Ben put me some knowledge this morning:

Vast Right Wing Conspiracy 22
It's not an O it's a zere 21
Buzzion 20
Appleaustin 20
One eye Jack 20
Deacon Blues 20
Giants Rule the Earth 20
Red State NY 20
Monkey Sleeping 20
People's Republic of Baltimore 20
Aristomenes 20
Scubapj 20

He also said DrewM and Gabe and a bunch of other people are tied at 19. He did not mention that I was one of them. He suspects Ace is not in the league. I suspect he is right.

On the plus side, the Cowboys made the Giants red-zone offense look almost sub-par.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 08:41 AM | Comments (1)
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Yesterday I blogged about an effort by the government agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid to prevent a private health insurance company from communicating with clients about the potential dangers of Obama's health care plans.

Now Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI), the ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee wants answers about why the action was taken.

“It looks likes CMS is engaged in government intimidation, pure and simple,” said Camp. “Seniors know the Presidents’ Medicare cuts will impact their benefits. CBO has confirmed these cuts could negatively impact Medicare benefits and increase seniors’ costs. But when health care plans try to share that information with their enrollees, the Administration slaps a gag order on them. It is a total abuse of power.”

In a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Charlene Frizzera, Camp noted that, “no such pressure has been applied to those supportive of the President’s Medicare cuts.” AARP, which boasts the largest MA plan, for example, has directly communicated with its members via email, a website and letters. However, AARP’s pro-Medicare cut stance has apparently received no such scrutiny from the Administration. CMS’ selective use of its regulatory authority, “threatens the integrity of the agency and of our democracy,” Camp wrote.

Interesting how the power of government only falls on one group of people, isn't it?

My guess is there response will be something along the lines of "Obama won".

Via Rep. Eric Cantor's (R-Noted Jew) Twitter feed.

Posted by: DrewM at 08:15 AM | Comments (1)
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...which means Social Security will begin drawing on general-tax revenues starting next year, increasing the budget deficit even further.

What a perfect time to expand government spending to levels hitherto undreamed by man.

A Hot Air exclusive, Captain Ed says, snagging the CBO's calculations.

Harry Reid said this wouldn't happen for 50 years. Orszag claimed we were fine until 2019.

This demonstrates nothing better than the poor and politically calculated analyses that came out of the CBO during Peter OrszagÂ’s tenure at the Congressional agency. Democrats wanted analyses that allowed them to ignore the problems in Social Security, and Orszag was happy to supply them. Douglas Elmendorf has had to right the ship at CBO while Orszag continues to blow his predictions at OMB, most notably in overall deficit projections, which Orszag had to admit were off by more than 40% and $2.2 trillion over the next ten years.

And now it's next year, and the year after that, with the system just slightly covering expenses for several years after that, and then back into deficits.

Forever.

Or, rather, for about 40 years. Once the huge cohort of Baby Boomers has shuffled off their mortal coils, we'll be fine again.

UPDATE FROM LAURAW BELOW THE FOLD:

more...

Posted by: Ace at 07:11 AM | Comments (13)
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Via Hot Air,of a compliant general echoing his declaration of surrender.

In Kabul, some members of McChrystal's staff said they don't understand why Obama called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" but still hasn't given them the resources they need to turn things around quickly.

Three officers at the Pentagon and in Kabul told McClatchy that the McChrystal they know would resign before he'd stand behind a faltering policy that he thought would endanger his forces or the strategy.

"Yes, he'll be a good soldier, but he will only go so far," a senior official in Kabul said. "He'll hold his ground. He's not going to bend to political pressure."

On Thursday, Gates danced around the question of when the administration would be ready to receive McChrystal's request, which was completed in late August. "We're working through the process by which we want that submitted," he said。

Jim Geraghty notes this is yet another Obama campaign pledge with an expiration date:

The man who called for 2 more brigades to Afghanistan on the campaign trail now says more troops won't automatically make Americans safer.

This is one of the reasons I think Glenn Beck is wrong. Yes, Obama has galvanized conservatives and united them.

On the other hand, that comes at a steep price, doesn't it?

I always viewed the left's agitation to lose wars for political advantage as disgusting. I know few on the right are enthused that Obama's paving the way for surrender to Al Qaeda, but that same sort of disgust keeps from saying "Oh, on the whole, it's a good thing Obama's president, because he's so atrocious it's uniting us."

I'm sure losing the war in Afghanistan will also contribute to conservative solidarity.

On the other hand, it's a war to be lost that even the Incompetent in Chief called a "war of necessity."

Posted by: Ace at 06:11 AM | Comments (3)
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Happy Tuesday.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 05:22 AM | Comments (5)
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A"pious" godly man who supports a murderous terrorist organization?

Who could have imagined there'd be some duplicity involved here.

Those who know wealthy Lebanese Shi'ite financier Salah Ezz el-Din say he is a deeply pious, humble man whose close links to Hezbollah made his credentials impeccable as he allegedly embezzled their savings.

