First Mob Wedding...

Read all about it at Hammerswing.

Dad's reaction is here.

Actually, I believe, quite literally, that this was a match made in heaven.

Good luck, Ben & Faith!

Man... is this tempting or what?

Bill Clinton sent me an email today:

Dear Leo,

During the campaign, Hillary and I didn't have the chance to eat together much because we were usually on the trail in different states. Now that the campaign's over, I'm glad we can share more meals again.

Of all the people I've had the privilege to break bread with, the person I most enjoy is still Hillary.

Now you have a chance to have dinner with her. And if you contribute today to help Hillary retire that pesky campaign debt, you and a guest might be sitting down to dinner with her soon. I think you should go for it and enter today.

Join Hillary for dinner. Make a contribution today.

Trust me on this one. If you're the lucky winner, it will be a night you'll really enjoy and one to remember.

All my best,

Bill Clinton

Hmmmm.....

Word to Paul-Bots

Stop. And. Think.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dueling delegations pitting Ron Paul's Nevada supporters against those of John McCain vow to take their fight to the Republican National Convention.

That's just one sign that the outsider, Internet-fueled movement led by the feisty Republican congressman from Texas remains afloat in the wake of McCain's victory in the GOP primaries.

In the libertarian-leaning West, where Paul's message of distrust of the federal government and ardent individualism played particularly well, there is talk of Republicans straying from McCain. Libertarian candidate Bob Barr has emerged as a favorite alternative for Paul activists, followed by Constitutional Party candidate Chuck Baldwin.

Even if the numbers of such dissenters are small, in tight contests in key Western states they could spoil McCain's chances, experts say.

"In Nevada, there's absolutely enough to have an effect on the election," said Chuck Muth, a leading conservative activist in a state in which early polls show McCain and Democratic candidate Barack Obama in a statistical tie.

"I think that you will see not just Libertarians who always vote for the Libertarian candidate but conservative Republicans saying we've had it, we've had enough and they're going to go ahead and vote Libertarian," Muth said.

Paul — or "Dr. Paul," as his followers reverently refer to the obstetrician-turned-politician — ran as the Libertarian Party nominee for president in 1988. But this year he carved out a following as an antiestablishment Republican. His campaign won more than 1 million votes and became a catchall for anti-war, anti-government voters and disaffected Republicans.

Truth be told (as can be seen in myriad posts on this blog), Senator McCain was not on my short list for favorites for POTUS. Hell; he wasn't on my list at all.

2008-2012 may be transitional years. Either Obama wins, FUBARs the nation, serves a one-term presidency, and loses in 2012; or McCain wins, FU the nation (but not beyond all recognition); he gets old, and we get another shot at 2012. So, you say, either way it's all good.

But there will be three reasons why I will be voting for, and yes, even working to help elect John McCain this go-round: and those reasons are, to put it simply, Supreme Court, Supreme Court, and, oh, did I mention Supreme Court?

John Paul Stevens, 88

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75

Antonin Scalia, 72

Anthony Kennedy, 71

Stephen Breyer, 69

David Souter, 68

Clarence Thomas, 60

Samuel Alito, 58

John Roberts, 53

There's no way that Stevens is going to last til 2012, and Ruth Vader Ginsberg will no doubt follow him out the door. Hell, Scalia ain't getting any younger, either.

That leaves two or more openings before 2012.

To put it simply, a Barack Obama presidency (not to mention a continuing dem majority in both Houses) will most certainly poison an already-precariously balanced Supreme Court for years to come. An Obama presidency will be the catalyst in a perfect storm that will leave this nation saddled not with liberalism, but with out-and-out socialism for the foreseeable future.

Scorched earth. Is that what you really want? In the process of "sticking it" to the Republican party, you'll be able to kiss conservatism, and yes, libertarianism goodbye. Put those ideals into a storm shelter, and perhaps take them out in a couple of decades. If we're still around by then.

So, Paulbots-- you still want to "stick it" to the Republicans?

Think hard. Think long and hard before you answer.

Democrats leave town...

And left the water running, the iron on, and the gas to the stove on, to boot.

Imagine that your boss gave you a job to do, and told you to make it your top priority. . .and instead of making it your top priority, you faked it for a few weeks, then skipped town on a month-long vacation, leaving the job undone. That's essentially what the Democratic "Drill-Nothing" Congress did today as the American people continued suffering through a summer of sky-high gas prices. Instead of holding a vote on the energy reforms the American people need and want, Democrats in Congress voted today to take the month of August off.

On July 23, more than 100 House Republicans gathered on the West Front steps of the U.S. Capitol to unveil the American Energy Act, a comprehensive energy reform bill that calls for more conservation, more innovation (including alternative and renewable fuels), and more production of American-made energy (including an end to the federal ban on new oil and gas drilling in deepwater ocean zones and Alaska's North Slope). Republicans urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to allow the bill, which would likely pass the House with bipartisan support, to come to a vote before Congress' August break.

Instead of scheduling a vote, however, the Speaker did the bidding of radical special-interest groups that favor high gas prices and refused to put it on the floor, explaining that she was "trying to save the planet."

You can take your "saving the planet" and shove it up where the sun doesn't shine, Ms. Pelosi. You and your socialist cohorts are fiddling while the United States economy burns. You can try to hide behind the Sierra Club's coattails if you wish, but that won't keep voters from voting with their wallets come November.

Take my word for it. If you keep this up, Ms. Pelosi, the days of your party's leadership in the hallowed halls of Congress are numbered.

***UPDATE***

They sat on their collective thumbs up to the third knuckle when it came to relieving the financial stress of Americans, but by God, anytime's a good time to bash Bush now, isn't it?

On Teaching Pigs to Sing.

You're showing weakness, my friend:

Republican Sen. John McCain, engaged in increasingly sharp attacks on rival Barack Obama, pledged that if elected president, he would work closely with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, praising her as an effective leader and an "inspiration to millions of Americans."

"I respect Speaker Pelosi. I think she's one of the great American success stories," McCain said during an interview with The Chronicle prior to a fundraiser at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.

"We talk about (New York Sen.) Hillary Clinton and her inspiration to millions of Americans. Speaker Pelosi has been an inspiration as well" in a role that is "in many ways ... more powerful than the president."

And McCain also had high praise for the 2000 Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore and his advocacy on the issue of climate change. McCain recently raised eyebrows in GOP circles by calling "doable" Gore's suggestion that the country could become entirely energy independent through use of renewable resources within 10 years.

"I agree with his goal," the Arizona senator said Monday of Gore's idea. "I may disagree with all the ways of getting there. But I again want to emphasize my respect for the former vice president's leadership on this issue and his continuous leadership. And I am in no way trying to get into a fight with him."

You should know by now, Senator, that any time you extend an olive branch to those on the left, all they'll do is turn around and whack you with it.

Do you honestly think for one moment that since you're "Maverick John McCain" that they'll go easy on you? That they will finally see the error of their ways, and a new wave of bipartisanship will descend upon the Capitol steps?

