Revolution and Tea Parties!!

You are going to be hearing a lot here about the American Tea Party. Here is the central location, although I think it is more of a state by state thing. Here is the facebook page. Here is the Houston Tea Party facebook page. via WND

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April 15th is the next big one. And you need to be a part of it.

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The New American Tea Party website states, "This isn't a conservative or liberal thing. This is about government forking over billions of dollars, our money, to businesses that should have failed. This is about taking money from responsible people and handing it over to CEOs who squandered their own." (via WND)

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Powerline has an amazing picture from yesterday's Cincinnati's tea party.

The Cincinnati Enquirer covers the rally:

Thousands of people filled Fountain Square this afternoon for the Cincinnati Tea Party, a grassroots-effort designed to show their disapproval for bailouts and the massive federal stimulus plan. People wore Revolution-era costumes and raised anti-bailout signs with messages like "Give us Liberty, not debt" and "No more bailouts." ...
The rally at Fountain Square was one of dozens staged across the country.

Sorry for the overload of info here, but this intro into a John Stossel report is a MUST SEE. (via HotAir):

Here are some scheduled tea parties so far via WND: GET INVOLVED PEOPLE!!! It's time to take our country back!

Birmingham, Ala. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Veteran Park on Highway 17 Valledale Road

Huntsville, Ala. – Wednesday, April 15, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., location to be announced
Decatur, Ala. – Saturday, March 28, at the Rhodes Ferry Park, (also known as River Park)
Mobile, Ala. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the USS Alabama battleship
Montgomery, Ala. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Alabama Statehouse located at 11 South Union Street
Phoenix, Ariz. – Wednesday, April 15, at 6 p.m. at capitol building
Tucson, Ariz. – Wednesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of Joel D. Valdez Main Library on 101 N. Stone Ave.
Mountain Home, Ark. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., location to be announced
Atascadero, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Sunken Gardens on El Camino Real
Hollister, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., corner of San Benito and 4th St.
Los Angeles, Calif. – Saturday, July 4, from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Santa Monica Pier
Modesto, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 1010 10th Street
Sacramento, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at state capitol building on L Street
San Bernadino, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. from Meadowbrook Park to Joe Baca’s Office, 201 N. "E" St.
San Diego, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. at a post office near you
San Francisco, Calif. – April 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Civic Center Park, one block from Nancy Pelosi's office at 450 Golden Gate Ave.
San Francisco, Calif. – April 15 at 1 p.m., location not yet chosen.
San Jose, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at IRS offices at 55 S. Market Street, across the street from Saint Joseph’s Cathedral
Santa Ana, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., tentative location at Santa Ana Civic Center
Temecula, Calif. – Wednesday, April 15, 11 a.m., Duck Pond
Hartford, Conn. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
New Haven, Conn. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Ridgefield, Conn. – Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. at Ballard Park
Stamford, Conn. – Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m. at 96 Broad Street (Starbucks/library location), corner of Broad and Bedford
Colorado Springs, Colo. – Wednesday, April 15 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at city hall, 107 North Nevada
Denver, Colo. – Wednesday, April 15 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the west steps of the capitol, 200 East Colfax
Grand Junction, Colo. – Wednesday, April 15 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 12th Street and North Avenue
Dover, Del. – Wednesday, April 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., location to be announced
Jacksonville, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., either Jax Landing or Friendship Fountain
Miami, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., location to be announced
Naples, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Pine Ridge Road and U.S. 41
Orlando, Fla. – Saturday, March 21, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the amphitheater at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando
Orlando, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., location to be announced
Palm Beach, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., location to be announced
Panama City, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 3 p.m. to dark at Sherman Avenue Post Office
Pensacola, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at downtown courthouse, Palafox Street and E. Garden St.
Punta Gorda, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., location to be announced
Tampa, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Gaslight Park, downtown Tampa
West Palm Beach, Fla. – Wednesday, April 15 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., location to be announced
Tallahassee, Fla. – Thursday, March 19, at 5 p.m. at the Leon County Commission Chambers, 5th floor, Courthouse
Atlanta, Ga. – Wednesday, April 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.at the capitol building located at 206 Washington St.
Atlanta, Ga. – Saturday, July 4, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the capitol building located at 206 Washington St.
Augusta, Ga. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Savannah, Ga. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., location to be announced
Honolulu, Hawaii – Wednesday, April 15, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the state capitol building
Urbana, Ill. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., location to be determined
Chicago, Ill. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Daley Plaza Civic Center at 50 Washington St.
Chicago, Ill. – From Saturday, July 4, at 7 p.m. to Sunday, July 5, at 5 a.m. at Belmont Harbor on Lake Shore Drive
Bloomington, Ind. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. outside the Shower’s building, corner of W 8th St. & N. Morton St.
Fort Wayne, Ind. – Saturday, April 18 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. downtown at Courthouse Square
Indianapolis, Ind. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Indianapolis, exact location to be announced
Davenport, Iowa – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 4th and Main Street (in front of office of Rep. Bruce Braley D-Iowa)
Iowa City, Iowa – Wednesday, April 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Burlington Street Bridge
Overland Park, Kan. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Johnston Community College
Wichita, Kan. – Wednesday, April 15, at 4:15 p.m. airport post office
Louisville, Ky. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jefferson Square (tentative location), 10th and Jefferson St.
Lexington, Ky. – Saturday, March 21, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Robert Stevens Courthouse Complex, 150 North Limestone
Baton Rouge, La. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the steps of the capitol building
Lake Charles, La. – Wednesday, April 15, at 5 p.m. at Lake Charles Civic Center on Lakeshore Drive
Shreveport, La. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at downtown Shreveport Riverfront
Augusta, Maine – Wednesday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m. at Capital Park
Annapolis, Md. – Wednesday, April 15, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Campbell Park on the dock/boardwalk at Annapolis Harbor
Boston, Mass. – Wednesday, April 15, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at City Hall Plaza
Boston, Mass. – Wednesday, April 15, 12 p.m. at Ivy Restaurant at 49 Temple Place
Boston, Mass. – Saturday, July 4, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Griffin Harbor on Congress Street Bridge
Worcester, Mass. – Wednesday, April 15, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Lincoln Square (in front of the auditorium)
Bancroft. Mich. – April 11 from 9 a.m. to sundown at Camp Stasa, 7963 Cork Rd.
Lansing, Mich. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at Michigan State Capitol, 100 N Capitol Ave
St. Paul, Minn. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at capitol
Jackson, Miss. – Wednesday, April 15, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Jackson, location to be determined
Kansas City, Mo. – Wednesday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., location to be determined

