Hump Day Link Around – The Tide Is Turning….

Ramirez Cartoon via Powerline: His Nose Keeps Getting Longer:

Over the last 24 hours, I have been contemplating a post on the Obama administration’s scandals. “Scandals?” you may ask. “What scandals?” Well, sure, if you are a New York Times reader you may not be aware of them. And normally an administration doesn’t get knee-deep in scandal until its second term, which Barack Obama isn’t likely to enjoy. But if you step back from the daily spin of the news cycle for a moment–sort of like watching a boxing match with the sound turned off–you might conclude that the Obama administration has been more scandal-ridden than most people realize.

That’s partly because of MSM attempts to sell the Obama administration as the most scandal-free administration ever. Conservatives laughed hysterically at that notion, last Fall, when certain Obama psychophants were peddling it, but it’s a notion that many low info voters retain, even now.

But the tide is turning….how many more “bad weeks” can this administration sustain before his re election effort is declared dead in the water?

Katie Pavlich, Townhall: Powerful New Ad Slams President Obama Over Lethal Fast and Furious Operation:

American Future Fund is out with a new ad hitting President Obama directly for his refusal to take responsibility and to hold Attorney General Eric Holder accountable for his role in the lethal Operation Fast and Furious. The ad comes just one day after former U.S. Attorney, Texas Supreme Court Justice and current U.S. Senator John Cornyn called for Holder’s resignation and just one week before the House Oversight Committee will vote to hold Holder in Contempt of Congress for his ongoing stonewalling of the investigation.

Watch the ad at the link.

Shark Tank: Obama’s Racially Divisive Campaign for the Hispanic Vote:

The Obama administration and its Progressive supporters within the Democrat Party are waging a race-based full court press on a number fronts in a desperate attempt of salvaging this coming election for President Obama.No efforts have been made by the Department of Justice to address the directed threats and the bounty that was put on the head of George Zimmerman by the Black Panthers. Zimmerman was involved in the shooting of Trayvon Martin last February, and the subsequent coordinated efforts by Democrats to politicize the shooting and drive a false media narrative were nothing less than a desperate attempt to curry favor with black voters.

El Sharko, under the cover of ‘Operation Black Button’, attended a panel discussion about Progressive efforts to reach out to the ‘Latino’ community, and win their votes at the Netroots gathering in Providence, Rhode Island, last weekend.

I can honestly say that I attended the meeting with an open mind, but within ten minutes of listening to the discussion, it was clear to me that their plan to approach Hispanics was to racially divide and conquer.

You can watch his video at the link.

Jim Geraghty, Campaign Spot: Moving On from MoveOn.org:

According to documents filed with the FEC, MoveOn.org Political Action raised $9.1 million in contributions from January 2011 to March 31, 2012. In that same period, the group spent $10.5 million, and it has $2.75 million left in cash on hand.

DaTechGuy: The Black Voter Dam Breaks:

Now one could look at this in several ways:

1. The Black Community, thanks to the election of President Obama “breaking the dam” have now gone beyond “Race” as the only factor for picking a president and it’s about time too. (If polls showed only 20% of whites willing to vote for a non-white candidate it would be a considered a sign of racism).

2. The economy is so bad that the Black Community is willing to make an exception in this case (think of Norway & Quisling on a much less serious scale).

3. Gay Marriage has changed the equation. Maggie Gallagher at NRO looks at the numbers and says:

Continue reading at the link.

Gateway Pundit: That Sucking Sound Is Not Just the Economy… It’s Obama’s Polling Numbers:

Obama Is Losing A Stunning Amount Of African-American Support In North Carolina

Obama’s White Base Shows Cracks Compared With 2008

Wall Street’s vote: Romney by a landslide

Obama’s ratings sink on economic doubts

A Chilly Reception from Independents on Obama’s Plans for the Economy

Obama’s Jewish Support Drops 22 Points in New York

And yet… Barack Obama still believes the American people agree with his destructive vision for the country.

Weasel Zippers:Wisconsin: Mitt 47%, Preezy Obama 44%:

(Rasmussen Reports) — Mitt Romney now leads President Obama for the first time in Wisconsin where the president’s support has fallen to its lowest level to date.

Is it possible that the Democrats’ recall efforts have been counterproductive to their goals?

JWF: Failed President’s Approval Ratings Plummet:

He’s doing fine, if you consider facing the prospect of a landslide loss as positive news.

President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have dipped to their lowest level since January on deep economic worries, wiping out most of his lead in the White House race over Republican rival Mitt Romney, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Tuesday.

