NOT SO FAST: OBAMA NOT LETTING GO EASILY?

Earlier today, HHS Secretary and Pro-Abort Kathleen Sebelius told CNN that the government option for health care is "not an essential part" of reform. White flags were raised and Obama's ego was no doubt pricked.

Time to reverse course? Apparently so.

A White House official choosing to remain anonymous apparently sought to "clarify" the White House position that Sebelius so eloquenty MIS-STATED. THE ATLANTIC has more...

The official said that the White House did not intend to change its messaging and that Sebelius simply meant to echo the president, who has acknowledged that the public option is a tough sell in the Senate and is, at the same time, a must-pass for House Democrats, and is not, in the president's view, the most important element of the reform package.

Note to Ms. Sebelius. The Obama doesn't like it when you mess up.

Who knows. This was just as likely an intentional trial balloon to see how the far left nutroots would react. Based on this new stance from the White House, my guess is that the early returns are not good.

Then we have the White House Liar, er, I mean spokesperson Linda Douglass chiming in with her two cents.

"Nothing has changed.," she said. "The President has always said that what is essential that health insurance reform lower costs, ensure that there are affordable options for all Americans and increase choice and competition in the health insurance market. He believes that the public option is the best way to achieve these goals."

For what it's worth, Linda Douglass has already depleted any vestige of credibility she had and absolutely can't be believed at all. In fact, Wrong Way Feldman is more trustworthy.

Apparently, another White House official said Sebelius didn't misspeak. So what's the truth?

Let's think this one through. Obama is in campaign mode because his administration is in damage control. The American people are getting justifiably angrier by the day because of this administration's antics and lack of tangible answers. Obama is so good at saying NOTHING when he talks that he still has a significant contingent of this population significantly hypnotized into thinking he's got it all figured out.

Are we to believe that Kathleen Sebelius went on the Sunday talk show circuit and misspoke? Not a chance. She was trapsed out there to test the white flag on Sunday morning and now the White House is coming out on Sunday evening to moderate its position. This likely means that the strategy didn't go over well.

If she really did commit a faux paux and indicated an Obama surrender when it wasn't authorized, Sebelius may want to invest in some "Under the Bus" repellant.

In any case, these are interesting times.

h/t to FREE REPUBLIC

HUGO CHAVEZ GOING AFTER OBAMA

What's that saying about when you lay down with dogs? It appears that Mr. Obama's pride may have gotten the best of him last week when pressed about U.S. policy toward Honduras. In true Obama fashion, he did what he always does when faced with the possiblity of being associated with a bad situation - he distanced himself from that situation and took shots at others involved on the way out.

If you ask Hugo Chavez, I'd guess that's probably exactly how he feels. In response to Obama's assertion that Latin America is being hypocritical by asking the United States to intervene in Honduras, Reuters quoted Chavez as saying the following:

"We are not asking you to intervene in Honduras, Obama. On the contrary, we are asking that "the empire" get its hands off Honduras and get its claws out of Latin America."

So who is "the Empire"? Could Chavez be talking about the United States? If yes, it sounds like his logic is about as convoluted as the far left nutroots here in the states.

Then again, Chavez did have a point that's hard to argue with.

"President Obama is lost in the Andromeda Nebula, he has lost his bearings, he doesn't get it."

Here, here Mr. Chavez.

Whatever brief moment of clarity Hugo provided was quickly eclipsed by his continued speaking. The bigger story is the friction between Chavez and Obama. It is something that if Obama doesn't manage can become a thorn in his side to say the least.

REUTERS has the rest of the story.

CONGRATULATIONS TOWN HALLERS! NOW KEEP FIGHTING

Despite alleged deals with Big Pharma, an AMA endorsement, having the mainstream media in their back pocket, and a super majority in congress, the Barack Obama administration still couldn't get his single payer trojan horse through the American people. He is backing off for now but it's not time to relax. This news should embolden the American people, not give them the green light to go back to apathy.

Another interesting development to result from this latest news is how the far left nutroots are going to react (beware of flying hinges). My prediction is that they are going to come unglued.

Case in point: last week it was learned that the origins of the posters of Obama with a Hitler-esque moustache did not come from conservatives at all. Rather, they originated from the far left group, LaRouche PAC, which was actually critical of Obama for not going far enough with single payer. Check out the report from EYEBLAST.

CLICK HERE for the video report.

Imagine, if LaRouche PAC didn't think Obama was socialist enough before, what on earth are they going to say when they digest the fact that he is backing off due to political pressure from not only the right but from within his own party?

Almost certainly this is going to mean that Republican lawmakers will be able to sit back and enjoy the infighting that is about to befall the Democrat party. What's critically important, however, is that the right not lose its engagement or passion.

As we approach football season, an appropriate analogy might be to treat it as a first round bye in the playoffs. Stay sharp, stay focused, and stay rested but also stay ready because it ain't over.

The AP HAS MORE

ACORN CONSPIRING AGAINST GUN RIGHTS?

