Ellie Light's Letter: Another Patch Of Obama Astroturf

Democrats love to deny that the Tea Parties sweeping the nation are part of a grass roots movement. I suspect they'd have trouble recognizing a real one if they saw it since the only natural grass in their party seems to be smoked before policy meetings. For Democrats, "grass roots" tend to sink as deep into the soil as, well, multi-million dollar sign campaigns, fake doctors and shallow-planted town hall participants (though I do admit to finding it charming when Obama calls a random town hall participant by name before they introduce themselves). Grass? The left plays best on special interest sponsored AstroTurf.

The latest in a long line of Obama operatives posing as an ordinary grass roots citizen supporting their beloved president is "Ellie Light" who wrote a stirring letter of support for the Prez published in The Philidelphia Daily News saying, "It's time for Americans to realize that governing is hard work, and that a president can't just wave a magic wand and fix everything." Strange, no mention of Americans expectations that the President keep at least one campaign promise concerning the economy.

Now shoot over to Patterico's Pontifications where there's a post noting that "Ellie Light" has written the "same letter defending Obama to dozens of publications across the country, getting them published in at least 42 newspapers in 18 states, as well as Politico.com, the Washington Times, and USA Today." Oh, and "she" conveniently claims to be a resident of a different state for each letter - though given Obama's obvious challenges when it comes to Geography, Ms. Light can be forgiven that indiscretion. So it seems that our "Ellie Light" is not a grass roots citizen after all, but political spinster playing on DNC endorsed AstroTurf.

We may never know "Ellie's" true identity, but one thing is clear: this is one Light that isn't too bright.

Favorite Take On Scott Brown's Win

Of all the pundits and experts who had a take on Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts, I have to say that my favorite was delivered on MSNBC. Just after the race was called I switched over to catch Rachel Maddow's take on the election results (immediately doubling her viewership). She tossed a question to Howard Dean about the finger pointing that had started between Democrats even before Coakley conceded and he responded that a lot of things went wrong. "There is no one person who can be blamed, well, except George Bush."

That's right, it has nothing to do with the fact that Brown's campaign was based entirely on opposition to the unscrupulous deal making and damning agenda that the democrats have finally revealed since they've gained control of both the congress and the Oval office. Nope, according to Dean it's Bush's fault.

Naturally, Obama and Gibbs would later echo the charge, claiming that people are still angry over Bush's policies so . . . so . . . so they're rejected Obama's soft on terror and hard on the pocketbook approach. The last three elections where Obama showed up to stump for the Candidate, New Jersey, Virginia and now Massachusetts (where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by 3.5 to 1) the GOP has won a resounding victory. But it's not Obama's fault.

Now I'm wondering what exactly Obama meant when he said "the buck stops here"? Was he actually referring to the troubling bucks given to his campaign that are still unreported? The bucks he was given by contributors and then paid back with taxpayer bailout money? The bucks he was given by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the financial institutions that led to our current banking crisis? The bucks he gave to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) to buy her vote for ObamaCare? The taxpayer bucks in the "cornhusker kickback" given to Sen Ben Nelson (D-NE) for his support? The bucks exchanged in the sweetheart backroom deal with union brass. The bucks this administration continues to give to the heavily indicted ACORN organization? I'm seriously starting to lose count.

Terror Has A Friend In The ACLU

The ACLU is demanding to know where Barack Obama gets the legal authority to launch unmanned drone missiles at terrorists in Pakistan. For his legal defense Obama may call to the stand victims from 9/11, the embassy bombings, the 8 CIA agents recently killed in Afghanistan . . . oh, wait, he can't call them to the stand because they were murdered . . . by terrorists.

I'm seriously wondering who the ACLU hates more, America, the soldiers who defend her or the God who inspired her.

More Job Losses For 2010

President Barack Obama promised that if the stimulus package was passed unemployment would not reach 8%, so imagine the shock over at the Associated Press when the eventually noticed that, not only has the 8% barrier been shattered in 2009, the projections for 2010 are worse yet. Why, they may have to investigate. It's almost as if all of those people who said that the Stimulus Package wouldn't work were right.

