All hail Emperor Obama!

HAD to post this pic after I saw it on twitter! GREAT combination of Obama themes: Messiah Obama, the presidential seal flop, "hope" and "change," the coronation of Emperor Obama at Barackopolis, and excellent use of arugula!
("Anybody Gone Into Whole Foods Lately And See What They Charge For Arugula?")

More on the over-the-top Greco-Roman set in Invesco field tonight:

TEMPLE OF DEM ON MT. O-LYMPUS

Democrats will kneel before the "Temple of Obama" tonight.

As if a Rocky Mountain coronation were not lofty enough, Barack Obama will aim for Mount Olympus when he accepts his party's nomination atop an enormous, Greek-columned stage - built by the same cheesy set team that put together Britney Spears' last tour.

Haha, and this guy complained about the "Celebrity" ad? Looks like it was even more spot on than we originally thought!

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Hillary Mocks Obama

From Analysis: A perfect night for Clinton, Obama?, Hillary, in her own words:

• Dec. 3, 2007: "So you decide which makes more sense: Entrust our country to someone who is ready on Day One ... or to put America in the hands of someone with little national or international experience, who started running for president the day he arrived in the U.S. Senate."

• March 2008. "I know Sen. McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Sen. Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."

• Feb. 23, 2008: "Now, I could stand up here and say, 'Let's just get everybody together. Let's get unified.' The skies will open, the light will come down, celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect."

That last one is a rip on Obama saying in January:

“... a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down upon you, you will experience an epiphany, and you will suddenly realize that you must go to the polls and vote for Barack.”

Scary stuff - more Messiah Obama

McCain turns the second quote into an effective ad:

These two are going to be such fun!

As if Obama didn't already have enough gaffe problems for himself, he now adds Joe Biden to the ticket! These two bumbling fools are like the gift that keeps on giving! Three gaffes within 24 hours!

UPDATE: Biden: Barackal, America, Obaman Apparently, in addition to call him "Barack America" (see below), Biden also said "Barackal Bama" and "Barack Obaman"

Obama introduces Biden as the "next president"... er, I mean vice president:


Joe Biden endorses "Barack America"... er, I mean Barack Obama:


Obama calls Eau Claire a "big important state"... er, I mean Wisconsin.


Now, let's go get a bratwurst!

Pondering the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act

The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act has been in the news recently because Obama voted against an Illinois version that was nearly identical to the federal one, but later said he supported the federal. It was passed by large majorities in the U.S. Congress and was even supported by pro-choice groups, but I truly wonder why.


Some questions - pro-choicers, please answer if you can:

• To be consistent with the idea that a fetus is a choice that can be aborted, shouldn't a baby born accidentally alive in the process of a botched abortion merely be put to death outside of the womb?

• Why does the fetus suddenly get rights and medical attention?

• What is it about being out of the womb that seems to change things so dramatically?

• Doesn't that mean that the woman's choice - that holiest of holy "constitutional right" - is taken away from her?

• If it's ok to keep that premature baby alive, why don't we just deliver all babies marked for abortion early and put them up for adoption?

• If the argument is that the baby will die anyway, but it is more humane to give it medical care and drugs to numb the pain before death, why don't we give babies that are about to be torn apart in a more traditional abortion some sort of anaesthetic?

This, like Partial Birth Abortion, is such a great issue for the pro-life movement because it puts pro-choicers between a rock and a hard place.


They have to choose between defending leaving babies to die in medical waste bins (and in the case of PBA, a truly barbaric abortion procedure, both of which are perfectly logical extensions of the pro-choice argument,) or backing away from their principles but not coming across as complete monsters.


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Obama "Uh" Montage

UPDATE: It has come to my attention that the link I provided earlier only works for RUSH 24/7 subscribers, so I replaced it with a YouTube version:

Courtesy of Rush Limbaugh, here is a full 7 min 35 sec of uhs, ahs, and you knows, cut from a 40 minute Obama press conference - no repeats or, uh, loops.


What a great motivational speaker that Obama is - so, ah, articulate and inspirational!


