Here comes the pandering.

Taking a page from President Bush, Democrat Barack Obama said Tuesday he wants to expand White House efforts to steer social service dollars to religious groups, risking protests in his own party with his latest aggressive reach for voters who usually vote Republican.
Obama contended he is merely stating long-held positions — surprising to some, he said, after a primary campaign in which he was “tagged as being on the left.”

In recent days, with the Democratic nomination in hand and the general election battle with Republican John McCain ahead, Obama has been sounding centrist themes with comments on guns, government surveillance and capital punishment. He’s even quoted Ronald Reagan.

One can only guess what kind of faith-based programs he’s for:

In response to the attacks on McCain’s military service, Obama said the following yesterday:

“For those who have fought under the flag of this nation – for the young veterans I meet when I visit Walter Reed; for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country – no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. And let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters on both sides.”

But, when asked today if Weasel Clark should apologize for his attack on McCain’s military service, he had a much different attitude.

REPORTER: Do you not feel that Clark owes McCain an apology?

SEN. OBAMA: I guess my question is why, given all the vast numbers of things that we got to work on, that that would be a top priority of mine.

I guess the real question is why Obama couldn’t have simply answers, “Yes, Clark owes McCain an apology.”

For someone who has made a point that “words matter,” he should also realize that a lack of words can matter too.

UPDATE, by Mark Noonan: And the Obamaniacs just keep doing it:

So I too honor John McCain. And, like General Clark, I acknowledge his sacrifice for his country. But being a prisoner of the Vietnamese and serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee does not automatically qualify one for the position of Commander-in-Chief — understanding risks, gauging your opponents and being held accountable does. We must end this glib obeisance to sacrifice and ask deeper questions: is a man who sings “bomb, bomb, bomb … bomb, bomb Iran” a man who understands risks? Is a man who says that we must keep our troops in Iraq until we achieve an ill-defined “victory” really know how to gauge America’s opponents. If we want to hold people accountable, then let’s stand behind my friend Wes Clark — and hold John McCain accountable for what he’s said. – Lt. General Robert Gard (Ret.), Vets for Obama, on the kook-left hate-site Daily Kos

I’m sorry, but as Barack Obama has said before, words matter, and Wesley Clark’s despicable attack on John McCain’s service demonstrates the Obama campaigns desperation. Make no mistake about it, Clark was speaking as a surrogate for Obama’s campaign. Obama can’t take those words back, and it’s pathetic that Obama, for all his self-righteous rhetoric about words mattering and judgement, he seems to think that he can make up for various misjudgments and missteps by writing it off as a boneheaded mistake, or by coming up with some longwinded, manufactured excuse that’s suppose to make it okay.

Word matter, Obama. Clark’s attack on the service and patriotism of John McCain is beneath the dignity of a presidential campaign. A simple “disavowing” of Clark’s comments isn’t enough.

UPDATE, by Mark Noonan: And Senator McCain shows real class:

“If that’s the kind of campaign that Senator Obama and his surrogates and supporters want to engage in, I understand that,” he said. “But it doesn’t reduce the price of a gallon of gas by a penny” or do anything else to help Americans.

He added a moment later, “I know that General Clark’s comment is not an isolated incident. I have no way of knowing what involvement Senator Obama has in that issue.”

UPDATE II, by Mark Noonan: Clark’s comments have raised a lot of military ire:

The Obama campaign’s disgraceful attacks on John McCain’s military service are unworthy of the ‘new politics’ Barack Obama claims to represent. John McCain has proven his leadership and courage by putting his country first in the most trying of times, refusing early release from prison and standing strong with his fellow POWs. Barack Obama should realize that these tactics have no place in this campaign, and he can make that clear by denouncing these reprehensible comments. – Colonel Tom Moe, former inmate of the “Hanoi Hilton”

As a Marine pilot who served in Vietnam , I am deeply concerned about the disgraceful remarks from Barack Obama’s campaign surrogate, Gen. Wesley Clark, regarding John McCain’s military service. John McCain is proud of his record of always putting the country first from his time in the Navy, in Vietnam , and through to today. Being in command of a military squadron, regardless of whether the country is at war or peace, requires the true leadership that is necessary when assuming total responsibility for the well-being of the men and women in one’s unit. John McCain’s military experiences solely qualify him to be Commander-in-Chief when compared to any other candidate running for President of the United States .

