From the “You Must be kidding!” Dept.: Enviro Nuts in Seattle, Washington Refuse to Salt roads!

This is just absolutely flippin’ crazy!

Via Seattle, Washington’s Times:

To hear the city’s spin, Seattle’s road crews are making “great progress” in clearing the ice-caked streets.

But it turns out “plowed streets” in Seattle actually means “snow-packed,” as in there’s snow and ice left on major arterials by design.

“We’re trying to create a hard-packed surface,” said Alex Wiggins, chief of staff for the Seattle Department of Transportation. “It doesn’t look like anything you’d find in Chicago or New York.”

The city’s approach means crews clear the roads enough for all-wheel and four-wheel-drive vehicles, or those with front-wheel drive cars as long as they are using chains, Wiggins said.

The icy streets are the result of Seattle’s refusal to use salt, an effective ice-buster used by the state Department of Transportation and cities accustomed to dealing with heavy winter snows.

“If we were using salt, you’d see patches of bare road because salt is very effective,” Wiggins said. “We decided not to utilize salt because it’s not a healthy addition to Puget Sound.”

By ruling out salt and some of the chemicals routinely used by snowbound cities, Seattle has embraced a less-effective strategy for clearing roads, namely sand sprinkled on top of snowpack along major arterials, and a chemical de-icer that is effective when temperatures are below 32 degrees.

Seattle also equips its plows with rubber-edged blades. That minimizes the damage to roads and manhole covers, but it doesn’t scrape off the ice, Wiggins said.

That leaves many drivers, including Seattle police, pretty much on their own until nature does to the snow what the sand can’t: melt it.

The city’s patrol cars are rear-wheel drive. And even with tire chains, officers are avoiding hills and responding on foot, according to a West Precinct officer.

Between Thursday and Monday, the city spread about 6,000 tons of sand on 1,531 miles of streets it considers major arterials.

The tonnage, sprinkled atop the packed snow, amounts to 1.4 pounds of sand per linear foot of roadway, an amount one expert said might be too little to provide effective traction.

“Hmmm. Six thousand tons of sand for that length of road doesn’t seem like it’s enough,” said Diane Spector, a water-resources planner for Wenck Associates, which evaluated snow and ice clearance for nine cities in the Midwest.

Spector and snow-control experts in four cities said sand is typically mixed with salt and used for trouble spots.

“The occasional application of salt is probably not going to have a lasting effect” on the environment, Spector said. But she cautioned it’s highly dependent on where it’s used, how often and how much is applied.

Seattle’s stand against using salt is not shared by the state Department of Transportation, which has battled the latest storms in Western Washington with de-icer, 5,800 tons of salt and 11,500 cubic yards of salt and sand mix, said spokesman Travis Phelps.

Many cities are moving away from sand because it clogs the sewers, runs into waterways, creates air pollution and costs more to clean up.

Its main attraction is that it typically costs less than one-fifth the price of salt, according to Spector.

“We never use sand,” said Ann Williams, spokeswoman for Denver’s Department of Public Works. “Sand causes dust, and there’s also water-quality issues where it goes into streets and into our rivers.”

Instead, it sprays an “anti-icing” agent on dry roads before the snow falls and then a combination of chemicals to melt the ice.

Cheryl Kuck, spokeswoman for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, said her city prepared the streets last week with the “anti-icing” spray. Once the snow started, Portland used chemical de-icers, followed by plowing with 55 plows and treating trouble spots with sand and gravel.

Although the city had plowed 29 of its 36 major routes, “nothing is clear,” Kuck said late Monday afternoon. “This is a difficult and challenging situation that’s going to take us a long time to recover from.”

Wiggins, of Seattle’s transportation department, said the city’s 27 trucks had plowed and sanded 100 percent of Seattle’s main roads, and were going back for second and third passes.

“It’s tough going. I won’t argue with you on that,” he said. But here in Seattle, “we’re sensitive about everything we do that impacts the environment.”

Oh My freakin’ goodness!  These liberal morons are absolutely out of their flippin’ minds! I mean, not plowing or salting the fucking streets, because they’re afraid of polluting the water? Seriously?!?!

Moonbats! You gotta laugh, otherwise, You’d be scared to death.

These are Obambi’s people man! WOW! 😮

Update: Hell, even Malkin Agrees with me! 😀

Others: Townhall.com, Betsy’s Page and Commentary

The Reading Room: The Proper Role of Government by Ezra Taft Benson

I was given this link via twitter a couple days ago, I bookmarked it.

I admit, that I didn’t read the entire thing, But I read enough of it, to see that it is something that everyone, of all political stripes should, in fact, read.

Go here to read, “The Proper Role of Government by Ezra Taft Benson”

Already?: The Party’s over for Obama and the far left

Seriously. That was the first thing out of my mouth.

Already?

In other parts of the country one would say, “That Quick?”

Seems that way, because Richard Cohen has basically said of Obama, that the Party; with him and his lesbian sister, was over.

