Happy New Year, and to Rush, Get Well Soon.

Just a quick post to wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. There are lots of bowl games to watch and I intend to see as many of them as possible. If BackwardsGirl will allow, I intend to see more than 12 hours of football in one day. I know this is a demanding schedule, full of chips, dip, pizza and beer, but I'm up to the challenge. Only the occasional nap will keep me from my goal.

And in case you haven't heard, Rush Limbaugh was admitted to a Honolulu hospital with chest pains yesterday afternoon. Reports are that he is resting comfortably. This blog wishes him a speedy recovery and a return to the Golden EIB Microphone as soon as possible.

Naturally, in the spirit of good will that characterizes the left, many of his detractors have also wished him well, if you count dying in a fire as a good wish.

Chest pains are not to be dismissed, as I discovered when I survived my recent heart attack. It is to those dedicated doctors, nurses and EMT's that I owe my life. May the Lord Bless them and all of you in the coming year.

Dick Cheney Notes Obama's Weakness Against Terror

Today, Dick Cheney correctly noted President Obama's effete stand on terrorism. In a statement at Politico.com, the former Vice-President points out that Obama is "trying to pretend we're not at war".

“Why doesn’t he want to admit we’re at war? It doesn’t fit with the view of the world he brought with him to the Oval Office. It doesn’t fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency — social transformation — the restructuring of American society.”

The only thing weaker that Obama's efforts to protect America was the response by an unnamed senior Democrat: "It's telling that in attacking the president and the administration, that Vice-President did not condemn the attack against our nation on Christmas Day."

Really? That's the best you can do to criticize the truth, Mr. Unnamed Senior Democrat? You don't even want to be identified? Well, in light of that inane statement, I wouldn't want to be identified either.

This administrations' retreat to the pre-9-11 mentality of terrorism being a law enforcement issue does several things. First and foremost, it assuages the delicate sensibilities of those on the left who believe that terrorists are just like them and will respond to soft words, soothing music and a non-aggressive posture. These people are also the ones who believe that we are causing terrorism by our very existence and our "oppression" of Muslims, when reality is just the opposite. These same misguided people coincidentally think that we should close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

Second, our legal system isn't designed nor suited for overt acts of war against civilians. In this case, the "alleged" underwear bomber has a defense counselor ready, willing and able to prevent any type of interrogation of the "suspect". This prevents any effort to uncover and stop future attacks that the "suspect" may have knowledge of. In essence, our enemy is using our own court system against us, much as our own planes were used against us on 9-11. And this administration is aiding and abetting them in doing so.

Thirdly, we are sidestepping the very mechanism that allows us to defeat terrorism: The Geneva Convention. Enemy combatants who are not in uniform can be executed. This provision is conveniently ignored by the same people who claim to protect us. It has a precedent and is perfectly legal. It also sends a message to our enemies that we will defeat you.

Mr. Cheney, yours is a much needed voice of strength in a crowd of weaklings. We need more men like you in Washington.

The Failure of Janet Napolitano: "The system worked."

Perhaps she was too busy looking for domestic terrorists at the local VFW post to notice, but the rest of us got a reminder on Christmas Day.

We have enemies.

We have enemies who hate us. We have enemies who hate what we stand for. We have enemies who hate us for being, for living, for breathing, for working, for raising families. We have enemies who, at this very moment, are sorry that no one was killed in the attempt to blow up a plane full of Christmas passengers.


In a display of incompetence that would, had this occurred anywhere else besides Washington, result in the immediate firing of the person responsible, our head of Homeland Security said that "the system worked". Later retracted, but telling nonetheless, her statement is proof of the insulation inherent inside the Beltway, the insulation that prevents officials from being fully cognizant of the effects of their policies. In this case, only the swift action of regular citizens prevented a disaster. Not the DHS. Not the TSA. Not the 30 billion or so dollars spent after 9-11 to "upgrade" airport security.

These are the same regular citizens who realize that Janet Nepolitano should resign. The same citizens who understand that this administrations' efforts to prosecute terrorists in court is misguided and will do nothing to dissuade our enemies from striking at civilian targets. It may even provide a valid reason to strike us again due to the protection our courts accord defendants. Give a terrorist a lawyer and read him his Miranda rights and watch every effort to gain intelligence about future terror strikes vanish.

These are the same citizens who wonder when our government will become truly determined to stop terrorism by whatever steps are necessary.

A Soldier's Christmas

At this time of year, it's appropriate that we remember the sacrifices of our fellow countrymen and women in the military who will celebrate this Christmas away from home and loved ones. Keep them in your hearts and say a prayer for them and their families.



Merry Christmas!

White House Christmas Tree Respects Traditional American Values

If, by traditional values, you mean ornaments that show transsexuals, Chairman Mao and a Mount Rushmore re-envisioned to include the image of Barack Obama.

Big Government has the post to put you in the holiday mood. If you're a sexually confused Communist, that is.

If you're normal, then maybe not so much.

*sigh* I miss Norman Rockwell.

Who Stole My Government?

It was right over there, I swear it was.
Now it's gone.

You know, that government where I voted for somebody to fly to Washington D.C. and do all that legislatey type stuff, 'cause I'm like busy working, taking care of the family, paying bills, all the stuff that these folks I send to Washington have staffers do for them. Remember, the government that I trusted to do things for me, like keep me safe from other people who don't like me, and make sure that we have laws that make sense and that are good for us.

OK, what happened to it? Where did it go?

Poll after poll shows that Americans don't want ObamaCare. But what are the Dems in Washington doing? They're busy trying to pass ObamaCare.

Now, let me see if I've got this right. We don't want this bill, but Congress, whose sole reason for being is to represent the wishes of America, wants this bill.

Hmmm. It seems I remember something about a government by, for, and of the people. Does that not mean me? I thought I was a people.

What did I miss?

Jack Bauer Interrogates Santa Claus

With the holidays once again at our throats, this is a good time to expose the dark underbelly of a seemingly innocent celebration.




A doff of um, whatever kind of hat Santa wears to Big Hollywood.

Musings on This Third Pary Thingy

Many electrons have given their lives in discussions of this poll of the Tea Partiers becoming a third party in the upcoming electoral cycle. I don't think this is a good idea. Recent history shows third party candidates diluting votes, enabling Democrats to win in close contests.

I'm suspicious of this poll. My reason for suspicion is that this poll is covered by the MSM at all. In fact, the national alphabet media never fails to portray conservatives and conservatism in a negative way. We're shown as red-faced fanatics sporting tinfoil hats with the uneaten remnants of infant entrails in our teeth while holding the freshly-skinned pelt of a baby seal to our bosom. Add to this the results of the most recent presidential election wherein George Bush was the object of eight years of incessant criticism from the media, some of it rightly
deserved, but most of it without merit (and unanswered when it should
have been). The media's role in setting up the current disaster in Washington cannot be dismissed. So color me skeptical if I read anything positive about conservative ideas in the popular media.

The Tea Party Movement is a success in that the average American is now much more aware of politics than ever before. The Internet has provided a way to stay informed of the goings-on in Washington. As more is discovered about the details of legislation, Americans are discovering that their elected officials are, contrary to the model of representative democracy, ignoring their wishes. On everything. And the trust that once existed between the working public and their elected officials
has been seriously eroded. We just can't send someone to Washington
and be confidant they'll do what we want. More often than not,
they're directly opposing our will. This unwillingness to comply with
our wishes isn't confined to one party. Both are guilty.

What this country needs is a viable conservative party. The mechanism is already in place within the Republican party. What's missing is true leadership. Conservative ideas are proven winners when they're presented in the right way: with truth, conviction, calmness and strength. They need not be tailored to fit this or that special interest group. They are inclusive and beneficial to all Americans by nature.

I'll use energy as an example. Our lifestyle depends on energy: electrical (for static needs) and petroleum (for portable needs). If we were to remove the
artificial barriers that have been imposed on our ability to develop
our own natural resources, we could reap the benefits of inexpensive
energy while providing much-needed jobs. We could start drilling for
oil, we could fast-track the construction of refineries and nuclear
power plants. We could create jobs for all of America, have inexpensive energy to improve our standard of living and increase tax revenue, all at the same time. We can and should do these things. Everyone will benefit.

All we need to do is stay the course and the GOP will follow us.

With every swing of the national political pendulum comes talk of a third party We must resist this temptation, especially now. The rise of the Tea Party is truly a grassroots effort that needs to stay where it is. Which is the pot
set on simmer on the back burner. You won't forget it's there, cause
there's just a bit of steam coming from it. You can dip into it any
time to add some flavor to the main dish, but you won't be able to
make a whole meal of it, not yet. But the main course can't be made
without it's ingredients.

Democrats: We See Dead People and Other Things That Aren't Really There

Well, this certainly explains quite a bit. Byron York at the Washington Examiner points to a Pew poll that shows Democrats believe in the supernatural more than do Republicans.

"Conservatives and Republicans report fewer experiences than liberals or Democrats communicating with the dead, seeing ghosts and consulting fortunetellers or psychics," the Pew study says.

While not cited in the article, here are a few other things that Democrats believe in:

1. The Tooth Fairy.

2. Health Care won't increase the Deficit.

3. The Easter Bunny.

4. Cap-and-Trade will create jobs.

5. Santa Claus.

6. Obama is a Centrist.

7. Miss Cleo.

8. Man-made Global Warming.

Shamelessly stolen from Hot Air's Headlines.

Eco-Ninnies Are Better Than Us. No, Really.

I was over at Ace of Spades HQ where I ran across a dissertation that shows what we all kind of expected about holier-than-thou eco-ninnies ( a great description, Ace). Maybe it's because I'm from Alabama and can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes, but you know how you can sometimes just tell that someone's being a bit phony? You can't point to much in specific, it's just an overall sense that someone's not being completely honest with you? This essay points to a study that demonstrates that maybe being one with Gaia isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Read it all.

That post reminded me of an experience with a solicitor from Greenpeace one day in my front yard. He was a freckly-faced young college kid who really thought he was doing some good by raising money for a cause he obviously felt very passionate about. Nothing wrong with that, but after about five minutes of my observations about how you could do something concrete to actually minimize waste (like give away cloth grocery bags) instead of file lawsuits that ultimately make us pay more for the products we use, he was nearly reduced to tears. I almost felt sorry for him afterwards, but perhaps he thought just a little bit more about the true nature of the eco-nazi movement and what their motives actually are. Namely, the command-and-control of every aspect of your life.

I have a news flash for those in Washington that persist in this nonsense: the days of blind obedience are gone. We're waking up to the whole environmental sham, and recent developments have shown that the proponents of the now debunked "climate change" are digging in their heels instead of showing any true intellectual curiosity about ClimateGate and whether or not any of it is actually true.

Speaking of intellectual curiosity, be sure to check out Iowahawk's handy-dandy do-it-yourself Climate Hockey Stick Reconstruction Kit. No kidding. This is for real, as he does statistical modeling for his day job, or it at least looks that way. I looked and couldn't find one bit of snark. It's always good to have some ammunition in a battle of wits and he provides lots of it.

UPDATE!
I found this wonderful YouTube vid of Christopher Monckton interviewing a Greenpeace member that kinda, sorta parallels my story above. In it, he manages to reveal the biggest problem that eco-ninnies demonstrate: a curious willingness to believe anything told to them without bothering to actually determine whether they're being told the truth or not.

Global Warming Scientist Adds to Credibility by Calling Armed UN Security on Questioner

Let's say I'm a Stanford professor who has staked my career on convincing the public that man-made "climate change" is real. Let's also say I'm a senior member of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and I also have a new book coming out. How do I go about gathering public support for my views? By being open and honest about the revelation that some of the leading climate scientists have altered and even suppressed data that didn't confirm my findings? By openly answering questions? By being devoted to discovering the truth?

Oh no. I must shut down anyone who dares question my findings by calling security on them.

Gosh, it's funny how defensive some people can be when confronted with a challenge to their beliefs. And all this time I thought that scientists were all about openness and honesty in their work. Perhaps that doesn't apply when there are large grants available if you just say what the grantors want you to say, the truth be damned.

Be sure to watch the video and transcript. You'll wonder, as I do, why we continue to fund this failure of an organization.

Al Gore: Is There Anything He Can't Do?

2-term Vice-President, son of a Congressman (doesn't that roll off the tongue like a good curse), inventor of this Internet thingy, climatologist, planetary physicist, and now,

Poet (page down a ways).

This is a good poem if you're a middle-schooler.

If you're an adult, not so much.

But it's very funny in light of ClimateGate and his continuing refusal to debate anyone about it. The more he talks, the more absurd he sounds when it's becoming common knowledge that those reponsible for data gathering have, shall we say, been less than honest in their efforts.

Keep on talking there, Al. In iambic pentameter, if possible.

Frightener-in-Chief Tells GOP to Stop Scaring America with Facts

"We must act now!" has been the rallying cry of Obama and his administration since January 20. We were told we must pass the Stimulus Bill now! The TARP Bill now! Health Care now! In fact, according to the White House, every piece of legislation required our immediate action, or else!

So imagine the surprise when the President made this statement;

President Barack Obama told House Republican leaders to "stop trying to frighten the American people" even as he and Democrats said they see a possibility for bipartisan cooperation on job creation legislation.

I hate to break it to you, Mr. President, but many Americans are already scared. Scared of what your policies have done to the nation, their jobs, and their future. When it comes to stimulating the economy, you've done everything possible to prevent that from happening. Maybe it's because you've never held a real job. Or maybe it's because your Cabinet has less real world experience than your predecessors'. A lot less. Or maybe you think Socialism actually works. Whatever your reasoning, the path you want to take the country down is the wrong one, as every opinion poll and economic indicator shows.

Make no mistake, you could reverse your sliding popularity numbers by doing what the rest of us know needs to be done to stimulate the economy: cut taxes and regulations, kill the Health Care and Cap-and-Trade Bills and signal to the country's businesses that you'll no longer support policies that create unnecessary government intrusion into the market.

You could do these things, and more.

But will you?

Reality vs. Fantasy: Where Do Politicians Live?

I apologize in advance for the spotty posting as I'm severely under the weather. The good news is that I don't smell bacon or make oinking sounds when I sleep.

In my travels across this vast Internet thingy, I encounter many posts that I wish I had written.

Many, many posts.

This is one of them. In it, Steven Den Beste explores the philosophical side of politics, especially as it relates to the mindset of those whom we elect to public office. You'll want to read the whole thing, as it's a short and clear explanation of two opposite philosophical belief systems, one of which is predominant today.

It’s teleologists who drive around with bumper stickers that say, “Imagine world peace.” I can imagine it just fine. I don’t expect to see it in my lifetime, though.

It would be nice if everyone could imagine world peace, but that's the rub. No one thinks the same.

An awful lot of folk think they should control your life. That's a mental illness that's not considered one. Think about it; why on Earth would you want to order someone else around, except for some flaw in your thinking? Some grandiose fantasy that you're the best thing there is and deserve to be obeyed just because, well, just because? That's alright for children playing a game, but not for adults. In fact, adults mostly wish to be left alone, especially when it comes to politics and politicians.

You could also accurately attribute this ego trip to a lack of maturity. And judging from the level of rhetoric emanating from Washington these days, our leaders just don't sound too mature.

It's time for us to demand more from those we elect to office, that they treat us as equals, not as subjects. We should demand that they be mature and live in the real world.

Like we do every day.

President Admits Ignorance of Economic Remedy

President Obama held a "Jobs Summit" at the White House yesterday. No, it wasn't beers with the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs. It was a half hearted effort to try and discover what everyone else knows about our economy.

The Stimulus Bill is an outright failure, and some could argue that the unemployment numbers show it's done the exact opposite of what it was intended to do. The pitiful attempt to disguise this failure is called "jobs created or saved", as if no one notices the rising number of unemployed Americans. Almost everyone knows a friend or relative that's been negatively affected by the "progressive" policies of this administration, including me. Destroying our economy doesn't seem like progress.

To add insult to the very real injury that many Americans are forced to endure, President Obama admitted that he has no idea how our economy operates and invited a group of business and labor leaders to the White House yesterday. His, and Vice-President Biden's opening statements are here. In it, he states,

How do we get businesses to start hiring again? How do we get ourselves to the point where more people are working, and more people are spending, and you start seeing a virtuous cycle and the recovery starts to feed on itself?

Well, Mr. President, I'm here to help you. I know you've never run a business, or even held a position in a business. I know that you don't understand how a free market economy works, nor how wealth is created. I know that you're hostile to business in general and you consider profits to be evil. I know you think everyone always has enough money for everything since you said that your cap-and-trade plan would cause everyone's utility bill to "necessarily skyrocket" and you also think wealth should be "spread around" instead of generated.

So, being the good citizen that I am, here are just a few of my suggestions to you to stimulate our economy and put us back to work.

1. Reduce the corporate tax rate to 10 percent.

2. Declare a payroll tax holiday.

3. Kill the Health Care Bill.

4. Kill the Cap-and-Trade Bill.

5. Enact legislation to lift restrictions on domestic oil drilling and fast-track the construction of oil refineries and nuclear power plants.

6. Enact legislation to promote manufacturing jobs. Encourage diversity in the job market.

7. Repeal all environmental regulations that were based on the now-disproven theory of global warming.

8. Encourage banks that received bailout money to begin extending credit to businesses.

Mr. President, you can begin to take concrete action to improve our economy, or you can hold meaningless summits that only produce words and pictures. There are literally millions of Americans who are anxiously waiting to see if you are sincere and serious.

A challenger for Alan Grayson: Patricia Sullivan

While over at Ace's at this post where LauraW was asking for input on which conservatives to endorse in the next election, I was delighted to find out who is challenging the mentally challenged Alan Grayson in 2010 in our 8th District here.

Her name is Patricia Sullivan.

Her intro is here. Her blog is here, also available on her intro page.

She seems to be just what is needed in Washington: an average citizen who's fed up with being ignored and talked down to by those we elect to represent our interests. I'll be following her efforts closely, since Grayson has proven himself to be the typical condescending Democrat unable to give serious thought to complex issues and who seems ripe for defeat. Many who voted for him, and Obama, are now having a well earned case of voter remorse.

Climategate Clearinghouse

Climategate just won't go away, despite the refusal of Robert Gibbs to acknowledge it.

Pajamas Media has several posts up today. The best and most interesting is this database that has all of the emails listed. You can read up, comment, and rank them in importance. It's a great place to start if you're new to the scandal.

Their sister site, PJTV also has this video of Climategate deniers.

Watching these eco-nazis squirm is the most fun I've had in ages. They can't come up with any valid argument against the exposed emails that clearly show the scientists were lying, covering up, misdirecting, having people fired and generally engaging in actvities normally enjoyed only by politicians.

When the laughter subsides and the popcorn is all gone, then we'll have a lot of work to do. Namely, reversing the direction of pollution laws so we can start to drill for oil and natural gas again, build nuclear plants and do all the other things we should've been doing these past thirty years or so. We can bring to bear so much ridicule and scorn on any politician or judge that still believes in AGW that we'll make Saul Alinsky look like Billy Jack. We can finally take our natural resources back and tell those who would deny us their use to FOAD.

And if you want a really good chuckle, Jim Treacher offers up his inner dialogue.

On a psychological note, it will be some time before most of the believers of AGW will admit they were wrong and allowed themselves to be misled. A few may never come to terms with reality. Look for them to use some really outrageous explanations in order to convince themselves they were right in the face of increasing evidence to the contrary. While it might be popcorn worthy, it's really sad, and those who will not admit they were duped are almost to be pitied.

Almost.

As if there were such a thing as a Moron Mind Meld, Ace also puts these guys on the couch.

At the risk of flagellating a deceased equine, one point bears repetition: Always trust your instincts. If you detect that something just isn't quite right in what you're being told, or if something seems to be missing, regardless of what it may be, you're correct to be suspicious. That small, still voice within is trying to tell you something. Not necessarily with words, which makes it difficult to explain if it hasn't happened to you yet, but one day it will happen. Later, you'll know you were right, all on your own, with a little help from Above.