And So it Goes in Shreveport

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Rep. King Promises a Lawsuit While Romney Takes a Knee

There's a poll out today from Bloomberg reporting that 64% of likely voters approve of Obama's decision to stop enforcing immigration laws:

Sixty-four percent of likely voters surveyed after Obama’s June 15 announcement said they agreed with the policy, while 30 percent said they disagreed. Independents backed the decision by better than a two-to-one margin.

That said, Ed Morrissey at Hot Air took a look at the Bloomberg polling data and has a few questions about the results. He notes the absence of any demographic data as well as the absence of any party affiliation, so it's difficult to weigh the bias of the poll. As to whether or not Obama "is winning" the immigration discussion, Morrissey also questions that:

Furthermore, we have other consistent data to check. For instance, Gallup’s tracking polls would have already shown a significant bump in the rolling averages if this issue really moves the needle as Team Obama hopes. As of this morning, Obama’s approval in the three-day cycle that included Friday and the two days following the announcement sits at 46/47. The addition of Sunday’s data added a point to his approval and deducted two from his disapproval, which means Obama got some small bump over the weekend … but hardly a game-changer. The seven-day rolling average on the head-to-head race went from Romney up over Obama 46/45 to a 46/46 tie.

And if you go by Rasmussen, according to Morrissey, "there's even less impact."

So did this dictatorial fiat help Obama? Probably not, in the end.

Rep. Steve King was on Fox News this morning discussing his intent to sue Obama over the immigration mandate. King insists this is an over reach and a rule "by edict." He expressed even more Constitutional outrage in pointing out that "we take an oath to uphold the Constitution, too. Our Founding Fathers envisioned that each branch of government would jealously protect the authority granted to it in the Constitution." He called this a "vast and insulting" over reach.

King is suing on the separation of powers issue; he also points to Article 2 that the laws of this nation be "faithfully executed" not created by the president. Watch the whole thing:

The point is clear that this edict, or "mandate by press conference" that Obama has thrown down is a political move. It's another pandering move by a politician who doesn't have a record to campaign on. It's a continuation of his intent to separate and divide us all and initiate class warfare among Americans. It's all he knows how to do.

Obama issued this edict intentionally before Sen. Marco Rubio could introduce his version of the DREAM Act which, according to Daniel Foster, has a passing chance at legitimate, bipartisan, lawful immigration reform:

It’s simple. On Friday, retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) told National Review editors that he expected the version of DREAM he cosponsored with Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) to be greeted with “tolerance by our most conservative friends, and enthusiasm from the rest.”

Of course he said this even as the Obama administration was Friday-dumping the DHS memo on the public. Forty-eight hours later it was clear any momentum a Republican-friendly version of DREAM had was dead. As Rubio put it: “People are going to say to me, ‘Why are we going to need to do anything on this now. It has been dealt with. We can wait until after the election. . . . And it is going to be hard to argue against that.”

This is a dangerous precedent that Obama has initiated and it must be struck down. Lawful reform must prevail.

Romney's response to the whole mess was dispiriting. Milquetoast. Weak. John O'Sullivan has what Romney said when asked if he would overturn this edict and what he SHOULD have said:

Interviewer: But would you repeal it?

Romney: I hope that when I am inaugurated, this illegality will already have been withdrawn or ruled unconstitutional. It is not too late for the president to have wiser second thoughts. But if it is still standing, then of course I will withdraw it and ask Congress to consider a wider and more thoughtful review of immigration law — one that strengthens our borders and ensures that immigration and citizenship are determined by the American people and their elected representatives. You cannot have our immigration laws determined by some people who smuggle people into America and others who manage to evade the police once here. You cannot have U.S. citizenship granted to people who break into our country and manage to have a child before they are caught. You cannot have two presidents in succession breaking their vow to uphold the Constitution. The people must be able to trust those they elect.

Romney should take a lesson from O'Sullivan and from Rep. King. The weak-kneed response he gave just reinforces the concerns that conservatives had about him in the first place.

