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In the midst of an election campaign where the Mormon faith has been front and center on the political scene, that religion is likely to be brought to the forefront again in a different, sadder context. President Gordon B. Hinckley, the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has died at age 97.

Gordon B. Hinckley, 97, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and an energetic grandson of pioneers who led his denomination during a period of great expansion in membership and facilities, died last night at his home in Salt Lake City, a church spokeswoman said.

In 1995, after many years in leadership posts in what is often called the Mormon church, Hinckley became president. He was the 15th person to hold that post.

The president of the church is held in special regard by the members, who see him as a prophet of God "in the same way they revered the prophets of scripture," according to material posted on the church's Web site.

Hinckley underwent cancer surgery in 2006, but church spokeswoman Kim Farah said last night that "the cause [of his death] was incident to his age."

Despite his age, Farah said, Hinckley had remained active and was coming in to the office as recently as last week.

The church said it did not expect a successor to be formally chosen until after Hinckley's funeral "within the next few days."

One need not be a Mormon to respect the work that this man did on behalf of his church. During his tenure the number of temples around the world more than doubled -- indeed, it is said that Hinckley personally dedicated some 95 of the church's 124 active temples during his lifetime (some prior to assuming the leadership of the LDS Church, due to the age and health of his predecessors).

And yet what I find interesting about this man is the great love for this man held by the young people of his church, a love that I am told was widely reciprocated. When I visited the home of some dear friends who recently married, my wife and I noted that they had a small picture of Hinckley on their wall, along with a large plaque that included a list of several traits for upright living. I didn't make a connection between the two until my wife asked about the latter, and our friend told us that the plaque was a list of traits that Hinckley had advised young people to cultivate in their lives. It was profound in its spiritual simplicity, rather in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.

1. Be grateful. Express appreciation to everyone who does us a favor or assists us in any way.

2. Be smart. The Lord wants us to train our minds and hands to become an influence for good.

3. Be clean. We live in a world filled with filth and sleaze. We cannot afford to let it touch us. We should not be disrespectful of the body which the Lord has given us.

4. Be true. Let us be loyal to the Church under all circumstances. The authorities of this Church will lead us in paths of happiness.

5. Be humble. The meek and the humble are those who are teachable.

6. Be prayerful. Look to the Lord for understanding and guidance, and walk according to His precepts and commandments.

As I've said in the past, I am not a Mormon and find myself in stark disagreement with much of its distinctive theology. But for all that, I am saddened by the passing of Gordon R. Hinckley, who by all accounts was a good and decent man, and I offer my condolences to his family and the members of the faith he led with great dignity and love.

Posted by: Greg at 11:28 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Posted by: Greg at 11:27 PM | Comments (165) | Add Comment
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Clearly illustrated in this article.

More than half the states holding presidential contests next month on Super Tuesday allow unaffiliated voters to participate, giving millions of independents a chance to shape what is usually an insider affair among Democratic and Republican loyalists.

Two of those states -- California and New Jersey -- together have nearly 6 million unaffiliated voters who will be allowed to cast ballots. Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts and Alabama are among other prized catches with millions of independents eligible for the Feb. 5 contests.

The open voting is widely considered to benefit Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, who have fared well among independents in recent polls and primaries. It also is reflected in Obama's words, from his outreach to Republican voters to his recent credit to Ronald Reagan in the context of elections that represent shifts in political direction.

"Obama's trying to do two things at once. On the one hand, energize the liberal base, but also attract independents who are looking for a bipartisan problem-solver," said Jack Pitney, a former deputy research director for the Republican National Committee and a government professor at Claremont McKenna College in California. "That's a very difficult balance, and (Hillary) Clinton is trying to highlight the contradiction there."

Pitney and others said turnout will probably be high among independents because of the wide-open contests in each party. But it's tricky to predict the impact, they said.

I don't believe in open primaries. Call me old-fashioned, or just wedded to logical thinking, but it has always seemed to me that the nominee of the Republican Party should be picked by Republicans and that the Democrat nominee should be picked by Democrats. You know, just like the Libertarian nominee is selected by Libertarians, the Green nominee is selected by Greens, and the Communist nominee is selected by Communists (though today not the ones in Moscow). Independents, who are not committed to a party or its principles, don't belong involved in selecting a party's nominees. Members of one party should not be able to cross over with the intent of sabotaging the nominating process of an opposing party.

Why are closed primaries to be preferred? because party labels used to mean something much more significant that they do today. All too often, American voters complain that there is not a dime's worth of difference between the candidates put forward -- and that is largely because of the involvement of undiffused independents in the process. Rather than campaigns based upon wedge issue, a system of closed primaries would offer mores stark, substantive differences (and therefore choices) on policy matters. And that, in turn, would help end the current system in which matters of style matter more to voters than matters of substance.

Besides -- it is we partisans who are the backbone of any campaign. We should be making the decision for our parties, not those without a commitment to it.

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Yeah, that is just one of those words that leaps out at people, bringing a smile to one's face. Well, there is one thing more likely to get an even bigger smile -- a real puppy!

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That was my first thought after reading this headline.

Ted Kennedy embraces Obama

And despite their attempts to deny it, it appears the Clintons fought hard for this endorsement.

Rejecting a personal entreaty from President Bill Clinton, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) plans to endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president in a joint appearance on Monday, Democratic sources said.

The embrace provides a dramatic rocket for Obama to ride into the frantic, nationwide campaigning ahead of the spate of Super Tuesday primaries on Feb. 5, the biggest day for nominating contests in U.S. history. Caroline Kennedy, the senator's niece and the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, will also appear at the rally, the sources said.

Democrats said the endorsement will help Obama with traditional Democratic groups where Clinton has been strong — union households, Hispanics and downscale workers.

