ET Williams

The Doctor of Common Sense

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Robert De Niro Says That America Not Ready for “White First Lady”

America Not Ready For A White First Lady

 

 

“Whatever Happen To COMMON SENSE”

President Barack Obama’s reelection organization said Tuesday it was “inappropriate” for Robert De Niro to joke at a campaign fundraiser in New York Monday that America wasn’t “ready for a white first lady.”

“We believe the joke was inappropriate,” Olivia Alair, Campaign Press Secretary to the First Lady, said in a statement.

The campaign’s comment came after Newt Gingrich delivered a scorching response to De Niro’s comments at an Obama for America fundraiser, which was attended by first lady Michelle Obama.

While Michelle Obama headlined the event, she was introduced after De Niro’s remarks. The event was also attended by a number of other prominent Obama supporters, including Harvey Weinstein and Beyonce.

“Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?” De Niro asked to cheers from the crowd. “Too soon, right?”

 

“I do want to say one thing, both on behalf of my wife and on behalf of Karen Santorum and on behalf of Ann Romney, I think that Robert De Niro’s wrong,” Gingrich said. “I think the country is ready for a new first lady and he doesn’t have to describe it in racial terms.”

Gingrich immediately clarified he thought Michelle Obama, along with the wives of his fellow GOP presidential candidates, were all “fine ladies.”

 

“But this is not about the first lady,” Gingrich continued. “It’s about the president. That’s where De Niro missed the whole point. De Niro is rich enough he probably doesn’t notice the price of gasoline. He’s successful enough he probably doesn’t notice the unemployment rate. As the Hollywood actor, he might well be shortsighted enough he doesn’t understand what it might do to our children and our grandchildren.”

Gingrich called on Obama to apologize for the remarks, since they were made at an event raising money for his reelection.

“What De Niro said last night was inexcusable and the president should apologize for him. It was at an Obama fundraiser, it is exactly wrong, it divides the country,” Gingrich said, adding that the left was quick to call out conservative talk show hosts for offensive comments but silent when the vitriol comes from the left.

“If people on the left want to talk about talk show hosts, then everybody in the country should hold the president accountable when someone at his event says something that is utterly and terrible unacceptable as what Robert De Niro said,” Gingrich said.

Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show Tuesday, fellow presidential candidate Rick Santorum largely avoided weighing in on De Niro’s comments.

“It’s just someone from Hollywood or someone from the entertainment industry just spouting off as they do,” Santorum said. “It’s sad, but I’m not going to bite on that one. It’s just sad. The idea of looking at politics through eyes of race should be over. That’s just over. I don’t know where he thinks he’s coming from.”

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/20/gingrich-blasts-deniro-for-first-lady-comments-blasts/

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The grand mufti of Saudi Arabia wants all Churches destroyed

Hung For Turning Away From Islam, Aren’t They So Peaceful?

Where Is All The Dam Outrage Now? Where is Obama on his Deep Concerns?

 

Whatever Happen To COMMON SENSE?

If the pope called for the destruction of all the mosques in Europe, the uproar would be cataclysmic. Pundits would lambaste the church, the White House would rush out a statement of deep concern, and rioters in the Middle East would kill each other in their grief. But when the most influential leader in the Muslim world issues a fatwa to destroy Christian churches, the silence is deafening.

 

On March 12, Sheik Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, declared that it is “necessary to destroy all the churches of the region.” The ruling came in response to a query from a Kuwaiti delegation over proposed legislation to prevent construction of churches in the emirate. The mufti based his decision on a story that on his deathbed, Muhammad declared, “There are not to be two religions in the [Arabian] Peninsula.” This passage has long been used to justify intolerance in the kingdom. Churches have always been banned in Saudi Arabia, and until recently Jews were not even allowed in the country. Those wishing to worship in the manner of their
choosing must do so hidden away in private, and even then the morality police
have been known to show up unexpectedly and halt proceedings.

This is not a small-time radical imam trying to stir up his followers with fiery hate speech. This was a considered, deliberate and specific ruling from one of the most important leaders in the Muslim world. It does not just create a religious obligation for those over whom the mufti has direct authority; it is also a signal to others in the Muslim world that destroying churches is not only permitted but mandatory.

The Obama administration ignores these types of provocations at its peril. The White House has placed international outreach to Muslims at the center of its foreign policy in an effort to promote the image of the United States as an Islam-friendly nation. This cannot come at the expense of standing up for the human rights and religious liberties of minority groups in the Middle East. The region is a crucial crossroads. Islamist radicals are leading the rising political tide against the authoritarian, secularist old order. They are testing the waters in their relationship with the outside
world, looking for signals of how far they can go in imposing their radical
vision of a Shariah-based theocracy. Ignoring provocative statements like the
mufti’s sends a signal to these groups that they can engage in the same sort of
bigotry and anti-Christian violence with no consequences.

