Preemptive Appeasement

A proactive elementary principal of the Portland school district in Oregon has sprung into action to prevent any further offense and humiliation to be suffered by Muslims over the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. How? She yanked it from an end of year school program.

So, what is the problem, aside from appeasing Muslim political bodies that want to reform the American culture into one that is decidedly less American? Well, for one thing, the principal has cooked up this offense after a consultation with her crystal ball, for no Muslims have ever come forward with any complaint of being offended over the Pledge at this school. Ever.

Secondly, the advocate educator has helped to teach a generation of her school's pupils that patriotic America is offensive, and therefore patriotic gestures such as the pledge (and presumably American flag pins) should be slowly erased from America's consciousness.

Finally, despite all her best intentions of not offending anyone, her substitution of the pledge with a song based on the preamble to the Constitution did offend at least one non-Muslim parent.

"I was sad," said parent Briana Reese. "The flag was sitting up there, you know. Two of the kids went up and they said 'Everybody rise,' and we rose, and I thought for just a second 'Oh yeah, we're going to put our hands on our hearts and we're going to salute the flag' - but no."

Reese had heard that the principal planned to take the pledge out of the ceremony.

"I think that's what they should be doing - telling kids you should be pledging your allegiance to this country," Reese said. "This is a great country. You're here for a reason."

I wonder if this woman's offense, being a non-Muslim, will be as important to the principal as all of the potential Muslim offenses that have yet to occur. I doubt it.

A hat tip to Planck's Constant where he writes:

Oregon's southwest Portland elementary school officials, without a single Muslim complaint, in order to prevent the smidgin of likelihood, a sliver of chance, a particle of possibility that some Muslim might perhaps potentially be slightly offended decided to exclude the Pledge of Allegiance from an elementary school's ceremony.

This is America and many willing Americans are too eager to subjugate themselves to the will of Islam. Here is a newsflash to a certain educator in Oregon; there is no right not to be offended in this country, regardless of how badly you wish to keep Muslims from suffering that particular indignation.

Why this is so would be a much better lesson to be teaching in your school.

Who Surfs MSNBC?

The results of this poll, updated as of this morning, ought to tell you exactly who is tuning and logging in.


Maybe with enough yes votes they can get Bush charged with Lindbergh kidnapping.

There are loons around every corner.

Hat tip to Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs who opines

This is all leading up to war crimes trials for the Bush administration, if Obama is elected.

Butt-Ugly Basketball

In my sporadic observation of the NBA playoffs this year, I was struck with one undeniable observation: despite the participation of some of the best athletes on the planet, the NBA showcases butt-ugly basketball.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but basketball used to be a lot more fun for me to watch when there wasn't so much pushing and shoving, inconsistent officiating, carrying the ball, that woeful three point shot, and what seems to be ten different time outs in the last couple minutes.

Ugly? I haven't even gotten around to that whiny mug of Rasheed Wallace who acts like he has never once gotten a call in his favor during his long, complaint laden career.

Despite all of this, according to Dr. Melissa Clouthier, things might be even uglier than I imagined.

Detroit Council Trio to Gov: We Weren't Duped

As reported in the Detroit News today, there is an astounding quasi admission from three members of Detroit's City Council--they either knew all about the hush money being paid to the whistle blower plaintiffs in their lawsuit against the city and blessed the payments anyway, or they are saying they were unaware of the payment but feel it was well within the rights of the mayor to engage in acts of political self-preservation that financially hurt the city.

In either case, who is looking out for the citizens of Detroit?

Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers sent a letter May 27 that asks Granholm to refrain from using state powers that allow governors to unseat elected officials for misconduct. The letter disputes the council's claim that Kilpatrick violated the city charter, claiming there is "no factual basis whatsoever" that members were duped into the deal.

Ah, that Monica Conyers truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Conyers and the other signing council members, Barbara-Rose Collins and Martha Reeves, have somehow decided that by asserting that, since they were not duped into the hush money payoffs, they have somehow legitimized the mayor's payoffs themselves. Unfortunately for the trio, all they may have done is exposed their own culpability in this whole sordid scheme or testified to their willingness to put a personal friendship with the hip-hop mayor ahead of their elected responsibilities to look out for the residents of Detroit.

