World Jewish Congress Open Letter to President Obama

This letter will appear in both The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post today.  I don't think they are happy. 

Dear President Obama:



I write today as a proud American and a proud Jew.


Jews around the world are concerned today. We are concerned about the nuclear ambitions of an Iranian regime that brags about its genocidal intentions against Israel. We are concerned that the Jewish state is being isolated and delegitimized.


Mr. President, we are concerned about the dramatic deterioration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Israel.


The Israeli housing bureaucracy made a poorly timed announcement and your Administration branded it an “insult.” This diplomatic faux pas was over the fourth stage of a seven stage planning permission process – a plan to build homes years from now in a Jewish area of Jerusalem that under any peace agreement would remain an integral part of Israel.


Our concern grows to alarm as we consider some disturbing questions. Why does the thrust of this Administration’s Middle East rhetoric seem to blame Israel for the lack of movement on peace talks? After all, it is the Palestinians, not Israel, who refuse to negotiate.


Israel has made unprecedented concessions. It has enacted the most far reaching West Bank settlement moratorium in Israeli history.


Israel has publicly declared support for a two-state solution. Conversely, many Palestinians continue their refusal to even acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.


The conflict’s root cause has always been the Palestinian refusal to accept Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. Every American President who has tried to broker a peace agreement has collided with that Palestinian intransigence, sooner or later. Recall President Clinton’s anguish when his peace proposals were bluntly rejected by the Palestinians in 2000. Settlements were not the key issue then. They are not the key issue now.


Another important question is this: what is the Administration’s position on Israel’s borders in any final status agreement? Ambiguity on this matter has provoked a wave of rumors and anxiety. Can it be true that America is no longer committed to a final status agreement that provides defensible borders for Israel? Is a new course being charted that would leave Israel with the indefensible borders that invited invasion prior to 1967?


There are significant moves from the Palestinian side to use those indefensible borders as the basis for a future unilateral declaration of independence. How would the United States respond to such a reckless course of action?


And what are America’s strategic ambitions in the broader Middle East? The Administration’s desire to improve relations with the Muslim world is well known. But is friction with Israel part of this new strategy? Is it assumed worsening relations with Israel can improve relations with Muslims? History is clear on the matter: appeasement does not work. It can achieve the opposite of what is intended.


And what about the most dangerous player in the region? Shouldn’t the United States remain focused on the single biggest threat that confronts the world today? That threat is a nuclear armed Iran. Israel is not only America’s closest ally in the Middle East, it is the one most committed to this Administration’s declared aim of ensuring Iran does not get nuclear weapons.


Mr. President, we embrace your sincerity in your quest to seek a lasting peace. But we urge you to take into consideration the concerns expressed above. Our great country and the tiny State of Israel have long shared the core values of freedom and democracy. It is a bond much treasured by the Jewish people. In that spirit I submit, most respectfully, that it is time to end our public feud with Israel and to confront the real challenges that we face together.


Yours sincerely,


Ronald S. Lauder


President


World Jewish Congress

Profile in Courage - Morgan Freeman on Racism

Things that make you say hmm - Income Tax Edition

Fiscal year 2008 7.75 billion hours spent filling out tax forms

$31.5 billion spent on tax software, photo copies, accounting services and other tax related services

For the fiscal year 2009, 1909 forms listed on IRS.Gov

$159.4 billion - the amount that corporations spent on tax compliance in 2008

24,000 - The amount of pages needed for General Electric to file its 2008 tax return

In 2009 45 countries streamlined or lowered coporate tax rates.  The U.S. was not among them

In 2009 it is estimated that 47% of U.S. households will pay no federal income tax

The top 5% of taxpayers contribute 60% of revenue

The top 10% of taxpayers contribute 75% of all revenue

Hmm, if this doesn't make someone to take a serious look at the flat tax I don't know what will. 

Also, Mr. President, exactly how is it that the "rich" are not paying their fair share? 

The Free Market System Cannot Sustain Itself - Caller to Mark Levin

Obama's Bowing Fetish

Yet again, President Obama bows to another world leader. While I understand that bowing is customary in the Chinese culture, he isn't Chinese. At least not yet anyway, with all the money we owe the Chinese, it may be just a matter of time.

I found this cartoon a while back, and he gave me the reason to use it. 

What The SEIU Really Thinks of It's Membership

This is the executive vice president of the SEIU talking about his membership.  This was done in public, it makes one wonder what he says about them in private. 

And they call Beck a hate monger. 

The video seems to skip a little bit, sorry about that.

And why is amnesty so important?  The below video will clear that right up.