YES, uh, WE, ah, CAN, you know?


BONUS! While looking for the YouTube version, I found this 1min David Letterman clip of counting the 30 times Obama said "uh" during a tv interview. ENJOY!

Daily Mail horror stories just get worse and worse

True Daily Mail horror story. I think the title says it all:

When my little girl was born with Down's, I felt like I'd given birth to an alien and just wanted to get rid of her

‘The words Down’s syndrome hit me like a punch to the stomach,’ says Loretta. ‘I know it’s not a politically correct thing to say and you’re supposed to love your baby no matter what, but all the maternal instincts that had overflowed at the joy of my baby’s birth simply died.

‘Instead, I felt nothing but coldness. I couldn’t even hold her or feed her. I told the midwife to get this thing away from me. I was totally distraught.

‘Ignoring pleas from nurses to stay in bed, I dragged myself into the bathroom, put the shower on at a freezing temperature and lay there sobbing, curled up on the floor of the cubicle. I felt I was trapped in my worst nightmare, and somehow thought the coldwater, like needles stabbing into me, would bring me out of it.

...All I could think was I’d been cursed and that I couldn’t imagine coping with a disabled child, let alone what I regarded as the stigma of having one.’

...‘To me at that time, she wasn’t a baby, she was an alien,’ admits Loretta, ‘and, appalled as I am to admit it, I was just heartbroken and ashamed that I didn’t have a proper baby.

‘Of course I feel guilty about my behaviour now, but at the time I was so shocked I simply couldn’t cope in any other way.’

'Feelings of bitterness and loss just seemed to engulf me. It was as if the baby I had dreamed of had died. Suddenly, I couldn't bear to look at or even touch her, I just wanted to be away from her.

'Charlie was as devastated as me and the next five days were terrible. Charlie would pick Grace up, but then say he couldn't imagine making a life with her. "If we have her adopted we could try for a normal baby," he told me. And, though I know it will sound horribly callous, I felt the same way.

'If the nurses brought Grace anywhere near my room, I would tell them: "Just take her away, I don't want her".

'Charlie even contacted social services. "They said we could have her fostered," he said. The social worker even arrived with papers ready to sign Grace over - although thankfully they decided I was in too much of a confused state to sign anything then.

'I was so distressed that in the end doctors gave me sedatives to calm me down.

Does have a happy ending:

I just feel blessed to have such a beautiful baby.

'She has given me the strength to cope on my own and to do what I thought was impossible for me - to love a disabled child.'

Special 'All Hope and Change' Post!

The latest print version of National Review arrived at our office today and it has a spectacular cover! Love the top: "Special 'All Hope and Change' Issue"! Excellent play on the Obama logo combined with the Obama Snob photo. Obama truly is an "enigma" wrapped inside a riddle. Who really knows who Obama is and what he thinks? Does he even know?

In case you can't read the bottom, there are articles "on his radical past," "on his Chicago way," and "The evidence of Dreams."

Can't wait to read it; should hit newsstands on Monday.

Back from the dead

This is an inspiring story about a man who came out of a coma after doctors advised his family to pull the plug. It pretty much epitomizes why I am pro-life on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and why I supported the fight of Terri Schiavo's family to keep her alive.

Doctors are wrong all the time, you never know what will happen in the future - whether it's a miracle or a medical advance - that could bring your loved one back to you. Why NOT err on the side of life? What do you have to lose? You'll never regret giving them a longer chance to recover, but you may regret pulling the plug too early.

'I'm glad I can do anything'

Monk suffered a traumatic closed brain injury when he was T-boned eight years ago in a midsize car by a large pickup truck.

...Monk went into a coma upon impact and had no measurable brain function for 18 days. He spent three months in a coma.

"Some of the doctors told Mom and Dad to just pull the plug," Monk said.

"We heard that for months," Monk's mom, Janice Monk, added. "From every place we went, they told us he'd never be anything but a vegetable."

Hearing this makes Monk mad.

"Doctors are there to heal," he said, "not to give up."

But Monk never gave up on himself. He did wake up, and he's no vegetable.

