Flight 93 Memorial Update…

April 24, 2008 | Filed Under Flight 93 | Comments Off

Pennsylvanians build an organization to stop the Flight 93 memorial

The following press release was sent to Pennsylvania news outlets yesterday:

Angry over the Islamic symbolism contained in the Flight 93 Memorial Design, which appears to honor both the heroes and the terrorists, a group of concerned citizens asked Harry Beam (Lt. Col. U.S. Army Retired) to lead an organized effort to have the design changed.

Col. Beam said he examined several different factors before agreeing to lead the effort. First, he found that the people making the request are credible. Tom Burnett (father of a Flight 93 Hero) is demanding change to the memorial design. Additionally, Col. Beam states that he has talked to MD’s, PhD’s., Attorneys, School Teachers, Nurses, Pastors, Skilled and Unskilled Workers, Veterans and Retirees who are upset with the actions of the Flight 93 Planning Committee and the National Park Service. Second, Beam said he had to determine the validity of the assertions that there is Islamic symbology in the memorial design. He stated, “I will be the first to admit that several years ago, when I first heard about the Red Crescent, I assumed that it was a matter of co-incidence. After researching the design, I found there are many (8) additional co-incidents which cause one to question the design and the designer.” The fact that the Red Crescent points towards Mecca in the same manner a Mosque would if it were built on the site. The fact that there are 44 glass blocks included in the design (40 passengers and crew; 4 terrorists) are just two more of the eight examples of co-incidence.

The third factor was that the statements from Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) opining on the symbolism issue were not credible. Their opinions, presented to the U.S. National Park Service and the Memorial Project, were contradictory. One SME stated “because the earth is round, you can face any direction and be facing Mecca.” Most 5th graders know that is false. The statement also conflicted with another SME who said “the orientation to Mecca must be exact.” Many mosques do not have an exact Mecca orientation. One of the SME’s was a classmate of the designer, Paul Murdock.

How a Leftist Argues: It’s All About the Name Calling

April 23, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Media Bias, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

A few days ago I was rummaging through the web and ran across a tiny little blog hosted by the Houston Chronicle. It is written by a fine example of civility and perspicacity named Bobbie Cavnar. The post I saw was a perfect example of what I called the “nutrooters” going crazy beating up on George Stephanopoulos and the ABC Democratic Debate team after the ABC debates on the 18th. Needless to say, like most of the extreme leftists of the netroots, ol’ Bobbie was furious that anyone dared force Barack Obama to answer some tough questions about his character.

(And, um, as an aside, wasn’t that whole “character” deal the very thing everyone on the extreme left wanted to talk about when brining up George W. Bush’s past drinking problems and his unproven “AWOL” status with the Texas National Guard during the 2000 and 2004 elections? I’m juss sayin’.)

Well, after discovering Cavnar’s erroneous analysis on the ABC debate I wrote my piece to address Bobbie’s little rant on his dead tree hosted blog. I called it “ABC Debate Obama Flag Pin Question ‘Planted from the Right’? Nutrooters REALLY losing it now!.”

Well, it seems my post has sent our pal Bob into frenzied paroxysms of pure emotion driven fury. As a result, our old buddie Cavie went off on a spit speckled rage in reply to my mild questioning of him that was one part untruth, one part partisan talking points and four parts pure name-calling. (I know that’s six parts, but he REALLY lost it here, so extra points for vitriol.)

The Cavmeister’s post was really instructive, though. Cavie’s response really shows how the left conducts a “debate.” When confronted with things they don’t like, reason and civility leaves them faster than sanity leaves the man who walks into his own bedroom and sees his best friend in bed with his wife!

ABC News: Mexican Drug Violence U.S. Constitution’s Fault

April 23, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, 2nd Amendment, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Foreign Policy, Media Bias, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, The Law, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

True to the liberal penchant for blaming every ill in the world on the USA, ABC News has produced a “report” claiming that the increasing number of guns and drug cartel violence in Mexico is all the fault of… the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That’s right, it isn’t the drug dealers and killers in Mexico that are at fault, it’s James Madison and the Founding Father’s fault! Now, before you imagine that I am employing hyperbole in my introduction, just look at the title of their piece: “U.S. Guns Arming Mexican Drug Gangs; Second Amendment to Blame?”

ABC wrote that “U.S. gun stores and gun shows are the source of more than 90 percent of the weapons being used by Mexico’s ruthless drug cartels,” but then noted that “It’s virtually impossible to buy a firearm in Mexico as a private citizen.” To anyone really thinking about it, this fact sort of confirms the pro-gun bromide that “if you make owning a gun a crime, only criminals will have guns,” doesn’t it?

Regardless, ABC allows the Mexican attorney general to present Mexican criminality as the fault of the U.S. Constitution.

Mexico’s strict gun laws are being subverted by the easy availability of weapons in the U.S., the Mexican attorney general, Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, told ABC News. “The Second Amendment,” said the attorney general, “is certainly not designed to arm and give fire power to organized crime abroad.”

