American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture
Aide says former Vice President Dick Cheney had heart transplant.
Cheney, born in 1941, has a long history of heart problems.
Smitty: BREAKING: Dick Cheney Refutes Rumors That He Lacked A Heart
UPDATE, Monday, 26 March:
Cheney doing ‘exceedingly well’ after heart transplant
I am in the process of writing an extended article on one of the most depressing news: Chavez is not only raiding the the home of Globovision president Guillermo Zuloaga but is closing the last independent TV station left in the country. This increases the likelihood that true news reporting will soon come to an end in Venezuela.
In the meantime, here are some very interesting articles,
Larry Kudlow speech: “One man, one woman, can make a huge difference.”
The kindergarteners were locked out of the White House, but the Steelers got in.
The 10 punches Dick Cheney landed on Barack Obama’s jaw Number nine:
9. “It’s worth recalling that ultimate power of declassification belongs to the president himself. President Obama has used his declassification authority to reveal what happens in the interrogation of terrorists. Now let him use that same power to show Americans what did not happen thanks to the good work of our intelligence officials.”
Cheney is pushing Obama to declassify documeents relating to the information gained from terrorist suspects who were subjected to Enhanced Interrogation Techniques. This puts Obama in a bind. If he does so, it prolongs an argument he wants to move on from and prolongs the Obama vs Cheney meme that is distracting and doesn’t really help him. if he doesn’t, he looks like he has something to hide.
How about that idea of sending the Gitmo detainees to supermax prisons? Supermax too full
Supermax’s approximately 480 concrete cells already are jammed with the likes of Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols, Atlanta Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph and other notorious domestic criminals. There also are 33 international terrorists, including Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Ramzi Yousef and failed airline shoe bomber Richard Reid.
Only one bed was not filled Thursday at Supermax, U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Tracy Billingsley said.
So getting any more than a handful of detainees from Guantanamo to Florence would require considerable logistical maneuvers to clear room or an even longer-term solution through prison expansion.
Phyllis Chesler writes on The Fatherless Sons of Jihad: Bigger Than the Bronx Four
Why has America been so foolishly complacent about—nay, even complicit–in the recruitment of jailed African-American men by radical Islamists? Perhaps, for a variety of reasons, this particular prison population may already have been brainwashed to hate Jews, Israel, and America. `
Why has America failed to understand that, just as Islamists routinely prey upon the poor, the disenfranchised, the marginalized, the vulnerable–and on women and children in Muslim countries–to become human bombs, that Islamists will surely, inevitably, prey upon their counterparts in America?
In Argentina, Judge Refuses Bail to Buenos Aires Antisemites
Victor Davis Hanson is touring Europe and observing Euroamericans:
If heaven is retiring at 55, leaving the apartment each mid-morning to sit in the local coffee shop, and then protesting on weekends about my lower than anticipated pension cost of living increase, then I would prefer hell.
My feelings exactly.
How to hurt the economy: Hiking taxes, failing to kill the AMT, and preserving the death tax, among other things.
Via Soccer dad, Bibi Rejects Obama’s ‘UN Flag at Kotel’; Star of David to Remain
Prime Minister Netanyahu declared, “The flag that flies over the Kotel is the Israeli flag… Our holy places, the Temple Mount — will remain under Israeli sovereignty forever.”
Via Maria, the “smart car” comes short on mileage. There are a few of these scooters with a big chassis driving around The Principality and all I can think of is what would happen to the passengers if someone with a larger vehicle ran into them.
I’ll be driving my Volvo until the duck tape doesn’t hold it together anymore, thank you.
Speaking of cars, Scott Ott, only a day or two ahead of the headlines: GM says no problem for new drone in meeting emissions, fuel standards.
In shoe news, the Bernardo folks are celebrating. I spent most of my teens in Puerto Rico wearing that brand of sandals and still own a pair (bought new a couple of years ago) that I wear frequently in the summer. They are also offering good money for 1940s, 50s and 60s Bernardos, if you have any at home.
