On the Palin Pick - "There's Always a Catch"

Hurricane Gustav: Dems Say "God is On Our Side"

On a flight home from the Democratic National Convention, former National Chairman Don Fowler and Congressman John Spratt of South Carolina were caught on tape laughing about the timing of Hurricane Gustav, saying "God is on our side".

Class act.

The Facts on Palin - Hehehe

Go on over to Palin Facts to get the real scoop on the Republican Vice-Presential nominee.

Some of the choicest:

Sarah Palin isn’t allowed to wield the gavel at the convention because they’re afraid she’ll use it to kill liberals.

Sarah Palin once one a competitive eating contest by devouring three live caribou.

Sarah Palin once carved a perfect likeness of the Mona Lisa in a block of ice using only her teeth.

Sarah Palin wears glasses lest her uncontrollable optic blasts slaughter everyone.

Sarah Palin will pry your Klondike bar from your cold dead fingers.

Sarah Palin doesn’t need a gun to hunt. She has been known to throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.

And I think my favorite:

Sarah Palin makes Andrew Sullivan regret some key life choices.

Check them all out here.

h/t Ace of Spades HQ

Finally....A Reason to Get Excited

The Mourning Constitution

In what must be the coolest blog name ever, Brian Shields has started a new blog called The Mourning Constitution. The name combines sad irony with a touch of naughty scatology. In his latest post, he predicts the theme of the Republican Convention:

“You will see alot of patriotism in the air, Republicans are good at wearing the flag on their sleeve with Nascar fan-like determination.”

Put The Mourning Constitution on your reading list if you dare.

This ain’t no party pablum.

As he ponders in his latest post:

So, after the "yay for me" parties are over with, we can get down to brass tax and expose both these candidates for the frauds they are.”

Hmmmm, I wonder if “brass tax” was intentional? Either way, it works for me.

Toga ! Toga ! Toga !

The designer of the pretentious reminiscently classical stage set platform where Barack Obama will accept his coronation nomination was designed by RDA Entertainment, veterans of such other idiotic American icons luminaries as that iterant role model Britney Spears:

"We've done Britney’s sets and a whole bunch of rock shows, but this was far more elaborate and complicated and we had to do it in far less time,” said Allen, of RDA Entertainment.

Some Democrats react:

This is a disaster of mythical proportions.

It's not enough that he wants to be president -- he wants to be Zeus.

Will he send down thunderbolts from the mountain?

And the Republicans, of course had to chime in:

Tomorrow you’re going to see Obama come down from Olympus to be among us mere mortals,” Michael Steele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, told reporters in Denver.

John Belushi is spinning in his grave.

Press Release: Libertarian Party of Delaware Congressional Candidate Mark Anthony Parks

For Immediate Release
Libertarian Party of Delaware Congressional candidate energized by Ron Paul, concerned about debt and globalization

For further information, contact LPD State Chair Jim Rash

jim@rashteam.com

-------------------------------------------------------------

Mark Anthony Parks thinks a lot about systems, what makes them work and what fouls them up. He has to: the 34-year-old Bear resident is a helicopter mechanic. But Parks is also running as the Libertarian Party of Delaware’s candidate for the US House of Representatives, and in that effort he’s thinking about systems as well.

“Throughout history,” Parks says, “the free market has been the best system for distributing goods, services, and resources, and assuring the best standard of living for the most people.” American politicians’ failing to recognize this basic truth, he insists, has led to a staggering national debt, rising food and energy costs, and cascading failures in the banking system.

Parks speaks deliberately, as if wrestling with the concepts each time he addresses his subject. He admits to having been apolitical until invigorated by Ron Paul’s campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination. “Ron Paul taught me about the Federal Reserve, foreign policy, and the dangers of globalization,” Parks says.

“It was a political education, too, watching the media closing him out of the New Hampshire debate after he had done well enough in Iowa to earn a place on stage,” he continues. Disenchantment with the major parties and a growing commitment to protecting individual liberty from continually encroaching government led him to the Libertarian Party.

For Parks, and for a growing number of Americans across Delaware and the nation, the Libertarian message of individual liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government resonates strongly. He says, “Look at the two big parties, and they’re competing to buy your with giveaways to keep their power. It doesn’t really matter which one wins; nothing changes except that the power of the government keeps increasing.”

After that revelation, filing a challenge to Delaware’s long-standing Representative Mike Castle was a decision made fairly quickly. Parks understands the odds involved opposing Castle’s electoral juggernaut, and is realistic about what he can achieve. “I’ll wage as vigorous a campaign as possible with the resources I can muster,” he says. “The important thing is not me, but the issues. If people start talking seriously about the issues, I’m doing my part.”

Signature issues for Mark Anthony Parks include the national debt, international trade agreements, American foreign policy, and the war on drugs.

On the debt, he asks, “How do we justify putting the wealth and liberty of future generations up for sale to China and countries in the Middle East?” He sees multilateral trade agreements like NAFTA and participation in the World Trade Organization as eroding American sovereignty.

As for foreign policy, Parks’ prescription is simple: “Freedom should be spread by example, not by the barrel of a gun. Free trade with all, entangling alliances with none.”

The Federal war on drugs, he notes, has never worked and cannot succeed: “The fallacy of criminalization is that it has exponentially increase the value of the product to make it worth killing and destroying for.”

Mark Anthony Parks’ campaign may be contacted at http://libertarianpartycandidates.us/candidates/mark-anthony-parks-2008-united-states-house-repres/

Why Martin Luther King Jr Was a Republican

An excellent article by Francis Rice of the National Black Republican Association. It sure educated me:

"It was the Democrats who fought to keep blacks in slavery and passed the discriminatory Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. The Democrats started the Ku Klux Klan to lynch and terrorize blacks. The Democrats fought to prevent the passage of every civil rights law beginning with the civil rights laws of the 1860's, and continuing with the civil rights laws of the 1950's and 1960's.

Democrats have been running our inner-cities for the past 30-40 years, and blacks are still complaining about the same problems. Over $7 trillion dollars have been spent on poverty programs since President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty with little, if any, impact on poverty. Diabolically, every election cycle, Democrats blame Republicans for the deplorable conditions in the inner-cities, then incite blacks to cast a protest vote against Republicans."

READ FULL ARTICLE

And, in another piece, why Obama is not MLK's dream.

Norway Says: Give Us Your Prostitutes, Your Beggars, Your Drug Addicts

Here’s a description of Norway’s welfare system:

The welfare system in Norway is made to take care of all the inhabitants of the nation, “from the cradle to the grave”. From the day they are born, all Norwegians are members of National Social Insurance. Being a member of the National Social Insurance is in fact mandatory. The National Social Insurance guarantees a number of benefits for the population:

Free health care, free hospitalization and immunizations.

A 100% wage compensated maternity leave for 42 weeks for the mother, 4 weeks’ fully paid leave for the father. (Alternatively one year on 80% of salary) Almost 70% of the fathers take this opportunity to be home with their newborn child.

Every family receives child allowance for each child, until the child is 16 years old. Single parents receive double child allowance.

Children receive free dental care until they are 18 years old. For 19 - and 20-year-olds the Social Insurance gives a 75% discount. (This dental care does not include braces or other orthodontics.)

A minimum pension when a person retires. Retirement age: normally 67, lower for some professions.

The welfare system is financed through taxes. A working Norwegian pays between 30% and 40 % of his income in taxes (depending on how much he earns). A part of the taxes goes to the National Social Insurance fund and secures the insurance and benefits for the person himself and the non-working persons (children, the elderly).

