BOO! Happy Halloween, Progessive Style

He Didn't *Really* Say That, Did He?

He DID! . . . He said that! What a tin eared, soulless hypocrite! "We leave nobody behind" . . . Balderdash!  Just ask Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods and Sean Smith if they believe that crap . . . Oh wait, we can't ask them . . . they're dead!

A Simple Question

Why did the Obama administration quickly distribute this photo of our meretricious President and his posse in the situation room formulating a quick government response to Hurricane Sandy . . . while failing to do likewise for the attack of our consulate in Benghazi?

Photo Of The Day: At The Tomb Of The Unknown

Hurricane Sandy or no Hurricane Sandy . . .

. . . THIS is what America looks like!

Benghazi: Have They No Honor? Have They No Shame?

Pat Caddell doesn't think so . . .

. . . and neither should anyone else. Nothing about this is acceptable.  Our government is lying to us, and journalists who ought to be digging for the truth are instead trying to bury it. No shame, no honor.

Amazingly, it is with grace and honor that Charles Woods, father of sacrificed former Navy Seal Tyrone Woods, addresses this unholy mess:

Mr. Woods deserves answers.  America deserves answers.  America is better than this.

H/T Reganite Republican for graphic

Your First Time, Part II

. . . Anyone besides me think that Steven Crowder is prettier than Lena Dunham!?

There You Go, Projecting Again!

 According to The Weekly Standard this morning:

President Barack Obama told Rolling Stone that Mitt Romney is a "bullshitter." Mike Allen reports:

FIRST LOOK – Rolling Stone cover, “Obama and the Road Ahead: The Rolling Stone Interview,” by Douglas Brinkley: “We arrived at the Oval Office for our 45-minute interview … on the morning of October 11^th. … As we left the Oval Office, executive editor Eric Bates told Obama that he had asked his six-year-old if there was anything she wanted him to say to the president. … [S]he said, ‘Tell him: You can do it.’ Obama grinned. … ‘You know, kids have good instincts,’ Obama offered. ‘They look at the other guy and say, “Well, that’s a bullshitter, I can tell.”’”

There's BS in there somewhere, but I don't think it has anything to do with Mitt Romney.  It's true that an all too familiar stench of crap wafts through the air of this campaign.  I detected it during the last debate when President Obama denied that sequestration would ever be implemented.  I noticed it again in that same debate when Mr. Obama proudly claimed that Al Qaeda is nearly extinct. The stink of excrement also permeates our leader's ever changing explanation of events surrounding the attack on our consulate in Benghazi.  Heck, virtually any time the President walks into a room, the bouquet of bull follows close behind.

So, Mr. President, you really need to quit projecting your own shortcomings on others.  Why don't you stop and scrape the manure off your own shoes before you blame anyone else for the foul air.  That unpleasant odor you smell . . . is you!

Smile For The Day! (We Could Use One)

GM, the deadbeat of America . . . Enjoy!

Romnesia, The Real Definition!

H/T The Looking Spoon

Romney Campaign 13 Days And Counting

H/T Photo from The Washington Free Beacon

There is SO much at stake . . .


. . . We will not survive 4 more years of an Obama administration

Read It And Weep, Barack

Last night Barack Obama challenged us to fact check Mitt Romney's position on the auto industry bailout.  Obama claims Romney was against government help for the carmakers, favoring rather to effectively liquidate the industry.

Challenge accepted.  Here's Governor Romney's NY Times Op Ed from September of 2008.  (The headline is: "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt", which seems rather harsh, but Romney didn't write the headline.)

"IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course — the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

I love cars, American cars. I was born in Detroit, the son of an auto chief executive. In 1954, my dad, George Romney, was tapped to run American Motors when its president suddenly died. The company itself was on life support — banks were threatening to deal it a death blow. The stock collapsed. I watched Dad work to turn the company around — and years later at business school, they were still talking about it. From the lessons of that turnaround, and from my own experiences, I have several prescriptions for Detroit’s automakers.