St. Louis, Mo. – Wednesday, April 15, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., location to be determined
Missoula, Mont. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., downtown Missoula, exact location to be announced
Lincoln, Neb. – Wednesday, April 15, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., location to be announced
Omaha, Neb.– Wednesday, April 15, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Bob Kerrey Memorial Pedestrian Bridge
Carson City/Reno, Nev. – Wednesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 101 N. Carson Street in front of state capitol building and Supreme Court
Las Vegas, Nev. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., at sidewalk across from Sunset Post Office at 1001 E Sunset RD
Morristown, N.J. – Wednesday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., location to be announced
Newark, N.J. – Wednesday, April 15, 12 p.m., visiting Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez offices, Gateway Center One, 782 McCarter Highway
Trenton, N.J. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at New Jersey State House, 125 W. State St.
Albuquerque, N.M. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Las Cruces, N.M. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., location to be announced
Albany, N.Y. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Corning Preserve
Fishkill, N.Y. – Wednesday, April 15, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Doug Phillips Park
Gardiner, N.Y. – Wednesday, April 15, from 64 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Rail Trail, Route 44/55
New York, N.Y. – Wednesday, April 15, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., location to be announced
New York, N.Y. – Saturday, July 4, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at South Street Seaport and Pier 17
Rochester, N.Y. – Wednesday, April 15, at 11 a.m. at Genesee Crossroads Park
Staten Island, N.Y. – Wednesday, April 15, at 12 p.m., Rep. Michael McMahon's office, 265 New Dorp Lane at corner of Edison Street
Asheville, N.C. – Wednesday, April 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Pritchard Park, intersection of Haywood and Patton
Charlotte, N.C. – Wednesday, April 15, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., City Hall lawn at 600 E. Trade Street
Edenton, N.C. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., Edenton Courthouse Green, Court and Water Streets
Greensboro, N.C. – Wednesday, April 15, location and time to be announced
Raleigh, N.C. – Wednesday, April 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the state capitol building on East Edenton Street
Canton, Ohio – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown Canton, exact location to be announced
Cincinnati, Ohio – Saturday, March 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Fountain Square at the corner of Fifth and Vine Streets
Cleveland, Ohio – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., Public Square, downtown Cleveland
Dayton, Ohio – Wednesday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Dayton, exact location to be announced
Oklahoma City, Okla. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at state capitol step
Tulsa, Okla. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11:25 a.m. to 1:25 p.m. at Tulsa City Hall, 175 E. 2nd
Bend, Ore. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Grants Pass, Ore. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Medford, Ore. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Portland, Ore. – Wednesday, April 15, from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., location to be announced
Roseburg, Ore. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Salem, Ore. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at capitol building, in the park
Harrisburg, Pa. – Wednesday, April 15, at 12 p.m. west steps of capitol building
Philadelphia, Pa. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at downtown Philadelphia, exact location to be announced
Philadelphia, Pa. – Saturday, April 18, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Independence Hall
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at downtown Pittsburgh, exact location to be announced
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Saturday, April 11, at 12 p.m. at Allegheny Landing
Providence, R.I. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at state capitol steps (city side across from Providence Place Mall)
Charleston, S.C. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Old Customs House building, East Bay St. and Market St.
Columbia, S.C. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at state house, 1101 Gervals Street
Sioux Falls, S.D. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Terrace Park, Coval Lake (free lunch and entertainment)
Memphis, Tenn. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., location to be announced
Nashville, Tenn. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., location to be announced
Austin, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on south steps of state capitol building
Burleson, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., across the street from Wal-Mart, 951 S. W. Wilshire Blvd.
Dallas, Texas – Saturday, July 4, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Victory Park
Dallas, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., location to be announced
Dallas, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dallas City Hall
Denton, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Courthouse on the Square, 110 W. Hickory
El Paso, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., location to be announced
Fort Worth, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., location to be announced
Fort Worth, Texas – Saturday, July 4 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cowtown Bar & Grill
Houston, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. across street from downtown post office
Kerrville, Texas – Wednesday, April 15 at 11 a.m. at Kerrville County Courthouse at 700 Main Street
Longview, Texas – Wednesday, April 15 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gregg County courthouse lawn
McAllen, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Nacogdoches, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.at downtown square
New Braunfels, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m., gather around local plaza and down Main Street into town
San Antonio, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., location to be announced
Woodlands, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., location to be announced
Tyler, Texas – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., location to be announced
Salt Lake City, Utah – Wednesday, April 15, downtown Salt Lake City, time and location to be announced
Charlottesville, Va. – Wednesday, April 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., downtown mall by the pavilion
Richmond, Va. – Wednesday, April 15, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Kanawha Plaza in downtown Richmond, 8th and Canal Street
Virginia Beach, Va. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Plaza, Towne Center (across from Sen. Webb's Office)
Rutland, Vt. – Wednesday, April 15, downtown Rutland, exact time and location to be announced
Mt. Vernon, Wash. – Wednesday, April 15, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on corner of College Way and Riverside Drive (1 block from freeway exit)
Olympia, Wash. – Wednesday, April 15, at 12 p.m. on the capitol steps
Seattle, Wash. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m., location to be announced
Spokane, Wash. – Wednesday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., location to be announced
Vancouver, Wash. – Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Clark County Courthouse lawn
Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lafayette Park
Washington, D.C. – Saturday, July 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Upper Senate Park adjacent to Capitol building on north side
Washington, D.C. – On April 1, 2009, all Americans are asked to send a teabag to Washington, D.C.
Beckley, W. Va. – Wednesday, April 15, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at large fountain on Neville Street, across from university book store
Charleston, W. Va. – Wednesday, April 15, 12 p.m., at state capitol
Wheeling, W. Va. – Wednesday, April 15, time and location to be announced
Appleton, Wis. – Wednesday, April 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Fox Banquets, 111 E. Kimball
Madison, Wis. – Wednesday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at state capitol
Cheyenne, Wyo. – July 4, at 12 p.m. at the state capitol building

American Fighter Jet shoots down an Iranian drone

From Blackfive:

Those always helpful Iranians have continued to show why President Obama thinks they will be excellent partners for peace. Noah Shactman sends a scoop on our taking out an Iranian bird flying over Iraq.

An American fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone as it was flying over Iraq, U.S. military sources in Baghdad tell Danger Room.....Iran has built an array of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs. The pneumatically launched Ababil ("Swallow") has a wingspan of more than 10 feet, and cruises at 160 knots, according to Globalsecurity.org. The Mohajer or Misrad ("Migrant") drone is a bit smaller, and slower-flying.

Update: News Story here.

"The End Is Near!"

Nah, I don't really believe that, but between Glenn Beck's daily "the end is near" show and Peggy Noonan's piece in the WSJ, where she describes a "pandemic of fear," it's difficult not to keep my usual sunny optimism going.

There is no doubt that people I know personally, as Peggy does, are stashing cash in their homes, buying guns, and setting up a "if it all goes to hell" emergency plan. I get e-mail every single day referring to it.

People are scared. I don't think anyone expected everything to go so bad so quickly. Just within my own extended family there are layoffs, lost health benefits, and devastating losses in retirement. There is this sense that something bad is right around the corner.

It doesn't help when the Gitmo Five put this chilling statement:

“We are terrorists to the bone,” the Guantanamo detainees proclaimed. Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11, and his four comrades consider the charges that they slaughtered nearly 3,000 Americans to be “badges of honor, which we carry with pride.”

And we are going to put these guys exactly where when Obama closes Gitmo?

It also doesn't help when violence at our border increases and is being ignored by our government.

Then there is President Obama. Douglas Schoen and Scott Rasmussen write in today's WSJ: (via NRO)

Polling data show that Mr. Obama's approval rating is dropping and is below where George W. Bush was in an analogous period in 2001. Rasmussen Reports data shows that Mr. Obama's net presidential approval rating — which is calculated by subtracting the number who strongly disapprove from the number who strongly approve — is just six, his lowest rating to date.

The thing that is worse about Obama's falling poll numbers, which otherwise would be just the normal flow of things for a new President, is that people had such "hope" that he would bring about such "change."

