"Very few people really care about freedom, about liberty, about the truth, very few. Very few people have have guts, the kind of guts on which a real democracy has to depend. Without people with that sort of guts a free society dies or cannot be born." Doris Lessing, from "The Golden Notebook"
You Get The Government You Deserve 07/29/2008 10:52am
Well, sometimes the numbers just don't add up. Congressional job approval polls, the lowest ever recorded, are at this time around 15 percent (+/- depending on the poll). That is, 85% of the people in America think that the Democrat controlled Congress is doing a lousy job. I agree. Check those polls here [Link].
But that isn't the mystery. The big mystery is that 95% or more of these elected officials will be re-elected.
As one wag has said: You get the government you deserve.
Obama And The Politics Of Change 02/12/2008 6:52pm
Obama is billing himself as the agent of change. OK, I can go for that. There is a lot that is broken in Washington DC. That appeals to any Liberal or Conservative. All we are fighting over is what KIND of change we need to make DC work again.
If you've read books like Goldberg's "Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning" or "The New Thought Police" by Tammy Bruce, (both available in the Library here) you probably won't find this tidbit (below) surprising. I've known for quite some time where the American left wants to head. But they have always been a bit secretive about their true intent, unwilling to speak in clear, plain terms their vision of America. Looks like not any more. Below you see a screen grab of the newly minted Texas office of the Barrack Obama campaign (week of 02/11/08). Take a peek at the image on the left. This Houston news video [Go To The Video] of that opening clearly showing a Cuban flag hanging on the wall with the image of one of the most ruthless commies of the middle 20th century. The darling martyr of Democrat leftists everywhere. Che Guevara [Link]. Make no mistake who this office supports, Che and Obama (Obama poster in right image).
Sure, you see Che's image at every WTO protest, immigration march or BDS meeting (Bush Derangement Syndrome) but I expect this sort of thing, when attached to a national candidate, to be kept quiet and only mentioned to the converted in guarded minutes. This brazen exhibition worries me. Where exactly is Obama coming from and where does he want to take us? And after seeing this and listening to his stance on issues, I'm not sure I want to go to where his "change" is going to take us.
Now the wait is to see when Obama denounces this. Or if he does.
UPDATE 02/22/08 10:35 am: Seems that Obama has responded to this little display of radical leftism in his campaign office . . .
. . . it's a volunteer office that is independently run, so he has no control over what goes on there.
I'd think that the guy would be a little more concerned when they display images of a mass murdering communist like Che. And that isn't the only office displaying Che and the communist Cuban flag in Texas. Here is another:
At some point a person has to wonder what policies does Obama support that lights up the communists? I wonder if he would be as tolerant if his offices where displaying pictures of Rush Limbaugh. If the politics of change are turning America into a communist paradise of the Cuban/Che model, count me out.
Naturally, in this Internet speed world we have . . . the new Obama logo [Link].
"Swift Boated" In The National Lexicon
12/28/2007 10:58am
I've recently been wondering how the term "Been Swift Boated" got to mean some sort of sleazy political attack or ruinous untruth. From what was exhibited to me at the time of Mr. John F. Kerry's campaign, the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth were telling the truth. In fact, no factual information ever came forth to dispute the SBVT claims against Mr. Kerry. Certainly nothing from him and nothing more than general objections but not facts. Interviews at the time with the head of SBVT, John O'Neill, only reinforced my feeling that the vets had truth on their side. O'Neill was a very credible spokesman unlike his shrieking detractors. [More About Swiftboating Here].
Well, recently I ran across a double shout-out to Mr. Kerry and his supporters. It's no secret that Mr. Kerry takes great exception to what the SBVT have said about him. Indeed, he's got quite chip on his shoulder about it. He thinks they single handedly sunk his presidential bid (truth be known his did it all by himself with his "sparkling" personality). Well, about 46 days ago, Boone Pickens offered anyone, that will come forth with the facts to refute any of the SBVT claims, one million dollars. [Link] Mr. Pickens was a supporter of the SB Vets (and still is) and believes them wholeheartedly.
