George Soros: Media Mogul

Rush picked up on it early – the liberal bias in the mainstream media. He identified certain phrases that various media would regularly use in response to major news stories and strung them together, and played them on air. It was astounding to hear talking head after talking head saying exactly the same thing, using the very same language. It was hilarious. We put it down to Democrat ‘talking points'. Nobody yet talked of conspiracy.

Story after story focused on Republican stumbles. Story after story promoted Democrats. Important stories that showed Republicans in a positive light were spiked altogether. Eventually it would come to be known as ‘media bias’. Any Republican who dared to speak out on his party’s behalf was immediately slammed by the press. Democrats, however, could do no wrong.

At about the same time, liberal news outlets began experiencing severe revenue shortfalls. Talk radio and the internet surged. Newspapers, like the New York Times became an editorial and financial laughing stock. Technology was blamed for news consumers’ full flight away from traditional media. I remember having expressed doubts at the time. It seemed too pat an explanation. We ourselves had cancelled two newspaper subscriptions and stopped buying magazines – and it wasn’t because we were getting our news from the internet. We were just tired of being insulted every time we turned the pages.

Now it has come out that there is essentially one man who has been behind it all along: George Soros, one of the richest, most influential men in the world.

Dan Gainor, Boone Pickens Fellow and the Media Research Center’s Vice President for Business and Culture, writes in two recent articles (“Why Don’t We Hear About Soros’ Ties to Over 30 Major News Organizations?” and “Why Is Soros Spending Over $48 Million Funding Media Organizations?”): “Since 2003, Soros has spent more than $48 million funding media properties, including the infrastructure of news – journalism schools, investigative journalism and even industry organizations.”

Soros is known as a ‘philanthropist’ worldwide, a label he carefully cultivates. It puts him outside the sphere of suspicion. We have since learned that his is not a benign influence. We’ve become aware of his outright hatred for the Bushes and Republicans in general, and Israel. It is now no longer surprising the way the media tracks.

In light of Soros’ hold on major media, his propaganda machine is virtually unstoppable. We can try to starve it in the market place, but there is always more money the man can come up with. There has even been the suggestion that, where he can, Soros spikes rival media outlets with offensive advertising.

In a way, now that we understand the game, it has become somewhat easier to figure out. Forget Republican; forget Democrat. The American media is the issue. It bleeds its poison worldwide. Keep track of what the media routinely smears and what it promotes, and you get a pretty good feel for what George Soros wants you to condemn and what he wants to promote. …and, for God's sakes, run the other way.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Guest Contributer: Tom From NJ: Seed Corn

Despite all the adoring hoopla accorded by the MSM to their precious Obama as he cavorts like a war president on his post-UBL victory lap, The Messiah could well be heading for a major political fall here. And make no mistake, politics -- specifically the hyper-partisan, hyper-personal politics typical of Barack Obama -- is what is in play here and nothing else. In short, in trying to make not only the elimination of UBL but also the whole 9/11 story all about HIM, The Bamster may be setting the stage for his own "Mission Accomplished" moment that embarrassed George W. Bush long after he landed that jet on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

First, the UBL assassination is yet another example of POTUS living off the seed corn left behind by the supposedly cretinous Dubya. Only now it's not the tax cuts, it's our national security at stake, and here Obama is heedlessly devouring that seed corn. Having now profited shamelessly and hypocritically off the Bush-era policies of harsh interrogations that he himself hotly opposed, Obama continues to pooh-pooh their necessity and morality while allowing his leftist-racist-corrupt AG Eric Holder to hound with a criminal investigation the very CIA interrogators who made the UBL takedown possible, not to mention the gutting of the defense budget that POTUS is alleged to have in mind. These contradictions will become clearer to voters sooner or later, despite MSM resistance, and we unfortunately cannot rule out some sort of successful terrorist strike in this country over the next year or two, especially since The Bamster himself has wasted so much of our national security seed corn. In which case, Obama's victory lap – BTW, isn't that "spiking the football?" -- could well come back to haunt him and, to paraphrase Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his war-on-terror political "chickens” could “come home to roost" in 2012.

Second, there's the complete bungle the Obama Administration is making out of its post-UBL communications. Dubya’s communications operation was often inept, but the Obama Administration’s is totally clueless with its numerous makeovers, walk-backs, and flat contradictions within its ever-changing UBL takedown story. In addition, I think it’s a serious mistake over the long haul to suppress all photos of the happily deceased bin-Dirtbag. It’s not because a new set of wackos we might call “deathers” need to be convinced that UBL is really dead; they won’t listen anyway. Rather, an image or two released to the world of the great jihadi bin-Laden with his head blown open would finally prove definitively who is the “weak horse.” In that case, such photos would probably not be ideal “recruiting tools” for new AQ recruits but another source of discouragement like their beating at US hands in Iraq. Perhaps The Bamster thinks that withholding the UBL photos gives him a chance to play rope-a-dope effectively like he did with the “birthers” and Donald Trump over his birth certificate. Maybe or maybe not -- but can’t POTUS come up with some sort of original strategic thinking for a change?