WASHINGTON – Brace for a year of stubbornly high unemployment.

Gripped by uncertainty over the economic recovery, employers chopped 85,000 jobs last month, and difficulty finding work helped chase more than half a million people out of the job market.

The unemployment rate held steady at 10 percent. It did not creep higher only because so many people stopped looking for work and are technically not counted as unemployed.But the jobless rate is likely to rise in coming months as more people see signs of an improving economy and start looking for work again. Some economists think it could near 11 percent, which would be the highest since World War II, by June.

The highest unemployment since WWII? No wonder Obama's handlers have decided that he should start sounding like Harry Truman.

Civilian Judge Tosses Evidence About Gitmo Goon

What happens when you apply the U.S. Constitution to enemy combatants who are not U.S. Citizens . . . besides revealing American intelligence information, providing a forum for radical terrorists to broadcast their warped philosophy to a broader audience and boosting the ratings at Court TV?

WASHINGTON – A federal judge has tossed out most of the government's evidence against a tarrorism [sic] detainee on grounds his confessions were coerced, allegedly by U.S. forces, before he became a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.

In a ruling this week, U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan also said the government failed to establish that 23 statements the detainee made to interrogators at Guantanamo Bay were untainted by the earlier coerced statements made while he was held under harsh conditions in Afghanistan.

This is where the Left says, "Well, Bush allowed some terrorists to face trial in the Federal systems!" But didn't they promise to correct the mistakes that Bush made rather than use him as their chief defense witness?

Government Loans Have Worsened Housing Problem

In the least shocking news since George Michael stormed out of the closet, The New York Times is reporting that the U.S. government loan program is adding to the housing woes. Gee, government intervention has made the problem worse rather than better? Who could have predicted that?

According to NYT:

The Obama administration’s $75 billion program to protect homeowners from foreclosure has been widely pronounced a disappointment, and some economists and real estate experts now contend it has done more harm than good.

And what then is the harm? For one thing . . .

Since President Obama announced the program in February, it has lowered mortgage payments on a trial basis for hundreds of thousands of people but has largely failed to provide permanent relief. Critics increasingly argue that the program, Making Home Affordable, has raised false hopes among people who simply cannot afford their homes . . . As a result, desperate homeowners have sent payments to banks in often-futile efforts to keep their homes, which some see as wasting dollars they could have saved in preparation for moving to cheaper rental residences. Some borrowers have seen their credit tarnished while falsely assuming that loan modifications involved no negative reports to credit agencies.

And for another . . .

. . . banks have been using temporary loan modifications under the Obama plan as justification to avoid an honest accounting of the mortgage losses still on their books. Only after banks are forced to acknowledge losses and the real estate market absorbs a now pent-up surge of foreclosed properties will housing prices drop to levels at which enough Americans can afford to buy.

And for yet another . . .

In 2008, more than 1.7 million homes were “lost” through foreclosures, short sales or deeds in lieu of foreclosure, according to Moody’s Economy.com. Last year, more than two million homes were lost, and Economy.com expects that this year’s number will swell to 2.4 million.

Like Cash for Clunkers (that cute project where people who already owned cars were able to use their neighbor's taxed income to turn old cars in for new cars, complete with higher car payments) this loan program has had a dismal effect on both the economy and its intended benefactors. Health Care, Cap and Trade . . . who else is excited to see what this administration tries to fix next?

Happy New Year???

ObamaCare vs. The American Voter

According to Rassmussen and virtually every other poll located outside of a barroom dance floor, the majority of Americans oppose ObamaCare. Yet the Democrats insist on pushing this monstrosity through as quickly as possible without even giving the American public a chance to view what the bill contains. And I thought my kids had a hard time listening.

Obama FINALLY On Northwest Crotch Bomber

Anybody remember Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and its claim that Bush reacted too slowly to a terrorist attack. Or how about that film representing a president who was always on "vacation"?

