Watch This Video

If you truly believe we (America) have no business in this war, watch this video.


If you still believe we (America) has no business in this war, don't come crying to me when they pop off a nuke in one of our cities.


Perhaps you are like that fool I heard on Sean Hannity's radio show earlier this week, and believe that Neville Chamberlain was the greatest diplomat in the 20th Century, and that appeasement leads peace.


The Islamic Fascists have a sickness that can only be cured by an utter and vicious beating. Their properties, their bodies, and their souls must be beaten so thoroughly that there is no doubt that they were beaten, and they will never forget who gave it them, and why.

If we (America) do not grow a spine and do this soon, we will pay for our inaction with ten,a hundred, or more lives in one fell swoop.

The spirit of Sir Winston Churhill lives on. Can you not hear it? We have been warned.

Another spirit lives on also, the spirit of millions of Jews slaughtered like cattle.
Millions of other undesirables join that spirit. Do you not hear it? "Never Again."

I fear those voices are being drowned out by a louder, more insistent voice. Hate.

Hate from the Islamic Fascists.

Hate from those suffering Bush Derangement Syndrome.

Hate from those who hate America, hate Freedom, hate our strength.

All those voices hating God, hating those who carry the least spark of the love that is God.

I still have hope that we can stave off the barbarians at the gate, and inside the city, for another generation.

The haters can be overcome, but we must rally soon.

We must gird our loins, put on our armor, mount our steeds, and meet the enemy head on, with The Sword in our hands.

Hat Tip to Subvet for pointing out this video to me. I appreciate it.

Read More

Behind the Curtain: Life as a Lefty

A new book about the lives of lefties in the UK has caused a bit of a stir.


Here is the take of a couple of bloggers I trust:


Belmont Club

Nothing so low as a Fallen Angel. When the Guardian reprinted excerpts of Nick Cohen's book about the Left it faced a storm of commentary from its readers. I have an extract, provided courtesy of a reader, which suggests why the Leftist readers would find Cohen's book infuriating. All I can say is that Cohen barely fails to scratch the surface; in terms of absurdity and tragedy, of the Leftist Deep. Here's how the Guardian describes Cohen's book, and you can guess why its readers should find it so maddening.

More...and most damning:

It is really impossible to understand the rise of fascism in the world without taking a close look at the single most destructive ideology in modern history. I still remember a close German friend telling me that it was a mistake to imagine that his country's worst export was Hitler. Far from it, he said. That honor was reserved for Karl Marx.

Maggie's Farm

It is not novel to say that socialism is dead. My argument is that its failure has brought a dark liberation to people who consider themselves to be on the liberal left. It has freed them to go along with any movement however far to the right it may be, as long as it is against the status quo in general and, specifically, America. I hate to repeat the overused quote that 'when a man stops believing in God he doesn't then believe in nothing, he believes anything', but there is no escaping it. Because it is very hard to imagine a radical leftwing alternative, or even mildly radical alternative, intellectuals in particular are ready to excuse the movements of the far right as long as they are anti-Western.

And, I may be getting a little snow. Life is good.

Read More

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 2007

The following is an excerpt. The original is here. Spread this one far and wide.

Hat Tip: Tim Peck

Here is a bucket of pearls. Please overlook the fact that the author asks your help in casting them before a herd of swine. They are pearls nonetheless.—GR.

With a new Congress convening, it’s time to recall the ideals of America as expressed by Thomas Jefferson in our Declaration of Independence. The following is a new version of the Declaration, updated to reflect the current usurpations and threats we face. It is an urgent call for our newly elected representatives to fulfill the promise of America envisioned by our Founders and for We, The People, to insist that they do.

When in the course of human events, a people find it necessary to rid themselves of a government that has abandoned the sound principles upon which it was founded and that increasingly threatens their lives and liberties, reason requires them to declare the causes of their discontent.We hold these truths to be certain and immutable, that all men by their nature possess unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness; that to protect these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just and limited powers from the consent of the governed; that individuals show respect for each other’s rights by associating with one another through voluntary consent; that an act of force against a person violates his rights; and that it is the sole, legitimate purpose of government to ban the initiation of force in society by retaliating with force against it—through the police and courts to apprehend and punish domestic criminals, the military to defend against foreign invaders, and the civil courts to settle disputes among men—thereby insuring the peace and safety of a free and civilized people.That whenever a government becomes destructive of these ends, when it becomes the very instrument of coercion it is supposed to protect against, it is the right and duty of the people to alter it and institute new government that will protect their safety and freedom. The history of the present government of the United States—with state and local governments following suit—is one of a dangerous, unchecked growth of powers leading to the ultimate perversion in which it is the government that holds the reins and the citizens that are saddled, bridled, and spurred to do its bidding. To prove this, let facts be submitted to reasonable minds.The government has violated our right to property and seized our wealth through onerous taxation that totals over 40 percent of

Read More

Sharia Jane and Black Heart Kerry

Since Jane fonda has undergone a make-over, or return to her roots as an anti-war activist, I believe it is time for a new name for Jane.


I'm thinking Sharia Jane.


WaPo story

Sharia Jane Speaks to Defeatists








Senator John Kerry (D-MA) Speaks From His Black Heart


And, John Kerry calls the USA a "pariah" nation. Mr. Senator, I would rather die on my feet fighting the Islamic Fascists than to live on my knees like you and your kind. History will spit on your grave for generations to come.

Read More

Milton Friedman Day Jan 29, 2007

Monday, January 29, 2007 is Milton Friedman Day.
Take a little time to reflect on the man, his accomplishments, and the direction in which he still points to true freedom.



Milton Friedman Day website.

Free to Choose Web Steam, 24-7

Purchase the DVDs

Free to Choose

Wikipedia Entry

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes by Milton Friedman:

"The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem. "

Read More

On Hating Horatio and The Liberal Mind

These two articles, I believe, share a common thread and are worthy of contemplation.

The first:

HATING HORATIO

Written by Dr. Jack Wheeler

Wednesday, 24 January 2007

Ancient Rome's greatest historian was Titus Livius, known to us as Livy (59 BC-17 AD). In the Second Book of his monumental history of Rome, Ab Urbe Condita (From the Founding of the City), he tells the famous story of Horatio at the Bridge. In 510 BC, Rome was threatened with destruction from an invading army of Etruscans. All Romans living in the countryside had abandoned their homes and fled for protection inside the city. The city walls were heavily garrisoned, but the most vulnerable point was a wooden bridge, the Pons Sublicius, across the river Tiber and into Rome. When Etruscan forces focused their attack on the bridge, the Roman troops guarding it fled in fear - save for one man, a soldier named Horatius, whom we call Horatio. "Proudly," says Livy, and all alone, "Horatius took his stand at the outer end of the bridge; conscious amongst the rout of fugitives, sword and shield ready for action, he prepared himself for close combat, one man against an army. The advancing enemy paused in sheer astonishment at such reckless courage." Horatio bellowed to his fleeing comrades that they burn and chop down the bridge while he fought the Etruscans off. Livy continues: Read the rest.