And to think of all that Bubba and Jabba the Drunk have in common failed to sway him to support Hillary!

This may not make the Clinton campaign crumble, but it may make matters more interesting for a while.

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Two Clinton lies for the price of one.

First, Hillary Clinton.

Matt Lauer: "You have said, I understand, to some close friends, that this is the last great battle, and that one side or the other is going down here."

Hillary Clinton: "Well, I don't know if I've been that dramatic. That would sound like a good line from a movie. But I do believe that this is a battle. I mean, look at the very people who are involved in this — they have popped up in other settings. This is — the great story here for anybody willing to find it and write about it and explain it is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president."

Of course we now know that the only conspiracy out there was one by the Clintons to lie their way out of Bill Clinton's infidelity and perjury, and to recast anyone who was concerned about the integrity of the presidency and the judicial process as involved in a conspiracy to bring down her husband (who had a government employee going down on him on government time).

And then that evening we got this lie from her husband during the State of the Union Address.

Together, we must confront the new hazards of chemical and biological weapons and the outlaw states, terrorists, and organized criminals seeking to acquire them. Saddam Hussein has spent the better part of this decade and much of his nation's wealth not on providing for the Iraqi people but on developing nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them. The United Nations weapons inspectors have done a truly remarkable job finding and destroying more of Iraq's arsenal than was destroyed during the entire Gulf war. Now Saddam Hussein wants to stop them from completing their mission.

I know I speak for everyone in this chamber, Republicans and Democrats, when I say to Saddam Hussein, "You cannot defy the will of the world," and when I say to him, "You have used weapons of mass destruction before. We are determined to deny you the capacity to use them again."

President Bill Clinton
January 27, 1998

Wait -- you mean that wasn't a lie? But I thought it was a lie -- after all, Democrats (including both Clintons) have accused George W. Bush of "lying the nation into war" for using the same intelligence (and more) to reach the same conclusion as Bill Clinton had reached five years before. That means that we are stuck with the conclusion that Bill Clinton was lying to us in 1998 -- or that the Clintons and other Democrats are lying to us now for partisan advantage, damage to our national security and trust in the institutions of government be damned. You decide -- and realize that either way you have to conclude that Bill Clinton is a liar.

But we already knew that.

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Just one more similarity between John McCain and the Clintons -- a willingness to ignore the facts and lie outright when it is politically expedient to do so.

John McCain accused Mitt Romney of wanting to set a timetable to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, drawing immediate protest from his Republican presidential rival who said: "That's simply wrong and it's dishonest, and he should apologize."

* * *

First, he slapped at Romney without naming him during a question-and-answer session with Floridians, saying: "Now, one of my opponents wanted to set a date for withdrawal that would have meant disaster."

Minutes later to reporters, the Arizona senator was more direct: "If we surrender and wave a white flag, like Senator Clinton wants to do, and withdraw, as Governor Romney wanted to do, then there will be chaos, genocide, and the cost of American blood and treasure would be dramatically higher."

Asked about the comment in Land O' Lakes, Fla., Romney bristled.

"That's dishonest, to say that I have a specific date. That's simply wrong," he said. "That is not the case. I've never said that."

The former Massachusetts governor added: "I know he's trying desperately to change the topic from the economy and trying to get back to Iraq, but to say something that's not accurate is simply wrong — and he knows better."

Later in Sun City, Fla., McCain stuck to his assessment and said: "The apology is owed to the young men and women serving this nation in uniform."

Utterly despicable, Senator, as not even your own campaign can produce a single statement by Gov. Romney calling for a timetable for withdrawal. Such claims on your part are disgraceful, and a sign that you are so desperate to destroy your only significant opposition for the GOP nomination that you are willing to stoop to Clintonian tactics to win. Even your lackeys in the media recognize that you are being disingenuous.

What Mitt Romney has said, clearly, consistently, and in concert with every patriotic American (which apparently excludes both you and the majority of Democrats). Indeed, the closest that one gets to urging a set date for withdrawal is a comment by Romney that the US and Iraq need to set milestones and timetables -- but that these are not for public consumption. And as a former military officer like McCain knows full well, planning for any military operation includes such milestones and timetables -- but that such plans are subject to revision based upon the facts on the ground as one engages the enemy, not set in stone via public declarations by politicians in search of votes. As such, Mitt Romney was advocating appropriate military and diplomatic strategy, not calling for retreat and surrender.

Even McCain supporters/defenders are calling on him to apologize for his lie.

And Ed Morrissey points out who has implicitly called for withdrawal if benchmarks and timetables aren't met -- John McCain.

[He] said Thursday that he hadn't yet decided on precise benchmarks. "They'd have to be specific, and they (Iraqi government officials) would have to meet them," he said.

Asked what penalty would be imposed if Iraq failed to meet his benchmarks, he said: "I think everybody knows the consequences. Haven't met the benchmarks? Obviously, then, we're not able to complete the mission. Then you have to examine your options."

And when he made that statement a year ago, Democrats trumpeted it as a sign that Republicans were coming around to their position on troop withdrawals. So who owes an apology to the troops, Senator -- as well as to his opponent?

UPDATE: Romney supporter Hugh Hewitt notes that even the McCain-endorsing New York Times is calling this charge "misleading".

The charge appears to be misleading. The McCain campaign pointed to remarks Mr. Romney made last year in which he said he believed that President Bush and Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq should have “a series of timetables and milestones” that they discussed among themselves but did not announce publicly.

But Mr. Romney has not called for setting a date for withdrawal. Mr. Romney has said he supports the president’s current strategy, although he has said he anticipates more and more American troops moving into a support role in Iraq in the next year — similar to what Gen. David H. Petraeus outlined in his testimony before Congress last year.

It's rough when even your friends are calling you on your lies.

