Dr. George Tiller, a controversial abortion provider, was shot to death this morning in the lobby of his church. I am quite sure that my views are well known to anyone who has visited this space before. Dr. Tiller was known for performing late term abortions, an act I consider unspeakably evil. Dr. Tiller’s murder is no less evil.
It is not given to us to mete out justice. That right is neither given to us by the laws of man nor the laws of God. Tiller’s actions were in accordance with the laws of man in this country. He was given that right through a legitimate legal process and that right has been upheld in our courts. I believe that Tiller violated God’s law and as a Christian, I believe I have a responsibility to speak out against the travesty of abortion. However, I also know that God did not invest in me the power to administer His judgment or his justice.
I am not so naïve that I don’t know that there those on my side of the abortion debate who were gladdened by the news of Dr. Tiller’s murder. I would ask them, what positive benefit will arise from this act? If the answer is that there is one less person performing a procedure that we abhor, then I would answer that much more has been lost than gained. If we support this murder, even tacitly, we, like the doctor, have broken God’s law.
Additionally, this act harms our cause. Read this from the theblogprof:
I concur. Capital punishment for whoever was responsible. Murder is murder. But kooks like Andrew Sullivan attacking Christians and conservatives right off the bat is about as low as it gets. The guy's blood isn't even dry yet. Of course, this comes from the party that turned Paul Wellstone's memorial service into a campaign speech, but anyway. Not only did Andrew Sullivan call out O'Reilly, he also painted the entire conservative community as "Christianist terrorist" that were the same as "Islamic terrorists." Nice...
This murder will serve as exhibit A that the Christian community is dangerous and radical. This act gives voice to Andrew Sullivan and others like him, who will demonize us for our faith.
I join with RS McCain in offering my prayers to friends and family of Dr. Tiller, his killer and the congregants at Dr. Tiller’s church.
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same . . ."
-- Romans 13:1-3 (KJV)
Via Memorandum
I have just read a The Other McCain that a suspect has been arrested. I will post more as it becomes available.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
It Is What It Is
Have you ever read something and then all of a sudden realized that you read it completely wrong? Well, I saw Smitty's post at The Other McCain and thought the title on the video said Budweiser Copulation instead of Budweiser Compilation. Honest mistake. It could happen to anyone. Its not, you know, personal. But anyway, I quite naturally, given my miss-reading, and being a Floridian, immediately thought of lizards. They're quite sweet, you know. Nothing like ducks. Ewwwwwwwww. And herons are just freaky. I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought. Oh yes, any other considerations aside, this is my Rule 5.PS Yes, I do know how pathetic it is. Throw me a bone.
un-America
Ted Rall has called on President Obama to resign. Good luck with that. But all snickering aside, and Rall’s post is definitely snicker worthy, if I am understanding the complaint, it is that Obama hasn’t been as efficient as Rall had hoped at driving the country to total ruin.
The crux of Rall’s lament is “preventive detentions”, a tool the government employs to detain those people who might be inclined to commit an illegal act. In its current manifestation the administration uses it to hold suspected terrorists that for whatever reason, they can’t seem to bring to trial. I don’t hold a lot of truck with terrorists so should they find themselves behind bars and should the keys somehow come up missing, I won’t lose any sleep. However, preventive detentions are nothing new and had Rall made even a passing mention of the more common usage he might have gotten my ear.
In our hemisphere, preventive detention is most commonly used by such “progressive” countries as Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. In fact, it is often employed in these countries against citizens who publicly state that their benevolent leaders should resign. Luckily, and no thanks to those of his ilk, Rall can criticize the administration, for now, without that fear.
Given that we are on the Bullet Train to Hell, Rall’s whining that the Conductor in Chief isn’t getting us to the station quick enough is more than a little pathetic. RS McCain summed it up nicely by saying that If Obama's lost Ted Rall...he's lost un-America. I don’t think Obama has lost un-America; they just want him to hurry up.
h/t Memorandum
The crux of Rall’s lament is “preventive detentions”, a tool the government employs to detain those people who might be inclined to commit an illegal act. In its current manifestation the administration uses it to hold suspected terrorists that for whatever reason, they can’t seem to bring to trial. I don’t hold a lot of truck with terrorists so should they find themselves behind bars and should the keys somehow come up missing, I won’t lose any sleep. However, preventive detentions are nothing new and had Rall made even a passing mention of the more common usage he might have gotten my ear.
In our hemisphere, preventive detention is most commonly used by such “progressive” countries as Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. In fact, it is often employed in these countries against citizens who publicly state that their benevolent leaders should resign. Luckily, and no thanks to those of his ilk, Rall can criticize the administration, for now, without that fear.
Given that we are on the Bullet Train to Hell, Rall’s whining that the Conductor in Chief isn’t getting us to the station quick enough is more than a little pathetic. RS McCain summed it up nicely by saying that If Obama's lost Ted Rall...he's lost un-America. I don’t think Obama has lost un-America; they just want him to hurry up.
h/t Memorandum
They Deserve Better Than This
“Carol, can I ask you something?” my Dad asked at lunch today.
“Sure, Dad.” I answered.
“What is happening to my country?”
So much has changed since January 20, 2009. In just four months we’ve seen massive deficit spending, the government takeover of private industries and the once free press become an extension of the White House. Through all of it my context has been my grandchildren. After all, at five and eight years old, it is their future that is being effected the most and long after I am gone they will be left with the problems we are creating today. I imagine that the social engineers leading this charge believe that my grandchildren will simply accept their fate because it will be all they know. If ten years from now the government “officially” takes over the media, will my grandson react as I have to the government takeover of the auto industry? Not likely.
To be certain, my father loves his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and he worries what the future will bring them. Talking to him today, I believe he is mourning the loss of his past. He was born in 1928, at the end of the Greatest Generation. He came up in the world believing that individual liberty and freedom was everything and that with hard work a man could achieve anything. He didn’t need books to learn about the pain of The Depression or the horrors of World War II. He lived through those times. My father knows that Europeans live free because Americans crossed the ocean and died for their freedom. My father knows that this country became prosperous because its citizens were willing to take risks. My father knows that people throughout the world have had their lives improved immeasurably by the hard work of the citizens of the United States of America.
I struggled to answer my father. How can I, who benefited from his generation’s sacrifice, explain this to him? He can’t fathom that his President would apologize for the greatness of his country. He can’t understand that hard work has become punishable. The last four months have gone against everything he’s held true his entire life.
“Is it too late, Carol?”
“No, Dad. Not yet.”
“Sure, Dad.” I answered.
“What is happening to my country?”
So much has changed since January 20, 2009. In just four months we’ve seen massive deficit spending, the government takeover of private industries and the once free press become an extension of the White House. Through all of it my context has been my grandchildren. After all, at five and eight years old, it is their future that is being effected the most and long after I am gone they will be left with the problems we are creating today. I imagine that the social engineers leading this charge believe that my grandchildren will simply accept their fate because it will be all they know. If ten years from now the government “officially” takes over the media, will my grandson react as I have to the government takeover of the auto industry? Not likely.
To be certain, my father loves his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and he worries what the future will bring them. Talking to him today, I believe he is mourning the loss of his past. He was born in 1928, at the end of the Greatest Generation. He came up in the world believing that individual liberty and freedom was everything and that with hard work a man could achieve anything. He didn’t need books to learn about the pain of The Depression or the horrors of World War II. He lived through those times. My father knows that Europeans live free because Americans crossed the ocean and died for their freedom. My father knows that this country became prosperous because its citizens were willing to take risks. My father knows that people throughout the world have had their lives improved immeasurably by the hard work of the citizens of the United States of America.
I struggled to answer my father. How can I, who benefited from his generation’s sacrifice, explain this to him? He can’t fathom that his President would apologize for the greatness of his country. He can’t understand that hard work has become punishable. The last four months have gone against everything he’s held true his entire life.
“Is it too late, Carol?”
“No, Dad. Not yet.”
The Pravda Take On America
Well I reckon if we’re going to be called a bunch of Marxists, Pravda is as good a mudslinger as any. Unfortunately, some of the mud sticks.
First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blinds the foolish.
It would hard to argue that our schools aren’t substandard. Decades of kowtowing to the teacher’s unions coupled with parents who expect the schools to raise their children for them have left us with a generation of children who have never been taught to think. Jay Leno has a ‘man on the street’ segment where the punch line is the ignorance we exhibit about our own country.
The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.
There is nothing in the paragraph above that hasn’t been said here and many other places, but to hear from a Russian newspaper is just plain embarrassing. The best that can be said is well; at least we’ve impressed them.
These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?
No congratulations necessary. Rahm and his merry band of thieves are good but they aren’t that good. There still are people willing to stand up to them, so dear Pravda, don’t count us out yet.
Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort.
It don’t know what Frank’s gayness has to do with all this, but honestly, if the Russians want to spank him, who am I to interfere?
A lot of the article is basically just crowing and smack talk and coming from Pravda, essentially the New York Times of Russia, I don’t put much stock in it. Obviously they, like our President, think we are an arrogant country. Who knows, maybe they got that idea from Obama. There isn’t much about Russia I would want to imitate. Except of course their tax code. In 2001 they lowered the personal tax rate to a flat thirteen percent and they’ve had a budget surplus ever since.
h/t The Other McCain
First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blinds the foolish.
It would hard to argue that our schools aren’t substandard. Decades of kowtowing to the teacher’s unions coupled with parents who expect the schools to raise their children for them have left us with a generation of children who have never been taught to think. Jay Leno has a ‘man on the street’ segment where the punch line is the ignorance we exhibit about our own country.
The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.
There is nothing in the paragraph above that hasn’t been said here and many other places, but to hear from a Russian newspaper is just plain embarrassing. The best that can be said is well; at least we’ve impressed them.
These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?
No congratulations necessary. Rahm and his merry band of thieves are good but they aren’t that good. There still are people willing to stand up to them, so dear Pravda, don’t count us out yet.
Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort.
It don’t know what Frank’s gayness has to do with all this, but honestly, if the Russians want to spank him, who am I to interfere?
A lot of the article is basically just crowing and smack talk and coming from Pravda, essentially the New York Times of Russia, I don’t put much stock in it. Obviously they, like our President, think we are an arrogant country. Who knows, maybe they got that idea from Obama. There isn’t much about Russia I would want to imitate. Except of course their tax code. In 2001 they lowered the personal tax rate to a flat thirteen percent and they’ve had a budget surplus ever since.
h/t The Other McCain
Friday, May 29, 2009
Stagflation
In The Obamanomics Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test RS McCain uses a very scary term; stagflation. Those in my age group, I’m fifty-one, can think back to the 1970’s and 1980’s, and remember how incredibly painful stagflation was.
Stagflation is the term used to describe a period of high unemployment coupled with high inflation. Originally it was thought that high unemployment and high inflation were mutually exclusive. It was reasoned that if fewer people were working demand for goods and services would fall and result in lowered costs (deflation) and if more people were working demand would increase and prices would rise (inflation). Unfortunately, there is a third scenario, stagflation, caused by external forces; for example, the price of oil increases bringing with it an increase in the price of gas at the pump, and internal forces; an increase in prices caused by the government’s monetary policy.
The most common way that governments cause inflation is through increased taxes. The current administration has promised that ninety-five percent of the population will not see their taxes increase. I believe the administration is being cosmetically truthful-most people will not see their income taxes increase. However, the administration has a social agenda that in order to fund that agenda a great deal of money must be sucked from the private sector and transferred to government coffers. In other words, redistribution.
This will be accomplished by instituting a value added tax. The insidious and patently dishonest aspect of a VAT is that you don’t see it; it simply appears one day buried in the cost of goods and services. At the same time, the administration is ready to fire up Cap and Trade. Estimates of the cost of Cap and Trade to the average household range from $1,600 to $3,300 a year. This is government mandated inflation during a time of high unemployment.
The administration’s monetary policy will be borne disproportionately by the lower and middle classes and will force citizens to become dependent on government for their very existence. The result will be Europe. Not the Europe of Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney. The Europe of slums, chronic high unemployment and despair. This is not that any freedom loving citizen should allow the government to take.
However, many get their information from the MSM. The MSM no longer functions as an independent watchdog, preferring instead to act a quasi-branch of the administration. This all but guarantees that the administration’s agenda will be in place before most of the citizenry is aware of the implications.
Stagflation is the term used to describe a period of high unemployment coupled with high inflation. Originally it was thought that high unemployment and high inflation were mutually exclusive. It was reasoned that if fewer people were working demand for goods and services would fall and result in lowered costs (deflation) and if more people were working demand would increase and prices would rise (inflation). Unfortunately, there is a third scenario, stagflation, caused by external forces; for example, the price of oil increases bringing with it an increase in the price of gas at the pump, and internal forces; an increase in prices caused by the government’s monetary policy.
The most common way that governments cause inflation is through increased taxes. The current administration has promised that ninety-five percent of the population will not see their taxes increase. I believe the administration is being cosmetically truthful-most people will not see their income taxes increase. However, the administration has a social agenda that in order to fund that agenda a great deal of money must be sucked from the private sector and transferred to government coffers. In other words, redistribution.
