Lots 'o Links

Here are the final links of 2015 from Maggie's Farm, Betsy's Page, and Larwyn's Linx.

Political Odds & Ends

* Here's a nice Deroy Murdock column on Marco Rubio as the best chance to defeat Hillary Clinton: "Rather than engineer a Hillary Clinton landslide, Republican voters should nominate a stalwart, quick-witted conservative whose immigrant roots and modest means make him a far more elusive target for Clinton’s slings and arrows. In fact, Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) is the only GOP contender who consistently defeats Hillary Clinton in head-to-head heats." This is the only thing that matters right now. Stop bashing Trump and one another, and concentrate on winning back the White House! 

* It's hard to believe that, despite all the destruction this president has caused, and all the scandals he's been involved in, 43.7% of the people polled actually approve of his performance while 52% disapprove. Why isn't the disapproval number higher?

* From Townhall: Really: Kerry Names Climate Deal As Biggest Achievement of the Year.

* I give up: Bad economy may be good for your health: Study. (But only when the president at the time is a Democrat!)

The Obama Self-Congratulatory Legacy Tour

At least when a retiring baseball great makes his final visits to stadiums to receive gifts and accolades, it's because he has contributed to bettering his team and his teammates.  Obama, on the other hand, has done nothing but strike out since becoming president, and we are in worse shape now than before he was elected.

Fighting over Gitmo

From Reuters: Special Report: Pentagon thwarts Obama's effort to close Guantanamo.

Good for the Pentagon! They obviously see what Obama refuses to see: that closing Gitmo and moving dangerous terrorists into our country is a security risk. At least someone is looking out for our safety.  

Argus Hamilton Quips

Enjoy the humorist's latest column, which offers such news items as this: "President Obama pardoned thousands of inmates from federal prisons, slashing years off their felony sentences. This time we are not even getting a deserter back in return. National Security Advisor Susan Rice told NBC News that these prisoners served their terms with honor and distinction." 

Oh, That's A Good One!

From Mediaite: "President Obama has a very simple question for everyone running to be his successor: why? More specifically, 'why do you want to do this?' Obama said what sustains him is the fact that becoming president requires a love of country and a clear vision on how you can get America working."

A love of country? Everything he's done to fundamentally transform America has definitely not been for love of country! And the reason the candidates (at least the Republicans) want to become president is to undo the damage he's done and to protect us against further destruction, from within and from without.

A Common Sense Statement on 'Refugees'

Too bad our president doesn't talk like this:  "Czech President Milos Zeman has called the current wave of refugees to Europe 'an organised invasion', adding young men from Syria and Iraq should instead 'take up arms' against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) group.'   He went on to say that compassion was 'possible' for refugees who are old or sick and for children, but not for young men who in his view should be back home fighting against jihadists."

The Latest Sports Scandal?

If the story about Peyton Manning is true, it'd be the most shocking news since that other all-American boy, Lance Armstrong, was revealed to be a liar and cheater. If it's not true, Al Jazeera has an awful lot of explaining and apologizing to do.

If This is Success, I'd Hate To See Failure

From Israel Matzav: "This is not a parody: State Dept. touting 'success' in fight with 'violent extremists,' efforts to end war in Syria, Iranian nuke deal in year-end review." 

This is more proof that the Obama administration, and Democrats in general, relies on citizens and voters who neither watch the news nor pay attention to world events.

There's also a link in this article to an explanation of why Obama always refers to ISIS as "ISIL".

Merry Christmas!

Here are a few Christmas treats from the Watcher's Council!

"The Death of Gratitude"

The latest column by Victor Davis Hanson couldn't be more true. It's called "The death of gratitude" and describes our current climate of selfishness, whining, and wasting time finding things that offend you. I always say if you don't like it here, leave.

Lots 'o Links

Here are your Christmas Eve news roundups, thanks to Maggie's Farm, Betsy's Page, and Larwyn's Linx.

Bonus: a clever retort from Ted Cruz.

Shame on Sweden!

Raoul Wallenberg must be rolling in his grave: Facing death chants and hate crimes, Sweden’s Jews live in a climate of fear.

The hate continues. Politicians at a pro-Arab, anti-Israel rally there "distanced themselves, claiming they had not understood the meaning of the Arabic slogans." Sure, they hadn't!

What did we ever do to the Swedes?

Conditioned Response

Here's another dose of common sense from Daniel Greenfield at Sultan Knish, where he refers to Islamic terrorism-deniers as The Islam Terror Truthers.  "Each and every act of Muslim terrorism is followed by a wave of denial.  The politicians who have done the most to cause the latest disaster are the eagerest to blame it on something, anything else." 

I've always said that it will unfortunately have to take 5,000 or 10,000 Americans killed by these savages in mass attacks before everyone finally accepts the fact that Jihadists want us dead.

Chicken Chuckles

I can't figure out why I like this commercial so much. The debater's nervous laugh seems to be contagious. Maybe the Republicans can try this method against Hillary.

Merry Shopmas!

Here's Dennis Prager on the now annual debate over the use of "Happy Holidays"instead of "Merry Christmas":  "I have been wished 'Happy Holidays' by every waiter and waitress in every restaurant I have dined; by every one of the young people who welcome me when I go to the gym; by every flight attendant and pilot on every one of my flights; and by every individual I have dealt with on the phone. When I respond 'Thank you. Merry Christmas,' I sometimes sense that I have actually created some tension. While many of those to whom I wish 'Merry Christmas' may actually be happy that someone felt free to utter the C-word, all the sensitivity training that they’ve had to undergo creates cognitive dissonance."