But that hasn't been what we have gotten. He promised bi-partisanship, and then gave only lip service to Republicans. He promised a more moderate way of governing, and then proceeded in his first month to offend pro-life Americans by reversing orders and having taxpayer money pay for abortions overseas, and funding embryonic stem cell research, and his signing of FOCA, which will wipe away all reasonable restrictions on abortion, including parental notification of a minor seeking an abortion, is only a matter of time.

It was also frustrating that so many of Obama's appointees seldom seemed interested in paying their taxes at a time Obama seems determined that the successful pay more.

Obama promised no earmarks and he proceeded to sign a spending bill with 8000 of them. He promised bills would be online for five days for the public to see them before they are voted on. Didn't happen. He promised no lobbyists in his administration. Didn't happen. He said he would never tax the poor, yet starting April 1st there will be a 61 cent tax increase on cigarettes knowing that the majority of smokers are the working poor.

I think people are depressed that this wasn't a man who was really different. That he was, after all, just a politician like the rest of them. There is a lot of disappointment out here.

I wish I could say that I also don't carry this sense of unease within me. I wish I could say that things will get no worse. But what I really feel is that this will be a time for all of us to step up to the plate and help those in own families to get through these hard times. If you have a job and your brother doesn't, then you help him get through without turning to the government. This is how we get through this. Together.

We, as conservatives, know that the government isn't the answer. We are the answer. Now is the time to prove that.

Calling all from North Carolina!!

You guys know that I am all about bringing minorities into our party. The best way to do this is to elect, appoint, and support good strong conservative minorities.

Meet Timothy F. Johnson. He is seeking office as North Carolina's GOP Vice Chairman. The purpose of the NCGOP leadership is to provide effective party programs and resources to elect Republicans at every level in our state. As a 21 year US Army veteran, Timothy understand in detail the importance of bringing individuals who represent a variety of ideals to the table in order to accomplish the overall objective. It is time we work together as a unified party to elect Republicans throughout the state of North Carolina. How you can help:

You can vote for him at the North Carolina State Republican Party's Annual Convention, June 12-14 at the Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, NC Alternatively, you can donate to his cause http://www.ncgopvicechair.com/ Contact: Jean Louis Thompson(828) 582-7990jlthompson@NCGOPViceChair.com

More here.

The time is now my Republican friends. It's time we take back our party.

More on the immorality of embyronic stem cell research

From Steve Chapman at Reason Magazine:

"This order," said the president, "is an important step in advancing the cause of science in America" and "protecting free and open inquiry." Harold Varmus, co-chairman of the president's scientific advisory council, said it showed the president would rely on "sound scientific practice ... instead of dogma in developing federal policy."

But one person's dogma is another one's ethical imperative or moral principle. Science can tell us how to build a nuclear weapon. But science can't tell us whether we should use it.Just because research may be useful in combating disease doesn't mean it's ethically acceptable. The infamous Tuskegee syphilis experiment—in which the federal Public Health Service secretly withheld treatment from infected black men to learn more about the disease—might have yielded valuable data. But no scientific discovery could possibly have justified it.

This is a perfect example. We experimented on those that we really didn't think mattered in society that much. We took their life and experimented with it thinking that the ends justified the means. It was wrong and evil then, and it's wrong and evil now. It is immoral to experiment on human life. Period.

Research on embryonic stem cells is controversial because it requires the destruction of live human embryos. Supporters find it easy to minimize the significance of this fact because the embryos are only a few days old—nothing more than "blastocysts."

But if it's OK to destroy 5-day-old embryos to further scientific inquiry, is it OK to destroy embryos that are five weeks old? Five months? Eight months? Science can't answer that question.You don't have to be part of the pro-life movement to have qualms about this kind of scientific inquiry. James Thomson, the University of Wisconsin biologist who pioneered the field, has said, "If human embryonic stem cell research does not make you at least a little bit uncomfortable, you have not thought about it enough." The president's new order suggests we shouldn't think too much.

The thing that I have noticed about men's immorality, is that nature usually has it's way in explaining how and why things are wrong. Even without a belief in God, nature herself has a moral code, so to speak.

We thought that we could be as promiscuous as we wanted to. The 60's brought free love and, the birth control pill. We thought we could have sex with who wanted and however many we wanted, with no consequences. But nature told us we were wrong. Sexually transmitted diseases run rampant now, even in our young. Many of these leave women sterile and some even cause cancer. AIDS was discovered in the early 80's to remind us of the consequences of multiple partners and, of course, despite the pill, we felt we still needed abortion because if you were having sex with someone you didn't want to be the father of your child, then there had to be a way out.

And on top of all this, is the deep emotional damage done to all who bought the lie of free love. We are a people in dire need of a compassionate forgiving God who can take away our pain.

Luckily for us, we have one.


No doubt, we will continue to experiment on human life, just as we will continue to destroy our unborn children. We are a selfish lot. But nature always has a way of reminding us that actions have consequences.

Update: Bill Clinton doesn't understand human biology. Good grief.

Kidnapped

Just got this from Michael Yon:

Few people realize that New York Times journalist David Rhodes was kidnapped in Afghanistan back in November. There were a few scattered stories early on, but big reporting apparently has been squashed. In December, during a trip with Secretary Gates, I asked a New York Times reporter if she knew the status of the situation. The story had been kept so quiet that she didn’t actually know the kidnapping had occurred. The information came to me from several sources some weeks after the kidnapping in Afghanistan. I sat on the information, but there are a growing number of snippets on the web, and it can safely be said that the word is out. One extremely well placed Pentagon source told me in December that Rhodes is believed to have been moved to Pakistan.

I had no idea about this guy, did you?

Isn't this kind of big? Why is the NYT's keeping quite about this. Please don't say it's because of National Security or anyone's safety, because they proved long ago they care little for either.

More here.

This and That

My kids are on spring break this week and I had a bunch of meetings so we couldn't go anywhere, and you all know how I need my beach fix, so I'm not happy about that.

Anyway, that's my excuse for not blogging much and it reminds me of why I could never have done this when my kids were younger.

Just some things I've noticed today. Pres. Obama and the Dems have decided to spend their precious time going after Rush Limbaugh and the talking point "I want him to fail" is being repeated ad nauseum. Socialistic policies will fail of course, they always do. But in a flashback news story Fox News reports when Carville said straight out (ironically on 9-11) that he wanted Pres. Bush to "fail." He was not a radio talk show host though, but a democratic political strategist.

The whole thing is silly, and I find it incredible that Obama ever even mentioned Rush. It would have been like Bush mentioning Bill Mahr. It really is beneath what he is........the President. I think Obama needs to remember that and stop campaigning. I even see that my favorite liberal, Camille Paglia, an Obama supporter, is trying to get Obama to reign in his little flying monkeys:

"The orchestrated attack on radio host Rush Limbaugh, which has made the White House look like an oafish bunch of drunken frat boys."

Isn't it ironic that Congress slaps around bank presidents for flying to Washington when Pelosi uses our military aircraft as her own private jet?

