The American Spectator

Marc Jeric| 9.3.09 @ 6:18AM

Mr. Hillyer is a genius. Abu Hussein welcomes big crises - the bigger the better. In case of civil war he can then take absolute power. His system of community organizations (aka soviets in communist dictatorships), and his system of White House advisors, i.e., czars, (aka komissars in communist dictatorships) give him the necessary tools for taking absolute power while invalidating the Constitution. One thing is still missing - community organizations within the National Guard and the military - but it is coming!

Deborah D| 9.3.09 @ 7:00AM

Mr. Hillyer, I quite agree. Any kind of "uprising" will play into The One's hands. I remember asking on this site a month or so after Obama took the reins of power..."Does Obama want an armed revolution?" I asked it because of what I thought then was a cramming of terrible legislation down the throats of the American people and how Americans won't stand for that. I think I can answer my own question now as he has continued (and will continue) to cram things down our throats.

As you watch SEIU thugs bait town hall protestors, how can one come to any other conclusion? This is the most dangerous time in our recent history. Let us stay angry, but let us never forget Rahm's words..."never let a good crisis go to waste" -- they certainly won't, and they'll create one if they have to. If not by baiting conservatives, then with a swine flu "epidemic" or something else.

Remember Thomas Paine's words "Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice. " Make sure we moderate our tempers.

JAWilson| 9.3.09 @ 7:11AM

My opinion is that Obama will rise or fall on the shoulders of Axelrod. And that fellow has no real give and take experience that Washington is built on. His time in Chicago was to help rig a political process to take out the opposition, not to work with it.

With that in mind, Axelrod's harsh dogmatic approach to governing will be his and Obama's downfall. And then we will see that Obama is a bigger stuffed shirt than Carter ever was.

Michael L. Hauschild| 9.3.09 @ 7:31AM

You certainly cannot find a more comprehensive "asset" list of Obama's war chest than laid out here by Mr. Hillyar. I feel, however, he could have placed more emphasis on the means these assets will be leveraged. Think you know what "your" representative will do? "Beware" is certainly the proper take, while well indoctrinated to the "twisted arm" politicizing of the Washington beltway many of these rubes will be overwhelmed by the "broken leg" gulag of his Chicago machine minions.

John McGuinness| 9.3.09 @ 7:40AM

What an outstanding, and depressing, summary. This puts the case as succinctly as anything I’ve read. The most lamentable aspect is the absence of any worthy opposition. Palin is the only one who comes to mind having the principles and the guts to do the job but I wonder, assuming she’s interested, if she can withstand the internecine battle with the weaker spines and greater vanity of other Republicans. If we’re waiting for a man on horseback to arrive, I fear the horse will trot into town with an empty saddle.

brewpop| 9.3.09 @ 7:55AM

I don't know about any other reader but Mr. Hillyer's column scares of hell out of me. What we're talking about here is the resurrection of 1930s Nazi Germany. I can't believe we did this to ourselves. The warnings were all there, but we still did it. Heaven save the United States of America as it was founded, not as what Mr. Obama envisions our country becoming. But, I think it's safe to say that a certain picture is beginning to take shape and it ain't a pretty one!

Robert Rosencrans| 9.3.09 @ 8:09AM

If the response to the health care bill is any indication, America is not ready for radicalism. Although America is more diverse, most Americans have the same dream of prosperity and they are not dopes.

The public clearly sees the relationship between massive government giveaways and their personal wealth. Although the Cash for Clunkers was heralded as a success by the Obama administration that's simply another lie in a long series of deceptions, lies and make believe.

Fifty four percent of the public was against it and only 35% approved. Seventy seven percent of the public believes their health care costs will go up if Obamacare becomes a reality.

It isn't only the radical Obama who is a worry though.

Olympia Snowe is on board with personal negotiations with the White House to implement a program without the public option, with a trigger to implement the public option if goals aren't met. In other words, it's a public option.

In brief, Obama isn't the only nightmare in Washington, D.C. There are many phony or otherwise stupid politicians in both parties who really believe in their heart of hearts that they know what's right for you.

To come to that belief they must ignore the disasters in their wake including Medicare, Social Security, No Child Left Behind (More then a disaster, less than a Titantic), Cash for Clunkers and the infamous Community Redevelopment Act. That last act alone destroyed many a community and it's effects may be with us for decades.

The Olympia Snowes and Barack Obamas aren't satisfied with the status quo, they must go on to greater heights of stupidity, ignoring the track records of government programs, in an effort to align themselves with failure. In so doing, they align the nation with failure.

Mark H| 9.3.09 @ 8:15AM

A lot of doom and gloom in the article along with some very scary stuff. However, you're giving the children way too much credit. There probably is a grand scheme by Obummer and Co., but they are in way over their heads and poll numbers do count very every politician. To say that Obummer is not concerned about his dropping popularity is absurd. "He worships not at the altar, but at the mirror", a famous quote by I don't know(Adam Smith?), pretty much sums up this guy's attention span. I believe that is all he cares about - his popularity.

R Martin| 9.3.09 @ 8:22AM

Well written, Mr. Hillyer.
There is so much in your piece that deserves comment, but this one bothered me most:
"Finally, Obama has the advantage of a more ethnically diverse nation that has far less of a common culture and less of a common appreciation of shared socio-political history and values. Why is that an advantage? Because it gives him more leeway to make outlandish claims, and still have huge pluralities believe him, than Carter could ever hope for."

That is a nice summation of what decades of shoddy border control have done to this country. It has changed the cultural composition of the country, probably irreversibly, and in a way counter to the founding principles which have made the nation unique and great. And, as Mr. Hillyer points out, unchecked illegal immigration has played an important part in helping a leftist demagogue like Obama take the White House.

In due course immigration "reform" is going to be addressed by this administration. One can expect the cultural changes Mr. Hillyer cites to be institutionalized and encouraged. The importance of the issue should not be lost on anyone.

Alan Brooks| 9.3.09 @ 8:24AM

Obama will get a Gingrich elected next year, then we can hear about Honeymoons for space tourists in zero gravity.

Tim| 9.3.09 @ 8:36AM

Obama is a masterful politicain and he has proven that time and again. Yet it seems that while self promotion is his strength, his ability to move his agenda forward is not nearly so formidable.
My inexpert advice to Conservatives is to avoid hitting Obama the Great One , focusing instead on hitting his policies. That's where we get traction.

May god wake mankind| 9.3.09 @ 8:46AM

Obama is no Jimmy, no surprise there. Obama is who he is programmed to to, master of all evil. The people behind Obama wants the distruction of America, he was elected to deliver just that, using a Black man to create division, like Hitler was two parts, one part Jewish, Obama one part Black. If people was being taught history in America they would know this time represents a turning point in history.

Like it was in Rome when Christ was killed because Judas deceived Christ, it's like Obama deception of Black people. They same players who were priest in Christ times who controled the death of Christ, it is the same people who is controling the death of Black people and ultimately the destruction of America. The same players are at work. Hitler half Jews killed his own people as Obama will kill his own people, he was employed to create world war three. Many people are concerned about the economy, Obama is not interested in the economy, the debt could be 100 Trillion, that is not the point, its about the distruction of America, and world war 3. Its good to be able to blame the Blacks, this time. Time before it was the Jews, the 2nd world war was about the Jews, this time it's about the Moslems, by a Black Satanist, who hates life and all life form on earth it's in his nature his father was a Black man with no sprituality or human values, he was from the abyss. Where there is darkness and no light it is all evil.

Jeremiah| 9.3.09 @ 8:51AM

President Carter was quite different: He was a decent American, a former governor, a former nuclear submarine skipper and he was not an arrogant, narrow minded ignoramus. That didn't prevent him from being a disaster, mind you, but at least I never dreamt of punching him inthe face.

Mike| 9.3.09 @ 8:55AM

We are in trouble. We are facing a very scary future with this crowd. I don't want to sound like a conspiracy nut but I believe this crowd is bent on ending our Constitutional Republic. I am hoping that they have miscalculated, overreached and stirred the sleeping giant.

What worries me more is the "it can't happen here" complacent crowd. There were few voting for chancellor in Germany in the early '30s that saw a dictatorship and WW2 comming.

Mike Johnston
SFC USA (RET)

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 9:01AM

Sigh.

Yet another dreary, depressing Sermon From the (Elite Conservative) Mount.

It seems that The American Spectator is now cross-posting with The Huffington Post. Who knew?

Quin makes some good points in this piece, but on what planet is any of this helpful to conservatives? There's an olive branch or two of hope extended here, but--and here's the key--Quin is continuing to tell us conservatives that we can only win IF WE STOP ACTING UP AND DO AS HE AND HIS ELITE BRETHEN SAY.

This is a man who fancies himself a general marshalling the troops, when he's at best an advisor with no command authority.

He keeps trying to play the general, though.

This is just more water on the conservative fire from a member of the DC elite that is so desperate to remain relevant.

I can't look into another man's soul, and won't claim to, but given the relentless drumbeat from Quin of late--stop acting up Sarah's went too far stop acting up conservatives need to be more civil stop acting up--I have finally concluded that Quin does NOT have the best interests of American conservatives at heart.

In fact, I think that he's been in DC so long that he's finally lost touch with what heartland conservatism even IS.

Hate to say it, since Quin's a smart fellow, but that's what I've been seeing. The bottom line is that he is not an asset to movement conservatism.

With all due respect, listening to moderates like Quin is what got us in trouble in the first place.

The heartland has it right. Quin has it wrong.

Sincerely,
EM

JimJam| 9.3.09 @ 9:09AM

Excellent article. One could go one step further and wonder as to when this "Perfect Storm" of a totalitarian takeover first began. This situation is far too evolved to have been hatched over the last few years. The near complete takeover of the national media, the liberalization of our public schools and universities, the overtaking of virtually every union (with nary a dissent amongst the blue collar workers) and now what appears to be capitulation by traditionally conservative businesses (Wal-Mart for example) leads one to believe that this movement began a generation or two ago. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the communists may have just decided it was easier to corrupt the US from within rather than fight a losing battle in the Cold War. Obama is the perfect straw man. Educated, well spoken and personable, he deflected most criticism by pulling out the race card and now that his true aims are coming to light, he's able to use his position to intimidate those who thought the playing field was level. A lot of moderate Democrats in Congress are terribly afraid of Obama and capitulate in order to keep what little they think they have. It's going to take some very strong opposition and a lot of grassroots effort to defeat these thugs. To paraphrase, Obamas mission is to burn down the country in order to save it.

Jeff R| 9.3.09 @ 9:12AM

Superior analysis. Hillyer's article should be a must-read for all conservative activists and concerned Americans.

