I have a boss (whom I like very much personally - and I'm not just saying that to score points, since he doesn't read my blog) - who is for all intents and purposes, a bleeding heart liberal. Oh, he is loathe to accept the "bleeding-heart" mantra, but as a child of the 60's anti-Vietnam, hippy era, he takes tremendous pride in his liberalism. Because of his expressive political views, he and I often find ourselves in deep debate. Of course, since he is the one who signs my paycheck, I never allow my disgust of his convictions get in the way of my tolerant respect.

Today, we were talking about the defection of Senator Arlen Spector to the Democratic party. As usual, he seemed to gloat over the move and even went so far to compare how Democrats reacted to how Republicans reacted by quoting the always tolerant (not) Howard Dean. Of course, if I mention that someone on the right who is as non-partisan as Dean - someone like Newt Gingrich or Rush Limbaugh - he immediately goes into full attack mode and refuses to acknowledge that have even one brain cell in my head.

And that's the problem I have with today's left. It isn't really a new problem and most of my conservative friends feel exactly the same way. It takes a certain amount of arrogance to be so sure that you are right 100% of the time and anyone who disagrees with you is not just wrong, but stupid.

As the conversation went from bad to comically worse, he decided to offer his belief - and remember, as a hard-left liberal, his belief is equal to the word of G-d - as to what is wrong with the Republican party. Namely, that it is being hijacked by the conservative right!

That's right. In his view, the way for the Republicans survive is to become more liberal. He uses this past Presidential election to prove his point. According to him, the reason Obama won so handily was because America wants a liberal President.

Well, I see it differently.

To me the problem with the Republican party is that for too long, they have tried to out-Democrat the Democrats. While I hold President Bush is high regard, he was not a conservative - at least not in his policies.

The last time a true conservative, someone who espoused true conservative ideals - small government, strong military, secure borders and fiscal responsibility - was Ronald Reagan. At what happened when he ran? He won with a landslide - twice.

So this year, the Republicans offered John McCain - the only Republican to the left of Arlen Spector! What was the result?

Republicans needs to stop worrying what Democrats think of them and start expressing not why liberalism is a bad thing, but why conservatism is a good thing. They need to stand for something other than being the opposition. That's what the Democrats did for the past 30 years and it got them nowhere.

Conservatism is not and never was a dirty word. Although the mainstream media tries to portray it as such, most Americans still watch FOX News over the rest and middle America (away from the big cities) still values conservative ideals. But it is up to those Republicans who are not ashamed of their party. It's up to those Republicans who - when they say they value fiscal responsibly, or they say they want secure borders, or if they say they want a stronger defense - they mean it with words AND deeds.

The Republican party must be different from the Democratic party for them to survive. The only way a two-party system works is by offering choice of ideals. Until the Republicans stop trusting others to know what's best for them (for instance - allowing the New York Times, The New York Times, for G-d's sake, to dictate and push for John McCain to be the nominee) and start believing in their convictions again, it will be a very long exile.

But if they can take the cue from the tea-parties and somehow learn to express these beliefs coherently, then they can rebuild. It isn't too late. While 2010 is just a year away, the mistakes this administration is making and the arrogance Pelosi's "most ethical congress" (cough, cough) is showing is turning off many of the moderates that Obama convinced was a "different kind of politician." These moderates will turn their backs on the socialization of this country as long as they have a coherent choice.

My boss may never agree with me and I may never agree with him. I look forward to the time we can debate these issues honestly and openly. As long as Pelosi and company have a filibuster-proof majority, there is no reason to think that this debate can happen. It's now up to the Republicans to show the way.

I hope they are up to the task.

From Say Anything:

You gotta love Nancy Pelosi:

Sen. Arlen Specter’s decision to switch parties will make it easier for Democrats to move forward with their agenda, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday.

Specter’s switch will give Democrats 60 caucus members in the Senate (assuming Al Franken wins his legal battle in Minnesota). That is enough votes to end debate on a bill and overcome Republican filibusters.

“Very exciting, very exciting for the American people, because now we can get things done without explaining process,” Pelosi told CNN’s Candy Crowley.

Yes, Nancy, that whole “democracy” and “debate” business can get very tedious.

I have nothing to say that could possibly add to this except this...

How long until 2010???

Excellent point from James Taranto at the Wall Street Journal:

Eleven Americans, ranging in age from 9 to 50, have come down with swine flu, the Associated Press reports: "All those people either recovered or are recovering; at least two were hospitalized."

In Mexico, however, the toll has been much worse. "About 70 deaths out of roughly 1,000 cases represents a fatality rate of about 7 percent," the AP notes. This is far higher than the 2.5% fatality rate from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19, although the latter was many orders of magnitude more widespread, killing 40 million people world-wide.

"The Mexican rate sounds terrifying," the AP writes. "But it's possible that far more than 1,000 people have been infected with the virus and that many had few if any symptoms." Which is somewhat, though not entirely, reassuring.

The AP dispatch is titled "Swine Flu Worse in Mexico Than US, but Why?" There's no definitive answer, but here's one of the possibilities:

Access to medical care has been an issue in Asia, where a rare bird flu--which does not spread easily from person-to-person--has killed more than 200 over the last several years. Maybe Mexican patients have also had trouble getting medical care or antiviral drugs, some have speculated--even though the government provides health care.

Wouldn't this paragraph make more sense if it ended ". . . because the government provides health care"?

This idea idea of socialized medicine (or National Health care) is very troubling for this country. Our health care industry may not be perfect, but its success in defeating disease and treating people with the most advanced equipment is second to none. It may be expensive, but no one is turned away from emergency care. There is no outrageous waiting period for treatment that in many other "socialized" countries could extend to a year or more for a simple MRI and the emphasis on care is still in the physician's hands, and not instead in a Washington bureaucrats.

I've already written about how the Obama/Daschle plan would effect me, but I think it's prudent to repeat. I have been diagnosed with what is called "end-stage renal failure." Now, to my personal credit, my lab results over the past few months have shown a remarkable turnaround - so much so that I may lose that label (which is a very rare occurrence).

However, should I being once again to decline in my kidney function, I will need to go on dialysis until such time that I can get a new kidney.

According to the Obama/Daschle plan, the decision to receive a new kidney will not be up to my physicians, or even to UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing). Instead, it will be decided by a pencil pusher in D.C. who will determine if my life is worth the expense. The reason is because it will not be my insurance company who will provide the money, but EVERYONE in this country will have to pay a share.

Therefore, the bureaucrat in Washington will act as judge, jury and executioner. So what do you think will happen in my case? Do you really think they will allow me to receive a new kidney? Seriously, after having a stroke and a heart transplant, it's more than likely that I will be told my "life" is not worth the additional expense to the taxpayer.

On top of that, the Obama/Daschle plan will completely phase out private insurance and will kill off the private insurance industry.

Whoever saw the movie "Logan's Run" and thought that was simply fantasy should begin to reconsider. Obama is making it harder to stay alive while he makes it easier to abort children. This is not the direction a nation that wishes to endure should be traveling. You may say that I am exaggerating, but aside from saying "because", what valid argument could you possibly make to dispute this?

In other words, for all the "stop the smears" campaigns and all the "hope and change" rhetoric, what exactly has Obama done in his 100 days in office that has made America and better or safer? Maybe that isn't a fair question because he's only been in office for 100 days. However, on the other side of the coin, I can clearly see many different things he has done to weaken America and make it far less safe.

This President, I'm sorry to say, is a complete failure and come 2010, his party must be defeated so thoroughly that they have no hope at regaining power in our generation.

From the brilliance that is Doug Ross:

The Secret War

The Democrats' War on Poverty is nearly 50 years old, yet we're told there's too much poverty despite trillions of dollars in wealth transferred in the form of welfare.

The Democrats have run the education system for nearly 100 years -- with monopolies like the NEA and the AFT teacher's unions, yet we consistently hear that education is broken and that schools need more money.

Democrats were responsible for securing the southern border since the era of LBJ and have intentionally failed; this has led to the presence of as many as 20 million illegal aliens in the country thanks to Johnson's policies including "chain migration".

