Who's Your Daddy? -and- One Year Old!

Click Cartoon for Larger Size
On the heels of the historic Democratic defeat in Massachusetts which effectively scuttled Obamacare and "Cap and Trade," the president apparently felt the need to prove that his political mojo was still working.

His subsequent announcement of new, bank-bashing regulations and a war on Wall Street sent stocks crashing...which is presumably the reaction he was hoping for. All investment gains for 2010 were wiped out, as the market plunged 430 points in just 3 days.

Small wonder, then, that a recent study found that nearly 8 out of 10 investors believe the president is too anti-business. The other 2 out of 10 investors probably believe it too, but don't want to risk getting another bitch-slap.

Oh, and one other thing...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

Today, Hope n' Change Cartoons is officially one year old! We're proud that we've never missed a day, though we regret that there's also never been a day when we were lacking for material.

We are grateful to other blogs and bloggers who have given us encouragement and guidance, including (but not limited to) SondraK, Autographed Letter Signed, Angie, Diversity Lane, Day by Day, Conservative Blogs Central, and The JimmyZShow - all of whom can be found in our "Great Blogs" sidebar.

Hope n' Change Cartoons is usually a labor of love...and occasionally a labor of duty. It's our goal (and challenge) to help conservatives laugh while at the same time commenting on the very serious issues of the day. Additionally, we try to link to newsworthy stories from credible sources so you'll be getting facts as well as opinion.

We are sincerely grateful for the support of our readers...and are especially appreciative to those people who re-post cartoons, share them via email, or simply encourage others to visit the site.

THANK YOU for sharing this first crazy year of Hope n' Change Cartoons with us!
-Stilton Jarlsberg, MD

Fuster Cluck

Click Cartoon for Larger Size
In a fiery Senate hearing, the director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, said that the handling of the Christmas underwear bomber has been irreparably botched.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab should have been held and questioned by an elite team of interrogators from a new agency called the HIG ("High-value Intelligence Group"). Except the HIG isn't fully operational yet. And the HIG is designed to question only overseas terrorists, because no one had thought about what to do if a terrorist was captured on U.S. soil.

Abdulmutallab was given his Miranda rights and a lawyer without anyone clearing the decision with the heads of national security agencies. If, however, the decision to treat the attempted bombing as a purely criminal matter by an (ahem) "isolated extremist" came from a higher governmental official, the Whitehouse is keeping mum about it.

Bonus: Obama's top intelligence officials deploy "finger-pointing and clueless shrugging" in the War on Terror...



UPDATE: It has now been revealed that the decision to treat Abdulmutallab as a common criminal and provide him with a lawyer, while circumventing notification of our nation's top intelligence officials, came directly from Attorney General Eric Holder.

Why Holder didn't want Abdulmutallab questioned, or whether Barack Obama was informed of (or behind) this decision is currently unknown...but demands immediate and thorough investigation.

The Agony of Defeat

Click Cartoon for Larger Size
A full day after their devastating defeat in Massachusetts, Democrats still aren't sure what hit them. And they're even more concerned about what's going to hit them in November.

Oh, they could move more to the center, and try practicing the "America first" bipartisanship that Obama campaigned on. Frankly, we'd like to see that. Or they can "double down" on the dirty tricks, to try to force Americans into accepting the very things they just voted against.

Either way, if you're a true Obamacrat Liberal in November...you'll be looking for a new job by December.

Happy Anniversary, Barry!

Click Cartoon for Larger Size
In the biggest political upset in half a century, Massachusetts voters - Republican, Independent, and Democratic - voted to make Republican Scott Brown a senator, thereby ending the Democrats' veto-proof super-majority.

As Massachusetts was the fourth most liberal state in the nation, there is no explanation for this phenomenon other than a complete repudiation of the Obama administration's failed policies, questionable goals, and ugly backroom deals and bribes.

Some pundits suggest that the Democrats will now "double down" on the dirty tricks and dealmaking to force their agenda through against the wishes of the American people. But the Democrats would do so at their own peril; the Massachusetts' election returns clearly say "Stop! We've had enough!"

And we have. MORE than enough.

Hope n' Change would like to thank all of the people of ALL parties who made this victory possible (especially those courageous Democrats who chose to put their country ahead of their party)...and reminds them to keep their powder dry and their enthusiasm up. There's a big housecleaning coming in November...!

The Eyes Have It

Click Cartoon for Larger Size
Today, Massachusetts is holding the special election for the Senate seat which was formerly occupied by Teddy Kennedy. But in a state in which registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-to-1, it now seems very possible that Republican Scott Brown could win the race, thereby breaking the Democrats "veto proof" super-majority and opening the door to a filibuster of the Democrats' healthcare bill.

The election has become a national referendum not only on Obamacare, but on issues as large as socialism versus capitalism, and as urgent as whether or not terrorists deserve the same rights and protections as American citizens (hint: Democratic candidate Martha Coakley says "yes," Republican candidate Scott Brown and most of the people in Massachusetts say "no").

If Brown wins tonight, Hope n' Change predicts it will light a fuse leading to some very interesting political fireworks in the days that follow. Let's hope!

Got MLK?

Click Cartoon for Larger Size
Showing once again that the Democrats have no understanding of the words "irony" or "decency," the House Judiciary Committee chose the week of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday to uphold the Obama administration's defense of voter intimidation.

The case goes back to uniformed Black Panthers who "guarded" a polling place with nightsticks, hurled racial insults at white voters, and declared they were present to make sure that Barack Obama got elected...no matter what.

At Eric Holder's direction (and clearly with the president's blessing), the matter was dropped. Outraged Republicans called for an investigation - not only of the original charges, but of the Justice Department's stonewalling.

But the Democrats in the House Judiciary have put an end to that now, not only insulting the memory and dream of Dr. King, but theoretically clearing the way for the Black Panthers to send busloads of armed "poll watchers" to Massachusetts to make sure the "right" candidate wins Tuesday's critical special election. No matter what.

Shakin' All Over

Click Cartoon for Larger Size
Barack Obama is flying into Massachusetts today to bring cash, supplies, and emergency personnel for Martha Coakley, who has been running a disastrous campaign to try to win Teddy Kennedy's former seat in the Senate.

The special election has turned into a national referendum on healthcare, with Coakley's Republican opponent, Scott Brown, ready to break the Democrat's veto-proof majority. Coakley herself isn't helping matters any, by suggesting that devout Catholics shouldn't work in emergency rooms, and running an ad in which she used an image of the World Trade Center (still standing) to represent the "greed and corruption" of Wall Street.

If Coakley falls on Tuesday, it could well be the first falling domino in what will become a very big pileup for the Democrats.

Volunteer phone bank workers still needed!
For info or to make donation Click here!

To help the earthquake victims in Haiti,
Hope n' Change encourages donations to AmeriCares.