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October 31, 2006

Kerry Unrepentant

Once again, Lurch has stuck his foot in his mouth.

The matter at hand is his comment yesterday while on the stump in California:

You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you dont, you get stuck in Iraq.

Now, with the resulting denounciations from President Bush, Sen. John McCain and other pols, as well as various talk show hosts and bloggers, John Kerry won't back down:

And at a hastily arranged news conference in Seattle, Kerry said: "I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy."

Kerry said the comment in question was "a botched joke about the president and the president's people, not about the troops ... and they know that's what I was talking about."

He should have stopped there, but didn't:

The Massachusetts Democrat called the White House attack "a classic GOP textbook Republican campaign tactic" that reveals Republicans'"willingness to reduce anything in America to raw politics."

"I'm sick and tired of a bunch of despicable Republicans who will not debate real policy, who won't take responsibility for their own mistakes, standing up and trying to make other people the butt of those mistakes," he said. "It disgusts me that a bunch of these Republican hacks who've never worn the uniform of our country are willing to lie about those who did."

Ah yes, harkening back to those golden days in Vietnam that he was so proud of at the time, he proudly wore his medals and denounced traitrous war protesters like Hanoi Jane Fonda.

Oops, sorry, I was in a parallel universe.

Don't look for Democrat leaders like Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton or Harry Reid to say anything about it. They'll just keep quiet and wait for the winds to die down. Heaven forefend they should actually criticize one of their own.

Speaking of Harry Reid, that land deal scandal sure died down quickly. It must be nice to have the MSM in your pocket.

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Yet another fumble by war hero John Kerry

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Posted by Pam Meister at 07:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:40 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Holiday

A Scary Day for Democrats...

...and it's not just the little kids wearing costumes. From the Washington Times:

Former Prince George's County Executive Wayne K. Curry and five fellow black Democrats on the county council excoriated their party yesterday and endorsed Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, a Republican, for U.S. Senate.

"The [Democratic] Party acts as though when they want our opinion, they'll give it to us. It's not going to be like that anymore," said Mr. Curry, who in 1994 became the county's first black executive and remains influential in the mostly black and heavily Democratic county.

Mr. Curry and the lawmakers said Democratic leaders repeatedly have snubbed the black community and their county, noting the lack of party support for the Senate campaign of former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chief Kweisi Mfume, who lost the Democratic primary to Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin.

Well, I can't say I'm sorry Kweisi Mfume didn't win the primary, but I understand where Curry is coming from. The Democrats expect black voters to feel honored by their patronage without bothering to find out what they really want.

Stronger words come from Samuel H. Dean:

"We were in the Democratic Party while they were lynching black folks. We were in the Democratic Party while they were segregating folks," Mr. Dean said. "We have been loyal Democrats, [but] when the party has an opportunity to do something to show that their base is recognized, appreciated and acknowledged, they don't."

Steny Hoyer and others declined comment. Not surprising. What can they say?

The race between Democrat Ben Cardin and Steele is already neck and neck. Look for Steele to surge ahead in this last week before the election.

SPEAKING OF the election, please read this piece by Gaius over at Blue Crab Boulevard if you've even been thinking about sitting out this election cycle.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:37 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

October 30, 2006

Blogoweeniversary II Over at In The Right Place!

Halloween is just around the corner, and it's time for Blogoweeniversary II! Hosted by Mr. Right over at In the Right Place, it's time for selected bloggers to don their masks and scare the cr*p out of unsuspecting readers. This year, the site is being haunted by (and I quote), "A collection of snooty liberals who think they've already won the upcoming election!"

Head on over...if you have what it takes. The masqueraders will be unmasked late Halloween night!

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Open the door if you dare!

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Blogging

The Great Warming: Same Old Schlock

UPDATE (8:54 pm): Stephen Macklin over at Hold the Mayo takes a closer look at The Great Warming's website.

Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth seems to have started a trend, as we now have another movie to scare us into going back to the horse and wagon: The Great Warming, narrated by Keanu Reeves. Its website tells us:

We are living at the dawn of a new epoch. Year by year, degree by degree, Earth is growing warmer...a legacy of the Industrial Revolution, population growth, and our addiction to technology, speed and power.

Does that mean that Reeves should do penance for his movie Speed? I wonder how much gas was sucked up during those speeding bus scenes? Will Hollywood stop filming movies with endless car chases? (Don't bet on it...what's good for us is not good for them.)

As Mark D. Tooley on Front Page Magazine points out:

When some evangelicals flocked to movies about the Great End Times prophesied in Scripture, the Left mocked their harmless fascination. Now, Hollywood and the Green Left applauds as ostensibly more hip evangelicals, anxious to show the world how different they are, latch onto Global Warming as their more politically correct Apocalypse. Hollywood glitterati, Ted Turner, and the New York Times are not likely to lavish praise on another installment of the Left Behind series. But apocalyptic warnings about a planet that will burn up unless the United States repents of its carbon sins are sure to attract the Beautiful People.

Indeed, on the movie's website, you'll see a link for churches who are involved in saving us from our industrial folly. It seems that Hollywood has found a use for religion after all.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 02:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Environment

Today's Must-Read Commentary...

...is by Harry R. Jackson on Town Hall. A preview:

If the Democrats do not gain significant traction in this mid-term election, they will be deemed so nationally impotent that no form of political Viagra will help them in 2008.

After all, they do not have a unifying doctrine or theme except for being against the war. Unfortunately for them, their anti-war statements are not backed up with clear plans. Beyond the important issue of how and when we bring our boys home, they dont have much to say. Democratic solutions to the immigration crisis, the health care gap, the energy crisis, and Americas long term global competition problem seem to be muddled, ill formed, and without a clear internal party consensus.

So how is it that the Democrats seem to be leading in so many recent polls? They have recruited a new partner to help them fight for power--- the liberal media. The bias of the media sounds like such a trite excuse for conservative lack of campaign trail performance. Yet this time, I believe there is much truth to the concept that conservatives are fighting both the media and the Democrats.

Read the rest here.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 09:39 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

Global Warming Not Welcome Here!

Al Gore just lost a mouthpiece in Maine:

The general manager of two TV stations in Maine has ordered his news department to stop covering global warming until "Bar Harbor is underwater."

Michael Palmer told the joint news staff of WVII and WFVX in an e-mail that global warming stories are like "'the killer African bee scare' from the 1970s or, more recently, the Y2K scare when everyone's computer was going to self-destruct."

Perhaps if most of the stories we see or hear told differing sides to the controversy, Mr. Palmer wouldn't have put a moratorium on them.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 09:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Environment

October 28, 2006

Goodbye Dixie Chicks; Hello Beccy Cole

Has anyone else had it with the Dixie Chicks and their incessant whining? Their apparent inability to distinguish between freedom of speech and freedom from criticism?

Blackfive has posted this great song by Australian singer Beccy Cole. It's Cole's answer to her fans who aren't happy with her support of the Australian soldiers (called Diggers) in the Middle East. Take a listen to Poster Girl and see if you don't prefer her brand of response to her critics to that of the whining Chicks.

Thanks to Blue Crab Boulevard for the tip. Also, check out his thoughts on how the Chicks have used their leftwing cheerleaders for their own gain.

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Beccy Cole: A real class act!

