Thursday, July 4, 2013

Terror Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki Spent Kinky Nights in D.C. With at Least 7 Hookers

Damned porno-addicted Islamist hypocrites. No wonder Obama backs these guys in Syria.

At the New York Post, "Qaeda Ho-ly roller: Terror cleric shot his load with DC prostitutes":

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WASHINGTON — When he wasn’t preaching against America, terror-linked imam Anwar al-Awlaki was frequently hiring $400-an-hour hookers at posh DC hotels, newly released FBI documents reveal.

Awlaki, who delivered radical sermons at a mosque near Washington and ultimately met his end in a 2011 US drone strike in Yemen, paid thousands of dollars for at least seven hooker romps, according to interviews the prostitutes gave FBI agents soon after doing their dirty work.

The seedy details — not exactly in keeping with Awlaki’s constant invocations of “God the Almighty” in his sermons — are outlined in hundreds of pages of FBI documents released yesterday through an information request filed by Judicial Watch.
Keep reading.

Egypt's Second Revolution?

Look, Morsi sucks goats balls, but Egypt's in a dangerous place right now. We could see a lot of violence in the weeks and months ahead, especially if Muslim Brotherhood operatives resort to terrorism.

At the Guardian UK, "Mohamed Morsi ousted in Egypt's second revolution in two years."

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Despite Claims, Obama Administration Has Done Little to Press Mohamed Morsi on Human Rights

From Eli Lake and Josh Rogan, at the Daily Beast, "Obama Offers a Revisionist History of His Administration’s Approach to Egypt" (via Israel Matzav and Memeorandum):

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In nearly every confrontation with Congress since the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the White House has fought restrictions proposed by legislators on the nearly $1.6 billion in annual U.S. aid to Egypt. Twice in two years, the White House and the State Department fought hard against the very sorts of conditions for aid that Obama claimed credit for this week. When President Mohamed Morsi used the power of his presidency to target his political opponents, senior administration officials declined to criticize him in public. Many close Egypt observers argue that the Obama administration’s treatment of Morsi has been in line with the longstanding U.S. policy of turning a blind eye to the human-rights abuses of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.

But don’t tell that to Obama. On Monday he said, “The way we make decisions about assistance to Egypt is based on are they in fact following rule of law and democratic procedures.” The president made these remarks in Tanzania, as millions of Egyptian street protesters demanded Morsi’s ouster.

Hillary Clinton, the secretary of State in his first term, described the Egypt aid process during a September 2011 visit to Cairo that took place after Mubarak’s resignation, but before the powerful Egyptian military acceded to the drafting of a new constitution and the free elections held in June 2012, when Morsi won office.

"We believe in aid to your military without any conditions, no conditionality,” Clinton said. "I’ve made that very clear. I was with the foreign minister, Mr. Amr, yesterday, and was very clear in saying that the Obama administration, and I personally am against that. I think it’s not appropriate."

(Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Mohamed Kamel Amr on Tuesday, a day after the foreign minister announced his own resignation in response to the massive street protests and the military announcing a 48-hour ultimatum for the president to respond to those protests.)

In March 2012, Clinton waived restrictions passed by Congress on aid to Egypt “on the basis of America’s national-security interests.” That decision came in the midst of the Egyptian government’s crackdown on foreign NGOs, which included the raiding of the offices of several American organizations, including the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, and Freedom House....

Michele Dunne, the executive director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, says that since 2011, U.S. policy has reverted to a traditional pattern of cooperation with the host government, and now the administration is embarrassed and is trying to pretend it used its influence to pressure Morsi.

“Obama’s statement constitutes a revisionist history of what they have been doing over the past two years,” she says. “We have not exercised the kind of support for democratic progress that we should have. That’s why people still think to this day that the Obama administration is just fully in support of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Of course, we're long past the point of embracing radical Islamists in American politics, we now literally have top level Muslim Brotherhood infiltration in the Obama White House.

And Obama's proven himself a liar over and over again, so none of this is a surprise. These people are treasonous bitches. People need to wake up to these mf traitors.

More at Memeorandum.

#ObamaCare Delay Won't Solve Anything

At IBD, "Delaying ObamaCare's Employer Mandate Solves Nothing":
The reason the administration delayed the Obama-Care employer mandate was because it was turning into a monumental catastrophe. Among the problems:

• Businesses that were supposed to benefit the most from it were instead cutting workers, trimming employees' hours and doing whatever else they could to minimize the mandate's costs. The administration made this problem worse by decreeing that 30 hours constituted full-time work.

• Insurance companies started to announce their ObamaCare premiums for small businesses, and many were coming in with big double-digit increases.

• In June, Obama announced the delay of a key feature of the small business insurance exchanges — called SHOP — that promised choice and competition. Instead of letting workers pick their own plans, as originally promised, owners would have to choose a single plan for their entire workforce.

• Some of the biggest insurers were avoiding the SHOP exchanges altogether. In several states, only one planned to offer a policy, and in Mississippi, none signed up.

• Democrats were starting to rebel against the mandate. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said the administration's inability to get the SHOP exchanges fully operational would end up "crippling 29 million small businesses." Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., was pushing a bill to define "full time" as 40 hours a week, saying that without it ObamaCare would "be a negative for our families."

But while the delay might look like a political bonus to Democrats running in 2014, it will likely cause as many political problems as it solves.

Most of the concerns facing businesses will still be there next summer — right before the mid-term elections — when owners will again confront the costly mandate. In fact, the problems will likely be worse, since ObamaCare will have had a full year to wreak havoc on the health care system.

Plus, since the employer mandate was meant to keep businesses from dumping workers into the Obama-Care exchanges, delaying it could encourage them to do just that, which won't endear workers to the law.

And by delaying a key piece of his signature law, Obama has given Republicans ammunition to argue ObamaCare is a fatally flawed, economically ruinous "reform" even Democrats are finding hard to support.

What's more, the individual mandate — which is still set to go into effect as scheduled — is just as disastrous as the employer mandate.
IBD argues that the law should be fully repealed and replaced with market-based reforms. And it will be. After that, the Obama legacy will be one of complete failure on the single most important policy that it passed during the entire two-terms of Hussein's presidency. He's been a terrible president and the bills --- economic and political --- will be coming due for a long time to come.

RTWT at that top link.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Obama's Statement on Egypt

At the Washington Wire:
President Barack Obama’s statement on Wednesday’s events in Egypt:

As I have said since the Egyptian Revolution, the United States supports a set of core principles, including opposition to violence, protection of universal human rights, and reform that meets the legitimate aspirations of the people. The United States does not support particular individuals or political parties, but we are committed to the democratic process and respect for the rule of law. Since the current unrest in Egypt began, we have called on all parties to work together to address the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people, in accordance with the democratic process, and without recourse to violence or the use of force.

