"The sun was in my eyes!"

(Photo: CBS News)

Think back to your days of playground or sandlot baseball or softball. One constant was the kid always making excuses for dropping a fly ball.

"The sun was in my eyes!" was the ball yard equivalent of the weak explanation offered to generations of teachers: "My dog ate my homework."

In other words, "B.S."

Today, delivering and address in Germany before a few thousand invited guests, President Barack Obama delivered a mostly forgettable speech.

Of course, Obama sycophant Chris Matthews has an explanation for his Holy Tingleness' weak showing: "The sun was in his Teleprompter." (What? The most-gifted political speaker to occupy the White House can't speak without a Teleprompter?! Banish the thought!)

Here's Matthews making the excuse:



If it weren't so predictable...and tedious...and idiotic...it would be silly.

Bonus: According to The Weekly Standard, "Last time around, when Obama delivered a speech in Berlin in the 2008 presidential campaign, when he was still a senator, 200,000 folks came out to see him. The pool reporter says only 4,500 were present for Obama's speech [today]." Plus, this time he spoke from behind bulletproof glass. Times change!

Big Brother's Friends Are Watching!

Have you heard the one about the politician who asked his followers to turn-in fellow citizens who are maligning his and the party's good names?

Wait...wasn't that something that happened in Germany during the 1930s and '40s? Or maybe in the Soviet Union and its puppet nations during the attempted reign of communism?

You know who else had people snitch on fellow citizens?

Apparently some folks don't learn the lessons taught by history.

The latest to try the "spy on your neighbor" trick? The current administration.

Alexandra Petri details the Obama campaign's, "Attack Watch," in her Washington Post piece:

The Obama campaign has outdone itself again. First the creepy tapping e-mails. Now this — Attack Watch, a site designed to “Get the facts. Fight the smears . . . and help stop the attacks on the President before they start.”

This, like most features of the Obama reelection campaign, is a less appealing version of Something That Worked in 2008. In 2008, it was called Fight the Smears. The interface was friendly and hope-colored.

This time, it’s dark and angry and Web 1.0. It looks like the guy who designs 9/11 conspiracy Web sites finally got his big break.

Nothing says, "Wow, we're feeling really good going into the election season” like “HERE IS AN ANGRY PREEMPTIVE WEBSITE WITH ATTACK IN ITS NAME.”

Who designed your page interface? George Orwell?

But seriously, 1998 sent an AOL Instant Message; it wants its page design back.

“Join Attack Wire – and help stop the attacks on the President before they start."

Before they start?

I'm fine with stopping them after they start.

Terror threats and fires and M. Night Shyamalan films, for instance, should be stopped before they start.

But this is like telling your audience not to think about elephants. “Especially do not think of voting for elephants,” Attack Watch adds.

Who thought this was a good idea?

I would just like to see the committee meeting where this happened.

“Hey,” someone said. “Remember how awkward it was when people claimed the President wasn’t born in the United States, and we had to go door to door with copies of his birth certificate patiently explaining things?”

“Yeah!” Everyone nods. “Donald Trump was especially obdurate.”

“People will probably make more scurrilous attacks! And sometimes those attacks sway people! But if people know that attacks are going to be made, we can cut them off at the pass!”

Or something.

This is patently silly. The group of people most likely to sign up for Attack Wire is by far the group of people least likely to be swayed by scurrilous attacks on Barack Obama. Nothing says, “I am unlikely to believe negative things said about the president” like “I just signed up for a list where he can explain to me why any attack made on him is wrong.”

The 100,000 people who have already signed up are essentially saying that they are definitely planning on voting for Barack Obama, no matter what anyone says.

Attack Wire doesn't even need to send them any e-mails. In fact, it might be better if they didn’t.

Consider: How will this work?

Peek-a-boo: We see (and hear) you!

Stop attacks before they start? This is like that old trick where you ask political candidates, “And how many times did you murder your wife?” We all know how this turns out. We’ve seen “Inception.”

And this time the e-mail will come from the Obama campaign.

Are Attack Watchmen really going to get a message every few weeks that says something like, “You may have heard that Barack Obama has a half-bat lovechild in a cave many miles to the south. Rest assured that this is false”? “If anyone has told you that Barack Obama is actually a homicidal robot from the future, do not believe him!” “Barack Obama is definitely not behind the nabbing of those Scarlett Johansson pictures, no matter what you’ve heard.”

Nothing spreads a rumor faster than vehemently denying it.

But I'm sure they thought it through more thoroughly than that.

Or did they?

If they put as much effort into the concept as into the site design, then we can only hope.

As in, "Hope and Change?"

(h/t: Alexandra Petri/Washington Post)

They saved the world

Sixty-six years ago today, members of the Allied forces jumped from aircraft into the occupied countryside of France and their brothers-in-arms stormed the beaches of Normandy.

From those precarious moments on, the world was able to begin to more than just dream of freeing Europe and ending one of the most demonic regimes in human history. Thanks to those brave men, we are here today...able to experience everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. Living lives without the menace that had consumed much of the world back then.

We remain indebted.

Forever.



Here is then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's message to his men prior to the invasion:

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on
other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

SIGNED: Dwight D. Eisenhower