Bringing a Knife to a Gun Fight

So, now that the British and French have convinced the EU to lift an arms embargo off of Syria, (to arm “only” moderate anti-Bashar rebels, who have been relying on well-armed extremists in their ranks), Russia has stepped in with its first shipment of lethal long range S300 surface to air missiles to President Bashar‘s military.  Smart move?



After over seventy thousand have perished in this ugly civil war, Russia’s “involvement” certainly puts a cramp on a scheduled “peace conference” in June according to CNN: 

“While the ban will technically be lifted on Saturday, it is expected that the earliest EU countries would send weapons to the rebels would be August, so as not to imperil the prospects of a U.S. and Russian-brokered peace conference scheduled to take place in Geneva in June.”

It appears that no one---including John McCain, the folks at CNN, or the LA Times---had any idea that Russia was also playing this deadly game.  So much for John McCain’s sneaky surprise visit to the Rebel Commanders.  From the LA Times:

“LONDON — Diplomatic pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad escalated Monday, as a divided European Union agreed to relax a ban on weapons shipments to anti-Assad forces and U.S. Sen. John McCain met with insurgent commanders during a surprise visit to the country.
Meanwhile, top U.S. and Russian diplomats met in Paris in a bid to solidify plans for a peace conference that both nations view as the only hope for a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis, which has already left tens of thousands of people dead and threatens to spark a regional conflagration. U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, have yet to set a date for the conference or announce who will be attending the session in Geneva.”

With the Russians now deploying serious air defense weapons into the hands of Bashar’s army, doesn’t this escapade, (Kerry and Sergei’s meeting) remind you of the peace talks between Japanese and U.S. diplomats while Yamamoto and Naqumo were steaming their aircraft carriers towards Pearl Harbor?  Putin has made no bones about supporting and arming the Syrian President, while President Obama remains about as committed as he was sending rescue troops into Benghazi.  (Oh wait, some one ordered our troops to stand down.)  This armchair general thinks Obama, McCain, and Kerry are all naïve enough to think supplying the rebels with weapons that won’t fall into al Qaeda, (or other radical jihadist) hands was the ticket to force  Bashar Assad to step down.  As I suggested in the title, a “knife fight” just doesn’t cut it when Putin and the Russians are passing out the “big guns”, and these three have been caught with their pants down……again.

Exit question: Does anyone in the State Department or in this administration really know what's going on here? Or, are they waiting to read about it in the newspapers.



A Refreshing Reality from a Liberal (Video)

From our esteemed Juan Williams, (professed liberal and Fox News contributor), talks with Jon Scott on Happening Now.  Williams explains head on what the shape of the minority community is in with this segment titled, "Role of race in gun control debate":

Role of race in gun control debate

In my humble opinion, Williams gave every reason to defend gun rights and by extension traditional marriage rights because of the breakdown of the family unit.  Williams accused President Obama of ignoring the 800 pound gorilla in the room, by not recognizing that “every four months in Chicago equals ONE NEWTOWN“.  Williams went on to quote statistics on how the Latino and Black communities have the highest rate of murder in the nation, citing the rapper‘s “hero mentality” of a man with a gun and the badge of honor of going to prison.  I couldn’t believe my ears!

Williams extends this debate fully in a Wall Street Journal article published on March 26th, 2013:

Juan Williams: Race and the Gun Debate 

The No. 1 cause of death for African-American men between the ages of 15 and 34: being murdered with a gun.

By JUAN WILLIAMS

"This week much of the talk about gun control concerns New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's $12 million ad campaign to put pressure on senators in key states to support legislation that he backs. Or the talk is about the National Rifle Association's pushback against the Bloomberg campaign. Then there was last week's mini-tempest over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's decision not to include Sen. Dianne Feinstein's assault-weapon ban in a comprehensive gun-control bill the Senate will take up next month.

One thing you don't hear much about in the discussions of guns: race.

That is an astonishing omission, because race ought to be an inescapable part of the debate. Gun-related violence and murders are concentrated among blacks and Latinos in big cities. Murders with guns are the No. 1 cause of death for African-American men between the ages of 15 and 34. But talking about race in the context of guns would also mean taking on a subject that can't be addressed by passing a law: the family-breakdown issues that lead too many minority children to find social status and power in guns.

