Republicans want to end public education!

I was alarmed to learn today--from a TN Democratic Party GOTV-for-Senate-District-6 email, that Republicans in Tennessee want to end public education:

Wining (sic) this deeply red district would be a political shocker and could deal a strong blow to Republicans’ extreme plan to end public education and hand over our democracy to lobbyists and special interests.

Thankfully all the Left's lobbyists and special interests--Labor Unions like the NEA come to mind, will fight tooth and nail to thwart the GOP's extreme plan . . .

"High Tech Lynching"

Watching this video, I am reminded of how much I admire(d) Clarence Thomas (watch until the end)



That being said, I like Cain, but regrettably, his situation seems different than the attacks on Clarence Thomas. There seems to be more to the allegations against Cain, to include actual complaints filed, actual legal settlements, third-party witnesses, etc. Frankly, where there's this much smoke . . .

However, I think the ugliest thing about "sexual harassment" is that it is so subjective and so patronizing to females, and it is so hypocritical for Democrats. Libs, who foster sexualization of every part of our culture (and thereby encourage women to assert sexual leverage) and who pooh-pooh traditional values and who try to pretend that there is no difference between men and women act like flirting or telling a dirty joke is a Federal offense (at least when Republicans do it). DEMS IGNORED A SITTING PRESIDENT HAVING SEX WITH AN UNPAID INTERN, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE . . . and now they're pursuing this story like it is some big deal?

While it bothers me to think that Cain might have been unfaithful to his wife and have violated the teachings of his faith, I think that we shouldn't let the Liberal media establishment frame this debate and drive this story.

A couple things re. Perry's "drunk" speech

After viewing the entire Rick Perry "drunk" speech, I have a couple of observations:
1) I do not think that Perry is drunk or high or anything . . . he may be a little tired or exhausted, I guess.
2) I do think that Perry is patronizing in the speech. A little bit like the "brother" comment in reference to Herman Cain in a previous debate, or Hillary Clinton's puttin' on an accent.
3) Although such patronizing can be related to racism or prejudice, I'd say it is more a result of trying to connect with an audience with whom the speaker isn't comfortable.

See for yourself . . .

Obama the Anti-Regulator!!

An Obama campaign press release today (sent to all of us diehard supporters of the O) proclaims that "Obama Has Approved Fewer Regulations Than Bush Up To This Point." Of course, if you read the report, as opposed to the press release, the thesis of the press release collapses (I can only imagine how much the phrase "Up To This Point" needs to be unpacked). Why? Because of this key paragraph in the article Obama Has Approved Fewer Regulations Than Bush Up To This Point, Analysis Finds:

Obama has approved 4.7 percent fewer rules than Bush had at the same point in his presidency, but they cost businesses more, according to a Bloomberg News analysis. Obama's regulations are expected to cost businesses between $100 million and $4.1 billion more than Bush's, Bloomberg finds.

I should say that most conservatives wouldn't present Dubya as our standard on the issue of big gov't or regulation, but such disingenuous and deceptive spin isn't pretty. Hey, whatever it takes to win, right?

Coke, WWF and global warming

You have to read DEEP into press releases on the campaign to see any reference to "climate change," so I'll give Coke credit for being savvy enough to want to have it both ways, but . . .Coca-Cola Can Goes White to Save the Polar Bear:

"This campaign is about working together to save one of the most important places on Earth," said Gerald Butts, President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada. "As sea ice continues to melt at alarming rates, polar bears and local communities alike are threatened. With Coca-Cola's support, we can expand our reach and impact to help chart a sustainable future for this critical Arctic ecosystem."

But that sure conflicts with the data,

'Arctic rent seekers experts tell us that the ice is melting “faster than predicted.” Interesting conclusion, given that US Navy PIPS2 data shows that since 2008 the area of 2.5+ metre ice has nearly doubled and now covers almost the entire Arctic Basin. NSIDC also shows that the area of multi-year ice has substantially increased since 2008'

.

. . . where I spontaneously say, "Jindal for President"

Rise of the Republican Reformers - Josh Kraushaar - NationalJournal.com

As Jindal demonstrates, advancing good policies is good politics. The wonky Jindal is far from a natural pol, but his hands-on approach allowed Louisiana to rebound beyond expectations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. As the Republican front-runner, Romney would be well-advised to take a cue from Jindal instead of worrying whether doing so would become fodder for Democratic attack ads in a general election. It’s called leadership, and it’s something voters across the political spectrum yearn for.

Where Liberty and Life collide . . .

While I don't think that Congressman Ron Paul is the best candidate for president (He is too prone to conspiracy theorizing, in my opinion), I appreciate that he hammered the issue of abortion during his remarks (on c-span.org) at the Ames Straw Poll. Likewise, I have little respect for Libertarians who--while priding themselves on their willingness to take unpopular but principled stands, ignore the innocent human life growing inside a woman's body when proclaiming themselves "pro-choice."

