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Saturday, June 30, 2012

A suggestion for our GOP Congress to do immediately on Obamacare...

Daniel Bernstein makes this suggestion at Volokh Conspiracy:
If I were a Republican Congressman I’d schedule a new vote in the House on the individual mandate, but replace the “penalty language” with language specifically acknowledging that the “penalty” is actually a tax. If the Democrats vote “aye,” they’ve acknowledged breaking the Obama pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class. If the Democrats–specifically those who already voted for the mandate–vote “nay”, what becomes of the tax argument in future litigation?

h/t The Anchoress 

I respectfully disagree with the Anchoress' position on the Roberts' ruling (I do not like the ruling).  I am also not sure of what "future litigation" there will be. The Supreme Court has ruled.  I doubt any votes will change.  But politically it makes sense to put Democrats in a tough position.

From Smitty at TOM:  Ott finds humor in the decision...

Drill baby drill? Obama just extended the off shore drilling ban until 2035...

Understanding health care in America...it's bananas!



And Obamacare will only make this worse...

h/t:  Small Dead Animals and Zero Hedge

Update:  Less guano please...

Friday, June 29, 2012

Best Comment about John Roberts all day...

Please God, make it stop...a female journalist's ordeal in Egypt

This is a very harrowing but well written account.  My sympathy and sorrow to Ms. Smith for experiencing this.

I know Egypt (as a whole) is not evil.   And this incident does not reflect all Muslims, but this movement taking over Egypt right now is evil.  There is a dark core to the Muslim Brotherhood and anyone thinking otherwise is kidding themselves.

h/t:  Rio Norte Line

Friday night music...


Thank you John Roberts for moving my progressive legacy forward...

It is not like you haven't been warned...
Update: Friday Night Music Video!
Ironic that Obama's real spiritual daddy
was a member of the KKK
Jeff Goldstein takes apart the false notion that John Roberts did us a favor...
Message to GOP:  Time to put up or shut up.  
Progressivism is a disease in both parties...
TOM:  Michelle Bachman responds...
Legal Insurrection/Mark Levin...
The Camp of the Saints...
Can Congress Do It?
Byron York...
TOM: GOTV
LI:  Dicta?

Update (guess who was right all along):
"The bottom line is this: I will be voting against John Roberts’ nomination. I do so with considerable reticence. I hope that I am wrong. I hope that this reticence on my part proves unjustified and that Judge Roberts will show himself to not only be an outstanding legal thinker but also someone who upholds the Court’s historic role as a check on the majoritarian impulses of the executive branch and the legislative branch."
Senator Barack Obama

These conservatives are like voices in the wilderness...
How appropriate:  The Feast of John The Baptist
was just last Sunday
h/t to Red commenting at Camp of the Saints for this

The Three Stooges - Dizzy Doctors

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Eric Holder, first Attorney General held in Contempt of Congress

255 voted to hold him in contempt (17 were Democrats).  Only 67 voted no.  One member voted present.  110 members did not vote.

I am surprised by the number of yes votes vs. no votes.  I cannot see Holder staying in office during this.  I could see him "volunteering" to step down to avoid distractions by partisan Republicans.  Of course he will likely get some sort of pardon if things look like they are getting bad for him and he is keeping his mouth shut (aka protecting Obama).

Eric Holder went to Disney World today?  What?  This is not exactly winning the Super Bowl.
Update:  Instapundit also notices...

Update:
VDH says Holder will likely walk and nothing will come of this...
House Republicans vow to take Holder to court...
Department of Justice says it will not prosecute Eric Holder (conflict of interest?)
Smoking gun pointing at Holder...(do you think Obama is going to let it point at him?)

An Instapundit reader has a comment about Harriet Miers...

You can't blame this one on me!  
“This could be a huge day in the evolution of Chief Justice Roberts as a great chief justice,” said Laurence H. Tribe, a liberal law professor from Harvard. Mr. Tribe, who taught Mr. Roberts, said he had not opposed his nomination because he believed Mr. Roberts was less of an ideologue than many had charged. “I have some sense of gratification,” he said.
Gag


However, the replacement for Miers was Alito (not Roberts).  D'Oh!  Oh well, but it was funny.  

