It seems there's an internal battle brewing in the United Methodist Church in anticipation of the April 2008 UMC General Conference. Every four years, the GC meets to approve policies, priorities, and guidelines for millions of Methodists worldwide, and many believe this year the liberal wing of the UMC will attempt to push issues such as homosexuality and transgenderism, among others.
Mark Tooley, with the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD), says that liberals inside the UMC have noticed the growing theological conservatism -- due to increased international demographics -- in the denomination and view 2008 as the best chance to implement policies supporting such controversial issues before they lose too much ground.
One example of how this governing body's policies are carried out revolves around a transsexual pastor in Baltimore. Rev. Ann Gordon had been a minister at St. John's UMC in Baltimore for five years before undergoing sex-change surgery and hormone therapy. After adopting a new name -- Drew Phoenix -- Gordon was reappointed to St. John's earlier this year by Bishop John Schol.
Tooley notes that while the UMC's Book of Discipline does not specifically mention transsexuality or sex-change operations, the denomination does not ordain practicing homosexuals in the ministry. During an interview in May with Dr. Albert Mohler, the IRD spokesman said the Baltimore case "guarantees that the idea of transsexual clergy will be addressed in church law."
So, the push and pull of conservatives and liberals inside the denomination is going to face some tough battles in the next year or so. The UMC is generally known for being one of the most liberal of the mainstream denominations, so this could be a signal for the state of theology for many Christian churches in America.
Interesting stuff.
There's my two cents.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
More On Thought Crimes
Debbie at RightTruth posts a story about a new piece of legislation dealing with thought crimes. The short version is that the liberal Left is trying to control what you think about certain groups of people.
I've blogged about this several times before (here, here, here, and here), so I won't go into explicit detail, but here's the nutshell of my argument. Regardless of what issue you're dealing with (homosexuality, terrorism, racism, etc.), you simply can't control what other people think - you can only control or punish what people do. Thought crimes/control stifles freedom of speech and expression, and flies directly in the face of American tradition, the Constitution, and everything that made America great.
It is literally impossible to make laws that fairly govern thoughts, and by creating protected classes of people, you create government-sanctioned discrimination (against everyone who is not a member of that class). Anyone in that class can take legal action against anyone else for any real or perceived insult. If you thought there were a lot of frivolous lawsuits now, wait until you see what would happen with thought crimes legislation! And, with the impossibility of creating fair laws to enforce thought crimes, we're left simply to the talent of our trial lawyers against their trial lawyers. Do you really want your freedom and well-being (and that of your family) resting on that?
Once we get too far down this slope, there is no logical place to stop until absolute chaos reigns. We've already started on this path, and we simply cannot afford to let things go any further.
It's nice to see some other bloggers hit the topic, too. Debbie's got lots of links on her post, so go check them out.
There's my two cents.
I've blogged about this several times before (here, here, here, and here), so I won't go into explicit detail, but here's the nutshell of my argument. Regardless of what issue you're dealing with (homosexuality, terrorism, racism, etc.), you simply can't control what other people think - you can only control or punish what people do. Thought crimes/control stifles freedom of speech and expression, and flies directly in the face of American tradition, the Constitution, and everything that made America great.
It is literally impossible to make laws that fairly govern thoughts, and by creating protected classes of people, you create government-sanctioned discrimination (against everyone who is not a member of that class). Anyone in that class can take legal action against anyone else for any real or perceived insult. If you thought there were a lot of frivolous lawsuits now, wait until you see what would happen with thought crimes legislation! And, with the impossibility of creating fair laws to enforce thought crimes, we're left simply to the talent of our trial lawyers against their trial lawyers. Do you really want your freedom and well-being (and that of your family) resting on that?
Once we get too far down this slope, there is no logical place to stop until absolute chaos reigns. We've already started on this path, and we simply cannot afford to let things go any further.
It's nice to see some other bloggers hit the topic, too. Debbie's got lots of links on her post, so go check them out.
There's my two cents.
Hillary's Funny Money
Michelle Malkin reports on the official investigation that has been requested regarding Hillary Clintong's* funny campaign money. The FEC (Federal Election Commission) has 15 days to respond to the request, so we'll see what happens soon enough.
Is another blog swarm gathering? Dan Rather, John Kerry, and others can attest to what happens when the swarm coalesces...could Hillary be next?
We can only hope.
There's my two cents.
Is another blog swarm gathering? Dan Rather, John Kerry, and others can attest to what happens when the swarm coalesces...could Hillary be next?
We can only hope.
There's my two cents.
* This is not a mis-spelling - see previous blog about Clinton's Asian connection.
Prayers Banned At Flag-Folding
OneNewsNow reports about the latest infringement upon the Christian fabric of American society:
Just the latest example of the attempt to ban Christianity itself. If you feel like getting involved, start with your elected representatives in Congress.
There's my two cents.
During thousands of military burials, the volunteers have folded the American flag 13 times and recited the significance of every fold to survivors. For example, the 12th fold glorifies "God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost."The sad part of this is that the ban is the result of a single complaint. Fortunately, many vets appear determined to ignore the ban.
The complaint revolved around the narration in the 11th fold, which celebrates Jewish war veterans and "glorifies the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."
The National Cemetery Administration decided to ban the entire recital at all national cemeteries. Details of the complaint weren't disclosed.
Just the latest example of the attempt to ban Christianity itself. If you feel like getting involved, start with your elected representatives in Congress.
There's my two cents.
Utah And School Vouchers
I've never once wished to live in Utah, but I have to admit a twinge of jealousy right now. John Stossel reports on Referendum 1 on next Tuesday's Utah ballot, which would grant public school children eligibility for vouchers between $300-5,000 a year, depending on family income. Basically, it would give parents some money with which to send their kids to better private schools rather than low-achieving public schools. Opposition is mainly in the form of teachers unions, principles' associations, and other school administrator groups. Some excerpts [emphasis mine]:
Vouchers would totally transform the education sector, and there would certainly be some pain in the transition, but wouldn't it ultimately be worth it if our children ultimately got a better education through the best teachers, the best supplies, and the best schools? It's yet another example -- very similar to health care -- of an all-powerful nanny state running things compared to unleashing the ingenuity, competition, and results-oriented power of the American people.
It will be very interesting to see what Utah voters decide.
There's my two cents.
Government schools in America fail while spending on average more than $11,000 per student. Utah spends $7,500. Think what an innovative education entrepreneur would do with so much money. It's more than $150,000 per classroom!I've long been a fan of school vouchers, for precisely these reasons. Having young children myself, this hits pretty close to home.
The answer to mediocre public schooling isn't to give a government monopoly more "teacher development programs." The answer is competition.
Competition and choice mean parent power. It's parents whom the education lobby really fears. The last thing it wants is a system in which parents choose their children's schools. Parents might not choose the union-dominated establishment schools.
Vouchers will make schools accountable to parents rather than a bureaucracy. Principals and administrators will have to convince parents that they are doing a good job. That's real accountability. And the Utah law requires private schools to submit to independent financial audits and give students a nationally recognized test each year. The results would be publicly disclosed, giving parents information they can use to judge schools.
The [anti-voucher] coalition claims that "vouchers will cost at least $429 million ... funds that could be used in public schools to reduce class size, provide textbooks and supplies." But voucher supporters note that since an average voucher would be worth only $2,000 and the state spends more than $7,500 per student, government schools would have $5,500 more per lost student to spend on the remaining students. They should be happy about that.
Vouchers would totally transform the education sector, and there would certainly be some pain in the transition, but wouldn't it ultimately be worth it if our children ultimately got a better education through the best teachers, the best supplies, and the best schools? It's yet another example -- very similar to health care -- of an all-powerful nanny state running things compared to unleashing the ingenuity, competition, and results-oriented power of the American people.
It will be very interesting to see what Utah voters decide.
There's my two cents.
A Very Revealing Debate
There were some absolute gems in the Democrat presidential debate last night. Apparently, it was Hillary versus everyone else, as the lesser candidates ganged up on the front-runner. Hillary, of course, continued her course of avoiding any and every direct answer, but this time her rivals didn't let her get away with it. As a result, she came off very, very poorly. Just take a look at some of today's headlines:
Anyway, Hillary's strategy was to avoid and evade:
Anyway, back to the debate. Hillary was also attacked for her general electability:
There's my two cents.
New York Times: A Pitched Debate: Clinton Hears It From Her RivalsEven the Hillary-friendly outlets hinted at the animosity on display.
Washington Post: Clinton's Foes Go on the Attack
Fox: Democrats Play 'Pile On'
Wall Street Journal: Clinton, Targeted by Rivals In Debate, Goes After Bush
My Way News: Clinton Gets No Love in Democrats Debate
Drudge Report: Scorn: As The Men Gang Up
Anyway, Hillary's strategy was to avoid and evade:
She wouldn't say how she would address Social Security; she declined to pledge whether she would stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, or say whether she supports giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.When she finally did get pinned down, it turned ugly:
Instead she tried to tried to turn every issue into an argument against President Bush. She said Bush's name 25 times, more than all six of her rivals combined.
Clinton grew testy when pressed on whether she agrees with a proposal her home state governor has to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. She first expressed support for the idea. But when Dodd objected, Clinton grew defensive and said she wasn't saying it should be done, although she recognizes why the governor is trying to do it even though she doesn't think it's "the best thing for any governor to do."Edwards' response:
"Unless I missed something, Senator Clinton said two different things in the course of about two minutes," he said. "America is looking for a president who will say the same thing, who will be consistent, who will be straight with them."Obama's response:
"I can't tell whether she was for it or against it," he said. He said he supports the idea.Let me digress for a moment. Obama said he supports giving legal driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Did you get that? Obama supports giving legal driver's licenses to illegal aliens! It is a consistent thing that these Democrats are more friendly to illegal aliens than to YOU, an American citizen!
Anyway, back to the debate. Hillary was also attacked for her general electability:
Edwards: "Will she be the person who brings about the change in this country? You know, I believe in Santa Claus. I believe in the tooth fairy. But I don't think that's going to happen."Hillary also caught some heat for the lack of openness of records from Bill's Presidency:
Obama: "Part of the reason that Republicans, I think, are obsessed with you, Hillary, is because that's a fight they're very comfortable having."