Give me a break.

You ain't playing with no choirboys, John McCain. While they may exchange a nicety or two in return, they'll still stab you in the back at every chance they get. Again, and again, and again. Don't ever, I mean ever expect them to "get along" with you, Senator McCain.

At the same time, Senator, you're not impressing anyone in your base by this unilateral show of civility. We want someone who will fight for what is right, not one who will acquiesce to the left for the mere purpose of avoiding confrontation. It's not that we're mean spirited grumpy old men and women, Senator. It's just that we've been around the block enough times and observed enough occasions to know that any show of civility toward these creeps will be met with disdain and sardonic laughter, followed by a series of stabs in the back that will truly make your head spin.

And then they'll get really mean.

The point is, your show of civility will not be met in kind with any degree of substance, period.

Save your accolades and your handshakes for the people who will support you, Senator McCain.

History has proven that to waste your time with these morons is much like trying to teach a pig to sing; though you may actually have more success with the pig.

Irena Sendler; and then there's Algore.

Watch this one, especially through to the end. It is quite revealing...



Two more videos about the life of Irena Sendler:



This, a tribute after she passed away...



This women literally saved thousands of children's lives. (Yet ironically, there are those who make a living by destroying them).

And it is Algore, not Irena Sendler, who gets the nod for the Peace Prize... for making up a convenient pack of lies.

So much for the integrity of the Nobel Peace prize.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 7-30-08

I was off on a Patriot Guard Mission earlier today, at a send-off ceremony for the deployment of over 150 of America's finest in Buffalo, Minnesota.

The room was full of heroes, and it's with a renewed sense of purpose that I post this Wednesday Hero post this week.

God bless them, all.

1st. Lt. Thomas M. Marti
27 years old from Ward, Arkansas
C Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division
October 14, 2007


An Eagle Scout, Thomas M. Martin took on cleaning up an old red train caboose as a service project. "He remodeled it to make it where people could go inside. If you saw it before and looked in it after he was through - it was daylight and dark", said his former principal, Robert Martin, who is no relation. "Tom was involved in Key Club, German Club and band, making All-Region Band his sophomore year", said Robert Martin. "He was a wonderful young man. Those that knew him knew he was funny and outgoing."

Lt. Martin died in Al Busayifi, Iraq of wounds sustained from small-arms fire when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations. He enlisted in the Army in 1998 after graduating high school and served in Korea before accepting an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 2005.

"He was very polite and respectful. I can't think of him ever overreacting; he had a wonderful, good-natured personality", said Pat Hagge, a family friend. "It's a terrible tragedy; he was a great young man."

Lt. Thomas Martin is survived by his parents, Edmund and Candis.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Ted Stevens Indicted...

One of the Republican Party's biggest disappointments (can you say "Bridge to Nowhere), Ted Stevens, is reportedly under indictment.

Truth be told, we can do a lot better than Senator Stevens.

The Oklahoma Awakening

‘The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.’
-Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

The Tenth Amendment, which is supposed to hold weight equal to the First, Second and every other Amendment to the United States Constitution, has in the last 80 years been regarded as “a nice idea” but optional. This has resulted in usurpation of powers from the States in everything from health care to education (and everything in between).

Far from being taken seriously, the Tenth Amendment has become the red-headed stepchild of the Constitution, and has been ignored with impunity by the Federal government.

There is a movement afoot in Oklahoma, however, to rectify the situation:

Oklahomans are trying to recover some of their lost state sovereignty by House Joint Resolution 1089, introduced by State Rep. Charles Key.

The resolution’s language, in part, reads: “Whereas, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: ‘The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.’; and Whereas, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and whereas, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and Whereas, today, in 2008, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government. … Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 2nd session of the 51st Oklahoma Legislature: that the State of Oklahoma hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States. That this serve as Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.”

The measure passed overwhelmingly in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives, but was hung up in the State Senate (sound familiar?) However, Representative Charles Kay plans to re-introduce the measure when the Oklahoma State House reconvenes next year.

What would upholding the Tenth Amendment entail? Walter E. Williams writes,

Federal usurpation goes beyond anything the Constitution’s framers would have imagined. James Madison, explaining the constitution, in Federalist Paper 45, said, “The powers delegated … to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, [such] as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce. … The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people.” Thomas Jefferson emphasized that the states are not “subordinate” to the national government, but rather the two are “coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. … The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government.”

Of course, the eye of the needle through which the camel squeezed its head was the Fourteenth Amendment, which gave the Federal government the authority to regulate interstate commerce. All well and good; however, meaning of the term “commerce” has been twisted and manipulated to not only cover business transactions between residents of different states, but everything else under the sun:

These scholars interpret interstate commerce to mean “substantial interstate human relations” and find this consistent with the meaning of commerce at the time of the writing of the Constitution. They also argue that this expansive interpretation makes more sense for the foreign and Indian commerce clauses as one would expect Congress to be given authority to regulate non-economic relations with other nations and with Indian tribes.

This ‘liberal translation’ of the term, ‘commerce,’ of course, flies in the face of Jefferson’s writings; which is SOP for liberals, who true to their moniker often take great liberty in using the words of the Constitution as so much silly puddy to bend and shape their meaning to fit their cause d’jour. This led to the creation of FDR’s “New Deal,” which led to the notion that the government pretty much had the right to step in to any situation, for any reason, if there was any indication of interstate commerce whatsoever. While minor shifts toward state’s rights have occurred in between, the Federal Government still maintains overwhelming authority over areas of our lives in which they Constitutionally have no business to regulate.

This could be the start of a groundswell of opportunity to defeat Federal usurpation of power, and to once and for all defeat the federal imposition of liberalism and its even uglier cousin, socialism. I look forward to a Republican legislator from my home state of Minnesota to take up this mantle (I know it won’t be a democrat).

Coming in Threes...

First Tony Snow, then Russert, and now Novak?

Pretty soon the profession of journalism will be a lost art.

My prayers go out to Robert Novak for a complete recovery...

Does anyone else see a pattern emerging here?

Raven finds another one.

All's not lost across the pond...

While the lamestream press and rock-concert goers were salivating and tripping over themselves to touch their messiah's garments on Obama's recent European tour, others were not so impressed

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: "Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?"

In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

He travelled fleet of foot and light of camel, with a small retinue that consisted only of his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media. He ventured first to the land of the Hindu Kush, where the Taleban had harboured the viper of al-Qaeda in their bosom, raining terror on all the world.

And the Child spake and the tribes of Nato immediately loosed the Caveats that had previously bound them. And in the great battle that ensued the forces of the light were triumphant. For as long as the Child stood with his arms raised aloft, the enemy suffered great blows and the threat of terror was no more.

Read, as they say, the whole thing.

Moonbats on Parade...

In what surely made the patchouli-scented panties of their base as wet as Niagara Falls, The kook left in the House Judiciary Committee used our tax dollars for a dog and pony day in what amounted to a bitch fest and a mock trial to impeach President Bush.

