Lots and lots to read today<\/strong>, but I\u2019ll break it down for you, one section for religion, one for politics. Pols first \u2013 got this from Insty<\/a>:<\/p>\n You can read the lyrics here<\/a>.<\/p>\n SOTU Address:<\/strong> Obama \u201cneeds to come off as authentic\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n Come off?<\/em> Perhaps this illustrates a big difference between Presidents Obama and Bush. Bush did not have to \u201ccome off\u201d as authentic. He was authentic. Bob Herbert has<\/strong> some good advice for Obama<\/a> She affirms she is passionate about the president<\/a>. And astroturfing for him is different<\/a> than when anyone does it for anyone else. It just is.<\/p>\n Global Warming Hoohah:<\/strong> Too big to fail, but on the ropes, nevertheless. The science, it seems, is not settled<\/a>, after all. Pew poll says America is not buying the hysteria<\/a> anymore. The good news is, that ozone hole prevents global warming<\/a>. I actually remember reading that years ago. The Big Global Warming Bus has hit a few bumps and wheels are coming off<\/a> in all directions<\/a>.<\/p>\n Obama\u2019s Halliburton? <\/strong> No-Bid Contracts<\/a> to connections<\/a> are morally reprehensible, and stuff, right? A good time, I guess to remind everyone that the Dems spent the last 8 years shouting \u201cHalliburton! Halliburton!\u201d without, I suspect, even understanding what they were saying. As I wrote, way back when I said we should impeach Bush<\/a>:<\/p>\n Please name the work for which Halliburton was contracted and then expound on what other companies do the same work with the same level of expertise and experience as Halliburton. We\u2019ll wait. This is Impeachment we\u2019re talking about\u2026this is all going to have to come under real investigation and involve real testimony, and good lawyers never ask questions to which they do not already know the answers \u2013 so you should know that 94.7% of all of Halliburton\u2019s contract funds came through \u201cfull and open competitive bids\u201d,<\/a> shouldn\u2019t you?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Oh, wait.<\/strong> I guess this is another Obama line with an expiration date<\/a>; when he said the magic word, \u201cHalliburton\u201d the crowd responded to the cue. America went through the 2008 election like Pavlovian dogs responding to bells. Note the response to the patently false denunciation of \u201clobbyists,\u201d too. Meaningless. Just words<\/a>, it\u2019s all just words<\/a>, served up to an audience trained by the MSM to bark at the right times, and pull the correct lever. After all, the press is not interested in covering actual news stories; that all gets saved for the bestselling books<\/a>.<\/p>\n Obama believes that most of the country, however is still going to fall<\/strong> for his every sleight of hand and misdirection<\/a>. Some of them will buy into his spending freeze<\/a> that isn\u2019t really a spending freeze at all<\/a>, of course. But overall, he seems not to understand that his magic is gone<\/a>. It\u2019s kaput<\/a>. Nor does he seem cognizant<\/a> of the fact that videos<\/a> and the internets exist.<\/a><\/p>\n Seems Obama is<\/strong> doing quite a lot of reprehensible Bush-type things<\/a>. When does Joy Behar start demanding that he be impeached? When does Michael Moore call him a war criminal? Oh, wait, we\u2019re mirandizing terrorists<\/a> after less than an hour\u2019s questioning. Nothing to see here. Move along<\/a>.<\/p>\n WSJ says Obama has committed the biggest mistake<\/strong> a pol can commit: he has believe his own hype<\/a>. Yep. We\u2019ve talked about that here<\/a>, before. It is always a politician\u2019s downfall.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s try something else for this year:<\/strong> Let\u2019s be in charge of our own brains<\/a>.<\/p>\n Is Congress<\/strong> Exempting itself from Health Insurance Tax<\/a>? Why not. It\u2019s exempting itself from Obamacare! Congress is full of creeps and rats who treat themselves<\/a> as though they are akin to royalty<\/a>. Yes, indeed\u2026economic freedom for the elites<\/a>. For you and me? Salvation through serfdom.<\/p>\n I guess Moscow does support gay marriage<\/a>?