Lincoln & Liberty

Does Iowa Matter?

2008-01-03T14:16:00.000-06:00

Iowa and New Hampshire are invested by the media with far more importance than they actually possess. As Bill Clinton reminds us, he didn't win a primary until Georgia. And don't forget, the primaries only elect delegates to the party's national convention--the race doesn't end until the roll call on the convention floor. For the Democrats, that's August 25-28 in Denver; for the Republicans, September 1-4 in Minneapolis. The journey only begins today.

Loyalty Oaths?

2008-01-03T14:14:00.000-06:00

The Texas Democratic Party is not allowing Dennis Kucinich on the primary ballot because he scratched out a "loyalty oath" on the application. Kucinich is suing.

Fearmongering

2008-01-03T11:54:00.000-06:00

Rudy's latest is way over the top. Via Rod Dreher.

The Constitution

2008-01-02T21:46:00.001-06:00

In the aftermath of the American Revolution, our founding fathers sought to enshrine the lessons they learned in their recent past, and the hopes they shared for their children’s futures, in a Constitution. Having rebelled against tyranny, they wanted to ensure that tyranny would not rise in this nation. The Constitution they crafted was a compromise, to be sure--some of its weaknesses were soon corrected with the adoption of the Bill of Rights. The Constitution assumed the existence of slavery, as many of the writers profited from that system, but the insights they there sketched regarding political principles necessary to preserve freedom provided the basis for the ultimate elimination of the slave system in the 19th century and for the spread of civil rights in the 20th. While William Lloyd Garrison had deemed the Constitution a “covenant with hell” for not condemning Southern slavery, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other lovers of liberty had a broader vision and a deeper intuition, and found in the Constitution all they needed to let freedom ring more clearly.

The Constitution has been much battered over the decades, however, by some styling themselves to be patriots, who are in fact simply cowards and opportunists. Times of crises lead them to advocate extreme measures; they convince many that it is necessary to limit freedom for some to preserve it for others. In the aftermath of such crises we invariably share a collective shame at our gullibility, and at the acts that were done in the name of defending liberty. Few, however, are the courageous men who will stridently remind us of our founding principles when our passions are roused against real or imagined enemies. Few are the men who will stand on principle instead of counting real or imagined votes.

As I look at the candidates today of both parties, I see only one man who has had the courage to consistently and firmly stand for the principles of the U.S. Constitution and articulate those principles in his stump speeches and in debates. I see only one man affirming the plain reading of the Constitution on subjects such as whether the President can go to war without a declaration of Congress, whether we should torture, and whether separation of church and state is a good thing.

I believe our freedom can only be preserved by being constantly reminded of the jots and tittles of the Constitution. That’s why I’m supporting Congressman Ron Paul of Texas.

The Myth of Democracy in America

2008-01-01T10:29:00.001-06:00

Do you believe we have democracy? Consider this further evidence of the role the media plays in making sure we only get to hear some viewpoints. I'd say we have a Mediocracy--hence the mediocrity.

Defeat Chuck Rosenthal!

2007-12-30T22:08:00.000-06:00

Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal is under fire, and having meetings with GOP leaders, in the wake of the revelation of some e-mails between him and his secretary. Rosenthal says he's still running for re-election. The GOP is embarrassed, but no word yet on what they are recommending.

I say it is time for Rosenthal to be defeated. And not simply because of his sexual misconduct, but also, and more importantly, for his running of the DA's office. Chuck can be thanked for an office that is bureaucratic, lacking compassion, and which prides itself on the death sentences it obtains. We need a DA who is fair, who is reasonable, and who will clean house. It's time for Chuck to go.

Update January 2: The GOP withdrew their endorsement from him, and Chuck had the sense to withdraw from the race.

Houston HPD vs. Fire Dept.?

2007-12-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

ABC 13 reports some kind of altercation between a Fire Department paramedic and police at an accident scene. Sounds like police were interfering in his treatment of the accident victim. Fire Department statement says they are sure their man will be exonerated of any wrong doing. Both departments are investigating.

Police Brutality

2007-12-27T19:36:00.000-06:00

It was clearly a case of unjustified police brutality when Daytona Beach cop Claudia Wright tasered Elizabeth Beeland at Best Buy for being "verbally profane, abusive, loud and irate." None of those things is a crime, as the editors of the Daytona Beach News-Journal rightly point out. This is a case of a cop not knowing any other solution to dealing with the public than violence--in a department where the chief thinks anyone who questions a cop is a "scumbag." The department is in major need of overhaul and reeducation on civil liberties.

Cop Tasers Shopper at Best Buy

2007-12-21T17:03:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth Beeland had the common sense to step outside of Best Buy to talk on a cell phone rather than to annoy people inside the store. But she stepped away from her credit card, leading the store employees to accuse her of using a fraudulent card. A police officer belligerently confronted her, causing her to react with outrage. But all she did was yell at the cop. The cop tasered her. Story; another; MSNBC. Amnesty International and ACLU are on the case. It is no crime to yell at a cop--that's covered by the First Amendment.

10 Year Old Arrested for Knife at School ...

2007-12-17T13:57:00.001-06:00

In Ocala, FL, a ten year old was arrested for having a knife at school. And what was she doing with it? She was cutting her food at lunch time. Her parents gave her steak. She brought a steak knife to school. She's now facing felony charges for having a "weapon." Another story.

Cops and Tasers

2007-12-05T10:09:00.000-06:00

Utah newspaper editorial on the egregious actions of Trooper John Gardner.

"Too Moralistic"?

2007-12-05T07:03:00.000-06:00

PowerLine blog denounces Mike Huckabee as "moralistic" for wanting to adhere to human rights conventions and basic decency--not to mention the Constitution--when it comes to torture.

Parallel Universes

2007-12-04T21:19:00.000-06:00

National intelligence estimate says Iran isn't a nuclear threat; Bush says that despite the report, Iran remains a nuclear threat.

Repression in Gwinnett County

2007-12-04T14:55:00.000-06:00

Don't they require police to be familiar with the Constitution? A cop arrested a man at the Mall of Georgia because of anti-abortion posters on his truck. Fortunately, the DA's office was familiar with the Constitution, and is dropping the case.

Deaf Man Tasered in His Own Bathroom

2007-12-04T11:14:00.000-06:00

Wichita Police busted in on Donnell Williams, who was getting out of the bathtub holding onto a towel. He's deaf, told them he couldn't hear. They were too busy screaming at him, and ignored his statements, and tasered him. Then they apologized. They were responding to a false call of a shooting.

The Democrats and the Unions

2007-11-28T21:22:00.001-06:00

The American people won't be able to hear the Democratic candidates debate in Los Angeles on December 10 because the Democratic candidates won't cross a picket line to go into a studio. Who's more important to them, the American public or the unions? Look for the union label.

Giuliani's Cronyism

2007-11-27T12:15:00.000-06:00

It may be the New York way--stick by your cronies, no matter what they do, put them in positions of patronage and power, defend them against any charge of corruption.

But we don't need it in the White House, Mr. Giuliani.

Bernard Kerik was one example--he was Giuliani's driver, and was rewarded for his loyalty by being named Police Commissioner. This was but one of many patronage jobs he was given. Jonathan Alter speaks of this in the lastest Newsweek:

The Kerik-Giuliani relationship was described by Kerik himself in his memoirs (edited by Regan) as something out of "The Godfather." After each of Giuliani's cronies kissed him one by one in a darkened room, he realized: "I was being made. I was now part of the Giuliani family, getting the endorsement of the other family members, the other capos."

