Sunday, December 11, 2011

Controversial Texas license plates put Perry on the spot

The Texas DMV has approved a specialty registration plate showing three crosses (a symbol of Calvary) and the motto One State Under God. Not unexpectedly the action brought out the anti-religion crowd and, with the current election cycle under way, are trying to make it an issue for Gov. Perry:
But critics said the decision smacks of religious discrimination. "It has become pretty clear that our governor is dismissive of religious beliefs other than his own, and now his governmental appointees have voted to send a message that Texas is unwelcoming to the religious faiths of some of its citizens," Kathy Miller, President of the Texas Freedom Network, an activist group opposed to the Calvary Hill license plate.
Of course, the position taken by the Texas Freedom Network on this plate is ridiculous. This particular plate is one of many specialty plates authorized by the Texas DMV; choosing to display the plate is a personal decision and not a requirement of the state. No, it seems the motivation for the criticism is more directed at driving Christianity from the public space.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Yeah, right.

Marxist Prof. to Protesters: Violence Only Avoidable if ‘1% Accept the Decisions of the 99%’

Q: What do you call the 1%?

A: Employers.

Obama's anti-American regime

Killing Energy, Killing Jobs, Killing America

America has been under attack since Barack Obama took the oath of office on January 20, 2009. The primary target has been the nation’s ability to generate energy for electricity and transportation, without which this nation will slide into Third World status and economic decline. This appears to be the goal of this administration from the President to his Secretaries of Energy and Interior, to his Director of the Environmental Protection Agency. There is no other rational explanation for what they are doing.
Yet another reason Obama must be voted out of office. At this point, we all have in mind who we would like to see on the Republican ticket. But, at bottom, we should be selecting the most conservative candidate who can Win.

Dirty Tricks?

Mark Block: 'Herman Cain Never Sexually Harassed Anybody'

“First of all, Herman Cain never sexually harassed anybody,” Block said. “Period. End of story.” Block said the only people who spoke publicly in the article are the ones who were in the best position to know and that every negative story regarding Cain has been attributed to unnamed, anonymous sources.
Sounds like dirty tricks to me.

Saturday, September 03, 2011

The RINO Huntsman speaks

Struggling Huntsman tries to turn around bid

So he thinks this will work? While campaigning Huntsman said:
Without naming Perry, Huntsman snapped back on Twitter, saying: "To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy."
Okay. You're crazy.

Or, maybe delusional.

How about 'clueless RINO.'

Sunday, August 21, 2011

RINO Huntsman

Do we need any more proof Huntsman is not qualified to be President? Huntsman has been attacking Gov. Perry for being a global warming skeptic:
“When we take a position that isn’t willing to embrace evolution, when we take a position that basically runs counter to what 98 of 100 climate scientists have said, what the National Academy of Science has said about what is causing climate change and man’s contribution to it, I think we find ourselves on the wrong side of science, and, therefore, in a losing position,” Huntsman told ABC’s “This Week.”[1]
It is obvious to me at least that a Huntsman administration would push the same big-government policies as the Obama administration. He certainly would not rein in the rogue EPA with its ruinous regulations.

Huntsman as President? Not a chance.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

The debt debate commentary

It seems all the commentary about the debt debate in the popular media is focused on the Republicans in Congress, especially the "teapartiers"; that they are obstructionist, endangering our credit rating in the name of principle, and so on. What is absent from the commentary is Democrat intransigence; they digging in their heels to protect their spending programs. Bill Clinton even urged the use of the Fourteenth Amendment (Clause 4) to unilaterally raise the debt limit. After all, Congress did authorize the spending in the first place.

What's not being acknowledged—past Congressional actions and who was in control aside—is there is a new sheriff in town. The mindset about spending needs to change. Previous spending authorizations can be rescinded. The growing Federal debt needs to be of greater concern. Going the way of the PIIGS needs to be feared.

The popular media at least needs to get it.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Russia, China Block U.N. Council From Linking Climate Change to Peace, Security

Susan Rice is stunned!
And blistering in her rebukes!

So, who is looking out for the welfare of the American citizens?
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice this week issued a blistering rebuke of Russia, China and other countries that blocked the Security Council from adopting a statement linking the threat of climate change to international peace and security.
It certainly isn't Susan Rice and the Obama administration.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Shocking statistic

Here is a shocking statistic about one of our school districts (no, not the story about the cheating going on):
The [Atlanta school] district has 6,000 employees, half of them teachers.
Imagine that! Three-thousand non-teaching employees; one for each teacher!
The next time a lefty wags his finger at you and claims your policies will cause teachers to be laid off, point to the Atlanta school district as an example ripe with opportunity for cost savings.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Huntsman as President?

