On Out of Control Government, "Local Issues," the Taliban, Hiroshima, and Noonan

I've got another busy day ahead.  I've got some business to take care of this morning and then Steve and I are taking the afternoon off and getting massages at one of the casino spas.  Neither of us has ever had a "professional massage" so I'm looking forward to this.  I'm sure I'll be addicted.  The literature assures me it will alleviate stress and "release toxins" from my body.  Heh.  Okay.  I'll go for that!

Around the web a couple of things have caught my eye which I don't have time to get into very deeply this morning.  Enjoy this pretty picture (left) that my niece took, and consider...

This column from Charles Krauthammer.  As usual, I agree 100% and it sort of goes to my Farm Dust post earlier in the week.  Governing by fiat.  The money quote:

In the modern welfare state, government has the power to regulate your life. That’s bad enough. But at least there is one restraint on this bloated power: the separation of powers. Such constraints on your life must first be approved by both houses of Congress.  That’s called the consent of the governed. The constitutional order is meant to subject you to the will of the people’s representatives, not to the whim of a chief executive or the imagination of a loophole-seeking bureaucrat.

This post by Pundette, which addresses the goofy comment by Robert Gibbs that Obama doesn't want to weigh in on "local matters."  Pundette:

A local matter. What a cowardly approach to an issue that most Americans care about intensely. Obama's missing something essential: Basic love of country? Common human sympathy?

And she quotes Rush, who said,

Isn't this fascinating? Not gonna get involved in local decision making. Wouldn't you love to be hearing that in Arizona? Let me ask you a question, was it just New York that was attacked on 9/11, or was it the country? It was the country, was it not? United States of America was attacked on 9/11. They're getting involved in our local health care decisions. They're getting involved in the kind of cars that we buy. They are getting involved in virtually every aspect of our lives they can insert themselves.

No kidding.

This column at Fox in which the son of Brig. Gen. Paul W. Tibbets, Jr. laments the decision to send our Japanese ambassador to the Hiroshima commemoration.  He sees it as a sort of apology and says his father would not have approved:

"It's an unsaid apology," Tibbets, 66, told FoxNews.com from his home in Georgiana, Ala. "Why wouldn't it be?  Why would [Roos] go? It doesn't make any sense.  "I know it's the anniversary, but I don't know what the hell they're trying to do. It needs to be left alone. The war is over."

I heard Oliver North speaking to Sean Hannity about this earlier in the week and he was equally outraged. The ambassador did not give a speech at the event, but some quoted in this piece believe the U.S. should apologize for dropping the bomb.  I have no doubt that Obama will get around to that.


And finally, consider this post from Andy McCarthy in which he notes the fact that our government still has not designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization.  WTF?!

Yesterday, after three months of delay, the State Department finally issued its congressionally mandated annual terrorism report. It shows that the United States has not even designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization — not in Afghanistan, not in Pakistan.

I'd like to know the reasoning behind that one.  Read McCarthy's piece to see why this is such a big deal.

And if all that isn't enough to keep you going, here is Peggy Noonan lamenting the fact that America is at a boiling point and that for the first time, we don't expect our children to have things better than we did.  'Scuse me, Peggy, but weren't you over there singing glorious about the potential of The Great Obama, before the election?  Yeah.  Hush, now, okay?  Just, hush.

Lady Gaga Worried About Pod People and SB1070

You almost have to laugh at the insipid, ridiculous blathering of someone like Lady Gaga:

Lady Gaga tells Vanity Fair contributing editor Lisa Robinson that she tries to avoid having sex because she is afraid of depleting her creative energy—“I have this weird thing that if I sleep with someone they’re going to take my creativity from me through my vagina.”

Seriously?  Like the pod people?

Ms. Gaga is on board with other "celebrities" like Kanye "George Bush Hates Black People" West in protesting SB1070, although not to the point of boycott (for her).  At her Phoenix concert this weekend, she told the crowd:

"We have to be active. We have to protest.  . . . I will yell and I will scream louder," the 24-year-old pop sensation told the sold-out audience at the US Airways Center.  "I will hold you, and we will hold each other, and we will peaceably protest this state."

She told them about a meeting a young boy shortly after her arrival in the state...