If that same Mexican government wasn’t so rife with corruption, weakness and crime, our laws here wouldn’t be such a problem for them there. Here is the thing, if Mexicans had the same God-given right to self-defense as Americans, all their guns would be purchased right at home. But, Constitutional right or no, the same violence would be happening in Mexico as the violence is not the fault of gun laws. It is the fault of Mexican corruption and drugs.

Further, the Mexican drug cartels are powerful and flush with money. If they really wanted guns and the USA didn’t offer an easy mark to obtain them, they’d merely go elsewhere. Certainly we should try harder to assure that our Constitutional rights don’t interfere with the laws of a neighboring nation, but to assume we are the sole cause of their ills is poppycock.

Comcast-Pando Networks’ “P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” solves multiple problems

April 23, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Google, Inernet, News, Scott Cleland, Society/Culture, Technology | Comments Off

-By Scott Cleland

In a breakthrough agreement and announcement (read the release at bottom), Comcast and Pando Networks, (the leading managed P2P content delivery service) agreed to:

Lead creation of a “P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” for P2P users and ISPs; and
Create a process to better “share test methodologies and results” among all P2P providers and ISPs so everyone can:
Learn how P2P providers can optimize their applications for all types of networks; and
“More efficiently deliver legal content.”

This is a profoundly significant development because it solves multiple thorny problems:
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Robert Downy, Jr. Turning Politically Conservative?

April 22, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Entertainment, GOP, Media Bias, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Let me first say that I don’t often care much about the goings on of the denizens of Hollyweird, so this “gossip” time at Publius’ Forum isn’t something you should get used to. But, Sonny Bunch is reporting over at the Weekly Standard blog (inventively called “The Blog”) that bad boy actor Robert Downey, Jr. is saying that his personal troubles of drug addiction and jail terms has turned him toward the conservative viewpoint.

“I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics every since.”

This is a sort of “mugged by reality” come to his senses that our friend Mr. Downey has had, isn’t it? I wouldn’t guess that we can expect to see Downey suddenly becoming the next Rush Limbaugh, of course, but we do have a logical and sensible progression to a conservative viewpoint made by a young man who has had some very trying times in his life (all of his own making, granted).

So, let me say, kudos to Mr. Downey. Let’s hope his newfound conservatism isn’t as temporary as his being drug free has been in past years. I wish him nothing but the best as he is a talented fellow.

Lastly, notice how Mr. Downey felt he needed not to be too vocal in extremist Hollywood about his newfound conservatism. It’s a shame that the more “tolerant” more “civilized” folks in Hollywood just can’t stand to allow people their conservatism.

(Photo credit: mugshots.com)

Tennessee Democrats Torpedo Will of The People

April 22, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Abortion, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Government, Corruption, Judges, News, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

If you can’t win the people over, lie cheat, hide behind arbitrary and arcane rules of government or use the courts to defeat the will of the people. That is the Democrat Party’s call to arms. Democrats love the people, fight for the little guy… unless those fools don’t agree with Democrats. Then, suddenly, “the people” have no say, are ignored and will find that their votes are meaningless. In short Democrats aren’t much on democracy and as the Blue Collar Muse reports, this same Democrat Party method holds true in Tennessee.

In Tennessee Senate bill SJR127 serves as the latest example of Democrats hiding from the people, thwarting their will, and using arcane rules of the Tenn. House of Representatives to doom legislation that most Tennesseans want passed. Even worse, the whole thing begins with activist judges knocking down the voice of the people.

In 2000, The Tenn. Supreme Court ruled that common sense abortion legislation passed by the state’s legislative branch was “unconstitutional.” As Ken Marrero of the BCM notes, “things like a 48 hour waiting period and full disclosure of the impact of having an abortion to any woman seeking one were thrown out. It is vital to note that none of this legislation prevented, in any way, a woman’s access to abortion. Just the opposite.”

“Once again,” Marrero says, “a small group of appointed individuals, set aside the will of the people as expressed through their duly elected representatives.”

POLYGAMY A — Mormon Broad’s View

April 22, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, History, News, Religion, Resa LaRu, "Warchick" Kirkland, Society/Culture | Comments Off

-By Resa LaRu Kirkland

The latest news on the horrors of man-instituted polygamy has caused me to receive a deluge of emails regarding the LDS church–to which I belong–and the practice of polygamy. While the scandal involves a break off of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it is still a reasonable question, and deserving of a truthful answer. Only the Prophet can give direction for the Gospel here on earth, but all of God’s children are entitled to ask Him for answers and receive answers when He–and His child–is ready. Between His words to His prophets–from the Old Testament to now–and the personal answers we are all entitled to through study and prayer, understanding the difference between polygamy ordained by God and the selfish, gluttonous, and wicked polygamy of man are plain to see and stark in contrast.

So here it is–the good, the bad, and the ugly of Polygamy.

