Gotta love that L.A. Times

The Los Angeles Times published a transcript of President Obama's speech at West Point laying out his Afghanistan strategy v3.0. Here are the photos that the Times chose to illustrate the article.





Hmm... I wonder if they're trying to say something with those choices.

As opposed to, say:



Or:



But of course, there's no such thing as a liberal bias in the antique media. Whatever would give you such an idea?

He Who Must Not Be Named

Michelle Obama has revealed the terrible truth: her husband's name is so powerful that it cannot be uttered without inspiring terror and dread.

Michelle Obama, who often has decried "the fear bomb'' that opponents have used against her husband for his middle name -- Barack Hussein Obama -- said in Canton, Ohio, today that it is happening again and shows why it's so important that he wins election as president.

"They threw in the obvious, ultimate fear bomb," Obama said today of her husband's 2004 Senate race. "We're even hearing [that] now. … 'When all else fails, be afraid of his name, and what that could stand for, because it's different.'"

As with most great questions of life, J.K. Rowling has shown us the way forth from this dilemma. Her villain Tom Marvolo Riddle so hated his birth name that he formed it into an anagram to give himself the title by which he reduced the wizarding world to abject terror: Lord Voldemort.

So, since his real name inspires terror, let's apply the same solution in reverse to Barack Hussein Obama's name and see what anodyne alternatives we come up with. Hmmm... some very promising candidates:

• Cabana Braises Hokum


• Cabana Amok Hubrises


• Cabanas Amok Bushier


• Cabanas Abhor Muskie


• Cabanas Ukase Rhombi


• Casaba Bohemian Rusk


• Casaba Manure Kibosh


• Caesarian Kabob Mush


• Maharani Abuses Bock


• Maharani Kabobs Cues


• Marihuana Babe Socks


• Marihuanas Cakes Bob


• Anaerobic Samba Husk


• Aback Amoebas Inrush


• Aback Abash Monsieur


• Aback Aha Submersion


• Aback Mania Rosebush


• Aback Sahib Enamours


• Scarab Bohemian Auks


• Scarab Banshie Oakum


• Scarabs Bemoan Haiku


• Abacus Amoeba Shrink


• Abacus Abash Moniker


• Amebas Caribous Khan


• Baseman Cobras Haiku


• Abrasion Ambush Cake


• Marabou Scab Hankies


• Chimaera Nabobs Auks


• Massacre Nabob Haiku


• Maraschino Babes Auk


• Maraschino Beau Bask


• Harmonicas Beau Bask


• Ashcan Kabobs Uremia


• Maniac Hauberk Basso


• Sharia Kabobs Acumen


• Sauna Kabob Chimeras


• Saurian Kabob Sachem


• Mania Backhoe Bursas


• Shamans Caribou Bake

But for my money, there's one clear winner. I want to hear the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House say these immortal words:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.... BABUSHKA MACARONIES!!!"

Don't tell me the media aren't biased toward Obama

Certainly media outlets are on the prowl for opportunities to take unflattering, even subliminally damning, photos of Hillary.

First these pictures of her waving with what looks like a stiff right arm salute (Madame Goebbels, your car is waiting):




And now this (is she supposed to be standing in front of her boss's portrait?):



Lest you think I am cherry-picking, here's the kind of photo the media takes of Obama:



Some difference, huh?

Does the AP hire these guys on purpose?

An Associated Press writer named Omar Sinan analyzes a message from Abu Yahia al-Libi, a Libyan al-Qaida leader who escaped from U.S. custody in Afghanistan. Note the incredible statement about the resurgence of the Taliban since the 2001 U.S. invasion:

Al-Libi, wearing a white traditional Arab robe and a black turban, also ridiculed the U.S. for its troubles in Iraq and Afghanistan, claiming the country's power and prestige was in decline.

"America, which is one of the major evil spirits of the age, was only a few years ago bragging about its power and boasting of its army and materiel, at a time when everyone was subordinate to it and submissive to its resolutions," said al-Libi, whose nom de guerre means "the Libyan" in Arabic.

"But today, where is America? Where is the vanity and arrogance of the American army and its policymakers?" he added. "And moreover, where is the value of the American soldier whose killing used to make headlines in all the media but who today is dragged in the streets of Baghdad, hung on the bridges of Fallujah, rolled on the rocks of Afghanistan and burned to coals in the middle of its capital, Kabul."

Al-Libi praised the resurgence of Taliban militants in Afghanistan, who have made a comeback following a U.S.-led invasion in 2001 that ousted them from power.

It might have been worth noting that at the start of 2007, the Taliban were promising a spring offensive to drive the infidels from Afghan soil, and at the end of summer 2007, the Taliban have suffered massive losses and inflicted only minor damage on Coalition forces and the Afghan government. al-Libi, al-Zawahiri and bin Laden can make grandiose claims in Webcasts from undisclosed locations, but they don't seem to be able to match their words with deeds.