In fairness, Conyers has said the letter is not in support of the mayor personally, but simply a caution to the Governor to not jump too quickly and to allow the legal mechanisms of Detroit to run its course on the whole affair. I've heard rational people make the same arguments recently and, though I don't agree with them in toto, they do have some merit.

However, if this is the case, why then did Conyers insert the possibly incriminating "we were not duped" red herring into the equation if not solely for Kwame's defense?

If Monica Conyers gets what she desires the city of Detroit will remain in the shadows of the Kwame Kilpatrick scandal for another couple of years--long enough for the courts to settle the dispute in their own time while the Governor sits on her hands.

For a person so wise as to not be duped by Kwame's clandestine activities, how can Monica Conyers be so unwise as to want her city to suffer through a needlessly extended period of embarrassment and financial hardship? Because she loves and respects Kwame Kilpatrick more than she loves and respects the city of Detroit.

Monica Conyers may not have been duped, and neither is she duping me.

The Solution is Pixie Dust!

An excellent post today over at Jack McHugh's Blog helps to lay bare that rare combination of naiveté and mean-spiritedness that is today's radical environmental movement.

In a Lansing State Journal column about a proposed new coal power plant, Michigan Sierra Club director Anne Woiwode demonstrates the disingenuousness of environmental extremists. The piece consists of nothing but a slashing attack on “big coal” and on the utility that serves Lansing for being “the leading polluter in Ingham County.” (It probably is, given that, among other factors, Michigan’s out-of-control environmental regulators have contributed to General Motors’ recent closing of major auto assembly plants in the county.)

Ms. Woiwode smashes and bashes the very idea of coal-fired generators, but a reader seeking her recommendations for how we should generate electricity won’t find any. The closest she comes is to say, “Let’s invest in clean, renewable energy and look to the future . . .”

That’s it? “Clean, renewable energy?” Well, who could possibly be against that? But what specifically is this miraculous energy source? Nuclear? Oh no, Ms. Woiwode and the Sierra Club will almost literally fight to the death to prevent the construction of another nuclear power plant in this nation.

I know – pixie dust!

Read the whole thing.

Michigan's One Size Fits All Education Plan

One size fits all education will work for our children's generation about as well as one size fits all spandex has worked to enhance the appearance of shoppers leaning deeply into the meat case at the local supermarket. We can shoehorn just about anyone into a pair of those things provided the proper heavy equipment, but the result of such a shoehorning might very well conclude in an unfortunately dimpled display and a to-be-expected decline in store traffic.

Along the same lines, our esteemed overlords in Michigan's educational system have determined that it would be best for all of our students to take a more rigorous approach to their high school education. Since local teachers, parents and administrators (all of whom would simply love the same thing) have been unable to do so, the overlords decided they would take matters into their own hands and simply decree it.

That ought to convince little Johnny to study more--the Governor wants it! And gosh, it sure feels good to know that our rulers have what is best for our children in mind, or at least they have what sounds best for our children in mind.

By my way of thinking, the government will have just as much success outlawing small feet or big noses, not that I expect big noses to ever lose their luster in Lansing. And, of course, there is that nasty little quirk we call the "unintended consequences of any good deed."

Not only are our brightest and most motivated students already taking rigorous educational courses in mathematics, English and science, the classes they inhabit are now also filled with students forced into the classroom who have neither the aptitude nor the interest to be there in the first place. If that isn't a ready-made laboratory for spit wads, I don't know what is.

This is not to say that all those students forced into the more demanding classes are incapable of doing better, or that they are losers. I knew a kid in high school that didn't get above a D in any class he ever took in high school, yet, that kid at eighteen (two years after dropping out) could disassemble an automobile engine and put it back together without having any parts left over. I took the more demanding classes available at my school and I couldn't take apart a BB gun and get it back together properly. One of us was made for Algebra, the other was made for mechanics.

To think that our school or his mother was going to intricately mold an educational plan and shove it down that kid's throat while expecting any success would have bordered on insanity. And, he wasn't alone, he was one of a dozen kids in my class at our small school that attended because they had to. Most of them dropped out immediately when they became of age and, SHOCKINGLY!, most of them have gone on to lead productive adult lives.

There was another group of kids in my school that were there because they wanted to be. This is also a group whose contemporaries are being short changed by the new rules. They worked hard and they attended class. Still, these kids were not capable of taking Algebra as freshmen. Most of them took it as sophomores or juniors, worked hard at it, and passed. That these students moved on to productive adult lives should not be at all surprising except to bureaucrats who seem to have forgotten that not everyone graduating from our high schools need become an engineer or scientist.