How else to explain how Kerik, who was known by Giuliani to have shady connections (he was briefed), was made police commissioner and then pushed forward in 2004 by Giuliani to handle what the candidate calls the president's most critical function—homeland security? When his nomination was withdrawn, the explanation was a "nanny problem." In fact, Kerik was embroiled in several scandals, at least a few of which had to be known by his fellow capos. Even now, Rudy praises him. Loyalists are loyal to the idea of loyalty. Be sure of this: President Giuliani would bring more of the same.

See also this article from the November 24 Washington Post.

Now, Andrew Sullivan draws attention to a member of the Giuliani camp who the mainstream media is continuing to ignore--Msgr. Alan Placa, a childhood friend who is on Giuliani's payroll, and under suspension from the Diocese of Rockville Center because of accusations of child abuse.

Sullivan links to a commentary by Deal Hudson (and an update from Deal).

Since 2002, Msgr. Alan Placa has worked for Rudy Giuliani as a consultant at Giuliani Partners. In 2003 a grand jury report of Suffolk County, NY, accused Placa of sexually abusing multiple victims.

A spokeswoman for Giuliani Partners told Salon Magazine that the former New York City mayor believes Placa was "unjustly accused." The grand jury report contains accusations from three alleged victims, including two children (Placa is named as "Priest F" in the report.) According to testimony before the grand jury, "Everyone in the school knew to stay away from Priest F."

Placa has been suspended from his priestly duties for the past five years. He is "priest in residence" at St. Aloysius Church in Great Neck, NY. The pastor, Msgr. Brendan Riordan, is a close friend. In fact, Placa and Riordan co-own a penthouse apartment in Manhattan. The $555,000 apartment is one of six properties the two priests have owned together since the late 1980s. ...

Monsignor Riordan himself was named in a sex abuse lawsuit against the Diocese of Worcester, MA; it was settled in the 1990s. [Why hasn't he been suspended?] ....

During the 1980s, Placa was the legal advisor to the House of Affirmation in Worchester, MA, which offered counseling services to priests accused of sexual abuse. One person who worked at this facility called it a "pedophile boot camp." An abuse victim referred to it as a "breeding ground for sexual predators."

Riordan was the director of the House of Affirmation, which was founded by Fr. Thomas Kane. Kane sold some of those properties to them--properties which may have been purchased with money Kane embezzled from House of Affirmation. Why is Riordan still in place as pastor, one wonders, despite the fact that his diocese settled a child abuse complaint? Why does his webpage list "Rev. Msgr. Alan J. Placa" as "in residence," when Placa is suspended, and is not to be performing priestly duties?

The Suffolk Grand Jury report concludes, "Ironically, Priest F [Placa] would later become instrumental in the development of Diocesan policy in response to allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests."

Sullivan concludes:

One simple question: why has the press not pursued this story more aggressively? Nothing quite highlights Giuliani's blindness toward friends and cronies like this story. That Giuliani is still paying the guy a salary long after these serious accusations became public boggles the mind. It speaks to an arrogance, flawed judgment and personal contempt for the law that should disqualify Giuliani from any serious aspiration to the presidency.

Kafkaesque

2007-11-24T17:23:00.000-06:00

AP Chief Slams Case against Photographer.

The U.S. military's plan to seek a criminal case against an Associated Press photographer in Iraq without disclosing the charges or evidence against him makes a mockery of American democratic principles, AP President and CEO Tom Curley said Saturday.
"This is a poor example—and not the first of its kind—of the way our government honors the democratic principles and values it says it wants to share with the Iraqi people," Curley said in a column in The Washington Post.

Houston Police Secretly Test Drones

2007-11-23T11:39:00.000-06:00

Test discovered by channel 2 investigators.

Police Out of Control

2007-11-21T16:27:00.000-06:00

Video of a cop out of control in Utah.

Boston Police Seek to Circumvent Constitution

2007-11-17T14:40:00.000-06:00

Freedom Watch--Boston. Boston Police don't like having to follow the details of the Constitution, so they're looking for ways around its prohibition of unreasonable search and seizure.

The History of Water Torture

2007-11-16T09:52:00.000-06:00

NPR looks at the history of water torture--yes, torture is the word to use. It was the word used in the war crimes trials against Japanese military leaders following WW2. They were convicted for it. In 1983 a Texas sheriff was convicted for using it to extract confessions. Mirror of Justice comments (and points to another site with information about the technique), as does Mark Shea. Washington Post also gives some history. Andrew Sullivan on the contemporary defense of torture by some "conservatives."

Republicans must take a stand on this--against the leadership of the party. We must stand for liberty and for human dignity, regardless of the stands any of our enemies may take.

We either stand for the principles upon which this country was founded--or the American experiment is over.

Eroding Your Rights

2007-11-15T16:17:00.001-06:00

Andrew Sullivan notes (citing QuizLaw, which in turn cites theNewspaper.com) that more cities are eliminating your right to contest a parking ticket. In Massachusetts, you must pay a non-refundable $275 fee to have your day in court--non-refundable even if you are found not liable. Citizens are now to be completely helpless before flagrant abuses of power such as this.

Common Sense (and Respect for Law) in Florida

2007-11-15T11:38:00.000-06:00

Back on October 23, a Miami reporter, Jeff Weinsier, was arrested while covering a story. A cop ordered him off a public sidewalk--and arrested him when he came back onto it (after consulting with his editor). A video shows it all. After arresting him, they found he had a gun on him (for which he had a permit).

All charges have been dropped by a district attorney who knew the law, and knew the cops had acted illegally.

Death by Taser in Canada

2007-11-15T09:21:00.000-06:00

A Polish immigrant was acting strangely at an airport. Police moved in; they didn't try to find a way to communicate with him, nor did they try alternative methods. They went first to the taser--and killed him with it.

Why We Broke with Britain

2007-11-15T09:06:00.000-06:00

Yes, the United Kingdom is one of our global allies--but that doesn't mean we must like everything they do or try to pretend the reasons that led to our independence don't still exist.

Looking at Britain can remind us, in fact, of why we have the Constitutional protections we do.

There response to terror is chilling.

They're going to have random searches--including physical searches of your person--on trains.

You won't be able to enter or leave their country without answering 53 invasive questions.

By 2014 every one of the predicted 305 million passenger journeys in and out of the UK will be logged, with details stored about the passenger on every trip.
The scheme will apply to every way of leaving the country, whether by ferry, plane, or small aircraft. It would apply to a family having a day out in France by Eurotunnel, and even to a yachtsman leaving British waters during the day and returning to shore.
The measure applies equally to UK residents going abroad and foreigners travelling here.

The information will be stored for as long as the authorities believe it is useful, allowing them to build a complete picture of where a person has been over their lifetime, how they paid and the contact numbers of who they stayed with.

How to prevent such authoritarianism here? It's simple: remember what our Constitution stands for, honor it, and protect the freedoms it guarantees.

Unreasonable Seizure

2007-11-14T22:27:00.000-06:00

Yes, Ken Lay was a crook. But his conviction was thrown out since he died in the appeal process. Nevertheless, the government is seeking to punish his wife by seizing property--and doing so by making a claim of money laundering, something with which he was never charged. A federal judge, assuming he must be guilty of something, is letting the action go forward.

This is surely unreasonable seizure. Our constitutional protections are no longer worth the paper they're printed on.