Mr. Obama’s outreach campaign to the Muslim world has failed to generate the good will that he expected. In part, this was because he felt it was better to pander to prejudice than to command respect. When members of the Islamic establishment call for the religious equivalent of ethnic cleansing, the leader of the free world must respond or risk legitimizing the oppression that follows. The United States should not bow to the extremist dictates of the grand mufti, no matter how desperate the White House is for him to like us.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/mar/16/destroy-all-churches/

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Teacher Killed In Yemen For Being A Christian

Islam Wants All Christians Killed

“Whatever Happen To COMMON SENSE”?

 

TAEZ, Yemen — An al Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility Sunday for shooting dead an American teacher in Yemen, saying he was a Christian missionary, a statement by the jihadist group said.

Fighters of Ansar al Shariah — or Partisans of Shariah, the Islamic religious law — “killed an American Christian missionary” in the city of Taez, according to a statement circulated by a cell phone message and confirmed by a source close to the group cited by AFP.

“The attack is in response to a Western campaign to preach for Christianity among Muslims,” it said.  A boy walks past the spot where two gunmen riding a motorbike shot dead a US citizen who worked as the deputy head of a language school in Yemen.

Assailants on a motorcycle attacked the man, who was the deputy director of a Swedish language center in the city, 173 miles (270 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Sanaa, a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity. After the shooting, the gunmen fled the scene.

The victim was shot dead in his car in Taez city, FOX News reported, citing Taez Province governor Hamoud al Sufi, who said earlier that an investigation was underway.

The US embassy in Sanaa said it also was investigating the killing. FOX News sources added that the FBI planned to launch its own investigation. The attack came two days after a Yemeni official said suspected al Qaeda gunmen abducted a Swiss woman, also a teacher at a language school, in the Red Sea port of Hodeida and moved her to the restive province of Shabwa.

The local branch of al Qaeda is active in the south and east of Yemen, but not in Taez, which was a major center for the yearlong opposition movement against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh that forced the veteran leader to step down last month.

 

More than 200 people were abducted in Yemen during the past 15 years, many of them by members of the country’s powerful tribes, who use them as bargaining chips with the authorities. Almost all of those kidnapped were later freed unharmed.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/american_teacher_shot_dead_in_yemen_FIvTQEbriXqt7ISOF5jrUI

 

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American Flag Has Obama’s Face On It

 

I Am King (Give Caesar Worship)

 

TAVARES — A flag depicting an image of President Barack Obama was taken down from Lake County Democratic Party headquarters today after several veterans complained it was a “desecration.”

A short confrontation at the Democratic office ended when party chairwoman Nancy Hurlbert took down the controversial flag, which had been flying under an American flag on the same flagpole.

“It’s a cult of personality to show his face, like Stalin or Mao,” said John Masterjohn, a former Marine and retired schoolteacher from Leesburg. “It’s despicable. They don’t realize how sick they are.”

But Hurlbert said it was the first time that anyone had complained about the flag, which was given as a gift and had been flying for several months without any response from the public.

“I was surprised,” she said after taking down the flag. “No one had called us. We have a phone.”

The controversial flag has an image of Obama in the blue section where the stars are normally located. A similar flag was available for sale on eBay for $12.95.

Altering an American flag doesn’t constitute a crime, said Jim Lake, an adjunct professor at the Stetson University College of Law in Tampa.

“For good reason, these folks want to encourage respect for the flag, and while such an alteration may be considered disrespectful, the federal government doesn’t allow penalties against those who disrespect the flag,” Lake said.

The federal flag code carries no criminal penalties.

“It’s just standards on how civilians might use the flag,” he said.

Time and again, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that people who burn and intentionally desecrate the flag are protected under the First Amendment right of free speech, he said.

Local veterans organized the protest after Don Van Beck, executive director of the Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park in Leesburg shared photos of the flag with others.

By 4 p.m., about half a dozen veterans arrived at the party office, where Van Beck asked Hurlbert to remove the flag, telling her that it was in violation of federal flag code. He gave her a POW/MIA flag to fly in its place.

Hurlbert promised to research the issue but didn’t take the Obama flag down immediately, prompting Van Beck to declare that they would take the flag down for her.

“No, you will not. This is private property,” Hurlbert declared.

The veterans lingered on the property, discussing whether they would take it down or wait for a response. Masterjohn pointed out that they would be trespassing and risking arrest. Another person repeated the old adage, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

The group had decided that they would take further action in a couple of days if nothing was done.

