• Barack Obama,  Camp Pendleton,  Guantanamo Bay

    California’s Camp Pendelton to be the New GITMO?

    San-Onofre-the-new-Gitmo

    California’s San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (GITMO)

    Say it ain’t so that President Obama will close Gitmo and move most of its residents to a new constructed prison located at California’s Camp Pendelton Marine Base.

    The U.S. military has prepared a list of U.S. military bases that could be used to house as many as 250 detainees currently being held at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, military officials tell ABCNews.com.

    The list — which includes Camp Pendleton in California, Fort Leavenworth in Kansas; the Marine Air Station in Miramar, California; and the U.S. Naval Consolidated Brig in South Carolina — has been circulated in a classified brief to members of Congress and was prepared by the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.

    President-elect Barack Obama is expected to order that the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility be closed on his first day in office, officials say. Officials say it would take at least a year to prepare a new prison and transfer the detainees.

    The preliminary list was based on cost, logistic, and security concerns, but the Department of Defense is expected to present a more comprehensive recommendation based on a variety of factors, according a military official.

    Camp Pendleton was determined to be the least expensive option and officials say its vast 125,000 acre size would allow for a new prison to be built in an isolated and secure area. 

    Camp Pendleton has a daytime population of 60,000, according to its website, including military personnel, their families and civilian employees.

    Three San Diego county Congressmen have already voiced opposition to sending the terror detainees to Camp Pendleton.

    Ed Morrissey knowing the geography of Camp Pendelton ridicules the notion of moving GITMO there as a San Onofre based terrorist prison becomes a prime terrorist target. You know the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant that is nearby, the Interstate Freeway that runs down to Mexico and the upscale neighborhoods in Oceanside and North San Diego county which would be vulnerable to terrorist hostage and attack – so they can free their detained buddies.

    The President-Elect will likely issue an Executive Order on his first day in office closing GITMO. And, it may be up to a year before the Cuban prison is actually closed.

    Camp Pendleton would be an unwise choice.

    The letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates opposing Camp Pendelton as a terrorist prison from Represenatives Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and Darrell Issa (R-CA) is here.


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  • Michael Steele,  Republican National Committee

    Michael Steele, RNC Chairman Race and The GOPAC Push Back

    Michael-Steele-and-GOPAC
    Michael Steele GOPAC mailer

    Former Maryland GOP Lt. Governor and Fox News Contributor Michael Steele is involved in a tough race for the RNC Chairmanship.

    Every Republican activist Flap knows seems to like Michael Steele but not necessarily for the day to day operations of the party apparatus. Everyone acknowledges that Steele will make a great spokesperson for the GOP, particularly on television and talk radio. But, are the nuts and bolts of the party outside his expertise?

    These two mailers to Republican National Committee Members seem to address this criticism.


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  • Audra Strickland,  Jeff Gorell

    Jeff Gorell Endorsed by California Assemblywoman Audra Strickland

    Jeff Gorell has announced today the endorsement of California Assemblywoman Audra Strickland to succeed her (Audra is term-limited out) in Flap’s home Assembly District (CA-37) in the Thousand Oaks, California area.

    From the press release:

    The campaign for Jeff Gorell, candidate for State Assembly in 2010, announced today that he has been endorsed by incumbent Assemblywoman Audra Strickland (R-Moorpark). The 37th Assembly District lawmaker is precluded from running for re-election due to Proposition 140, California’s term limits law, and she has made public her early and strong support for Jeff Gorell to succeed her in office.

    “It’s an honor to have the support of Assemblywoman Strickland,” said Jeff Gorell, a former Ventura County Deputy DA and local attorney. “As our next Assemblyman, I will work to reform California’s government and build upon her efforts to hold the line on government spending and new taxes. Like Audra, I will be a strong ally of public safety on all fronts, and will fight against the proposed Camarillo prison hospital. “

    “Despite the challenges in Sacramento today, I continue to have great optimism and inspiration to make positive change for our community” said Gorell. “It’s an honor to have the early support of Assemblywoman Audra Strickland and so many respected state and local leaders. It would be one of life’s greatest honors to represent this community – my neighbors – in the State Legislature.”

    This is a very early start for Republican Gorell. Obviously, he wishes to preclude a “CONTESTED” GOP primary election in June 2010 in this “safe” Republican district.

    Audra Strickland and likely her husband, California State Senator Tony Strickland’s, endorsement is huge – especially from a fundraising stand point.

    Looks like a clear GOP field for Gorell.

    The Jeff Gorell for Assembly 2020 Facebook group is here.


