Weekend Must Reads

Sorry about the light blogging, lately. It’s been hectic the past couple of weeks, as my younger kids near the end of the school year,  with  my oldest daughter’s recent  graduation from high school,  and my oldest son back home from college, it’s been a whirlwind around here.

I did see some important stories, that I would love to develop further, but simply don’t have the time right now.

•A story that people are buzzing about, this weekend:

Proof of Communists Indoctrinating School Children in Chicago

This radical kids group: Chicago Youth Initiating Change (CYIC)…who funds them? It sounds exactly like the sort thing William Ayers and Mike Klonsky were into with their Small (commie) Schools Workshop, which was funded in part by the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, (chaired by Obama).

See RedState’s, Barack Obama, Bill Ayers and Mike Klonsky, The Three Marxist Amigos for more background on that.

For additional heartburn, check out the Teachers for Social Justice website. These Marxists are openly indoctrinating children and promoting The Howard Zinn Education Project…Yuck!

Another story that caught my eye:

•Michelle Malkin: The shady ShoreBank bailout

More economy destroying corruption, and cronyism, originating from where else but the Windy City, featuring the usual suspects.

See also: NRO’s Greg Pollowitz: The Van Jones – ShoreBank Connection?

•Dr. Zero pens another masterpiece (who is that man of mystery? Update - nevermind.): The feral vanguard:

In “The Necessary Enemy,” one of the first posts I wrote for Hot Air over a year ago, I made this point about the violent and desperate nature of socialism:

Increasing levels of coercion are necessary to expand the socialist system, and keep wealth producers trapped within it. To maintain popular support, the socialist needs voters to stay angry at designated class enemies. The Obama style of total government control over private businesses tends to turn feral with frightening speed, because it attempts to preserve the illusion of private enterprise, even as the “entrepreneurs” are enslaved to the total state.

The SEIU thugs laying siege to the home of a Bank of America executive are a demonstration of this principle.  So are the rioters in Greece, who have degenerated to murdering bank employees, instead of merely terrorizing them.

You might object that the SEIU goons weren’t representatives of the State, while the Greek rioters are supposedly an “anti-government” mob.  The truth is that American labor unions, and angry Greek pensioners, have become de facto arms of the State.  They are the feral vanguard of a collapsing system, using violence and intimidation to make it clear those not favorably connected to the political power structure will be sacrificed to preserve it, for as long as possible.

Read on….and fight on. We have to fight this. There’s no longer any doubt in my mind what they’re doing.

This is good, too:

Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Obama: He’s Better than Teflon — He’s a Democrat

That so needed to be said. The media double standard is almost too much to stomach at times.

MORE:

At AoSHQ, Slublog scores with an excellent post about the Obamas’ crass and clueless extravagance during a recession:

Great party, Mr. President. Oh, and you’re welcome.

Remember all the crap the MSM gave Bush for having the audacity to celebrate his inauguration with a party (during wartime tsk tsk)? They covered Obama’s  state dinner with Mexican President Calderon with stars in their eyes:

Of course state dinners are supposed to be special. But where the Obama/Calderon affair really hit the heights was in the festivities after the dinner, which took place in a huge tent — the word “tent” doesn’t quite do it justice — set up on the South lawn. As the AP reported:

“R&B diva Beyonce topped the entertainment bill for the dinner, taking place in the East Room of the White House, with the action later moving to a luxury marquee on the South Lawn of the presidential mansion. The marquee, the size of two-thirds of a football field, decked out in elaborate black decor and nightclub-style lighting, featured a stage and baskets of flowers and models of Monarch butterflies dangling from the ceiling.”

As Decaf noted in the comments – They we paid for a party celebrating the visit of a foreign leader who insulted one of our states in front of Congress.

See also, Doug Ross, who creatively juxtaposed pictures from the gala with economic news headlines.

Oh,  here you go, a  video, created by “granny Jan”, a commenter at Doug Ross’s place, if you need more visuals:

Video: Joe Sestak Answered Honestly

Someone else hasn’t answered at all.