Democrats were responsible for implementing Medicare and Medicaid, which along with Social Security, are in ruins with approximately $55 trillion in debt. That's nearly a half million dollars for every household in America.

I could go down a long list of things the government said it would do, but hasn't done. Because the Statist Democrats are liars.

And now the Statist Democrats are launching the most massive attack on the American people in the history of government.

They promise health care for everyone, but they will not -- and they can't possibly -- deliver it.

While our health care system is certainly imperfect -- because all humans are imperfect, including doctors, nurses, hospitals and insurance companies -- they are more perfect, more competent, more informed, more capable than all of the bureaucrats to whom they'll be forced to report: a bureaucracy that will make all decisions about your health care.

And it is easy to confirm the havoc that socialized medicine will wreak on American society. All you need to do is to look at how they're trying to ram home socialized medicine: they're doing it as fast as possible with as little debate as possible, using a loophole to slip it through without amendments or consideration.

Democrats claim it will be more cost-effective and efficient. That's bulls***. The man who's had the least experience at running anything is going to unleash the most massive federal leviathan in history.

This has been the dream of the Statist Democrats since FDR: to force each and every one of you, whether you like it or not, into a strait-jacket form of health care. It controls you; the actual being, the person.

Nameless, faceless bureaucrats substituting their decisions for those of your doctor.

Deciding whether you will have an operation or not. Whether you will have an MRI or not. Whether you will receive a life-saving, life-extending drug or not.

And we know this, because this is what occurs in Canada and Britain and other centralized bureaucracies, where you simply can not have access to advanced health care, period.

Where will the new drugs come from, since we produce half of them? Where will the new medical technologies come from, since we invent roughly three-fourths of them?

Who will run the hospitals and what will they look like when the government unions run them?

Who will be responsive in a massive federal bureaucracy, where no one takes responsibility for anything, and yet they're all-powerful decision-makers for your family's well-being?

Where will Barack Obama be in ten years, when the rest of us are struggling with a massive, out-of-control, federalized medical system that doesn't give a damn about individuals and is busy rationing?

He will be retired as a very young man; a very wealthy young man, who will have imposed his Marxist ideology upon this society and then walked away from it.

The politicians don't last. But their policies live forever.

And in every successive election cycle, the Statist Democrats will use the health care system to bludgeon their opponents. They will use health care as a weapon, rewarding you by offering more benefits for your votes and punishing you with less benefits if you dare to vote against them.

So much power for a faceless set of bureaucrats who can't possibly have the best interests of your family in mind. And yet they're going to take those decisions away from you and your doctor. And they've been lying every day to justify what they're doing.

They've been lying about the number of people without health care. They've been lying about whether the public is satisfied with health care. They've been lying about every aspect of health care.

They unleashed the slip-and-fall lawyers on the medical system, causing untold higher costs for medical practitioners. They've attacked the health care system relentlessly, driving up costs just like they've attacked the energy industry and the automakers.

And even when they have complete monopolistic control of a system, like the educational system in America, they want more control. It's never enough. They want more money, more regulations. More. They need to "invest". They need to raise taxes. They need to repress. They need to compel.

Because the Statist cannot make the imperfect perfect, even though he says he can. The Statist is more imperfect than anyone else.

I ask you to consider something: what kind of persons can Obama and the Democrat leadership be, to think they can do these things when history tells them they can not?

What kind of a mind refuses to look at the evidence? What kind of person would refuse to look at Britain and Canada? Or engage in arm-twisting secretly, behind the scenes? And use brownshirts like ACORN and the SEIU to intimidate organizations and legislators alike?

They're going to rush socialized medicine through the system, without any debate or transparency... and it's going to be a complete disaster on multiple levels.

Call the so-called conservative Blue Dog Democrats now. Make your voice heard. Help us stop this rush to disaster.

Based upon: Mark Levin 4/24/09.

From the fine folks at the New York Post:

100 Days, 100 Mistakes
Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and others on Obama's short, error-prone time in office.

1. "Obama criticized pork barrel spending in the form of 'earmarks,' urging changes in the way that Congress adopts the spending proposals. Then he signed a spending bill that contains nearly 9,000 of them, some that members of his own staff shoved in last year when they were still members of Congress. 'Let there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability,' Obama said." -- McClatchy, 3/11

2. "There is no doubt that we've been living beyond our means and we're going to have to make some adjustments." -- Obama during the campaign.

3. This year's budget deficit: $1.5 trillion.

4. Asks his Cabinet to cut costs in their departments by $100 million -- a whopping .0027%!

5. "The White House says the president is unaware of the tea parties." -- ABC News, 4/15

6. "Mr. Obama is an accomplished orator but is becoming known in America as the 'teleprompt president' over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech." -- Sky News, 3/18

7. In early February, the 2010 census was moved out of the Department of Commerce and into the White House, politicizing how federal aid is distributed and electoral districts are drawn.

8. Obama taps Nancy Killefer for a new administration job, First Chief Performance Officer -- to police government spending. But it surfaces that Killefer had performance issues of her own -- a tax lien was slapped on her DC home in 2005 for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help. She withdrew.

9. Turkey tried to block the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as new NATO secretary general because he didn't properly punish the Danish cartoonist who caricatured Mohammed. France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel were outraged; Obama said he supported Turkey's induction into the European Union.

10. . . . and he never mentioned the Armenian genocide.

11. The picture of Obama and Hugo Chavez shaking hands.

12. Hugo Chavez gave him the anti-American screed "The Open Veins of Latin America." Obama didn't remark upon it. At least it wasn't DVDs.

13. Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega went on a 50-minute anti-American rant, calling Obama "president of an empire." Obama didn't leave the room. "I thought it was 50 minutes long. That's what I thought," he said.

14. Executives at AIG get $165 million in bonuses, despite receiving an $173 billion taxpayer bailout.

15. "For months, the Obama administration and members of Congress have known that insurance giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off government bailouts. It wasn't until the money was flowing and news was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in anger and vowed to yank the money back." -- Associated Press, 3/18

16. "After pushing Congress for weeks to hurry up and pass the massive $787 billion stimulus bill, President Obama promptly took off for a three-day holiday getaway." -- New York Post, 2/15

17. SARAH PALIN ON: "I WON" AND THE DEATH OF BIPARTISANSHIP

"Obama soared to victory on the hopeful promise of a new era of bipartisanship. During his inaugural address he even promised an 'end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.'

"Too bad it took all of three days for the promise to ring hollow.

"Start with Obama's big meeting with top congressional leaders on his signature legislation -- the stimulus -- on the Friday after his inauguration. Listening to Republican concerns about overspending was a nice gesture -- until he shut down any hopes of real dialogue by crassly telling Republican leaders: 'I won.' Even the White House's leaking of the comment was a slap at the Republican leadership, who'd expected Obama to adhere to the custom of keeping private meetings with congressional leadership, well, private.

"It's only gone downhill from there. The stimulus included zero Republican recommendations, and failed to get a single House Republican vote.

"It's not just the tactic of using Republicans for bipartisan photo-ops, and then cutting them loose before partisan decisions, that irks Obama's opponents. The new president wasted no time rushing forward with policies and legislation guaranteed to drive Republicans nuts. The first bill he signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a partisan hot-button that drew all of eight Republican supporters in the entire Congress. Then there was the swift reversal of Bush policies on abortion and embryonic-stem-cell research -- issues dear to the Republican base.

"And when Obama and the Democrats in Congress took up SCHIP -- the children's health-insurance bill that Republicans say vastly expands government's role in health care -- they had an easy chance for real bipartisanship. After all, the bill had been hashed out in the previous Congress, and a bipartisan accord was reached before President Bush responded with a veto. Did the Obama team push for the compromise version in the 111th Congress? Nope. They went back to the drawing board, ramming through the Democrats' dream version.

"Of course, the lack of bipartisanship isn't limited to Capitol Hill. Obama has taken gratuitous swipes at the Republicans who recently decamped Washington, blaming President Bush for everything from the economy and the war to the lack of sufficient puppies and rainbows. And who could forget the Rush Limbaugh flap -- in which Obama's top advisers, including chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, orchestrated a public relations campaign meant to undermine the Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele, by framing talk-radio personality Limbaugh as the real head of the Republican Party.

