Herman Cain Debates.....

This one goes out to Mr. K who is begrudgingly jumping on the bandwagon?

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Herman Cain to Announce Candidacy

The Politico 2012 reported yesterday evening that Herman Cain, who came out of Thursday's first 2012 debate with high praise from Conservatives, will likely announce his official Presidential campaign on May 21st in downtown Atlanta.

Mr. Cain dropped the announcement bomb on RedState editor Erick Erickson's talk show yesterday night, just twenty-four hours after his oratory skills wowed South Carolina Republicans in the Fox News debate that Governor Haley gladly attended.

What does this mean?

Folks like me need to take the successful businessman seriously now, and I feel he needs to take those of us who care about foreign policy seriously likewise.

Also, the Conservative punditry class will have their first real candidate for the Presidency since Patrick Buchanan in 1996, which could result in another upset like we haven't witnessed since New Hampshire's amazing victory by the former Nixon official.

What say you?

State Pension Fund Makes Millions on Natural Gas Investments, While State Seeks to Ban Hydraulic Fracturing

Shale Gas on Fire in New York

Hypocrisy, the name is New York state.

Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas has been banned in New York since December 2010 when then Governor David Patterson signed an executive order eliminating hydraulic fracturing until the Department of Environmental Protection completes a comprehensive review. The process has come under increasing scrutiny because of alleged harmful effects on underground aquifers, the environment and public health.

With that having been said, it comes as a bit of a surprise to learn that the New York State Comptrollers Office has invested hundreds of millions of dollars from the state pension fund in natural gas and hydraulic fracturing companies.

In all over $1 billion has been invested in more than a dozen energy companies as of March 31, 2010. Included in this is $72 million in Chesapeake Energy Corporation and $145 million in Schlumberger Ltd, a company specializing in hydrofracturing and oilfield services.

It turns out to have been a pretty good investment as the fund has made over $152 million in recent years.

Full accounting here

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Watch New Osama bin Laden Videos

 These tapes were released by the US government earlier today:



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Huntsman's "Patriotism over Politics" Wont Work

Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr., who appears more and more likely to run for the Republican Nomination in next year's Presidential election, attempted to portray his recent service as America's appointed representative to China as ideal patriotism of putting one's own country over party politics.

Somehow, I don't think this is 1964.

The last time Republicans realistically considered a candidate who served in the administration of an Democrat was Henry Cabot Lodge, who was beloved for his heroism and patriotism through numerous diplomatic, and legislative positions; not to mention his honorable military service during World War Two.

Does anyone think Huntsman can be compared to Lodge, or Lodge's time?

Not a chance in hell.

While the former Governor of Utah, and Ambassador deserves recognition for once again serving his country overseas in Asia, there's no way he will be able to convince Conservative rank-and-file that serving Obama is patriotic in anyway.

What say you?

New bin Laden Photos

Below are photos seized from the bin Laden compound:

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New Osama bin Laden Video

The video below was released by the US government:



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Bin Laden 'Home Movies', bin Laden Watching TV Video

Below is a video seized by US forces of bin Laden watching TV at home:



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Young Osama bin Laden Picture

I found this linked from HotAir, and it's interesting enough to share:

Whoa.

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U.S. Predator Drone Attacks but Fails in Strike on Anwar Awlaki

HT: Wall Street Journal

The United States, working close with Yemeni officials, nearly killed al-Qaida terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki yesterday afternoon during several Predator drone strikes in Jahwa:

The U.S. launched a drone strike in Yemen on Thursday aimed at killing Anwar al-Awlaki, but he evaded the missile[s], Yemeni and U.S. officials said.

Taking out the world's most dangerous terrorist four days after eliminating al-Qaida leader/founder Osama bin Laden would have severely riled the Jihadist organization and given the United States another victory in the War on Terror just this week.

Awlaki, who is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks on the United States since early 2009, can run, but he can't hide from us.

What say you?

New bin Laden Video

Below is Osama bin Laden watching TV in Pakistan:



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It’s Not Over Till It’s Over

The Civil War didn’t end at the First Battle of Bull Run or at the Second for that matter. World War I didn’t end at the First Battle of the Marne or at the Second.  World War II didn’t end at Midway.

After what we now knowingly call Gulf War I we celebrated with ticker-tape parades and fireworks as if we had defeated Hitler, Tojo, and Stalin all wrapped up in one.  Yet a little more than ten years later we had to go back into Iraq to finish the job, and we’re still trying to finish it today.  What should have been an incursion into Afghanistan has lingered on for more than a decade. The sad result of our nation-building in Iraq and Afghanistan will end with Iraq as Iran’s most powerful ally and the Taliban back in power in Kabul. 

One persistent question after politically directed wars is, “How do you win every battle and lose a war?”  After sending the brave into Harm’s Way the generalissimos of the home front drag the fighting out by hamstringing the warriors than when war is no longer a vote getter they throw the victory away through peace-at-any-price diplomacy.

I deeply appreciate the heroic scarifies of our troops, and I’m thankful they’ve provided a life of peace and safety for myself and my family.  I celebrate the victories just as I mourn the losses in this long war.  The death of an enemy leader can have momentous impact upon a war.  The death of Attila ended his empire; the death of Hitler would have ended World War II earlier and did end it when it came.  But the death of FDR did not end the war or change the strategy, and the death of Osama Bin Laden will not bring the end to this undeclared war.

The history of irregular warfare didn’t begin with Al-Qaeda.  It didn’t begin with the Viet Cong.  Irregular warfare has existed as long as there has been ill-equipped resistance to far-flung empires.  The United States has battled irregular forces at home and in the far corners of the world since the Indian Wars. We fought irregular forces the first time we faced Islamic terrorists on the shores of Tripoli.  After we conquered the Philippines from Spain we fought irregulars for years finally winning a war the Spanish never could.  We’ve faced irregular forces in Lebanon, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  In some places we’ve prevailed in others we’ve withdrawn.  At times we’ve even used irregular tactics ourselves such as the 3000 volunteers of Merrill's Marauders who fought behind Japanese lines in Burma during World War II.

A traditional military organization fighting irregular forces is more like trying to herd snakes than nail Jell-o to the wall, it may be hard but it isn’t impossible.  However, the initiative is on the side of the irregulars because they can strike here, there, and everywhere while the regular forces must protect important components of the infrastructure.  Revolutionaries and other disaffected groups using irregular tactics have instinctively followed the advice  of Sun Tzu, “The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue.”  As the regular forces move into an area the irregulars melt into the population.  The disruptions in the lives of civilians create recruits for the irregulars.  This is the force multiplier of the irregulars.  Every action at suppression brings fresh resources to circumvent future actions.

