LA Times Article Gets It So Wrong Again

This blog wonders what's else is in the water coolers at the LA Times. Several weeks ago, they ran an article that attempted to explain away the Tea Party movement as merely another vestige of the '60's counterrevolution. Yesterday, they ran a similar article. I corrected them then, and I'll do it again now. Maybe, after a few hundred of these corrections, the staff out there might start to understand what this movement is all about.

Exhibit A: The Offendingly Inaccurate Article. It's title is "Most "tea party" followers are baby boomers reliving the '60's".

It begins by subtly suggesting that tea partiers are racists:

More likely to be white and male than the general population, tea partyers also skew toward middle age or older.

Secondly, they insist that, since they themselves likely protested during that era, that everyone always protested:

In their wonder years, they learned that politics was about protesting the Establishment and shouting down the Man.

While that may have been part of everyday life for the authors, most of the rest of us just watched these protests on the evening news.

It's about here where the authors veer off into fantasyland:

The tea party is a harbinger of midlife crisis, not political crisis. For men of a certain age, it offers a counterculture experience familiar from adolescence -- underground radio, esoteric tracts, consciousness-raising teach-ins and rallies replete with extroverted behavior to shock the squares -- all paid for with ample cash.

By "underground radio", I think we're supposed to insert the Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity shows here. Or Neil Boortz, or Mark Levin. Underground? When I was listening to underground radio, nobody knew it existed, hence the name. With millions of listeners, these shows hardly qualify.

As for the "extroverted behavior to shock the squares", I'll admit they have me at a loss. I don't recall seeing anyone at a Tea Party frolicking nude in the mud while tripping on acid. Our only "consciousness raising teach-ins" consist of town hall meetings, and the conciousness we're trying to raise is that of entrenched politicians who willfully ignore our wishes in Washington.

It gets better in the next snide put-down:

In a flashback of "turn on, tune in, drop out," the partyers reject mainstream culture, don the equivalent of Che T-shirts that say "Don't Tread on Me," and join sects with trippy names like Oath Keepers, Patriotic Resistance and Freedom Force. Instead of getting themselves "back to the garden," they get off the grid and, like the Bill Ayers crew, indulge in fantasies about armed rebellion against the establishment.

Reject mainstream culture? Well, when it includes semi-literate rappers who have an extremely limited vocabulary, known more for the quality of drugs they're able to use instead of the quality of their music, yeah, we tend to reject that. "Get off the grid'? Hardly. The average Tea Partier is much more informed and "plugged in" than ever before. They know about the waste and fraud in Washington and aren't very happy to have their hard-earned tax money frittered away on useless research grants to study the mating habits of obscure species, just to name one concern. The only fantasy indulged is having a responsible government inhabited by fellow citizens committed to the best standard of living for the country, not armed rebellion.
When the authors finally get to the crux of the biscuit, nothing happens:

The tea partyers' pictures and sound bites are so good, no one cares that their math doesn't add up: Cut taxes and the deficit but keep your hands off my Medicare; do something about jobs but don't increase spending. Everyone understands it's about something deeper.

Aahhh, math. That we do understand. Tea Partiers understand that spending $787 billion to create jobs hasn't worked, that high deficits harm our credit ratings and the value of the dollar overseas. We also understand that tax cuts (a conservative idea rejected by the "progressives" currently in power) result in an economic revitalization, the rising tide that lifts all ships. We understand very well that Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama haven't the slightest idea how free market capitalism works and demonstrate their ignorance every day.

If you're a baby boomer who's had your blood pressure medicine today, click on over to read another installment of blind men describing an elephant. You'll discover, unlike them, that they are truly blind.

Revenge of Son of Friday Bits of Tid

Wow, it's Friday again already. I was told when I was a young fellow that time passes more quickly as you age. I'm here to attest to the truth of that statement. Time is now officially passing by much faster than I ever thought it would. But the funny part, the one I wasn't told about, is that everything in the past feels like it happened just last summer.

First day of school? Last summer.

First kiss? Ditto.

The best vacation? Birth of BackwardsBabyBoy? Heart attack, wait, that really was last summer.

At least the stuff I can remember feels that way. Now where was I?

Oh yeah, Friday.