I know how he feels. I always say "Merry Christmas", but thanks to the PC types, it seems to be a foreign phrase. And the other day when someone actually greeted me with "Merry Christmas", I was taken aback, because I've hardly heard that phrase uttered during this sadly sanitized season. And anyway, maybe by next year, "Happy Holidays" itself will be found to be offensive!

When All Else Fails, Attack Others & Blame Racism

Has he looked in the mirror lately?  "HONOLULU — President Obama said in a radio interview that began airing on Monday that Donald J. Trump, a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, was exploiting the resentment and anxieties of working-class men to boost his campaign. Mr. Obama also argued that some of the scorn directed at him personally stemmed from the fact that he is the first African-American to hold the White House."  It's so unseemly.  Our country and the world are collapsing thanks to him, and this is his response.

The Republican candidates should start asking aloud: are we better off now than we were 4 or 7 years ago? Do you really want another Democrat in the White House at this crucial time? Forget about the phone ringing at 3 am -- there's pounding at the door at 3 am!

An Unsurprising Headline From a Surprising Source

Believe it or not, this editorial headline ran in The Washington Post: "Iran provokes the world as Obama does nothing."  (You can always substitute "ISIS" for "Iran".)

Time for Some Yiddish!

I think you'll enjoy the latest Yiddish Vinkl column by Harold Ticktin.

Here's an amusing poem about the "secret code" of Yiddish.

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are the latest Watcher's Council results, which center around the evil San Bernardino terrorists.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Here's a new item from Hamilton's latest amusing column: "Congress held hearings looking for ways to halt ISIS recruiting of young men in the U.S. to the terrorist cause. Everyone's brainstorming. Donald Trump suggested Bill Gates figure out a way to shut down people's access to the Web, forgetting that Gates already did that with Internet Explorer."

Lots 'o Links

End your week with this roundup of news and culture, courtesy of Betsy's Page, Maggie's Farm, and Larwyn's Linx.

Bonus: read about Russia and the "Obama schmoe". And speaking of Obama and schmoes, I find that I trust him even less now that he is talking about defeating ISIS than I did when he dismissed ISIS as a threat!

Ramirez Cartoon

Cartoon by Michael Ramirez.

We Have To Pass It To Find Out What's In It: Part 2

Sound familiar?  "Early Wednesday morning, the House Rules Committee posted text for the Consolidated Appropriations Act of the 2016 fiscal year (FY). This $1.1 trillion spending package, known as the omnibus, shows Washington at its worst. Lawmakers are being asked to sign off on 2,200 pages (with an additional 1,000 pages of explanatory materials), at the 11th hour, without having had sufficient time to analyze its contents."

Marco Rubio criticized the bill:  “Look, this is a massive piece of legislation, over a trillion dollars in spending, it was just announced and everyone now has 48 hours to make a decision of what to do about it,” he said in an interview on Fox News today. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill on Friday.  Hours after Rubio’s comments, however, the Senate approved a unanimous consent to fast track the bill – ensuring that any senator would be unable to stall the bill.

Rubio criticized the bill for including funding for Obama’s Syrian refugee program as well as “a bunch of really bad stuff.” He indicated that he had already learned enough about the bill to oppose it, and signaled a willingness to slow the process down."

Politically Correct Triage?

Now I've heard everything! From Israel Hayom: 

"New guidelines announced Tuesday by the Israel Medical Association may dramatically change the way paramedics treat wounded individuals following terrorist attacks, potentially prioritizing terrorists over victims.

The directive, issued by the IMA's Ethics Committee, effectively changes existing triage guidelines. Under the current directive, patients are not to be prioritized solely on the basis of injury severity but also on the principle of 'charity begins at home,' meaning treating the victims of a terrorist attack before the terrorist himself, even if it appears the attacker's wounds are more serious.

Under the revised directive, patients are to be prioritized on the basis of medical considerations only. This means first responders may face situations where they must treat a terrorist before tending to the victims. ...

An IMA source told Israel Hayom the association avoided overly publicizing the decision, fearing public and political backlash amid the current surge in terrorist violence."

You think?!

"Muslims Against Islamism"

Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser offers a blueprint for how the West can counter Islamist tyranny. He also asks a question I have been asking for years:  

"How much more slaughter of innocents in the name of Islam do we need to endure before the free nations of the world wake up and admit that we are at war with the ideology of Islamism?"
 

Dr. Jasser is president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and author of A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith, and I've seen him on Fox News. Let's hear more in this vein from more people like Dr. Jasser!

Fact vs. Fiction

Read Mark Steyn on a movie about Chappaquiddick:

"Over at Powerline, "Twin Cities man" John Hinderaker reports that they're making a film about Chappaquiddick. From The Hollywood Reporter:

Sam Taylor-Johnson, who directed Fifty Shades of Grey, is in talks to direct Apex Entertainment's feature Chappaquiddick.
Mark Ciardi is producing the project, with its script just named to the 2015 Blacklist. Campbell McInnes of Apex Entertainment and Chris Cowles of DMG Entertainment are also producing.
"I've done a lot of true life stories, many sports stories, but this one had a deep impact on this country," said Ciardi. "Everyone has an idea of what happened on Chappaquiddick...

John Hinderaker:

Actually, the facts are clear. "Everyone has an idea" only because the truth has mostly been suppressed by the liberal press.

Hollywood:

...and this strings together the events in a compelling and emotional way.

Hinderaker:

Not, you will note, in a true way. Instead, in a "compelling and emotional way."

