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Mr. Bolton's logic is usually better than this.

Maybe the Obama spy ring has something on him, too . . .

If they aren't sufficiently concerned about terrorist bombers to act on information that was handed to them on a silver platter, it's absurd to think that they're sufficiently motivated to build this infrastructure to ferret them out. So... what is it for?

My guess would be those potential "terrorists" enumerated in that DHA memo that Napolitano (unconvincingly) disavowed as a "mistake" (no doubt by a low-level employee) -- IIRC, those would be military veterans, pro-lifers, Second Amendment supporters, pick-up truck drivers . . . were there more? I'm pretty sure ROP was conspicuous by its absence from the list!

Reminds me of the old quip that “there are no mice in this house — the rats have eaten them all!” So who’s taken over the old stand — the Muslim Brotherhood would be my guess!

He stands behind the Altar like Julia Child doing a cooking demonstration at her kitchen island. [Good one!]

The Julia Child comparison is indeed a "good one," but I think it originated with Joseph Campbell in The Power of Myth (book and 6-part PBS series) back in 1988. (I never read the book or saw the series, but my sister mentioned it to me years ago!)

The country didn’t listen when Lisa Myers did a piece on Bammy’s Chicago home -

Lisa Myers was also the one who interiewed Juanita Broaddrick -- Fox News finally shamed NBC into running it, when all the anchors wore lapel buttons reading "Free Lisa Myers." She'd undoubtedly be one terrific investigative reporter if she didn't have to contend with the lapdog media!

Yes, we know the “what” and the “who.” But what about the “WHY?”

As I've been asking from the beginning: if Obama/Clinton were setting Steven up to be murdered, what would they have done differently? They sent him to a wild place (I believe the British and others had already withdrawn their people because of the escalating violence and threat of violence); not only did they not send more security, they withdrew some of the security in place; they ignored the attack and prevented our military from responding.

He's a bit late to the party on this one! From Boston Catholic Insider quoting LifeSite News of May 6:

Cardinal O’Malley Silent on Pro-Abort Commencement Speaker at Boston College

Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle, an alumnus of Boston College, said: “Even for a university whose Catholic identity is as compromised as that of BC, this decision is shameful and dishonorable. Boston College has gone beyond promoting dissent against Catholic teaching to giving aid and comfort to the enemies of the Church. Every faithful Catholic in this country ought to protest against this odious perfidy.”

Responding to a request for comment, the Archdiocese of Boston noted that Cardinal Sean O’Malley was not scheduled to attend the Commencement due to another commitment. [emphasis added]

Is that it? All the Boston Archdiocese has to say about this is that Cardinal O’Malley had another commitment already? . . .

To voice your objections, here is what you can do. Call and/or email the following people:

U.S. Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano nuntiususa@nuntiususa.org 202-333-7121

Cardinal Sean O’Malley ArchbishopSean_O’Malley@rcab.org 617-782-2544

Vicar General Bishop Robert Deeley vicar_general@rcab.org 617-746-5619

His Eminence Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Cardinal Prefect Congregation For Bishops 011 39 06 6988 4217 011 39 06 6988 4300 FAX 011-39-0669-885303 FAX

Defend the Catholic faith and help Stop the Scandal by contactng these people today.

I guess BCI's appeal paid off . . . which I guess is something . . .

Also, in case you didn't know, there was an "interfaith prayer service" in Boston on the Thursday (odd choice of day) after the bombing, and Obama came, disrupting everything including undoubtedly the investigation. Tuesday or Wednesday (sorry, I forget) the FBI kept announcing an upcoming press conference -- first for early afternoon, then for 5:00 p.m., then 5:30, then it was cancelled. They finally had the press conference on Thursday (just about as soon as Obama's plane had left). They put out the pictures of the terrorists an then things started to hop!

A suspicious person might question the wisdown of this proceeding; don't the police always say the longer the delay, the less likely the perps will be caught? Surely Obama wasn't trying to give them a chance to get away -- and get to NY to bomb Times Square as they planned?

And they might have been successful in the Times Square bombing, if the guy they hijacked hadn't managed to escape and call the police.

Oops! You’re right — it was land held by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, not the Housing Authority. In any case, though, not Menino’s personal land to sell at far below market value!

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino initially embraced the Islamic Society of Boston and attended the grand opening of the Cultural Center.

Would this be the "Cultural Center" built on land sold to it by Menino for a song -- land belonging to the Boston Housing Authority? And isn't this the mayor who refused to let Walmart into Boston and was outraged that Chik-fil-A wanted to come to Boston? Liberal Dem priorities . . . :(

I would like to know how Police who are searching homes like this forcing residents out with their hands up...missed a the bomber who climbed into the boat the night before.

