Tag: politics

Get this: Our Smart-mouthed wanna-be shoe bomber, will NOT be charged

Un-farking-believable. 😯

Looks like our little smart-mouthed jerk off, is going to skate charges. (H/T Ace)

Via ABC’s Good Morning America:

The Video:

The Story:

The Qatari diplomat who caused a midair security scare won’t face charges after claiming he was trying to light his shoes on fire when it appears he was simply smoking in the bathroom.

Federal officials said Mohammed al Modadi was on official business when he boarded United Airlines Flight 663 from Washington to Denver, giving him diplomatic immunity. A law firm spokesman told The Associated Press that al Modadi has been released and was headed back to Washington.

More than 160 passengers and crew were onboard when flight attendants noticed smoke coming from the bathroom and notified federal air marshals on the plane, government sources said.

When the marshals demanded to know what he was doing, the man identified himself as a diplomat from Qatar and responded, perhaps sarcastically, “I’m trying to light my shoes on fire.”

It was a comment reminiscent of shoe bomber Richard Reid and also the so-called underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who successfully smuggled explosives onto a Christmas Day flight, but failed to detonate them.

“None of this is going to be taken as anything less than dead seriousness,” ABC News aviation analyst John Nance told “Good Morning America” today. “If you make the wrong comment at the wrong time and you’re going to come off the airplane in chains.”

Al Modadi’s comments Wednesday set off a chain reaction of security and terrorism responses, including F-16 fighter jets that scrambled from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado to accompany the flight during its descent into Denver. The plane was met by the FBI and local law enforcement.

“If this was an overreaction, it was not only an understandable one, it was a good one,” Nance said.

Al Modadi’s shoes were examined once the flight landed, government officials said, but no traces of explosives were found.

But, Oh, it was a big, huge, misunderstanding! 🙄

A statement was posted on the Qatar Embassy’s Web site in response to the incident, defending al Modadi and calling it a mistake.

“We respect the necessity of special security precautions involving air travel, but this diplomat was traveling to Denver on official embassy business on my instructions,” Ambassador Ali Bin Fahad Al-Hajri wrote in the statement, “and he was certainly not engaged in any threatening activity.”

“The facts will reveal that this was a mistake,” the statement continued, “and we urge all concerned parties to avoid reckless judgments or speculation.

The only damned mistake we made, was allow those jerks into our damn Country. If I were running that show; this little turban wearing prick would be on a flight back to Qatar, with a BILL for everything that happened to the Government last night. If it was not paid, I would be telling Qatar to close that embassy and get the hell out of our Country for good! I just wonder, what sort of business was he on? Approving visa’s for terrorists? I mean, they did bust a ring of terrorists out in Colorado. I wonder if he had any connections to them? It is to wonder. But, we’ll never find that out, seeing we have a President who is friendly to these sort of vermin.

So much for all those new jobs, eh Barry?

It figures:

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose 18,000 to a seasonally adjusted 460,000 in the week ended April 3, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected a result of 442,000. The four-week average of initial claims — a better gauge of employment trends than the volatile weekly number – rose 2,250 to 450,250. For the week ended March 27, continuing claims fell 131,000 to 4.55 million. The four-week average of these ongoing claims declined 36,000 to 4.65 million, the lowest level since January 2009. In the week ended March 20, about 5.8 million jobless workers, not seasonally adjusted, were receiving extended federal benefits, down 223,000 from the prior week. Altogether, 11.1 million people were collecting some type of unemployment benefits in the week ended March 20, down about 373,000 from the prior week. A Labor Department official said interpretation of the data around this time period is clouded by events such as Easter that make it difficult to properly adjust for seasonal factors

via Jobless claims rise 18,000 in latest week – MarketWatch.

So much for the stimulus creating new jobs. It created new jobs alright — Temporary Government jobs, but nothing lasting.

Just another liberal boondoggle, paid for with your child’s future.

Lovely, eh?

Remember this come 2010 and 2012.

Update: Holy Hot Hamburger! InstaPundit Links in… Wow two of these in a month; I dunno if I can handle such excitement. 😯

Update #2: Here’s the AP’s headline on the story:

The number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits rose last week, a sign that jobs remain scarce even as the economy recovers.

The Labor Department said Thursday that first-time claims increased by 18,000 in the week ending April 3, to a seasonally adjusted 460,000. That’s worse than economists’ estimates of a drop to 435,000, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.

The report covers the week that includes the Easter holiday, and a Labor Department analyst said seasonal adjustment for Easter can be difficult since the Easter holiday occurs in different weeks each year.

California also closed its state offices for a holiday March 31 honoring Cesar Chavez, the analyst said, which likely held down the claims figures. On an unadjusted basis, claims rose by 6,500 to nearly 415,000.

Economists closely watch unemployment claims, which are seen as a gauge of layoffs and a measure of companies’ willingness to hire new workers.

