Today's Snapshot of Chicago Politics

Think that's farfetched? Here's an actual photograph taken today of a U.S. Congressman speaking on the floor of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.:

Hood in Congress

That's Chicago Democrat Rep. Bobby Rush.

Rush was interrupted by the presiding officer, Mississippi Republican Gregg Harper, who reminded him that the wearing of hats was not allowed and “members need to remove their hoods or leave the floor.”  

Rush is founder and former "Deputy Minister of Defense" of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers. He holds the distinction of having defeated Barack Obama in the 2000 primary for Illinois' 1st District congressional seat. During that campaign, Rush's son Huey, named for Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton, was shot to death by a felon, apparently "over a drug debt".

Addendum (3/30/12): Meanwhile, back in the hooded congressman's district, at about 6:00 p.m. yesterday, another appearance by hooded men made news (Thursday, 3/29/12):

[T]wo men in hooded sweatshirts opened fire inside a convenience store in the 1400 block of West 79th Street in the Gresham neighborhood, police said.

One man was killed and five others were wounded. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 24. 

Don't hold your breath waiting for the national outrage.
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NYC Outlaws Food Gifts to Homeless (Salt Alert!)

Yep.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s food police have struck again!

Outlawed are food donations to homeless shelters because the city can’t assess their salt, fat and fiber content, reports CBS 2’s Marcia Kramer.

Big Nanny, who never heard that half a loaf is better than none, has decreed that hungry homeless people should go without rather than eat too much salt or fat, or too little fiber. Or else.

Glenn Richter arrived at a West Side synagogue on Monday to collect surplus bagels — fresh nutritious bagels — to donate to the poor. However, under a new edict from Bloomberg’s food police he can no longer donate the food to city homeless shelters.

It’s the “no bagels for you” edict . . . . And no lots of other nutritious foodstuffs.

NYC homeless men under protection from bagels and muffins.

The ban on food donations was made by an inter-agency task force that includes the departments of Health and Homeless Services.

NYC homeless women and children under protection from vegetable soup.

Obviously NYC officials prefer that NYC bakers literally cast their surplus bread, bagels, muffins, and cookies upon the waters of say, Long Island Sound, something that makes the author of this post very sad indeed.

UPDATE 4/1/12: Read what one very brave, very responsible, conservative, working homeless woman has to say about the policy of gov't standing between hungry people and food. If you have the cash, you might send her something to help her along.
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Come Thou Font of Every Blessing -- Hammered Dulcimer

An old hymn, written in 1757 by a young English pastor, Robert Robinson, at the age of 22, here performed by MsHarmonymaker:

Lyrics:

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

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Today's National Rally for Religious Freedom: Photo Evidence

Today, in at least 129 cities across the U.S., Americans gathered for an hour at noon to protest the Obamacare mandate requiring health insurance companies to provide "free" contraception, abortaficients, and sterilizations, an administrative regulation with the force of law intended to compel many Americans to violate their religious beliefs.

I didn't hear a single reference to this event in today's broadcast news or on talk radio, but the rally really did take place:

Philadelphians rallied in front of Independence Hall.

Lexington, Kentucky families stood under umbrellas.

So did advocates of religious freedom in Fort Wayne.

Toledo protesters were heckled as a bishop spoke.

Folks in Grand Rapids took their religious freedom seriously.

In Cleveland, 1,000 people turned out.

In Washington DC, people prayed in front of the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Noon Today: Nationwide Rally For Religious Freedom

Today, a Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom is being held at noon (your time) outside federal buildings, Congressional offices and historic sites across the country.

The theme for the Rally is “Stand Up for Religious Freedom—Stop the HHS Mandate!”

For many, there's still time to show up. Click here for the locations in your state.

There's also time to contact your Congress Critters.
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Karzai's Rope Trick

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St. Patrick's Breastplate -- Rita Connolly

Tradition has it that a prayer of protection (lorica) that St. Patrick wrote and recited every morning has been preserved in the profoundly comforting and strengthening lyrics of the hymn known as St. Patrick's Breastplate, also called the Lorica of St. Patrick and The Deer's Cry. By the time of his death, Patrick had converted most of Ireland from Druidism to Christianity, no small feat for an inhabitant of the 5th century who started out as a slave.

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The Irish Washerwoman -- John Sheahan and André Rieu

A little something brought to you by violinists John Sheahan and André Rieu, with help from an enthusiastic crowd in Kerkrade, The Netherlands.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
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Allen West on Disarming U.S. Marines for Panetta Speech

Before hearing an address by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta in Afghanistan yesterday, a group of American Marines were ordered to leave the tent where they had assembled for the address, disarm, and then return to the tent to hear Panetta speak.  The explanation?