And the second:

The one big question I wake up with and go to sleep with each day is: How deeply into the psyche of America is this Marxist hegemony wedged? And is there a deeper level yet not touched by its vileness? For America’s sake, and the world’s, I hope so. I know that there are many in the Western World who do not fall for the false hopes of a Godless solution to the world’s ills. Will that be enough? I hope that the values engendered by 2000 years of Judeo-Christian values, which produced Europe and America, and instilled in our societies will be sufficient to recognize and to answer the call to throw off the false secular ideology of cultural Marxism.

I don’t believe there is a secular solution, but rather a spiritual solution is necessary. Spiritual solutions always begin with oneself. And the problem there is that we have rejected most of the spiritual archetypes of our ancestors. I see this as failure of pedegogy and of the clergy the world over. So we are left with raw emotion, raw courage to enter the arena, and hopefully, an innate living memory instilled by God. And yet we are doing it - we are living our lives, trying to follow the good. We have had the freedom to live and possibly to grow spiritually - because of our forefathers’ stand for liberty. What we are fighting for now is our children’s and their children’s freedom to do the same. But we must understand that in order to grow spiritually, we need to wake up and look within ourselves in honest appraisal. We are a society too focused on our own goals. We need to open up the boundaries of our own limited goals to include the world’s needs, as well.

What was once a solid, Republican base has now become tarnished by its own greed and ambition. Since there is no viable third party whose values reflect a moderate, conservative platform, we are kind of stuck with the Republicans for the foreseeable future. And there are yet good, strong voices on the right. I pray that the agenda of the cronys leave some room at the table for clear-minded leaders to come to the fore.

Read the rest.

Read More

John Edwards House Biggest and Most Valuable

RALEIGH — Presidential candidate John Edwards and his family recently moved into what county tax officials say is the most valuable home in Orange County. The house, which includes a recreational building attached to the main living quarters, also is probably the largest in the county. “The Edwardses’ residential property will likely have the highest tax value in the county,” Orange County Tax Assessor John Smith told . He estimated that the tax value will exceed $6 million when the facility is completed.The rambling structure sits in the middle of a 102-acre estate on Old Greensboro Road west of Chapel Hill. The heavily wooded site and winding driveway ensure that the home is not visible from the road. “No Trespassing” signs discourage passersby from venturing past the gate.Don Knight, Orange County building plans examiner, told CJ that, including the recreational building, the Edwardses’ home would be one of the largest in Orange County.

Carolina Journal Online

There is also an aerial photo taken of the house at the Carolina Journal website.
Click here to see a high-res version taken by Don Carrington of the Carolina Journal.

Read More

Democrat Senator Russ Feingold Plans Non Binding Treason

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., has scheduled a hearing next Tuesday in his Judiciary Committee subcommittee to explore whether Congress has the authority to cut off funding for the U.S. military campaign in Iraq. The move comes as Congress prepares to vote on a congressional resolution opposing President Bush's escalation of the war.

Feingold, a fierce war critic, will force Democrats to consider an option many consider politically suicidal: denying funds to the military and U.S. soldiers to force a quicker end to the war. Democratic leaders have privately called on members to restrain from cutting off funding and focus on congressional resolutions condemning the Bush policy. The resolutions are nonbinding and therefore symbolic.

Link to Article

Commentary

In my opinion, this is treason. The Senators who vote for such a measure should be viewed with as much revulsion as General Benedict Arnold. Senator Russ Feingold is giving Aid and Comfort to the enemy in a time of war.

Perhaps President George W. Bush should counter treason like this with a Joint Session of Congress convened with the purpose of asking for a Declaration of War against the Terror Organization al-Qaeda, and all nations and terror groups that ally with, or offer aid to the group.

It would be "Put Up or Shut Up" Time. I feel he has the authority to proceed with with the conduct of World War IV without it, but it would serve the purpose of forcing the Congress Critters to act beyond their petty concerns, and perhaps cure them of their Bush Derangement Syndrome, or the voters would at the earliest opportunity.

If America is truly a 49 v 49 nation, where 49% believe in Senator Feingold's Philosophy, then we are lost. Truly and well lost.

Read More

Sun Dogs and Sun Rings

I'm starting to post again at my photoblog, and you're welcome to check it out.

My last upload is called Sun Dogs and Sun Rings.

Read More

John Kerry Is Out for 2008

John Kerry has decided he can't win this time either. It was Fun while it lasted...Not!!!

Read More

EDITING IMPORTANT INFORMATION CAN RUIN A STORY or A WAR by Richard Rivette

This is the first in a series of Guest Commentaries I will be hosting from Conservative Activists and Commentators.

---

EDITING IMPORTANT INFORMATION CAN RUIN A STORY or A WAR
by Richard Rivette

Leave it to Reuters to omit facts or doctor photos. When they reported recently about a University of Florida study that showed two minutes in a microwave at full power could kill a range of bacteria, viruses and parasites on kitchen sponges, lots of readers tried their theory out.

The news service forgot to mention that the sponges needed to be wet. Very wet. Microwaves operate by accelerating, exciting those water molecules. But if you didn’t know that you end up with a very hard piece of rubbery substance that in some cases caught fire and filled homes with smoke. The article hit its mark and excited a frenzy of response by omitting the salient point. They could have incited a riot. And a lot of homes smell like burning tires now. The University spokesperson let news organizations know that they heard about similar complaints. They thought they should let people know “right away that the sponge should be wet.”

The university issued the following advisory: "To guard against the risk of fire, people who wish to sterilize their sponges at home must ensure the sponge is completely wet. Two minutes of microwaving is sufficient for most sterilization. Sponges should also have no metallic content. Last, people should be careful when removing the sponge from the microwave as it will be hot." Duh. And duh to the news media, the boneheads. Always able to blow up something innocuous into a disaster to suit their own needs for news. News is a product today. Boring news doesn’t sell. Death and destruction sells. So that’s what we get.

We need those kinds of advisories when receiving reports about our success in Iraq. Take the news with a grain of salt and handle with care.

What did he say? Success? Did that man just use the word Iraq and success in the same sentence?

Yes, he did Virginia, and there is a Santa Claus. You know how I know? I don’t listen to nor read the popular pabulum that passes for news today. The news organizations sensationalized the war on terror to such an extent they have rallied the American populace behind them to decry that it is another Vietnam. It isn’t. The news media spent years now defrauding the public and blaming George Bush for the world’s ills. They’ve spent every waking moment deriding everything this country has done. And only reported one imbalanced side of what has been achieved overseas.

They have demoralized our population to the point where the entire Congress was skewed left. Where people are protesting as in the 60s again. And they forgot to print that very important fact. That your sponge should be wet before inserting it in the microwave.

The American public heard about more dead soldiers today, as did the armed forces courtesy of the respectful report by armed forces radio. But here is what they did not hear. What bolsters the President’s plan to place more troops in Baghdad to quell the sectarian violence, much of which the media had a hand in creating. Reporting false stories of treatment at Guantanamo, of flushed Korans (never happened), of rape and murder by U.S. troops as if it were widespread and rampant. It isn’t. They’ve blown up any isolated incident into the second coming. So they are complicit as traitors should we fail.

