Cinderella's Bloody Glass Slipper

Since I had to carry a gun for my work, I needed to qualify every six months. Missing the target was not an option. It never is.

This morning I went downstairs for breakfast. I turned on the radio. And there it was: The obligatory jabs at both Trump and Palin – and all this by a New York local radio host who’s considered ‘conservative’. It seems we’ve all been down this road before. We just never learn. Back then, our fav piñata was Bush. What we wouldn’t give to have him back again!

Obama remains untouched. Every word of his is routinely afforded the gravitas it no longer deserves. We try so hard to fit this wicked stepsister’s foot into Cinderella’s glass slipper. It must be the slipper’s fault. And yet, midnight is fast approaching when everything turns to pumpkins.

The Left has no compunction in slicing off toes. In fact, they have the surgeons constantly standing at the ready. Never mind the spectacle of blood, smear and dishonesty which disgusts and, at the same time, fascinates. They work in tandem with the media, like a well oiled machine. Slice here and dice there, and the shoe is made to fit despite the corns.

There, on the front page of the WSJ, the headline reads, “Karzai Told to Dump U.S” – by Pakistan no less. Inside, there’s a story about the trial and conviction of ‘Big Fish’ Lee Farkas, former chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage. Only, it turns out, that Farkas wasn’t such a ‘Big Fish’ after all; that our government was behind it all (in the form of Fannie and Freddie Mac).

It’s just that the government has now assumed the status of ‘sacred cow’ and can never be touched. Instead we send up thousands to atone for the government’s sins. As Holman W. Jenkins, Jr. – author of “A Mortgage ‘Big Fish’ Disappoints” – laments, the whole thing “fails to confirm the media intuition that the housing boom and bust were brought on by the criminality by mortgage CEOs.”

Same with the spike in gas prices at the pump. It couldn’t possibly be due to Obama’s policies (even though he explicitly told us that he wants us to pay more for gas). It couldn’t possibly be due to the collapse of the dollar due to the government policy of printing images on paper and pretending it’s real money.

Overseas hangs the giant Libyan question mark – and Egypt, Iran, Syria and the entire Middle East. Then, there’s Russia and China; South America. What is it this president believes?

Bolton says there’s no rhyme or reason to Obama’s foreign policy. Really? Everywhere we look we lose. Sounds suspiciously like a plan.

At the very least, Kaddafi knows what he wants and he’s willing to go for it, even if it kills him. Anyone who can articulate what he wants, short of sh*t-canning their own nation has a leg up on Obama at this point. I’m not saying that Obama isn’t smart or doesn’t have goals. …and isn’t it remarkable how Obama just managed to get us to sh*t-can our own just by the ruse of releasing his birth certificate?

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.

Getting Churchill's Bust Back

Socialism/Communism (whatever you want to call it) is a cancer. There was a time in our history when Communism was shunned in this country. We fought bloody wars to contain it - not always successfully. We knew all along there were Communist in our own country and they needed to hide lest they be found out and publicly shamed.

Communism, as I’ve said many times before, has all the earmarks of a religion that includes proselytizing (in its mildest form) all the way up to and including jihad (as practiced by modern-day Islam). They’re extremely well organized and persistent. They know they can’t win at the ballot box, so they’re ready to exploit every weakness in the system and turn it to their advantage. 'Jimmy of Brooklyn', a frequent New York talk show caller, was right all along. You don’t hear much of him anymore, but he had the goods as far back as in the 80’s. He was always made fun of and treated as a loon, even by so-called conservative hosts. And yet, twenty year later, here we have it, just as Jimmy predicted.

One of the ways the commies get around the natural resistance to Communism is by changing the language. “Communist” was changed to “liberal”. And then, when “liberal” was exposed, they changed it to “progressive”. And now “Democrat” is the acceptable (stealth) term. (I may have the order wrong, but you get the point.) Most of the regular Democrats have been drummed out of the party.

Republicans are now being infiltrated as well. At least, their resistance has been compromised to the point where it is no longer possible to tell who is who in the party. People are quick to assume that the reason Republicans are so ineffective is out of timidity or simply a lack of experience in leadership. Don’t be so sure of that. The Left has many masks. Weeping John Boehner may well know what he’s doing, having been assigned his part in the ‘good cop/bad cop’ routine where both are playing the same side.

