Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Michael Steele: Retire Now.

Michael Steele, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, should take a few vacation days before deciding on whether or not to run for a second term as head of the Grand Old Party in the upcoming RNC election - I am quite confident that if he weighs his options he'll retire for the good of the party, and party members.

However, if he does decide to seek a second term - he will be running against two very impressive individuals, who have previous experience in running a statewide Republican organization, and nearly half of the GOP rank-and-file, according to Public Policy Polling's latest survey on the issue.

In case you have forgotten, Michael Steele was elected RNC Chairman two months after Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the 2008 election, and has since become a gaffe prone, scandal ridden individual who just can't keep his mouth shut. He has constantly sided against Republicans on crucial issue after crucial issue, especially when he called Afghanistan "Obama's War", as if George W. Bush didn't invade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed 3,000 American civilians.

We need a leader for the 2012 Presidential campaign, not a man leading the NY Times best sellers list.

What say you?

Report: US Tax Dollars Went to Exhibit Featuring Jesus Being Eaten By Ants, Homoerotic Art

Your tax dollars at work.  Republican leaders are outraged that the Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery, funded by U.S. taxpayers, feature controversial exhibits.  These include homoerotic artwork, picture of Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breasts, and a video in which Jesus Christ is being eaten by ants.

After hearing of the exhibit, outraged Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, stated:
“Absolutely we should look at their funds.  If they’ve got money to squander like this – of a crucifix being eaten by ants, of Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breasts, men in chains, naked brothers kissing – then I think we should look at their budget.”
However, co-curator David C. Ward defended the depiction of Jesus being eaten by ants, entitled A Fire in My Belly, stating: 
“Fire in My Belly is an example of political engagement in artistic form with the AIDS epidemic by an artist deeply concerned with the exploration of our response to that medical and societal calamity.”
He went on to say about the work:
“That it is violent, disturbing, and hallucinatory precisely replicates the impact of the disease itself on people and a society that could barely comprehend its magnitude."
Representative Kingston did not agree, calling it, “In your face perversion paid for by tax dollars."
The "artwork"
Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. went further in denouncing the project.  Through a spokesperson, he said the piece was an
"outrageous use of taxpayer money and an obvious attempt to offend Christians during the Christmas season.  When a museum receives taxpayer money, the taxpayers have a right to expect that the museum will uphold common standards of decency. The museum should pull the exhibit and be prepared for serious questions come budget time.”

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Obama Administration Looking into Criminal Charges Against WikiLeaks

For the past several months the controversial site WikiLeaks has been releasing sensitive data to the world.  The documents the organization has leaked, according to analysts and the Obama Administration, puts the lives of Americans overseas and at home at risk.  This data pertains to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, internal and conflicts abroad, as well as candid statements from the U.S. government about foreign leaders and situations.

This has been going on for months now and on Sunday, new documents began to be released.  Now, all of a sudden, the Obama Administration has decided that it could be illegal.  I suppose the Obama Administration is trying to tell the American people that they are "on top" of the situation:
"Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said the Justice Department and Pentagon are conducting "an active, ongoing criminal investigation.'' Others familiar with the probe said the FBI is examining everyone who came into possession of the documents, including those who gave the materials to WikiLeaks and also the organization itself. No charges are imminent, the sources said, and it is unclear whether any will be brought."
How is this batch of leaks different than previous ones?  No one is quite certain, but it is very possible that the Obama Administration is aware of documents that can hurt them either politically or criminally.  Therefore, they are trying to stop and/or prosecute WikiLeaks before these documents are released.

Yet the questions of 'why,' 'how,' and 'if' still abound:
"Former prosecutors cautioned that prosecutions involving leaked classified information are difficult because the Espionage Act is a 1917 statute that preceded Supreme Court cases that expanded First Amendment protections. The government also would have to persuade another country to turn over Assange, who is outside the United States.

But the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the inquiry is rapidly unfolding, said charges could be filed under the act. The U.S. attorney's office in Alexandria - which in 2005 brought Espionage Act charges, now dropped, against two former pro-Israel lobbyists - is involved in the effort, the sources said.

The Pentagon is leading the investigation and it remains unclear whether any additional charges would be brought in the military or civilian justice systems. Pfc. Bradley Manning, an Army intelligence analyst suspected of being the source of the WikiLeaks documents, was arrested by the military this year."
Why now?  If not now, when?  And what exactly is the Obama Administration thinking?  These questions will be answered in time.
President Obama
Another possibility:  the Obama Administration is this incompetent.  They are so incompetent that they allowed an organization to hurt our national security and put people's lives in danger and is only now trying trying to stop them.

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Monday, November 29, 2010

Liberal Hypocrisy: Valerie Plame 'Outed', Wikileaks 'Heroes'

 Today marks just another round of profound hypocrisy from those on the left. From 2003 on the national media was transfixed on the case of an undercover CIA agent being 'outed' by a vengeful Bush Administration when it was supposedly caught in a lie. Columns railed against the 'abuse of power' by the White House and some foamed that it was comparable to Watergate. Calls came for Vice President Cheney's resignation and for the imprisonment of members of the Bush Administration.

Instead, it was learned that Valerie Plame was open about her CIA status and willfully sent her husband to Niger to explore claims of Iraq seeking African uranium in violation of federal nepotism laws. Her husband, Charles Wilson, did not actually do what he was tasked to do and British intelligence still pointed to Saddam Hussein's government attempting to buy yellowcake uranium from West Africa.

However, if you have gone to the theater lately you may have noticed a dramatization called Fair Game that lionizes Plame and Wilson into heroes. And Sean Penn is playing Wilson to boot.

