The unhappy Barney Frank tries to pretend he never advocated what he once did advocate. His hypocrisy is so obvious that a college student could expose it, albeit a very smart and resourceful college student:

And now this long-time apologist for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac wants to abolish the government-sponsored enterprises. Wonder if he’s seen some polls suggesting that he’s not a lock for reelection.

Does he really think he can get away with this?  Well, given that only bloggers and a few in the media dare question His Sagaciousness, Baney assumes he can get away with saying he never said what he once regularly said.  He’s just used to getting a free pass from the MSM.

Remember, back when people though Hope and Change was more than a gimmick, it was common wisdom that our problems in the Muslim world had nothing to do with the antipathy of Islamist extremists and everything to do with the supposedly bellicose anti-Muslim rhetoric of George W. Bush?

Well, looks like we didn’t need a new kind of politician to set things right with the Muslim world.  We didn’t need press any “reset” buttons.  You see, some liberal pundits are not admitting, that George W. Bush is the real go-to guy to get this mosque project off the ground.

Byron York reports:

There’s a new argument emerging among supporters of the Ground Zero mosque. Distressed by President Obama’s waffling on the issue, they’re calling on former President George W. Bush to announce his support for the project, because in this case Bush understands better than Obama the connection between the war on terror and the larger question of America’s relationship with Islam. It’s an extraordinary change of position for commentators who long argued that Bush had done grievous harm to America’s image in the Muslim world and that Obama represented a fresh start for the United States. Nevertheless, they are now seeing a different side of the former president.

Among those clamoring for W’s words are the New York Times‘ Maureen Dowd, Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson and Peter Beinart, a former editor of the New Republic.

Delighting in “one of the delicious ironies of this situation” Ed Morrissey observes that “Obama has done nothing but attack and demonize Bush for the last nineteen months, mainly to distract attention from Obama’s own failures on the economy.”

Reading about all the supposedly really smart people are looking down at all us hoi polloi (defining hoi polloi even those like Charles Krauthammer with similar intellectual pedigrees and residence in or near coastal big cities and university towns) who have questions about the “Ground Zero Mosque,” I started seeing a pattern in their criticism of those putting forward conservative ideas or opinions at odds with their world view.

They who sneer how simplistic rubes right-wingers are offer a remarkably simplistic analyses about the motivations for our actions, that our political opinions are rooted in animosity against minorities.

If we oppose the mosque, it’s because we’re anti-Muslim.  If we oppose Obama’s policies, we’re racist.  If we disagree with courts overturning the will of the people to mandate state recognition of same-sex marriage, we’re anti-gay (or self-hating if we are gay).  If we support tough laws cracking down on illegal immigrants, we’re anti-Hispanic and xenophobic to boot.

You get the picture.

This lady don’t mince her words.  :-)

Conservative pundit Ann Coulter responded today to the announcement that WorldNetDaily was dropping her as a speaker for one of their events, calling WorldNetDaily Editor Joseph Farah a “publicity whore” and a “swine.”. . . .

WND posted an email exchange between Coulter and Farah in their public announcement that she would be removed from the list of speakers. Coulter expressed anger that he quoted her from their private emails on the issue.

My, my, this guy is a real piece of work, first, he peddles the birther nonsense, then he throws a hissy fit because Coulter would speak to an audience of gay conservatives, then he publishes private e-mails.

In her e-mail to the Dally Caller, Coulter reminds them that her “fellow evangelicals — and I know lots and lots of ‘em — – all think it’s great that I’m doing this. (of course, they know I’m not changing my mind on gay marriage even though I like gays.)”

I’m presuming the Caller had her permission to post this missive that she acknowledged she wrote in a rush.  And she has evangelicals who think it’s great she’s speaking to gay conservatives!?!?  That really does upset the narrative now, doesn’t it?

And note how she says it’s possible to like gay people and oppose gay marriage.  Upsetting another narrative.

UPDATE:  Just received this note from Chris Moody at the Daily Caller, “Ms. Coulter did give us permission to use the email.”

And I thought Republicans welcomed such comments — or so our critics tell us.

“A Republican Party official on Tuesday criticized anti-gay comments made by a Republican who is running for the Iowa House“:

Candidate Jeremy Walters of Des Moines wrote on his Facebook page that the Bible says gays should be killed, and that he believes AIDS was designed by God to kill them. . . .

Tuesday, Matt Strawn, the party’s chairman, said in a statement: “Mr. Walters’ comments are inappropriate and in no way represent the beliefs of the Republican Party of Iowa. HIV/AIDS does not discriminate, and our hearts and prayers go out to any Iowa family facing this disease.”