What you did not hear today was that THREE of our four northern divisions in the country stood down so the Iraqi divisions could take over all forward operations. Our military will only supply medical evacuation and some logistical background assistance. The Iraqis are taking control of large sections of their country, but that’s not what you are being told.

Our Senate is passing paper resolutions to help us fail, while our troops are strategically moved in country to cordon off violent areas and search, door-to-door as needed, to end militia dominance. The mission is on track. I am sorry if some want magic solutions. The complainers and protesting idiots do not help our position overseas with North Korea, Iran, Syria and other terrorist states by undermining this administration.

They can hardly call themselves Americans. Yes. Protest. Get it out. Then sit down, shut up and join the discussion to help facilitate an end to hostilities. That means subduing the enemy. Not turning on your own brothers.

The worst part is that the media avoids any reporting of the positive side of our efforts. The chipping away at terrorist effectiveness, the killing of their leaders, the trampling of their efforts to build new inroads. We are continuing to make progress but we are told the opposite. As if the entire military is a joke.

I truly hope those liberal liars don’t ever have to face a fight here at home. They will all be shot or incinerated by an enemy who does not distinguish between those who were tolerant and those who were not. They are going to be executed and I almost believe it serves them right. When you spend your whole day defending the enemy of freedom and liberty you get what you planned to receive.

Our forces will continue the fight, as always. Our new Congress will draw incorrect conclusions from insipid news reports. And people like Keith Ellison will hold up a Jeffersonian Koran as evidence of the founding father’s tolerance. When he was not. Jefferson believed the hype of his day about Islam. At first. He wanted so much to have everyone get along. Until he read the Koran. He read it to understand his enemy.

During the period of the Barbary Coast pirates (Islamic Fascist states along North Africa), Jefferson had to deal with the Dey of Algiers among others who lead jihad against American sailors. Innocent men and boys were killed, enslaved, castrated to be eunuchs and held in prisons for years without the pleasant accommodations present at Guantanamo.

Jefferson knew his enemy and recommended all out warfare against them once he understood them. That’s why the marines sing about “the shores of Tripoli”. Because they fought their country’s battles on the land and on the sea, from the very beginning.

As they do today. They press on. And Mr. Ellison, his supporters, the Islamic Fascists, Senator Clinton, and the entire left of this country have it wrong, because they believe the hype and media reports. Jefferson knew his enemy which is more than our liberals today do.

Keep the faith USA. We will see this through in the end somehow. It is not over by a long shot, but when you have an enemy willing to work for 1,400 years for your destruction, you have to have patience as well.

Fortunately, the fools running around today are a momentary phenomenon. We will be given a sobering reminder from the enemy I am sure, now that Congress will gut the President’s ability to defend us.

So then who should we blame when it happens?

Ourselves. For allowing ourselves to be duped by the edited version of the facts. The WMDs were carted off to Syria in 56 air flights documented in many ways. They exist in expanded underground bunkers alongside Syrian missiles. And they are buried in the Bekaa valley along the border and inside Lebanon. Do you think these terrorist states are going to openly tell us they have what we are looking for? Are you that naïve? Do you think other nations did not help undermine us? Nations like Russia, Brazil, and others? They did. Germany and France have enormous economic interests in Iran. They are torn between their NATO alliances and the need to sustain their economies. Do you think they don’t look the other way sometimes?

Do you remember being told there were no terrorists in Iraq?
The Ansar al-Islam terror organization practiced hijackings using mocked up airliners in the eastern Iraqi landscape with Saddam’s blessing. The Iranians have infiltrated every facet of the country now and we are in an undeclared war against them, a people led by a man who denies the Holocaust and desires nuclear weapons to annihilate us.

Do you remember Abu Nidal the notorious terrorist who pushed a defenseless, wheelchair bound American off the side of a cruise ship, the Achillae Lauro, in Greece?
Do you know where he lived? Baghdad. Do you know who his physician was? Saddam’s. With Saddam’s blessing. How blind does on have to be to the simple plain truth?

You can disbelieve what you want. Achmedinejad told us point blank he would vaporize Israel and the US. At least he is being open about it. So what do we do when it happens?

Pray. Focus. Respond. With all the force we can muster. And end their unholy Jihad once and for all. It is a sickness that must stop. We are the only ones who can stop it if we have the courage. We have to decide that Islam is evil and it must be removed as the cancer it is from the face of humanity.

From what the media portrays we Americans are no better than those stinking, burning sponges. Given what the enemy wants to do to us, those sponges probably have it better right now.

-Richard Rivette
www.rivettegroup.com
Authority is granted to reproduce this article at will provided the notice is given that the contents are copyright 2007 Richard Rivette.
-30-

Read More

Red Skies at Night

I took this photo the other day at sunset near Sylva, NC.

Read More

2007 State of The Union & Response

I missed the speech because it was delivered past my bedtime, and will not be able to hear it, until I download it from the web from a public terminal. Seems I forgot to record it. Until then, there are transcripts available.

2007 State of the Union delivered by President George W. Bush


2007 Democrat Response delivered by James Webb


Zawahiri's Prebuttal (notice how it sounds like the democrat Response)


The Freedom Fighter's Journal


I'll prob have a personal response by tomorrow morning, until then, check out my list of responses over at West Carolina Report.

Read More

Amazing Photos from russian Pilot

A Big Hat Tip Goes to Pajamas Media for this find.


Click here to see more.

Read More

Area Teen Faces Deportation

This is one of the type of immigrant the America needs. Someone willing to go through the hurdles of the legal system to become an American. The fate of all those bureaucrats, however, should be the same as all the bureaucrats in the State Department, unemployment.

A portion of the story is below, and the entire article is here:

ASHEVILLE — Seventeen-year-old Rubidia Carballo will leave Roberson High School Wednesday not sure if she will ever see her friends again.

If a court hearing in Atlanta doesn’t go her way, Carballo fears also she might not return to the home she has known since age 8, when she fled her family’s native El Salvador.

The Carballos traveled, mostly by foot, through Central America and across the U.S.-Mexico border to find work and a future in the United States.

Protection status given the family has allowed them to stay, though the Carballos said they have been unable to learn from government officials and immigration lawyers why Rubidia recently lost that designation, an issue to come up in the court hearing.

Commentary

This is part of the oxymoronic state of affairs in America, if this girl, and her family, had come here illegally, they would face no problems of this sort.
What kind of lesson does that teach others?
Becoming an American is not easy, as Paul Purdue can tell you.

I believe the process is too expensive, and mind-numbingly full of bureaucratic hogwash.

At least Attorney general Alberto Gonzales won't order a S.W.A.T. Team in to take the girl back, like AG Janet Reno did, huh?

Read More

AC-T: 3 WNC Politicos Seek Key Roles

The article is here, and an excerpt below:

Charles Thomas

Charles Thomas, an Asheville Republican, is the newest delegation member.

He narrowly defeated Democrat Doug Jones in November to capture the seat held by former Rep. Wilma Sherrill for six terms. Sherrill announced her retirement nearly a year ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

At 34, Thomas is one of the youngest members of the 2007 freshmen class. Newcomers rarely win positions of power during their first term. But Thomas will be watched to see how his style compares to Sherrill’s. She was considered an icon in the General Assembly for her determination to get resources to Western North Carolina.

