This and that ...

Working AGAIN today ...

Remember when Joe Wilson yelled "YOU LIE" at President Obama? Well, turns out he was right. but indirectly:

Lawmakers who want to extend health coverage to illegal immigrants will not block the passage of the final health care reform bill so long as the White House offers a substantive promise to start pushing comprehensive immigration legislation this year.

Democrats who want a comprehensive bill that reforms immigration law but also offers a pathway to citizenship have threatened to vote against health care if illegals aren't included in the new system, making immigration one of the sticking points as Democratic leaders negotiate the final details.

See, it's not going to be IN the health care bill. It's going to be in immigration reform. Big difference. It still means you and I will be paying for the health care of illegals, as long as they're on a pathway to citizenship.

The problem with the handling of Panty Bomber as criminal with all the rights of a US citizen:

So, here are the perverse incentives for terrorists who come to this country to kill us — assuming you don't succeed in blowing yourself up and are captured, you will have a right to a lawyer, a right to remain silent, a right to trial by a jury of your "peers," and the possibility of early release if you cooperate with authorities. We are a generous nation indeed.

And, the enemy KNOWS THIS.

In Courting Disaster, I recount the story of one senior al-Qaeda terrorist who was captured in 2007 and brought into the CIA program. The program had been dramatically curtailed at that point, and waterboarding was no longer being used. But he was terrified nonetheless. And when he was informed that he was in the hands of the CIA, he told his interrogators: “I’ve heard of you. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” And he did. No enhanced techniques. He just spilled his guts. Just the existence of the program — and the uncertainty of what would happen to him — was enough to break this high-ranking terrorist.

Today, that would no longer work. Thanks to Obama, the terrorists know they have nothing to fear — and thus have no incentive to talk. And even if they did face some enhanced techniques, the techniques would no longer work — because the terrorist would know from the memos that there are limits to what they would face. The effect of the techniques is psychological, not physical. They trick the terrorists into thinking what they are enduring is worse than it really is.

Good job Brownie!

Now, here's a tune from the greatest album of the year:



"Elephants" was an early favorite from the album, but now I'm leaning toward "Reptiles." How would you like to be picked as the extra guitar player to tour with the band? heh.