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Posted by Pam Meister at 02:36 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

October 27, 2006

Ugly Betty Goes Down the PC Highway

Ive gotten into the new ABC show Ugly Betty. A spinoff from a popular Colombian show called Yo Soy Betty La Fea (I Am Ugly Betty), the American version follows the adventures of Betty Suarez a smart gal from Queens, fresh out of college, who has dreams of making it big in magazine publishing. Unfortunately for Betty, she has a few things going against her: her genuinely sweet nature, her unglamorous background, and her looks. She applies for a position at Meade Publications but is turned away without an interview because she horrifies the HR person with her bushy eyebrows, braces, scraggly hair, and frumpy clothes even a grandmother back in 1975 wouldnt be caught dead wearing.

Bettys fortunes improve swiftly when the head honcho at Meade forces his playboy son Daniel Meade (whom he has just installed as editor-in-chief at Mode [think Vogue] magazine) to hire Betty as his assistant. The reasoning behind this move is that Dad figures theres no way his son will think of sleeping with Betty, and therefore might actually get some work done.

After a horrible induction to the world of high fashion magazines, Betty manages to endear herself to her boss and is holding her own in spite of the cutthroat nature of the business (and the nastiness of her coworkers), and there are shady goings-on at the magazine that revolve around Daniels father and the deceased former editor of Mode. But things at home are starting to get dicey. Bettys father Ignacio, who has some heart trouble, wont go to the HMO-sponsored doctor. Last night we found out why: according to his Social Security number, Mr. Suarez is 107 years old, and he has admitted to Bettys sister Hilda that he is in America illegally, using someone elses SS number.

Get out the hanky.

Im dismayed, because it seems that likable Betty and her equally likable family are now going to be used to further the agenda of those who think that anyone and everyone should be able to come to America who wants to, regardless of our immigration laws. Those who are here illegally are to be pitied, not prosecuted. The fictional Ignacio Suarez is a hard-working widower who has raised a great family and now has health issues that he cant deal with because he is not a legal resident of the country. And, since the HMO is on to him, we can probably expect the feds to come knocking at the door of his humble Queens home soon.

As further proof of what I expect to happen, just look at who is the producer of the show: Salma Hayek, who with fellow actresss Eva Longoria supports rights for illegal immigrants.

Im just waiting for someone to jump on me because the TV Suarez family is Hispanic and Ill be branded as a racist. But its not about race, its about our laws and those who ignore them. Do I think our laws should be changed? Maybe. Ive heard a lot about how difficult it is to enter America legally, and if a change in law makes it easier for hardworking, productive people to come here then Im all for it. But until then, we should be upholding the laws we have.

Will I stop watching the show? Not as long as the acting, writing and production quality continue to deliver. But Im not sure I like the new plot twist, for the reasons described above. Ill reserve judgment until the rest of the season unfolds.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 09:59 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Entertainment

October 26, 2006

The Rape of Europe

This from Paul Belian of the Brussels Journal:

The German author Henryk M. Broder recently told the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant (12 October) that young Europeans who love freedom, better emigrate. Europe as we know it will no longer exist 20 years from now. Whilst sitting on a terrace in Berlin, Broder pointed to the other customers and the passers-by and said melancholically: We are watching the world of yesterday.

Europe is turning Muslim. As Broder is sixty years old he is not going to emigrate himself. I am too old, he said. However, he urged young people to get out and move to Australia or New Zealand. That is the only option they have if they want to avoid the plagues that will turn the old continent uninhabitable.

Many Germans and Dutch, apparently, did not wait for Broders advice. The number of emigrants leaving the Netherlands and Germany has already surpassed the number of immigrants moving in. One does not have to be prophetic to predict, like Henryk Broder, that Europe is becoming Islamic. Just consider the demographics. The number of Muslims in contemporary Europe is estimated to be 50 million. It is expected to double in twenty years. By 2025, one third of all European children will be born to Muslim families. Today Mohammed is already the most popular name for new-born boys in Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and other major European cities.

Broder is convinced that the Europeans are not willing to oppose islamization. The dominant ethos, he told De Volkskrant, is perfectly voiced by the stupid blonde woman author with whom I recently debated. She said that it is sometimes better to let yourself be raped than to risk serious injuries while resisting. She said it is sometimes better to avoid fighting than run the risk of death.

The whole thing is a must-read. Click here for the rest.


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October 24, 2006

The Era of Big Babyism

I discovered this thanks to husband-dude. It's from a book called Big Babies by Michael Bywater, and is excerpted for us by the Telegraph UK. It basically discusses what many of us have suspected all along: that modern society is out to infantilize us.

Here is a random sample of what is implicit in the assumptions that are made about all of us: We are unable to control our appetites;

We cannot postpone gratification;

We have little sense of self, and what we do have is deformed;

We have no articulable inner life;

We are pre- or sub-literate;

We are solipsistic;

We do not have the ability to exercise responsible autonomy;

We require constant surveillance and constant admonition;

We are potentially, if not actually, violent;

We have no social sensibilities beyond the tribal;

We have no discrimination.

More:

Infantility, indefinitely prolonged, is also the indefinite prolongation of (false) promise.

It's never too late never too late to stomp, cadaverous, around the stage singing 'Can't get no satisfaction'.

Never too late to cast off the old wife and find a new one. Never too late to make the big killing, to score the goal, to find the perfect shoes, to acquire the perfect six-pack, rack, complexion, butt, pecs or thighs. Never too late (hell, someone must be answering the spam) to get the perfect dick, pumped up with a scoopful of mail-order Viagra; never too late to give her the perfect orgasm, get the perfect house, fill it with the perfect furniture, take the perfect vacation, drive the perfect car

Bywater suggests we act like the adults we purport to be. Here are a few of his suggestions:

Ignore celebrities, except when they are doing what they are celebrated for doing: acting, playing football et cetera. Skill does not confer moral, political or intellectual discrimination. (Except in the case of writers. Writers know everything and can lecture you with impunity.) If a celebrity is not celebrated for doing anything but being a celebrity, smile politely but pay no notice

[...]

Consider our own motivations. We may rail about being treated like children, ordered about, kept from the truth, nannied and exploited but are we complicit in it? Could the reward actually be infantilisation itself?

[...]

Do not love yourself unconditionally. Such love is for babies and comes from their mothers. Ignore fashion, particularly in clothes. You don't want to look like a teenager for ever

Never do business with a company offering 'solutions' as in 'ergonomic furniture solutions which minimise the postural strain associated with sitting' (chairs) and 'Post Office mailing solutions' (brown paper). The word suggests we have a problem, but since we are grown-ups, that is for us to decide.

Denounce relativism at every turn. Shouting 'not fair' is childish. Demanding respect without earning it is childish. Don't fear seriousness. Babies aren't allowed to be serious.

Think about it: New York City is currently proposing a ban on trans fats in restaurant cooking. Al Gore jets around the world while telling the rest of us to ride bikes in order to reverse the global warming he claims is about to end life on Earth as we know it. Celebrities, who are paid gazillions of dollars for singing, acting or tossing a ball around, are asked their opinions on everything from raising a family to politics -- and we are expected to take them seriously.

Read it...it'll get you thinking.

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We're becoming an infantile society...

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Posted by Pam Meister at 06:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Commentary

Rating Congress

If you do nothing else today, head over to The Right Place. Mr. Right has done a fantastic job of rating our Congressmen and Senators with what he calls the RPI (Right Place Index), which indicates how liberal, moderate, and conservative these folks are. He's done his homework and lists his sources. He also makes a disclaimer that it's not a completely bipartisan effort:

Before we go any further, let me state for the record that this is not a completely non-partisan evaluation of the sitting members of the House and Senate! No comments this time around about how I shouldn't have injected politics into this, please, that's what it is all about!