Commentary

If his "style" is like Wilma Sherrill, then Charles Thomas will be a RINO.

Read More

Jim Quinn: Poverty Is A Choice

The length is about 6 and a half minutes.

This is Jim Quinn spreading Wisdom to the listeners of his Radio Show, Quinn & Rose, which is on XM165 from 6am to 9am weekdays. Their website is called The War Room.

Their terrestrial affiliates are in the Northeast, spreading to Kentucky and Ohio, where they have recently been put on a former Air America station. If only he could be on 880 in Asheville as well.

Read More

Minutemen To Be Declared Domestic Terrorists If Bill Passes In Arizona

I received notification in my email of this dangerous piece of legislation proposed in the Arizona Legislature:

Hat Tip: Paul

HB 2286 Domestic terrorism; classification

13-2320. Domestic terrorism; classification

A. AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS COMMITS DOMESTIC TERRORISM IF THE INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH A LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY AND ASSOCIATE WITH ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS AS AN ORGANIZATION, GROUP, CORPORATION OR COMPANY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PATROLLING TO DETECT ALLEGED ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OR TO INDIVIDUALLY PATROL FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETECTING ALLEGED ILLEGAL ACTIVITY AND IF THE INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS IS ARMED WITH A FIREARM OR OTHER WEAPON.

B. ANY CITY, TOWN OR COUNTY THAT SUFFERS INJURY ARISING OUT OF A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION MAY MAINTAIN AN ACTION IN SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE RECOVERY OF DAMAGES OR FOR AN INJUNCTION, OR BOTH. THE COURT MAY AWARD THE SUCCESSFUL PARTY REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES.

C. IF THE COURT SENTENCES THE DEFENDANT TO A TERM OF PROBATION, THE COURT SHALL ORDER THAT AS AN INITIAL CONDITION OF PROBATION THE DEFENDANT BE IMPRISONED IN THE COUNTY JAIL FOR A PERIOD OF NOT LESS THAN SIX MONTHS. THIS JAIL TERM OF INCARCERATION SHALL NOT BE DEFERRED, DELETED OR OTHERWISE SUSPENDED AND SHALL COMMENCE ON THE DATE OF SENTENCING. THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO PERSONS WHO ARE SENTENCED TO SERVE A PERIOD OF INCARCERATION IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.

D. A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION IS A CLASS 5 FELONY

Sponsored by

Kyrsten Sinema

Democrat District 15

Phone Number: (602) 926-5058

Fax Number: (602) 417-3015

Email Address: ksinema@azleg. gov

AZ Central

Her Legislative Home Page

Read More

Tom Tancredo for President 2008

There were other people this week who announced Exploratory Committees, and one of them was Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO). His website is here, and I have cribbed a letter from his website below:

Dear Friend,

I am writing to you today as a friend, and as a fellow believer in the cause of securing America's borders. My purpose is to obtain your support as I embark upon a path that may lead to the Republican nomination for the presidency of the United States. The decision to pursue this arduous and undeniably uphill battle is because I, like you, have a duty to do everything I can to keep faith with those who risked their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor" to create this wonderful place we call America. I am considering this campaign because of my commitment to real immigration reform: reform that first and foremost is dedicated to the security and well-being of the citizens of the United States, and to respect for the rule of law in our beloved nation. I am also considering this campaign because I believe the Republican Party and its leaders must recommit themselves to limited, smaller government; fiscal responsibility; and honesty in public office. Last November, the Republican Party paid a high price for abandoning those principles; we will not regain the trust of the voters and a congressional majority until we reclaim them. I am proud that I was one of a handful of Republican members of Congress who voted against both "No Child Left Behind," a federal betrayal of local control of education, and the fiscally irresponsible Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit. When I was elected to Congress in 1998, I made immigration reform my top priority, much to the scorn and derision of the political and business elites who are addicted to the flow of cheap illegal labor into America. But, as I look at the current presidential candidates, Republican and Democratic, I simply do not see one who reflects the grassroots, majority belief of Americans that our borders must be secured, that employers who hire illegals must be prosecuted, and that no one who has broken our immigration laws should ever be put on a "pathway to citizenship." After a lot of prayer, and long talks with my wife Jackie and our children, I have decided I am willing to put myself forward as a candidate for president in order, above everything else, to advance our immigration reform agenda, and to reclaim the Republican Party for its core conservative values. So, I am seeking your advice and counsel. I am doing so by asking you to answer two questions for me. Do you believe I should seek the Republican presidential nomination, to fight to secure our borders and to reassert traditional conservative Republican principles including limited, smaller government, fiscal responsibility and honesty in office? Will you back up your support with a financial contribution to my presidential exploratory committee, "Tancredo for a Secure America?" But this campaign cannot just be about me. It has to be about securing our nation at its borders, protecting American jobs, respecting our laws and our cultural identity, and reclaiming the Republican Party for its best values. That means for this campaign to go forward and succeed, it must be about us...you and me. You and I need to agree that we will work together to battle the special interests which now control both parties, and which are so committed to open borders and amnesty for illegal aliens. You and I need to agree that we will dig in, work hard, and raise the money to effectively challenge the deep pockets of the Republican candidates who are talking a good game about immigration, but who are, in fact, supporting amnesty. If you and I decide I should run, I am not going to ask you to travel with me to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in the months ahead, on the many weekend and overnight trips away from my family that I will commit my time to between votes in Congress. That will be my job. But I will count on you to tell your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and your family about our campaign....and invite them to join it! And I also will count on you to help me with your financial support, especially now. I simply cannot move ahead without your help, and the help of thousands of patriotic Americans like you . I am ready to be David against the establishment's Goliath, but I need you to help me load my sling-shot! Thank you for your commitment to the struggle to secure our borders. I look forward to hearing back from you soon. Sincerely, Tom Tancredo P.S. So many wonderful people in the critical primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina have already asked if they could volunteer to help us. There is tremendous excitement building! It would be a big help to me as I make my decision if I could hear back from you as soon as possible. Tom Tancredo

Read More

Nathan Hale Died for a Dumb Nation

John Armor has posted another good one at Free Republic, so get thee hence.


A taste:

A Google News search for terrorist, rules and trials turned up 353 articles on the regulations just established for the trials of terrorists by military tribunals. The leading articles were by the New York Times and the BBC. Interestingly, none of them mentioned Nathan Hale.

The articles get in a high dudgeon because terrorists can be tried “based on hearsay,” and might be “executed.” Most importantly, all of these writers and editors act as if this were a brand-new phenomenon. Apparently both history education and books are in short supply in the mainstream media.

Let’s review.

Nathan Hale was hanged by the British in 1776 as a spy. On his first assignment he revealed his mission to a lady who was a British spy. He made a memorable statement just before his execution, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country,”

Compare that with the execution of Major John Andre by the Americans in 1980. Andre was captured behind American lines in civilian clothes. Hidden in his boot was the plan for the betrayal of the garrison at West Point by General Benedict Arnold. Arnold got word of Andre’s capture, and fled to the British lines. Andre was convicted as an “illegal combatant,” and hanged.