If I lived in Nevada and were polled today on the state’s marquee U.S. Senate race, I would probably indicate that I was undecided, leaning toward voting for “None of the These Candidates,” an option the Silver State allows.  Yet, much as I dislike Sharron Angle’s stand on a variety of gay issues, I realize that she is the only candidate who has a serious chance of removing Harry Reid from the United States Senate.

And this politician has spent his years as Democratic Leader, obstructing the Republican agenda when in the minority and pushing Obama’s big-government agenda when in the majority.  No wonder Rasmussen polls this race as a tie, but when they include leaners, Angle edges ahead.  People just don’t like Harry.  For all the money he’s poured into the race, he can barely muster a narrow lead (in the best polls) while holding only one-third of independent voters.

Indeed, “If Sharron Angle truly is as cuckoo as Harry Reid says she is,” Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston writes, “and as her own words occasionally indicate, why isn’t the Senate majority leader, arguably the most powerful Nevadan in history, running away from her in the polls?”

But here’s the rub: People hate Reid. I tell my daughter never to use that verb, but it’s the only word for it. It seethes, blinds, sputters.

I am asked all the time for the provenance of such animus. I still believe it is a combination: Anger at the Obama-Reid-Pelosi agenda that folks blame for their economic lot, Reid’s four decades in politics, his general mien and, of course, his intemperate remarks (war is lost, taxes are voluntary, tourists smell). (more…)

While the folks at HRC can’t contain their outrage that the company (with an excellent record of treating gay employees fairly) won’t kowtow to their demands, the folks at Target are having a little fun with the left-of-center gay group.  Just yesterday, I received this report from a reader:

I am starting college next week and decided to apply for a job at Target. So I log on to their web site and saw that they have a banner up touting their perfect score from the HRC as one of the best places to work. After hearing about the greivences the HRC has with Target, I knew this bragging wasn’t incidental. It seems to me that they are using the HRC’s own words to show what a ridiculous issue they are creating. I think its hilarious, and I applaud Target for using the HRC to fight back against the HRC.

Ditto that.

Here’s the screenshot of the banner:

Guess their just reminding people that HRC’s recent grandstanding notwithstanding, the organization has honored them for treating their gay employees with dignity.  One more reason to shop at Target.

In his column today, asking, if it’s bigoted to criticize religion, David Harsanyi finds an interesting double standard in the media coverage of protests against religious institutions.  Note all the self-important pundits stomping their feet and thumping their chests about the bigotry of those protesting the Ground Zero Mosque.  Where were they when some disgruntled citizens protested another religious institution?

In 2008, thousands of gay-rights activists protested the Mormon temple in Westwood, Calif., for its role in passing Proposition 8 — the ban on same-sex marriage. This grew into a national protest to undermine the influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — even though not every Mormon was involved.

I don’t recall anti-Mormon protesters being referred to as bigots for targeting religion; it appeared to be just the opposite, in fact. And if I am offended by aspects of Mormon theology, why not voice those concerns? Put it this way: If Mormons proposed the erection of a 13-story community center in West Hollywood or the West Village, I would be happy to join the outcry of protest.

Read the whole thing.

Guess the folks at WorldNetDaily were so pleased with the success of the American Family Association’s (AFA) boycott of Home Depot that they decided to engage in a little temper tantrum of their own. They dropped Ann Coulter as a speaker for their “‘Taking America Back National Conference’ next month because of her plan to address an event titled ‘HOMOCON’ sponsored by the homosexual (sic) Republican group GOProud that promotes same-sex marriage and military service for open homosexuals (sic).”

This shows that we still have our work cut out for us on the right.  While openly gay conservatives have, by and large, found welcome on the right, exceptions do remains.

Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, contends GOProud has a very “‘unconservative’ agenda”.  Huh?  Guess, he doesn’t like small government and individual freedom.

In reply, Coulter stood firm:

That’s silly, I speak to a lot of groups and do not endorse them. I speak at Harvard and I certainly don’t endorse their views. I’ve spoken to Democratic groups and liberal Republican groups that loooove abortion. The main thing I do is speak on college campuses, which is about the equivalent of speaking at an al-Qaida conference. I’m sure I agree with GOProud more than I do with at least half of my college audiences. But in any event, giving a speech is not an endorsement of every position held by the people I’m speaking to. I was going to speak for you guys, I think you’re nuts on the birther thing (though I like you otherwise!).