The health care summit at Blair House was over-televised yesterday, but in a good way. The Republicans scored some points, with the primary one being that they showed America they weren't merely the party of "no". The points they brought up were well thought out and backed up with figures. Even David Gergen said that yesterday was the best day the Republicans have had in a while. (h/t Hot Air) One point that President Obama brought up was salient. He mentioned that many of the provisions in his health care bill are supported separately by the American public. He's right and the polls show it. Most of us think that we shouldn't be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. We also think that our premiums are a bit too high for the coverage recieved and want them reduced. What he doesn't understand is that we want the private sector to fix these problems, not Washington. We've seen how massive government programs work, which isn't very well.

I still question the timing of this summit. I would've preferred a jobs summit, only with real business leaders. There is much to be done to revive the economy and what we're seeing from Reid, Pelosi and Obama is not helping. In fact, their "solutions" are only making things worse.

President Obama still defends his socialist agenda, even though by now, everyone can see that socialism doesn't work, never has, and never will. He'll need to defend it even more once he discovers that a majority of Americans now view his administration as a real threat to our rights. Mr. President, you're doing it wrong.

Finally, from our friends at the Jawa Report, comes The Patriot Song. It's a snazzy little ditty that'll have you humming the rest of the day.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Good Religion is Also Good Psychology

While our President, House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader press forward with their healthcare summit today in an attempt to shove an unpopular piece of legislation down the throats of Americans who don't want it, this blog ran across a somewhat related article. It seems that a belief in God helps some to relieve depression.

This is good news.

"For people diagnosed with clinical depression, medication certainly plays an important role in reducing symptoms," Ms. Murphy added. "But when treating persons diagnosed with depression, clinicians need to be aware of the role of religion in their patients' lives. It is an important resource in planning their care."

Read the whole thing.

Mr. Holder, What Are You Hiding?

Eric Holder, you've only been in your job for a year, but in that year, you've done a few things that many of us find questionable.

The first thing you did was a surprise. It was a surprise because of the outrage that would have resulted had the racial roles been reversed. You see, many of us turned on our TV's and saw two large black men in front of a polling station wielding billy clubs in a threatening manner and making intimidating remarks. On election day. Now, while we may not be experts on the law, we know that scene has all the makings of a case of racial voter intimidation, complete with eyewitnesses, video evidence from a news organization, and police reports. Now comes the surprising part: you dropped the charges against these men.

Why?

Next came your unbelievable decision to try the architect of 9-11 in a civilian court, with all the rights of an American citizen, in clear conflict with the Geneva Conventions.

Why?

Next up was another unbelievable decision to read the failed Christmas Day bomber his Miranda rights and place him in our criminal justice system as though he had merely robbed a convenence store, ignoring the obvious fact that he tried to kill over three hundred innocent people.

Why?

Now, we find out that members of your department have previously defended illegal enemy combatants, in what appears to be a very clear case of a conflict of interest. Senator Charles Grassley has asked you to identify these people. So far, you've been less than forthcoming with your answers, to the point of stonewalling. Byron York puts it this way:

Private lawyers can choose to take or not take cases. Sometimes they make their decisions based on money, sometimes on principle, sometimes because they are sympathetic to the accused. The lawyers who worked with the terrorist detainees chose to represent people who are making war on the United States. That's certainly their right, but it's entirely reasonable to ask whether they should now be working on detainee issues at the Justice Department.

It's also entirely reasonable to ask how those lawyers are able to get a good nights' sleep, knowing that they are helping our sworn enemy to defeat us in our own courts.

Mr. Holder, why aren't you complying with the numerous requests to be honest with the American people?

Whose side are you on?

America's Most Urgent Need: Jobs. Obama's Response:Here's My Health Care Plan

9.7% unemployment. Trillion-dollar federal deficits as far into the future as projectors can project. Tax revenues falling due to the economic downturn, with states hardest hit. Record numbers of people on food stamps. Personal bankruptcies at an all time high.

One would think that while in the midst of the most severe recession in generations, the White House would be focused laser-like on the economy. That they'd be exploring every way possible to revive it. That they'd be concerned with making the country hum with economic vitality, especially in the face of the massively expensive new government programs they envision.

One would be dead wrong.

Instead, President Obama will unveil his health care plan today. A plan that will cost the country over one trillion dollars and result in a massive, unecessary government takeover of one-sixth of the American economy. Not to mention poll after poll that shows America's outright rejection of the healthcare bill currently stalled in Congress.

It will do nothing to actually reduce the cost of insurance premiums. Tort reform is not part of the President's plan. Nor are there any plans to let the free market work to solve problems by allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines, as is currently the case with auto insurance. What it will do is introduce the country to the efficiency of the DMV and Amtrak in the doctor's office.