An important election is coming up in 2012. The Left will stop at nothing; repeat: NOTHING, to get their way. In some ways it’s do or die for us. Do not respond to ‘crisis’ or threats of crisis. Do not respond to empty promises. Look carefully at the men (or women) who are running. Any openly declared leftist, vote no. Anyone promising to reach across the aisle, vote no. We can no longer afford to compromise with these people.

Also look at the media to see whom they are out to demonize. Palin was a perfect example. Trump is next to be sliced, diced and thrown overboard. Even the Batchelor Show is poised to take part in the fun. We may find out that Trump can swim. He is said to be a real estate mogul. How is it he survived the housing slump? Must be a very crafty guy, quick on his feet; competent. If he should lose the Republican nomination, he said he would run in a third party slot. Conventional wisdom has it that this would split the party and Obama would win.

The most attractive thing about Trump is that he is a patriot. I don’t necessarily see this in any other prospective candidate. Romney is a politician - and has been. He’ll say anything. All the others, excepting Palin, are lesser versions of Romney.

Can Trump win? I think he can. First, second or third party, Trump could win. And he could be the Churchill of our times. …and, believe me, we have reached the point where we are desperately in need of a Churchill. It’s the only way we can ever get his bust back.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

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/

Conspiracy Theory: History In Reverse

I think it’s high time we get away from blindly criticizing Obama; the media; foreign, energy, and fiscal policy; and everything else; and begin connecting some dots. The only one doing it publicly at the moment happens to be Glenn Beck (and we all know what’s happened to him).

On this morning’s program, Beck laid it all out – soup to nuts. The players involve everyone in the Obama administration, union thugs, media flacks, prominent international figures (including Kaddafi) with George Soros at the top pulling the strings. Sounds like crazy talk. Sounds like a conspiracy theory. Those who believe in conspiracies are usually nut jobs. Right? – except when said conspiracy theories turn out to have been right all along. But, by then, conspiracies have become (often tragic) histories. And there’s no more time left to do something about it, other than live with the shame.

It’s not that I agree with all that Beck claims. There are some weak points and stretches. Overall, though, it sounds credible. It certainly does begin giving a shape to all we’ve been talking about (particularly) over the past two years – events that we believed stood alone and thus could be easily dismissed. I’m even starting to wonder about our friend, John Batchelor, and why he has been concentrating so hard on China lately. China, as I see it, is not part of the Soros deal. As such, it can only serve as a distraction from what is happening right under our noses.

Crazy talk or not, the time has come for a deeper examination of events than we’re getting. It’s interesting that there are some things that the media just won’t touch, while obvious examples are being made of those who dare to approach that third (Soros) rail – like Sarah Palin, for instance. (I'm talking about Palin's naked patriotism and her support of Israel.)

Then there is this from the “Business & Media” website (God knows who runs it) that published an article yesterday, entitled, “Unreported Soros Event Aims to Remake Entire Global Economy” by Dan Gainor. I’ve put up the link below (but I’m rather inept at this sort of thing, so I give you the information above as well).

http://www.mrc.org/bmi/commentary/2011/Unreported_Soros_Event_Aims_to_Remake_Entire_Global_Economy.html

It’s not that I’m against trying to remake the world. What I object to is how it’s being done. It’s being done in the proverbial smoke-filled back room by fat-cat elite narcissists. You can be quite certain they don’t have America’s best interests in mind.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Romney: Didn't We...

When people are taken hostage they are customarily bound and gagged: bound, as to prevent escape; gagged as to prevent them from speaking.

Though I have no proof, I believe that years ago the Catholic Church was deliberately infiltrated by elements that were intent on sowing mischief. There was much to be gained by the diminution of the Church’s credibility and power. Offshoots and lesser Christian denominations were targeted as well, but there the approach was more directly ideological. These would essentially evolve into politically-driven social clubs.

In politics, a similar strategy has now become apparent. The Democrat Party - the weaker of the two American political parties, weakened primarily by the indiscretions of Bill Clinton - became a cesspool for leftist tripe. The Republican Party also would not remain immune to anti-American trends.

