Illinois Review

Starkehaus: Should children see Dinesh D’Souza’s America the Movie?

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

background

Rather than jumping right into my answer, I'm going to tell you a personal story to set the scene from which I'm basing my thinking. At the time that this event took place, my child was in seventh grade and was getting ready for school one morning. My child asked me to help print a document that needed to be handed in for a Language Arts class. I was given a thumb drive and my child took off up the stairs to work on other tasks that required attention. I printed the document and read it because I'm fundamentally nosy, and I'm unashamed to say that enjoy what my children write.

On this particular day, my child had penned a critique based on an article that was assigned to the class from a book called Us and Them – A History of Intolerance in America by Jim Carnes.

After I had finished reviewing the critique which was heavily biased against the Texas Rangers for being racist terrorists, I called to my child and asked if I might please see the original source from which the assignment took its information. My child had written forcefully against the atrocities that were brought upon the Mexican people at the hands of the Texas Rangers during the border disputes between South Texas and Mexico in 1917. My child's scorn thoroughly startled me. Keep in mind that the assignment was to be based on what was written in the article. The written directions were for the students to critique the way the Mexican people were treated. This was not to be a criticism of the quality of the writing.

My child handed me a photocopied version of an article entitled Untamed Border. Quoting now from an eight paged article:

Starkehaus: The battle of the ages – determinism versus free will

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

According to research published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, human choice is born out of predictable electric impulse in the brain which suggests that human beings do not possess free will but are slaves of determinism. Read the full article here in the Independent Online. JoCN is published by the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute out of Berkley.

Volunteers within the experiment conducted at the University of California, Davis were asked to sit in front of a screen and focus on its central point while their brains' electrical activity was recorded. They were then asked to make a decision to look either left or right when a visual cue appeared on the screen, and then to report their decision.

Based on the brain activity, researchers could determine with reasonable accuracy which way the volunteers would look.

(I shudder to think how much money was spent to discover something that Penn Jillette could have offered for free or at least for the cost of a ticket to his next show, but such is the politics of science.)

Gallup poll shows Americans have little faith in media

CHICAGO - Maybe it's not so much what news is covered, it's what is not covered that has caused confidence in media to dip to its lowest levels ever. A Gallup poll in early June showed that Americans simply don't trust the media anymore than they do the neighborhood gossip. The Daily Signal reports:

Confidence in American newspapers has fallen to less than half of what it used to be at its apex. In 1979, 51 percent of Americans placed their confidence in print institutions, but today only 22 percent express confidence in newspapers.

While news sites have reached newfound prominence on the Internet, their confidence ratings continue to lag behind. Internet news sources garnered 22 percent of American’s confidence in 1999 at Gallup’s only previous measure. Fifteen years later, confidence remains anemic at 19 percent.

O'Brien: House GOP shuffles just to dance to the same tune

By Teri O'Brien - 

Last week, after Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor's recent primary defeat and resignation as Majority Leader, the GOP's theme song could have been The Who's "We Won't Get Fooled Again," as in "meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, beloved by Silicon Valley and, despite his vociferous denials, enthusiastic supporter of amnesty for illegals, is the new Majority Leader.

In an interesting coincidence, like many of you, I find myself feeling like Kevin McCarthy, not the guy in Congress, but the actor, or rather the character that he played in the classic film "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." He could clearly see the terrifying destruction of his perfect American town by an alien invasion, which so many of his friends and neighbors could not. Many of them decided there was no point in resisting, passively assenting to and becoming part of the takeover. 

Starkehaus: Controversal exchange at Heritage Foundation event

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

The Heritage Foundation held a panel discussion on the Benghazi massacre that occurred in September of 2012. The purpose for the event was to ascertain how the U.S. government failed to protect U.S. citizens in its U.S. Embassy during a period of unrest. Saba Ahmed attended the conference and posed a question that was off topic regarding so-called Islamophobia and the panelists went about answering her question.

Particularly brilliant was Brigitte Gabriel who laid down some of the most simple and concise arguments regarding the accusations of bigotry that are occassionally thrown down by peaceful Muslims.

The MSM is doing their best to portray Ms. Gabriel's response as an over-the-top personal attack on Ms. Ahmed which it was not. Additionally, and I am quoting heavily from a good friend who took the time to dig into this matter further -

Starkehaus: Las Vegas rampage – the sham revolution?

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

Over the weekend, Jerad and Amanda Miller of Las Vegas entered a CiCi's Pizza, shot two police officers, and covered the bodies with swastikas and a "Don't Tread on Me" flag that is frequently associated with the Tea Party movement. They then fled to Walmart where they allegedly fulfilled a bizarre murder-suicide pact by killing themselves after shouting that the revolution has begun.

Now, I'm admittedly a natural born skeptic, but I've got to say this. Something seems off about the whole homicidal rampage. I can't put my finger on why and maybe I'm completely wrong, but the story just doesn't connect. The sickening feeling that the specifics are artificial has me concerned. Of the Tea Party conservatives that I've met, this is what I do know. Reputation is of supreme importance to conservatives. They are skittish sorts of activists right out of the gate – this from having lived through decades of attacks from the Left and increasingly from the RINOs. The suggestion that this heinous crime might have been committed by a fellow Tea Partier will have hordes of Reagan Republicans diving for the nearest rabbit hole over a desperate fear of beig associated with murderous lunacy.

Now, I'm not going to tell conservatives that they shouldn't be shouting disavowals from the rooftops. It only makes sense to proclaim one's innocence in the face of unjustified accusations. But what I would caution is that before giving themselves immediately over to the passion play that will come from the media and an administration that is itching to justify its misuse of power through harassment of conservatives, and before conservatives start peeling off their "NObamacare" bumper stickers and replacing them with "I'm pro-union and I vote" out of fear of recrimination, they should take a deep breath and reconsider.

O'Brien: Is Sgt. Bergdahl a Hero or a Deserter?

By Teri O'Brien - 

Another day, another lawless act by the Obama regime, this time the release of five Gitmo detainees in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who has been held in Afghanistan since June 30, 2009. Was Sgt. Bergdahl actually captured, or, as some strong evidence suggests, did he willingly walk away from duty? Does that matter?