Ron Paul Campaign Responds to Critic

2007-11-13T14:28:00.001-06:00

One of Ron Paul's staff has responded to criticisms by a blogger. Problem: "Stormfront," a neo-Nazi site, links to Ron Paul's site. The editor gave Paul $500 (one of tens of thousands of people who have done so).

That blogger thinks Ron Paul's people should prevent "Stormfront" from linking to their webpage. How can you do that? That's what the internet is about--you link to lots of folks, and lots of folks link to you. Does everyone who links to me agree with me? No. Does everyone I link to agree with me? Of course not.

Ron Paul supports the U.S. Constition and its freedoms. "Stormfront" doesn't. Should Ron Paul send back their money, or use it to further articulate his ideas of the Constitution and freedom? Should he complain that they're paying for him to promote ideas that undermine their ideology?

JTA Editor Calls out a Colleague

2007-11-13T14:13:00.000-06:00

Andrew Sullivan posts a letter from JTA Washington Bureau Chief, Ron Kampeas.

This is kind of sensitive for me. My colleague, Daniel Sieradski, posted the "takes money from Nazis, won't take calls from Jews" comment on his personal blog. On the other hand, he describes his exchanges with the Paul campaign in his capacity as a JTA staffer.

The problem with all this, is that the Paul campaign WAS responsive, giving my intern here, Beth Young, an exclusive statement on where Paul stands on Israel for a story we posted yesterday (the day Dan posted his blog item.) (I have no idea why Dan was pursuing his own story when he should have known DC was pursuing a story, but that's a boring internal JTA matter.)

I pointed this out to my boss, asking her the best way to address the anomaly; she suggested (and I think this is wisest), that I simply point out that Dan's blog posting is wrong, Paul does talk to the JTA - and point out Beth's story.

Which is what I'm doing.

Andrew Sullivan on Ron Paul

2007-11-13T14:11:00.001-06:00

Andrew Sullivan responds to a sudden crop of liberal articles that are trying to make it appear that Ron Paul is some kind of Nazi.

Perspective

2007-11-09T10:24:00.001-06:00

Big uproar in the media about whether or not Hillary Clinton left a tip.

The stiffed waitress tells the media: Get a life.

“You people are really nuts,” she told a reporter during a phone interview. “There’s kids dying in the war, the price of oil right now — there’s better things in this world to be thinking about than who served Hillary Clinton at Maid-Rite and who got a tip and who didn’t get a tip.”

Bush's Hypocrisy

2007-11-09T09:01:00.000-06:00

Bush got us into a lengthy war in Iraq because he wanted to spread democracy. Yet one of his most important allies has been Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister and critic of the present administration is now under house arrest for criticizing Musharraf's suspension of the constitution. So much for democracy in Pakistan--so much for American consistency.

I was listening to "All Things Considered" last night and was surprised--but not so surprised--to hear one of Musharraf's advisors, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, who helped write Pakistan's constitution, excuse Musharraf's undemocratic ways by saying, "We learned it from you. You taught us that rights could be suspended to protect society. That's what you did after 9-11." Jonathan Diamond comments at Huffington Post and calls this, "Chickens Coming Home to Roost."

Ron Paul on Patriotism

2007-11-08T07:36:00.000-06:00

Ron Paul, speaking to the House of Representatives on May 22, 2007 (via Rod Dreher):

The original American patriots were those individuals brave enough to resist with force the oppressive power of King George. I accept the definition of patriotism as that effort to resist oppressive state power.

The true patriot is motivated by a sense of responsibility and out of self-interest for himself, his family, and the future of his country to resist government abuse of power. He rejects the notion that patriotism means obedience to the state. Resistance need not be violent, but the civil disobedience that might be required involves confrontation with the state and invites possible imprisonment. ...

The true patriot challenges the state when the state embarks on enhancing its power at the expense of the individual. Without a better understanding and a greater determination to rein in the state, the rights of Americans that resulted from the revolutionary break from the British and the writing of the Constitution will disappear. ...

The American Republic is in remnant status. The stage is set for our country eventually devolving into a military dictatorship, and few seem to care. These precedent-setting changes in the law are extremely dangerous and will change American jurisprudence forever if not revised. The beneficial results of our revolt against the King's abuses are about to be eliminated, and few Members of Congress and few Americans are aware of the seriousness of the situation. Complacency and fear drive our legislation without any serious objection by our elected leaders. Sadly, though, those few who do object to this self-evident trend away from personal liberty and empire-building overseas are portrayed as unpatriotic and uncaring. ...

Time is short, but our course of action should be clear. Resistance to illegal and unconstitutional usurpation of our rights is required. Each of us must choose which course of action we should take: education, conventional political action, or even peaceful civil disobedience to bring about necessary changes.

But let it not be said that we did nothing. Let not those who love the power of the welfare/warfare state label the dissenters of authoritarianism as unpatriotic or uncaring. Patriotism is more closely linked to dissent than it is to conformity and a blind desire for safety and security. Understanding the magnificent rewards of a free society makes us unbashful in its promotion, fully realizing that maximum wealth is created and the greatest chance for peace comes from a society respectful of individual liberty.

Pragmatics over Principle

2007-11-07T09:54:00.000-06:00

What is Pat Robertson thinking? Today he endorsed Rudy Giuliani, ignoring Giuliani's pro-abortion and pro-homosexual stand. The main issue, he says, is the fight against "Islamic terrorism." After that, budget issues and the selection of Supreme Court justices. No word at all about moral issues, which once took first place for Robertson. The only thing that matters for Robertson, in this announcement, are "conservative" fiscal issues.

Not that today's announcement was a real surprise--Robertson has been praising Giuliani for some time.

Will this translate into automatic evangelical support? I don't think so. I don't think Robertson has that kind of influence. But it may be an indicator of how other evangelicals may be thinking--perhaps the allure for power, and the uncritical support for American strength, may triumph over concern for the weak.

Update: Rod Dreher comments.

All the Media's Men

2007-10-15T23:47:00.000-05:00

The mainstream media want to create the news, not report it. They want to be the kingmakers, and want to deny the voters a choice. Thus, long before a single vote has been counted, they speak of "frontrunners."

Case in point, the Nevada straw poll. MSNBC tells you in a headline that Romney lost--and they mention him eight times in the article. Meanwhile, the winner, who got 33% of the vote, twice that of his nearest rival, is not mentioned in the headline, and is mentioned only twice in the article. Read the comments.

So, why doesn't the mainstream media like Ron Paul?

"It's the Constitution, Stupid!"

2007-10-10T16:29:00.000-05:00

Mark Shea links to this exchange in last night's GOP debate (full transcript), over the question, "Does the President need to wait for Congress to declare war?"

Mitt Romney:

"We’re going to let the lawyers sort out what he needed to do and didn’t need to do."

Ron Paul:

"This idea of going and talking to attorneys totally baffles me. You're not allowed to go to war without a declaration of war. It's in the constitution. This is just war propaganda ... preparing the nation to go to the war not only into Iraq but also into Iran."

John Nichols at the Chicago Sun-Times calls Romney's take "the Alberto Gonzales approach to the system of checks and balances" Nichols gives us a fuller sense of the context:

The question in Tuesday's Republican presidential debate in Michigan came from MSNBC host Chris Matthews, who asked, "Governor Romney... if you were president of the United States, would you need to go to Congress to get authorization to take military action against Iran's nuclear facilities?"

Romney responded, "You sit down with your attorneys and (they) tell you what you have to do. But obviously the president of the United States has to do what's in the best interest of the United States to protect us against a potential threat. The president did that as he was planning on moving into Iraq and received the authorization of Congress..."

