But didn't we already catch the guy responsible??

It was just yesterday that Obama was at the UN assuring the world that the problem was free speech

Hillary Clinton drops strong hint that Al Qaeda was behind Libya attack

By Howard LaFranchi | Christian Science Monitor – 9/27/2012

Hillary Clinton told a UN meeting on security in North Africa that the Libya attack points to how several extremist groups – including an Al Qaeda affiliate – are destabilizing the region.



See also:  What the unraveling of Obama's Benghazi narrative tells us.

What the unraveling of Obama's Benghazi narrative tells us

Obama was sure he could free oppressed people better than Bush.  He was wrong.

There's an untold story here, in my opinion.  I think that Obama thought he could do better than Bush.  Bush ended up claiming that advancing freedom was the primary motivation for his "wars of choice", as the Dems call our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Obama, I think, was certain he could do better--in fact, that he could "advance freedom" without deploying ground forces at all. Obama and his acolytes were sure they could precipitate a greater birth of freedom than anything Bush's bloody dying and stumbling managed.  Hence, as Morrissey puts it, "Obama pushed Hosni Mubarak out of power in Egypt, and he bombed Qaddafi out of power in Libya."  ...and now he's left the aftermath to his hands-off "smart diplomacy."

There are plenty of problems with this... but let's just point out one. If you remember, Bush tried basically the same thing: invade Iraq, get rid of the bad guys, then get out.  Bush learned pretty quickly, and at great cost in lives, that nature abhors a (power) vacuum.  The "wars of choice" that liberals so revile are really the "occupations" and grinding wars of attrition that are, in fact, the US trying to fill the sudden power vacuums created by the removal of prior regimes.  These "occupations" are intended to give democratic and liberal institutions time to establish themselves--hopefully strong enough to resist the extremists and terrorists who make it their living to not only be ready to take advantage of power vacuums, but to, in fact, create them.

You would think that the Alinsky-trained Obama would understand this.  How does the line go, something about making sure to take advantage of every crisis.  This is exactly what every extremist and terrorist on earth is doing... the only difference between an Alinsky-ite "activist" and a radical Islamist "terrorist" is that one seeks through violence and destruction to *create crisis* in order to take advantage of them, while the other peaceably protests until a good crisis comes along.

So here is Obama, joyfully and proudly helping to create a power vacuum with no intention whatsoever of doing anything to fill that vacuum.  What could go wrong?  Well, my friend, reap the whirlwind.  The Muslim Brotherhood surely is......



CS Monitor: Say, this admission on Benghazi terrorist attack might cause Obama a few problems

POSTED AT 10:01 AM ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2012 BY ED MORRISSEY

The cover story offered by the White House shows just how badly they miscalculated on the Arab Spring, and the inevitable seizure of power by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the rise of AQ in eastern Libya, two utterly predictable consequences of Obama’s interventions.  It also shows that the Obama administration, from the top down, understood just how bad this story was — and either lied to themselves, lied to us, or a bit of both in order to avoid the consequences of it.  That might be the most damaging revelation of all.

"Out of the Mainstream" - Weekend reads

Some MSM-narrative-busting things I'm reading but don't have the time or energy to post on in detail.

In this edition:

• Propaganda Update: TV Networks Will Be Asked to Boost ObamaCare In Plots of Their Top Shows

By Tim Graham | September 15, 2012 | 10:29 

Abby Goodnough of The New York Times is reporting [that California] has hired a PR firm (with federal government money)... to tap major network TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Modern Family" to sell Americans on the health care law.

• Mastermind of World Trade Center bombing to be “transferred” to Egypt?

September 17, 2012 - 4:47 pm - by Roger Kimball

You know the old expression “It’s always worse than you think”?  In that department, anyway, the Obama administration is the gift that keeps on giving.

 I thought a line had been crossed when sheriffs showed up at midnight to bundle away a man who had made an anti-Islamic  movie that embarrassed the President. Then there was the murder of our Ambassador and three other Americans in Libya: the administration’ response: blame Romney, apologize for the “hurt the religious feelings of Muslims.”

Will there ever be a last straw for the MSM that is acting as Obama’s press corps? Is there anything Obama could do that would make them say “Enough!” and stand up for America? What would it take?  

 How about this: the announcement that the Obama administration is considering transferring the “Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel Rahman, mastermind of the first World Trade Center bombing, to Egypt “for humanitarian and health reasons.” Incredulous?  Then you underestimate the Islamophilc nature of the Obama administration.

• The Obama you don't know

The Washington Examiner - September 19, 2012 | 10:19 pm | Modified: September 20, 2012 at 12:06 am

...With his air of reasonableness and moderation, he has projected a remarkably likable persona. Even in the midst of a historically dirty campaign for re-election, his likability numbers remain impressive, as seen in a recent AP-GFK Poll that found 53 percent of adults have a favorable view of him.