Quotable Quotes:

Not that he was planning to attend, but Barack Obama should know that my sister’s inauguration night party — the one for which she was preparing Obama Punch — has been canceled. The notice went out over the weekend, by e-mail and word of mouth, that Obama’s choice of Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation had simply ruined the party. Warren is anti-gay, and my sister, not to put too fine a point on it, is not. She’s gay.

She is — or was — a committed Obama supporter. On the weekend before the presidential election, my sister and my mother drove from the Boston area, where they both live, to Obama’s New Hampshire headquarters in Manchester. There my mother made 76 phone calls for Obama, which is not bad for someone who is 96, and gives you an idea of the level of commitment to Obama in certain precincts of my family.

I should say right off that my mother feels less strongly about Warren than my sister does. But I should add immediately that my sister feels very strongly, indeed. She’s been in a relationship with another woman, the quite wonderful Nancy, for 19 years, and she resents the fact that Warren has likened same-sex marriage to incest, pederasty and polygamy.

Let me just say right here. What you are seeing, is a major let down by the far left. Many on the far left saw Barack Obama is some sort of Liberal Messiah that would make the world all better again, if he were elected. It had to do with much of his election stump speech, which was filled with bombast and platitudes. In reality, Barack Obama is nothing more than just another Chicago liberal politician who will say and do almost anything to get elected to the office in which he is running for.

Of Obama’s Preacher Problems, Cohen Adds:

The conventional thing to say is that Obama has a preacher problem — first the volcanic Jeremiah Wright and now the transparently anti-gay Warren. But the real problem has nothing to do with ministers and everything to do with Obama’s inability or unwillingness to be a moral leader. Sooner or later, he just might have to stand for something.

This was apparent to me almost a year ago when I reported that Obama’s church, the Trinity United Church of Christ, had given a major award to Louis Farrakhan, the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam. The award was presented in Wright’s name and featured in a cover story in the church’s magazine, Trumpet. When I asked the Obama campaign about this, I was told that Obama himself did not agree with Farrakhan. What a relief!

And what a joke. I never for a moment thought Obama viewed Farrakhan any differently from the way I do. But I also thought that as a U.S. senator, as a presidential candidate or even as a mere citizen, he had an obligation to denounce the award — maybe quit the church. Do something! He did nothing.

Wow! Isn’t that what Republicans and Independent Conservatives were saying, um, for the last 2 years about Obama, but were derided as racists? Man, talking about turning on your own! 😮

I knew this was coming, I just knew it. The Democratic Party elected someone based upon popularity and it is now coming back to haunt them. I said this way back in the primary, when I was still running this blog over on the old site on Blogger, that Obama was being set up as some sort of “Perfect Liberal” and that the Democrats were setting themselves up for a let down.

Somewhere today, John Edwards and the rest of the Democrats are smiling. Because they are seeing what I am seeing and thinking, “That’s what those assholes get for electing him!” Anytime you elected someone based upon popularity or in Bambi’s case, skin color; it almost always comes back to haunt you, and right now it is.

Something tells me, that this is going to be an interesting four years to come. I predict that by the time Obama’s four years are up, he will be the most hated President among the far left, ever.

Others: Commentary, Babalu Blog, Stop The ACLU, Macsmind and Riehl World View

Ann Coulter names Sarah Palin Conservative of the Year

Go Read

*snort* That”d be like naming me Neo-Con, Republican or Roman Catholic of the Year.

😆

Bring a good looking twat to the Election and the Republicans wet their pants. If she looked like this Lady:

CNN's Crowley Candy

CNN's Crowley Candy

Nobody would care! But because she’s a MILF, everyone loves her.

When does politics, especially Conservative politics get back to the important issues, instead of what someone looks like?

It’s a question me and a many other Paleo-Cons wanna know.

I mean, Seriously, Conservative of the year, Ann? Seriously?

Hot Air, Political Machine, Hullabaloo, The Reaction, Balloon Juice, Liberal Values, RADAMISTO, PoliBlog, Salon and The Other McCain

(via Memeorandum)

New York Times….Punked!

This is a real rip snorter.

It seems that the New York Times got punked.

Early this morning, we posted a letter that carried the name of Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris, sharply criticizing Caroline Kennedy.

This letter was a fake. It should not have been published.

Doing so violated both our standards and our procedures in publishing signed letters from our readers.

We have already expressed our regrets to Mr. Delanoë’s office and we are now doing the same to you, our readers.

This letter, like most Letters to the Editor these days, arrived by email. It is Times procedure to verify the authenticity of every letter. In this case, our staff sent an edited version of the letter to the sender of the email and did not hear back. At that point, we should have contacted Mr. Delanoë’s office to verify that he had, in fact, written to us.

We did not do that. Without that verification, the letter should never have been printed.

We are reviewing our procedures for verifying letters to avoid such an incident in the future.

It appears that someone sent them a fake e-mail, and it got published.

Brilliant! 🙄

Others: Michelle Malkin, Ed Driscoll.com, Gawker, Jules Crittenden, Hot Air, Don Surber, Sister Toldjah, Macsmind, Weekly Standard, Blue Crab Boulevard, Gawker, Pajamas Media, Power Line, Althouse, Patterico’s Pontifications and New York Post (Via Memeorandum)

Another Sad story of Police using excessive force

This is another one of them stories that make my blood boil. 😡

Via The Huston Press’s Blog called HairBalls, we have a story of where 2 undercover Huston cops beat a 12 year old girl, because they thought she was a hooker.