Of course, if you go anywhere in the internet you can find recriminations about the Bush Administration to see how it 'lied us into war.' One example in an interview with Mrs. Plame:

 Furthermore, the Left was all too happy to claim that those who opposed the Bush Administration efforts in Iraq were 'traitors' and that Plame's life was put in danger through the 'outing.'

Now if this is accurate, Plame was in danger from a senseless and unprovoked leak in order to further suspect political motives.

Furthermore, an editorial for the Denver Post effectively equates Plame's identity being put in the open with treason-- aiding and abetting America's enemies by giving them sensitive information.


 Fast-forward to 2010. The Wikileaks 'outings' of classified information covers all different fields. Not only does it out information from the military including about undercover or in danger personnel, it is now divulging state secrets on a massive level.

Of course, you would expect the people on the Left to be intellectually honest and immediately denounce Wikileaks' nihilist maneuvers.

But, of course, the Huffington Post believes differently:


Of course, this has to be different on the Daily Kos:


 It couldn't possibly be immoral to release classified information, after all, it's civil disobedience!

Or in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Rob Rogers
Hypocrisy can be shown in many ways. However, the examples put forth here and thousands of others presenting themselves on website front pages and newspaper editorial sheets all express the same smug outrage. Plame is a hero for being a liar, and Wikileaks is great for undermining American fights against dictators and religious fundamentalists. Say hello to Leftism in the 21st century.


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Liberal Plans to 'Reduce' Deficit a Joke

 As if you are not content with all of the 'deficit cutting' that President Obama has been doing over the last two years, leave it to prominent Democrats to bring up a new series of proposed ways to 'reduce' the deficit. The New York Times is reporting on these schemes and you can see instantly why they will not work.

¶Stimulus spending. Most of the plans call for immediate additional stimulus measures, arguing that they will help create tax-paying jobs and reduce spending for relief to the jobless. But the liberals seek more spending in the short and long term: for now, financing for unemployment assistance, public works projects and aid to state and local governments to prevent continued layoffs of teachers and other employees, and for years beyond, “pro-growth investments” in areas like education, infrastructure, child care, rural broadband and scientific research. 

Of course there's plenty on new taxes, but it appears that these plans are inherently to spend more in the short term (except for the military while we're at war) and hope that everything will balance out. This is almost exactly what President Obama and the Democrats have done since January 2009. And the deficit didn't increase at all during that time, did it?

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Sunday, November 28, 2010

Wikileaks: 'We are Under Attack'

The controversial website Wikileaks has Tweeted that they are "under a mass distributed denial of service attack."  This comes as the site promised that today it would release thousands of formerly classified government documents.

Here is the Tweet:
The United States government has asked, and at times demanded, that Wikileaks halt the distribution of documents, claiming that it puts people's lives in danger as well as could cause international problems.  Wikileaks has not yielded.


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North Korea Deploys Missiles on Southern Border

North Korea is taking its belligerency to a new height today, as it has deployed surface-to-air missiles on its southern border with South Korea.  This raises concern that the North could attack or otherwise become more belligerent in the very near future.

The Russian-made missiles have been deployed since the North's artillery shelling of the South this past Tuesday:
"The source said SA-2 missiles seem to be targeting South Korea's fighter jets flying near the disputed western maritime border, known as the Northern Limit Line."
As the hostilities between the South and North seem to mount, the United States is carrying out war games with the South while China is calling for emergency talks.  Yet the North seems to refuse to listen to reason.

The reason why North Korea is acting so belligerently is uncertain.  Some analysts believe it is to attract attention, others believe it is to test the United States, while more believe it is simply to start a war with the South.
North and South Korea
Yet people in South Korea seem unfazed:
"In Seoul, life carried on normally for the city's more than 10 million residents, with downtown shopping districts jammed with people despite the freezing temperatures, and cafes decked with Christmas decorations doing brisk business.
“I am worried, but not that worried that I need to stay at home,” said Eunhye Kim, an usher showing people from a packed theater in the capital. “They don't really want to make war ... there's no gain for either side.”"
In the last few years the North has acted more and more hostile to the world, but especially its southern neighbor.  This new artillery strike and missile deployment could be the culmination of the North's aggressiveness.



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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Ed Rendell vetoes Castle Doctrine.

Pennsylvania's House Bill 1926, better known as the Castle Doctrine, passed the State Senate by an impressive 45-4 margin on October 14th with overwhelming bi-partisan support (All but three Democrats, and one Republican State Senator supported the legislation), and the House passed it again on November 15th, by an equally impressive 164-32 margin.

It appeared as if Pennsylvania's Castle Doctrine would absolutely become law. However, even though legislative Democrats supported the legislation without question, term-limited Governor Ed Rendell, in what might be his last major act as chief executive, vetoed the pro-self defense legislation earlier this afternoon.

What is Governor Ed Rendell thinking?

Governor-elect Tom Corbett will only sign the legislation (which both legislative houses are once again bound to pass) when he takes the oath of office next year, and why wouldn't someone (especially a politician) want to leave office with the distinct pride of knowing they helped to expand crucial self defense rights to the citizenry at-large. Obviously, Ed Rendell is without political or common sense.

Hopefully, the new Pennsylvania Legislature and Governor will move quickly to pass and enact the Castle Doctrine legislation when they convene in six weeks.

Should the Atlanta Braves bring back Andruw Jones?