During Saturday's concert, Lady Gaga told the crowd about a boy she met earlier in the day who's home was raided over "a parking ticket or something," and whose brother was deported to Mexico,  the newspaper reported.  Calling the case "disgusting," the star, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, dedicated the song "You and I" to the boy.  "I think it's important that people understand that it's a state of emergency for this place and this state," she said.

I haven't been able to find a news report of said incident, and I'm unaware of the provision in SB1070 that allows parking ticket raids, but if you're here illegally, I guess that's a risk you take.

Ms. Gaga laments the "state of emergency for this place and this state" and on that account she has it correct - just ask Sheriff Paul Babeu who said:

What’s very troubling is the fact that at a time when we in law enforcement and our state need help from the federal government, instead of sending help they put up billboard-size signs warning our citizens to stay out of the desert in my county because of dangerous drug and human smuggling and weapons and bandits and all these other things and then, behind that, they drag us into court with the ACLU,” Babeu said.

Two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) were detained last year for being in the country illegally according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and 17% of those already have a criminal record in the United States.


I don't guess statistics like that matter to Ms. Gaga.


Maybe she can add a chorus of Kumbaya to her next act.

Backdoor Amnesty

I saw David Vitter on Fox this morning discussing the leaked memo on immigration; he was outraged as many of us ought to be.

W. James Antle, III has an article at American Spectator explaining the contents of the memo.  Basically it's a backdoor amnesty plan; it gives United States Citizen and Immigration Services options on how to circumvent the legal process of immigration:

One proposal contained in the memo was that the USCIS grant "parole in place," which comes with a work permit and the right to apply for a green card, to various illegal immigrants. Another suggestion was to give "deferred action," delaying deportation indefinitely and preserving eligibility to apply for a work permit, to illegal aliens who would have benefited from the DREAM Act. 

It should surprise no one that this administration believes this is even an option for them.  This is the administration that has expanded governmental authority to new heights. 

As Charles Krauthammer pointed out:

It is just a bad idea and bad politics. It’s lawless. These are people who are appointed people in the administration deciding because Congress hasn’t enacted a law it wants enacted, it will do it by creating or finding loopholes in existing law.  It is like the administration, which was not able to get approval by Congress for cap-and-trade or carbon tax, and having the EPA do it by itself. That’s not the way the Constitution says our government runs. The laws are done by Congress. The administration is supposed to administer.

The will of the American people be damned!  Obama knows more than you do and he's smarter than you, and he knows what's best for you!  He won! 

Since we haven't seen his college transcripts, we don't know if Obama studied any basic civics classes, but I'm guessing not. 

You can read the memo here.  (PDF - 11 pgs.)

Why would the administration even be looking at such options?  Can these illegals also gain voting rights by decree of the USCIS?  It should strike fear in the hearts of every American that this administration is even looking at ways to circumvent the constitution for purposes of amnesty, that this administration is waging war with Arizona over immigration, that this administration is acting like we're under a dictatorship.  What the leader wants, we'll find a way to get.   What will be next, after amnesty?  What Constitutional laws will we banish by decree?

Again, Congress makes the laws.  Not Obama.

We are a nation of laws.  Or at least, we used to be.

Border Violence and DOJ Attacks Arizona

Obama says our border with Mexico "is as safe as its ever been," but that's apparently not saying much.

The AP reports of a shootout that left 21 dead and six wounded last Thursday just 12 miles south of the Arizona border near Nogales, Mexico.  Nogales has had 131 murders this year, already closing in on their number of 135 for last year.

Other border cities are seeing the same thing.

Ciudad Juarez had 2,600 murders last year.

Despite the contention in the article that the violence has not spilled over the border one has to assume it's a matter of time.  One only need look at the murder of rancher Rob Krentz to conclude that violence has already crossed the border..  An illegal immigrant was suspected because Krentz told his brother he had spotted an illegal on his property.  When Krentz didn't show up shortly after for a noon meeting with his brother the alarm was sounded.

Meanwhile, Eric Holder's Justice Department is filing suit today against Arizona's tough immigration law on the premise that federal law trumps state statutes.

William Teach has some words on that rationale:

Just because Los Federales make a law, doesn’t mean it is supreme. Furthermore, there are two ways to look at the supremacy clause, one which is that there is no reason why the States can’t take a federal law and make it stronger, which is what Arizona did. Furthermore, the clause says that the laws made must be in line with what the Constitution allows the federal government to enact, but, that is a separate subject (health insurance mandate, anyone?).