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  • Gay Marriage,  Tom Hanks

    Shocker: Tom Hanks is an Anti-Mormon BIGOT – Calls Traditional Marriage Supporters “Un-American”

    Courage Campaign’s television ad: “Home Invasion”: Vote NO on Prop 8

    Oh the tolerance of the Hollywood LEFT. Remember the anti-Mormon video released by the Homosexual Courage Campaign during the California Proposition 8 campaign? It is above.

    Tom Hanks is the latest Hollywood ass-clown anti- Mormon bigot to open his mouth supporting gay marriage in California. But, calling California Proposition 8 supporters (Prop. 8 restored the traditional definition of marriage – one man and one woman – to the California Constitution Last November) “anti-American” is over the top.

    Tom Hanks, Executive Producer for HBO’s controversial polygamist series “Big Love,” made his feelings toward the Mormon Church’s involvement in California’s Prop 8 (which prohibits gay marriage) very clear at the show’s premiere party on Wednesday night.

    “The truth is this takes place in Utah, the truth is these people are some bizarre offshoot of the Mormon Church, and the truth is a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to the church to make Prop-8 happen,” he told Tarts. “There are a lot of people who feel that is un-American and I am one of them. I do not like to see any discrimination codified on any piece of paper, any of the 50 states in America, but here’s what happens now. A little bit of light can be shed and people can see who’s responsible and that can motivate the next go around of our self correcting constitution and hopefully we can move forward instead of backwards. So lets have faith in not only the American, but Californian constitutional process.”

    Flap will now wait for Tom Hank’s portrayal of all of the homosexual Catholic priests who have been sexually abusing children for decades.

    Think it will happen?


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  • Cindy McCain,  John McCain,  Sarah Palin

    John McCain Puts the KIBOSH on Wife Cindy Competing in Dancing With The Stars

    John and Cindy McCain

    Senator John and Cindy McCain

    What a shame.

    Our impeccably placed source says, “Just before Thanksgiving, Cindy McCain (above) started talks with producers to appear as a dancer on the show. She wanted to do it very badly.” But this week, Sen. McCain “put the kibosh on it.” Reps for the show and McCain didn’t return calls.

    Why allow your wife to step on your press? Right, Senator?

    But, you can no longer control Sarah Palin, now can you?


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  • Barack Obama,  Media

    The Obama Schmoozing of the Press and the Eventual Press War

    Barack Obama at George Wills home

    President-elect Barack Obama waves to reporters as he arrives at a conservative columnist George Will’s private residence for a dinner in Chevy Chase, Md., Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009

    Jack Shafer has it just about right.

    So having won the election without wooing the press, what is Obama’s new press strategy?

    Courtship! On Tuesday night, Obama dined at George F. Will’s house with name-brand conservatives Charles Krauthammer, David Brooks, William Kristol, Paul Gigot, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Larry Kudlow. The liberal commentariat got their audience the next day, when Obama met with Eugene Robinson, Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich, E.J. Dionne, and others at his transition headquarters. As I write, he’s touring the Washington Post, where he was interviewed by the paper’s editorial board and its White House team.

    The new romance goes only so far. He’s still avoided the “traditional” pre-inauguration interview with the New York Times, as Politico‘s Michael Calderone reported yesterday. Calderone catalogs the four substantive interviews Obama has given the Times over the last 18 months or so and notes the welter of miniature press conferences Obama has given to make transition announcements. What seems to irritate the Times the most is the president-elect’s dismissal of the order of things, which mandates a sit-down session with reporters.

    Perhaps the Times should count its blessings. As of late, when Obama does speak, as he did on Dec. 7 on Meet the Press, Dec. 28 on 60 Minutes, and Jan. 11 on This Week With George Stephanopoulos, he tends not to say much. The closest Obama came to giving Stephanopoulos any news was when he answered a question about investigating torture and warrantless wiretapping under the Bush administration. Obama said, “We have not made final decisions.”

    Yet, the MSM press was clearly accomodating to Obama during the Presidential campaign and never pressed him to answer any hard policy questions. They have continued the policy during the transition.

    Obama is lately hailed as being smart and shrewd to preemptively defang the media – both left and right.

    But, Obama becomes President next week and will finally have to make some decisions and be held accountable. Decisions that will likely be criticised in the written and spoken word.

    The press war is coming.

    Related:

    The Coming Obama-Press War

    Meet the Press


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  • Chris Matthews,  Keith Olbermann,  MSNBC

    Olbermann and Matthews are BACK Anchoring Presidential Politics – Take Their Last Shots at Bush

    MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann take their last shots RANTS at President Bush

    The dynamic LEFT duo of Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann are back anchoring Presidential politics for MSNBC. As you remember, they were removed last summer after criticism of media bias.

