Sunday, September 30, 2012

Exploiting women for socialist revolution

The theme of this 1926 Soviet poster would be right at home with the 2012 Obama campaign.

The text translates to something like:

"You are now a free woman. Help build socialism."

When Democrats accuse Republicans of waging a war on women or talk of how Republicans want to  turn back the clock, progressive Democrats are really more concerned with Republicans turning back Obama's progressive transformation of America into a land of greater state control and more government central planning.

Are American women as easily fooled as Democrats think they are?

Benghazigate

What did Mr. Obama know and when did he know it?

An editorial from Investors Business Daily says, in part:
Five days before U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice went on the Sunday talk shows to say Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed at the hands of a spontaneous mob inflamed by a months-old film trailer insulting Islam that few had seen, U.S. intelligence sources knew the attack was planned and organized. 
Yet we have an administration that lectures the American people and cautions about jumping to conclusions. Two weeks ago, Obama's UN Ambassador Susan Rice said the administration is waiting on an FBI investigation. This week, Obama spokesman Jay Carney steers reporters away from the White House and over to the FBI with questions about the Benghazi attack:
Q    On Benghazi, there still is considerable confusion over what the administration considers the attack on the U.S. consulate.  Can you say why the FBI still hasn’t been able to get into that crime scene?  And how aggressively is the United States looking for clues, and as the President says, bringing them to justice? 
MR. CARNEY:  I would have to refer you to the FBI for specifics about the investigation that they’re leading. 
Meanwhile, now nearly 20 days after the attack, it's reported that FBI agents dispatched to investigate the bombing have yet to arrive in Benghazi.

The FBI, under Eric Holder's Justice Department, appears to be pursuing the Benghazi investigation with about as much urgency as the ATF and other DOJ assets put into investigating Fast and Furious. 

It appears the Obama team is giving us an intentional stall in pursuing and providing facts, in hopes the Benghazi story falls from the minds of voters by election day. Can it keep a lid on that long? Or do Americans now have such short attention spans that the ploy is already working?

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Forgot I had this...

A photo from my days as a reporter at WSB radio in Atlanta.

The photo was taken in Balikisir, Turkey in October 1991.

I spent two weeks in Turkey covering the two week training deployment of the Georgia Air National Guard's116th Tactical Fighter Wing out of Dobbins as it participated in NATO war games.


A year earlier, I ad spent two weeks in the Saudi desert reporting on troops of the 24th Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart as they prepped to evict Saddam's forces from Kuwait.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Police women receive firearms training




Washington DC. The photos appear to be from around 1920.

National Photo Company collection, Library of Congress

Cheap mods to an old rifle

This Mosin Nagant 91/30, produced by a Soviet factory in 1939, can ping away dependably at 100 yards or more using 65 year old Russian surplus ammo.


The Mosin was purchased and scope equipped for just over $150. The rifle was picked up some years ago for around a C-note (Expect to pay a little more now). The AIM scope rail came from Amazon for $8.80 (Yes, it seems to work fine if you put it on right). The scope itself is a cheap NcStar that was priced around $35 including shipping. It was the rubber butt pad that put me over the $150 mark.

The scope mount sits in place with the same pin that held the original rear sight. And the original sight can be swapped back in place in a matter of minutes.

The replacement butt pad's holes were drilled out to reduce the recoil. Even so, the rifle still packs a shoulder punch.

But I found something that might help tame that recoil even more. Diet food for the Mosin's chamber. Back in the Iron Curtain era, the Czechs made a low recoil training round in 7.62x54R. The bullet itself weights only 46 grains.

A limited supply of the Czech ammo recently made its way to a few online U.S. retailers. I ordered a bit from SGAmmo.com. Too bad I was already at the range when it arrived. My shoulder would probably be a little less sore today. I'll try to give the low recoil stuff a try one day next month.

Today's 'Don and Doug' is live at 1:00 pm EDT


There's plenty to talk about. These topics will probably make today's list:

A professor at West Point is warning over 'far right' violence in America. Is he really worried about Kluxers, skinheads and militias? Or is he more concerned with recruiting and pandering to progressive sponsors for the independently funded think tank he's in charge of?

More promises of a fix in Europe fall apart. Do people really think riots will get them more stuff when the money's not there to pay for it?

A perennial candidate issues a warning over Mitt Romney. Don and Doug will revisit some of their similar concerns from earlier in the election cycle.

The show starts at one o'clock. And we do take calls if you'd like to chime in at 678-344-9926.

You can listen through the TalkSouthRadio site or access the stream directly by clicking  here.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Selective representation

From Hope N Change Cartoons:


More military hand wringing over "far right" extremists

Another "warning" from military circles about the dangers of right-wing violence in America. This time it comes out of West Point. Or  more specifically, it's from an assistant professor at West Point who is also the director of what appears to be a privately funded anti-terrorism think tank.

The writer's name is Arie Perliger, and here's a bit of what he writes:
This article provides clarity on the various components of the American far right. It also offers a basic analytical model to better understand its current violent trends. The article’s findings—which are based on a dataset of more than 4,400 cases of violent attacks by far right elements during a 22-year period—will be expanded in a more detailed study that will soon be published by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.
It'll be interesting to see what he comes out inside his larger study. His preliminary take seems to see Ku Klux Klanners and racist skinheads as some kind of major force in America. And he seems to see other right wingers ready to join in their actions - or at least offering sympathies. And you better not call yourself a patriot, that apparently puts you on this Perliger's watch list too.

Perliger makes no attempt to define any difference between the far right elements he writers about, and the far right elements on Capitol Hill or in the Tea Party frequently vilified by some Democrat politicians and other progressive operatives.

His article appears to make a nice companion piece to 2010's attack on conservatives by the Southern Poverty Law Center where Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul and others were deemed enablers of right wing extremism.

I can't say I'm too impressed with what else I've seen out of Perliger and his crew. I looked a couple of other offerings today.

In June 2011, the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point appeared to be cheerleaders for Arab Spring:
The United States has much to gain from the success of the ‘Arab Spring’ and much to lose if it fails. Failing to engage the ‘Arab Spring’ at the appropriate level and invest in the youth led movements at this critical juncture in the history of the Arab world, the United States risks positioning itself as a Moscow watching and lamenting the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Another writer at  the center has penned a new article about the current situation in Libya.