I believe this message was tailored to the rather conservative activists who vote in the Iowa GOP primaries (in fact, even Paul muddled the point a bit when straying off the script, stating: "The prime reason that government exists in a free society is to protect liberty, but also to protect life."), but in this digital age, any candidate who disingenuously made such remarks on such a stage would be more naive than disingenuous . . . so Paul deserves credit.

Rushing to "the moral is . . ."

Because I am "Christian" and I am politically conservative I winced at reports that the murders in Norway were committed by a "Christian Fundamentalist." Frankly (and ironically, in the context of this admission) I regret that in the wake of such a tragedy my thoughts would so quickly turn defensive of me and mine. But it made me start to think about how soon after a tragedy has occurred is it right to think or say, "the moral of the story is . . ."?

The essay below highlights the dangers of rushing to judgment. The best quote from the article is: "Meanwhile, the deputy police chief announced that the shooter was a “Christian fundamentalist” but no one has reported either the evidence for the claim or how the police determined that. Whatever the case, he may be the only Freemason, Rome-leaning, Protestant fundamentalist in the world." Here's a link to the article.

UPDATE: here's a particularly salient comment following the op/ed.
The Atlantic has this terrorist all figured out » GetReligion:

I do think the “fundamentalist” angle taken on this story is off-base. Breivik’s Christianity appears to be of a cultural kind - Christianity as the religion of opposition to Islam & “cultural Marxism.” He wrote this book under the pseudonym “Andrew Berwick.” I certainly haven’t read the whole thing; it’s incredibly long at 1511 pages. Page 1309 has some interesting bits on the Christian angle:

A majority of so called agnostics and atheists in Europe are cultural conservative Christians without even knowing it. So what is the difference between cultural Christians and religious Christians?

If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God then you are a religious Christian. Myself and many more like me do not necessarily have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God. We do however believe in Christianity as a cultural, social, identity and moral platform. This makes us Christian. …

European Christendom and the cross will be the symbol in which every cultural conservative can unite under in our common defence. It should serve as the uniting symbol for all Europeans whether they are agnostic or atheists.

The pacifist/suicidal Christians must never be allowed to dominate the church again which one of the reasons why I personally believe that the protestant Church in Europe should once again should reform to become Catholic (Nordic countries, the UK, Germany, Benelux etc). Re-introduction of cultural and Church aspects relating to honour should be the core of our objective when reforming the Church. My hope is that the future nationalist leadership in Western European countries will agree. At the very least, we must support the conservative, anti-pacifist cultural Christian leaders and ensure that they are able to influence the European churches. There must however be clear distinctions. The Church must not put any limits whatsoever on issues relating to science, research and development. Europe will continue to be the world’s center for research and development in all areas, strengthened by a predictable and “unchangeable” cultural framework. This again will considerably strengthen European and societal cohesion and therefore contribute to sustainable societies where harmony, progress, freedom and the furtherance of mankind are the primary civilisational pillars.

There’s also a lengthy interview with Breivik beginning p. 1351 that reveals many of his ideas about “Christianity.”

Obama: flip-flopping, hypocritical wuss

This just in: Barack Obama may not have really, really meant it when he claimed to oppose homosexual marriage: In this "Politico" story about the impending vote on homosexual "marriage" in NY:

President Barack Obama, at a Thursday fundraising stop in New York City, told a group of 600 gay and lesbian supporters that “gay and lesbian couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country” but stopped short of endorsing same-sex marriage.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57738.html#ixzz1QFrBXLwb

If you harbor any residual respect for Mel Gibson . . .

. . . don't look at this photo from Cannes Celebrity Pictures, Celeb Photos - E! Online

Teachers too old or over-priced?

More than 300 Metro teachers displaced as positions eliminated | Nashville City Paper: "Lockhart, the veteran Whitsitt Elementary teacher, is among a handful of teachers who have alleged the district chose to displace her because of her age. Older teachers tend to earn larger salaries than newer employees. The teachers’ union is helping file complaints through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“There seems to be a pattern of discrimination against older teachers and minorities in some instances,” Huth said. “It is clear to us that there is some discrimination involved.”

Way to go teachers' union!! Bog down the EEOC with bogus complaints!

Newt's job interview

For the record, I like Newt's innovativeness and ability to articulate Conservative ideas. But I have a hard time respecting his character. So, I have been meaning to post about his now-famous comment regarding his past infidelity during a CBN interview:

There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate.

It reminded me of this classic scene from The Office when Michael Scott was sitting for a job interview from David Wallace:

David: . . . So, let me ask you a question right off the bat. What do you think are your greatest strengths as a manager?
Michael: Why don't I tell you what my greatest weaknesses are? I work too hard. I care too much. And sometimes I can be too invested in my job.
David: Okay. And your strengths?
Michael: Well, my weaknesses are actually... strengths.
David: Oh. Yes. Very good.
Michael: Thank you.
David: Very good.

The Olympics is about homosexual marriage?