We believe in the concept of the New and Everlasting Covenant. We are sealed by those in authority to do so beyond this life so that we remain a family in the next life; there is no “’till death do you part” in our religion. We do not believe that God meant for marriage and family–the ONE thing He established when earth started and man came to be(he did not set up farming, business, governments, or politics, but MARRIAGE only)–to be for this life only. Marriage and family are the ONLY eternal profession. It is the most important thing we will ever do.
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CNN’s Rick Sanchez Accused of Pushing Left Agenda in College Interviews

April 21, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Media Bias, News, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Monday morning, April 21st, CNN aired “America Votes 2008” with Rick Sanchez, (11:30 AM CT) a segment that featured reporter Sanchez visiting Penn State University to talk to some of the students about the upcoming Pennsylvania Democratic Primary. In the aftermath of CNN’s visit, some of the students involved in the taping are alleging that Sanchez was so virulently skewed to the left that he berated and bullied students who held a differing point of view. It was reportedly so bad that CNN crewmembers even apologized to several students for Sanchez’ incivility.

On Sunday, CNN touted Sanchez’ Pennsylvania segments as putting him “on the road in Pennsylvania ahead of Tuesday’s crucial vote” and claims to be interested in “what’s on their minds before they cast their ballots?” But at the Penn State University segment, at least as far as at least some of the students involved are concerned, what was on their minds didn’t interest Sanchez at all. To the contrary, what was on his mind was all that concerned him they allege.

CNN contacted students in several political clubs at Penn State to arrange for the interview and two weeks ago their cameras and crews arrived at the university to film the segment with the on-air personality.

21-year-old journalism student Chelsea Brown, though, was less than impressed by Sanchez’ bellicose confrontations during the taping with several of the students including herself. I spoke with Miss Brown after the interview and she told me was offended and shocked by Sanchez’ lack of professional comportment.

Obama Tech Advisor Introduces Video of Gay, Singing Jesus Who Gets Hit by a Bus

April 21, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Media Bias, News, President, Religion, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

As heard on the Rush Limbaugh Show, April 21 at around noon (CT). Welcome Rush Limbaugh listeners.

Also as heard on the Sean Hannity radio Show, April 21 during his first hour. We got Hannitized, folks.

Erick Erickson over at RedState tells us all of an anti-Christian video recently introduced with great frivolity by Internet philosopher and Obama technology advisor Larry Lessig. The video introduced at a Google Author series seminar shows Jesus singing the Gloria Gaynor tune “I Will Survive” in a very effeminate, theatrical way. As the song ramps up, Jesus throws off his robe and strips down to a diaper-like covering, then he sashays through a modern city until he gets hit by a bus in an intersection.

The worst thing about this is that this is also another scandal involving a Barack Obama campaign associate showing his disdain for the American mainstream, this time a disdain of Christianity. It turns out that Lessig is a somewhat secretive Obama campaign advisor, serving to assist the campaign on Internet and technology policies. As Erickson points out, Lessig hosts Obama’s tech policy on his own lessig.org website.

At the conference, the Google employees can be heard laughing and enjoying the show. The clip ends with Lessig claiming that we shouldn’t worry because a sequel shows that Jesus survives being run over by the bus. How comforting, eh?

Again, as Erickson points out, “Barack Obama’s campaign has regularly cited Lessig as a key supporter on technology issues (see here too) and made sure Lessig was quoted when listing Obama’s technology endorsers.”

Call For Barack Obama to Repudiate Violence of His Union Supporters

April 21, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Media Bias, News, President, Society/Culture, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

Warner Todd Huston

This week a TV ad for Barack Obama was debuted. It was made by a union that supports Obama, the SEIU (Service Employees International Union). Last week, the SEIU sent 700 of its members to violently break into a conference being put on by a union supporting magazine called Labor Notes Magazine. Several women were injured by the violent protests sponsored by the SEIU.

WE CALL FOR BARACK OBAMA TO REPUDIATE HIS SUPPORTER’S VIOLENCE!

What sort of candidate would gleefully accept the support of a union that violently attacked other union members? This was no heated argument that just blew up, either, no accident of passions. It was a purposefully violent attack planned and executed. The SEIU organized hundreds of its members, rented 7 busses to transport them to their target site, and then unleashed them to push, shove and beat their way into a conference being held by the union supporting magazine. It was no accident that people were hurt. That was the SEIU’s goal.

It isn’t just one incident, either. SEIU members have been engaged in a campaign of violence and harassment and stalking of members of the California Nurses Association for many months now. The courts are even having to get involved.

And here we have Barack Obama blithely accepting the support of the violence prone SEIU without raising his own voice against the attacks!

Media Trots out Gorbachev to Attack John McCain

April 21, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Foreign Policy, Media Bias, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, UN, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

If they had a reality show for international politicians called “Biggest Loser” the most popular nominee for the title would be Mikhail Gorbachev, the man that lost his whole country, not merely an election. Yet, every once in a while and for some untenable reason, this communist loser is trotted out by the US media as some sort of expert on international politics. Unsurprisingly, his opinion is always sought to act as an attack on a Republican politician or policy. This time it is the All Headline News service trotting out old spotty in order to wag a finger at GOP presidential candidate John McCain.

Back on March 18th, McCain reiterated his idea of creating a new international organization styled as a “League of Democracies.” McCain imagines this organization as a chance to renew the commitment of the world’s democratic nations to the concept of helping others grow as well as lending more support to those already so formed.