The statistics are staggering. In 2009, for example, the Centers for Disease Control reported that 54% of all murders committed, overwhelmingly with guns, are murders of black people. Black people are about 13% of the population."

          (read the full text here)

It's quite obvious why the liberal media, Barack Obama, or anyone in the Democratic leadership won't address this travesty---they are all cowards when it comes to admitting the truth about where the guns are doing the most damage in this nation.  It simply wouldn't fit their pathetic narrative of only radical right-wing conservatives clinging to their Guns and Bibles, while sadly a huge minority of Americans are mired in poverty with a "self-slaughtering" mentality.  Keep looking the other way President Obama.  You've only got three and a half more years when it's no longer "your problem".  We could certainly use more Juan Williams' who chose to speak out on this issue.

Liberal Progressive Democrats: "Progressively" Becoming The Party of “Hate and Racism”

I’ve had it!  Enough is enough.  And I’m calling on President Obama* and his Democratic Leaders, (and the liberal media and their pundits), TO STOP USING HATE AND RACE as the pathetic excuse for when Liberal Progressive Democrats can’t win a political or ideological argument.  Stand on your convictions.  Use facts and your intelligence to state your case or make a reasonable argument.  But, from this day forward, if, in the course of an argument or a debate, you inject/imply that my opinion/argument is based on RACIAL OVERTONES OR HATE, the conversation is over, done.  I will no longer engage in any form of debate if you cowards use these accusations as a tool to advance your argument.

1) RACE!  The color of a human’s skin/epidermis IS NOT RELEVANT.  I simply do not care what color your skin is.  I do not care what your ethnic background is during the course of an argument or a debate.  We are all God’s children and GOD IS COLOR-BLIND and so am I.

2) HATE!  To all political affiliations and especially The Liberal Democratic Party:  Just because I disagree with your political philosophy or ideology it does not mean that I HATE YOU.  STOP USING THIS PATHETIC EXCUSE.  Let me repeat this---I DO NOT PERSONALLY HATE ANYONE.  My teachings and upbringing (and my Christian values), does not allow for personal hate.  Hate for our fellow man/woman only breeds sin and eventually the total destruction of moral values.  I may hate your ideology.  I may hate your actions, or your words, but I do not hate you personally.  Again, we are all God’s children, and they do not hate their fellow human beings.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: If you intend to engage me in a conversation or debate about anything, BE FORWARNED, if you accuse me of personal hating or any form of racial bigotry, the conversation IS OVER.  I will no longer tolerate or engage in this pathetic and cowardly form of “debate” being used predominately by the Liberal Democrats or any political affiliation for that matter.  If you’re a Republican, Conservative, Libertarian, Democrat, Liberal, Progressive, Moderate, or whatever, if you inject/accuse anyone of HATE OR RACISM into the conversation, IT IS YOU that has resorted to the lowest form of human dignity.  IT IS YOU who have taken this cowardly and despicable path.  GROW UP!  AND STOP THE HATE!

*  President Barack Obama,

Dear Mr. President,

I am calling on you Mr. President to STOP THE HATE.  By your silence on this issue, you sir are condoning this despicable practice of injecting hate and racism during American political and ideological debate.  By your silence, many of those in your party, (and by extension, your media**) are purposely employing this cowardly form/tool to prevent/discourage this nation’s right to speak freely, without reservation or fear of being accused of racial bigotry or hate.  By your silence, you, yourself, are complicit in these inexcusable forms of conversation.  By your silence, you sir are allowing the dignity and honorable American right of free speech to be denigrated by these shallow and despicable acts predominately brought about/used by your Party.  Please, I beg you to end your silence on this issue---make a statement, be an American President to ALL AMERICANS, and use your leadership to prove to all Americans that employing HATE AND RACAIL PREDJUDICE/BIGOTRY in the course of a debate is not only discouraged, but condemned by your administration.  Only by your silence on this issue, do you continue to divide a nation that is desperately in need of unity, that demands the practice of respectful debate carried out by our citizenry.  YOU, Mr. President can begin to STOP THE HATE. 