This will be accomplished by instituting a value added tax. The insidious and patently dishonest aspect of a VAT is that you don’t see it; it simply appears one day buried in the cost of goods and services. At the same time, the administration is ready to fire up Cap and Trade. Estimates of the cost of Cap and Trade to the average household range from $1,600 to $3,300 a year. This is government mandated inflation during a time of high unemployment.
The administration’s monetary policy will be borne disproportionately by the lower and middle classes and will force citizens to become dependent on government for their very existence. The result will be Europe. Not the Europe of Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney. The Europe of slums, chronic high unemployment and despair. This is not that any freedom loving citizen should allow the government to take.
However, many get their information from the MSM. The MSM no longer functions as an independent watchdog, preferring instead to act a quasi-branch of the administration. This all but guarantees that the administration’s agenda will be in place before most of the citizenry is aware of the implications.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
No Misplaced Empathy For A Racist
Could there be a starker example of how ineffectual the Republican Party has become than the party’s reaction to Sonia Sotomayer’ nomination? We have a radical President who is bent on turning the United States in to a super-sized Cuba and for his pick to the Supreme Court he’s given us someone who can be described in three words: activist, racist and sexist. Did I mention that she is a card carrying member of La Raza? For those of you who aren’t familiar with La Raza, “The Race”, they advocate among other things driver’s licenses and voter rights for illegals. They also believe that large swaths of the United States- California, Texas, Arizona, etc., aren’t really part of the United States.
So what has been the official party reaction to all this? Well, they are more concerned with offending someone than ensuring that a nominee to the Supreme Court upholds our Constitution. My suggestion to the ‘leadership’ is-if you don’t want to offend Hispanics then stop treating them like children. Of course Hispanics are proud of Sotomayer’s nomination, but for the most part, Hispanics are also deeply conservative. If the leadership clearly lays out the case against Sotomayer’s nomination, without bringing race in to it, the majority of Hispanics will understand the argument.
The leadership should follow William A. Jacobsen’s advice and call on the White House to release the Sotomayer memos. Put everything on the table and then make a decision with fealty to our Constitution. Sotomayer does indeed have a compelling story, but I feel no more empathy towards her than she showed a white male fire fighter.
So what has been the official party reaction to all this? Well, they are more concerned with offending someone than ensuring that a nominee to the Supreme Court upholds our Constitution. My suggestion to the ‘leadership’ is-if you don’t want to offend Hispanics then stop treating them like children. Of course Hispanics are proud of Sotomayer’s nomination, but for the most part, Hispanics are also deeply conservative. If the leadership clearly lays out the case against Sotomayer’s nomination, without bringing race in to it, the majority of Hispanics will understand the argument.
The leadership should follow William A. Jacobsen’s advice and call on the White House to release the Sotomayer memos. Put everything on the table and then make a decision with fealty to our Constitution. Sotomayer does indeed have a compelling story, but I feel no more empathy towards her than she showed a white male fire fighter.
Info@NRSC.Org Needs To Hear From You
I was talking on my daughter on the phone one day when I accomplished something that I am certain no person has accomplished before-I stunned my daughter into silence. I said that I am no longer certain that I am a Republican. My daughter wasn’t the only one shocked, when I heard the words out loud I literally felt sick.
Being a Republican has been a central component of my ‘me-ness’ since I was nineteen years old; or so I thought. In a case of “better late than never”, I have put a lot of thought lately in to how I identify myself and have realized that I have supported the Republican Party because I am a conservative and at one time, the Republican Party best exemplified conservatives.
For reasons I don’t understand, the Republican Party turned its back on conservatives, and the Republican Party platform, the moment they gained control of Congress and the Presidency. We had the opportunity to advance our ideals and the Party squandered that opportunity. The Republicans in Congress morphed in to Democrats and spent taxpayer money as if it were their own and the Republican president tossed his veto pen in the back of a cluttered drawer and never took it out again.
What now? To start, we take RS McCain’s advice and say, Good-Bye 'Republican' Leaders. We should no more support the Republican leadership than we would the Democratic leadership. As conservatives, our efforts and our money should be directed to those candidates and groups who represent us.
The leaders have done everything in their power to marginalize us. This has resulted in loss after loss and yet, they have not gotten the message. It is time to step it up. We must withhold our money; but it is not enough. We should keep each other informed; but talking amongst ourselves is not enough. I have talked about the need for a virtual Tea Party. I reach a small audience but The Other McCain, Michelle Malkin
Instapundit, RedState and The American Spectator reach millions. What would happen if these sites, and every site that links to them, called on their readers to email directly to the NRSC (info@nrsc.org) and send the message “I am a conservative and you don’t represent me.”? Would they recognize conservatives if we completely clogged their in box?
You may have gathered that I am an ‘in you face’ person not given to subtlety. Anybody with me?
Being a Republican has been a central component of my ‘me-ness’ since I was nineteen years old; or so I thought. In a case of “better late than never”, I have put a lot of thought lately in to how I identify myself and have realized that I have supported the Republican Party because I am a conservative and at one time, the Republican Party best exemplified conservatives.
For reasons I don’t understand, the Republican Party turned its back on conservatives, and the Republican Party platform, the moment they gained control of Congress and the Presidency. We had the opportunity to advance our ideals and the Party squandered that opportunity. The Republicans in Congress morphed in to Democrats and spent taxpayer money as if it were their own and the Republican president tossed his veto pen in the back of a cluttered drawer and never took it out again.
What now? To start, we take RS McCain’s advice and say, Good-Bye 'Republican' Leaders. We should no more support the Republican leadership than we would the Democratic leadership. As conservatives, our efforts and our money should be directed to those candidates and groups who represent us.
The leaders have done everything in their power to marginalize us. This has resulted in loss after loss and yet, they have not gotten the message. It is time to step it up. We must withhold our money; but it is not enough. We should keep each other informed; but talking amongst ourselves is not enough. I have talked about the need for a virtual Tea Party. I reach a small audience but The Other McCain, Michelle Malkin
Instapundit, RedState and The American Spectator reach millions. What would happen if these sites, and every site that links to them, called on their readers to email directly to the NRSC (info@nrsc.org) and send the message “I am a conservative and you don’t represent me.”? Would they recognize conservatives if we completely clogged their in box?
You may have gathered that I am an ‘in you face’ person not given to subtlety. Anybody with me?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Get Ready For A National Sales Tax
JammieWearingFool asks, "Dude where's my tax break?"
The willful gullibility of the American public never ceases to amaze me. Remember all that change you were hoping for? Well you got it and guess what, now you are going to pay for it. Yeah, I know, you're in that 95% percent group. You were told that the government would give you health care, pay your mortgage and put gas in your car. You bought it hook, line and sinker.
Gullible
gul·li·ble [gúlləb'l]adj easily duped: tending to trust and believe people, and therefore easily tricked or deceived.
The country is broke and soon you will be too. You're going to get that health care and Cap and Trade and you are going to pay for it every time you buy a gallon of milk or buy your baby a new pair of shoes. It is called a value added tax and it will apply to every single thing you buy and every service you use. How much would this VAT be? The figure being swatted around is twenty-five percent.
I guess it is a bit late to remind you to be careful what you wish for.
Related from Gateway Pundit-The US has lost 16,000 jobs each and every day since the Stimulus Bill was passed. Hope. Change. Doom. Or as RS McCain keeps saying It Won’t Work.
The willful gullibility of the American public never ceases to amaze me. Remember all that change you were hoping for? Well you got it and guess what, now you are going to pay for it. Yeah, I know, you're in that 95% percent group. You were told that the government would give you health care, pay your mortgage and put gas in your car. You bought it hook, line and sinker.
Gullible
gul·li·ble [gúlləb'l]adj easily duped: tending to trust and believe people, and therefore easily tricked or deceived.
The country is broke and soon you will be too. You're going to get that health care and Cap and Trade and you are going to pay for it every time you buy a gallon of milk or buy your baby a new pair of shoes. It is called a value added tax and it will apply to every single thing you buy and every service you use. How much would this VAT be? The figure being swatted around is twenty-five percent.
I guess it is a bit late to remind you to be careful what you wish for.
Related from Gateway Pundit-The US has lost 16,000 jobs each and every day since the Stimulus Bill was passed. Hope. Change. Doom. Or as RS McCain keeps saying It Won’t Work.
Investing And The Bailout
Investors invest for a reason, to make money. The Left often portrays investors as greedy fat cats who “play” the system to enrich themselves at the expense of ‘the common man’. Newsflash, the common man is an investor. Everyone who has a 401 K for their retirement or a 529 plan for their children’s education is an investor. All of these investors should take one big lesson from the government’s bailout of Chrysler and GM-don’t risk your future by sinking your money in to any industry that is union intensive.
This from The Atlantic:
Bond investors literally can't afford to lend to unionized companies because it's clear that current power in Washington will take the unions' side, despite past bankruptcy law precedents that favor senior creditors. That means Washington's actions in pushing for these bankruptcy verdicts to come out in favor of the unions will probably hurt unionized companies in the long run. As a result, it might be wise for Washington to reconsider the precedents it's setting for unionized companies undergoing bankruptcy.
So, going forward, how will GM and Chrysler raise capitol? Why would investors ever trust the automobile industry with their money again? Our government is notoriously short sighted and the treatment of investors is a prime example. In the long run, the Administration may have shot the UAW, and other unions, in the foot.
This from The Atlantic:
Bond investors literally can't afford to lend to unionized companies because it's clear that current power in Washington will take the unions' side, despite past bankruptcy law precedents that favor senior creditors. That means Washington's actions in pushing for these bankruptcy verdicts to come out in favor of the unions will probably hurt unionized companies in the long run. As a result, it might be wise for Washington to reconsider the precedents it's setting for unionized companies undergoing bankruptcy.
So, going forward, how will GM and Chrysler raise capitol? Why would investors ever trust the automobile industry with their money again? Our government is notoriously short sighted and the treatment of investors is a prime example. In the long run, the Administration may have shot the UAW, and other unions, in the foot.
Jeb Bush, Jr To Endorse Marco Rubio
“Florida and our country are at a crossroads. Not only in our economic life, but in who we are as Republicans. My choice was a simple one: Marco Rubio represents the best in what our Party should strive to be and who it must engage – he is young, conservative, and believes in the principles of our Founding Fathers, that individual freedom and liberty are what makes our country great and always will.Marco Rubio is a candidate who can help to bring our Party back on track by reaching out to our youth, entrepreneurs, Hispanics and those who believe that if you work hard enough, anything you dream can be achieved. With Marco, we have a great opportunity to elect a true conservative and a greater obligation to elect a man of principle.”
Those are the words of the son of former Gov. Jeb Bush, announcing his intention to endorse Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate race. His endorsement of Rubio could well be a 'game changer' in the Florida primary. Bush, like his father, is immensely popular in Florida and his support gives added weight to Rubio's campaign.
I will look forward to more prominent conservatives to follow his lead.
UPDATE: Huckabee is also endorsing Rubio. Good for you, Mike.
UPDATE II-The Huffington Post pronounces Crist “not up to snuff.” That’s what I’ve been saying.
The Briefing Room calls Jeb Jr.’s endorsement a possible game changer but refers back to the NRSC’s endorsement. This is a Florida race and Floridians couldn’t care less about the NRSC.
Those are the words of the son of former Gov. Jeb Bush, announcing his intention to endorse Marco Rubio in the Florida Senate race. His endorsement of Rubio could well be a 'game changer' in the Florida primary. Bush, like his father, is immensely popular in Florida and his support gives added weight to Rubio's campaign.
I will look forward to more prominent conservatives to follow his lead.
UPDATE: Huckabee is also endorsing Rubio. Good for you, Mike.
UPDATE II-The Huffington Post pronounces Crist “not up to snuff.” That’s what I’ve been saying.
The Briefing Room calls Jeb Jr.’s endorsement a possible game changer but refers back to the NRSC’s endorsement. This is a Florida race and Floridians couldn’t care less about the NRSC.
Taking "Context" Out Of Context
Kyle Munzenrider, of the Miami New Times "News" has a problem with Marco Rubio. Rubio made the following statement when asked about Sonia Sotomayer’s nomination to the Supreme Court:
"The role of the Supreme Court is to interpret the Constitution, not to make law. Given this, I am deeply concerned about Judge Sotomayor's past comment that the courts are 'where policy is made' and look forward to hearing her explanation and defense of that view."
Muzenrider, accuses Rubio of taking Sotomayer’s words out of context, and gives his readers the quote in question,
"All of the legal defense funds out there, they are looking for people with court of appeals experience because the court of appeals is where policy is made. And I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don't make law. I know. OK, I know. I'm not promoting it. I'm not advocating it. I know."
It is Muzenrider who is attempting to take the quote out of context. The context, caught on tape, is Sotomayer’s “…(nudge, nudge) I’m not promoting it (wink, wink). I’m not (giggle) advocating it. (giggle) I know (giggle, giggle, nudge, nudge).”
Muzenrider’s post is accompanied by a photo shopped picture of Rubio wearing a Sgt. Shultz type helmet with his eyes crossed. Charming. In a bizarre twist of ‘so which is it’ after he explains that Sotomayer wasn’t advocating judicial advocacy he admits that she was but that’s okay because the Legislative branch can be a little fuzzy.
Between now and November, 2010, Rubio will take a lot of hits from the press. That is just the way it is. Hopefully those hits will be a bit more responsible than what we are seeing from Muzenrider.
