Obama to become first sitting US president to receive Israel’s Medal of Honor

Agence France-Presse:

Barack Obama will become the first serving US president to receive Israel’s presidential medal, from his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres on a visit to the Jewish state next month, Peres’s office said on Monday.

“President Obama has made a unique and meaningful contribution to strengthening the state of Israel and the security of its people,” it said in a statement.

“Barack Obama is a true friend of the state of Israel and has been since the beginning of his public life. As president of the United States he has stood beside Israel in times of crisis,” it added.

Israel’s presidential medal of distinction is awarded to individuals or organisations who have contributed to Israeli society and Israel’s image in the world.

That sound you’re hearing is the sound of thousands of wingnuts’ heads exploding, all over the nation. One of their most cherished fearmongering lies — that President Obama is actively trying to destroy Israel — has just died.

Romney’s announced policy toward Israel, Palestine represents yet another flip-flop

Raw Story:

CNN host Soledad O’Brien on Monday held Romney senior campaign adviser Tara Wall’s feet to the fire on the former Massachusetts governor “completely contradictory” positions about whether Israel and the Palestinians could live in peace.

In a secretly recorded video published by Mother Jones last month, Romney had told a group of wealthy donors: “I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say there’s just no way.”

But during major foreign policy speech scheduled for Monday, the Republican presidential nominee is expected to say that he is committed to “a Democratic, prosperous Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the Jewish state of Israel.”

O’Brien on Monday asked Wall to describe Romney’s true position because his two earlier statements were “completely contradictory.”

This is one of the things I find so troubling about Mitt Romney. He’ll say anything it takes to become president, which means we have no idea what it is he actually believes and what it is he’d actually do. The result of all this contradiction is that we have no actual idea who Mitt Romney really is.

News Roundup for 12/9/11

What Gingrich pictures when he imagines a Palestinian

-Headline of the Day-
"Gingrich: Palestinians 'invented,' promises Netanyahu-style foreign policy."

Part of being a Republican is being positively insane on the issue of Israel and the middle east. It's very important to be the least realistic person in any given room on the subject and Newt Gingrich is determined to be that person.

In an interview with The Jewish Channel, Newt decided the time was right to leave reality completely behind. Not only don't Palestinians have any claim to what was formerly called "Palestine," but Palestinians themselves are just made-up things, like leprechauns, unicorns, and Reagan's welfare queens.

"Remember there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. And I think that we've had an invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs, and were historically part of the Arab community," Newt said. "And they had a chance to go many places. And for a variety of political reasons we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940's, and I think it’s tragic."

OK, so by this logic, there is no "America," since America was part of the British Empire. And Newt as a so-called "American" doesn't actually exist, because he's part of the white race from Europe.

Consistency in logic is a real bitch, ain't it?

Which is why Newt decided to abandon consistency pretty much immediately. In the same interview, Gingrich said, "I believe if somebody goes around and says you don’t have a right to exist, they’re probably not prepared to negotiate for peace."

So what's it say when you go even further and say they never even existed in the first place? (Politico)


-Class warfare defined-


Click to embiggen

...and the middle class and labor and small businesses... (McClatchy)

-Bonus HotD-
"Rick Perry Will Get Rid of Activist Judges As Soon As He Can Name One."

All the hatemongering in the world can't distract from the fact that Rick Perry really is just an idiot. (Wonkette)

Stories to Watch: 5/20/11

You ever wish your PC had an ass, so you could kick it? Now here's the news...


Obama, Netanyahu meet. Not a lot accomplished.


Everyone on the right is saying that Obama threw Israel "under the bus" with his call for a return to 1967 borders. The Anti-Defamation Leagues Abe Foxman disagrees -- but that's probably because he's so antisemitic.


Are you a bright teen who thinks it would be fun to debate Michele Bachmann on the subject of the Constitution? Then get ready for threats of rape and violence. Bachmann is a Tea Party hero and apparently the 'baggers have decided that calling 16 year-old Amy Myers a "whore" and threatening to publish her home address so nuts can come have their way with her is what the founders had envisioned.


Fox big Roger Ailes doesn't like that Chris Matthews said Sarah Palin is "pathetic." Luckily, there's no reason for anyone at MSNBC to give a fuck what Roger Ailes thinks.


Speaking of Sarah, apparently she's got heartburn or something. Get well soon, Moose-o-lini!


Story #4,307 about how Mittens Romney has a problem because GOP bigots hate Mormons. We get it.