**  Examples of the Media’s employment of racial and hateful overtones:

See Newsbusters

MSNBC Continues Smear of 'Racist' NRA; Alex Wagner Hits Wayne LaPierre as Afraid of 'Dark People' 

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2013/02/14/msnbc-continues-smear-racist-nra-alex-wagner-hits-wayne-lapierre-afr

Update:  It appears Bill Cosby has gone off the deep end and joined in the "Republicans Hate Blacks" narrative:

Bill Cosby Rants Against Republicans, Compares Them to Segregationists for Not Applauding Obama

Commenter UnwantedFoe sums up what most would say about Cosby's over-the-top accusations:

UnwantedFoe • 5 hours ago

• −

"And in public schools, we need to get the education of the correct history that happened"
Oh dear Lord does Cosby need to learn the "correct" history of what happened with slavery... Does he not realize it was the republican party fighting to abolish slavery and the democrats wanting to keep their slaves? Then to suggest the republican party is unhappy blacks aren't slaves anymore? His ignorance is highly insulting.

I suppose Mr. Cosby would like to re-write the history of the 1964 Civil Rights Bill, (originally proposed by John F, Kennedy and signed into law by Lyndon Johnson), where one "southern" Republican, and eighteen southern Democrats launched a filibuster against the passage of the bill.    

The bill came before the full Senate for debate on March 30, 1964 and the "Southern Bloc" of 18 southern Democratic Senators and one Republican Senator led by Richard Russell (D-GA) launched a filibuster to prevent its passage.^[10] Said Russell: "We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states."^{[11]  (link*)}

(* for the purpose of this post, I've used the sometimes un-reliable Wikipedia as a reference with the above quoted paragraph.  If there are any discrepancies or any part of the paragraph that is not factual, I will re-visit this post and amend it, if necessary)

How pitiful was it that as late as 1964, our "civilized" society, (led by a strong majority of DEMOCRATS) could endorse the comments of Senator Richard Russell (D-GA).  I would like to ask Mr. Cosby if he knew who was standing and applauding at this period in our history?  And how sad is it that a once respected and honorable American such as Bill Cosby has sunk to this level of (insert proper phrase), by creating his own self-bigotry to advance a conversation.  Shame on you Bill.   

The pathetic use of “hate” and racial accusations being used by liberal democrats is the automatic signal that they have run out of any intelligent basis for debate.  When you see these key words in a posted sentence, be aware that the poster has lost the argument, and no other response is necessary.  If you engage any further in the conversation after the poster has used hate or race, you will only sink to their cowardly and despicable level. 

Mother Nature

The Men Who Built America: How Would They Overcome Today’s Liberal America?

While watching a segment of the History Channel’s spotlight on some of the greatest wealth creators in American history, it struck me as how out of touch these men would be in today’s progressive world:

Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, Ford …The Men Who Built America
Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford. Their names are synonymous with innovation, big business and the American Dream. They built empires. They created incredible advances in technology. They changed the world. HISTORY chronicles the lives of these visionary men in THE MEN WHO BUILT AMERICA, an eight-hour event series premiering Tuesday, October 16 at 9 p.m. on HISTORY. (link)

How would these innovative giants have prospered in today’s atmosphere of the Occupy Wall Street/Class Warfare crowd along with their facilitators in the liberal media?  Where were the women while America was experiencing the greatest level of growth the world has ever known?  More importantly, where were the communist/Marxist redistributionist to ensure these billionaires were paying their fair share?


As a side note, the Obama campaign spent the entire summer (spending vast amount of money), attacking Mitt Romney’s wealth.  Story upon story of Romney’s “hidden assets” spread across the nation with the narrative that some one this wealthy certainly could not have come by it legally, or morally.  Hypocritically, the MSM barely wrote of word of John Kerry’s vast amounts of wealth with the Heinz corporate giant financing his run for president.  Kerry, after all, was a liberal Democrat who championed the narrative of working for the little people, along with the powerfully rich like Teddy Kennedy, yet a Massachusetts Republican Governor was attacked on every level as the rich white guy who couldn't possibly be “in touch” with mainstream America.