Having gone down in a helicopter myself in Vietnam , I know firsthand what is required to stay cool under fire. When John McCain was shot down, there is no doubt that he was in total control of the situation and made all the right decisions under fire. I personally feel betrayed by Gen. Clark’s statements against John McCain. And when Barack Obama allows his surrogates to attack John McCain’s military record, it simply proves that Barack Obama is to be nothing more than a typical politician who will say anything to get elected. – Colonel Jack Jackson, veteran of 600 combat missions in Vietnam

Senator John McCain is an American hero and an inspiration to those of us who have served our country, faithfully and fully, in times of war. He understands sacrifice like only a wounded war veteran and former POW could. At a time when fewer and fewer Americans know what it is like to serve in our armed forces, Senator McCain’s experience will be immeasurable when he is elected President. Barack Obama’s willingness to allow his campaign to smear Senator McCain’s service is an insult to all of us who have worn the uniform. – Master Sergeant Terry Benson, 24 year Air Force veteran

In 2004, protesters at the Democratic National Convention were put into a “free speech cage,” in order to keep them contained and away from delegates.

It looks like they’re planning similar infringements on free speech for their convention in Denver.

The fence around the public demonstration zone outside the Democratic National Convention will be chicken wire or chain link, authorities revealed in U.S. District Court today.

That may allow protestors to be seen and heard by delegates going in and out of the Pepsi Center during the convention.

But the American Civil Liberties Union and several advocacy groups have filed an amended complaint to their lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service and the city and county of Denver that says protestors and demonstrators may have their First Amendment rights violated by security restrictions.

The ACLU has said it wants to avoid the conditions that existed during the 2004 convention in Boston, where protesters were caged, infuriating First Amendment advocates.

The first phase of the lawsuit asked the court to compel the city and the Secret Service to disclose the information on protest restrictions.

What really gets me about this is that back in 2004, liberals accused the Bush campaign of kicking out protesters from campaign rallies, while all attempts by Democrats to limit the free speech of protesters who oppose them aren’t criticized at all.

Just goes to show you howl little the Democrats think about the Constitution.

Liberals have become so desperate to attack John McCain that they’ll stoop to any low.. even attacking his military service.

Gen. Wesley Clark, acting as a surrogate for Barack Obama’s campaign, invoked John McCain’s military service against him in one of the more personal attacks on the Republican presidential nominee this election cycle.

Clark said that McCain lacked the executive experience necessary to be president, calling him “untested and untried” on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” And in saying so, he took a few swipes at McCain’s military service.

“He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn’t held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn’t a wartime squadron,” Clark said.

“I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.”

Get that? According to Clark, John McCain’s military service, combined with his years in the Senate doesn’t qualify him to be commander-in-chief, but Barack Obama, who never served in the military, and has barely served in the Senate is somehow qualified? Give me a break.

UPDATE: Admiral Leighton “Snuffy” Smith, USN (Ret.) issued the following statement in response to Gen. Wesley Clark’s attack on John McCain’s military service:

“If Barack Obama wants to question John McCain’s service to his country, he should have the guts to do it himself and not hide behind his campaign surrogates. If he expects the American people to believe his pledges about a new kind of politics, Barack Obama has a responsibility to condemn these attacks.”

UPDATE, by Mark Noonan: Change you can believe in – if you also believe in the Tooth Fairy. Absolutely disgusting – but just the precursor to the real nastiness which will start up in about a month. Obama and his Democrats can’t run on their Carteresque proposals (and has anyone really thought through a “windfall profits tax” on oil? Its not like oil companies have to sell their oil in the United States…they’ll just sell their oil where there ain’t windfall profits taxes…if Obama wins, get ready for gas rationing ala’ Jimmy Carter!) so they are forced to make John McCain so odious that the American people will feel justified in given the White House to the manifestly unqualified Barack Obama.

