Vox

So Much For Speaking Truth To Power

Government Efficiency

Spent 25 minutes in line at the Post Office this morning, a line that wrapped around the lobby and out the door. The experience is made even more unpleasant by the fact that some genius in their logistics department decided that customers would no longer be able to take a number and sit down to wait, but would instead be forced to stand in the queue - including the woman several spots up from me who was leaning on her walker.

There were two cashiers working and one of them was "helping" the same customer for nearly 15 minutes. At one point a woman who looked like a supervisor (no uniform, keys hanging around her neck) came out and stood behind the counters, just sort of staring at us - then she disappeared again.

Finally, another clerk came from the back and signed in to his terminal - at which point one of the other clerks went on her break, and the other disappeared to the back muttering something about printer ribbon.

There was no way to avoid the obvious comparison so I said, "Just think, these people could be running your health care system"

Only one of the folks suffering in line with me didn't laugh out loud.

Hypocritical Outrage of the Left

Thomas Friedman works himself into a lather over the opposition to Obama - suggesting that all this free-speech business is just bound to embolden some crackpot into taking a shot at the President*.

Bruce Thornton takes him to task for not only the ridiculousness of the claim,

The problem isn’t the rudeness or vulgarity or even violence of political speech, all of which are typical of democracies with freedom of speech. It’s the rank hypocrisy of liberals like Friedman who attempt to silence speech they don’t like by invoking scary scenarios of assassination. And let’s not forget the racial dimension of this newfound liberal sensitivity. From the beginning of Obama’s campaign, his supporters have attempted to short-circuit robust criticism by raising the specter of assassination by frothing racist, a trick akin to Jimmy Carter’s recent charge that criticism of Obama reflects inveterate American racism.

The truth is, political speech in democracies has been notoriously vicious going all the way back to ancient Rome and Athens, where orators and comic poets alike charged their political enemies with everything from homosexual prostitution and incest, to plundering the treasury and selling out their country to the enemy.

Little that we’ve heard so far from Obama’s conservative critics comes close to the vicious slanders and rhetorical violence aimed at George Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, and the Republican Party for eight years, the aim of which was precisely the “delegitimation” that’s now got Friedman in a fit.

I often tire of the argument, presented almost daily, of "I know you are but what am I". Over and over we say, "Can you imagine if Bush/Cheney/Palin..... had done that? Why the media would be up in arms" In situations like this we say, "You guys were fine when it was our guy being lambasted & targeted. Why is free speech suddenly a problem for you now?"

The things is, though - it is true. It is irritatingly, gratingly true. The myriad gaffes and blunders made by Barack Obama would have filled op-ed pages and late-night monologues for weeks at a time had George Bush made them. The outfits worn by Michelle Obama would have been grist for every fashion magazine & talking-head had Laura Bush worn them. The ridiculous & potentially dangerous slips made by Joe Biden would merit full on frothing at the mouth outrage had they come from Dick Cheney.

Can you even imagine how the NY Times would have gone after a Bush administration so filled with corruption and graft and incompetence as Obama's has been in the early days? Every time he tries to fill a cabinet post or appoint a czar we get another glimpse into the sliding scale of ethics that exists on the American Left. (Come on, we've got a guy in charge of at Treasury who couldn't even pay his taxes, an "error" he blames on his inability to figure out TurboTax)

Still, as much as the hypocrisy burns like a Texas bonfire, making it nearly impossible to ignore, I wish we could continue to focus on the points being made by the demonstrators. Rather than complain about how they wouldn't be ignored/dismissed/derided/delegitimized if they were on the left, we need to just continue to help spread their message - loudly. Blog it. Tweet it. ReTweet it.

The folks who don't see the hypocrisy probably never will, no matter how much we point it out. They may, however, get the message that bigger government is not a positive direction for our country.

The folks who recognize the hypocrisy don't need to be reminded, they already know. They do, however, need to see they are not alone, they need to know that what they feel a part of is genuine. They need to see the right messages and principals being represented and repeated across the country - even if it never gets covered on CNN.

I like Thorton's article because he makes it clear how ubiquitous political speech is now and has always been.

* log in required at NYTimes.com

(I like Nordlinger's column *because he makes very clear concrete examples - and in effect, his protest is the hypocrisy itself.)

Stupid Is as Stupid Does

Stolen (blatantly, from here)

If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing
videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly
narcissistic and tacky?

If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you
have approved?

If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the
non-existent “Austrian language,” would you have brushed it off as a
minor slip?

If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with
people who cannot seem to keep current on their income taxes, would
you have approved?

If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to “Cinco
de Cuatro” in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the fourth
of May (Cuatro de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again,
would you have winced in embarrassment?

If George W. Bush had mis-spelled the word advice would you have
hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoe as “proof”
of what a dunce he is?

If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a
single tree on “Earth Day”, would you have concluded he’s a hypocrite?

If George W. Bush’s administration had okayed Air Force One flying low
over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown
Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether
they actually “get” what happened on 9-11?

If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter
installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have
laughed and said this is more proof of how he inept he is on his own
and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?

If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims
throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than
in New Orleans , would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?

If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major
corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so,
would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had
taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you
have approved?

If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10
years, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan’s holdings of GM
stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you
have approved?

If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take
Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?

So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant
and impressive? Can’t think of anything? Don’t worry. He’s done all
this in 6 months — so you’ll have three years and six months to
come up with an answer.. No-common-sense, naive, incompetent,
uninformed and media-brainwashed voters did this to themselves.
Insanity is widespread. Americans are waking up.

Things Are Sooo Bad....

....How Bad Are they?

I really got sick of hearing about it, so I finally decided to investigate for myself - just how bad is this economy, how horrible is the employment situation.

I got myself a Sunday paper last week (the 21st) and perused the jobs section. Much smaller than I've seen before, but there were still jobs to be had for those with and without experience. I chose one that required no special training or skills, but would suit my experience...even though that experience is decades old. I dusted off the old resume, updated only the to add new contact info and more recent jobs, left my pertinent experience in the past (in other words, didn't goose it to be more current). Emailed one copy, snail mailed another. Made a phone call three days later.

That led to my first interview, which led to my second interview (today), which led to a job offer. One ad, one resume, one offer - granted, it isn't a great job and pays only slightly more than $50,000 (for a lot of work). However, it just shows there are jobs out there. I feel badly that I will need to tell her tomorrow that I am "going with another offer"; wasting their time when I knew there was no way I would take the job was wrong. If the general consensus is correct, though, she should have plenty of other applicants to choose from.

Concerts are still selling out, even though the tickets cost big bucks. Movie theaters are busy and you still have to wait in line at the concession stand. You still have to wait 40 minutes for a table at Oregano's. I know there are individuals who are hurting, but I think society as a whole is far better off than the MSM has been saying the last 15 months.

If the press and the White House would quit telling us we are miserable and all but doomed, if Congress and the POTUS would quit trying to "fix" things (even the few that are broken), we would recover quite nicely.

UPDATE: Apparently it is worse than I thought.

When I informed her on Thursday that I was going with a different offer, she tried to get me to reconsider. I told her I was sure that she had many other applicants to choose from, and she said they get an avalanche of 'resumes' for every position, but that they are lucky if more than 10% are even worthy of a second look, let alone a call back. Of those, it seems that around 50% inspire an in person interview - and she says she is lucky if she gets 5 actual potential employees to send for a second interview. As she put it, "These people don't care about how they come across on their resumes, they don't care enough to use spell check, they don't care enough to show up on time, they don't care enough to iron their shirt...and that is while they are trying to GET the job. What sort of effort would we get from them once they were on the payroll?"

I can see her point, I process applications and tax info forms every week. They are unbelievably, ridiculously screwed up. I assumed that was because I am dealing with unskilled laborers, her lament makes it seem universal. Is it a failure of the education system? Is there somewhere job seekers can go to learn basic application & interview skills? I bet that you could find volunteers to run resume & interview classes...and perhaps grooming ones, as well.

On Letterman's Lack of Humor

This is going to be stream of consciousness, because if I wait to know precisely what I want to say, I'll never get this post up.

David Letterman is a jerk. He has been for a very long time.

I remember when he began Late Night, it took me a while to get used to him (I was a Tom Snyder fan) but I eventually found him funny - and even endearing. Over the years, however, he started to get...mean. His monologue became almost cruel and his interviews were often snippy. I no longer found much reason to watch, but would if the guest or musical act were interesting.

I had always enjoyed Leno as a guest host on The Tonight Show, not least because he seemed to be a real fan and conducted interviews that gave the guests a chance to shine. When he took over The Tonight Show, and he was just starting to go head-to-head with Letterman, he changed his style a bit. For a while it seemed Leno was attempting to be Letterman-lite; he told mean jokes, he was a bit of a bully during interviews. Thankfully, he reverted to his old style and The Tonight Show became enjoyable again. (It has been less so lately, but that is another topic)

I haven't watched Letterman in years - why would I? The few times I've happened upon CBS late night while channel surfing my opinion of the show was reinforced - just not funny. I felt the same way about Conan, though I could understand his appeal to a niche audience. I had very low expectations for Conan in Leno's slot and, in the few shows I've watched, I appear to have been right. Perhaps he will find his footing in that time slot, we'll see.

During Conan's first week, I happened to be up and, not being impressed with Conan, thought I'd give Dave another try. Bad idea - as in couldn't even get through the monologue bad. Just. Not. Funny - and his jokes were severely dated. I turned away.

Now he is in hot water for his tasteless attacks on Sarah Palin - and, more specifically, his attack on her daughter. He certainly should be, within reason.

1. They were tasteless, they were crude, they were over the line, they were sexist - all those things. And, they were unfunny.

2. Greg Gutfeld was right; it is pathetic that with an entire inept administration to choose from for his jokes, Letterman is still so obsessed with Sarah Palin. It is also pathetic that he couldn't come up with something funny.

3. It is conceivable, and even likely, that his staff was too stupid, too lazy, or too disinterested to check which daughter was with Palin in NY. Had it been Bristol, the jokes would have been stupid, the fact that it was Willow puts the jokes in beyond-the-pale territory. And don't forget that Letterman also targeted Palin herself.

4. He would never have made those jokes about a female, left-leaning politician, let alone her children. You can imagine the outrage had Rush said something about the Obama girls, or if Treacher's Ashley Biden joke was not merely in illustration of the double standard. There was hell to pay when Chelsea Clinton was maligned during her father's campaigns/terms - and even much gnashing of teeth when it was suggested that as a grown woman she was being "pimped out" during her mother's failed Presidential run.

That said.........we do ourselves no favors by becoming "hysterical" over these things the way the left does. I know that in most cases it is an attempt to give as good as we got, but I don't think that is always the best strategy in a PR battle. Think about how idiotic lefties appear when they bluster and foam at the mouth over every perceived slight, is that what you want for yourself? These were obviously comments that needed to be addressed, but not hammered over and over. Letterman needn't be fired, though an actual, sincere apology would have been nice.

A-Rod having sex with Willow Palin would quite obviously be statutory rape (though pushing Letterman's idiocy into giggles at statutory rape is a stretch), besides being disturbing on other levels. But statutory rape is quite a different animal from RAPE. To continue referring to Letterman's comments as advocating the rape of a child trivializes the word, much the same way as moonbats calling Bush "Hitler" and Republicans "Nazis" trivialized the evil that was done by the Third Reich. It also has undoubtedly caused the child in question, whether Willow or Bristol, more harm than anything he said in the first place. We need to stand up for our principles, we need to defend smart, conservative women who are brave enough to step into the political arena, and we need to ensure everyone understands the limits of humor stop long before the family gets attacked. We also need to keep our heads and not risk becoming like the loonies on the left. We are bigger than that, we are smarter than that - and we need to stay true to who we are.

We also don't need to give a jackass like David Letterman any more attention than he deserves. He can't win on the humor front but he always has controversy. Since his Palin digs, and for the first time in a very, very long time, David Letterman won the ratings battle in his time slot.

It would behoove clear thinking lovers of humor to allow Letterman to fade into the obscurity he has been toying with for decades.

UPDATE: Found this quote

"If the right goes after Letterman, they make him look big and themselves small," says Mark McKinnon, a former campaign adviser to George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "It's win-win for Letterman."

UPDATE: Regarding giving Letterman more attention than he deserves.

UPDATE: Here is Greg Gutfeld's take.

We Hold These Truths

I have only had time to glean bits & pieces of the Sotomayor story. My first reaction was relative indifference; we knew Obama would nominate a liberal judge, so I didn't expect to be happy with his choice. Seemed like a relatively innocuous choice with a compelling back story. As more has come out, I have felt growing unease. I received this in an email from my brother (usually referenced here as The Coolest Human On The Planet) He said that, though he hadn't taken the time to write a polished article, I could share it here. Interested in your thought.

I finally figured out what bothers me about Sotomayor's speech.

It has been nagging at the back of my attention for a couple of days, but I finally figured it out.

In her speech, she said "I firmly believe in the rule of law as the foundation for all of our basic rights." No matter where you are on the political spectrum, this is an alarming statement. It is exactly the reverse of the way we have understood rights, and that has been a part of the American story from the beginning.

Jefferson wrote "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". In other words, the rights are inherent in our humanity, and role of the law is to secure those rights. They are not founded on the good will of kings, governors, legislators or judges. On that understanding, Americans have lobbied to change laws and challenge foreign powers. On that basis, we ended slavery and extended voting rights.

If our rights are founded on the rule of law, they are historically and geographically contingent, and or freedom is not secure.

I do not know anything else about the nominee, but her speech is a reason for great concern.

A Long Distance Dedication

In honor of our new President, who, the media is trying very hard to convince us, is "Hip", a little Mel Torme

(I agree with Tammy Bruce, though, he is much more early Urkel than the press would care to admit)

Right click --> save as. It'll be gone soon.

Photoshop This

I found this shot in New York Magazine and it just screams "Photoshop potential" to me. I am not sure whether he looks bored or overwhelmed.

Just for reference, the original caption:
"President Obama at a Roosevelt Room budget meeting in January"

Perhaps this was the moment he realized he was in way over his head....
Or, that he might actually have to keep this job, rather than running for something else (I don't think they have elections for Emperor of the world)

Caption it, embellish it, mash it up - whatever. Here is a larger version for you to work with. Leave us a link in the comments - comments will support standard html if you want to post small versions. ExLg, I'm counting on you

Seems Only Fair

I love having such quick & easy access to the Wall Street Journal, especially at the Kindle price (much more affordable than the dead tree version) One of the best parts is the letters to the editor; whether our locals are not as articulate, or our paper just chooses not to print the good letters, we see nothing of this quality (in humor, in depth) in the AZ Repugnant. This one is even written by an Arizonan:

Time to Cap Pay of Subsidized Actors

I'm outraged after reading about actors making millions of dollars for movies that lose money ("Hollywood Squeezes Stars' Pay in Slump," page one, April 2), and this, after the studios receive taxpayer subsidies from film locations in the form of tax waivers, among other things. They're allowed to walk away with millions from a failed movie. Where was the oversight?

I hope Congress reacts with another 90% tax on anything actors make over $250,000. That would only be fair.

Cecily Buell
Flagstaff, Ariz.

It would only be fair, after all. Most of the celebs seem to be in favor of increased taxes, anyway...though it seems they would prefer not to pay them themselves (much like Obama's intended appointees)

Texans Get It

From my Kindle edition of today's Houston Chronicle, this letter to the editor:

GM is coming up with an offer to make the payments for people that finance the purchase of a car but suffer a job loss. Let me see if I understand the scenario. A consumer who runs out of money is backed up by a company that has run out of money that is backed up by a government that has run out of money. Is there any real money in this chain? Oh yes, yours, mine, our children's, our grandchildren's, our great-grandchildren's...etc.

Tim Brown, Katy

Was Carter Allergic To Medal

The first book I purchased for my Kindle is "The Reagan Diaries"

Though I have been busy filling the thing up with all those free books, I have managed to read a bit of it. Fascinating to see what was going on behind the scenes during that era, I definitely recommend it if you have any interest in politics or history. I am giving that highlight function a workout.

I was disappointed by these two entries, and wonder if I will find more like them as I go.

Did however give a medal to Ethel Kennedy honoring Robt. K. It was voted on by Cong. in 1978 and the former Pres. never presented it.

---

Gave bravery & service awards to 9 young Americans. They had performed the deeds in 75 & 78 but J.C. wouldn't give out the medals. The law says only the Pres. can do that.

Here Ya' Go

Saw that someone was searching for "Bob Hope" and "Democrats" - I think I know what you are looking for. Here it is, reposted from Oct '08 (and, apparently, some time prior to that, as well)

My brother (TCHOTP) just reminded me of this clip.

I thought I had posted it before, but can't find it in my archives, so I am posting it now. Enjoy.

Blame The Navy

On the radio this morning I heard that Warren Buffett claimed that, "separating out who to help with their mortgage based on their fitness to have taken out the loan in the first place is like the Army saying they wouldn't be joining in WWII because Pearl Harbor was the Navy's fault" (or something to that effect)

Which is a great analogy . . . if you believe that the US Navy was trolling the ocean mooning the Japanese fleet.

The Roadways Could Get Very Noisy

From the Tennessee Republican Party cones this gem. Go get yourself a few and help them raise funds.

I may have gone the other way, "Honk if I'm paying your mortgage" but ... funny either way.

If That's Your Idea Of A Republican

From New York Magazine

In an article about Bill Kristol leaving the Times, they discuss who is currently at the Times, and who they might consider hiring - I found this quote:

David Brooks is the sort of Republican whose column a self-respecting liberal can read without wanting to hurl things in the aftermath—an Obama enthusiast, a Palin critic, a careful questioner of GOP shibboleths. He’s a vocal supporter of gay marriage and abortion rights.

Around these parts, we call that a Democrat.

That Million Dollar Smile

After the fawning and autograph seeking, this song just seemed appropriate somehow...

"Although I dropped a hundred thousand in the market, Baby, but I found a million dollars in your smiiiiile"

Appearing in Mesa

Looks like the Exurbs are getting ready for the impending visit from The One.

If you ask nicely, you may be able to get one of their signs for your yard

See them all

How great would it be if the press route was lined with those signs & lemonade stands saying, "Getting a head start on paying for your bailout"

Have A Coke & A Smile

From New York Magazine:

The New Ad Campaign: Why Pepsi Loves the President

Last fall, Pepsi announced that its namesake brand would no longer be handled in the U.S. by BBDO Worldwide, its ad agency for nearly 50 years. The company would be going to the firm TBWA/Chiat/Day for a radical overhaul. How does one go about rethinking a household brand that’s gone virtually unchanged for half a century? Obama power. Looking to appeal to the newest coveted consumer segment, the Millennials, the company started the Pepsi Optimism Project (POP), a survey of Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1990, regarding their views on optimism. Not surprisingly given the name of the project, Pepsi reports that these consumers feel a strong sense of optimism about their careers and the future of the country. Enter Barack “Hope” Obama. After an initial wave of New Year’s ads, Pepsi is hitching its big branding push to Inauguration Day. Even the new, streamlined logo bears a strong resemblance to the Obama campaign’s sunrise symbol.

Long time readers know I have always been a Coca Cola girl. I'm just sayin'

Telegraphing Their Hits

In New York Magazine I find this quote from Jason Furman, Obama's chief economic policy adviser during the campaign & transition. (BTW: NY Mag dubs him "The New Brainiac")

He spends his days in the transition office, hammering out the details of Obama's massive stimulus plan."It's infrastructure. It's health care. It's energy. It's food stamps. It's everything.," he says wearily. And what if the $800 billion injection doesn't work? "Please don't worry," says Furman, cheerful as ever. "I don't want you to worry. The reality is, we can always come back a year later and do more"

Really, $300 million to fund STD research may result in a stimulus, but it certainly won't be economic.

UPDATE: Remember that Robert Reich said of the stimulus bill, "we need to make sure we are doing the most social good. We don't want jobs going to people who are already highly skilled. We don't want the jobs going to white male construction workers." So, apparently, if there are any jobs to be found, you are out of luck. . . unless you are non-skilled, non-white & somehow represent a "social good".

She'll Be Back...?

Iowahawk Saves The World

...One misunderstood dictator at a time. Who knew they were simply forerunners of the current "green" craze?

4. Crush a Third World Economic Development Movement. One of the most pressing threats facing our environment is rising income in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A generation ago these proud little dark people were happily frolicking in the rain forest, foraging for organic foods amid the wonders of nature. Today, corrupted by wealth, they are demanding environmentally hazardous consumer goods like cars and air conditioning and malaria medicine. You can do your part to stop this dangerous consumerism trend by supporting environmentally progressive leaders like Hugo Chavez and Robert Mugabe, and their programs for sustainable low-impact ecolabor camps.

Sadly, only #9 comes close to addressing a real threat to our way of life - more Tom Cruise movies.

Change? You Can't Handle The Change

Jon Stewart has found a way to keep himself busily employed, despite the current era of hopey-changeness - and it's good to see someone who isn't afraid to give a ribbing to The One.

See for yourself - Changefest '09

(Hat Tip, TCHOTP)

"Snakes on a Train" *

Barack Obama and the HopeyChange Express

The decision by Senator Obama to travel to his inauguration on a train has been popping up intermittently in the news. The trip, beginning on January 17th in Philadelphia, will include stops in Wilmington, DE and Baltimore, MD before finally arriving in D.C.

To resurrect an old phrase - symbolism over substance. Obama seems to see himself as the reincarnation of several of our most beloved presidents (in this case Lincoln) and is trying to re-institute some of the policies of our most prosperity averse leaders.

However, my complaint has more to do with logistics. Specifically the miles and miles of track that will have to be secured by the Secret Service.

I was fortunate enough, during my ex's time at Dover AFB, to take a Secret Service tour at Andrews. Among the amazing equipment, and the absolutely stellar men and women in the SS, were great stories. Some scary, some funny - some ridiculous. Among the ridiculous were a lot about Jimmy Carter (no surprise there).

Tell me if this reminds you of anything:

Carter, wanting to be seen as a man of the people, and thinking the helicopter might be perceived as pretentious, insisted on traveling from Andrews to the White House via motorcade. Securing the route and the vehicles for the trip was more costly, in time and money, than simply hopping in Marine One for the short flight. The road closures required made life miserable for locals along the way - and the local law enforcement, as well.

In trying to be seen as a 'regular guy', Carter made life more difficult for a lot of regular guys..and cost the regular guy taxpayers more of their hard earned money.

So much of what Obama does reminds me of Carter. Perhaps one positive thing to remember is that the Carter years laid the groundwork for Reagan.

We could use another Reagan.

* Title stolen from DanDraney, 'cause it was much better than mine.

Pick Your Battles

First silly battle - Caroline Kennedy

The big problem in New York is that Paterson may appoint Caroline Kennedy to Hillary Clinton's soon to be vacated seat. Obviously this is supposed to bother me, because the interwebs are overflowing with shock & indignation.

The problem is, I can't get too upset by the idea. It isn't as if there is a chance he'll appoint a Republican, let alone a conservative one. Am I supposed to be upset about her 'lack of experience'? It seems she has all the experience one needs for the position, which was originally intended for citizen legislators. I would prefer that representatives have some sort of work or business experience, but it is hardly necessary - or even indicative of success. She has a fine education, she has passion for her causes, she has had some success with her projects... Other than the fact that I completely disagree with her on almost everything, I can think of no reason why she shouldn't be considered. I actually prefer a candidate who hasn't spent their entire life plotting their political ascension, even though this one comes from a political family. She'll have to run again soon enough.

Really, of all the things the GOP could fret about - why choose an appointment that may not even happen, for a seat that has little to no chance of ever going to us? The only bit of irritation I can muster on this one is due to the hypocrisy considering the treatment Palin received - but Kennedy has been getting some of that, too, from her own side.