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd: "Whether it's fair or not fair, the fact of the matter is that my colleague from New York, Senator Clinton, there are 50 percent of the American public that say they're not going to vote for her."
"We have just gone through one of the most secretive administrations in our history," Obama said, "and not releasing these records at the same time, Hillary, that you're making the claim that this is the basis for your experience, I think, is a problem."So, while Hillary was running against Bush (which is stupid because Bush isn't on the 2008 ballot), everyone else was hammering her. Isn't it fun to watch the cannibalism? Links to more info and video here.
Clinton said it wasn't her decision to keep the records sealed, even though her husband has written a letter asking that their communications be sealed until 2012.
There's my two cents.
Who's Crazier?
Democrat presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich made a couple of statements in the past few days that just have to be placed back to back:
Statement 1: In regard to President Bush's warning that Iran going nuclear could lead to WWIII, Kucinich said "I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health...There's something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact."
Statement 2: In the Democrat presidential debate last night, Kucinich, in response to a question about the statement by actress Shirley MacLaine that Kucinich had seen a UFO at her house, said that he had.
So, let's recap. Kucinich is questioning the mental health of Bush, who warns that a nuclear Iran -- the country that has pledged to destroy Israel and America via nuclear weapons -- could lead to war, and yet he maintains that he's seen a UFO.
Uh-huh.
I seriously contemplated categorizing this one as "Fun & Frivolity", but instead I thought I'd just point out how politics has occasional moments of hilarity.
There's my two cents.
Statement 1: In regard to President Bush's warning that Iran going nuclear could lead to WWIII, Kucinich said "I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health...There's something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact."
Statement 2: In the Democrat presidential debate last night, Kucinich, in response to a question about the statement by actress Shirley MacLaine that Kucinich had seen a UFO at her house, said that he had.
So, let's recap. Kucinich is questioning the mental health of Bush, who warns that a nuclear Iran -- the country that has pledged to destroy Israel and America via nuclear weapons -- could lead to war, and yet he maintains that he's seen a UFO.
Uh-huh.
I seriously contemplated categorizing this one as "Fun & Frivolity", but instead I thought I'd just point out how politics has occasional moments of hilarity.
There's my two cents.
Economy Growing
Just a quick FYI...the U.S. economy grew at 3.9% over the summer, the biggest growth period in almost two years. I only mention it because the economy is generally a big deal in an election year. One side (just take a guess) normally decries the plight of Americans, painting pictures of soup lines and utter, dismal poverty just around the bend, when that is simply not true.
So, when you start hearing those stories, just remember: 3.9% growth.
There's my two cents.
So, when you start hearing those stories, just remember: 3.9% growth.
There's my two cents.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Political 'Solutions'
Thomas Sowell writes an absolutely outstanding column at RealClearPolitics.com explaining clearly the problem with a lot of the political problems we face today: they are the result of previous political 'solutions'. Read below.
Very insightful, and I think he hits the nail on the head.
There's my two cents.
It is remarkable how many political "solutions" today are dealing with problems created by previous political "solutions." Three examples that come to mind immediately are the housing market crisis, the wildfires in southern California, and the water shortages in the west.I think people inherently understand this (even though they may not be able to express it as well as Sowell does), and that's why they hate dealing with politics and politicians. But, it's a necessary evil, because if we simply ignore politicians,their 'solutions' usually end up creating worse and worse problems. That's why we have to be active in the political process - the American people are good, smart people that know what's right; as long as a lot of us stay involved, things will be okay. It's when politicians run off in a single direction by themselves that we all get into trouble.
Congress and the Bush administration are currently vying with each other to come up with a solution to the housing crisis, brought on by widespread defaults on home mortgage loans -- especially defaults by those who took out risky "subprime" loans.
Why were borrowers taking out risky loans in the first place? And why were lenders willing to lend to risky borrowers? In both cases, the government was a prime factor in "subprime" loans.
Many people took out risky mortgage loans to buy a house because housing prices were so high that this was the only way they could own a home. Where housing prices were highest, the most people took out risky loans.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, where housing prices are the highest in the nation, risky interest-only loans went from being 11 percent of all new mortgages in 2002 to being 66 percent of all new mortgages in 2005.
Study after study has shown that housing prices are highest where government restrictions on building are the most severe. That is the ugly result of pretty words like "open space."
Why were lenders lending to people whose prospects of repaying the loans were below average -- that is, "subprime"?
Government laws and policies, especially the Community Reinvestment Act, pressured lenders to invest in people and places where they would not invest otherwise. Government also created the temporarily very low interest rates that made the mortgages seem affordable for the moment.
Now that politicians have created this mess, they are ready to play heroes riding to the rescue.
As for the flames sweeping across southern California, tragic as that is, this has happened time and again before -- in the very same places in the very same time of year, just like hurricanes.
Why would people risk building million-dollar homes in the known paths of wildfires? For the same reason that people choose to live in the known paths of hurricanes. Because the government -- that is, the taxpayers -- will get stuck with a lot of the costs of dealing with those dangers and the costs of rebuilding.
Why is there such a huge amount of inflammable vegetation over such a wide area that fires can reach unstoppable proportions by the time they get to places where people live? Because "open space" has become a political sacred cow beyond rational discussion.
The same severe government restrictions on building that drive home prices sky high also lead to vast areas with nothing but trees and bushes. Where it doesn't rain for months, that's dangerous.
No matter how much open space there is, it is never enough for environmental extremists, who will make political trouble if anyone is allowed to break up those miles and miles of solid vegetation with buildings, even though pavement and masonry don't burn.
In other words, government preserves all the conditions for wildfires and subsidizes people who live in their path.
As for water shortages, they are as endemic to California as wildfires. But when an economist hears about a shortage that persists for years, the first question that comes to mind is: Why doesn't the price rise until supply and demand are equal?
If you said, "the government," go to the head of the class.
The federal government's water projects supply much of the water used in California that enables agriculture to flourish in what would otherwise be a desert.
The government sells this water to farmers at prices artificially lower than the cost of providing it -- and at a tiny fraction of what people pay for water in Los Angeles or San Francisco.
Is it news, at this late date, that people waste things that they get cheap? It's been happening for centuries.
But none of the political "solutions" through drastic water rationing schemes will touch the cheap prices of water that lead farmers to grow crops requiring huge amounts of water in a desert.
Very insightful, and I think he hits the nail on the head.
There's my two cents.
Giuliani Predicts Dems Will Change Minds Again
Rudy Giuliani predicted that Hillary Clintong* and John Edwards will change their tune (again) on the Iraq war. Excerpt:
The American people will see this, if the Reps hammer the issue home.
There's my two cents.
"Do I think the mission overall in Iraq is the correct one, I think without a doubt it is," the former New York mayor said at Insight Technologies, which makes tactical weapon lights and laser systems for the military.Winning has a way of making people want to get on board, and that's what will cause this shift in the Dems. What the Republicans need to do is accurately and repeatedly show how the Democrats are fair-weather supporters, only doing what is politically convenient rather than defining a goal and seeing it through.
"And I think the Democrats are going to change their minds about it again," Giuliani said, noting that Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards voted as senators for the initial invasion in 2003.
Edwards, who is no longer in the Senate, since has apologized for his vote. Clinton has not apologized, but has said she would not have voted for the measure authorizing use of force if she had known then what she knows now.
"I think they're going to change their minds. I think the verdict of history is going to be that it was the right decision," Giuliani said.
He argued that had the U.S. not invaded Iraq, it would now be facing two dangerous countries trying to become nuclear powers - Iraq and Iran.
The American people will see this, if the Reps hammer the issue home.
There's my two cents.
* This is not a mis-spelling - see previous blog about Clinton's Asian connection.
Bush Unleashes Facts And Challenges Congress
President Bush rips Congress in a speech today, accusing them of not doing their jobs. Some excerpts [emphasis mine]:
There's my two cents.
"Congress has been unable or unwilling to get its basic job done of passing spending bills. They have not been able to send a single annual appropriations bill to my desk, and that’s the worst record for a Congress in 20 years. One of the important responsibilities of the Congress is to pass appropriations bills. And yet the leadership that’s on the Hill now cannot get that job done."Some have been calling Bush a 'lame duck' President for months now, but does this sound like the words of lame duck President? He's been getting his way with almost every piece of legislation for years, and doesn't seem reluctant to continue fighting with a Congress riddled with corruption and complacency. If the Democrats are hoping for a change in course to carry the day in next year's elections, they'd better be careful; they're ultra-leftist obstructionist practices are the same as they've been for decades, and they're not making Americans happy.
"They haven’t seen a bill they could not solve without shoving a tax hike into it. You know, they proposed tax increases in the farm bill, the energy bill, the small business bill, and of course, the SCHIP bill."
"[P]roposed spending is skyrocketing under their leadership. After all, they’re trying to spend an additional $205 billion over the next five years." "Some have said, well, that doesn’t matter much; it’s not that much money. Well, $205 billion over the next five years in the real world amounts to this: $4.7 million per hour, every hour, for every day, for the next five years. That’s a lot of money."
"Despite knowing it does not have a chance of becoming law, the Senate will now take up the second SCHIP bill the House passed last week. I believe the Senate is wasting valuable time." "This [SCHIP] bill, remarkably, manages to spend more money over five years than the first bill did."
Congress’ SCHIP bill "proposed tax increases [that] would actually pay for 2 million people to move from private health insurance to an inefficient, lower-quality, government-run program." "We want a bill that enrolls the more than 500,000 poor children currently eligible for the program who are not a part of the program."
There's my two cents.
Real Immigration Reform
NumbersUSA reports on a new piece of legislation being offered by North Carolina Democratic Representative Heath Shuler that would accomplish some real results. Yes, I know, it's amazing that it's being presented by a Democrat, but when a plan is good, it's good no matter who created it! It's called the SAVE Act (Secure America with Verification and Enforcement), and it would:
- require during Year 1 that all government agencies, government contractors, plus all businesses with more than 250 employees run all NEW hires through E-Verify.
- require during Year 2 that all businesses with 100 or more employees use E-Verify for new hires.
- require during Year 3 that all businesses with more than 20 employees use E-Verify for new hires.