    Within a couple minutes of President Bush’s farewell speech, MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann asked, “Am I wrong that the only thing missing tonight was another ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner?”

    Chris Matthews, shortly after, said that Bush “got to be president because of his father.”

    Both MSNBC stars took heat from conservative critics during the campaign for their analysis of news events — such as election nights or conventions. Toward the end of the campaign, MSNBC removed the Olbermann-Matthews duo from anchoring due to such criticism and staff tension (both on camera and off). 

    Looking at the latest television ratings, MSNBC will not be doing themselves any favors by unleashing these two and Rachel Maddow.

    But, third place in the news ratings is not all that bad, now is it?


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  • Barack Obama,  Day By Day

    Day By Day by Chris Muir January 16, 2009 – The Difference Between

    Day By Day 011609

    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    The actions of the pilot in the Hudson River airplane crash were truly remarkably – as were the actions of the New York first responders.

    Barack Obama’s plan to close Gitmo is another matter. If he proceeds with government policy as per his campaign rhetoric, the terrorists incarcerated there will either be released (free to committ other terrorist acts against the United States) or be immersed in the American legal system with court appointed lawyers.

    Somehow Flap thinks Obama will change his mind again.

    Previous:

    The Day By Day Archive


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  • Del.icio.us Links

    links for 2009-01-16

    • As much as Mr. Obama and his team may wish it, however, the disclosures cannot be dismissed so easily, or papered over. The just-the-facts report of Mr. Geithner’s tax transgressions, compiled and released by the Senate Finance Committee, paints a picture of noncompliance that is considerably more disturbing than his supporters are acknowledging.

      Mr. Geithner must be questioned forcefully about these matters at the hearing next week, and his explanations must be credible. Even in the best of economic times, it would be hard to accept a Treasury secretary — who, after all, is in charge of the Internal Revenue Service — with a cavalier attitude toward paying his taxes. Today, in a time of economic peril, the nation cannot afford a Treasury secretary with a tainted ability to command respect and instill confidence.
      +++++++
      Geithner's confirmation may be travelling Southward…..

    • Here is a Google map that allows you to find your way to the homes of people who donated money to Prop 8 in California. It's damn creepy, is what it is. What could possibly be the use of this kind of information, presented in this way? It's intended to intimidate people into not participating in politics by donating money. Do that, and you'll end up on some activist group's map, with hotheads being able to find your street address on their iPhones.

      If I were any of these people, I'd be scared right now — especially if I lived in San Francisco. And given the attacks made on Prop 8 supporters, I doubt very much I would ever give another dime to any campaign that would get me on some gay activist hate map.
      ++++++
      How far does your expectation of privacy vis a vis a political contribution go?

    • While there are obvious distinctions to be made between the Eightmaps situation, which Sullivan defends, and what happened to him, it seems to me that Sullivan supports the idea that because the Prop 8 contributors took a public stand, and their donation records are public matters, they have no right to expect that their privacy should be respected. This strikes me as gay McCarthyism posing as a noble exercise in public accountability.
    • Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele will announce Thursday that a dozen Republican National Committee members are whipping votes on his behalf to be the next leader of the national party, Steele political advisors tell CNN.
    • Timothy Geithner, whose nomination as Treasury secretary has been delayed by his past failure to pay taxes, was repeatedly advised in writing by the International Monetary Fund that he would be responsible for any Social Security and Medicare taxes he owed on income he earned at the IMF between 2001 and 2004.
      Current and former IMF officials said the fund provided numerous warnings to U.S. employees about payroll taxes. According to IMF documents released by the Senate Finance panel, Mr. Geithner regularly received information about his tax obligations.
      +++++++
      Some serious questions coming Geithener's way next Tuesday if Obama does not throw him under the bus by then.
    • McCain was once the mainstream media darling, back when he joined Democrats on a host of issues. He prized his maverick moniker and used it to propel himself onto the national scene in the 2000 Republican presidential primary. Early in the Bush years, he shored up his status as the media's favorite Republican by opposing Bush on taxes and the environment.
      In McCain's mind, however, losing the presidency will not be the final chapter of his life story. He knows the path to "Big Media" redemption. Working with the man who vanquished him in November will show them all the real McCain again.
      Remember, it was this onetime prisoner of war who led the charge to open diplomatic relations with Vietnam. If that past is prologue, and McCain's legislative record is any guide, he will not just join with Obama but lead the charge in Congress on global warming, immigration "reform," the closing of Guantanamo, federal funding for embryonic-stem-cell research…
      +++++++
      McCain WILL sell out the GOP.