Should we be wary of Jon Huntsman? Yes. Here's why.

Townhall columnist Byron York mentions Huntsman's support for cap and trade and civil unions as troublesome for fiscal and social conservatives. But, so does Mitt Romney, one of the early frontrunners for the GOP. What's different about Huntsman? York points to the company Huntsman keeps:
Huntsman's top campaign aide is John Weaver, who was John McCain's top campaign aide in 2000 and in the early stages of the 2008 campaign -- campaigns that often raised the ire of the GOP base. (Weaver has also worked for some Democrats.) Other McCain veterans have signed on with Huntsman, as well. Still others, like Mark McKinnon -- the aide who worked for McCain in the 2008 primaries but left because he did not want to campaign against Barack Obama -- also favor Huntsman. (McKinnon is a co-founder of the "No Labels" movement, much derided by conservatives.)

Important? I think so. Remember the 2008 campaign, when asked what an Obama administration would be like, Obama replied, Judge me by the people with whom I surround myself. What we got was a group of czars drawn from the Progressive extreme left who have been busying themselves releasing a veritable avalanche of new regulations.

So, what about Huntsman?

Huntsman, in addition to unwisely supporting cap and trade legislation as governor, has associated himself with the Obama administration as an ambassador, and has formed a campaign team drawn from a liberal GOP group that advised not only McCain but also Democrats (Weaver) or were sympathetic towards Obama (McKinnon).

So it is apparent Huntsman is surrounding himself with people who are to the left of the GOP and—using the yardstick mentioned earlier by Obama—we can reasonably expect a Huntsman administration to promote policies reflecting that leftist bias; definitely not what this country needs.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The AARP is at it again

You've probably seen the television ad by the AARP accusing Congress of funding a treadmill for shrimp while cutting Medicare. Even Social Security.

Well, it seems the ad is a little loose with the facts. The shrimp treadmill was funded by the National Science Foundation—an agency in the Executive branch—and not by Congress.

It's ironic that the very people that accuse the Republicans of scaring Seniors engage in that very activity.

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

UN Effort Jeopardizes Second Amendment Protections

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been pushing an international regulation variously known as the Firearms Protocol or the Small Arms Treaty. The stated purpose of the Protocol is reducing the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms. The supporting arguments made by the UNODC sound okay on their face but represent a risk to our rights under the Second Amendment. To see why, here is an excerpt from a recent UNODC document outlining the goals of the Protocol with the phrases highlighted that provide an opening for abuse by the Executive branch:
6. As the only global legally binding instrument on firearms, the Firearms Protocol establishes a global framework for States to control and regulate licit arms and arms flows, prevent their diversion into the illegal circuit and facilitate the investigation and prosecution of related offences by means of the following: (a) preventive and security measures establishing proper marking and record-keeping systems and a strict transfer control regime based on government authorizations/licensing for import, export and transit, in order to facilitate traceability throughout the lifetime of a firearm; (b) criminal provisions establishing specific offences and measures to prevent the diversion of arms into the illegal circuit, providing for the seizure and confiscation, deactivation and destruction of firearms, and provisions aimed at facilitating criminal investigations and prosecutions; …
The risk is ratification of the Protocol will be used to make gun ownership much more difficult and that 'unauthorized' guns will be seized and destroyed, in effect accomplishing an object that the Supreme Court has so far prohibited.

Needless to say, treaties such as this, imposed from the outside, are not in the best interest of US citizens. Our rights as citizens are protected by our Constitution and nothing coming from the UN should be allowed override those protections.

Now, since this is a treaty, the Senate plays a pivotal role in deciding whether it is or is not ratified. I have written to my Senators recommending a NO vote if and when the treaty is presented to the Senate.

Sunday, June 05, 2011

Mitt Romney as President?

That would be a catastrophe.  Here's why:
(Reuters) - Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney broke with Republican orthodoxy on Friday by saying he believes that humans are responsible, at least to some extent, for climate change.

"I believe the world is getting warmer, and I believe that humans have contributed to that," he told a crowd of about 200 at a town hall meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire.

"It's important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may be significant contributors."
We sorely need the next president to rein in the EPA with its onerous 'greenhouse' gas emissions regulations. It should be obvious that, with his oft stated beliefs on the topic, Romney is not the man for the job.  Not only that, Romney is apt to continue the the energy policies of the current administration; yet another reason to reject a Romney candidacy.

