By Debbie Schlussel
**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ***
Yesterday, I told you about a Muslim’s brutal assault with a hammer on a Black man on a Philadelphia subway train, as he shouted “Allah!” and other Arabic.
Well, the Muslim attacker has been caught:

Thomas Scantling, 26, of Philadelphia, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and related charges, police said. . . .
“He has a long criminal history including rape, robbery, assault, narcotics violations,” [Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles] Ramsey said.

But predictably, all news stories about this omit anything about “Allah” and Arabic and claim that the guy is “mentally unstable”–which is, per usual, the convenient claim of all Muslim violent crime perpetrators once they are caught. What is it about this weird mental illness of trying to kill people in the name of Allah, which conveniently only strikes Muslims?
Doesn’t sound like any mental illness to me. It sounds like something call Islam.
Oh, and another thing, remember when far-left filmmaker Michael Moore said that 9/11 would not have happened if the passengers were Black because Black people would allegedly beat up the hijackers?
Well, as I noted yesterday, not only did all of the passengers on the train car stand by and watch the violent, brutal attack on DeWayne Taylor, they actually walked away. And they were all Black. I’m reposting the video in this incident to show you the Michael Moore hypothesis being debunked.

Philly Police Commissioner Ramsey agrees that the passengers should be ashamed:

Ramsey criticized other riders for standing by when the assailant entered the train with his 5-year-old son, directed the boy to a seat, calmly pulled a hammer from a backpack and attacked a man dozing in a nearby seat.
At least 10 other riders were in the car, yet no one interfered as the attacker repeatedly struck the victim in the train car and later out on a platform, Ramsey said on “Today.”
“They better pray they’re never a victim, because if someone was attacking them that way they would certainly hope someone would step forward and help, and it starts with stepping forward and doing something yourself,” Ramsey said.

He should be ashamed that he ignored the very blatant Islamic angle to this.
This isn’t about mental illness. It’s about Islam.
Ignore it as he might, the jihad is still here. And it’s not going away. It’s getting worse.
Thanks to reader Paul for the update.
**** UPDATE: Reader Steve and Covenant Zone remind me of the August attack in Vancouver, also by a Muslim, Khalid Alzghoul, during which he attacked nine people, hitting them all on the head with a hammer on the same day as the city’s Gay Pride parade. Again, declared “mentally ill.” Uh-huh.

By Debbie Schlussel
**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES ****
I only wish Israeli security at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was as strict and tough as Associated Press would have you believe. I only wish they’d be as probing of Muslim entrants to the Jewish State as they allegedly were of Abdur-Rahim Jackson, an Alvin Ailey dancer and with a Muslim name and a Muslim-convert father.
Jackson claims that two Israeli airport security officials asked him to perform dance moves to prove he was really an Alvin Ailey dancer because he has a Muslim name. Hmmm . . . a Muslim trying to sneak into Israel as part of a Black American dance troupe. A terrorist would never do that, right? Actually, it’s the perfect cover. And if Israelis didn’t look into it, I’d say they were idiots. Checking into things like this is why Israel is still around–at least, for now–as a country.

