=== Todays Toon ===
William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC, TD, DL (25 May 1867 – 29 June 1932), styled Viscount Ednam before 1885, was a British Conservative politician. He was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland between 1902 and 1905 and the fourth Governor-General of Australia between 1908 and 1911.
=== Bible Quote ===
“But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”- 2 Corinthians 10:17-18=== Headlines ===
Orthodox Church Destroyed in 9/11 Asks 'What About Us?'
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America accuses New York City officials of turning their backs on the reconstruction of the only church destroyed during the terror attacks, while the controversial mosque near Ground Zero moves forward.Bolton: Now's Time for Israel to Strike Iran
Israel has until the weekend to launch a military strike on Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor before the risk of harmful radiation becomes too great, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton says.
Smartphone Users Face New Threats
For years, smartphones were touted as being less vulnerable than PCs to viruses, but now it looks like they are, in fact, even more vulnerable in terms of identity theft, spying and fraud
Cops: No Accident, Mom Killed Her Kids
Shaquan Duley originally told police her two young sons were trapped in her submerged car after it plunged into a South Carolina river — until investigators found holes in the story and she confessed to staging the cover-up of a double murder
Breaking News
Nastiness risk factor for heart attackNASTINESS is not only a social problem; according to new research aggressive and antagonistic people may be at higher risk of heart attack and stroke simply because they are disagreeable.
Dubious investment scheme nets millions
A MAN has been charged with 27 counts of fraud over an investment scheme that allegedly netted millions of dollars.
Mosque 'nowhere near' Ground Zero
THE developer behind plans to erect an Islamic community centre and mosque two blocks from New York's World Trade Center site said today that the site is “nowhere near” Ground Zero and called the issue "a defining moment for the Muslim Americans across all 52 states".
Doctor freezes man's skull, saves his life
A UTAH Utah man had a 90 to 95 pe rcent chance of dying after shattering his skull in more than 10 places until a neurosurgeon removed both sides of his head and froze it.
Council orders girl's playset pulled down
A LOCAL council in northern England, ordered a family to pull down their nine-year-old daughter’s outdoor playset, local media reported overnight.
'Burglar' stuck in window for six hours
A BUNGLING British burglar had to be rescued by firefighters overnight after he tried to climb through a tiny window and was stuck there for six hours.
TV weatherman sorry for rude gestures
THE BBC apologised to viewers overnight after one of its weathermen was caught flipping the bird live on air.
Gunman killed after firing at police
A GUNMAN drove a pickup truck into a suburban Dallas police department parking lot overnight, lit the truck on fire and started shooting at the police station, officials said.
Hostages taken, shots fired at embassy
A PALESTINIAN man took hostages in the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv overnight after shots were fired outside, Israeli police and a Foreign Ministry official said, in an incident that appeared to have only an indirect link to recent tensions between the two countries.
Ice-T driving charges dropped
ICE-T came out on top in a brush with real-life law and order overnight when prosecutors dropped unlicenced driving charges against the rapper-turned-TV detective.
NSW/ACT
t's a Quay hole on the HarbourPART of popular Circular Quay is collapsing after a truck driving along the pier damaged a pylon supporting the walkway.
Hurt boy waits days for surgery
HIS face is so badly broken that doctors warned him not to cough but teen Blake Wells has been forced to wait four days for surgery.
Plan to get old trams on line
SYDNEY'S historic trams, rotting in an abandoned shed in the Inner West, will be put back on track through the CBD very soon.
Ex-lover charged over affair claim
THE ex-boyfriend of murdered teacher Amanda Carter was charged with sending letters falsely claiming she was having an affair.
Threatened hospital is local lifeline
THE century-old Gulgong Hospital will be closed after asbestos was found in the building.
Court jesters in a race to get off
THESE two clowns were allegedly caught racing their cars on a busy Sydney street - clocked driving at 140km/h in a 60km/h zone.
