Thursday, January 31, 2008

Thank you Lt. Gov. Bolling

Yesterday was the 2nd Annual Blogger's Day at the Capital. I wish to extend the thanks of the United Conservatives of Virginia for the invitation. Personally, the day was a revelation to me, having never attended government proceedings before. Lt. Governor Bolling's graciousness and genuine interest in his constituents, whether bloggers or not and from both sides of the "aisle" was evident. The day was thoroughly enjoyable.

Putting faces to the blogs that I read everyday was the best part of the day. Bloggers from Spank that Donkey, Vivian Paige, Virginia Virtuacon, Not Larry Sabato, Leslie Carbone, Bearing Drift, I'm Not Emeril, QandO, The Virginia Federalist, and Two Conservatives made this new blogger feel very welcome. If I left anyone out, I apologize. Its not my fault. I can't be wrong. I'm a blogger.


UPDATE: Apparently, I removed two blogs during my last edit. Oops. I still blame the booze, um, stress from blogging.......we'll just keep this our secret......

And so, thanks also to Spark It Up and Conservativa.

Oh, and I hope the WIMP is recovering from the Lt. Governor's gift.

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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Dance Party in Iraq





Dance Party!

One commenter TheophilusPWildbeest ,wrote:
Rumour has it that American intelligence operatives are putting vids like this out to put their guys in a better light - this would be likely except there is no proof that there is any such thing as American intelligence.


As can be illustrated by the most recent primary results in Florida.....

I don't care who you are, that's funny......

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Good News From Fallujah

Isn't it great to see all the wonderful news coming out of Iraq? I mean, after all the talk of failure, isn't it wonderful to see our success trumpeted by all of the press over there? What? What do you mean there's no good news? Of course there is... look at this:

Michael J. Totten, on the ground in Fallujah:

FALLUJAH – At the end of 2006 there were 3,000 Marines in Fallujah. Despite what you might expect during a surge of troops to Iraq, that number has been reduced by 90 percent. All Iraqi Army soldiers have likewise redeployed from the city. A skeleton crew of a mere 250 Marines is all that remains as the United States wraps up its final mission in what was once Iraq's most violent city.

“The Iraqi Police could almost take over now,” Second Lieutenant Gary Laughlin told me. “Most logistics problems are slowly being resolved. My platoon will probably be the last one out here in the Jolan neighborhood.”

“The Iraqi Police in Jolan are very good,” Second Lieutenant Mike Barefoot added. “Elsewhere in Fallujah they're not as far along yet. Theoretically we could leave the area now and they would be okay, except they would run out of money.”

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Liberal support of McCain

Based on the exit polls on CNN's website last night, McCain won the Florida primary by appealing to liberal and independents. EVERY poll on the exit poll page showed McCain leading in the demographics that could best be described as "LIBERAL."

For a "conservative," he sure is getting alot of support from the MSM and the liberal side of the polity.

Just sayin' is all.........

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Action Needed

Budget transparency

HB 1360
call House Appropriations - Technology Subcommittee members before Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.
(listed below)

SB 585
call Senate General Laws and Technology Committee members before Wednesday, 2:00 p.m.
(listed below)

Budget Transparency

· HB 1360 Planning and Budget, Director of Department; required to have searchable budget database website
Sponsor: Benjamin Cline LIS > Bill Tracking > HB1360 > 2008 session

Searchable budget database website
Status: On docket of Technology Subcommittee (House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee Technology Oversight & Government Activities) for Tuesday, 1/29/08 at 10:00 a.m., House Appropriations Room, 9th Floor, General Assembly Building (GAB).

Action to be taken: Call Delegates and urge passage of this bill out of subcommittee. Attend subcommittee meeting, if possible.

House Appropriations Subcommittee: Technology Oversight & Government Activites:

Del. R. Steven Landes 25th R (804) 698-1025 (chairman)
Del. Dan C. Bowling 3rd D (804) 698-1003
Del. Riley E. Ingram 62nd R (804) 698-1062
Del. S. Chris Jones 76th R (804) 698-1076
Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter 31st R (804) 698-1031
Del. Joe T. May 33rd R (804) 698-1033
Del. Stephen C. Shannon 35th D (804) 698-1035
Del. Onzlee Ware 11th D (804) 698-1011


·SB 585 Planning and Budget, Director of Department; required to have searchable budget database website
Sponsor: Kenneth Cuccinelli LIS > Bill Tracking > SB585 > 2008 session

Searchable budget database website
Status: On docket of Senate General Laws and Technology for Wednesday, 1/30/08 at 2:00 p.m., Senate Room B.

Action to be taken: Call Delegates and urge passage of this bill out of subcommittee. Attend subcommittee meeting, if possible.

Senate General Laws and TechnologyCommittee:
Sen. Mamie E. Locke 2nd D (804) 698-7502 (chairman)
Sen. George L. Barker 39th D (804) 698-7539
Sen. Charles J. Colgan 29th D (804) 698-7529
Sen. Mark R. Herring 33rd D (804) 698-7533
Sen. R. Edward Houck 17th (804) 698-7517
Sen. Robert Hurt 19th R (804) 698-7519
Sen. Stephen H. Martin 11th R (804) 698-7511
Sen. A. Donald McEachin 9th D (804) 698-7509
Sen. John C. Miller 1st D (804) 698-7501
Sen. Chap Petersen 34th D (804) 698-7534
Sen. Frank M. Ruff, Jr. R (804) 698-7515
Sen. Walter A. Stosch 12th R (804) 698-7512
Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel 27th R (804) 698-7527
Sen. Frank W. Wagner 7th R (804) 698-7507
Sen. William C. Wampler 40th R (804) 698-7540

John Taylor
President, Tertium Quids
Host, Tuesday Morning Group Coalition
7326 Early Marker Court
Gainesville, VA 20155-1865
703-753-2268
703-753-1900 (fax)
TMGCoalition@aol.com
JTaylor@TertiumQuids.org

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Budget Transparency

From our friends at the Virginai Institute for Public Policy:
Here's the link for the bill: HB1360
Here's the action link from FreedomWorks
and our friends at Family Foundation

Friends,

I write today to discuss a legislative initiative in the current session of the General Assembly that we introduced at a January 8th news conference at the Virginia Capitol.

Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax) and Senator Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) have introduced SB 585, and Delegate Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) and Delegate Johnny Joannou (D-Portsmouth) haveintroduced HB 1360 that will put the state budget online in a user-friendly, searchable format. The basic idea behind budget transparency is that the state government becomes much more accountable when the individual citizen, with average computer skills, can search the state budget to learn how our tax dollars are being spent down to the individual program, vendor, and contract levels.

At our January 8th news conference, prepared statements were submitted by both Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and Attorney General Bob McDonnell in support of this effort. Since the news conference, editorial board meetings with The Washington Examiner, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, The Free Lance-Star Fredericksburg), and the Richmond Times-Dispatch have been held to discuss the need for budget transparency. The News & Advance (Lynchburg) has also written about the proposed legislation and what it would mean for Virginia. This is an issue the media actually supports because a searchable database in a user-friendly, detailed format would make their jobs considerably easier. In the coming days I will send you articles that have appeared as a result of our meetings.

Starting tomorrow, January 28th, I will begin sending out daily e-mail updates on what committees these bills are in, who is on those committees, and their contact information. We would greatly appreciate your support individually, or corporately if you have your own group or association, to contact the relevant Delegates and Senators to voice your support for these bills and to ensure they are on board.

Anyone who calls himself a fiscal conservative or a taxpayer activist should be
ecstatic at the prospect of this legislation becoming law. Today even legislators will admit the budget of Virginia is indecipherable and that that is not by accident.

In many ways, budget transparency is the perfect issue because either our legislators support it, or they have to explain why they oppose transparency and accountability.

We can do this, folks! Thank you in advance for your participation. Fomenting revolution just wouldn’t be the same without you. In fact, it wouldn’t be a revolution at all.

John Taylor

The Virginia Institute for Public Policy is an independent, nonpartisan, education and research organization committed to the goals of individual opportunity and economic growth. Through research, policy recommendations, and symposia, the Institute works ahead of the political process to lay the intellectual foundation for a society dedicated to individual liberty, free enterprise, private property, the rule of law, and constitutionally limited government.

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Don't treat the old and unhealthy, say doctors

As I have posted before, I believe that events in England prophesies the nature of our society under a liberal government and culture. Here is one more example of a Health Care Train Wreck
that is going to happen if we allow the government to dictate our health care requirements and system. I thought having the government involved was supposed to guarantee health care for ALL. No rationing. No worrying about costs. No triage. Isn't this some of the complaints about insurance companies. At least you can sue a company. Try doing that to the government.

From the Telegraph.Co.UK

excerpts:

Doctors are calling for NHS treatment to be withheld from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives.

Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly should be barred from receiving some operations, according to doctors, with most saying the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone. Fertility treatment and "social" abortions are also on the list of procedures that many doctors say should not be funded by the state.

Among the survey of 870 family and hospital doctors, almost 60 per cent said the NHS could not provide full healthcare to everyone and that some individuals should pay for services.

One in three said that elderly patients should not be given free treatment if it were unlikely to do them good for long. Half thought that smokers should be denied a heart bypass, while a quarter believed that the obese should be denied hip replacements.


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Yes, I Remember You

Yes, I Remember You
Yes I remember you
I saw you on the screen today
Your words I remember
You in a doper’s haze for all the world to see

You knew more than me in sixty-eight
Still smarter than me now
Screaming stop the war again
Trade the rifle for the plow

We were better men than you back then
Our sons are better still
Once again they go to fight and die
While you talk of the Bill

You damned the draft in sixty-eight
Heck no, you wouldn’t go
We stopped the draft just for you
But the patriot you don’t know

Don’t claim to care about our sons,
Your words are never true
You claim I don’t know you now,
But, yes I remember you

You burned my flag, damned my name
Your story so untrue
Today in the halls of power you stand
But I remember you

Hand over heart and eyes closed
You stand before my flag
But I remember way back then
When you treated her like a rag

So prattle on about honor boy
Tell how war makes you blue
Avert your gaze as I stare you down
Because, yes I remember you


Major Mark "Zippo" Smith, USA, Ret.

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Who do we vote FOR? Candidates positions spreadsheet

UPDATE: link goes directly to candidate spreadsheet. Take a look.

This guy has done the work so YOU don't have to.


He's come up with a spread sheet of every candidate's positions. Check it out. Hope it helps.

"Now, with just eleven days until ‘Super Tuesday’, I am facing a quandry I have never faced before in my life.

Who the hell do I vote for?

I have been voting in presidential elections since 1984, which means I have voted in six previous presidential elections. Each election cycle I would take a look at the candidates and choose the best one for the job. That’s the way it should be, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we always vote for the person who best represents our own views, and who we trust to lead our nation? This process has always worked well for me, and it worked again this time, right up until the time that Fred dropped out of the race.

So now what? While I can name several reasons why I would not vote for any of the remaining candidates, I found that I could not name one single reason to support any of them. Fred was my only choice. Off the top of my head I had no idea which candidate I would support because I had no idea which candidate best represented my views.

While researching their positions I stayed away from their official websites as I did not want their campaign rhetoric to get in the way of how they truly stand on an issue. I spent hours on Google, Yahoo, congressional record & political action sites, as well as blogs searching for quotes and voting records from each of the candidates to compile my list. I sat at the computer for over 6 hours working on the list and what I came up with was a concise, easy to read, spreadsheet that told me at a glance how each candidate compared to the others."

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Romney strategy

Romney should do something completely outrageous before Super Tuesday. He should ask Fred Thompson to be his running mate.

I would say the same for Giuliani, but its not looking good for Rudy. If he wins Florida, he, too, should do that. I do hope that he wins Florida, just to keep things interesting.

I could support McCain asking Fred as VP and even vote for him, IN THAT CASE, because, you know, McCain is really old.......

Anything to get Fred back in the race......for 2012......


Fred 2012!

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The Failure of the Conservative Wing

FredHeads around the nation all have their beliefs about why the Thompson campaign failed.

Andrew Ferguson has a very interesting take in the Weekly Standard.

The traditional restraint of old-time presidential candidates wasn't arrogance or sanctimoniousness, the twin accusations that wised-up politicos made against Thompson during the campaign. There was a philosophical component to it too: By not seeming overeager--no matter how eager they were--candidates paid tribute to the democratic idea that political power is best sought, taken on, and used reluctantly. It was also a matter of seemliness, and Thompson, alone among recent candidates, felt its pull. In his stump speech he often mentioned George Washington, once a staple of political rhetoric for his willingness to walk away from the power that was thrust upon him. Today Washington's restraint seems nothing more than an archaism. And by extolling it Thompson sounded merely odd.

"If people really want in their president a super type-A personality," Thompson said at that Iowa town hall meeting, "someone who has gotten up every morning and gone to bed every night thinking for years about how they could achieve the presidency of the United States, someone who could look you straight in the eye and say they enjoy every minute of campaigning--I ain't that guy."

The man or woman who seeks out such a life and enjoys its discomforts is not normal. Not crazy necessarily, but not normal, and probably, when the chips are down, not to be trusted, especially when the purpose of it all is to acquire power over other people (also called, in the delicate language of contemporary politics, "public service" or "getting things done on behalf of the American people"). The case is made, in defense of the contemporary campaign, that this is an efficient if unlovely way to choose leaders: It winnows out those who lack the stamina and discipline necessary to lead a rich, large, powerful, and complicated country. By this argument, Thompson failed because he deserved to.

But the opposite case is easier to make--that the modern campaign excludes anyone who lacks the narcissism, cold-bloodedness, and unreflective nature that the process requires and rewards. In his memoir -Greenspan remarks that of the seven presidents he has known well, the only one who was "close to normal" was Jerry Ford. And, as Greenspan points out, Ford was never elected.

Fred Thompson probably feels terrible at the moment, but he should be honored to be in Ford's company.




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News From the Stan

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Carhartt Steps Up BIG TIME

Carhartt, the maker of the best work and outdoor clothes in the known universe, has stepped up and done something amazing.

My good friend TankerBabe informed me Friday that Carhartt will be shipping the following items to the 2-503INF 173DABN Brigade;

750 pair of their extra thick ECWCS (Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System) thermal underwear
AND
AND!!!!

5,000 THATS FIVE THOUSAND pairs of wool socks...

Now go buy something with a Carhartt label. Anything...it's good stuff.

BassPro Shops sells Carhartt.

and tell 'em THANK YOU!!!!

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Friday, January 25, 2008

OUR MARINES

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Presenting Night Vision - the band for your dance

Just got back from a dance. (Yes, I dance. I even got the squidette to dance with me and Mrs. Cargosquid.)

The band ROCKED! Presenting NIGHT VISION. They did all the classics. Rock, Soul, Jazz, Motown, B-52's,.....OUTSTANDING! If you need entertainment for a dance or party, this is the band to get. Check them out.

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McCain making it EVEN harder to support him. Even for President.

McCain! WTF are you doing? Are you TRYING to lose the Conservative vote? Why do you have a traitor working for you? If he has dual citizenship and works for the benefit of ANOTHER country against ours, he is a TRAITOR.

via Michelle Malkin


Dr. Juan Hernandez, McCain Hispanic outreach director: “We must not only have a free flow of goods and services, but also start working for a free flow of people.”

In an interview on ABC News’s Nightline, Hernandez stated bluntly that he was betting that the Mexican American population in the United States –all generations– “will think Mexico first…”I want ‘em all to think Mexico first.”

In an MSNBC interview of Congressman Tancredo:
...he himself is a dual citizen born in Texas, university—teaching at the University of Texas and on the Vicente Fox cabinet. And he said, “I work with the community in the United States, the Mexican community because I don‘t want them essentially going native on us. We want them continually tied emotionally, linguistically, politically to Mexico, because then they‘ll continue to send money home.”

And I said to him, that does not sound like—you know, you‘re doing something that‘s actually the act of an unfriendly government.

TANCREDO: At the end he goes, “Congressman,” in an incredibly condescending way. He goes, “Congressman, it‘s not two countries; it‘s just a region.”

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Old Jackie takes it hard. I know how he feels.

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If you break THESE rules you may die.

Firearms Safety Rules

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

I post many entries on my beliefs on the 2nd Amendment, gun ownership, and responsibility.

Here is a post on why the above rules are ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY. NEVER DEVIATE FROM THESE RULES. Warning: If you go to the link below, you will see pictures of this man's wounds. Not gory. But, there are holes in this man's body.

"Life sucks until you accidently shoot yourself in the leg. Then you realize life hadn't sucked as much as you thought it had."

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Who shall we pick?

The New York Times has endorsed Senator Clinton and Senator McCain for President of the United States.

Who are the Republicans going to run?

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A response to "On Guns-An Ode in Prose"

In response to James River Maven:
also cross posted to his comments

Supporters of the 2nd Amendment have seen a resurgence in the support of "gun rights." We have also seen renewed efforts to restrict those rights. Proposed laws, such as this one (ban "gun show loophole") are always touted as "saving lives" or "promoting safety." The government states that no private sales, outside of a gun show, would be affected. Then why have it? Private sales of weapons would happen elsewhere. And if a law is proposed that mandates background checks on all sales of guns, how is it to be enforced? Must one provide paperwork on demand, showing where one got the weapon? How about gifts? And would a gun dealer want to take on the liability of running background checks for 3rd party transactions? Of course, there would be a fee involved. And regulations initiated by the BATFE. Gun dealers are being shut down by the hundreds because of inadvertent paperwork errors.

Does not the right of self defense predate the 2nd Amendment and the invention of gunpowder? The right to bear arms includes all arms. One is armed when a weapon is carried. Yes, gang members kill each other. Yes, firearms were invented to kill their target, whether animal or human. Gang members that kill each other are criminals. They are abusing their rights. The right to bear arms is one of our most serious responsibilities. We have a duty to to be law-abiding citizens that take our responsibilities seriously. Because there is an argument that guns were designed to kill people, we should restrict them. We have a 2nd Amendment BECAUSE weapons are designed to kill. The 2nd Amendment is the final defense of the other rights. Just because some citizens abuse that right, or do not believe that it is appropriate, does not abrogate that right and responsibility.

You talk of disobedience to the law. Defense of our civil rights is NOT disobedience. If the government wished to disarm you, they must force you to give up your 2nd Amendment rights. Some supporters of the 1st Amendment have died, albeit in other countries, in defense of THAT right. The right to bear arms is SUPPOSED to be a check on an overreaching government. Civil rights supporters react this way because the government and other citizens ARE attempting to take away our rights. And they don't do it (well, most don't) by calling for a total ban on weapons. Its done incrementally. For safety reasons, for our own good. And none of it works. See Washington DC, New York, and Chicago. For that matter, see England.
Criminals do not pay attention to gun laws. Every gun law is considered a "first step" towards more gun laws. Supporters of this one have said as much.

Your analogy of driver laws and car regulations does not apply, as you do not have a right to a car. You do a right to freedom of movement, which, in that case, one could present a right to a car. However, no one is trying to restrict your right to a car because someone misused their car or because of the thousands killed on our roadways.

If a state regulates something, it can take away that thing. Local, state, and federal governments constantly want to regulates, well, everything. The government is not there to allow you your rights. They do not come from the government. The government is supposed to be there to enforce and protect your rights. The Bill of Rights does not give you the rights listed. It recognises them under the rule of law so that the government has to protect them.

We gun owners have accepted great restrictions on our rights. The gun industry is the most regulated industry in America. Many areas completely ban the ownership of weapons. We are trying to educate the citizenry on the fact that gun laws do not work. Background checks work only on the law-abiding or the rare stupid criminal that goes through proper channels to get a firearm. Cho went through the checks. Instead of needing a check, Cho should have been involuntarily institutionalized. It is THAT failure that needs to be fixed. There are citizens that have come forward that want to carry on campus. That is the only way to add security. The state and police cannot protect you without draconian measures. Police can only catch a predator because the predator has to first commit the crime.

Yes, it might seem to others that 2nd Amendment activists "overreact." But we have seen this before. Little steps to "protect" us. We've heard it before that "oh, this law won't apply to you." But then, a precedent has been made, so new laws are made. Laws that do nothing but make the politician look good and feel good. Laws like the "assault weapons" ban. Laws like registration. Laws like local governments and courts arbitrarily deciding who should be allowed to carry a weapon. Or waiting periods that force battered wives to wait for needed protection, as an example. We have drawn a line. Make laws that protect all rights. Stop using weasel worded language like "gun show loophole." That makes us suspicious. We know that there is no gun show loophole. There are private citizens selling their guns. If you wish to restrict that, say so. If THAT won't get passed, then that is the will of the legislature. If that does get passed, that too is the will of the legislature. And we will continue to support our rights.

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Thoughts on last night's Republican Debate

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo......



Bourbon, bourbon, I know its around here somewhere......

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

The Bravest Woman in America

Frankie Housley. Spread the word.

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Flight ......Delayed.

Want to know why your flight is late?

James Fallows at Get the Flick will tell you:

The math is as simple as it is inescapable. Roughly 60 airliners can use a runway in one hour if conditions are absolutely perfect. It is physically impossible to improve that number. However, it can get a lot worse.

The runway -- the system -- must have some “give” to it. It must have some unused capacity in order to ensure safety. In reality it does. That unused capacity is after midnight. That is the reason you see flights arriving at 1 or 2 AM after a day of bad weather. There is no “give” -- during normal hours -- in the system when there is adverse weather. This leads to the massive flight delays Americans suffered through this summer.

The reason is as old as it is simple -- greed. Airlines can make more money selling 70 airplanes worth of tickets per hour than they could if they limited themselves to the 60 airplanes per hour that the runway can handle.

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Hamilton was a marxist?

Ron Paul fan calls talk show. Loses mind. O.M.G. HAHAHAHAHA!

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Republican Senators Running Skeered

Thats "scared" for you folks North of the Rappahanock.

Redstate has this:

Dear RedState Reader,
I have sad news to report.
While the Republicans in the United States House of Representatives are willing to fight for conservative principles, particularly those that divide the Democratic caucus in the House, the Republicans in the United States Senate have agreed to capitulate to the Democratic agenda.
Yesterday, I obtained internal Senate emails from Senator Lamar Alexander's staff. Senator Alexander is in charge of setting the GOP agenda. The emails, which you can read here, signal an intention to cave in to Democratic "bipartisan" initiatives and abandon all efforts to rein in earmarks and spending.
What makes this more troubling is that at yesterday's GOP Senate retreat, pollster David Winston told the Republicans that one reason they lost the Senate was because of spending. Senator Alexander and the Republican leadership have decided to reject that data and, instead, embrace their minority status.
Rather than push bold conservative issues, the Senate GOP Leadership will instead enjoy the table scraps Harry Reid, Teddy Kennedy, and Hillary Clinton throw them from the leadership table.
Please call your Republican Senator at (202) 224-3121 and tell him to reject bipartisan expansions of government and fight for conservative ideas that stop wasteful spending on bridges to nowhere and Hippie museums.
All the best,
Erick Erickson Editor, RedState.com

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Gun show loophole BS, again! Come clean and say what you mean!

Update: Bill defeated. Rights upheld. Now if they would only allow Virginia Tech students to defend themselves. Too bad THEIR rights have be taken away.


"Close the Gun Show loophole!" "Stop unregistered dealers now!" "This will stop all crime and violence!"


Ok, Ok, I added in the last part. But that's what everyone on the gun-control side seems to be saying. I understand the police organizations wanting more control. That's what police do. That's why citizens need to always stand up for their rights.

But, a bill is supposed to be voted on today to close the supposed "loophole."

Let's take a look at the ramifications.

So, are you saying that private sales of firearms must go through a dealer? That is the only way to get the background check. If I wish to give a firearm to a friend or family member as a gift,will I have to find a dealer willing to take on added liability for conducting a background check? Will it be illegal for private sellers at a gun show to go elsewhere to make the sale? Will the legislature provide liability protection to the dealers making 3rd party background checks?

That is what this law entails. There is NO gun show loophole. There are dealers and there are private citizens. If you are registered to sell guns commercially at the gun show, then you are a dealer. There ARE private citizens wishing to sell THEIR guns at the show. You can see them walking around with signs on their weapons, usually rifles or shotguns.

Cho followed every law and went through a background check. Unless the state wants to institutionalize people like Cho against their will, which, apparently they are not, this will continue to happen.

If the school had allowed adults to exercise the right of self defense, perhaps less people would have died. VT and every Virginian college continues to be responsible for their students safety for as long as the colleges insist on restricting the rights of the students.

And here's one of the Senator's that are supposed to represent ALL of his constituents. Perhaps this constituents that respect the Bill of Rights and wish to have adult representation in government should contact the Senator about his manners.

And the Senator needs to come clean on HIS stance, instead of pretending to be an impartial representative just trying to "fix things." He needs to admit to his agenda.

I received this email from the Virginia Citizens Defense League today.

On Monday, Executive member John Pierce was in an elevator in the
General Assembly building, participating in the VCDL Lobby Day. John
was in the back of the elevator and at some point Democratic Senator
Dick Saslaw of Fairfax County, who is the Senate Majority Leader,
entered the elevator with a companion.

The Senator, not realizing that John with his large "Guns Save Lives"
badge was in the back of the elevator, continued a loud conversation
he was having with his companion.

In a clearly audible voice, Senator Saslaw said to his companion: "I
see we're debating a gun bill today. Half of the cast of Deliverance
is in town."

You can contact your Senator and your Delegate here:

Here is a pre-written email to your Senator:
http://tinyurl.com/2x4274

Here is a pre-written email to your Delegate:
http://tinyurl.com/2yx835



Senator, you just stay classy.

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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo......

"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."

FRED! We hardly knew ye....

Oh, well.
Now who the hell do I vote for?

Where's the bourbon............?
Son of bitch! Damn it!..........
Stupid frick'n Americans.........

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Dear Virginia Legislator

I urge you to oppose any plan that would raise Virginia's taxes, especially the car sales tax or the gas tax.
I agree in principle that the abusive driver fees and un-elected regional taxing authorities created in 2007 were not good ideas. However, we don't want them replaced with higher taxes elsewhere. The state's budget has doubled in the past 10 years, and we were forced to swallow a $1 billion tax increase in 2004.
Now is not the time to hit Virginians with bigger tax bills.
If our leaders want to spend more on transportation projects, they should look at their own budget habits, and not at our wallets. Making better use of existing spending or protecting the Commonwealth Transportation Fund from raids are both good alternatives to tax hikes.
Do not increase our tax burden.
Sincerely,
A Taxpaying Citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia

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Happy Birthday to an Angel

As it is now past midnight, it is officially Mrs. Cargosquid's birthday, my favorite day. Because without this day, I would not have her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
BEAUTIFUL!

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Roe v. Wade 35 Years

Today marks the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade; thirty-five bloody years in the insane war against unborn children.

It is also the birthday of a remarkable man who was spared from death by a mother who knew she carried a priceless gift.

This anniversary of Roe v. Wade marks the first time that I truly feel hopeful that the tide is turning. If polling data can be trusted, it would seem this young generation coming up has more heart and decency than my own and for that, I am so very grateful.

Carl Kilo posted this on his birthday two years ago. He is 43 years old today.
1/22/1965

In a small town not far from Chicago, 41 years ago today, a life was spared. A drug addicted mother gave birth to a child. This child was now to endure weeks of blood transfusions and treatments.

In the city a few miles away a young husband and wife dreamed of having a child of their own. The husband was a dirt farmer from Mississippi who went in the army young and then to Illinois to find work after his discharge. The young wife was a honors student, her family rooted deep in coal from the dark hollows of Dickenson County was in Illinois doing the same. They met in church and were married a few months later.

They adopted the unwanted child born on this day in 1965 years after that. The hospital where the child was born was closed a short time later for abortion issues and a black market baby selling deal. The parents provided this child with love and a home. They afforded this child a chance to dream, to become what he wished, even though working in coal was not their wish for him. We should not forget the biological mother. You see, she afforded him the same dream. She chose not to hold her mistakes against him. She chose to offer him life and a chance to dream. She should be commended for her unselfishness. The child had never told her this until today. She said it gave her such great peace to hear that. Her child responded he was just glad she gave him the chance to be here. So many are not given that chance.

Happy Birthday, Kilo!

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Monday, January 21, 2008

Happy JMB Day!

Today is the anniversary of the birthday of one of America's greatest men.

This man did amazing work in defense of America's freedom.


Happy John Moses Browning Day!

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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Why I can't support McCain

Hat tip to Gunthing.com, a link to the reasons

January 11, 2008 12:00 PM
The Real McCain Record
Obstacles in the way of conservative support.

By Mark R. Levin

There’s a reason some of John McCain’s conservative supporters avoid discussing his record. They want to talk about his personal story, his position on the surge, his supposed electability. But whenever the rest of his career comes up, the knee-jerk reply is to characterize the inquiries as attacks.

The McCain domestic record is a disaster. To say he fought spending, most particularly earmarks, is to nibble around the edges and miss the heart of the matter. For starters, consider:

McCain-Feingold — the most brazen frontal assault on political speech since Buckley v. Valeo.

McCain-Kennedy — the most far-reaching amnesty program in American history.

McCain-Lieberman — the most onerous and intrusive attack on American industry — through reporting, regulating, and taxing authority of greenhouse gases — in American history.

McCain-Kennedy-Edwards — the biggest boon to the trial bar since the tobacco settlement, under the rubric of a patients’ bill of rights.

McCain-Reimportation of Drugs — a significant blow to pharmaceutical research and development, not to mention consumer safety (hey Rudy, pay attention, see link).

And McCain’s stated opposition to the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts was largely based on socialist, class-warfare rhetoric — tax cuts for the rich, not for the middle class. The public record is full of these statements. Today, he recalls only his insistence on accompanying spending cuts.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, McCain was consistently hostile to American enterprise, from media and pharmaceutical companies to technology and energy companies.

McCain also led the Gang of 14, which prevented the Republican leadership in the Senate from mounting a rule change that would have ended the systematic use (actual and threatened) of the filibuster to prevent majority approval of judicial nominees.

And then there’s the McCain defense record.

His supporters point to essentially one policy strength, McCain’s early support for a surge and counterinsurgency. It has now evolved into McCain taking credit for forcing the president to adopt General David Petreaus’s strategy. Where’s the evidence to support such a claim?

Moreover, Iraq is an important battle in our war against the Islamo-fascist threat. But the war is a global war, and it most certainly includes the continental United States, which, after all, was struck on 9/11. How does McCain fare in that regard?

McCain-ACLU — the unprecedented granting of due-process rights to unlawful enemy combatants (terrorists).

McCain has repeatedly called for the immediate closing of Guantanamo Bay and the introduction of al-Qaeda terrorists into our own prisons — despite the legal rights they would immediately gain and the burdens of managing such a dangerous population.

While McCain proudly and repeatedly points to his battles with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who had to rebuild the U.S. military and fight a complex war, where was McCain in the lead-up to the war — when the military was being dangerously downsized by the Clinton administration and McCain’s friend, former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen? Where was McCain when the CIA was in desperate need of attention? Also, McCain was apparently in the dark about al-Qaeda like most of Washington, despite a decade of warnings.

My fingers are crossed that at the next debate, either Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney will find a way to address McCain’s record. (Mike Huckabee won’t, as he is apparently in the tank for him.)

— Mark R. Levin served as chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese in the Reagan administration, and he is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host.

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Just a reminder about Huckaclinton....

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Thompson Strategy

If I was in charge....how many times have you said that?

Well, If I was in charge of Thompson's campaign,

First, I would fire whoever is in charge of the PR and the volunteer handling. They need a clear chain of command.

Two, I would charge after Huckabee. He is an easy target and Thompson is already carving away some of Huckabee's conservatives.

Three, McCain. Bring up his record. That's all you have to do. Get him mad. He'll do the rest.

Four, Piss off the media. Make them mention him in any way, shape, or form. Thompson is the invisible man. They don't support him, so use them in any way you can.

Five, get Thompson speaking about the issues that get the media's attention. Don't stroll through a gun show. Bring a frickin rifle to the speech! If he's legally allowed to carry, put one on his hip. Play up to his reputation.

Six, STOP BEING SO DAMNED POLITE. ATTACK DAMMIT!

Too little, maybe too late. Since the republicans have decided to support liberals, what's he got to lose?

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What if.....you'll be asking that in 2009

UPDATE: FRED THOMPSON TIED FOR 3RD IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

With Romney? Huckabee, that fraud and McCain, that fascist liberal, are winning? WTF?!
How is McCain or Huckacarter going to be any different from Clinton and Obama other than the GWOT?

Romney SKIPPED SOUTH CAROLINA! I repeat, WTF?
All you "republicans" wanted a "conservative." Well you got two. Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson. Hunter has resigned. Thompson might.

The other candidates are winning because you are voting for them. Yes, Fred could have run a more "exciting" race, but, you knew that he wouldn't pander to the crowd when he started. If you wanted a conservative, why do you have to be convinced? Just vote for the CONSERVATIVE. Who cares about the "campaign?"

The Reagan Revolution is dead. Long live the liberals. When you get a liberal president, don't blame the Fred Heads.

Fred Thompson misjudged the electorate. He listened to the GOP and thought that there was support for him. His qualities match EVERY SINGLE THING we've asked for in the last 20 years. And you turned it down. Because you couldn't get excited....

Small government? Federalism? Repeal McCain-Feingold? Immigration? 2nd Amendment?
Abortion? Non-activist judges? AND fighting the GWOT?

What if......

Too late now. Should've voted for the conservative when you had the chance.

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New Blogger on Point

H/T Haole Wahine



* * 48th Combat Support Hospital * * FOB Salerno / Khowst, Afghanistan
Serving the Best

There is a new blogger from FOB Salerno Hospital, Sgt Jeffries.
Commander Michael O'Guinn has tagged Sgt Jeffries to blog for 48th CSH, and judging from Sgt Jeffries emails, we are in for some great posts from Salerno. His emails are LONGER and he DIGRESSes more than I do in my emails. This is his first blog, but he is excited,. I am sending you guys the address so you can be the first to show support for the 48th CSH. LTC O'Guinn has indicated he will be adding posts from time to time.

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Bait and Switch by the Liberals again

Raising Kaine is committing the old Bait and Switch con again. While my condolences go to the Samaha family, the liberals are using the VA Tech tragedy to further their agenda of taking away your rights.

The Roanoke Times reports on the defeat of a bill that would close the non-existent "gun show loophole" by using the Samaha family tragedy. Preventing ALL private sales is the goal of Raising Kaine and the Roanoke Times. Mr. Samaha' is attacking the wrong issue. His daughter's murderer followed EVERY rule and law. Cho was subjected to background checks.

Both the Roanoke Times and Raising Kaine know that attacking the right of private citizens to sell their property would not have prevented Cho from getting guns.

Cho would have been stopped if the powers at the time would not have followed the liberal politically correct idea that its wrong to institutionalize someone against their will. If the judges at the time had followed the evidence and had the courage to follow up with findings that showed Cho to be a danger to himself AND OTHERS, Mr. Samaha's daughter would be alive today.

Armed citizens are a protectection. The 2nd Amendment describes YOUR right. Don't let others take it away from you.

When seconds count, the police are minutes away.

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Lets Get Local

What would you rather have?
An increase in the vehicle sales tax, which you know for a fact will affect you at some point in the future and contributes nothing to the safety of the highways in the Commonwealth, and which may in fact, be detrimental to that safety, or abusive driver fees, which we as drivers can avoid paying by acting like adults behind the wheel?
This past Thursday night I had the opportunity to express my opinion on this subject to several members of the General Assembly, either directly, or through their legislative aides.
My argument is simple: Keep the abusive driver fees in place, apply them fairly across the board to all drivers who get caught for major infractions, including out-of-state drivers, and apply them vigorously, and without remorse, to habitual offenders and DUI's.
The governor's plan to raise the vehicle sales tax from 3% to 5% will affect everyone who purchases a vehicle, new or used. This means older cars will stay on the road longer.
His plan to eliminate the 1 year vehicle inspection cycle and implement a 2 year cycle will exacerbate this condition and could ultimately be the death of some people.
Responsible drivers will maintain their vehicles. Not all drivers are responsible.
Highway safety is the Commonwealth's baliwick and while we, as drivers, are also tasked with the responsibility, we cannot police everyone. We can and should however, voice our opinions on how the Commonwealth can best do its job.

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Real conservatives vote for Fred Thompson. Don't blame us if a liberal gets elected.

Apparently,voters don't read blogs. This (the Internet) appears to be nothing more than an echo chamber. I read blogs from all across the country.

95% of the bloggers and/or commenters are Fred fans. I think we are the only ones voting for him because his numbers SUCK! The populace are uniformed boobs apparently.

Conservatives have cried for a non-pandering, principled, issue- oriented candidate for decades.
NOW they support liberals?! Conservatives voting for McCain? Huckabee is seen as a conservative because he’s evangelical? So was Carter! When Romney! is the best of a bad deal on second choices AND comes out second on the conservative meter, things are bad. Romney may be a business man, but, he’s no conservative. If any of the above get primary votes, its because these “conservatives” are either hypocrites or lazy.

What happened to all of the “conservatives” that applauded Fred’s entry into the race? Oh, it didn’t happen when
THEY wanted it.

Well, now is the time. Conservatives need to step up.


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Friday, January 18, 2008

Anti-War Lawyer Keys Marine's Car - NOT KILLED

Background:

Marine catches anti-military lawyer keying his car.

Lawyer NOT killed.

Lawyer probably wishes that he WAS dead. Make sure you read the comments for the liveblogging of his arrest and trial.

Presiding judge at vandalism trial is a former Marine.........


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

SEMPER FI!

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The Anti-Soundbite Candidate

The American Thinker
By Rick Moran

Fred Thompson is not the most inspiring speaker in the GOP race for President. Nor is he the best looking or the smoothest talking among the candidates running. He doesn't have Mitt Romney's hair or Mike Huckabee's glibness. He isn't as aggressively positive as Rudy Giuliani. And while his personal story is compelling, it can't compete with John McCain's inspirational journey from POW to the gates of the White House.
But Fred Thompson is perhaps the most substantative candidate to run for President in many years. He has taken the time to think about what should be the relationship between the government and the governed. He has framed his thoughts within the context of a set of bedrock conservative principles that animates his thinking and generates sound ideas about where America should be headed.

Melanie Morgan from Move America Forward has endorsed Senator Thompson:
Tomorrow, voters in South Carolina will have the chance to roil the political waters in the Republican presidential primary campaign by voting for former Sen. Fred Thompson for president.
Much of the Republican base is uncertain about which of the GOP candidates best represents their values. Some are even whispering that the Republican convention in Minneapolis might turn into a brokered convention because of the divisions in the party that have caused various factions of the GOP to back different presidential candidates. I'm not sure it will go that far, but frankly, I don't know – and neither does anyone else pontificating on radio, TV or in print.
For the sake of this nation, I'm hoping that on Saturday the people of the Palmetto State punch the ballot for Thompson (no hanging chads, please).
Folks, it comes down to this basic premise:
The former Tennessee senator represents the best hope not just for Republicans and conservatives, but, most importantly, the best hope for America.
As a conservative Republican, I've endured more than my fair share of elections where I was told to hold my nose and vote for the lesser of evils.
That rankles me.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Thompson Campaign Announces New South Carolina Ad

McLean, VA - Citing his "100 percent pro-life voting record" and "common sense conservative principles," the Thompson for President campaign unveiled its latest 60-second television commercial that will air between 6:25 and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evening across nearly every major broadcast channel and market in South Carolina.

The spot, titled "Consistent Conservative," highlights the Senator's consistent conservative values. This is the fourth advertisement that the Thompson campaign has aired in South Carolina. The new ad can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7yLds0G5eU

Updated requests from the 2-503/173DABN: SOCKS!!! They need SOCKS!!! WOOL SOCKS!!!
and twin-size sheets, and chemical hand warmers.

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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Iraq Veterans for Congress

Check this out.

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Freedom Is Anything But Free

Freedom is the sound of bells ringing
Freedom is the sound of birds singing
Freedom is the tragedy of towers falling
Freedom is anything but free.

Freedom is the death of a soldier
Freedom is the way we live
Freedom is anyting but free

Freedom is why we cry
Freedom is why we say goodbye
Freedom is anything but free

Freedom is the birth of a baby
Freedom is a flag held high
Freedom is a nation with their heads held proud
Freedom is America

Freedom is anything but free.

Bryan Hogan
13 years old
12 September 2006

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Monday, January 14, 2008

Killer Media

Unable to convince the new internet savvy, blogger-reading, non-traditional news source American public that our military is losing the Global War on Terrorism; unable to persuade us that our generals are incompetent, lying traitors; the left has taken the low road.

If they won't believe those lies, then by God, we'll just accuse our front line soldiers, the men and women serving in the most dangerous places on the face of the planet protecting the rights of all Americans, of being cold-blooded murderers.

Surely, the American public will believe that.

(No, we won't, and don't call me Shirley)

MoveAmericaForward has spent the last 24 hours researching the latest article from the NYSlimes on violence by veterans. To say the Slimes played fast and loose with their math is an understatement of massive proportions.

Go read it.

Some persepctive from the Manhattan Institute:

While no government agencies specifically track crimes by illegal aliens, there have been some efforts to quantify the loss. Last December, Mac Johnson set out to investigate the number of homicides perpetrated by illegal aliens.
Since the federal government would not provide any useful information, he contacted all 50 statehouses. Three months later, he had fewer than a dozen responses. Only one state, Vermont, provided any useful information.
He then set out to statistically estimate the number of murders by illegal aliens based on available crime data and conservative estimates of the actual number of illegal aliens in the country – which, of course, nobody really knows.
He found that between 1,806 and 2,510 people in the U.S. are murdered annually by illegal aliens. If he's right, that would represent between 11 percent and 15 percent of all murders in the U.S.
In one study of a sample 55,000 illegal immigrants serving prison sentences in the U.S., it was discovered that they are responsible for over 400,000 arrests and over 700,000 felony crimes.
According to Heather McDonald of the Manhattan Institute, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide (which total 1,200 to 1,500) target illegal aliens. Up to two-thirds of all fugitive felony warrants (17,000) are for illegal aliens.

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Save the Second

Rep. Eric Cantor (R) has started an online petition, Save the Second, that is worth signing. Lets let Congress know how many of us believe that the 2nd Amendment is a valid, everyday part of our lives.

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Five minutes is a life time........

5 minutes and 35 seconds.



That is the length of this 911 call from pickup to the fadeout.

When seconds matter, the police are just minutes away.

Arm yourself. Do not be a victim.

h/t Clayton Cramer

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Thanks liberals.....

I will now hold onto my car for much longer. Even if it only gets 19 mpg. And the aluminum industry is ecstatic. I love it. Lighter, less safe cars.....high electricity use to make aluminum, older cars on the road, AND, there is no cost savings in buying the new car. It takes alot of gas savings to make up a $6k difference. It was the CAFE rules that caused the invention of the "SUV." The government has NO business in mandating this. Let the market settle it out. If Americans want smaller, lighter cars, they WILL BUY THEM! If not, they won't.

If high mileage is so important, why does the gov't restrict the importation of diesels that get 70 mpg from Europe?

Screw CAFE! This makes me want to by a Hummer.

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Sunday the new fuel efficiency requirements imposed by Congress last month would add $6,000 to the price of an average GM vehicle by the end of the next decade.

That's a more precise estimate than the one Lutz gave at the New York Auto Show in April.

"We've done even more research and it's going to be in the range of $4,000 to $10,000 with an average of about $6,000," Lutz said. "This is going to be a net average of cost of $6,000 per vehicle which will have to be passed onto the consumer. The good news is it won't come all at once, because 35 mpg doesn't kick in all at once."

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Sunday, January 13, 2008

ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION

Ezra Levant is fighting the good fight in Canada and is being persecuted for being a free man. Visit and see his recorded interrogation by the Alberta Human Rights Council.

As stated earlier, Americans can look elsewhere for examples of liberal thought brought to the logical conclusions. Where England is showing us how the government can intrude into our lives for our "own good," Canada is showing us how "human right councils" can oppress our rights. No government has the right to censor political speech, no matter how edifying or disgusting those opinions may be.

One man,Ezra Levant, a publisher, is being "investigated" for the crime of insulting Mohammed with published material. The "victims" are stating that the publication of the Danish cartoons that ridiculed Mohammed created an unsafe climate for muslims in Canada.



He is fighting back.


With the introduction of "hate crimes" in the USA, our very thoughts are now considered suspect. The enforcement of speech codes and the newly invented "right" to not be offended by someone else forces us to not only censor ourselves, but to believe that there is "right thinking" and "wrong thinking" as shown in Orwell's 1984. These laws force courts to value one victim more than another. While there are valid reasons to enforce human rights violations, more and more of these "violations" are not actual crimes.


As we've seen in the press, many groups have expressed the opinion that others do not have the right to free speech that offends the aforesaid group. These groups use the very fairness of western law to try and enforce censorship on the rest of us. Liberals in the US are fond of these laws that penalize "hate crimes" because the law can be twisted to fit anything that offends them.

Organizations such as CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations, that self-proclaim to represent all Muslims and take offense when any Muslim groups are called to account for their actions in public, take advantage of these laws to censor any outcry against radical Islam's call for violence or oppression.

The state does not have the right to an opinion on what is the "right" opinion to have.

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Human Events Endorses Fred Thompson

Statement from Human Events on Thompson Endorsement:

The 2008 presidential election is the most unusual and most important in many years. It’s been more than five decades since such a race didn’t feature an incumbent President or Vice President. Since World War II, America has not had a presidential election at a time when the stakes were higher. Conservatives have to win this election, and to do so, we have to identify a candidate around whom we all can rally.

Fundamental Beliefs
We begin by recalling the profound words of Ronald Reagan at the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 15, 1975: “A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers.” We believed that then, and we believe it now. The issue for us -- and for the conservative community -- boils down to which of the candidates is most representative of the fundamental conservative principles we believe in.

The answer is Fred Thompson.



from the FDT08 Site
A Combative Thompson Sways Voters

In person, Mr. Thompson, who is a television and movie actor in his life outside politics, conveys a message that perfectly matches the medium of his slow, well-paced, deep-baritone voice: He says the problems facing the next president“cannot be fixed overnight,” and admonishes voters not to believe candidates who say they can.

At some events, he prefers to talk sitting down rather than standing up, and has a habit of rocking on the back legs of his chair. In answer to questions, he tends to give long, discursive answers that start with “let’s go back to where this all started.”

In matters of foreign policy, economic policy and military affairs, he usually ends up with an endorsement of the way things have turned out. In answer to questions about Social Security, social programs and morality, he most often draws the conclusion that things need to change.

With a well-worn face atop an angular, 6-foot-4 frame, he looks like the smartest man in town holding forth at the county courthouse.

Statement from Fred Thompsom on this election:

You know, when I'm asked which of the current group of Democratic candidates I prefer to run against, I always say it really doesn't matter. Because these days all those candidates, all the Democratic leaders, are one and the same. They’re all NEA, Move On.org, ACLU, Michael Moore Democrats. They’ve allowed these radicals to take control of their party and dictate their course.

So this election is important not just to enact our conservative principles. This election is important to salvage the once-great political party from the grip of extremism and shake it back to its senses. It's time to give not just Republicans but independents and, yes, good Democrats a chance to call a halt to the leftward lurch of the once proud party of working people

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Friday, January 11, 2008

GOPUSA Survey Results

GOPUSA has the results of their survey up at The Loft.

TankerbabeLC has some updates on the 173DABN Brigade in Afghanistan.

Good stuff!!!!!!!!!!

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Update for Major Andrew Olmsted

Update from previous post - RIP Major Olmsted.

From Obsidian Wings.

How To Help

by hilzoy

A member of Andy Olmsted's family has just written me to say that if people want to do something in honor of him, they can send donations to a fund that has been set up for the four children of CPT Thomas Casey, who served under Andy and was killed while trying to help him. The address is here:

Capt. Thomas Casey Children'€™s fund
P.O. Box 1306
Chester, CA 96020

Thanks so much.

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Was SWAT team willing to kill someone just to bring a boy to a hospital?

SWAT is for violent criminals that will fight back. Use of deadly force is being threatened. So, does this mean that this Sheriff was willing to kill this boy's family so as to bring said boy to the hospital. I can see it now. "Sorry kid. We had to kill your mom so you could get that bump looked at."

How crazy is this? How suspicious of our fellow citizens have we gotten?

All emphasis is mine. Link.



SWAT officers invade home, take 11-year-old at gunpoint
Cops demand boy go to doctor because of fall during horseplay

Posted: January 7, 2008
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com

Nearly a dozen members of a police SWAT team in western Colorado punched a hole in the front door and invaded a family's home with guns drawn, demanding that an 11-year-old boy who had had an accidental fall accompany them to the hospital, on the order of Garfield County Magistrate Lain Leoniak.

The boy's parents and siblings were thrown to the floor at gunpoint and the parents were handcuffed in the weekend assault, and the boy's father told WND it was all because a paramedic was upset the family preferred to care for their son themselves.

Someone, apparently the unidentified paramedic, called police, the sheriff's office and social services, eventually providing Leoniak with a report that generated the magistrate's court order to the sheriff's office for the SWAT team assault on the family's home in a mobile home development outside of Glenwood Springs, the father, Tom Shiflett, told WND.

WND calls and e-mails to Garfield County Social Services were not returned, and Leoniak, who earlier served as a water court clerk/referee, also was not available. (So basically, we have a water court clerk making decisions involving SWAT?)

Sheriff Lou Vallario, however, did call back, and told WND he ordered his officers to do exactly what the magistrate demanded.

"I was given a court order by the magistrate to seize the child, and arrange for medical evaluation, and that's what we did," he said.

According to friends of the family, Tom Shiflett, who has 10 children including six still at home, and served with paramedics in Vietnam, was monitoring his son's condition himself.

The paramedic and magistrate, however, ruled that that wasn't adequate, and dispatched the officers to take the boy, John, to a hospital, where a doctor evaluated him and released him immediately.

The accident happened during horseplay, Tom Shiflett told WND. John was grabbing the door handle of a car as his sister was starting to drive away slowly. He slipped, fell to the ground and hit his head, Shiflett said.

He immediately carried his son into their home several doors away, and John was able to recite Bible verses and correctly spell words as his father and mother, Tina, requested. There were no broken bones, no dilated eyes, or any other noticeable problems.

The family, whose members live by faith and homeschool, decided not to call an ambulance. But a neighbor did call Westcare Ambulance, and paramedics responded to the home, asking to see and evaluate the boy. (Homeschooled, faithful, ya' think that had anything to do with the magistrate being suspicious?)

The paramedics were allowed to see the boy, and found no significant impairment, but wanted to take him to the hospital for an evaluation anyway. Fearing the hospital's bills, the family refused to allow that.

"This apparently did not go over well with one of the paramedics and they started getting aggravated at Tom for not letting them have their way," a family acquaintance told WND.

"The paramedics were not at all respectful of Tom's decision, nor did they act in a manner we would expect from professional paramedics," the acquaintance said.

So the ambulance crew, who also could not be reached by WND, called police, only to be told the decision was up to the Shiflett family.

The paramedics then called the sheriff's office, and officers responded to the home, and were told everyone was being cared for.

Then the next day, Friday, social services workers appeared at the door and demanded to talk with John "in private."

They were so persistent Tom ended up having to get John out of the bathtub he was just soaking in, to bring him to the front porch where the social workers could see him, the family reported.

Then, following an afternoon shopping trip to town, the family settled in for the evening, only to be shocked with the SWAT team attack.

The sheriff said the decision to use SWAT team force was justified because the father was a "self-proclaimed constitutionalist" and had made threats and "comments" over the years. (oooo, he made comments)

However, the sheriff declined to provide a single instance of the father's illegal behavior. "I can't tell you specifically," he said.

"He was refusing to provide medical care," the sheriff said.

However, the sheriff said if his own children were involved in an at-home accident, he would want to be the one to make decisions on their healthcare, as did Shiflett.

"I guess if that was one of my children, I would make that decision," the sheriff said. (Rules for thee, but not for me)

But he said Shiflett was "rude and confrontational" when the paramedics arrived and entered his home without his permission.

So, because the Sheriff doesn't like the way Mr. Shiflett expresses his opinions and is a "constitutionalist", its ok to terrorize his family, since the Sheriff doesn't believe that taking the kid to the doctor was necessary. He would not have taken HIS child to the doctor. Heaven forbid that a homeowner get rude with people that enter his home uninvited, even medics. And that "magistrate"! WTF? Social services had already looked at the boy and after 36 hours, don't you think that any medical problems would have appeared?

Update:

POLICE STATE, USA
Mother warns community about ‘Nazi’ home invasion
Officers told her ‘rights’ were ‘only in the movies’
Posted: January 10, 2008
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com

The mother of an 11-year-old boy abducted by SWAT team members and taken to a hospital after he was bruised while horsing around is warning members of her community of the “Nazi” tactics she endured, including a statement from the officers that her “rights” were “only in the movies.”

The case involves Jon Shiflet, who injured himself while trying to grab the handle of a door on a car his sister was driving. He slipped and fell to the pavement, hitting his head. His parents treated him for the injury and rejected paramedics’ demands that they be allowed to take him to a hospital.

Nearly 36 hours later, SWAT team members broke into the family home in western Colorado near New Castle and took Jon to a hospital, where a doctor said the family should keep ice on his bruise, exactly the treatment the family already had been providing.

Tina Shiflett, Jon’s mother, has written a letter to the editor to a local newspaper, the Post Independent, “to awaken, alert and appall any who read it and hear the bells ringing.”

“A fully armed SWAT team broke into our home, slammed my children to the floor face down with their hands behind their backs and shoved a gun in my daughter’s face and handcuffed her…” her letter said.

In a separate letter to WND, she elaborated a little more fully.

During the attack, she wrote, “One (officer) grabbed my daughter Beth (18 years), who also had a gun to her face, slammed her down and kneed her in the back and held her in that position… My sons Adam (14) and Noah (only 7) lay down willingly, yet they were still forced to put their hands behind their backs and were yelled at to keep their heads down.

“My daughter Jeanette was coming out from the back bedroom when she was grabbed, drug down the hallway, across a couch and slammed to the ground,” she said. “The officers then began throwing scissors and screwdrivers across the room (out of our reach, I suppose) and going through our cupboards.

“I asked if I could make a phone call and was told, ‘no.’ My daughter asked if that wasn’t one of our rights. The reply was made, ‘That’s only in the movies,’” she told WND.

It was some unidentified person, possibly a paramedic who had been refused permission to take Jon Shiflett to the hospital as she wanted, who provided information last week that convinced a magistrate to issue a court order that Jon be taken into state custody and examined by a doctor.

He was taken by SWAT team members dispatched by the sheriff to the family’s home at 11 p.m. at night, and they punched a hole in the front door and held guns on other children in the family in order to take Jon.

“The armed men in black masks took my terrified son against his wishes to Grand River Hospital, where he was examined by a doctor and interrogated by Social Services. No evidence was found that he had not been properly taken care of. Upon his return, we were told to keep ice on his head,” Tina Shiflett’s letter to the editor said.

“To the SWAT Team members … how far will you go in ‘just doing your job?’ If you feel no guilt busting into an innocent family’s home, traumatizing young children and stomping the security found therein, will you follow more horrific orders?” she wrote.

“May I remind you that in Nazi Germany, outrageous, monstrous crimes were committed by soldiers ‘just doing their job?’ What will be next? Where will this stop?” she wrote.

“Fathers, mothers, families and countrymen, I challenge you to consider our story and ask yourself the question, ‘If this were my family, what would I do?’ For it very well could be you … next!”

Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario told WND he simply ordered his officers to do exactly what the magistrate demanded.

“I was given a court order by the magistrate to seize the child, and arrange for medical evaluation, and that’s what we did,” he said.

The situation developed at the Apple Tree Mobile Home Park near New Castle last week when Jon Shiflett was horsing around and fell. Tom Shiflett carried his son home and put an ice pack on his head, while examining him to see whether his mental faculties were there. The boy correctly recited Bible verses and spelled words, the parents told WND.

But paramedics were called by a neighbor, and when they arrived, Tom Shiflett let them see his son, but refused their demands that he be taken to a hospital. The paramedics then apparently lobbied the city police, the sheriff’s office, social workers and eventually the magistrate in order to get their way in having Jon taken to a hospital.

Jim Bradford, a court clerk in Garfield County, said it was a juvenile matter and he could not comment on any aspect of the case, and he declined to allow WND to leave a message for Garfield County Magistrate Lain Leoniak, who signed the order.

“I cannot describe the feeling of having your child abducted, taken from your care, not knowing what will happen to him, and if he will ever be returned back into your arms again,” Tina Shiflett wrote in the separate letter to WND. “I record this by my own hand in hopes of awakening anyone who would read it to the injustice of our police depart (sic), social services and court system. But above all to glorify my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whose reign is supreme over all this earth…”

The letter clarifies that the family did, indeed, cooperate with officers who arrived about 11 p.m. on that night.

“Between 10 and 11 … a sheriff came to the door. My husband met him at the window and he began to question my husband. My husband spoke with him and answered all his questions. The sheriff then said if Tom would just let him speak with Jonathan (our 11 yr. old son) this whole matter (story following) would be closed,” she documented.

“Tom said, ‘You are saying, ‘If I let you speak to Jonathan this whole matter will be closed.?’ Then Tom called for Jonathan to come to the window,” she said.

“As soon as Jonathan was visible to the sheriff, a SWAT team appeared shining lights on Jon’s face and others were bashing at the door with a ramming device. My daughter resisted and pushed against the door to stop them as she didn’t know who they were. I told her to back up and not try to tiff them. They then entered our home, held a gun to my daughter’s face and others of them, five or more, rushed into the living room and physically forced my other children to the ground.”

“We were told Jonathan would be taken to a hospital near us for evaluation, and then questioned by the human resources. At this point Jonathan was scared, crying and shaking. We asked if we could accompany him, or follow them to the hospital. We were warned not to try to follow him or come to the hospital or criminal charges would be pressed against us.

“Our son was returned to us at 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning. In all this was not one shred of evidence found that we had done anything wrong or that Jon had not been properly cared for at home,” she said.

Lynn Rennick, the social services director in Garfield County, has said her office is required to intervene when it receives a report about “possible mistreatment” of children, but she didn’t comment on any such report in this case, who may have filed it, or what it might have said.

A spokeswoman for WestCare Ambulance, which reportedly responded to the call, also refused to answer any questions about the case, saying all issues were considered patient confidentiality issues.

Ross Talbott, the owner of the Apple Tree Mobile Home Park who rents to the Shifletts, called the SWAT team actions “gross irresponsibility and stupidity.”

“Is this Russia? I don’t know what we’re coming to when they think your kid needs medical help and they send a SWAT team,” he said.


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