Hollywood:

"You'll see what he had to go through."

Hinderaker:

What he had to go through? Are these people crazy?

Hollywood:

Written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan, Chappaquiddick is political thriller that unveils the true story of what is described as the seven most dramatic days of Senator Ted Kennedy's life.

Hinderaker:

True story? We'll see. I don't doubt that these were the seven most dramatic days of Ted's life–only political corruption spared him from a jail term–but more significantly, it was the last day of Mary Jo Kopechne's life."

How Diplomatic!

"'Senior American officials' told the New Yorker that, in the view of the Obama administration, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is 'myopic, entitled, untrustworthy, disrespectful of Obama.'"  Oh, brother! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

The Republican candidates can debate all day long about how they would deal with ISIS, but Obama has a whole year left, and who knows what this world and this country will look like by then. Israel is our only friend in the Middle East, and even that can change by the time he finally leaves office!

O Come All Ye Shoppers

Now we know once and for all that Christmas is purely an excuse to shop and has nothing whatsoever to do with the birth of Jesus Christ: "It was once anathema to think of shopping on Thanksgiving Day, but now that's become almost commonplace with the likes of Walmart and Macy's opening their doors on the holiday.
What's next? Christmas Day? Actually, yes, according to consulting company LoyaltyOne.
'It's inevitable,' said LoyaltyOne managing partner Dennis Armbruster, who predicts that retailers will start opening on Christmas Day within three years. 'What Christmas means to some is just changing, and a lot of families don't necessarily celebrate on Christmas Day because of extended family dynamics. Consumers are also highly used to getting what they want, when they want it.'"

What a sad commentary.

Festival of Frights

It's funny -- Obama's administration is the most politically correct in presidential history, always worrying about the hurt feelings of every group, except for the Jews.

So I wasn't at all surprised to read about the revolting Hanukah ceremony he held. You have to read Daniel Greenfield's description for yourself.

Too Much Time on One's Hands

(1) Here's some extremely important news: "Study confirms that ending your texts with a period is terrible.  Researchers, led by Binghamton University's Celia Klin, report that text messages ending with a period are perceived as being less sincere, probably because the people sending them are heartless."

The fact that something this trivial would be the focus of a study is amazing.  And what kind of people get offended by a simple punctuation mark? We're in worse shape and more immature than I imagined. 

(2) "Woman's Complaint Leads To Menorah Removal In Lakewood: Report.The report says the woman wanted a nativity scene added and threatened a lawsuit if it wasn't."   How does a complaint from just one spiteful woman result in such caving?  Why didn't they tell her to jump in the lake?  Also, in case she didn't know it, it IS Hanukah; it won't be Christmas yet for a while!

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results!

The Weasel of the Week and recipient of the Golden Weasel statuette of shame is Prog-Faschist New York Daily News Columnist Linda Stasi !!

Lots 'o Links

You can't go wrong reading the latest news and culture roundups from Betsy's Page, Maggie's Farm, and Larwyn's Linx.

Check out this Rick McKee cartoon as seen at Instapundit.

Tonight, CNN was spending more time attacking Trump than they were talking about the Minnesota Jihadist. Here's a an alternative to Trump's proposal that Muslims be temporarily banned from entering our country: let them enter the country, but don't give them welfare, food stamps, or housing assistance.  Why should we subsidize our own destruction?

Moronic Students

How do these morons even get accepted to college when they are this ignorant?  "Protesters at a Pennsylvania college are demanding that the school rename a building called Lynch Memorial Hall because of the racial overtones of the word 'lynch.'  The group of students at Lebanon Valley College submitted a list of demands to the administrators, including nixing the name of the building devoted to the college’s former president, Clyde A. Lynch."  Does this mean anyone named White should have to change their name?  How about demanding that the Tchaikovsky piece Marche Slave be renamed? Where will this stop?

Can't anyone tell these idiots off?  Better off, expel them -- there are smarter kids who would love to go to college in their place.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Here's one of the news items in the humorist's latest column: "The White House stood by President Obama's declaration in Paris that the number-one threat to the United States is climate change and carbon emissions. The enemy was quick to adjust. To stay off President Obama's radar, ISIS just decided that all their future Toyota trucks will be hybrids."

Stop Already!

Can the Republican presidential candidates please stop fighting and attacking one another? They should be working together to defeat Hilary Clinton and regain the White House before it's too late.  The infighting just plays into the hands of the Democrats and the media, which looks for any excuse to criticize them anyway. The goal of the GOP should be to win the November election and get our country back on the right track, not to self-destruct!

Tough Talk

Here's a USA Today opinion column whose sentiment I agree with: Let's kill them first.

Too bad the president doesn't talk this way.

It's Not Islamophobia -- It's Obamaphobia!

I'm afraid of what Obama is going to do to this country in the very long year he still has left! I'm afraid of a President who considers the American people the enemy while ISIS is the JV team and Al Qaeda's on the run. These terrorist groups must cheer when they hear speeches like the one Obama gave last night.  He is our version of the Vichy government.

Now THAT Was a President!

Can you even imagine Obama saying what Franklin Roosevelt said on December 8, 1941?

"As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God."

He couldn't walk, yet he had more strength and courage than people who could. Because of him, America was strong.

Defy ISIS: Light Your Candles!

Courageous news from the City of Lights: "Chabad of Paris has announced that it will go forward with its traditional candle-lighting ceremonies throughout the city during Hanukkah, despite heightened fears of terrorism in the wake of the November 13 terror attacks in the French capital. 'As a matter of principle, Chabad has always taken the position that shutting down its Jewish activities would be a capitulation to terror, a submission to darkness which the [Hanukkah] lights are intended to dispel,' an article published on the Chabad Lubavitch Headquarters’ news site read, explaining the movement’s decision."