"For now, Obama's back-pedal on the bipartisanship promise just makes him look insincere. But the real consequences of the mistake will be felt soon enough. As Presidents Bush and Clinton could tell him, congressional majorities do change -- and at some point, Obama will need Republicans on his side. He'd be smart to spend his second 100 days making up for the serious snubs of his first."

-- Sarah Palin is the governor of Alaska

UPDATE: 4/27/09 From Ben Smith at Politico:

The New York Post today published, and I linked, a slap at Obama's promises of bipartisanship attributed to Gov. Sarah Palin.

The only problem: Palin didn't write the article. Conservative writer Meghan Clyne did.

" The byline was a mistake. I mixed up an e-mail from Meghan Stapleton, who works for Palin, with Meghan Clyne. That's why it was corrected," emails Post Sunday editor Steve Lynch.

It's the sort of thing that happens, but seems to happen more to Palin. (courtesy of K2)

18. "The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today." -- Department of Homeland Security intelligence report

19. Nixes a "buy American" provision in the stimulus bill.

20. "Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going on. Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real issues there." -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The 9/11 hijackers did not come across the Canada border

21. "The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system. The proposal is politically problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one he denounced in the presidential campaign as 'the largest middle-class tax increase in history.' " -- New York Times, 3/14

22. JOE SCARBOROUGH ON: PROMOTING FEAR

"During his historic inaugural speech, Barack Obama promised to usher in a transformational age where hope would replace fear, unity would overtake partisanship, and change would sweep aside the status quo. But early in President Obama's first 100 days it is obvious that the only thing that is changing is the Candidate of Change, himself.

"The same politician who proclaimed during his inauguration that 'on this day we have chosen hope over fear' soon warned Americans that the US economy would be forever destroyed if the stimulus bill was voted down.

"Why was it that same man who promised to put Americans' interests ahead of his own political ambitions chose instead to use the suffering of citizens to advance his agenda?

"Maybe he was following the guidance of Rahm Emanuel, who famously said, 'You never want to waste a good crisis.'

"They didn't.

"The White House's warnings were so over-the-top that Bill Clinton felt compelled to warn the new president against making such grim pronouncements. Americans would quickly warn that the White House would not channel FDR's eternal optimism but rather embrace the gloomy worldview of Edgar Allen Poe.

"The Candidate of Hope also quickly adopted the Nixonian worldview that Americans voted their fears rather than their hopes. Over Mr. Obama's first 100 days, that cynical calculation paid off politically for a White House that seemed most interested in appeasing the most liberal members of his Democratic Party.

"I expected more from Barack Obama. For the sake of my country, I hope I get it from the new president over the next 100 days."

-- Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and author of "The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise" (Crown Forum), due out June 9.

23. Sanjay Gupta was in discussions to become Surgeon General, but the TV personality withdrew after he was criticized for his flimsy political record.

24. Rasmussen finds 58% of Americans believe the Obama administration's release of CIA memos endangers the national security of the United States.

25. Only 28% think the Obama administration should do any further investigating of how the Bush administration treated terrorism suspects.

26. "Obama thanked CIA employees for their work and said they're invaluable to national security. He explained his decision to release the memos, then told everyone not to feel bad because he was now acknowledging potential mistakes. Theirs, not his. 'That's how we learn,' Obama said, as though soothing a room full of fourth-graders." -- The Oklahoman, 4/23

27. By releasing the torture memos, Obama opened American citizens up to international tribunals. A UN lawyer said the US is obliged to prosecute lawyers who drafted the memos or else violate the Geneva Conventions.

28. In their first meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave Obama a carved ornamental penholder from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet. Obama gave him 25 DVDs that don't work in Europe.

29. TIM CARNEY ON: PICKING BILL RICHARDSON AS SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

"Richardson's value in Obama's Cabinet had everything to do with appearances. First, he was the Hispanic pick. Second, because Richardson had run against Obama for President, tapping him for the Cabinet helped the media write the Obama-Lincoln comparisons by burnishing the 'Team of Rivals' image.

"But Richardson withdrew before Obama was even inaugurated when news came out about a criminal investigation involving David Rubin, president of a firm named Chambers, Dunhill, Rubin & Co. (although there was no Chambers or Dunhill), who had donated at least $110,000 to Richardson's campaign committees and had also profited from $1.5 million in contracts from the state government.

"This was an early warning sign about Obama's vetting process (various tax problems and the Daschle problem would reveal this as a theme), but picking Richardson to run Commerce also highlighted that Obama and Richardson's promise of 'public-private partnerships' -- such as Detroit bailouts, Wall Street bailouts, and green energy--was an open door for corruption and was at odds with Obama's promise to diminish the influence of lobbyists.

"The Richardson mistake was one of Obama's first, and it was emblematic. Richardson embodied Obama's attention to self-image and the problems inherent in his vision of an intimate business-government connection."

-- Tim Carney is a Washington Examiner columnist

30. Timothy Geithner nomination as Secretary of Treasury was almost torpedoed when it was discovered he had failed to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes. He also employed an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper. He was confirmed anyway.

31. . . . Not so lucky, Annette Nazareth, who was nominated for Deputy Treasury Secretary. She withdrew her name for undisclosed "personal reasons" after a monthlong probe into her taxes . . .

32. . . . or Caroline Atkinson, who withdrew as nominee for Undersecretary of International Affairs in Treasury Department, with a source blaming the long vetting process. Geithner still has a skeleton crew at Treasury, with no one qualified -- or willing -- to take jobs there.

33. "Barack Obama has been embroiled in a cronyism row after reports that he intends to make Louis Susman, one of his biggest fundraisers, the new US ambassador in London. The selection of Mr. Susman, a lawyer and banker from the president's hometown of Chicago, rather than an experienced diplomat, raises new questions about Mr Obama's commitment to the special relationship with Britain." -- Telegraph, 2/22

34. Obama's doom-and-gloom comments and budget bill push the Dow below 7,000, from which it's only recently recovered.

35. "You're sitting here. And you're -- you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money--' How do you deal with -- I mean: Explain. Are you punch-drunk?" -- Steve Kroft, "60 Minutes," 3/22

36. "We have begun to modernize 75% of all federal building space, which has the potential to reduce long-term energy costs by billions of dollars on behalf of taxpayers. We are providing grants to states to help weatherize hundreds of thousands of homes, which will save the families that benefit about $350 each year. That's like a $350 tax cut." -- Obama, describing something that doesn't cut taxes.

37. "The Obama administration has directed defense officials to sign a pledge stating they will not share 2010 budget data with individuals outside the federal government." -- Defense News, 2/19

38. Backtracking on a campaign promise he made to black farmers, Obama significantly lowered the amount of money they could claim in a discrimination settlement against the Agricultural Department. "I can't figure out for the life of me why the president wouldn't want to implement a bill that he fought for as a US senator," said John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association.

39. "I've been practicing bowling. I bowled a 129. It was like the Special Olympics or something." -- Obama on "The Tonight Show"

40. Obama lifts travel and remittance restrictions on Cuba.

41. Obama considers dropping the embargo on Cuba.

42. After warming signs from Raul Castro, Fidel Castro says Obama "misinterpreted" his brother's words, and that Cuba would not be willing to negotiate about human rights.

43. Obama is considering dropping a key demand to Iran, allowing it to keep nuclear facilities open during negotiations.

44. In a letter to Dmitri Medvedev, Obama offered to drop plans for a missile shield in Europe in exchange for Russia's help in resolving the nuclear weapons issue in Iran.

45. Medvedev said he would not "haggle" on Iran and the missile shield.

46. Obama asked Congress for an extra $83.4 billion to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, a special funding measure of the kind he opposed while in the senate. As a candidate, Obama promised to cut the cost of military operations.

47. After trying to woo Europe as the "anti-Bush," Obama made an impassioned plea for more troops in Afghanistan. "Europe should not simply expect the United States to shoulder that burden alone," he said. "This is a joint problem it requires a joint effort." Only the UK offered substantial help, most others refused.

