From the Morning Examiner

Morning Examiner: Obama's secret plan
By Conn Carroll

President Obama has a secret plan. He told Iowans Monday his “very specific plan” would boost the economy, create jobs, and control the deficit. What are the details of this plan? Sorry, Obama has to travel to Martha’s Vineyard for a ten day vacation first.

According to National Journal, Obama’s secret plan is part of a new White House strategy to counter the “growing perception that President Obama is a weak leader.” Apparently, the president’s senior advisers believe Libya, Egypt, and the debt hike debate “have done serious damage to his leadership image.” The polling backs this belief up. NJ reports: “In April 2009, Gallup found 73 percent of Americans who said that Obama was a “strong leader.” In May 2010, that had declined to 60 percent. In March 2011, Gallup had it down to 52 percent. There has been no more recent polling on that issue.” And that leadership fall all happened before Libya and the debt hike.

Obama’s solution? Blame Congress. But how can Obama blame Congress for his own leadership failures? That is where the “very specific” secret plan comes in. Obama hopes to convince Americans that 1) he has a plan to cut the debt and create jobs, and 2) only “unreasonable” Republicans in Congress stand between America and success. Will it work? That depends on how compliant the press is.

Obama has not submitted a specific plan to address the debt since he submitted his budget to Congress in February. That plan was rejected by the Senate 97-0. Obama has since given many speeches about the debt, but as Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf testified to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, “We don’t estimate speeches. We need much more specificity then was provided in that speech for us to do our analysis.”

If Obama does submit his “very specific plan” to the CBO so that it can be scored on an equal footing with the Republican budget, then the country will benefit from a great debate. But if Obama just gives another speech, backed up only by bogus economic projections from his Office of Management and Budget, then his secret plan should be exposed for the fraud that it is.

Around the Bigs
The Wall Street Journal, Obama Aims to Keep White Voters on Board: President Obama’s taxpayer-paid Midwest trip is allowing him to address a central challenge for his re-election: His very low approval ratings among white voters. While white working class voters already chose Republicans over Obama by 18 points in 2008, the gap has opened up to 30 points today.

The Wall Street Journal, Wal-Mart Frets Over Uncertainty: Wal-Mart Chief Financial Officer Charles Holley told investors on a conference call Tuesday: “Our core customer continues to be strained. The volatility in the headlines doesn’t help the customer. They are really stretched right now.” Last week, more upscale retailers like Macy’s and JC Penny’s also said their customers are worried about the economy as well.

The New York Times, Europe’s Debt Crisis Weakens Quarterly Growth: Official figures released Tuesday showed that the Germany economy has slowed to a standstill and growth across Europe has fall to its lowest rate in two years. The data show that uncertainty generated the debt and economic problems in countries like Greece and Italy is infecting the rest of the 17-country euro zone.

The Los Angeles Times, Firearms from ATF sting linked to 11 more violent crimes: The Obama Justice Department has admitted to Congress that weapons from ATF’s botched Operation Fast and Furious investigation have turned up at the scenes of at least 11 violent crimes across the United States.

The Washington Examiner, Barone: Harry S. Obama?: Michael Barone explains that Obama is unlikely to repeat President Harry Truman’s comeback 1948 reelection campaign.

The Wall Street Journal, Unions Set for New Battle in Turf War: The National Union of Healthcare Workers is expected to file charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that Kaiser Permante, the largest private health care employer in the state, gave the Service Employees International Union preferential treatment in the last union election.

Public Policy Polling, Sentiment moving against Walker recall: According to the latest PPP poll, 50 percent of Wisconsin voters oppose a recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, while 47 percent are in favor. Those numbers are flipped from PPP’s last Wisconsin poll, in May, which found 50 percent in support of a recall and 47% opposed.

Campaign 2012
GOP Field: According to a Rasmussen poll released yesterday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry now leads former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by 11 points, 29 to 18 percent. Rep. Michele Bachmann came in third with 13 percent.

Perry: Texas Gov. Rick Perry refused to retract or apologize for saying about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Monday, “If this guy prints more money between now and the election … we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas.” On Tuesday, Perry explained: “I am just passionate about the issue, and we stand by what we said.”

Righty Playbook
Breitbart.tv caught MSNBC’s Ed Schultz selectively editing video of Perry saying, “That big black cloud that hangs over America, that debt that is so monstrous,” to just “That big black cloud that hangs over America, is so monstrous.” Schultz used the doctored to quote to accuse Perry of racism.

Under the header Rick Perry’s bad, Obama-style medicine, Michelle Malkin calls Perry “Governor Gardasil, R-Merck.” and lays into him for “his odious Gardasil vaccine mandate for children.”

Lefty Playbook
Brendan Nyhan pops liberal dreams that Obama could be the next Truman, pointing out that in 1948 the U.S. economiy was growing at a sizzling 6.8 percent clip.

Daily Kos Joan McCarter links to an MSNBC transcript where Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., tells Chuck Todd that Democrats will not be pushing an increase in the Super Congress. McCarter comments: “The “everything but tax increases is on the table” strategy is the one the Republicans are pushing. It’s not entirely helpful to have it come from the Democratic side, too.”

The Washington Post‘s Brad Plummer makes the case that Claifornia’s high-speed rail project is not a boondoggle … yet.

Michelle Malkin

The Hate Speech Inquisition

There isn't a shred of evidence that deranged Tucson massacre suspect Jared Loughner ever listened to talk radio or cared about illegal immigration. Indeed, after 300 exhaustive interviews, the feds "remain stumped" about his motives, according to Tuesday's Washington Post. But that hasn't stopped a coalition of power-grabbing politicians, progressive activists and open-borders lobbyists from plying their quack cure for the American body politic: government-sponsored speech suppression.

++ Read More

Michelle's Column on CTTP

CTTP Crash the Tea Party

Alinsky's Avenging Angels: Tea Party Saboteurs

The latest effort to smear Tea Partiers involves self-appointed agents provocateurs who are organizing a "Crash the Tea Party" campaign to discredit the April 15 Tax Day Tea Party by making up bogus racist signs and providing false portrayals of grassroots activists to the press. An online punk, Jason Levin, is spearheading the infiltration effort to "act on behalf of the Tea Party in ways which exaggerate their least appealing qualities" and "damage the public's opinion of them." Never mind that public opinion polls now show that the majority of Americans stand with the core principles of fiscal responsibility espoused by Tea Party activists.