This will be the inevitable result of the death of Osama Bin Laden.  The immediate aftermath was wild jubilation on the part of a segment of our population, electioneering on the part of the administration, and a gross overestimation of the military significance.  One man does not make a movement and one leader does not encompass the enemy in an irregular war.

This is especially true in the case of Bin Laden and his brain child Al-Qaeda.   This organization is post-modern or perhaps pre-modern in style.  It doesn’t have a pyramid shaped flow-chart.  It doesn’t have a top-down command structure.  In many ways it’s more like a pyramid scheme where every franchise spins off new franchises and they spread out subdividing like amoebas into multiple places and shapes. These autonomous groups and rogue individuals are tied together by beliefs and ideology, united by tactics and strategy but each independent, separated and, anonymous.  No leader knows all the followers and few followers are connected directly to any leader.  These international conspirators are not united by personal contacts or unified by strategic planning; instead they’re forged into an inter-active whole by solidarity of purpose and continuity of world-view.  In such a structure the death of any one person no matter how highly placed or inspirational will not have more than a marginal impact.

As omnipresent and as faceless as the internet and as private and personal as family relations the tenuous filaments of the interlocking terror networks will prove more resilient than expected and more tenuous than imagined.  One man’s life can make a difference in the world, one man’s death rarely does.  Grave yards are filled with indispensable people.

Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion for Southside Virginia Community College.  He is the author of the History of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com View the trailer for Dr. Owens’ latest book @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ypkoS0gGn8 © 2011 Robert R. Owens dr.owens@comcast.net  Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook.

Why We Fight The War in Afghanistan

Albany, New York -

Congressional Democrats are now demanding the United States Military leave Afghanistan immediately, because our mission is supposedly accomplished with Sunday's killing of Osama bin Laden. Obviously, they do not know why we fight the War in Afghanistan.

The Afghan theater has three main goals:

1. Eliminate all al-Qaida presence.
2. Defeat the Taliban insurgency.
3. Stabilized and free Afghanistan.

We have succeeded on the first front and achieved significant progress on the ladder two fronts. However, killing bin Laden doesn't mean we can claim victory in the War on Terror, because we have never been fighting just one man, but an entire ideology dedicated to the destruction of Western civilization.

Our mission is not over in Afghanistan, and anyone who says otherwise doesn't understand why we launched this War almost ten years ago.

What say you?

Judge Files Complaint Against German PM Over Comment that She was 'Glad' bin Laden Dead

As HotAir's headline says-- 'It's come to this'. Truly it also shows the moral idiocy of many in Europe and the direction that many on the Left in this country want the United States to take.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, of the center-right Christian Democratic Party, said after the death of Osama bin Laden Sunday that she was happy that he was dead.

Now some are taking exception, including a judge, who is filing a legal complaint against her.

"I am a law-abiding citizen and as a judge, sworn to justice and law," the 54-year-old told the paper, adding that Merkel's words were "tacky and undignified."

In his two-page document, Uthmann, a judge for 21 years, cites section 140 of the German Criminal Code, which forbids the "rewarding and approving" of crimes. In this case, Merkel endorsed a "homicide," Uthmann claimed. The violation is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment or a fine.

"For the daughter of a Christian pastor, the comment is astonishing and at odds with the values of human dignity, charity and the rule of law," Uthmann told the newspaper.

Now the Germans are holding up human rights? For bin Laden?

Fucking idiots.

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Romney Comes Out Against Releasing bin Laden Photos

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has come out in support of President Obama's decision regarding the Osama bin Laden pictures. This took place after all GOP candidates taking part in a debate yesterday with the exception of Herman Cain said that they would (even Ron Paul).

What is he thinking?

 Romney is towing a different line:

"It's best not to release the photo because it has the potential to incite retaliatory violence against Americans," Romney, the nominal front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, said in a statement to POLITICO.

That's really too bad, Mitt. You had a chance to support releasing the pictures and disagree with President Obama on foreign policy. So even if you were President, you would not want the world to see what happens when you cross the United States?

Heck, even Carl Levin wants to release the photos. Even famed fool Jon Stewart has called for the release. If Romney wants to claim that he is strong on defense, he has to do more than simply parrot talking points. He has to show how he will do so.

The former Massachusetts Governor already has RomneyCare around his neck. Does he really want to hurt his credibility further within the Republican Party?

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Liberal Professor: "It's a Pity" bin Laden was Killed

I think I may have just entered the twilight zone.  Only terrorist sympathizers in the Middle East and Pakistan lament the death of Osama bin Laden, right?  Apparently not.

Professor Richard Jackson, who is in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University in Wales, thinks it just stinks that the world's most wanted terrorist was killed.  In an editorial released to The Hindu, Jackson goes on and on about how evil the United States is, why what we've done is bad, so on and so forth.

Some examples:

But it's a pity that the U.S. chose to pursue a massive ‘war on terrorism' as a response to bin Laden's violent campaign... 

And it's a pity that so many are celebrating using violent means to fight a violent group, and that it will most likely lead to a continuing, maybe even intensifying, cycle of violence... 

And it's a pity that some think we should just celebrate his death without thinking... 

And it's a pity that the U.S. and other Western states view ‘justice' as killing a man extra-judicially and then disappearing his body in the ocean... 

And it's a pity that bin Laden came to be seen as the personalisation of evil...

I need to stop there before I vomit.

I know that a lot of Professors are stupid.  But this stupid?  Really?  Is it really a bad thing that a man who killed 3,000 people was taken out?  The answer is no, despite what Mr. Jackson thinks.

Osama bin Laden was the head of a terrorist organization that carried out multiple terrorist attacks.  He has the death of thousands upon thousands on his hands.  It is not a pity that he is dead, it is great.

And any rational human being is glad that he is dead.

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Osama bin Laden Audio Tape to be Released "Any Minute Now"

An audio tape created by Osama bin Laden, which was reportedly recorded just days before his death, will be released "any minute now," according to Fox News.  It is unclear what the tape will say.

Bin Laden was killed May 1 by U.S. Navy Seals in a large compound in Pakistan.

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Vote in Our Poll: Is bin Laden's Death a Fatal Blow to al Qaeda?

