POWIP Piece of Work In Progress

Charles Johnson’s Done

Charles Johnson's gone completely off his rocker.  I wondered, when I started writing at my own site, where all the commenters were coming from accusing Stacy McCain of being a neo-Nazi crypto-racist, and now I'm pretty sure I know, because Charles has made that accusation towards Stacy.  All of those visitors had one thing in common: when I pressed them for evidence, they didn't have any.

Dan Riehl writes about this invidious libel here.  Meanwhile, Charles has apparently swallowed hook, line and sinker the view that resistance to the policies of The One is prima facie evidence of racism, a canard voiced by pothead pseudo-intellectual Bill Maher, for which he's receiving kudos from the sycophantic worshippers of Baracky (scroll down at News Busters for more allegations of racism).  I will remind you that it is Barack's Department of Justice that dropped the charges against the New Black Panthers for menacing people at the polls in Philadelphia.  The New Black Panthers are regarded as a racist group by, of all people, the Southern Poverty Law Center.  I'll also remind you that the recently semi-departed Van Jones regarded himself as a Black Nationalist, and that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was, until her vetting, a member of the separatist group La Raza.  Nor did Obama's immediate response to the arrest of Skip Gates allay concerns that he sees everything through the prism of race, which, if anything can be said to be characteristic of a racist, suggests that there's rather a beam in his eye, the clueless, ideologically blinded numbskull.  I'll merely mention that the Reverend Wright also screeched out against Whitey, accusing him of concocting AIDS in a laboratory in order to visit a holocaust on the Black Man.  What's that, you say?  George Bush's AIDS policies has saved over a million in Africa?  It was all a PR stunt, like the one that was perpetrated on ACORN by the hidden camera stingers, who are naturally raaaaacists for having done so.

Obama's Achilles heel is that he's a douchebag.

As Dan says, I can't speak for Stacy, who speaks well enough for himself, but I certainly can speak to the baselessness of the accusation.  Charles has performed so many purges over the past couple of years that you'd think he believes that he's a one-man Stalinist politburo.  I stopped looking at his site a long time ago, when it became clear that everyone's damning offense, to Charles, was the fact that they didn't agree with his odd points of view.  Simple non-agreement is enough to earn you the Wrath of Charles, whose singularity on the issues has come to resemble Pat Buchanan's.  He sees Birchers in the woodwork.

In other words, fuck off, Charles.  And while I'm at it, you can fuck off, too, Andrew.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Phenomenal Success for 9-12 Tax Protests

Go to Rhetorican to get a look at the time-lapse aerial photos of the crowds.

Donald Douglass has excellent photos of the gathering in LA.

Norman Borlaug, the single person who'd done more for humanity in our lifetime than anyone else, has died at 95.

Christopher Kelly, Blago's chief fundraiser, has apparently committed suicide days before his prison term was to have started.

Darleen's got an excellent post on the march up at PW.  Roger Simon confesses he was wrong, and all is forgiven.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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In Denial

Over at the HuffPo---which has withheld publishing any lugubrious screeds on the Census Bureau's having severed ties with ACORN, because the administration has once again caved in to the paranoid demagoguery of Glenn Beck, simply to spite my desire to lick their tears of unfathomable sadness---you'll find Deepak Chopra telling readers that all is well and that Fox News can simply be ignored, because all of its viewers are outliers. You'll find Steve Almond at Salon lamenting the state of the NYT non-fiction top ten, which has been dominated by conservatives since Obama's election, representing these books as a strange new strain of fiction. Writers will tell you that the "Tea baggers" are old, bewildered white people who can't believe that their paradigms are being superseded, and that they're just grey-haired revanchists, and---not to put too fine a point on it---racists. Dana Loesch will tell you how we got here.

In truth, though, Glenn Beck has become the second most watched personage on cable news, behind O'Reilly, who enjoys a prime time slot, and leads in the 25-54 demographic. Arianna sputtered that he'd really done the movement a favor by getting radical douchebag poseur Van Jones booted, because Jones could go back to the organizing that he's good at, rather than preside over a program that pretends to convert the US to the mythical "Green Power" (which needs to be developed, but is nowhere near ready for prime time) as a cover for massive redistribution of wealth (he was sent to Podesta's AAA Soros farm team). They howled when NEA apparatchik Yosi Sergant was demoted for articulating a plan to bring the arts community into the service of The One. But when Andrew Breitbart's brand new Big Government site (which is rapidly obliterating any karmic debt he may have incurred for helping Arianna start the HuffPo) ran the hidden camera exposes on Baltimore and DC ACORN employees counselling a 'pimp' and 'prostitute' on how to obtain housing, hide their occupation, employ underaged illegal aliens and write off expenses, and the Census Bureau dropped its contract with ACORN, they said not a thing. Naturally, Maryland is prosecuting the stingers.

Meanwhile, Beck's taken to showing how much coverage the august organs of the MSM have given to these stories. Yesterday, Rocketman wrote about the lack of coverage regarding the man who was murdered in front of the Michigan school, for, as it turns out, having offended the murderer with his pro-life messages.