The welfare system is run by the state. Norwegians have a loyal, friendly relationship with the state, as it is looked upon as someone you can turn to for help. Receiving welfare benefits is not regarded as shameful; it is something everyone receives and takes advantage of.

So, why is this happening?

Visitors to Oslo say they're "shocked" by the sheer numbers of prostitutes, beggars and drug addicts who now sometimes aggressively accost people right in the heart of town, on the capital's parade boulevard Karl Johans Gate.

Lae is distressed and says the situation flies in the face of Norway's image as a prosperous welfare state . "People must wonder what kind of needs we have that we don't manage to address in this country," he told NRK.

And Norway has a crime rate four times that of New York.

Gee, I wonder how that happened?

h/t Moonbattery

Breaking: Our Own Tommywonk Makes CNN News !

"It's been a lot of fun," said 52-year-old Tom Noyes, whose www.tommywonk.blogspot.com site was chosen from Delaware. "First of all, the Delaware delegation was moved from the back of the floor to the front when Joe Biden was tapped as Obama's running mate. It's a great view."

Congratulations on making the big time, Tom !

FULL CNN STORY HERE

Obama Promises a New Approach - Specifics

Something new and different:

"Barack Obama promised on Monday to accept the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination with a "workman-like speech" offering policy details and not simply his trademark rhetoric.

Critics who admire his oratorical gifts say he needs to match lofty words with specifics. They say it isn't enough for him to promise change and hope without spelling out how he intends to do that if elected on November 4."

We shall see.

Prediction

After September 9th, we will have a winner and a loser in the Democratic primary for Governor.

IF the Obama/Biden ticket wins in November, and IF the Democratic winner beats Bill Lee for Governor, the Democratic winner will then appoint the Democratic primary loser to fill Biden’s Senate seat.

Delaware will then have a Senator that nobody actually voted for. What's even more, no one will complain.

You read it here first.

Surely You Can't Be Serious......

"I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

There is someone by the name of "Shirley" who just called in to the Al Mascitti show on WDEL a few moments ago. I have heard her call in before.

Just to be perfectly clear:

I am not that Shirley !

EGAD !

Where is the Outrage ?

As a software development Project Manager and database designer, it appalls me no end that our government does not have the wherewithal to successfully plan, develop, and control data that is most important to us:

“The "Railhead" program was intended to improve the terrorist watch list and enhance the integration of U.S. terrorist intelligence from the nation’s 16 separate intelligence agencies as recommended by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States or 9.11 Commission. In addition, it was supposed to provide an integrated information infrastructure that government counterterrorism analysts could rely on to identify current and future terrorist threats and possibly predict and prevent the next terrorist attack. Situated at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) the "Railhead" program was the celebrated superstar of the NCTC’s most promising and important counterterrorism programs. “ (LINK)

As OMB Watch reports:

1) The new system's technology is incompatible with what the rest of federal government uses (indeed, with what most of the world's businesses use). Rather than use a technology known as a "database," the contractor hired to build the new system wants to use something not dissimilar from masses of Microsoft Word documents.

2) The system can't perform basic data searches using combinations of text. An analyst can, for instance, search for data containing the word "anthrax," but she wouldn't be able to search for data containing the words "anthrax" or "plague." In other words, this $500 million clunker is already technologically behind most free internet search engines, like Google.

Over $500 million has been spent on this Charlie Foxtrot of an endeavor. It is not integrated. It is not accessible. It is seriously flawed. Who was in charge here? Where were the controls?

Can I get my money back?

A question arises as to whether or not the contractor's close personal relationship with the government's project manager has anything to do with this cockamamie approach to fulfilling one of the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

So what is to be done? Oh, an investigation. These “investigations” of government screw-ups are about as ubiquitous as a Delaware “task force”.

If this had been private industry, heads would be rolling.

Why is it different for the government?

Warning: If You Have a Car Air Freshener, You May be Suspicious

"Federal appeals court rules that motorists can be stopped for 30 minutes and searched if they are nervous and use an air freshener." (LINK)

"A federal appellate court ruled last week that police can delay a routine traffic stop as long as necessary to conduct a search for drugs. In its decision, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the validity of a thirty-minute traffic stop in Maryland because the arresting officer claimed the nervous driver had an air freshener hanging from his rear-view mirror and had previously been spotted driving in a run-down neighborhood."

Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory in the dissent:

"A seizure that is justified solely by the interest in issuing a warning ticket to the driver can become unlawful if it is prolonged beyond the time reasonably required to complete that mission...Given that most people are nervous when pulled over by police officers, Officer White's observation that the defendant seemed nervous in conjunction with the defendant's reputation as a drug dealer does not in my opinion rise to the level of reasonable articulable suspicion that would justify a thirty minute detention during a routine traffic incident."

Judge Gregory was overruled.

So, if you are driving from a "bad" neighborhood (perhaps blighted???), have an air freshener in your car, and appear "nervous" (who isn't when stopped by the law?), you might want to phone home and say you're going to be a little bit late.

New Business - Delaware Patriot

Delaware Blogger “Rob” at Delaware Stuff is a certified Range Safety Officer and Instructor. He has established Delaware Patriot (website under construction, but the gist of it is there), whose mission is stated as follows:

“Delaware Patriot provides firearms safety training in Delaware's New Castle County, conveniently located within 20 minutes of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and within 30 minutes of Kent County, Delaware.

In addition to offering NRA certified courses for the F.I.R.S.T. Steps Program and Basic Pistol Certification, Delaware Patriot also provides a class that satisfies Delaware's requirement to obtain a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon and Florida's requirement to obtain a license to conceal a handgun.”

Rob seems to me to be the kind of person where even a novice could feel comfortable in learning basic pistol safety.

If you are interested, check out his website for more information.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

The Denver Business Journal reported last Tuesday about the wooden hotel key cards being used at the convention:

“Sustainable Cards LLC of Boulder has donated more than 70,000 wood hotel key cards to use at hotels throughout the Denver area. The wooden cards, made from sustainably harvested birch, carry the logo of the Denver 2008 Host Committee.”

Too bad they don’t work:

“The plan lasted all of a few hours. By Saturday night, enough guests had reported problems getting into their rooms with the wooden cards that the front desk clerks had abandoned them and switched back to the plastic cards. A clerk said they were now handing out one of each and suggested that the wooden one could kept as a souvenir.”

It is one thing to have a plan. It is another thing to have something that actually works. Was there any testing? What probably happened is that there was so much groovy giddiness over the inherent goodness of wooden key cards that they didn't bother to do the testing needed. I see this in software development projects as well; if it looks good, get it out there. We'll handle the bugs later.

I guess it’s back to the drawing board. I hope TommyWonk didn’t have any problem getting into his hotel room.

Fast Eddie Embarassed? Hard To Believe.

Ed Rendell, not particularly known for his reticence, had this to say over the weekend:

"Ladies and gentleman, the coverage of Barack Obama was embarrassing. It was embarrassing."

In the Sunday panel discussion with NBC’s Tom Brokaw, ABC’s George Stephanopoulous and CBS’s Bob Schieffer, Rendell went on to say,

“MSNBC was the official network of the Obama campaign."

The Pennsylvania Governor also does not seem to have much regard for Chris Matthews, saying that Matthews "loses impartiality when he talks about the Clintons."

Sour grapes? Or something else?

h/t Drudge

Foreign Policy, the Joe Biden Way

I am still reeling from the collective massive orgasm that occurred at 3:00 AM Saturday morning when the VP text message went out announcing native son Joe Biden as Obama’s pick for VP. I swear, I think the earth actually moved.

I think it exciting for little ole Delaware. For the country? Not so much.