This coupled with Obama's recent statement that the borders "are just too vast" to be protected by fences and the border patrol give one cause for concern.

The administration's abuse of Arizona coupled with it's abuse of the entire Gulf region over the past 78 days makes Obama's pledge to "bring the country together" just ridiculous.  And dangerous.

Obama Gins Up Partisan Division Over Immigration Reform

Obama has been taking "time off from the Gulf oil spill," according to The New York Times.  Well, isn't that special?  The oil gushing out of the ocean floor doesn't take any time off, but it's all good.  Obama has delegated responsibility to dozens of czars, chiefs, and other "important people" to handle this worst environmental disaster in recent memory.

What's he been doing instead?  No!  Not golfing!  He's been rallying the Hispanic caucus against Republicans on the issue of immigration.

Caucus members were summoned to The White House for a 45 minute meeting yesterday (that's about 25 minutes more than he scheduled for Tony Hayward) to discuss his plans for immigration reform.  The bill is being written by Chuck Schumer and isn't expected to gain any traction before the midterm elections.

Obama wants the Caucus to shift their ire from his lagging response on immigration to the Republicans who won't promise any votes for it.  Obama apparently reported that Republicans appeared "determined" not to provide any votes, according to The Caucus at The New York Times.

After meeting with Obama, The Caucus blog reports that many members have indeed shifted their ire from Obama to Republicans.

Of course, what Obama wants is their support for Democratic candidates in the midterm elections, thus holding immigration reform over their heads.  His message is that if they don't turn out in large numbers for the Democratic candidates, and Republicans take over, immigration reform clearly won't happen.

Meanwhile, you have loons like Pete Stark (D-CA) insisting our borders are secure.

In Arizona, even John McCain is backing off of immigration reform somewhat as he faces anti-illegal-immigration candidate J.D. Hayworth in the August primary.

Polls have shown broad support for Arizona's tough stance on immigration and this is certain to be a hot issue in the fall elections, especially with Team Obama ginning up partisan division rather than trying to find a bi-partisan answer.

Linkage for Friday

A couple of quick links this morning as I'm off to finish my last full week of the school term; next week we have finals.

No Sheeples Here makes some excellent points about Calderone's rabid criticism of America and American law while standing in front of our Congress and in the Rose Garden of our White House.  To no one's surprise, Obama vapidly watches and agrees.  The only thing missing was Obama waving a small Mexican flag and bowing to Calderon.

Bride of Rove analyzes Obama's State Dinner in honor of Calderone and prices everything out, concluding with some devastating commentary on Obama's "leadership" in this economic crisis.

The Wall Street Journal notes what we've been saying all along about the possibility of keeping your employer based health coverage.  It's going away, in case you didn't know.  And you're going to be paying more out of pocket for replacement coverage and no, in most cases, you won't be getting a subsidy.  Well, unless you're already on the welfare chain, then you might.

And finally, American Spectator adds some commentary on the Apology President who has concluded that America is something to be ashamed of and so represents it to the world. 

On those happy notes, you see why I'm blogging about cats being reunited with their families.  It's all too depressing to fathom.

OTMs Crossing the Southwest Border

Via Dittos Rush! comes this video from WSB Atlanta.  Reporter Justin Farmer reports on the OTMs ("Other Than Mexicans") coming across our southern border.



Farmer says thousands cross who are from places like Yemen, Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq among others. 

One Arizona rancher found a Muslim prayer rug on his ranch.  Justin Farmer examined a Congressional report from 2006 entitled "A Line in the Sand:  Confronting the Threat at the Southwest Border"  (PDF - 39 pages) which confirmed members of Hezbollah have crossed the border.  It also contains photos of military jackets found on the border, one in Jim Hogg County, with Arab insignia praising martyrdom and depicting pictures of planes flying into the Twin Towers.

In 2005, Border Patrol apprehended about 1.2 million illegals and of those about 165,000 were from "countries other than Mexico."  All of this traffic includes human smuggling, drug smuggling, and "special interest" individuals coming into the country and creating a threat to not just those border communities but to the nation as a whole.

