Read this posting from Investors Business Daily and try not to vomit. In recent weeks the Obama administration has stacked the deck with pro-abortion lawyers but now we get a guy who, among other things, sees nothing wrong with the establishment of Sharia Law in this country.
"President Obama's nominee for State Department legal adviser could be a future Supreme Court pick. He believes U.S. law should be based on foreign precedent, and even Shariah law could find a home here.
We have commented many times on the opinion of a number of U.S. Supreme Court justices that American jurists should include foreign law and precedent in their decisions. In several prominent cases, this has already happened.
In a speech in South Africa, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg called the March 2005 Roper v. Simmons decision, in which a 5-4 majority ruled against executing murderers who were 17 or younger, "perhaps the fullest expressions to date on the propriety and utility of looking to the 'opinions of (human)kind.' "
Koh: Man of the world.
More recently, Justice Stephen Breyer said: "We see all the time . . . how the world really . . . is growing together. The challenge (will be) whether our Constitution . . . fits into the governing documents of other nations." Whether our Constitution fits?
Agreeing with Ginsburg and Breyer is one Harold Koh, a former dean of Yale Law School who's been nominated by President Obama to be the State Department's legal adviser. He's an advocate of what he calls "transnational legal process" and argues that the distinction between U.S. and international law should vanish.
Koh believes laws of places like Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka should carry equal weight with the laws of Virginia and South Dakota, and that it's "appropriate for the Supreme Court to construe our Constitution in the light of foreign and international law" in its decisions.
He also believes foreign law trumps U.S. law on issues such as the death penalty. Echoing Ginsburg, he has said: "The evidence strongly suggests that we do not currently pay decent respect to the opinions of humankind in our administration of the death penalty. For that reason (italics added), the death penalty should, in time, be declared in violation of the Eighth Amendment."
In Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down that state's anti-sodomy laws, Justice Anthony Kennedy's majority opinion cited a 1967 British parliamentary vote repealing laws against homosexual acts and a 1981 European Court of Human Rights decision that such laws were in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Agreeing with Kennedy, Koh himself filed an amicus brief in the case that argued that international and foreign court decisions compelled the Supreme Court to strike down the Texas law. Koh has also submitted an amicus brief to the Connecticut Supreme Court arguing that foreign precedents require recognition of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
He also values the opinions of the world's imams. A New York lawyer, Steven Stein, says Koh in 2007 told the Yale Club of Greenwich that "in an appropriate case, he didn't see any reason why Shariah law would not be applied to govern a case in the United States."
Koh thinks America is the bad guy on the world stage. He blasted Operation Desert Storm as a violation of international law despite the U.N.'s blessing. He supported the Sandinista move to get the International Criminal Court to force Congress to cut off funding of the Contras in Nicaragua.
In 2004, after Operation Iraqi Freedom had begun, Koh lumped the U.S. in with North Korea as part of an "axis of disobedience" regarding international law.
Koh says the Supreme Court is now divided between "nationalist" judges who believe our Constitution is the only one that counts and "transnationalists" who believe "we the people" should be changed to "we are the world."
The next appointment will tip the balance one way or the other, Koh says. He just might be Obama's first pick to fill the next vacancy. Neil Lewis of the New York Times last year said Koh was widely regarded as a leading contender.
This is the man who'll be giving Secretary of State Hillary Clinton legal advice. This is the man who could quite possibly be the next Supreme Court justice. This is Harold Koh."
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Obama's Speaking Style
By DANIEL A. CIRUCCI
What's one of the first things you think of when I say "Barack Obama"?
Gifted orator, right?
After all, it was his speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention that catapulted him to prominence in the first place. And ever since then, he's electrified the nation and the world with his oratorical prowess.
That's the quickie version of the Obama the Orator story. But what if I told you that the president actually isn't a very adept or versatile public speaker.
Would you believe me? Well, let me explain.
There are basically four kinds of public speaking: manuscript, memory, extemporaneous and impromptu.
