Obama's Selective Service Form Problems

SELECTIVE SERVICE FORM PROBLEMS (regarding Obama, were reported earlier in the year):

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (source: Debbie Schlussel):

Did President-elect Barack Hussein Obama commit a federal crime in September of this year? Or did he never actually register and, instead, did friends of his in the Chicago federal records center, which maintains the official copy of his alleged Selective Service registration commit the crime for him?

It's either one or the other, as indicated by the release of Barack Obama's official Selective Service registration for the draft. A friend of mine, who is a retired federal agent, spent almost a year trying to obtain this document through a Freedom of Information Act request, and, after much stonewalling, finally received it and released it to me.

But the release of Obama's draft registration and an accompanying document, posted below, raises more questions than it answers. And it shows many signs of fraud, not to mention putting the lie to Obama's claim that he registered for the draft in June 1979, before it was required by law.

The official campaign for President may be over. But Barack Obama's Selective Service registration card and accompanying documents show that questions about him are not only NOT over, but if the signature on the document is in fact his, our next Commander-in-Chief may have committed a federal crime in 2008, well within the statute of limitations on the matter. If it is not his, then it's proof positive that our next Commander-in-Chief never registered with the Selective Service as required by law. By law, he was required to register and was legally able to do so until the age of 26.

But the Selective Service System registration ("SSS Form 1") and accompanying computer print-out ("SSS Print-out), below, released by the Selective Service show the following oddities and irregularities, all of which indicate the document was created in 2008 and backdated:

* Document Location Number Indicates Obama Selective Service Form was Created in 2008

First, there is the Document Location Number (DLN) on the form. In the upper right hand corner of the Selective Service form SSS Form 1, there is the standard Bates-stamped DLN, in this case "0897080632," which I've labeled as "A" on both the SSS Form and the computer printout document. On the form, it reflects a 2008 creation, but on the printout, an extra eight was added in front of the number to make it look like it is from 1980, when it was actually created in 2008.

As the retired federal agent notes:

Having worked for the Federal Government for several decades, I know that the standardization of DLNs have the first two digits of the DLN representing the year of issue. That would mean that this DLN was issued in 2008. The DLN on the computer screen printout is the exact same number, except an 8 has been added to make it look like it is from 1980 and give it a 1980 DLN number. And 1980 is the year Senator/President Elect Obama is said to have timely registered. So, why does the machine-stamped DLN reflect this year (2008) and the DLN in the database (which was manually input) reflect a "corrected" DLN year of 1980? Were all the DLNs issued in 1980 erroneously marked with a 2008 DLN year or does the Selective Service use a different DLN system then the rest of the Federal Government? Or was the SSS Form 1 actually processed in 2008 and not 1980?

It's quite a "coincidence" . . . that is, if you believe in coincidences, especially in this case.

Far more likely is that someone made up a fake Selective Service registration to cover Obama's lack of having done so, and that the person stamping the form forgot (or was unable to) change the year to "80" instead of the current "08". They either forgot to fake the DLN number or couldn't do so.

And guess where the Selective Service registrations are marked and recorded? Lucky for Obama, it's his native Chicago. From an article entitled, "Post Office Registration Process", on the Selective Service website:

When a young man reaches 18 he can go to any of the 35,000 post offices nationwide to register with Selective Service. There he completes a simple registration card and mails it to the Selective Service System. This begins a multi-step process which results in the man's registration.

Each week approximately 6,000 completed registration cards are sent to the Selective Service System's Data Management System (DMC) near Chicago, Ill. At the DMC these cards are grouped into manageable quantities. Each card is then microfilmed and stamped with a sequential document locator number. The processed microfilm is reviewed to account for all documents and to ensure that the film quality is within strict standards. After microfilming, the cards are keyed and then verified by a different data transcriber.

The Document Locator Number (DLN) is an automatic function (Selective Service record-keeping, specifically the DLN is described on pages 7-8 of this Federal Register document), with the first two digits comprising the year, and it was not changed to "08" in error. So if the form was filed and processed in 1980, how did it get a 2008 DLN?!

* Obama's Selective Service Registration Form is Apparently 1990 Form Altered to Appear Like 1980 Form

On the SSS Form 1, in the lower left hand corner is the form number (SSS Form 1) and the month and year version of the form, labeled as "B". On this particular Form 1, it clearly shows the month as "FEB" (February), and the year is either "80" or "90". The retired federal agent investigated further:

Magnification of the form both physically (with a 10x glass) or with different image software does not reflect a clear cut result of either a "80" or a "90".

But, checking the history of SSS Form 1 (see http://ww w.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=198002-3240-001#), it's apparent that in February 1980, the Selective Service agency withdrew a "Request for a new OMB control number" for SSS Form 1 (see also, here)-- meaning the agency canceled its previous request for a new form, and one was never issued in "FEB 1980".

Since under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-511, 94 Stat. 2812 (Dec. 11, 1980), codified in part at Subchapter I of Chapter 35 of Title 44 a federal agency can not use a form not approved by OMB (Office of Management and Budget), it's nearly impossible for Senator/President-Elect Obama's SSS Form 1 to be dated "Feb 1980." And since that makes it almost certainly dated "Feb 1990," then how could Barack Obama sign it and the postal clerk stamp it almost ten (10) years before its issue?! Simply not possible.

The lower right hand corner reflects that the Obama SSS form 1 was approved by OMB with an approval number of 19??0002, labeled as "C". The double question marks (??) reflect digits that are not completely clear.

* Barack Obama's Signature is Dated After Postal Stamp Certifying His Signature

Barack H. Obama signed the SSS Form 1's "Today's date" as July 30, 1980, labeled "D". But the Postal Stamp reflects the PREVIOUS day's date of July 29, 1980, labeled "E". Yes, Obama could have mistakenly written the wrong date, but it is rare and much more unlikely for someone to put a future date than a past date. (Also note how Barry made such a "cute" peace sign with the "b" inside the "O" of his signature. Touching.)

* Postal Stamp is Incorrect, Discontinued in 1970

Then, there is the question as to whether the Postal Stamp is real. The "postmark" stamp--labeled "E"--is hard to read, but it is clear that at the bottom is "USPO" which stands typically for United States Post Office. However, current "postmark" validator, registry, or round dater stamps (item 570 per the Postal Operations Manual) shows "USPS" for United States Postal Service. The change from Post Office to Postal Service occurred on August 12, 1970, when President Nixon signed into law the most comprehensive postal legislation since the founding of the Republic--Public Law 91-375. The new Postal Service officially began operations on July 1, 1971.

Why was an old, obsolete postmark round dater stamp used almost ten (10) years after the fact to validate a legal document . . . that just happened to be Barack Obama's suspicious Selective Service registration form?

* Form Shows Barack Obama didn't have ID

The SSS Form 1 states "NO ID", labeled "F". Since that's the case, then how did the Hawaiian postal clerk know that the submitter was really Barack H. Obama, who may have been on summer break from attending Occidental College in California. How would they determine whether the registrant was truly registering and not a relative, friend, or other imposter?

* The Selective Service Data Mgt. Center Stonewalled for Almost a Year on Obama Registration, Until Right Before the Election.

The retired federal agent who FOIA'd Barack Obama's Selective Service Registration Form notes:

Early this year, when I first started questioning whether Obama registered I was told:

Sir: There may be an error in his file or many other reasons why his registration cannot be confirmed on-line. However, I did confirm with our Data Management Center that he is, indeed, registered with the Selective Service System, in compliance with Federal law.

Sincerely,

Janice L. Hughes/SSS

Then, they suddenly found the record on September 9, 2008 (prior to my October 13, 2008 request), and stated that his record was filed on September 4, 1980. Did they temporarily change the date on the computer database?

On the previous FOIA response, they stated that it was filed on September 4, 1980. In my second request I mentioned that Obama could not have filed it in Hawaii on September 4, 1980 as he was attending Occidental College in California, the classes of which commenced August 24, 1980.

* Other Questions: Missing Selective Service Number, FOIA Response Dated Prior to FOIA Request, Missing Printout Page

Where is Obama's Selective Service number (61-1125539-1) on the card?

And the retired federal agent notes that the Selective Service Data Management Center prepared its response to his FOIA request prior to the request having been made:

The last transaction date is 09/04/80 [DS: labeled "G"], but the date of the printout is 09/09/08 [DS: labeled "H"]. My FOIA was dated October 13 so why did they prepare the printout BEFORE I submitted my FOIA? I gave them no "heads up" that I was sending it. In fact it was not mailed until late October--around the 25th.

Also, notice the printout was page 1 of 2 [DS: labeled "I"].