It seems the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point is just now waking up to the way jihadi forces are taking advantage of the void created when Libya's government under Gaddafi collapsed. I find that odd, since it was widely reported a year or more ago that many of the fighters who worked to oust Gaddafi were veterans of jihad forces that fought American troops in Iraq.

Did anyone expect Islamic forces that engaged in combat with the U.S. in Iraq would now welcome an American presence in Libya?

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Would you start a business today?

A survey conducted for two business trade groups find a major of business owners would not attempt a start-up under today's economic and government regulatory conditions. The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) have released the  results of a poll after surveying 800 small business owners, manufacturers and decision-makers at small and medium-sized companies.


Hate to say we told ya so...

But all the posturing and pretending hasn't fixed anything. Don Dickinson and I have been harping on that simple truth since we started the Don and Doug show in late 2010. 

Europe's a bigger mess than ever right now.

And Bernanke's plan to rescue America's economy with QE3 came on the heels of the much heralded plan earlier this month by the European Central Bank to flood their economies with easy money.

Nothing's been fixed since the economic meltdown in 2008. Just more money has been flooded into the system to prop up appearances of normalcy.

I quoted from Daniel Greenfield a few of posts back:
We are buying our own debt and selling it back to ourselves and lending ourselves the money to buy our own debt in a spiral that seems beautiful and sensible to an addict, but is a complete disaster to anyone still functioning in the real world. 
There's just no way this is going to end well... or at least without lots of pain... Either in Europe. Or here at home. 

What are you doing to get ready?

Don and I will be back with another show on Friday (September 28) to hash over the latest, offer a few warnings, and give some timely suggestions for those wanting to be proactive in lessening the impact of what's coming.

Alan Keyes' thoughts on Obama and Romney

Are the two leading presidential contenders more alike than you realize?


Sixteen years after he pitched a tent and pitched a fit outside an Atlanta TV station to protest being shut out of a Republican presidential debate, Mr. Keyes is still out there working to stir things up.

Clinging to something besides guns and religion

In 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama talked about Americans in small town Pennsylvania who cling to guns and religion. How much have things changed in the past four years? Todd Starnes reports at Fox News:
A Pennsylvania high school marching band is raising eyebrows with a halftime performance that commemorates the Russian revolution, complete with red flags, olive military-style uniforms, and giant hammers and sickles. 
“St. Petersburg: 1917” is the theme for the New Oxford High School Marching Band. Ironically, the school’s athletic teams are called the Colonials and their colors are red, white and blue. The band’s website features a picture of the group with students holding a hammer and sickle.
Let's review Mr. Obama's 2008 comments:
You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. 
And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
So, what gives at New Oxford High? Could it be the bitterness and clinginess is entering a new phase? Maybe the Marxist influences of Occupy struck a bigger chord with the kids than most people thought.

Then again, this may also be a sign President Obama is fulfilling one of his chief promises back in 2008. After all, he did promise a fundamental transformation of America. And halftime shows featuring hammers, sickles and themes of Lenin and Trotsky's revolution seem like a pretty strong indicator of fundamental change.

For the record, a school official says Oxford's half time show was not an endorsement of communism. But anyone with half a brain has to wonder why this particular historical theme was picked, or how those who planned the performance thought it would be received.

Russian artwork depicting the early revolutionary period

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Money as a drug of choice

Two lines from a Daniel Greenfield post at Sultan Knish:
The left talks about community a great deal, but their vision of community is a giant till where everyone is forced to put their money and their bureaucracy decides how many people get to keep what percent of their money and how many get to keep other people's money. There is none of the individual responsibility that makes a community work, only the obligation to follow orders all the time for the greater good. There is no community, only ranks of addicts waiting to be taken care of.
And
Money is our current drug of choice and like all drugs it appears infinite. We are buying our own debt and selling it back to ourselves and lending ourselves the money to buy our own debt in a spiral that seems beautiful and sensible to an addict, but is a complete disaster to anyone still functioning in the real world. 
The big question: How much longer can this go on before things finally fall apart? I'm not at all optimistic that either the enablers or the addicts are willing to admit there's a problem. I'm not at all sure they even see it.

Bad spin by an out of touch president, or deliberate attempt at deception?

An editorial in the Manchester (New Hampshire) Union Leader starts off with this:
President Obama is so accustomed to blaming George W. Bush for everything that last week he blamed Bush for Fast and Furious, the reckless gun-walking program started by Obama’s Justice Department nine months after Bush left office. 

Riots in Spain

The BBC reports that thousands of people tried to march on Spain's parliament today:

Spanish police have fired rubber bullets and baton-charged protesters attending a rally against austerity. 
The clashes occurred as protesters tried to tear down barriers blocking access to the parliament in Madrid, reports said.
How many times have we been told the situation in Europe in under control? Yet the unraveling appears to remain in full swing. It wasn't contained in Greece It won't be contained in Spain...

We're moving toward the same kind of debt-driven chaos here. Some, like Van Jones or Stephen Lerner or Francis Fox Piven thought it would be here by now. They tried their best to make it so.

But just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't.

Are you doing anything to get ready for it?

So Madonna says Obama's a Muslim...

Beyond her bouncy pop-tart act in the '80s, I've never understood what people saw in Madonna.

Now we get a glimpse of what a freakin' idiot she really is. Here's part of the political endorsement she made Monday night:
Y'all better vote for f--king Obama, OK? For better or for worse, all right? We have a black Muslim in the White House. Now that's some amazing s--t," she said. "It means there is hope in this country. And Obama is fighting for gay rights, so support the man, g--damn it.
Yes, there's video. The crowd seems to love the idea that Obama's a Muslim in the White House.