According to Maj. Gen. Mark Gurganus, who issued the order: "I wanted the Marines to look just like our Afghan partners."

Gurganus explained that the decision to bar weapons was because of Panetta's presence: "I mean, you got one of the most important people in world there."

Nobody's that important.

However, buried in that explanation is a mixed message. How exactly does "looking like our Afghan partners" secure the safety of Leon E. Panetta?

Or was this order merely another knee-jerk to this administration's PC comfort? Are Panetta's sensibilities so acutely sensitive that he cannot bear the sight of armed U.S. Marines in the same tent as unarmed Afghan soldiers? Is that what we are supposed to believe?

Then don't invite Afghan soldiers. 

Allen West has a few words on the subject. From the Congressman's facebook page:
 

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Sandra Fluke's European Deprivation

Despite having to provide her own contraception, Sandra Fluke somehow managed to eke out a vacation in Pompei and Tuscany in 2009 and in Spain in 2011 (photo evidence below, courtesy Gateway Pundit via Marooned in Marin.

Poor thing.

Do I need to mention that Fluke's traveling companion is a member of a generationally wealthy Massachusetts socialist family?

I thought not.

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No, Really: 1% of Americans Think U.S. Economy "Very Good"

That's a stirring endorsement of President Obama, isn't it?

How about this one: 20% of Americans think their families are better off financially today than they were 4 years ago. Those 20% (plus another 1%) think the U.S. economy is in "fairly good" shape.

That leaves 78% of Americans thinking the U.S. economy is in bad or disastrous shape--nearly all of the 80% whose families aren't better off than they were 4 years ago--under a Republican president.

These figures, by the way, are taken from a March 7 - 11 CBS/New York Times poll.

Something tells me Obama isn't quite as popular as some folks would have us believe.


H/T: Hope n' Change Cartoons.
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Santorum's Winning Quote of the Day

Yesterday, Rick Santorum won both the Mississippi and Alabama primaries.

From his Alabama acceptance speech:

For someone who thinks this race is inevitable, he spent a whole lot of money against me for being inevitable.

This is a grassroots campaign for president.

Who would have ever thought in the age of media that we have in this country today that the ordinary folks from around this country can defy the odds, day in-day out?

Many of us, apparently.

I wish I had time to watch the whole speech, which you can view at Adrienne's Corner.

Maybe later. Right now it's time for me to go back to being Big Government's overtaxed work serf (pun intended).

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Obama's Sneaky "Don't Tell" Abortion Rule: Secret "Abortion Surcharges" in Health Insurance"

Obama is "sidestepping" the Hyde Amendment--which has been used by Congress for the last 36 years to prohibit direct federal taxpayer funding of elective abortions--by requiring insured people to pay a monthly "abortion surcharge" that they cannot be told about in advance of enrollment.

Get this:

To comply with the [ObamaCare] accounting requirement, plans will collect a $1 abortion surcharge from each premium payer,” the pro-life source informed LifeNews. “The enrollee will make two payments, $1 per month for abortion and another payment for the rest of the services covered. As described in the rule, the surcharge can only be disclosed to the enrollee at the time of enrollment. Furthermore, insurance plans may only advertise the total cost of the premiums without disclosing that enrollees will be charged a $1 per month fee to pay directly subsidize abortions. 

A monthly abortion surcharge.

A compulsory monthly abortion surcharge.

A compulsory monthly abortion surcharge that insurance companies can't tell you about until you enroll.

 
To pressure the Supreme Court to approve this monstrous legislation that was passed in the dead of night, Obama's staff is organizing a prayer vigil in front of the Supreme Court beginning March 26, so that his supporters can pray for . . . what do you call it when you kill babies?

Borrowing from an astute Obama observer: "It's enough to make a maggot vomit."

H/T: Weasel Zippers.
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Psalm 95: If Today You Hear His Voice -- Mickey Itchon

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The Pro-Sarah Palin Documentary You Want to See This Weekend

If, like me, you missed it last year when it launched in some cities and as a video selection, you'll get another chance to watch "The Undefeated" tomorrow night (Sunday) during its TV premiere on the ReelzChannel at  8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern/ 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Pacific.*

Producer, director, and writer, Stephen Bannon, made this documentary to chronicle Sarah Palin's "extraordinary record of accomplishments" in "a story of modern America and what one has to do to accomplish anything in this country."

Bannon regards Palin as "a significant cultural force and a significant political force" who will remain so "for many, many years." He told Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit that he made this movie "for young women," as Hoft reported, "for the Americans who formed their opinion of Sarah Palin through state-run media outlets and Saturday Night Live skits." (Hoft's interview of Bannon is available here.)