Therefore, I agree with Henry Kissinger in his interview at NRO – Obama is an able tactician but he lacks any real strategic sense abroad or, I would say, at home either. Kind of what we might expect from a Community Organizer as opposed to a true statesman, or even a moderately competent President, as started to become apparent to the electorate by November 2010. So, POTUS had better not rush to proclaim "Mission Accomplished" especially since, as Kissinger and others have pointed out, the "mission" has never been clearly defined by Obama, certainly not at the strategic level.

Ding Dong The Witch is Dead

Good story, this morning’s news. I don’t know if my heart can take it. In less than a week’s time we’ve unearthed no less than two holy grails: Obama’s alleged birth certificate and Osama Bin Laden’s alleged body. Both make Obama look like Superman, himself of now questionable citizenship.

Note that by POTUS’ own admission, we have now entered the silly season. In Obama’s mind, he sees himself as running against both Bush and Trump. Both opponents – one clearly virtual; the other quite real – have been one-two punched in early sparring. It makes Obama seem heroic and effective. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

The way our present political system is structured, we need a boogie man inspire and maintain cohesion. If bin Laden is indeed dead – as everyone is currently reporting – it would serve as somewhat of a blow to our hawkish stance re Afghanistan. I note that the president made sure to take personal credit for the kill. All that was missing was the banner proclaiming “Mission Accomplished”. The mystery that remains is who will be next to serve as a foil?

Unfortunately, holy grails no longer suffice to change the facts on the ground. These themselves are frequently contrived to distract from the obvious. Personally, I’m still somewhat confused. I’ve heard the phrase “architect of 9/11” applied to both KSM and Osama bin Laden. Which one is it? I’ve heard the term ‘justice’ thrown around to apply to practically anything and I note it’s even used do denote Eric Holder’s Federal fiefdom which to my mind hasn’t exactly distinguished itself.

I can hardly wait to see what the mainstream press will be making of these latest developments in the face of our continuing economic collapse and other tensions. It’s too bad that both Batchelor and Bahukutumbi Raman happen to be ‘away’ at this momentous juncture. Frankly, there are precious few others whose analysis I respect.

Suffice it to say, that we are now in full re-election mode and anything can still happen – even the improbable. Was happy to hear that bin Laden was buried at sea in full accordance with Islamic custom. I’m sure that the American military had been adequately instructed in advance. If bin Laden had been a Parsee, this exercise might have presented some logistical problems. But, never mind; what’s done is done and seems to have worked out nicely for our president and all concerned. If nothing more, Obama has discovered the power of documentation.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Guest Contributer: Tom From NJ: Anybody But Obama

Last night I was happy to hear Kudlow and Fund endorse my only candidate so far -- Mr./Ms. ABO. Who Candidate ABO actually is, I have no clear idea at this point, but I can suggest who does not qualify as ABO. Take Mitt Romney -- please. Due largely to RomneyCare, he's toast already, although neither he nor the Establishment GOP leadership seem to realize it yet. He should get out of the race now before he embarrasses himself; if he does so, he would make a dandy Secretary of Commerce under President ABO. Another prominent non-ABO is Newt Gingrich, who has so much baggage he needs to hire whole shifts of redcaps to help him carry it. Of course, Newt could then become a valuable advisor to President ABO; indeed, what power on earth could stop him?

Another non-ABO, sad to say, is Sarah Palin. I hate what the MSM, and even some elitist conservative snobs, have done to her, but there she is before us, all Tina Fey-ed out, already wounded and bleeding. Sarah is a smart young woman so she should bide her time and continue to do what she is successfully doing -- supporting conservative candidates for office with grassroots fundraising and effective stemwinder speeches. One of those candidates should be Candidate ABO, whereupon Sarah should get herself named Secretary of Energy. Then Sarah Barracuda could return healed and refreshed and go for the brass ring herself in due time, although her many enemies will continue to slander her as a nut-slut as long as she lives.

OK, so who will be Candidate ABO? It might turn out to be Donald Trump, who right now reminds me of General George S. Patton -- a great one in battle who is really taking it to the enemy (Obama), but who is perhaps too erratic and egotistical for his own good. To extend the analogy, Patton would surely have screwed up as overall SHAEF commander, a position that instead required the temperament, track-record, and skill-set of an Eisenhower. Similarly, being President might not in the end be a good fit for Trump's personal temperament, track-record, and skill-set. But right now who knows?

Another possible ABO is Paul Ryan, who, like Trump but in a different way, is already directly engaging POTUS in battle. Some of our blog colleagues have suggested that Ryan might be overly intellectual in his approach, but that might be because he is trying to actually give actual details on a very complex topic, i.e., the Federal budget and the deficit. That said, Ryan does get off some good lines -- not that the MSM will ever let anyone know -- so let's consider this GOP ticket for 2012: Trump-Ryan. Just sayin', but sounds very interesting right now. As for me in this April of 2011, I continue my steadfast support of Candidate ABO.