The four week average, which smooths volatility, rose to 450,250. Two weeks ago, the average fell to its lowest level since September 2008, when Lehman Brothers collapsed and the financial crisis intensified.

Jobless claims peaked during the recession at 651,000 in late March 2009.

Again, this is what happens when you try and employ Keynesian economic policy tactics to “fix” the economy, it fails.

On a side note:

California also closed its state offices for a holiday March 31 honoring Cesar Chavez, the analyst said, which likely held down the claims figures. On an unadjusted basis, claims rose by 6,500 to nearly 415,000.

😯 Says much about that State and the people in it. Think of this, next time you plan your vacation.

More Socialist Liberal Union Thuggery

Go Read.

I wonder if the MSM will cover this? (Yeah right! 🙄 )

Remember this come 2010 and 2012.

(H/T to Glenn)

BREAKING NEWS: Air Marshalls stop attempted 'Shoe Bomber' on flight from D.C. to Denver

Oh Boy, here we go again…. 😯

(H/T Ace of Spades HQ)

The Report from ABC NEWS, The story is yet to break National News or they’re working on it:

Federal air marshals subdued a man who authorities say attempted to “light his shoes on fire” on a United flight from Washington Reagan to Denver Wednesday night, federal law enforcement officials told ABC News.

Authorities say an explosive team is on the way to the airport, and that while the presence of explosives has not yet been confirmed, they believe it was an attempted “shoe bomb.”

The suspect was identified by authorities as a diplomat in the Qatar embassy in Washington, Mohammed al Modadi. The FBI said the man had full diplomat immunity as the 3rd secretary and vice-consul.

Authorities said two jet fighters were scrambled from Buckley Air Force Base to accompany United flight 663, a Boeing 757, as it flew the final 40 miles to Denver where it landed safely.

Authorities said the man, identified as from Qatar, was restrained by the air marshals who were on the flight.

The United jet was reportedly being directed to a remote location at the Denver airport.

A spokesman for the FBI in Denver declined to comment.

This is not good at all. This could cause some serious problems for Obama’s strategy on the war on terror.

Update: Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN story alerts up. Update #2: all have stories up now.

MSNBC (ugh!) is now reporting, that this dude was in the bathroom, and was smoking in the can. When someone, not sure whom, asked him what he was doing. He replied, “Well, I was setting my shoes on fire…” Apparently, the douche nozzle was kidding around. Well, the only one laughing was him! 😮 Anyhow, looks like this idiot is going back Qutar. MSNBC is giving the name of the person. I will print it, when it comes up. Update #3: Mohammed al-Modadi is his name. (H/T AP)

Gabe over at Ace reports:

ABOVE THE POST UPDATE (11:00): According to CNN, another diplomat is saying that this is a misunderstanding. The story is that the man was smoking in the lavatory and when challenged by an air marshal, he mouthed off sarcastically “I was trying to light my shoe on fire.”

So they nabbed him and scrambled the jets.

D’oh! 🙄

Um, Just a thought… But, terrorism ain’t funny. 😡

Update #4: Josh Marshall wonders:

I mean, are we really to believe that this guy took his having diplomatic immunity as free rein to crack a joke about need to light his shoe bomb? I’m curious whether under international law a diplomat can be expelled from a host country simply for being a raging c@#k.

Heh. Good question. 😛

Update #5: AllahPundit Snarks:

What we may be looking at here is the scariest smoke break in aviation history.

Ha! I wonder if AllahPundit will represent him in Court, if he sues the United States Government for false arrest? If he does, somebody better let Liz Cheney know, after all, we have to know who’s defending terrorists; whether real or wanna-be smart asses. 😉 I mean, that is the McCarthyism way, is it not? 😀

Update #6: Our Assclown of the day can be seen here. He is on the right. (H/T to Wizbang for the find…)

Why do Conservative Republicans do stupid stuff like this?

Just what in the hell was this idiot nimrod thinking when he did this? Can anyone tell me? 🙄

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has quietly declared April 2010 Confederate History Month, bringing back a designation in Virginia that his two Democratic predecessors — Mark Warner and Tim Kaine — refused to do.

Republican governors George Allen and Jim Gilmore issued similar proclamations. But in 2002, Warner broke with their action, calling such proclamations, a “lightning rod” that does not help bridge divisions between whites and blacks in Virginia.

This year’s proclamation was requested by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. A representative of the group said the group has known since it interviewed McDonnell when he was running for attorney general in 2005 that he was likely to respond differently than Warner or Kaine.

“We’ve known for quite some time we had a good opportunity should he ascend the governorship,” Brandon Dorsey said. “We basically decided to bide our time and wait until we had more favorable politicians in Richmond.”

Dorsey said the governor’s stamp of approval would help the group publicize the month and aide tourism efforts in the state.

via Virginia Politics Blog – Despite previous governors’ refusals, McDonnell issues Confederate history month proclamation.