Americans and Europeans share a common goal – to build an enduring peace based on freedom. Our democracies today are strong and vibrant. Together we can tackle the diverse challenges we face, whether radical religious fanatics who use terror as their weapon of choice, the disturbing turn towards autocracy in Russia or the looming threats of climate change and the degradation of our planet.

But the key word is “together”. We need to renew and revitalise our democratic solidarity. We need to strengthen our transatlantic alliance as the core of a new global compact – a League of Democracies – that can harness the great power of the more than 100 democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests.

Well, whether you think it feasible or not for all the democratic nations to get together to form a new United Nationsesque organization, the idea has some merit. After all, the entire reason the UN does not work — and never did or even could work — is because those nations that stand four-square against freedom and liberty have as much say in policy as those who wish to further the advancement of human freedom. The UN is a joke that we should never have bothered with.

Change Doesn’t Come by Electing a President

April 21, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Frank Salvato, GOP, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, War on Terror | Comments Off

-By Frank Salvato

We have heard during this presidential election cycle – ad naseum – how our country is in dire need of “change.” We are promised by each of the candidates that they are the ones – the only ones – who can bring about this much needed change. Of course, this is all disingenuous politicking. The fact of the matter is this: the office of the presidency is quite limited in its power to affect any change at all. The real entity capable of affecting immediate and dramatic change in government, the governmental branch with the real power, is the Legislative Branch.

When we examine the Charters of Freedom – and specifically the US Constitution – it is clear that the Executive Branch is charged with executing the laws of the land created by the Legislative Branch (with the consent of the Executive Branch via the signature of the President) and that the Legislative Branch is charged with crafting legislation; charged with debating, weighing and then enacting legislation that would become the law of the land. The Framers even established a mechanism where the Legislative Branch might “override” a presidential veto should the Executive Branch oppose legislation brought forth by an enlarged majority of Congress.

This factuality accepted, it is next to impossible, but for the bully pulpit afforded the stature of the presidency, for the President of the United States to be an effective “change agent.” While he (or she) can certainly execute executive orders and signing statements, the fact remains, it is Congress that holds the power to legislate and fund laws and government programs. Therefore, simple logic mandates that for all the tall rhetoric of “change” coming from the presidential candidates – especially the Democrats – their promises will, for the most part, ring hollow. In order to bring about real change in government, one must “change” the Legislative Branch. In this truth the American people are in luck.
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NYT’s Failure to Understand Our Times Now Complete

April 20, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Foreign Policy, Media Bias, News, President, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

To the New York Times there is only one issue in America: the war.

To show how pathetic The New York Times and John Broder are at analyzing the current political climate, all one has to do is read “Gore-Lieberman: A Hyphen Apart? Try Poles.” Here the Times clearly reveals that they see but two types of American politician: the good guys against the war, and the evil ones for it. That’s it. To the Times there is no other issue, no other divide, no other substantive thought, no other thing that separates our leaders one from the other. There is only the war and nothing else.

In this empty piece, the Times posits that should Al Gore had won in 2000 instead of George W. Bush, the second Gore administration would have seen a dump Lieberman movement that would have resulted in a different Gore vice-president in 2006.

Imagine for a moment the Supreme Court had gone the other way in Bush v. Gore in 2000. We would now be in year eight of the Gore-Lieberman administration. Well, maybe not the Lieberman part.

The reason the Times posits for this is because Gore and Lieberman have “staked out diametrically opposite positions on the Iraq war.”

Not only have Mr. Gore and Mr. Lieberman staked out diametrically opposite positions on the Iraq war, Mr. Gore went so far as to endorse one of Mr. Lieberman’s presidential rivals in 2004, Howard Dean, largely because of his opposition to the invasion. Mr. Lieberman is campaigning for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona.

As Mr. Gore steadily migrated leftward from his roots as a hawkish, centrist New Democrat, Mr. Lieberman lurched to the right, so much so that he now makes common cause with Republicans, at least on the war.

Not only is this analysis about an inch deep, it doesn’t even rise to the rest of the old saying of being a mile wide for it’s an inch deep AND an inch wide.

Hamas Says They’re For Obama, CNN Says ‘McCain Says Hamas Wants Obama’

April 20, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, GOP, Media Bias, News, President, Society/Culture, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

In a head spinning effort to make McCain the bad guy of a story, CNN has taken the voiced support for Barack Obama by the terrorist organization Hamas and turned it into a finger pointing at Republican John McCain for being mean to Obama. Talk about spin, CNN has really done a doosie here. Taking the words of the terrorists in Hamas and placing them in McCain’s mouth is simply unbelievable. But that’s exactly what they’ve done.

CNN’s Political Ticker Blog showed us some gymnastics worthy of the Olympics — or more correctly a contortionist — to turn the words of a terrorist into those of John McCain in their ridiculously titled post, “McCain camp says Hamas wants Obama.”

John McCain’s campaign sent supporters a fundraising e-mail Friday that claims Hamas approves of Democrat Barack Obama’s foreign policy vision, and is hoping for his victory this fall.