48. "While the online question portion of the White House town hall was open to any member of the public with an Internet connection, the five fully identified questioners called on randomly by the president in the East Room were anything but a diverse lot. They included: a member of the pro-Obama Service Employees International Union, a member of the Democratic National Committee who campaigned for Obama among Hispanics during the primary; a former Democratic candidate for Virginia state delegate who endorsed Obama last fall in an op-ed in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star; and a Virginia businessman who was a donor to Obama's campaign in 2008." -- Washington Post, 3/27

49. Obama bows to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting in London.

50. "It wasn't a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he's taller than King Abdullah." -- An Obama aide

51. DANA PERINO ON: REMAINING IN CAMPAIGN MODE

"Has it really only been 100 days? In many ways it feels like a lot longer.

"That's partly because the new administration remains in campaign mode most of the time. Now that's not in itself a bad thing if you can do that and accomplish your agenda. But what's happened is that a popular new president has laid out a very bold agenda in the midst of an economic crisis, and I don't think Congress is going to get a lot of work done on those big ticket items this year. They'll eke out a couple of small wins on issues like healthcare and maybe energy, but the Democrats will hail them as big victories. The Republicans have been working like a cohesive and loyal opposition party, and they need to continue to outline positive new ideas like the recent one to help grow American's savings.

"The early stumbles on the administration's high profile nominations -- Daschle and Richardson for just to examples -- acted like weights around their ankles. In addition, the partisan shots from the White House were unbecoming and I don't think we'll see more of that. Our allies and our enemies -- heck, even we ourselves -- are trying to understand the new foreign policy direction, which in some ways seems to be change just for the sake of change. The next moves by the leaders of other countries -- like Iran, North Korea and Venezuela -- probably will prove that really not much will change just because America has a new president.

"In many ways, it's the next 100 days that will tell us more about our new president and what he'll be able to accomplish than we can forecast based on the first 100 days."

-- Dana Perino was White House press secretary in the Bush Administration

52. "We can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary." -- Obama, describing the stimulus bill

53. Three candidates for ambassador to the Vatican -- including Caroline Kennedy -- were turned down by the Holy See because they supported abortion, according to reports.

54. After saying he wouldn't have lobbyists in his administration, Obama made 17 exceptions in the first two weeks in office.

55. . . . including Tom Daschle, who worked as a top lobbyist yet was going to be appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services -- until his failure to pay income taxes derailed his nomination.

56. For an April 14 speech at Georgetown, the administration asked the university to cover up all signs and symbols -- including the letters "IHS" in gold, a symbol for Jesus.

57. Samantha Power, who resigned from the Obama campaign after calling Hillary Rodham Clinton a "monster," was hired to a position on the National Security Council.

58. "Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President Obama's victory celebration in Grant Park -- despite a burgeoning $50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union concessions." -- Chicago Sun-Times, 2/20

59. Firing Rick Wagoner as president of GM.

60. Threatening to fire Vikram Pandit as CEO of Citigroup.

61. Threatening to fire anyone the administration doesn't like from any company.

62. Not adopting a dog from a shelter.

63. "The GAO study asserts that officials from most of the states surveyed 'expressed concerns regarding the lack of Recovery Act funding provided for accountability and oversight. Due to fiscal constraints, many states reported significant declines in the number of oversight staff -- limiting their ability to ensure proper implementation and management of Recovery Act funds.' " -- ABC News, 4/23

64. "The National Newspaper Publishers Association named Obama 'Newsmaker of the Year.' The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon. The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press." -- Los Angeles Times, 3/20

65. "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards." -- Attorney General Eric Holder

66. "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances." -- Obama, on consulting with only "living" presidents

67. Obama quietly announced that he would not press for new labor and environmental regulations in the North American Free Trade Agreement, going back on a campaign promise.

68. NICOLE GELINAS ON: MISSPENT STIMULUS

"One of Obama's most poignant missed opportunities was in not using the historic $787 million stimulus package to reorder state and local government's spending priorities. As states and cities continue to spend ceaselessly and without results on education and healthcare, they're crowding out investments in the physical infrastructure that the private sector needs to rebuild the economy.

"In the stimulus, of the more than $200 billion that went directly to states and cities, nearly 70% went to education and healthcare spending. Only 24% went to infrastructure spending.

"But the states and cities in the most trouble already spend way too much on education and healthcare, pushing taxes up and sending private industry away. They don't spend nearly enough on infrastructure, which attracts the private sector and builds the real economy.

"As David Walker, former comptroller general of the US, said at the Regional Plan Association's annual meeting a week ago, nationwide, we are the 'highest in the world' on education. We are 'the highest in the world' on healthcare. 'Nobody comes even close.' On infrastructure, by contrast, we are 'below average' in both critical new investments and in much-needed maintenance spending.

"And, as Democratic governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell said at the same conference, when President Dwight Eisenhower left office, infrastructure spending was about 12.5% of non-military domestic spending. Today, it's about 2.5%.

"This shortfall is obvious to anyone who's ridden on an "express train" to the outer boroughs or driven on the Cross Bronx Expressway recently. But in New York, as elsewhere, the stimulus money has just allowed the state to ramp up spending on its wasteful, inhumane Medicaid program and its nosebleed public-school spending.

"Meanwhile, the subways are about to crumble into oblivion -- taking the economy with them. The same is true of decaying infrastructure in California and in aging states across the nation.

"The stimulus was a once-in-a-generation chance to change this. Instead, it made the situation worse."

-- Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to City Journal

69. "The Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to overrule Michigan v. Jackson, the 1986 Supreme Court decision that held that if police may not interrogate a defendant after the right to counsel has attached, if the defendant has a lawyer or has requested a lawyer. This isn't the first time the Justice Department, under President Obama, has sought to limit defendants' rights." -- TalkLeft blog

70. "By any measure, my administration has inherited a fiscal disaster." -- Obama

71. "Ahh, see. I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here." -- Brushing off questions from the White House press corps

72. On Earth Day, Obama took two flights on Air Force One and four on Marine One to get to Iowa, burning more than 9,000 gallons of fuel.

73. "President Obama's plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of troops injured in service has infuriated veterans groups who say the government is morally obligated to pay for service-related medical care." -- Fox News, 3/17

74. "And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it." -- Obama during his first State Of The Union address. A German invented the automobile

75. RALPH PETERS ON: FUMBLING IN AFGHANISTAN, FAKING IT IN PAKISTAN

"We're squandering blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Instead of concentrating fiercely on the vital task of destroying al Qaeda and its friends, the Obama administration's determined to erect a modern nation where no nation exists. Afghanistan isn't a country. It's a dysfunctional reservation inhabited by tribes that hate each other. There's no 'Afghan' identity. And even if our blind-to-reality efforts succeeded perfectly, the result would be meaningless.

"Except as a target range where we can gun down terrorists, Afghanistan doesn't matter. Next door, Pakistan matters immensely. But we don't know what to do about it. With 170 million anti-American Muslims descending into chaos as Pashtuns, Baluchis, Punjabis, Sindhis and others claw each other over the country's shabby remains, Pakistan's corrupt president shrugs, its military cowers, its loathsome intelligence services collude with Islamist extremists, and the safety of its nuclear weapons grows doubtful.

"Pakistan may be this generation's chamber of horrors.

"The Obama administration's response? Drill more wells in the Afghan countryside. Dramatically reinforce our troops in Afghanistan, sticking them with an impossible mission of modernizing a pre-medieval landscape while exposing them at the end of an insecure 1,500-mile supply line through, of all places, Pakistan.

"As for Pakistan itself, the Obama administration wants to send billions of dollars to a thieving government that makes Nigeria's look like a Quaker meeting and to hand Pakistan's military more arms -- weapons that might soon be used against us.

"Pakistan was a bad idea when it was created in 1947. It's a worse one now. Afghanistan wasn't even an idea, just an accident of where other borders ended. We can't 'save' either one -- because neither wants to be saved on our terms.

"Obama said the right things -- that Afghanistan isn't Iraq and that our goal should be the destruction of al Qaeda. But his policies just regurgitate our Iraq strategy (one he opposed) in a profoundly different context, while ambitious generals echo Vietnam-era calls for more forces.

