tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72108089316973332362024-03-21T17:34:09.067-05:00FunkyPundit"I live for the funk. I'll die for the funk."
- Notorious B.I.G.tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.comBlogger371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-76186129501368424022020-11-27T08:24:00.000-05:002020-11-27T08:24:09.099-05:00A Letter to Dashiell on His 2nd BirthdayDear Dash — <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu4p9zlOVxRdSvmq7rsWYzBR8NuZXCc7EeB-dTMGzi-5sRB7Maum9CbEuu5sh_p1MK8bG9hvx8OQ5IxIWCDLYtwSZeBUcgiUIhjAyTbzdPVPbBwX0StgQA276SddbxZJAsy6352lsWVo/s960/1+-+Dash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu4p9zlOVxRdSvmq7rsWYzBR8NuZXCc7EeB-dTMGzi-5sRB7Maum9CbEuu5sh_p1MK8bG9hvx8OQ5IxIWCDLYtwSZeBUcgiUIhjAyTbzdPVPbBwX0StgQA276SddbxZJAsy6352lsWVo/w150-h200/1+-+Dash.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Today you turn two and I'm absolutely astonished at much you’ve grown since your first (rather frightful) days on this planet. You probably already know the basics: Delivered in Hospital Nuevo Belén in Madrid, I held you for only a few quick moments before doctors said one of your lungs wasn’t quite ready for a post-womb world and you were whisked away into the NICU, where you remained for one nerve-wracking week. Despite undergoing what looked like an an extremely uncomfortable introduction to the outside world (so many tubes!), you remained perfectly placid throughout the ordeal; I on the hand cried like a baby.<div><br />
Knowing you were the last of the Elliott brood, I made sure to appreciate each and every “baby moment” we spent together once you finally came home. When you’d awake in the middle of the night, I would often take you downstairs, then outside, where I’d direct your eyes up to the stars in the sky. You’d smile in apparent awe, overcoming me with wonder — a feeling I’d resolve to keep with me forever. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NsSX7CuLFuvWtTjOtadsHJBKXQhpDDF6wzUZNavQqRj7StJIZbBUzeI3NrfDo4ElaR0tMh_y35BOzb1fQs9N3bPUaZVVhgFmi9DOtnBqvZxfzSQkKJK_uTODxHUEcbncCHi5Ohcp9ts/s2048/1+week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NsSX7CuLFuvWtTjOtadsHJBKXQhpDDF6wzUZNavQqRj7StJIZbBUzeI3NrfDo4ElaR0tMh_y35BOzb1fQs9N3bPUaZVVhgFmi9DOtnBqvZxfzSQkKJK_uTODxHUEcbncCHi5Ohcp9ts/w150-h200/1+week.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div>Despite being the “baby” of the family you’ve always carried yourself like the oldest. Sizing up your older brothers, your evident intent on leapfrogging them has resulted in some rather mature interests. Here, for example, are a few of your early passions: <br /><br /></div><div><b> * Mopping. </b>You love cleaning generally, but especially mopping. This is something you take very seriously, and thus won’t settle for substandard mops. Some of the only times I’ve seen you cry are when you’re given a baby mop instead of a proper, professional mop. You’ll settle for nothing less than the best. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5o939LHrE">This is basically you</a>.) <br /><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXUhQx_UBJFj54YRfRqYD0Wlk716F3kk0I4phSjA2HCpzkGh08v9b7pRTC5LaJBpPwqqgmLoZtbXCLNrwwlEmyFR13gPFL0Kig0uxKHANjizGkUUpjBQNaTvE9CVDOiLH_FYV-o8oO64/s1440/dash+Brushing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Pursuing your passion" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXUhQx_UBJFj54YRfRqYD0Wlk716F3kk0I4phSjA2HCpzkGh08v9b7pRTC5LaJBpPwqqgmLoZtbXCLNrwwlEmyFR13gPFL0Kig0uxKHANjizGkUUpjBQNaTvE9CVDOiLH_FYV-o8oO64/w200-h200/dash+Brushing2.jpg" title="Pursuing your passion" width="200" /></a></div><b>* Dental Hygiene. </b>Unlike pretty much every other baby I’ve come across, you love all manner of dental hygiene. Brushing, flossing, the whole bit. If I need to get you to chillax in the bathtub, I can give you a toothbrush and some toothpaste and you’ll settle in for hours. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>* Telling your old brothers what to do. </b>While you may be the “baby," you know you’re actually the boss, often directing Niall and Alden to perform small favors for you (e.g., giving you their scooter; refilling your cup; making them entertain you with funny faces). </div><div><br /></div><div><b> * Beverages. </b>Perhaps your most intense passion is for beverages, and on this topic, you are completely open minded (as opposed to your fiercely particular opinions on mops). Water (sin & con gas), milk — it hardly matters; anything in liquid form brings you joy. The only problem is that sometimes you’re so focused on beverages you forget about actual food. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcSoKKKYVQVKOI2YJYLzcf-GgOADe_Bm_u7tVeRWak_kZ4sIxnN_xnfQUg89R53bOJHCwbAwmJqLMLq-MNL_w0Zpz1ab4L2K4a2Mtp4zeEFXn6luLRoQn_rIJmKbv1tQkvCcspcFpeHg/s2048/9+months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcSoKKKYVQVKOI2YJYLzcf-GgOADe_Bm_u7tVeRWak_kZ4sIxnN_xnfQUg89R53bOJHCwbAwmJqLMLq-MNL_w0Zpz1ab4L2K4a2Mtp4zeEFXn6luLRoQn_rIJmKbv1tQkvCcspcFpeHg/w150-h200/9+months.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b>* Meat. </b>Thankfully there’s no food group like you better than meat. The other day I made lamb chops and while your older brothers wanted their meat removed from the bone and cut into pieces, you preferred ripping the flesh off the bone like a cavebaby. Another time I roasted a chicken and had cut up some “toddler bites” for you. You looked at your plate, then mine, then reached over to grab my giant chicken leg, which you happily masticated over the course of the next hour. </div><div><br /></div><div>For better or worse, this aversion of “kid” food results in the usual methods of bribery not working. Whereas Alden and Niall would do virtually anything for a hit of sugar, you don’t seem to care for sweets at all, preferring instead savory snacks like pistachios, queso & jamon. <div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBj1DUdOwAvSo2wfRnNBfUci0tXeJgaOOlP134JGMg_mrHPQ67yjhmfbJAO7Jkkg4Px9Qgh8U0IBnOEvZ_jRo9ZW1_Q81TSTM1LZJD1dvuXIA5z16KMHJ1cFbllssDS1VjsEQ9q1Wmz8/w150-h200/IMG_3321.jpg" width="150" /></div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Your obliviousness to your “baby” status is also seen at the skate park, where you’re known to commandeer teenagers’ unattended scooters/skateboards to try holding your own on the halfpipe. The older kids would probably be annoyed at you hogging the whole park but you’re frankly just too cute to bother anyone. Last week we were there and you had taken Niall’s scooter and were pulling it to the top of a ramp, running down alongside the scooter. After a few of these test runs, you resolved to try riding the scooter itself down the ramp. I was nervous watching this unfold but too impressed at your moxie to intervene. To my amazement you actually succeeded riding it all the way down the ramp, but did take a tumble after hitting maximum velocity. No big deal, though. I had some magic elixir — “agua” — and you were right back at it a few minutes later. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12YPx9k-Sw7GDTW43AObeJSEHsZq75RJx8TiuyxX3MqxzcAhqJ86ak1DIQa76pH-witngXnhRWukgrbaQfx1j5qJVDTamRtS2shLDPDF1JpJvP9XCcaK8VKnj1qQkHZLPAI8cF0Zah6U/s2048/11+months.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12YPx9k-Sw7GDTW43AObeJSEHsZq75RJx8TiuyxX3MqxzcAhqJ86ak1DIQa76pH-witngXnhRWukgrbaQfx1j5qJVDTamRtS2shLDPDF1JpJvP9XCcaK8VKnj1qQkHZLPAI8cF0Zah6U/w133-h200/11+months.JPG" width="133" /></a></div></div><div>As I write your vocabulary consists of at least 30 words, some of which are Spanish, such as the aforementioned “agua,” “jamon,” as well as “más” (which you’re often using to direct people to give you more jamon and/or agua). You can count to 10 in both Spanish and English and you say “Dada” with an enthusiasm that makes my heart swell in euphoria. </div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>This unusual bravery is also seen at the swimming pool, where you’ve never let your lack of swimming abilities stop you from jumping into the pool (where I’ll catch you and toss you high into the air). You love this so much, you get legit angry at Alden and Niall for occasionally trying to engage in the same routine. This summer at the beach, you were initially suspicious of all the sand, but soon treated it like a second skin, rolling around and getting absolutely covered. It was a mess but who am I to judge? </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnC_iOBN5S9VFyPaA2eu8xcLnium0NeyRoM1tii6Rn7L5YlEH-pPvZOp77CHAajFouWQkrsjNZdVgXyLsd1IEVqCdonvfW1fja2AKDFIrPKz0hEOaxhGsWBTLsbkZ0c-pmUKOdmqVrHg/s2048/7+months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnC_iOBN5S9VFyPaA2eu8xcLnium0NeyRoM1tii6Rn7L5YlEH-pPvZOp77CHAajFouWQkrsjNZdVgXyLsd1IEVqCdonvfW1fja2AKDFIrPKz0hEOaxhGsWBTLsbkZ0c-pmUKOdmqVrHg/w150-h200/7+months.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Like your brothers, you have a weak spot for the dregs of YouTube, particularly fancying a cartoon called “Jay Jay,” which features insufferable music vignettes from the perspective of a boy approximately your age. As you’re exhibiting unusual maturation elsewhere, I’ve decided to grant you this particular indulgence. </div><div><br /></div><div>If I’m going to be completely candid, this last year hasn’t exactly been my absolute favorite — with a seemingly interminable global pandemic being only the most recent unforeseen disaster — but throughout it all, you’ve remained a happy warrior who, at least for me, stands athwart raging storms like a lighthouse, offering hope, direction, and purpose. I am also inclined to take this opportunity to apologize that things didn’t work out as I’d wanted between me and your mom; just know that whatever happens, I’ll always be the best father for you that I possibly can. Te amo un montón. </div><div><br /></div><div>Feliz cumpleaños! </div><div>Dad</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT697s_M-OS1Rf9CjKRwQdNsHsExL1dF0ZO0mS1aF_Ge2lvQ1kzko501qoJxgLQ7DssS1EH7qpYxieH61J_XqXFqEy0eDblMGRxgVbQUIZ0ldU5vXGc8SMN0caJvu9-FDjQobmiai0UQ/s2048/sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT697s_M-OS1Rf9CjKRwQdNsHsExL1dF0ZO0mS1aF_Ge2lvQ1kzko501qoJxgLQ7DssS1EH7qpYxieH61J_XqXFqEy0eDblMGRxgVbQUIZ0ldU5vXGc8SMN0caJvu9-FDjQobmiai0UQ/w240-h320/sand.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y_DjewGtmhg0nYVWwl8Ky14AiZK0tIHNK0j7FbWXBJ891frrxkWank1mzOjmvLPPIhtnHxVSQxjDMZcvWyIdpHWepjbBjxrxx52u7GDFDXxu2hz8-zsQczjNgsAtT4HiQl9O69XIjNM/s1440/Corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y_DjewGtmhg0nYVWwl8Ky14AiZK0tIHNK0j7FbWXBJ891frrxkWank1mzOjmvLPPIhtnHxVSQxjDMZcvWyIdpHWepjbBjxrxx52u7GDFDXxu2hz8-zsQczjNgsAtT4HiQl9O69XIjNM/s320/Corn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-3168243509958117832017-11-06T23:12:00.000-05:002017-11-06T23:20:31.318-05:00A Letter to Niall on His Second BirthdayDear Niall -
You've just turned two, and based on you continual surprise at how much it hurts closing drawers on your fingers, memory is not yet your strong suit. As such, I thought it might be helpful to jot down some reflections on your first two years, before I likewise start closing drawers on my fingers.
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You were born in Korea to American parents (your mom and I, actually) in a town called Gangnam, which was briefly noteworthy after a stylish fatman captivated the world by dancing like a cowboy angrily churning butter (YouTube it). Koreans are a superstitious lot, and one of their theories is the danger modern medicine poses to childbirth. As such, your mom had a rather rough go ushering you into the world, and frankly I was rather nervous during the whole laborious saga. But you seemed unfazed, somehow managing a smile almost immediately upon seeing your new world outside the womb. Smiling, sleeping, & suckling kept you constantly content, with nary a tear in those first days.
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But even as Korea treated us well, we soon hit the road, heading back to the United States for a few months of paperwork while prepping for a new life in Spain. During those few months in America, you proved yourself an avid swimmer (even if you weren’t yet actually accomplished). Fortunately for our laundry needs, the local dry cleaner was (somewhat stereotypically) being run by Koreans. When your mom made sure to let them know about your honorable place of birth, they thereafter provided rush service free of charge. They assured us you were a golden child. (They treated your Canadian-born older brother like Kim Jong-Un.)
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OK, so now we’re living in Spain and you’ve got a few key obsessions:
— You’re not a big crier, but one thing that automatically sets you off is not having immediate access to Pellegrino on ice with a splash of lemon. It’s been a sippy-cup staple since shortly after our arrival. “Bubble” might actually have been your first word, which you use to both describe your aforementioned favorite beverage as well as any liquid at all really. Pelligrino, plus your affinity for olives and cheese, suggests you're settling into the Mediterranean lifestyle rather well. <br />
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— Piggy and Donkey. They’re the two stuffed animals you’ve taken to; you scan the crib every night to ensure their presence. But even as you carry these things everywhere and seem attached, I’ve also seen you throw them out of windows/off balconies/etc., while cackling maniacally. <br />
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— Sleeping & eating. I am probably supposed to say that I love you the same as Alden, but the reality is you are my favorite when it comes to sleeping and eating. You like to eat pretty much everything, and you’re always in the mood. And putting you to bed is as easy as taking you into your room and watching you try to climb into your crib. Then you’re usually good until the morning. (Don’t tell your brother I said this, but he’s currently 4 and is still the worst sleeper ever. Actually as I write this, it’s 3 AM, and I’m laying next to him, trying to coax him back to sleep. So thank you very much for not following in his footsteps.)
— You also love watching Peppa Pig, perhaps because she reminds you of your aforementioned stuffed swine, or perhaps because she reminds you of bacon. Or maybe you just dig the accents. Either way it’s another current obsession.
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— Shoes. We have a closet near the front door filled with shoes, and trying them all on keeps you endlessly entertained. You’ve got very strong opinions on shoes, actually. When it’s time to go somewhere, selecting footwear you find agreeable can take hours, if not days. You need to get a grip, to be honest. If this is still a thing next year we might need to talk to someone.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQYHZJWtWqClIfmRcBl64o6xGEJM-6VWruX9XZmVbpHoSUTnZPvCMBdj8ruuS_A88zl0Uk_6TnZHMkDSSlvuvoBM2KK6ED2OeCljGKRbrP8XFp_sQqGrKTrALxCVput5LYT3KtLLyxOo/s1600/IMG_0419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQYHZJWtWqClIfmRcBl64o6xGEJM-6VWruX9XZmVbpHoSUTnZPvCMBdj8ruuS_A88zl0Uk_6TnZHMkDSSlvuvoBM2KK6ED2OeCljGKRbrP8XFp_sQqGrKTrALxCVput5LYT3KtLLyxOo/s200/IMG_0419.JPG" width="200" /></a>— You’ve recently taken to painting and other forms of “art.” One of your hobbies is coming up to my office, raiding my jar of writing implements, and creating Jackson Pollock-esque masterworks. It's impossible to complain about the distraction when you're proudly showing them off.
Anti-Obsessions:
— Getting dressed. Whenever possible, nudity is your preference, but unfortunately that’s not always socially acceptable. Getting you dressed is often a two-man operation (or rather, one man/one woman operation). You’re only two, but you’ve got the strength of 7 bucking broncos (I’ve done the math). Secretly I’m sometimes hoping you don’t decide to just beat my ass.<br />
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— Car seats, stroller straps, and all other manner or restricted movement. When we put you in the car seat, you’re like Houdini with your escape skills. I should be mad but usually I’m actually just impressed.
I wish I could say you and Alden are BFFs but that would be a blatant lie. I’d describe your relationship more like a rivalry, with an occasional recognition that one another is a worthy adversary. Once you even hugged.
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This rivalry also brings out your mischievous side. Last April we were vacationing in a city called Jalon; Alden was on the patio, hard at work assembling a tower with some blocks; you, walking by, nonchalantly removed one of the bottom blocks, then carried on, only to smile at the sound of the tower crashing in your wake and Alden’s disappointed cries. Cheeky.
