November 2007 Archives

BIG OIL PROFITS

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by Tina Grazier

Americans do a lot of complaining about corporate profits but rarely ask what corporations do with all that profit. A proposal by Conoco-Phillips offers one explanation:

HOUSTON - Oil exploration and production company ConocoPhillips said Friday it has proposed to develop a multibillion-dollar pipeline that would transport natural gas from Alaska to the lower 48 states and Canada.The company said it's "prepared to make significant investments, without state matching funds, to advance this project." ConocoPhillips spokesman Charlie Rowton said the company's best estimate for the entire project, including the pipeline from Alaska's North Slope to Chicago, is between $25 billion and $42

Mother Nature Talks Back

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Patrick Condon of the Associated Press reports: "A North Pole expedition meant to bring attention to global warming was called off after one of the explorers got frostbite."

Tort Lawyers Indicted

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by Tina Grazier

I know I shouldn’t be filled with such overwhelming glee, but I admit it…I am! The Wall Street Journal reported today that several of America’s most prominent, and aggressive, tort lawyers have been indicted on charges of conspiracy, fraud and bribery:

Bill Lerach, the king of class actions, stands disgraced as an admitted felon. His former partners at Milberg Weiss face trial for being part of the same kickback scheme as Lerach. Federal prosecutors continue to pursue a criminal probe into asbestos and silicosis litigation fraud.

And now comes the indictment of Mississippi tort legend Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, who is trying to soak insurance companies the way he once did Big Tobacco. *** On Wednesday, Mr. Scruggs and four cohorts were indicted for trying to bribe a state judge in exchange for favorable rulings. *** The alleged conspiracy flows from litigation after Hurricane Katrina. The Scruggs Law Firm established a tort consortium called the Scruggs Katrina Group to shake down the insurance industry for not paying enough in claims, even though most homeowner policies excluded flood damage. Not atypically, a dispute emerged between Mr. Scruggs and one of the group's attorneys, John Griffin Jones, over how to divide the $26.5 million in attorneys' loot from a mass settlement with State Farm Insurance Co. *** According to the indictment, after Jones v. Scruggs moved to court, Mr. Scruggs attempted to buy off presiding circuit court Judge Henry Lackey. Judge Lackey reported the bribery overture and assisted with an FBI investigation. *** If convicted, the Scruggs Five could each face up to 75 years in prison.

Lawsuits “for attorney loot” drive up prices and premiums, tarnish the reputations of companies, diminish legitimate suits, and make a mockery of the judicial system. I hope these indictments discourage others from overreaching and, if found guilty, I hope these men receive some of what they wrought.

Read the entire story, The Trial Bar on Trial, over at WSJOJ.

Woman Flogged for Getting Raped?

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The Saudi Injustice Ministry announced that a girl gang raped by seven men was then sentenced to six months in prison and 90 lashes which became 200 lashes when she appealed her case.

"In 2006 a Shiite Saudi 19-year-old, known only as the "Girl from Qatif," said she had recently been married and met a high school friend in his car to retrieve a picture of herself from him. While in a car with him, two men got into the vehicle and forced them to drive to a secluded area where others waited, and then she and her companion were both raped."

She was sentenced to prison and 90 lashes for being alone with a man not related to her and when her lawyer, Abdul Rahman al-Lahem, appealed the sentence, he was removed from the case, his license suspended and the penalty doubled to 200.

Where is the moral outrage from our hand wringing liberals and tough feminists in America and the rest of the world? I don't see any protests marches or candle light vigils over this barbaric injustice.

Muslim Students Angry - UC Irvine

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by Chuck Devore, Assemblyman

Dr. Daniel Pipes spoke tonight at UCI. His topic: Islamic extremism.

First, what didn't happen, unlike earlier this year, members of the Muslim Student Union didn't try to shout him down.

What did happen was a Muslim Student Union-led walkout en masse, so, it was a disruption of a different kind as the MSU members did violence to Dr. Pipe's free speech rights using a kinder, gentler tactic. (Memo to the MSU: you can protest outside and hand out all the flyers you want. But pause to reflect on how your actions and fear of violence caused seven hired police officers to be present vs. no police hired to protect MSU events on campus“ how does that look? Also, big hint here: stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. If you are not a citizen, you clearly should not pledge allegiance but for goodness sake, out of politeness, respect and protocol, STAND, if you can. I stand at a respectful position of attention when other nations pay respect to their flag. When in America, you should do the same. Not to do so looks bad, very bad.

Kill The Teacher!

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by Jack Lee

teacher.jpgShe is a harmless, caring, 54 year old school teacher from the UK who came to the Sudan to help educated some of the world's poorest children. Now the local citizens want to beat her to death with clubs. Her crime against the Sudanese people: A cultural faux paux - she named a Teddy Bear "Mohammed".

This odyssey of injustice began when Gillian Gibbons was asked by her high school class to name a teddy bear that would then be their class mascot. Of the many names submitted Ms. Gibbons choose one, "Mohammed", which seemed like a good choice because it was also the name of a popular student in her class. Although no parents complained, details of the so-called "blasphemy" got around to the police who were empowered to charge Ms. Gibbons with a crime under Sudanese law. As the word spread about this dangerous school teacher and her "intolerable offense" against peaceful Islam, Muslim protestors gathered by the hundreds in front of the high school. They chanted, "No one lives who insults the Prophet!" and they flew green flags depicting the Nation of Islam, they carried clubs, cerimonial swords and waved the Koran as they worked themselves into a frenzy ready to murder in the name of Allah!

genImage.jpg
Gibbons was convicted by a local Kangaroo Court and instantly whisked away to a secret location unknown to even the British Embassy. Embassy officials expressed "concerns" for her welfare and demanded to speak to her, however their pleas fell on deaf ears. In part, this was probably due to a growing rift between the Muslim government in Khartoum and the British because of Khartoum's genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. There hoards of hired gunmen (mostly Arab) systematically attack and murder villagers by the hundreds for no other reason than they are non-Muslims.

Commanding Performance

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Orchestrating Defeat
by Tina Grazier

Three stories in the news today illustrate the difference between the democrat controlled congress and our president. The president is doing what he has always done; he is moving forward with plans to win in Iraq and in the broader war. The dems in congress continue to do what they always do, everything they can to win for themselves. First on the board is a story from >

The postwar relationship between Iraq and the United States is now a broader public topic. This week, the White House and the Iraqi government announced that state-to-state discussions are taking place with the goal of reaching detailed agreements that will govern Iraq and America's long-term political, economic and military ties. Iraqis have asked for "an enduring relationship with America."

This story heralds the success of our military and diplomatic efforts and the efforts of the Iraqi government and people. It is a story that in a sane world would be celebrated with thanksgiving and hope for the future. Our friends on the left, however, just can't seem to put down that wet blanket or make every attempt to in control, and so we hear from Rep. John Murtha as reported by Brian Bowling in the Pittsburg Tribune-Review:

U.S. Rep. John Murtha believes the Bush administration is beginning to show a willingness to negotiate with Congress an end to the war in Iraq. The Johnstown Democrat said Thursday that Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, Bush's "war czar" for Iraq and Afghanistan, called him Wednesday after Murtha returned from a four-day tour of Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey and Belgium. Congressional leaders want to meet with Bush to discuss a plan for getting out of Iraq.

Hello...Bush is way ahead of you...try to keep up! And while you're at it try doing your real job...finance this thing so we can move forward toward an "enduring relationship" with Iraq...it is unseemly that the president must admonish when our military has accomplished so much:

President Bush warned Congress yesterday that the Pentagon soon will have to start laying off civilian employees and reducing operations at U.S. military bases unless lawmakers send him an emergency war funding bill that does not mandate troop withdrawals from Iraq. - William Branigin, Washington Post

Playing childish games for political traction should be beneath our esteemed representatives. Alas, it is not!

Please vote wisely in "08!

This Weeks Best Joke

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Submitted by TinmanB,

Two 90-year-old women, Rose and Barb, had been friends all of their lives.

When it was clear that Rose was dying, Barb visited her every day. One day Barb said, "Rose, we both loved playing tennis all our lives, and we played all through High School. Please do me one favor... when you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there's tennis there."

Rose looked up at Barb from her deathbed and said, "Barb, you've been my best friend for many years. If it's at all possible, I'll do this favor for you." Shortly after that, Rose passed on.

British Scare Off Pirates

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ARABIAN SEA (NNS) -- British Navy warship HMS Campbeltown saved a civilian cruise liner from potential pirate attack while on coalition patrol in the Arabian Sea.

The Seabourn Spirit's call for help was taken at the Bahrain headquarters of Royal Navy and coalition operations in the Gulf, as the liner transited for Muscat, Oman. The crew had grown increasingly concerned about small skiffs believed to be pirates closing on their position.