Many Shi'ite Lebanese investors find it hard to believe the philanthropist could have defrauded them to the tune of at least $500 million -- small change compared with the $65 billion in the U.S. fraudster Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme, but made more painful by the connection with Hezbollah, which its followers regard as incorruptible.

...

Some Hezbollah officials have also lost money with the financier...

...

"To tell you the truth, people put their money with him because he was wearing the Hezbollah cloak," Ajami said.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah has a reputation for squeaky-clean honesty among its followers and famously compensated Shi'ite residents in southern Lebanon with $100-bill stuffed suitcases after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

That connection has been a political embarrassment, forcing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to address the issue. He denied any official connection to the financier but promised to set up a crisis center to assess the needs of those affected.

"Hezbollah is one of those affected by the crisis, but it won't leave the people to their destinies. Actually, it creates an environment that will protect them security-wise, politically ... and even economically," Nasrallah was quoted by local media as saying.

Tipster Steve wonders what kind of stones you need to rip off Hezballah. And does that make you and inadvertent hero?

I've cut out the bits of the article of Shi'ites desperately clinging to the idea that this guy is a good guy who just made a few mistakes.

In time, the truth will sink in that he ripped them off.

Now, here's my question:

How long before it is claimed he's really a Jew?

Posted by: Ace at 10:19 PM | Add Comment
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Welcome to Monday all. Yeah I know it sucks, but just remember that there's only 1216 days left in Obama's term. Oh, too depressing? Well then check out this video for a little kitteh cheerup. (thanks to tami)

Item #1: The Marine Corp Ad That Ought To Be
Okay I don't know who made this, I don't know who the the Harding Institute is, and I don't even know if the men are real Marines. But all I do know is that it's awesome and I hope it's being played out daily at USMC recruiting stations all over the country. Hell if they ran it late nights on Spike, I bet recruiting numbers would triple.
Warning: This video contains lots of mother-effin profanity. You have been warned.

Update: Apparently the Harding Institute is a hoax made up by some internet pranksters. And based on the people involved and some of the references (I didn't even catch the Jessica Lynch one), it's completely fake and actually meant to be a smear on the Marines. But it's so over the top that it's actually funny and makes people want to sign up. So a big FAIL on their part. more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 07:59 PM | Comments (4)
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Calling him a Paulnut.

He's replying to Glenn Beck's odd statement that McCain would have been worse than Obama.

What makes this odd is that what many people find off-putting about Beck is what comes off as a henny-penny apocalyptic tone. Guy's practically selling his courtside seats to Thunderdome.

But McCain would have been worse?

Worse than the apocalypse?

Really?

Posted by: Ace at 07:05 PM | Comments (3)
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How did we ever let this nugget slip by?

[David Axelrod referring to Obama]...At the risk of triggering the very reaction that concerns me, I don't know if you are Muhammad Ali or Floyd Patterson when it comes to taking a punch. You care far too much what is written and said about you. You don't relish combat when it becomes personal and nasty....

Adjust fire missions accordingly to target these soft points.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 06:05 PM | Comments (1)
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Seriously?

I can see the point here. Exposure to extreme incompetence makes the moderates on both sides gravitate towards a true leader like they did in '80, but do you HAVE to swing violently from one side to another?

If that's the case, wouldn't the following statements be perfectly logical?

1. I want my son to succeed in high school & college, so I'm going to encourage him to coast through elementary & Jr. High - because he'll be more motivated to get good grades when it counts because of his previous experience.

2. I want to be married to a wonderful woman who will share my life and be supportive of me - so I'm going to marry the sluttiest, uneducated skank I can find, preferably from the back lot of the local truck stop. That way, I can have a nightmare marriage from hell for 4 years, and then divorce her & find Mrs. Right.

3. I want my new small business to succeed, so I'm going to show up late, leave early to go fishing, and not give a damn about the bottom line for the first year - that way, when I finally knuckle down & get to work during year two, I'll be able to soar past all those other morons who worked hard from day one on my personal road to success.

(Inspired by a post at Hot Air, and allahpundit's response to Glen Beck fans in the comments)

Please don't paint me into a corner with Allahpundit on this issue. I love the guy, but he's a little too "Andy Kaufmann in the wrestling ring taunting all the rubes" for me on this issue. Yes, he's correct: There IS a bit of intellectual inconsistency attached to anyone who voted for McCain yet finds themselves agreeing with this statement now. Inconsistency is what you get when you let fallible humans make up your political movement. I just don't see the reason why anyone would want to go after these people with pliers and a blowtorch: It's not as if any of them were in the comments section at HA after 3am repeatedly shouting "WOOKIE! WOOKIE! WOOKIE!........HEY LOOK AT ALL THE RACISTS SHOUTING WOOKIE!"

(Note to LGF lurkers: I realize that my use of "WOOKIE" in this post makes me a racist; however, there's a problem with denouncing me properly. I cannot be banned by Charles, because I never registered to comment on his site. If one of you could do me a solid & ask Charles to open registration so that I could enroll in the site and then be immediately banned by the bicycle mafia, I would be in your debt. Thanks.)

Posted by: Russ from Winterset at 04:33 PM | Comments (1)
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