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We’ve now lived in Spain for a year and you speak un poquito espanol. "Aqui" is one of your go-to words -- rather, commands -- but you’ve also recently shown you can count to 10 (with a little help). It's only a matter of time before we're asking you to help translate.
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But what really makes you, you, is that you're utterly uninterested in following anyone else. You have your own habits, tastes, and interests, and you could care less what anyone else thinks. You're only two years old, but you've already taught me so much about how to live. I love and wish you a very happy birthday.
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tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-90889763550629369142014-06-08T10:32:00.001-05:002014-06-08T13:32:10.090-05:00A Letter to Alden on His 1st Birthday<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXSpLZSh6sQsbbZfBwAvoPVIkR_l_PJ9ldtMsLWSDLilfP5Gvvy5ZvG0DpD5ivyXYX3J7GGtr6crQs72Q5TeqTIJTFBzsojsvuvt2a3np3ucHHcf7UMuTi2cI2tQSRuEtKkPWrYVwmEY/s1600/580392_10151673823707206_828859240_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXSpLZSh6sQsbbZfBwAvoPVIkR_l_PJ9ldtMsLWSDLilfP5Gvvy5ZvG0DpD5ivyXYX3J7GGtr6crQs72Q5TeqTIJTFBzsojsvuvt2a3np3ucHHcf7UMuTi2cI2tQSRuEtKkPWrYVwmEY/s1600/580392_10151673823707206_828859240_n.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">The burrito mom hath birthed</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcwtSEFIIKRS3UykSTapPDgL4YUuggToBP0B-Ncv5DmMLzgUxqvQRLIyEwJb6QD7sRGqtMFBMTNnYAciI-DILDK57gY3sxdc6GD9uumUotcfYJ-eEXq8SYCbV9nU-8L0I5QdiTBcoy5s/s1600/966938_10151678772462206_684020929_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcwtSEFIIKRS3UykSTapPDgL4YUuggToBP0B-Ncv5DmMLzgUxqvQRLIyEwJb6QD7sRGqtMFBMTNnYAciI-DILDK57gY3sxdc6GD9uumUotcfYJ-eEXq8SYCbV9nU-8L0I5QdiTBcoy5s/s1600/966938_10151678772462206_684020929_o.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></span></a><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Dear Alden -</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Today is your first birthday. It occurred to me that once you get a bit older, you might not recall everything that’s happened these last 12 months. So I thought I’d write this letter and give you a brief reminder of what you’ve been up to in your first year of life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">You were born, as you have no doubt heard by now, in Ottawa, Canada. There was some debate about whether we should fly back to the States to ensure you weren’t precluded from an eventual presidential run, but after consulting with our lawyer (Ted Cruz) we went ahead with the Canadian birthing option (it was free). Now you apparently have dual citizenship. The main benefit of that is if America’s economy ever tanks completely, we can use you as our anchor baby. The night you were born the nurses wrapped you up like a baby burrito. For some reason I was very paranoid about the deep sleep you quickly fell into. So throughout the night, instead of sleeping myself, I checked on you about every 15 minutes. Turns out, babies just like to sleep. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">You seemed to enjoy living in Canada, despite it being Canada. This winter, for example, the temperature regularly dipped as low as negative 20. Yet you still seemed to always enjoy cruising around the neighborhood in your stroller. In fact, the only time I can recall you complaining about the weather was once when your mom and I (as well as our friend Eric) were determined to trek some mountain trail — despite the fact that it was pretty much blizzarding. That time we had you strapped into the Baby Bjorn. After about 20 minutes of getting blasted in the face with snow, you started crying. To this day I’ll never forgive you for that. Kidding! You were probably just hungry anyway. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">You’ve probably also heard by now that we eventually escaped Canada for Korea, where you blended right in. Except instead of having black hair with dark, squinty eyes and a taste for kimchi, you have flowing golden locks with bright blue eyes and a strong aversion to kimchi. You’re definitely the only one in this city of 12 million who fits that profile. Which is probably why the locals treat you like a god. Wherever we go, people say </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">"aleumdaun!” Which we’re told means “beautiful,” but could just as well mean “devil child.” It’s a tough language to understand. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLrCIrucvfagecq9cmnoEe8Kirza0jCtlh4RJLdA1wfuMKDnl2h3GofQkVGhDy4yAk4Q_Kbz3WYX6XjNH3IeoZjNgQHNtJDequhsRPxZBEN68UPXFnF5p8rQDrtCSwEo-7DpFMIRp10s/s1600/1654156_10152275698702206_1090385743_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLrCIrucvfagecq9cmnoEe8Kirza0jCtlh4RJLdA1wfuMKDnl2h3GofQkVGhDy4yAk4Q_Kbz3WYX6XjNH3IeoZjNgQHNtJDequhsRPxZBEN68UPXFnF5p8rQDrtCSwEo-7DpFMIRp10s/s1600/1654156_10152275698702206_1090385743_n.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crushing Canadians</td></tr>
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</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Speaking of Koreans, the other day we were in Lotte World (the Bloomingdales of Korea) and one of the gentlemen working the appliance section decided he’d like to hold you. But not only did he hold you; he rubbed his nose against yours, cooed ceaselessly, and gave you no fewer than 100 kisses. I attempted several interventions, but he wasn’t having it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Just two days ago, your mom and I were taking you out to celebrate your birthday (a couple of days early). As we happened upon an intersection, a group of 5 or 6 young girls immediately began freaking out with excitement upon seeing you. Perched on my shoulder, you began clapping at them. They all clapped in response. You then let out your classic Alden yell; they yelled just the same. Then you did a peek-a-boo, and they did peek-a-boos back. This call-and-response game actually went on for a few minutes. You reminded me of a rock star who can command his fans to do just about anything. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5M93lR9nYgBlU0kgx7IiSFrrs6BRBu9jwwdFldNBt2CyFYpZWaJhyphenhyphengMzk8amCa-9462aqKqEitfOP-MEDqwQbt-m959VsayCwQX-WNa_ciWNyAoC82m_n3tyOuAikvF-WKBsnpfoi7I/s1600/1796580_10152252398352206_195651298_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5M93lR9nYgBlU0kgx7IiSFrrs6BRBu9jwwdFldNBt2CyFYpZWaJhyphenhyphengMzk8amCa-9462aqKqEitfOP-MEDqwQbt-m959VsayCwQX-WNa_ciWNyAoC82m_n3tyOuAikvF-WKBsnpfoi7I/s1600/1796580_10152252398352206_195651298_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doin' the bull dance</td></tr>
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</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Which is actually great because you really love attention. Once in awhile, we’re walking and you’re smiling at everyone who looks your way. If you fixate on someone but they ignore you, you begin hollering at them. Increasingly louder. Until inevitably they look at you, at which point you smile at them and their once cold hearts melt instantly. It’s a great move. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Besides attention and adoration, here are s</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">ome of your favorite things:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: white;"><b>The bath.</b> You could spend hours in the tub. Even as you sometimes lose your balance, go under and momentarily appear traumatized, you’re usually happy again within a few seconds. You also like throwing anything within arm’s range into the tub with you. And to your credit, you’ve only pooped in the tub twice. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: white;"><b>Animals. </b>You like them all. Sadly, they mostly hate you. Probably because you scream at them very rudely. And you eat their food. Simone is nicer to you than any other kid she’s encountered, but even she can only take so much fur-tugging. Dolley has hated you from the get-go, likely because she knows we like you better than her. Hugo is a cat none of us like so it doesn’t really matter what he thinks. Feel free to continue tormenting him.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: white;"><b>Your Parents.</b> You always smile your gigantic smile whenever you see us. It’s pretty much the best.</span></span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgpVz2wDy8OiflbTFejH_Bl79hA6CZrGk6a3Hgb_nJUROLsMDweXsqdG_sTi0PMMfyHGenH5qAASTdnnegmLpwDideUANjIeS31m2EnYqulqpY7x1yeSLq7CFD7HoDVFQqo3QkD-zFcQ/s1600/1450919_10151993253947206_824358696_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgpVz2wDy8OiflbTFejH_Bl79hA6CZrGk6a3Hgb_nJUROLsMDweXsqdG_sTi0PMMfyHGenH5qAASTdnnegmLpwDideUANjIeS31m2EnYqulqpY7x1yeSLq7CFD7HoDVFQqo3QkD-zFcQ/s1600/1450919_10151993253947206_824358696_n.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">With your friend Simone <br />on Halloween</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><b>The Bottle. </b>You’re probably getting to be that age where we should segue away from the bottle into a more sophisticated chalice, but you really can’t be without it. The other night I happened to go into your room while you were sleeping. You literally had the bottle in your mouth as you slept; as I was looked on, you sucked the (empty) bottle several times somewhat frantically, then returned to your deep slumber. It was funny. (You probably had to be there.) </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Things you dislike: </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: white;"><b>The Car.</b> This is an issue you’ve wavered on. At times you tolerate long trips in the car seat; other times, you’ll go through a phase where even two seconds in the car seat is akin to ripping your toenails out, one by one. You’re currently in the latter phase. We're hopeful this doesn’t last too much longer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PM6a2fC8u8-ls0Dooa2OEqTsTOW-6ImUnzVXCieTbhNwzIhKLQsSUhvuKV4OykC7vxHrRBQs_tG7dLBNGIf490Hq5bPsa4Pyc7YUKLDv9b8PyV5G3UldpxKuhAIx3qwTRRfUR87Bf_8/s1600/1146455_10151796356562206_1307212815_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PM6a2fC8u8-ls0Dooa2OEqTsTOW-6ImUnzVXCieTbhNwzIhKLQsSUhvuKV4OykC7vxHrRBQs_tG7dLBNGIf490Hq5bPsa4Pyc7YUKLDv9b8PyV5G3UldpxKuhAIx3qwTRRfUR87Bf_8/s1600/1146455_10151796356562206_1307212815_n.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: white;">I literally can’t think of anything else you outwardly dislike. Besides kimchi. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: white;">On your birthday I also want to say thanks. Previously I thought babies were smelly little beasts that permanently end any hope of youthful frivolity. Now I know that’s only partially true. And while I know everyone thinks their kid is the best, I actually do think you’re literally the best baby ever. You’re cute, generally well behaved, and have a budding sense of mirth your mom and I both find hilarious. But don’t let any of this go to your head; you still have plenty of time to let us down. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Happy birthday, Alden Forbes Elliott </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Pops<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmRGZP4ySehZSRrpetvFiiSULI3XCXLmZqNxahpExA4HP_-R1DuOowD7_-uJnuv2oZKhDUxqTg7Ma8qRw2v3kP9RZsf2ISMkDJNYg8pamSkudbAW63-PDh2Iducxq81Tz9ZWL2KgN1AY/s1600/1924842_10152444992982206_3216217012623253042_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmRGZP4ySehZSRrpetvFiiSULI3XCXLmZqNxahpExA4HP_-R1DuOowD7_-uJnuv2oZKhDUxqTg7Ma8qRw2v3kP9RZsf2ISMkDJNYg8pamSkudbAW63-PDh2Iducxq81Tz9ZWL2KgN1AY/s1600/1924842_10152444992982206_3216217012623253042_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">En route to Korea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-wknNvdDAR54%2FU5R63dBNL7I%2FAAAAAAAApJ8%2FXAj7Od4acaI%2Fs1600%2F969478_10151832686637206_1740354727_n.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmpzWYq5WsT4b7X6O4bRzktu1LSIZoAM_9HqrBtarT8LrDH34a2UXGW0l6OlW6UGpnkB1kAD2e34lHM3LgQbXflUqxo3gIZgtSGNKvZ4eVmS1Af0fW9oTVpgyLS7tJ-eDzo5A0wI-3XU/s1600/969478_10151832686637206_1740354727_n.jpg" -->tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-23571034891279454622012-12-12T09:41:00.001-05:002012-12-12T09:42:38.579-05:00Tom's Top 12 Albums of 2012While there were a lot of great albums that came out this year, here are the 12 I currently consider my favorite:<br />
<br />
"Port of Morrow" - The Shins<br />
"Bleed Bleed Bleed" - Thieves Like Us<br />
"Zero" - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes<br />
"Blunderbuss" - Jack White<br />
"Little Broken Hearts" - Norah Jones<br />
"Look Around the Corner" - Quantic & Alice Russell<br />
"Interludes After Midnight" - Blockhead<br />
"Cabaret" - Moon Taxi<br />
"Songs" - Rusko<br />
"Kill for Love" - Chromatics<br />
"The Man with the Iron Fists" - Rza<br />
"Strange Clouds" - B.O.B.
<br />"Ugabulum" - Squarepusher<br />
<br />
OK, technically that's 13. But how could I have named this post "Top 13 Albums of 2012"? Ridiculous.
tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-17545964963276678722012-11-14T22:00:00.003-05:002012-11-14T22:12:09.968-05:00Tom's Top 100 Albums<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The following is a list of albums I currently consider my 100 favorite. These are not the top 100 albums I grew up with or the albums I consider the most musically accomplished; rather, they're just my favorite 100 albums as of this moment. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What's on your list? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8812353236135095" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8812353236135095" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Paul’s Boutique” - The Beastie Boys [1989]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ethiopian Knights” - Donald Byrd [1971]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Endtroducing” - DJ Shadow [1996]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ill Communication” - The Beastie Boys [1994]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Cannonball in Japan” - Cannonball Adderley [1966]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Moon Safari” - Air [1998]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Check Your Head” - The Beastie Boys [1992]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ready to Die” - Notorious BIG [1994]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Rift” - Phish [1993]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Blazing Arrow” - Blackalicious [2002]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Temples of Boom” - Cypress Hill [1995]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Deltron 3030” - Deltron [2000]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Mary, Don’t Take Me on no Bad Trip” - Fugi [1969]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Platform” - Dilated Peoples [2000]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Score” - The Fugees [1996]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ironman” - Ghostface Killah [1996]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“So … How’s Your Girl?” - Handsome Boy Modeling School [1999]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Power in Numbers” - Jurassic 5 [2002]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Disposable Arts” - Masta Ace [2001]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Life After Death” - Notorious BIG [1997]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Deadringer” - RJD2 [2002]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul” - Otis Redding [1966]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Endangered Species” - Big Pun [2001]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Naked & Warm” - Bill Withers [1976]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Initials SG” - Serge Gainsbourg [1968]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“How I Got Over” - The Roots [2010]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Doggystyle” - Snoop Dogg [1994]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Gulag Orkestar” - Beirut [2006]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Chronic” - Dr. Dre [1992]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Genius Hits the Road” - Ray Charles [1960]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Low End Theory” - A Tribe Called Quest [1991]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Enter the 36 Chambers” - Wu-Tang Clan [1994]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Stone Cold Rhymin’” - Young MC [1989]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Citizen Cope” - Citizen Cope [2002]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Beatles (White Album)” - The Beatles [1968]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“All the Woo in the World” - Bernie Worrell [1978]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Back to Black” - Amy Winehouse [2006]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Headhunters” - Herbie Hancock [1973]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Intensity” - Charles Earland [1972]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shakedown Street” - Grateful Dead [1978]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Walking Backwards” - Clutchy Hopkins [2008]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Into Bass and Time” - Ancient Astronauts [2011]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“A New Perspective” - Donald Byrd [1963]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Naturally” - Sharon Jones [2006]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Sounding Out the City” - El Michels Affair [2005]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Astral Sign” - Gene Harris [1974]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“His Majesty King Funk” - Grant Green [1965]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Us” - Maceo Parker [1974]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shackman” - Medeski Martin & Wood [1996]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Culture of Fear” - Thievery Corporation [2011]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“JapanPopShow” - Curumin [2008]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Inspiration Information” - Shuggie Otis [1974]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Clutch of the Tiger” - Clutchy Hopkins [2008]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Many Faces of Roger” - Roger [1981]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Salongo” - Ramsey Lewis [1976]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Mother Nature’s Son” - Ramsey Lewis [1968]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley” - Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley [1961]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Get Up With It” - Miles Davis [1974]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Abbey Road” - The Beatles [1968]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Midnite Vultures” - Beck [1999]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Chisa Years” - Hugh Masekela [2006]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Marcos Valle” - Marcos Valle [1970]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Four” - Blues Traveler [1994]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Version” - Mark Ronson [2007]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shango” - Peter King [1972]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Innervisions” - Stevie Wonder [1973]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“13” - Blur [1999]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” - The Smashing Pumpkins [1995] </span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Division Bell” - Pink Floyd [1994]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Clarence Greenwood Recordings" - Citizen Cope [2004]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Shame, Shame” - Dr. Dog [2010]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Africa Brasil” - Jorge Ben [1976]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Houses of the Holy” - Led Zepplin [1973]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“One Hot Minute” - Red Hot Chili Peppers [1995]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Live at the Fillmore” - Santana [1997]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Chronchitis” - Slightly Stoopid [2007]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Animal Magic” - Bonobo [2001]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Some People Have Real Problems” - Sia [2008]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Ubiquity Studio Sessions Vol. 3” - Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra (2006)</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“FutureSex/LoveSounds” - Justin Timberlake [2007]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Sesso Matto” - Armando Trovaioli [1973]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Buena Vista Social Club” - Buena Vista Social Club [1997]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Underground Spiritual Game” - Fela Kuti/DJ Chief Xcel [2004]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Nightingale” - Gilberto Gil [1979]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Eat a Peach” - Allman Brothers [1972]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Samba Esuema Novo” - Jorge Ben [1963]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Since I Left You” - The Avalanches [2000]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Music Scene” - Blockhead [2009]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Magical Mystery Tour” - The Beatles [1967]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Chasing the Dragon” - Diplo [2010]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Everything is Possible” - Os Mutantes [1999]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Milight” - DJ Krush [1996]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Kutiman” - Kutiman [2007]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Twilight Zone EP” - The Nothing [2011]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Wu-Tang Forever” - Wu Tang Clan [1997]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Modal Soul” - Nujabes [2005]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Trinity Session” - Cowboy Junkies [1998]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Is on Top” - Chuck Berry [1959]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Aretha Live at the Fillmore West” - Aretha Franklin [1971]</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Baby Huey Story” - Baby Huey [1971]</span></li>
</span></b></ol>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8812353236135095" style="font-weight: normal;">
</b></div>
tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-11774266202752192842012-11-04T15:04:00.002-05:002012-11-08T10:58:24.401-05:00The Ultimate A-Z Guide to Obama's First Term<b>9/11 now somehow even more painful</b><br />
<ul>
<li>9/11 is now associated with <i>two</i> anti-American terrorist attacks. Despite <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/11/01/fox-news-finds-benghazi-smoking-gun-raises-serious-questions/print/" target="_blank">warnings</a> an attack was coming, he failed to act.</li>
<li>Earlier, tried turning <a href="http://spectator.org/archives/2009/08/24/obamas-plan-to-desecrate-911">9/11</a> into some kind of national holiday for liberalism. </li>
</ul>
<b>Automobile industry nationalized and weakened</b><br />
<ul>
<li>In "saving" the auto industry, he <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=32212">handed</a> ownership of the companies to his campaign contributors (the auto unions). </li>
<li>In doing so, <a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20090521/AUTO01/905210362/1148/AUTO01/Chrysler+objections+mount">rightful owners were forced out</a> -- many of which were public pensioners (teachers, firemen, etc.), who unsuccessfully sued.</li>
<li>When Ford capitalized on the bailout's unpopularity in a TV ad, <a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20110927/OPINION03/109270322/Howes--Ford-pulls-its-ad-on-bailouts">he forced the company</a> to stop airing it. </li>
</ul>
<b>Benghazi </b><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>The consulate was under <a href="http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/10/benghazi-the-focus-of-numerous-attacks-and-a-clear-soft-target/#print" target="_blank">threat</a> long before 9/11, yet he failed to bolster security. </li>
<li>Ambassador Christopher Stevens <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/20/ambassador-stevens-warned-islamic-extremism-bengha/print/" target="_blank">himself</a> warned of gathering threats.</li>
<li>His vice president's <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/joe-biden-to-father-of-former-navy-seal-killed-in-benghazi-did-your-son-always-have-balls-the-size-of-cue-balls/" target="_blank">words</a> of consolation to the father of former Navy SEAL slain in the attack: "Did your son always have balls the size of cue balls?"</li>
<li>During the attack, repeated requests for backup were <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/26/cia-operators-were-denied-request-for-help-during-benghazi-attack-sources-say/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+foxnews/politics+(Internal+-+Politics+-+Text)" target="_blank">denied</a>. </li>
<li>When asked about requests for backup being denied, he <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/president-obama-begs-off-answering-whether-americans-in-benghazi-were-denied-requests-for-help/#" target="_blank">refused</a> to answer. </li>
<li>The White House likely used an aerial <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/26/cia-operators-were-denied-request-for-help-during-benghazi-attack-sources-say/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+foxnews/politics+(Internal+-+Politics+-+Text)" target="_blank">drone</a> to watch the attack as it happened.</li>
<li>When meeting the father of one of the men who died fighting off the attack, he was <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/father-slain-seal-who-made-decision-not-save-my-son_657782.html" target="_blank">cold, impersonal, and ungrateful</a>. </li>
<li>When his secretary of State met a father of one of the slain SEALs, she <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/25/slain-seals-father-clinton-promised-to-prosecute-youtube-filmmaker-for-benghazi-attack" target="_blank">vowed</a> to prosecute an American filmmaker who played no role in the attack. </li>
<li>The CIA found terrorist links the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/10/19/cia-libya/1643443/" target="_blank">following day</a>, yet he continued blaming an unrelated YouTube video.</li>
<li>After claiming in the second presidential debate to have labeled the attack "terrorism" the following day, he <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/presidential-debate-libya-questioner-says-obama-didnt-answer/2012/10/17/7109898e-1867-11e2-a55c-39408fbe6a4b_blog.html" target="_blank">admitted</a> after the debate he avoided describing the attack that way.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Courts and other offices packed with radicals</b><br />
<ul>
<li>David Hamilton, most infamous for his rulings against laws requiring sex offenders to register with the state, was <a href="http://frontpagemagazine.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=34632">nominated to the 7th Court of Appeals</a>. </li>
<li>Louis Butler, whom Wisconsin voters twice voted off the bench after dismantling rules against frivolous lawsuits (amongst other things), was <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704402404574525741364961888.html">nominated to a federal district court</a>.</li>
<li>Robert Chatigny, who infamously partially excused a rapist-murder of his crimes because of the perp's penchant for "sexual sadism," <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/16/obama-nominees-sympathy-for-sexual-sadists/">was nominated to the 2nd Court of Appeals</a>. </li>
<li>His EPA administrator subscribes to redistributive economics called "<a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/Public/Content/article.aspx?RsrcID=48851">environmental justice</a>."</li>
<li>His secretary of Transportation openly <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/PUBLIC/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=48578">advocates</a> using government to force people to stop driving cars. </li>
<li>Hired the <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/obama-treasury-official-who-worked-on-subprime-markets-is-writing-consumer-financial-protection-legislation-91852069.html">John Paulson</a> -- the billionaire most famous for selling subprime mortgage-backed securities -- to help write "consumer protection" legislation. </li>
</ul>
<b>Debt is now threatening America's very existence</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Despite running on promises to cut federal spending and slash the deficit in half by the end of his first term, federal spending </li>
<li>Immediately sent debt <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/">skyrocketing</a>. </li>
<li>For months he deferred calls to act on the deficit and debt by creating a commission to handle the issue; after the commission issued its report, he <a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/02/president-obamas-2012-budget-builds-on-failures-of-the-past">ignored</a> it entirely. </li>
<li>Since taking office, Americans' share of the debt is going up <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/8/obama-spending-hits-new-records/">$50/day</a>. </li>
<li>Has plans to increase spending another <a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/02/president-obamas-2012-budget-builds-on-failures-of-the-past">49 percent</a> over the next 10 years. </li>
<li>Increased food stamp usage <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443847404577631580385950886.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_AboveLEFTTop" target="_blank">50 percent</a>.</li>
<li>His "balanced" deficit reduction plan is <a href="http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/10/obamas-supposed-balanced-approach-to-debt-reduction-is-actually-88-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">88 percent</a> tax hikes. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Embarrassing gaffes are an every-day thing</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://bigjournalism.com/sright/2011/01/19/president-who-white-house-misspells-chinese-presidents-name-on-web-site/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BigJournalism+%28Big+Journalism%29&utm_content=Twitter">Misspelled the Chinese president's name</a> during a state visit. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315370/U-S-apologises-flying-Philippine-flag-upside--sign-nation-war.html">Displayed the Philipines flag upside down</a> at official event, forcing an apology. </li>
<li>Gave Russian officials a symbolic "reset" button that was written in Russian, but <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7930047.stm">which actually spelled something completely different</a>.</li>
<li>Misspelled Rhode Island as "<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2104009/Joe-Bidens-Road-Island-White-House-spelling-gaffe.html">Road Island</a>." </li>
<li><a href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-07-26/news/32874453_1_facebook-post-facebook-users-amercia">Spelled "Americans" wrong</a>, too.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/5011941/Gordon-Brown-is-frustrated-by-Psycho-in-No-10.html">Gave British Prime Minister Gordon Browns a gift</a> of ... DVDs, which -- even worse -- were in the wrong format. </li>
<li>Obama pronounces "Navy corpsman" like "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNr66HHhMjs" target="_blank">corpse-man</a>."</li>
<li>Thought Austrians spoke "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/04/06/DI2009040601600.html">Austrian</a>."</li>
<li><a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=49059">Misquoted Lincoln</a> in a State of the Union address. </li>
<li>In making fun of Republicans' grasp of history, <a href="http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/obama-mangles-us-world-history-in-energy-speech.php?ref=fpnewsfeed">mangles history himself</a>. </li>
<li>Despite having a constitutional law background, he <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303816504577321844137787970.html?mod=djemBestOfTheWeb_h">misstates constitutional law</a> in an unscripted attempt at defending ObamaCare (eventually forcing his Dept. of Justice to issue a "correction"). </li>
<li><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/falklandislands/9207183/Barack-Obama-makes-Falklands-gaffe-by-calling-Malvinas-the-Maldives.html">Didn't know the difference </a>between the Malvinas and the Maldives. </li>
<li><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-compares-his-campaign-volunteers-to-embassy-staff-killed-in-libya/article/2507830#.UFFB6aTya4L">Compared</a> his campaign staffers to the embassy staff killed in Libya.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/07/30/wh_on_churchill_bust_flap_a_bad_sherlock_holmes_script.html">Removed</a> a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office; after a columnist ridiculed the move, his administration called the columnist a liar and reassured the Brits the bust remained. But in fact the columnist was right -- the Brits had taken the bust after the White House removed it -- and the administration was forced to apologize. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Favors for friends, not for the people</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Labor-Department-seeks-to-apf-14989399.html?.v=1">Disposed of Department of Labor rules</a> that mandated unions are transparent with their spending because the rules were overly effective highlighting fraud.</li>
<li>Issued new global warming rules in January 2011, <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/02/obama-issues-global-warming-rules-january-gives-ge-exemption-febr#ixzz1CuMirq9t">offering General Electric an exemption</a> in February.</li>
<li>Less than a year into ObamaCare, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704124504576118570197329858.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_6&mg=com-wsj">733 waivers were issued</a>, almost all to political allies and unions. </li>
<li>Whilst "saving" GM, union workers' pensions remained intact, while <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/07/house-oversight-committee-likely-to-investigate-why-white-house-treated-non-union-employees-worse-than-union-employees-after-gm-bailout/">non-union workers were given the shaft</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/8/waging-war-union-style-in-wisconsin/">Covered up a program</a> that pays union workers taxpayer money to lobby the government for more unions. </li>
<li>While he regularly ridiculed the Tea Party, he <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-white-house-told-gsa-to-stand-down-on-occupy-protesters/article/2504238" target="_blank">instructed</a> the GSA to "stand down" on Occupy Wall Street.</li>
<li>Created program to give free cell phones to (primarily) people already receiving government assistance, <a href="http://freebeacon.com/obamaphones-profiting-obamadonors/" target="_blank">giving</a> the lucrative contract to a wireless company owned by one of his campaign contributors. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/21/stimulus-funds-spent-obama-ads-olbermann-maddow/" target="_blank">Bought</a> ads on MSNBC using taxpayer money to promote stimulus programs.</li>
<li>Used ObamaCare funds to give <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304765304577480871706139792.html?roi=echo3-12359669189-8961707-d8112a97b9626206a5ccd1d33dac0fe4&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+Bell" target="_blank">business</a> to his senior adviser's former firm.</li>
<li><a href="http://m.freep.com/news.jsp?key=512213">Included $10 billion</a> in his health-care law for the United Auto Workers and other union retirees. </li>
