Friday Round-up: 11/15/08

 

I hate to say it, but… President-elect Obama: Lying liar. Yes, it does appear that he consistently lied about his relationship with unrepentant domestic terrorist William Ayers. According to Ayers:

“We had served together on the board of a foundation, knew one another as neighbors and family friends, held an initial fund-raiser at my house, where I’d made a small donation to his earliest political campaign.” 

So, just a guy from the neighborhood, eh? I still can’t figure out why Obama didn’t just throw Ayers under the bus,  as he did with so many other inconvenient friends. Is it possible that Ayers has some sort of hold over Obama that makes such de-bussing even more inconvenient that Ayers’s mere presence? I hope not.

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And speaking of lying liars, Senate-hopeful Minnesotan Al Franken is doing his best to steal the election from Norm Coleman, even to the point of making up sob-stories in order to obtain private voter information. You’ve got to read this to believe it.

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Is it time to break out the bumperstickers?

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If you’re looking for some great original ideas for Christmas or other holiday shopping, the Anchoress has some fantastic ideas for you. Heck, why wait for Christmas? Help out the economy, start shopping now!

Happy Friday!
Stoutcat

Khalidi Tape: Why Won’t the LA Times Release It?

 

It has been reported by a variety of sources that the Los Angeles Times is in possession of a video tape of Barack Obama addressing an audience during 2003 farewell dinner for Rashid Khalidi, a former spokesman for the PLO. In the video, it is rumored that Sen. Obama toasts Khalidi with remarks which, if made public, would be seen as incendiary to a great many people. Another guest, a Palestinian, purportedly read a poem accusing the Israeli government of terrorism. Yet another guest alledgedly compared Israeli West Bank settlers to Osama bin Laden.

Khalidi and Obama were at one time friends, with Khalidi and his wife dining freqently at Obama’s home. Of late, however, Sen. Obama has attempted to distance himself from Mr. Khalidi, saying at a campaign event last May, “He is not one of my advisers. He’s not one of my foreign policy people. He is a respected scholar, although he vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel’s policy.”

“Vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel’s policy.” Well, that’s putting it mildly. Khalidi is a founding member of the Arab-American Action Network, which, among other things, considers the establishment of Israel to be a “catastrophe.” Certainly that did not concern Obama, as in 2001 and 2002 he was able to arrange $75,000 in grants to the AAAN in his position as a board member of the controversial Woods Foundation.

The event documented on the video was attended not only by Obama and Khalidi, but a veritable Who’s Who of Chicago leftist luminaries: unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers; his wife, convicted terrorist Bernadine Dohrn; and Chicago mayor Richard Daley.

Why is the tape of this rather pretentious and relatively insignificant dinner party so important? It’s important because, in the attempt to protect a candidate’s reputation and thereby affect the outcome of the election, the LA Times is doing the entire nation a possibly calamitous disservice. If the content of that tape is as incendiary as many speculate, it is incumbent upon the Times to release it in a timely fashion so that voters may decide if the remarks by Obama are merely “youthful” exuberance, or whether they reflect his true feelings about Israel. If the content is simply mundane, why not release it and let all the furor die down?

By stonewalling as they are, the LA Times runs the risk of becoming as irrelevant as Dan Rather.

Stoutcat

Why Obama MUST NOT Be Elected: Part II

 

Many of you have already seen this video of undercover FBI agent Larry Grathwohl, who infiltrated the Weather Underground in the late 60s. In an interview in 1982, part of a documentary entitiled, “No Place to Hide” Grathwohl spoke of the future plans for the terrorist group, once they had overthrown the United States government.

The matter-of-factness in which the killing of at least 25 million people is discussed is as chilling to me as is the fact that they’re discussing killing at least 25 million people.

As a follow-up to that, Bob Owens of Confederate Yankee and Pajamas Media sought out and interviewed Mr. Grathwohl recently, and posted part of their discussion online. Two of the exchanges are below, but I strongly suggest that you read the whole thing.

Pajamas Media: Scattered news accounts on the Internet note that you were instrumental in foiling Weather Underground attacks in February  of 1970, in Detroit. The Weathermen built two bombs targeting the Detroit Police Officers’ Association (DPOA) building and the 13th Precinct. Were the goals of these attacks symbolic property damage as were some other Weathermen attacks, or were these targets selected to kill police officers?

Larry Grathwohl: The instructions I received from Billy Ayers was that the bombs to be used in Detroit must have shrapnel (fence staples, specifically) and fire potential (propane bottles). The intention was to kill police officers.

Clearly, they were prepared to murder as many people as necessary to achieve their ends. Fortunately for us, for all their education there seemed to be a great deal of ineptitude in the execution of their plans.