Speaking from a manuscript means reading a speech. The speaker rehearses from the manuscript, which he has in front of him during the actual delivery.
Obama is primarily a manuscript speaker. With his trusty TelePrompTer, he reads speeches and other remarks from a manuscript. The words are projected on several screens, and he reads the speech while looking from side to side.
MANUSCRIPT speaking is usually reserved for important or long addresses. You use a script when you want to be certain of your words or when the speech runs more than a few minutes.
But President Obama now uses a TelePrompTer for almost everything: brief introductions, opening statements at press conferences, quick explanatory remarks, even White House toasts.
Under these circumstances, the prompter often seems out of place and even awkward. It doesn't make for good photo shoots and otherwise compromises the coverage. Plus the president has to look from side to side (to the prompter panels) instead of straight ahead.
And, the equipment is hardly gaffe proof. Recently a prompter foulup reportedly had Obama momentarily introducing himself. Maybe that's why he tried to ditch it at his recent press conference. But he still used a large TV screen placed in the back of the room. No real difference.
Without a prompter or a script, the best way to be certain of what you're saying is to speak from recall. This means actually memorizing your remarks word-for-word and incorporating the appropriate inflections, pacing and gestures. It's what actors do. But Obama is not a memorizer.
The most common form of public speaking nowadays is "extemporaneous." This means speaking from notes. Your remarks aren't written word-for-word, but you have "cheat cards" that remind you of words or phrases that guide you through the key points of the speech. You take it from there. This is the method most experienced politicians use. You don't need a TelePrompTer. The cards are discreet and effective.
Finally, there is impromptu speaking.
This is when you speak off the cuff, called on without warning. You have no notes. You get up, think fast and speak on your feet. Only the most accomplished public speakers (and gifted trial lawyers) can do it.
Gov. Rendell and ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani are examples of especially effective impromptu speakers. They can think, gesture and elocute - even "read" their audiences, all at the same time.
But when called on to speak extemporaneously or impromptu, Obama seems not to be up to the task. Anyone who's heard him knows he often hems and haws, drifting into a series of "ahhhhs" and "uhhhhs" and "ya knows."
And even when he does a reasonable job, he sometimes seems to fumble his points - as when he said that small-town Americans "cling" to guns and religion. Or when he made fun of ex-first lady Nancy Reagan, wrongly stating she held "séances." Or joked about Jessica Simpson "losing a weight battle." Most recently, he created an uproar by saying that his bowling was so bad "it was like the Special Olympics.
PEOPLE spent years making fun of Ronald Reagan because he was an actor. But Reagan's acting experience taught him the art or memorization.
Plus, as a former TV host, Reagan was a master of the TelePrompTer. Over decades spent on the road as the spokesman for GE, Reagan skillfully honed a system of speaking from note cards.
And, when called on, he could successfully speak impromptu as well. Love him or hate him,
he was the master of addressing all sorts of crowds, formally or informally.
That's the mark of an adept, versatile, accomplished public speaker. By comparison, Barack Obama doesn't come close. *
Daniel A. Cirucci is a lecturer in corporate communications at Penn State Abington, where he teaches public speaking. He blogs at dancirucci.blogspot.com.
What's one of the first things you think of when I say "Barack Obama"?
Gifted orator, right?
After all, it was his speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention that catapulted him to prominence in the first place. And ever since then, he's electrified the nation and the world with his oratorical prowess.
That's the quickie version of the Obama the Orator story. But what if I told you that the president actually isn't a very adept or versatile public speaker.
Would you believe me? Well, let me explain.
There are basically four kinds of public speaking: manuscript, memory, extemporaneous and impromptu.
Speaking from a manuscript means reading a speech. The speaker rehearses from the manuscript, which he has in front of him during the actual delivery.
Obama is primarily a manuscript speaker. With his trusty TelePrompTer, he reads speeches and other remarks from a manuscript. The words are projected on several screens, and he reads the speech while looking from side to side.