Next silly battle - NickRick Warren

This is a twofer, it seems to piss off the left and right equally. Why would Obama ask him to do the invocation? Perhaps because he is popular, perhaps because he is 'homey', perhaps because Obama no longer has a pastor of his own. No matter, the next President of the United States of America has asked him to pray at the inauguration - would you really expect him to say "No"?

Obviously, Warren will disagree with some of Obama's stances (as I am sure he would with McCain) but that doesn't prevent him from accepting, graciously, the invitation. I hope that Warren sees the office as worthy of respect, despite the Clinton years, and that he realizes the inauguration is for the entire nation. Why should I be upset that a man of God agreed to pray for the nation I love, and the new president. He needs to be prayed for.

Why should those on the right be bothered by this pick? How would it have served our cause for him to decline the invite?

I can see the upset by those on the left - Warren is anti-gay marriage, etc. But odds are, if you choose any pastor to speak, he is going to hold fairly standard views on those subjects. I can't imagine him stepping up to the mic and condemning those darn homosexuals to eternal damnation. Roll with it. Be like your beloved Obama and consider it a chance at 'unity'

How about those of us on the right try to focus on things that matter, things we can change, and things that will help the nation. Reducing the size of government. Encouraging a culture of life. Allowing personal success - and personal responsibility.

What we mustn't do is turn into spoon bangers like the loonies on the left.

UPDATE: Seriously people, when I have that big of a typo, would it kill ya' to let me know?

Commies Are Fashionable

What is the fascination with Killer Chic?

From Reason.TV

For The Birds

New York City offers a preview of the sort of public monuments we can expect to pay for now that the Executive and Legislative branches have fallen to left-wing extremists. In Central Park, at 5th Avenue and 60th Street, stands a statue of Che Guevara, the communist executioner who planned terrorist attacks against the citizens of New York.

For instance, did you know that Che Guevera was a terrorist who plotted the murder of tens of thousands of innocents? Well, maybe that doesn’t matter so much given that Bill Ayers was given a pass for plotting the same sort of things. But Guevera was also known to rail against rock ‘n roll, “long hairs” and homosexuals in his speeches. He was a racist who mocked black Cubans and segregated them in his revolutionary movement. And he was a book burner who personally hosted bonfires fed by the libraries of intellectuals.

(Hat Tip Bodhi1, AKA All American Blogger)

Thanks For The Memories

A nice appreciation of President Bush, and the man he is, as he prepares to leave the White House.

It would have been easy for me to dismiss Ms. Perino as a bright and likable but ultimately Kool-Aid-stricken peddler of talking points, were it not for two things. First, my interviews with current and former Bush staffers constantly veered off into similar testimonials. Their belief in Mr. Bush transcended ideology: as much as anything else, they just loved the guy. They loved how he treated the elevator man with the same courtesy as a foreign leader; how he often picked up the phone to congratulate the bride of a junior staffer; how he never pointed fingers, harbored grudges, snubbed, publicly belittled or boasted. Above all, they loved how they never had to worry which George W. Bush would show up to the Oval Office. It was fitting that he worked at a desk carved from a British warship, the H.M.S. Resolute — clarity of purpose being the admirable flip side to his at times infuriating certitude.

(Hat Tip Right Wing Sparkle)

Meet The New New Deal

A lot like the OLD New Deal

"I Feel Safer Already"

CNN is quoting anonymous sources that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is President-elect Barack Obama's top choice for Secretary of Homeland Security.

She can't (or won't) handle the small stretch of border in her own state, and she is somehow going to figure out protecting the entire country?

* Headline courtesy of D, who said that when I told him the news.

We're The Top

Ouch

Women's Rights Around The World

A Muslim Uyghur woman who is more than six months pregnant remains under guard in a hospital in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region awaiting a forced abortion by population control authorities who don’t want her to have a third child.

Arzigul Tursun fled from her village and went into hiding to avoid the abortion but was subsequently found and taken to the Municipal Watergate Hospital in Yining.

Once again I ask, why is Sarah Palin's uterus a threat to women's rights? Where is the outrage to protect this woman who would like to make a CHOICE about her pregnancy?!?

More Tantrum Throwing

The Sundance Film Festival is known to be extremely supportive of gay & lesbian artists and projects.

Robert Redford's charity depends on the Sundance Film Festival as their main source of fund-raising.

However, because California passed Prop 8, and someone decided that Mormons are the only reason for that passage, and Utah is known to be a Mormon heavy state.....there are calls for boycotting the festival this year.

Punish an organization that has been consistently on their side.
Punish the organizations that depend on Sundance's charity dollars.
Punish independent film-makers.

Because the voters of your state voted against your agenda.

How about this - we eliminate all the votes that were cast FOR Obama and FOR Prop 8. That would turn California into a red state.

Which is it? Either the voters of CA used their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote as they see fit - or they were tricked into voting incorrectly. I am reasonably certain that if the Mormon church were able to exercise some sort of wide-spread mind control, they would have also programmed more of the citizenry to vote against Obama. Heck, we would probably be talking about President-elect Romney right now.

Get over it. You lost. You can try again later, but I guarantee you are NOT winning the battle for hearts and minds with the behavior we have been witnessing since Nov 5th.

BTW: Just as an aside, why is Obama winning 52% to 48% touted as a "landslide", but Prop 8 is said to have "passed by the narrowest of margins"...52% to 48%?

UPDATE: Monkeys have noticed it, too.

Just Because

For some reason the lyrics of this one seem more haunting than usual . . .

Self Confessed

The most recent issue of New York magazine (check out the pic) features only one story on the cover: The President of Us. The subtitle - "the peculiar feeling of being part of America again"

Oh, and check this pull quote from inside

Now we have no choice but to be both cheerfully pro-American and earnestly optimistic - not our default positions.

So, the people who complained constantly that their patriotism was being questioned, now 'cheerfully' admit to being hard wired for pessimistic anti-Americanism.

Guess it's OK when they say it.

Obama's New Book Gets A Plug

News Busted w/ Jodie Miller

Too Little, Too Late

I haven't been a huge fan of John McCain since a personal dealing I had with his office in 1987. I supported him as the nominee only because the alternative was so much worse. His selection of Governor Palin made his candidacy a lot more palatable.

The unbelievably poor campaign, and the treatment of Palin during and after, did nothing to raise my opinion of him, his organization or his leadership abilities.

At Let's Get it Right, Carlos lays out the case of someone who has supported McCain in spite of his flaws, and has now given up the fight

Then came McCain-Feingold, McCain-Lieberman, Gang of 14, the Kerry 04' overture, excoriating the Swift Boaters like Bud Day and the attempt at McCain-Kennedy. I continued to chalk everything up to his maverick, contrarian side and defended him to fellow conservatives as the one candidate who could actually win in 08'.

readitall

Chez Hopeychange

"Gird Your Loins" Indeed

With news of Obama already assembling a team to evaluate what he can change by executive order immediately upon taking office, and reminders of the Dem plan to take over and "manage" individuals' 401k plans, this seemed especially appropriate:

From a comment at Atlas Shrugs

"Back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country to a pack of nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling booze? "

What Being Nice Gets Ya'

Utter disdain from the NYT:

The problem, therefore, is clearly that folks on the left don't know how to be good losers, and, as a result, don't understand it when it happens.

Chastised for "negativity" during the election, chastised for a lack of negativity after. Just no pleasing some people.

(Hat Tip Sister Toldjah)

BWAHAHAHA

I heard Carl Cameron once answered his hotel room door in a full Wonder Woman costume

I'm not sayin' it's true, I'm not sayin' it's not. That's just what I heard. And no, I won't tell you who said it. Under the new standard of journalism, it's plausible until proven otherwise. And I get to decide what constitutes proof.

Better get out in front of this one, Carl!

Step Up, Mac

John McCain is coming dangerously close to irredeemably reinforcing my view of him in the primaries. The view that had me supporting almost any of the other candidates over him.

The way he is allowing his staff to attack Sarah Palin, and the way he has left her twisting in the wind, do not impress me as the actions of a real man or a real leader.

What are you waiting for, Senator? Step up.

Sweet Dreams

I had an odd dream last night.

Al Franken's refusal to accept the results in Minnesota, requiring a recount, exposed bales of fraudulent votes in that race. Californians who dispute the Proposition 8 vote encouraged reevaluating the ballots there with similar results - and pointed to even larger number of fraudulent ballots around the country. So many that the election of Barack Obama was nullified.

Heh, Franken & the Californians bringing down the Obamessiah. Beautiful.

I guess my subconscious is still in denial.

State Your Allegiance

Found this in the comments over at JP:

So, did you vote for "The One", Comrade?

Unintentionally (I suspect) chilling.

On McCain's Cowardly 'Anonymous' Staffers

WindRider has a great analysis:

I thought McCain’s choice of Palin was absolutely brilliant, and said so at the time - and I still do think it was a brilliant pick, that was horrendously and ultimately fatally mishandled at almost every step of the way afterwards. Starting with a total disregard of the biggest reason for picking her in the first place; who she was, and what she’d managed to accomplish on her own merits - by misguidedly, awkwardly, and buffoonishly trying to desperately “re-package” her for “wider national consumption”. If she needed such a major overhaul, then what the hell did the people of Wasilla, the people of the State of Alaska, people like me, and candidate John McCain see in her in the first place? I’ll tell ya -we saw grit, determination, and a proven ability to get the job of shaking up the status quo done - which, if properly amplified, would have been absolutely more than essential for a winning effort. Instead, McCain’s boneheaded staffers imagined they had to “prepare” her, or “fix her up”, not trusting her own natural abilities as a politician to do what she’s proven she knows how to do - campaign for elected office!

readitall

BTW: That paragraph echoes my earlier comments

Genius

This one was read aloud to my office mates, tears of laughter all around.

Too bad it's true.

Financial Question

Obama has won the presidency, so -

Can I stop paying my own mortgage now or do I have to wait until after the inauguration?

Class Act

I wish McCain would have been a bit less polite during the campaign, but this speech was exactly right for the moment.

"Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again."

Congrats to Obama/Biden

UPDATE: Don't give me crap - this is nothing compared to 2004

Go Vote!

Frankly, No

"And I tell you what? Girl-girls are tougher than girl-boys," he said. "But there's one important thing I noticed.The great thing about marrying into a family with five sisters, there's always one that loves you. 'Cause you can count on splitting them a bit. You know what I mean?

No, Joe, I don't - and somehow, I don't think you have a clue what you are trying to say, either.

Hey, Swing States, Are You Aware of This?

You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know - Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I'm capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it - whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers. . . . So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can - it's just that it will bankrupt them, because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.

You may want to think about that before you cast you vote tomorrow.

More from Morrisey

Audio of the interview

(via Sister Toldjah)

UPDATE: YouTube video found in the comments

UPDATE: Oh yeah, don't forget this

Grasping the Obvious

Found this comment on a story over at AZ Central:

Aside from that it sounds like you have some problem with spreading the wealth? That must mean that financially things are going really well for you huh? I suppose that as long as it’s going ok for YOU then that’s all that matters, right? How do I know? Because only those who have money are concerned when someone wants to spread the wealth!

Now, I don't think this is actually true, since the Hollywood millionaires and other 'progressives' seem fine with the concept, as long as the government is doing it. Also, I know some people who have been hit hard by this economic mess, that are very firmly in the "let the rich keep their own money, just let me keep mine, too".

But, just on it's face - and in the context it was presented - it leaves itself open for a big..."Duh!"

Quote of the Day

When it comes to the economy, Obama can see the Soviet Union from his house.

From TedinATL at HotAir via Treacher

AZ Propositions - 105

Majority rule-let the people decide act

A "yes" vote shall have the effect of requiring that a majority of registered voters approve any initiative measure establishing, imposing or raising a tax, fee, or other revenue, or mandating a spending obligation, whether on a private person, labor organization, other private legal entity, or the state, in order to become law.

A "no" vote shall have the effect of retaining the current law under which an initiative measure is enacted upon approval of a majority of registered voters that vote on the measure.

I admit that I am mightily tempted by this one. Anything that makes it harder to raise taxes is good in my book, especially when you see how easily led (and misled) the general electorate seems to be.

However, knowing (again) how greedy our government is, I know they would still find a way. I would hate their quest for new tax revenue to lead them to try some boneheaded moves to 'encourage' more voter turnout. You only have to think back to 2006 to get the idea.

If people are too lazy and/or stupid to vote - more power to them. I don't want to find in years to come that we are paying for votes, or levying fines for not voting, because the legislature decides it needs to get around this Majority Rule initiative.

Looking like a "No"...got anything to add?

AZ Propositions - 101

Medical Freedom of Choice

A "yes" vote shall have the effect of prohibiting laws that restrict a person's choice of private health care systems or private plans, interfere with a person or an entity's right to pay for lawful medical services, and impose a penalty or fine for choosing to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation in any health care system or plan.

Another one of those pesky propositions to amend the state constitution. While the idea of retaining choice sounds like a good great one, I worry that this is yet another case of overkill. Why must everything we decide to do involve a constitutional amendment? Bad enough that the process has devolved into this complete direct-Democracy spend-a-thon.

Still, I am leaning toward "Yes" here...but just barely. C'mon, people - I'm looking for a little feedback on these.

Value

Some lives are, apparently, just considered more valuable than others:

Thirteen-year-old Lukas Moeller has Down syndrome. His father is a doctor who came to Australia from Germany to help fill a shortage of physicians in rural communities.

But now Australia has rejected Dr. Bernhard Moeller's application for residency, saying Lukas does not meet the "health requirement" and would pose a burden on taxpayers for his medical care, education and other services.

A Winks As Good As A Nod

From Team Sarah

Finally, A Rational Word From The Left

Oh, wait.....

More of the same, at least this one admits to being on drugs

Erica, the 70's called - they have no use for you anymore, either.

You Have Angered The Chosen One!

No soup for you!

Journalists from three major newspapers that endorsed John McCain have reportedly been booted from Barack Obama’s campaign plane for the final leg of the presidential race.

The Washington Times reported Friday that it was notified of the Obama campaign's decision Thursday evening — even though the paper has covered Obama from the start.

Executive Editor John Solomon told FOXNews.com that the Obama campaign said it didn't have enough seats on the plane, but "I don't think the explanation makes sense to us.'

I guess this advice applies to them, as well.

Via Sister Toldjah

Since they continue to show us glimpses of what an Obama presidency would bring, how are so many people able to ignore the facts?

Lining Up At The Trough

"I won't have to work on putting gas in my car. I won't have to work at paying my mortgage. You know. If I help him, he’s gonna help me."

Nice

(Hat Tip Desert Martini)

Late Advice For Joe the Plumber

Uh, Uh, Uh...I Apologize

You know, most people who have attendance and comprehension issues get fired - they don't get promoted.

(Hat Tip Let's Get It Right)

Cash On Delivery

From Silent Running:

Sounds pretty suspicious - Barry helps land a 75K grant for someone, then 'co-incidentally' gets five $1000 dollar campaign donations, for a campaign he’d already lost, from people that work for the guy he helped out, who'd apparently never made campaign contributions before that, and probably couldn't afford to give away that kind of cash. . .after he already got 5 $1000 checks, from the same bunch of folks, right after he agreed to work the grant issue. Half down, half on delivery, it looks like. The Chicago way.

Interesting. Very interesting. Just not to the in-the-tank-for-Obama media, it seems.

RE: Obama's Infomercial

Heh

Special Treatment

Oh fer cryin' out loud!

Bad enough that the chosen one was able to alter the scheduling for a World Series game so he could talk for an additional 30 minutes (if there is one thing we need more of, it's Obama talking )

Bad enough that ACORN is committing large scale voter fraud, now they are trying to blame the GOP for voter suppression (give me a break )

Now, election rules are being altered nationwide to allow for additional Obama voting. Citing fears that minorities and others supporting Obama may not be able to cast their votes during traditional polling place hours, as well as claims by ACORN that the GOP is working to suppress votes, polls will be open an additional hour specifically for Obama supporters to cast their votes. (In AZ, for example, polls close at 7:00 p.m. for general voting, but remain open till 8:00 p.m. for Obama voters ONLY.) Civil rights attorneys have demanded the additional time without those voting in opposition to ensure Obamaniacs can feel comfortable in casting their ballots - and perhaps enjoy the camaraderie of knowing they are among 'friends'. This may also lead to missed projections in the race as Obama supporter hold off on voting until the later time-slot for the chance to vote en masse with their fellow travelers.

What is this world coming to.

(It's parody, people - geez)

Tinkering

This Message Brought To You By....

Heh:

"Two-thirds of the record-breaking haul Obama raised for the final stretch of the campaign comes from a racket set up to facilitate fake names, phony addresses and untraceable cards." Move along. Nothing to see here. Buy your tickets for the coronation now, or your name will be put on the watchlist. And now, here's the half-hour prime time infomercial, paid for by None of Your Business.

7 Days To Go

Just one week until our election day get-together.

I have a condo booked for us that will allow for several TVs, full kitchen and WiFi.

I need RSVPs from those of you planning on attending. I won't know what unit number we have until Nov. 1st, so I will have to know who to contact with that additional info. I will also have to get the WiFi paid for, so I need to know for sure who will want it.

Lori suggested that we try to get creative with the food - or the naming of the food, anyway. I'd like to find out what everyone is bringing so we can be sure to have some variety.

Currently expecting:
John & Christa McJunkin
ExUrban Kevin (and the Mrs?)
John Moore (probably)
and, of course, Lori, who is helping with the hostessing duties, and her friend, Barb.
Oooh, almost forgot my sister! (love you, Sis)
Oh yeah, I'll be there with D.

Am I missing anyone? Do I have any of your RSVPs wrong or incomplete? Please let me know as soon as possible - hope to see you there.

"Anti-America's Funniest Home Videos"

Biden Afraid of Another TV Station

He really can't handle it when anyone actually questions him. Imagine if he was grilled the way McCain/Palin (or any other Republican) has been. What a whiney little.....

UPDATE: Another whiney a** O-Bot. Perhaps this one has a reason, though, he actually gets smacked down.

Anti-Gun & Anti-American

Pirate King as a very thorough, and frightening, round up of Obama's history with gun bans.

Stock up now. If Obama wins, you may no longer have the chance.

"You're No John Kennedy"

Joe Biden attempts to say Obama is like Kennedy, not Marx.

All Obama has in common with Kennedy is youth and star power. Kennedy was much more conservative than Obama or Biden. Certainly more conservative than today's Democrats would ever admit.

Heck, McCain isn't even as conservative as JFK - and the Obama campaign and it's minions have attempted to portray JMac as some sort of crazy right winger.

They couldn't be more wrong - and I should know, I am a crazy right winger.

UPDATE: Ha, found this at Townhall

Don't Cross The Chosen One

Barabara West* got off easy (so far). I wonder if the government computers in Florida are currently being used to dig possible dirt on her, the way they were in Ohio:

Public records requested by The Dispatch disclose that information on Wurzelbacher's driver's license or his sport-utility vehicle was pulled from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles database three times shortly after the debate.

Information on Wurzelbacher was accessed by accounts assigned to the office of Ohio Attorney General Nancy H. Rogers, the Cuyahoga County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Toledo Police Department.

It has not been determined who checked on Wurzelbacher, or why. Direct access to driver's license and vehicle registration information from BMV computers is restricted to legitimate law enforcement and government business.

Chilling.

* As a point of reference, here is the interview she did with John McCain, no softballs there, either. I am not crazy about McCain's performance in the interview, but it is obvious she went after him in much the same way.

An Oldie But A Goodie

My brother (TCHOTP) just reminded me of this clip.

I thought I had posted it before, but can't find it in my archives, so I am posting it now. Enjoy.

The New National Anthem?

(Hat Tip Atlas Shrugs)

AZ Propositions - 100

Proposed amendment to the constitution by the initiative relating to real property

A "yes" vote shall have the effect of prohibiting any new tax, fee, or other assessment on the sale, purchase or other conveyance of real estate after December 31, 2007.

I am tax opposed - any way, any how. This seems like a fairly straightforward initiative to prevent a potential future tax - so that seems good. However, I do realize that a government as greedy and irresponsible as ours will find new ways to get the money they feel they 'need'. If there is one thing the government does well, it is bleeding the populous. Still, a chance to cut off one channel is good with me.

I am leaning toward YES on this one, but seeing who is on record supporting it I worry I may be missing something. Could something supported by Rose Mofford, Eddie Basha, Barbara Leff and Ken Cheuvront possibly be a good thing?

Thoughts?

UPDATE: My Realtor, who is anti-Obama, is favor of this one......

AZ Propositions - 201

Homeowners Bill of Rights

A "yes" vote shall have the effect of granting "prospective buyers" a right to sue over a dwelling action, permitting lawsuits despite alternative dispute resolution provisions in sales contracts, shortening buyer purchaser notice and seller response period before and after filing defects lawsuit, requiring seller to inspect dwelling after receiving notice, requiring any seller offer to include repair or replace option that must be performed by a licensed contractor, eliminating seller right to receive attorney fees and costs if the seller prevails, mandating seller to provide ten year warranty of materials and workmanship, requiring newly constructed dwelling contract to include disclosure of seller's financial relationship with a financial institution, disallowing seller from requiring a buyer deposit unless contract allows 100 day cancellation period, extending from eight to ten years the time to file suit against any person making improvements to real property, and expanding remedies available to an owner who is successful in a dwelling action against the seller.

Don't think I really need to add much. The paragraph above makes it very clear why this one should not pass.

Proposition 201 gets a NO

UPDATE: How to know for sure this one is a bad idea - the AFL-CIO supports it. Prop 201 NO

What Part of Illegal Don't You Understand?

Doesn't matter, Obama wants there rest of us to pay for them.

Senator Obama voted "Yes" to allow illegal aliens to participate in Social Security, and against an amendment to "reduce document fraud...and preserve the integrity of the Social Security system."

He co-sponsored a bill to provide social services to illegal aliens, endorsed giving them in-state tuition rates at state and community colleges, and proposed a health plan that will cover their medical needs. He also supports giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

Code Words

Too true:

No, socialist is not a code word for black, but it's probably a synonym for economically ignorant.

From Freeman Hunt

Pot. Kettle

Just caught Dan Saban on the news. I don't get a good feeling about him.

I think he is just Arpaio (America's Toughest Media Whore) with less practice (America's Newest Media Whore).

6 of one....

AZ Races

I don't have much to say about the specific races, but I will leave you with this:

I can't think of anything that would convince me that a vote for Bob Lord was a good idea.

Carrie Harrison is a judge that needs to find a new line of work.

And, if you vote for Kyrsten Sinema the terrorists win.

Full listing of candidates

p.s. The ads for the Democrat corporation commission candidates are suspicious to me. In the primaries they were very clear to tell you to vote for "George, Kennedy, and Paul Newman". Obviously trying to mislead the Cool Hand Luke contingent into voting for them. Or, perhaps they are letting us all know they are a "crazy handful of nothin'"

Well Done

Just in time for Halloween, a truly scary movie

Of course, unlike "W", it looks like they are sticking to the actual truth, not some Oliver Stone if-I-write-it-in-a-script-I-can-call-it-a-true-story kind of truth.

(Hat Tip Let's Get It Right)

AZ Propositions - 200

Payday Loan Reform Act

"Arizonans use payday lending services everyday to meet unforeseen expenses and financial emergencies. The payday lending industry is set to be eliminated and the Arizona Legislature refuses to enact reforms to benefit borrowers while preserving this important financial option. This measure will bring dramatic pro-consumer reform to payday lending and preserve consumer choice. It includes a substantial rate cut, eliminates rolling-over principal to extend a loan, creates a repayment plan at no cost to customers that can't meet their obligations, and inhibits a borrower's ability to obtain more than one loan at a time." From SOS website [emphasis mine]

I used to think payday loan stores were just a nuisance that only hurt idiots that were stupid enough to sign up. After all, if someone is fool enough to pay 400% interest on a $100 loan, that's their problem.