You know, I am not the type person that advocates violence against Police Officers, but in cases like this, the use of deadly force against a police officer, would be, in my opinion, justified.

(Thanks to Lew Rockwell Blog)

President Bush authorizes $17.5 Billion Dollars in low interest loans to Automakers

Better late than ever, I suppose. To listen to some Conservatives talk, the loans are open ended and there’s no accountability. Which is, of course, wrong. Waiting

From The Politico:

President George W. Bush stepped in Friday to keep America’s auto industry afloat, announcing a $17.4 billion bailout for GM and Chrysler, with the terms of the loans requiring that the firms radically restructure and show they can become profitable soon.

"If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy," Bush said at the White House, in remarks carried live by the national broadcast networks. "In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action. The question is how we can best give it a chance to succeed."

Bush said that "bankruptcy now would lead to a disorderly liquidation of American auto companies."

"My economic advisers believe that such a collapse would deal an unacceptably painful blow to hardworking Americans far beyond the auto industry. It would worsen a weak job market and exacerbate the financial crisis," he said. "It could send our suffering economy into a deeper and longer recession."

The money will come from the Wall Street bailout passed by Congress, a reversal for the White House. President-elect Barack Obama and Democrats had long advocated that course, and Bush had resisted it.

Of the total, $13.4 billion will be paid out in December and January, administration officials told reporters in a briefing. The last $4 billion is contingent on release of the second installment of the Wall Street bailout funds by Congress.

As you can see here, there is accountability, there are conditions on the loans, they are not open ended, and if the auto companies do not get their acts together, the loans will be recalled.

Of course, that is not good enough for some Conservatives like Michelle Malkin, who says that someone should sue the Government over the loans to the Auto industry. Yeah, Michelle, like that will really work. Rolling Eyes  The Party that you are a cheerleader for, is already in the minority, has been driven to the wilderness; because of that beady-eyed bastard in the White House, why not just drive a damned stake through the heart of the party?  I think Michelle needs to seriously look into going to the hospital, because I believe that "Sickness" that she has, is going to her brain. Silly

Yeah, I know, defend Malkin one day and whack her on the ass with a wet towel the next, it’s all about Equal Opportunity around this Blog. TongueWinking

Anyhow, some also believe that this will soften Bush’s image a bit, The Moderate Voice’s Joe Gandelman Notes:

It will help add a positive note to the legacy of Bush who, at best, will be considered a highly flawed President and, at worst, rank as one of the worst in American history. The Republicans in the Senate, acting on ideology, regional politics and anti-union sentiment, had scuttled the bailout — giving the GOP an image once again of a party stuck on ideology.

I agree and I disagree; it might soften his image a bit amongst Independents and some moderate Democrats who did not like that guy, but amongst the hard left, I suspect that President Bush will be the most hated President ever.

Personally, I think Bush did what he felt was right, he put his Party politics aside for a change and did what was right, I commend him for it. I just hope that the auto industry uses this money for the proper purposes and gets their damned act together. Our Government has done the right and proper things, now it is time for the Auto Industry to do theirs. Many people are pessimistic about this; I, on the other hand, try to remain positive about this and hope like bloody hell that G.M. does get their act together. For the sake of the retirees, for the sake of all those who have families that work for those companies, for the sake of all the employees of the local and not so local suppliers and their families.

Hell Freezes Over: Keith Olbermann pays a nice complement to…. Michelle Malkin (I Think!)

Here’s tonight “Worst Person in the World” Segment from Keith’s Show.

Keith is referring to this Segment found here. The Bill O. stuff is comedy gold. I love the facial expressions and Keith hilarious impression of Bill O. who’s actually an impression of the news guy from Mary Tyler Moore’s Show; Ted Baxter, and if you don’t get that connection, you’re either a huge fox fan or a idiot. (or both!)

The Sean Hannity stuff speaks for itself. 😉

Parting Message: Ya’ll over on Hot Air quit picking on AllahPundit, He might be an Atheist, but he is one of the more level-headed people that writes on that Blog. More than I say for the other 2 muscle headed mooks that write over there. 😀 (Did I just write that? 😮 )

Sad News: Conservative Icon Paul Weyrich Dead at Age 66

Some very sad news to report. 🙁

Via the Foundry:

Paul M. Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and first president of The Heritage Foundation, died this morning around 1 a.m. He was 66 years old. Weyrich was a good friend to many of us at Heritage, a true leader and a man of unbending principle. He won Heritage’s prestigious Clare Boothe Luce Award in 2005.

I think, if you’re a Christian, This would be a good time to say a prayer for his family.

Of course, the left is keeping it classy, as always.  🙄

May they all rot in hell. 😡

I will not lie about it. I did not know the man, or anything about him. But from what I read he was quite the leader. Conservatism, is a bit dimmer today. 🙁

May he rest in peace.