Mr. Dilettante nails the fisk, and drives it all the way down to China for good measure.

It's about time...

That Republicans go on the offensive. Read the whole story about the McCain p3wning Obama at Powerline.

Post-MilF report..

Well, John Stewart and I didn't get first place, but we didn't get last place, either. Nonetheless, it was a rip-roaring good time. How many people can say that they golfed in the same tourney as Ed Morrissey of Hot-Air fame, for heaven's sake?!?

I just got back from Learned Foots post-MilF party, where Italian sausages were had by all (except for King and Derek, who had their fill of couscous and some really nifty cheese, tomato, basil and caper snacks put out by Lassie. Brad Carlson and his lovely wife were there, as was Uncle Ben and the Mall Diva, Mitch, Atomizer, Nihlist, Andy Aplikowski and g/f, and myriad other of Minnesota's finest conservative intelligentsia, including David Strom, who had just gotten back from a stellar, live appearance on Minnesota Public Television's Almanac.

I have pictures but my Palm Centro is not being cooperative, so I can't post them yet.

But I did get a special surprise when I checked my email-- I received a picture taken of myself and my granddaughter, taken just a few hours after she was born:

Ain't she sweet?

A MilFing I will go...

I am about to depart on my steel steed to the Valleywood Golf Course in Apple Valley to participate in the 110th running of the Millard Filmore Golf Tourney, in which I will be preparing to do golf judo (yes, there will be many divots) with John the Night Writer against other members of the MOB.

I'll have my Palm Centro with me, so if all works well, I may be live blogging here and there.

Wish us luck!

A Reagan wannabe in search of a wall.

Obama, no doubt personally incensed at the idea that anyone would criticize his desire to preach to the masses at the Brandenberg Gate, in true Quixotic style, managed to find some other walls to tilt after:

"The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand," Obama said, speaking not far from where the Berlin Wall once divided the city.

"The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christians and Muslims and Jews cannot stand," he said.

No, Obama didn't get to have his moment at the Brandenberg Gate. But this megalomaniacal, mentally-challenged manure-for-brains wannabe still had the audacity in to pitifully attempt to channel Ronald Reagan.

Word to Obama: You are not now, nor will you ever be Ronald Wilson Reagan. You aren't even fit to spit-shine his cowboy boots.

By the way, as a further smite toward our servicemen, Barack Hussein Obama sacked a scheduled visit to wounded U.S. soldiers in a German hospital.

BERLIN (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama scrapped plans to visit wounded members of the armed forces in Germany as part of his overseas trip, a decision his spokesman said was made because the Democratic presidential candidate thought it would be inappropriate on a campaign-funded journey.

The spokesman, Robert Gibbs, said Thursday that Obama made his decision out of respect for the servicemen and women, but Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign immediately criticized the move.

"Barack Obama is wrong. It is never inappropriate to visit our men and women in the military," said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the Republican contender.

What a tool. Barack Hussein Obama, IMO did not visit wounded U.S. soldiers for a reason. If he did, there would be no fawning crowds. There would be no fanfare. There was nothing in it for the "messiah." For in Barack Hussein Obama's world, it's all about him. He couldn't be bothered to make a sidetrip to visit some wounded soldiers because he not only has no appreciation for their sacrifices, he actually loathes the reason that they were injured in the first place, and loathes the mission for which they sacrificed.

And yet the media minions (Drudge included) fawn all over this mentally, historically, and geographically-challenged bozo (who, incidentally, is as dependent on a teleprompter as a baby is dependent on its bottle) as if he were the second coming of sliced bread.

I don't get it.

Does the name, "Nicolae Carpathia" ring a bell with anyone?

***UPDATE***

It appears that the anointed one's campaign thought it would be a good idea to desecrate a holy site with campaign posters:

By Aaron Klein
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

JERUSALEM – Sen. Barack Obama's campaign plastered the entrance to the Western Wall – the holiest site in Judaism – with official campaign posters, WND has learned.

Jerusalem police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld confirmed to WND posters that adorned police barricades erected at the Western Wall plaza for Obama's visit were distributed by the presidential candidate's campaign.

"These posters were his campaign and not the doing of the police," said Rosenfeld, whose police department coordinated security and provided protection for Obama's visit today to the holy site.

Asked if it was traditional practice for politicians visiting the Western Wall to bring along posters or campaign materials, Rosenfeld replied, "No."

Obama campaign posters can be seen in media footage of the Illinois senator's early morning surprise visit to the Western Wall.

His visit reportedly was not on the official campaign schedule.

How...tasteful.

But then again, he is the anointed one. And one cannot necessarily desecrate a holy place with posters from an anointed messiah, can one?

Dear Germany

You got a visitor today, and judging by the media circus, you too have graduated into being good little Obamatons. You have even bought into the messiah complex, and are willing to make Barack Hussein Obama your personal jesus:

"We have a severe case of Obama mania in this town, and in Germany, I think, in general people are waiting for the political redeemer. It's seven years of Bush that have made people right for a new face, for a change. People are willing to fall in love again with the United States."

Word to the Teutonic masses: You don't vote for our leaders (at least not yet). So for now you can take your hoped for "change" and stick it up your Teutonic arse.

And for heaven's sake, clean up the wet spot, will you?

Score one for Mother Earth...

Perhaps we need more hurricanes. Start pumping out that C0-2.

Many Texans heading north were stopped at inland Border Patrol checkpoints, where agents opened extra lanes to ease traffic flow while still checking documentation and arresting illegal immigrants, said sector spokesman Dan Doty. At one checkpoint on U.S. 77, smugglers were caught with nearly 10,000 pounds of marijuana.

As a friend of mine said, "illegal immigrants arrested, dope smugglers arrested. All was needed was some high water to flush the rats out."

Amen, rev.

Kline announces "Stop the Pork" Initiative: Notes from Conference call

I participated in a blogger conference call this morning with Congressman John Kline regarding his initiative to repair the broken earmark system in Congress. After being in congress for awhile, Kline decided that the current system of earmarks was corrupt; there was no system of setting priorities of spending on earmarks based on merits; rather it was who the congressman knew, what stature the person held in congress; committee assignments, etc. that would dictate whether an earmark would be approved. As a result, Kline decided he would be one of only 12 that year (that list included Congresswoman Michele Bachmann) that would no longer participate in the earmark process until it was fixed. Now there are around 50 who have taken a similar position, including a number of democrats, including, surprisingly, Henry Waxman.

Kline decided to open a microsite with a petition called stopthepork.com.

An earmark is when a member of congress marks money that is specified for a specific project, that cannot be spent for anything else. Not that all projects are silly, but the current system doesn't allow earmarks to compete on their merits. It all depends on the congressman's current stature, placement on committees, etc., So Kline decided he wasn't going to participate in what he called a "broken system."

Last year there were over 30,000 requests for earmarks; 12,000 were funded.

Q: What is the long-term vision?