ACORN is already under investigation for voter registration fraud but now the 2nd Amendment Foundation is charging that they may have also developed an anti-gun lobbying arm. Jim Kouri in the Examiner reported that:

One example of ACORN's gun control activism is when its officials intervened in an unsuccessful attempt to defend Jersey City, New Jersey's local gun control ordinance, which was struck down by the New Jersey state court as a violation of state law preempting stronger local gun ordinances.

Making this development particularly egregious if true is the fact that ACORN is slated to receive billions of dollars of stimulus funds and is going to be very active in the administration of the 2010 census.

Alan Gottlieb, president of the Second Amendment Foundation is quoted by Kouri as saying:

"We call upon the FBI to expand the scope of its ACORN investigation and focus on the group's involvement in the Jersey City case," Gottlieb stated.

"We support Ohio Congressman John Boehner's request that the White House immediately block all federal funding of ACORN activities until this group's questionable activities are fully investigated. We want to know how they are paying for attorneys, and why Seton Hall's Center for Social Justice and the Public Interest Law Center are providing legal assistance to ACORN for this effort."

Be sure to check out Kouri's ENTIRE ARTICLE.

By the way, is it just me or is ACORN'S recent name change just not sticking?

OBAMA REACHES A NEW LOW IN POLLS

Many refer to the Daily Presidential Tracking poll as the "Passion Index", which compares the percentage of people who strongly APPROVE of Obama's policies vs. the percentage who strongly DISAPPROVE.

His personal worst for this Index rating was a -12 and while he hasn't eclipsed that today with his -9, he has reached a new high when it comes to people who strongly DISAPPROVE of his performance. Today, he's at 41% and his previous high was 40%.

This may be splitting hairs but I believe any president would have to be concerned with these numbers going in the wrong direction.

More at RASMUSSEN:

HONDURAS VERSION OF FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

What do far left socialists (and their supporters) all have in common? One thing that's unequivocal is a desire to silence opposition and free speech. The answer is obvious. Far leftists create paradigms and realities based on lies and we all know how lies stand up to truth.

As ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya continues to scream like a toddler kicked out of a sand box, his supporters are enforcing their version of the Fairness Doctrine in his old country. The ASSOCIATED PRESS reports:

Honduran media have been the focus of tensions since the June 28 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

The attack early Saturday was the sixth against media outlets and other institutions critical of Zelaya.

The AP went on to report that four of its journalists had been detained by Honduran authorities as well.

Zelaya ally Hugo Chavez recently shut down several radio stations in Venezuela and Zelaya is the guy he needs in power to help him with his income streams from that country.

Now we have belligerent pro-Zelaya protesters added to the list of examples demonstrating that the sitting Honduran government was probably justified in removing Zelaya.

Earlier, I was questioning the Micheletti-led government of charging protesters with sedition but fire bombs being hurled at the buildings of media outlets critical of Zelaya is quite extreme.

h/t to DRUDGE

IS NEW HONDURAS GOV'T PITTING OBAMA V. CHAVEZ?

This wasn't supposed to happen. Manuel Zelaya should have been reinstated by now. He's Hugo Chavez' guy and Obama wanted him back in as president. The OAS and the UN supported Zelaya as well. Roberto Micheletti and his newly installed gov't didn't have a chance.

WRONG.

By choice or not, Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez were aligned in their support for Zelaya. Micheletti continues to stand tall and Obama appears to be backing away. But Obama didn't just back away from meddling in Honduras. He slapped Honduras' Latin American neighbors (to include Venezuela) as he did so.

Hugo Chavez has a problem with that apparently, as The Hill points out:

Venezuela has taken umbrage with President Barack Obama's Monday statements about "hypocrisy" by Latin American critics who want his administration to get tougher on Honduras.

That can't be good.

Here is part of what Obama said while in Mexico that set Chavez off:

"The same critics who say that the United States has not intervened enough in Honduras are the same people who say that we're always intervening and the Yankees need to get out of Latin America. You can't have it both ways."

How can Micheletti not be emboldened by this? He knows that Obama came out forcefully in support of Zelaya and now he's pretending not to be all that interested. Translation: Obama backed down because Micheletti stood up.

Does anyone doubt for a second that Obama wouldn't be thumping his chest had Zelaya been reinstated? He loves to do that.

Thi Hill also quoted from a statement issued by the Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS:

Roy Chaderton, Venezuelan ambassador to the Organization of American States, called Obama's "interpretation" of the situation "arbitrary and mischievous."

Fortunately for Micheletti, the truth about Zelaya is proving to be so egregious that the former is finding support in the U.S. Congress. One of those supporters is Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL), who said the following through his press secretary:

"Congressman Mack believes that at this critical time, the United States should stand with the Honduran people who seek freedom and democratic principles – not punish them for merely following their constitution and the rule of law."

The stance Obama took in support of Zelaya the day after he was removed is a stance that is aging like bad wine.

Check out the ENTIRE ARTICLE at The Hill.

h/t to Barrackaid #2