Police nab hoon bikie boss
HELLS Angels president Derek Wainohu had his wings clipped after police caught him doing more than 150km/h on a highway.
Queensland
Biker dies after losing arm and legA MOTORCYCLIST who lost an arm and a leg in a horrific crash in Bundaberg overnight has died in hospital.
Girl charged over rail robbery
TEENAGE girl charged over the violent robbery of two women at suburban railway station.
Paraglider lands in tree
A PARAGLIDER spent a little more time in the air than he wanted when he became entangled in a tree south-west of Nerang.
Clem7 is relieving pressure
MOTORISTS don't need to fork out a $2 toll for the Clem7 to find a quicker commute with data revealing travel times on the city's arterials have reduced.
Aussie must pass English test
ENGLISH is the only language Gerard Kellett has ever spoken, but he has been denied registration as a nurse until he passes a test in his native tongue.
Key marginals deserting Labor
TONY Abbott is closing the gap on Julia Gillard as preferred prime minister, reversing his fortunes to put the Coalition just ahead in Queensland.
Burgers are bigger at Cafe 21
A MONSTER burger branded ''a heart attack on a plate'' by dietitians is being billed as Brisbane's latest tourist attraction.
Miracle mutt lived ruff on island
A DOG that ran away during a fireworks display on New Year's Eve has been found living a Robinson Crusoe lifestyle on a tiny Hervey Bay island.
Water users pay for dumped dam
SOUTH-EAST Queensland households are being hit with massive water bill hikes to pay off a dam that won't be built.
Man trapped in blazing car wreck
SPEED has been blamed for a horror crash at Mt Cotton tonight that saw a young driver spend almost two hours in his car after it burst into flames.
Victoria
Killer on the loose for monthsPOLICE want public help to catch a murderer on the run from charges of being involved in a death plot at Mick Gatto's son's wedding.
Tougher laws for bikies
TOUGHER laws to tackle organised crime and bikie gangs could soon be introduced in Victoria.
Retired judge slams secret justice
COURTS should be televised, and suppression orders used only as a last resort, a recently retired judge said.
Magpie pride beats the pain
FEW AFL players could match the level of sacrifice Zachary Stephens was prepared to make for his Collingwood guernsey.
Stores' big dummy run
MORE full-figured mannequins reflecting everyday women's bodies are on show for all shoppers in Victorian stores.
Good Samaritan punched in head
A MOTHER has been accused of attacking another mum who saw her driving erratically with an unrestrained toddler in her car.
Backflip on bus ad
A GIANT advertisement for a striptease school has been banned, five years after it first went on public display.
I'm addicted to graffiti
A VANDAL who defaced public transport and buildings during an eight-month spree is addicted to tagging, his lawyer claimed.
Killer thug freed to kill
KILLER thug Frank Babic was jailed for murder and, only six months after being released early, he killed again.
Toddler kidnapped in car theft
A TODDLER is missing after a car was stolen in Sydney's west while the boy was in the backseat.
Northern Territory
Sex toy robber fined for hotel assaultMAN who followed stranger into a hotel room assaulted him before stealing a bag of sex toys.
South Australia
Did life start in South Australia?SOUTH Australian rocks contain evidence of the planet's oldest animals, pushing back the date for animal evolution by at least 70 million years, fresh research says.
Charity pair go separate ways
FORMER Crows captain Chris McDermott says he "encouraged" Tony McGuinness to quit the children's charity they set up in 1996 to protect its image.
Burnside rejects Chelsea mediation
THE besieged Burnside Council has rejected a motion for the state Ombudsman to mediate on the controversial sale of the Chelsea Cinema.
Woman stuck with $1m debt
A WOMAN faces losing her home in a Supreme Court lawsuit because, she claims, she was the victim of convicted fraudster Andrew Eustice.
Help for stressed medicine students
ONE in four Australian medical students has suffered major depression, a Flinders University study has found.
