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FRIDAY,  NOVEMBER 6,  2009

OBAMA ON TERRORIST ACTS - AT 10:18 P.M. ET:  The Weekly Standard performs a major service by reprinting Barack Obama's bizarre comments after the 9-11 attacks, reminding us of why the president seems to have such trouble articulating why the murders at Fort Hood took place:

We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.

COMMENT:  Right out of the left-wing handbook. 

Now, was the Fort Hood shooter in poverty?  No.  Was he ignorant?  No.  Was he helpless?  No.  Was he in despair?  Only if he believed the sick ideology that was being taught to him by religious fanatics.

Barack Obama is now in charge of our national security.   He will determine our policy in Afghanistan.  He will determine how we confront an Iran apparently hell-bent on developing nuclear weapons. 

He thinks like a college kid under the thumb of leftist professors.  But the mainstream media remains mellow and not the least bit alarmed.

November 6, 2009   Permalink
 

HEALTH CARE VOTE SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW, SO COUGH NOW AND HOPE YOU CAN GET THE MEDICINE - AT 8:16 P.M. ET:  Queen of hearts and lungs, Nancy Pelosi, dreams of a House vote on her mammoth health-care plan tomorrow.  It may or may not happen.  The Dem votes may not be there.  Arms are being twisted, and twisted arms aren't covered by the new plan.  The New York Times reports:

WASHINGTON — The House majority leader, Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, said on Friday that he expected the House to pass sweeping health care legislation on Saturday evening. But he acknowledged that Democrats were still trying to corral the necessary 218 votes, and that what he called Republican delaying tactics could push the vote back to Sunday or early next week.

All hail the delaying tactics.

House Democratic leaders are still trying to draft an amendment to the bill that would tighten restrictions on some uses of federal money, as demanded by Democrats who are opposed to abortion.

At the same time, the leaders are trying to satisfy the large number of House Democrats who support abortion rights.

Try reconciling those two views. 

Republicans cited the Labor Department’s report on Friday that the unemployment picture continued to worsen in October as evidence that this is the wrong time to pass the health care legislation.

“There is no higher priority than putting Americans back to work,” said Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, the No. 3 Republican in the House. “I have never seen greater evidence that Washington is out of touch with the American people. Democrats continue in a headlong rush to a government takeover of health care in the face of rising unemployment.”

COMMENT:  A lot of drama in Congress this weekend.  It may be the best show on the air.  The American health-care system and a sixth of our economy hang in the balance.

Oh, by the way, do you know of a news organization that's provided a detailed account of what's in this bill?  If you hear of one, please let me know.  If you know what's in the bill, tell me that, too.

November 6, 2009   Permalink

FORT HOOD UPDATE - AT 7:28 P.M. ET:  Steve Hayes of the Weekly Standard said on Fox News tonight that an FBI agent told him that terrorism wasn't even being discussed as a possible issue in the Fort Hood massacre.  Hayes said that, if that report is true, the FBI director should be fired, and I agree.  It's always possible, though, that Hayes was just given the public line to avoid inflaming international politics.

The president said today that we shouldn't jump to conclusions as to motive.  Well, I guess that's right - if you're 12.  If you're above 12, you have every right to draw some conclusions, including the spread of a poisonous ideology among some Muslims.  It isn't "ant-Muslim" to say that, nor does it cast blame on any other Muslims.  It isn't anti-Christian to denounce the twisted ideology of the Ku Klux Klan, even though that organization uses (or misuses) Christian symbols.  When a Jewish extremist from an orthodox sect massacred Muslim worshippers in Hebron, he was denounced across the political spectrum - and no one thought that the denunciations insulted his religion, which he had hijacked.

There have been some attempts in the press today to suggest that the shooting was caused by stress, or even by an "overstretched" Army.  Why a military psychiatrist would gun down 12 people because of an overstretched Army is beyond me, but the usual suspects are making the link.  It is part of the inability of some, or their refusal, to bluntly confront the matter of ideology. 