Then, Hurlbert came out and took down the flag, saying she had researched the matter. She didn’t take the POW flag offered as a replacement.

“We’re proud of our president and we didn’t realize it was in violation,” she said. “I am the chair and I take responsibility for this.”

That satisfied the veterans, including Van Beck, who believes the Obama flag wouldn’t fall under the First Amendment right of free speech.

“I’m sorry it had to come to this but you do not desecrate the American flag,” he said.

 http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-barack-obama-flag-face-20120313,0,6097169.story

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A U.S. Soldier May Have Killed Afghan Civilians

US Soldier in Afghanistan

Let’s Wait To See If The Soldier Was Provoked! The Afghani’s always give their people the benefit of the doubt, so we should do the same.

U.S. officials have briefed President Obama about an alleged
shooting of civilians by a U.S. service member in Afghanistan as worries grow
the incident could trigger more violence and fuel a push to abandon the
war-worn country.

“We are deeply concerned by the initial reports of this
incident, and are monitoring the situation closely,” White House Deputy
Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Sunday, after one service member was detained
by his unit following an alleged shooting of as many as 16 Afghan civilians in
two neighboring villages.

According to a government representative for southern Afghanistan and a member of the delegation that went to investigate the incident, a U.S. service member
stationed at a U.S. base in the southern Kandahar province walked off the base
around 3 a.m. local time and walked into three homes and started shooting. He
then returned to his base where he was arrested.

NATO officials apologized for the shootings but did not confirm that anyone was killed,
referring instead to reports of deaths.

“I wish to convey my profound regrets and dismay at the actions apparently taken by one coalition member in Kandahar province, said a statement from Lt. Gen. Adrian
Bradshaw, the deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan.

“One of our soldiers is reported to have killed and injured a number of civilians in
villages adjacent to his base. I cannot explain the motivation behind such
callous acts, but they were in no way part of authorized ISAF military
activity,” he said, using the abbreviation for NATO’s International
Security Assistance Force.

Reports are conflicting as to the number dead as Afghan villagers showed to press
photographers bodies covered in blankets as well as burned. Nine children and
three women are said to be among the dead. It was unclear how or why the bodies
were burned.

The incident comes after some very tense weeks in which
riots raged over the accidental improper disposal of Korans that had been
defaced by Afghan detainees.

The top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John R. Allen, issued a statement saying that he is “absolutely dedicated to making sure that anyone who is found to have
committed wrongdoing is held fully accountable.”

The head of the ISAF added that he was “shocked and saddened to hear” about the incident and offered his “profound regret and deepest condolences to the victims
and their families.”

“I pledge to all the noble people of Afghanistan my commitment to a rapid and thorough
investigation,” Allen said, adding that the U.S. will maintain custody of
the service member, provide medical care to injured Afghans and “cooperate
fully with local Afghan authorities as we ascertain all the facts.”

“This deeply appalling incident in no way represents the values of ISAF and coalition troops or the abiding respect we feel for the Afghan people. Nor does it impugn or
diminish the spirit of cooperation and partnership we have worked so hard to
foster with the Afghan National Security Forces,” he added.

A senior defense official added that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was “deeply
saddened” to hear about the incident and is “closely monitoring
reports out of Afghanistan.”

The U.S. embassy in Kabul tweeted videotaped condolences in the primary languages of Pashto and Dari. It also warned Americans in the country to beware of the “risk of anti-American feelings and protests in coming days, especially in eastern and southern provinces.”

 

“U.S. citizens in Afghanistan should remain vigilant and avoid areas where Westerners congregate. Avoid large public gatherings or demonstrations. Past demonstrations in Afghanistan have escalated into violent attacks on Western targets of opportunity.

“Do not discuss travel plans or other personal matters with strangers, or in public. Be alert and aware of your surroundings, and always travel with mobile phones or
appropriate communication equipment,” the warning reads.

The alleged shootings are likely to spark more violence after a calm returned following the Koran burnings of last month. That accidental incident led to more than a week of
rioting, which resulted in 30 people dead, including six U.S. service members
who were killed by their Afghan colleagues.

The killing of U.S. service members by Afghan forces had already been a major concern in Afghanistan, where since May 2007, 46 “green on blue” attacks — or Afghan National Security Forces attacks on allied service members — has reportedly resulted in 76 NATO soldiers killed and an undisclosed number wounded.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the attacks an “assassination” and angrily
demanded an explanation. Karzai said he spoke with a 15-year-old boy named
Rafiullah who was shot in the leg during the incident. The boy described how an
American soldier entered his house in the middle of the night, woke up his
family and began shooting them.

“This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians and cannot be
forgiven,” Karzai said in a statement that is sure to incite more
violence.