Mr. Right also makes this note:

A moderate Republican is far, far better for the country than any liberal Democrat who might replace them if we on the right deign to punish them by sitting out an election to "teach them a lesson." Besides, in certain areas of the country, hardline conservatives couldn't get elected, or would likely be booted out of office in short order if they voted that way. To discard individuals who may be of a more moderate nature than we may prefer is to discard any chance to be in the majority and advance the conservative agenda. It would only serve to relegate ourselves to irrelevance as we watch the liberals advance theirs!

None of the results should surprise you. But do go and read them. We need to mobilize the base! If we can do this, we'll hold on to the majority. If you don't vote, don't you dare complain if the Democrats win and any chance of our furthering a conservative agenda is thrown to the wind.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 06:33 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

October 23, 2006

Killing Me Softly...

The title of this post is from a song (which I actually detest) by Roberta Flack. It seems appropriate for the subject of this post: the radical Islamic mindset when it comes to their womenfolk. From an op ed in the Washington Post, written by Asra Q. Nomani (hat tip Blue Crab Boulevard):

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. When dealing with a "disobedient wife," a Muslim man has a number of options. First, he should remind her of "the importance of following the instructions of the husband in Islam." If that doesn't work, he can "leave the wife's bed." Finally, he may "beat" her, though it must be without "hurting, breaking a bone, leaving blue or black marks on the body and avoiding hitting the face, at any cost."

Such appalling recommendations, drawn from the book "Woman in the Shade of Islam" by Saudi scholar Abdul Rahman al-Sheha, are inspired by as authoritative a source as any Muslim could hope to find: a literal reading of the 34th verse of the fourth chapter of the Koran, An-Nisa , or Women. "[A]nd (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them," reads one widely accepted translation.

The notion of using physical punishment as a "disciplinary action," as Sheha suggests, especially for "controlling or mastering women" or others who "enjoy being beaten," is common throughout the Muslim world. Indeed, I first encountered Sheha's work at my Morgantown mosque, where a Muslim student group handed it out to male worshipers after Friday prayers one day a few years ago.

Verse 4:34 retains a strong following, even among many who say that women must be treated as equals under Islam. Indeed, Muslim scholars and leaders have long been doing what I call "the 4:34 dance" they reject outright violence against women but accept a level of aggression that fits contemporary definitions of domestic violence.

Western leaders, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, have recently focused on Muslim women's veils as an obstacle to integration in the West. But to me, it is 4:34 that poses the much deeper challenge of integration. How the Muslim world interprets this passage will reveal whether Islam can be compatible with life in the 21st century. As Hadayai Majeed, an African American Muslim who had opened a shelter in Atlanta to serve Muslim women, put it, "If it's okay for me to be a savage in my home, it's okay for me to be a savage in the world."

Not long after I picked up the free Saudi book, Mahmoud Shalash, an imam from Lexington, Ky., stood at the pulpit of my mosque and offered marital advice to the 100 or so men sitting before him. He repeated the three-step plan, with "beat them" as his final suggestion. Upstairs, in the women's balcony, sat a Muslim friend who had recently left her husband, who she said had abused her; her spouse sat among the men in the main hall.

At the sermon's end, I approached Shalash. "This is America," I protested. "How can you tell men to beat their wives?"

"They should beat them lightly," he explained. "It's in the Koran."

He was doing the dance.

Beating her without breaking bones or leaving bruises? It reminds me of that scene in The Grifters, where Anjelica Huston's shady character is beaten by her mobster boss with a sack of oranges because it doesn't leave any marks. He caught her skimming money from what she was supposed to give him from discarded racetrack tickets.

Think about it: This is a culture that deems it to be acceptable to beat one's wife if she is not behaving the way one would like. What does that say about their behavior toward the rest of civilization? As Gaius from BCB says in his post:

There is a problem with extremism and Islamism, which should not be confused in any way, I think, with the religion of Islam itself. Rather it is with a secular movement enforcing extreme notions and interpretations in order to gain secular power. This is hiding behind the mask of religion to advance an unholy agenda.

I'm still waiting for everyone to get it.

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October 20, 2006

Losers for Lamont

Yes, 2004 loser Howard Dean was the latest to campaign for Ned Lamont. In the city of Hartford today, Dean did his best to get Lamont's campaign back on the upswing in the face of the latest poll numbers: Joe Lieberman leads Lamont 52 to 35 percent.

"Your state has done something extraordinary," Dean said. "Your state had a courageous person step up when nobody thought he could win and take on folks who supported the Bush policy."

So now the entire state is responsible for Ned Lamont's "courageous" campaign? If that's the case, I'm packing my bags and heading for a less "extraordinary" state. Ned Lamont is the last person whose campaign I want credit for.

See, what leftwing extremists like Dean and his followers forget is that there aren't just Democrats in this state. There are Republicans too. And outnumbering them both are voters registered as independents. Only Democrats voted in September's primary between Lamont and Lieberman. In this light, Lamont's big win isn't so big after all.

Next week, Lamont will be joined by the recently crowned king of Democrat losers John Kerry.

All that's left to do is for Al Gore to campaign for Lamont to put the proverbial last nail in the coffin. And just in time for Halloween!

Others talking about Lamont: Brainster, Ex-Donkey

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The campaign kiss of death!

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Posted by Pam Meister at 06:22 PM | Comments (81) | TrackBack (0) | Democrats

October 19, 2006

Military Family Compassionate Auction

UPDATE: Click here to view and bid! The auction ends on October 26th at 7:59 pm PDT.

***THIS POST WILL REMAIN ON TOP UNTIL OCTOBER 19...SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW MATERIAL!***

For those of you who have always wondered how you can give back to our military, I have news for you:

Lt. Col. Robert "Buzz" Patterson, USAF (Ret.), Chief Operating Officer with the David Horowitz Freedom Center, is donating and will personally autograph a trio of his best selling books: "Reckless Disregard: How Liberal Democrats Undercut Our Military, Endanger Our Soldiers, and Jeopardize Our Security"; "Dereliction of Duty - The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security"; and his most recent book "War Crimes - The Left's Campaign to Eliminate the Military and Lose the War on Terror", debuting in January '07.

Patterson was the senior ranking officer of the five military aides serving in the Clinton White House, and carried the "nuclear football" - the top secret briefcase containing the launch codes for America's nuclear weapons.

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Constitutional Public Radio is honored to join Buzz Patterson in this benefit auction for Army Spc. Reid Stanley ("SC Eagle" at Kafstorm) and his wife Ellicia, who is battling cancer of the brain, breast, and lungs. They have three young children. And mounting expenses.Ellicia.jpg


SC Eagle writes at his website: "We have finally received word back from the military. Hospice care is not covered. Which means, any home care we provide Ellicia here will be out of our own pocket. This is going to be expensive. So, reluctantly, and humbly, we'd like to ask those of you who stop by... Please help. Anything will be appreciated. Ellicia will likely need home care as her mind shuts down. And she wants to be at home, not in a hospital... home, surrounded by our children." And military insurance doesn't cover that.

"SC Eagle", stationed in Germany, was deployed to Afghanistan, and now faces another, more personal war, one with Ellicia's life in the balance.

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Patterson will autograph each book with a personal message to the top bidder.