- during Year 4 add businesses with fewer than 20 employees so that all businesses use E-Verify for new hires.
- also during Year 4 require all businessese to run all their previous hires through E-Verify.
This bill would dramatically reduce jobs given to illegal aliens -- drying up what is most likely the single biggest magnet for illegal immigration -- with a simple but effective method of expelling them from jobs, and preventing new hires.
Call your Reps and encourage them to support the SAVE Act - it would accomplish some real results.
There's my two cents.
- require during Year 1 that all government agencies, government contractors, plus all businesses with more than 250 employees run all NEW hires through E-Verify.
- require during Year 2 that all businesses with 100 or more employees use E-Verify for new hires.
- require during Year 3 that all businesses with more than 20 employees use E-Verify for new hires.
- during Year 4 add businesses with fewer than 20 employees so that all businesses use E-Verify for new hires.
- also during Year 4 require all businessese to run all their previous hires through E-Verify.
This bill would dramatically reduce jobs given to illegal aliens -- drying up what is most likely the single biggest magnet for illegal immigration -- with a simple but effective method of expelling them from jobs, and preventing new hires.
Call your Reps and encourage them to support the SAVE Act - it would accomplish some real results.
There's my two cents.
British Health Care
From the Economic Times:
Think we should implement one here? Hillary does.
Even more information here.
There's my two cents.
India has emerged the most popular destination for British patients wanting to undergo surgery for ailments that would otherwise take months to treat in the National Health Service (NHS).Let's see, if the British health care system is so bad, why don't they just implement a universal health care system? That would solve all their prob...oh, wait...they already have a universal health care system.
In the first major survey of medical tourism, figures show that British citizens have traveled to 112 hospitals in 48 countries for safe, quick and affordable treatment.
Think we should implement one here? Hillary does.
Even more information here.
There's my two cents.
Getting LOST
I briefly mentioned this one time before, but it deserves another full blog post. The Senate is contemplating the Law of the Sea (LOST) Treaty, and Senator James Inhofe (Rep, OK) has some strong words to say about it:
Go read the whole thing here (it will only take a minute or two), then call your Senators and let them know this treaty is an extremely bad idea.
There's my two cents.
What if I were to tell you that at this very moment in the halls of the Senate, legislation is being considered that will govern 70 percent of the earth's surface, threaten the very sovereignty of our country and, worse, without the efforts of a select few, would have become law years ago? What if I added that our enemies are waiting in the wings for us to make this historic blunder by accepting legislation that effectively cedes our autonomy to international organizations such as the United Nations?As a member of the Armed Services Committee and ranking member if the Environment and Public Works Committee, Inhofe would know more than a little bit about this thing.
If you are of the small percentage of Americans who has heard of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or simply the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST), I congratulate you on being ahead of the curve. If you have not heard of LOST, you soon will, as we are gearing up in the Senate for a fight against one of the most far-reaching international challenges to American sovereignty we have ever faced.
Go read the whole thing here (it will only take a minute or two), then call your Senators and let them know this treaty is an extremely bad idea.
There's my two cents.
Striking Iran
An interesting Zogby poll just released shows that 52% of likely voters support a strike against Iran to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons. 53% think it is 'likely' to happen before the 2008 elections.
A little more scary is that 21% of those polled think Hillary is the best person to deal with Iran. In second place is Giuliani, with 15%.
Talk about some strange poll results! Take 'em for what you paid for 'em.
There's my two cents.
A little more scary is that 21% of those polled think Hillary is the best person to deal with Iran. In second place is Giuliani, with 15%.
Talk about some strange poll results! Take 'em for what you paid for 'em.
There's my two cents.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Quote: Ronald Reagan On U.S. Strength
"Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong."
-- Ronald Reagan --
-- Ronald Reagan --
Posted at Heavy-Handed Politics
Was This A Flip Or A Flop?
Hillary Clintong* made a curious pair of statements at her 60th birthday fundraiser last Thursday night. Check it out:
If this is such a good and great country, why is she trying to change it? Conversely, if it needs to be changed as much as she is promising to change it, how is it still so good and great?
I just can't figure out if this was a flip or a flop...she's gone back and forth so many times on so many issues that it's hard to keep track. Regardless, she's apparently now flip-flopped on America itself.
There's my two cents.
"This is a good and great country," she said to applause. "Let's go out and change it and make history together."Uhhhh...okay...
If this is such a good and great country, why is she trying to change it? Conversely, if it needs to be changed as much as she is promising to change it, how is it still so good and great?
I just can't figure out if this was a flip or a flop...she's gone back and forth so many times on so many issues that it's hard to keep track. Regardless, she's apparently now flip-flopped on America itself.
There's my two cents.
* This is not a mis-spelling - see previous blog about Clinton's Asian connection.
Congressional Staffers Get Inoculated Before Joining Peons
This story is a couple weeks old, but I just had to post it anyway. The Washington Times reports that a group of House Homeland Security Committee staffers are on a peculiar mission to study "public health issues at events involving mass gatherings". While that sounds all fine and dandy, they're actually going to attend a NASCAR event. Okay, so what's the big deal?
Before getting out and rubbing shoulders with their constituents, these great government staffers must first be immunized against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, and influenza.
Boy, if this doesn't illustrate the condescension with which our government looks at the American people, nothing does. The fact that they are requiring staffers to be inoculated for several diseases before mixing with the 'common people' (or 'peons', or however they look at us) is pushing the boundaries of arrogance and condescension beyond belief.
It's an amusing story, but it's also no wonder the American people think they're worthless. Apparently the feeling is mutual.
There's my two cents.
Before getting out and rubbing shoulders with their constituents, these great government staffers must first be immunized against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria, and influenza.
Boy, if this doesn't illustrate the condescension with which our government looks at the American people, nothing does. The fact that they are requiring staffers to be inoculated for several diseases before mixing with the 'common people' (or 'peons', or however they look at us) is pushing the boundaries of arrogance and condescension beyond belief.
It's an amusing story, but it's also no wonder the American people think they're worthless. Apparently the feeling is mutual.
There's my two cents.
More Democrat Generosity...With Your Money
Well, the Democrat presidential candidates keep getting more and more generous with your money! This time it's John Edwards, trying to keep up with Hillary I've-got-a-million-ideas-the-country-can't-afford-them-all Clintong*. If elected President, Edwards has pledged the following:
- mandate universal pre-school
- create government-matched savings accounts for everyone
- raise the minimum wage again
- give more housing to poor people
- provide free college education to everyone
Now, the merits of these things could -- and should -- be debated, but stop and think about exactly how much money they're going to cost, and then stop and think about the fact that YOU will be paying for it.
Democrats: spending your money faster than you can make it.
There's my two cents.
- mandate universal pre-school
- create government-matched savings accounts for everyone
- raise the minimum wage again
- give more housing to poor people
- provide free college education to everyone
Now, the merits of these things could -- and should -- be debated, but stop and think about exactly how much money they're going to cost, and then stop and think about the fact that YOU will be paying for it.
Democrats: spending your money faster than you can make it.
There's my two cents.
* This is not a mis-spelling - see previous blog about Clinton's Asian connection.
Lantos Hits Nail On The Head
Tom Lantos has his issues (most recently, essentially accusing General Petraeus of lying about the war in Iraq), but it appears that when his personal history and heritage are attacked, he is capable of stating the truth:
It's hard to stomach the constant criticism from Europe when we were the ones who bailed them out of two world wars. It's good to finally hear someone remind them of where they would be without us!
There's my two cents.
Rep Tom Lantos (D-Ca), a Hungarian Jewish survivor of the Holocaust, now representing a San Francisco area district in Congress heard a Dutch Green Party legislator threaten to withdraw his country's troops from Afghanistan because “We have to close Guantanamo because it symbolizes for me everything that is wrong with this war on terror."Yes yes yes!!!
Bravely, insightfully and oh so truthfully and undiplomatically Lantos replied: “Europe was not as outraged by Auschwitz as by Guantanamo Bay."
Lantos also averred: “You have to help us, because if it was not for us you would now be a province of Nazi Germany.”
It's hard to stomach the constant criticism from Europe when we were the ones who bailed them out of two world wars. It's good to finally hear someone remind them of where they would be without us!
There's my two cents.
Environmentalists Cause More Problems
John Berlau at the American Thinker posts a great article explaining how environmentalists have made the wildfires in California a whole lot worse.
Similar to how environmentalists have screwed up U.S. energy policies through their idiocy, their actions in protecting every conceivable part of nature (except humanity) has caused major problems for Americans. The Lefties are saying the fires are the result of global warming, but that is completely false. For one thing, the temperatures when the fires started were well inside the averages, and the Santa Ana winds which drove the fires rapidly across the state have been blowing for decades, if not longer.
The real problem is that humans are not allowed to clear old, dead brush away in an organized manner, leaving lots and lots of dry, crispy fuel for wildfires to feed on as they spread. Berlau cites a portion of the City of San Diego web site as just one example:
Berlau also points out the irony that squarely in the path of the wildfires was San Diego Wild Animal Park, in which condors, a cheetah, and many other animals were threatened. He concludes that the objective of many of these environmentalists was never to protect animal life, but rather to control human life.
Taking care of the environment and being responsible human beings is a very good thing. As the highest and most blessed creature on the face of the earth, that is the responsibility of humanity. But, I think that we need to draw a line at some point, valuing human life above animal life, and this is a clear example of what can happen when we draw that line in the wrong place. By seeking to blindly protect certain animals and plants, we've now allowed the needless destruction of thousands of homes, and uprooted literally over a million people. When are people going to realize that enough is enough?
People come first.
There's my two cents.
Similar to how environmentalists have screwed up U.S. energy policies through their idiocy, their actions in protecting every conceivable part of nature (except humanity) has caused major problems for Americans. The Lefties are saying the fires are the result of global warming, but that is completely false. For one thing, the temperatures when the fires started were well inside the averages, and the Santa Ana winds which drove the fires rapidly across the state have been blowing for decades, if not longer.