The United States is monitoring the very fluid situation in Egypt, and we believe that ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people. Nevertheless, we are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsy and suspend the Egyptian constitution. I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsy and his supporters. Given today’s developments, I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt.
Continue reading.

And at Twitchy, "Always evolving: White House releases this week’s position on who should control Egypt’s destiny":



Yeah, well. As I tweeted earlier:



New Calls to Repeal #ObamaCare

From Bridget Johnson, at PJ Media, "ObamaCare Opponents Energized by Delay, Urge Full Repeal":

Lawmakers critical of ObamaCare were claiming victory at the announcement that the administration would postpone for one year the requirement that businesses cover their employees.

But they also used the Treasury Department’s news as a springboard to issue fresh calls for full repeal of the healthcare law.

“This is a remarkable acknowledgment by the Obama Administration that ObamaCare is a disaster in progress that will hurt job creators and those looking for work,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). “The solution to ObamaCare is not to delay the day when the Internal Revenue Service comes after struggling American businesses who cannot afford to provide Washington mandated health coverage. The solution is to repeal it entirely.”

“This monstrous and unaffordable law is bad for business, bad for our economy, and bad for jobs. If the Administration is incapable of fully implementing ObamaCare after three years, then it is clearly too complex to force upon families and small businesses,” said Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas).

Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise (R-La.) noted that President Obama publicly criticizes House Republicans for fighting to repeal Obamacare but “has been privately trying to waive portions of the law for select groups.”

“We have been pointing out for years that Obamacare will be a disaster for hard-working families, and today President Obama finally agreed that this law is not ready for prime time by delaying the employer mandate. The president’s decision is further proof that we need to fully repeal this failed law,” Scalise said. “We stand ready to work on a bipartisan solution to lower health care costs and fix the real problems without the unworkable mandates and taxes in the President’s health care law.”

The law requires businesses of 50 employees or more to provide a prescribed level of health insurance or pay a penalty between $2,000 and $3,000 for each employee working 30 hours or more a week. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) pointed to a Hudson Institute study that found this mandate is expected to lead to an estimated 3.2 million lost jobs

“While the Administration finally admitted that the employer mandate is unworkable in 2014, it now must recognize that the real problem continues to be the entire Affordable Care Act,” Moran said. “Implementation of the ACA has not lowered costs or increased access as promised. Individuals, families and employers still face increasing health insurance costs, new taxes overseen by what we have recently learned is a politically-biased IRS, burdensome mandates, and massive uncertainty because of this flawed law. The best course of action is to dismantle the ACA and replace it with practical reforms that are workable and will actually reduce health care costs.”

Even a few Democrats were happy with the delay...
And see the Heritage Foundation, "It’s Official: Administration Admits Obamacare Is a Job-Killer," and "Morning Bell: So Which Part of Obamacare Works, Then?"

Plus, "The Massive Costs of the Latest Obamacare Waiver."

Military Ousts Mohamed Morsi in Egypt

Al Jazeera's live feed is here.

And at the Lede blog, "The Lede: Latest Updates on Egypt’s Political Crisis."

Also at Legal Insurrection, "Morsi removed from power by military in Egypt."

And at the Wall Street Journal, "Egyptian Military Removes President: Morsi Rejects Move; Court Official Installed as Constitution Is Suspended":

CAIRO—The leader of Egypt's military ousted President Mohammed Morsi from office and replaced him with the head of the country's constitutional court—a move the presidential palace quickly branded a "complete military coup."

The announcements capped days of political crisis that brought millions of Egyptians out to the country's streets, spurring bellicose rhetoric from Mr. Morsi's backers and Egypt's military, and sparking deadly violence. Egyptians remained on the squares on Wednesday evening, the stark divides between their celebration and anger suggesting a new period of political uncertainty ahead.

In a terse televised statement Wednesday evening, Defense Secretary Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi—joined by important Muslim, Coptic and oppositionchiefs—announced Mr. Morsi's ouster. The head of Egypt's highest court—Adly Mansour, a judge who was named to the position only two days earlier—would take over from Mr. Morsi effective immediately, he said.

Mr. Mansour is tasked with leading a technocratic government that will be "inclusive of all political factions" including youth, who Gen. Sisi said would be "empowered" under the terms of the new government.

Gen. Sisi also suspended the constitution that Mr. Morsi and his Islamist allies pushed through late last year in a controversial referendum, and charged the Supreme Constitutional Court with addressing the draft law for parliamentary elections.

The military leader—until recently a close ally of Mr. Morsi—said that a committee would be formed to amend the constitution.

Mr. Morsi's office rejected the move, but called on Egyptians to peacefully resist what it called a military coup. Mr. Morsi's statement came hours after he mounted what appeared to be a last-ditch effort to remain in power—offering a plan to form a coalition government to run parliamentary elections, and forming an independent committee to address constitutional amendments and present them to the coming parliament.
Continue reading.

Also at Foreign Affairs, "Foreign Affairs Report: A Year of Morsi."

Foreign Policy has a lot of excellent coverage, for example, "Celebrating a Disaster in Egypt," and "Can a Coup Ever Be Democratic?"

Still more at Memeorandum.

Expect updates ...

Homosexuals Love Weiner!

Anthony Weiner came out for some gay pride love at the foreskin festival over the weekend.

At New York Magazine, "Anthony Weiner’s ‘Gay’ Pants Are the Talk of the Town." And the New York Post, "Anthony Weiner in bid for gay vote as Christine Quinn wins major endorsement."

A cock-waving adulterer? He should have the homosexual vote locked down!

Anthony Weiner photo dsc_0129_zpscd4d8bad.jpg

Anthony Weiner photo anthony-weiner-lead-wenn20478390__oPt_zps2f59f4f1.jpg

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More at Twitchy, "Outside Stonewall, Anthony Weiner photographed wearing pants."

Employer Mandate Delay is the Locomotive Crashing in the #ObamaCare Train Wreck

The locomotive has derailed and the rest of the train will be tumbling off the tracks shortly.

Yuval Levin, who I referenced this morning already, has an outstanding analysis, "Delaying Obamacare":

I think the administration has just made its Obamacare problems worse rather than alleviating them. But it may have opened a path to alleviating the country’s Obamacare problem, by elevating the idea of delay. Opponents of Obamacare should not imagine that the law will just collapse by itself or that as problems arise Democrats will come to them asking for repeal. That’s just ridiculous. They should look for ways to make the most of opportunities to avert the implementation of this odious law and advance the cause of ultimately repealing and replacing it. And yesterday’s announcement offers such an opportunity. The employer mandate is very bad policy, and its delay (which likely means its elimination) is a good thing. But the rest of Obamacare is very bad policy too. The delay of the employer mandate by a year highlights the irrationality of the larger law and exacerbates its instability. It does not seem to be sustainable as a discrete measure. It calls at the very least for a broader delay.
More at the link.