World war 3 is coming| 9.3.09 @ 9:27AM

Mike.
America is in deep trouble, America like Rome has the same policies, the former colonialist know where it will end, and many of them have their think tanks, and are the driving force behind the American demise. America over streaching it's self in illegal wars, if you read HISTORY it was Roman over streaching against the Germans that killed Rome in the end. While the Romans was in the Black forest of Germany, they turned their back on Rome and it was brought down. While America is in the ME, Russia will strike America, and all of American foes will help to bring down America, America has no friends, because those who claim to be friends do not like American foreign policies. America is weak economically and no one likes the weak they like the strong. They like to pretend, but how many Europeans wanted anything to do with the Iraq war, or the Afghanistan war, in truth no one wants anything to do with it. Most people in the rest of the world knows what is going on in Israel is wrong even though they say nothing. America supports it it because they have a different political system, America relys on money from Jewish groups for campaign funds, and advertising and the Jewish people own the media, but people in Europe makes up their own minds who they vote for, and the Jewish ideology is not supported in Europe.

Regardless of what the leaders do or say it is not brought by the public, people are more aware about the history of Germany and the Jews from before the Hitler conflict. Americans don't read books or study history, and their education system is poor. Europe will become the next world leader under the United States of Europe, America will be crushed under them, economically and politically.

Americans buy into the Jewish fantasy Europeans do not. 90% don't go to church. And 90% of Jews control American political system, thus only 2% of the American population.

People in America call historical facts anti semetic no it's not, it's no different than speaking about British history or Roman History, or Catholic history.

JP| 9.3.09 @ 9:35AM

Quinn does make good points. But I think he discounts too much the similarities of Carter circa 1977, and Obama circa 2009. Carter too enjoyed large congressional majorities (a filibuster proof Senate, and a huge House majority lead by one of the more ruthless and partisan Speakers -Tip O'Niel). Carter enjoyed even higher approval ratings than Obama -in May 1977 Carter's approval was almost 70%). The nation just came out of the deep 1973-1975 Recession, and Watergate still was on everyone's mind. The GOP took a rough beating in the 1976 election, and lost bigtime in both Congress and the state house elections. Most pundits began to imagine a day when the GOP would cease to exist as a national party. The GOP brand was, most thought, irrepairably damaged. Just think of Bebe Rebozzo, Spiro Agnew, RM Nixon, HR Halderman, and John Mitchell. While Ronald Reagan was a force within an enclave of the GOP, his standing with both the national press and the GOP leadership was dismal. He was to the GOP in 1977, what Sarah Palin is to the GOP today; The Gipper was thought to be all polish and no substance; most pundits thought he possessed a thin veneer of intellectual gifts, and was essientially a dunce. I mean, he came from some no name college and was a former sportscaster and B-Movie actor. No one took his govenorship of California seriously, and fewer still appreciated his political gifts. In short, in 1977 the leadership of the GOP looked to George H Bush, and Gerald Ford.

Quinn, you are correct in your evaluation of Obama and his "machine". He possesses huge rhetorical gifts; a money generating campagin staff; a large volunteer organization; the MSM; and the bully pulpit. Being President, Obama also controls the agenda and the news cycle. Like, Clinton before him, Obama can pull a rabbit out of his hat if he gets desperate.

However, like Carter, Obama does not possess the poltical gifts necessary to govern in a modern democracy. And like Clinton, Obama is at his best on the campagin stump and not dealing with getting an agenda passed. This is his Achilles Heal. Yes, he can force the issue of ObamaCare through Congress if he so wishes, and in the process destroy not only his ability to govern the next 3.5 years, but most probabably seal his party's defeat come November 2010 and 2012. Also, he has spent too much time in the media spotlight, and as a consequence he has spent the majority of his political capital.

I agree with you whole heartedly in your wish to be carefull. The GOP is still a minority party and short term political fortunes are just that - short term. But there are some very similar circumstances surrounding Obama and Carter. No, this isn't exactly 1977. But like 1977, there are some oppurtunities that could be huge in 2010.

Deborah D| 9.3.09 @ 9:52AM

One of the questions I've had for several months now is this: If our country can survive another 14 months in order to vote out the left-wing wackos who are selling our country down the river, what stimulus funds have we taxpayers provided to hinder our election returns? Should tea partiers (or everyday Americans) become poll watchers? I know nothing about how that happens or what that entails, but I would certainly volunteer. (Perhaps I should bring a big stick with me since that's apparently not illegal.)

Obama Deception| 9.3.09 @ 10:00AM

What is important in America? Hollywood, selling sex, violence, Drugs pornography, theft & Robbery, Rape, Violence agains children, wars & hatred, Drugs, Prostitution. If I was eating Hambergers every day, and was over weight and un healthy, why should I be surprised, it's the result of poor diet.

It's like the serpent in the garden of Eden, tempted to do what is wrong, the idea in Hollywood is to tempt people to do what is evil. No Americans will protest, even though they claim christianity. It's all about the spectator, I saw the crime, but I enjoyed it, I fantasise about it . We Love what is evil, and pay to watch the evil in our homes, instead of saying no. Now we have the most evil society in our history and no civilization.

The people who are getting rich out of these crimes against humanity, in Hollywood, gets a get out of jail free card. These criminals gets more money than Teachers and doctors, and scientist

How do you destroy a soceity, the answeres are above

Warpublican| 9.3.09 @ 10:10AM

Hillyer is a paranoid nut with delusions of intelligence! facistic economic policies? As I recall, GM and the banks CRAWLED on their hands and knees for government support - the only difference, i suppose, is that Hillyer prefers government money to go to his rich buddies with NO strings attached. And without that money? What does HE care if GM workers are on a soup line - it's not like Hillyer ever mingles with the common man! Any powers this goernmnet has to spy on or control Americans came about over the LOUD protestations of the left - but right-wing idiots like Hillyers KEPT reminding us that ONLY terrorists had to fear a government overreaching - hey Hillyer - if you're innocent you have NOTHING to worry about! Reporting of CASUAL conversations? Another right wing lie - of course - right there with death panels and phony birth certificates. Obama UNDERCUT the protestors in iran? What kind of idiocy is THIS? Exactly what would Hillyer have had Obama do? Invade? Come on Hillyer - be true to your right-wing roots - we ONLY invade nations that can do no harm - Iran might actually offer us a bloody nose in return - settle for a pih-hole like iraq and count the body bags. No, Obama sure did not UNDERCUT any one in iran - for Iran and iranians DESPISE Americans - particularly Americans like Hillyer - not that a guy like him cares - when he's not blaming Obama for UNDERCUTTING, he's probably salivating along with John Bolton at the thought of BOMBING iran...

The Political Farce| 9.3.09 @ 10:11AM

Like I said to a friend of mine, it's funny how illinformed people who refuse to learn, and trust in people like Obama & George Bush, while the elite, build them a city under-ground and think as long as thaey have a seed bank they will survive, without asking themselves where they plan to plant the seed, did it occure to them its like killing the mother of the child you hope to have if the earth is dead there can be no life, if there is no SUN there can be no life, all the energy comes from the SUN in ancient times the SUN was worshiped, hence the name the SUN of god, without it nothing grows, and there is no life. You cannot have life without the SUN, some call it Lucifer the giver of light, with no light there is no life. Speak to a Junior scientist he will tell you the same thing in a second, you don't need to be Jewish to know fact from fiction.

Grzmlyk| 9.3.09 @ 10:18AM

Hey, Warpublican, you've hit the trifecta:

Moronic, whack job and obnoxious!

Congratulations! You are a model liberal. How does it feel to be a cog?

Let me guess what you majored in in college: Straw men?

Kidding. It's obvious you didn't go to college.

Sue| 9.3.09 @ 10:28AM

To Etiquette Man: You are almost "right-on" with your views about the "inside the beltway" game. But, we outside the beltway also harm the conservative cause when we marginalize those inside.

Mr. Steele keeps asking me for my money and I said "you'll get my money when you contact me and ask me what I think." The reply from the canvesser was, "he's way too busy to talk to you, snicker, snicker."

Of course, I really didn't "want" to talk to Mr. Steele personally; I was making a point about, "want my money; listen to my views."

Completely lost on the caller. So, I e-mailed Mr. Steele and got more literature. Now, I'm getting literature from Mr. Duncan. Their surveys skirt the real issues just enough to be "conservative light" which we've already tried.

I don't believe they'll get the message in time, but all I can do is continue to send it.

JimP| 9.3.09 @ 10:37AM

Who are the conservatives that are taking things for granted now? It must be the Congressional GOP and/or the conservatives that Quin knows and comes in contact with. They must be Inside the beltway types. The same dopes who screwed the pooch between ’01 and ’06-’08 and gave us Barry & the Reds. I don’t know any cons that are taking anything for granted. Most of the cons I know will not be satisfied until we have purged DC of the Dems and the GOP RINOtypes. I hope Quin will lobby the Congressional GOP hard and help them see the light and become principled Reagan/Newt conservatives again, AND find someone who can effectively communicate with the faithful. All that being said, the resistance isn’t being led by the GOP or anyone inside the beltway calling themselves conservatives. We don’t take orders from the Quislings and the Gomer Pyles who have brought us to this moment. They are the ones primarily who should be heeding Quin. We stopped listening to them a long time ago.

Quin makes some points here that are well worth being aware of and taking heed for all of us outside the beltway. However, I too think he is more downbeat than warranted. We should all remain vigilant and never underestimate the enemy who remains dangerous at all times. What Quin dwells on too little in this piece, IMO, are the mistakes Obama has made. These mistakes need to be taken into account when analyzing the present snapshot of the ‘battlefield’. They have been making stupid, unforced errors based on their own hubris and poor judgment. We have the momentum, we have the initiative. Now is not the time to become timid or pessimistic, just as much as now is not the time to become over confident. It is the time to close with the enemy, take his position, and give him the bayonet (METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING ONLY. NO VIOLENCE IS BEING ENCOURAGED OR APPROVED OF BY THIS WRITER!!!!!!!!!!!). Obama and the Dems are on their heels, they did not see it coming. They will make more mistakes in all probability and we can take advantage of those mistakes.

Obama and his corruptocrats didn’t see the backlash of the Tea Parties coming, they didn’t see the 9/12 Project coming, they didn’t see the townhall protests coming, they didn’t see the civil disobedience coming from their planned sneak attack of the Dear Leader school brainwashing attempt next week, they didn’t see the loss of good will toward Obama that has taken place. These people are so stupid they didn’t see that Americans will be angered by people who call us Nazis, evil mongers, un-American, mobs, astroturf etc for nothing more than peacefully exercising our God given, unalienable Constitutional Rights. These guys are NOT as formidable as they may appear. Take heart genuine conservatives, study your enemies strengths as mentioned and beware, but remain optimistic and stay on the offensive. Network with other conservatives that live in the real America that exists outside the beltway and keep ‘pressing the attack’ (metaphorically speaking. NO violence please).

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 10:39AM

Hi Sue,

Thanks for the comment.

I really don't think it's possible to marginalize beltway "conservatives" like Quin and Krauthammer (they're too well funded), and at any rate that's not my intent.

My intent is to keep them from throwing water on the fire that we have set.

Why would a "conservative" write what Quin has been writing lately? "Sarah's not the sharpest pencil in the box," then "conservatives need to sit up straight and be polite at townhall meetings," and now "we may be winning but we're really still losing."

Well, then, s**t! Let's just pass around the hemlock and the razor blades. Holy crap, this guy knows how to sap conservative morale!!!