Time to stop Port Augusta drug dealers
DRUG use is a growing problem in Port Augusta and there is "a lack of commitment to arrest the dealers", a new report has found.
Publish pictures of thugs
THE Taxi Council has called on police to publicly release all security camera images of attacks on cab drivers.
Casino wants Railway Station extension
ADELAIDE Casino wants to stay at the heart of the State Government's Riverside Precinct by extending the heritage-listed Railway Station.
$25,000 cop out as recruits abandon force
DOZENS of police are abandoning the force within months of graduation, despite the taxpayer spending $25,000 on training them for nine months.
Dirt file on new RAH site
UP to 30,000 truckloads of soil - much of it contaminated - could have to be removed from the new Royal Adelaide Hospital site.
Western Australia
Boom town workers sharing bedsSOARING rents in mining towns are forcing people to share beds - where one shift worker sleeps in it during the day and another at night.
Perth car dealer fined $30,000
A PERTH car dealership has been fined $30,000 after a car detailer was badly injured by a vehicle driven by a unlicensed apprentice.
Man 'brutally bashed' with concrete slab
A 21-YEAR-OLD left unconscious and bleeding from a head wound after being bludgeoned with a concrete slab.
Union boss McDonald taken to court
THE building and construction watchdog has filed a court claim against the CFMEU and its boss Joe McDonald over a series of strikes at a Perth CBD project.
Man stabbed for cigarettes
POLICE have appealed for help to catch two thugs who attacked and stabbed a stranger because he did not have any cigarettes to give them.
Jetstar puts on 22 extra flights to Perth
TWENTY TWO additional Jetstar flights per week to Perth are set to boost visitor numbers to WA and send ticket prices into a tailspin.
Police arrest man in $2m coke bust
A MAN has been arrested by Australian Federal Police officers in Perth for allegedly importing six kilos of cocaine with a street value of $2.1 million.
Tasmania
Nothing new=== Journalists Corner ===
Part 2 of Greta's Tour of AlaskaSarah Palin takes Greta on a tour of the last frontier, ALASKA! Does the state hold the key to America's energy woes?
Greta gets answers from the former governor. Don't miss part two of this special three-part series.
===
Vulnerable State?
As poll numbers slide, the Democrats are desperate to shore up votes in nine key races - Bret has the latest!
===
Dishonoring the Dead?
Is politeness & being PC more important than remembering the innocent victims of a terror attack? Sean weighs in on the Ground Zero mosque controversy!
===
On Fox News Insider
Has Obama Lost Focus?One of Iraq's Bloodiest Bombings in Months
Political Ads: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
=== Comments ===
The Incredible, Sinking ObamaBy Jon Kraushar
President Obama’s high-handedness is causing the public to backhand him in recent polls.
A national uproar has followed the president’s declaration last Friday that he supports a Muslim group’s right to build a mosque and a $100-million community center two blocks from Ground Zero, where about 2,600 civilians died in the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. A Fox News poll also released on August 13 found that "61 percent of voters think the Muslim group has the right to build a mosque in lower Manhattan. However, 64 percent think it would be wrong to put a mosque there.”
This fits a pattern of Obama’s sliding polls. Several of the president’s high-handed policies conflict with majority public opinion.
• In a Quinnipiac University poll 65% of registered voters think that “President Obama’s policies” have either “hurt the economy or haven’t made a difference.” An overwhelming 84% say they think “President Obama’s policies have either “hurt or haven’t made a difference” in their “personal financial situation.”
• In a Pew Research/National Journal poll of adults nationwide, 57% said they think “the economic stimulus” has failed to keep “unemployment from getting even worse” and 66% think “the economic stimulus” has “increased the federal budget deficit.”
• In a Time magazine poll of adults nationwide, 53% said that the economy would be “better off if the government had not spent…additional money on the stimulus program” and 67% “oppose additional government spending for a second stimulus package.”