Just Follow The Same Script

Here's Robert Spencer on the latest terrorist attack:  "The San Bernardino jihad massacre is the latest jihad atrocity, but it’s just like the last one, and just like the next one: it has played out in exactly the same way that the last jihad atrocity did, and in just the same way that the next one will play out as well. Mass killings by 'radicalized' Muslims are followed by earnest statements from the President and the mainstream media that we must not rush to judgment, that the motive of the shooters was unclear, that we need gun control, that we need to address the real threat of climate change, that Muslims fear 'Islamophobia,' and so on. It’s always a new massacre, but it’s always the same story.
Surely by now mainstream media reporters don’t even need to roll out of bed to file their stories. How much legwork does it take to write, 'Syed Farook and Tashfeen Melik murdered 14 people at a Christmas party in San Bernardino; yes, Farook was a devout Muslim, but authorities are searching for a motive; moderate Muslims condemned the attack and said they feared anti-Muslim backlash'? Change the names and date, change the number of victims and the place, and they’ve filed that story dozens of times. They can just take out their last New York Times or CNN piece on the Paris jihad attack, change the details, hit send, and pour a cold one."

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results.

If You See Something, Say Something -- Unless They're Muslims!

Well, I was right -- the lectures about our being Islamophobic have indeed begin, and by the new Eric Holder:  "Attorney General Loretta Lynch urged Muslim parents to contact both the justice department and the education department if they think their children are being 'bullied' in school.
'We’ve seen this for a number of years, we saw it a lot in the New York area [after 9/11], unfortunately, where there would be a backlash against the Muslim community in general,' she claimed at a Thursday fundraiser dinner for an Islamic advocacy group, Muslim Advocates."

Excuse me, but "backlash" is normal after your country has been attacked and innocent people have been savagely murdered!   It was that way with the Japanese and Germans during WW2 -- but Americans weren't lectured about it by FDR or Churchill! It's war, you fools, so shut up with the PC once and for all, and go after the terrorists and terrorist sympathizers in this country instead.

Lots 'o Links

Read up on this week's savage murders and more at Betsy's Page, Maggie's Farm, and Larwyn's Linx.

And this sickening fact, as seen at Mark Steyn:  "A man who has been working in the area said he noticed a half-dozen Middle Eastern men in the area in recent weeks, but decided not to report anything since he did not wish to racially profile those people." How can this witness sleep at night?  That sort of political correctness is exactly what terrorists and other criminals are counting on.

If only we had a real President right now to handle this brutal terrorist presence!

Badmouth Bigmouths

These 3 Dems are visiting a DC mosque tomorrow.  "Democratic Representatives Rep. Donald Beyer (D-VA), , Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), , and Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY)  announced in a letter: 'We must show that we will not tolerate islamophobia and that those who propagate it do not represent the melting-pot America that we celebrate.'"

Once again, liberals rush to kowtow to Muslims and apologize to them after a fatal terrorist attack.  What these three men should have said was, "We will not tolerate murder in the name of Islam," and paid tribute to the innocent victims!

Stop Insulting Our Intelligence

If it's true that one of today's killers is a Muslim named Farooq Saeed, kindly do not lecture us about "Islamophobia".  We have every right to hate them for their barbarity over the years, so just shut up already!

Please do not continue to preach to us about gun control. If you have any common sense at all, you will do away with gun-free zones once and for all.

If I hear one more link between global warming and terrorism, I will surely scream.

"Look at the Jews"

In her excellent column titled Pope Francis, ‘suffering fuels terror’? Look at the Jews, Gheula Canarutto Nemni shows that despite the Pope's claim that “violence, conflict and terrorism…are fueled by fear and desperation…born of poverty and frustration", Jews never used that excuse.  "Yet nothing, not even desperation, can justify terrorism. The roots of terrorism lie only in hatred-based education. We Jews have a lot of experience with desperation. But our history shows other more constructive ways out of it. Desperation has never been a justification for Jews to commit violent acts in the name of our religion."

Horror in San Bernardino

When I heard the news today, I thought it had to be one of three things: foreign or domestic terrorism; gang- or drug-related retaliation; or recently fired disgruntled employees. Whoever they were, they certainly came professionally prepared.

Whichever the case, it's another black eye for this country.

Ramirez Cartoon

Here's another terrific Michael Ramirez cartoon; he always hits the nail on the head.

Argus Hamilton Quips

Be sure to check out the latest column, which includes such news items as this one: "President Obama declared Thursday the Syrian refugees are just like the Pilgrims who landed on the Mayflower. We all know how this ends. Two hundred years from now, the Syrians will feel guilty about what they did once they got here and allow Anglo-Americans to operate their own casinos."

Take Prozac Before Reading

Victor Davis Hanson tells us about the damage Obama can do in his mercifully final year in office.

The Washington Times has a similar story:  "When danger is deliberate:Obama’s Syrian resettlement scheme threatens the nation’s security."  The editorial ends, "A national leader willing to endanger his people is a sad story of incompetence in high places." Exactly! And yet he continues to get away with it. 

Too bad he's not as passionate about his country's safety as he is about "climate change". The Dana Summers cartoon above says it all.

Useful Websites

I like stuff like this, from the New York Observer: The 37 Best Websites to Learn Something New. You can take an online course, learn how to code and how to work with data, learn a new language, and more!