What relevance do these two trials and execution have to do with the events of this week? They are foursquare examples of the conduct of such trials. They happened under the Law of War, centuries old at the time of the American Revolution and still appling today.

Read More

Barking Moonbat Hall of Fame 2006

The Barking Moonbat Early Warning System has announced the new inductee into the Hall of Fame for 2006.

Go on over and read the announcement.

Read More

Hillary Clinton Makes It Official: She's "In To Win"

This is a developing story, and I will have links available at my Drudge-Clone...West Carolina Report. Check in there to see my developing list of links.

Here is the announcement from her website:

I'm in. And I'm in to win.

Today I am announcing that I will form an exploratory committee to run for president.

And I want you to join me not just for the campaign but for a conversation about the future of our country -- about the bold but practical changes we need to overcome six years of Bush administration failures.

I am going to take this conversation directly to the people of America, and I'm starting by inviting all of you to join me in a series of web chats over the next few days.

The stakes will be high when America chooses a new president in 2008.

As a senator, I will spend two years doing everything in my power to limit the damage George W. Bush can do. But only a new president will be able to undo Bush's mistakes and restore our hope and optimism.

Only a new president can renew the promise of America -- the idea that if you work hard you can count on the health care, education, and retirement security that you need to raise your family. These are the basic values of America that are under attack from this administration every day.

And only a new president can regain America's position as a respected leader in the world.

I believe that change is coming November 4, 2008. And I am forming my exploratory committee because I believe that together we can bring the leadership that this country needs. I'm going to start this campaign with a national conversation about how we can work to get our country back on track.

This is a big election with some very big questions. How do we bring the war in Iraq to the right end? How can we make sure every American has access to adequate health care? How will we ensure our children inherit a clean environment and energy independence? How can we reduce the deficits that threaten Social Security and Medicare?

No matter where you live, no matter what your political views, I want you to be a part of this important conversation right at the start. So to begin, I'm going to spend the next several days answering your questions in a series of live video web discussions. Starting Monday, January 22, at 7 p.m. EST for three nights in a row, I'll sit down to answer your questions about how we can work together for a better future. And you can participate live at my website. Sign up to join the conversation here.

I grew up in a middle-class family in the middle of America, where I learned that we could overcome every obstacle we face if we work together and stay true to our values.

I have worked on issues critical to our country almost all my life. I've fought for children for more than 30 years. In Arkansas, I pushed for education reform. As First Lady, I helped to expand health care coverage to millions of children and to pass legislation that dramatically increased adoptions. I also traveled to China to affirm that women's rights are human rights.

And in the Senate, I have worked across party lines to get billions more for children's health care, to stop the president's plan to privatize Social Security, and to make sure the victims and heroes of 9/11 and our men and women in uniform receive the fair treatment they deserve. In 2006, I led the successful fight to make Plan B contraception available to women without a prescription.

I have spent a lifetime opening opportunities for tens of millions who are working hard to raise a family: new immigrants, families living in poverty, people who have no health care or face an uncertain retirement.

The promise of America is that all of us will have access to opportunity, and I want to run a 2008 campaign that renews that promise, a campaign built on a lifetime record of results.

I have never been afraid to stand up for what I believe in or to face down the Republican machine. After nearly $70 million spent against my campaigns in New York and two landslide wins, I can say I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate, and how to beat them.

I need you to be a part of this campaign, and I hope you'll start by joining me in this national conversation.

As we campaign to win the White House, we will make history and remake our future. We can only break barriers if we dare to confront them, and if we have the determined and committed support of others.

This campaign is our moment, our chance to stand up for the principles and values that we cherish; to bring new ideas, energy, and leadership to a uniquely challenging time. It's our chance to say "we can" and "we will."

Let's go to work. America's future is calling us.

Read More

Video: Cruise Missilies Flying in Formation

This is a cool sight!



Hat Tip: Garfield Ridge

Read More

The Rise and Fall of Jimmy Carter

Excerpts taken from Commentary Magazine.
Read the Entire Article Here. [Be advised to have plenty of Duct Tape on hand. --Ed.]


The Rise:

Carter ran for governor of Georgia against Carl Sanders, who had served in the post previously, earning a reputation as one of the early “Southern moderates.” (Georgia law prohibited serving two terms consecutively.) In the campaign, Carter presented himself as, in his words, “a local Georgia conservative Democrat . . . basically a redneck.” This formulation was calculated to convey a message about his stand on racial issues: a message of resistance to racial integration, if not of out-and-out racism. He reinforced the same message by making a campaign stop at a whites-only private school, and by promising to invite Alabama Governor George Wallace, the champion of segregation, to address the state legislature.

Topping it off was Carter’s reaction when, as a result of the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Lester Maddox emerged as his running mate. Maddox, a restaurateur and Sanders’s successor as governor, had gained notoriety by distributing to the customers of his whites-only establishment ax handles with which to batter any blacks who might seek to be served there. Carter took the pairing in stride, characterizing Maddox as “the essence of the Democratic party.”

But no sooner had he won office than he executed his remarkable shift on race, a move that landed him on the cover of Time as the apotheosis of the “new South” and made him a nationally recognized figure. The cause of this about-face is still a matter of conjecture. Since he was barred from running for re-election, it is possible that he was already weighing a presidential run and thinking in terms of a national audience. Or he may have long harbored liberal views that he had deliberately concealed. In any event, one of his associates later explained that it was Carter’s way to “run conservative and govern liberal.” He was soon to put that formula to use again.

The Hypocisy (Or Pinnacle)

The effect was exacerbated by one of Carter’s personality tics, strange in a man who boasted so often of his honesty: a compulsion to engage in flattery. At times, this could manifest itself toward a rightist ally like the Shah of Iran. Just months before the outbreak of the revolution that culminated in his toppling, Carter declared in a toast that Iran was an “island of stability” thanks to the “love which your people give you.” But the impulse expressed itself most strongly toward leftist strongmen. Carter hailed Yugoslav dictator Josip Broz Tito as “a man who believes in human rights” and as a “great and courageous leader” who “has led his people and protected their freedom almost for the last forty years.” Visiting Poland, then ruled by the Stalinist hack Edward Gierek, he offered a toast to its “enlightened leaders” and declared that “our concept of human rights is preserved in Poland . . . much better than other European nations with which I am familiar.” He outdid himself in receiving Romania’s iron-fisted ruler, Nicolae Ceausescu, enthusing:

"Our goals are the same, to have a just system of economics and politics, to let the people of the world share in growth, in peace, in personal freedom, and in the benefits to be derived from the proper utilization of natural resources. We believe in enhancing human rights. We believe that we should enhance, as independent nations, the freedom of our own people."