As you may know, Joe Sestak claimed back in February, that the White House attempted to bribe him into quitting his primary Senate  race against Snarlin’ Arlen in PA,  by offering him a job, (slightly illegal).  Michelle Malkin has been covering the controversy since the very beginning, (see here, here,  here and her latest:  Eric “The Silent” Holder: Still stonewalling on Sestak, for more background.

I was surprised by the number of times Sestak has been asked this question by the MSM. They’ve been poking around…but not pursuing this story aggressively, as they should be.

Hat tip: Gabe at AoSHQ, who says “California Republican Darrell Issa posted this compilation of Sestak’s charges and months of Gibbsy’s refusals to answer yesterday”.

CA Rep. Tom McClintock’s Response To Mexican President Felipe Calderon

In case you missed it, Tom McClintock, CA dist  4, gave a great response to the the Mexican President’s address to Congress, and his cheer squad, the Dem Socialists who gave him standing Os.

Thanks to Retired Geezer.

Tingles *Hearts* Obama

Once again, Chris Matthews is in a snit about something Rush said. On Hardball, Thursday night, he  discussed the commentator, and his hero, Barack Obama with Jonathan Alter. Newsbusters has the transcript:

MATTHEWS: Welcome back to Hardball. The right wing has made it their mission, it seems, to undercut President Obama, to smear him at every chance. Rush Limbaugh has been leading the charge. Here’s some of Rush, just today.

(Begin clip)

RUSH LIMBAUGH: The Democrat Party, the American left, the President of the United States will destroy this party and destroy this country, in order to maintain their power over it. This is the kind of stuff that starts civil wars, folks. You want to know what happened to prosperity? It’s called liberalism. There’s a giant disconnect – liberalism from Americanism. What country does Barack Obama believe he is president of?

(End clip)

MATTHEWS: He’s unbelievable. Remember by the way, we have an open invitation to any Republican officeholder, any respectable one to come on this show and say Rush is wrong. That Rush is not the leader of the Republican Party. By the way you can pick your target. Any nuance you disagree with him on. Any small point, any peccadillo you find in this guy’s argument. Just come on and tell us you disagree with that. So far, nine days since we offered the challenge, no takers.

Anyway despite the noise, President Obama stays on an even keel. And it’s his cool calm reality that’s become his trademark. But can he always be this cool? Jonathan Alter has just written a big book. He examined President Obama’s first year in office with incredible, behind the scenes access. His new book, what a great name, The Promise. Jonathan, my man who studied with great effect Franklin Roosevelt, and the big guys.

Does he still…We have a lot of very pro-Obama viewers that watch this program, and some critics. And the question for the people with heart, and I’m one of them, with heart for this guy, and I’m a critic sometimes. If you have heart for Obama is it still possible that he could find greatness as president? Do you see it?

Watching Chris Matthews talk about the President is like watching a chick-flick about unrequited love. And I hate chick-flicks…especially this one.

By the way, it’s day nine of his challenge to Republicans to come on his show and bash Limbaugh, and still no takers.

AZ Immigration law-bashing President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon Speaks Before Congress – Gets Standing O From Democrats

Reuters Pictures

The Az law bashing President of Mexico got standing ovations from Democrats.

Fox News reports he took the occasion to “Slam Arizona Law” :

Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Thursday strongly denounced Arizona’s new law clamping down on illegal immigrants and urged members of Congress to pass “comprehensive immigration reform.”

“I’m convinced comprehensive immigration reform is crucial to securing our border,” Calderon said in the first address to Congress by a foreign national leader this year. “But I strongly disagree with the recently adopted law in Arizona.”

“It’s a law that not only ignores reality, but also introduces racial profiling as a basis for law enforcement,” he said.

Fox News reported earlier this morning:

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has been ripping into Arizona’s immigration law as he tours Washington — while appearing to disregard the way his own country cracks down on immigrants along Mexico’s southern border.