Ace of Spades: The Crying Guy: “Democracy Is Dead” Guy Calls Up Conservative Talk Show

Heeeheehee – Epic schadenfreude at the link…

Washington Times: Border agency overextended on drone program:

The Homeland Security Department ordered so many drones it can’t keep them all flying and doesn’t have a good plan for how to use them, according to a new audit the department’s inspector general released Monday.

In a blunt assessment, investigators said Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Air and Marine has a fleet of nine “unmanned aircraft systems” and is awaiting a 10th — though it doesn’t have enough ground support and doesn’t have a good plan for prioritizing missions.

“CBP procured unmanned aircraft before implementing adequate plans,” the investigators said.

What’s Obama planning to do with all of those drones?

The Hill: Sen. Paul proposes bill protecting Americans from drone surveillance:

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday introduced the Preserving Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act, which would require the government to get a warrant before using aerial drones to surveil U.S. citizens.

More broadly, Paul’s bill is aimed at preventing “unwarranted governmental intrusion” through the use of drones, according to the lawmaker.

Life News reports: House Stops Obama Admin From Funding Illegal Immigrants’ Abortions:

Last week, the House of Representatives voted to stop the Obama administration from arranging abortions at taxpayer expense for illegal immigrants who are detained by customs officials.

As LifeNews has reported, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the division of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for enforcing the nation’s immigration laws, is the agency that is paying for some abortions at taxpayer expense and arranging for the abortions for the illegal immigrants.

For all the latest on L’affaire de Kimberlin, see RS McCain:

‘Team Kimberlin’ Meltdown Continues

A High Time on the Low Road: Smears Target Brett Kimberlin’s Enemies List UPDATE: SWATting Supect ID’d?

Time to Ask: What Did Brett Kimberlin Know and When Did He Know It?

Following up on the tipster who tells Brooks Baynes he has identified one of Neal Rauhauser’s “beandogs” as a prime suspect in the SWATting of conservatives, please take time to examine — also via Brooks Bayne — the e-mail Rauhauser sent to SWATting victim Mike Stack on May 24.

The Trenches: BREAKING: Witness Claims To Know The Identity Of The SWATter – Is This Rauhauser’s Beandog?

A couple of caveats – we spent a good portion of the evening making sure that there was at least plausibility with regard to this allegation. As an organization, we at The Trenches fully support the rule of law, and we would never want to see anyone unjustly accused of a crime that they didn’t commit.

The witness refers to himself as Danny Shays (we’ve not been able to verify that this is his legal name), and he contacted us recently with the following allegation. Danny claims that he’s spoken to the alleged SWATter on two separate occasions. The man’s voice he identified in the recent 911 SWATting calls, reported on extensively by Robert Stacy McCain, Patrick Frey, and Aaron Worthing, is allegedly, Brett Warren, of Maitland, FL, who goes by the handle @solaar on Twitter.

Mr. Shays states that he is willing to swear an affidavit testifying that he has no doubt that the voice on the calls is not Ron Brynaert, as many others have claimed. He is certain that the SWATter is Mr. Warren.

UPDATE: Patterico: Brett Kimberlin-Associated Site Breitbart Unmasked Claims to Take the “High Road”

More on the low road from Stacy McCain. By the way: ignore the update about a SWATting suspect. It does not sound like the SWATter and in my opinion this angle convolutes the story. Keep in mind that Rauhauser himself is pushing the notion that the SWATter is some anonymous “beandog.” That alone should make you suspicious.

UPDATE x2: I think it’s worth noting that some of the most outrageous stuff never even gets reported, because it’s so outrageous that people don’t want it reported. Trust me on this: there is thuggery a’plenty that you haven’t even heard about, and certain Big Media reporters are scared to write about Kimberlin for fear of retribution.

 John Hawkins, RWN: My latest Townhall column is called, 7 Ways Conservative Activists Are Harassed By The Left:

The harassment that seems to follow people who get caught in the crosshairs of Speedway bomber Brett Kimberlin has started to put a spotlight on the staggering level of abuse that many activists, columnists, and bloggers on the Right have to endure just to exercise their First Amendment rights. If liberals had to deal with 1/10 of the same amount of harassment that conservatives do, it would be a front page story in every major paper in America and Barack Obama would be giving speeches about it.