In our last presidential election it was interesting to note just how the strategy works. The people were presented essentially with a Hobson’s choice. On one hand, a known entity, saddled with all of the trumped-up failures of the past; a war hero, who quite appropriately wrapped himself in the American flag, but was a ‘progressive’ (new word for ‘socialist') nonetheless. On the other, an unknown. “Let’s try something different,” became the excuse of the duped who thought themselves as modern and, above all, (oh so) tolerant. (The Islamization of America had not yet entered the frame.) The office at stake was not that important after all. We’d been attacking it, belittling it, mocking it for eight years without seeing much of a difference.

As the table is now being set for the 2012 election cycle, we see more of the same. No doubt, Obama’s record constitutes a serious drag for Democrats as Republicans continue to poll well. But far from taking the opportunity to change course, we’re merely changing masks and party labels. Romney should be out by virtue of his health care blunder in Massachusetts alone. The real standard bearers of conservatism continue to be demonized by both the Left and the Right. ‘Centrist’ and ‘no labels’ are exalted, but stand firmly for the status quo: a sometimes rapid, sometimes slow descent. When what we really need to do is tear up the tracks going forward and turn this train around.

As I’ve said previously, Obama’s election was no accident. All was in place to bring it about. I maintain, that under McCain it would now be no different. In some ways it might even be worse.

I am simply amazed how many who claim to be on our side are perfectly willing to denounce Palin; how many laugh and nod their heads knowingly when someone outrageously and publicly claims she is no more than masturbatory material.

Romney looks good on the golf course. I may be mistaken, but didn’t we just try that?

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

A Jumble of Nine

It has become easy to connect the dots in the Middle East. We already see the outlines of the end game. Michael Vlahos is right when he says that underlying it all “is a search for dignity”. I did not hear the show but, I assume, he did not go so far as define ‘dignity’ as seen from the Islamic perspective.

At the same time, we refuse to connect the dots here at home. Most conservative pundits and political hopefuls openly state that our nation cannot survive another six years with Obama at the helm. What they really mean to say is ‘two’ (years). Most do not yet connect the chaos in the Middle East with the chaos in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Yet, clearly, the demonstrators themselves have made the connection. Their talk and signage shows that they are keenly aware of what’s happening in the Middle East and are in solidarity with it.

Last week marks the first time a major, nationally known politician raised the ‘I’ word in an interview with Newsmax TV. He did it in a sort of circumspect way, suggesting if President Sarah Palin had done what Obama did (re: DOMA), there would be immediate calls for her impeachment. Then, immediately backing off, he went on to say that, in Obama’s case, calls for impeachment are not warranted.

So, which is it Newt? Is it the old sock-in-the-mouth double standard again? With talk like that Newt cuts his own throat. And DOMA is not the only issue on which Obama finds himself on thin ice - constitutionally speaking. And that’s not even the sum of it. Look at where we are today domestically as well as internationally. Are we really better off now than when Bush left office? Or is the calliope crashing as we watch? Do we have a Plan B, or C, or D…? Or has what we are seeing been Plan A all along?

Come on Newt! You can do better than that. Say it like it is and then stick to it come hell or high water. Show some spine!

Kudos for getting the word out there, anyway. Hopefully, it’ll get the ball rolling (even though we all know that it won’t be you to roll that ball).

Here’s a prediction: The first one who owns the ball and takes charge of it wins. If no one is willing to do this much, then we’re even worse off than I thought we were.

How many glossed-over low blows will it take before we lose all appreciation of four corners (as in a ring)? How long before the number ’8’ becomes just another meaningless cipher among a jumble of nine?

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Gettysburg (redux)

Maybe we should exorcise the words ‘wrong’ and ‘right’ from our dictionaries. When pundits say that Obama, Kaddafi, Ahmadinejad, Mugabe, Chavez (or whoever) are on the ‘wrong’ side of history while Scott Walker, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck proclaim themselves to be on the ‘right’ side, it betrays a bias. There are only sides. ‘Wrong’ or ‘right’ are relative to the side one happens to be on. Let us then just say, “There is their side and there is our side.”

We have now established that there are indeed sides. Provided we feel strongly enough to identify our preference, we must then support our side with all we’ve got.

We’re in the midst of a global battle we must win. We can no longer be bystanders because the outcome of this battle will determine our future and the future of our children. It has become pointless to argue about ‘wrong’ and ‘right’. Each side thinks it’s right and that the others are ‘wrong’.