Good Lord. 🙄

Betsy over Betsy’s Page sums it up:

While such a move might appeal to those Virginians who are still motivated by pride in their Confederate heritage, it betrays an ignorance about the history of his state. Virginia was primarily concerned with its status as a slave-holding state and its concern that the Lincoln administration and Republicans would work to limit the spread of slavery. If Governor McDonnell doesn’t understand this, he should get a little remedial education. He could read some of the resolutions adopted by the Virginia Secession Convention. For example, consider this resolution and then try to convince an impartial observer that slavery wasn’t at the heart of Virginia’s decision to secede.

[…]

McDonnell might claim that his statement is in anticipation of the 150-year anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War which starts next year. I know that Virginia is devoting a lot of effort on education and tourism for the 150-year anniversary, but that doesn’t mean that they have to ignore the full history. Those tourists who are interested in coming to Virginia to study Civil War history wouldn’t be deterred by an honest gubernatorial proclamation. Let’s face it, no one would care about this proclamation if McDonnell had followed the pattern of both previous Republican and Democratic governors who had issued such proclamations that included a condemnation of slavery. Instead, McDonnell, who conducted a model campaign for governor will now waste time trying to explain away his myopic celebration of Confederate heritage.

My feelings exactly. One of the biggest gripes that I always had and still do with the damned Paleo-Conservatives is this idiotic idea that the Civil War was not about Slavery. Granted, it was not the MAIN issue at hand, I know this. But it ended up being and still is, the BIGGER issue; than just say, the forcing of centralized Government on the south. Hiding behind that empty claim is just damn bogus. It also is a rather lame attempt to cover up the fact that the majority of the Paleo-Conservatives are just monolithic haters of blacks. Which is why I came to decision that I could not support their beliefs. It is one thing to hate identity politics; it is another to just hate black people in general.

Do not misunderstand me here; as much as I know what the losing the war did to south and the hardships it caused, in the end; Lincoln declaring war on the Confederates was the right thing to do. Because had not Lincoln fought that war —- America would have been a much more frightening, dark place. As much as I know that my roots run through the south. My southern forefathers were wrong in their treatment of blacks and for seceding from the union like they did. Because of that, the south experienced more hardships than it really had to. This might anger some of my southern readers, but it is the truth — and that my friends is what I write; the truth.

Ouch: Stephen Green lays the smackdown on Obama's Nuke policy

I figured some were not going to be happy about Obama’s change in policy, I was right: (H/T Insty)

Well, yesterday Obama — facing no pressure or need to change anything at all — quite recklessly turned over the strategic initiative (operational, too, for that matter) to the other guys.

Little countries can now act, with chemical or biological agents, sure in the knowledge that however we respond, we will respond with less. The other guy now gets to determine how much punishment he is willing to take. Before yesterday, we determined how much punishment we were willing to dish out (plenty).

President Johnson (and to a lesser extent, Nixon) made the same mistake in dealing with North Vietnam. “Escalation,” tit-for-tat, let Hanoi dictate the pace of the war, while simultaneously learning how to deal with, and obviate, our military might. Result: We lost the initiative and eventually the war. Sucky, that.

via Vodkapundit » What, Me Worry?.

I highly suggest you go read the full article. Some would dismiss this as propaganda. But, I think it warrants a full read.

Maxine Waters: Do as I say, not as I do, Part Two

Here we go again! (H/T Insty)

The Breitbart video very effectively makes the case that Waters is guilty of hypocrisy. Her behavior at the rally is at least as unattractive as her description of the tea partiers’s; conduct. On the other hand, so what? When has a politician ever complained about the other side's incivility without being guilty of hypocrisy?

But a look further back into Waters’s history reveals her hypocrisy to be far worse than is typical. The last time America experienced political mob violence–the Los Angeles riots of 1992–Waters was there offering excuses and justifications.

The L.A. riots began on April 29, 1992, after a jury returned a not-guilty verdict in the trial of four Los Angeles policemen charged in connection with the videotaped beating of Rodney King. By the time the riots wound down, six days later, 53 people had been killed and thousands injured.

Maxine Waters was a freshman representative from California’s 29th Congressional District (now the 35th), which covers areas of southern Los Angeles where the rioting was centered. Her own district office was burned to the ground. She quickly emerged as an advocate on behalf of the rioters.

“I accept the responsibility of asking people not to endanger their lives,” the Associated Press quoted her as saying on April 30. “I’m not asking people not to be angry. . . . I have a right to be angry.”

via ‘Riot Is the Voice of the Unheard’ – WSJ.com.

Looks like Maxine Water‘s past is coming back to haunt her. I guess that will teach her to open her mouth, when in all honesty, she should keep it shut.

But then again, does not that describe liberals in general? I mean, are they not all like that? Want others to conform to a high standard; all the while not living up to it themselves?

They’ve been doing it for years. This proves that.

Remember this come election 2010.