"Our troops will do whatever we ask, to the best of their magnificent abilities. But we should ask them to do things that make sense. We need creative strategic thought, but we're succumbing to sheer inertia. And the president's supporters who howled that we should abandon Iraq to concentrate on their candidate's 'good war' don't seem to be volunteering to do any fighting. Meanwhile, our president's trapped himself inside his own campaign promiseing, Vietnam!"

-- Ralph Peters is the author of "Looking for Trouble: Adventures in a Boken World"

77. "President Obama failed to consult Congress, as promised, before carving out exceptions to the omnibus spending bill he signed into law -- breaking his own signing-statement rules two days after issuing them -- and raised questions among lawmakers and committees who say the president's objections are unclear at best and a power grab at worst." -- Washington Times, 3/24

78. Adolfo Carrion was confirmed as Director of White House Office of Urban Affairs, but is serving under a cloud after allegations that he accepted thousands of dollars in cash from developers whose projects he approved.

79. KYLE SMITH ON: GOING AFTER RUSH LIMBAUGH

"Every so often an unfocused athlete forgets about the field of play and climbs into the stands. Ty Cobb did it. Ron Artest did it. Maybe no one did it with more sick flir than the greasy, furious Hanson Brothers who, in 'Slap Shot,' climbed into the stands to give a beatdown to a fan.

"In March, Barack Obama sent his own personal Hanson Brothers, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and spokesman Robert Gibbs, out to attack a non-politician -- Rush Limbaugh -- who was sitting innocently in the stands jeering the action. Limbaugh didn't even throw a cup of beer.

"Senior White House staffers, who have already fallen into the classic trap of paying more attention to polls than fixing the country's problems, had become obsessed with surveys showing that Limbaugh was an unpopular figure with swing voters. Pretty soon Emanuel and Gibbs developed Limbaugh Tourette's. To paraphrase Joe Biden's witty putdown of Rudy Giuliani, for a few days every sentence they uttered contained three things: a subject, a verb and Rush Limbaugh.

"El Rushbo, chuckling over his cigar as his ratings skyrocketed, could not have been more pleased if a picture had emerged of Obama wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and burning the American flag on Harvard Square. Even that portion of the public that doesn't like Rush squirmed at the embarrassing spectacle of the president's men going all Mean Girls on an entertainer. George W. Bush's spokesmen maintained a dignified silence about Michael Moore. Picture them fanning out over the Sunday talk shows to denounce, and drive up the box-office receipts of, 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' Wouldn't you have loved that, Michael?"

-- Kyle Smith is a Post columnist

80. Forced banks that didn't want TARP money to take it, then added on stipulations about pay and government control after the fact. Secretly forced Bank of America to buy Merrill Lynch, then allowed the bank to be criticized for overpaying.

81. "More than 90% of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States," Obama said in Mexico, yet factcheck.org says, "The figure represents only the percentage of crime guns that have been submitted by Mexican officials and traced by U.S. officials. We can find no hard data on the total number of guns actually 'recovered in Mexico,' but US and Mexican officials both say that Mexico recovers more guns that it submits for tracing. Therefore, the percentage of guns 'recovered' and traced to US sources necessarily is less than 90%."

82. Obama: "[Jim Owens, the CEO of Caterpillar, Inc.], said that if Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off." Jim Owens: "I think realistically no. The truth is we're going to have more layoffs before we start hiring again."

83. "In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive." -- Obama in Strasbourg, France

84. Joe Biden: "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, if we stand up there and we really make the tough decisions, there's still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong."

85. Joe Biden: "You all worked for change. You wanted to see change. Well, that wasn't a hard thing to try to communicate to the American people. Obviously, obviously, we needed a change almost no matter who was running."

86. Joe Biden: "You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed."

87. "There are more than 6.5 million trucks in the United States. The program Congress terminated allowed 97 Mexican trucks to roam among them. Ninety-seven! Shutting them out not only undermines NAFTA. It caused Mexico to retaliate with tariffs on 90 goods affecting $2.4 billion in U.S. trade coming out of 40 states." -- Charles Krauthammer, 3/20

88. DAVID M. DRUCKER ON: BOWING TO CONGRESS

"Although the president possesses enormous political capital -- both because of high approval ratings and because his administration is still in its infancy -- he has generally declined to exercise it with Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, including when it comes to crafting legislation key to moving his agenda forward.

"Rather he has allowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) to craft legislation as they see fit -- even though the very bills in question were proposed by the president and involve key planks in his agenda. Among them were Obama's signature $787 billion economic stimulus bill, his first major piece of legislation that was signed into law in February; and now health care reform, currently being negotiated on Capitol Hill with minimal input from the White House.

"This soft-pedal style of leadership runs the risk of forcing Obama to embrace legislation constructed for narrow partisan interests rather than in a manner capable of garnering broad bipartisan support. Over time, the public might come to see Obama's deference to Pelosi and Reid as a weakness of leadership not befitting a president in tough times."

-- David M. Drucker is a staff writer for Roll Call

89. "It has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census, there are irresolvable conflicts for me." -- Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who became the second failed Commerce Secretary nominee

90. In the third sentence of his first speech as president, Obama said, "44 Americans have now taken the presidential oath." The correct number is 43, as Grover Cleveland served twice.

91. The $49 million inauguration -- triple what taxpayers spent at Bush's first inauguration.

92. Giving the Queen of England an iPod full of his own speeches.

93. Three prime-time briefings in his first 100 days, eating into television revenues and this Wednesday pre-empting "American Idol."

94. "The United States government has no interest in running GM. Your [GM] warranty will be safe. In fact, it will be safer than it's ever been, because starting today, the United States government will stand behind your warranty." -- Obama

95. GM is given $15.4 billion in loans from the government.

96. The Obama Administration is trying to scuttle a lawsuit filed in federal court against Iran by former US embassy hostages. The lawsuit alleges that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was one of the hostage-takers who interrogated the captives.

97. GLENN BECK ON: BAD ECONOMIC PREDICTIONS

"Ten days before his inauguration, the President's chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Christina Rohmer, released a report describing what to expect economically during the first 100 days and beyond. It presented two starkly different scenarios: one good (if the stimulus were to be passed), and one terrifyingly bad (if we did nothing). Amazingly, the report estimated that if the stimulus package were to pass, the unemployment rate would not go above 8% at any time until at least 2014.

"It's already at 8.5%.

"In fact, while there is an acknowledged level of uncertainty, the projections estimated that the unemployment rate would be lower today if we had done nothing at all. This suggests one of two things: either the administration misjudged the seriousness of our economic problems, or the stimulus plan is actually making things worse. I suspect it's a little of both.

"Remember, when the President's budget was released, he was roundly criticized for his never ending deficits, even under his own optimistic scenarios for growth. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected deficits that were even uglier. But, if the President and his economic planners were this far off, this soon, how much worse does the future look now?

"The election was supposed to bring 'change,' but I was hoping for more than the letter after the President's name, the positivity of the media coverage, and the hypoallergenic qualities of the White House puppy. President Obama didn't get us into this situation, but so far he's doubling down on the same spending philosophy that did. Common sense tells us that new debt is not the cure for old debt. No matter what the slogans say, that won't change in 100 days or 100 years."

-- Glenn Beck is the host of the "Glenn Beck" show, weekdays at 5 p.m. on Fox News.

98. "Education Secretary Arne Duncan has decided not to admit any new students to the D.C. voucher program, which allows low-income children to attend private schools ... For all the talk about putting children first, it's clear that the special interests that have long opposed vouchers are getting their way." -- Washington Post, 4/11

99. Obama enrolled his daughters in a DC private school.

100. "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." -- Obama to Rep. Peter DeFazio, after the Democratic congressman voted against the stimulus bill.

Ten Great Songs From One Great Year

Songs about Moms

My mother passed away this week after a long illness that simply ravaged her body and mind. We knew this day would be coming sooner than later, but even still, the suddenness surprised us. There are many things I can say about my mother, some not that pleasant, but there are many other things I can say that are.