I'll just come out and say what I've been thinking for a little while now: Like the congressional republicans pre-1994 (and post-2006), Quin's a loser. He likes being a loser. It's comfortable, and he gets to play the "reasonable" conservative on MSNBC and at cocktail parties (as opposed to Sarah and the rest of us rowdy hicks).

He's afraid of being left behind by populist conservative success, because he won't be able to claim any credit for it. (I don't know if you read the thread about the idea behind Palin's "death panels" remark came from him. I'll dig it out if you're interested. This guy's ego may not be quite Obama-sized, but it's big. He's got a thin skin, too.)

Quin keeps telling us to keep our powder dry and not press our advantage when the libs are running for the hills.

I'm sure that libs love that . . .

I don't.

Best,
EM

Sue| 9.3.09 @ 10:41AM

To DeborahD: It's really quite easy to be a poll worker; you contact your county clerk; tell him you want to volunteer to work the polls; what party affiliation you are and see if there is an opening.
Poll workers have to attend a "training session" on how to operate the machines, fill out the registration books, having people sign, getting ID before they vote, and controlling the "count" data at closing. Poll workers take an oath to perform their duties in compliance with the laws.

All states require that a democrat and a republican work in conjunction with each other to ensure compliance. This is done in equal numbers. Usually, two work the tables (registration books), and two work the machines,
two work the lines, two deliver the electronic boxes or paper ballots. It can be the same two doing the duplicate duties if required, but never two democrats, or two republicans together.

Poll workers are paid. Some states have varying voting times, but most are 6 to 6 with controlled breaks and bag lunches. You aren't allowed to leave the polling area. The day will end up being a 13 to 14 hours day since you have to arrive 30 minutes before opening and set up (flag, sample ballots, machines, tables and chairs).

It's great civic volunteer time.

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 10:41AM

Whoa, JimP, you stole my thunder! I'm glad that I'm not alone!

EXCELLENT post. I wish that I had said it as well. Thanks for that!

Best,
EM

Sue| 9.3.09 @ 10:44AM

I agree with you completely Etiquette man. I'm just saying that I banned all contact and viewing of David Brooks and some others and don't advise any of my "fence" sitting friends to listen to him.

I'm not quite ready to throw some of the others over the fence yet, but I am getting close.

Deborah D| 9.3.09 @ 10:49AM

Sue, you are a wealth of information. Thanks so much. Here in GA you don't register as D or R (or anything else), so not sure how they figure that out, but I'll be leaving for NC before the next election, so I'll make sure I check it all out then.

Regards.

Sue| 9.3.09 @ 10:49AM

The Sarah Palin comment about "death panels" stirred in the "social conservative" the same feelings as the "moderate liberals." Her problem was she talked about it.

There are lots of people who would rather not have the discussion; "just do as I say" mentality with no honest disclosure. They dislike Palin intensely because of her "honest disclosure."

I read H. R. 3200 and came away with the same "creepy" feeling. Even though the words weren't appearing in black and white, it was quite easy to read between the lines. "Grandma and Grandpa are causing us problems, so where can we put them?" It won't be in Medicaid funded nursing homes.

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 10:50AM

Hi Sue,

Fair enough. I've enjoyed Quin's writing in the past, but haven't paid close attention until recently. This one was the last straw for me.

Brooks is a spineless fauxcon. You're right to give him the back of your hand. Quin's not that far gone, yet, but he's gone far enough for me to consider him a blood clot in the body on conservatism. All he does is slow down the populist, heartland conservatism that is effecting REAL change for the good of this blessed land.

I'm just at the point where I don't care to take the time to distinguish an actual enemy from a blood clot. You may get there soon enough, or not, but I do appreciate your comments and your perspective. Thanks again.

Best,
EM

Deborah D| 9.3.09 @ 10:55AM

Wow, Jim P., thank you. I needed a pep talk! I've been rather bi-polar in my attitudes...up then down. I think being a happy warrior is the best way to be.

I'm going to copy your list of Obama's mistakes and pin it to my bulletin board. I need a reminder of those. I agree, we sometimes give them too much credit. However, vigilance is properly needed.

Not "trust but verify" but "don't trust and stay vigilant." I can do that.

Cheers.

JimP| 9.3.09 @ 10:58AM

CORRECTION: I meant to say that- Obama and staff did not see the level of effectiveness of the townhall protests. We all know they saw it coming. Mea culpa.

Sue| 9.3.09 @ 10:58AM

I've been on fire for a long, long time now. And it will take more than the likes of him to put it out.

I'm afraid the complicity with moderate democrats and moderate republicans will do more damage to the Country.

Hell, the independents and moderates have done more damage to the Country.

I look at them as "no principal until it interferes with my free lunch" crowd.

Shamus| 9.3.09 @ 11:01AM

Obama is given far more credit than he's due. It's Axlerod and Emanuel who make the real decisions .

Obama deception| 9.3.09 @ 11:03AM

Americans needs to become friends with the Red Indians, scrap the White house, scrap politicans, stop allowing your children to die fighting for political ideologies, and begin to fight for your survival.

The Earth is the Lord and the fullness there off. (Psalms). The Sun is all source of life, with out the Earth to plant seeds and the sun to make them grow, you have no food.

If mankind becomes blind, he has no use for his eyes. 90% of Americans are blind, they polute the Rivers, the Air, the sea, and their minds, and still think they can survive.

They think they can use Religion, insted of logic to survive. What if the idiots who thionk they are in control of the world, blew up the sun, in Nuclear war, what then, you don't need a Nuclear war to know what the result will be, it's the end of all humanity. No superticious nonsense biblically of Jewish mystics, can change that fact.

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 11:07AM

Hey Sue,

Glad to hear you've got the fire in the belly! Keep fighting that fire in your heart burning! That's the love of liberty and country!

The love makes you powerful. Don't let Quin talk you out of that. It's obvious that you won't!!!

A "moderate" is just a person who needs to see what everyone else thinks before he makes up his mind.

A moderate is about as useful as a rusty weathervane.

Contra Quin, there is no need to put the fire of liberty on "simmer." That was the most idiotic thing I've read in quite a while, and I've been behind enemy lines lately over at the HuffPo . . .

Keep fighting the good fight, sister!

Cordially,
EM

May god help us| 9.3.09 @ 11:08AM

Obama is like all other politicans, criminals and servants of the devil. When a man in his right mind is worshiping rocks praying to a wall, he is not fit to make an decisions in this world or the next.

May god help us| 9.3.09 @ 11:08AM

Obama is like all other politicans, criminals and servants of the devil. When a man in his right mind is worshiping rocks praying to a wall, he is not fit to make an decisions in this world or the next.

May god help us| 9.3.09 @ 11:08AM

Obama is like all other politicans, criminals and servants of the devil. When a man in his right mind is worshiping rocks praying to a wall, he is not fit to make an decisions in this world or the next.

Lieberman in Africa, Run him.| 9.3.09 @ 11:27AM

Buzz Up! Print Story Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday said Africa should help moderate Arab positions to solve the Middle East crisis, as he began a five-nation tour of the continent. Skip related content
Related photos / videos Avigdor Liberman (C) waits prior speaking to Ethiopian businessmen Enlarge photo
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Have your say: Israel
Lieberman, who arrived in Ethiopia at the start of the tour, said: "Africa's ties with Arab and Muslim countries, whether within the framework of the Arab League, the Islamic Conference or the African Union, place the countries of Africa in a position to contribute positive influence.

"We look to Africa to help promote moderation and reconciliation in the Middle East."

Many African countries, often cajoled by Libya whose leader Moamer Kadhafi currently holds the African Union chairmanship, have traditionally backed Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.

Kadhafi accused Israel Monday of being "behind all of Africa's conflicts" during a special AU summit in Tripoli.

"Indeed, within the African Union itself it is very important that the decisions and activities of African states reflect a positive and constructive approach, one that rejects one-sided decisions against Israel," Lieberman said.

His eight-day trip aimed at bolstering Israel's standing on the continent, will also take him to Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. It is one of the most extensive trips by an Israeli foreign minister to Africa in recent years

Joe| 9.3.09 @ 11:35AM

I have to disagree with you on serveral points.
1. I along with a number of people I know, am not impressed with his speaking ability. He is no better than Clinton. Maybe not as good once the telepromter is gone.
2. What countries are impressed with him. I don't think any are. Even I enemies are laughing at him behind closed doors.
3. Finally, he is us to have our defenses down so we can be hit again and he can grab more control.

L. Ross| 9.3.09 @ 11:38AM

Regarding Hillyer's central thesis, I disagree with most of it. Of course, no circumstance is exactly like another, but I do think BHO is the second coming of Carter. The central question should be this. Where is our Reagan waiting to wipe the floor with this punk?

Anthony| 9.3.09 @ 11:42AM

Part of the Saul Alinsky strategy is to provoke and incite the other side to action. Of course, when the inevitable reaction comes, it is always portrayed as over the top, uncivil and devisive; Obama's henchmen and the MSM will see to it.
So while the Obama administration has dropped the phrase "War on Terror" when it comes to Iraq and Afghanstan, it is quite willing to call fellow Americans "domestic terroritsts".When we react accordingly, Obama and his allies sit back, do their smug tisk, tisk, and enjoy the ensuing carnage, as we Americans tear ourselves apart, until their next provocative act.
And so the discord continues. But when they do manage to over extend themselves, the White House does its best WWF imitation and pleads Pollannish innocence, after having tag teamed the opponent when the refs back was turned.
Unfortunately for America, this is not the WWF, and what is happening to us is all to real. It is not being paranoid to project that civil unrest is one of the devises that Obama will and would use in the future in order to achieve his assault on the Constitution and his anti-American proclivities.

Think First| 9.3.09 @ 12:39PM

As Mark Levin says, be active but be polite. We must separate ourselves by making clear our anger and disgust with traitors to all things American but let them be the bullies for several reasons.

First if it in anyway appears to be actual fighting or conflict in these town halls, it's an excuse for Obama's team to move in with heat.

Second if we show we are steadfast, passionate and articulate it contrasts their shrillness even further.

Third we have a group in office that lives and breathes creating agitation, threats and muscle tactics as a way of life and playing into their hands will give them all the excuse they need to declare some form of national emergency to do what they can't get done by legislation.

Our main power still lies in making it clear all his buddies, cronies and anyone currently in office is on his last legs if they go along with any of this.

There is a shortage of ammo and people are buying weapons in large numbers. This plays directly into their hands as all it will take is an incident where no matter how justified the person was, conservatives will be drummed up as killers waiting to blow their fuses and Obama will move in force.

Quin's piece is just a reiteration we have to use our anger in constructive ways that don't play into his hands. This is not a request to roll over and surrender at all. This is a call to arms of a different sort that calls all of us into being active as our founders intended.

Keep the fire at their feet and let's keep the pressure on them because the more they feel threatened and exposed, the more urgent, the more strident and ultimately, the more outrageous they will become until it's clear even to the most brain dead how sick they are.

His tools are many but we have more. Are you using them?

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 12:53PM

Re: Think First

Respectfully, I need to challenge your central premise, to wit:

Who says that we're NOT using our anger in constructive ways?

I think that's precisely what we're doing.