Hmmm . . . where is the other page, and what's on it?

A lot of questions here. And a lot of huge hints that this government-released, official Barack Obama Selective Service registration was faked. Either he signed the fake backdated document, or someone else faked his signature and he never registered for the draft (and lied about it).

Which is it?

It's incredible that our impending Commander-in-Chief either didn't register for the draft or did so belatedly and fraudulently.

The documents indicate it's one or the other.

UPDATE 11/14/08: Retired Federal Agent Source Reveals Himself:

The recently retired federal agent has requested that I disclose his identity so that there is no question as to the source of the information.

His name is Stephen Coffman. He retired last year from the position of the Resident Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Galveston, Texas office. He has over 32 years of government service and has held a Secret or higher security clearance for the majority of those years.

He filed the FOIA with Selective Service and has the original letter and the attachments. He first notified the Selective Service of his findings and they ignored the questions.

He can be reached via email.

Biden, Being Biden, on Iraq

Biden being Biden of course is always a danger and he managed to annoy the Iraqis now. Maliki, the Iraqi PM, stated that Biden's criticism is "out of date."

Biden chided Baghdad for failing to settle disputes over the city of Kirkuk and to enact a law dividing oil revenue, among other issues.

Maliki fired back.

"I believe talk about applying pressure on the Iraqi government or taking hard measures against it no longer works."

He added: "Such speech is out of date, because the government of Iraq knows its responsibilities and acts accordingly in a strong way."

"It was we who launched national reconciliation," he said.

Biden has had a prickly relationship with Iraqi leaders since 2006 when, as head of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he proposed dividing Iraq into self-governing Sunni Arab, Shi'ite and Kurdish regions.

Iraqi leaders were furious at that proposal, known as the "Biden plan," which the Senate backed in 2007 but which has since quietly, and rightfully been mothballed.

Would You Like a Little Socialized Medicine with that Pork Stimulus America?

The new pork bill includes the development of a new agency to enable the government to "guide" physicians in their decision-making process. I hope no one was expecting to have Grandma or Grandpa around longer than the Federal Government approves of though.

This morning, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter--one of three turncoat Republicans--made an appearance on Fox News Channel during which a discussion with network anchor Megyn Kelly. He backpedaled as much as possible, even admitting the bill is a "rush to judgment," he lamented the possible "harmful effects" of the provision, and he called the legislation a "bitter pill to swallow." He noted the bill included poor features that need to be "clarified." Yet, he already committed to the bill so his goose is cooked. Oh, and by the way, so are Keystoners and the Americans.

Several of the provisions in the boondoggle arose from disgraced tax evader Tom Daschle. Moreover, a 9 February 2009 Bloomberg piece effectively dissected the porkulus maximus:

New Penalties

Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties. “Meaningful user” isn’t defined in the bill. That will be left to the HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose “more stringent measures of meaningful use over time.”

Elderly Hardest Hit

Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.

Medicare now pays for treatments deemed safe and effective. The stimulus bill would change that and apply a cost- effectiveness standard set by the Federal Council (464).

The Federal Council is modeled after a U.K. board discussed in Daschle’s book. This board approves or rejects treatments using a formula that divides the cost of the treatment by the number of years the patient is likely to benefit. Treatments for younger patients are more often approved than treatments for diseases that affect the elderly, such as osteoporosis.

In 2006, a U.K. health board decreed that elderly patients with macular degeneration had to wait until they went blind in one eye before they could get a costly new drug to save the other eye. It took almost three years of public protests before the board reversed its decision.

Hidden Provisions

If the Obama administration’s economic stimulus bill passes the Senate in its current form, seniors in the U.S. will face similar rationing. Defenders of the system say that individuals benefit in younger years and sacrifice later.

The stimulus bill will affect every part of health care, from medical and nursing education, to how patients are treated and how much hospitals get paid. The bill allocates more funding for this bureaucracy than for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force combined (90-92, 174-177, 181).

Hiding health legislation in a stimulus bill is intentional. Daschle supported the Clinton administration’s health-care overhaul in 1994, and attributed its failure to debate and delay. A year ago, Daschle wrote that the next president should act quickly before critics mount an opposition. “If that means attaching a health-care plan to the federal budget, so be it,” he said. “The issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol.”

Euthanasia is here.

Obama No-Show

Obama is handling the first natural disaster of his presidency--an ice storm that has claimed the lives of at least 59 people--from the White House, and so far has not visited the affected region.

Obama is disengaged and unemotional and his response to disaster is tepid.

Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Nancy Ward did not arrive in Kentucky until Feb. 4 – 10 days after the Jan. 26 storm struck.

In a campaign speech in New Orleans on Feb. 7, 2008, then-candidate Obama promised not to repeat the George Bush administration’s slow response to Hurricane Katrina.

“Across the city, we see the evidence that George Bush’s promises were empty,” Obama said.

“If catastrophe comes,” Obama said, “the American people must be able to call on a competent government. When I am president, the days of dysfunction and cronyism in Washington will be over.”

Bush was harshly criticized in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall on the Louisiana coast on Aug. 29, 2005, including his decision to fly over the devastated region two days later on Aug. 31.

Obama is a no-show.

Netanyahu Warns Obama

Netanyahu warns Obama although I thought this was the guy who was going to get the U.S. respected again. Netanyahu, even before he may be Israel’s next prime minister, is sending a message to Obama that he won’t be pushed around.

Netanyahu has a different outlook on the Muslim world than Obama does.

If Netanyahu has a solid right-wing majority, there are going to be major disagreements.

Netanyahu -- popularly known by his nickname, Bibi -- was born in Tel Aviv and attended high school in suburban Philadelphia where his father, a historian, went to teach. After serving in the Israeli army as a commando, Netanyahu returned to the U.S. to study management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Obama Be Thy Name

In the more Kool-aid to drink department come the signs announcing the new Messiah.

Former Commanding Officer of U.S.S Cole

The former commanding officer of the USS Cole, retired Navy Commander Kirk Lippold, "expressed disappointment" when he first learned of the decision to drop the charges and remained skeptical, faulting Obama for not consulting the families ahead of time.

Obama Gerrymander Attempt

According to law, the Commerce Department normally oversees the U.S. Census Bureau, but now the Obama administration is wresting control to the White House which seems to be an attempt to manipulate the redistricting of congressional seats.

The decennial census, taken every 10 years, generates maps and numbers then used to draw congressional districts. Ideally the census director conducts the count in a non-partisan manner under the authority granted by U.S. code to the secretary of Commerce.

Thomas Jefferson in 1802

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Trouble in Paradise

Joe upstages Hussein. At the oath ceremony Biden knows Hussein is upset and he turns his back on him. Hussein is shocked and he can not hide his emotion. At least for once he seems engaged: anger, frustration, sadness, and at the end his day is ruined. Someone with a big ego is raining on his parade.

Obama's Muslim Agenda

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee, welcomed Obama’s use of a quote from Islam’s Prophet Muhammad in his remarks at Thursday’s National Prayer Breakfast.

Obama quoted the prophetic tradition, or “hadith,” which states: “None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. There is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being.”

This taqiyya implies that, although there is no religion whose central tenet is hate, there is no religion that teaches that the most important thing one must do in this world is hate someone or something else. Islam harshly considers others. The Qur’an intends ultimately that believers wage war against and kill or subjugate others. It states:

“O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” — Qur’an 5:51

“O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).” — Qur’an 9:123

“Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures.” — Qur’an 98:6

“Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” — Qur’an 9:29

No one can change the words: they are pointed, and scary during a conflict.

Testy Press Testing Administration

The press is growing restless with the administration's obfuscation. The tone is getting more tense. Jake Tapper as a reporter is simply asking questions that Robert Gibbs is demonstrating that he is ill-equipped to handle at today's briefing.

Obama Is "AWOL"

Senator Graham states that Obama is "AWOL." He is against the process and how the bill is not receiving input.

"I Voted For Obama, I Think I Made The Wrong Decision"

Diane McDaniels lost her son James in the terrorist bombing of the U.S.S Cole in October 2000. 17 American sailors died in that terrorist attack. Ms. McDaniels refused an invitation to the White House to meet with President Obama today.

Obama requested that the charges against terrorist suspect Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, being held in Guantánamo, be dropped. Judge Susan J. Crawford followed Obama's wishes.

Obama Invites Palestinians to the U.S.: Allocates $20.3 Million for Move

On the horn first to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas?

Apparently this was the first call to a world leader that Obama made in office.

“The spokesman for President Abbas revealed that Mr. Obama had told the Palestinian leader that their conversation was his first with a foreign statesman since taking office.” (TimesOnLine, Jan. 22, 2009).