The Most Arrogant Man in the World, Part II

The Blogmocracy posted this video again.  An instant classic.  But it is hardly an exaggeration of the hubris of the current occupant of the White House:  

h/t:  Twitchy 

Related Post:
Separated at Birth:  John Roberts and ...?

Separated at Birth: John Roberts and ...?


John Roberts
David Frum




Guaranteed to get invited to the best cocktail parties this summer!  It is not personal guys, it is just the law!

Update:  Per McGehee's suggestion (now that you mention it I do see the resemblance...):

John Roberts
Earl Warren




Update:  Instapundit is more sanguine about this ruling:

JUNE 28, 2012

FOLLOWING UP ON MY MARBURY OBSERVATION FROM THIS MORNING: Obama Wins the Battle, Roberts Wins the War: The chief justice’s canny move to uphold the Affordable Care Act while gutting the Commerce Clause. “By ruling that the individual mandate was permissible as a tax, he joined the Democratic appointees to uphold the law—while joining the Republican wing to gut the Commerce Clause (and push back against the necessary-and-proper clause as well). . . . Roberts’ genius was in pushing this health care decision through without attaching it to the coattails of an ugly, narrow partisan victory. Obama wins on policy, this time. And Roberts rewrites Congress’ power to regulate, opening the door for countless future challenges. In the long term, supporters of curtailing the federal government should be glad to have made that trade.” We’ll see.
More from the Anchoress.
But that still means to reverse we need to have 51 votes in the Senate and the White House to sign it (or 50 votes and Mitt Romeny's Veep gets to break the tie).  

Update:
The most arrogant man in the world, part II.
More hints John Roberts changed his vote...

“This could be a huge day in the evolution of Chief Justice Roberts as a great chief justice,” said Laurence H. Tribe, a liberal law professor from Harvard. Mr. Tribe, who taught Mr. Roberts, said he had not opposed his nomination because he believed Mr. Roberts was less of an ideologue than many had charged. “I have some sense of gratification,” he said.
Gag


Hercules cleaning the Augean stables


Whatever happens this morning: It will be a big f'n deal! Update: A big day for taxes!



Separated at Birth:  John Roberts and...?
SCOTUSblog

Legal Insurrection is a good place to go too.

Stolen Valor ruled over broad for 1st amendment (and unconstitutional) but Congress could redraft. Decision is 6-3, with Alito, Thomas, and Scalia in dissent.

Obamacare:  The individual mandate survives as a tax.  Big fn deal for Obama!  Basically with some limitation on the medicare provisions, it survives.  Roberts was the swing vote.  Statist.


From a  commentor: "The US Constitution was already dead, but this qualifies as necrophilia" Pretty damn accurate


Jeff Goldstein:  I told you so.  


EBL:  Roll up those sleeves and put on those waders...  Roberts ain't no Hercules.  


As for Roberts.  I get Roberts is playing chess (at least Roberts thinks so) and that this decision is very Holmes-like.  Yes it is nuanced and has limitations on the commerce clause and certainly on mandates.  Yes it may help tip this election to Mitt Romney and may prompt Congress to do some heavy lifting for a change.  Still, it is a grave disappointment.  He could have gone with the dissent and still written the opinion he did.  Rather he wanted to look independent and he is at his heart a Statist.


Here is the Obamacare opinion...


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

What do you get when you cross Jimmy Carter with Richard Nixon?