A couple of things have happened lately to change my mind.

1. The housing collapse, as well as the banking meltdown, have shown that people can be much more stupid than I gave them credit for - and they take the rest of us down with them.


2. One of our on-call employees got one of these. Then he didn't pay it back. They sent us a lien, but he didn't work (or not much, anyway. They are seasonal and go weeks or months without being called) and he has a child support brandishment that gets first dibs, so we had no way to withhold the money. So the payday loan service took us to court to recover the money. That meant that M had to waste her time going to court to explain that he wasn't working enough for their levy to kick in. Now, had they bothered to verify his employment before giving him a payday loan based on his employment, they would have known it would be unlikely they could collect quickly (if at all). Several hours and lots of paperwork. That makes his, and their, stupidity our problem.

Proposition 200 is being billed as Payday Loan Reform, which is entirely misleading. If it passes, the loan sharks will have to reduce their interest charges from a top rate of 400% to a much more reasonable 391%.

If Prop 200 is defeated, payday loan stores will be reformed in 2010, when their ability to charge those exorbitant rates will expire.
If Prop 200 is defeated, the highest rate they will be able to charge is 36%.

Many states have outlawed these lending practices already, and I am ready to join them.

A "yes" vote shall have the effect of repealing the July 1, 2010 termination date for the existing "payday loan" licensing program thus allowing it to continue indefinitely, allowing payday loan licensees to provide electronic debit agreement services, prohibiting services over 35 days, requiring payday loan agreements be in English or Spanish, prohibiting certain fees, permitting only one payday loan transaction with a customer each business day, requiring a payment plan if requested by the customer, prohibiting arrangements with customers having outstanding repayment plans, allowing licensees to make other loans and requiring licensee applicants to maintain a minimum net worth of at least $50,000 per location up to a maximum of $1,000,000. [official]

Proposition 200 gets a NO.

That's It, Concisely

Orion gets it exactly:

It's a result of the "Victim Identification" mentality liberals adopt. All women are victims, therefore anyone who says she's not a victim cannot be a woman. In the same way a Republican black can't really be a black, nor a homosexual Republican can't really be a homosexual. If you're one of the "victim" groups but not a victim then you are a monstrous perversion of The Natural Order of Things and must be DESTROYED lest you spread your evil across the face of the planet.

Found it here, via ExLg

It's The Answer

It isn't the question or the questioner that matter.

It's the answer that matters, and this is the answer he gave:

"It's not that I want to punish your success. I want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success, too. My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody. I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."

Joe himself only matters in the discussion because he managed to shine a light on Obama's socialism - or rather, get Obama to shine that light on himself. Joe himself is being held up by the right because he is a symbol of the common man, the American dream being pursued. Joe himself matters because he is willing to work hard to make the best life he can for himself and his family - like most Americans. Joe himself matters because the media and the other minions of Obama have seen fit to crush him, digging through his private life and taking away his source of income.

But what should REALLY matter to you, the voters, is OBAMA'S ANSWER.

Joe will get through this, because guys like Joe are stronger than the left gives them credit for.

That Obama's answer to his question, and the subsequent attempt to discredit the questioner, hasn't opened more people's eyes is astounding.

Another Joe Heard From

In case you needed another reason not to vote for Obama, his running mate gives you a doozy:

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. "It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. "And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right"

If the McCain campaign doesn't use that one in an ad, they truly aren't in it to win it.

(Hat Tip Sister Toldjah)

Obama's Corruption Eruption

Together in one handy location, several very interesting things about Obama's very 'colorful'* past. Included is quite a persuasive argument for who really wrote Obama's books.

* by 'colorful' I mean "rich variety; vividly distinctive", you racists

I Am Joe

And, from Jammie Wearing Fool

I am Joe because I handle my own business and don't wait for the government to take care of all my needs.

I am Joe because hard work and sacrifice mean more to me than being on the government dole.

I am Joe because love of country comes before love of self.

I am Joe because I can spot a Marxist fraud when he speaks of spreading the wealth.

I am Joe because without millions of other Joes we would be France.

Some more good ones in the comments there, as well.

"Fruits of the Devil Evil"

I made a comment over on YouTube, and it turned into a bit of a flamewar, complete with me being called an idiot and Sarah Palin being called "Evil. As in fruits-of-the-devil". (that from someone who thinks Palin actually claimed dinosaurs roamed the earth 4,000 years ago)

So much hate.

(my comments will probably be hidden due to repeated thumbs down, go figure)

BTW: Why is it that Sarah Palin's uterus is a threat to women, but radical Islam is not?

'Scuse Me?

New York Magazine* recently celebrated their 40th year with a giant issue noting all that has happened since they started publishing. So, one of the articles was an interview with older feminist Gloria Steinem and younger feminist Suheir Hammad.

On the issue of Sarah Palin, said feminists remark that her selection "is such an insult"

Then after Hammad speaks of 'having it all', Steinem says, "But you can't", then goes on to say the 'we' need to require government-supported child care and - here's the kicker:

Now we have two smart, male candidates, Obama and Biden, who are campaigning on a theme that men should want to be-and can be-home for their kids. And that is Huge!

Sarah Palin, successful working mother whose husband left his job to stay with the kids in support of her career is an insult? Obama & Biden are "campaigning on a theme that men should want to be-and can be-home for their kids"? What sort of Through The Looking Glass world are they watching this election in?

*yes, this month the mag has the articles "The Right's Class Warfare" and "Joe the Plumber. Exposed!" Sigh

Got Yer Papers?

The media has done such a thorough job of vetting Joe Wurzelbacher you'd think he is running for office. They have checked his marital status, his tax records, his credit report, his professional licensing.....

Some have even decided that his licensing is not up to snuff and he should not be allowed to work as a plumber. Never mind that, in his position, he didn't need a license and has been doing the job for years.

Obama, however, has been so gently vetted we don't even have his college transcripts. Of course, since he never seems to have had an actual job, perhaps knowing his educational status is asking too much.

Since he wants the top job, however, don't you think we should know at least as much about Obama and his past as we do about a single dad in Ohio who just wanted to know why "The One" feels justified in taking his hard earned money away?

UPDATE: Stolen from Treacher

P.S. You want to see Joe's license to question Obama? Dig up his birth certificate. Joe's, I mean. The other guy's is off-limits.

Joe Is The Real Threat

Joe Biden is on Leno and the two of them are just yucking it up about Joe the Plumber. (full episode)

Leno: In my neighborhood, people are more afraid of plumbers than terrorists. ha ha
Biden: ha ha
Leno: The terrorists you don't have to let in, the plumber you have to let in
Biden: ha ha ha
Leno: How much are they gonna charge? Arrgh!
Biden: hoo hoo hoo

later

Biden: In my neighborhood we hire plumbers that go by their real name and are actually licensed - hee hee hee

Wow.

Obama and his supporters think Joe is laughable, too.
*****************************
It seems the spin that is being floated is that JtP was a plant. So, some guy at a rally playing catch in his yard asks a candidate about his tax plan and that seems like a set-up to these guys? And, even if it was (which seems ridiculously unlikely, since Obama was going door-to-door), how did they trick Obama into giving such a socialist answer? Hypnosis? "Really, Obama would never have willingly told the truth about that unless he was set up" Get a grip.

What The Frakk?!

Are you kidding me with this? Delaying a potential World Series game because the Obamessiah decided that's when he wants to "speak to the voters"?

Unbelievable

Joe The Plumber

There is much to say about Joe, most of which has already been said.

Michael has a new post that makes the sad point:

Joe’s learning the hard way that questioning the Chosen One has repercussions. Is this a foreboding indication of things to come if the Chosen One is elected?

UPDATE: Here ya go, Joe is now likely unemployed. Never, never question the chosen one.

UPDATE: We know more about Joe than we do about Barack. It's a sad, sick world.

AZ Propositions - 102

I'll have more to say on this soon, but for the time being ~

Not Decided, Leaning toward: Yes

Official site: Yes on 102

What I said last time: AZ Propositions - 107

Previously: What Does 'Marriage' Mean?

Anonymous Mike: Thoughts on Same Sex Marriage

Just A Thought

If Bill Ayers is not a bad guy, and his activities are so far in the past, why is associating Obama with him a "negative attack"?

I'm just asking...or is that racist?

UPDATE: How cool is this - ExLg made me quote of the day!

New Anthem

Stolen from Treacher's live blog:

[Comment From jd nyc]
Save Joe the Plumber, Save the World!

I need that on a T-Shirt

Unreal In The Extreme

You have to pinch yourself – a Marxisant radical who all his life has been mentored by, sat at the feet of, worshipped with, befriended, endorsed the philosophy of, funded and been in turn funded, politically promoted and supported by a nexus comprising black power anti-white racists, Jew-haters, revolutionary Marxists, unrepentant former terrorists and Chicago mobsters, is on the verge of becoming President of the United States. And apparently it’s considered impolite to say so.

Melanie Phillips

And if there is one thing John McCain doesn't want to be perceived as, it's impolite.

Remember in the primaries when a major talking point on McCain was that he was a loose canon with anger management issues? Apparently he only has two speeds; milquetoasty and explosive. We could use a little fire right about now.

Final Debate

Once again, going to try that live blogging thing - if we actually watch the debate live.

See you later...maybe.

UPDATE: Morrissey

UPDATE: From Rachel - "I thought McCain did great. He took his balls back out of the box and waved them around, while Obama seemed peeved." heh

"Higher" Education

Drugs. That's the only excuse I can think of for these professors to support, and publicly, Bill Ayers.

So reassuring to know how many of our Arizona faculty are in favor of bombing Americans.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised......

Neighborliness?

I really don't want to be Barak Obama's neighbor, and I sure don't want him in the White House

Barrry! You Got Some 'Splainin' To Do

The voter fraud story has, hopefully, begun to get a bit of traction. It boggles the mind that this not only continues, but seems to get worse each election cycle.

Rachel has quite a round up; Acorn, Ayers, Chicago's 'New Party' - you know, the stuff you won't hear about from the MSM, the stuff that the left says is 'irrelevant'.

No Big Loss

Seeing as how Sarah Palin is a Van Halen fan (making her a rocker chick), I doubt missing a Madonna concert will cause her any grief.

Especially the older, extra sleazy Madonna currently on tour.

(I love the fact that she says it's "nothing personal" - really, then what is it? And the sound of Todd Palin's snowmobile crashing - nice.)

Talk About A Smoking Gun

Obama doesn't want to take them from your cold dead hands, he wants to manipulate the system to remove your Second Amendment rights altogether.

Very interesting stuff that shows a calculating, manipulative mind. The idea of Obama as POTUS is a scary thought, this (and his attacks on the First Amendment) is one of the reasons.

My Head...

I knew it felt like someone was wandering around in there - apparently it was Ken, who says a bunch of stuff I wish I had...if I could've gotten my thoughts together.

By far the worst result of the Bailout is deeper Government intrusion into the Private Sector. The crisis was not a failure of the Market. The Market expects there will be downturns, corrections or cutbacks at times. No one likes them, but only certain forms of Government abandon responsible behavior to avoid them.

We used to have wise and responsible Government; limited and small, it taxed little and meddled less. That allowed a Free Market in a truly Private Sector to transform a wilderness into the world's richest economy in mere decades. The inertia of that Economy carried us forward despite the low speed, high drag baggage of Woodrow Wilson's Socialism, FDR's New Deal and LBJ's Great Society.

readitall

Of course, there is a lot to be said for this analysis, too.

Blue Team All-Stars

What a line-up they have in the game, and what a bunch of trick plays they've been running.

Which is why, Charlie, all the fans out there need to be glad for the recently available YouTube instant replay rules.

Ballot Propositions

Obama Youth

Creepy, creepy - how do the lefties not see that?

[this isn't the kids singing of their love for Obama, this is much more militant]

My Advice

The one piece of advice I would offer to Sarahcuda: less is more.

You don't have to fill all the time you are given. You don't have to keep repeating or expanding on a straightforward point. You look weak when you are rambling, and you seem to ramble when you need to fill the silence. You don't - make your point and stop. Let Biden do his shtick, his loquaciousness is legendary and fodder for comedians everywhere - show the very obvious difference. Think John McCain at Saddleback only more so.

You're welcome.

Finger Lickin'

Somehow, according to this genius, a woman voting for McCain/Palin is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

I'll take a bucket of right wings....

Palin Speaks

To the local press, and it works.

October Surprise

Meghan McCain is promising a big surprise.

We'll have a big suprise for all of our readers in Ohio... trust me, I couldn't be more excited for our trip to Ohio!

And it is October, after all.

The Palin Effect

She may have boosted ratings for SNL, but for CBS, not so much.

[NY Times article below]

---

October 1, 2008

Palin Effect on Ratings Only Modest for CBS

By BILL CARTER

Katie Couric’s newsmaking interviews with the Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, last week had only a slight impact on the ratings for her CBS newscast. But if the network could have added up all the other viewers the interviews (and its spoof) racked up, on places like CNN, YouTube and “Saturday Night Live,” Ms. Couric would surely have been more seen and talked about than in any week since she began her tenure as anchor.

Ms. Couric received a rush of attention for the two interviews, in which Ms. Palin, governor of Alaska, spoke haltingly on, among other topics, her state’s “narrow maritime border” with Russia. Clips turned up across the spectrum of television and Web sites.

The first interview last Wednesday, for example, has been viewed more than 1.4 million times on YouTube, while the parody of the interview on “SNL” was streamed more than 4 million times on NBC.com, viewed in full more than 600,000 times on YouTube and in shorter clips many more hundreds of thousands of times.

Still, the “CBS Evening News” gained only about 10 percent in audience from the previous week — and it was actually down from the same week the year before. The newscast averaged just under 6 million viewers for the week, up from 5.44 million the previous week. A year ago Ms. Couric’s program drew about 6.2 million viewers. (CBS was also a distant third last week behind ABC, which won with 8.07 million viewers, and NBC, with 7.98 million.)

The CBS newscast didn’t even record its highest audience totals last Wednesday and Thursday, when the interviews were broadcast. Monday was the network’s best-rated night of the week.

But the week was still considered, by executives from both CBS and its rivals, to be among the best Ms. Couric has experienced since she joined the newscast two years ago. Jon Klein, the president of CNN’s domestic operations, said, “It was brand-building for a woman who is still one of the very best journalists out there.”

Sean McManus, the president of CBS News, extolled Ms. Couric’s interviewing skills, but he acknowledged that Ms. Palin had something to do with the attention. “We benefited from having an interview subject that most of the American public wants to see,” Mr. McManus said. “So the fact is this was a great opportunity, but you have to be able to take advantage of that opportunity, and we did.”

Ms. Couric has more material to come with Ms. Palin. Continuing a series begun during the primary season in which Ms. Couric poses the same questions to each candidate, the program will have questions for Ms. Palin and her vice presidential opponent, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Mr. McManus noted that despite the harsh reviews Ms. Palin has been getting for the interviews with Ms. Couric, no one in the McCain campaign had registered complaints with CBS.

The newscast has made more of an effort to work interviews into the daily content, Mr. McManus said. Monday’s program included not only another interview involving Ms. Couric and both candidates on the Republican ticket, but also interviews with Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders about the failed vote on the Wall Street bailout package.

Ms. Couric has been battered for most of her tenure at CBS News over the sagging ratings of the newscast, and some discussions had been held at CBS earlier this year about her future at the network. Mr. McManus said the network and Ms. Couric were moving past all that.

“I’ve been saying for some time that what we need to concentrate on is the content, not the ratings,” he said. Asked whether the Palin interviews might be a chance to change the ratings momentum of the newscast, he said: “I hope so. We’ll see.”

Palin's Greeting to Ifill

Campaign Spot reader Bill offers a good idea:

Maybe Governor Palin could compliment Ms Ifill on her book.

Palin (to Ifill): I understand you’ve been writing a book about black political progress, including Senator Obama’s campaign. I’d just like to take a moment to congratulate you on your literary endeavor and wish you great success. Having written many speeches, political and others, I find that it’s very rewarding to translate your personal, original thoughts to text — don’t you agree, Senator Biden?

Heh, indeed

UPDATE: Oh, yeah, she'll be objective. She's already displayed her disdain for Palin, boldly and publicly.

UPDATE: I'm sure glad I was only drinking water when I read ExLg's list of Ifill's prepared questions. Cola would have been much harder to clean out of my keyboard.

BTW: I don't want Ifill to recuse herself or be replaced. This may be the closest we will get to transparency in this whole campaign. Her bias is well known. Her conflict of interest is obvious and documented. Better her than someone the general public believes to be "objective".

UPDATE: Treacher has some questions, too.

Getting My Support

I would be much more inclined to lean in favor of any bailout plan that included a provision allowing homeowners to opt out of their neighborhood HOA.

Fascists

Financial Meltdown

No one is telling you the real crisis our economy is facing

Economists Warn Anti-Bush Merchandise Market Close To Collapse

What-A-Burger®

Actually, it was more of a Whopper® -

Have you heard the one about how O & Joe are winning the war in Iraq. It's a knee slapper....

Or not. What this actually was, was simply this: perhaps the most brazen engagement in revisionist history — if not the most brazen outright lie — ever to leave the lips of a man who is known for his embellishments.

Oh No He Di'int

Re: Barack Obama's "me, too" moment.....

Oops

More Proof of Fault

Not that it matters now, but here are the Republicans in 2004, sounding the alarm, trying to stop the inevitable collapse.

And the Dems, who were getting major contributions from FM/FM, pretending that nothing is wrong.

Big Ol' Earmarks

With a presidential campaign in full swing and the country figuratively up in arms over this financial 'crisis', you would think the Dems would at least try to appear sane and above board.

You would be wrong.

Seriously, it is bad enough we are talking about a bailout - why in the world should that bailout include earmarks for a corrupt, incompetent organization that had a large hand in helping to cause this situation? It is almost as if they are trying to lose.

Honestly, the whole idea of a bailout chaps my hide but I am having trouble thinking of an alternative. Everything being interconnected and all.

One question, though. If the federal government is going to buy mortgages from banks, etc. so that said financial institutions can remain 'liquid', why do they have to buy the bad ones? Wouldn't it make sense for the feds to buy the mortgages that are sound, the ones that are being paid consistently and conscientiously? That would give the banks capital with which to continue operating, while leaving them to deal with the problem they helped create. At the same time, the US taxpayers would acquire actual assets which would either be paid off or could be resold to lenders when this rocky situation levels out.

I'm just sayin'.

Let Her Off The Leash

Sarah Palin isn't looking good - because they aren't letting her look like Sarah Palin.

I stand by my earlier assessment - if you want Palin to charm the electorate, you have to let her BE HERSELF.

It's like they put her into some sort of candidate boot camp, in an attempt to break her down and build her back up. Pick a running mate for her obvious appeal as an outsider and then do your best to turn her into just another candidate.

Johnny Utah seems to agree with Kathleen Parker that Palin is not good, though he thinks she is, perhaps, just not good yet.

The question, though, is whether she's not good period, or whether she's not good yet. If she were a total natural, she would have been as impressive in her Charlie Gibson interview as she was in her convention speech. If she were a semi-natural, she would have been as impressive in her Katie Couric interview as she was in her convention speech (having needed a few weeks to hit the books). She's obviously neither a total natural nor a semi-natural. That doesn't mean she can't become comfortable and impressive through practice and hard work.

I disagree, I think she is not good anymore. It seems that all the practice and hard work is what is ruining her.

Kathryn Lopez sees it, too

She looks like a woman who’s been cramming talking points and great Matt Scully lines and Mark Salter-McCain war stories and Steve Schmidt marching orders into her head since that first plane ride from Alaska. She looks like a woman who has ceased being the confident, successful executive who got herself elected mayor of Alaska without the full force of her party behind her and managed to have an approval rating of which most can’t even dream.

I am not sure they can recover, having already tested out this Stepford candidate - it will be hard to go back. But so much more effective if they would.

Tongue Tied

Biden has one of the most advanced cases of foot-in-mouthitis on the national stage for quite some time.

But, let's not neglect Obama, and his highly debilitating condition of tonguetripinosis.

War & God

Does prayer have any place in the White House?

Have any serious leaders asked for God's support and guidance?

Well, yes, often and in public.

In Suspense

My opinion on this matter is evolving. I'm not flip-flopping, but I am beginning to see some flashes of genius in it.

John McCain definitely gets serious get-er-done props. He shows himself as a man willing to address an issue when it needs to be faced. Mavericky, for sure.

The memes I have seen taking hold on the left are pretty weak.

1) McCain wanted to avoid the debate because he is scared of facing Obama.
This one is a complete non-starter. A debate, on any subject, is more in McCain's wheelhouse than Obama's. The GOP has been salivating over the chance to force Obama back into an unscripted forum with McCain. The fact that Friday's debate is to be centered on foreign policy makes the claim of McCain ducking it patently absurd. I am surprised this one has any legs at all, yet I keep seeing it online.

2) A president needs to be able to do more than one thing at a time.
This is the one that occurred to me when I first heard the announcement. However, McCain has done a good job of spinning it, not as only handling one thing, but as focusing on the most imminent crisis. Then Barack Obama said that a president needs to deal with multiple issues, therefore he was not going to DC to deal with this one - because he is incapable of doing his current job as senator while trying to run a campaign. Takes the whole multitasking claim right out of the equation.

I still wish McCain had just canceled a few campaign appearances, requested that the debate be delayed or moved, and gotten to work.

I like that, once again, McCain has taken the focus and forced Obama to respond - and having Obama's response pretty much blow up in his face (he has ended up having to go back to DC, after all) is a bonus.

I love that Obama's statement that "the people need to hear from us" rather than "the people deserve to have this crisis dealt with quickly" allows for things like this "For someone who is reasonably seen as being all talk and little to no action or actual results, it seems rather foolhardy to avoid taking action in Congress because one wants to talk."

And I have come appreciate that it shows clearly the difference between Taking Action and Talking Action.

More to come, I am sure.

What The...?!?!

Who does he have running this freaking campaign?!?

McCain Suspends Campaign to Help With Bailout

What a completely worthless, stupid@$$ gesture. "Let's look like we are completely incapable of dealing with multiple issues at once. That'll push us ahead in the polls".

I thought the Dems were the best at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, looks like the McCain campaign is giving them a run for their money.

UPDATE: Special Agent Johnny Utah disagrees.

Looks like ExJon does, too

UPDATE: Democrat Delay Game

UPDATE: There it is, " "Presidents are going to have to deal with more than one thing at a time,"Sen. Obama said. "It's not necessary for us to think that we can only do one thing and suspend everything else." He said that he and McCain have large campaign planes that can get them out of Mississippi and back to Washington quickly."

But, it does allow for good stuff from Ace - "Obama: I Am Such a Leader That I Will Defer to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi As to Whether I Actually Need to Show Up To Do My Job As Senator

If Harry Reid tells him he needs to come into work during the most serious financial crisis since 1929, he'll do so.

Otherwise, he's doin' what he does best. Campaignin' for president. Talking about stuff."
-------------
Heh:

"I believe that we should continue to have the debate," Obama said. "It's my belief that this is exact time when the American people need to hear form the person who in approximately 40 days will be responsibly for dealing with this mess and I think that it is going to be part of the President’s job to deal with more than one thing at once."

For someone who is reasonably seen as being all talk and little to no action or actual results, it seems rather foolhardy to avoid taking action in Congress because one wants to talk.