Andruw Jones blasted 92 home runs in the 2005, and 2006 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, but that trend ended rather quickly. Since those two faithful seasons ended, Jones has managed only 65 homers with four different teams (Atlanta, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and Chicago White Sox), and just barely made it past the 100 games marker this year.
His glory years are definitely behind him, but could his final years have him back in an Atlanta uniform?

Kevin Markum of Bleacher Report is hoping so. In an article published three days ago, Markum argues that Atlanta's General Manager should bring Jones back into the club, considering he had his best post-Atlanta seasons this year, and that he would be a cheap purchase at about one-to-three million dollars.

However, I'm not too sure bringing back Andruw would be worth the risk. Sure, he would bring the fans to the stands as he approaches 2,000 career hits, and if he is with the team long enough, he could reach 500 career home runs. But, and this is a big but, he cannot play solid defense anymore, and at the most he would hit maybe 20 home runs next year.

I have cheered for the Braves almost every single year of my life, and there was nothing better in pro baseball than the Andruw and Chipper Jones tag team, but spending upwards to three million dollars on a player that just can't perform like he use to - seems like an unnecessary risk to me.

What say you?

Liberal Hack Sandra Bernhard: Bristol Palin is a "hooker"

Why do so many liberals have no sense of decency?  Bristol Palin, who came in thrid-place on this week's Dancing with the Stars, is the daughter of former VP candidate and Alaska governor Sarah Palin.  Apparently, liberals believe that this fact gives them the right to put her down.

On the Joy Behar Show, liberal hacks Joy Behar and Sandra Bernhard discussed Palin's loss on DWTS, while The Daily Beast’s Rebecca Dana occasionally chimed in.  For whatever reason, instead of critiquing her dancing, they launched into attack mode and insulted Bristol Palin personally for several minutes.  Here is a short transcript:

Joy Behar:  After weeks of speculation that the low-scoring Bristol Palin could actually take the Dancing with the Stars win, the nation breathed a sigh of relief last night as Jennifer Grey was crowned the [garbled] champion... So, Sandra, were you ready to shoot the TV last night?

Sandra Bernhard:  I twittered for the entire two hours.  My eyeballs were falling out of my head...

Behar: I know. What about Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers? They’re dead, you know. They died last night.

Bernhard: Yes. They died and came back and died for the third time.

Behar: What’s her name, Bristol on today`s “View” said something like –

Berhard: How did she do it? How did she get to New York to do the “View”?

Behar: I don’t know.

Rebecca Dana, Senior Correspondent, The Daily Beast: They have their own plane, these people.

Bernhard: She’s such a hooker. She got on a flight after losing last night...

Behar:  She said that her mother likes her being in the cage.

Dana:  Well, maybe that will prevent her from having another baby!

Here is the video:



These people are disgusting.

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Kyle Brotzman Kills Boise State

Just wow.  After a 40+ yard pass with 2 seconds left in the game, Boise State had set up an easy field goal for their kicker Kyle Brotzman .  The score was 31-31 and #4 Boise was playing #19 Nevada.  A win would catapult Boise into BCS championship contention and most likely would had pushed them to #3 in the country.  On the nine yard line, a straight on kick was ready for Brotzman.  No angle, no real distance, a field goal that goes through 99% of the time.

Obviously the long paragraph should tell you something: Brotzman missed it wide right.  But hey, no big deal right?  Now there was overtime for Boise's kicker to make amends and redeem himself.  Indeed Boise got the ball back and indeed Botzman was called upon again to kick an easy field goal from 28 out, a field goal that goes through 98% of the time.  He missed it wide left.
Brotzman
Lost in all of this was Nevada's kicker Anthony Martinez who, unlike Brotzman, kicked the game winning field goal, from a greater distance than Brotzman's misses (34 yards), and drilled it right through the uprights.  Boise State has no chance to win the BCS and is likely out of Bowl contention.

The only thing that Brotzman drilled was Boise.  And now, despite his accomplishments as a kicker, his career is and always will be defined by two epic failures.


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A Look at Obama's Approval Ratings

This is your roundup of the major polling of the President's approval ratings. In this edition we can see that Obama's numbers appear to be rising after the elections and his trip to Asia. We're not exactly sure why, but it appears that anger over his deficits and ObamaCare are falling slightly due to belief the GOP House may change some policies.

So let's take a look at some of the top pollsters:

Gallup:
Approve: 44%
Disapprove: 48%


Rasmussen:

Approve: 48%
Disapprove: 51%

It appears that overall, Obama's approval ratings are becoming a bit more negative with his disapproval hiking by eight tenths of a percent. We also see his falling in Gallup and disapproval gaining.

Approve: 45.4%
Disapprove: 48.8%

Keep a sharp eye out for this week's polling. He may slip even further.

