George W. Bush's Memoir Sells 2 Million Copies In A Month

It's what the haters in the liberal media just can't bring themselves to admit: in the minds of most Americans George W. Bush remains as popular as ever:

For someone who mangled words on a regular basis, it's an impressive feat.

Former U.S. President George W Bush's memoir has sold an astonishing two million copies since it was released in early November - and it's not even in paperback yet.


'Decision Points', published both in hardcover and e-book form, is flying off the shelves, the Crown Publishing Group says.

By contrast, former president Bill Clinton's memoir, 'My Life', has logged sales of 2.2million copies since it was first published in 2004.

A spokesman for Crown called the performance remarkable.

He claimed he could not think of any other hardcover nonfiction books in 2010 that had sold even one million copies, much less two.

Conservative Organizations Slam Law Center for Labeling Them 'Hate' Groups

Disagree with the immoral Left and you're spreading hate. It's what America is not about:

Conservative groups and lawmakers are firing back at the Southern Poverty Law Center for releasing a new report labeling some mainstream conservative organizations as "hate groups" for their opposition to gay marriage.


In its latest report, the center added 18 "anti-gay groups" to its list of active hate organizations, including Concerned Women for America, the Traditional Values Coalition, the Family Research Council and the National Organization for Marriage.


They join the center's list of more than 900 hate groups, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, skinheads, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, and black separatists like the New Black Panther Party and the Nation of Islam.


"Even as some well-known anti-gay groups like Focus on the Family moderate their views, a hard core of smaller groups, most of them religiously motivated, have continued to pump out demonizing propaganda aimed at homosexuals and other sexual minorities," the report reads. "These groups' influence reaches far beyond what their size would suggest, because the 'facts' they disseminate about homosexuality are often amplified by certain politicians, other groups and even news organizations."


Outraged conservatives, led by the Family Research Council, have launched an online petition called "start debating, stop hating," which was published as a full page advertisement in the print editions of Politico and the Washington Examiner.


"Tell the radical Left it is time to stop spreading hateful rhetoric attacking individuals and organizations merely for expressing ideas with which they disagree," the petition reads. "Our debates can and must remain civil – but they must never be suppressed through personal assaults that aim only to malign an opponent's character."


More than 150 leaders have signed the petition, including incoming House Speaker John Boehner, Republican South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint and 20 other members of Congress as well as potential GOP presidential candidates Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee and Tim Pawlenty.


The petition criticizes the SPLC for attacking groups "that uphold Judeo-Christian moral views" by labeling them hate groups without debate.

Joe Biden On GMA: “Gay Marriage Is Inevitable,” But Tax Cuts? Not So Much.

It must be about "civil rights" or something, of course under that umbrella the transgender folks should be allowed to use both male and female restrooms too. Rosa Parks fought for all this you know:

On ABC’s Good Morning America this morning, Vice President Joe Biden said the Obama Administration–having just cut an historic tax cut deal with Republicans–will now “hold the line” when those tax cuts expire in two years.


And on another hot issue–one the president was pressed on in his last news conference before skipping town for a holiday trip to Hawaii–with DADT dead, where does gay marriage stand in the eyes of the Administration?


Biden says he, too, is experiencing an “evolution” in his thinking, and believes the next target will be DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act:


The vice president agreed with Obama’s comments that his position on gay marriage is “evolving.” Biden said there is an “inevitability for a national consensus on gay marriage.”


“I think the country’s evolving. And I think you’re going to see, you know, the next effort is probably going to be to deal with so called DOMA [Defense of Marriage Act],” he said.


The tax news–that despite an influx of Republicans to Capitol Hill in the new year–the Administration plans to stand firm on letting those just-renewed tax cuts expire the next time around, isn’t exactly a promise, as ABC’s George Stephanopoulos found:


“George, that’s why I think I felt confident in being asked by the President to negotiate a deal on taxes that the equities and the economic imperatives are going to be to not extend the high end tax cut, which would cost $700 billion over 10 years. And not extend this overly generous estate tax,” Vice President Joe Biden told me.


Is that a guarantee?


“Nothing’s a guarantee,” he said.

Will 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Cause Problems For American Troops Seving In Muslim Countries

Yahoo.com:

Though President Obama signed the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ Wednesday, critics of repeal say important questions remain about the external problems the new policy may create, such as those revolving around gay troops serving in Muslim countries.


Will DADT repeal aid America in pushing these countries down a path of cultural openness, or inspire a harmful backlash? This concern, critics say, was not dealt with in the Pentagon’s report on the DADT repeal and was overlooked in the rush to pass the repeal legislation.