• In a CBS poll 52% of Americans believe that “Barack Obama has been spending too little time trying to fix the nation’s economy and create jobs.”
• On the issue that the president has arguably spent the most time on during his presidency—pushing through health care reform—a Rasmussen national telephone survey found that, “57% of likely U.S. voters say the recently passed health care law will be bad for the country.
That’s the highest level of pessimism measured since regular tracking began following Congress' passage of the law in late March,” and “59% of all voters now favor repeal of the health care bill.”
• Just before passage of the president’s second major legislative initiative—his financial regulation overhaul—an Associated Press-GfK Poll determined that “64 percent of those surveyed aren't confident that a financial regulation overhaul…will avert another meltdown.”
• A Rasmussen national telephone survey found that, “Voters by a two-to-one margin oppose[d] the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to challenge the legality of Arizona’s new immigration law in federal court.”
Just after a U.S. district court judge (a Clinton appointee) struck down sections of that Arizona law, 59% of those surveyed told Rasmussen that they, “favor passage of an Arizona-like immigration law in their state.”
• In a USA TODAY/Gallup poll, “Support for Obama's management of the [Afghanistan] war fell to 36%, down from 48% in a February poll. Now, a record 43% also say it was a mistake to go to war there after the terrorist attacks in 2001.”
• The same poll also found that, “Even Obama's handling of the war in Iraq received record-low approval, despite a drawdown of 90,000 troops and the planned, on-schedule end of U.S. combat operations there this month.” And, “Only 41% of those surveyed…approved of the way Obama is handling his job, his lowest rating in the USA Today/Gallup Poll since he took office in January 2009.”
The president’s high-handedness on many other issues shows him ignoring or defying public opinion. Here’s a partial list:
• His pledge to shut down the prison at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• His big government agenda—out of control spending, debt, and deficits.
• His under the table and over the top “deal making” in Congress (i.e. vote buying) to pass legislation.
• His turning toxic companies like AIG and toxic “government-sponsored enterprises” like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into virtual wards of the state—eating up billions in taxpayer money each month.
• His showering of taxpayer money and special favors on special interests (particularly unions).
Even in a poll by Democracy Corps—the firm run by Democratic strategists James Carville and Stan Greenberg—56% of likely voters said that “liberal” describes Barack Obama “very well or well” and 55% said the same about labeling Obama a “socialist.”
One of Obama’s heroes, President Abraham Lincoln, said, “With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”
For President Obama, playing high-handed with the public is playing a losing hand.
Communications consultant Jon Kraushar is at www.jonkraushar.net.
===
Why Does Hollywood Hate 'To Save a Life'?
By Steven Crowder
Earlier this year I was blessed with the opportunity to co-star in the film “To Save a Life.” It turned out to be one of the most successful faith-based films of all time. Aimed squarely at teenagers facing seemingly insurmountable problems, the movie’s most poignant message ultimately dealt with suicide and the value of each individual life.
Attending premiers for the film I realized that, as an actor, for the first time I’d played a role in a film that amounted to more than merely a paycheck. Girls and young men would leave the theater crying, declaring a renewed outlook on life. Peace on earth, good will toward men, all that jazz.
The Hollywood elitists hated it. Surprisingly in most of the nasty reviews, the arrogant critics praised the film for its high-production quality and more than capable cast. What they had a problem with…was its Christian message.
For those of you who haven't seen the film, here's a short summary: After the suicide of his former best friend, protagonist Jake Taylor finds himself disgusted with the way he’s treated others, and the way he’s lived his life. Approached by a youth pastor, Jake ends up giving his life over to God, dedicating himself to becoming a better person and ultimately, saving the life of somebody else.
Quick! Hide the children, this kind of smut will rot their brains.
