In No Particular Order
We heard about Senator Barack Obama’s latest important alternative to drilling: Getting everyone to make sure that their tires are properly inflated. This inspired us to come up with our own political “spin.”
1. Since he beat Hillary, he has felt that he was having a “Goodyear.”
2. He was going to deliver a “stem” winder but got lost.
3. He should “tread” lightly on the issue.
4. Obama is obviously not well-rounded.
5. Democrat policies always lead to inflationary pressures.
6. The Democrats have demonstrated how they are out of alignment and balance.
7. Attacks by Republicans have gotten Obama overly “torqued.”
8. Barack Obama will propose use of tire inflation for “carbon sequestration.”
9. Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was none too good with “rubber” things, either.
10. Obama gets no rolls so he goes “pop.” (Inspired by my seven-year-old son.)
If you are not too “tired” of these bad jokes, feel free to add more in the comments section.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
At least Dan Quayle Knew His Committee Assignments
Obama makes a slight error in naming a committee on which he serves.
As Powerline notes,
I am guessing that the press would be a lot less forgiving if John McCain had made such an error.
Now, in terms of knowing my commitments, you don't have to just look at my words, you can look at my deeds. Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon.
As Powerline notes,
But Obama is not a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Obama just made that up so he could count the committee's action as one of "my deeds."
I am guessing that the press would be a lot less forgiving if John McCain had made such an error.
Liquid Entertainment Planned for Democratic Convention
"Netroots Rising," or Dishonorable Discharge?
Denver firefighters have learned of a house full of urine being stored to throw at police.
I know, you wonder why or how these protesters want to throw a whole house instead of just the urine they have stored in it. (Yes, Leslie, I wrote that just for you!)
Reader, please don't despair. We have heard for a long time how the Democrats are emphasizing the concept of recycling for the 2008 Denver Convention. Aren't you proud of the entrepreneurial spirit that has gripped their most fervent supporters to carry the concept one step further? Just don't accuse the Democrats of being "yellow" or anything like that!
Hat tip to Ace, who also notes that the Democrats' Nutroot supporters are "Full of piss and vinegar, but mostly piss."
Denver firefighters have learned of a house full of urine being stored to throw at police.
I know, you wonder why or how these protesters want to throw a whole house instead of just the urine they have stored in it. (Yes, Leslie, I wrote that just for you!)
Reader, please don't despair. We have heard for a long time how the Democrats are emphasizing the concept of recycling for the 2008 Denver Convention. Aren't you proud of the entrepreneurial spirit that has gripped their most fervent supporters to carry the concept one step further? Just don't accuse the Democrats of being "yellow" or anything like that!
Hat tip to Ace, who also notes that the Democrats' Nutroot supporters are "Full of piss and vinegar, but mostly piss."
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Love on the Inside
The new Sugarland album came out today. (Get the deluxe fan edition for extra songs.) Here is the first track that has been released.
WARNING: If you have children who listen to this, you will hear a LOT of high-pitched "All I want to do-oo-oo-oo-oo, oo-whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo, oo-whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo . . ." Let's just say that I know this from personal experience already.
You can find more album information and clips at the Sugarland web site.
Monday, July 21, 2008
There’s a Hole in the Budget, Dear Marky, Dear Marky
Where Have All the Taxes Gone?
The Right Wing Liberal has a fantastic analysis of what happened with the revenue that came to the Commonwealth of Virginia after the sales tax hike of 2004. Then Governor Mark Warner, with the help of General Assembly Democrats and enough left-leaning Republicans, achieved enough of a majority to raise the Virginia sales from 4.5% to 5%. Of course, at the time, we were all told how the money was needed for road construction, for schools, etc.
Of course, this failed to happen, and the jurisdiction that pays the most, Fairfax County, got penalized the most. Instead, most of the money was used for the expansion of various social programs. If the money were used more efficiently, services would have been delivered more efficiently to those who needed them, we would have had money for roads, and we still would not have needed the sales tax increase!
Once again, this serves as a warning to people in other States. I know that Maryland and New Jersey raised their sales taxes recently. Don’t you wonder where all that money is really going also?
The Right Wing Liberal has a fantastic analysis of what happened with the revenue that came to the Commonwealth of Virginia after the sales tax hike of 2004. Then Governor Mark Warner, with the help of General Assembly Democrats and enough left-leaning Republicans, achieved enough of a majority to raise the Virginia sales from 4.5% to 5%. Of course, at the time, we were all told how the money was needed for road construction, for schools, etc.
Of course, this failed to happen, and the jurisdiction that pays the most, Fairfax County, got penalized the most. Instead, most of the money was used for the expansion of various social programs. If the money were used more efficiently, services would have been delivered more efficiently to those who needed them, we would have had money for roads, and we still would not have needed the sales tax increase!
Once again, this serves as a warning to people in other States. I know that Maryland and New Jersey raised their sales taxes recently. Don’t you wonder where all that money is really going also?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Warner Translator
Marky Mark on Energy
I will admit to not being as good as Right-Wing Liberal concerning translations of Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner’s rhetoric. However, the past debate has given all of us plenty of fodder for satire, so here is my humble contribution. By the way, if you have not read SWAC Girl’s account of the debate, you should. It is definitely the best account.
The Washington Post carried an account of the debate. Here is what Mark Warner’s debate comments were summarized:
TRANSLATION:
This gas price issue is killing us Democrats and may sink my campaign. I’d better come up with something halfway decent to make voters forget that I vetoed off-shore drilling when I was Governor.
Right after the debate, here is what Warner said to the Post:
TRANSLATION:
My friends in the Sierra Club will tell me when environmental standards are good enough, which is basically, never. And on energy, I am just full of hot air.
Again, for those of you in other States, this is a template of what your Democratic Congressional and Senatorial candidates will try to do. Without any drilling, they just might “self-combust.”
I will admit to not being as good as Right-Wing Liberal concerning translations of Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner’s rhetoric. However, the past debate has given all of us plenty of fodder for satire, so here is my humble contribution. By the way, if you have not read SWAC Girl’s account of the debate, you should. It is definitely the best account.
The Washington Post carried an account of the debate. Here is what Mark Warner’s debate comments were summarized:
Warner, whose energy plan calls for getting tougher with OPEC and increasing regulation on investors who speculate in the oil market, did not rule out more drilling. He has said that he is skeptical of drilling for oil offshore, but during the debate he said he would support a bill to lift the moratorium on drilling and allow states to decide.
TRANSLATION:
This gas price issue is killing us Democrats and may sink my campaign. I’d better come up with something halfway decent to make voters forget that I vetoed off-shore drilling when I was Governor.
Right after the debate, here is what Warner said to the Post:
Later, when pressed by reporters, Warner said he would support drilling off Virginia once "environmental standards" were met, but he did not elaborate.
"Where I strongly differ from Jim Gilmore's position is that somehow that is the silver bullet that is going to solve all the nation's energy problems," Warner said.
TRANSLATION:
My friends in the Sierra Club will tell me when environmental standards are good enough, which is basically, never. And on energy, I am just full of hot air.
Again, for those of you in other States, this is a template of what your Democratic Congressional and Senatorial candidates will try to do. Without any drilling, they just might “self-combust.”
Friday, July 18, 2008
A Second Republican Governor Named Sarah?
Hah! I beat Chris to the punch! This time it's Sarah Steelman, Missouri State Treasurer, who is running for Governor there. She seems to be in a pretty tight primary race, and the Republican Party establishment is pretty ticked at her for being a fiscal conservative and for upsetting some pretty powerful political families.
Kimberley Strassel has a great article about her in today's Wall Streeet Journal. She has even fought ethanol subsidies!
There was also Ms. Steelman's attempted cleanup of an ethanol program. The treasurer announced her office would no longer provide below-market interest rates for ethanol plants that counted state officials or their relatives among investors.
Among companies barred was Show Me Ethanol, whose shareholders included Mr. Blunt's son Andy – one of the state's top lobbyists – as well as Republican state Rep. John Quinn and his wife, not to mention the wife of Republican U.S. Rep. Sam Graves. Instead of thanking Ms. Steelman for ridding it of this conflict, in May the Missouri state senate voted to overturn her policy. It did so with a head-count vote, so as to avoid a written record.
I'll drink to cutting those ethanol subsidies!
Steelman's website is here.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Another Global Warming Proponent Turns Skeptic
Notice It’s Almost Never the Other Way Around
Hat tip: Gabriel Malor at Ace of Spades
Get this – a former official at the Australian Greenhouse office, one who wanted quick action before all the science was really debated fully, is now skeptical about the relationship between carbon emissions and climate change. I find it interesting that this scientist has noticed the lack of public debate on the matter. Ya think Al Gore and company like it that way?
The last point is particularly relevant to the “debate:”
Tells you something about the “experience” of the press corps, right? Even more astounding is what follows:
I can tell you from personal experience, having worked with environmental modelers, that I do not trust them as far as I can throw them. There’s always something badly wrong with the assumptions that go into models, and what gets presented to the public is the most extreme result, even if it is not very plausible.
Maybe one can say the same for America’s Democratic Party?
Hat tip: Gabriel Malor at Ace of Spades
Get this – a former official at the Australian Greenhouse office, one who wanted quick action before all the science was really debated fully, is now skeptical about the relationship between carbon emissions and climate change. I find it interesting that this scientist has noticed the lack of public debate on the matter. Ya think Al Gore and company like it that way?
The last point is particularly relevant to the “debate:”
The new ice cores show that in the past six global warmings over the past half a million years, the temperature rises occurred on average 800 years before the accompanying rise in atmospheric carbon. Which says something important about which was cause and which was effect.
None of these points are controversial. The alarmist scientists agree with them, though they would dispute their relevance.
The last point was known and past dispute by 2003, yet Al Gore made his movie in 2005 and presented the ice cores as the sole reason for believing that carbon emissions cause global warming. In any other political context our cynical and experienced press corps would surely have called this dishonest and widely questioned the politician's assertion.
Tells you something about the “experience” of the press corps, right? Even more astounding is what follows:
The world has spent $50 billion on global warming since 1990, and we have not found any actual evidence that carbon emissions cause global warming. Evidence consists of observations made by someone at some time that supports the idea that carbon emissions cause global warming. Computer models and theoretical calculations are not evidence, they are just theory.
I can tell you from personal experience, having worked with environmental modelers, that I do not trust them as far as I can throw them. There’s always something badly wrong with the assumptions that go into models, and what gets presented to the public is the most extreme result, even if it is not very plausible.
What is going to happen over the next decade as global temperatures continue not to rise? The Labor Government is about to deliberately wreck the economy in order to reduce carbon emissions. If the reasons later turn out to be bogus, the electorate is not going to re-elect a Labor government for a long time. When it comes to light that the carbon scare was known to be bogus in 2008, the ALP is going to be regarded as criminally negligent or ideologically stupid for not having seen through it. And if the Liberals support the general thrust of their actions, they will be seen likewise.
Maybe one can say the same for America’s Democratic Party?
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
State Department Church Calendars!
Well, Not Quite . . .
Check out Snapped Shot for the info, plus some cool Photoshopping ideas to create the next hit State Department calendar. Hey, they don’t call the place “Foggy Bottom” for nothing!
You think the diversity crap is bad now, just wait to see if Obama becomes President. Then all semblance of adult supervision will completely disappear. But our sources will have fun telling us about it! “White Folks and Diversity,” anyone?
Check out Snapped Shot for the info, plus some cool Photoshopping ideas to create the next hit State Department calendar. Hey, they don’t call the place “Foggy Bottom” for nothing!
You think the diversity crap is bad now, just wait to see if Obama becomes President. Then all semblance of adult supervision will completely disappear. But our sources will have fun telling us about it! “White Folks and Diversity,” anyone?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Warner and Connolly Support Compulsory Union Membership
Secret Ballots for Me, but not for Thee
Hat tip: Anonymous Is a Woman
I do not normally link to my fellow bloggers on the left side of the political spectrum, but in this case I wanted to thank Karen of Anonymous is a Woman for posting this information. At a recent AFL-CIO Fourth of July picnic, Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner endorsed the (“exquisitely mistitled, in the words of George Will) “Employee Free Choice Act,” which is a union-backed ploy to intimidate workers into approving labor unions in the workplace (cosponsored by Senator Jim Webb among others). AIAW also indicated that 11th CD Democratic candidate Gerry Connolly supports this legislation.
The proposed legislation, which has already failed in the current Congress, has a provision called “card check” While its left-wing supporters give the usual heart-felt speeches about how it gives workers a “choice” about whether or not to join a union without those eeeeeeevil bosses interfering with their decisions, it in fact allows unions to organize a workplace without a secret ballot. Employees must publicly declare support or opposition to unionization, and thus be subjected to notorious labor union harassment and intimidation techniques.
Karen helpfully posted a link to an AFL-CIO web page that claimed that 60% of workers would join a union if they just had the chance. Well, heck, I say, give them a secret ballot and let’s have a vote! Isn’t it ironic that politicians who are elected via secret ballot want to take that right away from American workers?
We all know the real reason for this – labor unions in the private sector have declined in membership for years. The unions need coerced dues money for political purposes (er, to contribute to worthy non-profits) to push their left-wing agenda. The old generation of union organizers and union members has been dying off, thus leading to labor’s desperation. In addition, free market ideas concerning portability of benefits, personal retirement accounts, and school choice (not to mention legacy costs imposed on stockholders and taxpayers by the union agreements of old) have helped demonstrate to a more mobile society that the bureaucratic power of union leaders is outmoded and even counterproductive.
In many ways, I do feel sorry having to write this. My grandfather, a 1930s era card-carrying communist, was a union organizer. I know enough history to realize that unions did play a role in getting workers safer working conditions in many occupations. Many unionized workers do believe in doing good work for their employers and customers. However, the same 1930s mentality contains an overly adversarial relationship that only hurts employers and workers. Unfortunately, the strong-arm tactics that have persisted throughout the years have only made the “On the Waterfront” image of the unions persist.
I realize that Karen and I will disagree on the intent and outcome of the card check legislation, but I thought that this issue deserved (some admittedly backhanded) publicity. So Karen, I do respect your opinion.
By the way, I also hope that Mark Warner, Gerry Connolly, and other Democrats advertise loudly their support for this legislation. The bloggers who support these candidates should do all they can to spread the word as well, and post more videos just like Karen did. Maybe the candidates will post them on their web sites. With any luck, 11th CD Republican nominee Keith Fimian and the Republican Senate nominee, former Governor Gilmore, will help voters understand the agenda of the Democrats as well.
For those of you in other States, please remember that your Democratic candidates most likely support the same legislation. It is your duty to find out.
Hat tip: Anonymous Is a Woman
I do not normally link to my fellow bloggers on the left side of the political spectrum, but in this case I wanted to thank Karen of Anonymous is a Woman for posting this information. At a recent AFL-CIO Fourth of July picnic, Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner endorsed the (“exquisitely mistitled, in the words of George Will) “Employee Free Choice Act,” which is a union-backed ploy to intimidate workers into approving labor unions in the workplace (cosponsored by Senator Jim Webb among others). AIAW also indicated that 11th CD Democratic candidate Gerry Connolly supports this legislation.
The proposed legislation, which has already failed in the current Congress, has a provision called “card check” While its left-wing supporters give the usual heart-felt speeches about how it gives workers a “choice” about whether or not to join a union without those eeeeeeevil bosses interfering with their decisions, it in fact allows unions to organize a workplace without a secret ballot. Employees must publicly declare support or opposition to unionization, and thus be subjected to notorious labor union harassment and intimidation techniques.
Karen helpfully posted a link to an AFL-CIO web page that claimed that 60% of workers would join a union if they just had the chance. Well, heck, I say, give them a secret ballot and let’s have a vote! Isn’t it ironic that politicians who are elected via secret ballot want to take that right away from American workers?
We all know the real reason for this – labor unions in the private sector have declined in membership for years. The unions need coerced dues money for political purposes (er, to contribute to worthy non-profits) to push their left-wing agenda. The old generation of union organizers and union members has been dying off, thus leading to labor’s desperation. In addition, free market ideas concerning portability of benefits, personal retirement accounts, and school choice (not to mention legacy costs imposed on stockholders and taxpayers by the union agreements of old) have helped demonstrate to a more mobile society that the bureaucratic power of union leaders is outmoded and even counterproductive.
In many ways, I do feel sorry having to write this. My grandfather, a 1930s era card-carrying communist, was a union organizer. I know enough history to realize that unions did play a role in getting workers safer working conditions in many occupations. Many unionized workers do believe in doing good work for their employers and customers. However, the same 1930s mentality contains an overly adversarial relationship that only hurts employers and workers. Unfortunately, the strong-arm tactics that have persisted throughout the years have only made the “On the Waterfront” image of the unions persist.
I realize that Karen and I will disagree on the intent and outcome of the card check legislation, but I thought that this issue deserved (some admittedly backhanded) publicity. So Karen, I do respect your opinion.
By the way, I also hope that Mark Warner, Gerry Connolly, and other Democrats advertise loudly their support for this legislation. The bloggers who support these candidates should do all they can to spread the word as well, and post more videos just like Karen did. Maybe the candidates will post them on their web sites. With any luck, 11th CD Republican nominee Keith Fimian and the Republican Senate nominee, former Governor Gilmore, will help voters understand the agenda of the Democrats as well.
For those of you in other States, please remember that your Democratic candidates most likely support the same legislation. It is your duty to find out.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Waste to Energy
Turning Garbage to Power
Hat tip: The Tank at National Review Online
We’ve all been drowned in the hype about biofuels. Well, researchers working on behalf of the Army have found a way to turn garbage into an electricity-generating fuel for use in Iraq. It seems that the extreme summer heat over there may be quite a help to the process. Should the system work, it could cut down on the number of fuel convoys, and therefore potential targets for terrorists. The technology probably has application to various Third World and hurricane cleanup energy needs as well.
I wonder how the antiwar leftists would react to this?
Hat tip: The Tank at National Review Online
We’ve all been drowned in the hype about biofuels. Well, researchers working on behalf of the Army have found a way to turn garbage into an electricity-generating fuel for use in Iraq. It seems that the extreme summer heat over there may be quite a help to the process. Should the system work, it could cut down on the number of fuel convoys, and therefore potential targets for terrorists. The technology probably has application to various Third World and hurricane cleanup energy needs as well.
I wonder how the antiwar leftists would react to this?
Friday, June 06, 2008
Barack Obama "Friends" Video
This is really funny if you are conservative and educational if you are left wing. Video courtesy of The Nose on Your Face via Ace.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
RPV Convention
Yes, I was there. And yes, I was the one with those goofy sunglasses that had the hologram of an elephant.
By now, news of all the events, happenings, and mishaps can be found on any of a number of Virginia blogs. Just click on any of my ODBA links randomly and you will find some synopsis.
Personally, I was there to vote, but also the event was a lot of fun for me. I met a bunch of my fellow bloggers and caught up with some old friends. Sorry I didn’t get to meet more of my blog colleagues. Thanks to the Fairfax County Republican Committee for providing a bus. Thanks also to all the people driving on I-95 for not creating some sort of traffic nightmare and making us late. ;)
My main complaints about the convention had to do with time management as well as organization. From where I was sitting (with the Fairfax County people, in the back), it was pretty hard to hear. I was getting up to walk around just to get better acoustics. Heck, the Fairfax CITY people had better seating! And why couldn’t we just hear all the speeches and vote just once? Maybe we could have had our keynote speech while all the votes were being counted. Naaah, that would have been too logical.
Congratulations to former Gov. Jim Gilmore on his nomination for U.S. Senate, and to Del. Jeff Frederick on his winning the chairmanship of the RPV. The District conventions had shown that the Republican base was quite unhappy with a lot of the leadership and brought in a lot of change. I think the election of Jeff Frederick (as well as the strong showing for Del. Bob Marshall) reflects the dissatisfaction (or maybe crankiness) of the base. In many ways, I feel bad for former Lt. Gov. and Chairman John Hager, who took over the RPV at a bad time.
My only warning to Jeff Frederick is that revolutions have a way of eating their own children. Now that he has won, expectations will be very high for him to deliver results, and deliver them fast. I hope all Virginia Republicans come together for victory this fall, because any sense of “soreness” will only hurt our new leadership (and then we have to start all over again for an even more disadvantaged position).
By now, news of all the events, happenings, and mishaps can be found on any of a number of Virginia blogs. Just click on any of my ODBA links randomly and you will find some synopsis.
Personally, I was there to vote, but also the event was a lot of fun for me. I met a bunch of my fellow bloggers and caught up with some old friends. Sorry I didn’t get to meet more of my blog colleagues. Thanks to the Fairfax County Republican Committee for providing a bus. Thanks also to all the people driving on I-95 for not creating some sort of traffic nightmare and making us late. ;)
My main complaints about the convention had to do with time management as well as organization. From where I was sitting (with the Fairfax County people, in the back), it was pretty hard to hear. I was getting up to walk around just to get better acoustics. Heck, the Fairfax CITY people had better seating! And why couldn’t we just hear all the speeches and vote just once? Maybe we could have had our keynote speech while all the votes were being counted. Naaah, that would have been too logical.
Congratulations to former Gov. Jim Gilmore on his nomination for U.S. Senate, and to Del. Jeff Frederick on his winning the chairmanship of the RPV. The District conventions had shown that the Republican base was quite unhappy with a lot of the leadership and brought in a lot of change. I think the election of Jeff Frederick (as well as the strong showing for Del. Bob Marshall) reflects the dissatisfaction (or maybe crankiness) of the base. In many ways, I feel bad for former Lt. Gov. and Chairman John Hager, who took over the RPV at a bad time.
My only warning to Jeff Frederick is that revolutions have a way of eating their own children. Now that he has won, expectations will be very high for him to deliver results, and deliver them fast. I hope all Virginia Republicans come together for victory this fall, because any sense of “soreness” will only hurt our new leadership (and then we have to start all over again for an even more disadvantaged position).
Friday, May 30, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
“Hey! I Resemble that Remark!”
Barack Neville Obama Doth Protest too Much
By now we’ve all read about President George W. Bush’s speech before the Israeli Knesset, in which he said:
[Emphasis added.]
We all know that Barack Obama and his allies on the left have taken the President’s words rather personally, as if the President were calling Senator Obama an appeaser, even though the President did not mention Senator Obama. What is so funny is that there are plenty of elements within Israeli politics that are appeasement oriented.
Bruce Ramsey, the editor of the Seattle Times makes excuses for Obama this way (via Little Green Footballs, emphasis theirs):
See also more comments from Ace of Spades.
Remember the joke that was told about the French a couple of years ago? It went like this – FRENCH TERROR ALERT! The French have raised their alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two levels higher than these are “Surrender” and “Collaborate.” Well, it seems that today’s leftists have gone pretty much from “Surrender” to Collaborate.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) characterized our efforts in Iraq as “lost” pretty recently, and many foreign policy advisors in Sen. Obama’s Presidential campaign team are open sympathizers with the terrorist group Hamas. And let’s not get into the actions of the unhinged left, as enumerated by Concrete Bob.
Can’t any of them recognize our successes, or at least express a desire for us to win? I guess not, which may explain why the good young Senator, and his apologists, doth protest too much.
By now we’ve all read about President George W. Bush’s speech before the Israeli Knesset, in which he said:
This struggle is waged with the technology of the 21st century, but at its core it is an ancient battle between good and evil. The killers claim the mantle of Islam, but they are not religious men. No one who prays to the God of Abraham could strap a suicide vest to an innocent child, or blow up guiltless guests at a Passover Seder, or fly planes into office buildings filled with unsuspecting workers. In truth, the men who carry out these savage acts serve no higher goal than their own desire for power. They accept no God before themselves. And they reserve a special hatred for the most ardent defenders of liberty, including Americans and Israelis.
And that is why the founding charter of Hamas calls for the "elimination" of Israel.
And that is why the followers of Hezbollah chant "Death to Israel, Death to America!" That is why Osama bin Laden teaches that "the killing of Jews and Americans is one of the biggest duties." And that is why the President of Iran dreams of returning the Middle East to the Middle Ages and calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.
There are good and decent people who cannot fathom the darkness in these men and try to explain away their words. It's natural, but it is deadly wrong. As witnesses to evil in the past, we carry a solemn responsibility to take these words seriously. Jews and Americans have seen the consequences of disregarding the words of leaders who espouse hatred. And that is a mistake the world must not repeat in the 21st century.
Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is -- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history. (Applause.)
[Emphasis added.]
We all know that Barack Obama and his allies on the left have taken the President’s words rather personally, as if the President were calling Senator Obama an appeaser, even though the President did not mention Senator Obama. What is so funny is that there are plenty of elements within Israeli politics that are appeasement oriented.
Bruce Ramsey, the editor of the Seattle Times makes excuses for Obama this way (via Little Green Footballs, emphasis theirs):
Democrats are rebuking President Bush for saying in his speech to the Knesset, here, that to “negotiate with terrorists and radicals” is “appeasement.” The Democrats took it as a slap at Barack Obama. What bothers me is the continual reference to Hitler and his National Socialists, particularly the British and French accommodation at the Munich Conference of 1938.
What Hitler was demanding was not unreasonable. He wanted the German-speaking areas of Europe under German authority. He had just annexed Austria, which was German-speaking, without bloodshed. There were two more small pieces of Germanic territory: the free city of Danzig and the Sudetenland, a border area of what is now the Czech Republic.
See also more comments from Ace of Spades.
Remember the joke that was told about the French a couple of years ago? It went like this – FRENCH TERROR ALERT! The French have raised their alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two levels higher than these are “Surrender” and “Collaborate.” Well, it seems that today’s leftists have gone pretty much from “Surrender” to Collaborate.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) characterized our efforts in Iraq as “lost” pretty recently, and many foreign policy advisors in Sen. Obama’s Presidential campaign team are open sympathizers with the terrorist group Hamas. And let’s not get into the actions of the unhinged left, as enumerated by Concrete Bob.
Can’t any of them recognize our successes, or at least express a desire for us to win? I guess not, which may explain why the good young Senator, and his apologists, doth protest too much.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Tenth District Convention Shocker!
Civil and parliamentary, with fairness to speakers. Greg has the details.
I was there, and not only ran into Greg, but also Joe and John. And I ate too many donut holes thanks to Bob McDonnell's campaign. Overall, it was a good day.
I was there, and not only ran into Greg, but also Joe and John. And I ate too many donut holes thanks to Bob McDonnell's campaign. Overall, it was a good day.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Yom Ha'Atzmaut
Happy Birthday Israel!
The State of Israel came into existence on the 5th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, 5708 (May 14, 1948). Immediately afterwards, the surrounding Arab countries declared war, and, miraculously, the fledgling state survived. Israel went on to survive the wars of 1956, 1967, and 1973, as well as numerous wars of attrition. Here is a map of the original U.N. partition:
You can see that the area reserved for the "Jewish State" was very small indeed and was pretty much set up for failure. Jerusalem was also not contiguous to the rest of the Israeli territory. You can easily find comprehensive histories of what has happened since then with a simple web search.
On a personal note, my mother was born in Israel and her high school education was interrupted by the Israeli War for Independence. I have a lot of family there, including a grandfather who is now 105 years old.
Thanks to my fellow bloggers who support Israel and it's right to a safe and secure existence.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
When Is Mark Warner Moving to Florida?
Inheritance Tax Hypocrisy
I saw an interesting item in the Wall Street Journal this past weekend about the late Senator Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio. Metzenbaum, who passed away recently at age 90, was a Democrat from Ohio, and was known for his leftist voting record and his baseless attacks on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He was also a self-made millionaire who made his fortune in parking lots, according to the article.
What’s so interesting about Metzenbaum and his ilk is the issue of inheritance tax avoidance. Here’s what the Journal had to say:
Another leftist dinosaur, Ted Kennedy, has a hard time explaining why his wealthy family pays so little of the inheritance tax with which the rest of us poor peons are saddled. See the video here. (I think Brian has run this before.)
