Problem with Republican Leadership: Lack of Self-Respect

There is a fine line between taking the high road and losing your self-respect by not fighting back. If the 2012 elections taught us anything, it's that the Republican establishment doesn't know where that line is.

The leadership vacuum on the Republican side of the aisle keeps getting larger, louder, and even more obvious. If there is one common message from conservatives when it comes to the establishment, that message is to fight. The unwillingness to fight is why Mitt Romney lost to Barack Obama in the election; the base didn't turn out.

The Obama administration knows this and is banking on its Republican opposition doing the same thing in the 2014 midterms so the Democrats can take back the House.

There comes a point when refusing to fight only garners more contempt from your opposition and even less respect from your own side. Planting their flag on what they perceive to be the moral high ground didn't work in the last election and it won't work in the next one. It's becoming increasingly obvious that while Republican leaders in Congress think they are better positioned by not lowering themselves to the left's level, they are also losing self-respect by not standing up for themselves. It's antithetical to leadership and when you don't lead, you lose followers.

Two incidents took place at Obama's second inauguration that illustrate this anecdotally.

First, Paul Ryan, the Republican vice presidential nominee was booed and it was allegedly initiated by a Department of Justice Attorney named Dan Freeman. By the way, that charge was alleged by Freeman himself:

Via BizPac Review:

Second, House Speaker John Boehner got the Michelle Obama eye-roll. Watch the body language. At the :02 mark, Boehner taps Michelle on the left arm to jokingly get her attention about something. She then proceeds to put that left arm on the table, as if to say, 'don't touch me'. Boehner then says something else at which the first lady rolls her eyes.

h/t WZ:

The Democratic Party views the Republican Party leaders with contempt, sheer and utter contempt. The Obama agenda, as enunciated by David Plouffe is to so divide the Republican Party that the Democrats take the House in 2014.

Via the Daily Caller:

President Barack Obama’s top political aide used an Inauguration Day interview to sketch out a provocative political strategy intended to split the Republican Party in time to impact the 2014 midterm elections.

“The barrier to progress here in many respects, whether it is deficits, measures to help economy, immigration, gun safety legislation … is [that] there are factions here in Congress, Republicans in Congress, who are out of the mainstream,” White House advisor David Plouffe said on CNN’s “State of the Union with Candy Crowley.”

“We need more Republicans in Congress to think like Republicans in the country who are seeking compromise, seeking balance,” he claimed.

Granted, the two inauguration day incidents involving Ryan and Boehner mean nothing in and of themselves but they speak volumes when it comes to an unwillingness to fight on the part of Republican leadership. The administration is clearly banking on being able to continue bullying the leaders of their opposition.

This will serve two purposes. It will cause Republican leadership to continue rolling over, giving Obama what he wants and it will cause the conservative / Tea Party wing to sour on their Party's leadership. A consequence of that disenfranchisement will be staying home on election day in 2014. This will de-energize, de-motivate, and depress the conservative base in 2014. Why wouldn't Team Obama go that route? It worked for them in 2012.

Conservative voters carried all the water in 2010 and Republican victories were sweeping but Republican leaders prevented the Party from doing what it was put in power to do. That is why the base didn't turn out.

Team Obama knows that and will attempt to replicate it.

Consider the case of Ashley Judd running against Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell. Last month, she trailed him by four points. Yes, four points! If she wins, it will be because McConnell will have chosen not to fight. It won't be because he wasn't moderate enough.

The Republican Party leadership continues to let the schoolyard bully take its lunch money.

If it is going to actually lead, it will have to stand up to the bully sometime between now and November, 2014:

Video: 9 Year-old black boy in Daytona thinks Romney would send him to 'Crop Fields'

While in Daytona Beach, FL to see Michelle Obama, 9 year-old Brandon was asked why Obama needs to win on Tuesday. His response?

"If Mitt Romney wins, we'll be going back to the crop fields."

Via RightNewz:



Gee, I wonder where Brandon got that idea...

Video: Biden so loved Michelle Obama's speech that he didn't know it was 48 hours earlier

As I've written before, Joe Biden's gaffes are increasingly sharing one thing in common; he always seems to be lost somewhere in time. The latest example comes during his speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night (that part is relevant). During that speech, he alluded to Michelle Obama's speech 'last night' (that would have been Wednesday). He then corrected himself and said, 'Monday night'.

The problem? Michelle's speech was Tuesday night. Biden had three choices and the two that he picked were both wrong.

See if you can read Michelle's mind after this latest Biden gaffe. If you look closely, she is saying to herself, That @!#%$#@'n A*&%$$%.

Via GWP:

Video: Did Michelle Obama Occupy Dean's office at Harvard?

Very interesting and relevant find from J. Christian Adams at Pajamas Media (h/t Elizabeth), on two levels. First, back in the late 80's / early 90's, there was a racially charged fight at Harvard centered around forcing the University to hire more minority faculty. None other than Prof. Derrick Bell was the driving force behind it. We already know that Barack Obama embraced Bell but now, thanks to Adams, we learn that Michelle Robinson (Obama) was as well.

Via PJM:

A treasure trove of information is coming out regarding Barack Obama’s time in college.  Over at the Breitbart sites, we are learning how Obama inserted himself into a fight to implement hiring on the basis of race at Harvard Law School.  The Obama tapes also seem to show the other Obama – Michelle – occupying the Harvard Law School dean’s office.  The occupiers were agitating for the race-based hiring of Harvard law professors.