Does it matter that, once again, Barack Obama violated a duly-enacted Congressional statute, which requires that he give 30 days notice to Congress prior to transferring prisoners from Gitmo. The One acknowledges that he broke the law, but says it doesn't matter because he issued a signing statement when he signed the law last year, declaring the notification unconstitutional. And he should know, of course, as a "former Constitutional law professor," right?

Starkehaus: On priests and marriage, Pope Francis leaves the door solidly shut

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

The clock radio – ever punctual with its reminder that I can't laze around in bed forever – began blaring its commitment to morning talk show prattle at 5 am as a way of freeing me from my cocoon of blissful slumber. I initiated phase one in my ritual of pre-dawn sloth by reaching for the snooze button, but found my hand hovering in midair as, much to my dismay, a discussion caught my attention. Confound it all anyway. I was counting on at least two more rounds of dozing in nine minute intervals and wasn't pleased when I learned that (according to news reports) Pope Francis has rewritten Church history by opening the door to the possibility of priests marrying.

I reigned in my "Groundhog Day" déjà vu and listened intently. Yes. He did. He did it again. The pope simply cannot resist muddying the waters of marital intrigue by turning the priesthood into soap opera fodder.

As IR readers have come to understand, I am not exactly a card carrying member of the Pope Francis Fan Club and the news that the Holy See might be set on changing a millennium of tradition with a wave of his shepherd's hook didn't register as completely unrealistic at 5 o'clock in the morning, so I merely rolled my eyes and mumbled something along the line of, "What else is new?"

On this high note, I grumpily began my day.

As I was buttering the kids' toast, my morning fog began to lift, and I was able to start thinking through the probability that Pope Francis had truly converted to Protestantism with just a smidgen of judiciousness. "I wonder what he actually said," thought I as a glass of milk made contact with a bevy of hands vying for it and went flying across the table. I grabbed a towel to clean the mess and began sifting through what I know about this pope and matching it to the morning's titillating report.

Sticks and Stones: The Donald Sterling Saga

By Irene F. Starkehaus -

One late evening in November of 1938, Germany erupted into a violence that was fuel by years of "organized outbursts of popular anger" and in that night of terror against the Jewish people, homes were burned, riots raged, temples were destroyed and tens of thousands of Jewish men were rounded up and corralled into the concentration camps of Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen and Dachau. The prevalent description assigned to November 9, 1938 is Kristallnacht. (We translate this as "night of broken glass.") It is believed that Joseph Goebbels created the term as a way of dehumanizing the event as a crime against property instead of a crime against mankind, but in post-Nazi Germany where the people are understandably cautious about adopting Nazi euphemisms, the events leading up to Jewish internment are now called the "Reich pogrom night." See Kristallnacht 1938 by Alan E. Steinweis.

Pogrom is a word of Russian origin that portends grassroots anti-Semitic violence that was perhaps not organized by authorities but was most certainly condoned because Jews of that era had an unusually high representation in the commercial classes which have always been vulnerable to accusations of greed – especially in times of misfortune. Pogroms were intended to frustrate and collapse what was termed "Jewish privilege," and they were used in conjunction with Hitler's "anti-Semitism of reason" against Jews through a "systematic legal struggle." Kristallnacht was tacitly endorsed by Hitler as a means of frustrating private property rights in Germany.

That's how fascists work. Through populist anger and through bureaucratic means, the Left creates unrest in order to authorize controls that are said to protect populations from the commerce that purportedly fosters discontent. Popular anger and bureaucratic control invariably combine and use scapegoats as a way of disenfranchising the middle class from its God-given rights thereby creating a permanent underclass that can then propagate the unrest.

Powers: An Interview with "Moms' Night Out" Producer Kevin Downes

New comedy "Moms' Night Out" features Patricia Heaton (third from left)

By CJ Powers - 

I had the opportunity to interview producer Kevin Downes about his latest film, Moms' Night Out. It's a comedy due to release on May 9th.

The synopsis is as follows: All Allyson and her friends want is a peaceful, grown-up evening of dinner and conversation . . . a long-needed moms' night out. But in order to enjoy high heels, adult conversation and food not served in a paper bag, they need their husbands to watch the kids for three hours—what could go wrong? Moms' Night Out is an endearing true-to-life family comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting. 

Here are the highlights from our conversation...

CJ: Most summer films seem to be aimed at men, but this film seems to be designed for women.

KEVIN: Most of my films in the past have been sort of geared toward men – Films I’ve acted in like Courageous, or films I’ve produced. And, I’ve just really felt like God has put it on my heart to make a film for women. That’s really where it started for me in wanting to produce Mom’s Night Out.

O'Brien: My Stunning Nightmare Starring Obama, Sharpton and Ledbetter

By Teri O'Brien - 

Here's what happened in my nightmare:

On Tuesday, Barack Obama, POTUS (aka "Preezy of the United Steezy") told lies about women getting paid less than men for the same work, something that has been illegal in the United States of America since 1963. Seriously. He also said a bunch of untrue stuff about some woman named Lilly Ledbetter and her equal pay lawsuit, something I think I remember from an earlier nightmare.

On Thursday, the President of the United States went to Fort Hood, Texas, to attend a memorial service for some American heroes who were murdered, apparently by a mentally-disturbed fellow serviceman (or should I say "corpsman?"), but bugged out early. He spent less time at Fort Hood then he did collecting big checks from his wealthy campaign contributors later that same day. Weird, right?

Even more disturbing, the president refused a request for ten minutes of his time while he was at Fort Hood on Thursday from a survivor of Major Hassan's jihadi killing spree, Staff Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford (ret.) . He was shot 7 times in November 2009, but Barack Obama didn't have time for him.

Heaven is for Real - A Behind the Scenes Interview with Todd Burpo

By CJ Powers - 

Heaven is for Real (in theaters Wednesday, April 16^th) is the near death story of a young boy named Colton who visited heaven, while fighting an illness that brought his father and mother to their knees in prayer. During his recovery, Colton shared what he saw in heaven, which changed his family, community and world forever.

