Currently on my Bookshelf...

Ever since I've been paying any attention to anything political, which is from a mighty long time ago, I've often wondered as to why those who ostensibly preach against man's inhumanity to man, and for decency and human rights so often run to the defense of and even embrace murderous despots.

For literally decades now, trying to make some sense of this seeming paradox has, to paraphrase Dr. Suess, "puzzled me til my puzzler was sore."

Finally, there's a plausible explanation put forth by a man by the name of Jamie Glazov, who himself, along with his family, fled Soviet tyranny during the 1970s.

In his book, "United in Hate," Glazov introduces us to his first encounters with the left, as he looked on with shock and horror as the tyranny that he fled was not only embraced but actually longed for by those who had otherwise lived in relative freedom for all of their lives.

I'm currently a few chapters into this fascinating read. I've contacted Glazov, and he has agreed to do an exclusive interview with me as soon as I am done reading the book.

Stay tuned for what is sure to be an enlightening, eye-opening and fascinating interview.

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.

Barack Obama: "Being There?"

Robert Ferrigno, author of "Prayers for the Assassin" and his latest, "Sins of the Assassin" has an article of what an Obama presidency may look like, in the eyes of Mahamoud Ahmawhackjob. Read the whole thing.

I had a correspondence today with Mr. Ferrigno, in which I compared Obama with the movie, "Being There," with Peter Sellers playing "Chance," the cognitively-challenged gardener (Chauncy Gardner), who at the end of the movie is being considered for a run for POTUS.

Mr. Ferrigno responded,

"Leo
you nailed it with the Being There analogy. amazing. the guy truly is a blank screen on which people project their deepest desires. we're in for some rough water, i'm afraid.
Robert

Is Barack Obama a life imitating art in this case? One would think so.

Lileks on the Guv's Vetoes...

Just don't have anything liquid in your mouth while you're reading this-- lest it become a nasally-ejected, screen- and keyboard-staining projectile while you're busting your gut laughing!

(h/t AAA)

Support one of Israel's Best Bloggers...

By voting for Israel Matzav at the Best of the Top 250-500 blogs at the Weblog Awards!

Carl in Jerusalem has one of the best Israeli blogs going, blogging in the thick of things as Israel struggles to exist in the midst of those who would see otherwise.

Click here to vote!

Of Cabbages and King.

Keeping up with a blog isn't always an easy thing to do. Having the discipline to update one's blog day after day reminds me of the old adage, "I hate writing, but love having written."

One of the blogosphere's premiere center-right economics gurus is fellow St. Cloudian King Banaian, who today is celebrating five years in the blogging biz.

Congratulations are truly in order, not only for one of Central Minnesota's premiere bloggers, but for a stand-up human being.

Cheers, King.

Here's to many more years of edifying the public on what is good economics.

*****UPDATE*****

I would be remiss if I neglected to mention that another premiere St. Cloud Political blogger, Gary Gross from Let Freedom Ring, whose site meter has just turned over the 100,000 mark!

Gary is a celebrity of sorts, having scored Insta-lanches no less than three times. In the blogosphere, that's the equivalent of getting three holes in one, or bowling three "300" games!

Congrats, Gary--to a well-deserved milestone!

A bridge collapses--let the blaming begin!

Reprinted with permission by the author:

A Bridge Collapses: Let The Blaming Begin

Note: As always, we encourage you to email QBQ! QuickNotes on to all you know. And in this case, please send to every lawmaker and elected official you can reach by email. Thank you!


John G. Miller
--------------------


My wife, Karen, and I lived in Minneapolis, MN for 12 years. Three of our seven kids were born in the Twin Cities. I began my sales and training career there and QBQ! came to be in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. We loveMinnesota. So we are feeling deep sadness over its recent tragedy. In fact, one of our client firms*Thrivent Financial for Lutherans*lost a beloved team member. Our hearts are heavy.