As violence erupts, U.S. officials have debated a faster exit strategy from Afghanistan, which is supposed to be left to fend for itself by 2014. In anticipation of that departure,
the U.S. and Afghan governments signed a memorandum of understanding recently
about the transfer of Afghan detainees to Afghan control — a key step toward
an eventual strategic partnership to govern U.S. forces in the country.

Sen. John McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the alleged incident cannot be explained “except to extend your deepest sympathy to those victims and see that justice is done.”

But, he added, that the U.S. is in Afghanistan because that’s where the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, originated.

“If Afghanistan dissolved into a situation where the Taliban were able to take over or a chaotic situation, it could easily return to an al Qaeda base for attacks on the United States of America. That is still our goal, as it was the day we went in,” McCain said.

Panjawi, the town where the alleged shootings occurred, is inside a rural Taliban stronghold, and is just south of the birthplace of the militant group’s senior leaders, including chief Mullah Omar. Panjawi is a launching point for attacks on neighboring Kandahar city and is a key to securing the province, one of the most difficult battlegrounds in the country.

The Taliban issued a statement on an insurgent website expressing concern for the villagers.

“The so-called American peacekeepers have once again quenched their thirst with the blood of innocent Afghan civilians in Kandahar province,” said the statement.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/11/us-offers-condolences-as-us-service-member-investigated-for-alleged-killing/

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Obama "Personally Lobbied" Senate Democrats to Kill Keystone

 

Support This Black Man

 

Obama gives the Middle Finger To The American People on High Gas Prices

President Barack Obama, seeking to head off an election-year
showdown over energy policy, has been calling wavering Senate Democrats to
lobby against a Republican measure that would force approval of the Keystone XL
oil pipeline from Canada, according to a Democratic aide.  Ahead of a vote expected as soon as today,
the president has made personal appeals to Democrats from Midwestern states,
where many of the jobs would be created by building TransCanada Corp.’s pipeline
from Canada’s oil sands to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, according to the
aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

 

 

Just as a refresher: The Keystone pipeline would have
exploited increased oil production from a friendly nation and created 20,000 US
jobs.  Good thing high gas prices and
chronic unemployment aren’t plaguing the country these days, or else this
double kowtow to hardcore greenies might have rankled a lot of Americans.  The most galling element of Obama’s extremist
stand is his White House’s insistence that he really wants to approve the
pipeline — honest! — it’s just that these darned Republicans keep
“rushing” the process and ruining everything.  Never mind the fact that Keystone has already
been subjected to three years’ worth of studies, and was given the green light
for production.  (If only this White
House had been this cautious about Solyndra, which involved piles of taxpayer
money, unlike this pipeline). Ultimately, Senate Democrats were forced to
filibuster a bill in the chamber they control because their own members were
splintering off to side with the GOP.
Eleven Dems broke off and stood with a united Republican caucus to break
the filibuster, but fell four votes short.
One brave, brave Democrat — “moderate” Sen. Mark Warner of
Virginia — said he supported the pipeline, but voted against it because of the
Republicans, or something:

 

Sen Mark Warner (D-VA) on Senate floor says supports
Keystone XL Pipeline but will oppose GOP amendment pushing its construction.

 

 

There’s an Obamaesque profile in courage, if ever there was
one.  In light of the political
storylines of the last few weeks, I simply must ask: Why must these Democrats
continue to wage this War On Jobs?  (For
two excellent responses to Democrats’ insidious “war on women”
nonsense, read Michelle Malkin and Jonah Goldberg).

(1) We already know
that Obamacare is enduringly unpopular and that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
hasn’t a clue as to whether the law is already breaking its chief promoter’s
promises left and right (spoiler: it is).
Now we also know exactly how dearly a vote in favor of the president’s
signature “accomplishment” ended up costing members of his party at
the ballot box in 2010:

Consistent with the
earlier research, we found that those House Democrats who voted in favor of ACA
ran around six points behind those Democrats who voted against it in the 2010 midterms.
We conducted thousands of simulations and found that, in the majority of
simulations, Democrats retained at least 25 additional seats if they had all
voted against ACA. That’s enough for them to have held the majority.

Gosh, I wonder why a
majority of Americans consider this presidency a failure?  Panic pander time.

(2) As this president
continues to scratch his tax “fairness” itch by pushing the so-called
Buffett Rule, a major Buffett enterprise continues to battle the Treasury
Department over unpaid taxes.  Why won’t
they happily pony up their “fair share”?

(3) Watch Sen. Lamar
Alexander deconstruct Attorney General Holder on his boss’ non-recess
“recess” appointment kick, which may be just getting started:

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2012/03/10/war_on_jobs_obama_personally_lobbied_senate_democrats_to_kill_keystone