A Mostly Political View

Never Forget

2006-09-11T15:33:00.000-05:00

Eugueni Kniazev
December 11, 1954-September. 11, 2001

Something better.

After leaving Siberia almost 20 years ago, Mr. Kniazev found his "something better" in New York City, where he was proud to live in the United States and planned to become a citizen someday.

He began life in his new home working as a dishwasher, but slowly made his way through the food service world, and in January of 2001 accepted the position of facilities manager at the Windows on the World restaurant. Mr. Kniazev's new job took him to the 107th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. He told family that he tried not to worry about the potential for a terrorist attack on what he knew was the center of the financial world.

Eugeni was happy being in such an important part of the world. A family member said that Eugeni felt he was truly an American in the best American city.

Words like honest, hard working, bright, articulate, impressive and upbeat have been used to describe Eugueni Kniazev. Family, friends and coworkers alike feel the loss since his murder on September 11, 2001.

He was a good man. He was a dreamer. He came to us for something better.

Never forget.

The 2,996 Tribute

The 2,996 Tribute Mirror Site

Michelle Malkin

Brief Hiatus

2006-09-06T08:25:00.000-05:00

Due to a recent trip to the evil sadistic oral surgeon, this blog will be a little quieter for the remainder of the week.

Actually, it isn't completely due to extractions.

As the primary poster here I have recently found myself feeling overwhelmed, disillusioned and somewhat beaten when it comes to our political world. I feel hopeless at the moment, and not all that interested in fighting a fight I feel cannot be won at this time. When something as stupid as "Plamegate" finally hits the fan and one or two of the players involved in the lies are ones I HAD great respect for ... well, it takes a toll on how I feel toward my government, and right now how I feel is less than pleased, and not at all secure or able to believe a single word anyone in D.C. utters. I feel the need to step back and reevaluate my views, something I recommend for everyone now and then.

In the meantime, keep yourself amused with The Absurd Report. They post every day, and will keep you informed, amused and ready to fight the fights that need fighting.

Also, take a look at what Stop the ACLU is uncovering. There is always work to be done when it comes to stopping the ACLU. THIS is a particularly important page to visit.

See you all next week.
Stephanie aka SEGM

Mantra

2006-08-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

This is, amazingly enough, from Chronically Pissed, and we believe every politician in D.C. should be required to recite it every morning before they go about the business of protecting us.

1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by
a. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by
a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and 70 year old Leon Klinghoffer, an American passenger confined to a wheelchair, was murdered and thrown overboard by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and Robert Stidham, a US Navy diver was murdered by:
a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Wild Bill' s women problems
c. The World Wrestling Federation
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

The answer, of course, to every single question, is (d) Muslim male extremist(s) mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

Are we sure of the facts? You make the call.

2006-08-25T06:54:00.000-05:00

Anna Diggs Taylor. According to Judicial Watch, there is a possible conflict of interest concerning her recent ruling that our government's warrantless wiretapping is unconstitutional.

According to her 2003 and 2004 financial disclosure statements, Judge Diggs Taylor served as Secretary and Trustee for the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan (CFSEM). She was reelected to this position in June 2005. The official CFSEM website states that the foundation made a recent grant of $45,000 over two years to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan, a plaintiff in the wiretapping case. Judge Diggs Taylor sided with the ACLU of Michigan in her recent decision.

According to the CFSEM website, The Foundation's trustees make all funding decisions at meetings held on a quarterly basis.

This potential conflict of interest merits serious investigation, said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. If Judge Diggs Taylor failed to disclose this link to a plaintiff in a case before her court, it would certainly call into question her judgment.

And this isn't the only case under scrutiny:

(Judge Diggs Taylor is also the presiding judge in another case where she may have a conflict of interest. The Arab Community Center for Social and Economic Services (ACCESS) is a defendant in another case now before Judge Diggs Taylor's court [Case No. 06-10968 (Mich. E.D.)]. In 2003, the CFSEM donated $180,000 to ACCESS.)

Read the rest of the article here.

Here are the facts we know, after doing several hours of research:

Anna Diggs Taylor, on her 2003 and 2004 Financial Disclosure Statements, states that she is both secretary and a trustee of CFSEM (Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan).
2003 Statement
2004 Statement

It has been stated that she may not have had a vote, but we think it is clear that she did, as she sits on the Board, and CFSEM itself has this to say - "The Foundation's trustees make all funding decisions at meetings held on a quarterly basis." also noted in the report from Judicial Watch.

