Yes, I know about this.
I am monitoring Fox News. They have not found him.
I shall keep a positive attitude.
A couple of music videos:
Keep praying! They have not found him yet!
Category: News
Robert Wexler to step down.
So says the Miami Herald:
U.S. House of Representatives member Robert Wexler of Boca Raton, a self-described “fire-breathing liberal,” defender of Israel and friend of both President Barack Obama and Gov. Charlie Crist, is quitting Congress to head a think tank seeking peace in the Middle East.
In a conference call Tuesday night with Democratic leaders, Wexler said he will become director of the Washington-based Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. Wexler, 48, is expected to make a public statement about his plans at a 10 a.m. Wednesday press conference at his Boca Raton office.
The jockeying to represent his heavily Democratic congressional district began in earnest Tuesday as the news of his departure began to leak out.
“I’m still a little bit in shock over all this,” said state Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Parkland, though he added he was “for sure” considering a run for the seat.
Other potential Democratic contenders in the district covering parts of North Broward and Palm Beach counties are state Sen. Ted Deutch of Delray Beach, West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter and former Broward County Commissioner Ben Graber.
Once Wexler’s resignation becomes official, state law requires Crist to call a special election. That can leave candidates little time to raise funds and campaign, and sometimes makes for an unpredictable and chaotic race.
Some of you might be expecting me to trash this guy. Sorry, Just not going to do that. I will give my honest opinion of the man. When I was still doing the “Left of Center” blogger thing; I admired this guy. He stood up for what he believed in. The problem is; he, like Cindy Sheehan, had become a caricature of himself. Basically, the man just kept pounding the drum of “Impeach Bush”, until it was quite annoying, even for Democrats. Wexler most likely knows that he cannot change, or further his goal of getting Bush impeached or prosecuted for war crimes. So, he is going to work on the outside.
Honestly, I actually feel sorry for people like Wexler and Sheehan; because they were used by the Democratic Party, as a means to an end. Sheehan for her Son and Wexler for his voice. But, then again, that is how the Democratic Party operates. Just look at the Black Community; the very same party that fought to keep slavery legal, and to keep segregation legal is now using that same very group for votes. It is a sad and quite sickening thing to observe.
Memeorandum has the round up.
Update: Here is Wexler’s Official Statement:
Dear Pat,
Today, with both sadness and excitement, I announced that I am leaving Congress in January to accept the position of President of the Center for Middle East Peace, a non-profit institute devoted to achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East
This decision was not easy: I love my job and my devoted staff, and have a long, close relationship with my constituents – many of whom I’ve served for nearly 20 years.
Throughout my 13 years in Congress, I sought to be an advocate for democratic values and provide a voice to vitally important progressive causes. Whether it was working to end the use of torture by the Bush Administration, fighting for a legitimate vote during election 2000, successfully pushing for a voter verified paper trail in Florida, or our shared quest for genuine accountability these last few years – I’m proud of the stands I’ve taken. I am even prouder to have had you standing with me.
Those who have followed my career know that in addition to the progressive causes I have championed, one of my overriding passions has been my work on the Foreign Affairs Committee helping to ensure the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel, and promoting a comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians and Israel and the Arab world.
While I regret that I will be unable to complete my current term in office, I truly believe we are at a unique and critically tense moment in the history of the Middle East and decisions made today will shape the world for years to come. There is no time to waste.
The work on issues of accountability did not start with me, nor will it end with me leaving office. This movement has always been driven by you – and your support for the vital causes we have worked on together.
One of the great lessons I learned in my time in Congress I learned from you – and it is this:
If you stand up for and defend the constitution and rule of law, you will gain the support of hundreds of thousands of citizens across the country.Thank you for having being part of my team and, most especially, for being brave American patriots.
With warm regards,
Congressman Robert Wexler
Here is the statement from his Congress Page:
(Boca Raton, FL) Today, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) issued the following statement:
“Today, I am announcing that I will be accepting the position of president of the Center for Middle East Peace and will leave Congress effective in January of 2010.
