Interesting: Hillary Ineligible for Cabinet Post?

It seems eligibility is in the news today. Via Instapundit, I read two articles, one at DailyKos and one at The Volokh conspiracy, regarding Hillary Clinton's eligibility to serve as Secretary of State for the Obama administration. My reading of the story online indicates the DailyKos blog came first.

The source of the issue is something called the Emoluments Clause, which is a clause in the Constitution that essentially states that, while a person is serving a term of office to which they were elected, he or she may not be appointed to any civil office which was newly created, or for which the compensation was increased in that same term. So because there was a pay raise given to the position of Secretary of State during Senator Clinton's current term, she is ineligible for appointment to this office. The wording: "No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office."

That's not all, either. This is not, apparently, the first time the issue has come up. Multiple examples are available at the sources above, but one in particular would be pertinent in the case of Hillary. When President Nixon wanted Sen. William Saxbe for his Attorney General, he had Congress reduce the wage, which had been increased and triggered the clause, in order to get around the restriction. The maneuver has been dubbed the "Saxbe fix".

 

Read more ...

 

Link: Calabe Howe

The Political Machine

Hello Idaho: SC To Have Sales Tax Free Holiday For Gun Sales

We should do this in our state!

 

Link:  Columbia, SC—Most people are probably unaware of it, but on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, handguns, rifles and shotguns will be sales tax free in South Carolina. State lawmakers passed a bill in June that includes the sales tax holiday on firearms. They called it the Second Amendment Recognition Act.

Rep. Mike Pitts, R-Greenwood, was the sponsor of the original bill. He said he got the idea after talking to the owners of a hunting outfitters shop in Clinton about the late summer sales tax holiday for back-to-school supplies and clothing. The store owners said they could use the stimulus, too. "It was to help dealers," Rep. Pitts says. "Another point was to bring recognition to the 2nd Amendment."

Kent Parsons, manager of Barron's Outfitters hunting and fishing store in Columbia, says the days after Thanksgiving are typically busy sales days anyway. He's hoping that even more people than usual will be buying shotguns and rifles from his store since they'll be sales tax free. Sales tax will still be charged on ammunition and accessories.

Global Socialists Toast Victory over America

By Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media  (11-16-08)

"...the growing anger over the endless series of taxpayer bailouts is getting louder and louder."

The American people may be losing their jobs and savings, but on Friday night, on the eve of the international financial summit, they provided President Bush and other G20 leaders a lavish banquet that included $300-a-bottle wine, Vermont Brie, eggplant fondue, and rack of lamb. Details of the "culinary delights" and "sumptuous feast" provided to the politicians who departed their black limousines were included in wire service stories. They were toasting the demise of America as a global economic and military superpower and planning to loot another trillion dollars from U.S. taxpayers. 

 

Read the rest of this article ...

 

Mythical Creatures

Quote from American Thinker:

 

I'm still searching for the mythical creature that is the "financially conservative, socially liberal" politician.  In virtually every case, the pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage politician is the first to vote against a tax cut, the first to vote for more spending and quick to compromise principles on any issue there is.

 

Using the National Journal's ratings of Senators in 2007 , the correlation coefficient between "economic" scores and "social" scores is 90%.  That means they almost always go together; financial conservatives are social conservatives and vice versa.   Every Senator scoring above 60 in economic issues, scored above 50 in social ones.  Every Senator scoring below 40 in economic issues, scored below 50 in social ones.  If there is such an animal as a "financial conservative, social liberal", it does not exist in the US Senate.

 

By Randall Hoven

Shopping, Got Deer?

Fun picture from South Carolina

United Auto Workers -- Put Up or Shut Up

UAW union bosses have said they won't budge to help the ailing Big 3 auto companies.  They just want the big taxpayer bailout.

Here is an idea:  Why don't they invest some $7-10 billion from their pension fund and buy stock in the companies?

Put up or shut up.

Knock, knock ...

Knock, knock ...

Who's there?

Kenya.

Kenya who?

Kenya tell me where Obama was born?

The biggest GOP problem

You know, the biggest problem the grassroots Idaho and national GOP has in enacting the party platform of limited government, lower taxes, reduced government spending, more individual freedom and liberty is the liberal GOP RINOs who always, and without fail, abandon candidates who promote these very principles.

 

In the future, Just say no to RINOs and don't vote for them, ever.  Just like they do to conservatives.

 

Mid-stream analysis seems to show that many conservatives sat this election out.  Good for them.

 

McCain/Bush ... good bye!

This email from my firearms wholesale buddy

Hey Bud,

Sorry for the lack of communication, life has been busy. My business has increased TEN-FOLD in the last 2 days, I am literally overwhelmed! Give me a call tomorrow if you can on my cell phone.

Replace your "W" with this "O" sticker

Here, something seriously lighthearted

Freestyle Rap Battle Translated

Will "O's" get plucked from White House keyboards?

Will Bush's White House staff trash the place, steal stuff and pop the "O's" off the keyboards?



Remember when the Clinton staff flicked off the "W's"

Don't Blame Sarah ...

DON'T BLAME SARAH ...

 

IT'S BUSH'S FAULT!

 

(RINO's get clobbered)

How YOU can "Spread the Wealth Around!"

Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money." I laughed. In a local restaurant my server had on a "Obama 08" tie, again I laughed as he had given away his political preference--just imagine the coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient needed the money more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.

 

Hat tip:  True North

Crusty Fisher, Vasolini Stewart and Palin

The L.A. Slimes ran an article about Gov. Sarah Palin's Idaho higher education.  (Oxymoron)

 

They talked to the washed-out, crusty Jim Fisher who peaked at his current position of the little shadow of Bill Hall.

 

Then, the Slimes mentions the Vasolini Tony Stewart who had one of the most boring government financed TV programs ever produced.

 

Neither of them could spot talent given their lack of memory towards Sarah Palin.

 

But then again, how could they given their blinding liberal bias.

 

See how easy it is to write like a liberal slime journalist!

 

Sell all your stock in the the liberal media.  They are going down and fast.

Drive by media -- Pukes

Moments after the VP debate ... ABC so called GOP anal-ists were declaring Biden the winner of the debate.

Yet, Drudge Report Vote at 9:10 MDT showed Paling winning 74% to 25%.

Palin kicked his a$$.

 

Palin attacked the left wing media twice, once at leftist moderator Ifill and again the overall media in general.

