TUESDAY,  APRIL 14,  2009

YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE - AT 9:39 P.M. ET: 

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made a deal to star in NBC's upcoming summer reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, the network confirms.

"Rod Blagojevich will be a participant on the show pending the court's approval," said NBC in a statement.

COMMENT:  Brought to you by the same people who gave us MSNBC.  Real class.

April 14, 2009   Permalink

ONE MORE TIME - AT 6:31 P.M. ET:  North Korea has expelled international nuclear inspectors and is vowing to restart its nuclear program.  This is in response to the barely noticeable slap on the wrist given by the UN Security Council in response to the recent North Korean missile test.  If North Korea responded to a nothing statement by the UN this way, we must conclude that restarting its program was always the goal, and that they would have found some excuse, no matter what our side did.

And what is the American response?  One more statement of appeasement.  Here's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

''We are viewing this as an unnecessary response to the legitimate statement put out -- of concern -- by the Security Counc il, and obviously we hope there will be an opportunity to discuss this not only with our partners and allies but also eventually with the North Koreans,'' she said.

COMMENT:  Take that, North Korea!  "An unnecessary response."  That's about it. 

We have to believe that there will come a point in this administration's life that it will either learn from reality or see its foreign policy fall apart, and become a laughing stock.  We hope they learn sooner, rather than later.

April 14, 2009   Permalink

MEANWHILE, IN THE EUROPEAN PARADISE - AT 3:34 P.M. ET:  From Sweden's The Local:

More than 4,000 teenagers in Stockholm are exposed on a daily basis to cultures of honour that run counter to Swedish law, according to an estimate based on a new official study.

Violence and repression are regular occurrences for a large section of 16-year-old school goers in the city centre and suburbs, according to a study commissioned by local politicians.

Ulf Kristersson (Mod), Commissioner of Social Services, is one of a number of politicians surprised and outraged by the findings.

"It's not permitted for adults, not even parents, to prevent children from living full, independent lives," he told Sverige Televsion.

The results come from a survey of a cross section of more than 2,000 pupils.

COMMENT:  Coming to a city or town near you, unless we're careful.  The story does not use the word "Muslim," which tells you something about the European press.  Instead, it simply says, "The majority of teenagers who matched the honour culture profile have parents born outside Sweden."  Okay, we'll guess, and feel good about our political correctness.

April 14, 2009   Permalink

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? - AT 2:56 P.M. ET:  From the AP:

A jailed American journalist charged by Iran with espionage stood trial behind closed doors and a verdict is expected within weeks, Iran's judiciary spokesman said Tuesday.

Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But an Iranian judge leveled a far more serious allegation against her last week, charging her with spying for the United States.

Judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi said Saberi, who grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, was tried Monday in Iran's Revolutionary Court, which handles national security cases.

"Yesterday, the first trial session was held. She presented her final defense. The court will issue its verdict within the next two to three weeks," Jamshidi told reporters.

COMMENT:  Where are the international "human rights" groups?  Where is the Obama administration?  Where is Hillary Clinton?  Where is the mainstream media, so anguished over Guantanamo? 

As this is happening, we are making concessions to Iran to get the mullahs to the negotiating table.  Notice the good it's done.

There are no Navy Seals to take care of this, Mr. President.  This you do yourself.

April 14, 2009   Permalink

DOW NOW - AT 2:53 P.M. ET:  The Dow is down 113 to 7945.  The recent rally seems to be a memory.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO THE RECOVERY - AT 9:03 A.M. ET: 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in March, snapping two months of increases, as motor vehicle and electronic good purchases declined, according to a government report on Tuesday that indicated subdued consumer spending amid rising unemployment.

The Commerce Department said total retail sales dropped 1.1 percent after rising by a revised 0.3 percent in February, previously reported as a 0.1 percent fall.

COMMENT:  A good lesson that shows why stock market rallies are not necessarily indicative of an improving economy.  The Reuters report confirms what we sense by simply going out, looking around stores, and hearing anecdotes.  The economy is still dramatically weak.  And plans by some states to raise taxes will not help.

