From Nice Deb:

"ItÂ’s interesting, in the run-up to this speech, a lot of reporters say that, well, Mr. President, these are all good ideas, but some of youÂ’ve said before; some of them sound great, but you can't get those through Congress. Republicans wonÂ’t agree with you," Obama said.

Obama argued some Republicans privately agree with a lot of his ideas.

“I know because they’ve said so. But they worry they’ll face swift political retaliation for cooperating with me,” he said.

Who are these reporters praising the President for his "great" economic ideas, I'd like to know. I don't know if I'm more bothered by the idea that he's lying or the idea that he's telling the God's honest truth.

Because of course Andrea Mitchell would think his ideas are "great."

From @JohnEkdahl, who caught this two days ago:

Here is Obama on Obama at a gathering Monday night of Organizing for America staff and volunteers: “As we’ve learned, I’ve given some pretty good speeches before.”

Chuck Todd confessed that there was nothing at all to Obama's allegedly Major Speech, and suggested that Obama just needed to "re-energize" himself.

Todd sensed that the speeches were also a sign that the “flagging” White House is “stuck” because of a lack of agenda. “I think the president needed to do this,” Todd explained. “I think he needed to go in front of crowds, I think he needed to re-energize himself.”

But re-energize himself in what way? Given his irrepressible habit of lavishing praise upon himself, I'd say he's re-energizing himself the way a fading beauty might dress to the nines and parade herself out in front of a pub-- he needs validation, he needs a shot of adrenaline to his ego.

This is a terrible man we have for a president, a black hole of narcissism hungry to fill itself.

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Posted by: Ace at 09:02 AM | Comments (378)
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Welcome to 2016. It's on.

Mr. Christie had told fellow GOP governors in Aspen, Colo., on Thursday that Mr. Paul is part of a “strain of libertarianism that’s going through parties right now and making big headlines I think is a very dangerous thought.”

Mr. Christie on Thursday also once again found a way to compliment President Obama while slapping at Mr. Paul.

“President Obama has done nothing to change the policies of the Bush administration in the war on terrorism,” he told fellow Republican governors at a meeting.

“And I mean practically nothing,” he said. “And you know why? Cause they work.”

Christie then suggested that Paul sit down with widows and orphans from 9/11 and explain his position to them.

Why should Paul or anyone not thrilled with extensive and illegal surveillance have to explain why the failures of Bill Clinton (noted non-libertarian) invalidates their positions?

This is Christie's MO..make big outrageous charges to put his opponents on the defensive. Honestly, it was a lot more fun when he was using on Democrats. Once he gets beyond his re-election campaign in NJ, where he's working hard to run up the bi-partisan score, he'll turn to his presidential bid.

My prediction: Absent some sort of complete meltdown in NJ in the next 2 years, he'll be the GOP nominee in 2016.

He's going to win "the invisible primary" for money, endorsements and campaign staff.

Don't think so? The GOP big donors are going to love his bi-partisan appeal (who else in the field could win in a state like Jersey? Twice. You want the great white whale of Pennsylvania? Christie is your man.).

I'm not saying that "the establishment" will select him and it's over but on balance, more money and organization is better than less. He'll have the donors from DC to Boston locked up, plus I'm sure his good buddy Mitt Romney will share his list with him.

Voters will pick him because, while he'll piss off some vocal ones, he'll please plenty of others...RINOs will love him for his willingness to scold conservatives, unlike Romney he's unquestionably pro-life, he's run rough shod over Democrats for years in NJ so he's not going to be out done in the "tougher on Democrats" contest than anyone, including Scott Walker (who just doesn't have the big name recognition like Christie), and he's obviously going to appeal to hawks.

While his acceptance of ObamaCare money for Medicaid expansion will annoy conservatives, by 2016 the fight won't be over how to repeal ObamaCare, it will be how to make it workable a bit more conservative. Christie will trot out his pension reforms to check that off.

Yeah, he's on Team Amnesty but again, squishes will love that.

And don't forget he can give the hardcore conservative and I love America speeches as well as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

He'll be the "Not Ted Cruz/Rick Perry/Rand Paul" candidate for the establishment once Rubio is seen to be damaged goods.

Honestly, there's a lot to like about Christie from a Republican point of view (as opposed to a conservative one) and my guess is many conservatives who say they'll never support him will come around.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:53 AM | Comments (417)
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It's budget/Continuing Resolution season in DC and that means the last chance to defund ObamaCare before it goes into effect next year.

Mike Lee is trying to rally Senate Republicans to sign a letter pledging not to vote for any budget item that doesn't defund ObamaCare and boost his potential 2016 candidacy but mostly boost his potential 2016 candidacy.

He has 11 other GOP Senators on board. 11. That's how many will stand against ObamaCare: Rubio, Cruz, Risch, Paul, Inhofe, Vitter, Thune, Chiesa, Enzi, Fischer, Grassley.