Terrorism Intel Site

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Submitted by Dan B

Here is a global map of terrorism activity that is updated every 300 seconds...

http://www.globalincidentmap.com/home.php

Presidential Debate

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by Jack Lee

The question has been raised in a number of media-talk forums, is necessary to have a live audience in presidential debates? The audience seems to be made up single issue zealots, hyper-partisan hacks and mouth breathers and they boo and cheer according to their narrow and often irrelevant personal interests. Do we really need that, or are the American people sophisticated enough to get beyond the "canned laughter" mentality that tells us the speaker just said something funny?

Another thing that struck me odd was having CNN and MSNBC moderate the event, where's FOX? Obviously CNN and MSNBC wasn't up to the job or they would have asked more relevant questions geared to real conservative concerns like nukes in Iran, not just the fantasized notions about the issues that could only come from people living 24/7 on the left. I could care less about the "Confederate flag" flying in Slippryrock! I want to know what we will do about nukes in Iran or attacking Al Qaeda inside Pakistan.

Fred Thompson-Man with a Tax Plan

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And a choice for every taxpayer
by Tina Grazier

I’m a serious American; a conservative that wants information. I want to know what the candidates’ goals are and how they wish to proceed as we move forward. Fred Thompson has offered a tax plan and is not being cute or coy about the details. According to a Wall Street Journal editorial, Flat Tax Fred, has a plan that will please most in the GOP. I’m just happy to hear a solid idea for a change…we can tweak later. Fred’s tax plan is simple:

to abolish the death tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax and cut the corporate income tax rate to 27% from 35%. *** …his really big idea is a voluntary flat tax that would give every American the option of ditching the current code in favor of filing a simple tax return with two tax rates of 10% and 25%. *** The Thompson plan would allow taxpayers to keep their mortgage and charitable deductions if they prefer, by adhering to the current tax code and rates. But it would also allow the option to abandon those credits and deductions except for a single allowance based on family size ($39,000 for a family of four). Most taxpayers would pay a 10% rate on income above that allowance, with a 25% rate kicking in at $100,000 for a couple. *** There would only be five lines on the tax form and most taxpayers could fill it out in minutes.

Way to go Fred!>

"What Would Jesus Do?"

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by Tina Grazier

Tonight during the YouTube/CNN republican debate a young (mush filled) skull came up with the "Jesus" question (adding just a smidgeon of smirk) as regards the death penalty. My husband had the best response, but since he's not running for president, I thought I'd pass his answer on to you:

"He'd submit."

There it is in a nut shell! The young skull is obviously parroting the smarmy self righteous assertion of the athiest, that one is a hypocrite if he calls himself Christian and also supports the death penlty. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The death penalty is not an act of murder (thou shalt not)...it is an act of government. It can be avoided through personal restraint and choice. If we have been awake we are aware of the death penalty; if we are smart we avoid it. The victims of those who commit murder (actively "seek" the death penalty) have no such choice. There is a difference and our society has rightly noted and made a distintion concerning that difference.

Hot tip just in from Captain's Quarters:

UPDATE: CNN committed a major error by allowing Brig. General Kerr to stage a question without disclosing that he serves on Hillary Clinton's campaign. Instapundit posted that Anderson Cooper and CNN have apologized for it, admitting that they never checked Kerr out.

TOP SECRET DOCUMENT RELEASED

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Today thousands of President Nixon's White House documents were declassified and made public. I thought you might like to read just one of them. I'm reviewing many more and if I find something really good I will post it here, so check back later.

Now the top secret memo between President Nixon and President Pak of S. Korea.

President Nixon: Before we go into a detailed discussion today, I would like to explain a few-items on my new policy toward Korea. Kim Il-Song's regime is one ofthe rnost aggressive and unreasonable Communist countries in the world. As you're aware, the Pueblo incident occurred before I took over the Presidency.

$347,000 For Trimming Trees?

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Everybody's got a horror story about a bureaucratic nightmare, but if you can top this one, call me collect at your earliest convenience.

Ann Collard was seven months pregnant with her third child in June when an abatement notice came from the Glendale Fire Department. She and her husband, Mike, were ordered to clear some foliage and maintain 5 feet of "vertical clearance between roof surfaces and overhanging portions of trees."

The Collards knew their oaks and sycamores needed a trim. And so they talked to neighbors, did a little research and called a recommended tree trimmer based in Orange County.

For $3,000, the guy said, he'd remove about 15% of the foliage and they'd be in the clear.

The Collards asked if a permit was necessary.

Not at all, said the licensed trimmer, who told the Collards he'd done lots of work in Glendale.

On the third day of the three-day job, the city's urban forester happened to be in the neighborhood, and noticed the tree trimmer doing his thing.

"She saw what was happening and said, 'Stop! Cease and desist!' " says Mike, a work-at-home software and computer guy.

Glendale has an indigenous tree protection ordinance that dates to the 1980s. It was enacted to discourage developers and homeowners from bulldozing or hacking trees willy-nilly. Earlier this year, because of citizen complaints that native trees were still being ruined, the city approved more restrictions and bigger fines.

None of which the Collards knew about.

DOW UP 350 POINTS MIDDAY!

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BRIEFING.COM] Heading into the final half-hour of trading, the major indices hit fresh session highs. The financial sector is now posting a whopping 5.1% gain. At yesterday's closing price, financials were down 21.7% year-to-date. Other beaten down areas, such as the S&P 500 Retailing Index (+5.1%) and consumer discretionary (+3.5%) are having strong days.

Army Must Be Desperate for Soldiers

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by Jack Lee

He's been out of the army almost two years, he's been going to college on the GI bill, he's a newly wed with a nice job and he's even started a part-time acting career and then... and then he get's his official recall to active duty in the Army!

Life can be full of suprises...

This is pretty much akin to a draft, but in a way it's worse because we are recalling veteran soldiers that have already done their duty and they had every reason to think their military service to their country was behind them. Well, in 35 days this young man will be boarding a plane to Ft. Benning, Ga. for retraining and then he's likely off to Iraq...his M.O.S. is (11b) infantry, so it's a safe bet anyone who is infantry goes mostly to Iraq or Afghanistan. Which brings up the question, why couldn't we have invaded some nicer place like the Virgin Islands or Costa Rica? I wouldn't mind spending some recall time on a nice beach listening to marimba music.

Judging Book Covers

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by Tina Grazier

Shakelford, who owns a small winery in Oregon, has shoulder length white hair with a matching beard. His youth was spent in a typical fashion for the day:

At 25, Shackelford had married, fathered two children, divorced and served a few weeks in a Cuban army prison after showing up to help Castro win his revolution. In the winter of 1964, a new girlfriend in hand, he set off for Mexico. They played in the sun and camped on the beach.

Today his coastal winery finds him playing host at wedding parties, anniversary celebrations, art shows and concerts and he has sponsered bluegrass festivals and concerts. His service to the community is legendary...as one woman put it:

"He always rose above the mundane and came up with some new way to support his passions for music, gatherings, charities -- and he was successful beyond anyone's dreams."

His community efforts might be considered the limits of what any one man can accomplish but that’s not the end of this man’s story. When he’s not playing host he travels and in his travels he’s found ways to touch the lives of others:

Shakelford helped Lang upgrade his bicycle to a motorcycle and then to a car, and he helped pay for Lang's schooling. Then, learning that Lang's village had never had a school, he built two -- one for students in grades first through third, and a second for learning English. It was a start, but it wasn't food on the table. *** Lang suggested a sewing room, and last summer Shackelford returned to Chheneng with $1,500 from sales of the colorful silklike handbags, backpacks and wine bags he sells in his tasting rooms. "Four hundred dollars would feed the village for 20 days," says Shackelford. "They don't have a lot." *** Shackelford is currently in Tanzania helping a friend he met 12 years ago in Ecuador fix up a house.

Now it’s time to judge this book by its cover. What say you…is Mr. Shakelford a conservative or a liberal? It's not always easy to tell. Let’s look a little deeper….

Muslims Rioting Again

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Paris - More than 60 police officers were injured, five of them seriously, when bands of youths rioted late on Monday for a second consecutive night in the suburbs of Paris after the deaths of two minority teenagers, French media reported on Tuesday.

Five of the injured were reported in serious condition, including one riot police officer who was shot in the shoulder with a high-calibre rifle.

In addition, 63 vehicles and five buildings, including a library and two schools, were set on fire as the unrest spread to six suburban ghettos north of Paris 24 hours after two youths, aged 15 and 16, were killed when their off-road motorcycle was struck by a police car in the suburb of Villiers-le-Bel.

Big Green Footprint

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Al Gore buddy owner of sunken
ship that left huge carbon footprint on Antarctic Ocean floor

Canada Free Press (Canada), by Judi McLeod

You’d never read this in the mainstream media: The owner of MS Explorer that sank, leaving a huge carbon footprint at the bottom of the Antarctic Ocean Friday is an acolyte of teensy-weensy carbon footprint crusader Al Gore. G.A.P. Adventures CEO and Explorer owner, Bruce Poon Tip and Gore have similar ideals, “filling their schedules with speaking engagements on environmental change to educate global audiences.” And that’s straight off of www.gapadventures.com.