Soup Nazis Galore

Let me begin by saying that I love Kelly Evans. In fact, my post entitled “I Want Kelly Evans Back” last January 1st became one of my most popular posts and elicited quite number of intemperate responses to boot. She’s looks smart and can well massage liberal talking points and chew gum at the same time – all this, while fitting in perfectly with the Soros-certified media sycophants that would include such luminaries as Meredith Viera along with most others that one sees on lame stream media outlets on a regular basis. I might add that John Batchelor himself has been skating dangerously close to falling in with this same dreary group, particularly by his frequent use of John Avlon as a surrogate.

My post entitled “Smoke-Filled Rooms At Bretton Woods” could be inserted here. In it I tried to show that what we are currently facing is much more insidious than the current vogue: Democrat/Republican divide, that seems to drain every last drop of our almost limitless patience; that the real players lurk in the shadows (at Bretton Woods) and would never expose themselves to Kelly Evans’ (among others’) essentially banally scripted questioning.

I submit that if George Soros had been sitting in Trump’s chair there at the WSJ studio, the questioning would have been quite different. He might have been asked what amount to a series of softball questions like, “Would you have gone into Iraq or Libya for ‘freedom’?” and he would have answered with a resounding ‘YES’, adding, “but never for oil” for that would rub against the grain of Soros’ own self-inspired talking points that demand that America should bleed herself dry before doing anything at all in its own self-interests.

Conventional wisdom has it that by the time the 2012 elections roll around, “anyone but (Bush)Obama” will be the order of the day. This would not necessarily mean that we are now out of the woods. On the contrary – as we have seen with both Bush and McCain – our situation would remain essentially on the same trajectory. It would take an outsider like Trump or (to a lesser extent) Palin to really shake things up.

Soros’ lib soup Nazis would spare nothing to smear anyone who could upset their apple cart. Of the two, Palin or Trump, the latter would be in a much better position to survive the onslaught. He is forceful, plain-talking, competent and savvy. He appears to be a patriot. I believe he could win if the present system would allow him to compete. You know it would do its level best to destroy him if he ever got close. The question then becomes: Is Trump man enough to smash the system?

As we continue to observe this approaching train wreck of an election and as we continue to keep score, it might do well to note which prospective candidate receives the brunt of press ire. That would be the one I would go with. Whether or not he or she could actually win; and, in winning, shred the current anti-American narrative top to bottom, is another matter entirely.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Condo Shopping in Brazil

We’re all news junkies; that is, we try to keep up with the news on a daily basis. We read the headlines on various sites, as well as our favorite blogs to get some idea about what other people are thinking. We pretty much know that the mainstream media does not tell us the truth; that partisan consideration causes them to steer their intended conclusions toward some unholy end. The same is true of the conservative, or ‘alternative’, media.

I’ve been having some trouble with the internet, especially when trying to stream Glenn Beck’s morning radio show. It suddenly cuts out and I need to go down to the basement and reset the box. Honestly, it’s become a pain to listen, and I no longer listen very often. I also don’t watch much TV - especially in the afternoon. For our family, Glenn Beck has essentially ‘disappeared’.

While visiting my father, he explained to me the purpose of Brazil's new capital (now 50 years old), the building if which he had been intimately involved in. It was envisioned as a world capital housing the leaders of a single world government. Its planners predicted that there would be a war in which much of the world would suffer utter devastation. The site for the Brazilian capital was deliberately chosen as to be as far away from everything as possible and would therefore not be much affected.

The city has strict building codes as to limit its population. The expected overflow was to be housed in any number of satellite cities some distance away. Only the highest elite - the cream of the crop - were to have permission to live within city limits.

This came to mind when I first heard that Obama would be going to Brazil on vacation (or is it to shop for a condo?). Suppose now, that something were to happen here while he is away. It’s not unusual for the leader of a nation to leave his country and, while abroad, there is some kind of coup back home.

Suppose communications were cut. Suppose all we could get on the radio is old episodes of the Prairie Home Companion. Suppose there were no mention of what had happened. Suppose TV screens remained blank; the internet dormant.

Suppose Osama bin Laden were to order all his sleeper cells into action. Suppose some manufactured economic problem were to close the banks. Suppose union thugs and others took it upon themselves to target random ‘rich people’ and Republican legislators.

In very short order, America would find itself turned on its head. There would be utter chaos in the streets – not to mention, in every American heart.

Suppose that by some prearranged signal Israel and Taiwan were attacked, as well as Americans and American interests oversees.

All this would be digestible, except for radio silence. We could respond to most things, but not this. For years now, we’ve known that our media plays fast and loose with the facts. We’ve learned to be discerning and deal with it. But no news? How could we possibly deal with that?

Only those who had been tipped off beforehand would know what to do - only the best organized. The rest of us would miss the sleight of hand until long after the dust has settled and the now familiar faces of our talking heads have faded from memory.

http://peterkoelliker.blogspot.com/
http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

What If...

