Texas Fund Acts I Way That Would Be Illegal For Private Sector Firms

It is called a contract. It defines the rights and obligations of parties. Unfortunately, this particular contract was not worth the paper it was written on.

The Texas Tomorrow Fund, faced with possible bankruptcy, is drastically cutting its payout on canceled contracts, angering many parents who signed up for the fund between 1996 and 2003.

The now-closed fund, later renamed the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan, allowed parents to prepay for tuition at locked-in rates and promised that if a child died or received a full scholarship, parents could cancel the contract and receive a payout based on current tuition and fees at public universities.

Tuition is three times what it was 10 years ago, so the payout would mean a windfall for many families.

But last week, a letter went out saying that in case of canceled contracts, the state would reimburse only the amount parents paid into the fund, minus administrative fees of around $36 per year.

This isn’t a little change – it means that those who were promised a return for their money will instead receive back less than they paid in. It means that the families of students who did well in school and qualified for scholarships get screwed. And it is totally unacceptable.

Posted by: Greg at 10:13 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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No Government Services For Dissenters?

Over at DelawareLiberal, my favorite liberal blog, there is an interesting post on folks not wanting their tax dollars to go for health care. The author, who goes by DelawareDem, somewhat correctly notes that not wanting one’s tax dollars to pay for something means you disagree with what the taxes are paying for. He then launches into a rant which I find revealing – and which shows his fundamental misunderstanding of what such opposition means.

Alright. Touche. Two can play this game.

I donÂ’t want my taxes paying for social security checks going to guys like him. Why should I my money support his welfare when he cares not for mine?

I donÂ’t want my taxes paying for his medicare.

I donÂ’t want my taxes paying for the upkeep and maintenance of the roads leading to his house. Fuck him. He can fix the potholes himself.

I donÂ’t want my taxes educating his children and grandchildren. If he is so smart, he can pay for private education or teach them himself.

I donÂ’t want my taxes to pay for the firetruck he may need when his house is burning down. Fuck him. HeÂ’s got a water hose, let him do it himself.

For that matter, he better never call the cops or 911. My taxes pay for that and I donÂ’t want to save his miserable ass from whatever trouble he is in. And he better never use the court system, or the Post Office. My taxes pay for those things too. And only people who I agree with can use the services provided for by my hard earned dollars.
That is what this is about.

Clearly, DD doesn’t get it. The disagreement he talks about at the beginning of his post is very different from the disagreement in his mid-post rant. In the case of the disagreement he talks about at the beginning of the post, people are objecting to a policy they consider to be wrong – and even, perhaps, an unconstitutional (and therefore illegitimate) exercise of government power. But in his rant he is talking about programs that are certainly generally viewed as proper uses of government power. What he is doing is channeling his inner fascist, suggesting is that those who disagree with his public policy views should be denied the benefit of those proper government functions because of their disagreement. Two radically different things, at least in the mind of the rational.

We don’t exclude political dissenters from government programs. Indeed, that would be highly inappropriate. Could you imagine the outrage if, for example, the Bush Administration had decreed that opponents of the Iraq War were ineligible for Social Security, Medicare and unemployment benefits? If regulations were put in place that declare that roads near their houses would be denied routine maintenance, their homes denied police and fire protection, and their children denied an education? If it had been made illegal for them to use the postal service, the internet, or the broadcast media? And moreover, that those opponents of the administration policy would be denied access to the courts to challenge these facially unconstitutional actions by the totalitarian regime that put them in place? There would have been an uprising by the Left – supported by the Right – to put an end to both the restrictions and the administration that authored it.

In the case of the various permutations of ObamaCare, there are several principled bases for opposing the proposal.

First, there is the issue of cost – based upon our experience with the nearly bankrupt Medicare system, can we as a nation sustain a program of universal health insurance run by the government? And if we cannot sustain such costs, isn’t it implicit that cuts in funding will mean cuts in the care provided – which will bring with it the sort of problems we see today in Canada and the UK?

Second, there is the issue of form – is there a better way of ensuring better access to medical services than what has been proposed? Is more government – a lot more government, in fact – always the right answer?

Third, there is the issue of limited government – is it truly within the scope of a government supposedly limited by the Constitution to essentially take over one sixth of the economy? What of the issues of personal freedom and privacy that are intimately bound up with the adoption of such a system?

Fourth, there is the issue of permanence – once implemented, such programs become difficult to reform or repeal. In the case of Social Security, for example, it has become the third rail of American politics – untouchable because it would be impossible to close the program down without somehow funding it until current participants die because stripping those recipients of retirement benefits they have paid for their whole working lives would be unjust.

Fifth, there are those who simply disagree with the Obamunist premise that government funded health care is a right that the government is morally obligated to provide its people -- based upon competing philosophical notions of what constitutes a right.

And I could go on providing a host of logical, rational reasons for arguing that the sort of proposals that are being made – especially those with a “public option” that many on the Left are demanding – are simply wrong from a variety of perspectives. But notice that none of them are based upon the sort of selfish, “screw the other guy” mentality that DD ascribes to the bulk of opponents of ObamaCare. And indeed, most opponents of ObamaCare don’t hold to such selfish motivations. He is battling a strawman of his own creation.

In short, opponents of ObamaCare are not particularly selfish – and certainly no more selfish than those who are demanding benefits funded by the earnings of the most wealthy and productive Americans. The opponents hold instead to a vision of America in which government is more limited in scope – one more in keeping with the philosophy of government that dominated this country for the first 15 decades following its independence and which was abandoned, most would argue unwisely, by those who propagated the New Deal and the Great Society welfare state schemes.

Posted by: Greg at 09:33 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Protect Parental Rights Of Our Troops

I grew up in a military family. WhatÂ’s more, I was blessed that my parents remained married through my childhood, and that they recently marked 48 years of marriage together (with every sign that these two healthy septuagenarians will make it to the half century mark in 2011). But I knew fellow military brats who faced divorce, and heard stories about the problems created by deployments, changes of duty stations, and other elements of military life.

Now I see a story like this one, and my heart aches.

During the 10 months she was deployed in Iraq, Leydi Mendoza, a 22-year-old specialist in the New Jersey National Guard, did everything she could think of to ease her longing for the year-old daughter she had left back home.

A picture taken on her baby Elizabeth’s first Christmas was tucked inside the camouflage patrol cap she wore while guarding prisoners at Camp Cropper in Baghdad. Several times a week, she would phone her former companion, Daniel Llares, who was caring for their daughter, aching as she heard her little girl’s vocabulary grow from babble to phrases like “I miss you” and “I love you.”
And on the flight back in May, Specialist Mendoza fought back the guilt she felt about being half a world away for so many formative moments by telling herself that one day Elizabeth would be proud of her service.

But since her return, Mr. Llares has allowed Ms. Mendoza only a few brief visits with Elizabeth. Despite a written family care plan they had worked out with military officials outlining shared custody upon her return, Mr. Llares now believes it is too disruptive for the baby to spend more than a few hours at a time with “a mother she doesn’t really know or recognize that well,” said his lawyer, Amy Lefkowitz.

After months of arguments, an exchange of legal papers and a restraining order, Specialist Mendoza and Mr. Llares each are demanding full custody of Elizabeth, and are scheduled to appear at a court proceeding Tuesday to determine her fate.

“My daughter needs her mother,” Specialist Mendoza said in an interview last week at the National Guard Armory here in Teaneck. “I left my daughter, and they told me that when I got back, she’d be with me again. But now, it’s like I’m on my own.”