 

Planned Deathhood should be very worried that should McLame win, their fat gov't handouts will disappear given their puke smelled ad claiming that rape victims were forced to pay for rape kits by Gov. Palin.

 

The objective media has died.  And, their stock prices reflect the final bell.

Shocking Video Unearthed that caused our Economic Crisis

Pass it on ...

Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis? (Censored once by YouTube)

This video explanation is fast paced and powerful.

Share it with all your friends

Liberal Brain Chart

Click to enlarge

Tingle, tinkle wittle star

MSNBC host Chris Mathews on hearing Barack Obama speak:

 

"I had a tingle run up my leg."

 

MSNBC host Chris Mathews on hearing Sara Palin speak:

 

"I had a tinkle run down my leg."

Spanking McCain Ad

Embarrassing Medical Moments

Thought you might get a chuckle out of these ditties ... Big Rattler
 
-------------------------------------
 
1. A man comes into the ER and yells, 'My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!' I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, Lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs ---and I was in the wrong one.
 Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Francisco

 
 2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. 'Big breaths,' I instructed. 'Yes, they used to be,' replied the patient.
 Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA
 

 3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a 'massive internal fart.'
 Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg, NYC, NY
 

 4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications. 'Which one'? I asked. 'The patch, the Nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I'm running out of places to put it!' I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body! Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
 Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk , VA
 

 5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, 'How long have you been bedridden?' After a look of complete confusion she answered, "Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive."
 Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson- Corvallis , OR
 

 6. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while checking up on a woman I asked, 'So how's your breakfast this morning?' 'It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste' the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled 'KY Jelly.'
 Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI
 

 7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman entered with purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing.  It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read, 'Keep off the grass.' Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said, 'Sorry, had to mow the lawn.'
 Submitted by RN no name
 
 AND FINALLY!!!................

 8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB , I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams. To cover my embarrassment, I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, 'I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?' She replied, 'No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener'.
 Dr. wouldn't submit his name

The Art of Aggressive Listening -- by Ralph Smeed

Many folks seem to view the act or art of listening in much the same manner as some ancient religions or cults look upon the act of having their photograph taken, i.e., with trepidation if not extreme alarm.  It is as if a portion of their (intellectual) soul is thereby being siphoned away, to be lost forever to some mystical, competitive or even hostile force. 

In actual fact however, the genuine act of listening is not only not a loss of soul, it is not even passive.  Listening can be seen as an overt act of seizing an opportunity together with another human consciousness to share a coped for awareness along a certain direction, or search for truth, with the goal in mind of welding TWO consciousnesses into one larger, more perfect consciousness or awareness.  Thus light instead of heat, which is the only way possible to effect a new awareness. 

 

So rather than a "giving up" or "yielding the floor" the act itself, of listening, is actually a gain.  It is not merely a necessary requirement of communication with others in the only true sense of communication.  It is the stance of learning itself.  It should not be confused with the act of talking which our egos, being too eager, often mistake for communication.  Unfortunately, for what might be termed radio-like broadcast communicating to be matched with one's "receiver" one must "tune in" with the other person on an oft-times difficult wave-length.  One must be, or appear to be, genuinely eager to listen to or learn from the other person, if (repeat, if) that person is to be communicated with in the highest and best sense of the word.

 

This seems to me to be a necessary correlation one must make if one is to understand what Leonard Read has been trying to express (teach?) for so many years, that "the problem of restoring the American dream of freedom is not a teaching problem, as generally perceived by most all of us, but rather a learning problem."  (Now then, that may well be the most radical suggestion you have ever hear, and an ever so true one when seen in this light.  Agreed) 

 

To use one of Leonard's phrases a step further:  "Finding words for common sense" --- learning, in this sense, is not so very common, nor is it so easy as just running off super-enthusiastic verbalizing, however swiftly, voluminously and, or intensely sincere.

 

If the above makes an sense at all the act of listing perhaps should be defined as "learning", in which case, if this be true, listening may well be the most effectively overt: heretofore seeming to be that comforting or satisfying sensation accompanying only the talking-half of communicating or aggressive part of the act or the art of communicating.

 

It should not be seen as merely half of a two-way act.  In fact, it may very well be the most important half, so to speak, of a one-way act.  

 

All of which is not to say that those well-meaning, if misguided souls whose zeal, sincere and intense as they very well may be, have anything to do with the art of listening ─ in the above sense.  All of us have experienced those missionaries from everywhere whose divine revelations on every subject in contention from alpha to omega motivates them to hesitate their torrent  of words only to catch their breath for a mere hesitation in yours, so to begin their flood again.  It is often as if the qualitative theory of inquiry in discourse had no beginning and the quantitative one no end…  As frustrating and futile as such verbal exchanges always must be the act of listening can be looked upon as another dimension entirely, although even here it can sometimes actually offer the best response, if indeed one be indicated.  This is because if such a desire is sought at all it need only be sought by one party --- if necessary.

 

Certainly, it is far better if both parties to the exchange be so inclined, but it is not necessary.  (Perhaps the Lord also had in mind something akin to this when he offered his well known, if little understood: "turn the other cheek."  One's ear isn't far from one's cheek, is it?)  And anyway sometimes it is not convenient just to walk off.  So what better way to devastate one's opponent, adversary or over-zealous discussant, than to listen him (or her) into submission?

 

An then, too, there's Leonard's ever so propitious allusion to listening:  (if everything else fails this always works):  "I make it policy not to talk to anyone unless he is trying to learn something from me, or I from him.  You'd be surprised how much unnecessary, even unpleasant conversation such a policy cures."

 

 Still, if listening be looked upon as an aggressive act it can be a truly great way to win a battle sometimes even the war in the competition of words ─ the place the violent wars usually begin.  And as Leonard has pointed out "it's the man who strikes the SECOND blow who starts the fight."  This is ever so true when one responds to a ridiculous assertion.  Of course, one can always respond to a ridiculous assertion.  Of course one can always respond by asking a question, but sometimes this seems to imply your seeming to be ignorant, it shouldn't, but if it does ─ try listening aggressively.  Who knows, you might even learn something.

 

 And if you do it with some real patience ─ and a smile ─ or maybe a grin, it may catch your opponent off guard, where upon, if you've done your homework, you can even defend your learning, which you probably got by listening ─ aggressively.

 

Signed  -- Ralph Smeed

 

P.S.  [By the way, if a sub-title were to be used on this main essay we might also use another one of Leonard's ever so apt phrases, namely "intelligent curiosity".]