<li>Sought <a href="http://www.blogger.com/--%20Unions%20are%20exempt:%20http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124581677678245833.html">exemptions</a> for unions in the ObamaCare bill itself. </li>
</ul>
<b>Gas is up, as is the price of everything else</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Price of gas upon taking office: $1.78/gallon. Average price in 2012: <a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/08/the_o-conomy_how_president_obamas_economy_is_crushing_the_middle_class.html" target="_blank">$3.16.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-06-12-3260623795_x.htm">He actually sought</a> higher gas prices from the get go: “Obama suggested that the main problem with high gasoline prices is their rapid rise, not their total of about $4 a gallon. ‘I think that I would have preferred a gradual adjustment,’ Obama said.” </li>
<li>Despite boasting of increased domestic oil production, he actually <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50703.html">fought court orders</a> mandating his administration to act on deep-water drilling permits, eventually leading to being found in <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12827405">contempt</a> of court. </li>
<li>Hired an energy secretary who <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122904040307499791.html">sought to double</a> -- or triple -- gasoline prices.</li>
<li>The number of dollars in circulation has <a href="http://mises.org/daily/5223/Charting-the-Course-to-7-Gas" target="_blank">tripled</a>. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Health care made unaffordable, less effective, and in shorter supply</b><br />
<ul>
<li>His secretary of Health and Human Services <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2010/09/14/morning-bell-obamacare-vs-the-rule-of-law/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">threatened</a> to put out of business insurance companies that communicated with their customers about the potential impact of ObamaCare. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/item_pBqKW32rdYOYAp510ChCzO;jsessionid=AAD45E60A50D3AFCAAFE5B7120FB89A2">Broke</a> almost every health-care promise he made on the campaign trail.</li>
<li>The Mayo Clinic, which he touted as an example of what ObamaCare can accomplishes, <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/21/mayo-clinic-calls-house-plan-bad-medicine/">trashed</a> the bill. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=51093">forbids</a> insurers from using drug use to impact premiums. </li>
<li>Sought to utilize "<a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/PUBLIC/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=51115">interventions</a>" in private homes to raise awareness among seniors of their end-of-life options. </li>
<li>States are <a href="http://spectator.org/archives/2009/07/14/health-care-overhaul-threatens">forced</a> to pick up ObamaCare's tab. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://keithhennessey.com/2009/07/14/house-taxes-the-uninsured/">taxes</a> the uninsured, breaking a campaign promise. </li>
<li>Sought to <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/07172009/news/columnists/give_pols_same_care_they_force_on_us_179743.htm">exempt</a> Congress from ObamaCare. </li>
<li>Justified ObamaCare by citing the plight of 48 million uninsured Americans -- a figure that proved wildly <a href="http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=331944894331657">inaccurate</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124882436513388423.html">does not</a> view races equally under the law. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">increases</a> taxes on families earning more than $250,000. </li>
<li>ObamaCare amendments that would have outlawed health-care rationing were <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2009/07/10/senate-committee-blocks-anti-rationing-amendments/">blocked</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/insurance/article/107408/5-freedoms-you-would-lose-in-health-care-reform.html?mod=insurance-health">destroys</a> five freedoms we once enjoyed. </li>
<li>Americans liked ObamaCare <a href="http://people-press.org/report/522/">even less</a> than HillaryCare. </li>
<li>ObamaCare forces insurance companies to "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/health/policy/22insure.html">justify</a>" raising premiums. </li>
<li>ObamaCare creates a <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">new tax</a> on investments. </li>
<li>ObamaCare puts new <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">limitations</a> on those with HSA and FSAs.</li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes Americans who buy <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">medical devices</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare increases <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">payroll taxes</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes insurance <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">plans</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">employers</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes uninsured <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">Americans</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes drug <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">companies</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare increases corporate <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">taxes</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes self-insured health <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">plans</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes tanning <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">salons</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare increases taxes on energy <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/20/obamacares-18-new-tax-hikes/" target="_blank">companies</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare penalizes <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">marriage</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare puts Medicare decisions in the hands of an <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">unelected board</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare taxes <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">health insurers</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare won't let you <a href="http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/2532-the-12-worst-features-of-obamacare?src=HPLNews">keep the plan you like</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare created a new entitlement program called <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">CLASS</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare makes more than half of America <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/03/07/the-10-terrible-provisions-of-obamacare-you-may-not-have-heard-of/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">dependent</a> on the government for health care.</li>
<li>ObamaCare cleared its own budget path by <a href="http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/2532-the-12-worst-features-of-obamacare?src=HPLNews">defunding</a> Medicare's most successful program. </li>
<li>ObamaCare utilized an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/politics/26death.html">executive order</a> to <a href="http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/2532-the-12-worst-features-of-obamacare?src=HPLNews">reinsert</a> provisions that were so controversial they were stripped out before the bill passed. </li>
<li>ObamaCare is destroying the <a href="http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/2532-the-12-worst-features-of-obamacare?src=HPLNews">health insurance market for kids</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://spectator.org/blog/2011/01/06/did-governments-share-of-healt">Cooked</a> the books to show ObamaCare reduces the size of government. </li>
<li>ObamaCare's ostensible savings were <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hCT4GhKaleCpy570YTLr9p7nq54Q?docId=7a1abd4a6937454f90aa34acf72c9870">ridiculed</a> by the head of Medicare.</li>
<li>ObamaCare creates <a href="http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/2532-the-12-worst-features-of-obamacare?src=HPLNews">new tax forms</a> for small business. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/health/policy/27docs.html?pagewanted=all">arranged</a> for the hiring of spies to investigate private doctors. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/obama-administration-allows-health-coverage-for-same-sex-spouse/2011/04/15/gIQAddI4cS_blog.html">violated</a> existing federal law. </li>
<li>ObamaCare effectively bans <a href="http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/2532-the-12-worst-features-of-obamacare?src=HPLNews">physician-owned specialty hospitals</a>.</li>
<li>ObamaCare, contrary to the administration's claims, <a href="http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/2532-the-12-worst-features-of-obamacare?src=HPLNews">expands</a> the deficit. </li>
<li>ObamaCare let a few select states <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/health/policy/17health.html?_r=3&ref=todayspaper">avoid</a> its worst provisions. </li>
<li>ObamaCare forced even <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704430304576170842026286166.html?mod=WSJ_article_MoreIn_Health">Democratic</a> governors to seek an escape hatch. </li>
<li>ObamaCare's onerous impact on <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014461881_starbucks13.html">small business</a> ridiculed by Starbucks CEO. </li>
<li>Nearly 20 percent of ObamaCare waivers went to gourmet restaurants, nightclubs, and fancy hotels in <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/17/nearly-20-percent-of-new-obamacare-waivers-are-gourmet-restaurants-nightclubs-fancy-hotels-in-nancy-pelosi%E2%80%99s-district/#ixzz1Mc1GxPWp">Nancy Pelosi's district</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110622/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul_glitch">expands</a> coverage meant as a safety net for the poor into the middle class.</li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/07/09/who-am-i-to-decide-how-my-own-health-care-should-be-handled/2/">immunizes</a> the Independent Payment Advisory Board from lawsuits resulting from the way its decisions impact patients. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2011/10/17/irs%E2%80%99s-difficulty-collecting-obamacare-tanning-tax-is-a-troubling-sign/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">tasks</a> the IRS with collecting the newly created tanning-bed tax. </li>
<li>Eighty-seven percent of ObamaCare waivers went to his <a href="http://news.investors.com/Article/597373/201201101851/big-labor-free-rides-on-obamacare-waivers.htm">supporters</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare forces Catholic organizations to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/opinion/sunday/douthat-government-and-its-rivals.html?_r=2&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y">violate</a> their faith. </li>
<li>ObamaCare <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204795304577223003824714664.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop">violates</a> the First Amendment's protection of religious liberty. </li>
<li><a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/25/obamacare-pay-no-attention-to-mandate-behind-curtain-of-spin/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">Changed</a> his legal argument justifying ObamaCare mid-stream. </li>
<li>ObamaCare funds <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/225279--republicans-health-law-grants-could-fund-pet-neutering">bike lanes and pet neutering</a>. </li>
<li>ObamaCare's passage relied on <a href="http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/gop-probe-uncovers-deal-between-obama-and-drug-cos/546256">secret deal</a> between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Indecisiveness plagues an administration obsessed with being popular </b><br />
<ul>
<li>When Afghanistan was falling apart and debate simmered over what course to take, Obama took <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/19/obama-wont-make-afghan-decision-thanksgiving-aides-say/">several months</a> to weigh in.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=46665">Wouldn't</a> comment on whether he agreed with his appointee that the pope is a discredited leader.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Justice perverted by his attorney general and Department of Justice</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>DoJ <a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/20/justice-dept-blocks-ncs-nonpartisan-vote/?feat=home_cube_position1">overturned</a> a legitimate North Carolina vote that ended the use of party ID in local elections because it was thought to potentially hurt Democrats. </li>
<li>DoJ <a href="http://newsok.com/federal-role-questioned-in-oklahomas-english-only-debate/article/3388719">threatened</a> Oklahoma not to pass a planned English-only education reform.</li>
<li>DoJ let political ally Bill Richardson <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/27/richardson-probe-killed-washington/">off the hook</a>. </li>
<li>DoJ <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">sued</a> Arizona for attempting to enforce existing immigration law. </li>
<li>DoJ <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">sued</a> Alabama for attempting to enforce existing immigration law.</li>
<li>DoJ <a href="http://www.dailypaul.com/158521/theyre-playing-games-literally-in-the-justice-department">dismissed</a> a voter fraud case it had already won against two Black Panthers. </li>
<li>DoJ sought to dramatically expand its workforce, despite lawyers having so little to do, they're often found <a href="http://s1.zetaboards.com/Liestoppers_meeting/topic/4152491/1/">playing</a> Solitare, watching videos, and venting about their lack of work.</li>
<li>His Attorney General Eric Holder was earlier most notorious for arranging a pardon of <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">Puerto Rican terrorists</a>. </li>
<li>Holder also arranged a pardon for tax cheat/fugitive <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Marc Rich</a>. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Killed hundreds of Mexicans with a program meant to elicit greater gun control domestically</b><br />
<ul>
<li>DoJ/ATF arranged for thousands of heavy assault rifles to make their way into the hands of <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">Mexican narco warlords</a>, setting the stage for a mass slaughter of Mexicans (more than 300 to date).</li>
<li>His ATF <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-57338546-10391695/documents-atf-used-fast-and-furious-to-make-the-case-for-gun-regulations/" target="_blank">exploited</a> the violence this program created to promote gun control in America.</li>
<li>U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was also <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">killed</a> as a result of the operation. </li>
<li>More than 1,400 weapons remain <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">lost</a>. </li>
<li>Despite his AG declaiming awareness of the program, reports indicate the program was his "<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/29/report-fast-and-furious-a-product-of-doj-deliberate-strategy-laid-out-by-eric-holder-other-senior-obama-officials/" target="_blank">deliberate strategy</a>."</li>
<li>After the program was exposed by a whistleblower, the ATF attempted a <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">coverup</a>. </li>
<li>As did the <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/15/obamas-watergate-758295296/">DoJ</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Lying considered acceptable</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Promised to close down Gitmo. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Misses%20its%20first%20deadline%20for%20closing%20the%20joint%20down:%20http://www.newsweek.com/id/207596">Didn't</a>. </li>
<li>Promised never to raise taxes on any family making less than $250,000/year. <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/2011/07/23/top-10-obama-lies/">Did</a>. <a href="http://waysandmeans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/tax_tracker3.jpg">Many times.</a></li>
<li>Despite raising taxes on these families, he still regularly <a href="http://www.nysun.com/national/tax-take-soars-under-obama-even-as-he-argues/88000/">claims</a> he's only cut these families' taxes. </li>
<li>Claimed 80 percent of Americans <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/2011/07/23/top-10-obama-lies/">support</a> higher taxes. </li>
<li>Promised he would not run negative ads. <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/obama-promised-in-2008-he-would-not-run-negative">Does</a>. </li>
<li>Promised he wouldn't accept lobbyists' cash. <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-team-breaks-pledge-taps-lobbyists-for-cash/article/1245751#.UFx-UaTyZ3Y">Does</a>. </li>
<li>Promised the stimulus would immediately fund "shovel ready projects," an assurance he later admitted was <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/2011/07/23/top-10-obama-lies/">untrue</a>. </li>
<li>Promised Americans, in a bid to help sell ObamaCare, that we could keep our health insurance if we liked it. His plan does the <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/2011/07/23/top-10-obama-lies/">opposite</a>. </li>
<li>Promised stimulus would create 5 million jobs. It actually created <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-11/the-5-million-green-jobs-that-werent" target="_blank">1/10th</a> of that -- at most.</li>
<li>Claimed in a State of the Union address that the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision enabled foreigners to influence U.S. elections. As Justice Alito mouthed in response, that's "<a href="http://www.humanevents.com/2011/07/23/top-10-obama-lies/">not true</a>." </li>
<li><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/07/06/obama_claims_he_was_outspent_in_2008.html">Claimed</a> he was outspent in 2008. Reality: He outspent McCain <a href="http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/07/10/obamas-lie-of-the-day-was-he-outspent-in-his-2008-presidential-campaign/">3-1</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20003600-503544.html" target="_blank">Claimed</a> of Arizona's immigration law: “Now suddenly if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you can be harassed, that’s something that could potentially happen.” Which is <a href="http://obamalies.net/the-lies-about-the-arizona-immigration-law.html" target="_blank">untrue</a>. </li>
<li>While inveighing against foreign money influencing elections, his 2008 and 2012 campaigns actively <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/08/amid-foreign-contributions-scandal-obama-campaign-claims-it-tries-to-stop-illegal-donations/" target="_blank">enabled</a> (illegal) donations from foreigners.</li>
<li>Opposed horse slaughter as a candidate, <a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/12/10/obama-flipflops-campaign-pledge-prevent-horse-slaughter-media-mum">legalized</a> it as a president. </li>
<li>Was against tax breaks for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/warren-buffett-jet-company-_n_1313351.html">private jet owners</a> before he carved out an exception for his friend William Buffett. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-road-weve-traveled-a-misleading-account-of-obamas-mother-and-her-insurance-dispute/2012/03/18/gIQAdDd4KS_blog.html">Lied</a> during the campaign, and many times after, about his dying mother's non-existent battle against her insurance company to finance her cancer treatments. </li>
<li>Was against e<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/us/politics/shift-on-executive-powers-let-obama-bypass-congress.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all">xecutive orders and signing statements</a> before he was for them: </li>
<li><a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/05/obama-ny-girlfriend-was-composite-character-122272.html#.T6Fjly1idVV.twitter">Invented</a> the girlfriend in his autobiography.</li>
<li>Was against gay marriage (as a candidate) before he came out in favor. </li>
<li>While still opposed to gay marriage, he <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/226295-obama-disappointed-by-nc-gay-marriage-ban">criticized</a> North Carolina for adopting a measure furthering his then-supposed beliefs. </li>
<li>Promised restricting lobbyists from the White House but instead <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-visitor-logs-show-lobbying-going-strong/2012/05/20/gIQA2ok4dU_story.html">invited</a> them in spades.</li>
<li>Promised his administration would be the "most transparent ever." Instead, his administration denies <a href="http://go.bloomberg.com/multimedia/bloomberg-checks-obama-transparency/" target="_blank">33 percent </a>of Freedom of Information Act requests. </li>
<li>Promised the stimulus spending would be fully transparent. In reality its website is totally <a href="http://freebeacon.com/recovery-dud/">opaque</a>. </li>
<li>Promised health-care negotiations would be televised on C-SPAN. Instead, C-SPAN was <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2010/01/closing-arguments-obamas-cspan-mistake/" target="_blank">denied</a> access. </li>
<li>Despite constant promises on the campaign trail to shut down Gitmo, he later <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/world/obamas-leadership-in-war-on-al-qaeda.html">confessed</a> he never had a plan to do so.</li>