Everyone except for McCain and his surrogates are saying this charge is false. Interestingly enough, John McCain says he was there when Mitt Romney made a call for a timetable for withdrawal. So we are either looking at a question of honesty or one of mental fitness. Neither option is particularly pretty. (Daffyd at Big Lizards notes a third option -- that McCain wishes to maintain the current troop level,160,000 servicemen and women, permanently.)

UPDATE II: Looks like HuckaBubba has gotten into the act, too -- but without even a recourse to a quote to back him up.

Mike Huckabee sided with John McCain Sunday, saying GOP presidential rival Mitt Romney did back a set calendar for pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is battling Huckabee and McCain for the Republican presidential nomination, called McCain dishonest for saying he once supported a troop withdrawal timetable.

Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, said on "Fox News Sunday" that while he disagrees with McCain, the senator from Arizona, on issues from time to time, he has never seen him utter something "just blatantly untrue."

"The reason that I'm aware of Mitt Romney's statement about the secret timetable is because that was originally proposed by a senator from my state, Sen. Mark Pryor," Huckabee said. "And there are published reports that I've witnessed and seen, more than one, in which Mitt Romney did, in fact, talk about support for not a public timetable, but a secret timetable that would be held by administration officials, members of Congress."

Re. Huckabee, would you care to square this statement with Exodus 20:16 and Deteronomy 5:20? Or do you perhaps need to reacquaint yourself with these two verses? Clearly we need to apply Deuteronomy 19:19 to both you and Senator McCain -- in the interest of squaring matters with God's law, of course.

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Posted by: Greg at 02:55 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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On Meet the Press -- today.

In other words, he'd still go for amnesty given the opportunity.

So much for his conversion to the "secure the borders first" cause.

UPDATE: Or maybe not.

I guess I'm confused. If he recognizes the bill he sponsored was wrong, why would he sign it -- especially if the American people. as he repeatedly states, want the border secured first? I don't see how you can reconcile the two positions.

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Perhaps it is a vain plea, that a thief would return items he has stolen. However, certain items have a value greater than money.

A car burglar made away with a Greek Orthodox bishop's religious items — including a jeweled crown of gold and silver.

Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, bishop for the Northwest region of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, was dining with others at a restaurant in Arlington on Friday when the break-in occurred. He was visiting Dallas-Fort Worth area parishes.

The bishop, who ministers in many states, including Texas, said the car was parked in a brightly lit spot.

"We came out at 10 o'clock, and the window was smashed," the bishop said.

Someone took his symbolic crown from the back seat, along with his New Testament, veil and cell phone.

Isaiah, who served in the Marines, said a black fabric bag was also stolen. The bag has special meaning, having been given to him years earlier by the widow of another Marine.

He estimated that replacing the crown would cost between $6,000 and $10,000. The bishop offered a four-digit monetary reward if the crown is returned without damage.

"That was the first gift I received as a bishop 22 years ago," he said. "I feel lost without it."

At a vespers service on Saturday night, he was the only priest with no head covering.

"I just hope and pray that those who took it will have a change of heart," he said.

Whoever you are, you did not steal money. You stole something sacred, something loaded with memories for the owner and significance to his followers. Have the decency to return the stolen items to Metropolitan Isaiah. Take the reward if you must -- but the even better choice would be to accept the grace that comes of repentance.

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But of course, the left-wing citizens of Berkeley aren't disloyal to America. They just hate the troops.

In response to a Marine Corps recruiting office established in Berkeley last year, local activists are trying to make it more difficult for future recruiting centers to open in the city.

If passed by a majority of Berkeley voters, a proposed initiative would require military recruiting offices and private military companies in Berkeley to first acquire a special use permit.

To obtain this permit, a business must hold public hearings and a public comment period.

If the initiative passes, recruitment offices could not be opened within 600 feet of residential districts, public parks, public health clinics, public libraries, schools or churches.

Currently, a recruiting office is held to the same standards as most other businesses, which do not require a public hearing or have limits on where offices can be established.

The author of the initiative, Berkeley-based lawyer Sharon Adams, modeled the initiative after current zoning law that restricts the location of adult-oriented businesses.

"In the same way that many communities limit the location of pornographic stores, that's the same way we feel about the military recruiting stations," said PhoeBe sorgen, an initiative proponent and a member of the city's Peace and Justice Commission. "Teenagers that really want to find them will be able to seek them out and find them, but we don't want them in our face."

I'm curious -- does the city actually have the legal ability to impose such a restriction upon the location of federal government offices? And if it does actually put such a measure in place, what will be the response of the federal government? Will they withhold federal funds from Berkeley? Perhaps require that all federal offices open in the same zones as the recruiters -- in effect closing all government offices, including post offices, in the city?

But in the end I have to wonder -- has the time come for the United States to secede from Berkeley, and build a border fence around it to keep such undesirables out of the country?

H/T Michelle Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 05:22 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 Just put the Recruiting offices on Federal Property and let the Berkley Soviet foam at the mouth

Posted by: Dan Kauffman at Mon Jan 28 03:05:48 2008 (BNCg2)

2 I think they're planning to turn it into an ARMY WRONG recruiting office. www.armywrong.net

Posted by: Michelle Malkin at Fri Feb 8 16:04:22 2008 (oS4TH)

3 I see the "Hate America First" activists have dropped by to pollute my site -- and in doing so show their cowardice by posting under the name of a prominent pro-military pundit who has taken the lead against Berkeley. I think the fact that the loser above lacks the guts to associate his or her own name with the sedition promoted in the comment says it all about the level of cowardice we see among these anti-American scum.