The real problem is that humans are not allowed to clear old, dead brush away in an organized manner, leaving lots and lots of dry, crispy fuel for wildfires to feed on as they spread. Berlau cites a portion of the City of San Diego web site as just one example:
The confusing instructions state that vegetation within 100 feet of homes in canyon areas "must be thinned and pruned regularly." But then, the same sentence goes on to state that this must be achieved "without harming native plants, soil or habitats."Then, in the fine print:
"Brush management is not allowed in coastal sage scrub during the California gnatcatcher nesting season, from March 1st through August 15th. This small bird only lives in coastal sage scrub and is listed as a threatened species by the federal government. Any harm to this bird could result in fines and penalties."If you can't clear brush for six months of the year due to birds mating, and you can't clear brush for the rest of the year due to 'harming' natural plants or habitats, how much brush is going to be cleared away? None. So, when you have a fire ignite, it's going to go on a super-fueled tear, just like it did last week.
Berlau also points out the irony that squarely in the path of the wildfires was San Diego Wild Animal Park, in which condors, a cheetah, and many other animals were threatened. He concludes that the objective of many of these environmentalists was never to protect animal life, but rather to control human life.
Taking care of the environment and being responsible human beings is a very good thing. As the highest and most blessed creature on the face of the earth, that is the responsibility of humanity. But, I think that we need to draw a line at some point, valuing human life above animal life, and this is a clear example of what can happen when we draw that line in the wrong place. By seeking to blindly protect certain animals and plants, we've now allowed the needless destruction of thousands of homes, and uprooted literally over a million people. When are people going to realize that enough is enough?
People come first.
There's my two cents.
Talk About Injustice
I happened to come across this column describing the worst sort of injustice, and it just about kills me. A cop in Chicago named Mike Mette went with some buddies to a party (off-duty). The party was a dud, so they left without taking a single drink. Apparently, the host of the party (who was drunk) was offended, and chased them down. The cop tried to back out of the confrontation, but the host started hitting him. So, the cop took him out with one punch. Not a beating, not a group attack, not excessive use of force. A single punch.
And now he's going to jail for five years.
The columnist decries the injustice of this man, who is by all accounts a good cop with a good record. The columnist rightly says:
If anyone reading this lives in Iowa, call your State and Federal Representatives and Senators, and ask them to look into this. It simply isn't right. Mette's father, Bob, sums it up:
There's my two cents.
And now he's going to jail for five years.
The columnist decries the injustice of this man, who is by all accounts a good cop with a good record. The columnist rightly says:
I figure that if anyone puts their hands on you, you have a right to put your hands on them. At worst, he should have been charged with a lesser crime and jailed for 15 or 30 days. But five years in state prison for one punch in self-defense?He contacted the Governor's office, but they were far too busy with presidential nominees to deal with the plight of a lowly police officer facing jail time.
If anyone reading this lives in Iowa, call your State and Federal Representatives and Senators, and ask them to look into this. It simply isn't right. Mette's father, Bob, sums it up:
"Well, he got framed, and nobody cares," Bob said about his son. "It's just not fair. Since when can you get hit three times and get locked up for five years when you respond with one punch? If you can't protect yourself from being attacked, then we are not in America anymore."Call in and see if you can get some help for this guy. No one deserves this treatment, especially not a cop.
There's my two cents.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Internet Taxation: Senate Says No
The Senate just passed a bill extending the moratorium on taxing the Internet for another seven years, as well as preventing some key services -- like e-mail -- from being taxed.
Slightly different than the version passed by the House a week ago, the bill will now be sent to committee to sort out the details.
Bush and a majority of the House seem to support a permanent tax ban, but the Senate appears reluctant to issue a permanent solution.
Figures. Why would they ever permanently refuse to collect taxes from Americans? It just doesn't seem like the Senate...
There's my two cents.
Slightly different than the version passed by the House a week ago, the bill will now be sent to committee to sort out the details.
Bush and a majority of the House seem to support a permanent tax ban, but the Senate appears reluctant to issue a permanent solution.
Figures. Why would they ever permanently refuse to collect taxes from Americans? It just doesn't seem like the Senate...
There's my two cents.
Karbala Security In Iraqi Hands
In what is seen as a calculated gamble, the US military is handing responsibility for security in Karbala province over to the Iraqi government, making it the eighth province to be placed under Iraqi control.
The peace between the two Shiite militias in the area (the Mahdi army and the Badr organization) is holding, though there are still sporadic outbursts of violence. The main problem in the region is Iran, which directly controls some of the local commanders.
The U.S. military will remain in the area in the event that they are needed.
This is not a sure thing, but the Bush administration certainly needs some political progress to go along with the obvious military success. It is a bit of a risk, but hopefully one that can be sustained.
There's my two cents.
The peace between the two Shiite militias in the area (the Mahdi army and the Badr organization) is holding, though there are still sporadic outbursts of violence. The main problem in the region is Iran, which directly controls some of the local commanders.
The U.S. military will remain in the area in the event that they are needed.
This is not a sure thing, but the Bush administration certainly needs some political progress to go along with the obvious military success. It is a bit of a risk, but hopefully one that can be sustained.
There's my two cents.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
More On Hillary Clinton's Asian Connection
Michelle Malkin opens up with both barrels on Hillary Clinton's latest fundraising question marks at the New York Post.
The basic idea is that Asian-American groups are unhappy with the extra scrutiny brought on by the multitude of donations given to Clinton by "dishwashers, cooks and other suspect Hillary campaign contributors in Chinatown, Flushing, The Bronx and Brooklyn who were limited-income [and] limited-English-proficient" (one donor even admitted to being reimbursed for her $1,000 'donation'). They believe it could lead to a negative impact on Asians trying to participate in the political process.
Oh, please.
The clear message here is for those conducting investigations into Clinton's questionable fundraising activities to lay off. Malkin says:
That should be fun.
There's my two cents.
The basic idea is that Asian-American groups are unhappy with the extra scrutiny brought on by the multitude of donations given to Clinton by "dishwashers, cooks and other suspect Hillary campaign contributors in Chinatown, Flushing, The Bronx and Brooklyn who were limited-income [and] limited-English-proficient" (one donor even admitted to being reimbursed for her $1,000 'donation'). They believe it could lead to a negative impact on Asians trying to participate in the political process.
Oh, please.
The clear message here is for those conducting investigations into Clinton's questionable fundraising activities to lay off. Malkin says:
The identity politics tribe can call it "ethnic profiling." I call it learning from history.Malkin's conclusion:
We've been here so many times before. With convicted DNC fund-raiser John Huang and Charlie Trie and Pauline Kanchanalak and Maria Hsia. With the Chinese Buddhist monks and nuns who helped engineer a Gore campaign reimbursement scheme and shredded documents related to their temple fund-raiser. With Washington ex-Gov. Gary Locke, who also took money from Chinese temple donors who couldn't speak English, couldn't remember when they donated or couldn't be located.
I think that from now until the 2008 election -- in honor of Clinton's clear connections to rich Chinese political lobbyists -- I'm going to refer to her as Hillary Clintong.If it's "ethnic profiling" to be extra-careful of Chinatown donors who can't speak English, live in dilapidated buildings, have never voted, can't tell Hillary Clinton from Hunan Chicken or simply can't be found, then "ethnic profiling" should be the standard procedure of every campaign.
Discrimination isn't a dirty word when it comes to keeping dirty money out of American politics.
That should be fun.
There's my two cents.
Mexicans Miss Money From Up North
The New York Times runs a sympathetic story about how difficult it is for families of illegal aliens in the U.S., stating the amount of money being sent back to Mexico has dropped off dramatically this year. The overall tone of this article makes my fingernails curl backward in disgust, but there is some good news to be found.
The Times reports:
It's about time!
There's my two cents.
The Times reports:
From 2000 to 2006, remittances grew to nearly $24 billion a year from $6.6 billion, rising more than 20 percent some years. In 2007, the increase so far has been less than 2 percent.Sounds like progress to me! The Times blathers on about a series of poor Mexican families that are struggling to make ends meet because America has the sheer gall to enforce its own borders, laws, and sovereignty. For most of them, crossing the border is a regular occurrence:
[T]he events of the last year in the United States, political and economic, have also clouded the prospects of many illegal Mexican workers. New walls, new guards and new equipment at the border have dissuaded many from trying to cross and raised the cost for those who try to as much as $2,800. Workplace raids and stories of summary deportations stoke fears among Mexicans on both sides of the border.
Estrella Rivera’s brother Francisco left for the first time when he was 16. Now 21, he recently came home after a year and a half in Orlando, Fla., working in construction. He earned enough to add a floor to his parents’ house, but then he struggled.Although it angers me that the NYT runs such a disgustingly anti-America pro-illegal alien story, it doesn't surprise me at all. The good news is that the American people have apparently made some headway in forcing the government to crack down.
"Either there was no work or they did not want to hire somebody without papers," he said, perched on an old Ford pickup truck with Michigan tags beside his family’s sheep and cow pens.
It's about time!
There's my two cents.
Friday, October 26, 2007
True Inspiration
Every once in a while we have the opportunity to observe someone truly inspirational. Randy Pausch is one of those exceptional people.
He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, this is one of the most vicious and fatal types of cancer, so he has just a matter of months to live, even though he looks perfectly healthy right now. Sadly, he has a wife and three young children under the age of six.
Instead of self-pity, anger, or despair, Randy is reacting with hope, realism, and inspiration. He gave his last lecture to a tearful standing ovation. His words transcend every boundary that we as people hold between ourselves. If we could all learn from Randy Pausch how to live life and treat others, this world would be totally transformed.
Videos of his lecture are all over YouTube, so just search on his name. My wife saw his story on the Oprah Winfrey show, which has a bit shorter and more concise version. Watch the Oprah version here. I guarantee you will not find a better use of your time today.
There's my two cents.
He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, this is one of the most vicious and fatal types of cancer, so he has just a matter of months to live, even though he looks perfectly healthy right now. Sadly, he has a wife and three young children under the age of six.
Instead of self-pity, anger, or despair, Randy is reacting with hope, realism, and inspiration. He gave his last lecture to a tearful standing ovation. His words transcend every boundary that we as people hold between ourselves. If we could all learn from Randy Pausch how to live life and treat others, this world would be totally transformed.
Videos of his lecture are all over YouTube, so just search on his name. My wife saw his story on the Oprah Winfrey show, which has a bit shorter and more concise version. Watch the Oprah version here. I guarantee you will not find a better use of your time today.