We ask so much of our men and women in uniform. We ask so much of their families as well. Under no circumstance should military service or deployment be the basis for a permanent change of custody or the denial of adequate visitation by a non-custodial member of the armed forces. And given the failure of the states to adequately protect the rights of our men and women in uniform, and the reluctance of the military to assist them in fighting family court decisions that fly in the face of the family care plans developed before deployments, Congress must act. Just as federal law already protects the employment and educational rights of servicemembers and veterans, it now appears that these laws must be amended to protect something even more precious – their families and their relationships with their own children.

Posted by: Greg at 11:43 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Unjustifiable Defense In Unjustifiable Homicide Case

Abortion is morally wrong. I believe that with my whole heart and soul -- and with my intellect, based upon the clear facts of human development. Indeed, I believe it to be, morally, murder -- especially late term abortions.

That said, i was repulsed by the murder of abortionist George Tiller earlier this year. Not only do I believe the killing of abortionists to be counterproductive for the pro-life cause, but I also find such actions to be every bit as indefensible, morally, as the abortions themselves.

Which is why I'm particularly offended by the planned defense of Tiller's killer.

The suspect in the killing of abortion provider George Tiller is in talks with a prominent attorney who represents anti-abortion protesters and has long advocated justifiable homicide as a legal defense in such cases.

Scott Roeder, 51, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated assault charges in the May 31 shooting death of Tiller in the foyer of his Wichita church. The Kansas City, Mo., man has refused to discuss his case, but he has told The Associated Press that Tiller's killing was justified to save "the lives of unborn children."

Roeder has court-appointed defense attorneys, but he apparently has now turned to Michael Hirsh, the lawyer who represented Paul Hill on appeal for killing a Florida abortion provider and his bodyguard in 1994. Hill was executed in 2003 after the Florida Supreme Court rejected Hirsh's argument that the judge should have allowed Hill to present to jurors his claim that the killings were justified to prevent abortions.

This move is shameful -- as is the defense.

While I suppose one could, in theory, make the case for justifiable homicide in the event that Tiller had been about to take the life of some poor child at his abortion mill (justifiable homicide requires imminent danger to oneself or another), that was not the case here, with Tiller having been killed away from his place of business on a day it was closed. And there is the little detail that the action of the victim in this case was legal, which would also mitigate against a not guilty verdict.

I therefore condemn any effort to make a case for justifiable homicide at Roeder's trial. I urge the judge to ban any effort to make such a defense. After all, what Scott Roeder did was commit cold-blooded murder. he should pay the appropriate price.

Posted by: Greg at 01:43 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Arlington National Cemetery Desecrated By Burial Of Traitor

Joe and Rose Kennedy had quite a brood of children. Most of them were outstanding individuals in their fields who acted in a manner that they saw as leading toward the betterment of America.

In particular, they had sons who gave great service to this nation -- Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., John F. Kennedy, And Robert F. Kennedy.

And one who engaged in treason against the United States of America.

Picking his way through the Soviet archives that Boris Yeltsin had just thrown open, in 1991 Tim Sebastian, a reporter for the London Times, came across an arresting memorandum. Composed in 1983 by Victor Chebrikov, the top man at the KGB, the memorandum was addressed to Yuri Andropov, the top man in the entire USSR. The subject: Sen. Edward Kennedy.

"On 9-10 May of this year," the May 14 memorandum explained, "Sen. Edward Kennedy's close friend and trusted confidant [John] Tunney was in Moscow." (Tunney was Kennedy's law school roommate and a former Democratic senator from California.) "The senator charged Tunney to convey the following message, through confidential contacts, to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Y. Andropov."

Now what was the message that he asked his traitorous friend and former colleague to communicate to the leadership of America's Communist foes? That he, Senator Edward M. Kennedy -- a member of one of America's wealthiest families, former Democrat presidential candidate and sitting Democrat US Senator -- was willing to help deliver the 1984 American presidential election to Moscow's preferred candidate.

First he offered to visit Moscow. "The main purpose of the meeting, according to the senator, would be to arm Soviet officials with explanations regarding problems of nuclear disarmament so they may be better prepared and more convincing during appearances in the USA." Kennedy would help the Soviets deal with Reagan by telling them how to brush up their propaganda.

Then he offered to make it possible for Andropov to sit down for a few interviews on American television. "A direct appeal ... to the American people will, without a doubt, attract a great deal of attention and interest in the country. ... If the proposal is recognized as worthy, then Kennedy and his friends will bring about suitable steps to have representatives of the largest television companies in the USA contact Y.V. Andropov for an invitation to Moscow for the interviews. ... The senator underlined the importance that this initiative should be seen as coming from the American side."

Kennedy would make certain the networks gave Andropov air time--and that they rigged the arrangement to look like honest journalism.

Kennedy's motives? "Like other rational people," the memorandum explained, "[Kennedy] is very troubled by the current state of Soviet-American relations." But that high-minded concern represented only one of Kennedy's motives.

"Tunney remarked that the senator wants to run for president in 1988," the memorandum continued. "Kennedy does not discount that during the 1984 campaign, the Democratic Party may officially turn to him to lead the fight against the Republicans and elect their candidate president."

Got that -- Kennedy was willing to betray his country to the leaders of a foreign country which was dedicated to destroying America by providing assistance in sculpting their message and access to American media. And he was doing it for his own political aggrandizement and advancement. The last and least of the Kennedy brothers was willing to sell out America to the Soviets in order to become President. -- an office that he believed was his birthright as a member of the Democrat's royal family.

This information has been public for nearly two decades. In life, Kennedy said not one word to deny the treason documented by the Soviet archives. Kennedy's friends in the media -- who he planned to use as (willing?) accomplices in his treasonous scheme -- have time and again refused to disseminate this information to the American people as a whole. Indeed, they have depicted the man who sought to sell-out America as a patriot, and the very model of a statesman.

In ancient Rome, such treasonous conduct was properly rewarded with execution, and the traitor's body was thrown into the Tiber with the rest of the city's garbage. And yet somehow, in America today, the body of such a betrayer has been laid to rest among the honored heroes of our nation -- at Arlington National Cemetery. It is a desecration of that sacred ground and an insult to the memories of all those heroes buried there.

I'll open these comments up for those who have something to say. I reserve the right to edit or delete those I find inappropriate, at my own discretion

Posted by: Greg at 01:36 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Lib Talker Smears Conservatives Over Kennedy Murders

One more bit of proof that the only thing it takes to be a liberal is ignorance -- and to be a liberal talk host, you just need to be unashamed about putting that ignorance on display to the world.

Take lib talker Mike Malloy.

>>

MALLOY (1:30): Good evening, truthseekers, Mike Malloy here, thanks for tuning inÂ…you know as well as I know that the death of Senator Ted Kennedy is the death of a man, absolutely, and everything he was to the people in his extended family, but we also understand itÂ’s the death of an era, one of the remaining, if not THE remaining lynchpin of liberalism in this country is gone.

Aand you know what the term lynchpin means. So with the death of Ted Kennedy last night, liberalism in this country has lost its champion; the person who, in the modern era, personified liberalism to a greater degree than anyone in Congress; I think that his death heralds the beginning of a very, very very dark period in this country.

I remember feeling that way in 1963 and in 1968-when his two brothers were murdered by the right wing in this country.

Let's see.

JFK was killed by a communist who had deserted the Marines, defected to Russia, and objected to the president's tough stance vis-a-vis Castro and Cuba.

RFK was killed by a Palestinian terrorist who objected to senator's steadfast support of Israel.

These certainly don't sound like any version of conservatism I'm familiar with.

On the other hand, it does sound like the ignorance of history -- or willful dissemination of falsehood -- that the Left has been known for and which Alinsky encouraged.

Posted by: Greg at 11:33 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Americans Don't Want ObamaCare -- Even if It Is Renamed For Kennedy

Over half of all Americans oppose the bill.

