Wilford Brimley To Breath Life Into McCain Campaign

Well, he is on the list of Republican celebrities. Which ain’t exactly surprising.

Wilford Brimley, the Marine turned actor turned oatmeal pitchman, will be traveling on the bus for Sen. John McCain.

“The reason I’m here is because I think John McCain is a good, honest, patriotic American. He’s proven that with his actions,” said the gruff Brimley, trying to eat a bowl of Grape Nuts clam chowder while hanging out with several of McCain’s other Marine backers.

Asked what he thought of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s criticisms of McCain, Brimley was notably blunt: “I’m not concerned about any of this silliness.”

Heh!

Here’s Brimley’s My Space page (unless it’s an imposter).

He has Delta Burke, A former Amish guy, Charles Bronson, and a toilet seat listed as friends along with over 3000 others. Does that sound right?

On his personal details, he lists himself as “swinger”.

And

“5′ 9″/ some extra baggage”, for his body type.

I’m not sure about the “swinger” part, but the body type sounds about right.

Wikipedia lists his birth date as September 27, 1934, making him 73 years old. His My Space page has him at 82, which actually sounds more like it, but one of his My Space friends is listed as Charles Bronson, who died in 2003….sooo…..anyhooo…

Adam Gadahn Back

Last week some bloggers (like me) were wondering what the chubby, former American jihadi was up to.

Well, he’s about to make an appearance: 

Adam Gadahn, an American Christian convert to Islam has announced a new video message from is coming from al Qaeda.

The message will be the first message from the organization in 2008.

“Coming soon by the will of God, an invitation to reflection and repentance,” read the banner produced by al-Sahab, al-Qaeda’s media wing, and displayed on a militant web site.

Repentence? Perhaps…I’ll bet his parents are sorry they ever produced this p.o.s.

Gadahn is the first American charged with treason since 1952.

Counter-Jihad Pentagon Specialist Fired: Pressure From Islamists Blamed

Here’s an important story being covered by Atlas Shrugs; easy to miss in the midst of all the political news:

From Bill Gertz’s Inside The Ring:

Coughlin sacked

Stephen Coughlin, the Pentagon specialist on Islamic law and Islamist extremism, has been fired from his position on the military’s Joint Staff. The action followed a report in this space last week revealing opposition to his work for the military by pro-Muslim officials within the office of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England.

Mr. Coughlin was notified this week that his contract with the Joint Staff will end in March, effectively halting the career of one of the U.S. government’s most important figures in analyzing the nature of extremism and ultimately preparing to wage ideological war against it.

He had run afoul of a key aide to Mr. England, Hasham Islam, who confronted Mr. Coughlin during a meeting several weeks ago when Mr. Islam sought to have Mr. Coughlin soften his views on Islamist extremism.

Mr. Coughlin was accused directly by Mr. Islam of being a Christian zealot or extremist “with a pen,” according to defense officials. Mr. Coughlin appears to have become one of the first casualties in the war of ideas with Islamism.

The officials said Mr. Coughlin was let go because he had become “too hot” or controversial within the Pentagon.

Misguided Pentagon officials, including Mr. Islam and Mr. England, have initiated an aggressive “outreach” program to U.S. Muslim groups that critics say is lending credibility to what has been identified as a budding support network for Islamist extremists, including front groups for the radical Muslim Brotherhood.

More at Atlas Shrugs.

Not good. Not good at all.

UPDATE: 

Other bloggers posting about this travesty:

Ace of Spades 

Hot Air 

Jawa Report: 

Jihad Watch 

Muslims Against Sharia 

Right Truth 

This Is Why They Call Him ‘The Messiah’

Holy mackerel!

Check out Ezra Klein in the American Prospect:

I’ve been blessed to hear many great orations. I was in the audience when Howard Dean gave his famous address challenging the Democratic Party to rediscover courage and return to principle. I have heard Bill Clinton speak of a place called Hope, and listened to John Edwards bravely channel the populism that American politics so often suppresses. Some of those politicians mirrored my beliefs better than Obama does. Some of their speeches were more declarative and immediate in their passion. But none achieve quite what Obama, at his best, creates.