Martin on the Confederacy - Southern Soldiers, al Qaeda, and Terrorists

Roland Martin of CNN denounced the proclamation from Virginia’s Governor Bob McDonnell making April Confederate History Month. Martin has decided that confederate soldiers were no better than al Qaeda terrorists. In order to do this one must make the leap that the civil war was only about Slavery; and it was not. There were many other factors that caused the civil war in this country.



Some of those factors include state rights as well as economic factors. The reality is that fewer than 5% of people in the south owned slaves. The other 95% of the south didn’t go to war to protect that 5%. Slavery was a despicable practice and no one is trying to defend it, but it is part of our history. Virginia has a great deal to offer to people who are history buffs. I actually live relatively close to one of the civil war battlefields, Bull Run. This particular battle was a real turning point in the war and as such drives a great deal of tourism for Northern Virginia. It also serves as a reminder of what could happen if we allow ourselves to be so divided.


One of the problems that we have in this country today is an effort to rewrite our history. We fought a civil war almost 150 years ago; slavery was part of the reason that we fought that war. But, it was not the only reason. Roland Martin can try a turn this into a racial argument all that he wants to, but it still will not make it so.

“As a matter of conscience, I will not justify, understand or accept the atrocious view of Muslim terrorists who view their actions as representing a just war. They are reprehensible, and their actions are a sin against humanity.”

“And I will never, under any circumstances, cast Confederates as heroic figures who should be honored and revered. No, they have been, and forever will be, domestic terrorists.”

There was an initial dust up with the proclamation because it didn’t mention slavery at all, then McDonnell made yet another mistake by saying that he was focusing on the issues that were important to Virginia, saying that slavery wasn’t important to Virginia. But, that being said, it still doesn’t excuse the mentality that Martin is portraying. We have a history, and not all of it is good.


It is time that we have the difficult conversations and study the history for what it is. The war was fought for a variety of reasons, not all of them had to do with racism or slavery. We cannot white wash our history for future generations. Teach them every side and allow the facts to guide the determination of what happened. By acting like the confederacy didn’t exist is nothing more than the liberal elitists turning our history into something that it is not.  The south has a very rich history, the confederacy, slavery, and the civil war are only small parts of that history; there is nothing wrong with celebrating and examining that history without resorting to calling southerners terrorists. 

She's Baaack, Tina Fey on Palin

Tina Fey made her Saturday Night Live return to parody insult Governor Palin last night.  I personally don't see the point of doing this now.  I will admit some of this funny, but ultimately, it is not necessary. 

I LOVE THIS MAN - Herman Cain at SRLC

I wish this man would run for office. 

Finding Our Way Back to Limited, Constitutional Government

An interesting conversation about the tea party and the constitution.  Bill Kristol and Liz Cheney get it.  This is a big part of the tea party movement.  Limited government is how this country was founded and we have gotten so far away from this, the Founding Fathers would be ashamed of what we have become. 

Could This Be Our Next President? - Mike Pence at SRLC

I saw Mike Pence give an amazing speech at CPAC.  While I was watching him speak all I could think it was a coming out speech for a run for the nomination in 12.  I don't feel all that differently with this one.  I will admit that I don't know a great deal about his voting record, but I do like watching him speak. 

12 is a long way off yet, but we need to get as many good candidates out there that we can.  I think him throwing his hat into the ring will make the candidates better.

Give a Girl a Hand - Help Re-elect Michele Bachmann

I had heard some rumors a few months back that Nancy Pelosi was bound and determined to see Michele Bachmann lose her re-election bid.  Turns out that rumors are true.  The DCCC spent more than $100,000 last week on ads in the Minneapolis market.  This market is in the top 20 in the country which makes it very expensive to advertise.  The congresswoman is going to need millions in order to stay competitive in this race. 

With all that is going on with the RNC right now, I think giving directly to candidates is the way to go.  If you want to keep a very strong conservative voice in the house and have a few extra dollars, she will need all that she can get.  You can donate here. 

Here is reminder of why she is wonderful

A Little Comuppance for David Letterman - Chris Rock Gives Dave Some of his Own Medicine

I thought this was pretty funny.  He made Dave very uncomfortable, now maybe he will realize that getting picked on for your mistakes is not such a pleasant experience. 

Alan Grayson - A Class Act Through and Through Interrupting Dinner and Republican Meetings

Congressman Grayson barged into a meeting that local republicans were having at a family restaurant.  He is under the impression that the republicans put a spy into an Organizing for America meeting.  How proud his district must be.

For some reason some of this video is sideways.