Note this excerpt from a New Republic profile in October, 2001. This is Biden right after the 9/11 terrorist attacks:

“At the Tuesday-morning meeting with committee staffers, Biden launches into a stream-of-consciousness monologue about what his committee should be doing, before he finally admits the obvious: “I’m groping here.” Then he hits on an idea: America needs to show the Arab world that we’re not bent on its destruction. “Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran,” Biden declares. He surveys the table with raised eyebrows, a How do ya like that? look on his face.”

Ed Morrissey explains why giving $200 million to Iran might not have been such a hot idea.

h/t Ace of Spades

Are There Any Good Democrats Left in Pennsylvania?

Two Pennsylvania grand juries have recently indicted 12 high-level Democrats for conducting…

“…a concerted plan to use taxpayer funds, employees and resources for political campaign purposes. Over the course of over a number of years, former representative Mike Veon and others, some named herein and others un-named, engaged in a concerted pattern of illegal conduct in which millions of dollars in taxpayer funds and resources were misdirected to campaign efforts.” (LINK, PDF-75 pages).

The allegations involve the misuse of $4 million in taxpayer dollars.

Ed Rendell was saddened.

Recently retired Senator Vince Fumo, he of the Munster mansion has his own set of problems, with 139 counts of conspiracy, fraud, obstruction of justice, and filing false tax returns.

The power and petulance of the party rivals the Tammany Hall era in New York. These are people who were so cocksure in their power and influence that they thought they were untouchable.

They have found, like John Edwards (that epitome of arrogance), that they are not.

They Could Have Just Asked Me.....

A silly question of the day is:

“If you had $147,000 to spend on scientific research, would you rather try to find a cure for cancer or see whether women get sexually aroused while watching pornography?”

The answers could scare me, but it is just one of many important studies where we the taxpayers have paid the bill.

I am wondering if the Enumerated Powers Act were passed, how such appropriations as these would fare. In case you are not aware of this Act (S. 3159/H.R.1359), it requires Congress to “specify the source of authority under the United States Constitution for the enactment of laws.”

While studying the sexual arousal of women under the influence of pornography might be an interesting assignment, it would quite a stretch to assign a Constitutional reference for its purpose.

Marc Abrahams explains:

"In order to get hired, in order to keep your job and to get promoted, you have to publish a lot of studies," Abrahams said. "There are an awful lot of studies that were done apparently because somebody needed to get some more things on their resume."

Mr. Abrahams is editor of a website called Improbable Research, and it seems as though the United States is not the only country with this academia problem. Researchers in Indian (inspired by a similar study conducted in Wisonsin), have determined that most teenagers pick their noses.

What would we do without these gems of knowledge? And, more importantly, what could we as a country do with the money if spent elsewhere?

Our Security is in Good Hands?

Another frightening example of the incompetence that is DHS:

“A hacker broke into a Homeland Security Department telephone system over the weekend and racked up about $12,000 in calls to the Middle East and Asia.

The hacker made more than 400 calls on a Federal Emergency Management Agency voicemail system in Emmitsburg, Md., on Saturday and Sunday, according to FEMA spokesman Tom Olshanski.”

What is even more embarrassing is that the method used is considered “low-tech” and “old school”. It was not even remotely sophisticated.

And we want the government to have databases to administer the Real ID Act?

Frightening.

Damn the Consequences - Give Me The Pen !

RC writes in a recent post “I Can’t Afford to Fight for Freedom”:

“If you are still suffering from the delusion that we live in a country that is any freer than the one our forefathers rebelled against don't bother reading this.All too often when I ask someone a question about engaging in certain actions the response I get is, "I can't afford to" or "I would lose my job" or "I can't get arrested". If these responses strike a nerve keep in mind they have been echoed in my own home. Obviously there are many who, for a variety of reasons, can not afford to fight "openly" for freedom. To those I would ask, what can you do? Consider the following "passing it on."

He goes on with a link to The Cost of Freedom, which describes the sacrifices made by people both known and obscure during the Revolutionary War.

One example:

“Lewis Morris was on hand to sign the Declaration of Independence, even though he knew that a large British army had landed within a few miles of his estate and that his extensive possessions would probably be ruined. "Damn the consequences, give me the pen," Morris is said to have shouted. Soon after, his house was ransacked, his family driven away, his livestock captured and the entire property destroyed. All of the Morris property and nearly all of his wealth had been destroyed in the war.”

Thinking to myself of my own action or lack of action and bemoaning at times my sensibilities which mute my outrage, I gained new inspiration as well as a nagging discomfort with my own inadequate efforts.

It is well worth reading the entire post.

Oh, and in an aside to RC: Consider it passed.

LOL, The Irony !

I received an e-mail from my brother this morning pointing out the campaign website of Representative Bryon Short (Democrat, 7th District).

I am a registered Republican and tend to vote that way, but I do not vote blindly. I try to evaluate the person and their message, so my votes go all over the political spectrum. I voted for Bryon Short when he ran in the special election to replace Wayne Smith (at the time, I was registered Independent). My reasons were posted here.

Since Bryon Short has been in office, I have had occasion to e-mail him twice. One thing I have to say about Mr. Short: he answers his e-mails. I expressed my opinion on Senate Bill 164 (he unfortunately did not agree), and also sent him a short e-mail thanking him for HJR 18.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that this second e-mail is on his campaign website on the “What They Are Saying” page ! It was nice that he found it valuable enough to post. It is kind of ironic though, isn’t it, that a registered Republican’s “thank you” is featured by a Democrat? I think it is rather refreshing. There may still be hope for all of us.

Speaking of representative answering e-mails, I have e-mailed my Senator, Catherine Cloutier, she of the infamous flip-flop on eminent domain. She has never responded to one. I remember a while back I thanked a member of the Wilmington City Council for a response and commented that it was the only response I had received. This Councilperson replied saying that politicians “don’t like to put things in writing”. I guess politicians also have a need to show up with their personal lawyer when meeting with a constituent, as it is reported that Senator Cloutier did.

So, if nothing else, Bryon Short is responsive to his constituents. I am glad I voted for him. This election, I hope to meet him at one of his constituent sessions to find out his views on other issues that are important to me, and do the same with his opponent. I’ll let you know how that goes.

WTF?

47-year-old man injured in motorcycle crash

Good Lord. This is the fourth accident in almost as many days. The last three were fatalities. I hope this guy is OK. And I know this is selfish, but I hope to God I don't know him because that would just be too much to bear.

Dick Polman's "Visceral Trumps Cerebral" Opinion

Dick Polman has a kickass opinion piece in The Philadelphia Inquirer today on the so-called “faith forum” this past weekend. I’m a little confused about why there is even such a thing as a “faith forum” with presidential candidates. But, there it was (TRANSCRIPTS). The title of Polman’s piece is “Visceral trumps cerebral”.

There is a definite contrast of styles here.

Question: At what point does a baby get human rights?

Obama’s Answer: “Well, I think that whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade. But let me just speak more generally about the issue..."

McCain’s Answer: “At the moment of conception.”

Question: "Does evil exist, and if it does, do we ignore it, do we negotiate with it, do we contain it, or do we defeat it?"

Obama’s Answer: "Evil does exist. I mean, we see evil all the time. We see evil in Darfur. We see evil in parents have viciously abused their children and I think it has to be confronted. It has to be confronted squarely and one of the things that I strongly believe is that, you know, we are not going to, as individuals, be able to erase evil from the world...Now, the one thing that I think is very important for us is to have humility in how we approach the issue of confronting evil, but, you know, a lot of evil has been perpetrated based on the claim that we were trying to confront evil...And I think one thing that's very important is having some humility in recognizing that, you know, just because we think our intentions are good doesn't always mean that we're going to be doing good..."

