Unite....and Conquer

I've been thinking a lot about how to get the federal government under control. So much bureaucracy is not going to be easy to unwind, but I have a few ideas.

First off, what should the Executive branch look like? What departments are truly necessary for the things that a national government should concern itself with? What about:

1. Defense - It used to be called the Department of War. That's a good [re-] start. Homeland Security should be part of it's purview, not a bunch of bureaucrats that manage our transportation system and their supporting unions.

2. Commerce - There needs to be a return to PROMOTING commerce as opposed to regulating it, which is all the Commerce Department does nowadays. I could spend a few months in the Commerce Department and streamline their reporting mandates in a way that PROMOTED commerce. The existing efforts stifle it. It's a pet peeve of mine.

3. Treasury - The Treasury Department needs to manage the finances of our national government and not anything else. How in the hell did we get to a point where the Treasury Department is managing our entire economy? This has to stop! I could go on and on about all the ridiculous federal bureaucracies that fall under this department (FNMA and FHMC come to mind) and need to go.

4. Foreign Affairs - I think that the State Department needs to go in its present form. What we really need is a department to manage our foreign affairs. It should operate within the dictates of our national interests, not as a cabal of bureaucrats that patronize left-wing dictatorships. If a foreign country is all-in for capitalism, we should be all-in for supporting them. Why waste time and resources on a country that doesn't support our national interests in a market-based economy?

Anyway, I hope you get my drift. Re-establish priorities and put them in place. Once you've done that, staff the departments in a way to further the goals of that department.

Unions are not welcome. They should be abolished from any form of government. There should be absolutely no negotiating on this point. Working for any level of government is a service to your country, your state or your local jurisdiction. Unions do not have a place in this service. They are anathema to our Constitution.

Once you've established the proper departments of the Executive branch and staffed them to the level needed to perform their functions (within their established budgets), cut the rest free. This may displace thousands of governments workers, but they really need to be in the private sector anyway.

Freeze all government pensions that are not part of the surviving structure. They get what they get, as of their termination date. Why should they be treated any differently than private sector employees?

Now, you'll notice that I have not talked about entitlements. There's a reason for that. As of [name your date], they cease to continue. Notice that I didn't say "cease to exist". There are far too many citizens of this great country that accepted the "New Deal" and planned accordingly. They should NOT be penalized. Anyone over the age of 65 years old needs to be "grand-fathered". Anyone younger than that needs to have their contributions to Social Security transferred to an account that THEY control.

Going forward, there is no Medicare or Social Security, as we know it. What is in its place is a actuary-based system that weans people off the government dole and places them in a privatized system. I have the utmost confidence that our free enterprise system will find a way to assist them, albeit at a price.

So, who is positioned to lead this charge?

I can only think of one, and her name is Sarah Palin.

Who is the one that espouses all that is the free market? Who is the one to focus our attention on the roots of our society? Who is the one that "gets it" and opposes the ruling elite? Who is the one that speaks to our values and stands opposed to a mosque at Ground Zero? Who is the one to stand up for our Christian beliefs? Who is the one that stands willing to battle a progressive ideology? Who is the only one committed to unite us in conquering our socialist foes?

Who amongst us hails from Alaska, the last bastion of rugged individualism?

Meeting Friends

Have you ever thought about how you met your friends? Do you continue to meet people and wonder if they could also be friends? Do you pursue a friendship, or do you cast it aside as a chance meeting?

I was having drinks with some buddies at our local sports bar tonight. I don't get out that often, choosing to come home after work to be with my wife and kids. Sometimes, however, you just need to get out with your buddies and shoot the shit about sports, music and other things. That was what I did tonight.

While we were talking, one of my buddies drew my attention to a pretty girl sitting by herself, watching the dart league that was going on. I usually recognize people in this bar, but I'd never seen her before. In my gazing about, our eyes met. I smiled and quickly returned to the discussion with my buddies.

After a few minutes, my buddy nudged me and said "she's sitting right down there", two bar stools down to my left. I wasn't paying attention, but he was.

I turned, smiled at her and said something to acknowledge her presence. She responded and we proceeded to engage in conversation. Over the next hour, I was treated to someone that talked to me as a friend, although we'd only just met. I thought to myself that my wife would love her and our friends would be equally enchanted with her.

We spoke of children and teenagers, a common ground. We spoke of the influence we bring to bear on our children, in hopes that it would serve them well when they're on their own. We spoke of choices, made by us and our kids, hoping that their choices would not saddle them in life, but allow them to live free.

My buddies were pissed, having no chance to talk with her, sitting beyond me at the bar. My feeling was "screw you", if you wanted to engage in a conversation with her, you had your chance and blew it.

For me, I just feel fortunate to have met someone that I could have a conversation with and walk away with the feeling that I may have met a new friend.

Hypocrisy in Motion

In a sad testimonial to the state of journalism, I've followed two incidents that occurred (and continue to unfold) within the media over the last week or so. As I followed them both, I was shocked to see the rampant bias in each story.

First, the Shirley Sherrod kerfuffle. It takes center stage because of Obama's alleged involvement.

