Steven Sotloff: Reaction Around the Web

ISIL takes another one.

This just depresses me no end.

This should not have happened.

They've got more hostages so you can expect this sort of thing from now on -- at least until we get a president with the cajones to do something about it.

And 9/11 is coming.

Reaction around the web:

Aaron Goldstein:

There's not much I can say at this moment other than to ask a single question. How many more Americans does ISIS have to behead before President Obama develops a strategy on ISIS? 

Independent Journal Review:

As ISIS still has Americans in its blood-stained hands and are willing to butcher more innocents in the name of its perverted cause, the world can no longer turn a blind eye. Whether or not the Commander-in-Chief leaves these terrorists alone, it is high time to form a strategy to defeat them.

Andrew Rosenthal:

Clearly, ISIS intends to go on kidnapping and murdering people and displaying the bloodshed to the world, and the United States is going to have to take an active, leadership role in the civilized world’s response. 

 The Twitchy Team:

Following reports that American journalist Steven Sotloff was beheaded by ISIS, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki held a press conference … and promptly confirmed that the Obama administration is made up of spineless clowns:

Sister Toldjah:

At the end of the video of Sotloff’s beheading, ISIS shows another captive, Briton David Cawthorne Haines. The implication is clear: unless the US stops its airstrikes, Mr. Haines will be slaughtered like James Foley and Mr. Sotloff.

Fox News:

Congressional lawmakers urged the Obama administration to crank up the offensive against the Islamic State after another video surfaced purporting to show the graphic execution of an American journalist.

CNN:

On Friday, Obama said it was too soon to discuss what steps the U.S. would take against the militant group inside Syria. On how to deal with the group in Syria -- where it was born and has a haven, mostly in the city of Raqqa -- the President said: "We don't have a strategy yet."

It's all terrible.

And so while Obama figures out his "strategy," presumably on the golf course, other hostages wait their turn.

Would this be an inappropriate time to ask, "What would Reagan do?"  Because, I mean, I can't see Ronald Reagan, or even George W. Bush for that matter, picking up his clubs and going to the green.  That's what Obama did after the Foley murder, so why would this be different?

This is coming to America next, people.  It's here.  The time to develop a strategy is long overdue.

The jihadists are just taunting us now; it's a shame we don't have a leader up to the task.


Added:

Allahpundit:

Serious question: How many dead Americans does it take to create a casus belli against a terrorist group? Certainly no more than 3,000, per 9/11. Hezbollah killed many more Marines in the 1983 barracks bombing than ISIS has killed journalists, although I suppose you can draw a distinction there between acts of war between military (or paramilitary) forces and outright murder of civilian combatants. Then again, the murder of Daniel Pearl wouldn’t have triggered an AUMF against Al Qaeda had 9/11 not preceded it. If a new AUMF is coming against ISIS, it’ll be because of the strategic terrorist threat the group poses to Americans domestically, not because of what it did to Sotloff and James Foley — although those murders, being so barbaric, will do wonders to build American resolve in smashing these degenerates to pieces.

More at Memeorandum.

Our Ironic President

There's a certain kind of irony about a man who sits in Hawaii on a two-week taxpayer funded vacation and lambasts others for going "home for the holidays" and not taking care of their duties.

Added bonus:  he left Michelle there.

Seriously?

(via Memeorandum)

This Obamacare Letter Should Go Viral

This woman's letter ought to go viral.  What's happening to her is happening all over the country as people struggle to make their way through the Obamacare landmine only to discover they are totally screwed:

My family’s journey with securing our new insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) started on October 1, 2013. I have decided to write this letter to let the American people know what it has been like for us. We are a family of four, with two little boys’ ages seven years old and three years old. My husband and I have had full time jobs for 6 years and 13 years respectively. We have been with the same two companies for those years. We are a middle class family; we own our three bedroom two bath house, we own two cars, and previously provided our own insurance for the four of us. We have coverage through Individual Blue from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama until 12/31/13. Our premiums have been $380.00 a month, which also included dental coverage for all four of us. 