Well guess what? Who has been the first to take Boone up on his offer? Why none other than John F. Kerry, Vietnam vet. Problem is, although Mr. Kerry (in a letter to Mr. Pickens) offers a lot of bluster, he offers no facts. So Boone, in response, has asked Mr. Kerry to supply facts in the way of paperwork, film or other materials. But here is the fun part: American Spectator has initiated a Kerry Countdown Clock to chronicle the time until Mr. Kerry supplies Boone the facts to collect the cool million. See it here [Link] to the right of the article.
Please, you John Kerry supporters, don't hold your breath. As of this writing, the clock is next door to 27 days - and counting.
So, I'm wondering when the term "Been Swift Boated" will come mean "exposing a fraud."
Quick Take 12/07/07 10:19am
Been a lot of press buzz on Romney and his Mormon religion. Romney did his "religion" speech last night. I'm listening to a bunch of talking heads running it around right now. Parsing what he meant or didn't mean. Most are liberals and really don't understand much about faith anyway.
Senate Majority Leader and U.S. Senator (D) Harry Reid, is a Mormon and the press doesn't particularly care about his religion. Mitt's dad, George Wilcken Romney, was governor of Michigan for six years and his Mormon faith wasn't an issue. Reid is a liberal Democrat so he gets a pass, GW Romney was in a different political era.
MSNBC News Reader Calls Bush "Monkey" On National Airtime
12/06/2007 10:36am
I have to admit, I am a pretty patriotic person. I love this country and its institutions. I'm also old school on respect for those institutions. Be that as it may, maybe that's why I'm so incensed, but not surprised a little bit, about this latest exhibit of MSM (Mainstream Media) liberal bias [See That Report Here].
On 11/29/07 news readerette Erin Burnett (with MSNBC) was reporting on a meeting between President Bush and recently elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy. See her comments just below (at about the 15 second mark).
This kind of thing disgusts me so thoroughly that I really don't have much comment about it. Maybe it just speaks for itself. I don't seem to remember any news source calling Mr. Clinton a "lounge lizard" or "grand jury liar" on the national news beamed worldwide.
To be fair, Burnett did later offer-up an apology.
But this sort of thing reaching the airwaves shouldn't even happen in the first place. It just shows the underlying bias that the press brings to their coverage and proves how they basically can't be trusted to deliver accurate news on people and subjects with which they don't like or agree.
Pick A President On Issues, Get Beyond The Media Hype
10/29/2007 9:52am
WQAD, News Channel 8, in Moline Illinois, has an online presidential poll. See how your views match-up with all of the present crop of Republican and Democrat candidates. The results may surprise you. It's fast and easy (only a handful of questions). I suggest you take it.
One bitch I have is the question on abortion. I'm assuming that they are hinting at Roe vs Wade. The question suggests that if Roe vs Wade would be overturned, it would end abortion in the United States. But that's not true. If Roe vs Wade was overturned, it only means that the Feds wouldn't pay for it. Abortion would then become a states issue. I assume that those that allow it now would allow it after and visa versa.
Truth Funnier Than Fiction
10/24/2007 10:52pm
Here is some online comedy for ya from Newsbusters (newsbusters.com). This particular episode rings more truth than actual comedy (but funny!). The take on Valerie Phame's recent "travails" (for lack of a better term) and Air America's ratings hit home perfectly I think. If nothing else, the leftist's everyday life is funny stuff.
Nobel Panel Disgraces Itself With An Algore Moment
10/16/2007 10:36pm
Congratulations to Al Gore. He is now the owner of one of the most worthless awards in history. The Nobel fell off the cliff when they awarded Yasar Arafat (the father of modern terrorism) the Peace Prize in 1994. [Link] Considering that Yasar restarted the killing before the ink was dry on the Oslo Accord, it's hard to figure where the "peace" part of his award resides.