Andrew Breitbart posts a video to call out the NAACP on its hypocrisy in calling the Tea Party "racist", while they practiced a similar brand of racism in their own midst. The Obama administration reacts [stupidly] and has the "racist" perpetrator fired, poor little Shirley Sherrod. Problem was, her comments were edited in the video that Breitbart posted. After viewing the entire video, Obama and company were forced to backtrack, pinning blame on Breitbart and Fox News (the usual suspect) for subverting the context of Sherrod's remarks.

Now, I've seen the edited video and read Breibart's piece that accompanied it. In my mind, it was pretty straight-forward. Breitbart was only calling attention to race-related commentary on the part of Sherrod, received energetically by the NAACP audience. The story continues, as we now learn that Shirley Sherrod's husband is also prone to racist commentary as recently as January of THIS YEAR.

Next item of interest is the JournoList obsession with Sarah Palin's baby after her RNC speech. 15 pages of emails were captured and posted online by The Daily Caller, exposing a lurid and tawdry discussion about whether Sarah or her daughter Bristol was the mother of Trig, a down syndrome baby. Sarah Palin even weighed in on the subject with an emotional posting on her Facebook page titled "Journey into the Media's Heart of Darkness".

So what do I make of all this? Hypocrisy in its truest form. To underscore that fact, I only had to look at a Washington Post editorial by E. J. Dionne, Jr., written as a response to the Sherrod kerfuffle. In his editorial, he states:

The mainstream media and the Obama administration must stop cowering before a right wing that has persistently forced its propaganda to be accepted as news by convincing traditional journalists that "fairness" requires treating extremist rants as "one side of the story." And there can be no more shilly-shallying about the fact that racial backlash politics is becoming an important component of the campaign against President Obama and against progressives in this year's election.

Dionne finishes his piece by saying:

The Sherrod case should be the end of the line. If Obama hates the current media climate, he should stop overreacting to it. And the mainstream media should stop being afraid of insisting on the difference between news and propaganda.

Sounds like a good point, right?

Not if you consider his willful omission of the JournoList revelations. After all, the publishing of the email exchanges between like-minded, liberal journalists and commentators from established mainstream media outlets is not much of a story unless those email exchanges actually contributed to a unified narrative on the part of multiple media outlets, which they did. Doesn't it beg balance to address the "right-wing propaganda" angle while also mentioning the left-wing smear machine that was the JournoList?

Apparently the answer is no, if you're the Washington Post, a publishing dinosaur for the ages, its hypocrisy in motion.

E. J. Dionne, Jr. - The Intellect of a Dust Mite

In an opinion piece today for the Washington Post titled "Enough right-wing propaganda," the esteemed intellect of E. J. Dionne, Jr. comes up with this gem:

The mainstream media and the Obama administration must stop cowering before a right wing that has persistently forced its propaganda to be accepted as news by convincing traditional journalists that "fairness" requires treating extremist rants as "one side of the story." And there can be no more shilly-shallying about the fact that racial backlash politics is becoming an important component of the campaign against President Obama and against progressives in this year's election.

What planet does this guy live on? Does he not have the slightest idea about the existence of the JournoList expose, where liberal media members conspired to destroy Sarah Palin with innuendo and falsehoods, like here, here and here?

To have a discussion about right-wing "propaganda" without also providing the context of the damning revelations from the JournoList emails smacks of partisan hackery to the highest degree. Why this guy has a job in ANY news organization speaks volumes as to the state of the lamestream media.

It is no longer in question that the Washington Post and the rest of the LSM are in its death throes. As Sarah said in a Facebook post today, it's a "journey into the media's heart of darkness."

Sarah Palin Unplugged

This is such a wonderful exchange. Sarah Palin gets to talk with her old buddies from the Anchorage morning show, Bob & Mark on KWHL, 106.5 FM.



Hat Tip: Texas for Sarah Palin

Wherein Lies Leadership?

I am aghast at the events that are unfolding before our eyes:

Ground Zero Mosque

JournoList collusion in the news

The return of the "Death Tax"

Obamacare mandates are now a tax

Expiration of the Bush tax cuts

Cap and Trade

Where do we find the leadership to confront these issues? I'm not the only one concerned. As an example, only 20% favor the Ground Zero Mosque. In addition, it now seems like the timing of your death means everything. Is there now an incentive to pull the plug on Granny before December 31st? What kind of government creates that kind of incentive?

Fortunately, there IS someone leading the charge against many of these issues.

"An Intolerable Mistake on Hallowed Ground"

JournoList fallout

Energy independence and Cap and Tax

And there is still much, much more to focus on. One idea that's being floated is "Nullification". We just need someone to lead the effort. Sarah Palin has clearly shown that she is willing to speak up for the American spirit on a whole host of issues. While Washington politicians tremble at the thought of repeal and nullification, they will follow a leader.

Can you think of anyone at this juncture that can even begin to do what needs to be done besides Sarah Palin? If so, I need names AND evidence, because I'm not convinced that there is anyone else that even comes close.

Dear President Obama

This letter was sent to President Obama by Harold Estes, a 95 year-old survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of.
You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

"We're no longer a Christian nation"

"America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world," America is mean-
spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our
war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said, "America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.
You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle...