Good for her, meanwhile Farrah continues in a rant reminiscent of some things I’ve seen in the comment threads to this blog (only twisted to fit his partisan perspective), “GOProud is about infiltration of the conservativemovement and dividing it from within with twisted and dangerous ideas way out of the mainstream of American public opinion.”

Twisted and dangerous ideas?  Guess he must have a problem with that freedom thing.

The First Amendment to the Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The House Speaker has “called for an investigation of those who are protesting the building of the Ground Zero Mosque on Tuesday“:

There is no question there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some. And I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded,” she said. “How is this being ginned up that here we are talking about Treasure Island, something we’ve been working on for decades, something of great interest to our community as we go forward to an election about the future of our country and two of the first three questions are about a zoning issue in New York City.

Now, an investigation of a political protest movement may pass constitutional muster, but it certainly smacks of authoritarianism.  An investigation does not mean she favors abridging freedom or speech or curtailing “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” which is what opponents of the “Ground Zero Mosque” have been doing.  But, she sure doesn’t seem comfortable with it.

Why, may I ask, does she need to know how this is being “ginned up”?  Why can’t she just take issue with their arguments without casting aspersions at their motives?

Wonder if she also wants to investigate her Senate counterpart, Harry Reid who thinks the mosque should be built elsewhere?  Guess she’ll also be calling for an investigation of Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, director of Al-Arabiya TV who wrote  that the “last thing Muslims want today is to build just a religious center out of defiance to the others, or a symbolic mosque that people visit as a museum next to a cemetery.” (more…)

Last week in a piece for the Advocate, Drew Sweetwater wrote:

In California from 1999 to 2003, Democrats controlled the state legislature, and there was a Democratic governor, Gray Davis. During this time marriage equality (sic) legislation was not made law and upheld in California.

To the present time, many gay rights activists are comfortable dumping millions of dollars into the campaign war chests of Democrats running for office — Equality California, the Human Rights Campaign, and other so-called nonpartisan gay organizations — and they have nothing to show for it. Talk about a bad, fraudulent investment.

He notes a well that at the national level, neither the 110th nor the 111th Congress, both controlled by Democrats, have moved forward on repeal of DOMA.

But, Calfornia is a special case.  The leading gay advocacy group, “Equality California,” while, little more than a (gay) front group for the California Democratic Party has great sway in a state capital dominated by Democrats.  And they wear their partisanship on their sleeve.  Stroll down the street in the city where Drew and I live and you’ll see their storefront headquarters decorated with Boxer and (Jerry) Brown signs.

They’ve long had influence in Sacramento, but never use that influence to put forward innovative solutions to address their concerns.  Instead, they constantly lobby for measure upon measure, assuming that whatever they want, they can get through the legislature.

Well, that’s not always the case.  In the wake of the passage of Prop 22 in 2000, a measure which codified the traditional definition of marriage as one man and one woman into state law, they stomped their feet and gnashed their teeth and hoped and prayed some nice, kind judge would spare them the hard work of making the case for state recognition of same-sex marriage. (more…)

In a must-read post on big government has forgotten how to build big projects, the like of which it helped put up during World War II, Michael Barone laments that

Big government has become a big, waddling, sluggish beast, ever ready to boss you around, but not able to perform useful functions at anything but a plodding pace. It needs to be slimmed down and streamlined, so it can get useful things done fast.

Pretty much sums it up.  It wants to tell us what to do while it can’t do much of anything well or efficiently.

In yesterday’s Political Diary (available by subscription), John Fund reported:

“When it comes to Congress, the voters are tough graders,” concludes Democratic pollster Mark Penn in a new survey for Politico.com. “Almost no Americans give this Congress an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ despite the passage of landmark legislation.”

Um, Mark, is the wont of one of our readers, let me fix that for you:  ”Almost no Americans give this Congress an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ because of the passage of landmark legislation.”

According to the AP, one reason stocks rallied today was earning reports “from Home Depot Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that were better than expected.”  Better than expected earnings from Home Depot?

Wait, but wasn’t the American Family Association (AFA) trying to boycott the company?  Doesn’t look like that’s working out very well.  Almost as successful as their boycott of Disney.

Guess theirs was a “Doomed Enterprise” after all.

From Instapundit, “RAY BRADBURY HATES BIG GOVERNMENT: ‘Our Country Is In Need Of A Revolution.‘”

Linked on Instapundit, Big Brother From The Ground Up?