A: We won't ban earmarks entirely. Congress' duty is to spend money, and Congress has the constitional right to direct money. The trouble is that the current system has nothing to do with the rational setting of priorities; the plan is to stop earmarks until a rational system of priorities with earmarks can be developed.

Currently, Democrats have stated that they will not bring forth any appropriations bill until after the election, as they are apparently afraid of taxpayer backlash should any of the frivolous spending habits see the light of day in an election year.

Currently congresscritters have been talking about, among other things, raising the federal gas tax for road and bridge infrastructure, while earmarks continue unabated supporting

• olive fruit fly research in Paris, France

• the Montana Sheep Institute

• the Lobster Institute

• and even money to develop a walking tour of Boydton, Virginia

It is definitely high time to develop a system that will put a check on wasteful spending and prioritize hard-earned taxpayer dollars.

Head to stopthepork.com and sign the petition.

The Best Title for a Post. Ever.

And a damned good article, to boot.

MILF news...

This is the first storied year in which yours truly will make a foray into golfing lore and history as I will be playing in the much storied, much touted, and very-little remembered from year-to-year Millard Filmore (MilF) classic. It appears that my Italian heritage is being maligned and John Stewart and I are being given 97:1 odds of winning the classic.

To that, I politely say, "Ba Fungu!"

Put your money on the meister and the writer, folks. Italians have ways of winning things.

Foot may just find himself waking up with the Head of Alfredo Garcia in his bed.

Democrats with a death wish.

From here:

WASHINGTON - The political vision of a summer gas tax holiday died a quick death in Congress, losing to a view that federal excise taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel will have to go up if they go anywhere.

Despite calls from the presidential campaign trail for a Memorial Day-to-Labor Day tax freeze, lawmakers quickly concluded — with a prod from the construction industry — that having $9 billion less to spend on highways could create a pre-election specter of thousands of lost jobs.

Now, lawmakers quietly are talking about raising fuel taxes by a dime from the current 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents on diesel fuel.

Go ahead moonbats-- try to raise gas taxes. Try putting even more misery on Americans' collective plate. Hell, don't "quietly" talk about it. Shout it from the rooftops. Knock yourselves out.

We'll happily pick up the pieces when your political carcasses are spread in so many tiny pieces after you are routed into political oblivion come November 5th.

As Dirty Harry would say, "Make my day."

T-Paw... On McCain Veep Short List?

Possibly, very short list?

ROCHESTER, New Hampshire (CNN) – It's VP tea leaf reading season, and a Republican source who attended a small private meeting with John McCain Tuesday in New Hampshire tells CNN that the GOP candidate dropped a serious hint about Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

The Republican source said "out of the blue" McCain told the gathering that he thinks they are "really going to like" Pawlenty.

As Chairman for the national McCain For President Committee, the perceived degree of possibility of Tim Pawlenty as a possible Veep pick for McCain has vacillated wildly since February of this year; at times it looked like he was a definite pick, at other times a longshot. Don't get me wrong. I like Governor Pawlenty. But a Pawlenty pick would do very little to shore up McCain's conservative bonafides. A pick of a true-blue conservative such as Bobby Jindal, on the other hand, would take the McCain campaign light years toward healing the obvious rift between conservative purists and some of the uncomfortably left-leaning policies of the McCain platform.

***UPDATE****

I guess a Bobby Jindal candidacy is not in the cards.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 7-23-2008

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Toni

1st LT. Frank B. Walkup, IV
23 years old from Woodbury, Tennessee
2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
June 16, 2007


Toni already has a great post up on her site, so I'll just link to it.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Michele Bachmann Energy Conference Call notes..

Rough and ready notes taken during energy policy conference call with Michele Bachmann, today from 12:00pm til 12:45pm... I'll be fixing the spelling errors/typos as I see them. I was typing as I went along, so there may be some errors in the transcription. The gist, however, I believe is accurate.

Viewed solar-power plant

Wants to extend credits for alternative energy.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Ethanol may very well be a transitional fuel; so are looking at switch grass as opposed to corn-based ethanol. Algae research is also being conducted. Algae contains oil, which could be a tremendous form of energy if we can make it commercially viable.

-Would like to conduct an energy tour of Minnesota, since nuclear energy wasn't discussed, and she's very proud of our Monticello nuclear power plant (incidentally, Steve Gottwalt, if re-elected, plans to introduce a bill that would lift Minnesota's moratorium on building any new nuclear power plants)*. There are also labs in the 6th district that are doing research on developing algae as power.

-Many advances in solar panel technology.

-Then took a tour to Alaska, and toured a "permafrost tunnel," the only one of its kind. This is important since there is much permafrost on the North Slope of Alaska.

-Toured Prudhoe Bay, where the oil production occurs. No permanent residents. Workers make on average 6 figure incomes. Very high paying jobs. Over 750,000 jobs could be created if we open up more exploration on the North slope, not to mention in Colorado.

-Area is under snow/ice for 9 mos, and is in complete darkness 3 mos. per year; perfect site for drilling.

-ANWR is over 19,000,000 acres; including the Brooks range; the area of interest of drilling is only 2000 acres; relative to the size of a postage stamp on a football field. Also located close to the Alaska pipeline. North Slope is still our largest oil producing field. But this is not good news. When it first opened, was over 2 million bbl of oil per day; now only 700,000 bbl per day.

In ANWR, oil is highly concentrated in small area.

ANWR would actually be the fastest, easiest, and least environmentally invasive area to drill.

***Q&A***

Larry Schumacher: $2 per gallon gas; how do you know?

A: We have the energy resources here in the U.S. to add to the supply. When she took office, gas was $2 and change. What has changed since is the message that America has absolutely had no intention of increasing its own supply of energy. India and China and developing countries are putting an increased strain. As of right now we are 70% import. We don't need to be there. We have in reserves over 2 TRILLION bbl of reserve; Saudi Arabia has only 1.3 trillion.

If we open up the oil shale fields, ANWR, Outer Contintental shelf, Atlantic & Pacific, et., al, plus Natural gas from the Gulf Coast, we have so much energy. We have 27 percent of all the coal in the world that could be used for coal to liquid production, plus nuclear power and tremendous advances in solar and wind. If all is opened up there is no question that we can get back to gasoline prices prevalent two years ago. But Congress has made it virtually impossible to access any energy available.

Like there are hungry children with a locked-up pantry of food.

In Stillwater, man pumped gas; truck is 20 years old, puts gas in the tank when it gets to the 3/4 mark cause he can't afford to fill the whole tank.

There is no reason to make the American people suffer. Congress must once again make it legal for Americans to access their own energy.

MPR. ANWR minimal environmental impact.. what is proof?

-People in Alaska, overwhelmingly want drilling, especially the native population that live in ANWR. They see how responsible drilling is in Prudhoe Bay and the National Petroleum reserve.