As August winds down, the good news for President Obama and congressional Democrats is that support for their proposed health care legislation has stopped falling. The bad news is that most voters oppose the plan.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey show that 43% of voters nationwide favor the plan working its way through Congress while 53% are opposed. Those figures are virtually identical to results from two weeks ago.

As has been true since the debate began, those opposed to the congressional overhaul feel more strongly about the legislation than supporters. Forty-three percent (43%) now Strongly Oppose the legislation while 23% Strongly Favor it. Those figures, too, are similar to results from earlier in August.

Which does, of course, raise the question: if these folks in Washington are our representatives, why are they intent on acting against the wishes of the citizens they represent? If they did that, they would do to this proposal what Ted Kennedy did to Mary Jo.

Posted by: Greg at 07:48 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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On Making ObamaCare Bill A Tribute To Teddy

Looks like the Democrats are trying to exploit Teddy Kennedy's death for political purposes before the corpse has even cooled.

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the only senator to have served longer than the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), mourned his friend Wednesday, saying his "heart and soul weeps."

Byrd said he hoped healthcare reform legislation in the Senate would be renamed in memoriam of Kennedy.

Other Democrats followed the lead of the Distinguished Kluxer from West Virginia.

You know, I agree with the sentiment. It would be appropriate to turn the bill into such a tribute.

I encourage Republicans to use the bill to appropriately memorialize Teddy Kennedy — by doing to it what last and least of the Kennedy brothers did to Mary Jo.

I'd started the day attempting to keep Kennedy's death appropriately apolitical -- but if Democrats want to turn it into an occasion to Wellstone, it is not unreasonable to take the gloves off.

Posted by: Greg at 02:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Sci Fi Schlock

I am undeniably a science fiction fan. And I love Star Trek, in all its various incarnations. But I’ll be among the first to say that this is really pretty tacky, even by the admittedly low standards of much of sci fi fandom – Star Trek cologne.

Firebox is now selling three scents designed specifically for Trekkies.

The first, called Tiberius after none other than James T. himself, is “a casual yet commanding cologne spiked with freshness and sensuality. Citron zest, black pepper and cedar create refreshingly clear top notes, layered over a wooded, spicy scent.” (No mention there of alien gore or spacecraft exhaust fumes).

For those who would admit to being a zero rather than a hero, there's a cologne called Red Shirt. Firebox says: “…this manly scent has been named after the apparel favoured by the bold but stupid saps/extras who, with grim inevitability, always met a grisly end during away missions.” It promises “top notes of green mandarin, bergamot and hints of lavender [and] base notes of leather and grey musk” delivering a whiff of “the sweet smell of…expendability”.

Finally, for the ladies, is the Ponn Farr perfume, which is named after the Vulcan mating cycle. Presumably it's designed to attract males of the human variety as well as those with pointy ears.

Set phasers to maximum, and fire at will, Mr. Worf.

Posted by: Greg at 12:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Liberty Shirt Market

Yeah, I'm political. And yeah, I like political shirts that reflect my views. But the reality is that there are not many stores out there that stock material that reflect a truly conservative view -- especially not now that we have entered into the Age of Obama. That's why I am glad to to take this opportunity to do a sponsored review of the products over at LibertyShirtMarket.com, which has marketed an entire line of conservative shirts and other products.

Frankly, I liked what I saw as soon as I entered the site. Not just the easy to use interface, consumer friendly layout, and low prices, but also the actual products offered. It isn't just "bash Obama" shirts (though there is certainly a selection of those) -- there are shirts that appeal back to the founders and their vision of our nation's government as limited by the Constitution. Indeed, my two favorite shirts hearken back to the founding generation of this country -- one which quotes Benjamin Franklin's adage that "He that lives upon HOPE will die Fasting", and another from Jefferson that reminds us that "A Government Big Enough To Give You Everything You Want, Is Big Enough To Take Everything You Have". But I'll be honest -- my favorite product is not a shirt at all -- it is the pocket-sized edition of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, which I believe every American patriot should own. I know I'll be placing my order soon.

Posted by: Greg at 11:31 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Just Remember, Conservatives -- You Are The Violent Terrorists

Even though it is Democrats throwing the bombs.

A federal search warrant obtained by the Post-Dispatch connects a former Democratic campaign strategist to a Clayton bombing last year that seriously injured an attorney.

About two months after the October bombing, federal law enforcement officials searched the downtown loft of Milton H. "Skip" Ohlsen III, seeking "evidence related to the planning, execution, and/or cover-up of the bombing in Clayton, Missouri, on October 16, 2008." Ohlsen in recent weeks has been at the center of a swirling political scandal that is threatening the political careers of at least two Missouri Democratic legislators.

* * *

Ohlsen was arrested on federal fraud and firearms charges on Dec. 18, 2008, in an unrelated case, according to federal court records.

* * *

Ohlsen, 37, is the former Democratic operative involved in the federal investigation into the failed 2004 congressional campaign of Jeff Smith. Both Smith, now a state senator from St. Louis, and Steve Brown, a state representative from Clayton, have been involved in that federal inquiry, according to state government sources.

And by interesting coincidence, both Smith and Brown entered guilty pleas to corruption charges related to that 2004 campaign and resigned from office. It appears that the two men hired Ohlsen to illegally produce and distribute campaign literature in a manner that violated federal law, and then lied about it to federal investigators.

Dirty elections and acts of terrorism -- brought to you by your friends, the Democrats.

Posted by: Greg at 01:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Firearms And Firearm Products

I'm always amazed by how many websites are out there selling guns and gun parts. Absolutely astounding, to be honest. But how do you know which one is the best one in terms of their merchandise and their customer service?

Interestingly enough, I've recently heard a lot about one store offering gun parts that even includes access to technical video clips to educate consumers and retain customer loyalty. For example, they have one program on how to build an AR-15. They share clips with their customers on gun sights, product reviews on items like a competition three gun case, information about scope ring alignment and even how to use ear plugs correctly when shooting Want an example? . Here is one on their AR-15 Magazine. Expertise at a click of a button -- isn't it wonderful!

Plus, their prices are right, too. You can find high quality parts for your shotgun, rifle, pistol and outstanding books and videos on guns and shooting sports. Their sight is easy to use, and they offer you a guarntee of satisfaction
Best of all, Brownells is a company that is here to stay. They have been around for 70 years, and have no plans of disappearing like some fly-by-night companies. They even ship your purchases to you for the flat shipping rate of $11.50, so you are bound to save money there on any substantial purchase. So if you are inclined to use those Second Amendment rights, check them out.

Posted by: Greg at 04:01 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Just A Reminder On Honduras UPDATED: US Shows Contempt For Constitutional Government In Central America

That Central American nation is valiantly choosing fidelity to its constitution over capitulation to international pressure.

Honduras's supreme court has rejected a Costa Rica-brokered deal to restore ousted President Manuel Zelaya to power and ordered his arrest if he returns.

The ruling also affirmed the legitimacy of the government of interim leader Roberto Micheletti.

* * *

The court reminded Mr Zelaya that he faces several charges - including crimes against the government, treason, and abuse of power - and would be subject to trial if he re-entered the country.

It said Mr Micheletti's government had been installed as part of a lawful "constitutional succession".

Remember -- Zelaya violated the Honduran Constitution by illicitly seeking to extend his term in office. Under terms of that document, he automatically forfeited his office, and was removed from power pursuant to the directives of that nation's supreme court. It was no more a coup than would be the impeachment and removal of an American president. -- but left-leaning Latin American neighbors have tried to argue otherwise, and have deceived other members of the international community into accepting their argument. Cheers to Honduras for remaining strong in the face of this pressure.