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Friday, November 26, 2010

Time to START Supporting Obama

A broken clock is right twice a day, and even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.  It’s not surprising therefore that even as President Obama and the Soros Administration work feverishly to transform America into the USSA they would eventually stumble upon something that’s deserving of support by patriotic citizens.
The Cold War is over.  Or at least it was.  The fall of the Soviet Union, the greatest totalitarian horror of the twentieth Century came with a raised eyebrow instead of a bang.  Unlike the clean-up after those other failed totalitarian monsters, Mussolini, Hitler and Tojo there were no trials and no crimes against humanity.  Instead the masters of the gulags, the tormentors of innocents, and the destroyers of liberty received pensions and luxury dachas on the Black Sea disappearing into the woodwork along with much of the nation’s gold.  Instead of hanging by his heels from a lamppost Gorbachev started a think tank and began earning astronomical speaking fees from all his friends in the West.
The Cold War was a fifty year-long nightmare.  Yet today some History teachers in America characterize this multi-generational conflict as more extreme competition than a war, thus discounting the tens of thousands who died in Korea and Vietnam and the tens of millions who died in the gulags as if they were players fouled in a rough game.  Having forgotten the lessons of the past, our bellicose neo-cons are now blustering and bullying the best Congress money can buy into refusing to ratify the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
Yes, the treaty needs to be looked at closely.  Yes, we need rock solid assurances the treaty provides for our ability to maintain and modernize our deterrent force.  However, we need to realize that this treaty is more than just the next round in the nuclear stand-down initiated by President Reagan. This treaty is the next logical step in linking Russia to the West.
Russia has always been conflicted.  Is it a Western nation or an Eastern Empire?  Is it part of the legacy of the West, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the democratic revolutions and evolutions, or are they the true child of the Golden Horde the political descendent of the autocratic Czars?  Is it an honorable member of the human community or is it a ruthless gang of authoritarian Stalin wanabes out to dominate the world?
Today Russia is engaged in massive trade with the West, primarily Europe.  The capitalist cat has been let out of the bag and they would have a hard time putting that toothpaste back in the tube.  Our war in Afghanistan, without the assistance of Russia in allowing us to cross their territory with supplies, would resemble more of a siege than an assault, with us behind the barricades.  The long and winding road from Karachi through the Hindu Kush is a perilously thin life-line the enemy can disrupt or bock anytime it suits their fancy.  Without the alternate Russian access our heroes would be on the Little Big Horn looking for General Crook and Colonel Gibbon. 
I have long asked what our military establishment in Europe was accomplishing besides providing a bail-out for the socialist economies and the opportunity for them to have no meaningful military budgets interfering with their cradle-to-grave nanny states.  Who are we protecting them from: their own people?  If Russia permanently joins the West couldn’t we finally bring our troops home?  Perhaps we could even deploy them to our borders where they could protect us from invasion?
True, Russia may not be the quintessential example of a liberty loving representative republic, but then again neither any longer are we.  True, they may not be Adam Smith’s definition of a capitalist society, but then again neither any longer are we. They are however no longer the Evil Empire.  They are no longer a slave state run by megalomaniacs who have dozens of captive nations enthralled to their fever dream of world domination. 
If we send the new START Treaty the way of the Versailles Treaty we will undercut every Russian who supports democracy and engagement in Moscow.  We will empower every Russian who beats the drums of their age-old national obsession with encirclement.  Just as our indifference cut the legs out from the protestors in Iran after their last bogus elections, our failure to accept the Russian’s hand extended in friendship will ensure a Russian fist raised in defiance.
The last thing we need now is a new Cold War.  The last thing we need is Russia once again fueling every tin pot regime dedicated to American decline.  Imagine if instead of standing with the West in the War on Terror they were: supporting Iran instead of cancelling the delivery of previously purchased weapons systems, supplying arms to the Taliban as we supplied arms to Mujahedeen, and demanding an end to the dollars supremacy. 
On the positive side, the new START Treaty, which limits each side to less than 2,000 nuclear weapons leaves more than enough to get the job done if we ever need to vaporize anyone.  Though it isn’t perfect it also leaves in place the verification side of Reagan’s “Trust and Verify” wisdom.  If we lose this how are we going to retain any trust?  The loss of which will lead us back to the distrust, which was at the base of the fifty year long nuclear arms race.  Looking at this another way, ratification of the treaty is supported by an overwhelming and bipartisan collection of present and former intelligence, military and diplomatic leaders.  They all say the treaty is good for America.
The Neo-cons led us in turning our retribution/revenge raid against Al Qaeda and their Taliban hosts into a decade long experiment in nation-building.  They led us into a pre-emptive war in Iraq that has turned into a nation-building mission for an eternal garrison.  They are beating the war drums for a pre-emptive strike on Iran.  We cannot allow them to bait the Russian Bear and reignite the Cold War.  No matter what they or their fellow talking-heads call them these are all globalist distractions keeping our eyes overseas while the Progressives extinguish liberty at home. 
Though I have and I will continue to oppose President Obama when he acts against the interests of the Republic, I’m not afraid to speak out when he does something that will benefit the American people.  This may not be the beginning of unqualified support, but at least it’s a START.
Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion for Southside Virginia Community College and History for the American Public University System.  http://drrobertowens.com © 2010 Robert R. Owens dr.owens@comcast.net Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Patriots beat Lions.

No surprise here:

New England (9-2) - 45.
Detroit Lions (2-9) - 24.

The Lions lose for the seventh consecutive Thanksgiving.

Phew: Michelle Obama OKs Eating Pie Today

Like all conservatives, I was sure on the edge of my seat about whether I could eat food today.  I wanted to, of course, but my mind is small and cannot understand the concept of chewing, swallowing, and peristalsis.  Thank goodness food czar Michelle Obama has now given me the okay to eat, or I may have died of starvation in the coming days.

Facetiousness aside, why would Michelle Obama think that anyone would care whether she said that we could eat food today?  Apparently her husband's arrogance is rubbing off on her.

Either way, in Barbara Walters's interview with the Obamas, Michelle felt compelled to let everyone know that it was okay to eat on Thanksgiving:

Michelle Obama said it's fine to eat what you want on Thanksgiving.
"Don't worry about how much you eat. Just enjoy it," she said. "This is the time. Have pie."
"This is the time.  Have pie."  Ugh.  I'm sure I don't need to say this, but I believe that individuals should be able to decide what (legal) food they can eat without Big Government or Big Brother (or sister) telling me what to do.
Food police?
Mrs. Obama is well-known for her pro-health and pro-increase in government regulation in food.  For example:
If the first lady wants to spend her time and money to persuade us to eat better, fine.  But I fear that she wants to spend our time and our money.  In her latest speech, she talks about helping grocery stores “locate in underserved areas…getting healthier food into schools…helping our kids become more active, not just in school but at home.”
Hands off my turkey!



