Señor Jehuda, aka "El Blogo de Liberto", is an attorney and media professional with a background in TV marketing and production, copywriting, independent filmmaking, and spontaneously speaking perfect Spanish. A proud Texan who recently escaped from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, he spends far too much time thinking about movies - especially since his job requires it. Jehuda is also a contributor at YesButHowever.com and PJ Lifestyle.
Unrest over the bad economy has been brewing in Russia for over a month; and it looks like thousands of Russians have finally had enough.
Just to think that a little over a year ago most Russians were quite satisfied with their government, despite Putin’s authoritarianism.
If this is now happening in big, mighty Russia, riots in Venezuela and Iran can’t be far behind.
News as propaganda: Wow. Is the MSM finally comfortable with overt displays of Liberal Fascism
Think about it: privately owned, decentralized propaganda organs with a massive audience, enabling the soft Stalinism of political correctness, and without any of the overt thuggishness of Orwell’s Ministry of Truth (except in the case of Rebecca Aguilar, of course).
The perfect combination of Liberal and Fascist!
It’s harmless. This is a bunch of Leftie reactionary crap (via Instapundit).
There’s nothing nefarious about JROTC. It teaches the most useful skills and attitudes – including target practice.
And I didn’t even sign up for the Army afterwards. There’s no coaxing into military service by deception or other means. There’s no need for it. As we all know, the military has been meeting its recruitment quotas without a hitch for years now.
We told him attempting direct talks would be a mistake, didn’t we? But noooooo. Had to go ahead and try it.
WSJ: A tax break for Tinseltown.
I thought paying taxes is patriotic. What’s going on?
Sarcasm aside, it always strikes me as odd how the multi-billion dollar industry that is Hollywood never attracts the opprobrium of Democrats as to “excessive” or “windfall” or “obscene” profits, but other multi-billion dollar industries – like Wall St. or oil – do.
Or, you know, “the rich” in general. I guess rich is OK if it’s Hollywood studio rich.
As we all know, paying taxes is patriotic. So reminded us Vice-president Joe Biden last year.
And yet, Tim Geithner is running Treasury for the Obama White House; and Charlie Rangel remains in Congress with neither Obama or Biden saying a peep about it.
What to do to avoid risking this being the most unpatriotic administration in history? I say don’t confirm Tom Daschle for HHS!
(via Drudge)
UPDATE: More at the WSJ.
First a stealth fairness doctrine and now Democratic stealth care?
I hope Obama can imbue his fellow Democrats in Congress with his enthusiasm for transparency. This backroom legislating thing is getting tacky.
UPDATE: Note this bit of advice from Tom Daschle: “Move fast, before there can be a public debate, and write as vague a bill as possible.”
Sounds familiar…
Debbie Schlussel sees the beginnings of a trend after watching Taken. My only issue with her position is that Taken is not exactly Hollywood product, but a French movie posing as Hollywood product. The French happen to have a very particular attitude towards their highly marginalized Muslim population, after all.
Still, just the fact that Taken is being distributed in the U.S. by one of the major studios is a big step (but it’s Fox, you don’t think Rupert Murdoch had something to do with it?…Nah).
I hope she’s right. The character of Said in Lost, who is openly depicted as a former Iraqi Republican Guard interrogator (well-versed in torture), could also be seen as part of this liberating trend. Lost is not a Fox show, by the way.
The stultifying PC approach to the topic of Muslim radicals on the screen – refusing to ever paint them as bad guys – can be irritating (suffice it to say that when Paramount’s screen adaptation of Tom Clancy’s The Sum of All Fears
Taken opens today and stars Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace (a Lost alumna).
Michael Steele has won the RNC Chairmanship. Nice. Congratulations, Mr. Chairman.
Get ready for spontaneous and not so spontaneous mean reactions against Steele…again. “Uncle Tom” epithets and other nasty name-calling can’t be far behind.
And of course, don’t expect the MSM to extend him “criticism immunity” for fear of being called racists, as they have extended to Obama.
Feds allege plot to destroy data on all 4000 of Fannie Mae’s servers.
The suspect looks like a disgruntled former contractor, but what if he’s just a patsy for someone higher up?
Hey, it could happen. Although, if I remember well, the last time a high profile Washington insider was caught doing something similar, he did his own dirty work.
Liberal group to start airing radio ad: Are you with Obama or Rush?
How about “I’m with whatever is best for the country; and blowing money away on Dem pet programs is definitely not it”?