The HOPE Fund (involved in the gay/lesbian community) is listed on their (CFSEM) grants page. On page 3 of the list of grants through HOPE Fund, the ACLU of Michigan is listed as receiving a total of $45,000 for two things- 1) To hire a lawyer for family law issues, and 2) support for some GLBT project.

It appears the judge is once removed because she is not on the board of the HOPE Fund, but is on the board of CFSEM, the organization that gave money to the HOPE Fund, who in turn gave $45,000 to the ACLU.

But wait ... there is one more thing that we have found, and it is this - Within CFSEM's guidelines for grantmaking, specifically for the HOPE Fund, we read the following: The HOPE Fund is a targeted grantmaking program of the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan that provides grants and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in southeast Michigan.

Hmmmm. This gets more interesting, doesn't it?

Now, where her issues come into play are within the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges. Within Canon #5, it says: A JUDGE SHOULD REGULATE EXTRA-JUDICIAL ACTIVITIES TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF CONFLICT WITH JUDICIAL DUTIES.

Feel free to read the rest for yourself. It's very interesting.

So, either she did not disclose the fact that she knew money she had a vote in was earmarked for the ACLU, OR she did not reevaluate the organizations she is involved in, in order to learn where money was actually going, thus leaving herself wide open to a conflict of interest. Considering the fact that the HOPE Fund is a TARGETED GRANTMAKING PROGRAM OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN, it is very likely that Judge Diggs Taylor did, indeed, know what that money was going to be used for, that part of it was going to the ACLU.

Did she know? You make the call.

In other news:

Our phone call and email last week to Melissa Hart concerning Pennsylvania Earmarks remain unanswered. No explanation has been given as to why that is, but we are not pleased with the lack of response. We want answers and information from our rep.

Melissa Hart, are you sponsoring any of the earmarks in Pennsylvania, and if so, why is your name not publicly attached to them? These are valid questions, ones we have a right and a duty to ask, and we deserve answers BEFORE the vote occurs in September.

Voters are waiting to hear from you.

As a reminder, you can go to Sunlight Foundation to see what this is all about.

Pork Peddlers Beware

2006-08-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

You may or may not know that there is a campaign beginning, meant to identify pork peddlers in Congress. It's a delightful little plan, and one that should prove very illuminating in the near future.

It concerns the upcoming bill - The Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Measure, due to be voted on in September by Congress.

As Mary Katharine Ham said -- Let's play "Pin the Pork on the Politician!"

From Sunlight Foundation and Examiner.com:

Is Congress spending your money in secret?

Congress is considering a bill — the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations measure — that presently contains 1,867 earmarks worth more than a half-billion tax dollars and averaging nearly $268,000 each. Many are for things that sound like worthy causes such as "hospital facilities and equipment," yet none of the sponsoring congressmen put their names on their earmarks.

That's why The Examiner newspapers have joined with the Sunlight Foundation, Porkbusters.org, and Citizens Against Government Waste in posting the database of earmarks in the Labor-HHS appropriations and inviting readers to help identify the congressmen behind each earmark. Organizations like The Heritage Foundation, National Taxpayers Union and Club for Growth blog are linking to the database. The database was obtained from a congressional source and has been checked and double-checked. Congress may still modify the bill, approve it as is or reject it.

Check out the earmarks for your state and then call your congressman and ask if he or she sponsored any of your state's earmarks. If the answer is yes, ask why the congressman's name isn't on the earmark. If you recognize the institution designated to receive the earmarked tax dollars, call them and ask them what they intend to do with your money.

Then email us at info@examiner.com with the subject line "Earmarks" and tell us what you found out. The Examiner will be asking more questions about who got the earmarks and why, so your information could be very important. You will be part of an army of citizen journalists determined to shine some much-needed light on spending decisions made behind closed doors by powerful Members of Congress.

Not sure who is your congressman? Go to this web site: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Via these fine people: The Absurd Report, Michelle Malkin, & Townhall.com

We have contacted our local representative, Melissa Hart, both by phone and email, and hope to have an answer to this question soon. We will let you know what we learn when we learn it.

Carry on!