In fact, look at what some of the critics said:
"It does a disservice to the many real, honestly troubled teens out there looking for a lifeline." – NPR
"The film would be a mere nuisance if not for its shameless exploitation of school shootings to advance its agenda.… But forget the lame performances and arch, preachy sentiment; the movie’s sham hip-hop and spurious alternative music alone should keep teenagers away. Thank goodness."– The New York Times
Let’s contrast that to the letters that still flood my Inbox from teenagers every day"
"Saw it last night. It was a great movie! Felt touched and moved to be more than mediocre!"
"Just saw 'To Save a Life' and know that there are some people I can convince that their life is worth living!"
"I just watched it last night & I am a better man because of it."
"I cried so hard when I watched the movie. I am still crying and it's 1:14am! I am going to change my ways like Jake did and I will NEVER ignore another kid at my high school!"
Seems to me that this “preachy nuisance” of a film has not only bettered a lot of people’s lives, but maybe (as the title suggests) even saved a few.
So, why the hatred?
There’s really only one answer. The movie’s message of salvation is decidedly Christian. In the film, the main character, Jake, turns his life around through his relationship with God. Not only God, but the worst kind of God as Tinseltown would see it… the evil, Judeo-Christian God. – Cue the dramatic chipmunk –
You see, See, Jesus to liberals is like the squat-rack to metrosexual gymrats; they avoid it like the plague. They hate it, because it’s a lot of work. Whether you see Jesus as nothing more than a mythical figure or not, there’s no doubt that living your life in a Christ-like manner is a lot harder than the hedonistic lifestyle reflected in Hollywood.
Preaching Christian salvation is to preach moral absolutes.
Hollywood no likey.
It seems that the snobs at The New York Times would rather see more teens go ahead and off themselves than find salvation through the Christian faith (imaginary or not). One has to wonder if the reviews would have been more glowing had Jake found his salvation through medical marijuana, the newest hip detox center, or by simply “believing in himself.”
I’ll be the first to admit that "To Save a Life" can border on corny at times, and there are some elements that could definitely use a little tweaking, but one thing’s for sure: this film has touched the lives of a lot of people, and if the folks at The New York Times had their way, there would be many more depressed, unreached teenagers out there dying today.
Here's one more final quote from The Times' review "…the movie’s sham hip-hop and spurious alternative music alone should keep teenagers away. Thank goodness."– The New York Times
Yeah…wouldn’t that be great?
Steven Crowder is a writer, actor, comedian and Fox News contributor.
===
A Big Mistake by the White House
BY BILL O'REILLY
It is hard to believe, but President Obama has once again alienated millions of Americans by inserting himself in a controversy that can do him no good at all.
As you may know, some Muslims want to build a mosque a couple of blocks away from Ground Zero in New York City. This has caused much anger. Some 9/11 families believe it is insensitive because members of the Islamic faith killed their loved ones.
Nationally, a new Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll says that 64 percent of Americans say it is wrong to build a mosque near Ground Zero, and that number includes 56 percent of Democrats. Just 30 percent believe it is appropriate.
President Obama is framing the issue as a freedom of religion deal, but that's not what it's about.
The same Fox News poll says 61 percent of Americans believe the Muslim group has a right to build the mosque, and they do legally. But this is not about legalisms. It's about sensitivity towards thousands of Americans who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attack.
Nevertheless, the president said this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan in accordance with local laws and ordnances.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, after the president made that statement, all hell broke loose, and the next day he had to walk it back a bit:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: My intention was to simply let people know what I thought, which was that in this country we treat everybody equally in accordance with the law regardless of race, regardless of religion. I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
But why won't you comment on the wisdom of putting the mosque there, Mr. President? You're the leader of this nation. The action is certainly inappropriate, and even some Muslims understand that:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAHEEL RAZA, MUSLIM CANADIAN CONGRESS BOARD MEMBER: Building a mosque or a place of worship in the particular spot across the street from Ground Zero is a slap in the face of all Americans. I can't begin to imagine how they would even conceive an idea that building a mosque there, which is an exclusive place of prayer for Muslims, would in any way build tolerance and respect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Here's the bottom line on the mosque situation. Once again, President Obama goes up against the will of the people, but for what purpose? What is to be gained here?