Early reports are mixed, of course as parents and teachers struggle to make things work and bureaucrats arrange their tail feathers in ever prouder displays of caring.

No one in this state wants individual children to succeed more than their parents and teachers do, regardless of whatever scheme of the month the blow hards in Lansing happen to be promoting. Any system that routinely dismisses the concerns of parents, teachers and administrators at the local level, just so that they can brand the product from Lansing or Washington, is a system that is destined to fail.

Mass Murder in Tokyo Equals World Fame

From the BBC:

A man armed with a knife has killed seven people and injured 10 others in central Tokyo, Japanese media say.

The incident occurred in the Akihabara district, a busy shopping area known as Electric Town that is popular with young people and tourists.

And then, the BBC gives what any narcissistic murderer wannabe seeks above all else--fame. When he wants to offer others a glimpse into his world of madness, the media is there to comply with astounding speed.

His name is now known around the world, his face splashed on every continent. Soon to follow will be in depth studies of his childhood life, his love relationships, relationships with his co-workers, and all the reasons why this young asshole was so troubled. If he has a video tape that chronicles his fall into the depths, we can expect to see that too. Any notes he left? We can all expect to have its most troubling aspects read to us word for word.

He wanted everyone on Earth to feel the pain he is suffering from, and what better way to do this than to stage an event where worldwide eyes will be forced to focus on the horrific events that have caused his torment?

What this asshole deserves now, after the act, and what all potential tormented copycat assholes should learn to expect if they ever act on their selfishness, is total anonymity--a media blackout on their personal information.

But, will this sell any newspapers or help the ratings?

What That Ford Memo Could Have Said

Obviously, layoffs that affect employees and their families are no joke. It is necessary to understand that businesses do walk a tightrope of sorts. They must manage a company through the ebbs and flows of the economy, balancing between periods of expansion and contraction while remaining profitable.

The American automotive industry has been a cash cow for management and labor of the big three for decades. Huge stockpiles of corporate cash and a consumer base that remained largely unexposed to foreign designed products kept the cash pipeline flowing. The domestic automobile industry could do no wrong because the consumer saw no alternative. There were speed bumps on the road, but it wasn't until the 70's and early 80's, when foreign made vehicles became popular, that it became evident that Detroit was doing something wrong.

Here we are now, thirty some years later, and the domestic automobile industry is just now beginning to rethink its overall corporate strategies. Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company's president of the America's, sent out a memorandum spelling out to salaried worker's at Ford some of the changes that the company feels are now necessary to right the listing ship.

I read the memorandum with both hope that a lasting philosophical change at the automaker (and the greater domestic automotive industry) will take root, and with sadness because I have known many people that have lived good, prosperous lives and raised wonderful families because of the wages earned in the huge factories of central and southern Michigan. Automobiles have been the life blood of Michigan for nearly a century, and witnessing the suffering of a treasured icon is never easy.

I also read the memorandum with a certain amount of skepticism and impatience. While industry management can certainly not shoulder all the blame for the industry's demise (adversarial labor unions and bureaucracies also share a hefty load of the blame,) it is the common knowledge of any Michigander with friends and relatives that work amidst the smokestacks, that the big three are models of inefficiency and laughable mismanagement.

This crash is not sudden but had to be expected by anyone paying attention.

Here is an alternate memorandum that could just as easily have been written. (The link to the actual memorandum written by Mark Fields is below.)

SUBJECT: Detail on business plan updates

Two weeks ago, only years after we noticed things were going downhill quickly, we announced that rapidly deteriorating business conditions -- and a dramatic acceleration in consumer shifts away from large pickups and SUVs to smaller cars and crossovers (oddly, a market trend only discernible by our foreign competitors) -- have made it necessary for us to accelerate our North America transformation plan. We are in trouble boys, this party has ended.

While the fundamentals of our North American business are stronger than they were when we started our recovery effort more than two years ago, at least if you don't count selling cars, we're facing new and greater challenges as an industry. Lower industry volumes and stupid consumers that have chosen to buy vehicles that they like better and break down less often, together with the cost of steel and other commodities, directly affect our bottom line. As we previously announced, we no longer expect Ford North America to return to profitability in 2009.

