Secretary Robert Gates Calling

I wrote  on Thursday about Pastor Terry Jones from Gainesville, Fl and his threat/plan to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11. For the moment that plan has been cancelled although there are others expressing a willingness to take over. This event has been so confusing on so many levels it reminds me a little of  Bizzaro superman in whose world everything was opposite or perhaps like Alice in Wonderland when she follows the White Rabbit into a strange universe all its own.

Let’s see, what else? Thus far I have only seen a comment from Michael Bloomberg that defended Jones’s actions under the aegis of religious freedom, no matter how distasteful they may be.

I wanted to lead with a  this is what we know approach but I am uncertain as to what we really know. For starters, the president weighed in during a press conference with his main point a defense of  Islam. He also confirmed that he ordered Sec Gates to call the Florida pastor  which seems to be  a bit of an unusual approach. He has since been questioned about what role the White House may have played in escalating the situation. Predictably, none at all was the response.

So now  a little time has passed and Jones was true to his word. He burned no Korans. There was an unidentified person who did and some others who shredded pages of the Koran. There were reports of demonstrations in Afghanistan but nothing of any consequence .Unsurprisingly, the misguided folks of  Topeka’s Westboro Baptist Church proceeded with their Koran burning as well as an American flag. The quite apropos headline on The Topeka Capital Journal website said  that the church’s flames produced little heat. No phone calls, no comments from celebrities, no demonstrations,etc.

So, are there lessons here worth learning? Michele Malkin  produced a post entitled  the ” Eternal Flame of Muslim Outrage” which detailed current and past examples of events that have stirred passions among Muslims. Some were silly, others were scary in their escalation. Ann Coulter wrote an article way back on Wednesday entitled ” Bonfire of the Insanities” which also seems well titled, even more so in retrospect. There were good points vis-a-vis Gen Petraeus comments on threats to American troops as well as the  wingnuts right to burn a  Koran, stupid though it may be.

Is there a bottom line yet other than an obscure pastor gaining unneeded notoriety? Probably not.

Related Articles

• “Westboro Baptist Church Freakazoids See Florida Pastor’s Koran Burning and Raise Him One Koran and an American Flag” and related posts (dougpowers.com)
• How the Koran-burning pastor became an international story (guardian.co.uk)

Justice Elena Kagan

Same song, second verse. On May 27 of last year I wrote about Sonia Sotomayor and  named her as a Supreme Court justice well before the vote took place. Since that proved to be  a no-brainer decision, thought I would just repeat the process in what is proving to be an annual event for the President, the nomination of  a new member of the Supreme Court.

Today was the first day of the hearings, the most pro forma day I guess. What have we learned? Can’t  use the experience line that was used last year so the refreshing change is the phrase  de jour. Senator  Feinstein calls her brilliant and the President calls the arguments against her “thin gruel ,” whatever that is.

The President also rejected the contention that he was remaking the court to suit himself, citing two  interesting names who support Ms Kagan’s nomination. This is almost funny. One is Ted Olson, who one thinks would know better. The other is Kenneth Starr, yep that Kenneth Starr. Bet  Bill Clinton freaked when he heard that name from his past.

So, we can could  call it  a dog and pony show except  I like dogs too much. Or we could use Rush’s label. It will be the ” don’t ask, don’t tell” hearings. Better yet, call off the hearings, have the vote and get it over with. Might save some money that way. Still, it would be great if someone like Ann Coulter or even George Will were providing questions. Nice try Sen Sessions.

Senator Reid Got Absolution-Right or Wrong

The comment made by the august majority leader of the U S Senate, Harry Reid, Democrat, Nevada concerning the candidate Obama is much in the news. Although the comment would have to be considered racially insensitive or worse, the President has in effect told Reid, no big deal, everything’s cool; let’s  move forward.

And, so say many prominent dems; Feinstein and Sharpton among them. The media is generally on board also with only those noxious Republicans refusing to play nice an d get on the real business of running the country. He has apologized they say, to the president and  any number of other black leaders.

I am much more interested in reaction/non-reaction, than in what Reid actually said. The first thing that gets my attention is that the comment was made in 2008. No apology has been forthcoming until the book recounting it  came out. Politically expedient apology- yep. CBS had the authors on “60 Minutes,” the home planet of hard-hitting no holds barred questioning. Somehow they forgot to ask a question  about Reid’s comment.

There are other things about which I wonder. Why so quick to brush it aside when questions about Limbaugh/McNabb still resurface from time to time? And, what the controversy that actually sunk Senator George Allen’s re-election campaign and made Jim Webb a star? And, of course we have the Trent Lott situation, an event that multiple democrats( Landrieu, Gore, among others)used quite well to force Lott from guess what, Senate Majority Leader? Great verbal battle yesterday on this issue with Ann Coulter winning a TKO over Al Sharpton.

Reckon Reid  will have to step down? Nah. But maybe November, 2010 could bring about a change, hmmm?

The Time Magazine 100

Verrry interesting issue of Time in which it chooses the 100 most influential people in the world  and then has some other famous person write about that individual. No need to peruse the entire list, but there are some gems, both in the people on the list, who commented on them and what they said.