On October, 1, 2013 we received our letters like other Alabamians about our new premiums and plans for 2014 from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Alabama. When I opened our letter to say I had sticker shock was an understatement. Our premiums for the Blue Saver Silver would now be $753.26. This included the ACA tax but did not include the additional $75.00 we would need to pay in order to keep dental for me and my husband. So we would need to pay total $828.26 to keep health and dental insurance for the four of us. This payment is roughly $64.00 less than what we pay for our mortgage each month. I was outraged that anyone thought we could afford this. Sure we have some savings, but with that price tag we would whittle it down to almost nothing very quickly. I consider savings as a rainy day fund, a start to saving for the kid’s college, our retirement, etc. I never dreamed in a million years we would need to use it to pay our insurance premiums each month – how in the world could this help the economy too?

Read the whole thing.  It's a nightmare.

Graphic via R.J. Matson

Noonan: "He's not a lame duck, he's just lame."

Oh my.

Peggy Noonan is so over Obama:

I think we're all agreed the president is fading—failing to lead, to break through, to show he's not at the mercy of events but, to some degree at least, in command of them. He couldn't get a win on gun control with 90% public support. When he speaks on immigration reform you get the sense he's setting it back. He's floundering on Syria. The looming crisis on implementation of ObamaCare has begun to fill the news. Even his allies are using the term "train wreck." ObamaCare is not only the most slovenly written major law in modern American history, it is full of sneaked-in surprises people are just discovering. The Democrats of Washington took advantage of the country's now-habitual distractedness: The country, now seeing what's coming in terms of taxes and fees, will not be amused. Mr. Obama's brilliant sequester strategy—scare the American public into supporting me—flopped. Congress is about to hold hearings on Boston and how the brothers Tsarnaev slipped through our huge law-enforcement and immigration systems. Benghazi and what appear to be its coverups drags on and will not go away; press secretary Jay Carney was reduced to saying it happened "a long time ago." It happened in September. 

I could say that we warned her, but that would be pointless.  At any rate, she's right.

Sequestration Cancels the 2013 Barksdale Defenders of Liberty Air Show

The latest casualty to the sequestration is the 2013 Barksdale AFB Defenders of Liberty Air Show; KTBS announced the cancellation this morning:

The Barksdale Air Force Base 2013 Defenders of Liberty Air Show has been cancelled. It was scheduled for the first weekend in May. Officials are blaming the cancellation on budget cuts forced by the sequestration.

The show attracts tens of thousands each year from all around the three-states region: Mr. SIGIS and I went last year and had a grand time.

Yes, air shows like this one are expensive to produce.  But it is events like this one that not only are huge recruitment tools for the Air Force, but are also fundraisers for individual squadrons.  The Shreveport Times spoke to retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Peyton Cole who wasn't surprised:

"That's what I figured was going to happen," said Cole, whose concerns are for the effect on individual units on base, such as squadrons and the Global Power Museum.
"I'm concerned that if you don't have an air show or open house, your squadrons that rely on vendors to make their money for the year don't have any venue to do that,"  he said.  "This is a blow to the operational squadrons on base that derive their funds from vending at the air show and open house.  These are funds that go to pay for ancillary things the Air Force doesn't pay for...".

These funds might be going away gifts for outgoing squadron personnel, wedding gifts, etc.  Another thing that squadrons raise money for is to fly airmen home for Christmas.

The Blue Angels were slated to perform this year but last week it was announced that the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds would be cancelling their schedules due to sequestration, so it's likely that the Barksdale Air Show won't be the only one affected.

Oddly enough, last year when Steve and I were on base touring the static displays and watching the air performances, he commented that it might be one of the last air shows for a while.  Elections have consequences and just as most of us have seen the negative ramifications of Obamacare coming down the pike from the very beginning, Steve predicted the negative effects coming down the pike for the military.

I mean, really, Obama has no concern for the recruitment aspect of the military.  He'd like to downsize and drastically cut the military.  "Peace through superior firepower" holds no special significance for him.  It's back to the days of Jimmy Carter when airmen would rob parts from one plane just to keep another in the air.  Enemies sensed weakness like a shark sense blood in the water.

Obama wants the sequestration cuts to hurt as much as possible.  Thus the cancellation of the White House tours but so far no White House calligraphers have lost their jobs.  Maybe the calligraphers are too busy penning invitations to Michelle's birthday bash.