Obama said that unlike McCain, he will not suspend ads, or campaign events scheduled between now and Friday's debate.

That's real smart, saying that when you're up against a guy running with the slogan "Country first".

Perhaps this move by McCain is actually genius. It is certainly leading to some comedy gold.

Where Have You Gone, Sarah Palin

When Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain's running mate, there was much enthusiasm on the right - and much shock/dismay/hatred/venom on the left.

These were both good, reassuring reactions. She had the GOP base charged up, she scared the dickens out of the Dems. Bingo.

All the things that made her such a great choice, everything about her that made 38 million people tune in to hear her speak, all that we loved and they despised....has been dampened. The McCain campaign seems to be turning her into a 'candidate'

I know that they are keeping her away from the press because they haven't 'earned' the right to interview her. Whatever. So they give us Gibson. Ugh. And Hannity. Sheesh. And soon, Couric. Spare me.

I want her to stop giving the same damn speech. I want her to talk to the press, make it the local press if you must. I'd love to hear what she has to say to some guy reporting for the Smallville Daily Press (or whatever).

She connects with people. She has things to say. She can hold her own and charm the pants off the electorate. She is a genuine weapon that needs to be unleashed.

The lefties have continued their assault while Palin has been effectively neutered. Keeping her at arms length only gives them more ammo.

Bring back the Sarah Palin we knew before McCain picked her - so the country can see all the reasons he did.

Gaffe-tastic

As Reason's Jesse Walker footnotes it: "And if you owned an experimental TV set in 1929, you would have seen him. And you would have said to yourself, 'Who is that guy? What happened to President Hoover?'"

Found at Voice of Liberty

Real Hope

Found it at Treacher's place

Patriots

Fly Over Country

Stupid Polls

As people continue with idiotic polls, I decided to pose a question of my own.

If you had to be stuck in a bunker for a week, would you prefer to share it with Obama & Biden or McCain & Palin? And why?

Easy for me; I would guess Slow Joe wouldn't ever shut up, and Obama would require constant attention and worship.

McCain & Palin seem like they would be able to keep themselves busy and amused. In other words, I would be less likely to try to hang myself with my own clothing.

Yes, I did have some wine tonight. Why do you ask...?

Them's Losing Words

Anonymous Mike pointed out Biden's troubles wining PA

Looks like he isn't too interested in courting OH either

Which Party Is Racist?

There has been much talk about race in this election, most often along the lines of "people won't vote for Obama because he's black"

1) I would guess there would be at least as many who would vote for him because he is 'black'.
2) He's only half black, he is also half white.

and, heard on the radio

3) It must be Democrats that are racist, because Republicans wouldn't vote for him anyway based on his policies.

We don't care what color he is.

UPDATE: Looks like the others agree Deep-seated misgivings about blacks among some Democrats could cost Obama the White House

What Makes A Successful Woman

She built a family, which they seem to frown on.
She built a career, which they seem to resent.
And she has made them completely lose sight of everything they claimed to represent.

Then along comes the beautiful and accomplished governor of Alaska, who has a successful political career, a loving (and faithful) husband, and a large and beautiful family. She appears to be the living validation of the feminist dream that it is, after all, possible to have it all. They eagerly look into the mirror of her soul hoping to catch a glimpse of themselves only to discover--horrors of horrors--that she is not one of them. Instead, she is a bona fide builder of the Culture of Life, who eschewed an abortion to give birth to a Downs syndrome baby. She is an advocate of traditional marriage, a serious Christian believer, a fiscal conservative who believes in local government, and a card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association.

No wonder the feminists feel angry and betrayed.

As they say, read it all.

(Hat Tip TCHOTP)

Bias Much?

How's this for a lead in?

We don't normally look to SNL for illuminating political commentary, but their recent sketch regarding sexism in this race was certainly thought provoking. Question is, by choosing an arguably underqualified running mate to score female voters, does McCain demonstrate a sexist agenda?

Quick Hits

No time to write, but here are a couple of interesting tidbits sent to me by TCHOTP

From the Fact Check Desk: Obama's New Spanish Language TV Ad Es Erróneo

The greater implication the ad makes, however, is that McCain is no friend to Latinos at all, beyond issues of funding the DREAM act or how NCLB money is distributed. By linking McCain to Limbaugh’s quotes, twisting Limbaugh’s quotes, and tying McCain to more extremist anti-immigration voices, the Obama campaign has crossed a line into misleading the viewers of its new TV ad. In Spanish, the word is erróneo.

Biden declines invitation to protest Ahmadinejad, and then Palin disinvited

Governor Palin was pleased to accept an invitation to address this rally and show her resolve on this grave national security issue, regrettably that invitation has since been withdrawn under pressure from Democratic partisans. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Republicans, Democrats and independents alike to oppose Ahmadinejad’s goal of a nuclear armed Iran. Senator Obama’s campaign had the opportunity to join us. Senator Obama chose politics rather than the national interest.

That Works

I think it could have been a bit stronger, though, since he also turned to Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson for advice on choosing his VP candidate. That didn't turn out so well, either.

Too Cute

At an event where Michelle Obama said voters shouldn't base their decision on "she's cute", the audience proved that Barack is no longer running against McCain.

She did not talk about Palin directly in her remarks. Her supportive crowd did, chanting "No Palin" before the event started.

They realized they can't beat the top of the ticket, now they aren't even trying to hide it.

Unfortunately for them, Palin is pretty strong, too.

OMG

I wish I had time to add to this, but Rachel does a bang up job.

The "moral obligation" to abort.

What Does Hollywood Do Well?

"...spend lots and lots of money on something that nobody wants."

Barack "WHO-sein" Obama

Palin is still sucking up the oxygen that the Obama campaign needs to survive.

Oh, To Be Young And Gay

... and Alaskan

However, those gay people who know her best, men and women who live in the Land of the Midnight Sun, are delighted about Palin's nomination. Eric DeLand, an openly gay man who lives in the Kenai area, said even Democrats and independents like her: "They may not agree with her on everything, but they agree with enough; they're happy with McCain's decision to pick Sarah."

My friend is not the only gay person enthusiastic about John McCain’s running mate. Nearly all the readers of my blog are excited about her nomination. Some have even been pushing her as potential vice-presidential pick since the summer of 2007.

Shortly after John McCain announced his choice, a reader from northwest Ohio wrote that the "overwhelming consensus" at a local gay bar "was extremely positive." Gay and lesbian readers across the country agree.

UPDATE: Wow, no time at all and Google started sending the "gay in Alaska" ads. Well . . . enjoy.

"About As Well As She Knows How To Govern"

Laughing out loud while listening to this on headphones will get you strange looks from your office mates.

Totally worth it

McCain Sings Streisand

(Hat Tip Carlos Echevarria who found it at Texas Darlin')

Speaking of Pigs

No doubt, the Fannie & Freddie mess is wreaking havoc.

No doubt that Barack Obama has attempted to place the blame in the lap of Republicans, including (of course) John McCain.

Of course, we already know who Fannie & Freddie were paying off, and it wasn't the Maverick. I just hadn't realized how deeply involved the Dems were, and how much money they had bled off - certainly not helping the mortgage companies stay afloat.

(Hat Tip Matt Lewis)

Old News

Still stinks to high heaven.

Obama and his Rezko dealings, an article from April 2007...the questions are still not being asked by the national media, there seems little to no hope for any answers.

Oh, yeah, there is more Rezko/Obama here. There always seems to be more.

Deja Vu All Over Again

I remember, during the Kerry campaign, someone saying something along the lines of: "It isn't that John Kerry thinks he is so smart, it's that he thinks everyone else is so dumb"

Apparently, the Dems learned nothing from that - and they continue to insist that we are all just hopeless rubes.

Yeah, that'll bring the votes your way.

Watch the video, with the added bonus of Sarah Palin being called a "bucket of fluff"

Carly Fiorina Takes Aim

Hits the McCain campaign squarely in the foot.

What is wrong with these people? To borrow a line from the sketch in question -grow a pair.

Geez, it was FUNNY. Get over it.

With Friends Like These

The problem for Obama is that so many of the columnists, essayists and Hollywood stars and starlets who are logging complaints about Palin aren't really doing so in defense of the Democratic nominee. They're writing from a point of view of pure venom-dripping hostility to the woman. As Kurtz said, they are mad. And when people are mad, they can be obnoxious. And irrational.

And I cannot imagine it is helpful to their guy.

Provinicial indeed.

(I know, its the Repub, but he actually makes a good point about those who are in Obama's corner)

UPDATE: Chevy Chase, illustrating the point. Nothing substantive in his argument, but he wants to see her "decimated'

Palin Interview

I haven't seen it, but I did read the transcript and found this comment which seems to ring true:

I agree with flhal 100%, who said:"Gibson was friendly, kind and deferential to Obama in this interview (June 2008). His interview with Palin was a quiz not an interview. He was condescending, cold and unfriendly. I think he was afraid if he treated Palin fairly the other media folks would have trashed him. This just confirms the polls that say the media is biased against McCain/Pailin by a 5 to 1 ratio."
With Gibson asking such hard hitting questions to Obama like " Is the hardest part of all this behind you or ahead of you?", the bias is evident. Lose the glasses Charlie ! Palin is refreshing, and did fairly well under the circumstances. As an educated, business owning, veteran/ working mother Palin and McCain have my vote. It gives me great satisfaction to know I will cancel out Charlie's!

From the transcript, I would say she did fine. I like the answers she gave - now lets hear how she gave them.

UPDATE: About that Bush Doctrine question.

RightWingSparkle gives us her take

UPDATE 2: I still have not seen the broadcast version of the speech, but have been hearing commentary. In listening to the chattering, I was confused as to what interview they had watched, since they seemed to be contradicting what she actually said. Now I know why - they weren't referencing the same interview I read. The version that aired was carefully and selectively edited to give a much different picture. I shouldn't be surprised.

C'Mon, Doris

Gov. Palin has gotten under Obama's thin skin. And Barack fights like a girl. You almost want to say "C'mon, Doris–hit her with your purse!"

Heh

Uppity

I've been thinking lately about early in the campaign when Obama and his people were trying to pull the race card by claiming that his opponents thought he was "uppity" and didn't "know his place".

Funny thing is, that is exactly the argument they have been using against Sarah Palin.

Just listen to their barbs; small town, small state, 'nothing' college, PTA member, hockey mom.... What right does she have to be running for such a high office? Doesn't she know her place?

I wasn't really sure what more I had to say about it, then I saw this - which just reinforces my view. Matt Damon: "I know she was the mayor of a really..really small town"

BTW: Matt Damon thinks it is scary, he moves on to 'terrifying' about half way through, that she might be president (why is everyone so sure McCain is going to die?) because he doesn't know anything about her, and he doesn't think in 8 weeks he is going to know anything about her. That says more about you, doofus, than it does about her. Big surprise, Matt Damon hasn't paid any attention to Republican politicians - certainly no reason he would know about one in Alaska.

There are a lot of people out there, however, who do know who she is. Even D, who is not into politics at all knew who she was. Doesn't matter, she slipped under the radar of the MSM and the Hollywood idiots, therefore "nobody has ever heard of her" "nobody knows anything about her"

BTW 2: "I think this pick was made for political reasons" Duh! You think Obama picked Biden for his charming dinner conversation?

BTW 3: No, she didn't try to ban books. By the time he filmed this clip, that was common knowledge, having been disproved almost immediately. If he was really interested (as he says, "I need to know, I really need to know"), it would have been very simple to find out. Idiot.

Geez, look who is Ms Ranty McRantypants now!

re: Lipstick & Pigs

It was a stupid thing to say in light of Palin's hockey mom joke. Moreover, it was inexpertly delivered. The most painful part of listening to that clip is waiting for Obama to get to a point - how many sentences does he start before he finishes one?

However, though there is little doubt how the crowd took it, I doubt Obama was calling Palin a pig. Here's the thing, though - I don't really care if he was.

The McCain campaign blew it.

They blew it in 'demanding' an apology.
They blew it by producing a commercial highlighting it.

They are whining like the Dem's and I don't like it. I want my candidates to grow a pair, brush it off and just get on with the campaign. I want "Reagan in a skirt" to do what Reagan would do and deflect Obama's clumsy comment with humor and a wink.

Those of us who are fans of hers were won over by her backbone and her wit. I want that back.

BTW: Stuff like this does still crack me up.

UPDATE: I agree with Rachel, though, that Obama blew it, also. He should have just said - "oh my goodness, I certainly never meant to imply anything" But, being an arrogant doof, he couldn't bring himself to do anything but dig himself in deeper.

UPDATE 2: Kind of hard to bill yourself as an agent of change when you have trouble coming up with original thoughts.

Heh

Treacher and the pig

Fun With Google

"Rachel Lucas and 83% of her readers are uncouth mouth-breathers."

Ok, seriously, I like that as a search term, but the post it relates to is, in fact, worth reading. But, I shouldn't have to tell you that, it's Rachel fer-petes-sake.

Working the Refs

Access to Obama and Palin.

NewBusted

"Sarah Palin's teleprompter went out or, as Barack Obama would call it, 'um...um...the...um...end of my...um...ah...career'"

Loving This

Palin rumor central - seriously

Dismiss a Sarah Palin Smear - humorously

Hit Piece

Here is the headline:

Palin billed state of Alaska for nights spent at home

Sounds bad, right?

Then you read the body of it and find; she did nothing that wasn't explicitly authorized, she billed for fewer expenses than expected, her bill for 2007 was $370,000 less than her predecessor, none of it was hidden (She wrote some form of "Lodging - own residence" on the forms).....

Seriously, they are just itching to find SOMETHING, anything.

Heh

Palin Dodges Tough Questions

On page 2 here

Palin Dodges Tough Questions About Existence of "Alaska"

By Elizabeth Bumiller, New York Times, Wednesday, September 3, 2008; A1

Media Bubble, Sept. 2 - Embattled former beauty queen Sarah Palin* continued to wilt yesterday under the pressure of numerous fair, evenhanded media questions regarding the alleged state of "Alaska."

Palin has claimed to be "governor" of the legendary northern land mass, which, while heretofore undiscovered by explorers, was once rumored to contain vast expanses rich with oil, gold, and "eski-mos." Palin first made the "Alaska" claim during an Aug. 29 public appearance alongside elderly, mean-looking cancer victim John McCain.

McCain, a white man with even whiter hair, has long publicly blocked efforts by Barack Obama, a youthful black man with a certain indefinable aura about him, to move into Obama's new house. Palin, also white-skinned, has been linked to the McCain offensive.

After four days of telling silence from the McCain camp, Palin finally deigned to reappear in public yesterday. In a followup press conference, Palin, who is a girl, lashed out at the media. "Listen to me: Alaska. Is. A. State. Seriously. The 49th state, in fact. Way up north there. What, did somebody go around your newsrooms and hide all the maps underneath the ethics manuals? Or are you idiots just completely insane?"

Shaking her head in a transparent attempt to feign exasperation, Palin — who is perhaps not as pretty as she thinks she is — then left the podium without answering followup questions regarding her plagiarism of CBS's Northern Exposure. Internet reaction to the unfit mother's unhinged rant was swift. Andrew Sullivan, right-wing blogger for The Atlantic, saw Palin's comments as a major misstep. "She's working the refs. This is what they do. Sure, blame the media. Is it their fault she's too chicken to back up these suspicious claims? Look, I'm willing to entertain the idea that there really is a place called ‘Alaska.' We've all heard the old wives' tales, and I've dreamed about such a rugged, outdoorsy paradise since I was about 13 or 14. But why is she so afraid to give us some proof? I mean, I've never been there, have you?"

Yukon Cornelius could not be reached for comment.

Update: After consultation with the Association of American Geographers and several DC-area kindergarten students, the Times can now report that many current world maps contain a small area in the northwest corner of North America labeled "Alaska." Palin's relationship with the mapmaking industry is currently under investigation.

Political IMs

I have no time to blog today, which is a shame, I got a bunch of comments that need addressing (later, I guess)

Anyway, I had a chat online with a friend that I thought I would post. She didn't give me permission, so I won't say who - but she may out herself in the comments.

Here it is, good luck deciphering it, there are actually some decent points hidden in there ;-)
*****************************
Chicky: just wasting time blogging lol
Chicky: taking a break and thought I'd browse some bloggy poos
Me: that'll definitely kill some time
Chicky: I know. I can't believe how into it I am again. har.
Me: I haven't been excited about politics in so long
Chicky: Well it's bound to get worse I'm sure as the elections near

Me: OK, I don't have time to blog it - but, damn, why does it have to be Hilary going after Palin? I think she is being smart by sticking to issues (she is a good pol)
Me: Why can't Biden give it to her?
Me: that is like the GOP looking for some black guy to attack Obama - stupid
Chicky: EXACTLY!!!!! I was thinking the exact same thing!
Chicky: Oh I know! I was going to blog that yesterday but didn't have time
Me: If they are discussing issues, there is no problem, they are both up for the same damn job
Chicky: Funny how LOLbama is using her to do this now
Me: if he goes after her for being female/a mom/her daughter, then yeah, he will come across as a schmuck
Chicky: *bwok bwok*
Chicky: chickens
Me: but she hasn't bitten, Ferraro is being pretty gracious and above board
Chicky: It makes me laugh because it tells me how scared the Obama camp is
Me: Hilary is being sure to stick to issues
Chicky: Yes I noticed that too with Ferraro
Me: oh yeah
Me: the Dems need to get off the male / female thing
Me: they keeps saying she is whining about being attacked and she ought to be able to handle it if she wants to run
Chicky: Are you serious?
Me: but she hasn't said CRAP
Me: and she has no problem being hammered on the issues
Chicky: I know, she only made one comment to the media and it was pretty smart. About, I'm not going to DC to please you... going for the people.
Me: have you seen that clip from one of her earlier campaigns where she says, "you know, I am perfectly capable of dealing with this" or some such to people asking about running as a woman
Chicky: no sure haven't
Chicky: It's others that have been defending her
Chicky: and rightly so
Me: and even they aren't saying "don't question her record" or "don't look at her stand on the issues"
Chicky: exactly
Chicky: that's what is so funny... they can't
Me: they are saying, "don't suggest it is wrong for her to be a working mother or attack her kids"
Me: idiots!
Chicky: the only thing they can pull out of their @$$es is the whole - well she's a family values preaching rep. and her daughter getting preg is despicable
Chicky: that Whoopie article you linked made me sick
Me: yeah - STUPID
Chicky: Like SHE should friggin talk man
Me: McCain & his wife are going to be on the View for an hour this week..Friday, I think
Chicky: yes I heard that
Chicky: that should be interesting
Me: I can't imagine it will be fair - or that he will get a word in edgewise
Me: you know they will attack Cindy for her $$$
Chicky: That Joyce beeyatch will be all over him
Me: yeah
Me: he really needs to make it clear that he didn't pick her because she is a woman, but that he picked her because she is the right leader to join him in the White House
Me: or something to that end
Chicky: Well too bad John and Cindy can't do a Michelle/Barrack knuckle knock on the show. That would be funny
Me: heh
Chicky: I think there will also be an interview with George Bush on Fox news this week too
Me: tomorrow morning - 6, I think
Chicky: Damn girl... you are just all over it! lol
Chicky: I'm going to you if I need to know something. You'll be my election Headquarters. ha
Me: she's going on with Charlie Gibson - not sure how I feel about that choice
Me: just not sure he is up to it, might end up being deadly boring
Me: oh, I meant the Palin interview could be boring with Gibson
Chicky: oh lol
Me: not sure Gibson is up to interviewing her
Chicky: ahh yes now I see
Chicky: Damn... too bad her first interview couldn't be more fun like on the Tonight Show or something
Chicky: Have her do some shooting an' shizz
Me: another thing - as long as it looks like I am working...
Me: they keep saying how Bush McCain voted with Bush 95% of the time (like it is a bad thing)
Chicky: yeah true
Me: Obama voted with the Dems in congress 97% of the time (that he actually voted) and their stuff passed - and contributed to the problems we are dealing with
Chicky: YUP
Chicky: It makes me laugh
Me: GOP needs to find a way to make that point
Me: The approval rating of Congress is much lower than Bush's
Chicky: I know, it's crazy

About Those Flags

Joe Biden seems to have very little idea of how to treat an American flag.

In his defense, he does look very busy with...with...uh.

Nope, sorry, can't come up with any good excuse for it.

"But I *SAID* To Be Nice"

Barack Obama has promised he wouldn't wage a smear campaign against Sarah Palin but a number of his surrogates are sure getting their hands dirty. Too many to be a coincidence.

Either Obama is encouraging/allowing these tactics (and lying about it) - or, since his staff is directly ignoring his publicly stated stance, he is not a much of a leader.

Either way, who would want to vote him into the White House?

Back On His Heels

Talk about being off balance. Just today, Barack Obama has said that his answer to the abortion question at Saddleback may have been, "too flip", that he "wouldn't rescind the Bush tax cuts right away" and that, "Sarah...uh...Palin....uh...is....probably.....uh.....probably.....even closer....uh....to...uh George...uh...Bush....than John...McCain...OK?" (honestly, these are the people that complained about George Bush's speaking ability?)

Heh

UPDATE: Geez, how scared must Obama be to make this claim?

Somehow, he left it out of his two memoirs, but this morning, Barack told George Stephanopoulos that he really thought about joining the military, but chose not to because we weren't in a war at the time.

Oops, We Did It Again

The "Republicans are stupid" meme, continues:

"Sure Bush is defeating the terrorists, and McCain may very well defeat me. But not because they meant to…"

"We Dreamed of a World"

I think someone on the left is about to defect to our side...but I may be reading too much into this.

The Messiah's New Clothes

From a comment over at Ankle Biting Pundits' place:

Obviously Bulldog, if you cannot see the beautiful new clothes that Emperor Hopey-Changy is wearing, it is because you are stupid.
Only the enlightened and most intelligent among us can see the exquisite fabric of his robes - or should I say ‘outfit’?

Same goes for his ‘legislation’ and ‘experience’ - not being able to see it is your fault. Stupid realist!

/sarc

heh

The Problem With Palin

Ah, I get it.

Because she is successful, it makes it harder for other women to be successful...

Besides, Palin certainly won't be much help to those women trying to nudge the country into embracing more family-friendly workplace policies. John McCain doesn't actually have any work-family policies to speak of anyway, but now, when women argue for the need for paid family leave, the Republicans will only have to trot out Palin to illustrate why women don't really need it.

(Hat Tip Dizzy Girl)

No Sexism At All

From Whoopi Goldberg:

"This is a very dangerous woman, because I believe for her intents and purposes, she’s OK if everybody lives a certain way, that is to say, the way God ordained men and women to be. Well, already she’s breaking that because she’s the daddy. She’s going to run the country and the husband is going to take care of the kids. I just found the whole thing sad and very musty and very much like a Bund rally, but maybe that was just me."

Goldberg, incidentally, was a single working mother - I guess that is OK because she was the mother & "the daddy". Somehow it is OK to work outside the home if you don't have an intact family unit and help at home.

(Warning, article and comments are LOADED with rumors and inaccuracies)

Celebrating The Hunt

Now we know, thanks to her triumphant debut at the Republican convention on Wednesday, that Mrs Palin not only slaughters her prey. She impales its head on a stick and parades it around for her followers to jeer at.

(Hat Tip TCHOTP)

Palin Power

Heh

Ringing Endorsement

I've been trying to convince my fellow conservatives that they have been wasting their time in a fruitless quest for a new Ronald Reagan to emerge and lead our party and our nation. I insisted that we'd never see his like again because he was one of a kind.

I was wrong!

The Future of the GOP

I don't know whether Sarah Palin will be the first female president of the United States*, but I can hope.