The Fall

When it comes to Israel, it would take a book to catalogue all of Carter’s false or wildly misleading statements on matters historical, political, military, and diplomatic. Kenneth Stein, a Middle East expert at the Carter Center who had helped write The Blood of Abraham, resigned to protest the latest book. “It is replete with factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions, and simply invented segments,” Stein wrote. “Aside from the one-sided nature of the book . . . there are recollections cited from meetings where I was the third person in the room, and my notes of those meetings show little similarity to points claimed in the book.”

What is to explain Carter’s passion against Israel? This question is not easy to answer. A recent article in the online journal FrontPage enumerated some of the millions of dollars that the Carter Center receives from Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Arab states, but it is hard to know whether this is inducement or merely a benefit of Carter’s position. It is also true that opposition to Israel fits seamlessly into the ex-President’s leftist/third-worldist outlook in general. But this too does not explain the blind intensity of his obsession.

Commentary

From a man who promised "I will not lie to you," there has been nothing but lies.

The Carter Center has received most of its funding from anti-Israeli sources, many of them from the Saudi Royal Family. [Investors Business Daily] [Discover The Networks]

I guess we all should have seen his vicious response to a poor, helpless rabbit trying to get out of the water as a window into his soul.

And why does the Legacy Media not pick up on the distortions, plagiarisms, lies, and outright hate spewed in his latest book? I hold that they share his bigotry.

Read More

Subs lost in Underground Ocean

While waiting for the news on XM Radio 165 this morning, I overheard someone saying that U.S. Submarines Thresher and Scorpion were really lost while exploring the ocean underneath the United States.

Of course, the program was discussing the Hollow Earth Theory. At least there are people that are stupider than the Flat Earthers, but not the 9/11 Conspiracy Retards.

Kind of puts the Theory of Evolution into perspective, don't it?

Read More

Asheville Police criticize Dr. Mumpower's efforts to Combat Drug Dealers

The article I am responding to is here.

In the article, two officers are listed as sending emails opposed to Dr. Mumpower's efforts. A Sgt Michael Yelton, and a Lt Chris Young.



Michael Yelton

Sgt. Mike Yelton, in an e-mail to his supervisor, said Mumpower distracted an officer watching for signs of trouble in a stop that involved a cocaine seizure.

“I immediately thought this was a strange occurrence, but assumed he was conducting another of his many forays into law enforcement,” Yelton wrote.

“I was left with the distinct impression that Dr. Mumpower desired an immediate and personal response to his presence and waiting was not an option,” he wrote.

Hogan and City Manager Gary Jackson were included in the exchange of messages.

Mumpower made them public Wednesday, saying he heard of the complaints only one hour before a City Council meeting Tuesday night during which he criticized police.

Hogan would not comment Wednesday and would not say whether Mumpower should have been criminally charged.

First things first...Sgt Yelton's attitude toward Mumpower per his statement "forays into law enforcement" reveals a "group think" attitude. He seems to think that law enforcement is the domain of a knighted few, instead of every citizen's duty. APD has always had a bad rep, and their response isn't helping. I still remember the way APD handled demonstrators against the war in 2003. While I strongly disagree with the anti-war movement, they have a right to peaceably assemble.

Sounds like a typical strategy of attacking the messenger when the message is too dangerous. I can't help but wonder what the Asheville Police Department would do with photographic and Video Evidence of Drug Activity. Would they go after the providers of such data? I think so.

As a resident of a far western county, I can report that Asheville has been perceived as the regional hub of drug activity.

Chief Hogan should capitalize on this effort by Dr. Mumpower, and work with him, instead of against him. I smell a bureacratic tendency to 'protect his turf' from competition. Bureaucrats are the petty little tyrants that will destroy the fabric of our once free Republic. This is so sad. It is too bad that we are headed down this path.

I think of all the minds going to waste, and I wonder if Chief Hogan should set up a parallel hotline to Crime Stoppers for the Drug Dealers, and objecting APD Officers (And Mayor Bellamy) to use to report Dr. Mumpower's activities and call it Crime Enablers.

Read More

Benny Parsons 1941 to 2007

Benny Parsons passed away on January 16, 2007 in Charlotte, NC.


He was a NASCAR Champion, Broadcaster, and All-Around Good Guy.


My prayers are with his family and friends.



The only eulogy I will offer is this, "You couldn't help but like the guy."


That, I believe says it all.


More information

Wikipedia Entry

Website

Radio Show

Read More

The Quranic Concept of War

Strike Terror Into Their Hearts

By Sean Osborne, Associate Director, Military Affairs

15 January 2007: This past Friday I began reading a review essay written by my friend, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph C. Myers, of a book commissioned by the late-President of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq. The book was written by Pakistani Army Brigadier General S.K. Malik and entitled “The Quranic Concept of War” (Also variously spelled Qur'anic). In performing my due diligence research for this article it occurred to me that LTC Myers review of this book, in all truth, is the first ever done by a senior western military officer. As cited by LTC Myers in his essay, an observation made by Paul Sperry in his article posted December 14, 2005 on the FrontPageMag.com website (http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=20539 ) was the truth of the matter until LTC Myers review came along:

“Four years into the war on terror, US intelligence officials tell me there are no baseline studies of the Muslim prophet Muhammad or his ideological or military doctrine found at either the CIA or Defense Intelligence Agency, or even the war colleges.”

Read More

Mumpower deserves backing for tough stance on drugs

by Jeff Goss
published January 16, 2007 12:15 am


I am writing in response to the article, “Mayor: Mumpower’s actions are ‘overstepping’ boundaries,” (AC-T, Jan. 7), by Adam Behsudi.

It is a fact that Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower has taken on hard drugs and their dealers almost single-handedly, save for a few concerned citizens and some good folks at the Chamber and in school administration. But I don’t think that he is tackling this project alone by choice; I happen to know he welcomes help from anyone willing, especially the city and police department.


Mumpower has spent his time heading a weekly meeting as chairman of the Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission, with a mission to eliminate hard drugs and their dealers from our homeland. He has organized countless walks in drug-ridden neighborhoods to protest the dominance of drug dealing, often with children within sight, and orchestrated educational forums in schools and neighborhoods. Mum-power has spent countless hours creating and printing posters and billboards, and campaigning to help steer the vulnerable teen away from drugs, offering a reward to those who turn in a “hard drug” dealer.

Is Mumpower overstepping his boundaries? Maybe overstepping his own personal boundaries by giving too much of his personal time and money to campaign against the force of “hard drug dealers.” Meanwhile, little if any of our high property taxes are being spent on this rising problem to prevent Asheville from becoming like other larger metropolitan areas, steeped in drug dealers and the crime that goes along with it.

Link to Entire Artice at Asheville Citizen-Times

Commentary

Hold on Dr. Mumpower, reinforcements are on the way!

Read More

Fallacy of the Chickenhawk Argument

Senator Barbara Boxer used the equivalent of the Chickenhawk Argument that has been used to shut people up when they offer a cogent argument that cannot be refuted.


SFGate Coverage.




You Tube of Dr. Rice Responding

Here is the best response to the chickenhawk fallacy:

CHICKENHAWKS

Let’s shag a few easy fly balls to warm up, shall we?

