Obama Straw Men Are Like Sausages

After covering some of Obama's comments from the poverty summit at Georgetown University this week, we're headed back (because why not, that's why).

The event was formally billed by the White House as a "Conversation on Poverty at Georgetown University". But don't be fooled, the conversation was about poverty across the US, not just at Georgetown. It was the conversation itself that was at Georgetown.

Georgetown, being a prominent Catholic university, provided the forum for the conversation to turn to the role religion and religious organizations play in helping alleviate poverty and raising awareness about it.

Using the White House transcript from the event, let's press forward. Obama magnanimously starts off just fine in describing evangelical and faith-based and Catholic organizations regarding their approach to addressing poverty:

There is great caring and great concern

Now let's pause right here and play a game. Let's call it: Guess the Next Word. Do you need a hint? Okay, it's three letters. Need another hint? Okay, lately in the media and on the left (and even on some of the right), this word is prominently used directly after "I believe in the First Amendment..."

Surely you have it by now.

There is great caring and great concern, but when it comes to what are you really going to the mat for, what’s the defining issue, when you're talking in your congregations, what’s the thing that is really going to capture the essence of who we are as Christians, or as Catholics, or what have you...

As far as we can tell, Obama's experience in the Christian church consists of attending Reverend Jeremiah Wright's church in Chicago (and claiming he didn't listen to much of what was said), and then avoiding church altogether once he became president except for a very few occasions on holidays such as Easter or Christmas. And not much else.

So listen as Obama describes what really goes on in these organizations:

...that this is oftentimes viewed as a “nice to have” relative to an issue like abortion.

And just a few sentences earlier Obama brought up, "disagreements around reproductive issues, or same-sex marriage, or what have you". The "this" in the quote above refers essentially to helping the poor. In the world of Obama, helping the poor is viewed as optional by churches.

At this point, and remember that these are extemporaneous comments at a discussion panel, not a prepared speech, Obama seems to realize that he might have stepped in it just a bit:

That's not across the board, but there sometimes has been that view, and certainly that's how it’s perceived in our political circles.

Oh. So maybe churches aren't really all Westboro Baptist - it's just that people see them that way?  

Gee, I wonder how in the world that perception could possibly take hold when the man who has the biggest bully pulpit in the world tells the world that the pulpits in America are manned by bullies who would rather "go to the mat" on abortion and gay hate than helping the poor, which is really just a "nice to have"?  

I mean, it's a mystery.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has long been at least as interested in whether church buildings are LEED certified as it is in whether churches are helping the poor: 

As a former director of Bush’s faith-based office, Jim Towey, notes: “I can see that there’s a spiritual imperative to take good care of the earth .  .  . but it’s a tradeoff. If you’re going to direct [congregations’] attention toward that, it comes at the expense of the poor. Who’s advocating for them?”

I suppose climate change falls into Obama's "what have you" category above, self-awareness be, um, darned.

ON SAUSAGES AND STRAWMEN: While many attribute the quote about sausage being made to Otto Van Bismarck, the original appears to have been coined by John Godfrey Saxe: "Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made." 

And here is an old photoshop I did showing Obama burning a straw man:

Link to Last Page of Thread.

 

Comments

[NKonChrome]

Hit-- great post. One quibble; Georgetown U = Catholic? Uh no. It was founded by Jesuits not a Vatican affiliated order, and for the last 20 years or so it has been licensed out to the House of Saud as a Wahabi institution. No wonder Obummer is comfortable going there. On the other hand with Pope Frank SJ, what is 'catholic' and was is Jesuit may no longer mean different things. So you may be right. Carry on.

[Jeff Dobbs]

OK, NK. But from the Georgetown about us page:

"Established in 1789, Georgetown is the nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university."

[henry]

Its in the DC bubble, outside influences are for appearances only.

Speaking of bubbles, all three lefties on the WI SC are asking the Federal judge to do something. That "something" is anything but what the WI Constitution currently says should be done. There is a hearing next week on Shirley's bitter clinging, but it appears from the article no one outside of the 3 libs on the court are confused.

[squaredance]

Whatever do you mean by saying that the Jesuits are not a "Vatican affiliated order". Is this some technical term you use here? The Jesuits are of course recognized as a valid order or "religious congregation" by the Vatican, and there are even Jesuits Cardinals.