Note from Tina: The gapadventures website is interesting and demonstrates the true gift that liberals have to offer.

If only they could learn that government is a very destructive and poor substitute for personal choice and enrollment they could make quite a contribution. Big hearts, adventurous spirit...fatal attraction to government programs and grand schemes.

Household Spending

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by Jack Lee

Latest study: We are spending just slightly more than we make...savings is minus .01 per dollar earned. We've never earned more, we've never spent more and we've never saved less. Anybody else have a problem with this or is just me?

In the Year 2010 an Amazing Discovery

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alice.bmp

Quote of the Week

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"There is no conservative party left in Washington. Conservative thinkers and writers who were to be the watchdogs of orthodoxy have been as vigilant in policing party deviations from principle as was Cardinal Law in collaring the predator-priests of the Boston archdiocese." Pat Buchannon

The Cure Doctors Don't Want You to Know!

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by Jack Lee

Chelation therapy, ever hear of it? It's based on a substance called EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and it is supposed to remove the plaque in your arteries. Check out these claims from an ad on a popular internet site. This sounds like the greatest discovery since the polio vaccine.

Citigroup Gets Help from Abu Dhabi

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Citigroup Inc., the biggest U.S. bank by assets, will receive a $7.5 billion cash infusion from Abu Dhabi to replenish capital after record mortgage losses wiped out almost half its market value.

Citigroup rose 2.6 percent in New York trading today following acting Chief Executive Officer Win Bischoff's statement late yesterday that funds from the state-owned Abu Dhabi Investment Authority will help ``strengthen our capital base.''

Abu Dhabi will buy securities that convert to stock and yield 11 percent a year, almost double the interest Citigroup offers bond investors,

Hillary in Trouble?

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by Dick Morris

Has Hillary’s candidacy just hit a bump in the road or is she seriously decomposing? It’s still too early to tell, but there’s definitely something big going on.

She’s lost her lead in Iowa.

According to The Washington Post/ABC poll, she’s down 4 points, with Obama in first place. (It’s Obama 30%, Hillary 26%, Edwards 21%).

And in New Hampshire, CNN reports that she has lost the commanding 23 point lead she had in September and has crashed down to an 11 point lead today.

This is not good news for Hillary.


Black Friday

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by Jack Lee

Did you brave the crowds to get the bargains on Friday? Many people did! The Chico Mall parking lot was filled to capacity by 6 a.m.. The stores were busy but not packed suggesting we don't have a lot of carpoolers out there even with gasoline over $3.25 a gallon. Wait till their husbands get the new gasoline bill, ....then they get the Visa bill, ha! But, I digress.

So, I took the big challenge and accompanied one of my girls who went shopping for a holiday outfit. It was now around noon time and some of the frenzy had tapered off and the We found a parking space within 300 yards of the entrance to Gottschalks, our intended destination. She said this was due to the power of positive thinking that she learned from reading, "The Secret". I don't think so.

Homes Destroyed...again

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by Jack Lee

Firefighters were prepositioned near Malibu when the fire or fires broke out that were both expected and whipped by the strong Santa Anna winds. Only 4500 acres and 53 homes were destroyed, although thousands were evacuated. One of the homes belonged to a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. However it was not a personal tragedy, it was basically empty and he had it up for sale for $5 mil, heavily insured of course.

I'm curious, do winds start fires or could there be something else going on here? Just a wild guess, but it looks like arson again.

Darwin Award Winner!

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John, a Los Angeles real estate attorney, was skimming leaves from his pool when he noticed a palm frond caught in the power lines. His education had equipped him with sufficient acumen to become a successful litigator. Yet he was not shrewd enough to avoid becoming a toasty critter, when he reached up with the long metal pole and poked at the palm frond.

John was, for once, the path of least resistance.

Perhaps as an homage to his litigation skills, his family sued both the utility company and the pool supply store, for failure to disclose the danger of poking a metal rod into the power lines.

Rumor - Doolittle Is Retiring! (untrue)

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by Aaron Park

And the Kool-Aid Award goes to... (hin't, it's about Doolittle retiring)

Today the news has been recycled that John Doolittle is retiring… I was also called about the status of John’s Communications director.

Having talked to Gordon Hinkle this morning, and having talked to other staff during the same phone call, no one has resigned yet.

READ TO THE BOTTOM FOR QUOTE OF THE MONTH BY JAY LENO. IF YOU DON'T READ ANYTHING ELSE---VERY WELL STATED !

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

Rhonda Byrnes - The Secret

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by Jack Lee

A commenter posted this today about the author of "The Secret": "Wow... Seems Rhonda Byrne has a new money making scam now. It's called "sue those who helped make you a multi-millionaire."
http://know-more-secrets.com Check out this site, does anyone know anything more about these Secret lawsuit filings by Rhonda Byrne?"

Jedidiah Roy Percifield - Darwin Candidate

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by Jack Lee

Nov 24 - Oroville, Deputies pursued Percifield after he ran from them near Thermalito Forebay about 8 p.m. "He reportedly ignored several attempts to stop his vehicle, a raised Chevrolet Silverado pickup, and reached speeds exceeding 100 mph on Cottonwood Road, and on highways 99 and 70.

A Growing Racial Division

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by Jack Lee

California scores two big zeros! First, we must have the nation’s largest pro-illegal representation in our legislature. They prove it all the time, for example, most recently they voted to give away tens of millions in tuition subsidies for illegals. Thats a big zero! Next, California is the ONLY state in the union that does NOT give its National Guard soldiers free tuition at state colleges and universities, another zero.

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

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Lord, so often times, as any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray

Incredible Find Unearthed in Peru

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Archaeologists digging on the northern coast of Peru have discovered a 4,000-year-old temple that is filled with murals. Located inside a larger ruin, the temple features a staircase that leads up to an altar that was used for fire worship, reports Reuters. Click here for details.

Police Arrest Suspects in Holloway Case

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By MARGARET WEVER - ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) - Three young men previously detained as suspects in the 2005 disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway were re-arrested Wednesday, the Aruban public prosecutor's office said, citing new evidence in the case. For more click here.

The Real History of Thanksgiving

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puritans.jpg

Ever wonder what the pilgrims and their Native American guests really ate at the first feast? The truth may surprise you. Contrary to popular belief, they didn't sit down to a meal featuring turkey, corn, cranberries, and pumpkin pie (in fact, they didn't even have forks!).

Travel back to Plymouth and discover some of the humble origins of Thanksgiving traditions we celebrate today and what the original celebration was actually like! Follow this link

FROM TINA AND JACK - HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

Question of the Day RE: Insurgent Libertarians

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by Jack Lee

The Washington Post has raised the question, are Libertarians essentially "insurgents" as they have been referred to in a recent news article and if so, should we behead them or drive them into the sea? Any thoughts?

Your Mispent Tax Dollars in State Education

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by Jack Lee

seal_ca.jpg The democrats in the legislature say we don't have an efficiency problem when it comes to spending on education, we just need to raise your taxes to fund it better.

Today we fund each child in K-12 to the tune of $11,000 per year. In a class of 30, that's $330,000. If you deduct the teacher's salary of $42,000, with benefits about another $30,000 that equals a net of $258,000. The teacher is allocated about $3 per child for pencils, paper and other incidentals. Yet, we can't we fund band uniforms and equipment or sports uniforms with the remainder?

New! Pump Prices Being Forced Up!!!

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by Jack Lee

The ARB is threatening to run up pum prices by a dollar! The ARB regulates fuel formula's and the democrats that controll the assembly and the senate that empowered them. They apparently think you won't mind paying $4.50 a gallon at the pump. Under the new ARB mandates signed into law by the Governor, for a 10% mix of ethanol, it would raise your current pump price by about $1.00 per gallon when all subsidies are included.

The new mandate is to take effect within 3 years. In order to accomplish this lofty task we will have to devote almost 40% of the state's crop growing acreage to growing corn for alcohol and we're going to need a lot of infrastructure to produce it all. This is going to have an inflationary effect on other crops and that has not been factored into that $1.00 increase and it's going to take a lot of borrowed money to build the infrastructure.

California is already spending more than under Grey Davis!

The end result of methanol is a mixed blessing at best. While it has a minor effect on reducing air pollutants it also produces carbon dioxide which the people at the ARB claim results in global warming. Currently California produces only about 12% of what will be needed to fulfill the mandate.

More on the Big Raid!

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Washington Post Uses 'Dollar Raid' To Call Paul Supporters 'Insurgents'

As if Ron Paul's supporters needed any more motivation to storm the battlements and wreak havoc on the Republican presidential primary, now comes this: the feds are trying to take away their money.