The Attacks on Glen Beck Continue

I ran across a website today, Stopbeck.com, the sole purpose is get Beck off the airwaves.  The comments on the page are pretty funny:

God Bless you for your efforts and I would say that the early withdrawals of sponsors is look like a wise decision. The hate mongering in the media is just out of hand and while the media continues this trend I am glad that some corporations have the conscience of the bottom line with values. All is not lost but the escalation of violence is directly proportionate to the media prompting. How the TEA party is perceived as a grass roots organization is only because the media teaches that. No organization assembles that fast nationally without a national conscience. The TEAs are not a ‘happening’. They walk around acting like republicans but they are only extremist conservatives, the far end of the spectrum being totalitarian in their behavior. If they start national riots for their new nationalism ideology, it will be a disaster we do not need. The hate media has to stop.

“THANK YOU FOR STARTING THIS PAGE”!! THIS MAN HAS TAKEN THE F AND S OUT OF FREE SPEECH!! HIS BRAIN IS WHAT ITS LIKE AFTER YOU’VE DRANK YOURSELF TO NEAR DEATH!!

Glenn Beck is a modern DAVID DUKE – watch the History channel special KU KLUX KLAN a secret history and it becomes clear that BECK is Speaking for the KKK the message is almost the same

I applaud the sponsors who have withdrawn their support from that hate crime of a man.

As far as the comment by “cj laughing”… this has little to do with Obama vs. Bush. This has to do with a complete whack job promoting hate over our airways. And yes, I do choose not to watch Fox. I wouldn’t tune into that low life programming for anything. Glen Beck is a liar. He is a racist. He is sexist. He is anti-semitic. He is the reason we need hate crime laws on the books. People who enjoy his show or relate to his show should really take a deep look in the mirror to see what a hateful person looks like.

Sniffle, sniffle…. it’s just that… sniffle… I love my country so much…. sniff, sniff… what an unbalanced (I’m talking mentally now) loser.

Hmm, the below picture was taken at an anti-war rally a couple of weeks ago.  I am going to go out on a limb here and say that this guy who wrote this doesn't watch Beck.

Here is my personal favorite:

Thank you. I appreciate the hard work you do. Propagating hate and calling it news is unacceptable and harmful to everyone. I’m glad someone is doing something to stop it.

And to Scott Evans- “with absolutely nothing to back it up”…really? Have you looked at this site? There are new examples of the harm Glenn Beck is doing every day. I hope you are right and the America we currently know will be gone- maybe when I open my eyes there will be a more loving, inclusive, and intellectual America than there is right

Kumbaya my lord, Kumbaya.  Kumbaya my lord, Kumbaya.  Dear Sweet Lord, Kumbaya.   Hey send me your address, I send you a check to help you move to some other country.  I mean why would you continue to live with a bunch of stupid and unfeeling people that us Americans are?

It's Official, Justice Stevens to Retire

Justice Stevens made it official, he wil be retiring from the court this summer.  Although Stevens was put on the court by a republican president, he is one of the most liberal members of the court.  For me, this isn't something that I am not going to get my knickers in knot over.  It is going to be a wash.  Of course, I need to leave that door open because who knows who he may come up with. 

President Obama no longer has 60 votes in the senate and has used up a great deal of capital with healthcare, so one would think he will put someone that will be relatively easy to confirm.  But, this is President Obama we are talking about, so I think that is unlikely.  It is going to be an interesting summer. 

Principles and Consequences - Stupak to Retire

Bart Stupak is due to officially announce his retirement from Congress.  On one hand Stupak never made any bones about the fact that he wanted to get healthcare passed; yet he kept saying that he wouldn't bend on his principles on the right to life.  But he did.  He sold out his own stated principles.  He knows that an executive order doesn't trump law.  If he doesn't know that, he certainly doesn't belong in the body that writes the laws. 

Reportedly, the White House reached out to Stupak to try and get him to stay in the race for re-election.  But, he was fighting an uphill battle, as the tea party and the pro-life movements in this country have already spent a half million dollars in his district on television advertising since his vote.  He is expected to say that he wants to spend more time for his family.  My advice to Stupak is he should really spend some time looking for his lost principles. 

Looks Like Tea Partiers Will Have Some Company Next Week

The numbers on their board is really quite pathetic, but I thought I would share it anyway. 

And I Am Called a Radical - Anti War Protest in Washington, DC

My only question is if they hate this country as much as they seem to, why don't they leave?  I bet conservatives could raise enough money to get them plane tickets to some place much more enlightened, say Sweden.  They can go live in Malmo, there must be room since many of the Jews have been forced out.

Funniest Line of the Day - Ali Bin Fajad al-Hajari Edition

The Ambassador to the Qatar Embassy in Washington, DC released a statement today about his third secretary and vice consul, Mohammed al-Modadi, 27, who made a joke about setting his shoe on fire after illegally smoking in the bathroom. 

"He was certainly not engaged in any threatening activity," the ambassador said. "The facts will reveal that this was a mistake, and we urge all concerned parties to avoid reckless judgments or speculation."