What if Mubarak were to ride this one out? The thought came to mind when pro-Mubarak supporters stormed into Tahrir Square, attacking western news crews and shouting anti-American slogans. Could Israel do the same?

It seems that a display of anti-Americanism is quite in vogue in the Middle East. Heck, it even works in America.

What if it turns out that Egyptians have had enough. It is my understanding that the grocery shelves stand empty. Not a cigarette to be had. Who is responsible? Who is in a position to do anything about it? ElBaradei? The rabble in the streets?

What about those whose houses and properties remain at risk from criminals and looters? Who will they turn to for relief? It looks like they’re prepared to look after themselves. Neighborhood posses have been formed to drive hooligans away.

This is similar to the 1967 Newark riots. While the city burned, residents of the Ironbound set up armed sentries to keep the lawless out and they succeeded in protecting their holdings. While Newark is still clawing its way out of the abyss, the Ironbound has been thriving.

How would Obama react if Mubarak holds on - by popular support, even. How would the American media spin it?

Maybe Israel should do the same: Send masses of people out into the streets with signs (in English) condemning America. Now they’d all be brothers. Who needs the West?

http://peterkoelliker.blogspot.com/
http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

ElBaradei: Sliced Bread

We, John Batchelor junkies, are pretty much all in agreement that ElBaradei is a Tehran stooge. He speaks English and that makes him acceptable to the West. Remember that after the Iranian revolution, they also installed a stooge who was termed acceptably ‘moderate’. We know all this.

Does the White House know? Sure. Does the media? Unknown. In any case, they’re following the script which says that ElBaradei is the best thing since sliced bread. No discussion at all about Israel. Israel seems to have been forgotten in all this. The White House has already written Israel off - as well as the Suez Canal.

Is the White House engaged? Sure. Was the White House taken by surprise? I doubt it. We, the people, were the ones taken by surprise. We are the ones who still insist on believing that this White House does things with America’s interests in mind.

Go on insisting. Go on being caught off guard when things happen. Go on believing POTUS incompetent. When Tehran comes knocking at our door, open up and ask, “Who is it?”

The Islamic threat is spreading west. I’ll know who it is at the door. They’ll see the light on but will find nobody home.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Chaos In Egypt

The U.S media has been up front in its comparison of the Egypt situation with what happened in Iran back in the late seventies. But there’s a twist: Both the media and the government are using the occasion for U.S. bashing: All U.S. policy up to this point has been wrong, they say, and even immoral. There is practically no discussion about Israel or the fact that Egypt controls the Suez canal.

The view consistently promoted by the media is that Obama will either fix everything or that he is doing the best he can given the situation on the ground. In fact, Obama is doing neither. Rumors are circulating that the Obama administration itself actually encouraged the foment in Egypt. While only just rumor, it is to some extent believable as it has become clear that Obama is neither a friend to Israel nor of (big) oil. If the price of oil rises out of reach for Americans (due what’s happening now throughout the Middle East), so much the better. It fits right in with the Left’s agenda and will force America to get serious about developing a carbon-neutral energy strategies (to which the president devoted much of his State of the Union Address. Significantly, perhaps, no mention was made of Israel and the still unresolved conflict with its neighbors). Israel, as you must know by now, has already been given up as a lost cause.

While all eyes are turned to the chaos in Egypt (and throughout the Middle East), the real revolution is taking place in America. Obama came in with the promise of being a transformational president. As far as he is concerned, his vision for America is right on track. My best guess is that he will be re-elected in 2012.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Let's See How It Plays

Olbermann gone, but not forgotten. Perhaps it all boils down to ratings after all. Olbermann has always been near the bottom of the heap. He has talent, no doubt. His talent was overshadowed by his bias. Once bias has been freely and audaciously exhibited, there is no longer any need to watch. Everyone already knew what was coming.

Olbermann is much too smart to let this happen. I suspect he was encouraged all the way. He knew that his ratings suffered. (They all know.) In fact, he had much larger audiences than what was obvious when his clips were played on much more successful shows. These made him out to be a clown and he readily obliged. Why?

I suspect it’s some version of the ‘fairness doctrine’ again: Olbermann on the Left; Beck on the right. “We’ll get rid of Olbermann, if you get rid of Beck. In fact, let’s get rid of the whole bunch of them: We’ll get rid of MSNBC; you’ll get rid of FOX. Let’s start with Beck and Olbermann and see how it plays.”
-------------------------------------------------------------

"Despite the fact that Democrat policies are hugely unpopular, two factors have enabled the party to continue to present itself as mainstream.

“The first factor has been the media. As has been their practice forever, it seems; the media have helped Democrats by demonizing the Republicans and rightist politicians. Working hand in glove with leftist politicians, the media have implemented the politics of personal destruction against right-wing leaders. By demonizing the likes of Bush, Cheney, Palin, Limbaugh et al, they have rendered the social cost of supporting Republicans and the Right too high for many Americans to bear.

