‘Etch-a-Sketch’ Estimate of Libya War Costs: $40 Million Per Month? More?

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Spencer Ackerman smashes the Obama administration’s Libya policy through a plate-glass window:

How much will the Libya war cost America, now that NATO jets are hitting Moammar Gadhafi’s forces? Good luck figuring out an answer.
Michael Donley, the secretary of the Air Force, leveled with reporters that the cost estimates for the war are coming “by the hour” now that U.S. “participation in strike operations has now gone away.”  . . .
Donley’s best estimate, given to reporters at a breakfast meeting on Tuesday, was that the war has cost the Air Force about $75 million so far, with expenses running to $4 million a day. . . .
By contrast, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress last week that without a U.S. combat role in the Libya war, he expects the bill to run to $40 million per month. That doesn’t exactly match the Air Force’s tally. By Donley’s figures, if the Air Force slashed its costs for the war in half, it would still exceed Gates’ totals — and that’s not counting the Navy’s contribution.
None of this confusion should come as a surprise. The Libya war was launched on the fly and its goals are uncertain. No wonder the war bill is written with an Etch-a-Sketch.

Keeping in mind the inherent difficulty of criticizing Obama’s Libya policy — exactly what is the policy, anyway? — I’m willing to credit Ackerman for at least being consistent in his anti-war stance. If the Benghazi Bungle has accomplished nothing else useful, it might be worth $4 million a day to slap some sense into Obama’s sycophants.

(BTW, if you didn’t get the “plate-glass window” reference: That was Ackerman’s colorful description for a strategy to defend Obama during the Reverend Wright uproar, as shared with his fellow liberals on JournoList.)

Smitty asks: does this famous estimate resemble a ‘Salvador Dali print of two blindfolded dental hygienists trying to make a circle’? Because that would make it at least kinda cool.

More On Lindsey Graham (Don’t Speak Those Four Words Too Quickly)

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by Smitty

Gateway Pundit stands at the brink of a pit and peers over at a US Senator ignoring the First Rule of Holes. It wouldn’t be so bad if Graham wasn’t in an elected office.
Like a flag burner or torcher of anyone’s scripture, Graham should be allowed to make a colossal ass of himself it it makes him happy. Unlike the first two flavors of fool, Graham is in a position to abet the scuttling of liberty via legislation.
In a Twitter conversation with Jimmie Bise a few hours back, it occurred to me that the argument about idiotic actions like flag burning and scripture torching has three dimensions:

  1. Theological–how you feel about your personal, subjective understanding of the Almighty.
  2. Political–how behavior is regulated amongst men through a State.
  3. Practical–how the subjective behavior of others plays into the discussion.

Feel free to accuse me over over-thinking the problem. Every problem has its intrinsic complexity. Oversimplification is as unhelpful as obfuscation. Let me grade Terry Jones in the three categories above.
Theologically, for Nicene Creed values of Christianity, I don’t think the guy has a leg to stand on. Show me, in the Gospels, where Jesus went further than verbal mention of Baal or Mammon. However, it’s not clear where Jone is on the traditional Christian creed.
Politically, you’re either for liberty, or not. Even when actions of that liberty are repugnant. Permitting the government to regulate stupid is, itself, un-bright. I will criticize Jones’ actions as moronic even while defending his right to undertake them.
Practically, the causal relationship argument that person B‘s moronic reaction to the actions of A can be turned into an indictment of A is an excellent litmus test. Maybe there is an exception, but I thought that in general A is responsible for A and B for B, at least among mentally competent adults. So to go connecting A to B, and saying the government should manage those connections, is about the dumbest pile of hooey imaginable. The government can’t balance its godforsaken books, and Senator Graham thinks it can handle some book burning?
Just retire, Senator Graham. You’ve identified yourself as a clueless. Your non-grasp of what the First Amendment is trying to do seems to permeate the policies you support. You seem to care about freedom of speech as much as you care about the integrity of the borders.
Terry Jones, your grasp of Christianity seems dodgy. We all need to repent more, sir. The Beatitudes states “Blessed are the peacemakers”, not pacemakers, though, by your actions, your prescription may require renewal.

