Catholic Online: Santorum Surprise in Iowa?

There is no question that Rick Santorum is surging in Iowa as a consequence of Newt's fall. The former is the only Tea Party-minded candidate whose tires have yet to be kicked. This race will boil down to three entities. Establishment vs. Kook vs. anti-Establishment.

Romney has the establishment vote locked up
Paul has the Kook vote locked up.
Perry, Bachmann, Gingrich, and Santorum are all fighting for that anti-Establishment vote

Perry is, as they say, all hat and no cattle. The gap between his rhetoric and how he governs is cavernous. Bachmann has already risen and fallen; she has peaked and a significant portion of her votes seem to have gone to Santorum at this point. Besides, it would be nice to see her remain a powerful force in Congress. Gingrich has a problem similar to Perry in that his liberal side isn't just glistening; it's blinding.

Catholic Online highlights Santorum's bonafides:



More at Catholic Online, h/t Free Republic

Video: Bill Whittle Describes 'Three Years Under Obama'

A must-watch:



A nice compliment to this piece in the Washington Times.

h/t Doug Ross

Video: Iowa Coffee Shop Owner Kicks OWS'rs Out of her Store

Here is another microcosm of the misdirected anger of the OWS crowd. When they protest 'too big to fail' and big bank bailouts, even the Tea Party agrees. However, when one of their ranks rudely invades a small business owner's coffee shop in Iowa to demonize her as being part of the one percent, it's over the line and is more than juts a little indicative of the insane nature at the group's core.

Isn't it something how this hard-working coffee shop owner is harassed while 25 celebrities worth a total of $4.1 Billion are revered by the movement?

I'm willing to bet that the gray-haired dude in the red shirt either has a government job, belongs to a union,  or is otherwise living off someone else's hard work.

Via Breitbart:

Religious Bigotry at a Muslim School? Christian Principal Fired

Welcome to the real version of Islamic tolerance, multi-culturalism, and diversity. A Christian principal and his wife say they were fired from an Islamic school because they were not Muslim. Keep this in mind whenever anyone attempts to tell you that the Ground Zero mosque is all about bringing different religions together.

Via the Daily Mail:

A principal and his wife have been sacked from a college whose stated aim is to promote multiculturalism because they are white Christians, they claim.

Professor Malory Nye, 47, says he was dismissed from the Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education in Dundee, Scotland, because his race and religion were seen by his superiors as a threat to its core Muslim values.

He says the college’s claims to pursuing multicultural values were a charade and that he was dismissed so he could be replaced by a Muslim.

His wife Isabel Campbell-Nye, 42, alleges she was forced from her position as head of the English language centre because she attracted too many students who were not Muslims or Arabs.

Unless I'm mistaken, this is what we call religious bigotry, is it not? Isn't it interesting that the school apparently went out of its way to bill itself as one that promotes multiculturalism but actually rejects it when the rubber meets the road? Meanwhile, the left continues to point its collective finger at 'Islamophobes.'

It sounds like this completely naive couple actually got an education by being fired.

The couple allege that Abubaker Abubaker, the director of operations, and Mirza al-Sayegh, chairman of its board of directors and private secretary to the Sheikh, decided to force them out because they were British, white and Christian. 

Prof Nye told the Telegraph: 'It is clear to me that there is collusion between these two individuals that I should be removed from my position on the basis that I am not an Arab and not a Muslim and that the person who has the role of principal should be Arab and/or Muslim. 

'Multiculturalism and respect for cultural and religious differences are, I had thought, core values of the college. 

'However, I believe that such inclusive multiculturalism no longer fits the particular type of multicultural vision of certain managers and the chairman, that is accepting of different cultures, so long as the majority of students are Muslims and/or Arabs and the ethos is distinctly Islamic. 

'My face and lack of Muslim faith no longer fit.'

It will be interesting to see if the Nyes actually wake up to the lie they've been fed or if they seek out another 'multi-cultural' Islamic school.

h/t GWP

Ron Paul Catching the Wrath of Sheila Jackson Lee

One of the members of the racist group known as the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) is going after Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) over the racist comments that appeared in the latter's newsletters.

Via the Houston Chronicle:

One of the newsletter articles described Rep. Barbara Jordan, a Houston Democrat revered in the civil rights community, as “the archetypal half-educated victimologist, yet her race and sex protect her from criticism.”

The story was covered extensively by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News in 1996, when Paul sought to reclaim a seat in Congress, and 2007, when Paul was running for the Republican presidential nomination. But the newsletters did not receive significant media attention until last week, when the Texas congressman took the lead in the Iowa presidential caucuses.

Today, the woman who represents the Houston congressional district long represented by Jordan demanded an apology.

“Ron Paul cannot continue to pursue the position of the presidency of the United States of America without formally apologizing and discussing his true positions regarding these newsletter writings,” Jackson Lee said in a statement.

Moments like these lend themselves to Alien vs. Predator comparisons, where both sides are bad and you just want to see each go after the other.

The comment from Paul about Jordan, if she was anything like Lee, is probably not that far off, especially when it comes to her intellect.

Lee, a vice-chair for the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) caucus, once asked if the Mars rover would be able to get some video of the flag Neil Armstrong planted.

Frankly, if Paul wants to see an increase in support, he should probably stand behind the portion of the newsletter that Lee objects to. His problems are likely to come from the likes of David Duke and Donald Black, the founder of STORMFRONT and former American Nazi Party member. They have both expressed support for Paul, in part, based on the content in those newsletters.

As a Republican, Paul could benefit from some raised dander on any member of the CBC but his alleged anti-Israel views coupled with a David Duke endorsement (Duke has said he will vote for Paul but has not officially endorsed him), won't do him any favors.

h/t Weasel Zippers

2004 Video: Is this Santorum's Biggest Wart?

In 2004, current Senator Pat Toomey was the conservative candidate running against incumbent RINO and eventual Democrat, Arlen Specter. Sitting Pennsylvania Senator at the time, Rick Santorum, fell in line behind the Republican establishment and publicly endorsed Specter.

As bad as this is, it doesn't come close to the number of warts on Romney, Gingrich, Paul or Perry.

Nonetheless, it is what it is and Santorum should have to address it.

Via Ace of Spades:

Video: Santorum Rips Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter's fervor for Mitt Romney may be getting the best of her. She recently went after Rick Santorum for voting against e-verify but what she didn't say is why he did it.

Via American Spectator:

Arguing on behalf of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in her syndicated column Wednesday, Coulter portrayed Santorum as soft on illegal immigration, citing his vote against the so-called "E-Verify" measure to provide automatic electronic verification of workers' immigration status. But Santorum said that he voted against "E-Verify" in 2006 because it was part of a measure sponsored by John McCain and Ted Kennedy that would have provided amnesty to illegals.

At an Iowa campaign stop, Santorum was asked to respond to Coulter's attack and smacked her down in about 30 seconds:

"Why would Ann Coulter criticize me for voting against the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill? I mean, Ann, should I have voted for amnesty? Should I have voted for comprehensive immigration reform? Because if that's what you're saying, then, doesn't sound like you're the real conservative here. I think when Jim DeMint and every conservative in the United States Senate voted against the McCain-Kennedy bill -- yes, we voted against E-Verify, but we voted against a pretty bad bill that I think, at least you said you were against."

Here is the video of Santorum via the Other McCain, responding to the question about Coulter's charge. You actually have to fast forward to the 4:45 mark to hear it though.

Coulter may have hurt her cause here, not by going after Santorum but by evoking this kind of haymaker from the former Pennsylvania Senator.

As they say in football, after a QB throws a bad pass that is intercepted, I'm sure she'd like to have that one back.

Ron Paul: Jews to Blame for 1993 WTC Bombing?

The 'anti-Israel' sentiment former Ron Paul aide Eric Dondero alleges that his former boss harbors, continues to be corroborated with revelations like this. Paul actually put forth the idea that the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, for which Muslim terrorists were convicted, may have been perpetrated by the Jews.

From TNR via Red State:

In the April 1993 Ron Paul Survival Report, the author—writing in the first person—states, “Whether [the 1993 World Trade Center bombing] was a setup by the Israeli Mossad, as a Jewish friend of mine suspects, or was truly a retaliation by the Islamic fundamentalists, matters little.”