Posted by: Rhymes With Right at Sat Feb 9 00:39:35 2008 (rI7s1)

4 Well, I think they are just trying to get recruitment out of the city. They aren't really against Marines living in the city, they just don't want the recruiting officers to target teens. By the way, you'd do a lot better by doing less mud-slinging and actually posting coherent arguments. Reasonable people place restrictions on the recruiting offices and reasonable people disagree. Do remember, this was passed in their CONGRESS. Meaning that trained political officers were the ones who did this, not a bunch of wackos.

Posted by: Connor Lennon at Tue Feb 12 12:58:12 2008 (nv4Zb)

5 Unfortunately for you, Connor, the city council is not in any way, shape or form the equivalent of Congress. On the other hand, the US Constitution places the raising of armed forces in the hands of the ACTUAL Congress -- and therefore under the principle of federalism these morons in Berkeley have far exceeded their authority. That goes all the way back to McCulloch v. Maryland. Oh, yeah, and one other thing -- engaged in an act of sedition, if not treason.

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I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this is going to become the new standard in pro rodeo.

It takes Big Bucks an average of 3.64 seconds to throw a cowboy off his back.

And he keeps getting better. Last season, the 7-year-old, 1,350-pound bull shaved his time to 3.48 seconds; this month, he trotted out of Madison Square Garden as the top-ranked bull in the 2008 Versus Invitational, the opening event in bull riding's major leagues.

But these days, with steroid scandals clouding many top sports, doubts waft in the bullring, too, and Big Bucks finds himself facing a question about what makes him a winner:

Is it the Mexican fighting bull in him, the Brahman influence, his Texas upbringing — or something else?

Big Bucks hasn't ducked the question — instead submitting to a needle-wielding veterinarian and making history in the process as the first bucking bull to be tested for anabolic steroids under the Professional Bull Riders' plan to keep the sport clean.

Dogged by internal rumblings that bull owners seek an advantage in the arena by injecting the creatures with steroids, the association recently decided it was time for the truth.

Steroids, I guess they are everywhere, in every sport. I had never thought about injecting one of these behemoths with the stuff, but I suppose it would have an impact. I hope we don't find that this has been going on -- especially given the likelihood that a bull with roid rage could kill someone.

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A medical treatment that could have cured Colette Mills' cancer exists. The problem is that the UK's National Health Service wouldn't pay for the drug due to its cost -- and when Mills offered to pay for the medication, she was told that she would be required to pay cash for all treatment, not just the portion NHS was unwilling to fund. After all, they wouldn't want to set a precedent of creating a two-tier health care system.

So now Colette Mills' breast cancer has advanced to the point that a cure is not an option.

A WOMAN suffering from breast cancer has run out of time to benefit from a potentially life-extending drug which the National Health Service (NHS) denied her, even though she was prepared to pay for it.

Colette Mills has been told by doctors that in the four months since she asked for the drug the disease has taken such a hold in her body that the cancer will no longer respond to the treatment.

* * *

Asked about her future prospects, Mills said: “They are not hopeful of halting it. They will give you no promises. I didn’t ask and he [the doctor] didn’t say. It is not something I want to know just yet.”

In other words, Colette Mills is going to die because the principle of guaranteeing only a minimum of medical treatment for all is more important than actually saving the lives of the critically ill.

And now there are those who want to bring that system to America.

Which means that, if they succeed, effective treatments will be denied to people because they are too expensive, even if they wish to pay for that treatment themselves. Or if the patients are old. Or fat. Or smokers. Or otherwise deemed unworthy by the government.

Would someone tell me why anyone would support such a fundamental change in our system, when the cost will be measured in human lives?

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"Now, I have to go back to work on my State of the Union speech. And I worked on it until pretty late last night. But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you."

President Bill Clinton
January 26, 1998

An astute observation from Andrew Sullivan regarding Bill and Hillary Clinton.

This couple really do corrupt everything they touch.

And some things have not changed in 10 years.

Bill and Hillary Clinton have been giving America the finger for the last 16 years. Let's return the favor.

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Posted by: Greg at 05:59 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Which means, of course, that Obama stands to pick up a big chunk of delegates, closing the gap between him and Hillary Clinton in the totals gong into Tsunami Tuesday in 10 days.

The size and scope of the win seems quite overwhelming.

Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) scored an overwhelming victory over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) in South Carolina's Democratic presidential primary with strong support from black voters, according to network projections. The win sets up a full-scale clash between the two candidates on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Obama, the first black candidate regarded as a legitimate contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, appeared to win African American voters by a four to one margin -- numbers that nearly replicated his performance among blacks in Iowa and Nevada. But unlike in those states, where blacks make up a small percentage of the overall electorate, more than 50 percent of Democratic voters in today's South Carolina primary are black, according to preliminary exit polls.

Clinton finished second and former senator John Edwards of North Carolina placed third, according to NBC and CNN. Among white voters, the candidates ran far closer, with Clinton and Edwards running neck and neck while Obama lagged slightly behind. But among black voters, Clinton's showing was modest and Edwards's showing was negligible.

Interestingly enough, Hillary Clinton appears not to have won a single county in the state, though John Edwards at this point has two in his column. That could change as results come in, but it does signal that the support for the junior Senator from Illinois is not concentrated in any one spot in the state, but is spread widely. And it is also interesting to note that Obama leads in virtually every demographic group by race, gender, and age.

And interestingly enough, we get solid evidence of the fact that Hillary's campaign is being treated as a surrogate for another term for Bill Clinton -- from the former President's own mouth.

8:15 p.m. | Bill Time Bill Clinton is speaking in Independence, Mo.

Again, interesting tag-team strategy from the Clintons — Mr. Clinton goes on television so Mrs. Clinton doesn’t have to.