Christmas Day 2009: A Muslim student identified as Abdul Mudallad ignited a bomb in his panties during the final hour of a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit (a flight the Khaki Elephant has taken far too many times). The bomb burns, then fizzles -- a malfunction that saves the lives of some 300 passengers. A Dutch national, Jasper Schuringa, then seized the terrorist . . . oops, I meant, "potential terrorist" (sorry, Press Secretary Gibbs) and with the help of others on the flight was able to subdue the nutcase and prevent the arrival of 72 under-aged virgins.

Three Days Later: President Barack Obama finally responds to the attack . . . oops, I meant "alleged attack" (sorry, Mr. President ) . . . from his rented $9 million vacation estate in Hawaii.

Of course, Obama's response was not the first official comment by administration appointees. Robert Gibbs earlier referred to the incident as a "potential terrorist attack," by which he must have meant that a terrorist successfully igniting a bomb which he successfully smuggled on board a flight packed with civilian passengers but did not blow up ranks alongside fluffy bunnies on the current White House terror scale. I mean, it's not like we're talking about the potential tragedy of a friend's kid bumping his head. And then there was President Obama’s homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, who declared "everything happened that should have" and when it comes to national security "the system worked." Of course, a day later she claimed that her comments were taken out of context and what she actually meant by "worked" was "failed miserably."

And on the third day, enter Barack Obama -- the guy who promised that terrorists would be nicer to us if we simply said we were sorry over and over and over again (though what exactly we should be sorry for remains about as clear as Harry Reid's muddied ethics). Days after the attack, the President stepped forward to deliver another of his teleprompter-fed oratories, this time delivering a powerful message of commitment to al Qaeda, who claimed credit for the attack . . . oh, wait, he never mentioned al Qaeda. OK, well, he delivered a message of American strength to all terrorist organization who would threaten America . . . oh, I'm sorry, just re-read the transcript and he refers to this as the act of an "isolated extremist." Well, at least he firmly confronted bombing attempt as a legitimate act of terror against America . . . oh, just a minute, he actually described this by saying that "a passenger allegedly tried to ignite an explosive device on his body." One good thing, the bomb did fail and this guy was caught and now sits under watch as an enemy of the state who committed an act of war against America . . . oh, I see, it appears that he is actually sitting in a Michigan civilian prison with his lawyer and, as Obama says, "has been charged with attempting to destroy an aircraft."

Good Lord, how I hate to say that Hillary was right.

Obama's Top Ten Foreign Policy Debacles

Lately we've been focusing on Barack Obama's domestic policy disasters, you know, seizure of public corporations, government control of health policy, soaring unemplyment rate . . . the whole redistribution of wealth/sacrifice our children thing. But leave it to the Brits to remind us of what the mainstream American media continues to ignore: what a dangerous and diluded foreign policy "The Chosen One" has. (wait, are we finally past everyone sans the sanity suppressed Obots thinking of Obama as "The Chosen One"?)

Nile Gardiner of the UK Telegraph has compiled a list of Barack Obama's Top Ten foreign policy follies in his first year of presidency. Fist of all, hats off to Mr. Gardiner for keeping the list to a mere ten -- yoeman's effort, that. And second, please don't read these until 30 minutes after eating if you want to avoid the bends.

Here is a list of the ten biggest foreign policy follies of Barack Obama’s first year in office. I’ve tried to make the list inclusive of all corners of the world, ranging from Tehran to Tokyo to Khartoum, and frankly could easily have expanded it to a top 20 or even top 30 list. There are plenty to choose from, including some of the most cringe worthy moments in modern American history.

1. Surrendering to Russia over Missile Defence
The White House’s betrayal of US allies in eastern and central Europe by reneging on the deal to establish Third Site missile defences sent a clear signal that Washington was more concerned about appeasing Moscow than defending its friends. It symbolized all that is wrong with Obama’s foreign policy – including the willingness to curry favour with brutal enemies while giving the boot to some of America’s
closest partners.