In case you were wondering what the whole thing about The Employee Free Choice Act is about David Freddoso at NRO explains:

The Employee Free Choice Act would take away employers’ right to insist on elections — as soon as half of a company’s employees signed the cards, the union would represent the entire work force. Further, if the employer and the new union couldn’t come to a contract agreement within 90 days of negotiations, the two parties would have to enter mediation. After another 30 days, the parties would enter binding arbitration, meaning that a government-appointed arbiter (or panel) could force both sides to accept a contract. This provision would essentially eliminate any incentive for unions to enter labor negotiations in good faith.

This is also about Dem payback to the Unions. Small businesses will especially suffer here. It looks like Specter may once again be our betrayer. Go Toomey Go!

It's more than past time to fumigate our party from leaders that do not hold dear our most basic principles, and to bring forward those who do. Like this one:

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford is expected Wednesday to become the first governor to formally reject some of the federal stimulus money earmarked by Congress for his state.
The move will cement Sanford's growing reputation as a political powerhouse among Republican party stalwarts nationwide — though how much of the estimated $8 billion in stimulus funds destined for South Carolina will be affected is unclear. The law allows state legislative leaders to accept funds the governor rejects.


Finally, Jake Tapper, of all people, points out Obama's biggest lie of all:

Then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., one year ago this week, swooped in from the campaign trail to — along with then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. — vote for an amendment to impose a one-year moratorium on earmarks for fiscal year 2009.

All three then-presidential candidates voted for the amendment,offered by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC.

It failed: 71 NAYs, 29 YEAs.

Candidate Obama said then "we can no longer accept a process that doles out earmarks based on a member of Congress’ seniority, rather than the merit of the project. We can no longer accept an earmarks process that has become so complicated to navigate that a municipality or non-profit group has to hire high-priced D.C. lobbyists to do it. And we can no longer accept an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country."

Today, of course, President Obama will sign into law more than 8,000 earmarks for FY 2009, part of the $410 billion omnibus spending bill.

via NRO

When it all goes to hell......

I'm finding me a Mormon.

I'm not kidding! Scroll through. They are amazingly ready.

Obama lied on stem cell research

Krauthammer’s Take [NRO Staff]

From last night’s All Stars.

On Obama’s executive order on stem cell research:

What Obama is doing is he's expanding the range of the federal funding of research involving embryonic stem cells. He is allowing the use of embryos that were created in fertility clinics and are not going to be used anymore.

Now, I supported that when I was on the president's council of bioethics and in my writing, which I suppose is why the White House invited me to the signing ceremony.

But I declined for three reasons. One is the president has left open the cloning of human embryos in order to destroy them in experiments. Secondly, he leaves open the creation of human embryos entirely for the purpose of research and experimentation.

And thirdly, he had a memorandum which he signed in which he talks about restoring the scientific integrity in government decisions, which is an outrageous attack on Bush.

I disagreed with where Bush ended up drawing the line on permissible research, but he gave in August of 2001 the single most morally serious presidential speech on medical ethics ever given, and Obama did not, even though I agree on where — I agree more on where he ended up.

So I think it was disrespectful. And in pretending, as Obama did, that there's never a conflict between ethics and science, he was wrong.

I suspect that they're not going to be asking me to any more signing ceremonies in the future.

This is a man deeply involved in this issue because of his own disabilities. I have great respect for him and always have. Even when I have disagreed with him (and I do on the use of embryo's for experimentation, even those from fertility clinics, which are a horror in and of themselves, but that is a different post), I have always listened carefully because he is one of the most intelligent men I know of.

................................

If what he is saying is true, that Obama has left the door open for cloning and creating embryo's for the sole purpose of experimentation, then Obama just flat out lied to the American people in his address on the issue. Are we getting used to that yet?

.................................

It seems every move Obama makes either plunges our economy deeper into a morass or he emboldens the culture of death.

.....................................

The thing that the msm seems to hardly mention is that embryonic stem cell research HAS continued during the Bush years. Bush DID NOT ban it, he only banned federal funds from funding it. And since we HAVE SO MUCH EXTRA MONEY NOW, why not use taxpayer money to fund something that offends so many of us?

.......................................

Bush also allowed federal funding for research on 60 lines of embryonic stem cells.

.....................................

And in those years of experimentation, Adult stem cells (and other stem cells) have proven to be much more useful, and embryonic stem cells have proven to be much less so. But don't let that get into the way of a culture determined to undermine those of us who believe in a culture of life.

E-Verify

Most Americans don't even know this happening. I meant to post on it earlier and forgot (from e-mail):

URGENT-WE ALL MUST CALL TODAY!! MONDAY, MARCH 09, 2009. THE VOTE WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN TONIGHT OR TOMORROW. CAN YOU MAKE ONE PHONE CALL TODAY? JUST ONE??

From www.numbersusa.com. Please go to the website for the full story. Here is the short version.

Your phone calls to your Senators are especially important today to ensure that E-Verify opponents don't kill the 5-year re-authorization by just "running out of time. Call your Senators now at 202-224-3121. Check www.numbersusa.com for talking points, and here are a few suggestions:

Do NOT vote for "cloture" (cloture= to terminate debate by calling for a vote) to shut off debate on the Omnibus before the E-Verify amendment comes up for a vote.

A vote for cloture before an E-Verify vote will be graded by NumbersUSA as a vote AGAINST E-Verify and a vote FOR hiring illegal aliens.

Because of your activism, Sen. Sessions' Amendment 604 to the Omnibus Bill (HR 1105) is on the list of amendments to be debated and voted on tonight and tomorrow. Please call your Senator to urge them to support E-Verify! Go to: www.numbersusa.com.

Since December of 2007, 4.4 million jobs have been lost while the federal government continues to bring in approximately 1.5 million foreign workers per year. Go to: www.numbersusa.com for a fast and effective ways to help.

The jobless rate jumped to 8.1% according to numbers released by the Labor Department this morning. It's the highest rate since 1983. Another 651,000 jobs were cut in the month of February. We Need Immigration Reform and We Need To Start With E-Verify!!! Please share this information with everyone you know and call today. Go to: www.numbersusa.com. They make it very easy and quick. If we all made one phone call think of the impact we would have. to tell your representatives what

There are now 12.5 million unemployed American workers, these people need Legal Immigration Rocks!! Illegal Immigration is, well ILLEGAL!!!
your help and one phone call could make the difference in their lives.

Embarrassing and Rude

I watched Glenn Beck today as he discussed the enormous gaffes and insults the Obama's made toward our greatest ally, Great Britain, in how they treated the Prime Minister and his wife while they were here.

I had read the stories from London, but I heard Beck had said that our media was pretty much ignoring it, so I came home and googled it in the news and found, astonishingly, that he was right. Imagine if this had been a Republican? Oh dear Lord, it would have been all we would have heard about.

The New York Post managed to sum it up:

London newspapers are howling over a string of alleged snubs by Obama to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during his visit to Washington last week — including a squabble over presidential gift-giving.

"President Obama has been rudeness personified towards Britain," sniffed The Daily Telegraph Friday. "His handling of the visit of the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to Washington was appalling."

The list of complaints is longer than the Magna Carta: Obama canceled a planned, podium-to-podium news conference with Brown (actually, none was ever scheduled) Excuse me, but isn't that even MORE insulting???

The London paper declared that the gifts to the Brown family were "about as exciting as a pair of socks."

After Brown presented Obama with a pen holder crafted from the timbers of the 19th century British warship HMS President (whose sister ship, HMS Resolute, provided the wood for the Oval Office's desk), Obama offered up ... 25 DVDs of American movie classics.