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes

The publisher of Fore 'n Aft had this to say about the letter in a response to snopes.com:

Thank you for your note and this opportunity to personally vouch for that to which you refer. The letter is REAL and so is Harold Estes. A retired Master Chief Boatswains Mate, he dictated the letter to a secretary who printed it and Harold has signed it personally. I believe that in addition to the president, over 50 hard copies were mailed to various VIPs bearing his signature. Another personal and mutual friend showed me his copy! Thus, Harold is the author, a dear friend, a very well known Navy Leaguer and so please do mark this TRUE.

Hat Tip: Bob Dornak

Estate Tax Redux

In a further sign that the Obama administration is moving forward to enact punitive taxation, the Senate defeated a resolution last night that would have helped put an end to the reinstatement of the Estate Tax.

This is not good, folks. The current law has had the Estate Tax wind down over the last 10 years to the point where, in 2010, there is no Estate Tax (also known as the "Death Tax"). That is all set to change in 2011. Because the current law was passed as a reconciliation measure in 2001, under congressional budget rules, it must be revisited after 10 years. What's worse is that the former law will take effect on January 1, 2011, exempting only the first $1 million of an estate and taxing the remainder at 55%.

If you thought that the expiration of the Bush tax cuts on January 1, 1011 was bad enough, the reinstatement of the Death Tax will further snuff out any possibility of an economic recovery in the near future. Can you even imagine the number of farms and private businesses that will be forced to liquidate because of this tax requirement?

With the impending implementation of Obamacare and its restrictions on the coverage of health needs for seniors, the Obama administration must be licking its chops at the windfall they will get once the Death Tax is in place.

The Obama-Reid-Pelosi cabal truly hates our capitalist economy and is stopping at nothing to wring the life out of it.

November can't come soon enough!

Nonie Darwish Warning

This was forwarded to me via email. I can't validate it in its entirety and neither can snopes.com, although elements of it are true. My point in posting it is to question the sanity of those wanting to build a mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero. If we knuckle under for that, how emboldened will Islam be about establishing Shariah law in the United States?

In the Muslim faith a Muslim man can marry a child as young as 1 year old and have sexual intimacy with this child, consummating the marriage by 9. The dowry is given to the family in exchange for the woman (who becomes his slave) and for the purchase of the private parts of the woman, to use her as a toy.

Even though a woman is abused, she cannot obtain a divorce.

To prove rape, the woman must have (4) male witnesses.

Often after a woman has been raped, she is returned to her family and the family must return the dowry. The family has the right to execute her (an honor killing) to restore the honor of the family. Husbands can beat their wives 'at will' and the man does not have to say why he has beaten her.

The husband is permitted to have 4 wives and a temporary wife for an hour (prostitute) at his discretion.

The Shariah Muslim law controls the private as well as the public life of the woman.

In the Western World (America) Muslim men are starting to demand Shariah Law so the wife cannot obtain a divorce and he can have full and complete control of her. It is amazing and alarming how many of our sisters and daughters attending American Universities are now marrying Muslim men and submitting themselves and their children unsuspectingly to the Shariah law.

By passing this on, enlightened American women may avoid becoming a slave under Shariah Law.

Ripping the West in Two

Author and lecturer Nonie Darwish says the goal of radical Islamists is to impose Shariah law on the world, ripping Western law and liberty in two.

She recently authored the book, A Cruel and Usual Punishment: The Terrifying Global Implications of Islamic Law.

Darwish was born in Cairo and spent her childhood in Egypt and Gaza before immigrating to America in 1978, when she was eight years old. Her father died while leading covert attacks on Israel. He was a high-ranking Egyptian military officer stationed with his family in Gaza .

When he died, he was considered a "shahid," a martyr for jihad. His posthumous status earned Nonie and her family an elevated position in Muslim society.

But Darwish developed a skeptical eye at an early age. She questioned her own Muslim culture and upbringing. She converted to Christianity after hearing a Christian preacher on television.

In her latest book, Darwish warns about creeping sharia law - what it is, what it means, and how it is manifested in Islamic countries.

For the West, she says radical Islamists are working to impose sharia on the world. If that happens, Western civilization will be destroyed. Westerners generally assume all religions encourage a respect for the dignity of each individual. Islamic law (Sharia) teaches that non-Muslims should be subjugated or killed in this world.

Peace and prosperity for one's children is not as important as assuring that Islamic law rules everywhere in the Middle East and eventually in the world.

While Westerners tend to think that all religions encourage some form of the golden rule, Sharia teaches two systems of ethics - one for Muslims and another for non-Muslims. Building on tribal practices of the seventh century, Sharia encourages the side of humanity that wants to take from and subjugate others.

While Westerners tend to think in terms of religious people developing a personal understanding of and relationship with God, Sharia advocates executing people who ask difficult questions that could be interpreted as criticism.

It's hard to imagine, that in this day and age, Islamic scholars agree that those who criticize Islam or choose to stop being Muslim should be executed. Sadly, while talk of an Islamic reformation is common and even assumed by many in the West, such murmurings in the Middle East are silenced through intimidation.

While Westerners are accustomed to an increase in religious tolerance over time, Darwish explains how petro dollars are being used to grow an extremely intolerant form of political Islam in her native Egypt and elsewhere.

In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President by themselves! Rest assured they will do so... You can look at how they have taken over several towns in the USA .. Dearborn Mich. is one... and there are others...

I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!

