[Guest post by DRJ]

Gaza’s summer day camps for children are really, really competitive:

“Rival day camps by the United Nations and Gaza’s Islamic militant Hamas rulers compete for the hearts of the next generation, the roughly 700,000 children under 15 who make up nearly half of the Gaza Strip’s population.

Hamas camps teach an anti-Israeli doctrine and military-style marching, along with horseback riding, swimming and Islam. U.N. camps try to instill hope in a better future, a message wrapped in fun and games.”

The article has more details on what kids do in the Hamas camps and the UN camps so read the whole thing. Once again, the “good works” of Hamas are distinguished from its terrorist actions, but it’s a dangerous distinction that leads to children taught to celebrate their own mother’s death:

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

Tom Perriello is a first-term Democratic Congressman representing Virginia’s 5th District. Both Cook’s Political Report and CQ Politics list his re-election race as a toss-up. Here is Perriello’s first campaign ad as an incumbent:

Is this an effective ad?

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

“Michael Mann says hockey stick should not have become ‘climate change icon’:”

“I always thought it was somewhat misplaced to make it a central icon of the climate change debate,” he said.”

He thought it. He just didn’t mention it anywhere except the East Anglia emails.

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

I posted yesterday on Elena Kagan’s role in releasing an American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) memo on partial birth abortion. Senator Orrin Hatch asked Kagan about the memo today, and Ed Morrissey at Hot Air calls Kagan’s response her Urkel defense:

“If the intent of Elena Kagan’s testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee is to build confidence in her competence, her answer to Orrin Hatch about a controversial memo has to be a huge step in the wrong direction. Despite the issue having been in the news for the last 24 hours and the centrality of it to the Clinton-era efforts to stop a ban on partial-birth abortion, Kagan initially claimed ignorance of the issue. Only when pressed did Kagan recall her intentions, as Byron York and LifeNews‘ Steven Ertelt both report this afternoon:

“Did you write that memo?” Hatch asked.

“Senator, with respect,” Kagan began, “I don’t think that that’s what happened — ”

“Did you write that memo?”

“I’m sorry — the memo which is?”

“The memo that caused them to go back to the language of ‘medically necessary,’ which was the big issue to begin with — ”

“Yes, well, I’ve seen the document — ”

“But did you write it?”

“The document is certainly in my handwriting.”

***
In other words, it’s more or less an Urkel defense of saying, “Did I do that?”

There’s more, so read the whole thing.

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

General McChrystal will retire with 4-star rank as a parting gift from President Obama and the taxpayers will be the ones paying for Obama’s generosity. Who says it doesn’t pay to vote for Obama?

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

In a way, President Obama made an appearance in today’s Rod Blagojevich corruption trial:

“According to the testimony of Chicago labor leader Tom Balanoff, he received a phone call the night before the 2008 presidential election from then-Sen. Obama saying that he thought his advisor Valerie Jarrett fit the criteria for United States Senator.

Balanoff recalled Obama saying in the phone call that he preferred Jarrett working for him at the White House but expressing that Jarrett “does want to be a senator.”

While Obama had said he would not endorse anyone outright for his soon-to-be vacant Senate seat, Balanoff testified today he told Obama that he would reach out to Gov. Blagojevich with that message.”

However, this is at odds with what Obama told the press when the scandal broke the following month:

“In December 2008 President-elect Obama said he was “appalled and disappointed” by the revelations that the Blagojevich was involved in a “pay-to-play” scheme to fill his Senate seat.

“I have never spoken to the governor on this subject,” Obama said then in remarks from Chicago, “I’m confident that no representatives of mine would have any part of any deals related to this seat.”

Obama parses just like Clinton.

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

California Rep. Pete Stark mocked a Minuteman who asked what the federal government would do to stop illegal immigration:

“Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., no stranger to controversy, mocked the idea that the borders are not secure when asked about the federal government’s lack of activity on border security.

“We can’t get enough Minutemen armed. We’d like to get all the Minutemen armed so they can stop shooting people here,” Stark said.

Eventually, members of the audience urged Stark to offer a serious answer.

“If you knew anything about our borders, you would know that’s not the case. Our borders are quite secure, thank you,” Stark said, drawing jeers.

Stark resumed his hostile act, asking the Minuteman what he would do to secure the border.

“I would send about about 25,000 troops for one thing and build a wall down so vehicles could not pass,” the Minuteman said.

“How high and long would it be?” Stark asked.

“As high and as long as it takes,” the Minuteman said, elicting cheers.

Stark said he would start a ladder company with the Minuteman if he designed the wall and doesn’t shoot the people coming over.

“But I’ve got to know how high the wall is and I’ll sell a whole lot of ladders for people who want to come,” Stark said.

“This is a very serious matter and you’re sitting there making fun of it,” the Minuteman responded.

“I don’t have to make fun of you sir, you do a fine job all by yourself,” Stark said.”

Stark and his views are not representative of the Californians at this blog, but he strikes me as an outspoken but mainstream California leader. Is this really what most Californians want?

— DRJ

From Andrew Breitbart, who is offering $100,000 for the JournoList archives.

iowahawk has the next best thing:

JOSH MARSHALL: hey matt ask your mom if she can drop us off at the mall AMC at 7

MATTHEW YGLESIAS: ok

MATTHEW YGLESIAS: i just hope we dont run into olbermann

EZRA KLEIN: eeewww

JOSH MARSHALL: ewww

ERIC BOEHLERT: eeeewww

EZRA KLEIN: FIRST!

MATTHEW YGLESIAS: that guy is kinda creepy

EZRA KLEIN: ya,, isnt he kinda old to be hanging around chat rooms and mall theaters

ERIC BOEHLERT: did he ever offer u a ride in his van?

JOSH MARSHALL: ya, like yesterday

EZRA KLEIN: im thinking about growing my hair out like justin bieber

MATTHEW YGLESIAS: omg u totally should it would look so cute on u

ERIC BOEHLERT: ita,,, justin rox

EZRA KLEIN: thats what i thought but it idk how he gets bangs to lay flat like that

By the way, regarding Andrew’s offer, Glenn Reynolds says:

If you’re worried about your own stuff being released, you don’t really safeguard it by not selling out to Breitbart — you just ensure that if one of the 400 other members does, you won’t get the $100K.

Prisoner’s Dilemma!

That’s the second of three insightful thoughts he has.

[Guest post by DRJ]

Spy Tale #1 — Real sex, real kids, but not all were married.

Spy Tale #2 — Some were better at complaining than spying.

Spy Tale #3 — One made an interesting connection with an Obama Cabinet official.

Don’t you think Anna Chapman (photo at the links) could be a Bond girl?

— DRJ