Sure to make a thoughtful and personal Christmas gift for that special military guy or gal or your favorite veteran, the three-book set will be an historic keepsake for years to come, and help a military family in their time of need.

The auction will begin at 10 pm (ET) Thursday, October 19th. As soon as a link for the auction is available, I'll post it here. Our military and their families give so much. This is a small way to help repay all that they are willing to sacrifice for us.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 06:34 PM | Comments (308) | TrackBack (0) | Military

October 18, 2006

Poll Shows 80% Dissatisfaction with U.S.

Okay, I lied. I figured a headline about America-bashing would get a higher posting in search engines. Truth is, this poll from Japan shows the exact opposite :

About once a year, the [U.S.] embassy contracts a business in Japan to conduct a survey to measure Japanese attitudes toward Americans and the security alliance that allows 50,000 U.S. troops to live in the country.

This years poll, taken in May and June, showed 80 percent of the 1,012 adults surveyed across Japan favor the U.S. alliance the fourth consecutive year that opinion increased, according to Andrew Lee, the embassys assistant press attach.

I found this story on the Stars and Stripes website. Where did you think I found it, on AP or Reuters? (Now if there was a poll that showed how much America was disliked somewhere, you can be sure it would receive top notch coverage from those fine news sources.)

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Posted by Pam Meister at 07:16 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | World Affairs

Karl Rove Entertains High Hopes for November

Unlike many Republican sad sacks, Karl Rove is confident of maintaining a Republican majority in both the House and Senate:

"I'm confident we're going to keep the Senate; I'm confident we're going to keep the House. The Foley matter has impact in some limited districts, but the research we have shows that people are differentiating between a vote for their congressman and a member from Florida."

[...]

"It is useful to remind people what [Democrats] said and what they do. I think they have given us here, especially in the last couple of weeks, a potent set of votes to talk about. You had 90 percent of House Democrats voting against the terrorist-surveillance program, nearly three-quarters of Senate Democrats and 80 percent of House Democrats voting against the terrorist-interrogation act. Something is fundamentally flawed."

As Rush Limbaugh constantly reminds us, the Democrats would never admit defeat before the election. Why should we? Keep positive thoughts, and make sure you go to the polls November 7.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 04:56 PM | Comments (345) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

October 17, 2006

Madonna and her African Baby

Does anyone else find this somewhat disturbing?DavidBanda.jpg

The pop superstar broke her silence over the adoption hours after 13-month-old David Banda arrived at her multi-million pound home in London.

In an open letter she said it was her wish "to open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty, and in many cases death."

Madonna added that she has acted "according to the law like anyone else who adopts a child."

And she asked for room for her family to "experience the joy we feel to have David at home."

So much joy that she couldn't even carry him off the plane at Heathrow, but gave that task to one of her minions? Why do I get the feeling this is a major publicity stunt?

Does this remind anyone else of a Joan "Mommie Dearest" scenario?

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Is Madonna another "Mommie Dearest"
in the making?

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Posted by Pam Meister at 06:47 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) | Celebrity

October 16, 2006

Lynne Stewart: 28 Months

Convicted in February of last year of smuggling messages to terrorists from her imprisoned mullah client, Lynne Stewart was sentenced to a measley 28 months in prison today.

She is free on bail pending her appeal.

Just reading the Reuters article is nauseating. It lovingly describes Stewart as "long a defender of the poor and unpopular" and alerts readers that "[s]ome observers said the case stemmed from Bush administration efforts to discourage the defense of accused terrorists."

Just so you know, the client she was convicted of smuggling messages for is Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman. Rahman not only was involved in terrorist acts in his homeland of Egypt, but was behind several unsuccessful bombing plots in New York, as well as the successful 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

I can't imagine why he's unpopular.

Michelle Malking puts in her two cents.

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This sweet grandmother smuggled
messages to terrorists...

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Posted by Pam Meister at 07:45 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Judges & Law

Harry Reid: Used Campaign Money as Christmas Bonuses

Harry Reid sinks deeper into the mire of his own making:

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been using campaign donations instead of his personal money to pay Christmas bonuses for the support staff at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives in an upscale condominium. Federal election law bars candidates from converting political donations for personal use.

Questioned about the campaign expenditures by The Associated Press, Reid's office said Monday he was personally reimbursing his campaign for $3,300 in donations he had directed to the staff holiday fund at his residence.

This after the news that he didn't properly report a land deal that netted him $1.1 million.

Of course, he plans on reimbursing the campaign, as well as amending the 2001 report in which he failed to indicate the transfer of the land to an LLC headed by his pal Jay Brown in return for a stake in the LLC.

Reid said the failure to disclose those transactions previously was due to "clerical errors" and they amounted to "two minor matters that were inadvertently left off my original disclosure forms."

How convenient. When a Republican gets caught out in an ethical violation, it's evidence of that famous "culture of corruption." When a Democrat is caught, it's due to a "clerical error."

But where's the shock and outrage that accompanied the downfall of the likes of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Tom DeLay...not to mention the recently disgraced Mark Foley?

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"It depends on your definition of 'ethics violation.'"

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Posted by Pam Meister at 06:55 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Democrats

October 13, 2006

British Gal Nicked for Being Un-PC in School

Leftwing lunacy has hit a new low:

A teenage schoolgirl [in Worsley, Greater Manchester] was arrested by police for racism after refusing to sit with a group of Asian students because some of them did not speak English.

More:

The teenager had not been in school the day before due to a hospital appointment and had missed the start of a project, so the teacher allocated her a group to sit with.

"She said I had to sit there with five Asian pupils," said Codie yesterday.

"Only one could speak English, so she had to tell that one what to do so she could explain in their language. Then she sat me with them and said 'Discuss'."

According to Codie, the five - four boys and a girl - then began talking in a language she didn't understand, thought to be Urdu, so she went to speak to the teacher.

"I said 'I'm not being funny, but can I change groups because I can't understand them?' But she started shouting and screaming, saying 'It's racist, you're going to get done by the police'."

A week after the incident, young Codie was taken to the police station in Swinton and held for nearly four hours before being released without charge.

She's back in school, but awaiting word from the headmaster on what, if any, disciplinary measures she may face.

I guess English is no longer at home in England.

The moral of this little tale: it's better to fail an assignment than to break the delicate balance that is known as political correctness.

On a tip from Moonbattery.

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Unfortunately, it's not funny anymore

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Posted by Pam Meister at 10:51 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Leftwing Lunacy

The Latest in the Air America Saga: Chapter 11

This is the best news I've heard all week:

Air America Radio, a liberal talk and news radio network, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a network official told the AP.
The network had denied rumors just a month ago that it would file for bankruptcy, but on Friday Air America said negotiations with a creditor from the company's early days had broken down.

The network will stay on the air while it resolves issues with its creditors, spokeswoman Jaime Horn told the Associated Press. A formal announcement was expected to be made later Friday.

Considering the network's dismal ratings, it's hard to believe it's been around as long as it has. Infusions of cash from a charity for kids and old people obviously weren't enough.

This is not to say that Air America's days are over, but it hardly bodes well for the network. I guess skits that imply the shooting death of a sitting president and a show by Jerry "King of Sleaze" Springer weren't enough to keep audiences listening.

For some reason, liberals can't seem to make talk radio work for them. Could it be because they think they're smarter than their audiences and talk down to them? Could it be because most liberals feel no need to tune into staticky AM radio for leftwing news and opinion because they can get it from a multitude of television and print media outlets? Whatever the reason, it makes libs mad. They feel that their message isn't getting out to the people. (The New York Times, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Time Magazine, Newsweek, et al, are obviously not effective enough.)