“More than anything, I want to thank the voters of Palm Beach and Broward Counties who have allowed me the privilege of representing our community in the United States House of Representatives and the Florida Senate for the past nineteen years. I have truly cherished the opportunity to serve my constituents – many of whom make up the generation that sacrificed in World War II and Korea and rebuilt our nation after the Great Depression.
“I have both admired and learned from my constituents, especially their love of country and commitment to community.
“I am proud that everyday I have sought to advocate for and provide a voice to my constituents: whether it was fighting for a legitimate vote during the 2000 election, working toward enacting a voter verified paper trail in Florida, or advocating for health care, education, Social Security and countless other issues. Therefore, my decision to leave Congress did not come easy.
“Those who know me, and those who have followed my career know that one of my overriding passions has been my work on the Foreign Affairs Committee helping to strengthen and preserve the unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel, and working toward a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians and between Israel and the Arab world. Additionally, I have made a special effort to improve congressional relations with key allies in the Muslim world by founding the Turkey and Indonesia caucuses. Moreover, it was an extraordinary honor to serve as a Middle East advisor to President Obama during the presidential campaign, and I treasure the experiences I had traveling the country, and especially throughout Florida, advocating for the President’s Middle East agenda.
“Taking over as president of the Center for Middle East Peace offers me an unparalleled opportunity to work on behalf of Middle East peace for an important and influential non-profit institute. After much discussion with my family, I have decided that I cannot pass up on this opportunity.
“My one regret is that I will be unable to complete my current term in office, but I truly believe there is no time to waste. We are at a unique and critically tense moment in the history of the Middle East with both significant opportunities to succeed in the Arab-Israeli conflict as well as major challenges involving Iran, Hamas, and al Qaeda. In the coming months, Israeli and Arab leaders will be faced with monumental decisions that will dramatically affect the region and the entire world for decades to come. Critically important American security and foreign policy interests are also at stake. I am convinced that now is the time for me to engage on these issues on a full time basis.”
Does Bank of America have a problem with the American flag and our war dead?
It sure seems that way to me.
First of all a very big tip of the hat to John Sykes on twitter for bringing this story to my attention.
The Video:
The Story: (H/T Captain’s Journal)
Via Greenville Online:
Only the faint sound of lightly marching feet could be heard as hundreds stood silent on the Greenville-Spartanburg International tarmac Wednesday while fully adorned Marines carried Lance Cpl. Chris Fowlkes’ flag-draped coffin.
The solemn arrival began an afternoon-long procession that ultimately wound through the streets of the 20-year-old Marine’s hometown of Gaffney, where businesses shut down and mourners lined the streets.
The homecoming came six days after the former Gaffney High School football player died in a military hospital in Germany from injuries sustained a week earlier in an explosion in the Helman province of Afghanistan.
Well-wishers waved flags, saluted and shed tears as an army of police cars escorted Fowlkes’ family along the 40-mile stretch from the airport to the town.
Among them were those who knew Fowlkes and remembered his life fondly.
Dan Phillips, a family friend who waited for the escort outside the Blakely Funeral Home in Gaffney where Fowlkes’ body will remain until a memorial service today and burial on Saturday, said that Fowlkes had spoken with his grandmother not long before he was killed.
She had talked with her grandson over the phone, Phillips said, and asked him if he missed being home as school was getting started again.
“He told her, ‘No, I’m right where I want to be,’” Phillips said. “That’s a very powerful statement.”
Indeed it is a powerful statement, many of our finest, bravest and best young men are going and fighting in a war; so that the rest of us can be safe from terrorists, who want to harm this Nation and our people in it. You would think that everyone in this Nation would be proud of something like that, and would want to honor their bravery and sacrifice. Well, it seems that some, in the interest of political correctness, want to dishonor our war dead.
That “some” is Bank of America.
The Story via The Palmetto Scoop:
A South Carolina Bank of America branch is drawing criticism Thursday after an employee reportedly ordered the removal of American flags placed to honor a fallen Marine over fears that people would be offended.