What Few Want To Say Outloud

2006-08-10T06:46:00.000-05:00

From Little Fox at The Absurd Report - Right now all over Europe and America, innocent travellers are having their Evian confiscated and their unmentionables pawed through by federal security guards. This of course is due to the terror plot to blow up 20 planes that has been thwarted in England. Did I mention that the plotters were English-born Pakistanis? Here’s an idea. Instead of taking my grandmothers eye drops and shaking down blonde women with babies, STOP LETTING ARAB MEN ON AIRPLANES until the threat is lowered. That way, the rest of us could travel as usual and the only people who will be inconvenienced are the only group of people who have been known to blow up planes. Let’s make all airports Arab-free zones for the weekend or for however long it takes to lower the threat level.

As you can probably discern, my sensitivity meter is broken. I don’t really give a @!#? who gets offended at this point. But unfortunately, this scenario won’t happen until a few million Americans or British are killed when one of our cities goes up in flames. Then, we will finally have had enough and we’ll do what we should have done after 9/11 and build detainment camps for all Muslims, ban the religion/ideology from our shores and turn the Middle East into a parking lot.

In the meantime, get in line, make sure you’re not wearing any underwire, and prepare to be violated.

Happy travelling!

We wish we had done this post, as my cohort and I have many times had this very discussion.

Listen folks, it's not nice to insult people or to be rude, but this Politically Correct crap is going to keep us in danger and definitely get some of us killed if we don't begin using the tools we have available (profiling specifically). Little Fox is right -- stop checking old women, kids and everyone else EXCEPT Arab-looking people, especially men between the ages of 18 and 40. We KNOW who the terrorists are. We KNOW what they look like and what age range they fall into. We know which people to be suspicious of, but yet we keep going after everyone else. Stop playing to the ACLU and the "Give 'em a hug" Dems, and start targeting the people who fit the terrorist profile.

In case you missed the best part, here it is again. Shake off your PC fog and read the one plan that would absolutely make a difference in our safety:
Here’s an idea. Instead of taking my grandmothers eye drops and shaking down blonde women with babies, STOP LETTING ARAB MEN ON AIRPLANES until the threat is lowered. That way, the rest of us could travel as usual and the only people who will be inconvenienced are the only group of people who have been known to blow up planes.

We think Little Fox is right on target.

Changing our government - Part One

2006-08-09T08:45:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to begin reshaping our government, and voting is one of the most vital.

Voting 101

Compulsory Voting
In the 2004 election 64% of Americans voted. That's a record number, but it's not close to Australia's 96.2% and Belgium's 91.1%. Both countries have compulsory voting, and that is a point we would like to make - compulsory voting is one way to make a difference in this country. Our politicians may not like it - they enjoy low voter turnout and apathy in our society, but officially making voting a duty will go a long way in changing the make-up of the government machine.

Let's make it compulsory, move it to Fridays and Saturdays, and give everyone a holiday on the Friday polls. And don't forget the fines. If you do not vote, you are fined, say ... $100.00. That's how it works in Australia, although the fines are not enforced as strictly as they could be.

Who do you vote for?
When you go to the polls to elect a president, assuming that you DO vote, how do you make your decision? Do you vote for the candidate you believe in, the one who most reflects back your beliefs and ideology, or do you vote against a candidate? If your answer is the latter, you are part of the problem, but know that you are not alone as many people feel and vote the same way.

If you ask the average Democrat how they voted in the 2004 presidential election, many will tell you they voted for Mr. Kerry because they hate Mr. Bush, not because they felt John Kerry was the better man for the job (We don’t think even the most whacked Dem could say that with a straight face). Conversely and unfortunately, that type of voting mentality also applies to many Republicans. Entirely too many Americans vote against a candidate instead of voting for one, and this says a lot about the type of people running for office and what has become of our choices.

If you feel you have to vote for “the lesser evil” what does that tell you? It should tell you that you are settling, that you are not getting what you deserve from the politicians who are running. It should tell you that there has to be a better way and that the status quo is not good enough any longer. It should also tell you that there’s work to be done, and if you again vote for that lesser evil you are perpetuating a part of the pattern that has brought us to this point. We as a society deserve, and should demand, candidates we can believe in. We deserve to support people we believe will represent us to the best of their abilities while in the jungles of D.C. How do we get that? Keep reading.