 But beyond the spin and the polls, a starkly different picture emerges. It is a portrait of a man quite unlike his image, not a visionary reformer but rather a classic Chicago machine pol who thrives on rewarding himself and his friends with the spoils of public office, and who uses his position to punish his enemies.

• Tax penalty to hit nearly 6M uninsured people

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR | Associated Press – Thu, Sep 20, 2012

Nearly 6 million Americans — significantly more than first estimated— will face a tax penalty under President Barack Obama's health overhaul for not getting insurance, congressional analysts said Wednesday. Most would be in the middle class.

• How to plan a career in your 20s to stay home with kids in your 30s

Penelope Trunk, September 14th, 2012

Forbes just published a survey that shows that 84% of working women want to stay home with kids . The new job that everyone wants is stay-at-home mom....

So now that we are acknowledging that women aspire to stay home with kids, the question remains, “What should women do in their twenties to get to that life they want in their thirties?”

Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, is famous for telling women don’t quit before you quit. She says women should see if they want to stay home with kids before they start fading out of the their work life. This is great advice for the 16% of women who don’t want to stay home with kids. But for everyone else, it seems very smart to start preparing to shift your work life to accommodate the shift in your identity to becoming a mom.

Here’s how to make that shift work for you...

That's one way to change the conversation!

Massive #NARRATIVEFAIL:  Romney releases taxes, turns out he's not a greedy bastard!

POOR MITT. APPARENTLY, NOTHING HE DOES MAKES THEM HAPPY. 

Glenn Reynolds at 2:53 pm, September 12, 2012

Romney Tax Returns Released, Left outraged Romney paid too MUCH in taxes, gave 30 percent to charity; Reid, Biden hardest hit.

I'm pretty surprised he did this... although, it very much reminds me of the Saving Private Ryan scene where Horvath is going to shoot Reiben for insubordination. To break the mood/conversation/action and bring everyone back into perspective, Miller (Hanks) asks what the pool on his job back home is up to... Then he casually but forcefully announces that "back home" he's an English teacher.

Bash Romney all you want.  Bash away.  Yes, he's rich and a politician.  But he's also family man, an honest man, a religious man, successful businessman, and, put this in your pipe and smoke it, "back home" he's a generous man.

Sacrificing even the children to maintain government (and union?) control

Better that everybody suffers than allow some the opportunity at a better education

There are a couple of threads to this story:  (1) that the Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) Board has rejected, for the third time, and in defiance of a TN State School Board directive, an application by Great Hearts Academies to establish a charter school in Nashville, (2) that in response the TN State School Board has now withheld $3.4M in administrative support funds from MNPS, and (3) in parallel MNPS Board members are admitting that people all over the district are looking into a state law that allows parents and teachers to take over control of a public school from the School Board by "charter-izing" the school.

What the heck is going on in Nashville??  Well, it's really quite simple. Residents pay lots of money in taxes to support public schools. Lots of parents are dissatisfied with the quality of education being provided in exchange for those tax dollars. These parents are (shockingly!) thinking that breaking the one-size-fits-no-one dictatorial monopoly that the MNPS Board imposes on schooling in Nashville might not be a good thing, and are looking for ways to offer Nashville students (their children) more and better options. The MNPS Board, knowing a threat to their power and personal missions ("not what you think is best for your children, but what we think is best for whoever we think should get the best") when they see one, are stubbornly fighting back...

Bottom line:  Great Hearts Academics, which runs about a dozen very well-respected charter schools in Arizona wants to put a charter school in Nashville. Charters in TN receive public money equivalent to what the public schools receive for each student they enroll. Charters must satisfy all local school requirements but are permitted to set higher standards---wait... what?  You need permission to set higher standards?  Well, in fact, you do.  Even things like offering a longer school day are forbidden to regular public schools!  Amazing, no?  Anyways, I digress. Charters in TN are simply public schools run by organizations other than the School Board.  So the establishment of a charter in TN is simply a taking away of power from a School Board, and an empowerment of... what? A corporation?... Well, no!, as state law requires that parents control the board that oversees a charter school.

You see how evil this all is... right?... right??

In this case, because Great Hearts is known for very high academic performance in Arizona (seemingly a good thing), Nashville school board members (5 out of 9, in fact) have reached the conclusion that such a charter in Nashville will be a de facto segregated school, despite the fact, that, as a public charter in TN, must obey TN state law, which reads (find this text yourself here):

49-13-113.  Enrollment.  

  (a) Participation in a public charter school shall be based on parental choice or the choice of the legal guardian or custodian.

(b)  (1) A charter school shall enroll an eligible pupil who submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level or building.