<li>Swore to uphold the Constitution. Often ignores its limitations, as seen -- to take but one example -- with his <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/obamas-recess-appointments-are-unconstitutional/2012/01/05/gIQAnWRfdP_story.html" target="_blank">decision</a> to name commissioners to positions that require Senate approval ... without Senate approval. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Midas Touch is the opposite of what Obama has</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2012/10/16/battery-maker-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/tcwHIy9oxASiZGOWAuCLUJ/story.html">A123</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/29/stimulus-backed-solar-company-lays-off-70-percent-of-workforce/">Abound Solar</a> ... laid off 70 percent of its company. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/abound-solar-under-investigation-by-weld-county-district-attorney-received-68-million-stimulus">Abound Solar</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Amonix</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Azure Dynamics</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Babcock and Brown</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204394804577009883877982306.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5">Beacon Power</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient Brightsource ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Chemical Power </a>... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/08/lg-plant-that-got-150m-to-make-volt-batteries-in-michigan-puts-workers-on/?intcmp=trending">Compact Power</a> ... furloughed workers.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Eastern Energy</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">ECOtality</a> ... faltering. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-backed-electric-car-battery-company-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/2012/01/26/gIQAA5T3TQ_print.html">Ener1</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Energy Conversion Devices</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1358998&pos=breaking">Evergreen Solar</a> ... fails. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/article/firm-sells-solar-panels-itself-taxpayers-pay/434251">First Solar</a> ... sold panels to itself. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/47071513">First Solar</a> ... slashed 2,000 jobs.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://freebeacon.com/first-solar-furlough/">First Solar</a> ... furloughed pay. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120416/NEWS/120416056/Fisker-lays-off-another-12-Del-workers-">Fisker Auto</a>motive ... laid off lots of workers (its cars also get <a href="http://www.redstate.com/vladimir/2011/10/24/karmas-a-botch/">worse mileage than SUVs</a>). </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2012/06/24/video-green-tech-stimulus-recipient-went-broke-a-second-time/">Genesis Poly</a> ... failed (twice). </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2011/07/18/green-vehicles-inc-no-more-governments-ie-taxpayers-are-losers">Green Vehicles Inc.</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">GreenVolts</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Johnson Controls</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">LSP Energy Systems</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Mountain Plaza, Inc.</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">National Renewable Energy Lab</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Navistar</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Nevada Geothermal</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Nordic Windpower </a>... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/04/green-jobs-farm-in-colorado-sheds-jobs-after-receiving-200m-in-stimulus-funds/#ixzz1ZoopnOzt">NREL</a> ... laid off much of its workforce. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Olsen's Crop Service</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2011/12/05/the-range-fuels-failure/">Range Fuels</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Raser Technologies</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Satcon</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Schneider Electric</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/solar-company-bankrupt-despite-win-win-doe-loan/459621">Solar Trust</a> for America ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2011/09/chu-solyndra-rush-job">Solyndra</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">SpectraWatt</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Stirling Energy Systems</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Thompson River Power</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=46761">SunPower</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/green-tesla-motors-another-day-another-solyndra/">Tesla Motors</a> ... is failing.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Thompson River Power</a> ... failed.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Unisolar</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/10/18/heritage-foundation-publishes-complete-list-of-obamas-green-flops/" target="_blank">Vestas</a> ... faltering.</li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://www.toledoblade.com/Energy/2012/01/17/Solar-panel-company-lays-off-40-employees.html">Willard & Kelsey Solar Group</a> ... laid off 40 employees. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://freebeacon.com/sapphire-in-the-rough/">Sappire Energy</a> ... failed. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient <a href="http://townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2011/06/17/a_shovel-ready_punch_line/page/2">Cree</a> ... received $5.2 million and created 3.02 jobs. </li>
<li>Stimulus recipient Seattle, Wash., was assured 2,000 jobs would be created. Actual result: <a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/127844048.html">14 jobs</a>. </li>
<li>His stimulus bill actually destroyed 1 million jobs, according to one <a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2011/05/20/liberal-media-skip-study-found-stimulus-forestalled-or-destroyed-million">study</a>. </li>
<li>After touting China's high-speed rail system as a model for America, that system announced its fighting <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/world/asia/18rail.html">corruption and insolvency</a>. </li>
<li>After <a href="http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2011/08/buffett-byd-goes-gasoline">touting</a> China's electric cars, they started being abandoned in favor of gas powered vehicles.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Narcissism is an illness</b><br />
<ul>
<li>When reading to school children, opted to read his <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2013702821_apusobamabook.html?syndication=rss">own book</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/03/obama-jeremy-lin-bill-simmons-grantland.html">Claimed</a> to know about the talented basketball player Jeremy Lin before anyone else.</li>
<li>Said he was way ahead of the curve on <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/18690/b-s-report-transcript-barack-obama">podcasts</a>. </li>
<li>After 9/11, was concerned that his political prospects might be dampened on account of his name, which he described in The Audacity of Hope. </li>
<li>After throwing like a girl on national TV, proceeded to go onto a Bill Simmons podcast to <a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2012/03/04/five-things-learned-barack-obamas-sports-podcast">brag</a> about how nasty he is at basketball. </li>
<li><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/225157-desert-one-shadow-hung-over-white-house-during-bin-laden-raid-">Said</a> the bin Laden raid was longest 40 minutes of his life. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/05/15/obama-drops-his-name-into-presidential-biographies/">Inserted</a> himself into the WhiteHouse website's biographies of earlier presidents.</li>
<li>Arranged a private meeting with <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/04/obama_meets_privately_with_the.html">The Grateful Dead</a> in the White House. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/world/africa/11policy.html?_r=1">Said</a> he would like to be the president of China so that criticism could be outlawed. </li>
<li><a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/05/24/morning-bell-obamas-blockbuster-secrets/print/?roi=echo3-12104416422-8732571-3ca4175b72674b56090a5bdfaf63cac6&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+Bell">Provided</a> top secret information about the bin Laden raid to filmmakers creating a movie about his role in the operation.</li>
<li><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-autographs-lab-coat-in-iowa-go-obamacare/article/2507608?custom_click=rss#.UE9_j2ie53Z" target="_blank">Autographed</a> a medical student's lab coat and signed "Go ObamaCare!"</li>
<li>Only spoke to students if they <a href="http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/10/students-can-only-hear-the-president-speak-if-they-pledge-support/" target="_blank">pledged</a> to support him. </li>
<li>Paying Hollywood to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/15/health/policy/california-tries-to-lead-way-on-health-law.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all" target="_blank">promote</a> ObamaCare in TV shows. </li>
<li><a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/17/morning-bell-obama-edits-official-state-department-documents-to-tout-himself/?roi=echo3-12876226073-9450567-e9714cdb2e574aad0c301d421d86aa5a&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+Bell" target="_blank">Edits</a> official State Department documents to tout himself. </li>
</ul>
<b>OK with being a hypocrite</b><br />
<ul>
<li>His "jobs council" is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/12/obama-jobs-council-outsourcing_n_1666443.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012">packed</a> with companies that outsource.</li>
<li><a href="http://freebeacon.com/obamas-millionaires/">Crafted</a> a tax plan that would result in lower taxes for the millionaires who work in his White House.</li>
<li>Attacked Romney for being in charge of Bain Capital during a particular set of layoffs; in fact his top bundler <a href="http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/07/oops-obamas-top-bundler-jonathan-lavine-was-in-charge-of-bain-during-gst-steel-layoffs/">Jonathan Lavine</a> was in charge of Bain at the time. </li>
<li>After repeatedly bemoaning the injustice of Warren Buffett's secretary paying a higher net tax rate than Warren Buffett, it was <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/president-obamas-secretary-paid-higher-tax-rate-than-he-did/">revealed</a> he also pays a lower tax rate than his White House secretary.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Pot is just as illegal as it was before</b><br />
<ul>
<li>His administration is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/obama-marijuana-raids-rolling-stone_n_1451744.html" target="_blank">ramping up</a> raids on dispensaries in states that have elected to decriminalize marijuana. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Quit cigarettes</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>There's nothing cool about that. </li>
<li>He more than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarette_taxes_in_the_United_States#Under_the_Obama_Administration" target="_blank">doubled</a> cigarette taxes. </li>
<li>Also trying to <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/11/obama-administration-to-push-for-eliminating-smoking-on-college-campuses/" target="_blank">ban</a> smoking on college campuses. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Regulating America out of business</b><br />
<ul>
<li>His Labor Department tried <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303411604575168140600410262.html">banning</a> unpaid internships. </li>
<li>Estimated regulatory costs are equivalent to <a href="http://cei.org/10KC">48 percent</a> of total federal spending. </li>
<li>He created regulations for <a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=45722">immigrant goat herders' </a><a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=45722">living quarters</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904194604576583082888335542.html">Walnuts</a> now treated by the FDA as a drug. </li>
<li>Created regulations for how to put <a href="http://canton-ct.patch.com/articles/an-upstream-paddle#photo-8767323">canoes</a> in water in Canton, Conn. </li>
<li>Regulatory agencies now enact more than <a href="http://cei.org/op-eds-articles/regulation-without-representation">3,500</a> new regulations in an average year (Congress musters a mere 200 new laws on avg). </li>
<li>Tried <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/2012/03/thursday-poolmageddon-trial-lawyers/367846">mandating</a> that every public pool in America have a crane to lift wheel-chair people in and out. </li>
<li>Tried <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/25/rural-kids-parents-angry-about-labor-dept-rule-banning-farm-chores/">banning</a> kids from working on their family farms </li>
<li>Expands Civil Rights Act so that companies must extend these protections to <a href="http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=7288">transgendered</a> Americans </li>
<li>Creates new <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303753904577453120752153042.html?mod=ITP_marketplace_1">rules</a> making it harder for companies to relocate abroad.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Created a "pay czar" to set private companies' executive salaries; the czar's tenure was deemed a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/10/us-financial-regulation-tarp-idUSTRE7190YD20110210">failure</a>. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/business/22kaplan.html?ref=todayspaper">Sued</a> Kaplan because it used credit checks in making hiring decisions. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sought to repeal <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203946904574298661486528186.html">ERISA</a> (a law that enables large companies to manage their employees under one set of rules, as opposed to 5</span>0). </li>
<li>His car emissions rules encourage Americans to drive <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124294901851445311.html">older, dirtier cars</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-houses-daley-seeks-balance-in-outreach-meeting-with-manufacturers/2011/06/16/AG177yXH_print.html">Infuriated</a> business leaders who came to the White House to discuss how the administration was getting along with the private sector.</li>
<li>His National Labor Relations Board created rules making it <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/business/22labor.html?ref=todayspaper">easier</a> for workers to unionize nonunion businesses. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=44343">Targeting</a> food companies that sell food to kids. </li>
<li><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-touts-s.c.-boeing-plant-that-nlrb-sued/article/1131216" target="_blank">Sued</a> Boeing for opening a new factory in South Carolina because the shop wouldn't be unionized.</li>
<li>His regulations cost an estimated <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/1.8-trillion-shock-obama-regs-cost-20-times-estimate/article/2508466#.UFsV7I1lQ19" target="_blank">$1.8 trillion</a> in lost business, more than 20 times as much as the administration's own estimate. </li>
<li>His new disability regulations <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/new-disability-regs-limit-slope-mini-golf-holes-require-businesses-admit-mini-horses" target="_blank">require</a> mini golf courses to limit the slope of their holes.</li>
<li>His new disability regulations <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/new-disability-regs-limit-slope-mini-golf-holes-require-businesses-admit-mini-horses" target="_blank">require</a> businesses to admit mini horses as guide animals. </li>
<li>His Wall Street "reform" bill is leading to the end of <a href="http://theweek.com/article/index/233833/is-the-era-of-free-checking-accounts-over" target="_blank">free checking accounts</a>. </li>
<li>His new coal regulations led <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/alpha-closing-8-mines-cutting-1-200-jobs-113623583.html" target="_blank">Alpha Natural Resources</a> to cut 1,200 jobs and close 8 mines.</li>
<li>His new coal regulations led<a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/pennsylvania-coal-companies-announce-layoffs-blame-obama/article/2502872" target="_blank"> PBS Coals</a> to lay off 225 workers. </li>
<li>His nuclear regulations prompted <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/dominion-resources-to-close-kewaunee-wis-nuclear-power-plant-after-failing-to-find-buyer/2012/10/22/ebe24c22-1c4a-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html" target="_blank">Dominion Resources</a> to close a power plant that employed hundreds.</li>
<li>The number of regulators has grown <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-a-different-kind-of-inflation-problem/2012/09/12/fd87db5a-fc41-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_story.html" target="_blank">25 percent</a>. </li>
<li>His Consumer Product Safety Commission <a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2012/07/26/nanny-state-obama-cspc-files-lawsuit-against-maker-perfectly-safe-magn" target="_blank">sued</a> te maker of a perfectly safe toy, leading the company to stop manufacturing it. </li>
<li>His regulations meant to protect turtles are putting American shrimpers out of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/08/01/us/ap-us-shrimpers-under-pressure.html?_r=1&ref=aponline" target="_blank">business</a>. </li>
<li>His financial regulations are spurring foreign banks to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444592704578062570295543436.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection" target="_blank">refuse</a> business with Americans.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Scandals are standard</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/31/amtrak-misled-congress-on-finances/">Sacked</a> Amtrak's Inspector General after the IG uncovered waste, fraud, and abuse within Amtrak. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/10/stonewalling-on-walpin-gate/">Sacked</a> Americorps' Inspector General after he uncovered corruption in Kevin Johnson's office, the Sacramento Democratic mayor and Obama friend.</li>
<li>Lied about his role in the <a href="http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/06/30/faced-with-the-blagojevich-scandal-did-barack-obama-tell-the-whole-truth/?xid=rss-topstories">Blagojevich</a> scandal. </li>
<li>Denied <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/01/president-obama-snubs-issa-on-first-major-document-deadline/">FOIA requests</a> that could damage him politically. </li>
<li>Contacted private security firms to create fake people on social networks to promote administration <a href="http://www.examiner.com/social-media-in-national/us-gov-software-creates-fake-people-on-social-networks-to-promote-propoganda">propaganda</a>. </li>
<li>Offered to <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/10/26/morning-bell-obama-administration-will-pay-companies-to-violate-the-law/?roi=echo3-13574816240-10092774-4f37407c5df3edc899569a30e580d7ca&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+Bell" target="_blank">pay</a> companies to violate the law (so that their mandated layoff announcements did not embarrass him).</li>
<li>Loaned taxpayer money to Solyndra, which was run by one of his <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/7754758-418/obama-admin-reworked-solyndra-loan-to-favor-donor.html" target="_blank">donors</a>. </li>
<li>Loaned taxpayer money to Tesla Motors, which was run by one of his <a href="http://pjmedia.com/blog/green-tesla-motors-another-day-another-solyndra/" target="_blank">donors</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2012/10/obama-administration-fires-batf-whistle.html" target="_blank">Fired</a> the whistleblower who exposed Fast & Furious.</li>
<li>Tried to illegally <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/16/Speaking-of-Felonies-The-White-House-and-the-Sestak-Bribe?utm_source=e_breitbart_com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Breitbart+Daily+News+Roundup,+July+17,+2012&utm_campaign=Breitbart+News+Roundup,+July+17,+2012&utm_term=More" target="_blank">bribe</a> a Democratic senatorial candidate out of running. </li>
<li>Colludes with infamous short-seller Steve Eisman when dishing out new regulations for <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/01/crew-pushes-sec-to-investigate-short-seller-obama-administration-partnership-on-education-regs/">for-profit colleges</a> (which Eisman happened to be short-selling). </li>
<li>His Treasury Department <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/237985-treasury-probe-officials-solicited-prostitutes-accepted-industry-gifts" target="_blank">cited</a> its officials for soliciting prostitutes and accepting industry gifts.</li>
<li>Despite it being illegal per recently passed congressional actions, <a href="http://nation.foxnews.com/acorn/2011/06/30/obama-gives-new-grant-acorn-did-he-violate-federal-law">channeled</a> money to ACORN. </li>
<li>2 DoJ prosecutors were caught accepting <a href="http://pjmedia.com/jchristianadams/2012/02/02/criminial-rot-spreads-through-justice-department/?singlepage=true">bribes</a>; his AG did nothing. </li>
<li>His VP, the "sheriff" of the stimulus, was <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/10/influence-peddling-runs-deep-in-energy-loan-deal-e/?page=all#pagebreak" target="_blank">used</a> by companies to procure stimulus cash. </li>
<li>His vice president's brother has <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/crony_capitalism_joe_biden_brother_XrkYGyDhbkn17bAVl7BSyK" target="_blank">received</a> plum government contracts.</li>
<li>His White House staff is <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/19/probe-may-cite-white-house-advance-team-involvement-in-prostitution-scandal/" target="_blank">reportedly</a> mixed up in the Colombian prostitution scandal.</li>
<li>More than 1,000 <a href="http://www.washingtonguardian.com/stimulating-investigation" target="_blank">investigations</a> are ongoing into stimulus wrongdoing.</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/21/morning-bell-buying-house-votes-for-unpopular-legislation/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">Two of his three biggest bills</a> were only accomplished through political bribery.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-influence-industry-obama-gives-administration-jobs-to-some-big-fundraisers/2012/03/06/gIQA9y3txR_story.html?hpid=z2">More than half</a> of his big money contributors received plum payouts or positions. </li>
<li>Doled out favors to politically connected <a href="http://freebeacon.com/pacific-gas-cronyism/">Pacific Gas</a>.</li>
<li>He's overseen multiple violations of the <a href="http://freebeacon.com/down-the-hatch/">Hatch Act</a> among his staff -- none was punished. </li>
<li>Tricked the famous Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng into captivity, only to immediately <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/02/did-the-obama-administration-abandon-chen/">hand him back</a> over to his Chinese captors. </li>
<li>He encouraged government contractors to <a href="http://freebeacon.com/not-the-real-world/">lie</a> to cover up estimated job losses stemming from new coal regulations.</li>
<li>His Nuclear Regulatory Commission <a href="http://freebeacon.com/wacko-jaczko/">chairman</a> was forced to quit following allegations of serial sexual harassment. </li>
<li>His financial bundler’s husband <a href="http://freebeacon.com/bundler-of-sunshine/">received</a> a $1.2 billion loan for his energy company.</li>
</ul>
<b>Takes on political enemies like they're enemies of America</b><br />
<ul>
<li>His Department of Homeland Security authored a <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/05/homeland-pulled-back-extremism-dictionary/">report</a> suggesting conservatives are potential anti-American terrorists. </li>
<li>Launched <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124044375842145565.html">investigations</a> into Bush Administration officials over interrogation techniques that helped lead to the killing of Osama bin Laden. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Used taxpayers' money in the dumbest ways imaginable</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Flew Air Force One to Florida to deliver <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/oct/29/gop-ticket-cancels-campaign-events/" target="_blank">pizza</a>.</li>