Ivy League Administration Reacts Quickly to Ivy League Sexual Harassment Charges

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“Because the budget is so last week,” Wombat snarked in sharing the headline this morning:

White House targets sexual assault on campus

Wombat and other readers can be forgiven for wondering why this issue suddenly popped to the top of the administration’s agenda. But then again, we can’t afford to send our kids to Yale University and don’t usually read the New York Times, which reported last week:

A group of 16 people who filed a Title IX complaint against Yale University last month said on Thursday that the federal Department of Education had launched an investigation to review Yale’s policies for dealing with sexual harassment and assault cases.
The group, which includes current and former students, noted an episode in October when they said members of the fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon marched around chanting misogynistic and sexually derogatory slogans.
On Thursday, the group said the school’s “inadequate response” failed to eliminate a “hostile sexual environment on campus,” which violated the federal gender-equity law Title IX.

See? Our nation’s elite do not spend $49,800 a year to send their daughters to a world-class university with the expectation that their girls will hear crude chants from the Dekes. Continue reading Ivy League Administration Reacts Quickly to Ivy League Sexual Harassment Charges →

Arguments To Spike The Heart Of The Entitlement Vampire

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by Smitty

The mighty Veronique de Rugy posts about some horrid DCCC work against Ryan, and ends with:

Now, how can we make people understand that entitlement programs are not an entitlement? How do we reach out to them? 

Here are a few thoughts of mine:

  • The Math: they are a ponzi scheme. The demographics fail. Too many women too cool for motherhood, too many men confused about their wedding tackle.
  • The Experiment: the American experiment allows for leaders like FDR to try things, but wise people do not deny The Math. It is time to do something different.
  • The Constitution: the entitlements were never a federal task, and we should disabuse ourselves of this 10th Amendment violation posthaste. The argument that states cannot fund entitlements is only admission of deeper problems.
  • The News: point out how detrimental entitlements are the world over.
  • The Pride: point out that entitlements are velvet handcuffs that revert adults into whimpering babes.
  • The Practical: as Insty has famously observed, “I’ll believe it’s a crisis when the people telling me it’s a crisis start acting like it’s a crisis.” How do conservatives do that? I would say that some organization like Cato or Heritage or FreedomWorks (or a joint project of all of the above) set up a non-profit specifically targeting entitlements, where entitlement recipients can just contribute their monthly checks, or a portion, and younger folks can pledge to do so. The proceeds could then be used to advertise against federal entitlements, fund research into transition options off the entitlement crack, and maybe even push an anti-entitlement candidate or two.  The head ‘splosions on the Left when common people reject their Progressive State of America overlords promises to be delicious.  Alternately, the country may be too far gone and need to be scuttled, but I can’t get my mind around that possibility as more than theoretical.

I think this last argument is the strongest: it’s all so much talk until you pony up the frogskins.
No sane young people I know expect to rely even slightly on Social Security.
Overall, the struggle is going to be long and arduous and require a blend of arguments.

Linked by That Mr. G Guy.
Also, marfdrat, at the end of a post addressing Rep. Ryan’s excellent ideas.
A third: Subterranean Defender of Liberty.
A fourth: Political Junkie Mom.

Eric Holder Blames Congress for Blocking Trial for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

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Even when they do the right thing, the Obama administration refuses to take responsibility:

The Obama administration Monday abandoned its effort to put Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other alleged plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on trial in civilian courts, saying the accused terrorists will instead face military trials at Guantanamo Bay, in the prison President Barack Obama had promised would be closed more than a year ago.
The move, announced by Attorney General Eric Holder on the same day that Mr. Obama formally launched his bid for re-election, marked a significant reversal . . .
Mr. Holder blamed politics for the continued delay in bringing the defendants to justice.
“We were prepared to bring a powerful case against the 9/11 defendants in federal court,” he said, visibly frustrated and striking a defiant tone. “Unfortunately, members of Congress have intervened and imposed restrictions blocking the administration from bringing any Guantanamo detainees to trial in the United States.”

Daily Kos accuses Obama of “caving to fearmongers.” (Let’s hear it for fearmongers!) In an editorial, the New York Times condemns the move: “That retreat was a victory for Congressional pandering and an embarrassment for the Obama administration, which failed to stand up to it.” (Let’s hear it for pandering!)

The ACLU slams Obama for having “abandoned one of his major promises from 2008.” (Liberals have recently begun noticing this about a lot of Obama’s campaign promises.)

In his official statement, Holder accused his critics of using the KSM case for “settling ideological arguments or scoring political points.” Which is, of course, what Holder’s official statement was all about.