Seven days later on 27 January, Obama signed Presidential Determination No. 2009-15, which allocates $20.3 million for Palestinian migration and refugee assistance.

Today a memo sent by Obama to Secretary of State Clinton notes the presidential determination which covers the “Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to Gaza.”

“By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (the “Act”), as amended (22 U.S.C. 2601), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 2 (c) (1) of the Act, that it is important to the national interest to furnish assistance under the Act in an amount not to exceed $20.3 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the purpose of meeting unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs, including by contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and payment of administrative expenses of Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State, related to humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza. (Italics CFP’s).

There is no mention of security measures to keep Hamas terrorists from gaining free access into the U.S.

Stimulus "Considerable Uncertainty"

The largest selling point to Obama’s boondoggle is the claim that it will create or save at least 3 million jobs. But the source for that number is a report produced by Obama’s top economic adviser who repeatedly stated that the jobs estimate carried “considerable uncertainty.”

The estimate for the number of jobs the stimulus would create, the report said, is based on the “rule of thumb that a 1% increase in GDP (gross domestic product) corresponds to an increase in employment of approximately 1 million jobs or about three-quarters of a percent.”

The report, published on Jan. 10, was co-authored by Christina Romer, who was then the nominee to become chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, and Jared Bernstein, who then worked in the office of the vice president-elect. On Jan. 28, the Senate confirmed Romer as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and Bernstein now serves as an economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden.

Jefferson Opposes Deficit Spending

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.

Thomas Jefferson

Russia Against Bail-Out

Following several days of protests the Russian government has chosen a tack against a bail-out.

Moscow plans huge budget cuts in an attempt to limit its fiscal deficit-–rejecting pressure to follow the U.S. to try to stimulate the economy with a big boost in public borrowing.

The proposals suggest that Moscow is losing hope it can stave off the crisis with public spending and is instead battening down the hatches for what might be a prolonged recession.

The plans also indicate that the authorities are not giving in to a quick-fix response and are ready to resist pressure.

Obama Apology to Muslims

I had hoped that this speech was just a nightmare of the psychotic lunatic fringe on the right but it looks like the Obama speech in a Muslim country may happen after all. Its appalling, America is down on its knees apologizing for supposed sins and mistakes of the past. Its pathetic.

Iraqi Security Progress

Ordinarily, at this time of month, I post the Iraqi Order of Battle. However, this graphic time line seems to illustrate better how the Iraqis have been rising to the challenge of their own security.

Obama Orders Charges Dropped Against Terrorist

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri got what he wished for, the charges against him were dropped pending the review ordered by Obama. Although he should remain incarcerated, and charges may be filed subsequently, the message to the world is clear. Americans are weak and do not even prosecute terrorists. Al-Nashiri is the alleged "mastermind" behind the deaths of 17 U.S. sailors on the U.S.S. Cole in 2000.

Al-Nashiri was scheduled to go to trial on Monday. Prosecutors had asked for a continuance in the trial but Judge James Pohl had denied the request.

Pohl found the government's "argument for continuances were unpersuasive," according to a copy of his opinion. Pohl noted there had been no previous requests for a delay, and that the public's interest in a speedy trial would be harmed by further delay.

However, the convening authority for the Military Commission, Susan Crawford, withdrew the charges on her own Thursday night.

Security and Obama

A worthwhile article by the nonpartisan Center for Security Policy is well worth reading: Cf. http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/p17860.xml

S.U.B.M.I.S.S.I.O.N.

Center for Security Policy | Feb 02, 2009
By Frank Gaffney, Jr.

How appropriate that Barack Obama featured Aretha Franklin in his inaugural festivities since her signature song is "Respect." Literally from the moment she finished belting out "My Country Tis of Thee" on January 20, the new President has been conveying his "respect" the Muslim world. Unfortunately, the way he practices it seems to be spelled S.U.B.M.I.S.S.I.O.N.

Several observers have noted in recent days that Mr. Obama's outreach to the Muslim world is not only defensive and apologetic. It explicitly embraces a narrative that is factually erroneous and deprecating to his own country.

For example, in his inaugural address, the President spoke of seeking "a new way forward [with the Muslim world], based on mutual interest and mutual respect." He amplified this idea during his first post-inaugural interview which was granted to a Saudi-owned network, al-Arabiya: He is determined to "restore" the "same respect and partnership America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago."

The problem with this formulation is that it misrepresents the more distant as well as the recent past, even as it panders to those (abroad and at home) who would blame the United States for the ills of the Muslim world. As Charles Krauthammer put it in his syndicated column last week, over the past 20 years, "America did not just respect Muslims, it bled for them….It is both both false and injurious to this country to draw a historical line dividing America under Obama from a benighted past when Islam was supposedly disrespected and demonized."

The President also told al-Arabiya that: "My job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries." Lest there be any doubt about the priority he attaches to this messaging, Mr. Obama repeated the point. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect."

For good measure, the new President described America as a country of "Muslims, Christians, Jews" and others-- a presumably intentional upgrading of adherents to the faith of his father, Islam, from the second place position he accorded them in his State of the Union address several days before. (The rankings of both orderings obviously reflect something other than demographics; there are far fewer Muslims than Christians in the United States and, according to independent estimates, only half as many-- or less-- than Jews.)

Mr. Obama has also seriously mischaracterized our enemy as "a far-reaching network of violence and hatred," averring "We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence done in that faith’s name." Such statements deliberately ignore the animating and unifying role in jihad of authoritative Islam's violent and hateful theo-political-legal program: Shariah.

What is really worrying is that Mr. Obama’s actions and rhetoric are almost certainly being perceived by his target audience as evidence not of respect but of subservience-- precisely what Islam (literally, "submission" in Arabic) requires of all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims, alike. Consider the following:

* Mr. Obama has made no secret of his desire to cultivate improved relations with the mullahs of Iran, who have repressed their people and threatened ours for thirty years. It appears that he started to do so months before his election, as a senior campaign advisor, former Clinton Secretary of Defense William Perry, met repeatedly with a representative of Iran's genocide-supporting president, Mahmoud Ahamadinejad. In recent days, Obama special envoy for Afghan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, hired as a senior advisor Professor Vali Reza Nasr – an Iranian expatriate with an appalling record of shilling for the Islamic Revolutionary Iranian regime.

* According to GeostrategyDirect.com, a newsletter published by ace national security reporter Bill Gertz, "Diplomatic sources said Barack Obama has engaged several Arab intermediaries to relay messages to and from al Qaeda in the months before his elections as the 44th U.S. president. The sources said al Qaeda has offered what they termed a truce in exchange for a U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. 'For the last few months, Obama has been receiving and sending feelers to those close to al Qaeda on whether the group would end its terrorist campaign against the United States,' a diplomatic source said. 'Obama sees this as helpful to his plans to essentially withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq during his first term in office.'"

If surrender in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran were not enough, upcoming opportunities for Mr. Obama to exhibit American submission to Islam include: ordering U.S. participation in the UN’s "Durban II" conference-- thereby legitimating its Iranian-dictated, rabidly anti-Israel, anti-American, Holocaust-denying and "Islamophobia"-banning agenda; adopting the program for undermining Israel promoted by longtime Friends-of-Barack Rashid Khalidi and Samantha Power (the latter just appointed a senior National Security Council official); and reversing the FBI’s long-overdue decision to end its association with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent front organization of the Muslim Brotherhood (whose stated mission is "to destroy America from within.")

Whatever Barack Obama’s intentions, the kind of "respect" he is exhibiting towards Shariah-adherent Muslims will surely be seen by them as submission. And that spells only one thing: D.I.S.A.S.T.E.R.

Eight States Re-Assert Sovereignty Questioning Obama

Eight states have submitted bills claiming sovereignty which is an intriguing development from the Obama issues have surfaced. They seek to restore the constitutional republican nature of the U.S.

Lobbyist Panetta Paid More Than $700,000

The nominee for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon Panetta, has earned more than $700,000 in speaking and consulting fees since the beginning of 2008; in addition, some of his payments came from the troubled financial firms and from a firm that invests in contractors for federal national security agencies.

Panetta received $56,000 from Merrill Lynch & Co. for two speeches and $28,000 for a speech for Wachovia Corporation.

Tomorrow there is a scheduled Senate hearing on Panetta's nomination.

Both Merrill and Wachovia reported big losses last year and were acquired by larger firms.