But, contrary to media reports, hundreds of Muslims and Arabs fly in and out of David Ben Gurion Airport every singe day with barely a glance from Israeli security. And that’s how, for example, British Al-Qaeda members and others are able to blow up places like Mike’s Place bar. Not all Muslim and Arab terrorists sneak into Israel through border fences or via boat. Some just fly in, unfettered.
If Israel gave the examination and “interrogation” Abdur Rahim Jackson claims he got to everyone with a Muslim and/or Arabic name, no Muslims or Arabs would ever get in or out of the country . . . which wouldn’t be such a bad thing. But that’s simply NOT what happens in Israel. They let plenty of suspect people in and out, without making them perform dance moves or otherwise prove their alleged identities. If what Jackson claims really happened, it’s an aberration and unfortunately NOT the policy.
What is the policy, though, in every single Muslim and Arab country is to harass Jews and give a hard time to anyone with anyone with an Israeli passport or stamp from Israel in his/her passport–that reason is used to bar many Jews from Arab states in their travel apartheid. But you never see AP stories about it, like the one about Abdur-Rahim Jackson. Gee, I wonder why.
And then there was that story just a couple months ago about Jews traveling to Jordan who were interrogated and had their religious articles confiscated (to “prevent terrorism”) and not returned. I frank think that any Jew dumb enough to spend even a second or a penny in Palestinian-dominated, Jew-hating Jordan deserves whatever befalls him or her. But there was no AP story decrying the “evil, nasty Palestinian-Jordanian airport and border security.” Again, gee, I wonder why.
I’m glad Israelis gave Abdur-Rahim Jackson the once over. I just wish they’d be even a fraction as thorough of the hundreds of Muslims and Arabs who arrive in Tel Aviv every day without a second’s scrutiny.
Unlike in the Arab and Muslim nations where they look down upon Blacks–Muslim or not–and harass them for no valid reason, Jackson received a gazillion apologies from Israeli officials (and American officials–not sure why they feel they should apologize for valid Israeli security measures). He says that he planned, therefore, not to press the matter. But that didn’t stop him from whining to–and posing for pictures for–AP.
Thanks to reader TJ for the tip.
*** UPDATE: A friend of mine who used to be in Border Patrol in Southern California writes that they regularly did the same thing, but there was no AP story decrying it:

I remember years ago we had a guy at San Ysidro attempting entry and there was some dispute about his documents as well as identity. In Secondary he said he was a circus performer, specifically a juggler.
While we were deciding what to do with this guy, he pleaded for our attention. With a stapler, scotch tape roll, ruler and box of Kleenex he removed all doubt by juggling these four things to our total amazement.
We all had a good laugh, shook hands and he was on his way. It never made the news either.
But he wasn’t Arab [or Muslim], and we weren’t Jewish.

**** UPDATE #2: Tundra Tabloids’ Kenneth Sikorski of Finland reminds me that Malki Roth, an American-Israeli victim of Palestinian terrorism was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist carrying a guitar as a disguise at the Sbarro Jerusalem attack.

By Debbie Schlussel
**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ****
On Friday, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” debuts in theaters throughout the United Kingdom (with “Pajamas” spelled in the European “Pyjamas”). It comes to American theaters in early November. It’s sad that it will be mostly confined to smaller arthouse theaters because “Pajamas” looks like a great movie.
Based on the worldwide bestseller of the same name by Ireland’s John Boyne, the movie is about Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the Nazi commander general of Auschwitz, which he knows nothing about. He and his family are moved to a mansion next to a forest. On the other side of the forest, young Bruno can see from his bedroom window a fence with people in striped pajamas on the other side. Soon, he goes to the forest to play and finds himself at the fence of Auschwitz, where he meets another 8-year-old boy, Shmuel, and soon learns more about his father’s camp. If you’ve read the book, you know there is a very ironic twist at the end of the book, and likewise in the movie.

I don’t know a lot about the historical accuracy of the basis for the story, since I was under the impression that most kids–especially those as young as eight–were immediately exterminated at Auschwitz and never ever got to the stage of the striped pajamas. Still, this fiction novel and movie are important, and I’m sure–if the movie is like the book–entertaining and moving.
Can’t wait to see this. And, of course, G-d-willing, I’ll post my review on its release date. Stay tuned.

*** UPDATE: Reader Rochel says:

There was in fact a children’s block in Auschwitz. To this day no one knows why the Nazis decided to have one.

By Debbie Schlussel
As I’ve acknowledged, while some of the criticism of GOP Veep nominee Sarah Palin is fair, a good deal of it is unfair.
One of those is her firing of former Legislative Director John Bitney. When I read about it this morning in the Wall Street Journal, I had mixed feelings. But in total, Palin was absolutely justified in terminating him, even if it was not based on job performance.

