Will ‘Conservatives’ Let Palin be Palin?

March 7, 2010 | Filed Under Blogging, Democrats/Leftists, Inernet, Josh Painter, Liberals, New Media, Radio, Sarah Palin, Society/Culture | No Comments

- By Josh Painter

Author and talk radio host Austin Hill, in a Townhall.com commentary, looks at the phenomenon of apparent “conservatives” who seem to begrudge Sarah Palin her success:

The continual attacks on Palin from the cultural left, while reprehensible, are nonetheless understandable. Given its narrow-minded allegiance to stereotypes, liberal America simply doesn’t know what to do with a sexy, telegenic woman who believes in things like traditional marriage and American exceptionalism. Women who believe as Palin does, so the liberal assumptions go, are supposed to fit the frumpy, dowdy, “church-lady” description. But Palin shatters that assumption, and thus, the left’s response to her is to lash-out.

But regardless of one’s political or cultural leanings, any American who feels uncomfortable in the face of Palin’s recent choices and fortunes should ask themselves “why?” Why is it so unnerving to observe a woman in the public eye rise from modest, middleclass status, to wealthy, high-powered celebrity status, in less than two years?

[...]

“But if she keeps charging people for photos and all of that” a caller to my talk show told me, “she’s going to irritate her core supporters.” Yep, Sarah Palin’s choices may very well alienate her supporters. And without our government guaranteeing economic outcomes, all our economic choices entail a level of risk. But Palin is nonetheless free to charge for photos, risky as that may be - and I’m free to decide whether or not to buy them.

Will “conservatives” let Palin be Palin? Will Americans allow the “free market” to remain free?

We suspect that some of Austin’s callers are deceiving him, a prospect that the author doesn’t delve into beyond putting quote marks around the word “conservative” when discussing these callers.

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Don’t Forget, The Sammies Coming April 16th

February 23, 2010 | Filed Under Blogging, Illinois, Inernet, Sam Adams Alliance, State Government, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

For further info see thesammies.com.

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Sam Adams Alliance: The Sammies April 16

February 22, 2010 | Filed Under Blogging, Computers, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Inernet, Sam Adams Alliance, State Government, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

Sam Adams Alliance is proud to announce that we will be hosting the Sammies April 16, 2010, at the Chicago Cultural Center with special guest Andrew Breitbart.

The last year has been one of the most active and visible for citizen leaders who support free markets and individual liberty. Join us for dinner, drinks, and conversation as we honor the very best at our third-annual awards show in downtown Chicago. Purchase your tickets today: http://thesammies.com/attend/.

WHAT: The Sammies
WHEN: Friday, April 16, 2010
WHERE: The Chicago Cultural Center / 78 E. Washington Street, Chicago, IL
WHO: Andrew Breitbart, and all of this year’s Sammies winners

PURCHASE TICKETS: http://bit.ly/csL0YQ

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Cao Responds to Kelly Accusations of Links to Topinka/Paid Blogger Claim

January 27, 2010 | Filed Under Blogging, Chicago, Cook County, Elections, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Republicans, State Government, States, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

There’s been a swirl of charges and counter charges with some of the operatives of several different campaigns here that we’ve only had a few posts about — mostly because I think these charges are tangential to the actual issues. It basically concerns charges made by the William Kelly for Comptroller campaign that operatives of the Dodge campaign are actually working for Topinka in a sort of typical Chicago dirty tricks campaign effort. These charges have been returned by the Dodge folks that it is in reality Kelly who is the false front candidate.

On Jan. 25 I posted D2s Prove Jim Dodge Dirty Tricks in IL Comptroller Race written by Tom Mannis of Chicago News Bench because it was a pretty good summation of the charges from his camp (he’s a Kelly man). Right after that 62nd District candidate Paul Mitchel responded to the claims. I posted that address the very same day.

Lynn has also responded to the Kelly camp’s claims (she’s a Dodge supporter) on her blog, Cao’s Blog and I think her voice should also be heard here. Among other things, she disputes that she makes money from Jack Roeser and that she’s a “paid blogger.”
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Book Review: What Are These Tea Parties About, Anyway?

January 13, 2010 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Blogging, Book Reviews, Budget, Chicago, Communism, Congress, Constitution, Cook County, Crime, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Education, Elections, Federalism, Free Speech, Free Trade, Freedom, GOP, Government, Corruption, History, Inernet, Jobs, Journalism, Liberals, Media Bias, Republicans, Security/Safety, Senate, Socialism, Society/Culture, State Government, States Rights, Taxes, Tea Party, Unions, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston, Western Civilization | 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

A new book about the Tea Party movement — and a movement it really is — will soon be hitting the shelves. “A New American Tea Party” penned by John M. O’Hara, one of the many folks that helped bring us some of those protests in early 2009, is a book that hopes that the reader will come away understanding and appreciating the Tea Party movement as a truly grassroots happening, a spontaneous outpouring of interest backed by true red, white and blue American ideals.