They'll yammer on and on about how the right are delusional, but they've yet to come to grips with the fact that The One is full of fail, and that the blame lies with himself and his administration. The Spendulus fiasco, TARP auto bailout, Cash for Clunkers' unforeseen side effects---all of these were Obama initiatives that sank, because they were forged out of magical thinking. People who live in the world somewhat attached to material realities know that symbolism can be good, but that it hardly amounts in and of itself to policies that will operate in their interests. Dialectical materialism is the opiate of the intelligentsia.

The Health Care speech was supposed to have galvanized opinion. But the outburst of Joe Wilson so infuriated the hypercathected Dems and their rooters in the MSM that they couldn't help making a federal issue of it. The result is that the Gang of Six had to work hugger-mugger into the night to make the President's statement that no illegal aliens would be covered under his plan---contrary to the lying lies of lying liars---retroactively true. And, of course, the heckler is to be censured, because goodness knows, truth should be silent in a joint session of Congress, if anywhere.

Still, the most remarkable delusion of all, was this piece, from the Politico. Sorry, but Washington still is Hollywood for ugly people.

And here are some amazing pics from the 9-12 Taxpayer March in DC.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Obama’s Energy Plan

Is to convert the US power production to renewable, environmentally friendly snake oil.

Of course, a couple of billion to back a Brazilian drilling project in the Gulf that Soros is heavily invested in is another matter.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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On Andrew’s Pot Woes

As you're probably aware, it's come to light that Andrew of the Smacked Gob was charged with possession of pot, and since it was at a national park, it was technically a federal, although misdemeanor offense. The presiding judge was not too happy with the special treatment Andrew got, specifically that a US Attorney stepped in to have his case dropped.

Now, Andrew would have had to pay a $125 fine for possession, but since he's not a US citizen, that would potentially have played havoc with his immigration status. I certainly don't want to see Andrew booted, but this is a rather extraordinary intervention. You can read the background, here.

Knowing Andrew as I do, though, I felt it important to go back to the date of the bust and find out what he'd said, since over the summer he'd ramped up his rhetoric about perhaps having to leave the country on principled grounds of its increasing Orwellianism. What I found is this:

13 Jul 2009 08:44 am
On Assignment

That's a rather racy way of saying I'm taking two weeks off blogging to work on an essay for the magazine (delayed by the Iran revolution) and get a little breather after an intense year. Patrick and Chris have no such luck; but they'll be joined by two Conors, Clarke and Friedersdorf, both Atlantic alums. Be nice; email them lots; see you when I emerge from the longer-form writing.

Now, I don't know whether that was before his bust, and this was all pre-planned, or whether he was busted in the wee hours trying to work up some inspiration. You know, The Atlantic can't fire him, because that would have an adverse impact on his immigration status, and besides, he's gay.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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“Reconciliation”

Zip asks whether Obama has the balls to try to ram his health care bill through by the process of "reconciliation," which wasn't designed to create an enormous new entitlement. Well, yes he does, because his calculus is that it's a race against time--time in which American citizens will come to recognize the nature of his proposals to increase their dependency on government. Greed for entitlement is to be the bait that covers the cunningly hidden hook of subservience.

How do I know? Obama has intervened directly in the legislative process in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by asking that Governor Deval Patrick be permitted to name an interim Senator, to help him pass health care.

Following up on his congressional address Wednesday night, Obama said he supports rewriting a 2004 election law to allow Patrick to appoint an interim senator to fill the seat.

The move would require many Massachusetts lawmakers to reverse the stances they took five years ago, when they stripped Republican Gov. Mitt Romney of appointment power.

Obama's Organizing for America committee said in an e-mail that the vacancy would deprive Massachusetts of full representation in the Senate, in turn, "depriving the country of a needed vote in favor of real health reform."

On Wednesday, Democrats told a crowded hearing in Boston that Patrick should be allowed to name an interim senator to fill the seat.

And who was behind the move to strip then-Governor Romney of his right to name an interim appointee as the law existed at the time? Ted Kennedy, who didn't want to see the possibility of the seat going to a Republican should then-Junior Senator from Massachusetts, Lurch Kerry, have won the Presidency. The depths of shamelessness are really appalling, but that's our President.

Jules Crittenden, who lives in the People's Republic, has related thoughts. And Dan Riehl talks about how Joe Wilson's outburst has changed things: Love the suit, Emperor Penguin. (He's white, he's black, and he's imperial.)