Mexico repeatedly has been cited by human rights groups for abusing or turning a blind eye to the abuse of migrants from Central America. Until recently, Mexican law made illegal immigration a criminal offense — anyone arrested for the violation could be fined, imprisoned for up to two years and deported. Mexican lawmakers changed that in 2008 to make illegal immigration a civil violation like it is in the United States, but their law still reads an awful lot like Arizona’s.

Arizona’s policy, which Calderon derided on Wednesday as “discriminatory,” requires law enforcement to try to determine the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant — provided they are already in contact with that person. They can’t randomly stop people and demand papers and the law prohibits racial profiling.

The Mexican law also states that law enforcement officials are “required to demand that foreigners prove their legal presence in the country before attending to any issues.”

Calderon, who plans to address members of Congress Thursday morning, was facing criticism on Capitol Hill for his remarks Wednesday ahead of the State Dinner at the White House.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, called Calderon’s comments inappropriate.

“It’s a little bit like inviting a guest over for dinner and then having them criticize the food,” he told Fox News. Smith wrote Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday to complain that Mexican officials have “crossed the line and are interfering in the internal affairs of the United States.”

Who’s idea was it for Calderon to speak before a joint session of  Congress? The AP reported the news after a private meeting with Obama.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon is taking his case for a fair and orderly overhaul of U.S. immigration policies to the people who can do something about it: members of Congress.

One day after private meetings with President Barack Obama and White House celebrations in his honor, Calderon pivots Thursday to Capitol Hill. He is addressing a joint meeting of Congress, where he is expected to push for immigration changes and emphasize the economic priorities linking the U.S. and Mexico.

Calderon’s state visit comes at a time of renewed furor over the flawed immigration system from Mexico into the United States. From border security troubles to questions about how to deal with the millions of illegal migrants living in the U.S., the immigration debate remains politically vexing, frustrating and volatile.

Obama is lobbying lawmakers to get moving on legislation that would seek to deal with the security, employment and citizenship issues all at once. But he concedes he doesn’t yet have the Republican support he would need to get such a complex deal done. Whether any progress will happen this year is unclear.

Stoking the matter is a new law approved by Arizona lawmakers and set to take effect July 29 unless derailed by legal challenges. It requires police, in the context of enforcing other laws, to question people about their immigration status if there’s reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.

Calderon calls that discriminatory, and Obama agrees the Arizona law could well be applied that way. He has ordered a Justice Department review. (They can start by actually reading the darn thing).

Mark Levin railed against the President of Mexico’s rank hypocrisy on his show, last night.

MORE:

See BigFurHat for his solution to the illegal immigration problem.

UPDATE:

Rebublicans react to Calderon’s  speech:

Weasel Zippers is on a roll…

GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch Rips Mexican President Calderon For Criticizing Arizona During Address to Congress…

Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn: Who is Calderon to Lecture Americans on Our Laws?..

GOP Congressman Says it’s “Not Right” for Mexican Prez to Come to America and Criticize Arizona – Video

CA Rep. Tom McClintock’s Response To Mexican President Felipe Caldron

See also:

Rush Limbaugh Blasts Mexican President for Hypocrisy in Attacks on Arizona Law – Audio

Hot Air Video: Democrats give Mexican president standing ovation for dumping on Arizona

Newsbusters:

Jack Cafferty Slams Obama, Mexico’s President For Arizona Law ‘Whining’

Linked by William Teach, Pirate’s Cove, and STCLU. thanks, guy!

Google Says Richard Blumenthal = Weasel

After Fred Thompson was the last of a long line of pundits to call the stolen valor PA Senate candidate, a (Lying) weasel, I thought I’d consult Google to see how many results I’d get if I typed in the words, “Richard Blumenthal weasel”.  The results were impressive…

7,640 results in .35 seconds:

“Richard Blumenthal crapweasel” does pretty well, too, with 1,160 results in .31 seconds.

Whoa...“Richard Blumenthal lying weasel“ brings 9,680 results.

The word is spreading fast, and it’s hard to see how Blumy weathers this storm.

Even Bill Press, (who’ll defend almost anything),  says he’s “dead in the water”.

You know Genius Envy would be defending him, if  he felt Dems were in *circle the wagon* mode.