So, Quin is either:

A. late to the battle (telling us to do what we were already doing without him, thank you very much)

OR

B. Being an overbearing nanny and a scold, condescending to bless us with his superior insight and guidance, lest we yokels and rubes run off the rails.

If all Quin is doing is telling us to use our anger in constructive ways, then he could have saved himself the trouble of writing the article and us the bother of reading it.

WE are the ones doing this, not Quin. WE are the ones who set Obama back on his heels.

We are winning. We don't need "pep talks" like this one that tell us to "simmer" and make us want to open a major artery.

At least Krauthammer admitted he was wrong about us; Quin is equally wrong, but doesn't seem to know it.

Cordially,
EM

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 1:03PM

L. Ross asked, "Where is our Reagan waiting to wipe the floor with this punk?"

Excellent question!

If he's been reading Quin's recent pieces, let's hope he's getting hormone therapy to replace the drained testosterone. Reading that even when we win, we really lose week after week will take a toll on even the most cheerful conservative warrior.

Quin appears to be believe that we can "win" by refusing to press an advantage against an enemy on the run in an open plain. There is no reason to ease up, yet here he is, week after week, telling us to ease up.

We finally get the libs on the run, and people from "our" side tell us it's time for spot of tea so we can "simmer" down.

I'm glad that Ronaldus Magnus knew weak, tottering, and blustering political opposition (the libs) when he saw it.

Would that "our" self-appointed "conservative" intelligensia were as astute as the dumb hick actor from flyover country.

Cordially,
EM

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 1:12PM

Anthony,

Another part of the Saul Alinsky strategy is to get inside your enemy's head so that no matter what happens, he thinks that he's been outfought and out-thought.

That way, even when you lose the enemy thinks HE'S lost.

Walter Cronkite used that approach to perfection in declaring the Vietnam War lost following the VC's FAILED Tet Offensive.

WE won, but Uncle Walter (in true Alinsky fashion) spun it as a loss.

Quin's article reflects the same level of error, and JimP's earlier post put the lie to any notion that Obama's "machine" is even moderately well-oiled.

There is no wizard, not even Rahm or David. They are the men behind the curtain, but--as JimP so ably demonstrated--they've been screwing up royally.

It is as big a mistake NOT to press an advantage when one has it, than it is to get complacent.

Fortunately, no one out there that I've heard from is complacent; we want to continue to advance against the liberal enemy.

The complacent ones are "reasonable" conservatives like Quin who want us all to cool off while the libs regroup.

Screw that. We've got them on the ropes. Time to finish them off. That's exactly what we're doing, and it's exactly what we'll continue to do, despite naysayers like Quin.

Cordially,
EM

Trotters = defeeted pigs| 9.3.09 @ 1:19PM

brewpop| 9.3.09 @ 7:55AM
"I don't know about any other reader but Mr. Hillyer's column scares of hell out of me. What we're talking about here is the resurrection of 1930s Nazi Germany."

The Turd Reich

LAWYERS FOR POOR AMERICANS| 9.3.09 @ 1:24PM

~ WHEN THE LAUGH OF $ATAN WA$ HEARD IN THE PEOPLE$ HALLS OF U$ CONGRE$$ ~

THIS OLD WORLD ORDER OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF OUR POORER AMERICANS NEEDS ENLIGHTENED POLITICAL MINDS AND HEARTS TO VIEW GOD DIFFERENTLY THEN $$$…. NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION ???

WHEN WILL OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS ABATE THEIR ASSAULT ON POORER AMERICANS WITH THEIR MONETARY CONTROL OF OUR IVORY TOWER U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER ???

THERE ARE NOT MANY MORE DISTRACTIONS LEFT WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS TO HIDE BEHIND IN NOT TAKING PROPER CARE OF ALL OUR AMERICANS IN A HUMANE FASHION !!!

RALPH NADER ATTEMPTED TO EDUCATE AMERICAN VOTERS ABOUT U.S. CORPORATE POWER IN AMERICA AND HOW THEY CONTROL OUR CONGRESSIONAL PEOPLE THROUGH THEIR POCKET BOOK (POLITICAL DONATIONS). * WITHOUT THE DOUGH $$$ THESE U.S. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD DO NOT GET RE~ELECTED TO CONGRESS.*TO STAY IN POLITICAL OFFICE IN AMERICA,ONE HAS TO BARTER YOUR VOTES IN CONGRESS AND REPRESENT POWER INTERESTS IN RETURN FOR THE BUCK$.

POORER AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HAD THE $$$ LOBBY TO INFLUENCE THIS CORRUPT POLITICAL CONCEPT (of horse trading political votes for political contributions) TO ACHIEVE PROPER HEALTH ~CARE OR LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR ALL OUR MIDDLE ~ CLASS AND WORKING POOR AMERICANS.

AMERICAN IVORY TOWER U.S.CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD HAVE PASSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON DC TO SPEND 50 BILLION AMERICAN TAX $$$ ON THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST AIDS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHILE THEIR OWN AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE BEING TOLD BY THIS SAME U.S.CONGRESS THAT NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND WORKING POOR CITIZENS IS UNAFFORDABLE.

*** WEALTHY ELITE AMERICANS (WHO ARE ONLY 1% OF OUR USA POPULATION) SADLY ALSO CONTROL HOW OUR U.S.CONGRESS SPENDS THEIR BUDGET TRILLION$ AND HAVE OBVIOUSLY FOUND MORE WORTHY INTERNATIONAL CITIZENS THEN OUR OWN DESPERATE AND NEEDY POOR TO ASSIST !!!

~Poorer Americans Nationwide only get 400 million $$$ per year for legal representation allocated them by CONGRESS~

Middle Class and Working Poor Americans are unable to afford proper legal representation in their Civil, Criminal and Family Courts of law all across America causing tremendous hardships nationwide,but these great minds and callous hearts in our American Congress have found others Worldwide more needy then their own citizens who are being falsely incarcerated,wrongfuly executed,losing their homes or apartments,losing child custody or visitation with their children etc�

Not being afforded proper legal representation by our U.S. Congress has created a total breakdown of the American judicial system for our poorer Americans because the our U.S. Courts punish all of us little people if we are not assisted with proprer legal counsel.*It is a known fact that our average Middle Class and Working Poor Americans without proper legal representation in all of our American Courts of law lose their legal cases to the better financed who are able to afford lawyers.

Lawyers For Poor Americans is now actively in the hunt for International Countries and Leaders Worldwide to help raise 5 Billion Dollar$ for our slighted poorer Americans who have had their own American Congress turn their backs on their desperate needs in not affording them proper legal representation.

Troy Davis and Mumia Abu ~ Jamal are 2 perfect examples of American citizens who never had proper legal representation or defense investigations afforded them by our U.S. Congressional Leaders Of The Free World in their initial criminal trials in (Georgia and Pennsylvania) who might very well have to pay the ultimate price of possibly being completely innocent and falsely executed in the near future.

These two poorer Americans are among tens of thousands of legal cases nationwide that never were afforded proper legal representation or proper defense investigations at their initial trials……**We the public really have no idea if these men are innocent or guilty until they both are given fair legal representation at their new future trials.

Improper murder trials take place in Third World Countries all the time. *** Why should average Middle~Class and Working Poor Americans in the Wealthiest Country Of The World be treated as if they are living a Third World Life Style ??

This is the first of many www International pleas by Lawyers For Poor Americans for other leaders and countries to help raise the needed monie$ to correct these blatant injustices that have been inflicted on poorer Americans for the last few decades.

Lawyers For Poor Americans has many other written articles that can be viewed with any www search engine by our name or our telephone number.

Lawyers For Poor Americans is a www lobby group of volunteers that sing out about the decades old neglect,abuse and injustices being inflicted on our poorer Americans that have become Crimes Against Humanity issues for the International World Court to investigate.

lawyersforpooreramericans@yahoo.com
(424-247-2013)

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 1:28PM

OH MY GOD, IT MUST BE TRUE, AFTER ALL IT'S ALL IN CAPS, HEEEEEELLLLPPPP!!!

BECAUSE YOU KNOW THERE'S NO BETTER WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY THAN TO SHOUT!!!

Hey there, lawyer guy, it's called the "Shift" key. Learn to use it.

It's right under the "Caps Lock" key, and I KNOW you know where THAT is.

Another etiquette violation corrected by Etiquette Man, in the name of annoyed readers everywhere . . .

Simon Templar| 9.3.09 @ 1:28PM

Yes..finally s0meone actually gets it! He is not FDR, Kennedy, Carter, Lincoln and this is not politics as usual. The essential problem here is the fact that most Americans, with the exception of most of the readers here, have not realized that the unthinkable has actually happened....a manchurian candidate of socialist, anti-American persuasion has been elected to the highest office in the land. There are two reasons for this denial of reality. The first is the tendency of America to think that it is somehow innoculated from extreme political takeovers (like the Nazis in Europe) and second the abuse of our political hyperbole and rhetoric since the 1960's. In other words, too many people have cried wolf when there was none to the point that most are dulled in their sensibilities to take extreme statements seriously when in fact they are correct. The far left knows this and is using it quite well in the advance of its agenda. This is why you have some so-called conservatives like O'Reilly touting the idea that Barry is just another chip off the old block and all this talk of socialism and whatever is nonsense. Well, its not in fact. For many of us ex-lefties who have actually read the books he has, and marched in the same groups, this is not a great revelation. It reminds me of the statement that Heston made at the end of the movie, Planet of the Apes, "Damn, they actually did it..Damn them all to hell"! Until America fully awakens to the reality that is present..we are steering a course of self destruction that may be irreversible. Be advised...take the times we live in very seriously and do not stop fighting for liberty.

Mary Louise| 9.3.09 @ 1:32PM

I’m with Grzmlyk in that I don’t believe that his rhetorical gifts are great. I think the state of the State provided him, and still does, a measure of protection from focusing on the polished jabberwocky aspect -historical ignorance, economic ignorance, etc. - that’s the greatest part of his act.

Montaigne’s observation about an eloquence that leaves you hungering for substance is apt here.

The health care debate is not something he can finesse with his “rhetorical gifts.” He can only appear more callow and shallow unless he talks specifics. He’s not gifted here either. I this regard we have him and his party against the wall. He squandered an unprecedented amount of good will, and he’s sporting grease now too.

QH’s observation about demographics is important. An eternal wedge, especially as it relates to the US, is that people want to be able to find work, and to progress. Everything he’s proposing the middle-class instinctively knows will stymie good jobs and mobility. If the Country is staring to regain its confidence, and if he continues as he has been, he’s likely to be remembered as a spectacular failure. That will create a whole other set of problems, but one thing at a time.

The 35% that would trade St. Michael and Hell for Obama wouldn’t normally be a problem. You could just write them off. What augments that number is the investment that a certain number of otherwise intelligent people have placed in this guy’s election and sponsoring the myths surrounding him.

“Fiscal conservatives” like the ones who post here can’t decide whether they want a tiered health insurance system fueled by the private sector and that allows for personal responsibility to be at core, or whether the government is the body who must ration care as it’s “most responsive to the people.” Some of this is due to the incredible complexity that surrounds the issue of health care. A complexity that moves not around life, but solely around death. But most of the vacillation is due to the investment I mentioned and which makes them a dogmatic, immovable group. That’s how tightly wrapped they are around the superficialities that elevated the unqualified candidate to the presidency.