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results!
Remember, the Watcher's Council is "a blogging group consisting of some of the most incisive blogs in the ‘sphere, and the longest running group of its kind in existence."

Finally!

The media in the UK is obviously different than that in the United States, as evidenced by this headline: "Barack Obama plan to defeat Isil dismissed by US intelligence experts.  Former and serving diplomats and intelligence officials tell the Telegraph that President Obama's hopes of defeating Islamic State are based on 'smoke and mirrors'." 

And get this: "Many members of both the American and the European intelligence and diplomatic apparatus say the chaos in Iraq and Syria is caused by Mr Obama’s determination to press on with an 'exit strategy' from the region, signalled by the withdrawal from Iraq."  In other words, it's Obama's fault, not Bush's.

This is a far cry from the usual fawning and spin we have been used to seeing these past, long, seven years. 

Lots 'o Links

Happy Thanksgiving!  Here is some great reading to digest after your meal, namely Betsy's Page, Maggie's Farm, and Larwyn's Linx.

Environ-Mental Disease

When I actually find it hard to believe some of the things the Obama Administration says and does, and I have to find verification online, that shows you how destructive this White House really is.

The latest item is this one: "Former CIA Chief says Administration didn’t bomb ISIS Oil Fields to avoid ‘Environmental Damage’."  So, when it comes to destroying your enemy and its way of life, political correctness and ultra-liberal environmental concerns are still more important! How is this even possible? ISIS and the other terrorists must think we're insane -- and they're right.

No Fireside Chats from Obama

Charles Hurt's column about Obama's lecturing of Americans says what we've been saying for weeks now:

"Why, dirty Americans, do you hate people from exotic, war-torn places? Why do you despise other cultures? Why do you so hate freedom of religion?
Or, as President Obama wonders, why are you all so Islamophobic?
And don’t you dare say it’s because Islamofascists just killed 130 innocents enjoying life in Paris last week!
And don’t you dare say it is because Islamofascists flew airliners packed with innocents into the Pentagon and twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001!
First of all, it is just a coincidence that all these terrorists were Muslim and openly seeking to advance their twisted religious views on all the world. And, anyway, 9/11 is ancient history now.
The threat has been 'contained.'
No, these attackers are all just angry about being left out of prosperity and have such a hard time finding girlfriends. Nothing to do with religion.
And so, at times like these, when Americans get a little twitchy about letting 10,000 Syrians into the country without thorough background checks, it is you, you stupid, racist Americans who shall be lectured."

Read it for yourself.  It's a far cry from FDR's comforting fireside chats, isn't it?

(As seen at Lucianne.com today.)

A Powerful Rebuke?

This headline, which I thought was a parody when I heard it, proves that Obama can't be taken seriously:  "Take that! Obama: Climate summit a ‘powerful rebuke’ to terrorists."

Yes, I'm sure ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram will be so scared off and chastened by this ridiculous summit that they will renounce terrorism and convert to environmentalism.

If you want a real powerful rebuke to terrorists, just kill them!

Working Like a Dog

Look at these adorable photos of Oliver the dog -- guaranteed to put a smile on your tired face.

Argus Hamilton Quips

The humorist's latest column includes news items such as this one: "The Pentagon confirmed that it killed British terrorist and ISIS video executioner Jihadi John with a drone as the Internet star was walking down the street in the ISIS capital city. Well, that's show business. One day you're all over the newspapers and the next day, you're all over the pavement."

Are You Better Off Now?

Are you better off, and are you safer, than you were when Obama took office? The answer of course is no, and no.  The latest scandal, that ISIS intelligence was actually distorted to fit Obama's agenda, and that he downplayed and ignored vital information, is extremely disturbing. It also once again gives comfort to the enemy. Shouldn't everyone be upset about this?

November 22

You can't hear, or write, the date November 22 without of course remembering the assassination of JFK, even though this year the anniversary has been overshadowed by the Islamic terror attacks.

The Dallas Morning News has a section with photos that describes the impact of the assassination as leaving "a lifelong mark on these minor characters and witnesses to history."

Response to Terrorism

From DEBKAfile: "Russia has launched a merciless blanket air campaign, backed by Kalibr cruise missiles fired from the Caspian and Mediterranean Seas, for the object of wiping the Islamic State’s Syrian center of Raqqa off the map, debkafile’s military sources report.  Western and Middle East sources tracking the campaign since Friday, Nov. 20, report that at least 75 air sorties have been conducted and are systematically razing the town of 200,000 inhabitants 160km east of Aleppo, district by district, irrespective of civilian town dwellers.Moscow wants the entire Middle East and Muslim world to see the price exacted for launching a terrorist attack on Russia after the downing of the Metrojet airliner that killed 224 people over Egyptian Sinai on Oct. 31.
The Russian defense ministry ran photos Friday of Russian technicians loading bombs on the Tupolev 95 bombers (dubbed 'Bears' in the West). Ground crews marked the bombs 'For ours,' and 'For Paris.'"

This is what Obama should be doing instead of bad-mouthing America from overseas! Instead, according to the AP, "Obama warns against overreaction to Islamic State attacks." Overreaction? In case he's forgotten, 130 people were slaughtered in Paris and 21 in Mali! How should we react -- like him??

Politically Correct Terrorism

I love this Rick McKee cartoon.

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results!

In a horrendous week full of weasels, the Council has nominated as Weasel of the Week Charlie Sheen, Actor, Blowhard And Irresponsible Jerk.

And speaking of weasels, John Kerry actually claims that Al Qaeda has been neutralized.  I'm sure Al Qaeda has something to say about that.