Osama bin Laden has been the leader of al Qaeda since its founding in the early 1990s. Despite all of the terrible things that the organization has done, he has remained in charge, at least on paper.

What is less clear is his involvement in every-day, operational functions of the group. Apparently he had many computers and hard drives with him, suggesting at least
knowledge of the groups plans, but it is unclear if he actually directed or took part in them.

We've already uncovered evidence of a potential train plot in the US later this year and bin Laden is most certainly dead. So the question to you is-- what type of blow is this to the Islamist group?




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Herman Cain's Biggest Problem

Last night's first official 2012 Republican debate exposed one major flaw in Herman Cain's appeal, one I've blogged about before, his complete lack of understanding of our War on Terror and what his foreign policy would be if elected, or even nominated to take on President Obama next November.

On the War in Afghanistan he didn't answer the question straight forward, but deferred to unknown "experts" who would know more about the fight. He did not support releasing the picture of Osama bin Laden and he didn't answer the question on what his position on Libya, or Syria is.

I don't know about most of America, but I will vote every four years to elect the President of the United States, who has an idea of what he stands for on foreign policy, not unknown experts who are unaccountable to the electorate. Isn't that just another phrase for czars? We don't need another President with no plan.

Herman Cain is likable, but he's not electable or knowledgeable.

What say you?

Al Qaeda: Osama bin Laden is, Indeed, Dead as a Doornail

Well, I never expected to get good news from al Qaeda, but them confirming the news of Osama's demise warms my little heart. Of course, there was no doubt for me or for most (sane) Americans, but the Middle East appeared unwilling or unable to accept the death of bin Laden.

Now it appears that the organization that bin Laden used to head (before he lost it) has released a statement lamenting his demise.

"We stress that the blood of the holy warrior sheik, Osama bin Laden, God bless him, is precious to us and to all Muslims and will no go in vain," the statement said. "We will remain, God willing, a curse chasing the Americans and their agents, following them outside and inside their countries."

"Soon, God willing, their happiness will turn to sadness," it said, "their blood will be mingled with their tears."

Poor, poor al Qaeda. Maybe the other leaders know they're next.

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Oil Drops for Second Day

The price of commodities appear to be slipping even further. Oil saw a precipitous drop below $100 a barrel, falling $8 on the markets. Today it appears that both oil and silver are taking a beating on the floor.

Hopefully oil can keep falling. Now it's below $97.

In the past week, oil prices have tumbled more than 10% on worries that recent disappointing economic reports may mean we are in for an economic slowdown.

Investors are already on edge ahead of Friday's jobs report (due at 8:30 a.m. ET), with stocks taking a big hit Thursday.

With the jobs report conflicting, its effect on oil prices aren't clear.

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Unemployment Rate Up, Economy Gains 244,000 Jobs

Two 'unexpected' things have happened. First, the economy added over 200,000 jobs-- higher than predicted. Secondly, the unemployment rate increased-- again unexpected. The rate jumped from 8.8% to 9.0%.

Both pieces of news are conflicting, leading to volatility in the market.

The economy added 244,000 jobs in the month, the Labor Department reported Friday. That's up from the 235,000 jobs gained in March. Economists surveyed by CNNMoney were expecting a slight slowdown to a gain of just 185,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate jump is apparently from more people re-entering the workforce. Formerly unemployed workers that had given up hope of finding a job came back to look for a position.


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On The GOP Debate

The first debate of the 2012 Republican Primary season was held yesterday evening in Greenville, South Carolina, and the performances are interesting. Here is my opinion of the five Republican candidates who showed up:

Herman Cain: Wowed the crowd with his intellectual standing and speaking skills, but his plan on Afghanistan is nonexistent, and his call for replacing the federal income tax is absolutely impossible.

Gary Johnson: Seemed to be high on marijuana. He doesn't understand the reasons we went into Iraq. However, he's loyal to the Republican Party.

Ron Paul: Someone was not sane at the debate, and it definitely was the Texas Congressman. His views on Afghanistan are ignorant, Israel are nonsensical and legalizing drugs are downright stupid.

Tim Pawlenty: Handled the question of his past support for cap & trade legislation well. Stood strongly with taking action in Libya, and general Neo-Conservative principles.

Rick Santorum: Played the best with a large crowd of Socially Conservative Southerners. Touted his history of defeating incumbent Democrats as a reason to support him, and shut up Ron Paul on Afghanistan.

What say you?

Do You Have Tips? Send it to Us and We'll Link to You!

See that bar on the right there?  The one that says "Pundit Picks?"  Well, that's not just for show.  We here at Pundit Press receive tips and have linked to people and will link to you (you know, so long as your articles aren't crazy).  So send us your tips and check out Pundit Picks for other breaking news stories.

So, email us at punditpress-at-gmail.com

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On Tonight's GOP Debaters

Five potential candidates for the 2012 Republican nomination will be debating on Fox News this evening for the hearts and minds of South Carolinians. And I would like to share my opinion of all five.

Herman Cain: The Conservative talk show host from Georgia doesn't have a real chance of changing many minds, but his exceptional intellect will wow voters.

Gary Johnson: The former Governor of New Mexico will be able to tout his record of vetoing almost all of the legislation that reached his desk, but admittedly smoking pot in violation of federal law will not gain votes.

Ron Paul: The Texas Congressman represents about 10% of the Party whenever he runs or is polled in any Presidential election. Like Sarah Palin, everyone already has an settled opinion of the man, so his stance isn't going to change.

Tim Pawlenty: The former Governor of Minnesota is the only "front-runner" debating tonight, and thus he is most likely to either make, or break his 2012 candidacy tonight than any other Presidential candidate tonight.

Rick Santorum: The former United States Senator has the strongest foreign policy credentials of any person debating tonight, but his name recognition is so nonexistent that I highly doubt anyone will remember anything he says.

What say you?

Angry Drug-User Calls 911 to Complain About Crack He Received

Oh, the world we live in.

According to police in South Carolina, Dexter White made an unusual 911 call yesterday.  White said to the responder that he had spent $60 on crack, but only received $20 worth of drugs.  He demanded to "speak to a K-9 unit" and then gave the address of where he was... and was promptly arrested.

And here is the actual report that the 911 responder filled out (click on picture for better quality):

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Sources Involved in Taking Down Osama: Bin Laden "Scared," "Completely Confused" in Final Moments

As time goes on, the official story from the White House changes.  Here's a new twist to the story.