Hows’ this for hypocrisy: If you don’t support Barack Obama, if you dare mention his middle name, you’re accused of fearmongering. If you support Obama, and mention his middle name, you deserve a freakin’ medal:

Barack Obama’s middle name Hussein has been used in some corners as a rallying cry to cast false aspersions against him, but in a growing movement, some of his supporters are adopting his middle name as a show of solidarity with the candidate.

The New York Times reports that those who are adding Hussein to their name tags — at least online — come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including Jews and Catholics, Hispanics and Asians; and from all over the country, from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C.
[…]
People are changing e-mail accounts and adding Hussein as their middle names on social-networking sites like Facebook, the Times reports, to deaden the effect the name “Hussein” has on some people who see it as a negative trait.

Well then, if they can call attention to it, from now on, I’ll just call him by his full name, Barack Hussein Obama.

A good decision from the Supreme Court today.

McCain called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the D.C. gun ban a “landmark victory for Second Amendment freedom” and said Obama has reversed his positions on guns.

Speaking on his bus before making a stop at Skyline Chili, McCain acknowledged the amicus brief he filed in the case and said he was “pleased with the ruling.” But he said Obama has changed his positions on gun control.

“All I can say it’s one in a long, in a long series in reversals of positions,” McCain said. “In a few days he has gone from opposing nuclear power, to not a proponent, to willing to explore. I fully anticipate — whether it be on his pledge on public financing or his position on the Second Amendment, or any other issues — he is changing his positions. So it’s not surprising.”

UPDATE: The stupid comment of the day:

“I am profoundly disappointed in Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, both of whom assured us of their respect for precedent. With this decision, 70 years of precedent has gone out the window. And I believe the people of this great country will be less safe because of it.” — Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

70 years of precedent? How about the 216 years of precedent from the Constitution:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Wow, first Obama breaks his own word by opting out of public financing, now he’s trying to raise money on his broken promise.

Finally, after months and months of Democrat obstruction, the Senate confirmed five nominees to the Federal Election Commission. This confirmation will allow the FEC to finally resume functioning.

The nominees were confirmed without dissent after drawn-out talks between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and a last-minute hang-up over a demand from Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., a campaign finance crusader, to meet with all five nominees.

Though the FEC staff has been at work, the six-member commission has been inactive because it has not had a quorum to conduct business. The commission is the agency that regulates federal elections and campaign finance matters.

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement after the confirmation of the nominees.

“A fully functioning, bipartisan FEC is long overdue. I’m glad that Democrat obstruction on nominees is over so the FEC can now resume its critical role of enforcing election laws and ensuring that this election season is fair and equitable to all who are involved.”

Hardcore Obamaniacs may have loved it, but everyone else recognized it for what it was, the symbol of an arrogant, egotistical man who sense of entitlement rivals that of Hillary Clinton.

After days of media mockery, Barack Obama has decided to stop using a presidential-looking seal that his campaign designed and affixed to his podium on Friday.

Journalists said the seal, which features an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch, smacks of arrogance. John McCain’s camp had a field day, calling the seal “laughable, ridiculous, preposterous and revealing – all at the same time.”

The seal was conspicuously missing from Obama’s lectern when he spoke to a group of women in Albuquerque on Monday. Not surprising, given how much grief Obama took from a normally laudatory press corps after unveiling the seal at an appearance in Chicago on Friday.

“What a bizarre and dumb idea,” railed NBC political director Chuck Todd. “It really feeds the arrogance narrative.”

The oversized blue seal was emblazoned with the Latin phrase “Vero Possumus,” which roughly translates into “yes, we can.” It also featured a plug for the candidate’s website.

“The Audacity of Hype,” cracked ABC’s Jake Tapper. “No word on whether they played a remix of ‘Hail to the Chief’ as Obama walked in.”

Andrew Malcolm of the Los Angeles Times observed that Obama “has decided not to wait for any of the formalities like a presidential election, an inauguration or even a nomination, which he still hasn’t actually officially won yet.”

Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic magazine was the first to note that Obama would deep-six the seal.

“I’m told that Obama recognizes that it was a silly mistake,” Ambinder said. “Does the press think Obama is arrogant? Yes.”

PREVIOUS: Some photoshop fun with Obama’s seal.