Federal agents on Wednesday raided the Evansville, Indiana headquarters of the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve and Internal Revenue Codes (NORFED), an organization of "sound money" advocates that for the past decade has been selling what it calls Liberty Dollars, a private currency it says is backed by silver and gold stored in Idaho, with a total of more than $20 million in circulation, according to the group.

Click here for full story.


Holy Cow! FBI and Treasury Agents Raid Libertarian's Mint

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The future of an Evansville-based company that produces a "private voluntary barter currency" known as the Liberty Dollar is in question after federal agents raided the facility this week, according to an e-mail sent by its founder.

Federal officials reportedly raided the group's headquarters, located in a strip mall at 225 N. Stockwell Road, early Wednesday morning and seized documents and precious metals.

FBI Agent Wendy Osborne, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Indianapolis office, directed all questions on the raid to the Western District of North Carolina U.S. Attorney's Office. A spokeswoman there said she had no information on the investigation. For the full story go here.

Prison Guards Reverse On Term Limits!

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by Anthony York, Capitol Weekly

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association is publicly opposing Proposition 93, the measure that would change the state’s term limits law.

The union’s move is a reversal of its earlier decision to back the initiative. And it comes in the wake of an 11th hour defeat of a pay raise for prison guards at the end of this year’s legislative session. Sources close to the union have privately placed the blame for that raise’s defeat at the hands of legislative leaders. The union also opposed a prison construction and reform package, AB 900, that cleared the Legislature earlier this year.

Now, it appears, payback is coming in the form of the measure that could lengthen Senate Leader Don Perata's and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez’s grip on power. The 28,000-member union, one of the most powerful political players in the Capitol, has long been known for aggressively bankrolling its causes.

Incumbents being investigated raise $1.2M

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By Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - Seven lawmakers seeking re-election while under federal investigation raked in nearly three times as much in campaign donations as their opponents in the latest fundraising period, records show.

The incumbents raised more than $1.2 million, while six challengers raised almost $425,000 in the three months ending Sept. 30, according to Federal Election Commission records. Three of the incumbents - including Rep. William Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat under indictment on corruption charges - don't have announced opponents; some have multiple opponents. Of the seven, only Jefferson has been charged with a crime. All have denied wrongdoing.

For the full story follow this link.

It's A Miracle!

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by Jack Lee

60.pngOccasionally, when a local business does an extra good job or provides and excellent service, I like to highlight them here. This time it's Miracle Auto Painting and Body Repair at 2304 Park Ave., Chico. I had an old clunker with about 6 different paint touch-ups on it and I took it in expecting to hear at least $1000. What I got was a smooth glossy black urethane paint job for $700. They had to do a lot of extra sanding, but the end result was excellent. I'm really happy with the nice taping job too. It's hard to tell this from a factory job. I guess this is why CHP sends them their cars. Anyway, just wanted to pass this along to you and if you happen to go over there, ask for Mike. He's the owner and a really nice guy who will treat you right.

Good job Mike, keep it up!

Maxine's Wisdom

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The Black Hole of Bad Loans Keeps Growing

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$2 trillion lending crunch seen

Goldman Sachs economist says mounting credit losses could force banks to significantly scale back their lending.

By Grace Wong, CNNMoney.com staff writer
November 16 2007: 10:21 AM EST

LONDON (CNNMoney.com) -- The mortgage wipeout could result in a $2 trillion cutback in lending and have dramatic implications for the U.S. economy, according to Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs.

The housing slump is expected to end up costing banks, hedge funds and other lenders an estimated $400 billion as defaults on home loans rise, according to Goldman economist Jan Hatzius.

A $400 billion loss is equal to just about 2.5 percent of U.S. stock market capitalization - or a bad day on Wall Street, he wrote in a commentary on Thursday.

Cold Sunday Morning and Hummingbirds

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by Jack Lee

It was cold and foggy just after sunrise, another one of those gray mornings where the sun doesn’t come out till after noon and things move a little slower, including me.

I trudged into the kitchen and stood there at the sink, still waking up, thinking about the projects I had to do later. I stared out the window at the young walnut trees across the street that were now half obscured by the fog. Then a single hummingbird zipped up to the feeder outside the window. The feeder usually has a half dozen or more of these tiny birds fluttering around in warmer times.

The hummingbird was hovering as it dipped its long beak into the feeder hole, even though there was a perch. Did you know hummingbirds will flap their wings anywhere from 15 to 80 times a second? I didn't know this until I looked it up in Shari's bird book a moment ago. Pretty amazing; how can they do this without burning up a muscle or a joint? So here’s this little guy casually hovering and taking in the sugar water then suddenly, when he had his fill, he was gone in a split second, in a sudden burst of speed no other bird could equal. What a marvel of flight these things are and doing what modern science, with all our technology, couldn’t even come close to doing.

Well, now it’s my turn to get moving, I’m off to fix the corral. The cattle somehow got packed in there last night and knocked over a fence panel leading to the headgate. When it comes to cattle there's always something to fix!

Have a nice Sunday and do something nice for somebody you love; the warmth from that helps lift the fog in your life.


CRA Endorsed Mitt Romney?

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by Nick F

So the CRA has endorsed Mitt Romney. For those of us who have a great deal of respect for the CRA and their dedication to traditional conservatism, we are faced with a choice. Do we accept this endorsement of Gov. Romney?

There are some practical reasons to do so. In reality we are fighting for the soul of our party. There are many who would have us move toward the center on our social positions for the sake of “remaining relevant”. Rudy Giuliani is an example of such a compromise. The CRA unwilling to support the kind of left wing social policy has settled for Romney as the best chance we have of maintaining some vestige of our former Reagan selves.

Here is the problem. I do not believe that the CRA chose Romney because he best represents the ideas and positions of the CRA. I do not even believe that he is the candidate most capable of articulating and advancing those principles. I think that position falls solidly to Fred Thompson.

At this point what Romney has that Thompson does not, is a far better organized and funded campaign machine. While it would be ridiculous to ignore such a fact, should it really be a deciding factor this early in the race?

Money will flow to whatever candidate comes out of the first three primaries the front runner. So why are we not putting our best candidate out in the fore front. Fred Thompson is the only conservative candidate who was drafted in t this race. He is here by popular demand, and because of this it will take time to build up the money and experience that some of his opponents possess, by virtue of having spent most of their adult lives in politics.

I support the CRA, but I deeply regret this decision. I think it is below them, and I will continue to support Fred Thompson. I hope that decision will be shared by other traditional conservatives.

Election Thoughts

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by Jack Lee

teddy.jpg I really want to vote FOR somebody, not the lesser of the..., well, you know. It's really frustrating these days with so much information about our candidates, no one is allowed to look heroic or saintly. What happened to the good old days when ignorance was bliss? A new harsh reality is forced upon us! The ever present media has done their job almost too good; is there such a thing as too much information...like reporting if Bill wore boxers or briefs. Some things I just don't want to know! lol

On another level, do the details of Newt's divorce 15 years ago really matter now? Is Rudy's more recent divorce relevant? And in all this detail, just how much is just tabloid journalism and how much is fact?

Democrats argued Bill's sexual escapades were nobody's business, saying, all that matters was his performance as a leader. But, I think they were wrong because what happens in the White House, unlike Vegas, does not stay in the White House. Exploits long before the White House... forgivable - exploits in the White House - not.

I know we would all like to have our President be pure as the driven snow, free from undue partisan interests and any taint of corruption, but, and this is a big but, (no pun intended lol) he can't get there from here without undue partisan influence and tainting. By the time a President has risen this far through the political ranks he (or maybe some day she) has all but made a deal with the devil. This sucks, but it is the reality of politics and how our elections are structured. You apparently want it that way because you have never demanded any change.

There are no checks and balances in elections. This is a free for all game... what few rules we have get bent and twisted like pretzels. It's a miracle we can stomach voting for anybody who would be powerful enough to become President.

Turkey Tip - It's Really Good!

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by Judy G

BROWN TURKEY STOCK AND GRAVY BASE

I originally didn't make brown turkey stock (see alternate method of stock and gravy ). The past couple of years, I have altered my method to do it this way as the stock becomes a gravy base and is already thickened and ready to be finished. I like to keep a lot of chicken stock on hand and use this when I cook the turkey (see below), letting me reserve the turkey stock for more important purposes. This is based on a recipe by Julia Child.

Main Stream Media News

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In a political year it’s...anything goes!
by Tina Grazier

The headline is sensational: "Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans" says CBS News. The network asked all 50 states (45 responded) for their suicide data for veterans and non veterans going back to 1995. What they found was disturbing: In 2005, for example, in just those 45 states, there were at least 6,256 suicides among those who served in the armed forces. ** But a deeper look at the numbers reveals something even more surprising; the suicide rate for vets is only slightly higher than it is for all males, both vet and nonvet, in the US.