<li>Flew to Chicago to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2012/10/25/obama-sleeps-air-force-one/1656431/" target="_blank">vote</a> for himself for re-election</li>
<li>Spent money studying <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/Stimulus-Grants-Fund-Erectile-Dysfunction-And-Sexual-Habits-Studies-151195105.html">sexual history and erectile dysfunction</a>.</li>
<li>Increased spending for <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/28/exclusive-legal-aid-agency-hit-for-wasteful-spendi/?feat=article_top10_shared">agency</a> whose Inspector General says wastes money recklessly.</li>
<li>Somehow missed a deadline on cutting <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/21/obama.spending.promise/">$100 million </a>in spending. </li>
<li>Spent money buying 8,000 <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110710/NEWS01/707109937/1031357">diversity manuals</a> for janitors in Omaha, Neb., teaching them to hate white people. </li>
<li>Spent money to measuring <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/07/18/feds-pay-for-study-of-gay-men%E2%80%99s-penis-sizes/">gay men's penises</a>. </li>
<li>Spending billions on an unpopular <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2011/08/14/surprise-california-high-speed-rail-cost-explodes/">train</a> in California that connects two cities nobody's ever heard of. </li>
<li>His secretary of Commerce said Americans "<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/07/17/commerce-secretary-americans-need-to-pay-for-chinese-emissions/">need to pay</a>" for Chinese emissions. </li>
<li>Spent money pushing gay rights <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/world/united-states-to-use-aid-to-promote-gay-rights-abroad.html?_r=1">abroad</a>. </li>
<li>Spent money in attempt to outfit 400 Detroit job seekers with clothes but only helped <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/07/stimulus-money-meant-to-help-400-detroit-job-seekers-reportedly-helped-2/">two</a>.</li>
<li>Spent money to pay teens to <a href="http://www.protectingtaxpayers.org/index.php?blog&action=view&post_id=61">wrestle alligators</a>. </li>
<li>$9 billion in stimulus spent on solar and wind projects that created 910 jobs ($9.8 million per job).</li>
<li>$1.4 billion in stimulus spending went to <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/27/gao-1-billion-in-tax-credits-went-to-cheats/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS" target="_blank">tax cheats</a>. </li>
</ul>
<b>Vouchers being denied to deserving student</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Used budget as tool to <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/13/presidents-budget-eliminates-funding-for-d-c-opportunity-scholarship-program/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Heritage%2BHotsheet">shutdown</a> D.C.'s popular (especially with minorities) voucher program (twice). </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Weakness is his foreign policy</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Negotiated new START treaty with Russia, which forced America to reduce its existing stockpile while <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/09/obamas-false-start/">unilaterally</a> pledging not to modernize America's nuclear force (Russia is free to do so).</li>
<li>The weapons Russia pledged to eliminate were <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124693303362103841.html">scheduled</a> for retirement anyway.</li>
<li>START forced America to reduce its launchers to a number approximate to Russia's current supply (the treaty forced Russia to scrap <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124693303362103841.html">zero</a> launchers). </li>
<li>START left Russia with a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124693303362103841.html">10-1 advantage</a> in tactical nuclear weapons.</li>
<li>Despite Russia's <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124693303362103841.html">record</a> of violating arms-control treaties, START made no effort to enforce or verify the agreement in Russia.</li>
<li>To get Russia to sign onto his START treaty, he agreed to abandon an existing missile defense pact with allies Poland and the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110615/ap_on_re_eu/eu_czech_missile_defense">Czech Republic</a>.</li>
<li>Russia has since <a href="http://freebeacon.com/false-start/">violated</a> the START treaty. </li>
<li>Did nothing when an American was convicted in a <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090418/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_us_journalist">sham Iranian trial</a>. </li>
<li>Despite boasting of tough sanctions on Iran, his administration <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304211804577502912009234948.html">granted</a> waivers to all 20 of Iran's major trading partners. </li>
<li>Endured hours of anti-American speeches from crackpot Latin America leaders and said <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aun_fNO0161g">nothing</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30202638/">Signaled</a> to Iran he may drop America's longstanding position that Iran drop its nuclear program before talks resume. </li>
<li>Took smiling pictures with Libyan Dictator <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090709/ids_photos_wl/r2353670021.jpg/">Gadaffi</a>.</li>
<li>Despite taking credit for disposing of Gadaffi, he was in fact the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/23/AR2011022305993.html">last</a> Western leader to advocate regime change.</li>
<li>Began his administration promising to build respect in the Middle East, which he did by regularly condemning American foreign policy up until his administration. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/23/us-un-assembly-obama-idUSBRE88M01J20120923">Today</a>, "America's image is again in decline, especially in the Middle East."</li>
<li>Declined to meet with foreign leaders during a recent United Nations meeting, instead <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/obama-un-shadow-campaign-politics-070352043--politics.html">choosing</a> to focus on his campaign. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/world/americas/28cuba.html">Turned off</a> an electric billboard outside the American diplomatic mission in Havana that displayed pro-democracy messages. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072802977.html">Revoked</a> visas of Honduras' de facto government (which displaced its tyrant-in-waiting/Chavez & Castro ally). </li>
<li>While hosting China's communist government at a state dinner, the Chinese pianist <a href="http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/49822/">played</a> an anti-American ditty.</li>
<li><a href="http://freebeacon.com/obamas-lost-in-space/">Providing</a> China with sensitive space technology. </li>
<li>After a popular Chinese dissident defected to the U.S. embassy, the dissident was handed back to China where he now faces likely <a href="http://freebeacon.com/china-begins-secret-treason-trial-for-defector/print/">execution</a>.</li>
<li>Tried apologizing to <a href="http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/587698/201110111829/Apologies-Not-Accepted.htm">Japan</a>; they refused.</li>
<li>Despite warnings from top military officials, left just <a href="http://blog.american.com/2011/10/handing-iraq-over-to-iran-160-us-troops-to-remain/">160 troops</a> in Iraq. </li>
<li>U.S. soldiers have been told <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/10/05/U-S-Soldiers-Urged-Not-To-Shoot-Taliban-At-Night-So-Locals-Can-Sleep">not to shoot</a> Taliban at night so locals can sleep.</li>
<li>His DoJ <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/21/obama-administration-pulls-references-to-islam-from-terror-training-materials-official-says/?print=1">remov</a>ed references to Islam from anti-terrorism manuals. </li>
<li>Described <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9064697/Britain-had-to-plead-with-US-to-take-part-in-Iran-flotilla.html">France</a> as America's closest ally. </li>
<li>Threatened <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203358704577235421949357032.html">Israel</a> to not protect itself against Iran’s nuke threat. </li>
<li>Released a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/an-outrageous-deal-to-release-a-senior-al-qaeda-terrorist/2012/02/23/gIQAhXJNVR_story.html">major terrorist </a>from Gitmo. </li>
<li>He has generally <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/central-american-elections-highlight-us-neglect-of-the-region/2011/11/08/gIQACNBK3M_story.html">ignored</a> Central and South America, despite a series of important developments.</li>
<li>Tried <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-iran-nuclear-israel-usa-idUSBRE8270IQ20120308">bribing</a> Israel to avoid attacking Iran during his political campaign. </li>
<li>His <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81150.html?hp=t1">antipathy</a> toward Benjamin Netanyahu has Israelis believing the alliance is in jeopardy.</li>
<li>Foreign leaders <a href="http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=6C68D872-0E13-72DA-3D4919A4C725A463">accuse</a> him of having failed to develop real relationships with any other head of state.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>X-rays and other TSA privacy invasions are increasing </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Full-body scanners are <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/invasion-of-the-body-scanners-they-are-spreading-but-are-they-safe-and-effe" target="_blank">spreading</a>.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, TSA agents are <a href="http://www.complex.com/tech/2012/09/tsa-agents-are-stealing-your-laptops-ipads" target="_blank">stealing</a> passengers' valuables. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Yields to no law in quest to expand power</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>HHS doesn't actually have <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/07/obamacare-waivers-werent-in-original-law-appearance-of-political-favors-persists/">authority</a> to grant ObamaCare waivers. </li>
<li><a href="http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/gao-china-dialogues-wh-violated-law">Broke the law</a> during bilateral talks with China. </li>
<li>After his Democrat-led Senate rejected his cap-and-trade plan, he went ahead and <a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/01/the-epas-global-warming-regulation-plans">imposed</a> regulations on C02 emissions through the EPA.</li>
<li>After Congress rejected the DREAM Act, which would have loosened immigration rules, his Department of Homeland Security instructed to Customs officials to <a href="http://pjmedia.com/blog/leaked-obama-executive-order-intends-to-implement-portions-of-disclose-act/?singlepage=true">enforce</a> the defeated law anyway.</li>
<li>Waived welfare work requirements, even as the law <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/08/08/heritage-legal-memo-welfare-reforms-work-requirements-cannot-be-waived/?roi=echo3-12793595007-9373077-595f5859b9b000d40f7f0e44258e37a8&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+Bell" target="_blank">prohibits</a> him from doing so.</li>
<li>After Congress rejected the Employee Free Choice Act (aka "card check"), which would have eased unions' ability to unionize non-union companies, his NRLB <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2011/06/21/obamas-nlrb-pushes-snap-elections-for-union-gain/">imposed</a> new rules that sought to achieve the same outcome.</li>
<li>After Congress rejected his attempt to allow the government to regulate the Internet, the FCC <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/10/morning-bell-obamas-arrogant-authoritarianism/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">announced</a> on Christmas Eve that it would do so anyway (despite a court order explicitly stating it lacked the authority). </li>
<li>Sidestepping Congress altogether, his Department of Education <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/10/morning-bell-obamas-arrogant-authoritarianism/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">tied</a> waivers to No Child Left Behind to new national education standards. </li>
<li>Unconstitutionally <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/10/morning-bell-obamas-arrogant-authoritarianism/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">appointed</a> a commissioner to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (thus sidestepping the Senate's "advise and consent" role).</li>
<li>Unconstitutionally <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/01/10/morning-bell-obamas-arrogant-authoritarianism/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning%2BBell">named</a> three officials to the National Labor Relations Board (again, sidestepping the Senate).</li>
<li>Decided to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-28/a-363-000-tax-bill-to-widow-led-to-obama-shift-in-defense-of-marriage-act.html">stop</a> enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, even as it was the duly enacted law of the land. </li>
<li>Regularly <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2012/11/01/morning-bell-administration-ignores-law-delays-exposing-new-regulations/?roi=echo3-13655543242-10147019-5a5ad8db6e5bd1f4e3eb24fd40d191e4&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Morning+Bell" target="_blank">ignores</a> law that mandates transparency on pending regulation. </li>
<li>Set up “<a href="http://www.infowars.com/obama-to-unleash-truth-teams-to-counter-negative-coverage/">truth squads</a>” to snitch on Americans critical of the administration (several times). </li>
<li><a href="http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=50880">Issued</a> executive order giving himself power to regulate anything to do with water (even non-waters).</li>
<li>A number of Dodd-Frank's boards and commissions are <a href="http://freebeacon.com/obamas-constitution/" target="_blank">unconstitutional</a>.</li>
<li>Bypassed Congress on <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/31/carney-obama-will-%E2%80%98continue%E2%80%99-to-act-%E2%80%98independently%E2%80%99-without-congress/">mortgage legislation, student loans, drugs, and contracts</a>. </li>
<li>Plus, so much <a href="http://majorityleader.gov/theimperialpresidency/" target="_blank">more</a>. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Zzzzzzz was pretty much his response to the Gulf Disaster</b><br />
<ul>
<li>While the Gulf oil spill catastrophe unfolded, he </li>
<ul>
<li>H<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">osted</a> an Earth Day celebration in the Rose Garden.</li>
<li>Took Michelle took a <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">vacation</a> to North Carolina, where they enjoyed BBQ.</li>
<li>H<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">osted</a> the New York Yankees at the White House. </li>
<li><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">Visited</a> Andrews Air Force Base to ... play a round of golf. </li>
<li><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">Visited</a> a small family farm in Illinois to talk up biofuels. </li>
<li>D<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">elivered</a> a speech on the importance of cybersecurity. </li>
<li><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">Attended</a> the White House Correspondents Association Dinner, where he jokes about using CIA drones to kill the Jonas Brothers.</li>
<li>V<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">isited</a> Arkansas' Fort Belvoir to ... play a round of golf. </li>
<li>V<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">isited</a> Virginia's Hampton University to deliver a commencement address.</li>
<li>H<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">osted</a> UCONN's women's basketball team at the White House. </li>
<li>M<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">et</a> with Jewish members of the Democratic Caucuses. </li>
<li>H<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">osted</a> Duke's basketball team at the White House.</li>
<li>V<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">isited</a> the Military Academy at West Point to delivery a commencement address.</li>
<li>H<a href="http://dailycaller.com/2010/05/28/what-obama-has-been-doing-while-the-gulf-coast-dies/print/">osted</a> the U.S. World Cup soccer team.</li>
<li>S<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100913/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill_contracts;_ylt=AtHSPq_UsRIejiKJbbEsJDqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNydDljbzdrBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTEzL3VzX2d1bGZfb2lsX3NwaWxsX2NvbnRyYWN0cwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNl">pent</a> taxpayer money on polling what Americans thought of his response to the disaster.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-35113451971895528062011-12-16T11:10:00.007-05:002011-12-16T13:12:13.515-05:00Christopher Hitchens, RIPThis Wednesday I thought to myself, "I haven't read anything from Hitchens recently ... I wonder how he's doing." Last night delivered the unfortunate answer.<br /><br />My interactions with him were few but memorable. While producing Laura Ingraham's radio show, I regularly tried booking him, though not regularly succeeding. During my rookie year, I began one such solicitation: "Hey, Chris ..." He politely declined due to a scheduling conflict and ended his note, "And please feel free to call me Christopher." Which naturally made me feel like a jackass. Another time he demurred, "Sorry, caught between Cuba and Venezuela," which of course wasn't a joke.<br /><br />Once when he was in the studio, I asked if he'd like a glass of water for the interview. He said no, pointing out that he already had one. That appearance was actually a debate over the premise of his book, "God Is Not Great." This is the subject where Hitchens, in my opinion, was at his weakest, but even then he took on all comers -- his Christian minister sparring partner, Laura, the callers -- with wit, eloquence, and charm. Afterward, I settled back into my seat and accidentally mistook his water for mine, immediately realizing he was actually drinking straight vodka. Mind you this was 10 AM. And if memory serves, after his cancer diagnosis.<br /><br />I agree with William F. Buckley, who, as his son Christopher <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/16/christopher-hitchens-dies-his-best-writing-photos-and-more.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=cheatsheet_morning&cid=newsletter%3Bemail%3Bcheatsheet_morning&utm_term=Cheat%20Sheet">recounts</a>, thought Hitchens intolerable after reading his latest attacks on the church; yet no matter how badly he offended, ultimately he always proved irresistible. He lacerated Mayor Bloomberg in the most satisfying way, and for that alone he'll always have a special place in my heart.<br /><br />And that's how I'll remember him. As someone evinced the best qualities of rebellious American individualism and the graceful, fluid wit to be expected only from the pen of a Brit.<br /><br />Speaking of Bloomberg, below are highlights from his <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2004/02/hitchens200402"><i>pièce de résistance</i></a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2004/02/hitchens200402/_jcr_content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_pagination_contai/cn_image.size.hitchens-0402-01.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 368px; height: 257px;" src="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2004/02/hitchens200402/_jcr_content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_pagination_contai/cn_image.size.hitchens-0402-01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><blockquote>The lawbreaking itch is not always an anarchic one. In the first place, the human personality has (or ought to have) a natural resistance to coercion. We don’t like to be pushed and shoved, even if it’s in a direction we might choose to go. In the second place, the human personality has (or ought to have) a natural sense of the preposterous. Thus, just behind my apartment building in Washington there is an official sign saying, <span class="sc">drug-free zone.</span> I think this comic inscription may be because it’s close to a schoolyard. And a few years back, one of our suburbs announced by a municipal ordinance that it was a “nuclear-free zone.” I don’t wish to break the first law, though if I did wish to do so it would take me, or any other local resident, no more than one phone call and a 10-minute wait. I did, at least for a while, pine to break the “nuclear-free” regulation, on grounds of absurdity alone, but eventually decided that it would be too much trouble. <p>So there are laws that are defensible but unenforceable, and there are laws impossible to infringe. But in the New York of Mayor Bloomberg, there are laws that are not possible to obey, and that nobody can respect, and that are enforced by arbitrary power. The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law. Tyranny can be petty. And “petty” is not just Bloomberg’s middle name. It is his name. </p> <p>In the space of a few hours late in November, I managed to break a whole slew of New York laws. That is to say, I sat on an upended milk crate, put my bag next to me on a subway seat, paused to adjust my shoe on a subway step, fed some birds in Central Park, had a cigarette in a town car, attempted to put a plastic frame around a vehicle license plate, and rode a bicycle without keeping my feet on the pedals at all times. I also had a smoke in a bar and at a table in a restaurant. Only in the latter two cases would I hitherto have been knowingly violating a city ordinance. ...<br /></p><span class="dc"></span>The previous night I had been to the movies and had been annoyed, as one often is, by people chatting and commenting in the back row. This is the height of antisocial behavior, because it ruins the pleasure of others while bringing no benefit to the offender. I normally deal with it as I do when people in cinemas fail to turn off their cell phones. I turn round and tell them that I know where they live, and I know where their children go to school. Others are usually on hand with similar suggestions, especially in New York. It’s all part of the fun. Ask yourself: what if uniformed cops were standing at the back of the theater enforcing the no-talking rule? It wouldn’t be quite the same, would it? But in Bloombergville, where the citizen is treated like a backward child, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this was the next bright idea.