This view of Sarah Palin is certain to diverge from that of Satuday Night Live, starring, as it does, Andrew Breitbart, Mark Levin, Kurt Gibson, Tammy Bruce, and plenty of others who formed very definite and highly informed impressions of Palin. The film also contains archived footage of herself.

I can't wait to watch it.

*Go here to find ReelzChannel on your TV [bottom right of page].

If you can't watch tomorrow night, there will be encore showings on Monday, March 12 (10 pm. Eastern/ 7 p.m. Pacific) and Sunday, March 25 (5:30 p.m. Eastern/ 2:30 p.m. Pacific).

Don't get ReelzChannel? No cable or satellite access? You might try streaming it at netflix.com (I believe a free trial is available). Also, copies of "The Undefeated," are available at amazon.com for as low as $11.49 new and $6.95 used. Trade-in discounts are also available.

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Pay to Pray? White House Organizing Prayer Vigil in Public Square

Want to hold a prayer vigil outside the White House in support of religious liberty and rights of the unborn and recently born? Plan to be arrested in a heartbeat, like this group of six clergy and supporters who dared to kneel in prayer in front of the White House less than one month ago:

On the other hand, would you like to hold a prayer vigil outside the Supreme Court in support of ObamaCare? The White House is is organizing a prayer vigil for this very purpose.

This inquiring mind wants to know: Will open displays of the cross and other religious symbols be permitted in the public square at Obama's event, unlike the religious symbols at Georgetown that were covered as a condition of Obama speaking there?

Obama at Georgetown, which is not public property.

Will the words God and Jesus Christ be censored from prayers uttered in favor of ObamaCare, as they have been censored from prayers in military memorial services and burial rituals at the Veteran's Administration's Houston (Texas) National Cemetery?

The national cemetery whose administration forbade the use of the words God and Jesus Christ in burial services.

Sadly, in the eyes of this administration, prayers and acknowledgements of the Divine are political tools.

What's next, pay to pray?
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Anita Dunn ("I ♥ Mao") Behind Fluke's Fame

How does a woman who can't quite scrape together $10 a month to buy her own contraception come up with the scratch to be represented by a high-end PR firm with offices in Washington, New York, and Albany?

Sandra Fluke, the woman who thinks you should provide her with free contraception, has somehow acquired the services of PR firm SKDKnickerbocker, whose managing director is none other than Obama's former White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn.

Dunn scurried from the White House in December of 2009, after Glenn Beck broadcast a video of Dunn revealing (in an address to graduating high school kids) her strong admiration of Mao Tse Tung (Dunn video starts at 4:09 below):

Mao's Communist "political philosophy" resulted in the deaths of about 70 million people, many of whom were slaughtered in political purges and the rest of whom starved to death as Mao fundamentally transformed China.

Dunn's political opponents (that is to say, Obama's political opponents), included, most notably, Fox News.

The link between Dunn and Fluke was revealed last night by former (apparently) Obama booster Bill O'Reilly, who opined that "this whole deal comes back to the White House, at least indirectly.”


H/T: Jeff Poor @ The Daily Caller

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Carbonite Gets the REAL Message: Stock Price Sinks

Looks like Carbonite needed a "better backup plan" for its advertising placement.

Heh.

CARB down 11.73% in two days.

H/T: Jeff Poor - The Daily Caller
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Gingrich reiterates: State Senator Obama voted to allow doctors to kill babies if they survived the abortion

Some out takes:

I am astonished at the desperation of the elite media to avoid rising gas prices, to avoid the president’s apology to religious fanatics in Afghanistan, to avoid a trillion dollar deficit, to avoid the longest period of unemployment since the Great Depression, and to suddenly decide that Rush Limbaugh is the great national crisis of this week.

There's no debate about access to contraception. There is a debate, which Cardinal George of Chicago has pointed out, is a war against the Catholic Church.

You do have this weird situation where President Obama apologizes to Islamic extremists while waging war against the Catholic Church--that's the language, by the way, of the Catholic bishops.

You have an issue here of whether the government can coerce the Catholic Church not just into contraception but into sterilization and abortion, something I don't find any reporter wants to talk about.

You have a president who voted for infanticide as a state senator, who represents the most extreme pro-abortion position in America.

Let's set the record straight: Barack Obama, as a state senator, voted to allow doctors to kill babies if they survived the abortion. Barack Obama, as president, in the most radical anti-religious move made by any president is trying to coerce the Catholic Church at a time when he's been told by the bishops that they would have to give up every single hospital, they would have to give up every single university and college associated with the Church because he is asking them to violate their religious beliefs.