A combination of Jimmy Carter's smugness and incompetency with Richard Nixon's paranoia and out of control staff.  What could go wrong?
Representative Darrell Issa's letter to Barack Obama:
Courts have consistently held that the assertion of the constitutionally-based executive
privilege — the only privilege that ever can justify the withholding of documents from a
congressional committee by the Executive Branch — is only applicable with respect to
documents and communications that implicate the confidentiality of the President’s decisionmaking process, defined as those documents and communications to and from the President and his most senior advisors.  Even then, it is a qualified privilege that is overcome by a showing of the committee’s need for the documents.  The letters from Messrs. Holder and Cole cited no case law to the contrary.   
Accordingly, your privilege assertion means one of two things.  Either you or your most
senior advisors were involved in managing Operation Fast & Furious and the fallout from it,
including the false February 4, 2011 letter provided by the Attorney General to the Committee,
or, you are asserting a Presidential power that you know to be unjustified solely for the purpose
of further obstructing a congressional investigation...
As they say, read the whole thing...

The Obama White House responds to Fast and Furious

Bad news for Blogger Ric Locke...

Crack Emcee on him being John the Baptist on cults and new ageism...

Sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do...

So what is the problem?   He was defending his home!

Mr. Collins denied it, but he consented to a search?  Two lessons here:  1) Don't fart in front of Mr. Collin's apartment and 2) Never consent to a search. 

Monday, June 25, 2012

Aaron Walker SWAT-ted. Who did it?

Neal Rauhauser and Brett Kimberlin
That this would come on the same day that Aaron Walker prevailed in court over Brett Kimberlin is (at the least) very strange and certainly not a coincidence.  It was an important victory for Walker today in court.   The trial judge was essentially reversed on appeal (granted there is still a hearing on July 5).  Was it Kimberlin who called in this SWAT-ting?  Was it Rauhauser?  They certainly had motive, but we do not know.  It could be a copy cat sympathizer (either inspired directly or indirectly by these two).  We do know that Kimberlin has acted bizarrely over Aaron Walker's personal information.  Which of course strongly suggests, but does not confirm, Kimberlin being involved.

Interesting that Charles Johnson suggested just a few days ago that SWAT-ting may be a right wing false alarm.  Excellent timing Charles Johnson--which makes you wonder if one of his followers called this in.

We should be following the money (also know as their funding) which is coming from lefties such as Barbara Streisand and George Soros' Tides Foundation.

The best way you can help?  Let your elected officials know this nonsense has to stop (because Team Obama seems more intent in investigating his political opponents in Arizona than doing anything to stop actual terrorism at home.  Also, support bloggers fighting back like Robert Stacy McCain.

Update:
Aaron Walker (via Protein Wisdom):
I will say emphatically that I do not believe Brett Kimberlin made any of the prior SWATting calls himself and I would be very surprised if he made this one. 
But on the other hand, Occam’s razor tells us this was done in retaliation against me for having won today in court against Kimberlin. Which doesn’t mean Kimberlin has anything to do with it, but it suggests a motive for whoever did.
There is likely a connection.  But the question is was it a follower motivated on his own or something more conspiratorial?  We just do not know yet.
TOM on Neal Rauhauser Targets (what we know and what we do not know)
A lot of people are working behind the scenes to gather and sort through the evidence. There are ongoing private investigations and, I have been told by multiple sources, the FBI is carrying out its own investigation. Citizen-journalists trying to move the story forward must be careful to stick to the facts, and avoid making any false accusations or jumping to premature conclusions.
TOM on:  #TCOT #BrettKimberlin #SWATting event Freedom Works
Patterico on false comments (purporting to be Patterico) left on his blog...
Patterico has more on Kimberlin and Rauhauser supporters contacting him (with IP addresses).

Why things don't work: The Belmont Club explains in one simple graphic representation...

Life with out possibility of parole is unconstitutional!

Don't get too excited Jerry.  For juvenile offenders...not offenders of juveniles.
Still, give it time.  The Supreme Court is always evolving on such things!  

The Real Mayors of New Jersey

Monday morning Supreme Court watch...

Come on Noonan, you can do it...