“At the same time, the media have colluded with the Left to present leftist leaders as earthy, heroic, sophisticated and responsible statesmen. By keeping the content of their policies firmly out of the discussion and framing the debate instead around personal attacks and symbols, the media have successfully kept conservative leaders on the defensive and shielded leftist politicians from substantive attacks on their radical policies.“

The preceding has been taken from Caroline Glick’s latest article in the Jerusalem Post. It is not about America. It is about Israel. I’ve taken the liberty of changing a few words.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

No Remorse

Any written document exists at best as a shorthand in support of a theme. Any sentence within it must not and cannot be regarded as absolute truth. It can only be an approximation. Haiku is a Japanese art form in which three lines of writing aim to convey a broader concept. It usually amounts to a pictorial. The intended effect is a feeling that often defies definition.

When I say, “Obama is out to destroy the nation”, I do not mean by it that he will order the military to carpet-bomb America. And even if true, the landmass would remain along with most of its people. What I really mean is (and it has surfaced at various times, embedded in various terminology) that he is out to fundamentally 'change' the nation. He has said so himself. But we, as heretofore optimistic Americans, automatically jump to the conclusion that this American president would strive to make America a better place - at least, better than it has been. ‘Better’ meaning that all ships are raised by what he intends.

Having watched our president over the past two years, I find this is not the case. The part about ‘change’ is still applicable, but the one about ‘better’ is clearly not. As I look around, I cannot fail to see that now, two years later, everything is worse. The press does not trumpet it as they did with Bush, but nevertheless housing, jobs, and the economy in general are barely limping along. The world too, is a much more dangerous place as rogue nations, seeing America taking a back seat, are flexing their muscles.

All this could not be happening by accident. There is a plan. The plan for the past two years has been to diminish America’s influence in the world. In order to achieve this, America itself needs to be diminished. And this program is proceeding unimpeded.

You may ask yourself, why would any American - never mind the president - be complicit in such a program? The answer is: because he believes it. There are citizens living here who actually hate this country. It stems from a condition of profound narcissism. They look around and see huge problems elsewhere and erroneously assume that America - universally acknowledged to be the greatest power and influence in the world today - is at fault; that everything our nation has ever done has led to this condition; and, worse yet, that America has profited unjustly by it. Therefore, the answer they arrive at is that America must be cut down to size.

They recruit the like-minded, the weak-minded, the corrupt, and those hostile to America from overseas to form a coalition to bring this about. Our president, sadly, is among these.

It may make some sense when written within the frame of a history text or doctoral dissertation. It may even earn one honors by the way in which it was expressed, the balance, symmetry and beauty of the argument. But actual geopolitics does not necessarily conform to academic theory, however elegant. As I suggested at the outset, dogma is but a shorthand (set in stone) for utopian dreams.

There are so many factors that play into the reality of a single situation, it would overflow every existing library in the world just to house a minute fraction. Therefore, it is sheer madness to reduce these to just one or two simple solutions and then to pursue these come hell or high water.

Of far greater import is one’s love for one’s country, one’s faith in one’s people; and of wanting to do what’s best for them. In other words, to subscribe to the concept of 'exceptionalism'. Not to wallow in one’s self-loathing. Also, it’s always so much more effective to lead by example; to begin at home, or with oneself even: to develop discipline; to eschew bad habits; to remain vigilant and caring for those whose situation it may be in one’s power to affect.

Barack Hussein Obama, for whatever reason, wants to go down in history as having changed (no less than) the world. For this, he seems to be willing to sacrifice his own. It will not work. The damage he would end up doing to America would reverberate around the world. No one will be immune - least of all he.

The story of Detroit is not what it seems on the surface. It is of jackals feasting on a carcass. It is of corruption sanctified by hatred - hatred for the whites that built this once great city on the backs of blacks. It is pay-back. It is kicking over the sand castle. It is the Palestinians destroying the greenhouses of Gaza.

Even if convicted, Kwame Kilpatrick will show no remorse.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Larger Than It Is

The Frilled Neck Lizard is an amazing little reptile. It is also an Australian icon. They are between 70 to 90 cm. long, and have a 'frill' around their head. When the lizard gets frightened, it opens its mouth and the frill puffs out. This is to make the lizard appear larger than it is.

For those of you bewildered by the reporting this past weekend, you must remember who the media is. The mainstream media, as has already been too often observed, has been utterly corrupted either by ideology or money. It exists for one purpose only: to facilitate the Left’s agenda. It does so routinely either through intimidation or obfuscation. This weekend’s incident in Arizona was an exercise in both.

The primary aim of our media is to shut down debate; to label opposing views as dangerous or just plain silly. Remember, they did the same thing when they elevated a no-name cipher to the very pinnacle of U.S. governance, allowing for little or no investigation. To question was considered rube behavior. Ditto, ‘global warming’ - at one point, even questioning the premise was considered criminal, on the level of holocaust denial.

Now they’re doing the same thing with the economy which is clearly in a tailspin. The people are no longer fooled. The media has lost all credibility. The next election will show that they’re cruising on vapors. We’re listening to talk radio and browsing the internet for our news.