And at AIM, "CBS: Obamacare Delay a “Major Setback” for White House—Gives Impression It’s “Barely Operational” [Video]."

Flashback: Repeal #ObamaCare

Here, "The Overthrow of ObamaCare":
From Yuval Levin, at the Weekly Standard, "REPEAL: Why and How Obamacare Must Be Undone."
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Megyn Kelly to Get Prime-Time Slot on Fox News

At the New York Times:


The second quarter of 2013 cemented the recent ratings trends in cable news, with CNN rising and MSNBC falling, while Fox News continued its overall dominance.

But within those quarterly reports was the news that in June Fox News scored its lowest ratings since August 2001 among the viewers news advertisers most want to reach, the 25-to-54 age group. The network may be trying to address this issue with its decision to elevate one of its rising stars, Megyn Kelly, to a prime-time slot as soon as she returns from a planned maternity leave in the next few months. Fox made that expected promotion official on Tuesday.

Fox did not announce a specific show for Ms. Kelly or whose place she would be taking in the network’s prime-time lineup. However, speculation has centered on Greta Van Susteren, the 10 p.m. anchor. Ms. Van Susteren recently signed an extension of her Fox contract but her future role is not certain at this point.

Her husband, John Coale, said in an interview with The Times in May that she would be willing to move to an earlier hour. Several Web sites, including Mediaite, reported this week that Ms. Van Susteren had held talks with CNN, seeking a job at that network. A CNN executive confirmed Tuesday that those talks had taken place.

Fox News also announced on Tuesday that it had extended the contracts of all its evening and prime-time anchors: Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Bret Baier and Shepard Smith.

All those men continued to pile up huge advantages over their competitors in terms of total viewers in the second quarter, as did Fox News, which was up 12 percent in total day ratings and 3 percent in the Monday through Friday prime-time ratings.

But Fox News did show declines among viewers between 25 and 54, the group that accounts for the bulk of ad revenue for news networks. For the quarter, Fox was down 6 percent in total day ratings in that category and 12 percent in the prime-time hours.
Absolutely worst hit: Lying dirtbag Rachel Maddow at the communist MSNBC.

Erick Erickson's Red State Posts Sexist Photoshop of Sarah Palin

It's not that big of a deal to me.

Photoshopping people for a dig is old hat, even for people on your own side. It's a little surprising, however, for such a big conservative brand as Red State to sink to petty locker room Photoshop humor as this. And the post has been up for two days. Worse is that Erick Erickson defended the image as not Photoshopped when called out on Twitter, and then some.

Folks contacted me privately after I tweeted earlier.

Again, not that big a deal. That said, here's Jen Kuznicki, "RedState misstates Palin and misses the point":

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Anger erupted on twitter after RedState’s Peter List posted a photoshopped cleavage picture of Sarah Palin on his Diary, but the content of his post misstated her position, and shows how little he knows about the current fight going on in the GOP.

For all its buzz, RedState is a fairly static presence on the web. For instance, you can miss reading it for about 2 years, and then jump back in, and they are saying the same thing, with the same people, pointing out the same circumstance, and frankly, being really nasty and angry in the comment section.

List says that Palin’s third party solution is part of the problem. He knows she didn’t come up with a third party plan, and if he knows anything about boots-on-the-ground grassroots work, he would know that the third party idea is prevalent in the GOP rank and file. In his misleading post, List points to another RedState writer and how he has laid out the way to take over the GOP.

Is List ‘taking over’ the GOP? It seems to me that if you are going to preach it, you ought to do it. If he is in the fight, good, but I do not see the insight in his post that would prove such. For him, and his clique at RedState, I’ll lend a hand to show what has happened to warrant what many see as a possible alternative. And I’d like to stress the fact that Palin didn’t say she’s going third, she said, ‘if’ the current GOP establishment keeps on doing what they are doing, it certainly is a factor.
RTWT.

Jen's got a handle on the grumbles at the grassroots. Mostly, I just like how Erick Erickson gets a pass.

More on Twitter:



ADDED: This post has a lot of the details that I was unable to locate as I was writing this essay: "RedState Posts Demeaning Photoshop of Governor Palin, Denies When Confronted — Updated."

Also, from Dan Riehl, "Erickson and His Redstate Boys Never Learn, Titter at Faux Palin Ta-Ta’s." (Original photo there, compared to the Photoshop.)

Here's still more at C4P, "RedState Boys Act Like Leftists When Confronted On Smears Against Governor Palin," and "Redstate Posts Demeaning Photoshop of Governor Palin, Denies When Confronted — Updated."

Elle MacPherson Recreates 1984 Playboy Cover for Australian Harper's Bazaar Magazine

She's 49 and in amazing physical condition.

As lithe was she was 19 years ago.

At London's Daily Mail, "Rolling back the (naked) years! Elle MacPherson, 49, poses in just a pair of stockings to recreate iconic 1994 Playboy cover."

RELATED: At the Other McCain, "Rick-Rolled by HuffPost."

Defiant Morsi Rejects Calls to Step Down

At the Wall Street Journal, "Egypt's Leader Vows to Stay: Defiant Morsi Rejects Military Pressure, Calls to Step Down; 'I Have No Choice'":

CAIRO—Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi rejected protesters' calls for him to step down, telling Egyptians in a late-night address that he is willing to give his life "to protect the legitimacy" of the country's ballot box and Islamist-drafted constitution.

Without elaborating, he mentioned the possibility of parliamentary elections in six months, part of a list of proposals he said he would consider during talks with the opposition.

Moments later, antigovernment protesters in four provinces across Egypt chanted against the president, calling for him and his Muslim Brotherhood-backed party to leave, according to live footage. Antigovernment protests again swelled on Egypt's streets, reaching millions, according to local media estimates, just hours ahead of the military's Wednesday deadline for Mr. Morsi to patch relations with the country's opposition.

Morsi supporters and antigovernment protesters clashed near Cairo University in the suburb of Giza late Tuesday, leaving at least four people dead, according to the Ministry of Health. The groups traded fire of rubber bullets and pellets in Cairo's Kit Kat district, according to residents and local media.

The Obama administration has used U.S. diplomatic and military channels to deliver quiet messages and warnings to Mr. Morsi and Egyptian commanders to try to head off the crisis and avert any military coup, according to current and former officials.
Continue reading.

And from Mandy Nagy, at Legal Insurrection, "Morsi rejects military ultimatum (Update: “I am prepared to sacrifice my blood”)(Update No. 2: Egypt army says ready to die in “final hours”)."

So Feminists Hate Makeup?

I had no idea.