Is it safe to say yet that Ron Paul isn't just courting the Truther vote, he's one of them?

h/t GWP

Video: Far Leftist Joe Klein Agrees with Ron Paul

Add TIME's Joe Klein to the list of left-wing whack jobs who sit firmly in the Ron Paul camp when it comes to foreign policy.

Klein, who is completely willing to ignore Iran's holocaust denial and threats to wipe Israel off the map, argues that Iran only wants nuclear weapons so it can deter Israel and Pakistan.

If anyone has been consistently wrong about the Middle East, it's the left. Here's the latest example.

Via NewsBusters:

Immunity Deal between U.S. and Sinaloa Cartel?

The layers on the Fast and Furious onion continue to get peeled back, one at a time. The latest is a charge by a drug trafficking defendant who is claiming that Sinaloa drug cartel leaders were given immunity in exchange for information on rival gangs.

Via CNS News:

A Mexican drug trafficker awaiting trial in a Chicago federal court claims that the notorious Sinaloa cartel received weapons from “Operation Fast and Furious” under an alleged immunity agreement that the U.S. government made with cartel leaders, in exchange for information on rival gangs.

The defendant in a trafficking case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Vicente Jesus Zambada-Niebla, also claims the immunity deal allowed the criminal cartel to “continue to smuggle tons of illicit drugs” into the United States.

He wants the U.S. government to provide documents relating to the botched gun running sting operation along the southwest border, arguing that it would benefit his defense.

The defendant, Vicente Jesus Zambada-Niebla, makes the case that because the U.S. government sanctioned gun trafficking to the Sinaloa cartel, he should be granted some form of immunity as well, but there's a small problem. Our U.S. government is denying the allegation has merit:

The defendant argued that he is protected from federal prosecution for trafficking drugs into the U.S. between 2004 and 2009 under an alleged immunity deal struck between the U.S. government and Sinaloa leaders.

According to court documents, Zambada-Niebla claims that the immunity deal provided the cartel’s leadership with “carte blanche to continue to smuggle tons of illicit drugs into Chicago and the rest of the United States” in exchange for information on rival drug cartels.

U.S. prosecutors deny the existence of such an immunity deal between the U.S. government and the cartel. 

Nevertheless, the U.S. government last September filed a motion to invoke the Classified Information Procedures Act, which is aimed at assuring that national security information stemming from criminal cases – such as details associated with CIA operations – are not leaked to the public during court proceedings.

As a drug trafficker, Zambada-Niebla would be in a position to know of any such immunity deal. Then again, he is a drug trafficker who could be using the Fast and Furious scandal to his advantage.

That said, these charges have been made by others.

In any event, this is another blow to Holder's DOJ and the Obama administration. The fact that Zambada-Niebla trafficked drugs to Chicago during Obama's tenure as a US Senator is interesting as well.

h/t Free Republic

Video: OWS Protesters Arrested in Iowa

Again, check out the comments on my December 5th post about OWS plans to disrupt the Iowa caucus. Obviously, Occupy Iowa protesters objected to the claim, insisting that there would be no disruptions. Just as predictably obvious, however, is that they were being less than truthful.

As I've said, if these miscreants decide to alter the outcome of the January 3rd caucus with these antics, they will be perilously close to mirroring what the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) did in Philadelphia on election day, 2008.

Via Verum Serum:



Remember this? Different tactics, same objective - intimidation of voters.

IPT: Hezbollah Presence in Mexico is More Significant than Previously Thought

According to a report from the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT), Hezbollah is working with Mexican drug cartels much more closely than previously thought.

Via IPT:

A series of recent law enforcement actions indicates the depth of Iranian-tied criminal activity in Mexico may be greater than previously known.

In October, a Texas-car salesman was arrested in connection with an Iranian plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington. Prosecutors say officials in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps believed they were dealing with a "large and sophisticated" Mexican drug cartel to carry out the hit. A $100,000 down payment on the hit shows the Iranians were comfortable dealing with the cartel representative, who in fact was a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) informant.

Earlier this month, prosecutors in Virginia unsealed an indictment charging a Lebanese man, Ayman Joumaa, with smuggling more than 100 tons of Colombian cocaine with the Los Zetas Mexican drug cartel. Hizballah, an Iranian proxy in Lebanon, "derived financial support from the criminal activities of Joumaa's network," the U.S. Treasury Department claimed earlier this year.

These cases are symptoms of a much larger problem the Obama administration seems more interested facilitating than it does in addressing:

The growing nexus between Hizballah and Mexican drug cartels allows the Iran-backed extremist group to make use of drug cartel transit routes to gain entry into the United States through its porous border with Mexico. Hizballah, in turn, offers Mexican syndicates expertise on smuggling and explosives as well as access to its drug trafficking networks in the Middle East and South Asia. 

Iran-backed Hizballah and Mexican drug syndicates share "the same criminal weapons smugglers, document traffickers and transportation experts," former DEA operations chief Michael Braun told the Washington Times. "They rely on the same shadow facilitators. One way or another they're all connected." 

Braun also alleged that members of Iran's Quds Force are "commanding and controlling" Hizballah's criminal operations in Latin America.

This adds an entirely new angle to both the immigration debate and the Fast and Furious scandal. Whomever is responsible for signing off on the gun-walking operation that sent thousands of guns to Mexico's drug cartels should have to deal with an entirely new set of charges - aiding and abetting an enemy of the United States.

Earlier this month, a Federal Judge in New York City signed an order stating that Iran and Hezbollah were responsible for the 9/11 attacks, along with al-Qaeda.

From the Declaration of Independence:

He (King George) has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

I'd say Hezbollah and the Mexican drug cartels qualify as 'savages.'

h/t Doug Ross

Al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri sending Jihadists to Libya

CNN, the news entity that essentially championed the 'Arab Spring' in its early days is now reporting that bin Laden's former #2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri is sending al-Qaeda Jihadists to Libya in order to beef up its presence in that country. At some point, shouldn't any remaining credibility liberal media outlets like CNN still have, be given to those who saw all of this coming?

Via CNN:

Al Qaeda's leadership has sent experienced jihadists to Libya in an effort to build a fighting force there, according to a Libyan source briefed by Western counter-terrorism officials.

The jihadists include one veteran fighter who had been detained in Britain on suspicion of terrorism. The source describes him as committed to al Qaeda's global cause and to attacking U.S. interests.

The source told CNN that the al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, personally dispatched the former British detainee to Libya earlier this year as the Gadhafi regime lost control of large swathes of the country.

The man arrived in Libya in May and has since begun recruiting fighters in the eastern region of the country, near the Egyptian border. He now has some 200 fighters mobilized, the source added. Western intelligence agencies are aware of his activities, according to the source.

I still can't get over how John McCain chastised Joe Biden for saying the Taliban is not our enemy when McCain is the one who called the Libyan rebels his 'heroes.'

h/t Weasel Zippers

Ron Paul Hearts OWS

No one has picked up more Democrat votes in Iowa than Ron Paul. It looks like he's chumming for more by heaping praise on OWS and comparing it to the Tea Party.

Via Weekly Standard:

While campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul praised the Occupy Wall Street movement, comparing it to the Tea Party movement. "In many ways, I identify with both groups," Paul said. Both groups are fed up with problems in Washington and "the two-party-system," Paul said while speaking at an insurance company in Des Moines.

Praising the left-wing Occupy Wall Street movement is an unusual move for a Republican presidential candidate, but Ron Paul is, of course, an unusual Republican presidential candidate. He jumped to first place in the Iowa caucus polls partly because of support from people who aren't Republicans. His comments that members of the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street are unhappy with the "two-party system" could fuel speculation that Paul will make a third-party bid of his own--something he has not ruled out.

Although “some people like to paint Occupy left and the Tea Party people right," Paul said, "I think it makes my point. There’s a lot of people unhappy, and they’re not so happy with the two-party system because we have had people go in and out of office, congress changes, the presidency changes, they run on one thing, they do something else. Nothing ever changes."

"The Tea Party and Occupy people are just tired of it all," he said. "And they would like to see changes."

With OWS, there is one argument the group has that is not without merit; Paul actually hits on it.

Paul praised the Occupy movement for focusing attention on the “very rich” who became wealthy because of government bailouts or contracts, but said that wealthy people who make an honest living “have to be protected. We shouldn’t be jealous or envious of those people.”