UPDATE: The Obama Regime again weighs in on the side of the Latin Leftists and against the constitutional government of Honduras. I wonder -- will Obama be similarly contemptuous of the decisions of the US Supreme Court pursuant to our Constitution?

Posted by: Greg at 10:47 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Online Auction Deals

It really sounds too good to be true. Indeed, it seems to be beyond belief But believe it or not, you can find an auction site out there where you can start the bidding in various auctions for as low as a penny. But believe it or not, Rockybid.com has online auctions where registered members can enter a bid of as low as one penny on any item they are seeking to bu. The result? The site recently saw the auction of a Honda Insight Hybrid for $1.24! Incredible!

Of course, you do have to pay for the opportunity to bid. I normally don't like that, but when you can buy a nintendo wii for under a dollar, it might just be a value worth paying for.. And even if you lose an auction, you do earn points that you can use to bid on other items within 30 days.

So if, for example, you are interested in buying Gold Bullion coins and bars, RockyBid is a place where you can buy those precious commodities at a low price -- as much as 99% off the spot price, in fact.

It seems almost too good to be true -- but it might just be worth your time to check out..

Posted by: Greg at 09:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Breakdown Of The Editorial Process

Words mean things.

In fact, sometimes they can mean many different things.

Sometimes those meanings can vary across cultures of generations -- during a discussion of laws on illegal drugs some years ago, a student asked me if I had ever been "blowed". Due to our generational differences, I didn't realize that he was asking me if I had ever gotten high -- and he didn't realize that I heard him asking me an entirely different question.

Which leads me to this link that someone sent to me recently. Shouldn't someone on the editorial staff have caught the alternate meaning to the phrase used in this headline -- especially when paired with the accompanying picture?

Posted by: Greg at 12:27 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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John Conyers Points Out The Problem With Much Congressional Legislation

It is too long, too complicated, and passed too quickly for members of Congress to really know what they are voting on.

"I love these members that get up and say 'Read the bill.' What good is reading the bill if it's a thousand pages and you don't have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you've read the bill."

Unfortunately, Conyers’ solution is to vote for the bill without reading it, and without even giving it a serious examination. It seems to have never crossed his mind that a bill that is too complex to be understood without “two days and two lawyers” to figure it out is probably too complex to be implemented in a coherent manner without delegating way too much discretion to unelected bureaucrats.

And while this statement came in the context of the health care debate, I think it is equally applicable to ANY piece of legislation. If it is too long and complex to be read and understood by members of Congress – or the American people – then it probably should be split up into more manageable pieces for the good of the nation.

Posted by: Greg at 11:13 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Fill My Seat Before My Body is Cold: Teddy Kennedy (D-What Dead Girl In What Car Under What Bridge?)

In 2004, Massachusetts Democrats decided that the people of Massachusetts didn’t need two senators if one of their seats fell vacant – a position heartily endorsed by the state’s senior senator, Teddy The Hutt. The reason? The election of John Kerry as president would have allowed a Republican (Mitt Romney) to fill the seat. Now, however, with death breathing down the neck of the last and least of the Kennedy brothers, the Senator from Chivas Regal insists that his vacant seat must be filled immediately for the good of the state and the nation – because, after all, there is a Democrat occupying the Governor’s office in Massachusetts.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in a poignant acknowledgment of his mortality at a critical time in the national health care debate, has privately asked the governor and legislative leaders to change the succession law to guarantee that Massachusetts will not lack a Senate vote when his seat becomes vacant.

In a personal, sometimes wistful letter sent Tuesday to Governor Deval L. Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, Kennedy asks that Patrick be given authority to appoint someone to the seat temporarily before voters choose a new senator in a special election.

If allowing the governor to fill a vacant seat was not that important five years ago, it certainly isnÂ’t that important now. And given that KennedyÂ’s illness has caused him to be MIA and Massachusetts without that second vote in the Senate for most of the period since his diagnosis, I fail to see how filling the seat becomes any sort of imperative once he is DOA. After all, the state will not have any less representation on the Senate floor than it does now.

Posted by: Greg at 11:02 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Oh, The Horror! CIA Contracted With Blackwater On Terrorist Elimination

This is just horrible! After all, just because al-Qaeda attacked us on 9/11 is no reason to kill its leaders – and certainly not to use the eeeevvvviiiillll Blackwater to facilitate doing it.

The Central Intelligence Agency in 2004 hired outside contractors from the private security contractor Blackwater USA as part of a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of Al Qaeda, according to current and former government officials.

It is hard, really, to tell which offends liberals more – the fact that the US government was considering the decapitation of the organization that committed a major terrorist action on American soil, or that it might have considered free market options to get the matter done. Personally, I’m just pissed off that this plan was not fully implemented, and that it therefore didn’t result in the extermination of any of the targeted vermin.

Posted by: Greg at 10:49 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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News Flash -- Neolithic Revolution Caused Onset of Global Warming!

Damn Stone Age man for starting the steady decline of the world towards extinction!

Ancient man may have started global warming through massive deforestation and burning that could have permanently altered the Earth's climate, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Virginia and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

The study, published in the scientific journal Quaternary Science Reviews and reported on the University of Virginia's Web site, says over thousands of years, farmers burned down so many forests on such a large scale that huge amounts of carbon dioxide were pumped into the atmosphere. That possibly caused the Earth to warm up and forever changed the climate.

Lead study author William Ruddiman is a professor emeritus of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia and a climate scientist.

"It seems like a common-sense idea that there weren't enough people around 5, 6, 7,000 years ago to have any significant impact on climate. But if you allow for the fact that those people, person by person, had something like 10 times as much of an effect or cleared 10 times as much land as people do today on average, that bumps up the effect of those earlier farmers considerably, and it does make them a factor in contributing to the rise of greenhouse gasses," Ruddiman said.

And yet we are now told that if we don't act RIGHT NOW, it is the end of the world as we know it.

Strikes me that we are dealing with more junk science -- and I feel fine.

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Robert Novak: RIP

He wasnÂ’t pretty, and he wasnÂ’t always tactful. He was, however, one of a kind, and an American treasure.

And now Robert Novak has gone – home to be with the God he loved.

There are few in public life for whom I’ve had great affection without having ever met them. There are even fewer whose death has caused me to stop and weep. Indeed, I can think of only four who fall into that latter category – Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp, Billy Graham and Pope John Paul II. To that list I now add Bob Novak, who was the best at what he did and who never held back when he knew he was right. We shall not see his like again.

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My Request To Barry Hussein's Secret Police

Since the Obama Regime is compiling an enemies list of American patriots who oppose his health care and other proposals, I've sent the following to his brownshirts.

Please add me to your compiled enemies list. As a patriotic American, I am proud to be added to such a list compiled by a nascent dictator like Barack Obama as he seeks to quash legitimate dissent.

All I've done is exercise my rights under the First Amendment, but if Barry Hussein wants to compile a list of his opponents, I want to be on it -- indeed, I consider it to be a badge of honor to be included on any such compilation by an totalitarian regime. After all, I've found that this site is banned in several foreign countries -- perhaps one day my own president will seek to silence me, too.

Fortunately, my senator has sent the following to the White House in an attempt to stop this totalitarian tactic from being followed by the proto-fascist in the Oval Office.

Dear President Obama,



I write to express my concern about a new White House program to monitor American citizens' speech opposing your health care policies, and to seek your assurances that this program is being carried out in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and America's tradition of free speech and public discourse.



Yesterday, in an official White House release entitled "Facts are Stubborn Things," the White House Director of New Media, Macon Phillips, asserted that there was "a lot of disinformation out there," and encouraged citizens to report "fishy" speech opposing your health care policies to the White House.  Phillips specifically targeted private, unpublished, even casual speech, writing that "rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation."  Phillips wrote "If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."



I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed "fishy" or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests. 