 

P.P.S.  I wonder, my friend, so long as gov't is perceived as a "religion" more or less, doesn't it follow that it is futile (more or less) to "offer" or plead for less gov't., (i.e.,  as if asking God to do less)?  Think about it --- and how to make the point, or even to speak openly about it, if we are perceived as in a kind of blasphemy.

 

"One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears --- by listening with them." -- Dean Rusk              

 

Idaho GOP’s new leaf turned

The uber alles (read: above all) liberal media, as usual, tried to bespeckle their dwindling audience before, during and now after the 2008 Idaho Republican Convention.

 

Norm Semanko defeated power-elitist incumbent J. Kirk Sullivan for the party chairmanship.

 

The media repeatedly illustrated the coalition which defeated the elite party apparatus as pot bong with a pro-life sticker on it.  So much for the media's love affair with the political "process" especially when it comes to individuals who have come to a point in their walk-of-life where they actually understand the personal meaning of "freedom" and "liberty;" and, not the trite moral-less definitions propagandized in print and broadcast, like the freedom to "Larry Craig" and the freedom to dismember individual womb babies.

 

The political process, in this instance, has been completely ignored.  The focus is on marijuana, not the historic fact that an individual fought and won at the Idaho Supreme Court – without the representation of a government licensed lawyer – for the individual constitutional right to "petition for redress" in the state of Idaho using the citizens' initiative, which had been illegally thwarted by local government commissars in Blaine County.  The issue happened to relate to marijuana.  Insert your pet issue here and see what is more important, pot or the process of protecting your right to fight for your beliefs.

 

Two headlines you could write:  1. Pothead Promoter Supports Semanko;  2.  Individual Rights Advocate Backs Semanko.  Now, substitute Obama for Semanko and guess which headline gets printed along side the Norman Rockwell masterpiece of the rugged American standing up at a town hall meeting.

 

Then add into the mixture the behind the scenes delegate manipulations exposed in part at the Ada County GOP Central Committee meeting where delegates were "pre-selected" before being overruled by the Grassroots GOP.

 

A full court press for Sullivan was deployed by fellow power-elitist like C.L. "Butch" Otter who reportedly said "He'd quit if Semanko was elected."  It was a "joke" but would Idaho actually miss him as governor if voters gave him a pink slip?

 

Locally, statewide and nationally, the Republican brand no longer represents lower taxes, more individual freedom, family values and smaller government.  It is liberal-lite with all the trappings of creeping socialism, like the trillion dollars National Prescription Drug Subsidy (Pill Bill) that Otter voted for.

 

Why would the Idaho GOP conventioneers vote to abolish the Federal Reserve to the hoorays of "Freedom!"?  Those who understand personal freedom know that honest money is something that protects their freedom.  Or, to put it another way, Nobel Laureate Milton Freidman asked, "If I stamp the word 'cheese' on a piece of paper, does it make it cheese?"  So, what makes our printed money, money?  Yet, we live, work, and struggle just to get a full shrink-wrapped pallet of printed paper that we can store in the bank.

 

Now, add ten more government monster buildings with a thousand more printing presses grinding out billions and billions of printed dollars everyday.  How much will your pallet be worth?  Ask your teenage grandkids if they have any idea how inflation happens.  Surely the government schools taught them that prices go up because of greedy capitalists.

 

The power elitists don't actively care about the citizens' initiative process or the Federal Reserve, rather they care about pallets of money and using the power of government as a competitive advantage to possess more pallets believing that fulfills their "American Dream."

 

It is most important that Idaho Republicans re-engage the battle for the principles that made them strong in the first place.  Electing Semanko is a first step.  The convention delegate manipulations narrowed the media perception that Republicans want to self-sabotage their battle for principles by allowing Democrats to help them select their candidates for the general election, i.e., open vs. closed primaries.

 

Rush Limbaugh developed "Operation Chaos" in open primary states between Obama and Clinton urging Republicans to vote for Clinton thus extending their primary process.  In Idaho and nationally, they are called RINO's meaning Republicans In Name Only.  Democrats to a lesser extent label their crossovers as DINO's.  In Arizona's past they labeled primary crossover Republicans as "Pintos."

 

Should the opposing team be able to select your team's quarterback?  That is just silly.  And for the independents who don't know if they are punched or bored, you get your chance in the general election to select your government representation.

 

Huge credit goes to former Senate Majority Leader Rod Beck for shepherding this most important principle through the power-elite's gauntlet-of-hell.  Without his leadership, Semanko wouldn't have had a chance.  Beck and his allies shaped the battlefield for Semanko; and any principled Republican who doesn't see this needs to recalibrate their political compass.

 

The power-elites know who beat them for the chairmanship … Rod Beck.  You should hear the backroom gossip of the wanna-be elite gadflies.  There are not into party unity, they are into power and the pallets of money and could care less about the Republican principles.  They drove the Republican brand into Brand X.  Their track record is soon to be complete after losing the US Senate, the House and now staring at the future President of the United States of America, Barak Obama.

 

The Idaho GOP has turned over a new leaf.  It's morning in Idaho, again.  Restore the Republican brand to its rightful principles by actually enacting into law legislation that reflects these timeless principles.

 

For too long, the Idaho Republican politicians have controlled the grassroots of the party and destroyed the brand.  Now is the chance for the grassroots to again control the politicians.  Isn't that the concept of "We the People," who simply loan a portion of our right to the politicians?  Hence, restore the long-forgotten understanding that elected politicians are "public servants."

Power-elitist wanna-be's like Brad Hoaglun, big-time patronage government employee and Ada delegate, just won't let go.  He's quoted post-convention in the Nampa paper saying, "People are fervent about their causes. It may be unmanageable at first, but it will become more so, over time."

 

So, over time we will be managed?  Brad is clueless in his quest for elitism.  We don't need to be managed, we just need a clear process to select representatives who share our principles without having to go through the GOP's elitist's gauntlet-of-hell every time we pursue principles.  It is hard enough fighting off the universal health care of socialism without being slapped around by the bullies, like Sen. Bart Davis, within the GOP's big fat bloated government loving tent. 

 

Davis tore up a copy of the GOP rules in front of the convention to show that he was "in control" of the show.  More "management" from the elitists.

 

So this is party unity.  The elitists lost and now they will punish the victors.  Just you watch and see.  Sabotage from the elitist will be relentless, after all, there are many pallets at stake here.