This is another in a long line of dubious decisions by the president, so here's my advice to the White House: Why don't you help these guys build the mosque and then try the mastermind of 9/11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, in it? That way you can combine two insane things together.
===
Where’s Labor’s NBN billions coming from?
Andrew Bolt
Hey, what’s a few missing billions to Labor?
LABOR was last night disputing an analysis of costings for the National Broadband Network that revealed a $5.5 billion shortfall in funding.
The funding was set aside by the government for the $43bn project over the next four years.
A parliamentary library paper released yesterday identified just $16.8 billion in funding set aside by the government for the NBN over the next four years.
The paper said this was substantially less than the $22.4bn in funding for the NBN recommended by an implementation study prepared by independent consultants McKinsey and KPMG for the government.
Treasury, in its economic update released before the election, said the government had set aside $18.3bn in the budget over the next four years for the NBN rollout, based on the recommendations of the implementation study.
But according to the parliamentary library analysis, this would still leave a $4.1bn funding black hole...
Before this:
There are claims the cost of the $43 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) could double.Meanwhile:
Experienced industry consultant and project manager Malcolm McKenzie has told Radio National’s Background Briefing program the costs of big telecommunication rollouts always blow out…
“I would say for any project this size, [a cost blowout of] 50 per cent to 100 per cent would not be unrealistic,” Mr McKenzie said.
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has twice failed to put a number on how many homes will be connected to the NBN during the next three years… The prime minister also could not say how much it would cost the average family to hook up to the network.(Thanks to reader Mark.)
===
Another boat, undeterred
Andrew Bolt
Yet another boat to remind voters of another Labor failure:
Another boat carrying suspected asylum seekers has been intercepted in Australian waters.
The boat, carrying 50 passengers and two crew, was intercepted northwest of Christmas Island on Tuesday night.
===
Witch way to madness
Andrew Bolt
WITH an hour to kill before picking up my sons, I dropped into a newsagent, looking for something to read.
It was a leafy suburb, so I figured I’d find the usual sturdy middle-class reading in the magazine racks.
But, no. No Time. No Newsweek. No Quadrant.
Instead, I could have my pick of two magazines for one of the fastest-growing demographics of our giddy society. You know, witches.
There was The Spirit Guide to Spellcraft, now in its 17th issue, with a cover story on Melbourne vampire Kriss Poison, written by “eclectic witch” Lizzy Rose, founder of the Order of Wisdom Learning and Light coven.
Not your cup of blood?
Then how about the interview with celebrity witch Fiona Horne, flogging her latest album Magickal Life?
Or recipes for magic potions from the authors of The Book of Faery Magic? Canberra witch Hollie B’s guide to love potions? The ads offering “Pagans in the Pub” in Lismore or an “Arc of the Moon” coven in Melbourne?
Still, nothing to stir your inner pagan? Then may I interest you in the other magazine, Spheres, the Spirit Guide, also published in Melbourne, fast becoming the Byron Bay of the South.
Here you can read of the “angels, faeries, nature spirits and others” who have “walked between the worlds”.
Oh, you’re right, it’s just a few women flirting with their irrational and harmlessly naughty side. But noticed how many of them there suddenly are?
Sen-Constable Andrew Logan has. In February he pulled over a woman driving through Geelong while talking on her mobile, and asked her why she didn’t have a licence, either.
===
Labor’s launch says no to Labor
Andrew Bolt
I’M not sure what damned Labor most at its campaign launch on Monday.
Was it Bob Hawke’s tipping advice, or Julia Gillard’s missing notes - the non-existent ones that magically materialised on her lectern?
Whatever. Together, they were devastating for those with eyes to see.
They revealed just how far Labor will go to deceive voters - with the media’s help - and how all that spin should not be allowed to hide its record.
Take the tip from Hawke.