Think that's pathetic?

At one point he had 17 but Ayotte, Boozman, Cornyn, Kirk, & Wicker withdrew.

Yeah.

Anyway, some in the House (but probably not Boehner and the rest of the leadership) are willing to go the shutdown route because let's be honest, this calls for fruitless gesture on someone's part. But the reality in the Senate says it's not happening.

Democrats, with 54 votes, have enough to pass anything that requires a simple majority, and won't have much trouble getting to a filibuster-proof 60 votes, either. "I could count six or seven Republicans who would vote for full funding of the continuing resolution without breaking a sweat," says one Senate aide who supports defunding. "So they're going to get to 60."

But that's just the discretionary part of Obamacare. The far bigger portions of the program, including the billions and billions of dollars in subsidies that will start going to Americans on Jan. 1, are mandatory spending, an entitlement funded by an automatic appropriation which is written into law and runs without further congressional action. To change that, Congress would have to change Obamacare.

In the Senate, that would take 67 votes -- the amount needed to overcome a guaranteed presidential veto. If the 46 Senate Republicans voted unanimously to end the Obamacare entitlement, they would have to persuade 21 Democrats to go along.

ObamaCare in all its freedom and economy destroying glory is a done deal. The reality is that was the case back in November when Mitt "ELECTABILITY" Romney got his ass kicked by a President sitting on one of the worst economies in history.

There's simply nothing the GOP can do about it now. And if you think they are going to win in 2016 by promising to repeal one of the largest entitlement programs in history, you're crazy. And if you think they'd actually do it if they win, you're even crazier.

Nope, from now on the GOP mantra, led by the Chris Christies (who I predict with be the GOP nominee in 2016) of the world will be "fix" ObamaCare. You know like how we've spent decades "fixing" Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The GOP isn't the party of smaller government and more freedom it's the party of big government just run a little differently.

The only people who will still be talking about repeal will be scammers who want money to sign "An urgent petition to tell Washington blah, blah, blah".

Should the House threaten to or actually shutdown the government? Sure, why not? It'll last a couple of weeks, maybe a month and then the GOP will cave.

Do it, don't do it, it really doesn't matter. Personally I'm for that because it will help to destroy the GOP and that's a good thing in my book. They lost the fight of our lifetime, why exactly do they deserve to exist? It's time to start again and maybe in 40 or 50 years things will get better. Don't kid yourself, that's the time frame and an optimistic one at that.

But hey...they are perfectly happy to give you amnesty as a consolation prize.

Posted by: DrewM at 05:55 AM | Comments (608)
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Municipal bankruptcy. It's what's for dinner so who is next? Maybe some on this list. 19 U.S. cities have proportionately bigger workforces than bankrupted Detroit. However, the data is missing some pretty important pieces of data.

Remarkably, the Census Bureau excluded from these figures all teachers and education professionals, which make up the largest group of local government employees.

The figures also do not include separate government divisions that comprise significant portions of many urban public workforces, like the 1,200-employee Baltimore City Housing Authority, the 1,000-employee Philadelphia Housing Authority and the 2,300 employee Chicago Park District.

Transit systems, such as the 9,500-worker Chicago Transit Authority and New York's 7,000-person Port Authority, are also not counted.

Posted by: CDR M at 06:10 PM | Comments (720)
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Posted by: Pixy Misa at 05:11 AM | Comments (154)
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Happy Friday.

White Castle tells HuffPo it's looking at hiring only part-time workers because of Obamacare. Kal Penn, please pick up the nearest white courtesy phone.

I think Rep. Steve King's intention is that the GOP never win another national election again ever. It's the only explanation. And why would he care anyway that he's making it harder for his colleagues to get elected? He's in a safe seat.

Someone vandalized the Lincoln Memorial. C'mon, stupid world, do better.

Gov. Christie stakes out some hawkish territory for 2016.

And, what my iPod is currently serving up: more...

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 02:49 AM | Comments (451)
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462 Boy, cob-logging is hard work. You have to do "as well as" the host, come up with stuff in line with the overall blog atmosphere, write a funny write-up, create funny graphics (if the chance is there) and then hope people don't notice how inferior you are at all those things.
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at July 25, 2013 12:25 AM (xjpRj)

Meh, they could put up a picture of a fat man, a soda can and a chunk of liver. We would find something to talk about.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet Palin/Bolton 2016 at July 25, 2013 12:27 AM (XIxXP)

Posted by: Maetenloch at 05:46 PM | Comments (1048)
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Media still not interested. The story does not advance late-term abortion rights.

Among the new accusers: A college Dean and a Rear Admiral.

Yah, I'm sure he didn't make any "witty" remarks about her being a Rear Admiral.

Some of the new accusations:

He came up to me after the event was over. I was talking with friends and he gave me a hug. And then he touched me, actually groped me on my backside inappropriately," Bernie-Cloward said. I was left there startled and fearful. In fact, I actually had someone walk me to my car that night."