 

Good luck Norm Semanko.  You will be successful if you put the grassroots first, and the politicians as public servants.  

 

Finally, Norm … watch your back and don't chicken out under pressure.  They can't beat you on principle.

The Daily Show -- Marines in Bezerkley

Liberals in "thoughtful, reasoned" debate ... Egad!
(Viewers Note: Correspondent Rob Riggle is a former active duty Marine)



Hat tip to NewsBusters.org

Free Health Care -- Brain Surgery

2008 Idaho primaries “officially” closed for GOP

The Republican Party’s governing body on Jan. 12th exercised its First Amendment Rights placing the Idaho Legislature in its proper role of public servants, not masters.

Big Rattler has been tracking the legal and political events surrounding the closed primary issue.

On Jan. 12, 2008 the Idaho Republican Central Committee (its governing body) with a 70% vote insisted on closing the primary to non-registered Republicans and further authorized party members to sue for closure should the legislature and party officials fail to act. This was accomplished by officially granting the party members legal “standing.”

But one has to read Judge Williams’ Nov. 17, 2007 decision on the Beck vs. Ysursa case, especially page 14:

The court explained that the First Amendment associational rights at issue “belong solely to the association ... the Republican Party, not to any individual candidate or voter.”

The court also noted that even if the state’s election laws violated the associational rules of the party, the party had the ability to define its own remedy.

For example, if the party had adopted a closed party primary rule while the state permitted a blanket primary, the party could voluntarily choose to participate in the blanket primary and adopt the results, or adopt rules deciding who the party’s nominees were following a blanket primary by counting only the votes of registered party members.

The plaintiffs (the Republican Party members who did not have standing to pursue the case) nevertheless were told by Judge Williams that the party’s First Amendment Rights belong “solely” to the party. That does not mean the Idaho Legislature has superiority to the party’s First Amendment Rights.

The Republican Party’s governing body on Jan. 12th exercised its First Amendment Rights placing the Idaho Legislature in its proper role of public servants, not masters.

Judge Williams went on to say if the Legislature, via the election laws, violated the party’s First Amendment Rights, “the party had the ability to define its own remedy.”

Thus, the 2008 Republican Primary is closed. Should a GOP Legislative District organization choose to not abide by the results of a “blanket” (read, open) primary, then they could meet and possibly choose another candidate to represent them in the general election.

Granted, this is somewhat uncharted legal territory, but the fact remains the Legislature is subservient to the constitutionally protected rights of the party. This is the legal end-game, no matter how much some high-headed legislators like Sen. Dean Cameron wish it was otherwise.

Cameron told the Times-News (1/22/08) he prefers an open system where non-Republicans can influence the outcome of party primaries, but if forced to, he prefers the so-called “modified open primary.”

With all due respect to the good Senator Cameron, nobody gives a plug-nickel on what he prefers. He takes an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and that means he is to protect the Republican Party’s and the Democratic Party’s and others’ First Amendment Rights to free association. End of story.

The Idaho GOP has clearly and specifically outlined how it wants to associate via a closed primary. The Idaho Democrats choose an open system to select their general election nominees. Cameron doesn’t need to think about it, or add his input; he was elected to insure these rights are protected.

The state’s job, and his, is to enact a proper process whereby these rights are protected. In other words, his job is to SERVE, not DICTATE. Geeeeeze! They have been in power so long, they forget the basics.

The Idaho Republican Party has exercised its First Amendment Rights. It’s time the legislators climbed down off their high-horses and fulfilled their obligation as duly elected officials. Failure to set aside their supersized Mc-Egos and politicize this issue is dereliction of duty.

The honorable course is to fully enact a state election process that protects the various parties’ constitutional rights. This issue is not up for political maneuverings. Either one does his DUTY as a PUBLIC SERVANT and UPHOLD THE OATH OF OFFICE, or one should resign.

The choice is clear for every Idaho Legislator ... Honor or Dishonor the First Amendment.

That's gonna leave a mark (-)

Hat tip to Boise Guardian for letting us know about a new blog that reveals the "innerd" workings of the Idaho Statesman, a.k.a. the "Idaho Mistakesman," "the Idaho Statistman," or "The Ultra-Liberal Echo Chamber of Idaho."

The blog is called WorkingPressToo (wp2, for shorts) and is clickable at: http://workingpresstoo.wordpress.com/

Apparently, insider info is flowing: angst about McClatchy, Popkey's proclivities and other gooey gossip can be found at the wp2 site.

The Idaho daily fish-wrap seems to be suffering like many other liberal rags across the nation, and it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of crap-slappers.

How "Do-Gooder" Legislators actually Do-Bad ... Attn: Gov. Otter

The Idaho Legislature is back in session with another wrong-headed, do-good, agenda.
How's about leaving us alone and repealing some do-good legislation.

"The nanny state of Idaho wants to hug you. Their tyranny teeth are exposed when you don't want to be hugged." Leave us alone -- Attention Governor Otter!

How Markets Really Work -- Short Video

ABC's John Stossel on Health Care in America

This enlightening program by John Stossel aired on Sept. 14, 2007 on ABC's 20/20.

Keep clicking to the next segment i.e., 1 of 6, then 2 of 6, etc.

Actually, if you click this link, it takes you to the site and the segments are listed on the right side. They are not particularly in order, but you can find them by scrolling.

It is worth the watch if you missed it.

Two interesting stories: Hillary and Hugo

Hillary Clinton on her health care proposal:

"I have been fighting for universal health care for a long time, and I've got to tell you I will never give up on the very fundamental right that Americans should have, to have access to quality, affordable health care, no matter who they are," said Mrs. Clinton, New York Democrat. "Health care is a right, not a privilege."

Venezuela's dictator Hugo Chavez on the state control of private schools:

Education based on capitalist ideology has corrupted children's values, he [Chavez] said. "We want to create our own ideology collectively, creative, diverse." Chavez said Venezuelans --not Cubans as opponents suggest -- have been drawing up the new curriculum, but added that Venezuela could always accept Cuban help in the future.

Hillary on Hillarycare: "If it's free, it's from me!"

TANSTAAFL = There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Is this a pick up line or what?

Having already downed a few power drinks, she turned around, faced him, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Listen up, Buddy. I screw anybody, any time, anywhere, your place, my place, in the car, front door, back door, on the ground, standing up, sitting down, naked or with clothes on, dirty, clean . . . it doesn't matter to me. I've been doing it ever since I got out of college and I just love it."

