Crimes Against Liberty

by David Limbaugh

  Many thanks as well to my buddy Greg Mueller and his team at Creative Response Concepts for quarterbacking the promotion and marketing of this book along with the excellent marketing staff at Regnery. Greg is the guy who initially prodded me into nonfiction authorship, for which I’m eternally grateful.

  I also wish to thank Heritage Foundation scholars Brian Riedl and David John, who not only educated me (and countless others) through their prodigious research and writings, but freely gave their time to discuss, explain, and clarify their work in phone conversations, receiving nothing but a heartfelt thank you in return. Many thanks also to Heritage folks Ralph Buglass, Jim Weidman, John Fleming, and others who made special efforts to make available high resolution charts for inclusion in this book.

  A sincere thank you to my very good friends and NRO heavyweights Kathryn Lopez (K-LO) and Andy McCarthy for their friendship, support, and counsel. Andy was particularly helpful in clarifying some of the complex factual and legal issues involved in the administration’s wrongheaded and muddled approach to prosecuting the war on terror.

  I am humbled and honored by my friendship with Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and abundantly appreciative of the support they always lend to my books and to me personally. The same is true for my good friend Ann Coulter, who gave me the best idea I’ve ever received in book writing, which made all the difference on my first book and the ones thereafter, including this one. If you are a beginning author and ever find yourself floundering in anxiety in anticipation of the seemingly overwhelming task at hand, and find that the more you research the more overwhelmed you become, follow her advice to me: just begin writing and you will necessarily acquire your focus.

  Once again I must thank my brother Rush for personally inspiring me, for opening up doors for me directly and indirectly, for leading the charge for American conservatives, and for truly making an immeasurable and positive impact on this nation and the preservation of its Constitution and freedom tradition.

  NOTES

  Introduction

  1 Ben Wallace-Wells, “Destiny’s Child, No candidate since Robert F. Kennedy has sparked as much campaign-trail heat as Barack Obama. But can the one-term senator craft a platform to match his charisma?” Rolling Stone, February 22, 2007.

  2 “Partisan Gap in Obama Job Approval Widest in Modern Era,” Pewresearch.org, April 2, 2009; available at: http://pewresearch. org/pubs/1178/polarized-partisan-gap-in-obama-approval-historic [accessed July 2, 2010].

  3 Jeffrey M. Jones, “Obama’s Approval Most Polarized for First-Year President,” Gallup.com, January 25, 2010; available at: http://www.gallup.com/poll/125345/obama-approval-polarized-first-year-president. aspx [accessed July 2, 2010].

  4 Andy McCarthy, “A New Dawn?” National Review Online, The Corner, March 4, 2010; available at: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=yjgyMGRjZWUzZjQ30GY5MDJ1M2RjMzd. [accessed July 7, 2010].

  5 Ibid.

  6 Karen Travers, “Exclusive: President Obama: We Lost Touch with American People Last Year,” ABCNews.go.com, January 20, 2010; available at: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Politics/president-obama-lost-touch-american-people-year/story?id=9613462 [accessed July 2, 2010].

  7 Quin Hillyer, “Not the American Way,” American Spectator, March 5, 2010; available at: http://spectator.org/archives/2010/03/05/not-the-american-way [accessed July 2, 2010].

  8 “Book: Rahm ‘Begged’ Obama for Days Not to Pursue Ambitious Health Reform,” Washington Post, May 14, 2010; available at: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/book_rahm_spent_week_aggressiv.html [accessed July 2, 2010].

  9 Mark Knoller, “Obama Has Given 54 Speeches on Health Care,” CBSNews.com, March 19, 2010; available at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000825-503544.html [accessed July 2, 2010].

  10 Transcript: “George Stephanopoulos’ Exclusive Interview with President Obama,” ABCNews.com, January 20, 2010; available at: http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2010/01/transcript-george-stephanopoulos-exclusive-interview-with-president-obama.html [accessed July 2, 2010].

  11 Anne E. Kornblut, “Obama’s 17-minute, 2500-word Response to Woman’s Claim of Being ‘Over-taxed,’” Washington Post, April 2, 2010; available at: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/04/obamas-17-minute-2500-word-res.html [accessed July 2, 2010].

  12 Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlKIfzoC8D0.