The left wing always attributes these brutal acts to some form of deprivation.  It's part of the party line.  You know, poverty, ignorance and disease.  The big three, like snap, crackle, and pop.  But it's ideology that we must look at, even if the president of the United States refuses to discuss it, or if some of our "intelligence" agencies refuse to acknowledge it, or if our universities refuse to teach it.

November 6, 2009   Permalink

PETRAEUS - AT 7:10 P.M. ET:  Went to to a Hudson Institute briefing today by General David Petraeus, commander of Central Command.  It was off the record so I can't report anything said - although, frankly, there was nothing much that couldn't be reported publicly  These things are often off the record to protect the speaker in case anything slips,.

Petraeus, in person, is a smaller man than I'd thought.  But, in person, he's also more impressive than he seems on television.  He spoke for about half an hour without notes, using a Powerpoint presentation, was thoroughly knowledgeable and articulate.  In addition to being a West Point graduate, he holds a Ph.D. from Princeton. 

There were some hints around the room about a possible political future for the general, but of course he didn't respond to any of that talk.

Unfortunately, I can't say anything more, but I had the distinct feeling that Central Command is in very good and skillful hands.

November 6, 2009   Permalink

THE GRAVE IRANIAN THREAT - AT 9:10 A.M. ET:  Ironically, it's Britain's flagship leftist paper, the Guardian, that has a remarkable report that brings home once again the danger that Iran poses to the world.  Maybe, if the president can take time out from his political appearances, he might consider dealing with this seriously: 

The UN's nuclear watchdog has asked Iran to explain evidence suggesting that Iranian scientists have experimented with an advanced nuclear warhead design, the Guardian has learned.

The very existence of the technology, known as a "two-point implosion" device, is officially secret in both the US and Britain, but according to previously unpublished documentation in a dossier compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iranian scientists may have tested high-explosive components of the design. The development was today described by nuclear experts as "breathtaking" and has added urgency to the effort to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis.

The sophisticated technology, once mastered, allows for the production of smaller and simpler warheads than older models. It reduces the diameter of a warhead and makes it easier to put a nuclear warhead on a missile.

Documentation referring to experiments testing a two-point detonation design are part of the evidence of nuclear weaponisation gathered by the IAEA and presented to Iran for its response.

COMMENT:  The problem here is that we cannot trust the UN to do anything serious about Iran, or even to conduct an honest investigation. 

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed El Baradei, actually said yesterday, with a straight face, that UN inspectors found nothing suspicious at a previously unknown nuclear facility in Iran.

So let's get this straight:  1) Iran had kept the facility secret.  2) Once it was detected by surveillance, it invited UN inspectors to inspect, as if it had not tried to hide anything.  3)  However, the "inspection" took place weeks after the facility was revealed, giving the Iranians plenty of time to hide what had to be hidden.  4) The facility is located near the holy city of Qum, making a military attack highly problematical from a don't-inflame-the-Muslims perspective.

Are you sleeping better these days, knowing El Baradei is on the case?

November 6, 2009   Permalink

WELCOME TO THE RECOVERY - AT 8:58 A.M. ET:  We now have unemployment above ten percent.  Isn't the Obama recovery wonderful?  What a little stimulus can do!  From The New York Times:

The United States economy shed 190,000 jobs in October, and the unemployment rate reached a 26-year high of 10.2 percent, up from 9.8 percent in September, the Department of Labor said Friday in its monthly economic appraisal.

While the pace of the job losses has slowed significantly since the peak of the recession last winter, the unemployment rate, which measures the number of people actively seeking work, continues to climb, and economists do not foresee relief until well into next year.

“There’s no doubt that the slashing and burning of jobs has abated quite a lot,” said Allen L. Sinai, the founder of Decision Economics, a research firm. “The economy is recovering, but it is a very soft recovery.”

COMMENT:  And Congress is determined to make the recovery even softer by spending another trillion or so on an ill-conceived health "reform" plan, due to be voted on in the House on Saturday.

But remember the eternal truth.  This is BUSH'S (!!) fault.  And today's chilly weather in New York is his fault too.