Retired politicians commonly make money giving speeches and consulting for prominent companies with significant interests before the government which was an important factor in the withdrawal of cabinet nominee, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

Panetta also received a $28,000 honorarium from the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that owns companies doing business with national-security agencies of the U.S. government. Carlyle holds a majority stake in the government consulting arm of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., which works for the CIA and other agencies.

Panetta also reported receiving a $60,000 "Governmental Advisor Fee" from the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents the shipping industry. The group lobbies the federal government regarding terrorism laws that affect shipping.

Fleishman Hillard, a large public affairs and lobbying firm, also paid Panetta $130,000 in director's fees.

Another source of income for Panetta was California State University, Monterey Bay, which hosts the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a nonprofit foundation run by Panetta and his wife. The school paid Mr. Panetta $150,000 in "consulting fees."

Its business as usual in Washington.

Iran Rebuffs Obama's Open Hand

It just doesn't get any better. After opening his hand, and looking for an unclenched fist, Obama planned to send a sports team to his new found friends, the Iranians. Yet, Iran refused to issue visas for U.S. Women's Badminton Team because of their late application. So much for the openness to the world for Obama.

Top Democrat Questions Ballooning China Debt

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said that he is concerned about the fact that much of the money that will be used for the $800-billion-plus stimulus bill under consideration in Congress must be borrowed from foreign sources, including the Peoples Republic of China.

Although I have been following the story closely this is really the first I have heard any Democrat questioning the source of the money. Obama certainly has not breathed a word of it.

Emanuel, White House chief of staff, Treasury Secretary Geithner, Office of Management and Budget chief, Peter Orszag, and Obama’s economic counselor, Larry Summers, have been mum as well.

As of November 2008, the People’s Republic of China was the largest single holder of U.S. debt at $681.9 billion, according to figures released by the U.S. Treasury Department. China, in fact, holds 10.8 percent of all publicly held federal debt.

The communist nation has increased its share of U.S. federal debt by $223 billion since November 2007 and by $95 billion since September of 2008.

If China loaned the U.S. 10 percent of the money for the stimulus bill, the U.S. debt it held would climb another $80 billion to $90 billion, depending on the size of the final bill.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is still in denial: Frank told CNSNews.com, “I don’t think it would give them any undue influence over us."

Government Announces Next Crisis (But Hey, We Are Still Working On That Economy and Bank Thingie: Really)

As noted before, the next "crisis" will be the environment and true to form, the L.A. Times reports that California's farms and vineyards could vanish by the end of the century, and its major cities could be in jeopardy, if Americans do not act to slow the advance of global warming, according to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

As the one-world agenda progresses, the current administration will be announcing the new crisis, which will only be solved if we transition to international control and regulation. Already in place is Carol Browner, former hack of Clinton, whose recent resignation from the Socialist International did not hide the fact that as energy czar she is committed to a one-world government and second-rank status for the U.S.

Military Historian Evaluates Obama: And, It Could Get Worse

Writing in the National Review, His Excellency (an esteemed military historian) speaks:

The Impending Obama Meltdown Victor Davis Hanson

Some of us have been warning that it was not healthy for the U.S. media to have deified rather than questioned Obama, especially given that they tore apart Bush, ridiculed Palin, and caricatured Hillary. And now we can see the results of their two years of advocacy rather than scrutiny.

We are quite literally after two weeks teetering on an Obama implosion—and with no Dick Morris to bail him out—brought on by messianic delusions of grandeur, hubris, and a strange naivete that soaring rhetoric and a multiracial profile can add requisite cover to good old-fashioned Chicago politicking.

First, there were the sermons on ethics, belied by the appointments of tax dodgers, crass lobbyists, and wheeler-dealers like Richardson—with the relish of the Blago tapes still to come. (And why does Richardson/Daschle go, but not Geithner?).

Second, was the "stimulus" (the euphemism for "borrow/print money") that was simply a way to go into debt for a generation to shower Democratic constinuencies with cash.

Then third, there were the inflated lectures on historic foreign policy to be made by the clumsy political novice who trashed his own country and his predecessor in the most ungracious manner overseas to a censured Saudi-run press organ (e.g., Bush is dictatorial, the Saudi king is courageous; Obama can mend bridges that America broke to aggrieved Muslims (apparently Tehran hostages, Rushdie, serial attacks in the 1990s, 9/11, Madrid, London never apparently occurred, and neither did feeding Somalis, saving Kuwait, protesting Chechnya, Bosnia/Kosovo, billions to Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinians, help in two Afghan wars, and on and on).

Fourth, there was the campaign rhetoric of Bush shredding the Constitution—FISA, Guantanamo, Patriot Act, Iraq, renditions, etc.—followed by "all that for now stays the same" inasmuch as we haven't ben hit in over seven years and can't risk another attack.

Fifth, Gibbs as press secretary is a Scott McClellan nightmare that won't go away, given his long McClellan-like relationship with Obama (McClellan should have been fired on day hour one on the job). Blaming Fox News for Obama's calamities is McClellan to the core and doesn't work. He already reminds me of Rev. Wright's undoing at the National Press Club—and he will get worse.

Six, Biden is being Biden. Already, he's ridiculed the chief justice, trashed the former VP, bragged on himself ad nauseam in Bidenesque weird ways, and it's only been two weeks.

And the result of all this?

At home, Obama is becoming laughable and laying the groundwork for the greatest conservative populist reaction since the Reagan Revolution.

Abroad, some really creepy people are lining up to test Obama's world view of "Bush did it/but I am the world": The North Koreans are readying their missiles; the Iranians are calling us passive, bragging on nukes and satellites; Russia is declaring missile defense is over and the Euros in real need of iffy Russian gas; Pakistanis say no more drone attacks (and then our friends the Indians say "shut up" about Kashmir and the Euros order no more 'buy American").

This is quite serious. I can't recall a similarly disastrous start in a half-century (far worse than Bill Clinton's initial slips). Obama immediately must lower the hope-and-change rhetoric, ignore Reid/Pelosi, drop the therapy, and accept the tragic view that the world abroad is not misunderstood but quite dangerous. And he must listen on foreign policy to his National Security Advisor, Billary, and Sec. of Defense. If he doesn't quit the messianic style and perpetual campaign mode, and begin humbly governing, then he will devolve into Carterism—angry that the once-fawning press betrayed him while we the people, due to our American malaise, are to blame.

Cf. http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDA1MTkzYTc4NjA5MWQxOGNjMzU3YmZiYTJhZDQ5YTY=

Historic Times: Car Sales

For the first time in history, U.S. car sales slipped below China’s.

American Heartland Emergency, American Heartless: No-Show Obama

When Hurricane Katrina hit Bush was roundly criticized for showing up late and not doing enough. However, in last week's massive ice storm which struck the heartland of America, leaving at least 42 dead, and millions without power or water, there was a no-show: Obama. The situation got worse and yet Obama still didn't show up. Where has he been?

On Thursday, Obama hosted a cocktail party at the White House and served up fancy martinis and an appetizer menu that featured mouthwatering wagyu steak costing $100 a pound.

On Saturday night, as the governor of Kentucky called up the entire National Guard in his state to deal with the ongoing crisis, Obama attended the exclusive Alfalfa Club dinner, where lavish cocktails and fine dining were the order of the evening.

And on Sunday, when millions still lacked the basic necessities of power and water-— Obama threw an extravagant Super Bowl party.

In addition, the devastating storm has been virtually ignored by the MSM. Five days after the storm, he still has not traveled to the area to provide aid and comfort to the victims.

Americans Retaliate Against Killing: Badminton

I wish my creativity extended to politics but I can not make these things up; I'm just not that bright. In Iraq, the ratline of insurgents leaves Iran to kill American troops. And, this fact is ignored by Obama who has announced plans to send an American badminton team, a woman's team no less, on a cultural exchange trip. And you wonder why Americans are under threat in the world? Who would respect a country who ignores the clear evidence that the Iranian government is sending its agents into Iraq, and the U.S. responds by sending a woman's badminton team in response?

Goodbye to Daschle

Daschle will not be around to kick any more since he had neglected to pay the nearly $140,000 in taxes. I guess he just plumb forgot about it.

New Hampshire: Nullification?

First Oklahoma, now New Hampshire, reaffirmed their states rights. Although there are only states it is significant that states feel the need to proclaim their independence at all. Tagged with an unfortunate association with the Confederacy, States Rights long seemed to be beating a dead horse. Of course States Rights is affirmed in the Constitution but it long lost out to the prevailing dominance of the Federal government. But this statement by the NH legislature is intriguing on several levels in the scope of liberties reaffirmed and the obvious countering points which begs the question: what do they know that I need to know?