Then-Legislative Director John Bitney & Gov. Sarah Palin
Palin fired because he was having an affair with a married friend of hers. Bitney, who was an early Palin supporter and key campaign aide, was hired as her Legislative Director. They’d known each other since junior high, and she heaped profuse public praise on his abilities and job performance in his job as a gubernatorial aide. But once he was getting a divorce, Palin found out that Bitney was having an affair with the wife of a couple with whom the Palins were close friends.
A governor has a right to fire anyone he or she wants at any time. That’s the prerogative of being governor. And a governor has to be able to work comfortably with his or her staff. And it might be hard to work with someone you know is cheating with your friend’s wife and breaking up his marriage.
What is, indeed, troubling about the situation is the trashing that’s now going on regarding Bitney’s performance by the Palin portion of the Palin-McCain camp. While Palin publicly gushed over Bitney’s job performance and fired him only because of his extramarital affair with her friend’s wife, her spokespeople are now saying that Bitney was fired for “poor job performance.” While the Palin team claims she’s being unfairly torn apart by the press, it seems her camp is now unfairly doing the same to a former employee.
Is that right? Only if you wanna win.
Frankly, if it were me, I’d say, “Mr. Bitney was an excellent Legislative Director. But given outside circumstances in his personal life, we decided to part our working relationship amicably.” Was there really a need to trash the guy’s ability? There’s nothing wrong with telling the truth about why she could no longer work with him.
Bottom line: Sarah Palin, as Governor of Alaska, is absolutely justified in firing staffers with whom she feels uncomfortable. Every other elected official does that in an attempt to get maximum performance. That’s not the scandal the Wall Street Journal claims.
But it would have been nice if she didn’t trash the guy’s reputation, one which she built.
***
One other thing: The Wall Street Journal article claims that

Allies of Republican presidential nominee John McCain like to point out that his running mate is the governor of the largest state in the union. But at times, Alaska seems more like a small town, run by folks with overlapping professional, political and personal ties that can be difficult to untangle.

But that’s an inaccuracy designed to make Palin look like a “Soap Opera figure atop a hick-state”. Most people, unfortunately, who work in state capitols and their political parties, are connected. And it’s as incestuous and dysfunctional at the seat of the Governor in Albany, New York, or Lansing, Michigan, or even Washington, DC, as it is in Alaska. People in politics hire their friends and relatives. That’s the way it is.
It’s called “the spoils of victory.”

By Debbie Schlussel

**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ****

A number of Obama supporters and Jewish people–some who are supporting Obama, some who have a brain and are not–have sent me an article (from the Left-wing Jewish newspaper, “Forward”) about how Michelle Hussein/Insane Obama has a “first cousin, once removed” who is allegedly a “Rabbi”.

And I should care about this because . . .?

That is supposed to magically erase all of the radicalism, pan-Islamism, pro-Palestinian terrorism, Nation of Islam, and anti-American associations of Mr. Michelle Obama?

Michelle Hussein Obama’s Cousin, “Rabbi” Capers Funnye

Oh, and by the way, her “rabbi” first cousin, once removed, Capers Funnye, presides over a group of Black Hebrews, a cult associated with Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Yup, that makes me feel real comfy. The Black Hebrews or Black Israelites are not recognized by mainstream Judaism and often go to Israel to cause problems. Although from what I’ve read, it looks like Obama’s cousin is a decent guy and practices more of Judaism than most Jews. (It’s not about race–there are many Blacks who are legitimately Jews.)

Still, that makes no difference to me in considering Mr. Obama himself.

It’s very interesting how every single candidate wants to suddenly find some connection to the Jews when they’re running for office. The best–and funniest–take I’ve seen on this is Soccer Dad’s “When You’re Running For Office, The Whole World Is Jewish.”

I don’t like the pandering.