November 6, 2009   Permalink

ANOTHER OUTRAGE - AT 8:40 A.M. ET:  There are things that are difficult to believe, but are true.  Catch this one, from AP:

WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats have blocked a GOP attempt to require next year's census forms to ask people whether they are a U.S. citizen.

The proposal by Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter was aimed at excluding immigrants from the population totals that are used to figure the number of congressional representatives for each state. Critics said Vitter's plan would discourage immigrants from responding to the census and would be hugely expensive. They also said that it's long been settled law that the apportionment of congressional seats is determined by the number of people living in each state, regardless of whether they are citizens. A separate survey already collects the data. 

COMMENT:  I am not an expert on congressional apportionment law, but it seems entirely reasonable for the US Census, which is enshrined in the Constitution, to determine how many citizens live in our country.  I am not impressed by the argument that there's a separate survey on that.  Yeah, right, and remember that ACORN has been hired by the government to conduct some surveys.

As to the argument that a question on citizenship would "discourage" immigrants from responding to the census, that is code language.  What the critics really mean is "illegal immigrants," or, as they say, "undocumented workers."

By the way, I'm sympathetic to the reasons why some people choose to cross the Mexican border illegally.  As someone who believes in the Judeo-Christian ethic, I have to be concerned about them as human beings, especially mothers who have to support their children.  However, no one has a right to break the law, especially as we ask other immigrants, many from Latin America, to abide by our immigration statutes.  We can handle the issue of illegal immigration in a manner that upholds our laws, honors those immigrants who follow them, and yet shows compassion for the individual.  We can do all those things, but the hard-left operators are making it impossible.

November 6, 2009   Permalink 

BIZARRE - AT 8:21 A.M. ET:  The president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.  A number of readers have e-mailed us commenting on Obama's weird performance yesterday in the face of the Fort Hood massacre.  Oh yes, he said all the right words - but only after a few minutes of political talk that struck exactly the wrong note.  Networks cut away for the president's statement, only to be confronted with this bit of strange stuff.  Reader Jean Spik refers us to a short piece in American Thinker that describes the episode:

Twelve soldiers were murdered in cold blood at Fort Hood, Texas. Thirty others were wounded. Our Commander in Chief calls a press conference and begins it with a long thanks to the Department of the Interior and Native Americans who just concluded a conference and then gives a good natured "shout out" to an attendee, all with a studied nonchalance, before he even mentions the outrage on our military base.

Linda Chavez calls it, "Obama's pet goat moment."

That is exactly right.  The piece provides video of the president's incredible performance.

Study it and pass it on because the media is already cutting the tape to make the man look presidential instead of clueless and immature.

Correct again.  The clip you may see on TV makes it look like Obama led his remarks with the Fort Hood tragedy.  The fact that he didn't is a news story itself, and a comment on this president's priorities.  But the mainstream media saved him again.

Disgraceful.  Absolutely disgraceful.  But we're sure the president understands the "root cause" of the killer's "cultural anger."

November 6, 2009   Permalink

THE FORT HOOD KILLER - AT 8:07 A.M. ET:  According to Britain's Daily Mail, the Fort Hood shooter was facing an FBI probe over his political views.  This link, by the way, contains surveillance camera photos of the killer, in full white Muslim dress, apparently taken a few hours before his deadly rampage:

The army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 people in a murderous rampage at America's biggest military base was facing an FBI investigation for expressing sympathy with suicide bombers.

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, had allegedly posted a series of comments on a website which drew parallels between terrorists and a US soldier who sacrificed himself to save his comrades.

Investigators were tipped off six months ago by the devout Muslim's worried colleagues.

His behaviour was particularly alarming as he was responsible for the psychological well-being of many vulnerable soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.

And...

'If one suicide bomber can kill 100 enemy soldiers because they were caught off guard that would be considered a strategic victory,' he is said to have written.

'Their intention is not to die because of some despair. Their act was not one of suicide that is despised by Islam.'

COMMENT:  There were plenty of warning signs about this guy, including a poor evaluation in his previous military/medical assignment.  Why was this man permitted to remain a commissioned officer?  Why was he permitted to treat American soldiers returning from combat? 