Mr. Clinton says that Mr. Obama “won fair and square,” but added: “Now we go to Feb. 5th and millions of Americans will finally get in the act.” That drew a big applause. Now Mr. Clinton seems to be addressing the TV pundits who are all questioning his value on the campaign trail. “I think I know something about what it takes to put together a successful presidency” and he refers to his “post-politics” career. Yes, that’s all about him, but he says he was just setting up his point: Even if he hadn’t been married to Mrs. Clinton, he would still support her!

I find it interesting that the Clinton campaign has issued a statement in Hillary Clinton's name, but that the candidate herself has yet to have the class to step up to the microphones and cameras and concede defeat. It is pretty tacky to send Bill out first -- in another state -- to do that on her behalf. Doesn't look very presidential to me. [UPDATE: She did speak -- roughly 90 minutes later, after waiting for John Edwards to concede first.]

Ed Morrissey notes this little swipe at Billary by Obama.

"The choice in this election is not about regions or religions or genders," Obama said at a boisterous victory rally. "It's not about rich versus poor, young versus old and it's not about black versus white. It's about the past versus the future."

* * *

"We are up against conventional thinking that says your ability to lead as president comes from longevity in Washington or proximity to the White House. But we know that real leadership is about candor, and judgment, and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose — a higher purpose," Obama said.

I don't agree with the platform Barack Obama is running on. That said, I'd have to argue that he is a much more inspiring, positive political voice than Hillary Clinton could ever be, even on her best day. Heck, I'd even say that he out performs her husband -- and I didn't need exit polling data to reach that conclusion.

UPDATE: Gateway Pundit points out how thoroughly Obama drubbed the Clintons in South Carolina.

** Obama won a majority of blacks (80%) and one quarter of white vote.
** Obama won one half of white voters under the age of 30.
** Obama won 66% of the youth vote compared to 25% for Clinton.
** Obama also won 58% of democrats!
** And, Obama also won a majority (51%) of higher income voters to Clinton's 26%!
** Hillary Clinton did well with less educated and elderly democrats.

If I played games like the Democrats do, I could make the argument that only the only segment of voters that the Clintons appeal to are the old and the stupid -- but I won't go there.

More At Michelle Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 01:39 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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WeÂ’ve recently gone through a cold snap here in Houston, reminding me of what it was like as a kid growing up where it really got cold every winter. Instead of bundling up and layering up, you warm up your entire home to create a comfortable environment to live in. Heating your home can make you feel much better, since you are preserved from the negative effects of the chilly weather outside. You can sit beside window and enjoy the beauty of the snow, warm inside with a cu of hot chocolate!

That is the joy of central heating, and I encourage you to seek out central heating installation to warm your home with the comforts it brings. You can control the amount of heat the system delivers around the house, and reducing or increasing the amount of the heat to meet your comfort level or budget. Or depending on the type of system you have, you may need boiler service to keep your home well heated..

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Could be, according to the folks at Fort Bend Now.

You may not want to throw that “Kinky for Governor” poster away just yet; former independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman is weighing another run for governor, this time as a Democrat.

In an exclusive interview with Fort Bend Now, Friedman said that is seriously considering throwing his trademark black Stetson into the ring again for the 2010 governorÂ’s race.

“The signs are very positive,” Friedman said. “We’ve got to get the wooden horse inside the city somehow.”

As for running as a Democrat, Friedman said that he has been a Democrat all his life, and if he would have run as a Democrat the last time, the odds are good he would be in the governorÂ’s mansion right now.

“I would have done better than Chris Bell and could have run stronger against grandma (Carole Keeton Strayhorn),” Friedman said.

In the 2006 election, Friedman polled 546,689, or 12.43 percent of the popular vote, for a fourth-place finish behind Gov. Rick Perry, Bell and Strayhorn. He said that he believes he can benefit from what he called the “Dolph Briscoe” effect.

Yeah, Kinky would have been a heck of a lot better candidate in 2006 than Chris Bell was. For that matter, he would have been a heck of a lot better candidate than Rick Perry, who immediately reneged on campaign commitments and tried to usurp the role of the legislature so he could play doctor with the little girls of Texas.

Heck, we could do worse than Kinky -- and may have.

Posted by: Greg at 12:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I realize that some folks prefer to see the Second Amendment as antiquated and irrelevant, but I disagree strongly. And every time I see stories about a school shooting, i wonder if things might have been different if trained faculty members had been permitted to exercise their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. And in situations like what we saw last year at Virginia Tech, I think of how quickly the murdering scumbag could have been dispatched if even one of his victims had not been disarmed by government edict.

That's why I find legislation like this to be a good sign.

Two Mesa lawmakers are drawing up legislation to give teachers — and some students — a chance to carry firearms on campus.
The proposals by Sen. Karen Johnson and Rep. Russell Pearce would allow anyone who has obtained a state permit to carry a concealed firearm to bring it onto public-school campuses, something now a crime under state law. It also would overrule similar policies at community colleges and state universities.

Yeah -- teachers and college students would be treated like adults. And lest you think this statute would let just anyone come onto campus packing heat, the law is very specific about who can do so.

In limiting the measures to those with concealed-weapons permits, they would require that those given the right to bring guns onto campuses undergo background checks, be fingerprinted, go through state-mandated training in laws governing when they are allowed to use deadly force and prove they can handle their firearms.

In other words, trained individuals from a subset of the population repeatedly demonstrated to be unlikely to misuse that weapon would no longer be arbitrarily banned from exercising the concealed-carry privilege.

This proposal resonates with me because I teach. School shootings make me wonder what I could do to protect my students in the event there were a gunman on campus -- and the answer right now is nothing except cower with them in a corner with the lights out and the door locked. There ought to be something more, and I hope that such a law is considered and passed here in Texas.

Posted by: Greg at 04:58 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Have you ever seriously thought about getting into real estate? I know I have from time to time, but I really havenÂ’t gone any beyond that stage. I guess i love the classroom too much.