...But Monk cherishes these days more than most because he knows how fragile life can be. He also knows that he has a purpose for being here -- because God told him so.

..."He said, 'My son, I'm not ready for you yet. You still have many things to do for us down there, and when it's your day, I'll bring you back home, but not yet,"' Monk said.

This is Monk's daily reminder that no matter his circumstances, he has to help people.

And Monk takes God's words to heart.

Pelosi in the Pocket of "Big Alt"

While Nancy Pelosi called House Republicans in the #dontgo movement, (aka Texas Tea Party, aka phantom Congress, aka whatever-you-want,) "the handmaidens of the oil companies," it appears that she herself is a handmaiden to alternative fuels. More specifically: T. Boone Pickens' corp.


It has come to light that she has invested $50,000-$100,000 in the very technology she now attempts to impose on the American people; technology that stands to benefit from high gas prices and which will in turn benefit her. No wonder she refuses to hold a vote on a comprehensive energy plan that includes offshore drilling. Or as she says, it's all in the name of "trying to save the planet."
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Daily Mail Horror Story: Choosing Life After Rape

This is a pretty amazing article about turning a horrific event into a a positive future.

At 16 she was gang raped and left pregnant. Now one mother explains... Why I love my rapist's baby

...'All the hatred I felt towards those men disappeared when I saw the baby. I put Phoebe on Elizabeth's breast and that was the most moving sight.

'In that moment, it wasn't about her being attacked in some car park, it was simply about the precious moment a new mum holds her baby.'

Elizabeth concurs. 'I have never, ever blamed Phoebe for what happened.

'While it was terrifying, knowing that I was going to be a mum made me look forward and focus on something else. I suppose I have tried to look beyond what happened, to the life that was created.'

...'If I have to, I will say that she was the good that came out of something bad. And I will tell her that, however she came to be, I have never ever regretted having her, and I would not be without her for the world.'

Live at the #dontgo Revolution, Part 2

I had the opportunity to get back to the House Floor today. Saw several bloggers in the cloak room. Seemed like there were a lot more people coming in and out today. Highlights:

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Florida):

• Democrats are being held back, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) will not allow them to come back to the House floor to speak and they are afraid of retribution. It will take
  
• Alaskans want drilling, why can't they decide when Florida was allowed to?
• This session is unusual - "usually standing in an empty chamber" giving speeches but now "can look out in to the chamber and see the faces of America."
  
• "Democrats and Republicans to make sure America can sustain itself"
  

Rep. Dan Burton (R-Indiana):

• We shouldn't be supporting Venezuela which funds enemies of democracy with our money (25% of our oil is from Venezuela.) Shouldn't have to be afraid of Saudis, Russia-Georgia, Iran-Israel wars.
  
• It’s not “why don’t ‘they’ do something about it,” 'they' is us - you and me. YOU do something about it: call 202-225-4131 and tell Democrats to come back to the House to vote on energy.
  
• Pelosi is the “only person who’s stopping us from any movement on energy independence.” Thinks there are at least 50 Democrats willing to vote to approve drilling.
• We "said 30 years ago we'd be independent, how will things we in the future" if we still aren't? “We need to do the right things today to protect the future of America.”
  
• Will fight continuing resolution to stop ban.
  

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Indiana) was the MC, introducing each speaker:

• Noted that it has been one full week of “unprecedented” action on the House Floor.
  
• Says the reason Republicans are doing this is because "Congress shouldn’t take a five week paid vacation when Americans can’t take a vacation from gas prices."
• It is a "priviledge" to see American people on the House floor.
  
• Believes if Congress came back a bipartisan majority would vote for energy and opening up drilling.
  
• On Russia-Georgia news: "American people need a strategy so we're not dependent on most volatile part of world."

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Virginia):

• "Never been more concerned about the future of this country ... things are not going well and energy is a large portion of what is wrong." $9 trillion debt, $53 trillion in unbunded obligations.
  
• China, with its legacy of human rights abuses - Tibet, arresting Christians, funding and arming Darfur janjaweed, spying and hacking American computers - may be able to drill offshore Cuba, but we are not.