The Nobel committee has stooped to a new low by awarding Al (the sky is falling) Gore the Peace Prize for his work in scare mongering Human Induced Climate Change™. Let''s forget, for now, how wrong Al is about Human Induced Climate Change™ (or Global Warming™ or whatever they are calling it now) let us just point out how many others should have or could have received the award. People that actually deserve it. People that put their own lives in jeopardy defending the oppressed and downtrodden against individuals and governments.
Giving the Nobel to a selfish hypocritical elitist wonk, instead of the truly valiant and deserving, diminishes it to the point of meaninglessness. But maybe it was already there.
Prominent Democrat Says $97,000.00 A Year Is "Rich"
09/24/2007 12:15am
Everybody hears a lot about "taxing the rich" and that the "rich" should "pay their fair share". Then the big question becomes what exactly is "rich"?
Well it looks like Mr. Obama has defined what "rich" is to him and he intends to tax it more. [Link]
Moveon.org ala' 1942
09/21/2007 9:36pm
My favorite local blog, soundpolitics, is at it again and it's a beauty. So how would Ike be treated by the leading Democrat organization moveon.org in 1942?
The Valerie And Joe Show Losses It's Wheels
09/07/2007 12:15pm
Surprise, surprise. Looks like Ambassador Wilson and his wife Valerie have been exposed as less than honorable concerning the Nigerian yellowcake "scandal". A recently declassified CIA report hits all of the high points. [Link] For those of you who wish to get their news via video, the whole sordid affair is presented here: [Video Link]
This report shows that yes, there was contact by Sadam (and Iran as well we now know) about obtaining yellowcake for weapons use. It also shows that Val recommended her husband for the operation which is the exact opposite of what she testified before a senate committee investigating the "Bush lied" charges.
How these two hyper-partisan Democrats even got this far with this bogus cr*p is only because of the faith of the mainstream media wishing to paint Bush in a bad a light as possible, aided by the national Democrat machine. If the MSM would stop publishing the press releases from the DNC unedited (and start reseaching in earnest) we could avoid these sorts of nation roiling stories from getting any traction at all.
Looks Like The Clintons Are At It Again
09/06/2007 9:45am
Hillary the Presidential candidate and Bill the mate have of late been peddling their "2 for 1" schtick to boost madam Peron's (er, Hillary's) poll numbers. If elected I'm sure Bill will have a hand in policy. Whispers on the bed pillows at least.
But one of the twofers that isn't mentioned much is of the scandal type. And they've already started to deliver. Last weekend (September 1-2) Kathleen Willey - yes that Kathleen Willey - had the manuscript of her book-in-progess, "Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton", stolen from her rural home. [Link] Seems that teasers from the book were revealed last week and Ms. Willey is certain that their publishing prompted the theft by a Hill and Bill dirty tricks person/team. Fortunately there was a second copy of the manuscript that the burgler(s) didn't find.
Do we really need a repeat of the Clinton scandal years? Haven't seen much mention of this in the MSM either.
(I've added a link to this book in the library section. You can pre-order, the break date being in November)
So Who Really Gets Farm Subsidies?
09/03/2007 10:54am
You've heard it before, the same old gripe. Real farmers aren't the ones who get all of the federal largess. It is mostly giant agribusinesses that receive the bulk of the federal farm bill each year. Well, I'm here to tell ya that it ain't so. It seems that thousands of people, seemingly unconnected to farming of any type are sucking off the taxpayers dime too.
The link goes to a map that highlights who is getting federal farm subsidies in New York city.
In the search box I plunked in "kenmore, wa 98028" for my home town of Kenmore, Washington (a suburb of Seattle). Trust me, there isn't much to farm around here except down at Ruth's place maybe. She as a couple of quarter acre plots with an apple tree or two on them and long grass. The rest is all homes, tightly scrunched in together. Where there aren't homes, there are valleys and hills filled with cedar and fir. Hardly farming county. Notice the large circles, on the map, down in Seattle. These are the richest parts of town . . .
These are interactive maps and you can look-up how much each person is getting from the feds for their "farming" activities.