<br /><br />Decency forbids me from mentioning where I ate lunch, because the proprietor is an old friend and a beautiful and conscientious restaurateur and I can’t risk having him treated like a fractious juvenile. On September 11, 2001, he turned his place into a casualty-treatment station and general refuge, and he does everything he can think of to make his guests welcome and well fed. It was a fairly slow lunchtime, and I was able to ask all diners present if they minded my lighting a cigarette for the purposes of a <i>Vanity Fair</i> photo shoot. All of them said go right ahead and good luck to you. So that’s all I need say about that, except that New Yorkers are no longer trusted with such discretion or good manners. It is government alone that knows what’s “appropriate.” There cannot be a single exception. One size must fit all. This casual destruction of Bohemia, in one of its oldest and most famous redoubts, is an unquantifiable loss. It misses the point of New York—in fact, it negates it. The backward child in this case—also the spiteful and bullying and smug and spoiled child—is His Honor the Mayor. May he one day be cornered in the schoolyard at recess, and without his team of hired toadies and informers, and taught the lesson of a lifetime. ...<br /><br />I have only ever heard one defense of this reign of error, which is that it mimics the “broken window” street-level campaign that began to tackle crime under Bill Bratton and Rudy Giuliani about a decade ago. But, excuse me, that was directed at people making a nuisance of themselves by wielding squeegees at intersections, or panhandling with an attitude, or offering their bodies for sale at unwanted moments and locations, or jumping over turnstiles. This current Niagara of pettiness and random victimization may well be Bloomberg’s attempt at a wannabe reputation as heroic crime-fighter and disciplinarian. Who knows what goes on in the tiny, constipated chambers of his mind? All we know for certain is that one of the world’s most broad-minded and open cities is now in the hands of a picknose control freak. </blockquote>RIP.tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-47420068339069601082011-07-14T00:40:00.013-05:002011-07-14T21:46:31.780-05:00Spitzer's Shame Deficit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://vvoice.vo.llnwd.net/e14//client-9-alex-gibney-s-doc-rehabilitates-eliot-spitzer.5629801.40.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 314px;" src="http://vvoice.vo.llnwd.net/e14//client-9-alex-gibney-s-doc-rehabilitates-eliot-spitzer.5629801.40.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Disgraced ex-New York governor Eliot Spitzer's certainly made his fair share of mistakes in life. Yet I only seem to recall him apologizing for one. The others he'll never apologize for, seeing as he views them as his greatest accomplishments (namely, turning New York's attorney general's office into the official micro-manager of the global financial industry -- never mind the billions in market capitalization destroyed as a result).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2299038/pagenum/all/#add-comment">Writing today in Salon.com</a>, the recently fired CNN host is now calling on Attorney General Holder to take out Rupert Murdoch:<blockquote>The Murdoch empire is falling apart—criminal behavior and disregard for basic ethics having permeated its highest ranks. News Corp. executives' claims of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/business/media/a-tabloid-shame-exposed-by-honest-rivals.html" target="_blank">a full and thorough investigation</a> and that there were only <a href="http://www.newscorp.com/news/bunews_40.html" target="_blank">a few bad apples</a> have been exposed as feeble and false. The pseudo-investigations conducted by Scotland Yard are likewise proving to be corrupt and unreliable. Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron's government is running for cover, but it cannot escape the untoward relationship that it had with Murdoch. <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.politicsdaily.com/media/2009/12/80216400resize.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 298px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.politicsdaily.com/media/2009/12/80216400resize.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So how does all this concern Americans? First, it is hard to believe that the misbehavior in Murdoch's media empire stopped at the water's edge. Given the frequency with which he shuttled his senior executives and editors across the various oceans—Pacific as well as Atlantic—it is unlikely that the shoddy ethics were limited to Great Britain. </p>Much more importantly, the facts already pretty well established in Britain indicate violations of American law, in particular a law called <a href="http://www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa/" target="_blank">the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act</a>. The Justice Department has been going out of its way to undertake FCPA prosecutions and investigations in recent years, and the News Corp. case presents a pretty simple test for Attorney General Eric Holder: If the department fails to open an immediate investigation into News Corp.'s violations of the FCPA, there will have been a major breach of enforcement at Justice. Having failed to pursue Wall Street with any apparent vigor, this is an opportunity for the Justice Department to show it can flex its muscles at the right moment. </blockquote>Are you man enough, Eric? Spitzer may as well call him a pussy, punch him in the face, and launch the investigation himself. That is <a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1779150/posts">his style</a>, after all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/2009/09/custom_1251901179379_spitzerpost.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 340px;" src="http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/2009/09/custom_1251901179379_spitzerpost.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="js-singleCommentText jsk-ItemBodyText">Only Spitzer could suggest an attorney general engage in blatant prosecutorial overreach whi</span><span class="js-singleCommentText jsk-ItemBodyText">le feigning devotion to the cause of justice. As everyone in New York is well aware, The Post -- one of Rupert Murdoch's prized holdings -- savages Spitzer with regularity and evident delight. Smelling blood in the water, Spitzer wants revenge. Using the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in a way so utterly unrelated to its original purpose recalls Spitzer's serial abuse of New York's Martin Act. Many years ago, AIG's founder and then-CEO Hank Greenberg audaciously spoke out against Spitzer's politicization of NY's AG office. Spitzer responded by using his belo</span><span class="js-singleCommentText jsk-ItemBodyText">ved Martin Act to force AIG to depose its leader, thereby initiating the company's lengthy, expensive, and widely destructive downfall. The re-insurance industry ma</span><span class="js-singleCommentText jsk-ItemBodyText">y have been destroyed in the process, but at least Eliot got his guy.</span><br /><br /><span class="js-singleCommentText jsk-ItemBodyText">Speaking of serial abuse, if Salon's going to permit Spitzer to publish on its site, the least it can do is impose a quota on the word "should" -- perhaps one of the most obnoxious words in the English language.</span> Example:<br /><blockquote>If DoJ does investigate and if a court were to find News Corp. liable, the penalties <span style="font-weight: bold;">should</span> extend beyond the traditional monetary fine. News Corp. <span style="font-weight: bold;">should</span> also have its FCC licenses revoked. <a href="http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/audio/decdoc/public_and_broadcasting.html#_Toc202587519" target="_blank">Licensure and relicensure by the FCC</a> require that the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mediaite.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Picture-4.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 285px;" src="http://www.mediaite.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Picture-4.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>licensee abide by the law and serve the public interest. News Corp. appears to have blatantly violated this basic standard. Its licenses <span style="font-weight: bold;">should</span> be pulled.</blockquote>There are many things Eric Holder SHOULD do. Listening to Eliot Spitzer is not one of them.tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-71783948326899065132011-07-13T15:49:00.005-05:002011-07-13T15:59:16.361-05:00Democrats: Let's Pass a Balanced Budget AmendmentIn today's White House press conference, Press Secretary <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/13/press-briefing-press-secretary-jay-carney-7132011">Jay Carney explained</a> the president's opposition to a Balanced Budget Amendment:<br /><blockquote>The President believes that we do not need to amend the Constitution to cut the deficit. We need to get beyond politics as usual, and find bipartisan common ground. <p>A balanced budget amendment has, today and has always been, about ducking responsibility rather than taking our challenges head on. This is not -- we don’t need -- I mean, the Constitution should not be used to simply abdicate responsibility. What we need to do here is not complicated. It does not require a constitutional amendment and the ratification by preponderance of states here. It requires people rolling up their sleeves -- the leaders, the representatives of the people in the Congress and the President, the Vice President and others here -- and working out a compromise to achieve a goal that we all share, which is significant deficit reduction, a plan that gets our fiscal house in order that deals with our long-term debt.</p>It is something we can do. And in some ways, while these are hard issues, it is something we can do easily if people accept the principle that we have to compromise to do it. So, no, we do not support the balanced budget amendments.</blockquote>Which places the president even further to the left than Harry Reid. This afternoon, the National Republican Senatorial Committee distributed the following quotations from Senate Democrats:<br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><u></u></b></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D-OH):</u></b> <b>“Before I ask for your vote, I owe it to you to tell you where I stand. I’m for… a balanced budget amendment.”</b> </span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3049_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C0dARDhNg4" target="_blank">(Rep. Brown, “Where I Stand,” YouTube, 11/1/06)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;font-size:100%;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>BROWN:</u></b> <strong><span style="Arial Narrow","sans-serif";font-family:";" >“I stood up to a President of my own party . . . In support of the balanced budget amendment, in restoring fiscal sanity to our government.”</span></strong> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(</span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3050_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/OhioSenateDebate" target="_blank">Ohio Senate Debate, City Club Of Cleveland, 10/27/06</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">)</span><span style=" color: rgb(68, 68, 68);font-size:100%;" > </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong><u><span style="Arial Narrow","sans-serif";font-family:";" >SEN. DEBBIE STABENOW (D-MI):</span></u></strong> <strong><span style="Arial Narrow","sans-serif";font-family:";" >“I crossed the line to help balance the budget, as one of the Democrats that broke with my party.” </span></strong></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3051_com_zimbra_url"><a href="http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/MichiganSenato" target="_blank">(Michigan Senate Debate, 10/22/00)</a></span></span><span style=" color: rgb(68, 68, 68);font-size:100%;" > </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-AK):</u></b> <b>“It’s time to stop playing political brinksmanship with the budget and do what every Alaskan is doing -</b> <b>balance the budget.”</b> </span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3052_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://begich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=35df6485-b482-4bc5-a76e-8767206c6731" target="_blank">(Sen. Begich, “Begich Statement On 2011 Budget Vote,” Press Release, 4/15/11)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. BILL NELSON (D-FL):</u> “Over the years, I have supported a balanced budget amendment…”</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (Sen. Bill Nelson, Congressional Record, S.1920, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3053_com_zimbra_date">3/29/11</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Symbol;font-size:100%;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>“Senator Nelson has been a long-time supporter of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution</b>, going back to his service in the 1980s, and will continue to reach across the political divide...” </span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3054_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.columbiacountyobserver.com/master_files/Florida_News/11_0308_bill-nelson-update.html" target="_blank">(“Support For Balanced Budget Amendment,” <i>Columbia County Observer</i>, 3/8/11)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV):</u> “<span class="verdana">[T]he </span><span class="hit">balanced budget amendment's</span><span class="verdana"> very, very important to me and to every governor, to every state, to every household, especially in West Virginia. And if they can do it, they think we can do it also.”</span></b></span><span class="verdana" style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span class="verdana" style="font-size:100%;">(U.S. Senate, Budget Committee, Hearing, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3055_com_zimbra_date">1/27/11</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">)<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. BEN NELSON (D-NE):</u> “I voted yes and support a balanced budget amendment</b> that allows for flexibility in times of war and for natural disasters.” </span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3056_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://bennelson.senate.gov/press/statements/Amend-115-S-23-the-Patent-Reform-Bill.cfm" target="_blank">(Sen. Nelson, Press Statement, 3/4/11)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. MARK UDALL (D-CO):</u></b> <b>“I've long gone by the saying, if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. By restoring healthy and responsible spending through a reasonable Balanced Budget Amendment, we can begin filling in that hole.”</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3057_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://markudall.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=893" target="_blank">(Sen. Udall, “Udall Co-Sponsors Balanced Budget Amendment,” Press Release, 2/1/11)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO):</u> “U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet broke his hesitation on endorsing the balanced-budget amendment last week… pledging support for the idea.” </b></span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3058_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_17548249" target="_blank">(“Bennet Balancing His Approach To Budget,” <i>Denver Post</i> (CO), 3/6/11)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. CLAIRE McCASKILL (D-MO):</u> “I think they should. …It would be great if that discipline were in place. Clearly it’s a goal we’ve got to work toward…”</b> “…responding to a question of why the federal government can’t have a balanced budget amendment…” <u>SEN. CLAIRE McCASKILL (D-MO):</u> “I think they should. …It would be great if that discipline were in place. Clearly it’s a goal we’ve got to work toward…” </span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3059_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://politicmo.com/2011/06/29/mccaskill-for-responsible-balanced-budget-amendment/" target="_blank">(“McCaskill For ‘Responsible’ Balanced Budget Amendment,” <i>PoliticMo</i>, 6/29/11)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY):</u></b> <b>“New York families must continuously balance their checkbooks. Forty-nine states, including New York, require a balanced budget. An amendment to the Constitution will finally hold the federal government to the same, common sense standard.”</b> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Rep. Gillibrand, “Nation Deserved A Balanced Budget,” <i>The Time Union</i>, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3060_com_zimbra_date">6/4/07</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. TOM CARPER (D-DE):</u></b> <b>“As a Member of the House, when I served with Senator Santorum over there, we were great proponents of something called a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution…” </b></span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Carper, Congressional Record, S.8063-4, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3061_com_zimbra_date">7/14/04</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV):</u> “…I believe we should have a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. I am willing to go for that.</b>” </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Reid, Congressional Record, S.1333, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3062_com_zimbra_date">2/12/97</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. KENT CONRAD (D-ND):</u></b> <b>“I believe deeply in the need to balance the Federal budget…</b> <b>I would support an amendment to the Constitution.” </b></span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Conrad, Congressional Record, S.1147, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3063_com_zimbra_date">2/10/97</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. HERB KOHL (D-WI):</u></b> <b>“The balanced budget amendment does, in my opinion, embody a principle simple and vital enough to deserve inclusion in the Constitution.”</b> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Kohl, Congressional Record, S.1609, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3064_com_zimbra_date">2/26/97</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:Symbol;font-size:100%;"><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>KOHL:</u></b> <b>“…I am committed to the concept of the balanced budget amendment.” </b></span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Kohl, Congressional Record, S.2947, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3065_com_zimbra_date">2/22/95</span>)<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D-LA):</u> “I took a position to support a Balanced Budget Amendment…” </b></span><span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3066_com_zimbra_url" style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/BalancedBudgetAmendment76" target="_blank">(Sen. Landrieu, Press Conference, 2/25/1997)</a></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.25in; line-height: normal;"><span style=" ;font-family:Symbol;font-size:100%;" ><span style="">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style=" Arial Narrow","sans-serif";font-family:";" >“Landrieu had touted her support for the <a name="ORIGHIT_15"></a><a name="HIT_15"></a>balanced budget amendment in order to win moderate votes … she would uphold her campaign promise.”</span></b></span><span style=" Arial Narrow","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style=" Arial Narrow","sans-serif";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >(CNN’s Inside Politics, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3067_com_zimbra_date">2/28/97</span>) </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D-CA):</u> “The spending trends are what really motivates me, and I hope others, to accept a constitutional balanced budget amendment.”</b> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Feinstein, Congressional Record, S.1594, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3068_com_zimbra_date">2/26/97</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. TOM HARKIN (D-IA):</u></b> <b>“Mr. President, I have long supported a balanced budget amendment. I expect to do so again...”</b> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Harkin, Congressional Record, S.2460, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3069_com_zimbra_date">2/10/95</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. TIM JOHNSON (D-SD):</u></b> <b>“It is time to get our priorities straight. I've been a strong supporter of a balanced budget amendment…”</b> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Rep. Johnson, Congressional Record, H.11213, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3070_com_zimbra_date">10/26/95</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT):</u></b> <b>“I have always supported a balanced budget. Montanans want a balanced budget. We must listen to the people and give them a balanced budget.”</b> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Sen. Baucus, Congressional Record, S.2469, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3071_com_zimbra_date">2/10/95</span>)</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><u>SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL):</u></b> <b>“…we need to move toward a Balanced Budget Amendment.”</b> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Rep. Durbin, Congressional Record, H.1310, <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT3072_com_zimbra_date">1/11/95</span>)</span></p></blockquote>tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-46634363069902562852011-06-29T12:05:00.004-05:002011-06-29T15:13:50.411-05:00One Man, Many IdeasPresident Obama is a man of many ideas. Sometimes these seem to randomly join together to form a larger vision, but more often they're scattershot, coming from all points across the political spectrum to collectively present a man not of deep thinking or complexity, but of profound confusion and unwarranted faith in himself. Consider:<br /><br />Obama kicked off today's presser with a boast of all he's done to boost business, specifically by studying how burdensome regulations might be reformed. Later during the Q & A, a reporter asked about the National Labor Relations Board's threats against Boeing for trying to open a non-union facility in South Carolina. Seemingly being just the sort of burdensome government interference Obama proposed reforming only minutes earlier, one might've expected him to use the opportunity to pledge to remove this roadblock and clear the way for Boeing to create these much-needed jobs; instead he extolled the virtues of government regulations, crediting them with keeping the air clean, the water pure, the food edible. And, presumably, union workers happy. <br /><br />Perhaps the biggest takeaway from today's speech is Obama's strong desire to hike taxes on "corporate jet owners," whom he suggested were somehow guilty for amassing America's national debt. With aviation on the mind, Obama also relayed his opinion that the airline industry is one of America's dominant sectors and that he planned to ensure its continued success. So America's jet culture is a point of pride, or enmity? Hard to say.