Matthews interjected: "Did (President Bush) need (a go-ahead from Congress)?"

"You know," Romney replied, "we're going to let the lawyers sort out what he needed to do and what he didn't need to do."

Most of the other GOP contenders paid at least a measure of lip service to Constitutional niceties, with Arizona Senator John McCain and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson displaying relative respect for the separation of powers while former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee adopted the mad-bomber line.

When all was said and done, however, only Texas Congressman Ron Paul actually challenged Romney's disregard of the essential document.

Matthews asked, "Congressman Paul, do you believe the President needs authorization of Congress to attack strategic targets in Iran, nuclear facilities?"

"Absolutely," said Paul, who in 2002 was one of six House Republicans to vote against authorizing Bush to attack Iraq. "This idea of going and talking to attorneys totally baffles me. Why don't we just open up the Constitution and read it? You're not allowed to go to war without a declaration of war."

Paul went on to dismiss the whole notion that Iran poses a threat to the US. "The thought that the Iranians could pose an imminent attack on the United States is preposterous. There's no way. This is just... war propaganda, continued war propaganda, preparing this nation to go to war and spread this war not only in Iraq, but into Iran, unconstitutionally. It is a road to disaster for us as a nation. It's a road to our financial disaster if we don't read the Constitution once in a while."

Imagine that--a presidential candidate who reads the Constitution! This was a defining moment in the debates, I think. But AP didn't even notice.

But regardless of the media's attention or not to substantive issues, this was the deciding moment for me. Ron Paul for President!

Edwards a Phony

2007-08-07T07:55:00.000-05:00

SC editor: "Why I See John Edwards as a Big Phony."

A Study in Contrasts

2007-07-03T07:40:00.001-05:00

Scooter Libby, convicted of a federal felony for perjury and obstruction of justice, receives a “Get out of Jail Free” card from George W. and will serve no jail time.

Chaplain (CPT) James Yee, convicted of no crime, spent 76 days in solitary confinement for merely doing his duty as a chaplain before all charges were dropped.

Update: Johnny on another contrast. Rod Dreher adds:

What a difference the Bush administration has made to the Republican Party. The party’s reputation for fiscal responsibility is shot. It’s reputation for foreign-policy acumen is gone. And now, it’s the soft-on-crime party — provided, of course, that the criminal is a Bush crony.

This commutation is a sign that Bush just doesn’t care anymore. He’s got nothing left. …

Think about it: Paris Hilton did more time in the slammer than Scooter Libby. What a legacy George W. Bush has left us…

Hillary

2007-03-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

Hillary declares: "I do not think homosexuality is immoral." Barack agrees, "I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral." I'm glad they are honest about their beliefs.

From the Republican Party of Texas

2007-02-05T21:33:00.000-06:00

Fellow Republicans,

On Friday, a controversial executive order was issued by the Governor’s Office mandating all girls be vaccinated for the sexually transmitted Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) prior to entering the sixth grade, starting in September of 2008. As RPT Chairman and Vice-Chairman, we strongly urge Governor Perry to reconsider and rescind this incursion on parents’ rights and usurpation of the Texas Legislature’s authority. Private and delicate health decisions such as these are best left to parents to determine the best interests of their minor children. Also, we call on Governor Perry to allow our elected legislative leaders in the house to debate this issue on behalf of their constituents. This debate will allow for a full fiscal accounting and cogent public health policy to be developed instead of a mandated directive which supercedes the rights of parents.

Parents should always be the final authority in determining what is best for their minor children on all matters, especially concerning private and delicate health decisions. Even the U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that the custody, care, and nurture of the child reside first in the parents. Further, as the Republican Party of Texas Platform states: “we believe all adult citizens should have the legally protected right to conscientiously choose which vaccines are administered to themselves or their minor children without penalty or discrimination for refusing a vaccine.”

A primary concern of parents is that numerous questions remain about the safety, efficacy, and urgency of this vaccine, which is administered through a series of shots. Questions remain about the safety of this vaccine series especially in light of the fact that it has only been on the market a short time (FDA approved in June 2006). Also questionable is how long the series of vaccines is effective. Further, no public health emergency exists that requires forcing this vaccine on children who may never be exposed to HPV. Proponents claim that it will help prevent cervical cancer. However, the Centers for Disease Control indicates that cervical cancer and related deaths continue to decrease significantly overall. The occurrence of cervical cancer is very rare in those who get regular PAP tests. The vaccination does not immunize recipients against all strains of the virus, so girls would still be required to get regular PAP tests to try to prevent cervical cancer. With so many questions remaining in this complex health issue, forcing parents to give their young daughters this series of shots is unreasonable.

In addition, several bills regarding this vaccine are pending in the Texas Legislature. At a minimum, our elected state legislators should have the opportunity to debate this issue and determine whether there is a public health emergency and, if so, whether this vaccination should be forced upon our children. Even those who disagree on the merits of the HPV vaccine should agree that an executive mandate requiring girls to be vaccinated for a virus that poses no immediate threat to public health is unnecessary.

Republicans understand that a balance must be struck between private interests and public policy. Parents, professionals, and the public must be allowed to speak up for their children and those whose health could be at risk from receiving an unproven vaccine. We must have an opportunity to vigorously debate this issue. The American Academy of Pediatrics has been quoted as saying that requiring this HPV vaccine is “premature”. We agree and urge Governor Perry to rescind this controversial order.

Tina Benkiser
Chairman

Robin Armstrong, M.D.
Vice Chairman
Republican Party of Texas

No more raids?

2007-02-04T21:55:00.000-06:00

Protests in Houston outside the ICE detention facility. Illegal immigrants, who have broken the law to enter the US, claim they are nevertheless not criminals, and insist that the government cease attempting to enforce the law through raiding companies in search of illegal workers.

Our Protest

2007-02-04T11:50:00.001-06:00

To whom it may concern:

Please be advised that were our daughter to be of the appropriate age in Sept. 2008, she would NOT be receiving the recently mandated vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease. She’ll be a junior, then, not a sixth grader, so I guess it is a moot point as far as she is concerned.

But even if that were not the case, she does not engage in the kind of activity that leads to transmission of this disease.

For another, I am shocked that our governor would respond to something that is merely a clever marketing ploy by the drug’s manufacturer. This manufacturer is using underhanded means to get a state to require parents to purchase an unwanted, unneeded, questionable drug that costs $360. I hope the attorney general’s office investigates this unethical activity.

Further, this has been foisted upon us under false pretences. This is not a “cancer vaccine”—it is a vaccine to prevent a sexually transmitted disease. This, too, should be cause for an investigation by the attorney general.

Yes, from time to time there are public health concerns that might warrant requiring certain vaccinations, especially against those illnesses that can be transmitted through the sorts of contacts that children engage in during the typical school day.

This is most certainly not one of them.

So if we had to be, we would be opting out, for philosophical, religious, and any and all other reasons—starting with common sense.

But we still must register our displeasure and outrage with the deceptive way this unneeded requirement was foisted upon the parents and children of this state.

Perry mandates VD vaccine

2007-02-04T11:30:00.000-06:00

In a move sure to ignite controversy on many fronts, Texas governor Rick Perry has ordered schools to require that girls receive a vaccine for a sexually transmitted virus. The vaccine is manufactured by Merck, which has spent lots of money lobbying for mandates such as this. "One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, his former chief of staff." Parents can opt out for religious and philosophical reasons. How 'bout price? It costs $360!