There's my two cents.
Friday Quick Hits
Quick Hit #1: Freedom of speech...only for some.
"Under the holy mantra of academic freedom of speech Iran's president Ahmadinejad was invited to speak at Columbia (we would have invited Hitler) University despite promising to eliminate the population of Israel." But... "[W]hen Nobel Prize winner James Watson questioned the intelligence of Africans his book tour was cancelled, lectures called off, job suspended." And... "[A]t Emory University in Atlanta academic freedom of speech was totally silenced as David Horowitz futilely attempted to talk during Islamo Fascism Awareness Week"..."From the beginning of Horowitz's speech, rowdy protesters continually interrupted him and less than half an hour into the event, the crowd became so disruptive that police were called in and Horowitz had to be escorted off stage." Liberalism at its finest: all are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Quick Hit #2: Islam's high-profile targets.
David Horowitz (one of the original starters of modern-day liberalism who has since seen the light and gone conservative) envisioned and implemented Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, much to the dismay of liberals and jihad-enablers around the country. Despite vigorous resistance, a panel of former left-wing academics spoke at Columbia Wednesday evening, opening eyes about the shortcomings of Islamofascism, radical feminism, and other liberal ideas. These are the best and the brightest, and they know their opposition well, since they used to be numbered among the opposition themselves.
Go read about it and be enlightened.
Quick Hit #3: Europe Wants to Be a Superpower.
This is an interesting article about how Europe is striving to be a superpower to counter the United States, and how their goal is impossible to achieve.
The real danger is for the U.S. to willingly follow in Europe's footsteps toward socialism and capitulation.
Quick Hit #4: How Hillary Revived the GOP.
Here's an interesting article on how the seemingly insurmountable lead of Hillary Clinton in the Democrat primary has enabled Republicans to galvanize their base more than is normal for this early point in the election cycle.
Democrats have known for quite some time that Hillary is an extremely polarizing figure; if she wins the nomination, it will be an extreme gamble for them as a party.
Quick Hit #5: Philly Punishes Boy Scouts.
The city of Philadelphia has raised the rent on the Boy Scouts' office since it 'discriminates' against homosexuals. Legal action is pending; a 2000 Supreme Court ruling said that the Scouts have a First Amendment right to bar homosexuals from membership.
Since when does a private religious organization have to allow anyone and everyone into the group??
Quick Hit #6: Plumbing the depths of the Israel/Syria raid.
Several news sources are digging deeper into the connections between Syria, Iran, and North Korea that prompted Israel's attack on a Syrian nuclear facility in early September. The connections are far deeper than people realized, with the situation possibly being thus: North Korea made a deal with Iran to provide material and knowledge to make nuclear weapons, but given the current scrutiny on Iran, the activity is being conducted/stored in Syria. Suspicion is also raised by the very fast cleanup of the site of Israel's attack. As you can see in the pics below, the site has been totally cleaned in just a few weeks.
Another fact that I personally think has been overlooked is that we know for a fact that WMDs used to be in Iraq; where did they go? There was speculation several years ago that they were shipped over to Syria. Hmmm...sounds familiar...
Have a great weekend!
"Under the holy mantra of academic freedom of speech Iran's president Ahmadinejad was invited to speak at Columbia (we would have invited Hitler) University despite promising to eliminate the population of Israel." But... "[W]hen Nobel Prize winner James Watson questioned the intelligence of Africans his book tour was cancelled, lectures called off, job suspended." And... "[A]t Emory University in Atlanta academic freedom of speech was totally silenced as David Horowitz futilely attempted to talk during Islamo Fascism Awareness Week"..."From the beginning of Horowitz's speech, rowdy protesters continually interrupted him and less than half an hour into the event, the crowd became so disruptive that police were called in and Horowitz had to be escorted off stage." Liberalism at its finest: all are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Quick Hit #2: Islam's high-profile targets.
David Horowitz (one of the original starters of modern-day liberalism who has since seen the light and gone conservative) envisioned and implemented Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, much to the dismay of liberals and jihad-enablers around the country. Despite vigorous resistance, a panel of former left-wing academics spoke at Columbia Wednesday evening, opening eyes about the shortcomings of Islamofascism, radical feminism, and other liberal ideas. These are the best and the brightest, and they know their opposition well, since they used to be numbered among the opposition themselves.
Go read about it and be enlightened.
Quick Hit #3: Europe Wants to Be a Superpower.
This is an interesting article about how Europe is striving to be a superpower to counter the United States, and how their goal is impossible to achieve.
The real danger is for the U.S. to willingly follow in Europe's footsteps toward socialism and capitulation.
Quick Hit #4: How Hillary Revived the GOP.
Here's an interesting article on how the seemingly insurmountable lead of Hillary Clinton in the Democrat primary has enabled Republicans to galvanize their base more than is normal for this early point in the election cycle.
Democrats have known for quite some time that Hillary is an extremely polarizing figure; if she wins the nomination, it will be an extreme gamble for them as a party.
Quick Hit #5: Philly Punishes Boy Scouts.
The city of Philadelphia has raised the rent on the Boy Scouts' office since it 'discriminates' against homosexuals. Legal action is pending; a 2000 Supreme Court ruling said that the Scouts have a First Amendment right to bar homosexuals from membership.
Since when does a private religious organization have to allow anyone and everyone into the group??
Quick Hit #6: Plumbing the depths of the Israel/Syria raid.
Several news sources are digging deeper into the connections between Syria, Iran, and North Korea that prompted Israel's attack on a Syrian nuclear facility in early September. The connections are far deeper than people realized, with the situation possibly being thus: North Korea made a deal with Iran to provide material and knowledge to make nuclear weapons, but given the current scrutiny on Iran, the activity is being conducted/stored in Syria. Suspicion is also raised by the very fast cleanup of the site of Israel's attack. As you can see in the pics below, the site has been totally cleaned in just a few weeks.
Another fact that I personally think has been overlooked is that we know for a fact that WMDs used to be in Iraq; where did they go? There was speculation several years ago that they were shipped over to Syria. Hmmm...sounds familiar...Have a great weekend!
Fun & Frivolity: Man Tries To Pass Off $1M Bill
A shopper at a Pittsburgh supermarket tried to pay with a $1 million bill. But that's not all...when the cashier refused, the man flew into a rage and started slamming stuff around!
I can't decide which is funnier - the fact that he tried to use a $1M bill at all, or the fact that he expected that much change out of a supermarket cash register.
Clearly not the brightest light bulb in the box...
I can't decide which is funnier - the fact that he tried to use a $1M bill at all, or the fact that he expected that much change out of a supermarket cash register.
Clearly not the brightest light bulb in the box...
Regarding Universal Health Care
I heard a great explanation of how universal health care works this morning, so I thought I'd paraphrase it and pass it along to you. If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that the SCHIP bill and Hillary Clinton's health care plan are both universal health care, so it's a real issue that affects you right now. Here's how it works.
When something is offered for free, the demand skyrockets. Universal health care would provide 'free' -- though all this 'free' stuff would be paid for by increasing your taxes -- medical services, so the demand for those medical services would skyrocket with no limits.
With unlimited demand for those 'free' services, the costs would skyrocket, too, which means your taxes would skyrocket. When people finally decided they'd have enough of the tax increases and the government couldn't raise them anymore without causing open revolt, the only other way to control costs would be to start limiting the availability of medical services. There would be limits placed on the number of operations, prescriptions, and other services that would be available to Americans, which would mean people would have to wait in line until their turn came up.
In order to enforce these limitations, the government would then have to determine who is most deserving of the limited medical services available. At that point, you would start seeing things like smokers being denied treatment because they're less deserving than non-smokers, fat people being denied treatments because they're less deserving than slim people, and so on.
So, the end result is huge tax costs for your 'free' health care, long wait times, denial of treatment based on who is more 'deserving', and government deciding who those 'deserving' people are.
Here's a personal example. Last year, a new hair styling place opened up near my house. Their grand opening promotion was free haircuts on the first day. I showed up a few minutes before it opened that day, and found a line of about 25 people already formed. By the time I got in the door and got my name on their list, another 25 people were in line behind me, and the wait time for those people was over 3 hours! This was for a haircut...do you want this to happen for critical medical care?
This explanation of universal health care is not speculation...this has actually happened in places like Canada and Europe. This is what you will get if SCHIP is signed into law. This is what you will get if Hillary becomes President and gets her way with health care.
Is it really what you want? I didn't think so.
There's my two cents.
When something is offered for free, the demand skyrockets. Universal health care would provide 'free' -- though all this 'free' stuff would be paid for by increasing your taxes -- medical services, so the demand for those medical services would skyrocket with no limits.
With unlimited demand for those 'free' services, the costs would skyrocket, too, which means your taxes would skyrocket. When people finally decided they'd have enough of the tax increases and the government couldn't raise them anymore without causing open revolt, the only other way to control costs would be to start limiting the availability of medical services. There would be limits placed on the number of operations, prescriptions, and other services that would be available to Americans, which would mean people would have to wait in line until their turn came up.
In order to enforce these limitations, the government would then have to determine who is most deserving of the limited medical services available. At that point, you would start seeing things like smokers being denied treatment because they're less deserving than non-smokers, fat people being denied treatments because they're less deserving than slim people, and so on.
So, the end result is huge tax costs for your 'free' health care, long wait times, denial of treatment based on who is more 'deserving', and government deciding who those 'deserving' people are.
Here's a personal example. Last year, a new hair styling place opened up near my house. Their grand opening promotion was free haircuts on the first day. I showed up a few minutes before it opened that day, and found a line of about 25 people already formed. By the time I got in the door and got my name on their list, another 25 people were in line behind me, and the wait time for those people was over 3 hours! This was for a haircut...do you want this to happen for critical medical care?
This explanation of universal health care is not speculation...this has actually happened in places like Canada and Europe. This is what you will get if SCHIP is signed into law. This is what you will get if Hillary becomes President and gets her way with health care.
Is it really what you want? I didn't think so.
There's my two cents.
SCHIP Goes Down Again
I just heard on the radio that the second version of SCHIP was vetoed by President Bush, as expected. More details will be posted as I find them.