November 6,  2009   Permalink

THURSDAY,  NOVEMBER 5,  2009

THE REAL WORLD INTRUDES - AT 11:05 P.M. ET:  Well, the real world intruded at Fort Hood today.  The killer wasn't, apparently, affected by President Obama's outreach to the Muslim world. 

And the real world has now intruded somewhere else.  Palestinian President Abbas, on whom the Obama administration had staked a great deal in the Mideast "peace process," has decided not to stand for reelection in January, throwing the future of the Palestinian territories into chaos.  The New York Times reports: 

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, warned on Thursday that he would not seek re-election, the latest sign that the Obama administration’s drive to broker a Middle East peace accord, one of President Obama’s key foreign policy goals, has fallen into disarray.

Mr. Abbas, 74, has threatened to step aside before, but coming immediately after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s visit to the region aimed at reviving a peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, his announcement laid bare the deepening tensions over the administration’s failure to extract an Israeli settlement freeze or any concessions from Arab leaders.

Mrs. Clinton’s visit, which she characterized as a success, sowed anger and confusion among Palestinians and other Arabs after she praised as “unprecedented” the offer by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to slow down, but not stop, construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

In a televised speech from his office in Ramallah, Mr. Abbas, who replaced Yasir Arafat five years ago as president of the Palestinian Authority, said, “I have told my brethren in the P.L.O. that I have no desire to run in the forthcoming election,” referring to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

It was not clear whether Mr. Abbas, considered a moderate, pro-Western leader, was determined to quit, although he said his decision was final. He may stay in his post regardless, because it is far from certain that elections he has called for January will be held then and there are few alternatives to him as leader.

COMMENT:  This is the irrational, unstable regime that Obama expects will sign some kind of peace agreement.  Not anytime soon.

November 5,  2009   Permalink

COMMENT ON FORT HOOD - AT 10:16 P.M. ET:  The shootings at Fort Hood are a culmination of a number of incidents recently in the United States - arrests in Texas, Illinois, Colorado, and New York for planned or contemplated terrorist acts.  All these things, and especially the tragedy today, show how vulnerable we are, even though today's outrage is not being described, officially, as a terrorist act.

And these events follow others of recent years - a deranged Muslim breaking into a community center in Seattle and killing a worker; another misguided Muslim running down students at the University of North Carolina, an incident desperately covered up by politically correct campus authorities; the Muslim who acted as the Beltway killer in and around Washington, D.C.; the murder of an American soldier by a fellow soldier, a Muslim, just before the Iraq War; the killing of an agent at an Israeli airline counter in Los Angeles. 

Every time there's an "incident" we're told it's "isolated."  Well, maybe these individuals aren't members of the same group, and maybe they haven't taken the same oath or have the same secret handshake.  But, frankly, there are too many "isolated incidents" for my comfort. 

The great majority of American Muslims, of course, aren't involved in terrorism.  We have Muslim communities near me.  I patronize their stores without hesitation.  It's wrong to paint the entire Muslim population as tainted.

But there is something terrible going on in the Muslim world - a diseased ideology that must be confronted and discussed openly.  The forces of political correctness have been far too successful in covering up every incident and labeling any discussion as "racism."  Oscar Hammerstein II, in "South Pacific," wrote that "you've got to be taught to hate."  That is correct, and too many Muslims are accepting the mentality of hate.  And the chic and fashionable in our "intellectual" classes will do nothing about it except beg for "understanding" of "other cultures."

We have work to do.  We now learn that today's shooter, who leaves behind eleven mourning families, posted suspicious items on the internet six months ago.  He's an Army officer, yet nothing was done about it.  Hell must be raised.

FORT HOOD UPDATE - AT 9:30 P.M. ET:  The brief press conference held by Lt. Gen. Cone, commanding officer at Fort Hood, is over.  He said there was a single shooter, now in custody.  He said there was no evidence of a terrorist act, although I have no idea how he knows this, since the shooter isn't talking.  We didn't learn much at the press conference, except that the shooter is alive. 