"The role of the Supreme Court is to interpret the Constitution, not to make law. Given this, I am deeply concerned about Judge Sotomayor's past comment that the courts are 'where policy is made' and look forward to hearing her explanation and defense of that view."
Muzenrider, accuses Rubio of taking Sotomayer’s words out of context, and gives his readers the quote in question,
"All of the legal defense funds out there, they are looking for people with court of appeals experience because the court of appeals is where policy is made. And I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don't make law. I know. OK, I know. I'm not promoting it. I'm not advocating it. I know."
It is Muzenrider who is attempting to take the quote out of context. The context, caught on tape, is Sotomayer’s “…(nudge, nudge) I’m not promoting it (wink, wink). I’m not (giggle) advocating it. (giggle) I know (giggle, giggle, nudge, nudge).”
Muzenrider’s post is accompanied by a photo shopped picture of Rubio wearing a Sgt. Shultz type helmet with his eyes crossed. Charming. In a bizarre twist of ‘so which is it’ after he explains that Sotomayer wasn’t advocating judicial advocacy he admits that she was but that’s okay because the Legislative branch can be a little fuzzy.
Between now and November, 2010, Rubio will take a lot of hits from the press. That is just the way it is. Hopefully those hits will be a bit more responsible than what we are seeing from Muzenrider.
Selling Out To Win
Pat Austin writes in "Battle for the Conservative Soul"? that John Cornyn is clinging to his worn out story that the NRSC is backing Charlie Crist against Marco Rubio in the Republican primary race for Mel Martinez’s Senate seat because polls show Crist ahead of Rubio in the race.
The NRSC’s stated reasons are complete nonsense. Read Cornyn’s words carefully:
“Gov. Crist is the strongest candidate that will enable us to hold the seat,” Cornyn told me, “Marco Rubio...[has] a bright future ahead of him, but right now the Mason Dixon poll shows Crist beating him in a primary by 53% to 18%.” By nominating Crist, Cornyn believes, “we won’t have to spend precious resources in Florida” to retain the seat of retiring Sen. Mel Martinez (who has also endorsed Crist).
Is Cornyn conceding that Rubio could beat Crist? Otherwise, where does the “we won’t have to spend precious resources in Florida” fit in? Here’s where, the likely Democratic opponent in the race is Kendrick Meek. Meek represents Florida’s 17th congressional district, far and away Florida’s most liberal district. Mr. Meek picked up the seat from his mother, Carrie Meek, who retired to make room for her son in 2002. In the three elections that he has won; he has never faced an opponent. In the last three Presidential election cycles, Meek’s district has voted for the Democratic candidate by well over 80 %. Meek, is a strong supporter of affirmative action, gay marriage and abortion.
In other words, the Dems are running a far left candidate and the NRSC believes that they will have an easier time of it if the run a left of center Republican. More plainly put, the NRSC doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the party’s platform or conservative values. They are out to win, and win at any cost.
Kendrick Meek will not win the seat. The 17th district is not representative of Florida. We are a conservative state. Further, if the economy continues as it is, wouldn’t the NRSC benefit from a candidate who isn’t tainted by the “stimulus bill” as both Crist and Meek are?
The NRSC has badly miscalculated party politics here in Florida. Take note of how quickly the state party backed down. By the end of the summer I believe the polls will turn around. If the NRSC doesn’t want to waste its precious resources, they need to re-think their position now.
The NRSC’s stated reasons are complete nonsense. Read Cornyn’s words carefully:
“Gov. Crist is the strongest candidate that will enable us to hold the seat,” Cornyn told me, “Marco Rubio...[has] a bright future ahead of him, but right now the Mason Dixon poll shows Crist beating him in a primary by 53% to 18%.” By nominating Crist, Cornyn believes, “we won’t have to spend precious resources in Florida” to retain the seat of retiring Sen. Mel Martinez (who has also endorsed Crist).
Is Cornyn conceding that Rubio could beat Crist? Otherwise, where does the “we won’t have to spend precious resources in Florida” fit in? Here’s where, the likely Democratic opponent in the race is Kendrick Meek. Meek represents Florida’s 17th congressional district, far and away Florida’s most liberal district. Mr. Meek picked up the seat from his mother, Carrie Meek, who retired to make room for her son in 2002. In the three elections that he has won; he has never faced an opponent. In the last three Presidential election cycles, Meek’s district has voted for the Democratic candidate by well over 80 %. Meek, is a strong supporter of affirmative action, gay marriage and abortion.
In other words, the Dems are running a far left candidate and the NRSC believes that they will have an easier time of it if the run a left of center Republican. More plainly put, the NRSC doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the party’s platform or conservative values. They are out to win, and win at any cost.
Kendrick Meek will not win the seat. The 17th district is not representative of Florida. We are a conservative state. Further, if the economy continues as it is, wouldn’t the NRSC benefit from a candidate who isn’t tainted by the “stimulus bill” as both Crist and Meek are?
The NRSC has badly miscalculated party politics here in Florida. Take note of how quickly the state party backed down. By the end of the summer I believe the polls will turn around. If the NRSC doesn’t want to waste its precious resources, they need to re-think their position now.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Showing Weakness
Writing in Forbes.com, Bahukutumbi Raman asks, Is Obama Another Jimmy Carter? The answer appears to be, “no, he’s much, much worse.” Our world is a far more dangerous place than it was in 1976 and neither Obama nor Secretary of State Clinton show any inclination or ability to face the danger head on. Raman writes:
After Obama assumed office in January, whatever hesitation that existed in North Korea's policy-making circles regarding the likely response of U.S. administration has disappeared, and its leadership now feels it can defy the U.S. and the international community with impunity.
A series of actions taken by the Obama administration have created an impression in Iran, the "Af-Pak" region, China and North Korea that Obama does not have the political will to retaliate decisively to acts that are detrimental to U.S. interests, and to international peace and security.
Among such actions, one could cite: the soft policy toward Iran: the reluctance to articulate strongly U.S. determination to support the security interests of Israel; the ambivalent attitude toward Pakistan despite its continued support to anti-India terrorist groups and its ineffective action against the sanctuaries of Al-Qaida and the Taliban in Pakistani territory; its silence on the question of the violation of the human rights of the Burmese people and the continued illegal detention of Aung San Suu Kyi by the military regime in Myanmar; and its silence on the Tibetan issue.
The Left has long held America’s super power status in distain. They deemed America “arrogant” long before they had George W. Bush to kick around and they won’t be happy, if they are capable of happiness, until they’ve seen America humbled in the eyes of the world. Now that they have a friend in the White House, that awful day seems destined to come sooner rather than later.
We are drowning in debt and surrounded by enemies. The President’s teleprompter can not save us now. If the President has any desire to lead America to success he needs stop being a man of words and become a man of action.
h/t Instapundit
Update: William A. Jacobsen asks, Will The Left Apologize Bolten? Why would they apologize, just because Bolten was right and they were not just wrong, but ugly wrong? I’m just surprised that nobody on the Left has written that NK’s launch was all part of the Bolten/Bush/Cheney/Limbaugh evil plan. Give it time.
UPDATE II: Also brought to us courtesy of William A. Jacobsen @ Legal Insurrection, Allison Kilkenny puts the "Twit" in Twitter. Want to stop a conversation? Throw around the word “racist”. Never mind that it simply cheapens the word or that it belittles the true victims of racism. Just throw it out there.
After Obama assumed office in January, whatever hesitation that existed in North Korea's policy-making circles regarding the likely response of U.S. administration has disappeared, and its leadership now feels it can defy the U.S. and the international community with impunity.
A series of actions taken by the Obama administration have created an impression in Iran, the "Af-Pak" region, China and North Korea that Obama does not have the political will to retaliate decisively to acts that are detrimental to U.S. interests, and to international peace and security.
Among such actions, one could cite: the soft policy toward Iran: the reluctance to articulate strongly U.S. determination to support the security interests of Israel; the ambivalent attitude toward Pakistan despite its continued support to anti-India terrorist groups and its ineffective action against the sanctuaries of Al-Qaida and the Taliban in Pakistani territory; its silence on the question of the violation of the human rights of the Burmese people and the continued illegal detention of Aung San Suu Kyi by the military regime in Myanmar; and its silence on the Tibetan issue.
The Left has long held America’s super power status in distain. They deemed America “arrogant” long before they had George W. Bush to kick around and they won’t be happy, if they are capable of happiness, until they’ve seen America humbled in the eyes of the world. Now that they have a friend in the White House, that awful day seems destined to come sooner rather than later.
We are drowning in debt and surrounded by enemies. The President’s teleprompter can not save us now. If the President has any desire to lead America to success he needs stop being a man of words and become a man of action.
h/t Instapundit
Update: William A. Jacobsen asks, Will The Left Apologize Bolten? Why would they apologize, just because Bolten was right and they were not just wrong, but ugly wrong? I’m just surprised that nobody on the Left has written that NK’s launch was all part of the Bolten/Bush/Cheney/Limbaugh evil plan. Give it time.
UPDATE II: Also brought to us courtesy of William A. Jacobsen @ Legal Insurrection, Allison Kilkenny puts the "Twit" in Twitter. Want to stop a conversation? Throw around the word “racist”. Never mind that it simply cheapens the word or that it belittles the true victims of racism. Just throw it out there.
A Day to be Grateful
It is Memorial Day and as is my holiday habit, I'm getting ready to go in to the office. No, I don't have a life. I do, however, have tremendous love for this country. I thank God for those Americans who gave their lives that I might be free to enjoy this day and every day as I see fit. I thank God for those Americans throughout the world today who are sacrificing so much so that I can enjoy my freedom without lifting a finger. I thank God for the heroes who have come home, and for those who have not.
God bless America and those who have given so much for me.
God bless America and those who have given so much for me.
Nice Is For Losers
Once upon a time, Republicans and Democrats used to fight with each other. I am not sure why all that changed, but anymore, Republicans are fighting with each other and Democrats are sitting back and enjoying the ride. One thing I do know, RS McCain couldn’t be more right when he states that incorrect analysis of the Republican Party’s ills favors the Democrats.
As I stated here and here, Republicans are seeking leaderships, not a bunch of “me, too” hustlers who mistakenly believe that they will get a seat at the grownup table by mimicking the Democratic party line. Some have decided that liberals have the winning game plan, but even when they’re right, the “me, too” Republicans are executing the wrong plays.
Liberals have the MSM on their side, so what do the likes of Tom Ridge and Colin Powell do? They run to every talk show that is willing to splash their faces on a screen and smack talk conservatives. They know they will be asked about Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and they are all too happy to tell their host exactly what they want to hear. Imagine instead, this exchange:
Host: “Is Rush Limbaugh the voice of the Republican Party?”
Ridge: “ Rush Limbaugh is an important voice in the Republican Party. He reaches over 20 million people who tune in because they agree with his message.”
Host: “But do you agree with his message?”
Ridge “Sometimes. Sometimes I don’t. That’s okay. I respect what Rush brings to the table and think he should keep it up.”
And thus ends Tom Ridge’s talk show career. Call me a heartless cynic, you’d be right, but I can’t help wondering who these people are really trying to promote. Too many “Republicans” are trying to hedge their bets by playing on both sides of field. Obviously, they’ve slept through the last two election cycles.
Republicans lost in 2006 because once they had their chance they stopped promoting conservative ideals, the ideals that put them in office, and began acting like a bunch of Democrats. Then, instead of getting the message that conservative voters were trying to send them, in 2008 they ran as quasi-liberal, “me, too”s again. How many times do they have to lose before they hear what the voters are saying? Barack Obama did not win by appealing to the middle. He won by appealing to the Left and Republicans will not win until the appeal to the Right.
McCain, the other one, points out, “This is not debate club. The Democrats are not interested in "civil discourse," and your fearful hand-wringing is worse than useless in the present situation.” Amen.
If Republicans insist on acting like a bunch of losers that is exactly what they will be. I’d rather cast my fate with conservatives who know how to fight.
As I stated here and here, Republicans are seeking leaderships, not a bunch of “me, too” hustlers who mistakenly believe that they will get a seat at the grownup table by mimicking the Democratic party line. Some have decided that liberals have the winning game plan, but even when they’re right, the “me, too” Republicans are executing the wrong plays.
Liberals have the MSM on their side, so what do the likes of Tom Ridge and Colin Powell do? They run to every talk show that is willing to splash their faces on a screen and smack talk conservatives. They know they will be asked about Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and they are all too happy to tell their host exactly what they want to hear. Imagine instead, this exchange:
Host: “Is Rush Limbaugh the voice of the Republican Party?”
Ridge: “ Rush Limbaugh is an important voice in the Republican Party. He reaches over 20 million people who tune in because they agree with his message.”
Host: “But do you agree with his message?”
Ridge “Sometimes. Sometimes I don’t. That’s okay. I respect what Rush brings to the table and think he should keep it up.”
And thus ends Tom Ridge’s talk show career. Call me a heartless cynic, you’d be right, but I can’t help wondering who these people are really trying to promote. Too many “Republicans” are trying to hedge their bets by playing on both sides of field. Obviously, they’ve slept through the last two election cycles.