Author O’Hara, himself an early Tea Party organizer in Washington D.C. and the Chicago area, answers several questions with the book: what sparked the Tea Parties; is the name “Tea Party” itself a proper sobriquet; what do they mean; what does the future hold; and how do you make more?

The first thing one might notice is that O’Hara writes in a crisp, conversational style with short subchapters. This makes it ideal for reading bits at a time. This is not a dense treatment and I think his style makes the book very accessible to people of all ages — without talking down to the young or dumbing it down for the more advanced reader.
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Liberal Website Wants ‘Teabaggers’ to ‘Die’

December 11, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Blogging, Democrats/Leftists, Gays, Inernet, Liberals, Media Bias, Republicans, Society/Culture, Taxes, Tea Party, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The profane, but popular lefty site named “Wonkette” decided that it wants conservatives to die. Either that or it wants homosexuals that indulge a certain sexual practice to die, it’s a bit hard to tell.

In a post outrageously headlined “Teabaggers To Feign Death In Senate Offices, Because Of Whatever,” the Wonkette crew snarks that “teabaggers” will appear in the Senate and will “pretend to die, because they’re pussies, and won’t die for real.”

Now, there is a bit of confusion here, as you can readily see. None who are going to the Senate to protest the anti-American Obamacare policies that the Senate is trying to push through are “teabaggers.” They may be Tea Party goers, Tea Partiers, or Tea Partyists, but none of them are “teabaggers.” As many of you already know, a “teabagger” is someone that indulges in some crazy homosexual sex practice. Most assuredly no one going to D.C. for this protest will be under any apprehension that they will be doing so to highlight any aberrant sexual practice. Maybe an aberrant taxing practice, but not any aberrant sex practice.

So, we have that whole confusing terminology thing going on here.
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Publius Forum at Lucky 13 on Illinois Top Blogs

December 9, 2009 | Filed Under Blogging, Conservatives, Illinois, Inernet, Republicans, State Government, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s the end of the year and that means LISTS! Over at Illinois Observer, David Ormsby has assembled the rankings of the top 50 Illinois websites and Publius Forum shows up at number 13 on that list.

Seeing as how we few, we unlucky few conservatives in Illinois live in a bloo, bloo state, it is not surprising that most of the sites are lib sites. But there are some great conservative sites represented in the list, as well.

Here are the conservative/libertarian blogs as they appear ranked (the number to the right is the Alexia ranking):
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Apple App Store Says Mad Magazine Artist too Mean for Approval

November 10, 2009 | Filed Under Blogging, Business, Censorship, Computers, Humor, Inernet, Liberals, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

I always knew that Mad Magazine was filled with ner-do-wells that will rot your brain and turn you into a big meanie. My teachers in school all told me so… and they were teachers so they must’ve been right. Now the Apple iPhone App store has finally seen the light of reason on this truism, too. Well, if the App Store didn’t deny Mad Magazine exactly, it did lower they kabosh on one of its nasty, mean-spirited artists, Tom Richmond, by denying his iPhone App registration. Serves him right, the troublemaker.

The good name of Apple computers will not be sullied by the rottenness, and all around anarchy of this no-account, Richmond, that’s for sure. And to assure that Apple will always stand for truth, justice and the American way, Richmond’s crummy little iPhone App has been denied. Take that forces of un-Americanness!

So, what was Richmond’s apostasy, you might wonder? Well, last year cartoonist Tom Richmond was asked to help with the graphic display of a proposed iPhone App that would connect the user with information on their representatives in Congress. It was to monstrously be titled the “Bobble Rep” App. The idea is that you’d key in the name of a congressman into your iPhone and his contact info would pop up on the screen. You’d get a little cartoon illustration of the congressman, his phone number, address and website.

“And,” You might ask? “So blinking what,” you might blurt out? Well, any casual look at these ultra mean, highly objectionable cartoons depicting a few of those well-born and delicate members of Congress will disabuse you of the notion that this iPhone App is anything but born of the devil.

Behold more of the blasphemy:
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Clueless Arizona GOP Heavies Demonizing Bloggers?