<\/p>\n Haiti:<\/strong> A desperate need for infrastructure<\/a>, yes, and sound, committed long-term leadership<\/a>. Also, don\u2019t miss this thoughtful post<\/a>. I am not bitter. Just Bittersweet<\/a> Lech Walesa:<\/strong> On the American campaign trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n Purity Tests<\/strong>: I hates \u2019em too<\/a><\/p>\n Even Football<\/strong> has become political<\/a> to those people for whom everything is political<\/a><\/p>\n Ah, and that last item brings us to our Religion section:<\/strong><\/p>\n Lots of focus<\/strong> on the always-under-reported-unto-obscurity<\/a> annual March for Life on Washington DC<\/a>. The number of marchers varies from 200,000 to 400,000, but I think anytime you can get even 150,000 people to show up and march in the middle of winter, there is a story there, and it should be covered. Lots of bloggers finding hilarity<\/a> in the woefully inaccurate<\/a> and biased<\/a> media coverage \u2013 or what there was of it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Deacon Greg, whose father-in-law wonders<\/strong> if the march might be even better attended if it were held in the springtime<\/a>, links to a terrific video profile of a 17 year old marcher<\/a> who, as an adoptee, says she wants others to have the same chance at life that she has had, and cannot help but notice how many young people are marching.<\/p>\n Cal Thomas<\/strong> writes about corporate rights and rights of the unborn<\/a><\/p>\n Fr. Richard John Neuhaus:<\/strong> We shall not weary<\/a> in the fight for life. His 2008 remarks to the convention of the National Right to Life Committee. A must read and keep.<\/p>\n Horton was right<\/strong>: Everyone matters, no matter what<\/a>.<\/p>\n A voice cried \u201cblog,\u201d and I said, \u201cwhat shall I blog?\u201d<\/strong>: All flesh is grass, but even so, Pope Benedict wants to set his priests a-bloggin\u2019<\/a>, and the vatican has of course, is leading by example! I have already blogrolled His Holiness at the Pope2U.net<\/a> blog. And yes, I\u2019m following on Twitter<\/a>, so I hope the pope knows he is supposed to give me a reciprocal link, and a nod! Benedict\u2019s is not the only new blog<\/a>, though. For American Jews:<\/strong> An Orthodox Moment<\/a><\/p>\n Marching for Freedom of Religion<\/strong> in Egypt<\/a><\/p>\n Tammy Bruce<\/strong> says don\u2019t blame the monks<\/a> for the reckless youth of Scotland<\/a>!<\/p>\n Msgr Charles Pope,<\/strong> whose stuff I like more and more, on the beauty of dying<\/a><\/p>\n One Gen-xer\u2019s story<\/strong> Why he is a priest<\/a><\/p>\n An amusing and beautifully linked<\/strong> piece on \u201cthe most important psalter in the world\u201d<\/a>. Gawd, that\u2019s enough. I really do feel like tossing it, now.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lots and lots to read today, but I\u2019ll break it down for you, one section for religion, one for politics. Pols first \u2013 got this from Insty: You can read the lyrics here. SOTU Address: Obama \u201cneeds to come off as authentic\u201d. Come off? Perhaps this illustrates a big difference between Presidents Obama and Bush. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,22,24,30,44,60,96,117,152,233],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-remaking-ourselves","category-remaking-america","category-barack-obama","category-benedict-islam","category-blogs-and-blogging","category-catholicism","category-crooks-and-liars","category-faith","category-haiti","category-leadership","category-serving-up-hot-links"],"yoast_head":"\n
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\nBeltway Democrats (and to be fair, too many Beltway Republicans)<\/strong> do not understand it because they -as smart, sophisticated<\/em> sorts- live in a world of social and professional illusion, and they think the rest of the country does too, or it SHOULD. They think illusion is enough for them, so it should be enough to satisfy everyone else. They don\u2019t know from authentic. To them authentic is too corny; it can only be dealt with ironically, or cynically, if at all.<\/p>\n
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\nThe Ellie Light Astroturf Saga<\/a>:<\/strong> Patterico has been all over it and notes that the press is finally picking it up<\/a>. Mudville Gazette goes heavy on the sarcasm in this post<\/a>. Michelle Malkin is watching the apologies<\/a>. There is one, so far. Light\u2019s letters (or the pearls of other astroturfers) are all over the place<\/a>, like a virus.<\/p>\n
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\nA \u201cMurders at Gitmo Conspiracy?<\/strong> Joe Carter takes a look<\/a> and decides Sullivan is being sloppy and reckless<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\nReally, what will they be doing<\/strong> when they are thirty<\/a>? As a parent, my mind is blown.<\/p>\n
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\nThe Most Ebullient Catholic in the World:<\/strong> That would be Webster Bull who brings his infectious enthusiasm into his faith<\/a>, every day.<\/p>\n
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\n10 Catholic<\/strong> iPhone apps<\/a>
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\nFinally<\/strong>, the secret to learning is in the listening<\/a><\/p>\n