FORT HOOD NEWS CONFERENCE - AT 9:19 P.M. ET:  Incredibly, the Army has just announced at a press conference that the Fort Hood shooter is not dead, but is in custody.  This is a terrible blunder by the Army.  The story of the shooter being killed was out there for hours, and the Army surely knew it wasn't accurate.  It should have been corrected earlier.

We're monitoring the press conference now. 

FORT HOOD - AT 8:27 P.M. ET:  We are still awaiting that Fort Hood press conference.  There are now wide reports of a person in custody in connection with the killings today.  The main shooter, of course, was killed by police officers.

One item that's come out repeatedly is that the shooter got a poor evaluation when he worked as a military psychiatrist in the Washington, D.C. area.  If that's the case, why was he assigned to treat troops returning from combat at Fort Hood?  Clearly, this will have to be investigated. 

There are also reports that the shooter expressed the open belief that Muslims had a right to kill their "oppressors" - meaning American troops in Muslim countries.  He was also disenchanted with the US Army, which had educated him in medicine, and was fighting deployment to a Muslim country.

FORT HOOD - AT 7:54 P.M. ET:  The congressman representing the Fort Hood area says that a new person has been taken into custody.  There are also multiple reports - unconfirmed - that there was shooting during the massacre that involved rifles and possibly automatic weapons.  Initially, we were told that the shooter only had handguns.  We emphasize again that reports of larger weapons are unconfirmed.  Many reports made in good faith during incidents like this turn out to be wrong.  We are awaiting a press conference.

FORT HOOD - AT 7:40 P.M. ET:  We're now being told that the two soldiers held in connection with today's shooting have been released, and were apparently not involved.

FORT HOOD SHOOTER - AT 7:18 P.M. ET:  Fox News has now interviewed an associate of the dead shooter.  We learn that the murderer, a Muslim, had views hostile to American foreign policy.  We stress that we cannot make a connection at this point between political views and action, but at least Fox is dealing with the issue, and it is dealing with it in a responsible, restrained way.  Maybe that's why Fox is so successful.   

FORT HOOD - AT 7:08 P.M. ET:  I'm now beginning to see, and I'm not shocked by it, some reporting on the Fort Hood killings that borders on the vulgar.  Some TV types, on CNN and MSNBC, are discussing the slaughter as if it were just a mental-health incident.  They're talking about the multiple deployments of troops.  There is no evidence whatever that this had anything to do with today's horror.  We do not have information.  But the usual suspects will be out in force on the tube and in print "explaining" the killings in terms that push the viewer away from dealing with ideology.  (And I don't even know if ideology was involved.)  Discipline, people.  Discipline.

FORT HOOD SHOOTER - AT 6:52 P.M. ET:  We now learn that the Fort Hood shooter, killed by police officers during his rampage, was an Army psychiatrist.

BULLETIN - AT 6:15 P.M. ET: The shooter at Fort Hood has been identified as US Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan, described as a mental health professional.  Clearly, that is a Muslim name, and this will cause considerable anger and trouble.  We don't know the names of the other others in custody.  We do not know if there was actually a conspiracy.

Just before the Iraq War, a Muslim soldier in the US Army, Sgt. Asan Akbar of the 101st Airborne Division's 326th Engineer Battalion, threw hand grenades into an Army tent in Kuwait, killing Capt. Christopher Scott Seifert, 27, of Easton, Pa.

LATEST ON FORT HOOD - AT 5:41 P.M. ET:  With the understanding that we cannot independely confirm this, TV reporters are saying that they now have the name of the Fort Hood shooter.  Several reporters say that the name itself hints at a motive.

Obviously, that is code language.  We must be careful here.  This could get very volatile, and ideology may be involved.  In the American tradition, guilt is individual unless proved otherwise.  There is going to be an extensive investigation.  We will report facts here today as we learn them.

FORT HOOD UPDATE - AT 5:27 P.M. ET:  The shootings occurred at the readiness center, where soldiers are prepared for overseas deployment.  There is some borderline irresponsible speculation going on about gang activity at Fort Hood, lower standards for entrance into the Army, and post traumatic stress syndrome among troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  We emphasize that, at this hour, we know absolutely nothing about the background or motivation of the perpetrator or perpetrators

FORT HOOD - AT 5:04 P.M. ET:  We are following the news from Fort Hood, Texas, the largest US Army base in the world.  As many of you know, a shooting has occurred in which 12 people, including an attacker, have been killed, and at least 31 have been wounded.  We do not know definitively whether all the casualties are military personnel. 