The statement mutes Federal drug and crime bills along with a counter to recently resurrected "hate-crime" statutes. But the legislature enumerated additional cautions.

"I. Establishing martial law or a state of emergency within one of the States comprising the United States of America without the consent of the legislature of that State.

II. Requiring involuntary servitude, or governmental service other than a draft during a declared war, or pursuant to, or as an alternative to, incarceration after due process of law.

III. Requiring involuntary servitude or governmental service of persons under the age of 18 other than pursuant to, or as an alternative to, incarceration after due process of law.

IV. Surrendering any power delegated or not delegated to any corporation or foreign government.

V. Any act regarding religion; further limitations on freedom of political speech; or further limitations on freedom of the press.

VI. Further infringements on the right to keep and bear arms including prohibitions of type or quantity of arms or ammunition; and

That should any such act of Congress become law or Executive Order or Judicial Order be put into force, all powers previously delegated to the United States of America by the Constitution for the United States shall revert to the several States individually."

The legislature is wary of martial law being declared, involuntary servitude, surrendering power to a corporation or foreign government, limitations on the press, right to bear arms, and opposes powers not previously and duly delegated already.

A reasonable question, in light of this heightened rhetoric, is what do they think may happen? It does not bode well.

Bolton Urges Military Action

John Bolton, former U.S. envoy to the UN, stated that the U.S. has been defeated by Iran. Bolton said Washington has suffered a humiliating defeat in its drive against Iran’s nuclear activities.

In an interview with BBC Persian, Bolton stated the obvious, efforts to curb Tehran’s nuclear achievements have come to naught as Tehran has successfully managed to defend its national interests.

Bolton claimed that if Washington had settled on a military option against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure beforehand, “the threat of Iranian nuclear weapons would not have existed in the world today”.

The former US diplomat said that he seriously advises US President Barack Obama to opt for a military attack on Iran’s uranium enrichment, should three months of direct negotiation with Iran prove to be a failure.

Of course, the new administration will not listen and begun the process of submission to the Islamic Republic.

The former diplomat quit his UN job in 2006 after failing to win Senate confirmation and worked as a senior foreign policy adviser to former president George W. Bush.

Representative Proposes Civilian Camps

Alcee Hastings (D-FL) is proposing, now in his 8th term, H.R. 645 which seeks to allocate $360 million for developing the emergency centers. We do not need camps to be built in the U.S. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and to the Committee on Armed Services. I would be calling my Representative now to urge a no vote if this makes it out of committee.

I hear camps for civilians has been tried before and things did not go too well.

Iraqis Believe in Democracy: Inspire Americans to Vote?

The results of participation in local elections all over Iraq is 51% according to the IHEC, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission.

The number of Iraqis who cast their votes 7.5 million.

Voting centers in Baghdad and other 13 provinces started at 07:00 a.m. Baghdad local time on Saturday (Jan. 31) to receive 15 million eligible voters who are electing their candidates to occupy all 440 seats in local councils.

On the other hand, the closet equivalent, American off-year elections, run around 37%, the "normal" modern midterm voter participation rate. In pointed contrast, the lowest rate--40%--was in Anbar, the Sunni heartland west of Baghdad. The sprawling desert area was dominated in 2005 by al Qaeda in Iraq. Thus, in four years, the Americans succeeded in pushing out AQ in Iraq and Iraqis responded by voting with more confidence and a higher percentage of them voted than the average American.

Apparently the Americans are better at exporting democracy than they are at practicing it.

The defeatism of American leaders would be laughable if it were not so dangerous to American's security to have these people in positions of power. In December 2006, those purveyors of pessimism, The Iraq Study Group, concluded: "The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating (p. xiii)." And again they concluded that the situation in Anbar, one of worst four provinces cited, was "highly insecure (p. 6)."

You Could See This Coming

Obama intends to weaken U.S. defenses; you could see this coming. The Obama administration has asked the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff to cut the Pentagon's budget request for the fiscal year 2010 by more than 10%.

Czech Prez Tells Gore Off: Cool It!

Perhaps the U.S. government can attack Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Klaus as well as he took aim at climate change campaigner Al Gore in Davos with a frontal attack on the science of global warming. Klaus did not mince words and he realizes that global warming is the next likely crisis to be foisted on the American people, and the world as well if the world lets the doomsayers.

Referring to the former US vice president, who attended Davos this year, he added: "I'm very sorry that some people like Al Gore are not ready to listen to the competing theories. I do listen to them.

He continued: "Environmentalism and the global warming alarmism is challenging our freedom."

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, he said that he was more worried about the reaction to the perceived dangers than the consequences.

"I'm afraid that the current crisis will be misused for radically constraining the functioning of the markets and market economy all around the world," he said.

"I'm more afraid of the consequences of the crisis than the crisis itself."

Klaus makes no secret of his climate change scepticism -- he is also a fierce critic of the European Union -- and has branded the world's top panel of climate experts, the UN's IPCC, a smug monopoly.

Klaus has figured out the warn and crush liberty tactic of American elites as we are perpetually told about one crisis after another as the government moves to limit our liberties. If only Klaus could run for U.S. president.

After Obama, why not? Neither is a natural born citizen of the U.S.

Obama: Re-casts Job Loss Downward Again, But Now Will Take Years

The flip-flopping continues as the stimulus package is spun and re-spun on a weekly basis. In its latest morphing, today's radio address has the number of jobs projected downward, again, to save or create at least 3 million jobs but now: "over the next few years." During his address on 10 January, before the new regime had taken over the presidency, Obama said an analysis by his advisers showed up to 4 million jobs could be saved or created by 2010 through the package.

Its a new face but its the same old, tired tune.

Obama continued: "Americans know that our economic recovery will take years--not months," I'm not sure he gave them that impression before November but one thing we can all agree on that he said will persist: "our economy continues to slide."

Obama Attack: Key Individuals and Restrict Free Speech

If the dignity of the office has not been sullied enough, one need not look any further than to consider the unseemly attacks of Obama upon that buffoon of talk radio Rush Limbaugh. No information on the 'Fairness Doctrine' emerged from Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs while he dodged reporter's questions about the Democratic plan to limit talk radio. We should realize what is happening. Timed as it is just days after the inauguration, free speech is in for a bumpy ride during this regime.

As Naomi Wolf points out in her general critique of Bush, The End of America, an administration will target key individuals and restrict free press. When the Reagan policy abandoned `Fairness Dontrine' in 1987 there were 75 radio talk shows in the U.S. Reagan opposed the policy because it required broadcast TV and radio programs to air "opposing views" on political issues, which had the practical effect of virtually eliminating opinion programs.

Since the abandonment of the so-called `Fairness Doctrine,' the number of radio talk shows has risen to more than 3,000.

Let freedom ring, let the buffoon squeal.

I meant Rush but if the Obama fits so be it.

Australian PM Calls for Obama New World Order

Kevin Russ, Australia's PM, has denounced the unfettered capitalism of the past three decades and called for a new era of "social capitalism" in which government intervention and regulation feature heavily.

Rudd writes in The Monthly that modern-day "social democrats" such as himself and Obama, must lead the charge. Rudd acclaims Obama as the leader of a new world order with Obama at the head of a world government.

The most troubling point for the New World Order-ists is that some Americans cling to their notion of distinctiveness.

Kissinger Nominates Obama to Head One World Government

Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State, describes how a one world government, wherein the U.S. abdicates its popular sovereignty, will emerge as not just a crisis, but as an opportunity. Obama will be the leader in this direction.

Kissinger anticipates that at the end of the current administration, most likely between the next four to eight years, the one world government will arise.

Kissinger was interviewed on 16 December 2008 with PBS's Charlie Rose, explaining that "crises" such as global terrorism, global economic upheaval, and global environmental deterioration will require moving beyond the nation state and national sovereignty.

Fred Thompson on the Economy

Fred Thompson explains his common sense notions about the economy. He describes how our economic crisis happened, who is responsible, and how it will get worse.

Obama's Community Housing Accomplishments

Doug Ross posted visual views of Obama's community organizing and its results. Obama touts this as one of his major accomplishments. He should be ashamed of himself.

Note Any Changes to Military Oaths

If the newly proposed military oaths go into effect, the changes should be noted clearly. Currently, there is a significant difference between the oaths taken by the enlisted corps and officer corps. Here are the two oaths:

“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).

“I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.” (DA Form 71, 1 August 1959, for officers.)

Officers do not swear an oath to obey the President’s orders, only to support and defend the Constitution.

Obama Anti-War Days at Columbia

A poor quality, but interesting record of Obama's anti-war sentiments, has surfaced from his days at Columbia.