Similarly, ‘left’ and ‘right’ on the political scale has become solely diversion and used by both sides to confuse and obfuscate. You either believe that America has been ‘wrong’ throughout its history or you don’t. You either want to see it torn down, destroyed, to let the phoenix rise from its ashes; or you want to preserve what has already been built.

There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer. All that remains for us is to fight impeccably for whichever side we choose.

The winner of this battle will have the right to carry the banner of America. It will be either a ‘new and improved’ America or it will be America as it once was.

After the war has been settled, someone from the winning side will echo some version of President Abraham Lincoln’s stirring ‘Gettysburg Address’ in addressing the nation. It may not be at a cemetery, for (I should hope) we no longer fight our internal wars with guns and bullets. But we will have fought nevertheless. And the spoils will have gone to the victor.
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On the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the ’Soldiers’ National Cemetery’ in Gettysburg, PA, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at Gettysburg, President Lincoln delivered what has come to be known as ‘The Gettysburg Address‘:

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Pray to God it will be someone from our side.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Flipped

Both China and Japan - (we could even go so far as to say) all countries - face challenges in implementing policy. There are always approaches that warrant tweaking. Since there might be questions as to the underlying assumptions that would presumably lead to improvement, it is possible that any given policy (based on such assumptions) might ultimately fail to produce the desired result. So far, China has done things pretty much by the book.

There is, however, nothing to guarantee that ‘the book’ - even the American book - is always right. Time is like a train rushing ahead. There also needs to be some measure of faith that the tracks will continue to be there.

There is no doubt in my mind that - although China has made some serious mistakes in the past, giving birth to any number of Albatrosses around its neck - China aims high. It wants to be top dog. As such, it intends to surpass America. This does not necessarily imply evil intent. It proceeds out of a sense of national pride. The leaders of China believe in destiny. They feel that their time is at hand, and that they must now prepare as much as possible and, when the time is right, ‘seize the day‘. Apart from China, there are any number of signals that the U.S. itself has been sending that confirm China’s suspicion that its own turn at the wheel is near.

When my wife queries me if I would prefer eggplant or carrots for supper, she immediately jumps to the conclusion that I don’t like carrots and will never buy them again. In truth, I don’t mind carrots at all. Confronted with a choice, I inevitably fall into a trap of my own making as soon as I voice an opinion. Carrots, after all, are different from eggplant.

I agree with a liberal friend of mine that we should not be in the business of exporting ‘democracy’ throughout the world. We should persuade by example. China has been watching us and has adopted many of our ways. It has helped them to become relatively successful in a short period of time. China also sees us now, and intends to avoid making our mistakes. The point is, the leadership of China seeks to do what it feels is best for China. We may or may not agree as to how China‘s ascendancy would ultimately affect us.
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Interesting opinion piece by Michael Medved in this morning’s WSJ, entitled, “Obama Isn’t Trying To ‘Weaken’ America”. The pull quote from it reads “Some conservatives call the president the political equivalent of a suicide bomber: so consumed with hatred (for America) that he is willing to blow himself up in order to inflict casualties on a society he loathes.”

It goes on to list various failings of past presidents from Franklin Pierce to Bill Clinton, implying that we have well survived all their foibles; that Obama’s fumbling in office is of no more consequence than Clinton’s diddling with Monica Lewinsky in an Oval Office anteroom. Medved’s grand proof that people like Rush Limbaugh - who has said, “I think we face something we’ve never faced before in our country; and that is, we’re now governed by people who do not like the country.” or Sarah Palin, who said, “...he (Obama) is hell-bent on weakening America.” - are imbecilic. He bolsters his argument by saying, “None of the attacks on Mr. Obama’s intentions offers an even vaguely plausible explanation of how the evil genius, once he has ruined our ‘strength, influence and standard of living’ hopes to get himself re-elected.” - as if elections would be of any concern to ‘evil geniuses’ in the first place.

I used to like listening to Medved’s radio program when he was here in New York years ago. I especially liked his movie reviews. It could be that he has flipped, like Philadelphia's Michael Smerconish, and as John Batchelor himself is forever threatening to do.

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.”
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"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/

More Christians Than Lions

There’s another narrative here that the media couldn’t quite bring off; but, God knows, they tried. That was to say, because of Obama’s visit to the hospital, Giffords opened her eyes. It would have made for terrific copy world-wide. It would have gone along seamlessly with an earlier thread: Obama as messianic figure.