Republicans lost in 2006 because once they had their chance they stopped promoting conservative ideals, the ideals that put them in office, and began acting like a bunch of Democrats. Then, instead of getting the message that conservative voters were trying to send them, in 2008 they ran as quasi-liberal, “me, too”s again. How many times do they have to lose before they hear what the voters are saying? Barack Obama did not win by appealing to the middle. He won by appealing to the Left and Republicans will not win until the appeal to the Right.
McCain, the other one, points out, “This is not debate club. The Democrats are not interested in "civil discourse," and your fearful hand-wringing is worse than useless in the present situation.” Amen.
If Republicans insist on acting like a bunch of losers that is exactly what they will be. I’d rather cast my fate with conservatives who know how to fight.
Gitmo 2.0
President Obama insists that Gitmo must be closed because it has become a public relations nightmare. At the risk of sounding naïve, eighty million dollars seems like an awful lot of money to spend on marketing. Better to spruce the place up a bit, perhaps add a few wide screen TVs and improve the variety of drinks available at the facility’s Juice Bar and make sure our guests are made more comfortable right where they are.
Lo and behold, Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, agrees with me. Under a plan dubbed Gitmo 2.0, Hastings is proposing we leave the prison open and use our money for improvements to the facility.
The best suggestions I’ve seen for improving Gitmo comes from The Baughers who have compiled a comprehensive list amenities aimed at guaranteeing that our detainees’ experience is everything it should be. I would like to add one thing to the list.
When I was growing up my Dad threw a pig roast every Fourth of July. It was a big hit in the small town I grew up in. Perhaps we could do that for our guests and time it to one of their special holidays.
Lo and behold, Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, agrees with me. Under a plan dubbed Gitmo 2.0, Hastings is proposing we leave the prison open and use our money for improvements to the facility.
The best suggestions I’ve seen for improving Gitmo comes from The Baughers who have compiled a comprehensive list amenities aimed at guaranteeing that our detainees’ experience is everything it should be. I would like to add one thing to the list.
When I was growing up my Dad threw a pig roast every Fourth of July. It was a big hit in the small town I grew up in. Perhaps we could do that for our guests and time it to one of their special holidays.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Limbaugh vs Powell
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge thinks that Republicans should quit sniping at each other and instead, aim their attacks at Democrats. Not entirely bad advice, except he gave it while attacking Rush Limbaugh.
"It does get the base all fired up and he's got a strong following," Ridge continued. "But personally, if he would listen to me and I doubt if he would, the notion is express yourself but let's respect others opinions and let's not be divisive."
Ridge was specifically referring to the dust up between Limbaugh and Colin Powell. I note that while encouraging Limbaugh to be “respectful” he gave Powell a pass.
Since backing Barack Obama for President, Powell has done nothing but lecture Republicans and publicly bash the party he purports to support. Powell is pro-abortion, pro open borders and has stated that Americans want higher taxes and more government. I think it is safe to say that Powell has left the Republican Party in every way except name.
Rush Limbaugh has an audience of 20 million because people trust him to tell it like it is and they agree with his message. If he weren’t so effective Powell, Ridge, et al, would give him the time of day. Limbaugh, along with Coulter, Malkin, Steyn and many others give voice to millions of conservatives who have rejected the squishiness that defines the Ridge/Powell wing of the GOP. Millions are tuning in to Beck, Hannity and O’Reilly and tuning out a rudderless Republican Party. These people are popular because their ideas are popular.
They say that we are in a fight for the soul of the Republican Party. If that is true then I say “no worries.” Moderates don’t have the stomach for it.
"It does get the base all fired up and he's got a strong following," Ridge continued. "But personally, if he would listen to me and I doubt if he would, the notion is express yourself but let's respect others opinions and let's not be divisive."
Ridge was specifically referring to the dust up between Limbaugh and Colin Powell. I note that while encouraging Limbaugh to be “respectful” he gave Powell a pass.
Since backing Barack Obama for President, Powell has done nothing but lecture Republicans and publicly bash the party he purports to support. Powell is pro-abortion, pro open borders and has stated that Americans want higher taxes and more government. I think it is safe to say that Powell has left the Republican Party in every way except name.
Rush Limbaugh has an audience of 20 million because people trust him to tell it like it is and they agree with his message. If he weren’t so effective Powell, Ridge, et al, would give him the time of day. Limbaugh, along with Coulter, Malkin, Steyn and many others give voice to millions of conservatives who have rejected the squishiness that defines the Ridge/Powell wing of the GOP. Millions are tuning in to Beck, Hannity and O’Reilly and tuning out a rudderless Republican Party. These people are popular because their ideas are popular.
They say that we are in a fight for the soul of the Republican Party. If that is true then I say “no worries.” Moderates don’t have the stomach for it.
Happy Memorial Day
Tomorrow is set aside as the day when Americans honor the men and women who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free. We throw the word “hero” around much too casually these days, assigning the title based on personality rather than exceptional deeds. I am blessed to know a real hero, Andre Rivera, and would like to share his story.
By Laura BaileyMarine Corps Times
September 29, 2004
As insurgent uprisings flared in cities throughout Iraq in April, a group of American civilians trapped in a besieged building thought the end was near.But they found hope of escape from a small team of Marines that has been recognized for helping to save those civilians’ lives.Maj. James Purmort, 34, and Staff Sgt. Andre Rivera, 29, both reservists with the 4th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, were awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for valor Sept. 19 during a ceremony in West Palm Beach, Fla.
They were two of four Marines with 4th ANGLICO who received Bronze Stars for actions in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Derrick Leath and Capt. Matt Brannen were also awarded the Bronze Star with combat “V.”
Purmort and Rivera’s seven-man team was attached to a group of Ukrainian troops outside Kut when 400 Mahdi Army troops, loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, attacked a Coalition Provisional Authority building inside the city on the morning of April 7.The building held 87 civilians and military members, including Ukrainian forces and U.S. Army troops.Stationed at a Ukrainian base across the river from the CPA building, Purmort and Rivera with Team 3, call sign “Lightning 30,” could see the building from their position, but Ukrainian troops forbade anyone to leave the post to assist, Rivera recalled.Out of optionsWith no other option, and under small arms and sniper fire throughout the day and night, Purmort and Rivera coordinated air attacks in an effort to keep the CPA building from falling.“They were literally going to be slaughtered,” Rivera said. “I remember thinking Americans are going to die right in front of us, so we better do our best tonight.”For 27 intense hours, the team coordinated 50 sorties by fighter jets and gunships.
With their help, all 87 people in the building were evacuated in armored personnel carriers just as Mahdi Army troops infiltrated the first floor of the building.Throughout the engagement, the team’s members controlled four to five sets of aircraft at the same time, something they had never done in training, Rivera said. This included taking out a mortar position just as it began to fire rounds into the building, according to award documentation.
“That day everything just came together. It was beautiful,” Rivera said. “Everyone rose to the occasion. No one hesitated.”
Thank you to everyone who since the inception of this country has stepped up to defend us and keep us safe. Thank you to the families who have sacrificed your loved ones that I can enjoy a level of freedom not known anywhere on Earth. Thank you, Andre.
By Laura BaileyMarine Corps Times
September 29, 2004
As insurgent uprisings flared in cities throughout Iraq in April, a group of American civilians trapped in a besieged building thought the end was near.But they found hope of escape from a small team of Marines that has been recognized for helping to save those civilians’ lives.Maj. James Purmort, 34, and Staff Sgt. Andre Rivera, 29, both reservists with the 4th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, were awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for valor Sept. 19 during a ceremony in West Palm Beach, Fla.
They were two of four Marines with 4th ANGLICO who received Bronze Stars for actions in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Derrick Leath and Capt. Matt Brannen were also awarded the Bronze Star with combat “V.”
Purmort and Rivera’s seven-man team was attached to a group of Ukrainian troops outside Kut when 400 Mahdi Army troops, loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, attacked a Coalition Provisional Authority building inside the city on the morning of April 7.The building held 87 civilians and military members, including Ukrainian forces and U.S. Army troops.Stationed at a Ukrainian base across the river from the CPA building, Purmort and Rivera with Team 3, call sign “Lightning 30,” could see the building from their position, but Ukrainian troops forbade anyone to leave the post to assist, Rivera recalled.Out of optionsWith no other option, and under small arms and sniper fire throughout the day and night, Purmort and Rivera coordinated air attacks in an effort to keep the CPA building from falling.“They were literally going to be slaughtered,” Rivera said. “I remember thinking Americans are going to die right in front of us, so we better do our best tonight.”For 27 intense hours, the team coordinated 50 sorties by fighter jets and gunships.
With their help, all 87 people in the building were evacuated in armored personnel carriers just as Mahdi Army troops infiltrated the first floor of the building.Throughout the engagement, the team’s members controlled four to five sets of aircraft at the same time, something they had never done in training, Rivera said. This included taking out a mortar position just as it began to fire rounds into the building, according to award documentation.
“That day everything just came together. It was beautiful,” Rivera said. “Everyone rose to the occasion. No one hesitated.”
Thank you to everyone who since the inception of this country has stepped up to defend us and keep us safe. Thank you to the families who have sacrificed your loved ones that I can enjoy a level of freedom not known anywhere on Earth. Thank you, Andre.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Random Thoughts
In my daily trip around the World Wide Web I came across several posts at Memeorandum that led to some random thoughts.
Conservatives have missed a golden opportunity on water-boarding. By playing the whole ‘water-boarding isn’t torture game conservatives are slanting the argument in the liberals favor. Torture is defined by the person on the receiving end. Get over trying to prove whether or not water-boarding constitutes torture. When I was a kid, my Mom insisted that I eat a “no thank you” helping of all manner of repulsive food stuffs that were stomach churning, tear producing torture. Instead of quibbling over the definition of torture be proud of the fact that there were no other attacks after 9/11. The moral “high ground” doesn’t belong to those who would rather that their own children be incinerated that put a caterpillar in a box with a terrorist.
Politico thinks the RNC is being mean to poor sixty-nine year old female Nancy Pelosi? When did Politico board the “nice” train? First, Pelosi doesn’t get a pass by virtue of her age or her gender. Second, does Politico reserve this level of deference across the political spectrum? Hardly. However, I am willing to defend Pelosi. The Speaker of the House is the third most powerful person in our government. It is unforgivable to reduce someone who has achieved so much to nothing more than their age or sex. Politico should be ashamed of itself.
The kicker of the day isn’t Obama admitting that we’ve run out of money. The real boot in the backside is that we’ve elected a President who seems determined to change short term problems in to long term catastrophes. Mr. President, anyone can tell you, when you start paying your credit card bill with a credit card you are in deep doo doo. Spend less, not more.
Conservatives have missed a golden opportunity on water-boarding. By playing the whole ‘water-boarding isn’t torture game conservatives are slanting the argument in the liberals favor. Torture is defined by the person on the receiving end. Get over trying to prove whether or not water-boarding constitutes torture. When I was a kid, my Mom insisted that I eat a “no thank you” helping of all manner of repulsive food stuffs that were stomach churning, tear producing torture. Instead of quibbling over the definition of torture be proud of the fact that there were no other attacks after 9/11. The moral “high ground” doesn’t belong to those who would rather that their own children be incinerated that put a caterpillar in a box with a terrorist.
Politico thinks the RNC is being mean to poor sixty-nine year old female Nancy Pelosi? When did Politico board the “nice” train? First, Pelosi doesn’t get a pass by virtue of her age or her gender. Second, does Politico reserve this level of deference across the political spectrum? Hardly. However, I am willing to defend Pelosi. The Speaker of the House is the third most powerful person in our government. It is unforgivable to reduce someone who has achieved so much to nothing more than their age or sex. Politico should be ashamed of itself.
The kicker of the day isn’t Obama admitting that we’ve run out of money. The real boot in the backside is that we’ve elected a President who seems determined to change short term problems in to long term catastrophes. Mr. President, anyone can tell you, when you start paying your credit card bill with a credit card you are in deep doo doo. Spend less, not more.
Individuals Versus Followers
Democrats have a ‘ruling class’ mentality. They look at the citizenry and see a flock that needs a Sheppard to keep them on the correct path. This mindset favors the group over the individual and can be summed up by “we know better than you.”
Enter Gen. Colin Powell, who inexplicably announced this week that people want to pay more taxes and want bigger government. On the surface it appears that Powell has gotten hold of some bad weed but actually he isn’t reflecting the will of the people, he is projecting the wisdom of the ruling class on to them.
This is the same mistake the NRSC is making. They are confusing their constituency with a flock. Conservatism is not about groupthink and it is not ’top down’. If the NRSC wants to represent our party they need to lose their “we will tell you” attitude and start listening again.
Sadly, listening doesn’t appear to be the NRSC’s forte and if I don’t see any evidence of an attitude change in Doug Hagin’s post on the NRSC response to Not One Red Cent. NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh oozes superiority as he explains that the NRSC isn’t telling anyone what to think, they are simply telling people what they should think. Can anyone honestly say that they are surprised that this kind of leadership, a polyester blend of fuzziness and elitism, has resulted in a two cycle thumping?
Elitism is killing the Republican Party. Elitism is dependent on adherents and admirers. That is not what the Republican Party is about.
Enter Gen. Colin Powell, who inexplicably announced this week that people want to pay more taxes and want bigger government. On the surface it appears that Powell has gotten hold of some bad weed but actually he isn’t reflecting the will of the people, he is projecting the wisdom of the ruling class on to them.