According to sources that were involved in the operation to kill Osama bin Laden, the terrorist leader acted "scared" and was "completely confused" in the final moments of his life.  Right before being shot, bin Laden shoved his wife at the NAVY Seal that ultimately killed him.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, tried to further straighten out aspects of the White House's story and what really happened.  Referring to Seals being shot at by a man when they entered, he stated:

"He was the one guy shot who had a gun in his hand and was firing when he was shot -- other weapons were at the scene.  When the SEALs reached the third floor, after resistance and physical barricades, Osama bin Laden did not immediately surrender. When someone like OBL who has said he wants to kill as many Americans as possible, doesn't 150 percent surrender, you have to assess as a threat."

The official also emphasized that "at least a half-dozen weapons" were found at the bin Laden complex and that the first person the Seals encountered "immediately opened fire."

Bin Laden:  Acted "Scared," and "Confused"

A report on Fox News continues:

The information helps clarify the conflicting details about what exactly happened toward the end of the 40-minute raid on bin Laden's northern Pakistan compound. Sources who were part of the mission said bin Laden acted in a "cowardly manner" when confronted. Fox News has also learned that while bin Laden was unarmed, he was standing near the door within reach of two weapons -- an AK-47 and a Makarov handgun that are now in U.S. custody. The handgun is a 9mm semi-automatic Russian pistol, standard issue in the Russian military until 1991.

A senior U.S. official also told Fox News that only one of the five people killed in the raid was carrying a weapon and firing. The detail seemed at first to diverge from White House accounts claiming the Navy SEALs encountered resistance throughout the raid and were engaged in a firefight during much of the 40-minute operation. However, the scene was described as chaotic, with U.S. forces encountering barricades and women in the compound screaming and attacking the men.

Whatever happened, bin Laden went down.

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Oil Drops Below $100

The price of a barrel of oil is significantly lower today than it was just a day earlier. On news that the unemployment rate may increase, as well as other troubling economic figures, oil declined precipitously.

After gaining to over $110 earlier last month, it has now dropped below $100 a barrel.

"The longer-term bull cycle is still in place, but this correction may have a life span of several months, as weaker economic data is fueling this correction to a large part," said Sterling Smith, senior analyst for Country Hedging Inc in Minnesota.

  It is currently trading at $99.07. How long it will stay below $100 is unclear.

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Picture of "Water Gun" Behind Dead Man in Osama bin Laden Compound (Graphic)

Reuters bought and released pictures yesterday that it believes were taken just minutes after the raid of Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  The pictures show a downed helicopter, the compound itself, and several dead men, including one of bin Laden's sons.

Something else it shows:  an apparent water gun behind a man who was lying in a pool of his own blood.  Here's the original picture, with a arrow pointing to the gun:

And on closer inspection:

That's quite weird.

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Open Question: What's Happening to Osama's Soul Right Now?

Osama bin Laden bit the dust on Sunday. Most Americans are pleased with this result and have shown this exuberance in the street and at home. With the world's most wanted terrorist dead-- Americans finally feel a sense of relief and justice. He's sleeping with the fishes-- quite literally.

In Europe they are wringing their hands about the 'illegal' killing of bin Laden. This is to be expected.

But what about Osama himself? His corpse was dumped into the sea Monday Pakistan time after an 'Islamic burial.' His body was ritually cleansed and wrapped in a sheet. Despite this, the culturally-sensitive actions elicited disdain from some Muslim clerics.

So Pundit Press' question to you, our audience-- what is happening to Osama bin Laden's soul right now? Did he have one? Is it in Hell-- or someplace worse? What will happen to his soul for the rest of eternity?

Leave a comment if you have an opinion. Please, let us know.


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Vote in Our Poll: Do You Believe that Obama is Wrong in not Releasing the bin Laden Death Photos?

Osama bin Laden is dead. After nine and a half exhaustive years of searching, the terrorist mastermind was killed by US Navy Seals in Pakistan. After claiming his body, the US took, amongst other things, several pictures of the al Qaeda leader. Afterwords, the US gave bin Laden a "proper Muslim burial" at sea, making any future examination of the body impossible. The question now is: should those pictures, either all or some, be released?

President Obama said no. About his reasons, he stated:

"The risks of release outweigh the benefits. Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East. Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet. Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated."

Yet the debate is not over. Advocates of releasing the pictures believe that it will show the world that bin Laden is indeed dead, and will help squelch those who say he somehow survived

But the question is: what do you think? Should the United States government release the photos? Can the American public "take it?" Will such a release fan the flames of hatred for the United States in the Middle East? Vote below:



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Poll Shows Palin Surge in GOP Primaries

 In the last several months there has not been a solid frontrunner in Republican polls for the 2012 nomination. While Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney have been near the top, neither has been dominant.

Donald Trump was able to surge last month, although where his polls go now is unclear. With much of the attention reverting away from him, he may see a dip in his vote share.

And it appears that may have already happened-- and Sarah Palin has picked up the slack. Palin has reduced her profile over the last several months, cutting back on public speaking events. Many supporters appeared to move towards Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann.

Now, in the newest Quinnipiac poll, it appears that the former Alaska Governor has received a new boost in support.

National Republicans:

Romney: 18%
Palin: 15%
Huckabee: 15%
Trump: 12%

The list continues from there, but it shows a fairly significant bump in support for the former VP candidate. In a Rasmussen poll taken late last month, Palin received only 9% support:

Trump: 19%
Romney: 17%
Huckabee: 15%
Palin: 9%

Part of Palin's surge may be attributed to voters leaving Trump's campaign. Is there another factor involved?

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Assassination Attempt on Turkish PM Erdogan

 This is something that was not expected. Apparently there has been an assassination attempt on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan. Erdogan was on his way to a political rally when a bomb exploded, killing a police officer.

Photo credit: AP

While the attackers appear to be Kurdish militants, the quote released appears to point the finger in that direction:

"These dark minds who do not believe in democracy's struggle, these terrorists, these separatist forces believe they can only achieve results this way instead of through the ballot box," the prime minister said.

Interesting. Erdogan did lead an attack on PKK terrorists in Iraq several years ago.
Cross-posted at WorldThreats.

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Europe Op-Ed: US Celebrations Over bin Laden Demise 'Leave a Bitter Taste'

This from an Irish paper, the Independent. It follows an overall trajectory in which the moral relativists in Europe are hand-wringing over the death of bin Laden. Even more so, there appears to be a sense of disgust against American celebrations over bin Laden's brain plastering.