But if you do decide to make that step, youÂ’ll need to get the right credentials if you want to work in the field. One way to do that is in Nevada is by choosing the respected Las Vegas real estate school, Key Realty School. They have trained over 30,000 students since they opened their program, which seems to indicate that hey have got a fairly strong program with acomprehensive menu of courses from covering all fields relevant to real estate from law through property management and the financial aspects of the business.

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The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Liberal Fascism by Done With Mirrors, and Bylines of Brutality by Iowahawk.  Here are the full results of the vote:

On balance, I thought the competition this week was pretty good. And while I was disappointed by the failure of my piece on the Rosenthal/Medina situation to receive even a single vote, I understand that a local story of that nature sometimes doesn't necessarily get the sort of response from my fellow members of the Council that a national or international story does. But on balance, I cannot argue with the outcome of the vote because of the obvious strength of the winners. Good job, guys!

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One extremely important part of a business is getting the best products, regardless of the location of the source. This requires that you make sure you do business with good shipping services that do quality work so that you can trust them with your merchandise. Similarly, if you are in need of heavy equipment transport or any other type of commercial transport anywhere in Canada, the United States and Mexico, you beed to find a good logistics company for assistance. At LGIInc.com, they specialize in transporting heavy equipment and have everything they need to do the job safely and efficiently. Not only that, but they have years of experience and can take good care of your shipments.

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Amendment 22 - Presidential Term Limits

Article 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President, when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Article 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

In 1947, the United States Congress engaged in an act that rivaled the deposition of Pope Formosus in its wrongness. Figuratively digging up the corpse of FDR, it passed what would become the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution, in order to guarantee that no President could ever ignore the precedent by George Washington. It was, in my eyes, an unwise move, and one contrary to the spirit of our founding document. Indeed, the limitation has been repeatedly criticized by later presidents, historians and political scientists as undemocratic and creating the problem of a lame duck presidency from the first day of the second term.

Which leads us to 2008.

At this time, one of the major candidates for president is the wife of a former president. Hillary Clinton has unleashed her husband, former president Bill Clinton, as a surrogate for her on the campaign trail due to his effectiveness as a campaigner and continued popularity nearly eight years after he left office. Indeed, we are once again hearing the “two for one” rhetoric of the 1992 campaign, with this being seen as one of Hillary Clinton’s qualifications for office.

But this begs the real question – do Americans wish to see Hillary Clinton elected President, or are they really pining after Bill Clinton? And if so, why should the American people be forced to settle for Hillary – an abrasive figure who lacks he husbands charisma and actual experience in office?

Personally, I believe “We, the People” should not be required to settle for a substitute when the real thing is available. If the American people believe that Bill Clinton is the most qualified individual to lead our country in these times, the American people should have the right to have him take the reigns for a third term – and a fourth or fifth if that is the popular will.

Of course, I find the notion of allowing either Clinton in the White House to be nauseating. I would actively campaign against him were he running, as I fully intend to do with his wife. But if my fellow citizens would prefer him in office to any other American, I will gladly bend to their will – and would feel safer with him running the country than I would with his wife. So let’s act, after the election, if not now, to eliminate the Republican’s revenge on the deceased Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Twenty-Second Amendment should be repealed.

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Posted by: Greg at 11:23 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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In the dispute between St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke and St. Louis University basketball coach Rick Majerus, is is clear that someone doesn't understand the First Amendment -- and that person is Majerus, not Burke.

After all, it is the place of a Catholic Archbishop to speak out forcefully and assert Church teachings when a prominent representative of a Catholic institution takes positions contrary to the teachings of the Church.

But Majerus doesn't get that point. Instead, he has said this.

"These beliefs are ingrained in me," Majerus told the paper. "And my First Amendment right to free speech supersedes anything that the archbishop would order me to do. My dad fought on Okinawa in World War II. My uncle died in World War II. I had classmates die in Vietnam. And it was to preserve our way of life, so people like me could have an opinion."

And Archbishop Burke has never argued that you don't have a legal right to your belief. He's never argued that you don't have a right to your opinion. But he does note, rightly, that you don't have a right to use your platform as a public face of a Catholic university to contradict Catholic teaching. You have a right to free speech -- but not to a be basketball coach at a Catholic institution.

After all, the Archbishop is the ultimate teaching and doctrinal authority for the Catholic Church in St. Louis. If you are going to publicly support abortion, expect to receive a technical foul -- and perhaps an ejection from the game -- as a result.

Posted by: Greg at 11:41 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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One of these days my wife and I are going to purchase new bedroom furniture. WeÂ’ve been talking about it for some time, trying to figure out exactly what we want to get. Like IÂ’ve mentioned a number of times, I am already trying to come up with some sort of idea about exactly what sort of bed and furniture I want in the room. I mean, weÂ’ve had our starter furniture for a dozen years now, and it is well past time to make a change.

That is one of the reasons that I love the internet – I can start to give shape to my ideas of the perfect room just by looking around at what sort of furniture is available online. By visiting sites like Home-And-Bedroom.com, I can get some really great ideas about how to redecorate the bedroom. I can browse through their many collections of fashion bed groups and start to envision what the pieces will look line in my home. One of the best things about the site though, besides all the interior decorating ideas, are the prices on their furniture, whether we are talking about Headboards or complete fashion bed groups from manufacturers like Hillsdale Furniture. They are definitely affordable!

I can honestly say, Home-And-Bedroom.com has given me some great ideas that I will be coming back to as the process of redecorating slowly moves forward.

Posted by: Greg at 11:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Not that it really makes a difference.

Democrat Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second, long-shot bid for the White House as he faces a tough fight to hold onto his other job — U.S. congressman.

In an interview with Cleveland's Plain Dealer, the six-term House member said he was quitting the race and would make a formal announcement on Friday.