Charles Krauthammer says Romney's deference is the correct move and he makes a valid point; Krauthammer says that any day Romney is not talking about the economy is a day that Obama wins. I think the two issues are linked and Romney should make that clear. With up to 800,000 new work permits on the line, that must certainly figure into American unemployment numbers.

Krauthammer suggests it is Congress who should be outraged and offended as Obama has usurped their power. Unless we have a cadre of fighters like Rep. Steve King in Congress, I'm not expecting much from them.

(More at Memeorandum)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: Father's Day 2012 Edition

It's a lazy Father's Day at Chez SIGIS. I've done some mundane things around the house and then went with Steve to get a case for his tablet. We ran a few other terribly exciting errands where I bought a new melon baller, a mouse pad, and a patriotic pinwheel and he bought some candy and a bottle of water. We lead exciting lives.

Now we're flipping back and forth between the U.S. Open and the Rangers game. I'm watching the weather trying to figure out if I'm going to be able to grill these hamburgers I've got for supper.

I've been unable to read the blogs much this weekend; Steve had to talk me down off the ledge after Friday's amnesty drop but I'm okay now. My blood pressure is back in normal range.

Via The Lonely Conservative, David Plouffe insists Obamnesty isn't political. Heh! Okay. Doug Powers notes that just last year Obama himself insisted he didn't have the authority to do this.

Via Paco, Eric Holder's number may be up.

Saberpoint has a nice tribute to Stacy McCain who is still in hiding and covering the Kimberlin story.

Guess what Obama did today for Father's Day? Left the kids at home and went to play golf, of course. Redstate.

Doug Ross has given Romney a handy list of ten Executive Orders he should write once he's elected.

American Power remembers Rodney King who was found in the bottom of his swimming pool today.

The Pirate's Cove has his Father's Day linkfest (on which I'm not mentioned, but it's okay) and also some silly campaign games.

Pundette has her traditional Father's Day post.

The Foundry list five devastating effects ObamaCare will have on young adults.

Political Junkie Mom highlights Victor Davis Hanson's column this week which asks "Are We in Revolutionary Times?"

Political Clown Parade reports on the dismantling of the relationship between the U.S. and America thanks to Obama and also has one of her classic PhotoShop illustrations!

On that note, I'm going to take my chances and fire up the grill. Burgers with sharp cheddar cheese and Steve's favorite: Zapp's Voodoo potato chips for dinner.

Friday, June 15, 2012

We Are Now Under the Rule of a Dictator: "It's Not Amnesty!" (UPDATED)

I spent a lovely morning shopping four great estate sales today picking up a few little treasures for my various collections. On the way home I stopped at the grocery store to get a few things and was tickled to see that they had three six-packs of my Sam Adams favorite, Latitude 48 IPA in stock. It's a good thing I bought all of them because when I came home, fired up the computer and saw that Barack Obama is enacting the DREAM Act by fiat I had to go open one of those IPAs just to get my blood pressure back down to normal.

In case you haven't heard, from the New York Times:

Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children will be able to obtain work permits and be safe from deportation under a new policy announced on Friday by the Obama administration.

Obama says these illegal immigrants are "essentially Americans" and that this makes the immigration system "more efficient, more fair, and more just."

Just not MORE LEGAL.

Congress has repeatedly rejected the DREAM Act, but in ObamaWorld, that just doesn't matter:

Republicans were quick to criticize Mr. Obama, saying that he was overstepping his powers in an end run around Congress. But he said he acted only "in the absence of any immigration action from Congress to fix our broken immigration system."

Never mind the rule of law!

Is there no end to what he won't do through executive fiat?

Is there no limit to the blatant political pandering?

Pirates Cove responds:

Even the AP can’t stop themselves in pointing out that this is simply campaign year politics, rather than serious policy. What Democrats always forget when they essentially push some type of amnesty is that these people still can’t vote, and the other illegals that want these policies can’t vote, either. And those who came to the US and obtained their citizenship the proper way aren’t particularly keen on voting for those who give illegals a free pass.