MORE:

Jennifer Rubin begs to differ:

Of the many surprising political developments of the past year – Obama’s plummet in the polls, the passage of ObamaCare in the face of strong popular opposition, and the revival of the Republican Party — there is none so strikingly bizarre and self-destructive as Richard Blumenthal’s defiant press conference and the Democrats’ determination to rally around him. Former DNC head Howard Dean was among the latest to defend Blumenthal from the “hatchet job,” as he calls it, which exposed his repeated lies about Vietnam military service. The entire Democratic political establishment rallies to such a figure, circles the wagons, and, given the short timeline for coming up with a replacement, seems poised to risk the Connecticut Senate seat for such a character.

I didn’t have the impression they were circling the wagons, in fact some high profile Democrat pundits have harshly criticized Blumenthal. Who listens to Howard Dean, anymore?

MORE:

The Stamford Advocte reports:

Blumenthal tells different story in complete video:

In the full video of the event, Blumenthal first identifies himself as “someone who served in the military during the Vietnam-era in the Marine Corps.” The footage was obtained by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers Wednesday from the senior housing facility that hosted the 2008 event.

Blumenthal’s campaign claimed the footage, which was also obtained by other news sources, bolstered his assertion during a Tuesday news conference at a West Hartford VFW Hall that he has “misplaced words … on a few occasions out of hundreds that I have attended.” (See link for full video).

Weak. All that video proves is that he was savvy enough not to make  an outright claim, as in, “I served in Vietnam in the 3rd division”, which could be easily checked out. No, he chose to use weasel words. Instead, he’d say he served during the Vietnam era – and then later on say “we this and we that”….

He claims he did this on a few occasions (that were able to be found on YouTube) out of hundreds he attended.” Who how many times he did it. One thing is for sure, he allowed the misconception to go on for years.

UPDATE:

The News Times finds another damning example:

“I wore the uniform in Vietnam and many came back to all kinds of disrespect. Whatever we think of war, we owe the men and women of the armed forces our unconditional support.”

The occasion was the Stamford Veterans Day parade Nov. 9, 2008.

The speaker was Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, as quoted by The Advocate.

Now, those aren’t even weasel-words.  That there is an out and out lie.

Sweetness and Light Goes There

On no evidence at all, the cynical and suspicious minds over at Sweetness and Light are asking if the little Hispanic girl who, in a quivering voice, asked Mrs. Obama a question about immigration today at a New Hampshire elementary school, was a plant:

The student shyly raised her hand and said, “My mom … she says that Barack Obama is taking everybody away that doesn’t have papers.”

Mrs. Obama replied:”Yeah, well that’s something that we have to work on, right? To make sure that people can be here with the right kind of papers, right? That’s exactly right.”

The girl then said quietly, “But my mom doesn’t have any …” and trailed off.

Mrs. Obama replied: “Well, we have to work on that. We have to fix that, and everybody’s got to work together in Congress to make sure that happens. That’s right.”

I’m glad I’m not the only one with a cynical and suspicious mind…because I immediately thought the same thing. I couldn’t help it. Something bout it was just a little too precious.

What doesn’t ring true for me, is the fact that if you substitute  “Barack Obama” with “Republicans”, and she’s got the Dem talking point demagoguery  down to a tee, as propagated by Obama himself:

“now suddenly if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you can be harassed, that’s something that could potentially happen.”

Of course, if she had said “the evil Republicans” are taking away everybody who doesn’t have papers….” that would have looked too obvious.

I know it’s koo-koo crazy nuts to think this way.

But it wouldn’t be the first time an Obama had used a child plant to ask a question.

Obama’s Reverse Midas Touch + Lessons From Yesterday’s Elections

Graphic via Moonbattery

Michael Barone – Top 5 lessons from yesterday’s elections

1) Appropriators lost.

2) Tea tastes good.

3) The unambiguous 53%-44% victory of Democrat Mark Critz over Republican Tim Burns in the Pennsylvania 12 special election should be a caution to Republicans.