UPDATE
First the TOTUS, now Biden’s Bunker. What next, Hillary’s pantsuit?
Where is Hillary, anyway?
The Obama media can’t wait for the heavenly bliss of inaguration, so Gail Collins in the NYT has come out with the idea that both Pres. Bush and Vice-President Cheney resign. And then Nancy Pelosi can take over and fix the economy until Obama takes office.
Excuse me while I roll my eyes.
Prairie Pundit calls it a call for coup, but I don’t think that Gail has enough brains to even consider what she proposes as a coup. I’m more inclined to agree with TigerHawk instead, who considers it quite possibly the most idiotic column ever published in the New York Times.
Is it any mystery why the stock value of the Times is virtually worthless?
(h/t Larwyn)
Colombia has been fighting a civil war for over four decades; Mexico is in the middle of a drug war. People who can arm themselves, hire bodyguards, and purchase bullet-proof clothes and automoviles.
Not surprisingly, a Colombian entrepeneur has seen a great business opportunity, and has expanded his business to other countries in Latin America and Europe.
But The Guardian thinks it’s all because of Dick Cheney: Colombia tailor offers bespoke bullet-proof jackets for millionaires
After Dick Cheney accidentally shot a friend while hunting, Miguel Caballero’s protective jackets, blazers and raincoats are in big demand.
It didn’t have anything to do with the thousands of people killed in the drug wars, and the narcoterrorists, would it? Really?
I guess that must be why Harrods displays the garments next to the Berettas:
Harrods displays some Caballero wares near the Beretta concession in the hunting and outdoors section. The rest is in a section visited by appointment only.
For this precious bit of journalism, I nominate The Guardian for the AOTH Award.
And now for an oldie but goodie, Ten ways Cheney can kill. That’s more like it!
Let the Cold War verbiage roll: Kremlin dusts off Cold War lexicon to make US villain in Georgia
Russians were told over breakfast yesterday what really happened in Georgia: the conflict in South Ossetia was part of a plot by Dick Cheney, the Vice-President, to stop Barack Obama being elected president of the United States.
That’s Cheney Derangement Syndrome for you.
In a baffling display of what passes for logic in those quarters,
“George Bush’s Administration is promoting interests of candidate John McCain,” said Dr Markov. “Defeated by Barak Obama on all fronts, McCain has one last card to play yet – the creation of a virtual Cold War with Russia . . . Bush himself did not want a war in South Ossetia but his Republican Party did not leave him any choice.” The Americans were now engineering an armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Dr Markov added.
Doc Markov’s a “senior political scientist who is close to Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister and power behind President Medvedev.” Either that, or he’s wearing one of those swimmer laser suits and it impedes blood flow to his brain.
Doc Markov’s dusted off the never-forgotten Soviet lexicon:
West was guilty of “adventurism”,
aggression against peace-loving Russian forces who are engaged on a humanitarian mission to protect human life,
the seditious tactics of the so-called colour revolutions,
threat to international law,
global legal nihilism,
yadda yadda yadda
You must admit, though, that the “colour revolutions” is a new one because in old Cold War days the only “colour” was Communist Red. Any other color got squashed before it had a chance to unfurl.
Everything old is new again. Call it the Soviet Verbiage Vintage Shop. Look who’s wearing vintage.
Bonus
There’s a bear in the woods:
A bear in the woods, and a man in the water:
Anyone who harbors any doubt that Washington is one huge three-ring circus need only read this caper:
Dems Outmaneuvered on Impeachment
Michelle Malkin has a blow-by-blow of the sporting event.
Dan Riehl asks,Republicans: The Nutroots Best Friend?
Memeorandum has lots more on the whole spectacle.
Mitchell Langbert rips into the N Sun’s idea that Bloomberg would win if he ran for President: New York’s UINO Bloomberg: Is the MSM on Drugs?