This is why I am against subsidy of any kind. Sooner rather than later it becomes nothing but a money grabbing game with so many holes and exceptions that the real targets of this federal "help" were long lost, excluded or rolled over. Subsidies also distort markets horribly. The latest, the corn/ethanol subsidy/tariff boondoggle is a perfect example. Ethanol is a net loser in the energy game so it can't make it on it's own. But, now that the feds have picked it as the new "winner", anything made with corn has increased in price. From corn on the cob to fructose sugar to tortillas to ethanol itself.
Really, it's best that the feds don't get involved at all.
Lawyer's Fees Top $1,000.00 An Hour
08/22/2007 3:54pm
Well, if you wonder whether or not the tort bar is cruising Washington D.C., you only need to look at the latest in fees. They have now topped $1,000.00 an hour and more will follow these brave defenders of justice [ Link ] (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).
With these types of fees and outragouos jury awards in the high multiple hundreds of millions, that makes for considerable disposable income for both lawyers and their firms. That disposable income has in effect created a huge "slush fund" that is used to overwhelmingly support Democrat candidates and to buy influence in D.C.
Vote Whoring
08/12/2007 2:10pm
This is an interesting clip for two reasons (well maybe more but right now I'm thinking two). The recognition of "vote whoring" in Europe, which is much the same problem we have here in the states, that is basically bring down the social order in favor of a constituency.
This special pandering to Islam, like we are doing here in the states, [ Link Here ] would not be tolerated for any other religion but the Vote Whores in Belgium, France and other European locals bend willingly to the Islamic constituency who, by and large, want to make Western countries in the model of Iran and Saudi Arabia.
As for Vote Whoring here in the states, our politicians are well practiced at it. Environmental extremism, gay marriage, illegal immigration, refusing to make English the national language are just a short list of subjects effected by dubious constituencies. Although the overwhelming majority of Americans want marriage between a man and a woman, English as national language, our borders locked down, orderly immigration, and reasonable environmental law, our elected "leaders" ignore the majority in their obsession for keeping their job over saving our "borders, language, culture".
And now Islamists and their religious demands (foot baths in public places financed by tax monies, demands for barbaric shria style law, pray rooms in public schools, etc.) are being cow-towed to by them.
Well, if they keep it up, there won't be any United States left to run.
(Was that two reasons?)
Another Way Of Adopting A Political Philosopy
08/12/2007 2:10pm
Ha, ha, ha! Man, I'm still laughing at this. I was driving back home after a lunch meeting and on the radio they were conducting an interview with an author about a soon to be released book. Somehow the conversation briefly turned to Harrison Ford and his movie Regarding Henry (and how it was one of his better works). The interviewee confessed that she didn't watch many movies (and didn't know much about it) whereas the interviewer gave her a short plot synopsis: "It's about a Republican who gets shot in the head and turns into a Democrat."
Makes sense to me. Must be a reality movie.
It's For The Children Unless It's Ideology
08/01/2007 9:14am
I'm going to go a little local here to illustrate a point that needs to be made: The political left in this country (or any country for that matter) will willingly destroy anyone for the sake of their ideology. The Seattle School District is famously hard left. This article by Matt Rosenburg (Seattle Times) is a good example [link] of these minds at work setting curriculum. You know when a school district is heading in the wrong direction when a great majority of the teachers under their employ send their children to private schools.
The No Children Left Behind act says that schools must give all recruiters equal access to campus to do their recruiting. It's no secret that the left despises the military and colleges have been trying to restrict military recruiting on campus. The usual leftist blather is that the recruiters "trick" the students into a military career or "lie" to get them to join. Or that they disportionately pray on the poor and minorities because they have no other life option. It is also no surprise that there is no basis in fact for any of these views.
Back to the SCD. Today the SCD board will pass a vote on restricting recruiters on their campuses to one or two visits a year from the present multiple times. This is aimed directly at military recruiters but will also, by mandate of the NCLB act, ban college recruiters as well.
So for the sake of some leftist ideology (hatred of the military based on 1960's antiwar views), they will gladly restrict their student's real opportunity . . . to attend institutions of higher learning.
So how does that help?