MANUSCRIPT speaking is usually reserved for important or long addresses. You use a script when you want to be certain of your words or when the speech runs more than a few minutes.
But President Obama now uses a TelePrompTer for almost everything: brief introductions, opening statements at press conferences, quick explanatory remarks, even White House toasts.
Under these circumstances, the prompter often seems out of place and even awkward. It doesn't make for good photo shoots and otherwise compromises the coverage. Plus the president has to look from side to side (to the prompter panels) instead of straight ahead.
And, the equipment is hardly gaffe proof. Recently a prompter foulup reportedly had Obama momentarily introducing himself. Maybe that's why he tried to ditch it at his recent press conference. But he still used a large TV screen placed in the back of the room. No real difference.
Without a prompter or a script, the best way to be certain of what you're saying is to speak from recall. This means actually memorizing your remarks word-for-word and incorporating the appropriate inflections, pacing and gestures. It's what actors do. But Obama is not a memorizer.
The most common form of public speaking nowadays is "extemporaneous." This means speaking from notes. Your remarks aren't written word-for-word, but you have "cheat cards" that remind you of words or phrases that guide you through the key points of the speech. You take it from there. This is the method most experienced politicians use. You don't need a TelePrompTer. The cards are discreet and effective.
Finally, there is impromptu speaking.
This is when you speak off the cuff, called on without warning. You have no notes. You get up, think fast and speak on your feet. Only the most accomplished public speakers (and gifted trial lawyers) can do it.
Gov. Rendell and ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani are examples of especially effective impromptu speakers. They can think, gesture and elocute - even "read" their audiences, all at the same time.
But when called on to speak extemporaneously or impromptu, Obama seems not to be up to the task. Anyone who's heard him knows he often hems and haws, drifting into a series of "ahhhhs" and "uhhhhs" and "ya knows."
And even when he does a reasonable job, he sometimes seems to fumble his points - as when he said that small-town Americans "cling" to guns and religion. Or when he made fun of ex-first lady Nancy Reagan, wrongly stating she held "séances." Or joked about Jessica Simpson "losing a weight battle." Most recently, he created an uproar by saying that his bowling was so bad "it was like the Special Olympics.
PEOPLE spent years making fun of Ronald Reagan because he was an actor. But Reagan's acting experience taught him the art or memorization.
Plus, as a former TV host, Reagan was a master of the TelePrompTer. Over decades spent on the road as the spokesman for GE, Reagan skillfully honed a system of speaking from note cards.
And, when called on, he could successfully speak impromptu as well. Love him or hate him,
he was the master of addressing all sorts of crowds, formally or informally.
That's the mark of an adept, versatile, accomplished public speaker. By comparison, Barack Obama doesn't come close. *
Daniel A. Cirucci is a lecturer in corporate communications at Penn State Abington, where he teaches public speaking. He blogs at dancirucci.blogspot.com.
Argyle Socks
Those of you who read this column know of my interest in searching out interesting obituaries. I'm a history buff and every so often I find an individuals life story quite interesting. Obits tell us about a person's life; their contributions to society. I read one this morning that made me laugh, sort of. Then I felt badly, sort of. There wasn't a whole lot about his life. The obit, itself, was not lengthy. In essence, it read this way: "he will be remembered for his love of argyle socks" C'mon! Is that all? I like argyle socks. I read this article then went to my dresser drawer. I own five pair of white footies, two pair of all-black socks and twenty pair of argyles. Please Lord, let me be remembered for anything other than my socks. I will think about my argies all day and wonder: What if, after I'm gone, someone says to Oscar, "what do you remember most about your Grandpa"? If there isn't anything about fishing, going to ballgames, playing with his cars, giving him more toys than you'd find at Toys R US, I'd be upset. If he says, Man, did he ever love his argyle socks I'm going to have him taken out of the will.
Scary Times
If a "Captain of Industry", Rick Wagoner, CEO of General Motors, can be shown the retirement door by the President of the United States can a complete and total takeover by the government of our industrial complex be far behind?
