It’s time to back away the Jeremiah Wright kerfluffle.

If Lanny Davis and other Clinton surrogates want to play the race game, then so be it. Obama is no racist, nor is he responsible for the inflammatory and seditious statements made by Jeremiah Wright.

Earlier today, I saw a video that has been mentioned by several bloggers on the right, which compares certain passages from Obama’s book and with selected video clips from several of Wright’s sermons. The viewer is led to the conclusion that Obama poses a threat to the country because of his racial beliefs.

The reason that Obama should not be President has nothing at all to do with race, and to spend time on these kinds of tactics won’t defeat him. It ignores the fact that his lack of experience leaves him unprepared to assume the duties of the job. It also ignores the fact that Obama exudes a certain grandiosity that is surpasses mere cockiness and is, well, unseemly, if not dangerous.

Earlier this week at a San Francisco fundraiser, Obama said, “…foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain.”

Oh, please.

After belittling Mrs. Clinton’s experience as First Lady as being ceremonial fluff, Obama went on to say that among the three candidates for President, only he passes the 3 AM Leadership Test. Indeed, he alone possesses “the judgment, the temperament to ask the right questions, to weigh the costs and benefits of military action, who insists on good intelligence, who is not going to be swayed by the short-term politics.” What a piece of work. source

And as for the ultimate foreign policy test, the one John Kerry called, “passing the Global Test,” Obama proposes a diplomatic Manhattan Project of sorts, with Iran’s Mahmoud Amadinejad. The same Ahmadinejad who said today, his country’s objective was to destroy what he called corrupt western powers:

“Our objective is to annihilate all corrupt powers that dominate our planet today,”
source

Iran is building nuclear weapons, and has tested the delivery systems to carry out Ahmadinejad’s objective. If he uses them, he gains favor of his god, and ushers in the End-Times chaos of the 12th Mahdi. If he is in turn incinerated in a retaliatory strike, he gets to spend eternity with 72 virgins. He wins either way.

Taking a college trip to Pakistan, living in Indonesia for four years as a child, and having poor relatives in Africa has convinced Obama that he has the necessary gravitas to engage in foreign policy on behalf of the world’s only superpower.

Jeremiah Wright is the least of his problems.

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From Reuters:

If you are male and a Led Zeppelin fan, chances are you may be leaning toward voting Republican in the U.S. presidential election, according to a survey of rock radio fans released on Wednesday.

The Jacobs Media’s Media/Technology Web Poll IV of more than 27,000 respondents cited stronger than expected interest in the November 2008 election among fans of rock, classic rock, and alternative radio stations.

Why am I not surprised?

This is Communication Breakdown, and Dazed and Confused from 1969.

Gordon James Klingenschmitt, writing at WND, cites his 8 reasons for not voting for John McCain. Gordon is a big fan of Alan Keyes, and plans to write-in Keyes’ name on the ballot for President. Frankly, I cannot think of a bigger waste of time than a write in vote, but it’s Gordon’s vote, and if he wants to waste it, that’s his business. So be it.

I haven’t decided whether or not I’m going to fully support McCain with my time, money, and words. The fact is, McCain hasn’t earned it. I’m concerned about McCain for some of the very same reasons that Gordon cites. He brings some unattractive baggage to the race that should have disqualified him in the primary process. But for several reasons, and a whole lot of dumb luck, McCain survived the Primary, and now stands as the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party.

Even though I may not fully support him, I’m still going to vote for him. I decided a long time ago that I would vote for the Republican nominee. It is a decision that is completely based upon the issue of National Security. McCain will stay on the offensive in the war against the Mufsidin, while his opponents are arguing about the best way to withdraw and go on defense. Their’s is the proverbial prescription for disaster.

Gordon’s logic is puzzling. If the issues that he claims to care most about are left to the care and governance of the organized effort that strives daily to impose nihilism on the nation (euphemistically called the Democrat Party), then who will be to left to fight the good fight? Do those well-intentioned conservatives who plan on writing in a name on the ballot, or just going fishing on election day, really believe that surrendering the franchise is the way to advance their agenda? Having lost the Congress in the last cycle, losing the Executive this time around will mean losing the Judiciary for another generation as well.

I certainly believe that the social issues are worth fighting for. But, without liberty, they are moot. McCain is not my first choice to lead the Party, but I do respect his ability to make a command decision, delegate authority, and hold his subordinates accountable to task. In wartime, the primary role as CIC makes McCain the superior candidate among those still in the race.

Gordon’s criticism of Janet Folger notwithstanding, I wonder if he read her concluding remark.

First, repent on behalf of our nation; then put your faith to action.