The film was directed by Randall Wallace (Braveheart, The Man in the Iron Mask) and is based on the best selling book by the same name, which was written by Colton’s dad, Todd Burpo. Todd is a down to earth pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska. He is also a firefighter for the volunteer fire department and a chaplain for the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighter’s Association.

I had the good fortune of connecting up with Todd and here are the highlights of our conversation:

CJ: During the pre-screenings, was the film enjoyed more by conservatives or liberals?

O'Brien: Michelle's Latest Junket and The Politics of Black Skin Privilege

By Teri O'Brien - 

The Obamas, the most successful race hustlers in the history of this country, continue to play their skin game and exploit their black skin privilege, while the lap dog media continues to dangle shiny objects like the missing Malaysian aircraft, "March Madness," and bootleg butt injections (and you thought it was just Michelle's arms that people envied!) before the American people.

The use of huge posteriors to distract us from Moochelle's latest junket is not the only irony at play here. Yesterday, the First Klingon took a break from her opulent getaway to speak out in favor of free speech and religious freedom. Perhaps her husband's regime, who has unleashed the IRS on his political opposition and is currently in court trying to force religious institutions into violating their beliefs, could consider applying those fine noble principles here in the United States. Is there also a bit of irony in the fact that Michelle, who, along with the rest of this phony bunch, portrays herself as a champion of the "little guy" has a mother who apparently is terrorizing the staff at their Chinese luxury hotel?

O'Brien: Is Armstrong Williams the Latest Target of Obama Regime?

By Teri O'Brien - 

The Obama regime's M.O. is clear, and right out of the Chicago playbook,specifically, as Barack himself has said "punish your enemies," as in anyone who opposes the policies that our enlightened Dear Reader is trying to bestow on us.

Average citizens who dared to get involved with politics by forming and joining Tea Party groups, wealthy contributors to Mitt Romney, filmmaker, author and two-time Teri O'Brien Show guest Dinesh D'Souza all found them on the receiving end of harassment and intimidation from Obama's alphabet soup of tyranny. OSHA, the FEC, and most famously, the IRS have all been used by Obama and his lieutenants in their persecution campaign.

IR Movie Review: How To Be A Man

By CJ Powers - 

College humor is no longer restricted to students with the release of this independent raunch-fest production of How To Be A Man. This coming of age film isn’t about a young twenty-something, but instead is about a forty-something finally coming to grips with his life succumbing to cancer. That’s right, it’s a comedy about cancer, sort of. It’s about Mark’s self-diagnosis after finding a lump in one of his “man-boobs”.

In an attempt to prepare his unborn son for life without him, Mark (Gavin McInnes) convinces a student to shoot a documentary of him teaching his son the finer points of life. The segments start out a bit sentimental, but soon turn into lessons on how to handle bullies, deal with flatulence and be a real man. It’s a dark comedy, so a real parent wouldn’t teach any of the techniques that Mark documents.

As the story unfolds, Mark takes his young cinematographer under his wings and teaches him about winning a woman through a sensually explicit explanation that draws the attention of many sitting at the bar. With Mark’s popularity on the rise, he impulsively decides to demonstrate why his son should avoid drugs – taking the film into darker forms of abuse as he demonstrates what not to do.

O'Brien: How We Will Repeal Obamacare

By Teri O'Brien - 

As Vladimir Putin delights in Barack Hussein Obama's "fantasy" foreign policy, and Democrats are on the verge of needing adult diapers as the November elections approach, His Royal Highness issued another unilateral, and not incidentally, completely lawless, change to his "signature achievement." By this measure, the Titanic was the "signature achievement" of the White Star Line. The "Affordable Care Act" isn't about care and the insurance it provides is less affordable than what it destroyed.

 Today is a very important Obamacare anniversary. Do you know that it is? And just how many changes have been made to this "law" since Obama and his merry band of Marxists used bribes, backroom deals and bare-faced lies to foist it on us? Listen to today's show and learn.

O'Brien: More Obamacare Horror Stories as Kiev, and the "Obama Doctrine" burns

By Teri O'Brien - 

No surprise. Justice Scalia was right.

Do you have the first clue of the depth of the sinister scheming that has gone on for years to destroy this country? Lawlessness abetted by an ignorant, uninterested public, dumbed down by government schools, at the mercy of activist liberal judges and agenda-driven “public interest” lawyers is helping the Left "transform" America, as our Dear Reader has promised.

As J.D. Longstreet so eloquently stated recently at teriobrien.com, it’s not possible to be free and ignorant.

Recently, two federal judges, one in Virginia, an unqualified appointee, who is like the man who appointed her, Barack Obama, an affirmative action beneficiary, and one in Utah, decided to blow their noses on the Constitution, the rule of law and federalism in the service of advancing so-called "same sex marriage." Who cares if the people of those states oppose that "forward" thinking idea? How did we get to the point in this country that federal judges could disregard the will of the people because of some supposed right to sodomy? To understand that, we have to connect some dots, and learn the shocking facts about the landmark case that set us down the road to Gomorrah. 

O'Brien: The United States of Phillip Seymour Hoffman

By Teri O'Brien -

I wish I could take credit for that headline, but I can't. It comes from a spot-on piece that we will discuss on today's show, exploring the destruction of exceptional America, a takedown that was a fantasy shared by all of Barack Obama's communist mentors, from Frank Marshall Davis to Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. Just as heroin addiction is a form of slow motion suicide, so is the gradual "remaking" of this country from one of proud, free men and women enjoying their God-given rights to a nation of supplicants, dependent on the government for subsidence the end of the country we grew up in.

In the wake of California's attempt to do an end run around the 2nd Amendment, Smith and Wesson and Sturm Ruger have elected to leave the state. What are they so upset about? More important, should you also be upset? We'll ask our guest, author and nationally-renowned 2nd amendment attorney David Hardy.