Could it be that the medium isn't the problem, but the message that's being sent?

Nah. Couldn't be. With talent like this?
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Posted by Pam Meister at 10:17 AM | Comments (147) | TrackBack (0) | Leftwing Lunacy

October 12, 2006

Quote of the Day!

Actually, it was said yesterday by Rush Limbaugh on his afternoon program, but I missed the show and only read the transcript today:

Well, they're [the media] never going to give up because, for this reason: Clinton's legacy is theirs. The media that we're discussing are all from the same generation. There is a generational tie to these people age-wise, culturally, educationally. Clinton's legacy is theirs. And that's why they are obsessed with it. Because if Clinton is allowed to fail and be portrayed as a loser or didn't do anything as you say, it doesn't reflect on the man they're trying to create as the most important Democrat president perhaps last century, second only (and it's a close race) to FDR.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 12:08 PM | Comments (241) | TrackBack (0) | Quote of the Day

Woo Hoo! I'm #1!

I can't believe it...my quip about Kofi Annan made first place over at In the Right Place's caption contest. Click here to see my blue ribbon entry and all of the other fine captions...the best the blogosphere has to offer.

And, there's still time for you to join the fun on the current caption contest over at ITRP.

A brief note: I tried starting up my own contest a couple of months back, but gave up quickly. Why? As I said in an e-mail to Mr. Right, it's simply too much work! I'd much rather enter them than run them. Kudos to Mr. Right and all the others who give up so much of their time so the rest of us can have our fun!

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No, not this kind of blue ribbon!

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Posted by Pam Meister at 10:17 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) | Blogging

Harry Reid and the Democrat Double Standard

Democrats and their MSM cheerleaders have been pummeling Republicans with the Mark Foley e-mail/IM scandal. Despite the fact that House Speaker Dennis Hastert says he knew nothing about the IMs and what little he knew of the e-mails was not deemed worthy of investigation by the FBI, Democrats are demanding that he step down. They keep on asking, "Who knew what and when?"

Will they be asking the same questions of Minority Leader Harry Reid and the rest of the Democratic leadership in the Senate?

Reid, it has been discovered, collected $1.1 million in a land sale in Las Vegas on land that he no longer owned privately, but had transferred it to an associate in exchange for a stake in that associate's company. Reid did not disclose any of this on his annual ethics report, which is in direct violation of Senate ethics.

According to Reid and his aids, he continued to pay all taxes on the land between its initial purchase in 1998 and eventual sale to developers who wanted to build a shopping center in 2004. The question is, if everything was on the up and up, why not include it on your ethics report, Senator Reid?

What's also interesting is that the land was part of a government land swap deal that Reid supported. It looks like a real conflict of interest. As a public servant, Reid is not supposed to profit from the public policies he supports and/or creates.

This is not a paltry sum we are talking about. Reid more than doubled his initial investment, bringing in more than a million smackers. And with the Democrats saying that Republicans are mired in a "culture of corruption," one would think that they would be the first to admit to an error in judgment, and ask Reid to either step down as Minority Leader at the very least.

Funny thing, though: Reid hung up on the AP reporter who called asking for comment on the story. As Mark Levin pointed out on his radio show last night, the story broke on the AP...not exactly a bastion of Republican support. He also pointed out that there were no anonymous sources, which so often accompanies these kinds of stories, so it doesn't sound like one of those conservative hit jobs we've been hearing so much about lately. And don't expect it to be on the front page of the New York Times. I took a quick glance at its home page today and saw no story (but Foley is still being talked about). It is on the Washington Post's home page, although you have to scroll down a bit.

Don't get your hopes up, though. Harry Reid will still be Minority Leader and Democrats will rally round him, saying he did nothing wrong. It won't be like Tom DeLay, who was hounded out of his leadership post (and isn't seeking reelection) because he was indicted for funnelling money into Texas legislative races and for having a connection to Jack Abramoff.

After all, being a Democrat has its privileges. One of them is never having to admit you're wrong.

More on this story: Captain's Quarters

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Posted by Pam Meister at 09:04 AM | Comments (163) | TrackBack (0) | Double Standards

October 11, 2006

2008 GOP Nominee Straw Poll

Who do you want to see as the GOP's 2008 nominee? Take this straw poll to see how your favorite politicos rank.

h/t: Captain's Quarters

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:40 PM | Comments (124) | TrackBack (0) | 2008

Treason Has a Name

...and its name is Adam Gadahn.

A California-born convert to Islam, accused of making a series of al Qaeda propaganda videos, became on Wednesday the first American charged with treason since the World War Two era, U.S. Justice Department officials said.

Fugitive Adam Gadahn, 28, who is believed to be in Pakistan, was accused of treason, which carries a maximum punishment of death, and providing material support to al Qaeda, they said.

According to the charges, Gadahn appeared in five videos broadcast between October 2004 and September 11, 2006, giving al Qaeda "aid and comfort ... with the intent to betray the United States."

"Gadahn gave himself to our enemies in al Qaeda for the purpose of being a central part of their propaganda machine," Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty told a news conference.

"By making this choice, we believe Gadahn committed treason -- perhaps the most serious offense for which any person can be tried under our Constitution," he said.

Watch for leftwing sympathizers and the ACLU to rise to Gadahn's defense. Too bad Lynne Stewart won't be available...she is the most logical choice. Perhaps Ramsey Clark will defend him!

That is, of course, if he's captured and brought back. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if he never makes it back (read between those lines if you will). But if he does and is convicted, perhaps he and John Walker Lindh can share a cell and talk about the good old days when the scruffy beards were in and the promise of multiple virgins was sweet compensation for the rigors of jihad.

More from: Not Ready for My Burqua

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Adam Gadahn: Joining the ranks of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg


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Light Blogging Today...

It's my last day at the current job (new job starts Monday), and I'll be spending much of it getting the temporary fill-in up to speed on my current projects. I'm also being taken out to lunch by one of my sales reps AND the department is giving me a party this afternoon. So, it's not likely that I'll have much time for posting.

I'll be glad to be working closer to home, but leaving this company and New York is a bittersweet experience. I've met a lot of great people and will be sorry to be away from the excitement that is New York. Still, I look forward to the people I'll be meeting, learning new skills, and doing something new.

In the meantime, please feel free to browse the blogs in my sidebar...you are sure to find one or two to your liking. I should be back in full force tomorrow!

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My last day on the 20th floor of this building

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Posted by Pam Meister at 07:58 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) | Blogging

October 10, 2006

An Early Morning Conversation Between a Liberal and a Conservative

I'd like to relate a conversation I heard this morning on the train between a couple of my acquaintances. (I'm paraphrasing, since I wasn't taking notes, and names have been changed to protect both the innocent and the mentally challenged.)

Man 1: Well, [Joe] should be happy with the nuclear blast in North Korea. It shows the incompetency of the Bush/Cheney administration.

Man 2: Did they do it?

Man 1: What?

Man 2: Did Bush and Cheney actually create the nuclear explosion?

Man 1: No, but it shows that they screwed up. They were busy in Iraq when they should have been taking care of North Korea.

Man 2: Oh, I guess we need a Democrat in office. A Democrat would fix it.

Me (whispering to Man 2): A Democrat gave them the reactor.

Man 2: A Democrat gave them the reactor.