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania):

• Told stories of his constituents’ troubles with cost of energy. Old woman in grocery store - price of food and gas has gone up and she's "scared to death about her home heating bill." Dairy farmer - "cost of fuel, fertilizer, everything up 30, 40% and it's crushing him." Painter - made 2 estimates on one project: Last year was $10,000, this year $15,000 and the person couldn't afford it.
• Pelosi said Republicans would have to use their imaginations to get a vote. He never imagined the "most productive and ethical Congress" that Pelosi declared would shut down Congress, have closed rules, shut out voices. Of 300 bills passed, 105 were naming buildings or post offices. He "would like to imagine that Congress will come back" next week and lift the moratorium
  
• “When the world sees America is serious about energy, the markets will respond and we will decrease dependence on foreign oil.”
  
• Americans have the "right to call their representatives and demand they get back to Washington to work and they have the right to vote against those who don’t respond to the will of the American people" in November.
  
• Showed The NO Zone map of where it is illegal for America to drill (see above)

Rep. John Porter (R-Nevada):

• Speaker Pelosi’s private jet costs $50,000 to fly from San Fransisco to DC and burns 11,000 gallons of jet fuel. The rest of us are suffering from higher cost of living and lower quality of life.
• We said in the 70's we wouldn't be held hostage by OPEC and our enemies, but we've gone from importing 30% of our oil to 70%.
• On teletown hall, a woman who lived through WWII said back then "we rolled up our sleeves and survived... didn't just talk, did something." "We must announce drilling now to show the world we mean business....By hook or by crood we can get it done.... Wake up, America. We can win this war like we won WWII.... Do it all and do it now." (all of this from constituent)
  

What I Saw at the #dontgo Revolution

After being captivated by the #dontgo revolution online, I was finally able to see it in person yesterday on the House Floor thanks to a few friends on the Hill. The following is a detailed account of my 2+ hours at the scene of the revolution for those who aren't able to come to DC to get a taste of what it's like.

We went in via the Republican Cloakroom where I had to leave my purse. The cloakroom is pretty small, with chairs lined up against the wall for half the room, a couple of computers labeled "for member use only," 2 tvs and a kitchenette. First person I saw upon entering: Robert Bluey! Great to meet him.

Got to the floor around 12:45pm and sat on the right side of the aisle (which was packed) while Rep. David Davis (R-TN) was wrapping up. There was a sign on a podium next to him that said, "NANCY PELOSI, WE'RE HERE, WHERE ARE YOU?"

Next up was Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) who has done great work on this issue (see him knocking on the door to the Dem cloak room demanding a vote here).
From my notes - no tape recorder and I had some trouble writing fast enough so it may not be 100% accurate:

• He told the audience Montana is the "energy warehouse of America" and they want the ability to use it. He wants "American solutions" so we "dont have to rely on our enemies."


• Congress shouldn't be able to "pick [energy] winners and losers or we're all losers"


• Montana has 4.3 million barrels of oil (?) but we "need pipelines and refineries" to make use of it, while we've "let Canada take over our energy production," we need to "develop our own American solutions"


• American Energy Act - conservation, technology, alternatives, AND fossil fuels


• Democrats say the House Republicans are grandstanding, but "if I have to grandstand to draw attention to a problem they refuse to solve" he will


• Pelosi isn't here, would "rather be at a book signing in San Fransisco"


• ended to standing O and chants of "VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!"
  

John Doolittle (R-CA) was next to speak. He talked about the history of the House, how it used to be lit by gas. Said if we opened up more drilling the "effect on prices would be immediate." Democrats are so afraid of drilling and a vote on energy they have held up appropriations bills. On drilling and phantom session: "Why not here, why not now, why not more America forward here and now?!"

Louie Gohmert (R-TX) on Democrat criticism that this is all just a political stunt: "If you're going to pull a political stunt, do you do it in a darkened chamber" without microphones and television cameras? He brought up a father and son from North Carolina who drove up to DC that morning to see a part of history in the House. They wanted to know why their congressman Brad Miller was not there [answer: because he's a Democrat]

Unfortunately, I missed Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) speak with her props. I heard a lot of clapping and cheering.