All the other stuff worked. They really can’t complain. Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Tea Party - all in the dog house. The need for yet more money to treat people with psychological problems and to house psychopaths; maybe even a brand new Federal department complete with death panel czar to oversee it all. More welfare for the afflicted; higher taxes, of course. More money for education; more gun control… on and on it goes.

Finally, it’s all Republicans’ fault. Listening to Aaron Klein broadcasting from Israel last Sunday, he related how Israelis were convinced that Jared Loughner was a right-wing tea party member - and these were people working in news rooms!

In India, it’s the same story.

There are more Christians than lions; but, hell, you’d never know it.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Brave New World

The mood in this country is palpable. There are tripwires everywhere. It has nothing to do with what happened in Arizona or anywhere. Hat tip to Sarah Palin who finds herself in the eye of the storm. Perhaps she is stupid after all. Any sane person would be running for the hills. But, I suspect, she’s simply unafraid - a brave, young woman, just wanting to serve, and willing to put herself at risk for what she truly believes, trusting that’s what an increasingly timid America wants as well.

Americans are a practical sort. They view elections largely as a distraction, something that takes time away from their own routines and concerns. Back in 2008, confronted with the distraction of elections once again, they just wanted to get it over with. They hurriedly consulted the Yellow Pages and made their pick. “They’re all the same,” they concluded. “One black; one white (in the proverbial chocolate box). They all taste sweet. It doesn’t really matter.” But they made one huge mistake.

While looking under the “B’s” for “builder”, they mistakenly opened their phone books to the “D’s” and picked a name at random under the category, “Demolition”. Now, both the client and the hired hand are upset. Obama thinks what he’s doing is right.

I’m re-reading the book, ’Brave New World’, I’ve had lying around here since high school. It might have been on a suggested summer reading list back in the late sixties. “Re-reading” might well be a stretch. I don’t think I ever read it - only the first few pages, perhaps. Now, I find, it basically describes two paths, one inward and one out. Both are infinite. Neither has much of anything to do with appearances (or Maya, if you wish). Huxley makes it a point to describe the civilized world as perfect and clean. On the other hand, the savage world is undisciplined and dirty. There is disease, degradation and aging. Yet, an undercurrent of revolt seems to run stronger just below the surface in the civilized world. When the D.H.C is exposed, it acts as a tripwire and all hell breaks loose.

Obama, and liberals on the Left in general, are pursuing the outward path, seeking to regulate every facet of human behavior. Many have tried this. They’ve all meant well; but they’ve failed every time. There’s nothing to suggest that giving it a bath and new clothes will make it any more acceptable.

This outward journey alone is clearly not sustainable. It results in an edifice that must crack and splinter under its own weight. Life and its expression will not be contained. Individuals will not entirely submit to either God or Ford. Like the roots of trees that push and probe for water and, in the process, undermine foundations, the human spirit will not be held by one single ideology. It will increasingly turn inward, find nourishment there and, at the appropriate time, burst forth. It will bleed and excrete terrible poisons. But that only shows it’s alive in contrast to the Dems’ pale, bloated, carcass-like, Botox vision that can promise only inexhaustible supplies of soma tablets.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Liberals - 1; Conservatives - 0

January 8th, 2011

Urgent: Flash e-mail from the White House: A message from OFA (Organizing for America) national volunteer coordinators:

Dear Blogger: By now you’ve heard the news. Time to mobilize. What just happened in Arizona (where else?) is more than murder. This is our opportunity to invigorate some of our policy objectives. Target gun control and talk radio (Limbaugh, Beck, etc.). Target the internet and capital punishment. Target Palin. For suggestions, go to xxx@yyy.com for templates and suggestions.

Get busy. Support the cause. Support Democrats. Support your president. Prizes for the most e-mails sent.

Remember, never let a crisis go to waste.
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The above fiction is nevertheless believable. How else can we explain the current feeding frenzy in the press and on the blogs? Clearly, what happened was a personal tragedy for all those hurt and killed. Also clear is that it’s a stretch to involve people who had nothing whatsoever to do with it.

More than the wounding and murders themselves, the real tragedy is what immediately followed. I differ from Limbaugh in one important respect: Whereas he sees it as a one last-ditch desperate effort - a ‘Hail Mary pass', if you wish - by liberalism losing steam, I see it as only the beginning - the opening salvo of what we can expect for the next two years. The media and Democrats are scoring big.

