Authorities arrested and charged Friday a Virginia man allegedly on his way to the U.S. Capitol for what he thought would be a suicide attack on one of the nation’s most symbolic landmarks.
The federal criminal complaint against the suspect identifies him as Amine El Khalifi, a 29-year-old Moroccan citizen who has been living in the United States illegally since 1999 after his visa expired. He was nabbed following a lengthy investigation by the FBI, initiated after he allegedly expressed interest in conducting an attack. Court documents say he came onto the radar screen in early December after he told an undercover agent about an earlier plan to bomb a northern Virginia building.
I feel kind of weird for having to do this, but because I am an honest person… I must:
Ed Morrissey, concerned about a tiered caste bloggers society? Actually, as I read Joy’s post it says nothing about Morrissey being concerned about the situation. But of course. What else can one expect from Mr. I’m Only Here To Pick Up My Award (And Don’t You Dare Ask Me To Answer My Email)?
While I know Joy means well — she expands on the idea here — I’m not crazy about the idea of a media overflow lounge where those of us on the bottom rung can be stuffed into with the hope that maybe, just maybe one of the bloggers from on high will wander by to possibly acknowledge our presence with a royal wave before being escorted back to the bloggers lounge we dare not besmirch with our loathsome lowly putrid persons. Blogging is supposed to be about citizen journalists, no one above anyone else and all with something worth considering.
This leads to the question as to whether professional bloggers, which I define as bloggers paid by a corporation to write, are bloggers at all. I don’t believe they are. Case in point would be Hot Air, which is now owned by Salem Communications. Its writers write on behalf of Salem. Their primary function is creating content that entices readers to the site, thus enabling Salem to sell advertising on it at a maximum profit. That’s not blogging. That’s paid column writing that should be judged – and treated – accordingly. Go hang out with the regular media, for that is precisely what you are — conservative (sometimes) Maureen Dowds.
Ed Morrissey has always, unless he was very busy; has answered my e-mails. Further, he has always treated me with respect and has never had a cross word to say to me at all. Now I do not know if this will change due to recenteventsinvolving me. Nevertheless, I digress.
Ed Morrissey has been blogging for a very long time. He used to blog over at Captain’s Quarters. I used to read him over there, back when I was rooting for the “other team,” which was back around 2007. I found him then to be one of the more reasonable Conservatives out there.
I was no happier about HotAir.com being off-loaded to Salem than anyone else. I have never liked the idea of media consolidation at all. Mostly because I felt that, the writers there would lose their independent voice. However, so far, I have not really noticed that there has been any corporate change in the tone of the blog. AllahPundit is still — AllahPundit and Ed is still the little bald-headed beauty that he was before at his old blog. I think so anyhow; I have not noticed that corporate paychecks have changed either of them, not that I can see.
As for Tina, her skirt choices aside, I really do not have any objection to her writings. They are, admittedly, a bit fluffy — But I have not seen anything that made me want to wretch yet.
Now as for the whole thing about the blogosphere being a meritocracy, as Mr. McCain put it. One of my biggest gripes about the Blogosphere is this here; some people take this Blogging gig waaaaaaaaaaaaay too seriously. Ladies and Gentleman, I am just going to tell you the God’s truth. I have been writing on some form of a blog or another since 2006; and I really do not see myself as anything other than a guy with a bit of an opinion, which has changed over the past 7 years —- and a internet connection and a laptop. Because frankly, that is all bloggers truly are. I am not a journalist, I am not a lawyer, and I am not an expert at anything at all. I am just someone who seems to have a decent grip on the English language and grammar — although I grip it much better with Microsoft Word — and happens to have opinion about the direction of my Country, which frankly now sucks!
As for the CPAC conference, I have never been to it. I would like to able to register and attend one day. However, like the person that I quoted above, my fiscal situation here has not been a good one. Get a job, you say? I have an answer for that — find me one and I will take it. My point is this here; if I were actually able to attend CPAC — hell, I would be happy to be allowed in the building! I would not walk in with the attitude that I was entitled to be treated with some sort of rock star or blogger superstar treatment —- because I am nothing more than a freelance writer, with the emphases on the word FREE! One thing I am not and that is a prima donna, there are bloggers who are like that and act like that; I am not one of them. I also am not much into the suit and tie thing either. I am not an executive, as in the rich, cigar type. I am your average t-shirt and jeans kind of person. I would be happily content to have a little space to sit and cover said conference.