By requesting that citizens send "fishy" emails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House.  You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program.  As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.


I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House.  I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program-and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.



So I urge you to cease this program immediately.  At the very least, I request that you detail to Congress and the public the protocols that your White House is following to purge the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in "fishy" speech.  And I respectfully request an answer to the following:

• How do you intend to use the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in "fishy" speech?


• How do you intend to notify citizens who have been reported for "fishy" speech?


• What action do you intend to take against citizens who have been reported for engaging in "fishy" speech?


• Do your own past statements qualify as "disinformation"? For example, is it "disinformation" to note that in 2003 you said:"I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan"?

I look forward to your prompt response. 



Sincerely,



JOHN CORNYN



United States Senator

Bravo, Senator Cornyn.

UPDATE: Looks like great minds think alike. It's Operation Go Flag Yourself! Great posts at Brutally Honest, Maggie's Farm, Bookworm Room, The Anchoress, Malkin

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Race Attack On Sleeping White Kid Not A Hate Crime In Liberal Austin

If this had happened at the home of a black family living in a white neighborhood, the the Obama Regime would have taken action to make sure that the FBI would already be investigating and Barry Hussein would have already spoken out on the situation. At a minimum, the cops in Texas' most liberal city would have classified the incident as a hate crime and devoted extra manpower to it.

But hey, since the little boy whose window was broken by a brick with a racial message scrawled on it is white, it is a low-priority misdemeanor incident.

Police are investigating a brick with an offensive message thrown into the window of an East Austin home.

The brick, thrown through a 4-year-old boy’s bedroom window, read “Keep Eastside Black. Keep Eastside Strong.”

* * *

Police have not classified this incident as a hate crime, said Austin Police Sgt. Richard Stresing, because hate crimes target an individual specifically because of an identifying characteristic, like race.

So when a white family living in a predominantly black neighborhood has a brick thrown through their window with a message about keeping the neighborhood black, that doesn't qualify as being targeted specifically because race? Would the same judgment be made if the it were a black family living in a white neighborhood getting a brick through the window with a message to keep the neighborhood white? The question answers itself.

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Obama Regime Admits Health Care Scheme NBot About Saving Money, Controlling Costs

But oddly, those are the reasons so often given for implementing such a plan -- Barry Hussein has even said so.

But now we get to the truth, after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has shown how costly and inefficient the current proposals really are.

But now Peter Orszag, Obama's director of the Office of Management and Budget has admitted the truth -- any savings are a long way off.

The point of the proposal, however, was never to generate savings over the next decade.

In other words, for a decade we will piss away even more money than would have otherwise been spent. And in return for spending more money, here's what we lose.

1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan
   
2. Freedom to be rewarded for healthy living, or pay your real costs
   
3. Freedom to choose high-deductible coverage
   
4. Freedom to keep your existing plan
   
5. Freedom to choose your doctors
   

So got that -- higher cost, less freedom. Are Americans really so stupid as to think that is a better deal? Because that is what Obama and his cronies are counting on to get this plan adopted.

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Time To Fix The Texas Social Studies Curriculum

I've sounded off on this point a couple of times before, but today's Houston Chronicle editorial on some proposals for revising the state's social studies curriculum leads me to bring it up again.

But first, the Chroncle's silly, error-ridden editorial.

Last week, Stephen Colbert tipped his ironic hat to the Texas State Board of Education. The board had already allowed creationism to be considered in Texas biology classes, the comedian said approvingly, and now it was pushing for more Christianity to be taught in U.S. history. But why stop there? Colbert asked. What about math? Five plus two doesn't have to equal seven — not if you're Jesus. And for that matter, what about penmanship? Why not teach students to really CROSS their T's?

There's truthiness in those jokes. Of the six people who the board appointed as “experts” to review the current curriculum, three are on record as Christian soldiers, battling to bring back a golden age of God in American government.

Evangelist David Barton founded WallBuilders, which aims to rebuild America's Christian ramparts in the way Old Testament Jews rebuilt Jerusalem's walls. Daniel Dreisbach, a professor at American University, takes a similar (if anti-wall) position: He's known for arguing that the Supreme Court misunderstood Thomas Jefferson's ideas about a “high wall” separating church and state. And then there's Peter Marshall, the head of Peter Marshall Ministries, who preaches that Watergate, the Vietnam War and Hurricane Katrina were God's wrath, ignited by the nation's sexual immorality.

Those three reviewers, in their recommendations to revamp K-12 social studies, aim to emphasize the early years of American history — the era in which the U.S. was almost entirely a Christian nation. Barton, for instance, advocates teaching kids not just about the major founding fathers, but some 250 others, such as Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Rush, John Witherspoon, and Gouverneur Morris. All three of the conservative reviewers urge intensive study of original documents such as the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the Pennsylvania Charter of Liberties and Frame of Government, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights.

But the problem is, teachers don't have enough time to teach everything intensively. And if they spend a large part of the school year parsing the fine points of the Pilgrim and Revolutionary eras, they'll have to skim lightly over the rest of American history — as in, those years when slaves were freed, when women won the right to vote, and when minorities fought for their civil rights. Those parts of American history are important, too.

Christianity undeniably influenced the European settlement of North America and the founding of the United States. That said, some of the founding fathers would have described themselves as deists rather than Christians, and thanks to the separation of church and state we've never been an officially Christian country. Though about half of our citizens are Christian, we are no longer only a Christian nation — just as we're no longer a nation run solely by white male property owners.

It would be wrong not to teach our kids about America's Christian roots. But it would be just as wrong to pretend that the rest of our history matters less. In Texas schools, five plus two should always equal seven — whether or not that answer matches the curriculum reviewers' goals.

When the Houston Chronicle cannot even get correct the percentage of Americans self-identifying as Christian (it is over 2/3 of Americans, not half), it is probably best to dismiss the piece. And the belittling comments about the three "Christian soldiers" (one a respected historian, another the former vice chairman of the Republican Party of Texas) shows a significant bias against the beliefs of a majority of Texans (I'm curious -- does the editorial board "look like Texas" in terms of the religious affiliations and beliefs of its members, or is it shockingly lacking in both the diversity of the state and its reflection of the public it serves?).

But the reports attacked by the paper are not the end of the process, and there is a long way to go in re-writing the standards, including much more input from the public and educators in the field like myself.

But where I am disturbed is that the editorial -- and the state of Texas --might once again miss the chance to deal with what I and a number of other social studies teachers see as a serious flaw with our state's sequence of courses in the field.

What, you may ask?

How about the scandalously absurd sequencing of courses from grade 6 through grade 12?

Currently, the sequence of courses from middle school to graduation looks like this:

• Grade 6 -- World Cultures
  
• Grade 7 -- Texas History
  
• Grade 8 -- US History through Reconstruction
  
• Grade 9 -- World Geography
  
• Grade 10 -- World History
  
• Grade 11 -- US History since Reconstruction
  
• Grade 12 -- US Government & Economics
  

What's the problem? The sixth grade course is a rather amorphous amorphous blend of geography, history, and current events. It is then followed by the parochial Texas history course. The founding of America and the Civil War are taught in eighth grade, but then the rest of the American experience doesn't follow for another three years!

We would do better to re-sequence the entire thing, perhaps as follows:

• Grade 6 -- Texas History
  
• Grade 7 -- World Geography
  
• Grade 8 -- World History through the Middle Ages
  
• Grade 9 -- World History since the Renaissance
  
• Grade 10 -- US History through Reconstruction
  
• Grade 11 -- US History since Reconstruction
  
• Grade 12 -- US Government & Economics
  

The benefit? More time to pursue the richness of world history, continuity in American history, and a more logical flow of content from the beginning of middle school through graduation.