Here's my tweet from last night after seeing Jessica Valenti retweeted in my timeline:


Valenti got a kick out of it.
Depending on your browser, you might be able to see all the responses in the Twitter timeline. Here's a few choice attacks from all the feminist psycho-vituperation:



And a little backup from the guys:



The inspiration for my feminist trolls, or Ms. Valenti at least:



Tuesday, July 2, 2013

#ObamaCare Delayed Until 2015

Technically, it's the mandate requiring that employers provide their workers with health insurance that's taking a hit, but since that's really the heart of ObamaCare --- and the Supreme Court ruled as well that individuals who don't buy insurance on their own must pay a tax --- we're really seeing the entire 2009 healthcare cluster-k being repudiated by the Obama White House. This gives Democrats a lifeline to save their sinking asses in the 2014 election, but since the Democrats are in effect admitting their own incompetence (and deception) the Republicans will have an even more powerful hammer to crush the idiot Democrat-Socialists a year from November.

At Twitchy, "Report: WH will delay Obamacare employer mandate until 2015."

And at the New York Times, "Obama Administration to Delay Health Law Requirement Until 2015":


WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced on Tuesday that it would delay for a year, until 2015, the Affordable Care Act mandate that employers provide coverage for their workers or pay penalties, responding to business complaints and postponing the effective date beyond next year’s midterm elections.

“We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively,” Mark J. Mazur, an assistant Treasury secretary, wrote on the department’s Web site in disclosing the delay. “We recognize that the vast majority of businesses that will need to do this reporting already provide health insurance to their workers, and we want to make sure it is easy for others to do so.”

Under the 2010 law, employers of more than 50 full-time employees were required to provide them with health insurance starting next year or face fines. Numerous reports had suggested that some companies with payrolls at or just over that size were complaining that they would have to cut some jobs or switch some full-time workers to part-time employment.

The change does not affect other central provisions of the law, in particular those establishing health care marketplaces in the states — known as exchanges — where individual Americans without health insurance can shop from a menu of insurance policies. Under those provisions, subsidies are available for lower-income individuals who qualify.

However, it will be difficult for officials running the exchanges to know who is entitled to subsidies if they are not able to confirm whether employers are offering insurance to their employees. Enrollment in the exchanges is to begin on Oct. 1, and they are to take effect on Jan. 1.

Much of the administration’s public effort, especially at the Department of Health and Human Services, has been directed toward spreading the word to uninsured Americans, especially younger and healthier individuals whose participation is needed to help keep down the price of premiums for everyone else. About 15 percent of Americans are uninsured, so most individuals are unaffected, at least initially.

Behind the scenes, however, the administration has been fielding questions and criticism from businesses about the mandated reporting requirements — especially the Treasury Department, which has responsibility, given its oversight of the nation’s tax reporting system.

Mr. Mazur wrote that the one-year delay “will allow us to consider ways to simplify the new reporting requirements consistent with the law." He added, “Second, it will provide time to adapt health coverage and reporting systems while employers are moving toward making health coverage affordable and accessible for their employees.”

Within the next week, he added, the Treasury will issue official guidance to insurers, self-insuring employers and other parties that provide health coverage. Formal rules will be proposed later this summer, he added.

Don't #StandWithWendy Davis

It turns out Kirsten Powers ain't standing with the idiot Wendy Davis.


Also at Memeorandum.

FRC Launches 'Voice of the Voiceless'

According to the group's information page:
The mission of Voice of the Voiceless is to defend the rights of former homosexuals, individuals with unwanted same-sex attraction, and their families. We also support the faith-based community and work actively in the United States to defend the constitutional rights of all Americans to share their views of homosexuality in the public forum. We support similar international efforts and provide assistance, whenever possible, to individuals and organizations abroad who align with our mission and goals.
And there's a related Facebook page as well, "Ex-Gays Protecting Traditional Marriage."

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Via Memeorandum, where the regressive homosexuals are working overtime on demonizing FRC.

Stay classy, progs. Because we know you people are the model for happy families.


Two Homosexual Men Convicted for Making Hardcore Child Pornography With Adopted Son From Russia

Hey, another day, another news item from the left's program of unicorns and rainbows on the homosexual equality frontier.

Yay progs!

At the Other McCain, "Two Gay Men Used Russian Surrogate Mother to Create Boy for Sex Abuse Ring."

As I've been reporting, it's a daily barrage of progressive contempt and abuse for decency, values and the law. But seriously. Two Los Angeles homosexuals use a Russian surrogate mom to create a baby boy rape toy. That is Democrat values there for you, perfectly.

Australia Couple photo childporn30n-1a-web_zpsf8445d4b.jpg

And come to think of it, LGM's Scotty Lame-ieux needs to update his essay on "the liberal agenda."

Dude, no worries.

There's so much more ahead for the progressive left. Unicorns, rainbows, and homosexual baby boy bondage! Proletarian child pornographers unite!

Hawthorne Police Gun Down Rottweiler After Owner Films SWAT Operation

I like this headline at RT, "Cops arrest California man for filming them and then kill his dog (VIDEO)."

London Daily Mail, "Heartbreaking moment cops shot and killed dog who leapt at officers when owner was being arrested for FILMING them."

The video's all over YouTube, but I think this comment pretty much sums things up:
Several issues here. The very first thing is the guy that has involved himself into a situation that he should have avoided. He should have stayed quiet and watched, not commented while videotaping. He was looking for an issue and found it from a more than willing police force. The dog was an unfortunate victim of stupid actions on the owners part and the police force. STFU and let the officers do their job (which seldom happens) and this crap wouldn't happen. I feel sorry for the dog.
Added: At the Los Angeles Times, "Police fatally shoot Rottweiler; dog's owner alleges retaliation."

UnitedHealth, Nation's Largest Health Insurer, Will Leave California's Individual Insurance Market

You know, because ObamaCare was supposed to increase competition and drive down rates, or something.

Ezra Klein hardest hit, after Obama that is.

At the Los Angeles Times, "UnitedHealth to exit individual insurance market in California":
The nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., is leaving California's individual health insurance market, the second major company to exit in advance of major changes under the Affordable Care Act.

UnitedHealth said it had notified state regulators that it would leave the state's individual market at year-end and force about 8,000 customers to find new coverage. Last month, Aetna Inc., the nation's third-largest health insurer, made a similar move affecting about 50,000 existing policyholders.

Both companies will keep a major presence in California, focusing instead on large and small employers.

The moves illustrate how different companies are responding to a major overhaul of the health insurance market for millions of consumers. Starting Jan. 1, the federal healthcare law forces insurers to accept all individual applicants regardless of their medical history and provide a comprehensive set of benefits with limits on patients' out-of-pocket spending.

Healthcare experts said some national insurers aren't interested in playing by those new rules in states where their presence in the individual market is relatively small and more profits can be made by tending to the employer market.

"The business model of health insurance is fundamentally changing and some companies are willing and able to adapt," said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms. "Given the limited market share those carriers had, UnitedHealth and Aetna have made the calculation that it required too much of an investment to change their strategy in California."