Others: Michelle Malkin, The Corner, Townhall.com, The Other McCain, Outside The BeltwayHot Air, The Next Right

On Rick Warren

Yes, I am awake. I was up 30 minutes before the alarm clock went off. Which I believe was amazing. To what extent I slept, I will know later. But I am awake and nursing a mug of coffee. 😀

Now about Rick Warren.  He’s about as traditional Christianity or “Religious Right” as I am Roman Catholic. (See my “About Me” page to see what I am….)

Me and Paul Proctor, (See Here, Here, Here, and Here)  and David Cloud all feel the same way; that Rick Warren is not a genuine representation of Christianity in the traditional sense of the word. In fact, warren scoffs at the idea of a traditional Christianity, in which the true Word of God is used; which is, in this writers opinion, The King James Bible, of course.  Instead, he prefers a non-judgmental, feel good, version of Christianity, that uses any version of the Bible that one wants, or as Warren says, “You can read.” and also, he mingles human philosophy and the Word of God. Something which is extremely ignorant and very dangerous.  He is in the ranks of Robert Schuller or as I like call him, Robert Schuller with a Hawaiian Shirt. 😉

So, in short, while Rick Warren might be the darling of the compromising Neo-Evangelical crowd, he is hardly what I could call a true believer; that is in the True Bible-Believing, Fundamentalist Christianity sense of the word.


Time’s Person of the Year: Barack Obama

I cannot say that I am shocked or even surprised for that matter.

Now, I am sure that you are expecting me to say something rather nasty or even Ann Coulter’ish sounding about this.

Well, Surprise… 😀

I have absolutely no issue with Obama being named person of the year. I will explain to you why…

Barack Obama came out of nowhere and defeated the Clinton Machine. Because you and I both know, that knocking Hillary out of the captain’s chair is a feat in itself.  You see, unlike some of my fellow Conservatives, I saw what Obama was doing and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I didn’t agree with some of the tactics that some of his surrogates were using, and still do not; however, I did admire the grace that Obama showed, especially under pressure from some of his worst and fiercest critics.  One thing that I can say and any Conservative; of any stripe, would say, if they are being intellectually honest, that they never heard Obama make any sort of “Al Sharpton” sounding statement. I mean; yes, he did drop the occasional reminder that he was a black man. But there was never any of that, “I’m black and oppressed” nonsense that continually flows from the mouths of the race baiting ilk in New York.

Further, let it be known that it is not lost on me, that Obama has a far left progressive ideology. Although, I will say that judging from his cabinet selections so far, it may seem that Obama is going to try to run a White House from a centrist viewpoint and try and avoid some of the more far left politics of his campaign; much to the chagrin of those who are of that political mindset that voted for him.  Personally, I think at the very least or at the very worst; Obama may want to raise taxes to pay for some of the debt that this Nation has incurred at the hands of a quasi-Conservative President.  This could be more the case if both of the wars continue to drag on.  Not to mention that if every Business in America gets a poorly named “Bail out.”

From a libertarian conservative viewpoint I simply say this; this election was not Obama’s to necessarily win, it was John McCain’s to lose.  John McCain was having to follow and associate himself with a very unpopular President, who, in this writers opinion, was elected on the basis of pedigree. Further, John McCain just was not able to articulate Conservative positions without sounding like some old feeble grandfather who was telling a bedtime story. Not to mention, that the economy took a rather large nosedive in the middle of the election cycle. Adding to all this; McCain made some rather disastrous campaign decisions that in essence doomed his campaign to failure. I could sit here and list them all, but I believe anyone who has been following this election cycle as much as I have, knows what I am referring to.

So, in closing, this award, was one well deserved. I hope Obama enjoyes the romance with the media, because I have a sinking feeling it will not last forever.

Quote of the Day

In today’s world, America faces nationalistic trade rivals who manipulate currencies, employ nontariff barriers, subsidize their manufacturers, rebate value-added taxes on exports to us and impose value-added taxes on imports from us, all to capture our markets and kill our great companies. And we have a Republican Party blissfully ignorant that we live in a world of us or them. It doesn’t even know who “us” is.

We need a new team on the field and a new coach who believes with Vince Lombardi that “winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.”


Hamilton Nolan – Liberal Asshole of the Week

I hate to be the resident Conservative Flag pole runner upper… But for Pete sakes man… The stuff is just flippin’ wrong.

Seen over a Gawker.com which was written by a  Hamilton Nolan, a suspected child molester: (of which I’ve made my appearence there..and for the record, the posting was up less than 4-6 hours… not 12)

Brief and sinister. Sure, Bush had Fox news yakker Tony Snow as his press secretary, but Tony Snow was an out-and-out smiling conservative asshole even before he got to the White House. All this time America trusted Jay Carney to give them the real unbiased news on the campaign, right there in the trusted pages of Time, an it turns out he was privately on Biden’s team the entire time! Will America ever trust the media again?

Oh, How quaint, insult a dead man. Now, if he were a Liberal and some Conservative had said something like this. It would be front page news. But because it is a Conservative, it is perfectly fine. 🙄

In case anyone has forgotten, Tony Snow died with cancer.  He left a loving wife and 3 kids; 2 sons and a daughter.