That paragraph, taken by itself is quite accurate but the elephant in the room when it comes to Paul supporting OWS is the fact that the movement wants much bigger government, not less, which flies in the face of everything Paul allegedly stands for. OWS has the support of public sector unions, the American Nazi Party, the Communist Party USA, and CAIR.

When it comes to profiling the Tea Party and OWS, there is absolutely no comparison. Just look at the more than $25 million in damages and over 5,000 arrests that have taken place at OWS protests. The Tea Party has no such blemish.

If Paul keeps this up, team Obama might end up being more concerned about a third party run than will the Republican Party.

Obama Campaign Manager Cusses in Official Video

The Obama reelection campaign released a video featuring campaign manager Jim Messina in which the latter uses a pointer and various electoral maps that are intended to communicate the many possible paths to victory for Obama in 2012. It actually has a bit of a Glenn Beck feel to it at first.

And then Messina lets fly the "Bull S**t" expletive on an official campaign video, which means this was scripted, choreographed, and intended for viewers to see. What did Messina object to? Well, the notion that Obama is stockpiling a billion dollar war chest, courtesy of union dues, money laundering, etc. Fast forward to the 2:45 mark if you must but watch the whole thing if you can.

Check it out...



Messina was the Deputy Chief of Staff back in 2010 and was involved in the Jobsgate scandal that implicated the White House in the alleged offering of a job to Senatorial candidates Joe Sestak and Andrew Romanoff in return for those candidates' agreeing to drop out of their primary races.

Messina's involvement in offering Romanoff jobs to drop out of his race with incumbent Michael Bennet should call into question, the decision to make him Obama's campaign manager.

Letting fly the "Bulls**t" line on a prepared White House video not only smacks of low class but also a bit of 'thou doth protest too much.'

Ron Paul gets the 'Coveted' David Duke Endorsement

This has not been a good week for Ron Paul's PR machine. First, a former aide claims that Paul is 'definitely anti-Israel' and wants to give all of that land to the Arabs. A 2009 video of Paul claiming that Israel 'started' Hamas surfaced. Then, a charge levied by a writer at Big Government that Paul told him he would not have intervened to stop the holocaust. Now, Paul gets the endorsement of former KKK Grand Wizard, David Duke.

Via Politicker NY:

Ron Paul was a hot topic this week on the talk radio show hosted by prominent white supremacist Don Black and his son Derek. Mr. Black said he received Mr. Paul’s controversial newsletters when they were first published about two decades ago and described how the publications were perceived by members of the white supremacist movement. Former KKK Grand Wizard and Louisiana Congressman David Duke also phoned in to explain why he’s voting for Mr. Paul.

“Everybody, all of us back in the 80′s and 90′s, felt Ron Paul was, you know, unusual in that he had actually been a Congressman, that he was one of us and now, of course, that he has this broad demographic–broad base of support,” Mr. Black said on his broadcast yesterday.

Mr. Black is a former Klansman and member of the American Nazi Party who founded the “white nationalist” website Stormfront in 1995. He donated to Mr. Paul in 2007 and has been photographed with the candidate. Mr. Paul has vocal supporters in Stormfront’s online forum. Mr. Black has repeatedly said he doesn’t currently think Mr. Paul is a “white nationalist.”

Remember, the American Nazi Party also endorsed the OWS protests. This might help explain why some of the Pauliens get a little defensive when OWS is denigrated.

KKK = Nazis = Anti-Semites = Islam

Go figure. Ron Paul is apparently anti-Israel.

h/t Weasel Zippers

Holder Condemns Illegal Firearms (Not what you think)

Well, one of Saul Alinsky's rules is to always 'keep the pressure on.' Put another way, always stay on offense. Despite a powerful hand of practically every relevant agency being caught in the proverbial cookie jar relative to Fast and Furious - an operation that intentionally put guns in the hands of drug cartels - Attorney General Eric Holder continues to use politics to push for gun control.

File this one in the 'unmitigated gall' department.

Via POLITICO:

The number of officers killed in the line of duty jumped 13 percent in 2011 compared with the year before — and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder condemned the increase as “a devastating and unacceptable trend” that he blamed on illegal firearms.

The number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty rose to 173 this year, from 153 in 2010, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund announced Wednesday. This year’s figure is 23 percent higher than 122 killed in the line of duty in 2009.

Holder said “too many guns have fallen into the hands of those who are not legally permitted to possess them,” in explaining the increase.

If, as has been suspected, Fast and Furious was about allowing people to be killed by criminals with guns given to them by the ATF, to create the environment that would make it politically palatable to enact more gun control measures, this latest narrative from the Attorney General only serves to further make the case.

I understand the benefits of always staying on offense but this would be like running a low percentage pass play from inside your own two-yard line with a third string QB who hasn't even had a chance to warm up.

Holder is scheduled to be in front of Darrell Issa's Oversight Committee on January 24th. Statements like this aren't going to help him.

h/t Hot Air

Obama Using Muslim Brotherhood Leader as Intermediary with Taliban

First of all, virtually every single solitary foreign policy decision made by the Obama administration relative to the Muslim Brotherhood has been in the Brotherhood's favor. In fact, Obama's policies have virtually handed all of Northern Africa to the Ikhwan.

Interestingly, the pullout of US troops from Iraq, coupled with Obama's failure to help the green revolution in Iran in 2009 has equally helped the Ayatollah and his Mullahs in that country as well.

Now, it looks like Obama is using Hitler-loving sheikh and Muslim Brotherhood leader, Yusuf al-Qaradawi as a 'key mediator' between the U.S. and the Taliban.

Via IPT News:

Radical Islamist cleric and longtime Muslim Brotherhood spiritual guide Yusuf al-Qaradawi serves as a "key mediator in secret talks between the U.S. and the Taliban," according to unnamed government sources referenced in a report published late Wednesday in The Hindu.

In early December, the report said, "Qaradawi helped draw a road map for a deal between the Taliban and the United States, aimed at giving the superpower a face-saving political settlement ahead of its planned withdrawal from Afghanistan." The United States is expected to begin pulling out of Afghanistan in 2014.

The Qaradawi-brokered deal calls for significant American commitments, including "the release of prisoners still held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay, the lifting of United Nations sanctions on its leadership and its recognition as a legitimate political group." In return, the Hindu's sources say, the Taliban would be "expected to sever its links to transnational organisations like al-Qaeda, end violence and eventually share power with the Afghan government."

Yeah, because we can trust the Taliban.

In 2009, Qaradawi praised Hitler according to al-Jazeera, via DTN:

"Throughout history, Allah has imposed upon the [Jews] people who would punish them for their corruption. The last punishment was carried out by Hitler. By means of all the things he did to them - even though they exaggerated this issue - he managed to put them in their place. This was divine punishment for them. Allah willing, the next time will be at the hands of the believers."

Ask yourselves, why would Obama elevate a Muslim Brotherhood leader to this level? Al-Qaeda was spawned by the Brotherhood. Each has the same goal - a global Islamic caliphate - but uses different means.

To put this in a western context, consider asking the head of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to negotiate with Bill Ayers and the Weather Underground during the latter's terrorist days. Both WU and SDS shared the same goal but SDS wanted to be more incremental by working slowly over time to gain political power.

Then again, Obama and Ayers are quite familiar with one another. Why bother engaging SDS? I'm sure they've got Billy on speed dial.

More here.

Hugo Chavez thinking US Gave him Cancer?

In 2009, Hugo Chavez stooge - and then deposed president of Honduras - Manuel Zelaya, was hiding inside the Brazilian embassy there, in an attempt to make some kind of statement. While there, the Miami Herald reported that Zelaya believed the sore throat he had was the result of toxic gases and that 'Israeli mercenaries' were torturing him with 'high-frequency radiation.'

Now, Chavez is apparently blaming the United States for giving him cancer.

Via Bloomberg:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hinted that the U.S. may be behind a “very strange” bout of cancer affecting several leaders aligned with him in South America.

Chavez, speaking a day after Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, said the Central Intelligence Agency was behind chemical experiments in Guatemala in the 1940s and that it’s possible that in years to come a plot will be uncovered that shows the U.S. spread cancer as a political weapon against its critics.

“It’s very difficult to explain, even with the law of probabilities, what has been happening to some of us in Latin America,” Chavez said in a nationally televised speech to the military. “Would it be so strange that they’ve invented technology to spread cancer and we won’t know about it for 50 years?”