Eyes now wide with interest, he responded, "'No kidding. I'm a lawyer, too. What firm are you with?

Should we put on our tin foil hats, or not?

Interesting theory re: Craig from Little Country Lost ...

Excerpts:

Arlen Specter is pissed about the NSA spying program, which allows a wide range of phone calls to be tapped by the Bush administration with no oversight. Another person who has been openly against this program, it turns out, is Larry Craig (go figure that bathroom boy wants to keep his personal life private). Specter wants to challenge the Bush administration on the spying program and is going to need all the votes that he can get, especially from the Republicans. [...]

There is also the revelation that George W. Bush has referred to Larry Craig as "a God damned traitor" and that Bush had instructed the National Republican Senatorial Committee as early as December 2005 to look for someone to run against Larry Craig in 2008. [...]

Why I need a small radio-type production studio

Proposed Ad:

 

Music:  The Old Spice commercial music

 

Do you like whales ... Do you like high-caliber machine guns ...

 

Do you love to partake in cultural events ....

 

Well come on down to Neah Bay, Washington for the cultural experience of a lifetime.

 

Captian Mac the Makah will take you and you family out into the beautiful bay in his luxurious charter boat

 

You and the kiddies can strafe the living hell out of mother natures most beloved gray whale.

 

There the bow mounted 50 caliber for Dad ... a wide assortment of M-16 and AKs for Mom and the teenagers.

 

Captain Mac even has some good old .22's for the youngsters.

 

Daring ... Captain Mac will set you up with a native Makah Tribe harpoon, blessed by the local medicine man.

 

What could be better.

 

See you at Neah Bay and ask for Captain Mac.

 

You will have one whale of a cultural time!

 

Here is the story:  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1893456/posts

Our Public School Kids are Awesome

This is not a homeschooler ...

Updated Seal of United States Government

Here is the link to the official site of the United States Government at:
http://www.usa.gov/gobiernousa/

Here is the official Seal of the United States Government:

Politicians vs. Taxpayers

Politicians from every level prey on taxpayers and their family budgets. Here is a visual from Americans for Prosperity on how this constant pressures looks from the taxpayer's point of view.

What qualities are you looking for in a president?

Hugh Hewitt's interview with Duncan Hunter at the Texas Straw poll, which Hunter won.

My Dirty Dog

Otter should pick Ralph Smeed to US Senate

I can't help it ... but I tend to agree with proposal -- should Craig resign -- that an elder statesman pick to succeed would be a sober idea.

I put forth the name of elder statesman and political philosopher, Ralph Smeed of Caldwell.

He'd never run for election and he'd give those cloistered birds at the Senate some freedom principles to think about.

We would have at least 16 months of great entertainment in its most serious form.

SMEED for SENATE -- Make Statism Unpopular!

Conservatives know what the definition of “is” is. Liberals don’t

Republicans, better yet, conservatives, better yet, God-fearing conservatives hold themselves and elected officials they support to a higher standard. That is good and wholesome.

Democrats, better yet, liberals, better yet, “pants-down” liberals don’t really have much of a standard to which they hold their elected officials.

“Pants-down” liberals do get fabulously loud when they divine hypocrisy.

Witness the “pants-down’ers” calling for Sen. Craig to resign because they divined hypocrisy of his opposition to homosexual marriage and now Craig’s famous bathroom event at a problematic airport restroom.

The “pants-down” crowd deems all homosexuals support legalized gay marriage and any deviation of such is hypocrisy.

This is illogical as God-fearing conservatives deeming all “pants-down” liberals as booger-eating morons, knowing full-well that many “pants-downers” don’t eat boogers.

“Pants-down” liberals squeal against peeking into bedrooms, unless someone is storing a firearm there for protection instead of a box of rubbers – now that’s hypocrisy!

God-fearing conservatives are right to hold themselves and their elected officials to a higher standard. We’ve seen numerous conservative politicians fall from popularity while the “pants-down” politicians get re-elected even after a homosexual diddling of a House page or a “boyfriend” running a prostitution ring out of Rep. Barney “the sword swallower” Frank’s apartment.

God-fearing conservatives are the ones creating the double-standard-standard. And, it is a badge of honor to strive to a higher standard ... it is divine.

Who, but the “pant-down” crowd would even listen to their own ilk without feeling creeped out and in dire need of a shower ... (not a golden shower, favored by the pants-downers.)

Let the creeps have their blue dresses stained in the Oval Office or their publicly exposed trysts and lawsuits like Larry LaRocco.

The “pants-down” troupe doesn’t have to tell God-fearing conservatives what the definition of “is” is, unless they are trying to fool them into thinking creeps are OK, especially if their creeps are serving in government office.

LaRocco likely "Mum" on Craig. Why?

Julie Fanselow works for “pants-down” Larry LaRocco and runs the Red State Rebels blog.

Back when Helen Chenoweth “spanked” incumbent LaRocco, Idaho Statesman’s Dan Popkey outed ol’ Larry and his wandering ways. Larry toured the TV media to explain, but it was too late … he already had a fork in him and he lost.

Julie blogged that in regards to the news about Sen. Craig: “Given my role on the LaRocco campaign, I won't have any comment on the story.”

Don’t look for LaRocco to “comment” on Craig which would open him up for his old news to be recycled.

Sen. Cameron (RINO-Rupert) threatens GOP’ers

Here is more evidence that under the Idaho's current open primary voting scheme anybody and their liberal buddies can “help” Republicans select that party’s nominee at a primary election.

Here comes old “faithful” Dean Cameron, nine-terms of cobwebs and skeletons, with his open threat to the rank-and-file Republicans, who voted to have only Republicans select their nominee at primaries.

GOP’ers voted at the 2006 Idaho State Republican Party Convention to close the primary from just anybody and their liberal buddies. GOP’ers voted at the Central Committee meeting in 2007—and that is the governing body of the Idaho Republican Party – to close the primaries to allow only registered Republicans.

Deano’s threat was reported in the Magic Valley Times on Aug. 16, 2007:

Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, Idaho's second-most tenured senator, said Wednesday that if the case prevails and Idaho's primary system is found unconstitutional, he expects legislation that will allow independent voters to participate in primary elections.

"If the lawsuit is successful, we will draft legislation to open them to independents," said Cameron.

How’s about grand old Republicans just walking away from his threats and the next time arrogant Dean runs, let the Democrats and independents elect him.

Cameron is ripe to be challenged in 2008 Republican "closed" primary.

