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Open Thread Saturday
Rep. Allen West: "President Obama's Policy Of Appeasing Islamists Operates In Fantasy Land"
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| Obama gets the side-eye from West |
Aaron Laramore Op-Ed: Understanding The Muslim Mind
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| Ambassador Stevens' body was carried through the streets |
Savannah: "What Has America Become?"
The conservative Republican blogger in North Carolina doesn't like a weakened American under U.S. President Barack Obama: "What a week this has been. Monday was normal, Tuesday was the 11th Anniversary of 9/11 and everything has gone to hell after that. Our embassy in Cairo was vandalized and our flag destroyed, and four brave Americans were murdered in Libya. Riots have broken out all over the Middle East like an Ebola virus, and our President is weak and spineless. The media wants to jump on Mitt Romney for condemning the administration for sympathizing with those who destroyed our property in Cairo, while Obama's policy of appeasement is partially to blame. Our enemies don't fear us and our allies don't trust us. We're not the America we used to be. We're not the 'boot up your ass' America people wouldn't dare double-cross. We're an America that demonizes Mitt Romney for standing up for free speech. We're an America that would rather protect a failing President's 'good name' than proclaim the greatness of our country to the world for fear of hurting someone's feelings. This is what we've become, and it disgusts me."
She goes in on the Obama administration's press conference today: "They keep saying nothing justifies what happened, but they negate that every time they bring up the damn video. If these acts are unjustified, then leave it at that. No 'buts,' 'howevers,' or 'let me be clears.' Every time they mention that video it makes us look weak, as if we're saying, 'We didn't mean to do that, please don't destroy our embassies or kill our ambassadors.' WHAT, AMERICA, HAVE WE BECOME!?"
Alan Keyes: "In His Criticism Of Obama's Response To The U.S. Embassy Attacks, Mitt Romney Failed To Exploit Obama's Ideological Blindness"
Asserts the conservative activist and Constitution Party member: "He directed a blow intended to highlight the fact that Obama’s willful weakening of America’s strength and prestige has heightened the vulnerability of our people throughout the world. He intended to point out that this sapping of our defenses has culminated in an assault that boldly challenges the notion that our enemies are any longer intimidated by what was the long arm of our power."
He continues his commentary: "Why did Romney fail in his attempt to make this valid point? I think he failed because the non-ideological pose he must maintain in his campaign means that he will not think through and articulate the terrible consequences of Obama’s ideological blindness. This non-ideological pose leaves Romney struggling to cast everything in terms that contrast Obama’s incompetence with his own supposedly proven competence. (This struggle flawed the generally conservative cast of the GOP platform. The influence of McCain/Romney Republicans led to language that denies the extent to which Islamic fundamentalism predisposes its adherents toward support for and participation in terrorist acts.)"
Cory Booker: "Dissatisfaction Will Bring Political Changes"
Asserts the moderate-liberal Democratic mayor of Newark, N.J.: "Newark Mayor Cory Booker predicts that increasing public dissatisfaction with the current state of American politics will mean sweeping changes in the decades ahead -- changes that Republicans and Democrats will disregard at their peril. 'The urgencies of our era grow greater and greater and are going to demand we get beyond reflexive partisanship and more toward a persistent pragmatism,' says Booker, at 43 a rising star in the Democratic Party. 'We don't live in an era when things move slowly and you can afford the luxury of that kind of politics.'"
More from Mayor Booker: "Signs he sees of the changes ahead: A move in some states toward more open primaries and less gerrymandering of congressional districts, plus the emergence of independent candidates and third parties. He cites with approval Americans Elect, an initiative this year that fell short of its goal of bypassing the parties to nominate a consensus ticket through an online vote."
South Africa: IFP Marches Against Liberal Media Bias
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| The IFP protest today in Johannesburg |
Robert Woodson Confronting Poverty At The Grassroots
From The Daily Caller, about the conservative Republican's work during a two-day Anti-Poverty Summit in conjunction with the Congressional Republican Study Committee in Washington, D.C.: "Summit leader Robert Woodson, founder of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and a veteran of the civil rights movement, explained how he came to realize that 'race alone' is not the chief barrier to betterment, but poverty and disadvantage, which led him to work on behalf of all low-income people. 'I also recognize that America is a very compassionate country, but our strategies over the last 50 years have not only not improved a lot of poor people, but in many ways have injured with a helping hand,' Woodson said, noting that traditionally the government has conducted what he called 'failure studies' on the poor, in which they tally up the social ills such as dropout rates and illegitimacy, only to have well-intentioned government leaders try to fix the problem with ham-handed solutions. 'They ask not which problems are solvable, but which problems are fundable,' Woodson said."