-We saw the most wildlife at mile marker 0 in Prudhoe bay; the most caribou were huddled around the pipeline. It is a tundra. The area of interest for drilling is also a tundra. There will be no additional roads. The drill site could be scaled down from what used to be 20 acres to 6 acres now.

-Truckers need to put "diapers" under their truck to keep oil from crankcases, etc., from making contact with the tundra. The level of regulations and responsibility is the highest in the world.

-KARE-11. We should drop the speed limit. What do you think?

A: Conservation is important and is one leg of the school. We need to conserve, AND we need to utilize the energy that is there.

No truth to statement of "leased land." Those lands are in stages of exploration and production. Lease only lasts 10 years. If a group files a lawsuit, that halts exploration by as long as two years. Michele introduced a bill that would expedite the permit process. Looking at creating a specialty court that deals with oil & gas in the arctic region, and expedite the timelines for decision-making. Not that it would eliminate lawsuits, but would expedite the timelines required for responses to lawsuits.

Q: Speedlimits are off the table then?

A; Not off the table. Conservation is just one part. It's not because Americans are driving too much. Congress is the problem. Congress controls the answer in its refusal to open up access to energy.

Q: Is there short term relief in sight?

A: Congress can do something. Any legislation that has to do with increasing supply has been shelved. One democrat says we should drive small cars and wait for wind.

We can get it done much more quickly than the timelines that you've heard. Congress has created artificial barriers and delays that are prolonging the time. Once we have proven to the world that we are serious about increasing supply, speculators will bring the price down. President Bush's announcement alone brought down the price of oil 10 dollars.

Q: Larry Schumacher cited EIA study that production would only allow for a 2% decrease in prices, which would be offset by an OPEC decrease in production.

A: EIA has been flawed... they estimated a number of years ago that gas would be $22 per barrel. EIA has a terrible track record in their predictions and estimations. I would take what they say with a grain of salt. Even by Pelosi's numbers we would be looking at a 70 cent decrease in cost. Also, wrt opening the strategic oil reserve, that would be an extremely temporary fix. 14X more oil in ANWR than in Strategic Oil Reserve.



Trans Alaskan pipeline is a great advantage. If we get down to the point of moving only 300 k of oil, it would cease to be functional, and would need to be rebuilt. If we don't increase production, in 10 years we would be to that point, and the pipeline would cease being functional. We are in a precarious window of time right now.

Q: Smarmy Pioneer Press frothing Idiot Jim Ragsdale: Congresswoman Bachmann-- interesting analogy about the hungry children and the locked pantry. What if the children are fat and lazy and still want more? Shouldn't we make them eat less, and then unlock the pantry? What are we doing to make Americans use less energy? Huh? (apparently this bozo pines for the return to the malaise of yesteryear that everyone so enjoyed during the Carter administration).

A: Again, conservation is part of the 3-legged stool. The three legs are conservation, renewable energy, and increasing domestic production of oil, nuclear, and natural gas. You are asking government to solve a problem that it created. If we open up access to our own resources, the free market will solve the problem. (SMACKDOWN).

This liveblog is over.

Gary Gross has more here.

Pretty much explains everything, doesn't it?

Penn and Teller provide us with some insight:

Putting Words in People's Mouths...

by the left and their media shills to drive an agenda.

Examples here and here.

Who'd a thunk it??

Prayers would be appreciated...

For my nephew-in-law (and his comrades), who just left Minnesota to go fight a fire here.

Thanks!

What hath the "New Tone" wrought?

While I've admired President Bush for many reasons, what I could never understand was the President's reluctance to answer the many unfounded, over-the-top criticisms and out-and-out attacks that were foisted upon him by the left of this nation.

Paul Kengor addresses this in a must-read piece at the American Thinker. For all of the Bush Administration's successes, most notably his success via perseverance of his Iraq war policy, President Bush's "new tone" policy set the stage for the relentless, unanswered barrages of assaults by the leftists of this nation and around the world.

The "feel-good" language espoused by many democrats regarding "getting along" and their supposed pining to end the "politics of personal destruction," in the end, of course, was so much political puffery. On the other hand, George Bush's "new tone" was not only a buzzword, but S.O.P. for his administration. As with nearly every aspect of his administration (and what those on the left could never fathom nor abide), Bush actually meant what he said and said what he meant when he proclaimed that he would establish "a new tone" in Washington.

Paul Kengor asserts that Bush's "new tone" was a spinoff of his adherence to his evangelical Christian roots; specifically with regard to the principle of "turning the other cheek (Luke 6:29)."

While a president's abiding by principle is certainly to be lauded, the application of this principle to Bush's leftist detractors during his administration yielded disastrous, and yes, even dangerous results. Turning the other cheek allowed the leftists to set the agenda for debate, and allowed them relatively free rein in their efforts to dangerously damage the morale of this country with carte-blanche levels of seditious rhetoric and out-and-out falsehoods. Bush's "new tone" allowed the leftist elements of this country to give licentious aid and comfort to America's enemies during a time when our sons and daughters were in harm's way, giving our enemies encouragement to climb out of their caves and kill another day. Bush's "new tone" has made it much easier for democrats and other leftist elements to continue relatively unabated on a roll of propaganda based on contrivances that continues to this day, on every issue from energy to foreign policy.

Unfortunately, the Bush Administration's failure to utilize the bully pulpit to answer unjust criticism and attacks from detractors has left those of us on the right side of the aisle to do all the heavy lifting; which was all well and good, but not enough.

President Bush has many legislative and policy accomplishments for which to be proud. But public opinion and debate in the arena of ideas are also matters of import.

It is my opinion that President Bush's "new tone" policy is a virtual handbook of how not to play the game.

The Head Lemming...

...Is about to lead her party off of a political cliff:

WASHINGTON — A plan to lift the ban on coastal drilling is stalled on Capitol Hill, for one simple reason: A Californian who opposes President Bush's proposal is calling the shots in the House of Representatives.

Despite growing public support for ending the ban, even in California, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she won't allow a vote.

"I have no plans to do so," Pelosi said Thursday.

It's an example of the vast power placed in the office of the speaker, who sets the agenda for the 435-member House. Members can force a vote if enough of them sign a petition, but that's a rarity because it requires rank-and-file Democrats to line up against their boss.

In this case, Pelosi is going against a rising tide of public opinion. Faced with rapidly increasing gasoline prices, 73 percent of Americans now favor offshore drilling, according to a poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research Corp (emphases added).

So, the high and mighty Ms. Pelosi, in her never-ending quest to appease the small percentage of enviro-whackos, is more than willing to lead her party to thwart the will of 73 percent of the American people. That, by definition, includes democrats. The same Nancy Pelosi that led the Congress to single-digit popularity. The worst Speaker in the History of the U.S. House, who actually had the gonads to label the Bush Presidency a "total failure" (when Bush himself has three times the positive approval rating as does Pelosi!)

Ms. Pelosi--if you actually want to lead your party to thwart the will of 73 percent of the American electorate, knock yourselves out.