In the past few days, John Hawkins of Right Wing News (where I occasionally cross post) was generating a bit of blogosphere buzz.  In a post where he makes an error about Log Cabin (contending they “endorsed John Kerry in 2004” when, in reality, they just acted like they did), he announced that his conservative blog will be

. . . the first sponsor of Homocon. We’re going to be supporting the event, promoting it, and encouraging Republicans in New York to attend. Thanks to GOProud for giving us the opportunity and thanks to Ann Coulter for creating what’s sure to be a memorable event that people will want to attend.

While John wins kudos from gay conservatives, he was also taking some flak from other conservative bloggers for a column he ran, listing the 25 worst Americans of all time.   This was based on a poll he conducted of right-of-center bloggers.  As one such blogger, I regularly receive his e-mails asking me to participate in such surveys.  And not comfortable with the question he asked in that particular poll (for a great variety of reasons), I chose not to respond to it — and not elected not to participate in that poll.

That said, I have participated in other such surveys John has run — and expect to do so again.  He invited me, an openly gay man, to blog on his site and to participate in his polls, always identifying our blog when I do so, thus including a web-site with gay in its name on a list of conservative bloggers. (more…)

Back from TLG’s and my summer tour of the US! We went all around the US…mostly tracing along the perimeter. We slept in more Wal Mart parking lots than I care to count, saw more national parks than I can remember and met people from all over.

I have to say, despite the problems our nation faces and the strifes and pressures, both from within and without, people are just mostly good.

It was hard to keep my ear to the ground on what was going on politically. TLG banned me from listening to Rush as we drove and so I didn’t allow that much NPR in retaliation but there were SOME stories one just couldn’t miss.

I’m also trying to earn enough money to go to CPAC this next year! I’m working on some new designs and am open to your ideas, suggestions and commissions. You can contact me at
sarjex (at) gmail dot com

So, yesterday, Obama was hobnobbing with the Hollywood elite, hauling in gobs of dough for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Angelenos suffered as the city closed streets to accommodate the Democrat:

“I was an Obama supporter, but … was stopped by police from crossing Olympic to get home … during my daily dog walk,” Amy Christine said on the website. “I’ve lost all belief in his judgment. Can he really think he’s more important than the tens of thousands of people trying to get home to their families?”

Emphasis added.  There’s so much to the emphasized line — almost as if it is a defining statement of the Obama era.

“The massive traffic jam that resulted from President Obama’s motorcade and speech Monday night in Hancock Park is prompting calls for an investigation from some residents, who say they were caught in traffic for hours.”  Kind of a symbol for the divide in American politics today between the governing class and their allies among the superrich and the American people.

While people in positions of power (particularly political power) support the president, those who toil in the private sector (or wish they did), increasingly oppose his agenda.

——

*Caused by his presence.

UPDATE: Glenn has a good roundup on Obama’s assistance in aggravating LA traffic.

With the GOP enjoying the “largest margin they’ve ever enjoyed in the generic-ballot question“, it would seem to be glory days for the Republican Party.

But, let me, ever the optimist, to add a dose of necessary caution.  We may be pulling ahead of the Democrats and enjoying support (at least on the generic ballot) that exceeds leads we enjoyed in 1994, but people aren’t so much warming to the GOP as they are choosing the only real alternative to an increasingly unpopular party in power (it’s why despite her flaws and gaffes, Angle will likely pull it out in Nevada).

Just like 2006, people aren’t looking to vote for the party out of power, but against the party in power.

As Allahpundit puts it:

In fact, in many polls, the Republican Party’s favorables are still lower than the Democrats’. And even so: Biggest generic ballot lead … in history. That’s how popular Hopenchange is.

The flip side of that calculus, of course: Imagine what the lead would be like if people liked the GOP.

That’s why the GOP needs to come up with a plan akin to 1994′s Contract with America.  Sure, it’ll give the Democrats a target.  But, it will also give Republicans a chance to run on something.  They need to show they’re not the big-spending party of the Bush years — and that they’ve learned the lessons of ’06 and ’08.

In his latest email, the head of the gay affiliate of the California Democratic Party “Equality California” tells us about “the U. S. Constitution’s promise of equality for all”.  Funny, I’ve read the U.S. Constitution more times than I can count and have never found that promise*.  The framers did indicate that the charter’s purpose includes securing “the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”.

Save for the Fourteenth Amendment when the word, “equal,” appears, it only refers to legislative voting.  And that Amendment specifies that “No State shall make or enforce any law” which denies “to any person within its jurisdiction.” Not sure how you get from that to a “promise of equality.”

Sorry, Geoff, you can’t read your ideological watchword into the constitution.  It just ain’t there.

Better to focus on liberty.  (More on that anon, I hope.)

*UPDATE:  maybe it’s buried in the various emanations of its penumbrae.