This is the same mistake the NRSC is making. They are confusing their constituency with a flock. Conservatism is not about groupthink and it is not ’top down’. If the NRSC wants to represent our party they need to lose their “we will tell you” attitude and start listening again.
Sadly, listening doesn’t appear to be the NRSC’s forte and if I don’t see any evidence of an attitude change in Doug Hagin’s post on the NRSC response to Not One Red Cent. NRSC spokesman Brian Walsh oozes superiority as he explains that the NRSC isn’t telling anyone what to think, they are simply telling people what they should think. Can anyone honestly say that they are surprised that this kind of leadership, a polyester blend of fuzziness and elitism, has resulted in a two cycle thumping?
Elitism is killing the Republican Party. Elitism is dependent on adherents and admirers. That is not what the Republican Party is about.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Crist and Resume Building
Many years ago, when I was fresh out of college and hoping to get ahead in banking, one of my betters gave this career advice, “Never stay on a job long enough for the boss to figure out that you don’t know what you are doing.” I thought of that advice today when I read Larry Thornberry at the American Spectator writing on Charlie Crist.
Charlie is a charming fellow who knows how to work a room, and has floated from one Florida office to another on an engaging smile, a few populist bromides, a great tan, and the ability to convince voters he has their best interests at heart and knows how to make their lives better. He is in fact empty political calories. He's accomplished next to nothing in the many Florida offices he's held, none of them for long before he was seeking the next office. The only thing he's worked hard at, or seems really committed to, is keeping himself in office.
Charlie Crist is ambitious. There is nothing wrong with that, ambition is a positive quality. However, in and of itself, ‘ambitious’ is not interchangeable with ‘successful.’ Crist’s resume, like our President’s, is long on titles but short on accomplishments.
Crist can’t be bothered with doing the hard work, he’s got his eye on the door. If, and I don’t believe he will, but if, he takes Mel Martinez’s seat, he will still be looking at the door. And if he has to pull a Specter to get through that door, he’ll do it. He isn’t going to let principal stand between him and the next title on his resume. According to the NRSC, fecklessness isn’t a flaw, it is a feature. What does that say about the NRSC’s judgement?
Not One Red Cent
Charlie is a charming fellow who knows how to work a room, and has floated from one Florida office to another on an engaging smile, a few populist bromides, a great tan, and the ability to convince voters he has their best interests at heart and knows how to make their lives better. He is in fact empty political calories. He's accomplished next to nothing in the many Florida offices he's held, none of them for long before he was seeking the next office. The only thing he's worked hard at, or seems really committed to, is keeping himself in office.
Charlie Crist is ambitious. There is nothing wrong with that, ambition is a positive quality. However, in and of itself, ‘ambitious’ is not interchangeable with ‘successful.’ Crist’s resume, like our President’s, is long on titles but short on accomplishments.
Crist can’t be bothered with doing the hard work, he’s got his eye on the door. If, and I don’t believe he will, but if, he takes Mel Martinez’s seat, he will still be looking at the door. And if he has to pull a Specter to get through that door, he’ll do it. He isn’t going to let principal stand between him and the next title on his resume. According to the NRSC, fecklessness isn’t a flaw, it is a feature. What does that say about the NRSC’s judgement?
Not One Red Cent
Thursday, May 21, 2009
You're Fired!
You are at work everyday on time and never leave early. You don’t call in sick and you don’t surf the web on company time. You never run your personal mail on the company postage meter. You are the perfect employee and your evaluations reflect it. Think your job is safe? If you work for the city of Warren, Michigan the mayor says, “Not necessarily” Mayor Jim Fouts want his employees to buy American or find someplace else to work.
The mayor hasn't said he'll fire or lay off someone who doesn't buy American.Yet when asked if he would, he has said things like "they are at-will employees in a strong mayor form ofgovernment... and they can be terminated at any time. I believe they know that and with that in mind I strongly urge that they buy American."
Should employers be able to fire employees for non-work related ‘offenses’? We already allow employers to fire smokers, justifying it by statistics that say smokers cost employers in increased health costs and lost productivity. The same logic could be used against any employee whose ‘lifestyle’ could be considered unhealthy-drinkers, meat eaters, and the obese. Mayor Fouts bases his decision on the fact that revenues from GM and Chrysler account for 15 percent of his annual fiscal budget.
I don’t favor telling employers who they can or can’t hire. Employers should be able to fire non-performing employees without being forced to jump through government mandated hoops. At the same time, good employees should not have to worry about losing their jobs because of their personal choices.
h/t Autoblog via Instapundit
It Is America's Fault (Again)
Watching the President’s news conference today I couldn’t get past two things. First, for someone who insisted that he didn’t want to look backward he repeatedly mentioned the previous administration and the past eight years. It is obvious that Obama is aware that the Left is unhappy with some of his decisions of late and he was hand feeding them a spoonful of sugar in hopes of getting the bad taste out of their mouths.
Second, Obama put himself squarely in the ‘blame America first’ camp. This isn’t surprising given the series of apology tours he’s gone on since coming in to office, but it does beg the question, “is he really that naïve?” Our enemies do not hate us because we engaged in waterboarding at Gitmo. If anything, terrorist of the Khalied Sheikh Mohammed stripe probably point to our methods of interrogation as proof of what a bunch of softies we infidels are. Given the ideology of al Qaeda, et al, it is more likely they hate us for our Paris Hiltons and Britney Spears than they even care about enhanced interrogation techniques. Islamists hate us for our decadence and our societal excesses and lack of discipline. They do not share our values and it is folly to suggest that anything that happenned at Gitmo will change that.
Obama talked about our principals and values. The fact remains that the Bush administration kept us safe from another attack after 9/11. If somehow keeping American safe caused other countries to look down on the United States then frankly, they are unworthy to be our allies.
The President cited, more than once, that Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham agree with him on the subject of EITs. I can’t see anyone being swayed, let alone impressed, that the ‘Me Too’ caucus in the Republican Party might find it politically expedient to follow the President’s lead on this one.
Due to work obligations I was only able to watch a few minutes of former Vice President Cheney’s speech. Of the two of them, Cheney showed himself to be a man of deeply held convictions and love for his country. Obama, on the other hand, was shallow.
Let us hope that we are lucky throughout these next four years. I am afraid that if attacked again this President’s idea of decisive action will be to crank of the Apology Express once more.
Second, Obama put himself squarely in the ‘blame America first’ camp. This isn’t surprising given the series of apology tours he’s gone on since coming in to office, but it does beg the question, “is he really that naïve?” Our enemies do not hate us because we engaged in waterboarding at Gitmo. If anything, terrorist of the Khalied Sheikh Mohammed stripe probably point to our methods of interrogation as proof of what a bunch of softies we infidels are. Given the ideology of al Qaeda, et al, it is more likely they hate us for our Paris Hiltons and Britney Spears than they even care about enhanced interrogation techniques. Islamists hate us for our decadence and our societal excesses and lack of discipline. They do not share our values and it is folly to suggest that anything that happenned at Gitmo will change that.
Obama talked about our principals and values. The fact remains that the Bush administration kept us safe from another attack after 9/11. If somehow keeping American safe caused other countries to look down on the United States then frankly, they are unworthy to be our allies.
The President cited, more than once, that Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham agree with him on the subject of EITs. I can’t see anyone being swayed, let alone impressed, that the ‘Me Too’ caucus in the Republican Party might find it politically expedient to follow the President’s lead on this one.
Due to work obligations I was only able to watch a few minutes of former Vice President Cheney’s speech. Of the two of them, Cheney showed himself to be a man of deeply held convictions and love for his country. Obama, on the other hand, was shallow.
Let us hope that we are lucky throughout these next four years. I am afraid that if attacked again this President’s idea of decisive action will be to crank of the Apology Express once more.
The NRSC: Marketing a Flimsier Product
“The flimsier the product, the higher the price” comes in at number 82 in the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. Right now the NRSC is peddling a flimsy product and the price couldn’t be higher. Look at the product line they are putting out on the market. There model is at best the generic version of the Democrat brand. But in this case, the generic comes with a much higher price.
First, if they manage to flood the market with their product, and Lord knows they’re trying, it will effectively cost us our two party system. Basically there will be one party but it will sold under two different labels.
Second, there will be no We the People, no representation. You can not bring a product to market without money and it is the NRSC and the party leadership that has the money.
The price of business as usual is too high. We need a new marketing plan that builds on the grassroots network that is already in place. We need a virtual Tea Party. We have a superior product and as conservatives we need to come together and start advertising it.
Following the lead set by Not One Red Cent, let’s keep this movement viral and spread the virus far and wide. The Left, with a whole lot of help from our Republican leadership, are doing their best to keep us isolated up on the ridge. It’s time to charge the field.
We can advertise our product cheap. All it will take is promoting the blogs that are already speaking out. How many people do you email a day? Throw in a “hey, check out Not One Red Cent.” If you have a conservative candidate in your area, put the word out. Tell me. I’m grateful for the attention Marco Rubio is getting both in my state of Florida and without. I may be a small blog but I’ll promote any conservative candidate anywhere.
We have the better product. Let’s go out and multiply.
First, if they manage to flood the market with their product, and Lord knows they’re trying, it will effectively cost us our two party system. Basically there will be one party but it will sold under two different labels.
Second, there will be no We the People, no representation. You can not bring a product to market without money and it is the NRSC and the party leadership that has the money.
The price of business as usual is too high. We need a new marketing plan that builds on the grassroots network that is already in place. We need a virtual Tea Party. We have a superior product and as conservatives we need to come together and start advertising it.
Following the lead set by Not One Red Cent, let’s keep this movement viral and spread the virus far and wide. The Left, with a whole lot of help from our Republican leadership, are doing their best to keep us isolated up on the ridge. It’s time to charge the field.
We can advertise our product cheap. All it will take is promoting the blogs that are already speaking out. How many people do you email a day? Throw in a “hey, check out Not One Red Cent.” If you have a conservative candidate in your area, put the word out. Tell me. I’m grateful for the attention Marco Rubio is getting both in my state of Florida and without. I may be a small blog but I’ll promote any conservative candidate anywhere.
We have the better product. Let’s go out and multiply.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Taxes: Chasing Out The Rich
Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore studied the effects of state income taxes on states’ budget deficits and concluded that "soaking the rich" is counter-intuitive to growth.
States facing large deficits should be taking a hard look at their bloated budgets, but instead, they are taking a page from the President’s playbook and raising taxes on “the rich.” One problem with this approach is that wealthy people enjoy a higher level of mobility than the rest of us and therefore, they can easily relocate to states with low or no income taxes.
Laffer and Moore discovered that between 1998 and 2007 nine states with the highest tax rates saw 1,100 people each and every day relocate to states with no income taxes. As the people left they took their jobs with them. Consequently, high tax states are facing the biggest deficits.
Liberals argue that taxes are necessary to provide for services the communities need and desire. Laffer and Moore use the example of New Hampshire, a state with no income tax and no sales tax, have one of the best school systems in the country. Conversely, California, a high tax state, has the highest teacher salaries yet it’s students have the second lowest test scores in the nation.
During this recession states should cut taxes not raise them. States should be attracting people and businesses not chasing them away. Liberals need to look at the overall effects of high taxes and realize that rather than re-distributing wealth, they are causing wealth to evaporate.
h/t Instapundit
States facing large deficits should be taking a hard look at their bloated budgets, but instead, they are taking a page from the President’s playbook and raising taxes on “the rich.” One problem with this approach is that wealthy people enjoy a higher level of mobility than the rest of us and therefore, they can easily relocate to states with low or no income taxes.
Laffer and Moore discovered that between 1998 and 2007 nine states with the highest tax rates saw 1,100 people each and every day relocate to states with no income taxes. As the people left they took their jobs with them. Consequently, high tax states are facing the biggest deficits.
Liberals argue that taxes are necessary to provide for services the communities need and desire. Laffer and Moore use the example of New Hampshire, a state with no income tax and no sales tax, have one of the best school systems in the country. Conversely, California, a high tax state, has the highest teacher salaries yet it’s students have the second lowest test scores in the nation.
During this recession states should cut taxes not raise them. States should be attracting people and businesses not chasing them away. Liberals need to look at the overall effects of high taxes and realize that rather than re-distributing wealth, they are causing wealth to evaporate.
h/t Instapundit
Not One Red Cent Catches Fire
It looks like Not One Red Cent is resonating with conservatives throughout the photosphere. The links are coming in hot and heavy and sending the message to the RNSC, “No more!”
Front page at Hot Air; Right Wing News; Red State's Erick Erickson and Moe Lane; Memorandum twice; Matt Lewis at Politics Daily; David Weigel at Washington Independent; Eric Zimmerman at The Hill; John McCormack at The Weekly Standard; Greg Hengler of Townhall, Dan Riehl, Fausta Wertz, Dad 29, Hyscience, Jimmie Bise, St. Blogustine and Pundette.
These are just a few who have spoken out so far. If anyone comes across links not mentioned please let me know so I can add them to the list.
MANY thanks to RS McCain for keeping me in the loop!
UPDATE: The links keep coming!