Whether your immediate response to Wagoner is positive or negative only ask yourself, "what right does Barack Obama have to start dictating how capitalism is to work"?
We live in scary times, folks. I have to wonder what will be the next company to be on Obama's axed list. Any guesses?
Oh, by the way, Obama is looking to affirmative action to get more Muslims into his administration.
In summarizing, this is what we've heard from the Obamites in recent days:
1) we are largely responsible for the violence in Mexico. Our guns are in the hands of drug lords so we need more gun restrictions: 2) Obama wants to establish his own civilian army that is on equal footing with our Armed Forces and 3) we need more Muslims in this administration. It's like a game of scrabble: throw together any combination of letters and you can come up with any number of delectable programs to restrict our freedoms.
Whether your immediate response to Wagoner is positive or negative only ask yourself, "what right does Barack Obama have to start dictating how capitalism is to work"?
We live in scary times, folks. I have to wonder what will be the next company to be on Obama's axed list. Any guesses?
Oh, by the way, Obama is looking to affirmative action to get more Muslims into his administration.
In summarizing, this is what we've heard from the Obamites in recent days:
1) we are largely responsible for the violence in Mexico. Our guns are in the hands of drug lords so we need more gun restrictions: 2) Obama wants to establish his own civilian army that is on equal footing with our Armed Forces and 3) we need more Muslims in this administration. It's like a game of scrabble: throw together any combination of letters and you can come up with any number of delectable programs to restrict our freedoms.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
B.S. Jobs
Listen to the "Two Month President" speak about jobs for the future and it's dullsville. Take a stab at the ones, according to him, that will make us economically sound; those that will get us back on the right track? Well, if you've been paying attention they are, in no particular order, solar panels, wind turbynes, ethanol and, and, and----I can't remember the other. The reason for this is that they are benign jobs, non controversial; not exciteable; the same as "shovel ready jobs". In other words, "crap jobs"!
A few weeks ago Obama made a special trip to Denver, on your dime, to tout a small business solar panel company. What the MSM failed to mention was that this outfit was a damned commune: everyone, from the owner to the pencil sharpener, received the same wage. Every worker had the same company decision-making input. Everyone dressed like hippies. It was exactly what the Messiah was looking for; a benign, non-competitive operation. Solar panel jobs will be as popular as electric cars.
Yes! That was the other job that skipped my mind. When asked, "do we need electric cars", a great many will say we do. Electric car statements are also "benign statements.
Here's what you should think about electric cars: "Gosh, I wish I had one. Wouldn't it be fun to drive 40 miles then plug it in for a re-charge, then wait 24 hours so I could do it again"? Folks, if you ever think Americans are going to give up SUV's, well, think again. Cars in this country define a person's identity. If Americans could, they'd copulate with their vehicles. It's been this way since Ransom Olds yanked on his first throttle.
As much as I love Iowa and Iowans they've been duped like never before. Their own congressmen have fed them a a barrel of compost so big it's going to take years to recover. Those people have been led to believe that ethanol and wind turbynes are life savers for consumers and employees. Ethanol plants are shutting down faster than a 1,000 year old man on life support. It costs more to produce a gallon of fuel than to make a profit. Did I write that correctly? It would be like me working for a company and when the day was over I paid the owner money so I could come back the next day. Wind turbynes; the same thing. Initial cost for one of those 'bad boys' seen all over Iowa and Illinois farm fields is $75K. After six years refurbishing is required and that averages $21K. Did I mention that the wind has to blow continuously at 20 mph to have any positive effect? Wind in Iowa in summer, maybe. Humidity--always.