   (2)  (A) If applications exceed the planned capacity of the public charter school, the following preferences shall apply:

         (i) Pupils in attendance in the previous school year at any public school that converts to become a public charter school;

         (ii) Pupils attending public schools within the LEA in which the public charter school is located, if those pupils would otherwise be included in the area in which the public charter school will focus;

         (iii) Children residing within the LEA service area in which the public charter school is located, but who are not enrolled in public schools, if those children would otherwise be included in the area in which the public charter school will focus; and

         (iv) Children residing outside the LEA in which the public charter school is located and whose needs would be included in the area in which the public charter school will focus.

      (B) If enrollment within a group of preference set out in subdivision (b)(2)(A) exceeds the planned capacity of the school, enrollment within that group shall be determined on the basis of a lottery.

(c) Subject to the requirements of subsections (a) and (b), preference may be afforded to the children of a teacher, sponsor or member of the governing body of the charter school, not to exceed ten percent (10%) of total enrollment or twenty-five (25) students, whichever is less.

(d) Subject to the requirement of subsections (a) and (b), preference may be afforded to the siblings of a pupil who is already enrolled.

Did you catch that?? In other words, charters have to enroll students the say way the normal publics do!  Anybody who wants it, gets in, so long as there is room!

SO WHAT IS THE MNPS' OBJECTION?

They would rather EVERYONE continue to suffer lower standards and poorer outcomes than give up a bit of power to offer EVERYONE the possibility of something better than the local government schools.  Classic.

Oh, right, it gets even better.  How much better do people expect a charter to be than the MNPS government schools?  So much better that people "all over" Nasvhville are looking into taking over their local MNPS school using a never-before-used state law that allows parents and teachers to wrest control of a school from the local school board.  Amazing.

Good thing the citizens have the MNPS Board looking out for them and their children!

Metro defies state, denies Great Hearts

Lisa Fingeroot, 8:07 PM, Sep 11, 2012

In a surprise move, the Metro Nashville school board defied the state’s education power structure Tuesday and denied a controversial charter school for Nashville’s West Side over concerns that it would cater mainly to wealthy, white families.


Nashville schools to lose $3.4M over rejection of Great Hearts: 
TN Department of Education to withhold funds after Metro school board rejected charter school

Nate Rau, 8:52 AM, Sep 18, 2012

The Tennessee Department of Education is expected to announce as early as today that it will withhold more than $3 million in education funds from Metro Nashville Public Schools in response to the board’s decision last week to reject the Great Hearts Academy charter school application.

Nashville parents explore taking over schools: Never-before-used state triggers law allows public schools to be converted into charters

Nate Rau, 11:42 PM, Sep 19, 2012

Dissatisfied parents and elected officials from West Nashville are exploring a never-before-utilized state law that would allow a public school to be converted into a parent-controlled charter school.

Boy, that went away quick...

Maybe this is why that whole Romney video thing has disappeared from the MSM so quickly!

64% Think Too Many Americans Dependent on Government Financial Aid

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Americans strongly believe that there is too much government dependency in the country today. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of Adults think there are too many Americans dependent on the government for financial aid. Just 10% think not enough Americans are dependent on the government, while 16% say the level of dependency is about right.

Oops!!  I thought Romney was way out of the mainstream... a psychopath!  Turns out, America agrees with him!

Annals of Stupid Government

We really should turn over something important, like healthcare, to government!

Classic example of unintended consequences. If only politicians could take lessons from doctors in "first rules".  When you enunciate a moral good (that kids eat less and healthier lunches) and attempt to use government to dictate it, though, you will invariable get it wrong and be swamped with unintended side effects.  The point being:  the Federal government has no business sticking it's nose into school lunches.  (Hat Tip:  Shelly Fox)

Students strike against new federal school lunch rules

Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel Editorial

By 7 a.m. Monday, senior Nick Blohm already had burned about 250 calories in the Mukwonago High School weight room.

He grabbed a bagel and a Gatorade afterward; if he eats before lifting, he gets sick.

That was followed by eight periods in the classroom, and then three hours of football practice. By the time he headed home, he had burned upward of 3,000 calories - his coach thinks the number is even higher.

But the calorie cap for his school lunch? 850 calories.

"Please, sir, I want some more!"

Mom sues police and neighbor after she is arrested for letting her kids play outside

By Claudine Zap | The Sideshow – 22 hrs ago

Allowing your kids to play on scooters outside the house on a quiet street seems innocent--and common--enough. But a Texas mom was arrested and spent the night in jail after a neighbor complained that the children were unsupervised.

The parent, Tammy Cooper, disputes the "humiliating" charge, saying she was watching the kids, ages 6 and 9, the whole time from a lawn chair.

And one for state and local government, too, of course!  I am an equal opportunity ridiculer...

City may sue developer who spent $20,000 to remove 40 tons of trash from vacant lot


By Eric Pfeiffer, Yahoo! News | The Sideshow – September 20, 2012

A business developer in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Point Breeze is facing legal action after voluntarily cleaning up more than 40 tons of trash from a vacant lot neighboring his local business.