It is too bad that so many are disillusioned with life and Christianity to accept Muslims as peaceful.. some may be but they have an army that is willing to shed blood in the name of Islam.. the peaceful support the warriors with their finances and own kind of patriotism to their religion. While America is getting rid of Christianity from all public sites and erasing God from the lives of children the Muslims are planning a great jihad on America ..

Hat Tip: Joanne Beers

Krista Branch Interview: "I Am America"

I knew her new single would generate a tremendous amount of interest when I first saw the video and immediately posted it here.

As a follow-up, Bill Kelly does an on-air radio interview with Krista:



Hat Tip: The Washington Times

Refudiate Washington RINOs!

It's time to tighten up the screws, batten down the hatches and prepare to sail into Washington in November. It can't come soon enough.

The RINOs are in full regalia, starting with their leader, Sen. Linseed Graham (R-SC), a complete idiot. As if his recent put-down of the Tea Party wasn't enough, Linseed came out with the most ridiculous rationale for his vote to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, a lifetime appointment. Per TPM, a left-wing blog:

"What's in Elena Kagan's heart is that of a good person who adopts a philosophy that I disagree with," Graham said after other Republicans criticized Kagan, the solicitor general, as lacking judicial experience.

The Republican also cited upcoming elections, even though he's not up for reelection this fall. "I'm going to vote for her," Graham said, "and that doesn't mean I'm pro-choice. I believe the last election had consequences and this president chose someone who is qualified, who has the experience and knowledge to serve on this court, who is in the mainstream of liberal philosophy and understand the difference between being a judge and a politician."

Graham voted for Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the high court last year, and operatives believed he was the most likely to do the same this time around. As we reported, tea partiers attempted to persuade Graham that Kagan wasn't worthy of his support. It's not a huge shock Graham wouldn't bend to the tea party pressure since he told the New York Times recently that the movement "will die out."

In addition to Linseed, Congressional Republicans are being wishy-washy about joining the newly-formed Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representative, as championed by Michelle Bachmann. Although the creation of the caucus is remarkable on its own, what isn't surprising is the cold-shoulder Rep. Bachmann's efforts are getting from those who oppose mainstream American, including Congressional RINOs.

It's time to send a very clear signal to Washington RINOs in November. We refudiate you!

Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin

C4P Meet-up with Sarah Palin

In what appears to be a completely extemporaneous phone speech, Sarah Palin does not disappoint those that gathered in San Diego last weekend for the first C4P Meet-up.



Hat Tip: Conservatives4Palin

A Time for Choosing

Although Ronald Reagan used that phrase in a very definitive way a long time ago, Paul Ryan evokes it again in the current climate of Washington politics:

Obama BS Removal Kit

Call a Spade a Spade

It's time for Sarah Palin to call out Obama for his links to the Muslim faith.

I hate to say it, but it has to be brought out in the open. I can't think of anyone with the ability to make the connection besides Sarah Palin. Certainly, this comes with risks. But what are the risks?

She would be pilloried in the lamestream media, no doubt.

What else is new?

She might be targeted for a fatwa, a badge of honor in the Christian community.

She might actually force Barack Obama to explain himself, which would be extremely interesting.

Would Barack Obama pull a St. Peter?

A Converted Obamist?

I only know a little bit about Mort Zuckerman, but I know enough to know he was an Obama supporter in 2008, in a big, big way. Typical Hollywood fawning.

He may be starting to regret the choice he made in 2008. An opinion piece that he wrote is getting a lot of attention.

I'm not going to give you excerpts, because you need to read the whole thing:

"Obama's Anti-Business Policies Are Our Economic Katrina"

Hat Tip: Conservatives4Palin

I Prefer Dill-Weed

Nothing like a counter-culture dill-weed to tell us something that goes against the grain of being an American:

Shouldn't this guy be raking in the bucks somewhere outside of this country?

Maybe he works for FNMA for FHLMC.

"My Muslim Faith"

It's time to re-acquaint ourselves with Obama the Muslim. I hold nothing against the peaceful expression of faith. I do take exception to those that would subvert their faith to reign death and destruction on those that believe otherwise. Until someone of stature, from within that faith, stands up and repudiates Muslim extremism, I must take exception to the entire doctrine and anyone that supports it...including our current President.

If not me, who?

There is a feeling that comes over you when you have a conviction. You will not stand to be denied. You've thought about it, you've anguished about it, you've analyzed it, but you always come back to the same place: you're right.

We all experience that moment, whether it be in our personal lives, our business lives, or the things we care about, like God and Country.

We seldom accept a forum beyond our immediate concerns. But what if we did?

What would we do if we pursued the concept of steering our home town? How many times have you floated the notion, but did nothing about it? How many times did you say: I'm not qualified, I'm not worthy, I'm just an observer?

What happens when you take that plunge without looking back?

Once there, how do you stop from pursuing a solution to all that confronts and maddens you?

After taking the plunge, how can you possibly look back?

Sarah Palin has done all those things. It started locally, then built up regionally and now has gone national.

I am in awe of her convictions. Doesn't she kinda remind you of you and what you'd like to do?

Hat Tip: Texas4Palin and this link.

Sarah Palin

I can't add any commentary. The video speaks for itself.

Hat Tip: Karen Allen

How Do You Solve a Problem Like a Levi?