Word to the Republicans (including John McCain): Energy is your issue. You own it. Use the issue as a sledgehammer, use it often, and use it mercilessly. Those bastards deserve it.

Pot Meet Kettle, Part....

The London Telegraph reports that Britain's Channel 4 is to be censured for telling the truth.

The makers of a Channel 4 documentary which claimed that global warming is a swindle misrepresented the views of some of the world's leading climate scientists, the media watchdog is expected to rule next week.

In a judgment at the end of a 15-month enquiry, Ofcom is expected to censure the channel over The Great Global Warming Swindle, broadcast in March last year.

[SNIP]

The controversy over the film, made by director Martin Durkin, has continued to rage in newspapers and online.

Critics argued that it had misused and fabricated data, relied on out-of-date research and employed misleading arguments.

Hmm.. sounds like they were looking in a mirror when they made those statements.

Obama's "dangerous fantasy?"

Powerline points us to a WND article, which reported that Obama stated he would like to develop a civilian security force every bit as powerful and well-funded as today's military. Paul Mirengoff asserts:

I'm not suggesting that Obama would actually try to establish a domestic security force as powerful as our current military, only that deep-down it appears he wouldl like to do something of the kind. That impulse seems like a threat to our freedom regardless of whether Obama attempts to hatch the full-blown object of his fantasy (sic).

Personally, I'm wondering where the MSM is going to be in all of this. They had a cow when President Bush proposed that we beef up domestic security and fight terrorism more efficiently by enlarging our circle of U.S. citizen informants back in 2007.

Obama's plan would seem to be more ambitious-- in spades.

Awww...shucky darn.

Remember how in 2005 (when Hurricanes Rita and Katrina hit) Algore and the other chicken littles went into hysterics saying that further hurricane seasons would be exponentially deadlier because of global warming. Yeah, and that Rita and Katrina were byproducts of man's inhumanity to Mother Earth, and were Gaia's revenge for polluting her atmosphere with evil carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse gases." Then, after a few nondescript hurricane seasons, with visions of the success of their doomsaying global warming scam being shoved up their collective arses, they were forced to mutter under their breaths,

"Never Mind"

But this summer a new sign loomed over the horizon that gave the climate-change pimps new hope--much to their amazement, their dire prediction of melting ice at the polar cap seemed to actually be coming true!!! Visions of photo -ops of drowning polar bears and floods of U.N. grant money danced in their heads, and all was well and right with their crumbling world!!

UNTIL....

the latest scientific observations show that Arctic ice has actually increased by nearly a half million square miles over this time last year.

Well.. guess they'll have to go back to the ol' drawing board.

"Never Mind"

Trust we can believe in?

A must-read at NRO.

And then one day... at band camp...

Confused yet?

In a brilliant piece at NRO, Victor Davis Hansen sums up the Obama/defeat wing of the DNC:

I think a conventional narrative is slowly forming about Iraq something like the following:

I supported the successful three-week war. I opposed the flawed occupation. My principled criticism, however, led to the salvation of Iraq, which is important and necessary. Yet I did not support the idea of being in Iraq, but now don’t oppose it either. My model of intervention in Afghanistan was the proper one; difficulties there are due either to others’ improper implementation or an unwise diversion of resources to Iraq. If the president employs unilateral action, he should be more multilateral; if multilateral, he is an outsourcer and should by more directly involved and unilateral.

Just remember the details of this narrative, monitor how it is modified to fit the daily pulse of the battlefield, and then almost everything we hear makes sense.

Perhaps to a brilliant mind like yours, VDH. As for me, I'm still trying to figure out why Americans continue engage in a death-wish for defeat for their own.

Perhaps it is a throwback analogous to other species feeling the need to eat their own young.

Oil prices plummet... usual suspects suspected?

Oil prices plummeted today to under $130 USD/barrel. The drive-by media hacks are attributing the drop to a "sudden" decrease in demand, due to high gas prices and a sluggish economy. Curiously, nowhere in any article can I find the notion that the drop nearly immediately commenced after an announcement by George W. Bush that he would lift the executive-order moratorium on offshore drilling.

If the drop in market oil prices, as the media is touting, is due to decreased demand, as well as a "sluggish economy," why has it been a sudden drop, as demand has been decreasing steadily since before the July 4th holiday (accompanied by a concurrently downspiraling stock market and economy), with no corresponding drop in prices?

Hmmm... the drive-by agenda media, giving credit where it isn't due.

Feature that.

Another reminder of what we face...

...Should we elect Barack Hussein Obama to office:



Make no mistake. This is a self-loathing, nation-loathing man who is more than hellbent on taking America down a few notches to assuage his liberal guilt.

In the twisted, socialist mind of one Barack Hussein Obama, our best years are not, nay, must not be in front of us; rather we must atone for the best years we've already had and for having had the audacity of greatness amidst such worldly suffering (much of it caused, incidentally, by socialists and their policies).

Barack Hussein's message of "hope," as far as I can figure out, is a "hope" based on the premise that America is no longer the leader of the free world, but rather that America takes a back seat in world leadership to the "enlightened" European intelligentsia. You know, the ones who have become 'O so tolerant' of Sharia law and other "progressive" policies.

Leadership and the preservation of the free world, not to mention increased prosperity and a better life for Americans and their progeny, is simply not in the cards in Barack Hussein Obama's vision of America.

In fact, when's the last time you've even heard him allude, with but a modicum of conviction, to freedom or prosperity or the greatness of America?

I'm waiting....

Wednesday Hero Blogburst, 7-16-08

Sgt. Kenneth J. Schall
22 years old from Peoria, Arizona
2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division
May 22, 2005


"It was very tough not to be touched by him in some way," said Terri Schall, Sgt. Kenneth Schall's mother.

Kenneth Schall was enrolled at Glendale Community College and was studying to become a history teacher when the country was attacked on September 11, 2001. The event spurred him to join the Army. He served a four and a half month tour in Iraq in 2004 and returned in February of 2005.

Terri Schall last spoke to her son on Mother's Day in 2005. "He sounded great — tired — but he said he was doing OK", she said. Sgt. Kenneth Schall died when the Humvee he was riding in was involved in an accident in Yusafiyah, Iraq.

Along with his mother, Sgt. Schall is survived by his father and two younger siblings.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Crap.

And that's all I have to say about this.

You will be missed, my friend.

Bruce brought down the Wall?

No, it wasn't President Reagan's speech at the Vandenberg gate. No relevance there.

It wasn't the Soviet's inability to keep pace with American ingenuity and resolve to defend itself against the "evil empire," inspired by luminaries such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II that brought down the wall. Small potatoes.

No, according to the undoubtedly dope-smoking revisionists at Reuters, it was Bruce Springsteen who really brought down the Berlin Wall.


I. Shit. You. Not.

Newsbusters has more.

What happened to Weather Underground?

For a number of years now, I've relied on Weather Underground for all things weather-related, and have found them to be a reliable source for forecasting, up-to-date weather warnings, and reliable weather radar. I've used them both on my computer and my cell phone, and have happily paid for a subscription to their service.