[NKonChrome]

The Jesuits were forced to start to toe the Vatican line by JPII, it seems his Vatican bankers finally located the Jesuit money pit. The SJ can say whatever they please on the Georgetown website, but the Wahabi money they take and covering crucifixes or removing them entirely from class rooms screams otherwise. Very little if anything that actually goes on at Georgetown these days is 'catholic'. Although, as I said, with Pope Frank SJ, what is 'catholic' may be undergoing redefinition as we speak.

[NKonChrome]

There's a Jesuit Pope, which makes for interesting times. The SJ has a fascinating history. And that history includes an organizational culture that sees itself as Jesuit first, Vatican when it aligns with SJ doctrine, or is needed by the Society. That changed for a while starting 30 years ago. But now, it may be a truer statement that the Vatican is more SJ. Pope SJ may be fundamentally changing the Vatican. Interesting times.

[Miss Marple]

I guess all that money I donated to Catholic Relief, all that time I spent in the Food Pantry was just chump change.

He is becoming even MORE obnoxious, and I thought we had hit the bottom several months ago.

[James D.]

MM, I'm not sure there IS a bottom for Obama to hit. I think there's no limit to how loathsome he can be.

[Marlene]

One of our favorite priests who served our parish in northern Maine is a Jesuit. Hubby was a lector,so when he was on the schedule,usually 4PM Mass,he went into the sacristy early to prepare. Father Tom and hubby disagreed on every issue and had very heated discussions. One time,while sitting in church,their discussion was so loud I had to go into the sacristy and tell them to shut up. I said some of us are trying to have a quiet time of prayer,do you mind?
Hubby's older brother went to Holy Cross,enough said. :) At their grandfather's funeral,my brother-in-law wouldn't even kneel and I thought my mother-in-law was going to beat the sh*t out of him right there in the church!

[Jane]

From the last thread, It was reported that the drug tests on the engineer came back negative. I assume he will declare he fell asleep.

[Marlene]

Yes,MM Obama's attitude is more arrogant,sneering and obnoxious,if that is possible. When will the meltdown occur?

[Jane]

Ya gotta love that his own party has turned on him. The democrats are in chaos. It's delightful!

[NKonChrome]

MissM you are a passionate Catholic and I can imagine your frustration. you may want to read some SJ history, and some 70s-80s Argentine history. Understand those histories and you'll understand Francis. I admire the Jesuits, but other Catholics who understand them, don't. But don't ever second guess your charitable instincts and works, they are right and always will be.

[Miss Marple]

NK.

I figure the Church outlasted the Borgia popes, so we will just have to wait.

Good can come of Francis, even if he's not my cup of tea. I will just trust in God.

I had a lifelong Catholic explain the Jesuits to me. I probably should read some Argentine History, though. A friend of my nephew's is a Spanish prof and goes there often in the summers. I will ask him to recommend a book. Thanks for the idea!

[NKonChrome]

Marlene-- I hope you don't mind, I chuckled at your family anecdote about your parish priest and B-I-L. If I can ask, if your hubby so disagreed with the SJ priest why was he one of your favorites? I ask because I am similar; I disagree with the Jesuits on so many issues, yet I respect and admire their passion, their faith in Christ, and dedication to their educational and 'social'works.

[squaredance]

Yes but you said the the Jesuit order itself is not "Vatican Affiliated". In general usage of the term, this is not true: it is recognized by the Holy See as a valid religious order/congregation, and this has nothing to do with so pope making then "tow the line"; it is form the Vatican point of view a "legal status".

Therefore, the Jesuits are indeed "Vatican Affiliated".

I agree that Georgetown is a viper pit of Left-wing poison, but this can be said more ore less of any major university, including the Catholic ones. Even Notre Dame suffers from this, though not as badly as Georgetown.

Georgetown is not an official "Theological School" of the Vatican (such schools actually officially instruct the hierarchy and have a role in forming doctrine and canon law, and as such the Vatican has no direct say in what is taught there or even who teaches. Perhaps this is what you meant to say.

And I do agree that the first Jesuit Pope is shaping up do be a great disaster for the Church and Western Civilization in general.

I was taking exception to your notion that the Jesuit order was not Vatican Affiliated and wanted further clarification.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Update on the post using Obama's office of faith based partnerships pushing climate change....