Texas -- we have a chance to fix our social studies curriculum so that it makes more sens in terms of scope and sequence. Let's not continue with the current sequence because "we've always done it that way". Let's instead have our classes build upon what came before, with courses that logically follow one another grouped together to increase both retention of material and the development of related concepts.

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Obama, The Palestinians, And The Holocaust

I think this one from Dry Bones says it all.

After all, Obama's analogy only works if the following things were true in 1933.

• Jews controlled 97% of Europe while Germans controlled 3%.
  
• Jews were regularly murdering innocent German women and children in terror attacks.
  
• German policy was to avoid the killings of innocent Jewish civilians.
  
• Jewish acts of terror were blamed on German intransigence by the international community.
  
• Germany made repeated concessions to Jewish demands, while the Jews refused to live up to any agreement made with the Germans.
  

Of course, none of those conditions applied in Germany in 1933 -- but every single one of them has been the status quo for decades in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. So either Barack Obama is woefully ignorant of history, perniciously hateful of Jews, or simply finds it convenient to belittle the Holocaust by drawing an inapt moral equivalence between the innocent victims of the Holocaust and murderous aggressors in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Or perhaps all three.

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Obama Regime: Differnt Standard For Government Than For Private Sector

That's the only way to look at this one.

When companies accepted government bailouts, they were forbidden to send executives on junkets to resorts for conferences. There was talk about responsible use of taxpayer money

Government agencies, even ones that are insolvent in an age when we are running the largest deficits in US history, can still spend loads of taxpayer cash for such trips, though.

A Social Security Administration motivational management conference held at a high-end Valley resort last week cost $700,000, the SSA told the ABC15 Investigators.

Costs for the conference at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa included airfare, hotel entertainment, dancers, motivational speakers, and food, an administration official said.

A spokesperson from the SSA's regional office said the conference was essential, that teleconferencing was not an option, and that all 675 managers needed to meet in person.

The SSA provided ABC15 with a list of courses provided at the conference, which included "Techniques to Empower You," "Mentoring the Generations," and "Emotional Intelligence."

But the information provided by the SSA did not mention an after-hours casino trip, family members staying at the hotel, or the 20-minute dance party ABC15 observed.

Just one more example of the Obama regime wanting to control you life while exempting government.

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Hutchison Rakes In Bucks For Governor's Race

Kay Bailey Hutchison is going all-out to make the 2010 gubernatorial primary a race. And her fundraising numbers certainly bear that out.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison had publicly vanished from the governor's race during the past several months, but burst back on the scene Monday with an announcement that she has $12.5 million for a campaign to knock Gov. Rick Perry out of office.

Hutchison said she will formally announce as a candidate next month. She described the $6.7 million she raised during the first half of this year as a record for a Texas politician.

“This is a huge victory,” Hutchison said.

Perry has announced that he raised $4.2 million in the final nine days of June and had $9.3 million in the bank.

Given the Texas Democrats' notoriously shallow bench, it is unlikely that any Democrat could even come close to either of these two Republicans. That means the GOP primary will be the election. Her's hoping that Texas Republicans make the correct choice by sending Rick Perry packing and nominating Kay to be our next governor.

Which, of course, will sets the stage for the election of Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams as our United States Senator.

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Chavez Announces Next Obama Administration Foreign Policy Initiative

Given that ol' Barry Hussein has been following the lead of Hugo Chavez in attempting to overthrow the legitimate Honduran government and reinstall the legally-removed former president of that nation, we can only presume that this is the next step for the Obama Regime.

MOSCOW, July 13 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called on the United States to withdraw its "gringo" troops from its airbase in Honduras to protest the recent coup in the Central American state.

* * *

"If the U.S. really was against the coup it would have already withdrawn its troops from the Palmerola military base," Chavez said in his Sunday TV program, Hello President.

The U.S., which has repeatedly condemned the coup, has some 350 soldiers deployed at an airbase in Honduras.

"Obama, pull your gringo soldiers out of Honduras, deprive the rebels of aid, freeze their accounts, stop giving them visas, and you will see how their rule ends," Chavez went on.

The dictator of Venezuela has spoken. Obama should be falling in line shortly -- especially if Fidel Castro makes a similar call. Supporters of freedom and constitutional government should tremble.

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NY Times Columnist States A Half-Truth

If you hadn't been following the John Ensign story, this bit in Gail Collins' NY Times column would no doubt conjure up images of GOP senators and congressmen -- and a couple of pastors -- holding a massive Roman orgy.

But lately, the Ensign saga has become more and more fascinating. Every social conservative in Washington seems to have been involved.

Yeah, but HOW they were involved is the real key here.

They weren't sleeping with Ensign or his mistress.

They were urging their friend and colleague to break off the affair. They were encouraging him to reconcile with his wife. They were suggesting ways for him to mitigate the harm done to the family of his mistress and his own family. Indeed, it appears that they were trying to get him right with God.

In other words, they were acting like CHRISTIANS.

Remember -- one part of Christian teaching is that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Another is that we are all called to repent of our sins and strive to live a better life. And as I've read the revelations of the last couple of days, that's what I see members and spiritual advisers of a Christian group in Washington pushing Ensign towards -- repentance and reformation.

As more details come out about John Ensign, I am beginning to move towards a belief that he may need to resign. But that said, I'm rather proud of the decisions and actions of those who tried to get Ensign back on the straight and narrow path. After all, it is what they ought to have done consistent with their faith.

On the other hand, I'm rather ashamed of Gail Collins and her tawdry innuendo that appears designed to deceive rather than inform her readers.

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Arlen Specter Defines Arrogance

Let's see -- Arlen Specter is a Democrat who ran jumped ship to the GOP early in his career because it was the only way for him to get elected to public office. He recently jumped ship back to the Democrats (after decades as a Republican) when it became apparent that he was going to lose the GOP primary to someone who more closely represented the GOP platform. In other words, opportunistic party-switching is one of the defining characteristics of Specter's career.

So of course, having just switched to the Democrat Party this year so he can run for office as a Democrat, he is now accusing his opponent of having become a Democrat in 2006 just so he could run for office as a Democrat!

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter called his fellow Democrat, Rep. Joe Sestak, a "flagrant hypocrite" and accused his rival of registering as a Democrat "just in time to run for Congress."

Sestak has said that he will challenge Specter, who has the backing of President Obama and party leaders, for the Democratic Senate nomination next year. Specter, a longtime Republican, switched his party registration to Democrat this year.

On Thursday, Specter's campaign sought to bring into question Sestak's roots to the Democratic Party. Specter's campaign sent out a list of Sestak's voting history in Delaware County, which the senator's campaign said showed that Sestak registered as an Independent in 1971, didn't vote in any primary elections from 1971-2005 and that he officially registered as a Democrat in February of 2006. Sestak was elected as a Democrat to the House in 2006.

Sestak's response? That as a military officer he remained a registered independent because he believes that military officers should not be a member of any political party. Having grown up on military bases as the son of a military officer, I've a number of officers who took precisely that position and acted upon it. It is a position I find principled and admirable, even if I would argue that voting in a primary does not undermine the non-artisan nature of the military. I'm therefore not offended at all by Sestak's voter registration history.

I am, on the other hand, quite offended by Specter's hypocrisy in accusing ANYONE of manipulating party registration just to find a convenient banner under which to seek office.

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While You Were Otherwise Distracted

You know, by stories about Sanford and Ensign and their affairs, speculation about Sarah Palin's resignation, and the Michael Jackson saga -- here's what the news media HASN'T been telling you about the conduct of the Democrat majority in Washington.

** Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) wife Monica was convicted on bribery charges. An associate also implicated Rep. Conyers and Senator Stabenow (D-MI) in the crimes. The state-run media hasn't touched this.