First, their huge disadvantage in costs relative to foreign brands must be eliminated. That means new labor agreements to align pay and benefits to match those of workers at competitors like BMW, Honda, Nissan and Toyota. Furthermore, retiree benefits must be reduced so that the total burden per auto for domestic makers is not higher than that of foreign producers.

That extra burden is estimated to be more than $2,000 per car. Think what that means: Ford, for example, needs to cut $2,000 worth of features and quality out of its Taurus to compete with Toyota’s Avalon. Of course the Avalon feels like a better product — it has $2,000 more put into it. Considering this disadvantage, Detroit has done a remarkable job of designing and engineering its cars. But if this cost penalty persists, any bailout will only delay the inevitable.

Second, management as is must go. New faces should be recruited from unrelated industries — from companies widely respected for excellence in marketing, innovation, creativity and labor relations.

The new management must work with labor leaders to see that the enmity between labor and management comes to an end. This division is a holdover from the early years of the last century, when unions brought workers job security and better wages and benefits. But as Walter Reuther, the former head of the United Automobile Workers, said to my father, “Getting more and more pay for less and less work is a dead-end street.”

You don’t have to look far for industries with unions that went down that road. Companies in the 21st century cannot perpetuate the destructive labor relations of the 20th. This will mean a new direction for the U.A.W., profit sharing or stock grants to all employees and a change in Big Three management culture.

The need for collaboration will mean accepting sanity in salaries and perks. At American Motors, my dad cut his pay and that of his executive team, he bought stock in the company, and he went out to factories to talk to workers directly. Get rid of the planes, the executive dining rooms —

all the symbols that breed resentment among the hundreds of thousands who will also be sacrificing to keep the companies afloat.

Investments must be made for the future. No more focus on quarterly earnings or the kind of short-term stock appreciation that means quick riches for executives with options. Manage with an eye on cash flow, balance sheets and long-term appreciation. Invest in truly competitive products and innovative technologies — especially fuel-saving designs — that may not arrive for years. Starving research and development is like eating the seed corn.

Just as important to the future of American carmakers is the sales force. When sales are down, you don’t want to lose the only people who can get them to grow. So don’t fire the best dealers, and don’t crush them with new financial or performance demands they can’t meet.

It is not wrong to ask for government help, but the automakers should come up with a win-win proposition. I believe the federal government should invest substantially more in basic research — on new energy sources, fuel-economy technology, materials science and the like — that will ultimately benefit the automotive industry, along with many others. I believe Washington should raise energy research spending to $20 billion a year, from the $4 billion that is spent today. The research could be done at universities, at research labs and even through public-private collaboration. The federal government should also rectify the imbedded tax penalties that favor foreign carmakers.

But don’t ask Washington to give shareholders and bondholders a free pass — they bet on management and they lost.

The American auto industry is vital to our national interest as an employer and as a hub for manufacturing. A managed bankruptcy may be the only path to the fundamental restructuring the industry needs. It would permit the companies to shed excess labor, pension and real estate costs. The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk.

In a managed bankruptcy, the federal government would propel newly competitive and viable automakers, rather than seal their fate with a bailout check."

Now you've read it, which apparently is a lot more than the President  did!  'Managed bankruptcy' sounds a lot like the 'managed bankruptcy' GM and Chrysler eventually went through, the difference being that Romney didn't favor the sweet deal the unions got in the process.

Obama's claim is false . . . SO blatantly false that I can't believe he keeps repeating it.  He's either a pathological liar, or he thinks we're profoundly stupid.  I suspect it's a bit of both.

OH LOOK! A Bayonet!

This is a photo dated February 29, 2012 of U.S. Marines in training.  Note the pointy objects on the ends of their rifles.

Staff Sgt. Bryan Reza, drill instructor, Company B, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, corrects recruit Kevin D. Dezelske, Platoon 1035, Co. B, as he learns bayonet techniques as part of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program training Feb. 29 aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Each recruit is taught how to properly execute bayonet techniques and then put in a simulated combat environment. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Crystal Druery)

. . . Someone go inform the President!

