Message #162876

[Harconen]

North Korea’s government controlled media charge that Obama and South Korea “are trying to ignite a nuclear war. The US-touted provision of ‘extended deterrence, including a nuclear umbrella’ (for South Korea) is nothing but ‘a nuclear war plan.’” [3476]

To bolster support for its “cap-and-trade” energy tax, Democrats reference a “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States” report called by Obama’s science advisor John Holdren the “most up-to-date, authoritative, comprehensive” analysis ever conducted on man-caused global warming. The report is more nonsense than science, blaming humans for natural forces that have been present for eons. Joseph D’Aleo, former chairman of the American Meteorology Society’s Weather Analysis and Forecasting Committee, says the report is “wrong on many of its claims,” is “an embarrassing episode for the authors and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration),” and ignores information present in earlier drafts that conflicted with the outcome the government desired. [3447]

 

On June 21, after more than a week of criticism, Obama toughens his rhetoric against Iran. He calls on “the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.” His words are likely too little and too late to give much support to the Iranian protestors, and certainly insufficient to encourage Iran to cancel its nuclear plans. [3488]

 

A Rasmussen poll shows Obama’s Presidential Approval Index at -2 on June 21, 2009, his lowest rating so far. The figure represents the percentage of people polled who “strongly approve” of his performance (32 per cent) minus the percentage who strongly disapprove (34 per cent). [3449, 3469]

 

Congressman Steve King (R-IA) introduces an introduces an amendment to stop the Census Bureau from using ACORN members or employees in the 2010 census operation. King states, “It is time for every member of this Congress to go on record in support of or opposition to ACORN. ACORN and its estimated 270 corporate affiliates comprise a complex organizational and financial spider web with all the appearance of a criminal enterprise. ACORN is facing charges of voter fraud and tax violations, yet it has received over $53 million in taxpayer funds. Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and his liberal friends have opened the taxpayers’ wallet to as much as an additional $8.5 billion that could be accessed by ACORN. ACORN could soon be running the 2010 census if President Obama, a former ACORN employee, follows through on plans to have ACORN ‘partner’ with the Census Bureau. It is time to cut off ACORN’s access to taxpayer dollars and put an end to ACORN’s involvement in the 2010 census.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats pass a “gag rule” to block King’s amendment and prevent discussion of his measure. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) states she and her family will not fill out the census forms in full. “I know for my family the only question we will be answering is how many people are in our home,” says Bachmann. “We won’t be answering any information beyond that

because the Constitution doesn’t require any information beyond that.” [3450]

 

Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) says Obama is a “cream puff” with regard to foreign policy. “Already the North Koreans have challenged him and realized that he’s a cream puff, if that’s what indeed he’s going to be as a president.” With regard to Iran, the Congressman charges, “The strongest thing the president was able to say was the world is watching. Well, what the heck does that mean? That we’re going to watch and do nothing.” [3450]

 

The New York Times reports on the continuing demonstrations in Iran, stating out that it is women who seem to be the main drivers of the protests. Roger Cohen writes, “I also know that Iran’s women stand in the vanguard. For days now, I’ve seen them urging less courageous men on. I’ve seen them get beaten and return to the fray. ‘Why are you sitting there?’ one shouted at a couple of men perched on the sidewalk on Saturday. ‘Get up! Get up!’” Blogger Pamela Geller states at AtlasShrugs.com points out, “I do not believe that people are dying in the streets for this Islamist Mousavi. He sounds like Ahmadinejad. It’s like switching your panties that say ‘Monday’ for the ones that say ‘Tuesday.’ Why bother?” and “The election was the catalyst, but it has become much bigger than Mousavi. I do not believe Iranians are taking bullets for more of the same. Women have been on the forefront of this revolution, they are not fighting for the misogyny of Islam.” The protestors are opposed to both Ahmadinejad and Mousavi—but primarily they are opposed to the mullahs who run the nation with an iron fist, depriving women of their rights. Obama is fearful of upsetting whoever was elected president or the ayatollahs running the show; he is not lifting a finger or giving one word of encouragement to the protestors—who are courageous enough to shout “Death to the dictator!” and “We want liberty!” Obama is standing against liberty in their fight, naively believing that deferentially referring to the Ayatollah as Iran’s “Supreme Leader” will cause him to order a stop to the arrest of journalists and the killing and wounding of unarmed demonstrators. [3451, 3452, 3489]


Neda Agha Soltan (or Soltani), a 26-year-old woman walking with her music teacher in a crowd of protestors in Iran, is shot in the heart by Basij militiamen. (The Basij are plainclothes militia under the control of the Iran’s brutal Revolutionary Guard. A sniper on a rooftop may have done the shooting, and at least nine other protestors are killed the same day. Many Basij are Lebanese and Palestinian “hired guns” who were brought in by the thousands to attack and terrorize the demonstrators—who realize they are outsiders because they speak Arabic, rather than Persian.) The name Neda means “the calling” or “the voice,” and within hours the young philosophy student becomes the face of the revolution. She is nicknamed the “Angel of Freedom,” and the blood-filled photographs of Soltan’s death in the streets of Tehran are seen worldwide. (The Iranian government orders the family not to hold any memorial services for the young woman, threatening them with severe penalties if they gather to mourn. They are also evicted from their home.) Demonstrators chant, “Death to Khamenei” and “Down with Khamenei.” Columnist Kathleen parker writes, “Symbolically, Neda’s death isn’t about voting irregularities, but about the clash between superstitions that justify men’s dominion over women and the universal yearning for freedom.” (In his June 23 news conference, Obama refers to Neda Soltan’s death as “a problem.” Neither Obama nor the media report that Soltan was a Christian, not a Muslim. A widely-circulated photograph of the woman has the image of her cross necklace removed.) [3490, 3491, 3492, 3511, 3533, 3537, 3755]