He climbs a tree and scrapes his knee
His jeans have got a tear
He struts his way to Bible class
And whistles on the stair
And underneath his ball cap
He has moosed his curly hair
I even heard him swearing in the alley

He's always late for supper's grace
But his penitence is real
He's always late for everything
Except for every meal
I hate to have to say it
But I very firmly feel
This Levi's not an asset to the galley

I'd like to say a word in his behalf
That Levi makes me laugh

How do you solve a problem like a Levi?
How do you catch a clown and pin it down?
How do you find a word that captures Levi?
A Hollywood fake! A pin-up you say? A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell him
Many a thing he ought to understand
But how do you make him stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sands

Oh, how do you solve a problem like a Levi?
How does a Ricky Hollywood shake hands?

When I'm with him I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
He's as phony as fake leather
He's a darling! He's a demon! He's a sham!

He'd out-pester any pest
Drive a hornet from its nest
He would kick a spinning X-Box to be rude
He is gentle! He is wild!
He's a riddle! He's a child!
He's a headache! He's an angel!
He's a dude!

How do you solve a problem like a Levi?
How do you catch a clown and pin it down?
How do you find a word that captures Levi?
A Hollywood fake! A pin-up you say? A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell him
Many a thing he ought to understand
But how do you make him stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sands

Oh, how do you solve a problem like a Levi?
How do you hold a dill-weed in your hands?

My humble apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein.

Baseball All-Star Game Portends GOP Gains

I love statistics. Especially when they work in my favor. From Smart Politics comes this:

A Smart Politics analysis of All-Star game history and U.S. House elections over the past 60 years finds that a National League victory has preceded each of the last nine election cycles in which Republicans have enjoyed double-digit gains in the House since 1950.

The last time the GOP scored a substantial victory in the U.S. House was, of course, in 1994 - picking up 54 seats during the Republican Revolution that November.

On July 12th earlier that summer, the National League ended a six-game losing streak with a dramatic come-from-behind 8-7 victory. The NL scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up and won the game in the bottom of the 10th when San Diego's Tony Gwynn scored on a double by Montreal's Moises Alou.

The second biggest House Republican victory since 1950 took place in 1966, with the GOP winning back 47 seats after yielding 36 seats to the Democrats when LBJ was elected in 1964.

In the All-Star game on July 12, 1966, after spotting the American League a run in the top of the 2nd inning, the National League came back to tie the game in the 4th and won on a single by the Dodgers' Maury Wills in the bottom of the 10th.

The third biggest GOP U.S. House coup in the second half of the 20th Century was a 34-seat gain in 1980 when Ronald Reagan was elected President.

On July 8th of that year, the National League again came from behind, scoring four unanswered runs in the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings to defeat the American League 4-2 - buoyed by a home run by Cincinnati's Ken Griffey, Sr.

See, it's all about baseball. Who'd a thunk it?

Red-Necks and Racists

My first exposure to a "red-neck" was while watching "Easy Rider", back in the 60's. I was horrified at the notion that someone would take a life merely because they had long hair and rode a motorcycle. I vowed to stay away from the South for fear of being targeted and annihilated. So much for youthful fears.

I now live in Texas and I've long since understood the dynamic of living here. After all, no one messes with Texas. I like that. Moreover, my hair isn't down to my shoulders anymore and I never did ride a motorcycle. No harm, no foul, in my mind.

These folks speak my language, although I get teased about my Yankee accent. No matter, I'm on board for the cause. I now laugh at the notion of "red-necks" and have been accused of being one. Any more, it's a derogative term to describe conservative, of which I'm one. So I guess I'm a red-neck.

I also attended a Tea Party when Tea Parties were cool, back on April 15th, 2009. Now, people that attend Tea Parties are racists, although the crowd is pretty much the same as when I attended. I met an awful lot of people on that April 15th. People white, black, female, youthful, whatever. I didn't think I was talking to a bunch of racists, I thought I was talking to a bunch of concerned citizens. Were you there? Maybe I talked to you.

Oh wait! I get it. Being called a "racist" is like being called a "red-neck". In other words, a conservative. But how do I square that with the Blacks, Hispanics and Asians that were at the Tea Party? More importantly, how do they square it?

In a word, I suspect, we don't. We're conservatives and proud of it. Let the name-calling be damned. If you want to call me a red-neck, racist mofo, because I believe in the U.S. Constitution, go for it. I'll meet you at the ballet box. We'll take on that Black Panther thug together. What do you say?

Okay For Me, But Not For Thee

In what has to be one of the most hypocritical things ever said by the Obama administration comes this, from USA Today:

Regardless of who the Republicans nominate, the White House is likely to run against the previous GOP president, George W. Bush.

Both the congressional campaign this year and the 2012 presidential race will feature talk "about the direction that this country is going to go," Gibbs said.

"You're going to get an opportunity to think about whether we're going to go back to what we came from or that we're going to go forward," Gibbs said. "And that's a debate I think the President and many here are anxious to have."