O'Brien: King Barack's Super Bowl of Deceit, Lies, and Broken Promises

NOTE: Teri's show will begin 1 hour earlier, at 3 pm Central, to make sure you're ready for kickoff

By Teri O'Brien -

Like most Americans, I love the Super Bowl, and I want to publicly declare here and now, that, despite years of warnings from feminists, I don't fear being slapped around by the Husband today. Their war on football is gaining traction, but for now, we can still enjoy the game. 

It's also Groundhog Day, which is an AWESOME movie, by the way, and in the age of the most lawless regime in American history, is also another way of saying it's another day. While the last century media wants to talk about Chris Christie, Justin Beiber and Amanda Knox, a leftist ideologue continues lying, shucking and jiving to accomplish his "remaking" of America. It's hard to keep track of all the lies and broken promises from the One, but since we watch so you don't have to, we'll remind you of some you may have forgotten, a veritable Super Bowl of lies. Speaking of how we watch so you don't have to, we witnessed Barack Obama's "virtual road trip" on Friday, a Google+ hangout. Based on what we saw there, and in the interview with CNN's Jake Tapper—and I know you may find it difficult to believe—but he may be talking out of both sides of his mouth on the issue of "comprehensive immigration reform." His PR flacks, sometimes called "journalists," are expressing despair after his latest borefest, last Tuesday's State of the Union speech. Is he a "shrinking president," playing small ball instead realizing his ambitious 1st-term agenda? That sort of thing happens when your approval rating drops into the high thirties, but there could be a lot more to it than that. We'll unpack it for you.

O'Brien: State (Hate) of The Union Preview and Boehner's Buffoonery

By Teri O'Brien - 

This morning, according to an ABC News poll, only 37 percent of Americans trust Barack "I've got a pen and a cell phone" Obama to make the right decisions for the country. Thirty seven percent? I didn't know Barack Obama had that many relatives, at least not in this country. No worries, though, Obama Kool-Aid drinkers, I'm sure that he'll fix everything when he applies that sure-fire cure to all that ails the country, or even the planet; that is, a Barack Obama speech! Demagoguery to the rescue again! As we watch, the One lament the horrors of income inequality, we'll know what it feels like to watch an arsonist arrive to tearfully witness the clean up of the house he burned down.

With the Obamacare debacle shining a huge spotlight on the failure of liberal arrogance and hypocrisy, you'd think that the GOP would seize the chance to make the case for free markets, liberty and limited government. Instead, the Speaker of the House John Boehner squandered a golden opportunity to introduce millions of low-information citizens (and one low information comedian) to do that. Seriously? We watch so you don't have to, and we'll share some truly cringe-inducing segments of this ridiculous performance.

O'Brien: Hooray for Hollywood Hypocrisy

By Teri O'Brien - 

As they released this year's nominations this week, it's a good time to ask an obvious question. Does anyone really care about the Oscars anymore? It seems like they nominate about 75 different entries in every category, most of which very few people have seen.

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time shelling out $20 to go sit in what Jay Leno famously called "the concrete bunker" in the parking lot of the mall, listening to imbeciles talking on their cell phones or to each other, or turning around to see if a bomb is going off, only to see that the sound is actually an enormous porker opening his super-sized Twizzlers, especially since I know that in a few months I can watch the same thing in the comfort and privacy of my own home. The fact that most movies are a major disappointment doesn't inspire me to leave that comfort and privacy.

O'Brien: Gender Neutral Snow Removal and Other Cultural Marxist Idiocy

By Teri O'Brien - 

During one of my first host appearances on Chicago's radio home for Rush Limbaugh, after which I would enjoy several years of terrestrial radio fun there, I expressed my disgust over the fact that feminists had sold young women a bill of goods. Misery loves company, after all, and this bitter, unattractive bunch, with their institutional-style haircuts and their sensible shoes, wanted to make sure if they couldn't get a date, none of us could. The ultimate gulag for women, they explained, was "patriarchy" as embodied by traditional marriage. Many young women dallied with this foolishness during their early twenties, but most outgrew it by graduation. Sadly, many of those who did not found themselves unhappy, lonely and confused as they approached age 40, despite their outward "success."

Today's guest, Chicago writer and school psychologist Bernard Chapin has addressed about the havoc the feminists have wreaked on society, both in his book, Women: Theory and Practice, and at his YouTube channel, Chapin's Inferno.

O'Brien: The Return of King Barack, and al Qaeda

By Teri O'Brien -

When His Highness returned from his lavish Hawaiian holiday, he left something, or I should say, someone behind, his wife Michelle. The White House explained "As part of her birthday gift from the President, the first lady will remain in Hawaii to spend time with friends ahead of her upcoming 50th birthday." Birthday gift from the President? Isn't the minimum $63,000 it will cost for her to fly back separately actually a gift from you and me, one of a seemingly never-ending series of perqs enjoyed by these two grifters, who have been living large on our dime for over 5 years? It's one thing to watch them live out their belief that reparations have to start somewhere. It adds insult to injury to endure the ridiculous spectacle of people who enjoy a standard of living unheard of in human history repeat threadbare platitudes about "income inequality," when it is their policies that have destroyed opportunity. At least most of the wealthy that they want to steal from to buy votes from their mascot groups have earned what they have. They live in luxury with their money. The Obamas live in even greater luxury on ours.

Shazam! Liberal Death Star Reveals "Truth" About Benghazi Murders. It WAS the Video!

By Teri O'Brien -

The New York Times has a penetrating report out this morning, revealing everything you wanted to know about what really happened in Benghazi on September 11, 2012; that is, if you are hoping to bolster Hillary Clinton's presidential prospects in 2016. I thought it didn't make any difference at this point? What some East Coast Brain afflicted types still consider "the newspaper of record," and the rest of the country considers a joke, claims that we bitter clingers who suggested that the Obama administration, including its uber-competent Secretary of State, dropped the ball were wrong. It wasn't an al Qaeda attack, after all; that is, not CORE al Qaeda. No, your Honor, my client isn't a burglar. He's a robber, not a burglar.