UPDATE: Why Obama is targeting Rush. (via Instapundit)
Yoo Knew This Was Coming (via Instapundit). Obama won’t prosecute former Bushies for “war crimes” and has been quite aggressive in maintaining the essence of Bush’s national security apparatus for the benefit of his own administration, so defending John Yoo shouldn’t be too surprising.
Still, Yoo is such a super-villain among the Left that the moaning and rolling of eyes among the Leftie commentariat will be widespread, if not muted so as not to seem too anti-Obama. At the least, hundreds of knee-jerk liberal law professors will cry themselves to sleep tonight over it.
Andrew Sullivan will probably twist himself into a pretzel making excuses for Obama, the way he twists all reason to convince himself he is a conservative.
But what will Glenn Greenwald do? I guess he can only hang on to Hope and settle for little Change.
Welcome, Instapundit readers. And thanks for the link, Prof. Reynolds!
UPDATE: Since I’m getting gargantuan traffic thanks to Instapundit linking here, how about a poll?
Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her own words: “non-partisan”.
Via Drudge.
Sorry, but I have to tag this as “Entertainment”.
WSJ: Illinois Ousts Governor on a 59-0 State Senate vote.
You almost get the feeling that Blago felt there was a chance he could stop this. Crazy…
I’ve noted before how California is choking under the weight of its own mindless socialism.
Indeed, we members of the California private sector are but mere serfs to California bureaucrats, politicians, and the public service employee unions.
Well, Gov. Arnold just got a teeny weeny victory – in court – in his battle for setting the state on the path to responsible spending. A little ironic, since Arnold hasn’t been much of a supply-sider.
But a court victory like that is only a band-aid on a hemorraghing wound. Probably too little too late. A higher court could easily reverse it too.
(From a Dr. Fiancee tip)
A “stealth” Fairness Doctrine in the works?
(H/T: Drudge)
Marc Aramian argues there’s no viable business model for web-based content…yet.
Via Drudge: GOP congressional official says Stimulus bill as written doles out cash to illegal aliens.
First money for contraception, then to combat STD’s, now for illegal aliens. I have the feeling Obama is not appreciating the ammo Pelosi is handing to opponents here.
UPDATE (H/T Instapundit): OK, I have the feeling Obama is not at all happy with the ammo Pelosi is handing to opponents now that public support for the bill has dropped.
Just in case you missed it or heard of it out of context.
I think it has a lot of merit. It is, after all, truly bi-partisan. And isn’t that what it’s all about in the Obama era?
I first discussed Rush’s bi-partisan plan – and the importance to Obama’s presidency of a true bi-partisan approach – here.
WSJ: Scoring the Scores: The Oscar Contenders.
Anne Thompson sees a scenario where Milk beats Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire for the big prize.
Bummer. Such a nice guy, too. Or so tells me a friend who interviewed him once.
But what are you gonna do? Shareholders are the ultimate bosses and owners in a corporation. You can’t take their stuff just like that.
Ha! And a Janeane Garofalo Tax Credit.
I concur…
But all Republicans hold out on voting for the measure. Some Democrats, too.
UPDATE: Toby Harnden of the London Telegraph calls it a hollow victory. But a “slap in the face to Obama”? That’s a little too much, I think.
RELATED: How could all those Democrats possibly know exactly what they just voted for? (H/T: Instapundit)
STRATFOR checks up on Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Desperation or New Life?
Dan Gerstein says the real stimulus story the press is not covering is that of Obama opposing House Democrats’ pet projects:
For the last few weeks, the president has strenuously avoided getting dragged into this quite legitimate and ultimately losing policy squabble. He did not seek these legislative Christmas tree ornaments, and it seems clear he does not want to expend any political capital to defend or preserve them.
The real test will be…convincing the House Democrats they need to sacrifice some of the pet programs that are hard to justify as part of an emergency rescue plan. Then we’ll see just how strong Obama’s mandate for change really is.
I think he might be right. But if the Senate rescues Obama’s rescue plan with bigger concessions for Republicans then it’s all business as usual in DC. Lots of money spent in bigger government programs, with big tax cuts to boot.
I say keep the tax cuts and ditch the rest.
If no comedian ever uses this instance to make fun of Obama, there’s some seriously weird personality cultists out there.
UPDATE: Speaking of, Joy Behar, call your office! Would a perfect being walk into a window? (via Instapundit)
On the other hand, walking into a window is just perfect for mockery!
I keep hearing from here and there that Obama’s stimulus plan – at $825 billion – just isn’t big enough.
Well, I guess it’s all relative. But let’s make things clear: once you add interest, it’s way more than $825 billion.