I retired two years ago from a company dealing with "rust belt" operations that caused this nation to grow and thrive: steel mills, refineries, paper mills, etc. In the course of nine days, within a thirty mile radius of Kalamazoo, Michigan eight paper mills shut down. This was in 2003. John McCain said it in the last election but few paid attention and those that did didn't want to hear it. "These jobs are never coming back," he said. The union mentality says, "There is no jobs".(my grammatical insert) What the American should be saying is, "I'll educate myself to qualify for a better position. I'll move to another area of the country where productive and necessary jobs are available". As I recall this is what brought so many of our ancestors to America in the late 1800's. Companies are going to zones with warmer climates and they are going to Europe. Businesses are relocating to countries with lower tax rates that induce the growth of business. So, what we have left are small businesses, 70% of which make this country productive. The problem is, the Obama government wants to destroy them with excessive tax rates and 'green' restrictions. In other words, they'll support companies that are 'snoozer' companies. Ahem! Did I mention solar panels?
A few weeks ago Obama made a special trip to Denver, on your dime, to tout a small business solar panel company. What the MSM failed to mention was that this outfit was a damned commune: everyone, from the owner to the pencil sharpener, received the same wage. Every worker had the same company decision-making input. Everyone dressed like hippies. It was exactly what the Messiah was looking for; a benign, non-competitive operation. Solar panel jobs will be as popular as electric cars.
Yes! That was the other job that skipped my mind. When asked, "do we need electric cars", a great many will say we do. Electric car statements are also "benign statements.
Here's what you should think about electric cars: "Gosh, I wish I had one. Wouldn't it be fun to drive 40 miles then plug it in for a re-charge, then wait 24 hours so I could do it again"? Folks, if you ever think Americans are going to give up SUV's, well, think again. Cars in this country define a person's identity. If Americans could, they'd copulate with their vehicles. It's been this way since Ransom Olds yanked on his first throttle.
As much as I love Iowa and Iowans they've been duped like never before. Their own congressmen have fed them a a barrel of compost so big it's going to take years to recover. Those people have been led to believe that ethanol and wind turbynes are life savers for consumers and employees. Ethanol plants are shutting down faster than a 1,000 year old man on life support. It costs more to produce a gallon of fuel than to make a profit. Did I write that correctly? It would be like me working for a company and when the day was over I paid the owner money so I could come back the next day. Wind turbynes; the same thing. Initial cost for one of those 'bad boys' seen all over Iowa and Illinois farm fields is $75K. After six years refurbishing is required and that averages $21K. Did I mention that the wind has to blow continuously at 20 mph to have any positive effect? Wind in Iowa in summer, maybe. Humidity--always.
I retired two years ago from a company dealing with "rust belt" operations that caused this nation to grow and thrive: steel mills, refineries, paper mills, etc. In the course of nine days, within a thirty mile radius of Kalamazoo, Michigan eight paper mills shut down. This was in 2003. John McCain said it in the last election but few paid attention and those that did didn't want to hear it. "These jobs are never coming back," he said. The union mentality says, "There is no jobs".(my grammatical insert) What the American should be saying is, "I'll educate myself to qualify for a better position. I'll move to another area of the country where productive and necessary jobs are available". As I recall this is what brought so many of our ancestors to America in the late 1800's. Companies are going to zones with warmer climates and they are going to Europe. Businesses are relocating to countries with lower tax rates that induce the growth of business. So, what we have left are small businesses, 70% of which make this country productive. The problem is, the Obama government wants to destroy them with excessive tax rates and 'green' restrictions. In other words, they'll support companies that are 'snoozer' companies. Ahem! Did I mention solar panels?
Friday, March 27, 2009
When Is Isn't
I can make this short. Barry O wants six billion dollars for Mandatory Volunteerism. Please explain that one to me, if you will.
Three Miserable Places
There are three businesses that absolutely test my patience. I'm not a very patient person, anyway, but when I go to a fast food establishment, the bank or the U.S. Post Office, my forehead gets sweaty and I get very, very tense. Some of it is my fault. The bank has the same impact on me as reading an insurance policy: B-O-R-I-N-G! When I go to Wendy's I invariably go to the shortest line which happens to be behind the band director for the University of Purdue and he's taking orders for 115 band members. It's always the same; short line, long stay.