My mother was not what one would call a typical mom. She was very funny, but along with her humor came an unfiltered mouth. She was fiercely loyal to her husband of 49 years (he passed away 11 years ago) and often at the expense of her children. But she loved her children as best she could. My brother put it best when e said she was “simplistically complex.” Love her or hate her, she left an impression wherever she went.

When my father died, my mother's will to live died with him. I saw it in her eyes on the way back from the cemetery back in '98. She never wanted to be without him and frankly couldn't figure out how to be. The sages tell us that for the first year after a death, the families of the deceased pray for the victim's soul. In Judaism, we do this by reciting the mourner's prayer, known as kaddish . By saying this prayer daily, we aspire to allow the deceased to ascend to the Kingdom of Heaven , which our sages tell us could take up to a ful year (depending on the righteousness of the individual). My mother was at her best when she was making a deal. She loved playing cards and gambling. Las Vegas was her mecca and even in her last days, she expressed a desire to return there when she got better.

But in the end, G-d showed mercy on her. He allowed her one final deal. Instead of suffering for whatever sins she would have to repay, he allowed her to suffer during her lifetime. My father's passing was torture for my mother and her psychological and physical health only made it infinitely worse. But as she was laid to rest, I was given a sense of peace and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she earned the right to ascend immediately and to finally rejoin the man she so dearly loved and admired.

May your soul rest in peace, Mom, and may your children always remember the best of you for generations to come.

These songs are self explanatory and in deference to my week of mourning, I will refrain from writing their descriptions. I received about 25 suggestions both in the comments on this blog and by email, and these where the songs I chose. Thank you all for your suggestions and your words of kindness.

Mother and Child Reunion – Paul Simon

Tired of Sleeping – Suzanne Vega

Our House – Madness

Mama Said – The Shirelles

Sylvia's Mother – Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show

Stacy's Mom – Fountains of Wayne

Mama Told Me Not To Come – Three Dog Night

Your Mother Should Know – The Beatles

Thank You, Mom – Good Charlotte

Your Momma Don't Dance – Loggins and Messina

Bonus Track

Another Try – America

While this song only mentions the mother in passing, this was one of the few songs I loved growing up that my mother tolerated. I remember in the summer of 1975, listening to it in 8-track stereo in my parent's '75 Oldsmobile. I was only allowed to listen to “my crap” when she was sleeping. But this song – along with the album it came from (Holiday) was the exception.

Hey, if any of you know any songs that talk about, or mention mothers (keep it clean, please), please either leave it as a comment here or email me the song. I hope to post the list this weekend.

Thanks.

There will not be any posts for the next couple of days since I will be in Dallas. My mother passed away this morning and her funeral is tomorrow morning. While it is never easy to lose a parent, she had been very ill for some time and I'm warmed by the knowledge that she is finally pain-free and with my father again.

I won't be away from blogging for too long though. I find tremendous therapy and peace in writing and need the creative outlet. But in respect and deference to her memory, I'm taking a couple of days off.

May we know of no more sadness and only hear good news.

Is anyone surprised that Obama was seen in a pleasant embrace with Venezuelan "President" Hugo Chavez? How about his bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia? Or his unabashed and embarrassing infatuation with the Iranian madman?

There are those, including someone I closely work with (no names, I wish to stay employed), who believe that it's imperative that America talks with these despots. After all, what has been accomplished by staying silent?

But this logic is seriously flawed. By showing "respect" to these thugs, Obama is giving them a platform as well as recognition - which equals acceptance - for their anti-West and anti-Semitic views. But even if you disagree, certainly you must be surprised to learn that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled his plans to come to the US because Obama refuses to meet with him.

If you are going to take the stand that open communications is a necessity, then how do you justify Obama's silence with Netanyahu?

Before you liberal heads explode, let me tell you. Because as you and I both know, Obama's interests are not the same as advertised. I'm not saying he wishes harm to this country. No, not at all. He just wishes America to be in his image. Unfortunately, his image of America is deeply flawed.

America is exceptional. There is a reason this country is what it is today. Without getting religious on you, understand that this country has become the richest, most popular and most admired in the world (at least the free world) not for what we've done, but because of what we've stood for.

While we have developed the world's strongest military, we've allowed our allies to grow lazy and weak - expecting America to save the day. Yet, when we do, we are vilified for it. America has saved more Muslim lives than any nation in the world. We freed the Muslims in Iraq, Kosovo and Kuwait. We've spent countless dollars and time in the Palestinian territories and even tried to help them develop (unsuccessfully) a free nation.

And what do we get for our troubles? We get a President who apologizes to the thugocracies of the world. We get a President who embraces the very people whose ideas and bloody hands have killed more people than even Nazi Germany. We make nice with psychotics who wish genocide on my people.

This is not a good President and it's not even a good human being.

When Obama's sycophants in the media argued that Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright were not people you should indict him on, I didn't agree. But they, and even some of my conservative friends all said, "let's give him the benefit of doubt."

When they said that Joe the Plumber was wrong and that it didn't matter what Joe said - whether he was right or wrong - just that he wasn't "officially a plumber, I didn't agree. But they, and even some of my conservative friends all said, "let's give him the benefit of doubt."

When Obama said he was giving a tax cut to 95% of the country, I knew that it wasn't possible (as it turned out, his idea of tax cuts actually meant no additional taxes, and even that was not true). But they, and even some of my conservative friends all said, "let's give him the benefit of doubt."

When Obama and his lapdogs said he has no desire to meddle in the boardrooms of American businesses, I doubted him. But they, and even some of my conservative friends all said, "let's give him the benefit of doubt."

Do you sense a pattern.

Here's more from my friend Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs:

Netanyahu Cancels US Trip After Obama Refuses to Meet With Him

Did Obama really think he fooled us with the Seder crumbs he threw at the Jews during Passover holiday.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday canceled his plans to attend the upcoming AIPAC summit, after it became clear that US President Barack Obama would not meet him during the conference.

Netanyahu announced that while he will not attend the conference in person, he will send a video-taped message to Washington.

Army Radio reported that the prime minister asked President Shimon Peres to represent Israel at the summit, scheduled to take place in Washington in the beginning of May. (story here)

Chavez government sponsored anti-semitism.

After seeing how NBC and her satellites attacked middle America and the thousands of tea parties that erupted around the country, I have little doubt any longer that NBC (and MSNBC, of course) are in cahoots with the Obama administration. How else can you explain that NBC President Jeff Zucker (no relation, thank goodness) demanded that his people "lay off" the President?

Here is a video from the O'Reilly Factor that goes more in depth. Even if you hate O'Reilly, listen to the message. He isn't the one being interviewed. The two gentlemen who are know this industry well and should be considered:

Can someone (preferably someone with a modicum of intelligence) please explain to me why this man is not considered a perfect candidate to be President of the United States?

A World Turned Upside Down
John Bolton, former U.S. representative to the United Nations (Washington Times)

The Spanish Inquisition's reawakening and the unchecked rise of piracy off Somalia may not, at first glance, seem to have much in common. In fact, however, these phenomena represent an inversion of historic Western priorities and a decline in our collective resolve and instinct for self-defense.

Sunday's daring rescue of U.S. freighter Capt. Richard Phillips notwithstanding, the West's evident confusion is causing enormously dangerous consequences.

The shared element between excessive Spanish moralism, the contemporary version, and pirates with impunity is the concept of "universal jurisdiction" and how that concept has been recently transmogrified.

From ancient times, it was legitimate to use military force against hostes humani generis, "the enemies of mankind." Now, the high-minded not only reject that perspective, but perceive the real "common enemies" to be on our side of the barricades.

The Romans understood well that pirates operated beyond any legal order and that due process for pirates consisted in destroying them. Well into the 19th century, when the "common enemies" concept expanded to cover slave traders, law on the high seas came largely in the form of the British Royal Navy, and later our own. This naval jurisdiction derived from their global reach and their willingness to do civilization's hard work.

Today, however, under the rubric of "universal jurisdiction," the Grand Inquisitor, present throughout Europe but especially active in Spain, now targets those he considers far more dangerous than pirates. Hijackers? Suicide bombers? Nuclear proliferators? No, Spanish magistrate Baltasar Garzon is stalking men in dark, pinstriped suits: six American lawyers, former Bush administration officials, who opined on the proper treatment of captured terrorists. Their crime is disagreeing with Judge Garzon's interpretation of international law, which is now apparently an indictable offense in Spain.