But I am discouraged over what's happening now politically. And sadly, what is occurring is so predictable and deeply woven into the fabric of our society, we hardly notice it. Right after of the collapse of the I-35W bridge into the Mississippi River, one Minnesota politician made a statement that was naive at best and gratuitous and false at worst. She said, "Bridges should not fall down in America!"


Huh? Really? Wow. It's always been my understanding that we live in an imperfect world with imperfect people who build imperfect things. And the truth is, things break. Tragic, but true.


Another politician in Washington, D.C made this statement: "We need to get to the bottom of this!" The bottom of what? There was no malice here. No person anywhere wanted this to happen.


These statements from our supposed leaders only have one aim: To initiate the Blame Game so they can score points against a political opponent. And it follows that if we buy into their propositions that human-made things shouldn't fail and we must find culprits, then the only choice left is to ask lousy questions such as, "Who made the mistake?" "Who allowed the bridge to crumble?" and "Who didn't fund the transportation bill?!"


But is acrimony, discord, and finger-pointing really what Minnesota and the United States need right now? Will this game of blame breed anything more than discontent, anger, and bitterness in those who have been impacted by this tragedy? Won't it simply leave the grieving stuck and unable to move forward? And isn't it all just a precursor to the legal suits that will soon follow?


When we look back, we'll all know it began with our elected officials setting the tone and leading the way by failing to remember or care that modeling is the most powerful of all teachers.


And what's odd is everyone I know will say, "Yes, blame is a bad thing!" and yet we continue to elect people who cannot wait to play gotcha. It's what many do best. Two years after a once-in-every-100-years storm swept over a city built below sea level, our two party political system and the media are still engaging in the whodunits. I often wonder what would've happened in September of 2005 if ninety million American adults had asked one simple question after Katrina: "What can I do right now to contribute?" I bet every home would be rebuilt, every pantry would be stocked, and every child would have new clothes.


I hope this time Minnesota will rise above what's become the accepted norm in our society. By ceasing the finger-pointing and recognizing the truth that all problems are in the past and solutions are now, we can work together to ensure a better future for us all. And then going forward when something breaks, we can stop asking, "Who broke it?" and start asking, "How can I help?" The answers that come may be good things like saying a prayer, hugging a friend, collaborating to solve real problems, and simply being thankful for every moment of this precious temporal journey we're all on called life.


So come on, Minnesota, we're pullin' for you to show the rest of us how to live. And once you've lead us through this tough time, let's all practice some personal accountability in this country by firing the blamers we put into office and find some real leaders.


Anybody with me?
---------------------------------------------
By: John G. Miller, Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch
Edited by: Kristin Lindeen

Freedom...

Here's an essay I received from a friend of mine, that speaks volumes!

Freedom

by Warren Bonesteel

23 July, 2007

We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it. ~William Faulkner

We stand at a crucial point in mankind's history. The world's governments are
no longer in control of the political and social memes and narratives in the
same fashion as they were even a mere five years ago. We, The People, are
better informed than ever before. We are more aware, than ever before, of the
deceitfulness of our political, social and cultural leaders. Their corruption and deceit can no longer be hidden or disguised. We must hold them accountable. Through holding our leaders accountable, by replacing them with better men if they are not, by working together as sovereign and rational individuals, we become the example for millions of others in living as free and sovereign people. By doing what we now do, this day and every day, we are setting the stage for the future course of this struggle. We are even now laying the foundations of the memes and narratives by which we, our families, friends and those yet unborn, might live as free and sovereign men without fear and at peace. We, The People, control the future.

After enduring generations of tyranny and of limited freedoms, even if the citizens of the world defeat the purposes of each and every one of the present elitist tyrannies they confront, the world''s populations will have to re-learn almost everything they think they know about freedom and liberty. Most of us have never experienced or known the personal empowerment, or had the corresponding responsibility, of living as sovereign and free individuals. Even if we achieve uncompromising victory in our present struggle, individual and local conflicts will arise from this factor, alone. Such conflicts as these can be faced with relative equanimity. To allow ourselves or any other sovereign and free individual to be controlled or constrained by any present government among men, however, is to declare and to hold a position that cannot be honestly or rationally defended. World-wide, government corruption is systemic. They present contemptuous hatred for and against those whom they claim to serve, and they display such behavior openly and proudly, each and every day.