  13 “Team O: Incoherent on Iran,” New York Post, February 17, 2010; available at: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/team_incoherent_on_iran_JrMOBaVv159w6StvVzGMOJ [accessed July 2, 2010].

  Chapter 1

  1 Charles Krauthammer, “The Audacity of Vanity,” Washington Post, July 18, 2008; available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/07/17/AR2008071701839.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  2 Greta Van Susteren, “Interview With Rick Santorum, Jack Kelly,” FOX News Network, On the Record With Greta Van Susteren, September 29, 2009.

  3 Ryan Lizza, “Battle Plans, How Obama Won,” The New Yorker, November 17, 2008; available at: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/17/081117fa_fact_lizza [accessed June 28, 2010].

  4 “Sen. Reid Says Obama Told Him, ‘I Have a Gift,’” Associated Press, April 28, 2009; available at: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/28/sen-reid-says-obama-told-gift/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  5 President Barack Obama, “Obama’s Speech to the United States General Assembly,” New York Times, September 23, 2009; available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/us/politics/24prexy. text.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  6 Jeff Jacoby, “Obama’s Swelling Ego,” Boston Globe, November 14, 2009; available at: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/11/14/obamas_swelling_ego/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  7 Major Garrett, “Obama Endures Ortega Diatribe, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega Lashes Out at a Century of what he called terrorist aggression in Central America,” FOX News, April 18, 2009.

  8 Ed Carson, “Obama to Dems: ‘Don’t Worry, You’ve Got Me,’” Investors.com, January 25, 2010; available at: http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politics/1233-obama-to-demsdont-worry-youve-got-me [accessed June 28, 2010].

  9 Kevin Hall, “A Numbers Breakdown of the SOTU: Obama Refers to Himself 114 Times,” Des Moines Conservative Examiner, January 28, 2010; available at: http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/2439024/posts [accessed June 28, 2010].

  10 Dan Gainor, “Obama’s Speeches—Obama Mentions Self Nearly 1,200 Times,” FOXNews.com, September 23, 2009; available at: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/09/23/dan-gainor-obama-speeches-ego/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  11 Judi McLeod, “Obama’s West Point Address,” Canada Free Press, December 3, 2009; available at: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/22/obama-focus-wars-abroad-speech-west-point-graduates/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  12 Jim Hoft, “Obama Refers to Himself 132 Times In One Speech” (Video), Gateway Pundit Blog, First Things, January 26, 2010; available at: http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/01/obama-refers-to-himself-132-times-in-one-speech-video/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  13 Mark Finkelstein, “Oh the Sacrifices Obama Has Made: I Didn’t Get Into This for Fame or Fortune,” NewsBusters.org, February 3, 2010; available at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2010/02/03/oh-sacrifices-obama-has-made-i-didnt-get-fame-or-fortune [accessed June 28, 2010].

  14 Linda Matchan, “A Law Review Breakthrough,” Boston Globe, February 15, 1990; available at: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/1990/02/15/a_law_review_breakthrough/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  15 Caroline Kim, “Obama Visits U. Illinois Campus in Final Leg of Campaign,” University Wire, November 2, 2004.

  16 Renee Montagne, Steve Inskeep, “Obama Draws a Big Crowd in New Hampshire,” National Public Radio, December 11, 2006; available at: http://ww.npr.org/templates/story/storyComments. php?storyId=6607687 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  17 Kim Ahern, “Barack is on the Ballot!” Rhode I
sland’s Future, December 10, 2007; available at: http://rifuture.org/barack-is-on-the-ballot-html?blogger=Kim+Ahern. [accessed June 28, 2010].

  18 “Democratic Presidential Debate,” Federal News Service, December 13, 2007.

  19 Kevin Chappell, “A Moment in History,” Jet, September 15, 2008; available at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_10_114/ai_n28572804/?tag=content;col1 [accessed July 7, 2010].

  20 “Obama: ‘This Inauguration is Not About Me. It’s About All of Us,’” Washington Post, Inauguration Watch, January 14, 2009; available at: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/inauguration-watch/2009/01/obama_this_election_is_not_abo.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  21 “Stephanie Condon, “Obama on Health Care: ‘This Isn’t About Me,’” CBS News Political Hotsheet, July 20, 2009; available at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5175035-503544.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  22 Alister Bull and Steve Holland, “Feisty Obama: ‘I won’t stop fighting for you,’” Reuters, January 22, 2010; available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60L4MC20100122 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  23 “Gibbs: Obama Willing To Be One-Term President To Pass His Agenda,” BreitbartTV.com, August 21, 2009; available at: http://www.breitbart.tv/gibbs-obama-willin-to-be-one-term-president-to-pass-his-agenda [accessed July 7, 2010].