CBS Cooks the Books on VetSuicide Numbers? By Rick Moran

The Big Debate

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I confess I did not watch the democrat debate in Vegas. I figure what happened there...happened there! In fact, the big debate all week, whether or not the boys were piling on, really discouraged me. If that is going to become the major focus od the debates, overshaddowing all serious discourse...well, for instance...

Can you imagine such a discussion about Margaret Thatcher?


Words of Wisdom

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Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress...But then I repeat myself.
Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. Winston Churchill

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. George Bernard Shaw

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
James Bovard, Civil Libertarian


Bring Our Troops Home

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A tale of supercilious legislative intrigue.
by Tina Grazier

Democrats proposed legislation to bring the troops home…AGAIN…some say this is try number 40! Why would they keep doing this when they know it won’t be signed into law…it’s insane! Statistics posted on the blog, Blackfive, might hold the key:

Terrorist operations have decreased by 59%. Second, the terrorist operations have decreased against innocent Iraqi people by 59% also. A decrease in operations against Iraqi security forces by 62%. A decrease in the assassination attempts for sectarian reasons by 72%. Fifth, a decrease in car bombs by 65%. Sixth, a decrease in the fatalities in the civilians killed by car bombs by 81%, including IEDs. Seven, a decrease in human casualties of civilians resulting from car bombs and IEDs by 80%.

Could it be they see a conclusion that will naturally result in troops coming home…and THEY want to be out front to take the CREDIT!!!

Personality Quiz

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Want to take a no brainer personality quiz? Click here.

Officer Get's An Attaboy!

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Police Officer Ken Lee used his initiative to overcome several unplanned logistical problems in this year's Homeland security drill in Stockton. Operation Golden Guardian involved about 5000 people and was designed by Homeland Security and allied agencies to test emergency preparedness to a mock terrorist attack.

Jack Gets An Attaboy From Reporter

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Jack Lee, candidate for assembly, received a letter of appreciation for standing up for ethics in his campaign.

The letter was from Deborah Saunders, staff writer for the San Francisco Chronical. She recently wrote an editorial about Congressman Doolittle. For a copy of her story read below:

LAPD DRAWS FIRE OVER COUNTER TERRORISM

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By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY

A counterterrorism project in Los Angeles that would collect information about Muslim neighborhoods is drawing outrage from Islamic groups and civil libertarians who say it unjustly singles out residents based on faith and could lead to unconstitutional police tactics.

HOSPITALS LOVE WORKERS COMP!

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by Jack Lee

A friend of mine told me this story yesterday that's worth passing on. About a month ago an employee of his was injured on the job. It was a cut to his index finger, it wasn't a bad cut, but it probably needed a stitch, maybe even two. So my friend (his boss) put a bandaide on it and took the employee to the hospital. When filling out the paper work it was noted this was an industrial accident. Aha... workers comp! Well, suddenly this is a different sort of medical event...why this is serious! The employer said, look just want to pay for it, we don't need to fill out a workers comp form do we? Oh, yes, we must, we must! But, it's just a cut...I'll pay for it and the boss's words fell on deaf ears. We better get an x-ray said the attending doc, but it's just a cut said the patient. Oh, one can't be too careful about such things, said the doc. Awhile later the stitch was in and then there was talk of future therapy, workers comp of course... they both got up and walked out. The bill came into the shop about a week later... $1100, for a minor cut that required just one stitch! But, the boss paid it because Worker's Comp would have cost him a lot more and all us a lot more too.

You kinda get the feeling the hospital was trying to get the boss to file an insurance claim wouldn't you?

And now a word from our sponsor...

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Who Would Provide?

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by Tina Grazier

We make a big deal out of equality in America...a very big deal. So I find it amazing that we willing accept progressive tax structures. Where is the equality when 1% of the people pay 40% of the tax? This means that 99% of the people have a lesser (and progressively lesser) stake in America...

The Washington Times has an op ed that asks a great question: "Did you ever think about what would happen if the top 1 percent of the taxpayers suddenly decided to go "on strike" and refuse to produce all that income?

This has been a #1 fantasy of mine for some time...what if all the producers in the market just said no?

Way To Go Joe

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“There is something profoundly wrong—something that should trouble all of us—when we have elected Democratic officials who seem more worried about how the Bush administration might respond to Iran’s murder of our troops, than about the fact that Iran is murdering our troops.” —Sen. Joe Lieberman

Bad Actor

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“[Mormons] are very adept at not being fazed and speaking fluently and gracefully. Why? Because every single male who’s a Mormon goes on a mission for two years when they’re 19 or 20. They learn how to deflect blows and stay on message... So when you see Mitt Romney, he’s already been practicing how to deflect blows and stay on message. But it’s plastic.” —actor/director Robert Redford

I can't tell...maybe it's just bad acting....is Redford playing a bigot here?

Those Crazy Peacenik Russians

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Moscow - Russia's top military commander said Tuesday his country has no obligation to defend other countries against "the evil Americans." "Today, there is no need to be afraid of the Russian armed forces," said Russian army Gen. Yury Baluyevsky. "However, I do not believe that the Russian military is obliged to defend the world from the evil Americans."

Another Cindy Sheehan pinko for peace...mail that man a bumper sticker, NOW!

Hillary Clinton for President!

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by Jack Lee

senatorclinton.jpgNever let it be said that Post Scripts presents no other views except those from conservatives. It's true we do have a slight rightwing bias, but then we try to be fair. We welcome all views, even views from the left.

That is why I am saying, "Fair Play for Hillary". Give her a chance to be heard absent the snide comments and childish cracks! We at Post Scripts want you to see what Hillary really stands for, because she is likely to be our next President! So, without further comment, here are Hillary's planks. And be sure to visit her website at HillaryClinton.com:

A New American Record

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by Tina Grazier

The AP is reporting an all time high record…we can be so proud:

ATLANTA - More than 1 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States last year — the most ever reported for a sexually transmitted disease, federal health officials said Tuesday. "A new U.S. record," said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr. of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More bad news: Gonorrhea rates are jumping again after hitting a record low, and an increasing number of cases are caused by a "superbug" version…

If that’s not startling enough here’s another AP story that gives us the skinny on what we’re doing about it:

RICHMOND, Va. - Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has cut off state funding for abstinence-only sex education programs, making Virginia the 14th state to refuse to support abstinence-only education.

Abstinence may not be popular or cool but it will keep you healthy. These statistics are tragic.

by Mike Wacker

It get’s even worse Jack. If Ron Paul is elected and the income tax is eliminated, think of all those poor lobbyists in Washington that would be out of a job. There are 10s of thousands of them whose purpose in life is to get special tax treatment for their special interest clients. Gosh, they’d have to get a productive job or go on welfare.

Income Inequality – A Few Facts

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Posted by Tina Grazier

James Toranto over at the Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal exposed yet another democrat mantra as just a little outside…the truth that is! Are ya listenin’ Mr. Soros?

Movin’ On Up - A Treasury study refutes populist hokum about "income inequality."

If you've been listening to Mike Huckabee or John Edwards on the Presidential trail, you may have heard that the U.S. is becoming a nation of rising inequality and shrinking opportunity. We'd refer those campaigns to a new study of income mobility by the Treasury Department that exposes those claims as so much populist hokum. *** OK, "hokum" is our word. The study, to be released today, is a careful, detailed piece of research by professional economists that avoids political judgments. But what it does do is show beyond doubt that the U.S. remains a dynamic society marked by rapid and mostly upward income mobility. Much as they always have, Americans on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder continue to climb into the middle and sometimes upper classes in remarkably short periods of time. *** The Treasury study examined a huge sample of 96,700 income tax returns from 1996 and 2005 for Americans over the age of 25. The study tracks what happened to these tax filers over this 10-year period. One of the notable, and reassuring, findings is that nearly 58% of filers who were in the poorest income group in 1996 had moved into a higher income category by 2005. Nearly 25% jumped into the middle or upper-middle income groups, and 5.3% made it all the way to the highest quintile. *** Of those in the second lowest income quintile, nearly 50% moved into the middle quintile or higher, and only 17% moved down. This is a stunning show of upward mobility, meaning that more than half of all lower-income Americans in 1996 had moved up the income scale in only 10 years.

A Taxing Problem for Dem Contenders

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Posted by Tina Grazier

The American Spectator is running a terrific response to wealthy democrats calling for a policy to “tax the rich”…

The Credibility Tax – by Jeffrey Lord

Hillary and her fellow Democrats say they want to raise taxes on the rich. Really? Well then, there's no time like the present. ** Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called "Gifts to the United States." This account was established in 1843 to accept gifts, such as bequests, from individuals wishing to express their patriotism to the United States. Money deposited into this account is for general use by the federal government and can be available for budget needs. These contributions are considered an unconditional gift to the government. Financial gifts can be made by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mailed to the address below.