Thanks to a two-faced liberal media, (who took every Democrat’s word as gospel), the narrative worked to perfection, as vast amounts of youth and minorities broke the turnout levels of the 2008 presidential election.  The class warfare and class envy---rich v. poor strategy divided the nation further and the tone was set in stone for this 2012 race for Barack Obama.  One could say that even the poor economic conditions helped to feed this frenzy of the haves and the have-nots.  It became irrelevant who was better qualified to bring this economy out of a major recession, or produce employment, real growth, and the return of a working middle class.  Instead, it was who would stand beside this disadvantaged populace with the promise of more entitlements, free education and healthcare, and a package of food stamps in every pot.

Could Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morgan, and Ford stood a chance of surviving/producing such great wealth in this 21st Century under the parameters set forth by today’s liberal media, (and the liberal progressive ideology), that believes American capitalism and individual wealth accumulation is as dead as…….(insert something extinct).  I would submit that today, these innovators and wealth creators would have never had a chance in hell to advance themselves or produce an industrial revolution that made this nation the greatest in the world at producing a middle class with a chicken in every pot and a two cars in every garage---a tv in every room, an x-box, a laptop, an I-phone, you name it.  After all, according to this new generation of “me first in line for the government handout”, these men didn’t build that.  Your government did.

It’s an indictment of perpetual dependency and a disambiguation of American ingenuity, where the wealth creators are met with a plethora of indignation, …….(add a few more adjectives).

(I wonder if any of our younger generation even knows that at one time, (when this nation was facing certain bankruptcy), that it was J.P. Morgan who “bailed out” the country with a direct loan to the federal government.)  There was no Federal Reserve who could simply print more money.  (add some context)

Editor's note: This post is a working draft and will be edited and modified at my discretion.

Obama’s War on Women’s Stupidity ~ The Perfect Parody

In light of Lena Dunham’s “My First Time” reason to vote for President Obama, here’s a perspective that needs to be considered.

This is both brutal and brilliant. Julie Borowski, self-proclaimed token libertarian girl, rips Lena Dunham’s parody apart and in doing so puts into stark focus the Democrat’s war on women’s intellect.

 

Breaking News: Big Bird is voting for Mitt Romney---Obama Team, Liberals Cry Fowl

Rumors are circulating the internet today that Big Bird has decided that employment in the private sector might be a strong advantage to working for the current government. Sources tell me that the bi-winged feathered character saw President Obama lay an egg in the national debate last week, and prefers Romney’s plan to move the country in a different direction. Big Bird was overheard on an open mic saying his healthcare choices had diminished and the outlook of long-term employment looked beak. “I feel like the canary in the coal mine, just like Obama’s policies, sooner or later they omit a foul odor ” said the Sesame Street legend. It’s also rumored that Bert and Ernie will follow suit, voting for the Republican ticket of Romney/Ryan. The two puppets felt having a hand up their backs, (and enduring some one else speaking for them), reminded them too much of Mr. Obama. Elmo could not be reached for a comment, but his publicist said the furry red monster was overheard talking to himself in the first person.

(satire by Rovin)

2012 Major League Baseball Playoffs

The Wild-Card games were just that last night---wild. In the controversial single game winner-takes-all format, the Saint Louis Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-3, while the Baltimore Orioles eliminated the defending AL Champion Texas Rangers 5-1.


Braves’ fans said good-bye to the most-likely Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones, (who committed a crucial error in the 4^th inning that allowed the Cards to score three times). For the record, the Braves, (who were tops in the Majors in team defense), committed three errors in the game and even out-hit the Cards 12-6, while stranding 10 runners on base. But the real fireworks erupted in the eighth inning:

"But this one-and-done game will be remembered for the eighth inning, when a disputed call on a fly ball that dropped in short left field cost the Braves a chance at extending Jones' career.

The Braves thought they had the bases loaded with one out after the ball dropped between two fielders, who appeared to get mixed up over who had called for it. But left-field umpire Sam Holbrook, who has 11 1/2 years of major league service and previously had worked four playoff series, called Andrelton Simmons out under the infield fly rule -- even though the ball landed at least 50 feet beyond the dirt. When the sellout crowd of 52,631 realized what had happened, and a second out went up on the scoreboard, they littered the field with whatever they could get their hands on."

By the time the “littering” occurred, the “damage” was already done when the Cards’ Matt Holliday homered in the 6^th, and scored two more in the top of the 7^th, when the Braves committed two more errors, giving the Cards a 6-2 lead.