  24 Kyle-Anne Shiver, “Danger Ahead: Obama Jumped the Shark, But Didn’t Drown,” Pajamas Media, March 25, 2010; available at: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/danger-ahead-obama-jumped-the-shark-but-didn%E2%80%99t-drown/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  25 Byron York, “For Obama and Pelosi, Health Care is Ego Trip,” Washington Examiner, March 2, 2010; available at: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/For-Obama-and-Pelosi_-healthcare-is-ego-trip-85871962.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  26 Byron York, “For Obama and Pelosi, Health Care is Ego Trip,” op. cit.

  27 Valerie Jarrett, “Americans are Idiots, Obama Too Intelligent For Words,” The Lid, February 23, 2010; available at: http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post_23.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  28 Tom Brokaw, “Interview with David Axelrod,” NBC, Meet the Press, March 14, 2010; available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29209460/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  29 Larry King, “Interview with Bill Maher,” CNN, Larry King Live, February 16, 2010; available at: http://quiz.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0406/02/lkl.00.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  30 Jacob Weisberg, “Down With the People,” Slate, February 6, 2010; available at: http://www.slate.com/id/2243797 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  31 Joe Klein, “Too Dumb to Thrive,” Time.com, Swampland Blog, January 25, 2010; available at: http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/01/25/too-dumb-to-thrive/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  32 Mathhew Yglesias, “Reframing Public Ignorance,” Yglesias, January 25, 2010; available at: http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2010/01/reframing-public-ignorance/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  33 Sarah Lai Stirland, “McCain Campaign Yanks ‘Obama Love’ Web Video,” Wired.com, July 25, 2008; available at: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/07/mccain-campai-1/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  34 Karen Travers and Jake Tapper, “President Beekcake? D.C. Magazine to Feature Shirtless Obama on Cover,” ABCNews.com, Political Punch, April 20, 2009; available at: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/president-beefc.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  35 Scott Whitlock, “ABC Heavily Promotes New HBO Documentary on Obama: He’s so ‘Zen’ and ‘Normal,’” Media Research Center, October 27, 2009; available at: http://www.mrc.org/biasalert/2009/20091027051654.aspx [accessed June 28, 2010].

  36 Transcript: “How is the World Reacting to President Obama’s Speech to the Muslim World?” MSNBC, Hardball, June 5, 2009; available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31173133/ns/msnbc_tvhardball_with_chris_matthews/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  37 Peter Wehner, “Joe Klein’s Almost Pathological Love Affairs,” Commentary Magazine, February 2, 2010; available at: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/wehner/229776 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  38 Fouad Ajami, “The Obama Spell is Broken,” Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2010; available at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029110104772360.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  39 “MSNBC’s Ed Schultz Says the West Wing of the White House is a ‘Shrine’ to Obama—Audio,” FreedomsLighthouse.com, February 4, 2010; available at: http://www.freedomslighthouse.com/2010_02_04_archive.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  40 “Narcissist Alert! Obama Clutching the Obama GQ Magazine with his face on the cover!” rashmanly.wordpress.com, November 25, 2009; available at: http://rashmanly.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/narcissist-alert-obama-clutching-the-obama-gq-magizine-with-his-face-on-the-cover/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  41 “Obama Has Name Stitched to Suit Jacket,” Real Clear Politics Video, March 25, 2010; available at: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/03/25/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  42 Mark Knoller, “Obama’s First Year: By the Numbers,” CBSNews. com, January 20, 2010; available at: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-6119525-503544.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  43 Brent Baker, “‘Paging Dr. Obama’ Makes it Seven Time Mag Covers Since Election for Obama,” Newsbusters.org, July 31, 2009; available at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/07/31/paging-dr-obama-makes-it-seven-time-mag-covers-election-obama [accessed June 28, 2010].