A spokeswoman for UnitedHealth said "our individual business in California has always been relatively small … [and] over the years, it has become more difficult to administer these plans in a cost-effective way for our members."

The departure of another big-name insurer raised concerns about the effect of reduced competition on California consumers.

"I don't think this is a good result for consumers," said California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "It means less choice, less competition and even more consolidation of the individual market with three big carriers."
The whole point to ObamaCare was to make insurance affordable precisely to those individuals not covered by the employers' market. It's failing.

Added: From Foxmuldar's Blog, "Obamacare Impact: Another Insurer Leaves California Market."

Germany's Sabine Lisicki Ends Serena Williams' 34-Match Winning Streak

From Helene Elliott, at the Los Angeles Times, "Serena Williams' Wimbledon loss is latest, biggest tennis shocker":


WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams insisted her round-of-16 loss to Germany's Sabine Lisicki wasn't a shock, because Lisicki is a good grass-court player with a "massive, massive serve" and was vastly underrated as the 23rd seed. In many ways, that made sense.

What triggered gasps throughout a sport thrown off-kilter by a flood of upsets last week was how unaggressive Williams often was. Overwhelmingly favored to win her sixth Wimbledon and 17th Grand Slam title, she was so ineffective at crucial moments, and so tentative, that "shocking" is the only fitting description for her performance, if not the result itself.

Lisicki's big serve and even bigger store of feistiness were her key weapons Monday in a 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 triumph at Center Court. Although Lisicki lost 14 straight points and nine straight games at one stage — she dropped the final six games of the second set and the first three games of the third — she bounced back decisively to end Williams' 34-match winning streak.

"I went into this match feeling that I could win," said Lisicki, who lives in Bradenton, Fla. "I just was fighting for every single point no matter what was happening out there."

Williams, the defending champion, didn't play like the woman who owns 16 Grand Slam titles and had lost only twice this year. She had a chance to seize control when she led 3-0 and 15-0 in the third set but hit a couple of forehands long and gave Lisicki an opening. Lisicki broke her twice and held serve in a 10-point game to pull even at 4-4 before breaking a rattled Williams again for a 5-4 lead.

"I think that I didn't play the big points good enough," Williams said with admirable honesty. "I didn't do what I do best. I think I had a little hesitation, and that explains it.

"I definitely had my opportunities and I didn't take them. Maybe I backed off a little bit at some points. If I'm going to be successful, I'm never going to do it backing off."
She got whooped by a cracka!

More at that top link.

'I was offended because I believe as a Christian woman it is my prerogative to display my faith any way I like so long as it is not harming anyone else...'

Because outwardly expressing your faith in Christ is hateful. Hateful!

At Campus reform, "Public university allegedly orders student to remove cross necklace because ‘it might offend others’":
A student at a public university in California is alleging school officials ordered her to remove a cross necklace while she was working at an orientation fair because they feared others find the religious symbol offensive.

Nineteen year-old Audrey Jarvis, an employee of Sonoma State University’s (SSU) Associated Students Productions (ASP), told FOX News her supervisor initially ordered her to remove the necklace because “it might offend others, it might make incoming students feel unwelcome, or it might cause incoming students to feel that ASP was not an organization they should join.”

In a second encounter, her supervisor reportedly told her to hide the cross under her shirt or remove it.

Jarvis, identifies as devout Catholic, said she was in “complete shock” and “thrown for a loop” by her supervisor’s instructions.

“I was offended because I believe as a Christian woman it is my prerogative to display my faith any way I like so long as it is not harming anyone else,” Jarvis told FOX News. “I was very hurt and felt as if the university’s mission statement – which includes tolerance and inclusivity to all – was violated.”
More at that top link.

Don't Say the N-Word!

Unless you're a black mofo!


Or, well, unless you're a cracka like racist T-Bogg at Firedoglake!

More here, at Twitchy, "Replete with delete: Sarah Silverman deletes tweets explaining why she deleted N-word tweets."

Immigration Reform Won't Make Social Security Solvent

From Byron York, at the Washington Examiner:
On May 8, the chief actuary of Social Security, Stephen Goss, sent a letter to Republican Gang of Eight leader Marco Rubio saying reform would have a positive effect on Social Security's finances in the next ten years. But that was easy. Most immigrants are well below retirement age; they won't collect Social Security benefits for many years. All they'll do for a long time is pay into the system.

But what about the long term? Goss promised to develop a 75-year analysis of the legislation "as quickly as possible." As it turned out, Goss delivered that long-term estimate on June 28, which just happened to be the day after the Senate passed the bill. It was never part of the debate.

According to Goss, the bill's long-term benefits are also positive -- but just barely, and not in a way that will strengthen the Social Security system as Graham and others claim.

The Social Security Administration's most recent estimate says the system will become insolvent in 2033. Under the Gang bill, according to Goss' estimate, even with all those new immigrants paying taxes, the system will become insolvent in 2035. Not much difference there. And after that, when the immigrants hit retirement age and begin collecting benefits, they will increase Social Security's deficit.

Of course, the immigrants will have children, who will also pay into the system. Put it all together, according to Goss, and immigration reform will add about $2 trillion in tax revenues in the next 75 years, while costing about $1.5 trillion in benefits. That's a net plus, but not much of a boon, since it is stretched out over more than seven decades -- and certainly not when one considers the tendency of federal programs to grow in cost.

So even with reform, the nation's entitlement programs are on as shaky ground as before.
Well, it helps a little. Why be niggardly about it? (Via Instapundit.)


Pamela Geller Smacks Down Michael Ghouse on Hannity's

At Atlas Shrugs, "HANNITY VIDEO: PAMELA GELLER V. MICHAEL GHOUSE SMACK DOWN DEBATE ON EGYPT / MORSI SITUATION."

Ecuador's Second Thoughts on #Snowden

That idiot Snowden's getting hung out to dry.

At the Guardian UK, "Rafael Correa not considering Snowden asylum: helping him was a 'mistake'."

And two videos, "Snowden asylum "economic suicide" for Ecuador," and "US warns Ecuador over Snowden case."

And at WikiLeaks, "Statement from Edward Snowden in Moscow." (Via Memeorandum.)

Obama Urges Morsi to Be 'Responsive' to Protesters

At Fox News:

President Obama has urged Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to respond to issues raised by hundreds of thousands of protesters who have called for the Islamist leader to be removed from office.

The White House released a statement Tuesday saying that Obama told Morsi in a telephone conversation Monday that "the United States is committed to the democratic process in Egypt and does not support any single party or group." The statement went on to say that Obama "encouraged [Morsi] to take steps to show that he is responsive to [protesters'] concerns, and underscored that the current crisis can only be resolved through a political process."