No wonder Marxists are insane.

The Alex Jones website accused the Miami Herald of making up the story about Zelaya. I would love to get their take on the credibility of Chavez's charges.

h/t Weasel Zippers

CNN Poll has Santorum ahead of Gingrich in Iowa

Yeah, it's a CNN poll but Santorum has been waiting for a bone to be thrown to him for quite some time now. If Gingrich's warts continue to reveal themselves on a near daily basis, this may just be indicative of a trend we can expect. In any case, Santorum's momentum is going in the right direction less than one week before Caucus day in Iowa.

Via CNN:

A new survey of people likely to attend Iowa's Republican caucuses indicates that the former House speaker's support in the Hawkeye State is plunging. And according to a CNN/Time/ORC International Poll, one-time long shot candidate Rick Santorum has more than tripled his support since the beginning of the month.

Twenty-five percent of people questioned say if the caucuses were held today, they'd most likely back Mitt Romney, with 22% saying they'd support Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. Romney's three point margin is within the poll's sampling error.

The poll's Wednesday release comes six days before Iowa's January 3 caucuses, which kickoff the presidential primary and caucus calendar. The Iowa caucuses are followed one week later by the New Hampshire primary.

As Byron York Reports, a significant percentage of Paul's support is coming not from Republicans but from Democrats and Independents. In theory, among Republican voters - according to this poll - Santorum may be Romney's next challenger.

In Iowa, both Romney and Paul are each up five points among likely caucus goers from a CNN/Time/ORC poll conducted at the start of December. The new survey indicates that Santorum, the former senator from Pennsylvania, is at 16% support, up 11 points from the beginning of the month, with Gingrich at 14%, down from 33% in the previous poll. Since Gingrich's rise late last month and early this month in both national and early voting state surveys, he's come under attack by many of the rival campaigns. 

'Conventional' wisdom at both Hot Air and and Erick Erickson at Red State says that this news benefits Romney because Santorum has no money or real organization. Frankly, this defeatist attitude among conservatives is wearing thin. Then again, Erickson recently threw all of his chips into the 'elect Gingrich' movement so his reticence to see a path to victory for Santorum could be slightly misguided.

The fact remains, there has never been a primary season like this one. That conventional wisdom everyone would like to follow was rendered meaningless some time ago.

Santorum may be a distant memory one month from now. He may also be the frontrunner. Anyone who tells you they know which it will be, is guessing.

That said, if you're a conservative, revel in this news as long as you can because it's about to change.

More at Hot Air

Top 25 Richest Celebrities who Support OWS

There's hypocrisy and then hypocrisy on steroids, laced with a level of self-loathing that involves aligning with those who hate you. Enter the segment of the richest 1% of Americans who happen to be both liberal and on the side of the 99% who wants to steal their wealth.

First, there's the laughable hypocrisy of the likes of Alec Baldwin, who makes the list of the top 25 richest celebrities who hate capitalism in general, banks in particular. Baldwin does commercials for Capital One.

Or how about Miley Cyrus and Jay Z? Both of them have capitalized on OWS while not sharing their wealth. In the case of Jay Z, his 'Occupy All Streets' t-Shirts have made him a pretty capitalist penny. Ditto for Miley's OWS song.

Via NewsBusters:

Here is a list of the 25 richest celebrities supporting the Occupy Movement (Source: Celebrity Net Worth)

1. Yoko Ono - $500 million

2. Jay-Z - $450 million

3. David Letterman - $400 million

(tie) Stephen King - $400 million

5. Russell Simmons - $325 million

6. Sean Lennon - $200 million

7. Mike Myers - $175 million

8. George Clooney - $160 million

9. Brad Pitt - $150 million

(tie) Don King - $150 million

11. Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) - $145 million

12. Jane Fonda - $120 million

(tie) Miley Cyrus - 120 million

14. Al Gore - $100 million

15. Roseanne Barr - $80 million

(tie) Deepak Chopra - $80 million

17. Kanye West - $70 million

(tie) Dan Rather - $70 million

19. Alec Baldwin - $65 million

(tie) Matt Damon - $65 million

21. Tom Morello - $60 million

(tie) Mia Farrow - $60 million

23. Katy Perry - $55 million

24. Michael Moore - $50 million

(tie) Susan Sarandon - $50 million

Total: $4.1 billion

No wonder liberals are so angry. They have defective wiring.

Report: Ron Paul said he would not have Intervened to end Holocaust

On the heels of the statement from former Ron Paul aide, Eric Dondero, that Ron Paul is anti-Israel, this alleged first-hand account of similar sentiment being expressed from Paul seems to bolster the charge.

Via Jeffrey Scott Shapiro at Big Government:

On the evening of Sept. 16, 2009, I was invited to a function for Rand Paul’s U.S. Senate campaign at the headquarters of Americans for Tax Reform. 

I had been invited by a friend of mine via Facebook who was a passionate supporter of Ron Paul. Within minutes of arriving, I saw Rep. Paul enter the room, followed by an entourage of several college students. 

I immediately walked up to Paul and introduced myself, and Paul smiled at me and shook my hand. I told him that I had always wanted to ask him a question, and that it was a hypothetical question, but I would appreciate his answer nonetheless. Paul smiled, and welcomed the question. At this point there were about 15 people surrounding us, listening. 

And so I asked Congressman Paul: if he were President of the United States during World War II, and as president he knew what we now know about the Holocaust, but the Third Reich presented no threat to the U.S., would he have sent American troops to Nazi Germany purely as a moral imperative to save the Jews? 

And the Congressman answered: 

“No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t risk American lives to do that. If someone wants to do that on their own because they want to do that, well, that’s fine, but I wouldn’t do that.”

Shapiro even writes that he contacted Dondero to see if the accounts of each men were consistent. Here is what Shapiro reports Dondero said in response:

“He told me numerous times it was not worth it to intervene to save the Jews in World War II,” Dondero said. “I don’t think that’s because he’s an antisemite. It’s because he’s an extreme isolationist and he’s trying to be 100% principled–he doesn’t think there’s any reason to intervene for human rights or any other reason anywhere on the planet.”

Beyond the fact that Israel is western civilization's eastern front against Islamic fascism, the spiritual element is at the core of passionate support for the nation on the part of Christians and Jews.

So, if Paul would have been in charge, Winston Churchill would have been on his own and the Nazis may have realized their goal.

Paul's warts are showing and they are growing.

Read it all.

Leader of Hamas Visits with Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

In light of Ron Paul's comments from 2009, in which he said 'Israel... started Hamas,' I found this bit of news a sufficiently salient retort to that insane point of view. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh recently sat down with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Via Jerusalem Post:

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh received a warm welcome Monday when he arrived at the Muslim Brotherhood Headquarters in Cairo.

Haniyeh is on his first regional tour since 2007 that will take him to a number of Arab and Islamic countries.

Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badei welcomed Haniyeh at a joint conference and said that his party was concerned with Palestinian issues.

"Your highness Mr. Prime Minister, our brothers, Ismail Haniyeh and his accompanying delegations -- you are welcome to our country; you are welcome to our headquarters," Badei said. "The general center of Muslim Brotherhood is paying attention all the time to the Palestinian issue as it pays attention to the issues of liberation all over the world."

Haniyeh responded with: "The Islamic resistance movement of Hamas, by definition is, a jihadist movement by the Muslim Brotherhood, Palestinian on the surface, Islamic at its core and its goal is liberation."

An aide said Haniyeh's trip will also include stops in Tunisia, Bahrain and Turkey.

Before making his way to Egypt, Haniyeh gave a speech marking Hamas' 24th anniversary and said the long term goal of his group remains the elimination of Israel. Here is video from Haniyeh's speech via PMW:



A website known as Loon Watch, which has taken up the task of smearing those who warn about these sorts of things, had this to say about the fall of Hosni Mubarak back in February:

Is it any surprise that the Islamophobes are the most against this uprising. 

Hopefully now the Egyptians can reconstruct the system to be a free and Democratic nation.

Paging Loon Watch...

h/t GWP

Washington Times Writer Implies Obama a Domestic Enemy

Actually, Robert Knight's piece in the Washington Times calls Obama a 'Trojan Horse' president without mentioning the latter's name.