Well, they can vote in Florida where the DOJ is suing to stop the purging of illegals from voter rolls.

Rush Limbaugh:

What's that gonna do to the unemployment number? Are we gonna count 'em looking for work or not? If we don't, the number won't drop. If we do, the number will go up. What's it gonna do for those of you trying to get work to learn that 800,000 new illegals are in the job market who will work cheaper than you do? And what's next is home mortgages and student loans. Those are the next two things that are gonna fall.

Rush is calling this the "Catch, Release, Vote" program.

Janet Napolitano:

"This is not immunity, it is not amnesty," said Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, which oversees immigration enforcement. "It is an exercise of discretion."

Well, that's certainly parsing words.

Ed Morrissey:

So …. he’s going to hand out hundreds of thousands of work permits when unemployment is at 8.2% nominal, 14.8% U-6, and the civilian participation rate is near the 30-year low Obama set last month (now 63.8%)? The only thing this accomplishes is driving the labor rate further downward and the unemployment rate further upward. Work permits make sense when you’re creating jobs, but not when jobs are scarce. I’m not sure that’s going to endear Obama to unions and blue-collar voters struggling to find work already.

Well, as Rush asked, are we going to count them in the unemployment numbers or not?

Back to the New York Times and the parameters:

The policy, effective immediately, will apply to people who are currently no more than 30 years old, who arrived in the country before they turned 16 and have lived in the United States for five years. They must also have no criminal record, and have earned a high school diploma, be in school or have served in the military.

My first question is how were they enrolled in school if they were illegal in the first place?

And obviously these age parameters include a whole new voting block for The One.

This will certainly open the borders for many more who want to come on over. Nobody is going to stop you anymore unless you confess your membership in some drug cartel. Sounds to me like all you have to do is come on in, go to school, stay for five years and you're all good. That ought to make all those going through the proper channels feel all warm and fuzzy.

Obama will use Republican outrage as a campaign point in his re-election. He will say that Republicans are anti-immigration and want to shut the doors on immigration. This will be false.

All he needs to do is to craft a plan that will get through Congress - a plan that is acceptable for both sides of the aisle. But the BrilliantOne has been unable to do that.

And so instead, he's going to rule America like a dictator.

Until November, that is.

Added:

Mark Krikorian:

The debate over this must not focus on the substance of the DREAM Act. We have a branch of government that does that kind of thing and it’s called “Congress.” The problem with today’s announcement is that it’s an unconstitutional expansion of executive power that can be applied to any area of law. If a future Republican president can’t get Congress to agree to a reduction in tax rates, say, or a change in environmental rules, he can just use this “discretion” to change things on his own. Democrats in Congress should be terrified of this precedent and stand with their fellow members across the aisle to put a stop to it. This is about the rule of law and nothing else.

Update:

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is suing to stop this unconstitutional ploy:

Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King said Friday that he plans to sue the Obama administration to halt implementation of its newly announced selective illegal immigration law enforcement policy. He told Mike Huckabee on the former Arkansas governor’s radio program Friday that he successfully sued his own state’s governor — and won — over a similar separation-of-powers issue.

“I will tell you that — I’m not without experience on this — I’m prepared to bring a suit and seek a court order to stop implementation of this policy,” King said

Update 2:

Over at Legal Insurrection, Professor Jacobson reports (and has video & Twitter reaction) of the heckling of Obama at his speech today.

From CNN:

President Barack Obama did not respond kindly Friday to an interruption during his Rose Garden announcement of new immigration rules, telling the man shouting that it was neither the time nor the place to field questions.

The reporter, who was wearing a temporary press badge, was identified as Neil Munro from the conservative website the Daily Caller. He later told CNN, "I have to ask the questions you all won't ask," referring to the reporters gathered who regularly cover the White House.

Here's the video:

Update 3:

Ed Driscoll reports that the Obamabots are making it a racial issue that Dear Leader was "heckled" or asked a question.