On closing, let me say this; I am very grateful. Truly, I am. I am grateful that God has given me the ability to write. I am also quite grateful that God has given me the ability to read and understand what it is that I actually read. My Father, who is 66 years old, has about an 8th grade education and really does not read that well at all. I have to do a good deal of reading for my Dad and this will even get worse as time goes on. It is something that many of us, including those who happen to read this, take very much for granted. Therefore, next time you go to compose a post, think of this what I have told you and say a small prayer of thanks.
As a fitting ending to this, I include a video that I happen to like a good deal. It is a song by Johnny Cash, called “The Man in Black.” For all intents and purposes, you could call me, “The Blog in Black.” Enjoy the video.
Blog in Black
(with respect to Johnny Cash)
Well, you wonder why I always Blog in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my site,
And why does my writings seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there’s a reason for the things that I put on.
I blog the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin’ in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I blog for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he’s a victim of the times.
I blog black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you’d think He’s talking straight to you and me.
Well, we’re doin’ mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin’ ‘puters and fancy clothes,
But just so we’re reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought ‘a be a blog In Black.
I blog for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold, I blog black in mournin’ for the lives that could have been, Each week we lose a hundred fine young men!
And, I blog for the thousands who have died, Believen’ that the Lord was on their side, I blog for another hundred thousand who have died, Believen’ that we all were on their side.
Well, there’s things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin’ everywhere you go,
But ’til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You’ll never see me blog on a blog of white.
Ah, I’d love to write a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything’s OK,
But I’ll try to carry off a little darkness on my site,
‘Till things are brighter, I’m the blog In Black.
—
Amen.
(Update: Fixed rather hilarious typo in first paragraph. MS Word only does what you tell it to. Oops.)
Just a little note of FYI: Earlier today someone left a comment objecting to some ads that displayed when he viewed my blog. He was responding to either this posting or this one, or this one; I forget which.
Anyway, the ad at the top of my blog and in the left sidebar at the top; is controlled by Google’s AdSense. They usually selected by keywords and by cookies that it takes from your computer. I can block ads by URL, which I will, if you see an offensive ad and you think I should know about it; click the ad and get me the URL of site and I will add it to my block filter.
I’m all for capitalism and such; but I am also for keeping this blog a place where everyone can come without having to worrying about being offended by an Internet Ad.
Also too, on the subject of comments; that person that I mentioned? I ended up banning him. I will explain this —I love comments, I love discussion; but I have zero tolerance for people who come to a blog for the sole purpose of being an idiot troll. You come here and insult me and act like an ass? I’m not only going to ban your butt from commenting, I’m going to ban you from even viewing my blog. Why? Because I can. Viewing and participating on this blog is a privilege, and not a right. You louse up around here; and you’ll shown the door — period, end of story. IP block is a beautiful thing and I will use it, if need be.
LAKE JACKSON, Tex. — Once there was a challenge of a softball game from the Ron Paul clan to the Mitt Romney clan. “They didn’t show up,” Mr. Paul says. “We didn’t schedule it. We really razz them about that, ‘You guys chickened out!’ ”
This is the way that politics should be today!
In a Republican presidential contest known for its angry rivalries, the Romney-Paul relationship stands out for its behind-the-scenes civility. It is a friendship that, by Mr. Paul’s telling, Mr. Romney has worked to cultivate. The question is whether it is also one that could pay dividends for Mr. Romney as he faces yet more setbacks in his struggle to capture the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination.
Ideological similarities among supporters of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich suggest that if Mr. Gingrich dropped out, many of his backers would coalesce behind Mr. Santorum. But as Mr. Paul steadily collects delegates, one thing that remains to be seen is whether his affinity — at least on a personal level — for Mr. Romney could help the former Massachusetts governor as the fight drags on.
Mr. Paul, a 76-year-old congressman from Texas, sees his three Republican rivals as more or less the same politically. He can be tough on Mr. Romney, whom he describes as a flip-flopper with a dubious political core.
“He’s been all over the place on some of this stuff,” Mr. Paul said in a recent interview near his Texas home. But he seems to segregate those views from his personal feelings for Mr. Romney, whom he sees as a steady, dignified personality whose devotion to wife and family reflect his own values.
I would recommend that you head on over and read the rest of that; it is a truly great story of how two men who disagree on much and still are friendly to one another. This is the way that it was back in the days of Ronald Reagan, him and Tip O’Neil would fight like dogs during business hours and then after business hours, Tip and Ron would have a drink at the White House and discuss the days events.
