Friday, February 19, 2016

Executive Penmanship

obama, obama jokes, political, humor, cartoon, conservative, hope n' change, hope and change, stilton jarlsberg, scalia, supreme court, funeral, golf, poem, cuba

Owing to an absolutely unavoidable scheduling conflict involving a critical tee time, Barack Obama has decided to skip Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's funeral on Saturday, but will "pay his respects" on Friday.

According to a highly-placed White House source who may or may not be imaginary, the president was reported to have said "I would have gone, but it's not like we're running out of Supreme Court Justices. Hell, we've still got eight of 'em! Moreover, if I go to the funeral of one, then they'll all expect me to come to their funerals. That's a dangerous precedent I'm not willing to set."

In fairness, Mr. Obama does have a lot on his plate, what with planning for next month's visit to Cuba. While there, the president is expected to tender official apologies to the Castro brothers for our nation's disgracefully aggressive conduct during the Cuban Missile Crisis and, by way of reparations, offer to help foot the bill to bring Russian missile batteries back to Havana.

Mr. Obama will also visit the grave of Che Guevara as part of a solemn ceremony which involves leaving a large briefcase of cash behind the headstone, feeling that "somehow I owe it" to the revolutionary's sole surviving granddaughter, Texas judge Cinderela Guevera.

Still, Barry isn't completely stiffing Scalia's funeral (so to speak). No, he's sending...

OLD BLACK OPS JOE...
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BONUS: WALLY WORLD
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His Holiness makes a good point.
We don't really have much to say about the dust-up between the Pope and the man who builds his towering hats, Donald Trump - but the subject was just too ripe for us to ignore entirely.

Hope n' Change doesn't actually care if Trump is a Christian or not (although we would care if he's lying about it). Additionally, if Pope Francis wants to declare that certain forms of architecture are more sinful than others, we're fine with it.

Even if it ironically means a lot of undocumented Mexican bricklayers will be going to Hell.

22 comments:

REM1875 said...

Dear Mr Pope
We have built bridges to the Mexicans your Excellence. The problems is..... they won't fricken use em.

Joe
A toaster oven is not an appropriate gift for a funeral just for your info.

Meanwhile at the white hut important business just won't wait-
4 scores and ....but what if I only get 3 games in?.... what else can I say?.....I got to hurry, there is a golf game to plan....
"any who me and the misses hope ya have a great funeral with many more to come
oxoxoxoxo Me and the misses send our best"

Joseph ET said...

Before Obama spoke at Georgetown University in 2012, the White House had asked Georgetown to cover up all signs and symbols there. Georgetown, which is run by the Jesuit order, is one of the most prestigious Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.

When Obama spoke at the Baltimore mosque the religious trappings behind him were not covered as they were when he spoke at Georgetown University. The excuse offered then was: The White House wanted a simple backdrop... consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches.

I suspect that the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception would refuse any request to remove any of their religious trappings that are required for a funeral mass.

It would appear that some in our government today seem to follow the ABC principle---Anything But Christ. Like Dracula, they recoil at the sight of the cross. The pussy is afraid of the Catholic Church because he might disappear in a puff of smoke should he enter there.

It’s so obvious that he’s a Muslim!

Anonymous said...

Hey, Pope, I'm really hoping
this doesn't seem too critical,
but when you're out there poping,
please keep it apolitical.
~Lonepeep

Judi King said...

Scalia was Catholic, therefore his funeral service would be Christian. Since the dic doesn't do Christian, of course he wouldn't attend.

Isn't it a little hypocritical for someone who lives and rules in a WALLED country, the Vatican, to castigate someone else for wanting to protect his own country with a wall? Just asking.

TrickyRicky said...

How can we have Merkel in Deutschland, Trudeau in Canada, Obama in the U.S., a communist pope in the Vatican, all trying to be Kim Jong Un, and hope for a good outcome?

American Cowboy said...

No surprise that Ă˜bama won't attend, even for the appearance of being "presidential".