***UPDATE***
Yahoo News has the AP story:
***UPDATE***
Yahoo News has the AP story:
President Bush accused Democratic lawmakers on Friday of wasting time by passing legislation to expand children's health coverage, knowing that he would veto it again. At the same time, he criticized Congress for failing to approve spending bills to keep the government running.Your Democrat Congress at work!
Bush said Congress had "set a record they should not be proud of: October 26 is the latest date in 20 years that Congress has failed to get a single annual appropriations bill to the president's desk."
He also complained that Congress had failed to pass a permanent extension of a moratorium on state and local taxes on Internet access, and that the Senate had not yet confirmed Michael Mukasey as attorney general. Further, he chided Congress for failing to approve more money for Iraq and Afghanistan.
Media Dishonesty
Randall Hoven posts a list of 101 media lies told to the American public. He begins his article with gratuitous examples of deceit or lies (or failure to properly investigate and reveal lies) in the MSM:
It's reasons like this that people should question literally everything said, done, shown, and presented by the traditional media outlets. Whether by intent or by incompetence, they simply can't be trusted.
There's my two cents.
Did you know that Time magazine and other news organizations had a Vietnamese communist on full-time staff in Viet Nam during that war? Do you remember that ABC, CBS and NBC have all rigged cars or trucks with explosives or other devices to make them look dangerous on TV, or that Consumer Reports lied about the Suzuki Samurai enough to put it out of business? Do you know that multiple "veterans" of the Viet Nam and Iraq wars who told of atrocities there were never even in the military? Did you realize reputable news organizations such as the Boston Globe and Reuters cannot tell the difference between a real soldier and a toy doll, commercial pornography and soldiers committing rape, a burning tire dump and a bombed building, a fired and an unfired rifle round, or footage of the North Pole and a clip from the movie Titanic?He then specifically addresses President Bush:
[T]he media have lied about his National Guard service, lied about his serving a plastic turkey to troops in Iraq on Thanksgiving and then made a big deal about that phony story, lied about his speeches, quoted him by removing the words he actually used, and admitted they would use a harsher standard with him than his opponent John Kerry. To this day, they criticize his administration's handling of the Katrina crisis, which was actually one of the most successful rescue and recovery efforts in history, but barely mention their own huge and egregious mistakes in reporting on that event.Finally, he lists 101 of the biggest lies, including links to at least one of his sources for each example. Just a few examples from the last couple of years:
4. AFP/Yahoo News (2007). Fell for hoax/lie. Ran a picture with the caption "An elderly Iraqi woman shows two bullets which she says hit her house following an early coalition forces raid in the predominantly Shiite Baghdad suburb of Sadr City." But the picture was of unfired cartridges, which could only have "hit her house" if they were thrown at it.The list goes on and on and on and on. And, Hoven also links to other lists he's made in the past. Several are stories I've blogged about here.
9. Associated Press (AP) (2005). Fell for hoax and phony photo. The AP ran a story, with a photo, about a soldier held hostage in Iraq. The photo turned out to be that of an action figure doll; there was no such soldier.
16. Jayson Blair, The New York Times (2003). Lying/fabricating. He fabricated parts or all of at least 36 stories. He, along with his bosses Gerald Boyd and Howell Raines, resigned from the NYT.
19. The Boston Globe (2004). Fake photos, fake story. The Boston Globe published pictures alleging U.S. troops raped Iraqi women. The pictures turned out to be commercially available pornography.
24. Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President, Nobel Peace Prize winner and author of Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid. Lying, plagiarism, bias. His book was so full of errors, including doctored maps, that his chief collaborator, Kenneth Stein of Emory University, resigned his position with the Carter Center. Carter's book was condemned by Alan Dershowitz and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, among others.
63. Eason Jordan,CNN (2005). False accusations. He accused U.S. forces in Iraq of deliberately targeting and killing journalists. He apologized and resigned.
69. Jesse MacBeth, anti-war star (2006). Lying/fabricating. "Jesse MacBeth stoked opposition to the Iraq war in 2006 when he spoke out about atrocities he committed as a U.S. Army Ranger serving as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. MacBeth, 23, of Tacoma, claimed to have killed more than 200 people, many at close range, some as they prayed in a mosque. He spoke at an anti-war rally in Tacoma and appeared in a 20-minute anti-war video that circulated widely on the Internet. Trouble is, none of MacBeth's claims was true." [this was the one that started the Rush Kerfuffle]
It's reasons like this that people should question literally everything said, done, shown, and presented by the traditional media outlets. Whether by intent or by incompetence, they simply can't be trusted.
There's my two cents.
Hillary Clinton's Closet Skeletons
Marie's Two Cents (what a great name, by the way) has the dish on yet another brewing controversy around Hillary Clinton.
Go read the blog post for all the details, but the short version is that the Clintons are trying very hard to keep the documentation from the previous Clinton administration secret...at least, until the 2008 election is over.
A telling excerpt:
Some rather obvious questions: why would any First Lady have anything she needed to keep secret? Why are her records locked, as neither of his predecessors' wives records are? What are they hiding?
Just more suspicious behavior (i.e. covering up scandals and shady actions) from people who have a long, detailed history of suspicious behavior. You can expect this to become a bigger issue if Clinton wins the Democrat presidential nomination.
There's my two cents.
Go read the blog post for all the details, but the short version is that the Clintons are trying very hard to keep the documentation from the previous Clinton administration secret...at least, until the 2008 election is over.
A telling excerpt:
Nearly three years after the Clinton Library opened—and more than 21 months after its trove of records became subject to the Freedom of Information Act—barely one half of 1 percent of the 78 million pages of documents and 20 million e-mail messages at the federally funded facility are public, according to the National Archives. The lack of access is emerging as an issue in Hillary's presidential campaign: she cites her years of experience as First Lady as one of her prime qualifications to be president. Like other Democratic candidates, she has decried the "stunning record of secrecy" of the Bush administration; her campaign Web site vows to bring a "return to transparency" to government. But Clinton's appointment calendar as First Lady, her notes at strategy meetings, what advice she gave her husband and his advisers, what policy memos she wrote, even some key papers from her health-care task force—all of this, and much more documenting her years as First Lady, remains locked away, most likely through the entire campaign season. With nearly 300 FOIA requests pending for Clinton documents, and only six archivists at the library to process them, Archives spokeswoman Susan Cooper says it is "really hard to predict" if any of this material will be released before the election.Not surprisingly, Bill Clinton is publicly blaming the Bush administration for the slow progress despite conveying private instructions to tightly control his own archives (which include Hillary's).
Some rather obvious questions: why would any First Lady have anything she needed to keep secret? Why are her records locked, as neither of his predecessors' wives records are? What are they hiding?
Just more suspicious behavior (i.e. covering up scandals and shady actions) from people who have a long, detailed history of suspicious behavior. You can expect this to become a bigger issue if Clinton wins the Democrat presidential nomination.
There's my two cents.
The California Wildfires
Two things to update you on regarding the unfolding tragedy in California. First, it looks like at least some of the fires were started by arson. The cause of all of them (especially the original ones) is still under investigation, but a couple people trying to set copycat fires were arrested and another was killed by police. Rick Moran hits the nail on the head:
You know, it's amazing that Bush can be a dumb, hick, bumbling imbecile while at the same time wielding the power of nature in the form of hurricanes and firestorms to destroy large swaths of his own people's land and possessions. At least, that's what you have to believe if you listen to the MSM. The double standard is mind-boggling.
Some bright spots in the tragedy: Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- who have not exactly been cozy -- seem to have forged a mutually beneficial bond. Schwarzenegger praised Bush for his fast response, which the White House hopes will help soften the sharp edges left after Katrina; Bush praised Schwarzenegger for taking decisive action, implying much better leadership than in Louisiana.
And, of course, we see the heroism of the normal, everyday American people - folks helping other folks, providing shelter, food, water, supplies, and encouragement during the toughest of times. That's what makes America great. Americans step up when the stakes are highest.
There's my two cents.
With all the furies in the world descending upon the people of Southern California, the idea that there are idiots out there who only want to make the situation worse by setting more fires in the bone dry brush is incomprehensible.The second story is that it has apparently now become the norm to politicize natural disasters. I think we all remember the incessant sensationalism in the headlines after Katrina, telling of rampant looting, pillaging, raping, and murdering in the immediate aftermath...but little if any of it was true. However, that has not stopped the liberal elite and the MSM from hammering the failures home against Bush so much that they've become almost ingrained in the culture. When the bridge collapsed in Minneapolis earlier this summer, it took at least half a day before people started blaming Bush for the failure. This time, the thought of the victims didn't even last that long - with the wildfires still raging, fingers began pointing...at Bush, of course.
You know, it's amazing that Bush can be a dumb, hick, bumbling imbecile while at the same time wielding the power of nature in the form of hurricanes and firestorms to destroy large swaths of his own people's land and possessions. At least, that's what you have to believe if you listen to the MSM. The double standard is mind-boggling.
Some bright spots in the tragedy: Bush and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- who have not exactly been cozy -- seem to have forged a mutually beneficial bond. Schwarzenegger praised Bush for his fast response, which the White House hopes will help soften the sharp edges left after Katrina; Bush praised Schwarzenegger for taking decisive action, implying much better leadership than in Louisiana.
And, of course, we see the heroism of the normal, everyday American people - folks helping other folks, providing shelter, food, water, supplies, and encouragement during the toughest of times. That's what makes America great. Americans step up when the stakes are highest.
There's my two cents.
SCHIP Part 2
Well, the Democrats didn't take long to take up the SCHIP bill again after the House's veto override failed. Apparently, there are just a few minor changes (trivial things like covering families making up to $62,000 level rather than $83,000), but they might be enough to get the legislation to pass. The White House has signaled some willingness to compromise on policy, but the price tag is likely to remain a sticking point.
The fundamental ideas behind the bill remain, though: it's a tax increase, it will cover way too many people, and it's the first step toward universal health care.
The other sleazy part of this is that the Democrats in charge seem to be intent on pushing the bill through despite the fact that many Congressmen are in California with their constituents. Typical.
There's my two cents.