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Sites that We are Thankful For

With Thanksgiving Day arriving and much food to be eaten, Pundit Press feels that we should take a step back and remember all the blogs and websites that we are thankful exist:

Reaganite Republican
Lonely Conservative
Pirate's Cove
Hot Air
Not Another New England Sports Blog
Moonbattery
Innominatus
Pundit & Pundette
Atlas Shrugs
The Wild West Coconut Show
The Urban Grind
Gateway Pundit
Fox News
Weasel Zippers
Pajamas Media and Instapundit
Jammie Wearing Fool
Free Republic
Hot Air Pundit
Michelle Malkin
Director Blue
World Threats
Iowa Hawk
The Other McCain
Mean ol' Meany
Jihad Watch
Blogs Lucianne Loves

Now go eat some Turkey!
This guy, not the country


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Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Remember to eat lots and lots of Turkey this afternoon.

Remember to watch some football this afternoon and evening.

Remember to give Thanks to the Lord for all His blessings today.

God Bless!

Best Electronics Deals on Black Friday

Yes, this is a political site, but like millions of Americans, tomorrow morning I will be leaving before the sun rises to try and catch the best sales of the year.  Therefore, I figure that it wouldn't hurt to take a look at the best sales that are happening Friday morning.  Here are the best sales that I have seen so far:

Best Laptop Deals:

Best Buy has a great deal on a Toshiba laptop:
15.6" Display / 3GB Memory / 320GB Hard Drive for only $189.99.  That is an outstanding price.

Wal Mart has a similar deal on an eMachines laptop, but it isn't as good:
15.6" Display / 2GB Memory / 250GB Hard Drive for only $198.99.  Very good deal, but not as good as Best Buy.

Best HDTV Deals:


Wal Mart comes out near the top with an outstandingly priced Plasma HDTV:
Sanyo- 50"/ 720p / 600 Hz for only $500.  The fact that it is Plasma (as opposed to LCD) and only 720p (instead of the better 1080p) is outweighed by the amazing price.

Target has an excellent deal on an LCD HDTV:
Westinghouse- 40"/ 1080p / 60 Hz for $298.  60Hz is a little low, but last year televisions at 32" were around $300, so this price is great.

Best Buy has a great deal on another Plasma HDTV:
Panasonic - VIERA / 50" Class / 1080p / 600Hz / Plasma HDTV for $700.  The Plasma factor hurts, but Panasonic (an excellent brand) and a 1080p resolution make this television a superb buy.

Best Blu-ray Player Deals:


Target has a low-priced Sony (excellent brand) Blu-ray player for only $99.

Not to be outdone, Best Buy has a great deal on a Toshiba (good brand) Blu-ray player: $59.99.

And don't forget about Amazon.com, they always have good deals on Black Friday.  However, the best ones there will come on Monday.


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Happy Thanksgiving, Everybody

From the Pundit Press family to yours, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  Eat plenty of turkey and cranberry sauce and wash it all down with some pumpkin pie. Then fall asleep half an hour after you eat and wake up tomorrow morning for Clearance Day!
Eat plenty of Turkey today!


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Dem Who Said He Could Back Boehner Backtracks

Congressman Bill Owens of New York's 23rd Congressional District, made headlines this week with the revelation that he was considering voting for John Boehner as the next Speaker of the House. Owens, a conservative Democrat, only won a special election last year thanks to a bizarre three-way race. Again in 2010 he owes his under-50% re-election on Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman refusing to take his name off of the ballot.

Now it appears that Owens has changed his mind-- the Democratic leadership must have gotten to him. He's changed his tone to now voting for Pelosi.

"I was blowing off a little steam because I was agitated that neither one of them had responded to me," Owens said.

So much for that.

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Why is Sarah Palin Not Going to New Hampshire?

 This is a fairly interesting question raised from the fact that in her upcoming book tour the former Alaska Governor has decided to skip the Granite State. Of course, New Hampshire is home to the first primaries in the nation, just after the Iowa caucuses.

The Boston Globe is asking that question after finding her itinerary for her tour.

“The longer you stay away, the more conspicuous it gets," said Fergus Cullen, former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. “Part of what baffles me is she’s been doing political events in other states. She’s gone to Iowa, and she’s spoken at party committee events in Oklahoma, Florida, and Oregon. It’s not like she’s got a blanket prohibition on these sorts of things."

The article continues to say that Palin has not visited the state in over two years and seems to have no plans to arrive there soon. As a matter of fact, despite the fact that she endorsed successful Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte, Palin did not campaign in the state for her.

“It’s wide open right now,’’ said Dave Carney, a longtime GOP operative from New Hampshire who was the White House political director for President George H.W. Bush. “If she invested the time and the resources in New Hampshire, she has a message that would sell quite well.’’

Furthermore, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has a substantial lead in the state, in part thanks to high name recognition. In order for Palin to win the Republican nomination in 2012 it is more than conceivable to believe that she would want to win in this New England state.

Mr. K has written in the past that he believes that Governor Palin is not running in the 2012 cycle. I'm not sure at this point, but it does appear conceivable.