Pajamas Media: Do you think there is there any way that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama could not have known that Bill Ayers was a domestic terrorist? Is there any reason that the American people should accept Barack Obama’s newest excuse about his relationship with Bill Ayers, where Obama claimed that he thought Ayers was “reformed”?

Larry Grathwohl: If we are to believe Mr. Obama, he just didn’t know Billy was as radical as he apparently is. Really? Just like he didn’t know the Rev. Wright was as radical as he is? Obama is a politician and he wants me to believe that he never discussed politics with the Rev Wright or Billy Ayers?

It is evident that Obama knew that Ayers was a murderous thug, and yet chose to associate himself with Ayers anyway. Or perhaps Ayers’ reputation was the attraction. After all, in his book, “Dreams from My Father”, Obama states that he sought out the most radical elements of society: “The more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist professors and structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets.”

He was on a journey of self-discovery, and even those self-styled radicals weren’t radical enough for Obama. It was soon after his book was published, and as he continued his journey that he began his long-time association with William Ayers, unrepentant domestic terrorist.

It should be deeply troubling to anyone that we still don’t know just how deeply these two are intertwined, and whether any of how much of Ayers’ philosophy is reflected in Obama’s outlook.

We must not elect Obama.

Stoutcat

The McCain Ad You’ll Never See

 

 From Five Feet of Fury comes this impressive video based on Bob Owens’ frightening “what if” scenario.

H/T Confederate Yankee

Stoutcat

Obama and Terrorists: The End of Common Sense?

 

Concerning Obama and Ayers… Pay no attention to the spin coming from the left side — or the right, for that matter. Forget the talking heads. Even forget this blog. None of those really matters. If only the issue of Obama and Ayers (and Wright) were so easily cogitated using the agenda-blind fervor of professional wrestling. If only it was so easy as “Democrats=’bad’, Republicans=’good’”; or “Republicans=’bad’, Democrats=’good’”.

No, this is a matter of something much more harshly elemental. We’re talking 21st-century politics and the ability of the average American to distinguish between agenda and obnoxious fact. Ultimately, the Obama/Ayers/Wright (et al) issue will prove to be a good measure of America’s talent for objectivity and the application of sense. We all know the facts. Ayers was a violent terrorist who remains unrepentant to this day. Wright (Obama’s spiritual mentor of 20 years) is a vile racist and race baiter. It is what it is.

Does Obama actually buy into the radical American terrorism of the old Weathermen? Of course not. He’s far too bright for that. Did he tap into the power base wrapped within? Absolutely.

Is Obama a racist? Of course not. He’s far too bright for that too. But he was more than willing to tap into the power base behind the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

Obama is nothing more than a “good” Chicago politician.

Look, what this entire election boils down to is an issue of common sense and values. (Keep in mind that I’m sort of a modern political agnostic or even a political atheist; I really don’t have faith in any of the candidates.) But fact be told, in less than a month, Americans will either offer proof of their value system and ultimately their common sense, or…

Not looking good, cowboys.

See the NYT piece on Obama and Ayers here.

Alan Speakman

Barack to the Future

Well, the Democrats have done it. They have anointed their Messiah chosen their candidate, and come hell or high water, he’s theirs and they are his. (Or most of them are his. Or some of them…) His apotheosis will be complete this evening as he speaks to the multitudes from his Greek temple in INVESCO Field (the Greek set design, naturally was handled by Bobby Allen et al, the same folks who handle Britney Spears’ sets.) I wonder if loaves and fishes will be provided. I also wonder what he’ll actually have to say. Will it be more soaring rhetoric, full of hope and change and healing the sick and lowering the seas? Or will he finally get down to brass tacks and tell the world what he’s really about? My money’s on the rhetoric. And why blame him, he does it so well.

As I read of all the excess, the hyperbole, the over-the-top grandiosity of Sen. Obama’s campaign, I can’t help but wonder if the Dems are beginning to wonder if they’ve backed the wrong horse… Yes, he certainly is a stirring orator. Yes, he is definitely a dynamic figure. He has an exotic background, a lovely and intelligent wife, two adorable little children (with maybe another on the way?), and a Senate seat which he forsook almost the moment he was elected to it. He also has associations with some definitely shady characters, from whom he is still desperately trying to distance himself.

There’s the America-hating pastor, Wright; the America-hating priest, Pfleger; the indicted fixer, Rezko; and the unrepentant terrorist and his wife, Ayers and Dohrn. Ayers is the Weather Underground member who, after bombing NY Police Headquarters, the Capitol, and the Pentagon with his group, announced “Guilty as hell, free as a bird—America’s a great country.”

