Time and time again, we have heard President Obama make “perfectly clear” that his administration had given a particular issue “top priority” status. In fact, we were beginning to wonder which issues had not been made a “top priority” by the President.  Mark Knoller for CBS News is reporting an unofficial list of the top issues.  Fortunately, with 13 items enumerated, it will give David Letterman plenty of content to pick and choose for a a top ten countdown.

FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS: “…that’s something that’s going to be a top priority.” (4/27/10)

ENERGY SECURITY: “And that’s why my energy security plan has been one of the top priorities of my Administration since the day I took office.” (4/28/10)

EDUCATION REFORM: “To train our workers for the jobs of tomorrow, we’ve made education reform a top priority in this Administration.” (2/24/10)

STUDENT LOAN REFORM: “This is something that I’ve made a top priority.” (2/1/10)

EXPORTS BY SMALL BUSINESSES: “This is going to be a top priority.” (12/3/09)

HEALTH ASSISTANCE TO 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS: “I’m not just talking the talk, we’ve been budgeting this as a top priority for this Administration.” (2/3/10)

END HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS: “I’ve also directed (Veterans Affairs) Secretary Shinseki to focus on a top priority: reducing homeless among veterans.” (8/17/09)

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS: “Our top priority is ensuring the public safety. That means appropriate sheltering in place or if necessary, getting as many people as possible out of harm’s way prior to landfall.” (5/29/09)

H1N1 FLU VACCINATIONS: “And throughout this process, my top priority has been the health and the safety of the American people.” (5/1/09)

SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES: “These military families are heroes too. And they are a top priority of Michelle and me. And they will always have our support.” (5/30/09)

STRENTHENING TIES WITH CANADA AND MEXICO: “We’re going to make this a top priority…” (10/16/09)

CONSUMER PROTECTION: “During these challenging times, the needs of American consumers are a top priority of my Administration.” (2/11/09)

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION: “So this is going to be a top priority generally improving our environmental quality.” (11/5/09)

WASHINGTON: Saturday found Obama once more pleading for additional “Emergency” money. When we at the NIP saw the headlines we thought good for him, he is pleading for money to help the embattled gulf coast. We almost didn’t pursue the story further. But no, this is not oil spill related, this is bailout money to prop up insolvent state and local governments:

President Obama urged reluctant lawmakers Saturday to quickly approve nearly $50 billion in emergency aid to state and local governments, saying the money is needed to avoid “massive layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters” and to support the still-fragile economic recovery.

In a letter to congressional leaders, Obama defended last year’s huge economic stimulus package, saying it helped break the economy’s free fall, but argued that more spending is urgent and unavoidable. “We must take these emergency measures,” he wrote in an appeal aimed primarily at members of his own party. Lori Montgomery, Washington Post

So let’s get this straight: influence-peddling local politicians drive their local and state governments bankrupt by pushing social programs and wacky environmental projects. Faced with deficits they seek to pay for their social programs by cutting education and essential services. Then faced with this “crisis” they created by mismanagement they seek money from the Obama administration.

So financially conservative states now need to fund irresponsible states. Iowans and Texans need to send their money to help politicians prop up their administrations in California, Chicago and Detroit. This fits in well with the Progressive aim to enact social and economic justice. It’s way past time for taxpayers to quit putting up with this nonsense.

The NIP so far has steered clear of the the Obama birth record controversy due to lack of concrete evidence either way. Taking our roll as watchdogs seriously, we ourselves do not want to be accused of disseminating false information. However, Diana West has now compiled a compelling list of discrepancies and omissions the deserve scrutiny. We think you need to consider the many points she raises.

The fact is, the birth certificate controversy is only the beginning of the presidential mystery. There is so much we don’t know for certain about President Obama. Inexplicably but intriguigingly, he has failed to produce his bona fides, while the media (and the White House media in particular), who could ask for them, don’t care, or don’t want to care. Diana West.