4) The left wing of the Democratic party is not rolling over and playing dead

5) Increasing polarization in our politics

End the Bailouts: A Greek Forum

IN Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, along with additional Members of Congress, are hosting: “End the Bailouts: A Greek Forum” with  leading economic experts. They’re  discussing the current situation in Greece and Europe, and the impact these bailouts have on the U.S. economy and its taxpayers.

Who:
House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (IN-6)
House Republican Conference Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX-5)
Additional House Republicans

Panelists:
Mr. Marvin Goodfriend, Carnegie Mellon University
Mr. Donald Marron, Georgetown University
Mr. Randy Quarles, Carlyle Group
Mr. Paul Singer, Elliott Associates

When:
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Forum: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Press Conference: 12:30 p.m.

Where:
U.S. Capitol
House Vistors Center
Room 201 AB

Press Conference:
U.S. Capitol
House Visitors Center
Room 114, Studio A

Note: There will be LIVE blogging at the event. If you’re a blogger and would like to attend please rsvp with Ericka.Andersen@mail.house.gov.

Additional Information: Last week, Representatives Mike Pence and Cathy McMorris Rodgers introduced H.R. 5299, legislation which would put restrictions on U.S. tax dollars from being used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for bailouts for European countries. Original cosponsors include: Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee Rep. Jerry Lewis, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, and Rep. Kay Granger.

Livestreaming, here.

MORE from the GOP House Conference:

Top 10 Consequences of Democrats’ Budget Failure

AlGore Delivers The Most Boring And Depressing Commencement Speech In History

Al Gore gave the Commencement at the University of Tennessee, May 14. The Board of Trustees called it  “an uplifting message”

See what you think:

Video courtesy of  Americans For Prosperity, via Weasel Zippers.

I certainly hope the grads’ parties were “eco friendly” after all that. My goodness.

Not to be outdone,  the First Lady, Michelle Obama, gave this depressing  clunker on May 16:

Do all Democrats give horrendous commencement speeches?

Another One In The Obama Administration Who Hasn’t Read The AZ Immigration Bill

You can add Asst. Sec. of  State, P. J. Crowley to the growing list of  high level Bush Obama! officials who have been highly critical of the AZ Immigration law, and who haven’t read the bill. First, it was “Eric The Silent”, or (Eric the Red, if you prefer), who sheepishly admitted that he hadn’t actually read the thing. Then, predictably, Napolitano, under questioning couldn’t claim to have read the bill, either. And now this fool, who was put  in the difficult position of having to defend Stephen Posner’s disgusting apologia for the AZ law to the Chinese, on Fox.

Michelle Malkin says this “makes him the 999th member of the Obama administration to admit complete ignorance of the object of his outrage. Or maybe he’s the 1,000th”…but she may be exaggerating :

Related:

Sarracuda piled on, today, as well:

American Apology Tour Continues

On Fox News this morning, State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley became the third Obama administration official in short succession to admit that he hadn’t actually bothered to read Arizona’s 10-page long “secure the border” bill before condemning it and criticizing Americans who support Arizona’s necessary efforts to do the job the Obama Administration should be doing. Crowley’s statement follows similar admissions from Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

At first blush this revelation seemed unbelievable, but maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. This now seems “the Washington way” of doing things. If the party in power tells us they have to pass bills in order to find out what’s actually in them, they can also criticize bills (and divide the country with ensuing rhetoric) without actually reading them.

Still I can’t help but feel outraged on behalf of Arizona’s citizens for the incompetence shown by these Administration officials. Arizonans have the courage to do what the Obama administration has failed to do in its first year and a half in office – namely secure our border and enforce our federal laws. And as a result, Arizonans have been subjected to a campaign of baseless accusations by the same people who freely admit they haven’t a clue about what they’re actually campaigning against.

The absolute low point of this campaign came last Friday, when a U.S. State Department delegation met with Chinese negotiators to discuss human rights.

Rrrraarrr!

Marc Thiessen Debates Progressive National Security Schmo On Fox

They dueled over the question of cuts in NYC security funding.