Ideas do matter, and the public, as presently constituted, would love to hear reasonable, common sense ideas for reform. More importantly, piecemeal ideas that can be expanded if sound, and jettisoned if not.

We instinctively know -80% of us are pretty well pleased with our health care- that this issue isn’t so much be thought about and though through as it’s being used for purposes of power and party.

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 2:17PM

Michelle Malkin (love her!) was on Fox this morning and said there are now 40-44 unelected and unvetted Czars in Obama's administration. Why?

There's absolutely no historical precedent for this and I'm curious about the purpose of Obama's shadow government. It's very sneaky.

That's a lot of Czars; anyone else creeped out about this?

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 2:20PM

Why do people keep saying that Obama is an oratorical genius? Am I missing something?

My questions are sincere.

JimP| 9.3.09 @ 2:29PM

EM/NQ: My Comrade in Conservative Rebelliousness
I've been away from the keyboard. Thank you for the kind words today and over the weekend too. You are too generous.

I will also add that you keep cracking me up while making exceptional posts yourself. Merci beaucoup, mon ami. I haven't had a chance to review all these posts yet, but I am betting there are many excellent posts awaiting. I'll check in again later.

Big J| 9.3.09 @ 3:07PM

E.M. / Jim P and others (you know who you are):

Love the spunk. Where and when I grew up, this was called good 'ole fashioned American Spirit.

We are gathering a group (a large one at that) of people just like you that love this country, are tired of watching it being destroyed, and are willing to take ACTION (sorry E.M., shift key was definitely warranted there:)).

www.myteamusa.org

The tea parties and town halls were a great start, but many were left wondering, "What next?".

This is the answer. We have some brilliant solutions that have already been put on the table (all legal, and none require violence), and are looking for more. We have devised the beginnings of a plan for action, and need help with more ideas, as well as implementing the ones we have.

Love to see ya'll there. The bottom line is this: if we can't stop this on our terms, it's going to get ugly.

Come join the T.E.A.M. We need you.

Hell, we all need each other!

Jeff Vowell| 9.3.09 @ 3:13PM

Quin:
As usual, a perfectly brilliant column. My only issue is with this tag of "tremendous oratorical skills" that so many tend to place on BHO. To me, his robotic, monotonous delivery makes Algore seem like Robin Williams. Otherwise, your cautionary exposition is well-timed and essential reading for every freedom-loving American—be they Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, etc.

JimP| 9.3.09 @ 3:14PM

This pretty much sums up my attitude about the present situation. With apologies to the author:

“…….. The Democrats are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly….. Now there’s another thing I want you to remember. I don’t want to hear any messages saying that we are holding our position. We’re not holding anything. Let the Dems do that. We are advancing constantly and we’re not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy/Dems. We're going to hold onto them by the nose and we're going to kick them in the ass. We're going to kick the hell out of them all the time and we're gonna go through them like crap through a goose…… Alright now, you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel.”

Keep fighting you lovable conservative lugs!

derHoosier| 9.3.09 @ 3:17PM

Insightful piece but one quibble: "... unlike Cabinet members, do not answer to Congress..." Cabinet members report to the President and therefore don't answer to Congress. No one in the Executive or Judicial branches "answer" to Congress. To the best of my knowledge, Congress can't un-confirm a cabinet secretary; about the closest they could come would be to dissolve an entire branch of the executive by legislature and then enforce it over the president's veto. The real issue is that you have racists like this last czar The One has appointed whose poisonous background and views are never exposed even to the mild disinfectant of Congressional sunshine.

Ken (Old Texican)| 9.3.09 @ 3:54PM

Quinn, THANKS!
For your blog: "I Also Pledge"
Please sir go to our blog site and see what you think. http://judgeroy.wordpress.com

Our membership has grown so fast that it has broken down our automatic "trigger" for membership in T.E.A.M. AMERICA
www.myteamusa.org
Bear with us. We are manually processing members as fast as we can while we build a more robust trigger.

Obama will Win a Next Term| 9.3.09 @ 3:59PM

World News

The security fence (Archives) Photo: Reuters

Norway cuts ties with Elbit Systems

Oslo decides to exclude Israeli electro-optic systems giant's stocks from pension fund portfolio over its involvement in security fence project. Industry Ministry says decision 'regrettable'; Foreign Ministry summons Norwegian ambassador

Reuters Published: 09.03.09, 18:14 / Israel Business

Norway's $400 billion-plus wealth fund has excluded Israeli company Elbit Systems due to it supplying surveillance equipment for the security fence in the West Bank, the government said on Thursday.

Elbit is a leading Israeli company, which manufactures and integrates advanced, high-performance defense electronic and electro-optic systems for clients worldwide.

"We do not wish to fund companies that so directly contribute to violations of international humanitarian law," Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen said in a statement.

"The freedom of movement of the people living in the occupied territory has been unacceptably restricted," she said.

Halvorsen said the International Court of Justice has said the fence construction breaches the Fourth Geneva Convention and that "Norwegian authorities act in accordance with this."

Norway says that the surveillance system supplied by Elbit to the Israeli authorities "is one of the main components in the separation barrier and its associated control regime."

"The surveillance system has been specially designed in close collaboration with the buyer and has no other applications. Furthermore Elbit is clearly aware of exactly where and how the system is intended to be used," she said.

The central bank-managed fund follows ethical guidelines issued by the finance ministry, and in the past it has excluded companies that produce nuclear arms or cluster munitions, damage the environment or abuse human rights or worker rights.

Nobama| 9.3.09 @ 4:00PM

It's a given that most of Obama's Czars are racists; what worries me is how many of them are Communists?

Quin| 9.3.09 @ 4:00PM

Clarification for derHoosier's point. DerHoosier is right to bring up the issue, and I welcome it, but he is only half-right in fact. It is true that only a president can fire a Cabinet member. But the Cabinet Departments are created by Congress, not by the president alone, and Congress enjoys statutory oversight over them. Congress can compel a Cabinet member to testify on policy matters. Not so with the "czars," unless it is a criminal or ethics investigation. Congress has no say in the creation of the post of any czar, and no say in confirmation of them, and no statutory authority over their work or (except very indirectly) their budgets. That's what I meant -- although you are right in that I should have been more precise in how I worded it. Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

joel| 9.3.09 @ 4:11PM

bluebird house plans

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 4:12PM

It is said that “politics is war by other means”. Between now and January 2011 under our political system nothing is going to change (for the better) as far as our elected government is concerned. We have no electoral power to stop any legislation or presidential actions. None. Between now and then, it all comes down to how much risk those in power want to take to fulfill their goals. Political risks don’t carry the same consequence say that one finds with the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Not by a long shot, no pun intended.
On balance I don’t have a problem with Quin’s attempt at bringing moderation to this matter and several other posters have made equally good points both ways. As I have said before when Quin played the “moderator” role I don’t think it will matter in the long run. Some fool, genuine or not, a plant or not, contrived or not will provide the excuse required if the evil on the other side of this matter so wishes to “go for it”. All authoritarian collectives are jealous mistresses and will sooner or later not tolerate any challenge to their power and control. No one needs to go looking for trouble because it is already looking for you and will use you for its purposes if you so oblige. The government with media help and cover got away with murder at Ruby Ridge and Waco and the tactics used were no different than that used by both the Nazis and Communists to do the exact same thing repeatedly. All it takes is to be a little off base to be set up for such an event. The victims at Ruby Ridge and Waco didn’t help themselves for sure but no one deserved to die over the matters at hand. The “government” paid compensation to the survivors in some cases and moved on without consequence. No justice was served in the end. Billy got reelected, richer and suffered no consequence from that at all.
With essentially a state run media complex and an overwhelmingly ignorant electorate easily maneuvered into a personality cult like worship of someone that couldn’t qualify for dog catcher on his own the odds are simply not good that a large enough change in political fortunes can take place in one election cycle to be decisive. Could happen but “hope” and “change” isn’t carrying the water lately.
Many people end their post with something like, “God save, help, have mercy on America”. All I can say constructive about such is “God” gave us all the power of free will, choice and the power to save ourselves. If we fall it will be because we have satisfied Edmund Burke’s saying about “Good men” (and women) and “evil”.

The question I’d leave both Quin’s supporters and his distracters is simple. If Quin’s nightmare scenario comes blazing obvious and “war by other means” becomes fruitless are you prepared to put everything on the line like the signers of the Declaration of Independence did? I am and there is no moderation in that course once engaged. Unlike some I’m afraid, I’m not going to go looking for that which is already looking for an excuse to turn loose both the “brown and black shirts”. Know the difference between the “brown shirts” and the “black shirts”? You might want to. A simple question but the answer is not nearly as cut and dry as some think.

Simple prudence suggests doing everything possible within the existing system to avoid the “other means” but also being prepared for Plan B. If you aren’t prepared for Plan B then you will become part of the problem not the solution should this nightmare play out.

I don’t plan on spending any time at all in a “reeducation camp”. Words are cheap guys, sometimes too cheap. Think three moves ahead or be prepared to suffer the consequences. At some point the music may actually die and words no longer matter. At that moment if you aren’t prepared you won’t matter either.

Derrick Hill| 9.3.09 @ 4:47PM

I was fit to be tied having read the Frookes piece But I'm happy to simply second the comments of Etiquette Man. Hillyer's piece would be just too clever by half, except that there is nothing at all clever in building up your enemy to be ten feet tall.
He starts out cleaving to the ludicrous premiss --which is merely the endless repeated mantra of the left-stream media (aka the "mainstream media") -- that Barry Soetoro is some kind of rhetorical/political genius. I suppose that if it's adjudged an achievement to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, that might be believed. But I would have thought Barry's pathetic floundering in the event of an absent or malfunctioning teleprompter might, at the very least, have raised doubts about this supposed Demostenes. Apparently not. Equally, I would have thought that his "spreading the wealth around" gaffe ( yes, really, an honest to goodness gaffe) might have made some "conservatives" hesitate to think Barry quite as special as the, metaphorically speaking, catamite media (aka "main-stream media" noisily insist). The idea that the American people would accept in one fell swoop a series of pork-stuffed spending (aka"stimulus" ) packages, a cap and tax bill (with rocketing electricity prices more or less promised by Barry), the Cubanisation of health care, the appointment of vulgar Marxist dingbats -- and just common-or-garden dingbats -- to various plush offices in the White House suggests a certain misreading of what the voters might be willing to stomach without complaint. In most polities, such audacity is not normally taken to be a sign of political intelligence.
In practical terms, the task of American conservatives is as difficult as it as obvious and inescapable. It is, as the Duke of Wellington might have said, to continue the "hard pounding" they are now engaged in. There is no need to look for more (pseudo) sophisticated tactics.
Etiquette Man is right, this supposedly super-intelligent, super-sophisticated White House is on the ropes. I must be kept there. And keeping it there, to repeat, is that simple, and that difficult.
Of course, it would a mistake -- and, yes, potentially a disastrous one, -- to press the Barry Soetoro/ Jimmy Carter parallel too far. But Hillyer does sound like one of those defeatists who can't see a silver lining without insisting that people focus only on the dark cloud.
It would be an unutterable tragedy if decent, patriot Americans were not to defeat this brazen attempt to transform their country into an economically and politically Third World power.
The Obama regime and its various allies must be harried, pummelled and beaten into defeat.
And it would help greatly in this struggle if those conservatives" who mistakenly think that only the one side -- the conservative side -- is vulnerable to this fate were ignored.