Caught the tail end of Rep. Ron Lewis' (R-KY) speech: "Let us Vote, let the American people have a voice" let's "stand up as Americans" not Democrats and Republicans.

Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) mentioned Pelosi's live webchat online that day, how important pieces of legislation like the Monkey Safety Act has been passed but no vote on drilling.

• On Dem claims that they support drilling: "Democrats are for drilling, just not where the gas and oil is"


• On Obama tire gauge idea: "If that's your only plan you don't have much of a plan"


• When Republicans were in control of the House, they passed and sent drilling legislation to the Senate: "I was for drilling before drilling was cool, I was for nuclear before nuclear was cool, and I was for alternatives before alternatives were cool."


• Upon wild applause: "The Speaker would tell the gallery not to applaud but the Speaker's not here so you can do whatever you want"

Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) to crowd "You are witnessing something extraordinary" the House is normally empty in the summer, but "lucky you, you get to hear all of us talk."

• "What country would say, 'we have billions of oil and natural gas but we're just going to leave it in the ground and buy oil from people who hate us'?"


• Analogy - If you have an orange grove in your yard, why would you buy oranges from your neighbor who raises prices and doesn't like you?


• "We're here because no matter who you are in America, even the Speaker of the House, you can't stop free speech!"


• On environmental concerns: "We're letting Russia, Saudi Arabia, African countries, Venezuela to drill for oil - do we think they would be more environmentally sensitive than the US?"


• We're spending "$1.2 billion a day to foreign countries for oil," if we instead paid American workers it would help the economy, jobs, etc.


• Predicts "if Pelosi gets her way and we do nothing, some airlines will go bankrupt or fold"


• Wants to renew solar and wind tax credits, wants "all of the above" energy policy - biomaps, geothermal, solar, wind, and FOSSIL FUEL

During Shadegg's talk Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) interrupted with parliamentary procedure to ask "Didn't we ask Saudi Arabia to pump more oil?" "Yes." And introducted Abby, a girl that looked about 10 years old, who had been on the Floor watching the speakers since 10am that day.

Shadegg had sign that said:

AMERICAN MADE ENERGY MEANS:

• LOWER GAS PRICES


• GREATER NATIONAL SECURITY


• AMERICAN JOBS


• STRONGER ECONOMY

After that I went to a press conference right outside the House Chamber and was able to twitter furiously while the Representatives were speaking as cell phones were allowed in that area. My tweets:

At press conference Shays speaking - NEers [New Englanders] get oil from offshore but from Canada - why not USA (paraphrased) #dontgo 01:49 PM August 06, 2008 from txt

Garrett plugs Painatthepump@mail.house.gov Send in your stories #Dontgo 01:51 PM August 06, 2008 from txt

Virginia Foxx - Pelosi tried to shut us down Friday but it has had the opposite effect #dontgo 01:53 PM August 06, 2008 from txt

All in all a great experience that I hope continues for the next several weeks. Get down there if you can and be a part of history!

#dontgo revolution!

I know Rep. Mike Pence says this isn't a revolt, it's "democracy in action," but it's just so much more fun to say it's a revolution! I haven't blogged the last two days because I've been caught up in microblogging on Twitter - Follow me! The #dontgo movement has consumed all my online time.

It all started on Friday when House Republicans refused to go home after the Democratic Majority shut down the House for a 5 week recess. Going on without microphones, cameras, and sometimes even lights, Republicans are demanding that the House reconvene to vote on offshore drilling. Republicans gave speeches until 5pm on Friday and are continuing all week on the Floor. I tried to go to the Hill today, but they ended early at 3pm. I will try again sometime tomorrow when they begin at 11am. This is a great issue that is really getting the base energized and putting Democrats on the defensive.

Now, why did Democrats shut down the House on Friday without holding a vote or opening debate, you may ask? Because they know they would lose! The American people are sick and tired of gas being $4 a gallon! The Democrats promised energy relief but instead their two years controlling Congress has increased the cost of gas at the pump by nearly $2.