***UPDATE***
Last night, the Democrat leadership in the House pushed through the vote despite the absence of several members. While this 'irked' many Republicans, the Democrats said it wouldn't substantially change the outcome of the vote. It passed 265-142, but actually lost two Republicans from the previous SCHIP vote. It's still short a presidential override, though, so unless Bush is happy with the minor changes, it isn't likely to become law.
Now would be a good time to call your Rep and ask them to support the actual plan to provide health care coverage to poor children per the Republican plan.
The fundamental ideas behind the bill remain, though: it's a tax increase, it will cover way too many people, and it's the first step toward universal health care.
The other sleazy part of this is that the Democrats in charge seem to be intent on pushing the bill through despite the fact that many Congressmen are in California with their constituents. Typical.
There's my two cents.
***UPDATE***
Last night, the Democrat leadership in the House pushed through the vote despite the absence of several members. While this 'irked' many Republicans, the Democrats said it wouldn't substantially change the outcome of the vote. It passed 265-142, but actually lost two Republicans from the previous SCHIP vote. It's still short a presidential override, though, so unless Bush is happy with the minor changes, it isn't likely to become law.
Now would be a good time to call your Rep and ask them to support the actual plan to provide health care coverage to poor children per the Republican plan.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A Rare Moment Of Sanity Regarding The Border Fence
The New York Times reports:
I have to admit being pretty surprised that Chertoff did this, since he's been pretty soft on illegal immigration since Bush appointed him. Still, I'll take it! Wouldn't it be great if the fence would actually get built? This is one more step in the right direction.
There's my two cents.
Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, waived several environmental laws yesterday to continue building a border fence through a national conservation area in Arizona, bypassing a federal court ruling that had suspended the fence construction.The opposition, led by the Sierra Club, protests that a fence would damage the environment of the conservation area, but "department officials [respond by saying] that some 19,000 illegal immigrants were detained passing through the conservation area in the 2007 fiscal year and that the immigrants’ trash, human waste and illegal roads had caused more damage to plant and animal life than the fence would."
Citing “unacceptable risks to our nation’s security” if the fence along the border with Mexico was further delayed, Mr. Chertoff invoked waiver authority granted him under a 2005 bill that mandated construction of the fence.
I have to admit being pretty surprised that Chertoff did this, since he's been pretty soft on illegal immigration since Bush appointed him. Still, I'll take it! Wouldn't it be great if the fence would actually get built? This is one more step in the right direction.
There's my two cents.
Record-Setting Do-Nothing Congress
The Washington Post reports today that the House of Representatives has surpassed 1,000 roll-call votes this year, the first time that's happened.
That makes it all the more unimpressive that this Democrat-controlled Congress has accomplished almost nothing. The only bill of substance they've gotten done is to raise the minimum wage. They've failed on health care, they've failed (repeatedly) on the War on Terror, they've failed on taxes, they've failed on earmark reform...the list goes on.
And now we know it's over 1,000 tries that have failed. It's no wonder America thinks they suck.
There's my two cents.
That makes it all the more unimpressive that this Democrat-controlled Congress has accomplished almost nothing. The only bill of substance they've gotten done is to raise the minimum wage. They've failed on health care, they've failed (repeatedly) on the War on Terror, they've failed on taxes, they've failed on earmark reform...the list goes on.
And now we know it's over 1,000 tries that have failed. It's no wonder America thinks they suck.
There's my two cents.
Children Vs. Pork...Senate Picks Pork
You gotta' love this story in the Washington Post about the priorities of the Senate:
Take a minute to think about this. If Coburn was happy about the defeat, and knew it would be defeated, why did he do it? To get people on the record. Many Senators (from both sides) talk a good game about being 'for the children' and being against earmarks, but when it comes down to an actual vote between the two, actions speak louder than words.
The Senate has spoken.
There's my two cents.
The United States Senate yesterday was confronted with a stark choice: health care for children, or pet projects for lawmakers' home states.The full vote record is here.
The final tally?
Pet Projects 68, Kids 26.
In truth, the children never had a chance. "I predicted 24," the measure's sponsor, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said cheerfully after his defeat.
It was, Coburn's many opponents grumbled, a political stunt. But, as stunts go, this one was particularly revealing. The Oklahoma physician, a foe of the unhealthy cut of congressional pork known as "earmarks," proposed an amendment to a major health spending bill that said no lawmakers' pet projects would be funded until "all children in the U.S. under the age of 18 years are insured by a private or public health insurance plan."
Among the earmarks this jeopardized:
• $130,000 for the National First Ladies' Library in Ohio.
• $500,000 for a "Virtual Herbarium" in New York.
• $400,000 for the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa.
• $100,000 to celebrate Lake Champlain's quadricentennial.
• $500,000 for "field experiences" on the Chesapeake Bay.
• $50,000 for an ice center in Utah.
Take a minute to think about this. If Coburn was happy about the defeat, and knew it would be defeated, why did he do it? To get people on the record. Many Senators (from both sides) talk a good game about being 'for the children' and being against earmarks, but when it comes down to an actual vote between the two, actions speak louder than words.
The Senate has spoken.
There's my two cents.
Soros, Clinton, And Universal Health Care
The American Thinker posts a very revealing story about WellCare Health Plans of Tampa, a firm which has made scads of money administering government health care, and huge profits for George Soros, the principle shareholder.
The firm, which provided government-run health care plans for the elderly and poor, made a phenomenal amount of money, eventually attracting the attention of the FBI, which closed the place down recently.
I find this to be more than coincidence. Let's connect the dots:
- billionaire George Soros, the principle shareholder in a firm making lots of money from government-run health care plans
- Hillary Clinton, admitting she and Soros worked together to start Media Matters
- Media Matters, which viciously attacks anyone who questions the words of the almighty Hillary Clinton
- Hillary Clinton, who has been quite plain about implementing universal health care
Clearly, Soros has a lot to gain if Hillary becomes President and implements universal health care. He's already found a way to (illegally?) make loads of cash off of one firm; just think what would happen if the entire health care system were converted!
The Soros-Clinton connection is scary-bad for America. The situation we'd have is that a billionaire anti-American socialist buys his way into a proxy presidency. Clinton simply cannot be allowed to get back into the White House.
There's my two cents.
The firm, which provided government-run health care plans for the elderly and poor, made a phenomenal amount of money, eventually attracting the attention of the FBI, which closed the place down recently.
I find this to be more than coincidence. Let's connect the dots:
- billionaire George Soros, the principle shareholder in a firm making lots of money from government-run health care plans
- Hillary Clinton, admitting she and Soros worked together to start Media Matters
- Media Matters, which viciously attacks anyone who questions the words of the almighty Hillary Clinton
- Hillary Clinton, who has been quite plain about implementing universal health care
Clearly, Soros has a lot to gain if Hillary becomes President and implements universal health care. He's already found a way to (illegally?) make loads of cash off of one firm; just think what would happen if the entire health care system were converted!
The Soros-Clinton connection is scary-bad for America. The situation we'd have is that a billionaire anti-American socialist buys his way into a proxy presidency. Clinton simply cannot be allowed to get back into the White House.
There's my two cents.
Al Qaeda Cracking Under Pressure
Rick Moran posts an interesting article on American Thinker about the interplay between two parts of the Iraq insurgency. Excerpts (some from Counterterrorism Blog):
There's my two cents.
Al-Qaida's official online distribution network responsible for disseminating messages from Usama Bin Laden--known as the "Al-Fajr Media Center"--has issued a new statement strongly criticizing the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera satellite television network, which it has accused of "deceitfully manipulating" the latest audio recording from Bin Laden regarding the growing infighting within the Sunni insurgency in Iraq. According to the Al-Fajr Center, "Aljazeera editors in chief have counterfeited the facts by making the speech appear as exclusively targeting the brothers and sons inside Al-Qaeda organization. It looked as if it was an acknowledgment of their mistakes, a renunciation of their jihad and their loyalty to it." The letter went on to condemn the directors of Al-Jazeera for "shamefully choosing to back the crusaders’ side, and the defenders of hypocrites and the thugs and traitors of Iraq."
[W]e should be hearing shortly from the terrorist who heads up al-Qaeda in Iraq who is apparently miffed that the insurgents in Iraq - his former allies - have now turned against him and his group at the urging of the Americans and may soon make a statement taking them to task for it:
And that, of course, would be very good news for American forces in the area.Kohlmann said the next development could be critical. He said that Abu Omar al Baghdadi, the head of AQI’s political wing, the Islamic State of Iraq, is expected to speak in the next few days about the rift between al-Qaida and the insurgents.
"If he continues to be nasty, to call for violence, against the insurgents, this could lead to a real fracturing between the two," said Kohlmann.
There's my two cents.
Truth In Iraq
Right Truth posts a great series of facts on the situation in Iraq:
There's my two cents.
The truth about Iraq today is ... overall violence is down 75%.How 'bout them apples, Democrats?
The number of deaths for American, coalition forces, including Iraqi military etc. last week -- ZERO
Attacks in al-Anbar province over the past month -- ZERO
Violence in and around Iraq -- DOWN 59% in June
Number of car bombs -- DOWN 65%.
Number of casualties from road side bombs -- DOWN 80%
Number of casualties from enemy attacks -- DOWN 77%
American soldiers in Al-Anbar province sending emails home, telling families they are "bored", not enough to do. (Amazing)
In Ramadi and Al Anbar, sheiks are aligning with coalition forces against al-Qaeda,
This week Bin Laden called on sheiks to turn against coalition forces and align with al-Qaeda.
Sheik Ahmad Abu Risha called on Bin Laden to come forward and stop hiding in holes, "Let them come out and stand in front of us and we will fight them."
Sheik Ahmad Abu Risha is the brother of Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha , (who founded the Al Anbar Awakening and was then killed by al-Qaeda, is now being immortalized as a local and national hero in Iraq.)
There's my two cents.
U.S. Further Sanctions Iran
The Bush administration announced harsher sanctions against Iran, charging anew that Tehran supports terrorism in the Middle East, exports missiles and is engaging in a nuclear build up:
There's my two cents.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the steps the Bush administration is taking against the Revolutionary Guard Corps and a number of banks are designed, among other things, to punish Tehran for its support of terrorist organizations in Iraq and the Middle East.More escalation. It would be nice if Iran would apply some sanity to what they're doing, but I believe that's simply too much to ask. Ahmadinejad is a mad dictator who believes it is his calling to start WWIII by attacking Israel and the U.S. The real question is: when the rubber meets the road, who will have the guts to jump in and do the dirty work alongside American forces?