I was thinking about writing a novel about what might happen if a man who hates America and wants to bring it down is somehow elected president. What would he do?

I sketched out a few plot elements, and you can decide whether this will fly.

First, the Trojan Horse president would initiate unprecedented spending, driving the debt up by more than $4 trillion just in the first three years. Much of the money would go into the pockets of political supporters and people who donate heavily to his campaigns.

He would ram through an unreadable law allowing the federal government to seize the health care system, which would transform citizens into beholden subjects.

He would cut out private lenders and federalize student loans.

He would go on a world apology tour, letting America's friends and foes know that he is doing whatever he can to make sure America becomes a third-rate power and is brought to heel under a growing world government headed by the United Nations. While on the tour, he would praise Islam and denigrate America's Christian heritage.

Read it all because there is much more.

Under this 'fictional' scenario Knight lays out, the president to which he is referring warrants impeachment, a Senate trial, and removal from office. The part Knight doesn't get to in his novel idea, involves a hyper-partisan Congress that has essentially neutered itself and hasn't the political will to do the right thing thanks, in large part, to a president who possesses the nefarious ability to exacerbate division.

By referring to a president of the United States, whether real or fictional, as a 'Trojan Horse,' Knight is essentially identifying such a president as a 'Domestic enemy.' Via the Tenth Amendment Center, here is the oath of office every member of Congress must take upon being sworn in:

Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter: So help you God?

The response is two words: 'I do.'

If this hypothetical president were to succeed in destroying America, Congress would be to blame for allowing him to do so; it is the body that is responsible for dealing with any such reality. That leads me to the response then Republican whip, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) gave to a questioner in the audience at the Heritage Foundation on May 4, 2010.

Cantor was asked what it would take for Obama to be defined as a 'domestic enemy.' His answer carries with it a very, very serious indictment of the legislative branch of government to which he belongs, if that answer was wrong.

2008 Video: Newt Insists Individual Mandate is Necessary

If there are two words that became radioactive in 2009-2010, 'individual mandate' fits the bill. It was a different story in 2008, which might help explain why Newt Gingrich gave a speech, in which he expressed a view that said everyone should be required to pay for health insurance (that's individual mandate).

At first blush, this might sound like a cogent argument. Such things are Newt's strength. People are more willing to pay their credit card bills than they are to pay for health insurance. The reason for this is that we have a culture that is being taken advantage of because people know there will be no real consequences for failing to pay for health insurance. There ARE consequences if you have a poor credit rating (mortgage crisis notwithstanding).

However, that's not the point or the solution. It's called creating a bigger problem through misdiagnosis and treating a symptom instead of the illness. The point is that the government should not have to force its citizens to buy anything. The biggest part of the problem with healthcare has been government meddling, regulation, and illegal immigration. In every case, government IS the problem, either through egregious actions (over-regulation) or inexplicable inaction (illegal immigration). What Newt is advocating for in this speech is more government intervention when the answer is less (except in the case of immigration).

Forcing people to pay for insurance is like mandating everyone pay income tax. We'll get to a point where not everyone pays while still mandating law-abiding citizens continue to do so, when they were already paying in the first place. Half of this country already doesn't pay income tax. The other half has to deal with the IRS every year, an undertaking that will become even more difficult with the implementation of an individual mandate - except for the people who already don't pay taxes.

This idea should never see the light of day. The two things that should be done right off the bat are to seal the borders and allow insurance companies to do business across state lines. This will reduce the insurance pool, increase competition and efficiency, and thereby make it more affordable for people to buy health insurance. Yeah, some government bureaucrats will have to be fired and earn a living in the real world but how is that a bad thing? They can start contributing to economy instead of living off the taxpayers while making it more difficult for those taxpayers to do so.

It might sound reasonable, Newt, but more government is NOT the answer.



Here is a memo penned by Newt in 2006 that echoes the same sentiment.

h/t Daily Caller

Honor Killing in a Santa Suit?

There's a very tried and true rule in journalism. When writing a story, the meat should always come in the headline and first paragraph. If the reader wants more detail, he will continue reading. Apparently, this rule doesn't apply when the story is about a Muslim who dresses in a Santa suit and kills his daughter because she's dating a non-Muslim man.

Here is the headline and first three paragraphs appeared in the Dallas Morning News via Jihad Watch:

Neighbors horrified at news of family’s slayings in Grapevine

GRAPEVINE — Aziz Yazdanpanah seemed to be losing control of his life in recent months — his wife left him, his house was in foreclosure, and his 19-year-old daughter was dating a young man he didn’t like.

Even so, the 58-year-old former real estate agent from Colleyville seemed to be holding it together. Neighbors say he would smile and wave as he drove through his middle-class neighborhood. Recently, he was seen raking leaves in his yard.

“He was very friendly, a very good neighbor,” said Carrie Stewart, who lives across the street. “He was out here often doing yard work and he even watched our house for us when we went to Colorado.”

Suggested alternate headline and first three paragraphs...

Muslim Male dresses as Santa Claus, slays family on Christmas morning 

GRAPEVINE - Aziz Yazdanpanah, a Muslim, who reportedly objected to his daughter's boyfriend, was found dead along with his daughter, Nona, and six others on Christmas morning in the home where Yazdanpanah's estranged wife was living. 

An investigation into the motive is ongoing in the apparent murder / suicide but according to a classmate of Nona, the dating habits of his daughter were a source of great distress for Yazdanpanah. 

“She couldn’t date at all until she was a certain age, but when he was going to let her date she couldn’t date anyone outside of their race or religion,” Laci Reed, 18, said.

Reading the piece in the Dallas Morning News, one is almost left with the impression that the real victim was the murderer, who had fallen on hard times, and not his young daughter, who had her whole life in front of her.

Oh, and the police officer at the scene, Lt. Todd Dearing, said the motive wasn't important.

h/t GWP

Horrible News: Climate Change responsible for Decline in Malaria

Oh, the horror! Scientists in Tanzania are seeing a decrease in the number of mosquitoes. Villagers are thrilled because malaria has declined as a result. This is supposed to be a good thing, right? Less mosquitoes = less malaria = less death.

Hang on. In the ends-justifies-the-means world of the insane left, the decline of mosquitoes is a very bad thing because it is indicative of the dangers inherent in climate change.

(head scratching)

It seems to me that if human lives are being saved as an indirect result of pseudo-climate change, perhaps the whackos who believe in that pseudo science might start to weigh pros and cons.

Uh, not so much.

Climate change is bad, therefore humans being free of disease as a result of climate change is bad too.

You figure it out.

Reuters video via Verum Serum:

OWS Planning to Disrupt Iowa Caucus Events

Back on December 5th, I posted about the plans of OWS protesters to disrupt the Iowa caucus. I encourage you to check out some of the comments. Practically every post (maybe all) accuse me of posting false information, that there are not going to be any protests or disruptions.

Uh, yeah right. It's so easy to prove liberals wrong.

From the AP via Daily Caller:

Now, to the dismay of Iowa Republicans, Occupy activists in Des Moines are vowing to expand their protests as GOP presidential hopefuls converge on the state that speaks first in the race for the party’s presidential nomination.

“The 99 percent have woken up and we’re not going to take it anymore,” Occupy activist Stephen Toothman, of Des Moines, said as an advance guard met Tuesday to decide which candidates to target in the coming week.

Hundreds of Occupy activists from at least 10 states were expected to participate in a “People’s Caucus” near the Capitol to plot activities between now and the Jan. 3 caucuses. The activists are promising to interrupt candidates at events and camp out at their Iowa campaign offices. They say they want to change the political dialogue, but critics fear their tactics could tarnish Iowa’s reputation for civil political discourse ahead of the contest. Activists say mass arrests are possible.

For those not inclined to invest much stock in what the OWS whackos say, be sure to check out Occupy Oakland protester Sean O'Brien. He seems to be calling for outright violence, saying that moral considerations should not factor into the equation. Instead, it should all be about effectiveness.

Be on the lookout for OWS disruptions in Iowa.

Then again, maybe they're just going to show up to vote for Ron Paul.

Report: Cornhusker Kickback Senator Ben Nelson to Retire

The Senate's version of Bart Stupak appears to be heading for the exit prior to the 2012 shellacking he apparently sees coming. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), the man who brought us the 'Cornhusker Kickback' which guaranteed passage of Obamacare has announced he is going to retire.