[NKonChrome]

Much good will come from Francis, yes. But much that infuriates us, just t'is. I am going to Fordham Graduation this weekend, and I am sure I will be fascinated by that Jesuit extravaganza. Shockingly my militantly agnostic (is that possible?) daughter will attend Baccalaureate Mass friday evening, before we go to a dinner/dance on campus. No real interesting personalities this year, no Cardinal Dolan at mass, the graduation speaker is the First Lady of Ghana... GHANA?

[henry]

Pushing the climate change faith shows you like the poor so much you want everyone else to become poor.

[Marlene]

NK,the reason we liked him was because he really enjoyed being a member of the parish family.He gave honest from the heart homilies. I think his political views challenged my husband and they agreed to disagree.

One thing that puzzles me is that JPII installed many conservative cardinals and bishops. Why did they elect a more liberal colleague as Pope?

[NKonChrome]

Squaredance-- apologies I did not mean that literally, I was referring to the practical application of Jesuit culture which you explained.

[rse]

henry-did you read the link I put on previous thread from the cto of Seattle?

Before ms he did PW consulting for federal agencies. No wonder he has no idea that if you insist everyone can get on the boat and have an equal berth and it does not matter if you row or not, the boat will not go anywhere and will eventually sink.

[henry]

Heh, rse I did not read that one. I assume that guy would argue at least everyone gets a free bath out of the deal.

[NKonChrome]

College of Cardinals elect Francis? While no one can know Cardinal voting patterns for sure, my impression was it 'was time'. With christianity dying out demographically challenged Europe, a SA or African Pope made sense. I can understand why European and USA Cardinals would hesitate with the very conservative African cardinals, but what was surprising was the first SJ Pope.Very interesting times. My experience with the Jesuits was similar to your family's; the SJ infuriate me at times, but there's something about that sincerity and passion.

[narciso]

so Bump, one of Bezo's recent hires, comes from the Atlantic, via Gristmill, one of Soros's skydragon cribsheets, and the South Bay Labor council, it turns out Fallows was the one eyed king in that outfit,

[Rick Ballard]

Hit,

Thanks for another good post. The SkyDragon update really makes me wonder if there is a discernible difference in the indoctrination of a Jesuit as opposed to indoctrination of a progressive fascist. The imposition of regressive regulatory taxes based upon the sophistry of scientismist priests peddling their epicycles as hard as they can is more likely to harm the poor than feed them.

I know BOzo's level of "care" for the poor is best exemplified by his leaving a brother living in a hut with a dirt floor, I'm now curious as to whether Berdoglio's is any different.

[Neo]

According to Vaticanist Sandro Magister, Pope Francis has decided to postpone the publication of his long-awaited encyclical on the environment. The reason, according to Magister, is that the Pope realized that the document in its current state had no chance of receiving the approval of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith under the leadership of Cardinal Gerhard Müller.

... I'm waiting to hear Obama blame the Vatican bureaucracy

[narciso]

Steven Emerson, back in the early 80s, in the American House of Saud, pointed how CSIS's analysis
was weak on the preponderance of Shia militancy in the Kingdom, the Ikwan presence was even more verboten, I imagine,

the immediate influence here is the sax playing Prince Talal, but there are other figures who feed Scowcroft's clubhouse, the Atlantic Council, whereRichard Clarke would go to ground, after his cri de couer, about Iraq,

[jimmyk]

Taranto was oddly respectful of Obama's blather, but he did note that Obama was trying to have it both ways: Arguing that poverty, correctly measured (counting payments that the official stats ignore) had declined 40%, but also blaming poverty for breakdown of families (as opposed to the other way around). I would add that Dems are all too happy to use the ridiculous official poverty numbers to justify ever more transfers.

If poverty has declined sharply in the last half-century while family breakdown has accelerated, it makes no sense to say the former is the only (or the primary) cause of the latter.

Behind the pay wall, but here's the link anyway:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/obamas-poverty-paradox-1431540714

[NKonChrome]

RickB-- it would be a mistake to conflate Jesuit doctrine with Liberation Theology. They are very different things, although some Jesuits do spout Liberation Theology.