Patti Roscoe, "a prominent businesswoman in San DiegoÂ’s tourism and hospitality industry," said she knew Filner all the back from his City Council days. "And on numerous occasions, he put in me what I guess now is the famous headlock; and I felt fearful, even as well as I knew him, because it was an invasion into my space," Roscoe said. "And he would come in and try to kiss me on the lips and IÂ’d have to squirm to get away. And just as recently as a few months ago this happened. I turned and he just slobbered down my chin." She went on to describe "And I was so violated and so offended. ItÂ’s just such a terrible invasion."

One of the women just speaks of cringey sexual remarks, unwanted kisses on the cheek, and hands that keep touching her knee and staying there too long -- which, for Filner, counts as courtly restraint, so I won't even bother counting that.

It's time for love in the dark, baby
You'll never see me comin'

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Posted by: Ace at 04:42 PM | Comments (356)
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Wait, what?

I thought you said world-class nepot and charity-circuit layabout Caroline Kennedy but you couldn't have, because that would be insane. We pay off Democratic donors and bundlers and other anti-social climbers by appointing them ambassador to tiny, meaningless countries, like Trinidad and England, and not economic powerhouses like Japan.

Her lack of any kind of qualification, experience, or skill of any kind is such that even NPR is asking questions about it.

The liberal-left Christian Science monitor can't help but ask if she has any qualifications at all.

Even American propaganda outfit Voice of America asks the question.

But Yoichiro Sato with Japan's Ritsumeikin Asia-Pacific University, tells VOA that some in Tokyo have questions about her experience.

"I think there is an unspoken concern about her lack of Japan-specific or even Asia-specific expertise," he said.

Kennedy has not worked in government and does not have any Japan-related experience. Even still, Sato says this does not mean she is viewed as unqualified in Tokyo.

"But she's going to have to quickly catch up, with the amount of policy expertise, especially in security matters, in the region," said Sato.

Well, sure, but if there's any attribute I associate with Caroline Kennedy, it's "hard-working crammer."

Then again, per the Guardian, she's simply replacing another Democratic mega-bundler:

Kennedy doesn't have any obvious ties to Japan, a key ally in dealing with North Korea's nuclear ambitions. She would replace John Roos, a wealthy former Silicon Valley lawyer and top Obama campaign fundraiser.

You know who doesn't ask about her qualifications? The paper of record, the New York Times, which portrays the unaccomplished heiress as exactly the sort of "political heavyweight" that is usually given such an important diplomatic post.

President Obama on Wednesday nominated Caroline Kennedy to be ambassador to Japan, moving to give a scion of AmericaÂ’s most enduring political dynasty a diplomatic post that has often gone to political heavyweights.

In naming Ms. Kennedy, whose nomination has been rumored for months, Mr. Obama is keeping with a well-established tradition of rewarding important campaign supporters with plum embassies. He recently put forward big-dollar fund-raisers to be envoys in London, Berlin, Copenhagen and Madrid.

But Ms. Kennedy’s value to Mr. Obama has been less about money than mystique. [Oh? Cite? -- ace.] As the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, her imprimatur on his candidacy in 2008 — along with that of her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts — elevated Mr. Obama at a crucial moment against his better-known rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

And it gave Ms. Kennedy lasting ties to Mr. Obama, something analysts said would come in useful in Japan, where officials and journalists have been buzzing with speculation about what a Kennedy in Tokyo would mean for JapanÂ’s standing in the United States.

Ms. Kennedy, 55, a lawyer and an author who has served as director of numerous nonprofit organizations, has never worked in government and has no special expertise in Japan. But some experts said her lack of knowledge is outweighed by her connections to the Oval Office. [These experts would be the political advisers to Obama, and people who work for John Kerry -- ace.] She shares that with other marquee figures who have served as ambassador to Tokyo, including former Vice President Walter F. Mondale; Howard Baker, a former senator and White House chief of staff; and Thomas S. Foley, a former House speaker.

“For those who say she doesn’t know a lot about Japan, I say ‘sure,’ but neither did Walter Mondale,” said Kurt M. Campbell, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asian affairs.

“What you really want in an ambassador is someone who can get the president of the United States on the phone,” Mr. Campbell said.

You know who agrees with that assessment? Chris Stevens.

The New York Times

More in the tank for Obama than two organizations directly paid for by Obama.

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Posted by: Ace at 03:12 PM | Comments (380)
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Incredible.

Make sure you click on her link for traffic, but if you want a digest, click on Instapundit. If you like the digest, you'll want to read the whole thing.

Remember, news media (and public interest journals) are first concerned with the Truth.

Also remember that the new owner of TNR vowed that it would be a non-partisan magazine which would never shade the truth just for the sake of ideology.

The New Republic

Upon further review, Steven Glass had it about right.

Posted by: Ace at 01:36 PM | Comments (140)
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