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 6D17
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Not long ago several top Democrats in the House proposed that in the spirit of sacrifice high-income taxpayers should have a 12%-15% "war surtax" added to their tax bill if they favored the war on Iraq. There is no reason to limit this idea to paying for the war, and the beauty of the Credibility Tax is that one doesn't have to wait for that irritating legislative procedure to make something like this a law.

You are going to LOVE this article.

Meanwhile, how many tax the rich democrats can we name? Hillary Clinton…John Edwards…

Soros Pitches Political Snake Oil

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by Tina Grazier

George Soros has written a piece designed to make Americans believe in Hillary Clinton’s “Vast Right Wing Conspiracy”. His purpose is to get her elected and the agenda is to plant seeds of doubt. Soros attempts to pass himself off as merely an observer comparing the controlled system of communication in George Orwell’s “1984’ to the new and various news and information sources in America today. He is a snake oil salesman. Of course he knows this, but he’s pretty sure you and I are too stupid to see through his “subtlety”.

His article, “From Karl Popper to Karl Rove” begins:

In his novel 1984, George Orwell chillingly described a totalitarian regime in which all communication is controlled by a Ministry of Truth and dissidents are persecuted by political police. The United States remains a democracy governed by a constitution and the rule of law, with pluralistic media, yet there are disturbing signs that the propaganda methods Orwell described have taken root here.

PRESIDENTIAL STRAW POLL RESULTS - Monday

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1. Ron Paul ......................36%

2. Fred Thompson........... 30%

3. Rudy Guilania..............13%

All Others Less than....... 3%

Candidates scoring zero:

Hillary Clinton.................. 0%

Ok readers you have elected Ron Paul as our President. But, do you know what you have really done to us if this becomes true?

You have cost the jobs of tens of thousands IRS employees! The IRS is all but doomed. The next thing you know we will not be in Iraq and then almost all of our troops deployed from WWII will be coming home. And what about all that surplus money in our treasury, huh? Yeah, just what are we going to do with that??? We sure can't be giving it away to other countries anymore, not with this guy as President! And no more policing the world, no more meddling in the affairs of other nations, no more UN payments and all the fun and support we've had with those guys, no more IRS, way too much money in the treasury...this ain't going to be the US of A I know anymore under Ron Paul...well, I just hope you're happy!

The New Amero Dollar - Si, Esta Aqui'!

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by Jack Lee

uflag.jpgThere are so many issues complicating the minds of Americans these days like, "Should dogs wear clothes" or "Is Bud Lite really less filling?" So, naturally I really hate to bring up one more thing, but if you wouldn’t mind I would like to make mention of the new Amero. This is a topic that has been circulating amongst my rightwing conspiracy-monger friends for several years.

You've heard about the Euro and soon you may be spending the Amero. In fact, it may be sooner than later too, if the dollar continues dive and we're forced to devalue the greenback.

But, never fear the Amero will be coming to the rescue just about the time our dollar is worthless and it's all thanks to our new alliance, known as "The North American Union" this is Mexico, Canada and the USA. No more nasty borders and we get a common currency. By the way, instead of in God We Trust on our coinage, the new motto will be, If You Can't Beat em Join em.

It's predictable that some folks might get a little nervous, if not down right aggitated, about replacing our currency and defiling the Constitution in the process. Even despite the assurances of the "New World Order" and King Juan Carlos of Spain. King Juan is our friend; after all he is currently helping to finance the new super highway running from Mexico up through Kansas City to Chicago and there is no "New World Order" or so I've been told.

For more information on the raging "Bud or Bud Lite" debate or this lesser issue on the "Amero" you might want to "Google" it or click this link. Or you can come back here later because there will be more to follow on this subject, but for now I must leave you. I have a luncheon appointment with my new pals, ... Rhienhardt (Bud) and Bob Bildaberger. You have probably heard of the Bildabergers, eh? They are European bankers, eh.

After our multi-cultural lunch of grits and taco's with shredded moose meat, I'm off to my "Spanglish" class at Butte, eh. I'll write more on all this later, eh? Adios mi amigos, eh. Oh, and don't forget to fly our new flag (see above)...eh.

CRA Convention and Most Violent City Thoughts

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by Aaron Park

Sunday - Sacramento: The CRA (Conservative Republican Assembly of California) voted to endorse Mitt Romney for President.

Next, on the most dangerous places to live...I have clients in Compton - I can't imagine how anywhere could be scarier!

I usually schedule in the morning and get out by noon if at all possible.

In Oakland, people smoke pot right on the street corner. The cops do nothing because I guess they are on their way to something worse. Thanks Jerry Brown... maybe he was smoking with them.

Now Brown is filing eco-lawsuits to stop development. (Thanks to Arnold signing the golbal warming bill...)

Evil Corporate News

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by Tina Grazier

We have been told that corporate greed is destroying America...even the world. PROFIT is the culprit...undeserved, over the top profit. The implication being that this ill-gotten money lines the pockets of CEO's and stock holders who use them to finance lavish lifestyles...fancy sports cars, yachts, mansions, vacations, ya da, ya da...

People who reach the pinnacle make very good money; Stockholders love to make money on their investment...and here comes the BUT:

US ahead as global R&D spending up 10% - By John Willman in London

Growth in spending on research and development by the world’s largest companies accelerated last year, according to the 2007 R&D Scoreboard published on Monday by the UK government. ** The scoreboard, the world’s most comprehensive R&D ranking, showed the US continuing to pull away from Europe and the rest of the world. Its largest companies boosted their R&D investment by 13.4 per cent to £98.6bn, 40 per cent of the global total.

Ohhh...so that's where the BIG corporate money goes...back into the business...back where it will ensure continuing viability in the marketplace...think of it as JOB security.

Great Marine Video

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I have it on good authority that this is "one of the most moving veterans videos" ever seen. Thanks should go out to W. Thomas Smith Jr. at the tank at NRO for the link.

Now...fly your flag, donate to a veterans support organization or cause and then...go thank a vet!!

20 Most Dangerous Places To Live

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U.S. cities rated for crime and California has three of the top 20 most dangerous places to live. For dangerous California cities under 250,000 in population, it's even more alarming because some of those places are even closer to us than Oakland or Richmond. When I say dangerous, this is relative to the number per capita in terms of rape, robbery, assault, murder, carjacking and burglary. And now here are the winners:

St. Louis, Missouri (Worst in US)
Detroit, Michigan
Flint, Michigan
Compton, California
Camden, New Jersey
Birmingham, Alabama
Cleveland, Ohio
Oakland, California
Youngstown, Ohio
Gary, Indiana
Richmond, California
Baltimore, Maryland
Memphis, Tennessee
Trenton, New Jersey
Richmond, Virginia
Kansas City, Missouri
Atlanta, Georgia
Cincinnati, Ohio
Washington, D.C.
North Charleston, South Carolina (20th worst)

Obama Accused of Not Saying Pledge - Hoax

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by Jack Lee

PH.jpg
There is an internet hoax going around that claims Obama (does that name remind you of anyone esle?) would not say the Pledge of Allegiance and there is a picture with Obama's hands folded in front of him while other politico's have their hands across their hearts. This was during the singing of the national anthem at a steak fry event. It would appear that protocol was violated by all the people, not just Obama, so it would appear this was just one of those photo's that somebody concluded shows him being anti-American. It was not true. I was fooled by this and in my haste to pass on something interesting I did the passing first and the checking second. My bad. For those that received the pic...uh, never mind.

Best Idea Yet

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neworleans.jpg

Political Endorsements, the Who, What and Why's

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by Jack Lee

ca.gifWould you like to continue wearing those rose colored glasses or do you want to hear the brutal truth about some of the most severe perversions of political endorsements?

If you haven't started to run away covering your ears and shouting nah-nah-nah-nah-I can't heaaarr youuuuuuuu… I'll presume you're up for the truth! Here goes:

When it comes to politics and especially at the fundamental level of candidates heavily backed by incumbents, their endorsements generally come with a heavy price tag. And therein boys and girls follows the mystery of ... what was just bought, what was just sold and what will be the cost to us, the taxpayers?

Uncle Jay Explains Congress - Hilarious!

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This is a must see video and it is so timely as our California lawmakers take a Hawaiian retreat to discuss "business" with lobbyist.Uncle Jay explains Congress! Hilarious.

Sarkozy Speaks to the US Congress

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Posted by Tina Grazier

If you have not heard or read the full speech to Congress made by the French president, Nicholas Sarkozy you missed something special. I’ll give you a taste but then you must go to IBD and read, “America Can Count On France.”