“That is a question those of us working with the Military Culture Coalition put to the working group on more than one occasion and it is not addressed in the report,” Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, told The Daily Caller. “It is one of many issues that were not addressed even though we insisted, we sent them a formal letter and a list of issues that they needed to discuss, and that was one of them which they very pointedly left out.”

Hypocrite Janet Napolitano: "Now's Not The Time To Talk Border Politics"

FOXNews.com:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, leaving the funeral of a murdered Border Patrol agent Wednesday, scolded a reporter for asking her to address the victim's family's concerns that not enough is being done to secure the southern border.


The family of agent Brian Terry had complained that Napolitano had offered them "empty words" when she called to express her condolences. Terry's father, Kent Terry, in an interview with ABC affiliate KGUN, said he told Napolitano to "wake your man up in the White House," to which she replied that he's done more in two years than any president.


Napolitano attended the Detroit funeral Wednesday where she vowed "swift justice" for Terry's killers. But asked about the family's concerns outside the service, Napolitano said "now is not the time to talk about all that has been done."


She said more agents and technology are on the border than ever before, but told the KGUN reporter it's time to remember the fallen agent and not start picking fights.


"Listen, I don't know who you spoke with in the family," Napolitano said.

NPR's Nina Totenberg Expresses Regret for Using Term 'Christmas Party'

Yeah, don't ever equate NPR with promoting leftwing propaganda:

Eggnog tasting. Red-and-green theme party. Holiday get-together.


Perhaps these would be acceptable terms. But "Christmas Party"? Put it on the naughty list.


NPR's Nina Totenberg suggests that using the word "Christmas" to describe all those winter-weather parties is somehow inappropriate, as she excused herself over the weekend for using it during an on-air discussion.


The peculiar remark came as Totenberg was making a point about the budget. She asked her fellow panelists to "forgive the expression" when she mentioned a Christmas party she attended.


"I want to say one thing about the budget that didn't get passed, the omnibus bill. You know, we talk a lot about -- we just passed this huge tax cut in part because business said, you know, we have to plan, we have to know what kind of tax cuts we have. Well, these agencies, including the Defense Department, don't know how much money they've got and for what," she said. "And I was at -- forgive the expression -- a Christmas party at the Department of Justice and people actually (were) really worried about this."


Totenberg, the legal affairs correspondent for NPR, was participating in a roundtable on "Inside Washington," a show produced by ABC's Washington affiliate and distributed to PBS stations. Sunday's airing of the show did not include the discussion in question. But a representative with the Media Research Center, which originally posted the clip online, said the version of the show which aired Friday on PBS' Washington affiliate WETA included the uncut section.

FCC Approves Controversial 'Net Neutrality' Rules

CNN.com:

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday approved "high-level rules of the road" designed to ensure that internet providers grant everyone equal access to the Web.


But the 3-2 vote immediately came under attack from both flanks, with internet-freedom advocates saying the new rules don't go far enough and critics saying the government should stay out of online business altogether.


In announcing the proposed rules this month, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said they would require high-speed internet providers to treat all types of Web content equally.


The rules are designed to, in effect, keep the companies that own the internet's real-world infrastructure from slowing down some types of websites or apps -- say, those belonging to a competitor -- or speeding up others for high-paying clients.


For average internet users, the vote affects whether government will guarantee they'll continue to have access to all Web content, regardless of their internet provider's wishes, and whether they'll get that content as quickly as businesses or individuals able to pay more for it.

Bill Maher Attacks Oprah Winfrey Over "Favorite Things"

Mediaite.com:

Bill Maher, host of HBO’s Real Time, and notorious religious nonbeliever, taped a harsh and hilarious “Christmas message” for his website that served as a damning critique of all Americans and of the one media figure most are too scared to attack: Oprah Winfrey. Calling Oprah’s “Favorite Things” episode “one of the most deeply disturbing things I’ve ever seen on television” was just the beginning of Maher’s memorably “cheerful” message.


Maher used Oprah’s audience as the prime example for his thesis that the real religion in America is greed and is “what at the core is so rotten about this country.” Many find Maher’s “humor” offensive, especially towards people of faith, but if you step back and view Maher as a social commentator, merely trying to improve society then maybe you too could appreciate Maher’s willingness to be politically incorrect and go after anyone and everyone to make a point. Maher concluded:


This is why everything in America gets sucked down a hole. Because what people really value is acquiring crap. Oprah’s show purports to be a lot about spirituality. If it was, then wouldn’t she tell her worshipping flock to sit down and stop losing your shit over material stuff. As for me, I don’t really know what spirituality means, but I know if you’re weeping over a sweater you don’t either. Merry Christmas everybody!

