Go here.

Follow

H/T Weekly Standard. Sima would have been my choice. But, of course, anything having to do with fighting for women’s rights and, indeed, their very existence in this 13th century hell hole, would be overlooked. Unless Jimmy Carter said it was OK, I mean.

From the Weekly Standard here.

Meet the People Who Were Passed Over for Obama

Sima Samar, women’s rights activist in Afghanistan: “With dogged persistence and at great personal risk, she kept her schools and clinics open in Afghanistan even during the most repressive days of the Taliban regime, whose laws prohibited the education of girls past the age of eight. When the Taliban fell, Samar returned to Kabul and accepted the post of Minister for Women’s Affairs.”

Ingrid Betancourt: French-Colombian ex-hostage held for six years.

“Dr. Denis Mukwege: Doctor, founder and head of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. He has dedicated his life to helping Congolese women and girls who are victims of gang rape and brutal sexual violence.”

Handicap International and Cluster Munition Coalition: “These organizations are recognized for their consistently serious efforts to clean up cluster bombs, also known as land mines. Innocent civilians are regularly killed worldwide because the unseen bombs explode when stepped upon.”

“Hu Jia, a human rights activist and an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, who was sentenced last year to a three-and-a-half-year prison term for ‘inciting subversion of state power.'”

“Wei Jingsheng, who spent 17 years in Chinese prisons for urging reforms of China’s communist system. He now lives in the United States.”

Follow

Source, BBC

IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI

We have no objection if this prize is an incentive to reverse the warmongering and unilateral policies of the previous US administration and if this encourages a policy based on just peace.

The appropriate time for awarding such a prize is when foreign military forces leave Iraq and Afghanistan and when one stands by the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people.

TALIBAN SPOKESMAN ZABIHULLAH MUJAHID

We have seen no change in his strategy for peace. He has done nothing for peace in Afghanistan. He has not taken a single step for peace in Afghanistan or to make this country stable.

We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama. We condemn the institute’s awarding him the peace prize. We condemn this year’s peace prize as unjust.

HAMAS LEADER ISMAIL HANIYEH

We are in need of actions, not sayings. If there is no fundamental and true change in American policies toward the acknowledgment of the rights of the Palestinian people, I think this prize won’t move us forward or backward.

JODY WILLIAMS, FORMER NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER FOR CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES

I think that it is kind of foolish to think that the Nobel Prize isn’t politicised – it’s not a humanitarian prize, it’s a prize in recognition of change in the world to contribute to peace, sometimes its a recognitions of visions for peace. He is facing huge contradictions as well – he is going to be sending 40,000 new American troops into Afghanistan just as he receives the Nobel Peace Prize? I think that is a contradiction that needs to be seriously looked at.

SOUHAYR BELHASSEN, PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama is a way of encouraging him to not renege on the universal principles that he has championed.

We would have preferred a human rights defender like Oleg Orlov from Memorial in Russia or Natalia Estemirova [human rights activist murdered in Chechnya].

Follow

Michael Steele’s response to Obama’s award.
“What has President Obama actually accomplished? It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights.

Even the normally fawning media have expressed shock at the clearly political and unmerited award. But the Democrats clearly see it differently, with DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse stating “the Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists — the Taliban and Hamas this morning — in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Like most Americans, the DNC can’t think of one achievement that the president has accomplished, so they resort to their predictable response and standard playbook of demonizing anyone who disagrees with them.”

Follow

Go here.

Follow

Stripping the Nobel Peace Prize of any substantial meaning, the Nobel committee has awarded it to Barack Obama, less than one year in his first term, leaving many wondering why.

Former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate, commented: “So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who won the prize in 1984, also felt that the award acknowledge not what Obama had done, but said Obama’s award shows great things are expected from him in coming years.

Speculation seems to be that the award was more of a political slap at former President George W. Bush.

The cut-off for nominations was 12 days into the Obama administration.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said, “The exciting and important thing about this prize is that it’s given to someone … who has the power to contribute to peace.”

Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna said, “Obama’s tangible and intangible contributions to world peace during his first year as President could not be underestimated or denied. In less than a year in office, he has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world we live in and rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said, “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future.”

Ignored by the distinguished people lapping at Obama’s feet, is that we have Troops in Afghanistan losing their lives as Obama wrings his hands wondering what to do, nearly a month and half after reinforcements were requested by General McChrystal, the General hand-picked by Obama to lead the fight in Afghanistan.

Also ignored by these leftists is just how many of former President George W. Bush’s policies and programs fighting terror remain in place.

For all the hatred of Bush going into Iraq, they ignore that Obama has not withdrawn the Troops from Iraq either, as he promised or that he has not closed Guantánamo yet.