A recess appointment for Elizabeth Warren gets some backing.


Finally, how are all those new GOP governors doing? Not so good.

Related articles

• Fox News Chief Rips Matthews For Brutal Palin Comments (huffingtonpost.com)
• FOX NEWS BOSS: People Say It Was Truly Pathetic That I Gave Chris Matthews His Start On Television (businessinsider.com)
• Chris Matthews On A Michele Bachmann Campaign: 'I Want Her To Run So Much' (mediaite.com)
• Romney: More Pro-Israel Than Abe Foxman (andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com)

Stories to Watch: 2/12/11

Kind of a boring weekend around here so far. This time of year, the days keep getting longer, but all the additional sun doesn't seem to accomplish anything. We're on the downhill slope of winter, to be sure, but it sure doesn't feel that way. Now here's the news...


Rightwing fears are seeming more and more unfounded as the Egyptian military says they'resticking with the country's treaty with Israel and protesters reaffirm that, yes, this is all about democracy.


Just a reminder: the Obama administration is awful on matters of privacy and domestic surveillance.


Senator Gabrielle Giffords? Let's wait and see if she's still up to being Representative Gabrielle Giffords, OK guys?


House GOP finally settle on $100 billion in cuts. Problem is, it's never going to happen.


Rep. Peter King earns another Profile in Courage award by pissing himself over Muslims again.


Finally, Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin threatens to sic the National Guard on state workers who might get mad about his plan to dismantle their union. The same day Mubarak steps down, Walker steps up. Hooray for Republican freedom!

News Roundup for 2/3/11

Sen. John McCain

-Headline of the day-
"McCain Calls Middle East Pro-Democracy Movement A 'Virus'."

Remember how, when we invaded Iraq, democracy was supposed to bust out all over in the middle east -- and that was a good thing?

Well guess what: democracy is busting out all over in the middle east -- and that's a bad thing!

See, it works like this; these democracy movements have jack squat to do with Iraq, so that makes them automatically bad. Because they're gonna hate Israel. See, if democracy movements were born because of Iraq, then those movements would automatically love Israel.

Why? Just because, OK? When we bomb someone into democracy, that's like a vaccine. But when it breaks out all on its lonesome, then it's a virus.

Although, now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure that's how the British once felt about things -- say, two hundred and some years ago. (ThinkProgress, with video)


-Totally gratuitous graphic...-
...because I'm still wiped from dealing with ALL THAT SNOW!!



Totally worth it though, am I right? (Daily What)


-Bonus HotD-
"NATIONAL ENQUIRER SHOCKER: Enquirer Thinks Boehner Is 'Handsome'."

Also, that he's been banging a lobbyist and a "pretty congressional press secretary." (Wonkette)

Stories to Watch: 1/31/11

Snow. Apparently for days. Snow, then snow, followed by snow. Send dogs. Now here's the news...


In an act of judicial activism, a federal judge in Florida has ruled that the entire healthcare reform law is unconstitutional. Steve Benen notes that the decision doesn't seem to make any constitutional sense, that both judges who've ruled against the law were Republican appointees, and that the foes of the law haven't actually been very successful, with 2 courts ruling for the law, 2 against, and about 12 courts refusing to hear the cases at all.


Brian Beutler calls the judges decision "extreme activism."


It seems to me that telling everyone in the world that Hosni Mubarak is above reproach isn't really the smartest thing Israel has ever done.


The right is wetting their pants over the Muslim Brotherhood. Too bad they ain't squat.


Jimmy Carter says that Mubarak will have to leave office. The White House is already preparing for a post-Mubarak world.


Finally, Republicans believe that China is way more important than Americans.

NBC: Gaza a "120 Square Mile Prison"

It's rare for US media to even admit that anyone other than Israelis have a point about Gaza, so this segment from NBC News is noteworthy:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What can I add? It's bad. And it looks like the perpetually denied facts are becoming undeniable.

New York Times:

President Obama promised a $400 million aid package for the West Bank and Gaza on Wednesday, as the United States scrambled to come up with a way out of the stalemate in the Middle East exacerbated by the Gaza flotilla incident last week.

Mr. Obama, meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, said that the money would go to housing and schools. White House officials said that the money also would help increase access to drinking water and to help address health and infrastructure needs.

The president called the situation in Gaza "unsustainable" and pledged the following aid:

A $240 million investment by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in the AMAL mortgage finance program in the West Bank, which is designed to increase homeownership by offering long-term mortgages at fixed- and variable rates.