"I will be announcing that I'm transitioning out of the presidential campaign," Kucinich said. "I'm making that announcement tomorrow about a new direction."

Kucinich has received little support in his presidential bid; he got 1 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary and was shut out in the Iowa caucuses. He did have a devoted following.

So the UFO-spotting crazy guy with a hot, much younger wife is gone -- and with it the only chance of seeing Tom Cruise on a national ticket. Maybe Kucinich can get a gig pushing Scientology along with Cruise after he loses his House seat. After all, they are both equally in touch with reality.

Andrew Sullivan notes this observation from Wendy McEwan at Shakespeare's Sister.

Probably the only people who do care at this point are Chris Matthews and the rest of the morons in the Boys' Club, who will no longer be able to leer over his wife like the disrespectful, perv-brained douchehounds they are.

Personally, I've never leered over her -- just wondered what an attractive woman like her is doing with a little troll like Dennis.

Posted by: Greg at 11:30 PM | Comments (223) | Add Comment
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Fortunately, the voters of Florida seem disinclined to take the advice of the New York Times.

Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat Barack Obama are leading in their respective parties' upcoming primaries, according to two new state surveys.

But a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that their rivals — John McCain and Hillary Clinton — are ahead nationally, with Clinton leading Obama by 15 points and with McCain moving from fourth to first in one month.

Still, it appears that what this race is going to come down to is a battle for delegates. Romney will increase his lead in the delegate count if he picks up the large bloc of votes in that state -- further stretching his lead in a race where Mitt already has nearly twice the delegates of his closest rival, John McCain. And as Romney is seen as succeeding, his national support will likely increase. After all, McCain got a big boost after his win in South Carolina (with the media ignoring Romney's impressive win in Nevada).

And what about Obama? Will he be able to overcome Hillary's sizable lead?

Posted by: Greg at 11:23 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Posted by: Greg at 11:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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It's interesting that the New York Times chose today to endorse the two candidates who conservatives most dislike as their endorsees for the Democrat and Republican nominations.

First the Democrat -- not so much because of Hillary Clinton's qualifications but rather because they don't think Obama is "ready"

The potential upside of a great Obama presidency is enticing, but this country faces huge problems, and will no doubt be facing more that we canÂ’t foresee. The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work. Mrs. Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president.

But then they go on to talk about how Hillary Clinton, part of a power couple that breeds and thrives on negativity, needs to change to project a more positive tone -- the very thing that Obama has done all along. I guess they expect the leopardess to change her spots. Not that such a thing will happen, given that the Clintons are the two most divisive political figures of my lifetime, and the architects of the divisive politics that have dominated the last decade and a half. In the mean time, Barack Obama, the real uniter, is expected to step to the back of the bus.

And then there is the nominee for the GOP -- the conservative party is encouraged to nominate the least conservative candidate, and the one most likely to take positions amenable to the Democrats. But I especially love this opening.

We have strong disagreements with all the Republicans running for president. The leading candidates have no plan for getting American troops out of Iraq. They are too wedded to discredited economic theories and unwilling even now to break with the legacy of President Bush. We disagree with them strongly on what makes a good Supreme Court justice.

In other words, we are against everything it means to be a Republican, but we still feel that Republicans should give a damn what we think. It is followed by this.

Still, there is a choice to be made, and it is an easy one. Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field.

We have shuddered at Mr. McCainÂ’s occasional, tactical pander to the right because he has demonstrated that he has the character to stand on principle. He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate. A genuine war hero among Republicans who proclaim their zeal to be commander in chief, Mr. McCain argues passionately that a countryÂ’s treatment of prisoners in the worst of times says a great deal about its character.

In other words, the Republicans should nominate John McCain because of all the positions he holds that are out of step with the GOP and in step with the eventual Democrat platform. Conservatives should embrace the candidate that the New York Times sees as most likely to implement the policies that are anathema to conservatism.

In other words, the New York Times would see us choose between a bad choice and an echo.

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Posted by: Greg at 11:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I love clocks. In fact, I have always been fascinated by clocks and the telling of time. Perhaps that is related to my love of both the past (history) and the future (science fiction), which are areas that are so closely bound up with time..

Like most people, I've owned many clocks over the years. And to be honest, most of them have not been of high quality. My favorite, however, is the one given to me to mark my fifth anniversary with my school district. It is a Howard Miller alarm clock, and wakes me every morning for school. I absolutely love it because of its beauty and reliability. I'm still impressed by the quality, surprised that the district treated us all so well that year. And in return, I treat my clock well. I plan on keeping for as long as it keeps running, which I expect to be a very long time.

Now I knew nothing about Howard Miller clocks when I opened the presentation box at dinner that night, but my wife was quite impressed. I've since learned that Howard Miller clocks are considered to be among the best in the world -- especially the Howard Miller grandfather clocks.

My wife and I are talking about redecorating, we are trying to make sure that we have a clock in the living room that will aid in setting the tone for the space and keep with the Old West/ranch house theme. Personally, I'm rather fond of this wall clock.

Posted by: Greg at 06:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I donÂ’t know enough about Dutch politician Geert WildersÂ’ politics to know if I would support his policies or not, but I have to agree with this assessment of Islam.

As Dutch police prepared for a weekend of riots and Mr Wilders was told by the authorities that he would have to leave country, he launched a new attack on "intolerant" Islam while announcing that his 10-minute film attacking the Muslim faith would be postponed for two weeks.

"If I had announced that I was going to make a film about the fascist character of the Bible would there have been a crisis meeting of Holland's security forces?" he wrote to the Volkskrant newspaper.

"Would I have received as many death threats as I have done since announcing I was making a film about the Koran? Of course not."