So to the editorial:

Fireworks in Los Angeles and street celebrations in other US cities over an assassination? Not just primitive, but foolishly incendiary. The same applies to the 'New York Daily Post' with its front page composed of just three words: "Rot in hell!"

Jingoistic Americans are posting dangerous comments online. Readers of the 'Los Angeles Times' have contributed the following nuggets of diplomacy on its website: "We should have smeared his body with pig fat before feeding it to cockroaches"; "I just wish we had a body to urinate on"; and "I would love to drag his stinking corpse through the streets of New York".

Dangerous comments? Does this mean that those commenters should be more 'sensitive'? Or are these comments as dangerous as a man that carried through on the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians?

Of course, we have this piece of enlightened thought:

Bin Laden came to represent the bogeyman incarnate to Americans. But he still deserved to be brought to trial.

Or to show that 'real' Americans-- those on the Left are also also revolted by the joyous celebrations:

Street celebrations in Washington and New York have been described as a spontaneous torrent of patriotism, but they could be interpreted as something rather more hysterical. I'm sure many more reflective Americans cringed at those images but a damaging message has gone across the world.

Europe, show some appreciation for the US military that protects you virtually for free while you bitch.

To show their common sense since the Second World War. This is from 1986:

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Jobless Claims Rise 'Unexpectedly'

Some bad economic news is coming from the Labor Department. The rate of job growth has appeared to significantly slow, with jobless claims jumping much higher than expected.

This week's number of new applicants for jobless aid is nearing 500,000.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the 43,000 spike in applications to a seasonally adjusted 474,000 last week was largely the result of unusual factors, including spring break layoffs and the introduction of an emergency benefits program.

Still, it marked the third increase in four weeks. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose for the fourth straight week to 431,250. Applications have jumped 89,000, or 23 percent, in the past four weeks.

Any more than 400,000 is seen as a danger sign.

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Bounty Hunter on bin Laden Death: "I absolutely flushed him out"

Crazy or not, you'll probably get a nice laugh out of this.

Last June, Gary Faulkner was picked up in the middle of the Pakistani border.  He was armed simply with a dagger, a sword, a gun, night-vision goggles, and Bible literature.  His mission:  to catch Osama bin Laden.

Fast-forward to this past Sunday.  President Obama announced the death of the most wanted man in the world.  And even though the military took bin Laden out, and the small fact that the terrorist mastermind was 300 miles away from where he was looking, Faulkner wants a share of the $25,000,000 reward.

Mr. Faulkner

"I scared the squirrel out of his hole, he popped his head up and he got capped. [U.S. officials] were handed this opportunity on a platter from myself," he stated.

"He hadn't been living there for no damn six years. I absolutely flushed him out," he added.

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Last WWI Combat Vet, Claude Stanley Choules, Dies

Sad news from Australia today:

SYDNEY — The last known combat veteran of World War I was defiant of the tolls of time, a centenarian who swam in the sea, twirled across dance floors, and published his first book at 108. He also refused to submit to his place in history, becoming a pacifist who wouldn't march in parades commemorating wars like the one that made him famous.

Claude Stanley Choules, a man of contradictions, humble spirit and wry humor, died in a Western Australia nursing home on Thursday at the age of 110. And though his accomplishments were many — including a a 41-year military career that spanned two world wars — the man known as "Chuckles" to his comrades in the Australian Navy was happiest being known as a dedicated family man.

"We all loved him," his 84-year-old daughter Daphne Edinger told The Associated Press. "It's going to be sad to think of him not being here any longer, but that's the way things go."

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"We are grateful.... but,..."

So, you think you've seen it all, eh? Not hardly!

The U.S. military's use of the code name "Geronimo" in the assault on Osama bin Laden's compound has generated a backlash among some Native American tribes and organizations.

The rest of the article here

It's just a treasure trove of moonbattiness.

Some have even asked for an apology.

And no, this isn't satire from the Onion. These people are serious.


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Keynes, Hayek revisited...

I meant to post this earlier, but....

In case you forgot or never saw round one...

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Death Photo of Osama bin Laden's Son Hamza (GRAPHIC)

This picture, obtained by Reuters, shows the dead body of Hamza bin Laden terrorist Osama bin Laden's sons:

Notice the similarities to the elder bin Laden. Yet, it is unknown which son it specifically is. Most believe this man to be bin Laden's youngest son, Hamza. Here he is as a young boy:

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The Shale Gas Shock

"The Best is the enemy of the good." Voltaire

South of 5 and 20 alerted me to an editorial written by James Delingpole who writes for The Telegraph, in it he makes the argument that shale gas, (ie natural gas) is the savior environmentalists have for years been seeking, but for reasons that can only be speculated on, are now its strongest antagonists. This is an interesting phenomenon, in and of itself, as none other than Al Gore an John F Kennedy, Jr. have stated that cleaner burning natural gas is a bridge from the harms of coal to mid-century, when the cost and scale of renewables will be adequate to meet demand. That natural gas is a pivot point around which the energy debate revolves today: Cheap gas means renewables struggle, but no gas means more coal.

It begs the question, Why are environmentalist so vehemently opposed to natural gas drilling?

In upstate New York these folks are a vocal, well organized, and a well financed minority who seek to force their will on the populace. They make 5 distinct arguments some of are worth discussing, most specious:

The shale gas industry uses dangerous chemicals in the fracking process that might contaminate groundwater;

Poorly cased wells allow gas to escape into underground aquifers;

Wast water returning to the surface during production, contaminated with salt and radon may pollute streams;

The industry's use of water for fracking depletes a scare resource;

The exploitation of shale gas damages amenity and landscape value.

The Dellingpole editorial seeks to make some sense of the obvious hypocrisy. He doesn't fair well in his endeavor, but makes a remarkable assertion:

The ideology of these Watermelons has virtually nothing to do with saving the environment (if it were, they’d be embracing shale gas wholesale) and almost everything to do with an instinctive loathing for economic growth combined with a bullying, puritanical urge to impose energy policy by diktat rather than by allowing the market to decide the most effective method.

It would be impossible for me to say it any better or clearer!

So what is it that brings James Dellingpole to such an understanding of progressive ideology? It turns out it is a report release today titled "The Shale Gas Shock" released by the Global Warming Policy Foundation. It is a must read for every lefty spouting spoon fed talking points bemoaning the shale gas revolution.

