Obama vs. The Beach Boys

Daddy's taking the muscle-car culture away.
By DANIEL HENNINGER

How long before the midnight drag races return on dark and dusty roads?

When Barack Obama announced that the government will use its fist to wave onto the highways of America cars that get 39 miles to a gallon of liquefied switch grass or something, he said, "Everybody wins."

Everybody? What country has he been living in? This marks the end of the internal combustion engine as we knew it, and it is the way Americans have defined, designed and literally driven much of the nation's culture for as long as anyone can remember. Car culture is America's culture.

Mr. Obama is fond of giving people iPods as gifts. I've got a playlist for Mr. Obama's iPod.
Read more here.

“Court of Appeals is where policy is made”

“… Court of Appeals is where policy is made….And I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don’t ‘make law,’ [motions with hands to make quote marks as audience laughs], I know … OK, I know [laughter], I know. I’m not promoting it and I’m not advocating it, you know … [laughter] … OK [she laughs]….”

– U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama’s nominee for Supreme Court justice, speaking at Duke University Law School in 2005

"Once each May, amid the quiet hills and rolling lanes and breeze-brushed trees of Arlington National Cemetery, far above the majestic Potomac and the monuments and memorials of our Nation's Capital just beyond, the graves of America's military dead are decorated with the beautiful flag that in life these brave souls followed and loved. This scene is repeated across our land and around the world, wherever our defenders rest. Let us hold it our sacred duty and our inestimable privilege on this day to decorate these graves ourselves -- with a fervent prayer and a pledge of true allegiance to the cause of liberty, peace, and country for which America's own have ever served and sacrificed. ... Our pledge and our prayer this day are those of free men and free women who know that all we hold dear must constantly be built up, fostered, revered and guarded vigilantly from those in every age who seek its destruction. We know, as have our Nation's defenders down through the years, that there can never be peace without its essential elements of liberty, justice and independence. Those true and only building blocks of peace were the lone and lasting cause and hope and prayer that lighted the way of those whom we honor and remember this Memorial Day. To keep faith with our hallowed dead, let us be sure, and very sure, today and every day of our lives, that we keep their cause, their hope, their prayer, forever our country's own." - President Ronald Wilson Reagan

Remembering those who paid the ultimate price...

Taps

Day is done,
gone the sun,
From the hills,
from the lake,
From the skies.
All is well,
safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep,
peaceful sleep,
May the soldier
or sailor,
God keep.
On the land
or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night,
Must thou go,
When the day,
And the night
Need thee so?
All is well.
Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light;
And afar
Goeth day,
And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well;
Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise,
For our days,
‘Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
‘Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." -President Theodore Roosevelt

Thanks to brother Brent for sending me this quote.

New York Terrorists Radicalized in Prison

Tell us again why it's a good idea to bring terrorists into the country, Mr. President?

Authorities in New York have discovered that the four alleged terrorists arrested last week while planning to blow up a synagogue and shoot down a U.S. military plane were all converted to Islam while in prison. The four were attendees at a Newburgh, NY, mosque, where Imam Salahuddin Muhammad is the spiritual leader. Muhammad also serves as a Muslim prison chaplain.

Read rest of story on Redstate.com

Washington State's First Assisted Suicide

Washington has now seen the first person die under state's the second-in-the-nation law legalizing the practice of assisted suicide. A 66-year-old woman from Sequim named Linda Fleming died Thursday night after taking a lethal cocktail prescribed to her by a physician under the law.

The pro-euthanasia group Compassion & Choices announced Fleming's death Friday morning.

The group, which spearheaded the fight for the law, claims Fleming had stage 4 pancreatic cancer which promoted her to kill herself with her doctor's help.

"The pain became unbearable, and it was only going to get worse," the organization quoted Fleming as saying in a statement.

Given that she just received the diagnoses last month, and given the "waiting period" between the required two requests, one has to wonder; was she even treated for the inevitable onset of fear and depression?

It will undoubtedly be spun by Compassion and Choices that she was in unbearable pain. If that was the case, she wasn't being provided all the options for pain management.

No one who opposes assisted suicide is in favor of unbearable pain. But unbearable pain does not have to be a part of the dying process given today's medical advances.

WA Human Life

Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate

"Watchmen on the Wall of World Freedom"

Watch Marco Rubio in his farewell speech to the Florida State Legislature. Statesmen like this don't come along everyday. Too bad we can't vote for him but we can still participate in his bid for U.S. Senate: http://marcorubio.com/

Poll: More Americans calling themselves pro-life

By DAVID CRARY - AP National Writer

NEW YORK The Gallup Poll reported Friday that 51 percent of Americans now call themselves pro-life rather than pro-choice on the issue of abortion, the first time a majority gave that answer in the 15 years that Gallup has asked the question.

