Ahmadinejad's poodle receives his first test.

Iran seems to be getting the impression that Obama is a wimp:

US President Barack Obama's offer to talk to Iran shows that America's policy of "domination" has failed, the government spokesman said on Saturday.

"This request means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed," Gholam Hossein Elham was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.

"Negotiation is secondary, the main issue is that there is no way but for (the United States) to change," he added.

In other words, if Obama really wants to be a nice, happy friend of Iran, he should shut up and concentrate on advancing Iran's regional hegemony instead. Ahmadinejad also gave Obama his first set of orders to carry out:

After nearly three decades of severed ties, Obama said shortly after taking office this month that he is willing to extend a diplomatic hand to Tehran if the Islamic republic is ready to "unclench its fist".

In response, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a fresh tirade against the United States, demanding an apology for its "crimes" against Iran and saying he expected "deep and fundamental" change from Obama.

My guess is that the article's specific reference to Ahmadinejad's call for deep and fundamental American change is intended to highlight that change with respect to Israel is going to be involved.

Obama is Ahmadinejad's poodle.

After years of constantly accusing President Push of being too cozy with the Saudis, the Democrats are finally revealing their alternative plan: sucking up to the Iranians instead.

Bonus: How should Obama break the ice with Ahmadinejad in their first "no preconditions" face-to-face meeting? Perhaps Obama could start with "So, kill any good Jews lately?"

The House Republicans won a moral victory.

Every single Republican present voted no on the House's stimulus package. The bill passed the House anyway, as expected, but with a strong vote of unity the House Republicans have given the Senate Republicans a solid ground to stand on for a filibuster. That's real teamwork in action.

Some of Obama's cabinet nominations are utterly bizarre.

It's amazing that so many of Barack Obama cabinet nominations are ludicrously unqualified for their appointments. For example:

• Barack Obama nominated New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to be Secretary of Commerce. Richardson was later forced to withdraw his nomination when he was implicated in a "pay for play" scandal.



• Barack Obama nominated Eric Holder to be Attorney General despite the fact that Holder had helped to arrange pardons for convincted FALN terrorists (as well as financier Marc Rich) during the Clinton Administration.



• Barack Obama nominated Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State even though the Clintons have been lining their pockets with millions of dollars from around the world.

Update: Obama's nominee to be Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, decided to just not pay $34,000 in tax liabilities. What is it with these people?

Obama's economic plan

Obama seems to have no clue about what to do to fix the economy. He wants the federal government to spend its way into trillion-dollar deficits "as far as the eye can see" while simultaneously "cutting wasteful spending." He also highlights the main goals of his stimulus plan as being "doubling the production of alternative energy over three years, updating most federal buildings to improve energy efficiency, making medical records electronic, expanding broadband networks and updating schools and universities."

I tell my liberal friends to keep drinking the Obama kool-aid. With brilliant thinking like this coming from the brain of Obama, they're going to need it.