Man 1: ...Did you hear about this story in the midwest...?

What a riot. Faced with the facts, Man 1 decides to change the topic of conversation rather than discuss something that clearly puts his viewpoint in a negative light. (I'd like to point out that Man 1's main source of news is the New York Times.)

I've seen numerous articles online that are now gleefully blaming President Bush for this latest development in one of the world's most unstable governments. However, I'd like to posit that if we had decided to go into North Korea instead of Iraq, the left would have been just as angry about it as they are about Iraq. With Iraq, they wanted us to keep on talking multilaterally. We're doing that with North Korea and now it's not good enough?

It's not about doing what's right. It's about the left opposing a president whom they despise because he's a simple, honest man who publicly declares his faith in God, dares to do what he thinks is right for our country, and doesn't care about the "good opinion" of a handful of nations who would stab us in the back the minute it becomes politically expedient for them (France, anyone?). A man who would rather grub around on his Texas ranch during his vacation time than hang out with Hollywood glitterati or go windsurfing. (No more sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom for celebrities is a major infraction.)

And what about the rest of the world? While they're busy wringing their hands, I notice none of them did very much in the years leading up to this mess. When America does nothing we're to blame, and when we do something we're to blame...film at 11.

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Didn't this happen under Clinton's watch?

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:27 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0) | Leftwing Lunacy

October 09, 2006

More Danish Muhammed Madness

The religion of peace is up in arms yet again:

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Videos showing anti-immigrant party members mocking the Prophet Muhammad were pulled from Web sites Monday as two youths seen in the clips were reported in hiding and the Foreign Ministry warned Danes against travel to much of the Middle East.

Muslim clerics from Egypt and Indonesia condemned the video broadcast in Denmark last week showing members of the Danish People's Party youth wing with cartoons of a camel wearing the head of Muhammad and beer cans for humps. A second drawing placed a turbaned, bearded man next to a plus sign and a bomb, all equaling a mushroom cloud.

More:

In Jordan on Monday, a powerful umbrella for some 200,000 professionals including engineers, doctors and journalists, said the video "reveals hatred toward the Prophet who came to the world with a message to enlighten the people."

Is this the message they're talking about?

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behead.jpg

Sorry, but until Muslims can handle criticism and even fun being poked at their expense, don't expect the rest of us to believe in the enlightenment they promise. To paraphrase what I've said before, followers of a religion who whine and cry every time said religion is the subject of unflattering commentary, that religion must not have much to recommend it.

And for those of you who may have missed the cartoons that started the whole cartoon fatwah, click here.

More coverage from: The London Fog, Shooting the Messenger and Anti-Strib

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Posted by Pam Meister at 06:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Dhimi Watch

North Korea's Nuclear Test

Well, Dear Leader Kim Jong Il did it:

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Monday it had safely and successfully carried out an underground nuclear test, flying in the face of a warning from the U.N. Security Council.

What gets me is the shocked tone that is popping up in the news stories about the event. Why is anyone surprised when rogue nations such as North Korea defy the UN? The UN is a useless group of self-important windbags that never, ever follows through on any of its warnings or resolutions. Just look at Iraq as an example: under our friend Saddam Hussein it violated over 15 UN resolutions, and the UN did nothing to follow up. The UN is like an ineffective parent who constantly warns of dire consequences if little Johnny doesn't obey the rules, but does nothing and Johnny turns out to be a major brat.

The regime of Kim Jong Il (yes, it's appropriate to use here) has continued North Korea's degeneration into a horror show. Starving people, concentration camps, death...it's all a part of the here and now of North Korea. (And commie wannabes in this country close their eyes to that kind of potential for abuse of power when they have their marches and rallies.)

Along with other free world nations, China has condemned the test...but I am taking that announcement with a grain of salt. China isn't exactly a part of the free world, although it likes to pretend it is.

Who could have guessed that North Korea would double-cross Bill Clinton, who gave them two nuclear reactors so that they could produce power? (Well, they're producing power, all right, but not the kind I like.) I wonder if Chris Wallace were to ask him about this in an interview, what would his reaction be?

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Nuclear testing by this character shouldn't exactly come as a surprise

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | World Affairs

October 08, 2006

Illegals Sue Wendy's for Following the Law

Illegal immigrants are getting bolder and bolder:

HOUSTON (AP) -- A group of illegal immigrants who worked for Wendy's International Inc. is suing the restaurant chain because the company fired them after discovering it had missed a deadline for joining a federal program that would have helped them attain legal status.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in state district court in Houston, is a companion to a similar class-action suit filed last month in Dallas against Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's, its subsidiary Cafe Express and the Houston-based business law firm Boyar & Miller.

The immigrants, who worked for Cafe Express, are seeking unspecified damages.

Between the two lawsuits, 40 illegal immigrants say they were fired after the company recently found that Boyar & Miller, the law firm Wendy's had hired, never filed paperwork for a 2001 legalization program that allowed immigrants with employer sponsorship or an American spouse to apply for citizenship.

If the illegals are angry with anyone, it should be with the law firm that failed to file the necessary paperwork that would have made it possible for these people to apply for citizenship.

Or, perhaps they should stop and think that if they had gone through legal channels to begin with, they wouldn't be in this mess.

People complain that there is too much red tape when it comes to applying for citizenship in the US. That's all well and good, but unless our immigration laws are amended, they're the laws that those who seek to come here need to follow.

The gall of these people is truly unbelievable. They're not supposed to be here, then sue the company that (following the law) fires them when it's discovered there's been a major snafu in their legal status.

I'd like to imagine that the judge who gets this case will toss it right out, but I've seen way too much nonsense lately to indulge in this kind of wishful thinking.

Moonbattery has more.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 03:35 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Illegal Immigration

October 06, 2006

Robert Byrd, King of Pork

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I've decided to highlight Senator Robert Byrd, D-WV, who would likely become head of the Senate Appropriations committee if the Democrats retake the Senate.

Known as the "King of Pork," Byrd shamelessly pads bills for such worthy causes as military expenditures with little "extras" for his home state of West Virginia. While this makes the folks who keep voting the old buzzard into office happy, it doesn't bode well for government spending and our pockets. Byrd has secured over a billion dollars in pork money for his state, funding projects such as the Robert C. Byrd Highway, Robert C. Byrd Federal Correctional Institution, Robert C. Byrd High School, Robert C. Byrd Freeway, Robert C. Byrd Center for Hospitality and Tourism, Robert C. Byrd Science Center...just to name a few. (Let's not forget the statue of him in the West Virginia state capitol rotunda.)

Words from Byrd: "One man's pork is another man's job. Pork has been good investment in West Virginia. You can look around and see what I've done." Remarks made March 15, 2001 during Senate floor debate.

I've taken it upon myself to write a song about Byrd. Sung to the King of Pain by the Police, it's called King of Pork:

Read More "Robert Byrd, King of Pork"

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Posted by Pam Meister at 07:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Democrats

Survival of the Slickest

The difference between Republican and Democrat scandal outcomes over at Mein Blogovault.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 01:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

Pelosi's Plan

Watch out, Nancy...your naked ambition is showing.

Pelosi has unveiled what she will do in the first 100 hours of her taking over as House speaker if Democrats gain control this November.

Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.

Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds — "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority.

To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era. Details will have to be worked out, she emphasized.

Please do notice that Pelosi said nothing about the war in Iraq and against Islamofascism. She has said in recent days, "[The election] shouldn't be about national security." Of course not, Nancy. Because if it was, you'd lose.