As I understand it from the radio, the police established a "perimeter" within which they believed the guy was hiding (don't know what factors they used to figure it). The boat was in the backyard of a house 2 or 3 blocks outside the perimeter.

I’ve seen Boston Latin listed, but that’s a high school.

The high school he went to was Cambridge Rindge & Latin.

Does this account for all the "confusion" yesterday about whether there had been an arrest? I heard on the radio that the initial info that there had been an arrest had been supplied by the mayor of Boston to a local TV channel.

And I keep hearing on WBZ radio that Obama has declared a state of emergency in the whole state of Massachusetts, freeing up FEMA money, which I thought was ridiculous when I first heard it. Could this be a bribe to our upstanding public officials -- Dems all?

That way the perp(s) could prepare the devices 24 hours in advance and deploy them in the dead of night

The police commissioner said police swept the area a few hours before the blass and checked all containers. In spite of all the police in the area, I think it would be natural to relax vigilance after the first several runners made it. The blasts were about two hours after the winners crossed the finish line.

I don't know about mailboxes, but for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Boston, all mailboxes are locked for the day.

NO confidence in anything the fbi does any more.

No kidding! And it troubles me that the only "tips" number given out is for the FBI. In a case where they're looking for tips from the public, I have the impression that there's usually several numbers, maybe local police, state police and feds if they're involved.

I'm afraid of a "never let a crisis go to waste" situation . . .

The Boston media did NOT love Cardinal Law.

You're absolutely right there! Granted, Law happily went along with the Dems on most things, but he really was strongly and vocally opposed to abortion.

Interestingly, according to the numbers in the Massachusetts AG's report, most of the actual abuse took place under Medeiros -- who got a complete pass from the media (no doubt his strong far left stance on busing helped). The numbers of reported abuse were actually going down under Law, with IIRC no new cases reported his last couple of years.

The Boston press loves O'Malley; even the Washington Post was thrilled when rumors circulated that he might be the next Pope (O'Malley brought his PR people to Rome for the conclave) -- because how cool would it be having a Pope whose PR team is led by Terry Donilon, brother to Obama's Tom Donilon!!!

O'Malley if asked will -- softly -- affirm the Church's teaching on abortion and gay marriage. He dragged his feet on responding to the HHS mandate, and then his letter was practically just the form letter issued by the USCCB. And Boston is not a party to any lawsuit against HHS -- a spokesman for the archdiocese, when asked, said, "Well, others are suing -- we don't have to."

O'Malley was chosen for the way he handled the clergy sex abuse scandal.

Another view from a Boston Catholic Insider comment:

Sean has happily cooperated for years with the notion that he is the guy to solve all clerical sexual abuse problems. This is a carefully crafted fiction — he is the faceplate over the wiring built and operated by others. Matter of fact, he quaked in his sandals about abuse as far back as the “Fr.” Porter cases in Fall River. He was bailed out there by Boston, and he was bailed out in Boston by those who did the difficult work of sorting out the maelstrom of accusations here.

But he’s happy to take the credit for the work of others. So likely he was appointed to this committee for a competence he does not truly embody.

I read Lawler's book -- and I've lived in Boston all my life. Boston Catholic Insider has been documenting O'Malley's management in detail -- check their site. Even orthodoxy is not much of a concern to O'Malley; VOTF operates at a favored pastor's paraish. One of O'Malley's closest advisors is Fr. Hehir! Jack Connors, the advertising guy is active in Catholic education -- while being an enthusiastic bundler for Obama. You'll note that the Boston archdiocese is not a party to any of the suits against HHS over the mandate; an archdiocesan spokesman said, when asked, that since others were suing, they didn't have to (though, as I understand it, the suits are being handled pro bono).

Note too that O'Malley gets absolutely fawning coverage from the very left-wing Boston media. They allow him the occasional pro forma anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage remark (few and far between and not backed up with action), but they know he won't do anything to criticize or embarrass the Dems -- recall the Ted Kennedy dog-and-pony show funeral.

And I'll bet the buzz about him as being in the running for Pope in the recent conclave had little to do with his imagined suitability and a lot to do with the fact that he brought his PR people (notably Terry Donilon, yes, the brother of Obama's Tom Donilon) to Rome. The WP was drooling over the prospect of Obama having an "in" at the Vatican.