Update 4:

Senator David Vitter responds:

President Obama shows again how he isn't serious about securing our border or reforming our immigration system. He's certainly shown how serious he is about the politics of it. Like other DREAM Act proposals before, Obama's executive action today goes well beyond helping minor children caught in a policy loophole - it essentially grants amnesty to adults almost 30 years old.

Update 5:

Heh. ABC News calls Daily Caller reporter Neil Munro "eccentric."

President Obama flashed anger for the first time in recent memory today as an eccentric conservative reporter interrupted his speech on immigration in the Rose Garden.

Even more curious, I'm wondering where ABC has been when they suggest that Obama hasn't "flashed anger" recently. The man is a walking cesspool of anger.

More at Memeorandum and Instapundit.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

What if Mitt Romney Had Done This?

I'm behind a couple of days so I've just heard the new Obama radio ad targeted to African-Americans.

Have you heard this thing?

Wow. Just wow. Talk about racial pandering. And this from the president that was supposed to transcend racial boundaries?

What if Mitt Romney had released an ad like this?

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Obama Denies Small Business Owners Impacted by ObamaCare

In yet another example of Obama's total lack of business acumen or experience, in an interview with KTIV (Sioux City) Obama denies the possibility that Obamacare is pushing serious burdens on small business owners.

Via The Washington Examiner:

"That'd be kind of hard to explain," an incredulous Obama told KTIV of Sioux City, Iowa. "The only folks that have been impacted in terms of the health care bill are insurance companies who are required to make sure that they're providing preventive care or they're not dropping your insurance coverage when you get sick," he said. "And so, this particular company probably wouldn't have been impacted by that."

It would be difficult to be more out of touch or insulated from the complexities of small business ownership than that. "The only folks...impacted...are insurance companies"?

Yet consider Scott Womack who owns several IHOP franchises:

He currently provides insurance to only his management staff yet ObamaCare would require him to provide insurance to every full time employee. Mr. Womack explains that his current profit per employee is $3,000 yet the Obamacare mandate would cost $7,000 per employee. He's looking at major cuts including cutting employee hours and services.

Mr. Womack was planning on building more restaurants throughout Ohio yet the Obamacare mandate will preclude that. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how that cuts into economic growth.

The regulations of the Obama administration, and Obamacare in particular, are certainly stifling economic recovery.

In the interview with KTIV, Obama insisted that his administration has enacted fewer regulations than "the previous administration."

"I know that there's a perception sometimes that there's all kinds of regulations coming out of Washington," Obama said. "The truth is we've seen fewer regulations coming out of my administration than the previous administration."

Again, misleading.

It's not necessarily the number of regulations coming out of his administration so much as it is the cost of the regulations and their effect on growth that is at issue here.

Last November Bloomberg reported that while Obama had (at that point) instituted fewer regulations, they have cost more.

The number of significant federal rules, defined as those costing more than $100 million, has gone up under Obama, with 129 approved so far, compared with 90 for Bush, 115 for President Bill Clinton and 127 for the first President Bush over the same period in their first terms.

And of course, the kicker here is that these numbers do not include independent agencies such as the SEC and the EPA.

In 2009, Michigan Science did an extensive study on the effect of the EPA's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. It's not pretty.

His his book, The Great Destroyer, David Limbaugh recounts the story of Peter Schiff who explained the impact of government regulations on his investment company. Mr. Schiff testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Regulator Affairs in September 2011:

Regulations have substantially increased the costs and risks associated with job creation. Employers are subjected to all sorts of onerous regulations, taxes, and legal liability. The act of becoming an employer should be made as easy as possible. Instead we have made it more difficult. In fact, among small business owners, limiting the number of employees is generally a goal. This is not a consequence of the market, but of a rational desire on the part of business owners to limit their cost and legal liabilities. They would prefer to hire workers, but these added burdens make it preferable to seek out alternatives.