Every single candidate–on both sides of the aisle–promises to move the U.S. Embassy to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. Reagan, Bush the daddy, Clinton, Bush the dummy, and now, John McCain, all promised to do this. None did. So, whenever I hear this from a candidate, I say to the TV screen, stop BS-ing me! They never mean it, and you can tell when they say it that they have no such intention. And we all know about Barack Hussein Obama’s flip-flop on Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

I don’t give a damn. When I vote, I don’t care if:

* someone is Jewish (Senator Carl Levin);

* their dad is a Jewish (Wesley Clark);

* they’re embarrassed of and trying to hide their Jewish heritage, pretending to be Irish (John Kerry)–okay, I do care about that, and if you engage in that phoniness, you don’t get my vote);

* they suddenly claim to have a Jewish step-grandfather (Hillary Clinton);

* they make up the absurd claim they’re going to put a “kosher kitchen in the White House” (Bill Clinton)–and why anyone not Jewish would do this I haven’t a clue, but we all know he said it to get votes and never meant it, as if Slick Willie would ever give up BLTs;

* they have a “first cousin, once removed” that’s a Rabbi of a cult group of fake Jews, but hang out with Palestinian activists Edward Said and Ali Abunimah and have Nation of Islam people on their Senate Staff (Michelle Hussein Obama and Hubby, Barack);

* they wear a yarmulke or Obamaka at a synagogue, especially one of those dumb, tacky satin ones (Pretty much Every Presidential & VP Candidate).

None of these things will make me vote for a particular candidate. And in fact, whenever I see or hear these kinds of things, I see right through the phony pandering and know the person is probably not for me.

What I care about is:

* What will you do about America’s immigration problems? Muslim immigrants to America who pose a growing threat?

* What will you do about growing Muslim impositions on American soil?

* What will you do on economic and social policy in America? Big Brother or Free Market?

* Why can’t I have an automatic machine gun if I want one? Do you want to take away my ability to own and carry a gun?

* Will you start a Manhattan Project to get us off of oil once and for all and drill offshore and in Alaska until the problem’s solved, or will you look to your speaking fees and Presidential library donations 4-8 years from now?

* How do you plan to address the constant Israeli fight against terrorism? What are your views on Jerusalem, a Palestinian terrorist state, Iran?

* Do you think America should be like Europe?

* Etc., etc., etc.

If you don’t have the right answers on these, I don’t care if you are Moses, himself, and the ultimate Talmudic scholar. You won’t get my vote.

And please, take that silly satin yarmulke off. It doesn’t become you.

By Debbie Schlussel
I’ve asked it before. I’ll ask it again. Why the heck are we letting in thousands of Muslim “refugees” from Iraq, especially Shi’ites like Ahmed Al-Mahdy, who today was arrested for trying to have sex with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl?
Al-Mahdy is the THIRD Iraqi “refugee” in the Detroit area to be arrested and/or convicted for trying to have sex with underaged girls in only a few months. I’ve already told you about Rahib Al-Cholan and Waleed Wadie, both Iraqi “refugees” who got caught doing the same thing. Do you see a pattern here?
Cheers to Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans–of whom I’m usually not a fan and who is almost always squarely in the Islamo-pandering camp–for saying,

Ahmed Al-Mahdy: Latest Iraqi Muslim “Refugee” to US Arrested
for Trying to Have Underaged Sex

If you’re fleeing a country because you wanna have a better life, you gotta play by the rules of the country that you come to. And having sex with children is not something we’re comfortable with.

Too bad he doesn’t have the guts to say it at the many Islamofascist gatherings he gladly attends. And why is he “fleeing”? Things are better there for Shi’ites. They run the place.
Watch the video about Al-Mahdy (on the upper right-hand side of the page at this link) and ask yourself why your Bush Administration (I threw away my vote and voted Libertarian) is bringing these people into America. As I already told you, President Bush has okayed taking in 60,000 more of these so-called “refugees” from Iraq by the end of next year, most of ’em in my neck of the woods. Don’t expect it to change under either McCain or Hussein Obama.
As I noted, Al-Mahdy is a Shi’ite Muslim (not mentioned in the story, but I know from his surname and where he chose to live–Dearbornistan, where Sunnis are a distinct minority). How the heck is a Shi’ite Muslim–now that his fellow Iranian-backed Shi’ites are running Iraq–a “refugee”? As I’ve noted before, we don’t differentiate between which Iraqi so-called “refugees” we are letting in to America. Instead of only accepting persecuted Christians, like Chaldeans, and those who helped America, we’re letting in Muslims who have no reason to be here–except to spread their Third World Islamic values on our society and take advantage of our economy.