I don't know anything about the others (except Pell, who IIRC is quite good), but I can't imagine why he'd select O'Malley, unless he's planning to dismantle the Church in orderly if ham-handed fashion. From Boston Catholic Insider:

In Boston, for nearly 3 years we have been documenting the ongoing problems of:

-- Nearly $4M annually in excessive six-figure salaries paid to lay executives
-- Moving around of funds from originally designated purposes to someplace else
-- Skyrocketing administrative expenses
-- Cronyism in hiring
-- Deception in communications and in policy making
-- Retention of Finance Council members and key advisers to the Cardinal who work against Catholic Church teachings
-- Routine violations of the archdiocesan Code of Conduct
-- Incompetence by high paid cabinet members
-- Draining of capital reserves to pay operating expenses
-- $140M in unpaid debt, with no plan to be able to repay the debt
-- 34% decline in Mass attendance between 2000 and 2012
-- 40-50% of parishes operating in the red
-- Abdication of leadership by Cardinal O’Malley and a failure by him to teach through his actions and words.

Other than those minor matters, everything is just great in Boston. Just a few of these problems are described in this recent blog post.

Heartfelt prayers!

Oh please....we SS folks got nothing for two years

I sort of recall hearing that that was because they decided not to include food or energy in figuring the cost of living increase. Didn't one of Obama's minions justify it a few years ago by arguing that the cost of electronics had gone down?

I think years ago when housing prices were skyrocketing (don't recall exactly when), they decided not to count housing for cost of living.

The Republican establishment has determined it is losing elections due to the social issues.

Whether that's the reason -- "losing elections due to the social issues" -- or merely visceral distaste for social conservatism, the national GOP elites seem to want to follow the "Massachusetts model." The MA GOP has been liberal on social issues for maybe 30 years or more. Its "official" position is supposed silence on social issues, but the reality is that the party will recruit and support a social liberal in a primary if a social conservative has the temerity to declare. Normally, it just recruits social liberals.

So how is this working out electorally? I believe the GOP currently holds 10-12% of legislative seats and no state-wide offices. IIRC, they held a "high" of 15% of the legislature before Romney (apparently hand-picked by the MA GOP) was governor. We've had Republican governors, but our last conservative governor was Ed King in the early 80s -- and he was a Democrat (later ousted by Dukakis).

This may go a long way to explaining why only about half of those eligible to register/vote actually vote in MA.

Beautiful inscription behind Pope Benedict, but I don't quite get the last bit.
"Christ defends his people from every apple."

Old Latin class verse:

Malo I would rather be
Malo in an apple tree.
Malo than an evil man
Malo in adversity!

:-)

You don’t really need the gimmick black box to do that

No, I would think counting "a thousand one, a thousand two, etc." to 1003 (for inhaling) and 1004 to 1006 (for exhaling) would do the trick (if there's a trick to be done). And just to try it seems harmless -- no unpleasant side effects. etc.

If I could just ditch the blood pressure drugs, I’d be free of it all.

Have your heard of this? Resperate [sic] -- not an endorsement, all I know is what's here, just ran into it browsing!

If the laity did anything (or were invited to), I didn’t see it!

I got an answer at post #22:

If you can get the vid to work, start at 41 minutes. Looks like Roman style is what we usually see from the popes. It's not a handshake. It's approaching the other, clasping the upper arms or shoulders, and pressing cheek to cheek. Doesn't look any different from other masses I've seen celebrated by recent popes.

Thanks! And no invitation to the folks to say “Howdy!” to one another? ;-)

I tried looking at the video, but my computer (or that I have only DSL) is, well, less than satisfactory for viewing videos (even worse for listening!).

The sign of peace is in the Roman Style

What is "the Roman style" for the sign of peace?

And -- if the laity received kneeling, does that mean they received on the tongue?

How will I learn if I don't ask questions . . . ;-)

and the sole solution is O’Malley. And you would be amazed at how much he is loved here in Italy.

Anyone who thinks O'Malley (!) is the solution doesn't understand the question ... :(

I hope you're right! The Boston media are -- of course -- all a-flutter over the possibility that he could be Pope (I have to keep switching to the "oldies" station!). And why not? He never gives Dems a hard time -- and there's plenty of cause to, here in MA!

P.S. He also apparently brought his whole PR team with him to Rome.

O'Malley as Pope -- what an utterly appalling idea! He would certainly put paid to any notion of "reforming the reform" as far as liturgy goes; he is apparently actually hostile to the old Mass.

Orthodoxy in doctrine doesn't seem to be a concern of his. Whether he's personally orthodox or not, he surrounds himself with people who aren't -- the infamous Fr. Hehir is in his "inner circle" of advisors; also Jack Connors, a huge bundler for Obama -- these off the top of my head. There seems to remain a significant "gay network" among Boston clergy. Finances are irresponsibly handled. Mass attendance is way down under him. See Boston Catholic Insider for the details.

