Posted by Tina

As we head into the election season it would be smart to keep in mind the motivations behind the ideas and utterings of our progressive friends. I decided it might be of interest to consider the definition of a word. This is a word that is at the heart of progressive thought. It lays the foundation for progressive policy. Get to know this word so that when you hear the lovely promises of hope and change you will not be fooled by the pretty sounding words. The real objective is:

collectivism:

1 a : a politico-economic system characterized by collective control especially over production and distribution of goods and services in contrast to free enterprise *forces that have led to individualism have in the last fifty years been successfully opposed by the forces of collectivism— M.R.Cohen* b : extreme control of the economic, political, and social life of its subjects by an authoritarian state (as under communism or fascism) c : a doctrine or system that makes the group or the state actively responsible for the social and economic welfare of its members

2 : a social theory or doctrine that emphasizes the importance of the collective (as the society or state) in contrast to the individual and that tends to analyze society in terms of collective behavior

Pay attention as you hear the candidates speak of their plans for America...vote wisely in November.

Posted by Tina

Chicago - Wheat plunged the most in 10 weeks after a government report showed U.S. growers seeded more acres with spring crops to take advantage of prices that rallied to a record this year. - AP

MORE WHEAT = LOWER PRICES

Gee, do you suppose it might work for oil?

Hmmmm…Meanwhile:

House Democrats will use a President Bush impersonator in a new radio advertising campaign that seeks to link 13 incumbent Republicans to rising gas prices as the country heads into the Fourth of July holiday. CNS News

Their claim is as phony as their ad's messenger.

Posted by Tina

by Tina Grazier

The Democrat Convention will be held in Denver this year. It’s entirely possible it will either become a spinning carnival act…or a riot zone. The feudin’ and fightin’ has apparently already begun:

“DNCprotests will be behind fence,” by Felisa Cardona – The Denver Post

The fence around the public demonstration zone outside the Democratic National Convention will be chicken wire or chain link, authorities revealed in U.S. District Court today. *** But the American Civil Liberties Union and several advocacy groups have filed an amended complaint to their lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service and the city and county of Denver that says protestors and demonstrators may have their First Amendment rights violated by security restrictions. *** The ACLU has said it wants to avoid the conditions that existed during the 2004 convention in Boston, where protesters were caged, infuriating First Amendment advocates.

Democrats once again demonstrate their own incredibly hypocritical attitudes. Protest is good…“it’s free speech man”…apparently not! Not when Dem elites are the target.

Thanks is never enough but they might appreciate hearing it anyway.

Sang Kim with Butte County says Las Plumas High School and The Neighborhood Church in Chico will be closed as shelters. He says the two sites will remain on standby in the event that an immediate threat evacuation advisory is issued. *** Fire officials are asking that as July 4th approaches citizens exercise extra caution to prevent new fires. Citizens should be aware of any legal fire restrictions and regulations in their area. *** As a result of poor visibility due to smoke and the increased volume of emergency vehicles on the roadways citizens are asked to use diligence and caution when traveling throughout the affected areas. *** Officials would like to thank the residents for their continued cooperation and preparedness during this natural disaster. Residents should remain aware of the situation.

Fire Update courtesy of KPAY

Breaking News...this just in from Nick Freitas: The ultra-new conflict resolution method known as "Flame Out" has been suggested to ensure a peaceful end to the current crisis in California

Several liberal activist groups have opposed "fighting" the fires. Apparently fighting is not the answer and will only perpetuate more "fire fighting". *** The groups have called for more dialog with the fires in order to arrive at a peaceful solution.

“Emergency Fire Conflict Resolutionists” are being jet-setted in by Al Gore who has generously agreed to shoulder the burden of carbon credit costs with Guvna Awnuld.

Special note to Nick, I've heard this program always brings firefighters home...is that true?