U.S. News: Bits and pieces leaked by “various sources” during Obama’s talk with congressional Republicans. Take it with a grain of salt. It’s all anonymous.
Sounds like a bunch of sweet nothings to me. And I’m not just saying that. Obama always talks a good game, but the bottom line is he won’t decide what goes on the stimulus legislation. That is up to Pelosi and Company.
Keep in mind Democrats and Obama don’t need the GOP House membership’s vote to pass any stimulus. If they want GOP votes at all it’s for cover in case the bill fails to stimulate anything.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committe is not taking any chances with Rush Limbaugh. I think it’s a bad idea. Not to mention such practices are anathema to principles of free expression. Just another instance of Liberal Fascism
(Via Drudge)
IN RE that Al-Arabiya interview: At least one member of the so-called “Arab Street” sounds more sophisticated than the average Obama supporter: “Anyone can say nice words, but you have to follow with actions. He seems very interested in the Middle East issue but he didn’t say exactly what he’s going to do about it“.
I guess they don’t get MSNBC over there, but maybe they read The Rhetorican!
Of course, given the recent instances of Obama-led Armed Forces hitting civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan, you can’t blame their fellow Muslims in the Middle East for any skepcticism.
Obama’s aim for better relations with the Muslim world is probably sincere, but it’s hard not to conclude that in practice it will be more talk than walk, emitted for the benefit of his administration’s PR machine worldwide and at home.
UPDATE: Ann Althouse also sees through the “Breaking with Bush” patina of Obama’s new approach to the Middle East. (via Instapundit)
Anne Thompson is one of the 30 people at Variety who got laid off yesterday. It looks like her blog will remain; but even if it doesn’t I’m sure she’ll land on her feet elsewhere and her blog will go on in one way or another.
If you’re a loyal reader of Thompson on Hollywood, like I am, go ahead and leave her a supportive comment. Layoffs are never easy, even when you have more than one job.
And so it came to pass that the failure to pay taxes has finally been legitimized as “not a big deal” (that’s if Charlie Rangel remaining in Congress didn’t legitimize it first): the WSJ reports Tim Geithner was confirmed on a 60-34 vote by the Senate to be Treasury Secretary.
This goes for public Democrat public servants only. Don’t expect this standard to be applied to Republican presidential nominees…or to the public at large…or to any conservatives who stumble onto the limelight, such as Joe Wurzelbacher, aka Joe the Plumber.
So I just heard Rush offer Obama a true bi-partisan compromise [UPDATE: you can read the transcript or listen to Rush proposing the plan himself here] on how to spend the $1 trillion “stimulus” plan funds: split the $1 trillion along the lines of the national popular vote of the presidential election!
Sounds good to me. Plenty of money to go around for both sides. More than fair; and truly bi-partisan.
At the same time, an ingenious way to remind Obama – and Republicans in Congress – that a sizable minority did NOT vote for Obama. That’s something the President should keep in mind. That is, unless he wants to end up with a Bush-like legacy.
UPDATE: I should add that Rush did account for the small percentage who voted for third-party candidates. He suggested – most graciously – that it should be added to the suggested government spending portion of the funds. So it would all add up to about 54% of the funds for government programs and the rest to supply-side supporting tax cuts.
So Democrats get an added bonus of cash to play with. They should like that.
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required): “Lending at many of the nation’s largest banks fell in recent months, even after they received $148 billion in taxpayer capital that was intended to help the economy by making loans more readily available.”
Not a very stimulating stimulus…
Over a dozen civilians killed – including women and children – after U.S. raid.
Where is Code Pink? Or International A.N.S.W.E.R.?
Probably waiting for the next Republican president…
UPDATE: Obama gets called out: “There is no honor, let alone ‘change’ in attacking a then sitting President for doing the best he could because you hope to gain that office – only to continue doing the very same thing.”
Indeed. The sad thing is that honor is not a widely respected quality in our leaders anymore. In fact, in our decadent political culture, it’s often a hindrance to those determined to achieve political stature and power.
As if! What it mainly tells you is that Sullivan isn’t fooling anyone.
(H/T: Instapundit)
Nikki Finke has the numbers and analysis.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop still at number 1! Are the studios out of the Oscar-worthy stuff already?
This has been a bad week for freedom of expression: First Geert Wilders gets a taste of Dutch “justice” for expressing his feelings towards Islam. Now a faculty candidate at the University of Iowa alleges she has been rejected twice for a legal writing position at the school because of her political views. (H/T Instapundit)
She already has legal representation, but it may not hurt to call F.I.R.E.