Wright, Pfleger, and Rezko were thrown under the bus long ago. Ayers and Dohrn, however, are proving a bit harder to get rid of. It was at their home that Sen. Obama chose to launch his political career. Obama has dramatically downplayed the association by stating that “…he’s just a guy from the neighborhood.” Yet there are still many threads to be unravelled in finding out the scope of their relationship. Michelle Malkin, Ed Morrissy at Hot Air, Little Green Footballs, and the National Review’s Media Blog are all giving this plenty of coverage. Yet the mainstream media has barely covered it. Quelle surprise!

The Democrats have made their choice for the future of their party. But I still wonder, with all of this going on so quietly in the background, if there isn’t a bit of buyers’ remorse hanging in the rarefied air of the Mile-High City this week.

 Stoutcat

The Emperor Is Losing His Clothing

Obama Exposes Himself

Fresh off the embarrassing show put on by Obama at last Saturday’s Saddleback Civil Forum, it’s abundantly clear to this registered Independent that being President is clearly “above Obama’s pay grade.” Evidently, Obama is under the impression that all that is necessary to win these debates (and, in fact, the Presidency) is simply “be there.” I find that a delicious irony, because the more I listen to him attempt to speak extemporaneously, the more he reminds me of Peter Seller’s character “Chance” in the movie Being There. “The Man Who Would Be Emperor” is quickly exposing himself as an emperor without clothing.

The end result is a campaign that finds itself with a trilogy of dilemmas facing Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic Party in toto.

• Obama’s Dilemma - Do I Really Have Any Choice As A Running Mate?

He’s ridden the buzz of expectation regarding a running mate for so long now, anything short of a stunning announcement is likely to be met with, “Yawn…Do you want fries with that?” At this point, it’s obvious to everyone (with the possible exception of Obama himself) he’s GOT to choose Hillary or risk losing her large support base and, in doing so, the election. Putting her on the ticket is a huge step towards walking away with the election. But it also means 4 or possibly even 8 years with Bill and Hillary second-guessing him, plus the knowledge that he needed a (gasp!) woman to help him win. Either way, the Clinton egos MUST be served, or else.

• Hillary’s Dilemma – Should she accept Obama’s VP offer?

If she does accept the VP nod and the ticket wins 2 terms, she’ll probably be considered too old (69) to run for Pres when he’s done. If she refuses, and he loses, she’s available to “save the party” 4 years from now. I think we all know that her ego wants the GOLD medal not the Silver. She’d rather let Obama and the Democrats FAIL this time out so she can look even better after-the-fact and going into the 2012 campaign.

If she refuses and Obama finds a way to win, she and Bill will be forced to the sidelines. But the chances of that are relatively small. She’s better off taking her chances refusing him, if she seriously wants to run again in 2012. Even if Obama is an incumbent, if he is doing poorly she can be to Obama what Bobby Kennedy was to Lyndon Johnson and grab the nomination away from an incumbent who is seen as too weak to be re-elected. Believe it or not, Hillary is still very much in the driver’s seat. And you know this has to be eating away at Obama.

• The Democratic Party’s Dilemma – What Do We Do NOW?
  

They are essentially STUCK with Obama who further exposes his lack of leadership skills and experience every time he opens his mouth. Do they pressure him to choose Hillary? You’re damn right they do! But that’s putting all their egos into one basket. And if that basket fails to sell, will that tarnish their golden girl’s chances four years from now?

Obama has thus far been able to tap dance his way around answering questions in any detail, failing time after time to give any specifics in his answers. However, once he accepts the nomination, that luxury will be gone. I predict the pressure from the few remaining members of the legitimate media will force the pendulum of journalism to start it’s downward swing. As it does, even “The Chosen One” will no longer be able to cover up his real relationship with people like terrorist William Ayers, convcted felon Tony Rezko, and the “Chicago political machine” where even the dead can vote more than once.

America is rapidly discovering that Obama’s pledge of being “The candidate of change” is nothing more than an empty cliche. Each time he opens his mouth the emperor seems to come up one garment short. In fact, if he continues to expose himself like this, he could be in danger of being arrested for public nudity before the election. And without the assistance of Hillary to pull him through, more and more Hillary supporters and “undecideds” will be looking to establish their own “6 degrees of separation.”

I never thought I’d ever paraphrase the Reverend Jeremiah “Not so” Wright, but here it is: Given his history of arrogance, hubris, and choice of “friends,” it would seem that, beyond the shadow of a doubt, “Obama’s chickens… are coming home to roost.”

Gerry Ashley