McCain’s Answer: “Defeat it.”

Polman writes:

“The biggest gut factor in this campaign is whether these swing voters can envision Obama tackling effectively with a national security crisis in the middle of the night. A ruminative ramble about evil, about the need for "humility" when trying to confront the evil that may exist in Darfur or in American households or wherever, does not have nearly the same visceral punch as a terse, focused response about al Qaeda (indeed, Obama never even got around to mentioning al Qaeda).”

The writer makes no judgments, just observations.

I have to say that I am not sure that it is "visceral trumps cerebral". It is more like "visceral trumps obfuscation". Obama tries to make everyone happy. McCain knows that is impossible.

No matter what you may think of John McCain’s answers, you have to give him one thing.

They were answers.

When Everyone Is Finally Equal

Leave it to Welcome to Fuglyville to give me some food for thought today. I am embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of the short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut (1961). The first paragraph reads:

"THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General."

Ah, now wouldn’t that be a fine a wonderful thing, for everyone to be equal ! What a lovely world that would be. And no one’s feelings would ever ever be hurt. We would all be winners.

Wouldn't we?

It is worth reading the short story as well as David’s post.

Trouble Brewing for Some Windfarm Projects

From New York:

"Lured by state subsidies and buoyed by high oil prices, the wind industry has arrived in force in upstate New York, promising to bring jobs, tax revenue and cutting-edge energy to the long-struggling region. But in town after town, some residents say, the companies have delivered something else: an epidemic of corruption and intimidation, as they rush to acquire enough land to make the wind farms a reality."

From Texas:

"Folks in several nearby towns, about 100 miles southwest of Dallas, are fighting to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to them.

They are warning their neighbors about the 99-year leases being offered by an energy company, saying they are full of restrictions and false promises of big bucks. They say the companies are swooping in — even into areas that aren't as windy — because federal tax credits for wind developers expire at year's end unless Congress extends the subsidy.

Be careful what you wish for, and be ever vigilant.

Motorcycle Accidents in the News

It is with a heavy heart that I read about the recent fatal motorcycle accidents in Delaware. Last week, someone was killed at the very intersection where my friend Dan Hoffman was fatally injured last year.

And now, two more: a single-vehicle crash on Route 896 last Sunday morning, and then another horrible crash involving one or more other vehicles on Route 13 this morning. Both motorcyclists died. And, if it matters at all, both were wearing helmets. Without knowing all of the facts, I cannot have an opinion on the causes of these accidents. All I can do is have the friends and family of the deceased in my prayers.

Riding a motorcycle is, in and of itself, more dangerous than riding in a car. That is all the more reason for riders to be hyper-sensitive to their surroundings, road conditions, and their own skill levels. A safe riding speed should be maintained, and one always needs to be on the lookout for motorists who may not “see them”.

Good Lord, people: be careful out there, and don’t be stupid ! We all want to get home safely.

My heart weeps.

Y'All Have A KickAss Weekend

Sometimes You Have To Ask the Tough Questions

As snarky as Chris Matthews is, he knows how to ask the tough questions. I am wondering exactly why this question was so hard.



They've had 6 months to come up with an answer. I still haven't heard one.

A Nation of Slackers

The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) has some new rules in place:

“Dallas public school students who flunk tests, blow off homework and miss assignment deadlines can make up the work without penalty…

… For example, the new rules require teachers to accept late work and prevent them from penalizing students for missed deadlines. Homework grades that would drag down a student's overall average will be thrown out.”

This is all in their attempt to go to “effort-based” grading. The harder you try, the higher your score. Keep on trying. Of course, if you ace something on the first try without breaking a sweat, I guess your score will be lowered. That’s just too easy. Instead,

“Last school year, Dallas' board of trustees reaffirmed a policy that prevented teachers from giving students a grade lower than a 50 in any one grading period. The reason given was that students who fall below 50 have no hope or motivation to bring up their grades and just give up.”

We are becoming a nation of slackers. Excellence is considered to be an embarrassment.

“Homework grades should be given only when the grades will raise a student's average, not lower it."

America within a generation will be a nation of homogenized whiners living off of the dole for the pure and simple reason that it’s just somehow nicer that way. We will lose any iota of leadership and excellence in the world. We are close to it now, and eventually will become, a nation of sheep, comforted by a monolithic (but oh so understanding) government bureaucracy that will take care of our every need.

I am glad I am on the second half of my journey through life. I don’t want to live to see this.

Supreme Court May Finally Rule on that Pesky Pursuit of Happiness Clause

Two nearly identical laws, one in Texas and one in Alabama, have resulted in contrary decisions at the same judicial level, leaving open the chance that the Supreme Court may weigh in on the matter.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a rehearing in a case that overturned a law banning the sale of sex toys in Texas.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a nearly identical law in Alabama.

This is leading some to believe that the Supreme Court may be the final arbiter on the matter. At risk is the very pursuit of happiness itself.

An interesting discussion ensues at The Agitator , where one of the scariest comments ever was rescued:

“Yes, it’s appalling that dildos are illegal. But it’s within the powers of a government to make them so, and correct for a court to uphold a law.

Sure, it’s a matter of the government legislating “morality”, but that’s what governments do. Stealing, for instance, is illegal because it is wrong to steal.”

That is a dildo-ish comment, aptly dissected and discounted. The Agitator’s post, “Dildos and the Ninth Amendment” is fascinating both in and of itself as well as for the discussion that follows.

But of course, I just find humor in the fact that those bastions of legal jurisprudence find this on their docket. Considering the evidence that may be presented, those loose-fitting robes may come in quite handy.

Another RTFA Moment: Those Deployed Troops Contributions

Much was made in the liberal blogosphere over a report that presidential campaign donations from troops deployed overseas were 6 to 1 in favor of Obama.

But how really significant is this? Not at all significant, unless you are a simplistic fool that cannot get past a headline.

Jay Tea exposes the reality here.

So, let's see. We're talking about a total of 160 people. Even a child can tell you that is not statistically significant.

And remember, this is just OVERSEAS contributions. The Open Secrets report notes:

"A former West Point professor, Jason Dempsey, noted that the small set of contributions from deployed troops at this point in 2008 -- just 323 donations -- should not be extrapolated to form conclusions about military personnel overall. "

And, in this small set of data, Republicans still drew more money: $76,027 to $63,882.

And we want Democrats in charge of the national budget? I shiver.

The Trouble With Biden

I don't have a horse in this race, but an interesting perspective is given here by Jonathan Stein at Mother Jones:

"While the consensus seems to be that Biden would be a safe pick because of his foreign policy credentials and his long history of accomplishment, the question of whether or not he still supports the Biden Plan, a proposal for the partition of Iraq that was the centerpiece of Biden's presidential campaign and is at odds with Obama's withdrawal plan, is a potential stumbling block for the campaign."

FULL ARTICLE

Oh Ricki You're So Fine, You're So Fine You Blow My Mind

Ricki Lieberman kicks it up in a New York Observer Letter to the Editor:

"The Democratic Party has no nominee. Its presumptive nominee was selected, not elected, and Mile High Stadium notwithstanding, delegates go to Denver to select the Democratic candidate who can win in November. We ask the Democratic Party to stop delegate intimidation and replacement, and to hold an open convention with a traditional nominating and roll call process such as was afforded Ted Kennedy in 1980 and even Howard Dean in 2004. If that happens, we are confident that Senator Clinton will be the nominee and the President of the United States. We are deeply fearful that to nominate Obama is to elect McCain."