In my own business, securities regulations have prohibited me from hiring brokers for more than three years. I was even fined fifteen thousand dollar expressly for hiring too many brokers in 2008. In the process I incurred more than $500,000 in legal bills to mitigate a more severe regulatory outcome as a result of hiring too many workers. I have also been prohibited from opening up additional offices. I had a major expansion plan that would have resulted in my creating hundreds of additional jobs. Regulations have forced me to put those jobs on hold.

The evidence that this administration is stifling job growth is insurmountable.

For anyone to believe Obama's misleading gibberish is inconceivable.

Obama has often been touted as a great orator and while I fail to see that or to agree with it, it is safe to say that he is a master at just saying whatever he wants to say and expecting you to believe it for no other reason than that he said it.

Shame on you if you do.

Obama says that only insurance companies have been hurt by Obamacare?

Shame on him.

Monday, June 11, 2012

When You've Lost Nicholas Kristof...

When you've lost Nicholas Kristof...

Avowed Obama supporter Nick Kristof is disgruntled with Obama's foreign policy:

Yet the president is taking prudence to the point of paralysis. I’m generally an admirer of Obama’s foreign policy, but his policies toward both Syria and Sudan increasingly seem lame, ineffective and contrary to American interests and values. Obama has shown himself comfortable projecting power — as in his tripling of American troops in Afghanistan. Yet now we have the spectacle of a Nobel Peace Prize winner in effect helping to protect two of the most odious regimes in the world.

Earlier this month Kristof called Obama out over a lack of support for the starving children of Sudan:

President Obama, you harshly criticized President Bush for failing to stand up to Sudan’s slaughter in Darfur. So now what are you going to do as Sudan kills again — on your watch?

That Kristof is even surprised at Obama's "dithering" is naive; who can forget Obama's "dithering" while Iranians protested and died in the streets fighting for their freedom? Hell, even Bon Jovi stood with Iran on that one. Obama not only "dithered" in 2009 while Iranians protested, but he went out for ice cream, grilled with Bobby Flay, had a luau and, of course, played golf.

Why should Kristof think the Sudan would be any different?

Yesterday Kristof wrote:

Obama was forceful in demanding that President George W. Bush stand up to Sudan during the slaughter in Darfur, so it’s painful to see him so passive on Sudan today. When governments turn to mass murder, we may have no easy solutions, but we should at least be crystal clear about which side we’re on. That’s not too much to expect of a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

What exactly did Obama do to win that prize again?

The Nobel Peace Prize 2009 was awarded to Barack H. Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".

Oh, yeah. Right. Tell that to Neda.

Photo Credit: Deborah Hakes/The Carter Center

Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: The Thermostat Drop Edition

My AC guy just left after repairing my unit which quit working yesterday. It was working yesterday morning; Steve and I left in the afternoon, went to the American Legion for a couple of beers on the lake, returned home and it was 85 degrees inside.

I put in an SOS to my AC guy who showed up at 8:30 this morning and replaced the capacitor which is apparently lots better than having to replace a compressor. I'm very grateful for chilled air right now. It's going to be almost 100 today and it had hit 90 in the house before Ron finished the AC job. How did people survive before air conditioning?!

So, while the dogs and I sit real still and enjoy the 20 degree drop in temperature, I'm surfing the blogs.

The New Yorker imagines an Obama second term - horrors. The Pirate's Cove dissects and analyzes the article so you don't have to subject yourself to it. (H/T: Memeorandum).

The Daley Gator reports that the Paulbots are really, really upset about Rand Paul's endorsement of Romney.

Speaking of endorsements, is anyone surprised that Castro's daughter endorsed Obama? Read American Power's post (with video).

Professor Jacobson OWNS the Elizabeth Warren coverage; he's been all over this story.

The Camp of the Saints reports on another blogger targeted because of his Kimberlin reporting.

Anyone contemplating voting third party in November should note Wyblog's post concerning five words every conservative should fear. Smitty concurs: "Let's play crayons with the Constitution...".

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wreck in a "smart car"? See Doug Ross.

Pecan Corner has discovered that there is life after a computer dies, and it's not so bad! I concur; I've completed a lot more projects, have a cleaner house, and have read more books since I lightened up on my blogging.