Now, I direct your attention to this, emanating from a Clinton and Obama initiative of 2009:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's arrival in Washington, DC for a meeting with President Obama is the latest step in the much-vaunted "reset" in frayed United States-Russian relations. But in fact, the Medvedev visit highlights just what a charade the "reset" is: an empty political spectacle that is at best useless and at worst harmful, distracting the U.S. leadership from the search for effective solutions to international issues and helping prop up a corrupt, authoritarian, and ultimately unfriendly regime in the Kremlin.

So, in other words, it's okay to talk about a reset [aka, backup] of U.S. relationships with Russia, but talk of returning to our Constitutional roots is verboten. Read the whole piece from RealClearPolitics.

When you're done, read this (registration required). Me thinks Obama talks too much.

Amazing Exchange on Fox News

This is truly unbelievable. Megyn Kelly, of Fox News, is totally aghast at the puerile response of Kirsten Powers, with the NY Post, when questioned about the voter intimidation charges being dropped against the Philadelphia Black Panthers by the DOJ.



More background on the case, including Megyn Kelly's interviews with the DOJ whistleblower, are here and here.

Sarah Palin tweeted about this very case today. I'm really glad to see Sarah talking about this. The lamestream media has been woefully absent from the story.

Hat Tip: Conservatives4Palin

The Summer of 2010: Obama's Swan Song

When history is written and Obama's place in it is defined, I have no doubt that the summer of 2010 will have been his high-water mark in popularity. We already know that he met his Waterloo, so to speak, last summer, during the run up to the vote on Obamacare. That event galvanized the opposition against him. This summer sees his supporters take flight.

In addition to all this, we see a huge resurgence of Sarah Palin throughout the media, by virtue of her Facebook page. Sarah has now put the Obama administration on the defensive, starting with her initial reference to "death panels", to the most recent emphasis on Obama's appearance in Las Vegas, tweeting: "he's got [the] most disconnected, backasswards plan ever imposed on the country we love". She continues to frame the debate and has been relentless in her castigation of the Obama administration. This also comes via Twitter: "What happens in Vegas shouldn't stay in Vegas;pls circulate this http://bit.ly/ddINDT".

What she references is an article that appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal's editorial page following Obama's appearance there. Excerpts follow:

Two years ago, the majority of American voters supported freshman U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for president. Today, neither he nor his party seem that popular. Why?

No one supported candidate Obama based on his achievements ­-- military, legislative, administrative, or creating jobs in the private sector. There weren't any.

What they embraced was his vow to move past race and partisanship, to seek not merely Democratic solutions or Republican solutions, but bi-partisan solutions, multi-partisan solutions, American solutions.

....Mr. Obama was here to raise funds for one of those aforementioned graying partisans of the Senate, Sen. Harry Reid. And Mr. Obama continued to blame all his -- and our -- problems on the mess he inherited two years ago.

Change? While the president did not mention Mr. Reid's front-running Republican challenger Sharron Angle by name, he did comment on her plan to let younger workers invest part of their Social Security withholdings in private accounts they would own, while Washington would continue paying promised benefits to older Americans:

"On a lot of these issues, she favors an approach that's even more extreme than the Republicans in Washington," said the "post-partisan" president, drawing laughter from the hand-picked, closed-door Democratic crowd. "That's saying something. That is saying something. I mean, she wants to phase out and privatize Social Security and Medicare."

Whereupon the president proceeded to set out his own detailed plan -- and Sen. Reid's -- to save a Social Security and Medicare entitlement system that's already spent all the money current retirees ever paid in, and which is thus headed for bankruptcy.

Well, no, of course he didn't do that.

The fact is, President Obama once again left behind a sinking feeling that neither he nor Sen. Reid have a clue how to pull this country out of its current dire economic straits.

President Obama admits government is not the answer -- at the same time he's growing government control over our economy at the fastest rate seen since the wartime emergency of 1942, while bragging how his administration will pick and choose which "startups" are worth taxpayer subsidies.

Problem is, it's not working.

The blinders have now come off Obama's supporters and they are beginning to recoil at his policies and personality. His administration has even admitted that November of 2010 may see massive swings in the leadership of the House and, perhaps, the Senate.

Personally, I don't think they have any idea how much devastation will be wrought on their agenda by this year's elections.

Ray Charles - God Love Him!

A Wonderful Choice of Words

The Associated Press reported an event of major significance last week. The Library of Congress authorized a group of scientists to examine the Declaration of Independence using the latest technology:

Accompanied by police escort, the document was unveiled outside its protective case for the first time in 15 years on Friday morning for a demonstration of the hyperspectral imaging technology. It normally can only be viewed through a 130-pound oxygen-free safe.

Donning a pair of white researchers' gloves, Maria Nugent, director of the Library of Congress' top treasures collection, slowly lifted a piece of off-white corrugated cardboard to reveal the rough draft of the Declaration, which includes handwritten corrections by both John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

What was revealed was "spine-tingling", in the words of a research chemist at the Library.

In an early draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote the word "subjects," when he referred to the American public. He then erased that word and replaced it with "citizens," a term he used frequently throughout the final draft.

The Library released news of the struck word for the first time on Friday.

Fenalla France, a research chemist at the Library, said her lab made the discovery last year by using hyperspectral imaging, using a high resolution digital camera that compiles a series of images to highlight layers of a document. Some of those invisible layers — like erased text and even fingerprints — pop into view on a computer screen.