Tying all of these developments together, the Sun’s first page headline on Friday claimed that Mayor Bloomberg has a chance of winning the presidency, apparently based on the counter-factual claim that Mayor Bloomberg is “competent”. Yet, the article fails to mention reports of the Mayor’s incompetence in the Sun‘s own pages. As the Sun’s Alicia Colon points out, the Mayor has accomplished little save drive the middle class from New York:
“…many New Yorkers think he’s done a great job as mayor. They must all be real estate developers, because one thing I’ll give Bloomberg credit for is giving them the heart and soul of New York City while driving real New Yorkers to other states.”
Mayor Bloomberg has apparently driven the middle class out of New York competently, because none of the mainstream media reports that story. That story is the story of a real estate bubble. In the 1990s only millionaires could afford a city apartment. Since Mayor Bloomberg’s election, only deca-millionaires ($10 million and up net worth) can afford one. Studios go for over a million dollars. Such a modest price is understandable because recent grads just starting out with low incomes need somewhere to live. Rent control, housing regulation, subsidies for super-developments all spell “government-induced shortage”. All of this has proceeded on Mayor Bloomberg’s watch. Yet, New York’s MSM trumpets “competence”.
In August 2006 , I suggested that Mayor Bloomberg is an INO, independent in name only. Now, the consensus seems to be that he’s a UINO, unaffiliated in name only. In either case, Bloomberg’s positions are across the board left/liberal. He has done nothing to shrink government, eliminate waste or lower taxes. He has interfered in areas such as the reconstruction of the Twin Towers where he lacks competence. His urban planning exercises, such as the master plan and the football stadium, have been manifestly incompetent. He has implemented intrusive health regulations. He has harassed small business and provided private-use eminent domain support to billionaire developers.
Read it all – Langbert concludes with,
They all point to the importance of a renewed alliance between economic liberals and the religious right. If a conservative candidate can make a convincing case that satisfies these two groups, he or she will be unbeatable.
I agree – A few weeks ago I said that a Republican candidate can win, but it’d be a matter of running against the insiders. It can be done – Sarkozy just did in France.
James Joyner has more on Gotham’s megalomaniacs.
And now, about Hillary,
Investor’s Business Daily
Because even as the video spoofing the Sopranos was being flashed around the Internet, serious charges of political corruption were about to be leveled against Hillary Clinton in a California court. As it turns out, the Clintons-as-crime-family trope in Hillary’s campaign video might be a little too close for comfort.
The scandal involves allegations by movie producer Peter Paul that a 2000 senatorial fundraiser for Clinton in Hollywood violated campaign laws. Paul claims he spent $2 million to produce the fundraising event — a de facto campaign expenditure. Under campaign law then in effect, campaign gifts were limited to $2,000.
He further claims that Hillary Clinton knew of his behind-the-scenes illegal activity and approved of it.
This Friday, Paul’s attorney says he will file an appeals court brief seeking the admission of new evidence in the case: a video in which Hillary Clinton is heard, over a speakerphone, thanking Paul in advance for putting on the fundraiser. “I wanted to call and personally thank all of you,” she says on the tape. “It’s going to mean a lot to the president, too,” she adds.
That last part is crucial, since Paul maintains the only reason he put the fundraiser on was to get Bill Clinton to serve as a “rainmaker” for a now-defunct Internet company that Paul headed.
The Federal Elections Commission already found Clinton’s 2000 senatorial campaign failed to report all the money it raised during the event that Paul produced. This takes that a step further.
Doug Ross explains Hillary Clinton and “The Largest Election Law Fraud in History”. This is a must-read post. Doug clearly explains the latest Clinton scandal, which is of course bypassed by the MSM (which is too busy talking about Paris Hilton’s latest).
The post includes two videos:
Go to Doug Ross’s post and read it all.
You won’t find this at the WaPo, which is busy talking about hillarycare
Technorati: Hillary Clinton Michael Bloomberg