[Extraneus]

Remember when George Stephanopoulos declared during an interview with Clinton Cash author Peter Schweizer that the book had found no “smoking gun” against the Clinton Foundation and the Clintons themselves? Guess what Stephanopoulos didn’t declare — his own financial contributions to an organization that Sunlight Foundation official Bill Allison said operates like “a slush fund for the Clintons.” Dylan Byers at Politico discovered a smoking gun aimed at the credibility of Stephanopoulos as a journalist:

ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos has given $50,000 to the Clinton Foundation in recent years, charitable contributions that he did not publicly disclose while reporting on the Clintons or their non-profit organization, the On Media blog has learned.

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/05/14/stephanopoulos-gave-50000-to-clinton-foundation-didnt-disclose-during-coverage-of-scandal/

[Janet]

I just can't listen to secular leftists tell Bible believing Christians & Jews what they should do or what they need to be doing or what priorities they should have.

They tear us down & demonize us...& then tell us what to do. No thanks.

Go give your speech at an atheist convention or some LGBTETC gathering. Go tell La Raza to prioritize climate change. Tell gay groups to quit trying to redefine marriage & go help the poor.
Tell the Sierra Club to STFU about streetcars & go help the poor.

[Extraneus]

Check out the end of that piece for Captain Ed's naive take on the credibility of ABC News.

[Miss Marple]

Janet,

I am with you.

Let's see Obama's personal charitable contributions to the poor. If I remember correctly, it wasn't much, although it towered compared to Joe Biden's miserly donations.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

The question is, is the Catholic Church enduring an aberrational period with this pope or is it sliding into the same gutter the mainline protestant churches have?

I'm not a Catholic but it will be a worldwide disaster if the Catholics find themselves rendering unto Caesar what is God's or serving God and mammon for any prolonged period.

OTOH, the suicide of mainline churches has led to a flowering of evangelical and non denominational churches as a haven for people who worship God not man, so maybe a faltering Vatican will energize faithful Catholics similarly.

[narciso]

John Huntsman, is now the President of that organization, the George Hamilton among the Top Men,

re jesuit schools, we had a somewhat leftwing theology professor, who was the sister of Willy Chirino, even back then, the leftwing influence in world studies, was clear in the textbooks, although not the professors, they knew better,

[Miss Marple]

More stuff on the Stephaopolous thing:

Free Beacon got wind of it and asked him a question.

He refused an answer and then gave the story to Dylan Byers of Politico.

Scum, the lot of them.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Stephannopolus should be fired for hiding his conflict of interest.
It's one thing to know they paid him previously and quite another to know he is now supporting them on-air and off.

[narciso]

this is probably why they kept him on staff, think of it as an indulgence for the Razorback Borgia

[pagar]

Janet, The "great posts" comment is me.
My daughter set up the facebook site for me so I could see the great grandchredren pictures. She was born in Hawaii, married to a Hawaiian, sings in a Hawaiian band and the handle she gave me there is Hawaiian.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Miss Marple:
Let's see Obama's personal charitable contributions to the poor. If I remember correctly, it wasn't much, although it towered compared to Joe Biden's miserly donations.

Obama's charitable giving soared in 2006 - you know, the year before he announce his presidential candidacy. Convenient.

[narciso]

the Hunger Games turns out to be primer:

http://thefederalist.com/2015/05/14/why-fund-amtrak-because-all-must-serve-the-capitol/

[Jack is Lightnings!]

Well as a life long Catholic educated by Jesuits and married in a Jesuit church I guess I might as well have gone to public school and got married in a Methodist church. My poor Mom is rolling over in her grave thinking she was giving me a Catholic education and now Mrs. JiB will be sorely disappointed that Farm Street Church is not a Catholic church but a Jesuit one.

I never knew that the Jesuits were a separate Christian religion not an order of the Catholic church. I am now living in the 18th century, I guess.

p.s. A lot of Cathoics confuse the "academic" Jesuits and their free thinking on abortiion, female priests and gays as being anti-Holy See. At the parish and missionary level there is no such tension.