It is important, I think, to understand that the Power to truly change this great Republic isn’t going to come from Washington. D.C. That one salient fact should give hope to believers, as well as the courage to fight on in the cultural struggles. Folger’s edification for Christians to stand and be counted is of great significance, and comes as a reminder to us to stay engaged.

Have faith, Gordon. Stand with us.

The audacity of chutzpah.

After 20 years of church membership, Senator Gravitas now claims he had no idea of the anti-American, leftist hate speech from his pastor,

“None of these statements were ones I had heard myself personally in the pews,” Obama told FOX News. “Once I saw them I had to be very clear about the fact that these are not statements that I am comfortable with. I reject them completely they are not ones that reflect my values or my ideals.”

Right.

Are we back to parsing statements, and redefining the meaning of “is?”

Better yet, why don’t we just define what Obama is lying about.

If in fact he never heard Wright’s hate-filled sermons, it simply means that he wasn’t in attendance on the numerous times that Wright went on a rant.

But, it doesn’t mean that Senator Gravitas wasn’t aware of Wright’s words, or his separatist views. And it doesn’t explain why he waited until now to disavow Wright.

It simply means he never heard it from the pews. And frankly, that’s just not good enough.

It’s clever, but not clever enough.

Ok Hillary, the ball is teed it up for you. If you don’t slap this sucker baldheaded, then you don’t deserve the nomination.

Bob’s Bites asks, Is Obama Lying?

He expects us to believe, that in twenty years of attending the same church, he never knew his pastor hated America. I find it hard to believe he didn’t know about the hatred Rev. Wright has for America. This man preaches about America spreading HIV to blacks on purpose, planning Sept. 11, 2001, and preaches God Damn America. How in the world can Obama not have heard about this in 20 years of attending this church.

Update : The Smoking Gun ….. In a story by the NYT [ screenshot ] dated March 6, 2007, Jeremiah Wright recalls a telephone conversation with Obama. In that call, Obama explains why it was necessary to distance himself from Wright.

“You can get kind of rough in the sermons, so what we’ve decided is that it’s best for you not to be out there in public.”

That clanging sound you hear is the sound of all four tires flying off the Obamagasm Express.

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Update : Obama campaign throws Wright under the bus. But, MSNBC is not above a little moral equivalence, comparing Wright’s hate speech with recent comments by Geraldine Ferarro…

Wright was the latest in a series of advisers to Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who have stepped aside as supporters of both candidates trade racially charged accusations.

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Update : Youtube pulls the Wright “G-D America” video (h/t velvethammer)

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First up, a cool video from the Military Channel, comparing Mark46/Mark 48 machine guns.

(w00t!)

Next is a piece from Christopher Hitchens, describing the argument from the Left — it’s apples and oranges –

Iraq: Worth the Price

Think how many candy-canes and vacations I could have if it were not for the space program, or the cost of carrier-groups or special forces or — I don’t know — Black Hawk helicopters. (If you think I am being unkind or frivolous, see if you can detect the thread of reasoning that connects Iraq expenditures with the crisis in the mortgage system.) There are days when I think that the money raised by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama might have been better spent on the alleviation of poverty, but I can still tell an apple from an orange and am not hopelessly stuck on the zero-sum fixation. Once again, the economic “experts” turn out to know the price of some things but not the value of anything.

Time to start moving dirt…. the Toyota deal is bringing the beginnings of a boom in north Mississippi …

Auto parts maker Vuteq USA plans to build a $31 million plant in New Albany to supply molded plastic pieces and other components for Toyota’s assembly plant in Blue Springs.Vuteq, a Japanese company with seven facilities in North America, will hire 130 people to work at the New Albany plant and up to 500 to prepare parts kits at the Toyota plant.

Vuteq’s building will be the first in the Martintown Industrial Park, open land Union County bought with Toyota suppliers in mind.

Primary day in the Magnolia State … Beagle Scout who lives down on the coast in MS 1st district, is calling for voters to cross over and vote for Hillary. I live in the 3rd, and I won’t be crossing over. We’ve got a pretty good selection of hopefuls vying for the Pickering seat. The Club for Growth jumped in and endorsed Charlie Ross, to which I say, “forget Charlie Ross.” I’m pulling for David Landrum. So is Mrs. Nuke. Sure hope he makes the runoff.

U.S. House, 3rd District. For the Democratic nomination, Randall Eads of Starkville will meet Joel Gill of Pickens. On the Republican side, voters will choose between Gregg Harper of Pearl, Charlie Ross of Brandon, David Landrum of Madison County, John Rounsaville of Madison, Bill Marcy of Meridian, Gregory Hatcher of Meridian and the Rev. James Broadwater of Flowood.

So what’s going on in your neck of the woods?