Freeman Dyson offers the forward, comparing shale gas to wax candles, he postulates that shale gas is "not a perfect solution to our economic and environmental problems, but it is here when it is needed, and it makes an enormous difference to the human condition." For the specifics of why natural gas is like wax candles do yourself a favor and read the forward, but consider that wax candles replaced tallow candles and allowed the poor to read at night for the first time and in so doing did more than any government school could to produce a literate working class.

I will speak more on the specifics of "The Shale Gas Shock" as I have time to delve into it a little deeper, but will leave you with a thought from George Monbiot, who is beginning to realize the intellectual vacuousness of the liberal progressive position on shale gas:

You think you're discussing technologies, and you quickly discover that you'r discussing belief systems. The battle among environmentalist over how or whether our future energy is supplied is a cipher for something much bigger: who we are, who we want to be, how we want society to evolve. Beside these concerns, technical matters - parts per million, costs per megawatt hour, cancers per sievert - carry little weight. We choose our technology - or absence of technology - according to a set of deep beliefs: beliefs than in some cases remain unexamined.

Cross posted at The Lonely Conservative

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Report: US Wants Tail Rotor Back from Crashed Helicopter in bin Laden Raid

We have word coming in from FoxNews that the United States is scrambling to get back the tail rotor of the helicopter that crashed during the Osama bin Laden raid. According to Fox, the Administration is afraid that the sensitive technology therein may be used by China.

There haven't been many reports to corroborate the US desire to take back the chopper remains. However, the Pakistani military apparently hauled away the remains.

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Death Photos of Unidentified Men in Osama bin Laden Compound Leaked (WARNING, GRAPHIC)

Reuters bought and published leaked photographs this afternoon.

Who these men specifically are is unknown, but Reuters believes that they are authentic.

The pictures are below.  I will have all of the pictures below, including the non-graphic ones.  I do this so that, should you decide that you do not want to see them, you can decide not to:

Bin Laden Compound

A downed helicopter:

An unidentified man:

Another unidentified man:

Another unidentified man:

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New York Times Circulation Falls By 35,000

The New York Times has once again received bad news from the Audit Bureau of Circulations in regards to their average daily circulation figures. Apparently, charging readers on their booming website has not led to more readers for their struggling newspaper. Who would have thought of that?

According to ABC statistics, the year-by-year decline from last April is stunning:

April 2010: 951,000 readers per day.
April 2011: 916,000 readers per day.

Yikes!

This doesn't represent the death of the Times, but it should warn them to move away from biased liberalism and towards objective reporting, or else they will fall even further into obscurity and eventually go the way of the New York Sun, which folded without a wimper in 2008.

What say you?

Obama: "Osama bin Laden is not a trophy," Will NOT Release Photos

It is now being reported that President Obama has decided not to release the death photos of terrorist master mind Osama bin Laden.

The news was broken by CBS in a Tweet:

They also linked to an article of theirs, written just minutes before, explaining that the President would not release the photos.  They quoted the President as saying:

"The risks of release outweigh the benefits. Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East. Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet. Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated."

This is surprising news, considering that yesterday out-going CIA director Leon Panetta stated that he thought the pictures would be released.

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Bizarro World: Pelosi Thanks Bush for bin Laden Death (Seriously)

This is perhaps the most bizarre piece of news that we've ever reported here-- and we've dealt with Charlie Sheen. Former Speaker of the House, San Francisco Representative Nancy Pelosi was glowing with praise for President Obama over the death of Osama bin Laden.

Another person she praised? GEORGE W. BUSH!

From the Hill:

Following a classified briefing on the operation to take down bin Laden, Pelosi told reporters that she called the former president earlier in the day to "congratulate him and thank him for the leadership role he had played in this quest over the years."

Pelosi was Speaker of the House for two years while Bush was in the White House.

Pelosi said she thought Bush appreciated the call.

What?

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Dude: Man Sued for $12 Million for 'Impotency'

You know, everyone has embarrassing moments in their life, but to be sued in a public setting for alleged impotency? This is beyond hilarious, as long as it's not you.

It's a true story, coming out of the United Arab Emirates:

Their marriage in 2008 lasted for about 15 months. The woman said they did not sleep together for the first four months, Gulf News said.

"When he did for the first time, he treated me inhumanly and inappropriately," she told the court. "I discovered later on that he suffered erectile dysfunction. He was exactly the opposite of what he claimed to me before we signed the marriage contract..."

"I suffered mentally, emotionally and lost any hope to become a mother," she added. "Considering the conservative Arab values and the woman's situation in such a society, I remained silent and tried to adapt (by) praying to God that things would improve. He treated me roughly and refused to support me financially or provide me with a decent shelter."

She also claimed her husband forced her to quit her job, so she lost her income and had to borrow money.

After they split up, the woman, who was not named by Gulf News, said the man kept her passport.

"Following the divorce, he stripped me of all my jewelry which he gave to me as part of the dowry. I ended up being emotionally and psychologically and financially broke … I visited psychological clinics for treatment," the claimant said, according to the Gulf News report.

What a terrible romance novel.

And the cherry on top (figuratively, of course):

The woman said her husband, a wealthy businessman and a "former public figure," was a "sweet-talker" before they got married. She said she later discovered he had been a "womanizer" and had been married 12 times.

I wonder why he was divorced so many times?

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Unconfirmed Report: Leon Panetta, not President Obama, issued order to kill bin Laden

Right off the bat, I want to remind you that this is unconfirmed and has a very good chance of being false.  However, referencing a story that appears in the PJ Tatler (which also isn't sure if this is real), a "White House insider" supposedly had this conversation with...someone:

Q: You stated that President Obama was “overruled” by military/intelligence officials regarding the decision to send in military specialists into the Osama Bin Laden compound. Was that accurate?

A: I was told – in these exact terms, “we overruled him.” (Obama) I have since followed up and received further details on exactly what that meant, as well as the specifics of how Leon Panetta worked around the president’s “persistent hesitation to act.” There appears NOT to have been an outright overruling of any specific position by President Obama, simply because there was no specific position from the president to do so. President Obama was, in this case, as in all others, working as an absentee president.