The Palmetto Scoop received one eyewitness email claiming that the branch manager at Bank of America’s Gaffney branch at 1602 West Floyd Baker Blvd. “told a citizen who was preparing the route for a U.S. Marine killed in action in Afghanistan by placing small American flags along the roadway that the flags might upset some of her customers.”
Said the outraged tipster, “[The branch manager] took them down and made the citizen go in to get them if she didn’t want them thrown away.”
The flags were part of the funeral procession of Lance Corporal Christopher Fowlkes, 20, who died last week after an explosion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
WSPA-TV has also received similar tips about the “flag flap.”
A teller at the branch confirmed to TPS that the branch manager had been there around the time of the incident but had left for the day.
Bank of America released a statement apologizing for the incident and celled it a misunderstanding.
“We want to ensure the community knows how deeply proud we are of the men and women who have sacrificed so much in service to our country,” the statement said. “The bank does fly the American Flag at our locations throughout the country and flags were displayed in front of our banking center in Gaffney the evening prior to our dedicated Marine returning home.”
___________
UPDATE: WCBD in Charleston reports that Bank of America said the incident was a “miscommunication in corporate policy.” That raises the question, which policy would require employees to remove American flags that are part of a funeral procession for a fallen Marine?
Mis-communication my hind leg. Someone in that damned bank was some sort of hippy liberal and was offended by the very damned site of Patriotism.
Herschel Smith over at Captain’s Journal weighs in:
So should BofA rename their corporation to bank of Russia? Is it Bank of America, or is it not? With whose offense were they worried? Really. Who, exactly, would have come into the bank and demanded that an American flag be removed for a Marine who perished in Afghanistan? And why would Bank of AMERICA have cared?
What corporate policy was in effect? Was this a branch-specific issue, or is there a corporate policy that forbids the displaying of American flags for the fear of causing offense? Who was responsible for removing the flags? Has corporate policy been changed? If so, why was the policy in effect? If not, what is the justification for the policy? Will Bank of AMERICA issue a formal apology to the Fowlkes family first and then to AMERICA?
There are many unanswered questions concerning this ugly incident. I feel that it’s necessary for a BofA official to formally comment on this article to enlighten my readers.
Indeed, I would like Bank of America to enlighten the rest of the Conservative Blogosphere as well. I would like to also see this Branch Manager terminated as well. A simply apology is NOT enough this man needs to be fired from his Job. He disrespected the war dead; there is no excuse, he must go, now.
Here is the contact information for Bank of America Corporate Office:
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
Tel: 1.800.432.1000
REMEMBER: Be Civil, No Threats or anything stupid like that! Simply ask to speak to someone in charge; and ask them if they believe that ordering people to remove American Flags respecting the Nation’s War dead is acceptable corporate policy and if not, why they would continue employ someone who would feel that way; and why they would allow this to happen. You could also kindly suggest that if this person was not terminated that you would take your business and money elsewhere.
Georgia Racist Bar Owner Redux
As you all well know; I pointed out yesterday that the Georgia Bar owner had ties to the White Nationalist movement. Which prompted some idiot, who either reads mine or Robert Stacy McCain‘s blog to try and defend the ignorant douche Nozzle. Which resulted me in giving the idiot the once over here on the blog.
In process of pointing out that this idiot was, in fact, White Nationalist, I gave R.S. McCain a gentle poke in the ribs; to basically inform him that he forgot to use Google. Well, being the Southern Gentleman that he is, he responded:
My friend at Political Byline discovered that, according to Stormfront (which ought to know), Patrick Lanzo has made his restaurant available for “white pride” events organized by, inter alia, the late J.B. Stoner.
OK, so if this is true, it clearly puts Lanzo on the far side of a clearly defined line between any sort of mere “political incorrectness” and outright hatemongering.
Paleo Pat’s research is appreciated; however, I disagree with his characterization that my own previous discussion of Lanzo’s restaurant as “spinning” for Lanzo. As I clearly said, “To explain is not to defend.” Obviously, I erred in failing to research Lanzo before endeavoring to explain him, which makes me guilty of carelessness, and I appreciate Paleo Pat clarifying the nature of Lanzo’s operation.