The Chickenhawk argument goes something like this: anyone who favors military action should not be taken seriously unless they themselves are willing to go and do the actual fighting. This particular piece of work is an anti-war crowd attempt to silence the debate by ruling that the other side is out of bounds for the duration. Like all ad hominem attacks, (argumentum ad hominem means “argument against the person”) it is an act of intellectual surrender. The person who employs an ad hominem attack is admitting they cannot win the debate on merit, and hope to chuck the entire thing out the window by attacking the messenger. This is a logical fallacy of the first order, because the messenger is not the message.

The messenger is not the message. That’s all you need to throw away the entire Chickenhawk response. But why stop there when this one is so much fun?

If you ever see this charge again, you may want to reflect that person’s own logical reasoning in the following fashion: You may not talk about education unless you are willing to become a teacher. You may not discuss poverty unless you yourself are willing to go and form a homeless shelter. How dare you criticize Congress unless you are willing to go out and get elected yourself? Your opinion on a National Health Care System is negated out of hand since you are unwilling to get a medical degree and open a clinic. And as far as your opinions regarding the Democratic Underground or The Huffington Post are concerned, well, you can just keep them to yourself, mister, unless you can produce an advanced degree in Abnormal Psychology and Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Using the internal reasoning behind the Chickenhawk argument means you cannot comment on, speak about or even hold an opinion on any subject that is not part of your paying day job. It is simple-minded and profoundly anti-democratic, which is why it so deeply appeals to those who sling it around the most.

But wait! There’s more!

If you accept the Chickenhawk argument – that only those actually willing to go and fight have a legitimate opinion on the subject of war – then that means that any decision to go to war must rest exclusively in the hands of the military. Is that what this person really wants? To abandon civilian control of the military? That’s the box they have trapped themselves in with this argument. Now to be perfectly honest, I think Robert Heinlein made a very compelling case for just this line of reasoning in Starship Troopers (the book, not the clueless projected travesty). Heinlein said that the only people who should be allowed to vote are those that have served in the military, since only they are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the state. I don’t agree with that. I think civilian control of the military has been one of the pillars of our nation’s success, and it has withstood the test of both World Wars and Civil ones. But that is the world you are stuck in when you toss that little Chickenhawk grenade.

Finally, if the only legitimate opinion on Iraq, say, is that held by the troops themselves, then they are overwhelmingly in favor of being there and finishing what they started. I recently received an e-mail from an Army major who is heading back for his fourth tour. The Chickenhawk argument, coming from an anti-war commentator, legitimizes only those voices that overwhelmingly contradict the anti-war argument.

Read More

Which Sci-Fi Crew Would You Best Fit In With?

All I can say is YES!!!
I'm also glad that Battlestar Galactica and Deep Space Nine made it high on the list.

You scored as Serenity (Firefly). You like to live your own way and don't enjoy when anyone but a friend tries to tell you should do different. Now if only the Reavers would quit trying to skin you. Serenity (Firefly) 100% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 81% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 81% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 75% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 75% Moya (Farscape) 69% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 63% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 56% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 50% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 44% SG-1 (Stargate) 38% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 31% Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

Read More

Frankly Hilarious

Someone just IMed a link to this video...since I'm on dial-up, it's gonna take another 10-15 minutes for it all to load, but what I've seen so far so hilarious. Congressman McHenry played the Chair like a fiddle.


The next two years might have some entertainment value, after all, like the ASheville City Council Meetings.

Read More

Comet McNaught Now Visible in Daylight

I found this at Space Weather, and I can't wait to try it. I've also got a new camera that might be up to the task of recording my find. Updates later. Find a copy and paste of the article below:

DAYTIME COMET: Comet McNaught is now visible in broad daylight. "It's fantastic," reports Wayne Winch of Bishop, California. "I put the sun behind a neighbor's house to block the glare and the comet popped right into view. You can even see the tail."

This trick is best performed around local noon: Go outside and stand in the shadow of a building. Face south. The comet lies 5 degrees to the left of the sun. (Five degrees is the width of your fist held at arm's length.)

Photo credit: Thorsten Boeckel of Bavaria, Germany

You may not see anything at first, but don't give up. Scan the blue sky until your eyes alight upon the comet. Once seen, you'll wonder how you could've missed it.

This weekend is a special time for Comet McNaught because it is passing close to the sun. Solar heat is causing the comet to vaporize furiously and brighten to daylight visibility. At magnitude -4 to -5, McNaught is the brightest comet since Ikeya-Seki in 1965.

Binoculars dramatically improve the view of the comet, allowing you to see structure within the tail. But please be super-careful not to look at the sun. Direct sunlight through binoculars can cause permanent eye damage.

Read More

Nancy’s Culture of Corruption, Part II by John Armor

You may find this article in its context at Free Republic. I have swipped the whole thing, and posted it here. The comments at Free Republic are eloquent, so I won't add to them.

---

So, the House of Representatives has passed its Federal Minimum Wage Act as one of its “first 100 hours priorities,” per the new Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. But it turns out that the “raise” for all Americans contains two exemptions. One is for the Northern Mariana Islands and one for American Samoa.
The Mariana Islands have a special low minimum wage. They have a Republican “representative” to Congress, who is not a “Congressman.” Their interests have, until recently, had the disgraced Jack Abramoff as their spokesman and operative.

American Samoa has a better deal. They are totally exempt from the minimum wage. They have a Congressman, Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, who is a Democrat, and who has voting rights in committees and on the floor of the House (so long as his vote doesn’t control the outcome). Congressman Faleomavaega is well funded by Starkist, whose tuna-packing plant in American Samoa now pays $3.60 an hour as opposed to the new federal minimum of $7.25 after two years.

So, the difference if the federal minimum applied would be about $3.65 an hour. Assuming 40 hour weeks, and 50 weeks a year – it is doubtful that the tuna packers in American Samoa are getting paid vacations – the difference amounts to $7,300 per worker, per year. So, 150 workers represent $1 million off the bottom line of Starkist, if they had to pay the federal minimum wage.

My understanding is that the plant employs about 300 Samoans. So, that’s $2 million a year saved by the exemption. If the plant is running two shifts, that would be $4 million a year saved.

Does Starkist have any friends more powerful than Congressman Faleomavaega? Why, yes. Starkist is owned by Del Monte, headquartered in San Francisco, represented for the past two decades by, tah dah, new Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. And the total exemption of American Samoa is not new, it has been around for about two decades.

Have the good folks at Del Monte made significant contributions to their Congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi? I imagine they have, and leave the interesting research to others at www.fec.gov. Cross reference that with the Board of Directors and top employees of Del Monte and Starkist – both lists available on the Internet.

But there is one final wrinkle in this story. The Democrats, and an unfortunate majority of the economically-illiterate press, have been describing this as a “raise for all Americans.” It is a raise for some, imposed by law. But it is a pink slip for some Americans. A basic law of economics is that when you raise the price of anything, you decrease the amount that will sell. This is a fundamental law, like gravity, or the fact that water runs downhill.

The press, mostly, and the Democrats, universally, pretend that there is no downside to any increase in the required minimum age. But there is. The situation in American Samoa may prove this point nine ways from Sunday.