The gunman, using a handgun or handguns, was a soldier, or at least in military uniform.  Two others individuals believed to be soldiers have also been apprehended, although their role, if any, is not yet known.

There will, of course, be wild speculation.  We don't know the names of the alleged assailant or possible co-conspirators, or their motivation.  Stand by.

November 5, 2009   Permalink

DIDN'T THEY NOTICE THE ELECTION? - AT 10:23 A.M. ET:  In the midst of the most severe economic downturn since the great Depression, in the face of increasing skepticism from many scientists, and despite the results of Tuesday's elections, stalwarts of the flaky party moved forward with environmental legislation to save the world, the Universe, even local neighborhoods:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Thursday approved a Democratic climate change bill that would require industry to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases 20 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels.

With Republicans boycotting the committee's work saying more analysis of the legislation was needed, 10 Democrats voted to approve the legislation and one Democrat, Senator Max Baucus, voted against it.

The bill will now become one of several initiatives aimed at attacking global warming. Senator John Kerry is leading an effort with some Republicans and the White House to craft a compromise bill, which likely would not be voted on by the full Senate until next year at the earliest.

COMMENT:  Although some similar legislation will probably get through the House, there's a good chance it can be stopped in the full Senate, although Al Gore may fly in aboard a private jet to lobby for it and show movies about the Senate gym sinking into the mud of global warming.  Dems do not have in the Senate the kind of hard-line liberal base they have in the House.

November 5, 2009   Permalink 

AND YET, THE LEADERSHIP PUSHES ON - AT 8:52 A.M. ET:  Despite the new fears of moderates - see the story just below - the Dem leadership in the House is trying to keep the vote on health-care "reform" on the calendar for Saturday.  Their belief, apparently, is that this is their moment.  Their moment for what is another story.  The Washington Times reports:

Leaders and at least a handful of pro-life Democrats appear to be close to a deal on language that would assure them that taxpayers would not have to pay for abortions, which is the most significant hurdle to final passage.

The 10-year, $1.2 trillion House bill would establish a government-run insurance plan, require individuals to obtain insurance and employers to provide it, and provide tax subsidies to help the poor and middle class obtain coverage.

But can they pass it?

It's not clear yet whether Democrats have the votes required to pass the bill. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, when asked whether he has the 218 votes, simply said, "We'll see."

Not a great vote of confidence.

Republicans are not silent, but have been for too long:

Republicans hope to be able to offer their reform plan, released Wednesday, which would allow insurance companies to sell across state lines, establish high-risk insurance pools and limit medical malpractice awards. They rebuffed the idea that Democrats would try to pass the bill with one day of formal debate.

"The idea that Congress would enact a government takeover of one-sixth of the American economy and debate it for half a working day would be deeply offensive to the millions of Americans would cherish limited government," said Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, chairman of the House Republican Conference.

Okay, guys, where have you been?  Introducing a GOP plan three days before the final vote is the kind of thinking that got the party defeated last year. 

And as far as a debate taking only half a day being "deeply offensive" to millions of Americans, forget it.  The people running this show don't care, and they've made it clear.  Got that message, Republicans?

The first objective should be to delay the vote.  Polls show that Americans are already against this bill.  The better informed they are, the more against it most will become.

November 5, 2009   Permalink

AH, FINALLY, THE LIGHT GOES ON - AT 8:29 A.M. ET:  The Politico reports that Democrats in Congress are looking around, deciding that they like the furniture and dining room, and figuring out ways to keep their jobs: 

Election Day losses in Virginia and New Jersey have congressional Democrats focused like never before on jobs — their own.

While the White House and party leaders are urging calm, Democratic incumbents from red states and Republican-leaning districts are anything but; Tuesday's statehouse defeats have left them acutely aware that their votes on health care reform and other major Obama initiatives could be career-enders in 2010 or beyond.