USDAWR: U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wealth Redistribution

The U.S. Department of Agriculture advertises it wants to spread at least $1.33 billion among women and Hispanic farmers, and is encouraging farmers in those categories to file discrimination claims to get a piece of the action.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2012- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who allege discrimination by the USDA in past decades can file claims between September 24, 2012 and March 25, 2013. 
Sample USDA outreach ad
"Hispanic and women farmers who believe they have faced discriminatory practices from the USDA must file a claim by March 25, 2013 in order to have a chance to receive a cash payment or loan forgiveness," said Secretary Vilsack. "The opening of this claims process is part of USDA's ongoing efforts to correct the wrongs of the past and ensure fair treatment to all current and future customers." 
The process offers a voluntary alternative to litigation for each Hispanic or female farmer and rancher who can prove that USDA denied their applications for loan or loan servicing assistance for discriminatory reasons for certain time periods between 1981 and 2000. 
Sample USDA outreach ad
As announced in February 2011, the voluntary claims process will make available at least $1.33 billion for cash awards and tax relief payments, plus up to $160 million in farm debt relief, to eligible Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers. There are no filing fees to participate in the program. 
The Department will continue reaching out to potential Hispanic and female claimants, around the country to get the word out to individuals who may be eligible for this program so they have the opportunity to participate.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Prospecting at yard sales

Are garage and yard sales still a good source of junk silver at cheap prices? I stumbled upon a post from last year on a Kitco forum:
I have been finding scrap silver at roughly 1 in 7 garage sales. This can range anywhere from a small bracelet weighing 7 grams to those pieces weighing 14.22 ounces pure silver.  
Yesterday I just scored again and found a 2 ounce silver chain (clearly marked 925) and paid 15 dollars for it. So far I have spent $31.50 on scrap silver totally 16.18 ounces of pure silver. You do the math, that's a pretty damn good DCA. I know it's scrap but I know I should still be able to get close to spot if and when I go to sell.  
The last two weeks I have found only very small items weighing 1/4 of an ounce until yesterday. It took me 3 weeks to find another nice sized silver item. 
Garage sales may still yield some great silver finds. But you've got to rise early. The good stuff (not just silver) is often gone the first day, often within the first half hour or so.

And watch out. If you're trying to score some silver, don't get fooled by silverplate.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Finely aged Russian rounds

I took a pair of pliers to an old galvanized can of Soviet ammo last night. Light ball 7.62x54R Mosin food. 

Here's a shot of some of what I pulled out. Head stamp appears to be '47,' so this ammo was probably packed for long term storage shortly after being produced 65 years ago.

Something like a nice musty pine scent accompanied the opening of the can.


I've previously shot Soviet bloc ammo in this caliber from the early post World War II era. Can't recall ever having a round fail to fire. Planning to give this latest batch a test in a week or two.

Ambassador's journal found

CNN reports it found in at the unsecured consulate in Benghazi four days after Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens was among those killed in the attack on the consulate. The report goes on to say:
For CNN, the ambassador's writings served as tips about the situation in Libya, and in Benghazi in particular. CNN took the newsworthy tips and corroborated them with other sources.
Can you think of any other terrorist crime scene where U.S. government personnel were targeted and  American law enforcement failed to respond, failed to secure evidence?

The Obama administration appears woefully inept before the attack. And remains inept afterwards.


Update: The U.S. State Department is apparently furious that CNN disclosed it discovered the diary.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

American buyers keep Russian gun maker in business

The New York Times reported last month that "American consumers are now buying about the same number of Kalashnikov-style weapons from (Russian arms maker) Izhmash as the Russian army and police."

Roosevelt High girls' rifle team

In another of our occasional series of photos documenting a long tradition of women involved in shooting sports and activities, this weekend's offering comes from fall of 1942.

The photos are from the the Office of War Information Collection at the Library of Congress. Photo captions shown here are also from the collection.


"Victory Corps, tomorrow's defenders of liberty. Standing at ease are uniformed high school Victory Corps girls on the rifle team. Riflery is one of the many war-time training activities offered by the Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, California" (photo left)




This sharpshooter is captain of the girls' rifle team of Roosevelt High School, Los Angeles,
California. Rifle practice is one of the phases of the activities of the school's Victory Corps

At Roosevelt High School, Los Angeles, California, one of the Victory Corps 
activities is the girls' rifle team, which practices on the rifle range in the school's basement

Links to some of the other offerings in the series:
Girls with guns at a DC school circa 1922
Girls, gun and public school
More women with guns in DC

Friday, September 21, 2012

Plenty of stuff moving in menacing directions


The September 21 Don and Doug show in now in replay:

The week, we dissect some of the turmoil in the Middle East and in other Muslim hot spots, and address the Obama administration's woefully inadequate responses. Yes, an administration representative actually claimed the attacks on our embassies and other assets enhance America's global reputation.

What was the Obama team doing when it could have been beefing up security? Among other things, it sent Jill Biden on a firehouse photo-op with bagels and coffee. Also in September, the adminstastration released a video documenting 'home brewing' by the White House staff.

With huge tax hikes looming on January 1, Don and I also warn of the economic consequences.

This week's final 30 to 40 minutes deals with what may be the start of spotty ammo shortages, and a discussion of self-defense guns for the relatively new shooter with emphasis on why a rifle is important.

Because of the urgency of some of this week's topics, the September 21st show is already available from start to finish on the TalkSouth On-Demand archive player as well in continous replay on the TalkSouth main channel.

Taxmageddon... the Fiscal Cliff... the end of the world as we know it...

Whatever you want to call it, we're on the verge of some really ugly economic stumbling blocks ahead. All of them intentionally crafted by our government. Americans for Tax Reform sums it this way:
"Sunday will mark the start of the 100-day countdown to “Taxmageddon” – the date the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect.  They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2013."
Anyone still believe it when Obama said he wouldn't raise taxes on the middle class?

The whole country is about to get harpooned. But it's conveniently timed so the sleeping masses, or those who have been convinced the election is a referendum on free birth control, won't realize it until after they vote. Although some of the damage may become apparent before January 1st, as Americans with assets begin to re-balance their holdings to minimize personal impact.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Obama Benghazi flag

"New Obama Flag Looks Eerily Like Blood-Stained Walls at Benghazi Consulate"

Media hacks

"Consume enough media and you come to understand that the people manufacturing it are not only hacks, they're clueless hacks, who like their master in the White House, have absolutely no idea how to solve any of the country's problems and no interest whatsoever in even bothering to try." - Daniel Greenfield at Sultan Knish

U.N. hates our Second Amendment...

But the First Amendment may be moving up on its hit list as well.

Is the old lady in denial?