ID GOP Chair ticks off faithful while closed primary lawsuit is amended

Update from Rod Beck: GOP Chairman’s “update memo,” and we amend our complaint

August 17th, 2007 by grassrootsidgop

Idaho GOP Chairman Sullivan’s “Closed Primary Update” memo annoys many and bolsters Grassroots amended complaint.

Lots of action and quite a bit to cover in this update …

First, many have read or heard about Idaho GOP Chair J. Kirk Sullivan’s recent memo about Closed Primaries. (Click here). His tone is rather condescending and actually, inadvertently, helps our cause.

He starts out by telling all of us why our ideas about closed primaries are bad. Then Mr. Sullivan tells us how he agreed to be a co-sponsor of a Senate bill that didn’t even get a hearing last session. He said time just ran out.

His claim is in direct contrast to that of the chief sponsor of the closed primary bills, Rep. Marv Hagedorn (R-Meridian) who wrote on his blog about Mr. Sullivan’s memo: “[Sullivan] seemed to ‘forget’ that I and others ran a number of versions of legislative bills starting early during the 2007 session … the same bills he covertly worked against in both the House and Senate.” ...

[Amended Complaint]

Read more ...

I apologize for Larry Grant being a dork

THIS IS A RE-WRITE OF DORKY LARRY'S LETTER TO CONG. ELLISON

The Honorable Keith Ellison
1130 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Ellison:

On behalf of the people of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, I would like to apologize for the recent apology of our current loser congressman-wannbee, Larry Grant, regarding your election to Congress.

His apology, at the very least, was thoughtless, uninformed, inappropriate, and rather presumptuous. But given that Larry Grant is a dork, the nature of his apology, i.e, on behalf of someone else, simply reinforces that Larry is not all there and his was simply a hollow political stunt.

We here in Idaho do cherish religious freedom, both yours and ours. Except that the good, peace-loving leaders of Boise City ripped a monument of the Ten Commandments out of a once lovely public park. Not to mention that every five years or so, another attack is launched on the illuminated Cross at Table Rock.

I'm sorry that Larry the Dork wrote: "We applaud anyone who stands up for both peace and freedom, as I know you do. " Larry is so forgetful, he didn't clarify "peace." There is Ronald Reagan's definition of "peace through strength" or the other of "peace through submission."

Best wishes,

Big Rattler

P.S. Did you see Larry at the Daily Kos convention? He was there with his other political brother Larry! They are such a pair ...

RePork Card from Club for Growth

CLUB FOR GROWTH 2007 RePORK CARD

U.S. HOUSE

(A high score means voted against pork-barrel spending)

State------------- Score----Ratio
ID – 1--SALI -------- 94%---47/50

ID -2 --SIMPSON-----4% ---2/50

Sali voted against pork 47 out of 50 times.
Simpson voted 2 times against pork spending.

THE letter-to-the-editor of the Year, so far ...

August 8, 2007

Mr. Dean Stone, Editor
The Daily Times
307 E Harper Ave
Maryville, TN 37804

Subject: Pork Barrel vs. Bridge Repair

Dear Editor,

Nearly $7 million in U.S. Highway Transportation funds were secured by Senator Lamar Alexander for the construction of an unpopular funded Civic Arts Center located on the property of Maryville College. Most local taxpayers objected to the use of local tax money for this building which was not owned by the local governments. The Federal portion was just a forgotten background note as most citizens view Federal money as coming from some free source not directly linked to their tax dollars.

Now comes the Minnesota bridge collapse which is linked to a lack of funding (U.S. Highway Transportation) for repairing bridges. There is such a shortfall in available funding we hear that we might have to raise the Federal gasoline tax (which funds bridge repair). I say baloney! The funding to keep our bridges safe was there until numerous pork barrel projects such as the local Civic Arts Center robbed the funds.

Now to be sure, Lamar is not the only Senator to “bring home the bacon” from other Federally earmarked funds to his local friends. I am not trying to single him out. However, should Maryville College erect crosses in the lawn of the new Civic Arts Center in memory of the Minnesota people who died because someone took the funds from their bridge repair budget?

The Civic Arts Center was called a transportation improvement program in order to qualify for Federal funding. Was it given a higher priority than the Minnesota bridge? Pork Barrel projects always cost somebody; and some have paid with their lives. Kind of gives one pause before congratulating a politician for “bringing home the bacon”.

Sincerely,

W.W. (Sunny) Day
Louisville, TN 37777

Grant, LaRocco got nutroots

Anybody, who knows anything about insider politics (current Idaho GOP elected officials excluded) knows that the Daily Kos is the nutty, nuts of the left "idea and policy fountain" for ultra-leftist nutty ideas. (It used to be the New York Times)

All, repeat all, of the Democratic presidential candidates attended the Daily Kos' annual convention dubbed the Yearly Kos. They refer to themselves as Kossacks.

The groovy Idahoans attending were Larry LaRocco and Larry Grant, a.k.a "My brother Larry and my other brother Larry."

If you need to read all about it from the nutroots perspective, here is the link to Red State Rebel's blog about her big adventure with the Kossacks.

Sen. Gary Schroeder is ideologically blinded

Idaho State Senator Gary Schroeder (R-Peoples Republic of Moscow) is blind-in-one-eye-and-can’t-see-out-of-the-other. He has been repeatedly endorsed by the ultra-leftist teachers’ union. He is the apple of the liberal’s eye, and he also fancies himself as a Republican.

Schroeder is quoted in the July 26, 2007 Lewiston Tribune blathering about how closed primaries in Idaho may cost some people their jobs. Maybe he was talking about himself:

Schroeder worries people like judges or state government employees would stop voting in primaries if they must register with a party.

Idaho had three different governors in the space of a year and Statehouse workers lost their jobs as a result, Schroeder said.

"The Capitol Boulevard is running with blood," Schroeder said. "People lose their jobs because they're in the wrong party... and if you register, they know what party you're in."

Schroeder should take back his vile words. “Running with blood” is a crude insult to Idaho governors and this from a Senate committee chairman.

After taking back his words, Schroeder might detect that he has been silent on plentiful examples of ideological discrimination.

Journalism:

[Well-known national columnist Robert] Novak blamed liberal discrimination which he said forces young conservatives to remain "in the closet" if they hope to have a career in media.