Via USA Today:

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska has told supporters he will not seek re-election. His decision was first reported by Politico.

In his statement, Nelson said: "Simply put: It is time to move on."

Nelson, 70, was facing a tough fight for a third term. His retirement improves the GOP's chances of picking up the Nebraska Senate seat the Democrat has held since 2000, and it enhances the odds of a Republican takeover of the Senate in 2012.

Yeah, right. Nelson is probably retiring because he disgraced himself during the Obamacare fight and is radioactive.

Ditto for Bart Stupak in Michigan.

Both men went to the wall for Obama and this is where it got them.

h/t Free Republic

2009 Ron Paul Video: Hamas 'Started by Israel'

For those Pauliens inclined to denounce the recent charges of former Ron Paul aide Eric Dondero, who says Ron Paul is definitely 'Anti-Israel,' I'd like to point you to this speech in 2009 from the House floor. In it, the logic of Ron Paul - which is actually conspiratorial pabulum disguised as logic - reveals why he is the Truthers' candidate while actually making the case that Israel is responsible for creating a counterweight to Yasser Arafat.

If you want proof that Ron Paul is intellectually vacant when it comes to the goals of the Muslim Brotherhood, look no further than this speech. Hamas is a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated group. The Brotherhood (Ikhwan) was founded in 1928 with one sole purpose - to reestablish the Ottoman Empire and do away with national borders. The PLO was founded in 1964, a full 34 years after the Brotherhood was created. Paul would actually be better able to make the case that the Brotherhood started Hamas, at least from an historical perspective.

Dondero charges that Paul wanted Israel to go away and allow Arabs to have the land. This video doesn't prove those claims but it makes them one heck of a lot more credible.

Yes, he said Israel started Hamas.



h/t Hot Air

Video: Woman Gets Ron Paul Book for Christmas, Cries

What would you do if you got a Ron Paul book for Christmas? Would you read it? Put it on a shelf? Throw it away? Give it to someone else?

Or would you cry?

Via the Blaze:

Attn Tea Party Leaders: Keep that Brokered Convention Talk Alive

I've already chimed in on the subject of a brokered convention but it's going to take Tea Party leaders all across the country to educate conservatives and convince them that they don't have to settle. A brokered convention would happen if none of the Republican candidates get enough votes. Yes, that can happen if the Tea Party does nothing but the odds of it happening go up exponentially if Tea Party leaders put aside their differences and develop a strategy to ensure it.

Via Joel Pollack at Big Government:

They are all better than Obama; the question is–are they the best Republicans can offer?

As Republicans have wrestled with that question, a few have floated the idea of a “brokered convention,” at which the party’s nominee would be chosen through back-room negotiations and contested ballots instead of the pro forma roll calls of recent decades.

Given Romney’s struggle to provide the clear alternative to Obama that Americans so desperately need, the party should consider whether a brokered convention is feasible as a fallback option.

Think about it; If no Republican candidate gets the nomination, it's an entirely new ball game. Tea Party leaders MUST unite and offer voters primary by primary instruction. If Tea Partiers aren't satisfied with the field, they need to bide their time and make very strategic voting decisions.

I wouldn't support all of Pollack's ten brokered convention finalists but he includes Paul Ryan, Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint, Scott Walker, and Bobby Jindal. Each one of them is preferential to what's currently available.

C'mon, Tea Party leaders. Learn to work together.

Maybe it's time for a Tea Party National Committee (TPNC)

Read it all.

Uh, About that whole Kwanzaa Thing....

I have a hard time believing that the Obamas don't know the truth about the origins of Kwanzaa, which is what makes their public statement about it all the more troubling. First, here is how the statement opened:

Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today marks the beginning of the week-long celebration honoring African American heritage and culture through the seven principles of Kwanzaa -- unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Now, how about what Kwanzaa is all about?

Via Front Page Magazine:

On December 24, 1971, the New York Times ran one of the first of many articles on a new holiday designed to foster unity among African Americans. The holiday, called Kwanzaa, was applauded by a certain sixteen-year-old minister who explained that the feast would perform the valuable service of "de-whitizing" Christmas. The minister was a nobody at the time but he would later go on to become perhaps the premier race-baiter of the twentieth century. His name was Al Sharpton and he would later spawn the Tawana Brawley hoax and then incite anti-Jewish tensions in a 1995 incident that ended with the arson deaths of seven people.

Great minds think alike. The inventor of the holiday was one of the few black "leaders" in America even worse than Sharpton. But there was no mention in the Times article of this man or of the fact that at that very moment he was sitting in a California prison. And there was no mention of the curious fact that this purported benefactor of the black people had founded an organization that in its short history tortured and murdered blacks in ways of which the Ku Klux Klan could only fantasize.

It turns out that Kwanzaa's founder, Ron Karenga was convicted of torturing two black women and sent to prison:

A May 14, 1971, article in the Los Angeles Times described the testimony of one of them: "Deborah Jones, who once was given the Swahili title of an African queen, said she and Gail Davis were whipped with an electrical cord and beaten with a karate baton after being ordered to remove their clothes. She testified that a hot soldering iron was placed in Miss Davis' mouth and placed against Miss Davis' face and that one of her own big toes was tightened in a vise. Karenga, head of US, also put detergent and running hoses in their mouths, she said."

Shockingly, much of the evidence that implicates Karenga has magically disappeared. The trial transcript no longer exists but a transcript of his sentencing hearing does.

A key issue was whether Karenga was sane. Judge Arthur L. Alarcon read from a psychiatrist's report: "Since his admission here he has been isolated and has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, such as staring at the wall, talking to imaginary persons, claiming that he was attacked by dive-bombers and that his attorney was in the next cell. … During part of the interview he would look around as if reacting to hallucination and when the examiner walked away for a moment he began a conversation with a blanket located on his bed, stating that there was someone there and implying indirectly that the 'someone' was a woman imprisoned with him for some offense. This man now presents a picture which can be considered both paranoid and schizophrenic with hallucinations and elusions, inappropriate affect, disorganization, and impaired contact with the environment."

After being sentenced in 1971, Karenga was released in 1978. He then proceeded to convert to Marxism and find a job teaching college students at California State University:

Profiting from the absence of memory, he remade himself as Maulana Ron Karenga, went into academics, and by 1979 he was running the Black Studies Department at California State University in Long Beach.

As the Obama's say, Happy Kwanzaa!

Read it all.

Big h/t to Weasel Zippers

Guest Hosting on the Lynn Woolley Show Today

Sitting in for the Secretary of Logic today from 9am-Noon EST. On the short list of items that are on the table for discussion...

• Ron Paul's former aide says his former boss is definitely "Anti-Israel" and almost voted "no" on authorization to go into Afghanistan after 9/11
• How did Kwanzaa come to be a holiday? The answer may shock you.
• Many see Occupy Wall Street (OWS) as something that is petering out but is the movement actually re-grouping and planning to be more violent in the future? Video of an Occupy Oakland protester may indicate as much.
• What's up with Virginia? As of now, only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul will be on the ballot. Every other Republican candidate failed to meet the requirements. Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich may have a good argument as to why they should be put back on the ballot.
• What does the Salafist Party in Egypt, which won 20% of the vote in elections there, want to do to the Pyramids?
• What's the latest on Solyndra and how damaging will a 1:00 video from May of 2010 be?
• Much more...

The Lynn Woolley show is syndicated across the state of Texas.

CLICK HERE to listen to the show live on Lynn's flagship station, KTEM 1400, from 9am - Noon EST.

Call-in number is 866-895-6442

Lynn's website

Operation Tea Party Chaos

My latest column at Red County is posted. Basically, the fact that Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are the only two Republican nominees whose names will appear on the Virginia ballot got me thinking a little bit about a brokered convention. Yeah, I know the odds are long but if the Tea Party's energy was harnessed in 2012 like it was in 2010, there might be a way to proactively work toward a scenario through voting but it would take a level of coordination the Tea Party hasn't shown to be capable of yet.

Operation Tea Party Chaos 

The Tea Party needs another Rick Santelli moment. Part of the reason for its collective apathy is that no one currently in the Republican field inspires it. Voting for the best option in a field where none of the candidates meet the standard is hardly energizing. The Tea Party needs something to strive for, an objective, a way to select its nominee of choice.

