VIDEO: JOHN BRENNAN LOWERS BAR ON HIMSELF

Wow. I'm actually quite surprised that counterterrorism czar John Brennan wasn't smart enough to avoid a faux pas like this only days after he wrote that the Republicans who criticized him were aiding and abetting al-Qaeda. Brennan actually said that the recidivism rate of detainees released from Gitmo is 20% and then proceeded to say it's "not that bad". Tell that to the troops you whack job.

You know, at some point the positions that people at the top levels of this Obama administration take, must be seen as so collectively and completely untenable that they couldn't possibly be the result of their own individual incompetence. Whether it's Counterterrorism Czar John Brennan attempting to explain how the Christmas Day bomber Mutallab coughed up all that he knew in 50 minutes before he lawyered up, Eric Holder attempting to justify Khalid Sheikh Muhammad being tried in civilian court in NYC, or any countless non-sequiters uttered by press secretary Robert Gibbs, the collective idiocy is palpable.

When it's that bad, it's not the result of the incompetence of these individuals - although Brennan, Holder, and Gibbs are nothing to write home about - but a reflection on the president himself. Obama has been escaping much of the criticism because he's good at it. One of his strengths is flashing a big smile while keeping his fingerprints off of pretty much anything. It's starting to catch up with him.

Jake Tapper at ABC has more detail and I encourage you to watch the first two minutes of the video embedded in Tapper's piece. If you're pressed for time, watch these 30 seconds but just know you're missing out if you don't watch the longer version.



While talking with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham wasn't very kind to Brennan, and justifiably so.



Then of course, speaking of Graham, this one never gets old. Here is Graham back in November completely dressing down Attorney General Eric Holder, who had NO CLUE how defend his position that KSM should be tried in NYC federal civilian court. For all my problems with Lindsey, this was awesome.

For a moment, I started feeling sorry for Holder. I said for a moment.



via ABC and Hot Air Pundit

JOE THE PLUMBER SLAMS PALIN FOR SUPPORTING MCCAIN

Count me as one who thinks Joe the Plumber has gotten plenty of mileage out of that chance encounter with Barack Obama coupled with the subsequent presidential debate in which Joe was referenced multiple times. He's the novelty that doesn't go away. He's likable enough though and I think he's resonating with the Tea Party movement as the face of middle America. It would also seem that he and I agree on one thing at least - Sarah Palin is making a mistake by campaigning for John McCain in the Arizona primary.

Scott Detrow of public radio interviewed Wurzelbacher (Joe the plumber) and it would appear that Joe is anything but a fan of John McCain:

Wurzelbacher touched on several different points during his speech, and many of them were surprising. He said he doesn’t support Sarah Palin anymore. Why? Because she’s backing John McCain’s re-election effort. “John McCain is no public servant,” he told the room, calling the 2008 Republican nominee a career politician.

I pointed out he’d just be plain old Sam Wurzelbacher of Ohio — Joe the Plumber wouldn’t exist – without McCain. His response was blunt. “I don’t owe him s—. He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it.”

Wurzelbacher said, “McCain was trying to use me. I happened to be the face of middle Americans. It was a ploy.”

Not sure if Wurzelbacher is going to get behind McCain's opponent, J.D. Hayworth but if he does he will be in the company of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has endorsed Hayworth.

Moreover, if Joe the Plumber - a tea party favorite like Arpaio - endorses Hayworth, Palin could find herself in an increasingly sticky position. The Tea Party movement is somehow going to have to reconcile its biggest supposed advocate in Palin, backing progressive John McCain against the much more conservative Hayworth, who may end up with America's plumber in his corner in addition to America's sheriff.

h/t to The Hill

WHEN OBAMA DOESN'T GET HIS WAY

David Horowitz has an interesting take on things, as usual. Is Obama preparing to do an end-run around congress and by extension the U.S. Constitution? Yes, I know. He's been doing that since he got elected but this seems to be a bit more overt. During his first year in office, Obama watched as agenda item after agenda item failed. In most cases, the buzz saw he ran into was the American people.

What to do, what to do? Courtesy of Horowitz' News Real:

President Obama decided it’s time to push the dictator button and tell the Legislature they’re expendable. Using the Old Gray Lady for softball coverage, the White House announced the President is prepared to use Executive fiat to advance his energy, environmental and fiscal policies. But what good is signing your agenda into law if you don’t have radicals to implement it? Oh yeah, he’ll also be making recess appointments. It’s good to be King!

The real question I have is, when will congress come together as a body instead of as a fractured partisan disaster and assert its authority granted it by the Constitution. Obama has been pushing the envelope ever since taking office but if this continues, he could be committing impeachable offenses before long.

Is congress on the wrong end of a divide and conquer strategy?

VIDEO: WHEN DEMS USED TO FREAK OUT AT LACK OF SNOW

The chicken little party on display for all to see. Naked Emperor once again puts together a montage of clips showing the Democrats in crisis mode, moaning about how the lack of snowfall is a sign of the man-made apocalypse. So are they relieved now that this country is covered with more snow than anyone knows what to do with?

Big sigh of relief, right?

No, it's a further sign of man-made global warming.

The best quote in this video has to be the one from Robert Byrd - "Something is going on out there".



via Breitbart

VIDEO: TEXAS GOV. CANDIDATE RACIST AND TRUTHER - NOT MEDINA

Much has been made this week about Glenn Beck getting Texas gubernatorial Republican candidate Debra Medina to basically admit to being a 9/11 truther. However, what one of Medina's possible - now unlikely - Democratic opponents said is twice as outlandish. Not only did Farouk Shami come across as a truther as well, but he also made the racist remark - if we use the existing standard - that white people don't want to work.

Don't believe me?

Check it out



h/t to Free Republic