Oh, CNN is all aghast over the nasty McCain camp. There’s high dudgeon galore.

St. Francis should have tried bribes

April 20, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Health, Media Bias, News, Race, Society/Culture | Comments Off

-By Michael M. Bates

St. Francis Hospital serves a number of low-income people in suburban Chicago. Losing millions of dollars by caring for uninsured patients, four years ago St. Francis sought approval to build an additional hospital in a more prosperous suburb, Orland Park. The idea was to generate income that would help the original facility survive.

Readers may wonder why, in this land so blessed by the fruits of free enterprise, a hospital would have to get state permission to serve a new community. There is no good reason.

Nevertheless, the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board must endorse all such undertakings. Its members, appointed by the governor and ratified by the Illinois Senate, wield heavy clout in a state where clout is king. And when the governor is Milorad Blagojevich, also known as “Public Official A” in Federal indictments, the possibilities are endless.
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Who’s Your Daddy?

April 20, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, Nancy Morgan, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture | Comments Off

-By Nancy Morgan

Uncle Sam used to resemble my rich old uncle, the uncle that didn’t visit very much but would always be there for us in a crisis. Uncle Sam would take care of the things our family couldn’t take care of ourselves, like war, natural disasters and various other crises. But Uncle Sam is getting old and has decided he wants to move in with us.

Since a lot of us are living without fathers, this is good news. Finally, someone to take charge and guide us. Someone who will go to obscene lengths to make us safe and happy, full of self esteem and good little citizens. You know, kinda like Dad used to do before marriage became so, well, outdated.

It’s a very secure feeling knowing that Uncle Sam is looking out for our best interests. He got the lady down the hall to quit smoking, just in case they find out some day that 2nd hand smoke causes cancer. He got cars to use special gas additives and even mandated using biofuels so cars don’t pollute Mother Earth. It wasn’t his fault that the special gas turned out to cause cancer and biofuels are causing food prices to skyrocket. His intentions were the best, so you really can’t fault him.
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Newt Says that American Left Wing ‘Admirers Terrorists’

April 19, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Media Bias, News, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

I have to say, right on Newt here. The left wing in America loves American terrorists. That what Newt said to Sean Hannity the other day.

“…the left wing of the Democratic Party, frankly, kind of admires American terrorists… they don’t mind at all that Farrakhan is anti-semitic. They shrug off Jeremiah Wright.”

Let’s face facts here. The left has always loved hatemongers, terrorists, and wild-eyed lunatics. They loved Malcolm X, the Weather Underground, Manson, the Chicago 7, and now they love Farrakahn, and murderers like Mumia Abu-Jamal.

But, watch the left get all upset like they’ve been attacked or something.

Pro Tibet, Not Much on History

April 19, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Foreign Policy, Media Bias, News, Society/Culture, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Let’s give them an “A” for feeling, but an “F” for history. Photographer Rowan Benum captured an amusing sign at a Pro-Tibet rally in California not long ago and it says loads about our fetid educational system in the US these days. History isn’t one of the better understood subjects, but feelings are there in spades.

Of course, we understand the sentiment. The Nazis now serve as the single worst example of human evil. Say someone is a Nazi and you can’t get a worse epithet. And the left in the US just loves to throw that name around at whom ever they don’t like. Bush is a “Nazi,” Bill O’Reilly is a “Nazi,” conservatives are “Nazis,” etc., etc.

So, what’s more natural than calling the Chinese “Nazis”? After all, the Chinese may be responsible for killing even more people than Hitler ever dreamed of killing and they are still around to rack up an ever higher murder rate. Certainly the Russians killed more than Hitler did — and this always makes me wonder why the word “communist” is not considered as bad a name to call someone as “Nazi,” but I digress.

Now, the sentiment that the Chinese are bad and we should not be allowing them to host the Olympics while pretending China is an upstanding member of the international community is one that anyone interested in liberty and freedom should consider salient.

With that sentiment I also agree.

Unfortunately, someone didn’t pay attention to their history teacher in California because, as we all know, the Nazis DID host the Olympics. It was 1936. And many people of the international community of 1936 wanted the Nazis to have the Olympics for the same reason that people today think we should allow the Chinese to have them.

It will “help” them become better members of the international community, or so goes the theory. And we can see how hosting the Olympics helped the Nazis reform themselves to join the international community in 1936, right?

Sadly, our pro-Tibet protesters need a history lesson. So does anyone who thinks it a good idea to let China host the Olympics.

By the way, the little tags at the top of the sign are Tibetan prayer cards or flags. Just in case you wondered.

(photo credit Rowan Benum)
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ABC Debate Obama Flag Pin Question ‘Planted from the Right’? Nutrooters REALLY losing it now!

April 19, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Media Bias, News, President, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Houston Chronicle blogger Bob Cavnar needs to take some time off, or lay off the caffeine, or maybe someone should gently tell him that the black helicopters aren’t following him after all. Whatever the case, Cavnar used his April 19th posting to go off on a wild eyed rant that is so twisted that it ends up blaming Republicans and Mickey Mouse for the fact that Barack Obama isn’t patriotic enough to wear an American flag lapel pin! This is just another hilarious example of the overheated far left’s panty bunching extravaganza that we’ve seen since the ABC debate aired.