  44 Domenico Montanaro, “Obama Appeared on Half of Time Covers,” MSNBC, First Read, December 17, 2008; available at: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2008/12/17/4432215-obama-appeared-on-half-of-time-covers [accessed June 28, 2010].

  45 Howard Kurtz, “The Media Elites Secret Dinners,” Washington Post, April 27, 2009; available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/27/AR2009042700891.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  46 Mail Foreign Service, “Obamamania or Overkill? President marks his first 100 days in office with three hundred photos . . . all of him,” Dailymail.co.uk, April 30, 2009; available at: http://www.daily-mail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1174828/Obamamania-overkill-President-marks-100-days-office-THREE-HUNDRED-photos—him.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  47 Matthew Sheffield, “Primetime Obama Costing Network Millions,” Washington Examiner, April 24, 2009.

  48 Don Irvine, “Obama Breaking Media Appearance Records,” Accuracy in Media, July 30, 2009; available at: http://www.aim.org/don-irvine-blog/obama-breaking-media-appearance-records/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  49 Mark Leibovich, “Obama the Omnipresent,” New York Times, September 17, 2009; available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/us/politics/18memo.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  50 “Obama To Appear on America’s Most Wanted’s 1000th Episode,” TV Shark.com, March 4, 2010; available at: http://www.tvshark.com/read/?art=arc4842 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  51 Mark Leibovich, “Obama the Omnipresent,” op. cit.

  52 Howard Kurtz, “If It’s Sunday, It Must Be Obama,” Washington Post, September 17, 2009; available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/17/AR2009091701077.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  53 Ibid.

  54 James Poniewozik, “Obama to Appear on Everything, Everywhere. Except FOX,” Time.com, September 15, 2009; available at: http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/09/15/obama-to-appear-on-everything-everywhere-except-fox/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftunedin+%28 TIME%3A+Tuned+In%29 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  55 “Obama: Regrets of Year One,” ABCNews.com, January 20, 2010; available at: http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2010/01/obama-regrets-of-year-one.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  56 David Zurawik, “He’s baaack: TV Obama is everywhere—again,” The Baltimore Sun, February 3, 2010; available at: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/zontv/2010/02/barack_obama_tv_president_mich.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  57 David A. Patten, “New York Times Buries Bad Poll for Obama,” Newmax.com,
July 30, 2009; available at: http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/obama-poll-times-health/2009/07/30/id/331970 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  58 Allahpundit, “Revealed: Who Else Was At that Secret Obama Briefing with Olby and Maddow?” HotAir.com, October 21, 2009; available at: http://hotair.com/archives/2009/10/21/revealed-who-else-was-at-that-secret-obama-briefing-with-olby-and-maddow/ [accessed June 28, 2010]; see also, “Obama meets with McChrystal in Denmark,” Washington Times, October 2, 2009; available at: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/02/obama-meets-mcchrystal-copenhagen [accessed June 28, 2010].

  59 Scott Rasmussen, “Daily Presidential Tracking Poll,” Rasmussen Reports, December 14, 2009; available at: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_ presidential_tracking_poll [accessed June 28, 2010].

  60 Sean Hannity, Bob Beckel, “Obama Grades Himself,” FOX News Network, Hannity, December 14, 2009; available at: http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?t=1759271 [accessed June 28, 2010].

  61 Gabriel Sherman, “End of the Affair, Barack Obama and the press break up,” New Republic, August 13, 2008; available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/25/end-of-the-affair-press-b_n_114925.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  62 Ibid.

  63 Helene Cooper, “We’re Not Keeping Score, but . . .” New York Times, April 1, 2009; available at: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/were-not-keeping-score-but/ [accessed June 28, 2010].

  64 Gabriel Sherman, “End of the Affair, Barack Obama and the press break up,” op. cit.

  65 Dana Milbank, “President Obama Continues Hectic Victory Tour,” Washington Post, July 30, 2008; available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/ AR2008072902068.html [accessed June 28, 2010].

  66 Jim Hoft, “After Obama Tells America ‘Everyone Must Sacrifice,’ the White House Throws 1 Party Every 3 Days in First Year,” First Things Blog, January 13, 2010; available at: http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/01/after-first-family-tells-america-everyone-must-sacrifice-they-hold-white-house-party-every-3rd-day-in-first-year/ [accessed June 28, 2010].