I was correct in stating there had been a push to invade the compound for several weeks if not months, primarily led by Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, David Petraeus, and Jim Clapper. The primary opposition to this plan originated from Valerie Jarrett, and it was her opposition that was enough to create uncertainty within President Obama. Obama would meet with various components of the pro-invasion faction, almost always with Jarrett present, and then often fail to indicate his position. This situation continued for some time, though the division between Jarrett/Obama and the rest intensified more recently, most notably from Hillary Clinton. She was livid over the president’s failure to act, and her office began a campaign of anonymous leaks to the media indicating such. As for Jarrett, her concern rested on two primary fronts. One, that the military action could fail and harm the president’s already weakened standing with both the American public and the world. Second, that the attack would be viewed as an act of aggression against Muslims, and further destabilize conditions in the Middle East.

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What To Do With Pakistan?

With the revelation that Osama bin Laden's one million dollar complex was less than one mile from Pakistan's equivalent of West Point, many Americans are justly questioning the country's worth, and our relationship moving forward.

Sadly, the White House's spokesmen accurately described the relationship as "complicated but important," at yesterday afternoon's daily press briefing.

This anti-Pakistan outrage must come to an end before it gets out of control. We have no choice but to support President Zardari's administration, and anyone who says otherwise from a position of power is putting the entire region at risk.

So why must we support them?

1. Pakistan has 100+ nuclear weapons.
2. Pakistan's moderate government will not survive unless we support them diplomatically and financially in the future.
3. Pakistan's leadership, even though they have to play a double game with public relations, has given us vital information in the past, and present to better conduct our ongoing War on Terrorism successfully.

Pretty good reasons, huh?

Well, consider this as well. If the Pakistani regime collapses (along with their democracy) we could only count the days until Islamists and Jihadists take it over. And take over 100+ nuclear weapons fully equiped to attack us.

We should pressure Pakistan to get back on track, perhaps threatening to shrink the amount of financial aid they receive, but we cannot end the relationship and put our entire War on Terror mission in danger.

What say you?

To be Expected: Spammers Unleash 'Osama Death Photo' Viruses

 As if the world of spamarts didn't need any more help in their fight to ruin everyone's web life, here it is. Everyone who is not a tree-hugging athiest Karl Marx-lover (and even some of those want to, too) is begging to take a look at Osama bin Laden's mangled corpse.

And spammers on Facebook and other sites are taking advantage.

As U.S. officials debate whether or not to release bloody pictures of a dead Osama bin Laden, hackers and scammers are using links and emails promising those pictures to try to infect your computer.
The FBI says these emails could even appear to come from your friends, claiming to show either photos of bin Laden dead or a video of his death.
But it’s actually a virus or malware that could steal personal information or cause your entire system to crash.
Officials also warn that internet searches can also direct you to sites with malware or virus. And the bad links are also popping up on Facebook and other social media.
As of now, they say there are no released photos or videos.
Internet security experts say often times, these websites will tell you that you need to download a codec, or video player, to watch the video, but that’s actually malware or a virus.
And they say make sure your anti-virus software is to date.

I saw something like this yesterday and even if there was a photo or video out there, it was pretty obvious that a 'special media player' or program would be necessary to see it.

Stay careful, webfolks.

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Obama 'Leaning Against' Releasing bin Laden Death Photo

 Some disappointing news is coming out of the White House today. Apparently the President is not immediately keen on the idea of showing the photograph of Osama bin Laden's corpse. This comes after yesterday CIA director Leon Panetta hinted that the picture would be made public.

Instead, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are advising him not to release the photo:

Meanwhile, sources say, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are advising the president about concerns at the Pentagon and State Department that releasing a photograph could prompt a backlash against the US for killing bin Laden where one does not seem to currently exist.

 Show the picture!

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The Political Meaning of Petraeus at CIA

With the news that President Obama is going to appoint Leon Panetta to replace Bob Gates at Defense, and General Petraeus to replace Panetta at the CIA, both Conservatives and Liberals are attempting to figure out the political implications of Petraeus' move, and both have been wrong.

Some Conservatives are wondering whether Petraeus is a closet Democrat looking to pounce in 2016, while some Liberals are hoping this appointment will make the General look connected to Obama and ruin his own electoral hopes down the road, such as what has happened to Huntsman.

I've been shaking my head at both opinions.

General Petraeus is not accepting this appointment because he is secretly attempting to win the nomination of the political party that concurred when MoveOn.org released their "General Betray Us" advertisement back in 2007, and he has more than once confirmed his political allegiance as Republican, although he hasn't voted since the Iraq War started.

Why Aren't the Death Photos of Osama bin Laden Being Released?

It is now being reported that President Obama has decided not to release the death photos of terrorist master mind Osama bin Laden.

The news was broken by CBS in a Tweet:

They also linked to an article of theirs, written just minutes before, explaining that the President would not release the photos.  They quoted the President as saying:

"The risks of release outweigh the benefits. Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East. Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet. Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead and let's now focus on continuing the fight until Al Qaida has been eliminated."

This is surprising news, considering that yesterday out-going CIA director Leon Panetta stated that he thought the pictures would be released.

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Stunning: Pa 2010-2011 Budget to End With $500 Million Surplus

This could be the New York Headline of the Century, but alas the Marcellus shale play is off limits thanks to environmental marxists!

That's right a $500 million surplus will be the bottom line on the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2010 and ends June 30, 2011. How could that be possible?

The economic recovery is real, with more people working and buying, boosting revenues to the state above the 3% revenue growth that was assumed in the current budget year. Revenues for the year appear to be on course to be up more than 5%.

The result is a $500 million plus surplus when we close the financial books this year on June 30th.

In fact, the surplus might be even bigger, as the April revenues were $273.2 million higher than the current budget estimated. Or revenues were 9% higher than projected. A strong performance indeed.

But this good news is apparently possibly causing a fight between Governor Corbett, Majority Leader Pileggi, and Senate and House Democrats.

Senator Pileggi has signaled that the higher than projected revenues should make it possible to reduce the 2011-12 budget cuts to education and other vital services that Governor Corbett had proposed.

Governor Corbett, however, is opposing using the increased revenues generated by economic growth to increase the total 2011-12 revenues appropriated to meet expenses. He threatens a veto. His position would require still massive cuts to education or other services, despite the 2010-11 surplus that could be used to reduce those cuts.

Cuts that slashed our state colleges and forced the ending of full day kindergarten were harmful and should have been avoided, even before the April revenue figures confirmed a $500 million plus surplus will be available to carry forward to 2011-2012. Now such budget choices really are hard to fathom.

Perhaps this budget will not be done by Memorial Day as some thought a month ago.

