When Did Opposition Become ‘Racism’?

by Diana West at Townhall.com

South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson may have unexpectedly ignited an explosion of race rhetoric with two words in the House chamber — “You lie” — but I can snuff it out with two words in a newspaper — “Jimmy Carter.”

The former president threw rhetorical kerosene on the political flames this week when he twice advanced the lowdown argument that political opposition to Barack Obama — in town halls, faltering presidential poll numbers, the colossal anti-Obama demonstration in Washington — boils down to “racism.”

The allegation is contemptible but, particularly in the wake of the Wilson story, has been pushed by journalists on the Left and Democratic U.S. Representatives mainly from the Black Congressional Caucus. Evidence of racism is so thin, though, the racism-ists must invent lurid details. The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd writes that when she heard Wilson say “You lie” she felt as if, “fair or not,” she heard him say: You lie, boy! Georgia Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson draws a straight line from Wilson’s remark to “folks putting on white hoods and white uniforms again and riding through the countryside intimidating people.” Yeah. En route to Bellevue.

It would almost be funny if it weren’t so grotesque.

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New Obama Foreign Policy: Abandon Eastern Europe

Today President Obama took another great leap toward destroying the security of America and her allies when he abandoned a planned missile defense system in Eastern Europe. Planned installations in Poland and the Czech Republic are being abandoned.

I’m no longer sure his actions are the result of the naivete I once believed. His recklessness in exposing our nation and our interests to the dangers in our world reeks of a far worse odor than that of naivete. I’m about ready to concede that his irresponsible actions are part of an elaborate plan to destroy our superpower status and dismantle the structure of our society.

His inaction to the threats and belligerence of North Korea this spring, his refusal to stand up for (or even speak on behalf of) freedom fighters in Iran earlier this summer, his blaming America for every wrong in the world and apologizing to corrupt dictators around the world on behalf of our country, and now his bending to the will of Russia to ensure their missiles will have no problem reaching us and our NATO allies if they ever decide to launch, are evidence enough that only a blathering fool could believe all this is good for America.

And Obama’s no fool. I’m more inclined to believe this is a planned destruction of America’s superpower status. An attempt to level the world playing field by bringing us down to the level of our adversaries.

The Heritage Foundation points out several reasons this decision makes absolutely no sense at this time.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration is justifying its decision on their determination that Iran’s long-range missile program hasn’t progressed as rapidly as previously estimated. This despite the facts that: On February 2nd, Iran successfully launched a satellite into orbit using a rocket with technology similar to that used in a long-range ballistic missile. On May 20th, Iran test-fired a 1200-mile solid-fueled two-stage ballistic missile. On July 15th, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, BND, announced that Iran will be able to produce and test a nuclear weapon within six months. BND also stated that it has “no doubt” that Iran’s missile program is aimed solely at the production of nuclear warheads. On August 3rd, The Times of London reported that Western intelligence sources concluded that Iran has not only perfected the technology to build and detonate a nuclear weapon, could assemble a weapon in just six months, and could deliver the weapon on Iran’s Shebab-3 ballistic missile. Just yesterday French President Nicolas Sarkozy said: “It is a certainty to all of our secret services. Iran is working today on a nuclear [weapons] program.” The only country other than Iran that is happy with President Obama’s decision is Russia. State Duma foreign affairs committee head Konstantin Kosachev told the Associated Press: “The U.S. president’s decision is a well-thought (out) and systematic one. Now we can talk about restoration of (the) strategic partnership between Russia and the United States.” But, in fact, the missile defense capitulation is just one in a long line of Obama surrenders to Russia.

That’s bad enough, but an AP story out today creates more doubts as to the wisdom of the President’s decision.

VIENNA — Experts at the world’s top atomic watchdog are in agreement that Tehran has the ability to make a nuclear bomb and is on the way to developing a missile system able to carry an atomic warhead, according to a secret report seen by The Associated Press. The document drafted by senior officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency is the clearest indication yet that the agency’s leaders share Washington’s views on Iran’s weapon-making capabilities. It appears to be the so-called “secret annex” on Iran’s nuclear program that Washington says is being withheld by the IAEA’s chief. The document says Iran has “sufficient information” to build a bomb. It says Iran is likely to “overcome problems” on developing a delivery system.

There’s no doubt the White House is aware of this if the IAEA is, yet still Obama abandons our ability to defend against it! And just for good measure, let’s point out yet another White House lie concerning this issue. The Moscow Times is reporting, “The decision to shelve the project is linked to Iran’s slower than expected progress in developing long-range missiles, the Pentagon said.”

Now it’s obvious somebody’s lying, either the AP story is completely wrong and The Heritage Foundation was mistaken when it reported on Iran’s advances in securing nuclear weapons and their delivery systems or the President is lying. Based on his recent track record and proven willingness to lie to get his way, I’m betting the White House has ordered the Pentagon to lie for it.

And how about Obama’s promise to improve our relations with our neighbors in the world. From The Moscow Times article, “The decision to shelve the missile defense plans angered many politicians and statesmen in Poland and the Czech Republic, who had fought for the bases despite public disapproval.” Add to that the insult of the President making the announcement on the anniversary of the Soviet Union invasion of Poland in 1939, and we can see a distancing of ourselves from our relatively new alliances with the old members of the Eastern Bloc that crossed over to NATO when the Iron Curtain fell.

It’s almost as if Obama is setting the stage for a return to the Cold War.

Once again, this President believes we make ourselves stronger by displaying weakness. Or does he? It’s beginning to look more and more like he really just wants us to be weak.