Let's check the thermostat.

Okay - we've dropped from 90 to 83 while I've been surfing. Let's keep going for a few more degrees.

Maggie's Notebook shares Judge Andrew Napolitano's outrage over drones spying on private citizens.

The Rio Norte Line shares the wonders of universal health care which will be our future unless SCOTUS come through.

Ace reports on the Eric Holder contempt vote in the House.

Ed Morrissey reports that while Obama will still likely keep his hold on the Jewish vote, support is evaporating there.

Jed Babbin has an important article over at American Spectator on the leaks coming from the Obama White House.

Okay, it's time for me to get back to work around here. The thermostat has dropped to 81 so I think I can get back to my baseboard scrubbing without having a heat stroke.

Telephone Stand: Before and After

Remember back in March when I dug this out of my neighbor's trash pile?

At that point it wouldn't even stand up because one of the feet on one of the legs was rotted.

It's an old telephone cabinet and was used, obviously, to keep that unsightly telephone out of view. This one had lots of problems when I went over, in the rain, and rescued it from the curb. The top part was coming apart from the table part, the veneer was gone on one of the sides and on the decorative piece on the front, and the veneer was peeling away in multiple places. the large door has a profound warp to it but I couldn't do anything about that. I tried.

Anyway, here is the restored version.

It's far from perfect and I have some touching up still to do, like the smudge by the hardware on the door:

But it's vastly improved.

I had to cut off the rotten feed so I'm going to find some tips to put on the bottom of the legs.

I had to replace the shelf in the storage compartment; I just got a piece of luan and then trimmed and stained it.

It's not a perfect restoration, but it is a pretty decent salvage job!

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Take A Stocking the Freezer Trip to Ed Lester Farms and Find a Cool Truck!

Ah, summer!

We're on baby watch around here - NO not me! Horrors! My beautiful daughter and her husband are expecting my first grandchild within the month so we are not getting too far away from the house these days in case we have to throw a suitcase in the Jeep and drive over to Texas for a few days. Here she is at about 24 weeks in - I like this picture.

We are very blessed that things have gone smoothly so far!

Baby watch.

So, keeping close to the house but wanting fresh veggies from Ed Lester Farms, Steve and I headed down to Coushatta today to start stocking the freezer for the winter. I love having fresh purple hull peas or butter beans year round (although Steve is about SICK of purple hull peas now).

Once at Lesters I could hardly pay attention to the produce because I kept looking at this gorgeous 1952 Chevy truck sitting there:

My goodness but that thing was gorgeous! The interior was spectacular! Beautiful!

I did finally manage to focus on the task at hand and starting picking up veggies:

This trip we got new potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes, a bushel of purple hulls (already shelled!), pinto beans (not shelled), yellow squash, okra, cucumbers, hot peppers, and peaches. We're going to make at least one more trip down because the butter beans aren't in yet, there's more corn coming, and I like the larger freestone peaches that are still to come. And always more tomatoes!

We can never go to Coushatta without our regular stop at Bailey's for a big ol' greasy cheeseburger. They have other things, too...

...but I do love those burgers!

After we ate we checked out a recently opened antique shop on Front Street:

It's in a grand old building and check out that tin ceiling! Love it! I bought these funky glass candlesticks for $10:

When we got home Steve and I set to work shelling pinto beans...

...some of which I cooked for dinner:

I love summer!

The SIGIS Take a Trip Series:

Take a Trip to Coushatta Down Louisiana Backroads

Take a Sunday Drive in North Caddo Parish

Take a Trip to Minden's First Annual Cinco de Mayo Festival

Take a Trip to the 2012 Defenders of Liberty Air Show at BAFB
Take a Springtime Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden, LA
Take a Trip to Logansport, Louisiana
Take a Trip to the Lock and Dam on Red River
Take a Trip to the 2012 Barkus and Meoux Parade
Take a Christmas Shopping Trip to Second Hand Rose in Minden
Take a Trip to Grand Cane's Fifth Annual Pioneer Trade Day
Take a Trip to the 2011 Highland Jazz & Blues Festival
Take an Autumn Trip to Jefferson, Texas
Take a Fall Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to the 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base
Take a Summertime Trip to Grand Cane
Take a Trip to Desoto Parish
Take a Summer Trip to Second Hand Rose Antiques in Minden
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Melrose Plantation
Take a Trip to Ed Lester Farms and a Random Antique Stop
Take a Trip to the Norton Art Gallery and the Masters of Cuban Art Exhibit
Take a Trip to Natchitoches to See the Christmas Lights
Take a Trip to Natchitoches and Oakland Plantation

This is Coffee

I love this video:

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Let's Turn Gitmo Into a Giant Beehive!

The mind boggles.

It shouldn't surprise me, really, but it never fails to. And to think, people who think like this get to vote. Punk rocker Patti Smith:

“And I’ve said this over and over, but I’ll say it a million more times — I’m concerned more about the death of a bee than I am about terrorism. Because we’re losing hives and bees by the millions because of such strong pesticides. We can live with terrorism. We can’t live without the bee.”

She's not a bit happy with Obama's performance in that regard, or in other areas as well:

“He hasn’t helped the environment. He didn’t close Guantánamo Bay. He went deeper into Afghanistan.”

I guess he should have closed Gitmo and released all those harmless terrorists because we can totally live with that. We should turn the place into a giant beehive.

Yeah. That's the ticket.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The 507th PIR on D-Day

Today is the 68th anniversary of D-Day.

From History.com:

During World War II (1939-1945), the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.

Check out the site for videos and interactive maps.

One of the groups involved in that invasion was the 507 P.I.R. (Parachute Infantry Regiment). This unit is sometimes called "the forgotten regiment." The unit was activated in 1942 at Ft. Benning, GA. A little history about the unit can be found here. Here's an excerpt of their participation in the D-Day invasion:

The 507th PIR first saw combat during the Normandy invasion - 6 June 1944. The 507th and the 508th PIRs were to be dropped near the west bank of the Merderet River. The objectives of both regiments was to establish defensive positions in those areas and prepare to attack westward sealing off the Cotentin Peninsula.

In the pre the predawn hours of D-Day the sporadic patterns of the 507th and the 508th PIRs left troopers spread out over a twenty mile area. Some who overshot the Drop Zone (DZ) dropped into the Merderet River and its adjoining marshes. Many troopers who jumped with heavy equipment were unable to swim free and drowned. Others roamed the countryside until they encountered other units and joined their effort. Even Colonel Millett, the commanding officer of the 507th was unable to muster his troops and was captured three days after the drop in the vicinity of Amfreville. Only the 2nd Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles J Timmes was able to function as a team and began digging in around Cauquigny on the west bank of the Merderet River.

At that point the 507th was joined with the 508th for the rest of the mission. Read the rest.

For the Normandy invasion the 507th flew from airbases further north in England than other regiments and thus arrived later to the battle than other units, therefore losing the element of surprise.

Sergeant Bob Bearden was a squad leader of a mortar squad in the 507th PIR. Here's an excerpt from his book:

Massive anti-aircraft fire and dense cloud banks encountered over the Normandy coast caused the 507^th to have the worst drop of any of the airborne units participating in Normandy. Most sticks completely missed their drop zones and ended up stranded as individuals or in small groups in totally unknown territory. In addition, their drop zone and surrounding low-lying marshes had been flooded by the Germans, who manipulated locks to make the Merderet River overflow its banks, causing many of the heavily overloaded 507 troopers to drown before they got out of their chutes.

There's much more at the link.

Here is a photo gallery of some of the members of the 507th PIR. Look at their faces; check out the guy with the pipe! So many young lives.

Here is the story of Howard Huebner who was in the 507th PIR, assigned to Company C. An excerpt:

I am a Paratrooper! I was 21 yrs old when we jumped into Normandy.