The Real War On Women

Sandra Fluke and her cohorts consider themselves to be oppressed because they're  expected to (GASP) pay for their own birth control.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz sees extreme misery ahead for women who under Republican rule would be considered mere binders. (whatever the hell that means)

American women are threatened by the prospect of losing free mammograms when Planned Parenthood loses funding under a Romney administration . . . (Psssst . . . mammograms are not a service provided by PP)

Elsewhere in the world, women have other things to worry about . . .

H/T The Looking Spoon

. . . You know what?  Screw Lilly Ledbetter!

Link Of The Weekend: The Lid

 

"The Lid": WARNING: Obama Campaign About To Get REALLY Dirty

Madison Rising - The Star Spangled Banner

A non-traditional version of our National Anthem . . . but I like it!

He Opened His Mouth . . .

. . . and this fell out:

"Here’s what I’ll say. If four Americans get killed, it’s not optimal. We’re going to fix it. All of it. And what happens, during the course of a presidency, is that the government is a big operation and any given time something screws up. And you make sure that you find out what’s broken and you fix it. Whatever else I have done throughout the course of my presidency the one thing that I’ve been absolutely clear about is that America’s security comes, and the American people need to know exactly how I make decisions when it comes to war, peace, security, and protecting Americans. And they will continue to get that over the next four years of my presidency."

An unfortunate choice of words to say the least, but then it has been obvious for some time that our silver tongued President isn't quite so silver tongued without his teleprompter.  The loss of four Americans at the hands of Islamic terrorists and the response that followed were tragic, calamitous, a debacle (redundancy intended).  What is "not optimal" is the past four years and the Obama administration.  As for "the next four years of his presidency" . . . no thanks, that would most certainly be catastrophic!

H/T The Looking Spoon

Detroit Tigers 2012 American League Champions

Bless you, Boys!

Fact Checking Obama's Statements On Drilling Permits

Courtesy of The Looking Spoon

Obama Got By (With A Little Help From His *Friend*)

General word on the street is that last night's tag team . . . er . . . debate was a draw.  I hope the President sent Candy Crowley flowers or a box of chocolates for her efforts to save his sorry keister.  Her on the spot fact checking (though dead wrong) and her 28 interruptions of Governor Romney (9 for the President)  really helped to keep it even . . .  Allowing the President to have the last word 8 out of 11 times didn't hurt either.

You know, now that I think about it, forget about the flowers and chocolates.  Candy really went above and beyond her job description.  If Obama wins in November (shudder), he should reward Ms. Crowley with a position in his administration . . . How about "Ambassador to Libya"?

Image Of The Day . . . Is He Better Off?

The Hippest President EVER!

He can't defend our embassies, protect our ambassadors or pass a budget but Barack Obama can find the time to go on "The Yo Show" and issue an opinion on a feud between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.

Asked to pick his favorite beween the two, he said, “Mariah, she’s actually done some events for us, I’ve gotten to know her and Nick [Cannon], and she’s a wonderful lady. Nicki, I don’t know, but I’ve got her on my iPod.

Am I the only one who finds this unsettling?  Isn't it more important for our President to know more about conditions in Benghazi than rivalries on American Idol?  Could he substitute national security briefings for the celebrity events and load some decent audio books on that iPod (why not start with "The United States Constitution")?

Even better yet, let's just vote him out of office on November 6!

Joe Biden, *UNHINGED*

                               Credit Getty, The Blaze

 

                                                          H/T Politico

"Never interrupt your opponent when he's destroying himself"    ~Paul Begala

Update:
 We now have an explanation for Joe Biden's strange debate demeanor.   According to Jay Carney, Joe's laughter and "sh*t-eating grin" were a result of overwhelming "passion and joy".  Which I guess means he was either fantasizing about two hookers named 'Passion' and 'Joy' ... or else he was 'servicing himself' right there on stage.

OK, that was a crude remark but I think Joe 'earned' it  . . . you reap what you sow!

Quote Of The Day For Your Pondering Pleasure

Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.