Here’s the idiots picture:

Hamilton Nolan - Liberal asshole of the week

Hamilton Nolan - Liberal asshole of the week

According to this, this hosebag piece of liberal shit worked for PR Week before going to gawker.

Here’s the asshole’s e-mail address, let this asshat know what you really think: hamilton@gawker.com

Ana Marie Cox sure did create a fucking monster, when she created that shit rag of a Blog.

Guest Voice “Act Now to Reject Con Con” by Chuck Baldwin

My good friend, Tom DeWeese, chairman of the American Policy Center, recently issued an urgent alert regarding a revived effort to assemble a modern Constitutional Convention. Mind you, the United States has not assembled such a Convention since 1787, when a Constitutional Convention replaced the Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution. Fortunately, the delegates to the Con Con of 1787 were composed of freedom-loving patriots who had just fought a bloody war for independence and were in no mind to reenact tyranny upon the land they had just fought to liberate. However, can one imagine what would happen if the current bunch of politically correct leftists in Washington, D.C., were to be granted the power to rewrite our Constitution? It would be the end of the United States of America, and that is no hyperbole.

The modern Con Con effort began back in the 1970s. Since then, 32 states have issued the call. The total number of states that are required to enact the Con Con is 34. Simple math reveals that we are only two states short of this disaster. As word of this potential calamity began to surface, the effort stalled with the total states issuing the call stuck at 32. With the election of Barack Obama, however, supporters of a Con Con have been emboldened and are now trying to resurrect the momentum. The state that is currently in the crosshairs appears to be Ohio.

States that have already approved a Con Con include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. A few of these states have since seen the error of their ways and have voted to rescind their approvals. This fact, alone, should be enough to kill the push for another Con Con, but don’t expect the powers that be to see it that way. Therefore, it seems that if Ohio approves the Con Con, only one more state would be required, and upon the call of that 34th state, a Con Con would be seated. And, no doubt, state number 34 is already sitting quietly, but excitedly, in the wings, ready to act with “lightning speed” to seal the deal.

Lest anyone take this lightly or think that a Constitutional Convention is no big deal, DeWeese properly warned, “In truth no restrictive language from any state can legally limit the scope or outcome of a [Constitutional] Convention! Once a Convention is called Congress determines how the delegates to the Convention are chosen. Once chosen, those Convention delegates possess more power than the U.S. Congress itself.”

DeWeese is right. If called, a modern Constitutional Convention could declare the U.S. Constitution to be null and void, and could completely rewrite the document. For example, former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger once declared, “There is no effective way to limit or muzzle the actions of a Constitutional Convention. The Convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda.”

Given the fact that Washington, D.C., is comprised mostly of Big-Government liberals and neocons, it is almost certain that the founders’ Constitution–which was founded on the principles of Natural Law that protects individual liberty–would be replaced with some sort of “collective rights” document protecting an ambiguous “common good.” At that point, there is no more United States of America. There would be no more Bill of Rights protecting individuals from governmental abuse and overreach. Furthermore, the principles of Natural Law would be forever removed as a basis of all our nation’s laws and statutes. The nation that had been bequeathed to us by our forebears would be gone forever.

Yes, it is that bad, and, yes, it is that close to happening!

In the short term, every freedom-loving American must do everything they can RIGHT NOW to prevent this from happening. Since the state of Ohio is currently in the crosshairs, it would behoove us to contact every person we know in Ohio and do whatever it takes to motivate them to be sure to let their Ohio legislators know how dangerous this is. Residents and citizens of Ohio need to make sure the Ohio legislature rejects the call for a Constitutional Convention. By the same token, it would be wise for all of us who live in states that have not yet ratified the call for a Con Con to contact our state legislators to make sure that they understand the issue, and that they will do everything in their power to resist any attempt to call for a Constitutional Convention.

For more information on the status of a new Con Con and how to fight it, go to the American Policy Center web site.

In the longer term, there is another question that must be addressed. What will we do if and when a modern Constitutional Convention is called and our U.S. Constitution is declared null and void, with a completely new constitution enacted? Which states will reject the new constitution? Which states will declare their independence from any such new union? Or, will they all surrender their state constitutions and go along with this Twenty-First Century New World Order–a New World Order that will doubtless incorporate some form of North American Community or Union?

It might be a very good idea to immediately begin identifying those states that would unequivocally reject any new union, and would be willing to declare their independence from whatever government would evolve from a modern Constitutional Convention. Yes, I am saying it: we may need to resurrect the original Thirteen Colonies, except they would probably not number thirteen, and, in all likelihood, they would not be located on the East Coast.

I am convinced that there are still millions of Americans who are sick and tired of surrendering their liberties to Big-Government sycophants in both the Democrat and Republican parties, and that if a Constitutional Convention is called–and our U.S. Constitution is wiped away or rewritten–are ready and willing to declare their independence all over again. So, I issue the call: where are the new Thirteen Colonies?