<br /><br />Today's topic, of course, was America's ever-worsening debt crisis. Early on, Obama said we must take a "balanced" approach (not, by the way, toward budgeting, but toward mixing spending cuts with tax hikes). Yet while he was clear enough he sought to raise Americans' taxes, he was less clear regarding where he proposed cutting. He actually rattled off several spending areas he considered inviolable -- e.g., the budgets of the National Weather Service, food inspectors, medical research, scholarships, programs for seniors. Addressing congressional Republicans, Obama lectured that it's time past-time to make some "tough choices" and, presumably, jack up taxes. Tough choices for thee, not for me.<br /><br />By the time all was said and done, Obama boasted of being a "tax cutting" president, while also bashing tax cuts as irresponsible and unethical, and then supporting them again when discussing business investments; he insisted the Constitution plays no role in his decision to invade Libya, while also saying his decision to unilaterally revoke the Defense of Marriage Act was motivated by his devotion to the Constitution; he claimed to avoid doing"scare tactics," while also telling senior citizens that Republicans planned to cut off anticipated benefits; he roared that he's the president of the United States and he's here "to lead," while also explaining that the debt crisis is so important he delegated the task to Vice President Biden.<br /><br />In all, today made for a very confusing introspection into the inner workings of President Obama's mind. But that isn't to say there are no clear takeaways. In every instance, Obama expressed complete confidence that his ideas were perfect (even when they contradicted each other). And while he invoked certain conservative ideas -- tax cuts, spending cuts, a strong foreign policy -- he more passionately offered ideas that undermined the conservative ones. A cynic might say Obama doesn't really believe everything he says. That he marches forward a very liberal agenda, but under a banner preaching conservatism. I'd tend to agree with such a cynic.tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10731216793449263743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-60699217228939983172008-05-05T08:45:00.002-05:002008-05-05T08:48:12.335-05:00Missing BrooklynSharon and the Kings of Dap do well showcasing the borough that's thorough in their new video for "Tell Me":<br /><div id="container" style="position:relative;width:400px;height:373px"><div id="flash_container" style="position:absolute;top:0px;left:0px;z-index:1"><object id="player784" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" height="373" width="400" padding="0" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="FlashVars" value="&assetId=video:asset:pmms:2116804&playerId=player784"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="Movie" value="http://o.aolcdn.com/mediaplayer/players/fpm/fpm.swf"><param name="src" value="http://o.aolcdn.com/mediaplayer/players/fpm/fpm.swf"><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><embed src="http://o.aolcdn.com/mediaplayer/players/fpm/fpm.swf" flashvars="&assetId=video:asset:pmms:2116804&playerId=player784" quality="high" width="400" height="373" name="player784" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object></div><div id="videoContainer" style="position:absolute;left:0px;top:32px; z-index:2"></div></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-14016321768751946812008-03-11T21:10:00.004-05:002008-12-11T02:52:33.488-05:00What, Were You Expecting Me To Gloat?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uGG4kxNDxSY/R9c7os-lQHI/AAAAAAAAABU/Fv_XsBlm7g0/s1600-h/server.php.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uGG4kxNDxSY/R9c7os-lQHI/AAAAAAAAABU/Fv_XsBlm7g0/s400/server.php.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176671867140128882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The FunkyPundit's got too much class for that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-28209078931434563562007-12-19T18:49:00.000-05:002007-12-19T18:52:53.140-05:00Gullible Is Written on the Executive Chamber Ceiling<a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/ny-gov-spitzer-cites-hoax-site-in-anti-games-campaign/">Governor Spitzer falls victim to a hoax</a>.<br /><br />(via the <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/">Daily Politics</a>)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-77172998500819720672007-12-19T15:17:00.000-05:002007-12-19T16:26:21.847-05:00Quote of the Day“It’s probably better than anything we would have passed, if we were still the majority”<br /> -- <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDQwMjZiYTgxOGE3OGUzMWJkMDcwN2YyYWU0YjkzNWY=">a conservative Republican Senate staffer</a> on the $900 billion omnibus spending bill that keeps spending contained at President Bush's requested levels.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-19109083683089840652007-12-14T17:30:00.000-05:002007-12-14T17:40:12.239-05:00So That's Where My Green North Face WentMissing items that turned over to the MTA are often stolen by the MTA, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/12/14/2007-12-14_missing_items_turned_over_to_mta_workers.html">The Daily News</a> reports:<br /><blockquote>At least the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board is upfront when it picks riders' pockets.<p>With the MTA board poised to approve fare and toll hikes, a probe found dozens of instances where lost property turned over to workers simply disappears. </p><p>Investigators, posing as commuters, handed 26 items to bus and subway workers, saying they were found and must have been lost by a rider. </p><p>Only three of the items made it to the lost property storage unit, according to one report. </p><p>"Despite repeated attempts, we could not locate these items," auditors from the MTA's inspector general's office wrote. </p><p>The property - including cell phones, watches, glasses and clothing - were given to NYC Transit and Long Island Rail Road personnel.</p></blockquote><p></p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-7758731467464791992007-12-13T17:47:00.000-05:002007-12-19T18:53:25.123-05:00TREND WATCH: Proposed NY BansList is current as of 5:47 PM, Friday, December 14th ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">New York City:</span><br /><br />2007:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/68023">The display of nooses</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.qgazette.com/news/2007/1205/features/018.html">Homework that takes more than 2.5 hours/night</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iwQsWWr2o6hEEezCMcwfAs6OZ9TQD8TD8E8O0">Horse-drawn carriages from Central Park</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/11162007/news/regionalnews/pigeon_poop_on_quinn_985303.htm">Feeding pigeons</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/11162007/news/regionalnews/council_ads_ax_650260.htm">City Council ads with holiday messages that are taxpayer financed</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/64650">City Councilmembers using public funds for personal ads</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/61164">Styrofoam containers in food services</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.brennancenter.org/dynamic/subpages/download_file_49088.pdf">Various contributions to city politicians</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/63325/">Etching acid</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/nyregion/26upperwest.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin">High rises in the Upper West Side</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/09262007/news/regionalnews/trah_clash.htm">'Stealing' recyclables</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/city-council-takes-up-a-bill-to-ban-voyeurism/index.html?ex=1345435200&en=ed786cb6d6532296&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">Peeping toms</a></li><li><a href="http://www.infowars.net/articles/june2007/290607Filming.htm">Videotaping in public without a permit</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/60516">Smoking in cars with minors</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/nyregion/07bword.html?ei=5090&en=8bb9b60b7da0d2ed&ex=1344139200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all">The word "bitch"</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/nyregion/07bword.html?ei=5090&en=8bb9b60b7da0d2ed&ex=1344139200&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all">The word "ho"</a></li><li><a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb545926.htm">Free formula samples for new mothers at city hospitals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1182890720172800.xml&coll=1">Teenage possession of spray paint</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/49299">Businesses from leaving their windows or doors open while air conditioners are on inside</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=3&aid=67084">Dogs from being tied up three-plus hours</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070208/D8N599900.html">Talking/listening/playing while walking crosswalks</a></li><li><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,248900,00.html">Skinny models</a></li><li><a href="http://thepoliticker.observer.com/2007/02/nword-vs-fword.html">The "N-word"</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/01222007/news/regionalnews/city_to_zap_electric_pedicabs_regionalnews_jeremy_olshan.htm">Electric-assist pedicabs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.wnbc.com/politics/10928129/detail.html">Public pension investments in companies with business in Sudan</a></li></ol>2006:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2006/12/29/75468.htm">pit bulls</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cardio/cardio-transfat.shtml">trans-fats</a></li><li><a href="http://empirezone.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/metal-bat-ban-moving-fast/">aluminum baseball bats</a></li><li><a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/30/eng20060630_278628.html">the purchase of tobacco by 18- to 20-year-olds</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/44247">foie gras</a></li><li><a href="http://www.humanenyc.org/2006/12/pedicabs_may_be_banned_from_ce.html">pedicabs in parks</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/nyregion/24fast.html?_r=3&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1195254604-otGSAiW/5+62UyKjxaoncQ">new fast-food restaurants (but only in poor neighborhoods)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20060524/203/1869">lobbyists from the floor of council chambers</a></li><li>lobbying city agencies after working at the same agency</li><li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/nyregion/09parks.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/J/Jogging">vehicles in Central and Prospect parks</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/42070">cell phones in upscale restaurants</a></li><li><a href="http://www.masnet.org/takeaction.asp?id=3810">the sale of pork products made in a processing plant in Tar Heel, N.C., because of a unionization dispute</a></li><li>mail-order pharmaceutical plans</li><li><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03EFDB1631F932A35755C0A9609C8B63">candy-flavored cigarettes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20060504/203/1841">gas-station operators adjusting prices more than once daily</a></li><li><a href="http://www.thevillager.com/villager_163/mendezcrackswhipon.html">Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus</a></li><li>Wal-Mart</li><li><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/471416p-396727c.html">the process that makes steaks pink</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/blog/archives/2006/09/no_offense_take.html">subway ads poking fun at outer boroughs</a></li></ol>2004:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20040721/203/1260">Loud car alarms</a></li><li><a href="http://www.thegully.com/essays/america/nyc/040224_vendors_veterans.html">Vendors from Ground Zero</a><br /></li></ol>2003:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/04/13/broadway.cellphone.ban.reut/">Cell phones during public performances</a></li></ol>2002:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.nyccouncil.info/pdf_files/newswire/toyguns.pdf">Toy guns</a></li><li><a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EUY/is_44_8/ai_94509829">Soft drinks and snacks in city public schools</a><br /></li></ol><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">New York:</span><br /><br />2007:<br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/11162007/news/regionalnews/ban_text_pests_823256.htm">Texting while driving</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.wnbc.com/news/10948106/detail.html">Using I-pods/cell phones while crossing the street</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/04/13/2007-04-13_paper_or_plastic_keep_govt_out_of_it.html">Plastic bags</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/news/news.htm">Nooses</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/10152007/news/regionalnews/pols_getting_ruff_on_dogfight_.htm">Spectating dog fights</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.1010wins.com/pages/986818.php?">Smoking in cars with minors</a><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.thedailygreen.com/2007/08/10/ny-might-ban-plastic-water-bottles/5045/">Plastic water bottles</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/58166">Styrofoam used in food services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/01/skinny.models/index.html">Thin models</a></li></ol>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-31514505311227353932007-12-07T14:48:00.001-05:002008-12-11T02:52:33.699-05:00A Christmas Cartoon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uGG4kxNDxSY/R1mjuzM-BnI/AAAAAAAAABM/F2h0rAqtOyo/s1600-h/foodcops_merrychristmas.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uGG4kxNDxSY/R1mjuzM-BnI/AAAAAAAAABM/F2h0rAqtOyo/s400/foodcops_merrychristmas.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141320474034046578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />(via the <a href="http://www.consumerfreedom.com/cartoons.cfm/id/107">Center for Consumer Freedom</a>)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-6086474064383938702007-12-07T14:15:00.001-05:002007-12-07T14:15:52.586-05:00What I'm Thankful for Today<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=500087">Not being a Muslim-to-Christian convert</a>.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-72711081305699546372007-12-07T11:54:00.000-05:002007-12-07T12:05:43.786-05:00Interesting ReadingA gay University of Virginia undergrad student <a href="http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=31744&pid=1654">explains his opposition to gay marriage</a>. All I'll say is that it's an argument that can't be reduced to smug sound-bites.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-30798419390157524222007-12-06T12:01:00.000-05:002007-12-06T12:02:53.512-05:00Today's Funk SpecialPaul Dateh & inka one = hip hop, strings style!<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/36Xt-XeWnHM&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/36Xt-XeWnHM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-54373056131488393192007-12-04T18:46:00.000-05:002008-12-11T02:52:33.922-05:00Why Hillary Can't WinAmericans declare her the candidate they would "least like to watch on television for four years." Rudy Giuliani is the candidate Americans would most like to watch.<br /><br />In this age, is there a poll that matters more?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uGG4kxNDxSY/R1XnLzM-BmI/AAAAAAAAABE/k_PsY4vC0gs/s1600-h/Hillary+poll.bmp"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uGG4kxNDxSY/R1XnLzM-BmI/AAAAAAAAABE/k_PsY4vC0gs/s400/Hillary+poll.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140268739622471266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />(via AEI's December Political Report)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-14576976155779088672007-12-04T18:24:00.000-05:002007-12-04T18:30:44.762-05:00Snoop's Sensual SeductionThis being funkypundit.blogspot.com, it seems mandatory to note that Snoop is declaring the G-Funk Era back on:<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qSS_DY_z-Dc&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qSS_DY_z-Dc&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br />Well played, Mr. Snoop -- well played.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-62677392417901498802007-12-04T17:48:00.000-05:002007-12-04T17:55:11.588-05:00Stop the CheckpointsIf you were me, you would already be well aware that there's nothing quite as aggravating as a DWI checkpoint. But since you're not, a friend of the FunkyPundit, Sarah Longwell, breaks it down for you in the pages today's <a href="http://www.nysun.com/article/67433">New York Sun</a>:<br /><span id="article" class="article_small"><p></p><blockquote><p>Federal funding policy requires roadblocks to be "highly publicized." So authorities regularly publish roadblock times and locations in advance, allowing veteran drunk drivers simply to drive around them. The word also gets passed around via the word-of-mouth and cell phone networks, which are similar to truck drivers who tell their friends about speed traps.</p> <p>Testimony from an official at Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation, Louis Rader, demonstrated that roving patrols, where cops swarm the roads looking for erratic drivers, are a superior tactic for catching drunk drivers. Mr. Rader testified that only 0.7% of all drivers stopped at DUI checkpoints are charged, while 7.7% of suspicion-based stops made by roving patrols yield charges. That's 10 times more arrests per car stopped.</p> <p>In the war against drunk driving, setting up roadblocks is like expecting the enemy to walk into your camp and surrender. It would be laughable if it weren't so tragic.</p></blockquote><p></p></span>To which a pundit of the funkiest variety could only add: Word.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-57780927574368211962007-12-03T12:12:00.000-05:002007-12-04T18:53:35.910-05:00Diversity Enthusiasts Beware!<a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/ian-odoherty/i-have-no-respect-or-tolerance-for-sharia-1235057.html">Irish Independent columnist Ian O'Doherty declares</a> he has "no respect or tolerance" for Sharia:<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>Anywhere in the world where Sharia law is practised, such barbaric and disgusting practises take place on a regular basis.</p><p>Don't believe me? Well, Iran has been in the news for the most recent example of a woman being sentenced to death by stoning. But they are also partial to hanging gay people and women with too much attitude. </p><p>And they quite like a bit of eye-gouging as well, when the mood takes them, such as the woman who had her eyes gouged out in a public square because she fought off a man who tried to rape her. Check that out on the internet when you fancy losing your lunch.</p><p>Or what about precious little Palestine, where 50 women have been killed by their own families this year alone, and where the beating of women who aren't sufficiently "modest" is common under the fanatics of Hamas.</p><p>Or Afghanistan, where women are routinely raped and murdered by family and strangers with impunity? Or Chechnya? Or Somalia? Or anywhere Sharia is practised.</p><p>And yet we are constantly instructed by the multicultural, liberal, chattering classes to show "respect" and "tolerance" towards Muslims who want to practise their cultural heritage in Western countries.</p><p>Well, you know what? I don't have any respect or tolerance for not just the actions, but also the mentality.</p></blockquote><p></p>And, yes, he concedes, this makes him "Islamophobic":<br /><p></p><blockquote><p>Well, I am Islamophobic in the sense that I'm phobic towards the notion of treating women as third-class citizens, flogging people and killing them for having an independent thought. </p><p>I'm phobic towards the idea of killing Theo Van Gogh because he made a movie they didn't like. I'm phobic towards killing a Japanese translator because he worked on the Satanic Verses. </p><p>I'm also rather phobic to the notion that the Muslim world has the right to riot and kill each other because of a few unfunny cartoons in an obscure Danish publication.</p></blockquote><p></p>Protestations from the Ivory Tower notwithstanding, there's nothing high-minded, chic or compassionate about tolerating barbaric acts of intolerance. Indeed, tolerating intolerance feeds its growth and provides its sanctuary. O'Doherty also reports that the Saudi woman who recently suffered the misfortune of being gang-raped and later sentenced to 200 lashes for the offense was also targeted for death by her very own brother. She had violated the family's "honor," after all.<br /><br />It's too bad President Bush and many of his Anglosphere allies are so jaded with misplaced notions of "tolerance" that almost nothing is said of women's abuse under Sharia law. Why not push for a United Nations resolution that simply expresses the belief that state-sanctioned abuse of rape victims is inhumane? It wouldn't have much practical effect, but it could go a long way reminding people there's no shame in being intolerant of barbarity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210808931697333236.post-77853784635123496992007-11-29T16:55:00.000-05:002007-11-29T16:57:31.221-05:00Pol of the Day: Tom LantosFrom The Wall Street Journal's Political Diary:<br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif;font-size:85%;"><b><a name="Dutch Treat"></a></b></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif;font-size:85%;"><b><a name="Dutch Treat">Dutch Treat</a></b></span></p> <p>Guantanamo Bay is likely to close as the chief U.S. prison for terrorist suspects in the next year or so, but that doesn't mean it's stopped hosting delegations of outraged Europeans who want to make grandstanding points against the U.S.</p> <p>Happily, at least one U.S. lawmaker has called some of the European headline-hunters on the carpet. During a recent meeting in Washington with Dutch parliamentarians who had just come from the U.S. Naval base in Cuba, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Tom Lantos minced no words. On being informed by the Dutch lawmakers that the prison was an abomination, the California Democrat coolly replied that "Europe was not as outraged by Auschwitz as by Guantanamo Bay." </p> <p>Mr. Lantos, an 84-year-old Holocaust survivor, wasn't done yet. He offered advice to Dutch politicians who are debating whether to keep sending 1,600 troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission there: "You have to help us, because if it was not for us, you would now be a province of Nazi Germany."</p> <p>The Dutch did not take kindly to Mr. Lantos' perspective. "The comments killed the debate," Harry van Bommel, a member of the Dutch Socialist Party, told reporters. "It was insulting and counterproductive."</p> <p>Perhaps, but it was also a refreshing departure from the normally vapid "diplomospeak" that such meetings are usually conducted in.</p> <div align="right"><i>-- John Fund</i></div></blockquote>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0