The White House is Watching You

Obama has been acclaimed as a sharp cookie because of his use of Web 2.0 technologies however his supporters are using the same technologies but in a controversial manner.

A White House decision permitted the use of persistent Internet cookies in YouTube video files embedded on the redesigned WhiteHouse.gov Web site. Letting third-party cookies be placed on the site is a deviation from established executive-branch policy that leaves site visitors open to being tracked and profiled without their knowledge.

The White House is watching you.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) questioned a waiver that was issued by White House counsel concerning the use of cookies on the WhiteHouse.gov site. The waiver, which is now part of the site's modified privacy policy allows the use of persistent cookies by "some third-party providers to help maintain the integrity of video statistics."

Privacy advocates said visitors to federal Web sites should be able to view official information without fear of being tracked either by the government or by third parties such as YouTube, which is owned by Google Inc. That expectation is consistent with the government's own stance on the use of cookies, according to a memorandum issued in June 2000 by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Obama's campaign promise was to run a transparent government but it has not in this regard.

Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Digital Democracy, also said that the decision to allow the use of persistent cookies in embedded videos is worrisome.

Tools such as YouTube's Insight software could be used to conduct in-depth analysis of the data collected from WhiteHouse.gov visitors, Chester said. And it isn't just third parties that could potentially use the tracking data, according to Chester.

Such information could "give the Obama White House a tremendous amount of insight into public behaviors," he said. "Do we really want the government to sanction the use of a consumer-profiling application that links our commercial behaviors with our civic behavior?"

How the White House responds to the concerns bears watching, Chester added. "This will be a litmus test on how to balance the interest in using new-media tools with privacy concerns," he said.

Obama Lobbyists

Mark Patterson, a former lobbyist with the financial firm Goldman Sachs, will be chief of staff for newly appointed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

The news comes a week after the nomination of William J. Lynn III, a former Raytheon Company lobbyist, to be deputy secretary at the Department of Defense.

Also, William Corr, a former anti-tobacco lobbyist, was named as deputy secretary of Health and Human Services. Corr reportedly pledged not to take part in tobacco matters.

Goldman Sachs, as a recipient of some of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) money, could have a vested interest in decisions made by the Treasury Department, critics said. Likewise, Raytheon, a major defense contractor, would have an interest in decisions made at the Pentagon.

Objections came from government watchdog groups: Project on Government Oversight, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and the Government Accountability Office and Public Citizen.

Despite the appointments, the Obama administration is defending its commitment to strict ethical policies even after appointing lobbyists to key posts. The administration defends hiring lobbyists due to their exceptional qualifications.

Obama's Legal Argument

That Obama is actively fighting the numerous lawsuits brought against him is clearer as statements from his legal defense are emerging. Obama’s lawyer responded to a lawsuit filed by a retired Colonel in the USAF.

Compare Electoral Vote Tally: Obama v. Bush

If you watch the live coverage, at 1:03 Cheney reads the vote tally. He is then required to provide any Representatives a chance to object at this time according to Title 3, Chapter 1, Section 15 which states, "Upon such reading of any such certificate of paper, the President of the Senate shall call for objections, if any."

At 1:09 someone in the lower left of the screen raises his hand during the applause and is ignored.

I think it is unclear. The gesture to me appears to be an `Amen' like gesture with his hands.

What is more clear is the obfuscatory act of Pelosi. Cheney tried to check to see if there were objections, at which point Pelosi interrupted, by starting to clap and prevented Congressmen and Senators from making any objections. As some videologists have studied the tape, some have thought the objector to be John Linder of GA.

In any case, protocol was not followed.

On the other hand, after the Gore v. Bush election, protesters were allowed to register their objection. You can view the objections clearly and proper procedure was followed.

U.S. Military to Take Oath of Allegiance to Obama, Not the Constitution

The term Hitler oath refers to the oaths of allegiance sworn by German Wehrmacht officers and soldiers as well as civil servants during the Third Reich between the years 1934 and 1945. The oath pledged personal loyalty to the person of Adolf Hitler in place of loyalty to the constitution.

This was the Service oath for soldiers of the armed forces.

Diensteid der Soldaten der Wehrmacht

Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid, daß ich dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und Volkes Adolf Hitler, dem Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht, unbedingten Gehorsam leisten und als tapferer Soldat bereit sein will, jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen.

The translation of the German is:

I swear by God this sacred oath that I shall render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of the German Reich and people, supreme commander of the armed forces, and that I shall at all times be ready, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath.

What kind of country would breed this type of fanaticism? Only Germany? Think again.

There are reports that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has received orders from the White House that all branches of the armed forces may break with a centuries-old tradition.

A spokesman for General James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, states that the Obama Administration wants to have soldiers and officers pledge a loyalty oath directly to the office of the President, and no longer to the Constitution.

In a circular distributed by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, the rationale for the change was made more clear.

"The President feels that the military has been too indoctrinated by the old harbingers of hate: nationalism, racism, and classism. By removing an oath to the American society, the soldiers are less likely to commit atrocities like those at Abu Ghraib."

The time frame for the changes are unknown. However, it is more likely that the changes will be made around the July 4th holiday, in order to dampen any potential backlash. The difference in the oath will actually only be slight. The main differences will be the new phrasing. It is expected that the oath to the Constitution will be entirely phased out within two years.

Hamas Killing Criminals: Singers at a Wedding

This footage shows Hamas firing on a wedding party, killing guests, and beating the groom to death. Their crime was singing.

Allahu Akhbar.

Judge Denies Regime

Judge James Pohl, an Army colonel and military Judge, appears to be the first official who has denied the new regime a request. Obama requested a suspension of hearings at Guantanamo.

The lives of seventeen U.S. sailors who were killed in the attack on the USS Cole may be considered more important than the Obama administration's request to delay proceedings for 120 days. This particular detainee was accused of planning the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole warship, an al-Qaeda strike that killed not only 17 service members but it injured 50 others. The decision throws into some disarray the administration's efforts to buy time to review individual detainee cases as part of its plan to close the U.S. military prison at the Guantanamo naval base in Cuba.

The Pentagon may now be forced to temporarily withdraw the charges against Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi citizen of Yemeni descent.

The families of those sailors have waited for nine years for a bit of justice so I would hope the good judge would prevail against the Administration's appeasement.

Surprising Statistics on Military Deaths Under Presidents

A surprising set of statistics, released by the Congressional Research Service verify two important facts: 1) more than double the military deaths occurred during the Clinton administration than the Bush presidency; 2) more military deaths occurred to those of European descent than African-Americans, Asians, or Hispanics.

The annual fatalities, by any cause, of military members while actively serving in the armed forces from 1980 through 2007:

1980 2,392 (Carter)
1981 2,380 (Reagan)
1984 1,999 (Reagan)
1988 1,819 (Reagan)
1989 1,636 (George H W)
1990 1,508 (George H W)
1991 1,787 (George H W)
1992 1,293 (George H W)
1993 1,213 (Clinton)
1994 1,075 (Clinton)
1995 2,465 (Clinton)
1996 2,318 (Clinton)
1997 817 (Clinton)
1998 2,252 (Clinton)
1999 1,984 (Clinton)
2000 1,983 (Clinton)
2001 890 (George W)
2002 1,007 (George W)
2003 1,410 (George W)
2004 1,887 (George W)
2005 919 (George W)
2006 920 (George W)
2007 899 (George W)

Clinton years (1993-2000): 14,107 deaths
George W years (2001-2007): 7,932 deaths

The figures indicate the loss from the two latest Middle East conflicts are less than the loss of military personnel during Clinton's presidency when America wasn't even involved in a war--unless you include Bosnia and Mogadishu, Somalia. Perhaps even more surprising is that in 1980, during the Carter presidency, there were 2,392 US military fatalities which is quite a bit more than any comparable Bush year.

The media and politicians are selectively producing "facts" that support their agenda. Carter is viewed as a peace maker while the image of Bush was that of a war monger. It is not true.

European descent 69.12 percent
Hispanic 12.50 percent
Black 12.30 percent
Asian 3.70 percent
Native American 1.00 percent
Other 2.60 percent

Many members of the media lead us to believe the military death ratio is off balanced compared to the distribution by race in America. Here are the fatalities by race over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom:

European descent 74.31 percent
Hispanic 10.74 percent
Black 9.67 percent
Asian 1.81 percent
Native American 1.09 percent
Other 0.33 percent

Muslim in the CIA: Women Caught in Adultery

The CIA's station chief at its sensitive post in Algeria, who is a Muslim, is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly raping at least two Muslim women who claim he laced their drinks with a knock-out drug.