Let's get ready to rumble !

Limo Shortage Threatens DNC Convention

A crisis of untold proportions could occur at the DNC Convention due to the shortage of limousines:

"Everyone wants a limo, but you can only supply so many," said Gene Cookenboo, president of the Limousine Association of Colorado and owner of Presidential Limousine, the largest limo service in Denver.

I am sure these are all eco-friendly limos, right? Or, maybe not. That’s a lot of carbon credits that will need to be purchased ! As one commenter asks,

"Doesn’t Denver have public transportation? Take the bus."

h/t Boortz

Heavy-Handed Tactics in the Obama Campaign

Garry Mauro, Texas state coordinator for Hillary Clinton, in wondering over why the Obama campaign is adverse to a roll-call vote asks,

“Are these folks so new to politics, are they so arrogant, that they think he's different from every other nominee we've ever had?"

In other campaign news, Clinton supporter Sacha Millstone, in a private e-mail with a fellow delegate, mentioned that she was “not sure she could vote for Obama.” This wavering from the unified mantra was duly reported to the head honchos of Colorado’s Democratic Party who fired off the following to the wayward delegate:

“Dear Ms. Millstone: A complaint has been filed with the Colorado Democratic Party, by a fellow Democratic National Convention delegate, regarding your position as a Delegate to the National Convention in light of the disparaging public remarks you have made and continue to make regarding our Party's presumptive nominee for President, Sen. Obama. Therefore, you are hereby directed to come in to the Party Headquarters and explain your comments and why you should remain a national delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in light of these comments. I can be reached at 303-XXX-XXXX. Your immediate attention to this urgent matter is requested.”

It seems as though those with reservations about the Obama candidacy best keep their thoughts to themselves, lest they be summoned to Gestapo headquarters for an interview.

The Colorado party chair was not amused that the exchange had become public:

“….we'll continue to work with the delegates who want to be worked with."

Apparently, they won’t be working with Ms. Millstone.

Somebody who WILL be working are those who are lucky enough to get tickets to Obama’s convention speech at Invesco Field:

"I got a call that if I want the tickets I have to volunteer two shifts of three hours apiece -- for one ticket. If I want two tickets, then it's four shifts of two hours apiece.”

"I received a call Monday saying I could 'qualify' for the tickets if I do 12 hours of volunteer work for the Obama campaign between now and Friday the 15th…”

So much for the party of inclusion, hope, and light. This insistence on a contrived united front of happiness is a pitiful sham. I feel sorry for the Democratic Party.

A New Life

My Significant Other's brother in Georgia (as well as his lovely wife) recently welcomed a new life into the world. She was a tad early and stayed in the hospital a bit longer than usual, but she is fine now.

Much loved, and much wanted.

I worry about what this world will be like when she is 10, and 17, and 25. I hope to do the best I can to make it a better place. A free place. So she can explore her own possibilities without fear, and enjoy a long and beautiful life filled with love and wonder.

Beginning of the End for Massachusetts State Tax?

In Massachusetts, the first question on the November 8th will be:

“Should Massachusetts have a State income tax?”

The answer to the question is a simple Yes or No.

The movement is being spearheaded by a group called Committee for Small Government, led by Carla Howell. From The American Spectator:

"People are angry, the economy is shaky, and people are feeling financially insecure," Howell says when asked how the Massachusetts political climate has changed since 2002. She might be right. The Big Dig and careening state budget have made Bay Staters more acutely aware of government waste. A statewide poll found that the average Massachusetts voter believed that 41 cents out of every state tax dollar is wasted -- the exact percentage of the state budget funded by the income tax (although when off-budget spending is taken into account, income tax revenues are only 27 percent of state expenditures). “

Sound familiar? Barbara Anderson, of Citizens for Limited Taxation is quoted as saying,

"Massachusetts is one giant perception that government is out of control -- and it's an accurate perception. The Big Dig is a very visible example. Our per capita tax burden is one of the highest in the nation. So is our debt. So are our unfunded liabilities. Our public employee benefits."

Can this be the first step to keeping the government accountable, and having it establish priorities for spending rather than squandering it willy-nilly on every pinhead pet project dreamt up by its head-in-the-clouds legislature? If our government cannot be responsible, it is up to us to make it responsible.

One can hope. I’ll be watching.

Just When You Think You Have A Friend....

....they disappoint you.

What's in a Bill Name?

Ron Paul's Weekly Column:

"Recently Congress passed the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act., also known as the Housing Bill. Its passage was lauded by many who are legitimately concerned about foreclosures and the housing market in our country's economy. I was asked how I could vote against a bill to help American homeowners, but I found this bill to have more to do with helping big banks than helping average Americans.

The answer is that there is more to any bill than its name or the headlines surrounding it. If one only paid attention to bill titles, one could happily vote for almost any bill put to a vote on the floor. Titles do not tell the complete story of a bill's provisions, and many titles are downright deceptive and come close to emotional blackmail of legislators. But we cannot afford to be fooled by fancy titles. The housing bill could perhaps be more aptly named The Big Banking Bailout at Taxpayer Expense Act as large sections of it were written by big banking lobbyists according to Evans and Novak reporter Tim Carney's Capitol Hill sources. At least that title would be honest.

Also, many of these magnanimous sounding foreign aid bills and so-called human rights resolutions have counterproductive and hypocritical language tucked into the fine print. The recent bill on China was a good example. This resolution calls on China to hold meetings with the Dalai Lama without preconditions, when that is something our own government will not do with Iran. How our government has the authority to tell China what to do it beyond me, especially when we demand something so hypocritical. On foreign aid bills and legislation that on the surface seems very charitable, upon closer examination we find strings attached and a lot of manipulation of the marketplace. Many times, these bills purport to help the destitute, but actually help multinational corporations or prop up dictators that might otherwise be deposed by their people.

The other point to take into consideration on legislation and House resolutions is that intentions are not enough. It is not enough to want to solve a problem with legislation, and name a bill to that effect. The crafters of the legislation need to demonstrate a clear and honest understanding of the problem, in order to put forward a realistic strategy to solving it. Too many times, I just don't see that. Instead I see more taxes, more restrictions, more violations of the Constitution, and more unintended consequences.

One shouldn't judge legislation based on titles, good intentions, or what someone says the bill will do. Imagine if all the legislation in the history of this country actually did what the title of the bills proclaimed they would do. How very different this country would be! There would be no poverty, no drugs, no crime. In fact if it was that easy, Congress by now would have probably repealed the law of gravity, and supply and demand as well, and replaced them with unlimited wealth and given all Americans the power of flight. What a fanciful world our legislators live in at times!

Though I am at times accused of being mean-spirited regarding the many bills I vote against, I don't so much think of my vote as against the legislation, as much as FOR the Constitution, according to my duties as a Congressman."

It's Not the Man, It's the Movement

"All this for a Texas congressman with a less-than-stentorian speaking voice, a kaput presidential bid and a platform that pairs opposition to the Iraq war with issues -- state's rights, monetary policy, strict adherence to the Constitution-- that probably don't keep most Americans up late at night. So what gives? Why are Paul's followers pushing on, when other candidates' followers packed it in and, however grudgingly, transferred their allegiances to John McCain or Barack Obama?"

READ MORE

He Lost Me Along Time Ago

Ubiquitous, lazy blogging. But this is when pretty-boy John Edwards lost me:

From the Inbox: Bikers for McCain

Dear Fellow Riders,

After being greeted by the roar of 50,000 motorcycles at the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota, we are thrilled to announce the John McCain Campaign's latest coalition, Bikers for McCain.