Friends may have differences; they may have disagreements; they may have disputes. But in times of difficulty, in times of hardship, friends stand together, side by side; they support each other; and help one another. In times of difficulty, in times of hardship, America and France have always stood side by side, supported one another, helped one another, fought for each other's freedom. *** The United States and France remain true to the memory of their common history, true to the blood spilled by their children in common battles. But they are not true merely to the memory of what they accomplished together in the past. They remain true, first and foremost, to the same ideal, the same principles, the same values that have always united them. *** From the very beginning, the American dream meant proving to all mankind that freedom, justice, human rights and democracy were no utopia but were rather the most realistic policy there is and the most likely to improve the fate of each and every person. *** America did not tell the millions of men and women who came from every country in the world and who — with their hands, their intelligence and their heart — built the greatest nation in the world: "Come, and everything will be given to you." She said: "Come, and the only limits to what you'll be able to achieve will be your own courage and your own talent."

All is not cozy with this American and Sarkozy, as you will see, but the context of his speech, friendship based on our mutual commitment to freedom and democracy, creates the basis for a lasting relationship.

Doolittle Update

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Doolittle, Inc., by Debra J. Saunders

The conservative Club for Growth recently issued a RePork Card to grade members' voting record on 50 bills designed to fight wasteful pork-barrel spending, known as earmarks. A "perfect 100 percent" went to 16 members, all Republicans, who voted against all 50 pork bills. Doolittle scored 2 percent. He voted against only one earmark. So when John Doolittle calls critics "weasels," I guess he figures that voters have a duty to pay for his pork -- and like it.

BIG Government Meddling

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by Tina Grazier

Legislation proposed to fix a mess created by past legislation will set the stage for the next mess and that will provide a new opportunity for some congress critter to step into the spotlight to “do something!” which will create yet another problem…and so it goes. Can America take much more of the constant meddling?

Today’s example comes to us from the Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal. The story, “A Sarbox for Housing-How to restrict lending to the poor for housing for years to come,” explores the current housing problem and the legislation that set the stage for it, plus a new proposed “fix” that will only lead to another debacle:

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, Congress prodded, even strong-armed, banks into making more mortgage loans to low-income and minority families. Washington enacted anti-discrimination and community lending laws with penalties against lenders for failing to issue riskier mortgages to homebuyers living in poor neighborhoods or with low down payments and subpar credit ratings. And so it was that the modern subprime mortgage market was born. ** Now, and for a variety of reasons, some two million of those loans have gone sour, and the same politicians are searching for villains. Leading the charge is House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, who is accusing banks of "predatory lending"--by which he means making loans to the very group of borrowers that Mr. Frank and his colleagues urged banks to serve.

This kind of government meddling and intrusion into private affairs is a nightmare that repeats and repeats with every passing decade. Instead of letting business operate, plan, and execute according to market forces and wise decision-making, the government jumps into the mix trying to control and direct business in a particular direction. The “fixes” are rarely intelligent or reasonable:

Mr. Frank's proposal is a trial lawyer's dream. It would forbid banks from signing up borrowers for "overly expensive loans"; require banks to make sure that the consumer has a "reasonable ability to repay the loan"; and insist that loans must be "solely in the best interest of the consumer." This kind of murky language would invite litigation from every borrower who misses a payment. If it becomes law we can expect to see billboards reading: "Behind on your mortgage? For relief, call 1-800-Sue-Your-Banker."

Murky language…yep, that’s the biggest wrench in the legislation meddlers tool box! Government is ridiculous.

Sen. Joe McCarthy, Ordinary American - Extraordinary Times

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by Jack Lee, a follow up to the PS story, "Was McCarthy right?" by Tina Grazier

“For meritorious and efficient performance of duty as an observer and rear gunner of a dive bomber attached to a Marine scout bombing squadron operating in the Solomon Islands area from September 1 to December 31, 1943. He participated in a large number of combat missions, and in addition to his regular duties, acted as aerial photographer. He obtained excellent photographs of enemy gun positions, despite intense anti-aircraft fire, thereby gaining valuable information which contributed materially to the success of subsequent strikes in the area. Although suffering from a severe leg injury, he refused to be hospitalized and continued to carry out his duties as Intelligence Officer in a highly efficient manner. His courageous devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service.” Presented to Capt. Joe McCarthy, USMC during WWII by Adm. Chester Nimitz.

That was then....this is now:

george.jpgJoe McCarthy was hounded and disparaged by the left as he tried to expose communist infiltration in the United States in 1953. The hatred and criticism of McCarthy was vile and unrelenting and continues to this day. He died an ostracized member of society with his character and patriotism impuned.

"With the opening of the KGB archives and the release of the VENONA intercepts - decoded Soviet KGB and GRU traffic - it has been proved that McCarthy was absolutely right about the extensive Soviet penetration of the U.S. government in all the most sensitive sections and its danger to America. According to the KGB archives the NKVD had 221 agents in the Roosevelt administration in April 1941 and the Soviet military GRU probably had a like number. He was proved right that the Communist Party, U.S.A., was an arm of the Soviet intelligence apparatus and the Soviet Union considered the US as their "main enemy." His liberal critics in academe and the mainstream media, who denied there was Communist subversion and made excuses for it, were proved absolutely wrong! This should have discredited the liberal ideology and those who mouthed it. Because the left had no answer or effective reply to the challenge McCarthy posed, they engaged in personal destruction - they smeared and demonized McCarthy because he was right."

At his memorial in 1957 Senate Chaplain Rev. Frederick Brown Harris said, "There he came, from the heartland of America, a tenacious and quite ordinary politician; and in a sudden and lasting moment of recognition, he saw the central truth of his age: that his country, his faith, his civilization was at war with communism, war pure and simple. 'This war will not end except in either victory or death for this civilization' he said again and again."(Willi Schlamm)..."And so this fallen warrior, though dead, speaketh, calling a nation of free men to be delivered from the complacency of a false security and from regarding those who loudly sound the trumpets of vigilance and alarm as mere disturbers of the peace."

Excerpts from, The Life and Times of Joseph McCarthy, Professor Thomas C. Reeves, 1997

1957 verses 2007, My How Times Have Changed (R-rated)

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Submitted by Murderpolice

Was Joe McCarthy Right?

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by Tina Grazier

M. Stanton Evans spent seven years of his life searching through never before seen documents and FBI files made available through the Freedom of Information Act to find out if the hated Joe McCarthy was indeed guilty of conducting a communist witch hunt. The result of his work is revealed in his new book, “Blacklisted by History” due to hit the bookstores this week. The author contends that penetration to our government by Communist Party members and sympathizers was extensive and McCarthy was “right on the essence of it and right on many (90%) of the cases.”

As with so many other things in American history I don’t expect this book will open or change the minds of those who defend communism…I just wish those who defend communism would pick a country, say Cuba?...Venezuela?...North Korea...(yeah!)…and go live there.

Not Fit for Education

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SCROLL TO END OF STORY FOR IMPORTANT UPDATE

“In God We Trust,” the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence may be found unsuitable in Bakersfield schools.
by Tina Grazier

Sometimes it feels like I’m in some wild and crazy dream...life in these United States is so very different from what it once was. How in the heck have we come to a place where the founding historical documents and official motto of our country are being considered for possible exclusion from the classrooms of our children’s schools? It’s unthinkable to me that an educatror could say something like the following:

Pirate Attacks

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The Associated Press - NAIROBI, Kenya - Somali pirates gave up control of two ships hijacked months earlier and U.S. Navy escorted the boats to safer waters Sunday as it stepped up efforts to bring security to the seas off the chaotic Horn of Africa nation.

The pirates climbed into small skiffs and headed back to Somalia after speaking by radio to U.S. naval personnel. A Navy ship and helicopter guided the South Korean-owned boats Mavuno 1 and 2 further out to sea.

It was the third time in a week the U.S. has intervened to help ships hijacked by Somali pirates. Sailors boarded a North Korean ship to give medical assistance to crew members who overpowered their hijackers, and a U.S. naval vessel fired on pirate skiffs tied to a Japanese-owned ship.

Pocket Taser Stun Gun Story (Rated R)

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Straw Poll in Assembly Race - Results

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by Jack Lee

Well the poll has been running for about 5 days and the results are Dan Logue is first, me second and Sue Horne is 3rd. At some point we have to call it and since we usually run a poll here for just a few days, this is close enough.
Considering the big names, money and endorsements I'm up against I think I did better than I had right to expect! Thank you for taking part.

Pakistan Teetering On the Brink of Civil War

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Above Top Secret...

by Jack Lee

Just when you thought it was safe to read the newspaper or listen to the news: Pakistan represents a new crisis for America, a second chance for the Taliban and a new mission for Al Qaeda.

lawyer.jpgAP- Police fired tear gas and clubbed lawyers protesting Monday against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule. The U.S. and other nations called for elections to be held on schedule and said they were reviewing aid to Pakistan.

Good News for Your Heart

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When you work up a sweat on the treadmill or stationary bike, it sparks the creation of new blood vessels in your heart. Essentially, if any part of your heart is damaged, exercise helps to heal it. No pills required.