One conservative activist who has been under fire is The National Blogger’s Club’s  Ali Akbar. Lot’s of confusing misinformation has been published online concerning his criminal record which amounts to two youthful indiscretions committed within a three month period. Ali has been setting the record straight on his Facebook page:

My mistake, Brett Kimberlin, and attacks on my mother…

One night, a friend asked to be taken to work, but first he wanted to stop by the ATM. I was “the guy with the car,” so after dropping off my other friends, I rushed him to the ATM. He was already late to work, and had become irritated. He had a bad temper so my goal was to simply keep the situation calm and under control. He kept sliding the card through, typed in his pin, but for whatever reason he couldn’t get funds out. On the drive to drop him off he explained to me that it was not his card. It belonged to his previous roommate and he said the person owed him money. Shame and horror fell over me—and it still does.

Although no funds were withdrawn, a crime was committed and it was the second run in with this very same friend. And I stayed silent. A few months later, after I had gotten back on my feet and reconciled with my family, I learned a valuable lesson when detectives came to my door: actions have consequences—no matter how far down the road. Pridefully, I refused my mother’s advice and was uncooperative with the police. I refused to turn in my friend, so I became an associate. I broke my mother’s heart and undermined the work she had done in the legal community over the years—not to mention a lifetime of raising her son to be a better man.

Thank God, the judicial system was kind—and although there’s a horrible mugshot of me, I was treated well—better than I thought I deserved. We separated two instances over the course of a year. The Judge, assistant District Attorney, and my lawyers gathered in a room and worked out an arrangement. They shielded me from the shame of being herded around in the system or sent to jail. My work in the community and my academic record bought me a little goodwill. Despite all this, I was still charged with felony theft.

Dear Brett Kimberlin:

Now yes, I had a several month stint around the time I turned 21 where I was drinking, partying, and did some very stupid things. I dropped out of bible college, left the ministry, dropped out of the University of North Texas and was estranged from my family. I largely hurt myself, embarrassed my mother. I’ve never hidden this and on a near daily basis, I’m reminded of how it has hindered my future. Because of those childish few months and 2 cases that ended up being tried a year apart, I cannot do everything people of my age can do. I carry baggage that’ll follow me. I understand all of this.

I’ve never been violent. I’ve never stolen from an individual. I don’t lie. I’m the same man who supports Meals on Wheels in north Texas, who donated over 1 ton of food to St. Mary’s in Savannah over the past two years, who rallied with some of my readers to raise $750 to feed the homeless in Boston when Occupy protests interrupted their food drive, who challenged Morgan Freeman and Soledad O’Brien when they screamed racism about my political ideology. I was a part of that small skeleton crew (along with Eric Odom, Amy Kremer, Jenny Beth Martin, and two dozen others) that ran TaxDayTeaParty.com and organized 81 cities for some of the first Tea Party rallies. I am Ali A. Akbar.

You, well you blew up a man’s body part. He committed suicide because of you. Have some shame. This is true evil.

You’ve probably destroyed part of my career — maybe all of it. In this time though, my friends have been enduring. The ACLJ has rush to the defense of bloggers everywhere. Prominent commentators and members of Congress have decided to associate themselves with this cause.

I have no doubt that Ali will have a long career in the conservative movement. He has never lied when seeking work – his business partners have always known about his past.

Twitchy: Politico: Hey, you know what’s hilarious? SWAT-ting; Update: Silence from Politico:

Politico was finally shamed into reporting on political terrorism and the life-threatening tactic of SWAT-ting. How did they “report” it? As a little “hoax” and an “elaborate practical joke.” No, really.

***

From the Politico article:

Conservative bloggers are the new targets of a series of “SWAT-ing” attacks — a decade-old hoax used to draw a SWAT team to the door of a political enemy.

It’s a bizarre series of events that’s consuming prominent conservative web sites, pitting conservative writers against a former federal convict — or his backers — who says he isn’t even familiar with SWAT-ing: an elaborate practical joke in which SWAT teams are falsely sent to someone’s home after a violent crime is reported. Those behind the SWAT-ing often mask their actual phone numbers, making the calls appear to originate from within the victim’s home.

Beginning in July 2011, prominent conservative bloggers like Erick Erickson of Redstate.com and Patrick Frey of Patterico’s Pontifications say that police began receiving the prank phone calls that triggered their actions. A short time afterwards, SWAT teams were on their doorsteps.

Side-splitting, huh, Politico? Just a little prank! Shorter Politico: “What? It’s just like Punk’d or something! Rubes!”

Only, you know, not so much; it is an act of political terrorism with potentially life-threatening results.

Blogger Ace of Spades and other conservatives on Twitter rightly take Politico to task.

Read the tweets at the link.

If you ‘re not yet reading Twitchy on a daily basis, you’re missing out.