Of course, Nancy Pelosi and her minions are trying to dismiss the "drill here, drill now" crowd by saying that we won't see any benefit for 10 years. Well, you liberals said the same exact thing over 10 years ago. Also, as we saw when President Bush lifted the executive order off the offshore drilling ban, just the speculation of drilling for oil in America makes the price go down. We can see immediate relief just by talking about it and working towards it.

The Republicans have an "all of the above" energy plan that includes drilling along with conservation, alternative fuels, etc. Why are the Democrats so against drilling in our own country that they won't even allow a vote on it? Why are they pushing Saudi Arabia to drill more and increase production when we can do it ourselves? And don't even get me started on their opposition to nuclear power...

RELATED POST: Idiot Pelosi Passes Buck on Energy Mess HER Party Continues to Prolong
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Obama Gaffes - new website list

There is an official Barack Obama Gaffes site run by the GOP that lists all the gaffes that I've featured in my blog as well as many, many others, separated into different categories. Here are just a few:

On May 13, Obama Mistakenly Said That Arabic Translators Deployed To Iraq Were Needed In Afghanistan, When Afghans Don't Even Speak Arabic (They Speak Other Languages Including Pashtu, Dari, And Farsi) And Those Fighters That Do Are Shooting At Our Troops, Not Talking To Them. "Sporting a shiny new American flag pin at an appearance in Rush Limbaugh's hometown, Sen. Barack Obama came up with some novel reasons why the U.S. may be struggling in the war in Afghanistan. 'We don't have enough capacity right now to deal with it -- and it's not just the troops,' Obama, D-Ill., told a crowd in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Obama posited -- incorrectly -- that Arabic translators deployed in Iraq are needed in Afghanistan -- forgetting, momentarily, that Afghans don't speak Arabic. 'We only have a certain number of them and if they are all in Iraq, then its harder for us to use them in Afghanistan,' Obama said. The vast majority of military translators in both war zones are drawn from the local population. Naturally they speak the local language. In Iraq, that's Arabic or Kurdish. In Afghanistan, it's any of a half dozen other languages -- including Pashtu, Dari, and Farsi." (David Wright and Sunlen Miller, "Obama Gaffes On Iraq And Afghanistan," ABC News, 5/13/08)

In March 2008, Obama Falsely Claimed He Won The Michigan Democrat Primary When He Was Not On The Ballot

Obama Claimed He "Won Michigan." NBC's David Gregory: "But Senator, you have not demonstrated that you can decisively put the nomination away. You have also not demonstrated that you can win some of the big states that'll be important in the general election -- California, New York, Ohio." Obama: "Well, David, we've won Michigan and Georgia and Illinois and Missouri." (NBC's, "Today Show," 3/5/08)

In July 2007, Obama Asked An Iowa Crowd "Anybody Gone Into Whole Foods Lately And See What They Charge For Arugula?" Even Though Iowa Does Not Have A Whole Foods. "'Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula?' the senator said. 'I mean, they're charging a lot of money for this stuff.' The state of Iowa, for all of its vast food production, does not have a Whole Foods, a leading natural and organic foods market. The closest? Omaha, Minneapolis or Kansas City." (Jeff Zeleny, "Obama's Down On The Farm," The New York Times' "The Caucus" Blog, thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com, 7/27/07)

[Plus, arugula? IS that really the vegetable you want to single out?]

Related posts:

Obama-isms, or gaffes

More Obama Gaffes

Who am I? What committee am I on?

Obama Gaffes

Obama sees dead people

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Congrats, Rush!

Any kind of long-winded tribute I could come up with just wouldn't suffice, but I will say that I have been a hardcord Rush listener for at least 8 years (Rush Baby before that), a Rush 24/7 member for at least 2 years and I am lucky enough to be able to listen to him at work.

Rush Limbaugh is the greatest living conservative, along with being a lovable little fuzzball. I thank him for his 20 years of broadcast excellence and wish him 20+ more!