The call from Obama came on the same day that Egypt's powerful military warned it will intervene if Morsi doesn't "meet the people's demands," giving him and his opponents two days to reach an agreement in what it called a last chance. Hundreds of thousands of protesters massed for a second consecutive day Monday calling on Morsi to step down.
Continue reading.

Is America Ready to End Prohibition?

Kennedy explains how beer sales remain so highly regulated in the U.S.

Arizona Firefighters Lacked Proper Escape Route

At LAT:

The 19 wildland firefighters killed in Arizona appeared not to have established an escape route to a safe site large enough for the entire group, a forestry official said Monday.

Safety protocols require crews to have a place to go in case fire overtakes them. That did not happen in the Yarnell Hill fire Sunday. The bodies of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew were found in or near their emergency fire shelters, leading officials to believe they were overrun by the wind-driven flames.

"Obviously it wasn't a big enough open field … if they had to deploy their shelters," said Art Morrison, a spokesman with the Arizona State Forestry Division.

"They were too close to heavy fuels, so they got overrun," he said.

Being overtaken by a fire you are striving to extinguish is a firefighter's worst nightmare, but it is not uncommon: Of the more than 1,000 fatalities among wildland firefighters since 1910, about 63% occurred during "burnover," when a fire front engulfed crews.

On Sunday, the grass fire had run through half of the Arizona town of Yarnell when the unpredictable winds shifted. About 4:30 p.m., fire managers lost radio contact with the crew.

The firefighters had been cutting lines at the front of the fire, the most perilous place to be, officials said. Placing a crew at the head of a fire is a rare tactic.
Continue reading.

More at the Arizona Republic, "Yarnell Hill Fire: Seeking answers in wake of tragedy."

Also, "Yarnell Hill Fire: In small town, 'it affects every single person'," and "Yarnell Hill Fire: Fallen firefighters were in prime of their lives."

VIDEO ABOVE: "2008: Firefighters trapped in 'burnover' find safety in their emergency shelters."

Added: At WSJ, "Sudden Turn in Flames Doomed Firefighters: Officials Say 19 'Granite Mountain Hotshots' Were Killed in Burn Over; Arizona Blaze Still Raging."

Obama Looks to Limit Damage Over EU Bugging

At Guardian UK, "Barack Obama seeks to limit EU fallout over US spying claims."
President says NSA will assess espionage allegations as France and Germany demand answers and warn of delay to trade talks.

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Barack Obama has sought to limit the damage from the growing transatlantic espionage row after Germany and France denounced the major snooping activities of US agencies and warned of a possible delay in the launch next week of ambitious free-trade talks between Europe and the US.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and French president, François Hollande, demanded quick explanations from Washington about disclosures by the Guardian and Der Spiegel that US agencies bugged European embassies and offices. Berlin stressed there had to be mutual trust if trade talks were to go ahead in Washington on Monday.

Hollande went further, indicating the talks could be called off unless the alleged spying was stopped immediately and US guarantees were provided.

The diplomatic row came as Edward Snowden – the fugitive National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, who faces espionage charges in the US and is holed up in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport – applied for asylum in Russia. Snowdenhe used his first public statement to attack the US for revoking his passport and accused it of bullying countries that might grant him asylum.

Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, said on Monday: "If he wants to go somewhere and someone will take him, go ahead. If he wants to stay here, there is one condition – he must stop his work aimed at bringing harm to our American partners, as strange as that sounds coming from my mouth. "Russia never gives anyone up and doesn't plan to give anyone up. And no one has ever given us anyone."
Continue reading.

Doris Kearns Goodwin and the 150th Anniversary at Gettysburg

An idiot and plagiaristic fraud.

She's interviewed by CBS News' Chip Reid at the clip.

But be sure to read this piece at Breitbart, "Doris Kearns Goodwin at Gettysburg: A Few Inappropriate Remarks."

Walid Phares: 'We Are Watching the Real Arab Spring...'

Via Jawa Report:

Monday, July 1, 2013

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to Close

Thinking offhand, I saw Iggy Pop, the Psychedelic Furs, and Siouxsie and the Banshees at the Santa Monica Civic.

The place was cool, but it's closing now.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to close after 55 years as cultural mecca."

And at LA Weekly, "RIP Santa Monica Civic Auditorium: Former Punk Haven Finished Holding Concerts":
Due to a combination of obsolescence and budget cuts, the landmark venue -- located at Pico and Main -- is finished hosting concerts, though the auditorium will still have some city events.

This news has gone largely under the radar. But that's a shame, because artists like Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and Queen performed classic shows there in the '70s, and in the following decades the spot helped propel the national punk movement, hosting acts like X, The Misfits, The Cramps, Bad Religion, and Black Flag.
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SUV Flips, Crashes on Northbound Interstate 5 at Laguna Freeway SR-133

Just got back from having dinner with my wife, down in Aliso Viejo. Turns out this Dodge SUV had traffic all backed up coming down the on-ramp merging onto I-5. I don't ever remember a car caught between the side rail and a lamppost. Maybe that saved a life. I didn't see any paramedics, although they might have taken off already. My oldest son took the photograph from the passenger's seat.

Bad Crash photo image-4_zps4f5ff74c.jpeg

Allen West Hammers Lady Gaga's Homosexual National Anthem!

Awesome!

At Twitchy, "Allen West calls out Lady Gaga for ‘reprehensible’ version of National Anthem."


And watch it here, "Lady Gaga Changes National Anthem: 'Land of the Free, and the Home for the Gay...'"

Egyptians React to Army's Ultimatum — the Brotherhood is Finished!

At the New York Times:
As our colleagues David Kirkpatrick, Kareem Fahim and Ben Hubbard report, the head of the Egyptian military, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, gave President Mohamed Morsi 48 hours “to respond to the people’s demands” or the armed forces would move to impose its “own road map for the future.”

Reaction to the general’s warning, in a statement read aloud on state television, was swift, both online and on the streets of the capital, Cairo, where supporters and opponents of the president were still massed, one day after huge protests.

Foreskin Equality Now!

Here's the Facebook page for Foreskin Pride's NYC Annual Pride March - Intactivist Contingent.

And watch the group's (NSFW) video --- a beauty of a calling card! --- "Foreskin Pride Salute - World Premiere - Vancouver, August 5 2012."

Foreskin Pride photo 996519_10201467434027886_1580491082_n_zpsb0f0624f.jpg

Pants optional!
Intactivists, including representatives from Intact America, will gather in the New York City Pride March to SPREAD THE WORD that EVERY person has the right to an intact body. Intact America is proud to honor those in the gay rights movement who stand with us in the fight to end the brutality of circumcision.
Progress!

PREVIOUSLY: "Homosexual Marriage is War on Society," and "After #DOMA Ruling, Much Work to Be Done for Statutory Rape Equality."