 Michelle Malkin has more background.

LIVE AT FIVE – 04.05.11

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TOP NEWS
FAA To Order Older Boeing 737s Checked

Southwest Airlines 737 after this weekend's midair emergency

80 737s covered; all but two owned & operated by Southwest

9/11 Suspects To Be Tried In Military Courts
Another promise hits its expiration date.

UN Peacekeepers, French Forces Strike At Gbagbo Loyalist Positions In Abidjan
UN and France choose sides in Ivorian civil war

Yemeni Forces Open Fire On Protesters
Rooftop snipers kill twelve in Taiz



POLITICS
Deeper Pockets In Fashion For 2012 Presidential Race

Is Doodad Pro ready for 2012?

Nomination could cost as much as $2 billion despite expected heavy use of social media

White House Targets Sexual Assault On Campus
Because the budget is so last week.

GOP Aims To Cut $4 Trillion From 2012 Budget
Right on cue, Dems begin scaremongering about Medicare

Schwartzenegger To Return As Comic-Book Governator
Since the reality show was such an enormous success – oh, wait…



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
TI to Buy National Semiconductor For $6.5 Billion
Bernanke Downplays Inflation Fears
US Denies Agreement With BP To Resume Gulf Drilling
Commodities Follow Oil Higher As Libya Fighting Rages
US stocks Finish Mixed In Lackluster Trading
Three Winners, One Loser In Mobile Phone Wars (Hint: Apple Didn’t Make The List)
Russian Rocket Launches New Space Station Crew
Oh, the embarrassment. >_<



SPORTS
TV Ratings For March Madness Highest Since 2005

Butler players stretch before practice

More channels, more viewers. How hard is that to figure out?

Posada Homers Again As Yankees Beat Twins (Again)




Dennis Rodman, Tex Winter Named To NBA Hall Of Fame

Bedard Back But Rusty As Rangers Beat M’s, 6-4

Mickelson Soars As Tiger Struggles Heading Into Masters

Young Starters Keep Rolling For O’s

Reward For Information In Giants Fan Beating Grows To $50K



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Exclusive Pix From Reese Witherspoon’s Wedding

Idyllic country nuptials, indeed!

Also, not-so-exclusive pix.

Kate Gosselin Worries About Finding A Real Job

Ke$ha Wants To Skinny-Dip With Britney

New York DJ & Rap Producer Busted For A Different Kind Of Public Performance

Laila Ali Welcomes A Daughter

Will Smith Joins Son Jaden On M. Night Shyamalan Space Movie

Snooki Gets Booed But Wins At Wrestlemania

Lindsay Lohan May Still Have Role In Superman Reboot

For Sale: The Nude Kate Winslet Sketch From “Titanic”

“Rock Of Love” Star Pleads Guilty To DUI

Lil’ Wayne Hit Up For Over $5 Million By IRS



FOREIGNERS
Ouattara Forces Claim Capture Of Presidential Palace In Abidjan
Libyan Rebels Get Diplomatic, Military Boost
Ai Weiwei Detained By PRC Cops
UN Plane Crashes At Kinshasa, Killing 32 Of 33 Aboard
Former Musician Michel “Sweet Mickey” Martelly Wins Clear Victory In Haiti, Will Be Next President
Malta Tells Libyan Envoy That Qaddafy Must Go
Japan May Reconsider Carbon-Reduction Pledge In Wake Of Tsunami Damage, Ongoing Fukushima Problems



BLOGS & STUFF
Paul Ryan: The GOP Path To Prosperity
That Mr. G Guy: Josh Marshall Still Flummoxed Over GOP Budget
AmSpecBlog: Time To Pre-But Falsehoods About Paul Ryan’s Budget
Another Black Conservative: Reality Wins Again – KSM To Be Tried By Military Tribunal
Michelle Malkin: Holder Blames Congress For Reversal On KSM Trial
NRO Corner: House GOP Prepares Short-Term Continuing Resolution As Talks Break Down
Cubachi: Boehner Digs In, Says $33 Billion In Cuts Not Enough
Allahpundit: 41 Democrat Senators Vow To Filibuster Budget If Planned Parenthood Defunded
National Review Online: Lindsey Graham Responds To Steyn & Stuttaford
Legal Insurrection: Enough Signatures Gathered To Recall Wisconsin Fleebagger Robert Wirch
Jawa Report: The Circle Is Now Complete
Proof Positive: Why Hillary Clinton Must Run In 2012

— compiled by Wombat-socho

Rule 5 SundayMonday: Jesus Is The Answer

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Because it doesn’t matter what the question is.