Marc Thiessen needs no introduction, but if you’re like me, you’re wondering, “so who’s this Jon Powers (with his smarmy ‘ they put $100,000,00 in the stimulus bill, which unfortunately Republicans opposed’, crapola) and what’s The Truman National Security Project”?

Consulting Wikipedia, I found:

Powers served as an artillery platoon leader in the 1st Armored Division, and later as the Battalion Commander’s Adjutant in Baghdad and Najaf. Captain Powers commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Rabena, described Powers as “one of the most talented officers I have known in twenty-two years of service in the Army.” Rabena went on to say that Powers possesses “extraordinary management skills, leadership, and unmatched talent to accomplish the most difficult tasks with minimal guidance.”

Powers returned from Iraq with the intention of becoming a social studies teacher in Clarence public schools. Because of his experience in Iraq, however, he returned to Baghdad and founded the non-profit organization War Kids Relief.

In 2007, Powers decided to run for Congress in New York’s 26th congressional district. Powers received the endorsement of the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. In a three-way primary for the Democratic nomination, Powers and rival Jack Davis, who had been the Democratic nominee in 2004 and 2006, released a series of negative ads targeting one another. The third candidate, Alice Kryzan claimed the Democratic nomination on September 9th, 2008. Powers remained the nominee of the Working Families Party despite his efforts to have his name removed from the ballot and his endorsement of Kryzan. Kryzan was defeated by businessman Chris Lee in the general election.

The entry is under dispute because of the lack of citations, however. Hm.

The Truman National Security Project is “a national security leadership institute, the nation’s only organization that recruits, trains, and positions a new generation of progressives across America to lead on national security”.

Progressive national security. There’s an oxymoron for you.

Bootcamps are specialized trainings including communications and messaging workshops, seminars on working with the military and veterans, and current issues.

Liberals are always very concerned with “messaging”, aren’t they?

Here’s an example of TNSP in action, last year, prior to the Climate change conference in Copenhagen, via The Politico:

Tying climate change to national security

This week, Operation Free, a coalition of national security and veterans organizations, is sending a group of Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans on a 21-state, biodiesel-fueled bus tour to promote the message that climate change could hurt American security. The group was launched in August, a month after the House passed the climate and energy bill.

And Votevets, a left-leaning veterans group, bought $500,000 worth of radio ads featuring Iraq war veterans making the case that the climate bill would help the country become more energy independent and less reliant on oil from the Middle East.

“It’s not just a question of American energy; it’s a question of American power,” concludes the ad.

Some conservative Democrats who voted for the climate legislation in the House faced a backlash against the bill when they went home to their districts over the July 4 recess. Democratic leaders believe that a national security message could give their vulnerable members another line of defense to explain their vote in next year’s elections.

“If you talk about climate change in a way that discusses fragile states that are very vulnerable to its impacts, people realize that it’s our troops that will have to respond,” said John Powers, chief operating officer at the progressive Truman National Security Project, a member of Operation Free.

Climate change, say the organizers, threatens the security of U.S. borders and the country’s food and water supply. Failure to act, they say, could weaken America’s position in the world and the country’s credibility among allies.

In September, Operation Free organized a group of more than 150 veterans from across the country to visit Senate offices and the White House to raise awareness of the national security threats of climate change. They were joined by former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), who had also served as Navy secretary and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Warner, along with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), sponsored a climate bill last year.

This appears to me to be just another group set up to promote a leftist agenda.

I Will Not Be Forced To Link To Huffpo

I’m sure the feeling’s mutual.

I was tempted to title this post Pssssst…Sunstein – Don’t Give Him Any Ideas, like I did with my Woody Allen, and Chris Matthews posts.  All three have incredibly insane, and risible ideas about how the government should be run. But the horrifying reality, in this case, is, Sunstein isn’t a nutty Hollyweirdo, or MSNBC pundit -  he’s paid by us, the taxpayers……..to give the President ideas.

Breitbart TV:

Uncovered Audio: Obama’s Regulatory Czar Pushes Creepy Plan for Legally Controlling Internet Information

What’s this nutjob doing anywhere near the reins of power?