Levin may be a lone wolf operator, but he has many fellow travelers in the Democratic establishment and left-wing fever swamps. And their efforts wouldn't be possible without friendlies in the press who have openly insulted Tea Party activists with endless vulgar sexual taunts and Taliban comparisons.

A few months ago, Craig Varoga -- a Washington-based Democratic political operative and overseer of a convoluted, money-shuffling web of political action committees -- launched "TheTeaPartyisOver.org" to target Republicans who supported the Tea Party movement. The site declared that it would prevent the "radical" and "dangerous" fiscal accountability agenda from "gaining legislative traction." Varoga's money funneling is designed to obscure the Big Labor/progressive funding of his enterprises under the umbrella of his "American Public Policy Center (APPC)."

After conservative blogs and Fox News exposed his deceptive web of grassroots groups, Varoga password-protected his website so that the Democratic plotting against Tea Party activists could be conducted out of view.

The rest is here. Get educated and get prepared.

This Is What I'm Warning Ya'll About

By now you probably know that a GOP fundraiser and her boyfriend were beaten Staurday night in New Orleans. The immediate story was that they were wearing Palin pins and that is what precipitated the attack.

The Brennan’s Beatdown: Piecing Together A Story (Updated, 8:47 p.m)

.....the author of a post on the Iron Rail blog boasting about vandalizing three banks in the French Quarter. Don’t hit the link if profanity bothers you; what you need to know about it is this:

We also did this for New Orleans, in the initial phase of our project to expel capital from our beautiful home.This ain’t no fall trend. Increasingly, righteously bad behavior becomes a part of our everyday routine. Thinking, talking, making – these things are insufficient in a society that co-opts any and everything except that which attacks directly.There is no reason to be scared. You, too, can fight.

First, Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin tells us that Alle Bautsch was not wearing a Palin pin. And neither was Joe Brown. So that’s an allegation which has been disputed.

Second, as far as the Jindal administration is concerned they do not have evidence at this time that the attack on Bautsch and Brown was directly related to the protest. We have a report, as you’ll see below, that the attack was politically motivated, and we’re looking forward to full confirmation of that fact. But the two are not necessarily at odds; our understanding is that Bautsch and Brown remained at Brennan’s after the fundraiser was over and by the time they left there wasn’t much of a protest going on – so if we’ve given the impression that the attack occurred as a result of fundraiser attendees having to run a gauntlet of Democrats upon leaving the restaurant we’d like to correct that right now; that is not our understanding.

Third, since the attack itself appears to have come from assailants who apparently either followed the victims (which we think is most reasonable, given that Brennan’s is located half a block from a police station) or happened upon them and decided to express displeasure with Republican politics in an unacceptably demonstrable fashion, a facet of this we’re actively looking into is the nature of the protest itself. As we noted in the original post here, a group of self-described “anarchists” claim to have disrupted the event and there are snippets of information – or were – following the event in which people holding themselves out as protestors bragged about confrontations with evil Republicans they’d had on Friday.

Jump over to the Hayride and read the whole thing. Michelle has a post up encouraging us to hold off on assuming that the attack was politically motivated, but Gateway Pundit has some more info, and The Hayride is standing by the Palin pin report.

Kristinn has posted some good info here.

I love that the blog is called the Hayride. The Louisisana Hayride, for all you toddlers out there, was a country music radio show that featured Hank Williams. He'd sign off saying, "Put the biscuits on, I'll be home soon, Bocephus."

More On the Offshore Oil Bravo Sierra

Obama opens up offshore drilling...or does he?

The headlines read that President Obama is opening up the oil spigots and attempting to wean America off its dependence on foreign oil. But that's what the headlines read - what's the rest of the story? Rep. Mike Pence says this: “As usual the devil is in the details. Only in Washington, D.C., can you ban more areas to oil and gas exploration than you open up, delay the date of your new leases and claim you’re going to increase production."
Michelle Malkin has the details HERE.

Employers 'unexpectedly' cut jobs
Experts should really stop trying to predict the jobs numbers because they never get it right and Americans are mislead to think it's shocking news. The latest numbers are no exception - experts say the month of March saw 'unexpected' job reductions by employers. Unexpected to who? The Marxists who think big government actually works? Get the latest on the economy HERE

Scientist: We can't save Earth
According to a top scientist, it's too late. Humans are at the mercy of mother Earth. The scientist who achieved fame for his theory that the whole Earth is a single organism now believes the only hope is that the Earth will take care of itself. Excellent! Now it’s time to fire up the SUV's, get our incandescent light bulbs back - and leave them on! Read the full story HERE.

DCExaminer Editorial Highlights

TODAY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

Stop kicking in our doors, Madame Speaker

Examiner Editorial
"Pelosi evidently has decided to refine American democracy using the Hugo Chavez manual on public persuasion."

Israel's new enemy, America

Cal Thomas, Examiner Columnist
"Making demands of only one side before serious negotiations begin, especially on matters of Jerusalem, so-called "refugees" and borders, effectively pressures Israel into making concessions on all three, which would severely damage its prospects for continued existence."

David Freddoso, Examiner Columnist
"The state's insurance premiums, already the highest in the nation, have chased costs upward."

Slaughter on the southern border

Michelle Malkin, Examiner Columnist
"Drug-related crime is out of control, the State Department is warning spring-break vacationers to avoid the Mexican states of Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua, and the bloodshed has now reached the U.S. consulate's office."

Rahm Emanuel for the Senate?

Jeri Thompson, Op Ed Contributor
"If Giannoulias runs into Rahm in a gym shower in the next few weeks, he ll know his political goose is cooked."

Politicians smother cities

John Stossel, Examiner Columnist
"In a state that already taxes its citizens heavily, Cleveland's politicians drown businesses in taxes. One result: Since 2000, 50,000 people have left the city. Half of Cleveland's population has left since 1950."