One way to do that would be to use Ron Paul mania to its advantage and cast their votes with one goal in mind:

A brokered convention.

For example, the only two Republican candidates who will be on the ballot in Virginia are Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. All others failed to get the required number of signatures. Whether you're a Gingrich supporter or a disenfranchised Tea Partier who calls Virginia home, it might be in your best interest to cast your vote for Paul, which would take delegates away from Romney.

National Review's Brian Bolduc laid out a scenario in which a brokered convention could result; he did so before it was learned that Paul and Romney would be the only two candidates on the Virginia ballot. That scenario involves a three-man race. Those three men are Gingrich, Romney, and Paul.

As Bolduc points out, there are 2286 total delegates up for grabs in the primaries. The total needed for any candidate to secure the nomination is 1144. Under the Bolduc scenario, Romney would win the majority of delegates but fail to win the amount necessary to secure the nomination. Paul comes in third, far behind Gingrich, who loses to Romney but not by much.

If, as some forecast, Santorum, Bachmann, and Huntsman all drop out, many of their votes are likely to go to Gingrich since the vast majority of them reject Romney's establishment credentials and haven't drunk the Ron Paul Kool-aid. However, a significant percentage of those voters could very well decide to vote for Romney because of the sheer volume of warts that have come with Newt's political schizophrenia.

This is where the Tea Party needs to get strategic by taking a page out of Rush Limbaugh's playbook.
Yes, it will be like herding cats and it will be somewhat risky but if the Tea Party groups can find a way to coalesce around a common cause that demands a brokered convention, conservative voters can cast their primary votes not based on the lesser of three evils but on ensuring that none of them wins.

In most cases, that will involve a vote for Ron Paul, assuming Bolduc is right about Paul's level of support, but it will also involve consistent monitoring as various primaries take place. That needs to be the job of Tea Party leaders and it will also require them all to put aside their differences. If the border collies can't work together, cat herding becomes exponentially more difficult.

The odds of a brokered convention are so long, that nearly everyone concedes such talk is reserved only for political junkies. However, those odds can be shortened drastically with a concerted effort by Tea Party leaders to generate the momentum necessary to implement such a strategy. In essence, the Tea Party needs to be proactive in addition to being simply prayerful.

One of the Tea Party themes has been to “take America back.” None of the current Republican Party candidates allow them to do that, which is why Tea Party leaders need to start thinking outside the ballot box and start working together for a common cause.

Besides, wouldn't the nomination of someone like Jim DeMint or Sarah Palin be worth it to the Tea Party?

It would also be deliciously ironic to watch poetic justice be administered through chaos.

Original includes hyperlinks.

Ouch: Former Ron Paul Staffer says Congressman 'Anti-Israel'

Former Senior Ron Paul Aide, Campaign Coordinator, National Organizer, and Travel Aide Eric Dondero has made some scathing charges against his former boss. It will be interesting to see if Team Paul decides to ignore him or attempt to discredit him. While Dondero insists Paul is neither racist or anti-Semitic, he forthrightly makes the charge that Paul is anti-Israel:

Via Right Wing News:

Is Ron Paul an Anti-Semite? Absolutely No. As a Jew, (half on my mother’s side), I can categorically say that I never heard anything out of his mouth, in hundreds of speeches I listened too over the years, or in my personal presence that could be called, “Anti-Semite.” No slurs. No derogatory remarks.

He is however, most certainly Anti-Israel, and Anti-Israeli in general. He wishes the Israeli state did not exist at all. He expressed this to me numerous times in our private conversations. His view is that Israel is more trouble than it is worth, specifically to the America taxpayer. He sides with the Palestinians, and supports their calls for the abolishment of the Jewish state, and the return of Israel, all of it, to the Arabs.

This definitely squares with Paul's foreign policy stance relative to leaving the region - including Israel - to fend for itself. It also seems to go in line with Paul's endorsement of Cynthia McKinney, a Palestinian supporter and activist, in 2008.

Dondero continues...

There was another incident when Ron finally agreed to a meeting with Houston Jewish Young Republicans at the Freeport office. He berated them, and even shouted at one point, over their un-flinching support for Israel. So, much so, that the 6 of them walked out of the office. I was left chasing them down the hallway apologizing for my boss.

There are other aspects of Paul's views on homosexuality and race that Dondero attempts to clarify but besides Paul's anti-Zionist sentiment, his position on going into Afghanistan after 9/11 is sure to raise some eyebrows.

Ron Paul was opposed to the War in Afghanistan, and to any military reaction to the attacks of 9/11. 

He did not want to vote for the resolution. He immediately stated to us staffers, me in particular, that Bush/Cheney were going to use the attacks as a precursor for “invading” Iraq. He engaged in conspiracy theories including perhaps the attacks were coordinated with the CIA, and that the Bush administration might have known about the attacks ahead of time. He expressed no sympathies whatsoever for those who died on 9/11, and pretty much forbade us staffers from engaging in any sort of memorial expressions, or openly asserting pro-military statements in support of the Bush administration. 

On the eve of the vote, Ron Paul was still telling us staffers that he was planning to vote “No,” on the resolution, and to be prepared for a seriously negative reaction in the District. Jackie Gloor and I, along with quiet nods of agreement from the other staffers in the District, declared our intentions to Tom Lizardo, our Chief of Staff, and to each other, that if Ron voted No, we would immediately resign.

So, if Dondero is to be believed, Ron Paul is Truther and an anti-Zionist who is not necessarily anti-Semitic. Uh, yeah, that's about what I suspected.

h/t Daily Caller

Another 1995 Ron Paul Video: Takes Credit for Newsletter

The good news is that Ron Paul is being vetted. The bad news is that if Barack Obama was vetted half as much, there's no way he'd be Occupying the White House (OWH) today. The argument from Paul that he didn't write or read his own newsletters is getting increasingly untenable for him.

Though he doesn't specifically endorse the radical views in his newsletter in this clip, he does endorse the newsletter itself. If Paul didn't know what was in the newsletter, his competence should be under scrutiny.

Via RCP:

How Badly will this Video Harm Obama in November?

The Washington Post has posted a refreshingly very honest piece. The bad news? It was published on Christmas Day. Nonetheless, it seems to conclude that the White House decisions relative to Solyndra were political all along. Among those decisions was the one that led to a video posted to the White House website in May of 2010.

Via the Post:

Like most presidential appearances, Obama’s May 2010 stop at Solyndra’s headquarters was closely managed political theater.

Obama’s handlers had lengthy e-mail discussions about how solar panels should be displayed (from a robotic arm, it was decided). They cautioned the company’s chief executive against wearing a suit (he opted for an open-neck shirt and black slacks) and asked another executive to wear a hard hat and white smock. They instructed blue-collar employees to wear everyday work clothes, to preserve what they called “the construction-worker feel.”

Apparently, according to the Post's findings, this is a video the administration would like to have back. This should give the Republican Party an something to exploit. Whether they will or not remains to be seen but there seems to be sufficient concern among team Obama that this was a very bad decision.

Via GWP:



There is also a surprising number of futile attempts made by the Post to get comments from individuals who might be able to help with the story:

White House e-mails suggest that the original idea for “POTUS involvement” originated with then-Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel, now mayor of Chicago, did not respond to a request for comment from The Post.

Well beyond the details of the factory photo op, raw political considerations surfaced repeatedly in conversations among many in the administration.

Just two days before the visit, Obama fundraiser Steve Westly warned senior presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett that an appearance could be problematic. Westly, an investment fund manager with stakes in green-energy companies, said he was speaking for a number of Obama supporters in asking the president to postpone the visit because Solyndra’s financial prospects were dim and the company’s failure could generate negative media attention.

It is interesting that the decision to publicly align Obama with Solyndra was pushed by Emanuel, who left the administration a few months after that May 2010 video. He also claims to be ignorant of the Solyndra deal.

Read it all.

Federal Judge: Iran Complicit in 9/11

How did THIS fly under the radar? Janice Kephart with the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) filed a report earlier this month that says a Federal judge in New York City signed a document stating that both Iran and Hezbollah have their fingerprints on the 9/11 attacks.

Via CIS:

Federal Judge George Daniels announced in open court in New York City yesterday, in a case filed by families of 9/11 victims, that he was going to be signing an order within 24 hours stating Iran, Hezbollah, and al Qaeda are responsible for the 9/11 attacks. More specifically, the judge found that Iran has provided material support to al Qaeda for the 9/11 attacks. Much of the material witness testimony in the case comes from three Iranian defectors whose affidavits remained under seal during the course of the case. 