During the last Democratic presidential debate, a woman from Pennsylvania was shown on videotape pointing out that Barack Obama refuses to wear an American flag lapel pin unlike most of the other candidates who do from time to time and Cavnar has decided that some dark, Obama hating conspiracy at ABC pushed this woman into the debate.

Here was her question at the ABC debate:

Unfair and Unbalanced

April 19, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Media Bias, News, Selwyn Duke, Society/Culture | Comments Off

By Selwyn Duke

The phrase “fair and balanced” certainly has a positive connotation. It is thought the greatest quality a news outlet can possess; it has even become a motto of the Fox News Network. Yet I don’t find Fox very balanced at all.

Oh, I give credit where it’s due. Given that neo-communist organs such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and most other mainstream newspapers believe presenting the “other side” means airing the voice of socialist dissent, Fox and its soul mates are a major improvement. I say soul mates because, while among TV news outlets Fox may be unusual, its perspective certainly is not.

I am never fair and balanced, certainly not in the modern way of thinking. My problem with the approach is that it breeds something akin to the following reportage:

“God says Devil is evil; Devil says God is evil. We report, you decide.”

The above is more literally true than you may think. We often complain about internationalist news bureaus that will call terrorists by a euphemism such as “insurgents” or “militants,” but in the fair and balanced world it makes sense. After all, one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. Sure, that widely-accepted U.S. government definition of terrorism states that it is “. . . violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents . . .,” but, first, why should our perspective carry the day? Then, what is this business about “subnational” groups? It is obviously a tendentious definition allowing the biggest bullies on the block, nations, the latitude to employ an effective tactic while denying it to the less powerful. And we know that during WWII both sides aggressively targeted civilian populations. Let’s be fair and balanced now. And all is fair in love and war.
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County Sheriff Runs Sex-Slave Operation from Jail — Guess Which Party?

April 18, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Media Bias, Morals/Sex, News, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, this time the AP has really done it. Dateline Custer County, Oklahoma: Sheriff Mike Burgess resigns after authorities charged him with running a sex-slave operation out of his jail using female inmates he bribed for the purpose. So, which party did the AP tell us our crafty entrepreneur was from? Well, they seem to have forgotten to mention it… shocking, I know.

Oklahoma sheriff charged with using inmates as sex slaves

ARAPAHO, Okla. (AP) — Authorities have charged a western Oklahoma sheriff with coercing and bribing female inmates so he could use them in a sex-slave operation run out of his jail.

Custer County Sheriff Mike Burgess resigned Wednesday just as state prosecutors filed 35 felony charges against him, including 14 counts of second-degree rape, seven counts of forcible oral sodomy and five counts of bribery by a public official.

Yikes, just plain yikes! It looks like our salacious sheriff of that unknown party is really in dutch for this one.

SEIU Storms Conference, Injures Visitors

April 18, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Business, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, News, Society/Culture, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, it was funny seeing the SEIU and the CNA squaring off for a battle royale, but now things are really getting serious and at this point even a staunch anti-unionist has to say that things are getting out of hand.

The folks over at LaborNotes.org brings us the story of SEIU members being bussed in six, count them SIX, busses to invade and disrupt a conference being attended by California Nurses Association members in Dearborn, Michigan last weekend. Reports are that people were injured as the hundreds of bussed in SEIU members forcibly broke into the conference to disrupt the proceedings.

The ridiculous thing is that the conference was supposed to be about “democracy” in unions put on by Labor Notes Magazine.

This escalation of violence by SEIU members is a disturbing trend that really does make the lie to the claim that SEIU prez Andy Stern is interested in legitimate representation, but is more interested in coercion and intimidation.

Counterproductive Liberal-Progressivism

April 18, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Global Warming, Media Bias, News, Science, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, Thomas Brewton | Comments Off

-By Thomas E. Brewton

Liberal-progressive environmentalists are starving the world’s poor.

Liberal-progressives are enthralled with imposing collectivist regulation to satisfy their religion’s “feel-good” agendas.

But the cost of liberal-progressive worship of collectivist abstractions is great. Diverting limited economic resources into less important or less effective uses, inherent in the straitjacket of government regulation, impoverishes the world with lower output. It also results in the loss of innovation inherent in the liberty of millions of individuals to experiment and discover the most effective and least costly ways to solve problems. Liberal-progressive-socialism’s claim that government bureaucrats are better at administering the economy than “greedy” individual workers and private businessmen is repeatedly belied by experience.
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Yale Student’s ‘Abortion Art’ Claim a Scam

April 17, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Abortion, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Media Bias, News, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

Warner Todd Huston
**Now With UPDATE**

The Yale Daily News breathlessly informed us of a female student, art major Aliza Shvarts, who claimed that her senior art project was a documentation of nine months of self-induced miscarriages. Her goal, of course, was to “spark conversation” about “the relationship between art and the human body.” What is really the truth with this so-called “art” project, though, is that Shvarts has pulled the wool over the eyes of the Yale Daily News, the willing dupes who claim to be her professors, and anyone reading this story on Drudge and believing she really induced her own miscarriages. It’s all a hoax. Or if not an outright hoax, it’s a misleading tale of a girl who hasn’t a clue about how one becomes pregnant, what the fake drugs she took are really capable of doing, and the psychological pain of a real miscarriage.