2. Appeasing the Mullahs of Iran
If Barack Obama makes a New Year’s resolution, I hope it will be that he stops appeasing Tehran. The White House’s strategy of engagement with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been nothing short of a spectacular failure. While Obama has been busy emulating the European Union’s dismal Common Foreign and Security Policy and sending polite video messages, the Mullahs and their puppets have been busy advancing their nuclear weapons programme, enriching uranium, supplying arms to the Taliban, capturing British sailors, test-firing long-range missiles, threatening the annihilation of Israel, and killing pro-democracy protestors.

3. Ending the War on Terror
Not only did Barack Obama order the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay within hours of becoming president, but he also embarked upon ending the entire War on Terror, which was swiftly renamed an Overseas Contingency Operation. Nearly a year later the threat from al-Qaeda remains just as great, if not greater, but President Obama refuses to describe the battle in terms of a global war, and balks at identifying the enemy – Islamist terrorists. At the same time he has given the enemy a huge propaganda victory by endlessly castigating the Bush administration for supposedly “torturing” terrorist suspects, and apologizing for the
counter-terror strategy of the previous US government.

4. Announcing a Surge while Declaring an Exit
There can be no doubt that the three months of dithering by President Obama over whether to deploy more forces to Afghanistan was highly damaging to the United States, and sowed considerable uncertainty within the NATO alliance. When Obama finally made an announcement in December to send an additional 30,000 troops to the battlefield, a huge step in the right direction, his decision was immediately undercut by the simultaneous announcement of an exit timetable, starting in 18 months. It is hard to imagine Churchill or Roosevelt declaring in the middle of the Second World War that they would fight the Nazis for another year and a half, and then start withdrawing their forces on the grounds of cost.

5. Apologising to France for America’s “Arrogance”
Barack Obama’s Strasbourg speech will go down in history as one of the most embarrassing moments ever for a US president on foreign soil. As I wrote earlier, “The President of the most powerful nation on earth traveled to France to deliver a grovelling, massive mea culpa for US foreign policy, including the War on Terror. Utter humiliation for America on European soil in front of a largely French and German audience who bitterly opposed the liberation of Iraq – not even Jacques Chirac could have dreamt it up.”

6. Giving DVDs to the British Prime Minister
I’m no fan of Gordon Brown, but the treatment of the Prime Minister at the hands of the White House on his visit to Washington in March was an appalling humiliation for Great Britain. The PM was received as though he were the leader of a third world banana republic rather than America’s closest ally, denied an official press conference and even a dinner. To add insult to injury, Brown was packed off with 25 discount DVDs ranging from Toy Story to The Wizard of Oz, which couldn’t even be played in Britain.

7. Siding with Marxists in Honduras
The Obama administration has certainly been consistent in its strategy of cuddling up to America’s enemies while kicking its friends. True to form the White House and State Department rushed to condemn the constitutional removal of left-wing, America-hating, Hugo-Chavez-backed despot Manuel Zelaya from power in Honduras, and his temporary replacement with pro-American Speaker of the House Robert Micheletti. Whatever happened to the good old days when the United States actually fought against Marxist tyrants in Latin America and backed anti-communists?

8. Bowing to Emperors and Kings
The last time I checked, Barack Obama was not a subject of imperial Japan, but his bow before Emperor Akihito was a scene straight out of the 1930s. A simple handshake with the descendent of Emperor Hirohito would have sufficed, but the president opted for a full-blown bow when the two met in Tokyo in November. It is one thing to pay respect to a monarch, but quite another for an American president to prostrate himself and his nation before a foreign leader. Needless to say, eyebrows were raised not only in America but across Asia as well. This was far from an isolated incident. Obama did exactly the same when he met with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at the G-20 in April.

9. Embracing Genocidal Killers in Sudan
I’ve included this in the list because it illustrates the extraordinary lengths to which the Obama administration will go to appease the most evil tyrannies on the face of the earth. In October Obama extended the hand of friendship to the brutal regime in Khartoum led by Omar Hassan al-Bashir, responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands in Darfur, offering to lift sanctions if there were “concrete steps in a new direction”. The moral bankruptcy of this approach was summed up by Obama’s hugely controversial special envoy to Sudan, retired Air Force Major General J. Scott Gration:“We’ve got to think about giving out cookies. Kids, countries — they react to gold stars, smiley faces, handshakes, agreements, talk, engagement.”