Through this coalition, we will rally riders behind Senator McCain, a man ready to lead our nation from day one and who will always put the country's interest before party, politics, or self.

As a veteran, John McCain has an unwavering commitment to duty, honor and country. He first swore an oath to serve his country as a young Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. He served in uniform for twenty-two years, including five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

This coalition is intended to reach out to a group of people who embody the sense of American spirit and resolve that has made our country great. As motorcyclists, we all share in a love of our Nation and all that she has come to represent.

We encourage you to become involved with Bikers for McCain and to show your support for a man who has spent his lifetime passionately defending the freedoms we hold so dear. In the coming weeks it is our goal to organize a group of events in a family-friendly atmosphere so bikers from across the country can ride in support of Senator McCain.

For more information and to receive invitations to our upcoming events, please follow the link below. If you are interested in leadership opportunities or have any questions, please feel free to contact us via e-mail at Bikers@JohnMcCain.com. Please click here to Join Bikers for McCain.

Please support the Senator by visiting the company store and purchasing a "Bikers for McCain" sticker or T-shirt.

Respectfully,

Vincent O'Neill

Bikers For McCain

John McCain 2008

(703) 650-5730

Oh Yeah Baby, Now That's What I'M Talking About !

Motorcycle Riders Foundation to Meet with RNC Leadership

Press release from the Motorcycle Riders Foundation:

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) would like to announce that the leadership of the Republican National Committee (RNC) has agreed to meet with them. The meeting will take place on Monday, August 11, 2008 at the headquarters of the RNC in Washington DC.

Representing the MRF will be Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations; Dave Dwyer, Sustaining State Motorcyclists Rights Organization Representative; and Michael Kerr, Vice President of the MRF.

The MRF sought to meet with the leadership of the RNC after a succession of appointees of President Bush took positions that the MRF and many in the motorcycling community felt were against their best interests. Those appointees happened to be prominent Republicans in their own right.

The MRF is seeking a clarification on the Republican Party's position on the doctrine of Federalism. The MRF will be asking whether this administration and/or future Republican presidential administrations will adhere to the longstanding GOP policy of the federal government not interfering with state issues.

The MRF has also been in touch with the Democratic National Committee and would hope to meet with them as well. A meeting with the campaign staff of the presumptive Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party is also being sought by the MRF.

I Vant To Be Alone

And tomorrow, I get my wish. It is going to be a beautiful day.

Ahhhhh, a day off with nothing to do, and a million things to do.

I treasure these days. I want to go to make a blueberry pie and a zucchini quiche. I want to hang afghans on the line. I want to harvest from my herb garden and figure out what to do with the treasure of tomatoes we have been given from many friends. A tomato must not be wasted. It is a precious thing.

I want to go to the library and pay my fines so I can get in good graces again. I want to find a good book that will make me think.

I want to clean the toilet and vacuum behind the couch.

I want to make a scrumptious and unusual dinner for my dude when he gets home...surprise him with something outta-this-world. If it fails, we will order pizza.

I want to play classical music real loud and annoy the neighbors.

I want to revel in my potential, not dwell on my failings and vulnerabilities. I want to smile at the sun and laugh at the world. I want to recharge my batteries, understand that I cannot do everything, appreciate my friends and family for everything that they are, long for my mother, chat with the Italian lady at the Super-Fresh, buy my sure-to-win Powerball tickets with which I will pay off the mortgages of five friends who are struggling (and also throw a helluva party), do my 2005 Spring Cleaning, and take a long a lovely lavendar bath.

That's my plan.

Blight? We Ain't Got No Effin Blight !

Reason says, "Show Us the Blight".

"Today a New Jersey appeals court overturned a ruling that allowed the city of Long Branch to proceed with its plan to condemn a seaside neighborhood and replace it with luxury condominiums. The appeals court found that the city had failed to support its claim that the neighborhood was "blighted," as required by state law and the state constitution."

110th Congress - What is Going On Here?

Our hard-working 110th Congress reached a milestone on July 30th: It introduced its 10,000th bill of the session.

Some of these are:

HR 4117: To suspend temporarily the duty on certain electronic dimming ballasts with a three wire control scheme.

HR 6470: To provide for the designation of certain sites in Monroe County and Wayne County, Michigan, relating to the Battles of the River Raisin during the War of 1812 as a unit of the National Park System.

HR 6586: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3624 Commercial Street Southeast in Salem, Oregon, as the "Sue Miller Post Office Building".

HR 703: To assist in the establishment of an interpretive center and museum in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to protect and interpret the history of the industrialization of the United States.

HR 6753: To provide for the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp on the subject of inflammatory bowel disease.

HR 6808: To establish a commission to study the culture and glorification of violence in America.

And then there are ones like S. 1420, “A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require staff working with developmentally disabled individuals to call emergency services in the event of a life-threatening situation.”

Think about it. They have to pass a bill to call emergency services in the event of a life-threatening situation? Isn’t that what one is supposed to do? It is called “Danielle’s Act”, so I am assuming it came as a result of a particular case, but I find it quite odd that this is a matter for Congress. I would think that an agency’s neglect would be a matter for prosecution, not legislation.

While all of this was going on, we have failed to consider the most basic and most important pieces of business before us, namely the budget resolution and appropriations bills.

Have we given Congress so much responsibility and so much involvement in the details of our lives that they can’t tackle the big issues?

What is going on here?

Obamanomics 101

" What if I told you that a prominent global political figure in recent months has proposed: abrogating key features of his government's contracts with energy companies; unilaterally renegotiating his country's international economic treaties; dramatically raising marginal tax rates on the "rich" to levels not seen in his country in three decades (which would make them among the highest in the world); and changing his country's social insurance system into explicit welfare by severing the link between taxes and benefits?"

(READ THE ENTIRE SAD STORY)

MILF Biker for VP?

According to The Patriot Room, if McCain picks Palin, this will be the campaign poster that dooms Obama:

Securing Our Borders and Data Act - HR 6702

H.R. 6702 has been introduced by Ron Paul (R-TX). It is co-sponsored by Eliot Engel (D-NY):

Purpose: “To impose requirements with regard to border searches of digital electronic devices and digital storage media, and for other purposes.”

“The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution acknowledges the right of the people to be secure in their persons and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures. It is unfortunate that it takes legislation to remind border agents of this Constitutionally-protected right, but it is apparent to me that (the bill) is absolutely necessary.” (LINK)

Chomping At The Bit - Rick Jensen Show Today

I can listen to WDEL at work, but there is no way I can make an impromptu call. Today I was chomping at the bit during the Rick Jensen show. I can grab bits and pieces. It concerned the recent ruling on aggressive police tactics and random stops.

I heart Tyler Nixon speak quite vehemently on the unconstitutionality of these tactics, and Rick Jensen seemed to think it was all OK, as long as we got the bad guys. Oh, I was chomping at the bit to be sure to call in, but could not.

I know that some people think the same way that Rick does, and I can see where they are coming from. It is fear. But someone, somewhere, said something to the effect that those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither liberty nor security.

Let’s make it personal. Let me know what you think.

I believe it was last February that I served as a juror. The last day ran late, and not being familiar with downtown Wilmington I got hopelessly lost trying to even find where I parked my car. I walked in circles for about an hour in the dark, a fine sleet was falling, my cell-phone was in my car (not allowed in the courtroom), and I was at my wits end. I kept seeing the same streets over and over, and thinking that the train station was my bearing, ultimately lost that as well. I was in a near panic. I was wandering the streets of Wilmington after dark. Finally, a homeless person took pity upon me and steered me the right direction.

