Rumors of Tea Party Demise Greatly Exaggerated

PPPS (Washington)—Rumors of the demise of the Tea Party movement, apparently, have been greatly exaggerated.

 

Sonny Johnson at the March 24, 2012 Road to Repeal Rally in Washington, DC.

H/T Jim Hoft & Gateway Pundit

Tea Party Group Connection Suspected in Latest Bridge Message

Leslie White photo 27-May-2012

PPPS (Littleton)—Another set of messages appeared briefly on a pedestrian bridge located just west of Littleton, Colorado on Sunday, May 27.

Leslie White photo 27-May-2012

A passerby, who wishes to remain anonymous, emailed these cell phone pics to PPPS.

Sources in the Littleton community and at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, support the theory that this was the work of the Bridge to Nowhere Tea Party, although this time a neatly printed banner was also used.

PPPS is investigating whether another group with better hand writing skills may have joined forces with the local Tea Party group.

Regardless of the source of the messages, they do hint at some displeasure with the job President Obama is doing.

A Bit Of Hard Coal Facts to Compliment Romney's Visit to Craig, Colorado

PPPS (Craig)—We received this little video about Craig, Colorado, that our readers might like to view, in light of Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney's visit to this little known corner of our state to highlight energy issues and the energy development that supports the economy of that region.

Craig - the video


H//T Amy Oliver,  KFKA News Talk, Mothers Against Debt, Colorado Spending Transparency

In Memoriam - Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver

PPPS (Denver)—For Greg Rund, USMC and all of the others who died in the service of our country. Thank you for your sacrifice so that others might live free.

The President Lied, Humor Died - Serious Commentary From Pundit Pete

PPPS (Littleton)—Ok, I’ve had it. It's not funny any more, which is a painful admission for a writer of satire.

The President has gone way over the line this time, and he's done it right in our backyard, in nearby Denver. 

The sheer, dare I say it, audacity of it is appalling. It’s shameful. And all Joe'king aside, the President lied.

There, I said it. So sue me (apologies to Mark Levin).

In Denver on Wednesday, the President Obama gave a campaign speech in which he claimed "Since I've been President, federal spending has risen at the lowest pace in nearly 60 years."

Yes, Mr. President, spending so low that:

• The largest grassroots movement in the history of our nation arose spontaneously because of your spending. 
• Our nation’s credit rating was downgraded for the first time in history, because of your spending. 
• Our national debt has increased by $5 trillion and is now over $16 trillion, because of your spending. 
• Your fellow Democrats are, one by one, loosing their seats because of your spending. 
• The American people walk around depressed because of your spending.

And to put this lie into perspective:

• This was not your everyday, plausible deniability.
• This was not your I may have misspoken and I’m sorry if some stupid people may have been offended by it lie.
• This was not your I inherited it and it’s all Bush’s fault lie (although he also claimed that in his speech).
• This was not your I know you are just a bunch of college students and you’ll still think I’m cool anyway lie. 
• This was not even a, if I shake my finger and speak in manufactured anger at the camera, I might get away with it, depending upon what the definition of what is is lie.

No, this was an in-your-face, I know I’m lying, you know I’m lying, my fellow Democrats all know I’m lying, Pelosi’s face will contort to defend my lying, Joe Biden will probably let slip a joke about my lying, and the press may even suspect I’m lying and will struggle with how not to report it, type of lie.

This was an I don’t care that the country is on the verge of bankruptcy, my reelection is all that matters, and even if this screws up my reelection, I like lying so much I’m going to lie anyway, just for the sheer joy of it, type of lie.

This was a lie that Hugo Chavez would love but Robert Mugabe might be embarrassed to tell. This was a lie that might cause internal turmoil in the soul of Debbie Wasserman Shultz. This was a lie so monumental that David Letterman might tell it as a joke.

But it wasn’t funny.

Background Notes:
The full text of the President's Denver Campaign speech. The big lie (as distinguished from the others) may be found about 3/4 of the way through.  
Fact Check from the Daily Caller 
Barack Obama: the Spending King on Rush Limbaugh 
Obama is a Spendthrift - Investors Business Daily
Update July 12, 2012: The Facts About Budgets - Forbes

Everybody Blog About Brett Kimberlin Day Blogburst

PPPS (Littleton)—In support of our fellow bloggers and free speech, the Pundit Pete Press Service proudly agrees to participate in Everybody Blog About Brett Kimberlin Day. We ask that our readers, and especially fellow bloggers, add this story to their blogs, tweets and other social media either by linking to the PPPS post, or more importantly to some of the authoritative stories herein linked.