Posted by Tina

Keep your eye on Bobby Jindal! He’s the very successful Republican governor of Louisiana who has gained the attention of his party in recent months by governing with courage, integrity and a steady conservative hand:

BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal announced today that he has vetoed the legislative pay raise. *** Lawmakers in the most recent session voted to raise their annual base salary from $16,800 to $37,500. The raise was to go into effect Tuesday. - Times-Picayune

Posted by Tina

As promised the following are excerpts from the opinion by Justice Scalia on the right to keep and bear arms:

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ET AL., PETITIONERS v. DICK ANTHONY HELLER
ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT

JUSTICE SCALIA delivered the opinion of the Court.

We consider whether a District of Columbia prohibition on the possession of usable handguns in the home violates the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

The Second Amendment provides: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed.”

Posted by Tina

“Justices for Free Speech” Wall Street Journal

In Davis v. FEC, a 5-4 majority overturned a portion of the 2002 McCain-Feingold law that exempted the political opponents of rich candidates from the usual fund-raising limits in order to "level the playing field. ** Millionaires had to report expenditures within 24 hours, while their opponents were allowed greater coordination with political parties and could raise three times the usual $2,300 limit on individual contributions. ** Reformers justify the special rules for millionaires by crying fairness – an argument that Justice Samuel Alito dispatched in his majority opinion. ** "The argument that a candidate's speech may be restricted in order to 'level electoral opportunities' has ominous implications," he wrote, and is "antithetical to the First Amendment." ** If Congress can massage the rules to level the playing field for candidates of differing personal means, what's to stop Congress from doing it for other reasons and in other ways? Some candidates are celebrities, others have famous political names, and still others may be adored by the local newspaper. Should Congress level the field for their opponents too? No prior Court opinions, Justice Alito added, support the notion that reducing the "natural advantage" of rich candidates is a legitimate government objective.

Posted by Tina

Wow!!!

Polls usually don’t impress me all that much. Although the thought that they are sometimes (often!) used to drive the news can be troubling. The results of this poll, however, knocked my socks off…because...the numbers are staggering:

“Gallup: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Conservative Economic Policies,” by Patrick Casey – American Thinker

As the GOP in Congress appears about to be taking an "every man for himself" strategy for the fall elections, Gallup has just given the Republicans another gift (Americans Oppose Income Redistribution to Fix Economy). (Snip) The numbers in this poll are staggering. Overall, Americans are against the core principle behind Barack Obama's domestic economic policy -- income redistribution -- by an astounding 84% to 13%. Republicans oppose it 90%-9%, Independents oppose it 85% to 13%, and even Democrats oppose it 77% to 19%. ** To give you an idea of how important even Gallup thinks this poll is, the explanatory narrative that goes along with the results were written by Dennis Jacobe, Gallup's Chief Economist: PRINCETON, NJ -- When given a choice about how government should address the numerous economic difficulties facing today's consumer, Americans overwhelmingly -- by 84% to 13% -- prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Americans.

Note: Gallup has been the favorite pollster of the Dem Party for decades according to Mr. Casey.

Posted by Tina

I hope you’ll take a gander at the following story in the New York Post. I’ve posted one of the lies and rebuttals just ‘cause it’s so darned good!

“Liars Round-up on Security, Facts Matter,” by Ralph Peters

Whopper No. 6: As president, Barack Obama would bring positive change to our foreign policy - and John McCain's too old to get it. ** Hmm: Take a gander at Obama's senior foreign-policy advisers: Madeleine Albright (71), Warren Christopher (82), Anthony Lake (69), Lee Hamilton (77), Richard Clarke (57) . . .If you added up their ages and fed the number into a time-machine, you'd land in Europe in the middle of the Black Death. ** More important: These are the people whose watch saw the first attack on the World Trade Center, Mogadishu, Rwanda, the Srebrenica massacre, a pass for the Russians on Chechnya, the Khobar Towers bombing, the attacks on our embassies in Africa, the near-sinking of the USS Cole - oh, and the US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. ** Their legacy climaxed on 9/11. You couldn't assemble a team in Washington with more strategic failures to its credit.