$75 million in funding through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support the Palestinian Authority’s work to improve infrastructure throughout the West Bank and Gaza.

$10 million in USAID-funded activities aimed at enhancing the Palestinian private sector’s competitiveness.

$40 million to support UNRWA's Emergency Appeal for Gaza and the West Bank, which will help improve educational and health services, increase job creation, and repair shelters in Gaza, while also addressing core humanitarian needs in the West Bank.

$14.5 million in USAID projects for school rehabilitation, small-scale agriculture, the repair of a hospital facility and other community infrastructure in Gaza.

$10 million for the construction of five new UNRWA schools in Gaza.

$5 million to start nine USAID-funded projects to repair water distribution and wastewater collection systems in Gaza.

Expect the "OBAMA'S A TERR'IST" hyperbole from the right to increase pretty much immediately.

IDF All But Admits that None of the Dead were Terrorists

The Israeli Defense force has released the names of five passengers of the Mavi Marmara "known to be involved in terrorist activity." Let's leave aside whether any of this is true or not (and I suspect this is all gross exaggeration) and just go ahead and assume it's accurate to say all these people are Lexx Luthor.

Fatimah Mahmadi (born 1979), is a United States resident of Iranian origin, and an active member of the organization “Viva Palestine”, she attempted to smuggle forbidden electronic components into the Gaza Strip.

Ken O’Keefe (Born 1969), an American and British citizen, is a radical anti-Israel activist and operative of the Hamas Terror organization. He attempted to enter the Gaza Strip in order to form and train a commando unit for the Palestinian terror organization.

Hassan Iynasi (born 1982), a Turkish citizen and activist  in a Turkish charity organization, is known of providing financial support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Terror organization.

Hussein Urosh, a Turkish citizen and activist in the IHH organization, was on his way to the Gaza Strip in order to assist in smuggling Al-Qaeda operatives via Turkey into the Strip.

Ahmad Umimon (born 1959), is a French citizen of Moroccan origin, and an operative of the Hamas Terrorist organization.

Now here's the thing; these are the names of the people killed by the IDF after they boarded the ship:

Ibrahim Bilgen
Ali Haydar Bengi
Cevdet Kiliçlar
Çetin Topçuoglu
Necdet Yildirim
Fahri Yaldiz
Cengiz Songür
Cengiz Akyüz
Furkan Dogan

Notice anything interesting there? None of the people killed are among the international Blofelds listed by the IDF. In other words, the Israeli Defense Force has just admitted that they have absolutely no proof at all that the people they killed were terrorists or had ties to terrorism. You've got to assume that if any of the dead had even the most tenuous ties to any organization considered to be "terrorist" -- even the weakest links -- the IDF would be trumpeting this fact 24/7. Instead, it's clear they have nothing on anyone on they killed.

I'll leave debunking or confirming the first list to people more knowledgeable than I. But even if you assume that the information in the first list is 100% accurate and without hyperbole, the names on that second list still damn the IDF.

Israeli Gay Pride Event the End of the World?

Witness the lunacy:

clipped from www.onenewsnow.com Christian Zionist Jim Hutchens says the recent homosexual pride parade in Jerusalem merely contributed to the moral climate that will bring about the besieging of Jerusalem foretold by prophets of the Bible. Hutchens, president of The Jerusalem Connection International (TJCI), says the Bible warns of a worldwide moral decline that affects the Holy Land as well. "There is a judgment that God brings worldwide and on Israel, as a matter of fact. And I think those are the events that lead up to what we refer to as Armageddon, the apocalyptic besieging of Jerusalem," Hutchens contends. He says the upcoming elections in Israel and the U.S. will have a definitive effect on the moral climate of both countries in the days ahead. Hutchens believes Israel is faced with a Supreme Court similar to that of the U.S. Although same-sex "marriage" is not legal in Israel, Hutchens suggests the homosexual pride event is "a preview of future attractions."

Fresh off widespread media ridicule for changing athlete Tyson Gay's name to Tyson Homosexual, right wing nutjob site OneNewsNow warns that a gay pride event in Jerusalem means the end time are nigh.

It's weird how often these guys can predict the end of the world, be wrong every time, and still get idiots to listen to them. For some, I guess, "faith" and "willful ignorance" are synonymous.