In a nut-shell, Brett Kimberlin is a convicted bomber/domestic terrorist and now left-wing activist who retaliates against conservative bloggers, especially those who write about him, by filing frivolous lawsuits and using the internet to harass them (the conservative bloggers) in various ways in an attempt to stifle their speech. Here is a quick summary from The Blaze.

So in order to show solidarity with our conservative brethren, and to support free speech for all (no matter what their political persuasion), we are participating in Everybody Blog About Brett Kimberlin Day. And we ask for your help.

Here is background information from two other sources:

Michelle Malkin (where I first heard about this) and her lead story for today, Free Speech Blogburst - this includes numerous links about the story, the affected conservative bloggers, and the many bloggers participating in the blogburst.

Rosslyn Smith has an interesting article in American Thinker about Kimberlin and the many liberal contributors to his left-wing organization: The Left and Con Men

There are many, many other bloggers participating (refer to Michelle's article for a list).  PPPS is proud to add our name to the list.

Take a stand for free speech.

God bless,
The Staff

Journalistic Yoga for the 24/7 News Cycle

PPPS (Littleton)—In our continuing efforts to keep abreast of trends in the journalism profession, PPPS performed a survey of course offerings at leading journalism schools across the country. We found that the most popular course among journalism students was one which combined concepts from psychology, journalism and eastern religion.

Although the course was variously titled at different institutions, here is a typical course listing example from the esteemed Columbia School of Journalism.

J304 - Journalistic Yoga for the 24/7 News Cycle 

Journalistic Yoga combines extreme logical contortion with peaceful dissociation from reality.

Students will learn how to practice a daily regimen of journalistic yoga as a coping mechanism for creating stories to meet the frantic demands of the 24/7 news cycle. Successful completion of the course counts as 5 credit hours towards both the Traditional Journalism and Opinion Journalism degrees.  

9AM M W F - Pundit Pete Lecture Hall

Prerequisite: J201/Psy214 - Conservative Thought & Other Political Diseases

Editorial Note: As this story was about to be posted, Patriarch Pete popped in and remarked, "Hell, they have a special course in that now? Why back in my day, that was just part of Journalism 101."

Readers Want to Know: Several of our readers have written, or tweeted questions regarding the source and inspiration for Journalistic Yoga. So, we asked our leader, Pundit Pete to share a bit of his thinking process for selecting and writing (making up) a story. Here's what Pete had to say about Journalistic Yoga:

Well, I owe it all to Clive Crook, and his article at the Atlantic web site titled Why I Think Obama Is Losing. Crook, while spot on in his conclusion, takes an amazingly tortuous route to get there, full of hopeful delusion, misplaced reasoning, and a reliance on instinct when his own internal logic fails him. 

In successive steps, Crook first poses common sense, logical reasons for Obama's fall in the polls, then convinces himself (and he hopes, his readers), that the true reasons lie elsewhere, presumably because the true reasons are too painful for a liberal mind to comprehend. Later on in the article, he actually makes a few good points, but the reader is so worn out by then, that those points are unappreciated. 

Ah, but I digress. Here's an example, right where Crook first launches into faux reason number one:

Why do I say this?

It's not because the country is sick of Obama. ........blah blah blah...... my feeling is, the country still wants him to succeed. If voters do reject him in November, for many people it will be with regret.

Hello, Clive, the country is sick of Obama. And that regret you sense; it's coming from many of the people who voted for him. The country doesn't want him to succeed, they fear that he might.

Ah, but I digress. Or should I say, ah, I return? ...... yes, I almost forgot. You all were interested in how the yoga thing came about. Well, OK.....

About half way through Crook's article, wracked with the pain of mental contortions, but blissful in the  peace that comes from denial, BAM - IT CAME TO ME. The last time I felt this way was while doing yoga! 

And from that simple revelation, an entire theory of journalistic thought soon arose, complete with college courses and soon-to-be awards, the first of which will, with much appreciation, be given to Mr. Clive Crook, formerly a distinguished writer at the Atlantic (as others can attest, a Pundit Pete Press Service award is not universally considered a career boost)........and then Mr. Crook can enroll in  .......let's see.......in the Dan Rather Clinic for Recovering Journalists........where, naturally, he will receive Journalistic Yoga Therapy.........and.......