Condi Rice: "Political Persecutions Will Sully Ukraine's Rep"
Asserts the moderate-conservative Republican. From the Kyiv Post (Ukraine): "Condoleezza Rice, the former US Secretary of State, warned Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich [whom she ignored a photo opportunity with earlier in the day] that the reputation of his administration and nation will be tarnished by alleged political persecutions. 'Nations have to be careful that political persecutions....the reputation of the country will indeed be sullied,' she said at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Crimea."
The article continues about Dr. Rice's speech: "She highlighted the case of Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister who is now in jail serving a seven-year sentence for abuse of office. 'The trial and imprisonment of Yulia Tymoshenko has caused concern. The case is being closely monitored,' she warned. She said that Ukrainian people should push their own government on the issue to achieve a result in the Tymoshenko case, as well as to reverse the rollbacks on democracy."
Jamaica Offended By Mugabe's Remarks About Jamaican Men
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| The Zimbabwean dictator is no fan of Jamaican men |
Ken Blackwell Op-Ed: Obama's Bain
The conservative Republican commentator opines: "In what can only be described as shameless hypocrisy [since he criticizes Mitt Romney for his work at Bain Capital], Obama does support venture capitalism when it supports his political purposes. The story you probably have not heard is that in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia-based Sunoco’s refinery was in trouble. According to the company’s 10-K report, it had to pay $1.3 billion for 'significant expenditures for environmental projects and compliance activities' to satisfy the carbon-limiting requirements of Obama’s EPA mandates."
Deroy Murdock: "Africa, Middle East Chaos Shows The Need For American Energy Sources"
Asserts the libertarian Republican commentator, in response to the U.S. embassy attacks: "So long as free speech remains a fundamental human right, free people can and should say what they will about Islam. And until that faith's most fervent adherents learn to count to 10 before commencing carnage, one objectionable YouTube video or bothersome charcoal sketch could sever America's vital supplies of petroleum."
He continues his commentary: "Against this backdrop, the United States should end this dangerous game and move urgently to increase supplies of North American energy. We should capitalize on the vast hydrocarbon resources literally beneath our toes and under our oceans. With all deliberate speed, U.S. oil should be drilled, natural gas should be fracked, and the Keystone Pipeline extension should be approved at once."
Some Libyans Denounce Terrorism Against USA
Some Libyans took the streets yesterday. Yahoo! News reports: "In a show of solidarity, demonstrators gathered in Libya on Sept. 12 to condemn the killers, and voice support for the U.S. with signs apologizing for the recent atrocities. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three embassy staff were killed in the attack on the Benghazi consulate and a safe house refuge, stormed by Islamist gunmen blaming America for a film they said insulted the Prophet Mohammad."
U.S. Embassy Attacks: Bookerista Reaction, Part II
Of course, bookeristas ain't done talking about the issue, especially now that you can add Yemen to the list along with Egypt and Libya. Although at least in Yemen, security forces fired shots to keep the mob somewhat at bay. Bookeristas opine:
Rep. Allen West: "Obama Is The Neo-Jimmy Carter, With His Message Of Weakness & Appeasement"
Asserts the conservative Republican Congressman from Florida (see video of his statement on the "Fox & Friends" show here): "'Just because someone puts a Facebook video, that’s not the reason for us to lose an ambassador and have our sovereign land attacked,' West continued. 'And we should not take this apologetic stance, which is the reason you have allowed a lot of this to happen.' West went on to add that the President has sent a sense of weakness where foreign policy is concerned, characterizing it as 'shades of what happened during the Carter administration.'"
Ted Sadler: "Obama Can Win Georgia"
Asserts the moderate Democratic blogger in Georgia: "Despite the wisdom of Fox News and MSNBC, Georgia can be won by the Democrats. The untapped potential for Dems might be motivated [by] the ugliness of the GOP primary – 'let’s go to the video tape.' So, people need to stop this 'call your cousins in Florida and North Carolina' talk. If the people Democrats care about actually voted, the election would be over. The election might be over if Team Romney doesn’t start producing some plans and ideas."