Lots 'o Links

What a terrible week this has been. See the latest recaps at Betsy's Page, Larwyn's Linx, and Maggie's Farm.

Also, read Ben Stein's exasperated take on real and fake racism.

Terrorism News

As the Islamist terrorists continue shooting and stabbing people in France and Israel,  just imagine what America will be like if this becomes a daily occurrence for us. Obama may not care, but the rest of us do.

Isi Liebler has a good column about European Jewry's bleak future. He writes,  "The last straw is the massive flow of 'refugees' which threatens to completely change the demography of Europe. Unable to integrate its existing Muslim minorities, there is little doubt that the new flow, which inevitably includes large numbers of xenophobic antidemocratic and pathologically anti-Semitic radicals, will only strengthen the existing extremist Islamic elements. These 'refugees' undoubtedly also incorporate considerable numbers of jihadists, who will act immediately or remain sleepers until such time as a new terrorist operation is initiated."   But according to Obama, we are merely afraid of widows and orphans.

Nobody has asked if these Middle Eastern invaders are being screened for diseases, which is something that Ellis Island did so well. And I haven't heard anyone mention the possibility that the Democrats would love to have even more illegal aliens register to vote in time for the November 2016 elections. Now that's a scary thought.

Some Random Thoughts By Thomas Sowell

Dr. Sowell's latest column includes such items as these:

 • "Since doctors have the same 24 hours a day as the rest of us, do believers in Obamacare understand that every hour a doctor spends filling out government forms is an hour that is not spent treating patients?"

• "Some Americans will never appreciate America, until after they have helped destroy it, and have then begun to suffer the consequences."

• "Have we become a country whose leaders are charlatans, and whose people are sheep?"

A Question You Wouldn't Think Needed to be Asked

By Michael Ramirez.

Joseph P. Kennedy Obama

Joseph P. Kennedy was an appeaser and a defeatist as Ambassador to England during World War 2. That was bad enough. But Obama is President of the United States, and that's even worse -- worse for us, better for the enemy. What must our allies think of us?

Daniel Greenfield's latest column is appropriately titled Obama Wants to Defeat America, Not ISIS,  and it's a must read.

Aid and Comfort

Every time Obama opens his mouth, he manages to make things worse.  He might as well invite ISIS and Al Qaeda to come here and attack us. Instead of giving us aid and comfort, I feel more uneasy with each passing day, while the enemy feels bolder and more confident. The constant lectures that Islam isn't the enemy don't help matters any, so just shut up already!

(Cartoon by Rick McKee.)

"Tremble, tyrants and traitors!"

I saw this extremely touching scene last night on the BBC World News:  "President François Hollande stood among students at Paris-Sorbonne University, in honor of the many young people among the 129 victims who lost their lives on Friday. Those gathered sang "La Marseillaise," the national anthem, after the moment of silence, as did a crowd at the Louvre. Across France, schools and business also participated in the memorial." Of course I immediately thought of the scene in "Casablanca" where the French defiantly sing "La Marseillaise" to drown out the Nazi song in Rick's Cafe.  And I remembered the days after September 11 when we sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America" so united. Let's continue to sing out for our country, for our allies, and against Islamic Jihad!

What Kind of Leader is This?

Even I, a confirmed Obama-loather, was amazed to read of his response to the Paris attacks. If this weren't the New York Times, I would have a hard time believing it.  "Obama Defends His Strategy on ISIS. President Obama declared on Monday that his strategy for defeating the Islamic State is working despite last week’s horrific attacks in Paris, forcefully rejecting calls for escalating the use of military force in the Middle East or turning away Syrian refugees at home." There is no strategy! And how can he claim it's working even after the Paris massacres?  Will he say the same thing if ISIS attacks Washington, as it's threatening to do?

I can barely stand to watch the news these days.

Islamocaust-Deniers

Michelle Malkin asks if we have forgotten those "refugees" who have already attacked us at home. She says, "There’s no need to hypothesize. Our nation remains utterly incapable of screening out legitimate dreamers from destroyers, liberty-seekers from liberty-stiflers. Indiscriminate asylum and refugee policies rob the truly deserving of an opportunity for freedom — and threaten our national security. It’s shameful that our leaders in Washington, sworn to uphold and defend our Constitution and our people, suffer chronic amnesia about the fatal consequences of open borders. I’ll keep reprinting my reminders. Maybe someday someone in a position of power will pay heed, throw political correctness out the window, and stop hitting the snooze button."

Daniel Pipes writes, "This defiance of common sense has survived each atrocity and I predict that it will also outlast the Paris massacre. Only a truly massive loss of life, perhaps in the hundreds of thousands, will force the professionals to back off their deeply ingrained pattern of denying an Islamic component in the spate of attacks."

That's what I thought after September 11, that finally Islamocaust deniers would wake up, but as we have seen, that hasn't been the case, and I doubt it ever will be.

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results!

Tackling Terror

I love the tributes the NFL is doing for the people of Paris before each game today.  I saw the beginning of the Patriots game in New Jersey, and the American flag covered the entire field while our national anthem was sung with the same feeling as it was after September 11.  Here are some photos of today's observances across the NFL.

All the patriotism and tributes won't matter if we don't quickly show strength and determination. As President George W. Bush declared, "We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter, and we will not fail." Let's hope so this time.