Also just read that the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago has agreed to hear a lawsuit on Sen. Ted Cruz's eligibility for president. Isn't it strange that no court (according to the article) has ever heard such a lawsuit? Especially given the Kenyan occupying the White Hut (I stole that term) is pretty well known to be the exact same kind of "natural born citizen"? Perhaps the law scholars will use that as precedent?

Rod said...

I'm willing to give El Papa a pass on this one: long trip, tired, having a bad day, etc. His remark had a bit of a "message" point to it; but was also way off base. It happens. Easy to see that Trump also builds bridges with commerce & charity; and his wall is about our nation's security & economy. The man Frances blew it.

More relevant because we have a decision to make is: Trump in his rush to shoot back missed an opportunity to be much cooler about it, turn it positive, just let it go; even forgive. If he expects to be President; he'd better start practicing.

Obama still remains USA's First Jerk (it's so very easy for him) but I like to think the Scalia family deliberately reminded him of the Justice's boycott of SOTU, etc. and he's not really welcome at the funeral.

John the Econ said...

For the sake of contrast, it would be interesting to see what funerals Obama has attended:

Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), less than two months before the 2012 election.
Michelle on his behalf to the funeral of 15 year-old shooting victim Hadiya Pendleton as a setup for his SOTU address.
Former KKK Grand Wizard Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), no doubt as an outreach to the "typical white person"
State Senator Reverend Clementa Pinckney, one of the nine people killed in the Charleston shooting. He delivered the eulogy for someone he never met.
Former Democratic House Speaker Tom Foley.
Walter Cronkite

Not included in this list are all the funerals for thugs that the White House has dispatched emissaries to, and the funerals for dead law enforcement officers that they have not.

The Pope: One has to wonder if the Pope has ever actually walked the grounds at the Vatican, which is largely surrounded by, yes, walls that have been there for the better part of a millennium and are of the type that have certainly more effective than the ones currently protecting our southern border.

Okay, yes, St. Peter's Square is open to anyone, assuming they can get past the metal detectors. But are we to believe that if Vatican City were to be invaded by hundreds of "refugees" setting up camp in front of St. Peter's, that the Swiss Guard would immediately appear to clear the situation? Or, would the Pope clothe & feed them, and allow them to remain there indefinitely as he suggests other countries do?

I did approve of the Pope's comments regarding the real reason that people are fleeing the south for the north:

Pope Francis invited Mexicans to give priority to initiatives which make the country a place of opportunity: "I want to invite you today to be at the forefront, to take initiative in all initiatives that help make this blessed Mexican land a land of opportunity." The Pontiff added, "Where there is no need to migrate to dream; where there is no need to be exploited to work; where there is no need to make the despair and poverty of many the opportunism of a few...A land that does not have to mourn men and women, youth an children who end up destroyed in the hands of traffickers of death."

Unfortunately, after than brief beam of insight the Pope then retreated to his usual critiques of capitalism, obviously oblivious to the fact that Mexico is largely a corrupt socialistic country where half the population dreams of escaping to a country where they actually expect to be exploited by wealthy capitalists.

Rod said...

Rhyming are we? Needed some time to do other things and more coffee; but what about: "Hillary bail"? Funny 'toon.

Joseph ET said...

It would be interesting to see what BHO would do if 82 year old liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg were to pass while BHO is still in office. Would he go or would he stay? How would he spin it?
His current excuse is to make a smaller security footprint. Of course, when he has a “date night” in New York City, he doesn’t worry about the size of the security footprint or the huge number of people whose life’s are disrupted.

Joseph ET said...

Dear Pope Francis, Even Benjamin Franklin is known to have said, “Love thy neighbor, yet don’t pull down your hedge.” Given how many different cultures have versions of this proverb, it represents a very common sentiment among neighbors everywhere.

“good fences make good neighbors” This specific quote could be attributed to Robert Frost who used it in one of his early poems. However, the statement represents feelings common to many cultures and other versions of this proverb predate Frost’s poem.