Onward and upward. El Rusbo (huzzah!) is present on the list and his profile is written by Glen Beck. Well done on both counts. Sarah Plain makes the list with a profile by Ann Coulter that  I found a bit lacking. Oh, but it  gets better. Who, but the Oprah could be on the list and also write a profile of someone else. The Oprah wrote a” heartfelt” tribute to Michelle ( I wear $540 tennis shoes when working with the poor and they did not come from Target) Obama. The oprah is profiled in turn by Diane Sawyer. According to one comment I read by Douglas LeBlanc of Get Religion , all but nominates the Oprah for sainthood. Read a portion of what she wrote;…” How on earth can you summarize Oprah?If she were a destination,it would be the place where joy serves the world’s greatest need.” Wow. Wouldn’t you have liked to write that in someone’s high school yearbook?

ted turner and T Boone Pickens swap tributes, how nice.Of course, Barack is there and George Clooney. How about Zac Efron(read People) , Ted Kennedy, profiled by Arnold. There may be another post or three in this list. Haven’t even gotten to Bono/Clooney or Rick Warren who is there twice or Hilary or the numerous folks with whom I need to become  more familiar. So, more to come, no doubt.

George of Clooney

They Are Out to Get Him

First the him, Rush Limbaugh. Second is a bit more involved and might take a lot longer to write than I would want. We could say the  Democrat Party and that would be accurate but not necessarily new. What we are seeing is an open, orchestrated campaign by a sitting President to demonize or  destroy(or pick a word of your choice) a member of the media.

Playing open and obvious roles are the president himself, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and assorted advisers and Democrat pooh bahs which include James  Carville,  David Axelrod, Paul Begala, Stanley Greenberg,etc. Various and sundry talk shows including Chris Matthews, David Schuster of MSNBC among others are trying to get Republican politicians to denounce El Rushbo.  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if  Secretary Clinton gets involved since her husband has been taking a few shots at Rush already.

Those with a little age and/or political perspective are probably aware that Nixon had an enemies list that contained numerous names but wasn’t quite this public. Seems Obama has a one person enemies list. But beware of Democrat denizens, lying in the weeds, so to speak are such luminaries as Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Rodger  Hedgecock et al. Let the games begin!

Oh, by the way, there is a little thing  called freedom of  the press, first amendment, U S Constitution, that sort of thing.

Obama Vs Limbaugh

The gauntlet has been thrown, the battle joined, the “enemy” identified. Obama says don’t listen to Rush, that’s not the way things get done here.A sitting president going after a media figure, hmm, shades of RMN, Richard of Nixon, who took the concept of list- making to a new level. So, will Obama keep his list at one? Will he add Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz, Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly? The list could go on and on, I suppose since we are only in week one of his administration.

Would you like to be on  Obama’s enemies list? Keep promoting the conservative line and maybe you too could become a member of the list. Hilary called it a vast, right-wing conspiracy, so we need a catchy title. Perhaps Limbaugh’s Legions, Beck’s Brigades, Coulter’s Cavalry. I guess one could be a part of more than one group but that might confuse the liberals in the drive-by media too much.

Remember rule#13 from rules for radicals.

” Pick the target,freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

Our Newest Senator ?

No, this isnt about Roland Burris who has yet to be seated but maybe, possibly, perhaps, could be, will be  inevitably sworn in as the junior senator from Illinois . This is a potentially scarier prospect by far. The latest numbers in the neverending recount show Franken ahead of incumbent Norm Coleman and on the verge of proclaiming victory. Predictably, Coleman is challenging as Franken probably would do and in fact has done.

Ann Coulter has written at least three times on this fiasco in the making; on December 3, 10 and 17th. To me just the titles are very apropos in describing this situation. Ergo, ‘”The Cleanest State Meets the Pushiest Person”, “Minnesota Ballots: Land of 10,000 Fakes “, and ” One Plus One Equals 20 Extra Votes For Franken”. Being a pessimist in theses matters, I have a really strong feeling that Franken will ultimately be declared the winner, when, and by whom, yet to be determined.

Coulter predicted on December 3 that the recount would go on and on and on  and so it has. Franken initially trailed by 795 votes and now leads by 200 + votes. So, a campaign that began in February 2007 grinds inexorably to a close. Senator Al Franken ?  What next , Senator Chris Matthews of Senator Jon Stewart?

Here They Go Again

Author, columnist and all-round good conservative American Ann Coulter is one of the most popular targets of the drive-by-media . No doubt she expects and even relishes such from time to time . However, their current attacks seem somewhat sophomoric  and almost a waste of computer space .

Seems that Chairman Ann recently suffered a fall and had to have her jaw wired shut ( Get well soon Ann ) . That has sparked a round of ” insults ” or ” jokes” depending on your point of view .A magazine  that I currently subscribe to,  The Week , generally serves as a compilation of information from other sources. This they came up with on their own.

” Blessed silence , after professional antagonist Ann Coulter injured herself in a fall and had to have her jaw wired shut . “

Come on now people, what is the need of attacking in that way. Try these from Mark Adams.

• Rush- to have incurable laryngitis
• Bill O’Reilly – kidnapped and no ransom being paid .

Other such silliness came from the LA Times and ” Ready 2 Beat ” who repeat a Democrat quote that  only God could silence Ann and that her  broken jaw is an early Christmas gift for many .

Guess what folks , she still has access to a keyboard !

Office of the President – Elect

I had never realized that such an office existed . Or to quote Ann Coulter. ” Is he kidding ? That’s an  “office ” ? When did all this happen ? Have I been asleep for 40 years ? Am I INSANE  ? “

But we should not be surprised when a national news magazine  hailed Mr Obama as the best president- elect ever . There are awards for this ?

And , not to be outdone Joe ( i was just kidding when i endorsed McCain )  Lieberman said that Obama had picked a perfect Cabinet . And , just one more, political scientist , Larry Sabato thinks ( guess he is serious ) we should strongly consider condensing the time between election and inauguration, probably just a coincidence, huh ?

Do you think that becoming president will be a demotion even ? Stay tuned . While you wait , ponder this. Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt is under consideration for a position in the Obama administration . How could I have missed that in list of possible cabinet members ?