A married father of two who has only been in the US for six months could be deported to Iraq after being arrested as part of an internet sex sting.
Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans says Ahmed Al-Mahdy was arrested for trying to arrange a sexual encounter with what he thought was a 15 year old girl. In reality it was one of Evans deputies.
Al-Mahdy has been arraigned on charges of illegally using the internet and child sexually abusive activity. He faces up to 20 year in prison if he’s convicted. He’s being held in the Wayne County Jail on $100,000 bond.
Evans says Al-Mahdy had been chatting on-line with an officer since late May, and that he had tried to arrange an encounter on several occasions, but that he had backed out. He was arrested when he showed up for a meeting Friday.

Thanks, President Bush. Some cowboy. You can’t even protect your own ranch and willingly invite the foxes into your henhouse.

By Debbie Schlussel
**** UPDATE: For clearer, better video and new news report on assault, click here (watch both videos 1 and 2, but Watch Video 2 First) ****
Well, they don’t call it the “Religion of Peace” for nothin’. (They love to lie and deceive.)
A Black man on a Philadelphia subway train told his little boy to go sit down. Then he took out a hammer and started brutally attacking an innocent passenger, DeWayne Taylor, also Black, who was dozing off, and beat him senseless, as the entire train car full of passengers did nothing and walked away.
But here’s the important part: The victim said that throughout the entire attack, the man with the hammer was chanting Arabic and saying, “Allah.” Watch the video report:

Watch Police Video of the Brutal Muslim Attack (real action starts at about 50 seconds in). There’s no sound (except police commentary to reporters), but, again, the victim says the attacker was shouting “Allah!” and Arabic throughout the attack:

Folks, the jihad is here. As reader Daniel–who sent this story–notes, there are attacks by Muslims all over the country. All of them are underreported. To name a few, there was the execution-style attack in Salt Lake City at Trolley Square mall by Sulejman Talovic, a Bosnian Muslim. There was the attack on the Chassidic Rabbi Uria Ohana, earlier this year, at a Brooklyn subway station by several Arab Muslims shouting anti-Semitic epithets and “Allahu Akbar” [Allah is the greater/greatest]. And now, there is this episode in which this innocent young Black man is brutally beaten by a Muslim shouting “Allah.”
Says Daniel:

Philly is a ‘hotbead’ of Wahabbist mosques in the African-American community. We’ve seen many incidents of ‘jihad’ being carried out across the U.S., but UNDER-REPORTED by the majority of the mainstream press.
Just thought you’d like to know of the incident in Philly, that is getting some attention, but the MUSLIM connection is being ‘down-played’ or completely ignored by most of the press. Philly police also ARE NOT increasing patrols since they are saying this is an ‘isolated’ incident.
What does it take for America to wake up and realize that there is no such thing as “Radical Islam!”?

Exactly. Islam IS radical.
When will we say, “Enough”? When will enough of us say “Enough”? No-one on the train did a thing to stop this Muslim’s brutal beating of an innocent man minding his own business.
Again, the jihad is here.

By Debbie Schlussel
Remember the women who disrupted John McCain’s speech at the Republican National Convention, last week? Everyone wondered from whom they got their media passes, which allowed them access to the convention floor. Now a new story out suggests it might have been my hometown newspaper, the Detroit Free Press.
Several readers sent me a FOX News article about how members of Code Pink managed to infiltrate a Detroit Free Press focus group of “independent” voters rating speeches of the Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees at both major parties’ conventions.
For the unfamiliar, Code Pink is the far-left, anti-war, anti-American, anti-Israel feminist group with which Cindy Sheehan was associated. I’ve written about this vile group many times over the last several years. They’ve even raised money and given it to groups affiliated with Islamic terrorists, because they want the money to go to those who kill innocent Americans and Israelis and our troops. For a refresher on the kinds of things Code Pink is involved with, check out my past post on Code Pinko Desiree Anita Ali-Fairooz.