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DeLay Convicted of Money Laundering

 You have probably read this all over the news sites and the blogosphere, so it's not exactly new news. But it is very interesting and breaking. Today former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas was convicted of two different counts of money laundering.

"This is an abuse of power. It's a miscarriage of justice, and I still maintain that I am innocent. The criminalization of politics undermines our very system and I'm very disappointed in the outcome," DeLay told reporters outside the courtroom. He remains free on bond, and his sentencing was tentatively set to begin on Dec. 20.

Prosecutors said DeLay, who once held the No. 2 job in the House of Representatives and whose heavy-handed style earned him the nickname "the Hammer," used his political action committee to illegally channel $190,000 in corporate donations into 2002 Texas legislative races through a money swap.

Of course, this trial is just finishing as  New York Congressman Charlie Rangel may be sent to prison but more likely censured over his own financial dealings. These are widely seen as corrupt and relatively similar to those facing DeLay.

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Gathering around to watch Detroit......

One of the highlights on Thanksgiving day is gathering around the television to watch football with all of your family. Until you realize the Lions are still in the League, even though Commissioner Goodell promised to improve professional football during his tenure, which has obviously failed.

The Lions have played on every Thanksgiving since 1934 (with the exception of 1941-44) and in some cases have actually defeated the visiting team; though the last time that actually occurred was back in 2003 against the Green Bay Packers when quarteback Brett Farve was in his prime. They have lost every game since 2003 by a margin of eleven to thirty-seven points.

So what are the odds of Detroit winning this Thanksgiving?

Slim. The 8-2 New England Patriots are coming to town after beating their rivals on Sunday evening, and to be honest the Detroit Lions only chance of not losing is if President Obama pardons them before they suffer another humilating loss.

Another wasted three hour time slot on Thanksgiving day.

UN to Give North Korea MORE Aid after Attack on South Korea

Is there any doubt that the United Nations is utterly out of touch with reality and how to get anything done in the real world?  As North Korea illegally and aggressively shelled an island in South Korea this week, most rational people believe that the world must get tough on North Korea.  Some believe in threats, others suggest boycotts, while others favor arming South Korea.  What does the United Nations favor?  Giving North Korea more money.

How does this make sense in any way?  Obviously it does not, unless you consider appeasement a viable strategy in stopping a belligerent nation.  History proves over and over again that appeasement does not work in almost any form, especially not when you give a rogue nation extra money, which they can then use to build weapons.

Yet, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon believes giving North Korea more aid can work:
"Ban, the former foreign minister of South Korea, wants to engage more deeply in confidence-building measures to reassure a skeptical world of the positive impact of engaging North Korea peacefully."
Remember, this is the same North Korea that just attacked Ban's own home country.  The same country that has ignored the world for years.  The same country that is starving its own people.  The same country that is building a nuclear arsenal.  And Ban and the United Nations wants to give it more money and aid.  This is ridiculous.

Here is a picture of the attack that the North unleashed earlier this week:
I'm sorry, but there is no way that anyone who saw this act of aggression should think, 'That totalitarian government deserves more money!'

A new document from the UN explains ideas on how to deal with North Korea:
"'Make a focused effort to re-engage' with North Korea and other countries most closely affected by the crisis even as the security situation worsens as a result of North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and aggressive conventional military actions...
Launch a new public relations campaign with aid-giving countries to rekindle their enthusiasm for giving money to North Korea, including “donor briefings,” “targeted visits” to aid-giving capitals, and sponsorship of an aid-giving “donors tour” of North Korea next year."
This is ridiculous.



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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Obama Approval Falls to 39%

According to the Los Angeles Times, President Obama's approval rating has dipped below 40% for the first time. This came after another poll had his approval at just a meager 37%. This poll has not yet been listed on the Real Clear Politics average.

Even so, we see a steep decline from the President, with approval souring among independents and even some on the Left. His disapproval ratings are even higher than in Rasmussen polls, which usually do not favor Obama.

Approval: 39%
Disapproval: 60%

Of course, part of this could simply be part of the election fallout. But the news appears to be getting worse for the President:

Nearly 7 in 10 likely voters say the country is on the wrong track, rarely a good sign for incumbents.


Ouch. Plus he's behind potential Republican candidates for the office.

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17% of Americans Want Gov't to Outlaw Smoking

Do you believe that the government is already intruding too much into your life?  Well, 17% of Americans believe it is not enough.  According to a new poll, 17 out of every 100 Americans believe that the government should outlaw smoking all together.

While the 17% is down from a poll taken in late 2008, which showed that 22% were in favor of a ban, the amount of people who want smoking banned is still astounding.  If 17% of Americans truly want smoking to be banned, based on the U.S. population, that would mean that over 50 Million people are in favor of such government action.

Despite this number, however, the vast majority of Americans do not want smoking to be banned.  72% believe that the government should not make smoking illegal, while another 11% are not sure.

The article goes deeper, stating:
"Nineteen percent (19%) of non-smokers like the idea of a tobacco ban, compared to just 11% of those who say they currently smoke."
Should be outlawed?
The poll does not go into detail about the possible effects a ban on smoking could have on taxed and government revenue, but it does discuss regulation:

"When it comes regulation of the cigarette industry, Americans are divided over how much is enough. Twenty-two percent (22%) think the level of regulation is too high, while 26% believe it's not high enough. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say the current level of regulation is about right.
Smokers feel more strongly than non-smokers that the industry is overregulated."

While millions of Americans are resisting what they see as the over-reach of government in Health Care, gun ownership, and airport pat-downs, it is almost shocking that so many people would be in favor of a forceful ban on smoking.  There are currently 303 Million people in the United States, which means that over 50 Million people are in favor of a ban.