"Oh, give me strength," wrote one appalled Daily Telegraph staffer. "We do have television and DVD stores on this side of the Atlantic."

Oh, did I mention that our DVD's don't play in their players? Different configuration of some kind. The White House have people in charge of making sure things like this don't happen. Where were they? Helping out at the Treasury Dept where they are woefully shorthanded?

...........................

Equally insulting, decided the Times of London, was Michelle Obama's "solipsistic" and "inherently dismissive" gifts to the Browns' two little boys, Fraser and John.
The offending souvenirs? Toy models of Marine One, the President's helicopter — gifts no doubt plucked from the White House gift shop at the last minute, The Times decided.
Brown's wife, Sarah, by contrast arrived with dresses for Sasha and Malia from the UK's trendy Top Shop (with matching necklaces) and a selection of books by British authors.
"A bit of thought had clearly gone into choosing them," crowed The Daily Mail. "Lovely."

Beck also reported that Obama gave back to England a bust of Winston Churchill that we received on 9-11 as a show of unity.

Good grief.

I may disagree with Obama on a great many things, but I never thought him as classless. Until now.

The State of The Union By Me

I was determined to ask Sen. John Cornyn a question that he had never been asked before. I told him to let me know when that happened. I finally got there when I asked this; "If George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin suddenly appeared at the Capitol, what do you think they would think about how we are taking care of the country and the liberty they founded?"

Cornyn said that he thought they would be proud that this country has survived as long as it has and prospered. He also thought they would be alarmed by what they would see as some erosion's of the free market they created, in particular in regard to the judiciary to re-write the constitution.

I couldn't agree more. In my view, I think that we have forgotten that this is a government "of the people, by the people." We have allowed black robed activists to misuse and abuse the constitution. We have allowed the executive branch to ignore the will of the people, and we have made the Presidency a popularity contest.


We let activists and politicians take the belief of our founding fathers that we would never become a theocracy or allow a government to tell it's people what religion to follow, and warp that into believing that public faith has no place in the public square.


In the most profound way, we have lost the meaning of the following statement in our declaration of Independence:


We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.


Our forefathers would never approve of a nanny state. These men crossed an ocean, left a country and their former lives behind to begin, against all odds, a grand experiment that produced the most free and most prosperous nation on earth.

Last March I stood at the National Archives and gazed upon our Constitution. It's words are disappearing. Literally. My eyes filled with tears because it seemed to be a metaphor.

Republicans don't have the answers to our problems. Democrats clearly do not have the answer to our problems. But we don't need new answers. All that we really need to know and understand about governing can be found in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. This is where we have gone horribly wrong, and what Sen. Cornyn was referring to. We should have always adhered to the original intent or meaning of our Constitution. To not do so brings in politics that literally changes and distorts it.


Did our founding fathers ever imagine, in their wildest dreams, this bloated over reaching government that is involved in almost every aspect of our lives? Could they ever have imagined how everything we touch, everything we earn, would be taxed?

They certainly could never have imagined in their nightmares"a right to privacy" found in the Constitution that would approve of the destruction of our children.

Imagine they returning to find all the diseases we have cured that have allowed most parents to go a lifetime without ever having a child die? A common thing in their day. All that grief taken away with our modern medicine. How astounded and thrilled they would be with that! But then to discover that instead of appreciating this and understand the true meaning of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we allowed our country to destroy that which makes it most precious, our children.

People oftn accuse of me of being a "one issue" voter. Maybe so. When that issue defines us fundamentally, then yes. It tells us who we are and what isn't or is important to us. If the value of human life does not matter to us, then what are we really left with?

There is a saying, "The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world." But if that hand is manipulated, assured, and convinced that the cradle can be empty, then we are a people lost.

How long will we remain lost? How long before we reap what we sow?

We have twisted the Constitution to our own means and desires. When we find our way back to it, then we will truly be free again.

Please

Ann Coulter to debate Bill Maher on March 10th in Boston.

Great. The political equivalent of the World Wide Wrestling Federation.

I think I'll pass.

Obama is in over his head...

Gee...ya think?

I suppose the next four years could be a big "I told ya so" from all of us who warned that this charismatic smart man was not ready for the Presidency. Barely 2 yrs as a Senator with zero business experience, and zero foreign policy experience, and this is what we get.

Hillary tried to warn everyone, but the Democrats and many others in the country were besotted with the image of Obama. Politico's reporting of Obama's reliance on teleprompters is another indication that he is so overwhelmed he can't even think on his feet.

Normally this would be annoying just long enough to elect someone else in four years, try to reverse the damage, and move on. But the chilling truth is that Obama's incompetence is being displayed at a time where some decisions are irreversible. This economy may never bounce back to where we were before. Bigger govt, higher taxes, more social engineering, and more pork is the mess we will all wallow in the next few years. The fear is that we will drown in the muck and never truly recover.

The old adage, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it" has never been more apt.

The Story of Us

I once read that science is the canvas upon which God paints the world. I thought it beautiful and true.

I don't get into the evolution/intelligent design debate usually, simply because I believe in both in their essence. There is no doubt that the earth and man has evolved. Science tells us this, and it does not disprove God or his creation in the least, unless you think of God as some magician that waved a wand and created all the glories of the earth. I can only disagree with fellow believers that are asked to believe that the Old Testament is to be taken literally. Not to offend those that believe that, but it only makes people of faith seem silly when we claim to believe something that science has shown us to be untrue, such as the age of the earth. The age of our earth is written in it's stones.

As Catholics, there is no problem believing in the evolutionary process, and at the same time knowing that God's hand formed this process. We know what it looks like when a star is born in the sky. Scientists can claim a big bang theory, but they can never find that one beginning. How it all came from....nothing. That is where faith steps in and tells us that as sure as there are souls in our earthly bodies, there was God creating us, the universe, the planets, and everything in it. In science we discover how he did it, and all his mysteries that we are forever discovering.

A U.S. professor, Robert J. Russell, founder and director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences in Berkeley, Calif., spoke at a Vatican conference yesterday.

"Evolution is not the problem. The problem is scientism; it's people like (Richard) Dawkins who use evolution as an argument for atheism," he told Catholic News Service March 5. Russell was one of dozens of experts in science, theology and philosophy invited to speak at an international conference in Rome to mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of "The Origin of Species," in which Charles Darwin put forth his theory on evolution.

Russel went on to say:

"If you claim evolution makes you an atheist or legitimates atheism or is the route to atheism, then you're really moving beyond the constraints of science," Russell said. While people of faith are right to criticize scientism, proponents of creationism or intelligent design are wrong to attack science, he said. He said if people want to "attack evolution they should do it in Proponents of intelligent design and creationism offer "a kind of fool's gold" claiming they are the only ones who can keep God's role in explaining the origins of life since "those nasty atheists have co-opted it" with the theory of evolution, he said. "Well, they should attack the atheists. You don't attack the victim," which in this case has been the scientific theory of evolution, he added. an intelligent way, not in an embarrassing way" by putting forth arguments that the scientific community addressed years ago.

Darwin's scientific theories have been co-opted for decades by unscrupulous people who use them to put forth and justify "absolutely horrendous social policies," he said, such as Nazi Germany's eugenics program. But Russell said it is wrong to blame Darwin or his theory of evolution for their being manipulated by others.