Again, at the risk of sounding like a nostalgic old fogie, this is the way things were done in the olden days. When leaders were statesmen, and not the idiots we have today. We could learn much from these people of old, it is tragic that people like Ron Paul are not more followed in the way they do things. Not that I support all of Ron Paul’s policy positions, but his statesmanship is something to be admired.
By the way, yes, I did give Althouse a little grief on her blog; she is a two-bit phony, in my humble opinion. She gives Ron Paul and Mitt Romney grief for their kindness toward each other. I think Ann Althouse could learn a little about what true Conservatism is from Rep. Paul. Because it is surely not what she pawns off as Conservative; that is for sure. Sorry, but voting for a liberal socialist Democrat is not conservative, not even close.
Well, it appears now that ol’ Sabu here is not too keen on being the pivot man in the prison circle jerk.
The Story:
Detroit— “Underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab appealed his life sentence Friday, one day after a judge issued the maximum penalty for trying to destroy a Detroit-bound airliner carrying 289 people on Christmas Day 2009.
The notice of appeal was filed in federal court in Detroit.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds sentenced Abdulmutallab to four life terms on Thursday, ending the country’s highest-profile terror case since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“This court has no ability to control his motivation, which appears to be unchanged,” Edmunds said Thursday. “I can control his opportunity to act on those intentions.
“I believe he poses a significant ongoing threat to (the) safety of American citizens everywhere.”
Before being sentenced, Abdulmutallab’s legal adviser, Detroit lawyer Anthony Chambers, argued the mandatory life sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment
Like I wrote in my last entry about this idiot; we should have tried this terrorist puke in a military court. This murderous thug is not a uniformed combatant, he is a terrorist thug, who should be executed by firing squad, or better yet, with a damn rope and a tree. Racism? man, please. 🙄 Anyone who does what this little puke did, should not be affording any sort of respect at all. Least of all any respect of his race. 😡
But, now, as I wrote before, we will have to pay for this puke’s legal defense and pay to feed, clothe and shelter this little puke. Which is morally wrong, considering who and what he is, and what he tried to do. Which was not a ordinary criminal act, but an act of war. But your friendly neighborhood Marxists feel that he deserves the protection of the Constitution of the United States.
It is truly pathetic, it really is; here is hoping that we elect a President in 2012, that sees this threat for what it truly is and not a criminal one.
Last week my joke at the Conservative Political Action Conference generated laughter and media attention. Today on Andrea Mitchell’s show, my aspirin joke bombed as many didn’t recognize it as a joke but thought it was my prescription for today’s birth control practices. In fact, the only positive comments I got were from folks who remembered it from 50 years back. Birth control pills weren’t yet available, so everyone laughed at the silliness on how an aspirin could become a birth control pill.
After listening to the segment tonight, I can understand how I confused people with the way I worded the joke and their taking offense is very understandable. To all those who took my joke as modern day approach I deeply apologize and seek your forgiveness. My wife constantly tells me I need new material—she understood the joke but didn’t like it anyway—so I will keep that old one in the past where it belongs.
I will give him credit, Mr. Buchanan makes a very good point:
Is it now hate speech to restate traditional Catholic beliefs?
Documented in the 488 pages and 1,500 footnotes of “Suicide of a Superpower” is my thesis that America is Balkanizing, breaking down along the lines of religion, race, ethnicity, culture and ideology, and that Western peoples are facing demographic death by century’s end.
Are such subjects taboo? Are they unfit for national debate?
So it would seem. MSNBC President Phil Griffin told reporters, “I don’t think the ideas that (Buchanan) put forth (in his book) are appropriate for the national dialogue, much less on MSNBC.”
In the 10 years I have been at MSNBC, the network has taken heat for what I have written, and faithfully honored our contract.
Yet my four-months’ absence from MSNBC and now my departure represent an undeniable victory for the blacklisters.
The modus operandi of these thought police at Color of Change and ADL is to brand as racists and anti-Semites any writer who dares to venture outside the narrow corral in which they seek to confine debate.
All the while prattling about their love of dissent and devotion to the First Amendment, they seek systematically to silence and censor dissent.
Without a hearing, they smear and stigmatize as racist, homophobic or anti-Semitic any who contradict what George Orwell once called their “smelly little orthodoxies.” They then demand that the heretic recant, grovel, apologize, and pledge to go forth and sin no more.
