dead” Shocker: Frank Darabont To Step Down



Christopher Schwartzenegger Home From Hospital After Surfing Accident

Sneak Peek: George Clooney’s “Ides Of March”

Mimi Leder Tackles “All Quiet On The Western Front”

Veteran Character Actor G.D. Spradlin Dies, 90
Played the general in “Apocalypse Now”



FOREIGNERS
Norway’s Domestic Intel Chief: Breivik Is Evil, Not Insane (Video)
Turban Bomber Kills Mayor Of Kandahar, Self
PM Cameron’s Sorry Retreat Over Qaddafi
US To Oppose Palestinian Recognition At UN
India Looks For Cooperative Relationship With Pakistan, Says External Affairs Minister
Mexico Jails US-Born Teenage Hitman For Drug Murders
Tropical Storm batters Philippines, 10 Dead 5 Missing



BLOGS & STUFF
NRO’s Corner: Grading The Plans
Wall Street Journal: The GOP’s Reality Test
Investor’s Business Daily: A Spine Grows In GOP Land
Yid With Lid: Obama Has GOP Set To Take The Fall For Credit Rating Downgrade
Lonely Conservative: Debt Ceiling Fatigue – Update – Or Is It Obama Fatigue?
Allahpundit: Oof. CBO Says Boehner Plan Saves Less Than $1 Trillion Over Ten Years, Less Than $1 Billion This Year
Legal Insurrection: Two-Step Program
Fred Thompson: An Open Letter To The GOP
Pirate’s Cove: President Snippy Pants Spokesweasel Says “Plan? We Don’t Need No Steenking Plan?
Ed Driscoll: Two Papers In One!
Clayton Cramer: Fast & Furious
PJ Tatler: Paul Ryan Supports Boehner Plan
Michelle Malkin: The Unhappy Meal Makeover
Because you’re a bad parent who can’t make the right choices yourself. :facepalm:

MSM Goes LGF: Media Trying to Blame Norway Massacre on Pamela Geller?

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Donald Douglas at American Power has “a little round-up of those exploiting the dead to destroy their political enemies.” POH Diaries describes this as the functioning of an “anti-anti-jihad movement.” As for the MSM Demon of the Day, Pamela Geller’s basic rule of combat is, “Mess With the Bull, You Get the Horns“:

Needless to say, I have been fielding calls from an agenda-driven media hellbent on destroying the freedom-loving voices on the right with the acts of a lone psychopath. NBC Nightly News is calling (that’s a first). And Robert Spencer is besieged with media requests. . . .
Instead of mourning the 91 victims of this horrible tragedy, the media is wielding it like a club to bludgeon the voices of freedom.
Are celebrities responsible for their stalkers? Were the Beatles responsible for Charles Manson? Or Jodie Foster responsible for the shooting of Ronald Reagan? Of course not.
But the sharia-compliant media is naked in their blood libel to tie this murderer to everyone of us who fight for human rights, the rule of law, the dignity of the human person, free speech, the free conscience, and equality of rights for all. Why doesn’t the media ever call out Islamic imams who really do incite to violence for their real calls to kill?

It’s amazing, really. No matter how many times some guy named Mohammed screams “Allahu akbar!” before committing a bloody atrocity, the media insist we must not stigmatize or stereotype Muslims as responsible for terrorism committed in the name of Islam. But let one Norwegian nutjob go berserk, and suddenly Pamela Geller’s getting calls from major news organizations wanting to get her on-the-record response to a crime she never endorsed, advocated or condoned.

What is lost in moments like this a sense of proportion about the dangers we face. What is the real threat on a daily basis? The awful carnage in Norway — a terrible crime, universally condemned by all — is being used by the mainstream media to distract us from an important point that Rusty Shackleford explains in two simple sentences:

A day doesn’t go by in which Muslim extremists don’t kill. Not a single day.

If radical right-wing Norwegians were killing daily — constantly, deliberately, routinely — in the same way that Islamic extremists are killing, then it might deserve an in-depth media inquiry into the influences and “connections” of the Deadly Scandinavian Menace.

But that’s not what’s really happening, is it? Continue reading MSM Goes LGF: Media Trying to Blame Norway Massacre on Pamela Geller? →

‘War Hero’ Who Attested to John Kerry’s Vietnam Heroism Turns Out to Be Liar and Kiddie Porn … Um, ‘Researcher’

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You know I’m having kind of a lazy day on the blog when — twice in a single day — I’m like, “Hey, did you see that awesome story Ace had two hours ago?” Anyway . . .

Wade Sanders was the “Swift Boat” officer who introduced Courageous Vietnam War Hero John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention:

During the 2004 campaign, Sanders functioned as Kerry lead attack dog against the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, repeatedly denouncing the veterans on the air as liars and comparing them to Nazi propagandists.

If Sanders had been a Republican (or a Catholic priest) you might have heard a bit more about this little news item a few years ago:

Agents took Wade Rowland Sanders into custody on November 7 [2008] following a two-and-a-half year investigation. They say — and Sanders, in court, admitted — he had hundreds of images showing minors in sexual acts. The files included a 21-minute video depicting young girls engaged with an adult man, court records obtained by the San Diego Union Tribune indicate.
So why would his motives be “pure and innocent,” as Wade Sanders is quoted as saying in the Tribune‘s report? He had worked with the Clinton administration on helping child sex abuse victims internationally, he says, and had downloaded the files to research an article related to the subject. He claims he didn’t know viewing the material for research purposes would constitute a crime.
“I have no sexual attraction to children whatsoever,” Sanders tells the paper. “There was no evil intent.”

Ah, yes — the old “research” defense: Your honor, I didn’t actually mean to rob that bank. I was just researching the psychological impact of waving a pistol in the face of a bank teller!

(Aside: Did you ever notice that it’s always “hundreds of images” in these arrests? Never just one or two.)

OK, so it’s really awful that this guy turned out to be a creepazoid felon doing a three-year stretch in prison, but he’s still a legit war hero, right? Eh, not so much:

The Navy Times (no link) reported last week that Navy Secretary Ray Mabus stripped the Silver Star from a Vietnam swift boat veteran, Capt. Wade Sanders . . . Sanders is  . . .  best known as the man who introduced John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and, ironically, vouched for the authenticity of Kerry’s service.

C’mon, Ben Smith, “ironically”? Because if you really think about it, there’s no irony at all: John Kerry is a dishonest braggart, and who else is going to “vouch for the authenticity” of a dishonest braggart’s tale, except a craven liar?

 John Kerry is a “hero.” Wade Sanders is a “researcher.”

And I’m not stealing Ace’s stuff, I’m paying tribute.