What J.B. Stoner promoted ought to be called by its right name: Evil. Did Lanzo know what he was getting himself into when he hosted Stoner’s events? I don’t know. But he either needs to reconsider his actions or else admit that he’s on the other side of that line.
I’ll except that explanation. I realize that Stacy is a busy man with a wife and what… 36 kids? So, this will suffice. I was kind of using a well-known tag line that is used by the left, when someone tries to explain something. You know, “Oh, he’s just spinning!” Did I also mention that I like to play mind games with people? 😉 😛 😀 It is a perverse joy of mine; and it is so easy too, with the sheep that we have running around these days. (Anyone who has read the book, knows of what I speak.)
The real funny part about this is; that I made the LGF’ers get all excited for about a second and then suddenly deflated their balloon just as quick. It seems ol’ Klingore Trout linked here; using Google Cache and then realized a few seconds later, that I was not on his side. That alone, made writing that blog posting and the subsequent piece from the mailbag worth every minute of my time writing it. I really do love doing the “Mental Joust” with intellectual midgets; it is quite the fun sport. Anyhow, This prompted Charles Johnson to call me, “the new hero of the right“. While I am most humbled by his compliment; I hardly call myself a hero. Of course, when one jousts with those who foolishly believe that the Government is the solution to all of the world’s and by proxy. the Nation’s problems; one can only expect so much. Of course, I humbly submit that if one gave Mr. Johnson a blow up doll, a ball of yarn, and a yo-yo; that he would become so disoriented that his cranial matter would self-combust. But I digress.
In other news:
Whew. Someone’s gonna have hootin’ nanny of a good time in Ireland! My Prediction; she comes back Pregnant…..with twins. 😮 😛
Shootout in Toledo Ohio Bar
Oh, this is just too damned rich….
First the Video:
Now, the story; via the Toledo Blade:
A late-night disagreement between two men in a bar becomes a stare-down.
One side throws fists, and a brief brawl breaks out. Customers scatter. Tables are overturned. Friends on the sidelines straighten their postures and walk tough. Others grab their coats and head for the door.
Some physical commotion is not uncommon at evening establishments where alcohol is served. But it’s what happened next on Thursday evening inside the Route 66 Kitchen in West Toledo that has unsettled some Toledoans.
With surveillance cameras rolling, several figures pulled out handguns and engaged in a shootout that raged inside and outside the bar for several minutes. Seventeen shell casings littered the floor or ground before the gun battle petered out, leaving a front door riddled with bullet holes and scenes of lawless mayhem preserved on video.
Amazingly, no one was hurt.
Welcome to Obama’s America. These are the one’s that voted for Obama and they’re the one’s that Obama is using for votes —- er, um, I mean “Fighting For”.
This is not to say that White people could not do this; they could, and sometimes do. But you have to believe, unless you’re totally stupid, that socialism and yes, Liberals played a big part in this.
News from an Fundamentalist Christian point of view
FRIDAY CHURCH NEWS NOTES
October 9, 2009, Volume 10, Issue 41
The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this does not imply an endorsement. For instructions on how to unsubscribe to this list or to change mailing addresses, please consult the information paragraph at the end.