Reported by Jeremy Wallace at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune;
Reported by Thomas Francis at the Broward-Palm Beach New Times;
Reported by John Mercurio at NewsMax;
Chris Wysocki at Wyblog, Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs, Be John Galt, Matthew Archbold, Ben DeGrow at Mount Virtus, Illinois Pedant, Robert Belvedere at The Camp of the Saints, Andrea Shea King, Pat at So It Goes In Shreveport, Steve Eggleston, Aaron Marks at The Next Right and Stephen Green at VodkaPundit;
More than 1,200 members of the Facebook group.
UPDATE II:
This from the Tampa Tribune:
Crist: “Let the people decide” in Senate primaryPosted May 20, 2009 by Catherine DolinskiUpdated May 20, 2009 at 02:39 PM
Gov. Charlie Crist said today he’s “comfortable” with a push by grass-roots party activists for the Republican Party to stay neutral in his U.S. Senate primary against Marco Rubio.
Asked about the several county Republican Party organizations that have passed resolutions calling for party neutrality and opposing national GOP efforts to have the party side with Crist, the governor responded, “I agree; of course. Let the people decide; I’m comfortable with that.”
Crist also didn’t take sides when reporters asked about the possibility that his former chief of staff and campaign manager, George LeMieux, might face Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp in the race for attorney general.
“Let freedom ring,” he said. “That’s how I feel about all positions as it relates to the democratic process that we enjoy in this country. Let’s see who announces.”
Good thing Crist is “comfortable” with citizens excercising their rights because there is a whole lot of it going on right now. It seems the Florida Republican Party has gotten the message and has backed off it’s endorsement of Crist.
Let’s keep the ball rolling, folks.
Front page at Hot Air; Right Wing News; Red State's Erick Erickson and Moe Lane; Memorandum twice; Matt Lewis at Politics Daily; David Weigel at Washington Independent; Eric Zimmerman at The Hill; John McCormack at The Weekly Standard; Greg Hengler of Townhall, Dan Riehl, Fausta Wertz, Dad 29, Hyscience, Jimmie Bise, St. Blogustine and Pundette.
These are just a few who have spoken out so far. If anyone comes across links not mentioned please let me know so I can add them to the list.
MANY thanks to RS McCain for keeping me in the loop!
UPDATE: The links keep coming!
Reported by Jeremy Wallace at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune;
Reported by Thomas Francis at the Broward-Palm Beach New Times;
Reported by John Mercurio at NewsMax;
Chris Wysocki at Wyblog, Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs, Be John Galt, Matthew Archbold, Ben DeGrow at Mount Virtus, Illinois Pedant, Robert Belvedere at The Camp of the Saints, Andrea Shea King, Pat at So It Goes In Shreveport, Steve Eggleston, Aaron Marks at The Next Right and Stephen Green at VodkaPundit;
More than 1,200 members of the Facebook group.
UPDATE II:
This from the Tampa Tribune:
Crist: “Let the people decide” in Senate primaryPosted May 20, 2009 by Catherine DolinskiUpdated May 20, 2009 at 02:39 PM
Gov. Charlie Crist said today he’s “comfortable” with a push by grass-roots party activists for the Republican Party to stay neutral in his U.S. Senate primary against Marco Rubio.
Asked about the several county Republican Party organizations that have passed resolutions calling for party neutrality and opposing national GOP efforts to have the party side with Crist, the governor responded, “I agree; of course. Let the people decide; I’m comfortable with that.”
Crist also didn’t take sides when reporters asked about the possibility that his former chief of staff and campaign manager, George LeMieux, might face Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp in the race for attorney general.
“Let freedom ring,” he said. “That’s how I feel about all positions as it relates to the democratic process that we enjoy in this country. Let’s see who announces.”
Good thing Crist is “comfortable” with citizens excercising their rights because there is a whole lot of it going on right now. It seems the Florida Republican Party has gotten the message and has backed off it’s endorsement of Crist.
Let’s keep the ball rolling, folks.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Taking a Second Look at Moderates
There is a great debate going on within the Republican Party. Should we stick to our conservative principals or modify our message to attract more moderates. Unfortunately, there are those in the media who are adding fuel to fire by casting conservatives as angry, out of touch and irrelevant while featuring moderates as the new and improved face of the party. Anyone who has spent much time at this site knows that I don’t hold moderates in high regard. I’ve honestly never had much use for them. I have to admit, I was wrong.
“And what about moderates? I know this won’t make me popular with the Republican base, but we have to make every effort we can to get as many moderates into the Republican Party as possible. Let’s bend on any issue necessary and soften our rhetoric to get every squish behind us. Let’s even invite Arlen Specter back; we can tell him we were wrong and trillions in wasteful spending is a great idea right now. We need all the moderates we can get to join us, because when everything goes to hell, they’ll be a great source of cheap labor and — in a worse case scenario — food. So for the future survival of the party, moderates are very important.”
Frank J. Fleming
I had never looked at moderates in that light before. But I feel better knowing that when the great darkness comes, and it will, that I will be able to count on them for something. I’ve heard they taste like chicken.
Read Fleming’s entire piece.
“And what about moderates? I know this won’t make me popular with the Republican base, but we have to make every effort we can to get as many moderates into the Republican Party as possible. Let’s bend on any issue necessary and soften our rhetoric to get every squish behind us. Let’s even invite Arlen Specter back; we can tell him we were wrong and trillions in wasteful spending is a great idea right now. We need all the moderates we can get to join us, because when everything goes to hell, they’ll be a great source of cheap labor and — in a worse case scenario — food. So for the future survival of the party, moderates are very important.”
Frank J. Fleming
I had never looked at moderates in that light before. But I feel better knowing that when the great darkness comes, and it will, that I will be able to count on them for something. I’ve heard they taste like chicken.
Read Fleming’s entire piece.
A Speech Worth Listening To
In 2004, at the Republican Convention, Michael Steele gave a speech that blew me away. Since being elected Chairman of the RNC Steele has made, and I am being charitable, some missteps. Today, Steele found his voice. I would expect that the members of the NRSC watched this speech. I can only pray that they listened as well.
Chairman Michael Steele
h/t Allah via The Other McCain
Chairman Michael Steele
h/t Allah via The Other McCain
Monday, May 18, 2009
NRSC: Not Passing the "Smell Test"
In endorsing Charlie Crist in the Florida Republican primary race, Sen. John Cornyn, Chairman of the NRSC said this:
“While I believe Marco Rubio has a very bright future within the Republican Party, Charlie Crist is the best candidate in 2010 to ensure that we maintain the checks and balances that Floridians deserve in the United States Senate. Governor Crist is a dedicated public servant and a dynamic leader, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee will provide our full support to ensure that he is elected the next United States Senator from Florida.”
The more I think about the NRSC endorsing Crist the more it bugs me. Not just because it is none of the NRSC's damn business who Republicans choose to represent them in Florida, but also, it doesn't make sense.
The NRSC says that Crist has the best chance of defeating whatever challenger the Dems put up. But their actions suggest that they don't believe he can beat Republican challenger Marco Rubio without their help. Remember, there is no incumbent in this race. Why is the NRSC wasting money, not to mention their dwindling political capital on a primary race if they really believe that Crist is the easy winner? Shouldn't they be saving their cash for the actual Senate race?
This just doesn't pass the 'smell test'. In Marco Rubio the party has a young and dynamic conservative, who, speaking as a woman, isn't the least bit hard to look at. Don't roll your eyes, you know purely peripheral things play in to it. Yet, without so much as a "how do you do" the NRSC pulled up the stakes on their "big tent".
Everything I'm reading leads me to believe that the NRSC has decided to shut out conservatives. Is that because unlike 'moderates', conservatives aren't so easily placated? Are we too demanding? Well, if the NRSC can do without my ideals they can also do without my money. Not One Red Cent!
“While I believe Marco Rubio has a very bright future within the Republican Party, Charlie Crist is the best candidate in 2010 to ensure that we maintain the checks and balances that Floridians deserve in the United States Senate. Governor Crist is a dedicated public servant and a dynamic leader, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee will provide our full support to ensure that he is elected the next United States Senator from Florida.”
The more I think about the NRSC endorsing Crist the more it bugs me. Not just because it is none of the NRSC's damn business who Republicans choose to represent them in Florida, but also, it doesn't make sense.
The NRSC says that Crist has the best chance of defeating whatever challenger the Dems put up. But their actions suggest that they don't believe he can beat Republican challenger Marco Rubio without their help. Remember, there is no incumbent in this race. Why is the NRSC wasting money, not to mention their dwindling political capital on a primary race if they really believe that Crist is the easy winner? Shouldn't they be saving their cash for the actual Senate race?
This just doesn't pass the 'smell test'. In Marco Rubio the party has a young and dynamic conservative, who, speaking as a woman, isn't the least bit hard to look at. Don't roll your eyes, you know purely peripheral things play in to it. Yet, without so much as a "how do you do" the NRSC pulled up the stakes on their "big tent".
Everything I'm reading leads me to believe that the NRSC has decided to shut out conservatives. Is that because unlike 'moderates', conservatives aren't so easily placated? Are we too demanding? Well, if the NRSC can do without my ideals they can also do without my money. Not One Red Cent!
There Is No 'Common Ground'
RS McCain asks, "President Obama called for 'common ground' on the issue of abortion. . . . So, exactly what 'common ground' can be found with someone who doesn't believe that a 'non-viable' infant born alive after an attempted late term abortion should receive medical care?"
Indeed. ‘Common ground’ can only be reached if the parties involved agree on something. Obviously, the President is trying to reach out, and therefore, I’m willing to give it a shot. I will tell the President what I believe in and if he agrees, then we can find some common ground.
I believe that every child conceived is a gift from God.
I believe that life begins at the moment of conception.
I believe that abortion is murder.
When the President can show me that either his words, or his legislative deeds, he has been supportive of those three statements then we will have the basis for agreement. I don’t see that happening. This is the man who said that he didn’t want his daughters “punished with a baby. This is a man who when asked about the beginning of life answered, “That’s above my pay grade.” This is the man that avoided questions about his stance on abortion by repeatedly voting “present”. He isn’t seeking common ground. He is saying that I need to set aside my beliefs for the sake of his agenda. I won’t.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Centrists: Too Lazy to Care
If it is true as claims that Mark Steyn multiculturalists are absolved from any responsibility of actually knowing about other cultures, then “centrists” are the moral equivalent of the multicultural crowd’s lazy first cousins.
Too often, labeling one’s self as “centrist” is just the moral shorthand of saying, “I don’t care.” When asked about abortion, candidate Obama stated that questions about the beginning of life were above his pay grade. Translation: “I don’t care.”
I’m not calling Obama a centrist, he’s clearly not, but centrist do share with him a lack of moral conviction. Centrists avoid the hard work of forming opinions, preferring to let the “cool kids” tell them what they believe. Back to the subject of abortion, centrists will often say that they are personally opposed to it, but they are just okey dokey with other people killing babies. Translation: “If I answer, they’ll make me sit at the dork’s table in the cafeteria.”
If centrists have any credo at all it is, “let’s sit back and see how it all shakes out.” RS McCain points out more clearly than I ever could why cozying up to centrists is a loser’s game. Broken down, you can’t shape opinion by relying on people who have no interest in holding an opinion.
Who draws the bigger crowds these days-Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck OR Keith Olbermann, Chris Mathew, Anderson Cooper? The first group appeals to people who have opinions and care deeply about the future of their country. The latter group appeals, as their ratings show, to people who don’t care.
Here’s your sign, GOP. Millions of people are deeply committed to conservative values. We vote. Are you really willing to throw us under the bus in favor of people who rarely vote and don’t care?
h/t The Other McCain
Too often, labeling one’s self as “centrist” is just the moral shorthand of saying, “I don’t care.” When asked about abortion, candidate Obama stated that questions about the beginning of life were above his pay grade. Translation: “I don’t care.”
I’m not calling Obama a centrist, he’s clearly not, but centrist do share with him a lack of moral conviction. Centrists avoid the hard work of forming opinions, preferring to let the “cool kids” tell them what they believe. Back to the subject of abortion, centrists will often say that they are personally opposed to it, but they are just okey dokey with other people killing babies. Translation: “If I answer, they’ll make me sit at the dork’s table in the cafeteria.”
If centrists have any credo at all it is, “let’s sit back and see how it all shakes out.” RS McCain points out more clearly than I ever could why cozying up to centrists is a loser’s game. Broken down, you can’t shape opinion by relying on people who have no interest in holding an opinion.
Who draws the bigger crowds these days-Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck OR Keith Olbermann, Chris Mathew, Anderson Cooper? The first group appeals to people who have opinions and care deeply about the future of their country. The latter group appeals, as their ratings show, to people who don’t care.
Here’s your sign, GOP. Millions of people are deeply committed to conservative values. We vote. Are you really willing to throw us under the bus in favor of people who rarely vote and don’t care?
h/t The Other McCain
Actions Do Speak Louder Than Words
The following is an interesting tidbit from an interview Sen. John Cornyn, Chairman of the NRSC gave to TheHill.Com on April 21st of this year:
Q: Have you spoken to Sen. Arlen Specter’s (R-Pa.) primary opponent, former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)?
A: He’s come to see me, and told me he was going to run, and I appreciated him coming by. He understands that it’s the tradition that the NRSC supports the incumbent, but if Mr. Toomey ends up winning somehow, we’ll no doubt be supporting him.