We better start looking now, because there will come a point when the time for looking for good ground is over and the time to stand our ground will be upon us.

Original Article in Question at American Policy Center and an update to the Story

(Via NewsWithViews)

I Guess I am supposed to be surprised

About this. But I am not.

Via Washington Post:

Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets Monday to demand the release of a reporter who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush, as Arabs across many parts of the Middle East hailed the journalist as a hero and praised his insult as a proper send-off to the unpopular U.S. president.

The protests came as suicide bombers and gunmen targeted Iraqi police, U.S.-allied Sunni guards and civilians in a series of attacks Monday that killed at least 17 people and wounded more than a dozen others, officials said.

Journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, who was kidnapped by militants last year, was being held by Iraqi security Monday and interrogated about whether anybody paid him to throw his shoes at Bush during a press conference the previous day in Baghdad, said an Iraqi official.

He was also being tested for alcohol and drugs, and his shoes were being held as evidence, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Showing the sole of your shoe to someone in the Arab world is a sign of extreme disrespect, and throwing your shoes is even worse. Iraqis whacked a statue of Saddam with their shoes after U.S. Marines toppled it to the ground following the 2003 invasion.

I mean, seeing I am not a war-loving Neo-Conservative, I will simply say this. When you invade a country based upon faulty; some would say falsified, intelligence, What do you really expect?  The shoe thing is the least thing this Nation should worry about. Wait till the revenge attacks happen years from now.

Of Course, the Neo-Cons are going to dismiss this as just liberals exploiting a embarrassing moment. Of which, to extent, I say is deserved. But it makes one take pause and wonder, what in the hell did this President do to our image around the World?

It scares me to even think about it.  It also makes me wonder, will Obama be enough to fix what is broken?

Something tells me the answer is no.

More Signs of the Hard Times Ahead

This is just not a good thing, at all. 🙁

Via the New York Times:

With unemployment claims reaching their highest levels in decades, states are running out of money to pay benefits, and some are turning to the federal government for loans or increasing taxes on businesses to make the payments.

Thirty states are at risk of having the funds that pay out unemployment benefits become insolvent over the next few months, according to the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. Funds in two states, Indiana and Michigan, have already dried up, and both states are borrowing from the federal government to make payments to the unemployed.

Unemployment taxes are collected by states from employers, but the rate varies from state to state per employee. In good times states build up trust funds so that when unemployment is high there is enough money to cover the requests for benefits, which are guaranteed by the federal government.

“You don’t expect the loans to happen this early in a jobs slump,” said Andrew Stettner, the deputy director of the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy organization for low-wage workers. “You would expect that the states should, even when they are not well prepared, to have savings.”

The Labor Department said last week that initial applications for jobless benefits rose to 573,000, the highest reading since November 1982. It is recommended that states keep at least one year of peak-level benefits in their trusts, but many have not, and already some states are far worse off than others.

Yet more of the ripple effect in the Nation’s Economy. Of course, I could sit here and blame the Democrats or the Republicans. But honestly, who is really to blame here? I personally think it is the fault of both parties really. First off, it is the fault of the globalist Neo-Cons who would rather ship jobs overseas for cheaper labor, than to keep the jobs here on Terra Firma. Second, it is the Democrats, with Bill Clinton putting pressure on the lending companies to offer high risk loans to those, who normally could not afford them. Put simply, it was a system that was set up upon risk and it ultimately failed.

So, now we’re stuck with states with extremely high unemployment rates and states who are having to ask the Federal Government for help to support these people.  Now some of my more purist fellow Libertarians  would essentially say, “Screw ’em! Let ’em suffer!” But seeing I am from the area, and I do admit to being more a moderate, I do not hold to such asinine views.

I personally think that the worst thing that our Government can do is throw up their hands and panic. Throwing more legislation and huge amounts of money at the problem will not work. The Wall Street Bailout proved that. I think, as a moderate, the best thing that the Federal Government can do is give the States that need the help the funds to keep the unemployment programs running and try the best they can to weather out the storm.  The Economy is not going to stay horrible forever, we had a recession in the 1980’s, which was a result of some of the stupidity of the Carter administration.  We weathered that storm out and recovered, I believe that we will do the same here. Yes, there will be hardships for a while, but in the end, we will prevail. We always have and will always will.

Stay Classy Ed Morrissey

I’m still tweaking about how Ed basically insulted my family.

Now Ed’s gone to a new low, insulting people born with a disability that they have no control over.

Yes, now Ed is in the same category as Keith Olbermann and MSNBC.

Ed, yammering on over at his little Neo-Con Blog, about how Volvo has invented or is now using a “Auto Break system” on their cars, something that might actually save lives. Yowls out the following remark:

Is this really a good idea?  If everyone had it at the same time, maybe.  Unfortunately, the driver behind the oaf who pays more attention to text messaging than traffic will not have much time to respond to the sudden stop of the car ahead of him.  He’ll likely pay the price for the ADD of the driver ahead of him.  Still, it’s a start — and maybe breaking a few Blackberries will condition drivers to pay closer attention to the task at hand.