Simon Templar| 9.3.09 @ 5:12PM

Thank you Thom for your comments and insight.
The question really does come down to.."are you willing to put everything on the line like the signers of the Declaration of Independence did"? That will be the essential question...now and then. I am afraid however that many people are still back there..and need to catch up with you and others who seem to have a clearer vision of what is actually going on and what can happen. I want to believe that America will wake up..that people will talk to each other, open their eyes and respond with a revolt and resistance to this insanity..so keep warning people..educating as many as posible..and keeping the faith.

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 5:20PM

Thom; your insight is dead on. We are not the aggressors, and as such, we don't dictate the terms. We're always a little off-balance, which explains the discomfort of so many Conservatives. Including me!

Any ideas?

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 5:22PM

“That will be the essential question...” Simon Templar, it always is and will be. I’ve been watching his march off the cliff for near 40 years. I didn’t wake up last November and realize this. There are no easy, cheap or guaranteed answers or solutions either. Just imperfect choices all of us may eventually have to come to grips with. I know the statistical makeup on this and it isn’t pretty. We have a lot of data points (history) on how this plays out if we get too close to the edge. Don’t need a crystal ball to fill in the blanks here….. do we?

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 5:24PM

Thom, one question: Who is going to enforce it?

nick| 9.3.09 @ 5:29PM

Thom - you have the issue boiled down to its essence - I have been struggling with the Burkean issue for some time - hiding behind the fact that I have a child - I have come to the conclusion that was cowardice. We must, should it come, do it for our children and then with no moderation

Alan Brooks| 9.3.09 @ 5:36PM

"President Carter was not an arrogant, narrow minded ignoramus. That didn't prevent him from being a disaster, mind you, but at least I never dreamt of punching him in the face."
-----------------------------------
yeah,
you wouldnt punch Jimmuh in the face , because he was TOO nice, an invertebrate. That is why he was a disaster. Who aside from urchins has respect for a jellyfish

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 5:38PM

Nick, it wasn't cowardice--it was a father's love and a desire to protect your child. Both are beautiful.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 5:41PM

"Any ideas?" Angel, two part answer.
First, prepare your mindset for what may come by reintroducing yourself to the Founders and their trials and tribulations. They were the “Greatest Generation” despite some people’s opinion. They risk everything knowing the odds were against them. They did not stumble into what became this Nation without a great deal of forethought, trial and error in the process. A lot of error along the way.
Second, what is your freedom worth to you? If it is worth more than your life then you have a chance. If not then you will probably “go along to get along” as the majority of the colonists did (and the Germans people, etc). You must clear your mind of the clutter that is doubt and uncertainty about who you are and what is at stake. Hesitation must be minimized; it cannot be eliminated entirely. Our political system and institutions will either work or fail. I think we will know when the political system no longer works. It still can work btw.
The proper mindset makes you a serious person and one recognized for such. Most fights are won via eye contact and body posture without the first blow every being exchanged. Works that way in politics too if you have someone that understands that politics is not a sporting event as it is often played by Republicans to their determent.
The rest will fall in place when your mind is clear about who you are and what your freedom is worth to you. Trust me on that.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 5:44PM

Angel, enforce what?

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 5:54PM

Nick, only a fool wants the ultimate nightmare to come true. They are in plentiful supply today. It is not a natural thing to want to have to deal with Plan B but that option has always been on the table, and will always be. People that talk through their “arse” I worry about but only briefly. I’m only one individual and survival in such things requires a temporary collective bound by mutual trust and commitment to a limited outcome. Anarchy and its kissing cousin Rule by MOB are a zero sum game and I want nothing to do with that but part of King Obama’s game plan is to use contrived such events to gain power outside of the other two branches of government involvement. Currently, the Supreme Court does stand in King Obama’s path at some level. We will see if his Marxist Party is really willing to exercise the power it already has soon enough.

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 5:55PM

Thom, your first post resonated with me immediately--I understand what you're saying. This day has been coming for a very long time and, yes, I remember Waco and Ruby Ridge. The scores of young children who died terrible, fiery deaths that day at Waco, most certainly did not deserve it.

We may be isolated but we're not alone--does that make sense? Thank God for the internet: No wonder Obama wants to shut it down!

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 5:58PM

Obama's diktat.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 6:04PM

Angel, do you remember what “technicalities” those people at Ruby Ridge and Waco were killed over? “Good men” did that because something else was more important in their lives than grasping the morally wrong they were doing over mere words in the law that a million lawyers argue over every day. Too many “good men” doing nothing while the fire spreads that may consume many if not most of us if things get out of hand and such things have a life of their own when they do.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 6:07PM

"Obama's diktat" --- the same "good men" that showed up at Ruby Ridge and Waco. It is always the "good men" that make Burke a prophet.....

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 6:16PM

Thom, there are too many of us. It won't be that simple. I think it's Obama's nascent Civilian Security Force; but that will take time.

JimP| 9.3.09 @ 6:17PM

DeborahD: My apologies for missing you earlier. Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad what I said helped to cheer you up.
Keep spreading the cheer. We will win eventually, I believe.

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 6:20PM

It's easy to marginalize and dehumanize a small group of people as freaks and dangerous extremists, it's not so easy to do that to tens of millions (even though they are trying). Have you heard of "Oathkeepers?" Google it--they're awesome.

JimP| 9.3.09 @ 6:31PM

BIG J: Thank you as well for the kind words and even more for the web site. I will be bookmarking it and can hardly wait to participate.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 6:31PM

Angel, if the so called Civilian Security Force ever even gets put into legislation two things will happen. One, it has to be paid for, big $$$ and two the obvious purpose of said force is to register both people and weapons for control purposes. That won't fly beyond about three inches off the table. If it takes the form of say King Obama's person guard force well all bets are off. Open warfare will follow. Under existing laws with regard to the unorganized militia the President can call them up in emergencies but such emergencies can’t be a full time force and are ultimately volunteers. By definition said forces must arm and support themselves for the most part. If the “government” arms and supports them then it is not a Militia force and by definition a Federal force. He can try but it won’t fly without a real fight in the streets. I think he was talking out his "arse" when he proposed that but should that materilize then "politics is warfare by other means" will end shortly after that.

nick| 9.3.09 @ 6:46PM

Thom - thanks for your first response and your follow-up - I understand your follow-up and agree - I do not seek this and it is with a weary but firm resolve that we must take a stand should it come to that - thanks to you and all on this thread - its good to know there are others

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 7:23PM

Thom, billions have already been budgeted for ACORN, AmeriCorp., HCAN, etc. earlier this year. I think these funds were included in the Stimulus bill. The funds are already there for Obama's security force; they just need time to put those funds to work. It's the only way the leftists can prevail.

Mary Louise| 9.3.09 @ 7:30PM

Thom’s post is “an hard saying,” but it can’t be avoided. I’ve never written about what I would do in the circumstances he describes because I honestly don’t know.

Here’s what I do know. I have to take care of my parents and my brothers, if they need me. I pray God will keep me very healthy and strong until those duties have been fulfilled. Then I don’t care. I don’t have to live to a ripe old age. I was given much, and I just ask for that bit more for my family.

The pols enrolled us in social security. They enrolled us in medicare. No one can choose to opt out. These contracts were the threads of national life that you didn’t even think about.

I really like Dick Cheney. And I really like President Bush too.

I don’t think how much the war in Iraq has led us to where we are now can be overestimated. It may have been the right thing to do. It certainly was what they thought was the right thing to do. But a war, which never had an enduring power to unite, that was pre-emptive and nearly impossible to defend once a certain amount of time elapsed might be thought of by future generations as our undoing.

We bankrupted the Soviet Union. Where are we now? I know there’s probably no escaping the necessity of a hegemon, but benevolent or not that comes to an end too.

And I can’t stop thinking of how callow President Bush was in dealing with domestic policy. It was like he treated that aspect of governance the way business men negotiate deals, etc. Never realizing what it means to a president and a leader in this area.

The collapse of the economy and his hapless, hapless face onscreen. FMae and FMac and Goldman Sachs and Paulson turned out to be the weapons of mass destruction.

It may come to revolution, I don’t know and I have absolutely no illusions about war. I hope, as Thom also writes, that the point of no return hasn’t been reached.

When that 48% of tax consumers is brought to 51% it’s pretty much over.

Brooks said the world was divided into two groups, those who talked like he and Obama talked and those who did not. The contempt in that statement is hard to measure.

He accused the House Republicans of nihilism when they refused to vote for the first bailout. In actuality he’s the nihilist in the original sense of that word: nothing is sacred.

You know I’m godless, but I’m not Godless. He and his ilk are. Ten thousand like me and ten thousand non-angst ridden materialists do not represent the foulness and danger that he and his kind do.

This administration can reduce the Country to an unrecognizable land, and Brooks will say Obama was pushed.

The beauty of a real economy, though it may lack surfeit, is that there’s little market for Brooks and those like him. The market is too tight and will screen those types of cancers out.

I can’t stop thinking of Lenin’s prediction that they would sell us the rope by which they would hang us.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 7:49PM

Nick, Derrick Hill made reference to the Duke of Wellington, a man I have some knowledge of. On the eve of Waterloo the Duke replied to what would be decisive in the upcoming battle. He pointed to an ordinary British soldier from one of the name regiments that were few in number at the battle. In many ways, King Obama is like Napoleon. Arrogant, condescending, audacious and over confident to a fault. Wellington beat him and took his best shot with an inferior multinational army in a place Napoleon could have out maneuvered if he chose to do so but like King Obama, time was against him and Napoleon felt compelled to push on no matter what. When the French Army broke and routed it was total except for what was left of the Imperial Guard. The strength and power of the French Army was built upon and dependent on the personality of Napoleon and when he failed them, they deserted him. Wellington on the other hand simply knew how to conserve and manage the forces he had to the best advantage he could and let the superior abilities of the professional British troops come into play at the right time and place but otherwise stay out of sight and harm’s way.

There is a lesson in that.

Roy| 9.3.09 @ 8:04PM

I agree with several previous posters that, Obama being at the beginning of his term, of course the relevant comparison is not Jimmy Carter at the end of his.