The argument against deporting illegal immigrants usually comes down to “we shouldn’t separate them from their families”.
Actually, we are merely re-uniting them to the family that they left behind. If they have a child (anchor baby) they are free to take the child with them if they wish, or they may take the option of leaving the child in the care of a friend or a relative.

John the Econ said...

@Joseph ET said "His current excuse is to make a smaller security footprint."

Oh yes. After 7 years and how many billions spent, NOW he's worried about his "security footprint". Thanks for the belly-laugh of the day.

Popular Front said...

I thought cliChe Guevara was buried under a runway in Bolivia, overweight with lead and minus his hands?

Colby Muenster said...

I agree with Rod. The Pope most likely meant that building a wall to keep out needy people was not a "Christian" thing to do. The man knows better than to judge whether or not someone is an actual Christian because the Bible (God's Word) explicitly says that only God knows who is and who isn't. Jesus said we will "know them by their fruits," but he never said we were to judge.

Now, if Francis really accused Trump of not being a Christian, he has no business being the Pope. Apologies to my Catholic friends!

And I'll bet Rod also nailed it concerning O'Liar's "decision" to not attend Justice Scalia's funeral. I'm betting he knows damn well he would be as welcome as the bubonic plague. Turdboy probably had a freaking orgasm when he heard Scalia died; tough to hide the glee no doubt.

More proof that O'Liar loathed Justice Scalia is the fact that he's sending Slo-Joe. "Gee, I'm really sorry I can't make it, so here's the biggest moron in the world to take my place.

@John the Econ,

O'Liar is now in "preserve my legacy" mode; hence the sudden faux concern for his freaking security footprint. The a**wipe should have started worrying about his stinking footprint 9 years ago. And I'll bet his concern rapidly dissipates the minute he starts planning his next 17 million dollar vacation to Hawaii.

It's No Gouda said...

Colby, in all fairness to Slow Joe he is nominally a Catholic and will be familiar with the liturgy as opposed to Barky who thinks the Muslim call to prayer us the "sweetest sound".

Bluebird Bob said...

Just watched the news....Nobama and Moochelle were at the wake..

Judi King said...

The dic and dicette went to the viewing but are NOT going to the actual funeral church service.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@REM1875- The world benefits more from American capitalism, our good will, and generosity than from any other economic engine. We send food, money, and doctors everywhere. If, on the other hand, the Pope (or Bernie Sanders) got his way and we simply dropped our borders and "spread the wealth" amongst everyone, this incredible economic engine would grind to a permanent halt.

Perhaps Bernie should spend less time with "Das Kapital," and Pope Francis spend less time with the Bible, so that both might take 3 freaking minutes to read the Aesop's Fable "The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg."

@Joseph ET- The president only wants to hide religious imagery which he finds personally offensive.

@Lonepeep- The only way your wonderful poem could be made better is with a final line that says "Burma Shave." Yes, I'm that old.

@Judi King- I've enjoyed seeing the many pictures of the walled fortress which is the Vatican. As well as the memes saying "Tear Down This Wall!"

@TrickyRicky- It does seem like the world has gone nuts, doesn't it?

@American Cowboy- Cruz's eligibility has become a nightmare. Do I think he's a natural born citizen? Oh, hell yes. But ANY state can file a suit demanding a judicial opinion. All you need is ONE liberal court (hello, California's 9th circuit) to rule against Cruz, and the matter bumps to the Supreme Court. Where it would get a 4-4 tie in Scalia's absence, meaning the lower court ruling - that he is not eligible - would stand. That may not be a risk that conservative voters can take, which would stink - Cruz is currently who I like most.

@Rod- I'll give the Pope a similar pass for the reasons you delineate. I also agree that Trump should use these as opportunities to display understanding and gravitas rather than bellicose bullyishness.

I don't think Scalia's family will miss Obama at the funeral. Still, it's an amazing - even unprecedented - display of partisan disrespect.