Clearly, as we've stood here in cement shoes for the past few years watching impotently as business conditions deteriorated in North America, it's finally become so obvious that we have to act that even we have figured it out. In addition to realigning production, we need to bring costs in line. As one element of that, we've had to examine salaried-related costs--let's face it, we are the morons that got us into this mess through years of blockheadedness. In keeping with our commitment to communicate decisions first with employees, particularly those unable to look at the huge red-letter writing on the wall, today I'd like to share the actions that we will need to take if we are ever going to be able stay afloat.

Our plan is to reduce salaried-related costs in North America by 15% by Aug. 1. We probably should have done this years ago, but dieting isn't fun when the buffet is open. This unfortunately will result in involuntary separations of Ford employees and agency personnel, as well as cost savings through attrition and consolidation of open positions as we eliminate positions that were unnecessary since, oh, forever. We won't know the exact number of job reductions that we will be making until we begin to figure out exactly what all you guys have been doing up until this point. The only protected positions here will be for those running the Fantasy Football Leagues.

We also are making some employee compensation and benefit changes to further reduce costs.

These include:

• A further delay of merit increase payments for employees in the United States and Canada until someone actually merits one;

• An immediate suspension of the U.S. Salaried Tuition Assistance Program--it hasn't helped us a bit, look at the mess we are in;

• An immediate suspension of the U.S. Salaried Dependent Scholarship Program, see above and

• A $25,000 cap on company-paid Retiree Basic Life Insurance for previously eligible existing and future U.S. salaried retirees, effective Aug. 1, because we figure none of you salaried workers would be able to afford a $25K life insurance policy on your own. ...

Health care benefits, 401(k) matching funds and other benefits remain unchanged, along with our commitment to keep you informed of the latest challenges. We will probably cut this later however, when we discover that the cars we produce still won't be able to compete with other companies that provide models that people actually want.

We realize the effect these actions will have on you and your families. While this has been a difficult period for all of us, it's important to remember our hard work in recent years has positioned the company to better withstand the challenges our previously pathetic visions have helped us create.

The new products we've launched during the past two years have been successful in the marketplace, and we are on plan with our commitment for 70% of our Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lineup to be new or significantly upgraded by the end of this year -- and 100% by the end of 2010. This makes us very late to the party, but we affirm to you that we will remain inflexible in our goals so that, should market conditions and consumer trends change, we will not be able to significantly alter our momentum until we once again find ourselves sitting solidly behind the eight ball with our stockholders footing the bill. We have not announced new products beyond that time frame -- but we absolutely remain committed to the second part of our plan, which is to accelerate the development of new products that customers want and value. We've decided that this is a good idea after all these years.

In the near-term, we already have announced expanding the use of our fuel-efficient six-speed transmissions, adding new fuel-saving EcoBoost engine technology in 2009, bringing a new European-engineered Transit Connect in 2009 and the new Ford Fiesta small car in 2010.

We've also shown tremendous progress and resolve in cost reductions and are on track to meet our goal of taking $5 billion in cost out of the system by year-end, while delivering quality products on par with the best in the business. Going forward, we will begin to fully realize the benefits of our more competitive contracts with the UAW and CAW, as well--how did we get suckered into the old ones?--I hope the guy responsible for that nonsense is one of the ones getting the ax.

Ultimately, we believe we have the best plan for facing these industry challenges. And we know that companies that deal with these market realities with the greatest sense of urgency and the best executions of their plans will succeed. We've already seen this as we transformed Ford in Europe and South America. With even greater resolve, we can do the same in North America.

As managers, you will receive cascade materials later this morning to help you in conducting discussions with employees about these actions. Thank you for all your hard work and remember, try and look busy!

Original text in the Freep.

New Change and Hope

That was some pretty tough talk coming from the mouth of Barack Obama as he relayed his ideas on Jerusalem the other day, reiterating America's commitment to the only established free democracy in the Middle East by saying that "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided".

A day later, after pressure was place on his campaign by Muslim groups, not so much.

But a campaign adviser clarified Thursday that Obama believes "Jerusalem is a final status issue, which means it has to be negotiated between the two parties" as part of "an agreement that they both can live with."

"Two principles should apply to any outcome," which the adviser gave as: "Jerusalem remains Israel's capital and it's not going to be divided by barbed wire and checkpoints as it was in 1948-1967."

Saying one thing to one side and clarifying that comment the next day to the opposite side.