Frances Fox Piven insists the Occupy movement is not dead. In an essay for The Guardian, Fox Piven says it's just trying to evolve as it moves to the next level after grabbing a few headlines last year:
...movements that make an imprint do more than communicate. They also threaten to exert a distinctive kind of power that results from refusing co-operation in the routines that institutionalized social life requires. That is the power that workers wield when they walk off the job, or that students muster when they refuse to go to class, or that tenants have when refuse to pay the rent, or that urban crowds exert when they block streets and highways. In principle, it is also the power that debtors might mobilize if they threatened to default on their loans. This sort of disruption – in essence, the strike writ large – is harder to organize than a rally or a march because people will fear reactions, which are likely to be swift and harsh. So, the protesters have to figure out how to defend themselves.
Does Fox Piven really see something afoot here? Or is she just among a gaggle of aging leftists who cling to a fantasy of revolution, but who fail to see the new culture of government dependency they helped create may have preemptively bred the fight out of the very people they thought would carry their dreams forward?

Visualizing unsustainable fiscal madness

Browsing some graphs produced by Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee, these especially stand out:





Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Fast and Furious OIG report is out

The long awaited DOJ Inspector General report on Fast and Furious is out. Yet it seems there were folks who didn't want to contribute in giving a clear, full assessment.

David Codrea is one of two bloggers who broke the Fast and Furious story. He zeros right in:
Case in point, Chapter One of the report identifies key individuals who declined to be interviewed, significantly including “Criminal Chief [Patrick J.] Cunningham [who] declined through counsel our request for a follow-up interview…We also requested an interview with Kevin O’Reilly, a member of the White House’s National Security Staff[who] declined our request through his personal counsel.” 
Codrea points out a few more things in his initial assessment of the OIG report at Examiner.com.

Mike Vanderbough is the other guy who took the scandal public. His initial reaction? Whitewash.

Say what?

Looks like President Obama told a whopper when he was on with Letterman.



If Obama says racking up nine trillion in federal debt under Bush was unpatriotic, how are we supposed to assess his first term that's taken that total to 16 trillion?

Heavy duty rifle ammo on the Big Sis shopping list

I wonder if the Department of Homeland Security got many bidders on this. In addition to the 200 million .223 rifle rounds we post on the other day, DHS is trying to round up a big batch of .308 ammo as well:
The DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement requires the following items, Exact Match Only, to the following:
LI 001, .308 168gr BT Match
176,000 ROUNDS of .308 caliber 168 Grain hollow point (HP)(match grade) part#GM308M
Contractor shall provide 48 hours notice advance telephone notice of Delivery to the Receiving Location (POC or Alternate) to allow for preparation for delivery.
9 Recieving locations - see attachment for delivery locations and quantities., 176, MX;
The .308 round is typically used in sniper and other long range situations. SniperCentral.com notes:
The .308 is acceptable for both military and Law Enforcement use, and is very capable of 800+ meter hits on a human size target. If you are a Law Enforcement sharpshooter, keep in mind the penetrating power of the .308, especially with full metal jacket rounds like the old M118. 
Note the DHS request is for hollow point bullets. Hollow points will reduce penetrating power, helping reduce the risk of passing through an intended target and backdrop, or a least slowing the projectile upon impact.

"0% Interest Rates Until the System Dies"

"This is the first time in history we've been on a global fiat currency unbacked system, and we've never had a global system like this die before."

The comment is from Jeff Berwick, who is featured in a video at WatchDogUSA. Berwick goes on to say:

"Most people in the U.S. will not see this coming. They're brainwashed."

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Obama's 'war on coal' update

Company announces plans to close eight mines, shed 1200 jobs in three states. 

Clashing views on redistribution

"We're a compassionate people, but then we let people build their own lives, create enterprises. We believe in free people and free enterprise, not redistribution. The right course for America is to create growth, create wealth, not to redistribute wealth." - Mitt Romney in Fox News interview, September 18, 2012.

Contrast Romney's view of redistribution with one Mr. Obama put on the record in 1998:

"I think the trick is how to we structure government resources that pull resources and facilitate some redistribution because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level, to make sure everybody's got a shot." - Barack Obama at Loyola University, October 19, 1998.

Romney's view of America sounds a lot like the traditional American view I was taught as a public school student (pre-1980), while Mr. Obama sounds like the Marxists my teachers warned us about back then.




Spontaneous protest fable grows weaker

Benghazi witness: "There wasn't a single ant outside."

Government fixes hinder the economy

All those knee-jerk attempts by government to fix the economy may have backfired. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco notes:
Heightened uncertainty acts like a decline in aggregate demand because it depresses economic activity and holds down inflation. Policymakers typically try to counter uncertainty's economic effects by easing the stance of monetary policy. But, in the recent recession and recovery, nominal interest rates have been near zero and couldn't be lowered further. Consequently, uncertainty has reduced economic activity more than in previous recessions. Higher uncertainty is estimated to have lifted the U.S. unemployment rate by at least one percentage point since early 2008.
The study is pegged to consumer perceptions of uncertainty. I'd add that bureaucrats in the Obama administration have added to economic uncertainty as by piling on additional regulation over the private sector. And there's no telling how much uncertainty was triggered by healthcare reform. Demands that many coal fired electric plants be closed years ahead of prior expectations are another example of government induced uncertainty.

Attitudes like "we'll have to pass the bill to see what's in it" put a chill in the hearts of those charged with long term business planning. Faced with uncertainty, expansion plans are usually shelved. Businesses may even cut back as they hunker down until the storm of uncertainty passes.

Maybe it eludes the political minds in Washington, but too too many government demands for change are bad for the economy.

Three thoughts from Thomas Jefferson

"And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale." - Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to John Taylor, 1816

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild, and government to gain ground." - Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, Paris, 1788


"if we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy." - Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Cooper, 1802

There are plenty of spurious Jefferson quotations floating around. The three above are among those verified and documented by researchers at Monticello.org.

Monday, September 17, 2012

U.S. forces involved in Sinai hostilities

Are coordinated attacks on American targets in the Middle East becoming more sophisticated and widespread?

Greatly under-reported in American media is Friday's attack on U.S. forces serving as part of multi-national force in the Sinai. Not a peep out of the Pentagon, but the New Mexico governor's office issued a statement on Friday:
"This afternoon, we received reports from Egypt that violent and armed protestors
attacked and attempted to gain entry to the headquarters of the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai where New Mexico National Guard Soldiers are serving alongside other U.S. and Coalition Military troops. Early reports from the unit indicate that the attack was beaten back, and though a few coalition troops from other countries sustained injuries, we have been told that no U.S. Soldiers were injured. Appropriate force protection measures have been initiated by the command.
Armed protesters is an interesting choice of words. The Times of  Israel has described the incident as an attack by an armed force of sixty to seventy Bedouin militants who used vehicles to break through the perimeter and storm the facility. Al Qaeda flags were reportedly displayed during the attack. Security around the base was not restored until Egyptian army troops, supported by tanks and armored personnel carriers, were deployed in the area.