(h/t Carpetbagger Report)

Griper Blade: Holy Joe's Unholy Alliance

They call the only elected member of the Connecticut for Lieberman party "Holy Joe." Sen. Joe Lieberman is well-known for his faith -- specifically, his Jewish faith. After all, it was Sen. Joe who tried to out-holy Dubya in 2000, with a speech calling on Americans to "reaffirm our faith and renew the dedication of our nation and ourselves to God and God's purposes." Atheists like myself or Buddhists who's gods aren't real (they're karmic illusions) apparently have no place in American life -- although, I suppose we could pretend to pray, just to be polite. It wasn't quite the Orwellian nightmare that Mitt Romney's "Freedom Requires Religion" speech was, but it was scary enough in its own right.

Sen. Joe's faith is a deep, deep river, flowing straight into the heart of Israel. Holy Joe is wholly Zionist. His defection from the Democratic party comes largely from his dedication to fulfilling the neocon prophecy of Israel-friendly democracies sprouting like mushrooms in the middle east. In fact, if the spores of those mushrooms have to be sown with mushroom clouds, it'd be hard to believe that Lieberman wouldn't be proud to push the big red button himself. After all, it was Joe who suggested that we attack Iran. Like most neocons, Lieberman has gotten a little ahead of himself -- there's no real evidence that Iran's enriching uranium to weaponize it and, obviously, this means that Iran doesn't actually have nuclear weapons. But I guess a stitch in time saves nine.

All of which, to the casual observer at least, makes the following story from Max Blumenthal a little hard to figure.

Senator Joseph Lieberman is scheduled to headline Pastor John Hagee's 2008 Christians United For Israel Washington-Israel Summit this July 22. In accepting Hagee's invitation, Lieberman became the most senior elected representative confirmed to appear at the annual gala. Last year, when Lieberman spoke at Hagee's summit, he compared the Texas televangelist to the biblical prophet Moses, dubbing him "an Ish Elochim," or "a man of God." Unless he rescinds his pledge to appear at this year's summit, Lieberman can be expected to deliver another soul-stirring tribute.

He may very well rescind his pledge. Hagee, as you may remember, is the end times nutbag who had endorsed John McCain until it was revealed that Hagee thought Hitler had been sent by God and that the Holocaust was part of God's plan for the Jews.

But the weird thing is that if Joe drops the Hagee event, it'll be because of what it would look like for McCain -- who Lieberman supports -- not because Hagee's a freak. It's extremely likely that Lieberman knows all about Hagee's crazy-assed belief system. In fact, it's extremely likely that McCain has Holy Joe to thank for bringing him to Hagee. Lieberman and the end times nut are tight. John Hagee is a pro-Israel Hitler enthusiast. That may seem contradictory, but with faith, all things are possible...

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Griper Blade: Appeasing the Neocons

It's typical of George W. Bush. He goes to Saudi Arabia to get their help in our energy mess and it doesn't go so well. In fact, the headline in the Telegraph was "Oil leaps after Bush's Saudi trip." Bush's mission did not achieve its desired effect. The Saudis agreed to produce 300,000 extra barrels -- a number the report calls "token." And it's only a token if you believe that Bush had any success at all. The Saudis say that decision had already been made and that Bush's visit had no impact.

Associated Press has a telling paragraph:

When Bush first ran for president in 2000, he criticized the Clinton administration for high fuel prices and said the president must "jawbone" oil producing nations and persuade them to drop rates. At that time, oil was nearing $28 a barrel — less than a quarter what it is now.

The Telegraph piece tells us that "investment bank Goldman Sachs [is] predicting an average price per barrel of $141 in the latter half of the year." The price per barrel is now $127.

No wonder Republicans don't see the value of diplomacy -- their guy sucks at it. Which kind of makes Bush's decision to take a slap at Barack Obama's foreign policy ideas a brand-new kind of ridiculousness. In fact, there are a lot of ridiculous bits to Bush's appearance before the Israeli Knesset. Not the least of which is going to the Israeli parliament to talk about Hitler. Doesn't really seem extremely appropriate to me.

For his part, Bush seems to realize that this election cycle is going to be about him and how much he sucks. So Bush has, apparently, decided that if Barack Obama is going to run against Bush, then John McCain should run against Hamas and Iran. McCain has no reason to thank the president for his help. As this campaign unfolds, the White House and Team McCain are going to find out that there are many things more popular Bush -- and that one of those things are Hamas and Iran. The average person is much more concerned with those who would appease Bush...

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