The Uninformed
During the last presidential election my cohort and I received political e-mails almost every day. The mostly unknown authors of those messages were attempting to sway our votes with rumors and outright lies in both directions. Being that we rarely take e-mail messages such as those at face value, we did our homework, sorting through the falsehoods and smear tactics, separating fact from fiction. The problem is that most of those e-mails came from friends and coworkers, people who seemed to believe everything they read. As we see it, not enough people are doing their homework, thus allowing skewed views and then voting on those views, ones mostly based in lies. This is no way to go about voting intelligently.

Research is necessary if you wish to vote smart. As voters we have an obligation to ourselves and our country to be informed, and to never show up at our polling places without knowing something about every candidate. If you are an uninformed voter, or if you strictly vote your party line, we would rather you did not vote at all. We would rather you stay home and let the rest of us make informed decisions about our political makeup.

Become a smart American. Do the work and know your choices.

Ridding ourselves of those heavy incumbents
John Dingell has served in the senate for 50 years, Senator Byrd 47, and Ted Stevens 37. Quite obviously they have forgotten their jobs were meant to be temporary, not lifetime seats. When folks stay in D.C. too long they tend to forget their obligation to the people who put them there in the first place, and they lose touch with the average person. This is part of the problem.

The rest of the problem is that we continue to vote for these people. This has to stop. We need to vote the cronies out - all of the incumbents, and replace them with people who wish to actually accomplish something good for our country. Did you get that? We must vote ALL of the incumbents out of our government.

We should be looking in our communities for that man or woman who views the world realistically, who has a genuine love for our country and our people, and who has more common sense than anyone else we can think of. When we find that person we need to support them in running for local offices, and stand behind them as they work toward D.C.

This, of course, is not an easy task. Professional politicians are good at playing the game, and they will not relinquish their cushy jobs without an ugly fight, but it can be done. It's a matter of commitment - our commitment to reshaping our government so that it actually works.

Before you head to the polls next time, arm yourself with knowledge so that you become an informed voter. It's the best place to start if you want to make a difference in this country.

2006-08-03T07:25:00.000-05:00

The Absurd Report is joining a grassroots campaign - RightRoots.

We now are approaching three months until Election Day 2006. This is day that we the people get to exercise our right to vote for representatives to our government.

The vote we cast that day will influence the future direction that our government will go. I, like many of you have been upset with the Republicans in Congress and feel that they have lost their way with uncontrollable spending. Here is our chance to do something about it and restore the conservative philosophy of limited government and controlled spending to Washington.

RIGHTROOTS has endorsed a group of 18 Republican candidates. There are no incumbents in the group, no candidates in seriously contested primaries, and all the candidates are in competitive races.

If you have the same issues, this is a good time to join in the fight and actually do something about the direction your country is moving in. Take a look, list the blogs, and maybe throw a little cash in the direction of someone who might actually make a difference in government. Even if you don't endorse any of the candidates at least you will come away more informed, and that is the best place to start when dealing with political issues.

Come on Daryl, answer the question.

2006-07-31T13:37:00.000-05:00

If Daryl doesn't want to answer, maybe some of her celeb friends will. What's the question? Remember the fight between Ralph Horowitz - rightful owner of property in Los Angeles and the squatters on his land? National Summary has asked Daryl Hannah a couple questions, and I would like to know if she or her buddies plan to answer.

Daryl Hannah, why don’t you let these people or anybody else for that matter, plant crops and gardens on your own properties?

I realize that Hollywood celebrities highly value their own privacy and security but since you are trespassing on someone else’s property, why don’t you allow squatters to use your own land for what they want to do since you are demanding the very same thing from someone else. If you and other celebrities don’t want to spring for buying land, why not let people use your own property?

The rest of the questions and entry are here: Daryl Hannah's Garden - When Squatters Take Your Land.

Swann For Governor

2006-07-31T10:31:00.000-05:00

My ideal political candidate is someone their opponents respect and fear because that person is genuinely concerned about the people he or she will answer to, someone who can speak their mind and voice their views, someone who is capable of actually understanding the issues and finding solutions for those issues, someone with character, and someone who speaks in details instead of ambiguity. My ideal campaign is one where all candidates respect one another and attempt to do their very best because that's the only way to win. Essentially, I want Dave for President - an honest and sincere combination of all the good ideas and solutions from both sides of the aisle, a person who is not a professional politician, and a person who understands that his or her time in government is a temp job. In My Country that is how it would be, and while My Country exists only in my mind, it's my dream -my refuge from what angers and alarms me about my government and those within it.