This morning, ‘The Hindu’, Chennai’s hometown newspaper will carry Paul Krugman’s column entitled “Climate of Hate”. In it he implicates and smears everyone who does not agree with his radical views. Indians will read this and, hearing no other American voices, will shake their heads sadly. Some who have relatives abroad will send e-mails to caution them. They will warn them of the Tea Parties, talk radio, FOX, the GOP, Palin, Beck, O’Reilly, conservatives, etc. All this will be done out of genuine concern and in good faith.

Talk show hosts are feeling the need to defend themselves today. Their faithful - even if in the numerical majority of the population - agree with them. But as a part of the overall national narrative they remain marginalized. Their protestations sound somehow hollow as the ball continues to roll left.

Liberals - 1; conservatives - 0

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

The Stoning Of Sarah

The Left certainly was more than ready for this one. It’s almost as if their talking points had been already scripted and sitting right there in the ‘out’ tray for months, just waiting for the inevitable moment to materialize. The media was already suited up, (ink)jets scrambled. It was the moment they had been waiting for: the opportunity to strike a blow against such perennials as gun rights, the tea parties, and talk radio. Well done, Left!

No time was lost on reflection. Facts that didn’t quite match evaporated before our very eyes. Websites scrubbed. Beck dropped. The rugs had been lifted to accommodate whatever was inconvenient to dispose of properly.

Some months ago a website (I forget which) posted a video of the stoning of a young girl somewhere in Pakistan. Nothing was left to the imagination. At the time, I wondered not just about the vicious frenzy of those throwing the stones, but also of the passive nature of those watching, and filming. The filming, especially, bothered me. “How sick!” I thought.

But then I realized that those filming couldn’t possibly be sitting around watching this again and again over popcorn and beer. There must be something more to it.

Maybe they were crying out for help. Maybe it was the only way they could think of to expose the madness. It was for us to see - to be outraged, as they were - to be moved to intercede; to take charge; to rescue them from their bloody Islamic hell. At considerable risk to themselves, they succeeded in smuggling the video out to what they believed to be the beneficent West, only to be shelved there and ignored.

We too have a bloody woman on our hands. Only, for us, it doesn’t seem to be enough. We want more. We want Sarah Palin’s head mounted on a stake to be paraded through our streets. We want Limbaugh and Beck. We want the population disarmed and helpless, at the mercy of thugs and tax collectors. We want the Tea Parties castrated and silent. We want our Constitution shredded. It is now clear that this is the official narrative of our intent.

We’ve just come from celebrating an election (in which the wrong party made huge gains). Some of us had been full of hope that things will improve with the infusion of fresh blood. That much we got. We were eagerly awaiting the first signs of change, of rebuilding that which had slipped away during the past two years. Now all of it has been overshadowed, sidetracked, postponed - the momentum lost. Who wins? Not democracy; not freedom. We’ve exploited our opportunity to take a step backwards. We’ve been derailed, stifled, disheartened. We’ve once again come face to face with just how fragile our system has become. We’ve become irritable and irritating in the same breath.

Those cell phone Pakis must be crying. America will not help. America can’t even help itself.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

When Did You Stop Beating Your Wife?

Linking Sarah Palin to the AZ shootings is a low blow, even for the NYT. Just goes to show how desperate they‘ve become. Unfortunately, it works for now - like Obamacare will continue to work in their favor; like cap and trade; immigration; etc.

People believe what they want to believe. They’ll believe it even if the facts speak against it. Some will believe in God simply because they see a church. Others see a church simply as a configuration of stone, and do not see God there.

The overwhelming public narrative that says Republicans are evil and that Sarah Palin is stupid wins out every time. It is deep-rooted. Even those who believe this narrative to be patently unfair support it every time they quote from the NYT; every time they try to engage by giving voice to their counterpoint.

The only effective way to fight it is to ignore it. I know many of you have long since cancelled your subscriptions to the NYT. This is not enough. You cannot quiet the noise from the left. It is there and it always will be. Do what the Left does to us. Don’t pay any attention to it. Don’t react; don’t engage. Pretend it isn’t there. Roll your eyes; raise your eyebrows; shake your heads. Marginalize it; ignore it and walk away.