She's also frothing at the mouth about the recent Mark Foley scandal.

...she wants to put Hastert and other Republicans under oath and make them say what they knew of Foley's actions, when they learned it and what they did to stop him.

I wonder if she'll also put the (unconfirmed) Democrat operatives who knew of this story months ago under oath?

According to two people close to former congressional page Jordan Edmund, the now famous lurid AOL Instant Message exchanges that led to the resignation of Mark Foley were part of an online prank that by mistake got into the hands of enemy political operatives, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.

According to one Oklahoma source who knows the former page very well, Edmund, a conservative Republican, said he goaded an unwitting Foley to type embarrassing comments that were then shared with a small group of young Hill politicos. The prank went awry when the saved IM sessions got into the hands of political operatives favorable to Democrats.

Are you really sure you want Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in charge?

Get to the polls November 7th.

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She's already redecorating the House Speaker's office

Previous: Why Conservatives Need to Vote in November

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:37 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Democrats

October 05, 2006

Lost in the Flotsam...

Lost in the flotsam of the Mark Foley debacle are some newsworthy items at home and across the globe we need to take note of:

The Bush administration can continue its warrantless surveillance program while it appeals a judge's ruling that the program is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday.

The president has said the program is needed in the war on terrorism; opponents argue that it oversteps constitutional boundaries on free speech, privacy and executive powers.

***

Radical Muslims in France's housing estates are waging an undeclared "intifada" against the police, with violent clashes injuring an average of 14 officers each day.

Interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy was warned of an 'intifada'

As the interior ministry said that nearly 2,500 officers had been wounded this year, a police union declared that its members were "in a state of civil war" with Muslims in the most depressed "banlieue" estates which are heavily populated by unemployed youths of north African origin.

It said the situation was so grave that it had asked the government to provide police with armoured cars to protect officers in the estates, which are becoming no-go zones.

***

Swiss authorities have informed the United Nations of a "possible terrorist attack" against its European headquarters in Geneva, its biggest premises outside of New York, the world body said in a letter to staff on Thursday.

The attack could take place between October 5 and October 10., the letter said, without giving further details.

Finally,

Shoppers, encouraged by cooler temperatures and falling gasoline prices, went on a shopping spree in September, giving many retailers better-than-expected gains and lifting the industry's spirits two months before the holiday season. A notable exception was Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT)

As retailers reported their results Thursday, the winners crossed many categories, with department stores and teen merchants including Bebe Stores Inc. (BEBE), J.C. Penney Co. (JCP) Inc. and Federated Department Stores (FD) Inc. among the leaders.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 01:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Other

Final Words on Foley

However this turns out, this is the last time I'll be discussing it at length here.

First off, let me say that what Mark Foley did was wrong. Even though he never approached any of them or had physical contact (that we know of), it should be considered harassment by a man in a position of power over young volunteers. The only correct thing Foley has done in this sorry episode is to have stepped down as Congressman.

There is word that the IMs he sent were to a young man of legal age. While it does not excuse Foley for abusing his position, the Democrats now have one less thing to bleat about. ("It's about the children!")

What I cannot believe -- or rather, I should say I can believe -- is the way the Democrats are playing the old double standard card with absolutely no shame. This is the party:

-that continues to support a man who walked away from a serious accident, leaving a young woman to drown, because his reputation as a married man was obviously more important than her life.

-that gave us Congressman Gerry Studds, who was proven to have been in a physical relationship with a 17-year-old male page. Studds was merely censured, not forced to step down, and was re-elected five times.

-that told us then-fifty-something Bill Clinton's "indiscretions" with then-19-year-old Monica Lewinsky were private and that we should just "move on." (Catchy name, eh?)

-that would rather celebrate Jim McGreevey's "coming out" as a gay man than what prompted his sudden decision to make his personal life public: his extremely corrupt administration.

-that gave us Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA), who was found to have $90,000 in bribery money in his freezer. The same William Jefferson who used National Guard troops to bring personal property out of his home in the aftermath of Katrina. Jefferson was asked to step down from a lucrative committee assignment, but was not asked to step down from his Congressional seat.

-that excused Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) for his DUI incident in Washington DC earlier this year.

When a Democrat shows human flaws, we are supposed to forgive and understand. When a Republican shows the same human flaws, we are supposed to roast him over the proverbial coals until he smokes.

Rot.

We need to hold all of our elected officials to higher standards, no matter what the party. And we need to apply the law to all of our elected officials in the same way it is held to ordinary citizens. Unlike the royalty we sought to escape back in 1776, we are all equal before the law. This includes those who make the laws.

Mark Foley abused his power, but those who knew about it and sat on the story until it was politically expedient are just as culpable in this mess. They too need to be held accountable.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 09:31 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Double Standards

Why Conservatives Need to Vote in November

There seems to be talk by conservatives about staying home on election day this year because they're angry with Republican leadership, and feel that certain Republicans don't deserve to be re-elected.

Some of the Republican base feel that this administration and Republicans in general have let them down on border security, spending, abortion and other key issues. Perhaps they are justified in feeling that way.

But those who think they will be punishing the Republicans by staying home on election day will also be punishing themselves. We simply cannot afford to cede leadership of the House and Senate over to the Democrats. The Republicans may have been disappointing of late, but if you want real disappointment, look no further than the Democrats.

Here are a few reasons why conservatives need to go to the polls:

*If Democrats take control of the House, Nancy Pelosi will become Speaker. This not only gives the woman (who voted against the Patriot Act, military tribunals for terrorist suspects, and does not consider us to be at war) incredible power, it also puts her third in line for the presidency should the unthinkable occur and we lose our President and Vice President.
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"[Campaigns] shouldn't be about national security."

*If Nancy Pelosi is promoted to House Speaker, guess who wants to become House Majority Leader? John Murtha. Murtha, as you well remember, doesn't want to pull out of Iraq so much as he wants to "redeploy" our troops to a convenient location...Okinawa. Murtha also accused our Marines of killing civilians in cold blood in Haditha, before any military inquiry had taken place. (As it is, there has been no official conclusion yet to that event). Murtha, like John Kerry, feels that his prior military service precludes him from being criticized on the foolhardy policies he promotes now.
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"Our troops...killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

*John Conyers would become head of the House Judiciary committee. Conyers has been agitating for the impeachment of George W. Bush since 2003, and is a supporter of reparations for slavery by big businesses.
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Should this man be in charge of the House Judiciary committee?

*Chairmanship of important Senate committees would go from Republicans to Democrats. Just imagine having Democrats in charge of the committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, the committee on Foreign Relations, the committee on the Judiciary, and the committees on the Armed Services and Appropriations.
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Can you imagine Leahy and Byrd in charge of the Judiciary and Appropriations committees?

Not to mention the power that Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer and other mega-liberals would gain.

Big Lizards also reminds us of some very good reasons for conservatives to go to the polls. Check them out. (On a tip from Right Wing Nation.)

Not voting to "punish" Republicans is one of the worst things conservatives can do. Be sure to go to the polls on November 7.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 01:29 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

October 04, 2006

Who Was Mark Foley IMing?

Click here for details on how Wild Bill at Passionate America found out.

And I thought only "real" journalists were capable of such investigative work.

On a tip from Kitty.