The tightrope walk of Obama continues. Changing his position frequently and hoping the other side doesn't notice.

h/t Little Green Footballs

Pop Quiz

Everyone knows that Jerusalem is considered by modern Muslims as being the third holiest city in all of Sunni Islam behind only Mecca and Medina.

How many times is Jerusalem mentioned in the Holy Koran?

The answer is at Dhimmi Watch, along with a good spirited argument.

Good News For The International Space Station

That pesky toilet problem has been fixed once and for all.

Education vs. Indoctrination

The modern public education system has torn the responsibility of educating children away from parents and the community, and reallocated the responsibility onto motived bureaucracies ever farther and farther away from Little Johnny. This has worked to the great disadvantage of children by disenfranchising those who should be most interested in this education (the parents) and by stacking the power onto the shoulders of parties often times much more interested in addressing perceived social and cultural ills through indoctrination than they are about Johnny's ignorance of Economics. In fact, an economically ignorant Johnny can be of real benefit to social engineers.

Lets be honest here, Adolph Hitler didn't outlaw homeschooling because he thought the German state would do a better job of teaching math, he simply felt he had a more pressing need for the youth of his country.

Today's lesson in "Oh, by God, this could happen here!" comes from the UK.

Children should no longer be taught traditional subjects at school because they are "middle-class" creations, a Government adviser will claim today.

Professor John White, who contributed to a controversial shake-up of the secondary curriculum, believes lessons should instead cover a series of personal skills.

Pupils would no longer study history, geography and science but learn skills such as energy- saving and civic responsibility through projects and themes.

As John Hawkins says at Right Wing News:

If lefties like this guy have their way, kids won't know math, science, or history, but they will be able to quote to you from Earth in the Balance. That's really where liberal priorities really are when it comes to education.

And concerned parents, located hundreds of miles away from the enlightened individuals making these decisions, find themselves in a nearly impossible position to do anything about it short of home schooling.

Beware all government that restricts the local financing of school districts and home schooling. They all have better plans for your children than you do.

h/t to Knowledge is Power via Right Wing News

Jay Leno Sums Up Michigan's Delegate Situation

Jay Leno observes:

Well, it looks like the Democrats finally solved their delegate problem. It seems the Democratic Party rules panel agreed to allow delegates from Florida and Michigan to take part in the convention, but each delegate will only count as half a vote. You've heard of superdelegates? These are the new fun-sized delegates.

h/t Patriot Post

Lieberman-Warner

Much is being made of the Lieberman-Warner bill now being debated in the Senate.

The Heritage Foundation has its study of the proposed bill at FrontPage.

It sucks. And, it sucks expensively.

This Should Fix the UK Domestic Terror Problem

British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says that

'The national security challenges we face demand fresh approaches.

'A key element of our strategy aims to stop people getting involved in extremist violence.

'We are investing at local level to build resilient communities, which are equipped to confront violent extremism and support the most vulnerable individuals.'

And, what is the major portion of this fresh approach to ward of terrorists?

Counseling.

Islamic extremists could receive counselling instead of criminal charges under new Government plans to 'deradicalise' religious fanatics issued today.

The move is part of a £12.5m Home Office plan which give councils guidance about how to prevent extremism spreading.

People who fall under the influence of violent organisations will not automatically face prosecution under the new plan.

Instead it will concentrate on a national 'deradicalisation' programme that will try to persuade extremists to change their views through therapy and counselling from community groups.

If only the US could have used this technique on Mohammad Atta and friends before 9-11.

h/t Dhimmi Watch

The Freep Sees A Silver Lining To Detroit's Dark Cloud

Detroit's carbon footprint is relatively small, coming in 37th best among 100 of America's largest cities.

No word on how many unemployed day laborers were needed to find that positive needle in a very large pile of mouldering straw.

And the Freep? In a word, excited!

The Detroit area did surprisingly well in a 100-city comparison of global warming gases, although it's not clear how much of that standing reflects economic doldrums and an increasingly older mix of residents in a place where the population is not growing. By most measures, including the degree of sprawl and lack of mass transit, metro Detroit hardly seems like a candidate for a city with a lighter carbon footprint than most.

Really?

As a matter of fact, dead people exhale smaller amounts of carbon than live ones do. But thats just people.

It is sort of the same thing with cities.