It does not look like smoking will be banned in the foreseeable future.


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NBC Names Ground Zero Mosque Developer a "Person of the Year"

NBC and its affiliates have been trounced in ratings over the last several years.  With stations like MSNBC under their belt and liberals such as Matt Lauer and Keith Olbermann hosting programs, NBC is clearly disconnected with the average American.  Another clear sign of their mismanagement: naming Sharif El-Gamal, developer of the Ground Zero Mosque, one of their "People of the Year."

In an interview set to air on Thanksgiving Day, Matt Lauer sat down with El-Gamal and discussed the "Park 51 Project."  El-Gamal, who was apparently pleased to be named one of NBC's people of the year, seemed very comfortable answering questions.  The excerpt released so far shows that Mr. Lauer gave El-Gamal a decidedly softball interview.  Here is a partial transcript of El-Gamal's opening statements:
"There's going to be a facility here that's going to provide aquatics, uh, uh, uh, a gym, just like a Jewish community center or, or a YMCA.  It's going to provide, uh, much needed facilities to the residents of Lower Manhattan."
Lauer responds that there is "one major exception" to El-Gamal's statement, describing the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  However, El-Gamal's quickly responded:
"Not once have I held my faith accountable for the horrific events of 9/11.  I am an American.  I am an American who has a specific belief system, and my belief system, in order to be a Muslim you have to be a good Jew and a good Christian."
After the interview, "Park51," a Twitter page set up in support of the Ground Zero Mosque, believed the interview went well and asked people to watch the entire interview on Thursday:

The controversy surrounding the Mosque has been drawn out and at times heated, but here is a quick summary of the events so far.  As we all know, the United States was attacked on September 11, 2001 by Islamic extremists who flew planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon, while another hi-jacked plane crashed after passengers fought back.  Nine years later, the Freedom Tower, which will replace the Twin Towers, is slowly being built.

Two blocks away from what is known as Ground Zero, there are now plans to build an Islamic Mosque and community center.  Controversy has thus ensued.  The vast majority of Americans (over 65%) believe that the Mosque should not be built so close to where over 2,500 Americans were murdered in the name of Islam.  Those in favor of the Mosque argue that the Constitution protects freedom of religion, and thus protects the construction of what they call the Park 51 Project.


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Monday, November 22, 2010

A Look at Obama's Approval Ratings


This is your roundup of the major polling of the President's approval ratings. In this edition we can see that Obama's numbers appear to be rising after the elections and his trip to Asia. We're not exactly sure why, but it appears that anger over his deficits and ObamaCare are falling slightly due to belief the GOP House may change some policies.

So let's take a look at some of the top pollsters:

Gallup:
Approve: 47%
Disapprove: 46%

Rasmussen:

Approve: 46%
Disapprove: 52%

It appears that overall, Obama's approval ratings are staying largely stagnant, with his disapproval falling one tenth of one percent. We also see his approval gaining one percent in Gallup and disapproval declining one percent.

Approve: 46.0%
Disapprove: 48.0%

Keep a sharp eye out for this week's polling. 


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The Haley Barbour problem - Name Recognition.

Haley Barbour is a prime individual to become America's 45th President, but there is just one potential problem with a Barbour candidacy: Most American citizens have absolutely no idea who Haley is, even though he has led both the Republican National Committee and the Republican Governors Association to great electoral success after Democrat Presidents governed for only two years.
According to a new Quinnipiac University survey of 2,400 registered voters, the electorate has no idea who the two-term Mississippi Governor is. 75% of Americans (73% of Republicans, 74% of Independents & 76% of Democrats) have not heard enough of Barbour to come up with an opinion of the man. He appeared all across the Country for Republican Gubernatorial candidates last month, perhaps the main reason many Americans are aware of him today.

So what does this mean for the popular Southern Republican Governor?

Not much if you think about it. Sarah Palin was an unknown Governor from Alaska before John McCain elevated her to the national stage. Barack Obama was an lowly unknown Illinois State Senator only five years before becoming President. Name Recognition is vital, but the American people learn quickly.

If Governor Barbour tours the United States, appears on network and cable television, while dedicating some of his many resources to winning over the Conservative Blogosphere: he could reverse his political profile in just a few months, especially if he starts winning GOP Primary polls in the deep South.

While his record is brilliant, no-one knows of it. That is the uphill battle that Haley Barbour must climb if he wants to win the Republican Nomination, let alone the White House in 2012. But from what I've seen of the Conservative Insider, that should not be a problem for too long if he does decide to run.

Keep an eye on Mississippi, and its Governor - they might just surprise you.

Sen. Dodd Tweets: "U Love Torturing Me w this Sh*t"

It boggles my mind sometimes how people can forget that everyone can see what they write on the social networking site Twitter.  More, I'm shocked at how people with thousands of followers can curse and not realize that it could be controversial.  The newest culprit to forget these things: Democrat Senator Chris Dodd.

Dodd, who has had a Twitter account for over a year and who has over 700 tweets, apparently forgot what he was doing late last week, as he used the S-word in a tweet.  The post was quickly removed, but some quick internet users got a shot of what Dodd wrote before he took it down.  Here is a cleaned up version of Dodd's post:
The Dodd staff quickly removed the tweet and released a statement in which it stated that Dodd himself did not write the actual post:
“Due to a technical mistake, a message was inadvertently sent from Senator Dodd’s twitter account. Senator Dodd did not send the message. We have corrected the situation and apologize to his followers for the mistake and inappropriate language used in the message.”
However, it has been posited that Dodd did indeed write the actual tweet, as it was sent via text (notice that the message says "via txt" underneath the main writing).  Yet, when the staff retracted the tweet, it was from the web, which means that different people posted the tweet and removed it.
Dodd: Apparently being tortured with feces
Furthermore, the actual tweet that stated that Dodd did not write the previous message was clearly marked "From Dodd Staff:"
Occasional previous tweets would stated "from staff," suggesting that Dodd did indeed write the infamous tweet.