NEW APE-MAN ANNOUNCED (Friday Church News Notes, October 9, 2009, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – Evolutionary paleoanthropologists have announced the discovery of a new ape-man they are calling Ardipithecus ramidus. Supposedly 4.4 million years old, the first fossils of this creature were found 15 years ago in Ethiopia. A partial skeleton dubbed “Ardi” has been presented to the public by its founders, which include Tim White, who was also involved in the “Lucy” discovery. Ardi has an ape head, ape arms, ape hands, ape legs and feet, and is no compelling reason to say it is anything other than an extinct ape other than the extreme evolutionary bias of modern paleoanthropologists. Having rejected the God of the Bible, they have been searching for the missing link for 150 years. This is in spite of the fact that evolutionary ape-men have repeatedly turned out to be either hoaxes or cases of mistaken identity (e.g., Neanderthal man, Java man, Piltdown man, Peking man, Nebraska man). As was the case with previous ape-men, Ardi has her own drawings. She is depicted as an upright creature that has an ape’s head and feet, but otherwise looking like a hairy woman. This is purely mythical. Ardi doubtless looked nothing like a human being. Its founders claim that she walked upright, but, as is the case with Lucy, this is disputed even by other evolutionary scientists. Ian Tattersall, curator of the American Museum of Natural History, admitted to National Public Radio that “some people are even suggesting there’s not much evidence of bipedality at all” (“Researchers Unearth A Hominid More Ancient Than Lucy,” NPR, Science Friday, Oct. 2, 2009). I have observed rhesus macaque monkeys in Kathmandu, Nepal, walking upright for considerable distances, but they are neither “bipedal” nor “missing links.” Seven years ago, Science magazine reported that “skeptic s argue that the published fossils [of Ardi] are so chimplike that they may represent the long-lost ancestor of the chimp, not human, lineage” (Ann Gibbons, “In Search of the First Hominids,” Science, February 15, 2002). Time magazine reported that “looking at the evidence, different paleoanthropologists may have different interpretations of how Ardi moved or what she reveals about the last common ancestor of humans and chimps” (Michael Lemonick and Andrea Dorfman, “Excavating Ardi: A New Piece for the Puzzle of Human Evolution,” Time, Oct. 1, 2009). It is important to understand that the pelvis of Ardi was “found crushed nearly to smithereens and needed extensive digital reconstruction” (Time, Oct. 1, 2009). We are reminded of the daring reconstruction of Lucy’s pelvis in such a fashion that it now wondrously fits its founder’s hypothesis that it was bipedal.
QUEEN OF ENGLAND HAS AFFINITY WITH THE POPE (Friday Church News Notes, October 9, 2009, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The following is excerpted from “Queen ‘Appalled’ at Church of England Moves,” London Telegraph, Oct. 3, 2009: “When Pope Benedict visits this country next year, he is expected to stay at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the Queen. The warmth of her welcome will come as no surprise to the Pontiff, if senior sources at the Vatican are to be believed. According to informants quoted in The Catholic Herald, the Queen has ‘grown increasingly sympathetic’ to the Catholic Church over the years while being ‘appalled’, along with the Prince of Wales, at developments in the Church of England. The usually well-informed newspaper adds that the Queen, who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, ‘also said to have an affinity with the Holy Father, who is of her generation.’&rd quo; CONCLUDING NOTE: The Anglican Church broke away from the Pope in the 16th century under King Henry VIII, but it has always retained many aspects of Romanism and over the past century has been permeated with theological liberalism. In 1982, Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, said he was an agnostic as to why Jesus suffered on the cross (Sunday Times Weekly Review, London, April 11, 1982). (Billy Graham was one of the honored guests at Runcie’s ordination in 1980 and spoke highly of the heretical archbishop during his evangelistic crusades in England in 1984 and 1989.)
Continue reading “News from an Fundamentalist Christian point of view”
Uncle Jay Explains for October 5, 2009
I sorta missed this on Monday. Sorry it is late:
In case anyone has forgotten
White House is screwing the War in Afghanistan to hell
Not a big surprise, considering the President’s middle name; I mean after all, The President does not even want the words “War on Terror” used anymore.
This comes via the AP:
President Barack Obama is prepared to accept some Taliban involvement in Afghanistan‘s political future and appears inclined to send only as many more U.S. troops as needed to keep al-Qaida at bay, a senior administration official said Thursday.
The sharpened focus by Obama’s team on fighting al-Qaida above all other goals, while downgrading the emphasis on the Taliban, comes in the midst of an intensely debated administration review of the increasingly unpopular eight-year-old war.
Though aides stress that the president’s final decision on any changes is still at least two weeks away, the emerging thinking suggests that he would be very unlikely to favor a large military increase of the kind being advocated by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
McChrystal’s troop request is said to include a range of options, from adding as few as 10,000 combat troops to — the general’s strong preference — as many as 40,000.