Massive Intelligence Failure

The failure is by liberals and self-absorbed freebie-seekers who keep voting for Democrats, and by the liberal politicians who are elected by them. Do you honestly think that ISIS and Al Qaeda will be cowed by Hillary Clinton if (heaven forbid) she becomes the next president? When neither Obama nor Hillary can bring themselves to use the words "radical Islam" even after September 11 and now Paris, and when political correctness still trumps common sense, how can we be taken seriously in the war against terror? 

Above is a WW2 propaganda poster. Why not make new ones and put the ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Muslim symbols on the snake heads?

Europe Self-Destructing

Here's another excellent column by Caroline Glick, who writes,  "With the publication of its new guidelines to member states encouraging them to label Jewish products produced beyond the 1949 armistice lines, the Europeans finally convinced us that they hate us. They don’t care about peace. They don’t care about the Palestinians. They just want to harm Israel."

(Cartoon by Dry Bones).

Let's Close OUR Borders

And let's stop letting in thousands of aliens, who are neither screened for disease nor screened for terrorist backgrounds, as if nothing is happening across Europe. Per American Thinker, "Ted Cruz calls for end to Syrian refugee resettlement." Great idea, except that our president is the one who should be calling for it..and doing it!

Plus, read Mark Steyn's column, The Barbarians Are Inside, And There Are No Gates. "To repeat what I said a few days ago, I'm Islamed out. I'm tired of Islam 24/7, at Colorado colleges, Marseilles synagogues, Sydney coffee shops, day after day after day. The west cannot win this thing with a schizophrenic strategy of targeting things and people but not targeting the ideology, of intervening ineffectually overseas and not intervening at all when it comes to the remorseless Islamization and self-segregation of large segments of their own countries."

Most Important Issue Today: Global Warming, or Global War?

Hey, Obama and Kerry, and you other fools! After today, do you still really feel that climate change is "a potential threat to national security"?  Do you still think, like Bill Nye, that "The single most important thing we can do now, however, is talk about climate change"?  Are they still actually going to hold a United Nations Climate Change Conference -- in Paris? And are you actually going to attend it?

This is War!

Seeing reports on CNN and Fox News on the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris made me literally go numb from shock.  I was relieved to hear that Holland acted quickly to close the borders, and I hope he will also act quickly to retaliate against these animals. I see that, as usual, some are reluctant to refer to these coordinated attacks as terrorism, so you can be sure they will find it even harder to refer to the murderers as Muslims. This is war, so please stop the liberal excuse-making at long last before they come for us!

Kvetching Liberals

Daniel Greenfield has coined two perfect new words to describe today's whining grievance-mongers: crymobs and crybullies.

Lots 'o Links

It's time to recap this week's news and madness, thanks to Betsy's Page, Larwyn's Linx, and Maggie's Farm!

Priorities

This headline reinforced my conviction that this country is going down the tubes: "American Jews' New Obsession: Transgender Rights."  Author Lauri B.Regan says, "Jews are being stabbed, run over, and shot on streets across Israel on a daily basis; they are fleeing Europe en masse as anti-Semitic attacks have become common place; and BDS (the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement) is flourishing across the globe as the number of hate groups continues to grow and their influence continues to be peddled.  The streets of American cities are becoming unsafe, as Jews become victims of attacks with Molotov cocktails and knives, our college campuses have become anti-Semitic centers of pro-Palestinian/pro-Hamas hate including violence and intimidation by members of Muslim hate groups, and liberal American Jews, including mainstream Jewish establishments, welcome anti-Israel groups into their open tents. But the URJ has its priorities straight, and transgender rights are at the top of the list."

 

Here she says exactly how I feel about today's culture: "I have no idea what any of this gender identity noise really means, but I have concluded that this whole movement (together with the delegitimization of Israel, the legalization of marijuana, demonizing those who are offended by Planned Parenthood's fetal tissue trade, push for single-payer health care, and prosecution of those who question the scientific basis of man-caused global warming) is just one giant progressive wave to further supplant Judeo-Christian values and alter the moral fabric of our society."

Something Special

Danny Tyree explains in his column why our veterans are so special, and he compares and contrasts them to civilian workers who complain about their jobs. For instance, "Is your job boring? Do you get tired of the same stretches of road, the same assembly line, the same cubicle? Think of enduring ocean wave after ocean wave or sand dune after sand dune — with the break in the monotony coming, not from a favorite customer or a 'casual Friday,' but from a sudden burst of enemy fire."

We Honor Our Veterans

Not just on November 11, but every day.

Here are some quotes that stress the courage of our military, including this one by Thucydides: "The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it." 

Are You Kidding?

What a nauseating description this is!  "Although he lost his voice before the meeting with US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to express in his hoarse voice all the words White House officials wanted to hear - gratitude to the American president for his friendship and for his contribution to Israel's security.   The prime minister made such an effort to repair his image as an ingrate, that he didn't mention the nuclear agreement with Iran even once in front of the cameras in Obama's presence. He learned his lesson, it seems."
 
Obama's "friendship" and "his contribution to Israel's security"? I couldn't believe my eyes.  This Ynetnews.com opinion writer must have been describing some other president. 

Long-Time Employee

I like reading about people who have worked hard all their lives, so I enjoyed this tribute to Richard Horowitz, a timpanist with the Metropolitan Opera House who worked there for 66 years.

Guantanamo Bay, Colorado

As Michelle Malkin says, "Let me repeat: Hell, no. No Gitmo in Colorado. No means no!"

Maybe Obama figures Coloradans will be too stoned on pot to notice the terrorists in their midst as well as his continued erosion of our country in general. And he has another year left before he leaves office! 