Spontaneous?

So, the Obama administration is trying to sell us on a spontaneous demonstration in Benghazi that got out of hand...

Other events now unfolding might suggest there's more at play. Orchestrated, coordinated attacks just don't pop up out of nowhere. Right now, the Sinai appears to be among places on the receiving end. An attack by a 60 to 70 member paramilitary force on an international peace keeping base sounds anything but spontaneous.

Meanwhile, DEBKA, sometimes known to jump the gun, says attacks carried out by Bedouins and al Qaeda expanded to other bases on Sunday.

On last week's move by the Fed...

"There is at this point no doubt in my mind that we are witnessing the greatest monetary fiasco ever." - Doug Noland

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Libyan investigation now gets the 'wait and see' treatment


Well, isn't this just like the Obama team. Australia's ABC News notes the administration is publicly rethinking the attack on the Benghazi consulate:
US authorities initially leaned more towards the premeditated, well-planned assault angle, citing the fact that the attack came on the anniversary of the September 11 New York terrorist attacks. 
But now they are more reticent, insisting journalists wait for the results of the FBI investigation before leaping to any conclusions.
The FBI is under the Department of Justice. We know well how fast Eric Holder and his DOJ can get to the bottom of what happened and why. Just look at Fast and Furious. DOJ can't seem to figure stuff out when its own people are the perps.

What are the chances the FBI reports back before the election?

Marines killed, jet fighters destroyed

Attacks in Afghanistan appear to be growing more sophisticated.

There will always be an excuse

In the Middle East and elsewhere the excuse of an movie (or is it just a YouTube video?) demeaning Muhammad is being used as an excuse for anti-American violence by Muslim mobs. And the U.S. government seems to be falling in line with the assertion.

Over the weekend, the alleged filmmaker was detained by authorities in Los Angeles and questioned. For now, he's been let go.

But a study by our own government seems to reflect a more basic clash that's feeding the violence Muslim on American violence. Our culture and Islamic culture are drastically different. The study I speak of is the one published last year by the U.S. military that sought to find the root causes of Afghan security forces turning on their American allies and committing murder. I've mentioned it before here and here.

No YouTube videos were mentioned. But members of Afghan security forces cited a number of other cultural reasons for animosity against Americans. For example, Afghans apparently take great offense if Americans attempt to intervene if they see a dog being tortured. 

"How we treat dogs is no one's business; the Koran is very clear about the low status of dogs," was among the quotes cited from focus groups with members of Afghanistan security forces.

Violence unfolding around U.S. embassies isn't about a cheesy YouTube clip. It's part of a larger war targeting the U.S. and the Western Civilization that's been underway for a long time. No, not all Muslims are taking part. But conversely, many Americans fail to see the scope and significance of what's taking place because their own politically correct cultural bias won't allow them to see it.

DHS still shopping for ammo

The Department of Homeland Security has once again issued more information and pushed back the deadline on another request for bidders to supply .223 rifle ammunition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

From FBO.gov

A .223 round
In July, DHS disclosed it had failed to attract acceptable bidders after it solicited for a .223 supplier earlier in the year. In July, DHS issued an emergency order to replenish some empty or near empty .223 stockpiles.

It's kinda hard to get a handle on how much ammo DHS is actually trying to buy from the RFPs it issued this year. DHS apparently uses several .223 variants. A far better picture is derived when actual contracts are awarded, provided DHS manages to attract an acceptable bidder for a long term contract.

We do know for certain the agency cut a deal to buy up to 450 million .40 caliber pistol rounds earlier this year. We also know that five year deal was for more than twice as much ammo as a multi-year contract the agency awarded in 2009.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Catholics are a gang?

A high schooler in Colorado complains that his public school confiscated his rosary beads.  Denver TV  station KDVR picks up on the story:

“That’s typically not what we want for a safe environment for school,” says Thompson Valley School District spokesperson Margaret Crespo. The district says they can be affiliated with gangs, and disrupt learning.
Seriously?

h/t Noisy Room's @TeresaMonroe via Twitter

Girls with guns at a DC school circa 1922

Two photos of Washington DC's Central High School Girl's Rifle team from November 1922. Unlike the Western High team of just a six years earlier, this team's rifles appear uniform.

Each of these is from the National Photo Company Collection at the Library of Congress. The collection contains photos of a number of women's shooting teams from early in the last century.


Friday, September 14, 2012

QE3 takes us the wrong direction

Author and investor Marc Faber says QE3 will lead to more government, fewer jobs, and private sector consolidation.



In his appearance on CNBC, Faber referred to central bankers as "counterfeit money printers" and said Ben Bernanke should resign over the damage he's done to the U.S. economy.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Quick 'n dirty promo for Friday's show


Escalations in the Middle East. Expansions in Central Bank manipulations.

Anyone still think things are moving in a positive direction?

Talk about it at 1:00 pm Friday, September 14, with Don and Doug on TalkSouthRadio.com.

"Fundamentals of Double Action Revolver Shooting"

Interesting old training film put together by the FBI. Strong emphasis on shoot from the hip.


My eyes aren't what they used to be

I went long gun shooting today. At ranges longer than I'm used to. Up to 200 and 300 yards.

Ruh-roh. My eyes aren't what they used to be. And they easily fatigue when using iron sights.

I guess it's time to transition to at least some shooting with a scope.

Keep blowing into the bubble

Another huge shot of cash to keep up the appearance of a normal economy through the end of the year. I'd venture to say that's what the Federal Reserve announced today.

On September 13, 2012, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) directed the Open Market Trading Desk (the Desk) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to begin purchasing additional agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) at a pace of $40 billion per month.  The FOMC also directed the Desk to continue through the end of the year its program to extend the average maturity of its holdings of Treasury securities as announced in June and to maintain its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from the 
Federal Reserve’s holdings of agency debt and agency MBS in agency MBS.
The FOMC noted that these actions, which together will increase the Committee’s holdings of longer-term securities by about $85 billion each month through the end of the year, should put downward pressure on longer-term interest rates, support mortgage markets, and help to make broader financial conditions more accommodative.
Interest rates are near zero. Just ask anyone who's trying to live off savings and a fixed income. Keeping interest rates obscenely low distorts the economy by discouraging savings, and encourages risky speculation.