The U.S. media acts as a ‘frill’ for the Left. They make it seem larger than it actually is.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Dead-Center Left

Candy has it wrong. The biggest story now, and for the past several years, has been the press itself. It has been it’s creation of the Franconian figure that is Barack Hussein Obama. The tea parties have been treated pretty much as one would an afterbirth . No one celebrates it. It figures much more prominently in the process of cleaning up.

Crowley may have misspoken because, when all was said and done, the afterbirth showed more promise, more life than the fetus ever did. Here we are two years later, and the tea parties exhibit a far greater vitality than the awkward mongoloid child. All those having celebrated the birth with such unconstrained enthusiasm, are now faced with having to climb down from their original high expectations. Naturally, they have been reluctant to do so.

In the process they have poisoned their own well of credibility. It seems the child was unable to open the heavens and has had to follow in the footsteps of his elders. The accommodation to ‘tax cuts for the rich’ was just the latest in a series of broken campaign promises. This one in particular represents the crowning achievement of the outspoken tea parties in that the name ‘Bush’ was actually attached to it. There can be no way of flushing it or sweeping it under the rug.

All during the rise of the tea parties, the press has done its best to ignore them. When the final salvo against them failed - pegging them to the threat of violence and making them a target of Homeland Security - it became clear to many that they would have to begin taking the tea parties seriously. There is now an increasing number who are in the process of doing so. Only the likes of the NYT still push the predictable narrative of Obama’s omnipotence, hardly ever mentioning the tea parties by name. They continue to pursue this course at considerable personal risk. From what I hear, the finances of the old ‘gray lady’ are in dire shape. This as opposed to the WSJ who has manage to pick up subscribers just as fast as the NYT is dropping theirs.

Still, the NYT is said to be the paper of record. Any number of U.S. publications - and the international press in particular - take their cues from The New York Times. These are beginnig to suffer equally and we can soon expect a bill introduced in Congress geared to bailing out failing news organizations. In addition, there’s been some serious talk afoot of ‘regulating’ the industry. Long entrenched politicians are becoming concerned. They would like nothing better than to be able to limit the scope of what has come to be known as ‘alternative media‘. The John Batchelor Show radio and blog also fall into this category.

There are of course others far more critical of the ruling classes on both sides of the political aisle. In a head-fake to fairness, both FOX and MSNBC are now in the crosshairs. It’ll be interesting to see how this issue will fare in the next Congress. Lawmakers will feel compelled to deal with it and the tea parties will be watching closely how this heretofore dead-center left narrative develops. America has spoken after all. It will no longer tolerate rank distortions.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

It Kills Me...

It kills me to see this: By reluctantly accepting the ‘deal’ with Republicans to extend the Bush tax cuts (sic), Obama positions himself as a moderate, hoping to profit by it in his 2012 reelection drive. Obama is not a moderate! He never was; and he will never be a moderate. He is a revolutionary. His aim, simply put, is to bring down the U.S. economy.

It remains to be seen how many people will be fooled by this ploy. I predict not many. I believe Obama knows the Bush tax cuts (sic) will not be extended, courtesy of his radical leftist friends in Congress. They know it too. It’s likely they worked the strategy out in advance between them. It’s no mystery how the major media will spin it.

The ’biggest tax hike in history’ will take place January 1st. It will hurt the economy. While pleased about it, Obama will appear to have washed his hands of whatever happens.

It reminds me of a few years back when the North Koreans destroyed some of their buildings, claiming to be climbing down from their nuclear ambitions. Almost immediately, the world showered its (evil) dwarf-like leader with high praise and sent gifts. Now look what we have today!

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Why Bother?

It’s getting down to the wire. There are indications that nothing you hear from now on can be trusted; that things will be said solely for the purpose of manipulating the vote. It sometimes works. Exit results in the East have been known to suppress voter turnout in the West. Exit polls are not official. These can be, and often are, wrong.

Similarly, talk of a Republican landslide can work either way. It can keep both Republicans and Democrats from going to the polls. Talk of races tightening can have the opposite effect. Like it or not, turnout is key.

In short, do not believe anything you might hear. Go to the polls knowing nothing. Simply vote your conscience - but do vote.

There are some things we do know. We know that this is an important election for both parties. We know that our economy is not doing so well, no matter who may be at fault. We also do not see signs of things getting better. We’ve lost much of our 401 nest egg. Inflation is set to take the rest. And jobs are getting ever harder to find.

Internationally too - for those who follow world affairs - we’re in dismal straits. Our friends are distancing themselves and our enemies have taken to laughing out loud. We can accept Obama’s excuses and pretend he hasn’t been in office for two years, or we can make up our minds to do our share to change direction.

We also know that the media won’t tell us the truth. Make no mistake, the president is on the ballot. “D” = Obama; “R” = against. I myself have questioned just how much Republicans are willing or able to do after the election. None of that matters now. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we must first get to the bridge.