The report also reveals the route taken by the Middle Easterners from Europe to the tri-border region in South America.  Then they learn Spanish, trel to Mexico,  blend in with other illegals and come on in.

Farmer reports on several terrorists seen in the U.S., in the Atlanta area, who likely came in from the southwest border, it is believed.

If the problem was this bad in 2006, I can hardly imagine how much worse it is now. 

Meanwhile, we've got John McCain tromping around down there saying "Complete the danged fence!" and the U.N. is worrying about the human rights of illegals.  The U.N. issued a statement today criticizing Arizona's new immigration bill saying  it could lead to racial profiling and also laments, "It also makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally."

The world is truly upside down.

University Students Stage Protests Against Arizona Bill

Arizona's controversial immigration bill continues to reverberate throughout the country.  At this time, at least ten other states have similar bills, or plans for one, in the works.  Protests are spread across the nation with huge demonstrations expected on Saturday, May Day, with rallies expected in more than 70 cities.  (Wonder if those protesters will be as vilified as the Tea Party crowd has been...).

Protests are cropping up on American campuses as well.  Students at Yale University protested the bill last week.  Blogger Nathan Rothstein's sister was part of the protest and he writes about the mock raid and protest here.  The Yale Daily News also wrote about it, saying:

Yesterday, members of MEChA, Jews for Justice and Fierce Advocates, along with other concerned Yale students, staged a mock raid in the Commons dining hall during peak traffic to raise awareness of the urgent seriousness of the issue. At 12:30, we released our “ICE agents,” who hounded unsuspecting students and demanded to see proof of residency. When students failed to procure the proper documents, we handed them an informative citation that explained that, if this were Arizona, they could have been detained.

At 12:45, our leading Sheriff stood on top of a chair and shouted into a megaphone, “This is a raid!” Immediately, our agents rushed to the “undocumented students” we had planted throughout the dining hall, handcuffed them, and pushed them to their knees in the center of the dining hall. One by one, we stood and explained our demonstration through a megaphone held up to our lips. We informed the community of the passage of S.B. 1070 and the subsequent multi-agency raid on our communities in Arizona. Finished, we walked handcuffed and surrounded by ICE agents down Commons’ main aisle to disappear through Morse’s closing walls.

 At another Ivy League university, Cornell, students are staging their protests in crowded lecture halls.  The Cornell Daily Sun reports:

Donning signs reading “Mexican-lookng,” “Sub-human” and “Alien,” members of El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano  de Aztlán protested Arizona’s recently-passed immigration reform bill in an ILROB 1220: Introduction to Organizational Behavior class this Wednesday.

The class witnessed an example of what could occur in Arizona any day due to Senate Bill 1070, according to Natalie Ramirez ’11, co-chair of El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán. 

The demonstration included faux immigration and customs enforcement agents coming through the lecture hall demanding papers of students who didn't "look American." 

The “officers” picked out the demonstrators wearing the cardboard signs and forced them to kneel on the ground in front of the rest of the class before leading them out of the lecture hall. 

Ramirez said the demonstration in Introduction to Organizational Behavior followed another in a quantum physics lecture on Wednesday. 

Protesters are planning on staging more demonstrations and concentrating on crowded lecture halls for maximum exposure.

This afternoon two lawsuits were filed against the bill:

Two lawsuits were filed Thursday attacking the measure. The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders filed suit in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, alleging the measure is illegal because it usurps federal immigration enforcement authority and because of concerns that the law contributes to racial profiling.  The group said on its website that it represents 20,000 churches in 34 states.

An attorney representing a Tucson police officer filed suit in U.S. District Court in Tucson to block the law.

In a Gallup poll, Americans favor the Arizona law 51% to 39% while Obama calls attempts by other states to copy the Arizona law "misguided efforts."  Because, you know, nobody can do it as well as he can.  

I suppose we can expect the fallout to continue but the fact remains that Arizona is doing what the federal government failed to do and if their efforts are misguided it's nobody's fault but the Feds.  

Students at Cornell and Yale might get the chance to put their money where their mouth is now that Mayor Bloomberg has invited Arizona illegals to New York; maybe some will filter over to their campuses.  He said, "if Arizona happens to be the only state to adopt the policy, the bill could actually be good for New York 'because people will come here. We make sure that we protect everybody.'"   

And the cycle continues.