If anyone has ever bothered to read my about me page, they would that I was diagnosed at the age of five of having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. If I honestly sat here and wrote about just how much of a living hell of my life was, growing up with this dreadful learning disorder; and how my poor mother and father had to sit and watch their only son, sit and suffer, unable to learn the very basics in Math. This Blog posting would be about 25 pages long.

I ask you, my dear readers, since when it become socially acceptable, chick or in vogue to be able to mock those with Learning Disabilities? It is considered to be socially unacceptable to laugh, mock or make light of someone in a wheelchair with some sort of an disability;  How is it, that we, as Americans cannot and will not extend that same respect to those who have disabilities that are not of the visible kind?

This, my friends is a very telling evidence of the downgrade of society, something that has been prevalent for a very long time.   In the 1940’s President FDR was, essentially a handicapped man. FDR suffered from the ravages of Polio. The thing was, nobody knew about it. Arguably, the press is seen as have pulled of a feat of deception. However, the whole thing could be looked at from another perspective.  This author argues that it was not a feat of deception that President Roosevelt’s handicap was not reported; but rather an expression of respect for a man who essentially brought the United States of America out of a depression, fought and destroyed an enemy and brought America to the forefront,  as a great superpower.  Sadly, that expression of respect is not found in our press, nor in society as a whole today.

Evidence of this can by found in this thing we call the Blogosphere when some political figure dies, either Liberal or Conservative. Just take a look at the comment sections and you will see the downgrade of society.  I could easily blame this on the Liberals, however, I believe it is a greater problem than that. It reflects a looseness of society, our gradual drift away from the God-Breathed principles that are found in the Holy Bible.  In the 1940’s, Americans respected others, they knew how to act, morality still existed. Sadly, those ways of being are simply seen as quaint, and old hat. With advent of the 1950’s and the rock and roll rebellion attitude, went the respect and Biblical principles of the era, that I believe was the greatest era ever.

It is a pity that this Nation will never again, return to the principles of which it was founded upon.

Sarah Palin’s Church Firebombed

Sarah Palin's Church Firebombed

Sarah Palin's Church Firebombed

Look at this Photo. Look at it! This is the picture of Liberals unhinged… 😡

Via Anchorage Daily News:

Fire officials are investigating a suspicious blaze at one of the biggest churches in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The pastor is estimating damage at more than $1 million.

No one was injured in the fire at the Wasilla Bible Church, which started late Friday. About a half dozen church members were in the building doing crafts when the fire began but were able to get out safely after the building’s fire alarm sounded, pastor Larry Kroon said.

“This fire is definitely suspicious,” said Central Mat-Su Fire Chief James Steele.

The church, located off the Parks Highway on the north end of town, is one of the biggest in the Valley with a typical Sunday service drawing up to a 1,000 people.

Several well-known Valley residents attend the church, including Gov. Sarah Palin and Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla.

Kroon, reached at home Saturday morning, said he’d been up all night and was still in a state of disbelief.

He said the church was only in its second winter in the three-story building and he estimated damage at more than $1 million.

“It’s one of those things, it feels surreal,” he said.

The pastor said he was especially disturbed someone would set the fire while people were inside. There were about a half dozen women inside doing crafts when the fire broke out, he said. He said he had talked to fire officials, but didn’t know of any specific leads.

“The possibilities are so wide and variable,” he said. “Someone intentionally did it, but we don’t know who and why.”

The pastor declined to speculate whether the fire was politically based or directed at Palin, the failed Republican vice presidential candidate. He also declined to say whether the church has received any recent threats.

Palin stopped by the church Saturday morning. Her spokesman, Bill McAllister, said in a statement that Palin told an assistant pastor she apologizes if the fire was connected to the “undeserved negative attention” the church has received since she became the vice presidential candidate on Aug. 29.

“Whatever the motives of the arsonist, the governor has faith in the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good,” McAllister said.

Kroon was at home when he got a call from the husband of one of the women who had been in the building. By the time he arrived, smoke was pouring from the windows of a back corner of the building.

The building is equipped with a fire sprinkler system, Kroon said, but the fire was burning in the walls and took hours to put out. Most of the damage was limited to the back corner of the building where four offices and a classroom are located, he said. There is also water damage and the entire building smells like smoke, he said. He said Sunday services are currently scheduled to be held at Wasilla Middle School.

Fire officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Megan Peters, spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers, said she could not answer questions about the fire.

This is War! The Liberals have declared war on the Christian Right, of which I am a part of.

It is no secret, that during the 2008 election, that I was not too impressed by Sarah Palin, nor her choice for candidate for Vice President of the United States of America.  However, for a group of Communist Liberals to attack a defenseless building, in which the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted and held in regard; is in the opinion of this writer an act of aggression against the Christian community.

I ask you, as Christians, As Americans, as Human Beings; Will we stand and Fight or accept defeat and possible extinction?