When confronted with the American Samoan situation yesterday, Speaker Pelosi blinked continuously while saying that this “mistake” would be “corrected.” I thought she was surgically incapable of blinking, but there she was on TV looking like a perp in a spotlight. She didn’t say how the “mistake” came to be. It remains to be seen whether the “correction” will be made.

But if the minimum IS applied in American Samoa, Starkist will likely move its plant one island over, from American Samoa to the independent island of Samoa, where American law does not apply. Then the plant can continue operating with a pay rate of $3.60. And 300 or so American jobs will have disappeared as a direct result of the federal minimum wage law. Neither Speaker Pelosi nor any other Democrat wants that economic fact proved in such an obvious way that even the sleepiest reporter would notice it.
Is Nancy Pelosi an example for women? Yes. She’s an example that women can be just as bought and paid for as men, when they take money from major benefactors and then do favors for those donors. Not exactly a bright and shiny example, but an example, nonetheless.

---

Read More

Mass Murderer: The Life and Death of Che Guevera

Photo of Che I swiped from The Freedom Fighter's Journal.


Find out the true story behind the scum of the earth worshipped by lefty America-haters.

Click here to go to The Freedom Fighter's Journal.

Read More

Asheville Citizen-Times Sides With Drug Dealers Part II

The following is in response to a comment to Asheville Citizen-Times Sides With Drug Dealers:



Screwy Hoolie said...

What are you talking about, TP? I can't figure out your point. You quote the article that explains that we've increased enforcement and prosecution of drug laws, yet you find fault because...???

...the way the drug laws are enforced locally serve to support an entire industry in the court system, social services, mental health, and associated fields who are parasites to the problem. Cut down on the open air drug dealing, and some people might have to work for a living in the above industries.


I guess you're saying that government needs to do more to arrest drug users, but inferring that the newspaper, the television, and the city council are pro-drug dealer is, frankly, untrue.

The article you quote is the most damning evidence against your strange theorem. The city has done more, not less, and will continue to do so.

The above mentioned people are acting as enablers for the problem to continue by halting a whistle-blower who has exposed public corruption in these people, and ourselves. We have been complacent with this problem. By their actions, those who oppose Dr. Mumpower's efforts now become complicit in allowing the drug dealers to operate openly.


I don't think keeping Dr. Mumpower out of the police cars is going to make a difference.

Au contraire, it has made all the difference in the world!!!
Keeping Dr. Mumpower out of police cars was supposed to have kept him from making the problem public. Their clumsy political effort has backfired. Now people are talking about the problem of open air drug dealing in Asheville, NC.
And now, Dr. Mumpower is not alone in his quest to free the victims of the drug trade.

Further, when the man stole crack from someone in the projects, he became a drug thief.

If you truly believe that, file charges.

Strange days when the conservative blogger attacks the police for increasing enforcement of drug laws while getting behind the crack thief...

Strange days indeed.

Strange days, indeed. The conservative blogger wishes to see people freed from misery; not to be used as cogs in the wheels that support an entire industry that profits from their misery.

There is enough blame to go around...will you join Dr. Mumpower in solving the problem he has exposed?

Or will you continue to attempt to score political points at the expense of those poor souls who live in the projects, and those who have erroneously chosen a life of crime?

Read More

LInk: Kennedy Kare

I just found this...get thee hence.

Read More

Asheville Citizen-Times Sides With Drug Dealers

I just read an editorial in the AC-T that has sent me into orbit.


For those of you not familiar with the story so far, a briefing is in order:

There is an Asheville City Council named Dr. Carl Mumpower who has been active in attempting to deal with the very large drug problem in Asheville, NC. Most of it seems to be centered, as it is nation-wide, around the Public Housing Projects. He has been involved with prevention programs, etc. and has been observing the open-air drug markets, and reporting them. Until recently, he has been riding with law enforcement. Asheville has a new Mayor, Terry Bellamy, and a new Police Chief, Bill Hogan. He is no longer allowed to ride with law enforcement.

He made an appearance on a local talk show, "Take A Stand with Matt Mittan."
Right Click to download MP3.
Hour One Topics: Jim Black cocky to the finish, New taxes and fees to pay for what the lottery didn't deliver, APD reports on drug arrests and more. Listen live weekdays 3pm-6pm at mattcave.us

Hour Two Topics: Terror links in NC and more on drugs in Asheville. Guest: Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower. Listen live weekdays 3pm-6pm at mattcave.us

Hour Three Guest: Carl Munpower. Listen live weekdays 3pm-6pm at mattcave.us


Here is the end of that editorial:

Mumpower deserves praise and appreciation for his unrelenting crusade against them. He organized and chairs the Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission, an impressive group of community leaders dedicated to “preventing and addressing the causes and consequences of hard drugs in our community.” He spends his free time holding “community days” in public housing, giving out basketballs, cleaning up litter and other such activities.

It is, however, possible to fault his conclusions about who to blame for the problem. Mumpower wants to blame council and the Asheville Police Department for not doing enough to combat drugs.

However, statistics released by the department earlier this week showed that Asheville police made 127 drug arrests per 10,000 in population in 2005, the highest drug arrest rate among any of the state’s other 10 largest cities. Mumpower’s reaction: It simply shows “we’re failing a little less.”

In October 2004, Police Chief Bill Hogan created a dedicated Drug Suppression Unit.

Since that time felony drug arrests have increased 40 percent.

These are not statistics from a department that is “complacent,” as Mumpower has charged.

No matter how many arrests police make, their efforts will have little deterrent value if drug dealers see the police as more of a nuisance than a real threat to their livelihood. Many of those arrested for drug crimes are bonded out and back on the street before the arresting officers can complete the paperwork, criminal justice officials say.

Once they come to court, short sentences for drug felonies under structured sentencing, a shortage of prison beds and an under-funded court system conspire to put drug dealers back in circulation in a matter of weeks or months, said District Attorney Ron Moore.

Mumpower’s efforts are to be commended because they keep the problem before the public and encourage us to continue trying to find solutions.

But overcoming the scourge of drugs will take more than increasing the number of police officers in public housing, where about 41 percent of drug arrests are made.

That means the other 59 percent are made in other neighborhoods throughout the city.

Societal ills such as poverty, school dropouts and dysfunctional families contribute to the problem.

From a law enforcement standpoint, Mumpower needs to look at the big picture and direct more of his efforts toward state lawmakers, who control the sentencing structure and the purse strings for the court system.

What the power structure, including the AC-T fears most is negative publicity for fear of negatively impacting the Tourist Industry. My Post Title is a bit over the top, but true. In trying to misdirect people to ancillary issues, and muzzle Dr. Mumpower, they enable the drug dealers to keep on dealing drugs in Asheville, NC.

I would like to see a hundred people doing what the Councilman is doing...but with a twist.

Concerned Citizens should show up, armed with video cameras and record the drug trade, then share that information with the world via video sharing sites like You tube. Setting up an account is easy, and free. Youtube will enable us to side-step the Drug-Culture friendly Asheville Citizen Times and WLOS-TV News.

If people force this issue front and center, more resources will be allocated to deal with it, most especially if we threaten their coveted touri$t dollar$.

Read More