We knew the area where we were supposed to land, because we had studied it on sand tables, and then had to draw it on paper by memory, but that all faded as our regiment was the last to jump, and things had changed on the ground. Most of us missed our drop zone by miles. As we were over our drop zone there was a downed burning plane. Later I found out it was one of ours. The flack was hitting our plane and everything from the ground coming our way looked like the Fourth of July.

When I hit the ground in Normandy, I looked at my watch. It was 2:32 AM, June 6, 1944. I cut myself out of my chute, and the first thing I heard was shooting and some Germans hollering in German, "mucksnell toot sweet Americanos".

We the 507th, was supposed to land fifteen miles inland, but I landed three or four miles from Utah Beach by the little town of Pouppeville. I wound up about 1000 yards from a French farm house that the Germans were using for a barracks, and about 200 feet from a river, an area that the Germans had flooded. If I would have landed in the water, I may not be here today as I can’t swim. A lot of paratroopers drowned because of the flooded area.

Be sure to read the part where he talks about "a soldier I will never forget."

Huebner was in the same drop plane as Pfc. Bose Kelley; in the drop order, Huebner was #3 and Kelley was #13.

Pfc. Bose F. Kelley, Jr. was from Shreveport. He died on D-day and is buried here in Shreveport at Greenwood cemetery.

Take time today to read through some of these stories and to remember.

Added: There's an interesting D-Day documentary at SnagFilms about the secrecy behind the D-Day invasion and the subterfuge against the German army. (Thanks, Harold, for the heads up.)

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

On the Reading Table

I was out running errands today when heard Rush Limbaugh promoting his brother David's new book, The Great Destroyer.

Since I was two blocks from a Barnes and Noble, and since I don't have nearly enough to read this summer, I popped in to pick it up.

I'm already 60 pages or so into it and can't put it down. This book isn't one that would do well for me on a Kindle because I'm constantly flipping back and forth and looking back to the copious footnotes at the end. It's a really well documented book.

I would consider it a must-read for the days ahead.

"Ready or Not" Jackson Browne is No Longer "A Soldier of Plenty" for Obama

Jackson Browne is still going to "Take it Easy" on Obama this fall. but "These Days" he is "Walking Slow" on the fundraising and thinks there are "Lives in the Balance" with regard to Obama's nuclear policy. He's letting Obama know, "My Problem is You" in an interview with Sharon Waxman recently.

Via Politico:

“Look, Obama told me in a personal conversation that he wasn’t up for any new [nuclear] plants. Obviously, he changed his mind at some point. But what a surprise that one of his main supporters is the energy company, Exelon -- which has nuclear plants -- and that he would suddenly change his policy,” Browne said. “I don’t know what we would expect. He’s just as a beholden to the people who put him in office as any of the Republicans would be. But what’s a mystery to me is how he installed pretty much the exact same infrastructure in his administration that deals with finances as the administration that we thought we voted out. That’s really a shocker.”

Apparently, Jackson Browne and Barack Obama are "Miles Away" when it comes to common ground on nukes.

Of course, "For a Rocker" like Jackson Browne to turn against Obama's policies is just another sign of the defections that have been coming Obama's way the past couple of weeks. "Anything Can Happen" in the fall but when Obama starts alienating even his own base, well, you just never know. "Before the Deluge" of more defections surely to come his way, Obama might well be "Running on Empty" by November and might find himself with "Nothing But Time" to perhaps work on another memoir.

While Obama could "Hold Out" and still get re-elected, he won't be doing it with Jackson Browne's help.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Take a Trip to the 2012 Cross Lake Floatilla

The tops of my feet are sunburned. I wore sandals today to the Cross Lake Floatilla (yes, I know it's "flotilla," but they spell it "floatilla" for this event.) I'm usually a jeans and tennis shoes kind of girl but it didn't seem right for a party on the lake with some 150 boats. So, I wore sandals and now I have a strange sunburn pattern.

Steve and I made a day of it today watching the boats at the Floatilla; being land lubbers, we survived just fine by going in and out of the air conditioning at the American Legion post today.

We'd walk around outside and listen to the band.