Hump Day Link-Around

Chuck Asay cartoon via Townhall

Michelle Malkin: Conservative consumers: Stand your ground:

Who is Rashad Robinson? And why has his fringe, race-baiting organization been able to pressure several major corporations into abandoning a pro-limited-government legislative association — all for a few cheap social-justice brownie points?

Conservative consumers need to get informed, get active and stand their ground against free speech-squelching progressive activists who have demonized the American Legislative Exchange Council. This isn’t just a battle over ALEC. It’s a war against the left’s shakedown artists taking aim at our freedoms of speech and association.

ALEC, as I reported last week, is the four-decade-old policy organization of state legislators and like-minded business people who believe in “the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty.” They are under fire from a longstanding network of liberal groups — tied to the Democratic Party — that are unhappy with effective conservative opposition at the state and federal legislative levels.

Anti-ALEC hypocrites seized on the Trayvon Martin shooting case in Florida to blame ALEC and Republican lawmakers for their advocacy of Stand Your Ground self-defense legislation – even though the case does not implicate the policy and ALEC followed Florida’s lead on the legislation. Moreover, eight of the 15 states that have adopted such polices were helmed by Democratic governors at the time of passage.

Read her full report.

Twitchy: Conservatives to Amazon: don’t cave to anti-ALEC Color of Change bullies:

The radical bullies at Color of Change are mobilizing the mob again to boycott and attack companies that support the American Legislative Exchange Council. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Mars Inc., Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, and several other corporations have already caved to the anti-free speech activists. And now, Van Jones and company are shaking down Amazon, State Farm, and Johnson & Johnson, accusing them of funding “voter suppression.”

Moe Lane: As of Monday, Jon Corzine is STILL bundling for Barack Obama?

Unbelievable —

I’m honestly flabbergasted: when the news came in on Saturday that the probably-won’t-be-indicted-for-anything-before-2013 Jon Corzine was still collecting cash for the President, I assumed that this no-doubt-grevious-oversight would be handled by, say, Monday morning.  After all, surely Corzine was radioactive after the suspicious collapse of his company MF Global?  Particularly since there’s now testimony contradicting Corzine’s about what happened to at least some of the 1.2 billion of customer money that went on walkabout during said collapse?

If the rule of law still meant anything in this country, Corzine would already be in federal prison, but it doesn’t so he remains a free man and  money-grubbing Obama is happy to take money from him. The most corrupt President in American history continues to appall.

Wait, there’s more…

Washington Free Beacon: Obama’s Ponzi Scheme Donor:

Bogus hedge fund manager Shervin Neman and wife are max-donors to Obama, DNC and under investigation by SEC.

The Persian-Jewish proprietor of a bogus hedge fund under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission is a prolific Democratic donor who dined at the Obama White House just months before the SEC shut down his Ponzi scheme.

Shervin Neman, a self-described hedge fund manager in Los Angeles, is said to have targeted members of his own Persian-Jewish community in a $7.54 million Ponzi scheme that the SEC claims “raised funds from at least 11 investors in the fraudulent securities offering.”

Neman, the SEC alleges, raised funds by fictitiously claiming he was a hedge fund manager with Neman Financial L.P. After collecting monies from unsuspecting investors, Neman claimed to have invested the money in high-grossing entities such as Facebook stock and foreclosed residential properties.

“Although Neman promised investors exorbitant returns resulting from his investing acumen and access to pre-IPO shares of well-known companies, what they actually received was simply other investors’ monies, the hallmark of a Ponzi scheme,” the SEC alleged in a statement on the matter.

The Quinton Report: Navy to name a ship the USS Harvey Milk?

Good God, make it stop…

Navy Times reports:

An upcoming addition to the Navy’s fleet may be the USS Harvey Milk if Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., and other San Diego gay rights leaders have their way about it.

The GLBT Historic Task Force of San Diego County and Filner sent letters to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta last week asking for Harvey Milk to be considered as a name for a submarine, carrier or other appropriate vessel, according to a PR Newswire press release.

Milk, a late civil rights icon, was a Navy veteran who served aboard the submarine rescue ship Kittiwake as a diving officer during the Korean War. He went on to be a diving instructor at Naval Station San Diego. Milk, whose parents both also served in the Navy, was honorably discharged at the rank of lieutenant junior grade.

Fire Andrea Mitchell: Obama booed loudly at Fenway Park 100th anniversary celebration in Boston:

Go watch the video – I’m pretty sure I hear a voice of someone yelling, “Go eat a dog!”

