by Clifford F. Thies

The Muslim-sympathizers were out there before any information was available, blaming this on the War in Iraq. The shooter was supposedly a "decent person" who succumbed to a something like "sympathetic post-traumatic stress disorder." What a crock!

From the UK Telegraph, Nov. 6:

The word on the so-called Arab street is that Major Nidal Malik Hasan should be admired because he stood up for fellow Muslims overseas, against U.S. "aggression," and that his anger, disappointment, and presumed sense of betrayal over U.S. President Barack Obama's failure to end the Afghan and Iraq conflicts is understandable, especially in light of Obama's own Muslim heritage.

Then, the Muslim-sympathizers started shifting their position when information started to be revealed that the guy was known to be a jihadist. At this point it was, this act would be illegal for any religion. (Ugh? Don’t many radical Muslims proclaim jihad is a duty? Isn’t this the majority opinion in the Muslim world?)

The President’s reaction was mere sympathy for the victims, as was the reaction of CAIR. NOT the reason why this guy wasn’t identified before he went berserk, or the problem of jihadists living among us will be addressed.

"I want all of you to know that as commander in chief, there's no greater honor but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for and that their safety and security when they're at home is provided for…"

Soldiers don’t need condescending remarks like this. They’re the ones who protect us, they don’t need to be taken care of by a panty waist. The question is: why wasn’t the indications that this guy was a jihadist acted-upon?

The jihadist attack at Fort Hood is exactly the same as the jihadist attack by a police office in Kabul that resulted in several soldiers being killed. It's exactly the same as the incident in Kuwait, when the Muslim soldider threw a grenade into a tent housing Army officers, killing two.

The Muslims in this country have to cooperate with law enforcement to identify the jihadists among us, so we can be protected from them. Otherwise, at some point, the threat of spontaneously-arising jihadists from the Muslim community will convince us that we need Muslims to pass through metal detectors or otherwise be made secure from them.

What, after all, is the chance of a person who is not a Muslim being a deranged shooter, like the Virginia Tech shooter? I don’t know, maybe 1 in 100 million. But, what are the odds that a Muslim picked at random is a deranged shooter? Given the high level of violence in the world, it is way more than 1 in 100 million. Even if it were “just” 1 in 1 million, that would make it very difficult to interact with Muslims for fear that of being shot or blown up.

Considering that only about ¼ of 1 percent of Americans are Muslim, the number of incidents of horrific violence from that community is very high. You have the DC sniper, the honor killings, the bombers and would-be bombers.

This is what CAIR absolutely has to do: it has to cooperate with law enforcement to identify the jihadists. They need to cough up the evil, twisted minds in their midst.

Just expressing sympathy and then saying, but don’t retaliate against us, is pathetic.

Here is the statement by the CAIR:

"American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured."

Again, the emphasis is on prayer and condolences. What we need to hear from Muslims is this: We will cooperate with law enforcement authorities to identify people who are a danger to the community.

This sitting on the sideline stuff is bull shit.

Note - Dr. Thies a former National Committee member of the Libertarian Party, a former National Chairman for the Republican Liberty Caucus, and one of the original Founding members of the Libertarian Defense Caucus (Libertarians who support a strong national security policy). He is also a former Captain in the United States Army.

By Bill Wilson

Yesterday, in an unspeakable act of domestic terrorism, a Fort Hood psychiatrist with a long history of erratic and anti-American behavior systematically murdered 13 American soldiers.

As a stunned nation hung its head in sorrow, it was told that the President of the United States would emerge from the White House to make a statement.

And, indeed, he did make an obligatory statement of regret – but only after spending three full minutes in front of the camera clowning with his fellow cabinet members and those who had shown up earlier for his hastily convened Indian Summit. The President even went so far as to do a fun-filled "shout-out" to one Summit attendee.

Then, and only then – at the conclusion of his self-serving stand-up routine – did Barack Obama get around to deploring the massacre and extending sympathy to the bereaved families and a grieving nation.

Mr. Obama's behavior was entirely inappropriate, and deplorable. He showed that he is eerily detached from events that do not directly involve his own personal ambitions and chillingly disinterested in the feelings of those he is supposed to represent.

One year ago, good and decent Americans entrusted this President with their health and welfare, their very lives and limbs. And he has now demonstrated that they cannot even trust him to share and convey their innermost feelings in their times of deepest need.

Barack Obama owes the American people an apology – and an explanation.

Bill Wilson is the President of Americans for Limited Government.

From Eric Dondero:

With a potential state budget defecit looming, Indiana's Republican Governor Mitch Daniels has chosen to take the libertarian route of budget cuts, rather than the liberal-to-moderate course of raising taxes.

Via NewsMax:

Among other things, Daniels has ordered agencies to cut spending by 10 percent; reductions in reimbursement rates for some Medicaid providers; no pay raises for state employees next year; delays in some building projects; and state employees be allowed to take unpaid leave voluntarily.

October tax collections were $46 million less than forecast... Daniels said the state's surplus that stood at $1.3 billion in July would be wiped out by next August.

He said the state's social services agency would announce the specific cuts next week.

In another move, sure to be applauded by libertarians, Daniels is freezing government worker pay raises. Continuing:

Next year will mark the second consecutive one in which state employees will not get pay raises.

Though, in what may come as somewhat of a dissapointment to libertarians, Daniels vows to only "avoid or minimize" state employee lay-offs.

Daniels long considered a standard conservative, has had some history with libertarians, and even the Indiana Libertarian Party.

NWI.com (NorthWest Indiana) 6/21/09:

Govs. Mitch Daniels and Frank O'Bannon professed to like Andy [Horning - 2 time Libertarian Party candidate for Governor]... Daniels has even acknowledged his admiration for Libertarian principles and concepts.

The Indiana LP is one of the best organized in the Nation. Currently 15 Libertarians serve in elective and appointive office throughout the State, including Indiana Public Defenders Commission Board member Mark Rutherford, Hagerstown Judge Susan Bell, Pottowattamie Town Councilman Michael Sloan, and Indianapolis City Councilman Ed Coleman.

Photo of Gov. Daniels at a July 4th parade riding his signature Harley.

Says Tea Partiers "nuttily" believe Big Government extinguishing Freedoms

Daily Beast's Peter Beinart penned the following editorial post-election, (excerpt):

Behind the Democratic Wipeout

After Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey and a near-miss in upstate New York, conservatives have supposedly gotten their groove back. But it’s not the same old groove... what matters are deficits, bailouts and government spending. In other words, economics is the new culture war...

It’s no coincidence that former Majority Leader Dick Armey, the closest thing the “tea party” movement has to a national leader, is a libertarian...

The GOP’s emphasis on social issues played well in the South, but it hurt the party in the libertarian West, where Democrats have made major gains. It also contributed to the party’s near-extinction in the Northeast...

But although the right’s new libertarian thrust paid dividends yesterday, there may be problems down the road. The tea party crowd is ideologically hostile to Obama’s expansion of government; they genuinely (if nuttily) believe that large deficits and a larger welfare state are extinguishing their freedom. Most Americans, by contrast, don’t care all that much how large government is; they just want the economy to improve. If that happens by the time Obama runs for reelection, then the right’s anti-government crusade will likely strike swing voters as irrelevant and obnoxious.

Note - Beinart (photo - left) is best known to libertarians and conservatives as a frequent YouTube/NRO debater with his friend Jonah Goldberg from National Review.