Now let’s take this same scenario. Let us say it was not me, a typical white-bread middle-aged broad obviously lost but also quite obviously harmless, retracing her pitiful steps over and over. Let us say it was Chainsaw. Some of you have met Chainsaw, but for those who haven’t he has long hair and a beard, and is covered in tattoos. Let’s say it was Chainsaw wandering the streets of Wilmington that night. Let’s say he left his wallet in the car.

Now, truth be told, Chainsaw is probably even more harmless than I am, but he doesn’t look that way. He would probably be stopped by the police for no reason other than his appearance and asked for identification. But he left it in the car (sure, sure you did, buddy). Chainsaw would get upset, and one statement would lead to another and he would be heading to the pokey for sure.

Don’t tell me it wouldn’t happen, because it would.

I wrote about this awhile back here and here.

Aside from the simple inconvenience of the whole scenario, it is the fact that he would have been stopped for no other reason than “just because”. That’s not a reason. Not in my book. And if we let it happen at that level, it will slowly and almost imperceptibly be moved to the next level. And the next. And the next.

Until finally, middle-aged white-bread broads are treated the same way as hairy old bikers.

It shouldn’t happen to either.

So, to the law enforcement community, I appreciate what you do and the challenges you face. But play by the rules, and by that I mean the rules of the Constitution. Do your investigation, gather your evidence, and make your probable cause. That is your job.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The Obama Health Care Plan

(Note: All items in quotes are from the Cato Institute paper. All other references are hyperlinked).

In a recent Cato Institute briefing paper titled A Fork inthe Road, Michael Tanner compares the healthcare reform proposals of Obama and McCain.

What I read made me afraid. Very afraid.

It is the general consensus that Americans have concerns with the system as it currently exists. The two major issues are cost and accessibility. While neither plan attains the emotionally-laden benchmark of universal health care, each makes their own pitch for improving the system. Neither is perfect. Their respective approaches can be summed up as follows:

“Senator Obama’s approach relies heavily on government mandates, regulations, and subsidies. He would mandate that employers provide health care coverage for their workers and that parents purchase health insurance for their children. He would significantly increase regulation of the insurance industry, establishing a standard minimum benefits package, and requiring insurers to accept all applicants regardless of their health. He would offer a variety of new and expanded subsidies to middle- and low-income

John McCain emphasizes consumer choice and greater competition in the health care industry. He would move away from our current employment-based insurance system by replacing the current tax exclusion for employer-provided insurance with a refundable tax credit for individuals. At the same time he would sharply deregulate the insurance industry to increase competition.”

While Obama claims that his plan “begins by covering every American”, thus ostensibly claiming the moniker of universality, his plan does not actually do this. Although he is requiring that all parents purchase insurance for their children (up to age 25), the mandate does not extend to adults. He relies on the hope that if costs are reduced that all people will purchase it, and therefore in a circuitous kind of way become “universal”. Describing his plan as “universal” is pandering to the emotional connotations of the word without addressing the reality of the many factors that would affect its eventual attainment (if ever).

Leaving the universality issue aside, how is Obama’s plan to be funded? Michael Tanner’s paper explains that the plan proposes that all employers who do not provide “meaningful coverage” to their workers would be required to pay a certain “percentage of their payroll into a national fund that would provide coverage to those uncovered workers”. The definition of “meaningful coverage” and the percentage that would be paid by said employers are left undefined. Also left undefined is what sized businesses would be required to pay this new tax: official campaign statements have said that business with “some number less than 15 employees” would be exempt. Tanner reminds us that about “45 percent of uninsured workers are employed by companies with 25 or fewer workers”, therefore a large number of people would continue to be not included under the mantra of universality.

Right at the start, a number of red flags are popping up here. The first is that the administration of such a program would require an agency that would rival the size and complexity of DHS: establishing rules, procedures and methods for the collection of taxes from businesses, providing the actual insurance, handling the claims, overseeing a vast subcontracting network, etc. The list goes on and on. The second red flag is the “meaningful coverage” definition: who is to decide? Exactly how liberal and complex will this coverage be? Suppose, for example, that in order to maintain my sense of well-being and continue my productivity in the workplace that I think a new set of boobs would help. I consider a boob job to be “meaningful” to my happiness as an American. The intricacies involved in defining “meaningful coverage” and the probably inability to achieve a consensus are mind-boggling.

Tanner points out that the increased cost to employers is not accompanied by an increase in productivity:

“Employers will therefore seek ways to offset the added cost by raising prices (the most unlikely solution in a competitive market), lowering wages,reducing future wage increases, reducing other benefits (such as pensions), reducing hiring, laying off current workers, or outsourcing.

Low-skilled and low-wage workers would be particularly at risk. Roughly 43 percent of uninsured workers are working within three dollars of the minimum wage. The mandated insurance costs will represent a proportionately significant increase in the cost of employing those workers. At the same time, since wages are already low and those workers receive few other employment benefits, employers’ ability to shift costs will be constrained. The most likely outcome will be greater unemployment for workers whose lack of skills does not justify the increased cost.

Economists Katherine Baicker of Harvard and Helen Levy of the University of Michigan estimate that a nationwide employer health insurance mandate would result in the loss of approximately 315,000 jobs.”

How would the children mandate be enforced? Obama’s is not clear on this, although he has suggested the option of “making proof of insurance a requirement for enrolling children in school or day care”.

Can you imagine? Let’s say you are making just barely over the limit for subsidized coverage and simply cannot afford it. You go to enroll your child in school. Sorry, buddy, you have to have insurance first. So your child goes not only uninsured but also uneducated. For the marginalized family, this is even more of a slap in the face and is a humiliating affront to your already tenuous existence. A travesty, in my opinion.

Another aspect of Obama’s plan is that is would essentially make actuarial science a thing of the past. There would be a whole gaggle of new regulations on the insurance industry. The two most significant are the guarantee issue (all people accepted, regardless of health), and the community rating issue (all people accepted, regardless of risk factors such as health or age).

“As the Congressional Budget Office has noted, community rating and guaranteed issue make it more likely that people will choose to go without health insurance.

This happens because community rating raises premiums for young and healthy individuals, whereas both community rating and guaranteed issue reduce or eliminate the penalty for waiting to purchase insurance until a person is older or sicker. As a result, the young and healthy make the very logical choice to forgo health insurance, assuming that they can always purchase insurance later when they need it. It is as if you could buy retroactive auto insurance after you’ve had an accident. As healthy individuals leave the insurance pool, the proportion of those who are sick in the pool grows ever greater, leading to higher premiums which in turn causes the healthiest remaining individuals to leave in what amounts to an insurance death spiral.”

There would be additional regulations on insurers to ensure that a specific percentage of their revenues be spent on direct patient care. The actual percentage to be required is not clear. This is referred to as the “minimum payout requirement”.

Tanner reminds us that the insurance industry has a profit margin of “just 5.5 percent”. Also, the revenues currently be used for programs to combat fraud, as well as other useful programs, may actually at the end of the day cost consumers more:

“There have been a few state-level experiments with minimum payout requirements, notably in Kentucky and North Dakota, and the results are cause for concern. Insurers abandoned the market in those states and left consumers with fewer choices and higher premiums.”

Obama’s plan would move us insidiously closer to government-run healthcare. His “National Health Insurance Exchange” (yet another agency or department) would provide “one-stop shopping” for health insurance, as well as act as a “nationwide insurance regulator”. And yet another part of the plan would actually offer insurance through the Exchange itself, with YET ANOTHER agency, a federal “Institute of Medicine” which would “determine what a basic, high-quality health-care plan should look like and how much it should cost.”