Damning and Hopeful Lessons From the Duck Controversy

By Sam Pierce -

The saga of Phil Robertson's suspension from A&E's money making machine, "Duck Dynasty," has come to a happy ending (for the time being). The forces of good have won a battle against the wholly intolerant bullies who ironically push their ideas of "tolerance" and "anti-bullying." Perhaps the icing on the cake is the ignoring of efforts to capitalize by extortion whore, Jesse Jackson.

There are lessons that can be taken from the saga as it unfolded over the last couple of weeks. The lessons, which stem from something the pompous TOTUS reader in Hawaii might refer to as a "teachable moment," illuminate the state of at least three facets of our society and its culture. Two areas are painted with a damning brush as exposed by the various reactions to Phil's answer to the targeted question by the liberal ragporter. The third area is highlighted as a reason to not abandon all hope.

O'Brien: Is It Time to Impeach Delusional Obama?

By Teri O'Brien - 

Other than psychiatrists seeking to have more insight into narcissistic personality disorder and self-delusion, no one could have gotten anything out of Barack Obama's pre-Hawaiian vacation press conference. For the rest of us, it was a complete waste of time. He brushed aside his de facto repeal of his "signature achievement" the night before, which allowed people to return to the catastrophic health insurance policies they used to have.

It's a "hardship" exception from Obamacare, which as it turns out, is in fact the hardship that caused the need for the exception. Obamacare made these "substandard" policies illegal, forcing insurance companies to cancel them, which has created the "hardship." See what I mean about delusion and insanity? Is it time to use the only remedy available to rid this country of this lawless regime, impeachment? Is that even possible? Is there another possible way to return to constitutional government and the separation of powers the Founders understood was so critical? 

O'Brien: The Truth About the Colorado Shooter, Plus More Obamacaid Chaos

By Teri O'Brien - 

As the "Selfie" Leader of the Free World prepares for his annual luxury vacation in Hawaii, millions of Americans face the possibility of showing up at their doctors' offices or pharmacies to learn that they have no health insurance, or that the doctor that they have seen for years, or even decades, are not in their insurance company's network and the medication that they need are not on the covered list of drugs.

Not to worry, though, because the One's administration once again has the solution, to a problem that they hope people won't notice they caused. In yet another unintentionally hilarious statement from her Department of Health and Human Services, last Thursday Kathleen Sebelius accompanied the release of a new regulation forcing insurance companies to cover everyone and everything retroactively and to ignore the terms of insurance contracts with the explanation that "there have been unforeseen barriers to enrollment on the exchanges."

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

By Teri O'Brien - 

For the past three days, we have been subjected to the predictably lame, bed wetter coverage of the death of former South African president Nelson Mandela. It has been simplistic, celebrity-obsessed, superficial, agenda-driven, and of course, all about Barack Obama. Isn't everything? Still, there is actual news that you need to know, including about Nelson Mandela, that you aren't hearing from the legacy media. For example,

• Seven quotes from Nelson Mandela You Won't Hear in the Worshipful Coverage from the Lame Stream Media
• The Real Economic Inequality That Barack Obama Didn't Mention, But Thoroughly Embraces
• Sec. of Health and Human Services Kathleen "Nurse Ratched" Sebelius' War on Bone Marrow Donors
• The Department of Homeland Security's Attorney Hiring Blitz: What Do They All Have in Common

O'Brien: Obama’s Hidden Plan to Bailout Insurance Company Cronies

By Teri O'Brien - 

On Friday, we noted that after spending nearly four years demonizing “bad apple” insurance companies for selling his simple-minded subjects “substandard” insurance policies, made illegal by his signature “achievement,” suddenly His Royal Highness King Barack has decided that he wants to “work together” to make sure that they can resume doing just that. He invited insurance executives to the White House to apologize to them for all those mean things he said, and to have a friendly exchange of ideas.

No, not really. He invited them to experience the Chicago Way, as in “Nice little company you have there. Shame if anything happened to it.” Of course, it’s not all stick. It turns out there could be a little carrot for the insurance companies if they know what’s good for them and play ball. We’ll unpack that on today’s show.

O'Brien: Obamacare Fiasco -- Rats are Bailing Out of the Sinking Ship

By Teri O'Brien - 

It's so predictable, and so gutless. Allegedly "smart" people embrace a stupid, wrong-headed idea, one that those with an ounce of common sense have warned will be a disaster. Then when the predicted consequences begin to occur, those very same geniuses express their outrage that the thing they supported was enacted in the first place, and proceed to recite all the things that have happened, the very problems they were told would happen.

Here's a good example. The weasels at the Chicago Tribune, Barack Hussein Obama's hometown paper, published an unintentionally hilarious editorial on Monday, entitled Truth, consequences and Obamacare. Here's a few excerpts:

Video games new tool to teach Leftist politics to next generation

"Dave" is halfway between being a Socialist and a Capitalist in the video game "Democracy 3"

By Irene F. Starkehaus - 

I only have to mention the titles and people will see exactly the point that I'm making. Halo, Call of Duty, Hitman: Absolution, Shadows of the Damned…we already know the damaging effects of these ultra-violent and often first person video games have on our kids. They have a reputation that precedes them in terms of the blood, gore and viciousness.

I don't need to tell you that in playing these kinds of games, you or your children will be exposed to extremely graphic violence, sexual content, aberrant behaviors, drug usage and extreme fantasy. I don't need to tell you that if you want your children to make it in the particularly competitive field of headline grabbing psychosis, these games are like the Montessori School for sociopaths. They will get the job done and your child will excel in his or her chosen insanity. That's precisely why the games have earned Mature ratings.

Odd that the term Mature has become synonymous with "suitable for emotionally dead and exceedingly violent people."

O'Brien: Guns, Race and The Railroading of George Zimmerman

By Teri O'Brien - 

Jack Cashill has done it again. He’s a favorite author of Teri O’Brien Show listeners for good reason; specifically, he does the job that the legacy media refuses to do, as in actual journalism that tells us what really happened. He does it the old-fashioned way, by digging deep, assembling the facts and serving up compelling, well-researched articles and books that are a delight to read.