I do believe the country has declined morally since the 70's, in a lot of respects. Eventually, the Left will succeed in making "homophobe" sound like "racist" does now(in a lot of people's ears, it already does). That being done, ignorant little snots will have even more of an excuse to write their betters off morally than they have now since I guarantee you pretty much everybody born pre-1970 has made "homophobic" statements. That will REALLY lock in leftist dominance.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 8:05PM

Angel, let me put it in these terms for you. Took me years to get the right mindset. Some pain and suffering in there too. Takes years to become “accomplished” at the art of war. Arming a rabble with arms and little training just provides a means to figure out who you need to deal with and a ready source of arms. Get my drift here? The people you mentioned aren’t the fighting and dying kind of people. They are rabble, trash, a rent a MOB at best. Their domain is the inner Cities of this Nation. They won’t do well outside their “hoods”. Gang Bangers and alike wouldn’t last very long against serious people who have spend years thinking and preparing for this situation. They are dangerous never the less but will melt away with serious people show up. The kind of serious people I’m talking about have been dealing with this possibility for most of their lives no matter how long or short that may be. The rabble will be trying to take from others what others are trying to defend. The latter tend to be more committed under most circumstances. Like I said before such a force could actually be created, funded and trained up a lot is going to go wrong……..

sclemens| 9.3.09 @ 8:08PM

Never underestimate your enemy. In the mean time, we can only hope that Dear Leader continues to overreach and paint himself and his congressional minions into a corner. We also need to pray, with all sincerity, that the Secret Service is able to keep him safe. The last thing we need is to have this embarrassing, elitist, arrogant, amateurish, incompetent boob assassinated. He is doing the job with no outside help.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 8:10PM

Mary Louise, it’s over when the bulk of the people in this country put their faith in some external force saving them and stop acting like Americans. Sheep always get slaughtered.

Gloria Steinberg| 9.3.09 @ 8:21PM

Obama sucks.

Mary Louise| 9.3.09 @ 8:22PM

Thom, I appreicate all you've contributed to this thread. I don't wish for war. My parents were forced to evacuate their homes in order to garrison German soldiers. My mother speaks well of the soldiers. They tended to my grandmother who had broken her leg.

I don't think you're portraying the struggle as simple, but I don't belive that a sizeable force will arise to combat what we think of as the theft of liberty, and we speak of as the theft of what remains of our liberty.

The Founders knew why they were fighting. Obama may be the person who trips this war, but it can't be laid solely or even largely on his shoulders. And if that isn't admitted, it's likely a defense will fail. Not only do you have to know yourself, you have to know what led you to where you are.

Sapwolf| 9.3.09 @ 8:33PM

Being nice will not work against Obama's crowd.

If he thinks he can take absolute control without a shooting war, he will try to do just that.

We need to clearly communicate to him that we will not let him overthrow the government without a fight.

Pretty simple.

Mary Louise| 9.3.09 @ 8:34PM

Burke had a lot more to say than what he said about evil flourishing when good men do nothing. A lot more to say about station, prescription, destiny, service, piety and privilege.

dianne| 9.3.09 @ 8:53PM

Hey, I'm just an ordinary person but I see the destruction of America as we know it ahead of us. There are plenty more of me. What can we do to stop this? Where are our leaders? What can I personally do other than a vow I've taken to work against the reelection of Dennis Moore, D-Ks.?

Sapwolf| 9.3.09 @ 8:55PM

Thom is correct.

You MUST train for Plan B in a focused manner, WHILE pursuing Plan A.

Because if Obama believes you have NO Plan B, he will use the tools we don't to ensure our Plan A has no chance.

I'm not ready if O-man 'goes for it',...yet. But many Americans are working on it as we try to execute Plan A.

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 9:01PM

Yes, Thom, I agree the Obamites are thugs and mobsters, I just wanted to point out to you that funding is already in place.

Oh, BTW, I know who the REAL men are--why do you think I engaged YOU in conversation? I don't blog on this site for nothin', honey.

Your first post struck a chord, and though I didn't realize it before, your distillation of our current situation was what I've been waiting to hear.

It's not my fault you're so freakin' smart! ;p

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 9:05PM

Sapwolf; would you, Thom and other gentlemen who post here consider tutoring some of your fellow Americans? I'm used to paying tuition. :)

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 9:08PM

....was what I'd been waiting to hear. Fixed it.

james| 9.3.09 @ 9:19PM

This is pretty much correct. Carter was an incompetent who was Left almost by default. Obama is a committed radical revolutionary who hates America (Carter did not) and wants it destroyed. He is going to overwhelm the system till it collapses and then his uniformed Compassion Police will be at your door.

We need to stop calling him Carter Redux. That's not at all what this is about.

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 9:20PM

Dear Beloved Fellow Patriots,

Many thanks to JimP, Derrick Hill, and BigJ for their kind comments (and apologies to anyone I may have missed).

JimP's recasting of Patton's famous speech was brilliant and inspiring (funny, too!).

Derrick Hill made more specifically a point that bears repeating, and which others here have underlined: Obama is no Marc Antony on the stump. His "gifts" as a speaker are VASTLY over-stated.

He is indeed better at saying nothing than anyone in quite a while (Bubba Clinton also did that well, though), but when called upon to make substantive points, he really does come across as a stumbling, stuttering putz.

As we used to say in Brooklyn to such people, "Ya got nothin'."

I plan to check out BigJ's website. Always interested in seeing what other Patriots are thinking and doing. Thanks, BigJ.

More generally, I'd like to thank ALL of the Patriots who have posted to this thread, for lifting my spirits. After being slightly "down" at the weak-kneed tone of some earlier posts ("Gosh, Quin is right, we'd better settle down and stop winning . . . after all we're SUPPOSED to lose, right?), I have been heartened to see so many Patriots saying that we will not go quietly into that good night.

Final thought: If Quin is so put off by the "brilliance" and "oratorical gifts" of the Obama the Most Merciful, the One, the Long Awaited Statist Messiah, just imagine Quin as the President in "Independence Day":

"Come on, YOU PEOPLE! Open your eyes! We may well go quietly into that good night. We may have to give up without a fight . . . I mean have you SEEN those spaceships??? Seriously, YOU PEOPLE, get a grip. We can't face THAT! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for 'Crossfire' . . ."

Your Fellow Patriot,
Etiquette Man

vech| 9.3.09 @ 9:21PM

I get frustrated when I hear words like "savy" applied to Obama. He doesn't have clue what he's doing and his Democrats in congress are beginning to see this. Rahm Emanuel and Axelrod are scrambling day after day to get themselves out the last hole they dug themselves into. There is still a good piece of Americans who thinks he is God, but most are beginning to see he is just a conman, and he's not proving to be very good at that either. Once again people: he doesn't have a plan, he has no grand strategy, he has no intellect in his administration to guide him. Wake up - the man is incompetent! Quit building him up.

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 9:24PM

Hear, hear, vech!

I really don't get why "conservatives" like Quin are so impressed by the guy. You nailed it.

diesel jeans| 9.3.09 @ 9:25PM

Obama is a committed radical revolutionary who hates America (Carter did not) and wants it destroyed.

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 9:35PM

I'm not impressed by the Left; they're moral lightweights. I'll put my money on you people any day of the week.

My favorite Bible verse: Isaiah 41, "Fear not, For I am with you." It always gives me strength.

rrpjr| 9.3.09 @ 9:41PM

Some respectful rebuttals.

“First, consider the differences in political circumstances between Obama and Carter. Unlike Carter, Obama does not face a Kennedy-led left wing of his party that despises him. “

Yes, but Carter didn’t face that wing until the waning days of his administration. And there’s a flip-side to this: Obama must deal with a far more aroused Left, one with much higher expectations and less tolerance for disappointment.

“Unlike Carter, Obama did not take office by an incredibly slim majority vote so close that a few thousands votes in two states would have swung the whole election.”

Yes, but his majority wasn’t all that big and it critically depended on independents and moderate/liberal Republicans both sick of Bush and curious about Obama’s promise. But in a few short months Obama has debunked the promise and alienated independents.

"Unlike Carter, Obama took office in the middle of a crisis he could blame on his predecessor and coming off an unpopular war that he could blame almost entirely on the Republican Party. On the right, Carter faced a conservative movement (even if not a Republican Party) unified and energized by an inspirational leader -- but no similar, single spokesman today galvanizes conservatives like Ronald Reagan did then."

Yes, but again Reagan was not "galvanizing" conservatives until well into the campaign. Conservatives may have been "energized” but not as unified as we might think. We forget the intra-party divides of Republicans back then before Reagan pulled away.

“More important than all that, though, is that Obama's personal skills, aims, and training are like nothing we have ever seen before in the White House.”

Not sure about this. I think Obama’s “personal skills” have been overrated, that is to say, have been too confused as the cause of his rise when in fact there were other concatenating phenomena – and “novelties” -- such as his race and his studied deceptiveness in scumbling his radical past, as well as a massively unified media serving as a kind of imperial guard to his ascent. He barely squeaked past Hillary Clinton, remember.
But now his past is of the bag – at least in terms of busting the promise thing and “moderate”tag, and the novelty can be safely said to be dissipating fast. And has he impressed as a speaker or a “great communicator” on his own, when the rubber has hit the road? Hardly. If anything, his increased exposure is correlated to his decline in the polls.

“Every other president before him has intended at most to achieve change within the American political system. Obama wants to change the system itself. He is a radical's radical, with an authoritarian impulse.”

And that’s an advantage? You now know what he is, and I know what he is, so it stands to reason that Americans are figuring it out as well. So while he was elected based on the fact that people believed he was NOT radical and would lead as an inspiring centrist and racial unifier, they are now seeing that he is anything but, and looking more closely at arrier pensee he had hoped to keep concealed.

“His Alinskyite training means that social unrest doesn't unnerve him; it plays right into his hands. Social unrest is both his modus operandi and his mid-term goal. The more unrest, the greater the crisis; the greater the crisis, the more excuse he has to use and consolidate central power in order to completely remake society. “

Yes, but backlash unrest from those who oppose him does NOT play into his hands. It clearly unnerves him. I'm not an expert on Alinsky, but I don't believe the training has a lot to do with political forces who fight back, and often with the same strategies.

"And unlike Carter or most other Democratic presidential nominees of the past 45 years, Obama has tremendous oratorical skills. Sure, Bill Clinton could please lots of audience members with small promises, but he did not possess half the ability to inspire people (however misguidedly) that Obama does. Obama has the talent to raise demagoguery to an art form."

Again, not sure. And do these great skills reach beyond a certain limited and deliriously cultish core? Do these skills reach into the heartland? How long can a political leader in a position so conspicuous to the people's eyes act in contravention of their interests before he just plain pisses them off? It's one ting to be a community organizer working in the shadows and another to be president.