While watching a local interview with Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann this weekend I was mesmorized by his detailed answers to tough questions, his directness, and his plans to change government. I applauded his philosophy concerning education, welfare, and fiscal responsibility, and was stunned when he closed with the acknowledgment that government office is only temporary. The only words I could come up were "It's DAVE!".

Subsequent homework has found no catch to anything Mr. Swann said in that interview, and both my cohort and I feel confident that Lynn Swann could be the right man for Pennsylvania.

Here at Mostly Political we are impressed with Mr. Swann's positive attitude toward his years with the Steelers and the utilization of his competitive and leadership skills, and his awareness of his own imperfections. We are impressed with real answers to questions, obvious comfort with his position and goals, and his common-sense approach to what Pennsylvanians need, want and deserve, both at home in the Commonwealth and in D.C.. We are impressed with a candidate who appears so genuine and in touch that incumbent Governor Rendell is probably wishing Lynn Swann would disappear even though the governor is leading in the polls 47.5% to 41.1%.

We do not take political endorsement lightly. We do not endorse anyone without first doing the research and homework that should always be conducted before deciding on an issue or a candidate. We believe voting the party line is dangerous, and voting in ignorance even worse. With that said, at this time we recommend that all Pennsylvanians take at look at Mr. Swann and learn what he's about and what kind of man he is. We think you will be as impressed as we are.

Here are a few Swann/Matthews Policies for Change:
Agriculture
Government Reform
Creating Economic Opportunities

You can find more information on the website Swann for Governor

Political Science for Dummies

2006-07-27T07:47:00.000-05:00

We have no idea where this originated, but it's too fun to pass up.

Political Science with cows!

DEMOCRATIC
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.
Barbara Streisand sings for you.

REPUBLICAN
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?

SOCIALIST
You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.

FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.
Everyone votes for the best looking one.
Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.
Some people vote for both.
Some people vote for neither.
Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.
Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one you think is the best-looking cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Only five speak English.
Most are illegals.
Arnold likes the ones with the big udders

TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.
You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature's private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.

FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
You go to lunch and drink wine.
Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.
Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You have some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.

BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.
The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.

Our thoughts exactly

2006-07-26T09:17:00.000-05:00

I received this from my cohort in an e-mail this morning (a little goodie going around the Internet):

The Way It Should Be

GOOD MORNING, & WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
* Press "1" for English.

* Press "2" to Disconnect until you have learned to speak English

Carry on.

Let's straighten this out

2006-07-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

American Agenda has a post concerning the recent presidential veto that makes it appear that our president has done an injustice to our entire country. I suppose this isn't totally surprising considering that most people seem to believe the same thing.

Here's the deal - Mr. Bush did not ban stem cell research. What he did was say no to increased taxpayer dollars supporting that research - a prudent move to save YOU money. Articles like Despite Bush Veto, Stem Cell Research Abounds show how this is not a tragedy.

For all the weeping and gnashing of teeth from the Dems over government spending, you would think they would appreciate this move, but of course they do not. It's another fact-twisted fit of whining instead.

Additional Link:

Stem Cell Work Gets States' Aid After Bush Veto

Seems to us stem cell research funding is going to be just fine.

Blogs, blogs and more blogs

2006-07-18T08:13:00.000-05:00

Since I am the primary poster here at Mostly Political, I want to devote some time to a few blogs in Cyberland. Some you will like, some you will not, but all are interesting, if for no other reason than pure entertainment.

Conservative

My personal favorite is The Absurd Report. It is the only blog to make it to the links list so far, and with good reason - it is far and away the best of the best. The layout is well done, it is organized, and the writing interesting, humorous and current. I go there daily.

No sane person likes War and the death and destruction that comes with it. No other species in the history of the world has killed more of its own than the human species and when this savagery is done in the name of God, it defies logic.

The wisdom of man has been able to tame the elements but man’s vengeance against man has been untameable. Until such time that the human species solves this dilemma, War is the ultimate solution against those who would seek to destroy civilization in the name of God.

Failure to recognize this reality is akin to pronouncing a death sentence on one’s self. One can not ignore the words of the enemy when he says that he intends to kill all nonbelievers. There is no common ground between believers and nonbelievers for no amount of gold or silver will satisfy their desire of conquest, only your life; and for one to become tone deaf in the face of such reality is foolish.