In Deconstructing Obama, he exposed the truth about the actual authorship of Barack Obama’s book, Dreams from My Father.   In the article, “Hillary’s First Big Lie,” which he discussed on this edition of the show, he deconstructs the infamous Clinton “60 Minutes” interview, which he considers the moment when public integrity ceased to be an essential character trait for American politicians. The piece appeared in The American Thinker in January, 2013, right after another infamous Clinton moment, Hillary’s shrill “What difference at this point does it make?” remark before a Senate committee, a rather stunning question to ask about the murder of four brave Americans under her watch.

O'Brien: Hey Obama, You Owe Me $2500

By Teri O'Brien -

Will the Obamacare debacle, a cynical purely political power grab enacted by using bribes, background deals, broken promises, and outright, pre-meditated lies, be the death knell of liberalism? Wouldn’t it be ironic if the election Barack Hussein Obama, the first genuine radical leftist to occupy the Oval Office, exposed once and for all the folly of big government redistributionist policies with his signature “achievement”? Some commentators are suggesting just that. What say you? Listeners to last week’s show heard a montage, over 3 minutes long, in which our Sham WOW (Walks on Water) Pitchman-in-Chief endlessly repeated one of the signature lies he used to con the gullible into accepting this socialist scheme; specifically, that “if you like your current plan, you can keep it.” Now American people are learning the ugly truth, not only about this lie, but others, told in the service of tricking them. In these days just after Halloween, it’s clear that the (Un)Affordable Care Act is all tricks, and for those other than the beneficiaries of “Barack’s stash,” no treats. We’ll hear another montage today, and ask “where’s my $2500?”

O'Brien: Dancing on the Tea Party's Grave

By Teri O'Brien - 

It’s official. Everyone,and by “everyone” I mean all the East Coast Brain Rot afflicted elites in the Establishment GOP and the legacy media, hates Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and everyone knows that he has destroyed the “Republican brand.” Sen. John McCain (R-Amnesty) says that Sen. Cruz and his ally, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) were on a “fool’s errand” that took attention away from the Obamacare rollout fiasco.

Is he right? Isn’t it more likely that Sen. Cruz is correct when he says that if the Senate Republicans had stood united with the House GOP, and went out across the nation highlighting the ridiculous disaster of the “Affordable Care Act” website, and explaining that it was Barack Obama who refused to negotiate? Of course it is! Just how much did that Obamacare website cost? The number is staggering, especially when you consider that the technology used is not exactly state of the art.

Shocker: Obama and the Democrats are Lying about The Debt Ceiling

By Teri O'Brien - 

Last Tuesday, Barack Hussein Obama held another rare news conference. It was notable, not only because of the stunning failure by the assembled seekers of truth to ask a single question about the disastrous Obamacare rollout, but because he took the opportunity to say the following about his current battle with Speaker John Boehner:

And because it's called raising the debt ceiling, I think a lot of Americans think it's raising our debt. It is not raising our debt. This does not add a dime to our debt. It simply says you pay for what Congress has already authorized America to purchase, whether that's the greatest military in the world or veterans' benefits or Social Security. Whatever it is that Congress has already authorized, what this does is make sure that we can pay those bills.

Pierce: Official Shutdown Campaign Expenditures?

By Sam Pierce -

How demented is the Obama media? Of course, there should be no surprises when it comes to the jug-eared, communist indoctrinated, narcissist who infects the Oval Office and the adoring media's willful omission of his outrageous behavior. These are the very same complicit media outlets who donated untold millions of in-kind campaign contributions to give a man who would, in a sane world, have no greater than a snowball's chance in hell of getting re-elected, a "news" escort back into the once-respected office of the presidency. This media clone of the Ministry of Truth described in Orwell's sadly prophetic "1984" would annhilate a Republican President if his administration attempted any of the brazen acts of contempt exercised by this excuse for a man and his mouthpieces.

This is the very same media that pretends Obama did not decry President Bush's desire to raise the debt ceiling when he was but a fresh-faced junior Marxist in the U.S. Senate. (Many of the words Odumbo read on that day were correct, although today he proves he meant none of them.) Imagine if The White House sent campaign emails such as the following when George Bush was spending our descendants into damnation (which of course, he did) and the government was in a supposed tragic shutdown:

Durbin Opponent Doug Truax on with Teri O'Brien Sunday at 4 CST

By Teri O'Brien - 

The bio on Doug Truax's website says that he is comfortable in the role of the underdog, and he find himself in that role now in his run for U.S. Senate against national embarrassment Sen. Dick "Eddie Haskell" Durbin. (Remember some of the most disgusting and cringe-inducing episodes in the career of the pudgy huckster? Check out this American Thinker piece for an interesting walk down memory lane.)

I want to ask him if he intends to repeat the very unfortunate mistakes of the slow-motion train wreck of last candidate to run against Dick Durbin, the well-intentioned, but hapless, Dr. Steve Sauerberg. That's what the good doctor gets for not taking my advice. Let me say it again. Never doubt me.

O'Brien: Blue Meth Democrats

By Teri O'Brien - 

As he allows himself to be duped by an Iranian charm offensive designed to reduce the pain of economic sanctions and buy time to finish up that nuclear weapon they’ve been working on, and toting his TelePrompTer to another college campaign speech, King Barack has declared that he will not even talk to the Republicans in the House of Representatives.

In fact, as he cozies up to one of the world’s number one sponsors of terrorism, Iran, a country which has suffered very few consequences for many of its murderous acts, including its involvement in 1998 Embassy bombings, his dimwitted mouthpieces refer to Republicans as “terrorists,” “anarchists,” and “suicide bombers.” Yet, which party is the one that refuses to compromise? Which is the one that demands “purity,” on a par with Breaking Bad’s Walter White’s crystal blue meth?

Di Leo: The Self-Righteous Statists of the Healthcare Debate

By John F. Di Leo - 

In the great Rob Reiner costumer, “The Princess Bride,” the hired criminal Vizzini disdainfully objects to the hero Wesley’s efforts to free Princess Buttercup, charging “You're trying to kidnap what I've rightfully stolen!”

Back home in Chicago, we have a related saying about ethics in politics: “An honest politician is one who stays bought.”