So far, I’m seeing at least three huge bureaucracies being created: the whole mechanism that would administer the financial portion (collecting taxes from businesses), the National Health Insurance Exchange, and the federal Institute of Medicine.

Can anyone spell disaster?

Then there is cost. The campaign has estimated the cost to taxpayers as being between $50 and $65 billion per year. Others have estimated the cost to be cloer to $102 billion per year. To fund this, they suggest repealing the Bush income tax cuts for the top two brackets. But Obama gives this as a solution for just about all of his hope and change:

“However, Obama has also suggested that the funds from repealing the Bush tax cuts would be available to finance Obama’s other spending initiatives, which have been estimated at $300 billion–$800 billion per year. Clearly, some additional taxes would therefore be necessary to pay for Obama’s health care plan.”

Obama’s health plan. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Hail to Hillary ! Clintonites Issued Parade Permit in Denver

This should be a blast !

“Hillary supporters will march through Denver during the Democratic National Convention to show appreciation for the New York Senator’s historic primary run and urge the party to place her name in nomination.

The city issued a permit Tuesday to Colorado Women Count/Women Vote for a parade on Aug. 26 – the 88th anniversary of women’s suffrage and the date Clinton is rumored to be speaking at the DNC.

The group will also team with 18 Million Voices, a national organization of Clinton supporters, for a rally in a yet-to-be-determined Denver Park.”

READ MORE

Alabama Says: Real ID is a Real Pain

"Complying with a federal law that creates national security standards for state-issued identification might leave Alabama with a bad case of sticker shock.

It's estimated it will cost the state more than $16.3 million to reach full compliance with the federal Real ID Act and maintain it for five years..."

LINK TO FULL STORY

Jesse Has Brass Ones

Huh?

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-2nd) indicated Friday he would accept appointment to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's seat if Obama were elected president.

Obama Compared to Paris Hilton: Nothing New

Delaware Liberal has posted a video with commentary about the “Paris and Britney” McCain ads.

But who was the first to compare Obama to Paris Hilton?

“"Andy Warhol said we all get our 15 minutes of fame," says Barack Obama. "I've already had an hour and a half. I mean, I'm so overexposed, I'm making Paris Hilton look like a recluse."

So it seems as though the McCain ads were simply continuing Obama’s own self-assessment.

But, not to worry. Meathead tells us that all will be kindness and light if Obama is elected. When asked how the world will change, he said,

“There is will love and respect….the whole country, the whole world will coalesce…Once Obama is in there, the world will view us in an entirely different light.”

Kumbayah, baby.

h/t Ace of Spades HQ and American Spectator

And You Trust the Government as the Custodian of Your Information?

Please.

Drivers in Virginia and D.C. who get tickets could find their Social Security number posted on a state Web site if that information is on their driver's license.

Maryland makes the information publicly accessible online. Traffic citations are listed in court records.

The traffic citation records show personal information such as full name, address, gender, height, weight and birth date -- prime information for identify thieves. The driver's license number is sometimes the same as a person's Social Security number and is also shown.

If Real ID is implemented nationwide, we will be subjected even more to the institutionalized incompetence of government agencies.

Are you ready for that?

PA Looking for More Plaintiffs in Real ID Lawsuit Against PennDot

From the inbox:

For all Pennsylvanians who care about their privacy rights:

There is a class-action lawsuit underway against PennDot for stealing your identity. We are currently in the beginning stages, trying to get as many plaintiffs on our list as possible before filing this lawsuit.

In the words of Rep. Sam Rohrer, from his press conference:

"Exactly two years ago, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania entered into a $45 million contract with Viisage Technology, self-described as 'the industry leader in instant issue digital driver's licenses.' Viisage, later renamed L-1 Identity Solutions, became responsible for issuing Pennsylvania driver's licenses.
Under the authority of Governor Rendell, Viisage and PennDOT launched a new program in June 2006 known as FaceEXPLORER to be used in conjunction with the issuing of driver's licenses. This program uses an upgraded, high-definition photograph taken at a driver's license center to create a facial recognition template, or 'faceprint,' similar in purpose and uniqueness to a fingerprint. This faceprint is a form of biometrics based on the measurements of a person's unique, personal facial geometry. The faceprint goes beyond such easily recognizable physical features as haircut, glasses or facial hair and into an analysis of one's unique facial structure. Once this personally unique faceprint has been created, it is stored in a database to be used to compare against the faceprint of others. By these means, PennDOT and Viisage hoped to reduce identity fraud and theft. In reality, FaceEXPLORER has been a 'back-door' means to implement the REAL ID Act of 2005 without the consent or knowledge of either the legislature or the people."

Rep. Rohrer goes on to say that " . . Neither PennDOT nor Viisage has inherent authority nor have they been granted any exception to take biometric information from the citizens of the Commonwealth. . .The actions allowed by Governor Rendell further violates statutory law. . .Significantly, this issue constitutes a major Constitutional violation. . . "

Your biometric faceprint can be picked up by surveillance cameras to track your every move. This has to be stopped. Our biometric data must be destroyed/deleted!

We need to join together. This is a crucial moment that we cannot let slip away.

If you want to be part of this lawsuit, contact Renee' Baumgartner by email at real.idlawsuitpa@gmail.com, or call her cell (sparingly) at 717-286-8042. She is a state co-coordinator of Pennsylvania for Restore the Republic and a member of the Campaign for Liberty in Lancaster County.

Email your: Name, Physical Address, phone number & email address

(This information will be kept strictly with her and the attorney that we retain for the lawsuit. Updates will be available as we move forward.)

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You

The Concord Coalition (a non-partisan grassroots organization) invites you to the nationwide premiere of the critically acclaimed independent documentary I.O.U.S.A.. The film, which debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, is showing in over 400 theaters across the country on August 21.

I.O.U.S.A. tells the real story of our national debt and why we need to reverse the flow of red ink before our nation faces a fiscal disaster. Highlights of the film include scenes of The Concord Coalition's Fiscal Wake-Up Tour, which has taken its message of fiscal responsibility across the country non-stop over the past two years.

The August 21st showing will feature a special live satellite link to a town-hall meeting following the film featuring Warren Buffett, David Walker, Pete Peterson, and others. You can find a theater near you and showtimes for this unique screening at the following link.

The movie has its official opening Friday, August 22nd in the following cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City (MO), Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

I.O.U.S.A. will also be shown as part of the IMPACT film festival at both the Democratic and Republican national conventions, in Denver (August 25 - 28) and Minneapolis (September 1 - 4).

For more information on the movie and The Concord Coalition's involvement, visit this link. After you've seen the movie, send an email to iousa@concordcoalition.org and let us know what you thought.

What the Hell Happened?

In his 1974 State of the Union Address, in response to Arab oil embargo and the resulting increase in the price of a barrel of oil (to $11.00) President Nixon boldly announced Project Independence:

“At the end of this decade, in the year 1980, the United States will not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need to provide our jobs, to heat our homes, and to keep our transportation moving."

In 1977, calling energy independence the moral equivalent of war, President Carter established the United States Department of Energy (DOE).

Today, over 30 years later, the DOE has a budget of over $25 billion and has more than 16,000 employees.

So, I wondering: what the hell happened?

Obama Says: "I Want to Drill You, Baby"

Pelosi and Reid must be getting that “thrown under the bus” feeling right about now:

"'If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage - I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done,' Obama said."

Pandering? Or is the statement so over-qualified and carefully couched so as to mean absolutely nothing?

Actually, the statement is pretty close to what I believe. I er….uh….er…..at least I think it does.