Death gives a glory that was not known in life

2006-12-28T17:33:00.000-06:00

Ford's funeral will bypass some regal touches. I find this all very ironic. Ford wasn't elected, got into the White House on a fluke, made folks angry because of his pardon of Nixon, and was defeated by Jimmy Carter. His clumsiness was satirized by Chevy Chase on the then new show SNL; his wife's chemical problems led to the foundation of the Betty Ford Clinic for Famous Persons. He revived Roosevelt's "fireside chats" for television, wearing sweaters in the winter to show he had turned down the thermostat to save energy. He wanted us to wear WIN buttons (Whip Inflation Now)--and sometime later told us he was turning his upside down (No Immediate Miracles).

He was a blip on the presidential radar; a joke of a president taken seriously by few at the time.

But now he is dead. All hail the conquering hero, entering into the political pantheon. If Nixon could become an elder statesman ... why not Jerry Ford?

Union Grinches Decry Roast Beast

2006-12-23T03:51:00.000-06:00

Turkey fry at Dulles Airport party draws complaints--bogus charges by union stooges.

Phony complaints

2006-12-21T08:27:00.000-06:00

Paper jam problems undermine electronic voting. So your printer jams? So what? Print a new tally. It ain't that hard, folks. And it doesn't "undermine electronic voting" in any way.

New claim in immigration cases ...

2006-12-19T08:29:00.000-06:00

CNS STORY: Do the children go or stay behind? Deportation orders split families. Priest argues that "It should be considered the right of citizen children to have their parents granted legal residency."

Science and Politics

2006-12-19T08:16:00.000-06:00

British Lord Stings Senators Rockefeller and Snowe: 'Uphold Free Speech or Resign'> These US Senators wrote to the CEO of ExxonMobil demanding he stop funding scientists who are skeptical of global warming. Two British lords are astounded by this attempt to squelch legitimate scientists and scientific debate.

Broken Promises Already

2006-11-30T13:06:00.000-06:00

Democrats Reject Key 9/11 Panel Suggestion. They talked about how they were going to do things differently. They've already blown it.

Dire predictions

2006-11-29T17:29:00.000-06:00

Hurricane Season Ends Quietly--not a single hurricane hit the US, contrary to all the doom and gloom warnings we heard at the start of the season, all linking increased hurricane activity to global warming.

Novak Confirms Shelley Sekula-Gibbs Is Nuts - Wonkette

2006-11-17T09:01:00.000-06:00

Novak Confirms Shelley Sekula-Gibbs Is Nuts - Wonkette. Report that the last straw for her staff was that she wanted Bush and Cheney sitting in the House Gallery when she was sworn in.

Maybe District 22 Voters Made the Right Choice ...

2006-11-17T06:11:00.000-06:00

Sekula-Gibbs demands probe of aides who quit. Sekula-Gibbs is acting strangely. I would think someone elected to Congress for only seven weeks would want to make it as easy on everyone as possible. Keep the staff happy. Do no harm. Start making friends.

But this is just strange.

Their incompetence is showing

2006-11-12T22:50:00.000-06:00

Democrats say will push for Iraq withdrawal | US News | Reuters.com. They will push for a withdrawal starting in four months, regardless of the conditions on the ground, regardless of our commitment. Osama bin Laden will have triumphed, as he did after "Black Hawk Down."

Slanders from Seymour Hersh

2006-11-02T09:38:00.000-06:00

The McGill Daily: "There has never been an American army as violent and murderous as the one in Iraq."

More "context"

2006-11-02T09:37:00.000-06:00

New York Post gives us the details on that photo of soldiers in Iraq poking fun at Kerry's stupid statement.

By the way ... Kerry said his statement was taken out of context. You want context? Here's what Kerry said in 1972:

"I am convinced a volunteer army would be an army of the poor and the black and the brown," Kerry wrote. "We must not repeat the travesty of the inequities present during Vietnam. I also fear having a professional army that views the perpetuation of war crimes as simply 'doing its job.'

"Equally as important, a volunteer army with our present constitutional crisis takes accountability away from the president and put the people further from control over military activities," he wrote.

Seems to me that his views today, as reflected in what he called a "joke," are no different than what they were then.

Soldiers in Iraq Appeal to John Kerry for Help

2006-11-01T12:21:00.000-06:00

Out of context? Nope.

2006-11-01T10:04:00.000-06:00

Here's what Kerry said. He claims he was taken out of context. Nope. He said what he said.

Cleland says it is OK to insult soldiers

2006-11-01T09:58:00.000-06:00

Cleland joins the ranks of the clueless; thinks anyone insulted by Kerry's denigration of American soldiers has a partisan agenda. No, it is only blind partisanship that can't see Kerry's stupid remarks for what they were--the discredited and outdated viewpoint of a Vietnam-era opportunist who is still repeating the Vietnam-era canard that only the poor and the uneducated went to Vietnam.

Kerry's mouth-bound combat boot

2006-11-01T08:45:00.000-06:00

Clarence Page on Kerry in Chicago Tribune.

As a fellow Vietnam veteran, I received Kerry's remarks as a political version of Vietnam-era flashback syndrome. Back in the 1960s, it was common to say, "Study hard or you might go to Vietnam." That's because we had something then that young people now don't have to contend with--a military draft.

Today's military is all-volunteer and a much broader mix by age, education and background than the Vietnam-era military. In fact, America's military has never been better educated.

Michael Medved: Why Kerry's crack matters

2006-11-01T08:42:00.000-06:00

Townhall.com::Why Kerry's crack matters::By Michael Medved

Kerry nixes appearances after remark

2006-11-01T08:41:00.000-06:00

Kerry finally has the sense to see he's a liability.

"A Captain Queeg moment for Kerry"

2006-11-01T08:39:00.000-06:00

Sen. Kerry Gets Stuck in Iraq. Great commentary by William Arkin.

Reasons to Vote for Democrats

2006-10-31T17:56:00.000-06:00

1. You believe women can murder their unborn children.

2. You believe those murdered unborn children should be used as experimental fodder for improving the quality of life of wealthy movie stars.

3. You believe that marriage should be redefined to apply to any two human beings who might want to call themselves married, regardless of law, custom, or morality.

4. You believe, with John Kerry, that members of the US military don't "make the most of it," don't "study hard," don't do their homework, and don't "make an effort to be smart."

Happy Halloween.

Spin Cycles

2006-09-26T23:01:00.000-05:00

Hot & Cold Media Spin: A Challenge To Journalists Who Cover Global Warming.

Dick Morris on Bill Clinton's Blow-up

2006-09-26T17:39:00.000-05:00

The real Clinton emerges

Mel and the war

2006-09-25T05:54:00.000-05:00

Mel campaigns for new movie, against war in Iraq: "'What's human sacrifice,' he asked, 'if not sending guys off to Iraq for no reason?'"

Yes, war--any war--involves sacrifice. But no war is "for no reason"--you may disagree with the reasons of the present war (I certainly have voiced problems), but there are reasons. The President has clearly stated, as did Congress when authorizing it, that the way to defeat terrorism is by supporting democracies and seeking to spread freedom.

And the young men who have died ahve offered their own lives for this. They have volunteered. They have re-enlisted after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. They know why they are fighting. The victims of the Maya and the Aztecs, by contrast, were helpless victims who were bound and murdered in a cruel fashion, having their heart ripped out while they were still alive. To suggest that today's brave soldiers who volunteered to defend freedom are in a similar situation should be as offensive to all Americans as Mel's antisemitism is to Jews.