It’s also proof that our sources of news rarely if ever employ any common sense in how they write up the news. A tiny bit of logic put to this story of “self-induced miscarriages” would reveal it to be all stuff and nonsense. But, no, what we get instead is the story reported as if it is fact and not the cynical efforts of a kid that just wants her 15 minutes of fame. It is also proof that the liberal side of the abortion debate leads the ideological mindset of the news.

Here is the story in the Yale Daily News:

Beginning next Tuesday, Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself “as often as possible” while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages. Her exhibition will feature video recordings of these forced miscarriages as well as preserved collections of the blood from the process.

Seems very grave and serious, doesn’t it? This girl put her body through the repeated physical abuse of impregnation and miscarriage for her “art.” If this were true, it would have been quite a physical ordeal. In fact, if it had really happened, I’d imagine that she might possibly have put her health, or at least her future ability to become pregnant, at risk. But, in truth she was likely never pregnant, she never had any “miscarriages” and there was nothing but common menstrual fluids resulting.

What was her “process”? How did she create these so-called miscarriages? She asked boys she knew to donate sperm (she claims she also asked them to have tests for sexually transmitted diseases), she supposedly implanted that sperm into herself, and then she took these claimed herbal concoctions misleadingly called “abortifacient drugs” to end the pregnancy with forced miscarriage.

The main question is, was she ever pregnant? I have to say most likely no. The “turkey baster” method of implanting semen for impregnation is very ineffective, though known to be successful. Sperm does not live for too long once it hits the open air, so implantation would had to have occurred quickly after the issuing of the fluids. So, to assume that this girl had actually impregnated herself is not a good bet. There is no indication that there was any sort of “controls” placed on her efforts at implantation and, since there was never once any medical care, there is no proof that she ever was pregnant at all.

Rep. Melissa Bean, Another Democrat AGAINST Free Speech

April 17, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

**Update at end of original**

In the devastated country of Zimbabwe the tyrant that runs the place, Robert Mugabe, has an iron fist on the political process. He often won’t allow members of the opposition party to leave their homes much less to go out and campaign for office. When political parties are physically prevented from even being allowed to engage in the process we call that tyranny. Now, it isn’t too far to go to say that Illinois Congressman Melissa Bean (D, 8th Dist) is beginning to head down the road to Robert Mugabe’s style of tyranny right here in the USA.

Yes, you heard me right. I just said that US Congressman Melissa Bean is beginning to act like the murdering tyrant, Robert Mugabe.

Let’s face reality, here. All too often we Americans groan at the mere mention of politics. We Americans are spoiled by our freedom in many ways. We moan about having to think of politics while there are countries where representatives of the people are thrown in holes so deep they are never seen again. One of those countries is the one the world has absurdly favored with the Olympics.

Another reality is that, whether we are sick and tired of our politics in this great country or not, politics is exactly what formed us, what informs us, and what reforms us. Without a direct and vigorous engagement in American politics we would fast find our freedoms gone, our liberty papered over by too much regulation and our fortunes leeched away by confiscatory taxation. To avoid these all too human pitfalls, these are the reasons our Founders set the system up the way they did.

Now CNA and SEIU Members are Beating Each Other Up

April 17, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Business, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Beatles once had a song in which the line “It’s getting better all the time” was featured as the theme. Well, that is how I feel about this fight for supremacy between the CNA and the SEIU over the enrollment of Ohio’s healthcare workers. Each day this fight gets funnier and funnier for those of us that are not a real big fan of unions.

Well, last week things got physical, the fight boiling over into fisticuffs for some members of the two battling unions. We get the gory details from the Los Angeles Times.

A nasty fight erupted at L.A. County hospitals today when organizers for the California Nurses Assn. launched a campaign to persuade 6,000 county-employed nurses to ditch the Service Employees International Union, the powerful organization that represents them, and join the CNA instead, Garrett Therolf reports.

Police arrested a CNA organizer accused of slapping an SEIU organizer and of stomping on the foot of another. A county official who asked for anonymity claimed CNA organizers dressed up as nurses so they could get into areas of the hospital normally off limits.

Every time I open a paper to see a story about the CNA/SEIU fight I feel like I should be popping some pop corn for the show I’m about to enjoy!

Ad the fight is spreading. From Ohio to California, Texas, and Nevada the CNA is aggressively courting new members setting the SEIU’s nerves on edge.

Now that they are starting to get physical we can assume that this fight is way beyond the annoyance stage and now into the truly meanstreet phase. We’ll keep an eye on the fun.
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Shame On Islam

April 17, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Foreign Policy, Islam, Islamofascism, Media Bias, Nancy Morgan, News, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, War on Terror | Comments Off

-By Nancy Morgan

Americans wonder why moderate Muslims don’t publicly condemn Islamofascism, terrorism, and the hijacking of their religion by fanatics who use women as suicide bombers and babies as human shields. A question seldom asked is why Americans aren’t publicly condemning these atrocities.