I completely agree with the danger he represents, and the numberless ways he is radicalizing elements of the government in a way to serve him “below the radar.” But it is also true that all this has just as much potential to destroy him. A kind of law of political physics seems to be going on with Obama, that for all these things he does, he creates and stirs other forces, none of which he predicted or fit into his schemes. So I can’t see his methodology in the abstract of power and advantage as you do.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 9:49PM

Mary Louise/Angel, keep heart in this. 53% voted for an Oracle and got a closet racist and someone who’s every waking moment on this earth is based upon a political calculation of how to get more power and wealth for himself. You don’t go from 70% approval rating to less than 50 in 7 months without cause. If anything remotely happens that results in government sponsored violence against anyone his least concern will be polls. A wise person does not piss on the very intel service the nation needs to prevent what violence we can in a war that is far from over. He can’t hide from that. Career professionals will have their day on this. Dick Cheney is not out on a limb on this. Look at what jobs he has held in the last 23 years. Not the fluff kinds of jobs that don’t deal with “hard” subjects. The current CIA director has a hard decision to make and soon or else he will wear the same stain when this is over. We are not alone or isolated in all this. The worst possible Republican candidate ran for President last year and still got 47+ percent of the vote. King Obama won by “default” in effect. Leadership is always important but each individual has a responsibility to be the master of his or her own ship too. The stakes are high for sure and the risk equally high. That will always be the way anything worth fighting for is. What is it worth to each individual has probably been a recurring theme over the last 10 months or so. As a people we’ve been here a couple times before. We just need to get in touch with our Founder’s principles and support and respect them to the best of our ability. The ones that make the difference in such situations typically never say anything at all till they show up to take care of business. Serious people with solid convictions to not be enslaved by a smiley face Con Artist do not make threats. Voting present only carries you so far in this world. As is with most things in life it’s the ones that aren’t flapping their lips all the time that matter. The Duke of Wellington took an inferior force with a few serious hard core non lip flappers and beat the most powerful army that existed then by knowing where to strike and when. All he had to do is wait till Napoleon did what was predictable for him to do and did. King Obama is predictable just a bit. Don’t sweat the rabble. They can’t stand to be out in the light very long even now. Don’t spin in the past or present. Think ahead and plan for a range of options. Doesn’t hurt to prepare for the worst. It used to be a common task in this Nation when it was run by Americans. It was expected then, now it is kind of a fade to most I guess. Most everyone wants someone else to carry the water so to speak. That mindset needs to change.

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 9:50PM

rrpjr, I agree with your post, but I also believe Obama & Co. are dangerous.

I think Quin nailed it when he stated, "...Obama is an entirely different breed of cat." Yup, that's what I think: Obama's an unknown quantity.

nick| 9.3.09 @ 9:58PM

Thom - I understand the conservation point and more importantly bringing action into play at the correct moment - we are the anvil at this moment

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 10:12PM

"Silent waters run deep." Agreed. I just wish I knew some of these "Serious people."

Obama's assault on the CIA makes me sick, too. These quiet, unsung heroes who saved our lives after 9/11 have been betrayed. I am NOT a party to Obama's despicable behavior, and I can only wonder which U.S. city will be the next target for the inevitable blowback.

Thom| 9.3.09 @ 10:33PM

Nick, correct. We have to take the "pounding" for the time being. Not forever however.
Angel, I know these "quiet" serious types. Lots of them out there if you know what to look for. When politics puts their families in danger as this idiocy may they will make themselves felt. The current CIA director had better come to grips with this pretty fast.

Nite Nite all.....

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 10:36PM

Good night, Thom. Thanks so much.

JimP| 9.3.09 @ 10:36PM

EM: LOL your last.

"YOU PEOPLE". I see the phrase touched a nerve with you also when Quin called us that in his comments from the 'Winning Without Wigging Out' column. I haven't been a 'YOU PEOPLE' since I was in basic training. What chutzpah, I thought. Who does he think he is, talking to fellow conservatives like that, R. Lee Ermey? We are not "unorganized, grabastic pieces of $#*!", but I know whom I think is.

Jimmie Gee| 9.3.09 @ 10:45PM

I agree with your argument and position. I will take your position one step further. I believe that they already have a list of "crises" all set to bring about the Obama dictatorship. Of course the greatest risk is November 2010, and then the biggest one in Nov 2012.
Whenever it happens it will be all directed by the White House, carried out by Acorn, SEIU, and the complete power transfer to "Dear Leader" Obama will be in the middle of the night in the blink of an eye.

Mary Louise| 9.3.09 @ 10:45PM

Thanks, Thom. You're last post lifted my spirits.

Dick Cheney is not out on a limb on this. Look at what jobs he has held in the last 23 years. Not the fluff kinds of jobs that don’t deal with “hard” subjects. The current CIA director has a hard decision to make and soon or else he will wear the same stain when this is over.

You got that right! He's not out of the game yet either, though Holder and Obama would like to make sure no one can say that anymore. Cheney was the first to really pierce Obama's armor. He was leading Obama like an alpha leads a whelp.

The ones that make the difference in such situations typically never say anything at all till they show up to take care of business. Serious people with solid convictions to not be enslaved by a smiley face Con Artist do not make threats.

No question about it.

Lastly, as jj writes, Obama has set in motion a kind of force that reacts when he acts. A force, for lack of a better term, that seems to be faithfully hostile to him. The "velvet glove lined with lead."

Angel| 9.3.09 @ 10:54PM

I'd rather not be on defense all of the time. It's a lot more fun to call the shots, (especially for control freaks!).

God bless the Cheney family; stalwart patriots, all.

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 10:57PM

Re: rrpjr| 9.3.09 @ 9:41PM

Wow . . .

I tip my hat, sir (or madam) . . .

Admiringly,
EM

Etiquette Man| 9.3.09 @ 11:08PM

Hey there, Brother JimP!

Glad you liked the "YOU PEOPLE" reference. He pissed me off BADLY with that one--and more than once.

LOVED the R. Lee Ermey line, by the nonce. I, too, was once an "unorganized, grabastic piece of $#*!" Or at least my DI thought so . . .

Yeah, I got majorly ticked off when Quin wrote several versions of "You people really need to calm down" and "I shudder for my country when I read comments like this." I found myself wondering whether Quin's balls had ever dropped.

Would explain a lot--smart, good writer, gutless.

I'm with John Galt on the current state of populist conservatism: "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

People like Quin are just bloodclots in the body of heartland conservatism.

They're only on board with heartland conservatism, if they can simultaneously be feted on "Hardball."

Which . . . they can't.

So they play the "reasonable" conservative, and play Benedict Arnold to people like Sarah and the wonderful townhall attendees, whom I revere as modern day "Minutemen."

You can tell a lot about a person by the company he keeps. Quin is a creature of the Beltway . . .

Best,
EM/NQ :-)

netlog| 9.3.09 @ 11:19PM

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Richard Baker| 9.3.09 @ 11:24PM

He's the Huey Long of our time. Read up on Long and Obama is just the latest incarnation. His kind have come before and will come again, unfortunately. Kind of like locusts and liberals.

LegendHasIt| 9.4.09 @ 1:27AM

>"And unlike Carter or most other Democratic presidential nominees of the past 45 years, Obama has tremendous oratorical skills. "

I wish that conservatives, at least would quit spreading this false meme. The guy gave ONE great speech in his life. At the 2004 DNC convention.

And since then, he has given a few mediocre ones, and a lot of horrible ones. He has proven that even with a teleprompter and his team of speechwriters that it takes intense preparation and coaching, (with no interruptions of reality or bad teleprompter synchronization) for him to make it up to even mediocre oratory. A Daniel Webster he is not. And even Clinton WAS a better orator, because he could 'wing it' and play the crowd if necessary.

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Things appear to be shaping up very similarly to the communist takeover of the Cuban revolution, which Castro claimed, and most of the backers thought was a democratic revolution. By the time the people became aware of the intent, the power and the arms were all in the hands of the communists. The takeover was complete.
For a better understanding of how the democratic revolution was undermined and therefore lost, read Armando Valladares and Humberto Fontova.
Power grabs, naivety on the part of the people, effective propaganda, falsely discrediting the opposition, imprisonment of the innocent, mass murder of the opposers and the Casto personality cult led to the complete breakdown of the society.

Carol Krawczyk| 9.4.09 @ 5:41AM

One of the best, most defined and concise article I have read explaining the mindset, agenda and consequences of our "Benevolent Dictator's" reign. I am forwarding this to everyone I know. Please do the same. To be forwarned is to be forarmed.

JimP| 9.4.09 @ 8:41AM

Hello all. I arose to find Turner Classic Movies showing the 1943 RKO flick, 'Hitler's Children'. I haven't seen this since the 1960's. Curious that it appears again now with Dear Leader in office and less than a week before he intrudes himself in the public schools. Many parallels between then and now. Coincidence or is TCM subtly 'resisting'? What do y'all think?

Thanks to all of you for the great posts! Very encouraging.

JD| 9.4.09 @ 3:14PM

New Guy? This is my first comment and I'm not the sharpest rock around so please bare with me.
I enjoy this article but disagree with this Obama god-like phenomenon that this and other article seem to have. To me Obama is not only unqualified, but one of the most inexperienced immature individual in public office. Washington is a whore house {sorry} of people like this, but the self-conceit and arrogant of this man to me is freighting. I'm not a big fan and I really get tired of people talking about how 'Obama is smart'. Obama has skills, 'He's A Pathological Liar', and there are times he raises it to an art form.

I've had My say, back in my hole.

Patriot| 9.4.09 @ 5:33PM

JD--time to get out of the hole and stay out! Keep speaking out. You're among friends, welcome.

john| 9.7.09 @ 6:04AM

This is one fine article. Bravo to Quin Hillyer. Yes Obama is a different breed of enemy. He's a brilliant sophist and master of deception. I always applaud the hard work done by few who expose him and his agendas like Glen Beck, Malkin, etc., but at the same time I feel they're a bit shallow in the offense. We need more talented troops and brilliant plan than our largely "dig and expose" strategy.

Johnno| 9.7.09 @ 4:30PM

Obama's a brilliant nothing and master of none. You must be reading the DNC's talking points.

Save us from the easily duped!

Mark | 9.7.09 @ 5:14PM

Very well-written and thoughtful piece...He could smash us to smithereens if we're not careful...One thing I do HOPE for is and end to identity politics...I hope everyone in America soon gets over the whole "women" or "gay" or "straight" or "latino" or "what have you" and wakes up and realizes what is BEST for ALL Americans. And it ain't a big government takeover of every aspect of American life. Liberals salivate over a "crisis" and they know how to tug at the guilt strings. For crying out loud, lets all MOVE ON.

Answers1| 9.7.09 @ 11:01PM

Obama is as dangerous as Hitler. Our republic is in imminent, grave danger and I fear a revolution.

NoLibs| 9.8.09 @ 2:18PM

Why fear Loser Obama? He's smoke and mirrors!

Being 'careful' got us into this mess! Grow some.

twistedmuser| 9.8.09 @ 10:21PM

I dont see myself as a conspiracy theorist, but I'm beginning to wonder if he isn't trying to get something going that he can use to his benefit. It's getting pretty scary.

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John Mish| 3.15.10 @ 10:38PM

There is still a good piece of Americans who thinks he is God, but most are beginning to see he is just a conman, and he's not proving to be very good at that either. Once again people: he doesn't have a plan, he has no grand strategy, he has no intellect in his administration to guide him. Wake up - the man is incompetent! Quit building him up.
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On balance I don’t have a problem with Quin’s attempt at bringing moderation to this matter and several other posters have made equally good points both ways. As I have said before when Quin played the “moderator” role I don’t think it will matter in the long run.

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Barry| 12.16.11 @ 7:06AM

Being nice will not work against Obama's crowd.

If he thinks he can take absolute control without a shooting war, he will try to do just that.

We need to clearly communicate to him that we will not let him overthrow the government without a fight.

Pretty simple.