What will not be considered in an American context is that the chief, even if the allegations are proven, may not be violating Sharia, local law and custom. The women may be guilty of adultery despite his actions.

Obama in Arabic Islamic Pocket

In November, Senior Obama Mideast adviser Dennis Ross flatly denied that Obama supported the "Arab Peace Initiative." Now, however, in his recent interview with Arab television, his first formal interview as president, Obama hailed the Saudi initiative:

"Well, here's what I think is important. Look at the proposal that was put forth by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. ... I might not agree with every aspect of the proposal, but it took great courage to put forward something that is as significant as that. I think that there are ideas across the region of how we might pursue peace. I do think that it is impossible for us to think only in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and not think in terms of what's happening with Syria or Iran or Lebanon or Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Obama supports the King of Islamic Saudi Arabia.

It was not long ago that the refrain `No blood for oil' was directed against Bush because he was perceived to be exceptionally close to the Saudis. Now, Obama is in the Arabian pocket.

No American leader has taken the time to show how American interests are served or that Americans are any better off or safer because of the proposal. American interests are of apparently secondary consideration.

Which President is the Darling of the Media?

In a famous incident that made Bush a laughing stock of the media, he once tried to open a locked door.
On the other hand, a similar incident occurred to Obama; he tried to access the White House via a window. Someone should tell Obama the difference between a window and a door. I am confident that this gaffe will not be on an upcoming skit of SNL.

Laissez Faire Putin

You have to appreciate the irony of Putin's comments while speaking today at Davos. The Prime Minister warned against state intervention during the international economic crisis, a "perfect storm." Here the leader of the recently described un-free world is advocating laissez faire policies while the leader of free world promotes more control and state ownership. If only Americans would heed the Soviet world's lessons and history.

Iran Ups Ante: Obama Should Withdraw and Apologize

Iran accepted Obama's initial offer of an apology for advocating American interests previously. Now President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region and an apology for past "crimes" against Tehran. Ahmadinejad was responding to Obama's offer to extend a hand of peace if Iran "unclenched its fist."

Obama's Booty Call

Still buried on page 147 of the Stimulus bill, or should I call it the stimulation bill, is the stimulation for prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.

I realize it sounds like a joke that someone is making up but unfortunately that is not the case. The bill includes $335 million for sexually transmitted disease education and prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the past, the CDC has used STD education funding for programs that many Members of Congress find objectionable and arguably unrelated to a mission of economic stimulus. The events were called 'Booty Call' and 'Great Sex' put on by an organization that received $698,000 in government funds.

Not All Young People Are Drinking the Kool Aid

Once you are about to lose hope that all young people are falling into the abyss of political hope a person comes along to dispel that notion.

Some people are black and right.

Obama: First 100 Minutes

Years ago like most kids I enjoyed the offbeat political humor of Mad magazine. I am pleased to see recently that they are still up to their usual antics.

Obama Stimulus Boondoggle

The stimulus boondoggle is about to be voted on. Helpfully, Freedom Works has a list of facts that narrow down the unwieldy bill. Their focus narrows down the boondoggle in simpler terms that can be grasped more easily. For example, the

"bill will cost each and every household $6,700 in additional debt, paid for by our children and grandchildren.

The bill provides enough spending – $825 billion – to give every man, woman, and child in America $2,700. $825 billion is enough to give every person in Ohio $72,000.

$825 billion is enough to give every person living in poverty in the United States $22,000."

The summary points make it clear that if Congress really wanted to help the American people, it would be better to simply hand out money on a street corner.

Most of the bill is pork for pet projects thus it is more likely that Obamacrats are looking for Republican intervention. If that scenario transpires, they can take credit for a cleaner bill and add how bi-partisan they are acting.

Obama Friends Knew Him as Barry Soetoro at Occidental

Eric Moore, a college associate of Obama at Occidental College, is interviewed where he relates that, at the time, he was known as Barry. His name change from Barry Soetoro to Obama occurred somewhere during this time.

The significance of this is that Barry was using his Indonesian name, and of course, his Indonesian passport.

The Occidental website, in reporting the news of Soetoro being elected president, stated: "It was at Occidental where he stopped being called `Barry' and became Barack Obama, Newsweek pointed out in its account of Obama’s formative years that featured his black-and-white freshman photo on the cover."

Two other friends from Occidental, Tom Moyes and Ken Sulzer, remember him as Barry. Sulzer, when he first realized it was Obama, called Moyes to state: "That’s Barry, man,’” says Sulzer, mistakenly thinking Barry was simply a nickname Obama went by during his youth. It was no mistake apparently because he was Barry Soetoro at the time named after his step-father.

His mother and adopted dad got divorced in August of 1980. As he entered Occidental in 1979 he used his Indonesian name, and most likely his Indonesian citizenship and passport, then immediately after his mom's divorce he desired to revert back to his birth name of Barack Obama.

Bill: The $6 Million Speaker

Financial documents filed by newly confirmed Secretary of State Clinton show that Bill earned nearly $6 million in speaking fees last year, nearly all of it from foreign companies.

The Associated Press indicate that $5 million of the former president's reported $5.7 million in 2008 honoraria came from foreign sources. They included Kuwait's National Bank, a Hong Kong-based company, and other firms and groups in Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, and Portugal.

Read The Stimulus (If You Dare): It Is Scary

Yes, it is massive and bulky but with the Obama administration as tight-lipped and secretive as it is, you have to get the information yourself from wherever you can. Fortunately, other sources and organizations have stepped into the breach and accurate information about the stimulus package is available. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released their analysis of the House version of the stimulus bill (H.R. 1). The taxpayer's groups that sponsor more information on the Bill note:

"Most striking is that in total, the CBO estimates that less than 21% of the funds would be spent in 2009. Apparently, it is a huge crisis which requires swift action to pass a massive spending bill--but there seems to be no hurry at all to actually get the money into the American economy anytime soon."

Obama Placates the Muslim World

The transcript of Obama placating the Muslim world is revealing.

And my job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives. My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy. We sometimes make mistakes. We have not been perfect. But if you look at the track record, as you say, America was not born as a colonial power, and that the same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, there's no reason why we can't restore that. And that I think is going to be an important task.

Muslims are extraordinary and simply want to live better. Americans make mistakes.

He stated: "extremist organizations - whether Muslim or any other faith in the past - that will use faith as a justification for violence." He points out the importance of language, which is true, but labeling terrorism as an extreme position is misleading. This is an old trap of language that incorrectly labels your enemy and thus misunderstands what you are faced with. The common mistake that Obama is falling for is in mistaking that these Muslims are simply misunderstood and when all is said and done they would really rather live like Americans. In describing AQ, Obama stated that the group offers nothing to suggest that: "a child in the Muslim world is getting a better education because of them, or has better health care because of them."

When has AQ sought better education or health care for Muslims? These are American domestic issues and concerns. AQ has no desire to be American.

He is wrong. The AQ types are living the Islamic life that they prefer and are energized by their religion to act, and kill, as they see fit.

This is an odd interview to provide in any case. During the election campaign, any mention of Obama's Muslim heritage, culturally, was taboo. Now, on the other hand, he is explicitly recognizing its importance in his life.

Now, my job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect. I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries.

America has a mission to Islam according to Obama.

If an investigative reporter had an opportunity to pursue his premise, and followed up with pointed questions about when, for how long, and in what Muslim countries (note the plural) he has lived, it would prove revealing. I hope that he continues to be interviewed by Arab TV.

Obama First Formal TV: Arabic Cable

Obama sat for his first formal TV interview with Arabic cable TV network Al-Arabiya.

What Islam Is Not

A video from France describes "What Islam Is Not."

Obama: Plan?

Obama has released the details of his proposed $825 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. To at least one aspect of the recovery plan--expanding broadband access--Obama offered no concrete goals and a supporting document (download PDF) issued by the White House doesn't mention the word "broadband" once. So we still do not know what he has planned.

Lightfoot Stay Denied: Update on Other Cases

Broe v. Reed: Case Dismissed in Washington, “Without Comment;” this case is going to SCOTUS.

Lightfoot v. Bowen: Application for Stay Denied; Dr. Taitz is planning on filing a petition for a writ of Certiorari:

There are also currently two cases actively seeking a sponsoring attorney at the federal level, one requiring a formal petition for court (Ms. Cris Ericson’s Ericson v. Obama) and another having been dismissed in Florida but willing to go further (Mr. Spencer Connerat’s Connerat v. Browning).

Further, in Indiana, a currently pending lawsuit should see some activity by the end of the month: Ankeny v. Daniels. And Dr. Taitz is in the process of getting a military-Plaintiff-based lawsuit together (currently said to have 50 petitioners, one of whom is said to be a blood relative of the President) and filed.

