" Happy Birthday, America!

"And crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea!"

~Ruff "

" And yet another (of many) examples of B.O.'s inexperience and poor qualifications to be president:

"Donors Find a Home in Obama's Ambassador Corps"

"By JONATHAN WEISMAN and YUKA HAYASHI

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has seen its share of luminaries in the ambassador's suite. Former Vice President Walter Mondale, former Senate Majority Leaders Mike Mansfield and Howard Baker and former House Speaker Tom Foley are among those who have brokered relations with a complex and critical ally in a region bristling with military and trade tensions.

President Barack Obama's pick for the post is from a different mold: John Roos, a San Francisco Bay area lawyer, was the president's chief Silicon Valley fundraiser and contributions "bundler." He has no diplomatic experience.

Mr. Obama's choice of Mr. Roos, along with other political boosters -- from former investment banker Louis B. Susman, known as the "vacuum cleaner" for his fundraising prowess, to Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney -- has raised eyebrows among some who thought the president would extend his mantra of change to the diplomatic corps.

"We're not only insulting nations [that] we're appointing these bundlers to, we're risking U.S. diplomatic efforts in these key countries," said Craig Holman, a government-affairs lobbyist at watchdog group Public Citizen."


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124658149328689699.html "

" Looks like Ruff might get his wish after all!

"Palin resigning as Alaska governor"

WASILLA, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race. "

" No thoughts on Palin resigning as Governor of Alaska? "

" kevin this is news how? Presidents have used ambassadorships as rewards for donors and political allies for as long as there have been ambassadorships......yawn. "

" It's just the matter of degree. From President Bush all the way back to Kennedy it's always been about 30% donors.

B.O. has appointed 60% to these posts and offended some of our close allies for no reason.

Again, it's that inexperience thing... "

" I couldn't be happier to hear about the Palin resignation. Even the Republicans are wondering what the heck she's doing and strategists believe this favors Mitt Romney. Running Alaska never has been a stepping stone to running the country but I wonder what else she could do that would give her more needed experience than what she was already doing.

And to steal a line from someone on SFGate.com, who's going to keep an eye on Russia? "

" What allies have been offended? Just curious "

" I was struck by Palin's reasons for stepping down: Basically, being a Lame Duck is no fun. I'd rather be a star, thank you. "

" Gov there, Gov here..Government is Government

PC is on it! "

" Link to an AP story about the problems with European nationalized health care. Proof that the bureaucrats don't do it any better than the insurance people. Better the devil we know than the devil we don't know:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090704/ap_on_he_me/eu_med_europe_health_lessons

Note that thousands of elderly people die prematurely because of backlogs for medical attention. And remember that you have no appeal when the government decides, or fails to decide, what health care should be rationed out to you. You just simply die, and the case is off the government books.

Government run health care is not the change we need. "

" Yeah, kevin, George W. Bush was such a great president...

And our allies are so offended that they all queue up to have their pictures taken with Barack Obama.

The only guy I've seen griping (besides lotsa whining Republicans, of course) about Obama's diplomatic style has been AmADinnerJacket discredited dictator of Iran.

~Ruff "

" kevin- This is one guy who is sad to see Sarah Palin leaving politics.

She was very entertaining, and was constantly demonstrating the weakness of the 'flat earth society' wing of the Republican party.

And, like I've said before... few comedians are happy that she is resigning from her governorship.

Mark Sanford should follow her lead. But even if 'Sparky' Sanford leaves the Republican hypocrite bench is very deep.

There's still David Vitter, the family values Senator from Louisiana who cavorted with prostitutes and had very interesting service requests.

Yep, comedians and skeptics still have lots of Republicans hypocrisy to discuss.

~Ruff "

" Obama allows North Korea to fire 7 missiles and conduct a nuclear test. Where is the diplomacy to stop this? What's next? "

" and what do you propose instead of diplomacy, russ?

and ppf, 'Note that thousands of elderly people die prematurely'...and how many of the millions here without health insurance die prematurely...

ahhh...so you have no problems with doing it, kevin, just the degree... "

" "Obama allows North Korea to fire 7 missiles and conduct a nuclear test. Where is the diplomacy to stop this? What's next? "

What do you expect anybody to do? We could start a war between two very small countries. The result would be 10's if not 100's of thousands of dead South Koreans (our allies). As with Iran we have very stark choices. Put up with a little guff or an extremely bloody war. Which is it to be? "

" russ:
"allows"??? How is Obama in charge of North Korea?
Here's an interesting article to read about this subject. It might infer what is next. Options are explained. Seems the Korean War may not be over. Hmm

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124640610149276731.html "

" I expect diplomacy. I have not seen anything except an escalation in the threat since Obama became president.