The former prime minister was asked to introduce Gillard at the Brisbane launch, an opportunity he seized to remind the audience at great length how fantastic he’d been.
Unfortunately, he also urged us to do one thing before we voted on Saturday: “You need to look at the form.”
Ah. Um. Oops.
That goes exactly against the advice Gillard has given these past five weeks. She’s insisted voters instead “move forward” rather than look back at three years of bungling so bad that Kevin Rudd became the first prime minister dumped by his party in its first term.
Yet Hawke is right. Of course we must look back on past form before putting big money on a horse.
Or let’s switch metaphors. Say you’re about to hire someone to do a big job. What is one of the very first things you’d want to see from them?
It’s a resume, right? A list of things they’ve done. With references, too, so you can judge if those things were done well.
And if the person applying for a job admits that at the last place they burned down the house, built a new one at twice the price, blew the budget and made a string of mad promises they couldn’t keep, what would you do?
Trust their new big promise to now wire up your house with expensive new electronics, or figure that almost anyone else would be a safer bet?
Enough of the analogy. Let’s check the resume of this Labor Government.
===
Obama disowned
Andrew Bolt
Barack Obama’s Muslim outreach goes too far even for Harry Reid:
Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the US Senate, has publicly broken with Barack Obama by opposing plans to build a mosque near the Ground Zero site of the September 11 terrorist attacks.Meanwhile Gallup marks a hastening in the decline of Obama:
Senator Harry Reid’s opposition to the controversial Cordoba Centre is his first major public disagreement with the US president and signals the possibility of an electorally dangerous split in the Democratic party ahead of the midterms.
Mr Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, who faces a tough re-election battle in Nevada in November, said through a spokesman that although he respects the constitutional right to freedom of religion it was “very obvious that the mosque should be built someplace else”.
===Drugged for being the youngest
Andrew Bolt
ADHD misdiagnosed? Children dosed with Ritalin unneccessarily? Well, you could have fooled me:
Nearly 1 million American children may have been misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, not because they have real behaviour problems but because they were the youngest in their kindergarten, researchers say.And it seems these studies reach their 1 million figure only by assuming the older children were correctly diagnosed in comparison.
Children who are the youngest in their grades are 60 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest children, a study from Michigan State University has found.
A second study, by researchers at North Carolina State University and elsewhere, came to similar conclusions. Both are scheduled for publication in the Journal of Health Economics.
===
Costello flays the lot of them - Gillard, Latham, Oakes and McKew
Andrew Bolt
Peter Costello settles some scores, first, with jourmalists generally and Laurie Oakes specifically:
In a dull campaign, Mark Latham’s report on 60 Minutes was one of the more interesting. I know the media canned it. Before it aired, Laurie Oakes told us Latham had “crossed a line”. Nothing upsets journalists more than the idea that outsiders can do their job.Then on former ABC host Maxine McKew:
Who knows where that could end? The public might realise there is nothing special about the insights of political journalists - a group of people who consider themselves expert on something they have never done.
Every so often a journalist chances their arm in real politics. Maxine McKew is one. Her underwhelming parliamentary career shows how much harder it is to do than it is to pontificate.On Mark Latham and Julia Gillard:
We could write him off as a madman but let us remember that Labor convinced 5½ million Australians to vote for him to be prime minister two elections ago.On Oakes and Gillard:
Julia Gillard declared “Mark Latham has made a real connection with Australians” and “Mark’s the one who is putting forward a vision for Australia”. She said “he’s got the capacity to govern”. I never agreed with Gillard about this. I never thought much of his judgment nor hers. If you want an example of Gillard’s judgment remember she believed Latham would make a good prime minister.
In an interview with Oakes on Sunday, Gillard stated “voting for me is voting for … a budget in surplus”. She claimed over and again that Abbott would cut the surplus. Never once did Oakes ask her which particular surplus she was imagining.On Gillard and Latham:
This Labor government has never delivered a surplus. Abbott’s task will not be to cut a surplus, but to cut the deficit - forecast by Treasury to be $40 billion this year.