Presidential Race 2008: Republican Pygmies
07/24/2007 10:14am
A recent article about Newt Gingrich where he talks of entering the presidential race [article here] because the present crop of candidates are "pygmies" is interesting in that it, when you read between the lines, brings up a larger problem for Republican candidates: The all-out play by the left in this country (MSM, Hollywood, Washington DC, 527s, all the usual suspects) to defeat Republicans for 2008.
To quote the article: "Gingrich mocked Republican presidential candidates for subjecting themselves to a May debate hosted by Chris Matthews of MSNBC's 'Hardball.'
'You're watching an utterly irrelevant, shallow television celebrity dominate everybody who claimed they want to lead the most powerful nation in the world,' he said.
Gingrich ridiculed 'the idea of 10 or 11 people standing passively at microphones,' and said he refused to 'shrink to the level of 40-second answers, standing like a trained seal, waiting for someone to throw me a fish.' "
Newt is right-on about that "debate" and it is exactly what I felt when I heard cuts from it and read various reports. I could easily see that it was nothing more than a circus engineered to ridicule and diminish Republicans. The candidates let the program be that way by allowing well known partisan hit-man Matthews "moderate". The Democrats get a friendly, mildly left-leaning, moderator and the Rs get partisan hack Matthews. Campaign managers should be fired.
By not controlling all aspects of the presentation (And in the past all candidates have done that. Even down to the type of microphone used) they were twice diminished. Once to the those of a conservative or Republican voting history and once again to those that are considered "middle-of-the-road" voters. Those middle-of-the-road voters are the linchpin needed to win any presidential contest.
If you want to know one of the reasons that Republicans are behind 100 million in raising national money, you can point to that kangaroo "debate" as one of the defining moments. It sure was for me.
Expertly planned and executed by the left and allowed to happen by the Republican candidates.
Support Our Troops?
07/18/2007 10:45am
This will be a short post because I've got a lot of work on my plate today. Got to pay the mortgage. This thought crossed my mind, with a little help from a radio personality, the other day.
Anyway, we all know that Democrats in Congress are dead set against the Iraq war, although they say that they support the troops. The common canard is: "We support the troops but we don't support the mission." But, once again, their actions speak louder than words.
So I ask: What have congressional Democrats done to insure the quickest success for our troops? Success would mean that they could come home sooner. But instead of helping them be successful, they have repeatedly done just the opposite. Standing on a world media stage and loudly pronouncing that "The war is lost" only emboldens the enemy and makes him fight harder. It also gives them fuel for recruitment. Democrats were broadcasting that "The surge isn't working" two weeks before the full compliment of troops (completing the surge) had arrived and been deployed. How do these things help the troops get home sooner?
They don't. Gotta go.
It's Only Confiscation Mama
07/16/2007 9:45am
Any time you think that Hillary Clinton is a moderate Democrat all you have to do is pay attention. A few weeks back I was listening to one of her speeches and she advocated confiscating the profits of a whole economic sector. I couldn't believe my ears. I was slack jawed for a few moments only because she was bold enough to mention it. Things in this country have really changed for the worse when the leading political candidate and sitting Senator advocates profit confiscation. This is in the same league as Hugo Chavez, leading populist redistributionist [Link] or the Communist hero of the glitteri left - Mr. Fidel Castro. It's crazy talk.
But not a peep from any MSM source. Everything is normal there. Imagine some major Republican candidate advocating the confiscation of all Hollywood profits so that they could be "reinvested" into more family oriented productions (fully approved by the government of course) without all of the nudity and violence. They'd be howling for his recall and calling him Hitler (see next post below).
I can see the bastion of free markets, freedom of choice and Capitalism being a very different place with Hillary at the helm. Are you ready for a little Jimmy Carter economy? Remember the "misery index". I do. The whole economy was on its a** with home loans in the 20% bracket and lines for gas that lasted for hours if not days. With Hillary's confiscation of profit of whole industries that she doesn't agree, it would be much worse.
Already because of Sarbanes/Oxley, we are having a mass exodus of corporations to places like Ireland and the former eastern block. Confiscation of profits wouldn't help that at all.