1. The original, long-form 1961 Hawaiian birth certificate….
2. Marriage license between Obama’s father (Barak Sr.) and mother (Stanley Ann Dunham) — not found, not released
3. Obama’s baptism records — sealed
4. Obama’s adoption records — sealed
5. Records of Obama’s and his mother’s reptriation as US citizens on return from Indonesia — not found, not released
6. Name change (Barry Sotero to Barack Hussein Obama) records — not found, not released
7. Noelani Elementary School (Hawaii) — not released
8. Punahou School financial aid or school records — not released
9. Occidental College financial aid records — not released. (These records were, however, subpoenaed but Obama lawyers succeeded in quashing the subpoena in court. No other Occi records have been released.)
10. Columbia College records — not released
11. Columbia senior thesis — not released
12. Harvard Law School records (not mentioned below, but not released)
13. Obama’s law client list — sealed
14. Obama’s files from career as an Illinois State Senator — sealed
15. Obama’s record with Illinois State Bar Association — sealed
16. Obama’s medical records — not released
17. Obama’s passport records — not released

For 25 even more compelling questions read Diana West’s column here.

Obama Lectures Netanyahu

WASHINGTON: Obama’s willingness to offend our allies while coddling our enemies is doing tremendous damage to long-standing alliances that have been in place during both Democratic and Republican administrations. Obama highlighted his shift in Middle East policy in a news conference on April 13th:

It was just a phrase at the end of President Obama’s news conference on Tuesday [April 13th], but it was a stark reminder of a far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreement.

When Mr. Obama declared that resolving the long-running Middle East dispute was a “vital national security interest of the United States,” he was highlighting a change that has resulted from a lengthy debate among his top officials over how best to balance support for Israel against other American interests. Mark Landler and Helene Cooper, NY Times

Obama has placed restrictions on Israeli settlements as a precondition for Middle East peace talks. You may remember when candidate Obama cited his willingness to meet with any totalitarian regime without preconditions, he was rebuffed by Iran who insisted on conditions of their own, embarrassing the United States and winning prestige from the Arab world in the process.

In dealing with our allies Obama is not so generous, our allies must wish they were treated as well as our enemies. Obama wants to call the shots and dictate conditions over Israel’s own capitol city, and he gets mad when he doesn’t get his way. Apparently he’s vindictive and is not afraid to humiliate Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to prove a point. We here at the NIP wish he would be as bold with our enemies as he is with our friends. Read more…

JAMES SIMPSON: Dear President Obama,

Shortly after your election I wrote the following letter to you. In retrospect it appears that you ignored all my suggestions. In fact, it seems plain that you did exactly what I was afraid you would do. To drive home the point I have reproduced the letter in its entirety here. It was first published by the New Media Journal on January 14, 2009, shortly before your inauguration. I don’t expect you to change now, either. You seem relentlessly determined to persist in the most breathtakingly mindless, destructive policies ever pursued by a sitting president. But I do reproduce it here to show that your intentions were painfully clear to many of us from the beginning, and that awareness has grown to encompass a huge swath – if not a majority - of the voting public. The emperor truly has no clothes. Your intentions are bare naked before the world.

Jim Simpson’s original prophetic letter to Obama:  Read more…

Maybe it is because Barack Obama is so out of touch that he does not even know how to pronounce “Marine Corpsman:”

President Obama pronounced “corpsman” as “corpse man” twice in the same address. This mispronunciation has caused quite a bit of ridicule about a man who ascended to the presidency based upon his rhetorical skills. Mark Whittington, Associated Content

Maybe they understand fakery when they see it, but whatever the reason, the video below demonstrates the heartfelt difference Marines feel when it comes time to recognize their Commander-in-Chief. The video shows you side-by-side comparisons of the troops responses to Bush vs. Obama. The difference is striking. At the end of the Obama clip even the commentator remarks on the “tepid response” of the troops to their CiC.

Obama’s obvious lack of familiarity with our armed services should give all concerned citizens pause when considering Obama’s recommendations on foreign and military policies. This video shows that our troops are concerned, shouldn’t you be too?

BABE HUGGETT: Thanks to all for the many letters and suggestions I have received from you NIP readers. Recently on the anniversary of President Obama’s first year in office I received the following report card from one of Obama’s high school teachers, a Mrs. M. She recently saw President Obama grading himself on national television. He was asked for his report card on his first year in office. She thought that NIP readers would be interested in seeing one of his high school report cards. We agreed and are passing it on to you.
Read more…