More: "My friends in the conservative movement know that Michael Steele, Jon Huntsman and I have been begging them to create a moderate wing of their team. But, they let the crazy 15% drive their bus…off the cliff. I declare Georgia to be on the table and Romney, a decent fellow, should explain why he doesn’t say anything when the far Right zany talk starts."
Lanre Olagunju Op-Ed: Capitalism, Cronyism, & Obama
The Nigerian free-marketeer blogger in Lagos goes in on U.S. President Barack Obama's economic policies. He argues that the liberal Democratic president's cronyism on behalf of a few favored companies — Google, Microsoft, General Electric, to name a few — undermines the free market: "Let’s forgo the appointment of the CEO of GE, Jeffery Immelt, as Obama’s top outside economic advisor as an act of cronyism. Say because he’s in the best position, as a top notch Executive of one of the biggest United States multinational[s]. But I strongly feel that the $210 million given to GE as funds from economic stimuli law, as a means of kickback, was quite unnecessary. Not because it wasn’t needed, but essentially because the company had a total 2010 revenue that was over $150 billion. More importantly, GE has recovered from the recession far much better than many other companies in the US."
The U.S. Embassy Attacks In Africa: Bookerista Reaction
Yes, Africa. I'm tired of people stating that African territory is part of the Middle East. Anyway, I see that Arab Muslims are up in arms (yet again) over some anti-Mohammad movie done by some Israeli-born Jew living in California, whom the Arab Muslims say was assisted by a few U.S.-based Egyptian Coptic Christians and infamous American conservative pastor Terry Jones. Why is it that so many Arab Muslims just aren't sophisticated enough to handle dissent, like other groups do? It's a definite defect in their cultures. Look at how often Christianity, Judaism, atheism, etc. get mocked and/or criticized, and yet people know how to peacefully make their displeasure known.
After the attacks in Libya (where U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and some staffers were murdered) and Egypt, we first had the Obama administration go the apologist route instead of standing up for the American value of free speech. After getting rightfully slammed for this position, it then backtracked. It is now investigating whether the "impromptu" mobs were in fact coordinated terrorist attacks. It should also explain whose bright idea was it to have Arab Muslim "security forces" guarding U.S. embassies? Especially on the 9/11 anniversary?! That was predictably a major disaster. Heads should be rolling over this hot mess, because what happened is tantamount to an act of war. Bookeristas on two continents have opinions:
Rep. Allen West: "I Condemn The Attack On Our Sovereign Soil By Barbaric, Radical Muslims"
The conservative Republican Congressman from Florida has put out a statement about the embassy attacks: "'Less than 24 hours after our nation remembered the heinous attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans find their sovereign soil attacked again as more American lives are lost at the hands of intolerant, barbaric, radical Muslims. United States Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and several embassy staff were murdered late yesterday when suspected religious extremists stormed the United States Consulate in Benghazi. This morning, my condolences and prayers go out to the families of the victims."
He continues his commentary: "Americans need to question whether the deaths of these innocent patriots could have been avoided. The Obama Administration touted the Arab Spring as an awakening of freedom, which we now see is a nightmare of Islamism."
FDIC: 21.4% Of U.S. Black Families Don't Have Bank Accounts
Because it's unfortunately not a priority for them, because many of these families also purchase expensive consumer goods (even if it's beyond their means). Financial literacy should be high on the list of black churches and non-profit organizations. From the Associated Press: "A government survey shows about 821,000 U.S. households lost access to basic banking services between January 2009 and June 2011. Roughly 10 million U.S. households, or 8.2 percent, have no access to bank accounts, according to a survey conducted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. That’s up from 7.7 percent in the FDIC’s 2009 survey."
The article continues: "And an even larger percentage of Americans are relying on high-interest alternatives, even those with traditional bank accounts. The survey found 28.3 percent either lacked bank accounts or used payday loans, check-cashing services and other alternatives as of June 2011. That’s up from 25.6 percent in the previous survey. The survey found 21.4 percent of black families and 20.1 percent of Hispanic families had no banking services."