April 14, 2009   Permalink

OH DEAR, OH DEAR, OH DEAR - AT 7:58 A.M. ET:  Sometimes you just get caught at it.  From the Harvard Crimson:

Harvard Islamic chaplain Taha Abdul-Basser ’96 has recently come under fire for controversial statements in which he allegedly endorsed death as a punishment for Islamic apostates.

In a private e-mail to a student last week, Abdul-Basser wrote that there was “great wisdom (hikma) associated with the established and preserved position (capital punishment [for apostates]) and so, even if it makes some uncomfortable in the face of the hegemonic modern human rights discourse, one should not dismiss it out of hand.”

COMMENT:  Can you just imagine if a Christian or Jewish chaplain had written that?  There'd be candlelight vigils, petitions for removal, "interfaith" meetings, anguished denunciations, and grief counseling.

In fairness, some of the Muslim students interviewed for their reactions to the chaplain's e-mail denounced him vigorously, to their great credit.  In America we don't think too highly of death for apostates.  However, there was, inevitably, also this:

“[Abdul-Basser] was speaking as a chaplain to a student in a private e-mail exchange. One of these e-mails was misinterpreted, misconstrued, and posted on the blogosphere,” said Harvard Islamic Society spokesperson Nafees A. Syed ’10, who praised Abdul-Basser for promoting diversity within HIS and the campus at large.

“His immeasurable contributions should not be overlooked in this matter,” she said.

Diversity?  Really?  Does that include the apostates?

April 14, 2009   Permalink

MORE TRAVELS ON THE HYPOCRISY EXPRESS - AT 7:41 A.M. ET:  Oh, this is just rich.  Slow death by White House invitation.  From The New York Times:

District of Columbia students are a familiar sight at the White House these days. Since Barack Obama became president on Jan. 20, they have been invited to break ground for a new vegetable garden, celebrate Black History month and, in Thompson's case, get a pep talk from the first lady on the importance of working hard to reach their potential.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the White House is reaching out to support the efforts of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and schools superintendent Michelle Rhee, who are taking aggressive steps to turn around Washington's struggling schools.

COMMENT:  What devotion, what caring, what nurturing.  Wait a minute!  This is the same White House that stood by, without a peep of protest, as the Dem congress killed a voucher program for D.C. that helped poor minority kids get a great education - because teachers' unions wanted it dead.

Sure, kid, come on over to the White House.  Hear Michelle (Princeton and Harvard) give a speech.  Okay, so the schools didn't teach you to read and write.  But you can admire the furniture, can't you?  Be grateful for what you've got.

April 14, 2009   Permalink

THE OBAMA-BUSH WARS - AT 7:28 A.M. ET:  Byron York, in the Washington Examiner (which we haven't quoted before) chronicles the escalating feud between the Obama and Bush administrations:

Former White House adviser Karl Rove's bare-knuckled response to recent statements by Vice President Joe Biden has brought into public view a growing resentment on the part of Bush administration veterans over what they regard as repeated and unwarranted slams from the Obama White House.

The current president and his team are being "gratuitous, slightly petty, and slightly obsessive in blaming Bush for things," one former White House adviser told me.

"Completely gratuitous," said another.

"Unfair," said a third.

The hard feelings surfaced after an April 7 interview on CNN in which Biden recounted a visit with George W. Bush. "I remember President Bush saying to me one time in the Oval Office…he said, 'Well, Joe, I'm a leader.'" Biden recalled. "And I said, 'Mr. President, turn around and look behind you. No one's following.'"

A few days later, Rove accused Biden of lying. "It didn't happen," Rove said on Fox News. "He's making these things up out of whole cloth…It is a habit he ought to drop….You should not exaggerate and lie like this when you are the vice president of the United States."

COMMENT:  The constant needling of the Bush administration by the president and his team is unhelpful, and diminishes Mr. Obama.  Wouldn't it have been nice for Obama, while speaking in Europe, to give Mr. Bush some credit for our progress in Iraq and for keeping America safe after 9-11? 