Reverse_vampyr weighs in on the Foley controversy.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 07:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

World Can't Wait's Annual Day of Idiocy

Oh boy, oh boy...get ready for the excitement:

On October 5, people everywhere will walk out of school, take off work, and come to the downtowns & townsquares and set out from there, going through the streets and calling on many more to join us - making a powerful statement: "NO! THIS REGIME DOES NOT REPRESENT US! AND WE WILL DRIVE IT OUT!"

As Michelle Malkin points out, "Isn't that what elections are for?"

Frankly, this group strikes me as a bunch of crybabies who didn't get their way in 2004, and they're going to throw a tantrum and skip school and/or work. Gee, that'll show 'em! Really stick it to "the man."

This makes me think of the story a lib friend of mine told. Her niece, then a senior in high school, wanted a day off from her job in order to get ready for that milestone moment for many teens -- the prom. Her boss said no; the niece quit in protest, and my lib friend was just as proud as she could be of her little radical. I always wondered what the girl said when applying for another job when asked on the application reason for leaving previous job...

Quitting/calling in sick/cutting class to "make a statement" is just the biggest waste of time. If you want to make a difference, no matter what your ideology, then educate yourself and vote...

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Still whining after all these years...

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Posted by Pam Meister at 11:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Leftwing Lunacy

South Park 10th Season Tonight!

Everybody's favorite bratty kids, Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny, begin their 10th year of shenanigans on Comedy Central's South Park tonight.

For those of you who are interested in Matt Parker and Trey Stone's philosophy (“Hollywood views regular people as children, and they think they’re the smart ones who need to tell the idiots out there how to be... South Park was based on our hatred and loathing for Hollywood."), National Review Online has an article about them by Catherine Seipp today.

South Park is a damn funny show, and a refreshing change from the usual tripe we see on TV. Here's to another 10 great years!

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Their second decade of hijinks begins tonight!

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Posted by Pam Meister at 08:07 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0) | Entertainment

October 03, 2006

Check Out One Cosmos

Wow, I have just discovered this gem of a blog: One Cosmos. The blogger, who goes by the moniker of Gagdad Bob, is a clinical psychologist, and uses his expertise to analyze and discuss the people and issues that are important to society today.

In today's post, he discusses the culture wars and the chasm that divides left and right. Here's an excerpt:

Thus, just as Dr. Sanity is a couple of hours ahead of me in her wisdom, Europe is perhaps a generation ahead of America in its folly. Thanks to the useful idiots of Europe, we can see exactly where the idiotic road of leftism leads. The French are like the frogs in slowly boiling water who have no idea that their goose pate is cooked. They took the wrong fork in the historical road, which we may now stick in them. They are history.

This is what I am referring to when I write about the unbridgeable chasm between left and right. Half of our country has already gone the way of Europe. If a significant portion of the other half goes, then I am not at all optimistic about the future of mankind. The stakes are that high.

His writings are far more brilliant than anything I could even dream of producing. Be sure to head on over to see what I'm talking about!

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Posted by Pam Meister at 12:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Blogging

Nursing The Children on Moonbat Milk

Michelle Malkin shows us a shining example of moonbattery mixed in with a dash of Bush Derangement Syndrome in the LA public schools, proudly published in the teacher's union newspaper.

Here's a sample of fourth grade "poetry":

I worry that one day someone
or a country will try to conquer
America.
That will be the end of the world --
Why?
Because America has
nuclear weapons.

Isn't it precious? Well, little Lucio Bolado might be comforted to know that North Korea and Iran, two very stable and peace-loving countries, are on their way to having nuclear weapons too. Perhaps they will soon teach big, bad America a richly deserved lesson, and little Lucio and his friends won't have to worry about America ending the world.

Just think...your tax dollars at work.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 10:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) | Leftwing Lunacy

Did You Ever Notice?

...that people who are against the death penalty for violent criminals are often for no-holds-barred abortion?
...that Communist countries usually have some kind of "democratic" designation in their names? (i.e. North Korea is "Democratic People's Republic of Korea")
...that the people who are the strongest advocates for Communism usually have never lived under Communism?
...that "peace" activists have no problem using violence to get their message across?
...that those who lecture the rest of us about the dangers of man-caused global warming often fly on private jets to exotic destinations?
...that certain newspapers that complain about President Bush not doing enough to protect American citizens don't mind leaking classified security documents that our enemies can read?

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Posted by Pam Meister at 09:36 AM | Comments (176) | TrackBack (0) | Commentary

October 02, 2006

Mark Foley: All In the Timing

Brainster points us to this piece on the American Thinker by Clarice Feldman, which suggests that the publishing of the Foley e-mails and IM messages is more of a hit job on Republican leadership than concern that an older man might be hitting on teenage boys working as pages for Congress.

Is it at all believable that overnight after ABC broadcast and published the innocuous email correspondence it was suddenly sent years-old, salacious Instant Messages purportedly between Foley and men (ages and identities not disclosed)? Why were these IM messages ready to be sent off and published at a moment’s notice?

But then, except for political junkies, how many voters pay attention to such minor details? The headlines and soundbites are often enough to make up their minds...which is what the leakers have in mind. Don't forget, there's an election in five weeks.

Feldman also compares the current leaking of information to the whole Valerie Plame game. Be sure to check out the entire article.

More from Mark Levin on NRO:

The timing of this revelation has more to do about helping Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats than protecting teenagers with whom Foley was communicating. What else explains the delay? I remain extremely curious about who had the instant messages, when they received them, from whom they received them, and how they became public only now. As in the Valerie Plame matter, where several news outlets helped the likes of Charles Schumer to perpetuate lies about the White House and encouraged his demand for a special counsel, some reporters (probably including Brian Ross of ABC News) know who and what are behind the timing of the Foley revelation and are protecting that aspect of the story to prevent the complete facts from becoming public until after the election – that is, after the political damage has been done.

Believe me, if Foley is involved in illegal hanky panky with Congressional pages, I'm all for setting the record straight and meting out appropriate punishment. But I find it interesting that the people who say that the Bush administration uses victories as the capture of Saddam Hussein and the killing of al Qaeda mastermind al-Zarqawi as conveniently timed publicity stunts would expect those in the know to take the current situation without the proverbial grain of salt.

(The news is out about Foley checking into rehab. When a Democrat enters rehab, it's a sign of strength that he is working on his problems. When a Republican enters rehab, it's a sign that he's a hopeless degenerate. Just you wait for the spin.)

UPDATE 12:29 pm: HNAV reminds us of Gerry Studds. Also, what about the timing of Jim McGreevey's "coming out" a couple of years ago? That was obviously orchestrated in order to cover up the real reason he quit as New Jersey's governor...his corrupt administration. Savvy politicians like McGreevey know it's difficult to criticize a "gay American" with corruption in today's political climate.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 10:15 AM | Comments (49) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

October 01, 2006

Lucky Dawg Bites the Dust

I received an e-mail this weekend from Chris at Lucky Dawg News. Chris decided to shut down the site after it had been hacked into for a third time in the past month and he lost everything. He says he doesn't plan to blog anymore.

This sort of thing makes my blood boil.

If you'd like to get your point of view across, use the comments section. If you just don't like what a blogger has to say, don't read his blog. Hacking into a site whose content you don't like is fascism, plain and simple. I am curious to know if Chris can track down those who managed to erase all of his hard work.

Chris, I wish you all the best, and I hope you get the energy up to blog again in the future. Your contributions to the blogosphere will be missed.

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Posted by Pam Meister at 07:18 PM | Comments (264) | TrackBack (0) | Blogging


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