"One of the big differences in 50 years is that the liberals have now filtered into the executive ranks of journalism. And so if you go into journalism now not in the closet but out in the open as a conservative, you're going to have a hard time getting a job, believe me." (Source: Media Research Center)


Academia: (University of Idaho included)

Thus, academic hiring committees are elitist and self-selecting, and function like medieval guilds to insulate themselves from external scrutiny. Once an academic hire is made, faculty "tenure" provides lifetime employment to the competent and the incompetent, the scholar and the ideologue alike. This means that outside the hard sciences and practical professions, there is no bottom-line in the university for bad ideas or discredited doctrines. Working in combination with these academic realities, the tolerant attitudes of a free society have made it possible for ideological minorities in the social sciences and related fields to enforce a political conformity otherwise incomprehensible in a modern democracy.

As a result, while the red and blue electoral map reveals an America that is almost evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, in the nation's universities Republicans (and conservatives) have become almost as rare as unicorns. In most schools, Republicans are less well represented than Greens, Marxists and sects of the far left. This is an indefensible situation with far-reaching implications.

(Source: David Horowitz from his book "You Can't Get a Good Education If They're Only Telling You Half the Story.")

The Politically Correct Constitution

Pick your presidential candidate

This is a good test to see if you are supporting the presidential candidate who closely matches up with your views.

It is also helpful for those studying the candidates.

Click here to take the test.

I matched up with Duncan Hunter ... which is correct for me.

How about you ... post your comments.

Grassroots Idaho GOP file lawsuit for party registration

The liberals are screaming (as usual) that the rotten grassroots members of the Idaho Republican Party have filed suit in Federal Court to require that only declared Republicans be permitted to vote to select the Republican candidates in the Primary Election to represent them in the General Election.

Seems the liberals and RINO's (that's Republicans In Name Only) are witnessing the fact that they will no longer be able to count on cross-over voting in the primary to get elected ... and that means ... the gig is up.

The grassroots GOP'ers believe is it wrong in principle for liberals and their comrades to have a hand in selecting their choice of candidates to face the liberals in the General Election.

In other words, why should the a team have the ability to help select their opponent's starting line-up?

Go to Grassroots Idaho GOP for all the latest news on this important issue.

Comfort level: Nudist vs. Democrat

Hat Tip to Red State Rebels:

 

But a story on the site caught my eye, about the Northwest nudists' convention in Worley. The AP story reported, "Terri Capshaw, an Idaho nudist who built a home next to Sun Meadow, says, 'Your body needs air and sunshine. To me it's just like exercise. I'm more comfortable telling people I'm a nudist than saying I'm a Democrat.'"

People for the Ethical Treatment of Taxpayers

A new pro-taxpayer protection group has been established in Florida with the fantastic name "People for the Ethical Treatment of Taxpayers."

 

This is one of those head-slapping names where you say, "Why didn't I think of that."

 

We wish them the best of results joining the ranks of the many taxpayer groups all across America, struggling to squeeze the juice out of local and state government political machines who, with the help of their private sector cronies, keep pickpocketing the families of American taxpayers.

 

Give a visit to their web site at:  www.pettpac.org.

 

Better yet, send them a couple bucks for help.

 

With a name like that ... it has to be good.

 

Keep rattling,

 

Big Rattler

Biased media hits cultural "tipping point" with Sen. Switchback expose

This insta-ad was produced by HotAir.com (Michelle Malkin). What is important to note, aside from the ad and its content, is how the old drive-by media, the dinosaur press, the mainstream media is being left in the dust heap of history. The new manner and techniques used by the American public simply by-passed the old relics of news dissemination.

The hard-fought immigration issue could be noted in the eyes of future historians as the "tipping point" when it became obvious that these electronic information transfers surrounding this bill is indeed the symbolic moment when the people who are willfully self-governed by the republic threw away the news filter of the self-anointed elites.

(Note: I did not use the term democracy for good reason. "And to the democracy for which it stands?")

With this in mind, please take a click at this wonderful insta-ad:



We see Sen. Sam Brownback switching his vote. Other bloggers and the like have posted Brownback's news release crowing that he voted against the failed immigration bill. Brownback is mocked.

This ad is prima facia evidence that the political gamesmanship practiced by too many politicians is a big reason why Congress suffers from a 14% approval rating.

Politicians are not stupid people when it comes to getting and remaining elected.

This culture shift will be duly noted. The best news is that they are now held accountable to an extent they never were before, and the drive-by media is in large part to blame for covering up this gamesmanship with their biased reporting.

Make way you biased-old, creaky, phony journalists for the blessings of liberty now create confusion in your wretched ranks. You risk being smited by drowning in your own ink.

Thou shalt not steal, even by majority vote.

An excellent article by Gary North on the Duke University scandal and its cultural importance.

North's article is titled: What I learned from Duke University

Quick excerpt:

The elite bourgeoisie and the professors are allied together in a struggle to overcome historic Christianity and the free market. To put this as a slogan, they stand together against Moses and Mises – against Moses, because they refuse to answer to God; against Mises, because they refuse to answer to consumers.

David Ripley: Idaho's justices have denied us our constitutional rights

Big Rattler obtained an orginal copy of this complete article.

Be advised that pro-homosexual PrideDepot.com reports that Idaho Statesman political hachet man, Dan Popkey, sits in Washington D.C. gay bars flashing a photo asking if they know of anyone who "did it" with this guy.    Why would anyone take Popkey's opinions seriously?

 

This is a copy of the guest editorial that ran in the Idaho Statesman 6-22-07:

Dan Popkey is mistaken when he claims that Justice Linda Copple Trout's imperious revision of the Idaho Constitution is somehow an improvement — or, more insultingly, "a favor" to voters.

In the June 13 column, Popkey seeks to defend the decision by two sitting justices to resign early in order to manipulate the selection of their successors. This is not a legitimate exercise of their public trust. In fact, I believe their bold challenge is a violation of their oath of office to defend our state constitution.

Popkey echoes the elitism of Trout when he writes that we would all be better off to leave the hard and complicated work of justice selection to some unelected committee. These special folks will somehow provide us all with a better crop of justices.

I submit Popkey is simply wrong on both a philosophical and practical level.

Idaho voters have done very well without the help of liberal elites. There can be no serious indictment of the quality of Justices Wayne Kidwell, Jim Jones and Daniel Eismann. These people were selected by the people and have served with great distinction. Not even Popkey has leveled a charge that these populists have lacked integrity or proper judicial temperament.