We have already seen what can happen when the GOP nominates a wishy-washy candidate; namely, John McCain.  A Romney candidacy would eclipse even that disaster.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Overcoming progressive demagoguery

Paul Ryan: Truth on Medicare Will Win Out

Paul Ryan rejects the narrative being pushed by the liberal media that his proposal to reform Medicare is toxic for the Republican Party. “Demagoguery can work for a short period of time, but it doesn’t last because the truth comes out,” he told Human Events. “Time is on our side. Truth and the facts are on our side, and all we have to do is get the truth out there.”
So far, it seems, the GOP has done a good job of preaching to the choir through conservative oriented Web sites and publications. But I haven't seen any significant attempt by the GOP to publicize their proposals in the popular media. The press, with its decidedly leftist bias can't be relied upon to do that. So, it is up to the GOP and their candidates/officeholders to do it. The question is: Will they?

Friday, May 20, 2011

Israeli PM opposes Obama with press present

Netanyahu: History Will Not Give the Jewish People Another Chance

Yesterday, President Obama called on Israel to go back to its borders of 1967, which put the Jewish State at just 9 miles wide. Netanyahu immediately rejected that call yesterday and rejected it again in front of the world today.

“Israel cannot go back to 1967 lines,” Netanyahu said. “We can’t go back to the indefensible lines.”
It's unusual for a guest to the White House to air opposition to the US president in front of the press. But, this is different.

America can claim a long line of respectable men holding the office of President.  Straight talking men who honor the office.  B. Hussein Obama is not one of them.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Obama as Public Scold

Well, our President, on occasion of the long-delayed release of his 'long form' birth certificate, in a fit of pique called a press conference to deliver the Nation a scolding for being distracted by the absence of said document.

Our Lecturer-in-Chief was bemused by the lack of attention paid to his Budget Proposal; the Public preferring instead to dwell on his birthplace!

Of course, the President was wrong on that point:  his budget proposal was reported, and was roundly criticized and dismissed as not serious.

The best part of the press conference was its length:  short.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Your 'modern administrative state' in action

EPA Ruling Kills Shell’s Plans to Drill Offshore Alaska

Here is a perfect example of the Progressive's "modern administrative state" in action (and how it can run amok):
A ruling by the Environmental Appeals Board of the EPA has scuttled Shell Oil Company’s plan to drill its initial exploratory test in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea. This is at least the second time drilling has been deferred or delayed due to environmental concerns. But this time, the reason proffered by EPA seems to be “Because we can.”

The EPA’s appeals board ruled that Shell had not taken into consideration emissions from an ice-breaking vessel when calculating overall greenhouse gas emissions from the project. Environmental groups were thrilled by the ruling.
Progressive ideology maintains the Nation would be better off if the details of legislation is left to 'expert administrators' rather than Congress. And Congress, over most of the last century, has obliged by writing laws that basically ceded legislative powers to agencies of the executive branch. These powers—which have the same force as laws passed by Congress—take the form of 'agency rulemaking'.

As is all-too-often the case, Congress, when drafting the Clean Air Act, granted considerable leeway to the EPA administrator in determining what constituted a pollutant and what regulations to promulgate.

Typical is this language from U.S.C. TITLE 42, CHAPTER 85, SUBCHAPTER I, Part A, § 7411. Standards of performance for new stationary sources:

(b) List of categories of stationary sources; standards of performance; information on pollution control techniques; sources owned or operated by United States; particular systems; revised standards
(1)
(A) The Administrator shall, within 90 days after December 31, 1970, publish (and from time to time thereafter shall revise) a list of categories of stationary sources. He shall include a category of sources in such list if in his judgment it causes, or contributes significantly to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.
(B) Within one year after the inclusion of a category of stationary sources in a list under subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall publish proposed regulations, establishing Federal standards of performance for new sources within such category. The Administrator shall afford interested persons an opportunity for written comment on such proposed regulations. After considering such comments, he shall promulgate, within one year after such publication, such standards with such modifications as he deems appropriate.

This example is typical not only for the law establishing the EPA but also the FCC which recently forged ahead—Congressional objections notwithstanding—with a rulemaking,  under the heading "Net Neutrality", regulating the Internet.

It is incumbent on all citizens to engage with their senators and representative, reminding them to scrutinize the laws they are drafting before passing them to the Executive. Failing that will result in Congress' significance declining to the point where we will be permanently in the grip of unelected, unaccountable administrators.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The pathetic Left

'Koch brothers' confusion results in death threat for Iowa company

A case of mistaken identity has entangled a small family-owned Des Moines company in union protests and led to a death threat.