Driving home today, I heard a commentator on the radio say low interest rates will encourage businesses to hire more people, and expand their operations. But cheap money is only part of the equation. Only a fool would seek to expand a business seeing how weak true economic fundamentals are. What businesses need to justify expansion are solid prospects of showing more profit. But the only time you hear the word profit from our current policy makers is when it's used in disparaging terms.

I'm also intrigued today's move comes when it did. The announcement comes when those Americans who actually follow current events are perhaps focused on the Middle East to the point they might overlook what the Fed is pulling here.

Buying up more iffy mortgage securities isn't going to put a floor under the economy. Neither is the shell game of buying up more Treasury bonds. This is just more window dressing, a new coat of whitewash on the Potemkin recovery. While the Fed insists today's move will move economic recovery forward, it strikes me as admission that economic tinkering has failed, but that the Fed doesn't want to admit it prior to the election.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

This is peachy

The Middle East is unraveling. Europe's a financial mess. We're not too far behind 'em.

Are things about to escalate diplomatically and militarily in Asia?

China's navy goes on patrol.

Don't be distracted

The media and the administration seem to be working overtime to put emphasis on Mitt Romney comments. Those in power, and friendly to them, want desperately to create a distraction that steers attention away from the big issues. Those issues would be: How did this happen. What warning signs were missed. And what related or follow-up strikes might be in the works. Meanwhile, I wouldn't be surprised to see current circumstances used in some way as an excuse to push even more Big Brother security measures here at home. By the way, I've been amazed to hear so many critics claiming Mitt Romney was out of line to comment early about what went down. We need to know what the candidates are thinking - and the quicker they respond, the better we can judge their capabilities to assess a situation and lead.

I can see Russia from the DNC floor

At the Democratic National Convention, John Kerry tried to mock Mitt Romney with the line "Mitt Romney talks like he's only seen Russia by watching Rocky IV." But it turns out the Democrats at the DNC didn't know Russia when they were looking right at it.

As Kerry left the DNC stage, images of the Russian navy were shown on the convention hall's big screen (A short clip from C-SPAN can be seen here).

The same Russian ships were also on display in what was intended to be patriotic tribute to American veterans and service members by a retired admiral.

Navy Times notes:
While retired Adm. John Nathman, a former commander of Fleet Forces Command, honored vets as America’s best, the ships from the Russian Federation Navy were arrayed like sentinels on the big screen above...  
“The ships are definitely Russian,” said noted naval author Norman Polmar after reviewing hi-resolution photos from the event. “There’s no question of that in my mind.”
Reminds me of President Obama's gun control message to the Urban League in July...
But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals -- (applause) -- that they belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities.
While used by scores of nations around the world, the AK-47 was birthed in Russia. Our troops don't carry AKs. But the Russians, the Chinese and the Taliban do.

Is there any possibility someone behind the scenes is trying to mock us by inserting seemingly innocent lines or picturesque images? Or, perhaps more likely, are Democrats just woefully ignorant?

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

I don't care if it wasn't at the Olympics...

Why are members of America's "First Family" wrapped in the colors of another nation on an "official" overseas trip?

No, it didn't happen at the Olympics, but...

Archival posts at the Wall Street Journal and at other websites show the photo was snapped with Mrs. Obama and the girls traveled to South Africa last year.

The girls didn't pack jackets? No blankets on the United States government aircraft that carried them overseas?

This was supposed to be an official visit. And members of the First Family are wrapped in foreign colors. At the very least, it appears tacky.

Teachers strike in Chicago

Interesting timing on the Chicago teachers strike. Does the union think Rahm will settle quick to avoid embarrassing Obama?

Monday, September 10, 2012

"Slow, wretched decline"

Here's something different. Daniel Hannan, a member of European Parliament from England, makes a statement to the body in Spanish. A nice gesture. He's talking about Spain. If you don't speak Spanish, follow along with the subtitles. What's happening in Spain sounds a lot like what's happening here in America.



Hannan also caught my attention with blog post today, outlining expectations of slow, wretched decline in Europe. He may be right. Those expecting an sudden lurch into a Mad Max kind of world brought on by rapid-fire economic collapse may be sorely disappointed. But that doesn't mean there won't at least be pockets of chaos from time to time. Things like just in time inventories can backfire big time in the event of a financial hiccup. And people today have a much deeper sense of entitlement while being far less self-reliant than they were in past times of economic risk.

So far, central bankers, politicians, and bureaucrats have been able to keep us from hitting rock bottom. But they've only accomplished it by buffering the blows by throwing more money into the system. Money that's borrowed. Or money that's created out of thin air by printing presses and cyber-injection.

It remains to be seen how much deeper into decline they can take us without triggering general alarm among populations that, at least here in America, haven't paid much attention.

For now, it seems the masses remain in a sheeple state. Too many just nod in agreement when Barack Obama and the Democrats tell them four years just wasn't long enough, another four is needed to finish what's been started (whatever it is). Or Mitt Romeny and the Republicans say they have a plan to turn things around, but it's all based on economic growth levels we used to have - and have little hope of returning to any time in the foreseeable future.

No one really has a plan to reignite - or even stabilize - the economies here or in Europe. Everything appears focused on masking (and sometimes steering) further decline.

Scouted some ammo shelves tonight

Made a quick side trip to a big box outdoors sporting goods store earlier this evening. Saw lots of empty gaps on the ammo shelves. Only the pricier 9mm offerings were left. I also noted some gaps in their .38 Special, .40 and .45 acp offerings as well.

A few 12 gauge shotgun shell variants also appeared to be out.

I haven't checked store shelves recently, so I don't know if this is out of the ordinary. And this was the kind of store that stays plenty busy on a weekend.

On the encouraging side, there was plenty of good .22 long rifle plinker product available.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Gun sales breaking records

2012 looks like a record breaker. I had no idea gun sales were still accelerating at this pace.