The Weekly Standard: Catholic Bishops Take on Obama:

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has taken a bold stand for religious freedom. In a recent statement, titled “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty,” the bishops call for repeal of contraception coverage mandated by the Department of Health and Human Services. The clarified position sets up a dramatic confrontation with the Obama administration—and would, if the bishops prevail, help preserve the religious liberty of all Americans.

The HHS mandate requires employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception and sterilization services. It is, according to the bishops, an “unjust law.” They write: “It cannot be obeyed and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal.”

The statement is a rebuke of President Obama and the so-called accommodation his administration proposed in February. It also raises the stakes between the president and the leaders of America’s Catholic Church.

The Right Scoop: Mark Levin: When will Obama speak out about Matthew Owens?

“I want to know when our president, our attorney general are going to speak out. Because frankly, their conduct and their initial words in the Martin/Zimmerman matter…were very provocative. And that’s not the way a president of the United States and an attorney general of the United Sates should behave themselves. We have crimes being committed now that are clearly race-based, without question! Because the perpetrators are saying so. … So this is my question. Why are they so silent? I think it’s absolutely appalling.”

Baldilocks: Obama and The Perfect Storm of Misery (KingShamus):

http://www.luoamerican.com/baldilocks/2012/04/obama-and-the-perfect-storm-of-misery-kingshamus.html

Old And Busted:  Getting people off the public dole.

New Hotness:  Getting lots and lots of people back on the public dole.

The Congressional Budget Office said Thursday that 45 million people in 2011 received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, a 70% increase from 2007. 

Political Junkie Mom is right.  Having the Obama administration do stuff to increase employment or oil production is just silly rugged individualist conservative yakkety-yak.  Far better for the government to do the things its really good at, like fostering long-term dependency.

Moonbattery: Michelle Obama Behind Misguided Attack on Ann Romney:

According to the National Enquirer, which in this day and age is more reliable than the MSM:

Not being completely beholden to the Democrat agenda, the National Enquirer has become a relatively reliable source of news. Without it, the disgraceful John Edwards would still be one of the most powerful weasels in Washington. Now the Enquirer reveals that the boneheaded Democrat strategy of attacking Ann Romney for raising her children was hatched by none other than Michelle Antoinette:

Talking head Hilary Rosen set off a firestorm when she mocked Mitt Romney for relying on his wife for advice on the economy, sniping that Ann — who raised five sons, has battled breast cancer and suffers from multiple sclerosis — “never worked a day in her life!” …

A publicly sympathetic Michelle, 48, tapped out a message on Twitter, writing: “Every mother works hard, and every woman deserves to be respected.” But behind the scenes, her fingerprints were all over the scandal, said an inside source.

“Michelle had her claws out to get Ann, but it quickly backfired and Barack was livid when he heard she had secretly directed the attack,” said the source. …

“Michelle thought Rosen, an out-of-the-closet lesbian and close pal, could be their attack dog, but she miscalculated badly by going after stay-at-home moms,” said the source.

Gateway Pundit:  Newt Gingrich to Suspend Presidential Campaign:

Newt will campaign in North Carolina this week.
FOX reported:

Newt Gingrich plans to formally leave the Republican presidential race next Tuesday, senior campaign aides told Fox News.

The former House speaker will “more than likely” endorse Mitt Romney when he makes his announcement to either suspend or end the campaign, a source said.

I hope Mitt learned a thing or two about how to deal with the MSM from Newt.

The Daily Caller: Rural kids, parents angry about Labor Dept. rule banning farm chores:

In Kansas, Cherokee County Farm Bureau president Jeff Clark was out in the field — literally on a tractor — when TheDC reached him. He said if Solis’s regulations are implemented, farming families’ labor losses from their children will only be part of the problem.

“What would be more of a blow,” he said, “is not teaching our kids the values of working on a farm.”

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that the average age of the American farmer is now over 50.

“Losing that work-ethic — it’s so hard to pick this up later in life,” Clark said. “There’s other ways to learn how to farm, but it’s so hard. You can learn so much more working on the farm when you’re 12, 13, 14 years old.”

John Weber, 19, understands this. The Minneapolis native grew up in suburbia and learned the livestock business working summers on his relatives’ farm.

He’s now a college Agriculture major.

“I started working on my grandparent’s and uncle’s farms for a couple of weeks in the summer when I was 12,” Weber told TheDC. “I started spending full summers there when I was 13.”

“The work ethic is a huge part of it. It gave me a lot of direction and opportunity in my life. If they do this it will prevent a lot of interest in agriculture. It’s harder to get a 16 year-old interested in farming than a 12 year old.”