[NKonChrome]

I find this comment thread exhilarating. Political conservatives and religious christians have many enemies. That's right enemies. we didn't create them, they declared us as their enemies. And it is very important to understand who our enemies are and what they are about. These comments are correctly identifying several of those enemies. Once we identify them, we can move on to confronting them with their own bigotry and hatred. And those punks hate being called out. Look at the Brit Labour Party, they are losing because voters now know what they are.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--If poverty has declined sharply in the last half-century while family breakdown has accelerated, it makes no sense to say the former is the only (or the primary) cause of the latter.--

Poverty is not a matter of simply counting up transfers from others or income.
Poverty is a way of life and those transfers that have reduced the poverty level have increased the social pathologies and dependencies that constitute the hopeless and trapped lives that are the true measure of poverty.

It is a sick joke to believe that dropping cash from a helicopter into a ghetto of fatherless kids, drugs, crime, broken and drop-out choked schools will do any good besides making the guys who own the helicopters feel better about themselves.

[narciso]

O'Sullivan's law, operates at all levels, and all institutions, I would say the drift is lesser in Catholic institutions, than Episcopal or Methodists, (your mileage may vary) but there is some because it's in the air, like the Pax in Serenity

[Janet]

Oh, pagar!!! That's wonderful. I saw you were a "friend" of Glasater, so that was all I needed to okay you.
I had no idea it was you. :)

There are other JOMers on my friend list if you want to browse thru them. You can FB message me too if you want to know which ones are JOMers.

[narciso]

Tepid points out, that even Pope Benedict referred to Palestine, as far back as 2012,

[Jack is Lightnings!]

The problem with our parish, the 3rd largest in Florida (12K members) is that funerals oiut number weddings and baptisms 4 to 1. That is unsubstainable for a church. And we have 30-40% snowbirds who don't necessarily pass when down here.

[Beasts of England]

Delaying the encyclical? Maybe the Pope reads JOM!

[pagar]

Janet, I just asked Clarice. I'll look for more.

[DebinNC]

http://www.catholiccharities.net/GetHelp/OurServices/RefugeeResettlementServices.aspx

Catholic Charities seems to be the driving force in resettling both illegals and legal (mostly muslim now) refugees. All across America, aliens, including many hostile to our culture, are being inserted without warning or consultation into small towns. And once planted, these small bands grow exponentially, along with the services they require and the country can't afford.

[narciso]

and in our local strawman two minute hate:

http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/05/13/mark-nejame-relying-on-anti-zimmerman-sentiment-to-keep-state-attorney-from-charging-his-client/

[NKonChrome]

it's a complicated issue and generalities will always be easily critiqued. But I will say for a fact that the SJ sees no doctrinal distinction between its members serving on campus and those in Parishes. For instance, Fordham academic 'ordered' to a Parish in Philly by the SJ. He's the same priest whether on campus or in the Parish, and he'll continue to believe the same things: http://fordhamdaily.com/2015/04/17/i-didnt-want-this-beloved-fr-florio-ordered-to-leave-fordham/

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Just for NK;
When soccer players attack.....the ref.

[pagar]

Janet, "saw you were a "friend" of Glasater"

Glasater was the one who got me started because she said she did more on Facebook than Flickr and I didn't want to miss any of her great pictures.

[Neo]

George Stephanopoulos: By the way, I gave $50,000 to Clinton Foundation

#Breaking: ABC News will NOT take punitive action against Stephanopoulos: “We accept his apology. It was an honest mistake." Brian Williams wishes he worked for a more "enlighten" news organization.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That that is an issue for them, but its not a criminal .. its nothing that would warrant a criminal investigation.

[narciso]

paul bettany, flagelates himself less in the DaVinci Code

http://therightscoop.com/obama-runs-to-the-u-n-to-whine-about-mike-brown-shooting/

[narciso]

Herr Mueller is probably more the Scalia in the Curia,

[Jeff Dobbs]

NK:
it's a complicated issue and generalities will always be easily critiqued.

Well, Stephanoupouloupoulous is corrupt because he's Greek.

[Threadkiller]

The only picture I saw of the speedy Amtrak engineer made him appear about as fruitcakey as the suicidal AirBus pilot.

I wonder if he was trying to kill himself?

[jimmyk]

Poverty is not a matter of simply counting up transfers from others or income.

I agree, needless to say, but I think Taranto was just pointing out that even on his own terms Precious was falling on his face.

No adult really appreciates what they get without working for it, and receiving handouts inevitably diminishes dignity and self-respect. (The only exception is that my wife seems to appreciate getting jewelry and other such gifts from me, but I would argue she works hard for that in putting up with me.)