This is what they’re doing to us. Though we claim greater numbers, we still fall for the old trick of being goaded into defending ourselves (when did you stop beating your wife?) - against what? False claims? If the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t wear it.

Not sure how this will play out. The visuals are misleading but powerful: Arizona; Dem. Congress woman shot; first black president; opposition to his policies; racism; etc. The palette of colors has been defined. The shape of the argument proceeds as planned. The painting emerges just as envisioned. We react, taking a defensive stance - or we just remain silent, stunned by the picture that continues to emerge.

Know who you are. Know what you believe. Believe in yourself. Don’t let them confuse you. Don’t stammer. Rather, stay quiet. They are professionals. You don’t stand a chance playing their game. There will come an opening. That’s when we act.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Is Obama Presidential? Is Palin?

All that’s missing is the “Mission Accomplished” banner behind the president as he speaks in non-sequiturs.

This one appears lost. The troops don’t applaud him with the same enthusiasm with which they did his predecessor - which is understandable. He does not speak to or for them. He speaks to his gaggle of rabid press flacks back home who know that he doesn’t mean a word he says but must pretend he does to keep their own credibility from flat-lining.

The other half of his supporters, the hard Left, holds its tongue. They realize they haven’t won the door prize yet. They are impatient. They know impatience will wipe out their dream of ejecting the Nuremberg heavies from their thrones. They can’t help themselves. They are determined to ascend to the heights of St. Peter within their own lifetimes - and time is running out.

It’s been said before under different cover, but you’ll remember the gist of it, As soon as the Left remembers to love America more than they hate Republicans, we can begin to make progress in this country. We can begin fixing things. Not before.

I find the attacks on Sarah Palin by the news media appalling. Haven’t we learned anything from the Bush years? Even our own side chimes in regularly. Even I… We jump on the slightest pretext into the routine for which we seem already primed. We see ourselves as heroic for finding a speck on which we can agree with the Left. The latest, of course is to say, “No, Palin can’t ever be president because…” Because? Because nothing! She’s done nothing to deserve such treatment - same as Bush. I understand that Bush gave away half the store. But if you’ll remember, he saw himself as president of the whole country. Half the country happens to trend left.

This one makes no pretense about it. He is left through and through. We ought to reject anything he says outright - not seek to understand, or search in vain for silver linings.

Now we’re all chortling because he went to Afghanistan to see the troops. It’s supposed to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside; to make us forgive him of all his sins.

Yet, at the same time, we continue to beat up on Palin. We say she’s not presidential. Is Obama? - No, he’s not! He’s a disaster! Yes, I said it!

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

The Last Hurrah

"Wherever Palin goes, she counters Obama's magic." - John Batchelor

No need to counter “Obama’s magic”. Obama has no magic. It’s easy to counter magic that does not exist. Obama has shown himself as impotent at best - domestically as well as in foreign affairs. I note that New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California are not on her list of stops. Neither are any of the states in New England. These are states that have opted out of the Palin excitement. They, among other laggards, are equally important to the Union, albeit in a negative way. At some point each of these will require a bailout by the Feds that the whole country will be forced into paying for.

I note that Iowa, Texas, and Louisiana are slated for not just one but two visits each. No doubt, the governor of LA will be appearing with Palin on at least one of her visits. In TX, she pays homage to a former (now beloved) president, and Iowa is significant in terms of our electoral system.

Wherever Palin goes, she will bring her magic. She will sprinkle the deserving with it as one would sprinkle fairy dust. She is tremendously popular except among the constipated who currently enjoy power (if not brains). Sarah’s tour may well be the last of its kind, where the spontaneous outpouring of a hopeful people can be unabashedly celebrated for all it's worth. As I have said numerous times before: I believe there’s now a good chance that the 2012 will not come off in a form that we will be able to recognize.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

We Will Succeed

In a normal political climate the polls would mean something. Americans’ dissatisfaction with government would cause the leadership to moderate and reassess its policies. But just the opposite is happening. Democrats are doubling down.

“Every Action has an Equal and Opposite Reaction.” This is the third of Sir Issac Newton's laws of physics. Where’s the reaction in our political world? Only the Tea Parties at the moment. And we’re the ones that Bill Clinton calls insane, and Obamaites call racist. All these folks are going to needing our support if they want to continue in politics. Unless they know something we don’t. So, why do they talk that way?