In switching from "subjects" to "citizens," France said it appears Jefferson used his hand to wipe the word out while the ink was still wet. A distinct brown smudge is apparent on the paper, although the word "subjects" is not legible without the help of the digital technology.

As he wrote the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson realized that the colonist's normal reference to themselves as "subjects" was no longer valid. His revelation was born out of a new way of thinking that then manifested itself throughout the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.

Can you even imagine what this meant to the Framers? In a wonderful choice of words, they went from "then" to "now".

I Am America

Wow! She looks like Sarah Palin unplugged! And I confirmed the fact that she just might be a "Mama Grizzly"!

To underscore Krista's point, there's this:



Hat Tip: Conservative Examiner

Mama Grizzlies

I can't think of a better metaphor for all the women that are outraged by the current state of affairs. Leave it to a hockey mom from Alaska to provide a defining term that captures their passion. "Mama Grizzlies" are not to be ignored or trifled with. I know I don't ever want to be caught in their sites. Pity the fool who is.



To help support the cause, please consider a donation to SarahPAC. "Mama Grizzlies", after all, still need to be fed.

What, Sanity in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals?

In a major smack-down of the Obama administration's plans to halt oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico for 6 months, this from Reuters:

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday rejected the Obama administration’s request to put on hold a ruling that lifted a temporary moratorium on deepwater drilling in the wake of the BP Plc oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The ruling is a setback for the White House which had sought to suspend deepwater drilling of new wells for six months while it investigated the cause of the April 20 explosion aboard the Transocean Ltd. rig and adopt new stricter safety regulations.

…The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans, ruled about 90 minutes after hearing arguments over the administration’s request to put on hold a lower court ruling that lifted the six-month moratorium.

Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin

Uh Oh, I Think We Screwed Up!

It looks like the messiah is losing some of his followers. The Daily Beast has published a very interesting piece that underscores the fact that Obama is losing the Hollywood elite.

You’d think the well-heeled and enlightened eggheads at the Aspen Ideas Festival—which is running all week in this fashionable resort town with heady panel discussions and earnest disquisitions involving all manner of deep thinkers and do-gooders—would be receptive to an intellectually ambitious president with big ideas of his own.

Apparently not so much.

“If you’re asking if the United States is about to become a socialist state, I’d say it’s actually about to become a European state, with the expansiveness of the welfare system and the progressive tax system like what we’ve already experienced in Western Europe,” Harvard business and history professor Niall Ferguson declared during Monday’s kickoff session, offering a withering critique of Obama’s economic policies, which he claimed were encouraging laziness.

“The curse of long-term unemployment is that if you pay people to do nothing, they’ll find themselves doing nothing for very long periods of time,” Ferguson said. “Long-term unemployment is at an all-time high in the United States, and it is a direct consequence of a misconceived public policy.”

Ferguson added: “The critical point is if your policy says you’re going run a trillion-dollar deficit for the rest of time, you’re riding for a fall…Then it really is goodbye.” A dashing Brit, Ferguson added: “Can I say that, having grown up in a declining empire, I do not recommend it. It’s just not a lot of fun actually—decline.”

Ferguson called for what he called “radical” measures. “I can’t emphasize strongly enough the need for radical fiscal reform to restore the incentives for work and remove the incentives for idleness.” He praised “really radical reform of the sort that, for example, Paul Ryan [the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee] has outlined in his wonderful ‘Road map’ for radical, root-and-branch reform not only of the tax system but of the entitlement system” and “unleash entrepreneurial innovation.” Otherwise, Ferguson warned: “Do you want to be a kind of implicit part of the European Union? I’d advise you against it.”

This was greeted by hearty applause from a crowd that included Barbra Streisand and her husband James Brolin. “Depressing, but fantastic,” Streisand told me afterward, rendering her verdict on the session. “So exciting. Wonderful!”

Brolin’s assessment: “Mind-blowing.”

I'd venture to say that the mindless Hollywood elites, having fawned all over Obama during the 2008 Presidential campaign, are now realizing that they made a huge mistake. Although not admitting it openly (for fear of losing whatever credibility they think they have), they now know what we've always known: Obama is not now, nor ever has been good for us. I can just hear them thinking "Uh Oh, I think we screwed up!"

They deserve what's coming to them.

Why Celebrate July Fourth?

Why should we celebrate July Fourth?

What do we really think about on that day? Do we think about parades? Do we think about backyard cook-outs? Do we think about fireworks?

More than likely, the answer is yes. We think about all those things. But why?

Why does this day mean so much to us? What is it about the 4th of July that causes us to regale ourselves in red, white and blue? Why do we encourage our children to participate in parades and record those events on film? Why do we insist that our kids decorate their bikes, their skateboards or their tricycles in the colors of our flag? Moreover, why do our children comply?

We don't just celebrate a day in the past, one that happened many, many years ago. We celebrate the birth of a concept. We celebrate the leaders that conceived that concept. We celebrate the collective acceptance of that concept's meaning. We celebrate the continuing relevance of that concept in our lives today.

But what if someone tried to change that concept?

What happens if we decide that the basis for our celebration is no longer relevant? What happens if we dismiss those that created the concept as mere figments of our imagination, or, what if we deny their existence? What happens if we no longer teach our children the meaning of the Fourth of July?