Make no mistake, this is a power grab by a Marxist administration: it will not end well. Your government does not care what you want.

Revenge of Friday Bits of Tid

The Conservative Political Action Committee convention is under way in Washington. Dick Cheney and Scott Brown surprised the crowd with their appearances.

Marco Rubio gave a fiery speech, his first on the national stage. As did Liz Cheney, although her name recognition is higher than Rubio's, for now.

Maybe next year this blog will be invited... I can hear it already, "You're who, again?"

Tiger Woods apologizes today. Here's hoping he can sucessfully overcome his addition and the damage it's caused to his family, his fans, and his sponsors. He has to be hurting.

And finally, Sir Elton John thinks Jesus was gay. While this blog disagrees, he's entitled to his opinion. I won't be burning any EJ albums because of it. The phrase "When all you have is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail" comes to mind. Somehow, I doubt that sex was on His mind much at all. He was concerned with more important things like helping us make the transition from this earthly life to the next spiritual one. Jus, sayin'...

Y'all have a good weekend.

How to Know When Government Becomes Too Large

Ever heard of a "delta smelt"? Neither had this blog until several month ago when Sean Hannity took a road trip to what was once fertile farmland in California. He highlighted the consequences of the Endangered Species Act where people were denied water for farming by their own government. In a clear and blatant violation of the Constitutions' provision to "promote the general welfare", zealous environmentalists ignored  their fellow citizens and placed the needs of a fish above those of humans. The cost has been high, with farmers, forced out of business by a misguided law using food banks and unemployment just to get by.

That's one example. Here's another from California.

Their new energy efficiency regulations for televisions. The goal is to reduce the energy consumption of TV's by 49%. Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? Right up until you ask yourself why the government would care what type of television you purchase. Isn't that, you know, outside their authority? Is there a provision in the Constitution for the regulation of televisions? Won't these regulations increase the cost of a new TV? When did watching a television become anyone else's business.

That's two. There are many, many more.

This is becoming important for economic as well as legal reasons. One of the primary differences between conservatives and "progressives" is that we conservatives recognize that in order for there to be freedom, the influence of government must have a limit. A line beyond which government cannot go. "Progressives" don't recognize any limits to the power of government and seek to expand it into every nook and cranny of private life, whether there is a valid need or not. California's regulations for televisions is a prime example.

When government has become large enough to add significant costs in the private sector where there was previously no such interference, it's time to question whether things have gotten out of hand. In the case of environmental regulation, there is clear evidence that the law is working against us by forcing us to use products that in many cases are inferior in quality and don't work very well. In the case of California's delta smelt fiasco, it's plainly working against the interests of the people and should not be allowed to continue under any circumstances. The failure of the courts to prevent this gross abuse of power is a disgrace to the bench and an affront to every freedom-loving American.

It's time to ask some fundamental questions about the role of government in America. The first one should be this: Is our government working for us or against us?

The 52% Shift Away from Obama

This is interesting. A poll by CNN reveals that 52% of America thinks Barack Obama doesn't deserve to be reelected. (Raw data is here.)

Now, what could possibly cause that? The highest unemployment rate in a generation? Trying a known 9-11 terrorist in a New York City jury trial? A preference for bowing to foreign heads of state? Closing Gitmo? Quadrupling the national debt in one year? Rapidly declining federal tax revenues? Record home foreclosure rates and personal bankruptcies? Attempting a government takeover of the best health care system in the world? Sitting by idly while Iran destabilizes the Middle East by developing nuclear weapons in open defiance of UN rules? Taking over not one, but two formerly productive auto companies and closing many of their dealerships in the midst of a recession? Upholding the ban on offshore drilling? Claiming success in Iraq when you were against the very troop surge that made it possible? Vilifying bankers, insurance companies, doctors and business people? Silently approving your Homeland Security Secretary's designation of Tea Partiers as terrorists? Installing self-avowed Communists and Mao worshippers into high office? Calling Cambridge Massachussetts police stupid after admitting you didn't have all the facts? All this and more in only your first year in office?

Hmmmmm.

The New, Improved Obama! Now with 30% More!

Are you tired of the same old Obama? Do you miss the campaign rhetoric that so enthralled a nation during the 2008 Presidential election? Do you wonder where all the hope and change went? Well, America, wonder no more.

Zombie Billy Mays here for the new, improved Barack Obama.