Smith & Wesson announced its own record breaking quarter on Friday. Its investor presentation included this graph of industry wide sales as interpreted through the National Shooting Sports Foundation's analysis of FBI gun buyer background checks:



Take a gander at the whole S&W report if you like. The company's firearms line is probably a lot more diverse than most most folks realize.

Swhc Sept 2012 Ir Pres

The touted economic cure may be what crashes us

Significant and dangerous events and signals in the financial markets took place in the financial markets this week. European Central Banker Martin Draghi got the ball rolling, and apparently Ben Bernanke's not one to be out-done.

Doug Noland writes about what's happening in this week's Credit Bubble Bulletin. Here's an excerpt:

Amazingly, in the face of exceptionally buoyant securities markets and an expanding economy, the Federal Reserve is apparently about to embark on yet another round of quantitative easing (“money printing”).  Few expect this to have much impact on the real economy, but it is clearly having a major impact on already speculative financial markets. 
I’ve always feared such a scenario:  Severely maladjusted Bubble Economies responding poorly to aggressive monetary stimulus, spurring policymakers into only more aggressive stimulus measures.  Meanwhile, financial fragility mounts, as Credit systems continue to rapidly expand non-productive debt.  Securities markets become dangerously speculative and detached from underlying fundamentals.  
Students of the late-1920s appreciate how late-cycle policy-induced market and economic distortions laid the groundwork for financial collapse and depression.  Especially in 1928 and early-1929, highly speculative financial markets diverged from faltering global economic fundamentals.  Our nation’s business came to be precariously dominated by “money changers,” financial leveraging and market speculation.
All last week, Democrats kept bragging how Barack Obama saved us from a Second Great Depression. I'd counter that, rather than saving us, what's been done through government and Federal Reserve policy the last four years has only expanded the latest economic bubble. When it pops, it's going to be plenty ugly.

Put your own financial house in order the best you can. And be ready to assume a crash position on short notice.

Update: Let me add cite one more source with a similar warning. Mike Larson at Money and Markets writes of a central banker fantasy land versus real world nightmare.

Women and guns: Another legacy shot




In 1913, Harriet Hammond (shown right) organized the Nemours Gun Club. It was America's first trap shooting club organized for women.

Photo courtesy: Bain News Service/Library of Congress

Previous women's shooting archive posts:
Girls with guns at a Los Angeles High School
Girls guns and public school
More women with guns in DC

Forfeiture laws and gun confiscation

Last weekend, I noted the Department of Justice has widened the power of the ATF to seize private property in the course of pursuing narcotics investigations.

The Washington Times notes these new powers include the ability to seize firearms along with the ability to bypass the courts in firearms forfeiture cases.

Yes, the forfeitures are supposed to be in connection with drug investigations, but there's a loophole. The property, including firearms, can be seized early in an investigation. And the investigation may later conclude without any criminal charges being filed. By the the time the investigation concludes, the seized property may have already been forfeited, with ownership transferred to the government.

What protections do we have that investigations are opened in good faith, and that they aren't primarily conducted as a means toward confiscation of guns, cash or other private property?

Should the government (or even a tiny group of agents) chose to go rogue, it appears some amazing unchecked powers are available to employ in abusing citizens and their private property rights.

Friday, September 7, 2012

FEMA and the CDC bring back zombie themes

Federal emergency managers and planners are still using zombies to engage new audiences in disaster and other emergency preparedness programs and activities.

From: CDC.gov
For an example, here's CDC blog post from earlier this year featuring clips from from cable's The Walking Dead. The series is fiction, but the CDC suggests the show includes some teachable moments.

Zombie awareness was highlighted in FEMA webinar earlier this month. Some communities plan a big zombie prep push in October to capitalize on a Halloween tie in. So you may hear more from government and other agencies about prepping for a zombie apocalypse in the the coming weeks.

I find a touch of irony in the timing. Have we ever had a disaster preparedness push timed to coincide with national election?

And zombies aren't the only ploy the government's tried to spark in interest in preparedness.
Earlier this year, the CDC tried to get us jazzed about disaster readiness using a wedding planner theme. Nice try. But compared to zombies, it kinda fell flat.

Purtin's Russia is amassing gold reserves

Brett Arends at Marketwatch.com takes the Russian gold buys as a sign that big global changes likely lay are ahead. 

Have you made any personal preps?

Collapse threat won't be fixed with the election

Over at Townhall.com, Fritz Pfister writes: If Obama wins who would prevent collapse? 

Widen your range of possibilities, Fritz.

I'm asking the same question about Romney.

It may play out a little differently, have a slightly different timetable, depending on who's in charge. But we're too close to the cliff. Too much damage has been done. Too many things that went wrong last time have been smoothed over, not fixed. And either Obama nor Romney have the will to steer a drastically different course.

The Crash of 2008 came under a Republican. And the unraveling began years before most people took notice. If the Obama administration did nothing else, intentionally or not, it's laid some economic trip-wires we'll be stumbling over for years to come. Health care's just one of 'em.

Watch your step.

The DNC and gun control

Between the constant babble about a Republican war on women or millionaires and billionaires not paying enough in taxes or how nobody had health care until Obama became president, you'd almost think the Democrats had forgotten about gun control.

But if you check the party's 2012 platform, it's in there:
We recognize that the individual right to bear arms is an important part of the American tradition, and we will preserve Americans’ Second Amendment right to own and use firearms. We believe that the right to own firearms is subject to reasonable regulation. We understand the terrible consequences of gun violence; it serves as a reminder that life is fragile, and our time here is limited and precious. We believe in an honest, open national conversation about firearms. We can focus on effective enforcement of existing laws, especially strengthening our background check system, and we can work together to enact commonsense improvements – like reinstating the assault weapons ban and closing the gun show loophole – so that guns do not fall into the hands of those irresponsible, law-breaking few.
Not much gun control chatter on the main convention floor, but at a breakfast meeting Senator Dianne Feinstein told her California delegation she's ready to introduce new assault weapons ban legislation in the Senate. Best I can tell, only place reporting Feinstein's pledge was Southern California Public Radio. The story has since been repeated by numerous gun rights bloggers.

I have to wonder what other kind of gun control talk took place at the DNC just outside reach of microphones, just far enough away to be missed by the cameras.

By the way, SCPR is running a poll on Feinstein's talk of reviving an assault weapon ban...
Feel free to take part here.