Judge Garzon seeks to criminalize opinions, not actions, opinions expressed inside our government, which has a democratic, constitutional heritage far older than Spain's.

Although international law acolytes offer many legal-sounding arguments for allowing publicity-hungry Spanish bureaucrats to translate their personal moral superiority into criminal prosecutions, in fact this is nothing but politics.

Merely in practical terms, Judge Garzon's investigation is bizarre. Spain is far from the purported crime scene (the halls of official Washington); it has no access to key witnesses and documents; and its courts have no more competence to decide international politico-military matters than any other courts - which is to say, not much.

Something more fundamental is at stake, especially in the targeting of U.S. officials, rather than, say, North Korean leaders who have starved their fellow citizens for generations. What is really at risk of prosecution here is American exceptionalism, and everyone knows it, from Judge Garzon himself to the high-minded here and in Europe who long to use international law to constrain U.S. power. In fact, if any American engages in criminal behavior - as decided by our democracy - we are perfectly capable of handling it.

Nonetheless, the United States is doing a pretty good job of constraining itself, unnecessarily, self-destructively and without assistance from helpful Spanish Inquisitors.

Piracy off Africa and elsewhere, such as the Straits of Malacca, has grown recently, and the international response has been wholly inadequate. When the United States raised possible NATO action against the Somali pirates, our allies demurred for fear that military action would bring accusations in European Union judicial bodies that we are committing human rights violations against the pirates and their camp followers.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that, prior to the rescue, we were consulting to see "what further steps the international community believes should be taken." Of course, the U.N. Security Council has already authorized using force against the pirates in Resolution 1851, not that it was necessary to begin with.

Sunday's unilateral U.S. military action (and France's similar assault the day before), should be only first steps. Nonetheless, we still face a world turned upside down when U.S. officials, in a government doing the most globally to combat terrorism and proliferation, are subject to criminal investigations by a treaty ally, while Platonic guardians in European Union institutions protect international pirates.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration seemingly agrees philosophically with this inversion. Far from trying to correct the anomaly, the president's docility is provocative, both to pirates at sea and pirates dressed as inquisitors.

The United States should be actively explaining to Spain that launching any formal investigation will be considered an unfriendly act, a point all Europeans need to understand. We should tell them unemotionally, but unequivocally, that this has got to stop, and now.

Similarly, the Somali pirates should be told to stop, and now, or face further military action. Dealing with pirates is not a matter of grand juries and subpoenas, for it is not a law enforcement matter. As Justice Felix Frankfurter once wrote, due process is only that process that is due, and the pirates have already had more than enough.

Now that I’ve completed the first volume of my ten great songs list, I decided to change things up just a bit and do something a little different this week. So instead of listing ten songs from one year, I present to you…

Ten Great Songs From One Great Decade

2000's

Every new decade brings hope for a new and improved society. However, the 00's took a step backwards this time. Of course, the decade started with panic and uncertainty as people feared the Y2K bug, which some believed would send up electronically to the dark ages. The first year of the decade ended with the most controversial election in our generation, with George Bush finally besting Al Gore for the Presidency.

It wasn't long before the new President was challenged, either. As the Clinton “years of plenty” came to a close, reality set in and the tremendous dot.com boom of the late 90's came to a screeching halt. But what happened next completely changed the world and the way we live it. On a sunny September day, Islamic Supremacists hijacked four US passenger jets and crashed two into the Twin Towers, completely destroying them, one into the Pentagon and the other into a field in rural Pennsylvania, as a group of American heroes stormed the cockpit and perhaps saved the Capitol, or White House.

The rest of the decade belonged to President Bush and the subsequent War on Terror, which started with an invasion of Afghanistan and led to an all out war in Iraq. However, by staying the course, his leadership and that of his generals turned what at first looked like a drawn out quagmire into victory. But the war is far from over and Islamic Supremacy, including horribly barbaric acts against other human beings, are still the number one threat to the free world today.

Californication – Red Hot Chili Peppers (2000)

A song about the deterioration of society, this reflects how the world is becoming very superficial and plastic, much like California. The Red Hot Chili Peppers formed in Hollywood and are quite familiar with the quirky nature of life in Los Angeles. As written in the dictionary, "Fornication" refers disapprovingly to any sexual activity outside the confines of marriage. The lyrics, "Cobain can you hear the spheres singing songs off station to station and Alderaan's not far away, it's Californication" get in a few pop-culture references - Kurt Cobain, David Bowie's album Station To Station, and Alderaan - the planet princess Leia was from in Star Wars. Alderaan was destroyed by The Empire, implying that the world is being destroyed. Amazingly it appeared that writers for the Showtime comedy drama Californication did not negotiate with the Red Hot Chili Peppers before borrowing this song's title for their show. Consequently the rock group filed a lawsuit against Showtime on November 19, 2007 seeking damages and restitution and asking the court to issue a permanent injunction barring further use of the title. In addition, one of the characters in the program played by Rachel Miner was given the nickname Dani California, the title of a 2006 Chili Peppers song, and one episode featured a character describing California as "the edge of the world and all of western civilization," a line from "Californication." (View lyrics here)

Drops of Jupiter – Train (2001)

Lead singer Pat Monahan wrote this after the first lines of it came to him in a dream. When he woke up, he had the song in his head and recorded a demo of it. This song is about a woman who leaves her man to find out if they belong together. We are never told if she returns to him or not. Said Monahan: "This is a woman who's strong and has to find out who she is and a man willing to let her do that." Monahan has a permanent scar on his chin, which could explain the line, "One without a permanent scar." This won Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocalist. (View lyrics here)

Drive – Incubus (2001)

Incubus is known for their eclectic sound, balancing experimental and progressive qualities with pop appeal, earning praise for their ability to change and evolve their music with each successive release. Their lyrics touch on a number of different subjects, from their earliest works which touch on drugs and anti-conformity to the later albums where they often sing about politics and romance, although they primarily stress an optimistic view. They also have the recurring theme of science fiction in their songs. According to lead singer Brandon Boyd, "The lyric is basically about fear, about being driven all your life by it and making decisions from fear. It's about imagining what life would be like if you didn't live it that way." Taken from the LP Make Yourself, “Drive” became their first Hot 100 hit, climbing to #9 on the Billboard chart. Although their next three albums have charted no lower than #2, they have not returned to the singles charts since and may be destined to be a “one-hit wonder”- although, they have cracked the top 10 a few more times on the Billboard Modern Tracks chart. (View lyrics here)

The Reason – Hoobastank (2004)

Hoobastank formed in the Los Angeles County suburb Agoura Hills in 1994. According to drummer Chris Hesse, vocalist Doug Robb had known guitarist Dan Estrin for some time before competing against him in a high school battle of the bands competition and subsequently, they decided to form a band. They then recruited Markku Lappalainen and Hesse to form Hoobastank, which at the time was spelled Hoobustank (pronounced the same way as "Hoobastank"). In an interview with Launch Yahoo!, Doug Robb said the name had no particular meaning: "You're going to ask me what it means. It doesn't mean anything. And it's really cool; it's one of those old high school inside-joke words that didn't really mean anything." However, on the December 16, 2003 broadcast of Loveline, the band claimed Hoobastank was the name of a gas station in Germany near where a friend lives. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2001 and it garnered immediate attention on the Billboard Modern Tracks charts with the song “Running Away.” The song also hit #44 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band also made a song titled "Losing My Grip" for the soundtrack of the movie The Scorpion King. In late 2001, Hoobastank was invited to play in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame due to the success of the album. From there, the band was primed for a breakthrough. That happened with the release of the LP The Reason, in early 2004. The title track immediately climbed up the charts and became a massive hit reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the US and World Modern Rock charts, #10 in Australia and #15 in Germany. The song was also played during the final episode of Friends. In Canada, it spent 21 weeks at the top, setting a new record for most weeks at #1. Meanwhile in the United States , the album reached #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart. However, while their next LP, Every Man for Himself, hit #12, the band's singles' successes dried up and they have not had a song crack the Hot 100 since. (View lyrics here)