Does it cease to exist?

I'm flying the stars and stripes until I go under. I signed on to this task when I got older and remembered that my bike had to be red, white and blue, despite not knowing why. Although I didn't know why then, I definitely know why now. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, Reagan and now Palin. Patriots and leaders all, who will always remind us what our country is truly all about.

Why do you celebrate the 4th of July?

Arthur Laffer: The Worst is Coming

Arthur Laffer, the economist that was responsible for the famous Laffer Curve and championed the concept of "supply-side economics" (or Voodoo economics, as G.H.W. Bush put it) for the Reagan administration, has some dire forecasts for 2011.



This is supported by a recent paper published by Americans for Tax Reform regarding the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts on January 1, 2011.

Lindsey Graham is an Idiot

Although Lindsey Graham is a certified RINO, he completely misses the point behind the Tea Party movement. In a Politico piece today, Graham's article in last Sunday's edition of the New York Times Online Magazine brought some telling revelations (emphasis mine):

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) says in a forthcoming (sic) article that the tea party movement is “unsustainable” and will “die out” because it lacks vision.

“Everything I’m doing now in terms of talking about climate, talking about immigration, talking about Gitmo is completely opposite of where the tea party movement’s at,” Graham says. “The problem with the tea party, I think, is it’s just unsustainable because they can never come up with a coherent vision for governing the country. It will die out.”

Senator Graham, the coherent vision is the U.S. Constitution. I'm glad that you think our Founders didn't know what they were talking about.

What a complete idiot!

Hat Tip: The TCOT Report

Sarah at Freedom Fest

Another week, another walk-off home run. The video's a little shaky, but the message is clear.

A View From the Upper Deck

Think back to when you attended a concert, but had to view it from a "mile" away. You accepted the viewpoint and celebrated the music, just as if you were front and center.

Despite your vantage point, it didn't detract from what you came to hear, because the "message/music" was what was important. It resonated in your car on the way to the venue and it reverberates through rafters as you listened, live, in wonder.

A verse may get mangled, a chord may be off, but it really didn't matter because being there was enough. You held your breath for an encore, you celebrated two more and the event left you joyful as you as you exited the hall.

Though events may have changed as you've grown a bit older, the excitement's still there, just like when you were younger. The venue's changed too, and it may be much smaller, but your passion still builds as the featured guest enters.

No guitars are around, a drum is not heard. A simple introduction and she smiles and waves. She acknowledges the welcome while her audience applauds. She begins her remarks with a honored acceptance, then goes straight to a joke, no short pause, no repentance.

I am so honored to get to be here and before we get started let me just get through some logistics really quickly first. Got my water. Do I have my straws? I want my straws. And I want them bent, please. Thank you. At least that’s what I read in some of the lamestream media outlets is that I was demanding straws or some ridiculous thing.

Laughter abounds, she's now part of the group. You wonder what's next and she won't disappoint.

So I’m just so glad that we got some of those contractual demands out of the way and finally settled. I think though that my speakers bureau, Washington Speakers Bureau, I think that this was one of the toughest contracts I think that they ever ended up getting to sign. They found it to be one tough event to sort out because it seemed to them that they were negotiating with the entire state of California.

And here you know, the rest of us looking in and kind of following what was going on with some of the shenanigans it looked like, ah, Jerry Brown and friends, come on, this is California, do you not have anything else to do? Goodness gracious. Priorities.

She's already in stride and her delivery continues. She relates to her audience on remarks about Reagan.

The Golden State. Always been nice to be here, always feeling such a connection here, a special place in my heart is California because this is Reagan country, and...yeah! And perhaps it was destiny that the man who went to California’s Eureka College would become so woven within and interlinked to the Golden State. And it was here that, of course, Reagan became famous as an actor and then distinguished himself as such a good governor and then launched his bid for president. And then, of course, found his final resting place underneath the warm, blue California sky.

A bad chord was just struck, a simple misspeaking. You ignored it because you knew what she was thinking. She continued to speak, without missing a beat. You leaned forward to listen, quite intrigued by her speaking. You're impressed by her passion. She knows what YOU'RE thinking.

The speech was too brief and you wished she'd gone on, but you're glad you attended and will remember it all. How often in life do you heed someone's call? You discuss it with friends as you exit the hall. You're thankful she showed in despite of it all.

...it’s going to be funny as more of this contract business is being brought to court and with their doing whatever they’re doing as they look at what the demands were to put this event together, I think they’re going to be really surprised at there not really being a there there. There’s not a whole lot of controversy I think involved in this. And I’m just so happy that you stuck with this program, you stuck with this event, and you didn’t cancel on me. I appreciate it very much, you guys. I do.

As you travel back homeward with thoughts of the night, you take solace in knowing your attendance was right. A satisfied feeling helps lull you to sleep. You think of her strong points, her bravery to speak.

The morning dawns new, you go about what you must. You pick up the paper to see what's now up. A headline barks out "Sarah Palin Misspeaks". The article headlines an event you'd forgotten. You remember the gaffe, but dismissed it in passing. It just had no impact on the message you'd gotten.

You think back to the concert from when you were young. You remember the venue and the joy it had sprung. It's all part of your memory, you're now thinking of "Beck". You've forgotten the miscues from your view, upper deck.