In either case, the perpetrator of the first crime is offended by the very notion that anyone might dare try to reverse that crime.  The first crime is fine; having once turned the tables on the laws of God and man, none may challenge the new status quo.  In this world, there may be no honor among thieves, but there certainly is a sense of seniority…

Di Leo: Righteous Anger at Leftist Partisanship

 By John F. Di Leo -

On Monday, September 16, 2013, a gunman entered the Washington Navy Yards and began a shooting rampage in which a dozen were killed and still more were wounded.  As America watched in horror, President Barack Hussein Obama delivered a televised rant, attacking Republicans, conservatives, and of course, the law-abiding firearms owners who might have helped to stop the carnage, had they been allowed.

The National Rifle Association has a practice of not talking politics on the day that such events unfold.  Even though such occasions are invariably excellent examples of the need for gun ownership by the law-abiding – in particular, the need for both open carry and concealed carry – both the Second Amendment lobbyists and most conservative politicians try to avoid political arguments during these shootings.  They try to give the country time to absorb, time to breathe, sometimes time to mourn, before discussing the political implications. 

Democrat politicians feel bound by no such rules of decorum.  President Obama’s Monday speech shocked countless Americans with its naked partisanship, delivered while victims just blocks from the Capitol were still on the brink between life and death, while emergency responders were still combing the buildings for perpetrators, transporting the wounded to neighborhood hospitals.   A topic for the week, for awhile equal in volume to the coverage of the shooting itself, was how peculiar it was to hear such rank partisanship and vitriol in the very hour in which real Americans were coming together in mourning and shock.

Fight Like a Girl! Defunding Obamacare

By Teri O'Brien -

Here we go again. The Lame Stream Media will tell you. So will their fellow sufferers of ECBR (East Coast Brain Rot), establishment Republicans and brilliant analysts like the poster boy for that ailment, Karl Rove. Friday’s vote in the House of Representatives to send the Senate a Continuing Resolution to fund every single thing in the federal government, from the Pentagon to other important expenditures of federal funds like studying the genitalia of waterfowl or figuring out why lesbians are fat, with one notable exception, the heinous (Un)Affordable Care Act was a pointless, and even self-destructive gesture. “It will never work.” “It’s impossible,” they wail.

I’m glad these gutless wonders weren’t around in 1775, or we’d be pledging allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen. Yet, not only has Congress enacted several modifications to Obamacare, which King Barack has signed, he himself has decided to unilaterally delay some provisions, give waivers to some of his friends, and otherwise behave like a dictator. The Constitution gives the power of the purse to the House. You’d think a Constitutional scholar like himself would know that, and certainly not mock the House for exercising its responsibility by making the very bizarre claim last week that their actions are those befitting a “banana republic,” when that label is more appropriate for the lawlessness of his gangsta government.

O'Brien: From Barack to a Hard Place to CYA (Congress Your A**)

By Teri O'Brien - 

We might not know who used chemical weapons in Syria, but it’s not as if this latest international crisis hasn’t taught us here in America anything. Barack Obama knows there’s a Congress? Who knew? Just last week, the Regime unilaterally decided to restrict our 2nd amendment rights with a stroke of a pen.

I never thought I’d say it, but at this point, I’m starting to feel a little sorry for Sec. of State, John “Lurch” Kerry, who will today do the “full Ginsberg,” appearing on all five Sunday shows to present Barack Obama’s latest brilliant foreign policy move in the Middle East. Yesterday, after last week’s stunning rebuke of U.K.’s Prime Minister David Cameron, the first British PM to lose a war vote in over 200 years, now Barack Obama, without conceding that he does not have the authority to act against Bashar al-Assad without the consent of Congress, is seeking their approval. I think that all of my SL’s (Smart Listeners) know what’s going on here. Jackass Obama, off the PrompTer, shoots off his mouth, now wants Congress to bail him out by voting against any intervention in Syria. Like everything else he does, it’s cynical political calculation. If they vote no, they’ve gotten him off the hook, helping him avoid looking like a feckless fool for all his talk about “red lines,” which were crossed months ago. If they vote yes, he can pin the blame for another war on them, and have some great fodder for the 2014 election campaign. I know exactly what you’re thinking. I smell leadership!

O'Brien: From Till to Trayvon: How "Far" We've Come

By Teri O'Brien - 

Later today, our Sham WOW (Walks on Water) current occupant of the Oval Office will continue his endless summer of surfing on the mother of all waves of white guilt to try to distract everyone from the retched economy and the disastrous consequences of his "lead from behind" policies in the Middle East, including an imminent military strike on Syria. Since I know that everyone agrees with Eric Holder. We don't talk enough about race in this country, so let's take the occasion of this anniversary to broach a subject that is almost never mentioned.

As I watch all the TV talking heads babbling on about the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "March on Washington," something has been bothering me, but I couldn't figure out exactly what that was, other than my usual irritation at the vapid commentary that these supposedly knowledgeable, pompous windbags pump out non-stop. Now I realize why these commemorations ring not only hollow, but are quite annoying. 

O'Brien: Obama’s Destruction of the Economy-Is it Deliberate?

By Teri O'Brien - 

As Gallup is reported ten days ago, when it comes to his approval rating on the economy, Barry’s going through a rough patch, although with those endless vacations, rounds of golf and celebrity parties, not nearly one as rough as the peasants living his economy. 

President Barack Obama’s approval ratings on handling the nation’s economy have plunged in the past two months, as he and Republicans in Congress prepare to enter a series of fall budget battles this fall.

According to a Gallup survey released Thursday morning, just 35% of survey respondents approve of how Obama is handling the economy, while 62% disapprove.

When things get tough, Barack’s approach isn’t to try to solve problems, or do any of that icky, challenging work stuff. Let’s face it, his previous experience as a street agitator and college lecturer leave him woefully unqualified to do that. So, he takes another approach, like these guys.

O'Brien: Ten Answers to Clueless Liberal Elitist That Asks “Why The Anger?”