One last point: Expect close results to be fought over. We don’t have a friend in the White House, nor at Justice. A close result means we lose.

It is my belief that there will be beaucoup surprises. When it’s over, the word ‘unexpected’ will likely be heard everywhere. The Tea Parties will know better. They know the 'force' is with them. The morning after, we’ll likely have the unmitigated pleasure of taking our foot off the gas, pulling into a 7/11 to purchase a NYT - just for a long and healing laugh.

On second thought - why bother? We already know what they're going to say.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

And What's Our Excuse?

POTUS does not show much capacity for conducting a war. The overall vision is all that counts. Details - win or lose - are unimportant; merely incidental. My concern is how our mucking around in AfPak will affect the region in general. B. Raman has been wringing his hands for weeks now, believing U.S strategy will affect India adversely. In this he is correct. His mistake is in believing that there actually is a strategy that involves India. I continue to inform him that there is no strategy; that POTUS is simply going through the motions; that POTUS does not care a whit about India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Israel or anything else; that his primary concern is the war he so doggedly fights against those he perceives as the enemy within our own borders: the Tea Parties and all those who may already have figured out what he‘s up to.

We’ll be out of there next year in any case. The press will paint it as a great achievement; the triumphant fulfillment of a campaign promise. They’ll never set foot in the region again. We won’t know what happens there next; and we won’t care. We’ll have too much on our plates right here at home.

Meanwhile Pakistan and China are growing closer. All kinds of joint infrastructure projects are already well underway, involving roads, ports and railways. I have news for China: They won’t fare any better than we - or the Russians (did when it was their turn). Pakistan is a failed State and will continue to be that. No outside force can turn it around. The best thing for Pakistan would be for everyone to just walk away and leave them to sort out things for themselves. Sure, they’re said to have nukes - and that has been our excuse all along - but I’ll bet you dollars to donuts they don’t work. They’re more likely to blow themselves up before anybody else.

It’s a shame really, Pakistan being what it is: a welfare client. It started out with the same good will and promise as India did. It squandered its opportunity and became an incorrigible child; a throw-back to the 7th Century; a whiner, ill-prepared to change its own diapers. Its troubles - Pakistan’s angrily stunted growth - can be laid directly at the doorstep of Islam.

…and what’s our excuse?

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Eli's Comin'!

All posturing aside. I, for one, am growing increasingly uncomfortable with our political situation. Our deepest fears are never spoken. When in the past I have written of America devolving into some Venezuelan-type autocracy, I have done so as a warning of what may be in the mind of our president, keeping in mind that there is yet another side that may serve to counter it. Incredibly, what I have been saying about Obama’s Democrats has come true by degrees. Incredibly, the Dems have shown a willingness to go along with almost everything, progressives and Blue Dogs alike. Incredibly, the MSM has not yet turned against them. Incredibly, Republicans are still taking the bait.

It is all well and good that there is now a third party that seems to have some grip on reality. The Tea Party reflects the nation’s general unease. Yet the pundits dismiss it as a flash-in-the-pan; as either amusement or poison that has the real potential to split Obama’s opposition.

The continued criticism of our own is, frankly, disheartening. But, what is even more ominous is the unwillingness to realistically assess the man in The White House and to acknowledge that, no matter what happens in November, he will still hold all the cards.

Even the Dems are running from him this political season. Should not also Republicans be running? And yet I see no sign of it. They are happily snapping up the bait, taking good advantage of the voter’s mood.

I have previously spoken of the tsunami that hit the eastern coast of India some years ago. The water was said to have been sucked out to sea as far as the eye could see. The curious walked out there in blind wonder. I remember when Route 24 was first being built, the kids and I would go out there and innocently play ball and ride our bikes. Meanwhile, the deer already knew not to go there - like the beach dogs in Chennai, racing up our street en masse, away from the ocean. The people had a nasty surprise coming when the sea returned. Most didn’t survive it.

It’s the same with our Republican candidates. They don’t seem to have a clue about what they’re getting themselves into. They seem to think they’ll be going to the market for some normall horse trading. It never occurs to them to question how easy it was for them to get in(to the trap).

The Pledge to America was a naïve attempt to give some purpose to their mission. Haven’t they noticed that nobody paid much attention? That they had missed the mark? Horse trading is no longer the issue. The fuses are lit; the big tent is on fire. The Blue Dogs are howling and pulling on their chains. Eli’s comin‘!

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Vamshavriksha

We may never know if Rahm was pushed or if he is fleeing. Not only Seib, but the MSM in general have portrayed the event as bitter-sweet. Unlike departures from the Bush White House - which were generally viewed as evidence of confusion and abject failure - Rahm’s leaving is being hailed as fresh and exciting opportunities for both Rahm and Obama.

It has become a mark of supreme enlightenment to couch every political criticism (especially on our side) in phrases such as “both Republicans and Democrats…” or, now, more to the point, “past (Republican) presidents as well”. By doing so, we are hoping to triangulate and place ourselves above the fray. This can only be a winning strategy if our side has the advantage. It is unclear at the moment just who holds the advantage. Certainly, as far as midterms are concerned, Republicans can be expected to reap huge numerical gains in Congress. But take elections out of the equation and one finds that the same conditions that brought Obama to power in 2008 still exist today. The country is deeply divided along ideological lines.