'Study' Claiming Fox News Viewers 'Misinformed' Is Fraught With Errors

Newsbusters.org:

For the past few days, the far-left Fox haters have been using a study by the University of Maryland's World Public Opinion project to claim that FNC "mis-informs" its viewers. There's nothing particularly novel about the claims, but some lefties are apparently under the impression that this study lends academic weight to their deranged hatred of everything Fox. It does not.


Let's start with the study's broad disclaimer, which should have (but so far has not) dissuaded the Fox haters from their rabid attacks. The study's findings (pdf) plainly state:


…misinformation cannot simply be attributed to news sources, but are part of the larger information environment that includes statements by candidates, political ads and so on.


Anyone who thought calls to refrain from extrapolating some condemnation of specific media outlets from this study would deter liberals from doing just that clearly has not dealt with the Fox-haters before.


Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik expanded on the problem with singling out Fox, or any other news organization, using this study's findings:


Most of the fact-based questions about whether certain programs were started under Bush or Obama were, in fact, the very subject matter of political attack ads. And it would be no surprise to find that far more of those ads aired on Fox, since it is by far the highest-rated cable news channel with the biggest audience. And the channel is watched by many independents and people who are likely to actually go to the polls and vote. I read nothing in the report that addressed that possible misreading of the data -- that the "misinformation" came from the political ads viewers saw on Fox and not from Fox editorial content.


These issues of course did not stop liberal blog after liberal blog after liberal blog from piling on, with equal parts righteous condemnation and jubilant "told-you-so" snark.


But there are plenty of problems inherent in using the study as a cudgel against Fox beyond the specific, direct warning to not do so, and the problems inherent in ignoring that warning. Chief among them is the study's strange means of deciding what is true.

Sarah Palin Disses Michelle Obama Over 'Dessert'

CNN.com:

Sarah Palin is again taking aim at Michelle Obama over her anti-obesity campaign, taking the opportunity in Sunday's "Sarah Palin's Alaska" to land a diss against the first lady's efforts to improve nutrition.


While making s'mores at one point during Sunday's episode, the former Alaska governor proclaims the marshmallow and chocolate treat is "in honor of Michelle Obama, who said the other day we should not have dessert."


It's not the first time Palin has taken a jab at Mrs. Obama over her campaign to discourage fattening foods, especially from public schools. The former vice presidential nominee told conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham last month that "the first lady cannot trust parents to make decisions for their own children, for their own families in what we should eat."


Palin also hand-delivered cookies to a Pennsylvania school last month before delivering a speech there, saying: "Who should be deciding what I eat? Should it be government or should it be parents? It should be the parents."

I like Sarah going after Michelle, but she needs to stop getting riled over constructive criticism from fellow Republican pundits. It makes her look petty.

Politiks As Usual: In The News 12/20/10

Rep. Peter King To Hold Hearings On 'Radicalization' Of American Muslims

South Korea Starts Live-Fire Military Exercises

Benedict Arnold Republicans Destroy Military And Our National Security 

It's Still The Demography, Stupid


Obama's New 'Gay' Force


SPJ Takes Up Crusade Against Term 'Illegal Immigrant'


Napolitano Says DHS To Begin Battling Climate Change As Homeland Security Issue


ACLU Targets Christians In TN Schools


Nets Tout Supporters Of "Historic' Repeal Of DADT


Sen. Jon Kyl Is "Skeptical" Of The 9/11 First Responders Bill


McConnell Faces Down Obama As START Moves To Vote This Week

Media Couple's NYTimes Wedding Announcement Stirs Controversy

Obama Bows To "Sanctimonious Left", Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Suddenly Barry's their friend again, but give it a week or so and it'll back to boos and hisses:

The military's prohibition of openly gay people serving within its ranks is one step closer to ending, after the Senate voted Saturday to repeal the armed forces' "don't ask, don't tell" policy.


Eight Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut joined the chamber's Democrats to back the legislation, which passed around 3 p.m. by a 65-31 margin. The bill needed a simple majority -- meaning support from 51 of the Senate's 100 members -- to pass.


"I want to thank all of the gay men and women who are fighting for us today," said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who pushed hard for the measure. "We honor your service, and now we can do so openly."


President Barack Obama will sign the bill into law next week, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a Twitter post moments after the Senate vote.


"Gay and lesbian service members -- brave Americans who enable our freedoms -- will no longer have to hide who they are," Obama said in an e-mailed statement to supporters. "The fight for civil rights, a struggle that continues, will no longer include this one."

"Civil rights"?!? "Military prohibition"?!? Unbelievable.