Only some children left behind

Meghan Cox Gurdon, Examiner Columnist
"But public schools have something else in common: Their work force is unionized. Teachers union imperatives seem invariably to trump the interests of children."

Gregory Kane, Examiner Columnist
"We've now become a nation of victims claiming all sorts of rights, not a nation of citizens obligated to accept responsibilities."

DCExaminer Editorial Highlights

TODAY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

Taints on the Toyota probe

Examiner Editorial
"There is no creditable way to separate federal policy decisions from their commercial effect on both Toyota and GM as long as the government is simultaneously prosecutor, judge and jury."

Republicans must teach the American Dream

Cal Thomas, Examiner Columnist
"America doesn't need restructuring. It needs revival; revival of the principles that made us strong and great; revival of the moral foundation that proved to be our real strength and allowed us to conquer our demons and become independent, not dependent on government."

Holder's national security cover-up

Michelle Malkin, Examiner Columnist
"Americans have a right to know whether Holder, who put political interests ahead of security interests at the Clinton Justice Department in both the Marc Rich pardon scandal and the Puerto Rican FALN terrorist debacle, has made hiring decisions that provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare."

There are worse things than a dysfunctional Congress.

David Freddoso, Examiner Columnist
""Don't you remember back in December, when the GOP spent two weeks filibustering the "Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act?" (You don't?)
DEFINITELY WORTH A READ, TOO

In search of the right dog

Meghan Cox Gurdon, Examiner Columnist

Obama's federal debt blunder

Larry Elder, Examiner Columnist

Those Pesky Tea-Baggers Are At It Again

Left Blames Tea Parties for Austin Plane Crash

On Thursday, a deranged man supposedly angry at the IRS flew a plane into one of their offices in Austin, Texas. Joseph Andrew Stack, the pilot, was killed in the crash, and several people were injured. Stack also apparently set his house on fire before leaving on his mission; his wife and daughter escaped. The attack is being considered criminal, not terrorist.

Columnist Michelle Malkin writes, "Investigators found a Web posting, identified as Stack's 'suicide manifesto,' in which he railed against tax laws, inequity, government and crony capitalism. He also targeted 'puppet' George W. Bush, murderous health care insurers and the pharmaceutical industry." His angry tirade concluded, "The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed." Not exactly the words of a supporter of capitalism.

Clearly, Stack was trying to get back at what he called "Big Brother IRS man," but his politics are rather muddy. That didn't stop Leftists from blaming the Tea Party movement. We saw it coming.

Time magazine, The Washington Post, New York Magazine and talkingheads at the cable networks immediately jumped on the anti-IRS theme, while ignoring Stack's slam of capitalism. Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post's Post Partisan blog, wrote, "[A]fter reading his 34-paragraph screed, I am struck by how his alienation is similar to that we're hearing from the extreme elements of the Tea Party movement." New York Magazine said that "a lot of his rhetoric could have been taken directly from a handwritten sign at a tea party rally."

One blogger at the popular Daily Kos Web site railed, "After months of threats on the United States government, and government institutions, the Anti-Government forces known as the teabaggers have struck with their first 911 [sic] inspired terrorist attack." Numerous comments on the Huffington Post blog likewise threw blame in the wrong direction.

Tea Partiers do not support communism, and they do support the Rule of Law. Stack's words and actions are the antithesis of the Tea Party movement's goals.
The Left, however, never lets facts get in the way of a good story.

Morning Must Reads from DCExaminer

TODAY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

The other stupid things John Brennan said
Michelle Malkin, Examiner Columnist
"It gets worse: Brennan then went on to decry the "ignorant feelings" of Americans outraged at the jihadi attacks on American soil."

Economy faces many 'what ifs
'Irwin M. Stelzer, Examiner Columnist
"Now that the Republican revival has ended the era of one-party government, and the Tea Partiers are making their voices heard, the possibility of sensible compromise has increased."

Education is too important for government bureaucrats
John Stossel, Examiner Columnist
"The people who test students internationally told us that two factors predict a country's educational success: Do the schools have the autonomy to experiment, and do parents have a choice?"

DCExaminer Morrning Email Blast-Mutha-EX Marine

My compatriots at Mudville Gazette have a companion piece. I will echo Greyhawks sentiment:
"Mutha was never convicted."

Byron York - GOP winning war over Miranda rights for terrorists
On Capitol Hill, there's a war being fought over the War on Terror, and so far, Republicans are winning. Or at least they're winning the Battle of Miranda.
GOP lawmakers believe they are having some success in the effort to stiffen the spine of the Obama administration as it makes policy for dealing with captured terrorist suspects in the future. Even as the administration defends its decision to grant accused Detroit bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab the right to remain silent, the president himself is hinting that things might be done differently in the future.

Julie Mason - Obama vows to focus on jobs, but keeps talking about health care
President Obama's surprise plans for a bipartisan summit on health care eclipsed his stated priority to pass a jobs bill, sending a mixed message about the administration's objectives.
The last-ditch effort to save his unpopular signature issue also received a cold reception from Republicans, who said their best idea for health care reform is to scrap it .

Michael Barone - The Murtha district
Presumably there will be a special election in Pennsylvania 12 to replace Murtha on May 18, which is primary day. This is the only district in the nation that voted for John Kerry in 2004 and John McCain in 2008. You might want to explain that as an affinity for Vietnam veterans. The better explanation is that it is part of the Jacksonian belt that starts in southwest Pennsylvania and extends along the Appalachians and southwestward to Tennessee and Texas an area where Barack Obama ran very poorly in both the primaries and the general election in 2008. In any case, it voted only narrowly (51%-49%) for Kerry and favored McCain over Obama by an even narrower margin (49%-49%, a margin of 873 votes).

David Freddoso - Rep. Steve Cohen, D, already chasing Murtha's ambulance
In a television interview this afternoon, Democratic Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen pronounced judgment on the doctors who were operating on Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa., when he died. Cohen, a government attorney before he began his political career, was asked about tort reform in health care when he brought up Murtha's death:
"As we speak today, Rep. John Murtha died. And he was my friend, and he served this country for many years...He died because, when he went in for gall bladder surgery, his intestine was perforated. And that shouldn't have happened. It was, from what I understand, malpractice."