[Beasts of England]

I read some comments at one of the lefty sites about the train wreck. Other than some very predictable whining about Reps and infrastructure spending, there were two comments that really stood out.

One said it was ridiculous that the speed limit for the train was only 50 mph, and that they go faster in Europe and should go faster here. This enlightened lefty couldn't even consider that the speed limit was for a limited area or a curve or anything else. America sucks because our trains don't go fast!

In the other notable comment, the writer was incensed that there was not some kind of device on the train that would have slowed it down. I guess this person didn't consider that there was: the engineer.

But don't worry, though! The right is anti-science and everybody knows that facts and reality skew liberal!

[Threadkiller]

Did Stephanopoulos mean Muslim Faith instead of Clinton Faith?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--One said it was ridiculous that the speed limit for the train was only 50 mph, and that they go faster in Europe and should go faster here.--

Presumably this lefty also endorses speed limit free autobahns interstates.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Beware of Greeks blurring gifts.

[narciso]

Does he mean like in Spain, where they had a similar accident two years ago,

[narciso]

was this the one:

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2015/5/13/133614/321/blogrelated/Wednesday-Open-Thread

[MarkO]

For years I have wondered out loud why the GOP would ever permit Stephanopoulos to moderate a debate or interview a candidate.

In 2012 he began the contraception attack with a question seemingly out of the blue. It was not. The Communists had plants. He's simply a Dem plant at ABC.

Someone today asked how stupid the GOP is to continue to involve him. I think the answer is "too stupid to win an election."

[Beasts of England]

I think so, narciso - thanks!

[jimmyk]

The only picture I saw of the speedy Amtrak engineer made him appear about as fruitcakey as the suicidal AirBus pilot.

To me he looks like a hipster doofus who ought to be working at Starbucks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3080416/Amtrak-train-engineer-REFUSES-investigators-statement-deadly-crash.html

"Suicide by train" doesn't seem very efficacious, unless he could have managed to derail going over a high bridge. He did apparently give a blood sample and turned over his cell phone, so we'll see if he was on something or distracted. He's not exactly taking responsibility, as he's claiming not to remember anything.

[NKonChrome]

Ig-- personally I've never heard of any issue with HS aged kids. That's a shame the kid made a huge mistake like that.

Hit-- you got me, absolutely nothing to critique in that generality.

BTW-- what was the final report on that Spanish train crash?

[Rick Ballard]

Pagar's AT link to Chicago Muni Fraud needs to be read in conjunction with this Bloomberg piece on Moody's junking Chicago.

It's truly shocking that Red Witch has not proposed rule changes at the SEC to deal with muni fraud. It's almost as if she agrees with Chicago's decision to exclude Moody's from rating Chicago debt in order to continue the fraud.

[MarkO]

Earlier today I heard Ed Rendell say that the train should not have left the tracks even at 100 mph. One can ignore a great many laws, but not the laws of physics.

[jimmyk]

I guess this person didn't consider that there was: the engineer.

You expect a lib to have personal responsibility anywhere on his radar screen?

[Porchlight]

From the last thread, It was reported that the drug tests on the engineer came back negative. I assume he will declare he fell asleep.

Thanks Jane. My prediction was wrong. I hope for the engineer's sake he has a good excuse, but I don't know that there is one.

[narciso]

excessive speed on the part of the conductor, the CNN piece says the train was a Siemens model delivered last year,

[jimmyk]

And now this (if Twitter is to be trusted):

BREAKING: Dispatchers say #Amtrak service from DC to Baltimore now shut down after pedestrian killed by train at 9th & NY NE. @wusa9

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Earlier today I heard Ed Rendell say that the train should not have left the tracks even at 100 mph. One can ignore a great many laws, but not the laws of physics.--

If God won't act Barry should issue an EO.

[jimmyk]

It was reported that the drug tests on the engineer came back negative.

I missed that, but that seems suspiciously quick. I thought a complete tox screen took days, if not weeks.