In the second game, the Orioles added more damage to an already bruised Rangers’ team, who had lost their division lead to the upstart Oakland A’s on the final day of the regular season. Both teams committed two errors apiece as the Birds came away with the 5-1 win, setting a date with the NY Yankees.

Today’s games feature the A’s at the Detroit Tigers at 6:07 PM ET, followed by the Cincinnati Reds at the SF Giants at 9:37 PM ET. Both series will be a best 3 out of 5 format with the first two games being played at Detroit and San Francisco, followed by the last three, (if necessary), in their opponent’s park.

As most baseball fans know by now the A’s stunned the league, (and the Texas Rangers), by finishing an improbable season with a 6-game winning streak that included sweeping the Rangers out of the division. “The first team in major league history to win a division after trailing by five games with less than 10 to play, even as they endured a nine-game losing streak in May and were buried 13 games out of first place as late as June 30.”


The Detroit Tigers won the AL Central Division by finishing with an 8-2 record in their final ten games. The Tigers are starting Justin Verlander, (17-8 with a 2.64 ERA), tonight while the A’s will start 23 year old rookie Jarrod Parker, (13-8, 3.47 ERA). This first game should be a nail-biter.

In the nightcap, the Giants start their ace Matt Cain, (16-5, 2.79 ERA) up against the Reds’ Johnny Cueto, (19-9, 2.78 ERA). Both teams won their divisions handily with Cincy outpacing St. Louis and the Giants leaving their rival Dodgers in the dust, by 9-8 games respectfully. Possible MVP and NL Batting Title winner Buster Posey, (.336, .385 since the all-star break), will lead the Giants offensive cast that includes additions Marco Scutaro, (15 triples), and Hunter Pence, (104 RBI’s--5^th in the NL). The Giants also sport a pretty stubborn pitching staff that includes manager Bruce Bochy’s stellar “Bull Pen by Committee”.

The Reds aren’t shy on offense either, with Brandon Phillips, (.281 BA, 163 hits, and 77 RBI’s) and power hitter Jay Bruce, (34 HR’s and 99 RBI’s). Their pitching staff also sports a .334 team ERA, one of the best in the NL. San Francisco leads Cincinnati in total runs scored, (718-669) and team batting average, (.269-.251), but these two teams are closely matched with their respective pitching staffs. This should be a great series to see who moves on to play either Washington or St. Louis for the NL title.

Play Ball!

(Disclaimer: I am a rabid SF Giants fan who has attended Candlestick games all the way back in the 60’s watching Hall of Fame players like Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, among other greats. The Bleacher Report states that Barry Bonds is the greatest all-time Giant, but that’s BS in my book. Willie Mays will always be heads and tails ahead of any Giant (or arguably any MLB player for that matter), simply because of May’s all around abilities. After the Giants’ first World Series victory since 1954, the 2012 G-men look to be even stronger than the 2010 Champions---we shall see.)

2012 MLB Postseason Schedule ~ Link





　

　

　

　

　

　

Associated Press Still Spreading “Video Meme” in Benghazi Terrorist Attack

How much longer will the liberal/Obama Press continue to ignore the planned terrorist attack on the Libyan consulate? As of today, Sept. 28th, the Associated Press is still “on board”. Sep 28, 3:08 AM EDT Calif. man behind anti-Muslim film ordered jailed By GREG RISLING Associated Press

The full story about Nakoula and the video "Innocence of Muslims" still isn't known more than two weeks after violence erupted in Egypt and Libya, where Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others were killed in Benghazi. Violence related to the film has since spread, killing dozens more.

Keep up the good work AP.

A Random Act of Journalism: Chuck Todd Refutes White House Stance on Benghazi (Video)

Via Breitbart, in what must be called a “random act”, this video has NBC Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd stating the facts about what happened in Benghazi, Libya. Also included is Susan Rice, claiming “there was a significant number of security personnel”.



Once again, the liberal media got “way ahead” of this story by projecting a competent White House and State Department, when in fact, the ineptness of this serious breech in security for our Embassies, (on the anniversary of 9/11), clearly shows deadly leadership failures. Susan Rice should have been ashamed to go on the Sunday news shows perverting her “spontaneous” excuses in this travesty.

(Disclosure: I picked up/used the “random act of journalism” meme from a commenter at Breitbart by the name of Michael---credit where credit is due.)