Obama’s finest speeches do not excite. They do not inform. They don’t even really inspire. They elevate. They enmesh you in a grander moment, as if history has stopped flowing passively by, and, just for an instant, contracted around you, made you aware of its presence, and your role in it. He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh, over color, over despair. The other great leaders I’ve heard guide us towards a better politics, but Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves, to the place where America exists as a glittering ideal, and where we, its honored inhabitants, seem capable of achieving it, and thus of sharing in its meaning and transcendence.

Good Lord!

(And I don’t mean Obama).

Hat Tip: The Corner via Hot Air Headlines

UPDATE:

Did you know that the Obamessiah was strongly against the partial birth abortion ban? Did you further know that the he has met with commie fat-cat, George Soros to talk about funding?

This man does not walk on water!

Hat Tip: Smooth Stone for that last bit.

Fred?

Nevemind the others….what are the pundits saying about Fred!’s 3rd place showing in the Iowa Caucus?

John F. Harris and Jonathan Martin, The Politico:

Fred Thompson had said in recent days that he needed to come out with a second place finish. His third place has some of his own advisers estimating that he has only days left in the race, because he has little money and little prospect for a comeback.

Many confidants expect he will eventually endose McCain. But the former Tennessee senator has not yet made his intentions clear. In part, his fate will depend on his own appetite for punishment and willingness to invest personal effort in a long-shot candidacy.

Lisa Schiffren, The Corner:

…Bla bla bla…and Thompson is out for financial reasons — well they all still have the same flaws they had yesterday…bla bla bla…

Not so fast, toots.

Jim Geraghty, Campaign Spot:

Fred Thompson: You’re alive, although tonight could have, and should have, gone a lot better for you. Stick around. Romney just played javelin receiver, Rudy and Huckabee will split the party, and a lot of conservatives aren’t sure if they trust McCain. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, push hard in every state as you pushed in Iowa, and you may end up being the guy who has to save the party from the historic error represented by… one of the other guys.

Jay Cost, RealClearPolitics:

Fred Thompson is finished. Absolutely, positively finished. The reason? He has no more money – which is the reason all candidates drop out. And this defeat tonight is not going to get him any cash. The big Thompson question on my mind: if he drops out and endorses McCain, does that swing the 14% or so of South Carolinians who currently support Thompson?

Ouch, dude.

Slublog over at AOSHQ:

How can I say Thompson finished surprisingly strong? Well, I think third place is strong enough to keep him in for now, especially considering Huckabee’s win. At this point, economic and national security cons are going to be desperate now for someone they can unify behind in SC. If Thompson plays his cards right, and campaigns like the wind, he stands a good chance of being that guy.

Geoff at Uncommon Misconceptions:

Fred!. Mesablue makes an outstanding point, with the help of a commenter from Ace, on the lack of organization in the Thompson campaign. He really needs to pull it together, or, more specifically, his campaign manager, Bill Lacy, needs to pull it together. A campaign’s organization is a reflection of the candidate’s managerial skills – an area I’ve always worried about with Thompson.

I’ve heard too much about his shabby organization in Iowa for it not to be true. I hope there’s a lot of on-the-job training going on, because Fred! can’t afford to miss any opportunities, or make any mistakes at this point.

Finally, Fred! himself, on ABC News:

ABC News’ Christine Byun reports: Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson says he is staying in the race.

“It’s pretty clear we’re going to have a ticket to the next dance,” Thompson said as the audience cheered.

He thanked his wife, Jeri, who he called his “number one dance partner,” and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, for his support.

Shortly before midnight, eastern time, Thompson arrived downtown to a hotel ballroom to be with volunteers and supporters. He and his staff watched poll results and deliberated from his West Des Moines hotel before coming to make his announcement.

You can view his post election speech, here. 

Nice Deb says Fred is decidedly not dead.

Yet, anyway.