This is known as "bad luck."     ~Robert Heinlein

Encouraging Weekly Jobless Claims Report Flawed? . . . I'll Give You Three Guesses . . .

Misanthropes are by definition just a teensy bit cynical (not to mention prone to sarcasm and exaggeration), hence I viewed today's jobless claim numbers with more than a little suspicion.  Come to find out, my scepticism was justified:

CNBC and Dow Jones have both confirmed that this latest weekly jobless claims report was missing data from one large state. Bloomberg noted that the Labor Department spokesperson said that one state accounted for most of the plunge in claims.

Hmmmm, missing data . . . I don't know *how* or *why* this keeps happening!?

How many days until the election?

Update:

Business Insider has obtained more specific information missing data Though this is informative, it is still somewhat incomplete and speculative.  Why isn't there a complete accounting of what data is and isn't included in these weekly bulletins? It seems to me that lacking this information a "good guess" might actually be better than a Labor Department report.

Four Weeks & Counting, The Campaign Heats Up

With serious threats here at home, and abroad, this coming election just might be the most important in our lifetime.  The Obama campaign (brain trust that they are) displays their grasp of this fact with a new ad.

Since, as the old saying goes, it's hard to have a battle of wits with an unarmed re-election campaign, I'll try to respond to this ad in a manner they can understand.

There!  Now, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, can we get back to dealing with a disintegrating Europe, a Middle East in flames, and an American economy teetering on the edge of disaster?  Can we?

Redistributing The 40 Hour Work Week

The unintended consequences of Obamacare continue to accumulate.

A major restaurant group is experimenting with cutting its employees hours in the hopes of cutting the costs of healthcare.

Darden Restaurants, which owns the Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and Yard House chains has stopped offering full-time schedules to hourly workers, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The company plans to offer a maximum of 28 hours per week per employee.

But look on the bright side, if this policy catches on, in no time at all we could achieve full (part time) employment.

All together now . . . FOUR MORE WEEKS, FOUR MORE WEEKS, FOUR MORE WEEKS!!!!!!!

Speaking Of How And What We Teach Our Children . . .

Our "Image of The Weekend" illustrates one of the values taught to Mitt Romney by his father in perhaps the best ways possible ... by example.

"We Must Educate Our Children To Become Like . . ."

. . . George Washington? Abigail Adams? Abraham Lincoln? Susan B. Anthony? Jackie Robinson? Martin Luther King?  Neil Armstrong? Sandra Day O'Connor? Michael Murphy?  No, no, no ... Let's teach them to become like "young Egyptian people".

The sign is hanging at Cairo Airport, the author of the quote is Barack Obama.

WHAT the HELL is WRONG with him? (I seem to be saying that a lot lately!)

New Jobs Numbers: Kismet or Conspiracy?

The jobs numbers for September were released today, and knock me over with a feather, it turns out that unemployment has dropped to 7.8%.  The Obama campaign is quietly giddy ... God (or Lady Luck) has smiled on them ... our economic nightmare is over!  On the other hand, Jack Welch says something stinks and suggests the administration may have "cooked the books".  He's not alone!  Personally I believe that Phil Klein and Erick Erickson have the best take on it. The "Obama Recovery" is "just crap".  How perspicacious!

Th-Th-Th-That's All, Folks!

Obama implodes! Some say it was the altitude, some say it was fatigue (he's just SO busy tending to the affairs of the people),  I say that coddled life in the bubble finally caught up with our self absorbed President.  Whatever it was, Obama lost, Romney won. Savor the moment . . . but know that the battle continues.  It's still early in the game, and I suspect the Obama team will regroup and be back with a vengeance.  Team Romney needs to keep them off balance by continuing to attack relentlessly.  Victory is within reach!

 

Oh LOOK, An American Embassy That's NOT Burning!

Approximately 100 Israeli's gathered outside the American embassy in Tel Aviv to show support for America in the face of Islamic anti-American riots across the Mid-East. Refreshing!  I guess that's what friends are for . . . or at least it was "before Obama".

Image Of The Weekend