We've Heard It All Before

No explanation needed here:



Barack Obama's "rinse and repeat" speech just reeks with a boat-load of empty promises.  Can we really afford four more years this administration's policies? Or its failures to keep any commitments?

"Obama’s pattern is this: Make a promise; break the promise; insist that you’ve kept the promise, and hope the press gives you a free pass. When called out, resort to absurd word parsing." ~ Washington Examiner

Bill Whittle’s Independence Day Message:

And, national political cartoonist, Michael Ramirez reminds all of us where we stand today, and what we all must do on November 6th.

The Supreme Court Says This is a TAX

Don't let your federal government make your health care choices. Elect Mitt Romeny for President. Vote for Republicans in the House and Senate that will promise to repeal ObamaCare, and also promise to create real healthcare reform.

Scarborough Blasting Harry Reid's "Do Nothing Senate"

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

Morning Joe: Joe’s lambasting Harry Reid’s Senate while interviewing Pat Toomey. Kent Conrad said he was going to do a budget mark-up and then was told to “stand down”. Obama’s narrative that “Congress is obstructive” has been shot down in this video segment.

Your American Tax Dollars at Work

How to Become the 1% in Short Order

Rumor has it he's makin' over a grand a day.

A Game For the Niner History Books

Hard to believe it was thirty years ago yesterday that Joe Montana found Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone in what was called “the catch” to put the Forty Niners into their first Superbowl. It was the beginning of a dynasty in the 80’s that the Niner Faithful had been “faithfully” waiting for. Fast forward to another historic performance at this same Candlestick Park by a quarterback mostly forgotten in this post-season. With all the attention on Tim “terrific” Tebow, Tom Brady, and the hottest QB in the NFL, Drew Brees, it was Alex Smith who conquered the mountains of doubt, reached out, and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Like two great boxers in the final rounds of a championship bout, Drew Brees and his vaunted aerial offense traded gut wrenching blows against Alex Smith and a 49er offense that just refused to quit. With 7:36 left on the clock in the fourth quarter and the Niners hanging onto a 23-17 lead, the two quarterbacks slugged it out in one of the greatest endings in NFL playoff history. Brees and the Saints mounted a classic drive, (9 plays, 79 yards), capping it off with a 44 yard touchdown throw to Darin Sproles. Sproles caught the Brees bullet over the middle at the thirty-seven and ran it in to put the Saints into their first lead of the day, 24-23, bringing the clock down to 4:02. And just like a descending hot air balloon, you could feel the collective exhales of (insert attendance) Niner fans who had seen this scenario before.

But this was just the beginning of the roller coaster ride of emotions both Saints and Forty Niner fans would have to endure. With just over four minutes left on the clock Smith started a drive from his own twenty yard line, and 6 plays, 85 yards later, Smith called his own number on a quarterback bootleg to the left and with (insert guard’s name, Staley) plowing the road out front, ran 28 yards into the end zone to put the Niners back on top 29-24, sending the Candlestick crowd back into a frenzy. The Niners failed on the two point conversion, but left 2:11 on the clock.

The resounding roars of delight would be short lived as Brees, (the master of quick strikes all year), needed only 34 seconds in 4 plays, 88 yards before hitting J.Graham over the middle for a 66 yard scoring play that left Niner defensive backs laying on the ground, and again a deflated crowd in total disbelief. The Saints successfully converted a two point attempt to put the “who dats” back on top 32-29 with only 1:37 left on the clock.

Game over? Not this time!

With little left on the clock and the Niners starting on their own 15 yard line down by three, (and only one time out remaining), Alex Smith took a giant step into the Forty Niner history books with a 7 play, 85 yard drive. On 3rd and 4 at NO 14 with 14 seconds left in the game, Smith fired the final shot heard around the Bay as he hit Vernon Davis in the breadbasket just inside the goal line sending the Niner crowd back into screaming roars of ecstasy, putting the final dagger into the hearts of Saints players and fans, and bringing tears of joy streaming down Davis’s face. BALLGAME!