Code Pink @ RNC: Did Detroit Free Press Give Them Media Passes?
And while Free Press editors are sorta “apologizing”, they really aren’t, saying that Code Pinkos could actually be “independent.” Uh-huh.

[Detroit Free Press Assistant Managing Editor Randy Essex] said he didn’t see the harm in having a “radical leftist or two” in the group. . . .
“If there is a radical leftist or two in the group, I don’t care,” Essex told FOXNews.com. “I want a robust conversation, a complete range of political viewpoints.” The four activists were part of a group of seven self-described “independents.”

“Complete” minus right-wing groups as “independents”, of course.
Tell me, do you think these people sound like “independents”?:

* Ilene Beninson, who once joined anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan in a hunger strike;
* Joellen Gilchrist, who runs a chapter of CodePink
* George Lentz, has publicly opposed the war in Iraq and run a petition drive to help defeat Michigan anti-gay marriage legislation;
* Jan Wheelock, a member and donor to the East Michigan Environmental Action Council, along with Gilchrist.

And what’s also telling–and shouldn’t shock us–is that these Code Pink women didn’t have to infiltrate the focus group, they were specifically selected and recommended by Detroit Free Press editors:

A newsroom administrator at the Free Press formed the focus group by using a list of people who were willing to be contacted by a reporter after a poll is conducted, Essex explained. He said he’s pretty sure a newsroom employee suggested the CodePink members.

Confirms a lot about what we already knew regarding the uber-left bias of major newspaper editors. Do you think they’d select members of the Federalist Society or Young Americans For Freedom as “independent voters” for their focus group?
And here’s more about how the Free Press views this far left group:

Essex said the Free Press will continue to refine the voter panel, but he added, “I don’t think it’s wildly out of balance now.”
Asked if a correction would be published, Essex said not until he found evidence that the CodePink members were not political independents. He noted that political independents can have agendas just like members of either political party.

Like I said, don’t expect the Freep–which is actually the fairer and more accurate of Detroit’s two major newspapers–to view mainstream conservatives groups in the same way as this far-left one.
And finally, there’s the accusation that some readers are leveling that it’s the Free Press that gave Code Pink members their media passes, which enabled them to disrupt the Republican National Convention during John McCain’s speech.
Is that true?
The Detroit Free Press’ masthead bears the saying, “On Guard for 177 Years.” Looks like they really aren’t “On Guard”. At least, not for you.
The Detroit Free Press’ Version of “Independent Voters” . . .

Bottom Pic: Code Pink’s Desiree Anita Ali-Fairooz

By Debbie Schlussel

**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ****

A number of Obama supporters and Jewish people–some who are supporting Obama, some who have a brain and are not–have sent me an article (from the Left-wing Jewish newspaper, “Forward”) about how Michelle Hussein/Insane Obama has a “first cousin, once removed” who is allegedly a “Rabbi”.

And I should care about this because . . .?

That is supposed to magically erase all of the radicalism, pan-Islamism, pro-Palestinian terrorism, Nation of Islam, and anti-American associations of Mr. Michelle Obama?

Michelle Hussein Obama’s Cousin, “Rabbi” Capers Funnye

Oh, and by the way, her “rabbi” first cousin, once removed, Capers Funnye, presides over a group of Black Hebrews, a cult associated with Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Yup, that makes me feel real comfy. The Black Hebrews or Black Israelites are not recognized by mainstream Judaism and often go to Israel to cause problems. Although from what I’ve read, it looks like Obama’s cousin is a decent guy and practices more of Judaism than most Jews. (It’s not about race–there are many Blacks who are legitimately Jews.)

Still, that makes no difference to me in considering Mr. Obama himself.

It’s very interesting how every single candidate wants to suddenly find some connection to the Jews when they’re running for office. The best–and funniest–take I’ve seen on this is Soccer Dad’s “When You’re Running For Office, The Whole World Is Jewish.”

I don’t like the pandering.