Our struggle is not only about the injustices or sacrifices that we and our friends and families have endured. Our struggle is not against finding meaning in those sacrifices made by ourselves and others in the cause for freedom. Our struggle is one wherein we, as sovereign and free individuals, are leading every man, woman and child on earth to live full and peaceful lives as free and sovereign people. Through our individual sacrifices and by our personal involvement, we help to create a world were no man will ever enslave another for the purpose of ideology, of religion, of ambition, or of greed. What we choose to do or choose not do, today, will determine the course of history for all time to come.

Can the people of the world achieve freedom and peace without enduring major outbreaks of violence? Will the governments of the world become ever more controlling and tyrannical in response to the peoples' openly declared desires and yearnings for freedom, liberty, and security from fear? Will the People break free of the constraints imposed upon them? Will they break free of the disdain, the lies, the corruption and the tyranny which is daily poured out upon them? This is that point in time which we now face. The ultimate victory could now go to tyranny...or to freedom. The decision is ours to make or to avoid. As free men, it is our responsibility. It is a decision for which we will be held accountable.

As the world's population begins its spontaneous and leaderless push towards freedom, the governments of the world will attempt to counter this amorphous, global movement by implementing even greater control over their citizens. Now is not the time for us to doubt. Now is not the time to quit. Now is not the time to say that the sacrifice has been too much. If we quit, now? If we lose courage, now? If we succumb to despair, now, at this time in history? We will give way to tyranny for all time to come. The battlefield surrounds us. The thoughts, the fears, the facts, the lies, the rhetoric, the shear terror and horror of the violence perpetrated upon us and upon our loved ones is all a part of a whole. We are at war against those who use fear, greed and ambition to divide and control us. The present danger has not at all passed us by...but we are winning.

Our personal and individual sacrifices in this fight for freedom have not been without import or lacking in impact. Our individual struggles and sacrifices pale in comparison to what the world might have already experienced had we not endured and sacrificed as we have. Had our ancestors not endured and sacrificed as they did in their turn, we would not have achieved the freedoms and the liberties we presently enjoy. These sacrifices are not yet finished. They are only begun. They are, however, necessary. If we do not endure this struggle today, tomorrow will not allow us to struggle at all. This is our responsibility. We are accountable to ourselves as free and sovereign men. We stand accountable before all of human history. We are accountable to one another. We are accountable to the future. We must not fail those who came before. We must not fail ourselves. We must not fail those who will come after. For Freedom's sake. For Freedom's cause. For the future of mankind. These are the reasons we sacrifice. These are the reasons we endure.

====================================

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the

fatigue of supporting it. ~Thomas Paine

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. ~George Bernard

Shaw

=====

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/home.html

Democracy in America,

Alexis de Tocqueville

From the time when the exercise of the intellect became a source of strength and of wealth, we see that every addition to science, every fresh truth, and every new idea became a germ of power placed within the reach of the people. Poetry, eloquence, and memory, the graces of the mind, the fire of imagination, depth of thought, and all the gifts which Heaven scatters at a venture turned to the advantage of democracy; and even when they were in the possession of its adversaries, they still served its cause by throwing into bold relief the natural greatness of man. Its conquests spread, therefore, with those of civilization and knowledge; and literature became an arsenal open to all, where the poor and the weak daily resorted for arms.

=====

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Oath_Office.htm

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

=====

http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/memberfaq.html

"I, (name of Member), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

=====

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/help/constRedir.html

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

<>

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

<>

Article. VI.