Angry callers are mistaking Koch Brothers, a Des Moines office supply firm, with the brothers who own Koch Industries, the global energy conglomerate. Billionaires Charles and David Koch have fought Wisconsin unions, financed the tea party and opposed climate change rules.
This shows just how pathetic the political Left is in this country. The Left was quick to blame conservatives for every act of violence that has occurred recently, but, invariably, the perpetrator has had leftist leanings or was a complete nut case.

Does anyone really care what Greenpeace says?

Apple named 'least green' tech company

Apple has come bottom of the most comprehensive green league table of technology companies because of its heavy reliance on "dirty data" centres.

The list, which is compiled by Greenpeace and released in San Francisco on Thursday, shows that the company relies heavily on highly polluting coal power at the sites that house its banks of servers.
Oh, my.  Apple builds a data center in Maiden, NC.  The power to Maiden is supplied by Duke Energy.  Duke Energy employs coal-fired power plants.  So, this makes Apple's data centers 'dirty'.

I am not a fan of Apple products, but this is a bit far fetched.  Does anyone care what Greenpeace says anymore?

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Pax Americana

Pentagon's second thoughts on Iraq withdrawal

Is this so surprising?
Reluctant to say it publicly, officials fear a final pullout in December could create a security vacuum, offering an opportunity for power grabs by antagonists in an unresolved and simmering Arab-Kurd dispute, a weakened but still active al-Qaida or even an adventurous neighbor such as Iran.

The U.S. wants to keep perhaps several thousand troops in Iraq, not to engage in combat but to guard against an unraveling of a still-fragile peace.
If we pull out, there definitely would be a power vacuum left behind. Someone needs to stand for liberty. And, there is no other power on Earth that has the moral standing and resources to take this on except for us.
Ancient Rome did the same. And, it worked until they rotted from the inside out—a lesson for today's Progressives to take heed to.

Yet another rogue government: the UN

UN, French fire on Gbagbo residence in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast – United Nations and French helicopters fired rockets on strongman Laurent Gbagbo's residence on Sunday in an assault the U.N. said was to retaliate for attacks by his forces on U.N. headquarters and civilians.
Yeah, right. I don't trust anything coming out of the UN.
Residents from nearby neighborhoods reported seeing two U.N. Mi-24 attack helicopters and a French helicopter open fire on the residence, where Gbagbo is holed up in a bunker.

Friday, April 08, 2011

Hope restored

Wis. corrects vote count, gives incumbent big lead

After all the discouraging news from Wisconsin, there is new hope that justice does exist in the world:
WAUKESHA, Wis. — A conservative incumbent surged to a commanding lead in Wisconsin's hotly contested Supreme Court election Thursday, after a predominantly GOP county's clerk announced she had incorrectly entered vote totals in the race seen as a referendum on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's divisive union rights law.

Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus said more than 14,000 votes weren't reported to The Associated Press on Tuesday due to "human error."

"This is not a case of extra votes or extra ballots being found," Nickolaus said. "This is human error, which I apologize for."
The last comment is significant; it being the favorite tactic of the Progressives in overturning the will of the people.

Update:

Whoa: Prosser Gains 7,381 Votes After Computer Error Is Fixed

The reports of the election results are a bit confusing.
After Tuesday night’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election, a computer error in heavily Republican Waukesha County failed to send election results for the entire City of Brookfield to the Associated Press.
The AP is not the final arbitrator of elections. The only concern should be that the correct tally is established and posted with the election officials. Everything else amounts to a sideshow.

Saturday, April 02, 2011

A quotable quote

On 'Net Neutrality:
It's really not such a difficult concept to apprehend: When governments acquire regulatory authority over media and communications they are that much closer to being able to control the content and distribution of those media and communications, however benign the rationale for their regulatory authority may seem.