10. Throwing Churchill out of The White House
Barack Obama’s decision to throw a bust of Sir Winston Churchill out of the Oval Office within days of taking power set the tone for his foreign policy. It sent a clear signal that the president cared little about the Anglo-American Special Relationship and the transatlantic alliance in general. It spoke volumes about Obama’s disdain for Britain, a nation that he has never mentioned in a major policy speech, as well as his scorn for the kind of powerful, assertive leadership that Churchill embodied.

H/T to Great Satan's Girlfriend: 44 So Far

Merry Christmas From The Khaki Elephant

Botticelli's Mystical Nativity

The Grinch Who Stole Health Care

I know it's not over yet. I know that there is a possibility that the House will not support the Senate version of the health care bill, especially since only a few house members have to recover from their spending stupor to shift the vote (the House legislation passed by a narrow margin of 220 to 215). I know that the will of the majority of Americans may still prevail . . . but I can't help being annoyed by the fact the the Senate Democrats, in their lust for power, took a step toward selling our children's future on Christmas Eve.

One thing I'll say for the Grinch, at least he only stole from the children of Whoville once. If this bill eventually passes several generations of future Cindy Lou's (who may be no more than two) will be victimized by increased taxes, high unemployment and a national debt the size of Michael Moore's appetite . . . and all for a health care system that most Americans and the medical industry oppose. Merry Christmas.

Bribing Democrats To Support ObamaCare

If ObamaCare is so wonderful, why are Obama, Reid and Pelosi trying to bribe their own party to shove this thing through?

Of course, not even every Democrat can stomach this prostitution of our future. Rep. Bart Stupak (D., Mich.) recently told the National Review Online that Obama and Pelosi won't buy him off. As reported by NRO:

Stupak tells us that he’s disappointed that Democratic leaders have offered him legislative favors in exchange for supporting Obamacare. “This shouldn’t be a bill where you use hush money,” says Stupak. “This isn’t an appropriations bill where you try to get the best projects for your state.”“In the House, we need to bring equity back into the process,” says Stupak. “We need to cut out those sweetheart deals.” If the deals in question are not removed, Stupak will vote against the bill. In the meantime, he says, “my reservations are growing.”

Other things that are growing due to Chicago-style politics in the White House: our national debt, our national insecurity and bile in the stomachs of every American who is actually paying attention.

Senator Jim DeMint Challenges The Democrats Health Care Tyranny

At first this may seem a bit like watching the hair on your legs grow, but it is critical. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) uncovers a late addition to the ObamaCare bill that would require a "super majority" to repeal the Death Panels (aka, "Independent Medicare Advisory Boards") section of the bill. Like a skilled lawyer, DeMint demonstrates that the Democrats are simply trying set up within this bill rules that would ignore current Senate rules.

Sooo, Still think ObamaCare isn't about government power? With these people it's about authoritative tyranny and "screw the laws." 200+ years of legislative operation . . . and this is a first.




Take a moment to contact your Senator about this travesty and let them know that we know what they're up to.

And drop an note of thanks to Sen. Jim DeMint.

ObamaCare Gives Law The Finger

In yet another unbelievable stroke of villiany, Harry Ried and his Senate lackeys have added one more troubling section to Obamacare, one that would prevent the Senate from repealing the Death Panels (or, as Obama calls them, "the Independent Medicare Advisory Boards") section of the legislation unless there was a super majority to do so (in other words, making them all but permanent).

Section 3403 of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment requires that “it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection . . . Notwithstanding rule XV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a committee amendment described in subparagraph (A) may include matter not within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Finance if that matter is relevant to a proposal contained in the bill submitted under subsection (c)(3)."

This means that Reid wants to set up a rule to ignore Senate rules. Still think this Bill isn't about government control.