Interesting Posts From Around The Web - 14 April 2008

The interesting posts of the day, below the fold.

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Art: The Martyrdom of St. Livinus, Rubens, 1633

The most eloquent post of the day is at Belmont Club, with Wretchard discussing the significance of the Pope’s visit to ground zero. ". . . Bin Laden knows that Benedict will call to each of the hijackers by their name; not as an accuser but as shepherd looking for a long-long flock. He will bid them come forth into the light, for his staff is meant for wolves." (H/T Consul at Arms). Perhaps we just need more interfaith dialogue.

Democrats are attempting to sue John McCain out of the presidential race.

There is trouble ahead for transatlantic relations with our old NATO allies.

Bookworm Room has a superb essay asking whether we can try Jimmy Carter for treason, discussing all of the reasons distilled from history why engaging fanatics rather than challenging then – or killing them – is disasterous. Also a good post on this at JoshuaPundit. And as Seraphic Secret notes, Former President Jimmy Carter not only enables Jew-haters and terrorists, he props ups tyrannies that would murder every Jew on the face of the earth.

From the Barking Moonbat: Extremist ideas are being spread by Islamic study centers linked to British universities and backed by multi-million-pound donations from Saudi Arabia and Muslim organizations. And at Fulham Reactionary, dhimmi children taken on a propaganda tour of a Mosque are given a bit of reality: "A primary school in Amsterdam wished to provide its pupils with an understanding for other cultures. But during a visit to a mosque, the children were told they were dogs."

Religion, politics and our biased media at JammieWearing Fool.

From Investors Business Daily (H/T Right Truth), a truly damning indictment of Pelosi over her refusal to allow a vote on the Colombian Free Trade deal.

The New Mexico Human Rights Commission fine of a photographer for refusing to accept a job photographing a gay wedding is documented by Blonde Sagacity. This has got to be a First Amendment violation. I do hope it makes its way up the court system.

A superb post from Panday’s Gazette (H/T KG at A Western Heart) pointing out how the progressive members of our Supreme Court are ready to throw our nation’s sovereignty out and make our laws subservient to decisions of the UN’s World Court. More on this issue at No Oil For Pacifists.

From the Midnight Sun: The EU quietly reinstates the death penalty – for enemies of the state.

Mil-blogger Shield of Achilles on Iraq: Let’s get this thing done now.

Some real problems across the pond flagged by MK at Crusader Rabbit: One in every five murders or manslaughters in England and Wales is committed by a foreigner, police figures revealed. In one area of London, the figure is one in three. This is despite the fact that foreigners represent only around one in 16 of the general population. The UK is just so screwed. And from Dinah Lord: The Royal Navy, once the scourge of brigands on the high seas, has been told by the Foreign Office not to detain pirates because doing so may breach their human rights.

At the Liberty Corner, a black female prosecutor speaks out: "Race does not enter the equation for me. My question to these black people who believe me to be a traitor is, when will you connect the dots?"

Background on the nightmare that is Zimbabwe at the Transatlantic Conservative.

Tort reform, Islamic style at the Dhivehistan Report.

Philosophical pondering about rhetoric as magic at Soob.

The Whited Sephelcure captures the logic of the farm bill.

The Glittering Eye notes the Robot Hall of Fame.

Heh: A pint and a fag at the 13 mile mark keep the 101 year old marathon runner pumping.

Heh: TNOY has the latest Absolut ad campaign appealing to special interest groups for land grabs – or total world domination. Hillbilly White Trash has a more cautionary ad.

Heh: From Hillbilly Politics, an explanation of the pricing plan for calls to God.

An Obama Round-Up

Obama commits the mother of all gaffes: Letting on that you think rural Americans are straight out of Deliverance. As Discrminations calls it in an excellent post: What a load of Marxist rubbish.

Victor David Hanson at NRO deconstructs Obama’s attempt to explain away his comments.

And at This Ain’t Hell, its Obama versus Madison.

Soccer Dad, in an excellent post, notes the left’s attempts to deflect criticism as "painting" Obama’s remarks as elitist, suggesting it is an unfair assessment.

Classical Values points out that the dust has far from settled on Obama’s remarks, and that the remarks themselves sound far too redolent of Karl Marx’s infamous assertion that "religion is the opiate of the masses."

I personally find it hard to imagine a more obnoxious or elitist view than that Senator Obama espoused when he tied small town values, including religion, a belief in individual rights in gun ownership, and secure borders, to bitterness over a lack of economic opportunities in the hinterlands. As the Politico writes, there are 12 reasons "bitter is bad" for Obama. Obama is a tabula rosa no more, and I have yet to find a single thing filled in on that formerly blank slate that is either genuine or admirable.

Obama’s mainstream pastor of 20 years, the Rev. Wright – he who only gave outrageously racist sermons on days that Obama did not attend church with his family – has done it again. Gateway Pundit provides the information:

the Rev. Jeremiah Wright lashed out at the media, FOX News, America, O'Reilly, Hannity, Thomas Jefferson, Founding Fathers... This is what Wright said about the Founding Fathers of America, a group he sometimes refers to as the "Fondling Fathers", during his eulogy:

America’s founding fathers "planted slavery and white supremacy in the DNA of this republic," and adding that Thomas Jefferson wrote, " ‘God would punish America for the sin of slavery.’ I guess that makes Thomas Jefferson unpatriotic."

Obama's mentor Wright also said Thomas Jefferson, partook in "pedophilia."

And about Obama’s "grass roots" funding and his refusal to take money from PAC’s . . .