The post-DNC "Don and Doug" show


I'm glad it's over. The DNC began to feel like re-education camp. Too few talking points, drilled over and over, by speakers who sounded too much alike. The delegates may have seemed excited, but most the rest of us were left flat.  We'll give some recap on today's show, but in reality, enough is enough. The Democrats don't need our critique. They did their own damage.

The European Central Bank on Thursday agreed to supply what the Daily Beast describes as almost unlimited funds to the Eurozone's troubled countries. Does anyone believe the European Central Bank has almost unlimited funds? At best, this is a Band-Aid to make things look good again for a few more weeks, maybe months. Is the intent to calm international fears at least through the U.S. elections?

The Democrats spent all week assuring us Barack Obama prevented a Second Great Depression. In  reality, there now seem to be a growing number of people who think he's just delivered us to its doorstep. And once we go over the so-called fiscal cliff, something even worse may be in store.

Take on these topics, and more, with Don and I today at 1:00 pm ET on TalkSouthRadio.com.
Or just click here to listen direct (Last week's show remains in replay until today). And yes, we still take live calls at 678-344-9926.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Chavez detains U.S. flagged vessel

An American cargo ship has been detained by Venezuela along with its crew of 16.

A member of the crew has turned to Facebook looking for help in winning their release.

Used to be, the U.S. government got involved when stuff like this happened.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's in Asia. President Obama and other top Democrats are in Charlotte enjoying applause from DNC delegates.

2nd Amendment sales tax holiday

The annual Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday starts Friday (September 7th) in Louisiana. Firearms, ammunition, and accessories are exempt from state and local sales tax.

An example of representation in Congress?

Stephen Colbert had a humdinger of an interview this week with Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke who represents the Brooklyn area of New York City. Colbert asked Rep. Clarke, if she could go back in time, what would her message be to Brooklynites of 1898?


Here's a partial transcript:

Clarke: I would say to them, Set me free

Colbert: From?

Clarke: Slavery.

Colbert: Slavery, really? I didn't realize there was slavery in Brooklyn in 1898.

Clarke: I'm pretty sure there was.

Colbert: Sounds like a horrible part of the United States that kept slavery going until 1898.

Clarke: Uh...

Colbert: Who would be enslaving you in 1898 in New York?

Clarke: The Dutch.

The New York Daily News notes New York legally abolished slavery in 1827. And the Dutch ceded control of New Amsterdam in 1674.

Casino sheds jobs

A casino near Cincinnati announced Wednesday that it's laying off 160 full time people, or about ten percent of its work force. WLWT is among Cincinnati area media reporting the story. A company statement cites soft consumer spending and increased competition.

But as for the competition angle, it appears most the new competitors haven't opened yet.

Looks to me like another data point suggesting there is no economic recovery, and that people are cutting back on discretionary spending either to make ends meet now, or to be better prepared to face more hard times that they think are coming.

What Democrats aren't saying about General Motors

A huge chunk of the Democrats pitch to reelect Barack Obama is built around the narrative that he saved the auto industry, especially General Motors.

The claim itself is questionable. But Democrats also fail to mention some other stuff. Like outsourcing. More and more of General Motors seems to be packing up and going to China.

Under Mr. Obama's watch, news reports indicate General Motors is moving (or has moved) its more advanced research and development operations to China, and is expanding R&D operations in Canada while cutting R&D jobs here in the states.

And GM relocated its headquarters for all international operations to Shanghai in 2011.

Do we see a trend here?

Why don't the politicians or the union workers ever get beyond the usual Democrat talking points and mention this stuff? Is it because they don't know it, or that they just don't want you to?

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Are you better off than you were four years ago?

The artist who created the iconic Obama "Hope" poster would likely say no. The Smoking Gun reports federal prosecutors want Shepard Fairey to serve prison time following a misdemeanor conviction in connection with a civil lawsuit over the campaign image.

Plenty more to the story. Details at the link.

God and Jerusalem reinserted in DNC platform

The Weekly Standard reports the change under the headline Jerusalem And God Get Booed At Dem Convention. The report includes video of the amendment that reinserted references to God and Jerusalem back into the Democratic Party platform being presented and the convention floor vote that followed.

After watching, I'm not sure if it's the amendment or the iffy vote count that gets the booing.

Even the Los Angeles Times is skeptical of the way the vote was handled:
It took three attempts to pass the language regarding Jerusalem and a subjective decision by the convention chairman, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, to decide the change had the required support of two-thirds of the delegates. To many listeners, the voice vote seemed at least evenly divided.
Aren't Democrats the party that insists voting fraud isn't a problem?

Update: It gets better. Huffington Post says President Obama was behind the scenes pushing for the reinsertions. Does that account for the tone-deaf tally?  Same HuffPo report goes on to say:
Even though the no's were again as loud if not louder than the aye's on the third vote, Villagairosa said he had determined that two thirds of those present had voted in favor. Boos filled the arena in response.
Here's video of the vote as uploaded to a Republican YouTube account:

What? No Big Sis?

I don't see where Janet Napolitano will be speaking at the DNC. No first-person pitch for See Something-Say Something

I was really hoping for an update telling us how President Obama's quest for a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded as the military is coming along. 

If Big Sis isn't around to provide an update, maybe Mr. Obama himself will share the latest. 

Don't worry. I'm not counting on it. He didn't even tell us the national security objectives he had in mind when he called for in in the first place.

A concise thought on Mr. Obama. Does it reflect in his party as well?

The root thought comes from Thomas Sowell, and it should make inquiring minds wonder:
Obama did not simply happen to encounter a lot of people on the far left fringe during his life. As he spells out in his book, he actively sought out such people. There is no hint of the slightest curiosity on his part about other visions of the world that might be weighed against the vision he had seized upon.
Now apply Sowell's observation on a wider scale...

Watch the DNC closely. There's no competition of ideas expressed. Just collectivist calls of Forward!

Thoughts on inflation

Jeff Clark at Casey Research takes on the prospects for inflation. And he factors in gold and silver as an individual's hedge when it happens.

Obamacare in one sentence

We heard a lot of bragging on Obamacare by the Dems on Tuesday night at the DNC.

Here's a brief summation of some counter points recently delivered by Dr. Barbara Bellar, a Republican running for State Senate in Illinois.


H/T: Maggie's Farm