What do you do if the agenda you're promoting for the country just doesn't seem to work? Is that takeover of the health care system not going the way you had envisioned? And how about your Cap-and-Trade bill? It seems nobody wants their energy bills to skyrocket the way you want them to. And, hey, let's not forget the millions of Americans who've lost their jobs since you took office. Things are looking a little grim, especially for your poll numbers. It seems no one wants your hard left turn toward socialism and decline.

What will you do?

Well, you could amaze your friends and stymie your foes by taking another look at your agenda and asking some hard and uncomfortable questions, like why doesn't anyone want massive tax hikes and government intrusion into every facet of their private life? And terrorists: should I get tough, or should I let Eric Holder and his department endanger the public with a costly and drawn-out show trial that plays into our enemies' hands?

No, you do what you know how to do. You rely on image. That's right, you go back to what got you here. No need for self-examination, none of that messy pulse-taking of the country, no need to alter that fundamental transformation into Europe you promised. You're not that kind of guy. You're cool and detached. You'll carefully craft public events and speak without the filter of the press. You'll get out in front of your critics and control the narrative. You'll show the nation that you're just as angry with the current leadership as they are.

Yes, you'll prove your critics wrong. You won't let petty inconveniences like truth or reality get in your way. You won't allow your inexperience and ignorance to dissuade you from destroying the most robust economy in the world. And you certainly won't let that pesky thing called "the future" keep you from cancelling cutting-edge technology like anti-missle laser systems, the F-22 Raptor, or the manned space program.

No, you'll continue to defy the wishes of America at every opportunity because you're a Modern Politician who knows what's best for your country. While those hicks cling to their stubborn insistance that the Constitution should be the guide for government, you understand that it's an impediment to your grand vision of the country. Yours is a sweeping one that guarantees the US its rightful place in history, right next to Zimbabwe, with you leading the way.

Yes, you'll keep on being a progressive because you know, deep in your heart, that America is evil and the source of all the world's problems. There's nothing special about us that a little totalitarianism won't cure. You'll save us from ourselves and transform us into a place that no one recognizes.

And, for the next ten minutes, you'll get free shipping!

It's Official! Global Warming is Dead!

Today is a good day.

Here's why: global warming is dead.

How do I know this? Phil Jones, the climate scientist at the center of the movement, said so, right here.

...he said that for the past 15 years there has been no ‘statistically significant’ warming.

Welcome to the real world, Phil.

Those of us who live in it have been skeptical of this movement for many years. While guys like Phil Jones were compiling and manipulating information to make us believe that perfectly normal variations in weather were caused by mankind, the rest of us were wondering what the hoopla was all about. Every time they tried to get the rest of us all worried about one blizzard, or one hurricane or one tsunami, the rest of us said, "So what? A whole lot of people once believed the Earth was flat, not round." Those of us who trusted our instincts and doubted the idea of man-made climate change were called all manner of names, with a few environmentalists suggesting trials for unbelievers. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

This blog wondered how anyone could believe in something that so completely defies logic as to be laughable. Here's a little game that's fun for the whole family: substitute the phrase "Barbi dolls" for the phrase "climate change", then use it in a sentence. They both make as much sense.

I will give this movement credit for something, though. It made people feel guilty for innocently living their life. Notice how each and every little part of life was somehow turned into an egregious act against the planet and caused it irreparable harm. Everything from driving to using toilet paper was something you were doing wrong, dammit! You were eevillll! The world was so fragile, so easily damaged by you and your kind that it could just decide not to turn anymore. Then where we all be? Huh? Just think of all the little baby seals you killed by turning on your big screen TV, you, you, human!

I won't miss it.

Now that at least a little bit of truth has made its way into the publics' conscience, there is much to be done. The politicians who devised the laws and regulations that were based on this disproven hoax need to get to work to undo the damage their misguided laws have done. They need to use the same vigor they used to implement those regulations. Their swift action in this regard is the only apology necessary. Nothing else will restore the trust of the public.

On a lighter note, think of all the things we can resume, confident that our actions won't result in the failure of the earth to continue rotating. We can develop our own energy resources. We can start building nuclear plants to power our future. We don't need to use expensive and less efficient propellants in products like asthma inhalers. We need not use inefficient fluorescent bulbs if we don't want to. We can ask politicians if they believe in "climate change" and remove them from office if they say "yes". We could even burn copies of "An Inconvenient Truth." This brave new world is alive with possibilities.

We are free.

Today is a good day.