When scientists scratch the earth in remote regions of our planet and unearth the bones of our ancestors, they then try to connect the dots between what they have discovered thus far and what they continue to find. As such, they are hoping to construct a lineage that would explain from whence we arrived at this point in time.

When all they would really need to do is to study in minute detail the developing fetus. Therein lie all the clues to every stage of development the human species has undergone to date, from single-cell organisms, through our reptilian stage, all the way up to what we are today. Every human being precisely replicates every single stage of his (or her) development since the beginnings of time while gestating in his (or her) mother’s womb.

It’s the same with ideas. All we have to do is ask ourselves why we believe in what we believe - do it doggedly and systematically - and we would find that we have come to accept certain assumptions and hold them as truth. At some point we branched out into two distinct beings: liberals and conservatives. Liberals have further (d)evolved into the Left of the political spectrum; conservatives into the Right. By failing to ask what has created this divide, we are obscuring the origins of what has made us so different.

We no longer question the assumptions that support our position. We simply regurgitate what we are told that most closely approximates our natural leaning.

Once the tree branches, it never grows together again unless the branches are cut and are heaped together for the purpose of a kindling. Then fire consumes them both equally.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Throwing In the Towel

I see JB is wisely avoiding the subject that’s surely on everybody’s mind. These people should not be receiving all this press attention. I understand the entire congregation could fit into a single bus with room to spare.

One can look at it in one of two ways: (1) Someone is finally taking a stand against those pointing guns to our heads. Make no mistake, these are terrorists. They want their will imposed on us. “You do this,” they say, “and we will do whatever …kill your wives and children.” They’re now getting away with making terrorist threats. The next step will be, “If you refuse to build our mosque near ‘Ground Zero‘, we will view it as an attack against Islam and do whatever …kill your wives and children.” Oh wait, it’s already been said.

And so it’ll go on. We’ve already demonstrated our willingness to capitulate - to throw in the towel. When one of our allies was attacked on the high seas by North Korea, we did nothing about it. When Israel is threatened we do not counter that threat. In fact, we join in and pile on.

Or, (2) we can continue to ignore the issue of our seemingly limitless cowardice. We can ignore what’s happening along our southern border; we can ignore clearly stated existential threats; we can ignore our own laws to accommodate certain privileged classes; we can ignore gross fiscal mismanagement; we can ignore corruption; we can ignore or even outlaw opposing views. We can simply pretend that all is well; that everything could be far worse.

What is the media’s obsession with this preacher? Is it to deliberately stir up trouble - to incite? Is it to prove to the world that America has fallen to its knees and can‘t get up? Is it to crucify the last man who will stand up publicly and defend his nation?

They say uncertainty is our enemy. It is because of uncertainty that our economy is failing. I have a solution: Let’s pass a law against Koran burning; let’s pass a law against smoking and drinking; let’s tear down our churches and banks and build mosques in their places; let’s legalize the stoning of women for any reason any man might come up with; let’s make women wear burkahs; let’s lash them if they dare show an ankle; let’s ban girls from schools; let’s approve of throwing acid in faces that are judged too pretty; let’s ban music, radio, and TV; instead, let’s hold public hangings, lashings, stonings on the Village Green on Sunday afternoons and let’s make attendance to such events mandatory.

In this way we can wipe out uncertainty. And we won’t have to worry about the markets because we will have banned money as well.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Unpopular

Unpopular? Hardly. Bush was unpopular; so was Nixon. Obama is way beyond ‘unpopular’. Obama is a menace.

Obama need not rally his troops for the midterms. They’ll understand why he’s saying what he’s saying. They understand that he needs to convince whoever’s in the middle that he’s not Left. They understand that without the middle, their cause is lost.

In the time he’s been in office, Obama has clearly demonstrated where he stands. He’ll say that his work is not yet finished; that once it is, people will see the difference. We see the difference already. We see that the way to the bottom is infinite. We could get to be like some nation in Africa, always at war, no food, organized slaughter and rape, escalating to periodic genocide. So much for the noble savage - and yet, the salt of the earth everywhere is innocent. Leadership makes all the difference.

Yes, there’s still a ways to go till we reach that bottom from which other bottoms may look like tops, but we’re dropping awfully fast. Maybe in two years time we can claim sister cities in Somalia.

I think people know what’s at stake. The polls pretty much confirm it. When even major media says that the Dems are in trouble, it must look really bad for them. Congressional approval numbers hover around 11. I’d say, subtract 10. The people know what’s going down.

Obama can be expected to do a lot of talking in the next couple of weeks. Was Rahm pushed or did he flee? He’ll likely not be mayor of Chicago either. Guilt by association. All Democrats suffer from it - even that nut job, Grayson from Florida.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/