Somalia's Rebirth & The Future Of Africa
More commentary about the East African country: "A number of players from Africa and the international community have invested heavily to make the country achieve its current status. The new government and the people of Somalia must consequently not disappoint these well-wishers by engaging in mindless clan and supremacy battles. On the other hand, Somalia's well-wishers ought to give the new country room to identify the needs of its people and attend to the needs. Coercing the new government to fulfill external interest group demands at this point will compromise the growth of the resurging state."
U.S. Poverty Rate Unchanged; Record Numbers Persist
From the Associated Press: "The ranks of America’s poor remained stuck at record levels, although dwindling unemployment benefits and modest job gains helped stave off what experts had predicted would be the fourth rise in a row in the poverty rate. With joblessness persistently high, the gap between rich and poor increased in the last year, according to two major census measures. Also, the median, or midpoint, household income was $50,054, 1.5 percent lower than 2010 and a second straight decline."
More: "The overall poverty rate stood at 15 percent, statistically unchanged from the 15.1 percent in the previous year. The rate was better than a consensus estimate of demographers who had predicted, based on weak wage growth, a gain of up to half a percentage point, to levels not seen since 1965. For last year, the official poverty line was an annual income of $23,021 for a family of four. By total numbers, roughly 46.2 million people remained below the poverty line, unchanged from 2010. That figure was the highest in more than half a century when records were kept. The 15 percent poverty rate was basically unchanged from 1993 and was the highest since 1983."
Stephen Cheek: "Obama's Poor Economic Performance Doesn't Justify High Black Voter Support"
Asserts the head of the Ohio Black Republican Association: "Stephen Cheek, former president of the Ohio Black Republicans Association, said Obama’s performance on the economy doesn’t merit the same level of support from black voters. 'The fact is the poverty and unemployment levels haven’t improved under Obama as promised,' Cheek said. 'Even though the recession may have been stronger and deeper than we realized, the fact still remains he has to take some responsibility for that.'"
More: "Cheek said popular black leaders have maintained what he described as a double-standard when it comes to holding Obama accountable. 'You know and I know that Rev. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, you name ‘em would be standing in front of the White House with bricks in their hands if it were a Republican president, and black unemployment were at 17 percent,' Cheek said."
Nigerian President Urges Countries To Boost Intra-African Trade
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| Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan |
For Blue Dog PAC, Cash But Few Candidates
Trouble for moderate to conservative Democrats in Congress. From The New York Times: "The 'super PAC' supporting Blue Dog candidates has a problem that on the surface would seem enviable: tons of cash on hand! But the reason is one no one would wish for a group — it does not have enough viable candidates to support. With the decimation in the ranks of centrist House Democrats in recent years, the Blue Dog Coalition, the Blue Dog political action committee, has turned to dishing out cash to candidates via another PAC that may not quite meet its mission and even to a nonprofit dedicated to centrist legislative solutions."
The article continues about the Blue Dog Democrats: "In August, the PAC, which began the month with $1.7 million in its coffers, gave $700,000 to the House Majority PAC, a super PAC that is laboring to win the 25 seats needed for Democrats to take back the House, and $700,000 more to Center Forward, a social welfare organization. The House Majority PAC supports a variety of candidates, including those decidedly left of center."
Ashley Bell: "It's Time For New Presidential Leadership"
Asserts the conservative Georgia county commissioner who switched his party affiliation last year, and who is a member of the Romney For President Black Leadership Council: "Four years ago, I supported Barack Obama in his bid for the presidency. My wife served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. We supported him because he promised to bring an end of partisanship in Washington. He promised to govern as a pragmatist and turn our economy around. He promised to create jobs and restore fiscal responsibility."
He continues: "Almost four years into the Obama presidency, we’re still waiting. It turns out his policies aren’t what they were cracked up to be. Americans across the country are not better off. There are 23 million people struggling to find work. Families are slipping into poverty like never before. Recent college graduates are facing record levels of student loan debt while being unable to find a job. Meanwhile, our government has fallen into fiscal disrepair. Instead of reducing the debt President Obama once called 'unpatriotic,' our national debt recently surpassed $16 trillion. Instead of cutting the deficit in half as President Obama once pledged, he has run four consecutive trillion dollar deficits."
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