No one ever seems to address that truth. That people have used Darwin's theory, not to advance science, but to disprove God. This should never be the measure of science.

Darwin's desire to disprove an image of God involved a tragedy that not many people know about. It was the death of his 11 yr old daughter. Along with that and his studies, Darwin abandoned his faith in God.

I have held fossils in my hand that are 100 million years old. I have experienced miracles that only God could have placed before me.

No one could ever convince me that either one isn't true and astounding.

Speaking of Biden...

You know, I'd rather have "Darth Vader" Dick Cheney as VP, rather than "Dark Helmet" Joe Biden. How about you?

Here is the quote of the day from Biden as he speaks to organized labor. This to AFL_CIO's President:

............................

"Mr. President, you know, you go home with them that brung you to the dance. Well, you all brought me to the dance a long time ago. And it's time we start dancing, man. It's time we start dancing."

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Translation: This job creation stuff? It's all about you guys. Union jobs only baby. *wink, wink*

..............................

Even the LA Times is embarrassed for him.

Good grief!

We are getting used to these colossal gaffes from the likes of VP Joe Biden, but "always on point" Hillary???

from AP:

US gesture lost in Russian translationGENEVA (AP) — Call it a goodwill gesture lost in translation.With smiles all around, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gathered with aides Friday for talks on a range of issues, including the fight against terrorism, Iran's nuclear ambitions, missile defense and other topics.With a media gaggle looking on, Clinton handed Lavrov a green box tied with a green bow. He opened it to reveal a "reset button," a reminder of Vice President Joe Biden's recent remark that the Obama administration hopes to reset U.S. relations with Moscow.Trouble was, the Russian-language label the Americans put on the button had the wrong word. Before she realized the mistake, Clinton assured Lavrov, "We worked hard to get it right.""You got it wrong," Lavrov responded with a smile. He said the word the Americans chose — "peregruzka" — meant "overloaded" or "overcharged" rather than "reset."

via NRO

Update: Video: Hillary: "Never waste a good crisis."

Right About Rush

Remember a few posts back when I said the silver lining of the Rush controversery was that more people would tune into Rush and listen? I said that they would actually see for themselves how the media and the Obama clan distort what Rush says. I asked how many of us how heard former liberals or apathetic political novices call Rush and thank him for changing their minds. Remember that? Yeah. Well, I was right.

By one measure, Rush Limbaugh is a clear winner this week: His ratings have nearly doubled since his feud with the White House burst into the media limelight.

Comforting

Nice to know a mob boss visits the White House once a week.

Did I say mob boss? I meant the AFL-CIO President.

My bad.

Sometimes Karma's a B*tch

Did CNN fire D.L. Hughley for baiting RNC chair Michael Steele and referring to Republicans as "Nazis?"

Nah.......... but it's still sweet he was bounced, isn't it?

By the way, are you following me on twitter?

Posted without comment

via Atlas Shrugs

Rahm The Ballerina

I almost fell off my chair laughing this morning when I saw this picture of Rahm Emanuel as a ballerina over at Rush's site. Sometimes the transcript from Rush's show is more than worth the read. This is one of those times. Oh my gosh, he just excoriates Rahm and deservedly so. He also challenges Obama to a debate (leader to leader, right?). Oh, and without a teleprompter.

Is this border violence bothering anyone else?

I have a post up at my Texas Magazine blog with the recent news, and it's quite disturbing.

Boehner comes out swinging

I told you how impressed I was with Congressman John Boehner at CPAC. Today in the WaPo he shows he is fired up and ready to fight against creeping socialism: (emphasis mine)

In the first two months of 2009, the Democratic Congress and the White House have spent more money than the combined cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the response to Hurricane Katrina. After they doled out taxpayer dollars at such a blistering pace, the instinct of many inside the Beltway is to do what's most convenient: desperately try to change the subject by creating straw men -- called "the party of no" -- to rally against.

I do want to be "the party of no." I want to say no to excessive ridiculous spending at a time of economic crisis. I want to say no to a radical left agenda on abortion. I want to say no to an overreaching government that interferes with our lives and the free market. I want to say no to punishing the successful. Your damn right I want to say no.

And in a carefully calculated campaign, operatives and allies of the Obama administration are seeking to divert attention toward radio host Rush Limbaugh, and away from a debate about our alternative solutions on the economy and the irresponsible spending binge they are presiding over.

Surely many of you have wondered why in the world the President of the United States would talk about a radio talk show host. This is why my friends. While Obama talks of bi-partisanship and coming together, he is involved in a calculated effort to divide us. It's cheap political theatre at it's finest.

The president apparently plans to sign the $410 billion "omnibus" spending bill, even though it is loaded with some 9,000 unscrutinized earmarks and the largest increase in discretionary spending -- save for a brief increase after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- since the Carter administration. And the Obama administration has proposed a budget blueprint that increases taxes on every American, to the total tune of $1.4 trillion. Each of these policy proposals is meant to lay the groundwork for a new era of big government -- and neither Main Street nor Wall Street likes what it is seeing.

This really is about replacing free market ideas with big government. It's as simple and as scary as that.

Update: Sen. John Cornyn is tag teaming with Boehner on calling out Obama on spending, hypocrisy, and diversion:

...this coordinated strategy began with “conversations and email exchanges” taking place “in and out of the White House” between former Clinton political operative James Carville, the political team at the Democrat National Committee, and White House staff. The article goes on to note that “a senior White House aide has been tasked with helping to guide the Limbaugh strategy.”This is an outrage. It appears the Obama Administration has forgotten that the salaries of White House staff are paid for by you the taxpayer. To say nothing of the fact that this story reeks of hypocrisy coming from a President who campaigned against these very cynical political tactics last fall.

Has Obama figured out yet that he won? He doesn't have to campaign and do the dirty spin anymore.

So much for "change" in Washington.

Just 11% of Republicans say Limbaugh Is Their Party Leader.

And since 11% of Democrats think Obama is immortal, I think we get a full picture (ok, just kidding about Obama).

So can the Democrats drop this tired talking point?

via HotAir

Photographing The War Dead

NBC nightly news ran a story on Feb. 24th regarding lifting the 18 year ban on photographing coffins of the war dead. The story reports that critics say the ban was put in place to "hide the human cost of war." Sen. Frank Lautenberg says,"It was designed to conceal the pain that goes with the war." But the truth is found, in a bit they did report, of why the ban was put into place to begin with. In 1989 the news displayed a split screen showing the first Pres. Bush bantering with the press, as coffins of Americans killed in Panama arrived in the U.S.

The reporter goes on to say that hiding the human cost of war included "the nearly 5000 American killed in Iraq and Afghanistan." Might it have helped to report the obvious? That the ban simply prevented the media from trying to embarrass the President as they did with the first Pres. Bush? Do any of us doubt they would have used the same split screen with Pres. George W. Bush during the height of the Iraq war? And does anyone doubt that now that they have access to photographing the war dead, that they will not use it to embarrass Pres. Obama?

In defense of Michael Steele

Republicans are angry over RNC chair Michael Steele's reaction to CNN host D.L. Hughley saying that the National Republican Convention looked like Nazi Germany. Newsbusters has the full description here.

Hughley should have simply said there are too many white faces and not enough of color at the RNC, instead of describing it as "Nazi Germany," but a while back I inferred that the Obama followers reminded me of Nazi Germany because of the adulation and swooning of Hitler, and the spooky Nazi symbol everywhere. Check out the pics here.