Susan Ferrechio - Republicans leery of Obama's bipartisan play
President Obama's plan to revive his stalled health care initiatives through a bipartisan summit got a skeptical reception from Republicans, who say they will be "reluctant" to participate if the plan is only meant to tweak the massive Democratic proposal already in play.
More Stories
Poll: 75 percent of voters are angry
RFK Jr. never saw this much snow when he was a kid
Yech: Moving the Edwards sex tape

TSA handcuffs dangerous man at Seattle Airport

We are in the very, very, best of hands.......

Michael Yon, America's premier independent war reporter and genuine hero was arrested (as per any definition I can find) by our The Stupid Agency aka America's Security Theater troop.
From his Facebook Page:

Got arrested at the Seattle airport for refusing to say how much money I make. (The uniformed ones say I was not "arrested", but they definitely handcuffed me.)

Michelle Malkin and Mudville Gazette are both on the story. Gateway Pundit even has a follow up from Michael Yon.

Of course, Laughing Wolf lets us know what he thinks about it....

The Chronicle-Mark Alexander

Upright
"The full transcript of President Obama's long-delayed speech on Afghanistan is here. You can watch it in full here. Bush-bashing? Check. Noxious complaining about the cost of fighting a necessary war? Check. Disingenuous denial that he dithered? Check. 'Let me be clear's = 9. Self-congratulations for sticking to Gitmo closure policy = 1. Self-referential 'As your Commander-in-Chief's = 2. References to global jihad = 0." --columnist Michelle Malkin

"[In his speech Tuesday night,] Obama did what he could to mollify those [on the Left] by blaming Bush -- always a safe bet when trying to curry favor from the Left -- and by declaring there would be a time limit on the new deployment and they would be withdrawn starting in July 2011 -- just as the 2012 re-election campaign would be getting underway." --political analyst Rich Galen

"The issue isn't whether a war is popular: either it has to be fought or it doesn't. It is a president's duty to define the war and lead the nation to victory. And if a war is worth one American life, it is -- by definition -- worth however many dollars it takes to win. Domestic spending must be curtailed to fund a war, not the other way around." --columnist Jed Babbin

"[S]trategic success isn't Obama's ultimate concern. He wants political cover and is doing all he can to ensure that he's not on the blame-line, no matter what happens. He wants to appear strong -- but without unleashing our strength. He'll send more troops -- but won't let them do more." --columnist Ralph Peters

"The blunt truth is: The United States needs to win in Afghanistan. Defeating the Taliban and destroying al-Qa'ida is in our vital interests. It is the price of peace in South Asia. It is the only way to prevent another 9/11. By dedicating the resources needed to win and by getting our fiscal house in order, we can keep our nation safe, free and prosperous. Any other talk is just politics." --James Jay Carafano of The Heritage Foundation

"The reason the Democratic leadership and the White House are rushing to pass the [health care] bill is that they know it is killing them and believe doing it quickly will kill fewer of them than doing it slowly. If they pass it by year's end, perhaps voters will move on to other concerns by the November 2010 midterm elections." --columnist Byron York

"How many times has a liberal touted this or that government agenda with the idea that they're doing it 'for the children.' When more Americans begin to understand that the more accurate phrase it 'to the children,' it will be the beginning of the end for these power-hungry thugs. Here's hoping it happens sooner rather than later." --columnist Arnold Ahlert

Morning Must Reads from DCExaminer

Michelle has more on ths scumbag who should never have seen the light of day.
Thanks a lot, Governor Huckabee

Seattle Times -- Suspect in Lakewood police shootings was wounded, may be dead

The man who murdered four police officers picking up coffee before their Sunday shifts in Washington State may be dead or wounded from injuries received at the scene of the crime. But in an odd twist, the suspect was granted clemency by then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 1999, an issue that Huckabee took plenty if heat for in 2008. And that was before the clementee was a suspect in the worst cop killing in recent memory “‘This is the day I've been dreading for a long time,’ Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' Pulaski County said tonight when informed that Clemmons was being sought for questioning in connection with the killings. Clemmons' criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. The record also stands out for the number of times he has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed. Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination last year, issued a statement tonight calling the slaying of the police officers ‘a horrible and tragic event.’”

Wall Street Journal -- Critical Decisions This Week on Batch of Obama Initiatives

For those of you just getting back into the swing of things, writer Jonathan Weisman offers a superb look ahead at a pivotal week for the Obama era: big moments on Afghanistan, unemployment, health care, diplomatic initiatives and more.

But next week will see President Obama take on climate change in Copenhagen, duck and weave his way through the acceptance of his Nobel Prize, and perhaps Senate debate on his administration’s request on raising the government’s debt limit beyond the current $12 trillion.

The Obama team has discovered in the waning weeks of 2009 that the presidency provides plenty of headaches, especially in the midst of two wars and a deep economic funk. Simultaneously proposing an energy tax, a national health program and hundreds of other smaller initiatives must have sounded like a much better idea in January.

“David Axelrod, a senior White House adviser, downplayed any immediate outcomes from the difficult week as ‘far less important than execution in the long run,’ which he said is how ‘the administration will be judged.’

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel -- who added efforts to isolate Iran's nuclear program to the week's agenda -- defended the ‘Big Bang’ approach to the administration's first year. In an interview, he contended that on each front ‘we're in a better position than we were when we began,’ citing progress on a health-care bill, shifting resources to Afghanistan from Iraq and moving toward imposing sanctions on Iran.”


Washington Post -- U.S. offers new role for Pakistan

The president’s speech on Afghanistan Tuesday night from West Point will be about advancing and retreating simultaneously – we’re getting out by going deeper in. It’s a tough sell, especially in his own party, as I argue in my column today .

If Obamian standards hold true, the speech will be a long, professorial muddle about his minutely researched strategy for Afghanistan punctuated by a few pleasant turns of phrase.

But at the heart of Obama’s strategy is the belief that he can help bring into being a strong, centralized, pro-Western government in neighboring Pakistan. Of course, Pakistan’s president has just been stripped of his access to the nuclear arsenal and Muslim hard-liners are gaining ground by accusing him of being a puppet of India and the U.S.