William Jacobson explains the canard that Sec. 246 prohibits illegal aliens from obtaining health insurance under the House's plan. In fact, the following is lifted directly from an ACORN document (pdf) outlining the health care "horrors" in California:

3. Health Care coverage for all adults regardless of immigration status
A significant number of uninsured adults are undocumented immigrants that, despite their hard work and contribution to California’s wealth, do not enjoy access to health care services. All undocumentedmimmigrants should have access to public, affordable health care.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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Norman Podhoretz: Why Are Jews Liberals? – WSJ

The WSJ published an outstanding summation of Podhoretz new book, Why Are Jews Liberals?, yesterday. I would encourage all of you to read it. While it is satisfying that this most fascinating and lamentable write-up was published at all - because I can't count how many times I have heard this oddity pondered over the past 15 years - the piece didn't get any traction outside of the WSJ (near as I can tell anyway). This is sad - to be expected in the MSM to be sure - but sad nonetheless. I have to credit Mark Belling once again for speaking to it on his afternoon radio show here in Milwaukee. Once again he "boldly goes where" - well you get the picture. I find the article and topic fascinating.

Podhoretz leads off with this:

"One of the most extraordinary features of Barack Obama's victory over John McCain was his capture of 78% of the Jewish vote. To be sure, there was nothing extraordinary about the number itself. Since 1928, the average Jewish vote for the Democrat in presidential elections has been an amazing 75%—far higher than that of any other ethno-religious group."

Then he shifts to this:

"Mr. McCain's long history of sympathy with Israel should have given him a distinct advantage over Mr. Obama, whose own history consisted of associating with outright enemies of the Jewish state like the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and the historian Rashid Khalidi."

And this:

"...the Jewish vote for him was 25 points higher than the 53% he scored with the electorate as a whole; 35 points higher than the 43% he scored with whites; 11 points higher than the 67% he scored with Hispanics; 33 points higher than the 45% he scored with Protestants; and 24 points higher than the 54% he scored with Catholics."

Then his analysis gets very interesting, to this mind, as he goes there - the place no non-Jew could even think to tread - to the place of religion - specifically the Jewish religion - and possibly more dangerous - he tries to discern the American Reformed Jewish mindset...

"Most American Jews sincerely believe that their liberalism, together with their commitment to the Democratic Party as its main political vehicle, stems from the teachings of Judaism and reflects the heritage of "Jewish values." But if this theory were valid, the Orthodox would be the most liberal sector of the Jewish community. After all, it is they who are most familiar with the Jewish religious tradition and who shape their lives around its commandments.

Yet the Orthodox enclaves are the only Jewish neighborhoods where Republican candidates get any votes to speak of. Even more telling is that on every single cultural issue, the Orthodox oppose the politically correct liberal positions taken by most other American Jews precisely because these positions conflict with Jewish law. To cite just a few examples: Jewish law permits abortion only to protect the life of the mother; it forbids sex between men; and it prohibits suicide (except when the only alternatives are forced conversion or incest)."

Incidentally, I occasionally see bumper-stickers and posts to the effect of "You Can't Be Catholic and Pro-Choice." I love those bumper-stickers, as there is not one that is more true. Like it or lump it, the catholics in name only need to hear it. And since they aren't listening to the Magisterium of the Church - and are voting for slaughter of innocents in defiance of it - they shouldn't expect not to hear about it from those who take the Faith seriously and are concerned with matters of the compromised soul.  It is nice to see that there are Jews who take what we call the "Old Testament" and its Wisdom seriously - and who refuse to compromise themselves with regard to this Wisdom. They must feel as I do - maybe worse - when they see their brothers in name hijack the "brand" and sully it like a $2 whore.

The rest of the article is amazing - and it is not proper for me to try to improve upon it - because I can't.

However, in keeping with the date - 9/11 - I began to wonder to myself, "Myself, perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a System is to have it co-opted/infiltrated/stolen/hijacked by bastards whose sole interest is to destroy it from within - like a malignancy springing forth from diseased entrails."

It is interesting to note that 9/11 was, in fact, worse because it was that which we value most - our freedom - which lent to the successful execution of some 3000 human beings.  It was worse because our own infrastructure was turned against us in such a shitty way. It was worse because we invited the thief in our house, showed him the gun cabinet, opened it for the strongman, provided the ammunition and then sat down to sup while he raised the barrel to the back of his host's head. We know what happened next.

Ah... enough - I trust you get the point. If you don't, just pretend you do - and nod occasionally.

Enoch_Root

AKA. Bobby Donn Brubaker (the most popular man in Mesa, AZ), the Umbrella of Terror, Jack Ketch.

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9-11, Eight Years On

We've already written about how Obama and company would like to reconstitute this day of remembrance in furtherance of their collectivist ideology. It's not an accident that Van Jones helped organize a 9-12 candlelight vigil for the victims of American imperialism around the globe, and it's no accident that Obama has been putting the screws to the Hondurans as they attempt to remain a bulwark of constitutional democracy in Latin America. Nor is it accidental that he hasn't spoken out more forcefully against the 9-11 Truthers, whom we find Salon happily attempting to mainstream even as The Great Divider lectures us on responsibility and civility.

If they were concerned about the truth, they'd be demanding that The Path to 9-11 be released in its unbowdlerized form.

Having said all that, I'm going to point you to one person today: Carol at No Sheeples, who's done some extraordinary work with Project 2,996. Read, remember, never forget.

Dan Collins

Dan Collins is a dude who blogs. He used to blog elsewhere. Now he blogs here.

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