Now, I didn't mean that Obama followers were like the Nazis in thought or practice, just in how they swooned over one man. Hughley (I hope) didn't mean that the Republican National Convention had the beliefs of Nazis. What he meant is that we were a sea of white faces.

And he was right.

And Michael Steel knew he was right. Maybe instead of getting angry with Michael Steele, we should be angry at ourselves for not reaching out to minorities and sending the message to minority communities that they are welcome here.

I talked about this in my conversation with Sen. John Cornyn, and we both agreed that we need to stop being the party that says "Look at us, we are family values, free market, low taxes, pro-business" and just expect minorities to come to us.

It's time for us to come to them. And not just at election time. We need to be a part of their communities and their concerns. We need to show up and speak at their Churches, their festivals, and their local community meetings.

The Hispanic community is the largest minority in our country and it's growing. They are a natural fit for the Republican party. They are pro-family, pro-life, and entrepreneurial. We completely alienated them in the recent election cycle allowing the immigration debate rhetoric to become anti-Hispanic.

We alienate blacks by never showing a concern for the problems many of them face in the inner city and by never showing up to speak to them.

Could Steele have handled it better? Of course. He should have said "We are hardly Nazi Germany and I find that insulting, but we do need to expand our party with miniorities."

Republicans getting angry at Steele is about the most counter productive thing we can possibly do. We finally have a strong face of color leading our party, and an opportunity to bring in people of color into our party, and we decide to get angry with him because he acknowledges the obvious of our over abundance of whiteness??

No. We need to face it and do something about it. Starting now.

What Obama has brought us

You can read the accompanying WSJ article, but doesn't this graph really say it all?

Tea Parties

I was very disappointed that I couldn't attend the first series of tea parties in Houston (and across the nation). The next date for tea parties is April 15th. I wanted to share these videos from Houston. I WILL be at the next one. My favorite radio talk show host, Claver T. Kamau-Imani from "The Truth in Black and Right" radio every morning on KCHNradio.com, is in both videos above speaking the truth of what this really is we are experiencing with the pork fests and bailouts in Congress.....soft tyranny.

There were tea parties across the nation put together in less than a week. Here is the D.C. one.

Keep checking for details of the tea party in your city on April 15th!

h/t Lorie

Obama's support for the culture of death

I don't think anyone in recent history has been more of an advocate for abortion than Pres. Obama.

Let's review.

In his 2nd day in office he allowed taxpayer money to be used to fund abortion overseas by overturning the Mexico City policy.

Pres. Obama has now begun the process of repealing the regulations that enforce pre-existing federal law that protects healthcare workers' right to conscientiously refuse implementation of or involvement in abortions, including dispensation of the abortifacient morning-after pill.

In other words, you can't say, as a healthcare worker, that you refuse to participate in an abortion.

He has appointed as Health and Human Services Secretary Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the most pro-abortion Governor in the country. She has never met a pro-abortion legislation she didn't like, and who has dined, as Governor, with the infamous abortionist, George Tiller, who has performed late term abortions for years.

He promised Planned Parenthood that he would sign FOCA as a top priority, which would wipe out all restrictions on abortion including parental notification of a minor having an abortion, a 24 hour waiting period, and informed consent.

My God, and he has only been President for little over a month.

I may start referring to him as the President of abortion.

The Silver Lining of the Controversy of Rush and Steele

We all know that Rahm Emanuel and the rest of his buddies are repeating the talking point of "Rush wants Obama to fail" and "Rush is the leader of the Republican party" so that Republicans can be painted with the same false brush of "hate speech" and such that the msm likes to unfairly accuse Rush of. Rahm wants those 8-20% in the middle that actually and unfortunately decide elections to get that impression.

But it occurred to me today that this may backfire on them. I was thinking that if I was one of those in the "mushy middle" hearing all this about Rush, that I would want to see what this was all about and actually tune into Rush and actually listen.

How many hundreds of times over the years have you heard someone call into Rush and tell him how they used to be a liberal, but he opened their eyes? How they now understood what this country was founded upon; liberty, freedom, self responsibility, and limited government. How they understood how destructive liberalism has been to the family and to the country.

More people tuning into Rush will open more eyes and more minds and that is only good for us.

I want to add one more thing about Rush. Over at my Houston Chron blog I have dozens of liberal commenters who take great glee in Rush's addiction to prescription meds. These people of the "party of tolerance" love to bash the fallen, don't they?

Millions and millions of Americans struggle with addiction every day, but these people on the left have no "compassion" for them. They ridicule Rush every chance they get. It doesn't matter to them that Rush didn't use meds to get high. He became addicted after back surgery. But no matter, He is a "drug addict" to them. Rush's message has always been to overcome the obstacles in your life and succeed. Having a family member who struggles with addiction I know how difficult and really amazing it is that Rush overcame his addiction.

That kind of will should be applauded, not ridiculed. But that is what liberals do.

Jindalicious!

As Ed at Hotair says, this is how it's done. Michael Steele. Watch and learn.

Let's just trust them

From NRO:

Obama has allegedly offered to skuttle the European missile shield in exchange for "help" with Iran:

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama suggested to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that the United States would back off plans for a missile defense system in Eastern Europe in exchange for help stopping Iran from developing long-range weapons, The New York Times reported Tuesday.Obama made the proposal in a secret letter that was hand-delivered to Medvedev three weeks ago, the Times reported, citing anonymous U.S. sources.Russia has vigorously opposed the missile shield, which would include sites in the Czech Republic and Poland, since it was proposed by the Bush administration. The stated aim of the shield is to deter Iran from launching nuclear-tipped missiles at U.S. allies in Europe.According to the Times, Obama's letter said the U.S. would not need to build the missile defense system if Iran's efforts to build a nuclear weapon were halted.

Let me get this straight. We are going to trust Russia to make sure that they trust Iran not to build a nuclear weapon.

God help us all.

I've been worrying if my children will be able to pay off this huge debt that Obama is giving them, now I'm worried if they will be here at all to pay for anything.

via Lakeshore Laments

Your kids aren't good enough for Obama's children's school

From The Liberty Papers:

"The Washington Post takes the Democrats to task for playing political games with the District of Columbia’s school voucher program:

REP. DAVID R. Obey (Wis.) and other congressional Democrats should spare us their phony concern about the children participating in the District’s school voucher program. If they cared for the future of these students, they wouldn’t be so quick as to try to kill the program that affords low-income, minority children a chance at a better education. Their refusal to even give the program a fair hearing makes it critical that D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) seek help from voucher supporters in the Senate and, if need be, President Obama.

Last week, the Democrat-controlled House passed a spending bill that spells the end, after the 2009-10 school year, of the federally funded program that enables poor students to attend private schools with scholarships of up to $7,500. A statement signed by Mr. Obey as Appropriations Committee chairman that accompanied the $410 billion spending package directs D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee to “promptly take steps to minimize potential disruption and ensure smooth transition” for students forced back into the public schools.
We would like Mr. Obey and his colleagues to talk about possible “disruption” with Deborah Parker, mother of two children who attend Sidwell Friends School because of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. “The mere thought of returning to public school frightens me,” Ms. Parker told us as she related the opportunities — such as a trip to China for her son — made possible by the program. Tell her, as critics claim, that vouchers don’t work, and she’ll list her children’s improved test scores, feeling of safety and improved motivation.