Rice said the moves were in response to "a comprehensive policy to confront the threatening behavior of the Iranians" although she also said that Washington remains open to "a diplomatic solution."
But Rice quickly added: "Unfortunately the Iranian government continues to spurn our offer of open negotiations, instead threatening peace and security by pursuing nuclear technologies that can lead to a nuclear weapon, building dangerous ballistic missiles, supporting Shia militants in Iraq and terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and denying the existence of a fellow member of the United Nations, threatening to wipe Israel off the map."
There's my two cents.
Shocker: Democrats Lower Taxes On Big Business...But Wait...
I could hardly believe it when I saw this headline:
But, don't worry, the world is not ending (it's not really a Democrat tax decrease). If you read into the story, it goes on to describe how this tax cut on the biggest businesses would be recovered: it would repeal a tax deduction for domestic manufacturers, and it would prevent companies from using an accounting method known as last-in, first-out, or LIFO, that can cut their taxes during times of rising prices.
And, here's the big kicker: upper-income families would pay for that repeal with a 4% surtax on incomes above $150,000 for a single earner or incomes above $200,000 for a married couple, and 4.6% for incomes above $500,000.
So, there's the latest Democrat tax plan:
- cut taxes for big business
- repeal tax deduction for domestic manufacturing (what do you think that'll do for outsourcing of manufacturing jobs?)
- eliminate LIFO, which helps companies stay profitable during rising prices
- slap the rich with a huge tax increase
Tax, tax, tax. It's the Democrat way. Just keep in mind that this plan will end up being a $1 trillion tax increase!!!
There's my two cents.
Rangel Tax Plan's Centerpiece Is 30.5% Top Corp RateThe next time you hear someone say that the Republican party is the party of big business, think about this article.
But, don't worry, the world is not ending (it's not really a Democrat tax decrease). If you read into the story, it goes on to describe how this tax cut on the biggest businesses would be recovered: it would repeal a tax deduction for domestic manufacturers, and it would prevent companies from using an accounting method known as last-in, first-out, or LIFO, that can cut their taxes during times of rising prices.
And, here's the big kicker: upper-income families would pay for that repeal with a 4% surtax on incomes above $150,000 for a single earner or incomes above $200,000 for a married couple, and 4.6% for incomes above $500,000.
So, there's the latest Democrat tax plan:
- cut taxes for big business
- repeal tax deduction for domestic manufacturing (what do you think that'll do for outsourcing of manufacturing jobs?)
- eliminate LIFO, which helps companies stay profitable during rising prices
- slap the rich with a huge tax increase
Tax, tax, tax. It's the Democrat way. Just keep in mind that this plan will end up being a $1 trillion tax increase!!!
There's my two cents.
New Direction? No Thanks.
That's what America is saying to Hollywood's assault on the War on Terror and the American military. The first of a series of current and upcoming anti-war (anti-American) films have been complete flops. One example is that “Rendition,” which features three Oscar winners in key roles, grossed $4.1 million over the weekend in 2,250 screens for a ninth-place finish. A re-release of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” beat it, and it’s 14 years old.
Conservative Thoughts draws the following conclusion:
There's my two cents.
Conservative Thoughts draws the following conclusion:
Nancy Pelosi would have us believe that Americans had stated they wanted a ‘new direction’ when they voted in that current crop of leftists. As we suspected, most Americans are not in favor of trashing their military, their country and cowardice. She read them wrong obviously, they probably wanted a ‘New Direction’, one away from failure, but not a direction towards cowardice and defeat. Have a lemon leftists and good on you America.I agree: way to go, America! When will the Democrats realize that Americans simply detest the thought of losing? We are not losers, we don't want to look like losers, and we don't want the rest of the world thinking we're losers! I guess it's just hard for the Democrats to break away from that loser way of thinking. After all, the only thing they've done since they regained power in Congress last year is...lose.
There's my two cents.
Missouri Crackdown On Illegal Immigration
Here's an example of a state taking correct and decisive action on illegal immigration. Gov. Matt Blunt recently signed an order that highway patrolmen would be allowed to enforce immigration law, and in the first six weeks of the program, 52 arrests have been made, mostly from routine traffic stops.
This article is great, so I'm going to step through a lot of it for you.
There's my two cents.
This article is great, so I'm going to step through a lot of it for you.
While many have hailed Gov. Matt Blunt's get-tough policy, critics say the Missouri Highway Patrol's even more aggressive strategy of checking residency during traffic stops could result in racial profiling.Good, that would help a lot.
"If you're being told from on high that we're going to stop illegal immigration, law enforcement is going to look twice at someone who looks Hispanic," said Jorge Riopedre, secretary of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis.No, that would be illegal. They're looking at anyone -- who has been stopped by the Highway Patrol, for whatever reason -- who can't provide legal documentation of their identity.
In launching the stepped-up enforcement on Aug. 27, Blunt pointed to an illegal immigrant from Peru who has been accused of committing a triple murder in New Jersey while free on bail on a rape charge. Blunt said an earlier immigration check could have prevented those murders.Exactly. There are tragically a multitude of examples just like that.
Tony Rothert, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, said the Highway Patrol doesn't seem to have a "coherent policy" for deciding whom to arrest.No one is 'taken in' for not using a turn signal. They're pulled over for that (just like non-Hispanics would be), and then taken in when they can't prove their legal identity.
"I've never heard of anyone who is not Hispanic being taken in for failing to use the turn signal," he said.
The Post-Dispatch filed a public records request to obtain information about those detained since Aug. 27. The results showed that relatively few were charged with crimes other than immigration violations.So what? Just being here illegally is a crime! Are only certain crimes supposed to be enforced?
Blunt's anti-illegal immigration stance has angered Hispanic leaders across the state, but he continues to defend the move. He even took another step on Wednesday, sending a letter to county prosecutors saying he supports efforts to enforce a state law against illegal immigration.Excellent! Dry up the jobs, and a big magnet goes away.
The law says employers found employing illegal immigrants can be ruled ineligible for state tax credits, tax abatements or loans.
Tracking the arrests of illegal immigrants the last several weeks is complicated by the secrecy that surrounds immigration enforcement. The patrol usually leaves detainees at a county jail that doubles as a federal holding center.Gee, how nice of us. Do we actually escort them to the border, or do we just trust them to leave?
The detainees at times are not held long. Those who are from Mexico and have no criminal records often are given the option of a quick "voluntary return" with no charges, said Carl Rusnok, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Immigration has become a hot political topic in many states, with Republicans and Democrats aligning behind initiatives such as penalties for hiring undocumented workers.I would hope so - it's still enforcing American law!
Some have pushed for agreements that allow state officers to make immigration arrests and handle deportation paperwork, under federal supervision. Blunt has applied to be the seventh state with such authority, joining Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia and Massachusetts.
If Blunt's request is granted, the state will send 25 officers to five weeks of training, probably in Georgia.
Even without such authority, supporters say, Missouri is on solid legal ground in policing residency.
A 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision gave law enforcement broad authority to check immigration status, said Kris W. Kobach, who teaches law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.I applaud Blunt's action, and the Missouri Highway Patrol's response. If more states follow suit on these policies, we could make a serious dent in the illegal immigration.
"This is basic information, like asking a person his name," said Kobach, who served as chief adviser on immigration to former Attorney General John Ashcroft. "As long as it's uniform policy that applies in all situations — like a person being arrested or all people being stopped for a traffic violation — then the possibility of any kind of profiling is very low."
There's my two cents.
Illegal Aliens Steal Relief Supplies
The San Diego Tribune reports that six illegal aliens were caught stealing wildfire relief supplies from Qualcomm Stadium yesterday. Classy.
As Michelle Malkin says, they were just looting the emergency aid no one else will loot.
I guess they were carrying a grudge for not being given amnesty earlier in the day.
There's my two cents.
As Michelle Malkin says, they were just looting the emergency aid no one else will loot.
I guess they were carrying a grudge for not being given amnesty earlier in the day.
There's my two cents.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Iran Is The 'Single Greatest Risk' To American Security
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday:
Keep your eyes and ears open on this. I'm not sure where it's going, but I suspect it will affect us somehow.
There's my two cents.
"We are very concerned that the policies of Iran constitute perhaps the single greatest challenge to American security interests in the Middle East and around the world."Rice noted that along with talks steered by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Washington and its EU partners were working on tougher UN sanctions against Iran given its refusal to renounce uranium enrichment. But, if talks failed, she said, Bush was determined to pursue "Iranian actors that are harming our troops (in Iraq) and innocent Iraqis."
Keep your eyes and ears open on this. I'm not sure where it's going, but I suspect it will affect us somehow.
There's my two cents.
Syrian Nuclear Treachery
Two more stories with additional information about the Israeli raid on a suspected Syrian nuclear facility last month.
First, if you're interested, Hot Air posts some pics from Google Maps with the possible location of the facility in question. It's amazing what the Internet provides, isn't it?
More importantly, I just came across a story in the London Times from a few weeks ago. Apparently, in the time before Israel attacked Syria's facility, the United States wanted more proof before supporting them. Israel provided it, in the form of actual nuclear material from the facility. In addition, it seems conclusive that the material and knowledge for this facility was coming from North Korea, which would be a violation of the treaty they signed with us.
Keep an eye on this situation, too. The light is creeping into the dark corners of these terrorist-supporting, nuclear-seeking states, and they're not going to fade away without a fight.
There's my two cents.
First, if you're interested, Hot Air posts some pics from Google Maps with the possible location of the facility in question. It's amazing what the Internet provides, isn't it?
More importantly, I just came across a story in the London Times from a few weeks ago. Apparently, in the time before Israel attacked Syria's facility, the United States wanted more proof before supporting them. Israel provided it, in the form of actual nuclear material from the facility. In addition, it seems conclusive that the material and knowledge for this facility was coming from North Korea, which would be a violation of the treaty they signed with us.
Keep an eye on this situation, too. The light is creeping into the dark corners of these terrorist-supporting, nuclear-seeking states, and they're not going to fade away without a fight.
There's my two cents.
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