This administration is at war with the American way of life…

Israel Matzov: Elie Weisel puts Obama in his place:

Benny Weinthal reports that on Monday, at Washington’s Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel – knowingly or unknowingly – put President Obama in his place.For the Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who also spoke at the Washington event, the meaning of remembrance is not to remain stuck in the past. He said, “So in this place we may ask: Have we learned anything from it? If so, how is it that Assad is still in power? How is it that the number one Holocaust denier [Iranian president Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad is still a president? He who threatens to use nuclear weapons to destroy the Jewish state.”

Stacy on the Right: Republicans set to launch Black outreach efforts:

In a very savvy election year move, the Republican National Committee is coordinating a black outreach effort for the 2012 election season.  Although the move seems a bit late in coming, at least an effort is being made.  Chipping away at the the Democrats stranglehold on the black vote is a multi-year effort that will require creativity and tenacity.  Essentially, the war is won on the liberal networks that continually spout complete lies about Republican policies and enforce a zero tolerance rule for defections.

Stacy emails: “I’m still waiting for a day when being a black conservative isn’t a source of anger and hatred from the left, although I love the open arms from the right!”

Kristina Ribali, Freedomworks: BlogCon – Training and Inspiring the Next Generation of Online Activists:

Watch the video…

Big Journalism: NY Times Pledges ‘Unbiased Political Reporting’:

In an unprecedented move, New York Times public editor Arthur Brisbane took to the pages of his newspaper on Sunday to pledge to the reading public that they would do a better job vetting the president. Yes, you read that right: the New York Times is now channeling Andrew Breitbart. Here’s what he wrote:

The Times needs to offer an aggressive look at the president’s record, policy promises and campaign operation to answer the question: Who is the real Barack Obama?

Brisbane admits that critics “view The Times as constitutionally unable to address the election in an unbiased fashion.” He admits that The Times “basked a bit in the warm glow of Mr. Obama’s election in 2008.” (That phrase, in and of itself, constitutes significant pro-Obama bias, of course – he uses it twice in the course of the article.) But, he says, the bias wasn’t purposeful: “I think [our reporters] see themselves as aggressive journalists who don’t play favorites.”

*Snort*

The Heritage Foundation: The Federal Budget in Pictures:

The Foundry: Morning Bell: Do You Know What the Constitution Really Means?:

With a handful of words, the Founders set forth a simple principle that protects a central liberty enjoyed by all in this Republic — the freedom of speech, as recognized in the First Amendment. Yet after more than 200 years of history, liberals in Congress — including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) — aim to set that freedom on its head so they can further their efforts to silence their political opponents.

The proposal, which is known as the “People’s Rights Amendment,” would amend the Constitution and hold that constitutional rights are only for “natural persons,” meaning that corporations and legal entities would no longer enjoy the freedoms the Constitution guarantees. That would apply not just to companies like General Electric, but also to newspapers, churches, nonprofits, businesses, labor unions and book publishers alike. Individuals acting collectively — whatever their purpose — would wave the freedom of speech goodbye.

The Constitution should not be cast aside so quickly to achieve political ends, and its meaning must be carefully understood and respected. That’s why The Heritage Foundation is proud to announce a new resource to help the American people and their elected representatives learn more about the history of our founding document. Heritage’s Online Guide to the Constitution is a comprehensive and authoritative analysis of every single clause in the Constitution — and it’s available for free at ConstitutionOnline.com.

Weasel Zippers: Rage Inducing: Team Obama Official Says President Still Has Not Held A Reelection Campaign Rally, “Will Let Us Know When It Happens”…

Meaning all those stump speeches through swing states are being paid for by the taxpayer.

AoSHQ: Mitt Just Got Real:

Romney’s speech last night is getting a lot of praise, and the key line, the MJGR, comes in at the 06:28 mark:

Guy Benson at Townhall called it a “very strong address”:

Yes, yes — some formalities remain, but Romney effectively put this primary season to bed with five resounding victories last night.  As expected, he cleaned up in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island; he also prevailed in Delaware, where Newt Gingrich’s running-on-fumes campaign was hoping to make some sort of a stand that might justify its continued existence.  Romney won there by nearly 30 points, which could very well oust the former Speaker from the race.  Having sewn up the GOP nod, Romney addressed a packed hall in New Hampshire and officially turned the page to the general election competition.  Flanked by flag-waving supporters, Romney declared that “a better America begins tonight:”

Rasmussen: Romney 45%, #Obama 44%

Mediaite: Megyn Kelly Guest Alan Dershowitz Slams Zimmerman Prosecutor: Her Affidavit ‘Is A Crime’

The Right Scoop: Bret Baier makes dishonest Debbie squirm over Democrat-lead Senate not passing budget