@John the Econ- I also found it risible that Josh Earnest said Biden was going instead of Obama (what, they couldn't both go?) because of his "lighter security footprint." Does he mean to suggest that a funeral teeming with politicians, dignitaries, the Vice President, and the remaining members of the Supreme Court is going to have something less than the best and most complete security imaginable?! The notion is laughable, and not in a good way.

Regarding the Pope, he seems unwilling to embrace what is pragmatically best for the poor instead of what is ideologically more favorable to him. The same problem that Democrats have - rather than supporting programs that work, they support programs which are well-intended that fail.

@Rod- I found the actual poem Barry wrote: "To the family of Justice Scalia, At the funeral I will not see ya, He's dead as a doornail, So I'll drink some more ale, Then visit his gravesite to pee-ah."

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

@Joseph ET- You know he'd attend Ginsburg's funeral. And as I said earlier, the whole "security footprint" thing is a complete crock.

And I'm with Ben Franklin on the subject of love, neighbors, and hedges. Preferably with thorns.

@John the Econ- Again, considering who will be at the funeral, can anyone name even one security measure that won't be in place?

@Colby Muenster- I'd like to ask the Pope if Jesus lacked "Christianity" when he fed the masses at The Sermon on the Mount only once instead of for the rest of their lives? Is the most Christian goal to provide for people, or to inspire them to provide for themselves?

Also, as long as I'm going to Hell, I'd like to suggest that his Holiness ditch the robes and start talking to his tailors about building britches.

@It's No Gouda- Joe should do fine with a Catholic service. Barry, on the other hand, is unwilling to get on his knees anywhere except Man's Country. (Hey, I already acknowledged that I'm going to Hell, right?)

@Bluebird Bob- Barry and Michelle attended the viewing of Scalia's casket just long enough to tip their heads for the cameras, then scurry away without a word. They honestly spent less time there that they'd spend ordering a Happy Meal at a McDonald's drive-thru window. It's no substitute for attending the funeral. And by the way, why wasn't his "security footprint" a problem for this viewing?

@Judi King- Barry made it through a super-quick viewing, but I don't think he could have actually spent a couple of hours near a flag-draped coffin without bursting into spontaneous lying.

John the Econ said...

"Regarding the Pope, he seems unwilling to embrace what is pragmatically best for the poor instead of what is ideologically more favorable to him. The same problem that Democrats have - rather than supporting programs that work, they support programs which are well-intended that fail.

"Favorable to him", but for how long?

One wonders if it's ignorance or simple denial among these people that the spread of (relatively) free-market capitalism across the globe over the last 20 years has reduced global poverty to it's lowest level ever.

I vote "denial".

I've been working on a thought experiment that isn't yet fully formed, but is based upon this thesis:

Fact: Socialism is not compatible with open borders. (Even Bernie Sanders knows and used to openly admit it) Under this scenario, ultimately the system is overrun by the poor seeking benefits, while the rich either cease being productive, or leave for a more friendly economic environment. The indigenous poor ultimately resent the newcomers and competitors for scarce jobs and social benefits.

Fact: The only economic system that is compatible with truly open borders is unfettered free-market capitalism, where supply and demand for labor is allowed to efficiently meet and set prices for labor and capital.

Fact: Today most of the immigrants arriving from the south come here fully aware that they will be "exploited" as cheap labor, frequently "under-the-table" and without the full protection of the regulatory environment imposed upon the rest of middle-class America.

Thesis: Since "socialism" will not last long under the existing de-facto or any proposed open borders policy likely to come out of either party, is it possible that due to the ultimate loss-of-control over the economy that will ultimately result, "free market" capitalism will find a popular resurgence in America?

Dan said...

Cruz's eligibility--
Why couldn't Cruz preemptively file for a court determination? Sometimes it's better to get something put to bed early rather than wait for something to drop on one's head.

Popular Front said...

Obamayomama's condolence card:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue
Cardboard is stiff,
and now so are you.