Defy them, and they will go after the network where you work, the newspapers that carry your column, the conventions that invite you to speak. If all else fails, they go after the advertisers.
I know these blacklisters. They operate behind closed doors, with phone calls, mailed threats and off-the-record meetings. They work in the dark because, as Al Smith said, nothing un-American can live in the sunlight.
At the risk of sounding like a snarky old coot, I will simply say this; When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, Mr. Buchanan should have seen that the writing was on the wall and left MSNBC. Actually, the hard swerve to the hard life and its intolerance for Conservative thought, of any sort; started after Tim Russert passed away. It went into hyper-overdrive, when it was clear that Obama was going to win the election in 2008. The only person to blame for Pat Buchanan’s troubles is Pat Buchanan; the man stayed on much long after the political winds had shifted around him.
For all of the political traits that liberals and Paleoconservatives share, there happen to be some traits that they do not. Paleoconservatives and liberals share the disdain of war and Wilsonian foreign policy. Paleoconservatives and Liberals however do not share the same ideas on freedom of speech, or the sharing of ideas outside of what they, the liberals, consider mainstream. While President George W. Bush was in office, Pat Buchanan’s outside of the Conservative mainstream ideas were perfect for the progressive, anti-Bush tone that the network was taking at the time.
However, as President Bush began to fade from the relevant political discussion and when the Democrats saw that, they had someone that could actually challenge the Republican’s candidate, things changed around MSNBC and not for the good either. Without getting into rehashing of a good deal of history, I will just simply say that pretty much after 2008, Pat Buchanan began to stick out like a sore thumb and should be seen that and left for better climates; like Tucker Carlson did around the same time.
As for Mr. Buchanan’s assessment of homosexuality and the decline of the white Anglo-Saxon protestant class of people, I have one thing to say — I concur. The fact that MSNBC fired Mr. Buchanan over his positions on these two subjects is living proof that the far-leftists have overtaken the political discourse in the Democratic Party and in the progressive movement as a whole. Furthermore, the imbecilic notion that Mr. Buchanan’s assessment of the current state of the Anglo-Saxon protestant class of Americans is somehow an indication of hostility on Mr. Buchanan’s part towards Blacks, Jews or any other class of persons is moronic at best.
As for Mr. Buchanan’s Roman Catholic beliefs, which are Christian in origin, I also concur. The Holy Bible, which contains the Holy Scriptures given to us by the Almighty God Himself; is clear, in both testaments — old and new —- that the practice of homosexuality is a forbidden thing. It is the sodomite lifestyle, it is repugnant in the eyes of a Holy and Righteous God, and Christians are forbidden to partake in it, and are commanded by God Himself not to have associations with those who do. Yes, there is a good deal of Holy Scripture to back those statements up and I will provide them to anyone who doubts what I have written.
Lastly, I feel that as a libertarian-minded Conservative it is important to point out to Mr. Buchanan the following: No privately owned network is obligated to allow you to appear on their network. Free speech in this case, is not applicable. MSNBC is a privately owned network, which is backed by advertisements from private companies. Contract or not contract, MSNBC, does reserve the right to remove someone, if said companies who buy advertisements are not comfortable being associated with said person. While it might seem a bit rude for MSNBC to just drop Mr. Buchanan and void his contract, MSNBC does have the right to act in its best interests. Now, if the Government moved to silence him, I would say, sound the alarms. However, MSNBC is not the Government; they are a private media outlet. Therefore, the howling of “repression of freedom of speech” is a bit much to be honest. One thing to remember, the only place that you can be truly free to express your opinions, regardless of the content, is a site that you personally own. Nobody else is ever obligated to cater to you whims. Some people forget that, and shout, “Freedom of speech!” When, in fact, that argument is not even a valid one.
Santorum’s votes for expanding the role and size of government in the Bush years mostly show his lack of respect for local control and a federal government limited to the powers defined in the Constitution, but that unfortunately made him a typical Republican of the time. His support for Medicare Part D shows that there is no blunder so big that some Republicans won’t make it so long as they can claim it is a “market-based solution.” Santorum dislikes political diversity and wants to impose uniformity when he can, which is why he regards the Tenth Amendment as more of an obstacle than as part of the Bill of Rights. Santorum is certainly hostile to libertarianism when it comes to matters of moral behavior and social policy, but most of the bad votes he cast in the last decade were the product of his contempt for limited and constitutional government.
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