Frank Luntz was on Fox last night saying much the same thing - that the Obama attacks on Bush can do Obama no good.  He alienates potential allies in the center, and even on the near right.  There is a lesson here from President Reagan who, while partisan, always maintained a gracious relationship with the opposition, especially Speaker of the House Thomas "Tip" O'Neill.

April 14, 2009   Permalink

OUR DIPLOMACY MARCHES ON - AT 7:10 A.M. ET:  The Navy Seals saved the week for President Obama, but two stories in today's New York Times suggest that his administration is determined to reverse the glow.  The first:

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration and its European allies are preparing proposals that would shift strategy toward Iran by dropping a longstanding American insistence that Tehran rapidly shut down nuclear facilities during the early phases of negotiations over its atomic program, according to officials involved in the discussions.

The proposals, exchanged in confidential strategy sessions with European allies, would press Tehran to open up its nuclear program gradually to wide-ranging inspection. But the proposals would also allow Iran to continue enriching uranium for some period during the talks. That would be a sharp break from the approach taken by the Bush administration, which had demanded that Iran halt its enrichment activities, at least briefly to initiate negotiations.

And the second:

North Korea vowed Tuesday to restore the nuclear facilities that it had been disabling and boycott international talks on its nuclear weapons program to protest against the U.N. Security Council’s reaction to its recent rocket launching.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued through the country’s official KCNA agency that it “resolutely condemns” the statement by the United Nations.

It was the Pyongyang’s first reaction to the Security Council’s unanimous condemnation on Monday of the April 5 rocket launch, which North Korea says sent a satellite into space. The United States and others say that it was aimed at testing long-range missile technology.

COMMENT:  Regarding the first, the change in policy would insure that Iran makes progress in its nuclear program while engaged in talks.  That progress cannot be taken back.  And other news sources report that Washington is rejecting proposals, by members of Congress and by the Israelis, that a time limit be placed on talks with Iran to prevent Tehran from exploiting them to advance its research. 

Regarding the second, North Korea is reacting to a ludicrously weak UN statement.  Yet, there appears to be no real punishment for the North Korean defiance of past resolutions.

Even the Navy Seals, great as they are, cannot make up for this march to appeasement.  The president has nothing to show for his diplomacy in his first three months in office except 1) getting a lot of applause for himself in Europe and 2) contrasting himself with President Bush.  The only time he actually gained, in anything international, is when he authorized force against the pirates off Somalia. 

It is true, as a late commander of NATO, Gen. Lauris Norstad, said, that "toughness is not a policy."  But neither is weakness.  We hope the president has learned from the last week that a bit of spine is required in international affairs.  Without it, we can easily get negotiated to death. 

April 14, 2009   Permalink

MONDAY,  APRIL 13,  2009

THE U.N. SWINGS INTO ACTION - AT 8:04 P.M. ET: Watching the international community marching shoulder to shoulder.  From The Politico:

The 15-nation UN Security Council unanimously adopted a statement noting that the launch a week ago was in contravention of an earlier resolution and demanded that no further launches take place.

It took a while -- and no small bit of cajoling of the Russians and Chinese -- but a compromise was eventually fashioned by agreeing to issue to a "statement" rather than a "resolution."

“The U.S. is very pleased that the Security Council today issued a strong, unanimous statement clearly and unequivocally condemning the launch,” U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said after the deal was reached.

COMMENT:  Well, we certainly are impressed, aren't we?  What's next?  A statement expressing emotional upset over genocide?  A hard-hitting comment about mass murder in Darfur?

As we argued earlier, we lost in the U.N.  The mainstream media just won't put it that way.

April 13, 2009   Permalink

MAN OF STEELE ATTACKS OBAMA - AT 7:48 P.M. ET:  The timing isn't the greatest because of the hostage rescue off Somalia, but new Republican National Chairman Michael Steele is making a strong attack on President Obama, specifically over the president's global groveling.  The Washington Times reports:

Republican National Chairman Michael S. Steele has launched a direct attack on President Obama in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the "blame America first" crowd, The Washington Times has learned.

Criticized by some in the party for not taking on the Democratic president hard enough or often enough, Mr. Steele took the gloves off in a fund-raising letter sent out Monday to 12 million party supporters. Recipients included RNC donors as well as the mailing lists of two conservative organizations, Human Events and GOPUSA, according to RNC communications director Trevor Francis.