I'm not sure why he is considered by anyone strong on life issues. The Boston Archdioces is (to my mind conspicuously) absent from the list of Catholic entities suing HHS over the mandate; an archdiocesan spokesman, when asked about it, said in essence "Other groups are suing; we don't have to," although -- from what I've read -- the law firm of Jones, Day is handling the cases pro bono. Of course, O'Malley has been silent on similar issues in MA.

I'm pinging a few old FReepers who haven't posted lately. I don't know if they still look in, but they would probably have something to add!

Where does all money come from?
The government! It says so right on the bills.

Exactly! They don't see a distinction between the currency and the economy -- they think since the gov't issues the currency, it actually creates (and incidentally owns) the economy . . . :(

heavy-handed PR campaigns like O’Malley’s tend to backfire.

We can only hope! Of course, the Boston media are pushing it -- I think they see it as just another form of rooting for the Red Sox . . . :(

Among the “outsiders,” the profiles of three holy men are receiving quiet attention: the American Capuchin friar Sean O’Malley of Boston, who is seen as a holy man who speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese,

I am in stunned disbelief that anyone could seriously consider O'Malley (at least anyone with the best interest of the Church at heart!); I guess his PR push is paying off! See Boston Catholic Insider -- Cardinal O’Malley’s Vatican PR Campaign:

In case you have been wondering how and why Cardinal Sean O’Malley is getting so much press in and around the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope, now we know why. The Boston Archdiocesean PR machine is in high gear drumming up stories, as exemplified by the email below from Cardinal O’Malley’s cabinet secretary for communications. A rational person seeing their press activity might wonder why the Cardinal and his PR team have embarked on such an active campaign in the days before the conclave starts. . . .

Thanks!

Is there a list that sorts them according to fidelity to orthodoxy? Just axin’ . . . ;-)

I was talking yesterday to a permanent deacon who had met O'Malley when he was attending a seminary in western Massachusetts--he thought very highly of him.

For another view, see Boston Catholic Insider featuring such posts as:

o Cardinal O’Malley’s Vatican PR Campaign
o Does Boston Archdiocese have a “gay network” of clergy too? (If you read this, be sure to read the comments)
o Insider Questions: Is Cardinal O’Malley Really “Papabile”?: Part 1
o Parallels between Vatican politics/corruption and Boston diocesan corruption

He has also spoken out against Democratic politicians' support for abortion

Gee, I missed it -- and I'm in Boston. I do recall his being quoted as saying to some Dem group, "How can you be so wrong on abortion when you're so right about everything else?" This being MA, "everything" presumably includes religious freedom (Boston did not file suit with those other Catholic 53 entities against ObamaCare -- an archdicese spokesman said "we don't have to; if anyone's suing that's enough" though apparently Jones Day is representing them all pro bono), transgender rights, gay marriage and such.

LOL! Izzat yoo, Mumbles? ;-)

Sometimes I wonder if Menino hires these people to run against him — so that he’ll look sane by comparison!

. . . news reports abound which are often unverified or not verifiable, or even false, even subsequent damage people and institutions.

Like the one reported ad nauseam on local (Boston) TV and radio stations that Cdl. O'Malley (!) is on the "short list"? The story was made current in this country by John Allen, who cites "Italian media" (according to the radio reports I've heard). If he named specific sources, the radio ahd TV stations disdained to mention them.

Cardinals Ranjith and Burke are among those who have publicly celebrated Mass in the extraordinary form, and would be considered “favorable to tradition.”

Thanks! I thought (hoped?) that might be it! Well, either of them is welcome to my vote!:)

Cardinals Ranjith and Burke are among those who have publicly celebrated

Is there supposed to be more to this sentence? ;-)

Hasn't Deval been gaming the system all his life? (And not for a crummy $800 or $1200 a month in welfare.) Lie-a-watha gamed it only once (that we know of), but hit the jackpot! And consider America's first Affirmative Action Moocher-in-Chief . . . . You all can multiply examples of other esteemed public "servants."

I guess it's the "new normal" . . .

Will Fat Taxes Kill You?

I'm guessing that if the "fat taxes" don't, the sheer aggravation these people inflict will! Though maybe that's the plan . . . ;-)

No wonder Osama Obama returned Churchill's bust to the British Ambassador.These quotes must affect a Maoist like him like kryptonite affects Superman.

LOL! That was my first thought too!

Odd...why would moochers, freeloaders, bums, parasites, human detritus and flotsam (aka Democrats) be reading Forbes?

Doesn't the left actually hire people to flood the internet with whatever their hobby-horse du jour is? I recall reading about some Dem bragging about how they created a "groundswell" of demand for campaign finance "reform" that way. Just as some of the "Occupy" freaks were hired (someone posted a link to a CraigsList want ad).