Gillard the warrior of the Victorian Socialist Left has now been recast as the stern ma’am of balanced budgets and cuts to company tax. You’d have to be madder than Latham to believe that is genuine.I think Costello enjoyed writing that. Nice writing style, by the way.
===
A better way to raise the money Labor spends
Andrew Bolt
A big policy - and even then it can raise less than half of what Labor casually promises to spend on a broadband network:
TONY Abbott will ask families to help bankroll $20 billion of new roads, trains, schools and hospitals by buying bonds. A Coalition government would offer a generous rate of return of around 10 per cent, as well as a 10 per cent tax rebate on the returns, the Opposition Leader told the National Press Club.Terry McCrann:
The Infrastructure Partnership scheme would use bonds to raise funds for the private sector to build billions of dollars worth of infrastructure.
TONY Abbott’s infrastructure bond proposal is a good idea at precisely the right time....
We need infrastructure… There are essentially two ways it can be paid for. Directly by the Government - pink batts and school halls-style. Or in some form of public-private partnership like the desalination plant or Citylink.
The first needs the Government to borrow, the second requires the taxpayer to underwrite a private sector profit. Both can be perilous and costly.
The Abbott bond idea is a good alternative… The key is the tax benefit, which doesn’t have to be large and would make them very attractive to superannuation funds. Especially the burgeoning self-managed sector. Which is precisely what should be investing in infrastructure but hasn’t really had an attractive way of doing so.
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Labor still leads
Andrew Bolt
Close, but Labor limps over:
Labor is clinging to a four-seat majority just three days from the federal election, according to 28,000 voters sampled in the most comprehensive public opinion poll undertaken in Australian politics.
The JWS Research poll, which has been obtained exclusively by the Herald, shows that if the election were held last weekend, Labor would have lost 15 seats and gained six, handing it a net loss of nine seats.
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Abbott ascendant. ABC must weep
Andrew Bolt
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has most certainly grown into the role, putting in a series of deft performances since the Battle Of Rooty Hill. As I wrote earlier, his performance on the hostile territory of Q&A yesterday was assured, and many of the press pack at the National Press Club today failed to rattle him, despite the uncivil scorn and editorialising from the Paul Biongiornos. (Michelle Grattan was an honourable exception.) In fact, Abbott’s courteous and even witty response forced even Bongiorno to applaud the answer to his sniping.
Now for tonight’s 7.30 Report, once treacherous ground for Abbott, thanks to the rank hostility, patronising tone and absurd gotcha questioning from Kerry O’Brien. I once advised Abbott to toughen up against O’Brien, rather than treat him as someone who could be won over by sweet reason or even confessed to as some elder statesman.
Abbott tonight maintained his impressive equanimity at even smart-arse questions that deserved to be shoved back down O’Brien’s throat. Fancy the hypocrisy of O’Brien, berating Abbott for debating over a debate, and then proceeding to do just that himself. Fancy demanding Abbott spend more time debating, and then wasting five minutes of debating time asking him to debate more. And for a third time, O’Brien sought to replay his first gotcha moment, when Abbott confessed that - like everyone - he at times went beyond the strict facts in the heat of debate. Yet again, O’Brien revisited old hunting grounds by question Abbott on positions he’d changed, seeking less to engage than embarrass.
To all this Abbott stayed cool, even turning some arguments smartly back on O’Brien. Only at the last did he make the psychological break and give Liberal supporters some blood to cheer, directly rebuking O’Brien for his sarcastic smile at a straight answer. Excellent. It was an even more pointed counter than the one he gave Q&A host Tony Jones the night before, when he suggested Jones would approve of his parental leave scheme if it were proposed by Labor.
We have had the privilege in this campaign of witnessing a serious and self-doubting man rise to his new responsibilities and find an inner strength. .
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