Obama: Ass or Jesus? You Decide

An artist in Iowa created an inaugural parade featuring Obama, riding on a donkey, complete with waving palm fronds and "Secret Service" escort, in an obvious parallel to Jesus.

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan declared in October that when Obama talks, "the Messiah is absolutely speaking." Artist Matthew J. Clark's parade evokes the messianic imagery even farther.

Clark called the marching artwork "A Simulacrum of Hope: Simulation of the Triumphal Entry of the Christ."

Obama First To Snub Vets in 56 Years

Since 1953 every new president has attended The Salute to Heroes Inaugural Ball: until Obama.

The ball was created for President Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration to honor recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. The event is sponsored by the American Legion and co-sponsored by 13 other veteran's service organizations, including the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Obama's Bad Bank Options

All of Obama's choices for the financial crisis are bad. Any one that he chooses will have to be spun to death to make it appear solvent. It depends on how gullible the American public is to see if he will be able to pull the wool over people's eyes.

Iceland's Social Democracy Falls: Americans Import Same

Protesters carry a placard of Iceland's Justice Minister Bjorn Bjarnason and a sign reading 'death power' during demonstrations

Certainly not pictures of compliant Americans as Icelanders take to the streets to protest their government's policies.

Riot police huddle together as projectiles are thrown at the Parliament building behind them in downtown Reykjavik.

Iceland's Minister of Commerce Bjorgvin Sigurdsson has resigned, two days after the prime minister announced his own departure due to pressures from the island nation's economic collapse.

Mr Sigurdsson, a member of Iceland's junior Social Democrat coalition party, made the announcment at a news conference this morning.

'I have decided to do this to take responsibility,' he said.

Prime Minister Geir Haarde shocked the country on Friday when he said he would not seek re-election and called for a general election on May 9.

At least the Europeans have politicians who take responsibility for their actions and their constituents believe in their political efficacy enough to provoke change from the grass-roots level. The Social Democratic coalition broke down, interestingly enough, even as America moves to imitate the social Liberal agenda of European social democracies; yet, Americans are not realizing how these plans do not work. The evidence is clear enough from Iceland. The U.S. is learning how to control crowds better from those countries where liberty does not exist. We will be soon enough be socially democrat like the failed policies in Iceland although Americans will be controlled and regulated.

Protesters clash with police in Reykjavik during a demonstration against the Icelandic government's handling of the country's financial crisis

Former Gitmo Prisoners Back To Kill

Two men released from the US "war on terror" prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba have appeared in a video posted on a jihadist website, the SITE monitoring service reported.

One of the two former inmates, a Saudi man identified as Abu Sufyan al-Azdi al-Shahri, or prisoner number 372, has been elevated to the senior ranks of Al-Qaeda in Yemen, a US counter-terrorism official told AFP.

Three other men appear in the video, including Abu al-Hareth Muhammad al-Oufi, identified as an Al-Qaeda field commander. SITE later said he was prisoner No. 333.

Al-Shiri was transferred from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia in 2007, the US counter-terrorism official said.

The other men in the video are identified as Commander Abu Baseer al-Wahayshi and Abu Hureira Qasm al-Rimi (also known as Abu Hureira al-Sana'ani).

The Defense Department has said as many as 61 former Guantanamo detainees -- about 11 percent of 520 detainees transferred from the detention center and released -- are believed to have returned to the fight.

Obama vs. Vatican

Vatican officials said Saturday they were disappointed by President Barack Obama's decision to end a ban on federal funding for international groups that perform abortions or provide information on them.

Monsignor Rino Fisichella, who heads the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, urged Obama to listen to all voices in America without "the arrogance of those who, being in power, believe they can decide of life and death."

Fisichella said in an interview published Saturday in Corriere della Sera that "if this is one of President Obama's first acts, I have to say, in all due respect, that we're heading quickly toward disappointment."

Bailout Lobbyists

A Washington Times review of lobbying disclosure reports found that 18 of the top 20 recipients of federal bailout money spent a combined $12.2 million lobbying the White House, the Treasury Department, Congress and federal agencies during the last quarter of 2008.

Obama Hajj

A special CNN report has likened attendance at Obama's inauguration to participation in the hajj, the pilgrimage to Islam's holy city Mecca that Muslims are required to make at least once.

Michael Wolfe, the author of "1001 roads to Mecca," pointed out how much the Saudis can teach Americans about controlling crowds, especially in an urban environment.

Obama, declaring that the U.S. is "no longer a Christian nation," as America is a nation of many faiths that includes Muslims and "nonbelievers," the implication seems clear. We should grow accustomed to the control instituted by the messianic president.

Update: Lightfoot Decision on Monday

Decision of the Supreme Court on Lightfoot v Bowen will be provided on Monday, 10 am Pacific
No. 08A524
Title: Gail Lightfoot, et al., Applicants
v.
Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State

Docketed:
Lower Ct: Supreme Court of California
Case Nos.: (S168690)

~~~Date~~~ ~~~~~~~Proceedings and Orders~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dec 12 2008 Application (08A524) for a stay pending the filing and disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari, submitted to Justice Kennedy.
Dec 17 2008 Application (08A524) denied by Justice Kennedy.
Dec 29 2008 Application (08A524) refiled and submitted to The Chief Justice.
Jan 7 2009 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 23, 2009.
Jan 7 2009 Application (08A524) referred to the Court.
Jan 13 2009 Suggestion for recusal received from applicant.
Jan 22 2009 Supplemental brief of applicant Gail Lightfoot, et al. filed. (Distributed)

"Obama" Heroin

Graphic source: The Smoking Gun

Obama heroin is on sale in upstate New York where police broke up a drug ring that allegedly sold heroin under several brand names, including "Obama."

Hate Crime Legislation: Not Free Speech

Obama's willingness to re-insert hate crime legislation into Congress for approval ignores the provisions of the 14th Amendment and creates a conflict between the 1st Amendment and the proposed provisions of the hate crimes bill.

America can always become similar to Denmark where a film maker can be prosecuted for making films.

I would prefer the American way: free speech.

Close Gitmo: Feel Safe?

A Saudi national released from U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in September 2007 is believed to be a key leader in al Qaeda's operations in Yemen, according to a U.S. counterterrorism official.

Ali al-Shiri was released in 2007 from the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Defense Department recently estimated that more than 60 terrorists released from Guantanamo may have returned to the battlefield.

Obama, No Questions, Please

Reporters ask questions; administration ducks answers.

The same clip but in context and without commentary.

Clinton's China Connection Not Transparent

Former President Bill Clinton's foundation, despite identifying more than 200,000 of its donors in recent weeks, will not say who paid it windfall prices for stock in a struggling Internet firm with links to the Chinese government.

Mrs. Clinton was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as President Obama's secretary of state and assumed her formal duties with a State Department ceremony Thursday.

However, Mrs. Clinton's office and the foundation have declined to answer questions about a lucrative 2006 stock transaction, details of which were reported by The Washington Times in March 2008.

The Accoona Corp. donated between $250,001 and $500,000 to Mr. Clinton's charity after he spoke at the company's launch in New York in 2004, according to donor information released by the foundation in December. The foundation sold its Accoona stock for $700,000 two years later, according to the charity's tax return for 2006.

Despite what the tax return suggests, Accoona struggled mightily to turn a profit.

In 2007, Accoona filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission reporting more than $60 million in losses during three years. In the same prospectus, it listed the China Daily Information Corp., a subsidiary of China Daily, the official English-language newspaper of the Chinese government, as an official partner and 6.9 percent owner of the company.

Obama's Administration Kills Civilians

Missiles fired from a suspected U.S. spy plane killed seven people today on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border. Attacks have continued unabated since the Bush administration which encountered bad publicity as a result.

Obama: No Questions

Statement to reporters: no questions. Isn't that their job? If you were really helpful you would help, not hinder them.

However, it was enough to see how tense the situation became if a question was asked.

Obama got agitated that he was faced with a substantive question.

Asked how he could reconcile a strict ban on lobbyists in his administration with a Deputy Defense Secretary nominee who lobbied for Raytheon, Obama interrupted with a knowing smile on his face.

"Ahh, see," he said, "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."

Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, William J. Lynn III, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder and staring him in the eye.

"Alright, come on" he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. "We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys - that's all I was trying to do."

The press was not allowed open access to the second-swearing in for example, a situation that CNN's Ed Henry noted: “It is ironic, the same day that the president is talking about transparency, we were not let in.”

Wait until he faces genuine questions live.