The barbarism exhibited by the fanatical faction of Islam is beyond the pale, by any civilized standards. And while America waits for Muslims to step up and condemn these barbarians, we go about our business as usual, condemning instead the unthinkable practice of putting panties on terrorists’ heads, and the cruel and unusual punishment of including pork on the menu provided to terrorists incarcerated in Guantanamo.

The irrational hatred of the West by many Muslims is seldom questioned. Instead, a large segment of the American public has taken a cue from them, adopting irrational hatred as a political philosophy. By not condemning irrational hatred, we implicitly endorse it. Just as we implicitly endorse terror tactics by not condemning them.

Throughout history, communities, civilizations and cultures have learned by example. Take the growing number of teen tarts performing non-sex on their boyfriends. Thank-you, Boy Clinton. Take the increasing number of school shootings mirrored on Columbine. The examples abound. So why are we surprised when Muslims in America don’t condemn the murder being practiced under their noses and in their names? Because no-one else is. America is too busy trying to appear non-judgmental and worrying about what everyone is saying about us. For shame.

Tell me again, what religion is it that uses women and babies as cannon fodder? Why, its Islam, the religion of peace. I’d call this shameful, if shame were still in vogue. Its not. America is a guilt society, whose primary motivation is to appear non-judgmental and politically correct. The multiculturalist crowd has convinced a large portion of Americans that all cultures are equal. We spend our time trying to understand the unimaginable instead of condemning it. Meanwhile, the terrorists are laughing at our naivety, as they plot to kill anyone who doesn’t ascribe to their faith.
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Flight 93 Memorial Update…

April 17, 2008 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Flight 93, Media Bias, Military, News, Patriotism, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, War on Terror | Comments Off

40 infidels, strung like fish beneath symbolic Islamic heavens

Just for this post, a new blogburst logo:

Tom Burnett’s letter to the American people is bringing lots of signatures for our online petition. People can also join our blogbursts here

Damned to Hell

Time to emphasize the ugliest aspect of the terrorist memorial mosque that is now being built in Shanksville Pennsylvania. It does not just INCLUDE the terrorists in some kind of reductio ad absurdum of multiculturalist moral relativism. Actually, there is not a single speck of moral relativism in the entire design. Rather, the terrorists are explicitly championed, while the 40 infidels are again and again depicted as symbolically damned to Islamic Hell.

Swinging Like Monkeys from the Branches of the Liberty Tree

April 17, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Democrats/Leftists, Frank Salvato, News, Society/Culture | Comments Off

-By Frank Salvato

Recently, in a Chicago suburb, a village trustee was issued a citation for disorderly conduct when she informed two less than discerning parents that the trees of the village were to be respected as elements of nature, not utilized like playground equipment. The citation was issued after the parents mistook verbiage used as that of being racist. It should be disturbing to all of us that a citation was issued because of words used in a non-aggressive fashion. Even more disturbing is that our society is willing to disregard free speech rights in pursuit of political correctness.

On seeing two children climbing in a less than mature magnolia tree – and upon witnessing the damage they were causing to the tree – Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski, the village trustee in question, asked the parents, who were supervising the children, to remove them from the tree. She cited safety concerns and the fact that they were damaging the tree. This resulted in the parents effectively telling Ms. Ramirez-Sliwinski to trumpet her opinion out of her rectum. It was at this point that the “offensive verbiage” was uttered.

Upon the parents’ suggestion that Ramirez-Sliwinski explore the possibility of turning her opinion into a suppository, Ramirez-Sliwinski said,

More on House Speaker Andy Dillion Recall (Michigan)

April 16, 2008 | Filed Under 00Publius Contributor, Budget, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Corruption, Media Bias, News, Society/Culture, Taxes, The Law, Warner Todd Huston | 9 Comments

Warner Todd Huston

This fight is getting fierce, as I reported last month. Like all Democrats who claim to be interested in democracy, politicians like Dillon reveal that they are far more interested in keeping their political power than they are in serving the people. Dillon is the Speaker of the House of the State legislature who is using union thugs to stop citizens from signing a recall petition aimed at relieving him of his office over his support of wasteful spending and a massive tax increase.

It’s gotten so bad with the fear of the entrenched Democrat power structure, even the Michigan Assoc. of Police Organizations has jumped in to fight the citizen’s right to free political expression with an automated phone call that tells citizens that an “extremist” group is out to topple Dillon.

This is a perfect example of entrenched politicians abusing their power to stay in office and doing their level best to destroy the legal, legitimate efforts of community groups so that they, the politicians, can remain in power.

We like to imagine that we are in a democracy, but examples like this are perfect reasons to at times doubt that assumption. This is the most cynical effort of thwarting the citizen’s wishes that has been seen in quite a while and a spotlight needs to be shed on it for all to see.

If you want all the nuts and bolts of the legality of the fight, Ballotpedia.org has some fantastic info on this effort.

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