John McCain stands tall

2006-09-14T20:47:00.000-05:00

McCain stands his ground on CIA jails. John McCain is a man with moral authority to speak about torture, what it is, and how it should be used. He's been tortured. He knows America needs to stand on principle, and not give in to primitive emotions in time of war. There's a practical angle, too--"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." And he has said that even though he is the frontrunner (whatever that means now) for the 2008 nomination, he'd throw that away for this.

Colin Powell is also a person with some weight to his opinions, having served as a soldier in combat, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Gulf War, and as Secretary of State. Too bad Bush dumped him for Condi. He should have listened to Colin.

McCain and Powell--two American heroes.

Mr. President, you need to listen to them.

Dixie Chicks in Canada

2006-09-12T20:56:00.000-05:00

Dixie Chicks are in the news again. Have you noticed that it is when they are in foreign countries that they make the most scandalous comments about our country and our president? I used to love them. I only have one album of theirs, and the only thing that keeps me from tossing it is that it was a present from my daughter.

Iraq and 9-11

2006-09-12T20:37:00.000-05:00

You often hear it said, especially by folks on the left, that the War in Iraq has nothing to do with 9-11; that Bush left the War on Terror behind to go adventuring.

But the quotes from Bush that happened to be in the movie, "Path to 9-11," and Bush's anniversary speech to the nation, put it in clear context.

Here are some of his remarks on the White House webpage that make the same point:

For A Half Century, America's Primary Goal In The Middle East Was Stability. As we fought the Soviet Union in the Cold War, it was important to support Middle Eastern governments that rejected Communism.

Then The Forces Of Liberty Rose Up, The Berlin Wall Fell, And The Soviet Union Collapsed – But At The Same Time, An Undercurrent Of Danger Was Rising In The Middle East. The terrorist movement multiplied and resentment boiled over into worldwide violence. Extremists in Iran seized American hostages, Hezbollah terrorists murdered American troops in Beirut and Saudi Arabia, terrorists set off a truck bomb at the World Trade Center in 1993, and Al Qaeda bombed two U.S. embassies in East Africa and the USS Cole.

On 9/11, We Realized That Years Of Pursuing Stability To Promote Peace Left Us With Neither. Instead, the lack of freedom made the Middle East an incubator for terrorism. The pre-9/11 status quo was dangerous and unacceptable.

The United States Is Pursuing A New Strategy In The Middle East And Around The World

1. America Is On The Offense Against The Terrorists. We are using every element of national power to confront al Qaeda, those who take inspiration from them, and other terrorists who use similar tactics.

2. America Has Made It Clear To All Nations: If You Harbor Terrorists, You Are As Guilty As The Terrorists, You Are An Enemy Of America, And You Will Be Held To Account.

3. America Has Launched A Bold Agenda To Defeat The Enemy's Ideology By Supporting The Forces Of Freedom In The Middle East And Beyond. Americans believe that all people have the right to determine their destinies, and we know, by history and by logic, that promoting democracy is the surest way to build security.

Now, I think the only thing to fault him for here is that he sometimes has seemed to forget the ideal--he has sometimes thought that we could pursue freedom by abrogating freedoms, that we could pursue respect for freedom while condoning torture.

The question the Democrats must ask is this: What is your goal in the Middle East? The "stability" that was the breeding ground for terror?

Lunatics

2006-09-08T16:35:00.000-05:00

The Disbelievers:

'There were no planes, there were no hijackers,' Reynolds insists. 'I know, I know, I'm out of the mainstream, but that's the way it is.'

That's his "truth," in the view of many. We all are entitled to our opinions, they say. Live and let live. That's the philosophy of our times.

Grrrrrrrr....

You want this guy as governor?

2006-09-08T06:19:00.000-05:00

Friedman has personal insight into drug problems

"As a musician, I was stoned a lot of the time. And I probably raised a lot of hell, and was involved with a number of beautiful women as I recall, and I don't regret any of it," Friedman said.

He adds, "At least I never killed anybody. I mean, even Ted Kennedy can't say that."

As for the opposition: Democrat Chris "Bell admits he tried marijuana 'maybe four times' in college."

From the Left

2006-09-05T18:02:00.000-05:00

The Revealer: Scholastic Propaganda. The liberal webpage says there is a "bad buzz" about "Path to 9/11"--at least among liberals. They fear it is "pro-Bush propaganda because it puts significant blame on the Clinton administration."

Please look at the calendar. Bush had been in office for less than 8 months. The plot had been in the works for longer than that. Clinton had many dealings with Al-Qaeda. Bush inherited Clinton's mess, and record of ineffective retaliation and Pythonesque cries of "run away!"

Worse, these liberal pundits think it "race-baiting" to have students discuss whether Middle Eastern men who are behaving strangely should be questioned further by airport security. Who do they think is behind Al-Qaeda, blue-haired Lutheran women from Lake Woebegon?

End of an Affair

2006-09-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

Washington Post on the end of the Valerie Wilson affair:

...[O]ne of the most sensational charges leveled against the Bush White House -- that it orchestrated the leak of Ms. Plame's [sic] identity to ruin her career and thus punish Mr. Wilson -- is untrue. ...
...[I]t now appears that the person most responsible for the end of Ms. Plame's [sic] CIA career is Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson chose to go public with an explosive charge, claiming -- falsely, as it turned out -- that he had debunked reports of Iraqi uranium-shopping in Niger and that his report had circulated to senior administration officials. He ought to have expected that both those officials and journalists such as Mr. Novak would ask why a retired ambassador would have been sent on such a mission and that the answer would point to his wife. He diverted responsibility from himself and his false charges by claiming that President Bush's closest aides had engaged in an illegal conspiracy. It's unfortunate that so many people took him seriously.

Biden not worried about Southern Dems - Yahoo! News

2006-08-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

Joe Biden says he's no "Northestern liberal," because Delaware "was a slave state." So he understands the South.

Frank Schaeffer On Patriotism

2006-08-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

Frank Schaeffer has a new novel, Baby Jack, and had an op-ed in yesterday's Baltimore Sun laying out what he calls its "philosophy." He e-mailed it to me and said, please feel free to post it and sent it on.

IN A WAR GONE BAD, SACRIFICE IS NOT IN VAIN
By Frank Schaeffer

SALISBURY, Mass. // The Marine Corps has just announced that it is calling back several thousand Marines from inactive reserve units. After Sept. 11, all our president asked of most Americans was to go shopping, travel and maintain the economy. But our service members are asked to make sacrifices most Americans wouldn't dream of.

Many Americans are saying that our troops are sacrificing in vain. They are wrong. So are those who claim that if you want to support the troops, you have to support the president. Both misunderstand the meaning of military service in our democracy.

My youngest son, John, joined the Marines in 1999. Bill Clinton was president. The nightmare of Sept. 11 was still in the realm of the unthinkable. John was trained to serve as a Marine wherever he might be sent, not for any particular war. He served five years and returned safely from two combat tours in Afghanistan - a "good war," according to most pundits and opinion polls - and after a mission in Iraq, a war gone "bad."

I was fortunate. My son survived. A friend lost her only child.

Mindy Evnin's son was killed in Iraq. On a sweltering day last month, my wife and I drove from our home in Massachusetts to Burlington, Vt., to visit Mark's grave. Standing in front of that young Marine's headstone, I was overwhelmed by sorrow, fury at the mishandling of so many aspects of the war by our political leaders and by gratitude for Mark's life well-lived. Those emotions aren't as contradictory as they might seem.