Every single candidate–on both sides of the aisle–promises to move the U.S. Embassy to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. Reagan, Bush the daddy, Clinton, Bush the dummy, and now, John McCain, all promised to do this. None did. So, whenever I hear this from a candidate, I say to the TV screen, stop BS-ing me! They never mean it, and you can tell when they say it that they have no such intention. And we all know about Barack Hussein Obama’s flip-flop on Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

I don’t give a damn. When I vote, I don’t care if:

* someone is Jewish (Senator Carl Levin);

* their dad is a Jewish (Wesley Clark);

* they’re embarrassed of and trying to hide their Jewish heritage, pretending to be Irish (John Kerry)–okay, I do care about that, and if you engage in that phoniness, you don’t get my vote);

* they suddenly claim to have a Jewish step-grandfather (Hillary Clinton);

* they make up the absurd claim they’re going to put a “kosher kitchen in the White House” (Bill Clinton)–and why anyone not Jewish would do this I haven’t a clue, but we all know he said it to get votes and never meant it, as if Slick Willie would ever give up BLTs;

* they have a “first cousin, once removed” that’s a Rabbi of a cult group of fake Jews, but hang out with Palestinian activists Edward Said and Ali Abunimah and have Nation of Islam people on their Senate Staff (Michelle Hussein Obama and Hubby, Barack);

* they wear a yarmulke or Obamaka at a synagogue, especially one of those dumb, tacky satin ones (Pretty much Every Presidential & VP Candidate).

None of these things will make me vote for a particular candidate. And in fact, whenever I see or hear these kinds of things, I see right through the phony pandering and know the person is probably not for me.

What I care about is:

* What will you do about America’s immigration problems? Muslim immigrants to America who pose a growing threat?

* What will you do about growing Muslim impositions on American soil?

* What will you do on economic and social policy in America? Big Brother or Free Market?

* Why can’t I have an automatic machine gun if I want one? Do you want to take away my ability to own and carry a gun?

* Will you start a Manhattan Project to get us off of oil once and for all and drill offshore and in Alaska until the problem’s solved, or will you look to your speaking fees and Presidential library donations 4-8 years from now?

* How do you plan to address the constant Israeli fight against terrorism? What are your views on Jerusalem, a Palestinian terrorist state, Iran?

* Do you think America should be like Europe?

* Etc., etc., etc.

If you don’t have the right answers on these, I don’t care if you are Moses, himself, and the ultimate Talmudic scholar. You won’t get my vote.

And please, take that silly satin yarmulke off. It doesn’t become you.

By Debbie Schlussel
I will never vote for Obama/Biden. And I plan to hold my nose and vote for McCain/Palin in November. And while I like Sarah Palin and initially cheered the pick, I’m not the over-the-top “St. Sarah the Messiah” type so many in the lumpenconservatariat seem to be. It’s the same halo the left and the media are giving the other Messiah, Barack Obama–and which the St. Sarah the Messiah crowd rightfully complains about. I’m always skeptical of hype and extreme gushing, even when it’s by those on my side. And that’s the case here.
Why? Well, when you closely examine her record, she ain’t the conservative she’s made out to be. On some things, like the Second Amendment, yes. But on many others, like taxing and spending, she’s a taxer and a spender, not a cutter of either. We need only look to the giant sports center boondoggle she pushed on Wasilla, Alaska as Mayor. She raised sales taxes on everything (even food) to build it. That’s regressive. And isn’t a giant sports facility–especially in a city of then just over 5,000 people–something for the private sector? Isn’t that what conservatives believe?