Abandoned factories use less energy than thriving ones. Cities where so many people are out of work don't drive as much. People that struggle to make ends meet keep their thermostats not at 68, but at 65 or below. People hanging on tightly to their money make fewer trips to the store. Fewer things sold at the store translates into fewer truckloads of product hauled to market.

No wonder Detroit's carbon footprint is so small. It is the footprint of a withering shell.

But don't worry, the Freep, atwitter in excitement, has some mighty big ideas that it feels might help to further shrink the size of Detroit's carbon footprint. All of which, of course, will increase the cost of living in southeast Michigan driving out even more residents.

And that is something to aim for!

The ROP in Pakistan

The Pakistani government's path to peace with Islam just hit a little bump. This despite the new government's efforts to seek harmony by negotiating with militants.

An adherent to the Religion of Peace blew up an explosives laden car outside the Danish embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan earlier today, killing six people and injuring as many as 30 others.

So, while Pakistan thinks it can pacify grouchy bombers by talking nice and offering minor cover for operations where the violence will be aimed in other directions, its impotent strategy is exposed when jihadists still choose to carry out operations aimed at what terrorists consider legitimate targets.

You know, people like foreign diplomats and the janitors that work for them.

Where Michigan Stands

The votes are in boys, and we got every other one of them counted. Or, we counted them all but will only count half. Or, maybe we counted all of them, took careful note, consulted our attorneys, praised the Obamassiah, cried a few tears and then told half of Michigan democratic voters to take a hike. Or, more accurately, we kindly just told all Michigan democratic primary voters to take a half-hike. Or something.

Michigan, in Democrat convention circles at least, has deservedly a bit more voting power than some other state delegation juggernauts such as Iowa, South Carolina, Alabama and Puerto Rico, while having less than the big dogs of Arizona, Louisiana and Oregon.

That should teach Michiganders for wanting a primary that, for once, counted for something.

Effectively, in one fell swoop the Democrat Party has reduced Michigan's population to a mere 5,000,000, and this without the benefit of socialized medicine, the bird flu or Jack Kavorkian. Impressively, all this even before the Jennifer Granholm administration could reduce the population that far all on its own though the implementation of its tax and spend policies. (Still, you can't blame a girl for trying.)

In any case, Michigan's democratic delegation to the national convention might as well show up in handcuffs or carrying placards protesting the management. Which, come to think of it, could accurately depict two very important constituencies of the modern Democrat Party and be very important for party unity and all.

So, let all democratic delegates in this state take notice. You can go to the party, and you can speak your mind. Just don't expect the national committee to give you their full attention--someone from Louisiana might be speaking.

When Love is "Hate"

Two preachers in the UK are accused of committing a "hate crime" by police for trying to spread the gospel in a Muslim area of Birmingham. From the Telegraph:

The preachers, both ministers in Birmingham, were handing out leaflets on Alum Rock Road in February when they started talking to four Asian youths.

A police community support officer (PCSO) interrupted the conversation and began questioning the ministers about their beliefs.

They said when the officer realised they were American, although both have lived in Britain for many years, he launched a tirade against President Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Cunningham said: "I told him that this had nothing to do with the gospel we were preaching but he became very aggressive.

"He said we were in a Muslim area and were not allowed to spread our Christian message. He said we were committing a hate crime by telling the youths to leave Islam and said that he was going to take us to the police station."

h/t to Dhimmi Watch

Barack Bails

Victimhood dies hard.

“I’m not denouncing the church and I’m not interested in people who want me to denounce the church,” he said, adding that the new pastor at Trinity and “the church have been suffering from the attention my campaign has focused on them.”

Will the suffering ever end?

This isn't one of those 'as far as the East is from the West' moments, for the only thing being changed here is the Sunday morning geography where Obama and family will be receiving their words of inspiration. Obama is, if anything, rejecting the church in the softest of terms--terms that point blame at the media attention he accidentally focused upon it, rather than terms that blame the bat shit crazy rantings routinely emanating from behind the pulpit.

The sermons and doctrine of Trinity Church have been beamed worldwide in free evangelism of the sort that slimy Jimmy Swaggart would have gladly spent millions to achieve--shouted to the rest of the world on the broadcast feed of every major network and news outlet on the planet.

By some accounts, including Obama's and Trinity’s Rev. Otis Moss, this makes the church a victim. Their doctrine is simply receiving too much attention.

A lament, I would guess, that Christ used with rare frequency.