The history of appeasement has common tread, it has failed time after time and with it came more death and destruction because of the failure of people to recognize the problem they faced and act preemptively.

The National Summary is fast becoming another favorite. It has a compelling commentary style that isn't found anywhere else on the WWW; as if you are talking to a good friend. The cartoons are fun, too.

Immigration Protests
The Fort Sumter Of Our Times?
Quite a country we live in, eh? Where hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people here in this country illegally, can publicly gather to protest a law being debated in Congress concerning the problem of illegal immigration and what to do about it.

Independent

Aggressive Voice Daily is new to my attention, but I find myself returning day after day. It approaches issues with a more Moderate and Libertarian voice, one that I find refreshing.

Of course the ACLU could care less about Brittany McComb because they're more concerned about the students who have the right to not hear the word God. I mean, there could have been atheists in the crowd and hearing the forbidden three-letter word might have offended them.

ACLU lawyer Allen Lichtenstein was happy with the school's decision, saying "Proselytizing is improper in school-sponsored speech at valedictorian graduations."

Proselytizing? Thanking God is now a form of proselytizing? Did I miss the part in the story about McComb passing around Bibles or a signup sheet for potential converts during the brief speech? Of course, if she credited "Sex and the City" reruns for her straight-A performance we wouldn't be in the mess. But alas, what got her through high school is the one thing too dastardly to mention before a graduating class.

Liberally Whacked, But Funny

Chronically Pissed is definitely entertaining. It's the one stop in my daily blog journey that always has me wondering what kind of paranoid, foul, hilarious, shake-my-head venomous nonsense I will find next. *Warning* As you might pick up from the title, foul language is almost an art on Chronically Pissed.

A quick thought for the day...
Why is it that Believers are free to suggest that God is responsible for everything from newborn puppies to terrorist attacks, but I'm not allowed to speculate that Ronald Reagan died a slow, painful, hideous death because God hated him? First of all, there is no god. Secondly, blow me.

What part of "illegal" don't you understand?

2006-07-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

Yes, it IS another post concerning illegal immigration.

National Summary has a post concerning illegal immigrants. It illustrates the ridiculousness of what is happening with this issue, as well as many myths and a few facts you may not be aware of. Most of all, it contains some humor and a truckload of common sense.

Whenever you mention doing something about all the illegal aliens pouring across the borders (and an estimated population of 12 million is definitely more than a trickle), the first thing you hear out of a liberal’s mouth is the word “racist”. (The second thing is how they are only taking jobs that Americans “won’t take” – more on that later.) After that, you are told, passionately, that not all illegals are coming from Mexico (as if that makes it ok); some are coming from other countries, such as Russia, or Sweden, or even the United Kingdom and Canada.

Ok, fine, I believe that. It was never my opinion that all illegals are from Mexico. I did see an awful lot of Mexican flags waiving during the protest marches, however, and a dearth of flags from such places as Russia, the UK, Canada, or anywhere else for that matter. And somehow, I don’t think those kind souls with the banners reading “This is our continent not yours”, “We are indigenous! The only owners of this continent!”, and “If you think I’m illegal because I’m a Mexican, learn the true history, because I’m in my homeland”, were here from Sweden.

We can't help but think of the shelters built for legal and illegal migrant workers around the country with no one seemingly bothering to think "Hmmm. I wonder if this would be a good place to find a few illegal workers?". Absurdity personified.

Your Brain on Politics

2006-07-17T06:56:00.000-05:00

There is an interesting Scientific American article on how we all make our political decisions. Take a look.

This surety is called the confirmation bias, whereby we seek and find confirmatory evidence in support of already existing beliefs and ignore or reinterpret disconfirmatory evidence. Now a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study shows where in the brain the confirmation bias arises and how it is unconscious and driven by emotions. Psychologist Drew Westen led the study, conducted at Emory University, and the team presented the results at the 2006 annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

During the run-up to the 2004 presidential election, while undergoing an fMRI bran scan, 30 men--half self-described as "strong" Republicans and half as "strong" Democrats--were tasked with assessing statements by both George W. Bush and John Kerry in which the candidates clearly contradicted themselves. Not surprisingly, in their assessments Republican subjects were as critical of Kerry as Democratic subjects were of Bush, yet both let their own candidate off the hook.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for this "Duh" moment ...