Ah, the mind of Pundit Pete, once engaged, is a force unstoppable, a thing of beauty, n'est-ce pas?

So there you have it, beloved readers, prepared or not, you've entered far into the depths of the mind of Pundit Pete.....where there is no turning back...........no escape.....and (we hope) a paid subscription.......

Unless of course, you engage in a bit of journalistic yoga. That just might be enough to save you!

God bless.

Totally Unrelated Update Which We Thought We Would Share Anyway - June 5, 2012:
Best Graduation Speech Ever at Columbia School of Journalism

Update - June 6, 2012

Totally Related TRUE Story 

When our leader, Pundit Pete, just makes up stories like this, we figure OK, let him run with it, figuring, what harm could it do?, and, there's no possible connection to the real world anyway, and our readers (most of them anyway) will probably figure it out, and move on to important stuff.

BUT, TRUTH IS INDEED STRANGER THAN FICTION, thanks to our friends in India. They offer an actual Journalistic Yoga degree! And there's still a few days left to sign up. We are planning on enrolling several of the PPPS staff.

This is why the Indians are set to ace out China and the U.S. for the title of new world superpower.

PPPS Story Causes International Rift - Putin Pulls Out of G-8

PPPS (Moscow)—Breaking from FOX News, confirmed by PPPS Moscow office.

Putin pouts over slogan slight.

After reading the disappointing news about how close his suggested slogan came to being selected by the Obama campaign, Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently reacted in anger, pulling out of the upcoming G-8 Summit at Camp David and his scheduled meeting with President Obama next week.

This story was first broken by FOX News, and has now been confirmed, and details have been added, by PPPS Moscow Correspondent, Pyotr "the Great" Pete.

In a story published by PPPS on Tuesday, May 8 about the Obama Campaign slogan selection process, it was revealed that this slogan idea, FORWARD for FLEXIBILITY, offered in a gesture of international good will by the newly elected President of Russia, was given top consideration, but ultimately rejected in favor of the more simplified campaign slogan, FORWARD. 

Pyotr Pete's sources inside the Kremlin reported that Putin was furious after reading the PPPS article, and wanted to take more drastic measures, but that cooler heads, including former President Mevedev, prevailed, convincing Putin to send a symbolic message.

Our Chief White House Correspondent, Political Beat Pete, indicates that staff in the White House, the State Department and in the Obama campaign, have been scrambling to counter today's bad news. Sources indicate that the President has dispatched Chief Campaign Spokesman, David Axelrod to Moscow, instead of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, to try and iron out the problem.

Mr. Axelrod is reported to be authorized to offer up a future Obama campaign stop in Moscow and a private dinner with George Clooney as compensation for Putin changing his mind about the G-8 Summit. However, rumors circulating that the DNC might also be offering a change in the location of Democratic National Convention from Charlotte to a more receptive venue in Moscow or St. Petersburg, could not be confirmed.

We will provide updates as this story unfolds.

Background Links:
Inside the Obama Campaign Slogan Selection Process
Putin Opts Out of G-8 Summit

Inside the Obama Campaign Slogan Selection Process

Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP photo

PPPS (Chicago)—President Obama officially launched his campaign for reelection last Saturday with a kickoff rally in Ohio and with the release of a new, bold fresh campaign slogan. 

We asked our Obama campaign reporter, Protester Pete, recently reassigned from covering the now-defunct Occupy Movement, to provide us with insight into the  presidential campaign slogan selection process.

Celebrating a mission accomplished in Chicago.

Pete spent the weeks prior to the official campaign launch embedded among the predominately young, pigment-challenged and non-Native American staff at the Obama Campaign Headquarters in Chicago. That's Pete in the lower right of this photo taken at the historic moment when the President appeared on screen to announce the winning slogan.

The Chicago celebration was the culmination of a grueling five-week marathon of brain storming sessions, staff retreats,  slogan chanting practices, voter focus group testings, and late night meetings involving visiting campaign advisers and interns. The campaign also solicited slogan ideas from outside supporters as part of an appeal for a $3 campaign donation sent out by Michelle Obama. The campaign  literally received tens of suggestions from this appeal and, after spell checking, these were added to the list of staff-generated ideas.