Many will write about this final drive and the rising stock in a written-off quarterback who had garnered little recognition through out the season. Indeed, the weekend was supposed to be stories about two Superbowl Champion quarterbacks, (Brees and Rogers), and a quarterback that could perform “heavenly miracles” in the eyes of many. But on this day the miracles, and this epic battle belonged to Alex Smith and the Forty Niner Faithful---capturing an improbable victory and sending years of futility down the rabbit hole of football lore. For a brief moment, Niner fans were reminded of those last minutes of “the catch”, (Montana to Clark), but this is 2012, and the heroic final play was Smith to Davis---THE DAGGER.

Those Darn Slippery Curbs

(click on photo to enlarge)

Obama, Sarkozy Trash Talk Bibi Behind Open Mic---Media Agrees to Keep Story Mum

Selective Journalism---Today’s Liberal Media at its “Finest”

The “story’s” finally getting linked by the Drudge Report that President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy were caught making inappropriate/disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a backroom at the G20 summit. According to Ynet News.com, there were still open microphones left on and connected to the two leaders. Reporters who still had their headsets on, (for immediate translation), over heard three minutes of conversation between Sarkozy and Obama after the two had retired to a private back room:

French President Nicolas Sarkozy reportedly told US President Barack Obama that he could not "stand" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that he thinks the Israeli premier "is a liar."

According to a Monday report in the French website "Arret sur Images," after facing reporters for a G20 press conference on Thursday, the two presidents retired to a private room, to further discuss the matters of the day.

The conversation apparently began with President Obama criticizing Sarkozy for not having warned him that France would be voting in favor of the Palestinian membership bid in UNESCO despite Washington's strong objection to the move.

The conversation then drifted to Netanyahu, at which time Sarkozy declared: "I cannot stand him. He is a liar." According to the report, Obama replied: "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!"
===================================================
But this is only half the story. Not only had two of the world’s most powerful men been caught in an honest conversation about their true feelings towards Netanyahu, “the media”, in their infinite wisdom had agreed to not publish the embarrassing conversation:
====================================================
The surprising lack of coverage may be explained by a report alleging that reporters present at the event were requested to sign an agreement to keep mum on the subject of the embarrassing comments.

A member of the media confirmed Monday that "there were discussions between journalists and they agreed not to publish the comments due to the sensitivity of the issue."

He added that while it was annoying to have to refrain from publishing the information, the journalists are subject to precise rules of conduct.
============================================================
Tom Blummer at Newsbusters points out that the Associated Press must have also agreed to the “precise rules of conduct”, when they released three publications related to the summit, but chose not to include the two leaders backroom swarray: (check spelling)
====================================================
"Let's try to imagine that any journalist would agree to such a restriction or hesitate to violate it even if he or she did agree to it if a conversation like this involving a Republican or conservative, or really just about anyone other than Barack Obama would have occurred. Neither can I.

As partial evidence that the embarrassing comment blackout was honored, the three AP items from the summit (here, here, and here) contain no reference to what Ynet revealed.

The least the establishment press could do is stop calling themselves reporters and properly refer to themselves as stenographers."
=======================================================
I think we could find stenographers a bit more accurate in their comprehension of the event. In this case, transparency is in the eye/ears of the beholder. Unless of course, you are a part of the selective media.
============================================================
Update: Allahpundit questions the validity of the story that has taken over four days now to hit the internet.

"I can buy that no one recorded it, and I can buy that some reporters would go so far into the tank that they’d sign a nondisclosure statement, but surely someone in the room would have found a scoop this juicy too irresistible and would have leaked it. The exchange between O and Sarkozy supposedly happened on Thursday; it took four days for news to break about an explosive “hot mic” exchange between the presidents of the United States and France about the prime minister of Israel? C’mon.

Anyone know if Arret is trustworthy? And if so, I want to know which reporters were in the room and refused to report."
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Perhaps Allahpundit missed the three articles that the Associated Press wrote, (linked by Newsbusters), that omitted the backroom conversation.

Links to inbed into post:

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/11/07/uh-oh-obama-sarkozy-caught-on-open-mic-grumbling-about-netanyahu/
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4145266,00.html

http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2011/11/07/amazing-journos-agreed-not-publish-obama-sarkozy-snipes-about-bibi

More to come......................

(note: this post will be edited for clarity)

Are You Ready to Get Bamboozled---Again?

Is there just a hint of plagiarism here?