Sidwell Friends, of course, is the school that President Obama’s daughters Sasha and Malia attend. It’s also the school that Chelsea Clinton attended while her father was President.

Apparently, it’s good enough for the children of Presidents, but too good for the children of inner-city Washington, D.C."

Do Democrats even pay taxes?

Until they are caught, that is.

I'm beginning to wonder.

A Taste of My Interview With Sen. John Cornyn

Ok, here is just a bit of my interview. Now remember, this is an interview for a written piece for Texas Magazine. I have my recorder on. This video was filmed by my daughter just for me to use. In other words, I don't want you thinking this was suppose to be a professional videotaped interview. The sound is terrible because we are in the cloak room off the floor, with people coming in and out and all kinds of noise. Enjoy the first part where I am describing where I am and Sen. Cornyn comes up and surprises me.

In case you can't hear at all, the first question was about up and coming Republican candidates for 2010. He names a few and where our expectations are. The second question was about running Republicans against Specter, Snowe, and Collins because of the anger out here from Republicans. The answer simply is we can't afford to lose Senate seats at this point. Maybe that is not what many of us want to hear, but there is truth there. If a liberal Democrat wins their seat then we get 0% voting with us.

I'll say this about my impression of Sen. Cornyn. Anderson Cooper has nothing on Cornyn's blue eyes. Very intense. Very focused. He believes in conservatism and will fight for it, but he won't fight Republicans. His experience of being a judge and an attorney general comes through. He is thoughtful and pragmatic. Remember, this is a guy who put McCain in his place when McCain was running for President.


Big Bad John indeed.

Keep your eyes on this guy. Five years in the Senate and he is head of the NRSC. Bigger things are yet to come.

Update: This bit of news might change things for Sen. Specter in Penn. Pat Toomey says running against Specter is "back on the table."

The Kiss of the Culture of Death

The most pro-abortion President selects the most pro abortion governor as Health Secretary. This administration just keeps getting worse.

Update: And....it gets unbelievably worse.

Final thoughts on CPAC

I will try and get some of my interview with Cornyn uploaded tonight. But you will get my full interview in a Texas Magazine edition coming out soon.

I know that Rush has taken over all the coverage on CPAC. Rham Emanual has seen to that. And that's too bad.

Look, Rush is an entertainer. He is the first to admit that. He is also highly intelligent. He speaks the truth, even if it's hard to hear. The rhetoric that he speaks hate couldn't be farther from the truth, and anyone who really listens to him knows that. On a personal level, he is far from perfect and he would also be the first to tell you that. Rush's gift is being able to put in simple terms how destructive liberalism is and how powerful and empowering conservatism is. That's the bottom line.

But it's too bad that the media focuses on the entertainer (Ann Coulter is an entertainer as well, highly intelligent also), because the REAL leaders of our party did speak at CPAC and had incredible things to say. When I get back from Church I will link the texts of John Cornyn, John Boehner, Michael Pence, and Jim DeMint. They are the ones who really inspired me. They are not entertainers my friends, they are LEADERS. Everyone should listen to what they have to say. Impressive doesn't even begin to describe it.

I know that Newt Gingrich is brilliant with brilliant ideas, but to be honest with you, I cannot get over the fact that he cheated on his wife at the same time Clinton was cheating on Hillary. Hypocrite is too mild of a word. I can't get past it. So I didn't even try to see him speak while there.

Bottom line. Let the media go on and on over Rush. We have little control over the media. But here in the new media, we do have control and we should use to advance the conservative agenda that was laid out by our leaders that spoke at CPAC.

There was a lot of excitement and energy at CPAC. We need to use it for our good and the good of this nation and not let the msm confuse and define it on their terms. Here, it's on our terms. Let's use it wisely.

Ok, here is Cornyn's speech (text). John Boehner speech (youtube). Forgot to add Mitt Romney's speech as well here(text). Mike Pence's speech here (text) Ace has the Pence video here. Jim DeMint's speech is here (text), but you have to scroll through John Cornyn's to get to it. It's worth a scroll, I promise you.

I think I'll add some of my favorite highlights.

From Cornyn's speech:

So the message to the voters seems pretty clear to me. The American people will support us if we stick to our principles and they will abandon us if we don’t.

Now to reclaim our party’s identity, we must demonstrate our principles in respectful opposition. Principle opposition means supporting the idea of the stimulus bill, if it’s timely targeted and temporary, and opposing when it’s not.

Principle opposition means supporting the administration, when it calls for greater transparency and accountability in government, and exposing their hypocrisy when their rhetoric doesn’t match reality.

And principle opposition means reading the fine print on what the Democrats are actually doing and explaining the American people what they’re trying to get away with.

From DeMint's speech:

When we stand together for Americans to make their own choices about where their children go to school and their way to choose their own doctors and to own a health plan, a health plan that they can afford and keep from job to job; when we fight for them to have a choice to own their own social security account and to keep a larger share of what they earn in their paychecks; when American see us fighting, not just talking, but fighting for their rights and freedom, then we will earn their trust and their votes.

Most Americans don’t expect the government to give them the American dream. But they do expect their elected officials to make sure that they have the opportunity to work for it and to earn it. That dream begins with individuals, not the government.

John Boehner: (The last part is just over the top terrific)

But that’s freedom that we enjoyed, economic freedom is really under assault today. And I think the stimulus was the opening of salvo. It was supposed to be focused on jobs, jobs, jobs and it turned into nothing more than spending, spending, and more spending.

But when you put this in the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reed, it obviously became a gravy train for leftwing pork, and I knew something was wrong when I read the first version of the bill, and it had the word contraceptives in it, $230 million.

And I brought up to everyone’s attention and guess what they have finally decided to take it out, but...

Sitting in my desk right when this outline came out before -- long before they have resolved the bill, and I was looking at this outline eating my lunch, getting ready up to the press gallery and talk a little bit about it, and all I could think of was, “oh my god.”

When you look at all of the spending that was in there, for every leftwing idea there whatever it was, you began to realize that we were on the wrong path.
............................

All this is being done though on the backs of our kids and our grand kids, and all of these bills seek to replace our economic freedom of what their wins and mandates of politicians and bureaucrats.
Listen, I took to meet from liberals for my speech on the House floor opposing the stimulus.

They didn’t like it when I pointed out, but no member of the Congress had read the nearly 11,000 -- 1,100 pages in this bill.

And they didn’t really didn’t like it when I toss this bill on the floor of the House. They called it disrespectable.

Well, I tell you it was disrespectable, it’s taken a trillion dollars from our kids and grandkids and giving it out to people like A. Corman (ph) and other liberal groups at America.

Disrespectful is spending a trillion dollars of money that our kinds and grandkids going to have to pay for in the dark of night behind closed doors without even giving the Americans more -- less than a day to actually read the bill. Don’t talk to me about disrespectful.

Rush

I didn't get to see Rush and I wouldn't have even if I had stayed. The line to get into see him at CPAC started 4 hours before he was to speak. I can think of no person on earth I would stand in line for four hours for. I almost didn't get to see Mitt Romney for the same reason, but we managed to get in. Transcript of Romney's speech here (video link in the comments)

Hot Air has compiled video of Rush's entire speech on their website, and the full transcript can be read here.