A Military Wife

Here's a powerful tribute to Sybil Stockdale, who passed away in October; she was a fierce advocate for Vietnam War POWS as the wife of Hanoi Hilton "guest" James Stockdale.

Lots 'o Links

Here's this week's news and culture roundup from Maggie's Farm, Betsy's Page, and Larwyn's Linx.

Bonus: look at this Emirates Airlines video at American Digest.

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoke! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results.

The Weasel of the Week is CNBC’s Faux ‘Journalist’ Carl Quintanilla!

Take This Pipeline and Shove It!

No surprise here: President Obama rejects TransCanada's application to build the Keystone XL pipeline, saying the project would not spur economic growth.  That's exactly what he wants -- no jobs, no growth, no success, no self-reliance.

I'm sure another country would be grateful to have the pipeline.

Voting Against Liberalism

It was heartening yesterday to see some small strides made against the out of control liberal agenda that is turning America upside-down: a Republican became Governor of Kentucky; and Ohioans voted against legalizing marijuana. Now, conservatives (and anyone with common sense and a shred of decency) have to strongly protest the ridiculous ruling that "transgender" students must get locker room access. When liberals push things like abortion, marijuana, climate change, "transgender rights", and gay "marriage" as if these are necessities Americans cannot live without, you know we're in big trouble, so every little victory helps.

The Junior Varsity is Now The Senior Varsity

The new slogan of ISIS should be Obama's: "Yes We Can".  Anyone who didn't immediately think the horrendous Russian plane crash wasn't terrorism needs their heads examined.

Commercial Success

Usually I turn the channel whenever a TV commercial comes on (especially the annoying and too-frequent pharmaceutical commercials), but I just can't get enough of this one for SAP HANA.

Jewish Unity

Today's Dry Bones cartoon.

Watcher's Council

The Council has spoken! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results. The winner is Joshuapundit’s Why So Many Jews Support The Left – And Why They’re So Anti- Israel.

The Weasel of the Week is Democrat Front Runner Hillary Clinton! It's very frightening to imagine her as our next president.

Lots 'o Links

There's lots of post-debate links at Larwyn's Linx, Betsy's Page, and Maggie's Farm.

Debategate

National Review was tweeting tonight's Republican debate, but you didn't even have to read the comments to know how biased the CNBC panel was. I barely made it through the first hour and found the only highlights to be Marco Rubio's spirited performance, and Ted Cruz's excellent attack on the mainstream media.

Others were tweeting the debate, the tweets shown on the bottom of the TV screen, and Hillary Clinton of course said millionaires didn't need tax breaks. Does she include herself in that category?

Argus Hamilton Quips

Check out Hamilton's latest column, which includes news items such as this one: "Hillary e-mailed that Benghazi was a terror attack the night it happened but she got away with blaming it on an anti-Muslim video. House Republicans could catch Obama in a motel room with a gun in his hand, a dead intern on the floor and fifty million in Chinese gold, and they'd still blow it."

Doesn't This Ever Stop?

Here we go again!  "Jewish and Zionist groups responded furiously to a full page advertisement in the Tuesday edition of the UK Guardian that supported an academic boycott of Israel, signed by 343 academic staff." Sometimes I think this must be a psychiatric disorder.  Don't these people have better things to do than hate Israel?

In response, we should print a full-page ad showing the e-mail addresses of these signers so we can bombard them with our protests and with our support for Israel.

Celebrating Sinatra

I just love reading Mark Steyn's columns celebrating Frank Sinatra's greatest hits.  He talks about the composer, the arranger, the history of the song -- you name it. In this one, he discusses "Strangers in the Night."

Mass Driving

"STILLWATER, Okla.- A homecoming parade in Stillwater turned tragic after an incident that left at least three people dead and dozens injured. Stillwater Police say there are 8 people in critical condition, 7 listed as serious and 7 others called ‘walking wounded’."  You've heard of mass shootings, which get so much attention? This is a mass driving, which has happened many times before. Unfortunately, it doesn't get as much media attention and political outrage as shootings, and it doesn't get the U.S. President involved -- but the results are sure the same.

Lots 'o Links

Here's the news of the week, brought to you by Betsy's Page, Maggie's Farm, and Larwyn's Linx.

Bonus: just when you think political correctness can't get any more ridiculous: "According to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, the phrase 'politically correct' is now politically incorrect."

Watcher's Council

Time for the Weasel of the Week -- and although it should be Hillary Clinton, who's still blaming that video for Benghazi, it's actually Disney’s New Anti-American Far Left ‘Captain America’!

The Council has spoken! Here are this week's Watcher's Council results.

Painful and Intolerable

In his excellent column, Bernard Henri-Levi lists "Things We Need to Stop Hearing About the 'Stabbing Intifada'".  But as usual when Jews are the victims, it's like talking to a wall.

Argus Hamilton Quips

The humorist's latest column includes such news items as this:  "A Gallup Poll showed Americans are looking this election for a president who doesn't just talk the talk, but walks the walk. It's why people loved Hillary. In The Democrat debate Hillary vowed to halt the excesses of capitalism, and she hasn't charged three hundred thousand dollars for a speech since."

Oy Canada!

What a terrible shame that Canadians have elected their own version of Obama in Justin Trudeau!

JEWISH!

You have to watch this video and pass it on. It's called I'm That Jew and, as its creator Eitan Chitayat describes it, “[B]ecause of all the violence directed at us, the hatred, the incitement to kill, the vile words, the missiles, the rockets, the knives, the rocks, the deafening silence of the world that we all feel right now – we should be proud of our heritage, accomplishments and spirit.” And we are!