This brings us to Mark Warner. As we know, Warner ran with a promise not to raise taxes. He lied. He also told us about how he was going to repeal the death tax. Well, as Jim Gilmore and Bob Marshall can probably remind us, Warner lied about that too. Amazingly, Mark Warner has applied his fortune to a foundation, in this case to provide health care to poor communities, or so his web site says. Of course, wealthy people also start these foundations to avoid paying taxes.
Thanks to the tax cuts enacted under Bill Clinton and especially George W. Bush, the amount of wealth in this country has increased, and with it an explosive growth in philanthropic foundations. I do not deny that these foundations (including Mark Warner’s) do a lot of good, but leftists like Warner are being hypocritical by raising taxes on the rest of us who do not have the means to set up this kind of tax avoidance.
Of course, this foundation money may not be subject to inheritance taxes. So Mark Warner gets some reprieve that way. But I wonder, has the former Governor drawn up a will? Is there more money that will be shielded from inheritance taxes? I think it is high time he makes a full disclosure.
I do not wish Mark Warner to win the U.S. Senate race in Virginia, but I will not be so mean as to wish him an early and untimely death. That being said, will Mark Warner also make the move to income- and inheritance-free Florida one of these years?
I saw an interesting item in the Wall Street Journal this past weekend about the late Senator Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio. Metzenbaum, who passed away recently at age 90, was a Democrat from Ohio, and was known for his leftist voting record and his baseless attacks on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He was also a self-made millionaire who made his fortune in parking lots, according to the article.
What’s so interesting about Metzenbaum and his ilk is the issue of inheritance tax avoidance. Here’s what the Journal had to say:
But we come today not to judge the late Senator, only to praise him for one last act of personal financial acumen. Though a lifelong Ohioan, the Senator moved to Florida in 2002, according to a declaration of domicile filed with the Broward County Clerk's office in 2003. In doing so, he avoided paying his home state's income tax (top rate: 6.55%).
More important as he neared the end of his life, the former Senator also saved his family from paying Ohio's death tax, which features one of the highest state rates (7%) and lowest asset thresholds – $338,333 – in the country. Florida famously has no income or estate tax, which is one reason other than the climate that it is home to so many northern-born retirees.
Howard Metzenbaum thus denied the state in which he lived most of his life a parting financial gift. But he has at least provided the rest of us with a teaching moment in tax policy. If a liberal lion like Metzenbaum is willing to relocate late in life to avoid his state's death tax, maybe living politicians in Ohio will better understand how their confiscatory tax laws are driving its citizens to warmer climes.
Another leftist dinosaur, Ted Kennedy, has a hard time explaining why his wealthy family pays so little of the inheritance tax with which the rest of us poor peons are saddled. See the video here. (I think Brian has run this before.)
This brings us to Mark Warner. As we know, Warner ran with a promise not to raise taxes. He lied. He also told us about how he was going to repeal the death tax. Well, as Jim Gilmore and Bob Marshall can probably remind us, Warner lied about that too. Amazingly, Mark Warner has applied his fortune to a foundation, in this case to provide health care to poor communities, or so his web site says. Of course, wealthy people also start these foundations to avoid paying taxes.
Thanks to the tax cuts enacted under Bill Clinton and especially George W. Bush, the amount of wealth in this country has increased, and with it an explosive growth in philanthropic foundations. I do not deny that these foundations (including Mark Warner’s) do a lot of good, but leftists like Warner are being hypocritical by raising taxes on the rest of us who do not have the means to set up this kind of tax avoidance.
Of course, this foundation money may not be subject to inheritance taxes. So Mark Warner gets some reprieve that way. But I wonder, has the former Governor drawn up a will? Is there more money that will be shielded from inheritance taxes? I think it is high time he makes a full disclosure.
I do not wish Mark Warner to win the U.S. Senate race in Virginia, but I will not be so mean as to wish him an early and untimely death. That being said, will Mark Warner also make the move to income- and inheritance-free Florida one of these years?
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