“I should be nervous,” said Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Huntsville, Ala.

I would say so.  Alabama isn't known as Pelosi country.

House Democrats, forced to take a tough vote on a controversial cap-and-trade climate change bill in June, may have to vote as earlier as this weekend on the even more controversial health care bill.

And...

Democratic Sen. Jim Webb — who watched Republican Bob McDonnell and other statewide candidates erase years of Democratic gains in his home state of Virginia — said Tuesday’s results show that Republicans are “energized from what happened last year” but also that “people up here on our side need to get their message straighter, too.”

"Slow down" seems to be the message that moderate Democrats are sending to their leaders, some of whom are far more sensitive to the party's left wing:

As Pelosi’s office ordered members to stay in town for a possible Saturday night House vote on health care, other Democrats were suggesting that it's time to take the foot off the gas.

As members came to grips with the election returns, Rep. Frank Kratovil Jr. (D-Md.) said he wants “as much time as I possibly can [have] to review both sides and make the best decision I can make” on the health care bill.

In other words, he's got to be against the current version.  Not good news for Nancy.

Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, the lone Republican to vote for a health care bill, said Tuesday’s results should slow Democrats down on health care — and “certainly gives pause on how you approach things.”

If they've lost Olympia...

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who’s threatened to filibuster the health care bill if it isn’t changed before it goes to a vote, said he’s sensing that public fears over the rising national debt “may affect” the Democrats’ broader agenda, noting that there’s been “a very large and quick move of independents” away from the Democratic Party and that public fears of the rising debt are at a “tipping point.”

COMMENT:  The House vote on health care, if it actually comes this Saturday, will be the first post-election test of the moderates' fears.  I wouldn't be shocked if the vote is postponed.  If it's held, that means that Nancy Pelosi believes she has the numbers to win.

Historically, moderates have often caved in to the leadership at the last minute.  Watch the action during the next two days.  It could tell us a great deal about the fate of the Obama agenda.

November 5, 2009   Permalink

AMERICAN IDEALS? - AT 8:13 A.M. ET:  The Iranian opposition is marching, and the American response is, well, un-American.  The Wall Street Journal issues a powerful indictment of the Obama White House, which has gone out of its way not to make any emotional connection with the democracy demonstrators who've once again taken to the Tehran streets, this time to break up an anti-American march: 

Tens of thousands of protestors yesterday braved police batons and tear gas canisters in the streets of Iranian cities to denounce their theocratic rulers and call for a change of regime. In spite of repression by the Basiji thugs and the West's short attention span, the Green Revolution lives on.

On this, the 30th anniversary of the hostage taking at the U.S. Embassy, their message was to a large degree intended for America and President Obama. The opposition hijacked the day, usually an occasion to denounce the Great Satan, to declare their desire to break with that past and build a free Iran. They marched alongside state-sanctioned rallies, before their protests were broken up violently.

And the response from Mr. Obama?  Not exactly, "Tear down this wall!"

Knowing the opposition was planning to march, Mr. Obama issued his own statement the night before that instead chose to reach out to the regime. America, he said, "seeks a relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran based upon mutual interest and mutual respect. We do not interfere in Iran's internal affairs." He went on to list the Administration's various efforts to appease the regime. So far and on all counts, the mullahs have rebuffed these entreaties.

The President made no mention of democracy or reference to the opposition directly, though in the last paragraph he did allow that "the world continues to bear witness to [Iranian peoples'] powerful calls for justice." Is this what he meant when he talked, at the start of his Presidency, about "restoring U.S. moral leadership"?

COMMENT:  I'm afraid that Mr. Obama comes from that class of left-wing "intellectuals" who regard democracy as simply one "narrative," no better or worse than any other "lifestyle choice."  So far, his has been the most freedom-indifferent American administration that we can recall. 

Mr. Obama's stark refusal to go to the Berlin Wall this week to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its fall proves the point.  Not interested.  Not important.  Old Reagan-era stuff. 

This is America?

November 5,  2009   Permalink