Update:
Life sentences for juveniles without possibility of parol are unconstitutional
Montana campaign finance case reversed (essentially affirming Citizen United)
Arizona v. U.S., parts preempted by federal law.  Checking on arrested persons status injunction reversed.  Parts to be remanded.  Much of the state law struck.
Volokh Conspiracy:  No health care today (but some interesting decisions).
Jonah Goldberg tweeted that he wanted Scalia to toss bread to the crowd. Personally I would have liked him to crack open a few cases of chianti and serve the crowds with little plastic cups (maybe he did, that might explain Alito reading that dissent, to give the wine a chance to breathe)
Althouse reports Scotus Blog thinks Roberts, with possible assistance of Kennedy, is writing the opinon...
Protein Wisdom, the glass is not only half empty, it is worse than that...
Legal Insurrection on Arizona
Blogmocracy on Arizona.
Riehl World View
Michelle Malkin
Gateway Pundit
Sister Toldjah
Powerline

Debbie does Democrats; and the Democrats do Debbie right back (and not in a good way)...Debbie Wasserman Schultz out as DNC head?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
out as DNC head?
Then again, can you blame them? Really, what were they thinking?
Update:
They aren't considering her for Speaker of the House...are they? *Gulp*  Good that the Dems have a very slim shot at getting that.  

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Tomorrow is the Aaron Walker emergency appeal. This is going to be an important battle for free speech: The legal push back against the lies of Brett Kimberlin and Neal Rauhauser

Democratic Consultant and reported sadistic wife abuser Neal Rauhauser
and Convicted Lying Felon Brett Kimberlin:
The only way to deal with vermin
is to fight back
Tomorrow is Aaron Walker's emergency appeal (via his attorney Reginald Bours with consulting assistance by Constitutional expert Eugene Volokh).  Hopefully the law is actually applied to this case and the insane "peace order" of Brett Kimberlin against Aaron Walker is vacated.  Patterico is also reporting on it.

Robert Stacy McCain notes the hearing and wonders why Mark Singer has not spoken out about Kimberlin over the last few years.  McCain has been tracking down and reporting on facts and connections pertaining to Kimberlin and Rauhauser and their supporters on the left and in the media.  RSM notes that Rauhauser's behavior seems bizarre and paranoid.

Patterico notes that Rauhauser is claiming Patterico set up Anthony Wiener (how in the hell did Patterico get Wiener to email underwear shots to women).  It if just further evidence of how delusional these two are.  Nevertheless, they are cunning and absolutely ruthless.  The sooner their abuse of the system ends the better.

Update:
Da Tech Guy
Walker Ungagged
Ace on Walker's victory...
Best quotes of Citizen K (the early but great Kimberline piece).
Victory for Aaron Walker (free speech is not dead!).  Good news!
Neal Rauhauser is also a dead beat dad.  Class act that Neal Rauhauser.
Patterico says that there is something very interesting in Brett Kimberlin's latest stuff...




Sunday Night Photo: Dancing with the O

Pan's Diaper Dance
Shall we dance?




Photo via Notoriously Conservative.  

There are more photos at the link, many of them anti Sarah Palin.  I like the photographs for revealing the opposition for what it is.  I will never get what Sarah Palin did to bring on the vile attacks of the left.  The viciousness are not outlier reactions, I remember lots of mainstream Democrats speaking as crudely about Sarah Palin.  Democrats and Obama can stuff their "war on women."  

Even Jon Stewart thinks Fast and Furious and Obama's executive privilege claim are a mistake...

Death of, or damage to, part of the heart muscle because the supply of blood to the heart muscle is severely reduced or stopped.

What is a heart attack?

Get well soon Trebeck.  And what better way to celebrate that than with SNL Celebrity Jeopardy.

Richard Feynman: Cargo Cult Science

Woman super glued to a toilet at Walmart...and this has happened before?



To say the least, it was a bad day for her at a Kentucky Walmart.  Assuming she is a victim (people sometimes stage things for lawsuits).  A prank?  I am not sure how that would even be possible.  Super glue dries very quickly.


And this issue was the subject of a telephone prank call in 2008?  Obviously a sticky situation.



Updated:  In a completely unrelated story, a Taco Bell drive in operator stabs a customer over an order... (you will shut up and be happy about what we give you)!  

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Vladimir Putin swims with Dolphins...