All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

<>

=====

One of those debts is to those who have served, fought, bled and died to give you freedom. Don't spit on their graves, their sacrifice, or their service, by ignoring The Constitution.

=====

<>

(Article. VI. cont.)

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

<>

=====

The Federalist papers:

http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/fedindex.htm

To the People of the State of New York:

AFTER an unequivocal experience of the inefficiency of the subsisting federal government, you are called upon to deliberate on a new Constitution for the United States of America. The subject speaks its own importance; comprehending in its consequences nothing less than the existence of the UNION, the safety and welfare of the parts of which it is composed, the fate of an empire in many respects the most interesting in the world. It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force. If there be any truth in the remark, the crisis at which we are arrived may with propriety be regarded as the era in which that decision is to be made; and a wrong election of the part we shall act may, in this view, deserve to be considered as the general misfortune of mankind.

=====

Common Sense

by Thomas Paine:

http://www.ushistory.org/Paine/commonsense/index.htm

Of the Origin and Design of Government in General, with Concise Remarks on the English Constitution

SOME writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him, out of two evils to choose the least. Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.

=====

http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

=====

Caucus of Corruption: An exclusive interview with Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan

Part of a perk of being a guest blogger over at Blogs for Bush is that I was able to score an exclusive interview with the blog's main contributors, who are incidentally authors of Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About the New Democratic Majority.

LEO: With such a "target rich environment" provided by the topic of your book, Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About The New Democratic Majority, how did you choose where to begin? Did you use the alphabet method?

MATT: The first step was determining how the book would be organized. There was plenty of information out there, but a lot of it is very complicated... lots of individual links in a really large chain. We organized the book essentially into two parts, "Who?" and "What?"... The first chapters each focus on one member of the Democratic Leadership (Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Charles Schumer and Rahm Emanuel) and the rest of the chapters take a look at a particular offense (connections to Jack Abramoff, sex scandals, bribery, etc.) and explain who in the Democratic Party are guilty of it.

LEO: To borrow a term from the liberal lexicon, the two of you come from geographically-diverse locations. What were some of the logistical difficulties encountered in your collaboration efforts?

MARK: Well, we're pretty much on different sides of the country, Matt lives in Massachusetts, and I live in Nevada. So, not only was there an issue with geography, but also a 3-hour time difference. Much of the research was done individually, and we shared it via email and such, but, Matt also came out to Las Vegas twice last year (a week in March, and a week in November), and spent that time working together, adding more material, writing and rewriting...

MATT: And going to the casinos.

LEO: What kind of legwork did you have to do in order to acquire your material? Was it largely available on the internet?

MATT: We're by no means super-sleuths, but it did take some digging to find a lot of the information. We discovered some skeletons in the closets of several Democrats, particularly Senator Charles Schumer, that we weren't aware of until we were doing the research for Caucus of Corruption, so we're sure it will be news to most people.

MARK: We did notice that quite a bit of the information came from wire stories that did not get picked up by the MSM. Where we would see a story of Republican corruption carried on prime news outlets, stories of Democratic corruption were placed in the "State and Local wire", which doesn't carry nearly the impact in the news cycle. It certainly helped us see how biased the media is when it comes to reporting on corruption.

LEO: Did you have any DNC "inside sources" (names would be cool-heh)?

MATT: Unfortunately Democrats are more concerned with party loyalty and their own power... they have no desire to hold their own accountable. So, no... no DNC inside sources were used or harmed in the writing of Caucus of Corruption.

MARK: That plus the fact that we didn't need the sort of inside and anonymous sources Democrats use in their efforts to defame — as we were seeking merely to tell the truth and bring balance to the debate, the public record was sufficient, and quite devastating.

LEO: As readers of Psycmeistr's Ice Palace, Blogs for Bush, and Murtha Must Go! know, I'm no fan of Jack Murtha, and tales of his corruption are legion. What do you think are the main factors behind his many re-elections in PA-12, despite his sleazy past (and present)?