** The jury in Rep. Jefferson's (D-LA)criminal case saw tape this week of him accepting bribes and were handed photos of his frozen cold cash this week.

** Mr. John Harris pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud this week. He pledged to cooporate with prosecutors in the investigation of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) in exchange for the lenient sentence.

** Criminal accusations against Senator Dodd (D-Conn.)continue. Dodd has not been straightforward about the value of his 10-acre waterfront home in Ireland. Since 2002 he listed the value of the home at $250,000. In February his office changed that to $127,000. In March, Dodd told The Hartford Current he paid $177,000 for the home. In May he told Newsweek he paid $207,000. Acording to the senator's most recent financial disclosure form, the cottage is actually worth $658,000.

** Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) has come under scrutiny as more defense contractors associated with him are being investigated. This time the names include Mountaintop Technologies which received $10 million in earmarks and Kuchera Industries which got $9 million in earmarks in 2008. The Pennsylvania representative allegedly used his seniority and position on the U.S. House Appropriations committee to secure the earmarks that he passed on to companies with whom he had relationships. Donations from executives of Mountaintop to Murtha's campaigns amounted to $40,200 while employees of Kuchera kicked in $89,000.

** Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus (Dems) are under investigation for taking an illegal trip to Cuba where these members sucked up to Fidel Castro.

** The House ethics committee opened an inquiry into whether Caribbean trips taken by Representative Charles Rangel violated House gift rules.

** Sen. Inouye (D-Hawaii) acts on behalf of a constituent, who turns out to be in large part himself (a troubled bank in which his ownership share makes up ‘the bulk of his personal wealth’), via Instapundit. The media is silent.

** The House so far has ignored Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. of Illinois over his reported effort to persuade ousted Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to appoint him to fill President Obama's former Senate seat.

** And, there's also Speaker Pelosi who lied about her knowlege of waterboarding and then charged the CIA with lying.

Of course, why would you want to know about those things -- after all, Democrats brought Hope'N'Change to America, and anything that interferes with implementing the agenda of Barack Obama is unpatriotic, so we just have to let Democrat corruption slide.

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New Haven Firemen To Testafy Against Sotomayor!

This will be great -- two bona fide heroes posing the question that Sotomayor needs to answer on live television.

You know -- "Why don't you think we are entitled to equal protection of the law under the Fourteenth Amendment?"

Republicans will call two New Haven firefighters to testify in the confirmation hearings of Sonia Sotomayor next week, making clear the GOP's intent to place affirmative action at the center of Senate battle over Sotomayor's nomination.

A Judiciary Committee press release lists Frank Ricci and Ben Vargas as expected Republican witnesses. Ricci was the lead plaintiff in Ricci v. New Haven, the controversial case in which Sotomayor ruled the New Haven fire department acted constitutionally when it promoted black firefighters who scored lower than their white counterparts on a qualifying test. Vargas was the only non-white co-plaintiff in that case.

Demsare bringin in a bunch of political and social elites to support Sotomayor, but these Average Americans are going to have their say, too. How refreshing!

Maybe someone on the committee will press the Wise Latina to explain why she dismissed the rights of these firefighters with no substantive analysis of their case in an opinion of less than a single page.

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Current Watcher's Council Results

From July 3:

Winning Council Submissions

• First place with 2 points! – The Razor - Settlement
• Second place with 1 1/3 points – (T*) – Right Truth - LIFE


• Second place with 1 1/3 points – (T*) – The Glittering Eye - Affording Everything
• Third place with 2/3 point – (T*) – The Provocateur - The Libertarians Downfall: Conspiracy Theories


• Third place with 2/3 point – (T*) – Joshuapundit - Masquerade In iran
• Third place with 2/3 point – (T*) – Mere Rhetoric - ShhÂ… Massachusetts Proves Mandate-Based Health Reform Will Be A Disaster


• Fourth place with 1/3 point – (T*) – Wolf Howling - Politicized Science
• Fourth place with 1/3 point – (T*) – Soccer Dad - Diehl me out

Winning Non-Council Submissions

• First place with 2 1/3 points! – FaustaÂ’s Blog - Responses to “Coup in Honduras – Correction: This is NOT a coup”
• Second place with 1 2/3 points – Christina Hoff Sommers - Persistent Myths in Feminist Scholarship


• Third place with 1 point – (T*) – The League of Ordinary Gentlemen - Iraq June 30th
• Third place with 1 point – (T*) – EU Referendum - Rigging The Debate


• Fourth place with 2/3 point – (T*) – Delaware Liberal - Should Sanford Resign?
• Fourth place with 2/3 point – (T*) – Diana West - “Role of Women in Iran Protest Kindles Hope”…OF WHAT?


• Fifth place with 1/3 point – (T*) – American Daughter - Religion and Politics DonÂ’t Mix
• Fifth place with 1/3 point – (T*) – Financial Times - Obama is Choosing to be Weak

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Belated Watcher's Council Results

From June 19:

Winning Council Submissions

• First place with 2 1/3 points! – Wolf Howling - Iran 6/16 – The Fire Still Burning


• Second place with 1 2/3 points – Bookworm Room - ObamaÂ’s belief in the power of his own rhetoric
• Third place with 1 1/3 point – Soccer Dad - The campaignÂ’s the thing


• Fourth place with 1 point – (T*) – Right Truth - When the unbelievable becomes true
• Fourth place with 1 point – (T*) – Mere Rhetoric - Liberal Foreign Policy Experts: This Ahmadinejad Reelection Was Just So Unpredictable!


• Fifth place with 2/3 point – (T*) – Joshuapundit - Iran ‘ElectionÂ’ Update
• Fifth place with 2/3 point – (T*) – The Glittering Eye - Dammit They Did What I Said


• Sixth place with 1/3 point – Rhymes With Right - Obama Should Fire Panetta For Cheney Smear — But Supports Him Instead

Winning Non-Council Submissions

• First place with 2 points! – Michelle Malkin - ObamaÂ’s AmeriCrooks and cronies scandal


• Second place with 1 1/3 points – (T*) – Christopher Hitchens - DonÂ’t Call It An Election In Iran
• Second place with 1 1/3 points – (T*) – The Hashmonean - Coup DÂ’etat: The Revolutionary Guards In Control of Iran Had Nothing to Fear From Obama Biden (Link Update I)


• Third place with 1 point – (T*) – MidEastAnalysis.com - What Happened in Iran?
• Third place with 1 point – (T*) – The New Republic - Narrative Dissonance


• Third place with 1 point – (T*) – Wall Street Journal - What If Israel Strikes Iran?
• Fourth place with 2/3 point – (T*) – The Last Crusade - CNN, FOX NEWS TURN BLIND EYE TO UPRISING IN IRAN


• Fourth place with 2/3 point – (T*) – Legal Insurrection / Hot Air Greenroom - What About The Right Not To Wear Head Covering
• Fifth place with 1/3 point – (T*) – Liberty Chick - ACORN Part III


• Fifth place with 1/3 point – (T*) – NewsBusters - Schultz: I ‘AbsolutelyÂ’ Believe Cheney Wants Americans To Die

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Who Elected Michelle Obama Squat?

And why are we paying this much money for her staff?