I asked, "What's next? "Where is the diplomacy? What is Obama doing as Kim fires rockets and tests his nuclear weapons.

Are you suggesting we attack them?

How about Iran? What are we doing to support the people of Iran? Where is the diplomacy? "

" Russ, the Obama administration is letting the U.N. make the decisions when it comes to North Korea and Iran. That's the way things were before W took office. It shouldn't be up to us alone to decide when someone needs to be punished.

Obama has made his views known. Just because he isn't going in there and dropping bombs on everyone he disagrees with doesn't mean he isn't concerned about the situation. "

" krusty, thanks for your honesty.

The UN has no authority to do anything except publish a piece of paper. Every dictator and terrorist and evil regime has ignored the UN for decades, for example, Saddam Hussein.

Look at the UN success in Africa, When they should have been able to do some good. "

" Republicans seem to think that being pretend tough in public is better than being really tough in private.

I'm quite content to have private diplomacy conducted rather than making tinpot dictators more important than they are.

In case the chest-thumpers didn't notice, George W. Bush got our troops tied up in Iraq thus emboldening the folks in North Korea.

It's a good thing the neo-conmen aren't in charge anymore.

~Ruff "

" " I expect diplomacy. I have not seen anything except an escalation in the threat since Obama became president."

This has been going on before Obama. You might remember that this last bomb test was not the first one.

"I asked, "What's next? "Where is the diplomacy? What is Obama doing as Kim fires rockets and tests his nuclear weapons."

My guess is that what ever they are doing, they are doing it quietly. There aren't many good choices.

"Are you suggesting we attack them?"

Perhaps you should read what I wrote. I made a good case for not attacking them.


"How about Iran? What are we doing to support the people of Iran? Where is the diplomacy? "

I can think of two people who would love it if Obama was more forceful in supporting the Iranians, Amadinaghad and Kahmeni, it would strengthen their hands. It's a dicey road. Negotiate with them and they get legitimacy, ignore them and they keep working on those bombs until we can't ignore them. "

" You're right on about Iran, teacher. Ahmadinejad wants to blame anyone but himself when things get bad in Iran. To continually treaten Iran only adds fuel to his fire. Compared to Bush, Obama has been quiet when it comes to Iran yet Ahmadinejad is still blaming him for Irans problems. From Economist.com:

"If he (Obama) makes it harder to caricature Americans as bloodthirsty imperialists, he figures, he will deny hardliners in Iran and elsewhere one of their most potent rhetorical tools. And that could make it slightly less difficult for him to resolve the Middle Eastern problems that have frustrated every previous American president, he hopes. He sees many of the region’s ills as interconnected; but he has not yet hit on a grand strategy for addressing them.

There was an interesting quote from Obama in the same article regarding North Korea:

“There’s been a pattern in the past where North Korea behaves in a belligerent fashion, and if it waits long enough [it] is then rewarded,” said Mr Obama. “We are going to break that pattern.” "

" Ruff, we should be tough in public and tougher in private. How about tinpot dictators with nukes. OK with that? Where is evidence that there is diplomacy in private. Obama has no time to worry about NK and Iran. He and the family are off to London, Paris and Ghana.

teacher, I agree.

Ahmanijhad is just a puppet and mouthpiece for the mullahs.

krusty, so when is Obama going to do something with NKorea? And what? Kim is becoming more belligerent as he sees Obama as weak. "

" TAXES!
Chains you can believe in!


Save the Republic. "

" russ- Your Mr. Bush was tough in public and ineffective in private.

Obama was roundly criticized by Republicans before he laid down his cards on the Somali pirates.

Obama is a far better president that the Republicans have produced since Eisenhower, and the Republicans don't like Eisenhower either.

~Ruff "

" "ruff" Monica cigars under table no relations. Your talking Senators and i'm talking Presidents.reflecting your 4th of July comments. "

" Sarah Palin was a WOMAN, not a POLITICIAN like Clinton 2, Pelosi, and Feinstein, just to name a few. She was probably the only "politician" that could relate to REAL Americans. She was inexperienced, thats true, but look at the background of the guy who just killed our economy, made best friends with diplomats and forced more taxes on us to help stop "Climate Change". How much more EXPERIENCE does he have than Palin? Obama may act like a family man for the press, but Palin was just her kids' Mom the entire time, not just when she was being viewed through a lens.

And I'm willing to bet that Obama and all the far left libs were TERRIFIED of her. She might actually understand the people! She might eliminate some of the power-hungry politicians! Ahhhhh! "