And yet this is the faith that is repeated referred to as a “religion of peace”. Do critics of Judaism have to go into hiding? Do governments attempt to silence such criticism and make concessions to Christian groups to stop expected violence when Christians are offended? Or course not – and because of the necessary differences between the responses of adherents of the two great Abrahamic faiths and the Mohammedan counterfeit we can ascertain that one fails to live up to the standard set by its alleged theological siblings.

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This is what it really comes down to for me in deciding whether or not I can support the man.

For the 10 years he was governor of Arkansas, Mr. Huckabee was at war with much of his party.

Now that Mr. Huckabee is seeking the presidential nomination, many Arkansas Republicans warn that he could wage a bruising battle with the national party, too.

"One can hardly argue that the Republican Party has thrived," said former Rep. Jim Hendren, who was House minority leader and ran for state party chairman in a bitter 2001 race won by a Huckabee surrogate. "We thrived as we were an opposition party and standing on principles as the Republican Party. But unfortunately, when we got some power, particularly at the state level, we began to fight among ourselves."

The former Southern Baptist pastor-turned-politician took control of the governor's mansion in 1996 with expectations that he would lead the kind of Republican ascension in other states of the Deep South. But he left office last year by turning over the governorship to a Democrat and with Republicans bitterly divided over his legacy for his party.

"He destroyed it," said Randy Minton, a former state representative whom Mr. Huckabee worked to help get elected but who later clashed repeatedly with the governor. "We had one U.S. senator, we had two congressmen, at the tops we had 37 out of 135 legislators in the House and Senate. Now I think there's 32 in the legislature, we have no U.S. senators and we have one congressman."

We are a divided, weakened party in 2008. We need to rediscover our principles and focus around them to redevelop the strength to lead effectively. It appears that Mike Huckabee lacks the skill set to do that – and may actually be adept at destroying that unity and sapping the strength we have. In other words, he may or may not be a great guy, but he is certainly the wrong guy for the GOP.

Posted by: Greg at 11:14 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Is John McCain mentally competent to be President? This makes me wonder.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says he's "absolutely astonished" that Sen. Hillary Clinton wants to surrender to the enemy in Iraq.

In an indication of how the campaign may evolve once the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates go head to head, McCain told Fox & Friends Thursday morning, "After all the sacrifice we've made in this surge, which everybody knows is succeeding, she wants to surrender and bring the troops home and set a date for withdrawal."

McCain said he hopes national security will be a big point of discussion at tonight's Republican debate in Boca Raton, Fla.

"If we do what she wants to do...al Qaeda will tell the world that they've defeated the United States of America. I have never, never in American history heard of a leading candidate for president of the United States that wants to surrender to the enemy."

McCain said snatching defeat "from the jaws of victory" would undermine the sacrifice of brave young Americans.

After the last few years of Democrats trying to undercut American efforts to stabilize Iraq, I can’t understand why anything any Democrat says about undermining the troops or unilaterally retreating in the face of victory would cause so much as a blink. That McCain is “astonished” does lead me to ask if he has been paying attention to these people – or if he has the mental acuity to adequately serve as commander in chief.

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Getting a Vietnam visa is just small task in preparing your trip to Vietnam but can be very time-consuming and expensive. The reality, though, is that it is really not that difficult to get your visa, because they really want you to travel there for tourism or business. You can get visa to Vietnam by applying the Vietnamese embassy or one of their consulates in your country. You can also apply through your travel agent.

The website found at www.Visa-Vietnam.org is designed to provide you with all the information you need to get a Vietnam visa. They can really help you navigate the Vietnam Visa Application process with ease. They even have an online form for you to apply for the visa.

They will navigate the process for getting you the approval letter for a Vietnam visa quickly, so that you just need to take it to the Vietnamese embassy or consulate so they can stamp the visa in your passport. They are so successful because they are a local operation in Vietnam, and therefore know the Vietnamese laws and culture and how to move the process along quickly. And with their ten years experience in arranging Vietnam visas, they have gotten quite skillful in doing so,

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Another activist, jailed for a year without charges.

Now it isn't clear exactly what this man has done -- but it does seem to violate Saudi Arabia's own laws.

A prominent Saudi political activist and academic remains in solitary confinement "without charge and without access to counsel" a year after he was arrested, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Saud Mokhtar al-Hashemi, 45, was among 10 men arrested last February and accused of illegally collecting funds and sending fighters to Iraq. His lawyer and supporters say the detentions were a government attempt to silence demands for democratic reform in Saudi Arabia.

"This prolonged detention without charge and without access to counsel is illegal and in violation of the country's rules," the lawyer, Bassim Alim, said in an interview. "It is as if there is emergency law. If there is proof against them, it should be presented."

In Saudi Arabia, detainees have a right to counsel and public trials and can be held up to six months without charge. An Interior Ministry spokesman, Gen. Mansour al-Turki, said the men remained behind bars because the case is "still under investigation."

Now if Hashemi is guilty of those things of which he is suspected, I have a problem with his actions. Indeed, I believe those actions are probably illegal and worthy of punishment -- if he is, in fact guilty of them. But a full year of detention without any access to counsel or charges is pretty excessive -- and certainly is more shocking to the conscience than the weight-gain and medical treatment camps for actual terrorists at Gitmo. Where are the outcries of human rights activists in this country to this much more offensive situation? No doubt they are being "sulturally sensitive" in their refusal to protest real human rights violations.

By the way, this case is connected with that of Foaud al-Farhan, who I wrote about earlier. His offense seems to be calling for the Saudi government to follow its own laws in this case, though he also has been held incommunicado with no attorney or charges.

You can contact the Saudis about this case.

Ambassador Adel A. Al-Jubeir
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20037

You may also call the Embassy at (202) 342-3800.

There is also a contact form on the Embassy's website.

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