[MarkO]

I know. I know. Don't feed the beast, but like so many others, I can't help myself. [
And, I so thoroughly denounce and renounce myself]

http://wellsreportcontext.com/

[NKonChrome]

They do tie themselves in knots sometimes. McShane and the Trustees seem to have endorsed the following orders defense rejected in Nuremberg. I would petition the Trustees to revoke Brennan's 2012 honorary degree, for very different reasons: http://www.fordhamobserver.com/board-of-trustees-reject-petition-to-revoke-brennans-honorary-degree/

[narciso]

even spectre wasn't this obvious:

http://twitchy.com/2015/05/13/philadelphia-mayor-michael-nutters-wardrobe-choice-subtle-but-not-overlooked/

[narciso]

jimmy, have you found out any more about your cousin,

[Threadkiller]

To me he looks like a hipster doofus who ought to be working at Starbucks.

Frutcakey doesn't cover that group?

"Suicide by train" doesn't seem very efficacious

You go to war with the tools you have.

Until my other theory that the train's controls were hacked by ISIS pans out, I run with this one.

[Extraneus]

He's simply a Dem plant at ABC.

Captain Ed expects ABC News, who knowingly and gladly hired a plant - an actual Greek plant - to take strong measures against him in defense of their "credibility."

[Threadkiller]

From the link:

No one told Mr. McNally that he could not then proceed to the field with the footballs.

Now that is some good context.

[Neo]

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has said that she believes the Redskins need to change their name. But she also continues to use the word “Redskins” in interviews, as last week, when she told WMAL “there’s only one place for the Washington Redskins, and that’s at RFK.”

During yet another discussion about a potential stadium during a press conference last week — the topic was raised by reporters, not by the mayor — Bowser was asked about this issue. The dialogue:

Reporter: Why do you think the name should be changed?

Bowser: It’s offensive to many people.

Reporter: Then why do you continue to use it?

Bowser: I don’t.

Reporter: You just did

Bowser: I may have slipped and used it.

[Thomas Collins]

Simple solution to the DC football (deflated, inflated or just the right psi)
controversy: Keep the name and change the logo.

http://i.imgur.com/NMHyAjq.jpg

[narciso]

the reason I think they waste our time, with the Squirrel!! re infrastructure, and other factoids, is because they aren't very smart, @marko, otherwise they would actually tell us something more about the accident,

[Neo]

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) -- In a distinctly different note for a military alliance meeting, European officials ended a NATO meeting with a spirited rendition of "We Are The World."

I wonder who did Bruce Springsteen's part

[Jeff Dobbs]

You know, I hate twitter. Not because twitter itself is bad. But because everyone who tweets basically ignores email as a means of communication.

David French wrote a post at the corner titled Why Does ‘Organized Religion’ Get a Bad Rap? Because the Elite Lies About It that dovetails very very nicely with my post. It even includes Robert Putnam, who was the center of the Poverty event at Georgetown.

It really is a great post - go read it.

Thing is - I'd like to just email him a note about my post. His use of Putnam is great - but the point that Obama is smack dab in the middle of this very lie, I think would be interesting to him.

But there is no email for him to be found. At least not without me going all NSA on him or something.

I miss the days when places like NRO would put an "Email the Author" link by posts and articles, or include one on their bio page.

I'm just not going to tweet him. Oh well.

[NKonChrome]

NATO makes the Maginot line look like the Gates of Vienna.

[Jeff Dobbs]

MarkO:
And, I so thoroughly denounce and renounce myself

This one, this one is accepted.

[NKonChrome]

I have similar 'Tweet' frustrations.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

- Reporter: Why do you think the name should be changed?

Bowser: It’s offensive to many people.

Reporter: Then why do you continue to use it?

Bowser: I don’t.

Reporter: You just did

Bowser: I may have slipped and used it.--

Reads like a skit from the old Sha Na Na show.

[Extraneus]

What If Michelle Obama Challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination?

In a hypothetical matchup with Hillary Clinton, the putative Democratic presidential nominee in 2016, Obama earns 44% support from black voters to Clinton’s 36%.

[Jeff Dobbs]

TC:
Keep the name and change the logo.

http://i.imgur.com/NMHyAjq.jpg

Wait. That's my logo. I made that logo. I had no idea it made it to imgur.

I built that, I made that happen. But not alone - it was first suggested by Jim Rhoads on that thread.

[narciso]

I called the Bridge a savage tree murder, and I would rate with Procopius's slavish hagiography of Justinian,

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/418380/michelle-obamas-lifetime-microaggressions-rich-lowry

[Extraneus]

That was Rasmussen, btw, who did that poll...