It's all enough to make one want to bang one's head on a wall.  I'm sure liberals are just fine with the cancellation of frivolous things like air shows - after all, that money could be so much better spent on....new TSA uniforms?  At least when you get your invasive pat down it'll be by someone who is dressed for success!  Oh well, you know.  The military is so 2007 now.  We're withdrawing from Afghanistan, don't you know?  Think of all the Obamaphones we can buy with the cost of just one air show!  Think of all the food stamps!  The golf outings with Tiger!  Hawaii!

Good grief.  I used to wonder if people would wake up before it's too late but I don't worry about that now.

The goose is cooked.  The low information voter rules the day.

Mainstream Media Fiddles,the Middle East Burns, and Obama Does Vegas

I'm dumbfounded.

Just when I thought the world couldn't get any more sprayed-roach crazy than it is, the American Ambassador to Libya is murdered (along with three other Americans), and all the mainstream media can do is criticize Romney for speaking out against it?

This makes me furious.

I don't know if I'm more angry at the media for being such lapdogs or at Obama for letting this happen.

And don't for one single minute think that Obama isn't on the hook here.

The media was, and still is, quick to blame George W. Bush for 9/11, saying he "ignored many al-Qaida warnings" prior to the attack.  But where are they on this?  Where are they on Obama's failure to attend intelligence briefings in the week leading up to the 9/11 anniversary?

I'll tell you where they are - they're in the press room figuring out how to gang up on Mitt Romney and make him look "unpresidential."  Are you kidding me?!  Ben Smith has a bunch of supposedly Republican, anonymous (of course) sources blasting Romney's statement:

A third Republican, a former Bush State Department official, told BuzzFeed, "It wasn't presidential of Romney to go political immediately — a tragedy of this magnitude should be something the nation collectively grieves before politics enters the conversation." 

Really?

George Bush was relentlessly pounded for being slow to react to the news that America was under attack on 9/11/2001.

He was also widely criticized for his slow response to Hurricane Katrina (even though he could NOT go in without authorization from local officials).

But Mitt Romney, in a presidential moment, responds swiftly in a statement decrying the murder of an American in a terrorist attack and it's too soon!  The nation hasn't grieved yet!

It's just crazy.

Professor Jacobson:

Beginning early this morning, when news was just breaking, the left-blogosphere and mainstream media, led by MSNBC, has attempted to shift the focus from the Obama administration’s failure to protect our embassies and for its apologies (both before and after the attack on the Cairo Embassy) to whether Mitt Romney was wrong to criticize Obama last night. 

No, I’m not kidding.

A very good post from Victor Davis Hanson explains how this happened in the first place:

Egypt is currently a beneficiary of more than $1 billion in annual American aid, and its new Muslim Brotherhood–led government is negotiating to have much of its sizable U.S. debt forgiven. Libya, remember, was the recipient of the Obama administration’s “lead from behind” intervention that led to the removal of Moammar Qaddafi — and apparently gave the present demonstrators the freedom to kill Americans. This is all called “smart” diplomacy. 

Be sure to read the whole thing.

And of course, the press can't be bothered with putting the blame where it lies.  They're more interested in removing the threat to their candidate than exposing the truth.

Allahpundit has the right questions:

 The signs were there; one of the Marines at the consulate apparently even saw Libyan “security” taking photos of the compound beforehand. What did the State Department do to prepare? Why are Marines only being sent now, after the fact, to beef up security? Why was there no evacuation plan in place? Why, apparently, didn’t Obama attend any of his daily intel briefings this week with the anniversary of 9/11 bearing down? Why did his campaign move more quickly to condemn Romney for his statement than the White House did to condemn the mob activity in Cairo and Benghazi? Why do these questions only seem to get asked of presidents from the party disfavored by the concern trolls we call reporters? 

If there was ever any doubt that the press is in bed with Obama, it's gone now.

I pray to God that people will do their own research on the candidates this fall and not listen to the mainstream media.  They are as culpable in this debacle as narcissist that inhabits the Oval Office is.

What if George W. Bush had jetted off to Las Vegas for a fundraiser on the night of 9/11?  Why, the press would be apoplectic!  Not the same thing, you say?  Three thousand lives lost to four?  Not the same thing?  Tell that to the families of the victims.  Tell that to the victims that are sure to come.

This is not the end.  There will be more attacks as long as this bungling Jimmy Carter redux is in office.

Brace yourself.

Much more at Memeorandum.