2006-07-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

Over at The Emerging Democratic Majority Weblog they have a post concerning the value of current and illegal immigrants to the Left's success in future elections.

Awakening Immigrant Vote Can Help Dems
USA Today may not be known for cutting-edge political reporting, but they have an article that should be clipped and posted on the bulletin boards of every Democratic campaign. The article, Martin Kasindorf’s “Immigrant Groups Aim: Turn Marchers to Voters” provides an encouraging introduction to the current and potential power of immigrant voters.

What came to mind while reading it was "No kidding. This is news?"

This is a no brainer. The Left is so adrift in their own psychotic, paranoid meltdown that the only people willing to vote for them come from other countries. That's why they are so desperately trying to keep 12 million illegal immigrants in this country - more voters. When you have no platform other than to bash every word that comes from President Bush's mouth, and your own people won't cast a ballot for you, you have to look elsewhere.

Didn't the rest of us figure this out months ago?

The USA Today article

Hero of the Week

2006-07-14T13:02:00.000-05:00

Mayor Lou Barletta of Hazleton, PA. has stood up for his convictions and the United States of America by not only putting illegal immigrants on notice in his community, but by also passing the Illegal Immigration Relief Act.

Illegal immigrants seeking to make a home in this northeastern Pennsylvania city could face barriers to finding a home and job after the city council passed one of the nation's strictest ordinances to fight illegal immigration.

City documents would be printed in English, landlords would face $1,000 fines for each illegal immigrant found renting their properties and business who employ illegal immigrants wouldn't be granted licenses.

The ordinance, designed to make the city one of the most hostile in the country for illegal immigrants, passed on a 4-to-1 vote after two hours of passionate debate.

"The illegal citizens, I would recommend they leave," said Mayor Lou Barletta, who said he wore a bulletproof vest to the vote as a precaution because the issue was emotionally charged.

Because we are so impressed and inspired by his willingness to stand up for our country and make a difference, Mayor Lou Barletta is our very first Hero of the Week.

Anarchy is serious business

2006-07-13T07:49:00.000-05:00

Jim Quinn has a saying (that we can't seem to find anywhere, so we will paraphrase)- Everything the Democrats do has the opposite effect of what they intended. This will be true of Separation of Church and State, as well.

Think about it - if the atheists and Left ever accomplish true separation, the result will not be what they intended at all. It will be something far worse. With true separation the court systems will not be allowed to touch anything that has to do with religion. Nothing. And that will lead to all churches having carte blanche to do as they please, no matter the church. This means that The Church of 200 Guns, or The Church of Snoopy or whatever else ridiculous worship you can think of will be able to amass weapons if they choose (anyone remember David Koresh and the Branch Davidians?), and behave in any way they please, running rampant in our society with no legal avenues to stop them. It sounds absurd, but true separation will have to be that way.

Maybe the Left should step back and consider the future before they continue to push this agenda any further. Of course, if they actually practiced what they preach they wouldn't really have issues with people who believe in God, to begin with. They are constantly pushing it down everyone's throats to accept all people, all groups, but they seem to draw a hard line when it comes to Christians. They love the gays, the criminals, the whacked out and even the terrorists, thinking they are all misunderstood and just need a good hug, but bring up Christians and watch their heads explode. They are hypocrites, but that isn't the point for this post.

Separation of Church and State. It won't be for the squeamish. Anarchy is serious business.

Tags: Separation of Church and State, Atheism, Democrats, Jim Quinn

All together now ...

2006-07-07T07:06:00.000-05:00

Awwwww. Some convicted sexual predators are feeling banished once they are released from prison. What a pity. Unfortunately the ACLU is listening to these animals AND trying to help them legally.

This is absurd on both counts. Sexual predators are the lowest scum on the planet, especially those who molest children, and they should be removed from the public. It's that simple. They destroy the lives of their victims, and forever change the lives of those who love those victims.

A child who has been molested can spend a lifetime suffering the effects of that crime - depression, anger, future sexual problems, drug and alcohol dependency, antisocial issues, lack of trust for everyone in their lives, and possibly an altering of their brain function if the abuse occurs early in life. Child molestation has far reaching effects in our society. This is fact, a fact that the ACLU has to be aware of, yet they are defending the deviants who perpetrate one of the worst crimes on this planet. What is wrong with this picture?