In all they prove that this so-called award is nothing more than a political joke and symbol of leftist popularity that no longer has any definitive meaning, if it ever did.

If Obama were a man of conscience, he would respectfully decline receiving such an award based upon such a false premise, instead of pretending to be humbled by it.

From Russia Today, “Big mistake by Nobel Committee.”

Follow

H/T Weekly Standard. Sima would have been my choice. But, of course, anything having to do with fighting for women’s rights and, indeed, their very existence in this 13th century hell hole, would be overlooked. Unless Jimmy Carter said it was OK, I mean.

From the Weekly Standard here.

Meet the People Who Were Passed Over for Obama

Sima Samar, women’s rights activist in Afghanistan: “With dogged persistence and at great personal risk, she kept her schools and clinics open in Afghanistan even during the most repressive days of the Taliban regime, whose laws prohibited the education of girls past the age of eight. When the Taliban fell, Samar returned to Kabul and accepted the post of Minister for Women’s Affairs.”

Ingrid Betancourt: French-Colombian ex-hostage held for six years.

“Dr. Denis Mukwege: Doctor, founder and head of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. He has dedicated his life to helping Congolese women and girls who are victims of gang rape and brutal sexual violence.”

Handicap International and Cluster Munition Coalition: “These organizations are recognized for their consistently serious efforts to clean up cluster bombs, also known as land mines. Innocent civilians are regularly killed worldwide because the unseen bombs explode when stepped upon.”

“Hu Jia, a human rights activist and an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, who was sentenced last year to a three-and-a-half-year prison term for ‘inciting subversion of state power.'”

“Wei Jingsheng, who spent 17 years in Chinese prisons for urging reforms of China’s communist system. He now lives in the United States.”

Follow

Stripping the Nobel Peace Prize of any substantial meaning, the Nobel committee has awarded it to Barack Obama, less than one year in his first term, leaving many wondering why.

Former Polish President Lech Wałęsa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate, commented: “So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who won the prize in 1984, also felt that the award acknowledge not what Obama had done, but said Obama’s award shows great things are expected from him in coming years.

Speculation seems to be that the award was more of a political slap at former President George W. Bush.

The cut-off for nominations was 12 days into the Obama administration.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said, “The exciting and important thing about this prize is that it’s given to someone … who has the power to contribute to peace.”

Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna said, “Obama’s tangible and intangible contributions to world peace during his first year as President could not be underestimated or denied. In less than a year in office, he has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world we live in and rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said, “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future.”

Ignored by the distinguished people lapping at Obama’s feet, is that we have Troops in Afghanistan losing their lives as Obama wrings his hands wondering what to do, nearly a month and half after reinforcements were requested by General McChrystal, the General hand-picked by Obama to lead the fight in Afghanistan.

Also ignored by these leftists is just how many of former President George W. Bush’s policies and programs fighting terror remain in place.

For all the hatred of Bush going into Iraq, they ignore that Obama has not withdrawn the Troops from Iraq either, as he promised or that he has not closed Guantánamo yet.

In all they prove that this so-called award is nothing more than a political joke and symbol of leftist popularity that no longer has any definitive meaning, if it ever did.

If Obama were a man of conscience, he would respectfully decline receiving such an award based upon such a false premise, instead of pretending to be humbled by it.

From Russia Today, “Big mistake by Nobel Committee.”

Follow

That’s according to the Smercury (here).
Here comes a county car tax–on top of all the car taxes the state has passed. Multnomah County may go with a $19/year car tax. Interesting, pedestrians and bicyclists get more room than the cars. In fact, the Sellwood Bridge fix may have to be “street car ready.” So even LESS room for cars! Where’s the tax increase for bikes and peds for using Sellwood Bridge? And where else are they going to use that $$. Here’s Mult Co Chair Ted Wheeler’s ph and email: 503.988.3308, mult.chair@co.multnomah.or.us

The legislature paved the way for the county’s vehicle registration tax as part of House Bill 2001 in the last session, which is expected to generate $127million in bond proceeds for the county over 20 years. There are 577,000 eligible vehicles in Multnomah County, although trucks over 26,000 pounds are excluded from having to pay. The county will vote to approve the ordinance setting up the tax on October 22, with a first reading on October 15.

The county chose a preferred alternative to the bridge late in 2008, which has 12 foot shared sidewalks on each side, 6.5 foot bike lanes on each side, and two 12 foot travel lanes for vehicles. Current estimates for the new bridge are $330million in 2014 dollars (accounting for inflation). The Federal Government is likely to contribute $40million, while the city of Portland will also contribute $100million towards the cost, as long as the bridge is “streetcar ready.” Mayor Sam Adams was in the audience this morning to watch the discussion and gave testimony.

Follow