I e-mailed a civilian friend about visiting Mark's grave. "To me," he answered, "the soldiers who are dying in Iraq should not have been there in the first place. ... If they die, they will have died in vain because the war is all a tissue of lies and/or failed policies."

Did Mark and thousands of others die in vain?

We need to take a step back from the bitter debate over the Iraq war and look at the deeper meaning of service. Does it change when wars go badly? If Mark had been killed in Afghanistan, would that have been a more noble sacrifice than being killed in Iraq?

Maybe it would be helpful to consider the significance of service in a less politicized context. When a fireman runs up the stairs while everyone else runs down, the value of his action is unrelated to who started the fire, or whether those saved are "worthy." And the morality of his action doesn't depend on his motives or whether his leaders are truthful or wise. It is all about what he does once he's called upon to act on behalf of all of us.

While we are busy looking out for ourselves, that fireman is busy looking out for us. His willingness to serve is a victory for community, social responsibility, compassion and bravery.

What did Mark die for?

He did not die for George Bush's ever-changing rationalizations: "finding WMD," "freeing Iraq" or "bringing democracy to the Middle East." And in all probability, if he was like my son, Mark never thought much about why he volunteered. The point is, he did, and in combat he acted on the belief that the Marines standing next to him were more important than he was - and, by extension that his country was more important than his individual right to comfort and safety.

Service in our democracy is not about politics. My son's volunteering in the Clinton era, then being sent to two "Bush wars," one "good" and the other "bad," handily illustrates the fact that the act of volunteering has nothing to do with fighting any war in particular and everything to do with service for service's sake.

Volunteering is a pre-political statement. And if you believe that American democracy is worthwhile, no matter what its imperfections, then the act of volunteering to be sent wherever your country needs you must be acknowledged as a priceless gift from the individual citizen to his or her country. This gift's morality doesn't depend on the rightness or wrongness of any war but on the soldier's high-stakes commitment to the value of our democratic experiment.

Mindy wrote me: "I don't know if Mark was a 'hero.' He did what he was asked to do, and he did it without hesitation. ... Maybe that is heroic."

It was. Our troops volunteer with no guarantee of success. They serve with or without support from other Americans. Now, some are being recalled involuntarily to participate in the fragile exercise of self-rule by equipping our government "of the people" to take action.

There are several thousand Marines who thought that their time of duty was done. Now they are going to be sent back into combat. They will be unhappy, even angry. Some will believe the president is wrong to send them, and their families will be sick with worry. But our Marines will go.

Their lives - and, inevitably for some, their deaths - present us with a stark question: Is citizenship only about enjoying personal preferences, or should we take responsibility for those around us, and by extension for our country?

We don't all need to serve in the military, but in the face of the sacrifice of those who do, what is our excuse for just going shopping? How we answer the question posed to us by their service will decide the health, morality and ultimately the survival of our democracy.

Crunchy Con: Pew: Religion, politics shaking up

2006-08-26T20:29:00.000-05:00

Rod Dreher on a Pew survey of attitudes toward religion among partisans. No real surprises here:

...Republican delegates felt much warmer toward union leaders, mainline liberals, blacks, Hispanics, and Democrats than toward feminists, environmentalists, and pro-abortion activists. For their part, the Democrats were more favorably disposed to big-business types, the rich, political conservatives and Republicans than toward pro-lifers and conservative Christians. Of the 18 groups covered by the survey, Christian fundamentalists came in as the most despised, with over half the Democratic delegates giving them the absolute minimum score possible. Put another way, Republican delegates thought more highly of those who favor the legalized killing of unborn children than their Democratic counterparts thought of people who believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture.

Sheer idiocy

2006-08-25T22:49:00.000-05:00

Flags Get Teacher Suspended (video). Teacher had some flags of foreign countries on display. He's a Geography teacher, for crying out loud! What do these folks think geography is about??? Article, and another. End of story--teacher decided not to return after reinstatement. Good for him. Now he needs to sue them for all they're worth.

When Castro came to Houston

2006-08-25T08:28:00.000-05:00

Remembering Castro's 1959 visit to Houston

Houston residents gave him a standing ovation when he arrived for his overnight stay April 27, 1959. Some dressed their children as rebels in his honor.

Unbelievable.

2006-08-24T09:45:00.000-05:00

We've got communist agitation in the streets and a white school bus driver in Louisiana tells black kids to move to the back of the bus to make room for white kids. The Shreveport Times has the latter story. Have we just taken a time warp into the 60s??

Bush capitulates --shows the limits to his being "pro-life"

2006-08-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

Bush administration has opened the gate to selling the abortafacient "morning-after pill" without a prescription. Hmmm ... this, and his condoning torture, and his endorsement of the death penalty, and his lack of concern for civilian casualties in war, and his lack of attention to just war criteria -- how is this guy "pro-life"?

The Living Danger of Communism

2006-08-24T07:18:00.000-05:00

Think Communism is dead and gone? Think again. Communist agents and their fellow travelers have been behind much of the dissent against US policy in recent years.

A sentence like that would have some folks laughing. But look at the facts.

C. Clark Kissinger is quite proud of his Commie biography, going back to his service as National Secretary of the SDS. His latest project is a call for revolution against the government of the US, published in the New York Times, and signed by some Congressmen, Hollywood liberals (including Hanoi Jane), and religious sympathizers like Fr. Roy Bourgeois, Sr. Helen Prejean, and Rabbi Michael Lerner.

Then there's the Workers World Party. Its front groups include the International Action Center of former US attorney general Ramsey Clark (defender of war criminals like Saddam and Milosevic), and International ANSWER, the outfit responsible for anti-war protests at the start of the Iraq War. They were late in doing so, but eventually even the Washington Post and the New York Times admitted the Commie Connection.

Dumb laws

2006-08-23T06:31:00.000-05:00

Chicago's chefs serve foie gras anyway (w/video). Not that it matters to me--I've never had the stuff.

SELL OUT

2006-08-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

Bush indicates support for Plan B--thinks abortafacient pills are just fine for over the counter sale. This is how he rewards pro-lifers who have supported him.

No Irish Need Apply ... or Mexicans ... or Nigerians ... or Asians ...

2006-08-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

Pat Buchanan, sounding like Butcher Bill and his "Native American" henchmen in "Gangs of New York" (and the genuine historical characters upon which they were based) rails against the evils of immigration. Sorry, Pat. We've been there. We've heard it. Your own Irish ancestors heard it. Now you're spouting back the same phrases of fear that were hurled at your own ancestors. Shame on you!

Dissension in the GOP

2006-08-18T06:41:00.000-05:00

Sekula-Gibbs picked as write-in candidate at a meeeting of precinct chairs in District 22. But the chairman of the Fort Bend County Republican Party, Gary Gillen, was a no show, and he urged candidates to boycott the meeting. Sugar Land mayor David Wallace is planning to run anyway.

Remember the Marielitos ...?

2006-08-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

Katrina Victims Blamed for Houston Crime

Doh!

2006-08-14T19:04:00.000-05:00

FEMA TRAILER SECURITY SCARE: Same Key Could Open Multiple Trailers; 118,000 Locks Might Need Replacing.

Deja vu all over again

2006-08-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

This week we were shocked by the uncovering of a terrorist plot that would have smuggled ingredients for explosives aboard airlines disguised as ordinary gels or liquids. We were grateful that the plot was exposed, even if air travelers were inconvenienced. Bomb vs. coffee--not a tough choice.