MARK: Republicans don't live in the muck of the politics of personal destruction as Democrats do. Over the years the Democrats have had a great deal of success in convincing everyone that their muckraking is common to both sides, but the fact of the matter is that Republicans like to fight it out on ideas — and thus Murtha's long trail of corruption hasn't been used to full effect. Democrats go for the dirt right from the start, Republicans tend to go for it only in response to attacks. Another interesting discovery we made in researching the book is that no matter what the crime committed by a Democrat, their supporters very easily choose to ignore those transgressions for the sake of reelecting the Democrat. Former Congressman Mel Reynolds (D-IL) was indicted on statutory rape and child pornography charges in August 1994... was reelected overwhelmingly that November. He was later convicted on those (and other) charges, but was pardoned by Bill Clinton just before he left office.

MATT: Then of course, there's Gerry Studds, the Democrat from my home state of Massachusetts, who was revealed to have had a sexual affair with an underage male page in 1983, but was reelected six times afterwards by the voters of his district until he retired. The bottom line is Democrats couldn't care less about sleaze and corruption in their party. They'd rather ignore it, pretend it doesn't exist, or accuse Republicans of being worse.

MARK: The bar is, indeed, set higher for Republicans. Which is a good thing for the party. The real question is why don't Democrats -- who have campaigned against corruption -- hold themselves to a standard.

LEO: It would appear that many Democrats are "teflon" offenders; that is, the consequences of their deeds, no matter how serious, appear to slide off of them like teflon, while relatively minor offenses by conservative Republicans are dragged through the media ad nauseum. In your research for the book, have you gained any insight (other than liberal media bias) as to the reasons for the double standards? Is it that Democrats are necessarily held to lower expectations?

MATT: The reason is this: Republicans have a popular agenda, and Democrats don't; if Democrats were to tell the American people the truth about what they want to do — things like gay marriage, federally funded abortion on demand, more surrenders of our sovereignty to the UN — then they'd lose 100 seats at the next election. Lacking an agenda they can run on, Democrats will only run against the GOP. Republicans care about issues and not only fight for a conservative agenda but are proud to declare themselves "conservative." When was the last time you saw a Democrat even admit to his liberalism?

MARK: Heck, even admit to being a Democrat? Reid ran for re-election in 2004 as "an independent for Nevada"...

MATT:...and that is because Democrats and their supporters only care about power... Democrat voters have shown that they will continue to vote for corrupt Democrats regardless of whether they've committed rape, accepted bribes, killed someone, funneled money to their family, whatever... they will reelect them over and over. There is no desire for accountability within the Democratic Party.

So, I wouldn't even say that Democrats hold themselves to lower standards... I don't think they have any standards at all.

MARK: Of course, Democrats would probably say the same thing about Republicans, but let's look at the facts. Bob Ney is no longer in Congress. Randy "Duke" Cunningham is no longer in Congress. Reps. Doolittle and Renzi are under investigation, but haven't been indicted yet, but they still stepped down from their committees anyway.

Now let's look at some Democrats. We already mentioned Gerry Studds and Mel Reynolds. But there are several Democrats mentioned in Caucus of Corruption that are still serving. William Jefferson, who was reelected last year even though he was under investigation for bribery. Senator Bob Menendez was elected to a full term in the Senate even with several scandals he was involved in and a federal probe launched into his financial dealings. Rep. Alan Mollohan was overwhelmingly reelected in spite of an ongoing federal investigation. Democrats have repeatedly and consistently shown that even the most egregious crimes, if they are committed by Democrats, they get a free pass.

LEO: In doing your research, have the McCain-Feingold "Campaign Finance Reform" laws been effective in their original intent? What sort of loopholes inherent in the bill have been utilized to skirt its restrictions? What parts of the bill have been completely ignored?

MATT: The ironic thing about campaign finance reform is that Democrats are the biggest proponents of campaign finance reform and also some of the worst violators of campaign finance laws. And some, like Nancy Pelosi, might not be in power today if they hadn't broken laws to get ahead.