Update: Video (Via Breit Bart)

Needless to say, that Pastor is way too nice, I would be out for Blood myself. 😡

Update #2: Other Blogs talking about it now, a day late… 😛 – TigerHawk, NewsBusters.org, Top of the Ticket, Gateway Pundit, Right Wing News, Power Line and The Other McCain (via Memeorandum)

The Obligatory Rahm Emanuel talked to Gov. Rod Blagojevich Posting

I say obligatory, because I think this story has got about the traction of a damned bald Goodyear tire in the winter. But I digress.

The sensational media rolls on, I suppose. One day in the tank, next minute throwing Obama in the tank.  🙄

Anyhow… here we go!  😀

The Chicago Tribune’s Political Blog, “The Swamp” Reports:

Rahm Emanuel, President-elect Barack Obama’s pick to be White House chief of staff, had conversations with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration about who would replace Obama in the U.S. Senate, the Chicago Tribune has learned.

The revelation does not suggest Obama’s new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat. But it does help fill in the gaps surrounding a question that Obama was unable or unwilling to answer this week: Did anyone on his staff have contact with Blagojevich about his choice for the Senate seat?

Blagojevich and John Harris, his former chief of staff, face federal charges in an alleged shakedown involving the vacant Senate seat, which Illinois law grants the governor sole authority to fill.

Obama said Thursday he had never spoken to Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy and was “confident that no representatives” of his had engaged in any dealmaking over the seat with the governor or his team. He also pledged Thursday that in the “next few days” he would explain what contacts his staff may have had with the governor’s office about the Senate vacancy.

Emanuel, who has long been close to both Blagojevich and Obama, has refused to respond to questions about any involvement he may have had with the Blagojevich camp over the Senate pick. A spokeswoman for Emanuel also declined to comment Friday.

One source confirmed that communications between Emanuel and the Blagojevich administration were captured on court-approved wiretaps.

Another source said that contact between the Obama camp and the governor’s administration regarding the Senate seat began the Saturday before the Nov. 4 election, when Emanuel made a call to the cell phone of Harris. The conversation took place around the same time press reports surfaced about Emanuel being approached about taking the high-level White House post should Obama win.

Emanuel delivered a list of candidates who would be “acceptable” to Obama, the source said. On the list were Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, Illinois Veterans Affairs director Tammy Duckworth, state Comptroller Dan Hynes and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Chicago, the source said. All are Democrats.

One thing that stands out in this article, is this right here:

The revelation does not suggest Obama’s new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat. But it does help fill in the gaps surrounding a question that Obama was unable or unwilling to answer this week: Did anyone on his staff have contact with Blagojevich about his choice for the Senate seat?

However, to read some of the Republican/Conservative/Neo-Conservative Blogs, you would think that Obama offered to help finance the operation or something. Which I think is outright silly and blatantly asinine.  There’s no proof of that at all, and I am inclined to believe the President-Elect, if he says he had no contact with the man. Sorry, you cannot count me amongst the group of people who believe he’s some sort of undercover Muslim or anything of that nature, I don’t run with that crowd at all.  Most of that nonsense is of the Alex Jones flavor, and I deal with facts and reality, not conspiracy theories and lunacy. Oh, sure, I’ve written things on here, mostly in jest and trying to be snarky… and once, because I was pissed at the race baiting of the far lefty Liberals, during the election, but Obama is going to be the new President, and I’m fine with that. But I will write and speak out against what I feel to be wrong, and likewise, I will defend the man, when I feel that it is due.

Anyway, got way off track there! 😮

As for the current situation at hand here, my advice to the President-Elect is, dump Rahm Emanuel now.  Because as long as Emanuel is on the Obama team, the Conservative/Neo-Conservative/Republican talking heads and some of the more main stream media are going to continue to hound you over this. I know, it is a bit silly, but that is what the Conservatives do, they did it Bill Clinton, almost to the point of lunacy and as long as this guy is on your staff, you will have to contend with the questions, and with the insinuation that you are connected with this scandal.  In other words, Ann Coulter will have something to talk about for the next four years.  God knows, we have heard enough of that feckless bitch for the last eight years.

I hope that the President-Elect figures this out and gives Rahm Emanuel the ol’ Heave Ho and gets someone else in there. Otherwise, it will be a circular firing squad on this Blog for the next four years.

More Commentary Here

Video: America’s War on Common Sense

An excellent video:

(Source: Taki’s Magazine)

The Southern Avenger’s Blog

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School Yard Antics: I know you are, but what am I?!?!

I must confess that I find things like this humorous.

First off, John Stewart did a tribute to Alan Colmes’s departure from the show:

Well, Hannity is not one to be insulted and responded:

Jon Stewart addressed Colmes’ departure on The Daily Show Thursday night (video below), recruiting washed-up 80s pop duo Darryl Hall and John Oates to offer a farewell ditty to the departing Colmes set to the tune of “She’s gone.” The lyrics included this verse: “Alan please don’t go. You’re the only non-douche bag on that show!”

Said Hannity: “I was actually thinking of Jon [Stewart] as a co-host but I needed someone who could be smart and funny without 50 writers and two has-been rockers who are badly in need of Botox.”

Meeeeeooowwwww! Nothing like a bunch of guys acting like women. Nothing at all. 😀

(Source: Media Bistro via HotAir Hotlines)