Writer Karen DeYoung was given a copy of the Pakistani government’s to-do list and the White House decoder ring for the Tuesday speech: when he says Afghanistan he means Pakistan.

“But despite the public and political attention focused on the number of new troops, Pakistan has been the hot core of the months-long strategy review. The long-term consequences of failure there, the review concluded, far outweigh those in Afghanistan.

‘We can't succeed without Pakistan,’ a senior administration official involved in the White House review said. ‘You have to differentiate between public statements and reality. There is nobody who is under any illusions about this.’”


Wall Street Journal -- White House, Business Leaders Split on How to Create Jobs

The president is having the boys from Google and the SEIU over to the White House again Thursday for his job creation summit. With a flaccid recovery and lots of uncertainty in the marketplace because of pending regulatory changes, getting companies to hire is going to be a tall order indeed.

Crippling deficits mean that Republicans could block the president in the Senate if he called for more federal spending, even as Democrats in the House prepare another round of stimulus.

It seems likely that what we’ll see out of the new focus on jobs at the White House is an extension of unemployment benefits to 99 weeks and some nibbling around the edges.

Writer Neil King and Gary Fields explain:

“Businesses of all sizes are brimming with proposals they say would spur economic growth. The most commonly voiced are tax cuts and boosting access to credit.

The White House, for its part, wants to discuss job growth in the clean-tech sector and shifting some stimulus spending to infrastructure projects. Obama aides are also eyeing a limited range of incentives for small businesses to create jobs.”


Washington Post -- In health-care reform, no deficit cure

Senate debate on health care will get underway Tuesday, and the cost of the president’s proposal remains a crushing burden for the Democratic leadership selling the plan -- costs to taxpayers, higher insurance costs, costs added to the deficit.

Writer Lori Montgomery looks at how no report or promise of future cuts seems able to convince skeptical senators that it would be fiscally prudent to commit the nation to trillions in new health spending.

It seems bizarre now, but the original promise was that universal coverage would be the silver bullet that would slay the deficit.

“As a whole, the CBO projects that Reid's bill would not change the trajectory of federal health spending. And a competing House bill, the CBO said, would push federal spending higher.

Obama's more conservative critics accuse him of ‘a big bait-and-switch,’ as Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute put it. ‘They said the only way to fix the budget is to cut health-care spending. And they come out with something that increases health-care spending. If it weren't such a big deal, it would be a joke.’”


--To get Morning Must Reads in your inbox every weekday click here.

Updates on the 23rd Via DCExaminer

UPDATE: Right reactions claim victory

Craig Shirley, conservative PR guru and author of "Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the campaign that changed America," who sees Scozzafava withdrawal as "a huge, huge black eye for the national Republican Party establishment and the first tangible sign that Reaganism is reasserting itself."

Chip Hanlon, RedCounty.com calls it "a very big win for principle and a loss for political expediency and cronyism."

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air:

"I had neglected to review the poll in much detail, but I suspect that Scozzafava’s withdrawal (or suspension, more accurately, since her name will stay on the ballot) hurts Bob Owens tremendously. According to the poll, Hoffman had attracted 50% of the Republican vote, while Owens had 2/3rds of the Democrats. Hoffman leads Owens among independents, 40%-35%, and the remaining 15% supporting Scozzafava will almost certainly break more towards Hoffman than Owens.

"Owens will likely get more of Scozzafava’s Democratic supporters, but she only had 11%, while 14% have already gone to Hoffman. Hoffman and Owens had a near-even split of the opposition in Scozzafava’s regional stronghold of Jefferson/Lewis/St. Lawrence counties, but I’d be surprised if Hoffman didn’t pick up more in those areas of disaffected Scozzafava voters, too."

Erick Erickson, RedState.com: "On this our hill to die on, we made the other poor schmucks die on it!"

Michelle Malkin: "Hey GOP elites, can you hear conservatives now?"

Adam Britely, New Media activist: "This is a big day for the tea party movement. Not only did the tea party and conservative activists in New York and across the country take down the GOP establishment, they are changing the status quo of all elections to come. Now, we will have the upper hand when it comes to dealing with the inside politics of the GOP."

Dan Riehl,Riehl World View: "I don't know how Dede Scozzafava ends up in all this. But I don't mind going on record to say I don't begrudge her anything at all. She looks to have been recruited for this slot, then gotten caught up in a maelstrom. She's still a human being. But with the Albany Times Union pointing out that the NRCC slashed it's funding a week ago. And reports on the ground now confirming a pull-out. Well, it is what it is. Politics is hardball. And there are fast ones flying everywhere in this one."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, Susan B. Anthony List: “Dede Scozzafava’s courage and strength allowed her to make the choice to let the strongest candidate in her party move forward, and to serve the voters of the 23rd District.“Dede Scozzafava has worked extremely hard to achieve the goal of becoming the next Congressman from New York's 23rd District. This must have been an incredibly difficult decision -- she did not get into the race to lose. It takes courage and strength to step back and make the best choice for her party, and for the voters of the 23rd District. Now it's time for the GOP to step up.”“On behalf of conservative voters, activists, and volunteers across the district, I call on the national GOP to finally throw its full support and resources behind Doug Hoffman for Congress. A Hoffman victory is within sight.”

UPDATE II: Hoffman issues statement

“This morning’s events prove what we have said for the last week; this campaign is a horserace between me and Nancy Pelosi’s handpicked candidate, Bill Owens. At this moment, the Democratic Party, the Working Families Party, ACORN, Big Labor and pro-abortion groups are flooding the district with troops and they are flooding the airwaves with a million dollars worth of negative ads. They are throwing mud; they are trying to stop me.

“It’s time for us to send a message to Washington—we’re sick and tired of big-spending, high-taxing, career politicians and by voting for me on Tuesday you will send that message loud and clear.”

UPDATE III: Palin backer cautions

Conservatives4Palin's Doug Brady offers a cautionary note for conservatives celebrating Scozzafava withdrawal, with reminder that there is still an election this coming Tuesday that could be won by liberal Democrat Bill Owens: "This is all great news, but it's not over yet folks. Scozzafava's name will still be on the ballot and the Democrat Party is pouring money into this race. Go to Doug Hoffman's website, open up those wallets, and dig deep if you can."