Rhian Sugden Rule 5

How about a Monday babe blogging break from all the homosexual licentiousness!

Via Twitter:

Rhian Sugden photo BOGYMHpCcAAW6YE_zps174529b2.jpg

More here, "Happy Canada Day."

And lots more a the Page 3 homepage.

March of Protest: Wave of Anger Sweeping Cities Worldwide

At the Economist, "The Protests Around the World: Politicians Beware":

March of Protest photo 1017485_10151683118149060_743850717_n_zps2d5dea23.jpg
A FAMILIAR face appeared in many of the protests taking place in scores of cities on three continents this week: a Guy Fawkes mask with a roguish smile and a pencil-thin moustache. The mask belongs to “V”, a character in a graphic novel from the 1980s who became the symbol for a group of computer hackers called Anonymous. His contempt for government resonates with people all over the world.

The protests have many different origins. In Brazil people rose up against bus fares, in Turkey against a building project. Indonesians have rejected higher fuel prices, Bulgarians the government’s cronyism. In the euro zone they march against austerity, and the Arab spring has become a perma-protest against pretty much everything. Each angry demonstration is angry in its own way.

Yet just as in 1848, 1968 and 1989, when people also found a collective voice, the demonstrators have much in common. Over the past few weeks, in one country after another, protesters have risen up with bewildering speed. They have been more active in democracies than dictatorships. They tend to be ordinary, middle-class people, not lobbies with lists of demands. Their mix of revelry and rage condemns the corruption, inefficiency and arrogance of the folk in charge.

Nobody can know how 2013 will change the world—if at all. In 1989 the Soviet empire teetered and fell. But Marx’s belief that 1848 was the first wave of a proletarian revolution was confounded by decades of flourishing capitalism and 1968, which felt so pleasurably radical at the time, did more to change sex than politics. Even now, though, the inchoate significance of 2013 is discernible. And for politicians who want to peddle the same old stuff, the news is not good.
Actually, most of these protests are against leftists and Islamists. If there's going to be a revolution it should be towards decency and good government. Lord knows there's a dearth of that right now, not least of which in the United States, where foreskin equality protesters have taken to the streets in recent days.

But RTWT at that top link.

National Organization for Marriage Slams California Attorney General Kamala Harris

NOM's not going to do much good as far as California's homo-marriage is concerned. Their rant isn't going to vacate the Court's decision sending Prop. 8 back to the Federal District Court, where the ruling of retired homosexual Judge Vaughan Walker has now overturned the will of the California majority. But I think there's going to be a backlash at the political class and its contempt for not just the majority, but for the rules of the game, and for the basic procedural due process guarantees. So, in that sense, let it rip. You gotta out these progressive degenerates with all you've got.

But read it all, "Meet Kamala Harris (and the Future We Must Avoid)" (via Memeorandum):

Marriage in California has now died for lack of a defense.

Most of us would consider such actions cynical, shameful and despicable. Clearly, they undermine public confidence in the legitimacy of the legal system. Yet Kamala Harris tells us that, "it's a great day" because, "it means those people who want to deny same-sex couples the benefits of equal protection and due process under the United States constitution cannot do so simply because they don't like the notion."

In other words, the more than 7 million Californians who exercised their sovereign right to amend their state constitution — an act that the California Supreme Court ruled overwhelmingly was a proper and legal use of the constitutional amendment process — don't matter because she, Kamala Harris, has determined that it was the wrong thing to do and she was not going to let them get away with this "notion." In the world of Kamala Harris, we are banished to the sidelines, not even fit to participate in civil discourse.
Continue reading.

Homosexual Marriage is War on Society

Hey, meet your progressive masters, the butch bungee jumping badass drill ass mofos!

From Star Parker, at Townhall, "Same-sex Marriage is War on Religion":

Not Gas Drilling photo BOCjLuuCUAAWQGC_zpscd801c3e.jpg
The preamble of our Constitution tells us that its purpose is to secure the “blessings of liberty.”

What is a blessing? The first definition in my Webster’s New World Dictionary says that a blessing is “a statement of divine favor”.

How can we secure divine favor in a nation for which the divine is unconstitutional? A prideful nation by definition must be a nation that rejects the idea of a blessing.

In the pride that precedes destruction in America of 2013, we reject that there are truths that don’t come out of a laboratory. We reject that that there are truths that parents get from their parents and pass on to their children.

We reject that there are truths that, when children learn them from their parents, and embrace them and become responsible for them, they become adults.

So now we live in society in which there is nothing that distinguishes a child from an adult, that distinguishes responsible from irresponsible.

Who suffers the most?

First and foremost, children. Because they are deprived from learning and taking seriously the very rules of life’s road that are critical to live successfully.

Even more so, children from minority families....

Let there be no doubt that same-sex marriage is about much more than marriage. It is a deliberate and conscious assault on religion and all traditional values.

We have only two options. Turn back to where we belong or watch the continuing collapse of our country.

Student Loan Rates Double Today

At USA Today, "Millennials' ball-and-chain: Student loan debt."

And at Instpundit, "ON FOX & FRIENDS, I talk about the higher education bubble and student loans."

USA Today Loans photo photo-10_zps62e14452.jpg

Bestiality Becomes 'Lifestyle Choice' in Germany

Well, yeah.

The choices are endless. We're on the new frontier of equality.

Go progs!

At London's Daily Mail, "Bestiality brothels are 'spreading through Germany' warns campaigner as abusers turn to sex with animals as 'lifestyle choice'."

Everything's a lifestyle choice.

If it feels good do it!

Kaitlyn Hunt at New York City Gay Pride Parade — #FreeKate

Of course!

She's at the forefront of statutory rape equality!

At the Other McCain, "Kaitlyn Hunt’s Big Gay Pride Day: Is ‘Jailbait Rights’ Now Mainstream?":
The Hunt family continued their campaign to make their 18-year-old daughter America’s Most Famous Sex Offender™ by taking her to New York for Sunday’s 44th annual Gay Pride Parade. Because defending Kate’s right to have gay sex with 14-year-olds isn’t all about lawyers and petitions, you know. It’s also about marching in parades and sightseeing in Manhattan and riding around in limousines.
You go, Kate! Statutory rape equality now!

That, and foreskin equality!

Don't miss those "foreskin pride" photos at the link!

Simple, Free Image and File Hosting at MediaFire

PREVIOUSLY: "After #DOMA Ruling, Much Work to Be Done for Statutory Rape Equality."

Worries Swirl Over California's Initiatives

Following up on my previous article, "Prop. 8 Ruling Worries Direct Democracy Activists."

Now here's this at the Wall Street Journal, "Supreme Court's Dismissal of State's Gay-Marriage Ban Raises Concerns That the Move Sets Precedent Limiting Voter Power" (via Memeorandum and Google):
LOS ANGELES — Even as gay-rights advocates in California spent the weekend celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the resumption of same-sex weddings in the state, activists and government experts across the political spectrum were raising concerns the ruling weakens the power of voters to make law through the state's ballot-initiative process.