And guess what? Michelle Malkin has just made reading Twitchy easier: The Twitchy iPad app is here!

El Sooper: Stupid Liberals Call For Political Hashtag War, Conservatives Destroy Them:

Twitter has become the battleground for politics for many of us, and the war is being waged via hashtag games. But who’s really winning?

From my vantage point, it’s hard not to think that Conservatives are destroying Liberals, but it’s good to have actual analytical evidence to prove it. Today presented a great opportunity as we had nearly identical hashtag games trying to ridicule each other: #ConservatismIn4Words and #LiberalismIn4Words.

The Daily Caller reports: Tax-exempt Media Matters ramps up support for Obama during election year

In recent weeks, peak Obama mentions on the Media Matters website revolved around the issues for which the president has taken the heaviest political fire:

Bloggers are also noticing an uptick in the numbers of MM disciples in their comment sections.

AoSHQ: If You Keep Hearing Calls For Bipartisanship, It Must Mean the Democrats Are Losing:

Good think piece from Kaus, about “bipartisanship.”

He questions the liberal conventional wisdom which inevitably emerges when Democrats lose power — that real solutions must come from the center.

Note, before I get back to him, when Democrats are in power, solutions will come from the Democrats; it’s only when they lose power that they begin urging that their Plan B, “compromise from the center,” is so wonderful.

You did not hear much about this Plan B when the Democrats were ramming through ObamaCare on a party-line vote. (Not even party-line, actually — Democrats joined the Republicans in opposition, but no Republicans crossed over to support ObamaCare.)

When they had sole power in Congress, they spoke of never letting a crisis go to waste, and of their “mandate.” They continued speaking of their “mandate” even when the public informed them, in rally after rally and poll after poll, that they were not in fact given a mandate to take over the health care system.

But now they’re losing, and Plan A (Democratic partisan power) is out the window, so only now do they turn to Plan B (why won’t these Republicans agree on some compromise centrist positions)?

So it works like this: When Democrats have all the power, they should exercise it without seeking a centrist compromise with the right; when they lose power, they insist Republicans have no right to behave as they themselves did, and must compromise with the Democrats on everything.

Speaking of today’s Democrat party….

Cliff Kincaid, AIM: Communist Defector Speaks Out on America’s Marxist Future:

A top communist defector is warning of an unprecedented “alliance” between the Democratic Party and the Communist Party, reflected in the CPUSA’s endorsement of Barack Obama for president in 2008 and the party’s continued support for Democratic Party policies. But is this warning going to be too hot to handle for the media? And the Republicans?

Lt. Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa, the highest-ranking official ever to have defected from the former Soviet bloc, says in an article for PJMedia that any doubt that the Democratic and the Communist parties had secretly joined forces was erased in 2009, “when Van Jones, part of a left fringe of declared communists, became the White House’s green jobs czar.”

Read it all. It’s striking how defectors from Communist countries are able to recognize today’s Dem party and Obama for what they are.

There is a continuing debate on the right about how to handle what we all know to be true – that Obama and the people who are propping him up are Marxists hellbent on fundamentally transforming this nation into a Socialist State.. The establishment fears that independent voters, who want to like Obama, will be turned off by that message, so instead,  they just focus on his abysmal record.

Big Government has been leading the way in fully vetting Obama this time around so people of all political stripes understand what we’re dealing with:  Campaign Disputes Documents, Claims Obama Never Joined New Party:

This week the Obama campaign decided to double down on a claim about the President’s past involvement in a social democratic party in the mid-’90s. In 2008 when Stanley Kurtz first raised the issue, the campaign labeled it a “crackpot smear.” Now, despite two newly discovered documents that prove Obama joined the New Party in 1996, his campaign is still maintaining Obama was not a member.

The two documents were dug up by Stanley Kurtz last week and published at Buzzfeed yesterday. As previously reported, minutes of a January 11, 1996 meeting plainly state that Obama attended, spoke, answered questions, asked for an endorsement, signed a “Candidate Contract” and “joined the New Party.”

When the Obama campaign calls something a “crack-pot smear” that should be your clue that it is absolutely true.

Dana Perino recently said on Hannity (8:00 min. in) that Team Obama wanted to be the underdog in this election, and it looks like they’re getting their wish. But  she also said to watch for stories starting in July that will herald Obama’s amazing recovery – how he’s got his groove back, etc. But the way things are going for them, that is faint hope, indeed. All the media spinning in the world may not be able to save this sinking ship.

Linked by Michelle Malkin, and Ace,  thanks!