MARK: It's not even just a question of loopholes in most cases, we found several examples of flagrant violations of campaign finance laws. But the loopholes are also quite interesting — want to know how to bribe a politician? Its really quite simple: you donate to his campaign, and he pays his wife/brother/kid/lover/etc for being some sort of a campaign consultant — the money still winds up in the politicians pocket, and all perfectly legal. Neat job, if you can get it — and be dishonorable enough to be able to sleep at night after you do it. It also shows that the Democrats alleged desire to "get money out of politics" is really a desire to get conservative money out of politics — the laws severely hamper grassroots organizations from raising money and being heard, but they really do nothing to prevent Democrats ensconced in power from doing whatever they please.

LEO: Of all the scandals that you covered, which do you think was the most damaging to the welfare of the United States and its national security, and why?

MATT: Certainly, if you look at the way Democrats treat the military, particularly in the context of the war in Iraq, there is little doubt that Democrats been emboldening our enemies, which is a major threat to our national security.

MARK: This goes back several years. Back to Vietnam, in fact. You have the future Senator from Massachusetts John Kerry accusing American soldiers of war crimes, and participating in a meeting of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War during which a plan to assassinate pro-war senators was discussed. The of course there's Ted Kennedy corresponding with the KGB in the 1980s with the intent of undermining Ronald Reagan's foreign policy and reelection. It seems like Democrats are willing to go to any length, even actions that could be considered treasonous, in order to undermine Republicans in power for the sake of their own ambitions.

LEO: While I understand that keeping up with the continuing flow of corruption coming from D.C. and elsewhere can be a bit like herding cats, are there nonetheless plans to update your book? If so, do you see an update in time for the 2008 elections?

MATT: We're definitely keeping tabs on ongoing revelations of corruption in the Democratic Party. Since the book has come out, there's been more information revealed about Dianne Feinstein's conflicts of interest for chairing the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, Barack Obama's ties to Tony Rezko, and even a Nancy Pelosi earmark that will likely financially benefit her family. We hope that our book will help make people (especially partisan Democrats) aware that corruption occurs on both sides of the aisle and there's no use in pretending that one side is guilty and the other is not. Caucus of Corruption would not have been necessary if Democrats were being held to account to the extent Republicans have been.

MARK: Now, that doesn't mean we don't think Republicans should be held accountable for corruption. On the contrary, we believe the Republican Party ultimately benefits when its corrupt members are let go. The problem is that they're the only ones being held accountable, while the other side aisle gets away with anything and everything. Government will never be rid of corruption if one party (the Republican Party) is taking all the heat, and the other party (the Democrats) are allowed to continue being corrupt while gaining more and more power.

LEO: In terms of writing, I harken back to P.J. O'Rourke, who once stated, "I hate writing, but love having written." What were your biggest challenges in writing the book?

MATT: Finishing it. It was hard to know when and where to stop, there was so much to put in there.

MARK: That was a problem; but I also found it a challenge to not get too angry — to not allow bile to build up and flow into the work. We're watching our country being sacrificed to the personal ambitions of petty-minded politicians, and getting down into that muck was hard at times.

LEO: What were your greatest rewards?

MATT: Holding the final print version of the book for the first time was really exciting. Also, going to the book store and seeing it on the shelf was a great moment for me.

MARK: It is a humbling thing to think that what you've written is actually being purchased by people — and purchased by people who have many other things they can spend their money on. My reward for this is the thought that at some level I am helping to move people towards doing the right thing — Republican or Democrat, it doesn't really matter, in the end: we want corruption stamped out, and my hope is that this book plays at least a small part in helping that happen.

LEO: What are your future plans in promoting the book?

MARK: We're just going to do everything we can to make sure as many people know about the book as possible. We particularly hope that bloggers will play a big part in getting the word out!

LEO: Thanks, Matt & Mark-- Best of luck to you!

***UPDATE***

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