Mr. Steele wrote that Mr. Obama's comments criticizing the United States on his recent European tour showed "an absence of wisdom."

COMMENT:  A good beginning.  What the GOP needs, in addition, is a clear, attractive program, like 1994's contract with America.  The next congressional election is a bit more than 18 months away.

April 13, 2009   Permalink

WILL WE OR WON'T WE? - AT 7:24 P.M. ET:  From The Jerusalem Post: 

The United States is likely to wait until the last moment before deciding whether to hold to its original decision to withdraw from the United Nations' anti-racism conference, which opens this coming Monday in Geneva, according to diplomatic sources.

As of press time Monday, the US was expected to issue a statement clarifying its position regarding the week-long event, dubbed Durban II, which opponents fear will single out Israel and will take a stand against free speech.

Initially, only Canada and Israel said they would not attend. But when the United States and Italy followed suit, and other European countries threatened to boycott the event as well, steps were taken to amend the draft text of the conference document to stem the growing swell of opponents.

COMMENT:  I don't care if they "amend" the conference document to include the words to our Declaration of Independence.  Durban II will be an anti-Western, anti-freedom, and anti-Semitic conference, as was Durban I in 2001.  We should not lend our good name to this farce.

Further, I don't see how we can undercut allies like Canada, Italy and Israel, who have already decided to boycott.  Undercutting allies is a serious thing for an administration that claims to regard multilateralism as the Eleventh Commandment. 

Stand by for the American decision.  An informed source told me today that the United States has already decided to attend, and that all this public agony is window dressing.  I hope not.

April 13, 2009   Permalink

DOW CLOSE - AT 4:05 P.M. ET:  The Dow closed down 35, to 8048.

April 13, 2009   Permalink

OBAMA POLL NUMBERS DOWN - AT 9:34 A.M. ET:  This may well change as a result of the bump the president is likely to receive because of the hostage rescue, but Rasmussen is reporting declining poll numbers for Mr. Obama.

Some 55 percent of respondents approve of the job the president is doing, as opposed to 44 percent who don't.  That is a remarkably thin spread, given that the gap was 65-30 on the day after inauguration.

Even more distressing for Mr. Obama is Rasmussen's "presidential approval index," the gap between those who strongly approve and those who strongly disapprove.  That stands this morning at 34-32, only two points apart, the worst rating the president has received in the Rasmussen survey thus far.

April 13, 2009   Permalink

IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG, DOES IT?  - AT 8:39 A.M. ET:  I used to call it the 48-hour rule.  That is, it takes about 48 hours for the international left to reorganize after an event and readjust its propaganda to fit the circumstances.  Recall that 48 hours after the 9-11 attacks, the BBC went on the air with a vicious anti-American program.

Well, the 48-hour rule is now the 24-hour rule.  The left has become more efficient, and their crowd now takes 24 hours to swing into action.  Notice:

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The killing of three Somali pirates in the dramatic U.S. Navy rescue of a cargo ship captain has sparked concern for other hostages and fears that the stakes have been raised for future hijackings in the busy Indian Ocean shipping lane.

Sunday's rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips followed a shootout at sea on Friday by French navy commandos, who stormed a pirate-held sailboat, killed two pirates and freed four French hostages. The French owner of the vessel was also killed in the assault.

The two operations may have been a setback for the pirates, but they are unlikely to quell the brigands, who have vowed to avenge the deaths of their comrades.

Experts indicated that piracy in the Indian Ocean off Somalia, which transformed one of the world's busiest shipping lanes into one of its most dangerous, has entered a new phase with the Navy SEAL rescue operation of Phillips.

COMMENT:  The next phase will be an "agonizing reappraisal" of the rescue operation, beginning with, "Of course we're glad that Captain Phillips is free, but..."  Then will come words like "reckless," "dangerous," "ill-considered," and the inevitable "Bush-like."  Can't wait for the reaction from Code Pink, which is probably buying first-class air tickets right now so they can "stand with" the "pirate community."  Watch for the NO WAR ON CAPTAIN HOOK signs.

April 13, 2009   Permalink 

QUOTE OF THE DAY - AT 8:03 A.M. ET:  From the great Michael Ledeen, who notes that Iran and North Korea are holding American hostages, even as Captain Phillips is freed.  Ledeen comments:

The president’s promise to change the world by showing “respect” to our enemies was never going to succeed, and the mounting number of hostages seems to demonstrate that our enemies believe they can push him around. There was a moment–in 2003-2004–when the Iranians were frightened of President Bush, but that passed, and I don’t think they view Obama as a dramatic change from the last Bush years. They are doing what they are doing, taking hostages because that is what they do, and because they know it works. Just as the scorpion explained to the crocodile, who thoughtfully gave the scorpion a ride to the other side of the river, only to be stung. “Why?” cried out the croc. “Because I am a scorpion.” 

COMMENT:  Ledeen has warned repeatedly about Iran.  It's apparent that this administration will ignore his warnings.  But the Iranian regime is a scorpion.

April 13, 2009   Permalink 

GM HEADS FOR THE REMODELING - AT 7:52 A.M. ET:  From The New York Times:

DETROIT — The Treasury Department is directing General Motors to lay the groundwork for a bankruptcy filing by a June 1 deadline, despite G.M.’s public contention that it could still reorganize outside court, people with knowledge of the plans said during the weekend.

Members of President Obama’s automotive task force spent last week in meetings and on conference calls with G.M. officials and its advisers in Detroit and Washington. Those talks are expected to continue this week.

The goal is to prepare for a fast “surgical” bankruptcy, the people who had been briefed on the plans said. G.M., which has been granted $13.4 billion in federal aid, insists that a quick restructuring is necessary so its image and sales are not damaged permanently.

COMMENT:  Not damaged permanently?  What do these boys think is happening right now?  The damage to GM's image is overwhelming.  It will take years to repair, if it can be repaired at all.  It will take financial backing, but it will also take great engineering and great cars.  The best thing would probably be for GM to get the bankruptcy behind it, and to try to break free of federal control.  Possible?  Maybe.  But maybe not.  This will be a struggle.

April 13, 2009   Permalink 

THE RESCUE - AT 7:29 A.M. ET:  Americans are rightfully cheering the rescue, by the United States Navy, of Captain Richard Phillips.  But in our gratitude, we should also take note of two other items:

First, on the day of the rescue we learned that Washington has accepted, at the UN, a pathetically weak draft dealing with the recent North Korean missile launch.  We couldn't even get a resolution.  Instead, according to news reports, we'll accept a "presidential statement," a consolation prize.  So, once again, while trying to "engage" the international community, we have lost.  The response to the provocative missile launch will be words and vague, unenforceable warnings.  We will just "move on."

Second, on the day of the rescue we learned that the United States, according to news sources, is "leaning" toward attending the upcoming Durban II conference, sponsored by that self-same UN, which will presumably deal with racism. 
Durban I was held a few days before the 9-11 attacks, and degenerated into an anti-American, anti-Western, anti-freedom, and anti-Semitic rant.  The United States walked out.  The same suspects will be running Durban II, and some of our allies have already decided, correctly, to boycott the conference.  It's dismaying to learn that we are "leaning" toward attending, and lending the good name of the United States toward this farce.

Lenin used to teach that the march of communism would involve a strategy of "two steps forward, one step back."  A Leninist interpretation of the last few days would suggest that the UN and Durban II are the two steps forward, the rescue of Captain Phillips the one step back.

So let us be cautious.  The president's correct decision to authorize force to free the captain was a no-brainer.  The authorization was apparently given if the Navy believed Phillips was in danger.  Well, obviously. 

But using force in this case must be placed up against a long list of concessions, acts of appeasement, verbal grovelings and images of weakness, that have characterized the Obama administration from its first day.  As one Urgent Agenda reader wrote, the freeing of the captain was the first encouraging sign from the Obama White House.  Let us hope it is not the last.  The record, though, should cause us worry.

April 13, 2009   Permalink