USOC official Peter Vidmar resigns after anti-gay marriage actions - USATODAY.com:

When the Tribune story broke, reaction was nearly immediate — and almost entirely negative — within the USOC. Aimee Mullins, the former president of the Women's Sports Foundation and chef de mission for the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Games team, said she was 'concerned and deeply saddened' about Vidmar's past actions.

'The Olympic movement is about promoting equity for all,' she said.

Who says?

Amusing typo in shark story

Having just recently watched Jaws "On Demand," this story about a large great white shark spotted off of the New England coastline caught my eye. Then there was this funny typo in reference to the man in the boat snapping photos of the shark:

The crew left Menemsha Harbor at 6 a.m. in a 23-foot boat Sea Ox and headed out to sea about a mile off Gay Head. The shark, Lynch and Farrissey said, passed by dwarfing the center console skiff.

That’s when the 28-year-old Lynch started snapping photos with his cell phone after the Coast Guard asked him to record the amazing encounter. Lunch forwarded those images to state shark experts and the Herald.

(emphasis added)

how come no sickness language re. rape?

This whole "slutwalk" phenomenon ("Cop's rape comment sparks wave of 'SlutWalks' - US news - Life - msnbc.com") is ironic . . . the barbarians have had enough and aren't taking it anymore!!!

I know, I know; some people are saying this is sort of a variation of the "Take Back the Night" rallies which I agree with in principle. And you will hardly find a more devout "law and order" person than myself. I'm not sure that the death penalty is inappropriate for a man who forces sexual intercourse on a woman. But it is interesting to me that this subject presents a clash between hand-wringing Liberal views on "crime" and radical Feminism. If these persons ("sexual offenders") are just "sick" or victims of society or some-such, is it right (much less wise) to tempt them or induce them to act out?

I'd say this phenomenon is more a reflection of the power of social media and the fact that young people have too much time on their hands than it is some statement about what a majority civilized Westerners think.

Re. the PWND t-shirt . . .

I thought this exchange, in the comments section from the PWND Osama t-shirt page, was funny (though "urban" is probably more accurate than "ebonics"):

#
RufusVonDufus
RufusVonDufus about 21 hours ago

Help! What does the PWND mean? I don’t get it.
#
yeahbaby
yeahbaby about 21 hours ago

PWND A variation of the word “owned”. The only reason that this word came about was because of a typo, and given that P and O are right next to each other. It has nothing to do with combining words or anything of the sort. It is rumored to have come about from an early Warcraft3 map, in which the creator meant to have a trigger say “Player X got ownd”, trying to use the “1337speak” variation of “owned”, but hit P instead of O, thus giving birth to “pwnd”.
#
Pouncekitty
Pouncekitty about 21 hours ago

Variation of a word? You mean a typo. Some idiot made a mistake, but instead of correcting it, invents MORE EBONICS! Jeez! Thank-you Teachers Unions and Liberals for making education so pointless. erwos fdsuu weroiss feertt! You don’t understand that?

Sore Loser Update -- WI Supreme Court election

Wisconsin Supreme Court Recount – Day 8 « Hot Air:

As for the type of nitpicking the Kloppenburg campaign has been doing, they successfully challenged 18 of the 24 absentee ballots in the Sauk County town of Sumpter, most of them from a convent, because they broke heavily for Pross…er, lacked witness signatures on the application. 14 of the 18 that were in the drawdown (random removal) were for Prosser, while the pre-recount canvass for the town had Kloppenburg carrying the town 96-83.

For the record, I think it is probably right--absent extraordinary circumstances (which it appears the State of WI is experiencing/facilitating), to exclude the votes of even these Prosser (my guy) supporting convent-dwellers, but certainly Democrats don't want to deny these persons the right to vote?!

Pelley bumping Couric

I thought the following was an interesting statement about Scott Pelley, who is reportedly replacing Katie Couric as the CBS Evening News anchor (here):

“A lot of journalists are haphazard in their approach to stories,” she says, but “Scott has an incredibly specific set of criteria for what he wants in a story. It should be important or meaningful, expose injustice, involve human struggle, be about people, and bring honor to CBS.

Something doesn't feel right about these journalistic criteria.

Palin, in spite of the spite . . .

I liked this report about Sarah Palin's gracious comments to Lefty Rachel Maddow at the WHCD on Saturday ("The Palin Challenge" -- BLTWY:

At the height of MSNBC's after-party at the Italian Embassy just after midnight- Palin's hostess Greta Van Susteran ran off to find the guest bartender, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, and procure the needed caffeiniated beverage.

Surely Maddow was happy to oblige, after the former vice presidential nominee said how much she 'admires' the journalist.

'Your work ethic shines,' she said to the MSNBC anchor.

An interesting admiration, to be sure.

I'm not sure why that is "interesting," but it sure was considerate for Palin to say such a thing.

The suck up media types

I love this psycho-journalistic tick that you see by MSM journalists when "reporting" on the whole Obama-birth-certificate issue; in this case, a story about Obama's jokes at Trump's expense over the weekend:

Last week Obama released his longform birth certificate to finally put the rumors — which had already been disproven — to rest.