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Frack Fluid Spill, Maryland AG Lawsuit and Perspective

Scott Roberts is the former Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resources Management at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and as such has something to say about hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale. He recently offered his first blog post and offers his insight on Chesapeake Energy's recent well control failure that resulted in fracking fluid contaminating farming lands and Towanda creek, a tributary to the Susquehanna river.

As an interesting side note, the Maryland Attorney General has filed an "intent to sue" on Chesapeake Energy because of this accidental spill of fracking fluid that occurred in April in Leroy Township, PA. Why would the Maryland Attorney General file a lawsuit on an energy company operating in a different state that suffered an industrial accident, you might ask? Well, this is where circuitous logic comes in. Towanda Creek empties into the Susquehanna River which in turn empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Therefore, according to Attorney General Gansler, several federal lawsuits have been violated, including the Clean Water Act. We heard about the EPA and the Clean Water Act yesterday. Also, the City of Baltimore uses the Susquehanna as a backup source of water "in times of drought."

Gansler told the company the spill "may pose ...an imminent and substantial endangerment to the health of the population adjacent to the well site, recreational users of Towanda Creek and the Susquehanna River and to the environment."

It makes no difference that Chesapeake energy a) immediately suspended all Marcellus drilling until the figured out what happened, b) replaced the faulty equipment at the well once they discovered the problem, c) have tested and retested around the site to assess the environmental impact, d) are working with the PA Department of Environment and its investigation into the accident. A neighboring state, hundreds of miles away, will now sue a private company based on EPA regulations.

Chesapeake Energy's response:

Brian Gove, senior director for corporate development at Chesapeake Energy Corp., said testing during the spill revealed "limited and very localized environmental impact, with no adverse effects on aquatic wildlife in Towanda Creek."

Testing in the Susquehanna a short distance downstream found "no effect whatsoever," he said. "We are confident there will be zero impact hundreds of miles away. The Susquehanna Rive and the Chesapeake Bay face many environmental threats; this event is not one of them."

What does all this have to do with Scott Roberts? Perspective!

From all reports it appears that, despite the fluids from the well reaching a stream, the stream’s ecosystems were not impacted. That is good news. But the bad news is that a well control failure is, obviously, a failure and, as such, should be prevented to the greatest degree possible. Some will say it never should have happened, others will say it can’t be fully prevented except by outlawing natural gas exploration and production.

What I say is that we need to need to face the fact that we are all human and ‘to err is human’. I say that the inalienable right recognized by the Declaration of Independence of the ‘pursuit of happiness’ by definition recognizes that not all pursuits will be successful and that, therefore, failure is also an inalienable human right. I say that, when those two premises are combined, perfection is not achievable. Finally, as a conclusion to this line of thought, that how we deal with the failures that occur is a more important measure of character than the much more commonplace finger-pointing. So, I say, it happened.

As I opined above, zero failures is the only acceptable standard. But this accident adds one more well to the perhaps 20 or 25 other Marcellus wells that have had problems or failures. So, the fact is that roughly 99% of the 3,075 Marcellus wells drilled from 2005 to April 22^nd have not had a failure. That’s a really high success rate for mere mortals, especially given the complexity of the tasks involved in drilling and completing a modern gas well. It may not reach the standard but it certainly demonstrates to me a commitment by industry to do things right.

This sentiment is exactly correct. For those opposed to hydraulic fracturing, "zero failures is the only acceptable standard." It doesn't matter that the preponderance of the evidence supports the contention that hydraulic fracturing is a safe method of accessing previously inaccessible energy resources. It only matters that it is not 100% fool proof. Reminds me of "Hayward's First Law of Green Thermodynamics", "There is no source of energy, no matter how clean, that the left-environmentalists won't oppose if it becomes practical to scale up."

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"Osama Got Jimmered" (With Picture)

Osama got Jimmered:

Indeed he did.

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U.S. Senate Passes Resolution Honoring Military and Intelligence for Killing bin Laden

In a rare sign of unanimity on the Senate floor this afternoon, Senators voted 97-0 to honour the members of the Military and Intelligence community who carried out the mission that killed al-Qaida terrorist Osama bin Laden Sunday afternoon.

This comes as the United States has achieved its greatest sense of unity since we were attacked almost ten years ago. While unlikely to last, we should all enjoy these few days of celebrating our greatest War on Terror victory as a country of Americans; not Democrats or Republicans.

Terrorists don't care who they kill, but we should all care when we kill them.

What say you?

When did Osama bin Laden Die?

According to ABC, precisely 3:50pm, EST on May 1:


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NFL Running Back Defends bin Laden: ‘We’ve Only Heard One Side’

You have go to be kidding me.  Rashard Mendenhall, a popular and successful running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, came to the defense of mass murderer and perpetrator of September 11, Osama bin Laden.

In a tweet yesterday, Mr. Mendenhall quickly (and by "quickly," I mean stupidly) pointed out that people should hate bin Laden because, hey, "we've only heard one side:"

I guess Mr. Mendenhall isn't satisfied with the blood of three thousands Americans.  I hear Osama really loved his beard!  That's another side!

And what the hell:  "It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak?"  Are we still talking about a terrorist here?  Is he implying that, if we heard Osama bin Laden speak, that we would not hate him because of a different perspective?

This truly shows why no one should care or consider what the famous have to say about politics.

But if you haven't vomited yet, here are some more tweets from Mr. Mendenhall:

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Unconfirmed: Osama bin Laden Death Photo (WARNING, EXTREMELY GRAPHIC) | UPDATE: Confirmed to be FAKE

Update, 3:00pm EST-  Through different sources, Pundit Press has determined that this photograph is fake.  Here is the original (graphic), which was doctored to look more like Osama bin Laden.

-Original Article Below-

Warning:  Incredibly Graphic

Here is an, as of yet, unconfirmed picture of the deceased Osama bin Laden.  It is exactly how newspapers and our sources have described it:  gruesome...  I will give some space between the picture and words so that you do not accidentally see the picture if you do not want to.

It is exactly how CNN reported the picture would look like:

"Photos of OBLs body at a hanger after he was brought back to Afghanistan. This is the most recognizable with a clear picture of his face. The picture is gruesome because he has a massive open head wound across both eyes. It’s very bloody and gory."

Warning:  Incredibly Graphic

Also, the picture reveals that most of the damage was done above the man in the picture's left eye.  Further, the man looks precisely like bin Laden.

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