Blog Heap of Links for the day 9 July 2011

Reporter Bruce Gordon's face said it all as lightning struck behind N.J. Senate President Stephen Sweeney during a live interview Thursday, as Sweeney criticized Chris Christie. [h/t's to Jane Roh @Slightly Politics http://blogs.courierpostonline.com/roh/2011/07/08/this-week-in-symbolism... & Ben Smith @Politico http://blogs.courierpostonline.com/roh/2011/07/08/this-week-in-symbolism... & John @Verum Serum http://www.verumserum.com/?p=26862 (who credits Allahpundit twitter) & Ace of Spaces http://www.verumserum.com/?p=26862 --whew!

The Attorney General has more than the Fast and Furious scandal to worry about. Eric Holder dropped the Justice Department's investigation into the Bill Richardson pay-to-play scandals, but thanks to a civil lawsuit, dots may get connected on the record in court.

The Establishment is in a panic. It has been jolted awake to the realization that the GOP House, if it can summon the courage to use it, is holding a weapon that could enable it to bridle forever the federal monster that consumes 25 percent of gross domestic product. To bully and blackmail the GOP into surrendering the weapon and betraying its principles and signing on to new taxes, that establishment has unleashed rhetoric more befitting a war on terror than a political dispute.

Doug Vogt, an expert in document reproduction technologies says the creation of the birth certificate released by the White House is a forgery of a public document that constitutes a felony in Hawaii and multiple violations under U.S. Code, and therefore an impeachable offense. Vogt owns Archive Index Systems which sells all types of document scanners worldwide and he also developed document imaging software (TheRepository). What he presents is evidence against Obama and the creators of the document he released on April 27th

For months the ABC15 Investigators have been searching through police reports and official government documents. We've discovered assault weapons linked to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' controversial "Fast and Furious" case strategy have turned up at crime scenes in Glendale and Phoenix communities.

[U.S. Rep. Allen West ] said that a special prosecutor needs to review the actions of Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the "Fast and Furious" gun scandal ... "This is just another sad chapter in the Eric Holder book of ineptness and incompetence," West said. "Eric Holder needs to be brought before an investigative committee and if those charges are warranted he needs to be held accountable. "At least the president needs to realize that Eric Holder needs to be removed from the Department of Justice … or else it appears President Obama is complicit and in approval of the actions of his attorney general...."

President Obama's senior political adviser David Plouffe said Wednesday that people won't vote in 2012 based on the unemployment rate.

The top U.S. military officer accused Iran on Thursday of shipping new supplies of deadly weapons to its militia allies in Iraq, in what he described as Tehran's bid to take credit for forcing American troops to go home. ... "Iran is very directly supporting extremist Shiite groups which are killing our troops," said Adm. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "There is no question they are shipping high-tech weapons in there…that are killing our people. And the forensics prove that."

Illinois will assess only reading and arithmetic now that high school juniors will no longer be tested on their writing skills during standardized exams every spring. [Soon, even reading and math will be gone, and only whether kids feel good about themselves will be tested.]

A Boulder woman has been arrested for allegedly killing a cat by blowing heroin smoke into its face ... Police say they were responding to a domestic violence call ... boyfriend called police to report that she hit him in the face ... woman admitted hitting her boyfriend with her fist because he wouldn't let her use his phone to call for a ride ... officer noticed the cat lying on the steps ... boyfriend claims she was smoking heroin and blew it in the cat's face, an allegation the woman denies. ...

today's high-tech lynch mobsters are no different when they try to destroy the careers, jobs, and reputations of good and decent people -- and even their children, like one-year-old baby Trig Palin. Michele Bachmann was just threatened by one of the media mobsters, because now her 23 foster children are free bait for the media lynchers. This is like mafia thugs walking through your nice family home and telling you what a fire hazard it is, and are you sure you don't want to sell out? They have no decency. None at all. ... We have to understand very clearly how ruthless these people are. Mentally they are prepared to destroy other human beings, something conservatives (by definition) cannot do, because we have decent values. ... The left has told women to hate men. Gays are supposed to hate heterosexuals. Blacks are now more paranoid about whites than they ever were before. Sarah Palin's church was burned down in Wasilla after the 2008 campaign. Where are the media sleuths on that raging mob behavior? They demonstrate how to do it to their brain-dead followers. Then they accuse others of "bullying." ... If you think I'm exaggerating, just watch what the media mobsters are doing to Herman Cain, Rep. Allen West, Governor Palin, and Rep. Michele Bachmann, and ask yourself if there's any difference from the Dixiecrat Kluxers beyond the choice of tools. ...

Even in our darkest hours, we managed to find some light, and some hope. Along with the tales of horror and destruction, the news also started to bring us amazing stories of bravery and heroism which reminded us all of the quality of humanity.

stole around $50,000 worth of electronics over the past six months ... TSA officer since 2009 -- was caught earlier this week by a Continental Airlines employee taking an iPad out of someone's luggage and stuffing it into his pants ... admitted to stealing computers, GPS devices, video cameras, and other electronic merchandise from luggage he was supposed to be screening. ... would immediately take pictures of his new goods and upload the photos online to sell the stuff. ... would typically sell the stolen goods to people before his shift was even over ... cops are looking for people whose stuff has been stolen, although they say the chances of getting the stuff back are slim.... was released from jail on bond, although police say more charges against him are pending.... no longer works with the TSA.... [Has been hired by the Obama administration to replace Timothy Geitner.] ... joins at least six other sticky-fingered TSA crew members who were also recently caught allegedly lifting things from luggage. [And those are just the ones they've caught!]

China's Foreign Ministry warned U.S. officials on Thursday not to meet with visiting exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, saying it hoped Washington "appropriately dealt" with Tibet-related issues. [Sounds like the BEST (if not the only) reason to meet with the crazy old Marxist! F'Off, China!]

A controversial IVF lottery will launch in Britain this month giving prospective parents the chance to win thousands of pounds toward expensive fertility treatments in top clinics. The scheme, which the media have dubbed "win a baby," has already run into trouble on ethical grounds with critics calling it inappropriate and demeaning to human reproduction.

A fan attending a Texas Rangers game died Thursday night after falling out of the stands behind the left-field wall.

Today the Space Shuttle Atlantis took off for the last time, as Obama has scrapped our space program in favor of using NASA to "make muslims feel good" and America will now have to hitch rides with Russia, which will now control the International Space Station. It is a sad day.

Consumers who illegally download copyrighted films, music or television shows might see their Internet speed slowed or access restricted under an industry anti-piracy effort announced on Thursday. U.S. Internet service providers, including Verizon Communications Inc, Comcast Corp, Time Warner Cable Inc, Cablevision Systems Corp and AT&T Inc agreed to alert customers, up to six times, when it appears their account is used for illegal downloading. Warnings will come as e-mails or pop-up messages. [Just another pretense for the IPs to throttle access]