The racialist fight at Harvard Law from 1988 to 1991 swirls around Professor Derrick Bell.  As detailed over at Big Government, Professor Bell was a role model to law student Barack Obama.  But he also openly advocated for a variety of racialist views wholly outside the American mainstream.  Some of them are outright crazy.  He deliberately used his position as a professor to teach racially charged theories of structural oppression by whites.  Obama, nevertheless, now famously urged us “to open up our hearts and minds to the words of Professor Derrick Bell.”

In his article, Adams explains how he came in possession of the video, which can be viewed HERE.  Though he's not willing to say it's definitely Michelle who can be seen in the bottom right of the video about 10 seconds in, "occupying the Dean's office," he sounds more than overwhelmingly convinced based on the fact that the betamax video he viewed first hand is much sharper than the one found at the link.

If you watch the entire news report, you'll see another familiar face - Derrick Bell. Does this mean both Barack and Michelle opened their "hearts" and "minds" to the teachings of Bell?

It would appear so.

AUDIO: MICHELLE OBAMA'S MOTHER CALLED LAURA INGRAHAM AGAIN?

Very interesting though I can't decide if this is a talk radio stunt on the part of Laura Ingraham in line with her book, 'The Obama Diaries' or if Michelle Obama's mother is truly obsessed with talk radio and defending her daughter. Listen as she tells Laura that she's 'incensed' at the treatment of her 'daughter' and then quickly says 'first lady' before hanging up. I'll leave it up to you if you think the caller M.R. is really Marion Robinson.

Moreover, if this is really M.R., it's apparent that she doesn't much care for her son-in-law.



Here's another instance in which Michelle Obama's alleged mother called in to Laura Ingra-HAM.



h/t to Hapblog

VIDEO: CENSORED! FOR RIO!

As Drudge reported this morning, this news report was only aired once. Why? Because it was unflattering to the president's home town of Chicago. What does it say about the state of things when the battle for the Olympics comes down to Chicago or Rio and Chicagoans want them to take place in Rio? That'd almost be like Bears fans rooting for the Packers at Soldier Field.

So what's the deal? This morning, Drudge reported:

A local TV station that reported on Chicagoans NOT wanting the Olympics has been told NOT to run the report again, insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT!

The Chicago Olympic Committee told FOX Chicago that its broadcast "would harm Chicago's chances" to be awarded the games.

The station's news director ordered staff to hold fire after the report aired once last Thursday morning, claims a source.

Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio are mounting strong bids for the honor to host in 2016.
The International Olympic Committee makes its decision on Friday. President Obama will lead the in-person push.

So who on earth would tell the local television station, WFLD not to air this report? Well, MICHELLE MALKIN provides some interesting context:

The president himself will now join cronies Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama to personally lobby in Copenhagen for Chicago’s bid.

On Tuesday, there will be a No Chicago Games protest reflecting the 84 percent opposition to the Olympics boondoggle.

Will they be accused of being an “angry mob,” too?

Hmmmmm.. So why would the citizens of Chicago be against the Olympics in their city while Barack and Michelle seem to be all for it? Is this a matter of 'follow the money'?

Malkin's entire piece below the video report...

Link:

Here is MALKIN'S entire piece.

VIDEO: AUTHOR OF BARACK AND MICHELLE ON CNN

Howard Kurtz came off as the defensive anchor and Christoper Andersen as the author having to defend the quotation marks he put in his book, "Barack and Michelle". Interestingly, one of the things that Andersen's book does is help to bolster the claims of writer Jack Cashill, who has been claiming since July, 2008 that Barack Obama had help from Bill Ayers in writing his 1995 book, "Dreams From My Father".

Check out Andersen's interview..



Here's some information on Cashill from SPECIAL GUESTS. Cashill is apparently doing media interviews intending to expound on the findings of Andersen, which definitely do not hurt Cashill's claims.

h/t to BREITBART

Despicable: A Porcelain Michelle Obama Doll - $158

WOW! At 16", it's just the right size for your mantle. The Danbury Mint is advertising a porcelain replica of Michelle Obama for that special occasion or when you just feel compelled to bow to the figurine that exudes feminine hope and change.

For those whom these tough economic times are hitting the hardest, getting this "must have" replica is now made simpler with an offer of 4 installments of just $39.50. Now for the bad news. This life-changing piece of porcelain will not be available until the fall so get those Christmas orders in now.


Last week, Real Clear Politics posted a video of PA Governor Ed Rendell suggesting that taxpayers who received interest free government loans should put a statue of him on their mantle. For those who have that Rendell statue already perched up on that mantle overlooking your family, order this Michelle Obama figurine to pair up with Ed.

You might want to put something between them though. I hear Ed likes the ladies.

Where did Barack & Michelle Meet Again?

While speaking at a University in Moscow, Barack Obama referred to meeting Michelle "in class". The problem with that according to Mark Hemingway at NRO is that is "demonstrably untrue". For more, have a look at Mark Hemmingway's comments.

First, the video of Obama in Moscow....



So what's wrong with that? Aside from the fact that the two DIDN'T meet in "class" and Michelle should be throwing plates and vases at her husband for not remembering where the first couple met, all's peachy.

Where did they meet? Actually, at Chicago Law Firm Sidley Austin according to Hemingway (and the arguably liberal Newsweek factcheck).

So what's the big deal, Barack? Why not escape your wife's sardonic wrath by leveling with your audience? Could it be that the law firm where you two met was the same law firm that employed Bernadine Dohrn? A firm where, according to Andy McCarthy back on October 7th, 2008, Bill Ayers' dad had significant sway.

I wonder if Michelle said, "I'm not mad, Barack. We both know the truth (wink, wink)."

h/t to Gateway Pundit