The findings, obtained in an annual survey on values and beliefs conducted May 7-10, marked a significant shift from a year ago. A year ago, 50 percent said they were pro-choice and 44 percent pro-life - in the new poll, 42 percent said they were pro-choice. Read rest of article here.

Climb

Conservatives must have the courage to defend their convictions.

Mark Stein writes an outstanding article over at NRO.

To put it in Powellite terms, the general thinks the Republican party is in the desert, when in fact it’s climbing a mountain. All things considered, the resilience of American conservatism is one of the most remarkable features of contemporary Western politics. It’s up against significant members of its own party. It’s up against media for whom the Democrats’ positions are the default positions on almost anything that matters.

Read entire article here.

Republicans and Obama's Court Nominees

Say what you will about Karl Rove but the guy is a genious. He has a weekly column in the Wall Street Journal and this week he offered sage advice for Republican's who will consider Obama's pick for a Supreme Court vacancy.

Here are a few observant zingers:

In the coming debate, Republicans should explain their view of the judiciary's proper role and why Mr. Obama's desire that a nominee have "empathy" and "understanding" (fine qualities) is an amorphous basis on which to pick a justice. Should the "empathy standard" apply to the unborn? How about gun owners? What about religious conservatives who believe the court has removed religious influences from American life?

Senate Republicans may not be able to stop Mr. Obama's nominee, but they can explain to the public the party's reasons for opposing judges who think of themselves as legislators with life tenure.

This confirmation battle will remind people that elections have consequences, few of which are as important or lasting as a Supreme Court nomination.

Read the entire article here.

White House Drops Prayer Event

Obama: No White House Observance for National Day of Prayer

Breaking tradition with President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has announced there will not be a White House observance for the National Day of Prayer this year.

"We are disappointed in the lack of participation by the Obama administration," said Mrs. Shirley Dobson, chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. "At this time in our country's history, we would hope our president would recognize more fully the importance of prayer."

The White House has indicated it will release a proclamation recognizing the National Day of Prayer on Thursday.

The National Observance will take place from 9 a.m. to noon EDT, as Dr. and Mrs. Dobson, Beth Moore and others gather in Washington, D.C., to pray for America. The event will be broadcast live on GOD TV (Channel 365 on DirecTV), Channel 138 on Sky Angel and online.

Jack Kemp Heads Home

A fitting tribute from Red State:

A faithful warrior in the fight for freedom who advanced liberty and whose ideas on taxes and enterprise created the greatest growth of wealth in the middle class in history.

Hon. Jack French Kemp, Member of the United States House of Representatives for the State of New York, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Republican Vice Presidential Nominee. Requiescat in pace.

The year was 1996 and I had the awesome priviledge of meeting Jack Kemp. I am holding the football card that he signed for me that day. (see below) This was pre-digital camera days so the picture is pretty fuzzy.

I will never forget his hearty laughter when I asked him to sign my card.

Friend Marta also got his autograph

Out with the old, in with the young

I find it curious that Supreme Court Justice David Souter makes known his desire to retire now after President Obama is safely elected. After all, the father of George W. Bush was the president who elevated Souter to the Supreme Court Bench. Souter at 73 is relatively young for the current bench of Supremes and over the past few years there has been speculation about the retirement of 2 or 3 other justices but not Souter.

Since David Souter turned out to be a closet liberal I guess loyalty to the party who completed his resume was too much too hope for. For liberals, advancement of power usually trumps principled decision making.

After swine flu gaffe, Biden sent to his safe zone

By: Charlie Spiering

Vice President Joe Biden has had a roller coaster week. After getting credit for convincing Arlen Specter to join the Democratic party, Biden was looking pretty good until he stumbled over his swine flu update, telling the nation he didn't want his family to travel on a train or an airplane because of the threat.

Although the White House tried to talk over his off-the-cuff statement, Sen. 'Amtrack' Biden has been the subject of criticism for the last couple of days, including a stinging letter of outrage from the New York Post. It may be time to get the heck out of Dodge while things cool down. . .Today, Biden's office announced plans for a overseas trip to southeastern Europe.

From the AP:

Biden's office announced Friday that he will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo. Specific dates and other details have not yet been announced.Biden is expected to visit the political leaders of the three countries along with U.S. military and other personnel stationed in the Balkan region.

With Pakistan falling into the hands of the Taliban, and swine flu spreading fast, maybe that's the safest place for him.