But there was something vaguely familiar about the plot--innocuous ingredients that are no problem alone, but lethal in combination. Where did we hear of that before? Why, that was the Joker's scheme in Tim Burton's "Batman." Not a bomb, but poison, was the result.

And when the terrorists wrought destruction on 9-11 through the use of hijacked airliners, where had we seen that before? It was featured in a Tom Clancy novel, in which a 747 is flown into the Capitol.

Perhaps the CIA should set up a unit that reads books and watches movies to get ideas for plots to look out for.

Oh, that's been done, too. "Three Days of the Condor."

Dihydrogen Monoxide: Unrecognized Killer

2006-08-11T20:25:00.000-05:00

Dihydrogen Monoxide: Unrecognized Killer

The chemical compound dihydrogen monoxide (or DHMO) has been implicated in the deaths of thousands of Americans every year, mainly through accidental ingestion. In gaseous form, it can cause severe burns. And, according to a new report, "the dangers of this chemical do not end there."
The chemical is so caustic that it "accelerates the corrosion and rusting of many metals, . . . is a major component of acid rain, [and] . . . has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients." Symptoms of ingestion include "excessive sweating and urination," and "for those who have developed a dependency on DHMO, complete withdrawal means certain death."
Yet the presence of the chemical has been confirmed in every river, stream, lake and reservoir in America.

What do you say? Should this substance be banned? Read more here.

Irony: Kashmere High School in the News

2006-08-11T18:26:00.000-05:00

Last week NPR broadcast a moving story, Kashmere: A High-School Band's Staying Power. High school Band director Conrad Johnson formed the Kashmere Stage Band some 40 years ago, and it made a musical impact that can still be heard in samplings from its albums in current Hip-Hop hits. But ironically, only a week after gaining renewed national exposure, HISD is threatening to close the school because of poor grades. Have the HISD administrators not bothered to look into the responsibility they have for the poor performance? Have they inquired into the living situation of the students, some of whom are struggling with basic living needs? Have they not considered how they managed to run into the ground a school that once won acclaim, echoes of which are heard today, for a band that today can't afford the basics? Why close a school, and punish the kids and the neighborhood, for a problem that is rooted in city and school administration and teachers?

The Kashmere Stage Band's music from the 60s and 70s has been rereleased (review) in time to play for the school's funeral.

Algore is a nut and a hypocrite

2006-08-11T17:51:00.000-05:00

Peter Schweizer, Gore isn't quite as green as he's led the world to believe (via AmericanPapist

The issue here is not simply Gore's hypocrisy; it's a question of credibility. If he genuinely believes the apocalyptic vision he has put forth and calls for radical changes in the way other people live, why hasn't he made any radical change in his life? Giving up the zinc mine or one of his homes is not asking much, given that he wants the rest of us to radically change our lives.

Dems skewer Lieberman

2006-08-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

Joe Lieberman knows a lynching when he sees one. Why did the Democratic establishment turn against him in favor of rich kid Lamont? It's because Lieberman is a man of principle who is giong to vote his conscience and try to work with the President. Lieberman, you may remember, ran for VP on the Gore ticket. If anyone has a reason to be angry at Bush, it is he--if he were a "Sore Loserman" like the bumper stickers and pins said. But he went on with life. He worked hard to do what he thought was right. And because he didn't toe the line of the Howard Dean kook fashion, the party dumped him, and skewered him, and roasted him alive. And the Democratic party is the party of compassion, we're told. So now Joe is going to continue to do what is right for the people of Connecticut, and is going to let them--not party bossess--decide who they want to represent them.

DeLay's statement

2006-08-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

Chron.com | DeLay's statement on withdrawing from congressional race. More of the same. This man who still has a house in Sugar Land, where he wakes up most mornings and from which his wife has no intention of moving, still whines piously about "voters ... deserve a choice between candidates who actually live in the District, ... whose names should appear on the ballot." Sorry Tom, but you live there, and the voters decided in the primary that your name should be on that ballot. Remove it from the ballot if you wish--but know then that you, and you alone, are responsible for the lack of a Republican candidate on the ballot.

Not even Scalia would come to their aid

2006-08-08T09:27:00.000-05:00

DeLay to remain on ballot despite GOP request--poor guy has no friends at either the 5th circuit or the Supreme Court, neither Edith Clement nor Antonin Scalia. Everyone objective who has looked at the case has seen the arguments of the GOP and Tom DeLay as bogus, and rightly so.

The absurdity of the case is evident in the article: "DeLay was at his Sugar Land home Monday...." What? GOP, you just spent how much money trying to persuade people he didn't live there anymore?

Grandstanding lawyer James Bopp Jr. declares: ""The Democratic Party has been successful at picking the Republican nominee." No, the voters of his district picked him in the primary. Neither DeLay nor the party can change that, and especially not by claiming he no longer lives in the house that he obviously does live in.

Texas GOP in denial

2006-08-04T07:54:00.000-05:00

Chron.com | GOP to appeal DeLay ruling to U.S. Supreme Court; they continue to pour money into fighting a lost cause.

Come on Tom--stop Delaying

2006-08-03T19:22:00.000-05:00

Chron.com | Court rules GOP can't replace DeLay on ballot. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals (including conservative Houstonian Edith Clement) take common sense approach and reject specious arguments of Texas GOP.

Strayhorn loses

2006-07-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

Carole Strayhorn lost her fight to get her campaign slogan on the ballot. Real issue here is that she has been married and divorced so many times that she is worried that even her loyal supporters won't recognize her name from election to election.

Vultures

2006-07-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

Democrats are turning on Lieberman. It was only six years ago that they were fighting tooth and nail through the court system to try to get him declared Vice President. Now they want to bury him. When Jeffords turned on the Republicans, they hailed him as a man of conscience. But will they recognize Lieberman as the man of conscience that he is? No.

Tom DeLay

2006-07-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

I disagree strongly with the stance of the Republican Party of Texas and the Harris County Republican Party regarding Tom DeLay. As this article notes, he still owns a home in Sugar Land, TX. His wife is still there. He still claims to be happily married to her. He cannot seriously expect anyone to believe that he has moved to another state. And I think the judge was right to rule that federal law doesn't require you to live in the district--look at the way Democratic carpetbaggers like Bobby Kennedy and Hillary Clinton have gained Senate seats in New York.

The Republican party is being hypocritcal in saying that the people should be allowed a voice. They did have a voice, and they selected Tom DeLay in the primary.

Tom, you made your bed. If you can't get elected, it's your own fault. Please stop the games.

Sanctuary?

2006-06-23T22:26:00.000-05:00

Chron.com Houston a 'sanctuary' for illegal immigrants? I've written here about the immigration issue. I'm concerned about anti-immigrant bias I've encountered, which at times is based in undisguised racism. But not always. Obviously, there is a difference between legal and illegal immigration. Nations have the right to secure borders. No one has a right to enter any country they wish. My Catholic faith is going to lead me to acknowledge spiritual kinship with those who are here illegally; as one engaged in ministry, I'm going to minister equally to all, as the grace of God is not hemmed in by borders or human statutes. But in the article in question, the issue is this: can, or should, a city or county or state tell its law enforcement officials that there are some laws they don't have to enforce? I think this is a dangerous theory. We need consistency in law enforcement, and we need all law enforcement officials to follow the same standards. Yes, there are differences in jurisdiction. But I favor federal legislation that would deny federal funding to any state, county, or city government that instructs its law enforcement officials to ignore US immigration law.