Hillary is staying out of it. She may be the most dangerous of them all. She’s not talking because she’s stealth - like Obama was once upon a time. They all think they’ve got us by the short hairs; that we’ll heel - like obedient dogs. I don’t think so.

What makes them so arrogant? They don’t even try to hide their radicalism anymore. That’s because they think they’ve got the ‘Big Idea’; the momentum. Speed bumps no longer matter.

I think they’re wrong. I believe in Newton’s laws. I think there is a reaction that’s building - a wave. Our ‘Big Idea’ is AMERICA! There’s no bigger idea than that. I believe, the way they’re going, speed bumps are going top rip out the under carriage; their wheels will go flying.

I believe someone will step forward and focus our raw power against them. (I know some of you don’t like the idea of being led. That’s why I phrased it the way I did.) I’m really talking about leadership. Look at it in terms of liberation; rolling back all the myriad of oppressive laws, regs, and taxes; and getting our country to function again.

So far, all we’ve seen from our side is Lilliputians. This would include Palin among others. The person we’re looking for will be Gandhi-like, or Churchill. He hasn’t declared yet for strategic reasons. He’ll (and, yes, he’ll be a he) be the one who leads us out of this wilderness. Well all know it as soon as he declares. We’ll know it’s him by the deafening howls from the Left. They will know it too. They will know that they have lost.

I have my suspicions as to who he might be. I’ve alluded to it in previous posts. I won’t go any further at this time. He’ll choose his own moment.

All I can say is, we will defeat them - our Bolshevik tormentors. And we will restore our nation (and science) to it’s proper place. It’ll be a nail-biter, but we will succeed.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Enter Stage Right

What is becoming clearer with each passing day is that the electorate has had enough. Their wrath is primarily aimed at Democrats. Nor are Republicans immune. Republicans are blamed for allowing it to happen.

The major media seems astounded at Tea Party successes around the country. They’re giddy in the hope that it will hurt Republicans. They do not see that the whole country has turned primarily against Democrats. They only see the cracks appearing within the Republican establishment, which they then translate into gains for Democrats.

They do not yet understand that there is a third way. It would mean clearing the tables of all incumbents, and starting over. Party no longer has meaning for most Americans.

The constituency is already here, suited up with bells and whistles, all ready to go. All they’re waiting for is someone to believe in. Perhaps, as with initial incident reports, the first three candidates are always wrong. Can we count Obama as the first; Palin as second? The next to enter from stage right should be the one.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Splitting Hairs

“In Geneva I have known artisans who did not know what I meant when I inquired if they were communists; but immediately admitted to being ‘progressives‘. I was not deceived. The same is true of Buddhists. The name by which the world knows them is not one they themselves utter.” (adapted from Borges’ “The Sect of the Phoenix”.)

I don’t know why we keep trotting out Sarah Palin at every turn. She is a good person, to be sure; but her comments are utterly predictable (as are the comments of those entrusted to publicly berate her.)

Why are we still surprised about what Obama says or does? There is now enough evidence for us to know precisely who he is and what he hopes to accomplish. Anything beyond that reaches into an endless curatorial abyss. We must act now!

Obama’s remarks about the proposed mosque near Ground Zero are not remarkable. What is remarkable is that we still haven’t learned to avoid taking the bait. A huge argument ensued that now echoes on practically every doorstep. And that was the point; to get us to argue amongst ourselves. Any happenstance that allows BHO room to dodge and weave shifts our focus away from the damage that is being inflicted as we speak. By splitting hairs with our neighbors about what has happened, what should happen, and why, diverts our eye away from the actual threat.

Who cares if the mosque is built and completed even before (what used to be called) “Freedom Tower” has been started? The girl is being assaulted in a public place - right now! Who would refrain from jumping in to stop it on the basis of some absurd sophism? Who could not be certain that once the decision has been taken to personally intervene, others would not also join in to help? Would we really just stand there and argue while the rapist attacks woman after woman? Have we already reached that point?

We know that Obama is a communist, or an Islamist, or both. We know his playbook. We know what must happen if he were to succeed. It is as if we were already bound and gagged awaiting execution. We are aware of the circumstances that have conspired to bury us in this echo chamber - the lies, the exposés, the show trails, the false witnesses. We know; we anticipate; we fear, yet we do not act - except to argue amongst ourselves about something as meaningless as loopholes in nomenclature.