Obama: so much less than anyone thought he would be

It’s not often that the liberal American Civil Liberties Union and conservative Judicial Watch agree on anything, but the Obama administration’s lack of transparency has brought the two together. Obama’s Justice Department has proposed a regulatory change that would weaken the Freedom of Information Act. Under the new rules, the government could falsely respond to those who file FOIA requests that a document does not exist if it pertains to an ongoing criminal investigation, concerns a terrorist organization, or a counterintelligence operation involving a foreign nation.

There are two problems with the Obama proposal to allow federal officials to affirmatively assert that a requested document doesn’t exist when it does. First, by not citing a specific exemption allowed under the FOIA as grounds for denying a request, the proposal would cut off a requestor from appealing to the courts. By thus creating an area of federal activity that is completely exempt from judicial review, the proposal undercuts due process and other constitutional protections. Second, by creating a justification for government lying to FOIA requestors in one area, a legal precedent is created that sooner or later will be asserted by the government in other areas as well.

via On FOIA, Obama wants a license to lie

The very angry first lady Michelle Obama

So, America’s first lady will travel the country this election season to tell her fellow Americans just how bad it is out there (between lavish vacations, of course). Unlike President Ronald Reagan, who saw morning in America – that great shining city on a hill – Michelle will tell all who will listen that Republicans want to poison the air and water, stifle free speech, oppress the religious. She will offer not an uplifting vision of what her husband’s America could be but only a vapid view of what Republicans’ America would be.

That is the America she lives in, and by campaign’s end, it will be clear that she’s no longer “proud of my country.” Maybe she never really was.

via Washington Times.

Weekend Entertainment

Bummer… and they seemed like such nice occupiers

Report: Fights erupt among Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Fights are erupting among Occupy Wall Street protesters, so much so that one corner of Zuccotti Park has emerged where protesters say they won’t go for fear of their safety, the New York Daily News is reporting.

Police officers also have been warned of “dangerous instruments” being concealed in cardboard tubing, the News says it has been told by unidentified police sources.

“There is a lot of infighting in the park,” a police source told the news organization. “There is one part of the park where they won’t even go at night.”

The Lord of the Flies analogy continues to be apt.

Best political ad I’ve seen in years

Mission Accomplished?

Michael Ramirez Political Cartoons

 

 

Quote of the Day

The commune / society was living high on the hog with high quality food. Now everyone is “suffering” because moochers – i.e. those who cannot – are abusing the system. You can extrapolate that to any service. At first, everything will be high end, but eventually the doers get tired of doing because there are too many who will not. That’s the fundamental flaw of socialism in a nutshell. Will the Occupiers even notice? Doubtful.

via But… “To each according to his needs” and stuff.

Watergate with a body count continues to get worse for Team Obama

PJ Media: BREAKING: PJ Media Finds Gunwalker’s ‘Unreachable’ Man in the White House

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform led by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is investigating to what extent the White House was aware of — or involved in — the “Fast and Furious” gunwalking scandal.

The committee recently requested to speak with former White House National Security Staffer Kevin O’Reilly. According to CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson, the Obama administration answered:

O’Reilly is on assignment for the State Department in Iraq and unavailable.

Through a tip, PJ Media learned that Kevin O’Reilly was unexpectedly named director of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau for Iraq (INL-Iraq). Long-time INL-Iraq employee Virginia Ramadan had been expected to get the position — many were quite surprised when she did not.

The previous occupants of the Director, INL-Iraq position — Joe Manso and Francisco Palmieri — were not considered “unreachable” to press or government access. A quick internet search reveals Palmieri, while director, attended a media event on August 23, 2010.

On October 21, PJ Media reporter Patrick Richardson called the number for Office of the Director, INL-Iraq:

1-240-553-0581, ext. 3275

Richardson reached a voicemail message confirming that it was indeed the correct number. He left a message that was not returned.