UPDATE IV: More background on Scozzafava decision

A knowledgable political consultant who prefers anonymity offers this assessment of why Scozzafava called it quits: Lack of volunteers all the way thru this. Never generated the enthusiasm needed to win. Never worked very hard.

UPDATE V: Are you listening, Washington GOP Establishment?

Erick Erickson points to the basic political lesson in Scozzafava debacle for the GOP "pros" in Washington, particularly those with the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee:

"The Republican Establishment in Washington, D.C. spent over $900,000.00 to elect Dede Scozzafava, who today abandons the race. How much more impact could that money have had if the GOP had listened to its base?

"Relationships between the Republican establishment in Washington and the conservative movement are in rubble. Thanks to Pete Sessions, Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, NOT Doug Hoffman, there is new inspiration for a third party movement to challenge the GOP - a movement that will only help the Democrats.

"Good men in the GOP are now going to be challenged in primaries because of the ill-will the NRCC has generated in New York's 23rd Congressional District.

"Make no mistake about it, the NRCC and the RNC must shoulder the blame for this fiasco. As has now been reported and confirmed, it was the Beltway Elite who pressured the New York GOP to choose Scozzafava.

"I have said all along that victory for the GOP base in NY-23 was a Scozzafava defeat. We should, however, rally to Doug Hoffman and help him win. Notwithstanding that, the time is now to be magnanimous in victory, but we must demand accountability.

"Someone, more than one person, must be fired for the Republican botching of NY-23. Heads must roll lest this happen again.

"And John Cornyn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee better be paying attention, see e.g. Charlie Crist v. Marco Rubio in Florida."

Scozzafava, ACORN and Doug Hoffman

Congressman Cantor, its not too late to step up and let Virginia know you stand for true conservative principles. Get behind Doug Hoffman. You're going to need every conservative you can get in the House to stop this headlong rush into socialism.

H/T Michelle Malkin:

The NYPost editorial board endorses conservative Doug Hoffman for Congress:

No, Republicans needn’t toe the conservative line without any deviation.

Moderate GOPers like Rudy Giuliani have managed to stray on some issues without wholly betraying their party.

But a Republican should adhere to certain minimum GOP principles. Scozzafava is just too far to the left too often.

And not only on social matters, like same-sex marriage and abortion. In Albany, Scozzafava has been such a profligate tax-and-spender, she can almost make Speaker Sheldon Silver blush.

With the backing of the ACORN-allied Working Families Party, she supports Big Labor’s favorite organizing bill — card-check — as well as the federal stimulus, opposed by every House Republican.

Hoffman, by contrast, understands the dangers of unchecked spending, monster deficits and ever-higher taxes — i.e., concerns of average working Americans.

ACORN Group Skirts Election Laws

The Working Families Party, an ACORN front group whose ballot line Newt Gingrich-endorsed radical leftist Dede Scozzafava has embraced on multiple occasions, is up to no good again.

The NYPost reports:
The labor-backed Working Families Party has engaged in “an audacious scheme to violate the law” to help the party’s favored political candidates get elected, a sweeping new lawsuit charges.

The first-of-its-kind suit says the WFP created a political outfit, Data and Field Services, that it is using to “circumvent state election and local campaign finance laws.”

The way the scheme works, according the suit, is that the WFP gets involved in local races, backing its favored candidates, who in turn hire DFS for vital campaign services, such as phone banking, polling and get-out-the-vote efforts.

But under the plan, the WFP-endorsed candidates pay only “a nominal sum, well below fair market value,” for those services — giving those candidates a major, unfair advantage over their opponents, whose spending is limited by law.

“This is a case about an audacious scheme to violate the law by using corporate subterfuge to hijack our local election process,” says the suit, which was filed in Staten Island.

“It goes to the very heart of our local democracy and undermines the fairness and integrity of our local elections.”

The suit, filed on behalf of five aggrieved Staten Island voters, highlights the relationship between the City Council campaign of Debi Rose, a WFP-backed candidate, and DFS.

The court papers provide a case study for how the WFP, which has been increasing its influence, operates.

With friends like these…

Government run health care by the IRS. Free Health Care?

That's right. The INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. Both the House and Senate want you to give the IRS information about any medical services that you use.

Under both the House and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee bills released to the public, the Internal Revenue Service will play a key role in monitoring and enforcing health care mandates against individual taxpayers. Yet the introduction of the IRS into the health care system has received scant attention.

The Senate bill imposes a new requirement that all persons who provide health care coverage to others must file a return with the IRS listing the names, addresses, social security numbers, and the coverage period for each person, and "such other information as the Secretary [of Health and Human Services] may prescribe.

So, apparently, since I'm unemployed and have no health insurance and pay for it OUT OF MY OWN DAMN POCKET, I need to be taxed for money that I'm not earning. And my doctor will be forced to inform the government that I've used his services. And we thought that Medicare was bad. Doctors can opt out of the Medicare quagmire, but they won't be able to opt out of this. Everyone's doctor will be sending information to the IRS. Of course, since everyone's health records will be online and available to the government, the IRS will have no trouble verifying what health concerns you might have. Hopefully, your disease won't be too expensive....

I've heard that "uninsured" citizens, such as invulnerable 22 year old men will be taxed $2500.00 for not buying insurance. I'm sure that they are going to be making less than Obama's magic salary of $250,000.00.

This information is to be provided to the IRS for good reason. The House bill provides for a tax on people who do not have acceptable coverage at "any time" during the tax year. House bill section 401 provides for a new section 59B (at pp. 167-168) of the Internal Revenue Code:

(a) TAX IMPOSED.—In the case of any individual who does not meet the requirements of subsection (d) at any time during the taxable year, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 2.5 percent of the excess of—
(1) the taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year, over
(2) the amount of gross income specified in section 6012(a)(1) with respect to the taxpayer.

The Senate version is similar, although the tax is called a "shared responsibility payment" not a tax. Section 161 (at pp. 103-104) words new section 59B of the IRC to require lack of coverage for a month (subject to certain exemptions) before the tax kicks in, and does not specify a specific percentage, but instead, directs that annually

the Secretary shall seek to establish the minimum practicable amount that can accomplish the goal of enhancing participation in qualifying coverage (as so defined).