This belongs in a Crack Emcee post...  
Added bonus picture:  A baby dolphin meets a baby penguin...
This dolphin was rescued in Uruguay

It's Saturday Night: Drink Up!

Barack Obama's new bridal registry and The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife

Tako to ama, The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, Hokusai, 1841 
Added creepy bonus:  Barack is your husband too!

One of my favorite moments in Mad Men (give me a pass, here, for violating the “no Mad Men after Memorial Day” rule of the blogosphere, because it’s from a few seasons ago) is when Japanophile Bert Cooper reveals his latest artistic acquisition, a paneled painting of a Geisha engaged in an intimate act with a Cephalopod, entitled “The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife.” Cooper intimates to his creeped-out colleagues that the painting stirs thoughts about the combination of counterintuition, creativity, and monomania required to be an ad-man.
“It also, in some way, reminds me of our business,” Cooper says. “Who is that man who imagined her ecstasy?”
That’s sort of the thought I had when I saw the latest fundraising pitch from team Obama-Biden:

Team Obama earns four Pinocchios for lying about Mitt Romney's job record in Massachusetts

TalkLeft believes George Zimmerman acted in self defense...

From TalkLeft:
My opinion: This is self-defense. Zimmerman was not the aggressor, he did nothing to provoke Trayvon Martin’s beating him, breaking his nose and slamming his head into concrete. He had every right to respond with deadly force to stop Trayvon’s physical attack on him and to prevent Trayvon from getting control of his weapon.


h/t:  Ann Althouse

So what is Charles "Chuckles" Johnson's point? Joe the Plumber Wurzelbacker is right about self defense.

Note how Charles Johnson tries to twist a follow on comment by Joe Wurzelbacker.  But let's get back to the original ad by Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacker.  Why is this even controversial?  If Armenians had firearms in 1915 and Jews had firearms in 1930s and 40s Nazi occupied Europe, then maybe the horrors of genocide would not have taken place (or at a minimum more people would have been saved).  Is Charles suggesting things would have been worse if Armenians and Jews had weapons to protect themselves?  Yet Charles Johnson has to go here?  Maybe Charles should worry more about not associating with Neal Rauhauser and Brett Kimberlin.  Charles Johnson has ties to both Neal Rauhauser and his terrorist felony buddy Brett Kimberlin.    And talking about odd political races, the Race Detective is silent on David Duke and Charles Barron getting together.  Why is that?

Update: The Corner on the issue.


Real Cherokee Indian women speak out about false Indian Elizabeth Warren

Brave


The visual animation is quite amazing.  The story did lag in parts, but things come together in the end.  It is not the greatest Pixar film ever, but it is still a solid film.  I do not want to give the film away, other than to say it had an interesting mother daughter relationship theme.  It is an excellent mother daughter movie.  

Latinos forced to turn over their forks and knives at an Obama lunch event...

Friday, June 22, 2012

Why Wisconsin is Wonderful...

*

Jerry Sandusky guilty of 45 of 48 charges...

Drudge had the headline.  Legal Insurrection has more...
There were a lot of victims of Jerry Sandusky.  And this went on for decades.   My thoughts go to them and hopefully they find some solace in this.

Elizabeth Warren gets a birthday present from the GOP: an ancestry.com account!

Ancestry  


Elizabeth Warren refused to even send a staffer to meet with the Cherokee Delegation...
Elizabeth Warren is almost certainly not Native American at all.  The only connection so far shown between her and the Cherokee Nation is that one of her relatives helped round up Cherokees for the Trail of Tears.    Her proof of being Native American?  She says she has high cheek bones.  And she contributed recipes to Pow Wow Chow (which happened to be plagiarized and recipes that Cole Porter and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor used to like).  Yet she has tried to claim to be a "person of color" in terms of her being hired by the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard.  And today just happens to be her birthday...


The GOP just got an ancestry.com account for Elizabeth Warren on her birthday!  Happy Birthday Elizabeth Warren!  Don't worry they will not take it back...that would be Indian giving.  


Update:  Real Indian Women speak out against Elizabeth Warren


h/t Instapundit