Now if you want a debate over whether the president of the United States should be able to impose his views on a religious institution and whether America is now a secular country, let's have that debate.

And later:

Should a Protestant fundamentalist institution be dictated to by Washington politicians over whether or not it can have its own religious beliefs or have we become a country where it's okay to go to church on Sunday morning for one hour--but let's not actually express those beliefs the rest of the week. I think this is the most fundamental assault on religious liberty in American history, despite every effort by the elite media to distort what it's about.

H/T: Atlas Shrugs
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Where Milk & Honey Flows -- The Sonshiners Quartet

Yesterday, Cardinal Timothy Dolan reminded an audience, gathered at a Catholic high school in a New York City suburb, of a sage observation by a consummate Democrat politician, President Lyndon Baines Johnson:

As an American I look to the church -- I look to religion as a beehive. If you leave them alone they're going to give you tons of their honey. But if you stick your head in there, you're going to get stung bad.

Lyndon Johnson knew whereof he spoke: descended from a famous Baptist minister, he was born into a family who took religion very seriously.

The Catholic Church has given this country plenty of honey, by pursuing, in the words of Cardinal Dolan, "the noble tasks of healing the sick, teaching our youth, and helping the poor, all now in jeopardy due to this bureaucratic intrusion into the internal life of the church."

And we were doing all of those noble works rather well, I dare say, without these radical new mandates from the government.  The Catholic Church in America has a long tradition of partnership with government and the wider community in the service of the sick, our children, our elders, and the poor at home and abroad.  We’d sure rather be partnering than punching.

Clearly. When American Catholics thought Barack Hussein Obama was about partnering for the good, 54% of them gave him their votes. Many, sadly, were not paying attention. Among those who were paying attention was then Archbishop Dolan, who received Obama's "personal assurance that he would do nothing to impede the good work of the Church in health care, education, and charity, and that he considered the protection of conscience a sacred duty."

Whatever trust that once existed is gone as Obama is requiring believers to choose between shutting down their consciences or closing the honey tap. Ask American citizen, lawyer, and parish priest Father Sammie L. Maletta, Jr., who told his Indiana parishioners:

We will close down our schools, our hospitals, our nursing homes, our orphanages. We will go out of business… before we will pay to have a child murdered.

This cannot be. People who value religious freedom and human life must, and will, fight the good fight in pulpits, the public square, Congress, and the courts.

Where you see honey flowing, you can expect busy bees to be on patrol.

Which brings me to today's Sunday hymn, one which I am sure was familiar to Lyndon Baines Johnson. Enjoy:

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Sebelius: Why Have More Taxpayers When We Can Have More Abortions?

Kathleen Sebelius actually said it:

The reduction in the number of pregnancies compensates for the cost of contraception.

That statement prompted Pundette to cite Steve Ertelt, who argued "that they're just getting started." As indeed they are:

Certainly abortion coverage is the next logical step. Even in its initial passage in 2010, Obamacare contained new streams of federal funding for abortion.

Dan Collins, also asserting the obvious, pointed out that fewer babies means fewer future taxpayers to pay off that mountain range of debt that Obama has run up . . .

I’m sorry, but we’re $15 trillion in debt, largely thanks to Obama, and we are expecting future generations to pick up the slack. . . .

What is the matter with you? How do you think you can fund your agenda on the shoulders of dead babies?

Obviously that is not considered a problem by Sebelius and her masters. Don't expect them to spend much time attempting to fulfill empty (and impossible) promises.

Americans used to expect (and educate) our young ones to become productive contributors to society. 

That quaint notion usefully served the human race for at least the last 50,000 generations, which is even longer than it took for the American Left to determine that "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" are antique goals best buried under the high-tech dust of lithium batteries.

Sebelius, planting her feet carefully within the boundaries mandated by her masters, could not make it more clear that she views our little ones as unnecessary drags on society, a pain-in-the-neck population of gaping mouths ready to devour the (surprise! surprise!) not-quite-bottomless pit of entitlements to food, clothing, housing, fuel, healthcare, education, cell phones, and broadband access that Obama and his Obamatons are going to such great lengths to teach them to expect.

You'd think that Sebelius might be afraid that there won't be enough left for her (and her progeny).

There is method in this madness. And motive.

When progressive push comes to defunct economy shove, you can bet that the Leftist Ruling Class will be looking out for themselves.

Starting yesterday.
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RIP Andrew Breitbart . . .

Dead at 43.

A man whose contributions will be sorely missed.

From Big Hollywood:

Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love.

Prayers for his family and friends . . . .
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