That is the stunning finding from researchers at Leipzig University in Germany. The Associated Press reports that Dr. Robert Hollriegel determined in a small study of just 37 people that when those who had serious heart failure rode a bike for up to 30 minutes a day for four months, new stem cells were produced in their bones. In addition, they had more small blood vessels in their muscles. A control group of people who did not exercise had no change in their vessels or muscles.

Gores Investment Holdings

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Reveal his paper thin commitment to "saving the planet."
Posted by Tina Grazier

"Despite its widely publicized rhetoric, the Gore firm's stock portfolio looks to be that of an ordinary diversified mutual fund," said JunkScience.com publisher Steve Milloy. "If this is 'sustainable' investing, then it is a meaningless term," Milloy said. *** GIM, of which Al Gore is the chairman and founding partner, filed its Form 13F-Holdings report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 23, 2007. *** According to the report, GIM has $438 million invested in the following 22 companies: AFLAC, Amdocs, Autodesk, Becton Dickinson, Blackbaud, Donaldson Company, General Electric, Greenhill & Co., HDFC Bank, Johnson Controls, Laboratory Corporation of America, Metabolix, Millipore, Mueller Water Products, Northern Trust, Procter & Gamble, SPDR Trust, Staples, Techne Corp., UBS, Varian Medical Systems and Waters Corp. *** Al Gore says on the GIM web site that, "Integrating issues such as climate change into investment analysis is simply common sense." *** But with the exception of General Electric ─ which actively lobbies for global warming regulation while its stock significantly underperforms the broad stock market ─ GIM's portfolio doesn't seem to have anything to do with climate change. Notably absent from GIM's portfolio are energy and utility companies ─ even those that claim they will benefit from global warming regulation.

Our thanks to JunkScience.com for this information. Visit the website regularly for stories and information debunking the PC science view. You'll also find a link to Anthony's blog, "What's Up With That"...good going Anthony!

GIM's form 13F-Holdings Report may be viewed in pdf format:

http://www.junkscience.com/oct07/GIM_Holdings_102307.pdf.

Scaife Turns Left

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WorldNetDaily.com posted the story, "Dick Scaife no longer leading 'Clinton hater'" yesterday proving that politics is a very strange game of power and money.

WASHINGTON – When first lady Hillary Clinton famously lashed out at foes as a "vast, right-wing conspiracy," there was no question in the minds of Democrats as to who was directing it, funding it and pulling the strings.
It was Richard Mellon Scaife, an heir to fortunes made in banking, oil and aluminum who subsidized the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and underwrote countless conservative and Republican causes – including "the Arkansas Project," specifically designed to expose Clinton scandals. *** But that was then. This is now. *** Today, Dick Scaife has joined the anti-war movement, directing his newspaper in July to call for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, and watching another of his media prizes, NewsMax.com, embrace Clinton with a surprisingly friendly interview about his new book, "Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World." *** In the midst of a messy divorce from his wife, Ritchie, Dick Scaife stunned many in his own community of Pittsburgh by joining hands with Clinton, George Soros, Rep. Jack Murtha, Sen. John Kerry and other former political foes in anti-war activism.

Scaife's NewsMax, a popular and once enthusiastically pro-Republican news website co-owned with Christopher Ruddy, who famously investigated the mysterious death of Clinton's deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster and the strange death of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, also began attacking the war in Iraq following Scaife's personal metamorphosis. *** Whatever has caused the change in Scaife, it appears infectious. In an interview with Bill Clinton published in NewsMax, Ruddy has nothing but kind words for the "new Bill Clinton"

SOOEY!

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Even Cut 50 Percent, Earmarks Clog a Military Bill
New York Times, by Marilyn W Thompson, Ron Nixon

WASHINGTON — Even though members of Congress cut back their pork barrel spending this year, House lawmakers still tacked on to the military appropriations bill $1.8 billion to pay 580 private companies for projects the Pentagon did not request. Twenty-one members were responsible for about $1 billion in earmarks, or financing for pet projects, according to data lawmakers were required to disclose for the first time this year.

BIG OIL

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Here’s an interesting tidbit to chew on:

The Perils of Petrocracy
New York Times Magazine, by Tina Rosenberg

Who holds the world’s oil? You might assume it’s in the hands of big private oil companies like ExxonMobil. But in fact, 77 percent of the world’s oil reserves are held by national oil companies with no private equity, and there are 13 state-owned oil companies with more reserves than ExxonMobil, the largest multinational oil company. The popular perception in the United States is that if leaders of oil countries nationalize their oil, they are bucking a global trend toward privatization. In reality, nationalized oil is the trend.

So I guess BIG OIL is about 77% progressive!

A Green Bill Clinton Sidles Up To Big Business

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And liberals scheme to make us pay one way or another…
by Tina Grazier

Now and then, as I travel along the Al Gore Superhighway, I stumble upon two or more stories that converge. This particular meeting at the crossroads features Al’s favorite subject, “global warming.” Our journey will demonstrate the hypocrisy and misguided conceit of the liberal way.

Let’s begin with a few basics. It’s no secret that Al and friends in the liberal Democrat Party believe human beings, and specifically humans beings involved in the huge industrial complex, have caused global warming. It’s also widely understood that liberals despise big business and, in their heart of hearts, believe that all solutions come from government: government laws and regulations, and government programs funded by tax dollars…preferably from the rich. And finally, liberal democrats, progressives if you prefer, like to claim that everything they do is for the children, minorities, and the poor. These are the signposts to watch for today…I hope you enjoy the ride.

First stop is in the backyard of former U.S. president Bill Clinton, who, through his foundation, is teaming up with the widely despised corporate behemoth, Wal-Mart. Together these two giants of influence and industry have conspired to offer low cost green products to cities across our nation…one small step to save the world:

SEATTLE — Former President Bill Clinton told more than 100 mayors Thursday that stopping global warming depends on them demonstrating that it makes economic sense. He said his foundation is teaming up with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to save cities money on environmentally friendly supplies by buying in bulk. ** "We will not get a global agreement on climate change unless you can prove this is not a burden," he said. "This is the greatest opportunity we have had in our lifetimes." ** The Clinton Foundation has previously worked with 40 of the world's largest cities to create a buying pool to bring down prices for green supplies such as hybrid vehicles and more efficient street lights.

I don’t know about this being the “greatest opportunity” we’ve had in our lifetimes…there are some immediate concerns that might qualify as greater. Could it be Bill was thinking mostly of himself? He’s got to be a bit irked by now what with Al stealing the spotlight and winning worldwide fawning and favor in very splashy ways.

Clinton’s idea isn’t bad, in fact I like the basic private sector solution. One question immediately comes to mind, however. How will cities that have spurned the building of Wal-Mart stores in their communities now go about back peddling and sucking up in order to benefit from the great deals offered by the BIG president they adore... and the BIG business they hate? And how do they square this with unions that are wondering why Bill Clinton didn’t work through Costco or Safeway? I guess as long as it’s this liberal (Clinton) that holds the hero’s seat all will be temporarily forgiven.

Our second stop along the superhighway takes us to the U.S. Senate where a committee is putting together a bill that demands certain ecological standards…whether or not these standards can actually be met and whether or not they fit into budgets and workable plans. The most important thing is that the senators look good to their constituents who expect solutions by government decree:

Media Bias Confirmed!

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Even Harvard Finds The Media Biased
Investor's Business Daily, by Editorial Staff

Journalism: The debate is over. A consensus has been reached. On global warming? No, on how Democrats are favored on television, radio and in the newspapers. Just like so many reports before it, a joint survey by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and Harvard's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy — hardly a bastion of conservative orthodoxy — found that in covering the current presidential race, the media are sympathetic to Democrats and hostile to Republicans.

Scalia on the Constitution

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Posted by Tina Grazier

“An originalist is someone who adheres to the text of the Constitution, but — more importantly — gives the text the meaning that it had when the American people adopted it,” he said. “It is such a minority view currently that people sometimes come up to me and say, ‘Justice Scalia, when did you first become an originalist?’ This is some kind of weird affliction, like ‘When did you start eating human flesh?’” ** “Originalism used to be orthodoxy,” Scalia said. “Nobody ever thought the Constitution morphed. If you had told [19th-century Associate Justice] Joseph Story that what it means is going to change from decade to decade on the basis of whatever five out of nine justices on the Supreme Court think it ought to mean, he would have been uncomprehending.”

Scalia made these remarks after receiving the Helms Center Foundation’s James W. Nance Medal of Freedom. That award is presented each year to “that individual in government who best exemplifies a devotion to public service and the protection of the nation’s foundational values,” according to a Helms Center news release.

Find more of Scalia's thoughts HERE.

SoCal Fire Had Adequate Military Personnel

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by Jack Lee

There has been some criticism that California's joint military forces were too depleted by demands in Iraq to adequately respond to the fires in SoCal. Let me assure you, this just is not true. About 16% of our total force was deployed (State Active Duty) and that was all that was requested or needed. This number included air and ground units. There was an abundance of personnel in reserve that could have handled multiple emergency situations.