I noticed last night that I couldn't access their service, and it seemed like the domain was pointed at another site.

This morning I couldn't get there either.

DNS attack?

***UPDATE****

Stan has the answer:

Something in the route tables has been poisoned. I have the same problem (the 'site' is blank ATM, but it had had a NETWORK SOLUTIONS beginner's page earlier this eve)

Until the route tables reset to the correct routes, you can still get there through a proxy. Going direct I get a blank page, but try putting wunderground.com into this proxy page and you're in:

http://www.youranonymousproxy.com/Defaul...

Some people can get in, some can't... just depends on the path between you and wunderground. If you hit the buggered section of the routes, you'll be somewhere else (wherever the route is taking it).

WARNING: DO NOT LOG IN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS in case the server that's being pointed to starts phishing. Within two or three days from today (15 July 2008) the routes should be back to normal.

Oh give me a friggin' break already...

Got kidney stones? Blame "global warming."

Global warming is likely to increase the proportion of the population affected by kidney stones by expanding the higher-risk region known as the "kidney-stone belt" into neighboring states, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and UT Dallas have found.

Got wildfire, pestilence and other biblical maladies? Blame global warming and humans:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Government scientists detailed a rising death toll from heat waves, wildfires, disease and smog caused by global warming in an analysis the White House buried so it could avoid regulating greenhouse gases.

In a 149-page document released Monday, the experts laid out for the first time the scientific case for the grave risks that global warming poses to people, and to the food, energy and water on which society depends.

"Risk (to human health, society and the environment) increases with increases in both the rate and magnitude of climate change," scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency said. Global warming, they wrote, is "unequivocal" and humans are to blame.

The document suggests that extreme weather events and diseases carried by ticks and other organisms could kill more people as temperatures rise.

When are these schitt-for-brains bozos gonna get it in their rotten, self-centered, arrogant, egotistical sorry excuses for their brains-that-only-a-proctologist-can-appreciate that we don't buy their spewed vomit anymore?

You'd think they'd have a clue by now.

Hey, McFly--anybody home?!?

And the people said....

AMEN!!!

U.S. President George Bush is stepping up pressure on Congress to open up off shore oil exploration. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports Mr. Bush has lifted an executive order banning offshore drilling and is urging lawmakers to complete the process by dropping a legislative prohibition.

Tasteless, Offensive (and true?)

This week's New Yorker Cover:

It is said that all good humor/satire has a grain of truth to it. If not true in a literal sense, perhaps there are yet a few grains of truth to be had.

Obama, Inc?

It appears that Obama's alleged birth certificate has been deemed a forgery, calling to question whether Obama was born in the United States, which would be a Constitutional prerequisite for his ability to legally run for President.

A petition for the Obama campaign to release a paper copy of his birth certificate was allegedly met with a veiled/not so veiled threat against the petition originator's family from an "Obama supporter," which forced the originator of the petition to shut down the site.

This suggests that the Obama campaign, which has taken Clinton, Inc., head on, is not afraid to utilize Clintonian tactics in dealing with detractors.

Just where is that birth certificate, Barack "Hussein" Obama?

The Problem.

In a follow-up to a previous post, I submit for your approval a primer of how to ensure that we remain enslaved to whackos like Ahmadinejad and Chavez:

First, take a means of harvesting our own oil:

U.S. District Judge David Lawson of Detroit ruled Thursday the agency had acted "arbitrarily and capriciously" in 2005 by giving Savoy Energy LP of Traverse City a permit to drill an exploratory well near the Au Sable River's south branch.

The proposed wellhead would be located in the Huron-Manistee National Forest about three-tenths of a mile from the Mason Tract, a 4,679-acre wilderness area prized by anglers and other outdoor recreationists.

Forest supervisor Leanne Marten said when approving Savoy's application that the project wouldn't significantly harm the environment and the company would be required to keep noise to a minimum.

Next, take two enviro-whacko groups whose true aim is to ensure that the United States ends up a third-rate power and a third-world conglomeration of collectives, reduced to living in squalor in thatched roofs, and for good measure bring along a willing accomplice whom they've shamed into acquiescing:

Two environmental groups, the Sierra Club and Anglers of the Au Sable, sued the government to halt the drilling. Joining the suit was Tim Mason, whose grandfather, auto executive George Mason, donated the original 1,200 acres to the state upon his death in 1954 and asked that it be maintained as wilderness.

Then, get an activist leftist puke of a judge who sees things the way they do:

But the judge ruled the Forest Service didn't consider how degrading the area could harm tourism,

Next, find a spotted owl or a caribou. If there are no spotted owls or caribou in the area, find another obscure species of flora or fauna to prop up as a defenseless cute critter who will suffer a woeful existence and/or disappear from the face of the earth if development takes place. Never mind that it won't be the case. In trying to accomplish such a noble cause as destroying the United States, one must never let the truth get in the way of crippling the U.S. economy. The end, after all, justifies the means

"[The judge]...said the agency did a "woefully inadequate" job of evaluating how the drilling might affect the Kirtland's warbler, an endangered songbird that nests in the area."

And that, my friends, is how to ensure that we become a third world, third-rate nation, courtesy of your local friendly environmentalist/socialist whacko.

Shakespeare's Henry VI was incomplete in his assessment that what was needed in the world was first to "kill all the lawyers." He would have been more prescient if he included the radical environmentalists in his calculations.

Smoke and Mirrors... Ahmawhackjob style.

Crude oil prices went through the roof the other day upon news that Iran test fired a "new generation" of missiles capable of striking distant targets, including Israel.

Everything seemed to make sense, until one takes into account that the whole Iranian operation, entitled, "The Great Prophet III war games," was nothing but an exercise in smoke and mirrors.

As the fourth largest oil exporting nation in the world, and with an expensive nuclear munitions habit to feed, Ahmadinejad realizes that all he has to do is to sneeze and the size of his coffers will increase exponentially. Nice work if you can get it.

Yet the democrats continue to say that harvesting our own oil has nothing to do with solving the problem.

And Ahmanislamistfreakjob laughs all the way to the bank.

****UPDATE 4:09p CDT*****

My son drew my attention to this article that exposed the Iranian images of missile firing as a photoshopped image: Since the Iranians did such a piss-poor job of photoshopping the non-event event, my son Leo III thought he'd give the Iranians a hand and do his own version:

Good job, son.

The nation loses a true "happy warrior."

Intelligence, wit and a sense of humor, paired with an indefatigable optimism grounded in reality.

The world will long note, and will truly mourn the passing of Tony Snow.

My condolences to the Snow family, their friends, and to all whom he touched with his prodigious life.

Like a monkey with its hand in the cookie jar...

They refuse to allow exploration and drilling. They refuse to allow refineries. They refuse to allow nuclear energy plants. They block every fffin' serious effort to move toward energy independence.