Whether she wins or loses, however, I know who I'll vote for in 2036...

UPDATE: Looks like Amanda agrees with me, though she wants her to be a bit older.

UPDATE: * Yes, I realize that Sarahcuda is running for Vice President this year. My hope is that, win or lose this time, she will run at the top of the ticket in the future. And win. And then be the first female president of the USA.

Again I Warn You, Don't Mess With Texas

The 34-year-old mother of two grabbed a shotgun that had been pointed at her face early Wednesday, starting a struggle that ended with one intruder killed with his own weapon and another in the hospital.

Two bad guys with guns vs a Texas family.

Bad guys lose.

What She Brings

It isn't that surprising that people love Sarah Palin.

What is amazing is that people who were lukewarm about McCain last week have warmed up to him so much, because they love her

Sarahcuda & That Other Guy

How in the world is McCain going to fare tonight? I can't imagine he can top her speech from last night.

Sarahcuda

Anyway, if you want to see a gorgeous blonde kill, gut, dress, and eat a gossip magazine reporter for breakfast, here you go (via Hot Air):

From Rachel Lucas, who has taken up using the name Sarahcuda. I am definitely stealing that.

Good Point

A caller to the Laura Ingraham show this morning had an interesting question:

Why isn't anyone asking if Barack Obama will be ready to be President if something should happen to Joe Biden?

Now, The Debates

I pity Joe Biden. I really do. He's going to need new hair plugs when she's done with him.

Sarah Palin Speech

AZ Family has video of the entire speech

Womyn -Heh

Democrats have clearly demonstrated for all to see this week that being a womyn, and therefore blessed by the protections of feminism and Correct Thinking, is defined not by having ovaries, but, rather, by having Democrat ovaries. If you fail that test, they're not ovaries, they're merely undescended testicles.

So true

What Does A Feminist Look Like?

Just gonna quote directly from the email TCHOTP sent me:

"Because she jumbles up so many cultural categories, because *she is a feminist not in the Yale Gender Studies sense but the How Do I Reload This Thang way,* because she is a woman who in style, history, moxie and femininity is exactly like a normal American feminist and not an Abstract Theory feminist; because she wears makeup and heels and eats mooseburgers and is Alaska Tough, as Time magazine put it; because she is conservative, and pro-2nd Amendment and pro-life; and because conservatives can smell this sort of thing -- who is really one of them and who is not -- and will fight to the death for one of their beleaguered own; because of all of this she is a real and present danger to the American left, and to the Obama candidacy."
Peggy Noonan at WSJ

I have always felt that feminism should be about empowering women, not about making them victims, or, possibly worse, making them men. Unfortunately, modern feminism does far more of the latter two, than of the first.

(In general, "diversity training" is more about making people aware of their status as victim or victimizer than about teaching tolerance and getting along. The end result is intolerance and insincerity.)

Preview of McCain's Speech

Governor Palin had not even finished speaking last Friday when the Obama campaign and the Washington and New York media began picking through her garbage and criticizing her in the most personal, most unprofessional, most despicable terms. And why? Not because of her record. Sarah Palin is one of the most experienced, effective, accomplished, successful public servants working in America today. They criticized her, I believe, because Sarah Palin is not one of them. She is a working mother, for sure, as all mothers are. But she is not their kind of working mother. The media and the Democratic Party--and I should note that it's hard to tell the difference these days--like their female politicians to be liberal, and pro-choice, to be patrons of the arts, to read the New York Times every day and agree with everything in it, and to enjoy hobnobbing with others like them at parties featuring Zinfandel and brie. Sarah Pallin, on the other hand, is a mainstream conservative. She's pro-life and pro-family. She appreciates the arts as much as the next person, but her hobbies tend toward hunting, and fishing, and even the occasional game of hockey. Sarah does read the New York Times every day, though I happen to know she doesn't particularly enjoy it. (Laughter.) She prefers her hometown paper and the latest edition of Outdoor Life. She'll drink Zinfandel and eat brie if she must, but she'd rather be home with her husband and her five children, cooking dinner--yes, Governor Palin still cooks for her family, even though the state of Alaska wanted to pay for a chef to cook for them--and catching up on everyone's day.

Oh, that's not what it is? Shoot.

Your Experience Is Showing

Proof of Sarah Palin's lack of experience.

All Palin, All The Time

I know, I know

Might as well continue the theme, though

Palin filmed in the company of known Communists

"Great Balls of Fi-ah"

UPDATE: Dang - they beat me to it

It's Who You Know

Obama may indeed have more experience dealing with terrorists than Sarah Palin.

After all, some of his best friends are terrorists.

Judging Palin

How about judicial appointments?

Let's see what Sarah Palin's record says.

...a review of the applications of the judges she named suggests that her appointments have been based on merit, not politics, and reflect a range of experience in criminal defense, criminal prosecution and civil practice.

Really Reaching

Maybe they can get this one to stick:

Obama advisers and surrogates have also linked Palin to conservative former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. An Associated Press story from Alaska, dated July 17, 1999, states that Palin, then the mayor of the small town of Wasilla, was wearing a Buchanan button during a Buchanan visit to Alaska.

Ooooh, scary [/sarcasm]

What Media Bias?

There is no discernible bias to the MSM reporting, is there?

I'll Go There

If families are fair game, then here ya' go.

Much more troubling than Bristol Palin's pregnancy

Smack

Macker has found a video posted in response to Diddy's insanity

Mostly good, though I think the guy is a bit out of line with his comments about Michelle Obama.

Raising Contrasts

At Jill Stanek, on a tip from TCHOTP
(more here)

Interesting that the election is now about Obama vs Palin, rather than Obama vs McCain - I guess he has given up going after Mac and is instead trying to beat up on the girl. Too bad for him, he'll find out she is quite capable of taking care of herself.

Interesting Thought

Obama attracts crowds - McCain attracts audiences

Obama Gave A Speech?

Attack of the 80's Hair

Sarah Palin (Heath) - Sportscaster

How cute is she? Even with those peacock bangs :-)

Not that I have any room to talk - I had some high hair myself, and in my passport photo, no less.

Fowler 'Apologizes'

What Fowler said about this:

I would add that, just because a person catches you being an @ss, that doesn't make them a nutcase.

That 3 am Phone Call

OK, seriously, I don't want this to become "all Palin, all the time" but there is just so much to say.

And stuff others have said that is too good not to share.

Like this:

I just don’t get the feeling from her that were the phone to ring at 3 a.m. with news of the Russian bear snarling at our door, she would mumble something about breast-feeding her infant or going to a school play and hang up. I do worry that Obama would convene a gathering of intellectual ditherers to come up with a plan for a conversation to have with world thought-leaders about what sort of image America wants to project in the face of understandable assertiveness on the part of an important member of the global community.

Faced with a charging moose, I want a president who would shoot the f*****.

Bristol Bounce

Well, the news of Sarah Palin's daughter being 5 months pregnant seems to have worked it's way through the new cycle quickly.

And it appears to be working in her favor.

Those who were against her, are still against her, of course.

But those who were on the fence seem to see her as more human, as even more willing to walk the walk, as having a relationship with her daughter that many envy.

Those of us who were behind her all weekend, it seems, are still behind her today - perhaps even more strongly. I had a bit of a hiccup, but finding that not only did she tell McCain about the issue ahead of his picking her, but that it was fairly well known in Alaska, reassures me of her straight shooter bona fides.

I think that it could have been handled better, though I understand trying to keep some privacy for your 17 year old daughter. Having Bristol holding Trig (and his blanket) on stage during Palin's introductory speech does seem to have been an attempt to camouflage a burgeoning belly. I love that it makes the nutroots look even nuttier for suggesting a girl who is 5 months pregnant could have had a baby 4 months ago. That would be quite a story for the medical journals.

Check The Mirror

I am not happy about the Bristol Palin revelation, but it isn't that surprising in this day and age.

I certainly hope that the left, particularly the Hollywood left, take a moment to think before launching an attack. After all, they nurture and glamorize the culture that encourages these types of things.

Occasionally, an out-of-wedlock pregnancy leads a celebrity to do the right thing. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz got married before announcing her condition, Jessica Alba married Cash Warren prior to the birth of their daughter, Jamie Lynn Spears claims that she will be marrying the father of her child.

But, for all of those stories, there are plenty more that follow the finger in the eye to convention route. The Nicole Richie, Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie model of behavior. Heck Goldie Hawn was doing it ages ago.

I trust that Bristol and Levi have all the support they need to face this instant adulthood. And, like ExKevin, I am glad that Governor Palin and her family don't see a baby as a punishment.

Behind the Scenes With McCain/Palin

Meghan McCain has some great backstage shots.

Oh Fer Cryin' Out Loud!

Sarah and Todd Palin have announced that their 17 year old daughter is pregnant and planning on marrying her boyfriend.

Did she know this last week? Because that is something she may have wanted to mention during the vetting process.

D says that the announcement means nothing bad to him, and just makes her seem more real.

UPDATE: John McCain says he knew about it and does not consider it a problem.

Sure, handing the left a weapon like that - no problem. Of course, there is a possibility that will alienate 'regular' people if they focus too much on that - and miss the opportunity to attack her on something that might stick

UPDATE 2: Finally found it online.
"She and the campaign also are asking that the media respect the family’s privacy" - yeah, that'll happen

Proof Palin is the Right Choice

Diddy is freaked out and wants all the "yoofs" to vote against McCain on Nov "forf".

Because, he says, there are no black people in Alaska.

I bet there are some black people, and Eskimos and other groups, in Alaska who could educate him about the diversity in the state.

WARNING: Dramamine recommended for viewing, Diddy has a serious case of the Spike Lee spins

People Who Do Things

John McCain and Sarah Palin are people who do things. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are two guys who talk a lot.

Indeed

Second Thoughts

I am having concerns about the Palin pick. I really hope she thought it through, and discussed it with her family.

The Democrats political machine see nothing and no one as off limits, they will have no trouble trashing a person, or their family, with unfounded charges. They will now be going after the Palin children's school friends, Todd's friends and colleagues, Sarah's parents..... If the Clinton's decide they want Obama to win after all, the tactics get even lower & slimier.

I am happy to have her on the ticket, but I hate to see anyone put through that.

UPDATE: See, I told ya'

On Experience

The MSM and the DNC have said that choosing Sarah Palin as the VP candidate removes the GOP argument about Obama's lack of experience.

Oh, really? Let's compare.

UPDATE: More on potential versus accomplishment

(Hat Tip TCHOTP)

Rollin' Up Her Sleeves

I have to agree with ExJon, this is a woman who would have no problem shoveling muck, bailing water and cleaning up damaged homes.

AmI Right On This?

Hasn't Sarah Palin spent more time in the Middle East than Obama?

Just askin'

All Class

Michael Moore Says Hurricane Gustav Proof 'There Is a God'

Don Fowler laughs about Hurricane Gustav hitting New Orleans, says it is proof "God is on our side"

They represent the so-called "party of the people". Sure would be nice if someone would muzzle them.

Do you think those people across the south, bracing for yet another storm, will take note of Moore and Fowler and their incredible sensitivity?

Guaranteed the MSM will ignore the comments

BTW: Why is it they only think of God as causing suffering, or as the punchline of a joke?

BTW 2: Didn't they say Hurricane Katrina was Bush's fault, why does God get credit for this one?

Babies, Guns & Jesus

That's a resume that is giving the Dems fits.

Ugly Is As Ugly Does

The main theme emerging in the comment threads around the internet is that Palin can't be smart because she is pretty.

"Just a pretty face"
"A trophy VP choice"
"Apparently he only cares about surrounding himself with attractive women"
"How long till the nude photos surface"
"Just wait till the sex tape shows up"
"It is an insult to serious women everywhere"

"blah blah blah"

Apparently, in order to be a serious, intelligent women, you have to scare small children on the street.

Interesting

UPDATE: "She may be a homophobe and an anti-feminist, but….

John McCain's Vice Presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was a hottie back in the day.
She was probably a slut too!
Can't wait ’till all the skeletons start tumbling out of her closet!
How many dudes have done her up the butt and tapes it??? "

Way to stay classy and take the high road.

Some of Her Early Work

Sarah Palin grants citizenship to Craig Ferguson

I Admit It

I am giddy right now.

Positively beside myself with gid

Both the timing and tenor of the VP announcement, and the DNC/MSM reaction to it are fantastic.

Get The Tin Foil

A concern with the Palin pick, and this goes right in the conspiracy file, is the Clinton reaction. I had assumed that the Clintons, while appearing as supportive as possible, would find way to ensure Obama lost. Hillary's best, earliest chance would be 4 years from now after one McCain term.

Not so when the number 2 is also a strong woman.

Perhaps this pick actually encourages the Clinton machine to get on the Obama bus.

Loves It

It ain't easy for a female to look that good in a flight suit - she looks completely comfortable.

I'm Not The Only One Thinking It

Sarah Palin, the Republican VP candidate is a MILF. You know it's true.

What makes her an industrial strength, grade A MILF?
Strong, smart, ethical, charming, rugged, out-spoken...

The fact that she is good looking is just icing on that cake.

*****************************
I don't know that she would have been my first choice, but neither was McCain. I do like what she brings to the ticket (despite CNN proclaiming this morning that "the number 2 pick has no effect") and what she takes out of the debate.

Happy to have her :-)

UPDATE: From a comment here, predicting the Palin/Biden debates -
"I have hunted and killed big game Senator and you're not big game."
heh!

Something New For The Truthers

You just know they are going to swallow this lunacy hook, line and sinker - because it is what they wish for; a big, bad, evil, conspiracy-laden US government.

Putin accuses U.S. of orchestrating Georgian war

Remote Control

John McCain 2008

Nice use of their own words - love the sound bite of Obama trying to make a point, especially since it is a good one.

But, really, can you imagine listening to Obama's stutter-stop-hesitating-bumbling delivery for four years? He makes W's delivery sound smooth.

McCain? Obama? Utah?

Those of you who are unsure about the two major party candidates might want to know about other options.

Special Agent Johnny Utah has been fairly mum on this, but I thought you should all know.

Cool New Game Show

Click to see the set of the new game show Spot The Tool

Oh, that's not what it is?

Nevermind

Imagine That

Sounds like what the US (especially along the border) has been dealing with for years.

Illegal immigrants are returning home to Mexico in numbers not seen for decades — and the Mexican government may have to deal with a crush on its social services and lower wages once the immigrants arrive.

Hmmm, not really feeling too much pity for them.

'bama/Biden Bumper Stickers

From Creative Minority Report comes a first wave of bumper stickers:.

Smugs & Plugs

Ed Morrisey said it best: "Is that really happening? After a week of excruciating suspense, the big revelation is Joe Hairplugs?"

From a comment here

Housing Issues

The Democrats want to make sure that you know how many homes John McCain owns, and he seems to be unsure. If the number they are reporting is correct, there is a simple formula for them to remember.

    Take the number of states Obama thinks we have
    subtract the number of states we actually have    
   get the number of homes owned by the McCains

Glad I could help

Fear Itself

(Hat Tip Pirate King)

Hey, I'm Livin' Ova He-ah

Looks like there are some judges who got it right, despite the appaling Kelo ruling:

That's Not Blight. It's New Jersey.

The usual M.O. for city fathers eyeing some juicy piece of property is to declare the homes of people living there "blighted." That's just what happened to Lori and her neighbors. She says that when Long Branch first started to talk about a redevelopment plan in the mid-1990s, no one even suspected their homes were being targeted for teardown. Then they found that their neighborhood was officially declared blighted.

The good news is that while New Jersey's politicos are apparently content to leave their citizens vulnerable to these kinds of seizures, the courts have been more, well, judicious. In a welcome ruling last year, the New Jersey Supreme Court in Gallenthin Realty Development Inc. v. Borough of Paulsboro said that the government could not declare a property blighted just because someone else might put it to higher economic use. Last week the appellate court followed up by sending the Long Branch case back to the lower court. The three judges made clear they were skeptical of the blight designation -- and put the burden on the city to prove it.

(Hat Tip Point of Law)

Obamarama

I wonder how the City of Chandler logo would look on the presidential seal....

Denials All Around

George Clooney is denying this.

Colin Powell is denying this.

Kind of makes you wonder if the Obama campaign is just planting stuff for the press coverage - and to see what kind of reaction they get.

Not Such A Shocker

I remember all the jubilation in the Republican party over Colin Powell, and I remember wondering what he actually believed. It seemed he was very reluctant to express his political leanings.

Now they are much more clear.

More Proof Of his Obamessiah-ness

After all, his is the way and the truth and the light - so help me Obama.

(Hat Tip TCHOTP)

That's The Ticket

Obama/Clooney '08

I guess that would be some people's idea of a dream team.

The rest of us prefer our leaders to know what the heck they are talking about.

Just Desserts

I wonder how John Edwards would feel about being on the receiving end of one of those ridiculous class action suits?

Overlawyered is only kidding, but you have to giggle at the thought.

Stand With Georgia

Georgia, one of our strongest allies in the East and formerly part of the Soviet Union, is fighting for their independent existence yet again. Exurban Jon created a graphic he is encouraging fellow bloggers to snag and display.

While you are at it, take a moment to consider what the conflict could mean for the world at large. This is fighting in a very far away place, that could have a major impact around the globe.

The Dems Love McCain...

...so he can't be all bad.

(Hat Tip Right Wing Sparkle)

And some Obama logos I found at Fark.

Sing It, Sister

Sounds like Lissa is well on her way.

(Hat Tip Cold Fury)

Maybe this video will help her on her way - "I'm a conservative Republican because..."

Been There, Done That

Sometimes even the Enquirer gets it right

Two Jokers - lol

So Much For Free Health Care

Received from T.C.H.O.T.P. today:

As he says, you can't make this stuff up:
http://www.southernappeal.org/index.php/archives/3145

As I wrote before, when there is no way for the Dems to lose, they ramp it up.

So true. This election was supposed to be a cake walk for them, and they keep finding ways to look the fool. An ethics violation because Sen Coburn is delivering babies for free. What will they think of next?

It Needs To Be Said

Max Blumenthal is an idiot. Or he'd like us to think that he is. At the very least he should be issued on of Macker's Race Cards for seeing racism under every rock and behind every tree...and in most every country music lyric.

Obamessiah

This had me laughing and wincing in turn:

He ventured forth to bring light to the world

One of the 200-some-odd comments, this one from Chuck in Boise:"I now know the answer to the question of if Jesus was black or not."

(Hat Tip Desert Martini)

San Francisco Suffers, Too

One more consequence of living in a sanctuary city

"I want justice. I want the people to see: If my family wasn’t safe, what makes you think yours will be?"

The View

I just saw a clip from The View (if I find it later, I'll link it) showing Whoopi Goldberg and the chick-whose-name-I-can't-remember defending Jesse Jackson's use of "the 'N' word". Because, you know, it's OK if black people use it. But no one else, they "don't wanna hear it come out your mouth"

Well, first they said it was OK in private, to which Elizabeth Hasselbeck said, how can that be OK, it is hurtful and offensive anytime. Then they said it is OK if you are black, especially if you are funny. And, "don't tell me I can't say that word"

Really? I thought that the NAACP had a big funeral for that word. A whole bunch of black leaders got together and requested that rappers and comedians and everyone else remove that word from their vocabulary. People lose their jobs over that word...unless, apparently, they are Jesse Jackson...referring to all African-Americans that Obama might be speaking to. Then it is just peachy keen.

When Elizabeth tried to find out why it was OK for one group and not another, since "we live in the same world" Whoopi said "we do NOT live in the same world!" How thoroughly ridiculous! Nothing like adding to the divisiveness there, Whoopi.

Her example was, "I grew up in a country where my mother couldn't vote and you have no idea what that is like" So, either Whoopi is a LOT older than I thought (since the 15th Amendment passed in 1870) or she doesn't think Elizabeth has a mother (since the 19th Amendment passed in 1920)

Where and when was Whoopi growing up that her mother couldn't vote but the white mothers could?

UPDATE: Here is a video, the audio is off a bit, but you get the idea

True 'Nuff

I read Perez most days (yeah, I do, so sue me - he even posted a story I sent him - lol) but he has gotten ridiculous with the McCain bashing.

This comment from one of his readers was spot on:

I just get irritated at people who make stupid political comments because they make us liberals look like the stupid a$$es they think we are.

And You Thought Uranus Was Funny

Wait till you hear what Dallas county commissioners think about "black hole"

(Hat tip T.C.H.O.T.P.)

UPDATE: Rather than looking back on this exchange and realizing the error of his ways, commissioner Wiley Price expands on the lunacy by saying that "angel food" and "devils food" are racist cake flavors. Honestly, I couldn't make this stuff up.

UPDATE: Here is some video on it. Thanks to Dog Snot Diaries via Desert Martini

What in the World?

I am not nearly funny enough to come up with anything to say about this.

Muslims outraged over puppy ad

Maybe someone in the Exurbs can come up with something.....

UPDATE: Good comment on the story

Wait a minute. Has the country gone barking mad? This advert was produced by a British police force for British people. The British are a nation of animal lovers. How can this possibly be offensive?

- Jan (British), South Africa, 01/7/2008 12:59

Rachel Lucas "Yes. Someone in an official capacity APOLOGIZED for this, in a Western, supposedly Christian country. Beautiful. Way to keep the pain coming, morons"

Don't Mess With Texas

At least not this particular Texan, who was cleared for shooting two burglars he saw exiting his neighbor's home.

Why We Call Them Moonbats

Here they are howling and cringing when confronted by...the National Anthem.

Hope They Are Holding Their Breath

Exurban League fills us in on the planned Bush Legacy bus tour, with their usual humor:

The interior will include exhibits attacking Bush’s record on the economy, the environment, and his ties to the oil companies. It'll even feature a big gas pump that reads "Grand Oil Party." Really, what better way to stand up to Big Oil than to drive 50,000 miles in a gas-guzzling bus? That’ll show those conservatives who really cares about the environment!

Idiocy

I am so hoping this is not true.

Haven't been able to verify on their website, though.

UPDATE: I see a lot of stupid buttons, and some funny ones, on their site. Not, thankfully, the one pictured in the story. Can't confirm..can't refute. Anyone know if someone or some group was stupid enough to make and sell this pin? Would the Texas GOP be foolish enough to allow it?

Cuba Libre

What in the world has gotten into those Cubanos?

So many changes recently, and now an abolishment of the salary equality system.

The minister pointed out that the current wage system sapped employees' incentives to excel since everyone earned the same regardless of performance.

"It's harmful to give a worker less than he deserves, it's also harmful to give him what he doesn't deserve," the newspaper article said.

I have always hoped that someday something wonderful would happen in Cuba. The Cuban people I met when I lived in Florida were simply amazing, and the stories I heard of the country made me hope for a day when it would be open to the world again. Each of the reforms that has come in the last few months have given me a flicker of hope, but this is the first to truly strike at the heart of the communist philosophy.

Here is hoping for a free and thriving Cuba someday soon.

SF ♥ Sheehan?

Nope, not so much.

Whew

Looks like we won't have to worry about being outperformed on the global stage anymore.

For the audience of menacing mothers and feisty fathers, though, the sight of 25 Snow Whites, no dwarfs and no wicked witch was a triumph: a clear victory for Japan's emerging new class of “Monster Parents."

For they had taken on the system and won. After a relentless campaign of bullying, hectoring and nuisance phone calls, the monster parents had cowed the teachers into submission, forcing the school to admit to the injustice of selecting just one girl to play the title role.

Just like the public schools here.

Take My Governor, Please

I heard on the radio tonight that Janet Napolitano may be on Obama's VP candidate short list. I don't know if this is just the general speculation surrounding anyone who supports a candidate in the primary, our local media making themselves giddy at the prospect (especially with McCain in the race, as well) or an actual possibility.

What I do know is that I hope it is true.

Not only would it get her out of our hair, she would be a giant anvil around his campaign. Whatever credibility of his survives after examining his record, will be quickly disposed of when examining hers.

Please, Santa, I've been a good girl. Can I have an Obama/Napolitano ticket this year?

More likely she will end up with some post like Attorney General...

(I was looking for a shot of her and came across this post. After our recent kerfuffle involving the term moonbat, I had to click)

A Vote For McCain

In case you were still undecided, a new reason to vote for John McCain.

not that these dopes have a history of actually following through, but one of these times they just might. Since Tim Robbins threatened it before, perhaps we can get a two-fer

The Coffee, The Cook and The Wardrobe

Do I (or anyone I know) think that Dunkin' Donuts or Rachael Ray are anti-semitic and/or terrorist sympathizers? No. Obviously.
**********************************
Humans are programmed to respond to symbolism.

From the earliest times we have used symbols to indicate ownership, allegiance, status... The earliest languages were symbolic rather than the letter-based forms we most often use today.

In Medieval times, heraldry allowed the use of symbols to convey not just what tribe/clan/family you belonged to, but what that group stood for. Countries adopted flags, perhaps the most powerful symbols known.

Other symbols were not created for their current purpose, but commandeered. The most common one referenced is the Swastika which originated as an ancient religious symbol (apparently used by Buddhists, Hindus, Celts, Greeks...), but was so successfully 'owned' by Hitler and his Nazi party, it is no longer used in it's more peaceful form. Take also the rainbow. A pretty little symbol, historically associated by Christians with "God's promise" and by everyone else with the end of precipitation. Nowadays it symbolizes homosexuality. In fact, I had a rainbow colored lei hanging from my rearview mirror (I loved the colors, and it made me think of summer) but I grew so tired of explaining that, "no, I'm, not gay, but thanks for the interest" that I took it down.

Marketing agencies spend billions of dollars every year hammering symbols into our brains. Some are wildly successful - Apple, Nike, McDonald's, NBC, Shell.... You know instantly what company goes with which logo, no words needed.

Now the issue at hand - Dunkin' Donuts, Rachel Ray and THAT scarf.

Why would a marketing company, clearly a business well aware of the power of symbols, not notice the potential PR misstep they were making?

Other companies have made the same error; e.g. Intel and their sprinters ad, Starbucks with the towers... In the case of Intel, it is easy to see why it was pulled - hard to imagine a time or a context where it would not be considered offensive. In the case of Starbucks, the imagery is much more subtle, but in the time immediately following 9/11, in the city that suffered the biggest loss, it is easy to see how it would cause offense, or at least heartache.

The bottom line for me is: Dunkin Donuts should have known better, it is their brand to protect. Rachel Ray should have known better. The advertising company should DEFINITELY have known better. The kaffiyeh associated with Fatah, Hamas and other murderous thugs is black & white or red & white. It isn't ANY kaffiyeh, but a very specific color combo which they commandeered. Though the scarf Ray was wearing was a paisley print, it still read as a black & white kaffiyeh - and it still raised concerns in many of the people who saw it.

That kaffiyeh-ness lead to some calling for a boycott of Dunkin' Donuts based on the impression of callousness in the face of the Iraq war and ongoing terrorist threat. A definite over-reaction.

When the ad was pulled, it resulted in calls for a boycott of Dunkin' Donuts based on their caving in to the pressure. A definite over-reaction.

It's been said that there is no such thing as bad publicity, but no good seems to have come to them from this - and it seems odd they didn't foresee it.

This isn't about Rachel Ray making a fashion choice in her normal life. If I saw her wearing it on the street, I doubt I'd have batted an eye.
It certainly isn't about whether or not college students & hipsters wear kaffiyehs, people have proven idiotic in their offensive fashion choices throughout history. (and the fact that rappers and athletes throw the word "nigger" around, doesn't make it less offensive when Michael Richards says it on stage)
This isn't even about whether it was a kaffiyeh, whether it was a terrorist specific kaffiyeh, or whether there is even such a thing.

It is about whether a company that works hard to project and protect a brand (or brands in the case of the ad agency) should have known they were featuring an offensive symbol in one of their ads. The answer is yes, clearly.

*********************************************
Another issue that this raises, however, is the lack of humor on the left. The original ExLg post regarding this was funny - and incredibly, blatantly sarcastic (particularly in light of the fact that ExLg is often incredibly, blatantly sarcastic) The humor was, as usual, lost on those who disagree.

Get Ready For The Tax Hike

While watching 12 News last night I heard a story concerning the price of gas - big surprise.

This particular story was about how people are cutting down on their drving because the cost of gas is so high.
High gas prices = less driving = less gas purchased.

According to the reporter, though, that leads to a problem.
Less gas purchased = less gas tax collected.

Of course, less gas tax collected is a problem because we won't have money to expand the freeway system to handle the....wait for it....increasing traffic congestion...?!?

High gas prices = less driving = less gas purchased = less gas tax collected: OK

Less driving creating a problem because of increased traffic? Does not compute.

The kicker is the proposed solution - a $.01 sales tax. They'll get ya' one way or another.

I Voted Today

It couldn't have been quicker or easier - how did it go for you?

Because He Likes Stalinism

Michael Moore is quite a piece of work:

"These Cuban exiles, for all their chest-thumping and terrorism, are really just a bunch of wimps - that's right, Wimps!" Moore continues in his book. His smear refers to all Cubans who left Cuba but singles out the Bay of Pigs freedom-fighters for particular scorn. "Ex-Cubans with a yellow stripe down their backs," he calls them, on top of "crybabies."

UPDATE: Forgot to give you the link, sorry - the rest is here.

One Ringy Dingy

I was privy to a conference call with John Shadegg last night. I don't know if any of you have been in on this, though I assume you have. It seems to have been a random dial off of a GOP phone list, a computer tells you that you can join in to the call and either just listen or ask a question. I was intrigued so I stayed on the line to hear what he had to say - and of course I had to get my two cents in.

First, I have to say that I generally despise any sort of solicitation call - even from a party I support. However, I was thoroughly impressed with the technology and it would have been easy enough to hang up had I chosen not to participate.

Second, I was impressed not only with his willingness to answer the questions, but with the tone and presentation of those answers. He seemed to know his stuff - and when he didn't know the answer right off, he admitted it and promised to get back to the constituent. I am always impressed with someone who will say "I don't know" rather than try to fake it. He has a gift when it comes to speaking, and wasn't reduced to ah-ing and um-ing while he made his points.

Third, my question concerned the guest worker program, something he has openly supported. He knew I was against it and still took the question.

I made the point (which I have many times) that it is incongruous to be paying out so much in unemployment claims, to fork over so much in welfare, to hear over and over how the economy has put so many people out of work...and then claim we have some need to import workers across the border to fill jobs that would otherwise remain unfilled. I asked if it might make sense to include a provision that would require any state participating in a guest worker program to forgo unemployment benefits.

He said he constantly hears from certain industries that they can't stay in business without the illegal labor pool because no one else will do the work (well, why would they if we pay them to sit at home?) He specifically mentioned construction where he has been told 40% of their labor pool is illegal. I have friends in the construction field who have seen the work dry up in this state, and are having trouble finding employment, I can tell you that there is a legal labor pool waiting for those jobs.

I mentioned that my company paid out over $95,000 in unemployment premiums in 2007 (that may have been 2006 numbers) and our labor pool is largely unskilled, exactly the type of worker a guest worker program would import. He said he hadn't heard numbers like that before and asked me to forward them to his office, and I think he may have been sincere in his curiosity.

However, I previously sent letters with all of that info to all of Arizona's representatives at the federal level and my representatives at the state level, to which I received form letters in reply - most of which seemed to have only the most tenuous connection to what I wrote. I realize they were handled by staffers who are probably burned out on the whole immigration thing, but that is their job. The least they could have done was read the letter to determine not just what it concerned ("immigration? check, send out the immigration form letter stating our position") but what part of the issue I specifically addressed - and what side I was on.

All in all, the call was a good experience and I recommend participating if you get the chance. It was interesting to hear what other people felt compelled to ask - and nice to hear him answer directly.

McCain Plays To The Wrong Base

	Team McCain, This week our campaign is promoting John McCain's long-term commitment to providing market-based solutions to climate change and highlighting ways we can all protect our environment. We're also taking this week to launch a new section of our store - complete with eco-friendly items. In our new store section, we're proud to offer eco-friendly t-shirts and polo shirts made from biodegradable fabric, as well as organic cotton hats and shopping bags. You can also buy travel mugs and notebooks made from recycled materials. Please show your support for John McCain by purchasing these items (or any other store item) by following this link. Our campaign believes we can each do our part to protect the environment. You can take action today by visiting the eco-friendly section of our store. Please take the time today to visit the campaign's official store to purchase your eco-friendly McCain gear and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same. Also, click here to see a new section of JohnMcCain.com that lays out John McCain's plan to combat climate change by establishing a market-based system to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mobilize innovative technologies, and strengthen the economy. Thank you, Rick Davis Campaign Manager P.S. Please take the a few minutes today to visit our new eco-friendly section of the official John McCain 2008 store. You'll find environmentally friendly gear - everything from t-shirts to shopping bags - to show your support for John McCain. Please visit the store today!
	Republican National Committee | 310 First Street, SE | Washington, D.C. 20003 p: 202.863.8500 | f: 202.863.8820 | e: info@gop.com Paid for by the Republican National Committee. 310 First Street, SE - Washington, D.C. 20003 - (202) 863-8500 www.gop.com Authorized by John McCain 2008 Copyright 2008 Republican National Committee

The Case For Meds

Normally, I side with the folks who say Americans are over-medicated.

Rosie O'Donnell, however, is clearly off her meds - someone needs to refill her prescription.

Danger, Danger

see more song memes

Still Funny

Years later, still true:

(2) There are two organizations pushing for change in November--al Qaeda and the Democratic party. And they both have the same message: "We're going to fix you, America." On the whole, the terrorists have a more straightforward plan for fixing things. They're going to blow themselves up. Although, come to think of it, Howard Dean did that.

More of Putting Words in the President's Mouth from PJ O'Rourke

Jabba ♥ Obama

Or, at least, he is very disappointed in Hillary. Make that disgusted.

Wow, how bad do you have to be as a lefty to make Michael Moore disgusted?

Art? Abortion as Art?

Well, it apparently passes for art in academia:

Beginning next Tuesday, Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself "as often as possible" while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages. Her exhibition will feature video recordings of these forced miscarriages as well as preserved collections of the blood from the process.

Sick. Sad. Wrong. Tragic.

Unbelievable

UPDATE: I had my doubts when I first read this, but was persuaded by the publication of the story in the official Yale news. Perhaps I should doubt that, as well, and realize that a campus publication is even less likely to fact check than a traditional big city paper of record. Newsbusters certainly isn't buying it.

UPDATE: Several hours after my last update, the major news sites were still listing this story as true - then quickly changed it to "creative fiction" There are facts that seem to remain - "The stomach-turning display will be showcased next week — complete with depictions of blood samples and videos purportedly from the terminated pregnancies." "Shvarts described her project to the Yale paper as a huge cube hanging from the ceiling and swathed in plastic sheeting smeared with her blood from the reported miscarriages. Videos taken of what the college student claimed were self-induced abortions in her bathtub will be projected both on the cube's sides and on the gallery walls." She still seems to consider abortion, or at least the idea of it, artistic.

I stand by my early reaction: Sick. Sad. Wrong. Tragic.

The story has managed something, Pro and Anti abortion groups alike expressed their outrage and concern.

UPDATE: She claims it isn't "creative fiction" as Yale claims, but in fact that she "conducted artificial inseminations and carried out what she characterized as self-induced miscarriage procedures"

Made For Each Other

Can't image why Ted Turner and Jane Fonda got divorced, they are like two peas in a pod. Two nutty, nutty peas.

No Equality

I just caught a bit on a news show (not sure which one) that was covering Obama's pastor speaking at a celebration for Maya Angelou, having been invited by the priest of the Catholic church. The priest said, with a straight face, "there's nothing that Pastor Wright said that Martin Luther King didn't say in the 60's"

Really? I have never heard of MLK saying anything ignorant and hateful like the sermons of Jeremiah Wright. Did I miss those speeches in the archive?

In his search for equality, this priest is finding it where there is none - and I think Reverend King would be offended at the comparison.

DC vs Heller

From SCOTUSblog:

The Supreme Court website Oyez.org has posted the audio to yesterday's argument in DC v. Heller in much-requested downloadable mp3 format here.  You can also listen and simultaneously follow along with the transcript using Oyez’s custom plugin here.

The level of information sharing is fantastic....

SCOTUS & Guns

Had a long post, lots of links and analysis, on the Supreme Court hearing arguments re: DC gun ban.

MT ate it. Arrghhh.

So, here is the bottom line.

The Second Amendment means I can have a bazooka in my closet if I want one. The framers made clear in their writings, and in the simple language they employed for the amendment, that they weren't talking about hunting and target shooting - they wanted to ensure our right to defend ourselves; together against other governments, individually against our own.

Let's hope that, unlike Kelo vs City of New London and Roe Vs Wade, they actually look to the document itself, not to foreign courts, political correctness, or personal bias.

UPDATE: Volokh
SCOTUSblog has a round up of articles more here and their analysis

Poll Position (updated again)

The AZ Republic claims, based on a Cronkite-Eight poll, that "a growing number of Arizonans favor stricter gun laws". However, this is also the polling agency that claims widespread voter support for gun control, abortion rights & "putting illegal immigrants on a path toward citizenship"

Those pronouncements strike me as just...well, wrong.

One would assume, with the connection to both ASU and KAET, it is a liberal leaning organization. One could infer from not only the results, but the issues they chose to cite (abortion and immigration in a story about pending gun legislation), that they are left leaning.

But...does anyone actually know anything about Cronkite-Eight , their methods and/or Dr Bruce Merrill?

UPDATE: I dashed off this post last night, and I wasn't very thorough (even for me) I have a feeling the results of these polls are 'cooked'

I wonder for instance if they elicit the preferred answer by the way they phrase the questions (e.g. "Are you in favor of removing all restrictions keeping a person from brandishing a gun in your child's classroom?") or by the demographic they target in the first place (e.g. Going to a Planned Parenthood office to ask about abortion 'rights')

I am not generally a believer in polls, per se, for all the reasons SAJU eloquently mentions in his comment, but I know it is possible for them to be more neutral - and ways to make them more 'useful'. I am wondering whether Cronkite-Eight has a reputation for making results more useful.

I used to work with the marketing database of a large computer company. My boss would say, "We have all the numbers, now we just need to find out what answer they want so we can write the correct query"

UPDATE: Espresso Pundit wrote about this, too.

Did We Say That? Oops

From Volokh who found it via Instapundit:

What Ferraro said is, at least partially, true. There are people supporting Obama because he is black - just as Clinton has gotten votes just because she is a woman.

And, I imagine, McCain has a lot of support based on his status as a war hero..Romney got the Mormon vote....

It happens, people!

However, the excuse Obama's campaign used for Michelle's "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country" comment was "She meant because an African-American has a chance of winning the Presidency". Live by the sword....

Now That's Funny

Scary - but funny

Found it here after he sent me the link

We Are The Ones...They Are The Ones....?

From a comment over on Junkyard Blog:

I’m a little puzzled that these people are so taken with Obama’s, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for” meme. When I first heard it I thought is was a quote from a Will Ferrell movie.

~ DLC

They're Coming For You

If someone out there has the technical ability - I would love to see a mash up of this video with this audio.

(how creepy is that Obama video anyway? Wow)

Odd Sight

As I was driving to work today, I passed a small demonstration. A group of 20 people or so; waving flags, wearing burkas and other Muslim garb, carrying signs. Unfortunately, they must have been tired of carrying the signs, because most of them were just hanging down - the only one that was upright and legible said "Terrorism is not a religion" and some other stuff I couldn't read because she dropped her arm. There were two police cars riding along in the street - though there didn't seem to be any issues.

I haven't found anything online about the 'march' and I have no idea why they felt the need to send a message on 35th Ave between Northern & Glendale.

Anyone know about this?

Flame On

Saw this in a comment thread somewhere today and laughed out loud, maniacally - like Hillary

If you would just sit down with Hillary and drink a nice cup of warm BLOOD, you would see things her way . . . or burst into flames

Wish I'd have made a note of it so I could give you a link.

And Then There Were Two

(Thanks to Exurban League for the graphic)

Happy Birthday, Gipper

February 6, 1911 - President Ronald Reagan Born

Ronald Wilson Reagan is born in Tampico, Illinois. After serving as Governor of California, Reagan will assume the office of the President on January 20, 1981, and will survive an assassination attempt only 69 days later. Reagan will serve two terms as President, leaving office in January 1989. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California will be dedicated in 1991, and Reagan will pass away on June 5, 2004.

Did You Vote?

Hearing stuff like this a lot:

It was tough, too, for Mary Jordan, 43, a teacher's aide - so tough she said she didn't make up her mind until she was in the polling booth. Voting Republican, she went for Romney, the state's former governor, because of his business experience, while offering no one a glowing endorsement. "I think he's the least unlikable," she said. "I really didn't like any of them."

source

Democrat Contenders

It seems entirely plausible that the Democrats may win the Presidency. If that happens, we will have either the first black or the first female POTUS.

I hope it is the former.

I think that Obama is a true believer. I may not agree with his ideas (OK, I most definitely don't agree with his 'solutions') but I am under the impression that he believes his own rhetoric. It seems he truly thinks that the agenda he has put forth will make things "better" for America.

I think that Hillary is a true politician. I believe her ideas come from being a manipulative, power-hungry, slime-ball of a corrupt politician - just like her husband. I think she will stop at nothing to get her way and harm her enemies.

Though I would prefer our first black president have a name more like Thomas Sowell than Barak Hussein Obama - I would hate to have Hillary Clinton forever engraved on the history books as America's first female Commander in Chief.

Bonus: if Obama gets the nom, the Clinton machine will probably kick into gear to sabotage his chances - in order to give Hillary a better chance in 2012.

BTW: I wish Caroline Kennedy was right about Obama being like her father. It would be refreshing to have someone as conservative as JFK in the running...

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

-John Fitzgerald Kennedy

UPDATE: Upon further reflection - Obama really scares the heck out of me. Even more than Hillary. It does seem that he is more vulnerable, though, and will present less of a challenge to McCain.

Or perhaps that is just wishful thinking....

Election Dilemma

On a previous post about Why I Don't Vote Early, Special Agent Johnny Utah asked me to expand a bit. That question ties into a post I have been meaning to write, so here goes...

I don't like to vote early in case my candidate, in this case Thompson, drops out before my state's primary. I suppose because I want to cast my vote for the candidate that best represents my values - and is still in the race. I want my vote to be 'counted'...but as I think about it....

I have never had a problem voting for a candidate I believed in simply because the conventional wisdom suggested that they "couldn't win". I bristled as Hugh Hewitt chastised callers that "a vote for Huckabee is a vote for Giuliani" (as it turns out, he was wrong anyway, a vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain)

Unfortunately, this pool of pols leaves me completely uninspired. There is no one left in the running that I would be happy to see running the country, so a choice among them would be a matter of picking the least bad of three bad options.

Or, I could vote my heart and cast a ballot for Fred. I would know that my vote "counted" for something, even if that something was just a solitary voice whispering in the political void "give us real candidates, real conservatives, real choices"

However, I really don't want McCain to win. Really. With Huckabee still in the race pulling votes, that weakens Romney's odds. I am no fan of Romney, either, but I think his real world executive experience and understanding of economics and business make him a better choice. He has the brains to surround himself with a good team, where McCain sees himself as all the team he needs (if it were possible for him to appoint himself as Secretary of Everything and do away with the Cabinet, I think he would).

The pundits have all given Arizona to McCain already. My one vote for Fred probably would have no impact whatsoever. I just would hate to think that all of us who want to send a message to the party could have changed that outcome by voting for Romney, and didn't.

Thoughts?

Ann Coulter Goes Over The Edge

I agree that McCain is far from conservative, and that he is bad for the Republican party. However, to say he would be worse for the country than Hillary Clinton is taking it too far.

Since there is a grain of truth to it, though, I doubt she is simply illustrating absurdity by being absurd. Just trying to be controversial? Trying to get herself some extra publicity? Attempting to taint Hillary?

She really, actually believes it?

Sums It Up Nicely

Tony decided to catch up on the situation with Campaign 2008. For those of you who are still unsure of which way to vote, you may want to read his recap.

Location, Location, Location

I don't know if it speaks to their chances in the state, or their interest in it, but Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama were both in Arizona this week.

She was at Cesar Chavez High School - in Laveen.

He was at Arizona State University - in Tempe.

CORRECTION: Obama apparently wasn't at the event at ASU. Even without the actual candidate, his campaign gets a better venue.

Why I Don't Vote Early

Now that Fred is gone, I don't know who I'll be backing...

Joke of the Day

Courtesy of Exurban Kevin.

Bill Clinton Has A Dream

"Fred Thompson is not your "bro" and he is going to tase you."

Fred Thompson's plan for the U.N. is to wait for a big conference and then melt down the entire headquarters, uniting leaders from all nations into a nice little paperweight for his desk.

Fred Thompson Facts from IMAO

(Hat Tip Exurban League)

Flogging

Romney didn't just win in Nevada, he kicked some serious @ss. It seems he got at least 51% of the vote.

Even though the other candidates virtually ignored the state, I would still have expected a stronger showing from them. As it stands, it appears there is a tie for second between......John McCain & Ron Paul (!?!) at 13%. Wow.

Blowback, Indeed

"Who says there's no justice in this world?"

But where, I ask you, do such studied and/or sincere expressions of racial offense come from? From a decades-long campaign of enforced political correctness by an alliance of white liberals and the black civil rights establishment intended to delegitimize and marginalize as racist any criticism of their post-civil rights-era agenda.

Anyone who has ever made a principled argument against affirmative action only to be accused of racism knows exactly how these tactics work. Or anyone who has merely opposed a more recent agenda item -- hate crimes legislation -- on the grounds that murder is murder and that the laws against it are both venerable and severe. Remember that scurrilous pre-election ad run by the NAACP in 2000 implying that George Bush was indifferent to a dragging death of a black man at the hands of white racists in Texas because he did not support hate crime legislation?

The nation has become inured to the playing of the race card, but "our first black president" (Toni Morrison on Bill Clinton) and his consort are not used to having it played against them.

(Hat Tip Exurban Kevin)

See also: The perils of identity politics

The Anti-Soundbite Candidate

Well, that would seem to describe Fred, though perhaps only in comparison to all the soundbite-only candidates. He certainly has let fly with several good one-liners. The difference: Fred's soundbites are punctuation, not the entire platform.

From American Thinker:

But Fred Thompson is perhaps the most substantative candidate to run for President in many years. He has taken the time to think about what should be the relationship between the government and the governed. He has framed his thoughts within the context of a set of bedrock conservative principles that animates his thinking and generates sound ideas about where America should be headed.

Spreading the Word

My work here is done. ;-)

"He Is Very Tall"

Love this comment on Professor Bainbridge's post, Romney Is The Weakest Candidate:

Richard R. nailed it: McCain showed little difference (except the war) from Hillary in governance, and he was especially a train wreck on amnesty.

This careening, lurching ride towards Democrat Lite, (three-fourths the socialist calories with a much more bitter taste) led by McCain and Huckabee makes me feel as if I have been dropped into an alternative universe. Where did the conservatives go and why have they left?

[snip]

Conservatives, check yourselves. You have to rescue the Republican Party. There is only one candidate, and he is really tall.

Posted by Michael F on 01/14 at 10:54 PM

And this:

"[Romney] might make a VP candidate with Thompson. Since Thompson is weakest on organization, Romney could play the Cheney role.”

Romney would be a superb COO to Thompson as CEO. He could dig into the org. charts and budget, find all the duplication and waste, and restructure the federal government. But I want Thompson setting the guiding principles and policies.

Posted by SpecB on 01/14 at 10:22 PM

Familiarity Breeds Contempt...

...Arkansas breeds corruption.

It would appear that Huckabee has much in common with Clinton, aside from the state they governed, and none of it is good.

Of course, Salon can hardly be considered an unbiased source, but where there is this much smoke, there is probably fire. The author did come up with things to praise about the Huckabee record, most of which would fall into the "cons" category for me.

All in all, I don't get his standing in the polls. He does seem charismatic and able to come across as likable, he appears to have the best sense of humor, but there is no "there" there.

Is there?

Thompson 65%

	Fred Thompson Score: 65	Agree Iraq Taxes Stem-Cell Research Health Care Abortion Social Security Marriage Death Penalty Gun Control Environment Education	Disagree Immigration Line-Item Veto Energy
-- Take the Quiz! --

No surprise there.
Just curious - why is Thompson the only candidate who didn't rate a consistent graphic from WQAD? All the others are labeled and such.

#2 and 3, McCain & Hunter: 60%..ok, a little surprise there, but I think they are using candidates stated positions rather than their record.

Paul: 53%
Huckabee: 45%
Romney: 41%
Guiliani: 39%

Obama & Clinton both hit me at 12%, and we ostensibly agreed on the same topics; line-item veto and death penalty. John Edwards was the very last in my list at just 7%.

(hat tip Exurban League)

Humorectomy

Listening to Laura Ingraham on my way to work this morning. Today she was incensed - incensed, I tell you! - that Mike Huckabee in particular, and all the candidates in general, are making the rounds of the TV talk shows.

Her take, "there are serious problems in the world and Huckabee is making jokes!" on The Colbert Report. How dare he not talk about the soldiers who were killed in Iraq, or the problems with Pakistan harboring terrorists. How dare he wax wittily about the campaign trail.

I have no problem with Huckabee campaigning on any reasonable show that will have him. (Though I am sick of hearing, "as the only candidate with a Theology degree" and I would be concerned if he was making his plea on Pat Robertson's show) When he is on a comedy show, he does well being funny. When the candidates do news shows, they can concentrate on plans for the economy and their stance on abortion. I appreciate that human beings are able to compartmentalize, and I would hate to imagine what a single-minded concentration on any of the prevailing issues of the day would do to a person's psyche.

I should qualify this by noting that Huckabee is the politician best suited to the Comedy Central route, as he seems to be the only candidate of either party with a natural sense of humor. The others, though fed with quips and one-liners by their staff, can't quite pull it off. I am thinking most specifically of McCain here, who insists on telling "jokes" that are rarely funny and never effectively delivered.

At the end of the show, she let it slip that Huckabee has declined to appear on her show. She seemed genuinely put out that he would choose Letterman, Leno & Colbert over her.

So, Laura, were you really upset about him making jokes or were you just upset that he wasn't making them on your show?

[ed note: I won't be voting for Huckabee in the primary, but in the general he is head & shoulders more appealing than Clinton, Obama, Edwards....]

Scandalicious

The National Enquirer was right about Jamie Lynn Spears pregnancy (which they reported months ago). Do you suppose they have the inside info on John Edwards' mistress and her upcoming blessed event?

News To Me

According to Special Agent Johnny Utah, John McCain is "respected by members of Congress with whom he will have to work."

I didn't think there was anyone left who respected McCain in his current work. For his service in Vietnam, absolutely. As a Senator, over the past decade or so - not so much.

:-D

Doubts Removed

If you are still not convinced that the Clintons are behind the hostage drama, just examine his supposed "motive". His step-son claims he had been 'desperate' to get into a detox & rehab program for his problems with addiction. He promised the step-son he was "going to do something" to ensure he got the treatment he needed:

...and had told family members he wanted to get help but didn't have health insurance or money.

So, honest, hardworking folks are resorting to crime to make up for deficits in their health insurance - I wonder if Hilary has a plan for some sort of universal coverage.....

A little too convenient to my cynical mind

I Can't Help It

The reputation of the Clintons is such that I would not be surprised to hear the hostage situation in New Hampshire was staged to get her extra press - and show her handling a crisis.

Is it just me?

UPDATE: I received an email from a friend that said, "I'd like to think that I am not that cynical".

Me, too. But it's the Clintons, and their track record is heavy with tactics that make a girl cynical. I wouldn't even put it past them if there had been bloodshed.

Still Standing

Fred Thompson

Mike Huckabee

Mitt Romney

Duncan Hunter

Tom Tancredo

Rudy Giuliani

John McCain

Ron Paul

Same Old Song

The only thing that surprises me about this report is that Air America is still broadcasting.

Randi Rhodes faked a mugging - no surprise there.
Blame it on the "right wing hate machine" - of course.

OK, actually admitting it wasn't true seems a bit out of character, as well. But, really, Air America is still around?!?!?

The Conservative Case For Thompson

John Hawkins lays out a compelling case for Fred Thompson to be the conservative choice.

Oct 11, In Legal History

Candidate Calculator 2008

I kind of thought it would shake out this way:

Barry Manilow is A Wussy Boy

OK, that isn't exactly a newsflash. But he is way more wussy than I ever gave him credit for, so much so that he is afraid of a girl.

Is it some butch WWE wrestler type chick that has Barry quaking in his boots? Nope, it's this tiny little girly-girl.

She is a Conservative, though, so that might give her scary superpowers.....

UPDATE: Heard Dennis Miller talking about this on his radio show, he referred to the singer as "Barely Man Enough" - I think it fits. What is it about the left that, when they disagree with someone, they can't discuss it? Besides, let's face it, this wasn't Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh, both 'entertainers' whose whole shtick is to agitate and who might rile him up for the pure fun of it - and who usually make their targets look pretty bad.

His appearance on The View was to involve a performance and discussing his new album. Unless the songlist contains an ode to partial-birth abortion, I don't imagine Hassleback would have been on the war path. She would have been charming, told him she always loved his music, can't wait to get the new album....blah, blah, blah

Maybe it is just a publicity stunt on his part to try and generate buzz, hoping that will translate into sales. Making yourself look like an idiot seems an odd choice for that, though.

Getting positive exposure on The View, on the other hand, would have nailed his target audience and probably gotten him a sale or two.

Honk if You're Tired of Bumper Stickers

Ward says it pretty well, nothing really to add.

The Case For Thompson

Can't disagree with much Professor Bainbridge has to say about a Thompson candidacy, and Turk lays out a fairly detailed case, as well.

R.I.P. - Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin passed away Monday at the age of 76

Fun & Games

I found a new game over at the Beldar Blog ~

Spot the Tool

Maybe it's too easy...

Definition of an A$$

Eliot Stein - lowlife scum who claims that he just has "an incredible sense of humor"

As Cathy Seipp Lay Dying, Her Nemesis Took His Parting Shot on the Web

A sense of humor would imply doing something funny, not something cruel and twisted. I'd call him a pig, but that would be an insult to pigs everywhere.

Apparently, though, he has the mental & emotional development of a child. After working at a private LA school for only 4 months, he quit and:

On his last day, Stein came to school dressed in a tuxedo and, class by class, told all of his students that his leaving was the fault of one particular 10th-grade girl. By all accounts, Maia [Cathy Seipp's daughter]became an outcast at school.

Oh, and by the way, after unleashing his venom on Seipp as she lay dying, "Stein is absolutely unapologetic."

Discrimi-tunity

Who knew that protesting against Ladies Night put you on the same moral ground as Rosa Parks - and Jesus? Apparently, Steve Horner did, and he is planning on using that moral high ground to cash in......

Ladies Night - I can't believe he allowed himself to be filmed saying those things, but perhaps he plans to sue Comedy Central for making him look like the @$$ he is.

With Friends Like These

You can tell a lot about a person by the people he chooses to associate with.

John Edwards chooses poorly.

First there was his ill advised choice of official bloggers, now he goes back to old (equally sleazy) friend Fred Baron to shore up his position with other trial lawyers.

Blogging For The Breck Girl

John Edwards has hired himself a blogger-in-chief. Too bad he hired someone whose principles and legal acuity rival his, and who chooses profanity as a form of expression.

I can't do the story justice, but Overlawyered has it covered.

UPDATE: More from Overlawyered

AEI Internships

For you students out there looking for a summer internship opportunity, you may want to consider the American Enterprise Institute

Applications are available online

via Point of Law

Save Yourselves

It's too late to save Arizona, but perhaps the country still has a chance to stop an increase in the minimum wage.

Whiskey Tango

Foxtrot

A man used flammable liquid to light himself on fire, apparently to protest a San Joaquin Valley school district's decision to change the names of winter and spring breaks to Christmas and Easter vacation.

9/11 Commission

December 13, 2006 FOR YOUR INFORMATION On Friday, December 15th, a meeting will take place for Arizona’s citizens to weigh in as the Arizona 9-11 Memorial Commission determines its future actions. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. this Friday at the Attorney General’s office, 15 S. 15th Ave, Phoenix, in the basement of that building. Parking is at Wesley Bolin Plaza. For more information on the memorial and its inscriptions, go to http://az911memorial.com. If you choose to provide your input on the 9-11 Memorial, this can be done in 2 ways: Arrive before 9 a.m. on Friday, December 15 in order to put your name on the list to speak, as it is on a first-come, first served basis. Send an email with your opinion to info@az911memorial.com.  This email will go on the public record.

R.I.P. - Jeane Kirkpatrick

She was a great one, unflinching and straight-forward. As a young girl, I dreamed of a Jeane Kirkpatrick presidency. I believed she, rather than George Bush, was the perfect choice to follow Ronald Reagan into the Oval Office. Unfortunately, it was a path she did not choose to take.

Still she made her mark in the world. She made people think and, like Reagan, she made people believe.

Townhall has a round up of some of her writings and quotes.

From her speech at the 1984 GOP Convention, and very apropos today

They understand just as the distinguished French writer, Jean Francois Revel, understands the dangers of endless self- criticism and self-denigration.

He wrote: "Clearly, a civilization that feels guilty for everything it is and does will lack the energy and conviction to defend itself."

Our Delicate Sensibilities

Prohibition II

Yep, what he said

Prohibition II: Good Grief
When government restricts Americans' choices, ostensibly for their own
good, someone is going to profit from the paternalism.

By George F. Will Newsweek Oct. 23, 2006 issue -

Perhaps Prohibition II is being launched because Prohibition I worked so well at getting rid of gin. Or maybe the point is to reassure social conservatives that Republicans remain resolved to purify Americans' behavior. Incorrigible cynics will say Prohibition II is being undertaken because someone stands to make money from interfering with other people making money.

For whatever reason, last Friday the president signed into law Prohibition II. You almost have to admire the government's plucky refusal to heed history's warnings about the probable futility of this adventure. This time the government is prohibiting Internet gambling by making it illegal for banks or credit-card companies to process payments to online gambling operations on a list the government will prepare.

Last year about 12 million Americans wagered $6 billion online. But after Congress, 32 minutes before adjourning, passed its ban, the stock of the largest online-gambling business, Gibraltar-based PartyGaming, which gets 85 percent of its $1 billion annual revenue from Americans, declined 58 percent in one day, wiping out about $5 billion in market value. The stock of a British company, World Gaming PLC, which gets about 95 percent of its revenue from Americans, plunged 88 percent. The industry, which has some 2,300 Web sites and did half of its business last year with Americans, has lost $8 billion in market value because of the new law. And you thought the 109th Congress did not accomplish anything.

Supporters of the new law say it merely strengthens enforcement; they claim that Internet gambling is illegal under the Wire Act enacted in 1961, before Al Gore, who was then 13, had invented the Internet. But not all courts agree. Supporters of the new law say online gambling sends billions of dollars overseas. But the way to keep the money here is to decriminalize the activity.

The number of online American gamblers, although just one sixth the number of Americans who visit real casinos annually, doubled in the last year. This competition alarms the nation's biggest gambling interests-state governments.

It is an iron law: When government uses laws, tariffs and regulations to restrict the choices of Americans, ostensibly for their own good, someone is going to make money from the paternalism. One of the big winners from the government's action against online gambling will be the state governments that are America's most relentless promoters of gambling. Forty-eight states (all but Hawaii and Utah) have some form of legalized gambling. Forty-two states have lottery monopolies. Thirty-four states rake in part of the take from casino gambling, slot machines or video poker.

The new law actually legalizes online betting on horse racing, Internet state lotteries and some fantasy sports. The horse-racing industry is a powerful interest. The solidarity of the political class prevents the federal officials from interfering with state officials' lucrative gambling. And woe unto the politicians who get between a sports fan and his fun.

In the private sector, where realism prevails, casino operators are not hot for criminalizing Internet gambling. This is so for two reasons: It is not in their interest for government to wax censorious. And online gambling might whet the appetites of millions for the real casino experience.

Granted, some people gamble too much. And some people eat too many cheeseburgers. But who wants to live in a society that protects the weak-willed by criminalizing cheeseburgers? Besides, the problems-frequently exaggerated-of criminal involvement in gambling, and of underage and addictive gamblers, can be best dealt with by legalization and regulation utilizing new software solutions. Furthermore, taxation of online poker and other gambling could generate billions for governments.

Prohibition I was a porous wall between Americans and their martinis, giving rise to bad gin supplied by bad people. Prohibition II will provoke imaginative evasions as the market supplies what gamblers will demand-payment methods beyond the reach of Congress.

But governments and sundry busybodies seem affronted by the Internet, as they are by any unregulated sphere of life. The speech police are itching to bring bloggers under campaign-finance laws that control the quantity, content and timing of political discourse. And now, by banning a particular behavior-the entertainment some people choose, using their own money-government has advanced its mother-hen agenda of putting a saddle and bridle on the Internet.

Gone - In A Flash

Rumsfeld Out, Gates In

Oh, Sorry

I have been told I should be more gracious in the first day following the election, and congratulate the winners. Where's the fun in that?

Besides, in most cases, I don't think there were so many 'winners' as there were 'losers'

Also of note:
As Dennis Prager pointed out, in California, everything listed as a bond passed, and everything listed as a tax failed. Why do people think that bonds are not taxes, just because the payment of them is deferred? That means that CA managed to deny a tax increase on all tobacco products, while Arizonans implemented an .80 bump. (It was the "tax 'em all" Californians who came here, apparently) Arizonans now will vote for darn near any tax, especially on something unpopular (in this case cigarettes) to pay for something emotional (in this case "the children")

The Day After

The results are not all in, but it looks as if the people of Arizona, having suffered the influx of Californians for years, have finally lost their minds. Or maybe we really have become "the dumbest state in the nation".

Increased Minimum Wage: check
Napalitano still in office: check
Terry Goddard continues as AG: check
Ban smoking most everywhere: check
and on and on

In more hopeful national news, SCOTUS will be deciding on the 2003 Partial Birth Abortion Ban today. I have never understood how anyone, even the ghouls at Planned Parenthood, could support that procedure. Unnecessary, and unbelievably gruesome.

Let's hope that in the past six years, the understanding of the procedure, the groundwork laid in Congress, and the change in the court have gotten us to a point where we, as a country, are able to say, to this barbarity at least, "no!"

A description of the procedure follows after the jump, for those of you unfamiliar with the full heinousness of it. It is graphic - you have been warned.

Preliminary procedures are performed over a period of 2–3 days, to gradually dilate the cervix using laminaria tents (sticks of seaweed which absorb fluid and swell). Sometimes drugs such as synthetic pitocin are used to induce labor. Once the cervix is sufficiently dilated, the doctor uses an ultrasound and forceps to grasp the fetus' leg. The fetus is turned to a breech position, if necessary, and the doctor pulls one or both legs out of the birth canal, causing what is referred to by some people as the 'partial birth' of the fetus. The doctor subsequently extracts the rest of the fetus, usually without the aid of forceps, leaving only the head still inside the birth canal. An incision is made at the base of the skull and a suction catheter is inserted into the cut. The brain tissue is removed, which causes the skull to collapse and allows the fetus to pass more easily through the birth canal. The placenta is removed and the uterine wall is vacuum aspirated using a suction curette.

Election Day

The volunteers were also very friendly and cheerful & the parking was plentiful.

Go - vote!

AZ Propositions - 102

Proposition 102 - No Punitive Damages for Illegal Aliens

I definitely agree that we should not be rewarding illegal behavior by allowing those that break the law to collect huge settlements in civil lawsuits. However, I don't believe we should be awarding enormous settlements to anyone in these type of suits. The system is out of control, and no one wins but the lawyers. Compensatory damages are one thing, punitive damages are quite another.

Proposition 102 seems to treat the symptom, while ignoring the cause. Does this proposition really do anything to quell the immigrant problem? Does it help to reduce nuisance suits?

Generally, when I am unsure on a ballot measure, I default to NO. On this one, I am leaning slightly towards YES.

Thoughts?

UPDATE: This one gets a NO

AZ Propositions - 103

Proposition 103 - English as the Official Language

Does this even need an analysis?

Please, it is an easy and obvious YES

AZ Propositions - 107

Proposition 107 - Protect Marriage Arizona

I have posted before about my opposition to gay marriage, and one of my arguments is financial. There is no reason to extend the Social Security system even farther, it is broken enough as is. I already have a problem with paying out to people who didn't pay in, I don't want to create a whole new class of survivors.

I wasn't sure this was a topic that required such drastic action as Prop 107, but they have thrown me some extra goodies with this one. The end of government support for domestic partners, hetero or homosexual. Bonus.

In the commercials against 107, they list such horrors as seniors having their SS benefits reduced. Good. There is a reason that the payout is reduced when you are married, staying unmarried to scam the system should not be rewarded. They talk of families losing their health care. That is just bull. Private companies still have the option of offering the benefits if they choose, but they will not be compelled to do so.

I have never supported domestic partner benefits. If you don't feel strongly enough about your relationship to make the commitment, why should your employer or the federal government?

All the things the gay marriage proponents claim to want can be achieved via other means; wills, powers of attorney, planning. Everything except Social Security survivorship benefits and automatic permanent U.S. resident status for spouses - oh, and the right to not testify against your spouse. I would like to keep those privileges from being abused.

This one gets a YES.

From the official site:

What the amendment does:

• Reaffirms the definition of marriage in the Arizona Constitution.
  
• Prohibits judges and politicians in Arizona from redefining marriage.
  
• Restricts all levels of government from using taxpayers' dollars to undermine the state's marriage policy by giving recognition or benefits to marriage counterfeits, like "civil unions" or "domestic partnerships."

What the amendment does not do:

• Does not prevent the state of Arizona from granting benefits on an equal basis.
  
• Does not interfere with benefits granted by private corporations to their employees.
  
• Does not void benefits granted in existing contracts.
  
• Does not prevent governmental bodies from the common practice of giving benefits to financial dependents.
  
• Does not prohibit or prevent individuals from establishing any hospital visitation or health care decision-making arrangement they see fit.
  
• Does not interfere with the individual choices of citizens as to the private and/or legal relationships they desire to enter into and maintain.

Some well reasoned arguments in the gay marriage debate from around the web, click through and read the full text.

Thomas Sowell:

The "equal protection of the laws" provided by the Constitution of the United States applies to people, not actions. Laws exist precisely in order to discriminate between different kinds of actions.

When the law permits automobiles to drive on highways but forbids bicycles from doing the same, that is not discrimination against people. A cyclist who gets off his bicycle and gets into a car can drive on the highway just like anyone else.

Now before anyone says "sure Deb, but you haven't made a good case against gay marriage, you've just impugned the arguments for it" let me say that I think this is half the battle. The other half I'll let you get for yourself from your answer to this question: If it's "no big deal" to you--as a hetero or homosexual--whether marriage remains reserved for hetero couples, then why have marriage at all?

Insomnomaniac again:

Not only don't I see any acknowledgement of why our society instituted marriage in the first place, I don't see any honest acknowledgement that marriage was always, and is still, defined as one man and one woman. To listen to the rhetoric, you'd think there was this definition of marriage somewhere that read something like this: "When two humans decide they love each other a whole lot or just want to live together, share custody of some kids, make medical decisions for each other, bury the one who dies first and inherit that one's stuff without having to go through probate first, they get married."

Hypocrisy

Yes, Bono supports the forcible redistribution of wealth - as long as it's not his wealth.

A familiar paradox about leftist celebrities in the entertainment industry is that their embrace of progressivism almost never includes a wholehearted embrace of progressive taxation, i.e., the principle that the richer you get, the larger the percentage of your income you ought to pay in taxes.

AZ Elections

Gotta like what Karen has to say about Kyl/Pederson and Hayworth/Mitchell.

Ditto to her.

AZ Propositions - 300

Proposition 300

Why are my tax dollars being spent this way in the first place?

No, No, No

It is only reasonable to clarify that the tax dollars of our citizens and legal residents should not be used to support those who have chosen to violate our laws and our sovereignty.

It is indefensible that we should be charging students who come to Arizona for education from other states more than we charge students who have defied our laws by their illegal presence in our state.

The American sense of fairness dictates that we should not be subsidizing students who are here illegally in college level and adult education programs at the expense of the taxpayers of Arizona.

~ Don Goldwater

AZ Propositions - 207

Proposition 207 - Private Property Rights Protection Act

This one seems like a very good idea in light of the Kelo decision, but I am not sure this is the best solution. Anyone have compelling arguments pro or con for me?

AZ Propositions - 205

Proposition 205 - Your Right to Vote by Mail Act

You already have the right to vote by mail, however you also have the right to vote in person. This measure is an attempt to stop that - most likely to circumvent the ID requirement recently enacted.

That's right, all registered voters get their ballots in the mail, all votes are in the hands of the US Postal service. (with "a limited number of county- wide polling places" available)

Bad idea - NO.

UPDATE: Curious if SAJU is in support of this one, too, in order to 'increase voter participation'.

AZ Propositions - 202

Proposition 202 - Raise the Minimum Wage for Working Arizonans Act

This ill-conceived proposition not only increases the state minimum wage by $1.60 per hour, it sets a yearly increase automatically, as well.

All the arguments I have heard in favor of this go the same way - some variation of how people can't raise their families on $5.15 an hour. Well, they shouldn't even be trying. The minimum wage is nothing more than a starting point, and a bad one at that.

To paraphrase JP Morgan when asked if he felt he should be able to pay his workers $.25 an hour, he said, "If I can find someone to do it for that much". I wholeheartedly agree that the market should decide this. Artificially increase the wage range, and you increase the cost of doing business. Not just the $1.60 an hour, but the additional burden of higher workers compensation rates, higher unemployment insurance rates, higher federal & state taxes, higher Medicare and social security contributions.... Increase the cost of labor and you will get less of it. Increase the cost of doing business and the cost of goods and services you buy increase as well. Suddenly, someone trying to support a family on $6.75 an hour has the same problem they did before.

I heard one of the proponents on the radio yesterday saying that the average person who would benefit from an increased minimum wage is 28 years old and has been in the job market for 12 years. WTF! If you are 28 years old with 12 years worth of experience, and you are still only making minimum wage - perhaps you aren't even worth that amount. You would have to be seriously challenged to be in that position.

I have young nephew who has a high school education, no special skills, no experience, the whole goth hair pierced face thing, and he has no problem getting jobs (repeatedly) for more than that. His latest position started at $8 an hour, has a benefits package that kicks in a few months down the road, offers advancement opportunities and regular pay increases. And you're telling me some 28 year old is trying to support a family on $5.15? Please.

There is no need to artificially increase the cost of labor. There is no reason to increase the hiring of illegal workers, which could easily be one of many unintended/unforeseen consequences.

Perhaps scariest of all is the language that allows "private lawsuits" to enforce the law, and blanket accessibility - "ANY PERSON OR ORGANIZATION MAY FILE AN ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT WITH THE COMMISSION CHARGING THAT AN EMPLOYER HAS VIOLATED THIS ARTICLE AS TO ANY EMPLOYEE OR OTHER PERSON." Yeah, that isn't just begging for misuse and nuisance suits.

Prop 202 - NO, NO, NO!

AZ Propositions - 201/203/206

Proposition 201 - Smoke-Free Arizona Act
Proposition 206 - Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Act

I hate that going dancing involves marinating in second-hand smoke. I would love to be able to go out to a bar that was smoke free. What a joy that would be! I soooo want to be able to vote for these, but I can't.

Because they are both wrong.

I can not stay true to my political beliefs, and vote for a measure (or measures) that tell a business owner what legal behavior they can and can not allow in their business. I can not support the free market on the one hand, when it is convenient for me, and then abandon those principles at the first chance for a smoke free evening. These are bad politics, they are bad business, they are expensive, they are bad.

These are being marketed as either/or measures - but they aren't. You don't have to pick the lesser evil, you can vote no on both. I will.

Proposition 203 - Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Initiative

Another sin tax disguised as a program "for the children"

[snip] The issues in question aren't early childhood development services rather taxation and appropriation that violates and goes far beyond the principles of our representative democracy. Proposition 203 would increase in perpetuity the sales tax on tobacco products and allow an appointed unelected council to determine the expenditure of $150 million of state tax revenue without any legislative oversight and without any allowance for legislative adjustment of the taxes or the expenditures. [snip]

Barry M. Aarons

Voting "yes" on this tax is voting "yes" to creating a huge new bureaucracy to control taxpayer money, with the activity of this bureaucracy having no direct oversight from or accountability to the legislature or the Governor. This proposal establishes a statewide board and an unlimited number of unelected regional councils to distribute tax money to communities however they see fit without any direction from the officials we elected to represent taypayers' interests. This is a massive tax increase, and NONE of these tax dollars will be dedicated to our K-12 education system. And though all of this money will be collected from smokers, NONE of this money is dedicated to smoking prevention or cessation. [snip]

Theodore L. Jones & Charles R. Wenzler

AZ Propositions - 200

Proposition 200 - "ARIZONA VOTER REWARD ACT"

My stand - ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!!?

Please, we are going to bribe people, people who think the lottery is a reasonable retirement plan, to go to the polls. Not that they would actually have to have a clue about what they vote on, all they have to do is show up. They can just randomly mark their ballot and turn it in. Ridiculous.

Couldn't people just do that now? Absolutely, but we aren't bribing them to do it. With no incentive to show up, why would anyone bother unless they had an opinion.

Voting is a right, it is a privilege, it is one of our greatest chances to make a difference - but it is voluntary for a reason. Just as you have the right to vote, you have the right no to.

Shoot, you don't even have to get it right to be in the lottery. At least if they limited the drawing to the voters whose votes came closest to the election results, voters might be inclined to study which candidates and/or propositions made the most sense. Or they would just go with whatever the polls said.

No matter how you slice it, this is a stupid idea. When the only person who writes in to support it is the author, that should tell you something. Lets see what he has to say:

Some criticize "Voter Rewards" as being morally wrong. If that might be the case, we should look to the ultimate authority on morals and ethics. What does God say? Do what you are supposed to do and I will REWARD you with eternal life in heaven. What are we saying? Do what you are supposed to do, vote, and we will REWARD you with a chance to win a million dollars. If incentives are good enough for God, they are good enough for the voters of Arizona!

Arizona Propositions

For your consideration, the following is what the AFL-CIO sent to their members in Arizona. Yeah, they are a bunch of looneys - almost a guarantee that I will disagree with them on anything & everything.

Here are the props as written

- and here is the union list

Labor 2006 Proposition Positions - AFL-CIO

Prop. 100 Bailable Offenses
* NO Unnecessary cost to taxpayers

Prop. 101 Local Property Tax Levies
* NO Unnecessary TABOR-like government restrictions

Prop. 102 Standing in Civil Action
* NO Demonizes certain groups of people and victims of wrongdoing

Prop. 103 English as the official language
* NO Largely symbolic, divisive, and puts state safety and health at risk of being misunderstood
* could endanger workers

Prop. 104 Municipal Debts
* YES Allows municipalities to incur more debt for public safety& street projects

Prop. 105 State Trust Lands
* NO A ruse to distract voters from Prop. 106

Prop. 106 Conserving Arizona’s Future
* YES Protects valuable lands and benefits education & teachers

Prop. 107 - Protecting Marriage Arizona
* NO Denies bargained-for union health care benefits that have been previously negotiated

Prop. 200 Arizona Voter Reward Act
* YES Increases voter participation

Prop. 201 Smoke Free Arizona Act
* NEUTRAL No position

Prop. 202 Arizona Minimum Wage Coalition
* YES Increase Arizona’s Minimum Wage to$6.75/hour & adjusts it on an annual basis

Prop. 203 First Things First for AZ’s Children
* YES Supports and creates early childhood development programs

Prop. 204 Humane Treatment of Farm Animals Act
* Neutral No Position

Prop. 205 Your Right To Vote
* YES Increases union member participation & influence in elections

Prop. 206 Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Committee
* Neutral No position

Prop. 207 Free Property Rights Protection Act
* NO Will freeze comprehensive zoning and environmental planning & cost taxpayers millions

Prop. 300 Public Program Eligibility
* NO Would require education officials to do federal government’s jobs at a cost to Arizona taxpayers

Prop. 301 Probation for Methamphetamine Offenses
* NEUTRAL No position

Prop. 302 State Legislature Salaries
* YES Increases opportunities for working families to hold public office.

Limbaugh/Fox

The E! channel, in covering their top 10 stories of the week, said that Rush Limbaugh's comments have left "many people shaking their heads"
Seriously, I couldn't have made that up.

Then, in response to Limbaugh's statement that Fox is allowing the Democrats to exploit his illness, the host said "and the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" Um....what? That is an awfully big leap for her to make, and I can't find any logical reason for it. Anyone?

As to the ad, but ignoring the actual issue. I do think it is entirely possible that Fox made sure that his symptoms were at their worst. Whether that was going off of his meds, or taking an extreme dose, he has admitted to taking that tack before so it is entirely reasonable to expect he would do it in this instance. However, considering that he was specifically cast in the ad to show the disease he faces, and all that involves, I don't think showing all the shaking is wrong. To not admit that you did tweak your meds for that effect is completely disingenuous, but to show the effects is reasonable.

The actual issue: There is no indication that embryonic stem cell research is anywhere near to yielding a cure, or even a treatment, for Parkinson's disease - or any others. I have posted my feelings on it before here and here and here. I find the ad offensive on those grounds, not because his symptoms were full blown.

As to Limbaugh: I heard him yesterday when he said, "either he is off his medication or he is acting" Today he says, "I never said he was faking" Hmmm, that is cutting the syntactical bologna a little thin. Isn't acting just faking?

Ode To America

It is interesting to look back at how we responded to the 9/11 attacks, and how that reaction was perceived overseas. Reading this editorial from Romania makes me proud of how our nation came together, and sad about how far from that we have come.

Editorial from a Romanian newspaper September 24th, 2001

Why are Americans so united? They don't resemble one another even if you paint them! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations. Some of them are nearly extinct, others are incompatible with one another, and in matters of religious beliefs, not even God can count how many they are. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart.

Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, the secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed on the streets nearby to gape about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised the flag on the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colours of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a minister or the president was passing. On every occasion they started singing their traditional song: "God Bless America!".

Silent as a rock, I watched the charity concert broadcast on Saturday once, twice, three times, on different tv channels. There were Clint Eastwood, Willie Nelson, Robert de Niro, Julia Roberts, Cassius Clay, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Silvester Stalone, James Wood, and many others whom no film or producers could ever bring together. The American's solidarity spirit turned them into a choir. Actually, choir is not the word. What you could hear was the heavy artillery of the American soul. What neither George W. Bush, nor Bill Clinton, nor Colin Powell could say without facing the risk of stumbling over words and sounds, was being heard in a great and unmistakable way in this charity concert. I don't know how it happened that all this obsessive singing of America didn't sound croaky, nationalist, or ostentatious! It made you green with envy because you weren't able to sing for your country without running the risk of being considered chauvinist, ridiculous, or suspected of who-knows-what mean interests.

I watched the live broadcast and the rerun of its rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who fought with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that would have killed other hundreds of thousands of people. How on earth were they able to bow before a fellow human? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit which nothing can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases which risk of sounding like commonplaces. I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion.

Only freedom can work such miracles!

~ Cornel Nistorescu

John Kyl Ad

Jim Pederson is spending his money on an ad for John Kyl. Sure, the sentiment is over simplified in some ways and exaggerated in others, but it adds up to a great reason to support Kyle.

Perception or Reality

When did Henry Kissinger come to be regarded by so many as "the great satan", and why?

Gun Control

...means bracing a large caliber weapon with both hands.

I have always felt the argument over the Second Amendment was foolish. It is very clear as I read it and, as I read it, if I want to have a bazooka in my closet I can.

To suggest that we allow people to have only those guns that they would reasonably use for hunting is absurd, and certainly doesn't solve the problem - even if all the bad guys suddenly cared about the gun ownership laws. There have been some bad people who have done major damage with hunting rifles and shotguns.

Once again Rosie O'Donnell is on her soapbox, declaring of the Second Amendment "Well, it’s not really a right."

So, apparently, that part where it says "..., the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed" was a misprint. At least in Rosieland.

(via Perez Hilton, BTW)

PS: just found this comment in the Perez thread "when the constitution was formed the right to bear arms served a purpose as we still had a standing militia with no formal training/organized military- we dont need that anymore thanks to Bush's exorbitant budget for the military"[sic]
LOL - the debate has been going on for decades, but it's all Bush's fault - it was bound to get there eventually.

Voters' Cliff Notes

Wondering how to vote on the ballot propositions, but having trouble cutting through the confusing legalese?

Let Franciosi make the issues clearer - AZ Voting Guide

Foley Folly

Atlas Shrugs has a post with the bottom line on the Foley matter.

She more fully fleshes out my concern that this info just happened to leak out before an election that was merely a formality - Foley being so much of a favorite in the race. Now, it is too late to change the name on the ballot, requiring those who choose to vote for his Republican replacement to cast their vote for Foley. Remember, this is Florida, a state that has admitted many times that they have trouble understanding ballots and the voting process.

The timing of this is straight out of Dirty Politics 101, and I worked (briefly) for a very dirty campaign manager years ago. Release it early enough that they have to deal with it before the election, but too late for them to fully recover. If possible, smear as many in the opposing camp as you can with the same brush.

UPDATE: Does he not have anyone in his camp with enough sense to tell him to SHUT UP? Geez!

Political Sliminess

Bill Frist, proving that he is a politician, uses a ploy that has always bugged me to get the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006" passed.

He attached it to The SAFE Port Act of 2006.

I have always hated this tactic, particularly in the instance of completely unrelated legislation. Anyone who voted against this bill would be tagged with being against protecting the US, a designation they are obviously unlikely to embrace. If President Bush vetoes it (and let's face it, he is anti veto anyway) no one will report the extraneous language that loaded this bill down. They will just report that he doesn't care to protect the US through the very simple SAFE port legislation.

The president who has stood strongest against our foreign enemies gets handed a security bill with no way to avoid the stench of the pile of poo it got dipped in.

PokerNews

The Foley Saga

In Florida (and D.C.) they are dealing with the fall out from discovering Republican Representative Mark Foley's improper behavior. It appears he is a seriously sick man, the level of his perversion has yet to be gauged. He has resigned and may possibly face criminal charges.

It seems to be coming to light that there were those in leadership who knew of his behavior over a year ago.

The fact that it was not dealt with immediately looks very bad for the Republicans.

The fact that it just happened to come out so close to an election he was almost guaranteed to win looks very bad for the Democrats.

Repercussions

7-Eleven ends relationship with Citgo, reportedly over Chavez remarks at the UN

Dear Abby

Brainster pointed me towards Abby Scott's film from Ground Zero, where she takes on the 'truthers' who assemble there.

Kooks and loonies and truthers, oh my.

Check out her blog, also.

Worth 1,000 Words

Danny Glover Hugo Chavez

This Can't Be True

Flopping Aces points out some SERIOUS problems with the Arizona 9/11 memorial. I haven't gone down there, yet, to check it out.

Could this really be true? Did we spend those memorial dollars for a large crescent shaped attack on George W Bush, and the US foreign policy? Rather than remembering the victims from that day, are we focusing as much negativity as the path of the sun will allow?

UPDATE: I just talked to my girlfriend who is a public art coordinator for the state of Arizona (no, I don't believe in public funding of art but she does) because she was on the committee that approved this design. I now have a bigger picture:

It is actually multi-layered; one layer with statements of "fact", one layer that is statements of "opinion" culled from interviews done by a historian. I am not clear on whether the statements represented at Flopping Aces were representations of the "facts" or the "opinions" layer.

It was intended to be more than a listing of victims names which has been done so often before. The intent was to be 'educational' - I am not sure they have accomplished that. Controversial, sure, but educational - maybe not.

It isn't so much crescent shaped as circular - but it is on an angle. It was supposed to be the whole alpha/omega, eternity thing. The angle is to take advantage of the sunlight.

The memorial wasn't so much paid for with tax dollars - the very large majority of the funds were donated & gathered through fundraising, a large portion of the work was donated by the construction company. The design was required to be self supporting; not requiring additional funding for electricity (lights, etc) or maintenance (gardens, etc).

I still find it offensive and don't feel it is a fitting memorial - but now I have more facts. She has told me to be sure and visit because it is really nicely done, I will let you know after I've seen it in person.

UPDATE 2: Anonymous Mike is much more articulate in his review of the memorial.

And I received this reply from a friend after sending her to read his post. She is not a commenter, but I did get her permission to publish these remarks. I think she presents a decent case.

What can I say? I think some people might be a touch paranoid. If you look at the memorial as a whole, the text presented as a whole, if you look at the complexity of the issues, the teaching component that the designers were asked to bring to the memorial, the breadth and scope of people involved in selecting, designing and approving, and the sincere desire to commemorate those whose lives were affected as well as try to bring some understanding to a national tragedy, I think they did a good job. (sorry long run on sentence with too many commas!)

Regarding the desire for monuments to include personifications of sorrow and resolve with lots of eagles, well, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that type of memorial, but if we can only express our selves with 19th century Romantic images of pretty women with long hair and bare breasts then I think we are missing out on a wealth of expression. Despite the dearth of pretty, long haired women on the Vietnam memorial, it remains one of the most successful memorials ever created

The 'Truthers' Are Out There

...unfortunately.

Fortunately, Cox & Forkum has compiled a treasure trove of links that tackle the conspiracy theories head on, and demolish them. I think their cartoon for the post is far too true.

Coyote's Law

When the same set of facts can be explained equally well by:

1. A massive conspiracy coordinated without a single leak between hundreds or even thousands of people -OR -
2. Sustained stupidity, confusion and/or incompetence

Assume stupidity.

Just one of many fine points Coyote makes as he takes the conspiracy theorists to task.

Sports Analogy

Mark Steyn manages to bring baseball and tennis into his essay on the Israel/Hezbollah conflict:

But, when an army goes to war against a terrorist organization, it's like watching the Red Sox play Andre Agassi: Each side is being held to its own set of rules. When Hezbollah launches rockets into Israeli residential neighborhoods with the intention of killing random civilians, that's fine because, after all, they're terrorists and that's what terrorists do. But when, in the course of trying to resist the terrorists, Israel unintentionally kills civilians, that's an appalling act of savagery.

Taking Sides

Stole the banner at the top left from The Arizona Growler. It comes from Jack Lewis - but his javascript didn't work for me.

Always Consider The Mics Live

It isn't quite as humorous as Reagan's candid mic moment, but I like it.

It's Kerry's Party After All

I was for it before I voted against it....

(Hat Tip TCHOTP)

Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor....

...Your Law Abiding.

Gotta agree with Mr Stoddard, but you all knew that already.

Stone Cold

I saw United 93 and found it to be a well done, and agenda free, accounting of that day. It doesn't flinch from the mistakes we made, yet it doesn't flinch from the truth of the matter - that several Muslim extremist terrorists killed several thousand people that day, mostly Americans.

I have no intention of seeing World Trade Center when it comes out because I know it is impossible for Oliver Stone to make an agenda free movie. It is impossible for him to find the truth in a story and stick to it. He takes a grain of fact and twists it and turns it and pulls it and stretches it and covers it in so much crap it is unrecognizable and then releases it as "a true story" and people believe it.

Jeff Jarvis knows Stone has an agenda to sell, as well. His take:

And so it occurred to me: Here is Oliver Stone, the conspiracy theorists to beat all conspiracy theorist, facing the biggest conspiracy he could imagine — bin Laden terrorists with Saudi money plotting right under our noses to a devastating outcome. But this conspiracy, he’s ignoring. I shake my head.

Only In Amerika

This can't really be happening, can it? A judge in hot water for saying the Pledge of Allegiance when he opens his court for the day?

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to The Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

He's Got A Point

Can't argue with this statement:

And spare me the accusations levelled by La Raza, etc., unless you can convincingly argue that my own citizenship isn't already pretty tightly controlled by the federal, state, and local governments that claim jursidiction over my money, property, children's education, and any number of other inalienable (no pun intended) rights that apparently no amount of clarity and simple, straightforward language already in the U.S. Constitution can actually guarantee.

Quirky Definitions

So, the Arizona State Senate just passed a bill making it a crime to be in this country illegally.

Um, isn't something that is illegal already a crime? Just asking.

But now it will be really, really a crime...and still get ignored.

"Illegal Amigos"

Scrappleface has breaking news on the immigration debate:

In an attempt to break the Senate deadlock on immigration reform, Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel and Florida Sen. Mel Martinez proposed a bill today that would crack down on recent illegal immigrants, yet offer a path to citizenship for those who violated U.S. immigration law before January 2001. Under the terms of the measure, roughly six million undocumented workers living in the U.S. for five years or more would be granted guest worker visas and then hired to work for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. With the INS, they would try to find and deport six million others who broke U.S. law more recently. Sen. Hagel, reportedly a Republican, said “putting our illegal amigos on the federal payroll, will help us keep track of them. As federal bureaucrats, their high pay and excellent government health insurance will keep them from becoming a burden on American taxpayers.”

RE: 'Immigration'

1. It is called illegal immigration, not because Americans are racist, but because it refers to people who do not follow the legal channels that are in place to allow migration to the United States.

2. Amnesty: As far as I can tell this is a combination of throwing up our hands in defeat (they are already here so we can't do anything about it), and a very flexible statute of limitations (they got away with it so far so lets give them a pass). I have never really understood the statute of limitations concept as it applies to any crime, why do we allow someone to walk just because they avoided detection for a specific period of time? I don't care if it takes 20 years to figure out who done it - whatever the crime - I want them to be charged.

3. Guest worker: We are paying billions each year in welfare and unemployment, yet we are expected to believe that there is a need to bring in workers from across the border to fill jobs. We have the workers here, it is just far too easy to sit back and collect your government check. Any guest worker program in consideration should require the elimination of welfare and unemployment in those states that utilize it.

4. Jobs Americans won't do: I have heard many of the protesters make this claim, usually in the form of "someone has to clean your toilets". I find that to be far more racist than expecting someone to file the proper paperwork when entering this country. Are they saying that, in their estimation, that is all the Mexican people are capable of? I know there are jobs that many Americans would rather not do and at this point they don't have to. The government pays them to sit on their a$$. Since there are people filling the jobs, there is no market pressure to get them in there. Were it not for those working under the radar, those jobs would be filled by Americans.

5. Legal immigrants: How do we square any of this with those who have filed the proper paperwork, paid the proper fees, waited till their time came, and are now living here (or are still waiting to come). Do we give them a refund when we just grant amnesty to those that bypassed all that? I know that at least one of the 'plans' requires paying a fine in order to get amnesty, should they just pay that directly to a "Sorry you got screwed but we appreciate you doing the right thing" fund?

I'm just asking.

BTW: Does this piss you off? It should. More importantly, it should alarm you. The American flag is flown upside down in times of distress ONLY, and never beneath another.
United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag
Section 8 - "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. "
Section 7g - "International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace."

RIP - Reagan Era

Monday we lost Lyn Nofziger.

Tuesday, Caspar Weinberger.

The old guard passing...

Even In Dear Abby

I am pretty sure that there is a reason this father is wanting the whole family to get their DNA tested - perhaps he suspects the truth.

He, and the son, are entitled to it.

Not that the courts actually care about the facts - but those two will.

Did The Deed

Had to show ID, which wouldn't be a big deal, except I moved 7 or 8 years ago. My drivers license still has the old address which, of course, doesn't match the address on my voter registration. I changed my address with the DMV online but that does me no good at the polling station. Fortunately, they accepted my automobile registration as a secondary ID since it had my current address.

For those of you heading out, here are the acceptable forms of ID:

Acceptable forms of identification with photograph, name, and address of the elector

• Valid Arizona driver license
• Valid Arizona nonoperating identification license
• Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
• Valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification

An identification is "valid" unless it can be determined on its face that it has expired. Acceptable forms of identification without a photograph that bear the name and address of the elector (two required)

• Utility bill of the elector that is dated within ninety days of the date of the election. A utility bill may be for electric, gas, water, solid waste, sewer, telephone, cellular phone, or cable television
• Bank or credit union statement that is dated within ninety days of the date of the election
• Valid Arizona Vehicle Registration
• Indian census card
• Property tax statement of the elector's residence
• Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
• Vehicle insurance card
• Recorder's Certificate
• Valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification, including a voter registration card issued by the county recorder

An identification is "valid" unless it can be determined on its face that it has expired.

Secretary of State

"Gimme A P"

As in Political Prisoners - in short skirts.

BTW: I know they aren't sitting in cells in their cheer outfits, but it does make for an funny visual - or movie script idea.

Slogans

The Bookworm Room is asking for suggestions for pithy quotes & slogans for Conservatives. She's right, the lefties have the sound bite pretty wrapped up - though there is generally no substance behind it.

There are some great ones there already. Got one? Drop by and share it.

In The Media

Paternity fraud covered in Law & Order, in an episode titled "Deadbeat".

A man is found shot, and it turns out he has an outstanding warrant for unpaid child support. Much of the show is dedicated to demonstrating what a bad guy he was and how pathetic it was that the mother had to scrape by because he wasn't paying. The son is sick and his only hope is a bone marrow transplant, and we are lead to believe that he was unwilling to donate.

As the story unravels, we find that he was indeed willing to get tested. Oh, but maybe the mother approved of his being killed because she did know he wasn't a match, perhaps from old medical records.....?

Nope, she knew he wasn't the real father and he would have found out, too, had he gotten tested. The gist being that, if he proves he is not the biological father she has no claim to that back child support money. That is certainly how it should be.

Unfortunately, we know better.

So True...

Thomas Sowell writes in his Random Thoughts:

Nightmare for the 2008 Presidential election: Hillary Clinton versus John McCain. I wouldn't know whether to vote Libertarian or move to Australia.

Of course, Lori wouldn't mind an excuse to move to Australia ;-)

Question of The Day

From TCHOTP

Watching the Alito hearings.

Is Schumer always this obtuse?
(Not too thrilled with Graham either...)

Can You Define Illegal?