--Patrick Maines in Media & Communications Policy

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Democrats opting out of the democratic process

Oops: Schumer Accidentally Reveals Democratic Spin on Conference Call

Come the next election, voters should remember how disingenuous the Democrat Party is. State Democrat legislators from both Wisconsin and Indiana hid out in Illinois to shut down the legislative process in their respective states. At the Federal level, the Democrat members are also up to their tricks:
Moments before a conference call with reporters was scheduled to get underway on Tuesday morning, apparently unaware that many of the reporters were already on the line, Charles Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, began to instruct fellow senators on how to talk to reporters about the contentious budget process.
"I always use the word extreme," Mr. Schumer said, "That is what the caucus instructed me to use this week."
Plainly the Democrat Party is refusing to negotiate in good faith. It seems the Democrats, by painting the Republican effort to scale back Federal spending as extremist, are angling for a government shutdown with hopes of pinning it on the Republican Party al la 1995.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Funding vote for NPR

House Democrats keep pressure on Obama on NPR funding bill

House bill H.R.1076—To prohibit Federal funding of National Public Radio and the use of Federal funds to acquire radio content—passed with all 192 Democrat members voting against.

After the vote, the idea was expressed of the importance of NPR to underserved rural areas:

A Democratic leadership aide said that, on the NPR vote, Republicans underestimated "the importance of public radio in rural areas, where there's not a lot of coverage."
"This senseless bill would have a devastating impact on Western North Carolina and other rural areas, where funding for public radio is already scarce and stations depend on federal funding to stay on air," [Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.)] said in a statement shortly after Thursday's vote.

It is true that rural areas tend to be under served but the main point is the biased viewpoint coloring NPR's reportage which makes reform of NPR all the more critical. And, until NPR reforms its programming to remove the blatant Progressive/leftist bias, the taxpayers should not be expected to fund them.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Yet more global warming alarmism

El Nino seen triggering next world warmth record

NASA Research Finds 2010 Tied for Warmest Year on Record

Okay, there they go again. Can we take their report to heart this time? I checked to see which organizations and people are behind the lead article.

The lead article references the U.N. World Meteorological Organization and the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in Britain; both are suspect sources because of their partisan nature regarding the earth's climate which was adequately demonstrated through their involvement with the now discredited U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and subsequent reports, and, the latter, with Climate-gate.

The NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) is also referenced in the lead article and is the source for the second article. This article quotes Jim Hansen, director of the GISS who is also known to be an advocate for AGW (see, e.g., The Threat to the Planet).

So, the bottom line is, there is nothing new here; just more global warming/climate change alarmism from the AGW cabal and their water-carriers, the MSM.



Update: Why Is NASA Hiding James Hansen’s Ethics Records?
The climate change fanatic has plenty of outside income. Did he obtain the proper waivers from NASA as he must according to the law?

Monday, January 10, 2011

Glenn Beck's challenge to Americans

In the aftermath of the Arizona shooting—and, I think, in response to the rhetoric that followed—Glenn Beck has issued a challenge to all Americans.

Glenn Beck:

I challenge all Americans, left or right, regardless if you’re a politician, pundit, painter, priest, parishioner, poet or porn star to agree with all of the following.

I denounce violence, regardless of ideological motivation.
I denounce anyone, from the Left, the Right or middle, who believes physical violence is the answer to whatever they feel is wrong with our country.
I denounce those who wish to tear down our system and rebuild it in their own image, whatever that image may be.
I denounce those from the Left, the Right or middle, who call for riots and violence as an opportunity to bring down and reconstruct our system.
I denounce violent threats and calls for the destruction of our system – regardless of their underlying ideology – whether they come from the Hutaree Militia or Frances Fox Piven.
I hold those responsible for the violence, responsible for the violence. I denounce those who attempt to blame political opponents for the acts of madmen.
I denounce those from the Left, the Right or middle that sees violence as a viable alternative to our long established system of change made within the constraints of our constitutional Republic.
I will stand with anyone willing to sign that pledge. Today I make a personal choice. I urge leaders of both sides and all walks of life to join me as all Americans joined hands on 9.12.2001.

I believe that we must change ourselves to hold on to our republic. That’s why I have been talking about e4. Enlightenment. Education. Empowerment. Entrepreneurship. It’s a personal solution for all of us to become the people we were born to be, not the people we’ve allowed ourselves to become. I have called for a personal revolution; change ourselves in order to change the world. Those who live with honor and are responsible to themselves and their families will be the key to the future of our Republic, not those playing political games.

While everyone seems to be focused on politics, I instead choose to focus on Christina Green, the nine year old victim killed Saturday. Born on 9.11.2001, she is now a victim of another case of horrific violence. I hope we can all remember Christina by acting the way we did when she was one day old: To focus on values and principles, to use common sense and stop playing politics.
Thank you, Glenn Beck.

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Ending the Lame Duck

With all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the bills rammed through in the lame duck session, you should know Lynn Jenkins (R-KS2) has introduced a bill (H.R.5842) to end lame duck sessions except in case of national emergency. Push for it to be brought up for a vote.