By Teri O'Brien - 

Just as NBC News just discovered last week that Obamacare is causing businesses to reduce employees’ hours or lay off people altogether, liberal FOB (Friend of Bill) and economics professor Robert Reich asks in a new op-ed “Why the anger?” in America today. Seriously? Where do we start? This sort of foolish scribbling is why my work is never done. I’ve got ten answers to that question. I’m sure you’d like to add your answer. Please join us live and sound off.

Speaking of sounding off, is there any more insightful, plain spoken font of common sense and penetrating commentary than the Sage of South Central, Larry Elder? No, which is why we are delighted to have him return to the show today. What does he make of the bizarre attempt by the Oprah to portray herself as Rosa Parks because she was allegedly dissed by a European sales clerk in some hoity-toity boutique while attempting to purchase a $38,000 purse? I for one can’t wait to hear his take on that one!

O'Brien: Obama's Ongoing Lying, Shucking and Jiving

By Teri O'Brien - 

What a week! After performing some well-rehearsed schtick with infomercial host Jay Leno on Tuesday night, our Dear Reader ended the week with a gut-busting comedy routine performed in front of an audience of East Coast brain rot afflicted acolytes who managed to do what I thought was impossible; that is, repress the laughter that this routine had to inspire in any intelligent, well-informed observer. Maybe I just swerved into something. “Intelligent, and well-informed observers” would realize how ridiculous what Barack Obama was saying was, and we’re talking the White House press corps here. What was the most hilarious thing that Obama said? When he said he was already fixing that pesky NSA surveillance, which had NOTHING to do with that Snowden guy? When he compared the American people’s lack of trust in the government with whether Michelle could trust him to do the dishes? When he said the government wouldn’t spy on us unless it had to? When he lied about the mean, evil Republicans wanting to stop 30 million people from getting “health care?” When he said that if he had a bored kid in class, he’d look like Putin? (H/T MOTUS, who has a great review of the presser, and which is “Post of the Day” today at teriobrien.com)

Jay Leno's Obama Infomercial

By Teri O'Brien -

You are probably tired of hearing me say that being well-informed today is like being the only adult in a room full of three-year-olds, but I am compelled to say it again, having watched the Celebutard-in-Chief's performance Tuesday night on "The Tonight Show." This slobberfest, featuring Jay Leno as the infomercial interviewer, asking the planted questions was designed to allow the One to continue to deceive the low-information audience that he has conned so effectively for nearly 10 years. Despite what the East Coast brain rot-afflicted herd of allegedly knowledgeable "journalists" and "analysts" tell you about why Barack Obama was re-elected, they are either lying or clueless, probably both. They can recite their conventional wisdom about the "Hispanic vote" or whatever other myth they want to manufacture in Stalinist lockstep from now until hell freezes over. The reality is that the Obama campaign used "Big Data" to reach out the lo-fos in critical states like Ohio by advertising on shows like "Judge Judy" and other daytime programs. Last night's appearance was another example of that sort of outreach. I hope that Mr. Leno's informercial host act has disabused those who in the last couple of weeks have been celebrating that he has been telling jokes about Obama during his monologue. He is as in the tank as ever, as are the rest of the late night hosts.

It has been nearly a month since Barack Obama promised to have a press conference, July 19 to be exact. We're still waiting. In the meantime, we get ridiculous Kabuki performances like this televised schtick.

O'Brien: Why Isn't Black on White Crime "News?"

By Teri O'Brien - 

The Zimmerman verdict has given the race industry, which sadly includes the Attorney General of the United States and his boss, Barack Obama, ample opportunity to lament the ongoing “racism” of Amerika, and inspired some of the most idiotic statements ever broadcast on television, including by jurors who seem compelled to tell their “stories,” for some inexplicable reason. Yet, stories about black on white crime get no traction in the legacy media. Why is that the case? We’ll ask the author of the best-seller, White Girls Bleed A Lot: The return of racial violence and how the media ignore it.,  Colin Flaherty.

Anthony Weiner’s Tuesday’s cringe-inducing press conference, left many wondering what is the real story behind America’s new “power couple,” and the “good wife” Huma? Is she a loving supportive parter, or an ambitious enabler? Isn’t it amazing how, suddenly, the public is supposed to be concerned about a politician’s private life? Weren’t we told in 1998 that behavior that was just “about sex” was irrelevant to evaluating a person’s qualification for high office? What’s changed?

O'Brien: Community Organizer in Chief in Full Alinsky Mode Disgraces His Office Again

By Teri O'Brien - 

The organizer dedicated to changing the life of a particular community must first rub raw the resentments of the people of the community; fan the latent hostilities of many of the people to the point of overt expression. He must search out controversy and issues, rather than avoid them, for unless there is controversy people are not concerned enough to act. The use of the adjective "controversial" to qualify the word "issue" is a meaningless redundancy. There can be no such thing as a "non-controversial" issue. When there is agreement there is no issue; issues only arise when there is disagreement or controversy. An organizer must stir up dissatisfaction and discontent; provide a channel into which the people can angrily pour their frustrations. --Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals

As we discussed on yesterday's edition of The Teri O'Brien Show, ...

Obama Goes Full Alinsky To Hide His Many Failures, and Men on Strike

By Teri O'Brien - 

At this point, is there a dime's worth of difference between Barack Obama and Eric Holder on the one hand, and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on the other? If you have any doubt about that, and about why Barack Obama appeared to do more race hustling in the White House briefing room, perhaps the following will clear things up. From the Washington Post:

On Thursday, Obama informed his senior staff that he wanted to share his thoughts, leading to his appearance at the podium Friday during Carney’s scheduled daily briefing.

Civil rights leaders have been communicating with White House officials about the Zimmerman case, including a conference call Tuesday with senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. But officials said they did not press Obama to speak publicly about the case.

Sharpton said he discussed the issue with Jarrett over breakfast Friday. 

Wait--Al Sharpton, Race Hustler Extraordinaire, he of Tawana Brawley and Freddy's Fashion Mart Fame, was having breakfast with the One's closest adviser last Friday. This, after Sharpton had been agitating for months to intimidate Florida officials into prosecuting (persecuting) a man who exercised his right of self-defense. No one should be surprised that gutless weasel politicians were all too eager to comply.