One week after this interview, the aforementioned incumbent, Arlen Specter, announced what everyone but the NRSC had known for years-that he was a Democrat. GOP Chairman Michael Steele said Specter had “flipped the bird” at the Republican Party but plainly, Specter had been “flipping the bird” at conservatives for years. Consider this, in 2008 Specter received a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.
The NRSC owes conservatives an explanation. They need to state plainly what they stand for and how they are backing up their stances with actions. Until their actions demonstrate that they favor conservatism those of us on the right should tell them Not One Red Cent.
Q: Have you spoken to Sen. Arlen Specter’s (R-Pa.) primary opponent, former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)?
A: He’s come to see me, and told me he was going to run, and I appreciated him coming by. He understands that it’s the tradition that the NRSC supports the incumbent, but if Mr. Toomey ends up winning somehow, we’ll no doubt be supporting him.
One week after this interview, the aforementioned incumbent, Arlen Specter, announced what everyone but the NRSC had known for years-that he was a Democrat. GOP Chairman Michael Steele said Specter had “flipped the bird” at the Republican Party but plainly, Specter had been “flipping the bird” at conservatives for years. Consider this, in 2008 Specter received a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.
The NRSC owes conservatives an explanation. They need to state plainly what they stand for and how they are backing up their stances with actions. Until their actions demonstrate that they favor conservatism those of us on the right should tell them Not One Red Cent.
The Sound of Really, Really Bad
Straight from Just Ask Me, Don Surber gives us the “laugh out loud” moment of the day:
Question: How is that Honda Insight 1.3 IMA SE Hybrid doing?
Answer: It sucks. Jeremy Clarkson: “It’s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more.”
Question: Really?
Answer: “And the sound is worse. The Honda’s petrol engine is a much-shaved, built-for-economy, low-friction 1.3 that, at full chat, makes a noise worse than someone else’s crying baby on an airliner. It’s worse than the sound of your parachute failing to open. Really, to get an idea of how awful it is, you’d have to sit a dog on a ham slicer.”
I rarely, well never, read car reviews. I view vehicles in a strictly utilitarian manner. I want a car that will get be from A to Z cheap. This comes in particularly handy owing to my uncanny ability to total out cars. I have a co-worker who claims he is even more adept than I at totalling vehicles because he totalled the same vehicle twice. Obviously he didn't get it right the first time.
Question: How is that Honda Insight 1.3 IMA SE Hybrid doing?
Answer: It sucks. Jeremy Clarkson: “It’s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more.”
Question: Really?
Answer: “And the sound is worse. The Honda’s petrol engine is a much-shaved, built-for-economy, low-friction 1.3 that, at full chat, makes a noise worse than someone else’s crying baby on an airliner. It’s worse than the sound of your parachute failing to open. Really, to get an idea of how awful it is, you’d have to sit a dog on a ham slicer.”
I rarely, well never, read car reviews. I view vehicles in a strictly utilitarian manner. I want a car that will get be from A to Z cheap. This comes in particularly handy owing to my uncanny ability to total out cars. I have a co-worker who claims he is even more adept than I at totalling vehicles because he totalled the same vehicle twice. Obviously he didn't get it right the first time.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Just Another Day In Pelosiville
Well tomorrow is today so it is time for another exciting episode of Pelosiville. When last we saw the Speaker she was explaining that when she was briefed at the briefing she wasn’t briefed about the techniques the records indicate she was briefed on at the briefing. She also mentioned something about the CIA being a bunch of Bush toady liars but she later clarified that by explaining that when she said they were liars she was actually referring to the other liars who were lying about things that she had originally accused the other liars of lying about. Which brings us to today’s segment brought to us by William Jacobson of Legal Insurrection:
CNN.com, May 22, 2002: Last Monday night, the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force--around-the-clock operation at the New York field office of the FBI--got a call from FBI headquarters. Abu Zubaydah, the highest al-Qaeda official to be captured by the U.S., had told interrogators that he had heard other Osama bin Laden loyalists discussing attacks on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and other U.S. landmarks. But, a federal law-enforcement official told TIME, Abu Zubaydah had said the conversations took place a while back and claimed he knew of no particular plan. Since his capture in March, Abu Zubaydah has shared some valuable information, says a senior U.S. intelligence source. "He's not b.s.ing us on everything." Then again, says Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, "he is also very skilled at avoiding
interrogation. He is an agent of disinformation."
Jacobson goes on to state, “So as of May 2002, Pelosi knew the details of the interrogation of Zubaydah, and the problems the CIA was encountering due to Zubaydah's evasiveness. It does not take any leap of imagination to believe that Pelosi, then the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, would have been kept informed of the progress of the interrogation, including the use of waterboarding months later.”
Now at my place of employment I am sort of a “middling” employee. When situations arise I am required to brief my superiors on the situation and what I am doing to ensure that the situation is resolved in a successful manner. Putting it mildly (in the highly unlikely event that any of my superiors should stumble across this site) my superiors are very detail oriented. I can’t just tell tem that I’ve got it handled and go on a smoke break. They want to know HOW I am handling the situation and WHAT I am doing. SPECIFICALLY. In DETAIL. So, is it Pelosi’s contention that she was less interested in the safety and security of the United States, immediately after 9/11, than my bosses care about the safety and security of a small credit union? Well, she did say that at the time her number one job was to get more Democrats elected. That is a blatant lie. We all know that getting Democrats elected is ACORN’s job.
CNN.com, May 22, 2002: Last Monday night, the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force--around-the-clock operation at the New York field office of the FBI--got a call from FBI headquarters. Abu Zubaydah, the highest al-Qaeda official to be captured by the U.S., had told interrogators that he had heard other Osama bin Laden loyalists discussing attacks on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and other U.S. landmarks. But, a federal law-enforcement official told TIME, Abu Zubaydah had said the conversations took place a while back and claimed he knew of no particular plan. Since his capture in March, Abu Zubaydah has shared some valuable information, says a senior U.S. intelligence source. "He's not b.s.ing us on everything." Then again, says Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, "he is also very skilled at avoiding
interrogation. He is an agent of disinformation."
Jacobson goes on to state, “So as of May 2002, Pelosi knew the details of the interrogation of Zubaydah, and the problems the CIA was encountering due to Zubaydah's evasiveness. It does not take any leap of imagination to believe that Pelosi, then the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, would have been kept informed of the progress of the interrogation, including the use of waterboarding months later.”
Now at my place of employment I am sort of a “middling” employee. When situations arise I am required to brief my superiors on the situation and what I am doing to ensure that the situation is resolved in a successful manner. Putting it mildly (in the highly unlikely event that any of my superiors should stumble across this site) my superiors are very detail oriented. I can’t just tell tem that I’ve got it handled and go on a smoke break. They want to know HOW I am handling the situation and WHAT I am doing. SPECIFICALLY. In DETAIL. So, is it Pelosi’s contention that she was less interested in the safety and security of the United States, immediately after 9/11, than my bosses care about the safety and security of a small credit union? Well, she did say that at the time her number one job was to get more Democrats elected. That is a blatant lie. We all know that getting Democrats elected is ACORN’s job.
Attention NRSC: Not One Red Cent
November 2010 is a long way off but already the Florida senate race is heating up. On the Republican side the contest is between conservative Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist, who represents the Coke Zero wing of the party. In a stunning act of over-reach the NRSC is backing Crist.
It is the NTSC’s job to get Republicans elected to the US senate. They claim they are backing Crist because he has the better shot at winning the seat. This contradicted by the fact that the NRSC doesn’t even believe that he can win the primary without their help.
The NRSC is trying to tell the people of Florida that they know better than we do who we should have representing us. This is a load of crap. This our state and we will decide who we give voice to.
Several websites are available to help Floridians and anyone else who believes that the NRSC has overstepped their bounds and a good place to start is MarcoRubio.com. In the last few days over five thousand people have committed to standing up with Marco and the number keeps growing. You can send a powerful message to the NRSC that Conservatives will not back them if they continue to support candidates who spit on our values by speaking out at Not One Red Cent. Erik Erickson of Red State has started a Facebook group dedicated to opposing the NRSC.
None of us are in this alone and together we have the ability to shape the future of our country. Think of it as one huge online Tea Party. Wee can come together, exchange ideas and then go spread the message. We have a dog in this fight and it is time to show “The Party” that our dog does bite.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Pelosiville
With every new day Nancy Pelosi has a new story.
Yesterday:
Q: Madame Speaker, just to be clear, you are accusing the CIA of lying to you in September 2002?
A: Yes, of misleading the Congress of the United States. Misleading the Congress of the United States.
Today:
"We all share great respect for the dedicated men and women of the intelligence community who are deeply committed to the safety and security of the American people. My criticism of the manner in which the Bush Administration did not appropriately inform Congress is separate from my respect for those in the intelligence community who work to keep our country safe. What is important now is to be united in our commitment to ensuring the security of our country; that, and how Congress exercises its oversight responsibilities, will continue to be my focus as we move forward."
So there you have it. Yesterday when Pelosi was asked point blank if she was accusing the CIA of lying and she clearly said “yes” we misunderstood her.
Sadly, this woman is for real and two heartbeats away from the presidency. I wonder what her story will be tomorrow.
h/t Ace of Spades
Yesterday:
Q: Madame Speaker, just to be clear, you are accusing the CIA of lying to you in September 2002?
A: Yes, of misleading the Congress of the United States. Misleading the Congress of the United States.
Today:
"We all share great respect for the dedicated men and women of the intelligence community who are deeply committed to the safety and security of the American people. My criticism of the manner in which the Bush Administration did not appropriately inform Congress is separate from my respect for those in the intelligence community who work to keep our country safe. What is important now is to be united in our commitment to ensuring the security of our country; that, and how Congress exercises its oversight responsibilities, will continue to be my focus as we move forward."
So there you have it. Yesterday when Pelosi was asked point blank if she was accusing the CIA of lying and she clearly said “yes” we misunderstood her.
Sadly, this woman is for real and two heartbeats away from the presidency. I wonder what her story will be tomorrow.
h/t Ace of Spades
America Changing Course on Abortion
According to a new Gallup Poll more Americans now identify themselves as pro-life than pro-choice. While militant feminists and the abortion doctors who love them may be shocked that public opinion is turning against the barbaric practice of killing unborn children, I am not even mildly surprised.
Originally feminists claimed that abortion didn’t kill babies-rather, the procedure merely extracted a clump of parasitic cells from a woman’s womb. Nothing personal. But the study of fetal development evolved and soon fascinating and beautiful pictures taken in the womb became widely available. The images, taken at the earliest stages of development put a face on that “clump of cells” and the child’s humanity could no longer be denied.
This forced feminists to change their plan of attack. The focus became the woman who, if forced to carry a fetus (feminist lingo) would be harmed emotionally for the rest of her life. Enter medical science again. The safety and effectiveness of birth control is such that if used as intended unplanned pregnancies would be almost non-existent. Instead, many women use abortion as their primary means of birth control. This is patently offensive to most people and contradicts any notion that women who not wish to bear a child view the prevention of pregnancy as an emotionally charged issue.
By insisting on legal rights that fly in the face of common sense and common decency feminists have offended even the fence sitters who say “they oppose abortion personally but support a woman’s right to abort.” The movement has fought for abortion at any stage of pregnancy including right up to the moment of birth and claims that juveniles should be allowed abortions without parental approval or even knowledge. As their demands grow more extreme and their true agenda becomes clear, fewer and fewer Americans are buying their tarnished goods.
Consider the following from the Guttmacher Institute:
• Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion.
• In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million in 2000. From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions occurred.
• Each year, about two percent of women aged 15-44 have an abortion; 47% of them have had at least one previous abortion.
• Fifty-four percent of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant. Among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users report having used their method inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users report correct use.
• Forty-six percent of women who have abortions had not used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. Of these women, 33% had perceived themselves to be at low risk for pregnancy, 32% had had concerns about contraceptive methods, 26% had had unexpected sex and 1% had been forced to have sex.
It seems clear that for feminists, abortion is more about rights than taking responsibility. Thankfully, the majority of the American public is no longer willing to look away while over a million babies are killed in this country each year because of irresponsibility.
h/t The Other McCain
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Risky Sex
Here’s one for the “you just can’t make this stuff up” file:
“Phase one of the study is intended to research "alcohol use/abuse and related sexual risk among FSWs (female sex workers) in China," according to the abstract -- a cold hard look at why prostitutes engage in dangerous sex while drunk.”
Yep, the U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for a sex study in China. In fact, we are paying 2.6 million dollars for a study to determine the relationship between alcohol use and an increase in risky sexual behavior. I’ve always assumed that a willingness to engage in risky sexual behavior was a job requirement for anyone seeking employment in the prostitution field.
It doesn’t take a study to figure out that alcohol makes you feel good and lowers your inhibitions. Many a non-prostitute has woke up after a night of drinking and asked themselves “what was I thinking?”
Once the government has decided to throw away taxpayer money there usually isn’t much that can be done to dissuade them. However, I do have a suggestion. Instead of going all the way to China why don’t they just come down here to Florida during spring break? They’ll find examples of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior everywhere.
h/t Fox News
“Phase one of the study is intended to research "alcohol use/abuse and related sexual risk among FSWs (female sex workers) in China," according to the abstract -- a cold hard look at why prostitutes engage in dangerous sex while drunk.”