"You'd be hard pressed to find someone more enthusiastic about the outcome of the Supreme Court decision," California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an interview Friday. As mayor of San Francisco, Mr. Newsom oversaw an administration that married thousands of gay couples in 2004—marriages ruled void by the state Supreme Court later that year. "But I do think the decision raises legitimate questions that are very problematic in the future," said Mr. Newsom, a Democrat.

Proposition 8, a ballot initiative approved by California voters in 2008, banned gay marriage in the state. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that its proponents weren't able to defend the law in court because they lacked the legal standing. Chief Justice John Roberts said that under federal precedents, the initiative sponsors were merely "bystanders" with no standing to appear in court.

The state's top officials, Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris, both Democrats, had declined to defend Proposition 8, arguing it was unconstitutional.

Some proponents of the ballot-initiative process—a central if often troublesome element of California's political system—say they worry that the decision undercuts ballot initiatives' purpose: giving voters power to circumvent state officials and make laws directly.

Others argue that it is the judiciary's job to keep the legislative process in check—and to stop laws that are unconstitutional, even if they are supported by a majority of voters.

"Nobody ever imagined that the people on their own could pass any sort of legislation without some sort of judicial review," said Rick Jacobs, founder of the Courage Campaign, a progressive political-advocacy group in the state. "All the Supreme Court did was underscore that."

But some advocates of the proposition system argued that the Supreme Court, by refusing to grant the backers of Proposition 8 the standing to defend the law, effectively gave state officials veto power over voter-backed initiatives if they are challenged in federal court, simply by declining to defend those initiatives.

"It's troubling because often initiatives are passed for the very reason that the state legislature or governor don't support a particular law," said Richard L. Hasen, a professor of law and political science at the University of California, Irvine. Mr. Hasen, like some others worried about the implications for the state's ballot initiative system, said he supports gay marriage.

"On a personal basis I'm glad Kamala and Jerry didn't support Prop 8," said Charles Moran, chairman of the California Log Cabin Republicans and an openly gay political consultant based in Los Angeles. "But I'm not happy it set a bad precedent. This could have some long-term impacts on elective politics.…Anytime somebody has a statewide ballot initiative I think there's a new question that has to be asked: Will this pass the smell test of the attorney general and the governor?"
Crocodile tears.

Nothing will change. California's a socialist basket case, but hey, the progs got homosexual licentiousness under the law!

#TheyFeelPain - Shocking New #Inhuman Video Out Today From Live Action

This is the trick, just keep exposing the real-time death program of the pro-abortion left, via Lila Rose on Twitter.

Egypt's Army Issues Ultimatum to Morsi

At the New York Times, "Leader Given 2 Days to Satisfy Protesters or Face Takeover."

And see Mandy Nagy, at Legal Insurrection, "BREAKING: Egyptian Military Gives Morsi 48-Hour Ultimatum."

19 Firefighters Killed in Arizona Wildfire

At the Los Angeles Times, "Arizona wildfire kills 19 firefighters."

Also at the Arizona Republic, "19 firefighters die in Yarnell Hill Fire."

Public Approval of Supreme Court Falls to All-Time Low

At Rasmussen:

Gay Marriage photo supreme-court-gay-marriage-detail_zpsa133a597.jpg
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 28% believe the Supreme Court is doing a good or an excellent job. At the same time, 30% rate its performance as poor. That’s the highest-ever poor rating. It’s also the first time ever that the poor ratings have topped the positive assessments. Thirty-nine percent (39%) give the court middling reviews and rate its performance as fair....

Overall, 39% of voters now believe the court is too liberal, while 24% believe it is too conservative.
Via Althouse.

CARTOON CREDIT: Catholic Culture, "The Supreme Court on Gay Marriage: A Quandary of Confusion."

Julian Assange Involvement in Edward Snowden’s Case is 'Sideshow'

It's an interesting interview.

At Politico, "Lawyer for Edward Snowden's dad: Julian Assange a ‘sideshow’."

Gettysburg and the Eternal Battle for a 'New Birth of Freedom'

From Allen Guelzo, at WSJ:
The Civil War was in its third year when Abraham Lincoln was invited to deliver his "few appropriate remarks" at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg. For most of those three years, the war had not gone well for the Union he had been elected to lead as president. A breakaway Confederacy of 11 Southern states had seceded, playing on their declared right to self-determination and fighting off every effort by Union forces to subdue their uprising.

Lincoln understood that their appeal to self-determination was dubious at best. The self-determination the Confederate states desired was the freedom to protect the legalized slavery of 3.9 million black people, purely on the basis of their race, in defiance of what the Declaration of Independence had to say about equality.

And having taken that step away from equality, the Confederacy had kept moving further and further away until its entire life came to resemble a European aristocracy. The Confederacy established an internal passport system for all persons, levied a steeply graduated income tax, appropriated private property for military use, and nationalized Southern industries—iron-making, clothing for military uniforms and even railroads. Even among whites, a disdainful hierarchy of thousand-bale cotton planters and poor white sandhillers emerged.

"The admiration for monarchical institutions on the English model, for privileged classes, and for a landed aristocracy and gentry, is undisguised and apparently genuine," marveled the British journalist William Howard Russell in 1861. King Leopold I of Belgium, in 1863, hoped that the Civil War would "raise a barrier against the United States and provide a support for the monarchical-aristocratic principle in the Southern states."

No wonder, then, that Lincoln exulted when the Confederate army under Robert E. Lee met with a climactic defeat by Union forces at the small Pennsylvania crossroads town of Gettysburg in July 1863. In Lincoln's mind, there was a symbolic coincidence in receiving the news of the Gettysburg victory on the Fourth of July. It was, he told a crowd of well-wishers in Washington, as though a bright line had been drawn between "the first time" in 1776 that "a nation by its representatives, assembled and declared as a self evident truth that all men are created equal," and 1863, when "the cohorts of those who opposed the declaration that all men are created equal" had "turned tail" and run.
Continue reading.

Afghan Security Forces Defuse Would-Be Suicide Bomber Before He Blew Himself Up in Jalalabad

This is freakin' rad.

At London's Daily Mail, "The real Hurt Locker: Moment a brave Afghan soldier defused suicide vest while hog-tied terrorist was STILL WEARING IT."

And at Thomson Reuters, "A member of the Afghan bomb disposal unit approaches a suicide attacker after his vest was defused in Jalalabad province."

Jimmy Kimmel Skit Whaps Paula Deen With a Stone

Jimmy Kimmel was on a roll the other night.


Also at Newsmax, "Jimmy Kimmel Black Eye Skit Mocks Paula Deen's Apologies (Video)."