Obama’s developing strategy on the Taliban will “not tolerate their return to power,” the senior official said in an interview with The Associated Press. But the U.S. would fight only to keep the Taliban from retaking control of Afghanistan’s central government — something it is now far from being capable of — and from giving renewed sanctuary in Afghanistan to al-Qaida, the official said.
[….]
There now are no more than 100 al-Qaida in Afghanistan. Instead, the U.S. fight in Afghanistan is against the Taliban, now increasingly being defined by the Obama team as distinct from al-Qaida. While still dangerous, the Taliban is seen as an indigenous movement with almost entirely local and territorial aims, less of a threat to the U.S. than the terrorist network.
Obama’s team believes some elements in the Taliban are aligned with al-Qaida, with its transnational reach and aims of attacking the West, but probably not the majority and mostly for tactical rather than ideological reasons, the official said.
“They’re not the same type of group,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. “It’s certainly not backed up by any of the intelligence.”
That leaves the primary aim in Afghanistan to deny al-Qaida any ability to regroup there as it did when the Taliban was in power before the 2001 invasion that ousted them. And this points to a smaller military increase in Afghanistan and a bigger focus on surgical strikes against terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere — essentially the approach being advocated by Biden as an alternative to the McChrystal recommendation for a fuller counterinsurgency effort inside Afghanistan.
Biden has argued for keeping the American force there around the 68,000 already authorized, including the 21,000 extra troops Obama ordered earlier this year, but significantly increasing the use of unmanned Predator drones and special forces that have been successful in Pakistan, Somalia and elsewhere.
[….]
Clinton has not tipped her hand as to how she is leaning in the sessions, according to aides. While she is broadly supportive of building up troop levels — although not necessarily in the numbers favored by McChrystal — she also believes the military cannot be the only focus, said the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to detail her views.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, long wary of a large troop presence in Afghanistan, appears to have grown more comfortable with the prospect of a moderate, middle-path increase.
Many lawmakers from Obama’s own Democratic Party do not want to see additional U.S. troops sent to Afghanistan. According to a new Associated Press-GfK poll, public support for the war has dropped to 40 percent from 44 percent in July.
Republicans, meanwhile, are urging Obama to heed the military commanders’ calls soon or risk failure. “Unnecessary delay could undermine our opportunity for success,” House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said Thursday.
So, while President Obama and Hillary Clinton are playing political chess and trying not to offend one another; our troops are dying on the battlefield. Terrific.
AllahPundit over at HotAir.com, who was in New York during the 9/11 attacks; is quite livid:
They’re looking for any way they can to avoid giving McChrystal the troops he says he needs to secure the country, so they’ve come up with a way out. If the people we’ve been fighting for eight years aren’t the enemy, then the country no longer needs to be secured from them, does it?
[…]
In other words, rather than eat crap by forthrightly admitting he’s prepared to abandon huge swaths of the country to Islamist fascists rather than invest another 40,000 troops, he’s going to create an artificial distinction between the Taliban and Al Qaeda to let him save face by claiming he’s focused on “the real enemy.” Much like how he was focused during the campaign on “the good war” in Afghanistan rather than “the bad war” in Iraq. I wonder how long it’ll be before he decides that not everyone who’s in Al Qaeda is an enemy either — or, better yet, that AQ’s been “substantially defeated” or something, which has been the unstated thrust of all those WH-leaked pieces in the press lately about how weak Bin Laden’s gang has become. Why, I’ll bet in a year or so we’ll be told that they’re so weak that we can start pulling out of Afghanistan altogether. Things sure have improved over there since Bush was president, huh?
I would not want to be in the United States Military right now for no amount of money in the world. Not with that idiot buffoon running the Military. The man has zero, and I do mean ZERO clue how to fight a war. I feel for our boys over there right now; because, quite frankly, they are trapped. Just like in Vietnam.
The real sick and sad part is; that the Republican and the Democrats both are taking this whole, “Whatever you decide to do boss! We’ll support you, all the way!” attitude; because none of them have the damn guts to stand up and tell this jack assed idiot to either damn lead or resign and let someone else lead for him. That is what makes me so damned angry.