One last thing. What makes Hillary think that a corporation would even stay in business if its profits were confiscated? What would be the point of their existence? What about capital markets? Where would they go? Why would they exist if every corporation could end-up on the government enemies list (see fourth paragraph: "Live Earth Exposes The Real Left" below).
Muslim Congressman Suffers Extreme Case Of BDS
07/16/2007 9:34am
Democrat Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, officially went off the deep end. In a speech to a crop of atheists he directly compared President Bush to Hitler. Looks like Bush Derangement Syndrome has reached new heights in congress and this chump is the leader.
This isn't a joke to loosen up the crowd or some reality challenged antiwar protester on your street corner with a cardboard sign lettered like a 4 year-old kid. This guy is a freshly minted Minnesota congressman.
In classic Democrat fashion, Ellison campaigned as a "moderate" and now that he's in power, he lets his real political views known. I'm not sure if the people of Minnesota need our pity or our scorn for electing a radical Muslim who may have many more surprises in store for them . . . and us.
Live Earth Exposes The Real Left
07/11/2007 3:54pm
Live Earth has exposed a number of things about the politics of Global Warming™. None of them good. Robert Kennedy Junior has an interesting position that anybody who doesn't agree with him on Global Warming™ is a traitor and should be tried for treason. And he's in a position, as a U.S. Senator, to walk the talk.
You Tube video [here] (Senator Inhofe responds in this clip).
I've come to realize fully that Global Warming™ isn't about saving the planet. Beyond being big business (to the tune of 300 billion a year) it's about total, ultimate control over everything that we do world-wide by a few chosen socialist (at the least) elitists like Bobby Jr. and Al Gore and ultimately the UN, who will advocate nothing short of death to those that don't subscribe. After all, the penalty for the treason that Bobby Jr. talks about is - death.
RFK Jr. is after a huge list of people, general organizations, and corporations that don't agree with him and is naming names. I wouldn't be surprised if every lefty has the list in his/her desk drawer. If you want the full scope of Jr's paranoia go [here] (Full speech, "the list" starts at about 3:00)
These are scary times my friends.
Has Got And The Meaning Of Amnesty
06/26/2007 3:54pm
Transcript from a press briefing [ here ] by President Bush, at the White House, defending the present immigration bill. What the bill is about is another thing entirely but this quote from Mr. Bush: "You know, I've heard all the rhetoric -- you've heard it, too -- about how this is amnesty. Amnesty means that you've got to pay a price for having been here illegally, and this bill does that. But it also recognizes it's in our nation's interest to bring people out of the shadows; that there's got to be a way forward that recognizes there is a penalty for being here illegally -- on the other hand, that recognizes that each person has got worth and dignity."
". . . 'has got worth' . . . ". Did he really say that? When will this guy learn how to talk? Jeez.
Be that as it may, how about his "Amnesty means that you've got to pay a price for having been here illegally." snow job? What? Amnesty doesn't mean anything of the sort. At least not to your friendly dictionary. Maybe there is some truth to the wacko left's constant harangue that Bush is a liar. I don't know if I'd classify his redefinition of amnesty a "lie" but it sure wasn't accurate by any stretch:
amnesty (àm´nî-stê) noun
A general pardon granted by a government, especially for political offenses.
I think this is just the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I'm now in the camp of wishing that Bush would just leave. Leave the job to Dick or somebody. Whatever but just get the hell out and make room for somebody that can talk and shoot straight. This guy is just a buffoon.
I remember back in '98 (or so) when the GOP was trying to recruit Bush. They sent Ed Meese down to Crawford (or wherever he went) to talk Dubya into running. At that point he was a little reluctant reports said. The next thing is Meese reporting back, saying that Bush " . . . is the real thing." I sure wish I knew what he meant by that.
(and how it was one of his better works). The interviewee confessed that she didn't watch many movies (and didn't know much about it) whereas the interviewer gave her a short plot synopsis: "It's about a Republican who gets shot in the head and turns into a Democrat."