Numb - Linkin Park (2004)

This is about children who are sick of living up to the high expectations their parents set for them. The band, also from Agoura Hills (see Hoobastank), originally consisted of three high school friends, Linkin Park's foundation was anchored by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Rob Bourdon. After graduating from high school, they began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band, Xero. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda's make-shift bedroom studio in 1996. Tensions and frustration within the band grew after they failed to land a record deal. The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band's vocalist, to leave the band in search for other projects. Farrell also left to tour with Tasty Snax and other bands. They released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000. The album, which represented half a decade's worth of the band's work, was edited by music producer Don Gilmore and was well received by music fans; the band sold more than 4.8 million records during its debut year, earning it the status of best-selling album of 2001. It included the breakthrough smash “In the End,” which went to #2 on Bilboard's Hot 100. But it wasn't until the release of their follow up LP, Meteora that they really exploded in popularity. Taken from this album, “Numb” is – in my opinion, the best crafted and well-written song of the decade. (View lyrics here)

Wild West Show – Big and Rich (2004)

Although the duo has performed together since 1998, Big Kenny and John Rich had both recorded solo albums in 1999 (Kenny's Live a Little and Rich's Underneath the Same Moon), though neither album was released until 2005. Both albums featured a song the two had written together, called "I Pray for You," which Rich released as a single in 2000. Rich also charted with a single that, to this day, has not been included on any album. Meanwhile, Big Kenny's band, luvjOi, recorded two albums, one of which was released. Because they were going nowhere fast, the two came up with an idea that shook the country music business to its core. Big Kenny, John Rich, Jon Nicholson and Cory Gierman founded the MuzikMafia in 2001, which is an informal collection of singer-songwriters, musicians, and artists who would perform together weekly in Nashville. Among the many members included Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy, and James Otto. In February 2004, the duo released its first single, "Wild West Show". The song, with markedly Native American imagery and tone achieved moderate chart success, peaking at #21 and put the duo in the charts for the first time. The attention garnered from this song led to the release of the album Horse of a Different Color, which subsequently reached the top of the Billboard country chart AND album chart – the first time anyone had dome that since Garth Brooks Ropin' the Wind, 12 years earlier. The duo's blend of country music, rock, and hip-hop has been very divisive among some country fans and even country musicians. Some applaud the genre-bending of the duo's music, and some bands and artists cite Big & Rich as an influence. But the duo is very proud of their crossover appeal. At the intro to Horse, they announce unashamed, “country music, without prejudice!” (View lyrics here)

Look What You've Done – Jet (2005)

Brothers Nic and Chris Cester grew up in Dingley Village, a suburb just out of Melbourne, Australia listening to classic rock from the 1960s and 1970s such as The Who, AC/DC and particularly The Rolling Stones and The Beatles; these were their father's records. In an interview for the documentary "Take It or Leave It", that was on the band's Right! Right! Right! live DVD, "It's always interpreted that our father had a great record collection, but that's not true. It was actually a really shit collection that Nic managed to find the gems in." However, according to Nic, it was Australian band You Am I who had the biggest influence on Jet's developing musical tastes: "Hi Fi Way was the most important album of my generation ... I think everyone our age, who played guitar, played You Am I songs for the first time in front of their school assembly ... That was the record that made you realize you could be in an Australian band, you didn't have to be a grunge band and you didn't have to be influenced by American bands. It changed everything." “Look What You've Done” was taken from Jet's debut LP, Get Born, and is their highest charting single. While influenced by the Beatles, this song is a dead ringer of many of Jeff Lynne's songs with the Electric Light Orchesrtra and is about Chris and Nic's father, and how he cheated on their mom when they were younger. They always looked up to him as a hero, and he let them down by cheating on their mother. (View lyrics here)

Mr. Brightside - The Killers (2005)

Killers guitarist Dave Keuning wrote this about lead signer Brandon Flowers' ex-girlfriend who cheated on him. Flowers recalled to Q magazine March 2009 how he discovered her with another man at the Crown and Anchor pub in his hometown of Las Vegas: "I was asleep and I knew something was wrong. I have these instincts. I went to the Crown and Anchor and my girlfriend was there with another guy." Flowers added that the song was "born" at the Crown and Anchor. Part of the post-punk revival movement, The Killers draw their influences from music styles of the 1980s. The group's debut album, Hot Fuss (from where this song was taken) brought the band mainstream success. The Killers' second album, Sam's Town, was released in 2006, and the compilation album Sawdust containing B-sides, rarities, and new material, was released in 2007. Their third studio album, Day & Age, was released in November 2008. (View lyrics here)

Crazy – Gnarls Barkley (2006)

Gnarls Barkley is producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and vocalist Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway). Danger Mouse produced The Gorillaz album Demon Days; Cee-Lo was in Goodie Mob. The name "Gnarls Barkley" is a play on "Charles Barkley," who is a Hall Of Fame basketball player and an outspoken commentator. The moniker came up in a conversation between Danger Mouse and some of his friends when they were throwing out weird ideas for band names. In a 2006 interview with The New York Times, Danger Mouse said: "I brought in a song that I felt was a complete Ennio Morricone ripoff, (Morricone is a composer of spaghetti-western scores) but Cee-Lo and I started talking, and I somehow got off on this tangent about how people won't take an artist seriously unless they're insane. And we were saying that if we really wanted this album to work, the best move would be to just kill ourselves. That's how audiences think; it's retarded. So we started jokingly discussing ways in which we could make people think we were crazy. We talked about this for hours, and then I went home. But while I was away, Cee-Lo took that conversation and made it into 'Crazy,' which we recorded in one take. That's the whole story. The lyrics are his interpretation of that conversation." (View lyrics here)

Face Down – Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (2007)

This song is the first single from the album, Don't You Fake It and is believed to be written about lead singer Ronnie's mother who was abused by his father (as stated in an Alternative Press article) and is about a guy pushing his girlfriend/wife around. She covers up the bruises with make-up. He says he loves her and she lets it go. By the end of the song the women becomes tired of him abusing her and tells him she's had enough. It reached as high as #15 on the U.S. Hot 100 and #3 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks. It is notable for being one of the few songs in recent times to include screaming and reach the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100 (though later versions with the screaming removed were released). A segment of the song plays on the radio in the movie Georgia Rule. It's also played very faintly in the background exactly an hour into Employee of the Month with Dane Cook. It still landed on the soundtrack. The name, "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus", was chosen by placing random words on a wall, and then blindfolding one of the members and choosing a few words. Some other names the band thought about using were "Umbrella Ninjas" and "Evil Slamina" (Evil Slamina being 'Live Animals' spelled backwards). The band was unofficially started by Ronnie Winter and Duke Kitchens in 2001 after they had played together doing Blink-182 cover songs in AP music theory. It wasn't started officially until 2003. (View lyrics here)

Bonus Track

Without Me – Eminem (2002)

This was Eminem's first single since his Marshall Mathers LP . He explains in the song that everything was boring and empty with him away, but he was now here to give people something to talk about. He takes shots at The FCC, Limp Bizkit, Moby and Chris Kirkpatrick. The opening lines, "Two trailer park girls go round the outside" came from a traditional Appalachian square dance song called " Buffalo Gals." Malcolm McLaren, who is best known for managing The Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow, released a rap version of " Buffalo Gals" in 1983 that brought a lot of attention to the song. As part of Eminem's critique of Moby in this song, he exclaims, "Nobody listens to Techno." This line became a popular sample in the Techno community and was made into a song produced by Deep Dish and Danny Howells under the alias Size DDD (Deep Dish Danny). “Ms. Cheney,” referring to Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, is mentioned in the lyrics. She once referred to Eminem's music as "Despicable. It is horrible. This is dreadful. This is shameful. This is awful." Apparently, Eminem found her remarks offensive. Furthermore, Eminem compares himself to Elvis Presley in this song as well, noting that both excelled in music styles dominated by black musicians. Eminem points out that many of those who criticize him were fans of Elvis, who did the same thing. (View lyrics here)