October 28, 2009 | Filed Under 1st Amendment, Blogging, Computers, Conservatives, GOP, Government, Corruption, Inernet, Republicans, State Government, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

My friend Ken Marrero over at Blue Collar Muse has posted an interesting if not entirely infuriating story about GOP officials coming down on other officials and certain county employees for having the gall to talk to those eeeevil Arizona bloggers that have been doggedly reporting the corruption stories of county officials.

GOP officials of Maricopa County have been in a bit of trouble recently having been accused of wasteful spending, power grabs and criminal investigations. Marrero even notes that there is a Twitter feed used to needle these officials called CorruptAZSupes.

The barbs have been coming fast and furious and County Manager David Smith has decided to try and stop the bleeding. So, did Smith decide to clean up the Supervisor’s office? Nope. He’s decided to attack Republicans that have talked to the press and the bloggers. Classic shooting the messenger mistake.
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Why FCC proposed net neutrality regs are unconstitutional

October 19, 2009 | Filed Under Blogging, Business, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Free Trade, Freedom, Government, Corruption, Inernet, Scott Cleland, Society/Culture, Technology | No Comments

-By Scott Cleland

My NPR Online op-ed, “Net Neutrality Regulations Compromise Freedoms” makes the case why the FCC Chairman’s proposed net neutrality regulations are likely unconstitutional in multiple dimensions.

If you like the op-ed, please click on the “Recommend” check button above the title or at the end of the piece because that will keep the op-ed posted longer than otherwise:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113297709

My proposed title, which was supplanted for space concerns, was: “Taking Freedom From Some Takes Freedom From All.”

Below is the text of my NPR Online op-ed:
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Healthcare Conference Call With Representatives Shadegg and Rodgers

October 14, 2009 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Blogging, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Free Trade, Freedom, GOP, Government, Corruption, Health, House of Representatives, Inernet, Liberals, Nancy Pelosi, President, Republicans, Socialism, Society/Culture, Taxes, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Today at 4:30PM eastern a blogger conference call was held by Representatives John Shadegg (R, AZ) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R, WA). The subject we spoke about was that of House Republican’s ideas and problems on healthcare reform issues in both the Senate and the House. The following are my notes of the call, any direct quotes are in quote marks but the rest is my summation of what was said.

The call opened with a welcome from Cathy McMorris Rodgers who introduced herself and Rep. Shadegg. Rodgers talked of the situation in the House and reminded us that 44 House Democrats said they’d vote no on the bill if it has public option and 57 said they’ll vote no if it doesn’t have the public option so the Democrats might not have the votes to pass H.B. 3200.

Shadegg reminded us that the CBO score on the Senate bill was made on 10 years of taxes being taken by the federal government but with only 7 years of coverage afforded, so it’s no wonder the bill sounds like it is paid for. Shadegg also warned of the political monkeying that is going on with the Baucus bill in the Senate. He mentioned that Harry Reid is down in the polls back home so he tried to slip through a sleight of hand way for four favored states to get special Medicaid provisions (including Nev., Oregon, Mich.) forcing the other 46 states to pick up the tab. This was Reid’s attempt to find success in his upcoming elections in Nevada.
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Lefty Outrage at ‘Conservative’ Article Misses Key Fact, Writer Isn’t Conservative

September 30, 2009 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Blogging, Conservatives, Cook County, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Inernet, Journalism, Liberals, Media Bias, Military, Republicans, Society/Culture, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

The left is in an uproar today. They got their panties in a bunch over a piece that ran on the conservative newsblog NewsMax.com where it was suggested that Obama’s irresponsible actions as president could result in a military coup that would “restore” the Constitution.

Not completely without reason, many lefty blogs have lost their tiny little minds over this article. The piece was written by NewsMax blog contributor John L. Perry and talked of a “bloodless coup” where “Skilled, military-trained, nation-builders would replace accountability-challenged, radical-left commissars.” Perry wondered if some “patriotic general” might confront the president (or a president of the future) and demand that he allow the military a shared power in government or face a military overthrow.

It was all speculation and phrased as a question, not asserted as fact or presented as imminent, of course. But this sort of over-the-top foolishness really does not add to the national debate, I have to agree. So, the lefty sites that railed against this NewsMax.com piece were right on that base level.

NewsMax.com has since removed the article and issued a statement that Perry is an unpaid member of NewsMax.

But there is one tiny, little, bitty fact about this story and its author that every single one of these lefty sites that are railing about this story have left out.

The fact of the matter is that John L. Perry is not a conservative. In fact his bio page says that he’s worked for Jimmy Carter, a Democrat governor of Florida and other Democrat Party institutions.
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