On Monday Richardson called again, and an assistant answered. Richardson asked to speak with Kevin O’Reilly, and the assistant asked who was calling. Richardson gave his name and stated he was with PJ Media.

The assistant said O’Reilly was currently on a conference call, and asked if Richardson wanted to leave a message. Richardson gave his phone number. His call was not returned.

This morning, Richardson called again. He received a prerecorded message saying “this number is not in service.”

Video: Rise of the Obamavilles

via Hot Air

It’s the 1930s all over again

Nazi jokes, wrath at Germans highlight Greek despair

The dark shadow of German-driven austerity measures squeezing Greece has revived historical enmities and evoked comparisons to the massive destruction of the Mediterranean country at the hands of Nazi Germany over 65 years ago.

Cartoons have sprung up depicting the European Union’s “troika” as ferocious soldiers in World War Two German uniforms, and some Greeks are beginning to resent the German tourists flocking their ancient sites.

The staff cartoonist for the liberal daily Eleftherotypia has drawn dozens of such cartoons in recent months, often showing Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos giving the Nazi salute “Sieg Heil” (Hail Victory) to a soldier.

“I used the German uniforms symbolically,” cartoonist Stathis Stavropoulos told Reuters through an interpreter.

“They show that what Germany did not manage with weapons during World War Two, it is now trying to do through economic means,” he said.

Well maybe if your country was not so weak, pathetic, broke, and full of itself you would not be in the position to need the help.

Waddya think?

What #OCCUPYPORTLAND really looks like

via Pundit Press:

Obama on Leno by the brilliant Michael Ramirez

via Investors.com:

Watch out Paula Dean!

AMERICAN GROWN FOOD FIGHT! OBAMA vs. DEAN!

First lady MICHLLE OBAMA fuming as PAULA DEEN dishes on her unhealthy eating habits despite new book “American Grown” PR blitz!

MICHELLE OBAMA is now furious with Southern cooking queen PAULA DEEN for crowing that the first lady, a healthy-eat­ing advocate who’s waging a war against childhood obesity, pigs out on fatten­ing foods.

While plugging her new book, “Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible,” the feisty TV chef took a pot shot at Michelle for gorging herself on greasy french fries, fatty hot chicken wings and sug­ary deep-fried Snickers bars!

“Michelle’s spitting mad,” a source told The ENQUIRER.

“She thinks Paula is trying to smear her and her family just as the 2012 presidential election race swings into gear.”

[...]

“She’s no different than the rest of us,” Paula said about Michelle in a new interview.

Paula added: “She probably ate more than any other guest I ever had on the show! She kept eating even dur­ing commercials. Know what (the Obamas’) favorite foods are? Hot wings. Y’know – those kinds of foods that aren’t necessarily top-of-the-list healthy foods.”

“Michelle now deeply regrets ever being on Paula’s show,” added the source. “There are a lot of digs she would have been able to brush off, but portray­ing her as a high-calorie gorger during her crusade for healthy eating is crossing the line.”

Obama’s Failed Stimulus Cost More than 9 Year Iraq War

via The Gateway Pundit: Pay attention, we are talking about the one Obama is solely responsible for…:

New ad blasts Obama

via Hot Air:

As Barack Obama climbs back aboard the campaign presidential outreach bus, it’s apparent that the President has a laser focus on jobs. Well, one job in particular, anyway — his own. Obama took his American job Act out on the road again, and the RNC has a new TV spot out to greet him, and it asks voters whether they’d prefer to see a President at work or on the campaign trail:

The RNC also has a “press corps briefing book” on the Debt-End Bus Tour, with a rather amusing parody of the familiar White House graphic on official presidential material. The logo features an eroding and collapsing White House with the slogan, “Downgrading America,” while the briefing itself has links to newspaper accounts and videos that the GOP uses to make its case that Obama has stopped governing altogether. The subtitle of the report? “Obama’s Non-Political Bus Tour Just So Happens to Roll into Two States He Can’t Afford to Lose.”

It’s also running into a few fundraisers along the way, too.