At first I thought Soylent Green had found some steampunk hotness, but then I realized I’d misread the post title (NSFW, as grease is not opaque). Later, he supplied an early Easter Egg Hunt as well.

Three Beers Later, not to be outdone, continued the March Sweater Puppy Madness in not one, but TWO posts, added some Juliana Moreira, and finally, pitted zombies vs. cheerleaders. Whew!

Mind Numbed Robot likewise kept up the March Madness, and was joined by WyBlog, who showcased the RPI cheerleaders.

Elsewhere, POH Diaries spotlighted Evan Rachel Wood and Courtney Cox (both NSFW), while A View from the Beach draws our attention to Asma al-Assad, wife of the Syrian dictator, and the Rio Norte Line offers a portfolio of sci-fi movie actresses (NSFW, maybe). Eye of Polyphemus seems to have his rules confused, but considering he submitted Sofia Vergara, a minor typo is understandable. Nation of Cowards celebrates National Cleavage Day most appropriately with a post on Keeley Hazell, while Maggie’s Notebook submits the slightly more demure (and definitely more musical) Julianne Hough.

The Camp Of The Saints slacks off a wee bit this week, delivering the usual excellent Rule 5 News but only supplementing it with a post apiece on Kate Winslet and Ruth Guerri.

The DaleyGator, on the other hand, kicked out the jams with no less than eight posts -though maybe we should deduct points for Kathy Griffin. Even coverage of the naked corruption in the Dominican Republic won’t suffice to make up for THAT. Still, the Sanaa Lathan slideshow is pretty impressive, to say nothing of Amy Adams, Mary Louise Parker, Vanessa Hudgens, Alicia Machado; and finally, an interesting mix of Marisol Nichols, Shania Twain, and some Asian gals. Yeah, I guess that makes up for the Kathy Griffin.

Dustbury draws our attention to one possible casualty of the AT&T/T-Mobile merger: T-Mobile spokesbabe Carly Foulkes, and panders shamelessly to my tastes by posting MOAR ZOOEY.

Finally, the Jerseynut makes me think better of Sarah Silverman by posting some Rule 5 of the foul-mouthed “comedienne”. She also appears to have her head on straight about anti-semitism, though that’s probably a better subject for another post.

Thanks to all for their Rule 5 links! Bloggers interested in being included in next week’s roundup should send those links to Rule 5 Wombat by midnight, Saturday April 9.

Hey, Obama’s Running for Re-Election!

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I’m sure you’re shocked to learn that Barack Obama has decided he wants to be president another four years. What may be most shocking about it is this Obama campaign ad without Obama:

Ed Morrissey noticed the obvious problem:

The Obama 2012 team released its first web ad this morning, but other than a couple of long-distance clips, Obama himself is nowhere to be seen. Equally absent — any hint of issues or claims of accomplishments

The video gets more analysis from Michael Scherer of Time:

Look at the video’s opening montage: A corn-field, a small-town church, a row of middle class homes with the stars and stripes flying on the stoop. These are not the scenes of places where Obama will find most of his voters in 2012. . . .
Obama is telegraphing his target demographics. Just look at the people who speak: A Hispanic woman from Nevada, a white guy from North Carolina, a peach-faced college kid, a white woman from Colorado, a black woman from Michigan. Notice the emphasis on women, who fill in just about every b-roll shot from the video. . . .
The most interesting quote of the video comes from the southern white guy. “I don’t agree with Obama on everything. But I respect him and I trust him.”

The RNC has a video response:

Jerry Wilson explains the basic problem of Obama 2012:

Since as of yet my unicorn has yet to arrive, I’m assuming that Obama won’t be spending any great amount of time running on fulfilled promises from the 2008 campaign. Sarcasm aside, Obama’s greatest obstacle to re-election isn’t whoever ends up the GOP nominee. It’s his own record since taking office. More specifically, the lack thereof.

And hey, I’ve got your Obama re-election slogan:

FOUR MORE YEARS
Because He Hasn’t Totally Fucked Up Everything Yet