Today, I went to the post office in Dublin, Ohio. There are three work stations at this facility. My theory is the number of workers at each station is directly DISproportional to the number of people standing in line. As an example, if there are four people in line all the stations will be in working order. Except, when it's my turn to do my thing then that one worker decides to take a lunch or potty break. Now, if there are, say 30 people in line, two of the workers, just to irritate us all, will leave and then we're stuck with one. This happened today. Another thing about Dublin; we are a diverse community. Since the first Honda plant was established close to our city limits we have a slug of Japanese. In addition, we have quite a few citizens from Pakistan. I don't know why Prince Harry got in trouble with insensitivity for calling them paki's but he did. In his honor I'll do the same. At my post office one of the workers is Japanese with a very distinct Nipponese dialect. More often than not I get this guy and, today, it happened again. He'll ask me a question and my answer is always, "Huh"? I can say, 'huh" with ten different voice inflections. It's something I've learned. After awhile I just say, "write it down".
Just prior to my discourse with the postal worker, he had to work with a lady who was a 'paki'. It would have been hilarious had it not been so sad; Two people with an attitude, barely speaking the language, arguing over zip codes and I have to decide whether or not to referee. I finally figured since they were originally from the same hemisphere they could work it out themselves.
While standing in line I had another thought. I looked behind me and saw fifteen folks of whom twelve had to be over age sixty.
I suppose many states have senior citizen discounts; 10% or something like that. Ohio does. It's called a Senior Buckeye card. In addition to having the discount card I'd like to have another common sense procedure. I'll call them "quick lines" and they're for folks who are 60-70, 71-80, 81-85, and then an 'automatically go to the head of the line' after age 85. I see these young kids in my line with all the rest of us and I want to yell at them, "hey, time is running out on me. That's why some of us don't buy green bananas". These kids have an entire lifetime to stand and wait while those of us in the "check out generation" are living on borrowed time. I don't want to be breathing my last at the the US Postal Service when I could be sitting on a downtown street corner park bench checking out the ladies.
Today, I went to the post office in Dublin, Ohio. There are three work stations at this facility. My theory is the number of workers at each station is directly DISproportional to the number of people standing in line. As an example, if there are four people in line all the stations will be in working order. Except, when it's my turn to do my thing then that one worker decides to take a lunch or potty break. Now, if there are, say 30 people in line, two of the workers, just to irritate us all, will leave and then we're stuck with one. This happened today. Another thing about Dublin; we are a diverse community. Since the first Honda plant was established close to our city limits we have a slug of Japanese. In addition, we have quite a few citizens from Pakistan. I don't know why Prince Harry got in trouble with insensitivity for calling them paki's but he did. In his honor I'll do the same. At my post office one of the workers is Japanese with a very distinct Nipponese dialect. More often than not I get this guy and, today, it happened again. He'll ask me a question and my answer is always, "Huh"? I can say, 'huh" with ten different voice inflections. It's something I've learned. After awhile I just say, "write it down".
Just prior to my discourse with the postal worker, he had to work with a lady who was a 'paki'. It would have been hilarious had it not been so sad; Two people with an attitude, barely speaking the language, arguing over zip codes and I have to decide whether or not to referee. I finally figured since they were originally from the same hemisphere they could work it out themselves.
While standing in line I had another thought. I looked behind me and saw fifteen folks of whom twelve had to be over age sixty.
I suppose many states have senior citizen discounts; 10% or something like that. Ohio does. It's called a Senior Buckeye card. In addition to having the discount card I'd like to have another common sense procedure. I'll call them "quick lines" and they're for folks who are 60-70, 71-80, 81-85, and then an 'automatically go to the head of the line' after age 85. I see these young kids in my line with all the rest of us and I want to yell at them, "hey, time is running out on me. That's why some of us don't buy green bananas". These kids have an entire lifetime to stand and wait while those of us in the "check out generation" are living on borrowed time. I don't want to be breathing my last at the the US Postal Service when I could be sitting on a downtown street corner park bench checking out the ladies.
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