The salaries for staffers in the Office of First Lady are also on the newest list. The highest paid is Chief of Staff Susan Sher, who gets the top $172,200. Here are the rest:

$140,000
Frye, Jocelyn C. (DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$113,000
Rogers, Desiree G. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY)

$102,000
Johnston, Camille Y. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE FIRST LADY)
Winter, Melissa E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)

$90,000
Medina, David S. (DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)

$84,000
Lelyveld, Catherine M. (DIRECTOR AND PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)

$75,000
Starkey, Frances M. (DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$70,000
Sanders, Trooper (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$65,000
Burnough, Erinn J. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)
Reinstein, Joseph B. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)

$62,000
Goodman, Jennifer R. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND EVENTS COORDINATOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$60,000
Fitts, Alan O. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADVANCE AND TRIP DIRECTOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)
Lewis, Dana M. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT AND PERSONAL AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)

$52,500
Mustaphi, Semonti M. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)

$50,000
Jarvis, Kristen E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR SCHEDULING AND TRAVELING AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)

$45,000
Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)
Tubman, Samantha (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,SOCIAL OFFICE)

$40,000
Boswell, Joseph J. (EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)

$36,000
Armbruster, Sally M. (STAFF ASSISTANT TO THE SOCIAL SECRETARY)
Bookey, Natalie (STAFF ASSISTANT)
Jackson, Deilia A. (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)

Now I realize that the total expenditure of $1.6 million is a drop in the bucket as far as Barack Obama's trillion dollar deficits are concerned, but for an unelected spouse of an elected official to have such a taxpayer-supported staff reeks of royalty. And yes, I know that Mrs. Obama is not the first to have such a staff, but that makes it no more acceptable.

Of course, the Obama Regime refuses to tell us how much we taxpayers are spending to take Michelle and the kids on vacation trips and date nights (heck, even on ice cream runs -- personal rather than official travel) despite promises of openness and transparency, so I suppose we should be thankful for even being permitted this much insight into the excess expenditures of government.

Posted by: Greg at 09:53 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A Reminder About Obama's Budget Plans

Fred Hiatt of the Washington Post points out this inconvenient truth about the need to "fatten the beast" in the Era of Hope'N'Change.

You cannot run a progressive government of the kind Obama favors by collecting only 18 percent of the gross domestic product in taxes, which has been the norm over the past 40 years. Nor can you increase the tax take to 24.5 percent of GDP -- which is what Obama proposes to be spending in 2019 -- simply by making the rich pay more.

And if you can't limit those tax increases to the super-rich making over $250,000. . . $200,000. . . $100,000 a year, then taxes are going to need to be raised somewhere. The only place left, of course, is the middle class -- you know, those of us making over $40,000 a year. The people who Obama swore would not see their taxes increased to pay for his programs.

Is this the Change you've been Hoping for?

More At Hot Air

Posted by: Greg at 02:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Former Oilers QB Dead

The Houston Oilers were gone by the time I moved to Houston, so I have no great attachment to that team or its players. however, the murder of Steve McNair is still a very sad thing, though I don't know that I would use the word tragedy to describe it (though it is certainly a tragedy for his family and other loved ones).

For those unaware of the news, McNair and a woman were found shot to death in an apartment/condo in Nashville -- the former QB with multiple gunshot wounds. He appears to have had some sort of relationship with the woman, based upon the fact that there was a vehicle registered in both of their names. I won't speculate what that relationship was without evidence, though at least one article I've read refers to the young woman as his "girlfriend".

However, the details of the case do raise questions -- especially given this bit of information.

McNair was found shot to death in a Nashville condominium he was renting. He suffered several gunshot wounds, including one to the head. [Sahel] Kazemi was found on the floor near him with a single gunshot wound to her head. The Nashville Tennessean reports a pistol was found near her body.

Additionally, Nashville police are not actively looking for suspects. Police have not yet called the deaths the result of a murder-suicide. Autopsies are scheduled for today, after which an official cause of death is likely to be named.

It appears that McNair was the victim rather than the perpetrator in this case. Unfortunately, the end of his life may ultimately overshadow the greatness he showed on the football field.

Steve McNair leaves behind a wife and kids, making this situation all the more sad. That they will have to carry on in the wake of this ugly situation is difficult to contemplate.

Posted by: Greg at 03:56 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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A Favorite Patriotic Musical Bit

The Egg, from the musical 1776.

Enjoy this Fourth of July.

Posted by: Greg at 07:25 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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In Re. Palin

Like everyone else, I'm still stunned by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's surprise resignation announcement yesterday.

Not because I'm a saddened supporter -- I'm not. I think she was a good pick for VP, and a potential star for the future, but I don't think she is what the GOP needs right now. Rather, because the entire thing is so unexpected and inexplicable.

And as I began, like others (some of which appeared to be nothing more than a liberal echo chamber-- ), musing upon the possible reasons for this resignation, I was left quite confused. Is Palin doomed, I wondered?

Until I realized a possible reason for the resignation that requires looking beyond the immediate political landscape.

Sarah Palin is NOT running for President in 2012. She is going to run for Senator in 2010 -- and bide her time in that office until 2016 or 2020.

Think about it for a minute. Alaska's current GOP senator is not terribly popular in Alaska, and Sarah Palin could easily beat her in a primary -- and is popular enough in Alaska to win the general election handily. But to run as a sitting governor would be difficult for her -- first because she would be taking on an incumbent of her own party, and second because of the string of frivolous ethics complaints filed against her by her political enemies. But out of office, she is not taking time away from her job as governor and she can't be accused of using state resources to advance her candidacy.

Now secure in the US Senate for six years, the following become possible.

1. Palin develops a national record in Washington -- and racks up lots of political IOUs -- campaigning for the 2012 GOP ticket and assorted candidates around the country in 2012.
   
2. In the event that the GOP ticket loses in 2012, she is positioned as a successful Governor and Senator in 2016, when she would be the front-runner for the GOP nomination in a year when the GOP is quite likely to win the presidency after 8 years of Obama.
   
3. In the event the GOP ticket wins in 2012, Palin is a likely Cabinet pick -- perhaps Secretary of Energy, due to her experience with the field in Alaska. She then bides her time until 2020 -- when she will still be in her mid-50s and have a formidable resume among her GOP rivals.
   

Of course, she may just stay out of office for the time being. It's not like this is without precedent.

Remember -- it took Ronald Reagan 12 years from the time he first looked at the presidency (196 to the time he won in 1980. Palin has a book deal, and she can fire up a crowd with her speeches -- and doesn't need a teleprompter, unlike a certain politician I could name.

My biggest hope, though, is that Mark Steyn is wrong about what Palin's move yesterday means -- namely, the definitive end of the age when an ordinary American can aspire to rise to the upper ranks of America's leadership because of the nature of contemporary politics and its impact upon the lives of those who "play the game".

National office will dwindle down to the unhealthily singleminded (Clinton, Obama), the timeserving emirs of Incumbistan (Biden, McCain) and dynastic heirs (Bush). Our loss.

This Independence Day, I hope America is better than that, and that we have not entered a day of elite government by narcissists, careerists, and dynasts -- for if we have, then yesterday's announcement signaled the death of the principles of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, which would mean that it was effectively the obituary of our nation.

I'll open the comments on this one.

Posted by: Greg at 03:20 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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An Interesting Observation On Obama

Whether you agree with Richard Cohen on the topic of today's column (I do, but not necessarily for the reasons he gives), you have to agree with this observation on the nature of Obama.

Barack Obama is pretty much a perfect package -- smart, articulate, handsome, charming. The only thing he lacks is a bottom line: What, precisely, does he find unacceptable? It's hard to know. His political career has been so brief we don't yet know where he makes his stand -- this far and no further.

A pity that Cohen and the rest of the media didn't offer this observation during the 2008 campaign. It might just have alerted the American public to the fact that they were being asked to buy a pig in a poke. Instead, it was left to those of us on the GOP side of the aisle to offer such observations -- which were then immediately dismissed as partisan at best and racist at worst.

Unfortunately for America, we still are not quite sure what Obama's principles rally are and where he will make a stand for them -- an intolerable place for a nation like the United States to find itself.

Posted by: Greg at 02:42 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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