What we do know publicly is that Iran and Hezbollah not only provided terrorist travel assistance for the 9/11 hijackers to travel through Iran to attend Afghan terror training camps, but also that Hezbollah's most senior operational leader, and chief liaison with Iran, Imad Mughniyah – and other Hezbollah operatives – traveled with the 9/11 hijackers in and out of Lebanon and in and out of Iran after these same hijackers had been issued visas to visit the United States. The purpose of the hijackers' travel into Iran after acquiring U.S. visas was made clear by Iranian defector testimony under seal. The defectors, in turn, were vetted by two CIA veterans who reviewed numerous of hours of tape to determine the credibility of persons who stated they had knowledge of Iran's involvement in 9/11, including those claiming to have participated in planning meetings in Iran with other Iranian officials on executing the terrorist plot that became 9/11. The CIA veterans concluded that the three defectors were both credible and substantial witnesses.

If this can be proven, it would put Iran on par with 1941 Japan and would warrant an immediate declaration of war against Iran.

The other thing this tells us is that our borders need to be sealed without delay.

Read it all.

h/t Special Guests

Is Ron Paul Courting the Extremist Vote?

These developments remind me of Hillary and Obama debating the difference between 'denouncing' and 'rejecting' when it came to Jeremiah Wright's anti-Semitic and anti-American views. Ultimately, Obama decided to leave Wright's church because it was politically necessary.

Apparently, Ron Paul is dealing with a similar version of this phenomenon. To this point, he appears to have decided that it's best to disown the views of extremists but embrace their support.

Via the New York Times:

The American Free Press, which markets books like “The Invention of the Jewish People” and “March of the Titans: A History of the White Race,” is urging its subscribers to help it send hundreds of copies of Ron Paul’s collected speeches to voters in New Hampshire. The book, it promises, will “Help Dr. Ron Paul Win the G.O.P. Nomination in 2012!”

Don Black, director of the white nationalist Web site Stormfront, said in an interview that several dozen of his members were volunteering for Mr. Paul’s presidential campaign, and a site forum titled “Why is Ron Paul such a favorite here?” has no fewer than 24 pages of comments. “I understand he wins many fans because his monetary policy would hurt Jews,” read one.

The Times goes on to discuss how Paul seems to be playing both sides of the Libertarian philosophy against the middle. First, there are the very sane libertarian views that call for limited government and active support for Austrian economic theory. Then there is the more racist strain endorsed by the likes of Stormfront.

The economic theory is supported by the guy who oversaw the production of Paul's now very controversial newsletters; his name is Lew Rockwell. Rockwell was a close adviser to Paul and forged an alliance with another guy named Murray Rothbard, according to the NYT, who reports on Rothbard invoking the name of David Duke:

In the Rothbard-Rockwell Report they started in 1990, Mr. Rothbard called for a “Right Wing Populism,” suggesting that the campaign for governor of Louisiana by David Duke, the founder of the National Association for the Advancement of White People, was a model for “paleolibertarianism.”

Will the real Ron Paul please stand up?

In fairness, it would sure be nice to see the liberal media vet Obama like this.

h/t Hot Air

Video: Bluest of RINOs in Senate Whines about Tea Party

Enter Exhibit A in the case to be made against rabid partisanship, in which majorities should be the top priority. America's first president, George Washington, didn't have much use for them.

Via Forbes:

George Washington addressed the problem of political parties 200 years ago in his Farewell Address. He conceded, grudgingly, that it is "probably true" that, "within certain limits" political "parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty." But he added that party spirit was "not to be encouraged." He thought "there will always be enough of [it] for every salutary purpose." As there was "constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion to mitigate and assuage it."

He compared the competition of parties to inflammation: "A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume."

Now enter Exhibit B. Perhaps the bluest RINO in the Senate, Richard Lugar (RINO-IN). He is up for reelection in 2012 and is facing strong Tea Party opposition. If ever there was a Senator who deserves to be primaried in 2012, it's Lugar.



Note his argument here. It's all about Party. He blames the Tea Party for not giving the Republicans a majority in the Senate in 2010. In essence, Lugar admits to being exactly the kind of creature George Washington warned us against.

There was a school of thought that said J.D. Hayworth couldn't win the 2010 General election vs. Democrat Rodney Glassman. Those who believed that pulled the lever for McCain. McCain won the primary and the General. He then did things like call the Libyan (al-Qaeda) rebels his 'heroes.' Though the argument can me made that McCain moved to the right, he's hardly been pushing the cause of conservatism.

In Delaware, the opposite happened. Tea Party favorite Christine O'Donnell defeated RINO Mike Castle in the primary and went on to lose to far left Democrat and 'bearded Marxist,' Chris Coons.

The case can be made that it's better to have someone like Coons in office so Americans can see the true face of socialism instead of having someone like Castle, who gradually pulls us in that direction. I've made that case, as long as it's not done with the reckless abandon of granting the other side a super majority.

Then, take the example of Sharron Angle vs. Harry Reid in 2010. That race was so close that Angle likely would have won it with the Republican Party support she didn't get.

h/t Breitbart:

Video: Ron Paul = Jeremiah Wright

That title is a bit of an oversimplification but the Washington Post's Charles Lane made the case on Fox News Sunday that when it comes to foreign policy, Ron Paul is to the left of Obama's former pastor.

Paul has all but said he can't come out in support of the Truthers because he doesn't want to deal with the controversy and subsequent fallout. Consequently, it seems that he's had to adopt another view which, on the surface, may seem more mainstream, or at least less politically radioactive but here's the problem. By taking the view that 9/11 was perpetrated by radical Islamists while also holding the view that US foreign policy drove them to it, Ron Paul is squarely in the camp of Jeremiah Wright.

Then again, if Paul expressed public support for the Truthers, he'd be in the camp of Van Jones.

Lane nails it here.

Don't look now but the longer Ron Paul is showcased, the more his position unravels.

Via Daily Caller:

What's Driving those Russian Protests?

Tens of thousands of Russian citizens are protesting against Vladimir Putin, demanding both fair elections and his removal from office. On the surface, these sound like righteous protests. But are they? Some of the protesters are likening themselves to the OWS and former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev is siding with the protesters on the issue of Putin stepping down.

Nonetheless, if this many people are protesting rigged elections, it can't be all bad.

According to The Independent, 100,000 protesters weathered the cold to join in the protests:

The rally on Moscow's Sakharov Avenue on Saturday was the fourth and by far the biggest of the mass demonstrations provoked by the parliamentary vote held on 4 December. The ruling United Russia party, led by the Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, held on to a slim majority in parliament in those elections, but the results have been tainted by claims of wholesale fraud.

The demonstrators stood for hours in sub-zero weather on Saturday listening to a line-up of speakers as diverse as the crowd itself, including TV celebrities, writers, musicians, politicians, scientists and a jailed dissident whose video message was broadcast on a giant screen beside the stage.

"The people are waking up," said Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front opposition group who was arrested on the day of the elections as he heading to a rally. "The people have stopped putting up with this humiliating regime."

First of all, I'd feel much more comfortable saying Russian government is far more corrupt than American government if it was ten years ago but it's still worse. Second, Mr. Udaltsov's claim that the people are "waking up," already puts them in front of OWS, whose members like to channel zombies. Third, Russian protesters are standing up against their government; OWS wants more of it.

In short, if these protesters in Russia are carrying the spirit of the Bolsheviks, they'd be better off just packing up and going home because they'll get far worse than what they have; that revolution gave them Lenin. Then again, OWS might just be closer to the early 20th Century Bolsheviks than are these early 21st Century Russian protesters. It's simply too hard to tell how the situation in Russia will shake out but if the participants were smart, they'd distance themselves from Gorbachev right now.

The movements don't seem to have all that much in common when you look at the granular detail but OWS may have helped to inspire protests in Russia, which would be a good thing if they're protesting Vladimir Putin's continued reign.

Perhaps the Russian establishment is partly to blame as its propaganda arm - Russia Today - has been promoting OWS, for reasons that likely involve the damage it's doing to the US.

It'd be poetic justice if that backfired on them.

h/t Drudge