The reporting requirements can only be understood in this tax context. In order to know which taxpayers to tax, the IRS needs to know which taxpayers do not have coverage received from someone else (normally, an employer).

Obama recently compared to the new "reforms" to the Post Office. The citizens understand that any new government care will be run by a more intrusive agency.

Of course, Congress has already PASSED a bill authorizing a Health Care Czar. From Michelle Malkin:

Republican Senators are questioning whether President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill contains the right mix of tax breaks and cash infusions to jump-start the economy.

Tragically, no one from either party is objecting to the health provisions slipped in without discussion. These provisions reflect the handiwork of Tom Daschle, until recently the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department.

Senators should read these provisions and vote against them because they are dangerous to your health. (Page numbers refer to H.R. 1 EH, pdf version).

The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.

But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”

If the health care reform wanted by Obama is so innocent, why are parts of the agenda being added to bills that have nothing to do with health? This sneaking about and the passing of unread bills, is what is driving the protests.

Czars do not report to Congress. They are NOT part of the Constitutional checks and balances. They usurp power from Congress. Congress doesn't mind. Now the cowards in Congress can get what they want without having to be blamed.

Rope. Tree. Politician. Some assembly required.


h/t Cold Fury, Legal Insurrection, and Michelle Malkin

Here's A Great Analysis

Hot Air: White House: ObamaCare opponents lying by & using Obama's own words
So far, no one seems to accept the cold, hard reality that the President's health care plan is wildly unpopular. Instead, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs blames the national protest on an old standby: the vast right-wing conspiracy. He said K Street lobbyists were organizing the raucous town halls, where "angry mobs" are disrupting the "honest" conversations that Democrats are trying to have in their home districts. It's "manufactured anger," he told reporters yesterday. The Democratic National Committee echoed the spin, saying, "The Republicans and their allied groups... are inciting... a small number of rabid right-wing extremists..."

When the Left protested the war with graffiti on the Capitol steps, it was "civic engagement."

When conservatives ask questions about what's included in health care "reform," it's orchestrated thuggery.

As Michelle Malkin points out, "The DNC's definition of 'thoughtful': Sitting silent about the lack of transparency, deliberation, truth in numbers...on the ObamaCare plan.

The DNC definition of incitement: Asking out loud, 'How can you manage health care when you can't manage Cash for Clunkers?'"

Isn't inciting the heartland exactly what then-candidate Obama prescribed last September? Blogger Ed Morrissey pulled a quote from his campaign that demonstrates just how disingenuous the administration is. To make a case for his candidacy, Obama told supporters to get aggressive.

"I want you to argue with them and get in their face." Obviously the President's rules of engagement--like his theories on tolerance and speech--are a one-way street, open only to liberals.

Hey Hey Ho Ho Napolitano Has To Go

The Center for Individual Freedom

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano MUST BE FIRED!
And just so it's perfectly clear, we aren’t talking about her resigning (either gracefully or in disgrace). And it’s way too late for backhanded apologies, like the 'slap-in-the-face' she already gave the brave men and women who have wore a uniform and proudly served this country.
Janet Napolitano must be FIRED... and it should have been done yesterday! You see, the problem is not just that Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) put together a so-called anti-terrorism security assessment that targets mainstream Americans as dangerous extremists.
We're talking about millions of people who believe that our government is too large and taxes us too much, like those who participated in the TEA Parties on tax day. We are talking about everyday Americans who believe that the 2nd Amendment actually gives people the right to bear arms; people who are pro-life; the millions of people who believe that our nation’s immigration laws should be strictly enforced.
And the problem is not simply that this so-called security assessment targets patriotic Americans - and they are talking about YOU - as "right wing extremists," or, as Peter Kirsanow with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights put it: “That DHS report warning about all manner of ‘right-wing extremists’ could be considerably shortened if it simply alerted law-enforcement officials to be on the lookout for people from ‘small towns (who are) bitter (and) cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment.’”
The problem is that this is the same Janet Napolitano who just recently told us that horrendous, unspeakable acts committed by actual terrorists, dead set on destroying our country and killing Americans, should be called “man-caused disasters."
Specifically she told Der Spiegel: “In my speech, although I did not use the word 'terrorism,' I referred to 'man-caused' disasters. That is perhaps only a nuance, but it demonstrates that we want to move away from the politics of fear toward a policy of being prepared for all risks that can occur.”
So... when it comes to actual acts or threats of terrorism against mainstream Americans, we should move beyond the "politics of fear."
But patriotic Americans like YOU – who exercise your Constitutionally-protected First Amendment rights – pose a threat to the government.
Is it actually possible that Napolitano and Barack Obama and even some within the Obama Administration are so twisted as to believe that Islamic Terrorists are the good guys and that you are the bad guys?
Syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin in Thursday's Washington Times wrote: “What and who exactly are President Obama’s homeland security officials afraid of these days? If you are a member of an active conservative group that opposes abortion, favors strict immigration enforcement, lobbies to protect Second Amendment rights, protests big government, advocates federalism, or represents veterans who believe in any of the above, the answer is: You.”
If what is contained in this leaked DHS security assessment does not bring you to the realization that it is time for all patriotic Americans who love freedom to stand up and shout that we're not going to take it anymore... it is quite possible that nothing will.