Game Over For Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal – Senate Now Up For Grabs

Dump Blumy can close shop, and go home. It’s ovah for this candidate. In case you’ve missed the bombshell that exploded in the news, last night – the man who was running for Chris Dodd’s Senate seat, and was leading by 20 percentage points in the polls, has been outed as a phony soldier. The NYT’s broke the story, last night, that Blumenthal had claimed on a number of occasions, (while speaking before veterans groups), that he was a Vietnam War Vet, when in fact, he merely served in the Reserves, where he took part in death defying feats such as passing out Toys For Tots, and only after five deferments. What makes him all the more crapweaselly, is the fact that he lied about  it in the context of making himself look like a victim, which you can see in the video at Hot Air. Captain Ed  notes:

Not only was Blumenthal taking credit for serving in Vietnam falsely, he was framing it in a way to make himself part of the victim class.  Blumenthal’s argument in this passage was to remind everyone that America treated its returning veterans from Vietnam badly (and then oddly included WWII and Korean War vets) — and that he himself was part of that group.

And he didn’t do it just once or twice, but a a number of occasions. Ed speaks for most when he says:

It’s one kind of dishonest to burnish one’s military record with claims of battles never fought.  Falsely claiming victimhood as a consequence of those lies is something else entirely, and much more creepy than the former.   Blumenthal plans on appearing later today with veterans supporting his campaign.  I’d guess that to be a rapidly-declining group, especially as this video and other reports make the rounds.

A Republican opponent, Linda McMahon is taking credit for feeding the Times the story found through opposition research, although the candidate most likely to benefit is
Rob Simmons, a highly decorated actual Vietnam veteran.

That long-shot chance for Republicans to take both Houses this Fall, just became a more distinct possibility.

The Dems have until May 25, to find another candidate, and according  to the Wall Street Journal, via Captain Ed, Blumenthal is staying in.

RELATED:

I was surprised to hear this particular candidate described as “brilliant”, after seeing him in action on the Glenn Beck Show, last year trying to explain his actions against AIG. His epic weaseldom was the reason this video went viral:

See also:

The Washington Post: Vietnam allegations threaten frontrunning Blumenthal in CT-Senate

Where was this watchdog media during the 2008, election?

Michelle Malkin: The Left, bogus war stories, and the NYTimes

Michelle reminds us, “Swiftboating” = telling the truth about a Democrat.

I think it was Ann Coulter who coined that one.

UPDATE:

How fitting.

It looks like Blumenthal held his presser, today in the company of another phony soldier, a man listed on  POW Network’s Phony Vets Database.

The New Haven Independent reports, via Gateway Pundit, that Blumenthal called supporter Storm who helped him out today.

Elliott Storm is a Blumenthal supporter. The campaign called him and asked him to show up; he called up his friends in the “Vet Pack” to join him, friends who, like him, travel around the country talking about ex-soldiers who contend with post traumatic stress syndrome.

Like I said…OH-VAH

Psssst…Chrissy – Don’t Give Him Any Ideas…

What did I just tell you? They’re not even hiding it, anymore…

liberals + Totalitarianism = Utopia

Only they know what’s best for us. Only the Government can fix things.

Newsbusters reports:

Last week an agitated Chris Matthews tried to hold Dick Cheney accountable for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and this week Matthews is demanding action from President Obama, as the Hardball host pushed the President to nationalize the oil industry to solve the problem. On Monday’s Hardball a visibly angry Matthews demanded Obama go after BP: “Why doesn’t the President go in there, nationalize an industry and get the job done for the people?” and pointed out that in China they would have a much harsher response to BP: “They execute people for this. Major industrial leaders that commit crimes like this.”

Matthews even took aim at the entire capitalist system, as over video of the oil slick, he sarcastically mocked: “Everybody says ‘Capitalism is great. Unbridled free enterprise is great.’ Look at it! This is great, isn’t it?!” [audio available here]

You can read the transcript at Newsbusters.

Down with capitalism! Booooo! Booooo! Boooooooo!