The economy is going to hell in a handcart. The tourism trade is in shambles, and right out of the Marie Antoinette handbook, the Democrats refuse to cut gas taxes.

Why. Am. I. Not. Surprised?

Announcing, our first grandchild...

Born today at 7:57am, weighing in at 8-pounds 6-ounces, and 23-inches long :)

Welcome to the world, Maggie Ann!

Common Sense Takes a Holiday...

We're awaiting the birth of our first grandchild. Sometime today or tomorrow.

I'm sitting at an establishment on Big Lake Detroit right now, with an order of chips and salsa and a diet coke, my motorcycle helmet and backpack and laptop in tow...and pondering a few things.

Along with many other Americans who can afford the luxury of a tank of gas, Common Sense has taken a holiday.

I went and got the propane tank filled this morning, and stopped at the little butcher shop next to the propane store... After picking out a package of beef sticks, I struck up a conversation with the proprietor of the butcher shop, who, incidentally, keeps a close eye on the commodities markets, especially corn. According to the guy, due to the flooding in key corn growing areas of Iowa and elsewhere in the midwest, the price of corn per is supposed to skyrocket to nearly $18 dollars a bushel in the fall. This, he said, will necessarily send the price of beef skyrocketing, as well. This will also hurt many local farmers, who are already contracted to sell their corn at only $6 per bushel. Look for the price of beef, pork, milk and other staple food items to climb through the stratosphere as well as a result.

The big winner in this? Archer Daniels Midland, who still has contracts for the remaining scarce amounts of corn and soybeans to produce ethanol and biodiesel, which will of course decrease the supply and drive up prices even more.

And do you know what the big kicker in all this is? We, the consumers/taxpayers are taking it up the keester in spades. For example, do you know that there's a plant in southern Minnesota run by ADM? And do you know what they manufacture? Biodiesel. That's right. One of the supposed saviors of our futures and the supposed end-all and be-all hedge against our dependence on foreign oil. And for every gallon of biodiesel that ADM produces in southern Minnesota, we, the taxpayers, kick in a dollar.

Now, one might say, what's the big deal? After all, that biodiesel just goes to pumps in Minnesota, and helps ease the price of diesel at the pumps, right?

Wrong again, grasshopper. The biodiesel produced by ADM in plants in southern Minnesota takes a detour at Mankato and heads off to--EUROPE. Yep, we, the taxpayers, are paying Archer Daniels Midland one dollar for every gallon of biodiesel they produce, and we then watch that gallon make a beeline out of Minnesota to the cozy confines of Western Europe. That same biodiesel that is in part serving to dwindle our food supplies, and driving up the price of food that Americans must buy.

Fellow Minnesotans, fellow Americans, we are being raped and robbed at the behest of the politicians, who are beholden to corporate farms, as they and their beneficiaries of their largesse in the State and Federal legislatures wink like pirates.

And the ruse continues...as do the ruses that involve supposed man-made global warming, supposed climate catastrophes, and other manufactured crises leading the politicians and their robber-baron accomplices running around like Chicken Little, while real economic crises that have their origins in these very scams they perpetrate fester under their slimy feet.

And all I can do is look at the prospect of my grandchild coming into the world... and shudder.

Common Sense has taken a vacation, and its return is nowhere on the horizon.

I weep for our nation.

And the Truth will set you free!

Score one for Life, and one against Margaret Sanger's Planned Parenthood:

(CNSNews.com) - South Dakota may enforce a law that requires doctors to provide pregnant women with a written statement saying, "the abortion will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being," a federal appeals court ruled last Friday.

In Planned Parenthood v. Rounds, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit voted 7-4 to strike down a 2005 preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for South Dakota.

The injunction had prevented a statute - requiring abortion providers to tell women, in writing, that an abortion would terminate the life of a "living human being" - from taking effect. The decision by the appeals court reversed the injunction and remanded it to the district court for further proceedings consistent with its opinion.

The lawsuit, filed by Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, required the court to consider whether the definition of human being should include "the unborn human being during the entire embryonic and fetal ages from fertilization to full gestation."

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and Attorney General Larry Long, representing the state, argued against Planned Parenthood in the suit, providing evidence that the embryo or fetus is "whole, separate, unique and living."

The court's ruling said, "Planned Parenthood submitted no evidence to oppose that conclusion."

The court cited a bioethicist's affidavit, submitted by Planned Parenthood, which stated that "to describe an embryo or fetus scientifically and factually, one would say that a living embryo or fetus in utero is a developing organism of the species Homo Sapiens which may become a self-sustaining member of the species if no organic or environmental evidence interrupts its gestation."

My dear readers, when faced with the Truth of what an abortion is, the pro-abortion, pro-death lobby has no moral leg to stand on. Unlike a pile of wood, which can become a chair, a table, or part of a home, a developing embryo can become only more and more of what it already is--a human being.

Congratulations to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for having the cajones to face up to that truth.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst, 7-2-08

Click Image For Full SizeLance Cpl. Julie Martinez


Lance Cpl. Julie Martinez, a radio operator with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, checks the communication capabilities during a backload of Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 3 to the USS Essex June 9.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

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Maybe the Twins can use her...

Obama defines "Patriotism?" **(UPDATED & BUMPED)

“As Mark Twain, that greatest of American satirists and proud son of Missouri, once wrote, Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” We may hope that our leaders and our government stand up for our ideals, and there are many times in our history when that’s occurred. But when our laws, our leaders or our government are out of alignment with our ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expression of patriotism."

-Barack Hussein Obama, in a speech delivered on 30 June, 2008-

So that explains Barack Hussein Obama's close relationship with one William Ayers, whose patriotic duty (by Obama's definition) included setting bombs and killing innocent people. Heck, according to Obama's definition, and by Ayers' own admission, he just wasn't patriotic enough.

That also explains Obama's close relationship with one Rev. "God Damn America!" Wright.

For in Barack Hussein Obama's world, these men, and others, have demonstrated, in Obama's own definition, the "...truest expression of patriotism," in spades.

An axiom that I have long held is that liberals have no chance of winning a debate in the arena of ideas, unless they are given rein to re-define the terms of that debate.

The heinous practice of killing a baby in what should be the safety of a mother's womb, heretofore known as abortion, is now known as, "reproductive health."

The process whereby the government confiscates wealth from productive Americans for redistribution, formerly known as "taxes," are now known as "contributions" or "investments."

Today, "the messiah" stated,

surely we can agree that no party or political philosophy has a monopoly on patriotism. And surely we can arrive at a definition of patriotism that, however rough and imperfect, captures the best of America’s common spirit.

If Obama's sense of 'patriotism' embodies his established pattern of associations with "patriotic" individuals, such as Ayers, Wright, Pfleger, and others, whom he must consider "...the best of America's common spirit," then color me unpatriotic.

I ain't buying it.

***UPDATE**** 7-1-08 10:32pm

There are a lot of people who say that the photo at the top of this post is taken out of context; that Obama momentarily had his hands down by his crotch.

Well, you be the judge: