Sunday, February 28, 2010

Hey, You Could Put Your Eye Out With That Thing

ATF seizes 30 toy guns, infuriating local business owner

CORNELIUS, Ore. - A local business owner is flabbergasted after a shipment of 30 toy guns for his store was confiscated by ATF agents in Tacoma.

Brad Martin and his son, Ben, sell the Airsoft BB guns from their store in Cornelius where they’ve been in business for seven years. The Martins said they buy their stock from Taiwan because the merchandise is less expensive. But the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized a shipment of 30 in October.

That shipment is worth around $12,000 and the ATF is promising to destroy the entire shipment. Special Agent Kelvin Crenshaw said the toys can be easily retro-fitted into dangerous weapons.

"With minimal work it could be converted to a machine gun," Crenshaw said. (At this point my BS Meter is pegged)

Brad Martin is furious about the loss of money, for sure, but also in what he now thinks as a loss of his time and the use of government agents to seize toy guns. "All this manpower, all this time, all this taxpayer money, [it is] wasting my time and my profitability,” Martin said.

“[Just] to seize 30 toy guns!"Ben Martin disagrees that the toy guns could ever be considered dangerous."To say these are readily convertible to machine guns is absolutely preposterous,” he said. “The round wouldn't go into the firing chamber and even if the firing pin did strike the primer the gun would basically blow up in your face.”

ATF said it also seized the toys because they are missing the blaze orange tips required on all imported toy guns. The Martins said they've received shipments before from Taiwan that were missing the orange tips and were simply asked by customs agents to drive up to Tacoma and paint the tips orange themselves. They are wondering why it is an issue now.

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Prayers Needed For Virginia Blogger

Journalist, Virginia blogger, military writer, POW/MIA supporter and my good friend Susan Katz Keating has suffered a heart attack and is hospitalized. Please include her and her family in your prayers today.

And if anyone else is planning on trying to keep up with me, I'd ask that you re-consider your plans.

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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Healthcare is "Complicated"

Wes Pruden writing in his Friday edition.

Mr. Obama sharply scolded Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia for bringing along a copy of the 2,400-page Senate bill and the 11-page proposal the president posted on the Internet earlier in the week. He called Mr. Cantor's preparation "the type of political stunt that gets in the way of serious conversation." The "truth of the matter," the president said, as Mr. Cantor began to speak, is health care is a very complicated subject.

Well, duh. But if Republican congressmen insist on reading from the actual legislation, instead of taking as Gospel the president's honeyed words (as honeyed as he can make them without his teleprompter), they keep the president from making something simple into something complicated and hard to understand. The president's problem is that the public understands very well what's in the elixir he's peddling. A CNN poll released Wednesday showed that only 25 percent of Americans want to take the legislative medicine.

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The Census-What Not To Do

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Scott Taylor For Congress VA-02

My Promises to You
Scott Taylor: Fighting for Our Future
Virginia Beach, VIRGINIA - 2/26/2010 - I would like to take some time to voice my commitment to this district and each and every one of the voters here. I have outlined several promises that I will keep to you; This is my contract with the voters of Virginia's 2nd District. I worked until I had blisters when I was employed on a farm at age 11, I worked until I had blisters in the Navy SEAL teams, I will work until I have blisters earning your support and vote on June 8th.

My Contract with you

1. I will spend my weekends and my Congressional recess time here in the district, meeting and listening to local citizens and their concerns.

2. I will never vote for or accept any pay raise. If I do recieve a pay raise, every new penny will go to a deserving local charity.

3. I will hold listening sessions in every precinct each year I am in office.

4. I will hire all of my Congressional and district staffers from this district or with a background from this district.

5. I will never support any tax increase.

6. I will make myself personally available to any person who wants to get to know me and my policies.

7. I will make increasing our domestic exports and decreasing our dependence on foreign imports a top priority. The key to success is in our nation's small businesses.

8. I will work with state and other Federal transportation officials to help fix our ailing roadways and future infrastructure. I will submit and fight for legislation to include a 37.5% royalty sharing agreement with the Federal and state government from responsible offshore drilling.

9. My constituent service offices will be open until 7:00 PM, our work schedule does not end when yours does.

10. I, or a staff member, will respond to every phone message or e-mail from my constituents within 48 hours.

God Bless,
Scott Taylor

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The Ba'athists Are Coming The Ba'athists Are Coming

Its party time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Information has been received indicating that the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is planning protest activity within the region. The group is described as an extremist hate group opposed to the military and homosexuals. The WBC has garnered media attention by protesting at the funerals of service members, famous people, people who have died from AIDS, as well as military installations and political events. The activity is planned to target schools, Jewish facilities, and military events in Henrico County, the City of Richmond, and the Tidewater area.

The WBC is a highly organized group based out of Kansas. The WBC has a history of seeking confrontation in order to file lawsuits that may result in settlements to fund the group's activities. The protests focus on provoking responses which provide the basis for confrontation and litigation. Historically the group has not engaged in violence when left alone.

The following is a list of planned WBC events in the area:
27 Feb - Virginia Beach 1115 hours Funeral of Staff Sergeant Mark A. Stets,
Wave Church, 1000 N. Great Neck Road

1 Mar - Norfolk 1400 - 1430 Granby High School
1445 - 1515 Bina High School (in B'nai Israel Congregation)
1520 - 1550 Ohef Sholom Temple
1610 - 1640 Norfolk Naval Station
1700 - 1730 Temple Israel

2 Mar - Virginia Beach, Richmond, Henrico
0655 - 0725 Landstown High School, Virginia Beach
0800 - 0830 Simon Family JCC, Virginia Beach
0900 - 0930 4th Annual Naval Expeditionary Forces Symposium, Virginia Beach Convention Center
1145 - 1215 Virginia Holocaust Museum, Richmond
1240 - 1310 The Jerusalem Connection, 210 Giant Dr, Richmond
1330 - 1400 University of Richmond Hillel, Richmond
1540 - 1610 Hermitage High School, Henrico

3 Mar - Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Norfolk
0650 - 0720 Churchland High School, Portsmouth
0845 - 0915 Torah Day School of VA, Portsmouth
1130 - 1230 4th Annual Naval Expeditionary Forces Symposium, Virginia Beach Convention Center
1400 - 1430 Norview High School, Norfolk

Although these types of demonstrations are generally peaceful or nonviolent, they are assessed to present a potential domestic Force Protection issue.

While the protests staged by anti-war and anti-military groups/organizations are legal, the controversial nature of the protests tends to invoke counter protests and creates a hostile environment that could easily evolve into violence. Counter protest groups such as Gathering of Eagles, a pro-soldier group, have appeared at events involving protestors from the WBC. There is generally an overwhelming support provided to the US military in the local community; however the potential exists for a spontaneous, unprovoked attack against either the demonstrators or pro-US Military persons.

Please inform your Soldiers, civilians, and family members of the potential for protests. Instruct them to avoid these events and not to interact with these individuals in any way. If they do come into contact with these protesters and are harassed or assaulted in any way, they should immediately report the incident to the Military Police or local police. The single best preventive measure is to AVOID the areas where anti-war and/or similar protests are projected to or are actually taking place. If you witness a suspicious incident in your community, at work, or while commuting you should report it to Law Enforcement immediately.

Ensure that personnel are advised that the practice of OPSEC is critical in protecting the integrity of the operations and missions, and as a result protects the lives of the Soldiers, family members, and community.

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Morning Must Reads from DCExaminer

New York Times -- After the Summit

The Times’ editorial page neatly sums up what the president’s scolding session on health care was all about: checking the “bipartisan outreach” box on the pre-flight checklist for a legislative gambit that would be the most partisan path to such a major change to domestic policy since perhaps the years of radical Republicanism following the Civil War.
Remember that Social Security drew 16 Republican votes in the Senate and only 32 nays in the House (16 from each party). Medicare and Medicaid were created with 70 votes in the Senate and 308 votes in the House.
Blue Dogs are praying that the president (or Rahm Emanuel) really does have a “Plan B” and that he is staging the current preparations for a kamikaze mission in an effort to placate the Left and will, in the end, opt for another build out on the existing welfare state rather than trying to erect a whole new structure.
But the Times seems absolutely giddy that the summit was a flop, believing it demonstrated that Republicans are of no use and ought to be disregarded. They’re ready to start the countdown to the launch of the health care ICBMs.
There are plenty of happy Republicans, too. They were worried that Obama might offer something so juicy (maybe real malpractice reform) that they would look like jerks for refusing to compromise.
Now that Obama has taken it this far, would the Times and the rest of his political base let him turn back?
After all, they still think the House would pass the Senate bill. At best, it seems that Obama will have no choice but to waste weeks and additional political capital trying to ram his proposal through before he can take up a compromise plan – which would mean more weeks lost and more controversy over an issue that voters have had it with.
“Here is a basic fact: If the House Democrats voted tomorrow to approve the Senate bill, health care reform would become the law of the land.
The president and Speaker Nancy Pelosi should push the House to accept the fundamentally sound Senate bill. If they still cannot garner enough votes from their own caucus, they should alter the Senate bill slightly with parallel legislation that could be passed with budget reconciliation.”

Dana Milbank -- Professor Obama schools lawmakers on health-care reform
Spot on.
Milbank gets where Obama was coming from – the position of an annoyed teacher of a remedial class.
You could see in the president’s face as the session went on that he was frustrated by the failure of Republicans to grasp his arguments and eventually bored by their unwillingness to praise his name. Aside from making for boring television, it made for more evidence of Obama’s tendency to like dialogue with those who seek his favor but an inability to engage with those who don’t really care what he thinks about them.
“The 40 lawmakers and administration officials, seated in squeaky chairs around the square, were to speak only when called on. After each talked, Obama would determine whether the speaker's point was a ‘legitimate argument.’
While each of them had to call him ‘Mr. President,’ Obama, often waving an index finger, made sure to refer to each of them by their first name: ‘Thank you, Lamar. . . . We're going to have Nancy and Harry. . . . John, are you going to make the presentation yourself?’
If somebody went on too long, Obama cautioned the lawmaker to be ‘more disciplined.’ When Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) spoke about Medicare cuts, Obama cut him off. ‘I don't mean to interrupt,’ he said, but ‘if every speaker, at least on one side, is going through every provision and saying what they don't like, it's going to be hard for us to see if we can arrive at some agreements.’”

New York Times -- Plan to Seek Use of U.S. Contracts as a Wage Lever
What if the federal government didn’t just give preference to union contractors but put all non-union contractors at a disadvantage?
The president is considering entering an executive order that would mean any company that had been subject to a labor complaint (i.e. every non-union company) would lose points against a more competitor with a more salubrious attitude about wages and work rules (i.e. unionized shops).
The government spends $500 billion with contractors every year.
Writer Steven Greenhouse, developing a story broken by The Daily Caller, seems surprised that people who mow lawns on federal contracts would not make more than $22,000 a year. That won’t even pay for parking in the Upper West Side.
Unions say it will lift wages nationally and actually save money because better-paid workers will be more productive. Maybe, or maybe it will make things more expensive and make government work even more poorly.
“The officials briefed on the plan said it was being developed by officials in the Office of Management and Budget, the White House Office of Legal Counsel, the Treasury, Justice and Labor Departments and the vice president’s Middle Class Task Force.
Even as business groups press the administration for more details, they are denouncing the plan, tentatively named the High Road Procurement Policy.”

Wall Street Journal -- Push to Oversimplify at Climate Panel
Looking to overcome a crisis of confidence the U.N. climate shop is trying for a semi-mea culpa. The departure of climate boss Yvo de Boer, the exposure of cooked climate data, the exclusion of dissenting voices, the revealing of conflicts of interest among leaders and the failure of the Copenhagen summit has left the Holy See of Global Warming.
Even Al Gore allows that some of the data pointing to the dangers of ManBearPig is a bit confusing. It’s still worth spending trillions on, mind you, but he may have overstated things just a teensy bit in the name of a good cause. It was fake certitude with a purpose.
Writers Jeffrey Ball and Keith Johnson take a fascinating look at the Warmists’ walk of shame after using phony facts to convert scare tactics into legislation and treaties.
“Richard Alley, a geoscientist who helped write the IPCC's latest report, issued in 2007, described a trip that summer to Greenland's ice sheet with senators who urged him to be as specific as possible about the potential for sea-level rise. The point many of them made, he said: Give more explicit advice—because, if the sea rises, ‘the levee has to be built some height.’”

New York Post -- House Ethics panel slams Charlie for Caribbean junkets
Charlie Rangel never had any cause for alarm once his fate was in the hands of the House ethics committee.
Rangel, who’s been under fire for a host of shady dealings, is getting a rebuke for trips he and other Congressional Black Caucus members took to St. Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda. It’s great news for Rangel who can now say he was investigated and punished. Rangel is publicly denouncing the findings, but since this means that his other transgressions will likely float away like a palm leaf on the Gulf Stream, he must be thrilled.
Writer Geoff Earle looks at the battle:
“Rangel remains under investigation by the Ethics Committee, which is conducting a wide-ranging probe into whether he failed to pay taxes on rental income from his Dominican villa, as The Post reported; whether he failed to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets and income, also reported by The Post; and fund-raising he did for a CUNY center named for him.”

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

WaPo Is Reporting That VA Governor Will Endorse McCain

John McCain is a hero. He served his country honorably and paid a heavy price. He continued to serve after returning to the world.

However, it is time for Senator McCain to start enjoying his retirement and status as an elder statesman.

Before anyone starts down the "Palin, Thompson, Romney did it too" argument: They shouldn't have, but they all felt an obligation to Senator McCain. Governor McDonnell owes no debt of gratitude nor is he obligated in any way to endorse anyone.

Governor McDonnell, with all due respect Sir, if the reports of your decision to endorse John McCain are correct, it really isn't a good idea. Stay neutral. J.D. Hayworth has 76% of the grassroots support in Arizona. It was people like that who elected you.

John McCain is a progressive. He supports open borders. He sponsored the McCain-Feingold bill, parts of which were determined to be unconstitutional on 1st Amendment grounds.

Others have commented on this issue and the majority is not happy:

I wish the governor would just stay out of it. Such endorsements do not endear the governor to many, especially for a RINO on too many issues.
J. D. Hayworth is better qualified for the job, and more in tune with responsible, common-sense (conservative) lawmaking.

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A Virginian's Response To Mr Cantor

From VA Freeper Iceskater posted on the Virginia forum:

Eric Cantor’s post on social media re: HCR “We have a very difficult gap to bridge here. Our country just can’t afford this. That’s the ultimate problem.”

I just can’t take it anymore! Here’s my response....
“No, with all due respect, not being able to afford HCR is not the ultimate problem. The ultimate problem is that IT IS NOT GOVERNMENT’S ROLE TO TAKE CARE OF US FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE!!! The fact that we can’t afford it ought to give you a clue that it isn’t constitutional!

How about all ya’ll take a walk across the street and go read the Constitution? It’s right there in the National Archives.

It’s a little dusty from lack of use but I swear it’s there! How about we use that as the guiding principle and not whether we can afford it???”


Thanks Iceskater. Well said.

Don't forget that Cantors Advisory Council Meeting is coming up in March. We gave him an earful last year. Lets make sure he knows we're still here, and we still believe in the Founding Principals.

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Health Care Summit Review

In a nutshell, President Obama attempted to "be above it all" and pretend to be impartial. It's not worth boring our faithful readers with the minutiae of the back and forth between the Republicans and the Democrats.

The Republicans surprised everyone by going on the offense and forcing the Democrats to defend their bills instead of being defensive about the false charge of being the party of "NO."

At the end, President Obama droned on about the ideas in the Democratic bills that are supposedly the same as the Republicans, except, of course, he neglected to state that the Democrats procedures to arrive at those goals differ greatly from the Republicans.

And lastly, Obama's final monologue attempted to portray the GOP as obstructionists that if they would just play nice and negotiate with the liberals over the next few weeks, progress on this important matter would go forth. America can't wait another 50 years. Or 1 year. If he doesn't see cooperation, certain procedures would have to be implemented. Of course, nothing is stopping Congress from passing bills now. Obama only has to convince DEMOCRATS to cooperate. He cannot.

And THAT'S why he had the summit. To suck the GOP into working with him and pass his bills.

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Health Care Conference Caption Contest!


Caption this!


h/t Moe Lane at RedState: You can just hear him thinking, Why is Rep. Paul Ryan’s trachea not being crushed? I’m sure that I’m doing it right…

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Thank You Algore

The First Statement of Conservative Principles

"The Constitution, which at any time exists 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People, is sacredly obligatory upon all." --George Washington

Back in 1996, a small group of Patriots deeply devoted to our Constitution, which we had pledged "to support and defend," endeavored to challenge the Leftmedia's stranglehold on public opinion, particularly as it pertained to the role of government and promotion of Leftist policies.

To provide sustenance for those endeavoring to restore our Constitution's rightful standing as the Supreme Rule of Law of the United States, we established The Federalist, an online grassroots journal providing constitutionally conservative analysis of news, policy and opinion, with the express mission of "advocating Essential Liberty, the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and the promotion of free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values."

Our objective was, and remains, "to provide Patriots across our nation with a touchstone of First Principles."

Demand for The Federalist grew rapidly, to put it mildly. A few years later, we adopted the name The Patriot Post in keeping with the growing constituency we serve.

Now, I certainly do not suggest that we were the only folks back in '96 advocating for the restoration of constitutional Rule of Law. We took our inspiration from, and owe our success to, President Ronald Reagan and his Patriot team, many of whom were our earliest promoters and supporters. They sparked the flame to revitalize our Constitution's legal standing some two decades earlier, at the juncture of our nation's
bicentennial.

We also owe a great debt to conservative protagonists such as National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr., and the Heritage Foundation's Edwin J. Feulner, both of whom provided meaningful guidance and assistance to get us under way.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I failed also to credit Albert Arnold Gore, who "took the initiative in creating the Internet" for us, and then galvanized those of us interested in national sovereignty in opposition to his utopian scheme to socialize the world economy, ostensibly to thwart "global warming."

I believe the most important factor in our success has been our steadfast commitment to the Rule of Law, the supremacy of our national Constitution in all matters pertaining to the role and authority of our central government, and our analysis of the same.

We have endeavored to keep our eye on the prize, and we've thus avoided being co-opted by any political party or organization.

That will be the challenge for the independent Tea Party Patriots and other conservative movements -- to keep their eyes firmly affixed on the task of restoring our Constitution and its prescription for Rule of Law, and to avoid the risk of being swallowed up by large, centralized poli-wonks.

Last week, my friend Ed Feulner, and many other colleagues, released "The Mount ernon Statement," a document similar in substance to the "Sharon Statement" released in 1960 by a group of conservative intellectuals including Bill Buckley, M. Stanton Evans and Annette Kirk (widow of influential American conservative Russell Kirk).

Feulner and his staff at the Heritage Foundation have been uniformly resolute in their support for constitutional Rule of Law.

Ten years ago, I met with key staff members of the Heritage Foundation and encouraged them to adopt the practice of posting, in the introductory abstract of their papers, the specific constitutional authority for every policy position they advocate. Two years ago, Heritage launched their massive First Principles initiative, with the objective of asserting constitutional authority as the centerpiece of their mission.

While I applaud the entire Heritage team for their First Principles endeavor, I note that some of the principal signatories of the Mount Vernon Statement, though "conservative" by label, do not meet The Patriot standard of reliance upon the plain language of our Constitution, nor are many of those signatories representative of the "grassroots" movement they seek to unify around this statement.

With that in mind, I reiterate that any real movement to restore the integrity of our Constitution must be bottom-up, not top-down. Patriots need only subscribe to one mission statement, the first statement of conservative principles, our Constitution.

The GOP establishment squandered its opportunity to reassert First Principles when it held majorities under George W. Bush, and the party will have to demonstrate an authentic commitment to those principles if it is to gain the trust of a single American Patriot.

Real constitutional reform will come about only when Patriots across the nation demand the restoration of Essential Liberty as "endowed by their Creator," and they widely articulate the difference between Rule of Law and rule of men.

If you have taken an oath to support and defend our Constitution, I invite you to revisit that venerable document and ask you to reaffirm your oath.

If you have not affirmed that commitment, I invite you to gain a full understanding of our Constitution and then take your oath -- and abide by it to your last breath, just as our Founding Fathers mutually pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.

In the words of George Washington, "Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths...?"


Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Mark Alexander
Publisher, PatriotPost.US

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How You Can Tell When Rehab Is Needed

Feds: Drunken man drove to base with LSD, mushrooms
Authorities say a man took a few wrong turns on the way home from a party, allegedly turning into Fort Myer in Arlington with five hits of acid, hallucinogenic mushrooms and a bong.

Sometimes, you really do need to say "NO"

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Pirates In Virginia?

Who Is Smuggling Somali Aliens Into the U.S. – And Why?
Michael Cutler

I was recently sent an alarming article entitled “Va. man accused of helping smuggle Somalis into U.S.” It details how a 35-year-old man, Anthony Joseph Tracy, facilitated the illegal entry of some 270 aliens who are citizens of Somalia. Somalia is a country that has become associated with terrorist activities, including piracy on the high seas. In the jargon of our government, Somalia is a country of "Special Interest" because of its established relationship with terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda and Al-Shabaab.

According to the report, some of the 270 Somali nationals who were aided in entering our country by Mr. Tracy have fanned out across our nation and are now believed to be hiding in plain sight in a variety of states including New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Minnesota and Arizona.

Our nation's very survival is being threatened by transnational criminal organizations and international terrorist groups. In order to attack our nation, the terrorists need to be able to enter our country and then embed themselves in communities around the United States while they wait their call to action.

More after the jump

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DCExaminer Editorial Highlights

TODAY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

Taints on the Toyota probe

Examiner Editorial
"There is no creditable way to separate federal policy decisions from their commercial effect on both Toyota and GM as long as the government is simultaneously prosecutor, judge and jury."

Republicans must teach the American Dream

Cal Thomas, Examiner Columnist
"America doesn't need restructuring. It needs revival; revival of the principles that made us strong and great; revival of the moral foundation that proved to be our real strength and allowed us to conquer our demons and become independent, not dependent on government."

Holder's national security cover-up

Michelle Malkin, Examiner Columnist
"Americans have a right to know whether Holder, who put political interests ahead of security interests at the Clinton Justice Department in both the Marc Rich pardon scandal and the Puerto Rican FALN terrorist debacle, has made hiring decisions that provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare."

There are worse things than a dysfunctional Congress.

David Freddoso, Examiner Columnist
""Don't you remember back in December, when the GOP spent two weeks filibustering the "Pisgah National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act?" (You don't?)
DEFINITELY WORTH A READ, TOO

In search of the right dog

Meghan Cox Gurdon, Examiner Columnist

Obama's federal debt blunder

Larry Elder, Examiner Columnist

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Morning Must Reads from DCExaminer

Chris Stirewalt - GOP must seek to govern, not just win elections
Democrats are about to be turned out for the cardinal sin of overpromising and underdelivering. If Republicans follow the same path back to power, they'll be turned out just as fast.

Julie Mason - Stakes high for all as Obama convenes health summit
Whether President Obama's televised health care summit amounts to a substantive foundation for reform or empty political theater, the stakes are high for all sides.

Susan Ferrechio - Stupak says many Dems opposed to health care bill
Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said Wednesday the House will have a hard time passing Obama's compromise health care proposal and not just because of controversial abortion funding language that pro-life House Democrats oppose.

Byron York - Rep. Grayson, Blackwater critic, finds himself in a jam. Blackwater to the rescue.
Rep. Alan Grayson, the outspoken Florida Democrat, has been a big critic of several military contractors, especially Blackwater, the company now known as Xe. But last week, Grayson, on congressional business in Niger, found himself in a dicey situation when violence broke out and a coup was underway. (Grayson could hear the gunfire from a nearby building.) After a stay at the U.S. Embassy, Grayson was able to catch a flight, arranged by the State Department, out of Niger to Burkina Faso, from which he returned to the United States.

Michael Barone - Democrats exiting (or not entering) the sinking ship?--Part 24
Tennessee Democrats are having a hard time finding a serious candidate to run in the seat being vacated after 26 years by House Science Committee Chairman Bart Gordon.

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Bebe Gets Graded By the Israeli Left

Netanyahu's One-Year Report Card
P. David Hornik - Feb 24, 2010
FrontPage Magazine

"Benjamin Netanyahu, a year into your term, observers seem to agree: You're an impressive survivor, but just a survivor. The government you lead has no vision, no destination. It's not going anywhere."

Thus Ari Shavit, journalist for Israel's left-wing daily Haaretz, to Prime Minister Netanyahu early this week. Netanyahu (who took office, actually, last March 31 and has been prime minister less than a year) naturally responded by denying the charge, saying "My vision is of an Israel that is a world technological superpower, anchored in values, reaching peace from strength…. we are working to jump-start the economy, to augment our security and to strengthen Israel through inculcating basic national values."

Realizing that the charge of "lack of vision" from the Left means mainly "lack of negotiations with the Palestinians and Syria to hand them major Israeli strategic assets," Netanyahu said the Palestinians and Syria were "present[ing] us with extremist preconditions that they did not present to earlier Israeli governments…. The critics expect us to accept the Palestinian and Syrian dictates; they describe the acceptance of those dictates as a vision. I don't see it as a vision."

Seems the left in Israel is just as stupid and dangerous as they are here.

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Information about Vocational Rehab at the VA

Military.com has an article about Vocational Rehab concerning prevalent misinformation.

The Truth about Voc Rehab

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Gunny Ermey looking out for his Marines

VizBiz at RedState is mentioning that Gunny R. Lee Ermey is petitioning Congress as to how families of fallen Marines are notified by the the Department of the Navy.
Currently if a Marine falls in battle, the family will receive a letter from the Department of the Navy with no mention of the Marines. Ermey, along with U.S. Reps and Senators, are making a push to change the name of “Department of the Navy” to the “Department of the Navy and Marine Corps”.
Here are the links that he asked to be passed around. Feel free to take them for your blog.

R. Lee Ermey (Be sure to watch the intro. Pure Ermey.)

Marine Corps Identity Cause

Rep. Walter Jones statement

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Obama is lying about his budget. Again.

Spending is out of control. Between useless "stimulus" programs, bailouts, and proposed health care "reform" programs, Obama is touted as having a 1.1 TRILLION dollar deficit. This, from the same man that derided Bush's deficits of 300 billion.


Well, its worse that we thought.

The Tax Policy Center has released a 49 page analysis of Obama's 2011 budget.

Instead of a 1.1 Trillion dollar shortfall, Obama will be short


4.9 TRILLION DOLLARS!

That is greater than the ENTIRE GDP OF CHINA!!!!!!!! WHO IS GOING TO BUY THAT DEBT?

How's that Hope and Change working out for ya?

h/t TaxProf Blog

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Open Letter to NM Republicans, WST-9/12 and Oathkeepers

We are writing to you to express our grave concerns about Adam Kokesh, who is aspiring to become the Republican nominee for US Congress from New Mexico’s 3rd district. Mr. Kokesh has an extensive, and well-documented history of affiliations with radical leftist groups. In concert with these groups he has engaged in numerous anti-America and anti-military demonstrations and protests. Moreover, Mr. Kokesh does not appear to have any personal qualifications that would recommend him for serious consideration as a candidate for the Republican Party. He has a significant history suggestive of poor character and judgment, and he has notable incidents of direct activism against Republican office holders.

Affiliations with radical leftist groups
Mr. Kokesh joined the Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW) in February 2007, at which time he was 25 years old. The IVAW was formed by the Vietnam Veterans Against War (VVAW), the now infamous group, formed by John Kerry in 1970, and responsible for the fraudulent maligning of our Vietnam veterans at the Winter Soldier Conference in 1971. It will be recalled that John Kerry now stands exposed as having repeated false accusations from that conference, during Congressional testimony in 1971. Similar to the VVAW, the IVAW is a virulently anti-military, anti-America group. It holds the view that our country is an imperialistic and expansionistic “One World Order” government, and that our military is but a tool of this government. Further, they believe that our soldiers are little more than marauders and murderers who, in the words of John Kerry, behave “in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan”.

Mr. Kokesh was active in the IVAW from 2007 to 2009, at which time he announced his candidacy for Republican Congressman from New Mexico. There are no indications that he has revoked his affiliations with the IVAW. As an active member of the IVAW, Mr. Kokesh was involved in numerous anti-military, and by explicit extension, anti-Bush/Republican activities and actions. While executing these actions, Mr. Kokesh knowingly and gladly, made common cause with a wide array of other well-known, radical anti-America and communist groups. The list of these other groups includes, but is by no means limited to, the following:
SDS
Code Pink
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
United for Justice and Peace
Communist Party of America
Muslim Brotherhood
Black Panthers
In cooperation with the above-named groups and the IVAW, Mr. Kokesh: participated in multiple anti-war demonstrations in Washington DC, and other cites throughout the country; organized and incited violent demonstrations at military recruiting stations; participated in an initiative to encourage active duty soldiers to desert their military post; organized and participated in a Winter Soldier Conference 2, an effort designed to malign and undercut the moral of our soldiers who were fighting and dying on the battlefield. Even a most cursory search of the Internet will yield a plethora of documents attesting to the veracity of these assertions.



Personal character questions, and anti-Republican Party activities
Apart from his considerable radical leftist affiliations and activities, there many concerns about Mr. Kokesh’s general personal qualifications for congressman; and we have specific concerns about the appropriateness of his being considered for being a Republican congressman. Mr. Kokesh has no history of personal accomplishments or achievement, yet he does have a notable history of poor judgment and illegal behavior. Moreover, he has no history of supporting the Republican Party, and in fact has been actively unsupportive and undermining of the Party

Mr. Kokesh’s personal accomplishments and achievements appear to be limited to his having served in the Marine Corps from 1999 until 2006, and his political activism with the IVAW from 2007 until 2009. His MC service was basically unremarkable, in terms of citations, medals, and commendations, and it was ultimately marked by a demotion in his discharge rank, from Sergeant to Corporal, and a downgrading of his discharge status from honorable to general. Mr. Kokesh’s tenure with the IVAW has been noted above and need not be repeated here.

There are no indications that Mr. Kokesh has ever maintained any private sector employment, and unless otherwise proven, it might be assumed that his ‘work’ with the IVAW was financed through contributions to that organization, finances that often originated in leftist organizations such as MoveOn.org. Other than an undergraduate degree in Psychology, there are no indications that Mr. Kokesh has achieved any academic standing that might, given his young age and his otherwise lack of general accomplishments, recommend him for serious consideration for Congress.

There are numbers of incidents in Mr. Kokesh’s personal life that suggest that he employs poor judgment, and that he has trouble coping with stress. Examples of his poor judgment include the following: he smuggled a gun home from Iraq, and then was apprehended when he bought it onto a college campus; he has incited protestors to engage in violent actions against military recruiting stations, and; he incited unrest on a college campus by hanging racist poster around the campus, and signed the posters as being a member of the college conservative Republican organization.

Given the above, it is our position that Mr. Kokesh is in no way qualified to represent the Republican Party in Congress. In fact, if his history is any indicator of his future performance, it is most likely that he will behave in a manner that is antithetical to the positions and values of the Republican Party. In our view, a Kokesh candidacy will at best, precipitate much conflict within the Republican Party, and, at worst, invite derision from outside of the party.

Like you, we are interested in maintaining the integrity of the Republican Party. We understand that this is a time when the party leadership is striving to reconcile disparate ideas within the party, and to clarify its unified voice. A Kokesh candidacy would be completely at odds with those strivings and ideals.

We are urging the Republican Party to withhold any endorsement of a ‘Kokesh for Congress’ candidacy. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Monday, February 22, 2010

We Should All Be Israeli

If they continue to succeed, there just might be peace in the Middle East after all.

Israel is accused of waging covert war across the Middle East

Israel is waging a covert assassination campaign across the Middle East in an effort to stop its key enemies co-ordinating their activities.Israeli agents have been targeting meetings between members of Hamas and the leadership of the militant Hezbollah group, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

They are also suspected of recent killings in Dubai, Damascus and Beirut. While Israel's Mossad spy agency has been suspected of staging assassinations across the world since the 1970s, it does not officially acknowledge or admit its activities.

The current spate of killings began in December when a "tourist bus" carrying Iranian officials and Hamas members exploded outside Damascus. The official report by Syria claimed that a tyre had exploded but photographs surfaced showing the charred remains of the vehicle - prompting speculation that a much larger explosion had taken place.

Several weeks later a meeting between members of Hamas, which controls Gaza, and their counterparts from Hezbollah in its southern Beirut stronghold in Lebanon was also attacked, resulting in several deaths.Hamas had sought to cover up the incidents because it was embarrassed, a senior Palestinian official in Ramallah told The Times.

"There has been growing co-operation between Gaza and Iran. Israel can read the writing on the wall and they know that with the help of Iran, the Hamas Government in Gaza will become stronger and will fight better."

When asked about Mossad's involvement in the Dubai slaying, Eli Yishai, the Interior Minister, smiled and said: "All the security services make, thank God, great efforts to safeguard the security of the state of Israel."



The right to self-preservation comes from God. Israel has the right to pro-actively protect herself.

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All That Is Hidden Is Made Known

King Solomon's Wall Revealed in Jerusalem
Maayana Miskin -Feb 22, 2010 IsraelNN.com

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Daily Grind from The Hammer

I was actually working today, so I missed a lot of things I usually post.

Two items of a personal nature I'd like to share:

First, I've been asked to sit on the Board of the newly established EaglesUP! 501(c)(3) organization, an honor I have accepted. (Those Jersey girls have a way of talking you into anything.)

Second, I've been asked by none other than Laughing Wolf hisownself to be a member of the core group Cooking With the Wounded, another honor I readily accepted. You don't refuse a member of the team at Blackfive, you just don't. They have things and know stuff.

The Daily Grind
BY Mary Katharine Ham

Oops, again: "In a statement the authors of the paper said: 'Since publication of our paper we have become aware of two mistakes which impact the detailed estimation of future sea level rise. This means that we can no longer draw firm conclusions regarding 21st century sea level rise from this study without further work. One mistake was a miscalculation; the other was not to allow fully for temperature change over the past 2,000 years. Because of these issues we have retracted the paper and will now invest in the further work needed to correct these mistakes.'

Dana Perino and Bill Burck on the Friday night news dump: "So, in one corner we have a legal all-star team of Mukasey, Filip, Estrada, Mahoney, Goldsmith, and Margolis. In the other corner, we have OPR operating far outside its comfort zone and area of expertise. This shouldn’t have been close — and it wasn’t, on the merits. The fact that OPR almost succeeded — and was stopped only because Margolis did the right thing and brought the curtain down on this farce — should remind everyone that partisan politics are alive and well at the Justice Department."

Vindicating John Yoo.

USA! USA! USA!

E.J. Dionne goes Jimmy V on health care.

Salman Rushdie: "Amnesty International has done its reputation incalculable damage by allying itself with Moazzam Begg and his group Cageprisoners, and holding them up as human rights advocates. It looks very much as if Amnesty's leadership is suffering from a kind of moral bankruptcy, and has lost the ability to distinguish right from wrong."

Ron Paul won the CPAC straw poll, signaling something very significant. Remember how much it portended when Mitt Romney won it in a landslide?

Aww: Valerie Jarrett wants Sarah Palin to stop making fun of "hope and change."

Keith Hennessey ponders the president's goals in the Blair House summit.

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Glenn Beck at CPAC



I hope they listen. And to all of you Republicans and Democrats out there that are upset by Beck's characterizations - IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT.

If it doesn't, then get on the bandwagon and fix your damned party.

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Patriot Post

The Gipper
"Our current circumstances in the 21st century are not greatly different from those surrounding our Founders, who remarked on the long train of abuses and usurpations whose ultimate design seemed clearly to abrogate all the citizens' rights and render them subjects of an absolute despotism. The Founders' impending tyranny arose under an unjust king; ours derives from a centralizing and increasingly powerful national government that intrudes into ever-growing aspects of our lives, and prevents us from freely exercising our acts of self-government. We New Federalists therefore seek a return to our foundation on the principles of self-government. We seek a new birth of federalism because we seek a new birth of freedom, both for ourselves and for our posterity." --Ronald Reagan

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Operation New Dawn - We Won. Does Anyone Care?

Obama has renamed Operation Iraqi Freedom.

At the END of an operation.


Typical. Probably the only thing he can take credit for....well, the only thing that he SHOULD get credit for. We all know that he's going to take credit for the whole thing.

New York Times:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military mission in Iraq will soon be getting a new name.

As of Sept. 1, Operation Iraqi Freedom becomes Operation New Dawn.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in a memo Wednesday that the name change — which is to immediately follow the scheduled withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq — will send a strong signal that American forces have a new mission. He also said it reinforces the U.S. commitment to honor its security agreement with Iraq and recognizes ”our evolving relationship” with the government there.


New mission. After combat troops have been withdrawn? How do we honor a security agreement without combat troops?


David Bellavia looks at this change and puts it into context. The new name is not even original.

Our Mission is Finally Accomplished....Anybody Care?

Someone is responsible for everything that goes wrong in America. It makes us feel better to know it wasn’t our fault.

The war in Iraq was no different. While many scurried to blame Donald Rumsfeld, General Franks or President Bush for losing the war in Iraq, they bet against the American fighting men and women to turn the tide of the war. “The mission” in Iraq was evil. The troops would never be maligned as they were in Vietnam.

I don’t begrudge these people. They simply will never get it. They are the type of people you need to protect in a society. They are innocent and naive.

It is the job of the warrior to hide them under the bed and tell them it will be okay, before we run off to combat the threat.

The ones that hold my contempt are those who, even today, know of the sacrifice made, the incredible progress gained and still will not acknowledge what was won on the ground in Iraq. They cheapen the sacrifice of how it was earned. Operation Iraqi Freedom is no more.

Operation New Dawn (the exact same name of the Battle of Fallujah in November 2004) is the new name of the deployment to Iraq.

Obama will do anything in order to make himself look good. I wonder.....will military members still receive the OIF medal or will Obama make a new one......

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The Seas Have Ceased to Rise

I was told that if Obama was elected, the seas would cease to rise.


And they were RIGHT!



h/t Instapundit

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

They're Coming For Your Healthcare

ALERT: Did you think that, because Barack Hussein Obama has called for a "bipartisan healthcare reform summit" on Feb. 25th that the Democrats were serious about starting over and including the Republicans' ideas in their plans?

WRONG! According to the liberal bastion New York Times, "President Obama will put forward comprehensive health care legislation intended to bridge differences between Senate and House Democrats ahead of a summit meeting with Republicans next week, senior administration officials and Congressional aides said Thursday."

But that's not all they're reporting: Democratic officials said Obama's proposal was being written so that it could be attached to a budget bill as a way of averting a Republican filibuster in the Senate. The procedure, known as budget reconciliation, would let Democrats advance the bill with a simple majority rather than a 60-vote supermajority.

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DCExaminer Editorial Highlights

TODAY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

CPAC: Conservatives must avoid complacency

Examiner Editorial
"Conservatives also better not be deluded into thinking Obama and the Democrats won't do whatever they can, fair or foul, to win the coming campaign."

Attack in Little Rock 'like other killings we have'?

Diana West, Examiner Columnist
"I'm not the only one confounded by the prosecutor's inexplicable and highly disturbing decision to follow a see-no-Islam strategy. Muhammad himself recently wrote to the judge claiming he was encountering legal obstacles to changing his plea to guilty."

Another Massachusetts Miracle rising in Hoosier land?

Ken Tomlinson, OpEd Contributor
"All this is a stunning development for the young farmer and businessman who only four years ago was the youngest member of the Indiana legislature. In Washington power circles former Sen. Dan Coats has been all but anointed the GOP nominee for the Bayh seat."

Obama's new envoy to Islam

Mark Durie, OpEd Contributor
"At his most recent post as White House Deputy Associate Counsel, Hussain helped draft Obama s New Beginning address to the Muslim world in Cairo. That speech mentioned human rights, but it emphasized dialogue rather than defending individual liberties."
WORTH A READ, TOO

Want to know how to really astroturf a movement?

Mark Tapscott on Beltway Confidential

John Murtha forgot Semper Fi

Tom Stone, OpEd Contributor

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

British Cousins Step Up In Afghanistan

Empire Road
Britain commits her famed fighting units to Helmand.
John Noonan

As Operation Moshtarak enters its second week, Americans should take a minute to appreciate just how lucky we are to have the British fighting alongside U.S. and Afghan forces. Their vast experience in imperial counterinsurgency notwithstanding, this marks the third war that the British have fought in the Hindu Kush.

Afghanistan had a profound effect on British military culture. They were defeated on retreat from Kabul in 1842, a loss so devastating to their collective psyche that it was lamented as "the heaviest calamity that has ever fallen on British arms." The Second Anglo-Afghan War, which came at the height of the Great Game between England and Russia, slightly improved the British posture in the region (and was the inspiration for The Ballad of the King's Jest, a terrific Kipling poem).

Over a century later, all the pomp and majesty of British military history resurrects itself in an old neighborhood. The UK forces fighting in Marjah are legendary light infantry and fusilier formations, rich in both experience and victories. The Royal Welsh regiment fighting alongside U.S. Marines is a direct descendant of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, who took Bunker Hill. The 1st Grenadier Guards, which recently celebrated its 350th anniversary, was decisive at Waterloo and fought in both Gulf Wars. And the Coldstream Guards, most famous for their sentinel duties at Buckingham Palace, include Gibraltar, Waterloo, Boer War, Marne, Somme, Dunkirk, El-Alamein, Salerno, and the Persian Gulf War amongst their battle honours.

So history repeats itself, in a sense. The Empire has faded away, but the formations which built London's yawing imperial expanse are still slugging away in remote corners of the world. The territory has dissipated, but the knowledge and fighting skill remains. It's that experience, amalgamating force and government, which makes Britain such an indispensable ally.

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Its Time For An Executive Order

H/T FreeRepublic and HokieMom

Governor Bob McDonnell should write the EO for offshore exploration and have it published. Let the citizens of the Commonwealth vote on whether it stays or not. Put it up for a statewide vote, instead of letting the Democrat controlled Senate shoot it down.

This is ridiculous. The dumbos in the VA Senate have voted down the Offshore Exploration bill with the same old tired argument they were using 10 years ago.."It will take 10 years to see any benefit."

Well guess what, dumbotwits, if we had started 10 years ago, we'd now be seeing benefits, when we need them the most.

Are these knuckleheads on the OPEC payroll?

Is Arab money being funneled through enviro-nazi groups and into the hands of politicians?

Do they want independence from foreign oil or not? Do they really care about the average Virginia worker? We are the ones who would benefit immediately from the creation of jobs. If they are so stupid they can't see the relationship between energy exploration and job creation, they are to stupid to be serving as representatives of the citizens of this Commonwealth.

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SEAL 3 Update

5 POTENTIAL WITNESSES COULD SUPPORT SEALS ACCUSED OF ABUSE
By Kate Wiltrout The Virginian-Pilot NORFOLK

Five sailors could offer testimony contradicting the government’s main witness in the controversial prosecution of three Navy SEALs accused of mistreating a suspected Iraqi terrorist. But whether they’ll take the stand is in question after the government denied their requests for immunity on Friday.

Attorney Charles Gittins represents the five potential witnesses, including two officers who led the SEAL detachment that captured Ahmed Hashim Abed in Fallujah in September. Abed is the alleged mastermind of the murders of four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah in 2004.

Gittins said his clients’ testimony would be inconsistent with some or all of the statements made by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Demartino, the Navy master-at-arms who claimed to have seen a SEAL hit Abed while he was being held in a U.S. detainee facility after his capture.

“If your intent is to have a fair trial, they are witnesses you’d want to hear from,” Gittins said.

Monica Lombardi, who is defending one of the accused SEALs, said the government’s decision not to grant immunity to key defense witnesses raises questions about the “fundamental fairness” of the process. “They contradict a lot of what the government is alleging as having happened,” Lombardi said. “Where is the government going with this case, and how are they going to ensure the accused’s right to a fair trial?”

The prosecutions of Matthew McCabe, Jonathan Keefe and Julio Huertas, all assigned to SEAL Team 10 in Virginia Beach, have drawn widespread criticism, political heat and demonstrations outside the Norfolk base.

The cases are being handled locally, but the decision to press charges was made by Maj. Gen. C.T. Cleveland, head of Special Operations Command Central. Cleveland did so after the SEALs declined administrative punishment, which could have compromised their careers in special warfare.

McCabe, a petty officer second class, is charged with assault, making a false statement and dereliction of duty. Lombardi’s client, Petty Officer 1st Class Huertas, is charged with impeding an investigation, making a false statement and dereliction of duty, while Petty Officer 2nd Class Keefe faces charges of dereliction of duty and making a false statement.

Lombardi said she will consider asking the military judge overseeing Huertas’ case to “abate” the proceeding, a ruling that could force the government to either grant immunity or drop the charges.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for March 8 in Norfolk.

Eugene Fidell, a lawyer and president of the National Institute of Military Justice, said abatements are rare. “Although it can be done, it’s a tall order,” Fidell said.



My only question/concern is why defense witnesses, who would contradict prosecution witnesses statements, would need immunity. Are they afraid of retribution for telling the truth? If so, why?

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Virginia AG Puts His Foot Down

EDITORIAL: Cuccinelli fights the EPA
Virginia attorney general questions global warming red tape

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli took a gutsy and intelligent step Feb. 17 when he petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its ill-advised "finding" that carbon dioxide creates an endangerment for human health.

The endangerment finding would let the EPA battle alleged global warming by regulating emissions of CO2, which of course is the gas that every animal and person exhales with every breath. The finding was ludicrous from the start, and now Mr. Cuccinelli makes a reasonable case that it also was unlawful.

"Attorney General Cuccinelli believes that the EPA acted in an arbitrary and capricious fashion and failed to properly exercise its judgment by relying almost exclusively on reports from the IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an arm of the United Nations] in attributing climate change to [human-caused] greenhouse gas emissions," the AG's office explains. "The IPCC is an international body that is not subject to U.S. data quality and transparency standards and the IPCC prepared their reports in total disregard to U.S. Standards."

Since the EPA finding was issued, the IPPC's reports have become subject to scandal on multiple fronts. Those scandals reached a crescendo when a British newspaper, the Daily Mail, reported Feb. 14 that "The academic at the centre of the 'Climategate' affair, whose raw data is crucial to the theory of climate change, has admitted that he has trouble 'keeping track' of the information. ... And he said that for the past 15 years there has been no 'statistically significant' warming."

Obviously, if the EPA were relying on bad data like all of the other climate-change fanatics, it ought to reconsider its plans to further strangle our struggling economy with more unnecessary red tape.

Mr. Cuccinelli argues that the EPA failed to meet its responsibility to conduct appropriate cost-benefit analysis, and that the economic harm to American citizens - including Virginians - would outweigh any purported benefits of the new regulations.

As the AG put it, "We cannot allow unelected bureaucrats with political agendas to use falsified data to regulate American industry and drive our economy into the ground." Of course, he's spot on.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Those Pesky Tea-Baggers Are At It Again

Left Blames Tea Parties for Austin Plane Crash

On Thursday, a deranged man supposedly angry at the IRS flew a plane into one of their offices in Austin, Texas. Joseph Andrew Stack, the pilot, was killed in the crash, and several people were injured. Stack also apparently set his house on fire before leaving on his mission; his wife and daughter escaped. The attack is being considered criminal, not terrorist.

Columnist Michelle Malkin writes, "Investigators found a Web posting, identified as Stack's 'suicide manifesto,' in which he railed against tax laws, inequity, government and crony capitalism. He also targeted 'puppet' George W. Bush, murderous health care insurers and the pharmaceutical industry." His angry tirade concluded, "The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed." Not exactly the words of a supporter of capitalism.

Clearly, Stack was trying to get back at what he called "Big Brother IRS man," but his politics are rather muddy. That didn't stop Leftists from blaming the Tea Party movement. We saw it coming.

Time magazine, The Washington Post, New York Magazine and talkingheads at the cable networks immediately jumped on the anti-IRS theme, while ignoring Stack's slam of capitalism. Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post's Post Partisan blog, wrote, "[A]fter reading his 34-paragraph screed, I am struck by how his alienation is similar to that we're hearing from the extreme elements of the Tea Party movement." New York Magazine said that "a lot of his rhetoric could have been taken directly from a handwritten sign at a tea party rally."

One blogger at the popular Daily Kos Web site railed, "After months of threats on the United States government, and government institutions, the Anti-Government forces known as the teabaggers have struck with their first 911 [sic] inspired terrorist attack." Numerous comments on the Huffington Post blog likewise threw blame in the wrong direction.

Tea Partiers do not support communism, and they do support the Rule of Law. Stack's words and actions are the antithesis of the Tea Party movement's goals.
The Left, however, never lets facts get in the way of a good story.

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Morning Must Reads from DCExaminer

TODAY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER EDITORIAL SECTION HIGHLIGHTS

The other stupid things John Brennan said

Michelle Malkin, Examiner Columnist
"It gets worse: Brennan then went on to decry the "ignorant feelings" of Americans outraged at the jihadi attacks on American soil."

Economy faces many 'what ifs

'Irwin M. Stelzer, Examiner Columnist
"Now that the Republican revival has ended the era of one-party government, and the Tea Partiers are making their voices heard, the possibility of sensible compromise has increased."

Education is too important for government bureaucrats

John Stossel, Examiner Columnist
"The people who test students internationally told us that two factors predict a country's educational success: Do the schools have the autonomy to experiment, and do parents have a choice?"

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Are You A non- Muslim?

Warfighting 101

Mark Alexander has a long piece today, but it is well worth the time it will take you to read it.
Here is the last section of his essay. I encourage you to make the jump and read the whole thing.

Afghanistan remains an ideal breeding ground for the active cadres of "Jihadistan," a borderless nation of Islamic extremists comprising al-Qa'ida and other Muslim terrorist groups around the world.

A borderless nation, indeed. The "Islamic World" of the Quran recognizes no political borders. Though orthodox Muslims (those who subscribe to the teachings of the "pre-Medina" Quran) do not support acts of terrorism or mass murder, large, well-funded sects within the Islamic world subscribe to the "post-Mecca" Quran and Hadiths (Mohammed's teachings). It is this latter group which calls for jihad, or "holy war," against all "the enemies of God."

For the record, these "enemies," or infidels, are all non-Muslims.

Are you a non-Muslim?

Jihadists, then, are characterized by the toxic Wahhabism of Osama bin Laden and his heretical ilk -- those who would remake the Muslim world in their own image of hatred, intolerance, death and destruction. In the words of bin Laden himself: "We love death. The U.S. loves life. That is the big difference between us."

Does Barack Hussein Obama get the message?

Given his penchant for appeasement and for ill-advised withdrawal timelines from Iraq and Afghanistan, one would think not.

Moreover, the Obama administration's newly released quadrennial outline for national and homeland defense makes no mention of "Islam," "Islamic" or "Islamist," preferring instead to reference "violent extremism."

Obama's "Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism," John Brennan (a.k.a. "Terrorist Czar"), has deflected criticism of the quadrennial reports, and of Obama's re-warming of the Clinton model for treating terrorists as "criminals" rather than "enemy combatants."

"Politics should never get in the way of national security," says Brennan, who insists that Obama's detractors are "misrepresenting the facts to score political points, instead of coming together to keep us safe." The thin-skinned Brennan has also charged that "politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qa'ida."

Obama's foreign policy is driven by nothing if not politics, and this includes his Afghanistan strategy. It's a strategy necessitated by his phony bravado during the 2008 presidential campaign -- a strategy with the ultimate aim of an easy political out.

Carnegie Endowment policy analyst Robert Kagan observes, "The new doctrine that seems to enjoy enormous cachet among the smart foreign policy set is: Fight wars until they get hard, then quit."

I prefer John Stuart Mill's assessment: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth a war, is much worse. ... A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

News From The Frontlines

How the Marines Respond to Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan

BY John McCormack

The New York Times reports:
MARJA, Afghanistan —
Twelve bodies — five children, five women and two men — were wrapped head to toe in woolen blankets, lying in a neat row on the floor of the only room remaining in a house that had been blasted to mud-brick rubble by at least one and possibly two 675-pound rockets.

A United States Marine Corps battalion commander, Lt. Col. Brian Christmas, stood in that room on Tuesday with a relative of the victims, a local elder named Hajji Mohammad Karim, and said what he could.
“I bring my deepest condolences and will provide all of my support,” the colonel
told him. There was no recrimination, only sorrow.

Read the rest, and check out the Washington Post's latest on the battle for Marja

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This Is Why We Elected Him

Virginia Attorney General Challenges EPA Power Grab on Carbon Emissions
BY John McCormack

Virginia's attorney general Ken Cuccinelli filed a petition yesterday to challenge the Environmental Protection Agency's December 7 ruling that it would regulate greenhouse gases as it would air pollutants under the Clean Air Act--a back door attempt to accomplish what Congress can't through cap and trade. Cuccinelli argues that the scandal surrounding "climate change" reports should force the EPA to reconsider its ruling. He said of the Climategate scandal at a press conference today: "This wasn't the pursuit of truth. It was political science, not science in the typical sense of the word."

As Steven F. Hayward wrote in THE WEEKLY STANDARD in December on "The EPA's Power Grab":
The greatest irony of the EPA's entry into the fray is that it may reopen the supposedly "settled" question of climate science itself, which has new salience because of the firestorm over the "climategate" scandal involving the leaked emails from the University of East Anglia. There is in addition a separate tale of leaked emails from the EPA itself that has received surprisingly little attention.

Designating carbon dioxide as a Clean Air Act "pollutant" involves a finding that CO2 is a hazard to human health. Common sense suggests this is a stretch. Unlike ozone, which burns lung tissue and harms plant growth, or airborne lead, which harms brain development in children, human beings exhale carbon dioxide--800 pounds per person per year according to the EPA--and CO2 is the primary nutrient for plant life on earth. Since the EPA can't make the case that CO2 is toxic like other air pollution, it based its endangerment finding entirely on indirect or secondary effects, specifically the possibility of more deaths from heat waves, higher ozone levels (ozone tends to rise with temperature), more insect-borne diseases and allergies, and higher vulnerability to extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes. Each of these claims rests on dubious or contested scientific findings.

In general, human health in the United States keeps improving. Deaths from heat waves in this country have been steadily declining. The EPA's own models project falling ozone levels for the next generation. Vector-borne disease rates (think malaria) correlate much more closely with wealth and poverty than with temperature, and recent research casts doubt on the super-hurricane scenarios.

But according to the Washington Post, the global warming reports have been "questioned for mistakes ranging from typographical errors to problems with sourcing." You know, a typo here, a bad footnote there--nothing so scandalous as "hid[ing] the decline" in a set of global temperature records.

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No Global warming

In light of Professor Phil Jones admission that there has been no statistical warming for 15 years,
the global warming hoax is finally falling apart. Other scientists that disagreed with the "settled science" are getting exposure.

Of course, the fact that the Earth is not warming due to AGW is not going to stop the meddlers from trying to control us. The EPA and Obama's administration is still on track to regulate CO2.

The AGW proponents, of course, complain that this means nothing, that the actual science is too complex and is settled. They still continue to promote the canard of CO2 as a "greenhouse gas."

American Thinker exposes the fraud of CO2 Long Wave Infrared Absorption.

"Computer-simulated results based on climate models are never a replacement for actual measured data, and they should never be used to draw conclusions when actual measured data contradicts those models. So the results of three different peer-reviewed papers show that over a period of 36 years, there is no reduction of OLR emissions in wavelengths that CO2 absorb. Therefore, the AGW hypothesis is disproven. "

The commenter goodspkr puts it succintly:
So we know that with examples of petty jealousy, poor record keeping, conspiracies against non-conforming scientists, the use of non-peer reviewed material in the IPCC report, conflicts of interest, and just simply poor science, the AGW industry suddenly found itself in the role it sought to put skeptics in, that is, defending itself from charges of bad science and bad motives. And now you add to this proof that AGW caused by CO2 isn't happening. Talk about kicking someone when they are down!!!

Now, comes another scandal. We "deniers" have always claimed that climate projections based on computer models are junk. Well, here is evidence that we are correct.

Peter Landesman at American Thinker:
The forecasts of global warming are based on mathematical solutions for equations of weather models. But all of these solutions are inaccurate. Therefore, no valid scientific conclusions can be made concerning global warming. The false claim for the effectiveness of mathematics is an unreported scandal at least as important as the recent climate data fraud.
His summation puts the problem in words that even politicians can understand.
As an expert in the solutions of non-linear differential equations, I can attest to the fact that the more than two-dozen non-linear differential equations in weather models are too difficult for humans to have any idea how to solve accurately. No approximation over long time periods has any chance of accurately predicting global warming. Yet approximation is exactly what the global warming advocates are doing. Each of the more than thirty models being used around the world to predict the weather is just a different inaccurate approximation of the weather equations. (Of course, this is an issue only if the model of the weather is correct. It is probably not, because the climatologists probably do not understand all of the physical processes determining the weather.)


Of course, the AGW fanatics won't let facts get in the way of their politics......

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A Message From Our Friends At Tertium Quids

After indicating all session that he supported the elimination of the corporate income tax, Speaker Howell yesterday, with only 24-hours to go before crossover, said that HB 119 was not being brought up for a vote because he “was waiting for a signal [of support] from the Governor’s office.” Of course, that matter could have been resolved at any time during the first six weeks of this year. The fact that it was not indicates that Howell was never truly on board to begin with.

After watching the Speaker’s ineffectual “leadership” since the day he rose to that position, it would be absurd to assume he has suddenly become more talented based upon an Obama-driven resurgence of Republican fortunes.

The Speaker has been too cute by half and he must understand that in today’s environment of grassroots activism there is a price to be paid for such double-dealing.

The Governor also needs to understand that we are not interested in his Obama-like, and Obama-lite, “Jobs and Opportunity Agenda.” Virginia needs to create jobs and attract business to this commonwealth by maintaining a low-tax, low-regulatory environment for all instead of some of the more touchie-feelie notions being forwarded today like bringing “green jobs” to Virginia or offering tax credits to the motion picture industry. What kind of bribe are Virginia taxpayers going to have to pay so that Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Sen. Louise Lucas, and Del. Ben Cline can have a photo-op with Sissy Spacek?

Please make two phone calls today to the Speaker’s office and to the Governor’s office to express your displeasure with the lack of action on HB 119, the elimination of Virginia’s corporate income tax.

In the current fiscal environment, we expect serious action by serious-minded legislators and Governors. Call early and often. They need to know we’re watching and that we are not amused.

Speaker Bill Howell (804) 698-1028

Governor Bob McDonnell (804) 786-2211, ext. 0 or 6

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Happy Hour Links From Last Night

Apparently Plugs hasn't heard about this new-fangled invention, the internet.

Happy Hour Links

BY John McCormack

Bill Burck and Dana Perino: Obama officials say somewhere between 190 and 300 terrorists have been convicted by the Bush administration in civilian court, but the real number is less than a dozen.

Rasmussen: Dino Rossi narrowly leads Washington's Democratic senator Patty Murray; three other Republicans trail Murray by double digits.

Vice President Biden: "I never once doubted" that the surge would settle things down in Iraq.

Operation chaos?

Pence won't run for Bayh's seat.

Bayh called Reid about his retirement after the press reported it.

Roll Call: "One Democratic source said Reid's decision last week to shelve a bipartisan jobs package negotiated between Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) played a role in Bayh's decision [to retire]."

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The Hammer With the Daily Grind

She has some other good stuff over at the Weekly Standard blog. Go see.

The Daily Grind

BY Mary Katharine Ham

And, the NYT wept: "Mr. Bayh’s decision staggered Democrats. It was the latest in a series of setbacks that illustrate just how far the party’s fortunes have fallen since President Obama came to office more than a year ago, sweeping big majorities into the House and Senate with him."
Again: "Climate experts have been forced to admit another embarrassing error in their most recent report on the threat of climate change."

It has come to this: Palestinian protesters dressed as Navi from "Avatar."

Who would try to fight Mitt Romney? (Another one of those violent right-wingers, I bet.)

Cool: "The Afghan Taliban's second in command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, was captured last week in Karachi during a joint operation by Pakistan's intelligence service and the CIA, according to U.S. and Pakistani sources."

No. 2 on the list of those who could replace Bayh for Dems is the guy who called health-care protesters "political terrorists." How populist!

Indiana Dem cries WH conspiracy to anoint Baron Hill as Dem candidate in Indiana.

Henry Paulson on how to watch the banks.

Plagiarism at the New York Times?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Congress.

Obama to announce new nuke plants.

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