“Not Flat Busted”: Sarah Palin’s Family Released This Photo to AP
The project was a disaster and money pit, and I’ll post more about it separately. It was such a bomb and was so screwed-up that Palin was forced to spend more tax money to hire a City Administrator to run the city for her. Yes, she sold the private plane and fired the cook when she became Alaska’s Governor, but that’s not the whole picture.
Then, there is the US Magazine cover story. Yes, I am a subscriber to US and received my copy of the controversial Palin issue on Friday. Yes, the cover and the story are very negative and biased against Palin and unfair, given the gushing way the magazine has and continues to cover the Obamas.
However, there are several things in the US Magazine piece, which we know are true and are important: She was NOT–contrary to her Republican National Convention speech–against the wasteful “Bridge to Nowhere.” She first supported it, later got on the bandwagon and opposed it in response to the public outrage over it. And the piece raises questions about why a “reformer” is so closely tied to corrupt, indicted Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. That’s important, just as we would question the same if Stevens was a Democrat tied to Barack Obama, just as we’ve asked about Obama’s involvement with Tony Rezko. She hasn’t addressed the issue.
Then, there’s the constant mantra of “the Palins are working class” that we keep hearing. Really? The US story reports that, last year, Palin earned $125,000 and Todd Palin took in $93,000. I wouldn’t exactly call $218,000, “working class.” It’s middle class–some would say it might even be “upper middle-class.” Yes, in Alaska, things are more expensive, and yes, Todd Palin’s job is “working-class.” But their income isn’t. And while they are entitled to every penny of it, it’s somewhat inaccurate to describe them as “working class.”
Before she was Governor, Palin reportedly earned more $140,000 or more as an Energy Commissioner. This isn’t working class income. It’s rich Congressman-level income.
It reminds me of when Michigan Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm ran campaign ads saying she “worked to put herself through college” and that she was “an immigrant,” as if she was one of the Boat People. Granholm’s father was the President of a Bank in Canada.
Not in the US article, but profiled last Friday in USA Today are Palin’s $700 designer Kazuo Kawasaki glasses. Working class? That’s one month’s rent or other utilities for many working class people. Again, I don’t begrudge her nice things. But they are the accoutrements of the middle and upper middle-class, not working class.
The US article repeats other reports I’ve already cited here about Todd Palin being Mr. Mom:

Todd . . . frequently fills in as Mr. Mom: caring for the kids, cooking dinner, paying bills. (He took a brief leave of absence last year citing family.)

And finally, I was disappointed in the picture of Sarah Palin wearing a sleazy T-shirt (pictured above), saying,

I may be broke but I’m not flat busted.

It’s low-class and looks like something more suited to a character in “Porky’s” or better used as a “cover up” for a Hawaiian Tropic Bikini contestant. Yes, I know it was from 20 years ago (when she was in college at the University of Idaho), and I can’t hold her tasteless manner then against her now.
But what’s surprising is that the photo wasn’t from some old friend telling tales out of school. Palin’s own parents, the Heaths, gave Associated Press this photo of her in this unclassy t-shirt, apparently to show that Sarah Palin has a sense of humor. Haha, funny. You gotta wonder about the common sense of any family that would think this t-shirt pic helps their daughter. What were they thinking? If my dad ever caught me in a t-shirt with a slogan like that, he’d have been extremely angry and embarrassed.
It’s bad enough that TMZ made the completely unfair and inane comparison between Sarah Palin and porn star Linda Lovelace. So one wonders why the family members who like her (we’ve heard from at least one who doesn’t–in the US Magazine and elsewhere) would submit this dumb photo. The word “sexist” has been bandied about a lot in the last week or so by conservatives and the Palin Team. But if anything is sexist, it’s this stupid, trashy t-shirt.
Again, yes, I will vote for McCain-Palin, but it’s better to use a little critical thinking skills instead of unbridled gushing when you look at even the conservatives on the Republican ticket. Best to do it now than after November.
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Before I get the angry e-mails, NO, I never wore any t-shirts with sleazy slogans like that while I was in college or at any other time in my entire life. It’s called judgment. The closest in I got in “tasteless Ts” was a t-shirt that said, “Harvard, the Michigan of the East.”
And then, there was that t-shirt with a picture of Yasser Arafat with a circle/slash on him and the slogan, “Fatah Busters.” My dad told me not to wear it on campus because he felt it would incite Arab students. But I wore it, anyway. Back then as now, I wasn’t going to limit my free speech so as not to offend those who would kill me.