Yep, the U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for a sex study in China. In fact, we are paying 2.6 million dollars for a study to determine the relationship between alcohol use and an increase in risky sexual behavior. I’ve always assumed that a willingness to engage in risky sexual behavior was a job requirement for anyone seeking employment in the prostitution field.
It doesn’t take a study to figure out that alcohol makes you feel good and lowers your inhibitions. Many a non-prostitute has woke up after a night of drinking and asked themselves “what was I thinking?”
Once the government has decided to throw away taxpayer money there usually isn’t much that can be done to dissuade them. However, I do have a suggestion. Instead of going all the way to China why don’t they just come down here to Florida during spring break? They’ll find examples of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior everywhere.
h/t Fox News
Pelosi Accuses the CIA of Lying
Nothing says "class" like the Speaker of the House holding a press conference for the express purpose of calling the CIA a bunch of liars.
Pelosi, obviously sensing that she suffers from a bit of a credibility gap, prattled at length about weapons of mass destruction in an attempt to show that the Bush Administration had a record of lying during the run up to the Iraq war. What she has succeeded in showing is that she cares more about smearing the previous administration than she does the safety of the American people.
Pelosi is acting in a dishonest and dishonorable manner. Her fellow Democrats should tell her to step down.
More on the subject from Legal Insurrection
Lieberman doesn’t know Nancy is about. Moe Lane via Instapundit
As the Pelosi Spins. Heh
Smitty has the round up at The Other McCain
Pelosi, obviously sensing that she suffers from a bit of a credibility gap, prattled at length about weapons of mass destruction in an attempt to show that the Bush Administration had a record of lying during the run up to the Iraq war. What she has succeeded in showing is that she cares more about smearing the previous administration than she does the safety of the American people.
Pelosi is acting in a dishonest and dishonorable manner. Her fellow Democrats should tell her to step down.
More on the subject from Legal Insurrection
Lieberman doesn’t know Nancy is about. Moe Lane via Instapundit
As the Pelosi Spins. Heh
Smitty has the round up at The Other McCain
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The CIA and CYA
“I think there is so much embarrassment in some quarters [of the CIA] that people are going to try to shift some of the responsibility to others — that’s what I think,” said Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who sat on the Senate Intelligence Committee and was briefed on interrogation techniques five times between 2006 and 2007.
Lets face it, since the days Jimmy Killer Rabbit Carter the CIA has been treated in less than honorable fashion. Actually, they've been treated like crap. So maybe their not in the mood to be smacked down again.
As far as I am concerned the CIA has no reason to "shift responsibility". Personally, I am sick and tired of people who bust their backside for me and my country being asked to justify their actions.
If you are honest, you would prefer pouring water down a terrorist's throat to having your family being incinerated. Given the choice, do you care if it is torture? Does protecting your family, your community, your country, make you a lessor human being? No. You have right to stand up for what you believe.
The wheels on the bus may go thump, thump, thump, but never hesitate to roll somebody who stands between you and freedom.
We hold these truths to be self-evident...
h/t Jules Crittenden
Lets face it, since the days Jimmy Killer Rabbit Carter the CIA has been treated in less than honorable fashion. Actually, they've been treated like crap. So maybe their not in the mood to be smacked down again.
As far as I am concerned the CIA has no reason to "shift responsibility". Personally, I am sick and tired of people who bust their backside for me and my country being asked to justify their actions.
If you are honest, you would prefer pouring water down a terrorist's throat to having your family being incinerated. Given the choice, do you care if it is torture? Does protecting your family, your community, your country, make you a lessor human being? No. You have right to stand up for what you believe.
The wheels on the bus may go thump, thump, thump, but never hesitate to roll somebody who stands between you and freedom.
We hold these truths to be self-evident...
h/t Jules Crittenden
Momma Always Said
The hardest part of lying is keeping your story straight.
Who knew that "torture" would turn out to be the gift that just keeps giving for Republicans?
In just the past couple of weeks Nancy Pelosi has changed her story more times than a dog has fleas and she still can't get it straight. In the mean time, prodded by former Vice President Dick Cheney, Republicans are now calling for everything to be laid on the table. There is no way for the Dems to come out of this looking good.
William Jacobson at Legal Insurrection has a clear vision of where this will end up:
"Here's my prediction of what will happen if Democrats push the investigation to the bitter end causing damage to national security, a political death match with the CIA, and Democrat-on-Democrat finger pointing:
Stenny Hoyer, Speaker; Jane Harman, Majority Leader; Nancy Pelosi, Chair of the House sub-committee on fresh water fisheries; Republicans, unexpected gains in 2010 mid-term elections.
The Democrats wished hard for an investigation into waterboarding and other interrogation methods. They may have wished too hard, because they are about to get what they wished for, with no way out."
Forgive me if I am having a hard time stifling my laughter. The Dems were happy to sell out national security in order to sate the far left's blood lust for all things George Bush. Now they are learning that the price of naked partisanship is a bit higher than they wanted to pay.
Who knew that "torture" would turn out to be the gift that just keeps giving for Republicans?
In just the past couple of weeks Nancy Pelosi has changed her story more times than a dog has fleas and she still can't get it straight. In the mean time, prodded by former Vice President Dick Cheney, Republicans are now calling for everything to be laid on the table. There is no way for the Dems to come out of this looking good.
William Jacobson at Legal Insurrection has a clear vision of where this will end up:
"Here's my prediction of what will happen if Democrats push the investigation to the bitter end causing damage to national security, a political death match with the CIA, and Democrat-on-Democrat finger pointing:
Stenny Hoyer, Speaker; Jane Harman, Majority Leader; Nancy Pelosi, Chair of the House sub-committee on fresh water fisheries; Republicans, unexpected gains in 2010 mid-term elections.
The Democrats wished hard for an investigation into waterboarding and other interrogation methods. They may have wished too hard, because they are about to get what they wished for, with no way out."
Forgive me if I am having a hard time stifling my laughter. The Dems were happy to sell out national security in order to sate the far left's blood lust for all things George Bush. Now they are learning that the price of naked partisanship is a bit higher than they wanted to pay.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Marco Rubio for the US Senate
Right Wing News earns a great big Amen! for this:
John Cornyn Should Resign As Head Of The NRSC
"In a repeat of the sort of stupidity that the GOP engaged in back in 2004 in Pennsylvania (Specter vs. Toomey), Cornyn and the NRSC are actually endorsing a guy who will end up voting against the GOP half the time if he gets in the Senate -- over a credible conservative candidate."
Exactly. How many times do these guys have to get it wrong before they figure out that conservatives are tired of our party backing candidates who act as if they are ashamed of conservative values? We raised our voices together on April 15th but our own party leaders stuck their fingers in their ears and refused to listen.
Remember, the NRSC is backing the RINO Crist against the conservative Marco Rubio, in the primary race. Backing Crist in the general election, should he win the primary, is absolutely the NRSC's job. Throwing the primary is not. Further, why do they have so little faith in conservative Floridians, and conservativism in general, that they have decided that we can not win?
Scarier still, does the NRSC think that we can win but are throwing their money at Crist to insure that we don't?
h/t The Other McCain
John Cornyn Should Resign As Head Of The NRSC
"In a repeat of the sort of stupidity that the GOP engaged in back in 2004 in Pennsylvania (Specter vs. Toomey), Cornyn and the NRSC are actually endorsing a guy who will end up voting against the GOP half the time if he gets in the Senate -- over a credible conservative candidate."
Exactly. How many times do these guys have to get it wrong before they figure out that conservatives are tired of our party backing candidates who act as if they are ashamed of conservative values? We raised our voices together on April 15th but our own party leaders stuck their fingers in their ears and refused to listen.
Remember, the NRSC is backing the RINO Crist against the conservative Marco Rubio, in the primary race. Backing Crist in the general election, should he win the primary, is absolutely the NRSC's job. Throwing the primary is not. Further, why do they have so little faith in conservative Floridians, and conservativism in general, that they have decided that we can not win?
Scarier still, does the NRSC think that we can win but are throwing their money at Crist to insure that we don't?
h/t The Other McCain
MSNBC-Sixth Graders In A Grownup World
This from Real Clear Politics:
MSNBC's David Shuster said he wanted to "vomit" after the conclusion of Donald Trump's announcement that Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, will keep her title. Shuster said the decision represents "everything that is wrong with the superficial nature" of pageants. "Donald Trump seemed to be saying lying is okay," he added.
Shuster commented Prejean is "clearly not very smart." He told fellow MSNBC anchors to "jump off a cliff" if they are going to defend her.
Can someone please tell me if MSNBC employs even one decent human being? Are potential employees required to take a smarm test prior to being hired? That Shuster is a sycophantic sheep-boy is self-evident, but why on Earth does MSNBC insist on giving voice to the oiliest protozoan known to network “news”?
Perhaps MSNBC should consider changing to a comedy format. After all, they are laughable.
From The Other McCain:
The real estate mogul and co-owner of the Miss USA organization announced Tuesday that the scandalized beauty queen, who spoke out against "opposite marriage" at the 2009 Miss USA pageant, igniting a fire storm of scrutiny about her stance on gay marriage and her modeling career, will keep her crown."[Prejean] gave a very, very honest answer when asked a very tough answer at a recent pageant. It's the same answer that the President of the United States gave. It's the same answer that many people gave," Trump said.
"If her beauty wasn't so great, nobody really would've cared."Attaboy, Donald! Imagine that: A guy who thinks a beauty contest ought to be about . . . beauty. Remember: Rosie O'Donnell hates The Donald, and now imagine how she'll go off on him!
I've never been a big Donald fan but he showed some class today. Besides, if Rosie hates him, he can't be all bad.
MSNBC's David Shuster said he wanted to "vomit" after the conclusion of Donald Trump's announcement that Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, will keep her title. Shuster said the decision represents "everything that is wrong with the superficial nature" of pageants. "Donald Trump seemed to be saying lying is okay," he added.
Shuster commented Prejean is "clearly not very smart." He told fellow MSNBC anchors to "jump off a cliff" if they are going to defend her.
Can someone please tell me if MSNBC employs even one decent human being? Are potential employees required to take a smarm test prior to being hired? That Shuster is a sycophantic sheep-boy is self-evident, but why on Earth does MSNBC insist on giving voice to the oiliest protozoan known to network “news”?
Perhaps MSNBC should consider changing to a comedy format. After all, they are laughable.
From The Other McCain:
The real estate mogul and co-owner of the Miss USA organization announced Tuesday that the scandalized beauty queen, who spoke out against "opposite marriage" at the 2009 Miss USA pageant, igniting a fire storm of scrutiny about her stance on gay marriage and her modeling career, will keep her crown."[Prejean] gave a very, very honest answer when asked a very tough answer at a recent pageant. It's the same answer that the President of the United States gave. It's the same answer that many people gave," Trump said.
"If her beauty wasn't so great, nobody really would've cared."Attaboy, Donald! Imagine that: A guy who thinks a beauty contest ought to be about . . . beauty. Remember: Rosie O'Donnell hates The Donald, and now imagine how she'll go off on him!
I've never been a big Donald fan but he showed some class today. Besides, if Rosie hates him, he can't be all bad.
Rubio May Not Be The NRSC's Choice, But He's Ours
Marco Rubio has come forward and offered to serve the people of Florida as a conservative voice in the United States Senate. As a Floridian I am grateful to Mr. Rubio and relieved that I now have someone who shares my values willing to represent me and my state. Charlie Crist is not a conservative and not representative of the values espoused by the Republican party. He is not a candidate that the Republican party should hail as the face of Republicans in Florida.
Unfortunately, the party has once again turned a deaf ear to conservatives in my state. The NRSC has endorsed Crist over Marco Rubio. In doing so, they have confirmed many conservative’s beliefs that on a national level our party is lost. No conservative Floridian should give their hard earned money to a party who has written them off. Go to NRSC.Org and voice your displeasure and then go to MarcoRubio.com and donate whatever you can afford. We need a man like Marco in Washington.
Unfortunately, the party has once again turned a deaf ear to conservatives in my state. The NRSC has endorsed Crist over Marco Rubio. In doing so, they have confirmed many conservative’s beliefs that on a national level our party is lost. No conservative Floridian should give their hard earned money to a party who has written them off. Go to NRSC.Org and voice your displeasure and then go to MarcoRubio.com and donate whatever you can afford. We need a man like Marco in Washington.
h/t The Other McCain
Monday, May 11, 2009
As Long As Their Priorities Are Straight
'They Said They Were Democrats First' More likely they are losers first and Democrats somewhere down the line.
Let’s review. The party of the first is a narcissistic puke who screwed around on his cancer stricken wife with a whack job and fathered a child which he denies.
The party of the second part is the narcissistic wife of the puke who in the mother of all “look at me” ploys wrote a book and went on Oprah to talk, talk, talk about what should be a private affair.
The party of the third part, the afore mentioned whack job, accepted money to deny her own child’s paternity but then changed her mind when the narcissistic wife wasn’t sufficiently respectful.
The party of the fourth part is a pack of handlers and hangers who were happy to take a narcissistic puke’s money but had a Plan B in case things didn’t work out.
The party of the fifth part is an innocent baby girl who doesn’t appear to have an honest adult anywhere in her life. Damn shame nobody thought to be a decent human being first.
h/t The Other McCain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)