Also at the Spectator: Obama, Our Lecturer-in-Chief

President Obama just can’t help himself. It’s impulse. Every time he sees the American people, in their infinite and confounding ignorance, pursuing a course they shouldn’t, he intervenes to correct them. Such is the view from the clouds on which he placidly floats above us all.

Most politicians speak of the wisdom of the American people. Some even believe it. But not Obama. Time and time again, he takes to the lectern to scold or educate us.

Last Friday, he needlessly jumped into a percolating political controversy — again — to enlighten the uneducated masses. This time the subject was the Islamic cultural center proposed to be built two blocks from Ground Zero, where Islamist terrorists murdered more than 2,700 Americans.

“The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country,” he said, beginning what was to be yet another lecture on what he sees as our failure as a people to live up to our values. “And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. And ground zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

“But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same 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 ordinances. This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.”

No one can pack more conceit, more condescension, into two little paragraphs than Barack Obama can. In the first paragraph, he establishes that opponents of the Islamic center are reacting purely emotionally. “I understand the emotions that this issue engenders.” In the second, he informs us that, as an enlightened being, he sees this issue properly — it’s about freedom of religion. Appealing to our reverence for the Constitution, he states that “our commitment” (all Americans are bound by creed to agree on this) “must be unshakable.”

These are not the words of a president attempting to lead and unite a nation. They are the words of an academic attempting to instruct a class that he considers particularly thick-headed. And they came unprompted. He didn’t have to address the issue at all. He wanted to. He needed to. His conscience compelled him to.

Read the rest.

At Politico: Debra Burlingame rips into Mayor Bloomberg

The Wall Street Journal: Release of Toyota Documents Blocked, Ex-Official Says

Pink Floyd Gives Blessing to Iran Protest Song

If you haven’t heard this awesome song yet, click over to watch the deeply affecting video: Two Iranian brothers in exile covered Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” tweaking the chorus to “Hey Ayatollah, Leave Those Kids Alone!” The brothers living in Canada — Sepp, 28, and Sohl, 35 — keep their surname private for the safety of their family back in Iran, and got a blessing to cover the song from Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters.

Buy the song from Blurred Vision at iTunes for 99 cents, with proceeds going to Amnesty International.

The brothers’ MySpace page is here.

The Hill: Democrats and AARP want to make IRA Enrollment Automatic

The White House and congressional Democrats, with the backing of the AARP, will soon put forth a plan to automatically enroll new private-sector employees in investment retirement accounts (IRAs).

The measure will apply to new workers at firms that don’t currently offer 401(k) retirement plans, according to AARP, the lobby group for seniors. Workers would have the choice of opting out of the accounts…

The auto-enrollment provision will get pushback from small-business groups.



“It’s another burden placed on business that’s coming from Washington, keeping business owners from hiring and investing,” said Bill Rys, the tax counsel for the National Federation of Independent Business. “They’re being told, ‘Here’s how you run your business.’ ”

Via NewsBusters

Investor’s Business Daily:

As poll after poll shows, businesses and individuals are just plain scared. They see massive new government initiatives and taxes either passed or in the pipeline, and wonder what room will be left for the private economy. The answer is: Not much.

According to Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund, Democrats plan to push through still more regulations and expansions of government even if they lose the November elections.

During a lame-duck session between the election and the swearing-in of the new Congress in January, Democrats hope to pass a “card-check” bill for Big Labor, an economy-busting cap-and-trade law and perhaps new tax hikes on all Americans after President Obama’s Deficit Commission issues its report in December.

Think about it. Democrats could be massively repudiated at the polls, yet still ram through more of their big government agenda.

If you’re still wondering, as many clueless economists are, why businesses in America are sitting on more than $1 trillion in cash but refuse to invest it, please re-read the previous two paragraphs.

Bloomberg: Greenspan Says Economy May Be Undergoing a `Pause’

Reuters: Businesses Step Up Criticism of Obama

American Thinker: A Sneak Preview of the Ground Zero Mega-Mosque

Atlas Shrugs: 8000 Protest Ground Zero Mega-Mosque on D-Day

The Night Stalkers Memorial Wall.