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Moron Mets Choose Terry Collins as New Manager

I'm a Mets fan.  I've been so for all of my life and I am one of the biggest fans of the Mets and baseball that I know.  Here is something else I know: the Mets will not win squat with Terry Collins as manager.  He was incredibly mediocre as a former manager (444 and 434 in his career, his team never finished first) and his hiring shows that the New York Mets and their fans are in for another terrible season.
Collins: Will be fired soon, I'm sure
I have nothing against Collins personally, but anyone who knows anything about the Mets' situation would know that the man for the job was and still is Wally Backman.  The Mets need some fire and he can provide it.  Congrats, Sandy Alderson, you are now in most (smart) Mets' fans dog house.

Now back to politics...


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Sunday, November 21, 2010

27% of Americans See US as "Unfair and Discriminatory"

Over one out of every four Americans now see the freest nation on earth as unfair and discriminatory.  In a poll released yesterday, 27% of people responded that the United States is a nation that is inherently flawed because it intentionally puts down or otherwise is prejudiced against certain (or all) people.

This number is up from previous months and is the highest in over a year.  Meanwhile, only 60% of Americans see the United States as "fair and decent."  Another 13% are undecided.

The poll suggests that many people's faith in the US has faded over the last two years, most markedly since President Obama's election and inauguration:

"When Barack Obama won the presidential election in November 2008, 65% said U.S. society was fair and decent. That number rose to 69% a month after he was inaugurated into the White House. 
In February 2009, 55% of African-American voters felt society was fair and decent. Just 26% feel that way now."
The poll, done by Rasmussen, continues, saying that the American people now believe in greater numbers that the President himself does not see America as a "fair" place:

"Forty-three percent (43%) of all voters nationwide believe President Obama views American society as fair and decent, but 44% say he sees society as being basically unfair and discriminatory. Another 13% are undecided.
When Obama first took office in January 2009, just 33% thought he viewed society as unfair and discriminatory, while 49% thought he viewed society as fair and decent."
Obama
The article ends with another poll.  In it, it states that a plurality of Americans believe this nation's best days are behind it:
"A plurality of voters nationwide believes America’s best days have come and gone, but that number has remained fairly consistent since the beginning of the year."
Personally, I believe that the United States is the best country on earth.  Here, anyone can do anything whenever they wish (so long as it's legal, of course).  You want to pursue a specific career?  Do it.  You want to get an education?  Go ahead.  Start a business, buy a house, follow your dream?  You can do it all here in the United States of America.



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Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Month in Review

It's been a very busy past 30+ days.  With a major election to cover, links from some of the best sites on the internet, and crazy political stories, Pundit Press has been quite active.  I'm writing this two days late, so technically it's a month plus two; here was our last.  But without further ado, our month in review:

Amount of Articles in the Last Month per authorof which there were 808 posts (yes, 808!)-


Aurelius led the way with 489 posts, or 60.5% of the articles
Thomas Ferdousi came in second with 238 pieces, or 29.5% of the articles
Mr. K came in third with a solid 66, or 8.2% of the articles
Unlikely Hospitalist came in fourth with 12, or 1.5% of the articles
Dr. Robert Owens came in fifth with 3 articles, or .3% of the articles


Top Views per Writer for an Article, of which there were 54,325 pageviews total (a 69% increase!)-


Thomas Ferdousi led the way by far with his article VIDEO: Democrat Gets Booed for Blaming Bush-- In Massachusetts!  The piece received 12,322 pageviews, or 22.7% of the views over the last month.  It was also linked on Instapundit.  Thomas also garnered us another 3,682 views, or 6.8%, with his coverage of the Rally to Restore Sanity, better known as "Smug-Fest."


Mr. K's best article came with The Positives of George W. Bush.  It garnered 602 views, or 1.1% of the views.  It was also linked on Michelle Malkin.


Aurelius's best article was Grayson: Glenn Beck can "Stick it," which received 537 views, or 1% of the views.  Glenn Beck's The Blaze linked to it.


Unlikely Hospitalist's biggest article was The Big Scandal, which received 32 pageviews, or .05% of the views.


Dr. Robert Owens's biggest article was My Name’s America and I’m a Debt-a-holic, which received 29 views, or .05% of the views.


Those that linked to us:


We at Pundit Press appreciate those that took the time to link to us.  To give back, we link back to them below (sorry if we miss anyone):


Reaganite Republican
Lonely Conservative
Pirate's Cove
Instapundit
Michelle Malkin
Atlas Shrugs
Gateway Pundit
The Blaze
Director Blue
The Wild West Coconut Show
Conservative Minority


Odds and Ends-


-Pundit Press covered hundreds of elections, including polls and results.
-We're up to 40 Followers.
-Our Alexa ranking is up to 516,400, up (or down) over 500,000 from 1,106,932 last month.


Update-


I forgot to include two new stats:  Most prolific commenter and favorite commenter, which goes to the person who commented the most on posts and the person whose comments are the best, respectively:


Aurelius had by far the most comments.
Paul Mitchell (who writes for Mean 'ol Meany) was our favorite commenter.


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