So the problem Popkey seeks to fix must be something else. It seems likely that Popkey is simply frustrated that Idaho voters are considerably more conservative than he. Like many elites, he wants a more liberal judiciary, unaccountable to the people, because that is about the only way his agenda could ever be accomplished.

But the Founding Fathers crafted the Constitution to protect our freedom from just such plots.

Popkey seeks to legitimize his arguments with the claim that he would allow a limited role for the people. Well, I appreciate this consideration — but his bread crumbs don't amount to much. Under his plan, Idaho voters will have a chance to vote for justices in just the same way that the old Soviet Politburo allowed Russians a chance to ratify their decisions. It is, after all, highly unlikely that any qualified lawyer would risk a challenge of a newly appointed justice — particularly when their judicial record would be so slim by the time of candidate filing next spring.

It is only through the rigors of a contested election or a long judicial record that Idahoans will get a solid understanding of the justice's philosophy and values. But by the time we find out that a social engineer has captured a post of such power — it may well be too late.

The dangers of a runaway judiciary are all about us. The list of damages created by the 9th Circuit alone is enough to serve as a clarion call that we must rise to defend our rights under the Idaho Constitution.

David Ripley is executive director of Idaho Chooses Life , a pro-life political action committee.

Victims of Communism Memorial Dedicated in DC

From the Washington Times (6-13-07):

President Bush yesterday told hundreds of people whose countries had emerged from the grip of communism that their sacrifices would not be forgotten as he dedicated the Victims of Communism Memorial to the millions oppressed and
killed by totalitarian regimes.

"We'll never know the names of all who perished, but at this sacred place, communism's unknown victims will be consecrated to history and remembered forever," he said to more than 500 people just blocks from the Capitol. "We dedicate this memorial because we have an obligation to those who died, to acknowledge their lives and honor their memory."

The memorial is the only such monument in the world, according to its founders, who estimate that communist governments have killed more than 100 million people.

Mr. Bush compared the Cold War to the fight against terrorism, saying that the "evil and hatred" that inspired totalitarian regimes to kill millions is shared by terrorists today.

The bronze, 10-foot "Goddess of Democracy" statue was meant not only to memorialize the victims, but also to combat the ignorance of communism's global effects, said conservative historian Lee Edwards, chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

[Statue modeled after the figure Chinese students placed in Tiananmen Square in 1989, which was subsequently destroyed by Chinese tanks]

"This is to send a very clear message that one-fifth of the world's population still live under communism and not by their choice," he said.

The ceremony came exactly 20 years after President Reagan visited the Berlin Wall and called on Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear it down. [More...]

T. Blair on the news media

Exiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair delivered a speech on how the media has blurred the lines between news and commentary.

 

Unfortunately, Blair, who has a record of favoring the "big-government" philosophy, concludes that reviewing government imposed news standards may likely be streamlined and put under one authority instead of the various public overseers present in the U.K. today.

 

It appears that he places little faith with the punishment that the marketplace can deliver to sub-standard reporting even if the marketplace moves slowly but surely over time.  If there is a demand for delivering hard-news in an unbiased fashion, the marketplace will reward those who fulfill that what has become a rather niche market, in light of the hard news being who is up or down in the latest offering of American Idol.

 

Here is an excerpt of Blair's speech:

 

Fourth, rather than just report news, even if sensational or controversial, the new technique is commentary on the news being as, if not more important than the news itself. So - for example - there will often be as much interpretation of what a politician is saying as there is coverage of them actually saying it. In the interpretation, what matters is not what they mean; but what they could be taken to mean. This leads to the incredibly frustrating pastime of expending a large amount of energy rebutting claims about the significance of things said, that bears little or no relation to what was intended.

In turn, this leads to a fifth point which is the confusion of news and commentary. Comment is a perfectly respectable part of journalism. But it is supposed to be separate. Opinion and fact should be clearly divisible. The truth is a large part of the media today not merely elides the two but does so now as a matter of course. In other words, this is not exceptional. It is routine.

Black eye to KBCI (C.BS)

From NewsBusters Media Research Center:

Boise TV: Snide Remarks During Soldier's Upbeat Report
Posted by Warner Todd Huston on June 12, 2007 - 03:07.

What is it about some news outlets that they can't report a story without trying to flavor it with their own biases? That they can't give "just the facts m'am" but have to throw in their snide asides and negative phraseology? And, it's bad enough when they do it in their normal attempts at "reporting" the news, but when they do it in between an upbeat report by one of our soldiers who's opinion is that the surge is working and our presence in Iraq is a good thing, it's all the more grating. But, then, they just can't leave their hatred for American foreign policy aside long enough to report this soldier's enthusiasm, now can they?

In this case, Boise, Idaho TV 2 News, in a story by Scott Logan, just can't leave the snide comments out of their story of Army First Sergeant Noah Edney's enthusiastic point of view on our efforts in Iraq. Even the title seems to take a swipe at policy: Boise Infantryman In Baghdad Shares Views On "Surge" -- notice the quotation marks around the word surge? Even as surge is a commonly acceptable term and not one to be questioning with quotations they cast doubt onto it by using the grammatical device. [More...]

Price of Stamps vs. Gasoline

This is quite interesting. Hat tip to Ben Cunningham of TN.

Inside Story about how the Senate Immigration Bill was killed

From the Right Wing News:

A GOP Aide, who's one of my sources in the Senate, gave me the rundown on what happened to the Senate bill today.

After the 2nd cloture vote failure at noon on Thursday, Harry Reid could not get unanimous consent to call up amendments to the bill because Jim DeMint refused to give his consent. This was extremely problematic for Reid because he wanted to get in votes on 6 more amendments before the last try at a cloture vote.

At that point, all the senators who were participants in the "Grand Compromise" AKA the "Masters of the Universe" by the opponents of the bill, leaned on DeMint to try to get him to give consent for the bill to move forward.

Unfortunately for them, DeMint wouldn't budge. This essentially killed the entire afternoon that the pro-amnesty side hoped to use to shore up support for the bill.

While DeMint was gumming up the works, the opponents of the bill, including most prominently Jim DeMint, Jeff Sessions, and Tom Coburn, huddled and came up with a list of conservative amendments they wanted considered ... [more]

Where's the Fence

Immigration is not that complicated if you break it into pieces and do things one-by-one.

Granted, the fedgov is very incompetent, so it makes sense to simply complete one project at a time, then move on to the next project.

Build the already authorized and funded fence -- First.

A Blast from the Past -- Just say NO to Surrender Monkeys