Update: Video: (H/T to reader Stephanie)
As Stephanie said, this is going to be tough one. But he does need to stand up and lead and quit putting it off.
Others: Atlas Shrugs, The Long War Journal, Flopping Aces, Stop The ACLU, theblogprof, War in Context and Pajamas Media
Updated: BREAKING NEWS: President Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize Liberals even shocked
My first question is, For what?
Via the NYT:
OSLO — In a stunning surprise, the Nobel Committee announced Friday that it had awarded its annual peace prize to President Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
“He has created a new international climate,” the committee said in its announcement. President Obama’s name had not figured in speculation about the likely winner until minutes before the prize was announced here.
Likely candidates had been seen here as including human rights activists in China and Afghanistan and political figures in Africa.
The committee said it wanted to enhance Mr. Obama’s diplomatic efforts. “We are awarding Obama for what he has done,” the committee said. “Many other people and leaders and nations have to respond in a positive way” to President Obama’s diplomacy.
The announcement noted the special importance the committee attached to President Obama’s vision of a world without nuclear weapons. “Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play,” the committee said.
I have been watching twitter since this news broke and boy are the Conservative blogger angry. Wow! 😮
Anyhow, I do not think he deserves it; he has done nothing. But, that is your liberal world for you. Reward you for doing nothing. Just look at all these bailouts and such.
It is a bit of a shock, but hardly a surprise.
Update: Memeorandum has the roundup.
Update #2: Even Liberals are asking themselves, “Why?” Rob Kall, Who runs Op Ed News; which is about as Liberal, as I am Conservative, Writes:
I woke up to a text message from CNN that Obama had won the Nobel peace prize. First thought– “Why? What did he do to earn it? Extend the Afghan war? Send thousands of storm trooper police to Pittsburgh for G-20?
[…]
But maybe Josh is right. Maybe it will inspire Obama, who’s proven to be a disappointment so far, to live up to the honor. Maybe it will give him an attitudinal boost so he finds more spine to represent the people who voted for him. Maybe it will get the right wing blowhards to STFU. Maybe it will give him the spine it takes to tell his DLC, right wing Dem advisors to STFU and maybe even leave.
Ironically, I feel little pride in this awarding of the Nobel. I don’t think he deserves it. Sure, it’s a nice image boost for the US and the Democrats, but it is a failure by the Nobel committee. If they had waited until Obama made his decision on Afghanistan, and he did the right thing– stand up to a General with a hard-on for un-ending war, and all his backers, then Obama would have deserved it. I pray the Nobel committee knows something we don’t know about Obama and Afghanistan.
Now, we have a “peace price winning” president about to commit tens of thousands more troops to a never ending war in a country that has never been defeated.
[…]
Let’s hope the prize inspires Obama, not just to be a peace maker but also to be a stronger president who stands up to the corporations which have waged war against humanity. Maybe he’ll pay attention to Justice Sotomayor’s questions about corporate personhood and wage the good war, ending the longest war of human history– and kill the right of corporations to be treated as persons.
Awarding the prize to someone who is older, whose work with war and the possibilities for peace is done is a passive act. Awarding the price to someone who has the potential to make a difference, well that’s a bold step to take, a gamble. I still have a little hope that Obama will find his inner strength, cast off the corporate enablers rife throughout his administration and do the right things, maybe with Michelle Obama’s inspiration. Maybe this award will help. Maybe it will remind him of what he could become– a great man who goes down in history for standing up to the powerful tides and forces within and outside his party which pushed him to do more of the same. Maybe he will reject the garbage the corpsestream media spews, the pressure the lobbyists apply and the corruption and sold out humanity within the beltway.
Sometimes extraordinary things result from extraordinary acts are done. This could be one of those times. Let us hope.
Now, while I disagree with some of the thoughts articulated here; as they are from a Liberal standpoint; I must commend Rob for having the boldness to express his true feelings about this President. I wonder. are the Obama-Bots going to call Rob a racist bigot? I wonder. As they sure do love to call me that, quite a bit.
As for his feelings about Obama being a disappointment; That is because he overreached so horribly bad, and now, people are having a case of buyers remorse.