The campaign staff came up with an ingenious method for organizing and narrowing the list of potential slogans. After an initial paring down of the dozens of slogan ideas to the 64 most promising, the slogans were ranked and written on a giant NCAA-style bracket posted in the campaign conference room. At the end of each week the President would make his selections to cut the number of slogans in half using a special cell-phone app which could be accessed from anywhere: aboard Air Force One; on the golf course; or in the midst of a fundraising dinner.

With just a few days before the official campaign kickoff, and with pressure mounting to meet poster and sign printing deadlines, only four slogans remained. Protester Pete was able to obtain copies of the ready-to-be-printed versions of the "Final Four" slogans, each of which provides a unique perspective on the various themes considered for the national campaign.

Slogan submitted by Rush Limbaugh

The first of the final four slogans was one originally submitted by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Through focus group testing, it was determined that this slogan appealed to the conservatives, independents and so-called Reagan Democrats who regularly tune in to Limbaugh's show and who may form a critical voting block in a number of swing states. In the end, the President rejected this slogan because he would need to credit Limbaugh at the same time he will  be trying to shut down Limbaugh's show through an FCC enforcement action and pressure on advertisers.

Slogan submitted by Vladimir Putin

The second slogan was one suggested by the now, newly elected President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, who submitted it, along with a modest donation, on the campaign web site. The genius in this slogan is that it simultaneously reminds voters from other nations of the President's international reputation for nimbleness in negotiation, while also demonstrating to U.S. voters the President's willingness to work towards bi-partisan compromise with Congress soon after he is reelected. Unfortunately, this slogan did not rate very high in the trust category among the majority of focus group participants.

Slogan submitted by Citizen Pete

David Axelrod and Citizen Pete

The ultimate runner-up to the winning slogan was one submitted by an active supporter, Citizen Pete, who apparently also has a knack for messaging, including one recent message sent to the House Minority Leader.  In the end, none of the focus groups, or a majority of the campaign staff, deemed this slogan to be credible, despite the fact that it mirrors some of the stated goals of the administration posted on the White House web site. Rumor has it that this slogan was vigorously promoted by senior Campaign spokesman, David Axelrod. Our research indicates that Mr. Axelrod may be a close friend of Citizen Pete.

The final and winning slogan is actually a condensed version of the other three, boiled down to a single, forceful, actionable word - FORWARD.

The official Obama Reelection Campaign slogan.

Besides the obvious simplicity, this slogan conveys both movement and direction. And, despite focus group feedback indicating that the slogan held no real meaning and was confusing, the President astutely concluded that confusion was it's greatest asset, leaving him to weave in whatever meaning he chooses to convey to a particular audience.

The slogan can also be adapted into a chant for rallies, and is easily pronounced by temporary, undocumented campaign workers hired for street events and voter registration campaigns.

Well done Mr. President. We salute you!


UPDATE 10-May-2012: 
PPPS STORY CAUSES INTERNATIONAL RIFT  (h/t FOX News)

After reading the disappointing news about how close his suggested slogan came to being selected by the Obama campaign, Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently reacted in anger, pulling out of the upcoming G-8 Summit at Camp David and his scheduled meeting with President Obama next week. More later......See related story here.

UPDATE 11-May-2012 - Forward Defined - American Thinker

President Obama Set to Kickoff Performance of Executive Duties Today

President Obama cutting waste in Senate-passed budget.

PPPS (Washington)—Presidential spokesman Jay Carney announced that President Obama is set to formally begin performing his Executive Duties as of noon today.

This announcement came in response to questions posed by several members of the White House Press Corps regarding a revised White House schedule which appeared to replace some of  the President's previously scheduled golf outings, vacation planning, and fundraising dinner events with a notation "scheduled time working in Oval Office."

A team of PPPS reporters and researchers, led by chief White House Correspondent Political Beat Pete, is currently pouring over a mountain of White House logs and scheduling data to determine if this Friday afternoon will in fact be the first instance of the President Obama performing his official executive duties since his inauguration in January, 2009.

Speaker of the House John Boehner

In a cynical, partisan response, radical Republican Speaker of the House, John Beohner told reporters, "It sounds more like a photo op for the President's campaign, which by the way, is "formally" beginning tomorrow, even though by all accounts, it never ended after the last election."

In response to a follow up question regarding what the President's duties might entail, Carney told the assembled press corps, "The President has a number of important goals for today, including cutting the deficit in half and going through the recently passed Senate budget line by line to reduce waste."