The DHS Report Targets All Of You Bitter People Out There Who Cling To Guns And Religion. Malkin is not alone. Syndicated radio talk-show host Michael Reagan went so far as to ask the following: “Have we really come to this? Has Adolf Hitler's propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels been reborn and recruited by the Obama administration to scare the heck out of the American people with absurdities such as this whacked-out document?"
Lance Fairchok writing for AmericanThinker.com hits the nail squarely on the head. Calling this so-called security assessment "a shot across the bow" he plainly states that DHS is NOT simply referring to individuals living on society's fringe.
The assessment is, in fact, referring to YOU and patriotic Americans like you.
Moreover, Fairchok believes this assessment was hastily and sloppily written in order to fit a sick and disgusting preconceived notion: "This 'assessment' is not an analysis of a national trend or an examination of existing evidence or even recent radical literature; it is targeting those whose politics fall within the broad insinuations contained within its pages, namely mainstream conservatives."
Judge Andrew Napolitano with FOX News essentially says the same thing: "The summary contains few proper names, has no footnotes of any significance, lists very few sources, and is drafted with a prejudice against anyone who criticizes the role of the federal government in our lives today. It lumps together in its definition of 'rightwing extremism' hate groups, anti-government groups, and single issue groups 'such as opposition to abortion or immigration.'” Let's state it more plainly. As far as Janet Napolitano's DHS is concerned, if you are pro-life or believe in strict enforcement of our immigration laws, or if you attended one of those TEA parties, you're the same as a neo-Nazi, or a member of the KKK. You are dangerous and pose no less a threat than the real terrorists trying to destroy our great country. Is it possible that when Barack Obama spoke of bitter people from small towns who cling to God and their guns that he was not just simply being derisive?
Is it possible that pointing out that Barack Obama sat in a Church for years listening to a lunatic pontificate, "Not God Bless America... God D___ America" WAS relevant after all? .

Other TEA Parties

UPDATE: Pajamas TV has a TON of links

Here's a few from around the web....


GREAT article!

We got HOT Protest Party Babes! Scroll down for more ACE goodies.

Gateway Pundit has more links.

8 Pages of video!

Santa Ana Partiers were very creative.

Michelle Malkin just has a BUNCH'A STUFF.

Founding Bloggers has a GREAT VIDEO of that stupid simulation of a CNN reporter. Hey Congress, listen to the protester. "Vote them ALL out!"


Have fun!

Give me Liberty or give me Death

UPDATE 2:concretebob
OK the blog has been unlocked and after a 15 minute phone conversation with my blog brother Cargo, the text has been fixed.

In addition to Governor Henry being a radical, modern day radicals who can be added to this list are Governor Rick Perry of Texas and Del Chris Peace from Hanover for their "State's Rights" legislation.

Apparently, Patrick Henry was a terrorist. And a "rightwing" one at that!

Support of this document makes you seem to be a terrorist! Just ask the Department of Homeland Security. From the PDF: (empahsis mine)

Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.

Do you like how principled opposition to the government is linked to racism?

The alleged gunman’s reaction reportedly was influenced by his racist ideology"

"Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures.

Anti-Semitic extremists attribute these losses to a deliberate conspiracy conducted by a cabal of Jewish “financial elites.”

Actually the only accusations I've seen or heard are those by the Obama people.

Many rightwing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs to minorities, and restrictions on firearms ownership and use.

Except doesn't this describe the GOP? Well, actually not so much......Just conservatives. And that would be ILLEGAL immigration....

Then linked the above to racism:

Most statements by rightwing extremists have been rhetorical, expressing concerns about the election of the first African American president, but stopping short of calls for violent action. In two instances in the run-up to the election, extremists appeared to be in the early planning stages of some threatening activity targeting the Democratic nominee, but law enforcement interceded.

Again:

"Prominent among these themes were the militia movement’s opposition to gun control efforts, criticism of free trade agreements (particularly those with Mexico), and highlighting perceived government infringement on civil liberties as well as white supremacists’ longstanding exploitation of social issues such as abortion, inter-racial crimes, and same-sex marriage."

What does white supremacy have to do with ANY of the above issues? Besides, Planned Parenthood was started by a white supremacist.

"incorporated aspects of an impending economic collapse to intensify fear and paranoia among like-minded individuals and to attract recruits during times of economic uncertainty."

They just described Obama, Dodd, Franks, Pelosi, etc.

High unemployment, however, has the potential to lead to alienation, thus increasing an individual’s susceptibility to extremist ideas. According to a 2007 study from the German Institute for Economic Research there appears to be a strong association between a parent’s unemployment status and the formation of rightwing extremist beliefs in their children—specifically xenophobia and antidemocratic ideals.

Yep. This describes the inner city, alright. All those right wing extremist clinging to their guns and God...."
(German Institute? Perhaps their experiences DON'T correlate to US results. Germans of all people should recognize extremism, huh?)

"Many rightwing extremist groups perceive recent gun control legislation as a threat to their right to bear arms and in response have increased weapons and ammunition stockpiling, "

Sure are alot of rightwing liberals buying guns and ammo.

"During the 1990s, rightwing extremist hostility toward government was fueled by the implementation of restrictive gun laws—such as the Brady Law that established a 5-day waiting period prior to purchasing a handgun and the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act that limited the sale of various types of assault rifles—and federal law enforcement’s handling of the confrontations at Waco, Texas and Ruby Ridge, Idaho."

Where do I start.....even the DHS is buying into the BS of the 1994 law banning "assault rifles." NO ASSAULT RIFLES WERE BANNED. Those rifles are already restricted. And who in their right minds (get the pun?) isn't concerned about how the BATFE acted at Waco and Ruby Ridge. In both cases, their Rules of Engagement led to loss of life and they conducted a cover up. What part of "shall not be infringed" is hard to understand?

"On the current front, legislation has been proposed this year requiring mandatory registration of all firearms in the United States. Similar legislation was introduced in 2008 in several states proposing mandatory tagging and registration of ammunition. It is unclear if either bill will be passed into law; nonetheless, a correlation may exist between the potential passage of gun control legislation and increased hoarding of ammunition, weapons stockpiling, and paramilitary training activities among rightwing extremists."

Uh,..... Yeah...

"Open source reporting of wartime ammunition shortages has likely spurred rightwing extremists—as well as law-abiding Americans—to make bulk purchases of ammunition. These shortages have increased the cost of ammunition, further exacerbating rightwing extremist paranoia and leading to further stockpiling activity. Both rightwing extremists and law-abiding citizens share a belief that rising crime rates attributed to a slumping economy make the purchase of legitimate firearms a wise move at this time."

Apparently, if you are a conservative, you may be a racist, violent, terrorist; you are not a law-abiding American. Leftwing extremists exempted, of course.

ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE OFFENDED BY THE VIEWPOINT IN THIS DOCUMENT.

The Liberty Papers first reported this and Michelle Malkin confirms it.