The ACLU is doing unbelievable damage - from defending the above mentioned sexual predators, to siding with schools who turn off microphones when a high school student attempts to thank God at their graduation. They are on the wrong side of many issues, and slipping scandalously close to crossing the line and promoting censorship in some cases. We're not even going to dwell on the fact that they believe they live in a Democracy (we will save that gem for another time).

Our point? Child molesters deserve banishment and more, and the ACLU is a dangerous organization, an organization that appears to be doing all that it can to undermine decency in the United States. Any group that is willing to put the rights of a monster over the safety of a child is an organization that should be run out of existence.

Tags: ACLU, Sexual Predators, Child Molestation

Idolatry, or could it be the "R" word?

2006-07-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

A comment was left responding to the last entry concerning the 34 senators who shot down the flag burning ban amendment. The reader evidently feels that "idolatry" is what the other 66 senators are involved in because they voted "yes" to the amendment.

Maybe some people do have a form of idol worship where the flag is concerned, but I think it's more a healthy respect for the most public and outward symbol of our country. It's respect for what it took to become a country, respect for the founding fathers, and for those men and women who have died for this country. It's respect for the office of the President, respect for an ideology that makes us a society, and the laws of our land.

With respect in such short supply for, well, almost everything, it seems, I don't see a problem with holding our national symbol in high regard, and I expect my government to reflect that regard. Do we need an amendment to show respect? Probably not, but it doesn't bother me to have one. I don't see it as a potential loss of my First Amendment right to freely express myself, but then I usually tend to go about more effective and less extreme forms of expression, anyway.

I support the amendment for these two reasons:
1) Because of everything I just said concerning basic respect for this country.
2) Because I don't want illegal immigrants walking around thinking it's acceptable to burn my flag. I want it crystal clear to them that it won't be tolerated while they are on American soil.

Idolatry? No. Basic and earned respect for the country I was born in and choose to live in? You bet your ass.

Tags: Idolatry,Flag Burning, Freedom of Expression

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! These senators have to go!

2006-07-03T10:13:00.000-05:00

In case you don't know which senators voted to keep flag burners in business, here they are:

Akaka D-Hawaii
Biden D-Delaware
Bingaman D-New Mexico
Boxer D-California
Byrd D-West Virginia
Cantwell D-Washington
Carper D-Delaware
Clinton D-New York
Conrad D-North Dakota
Dodd D-Con.
Dorgan D-North Dakota
Durbin D-Illinois
Feingold D-Wisconsin
Harkin D-Iowa
Inouye D-Hawaii
Kennedy D-Mass.
Kerry D-Mass.
Kohl D-Wisconsin
Lautenberg D-N.J.
Leahy D-Vt.
Levin D-Michigan
Lieberman D-Con
Mikulski D-Md.
Murray D-Wash.
Obama D-Ill.
Pryor D-Ark.
Reed D-R.I.
Sarbanes D-Md.
Schumer D-N.Y.
Wyden D-Ore.

Bennett R-Utah
Chafee R-R.I.
McConnell R-Ky.

Jeffords I-Vt.

If any of them speak for you, it might be prudent to check their voting record for further confirmation of why you should be sure to vote them out when you get your next opportunity. Taking back your government would get a jump-start with the ousting of these 34 senators.

List found here.

Other coverage:
The Absurd Report
Flag Burning Insults Those Who Served Country

Tags: Flag Burning

Enemy of the Republic

2006-06-30T10:30:00.000-05:00

Let's take a look at what the Left has done lately:
-Attempted to censure the President.
-Reported secret tactics to the world.
-Tied government hands where the War Powers Act is concerned.
-Blatantly lied about our troops.
-And last, but not least ... rejoiced whenever they have shut down the President.

And that's the short list.

We here at Mostly Political are now seeing the Left as the Enemy of the Republic (And we DO mean the Republic. This is not a democracy, folks, in case you have forgotten, never known, or been convinced otherwise by the Dems.). They have done everything in their power to make you unsafe, to leave your country vulnerable, and to demoralize your troops, troops who are fighting to help your world become a safer place.

We are sick of it. We're sick of having our religious beliefs scorned. We're sick of having gay rights crammed down our throats. We're sick of the *touchy feely* crap that they mistakenly believe will cure all our ills. We're sick of their whining. We're sick of their lies. We're sick of their disrespect toward our president. We are sick of them doing everything they can think of to put our country in more danger. We're sick of them undermining the rich patriotism of this country. We're sick of them rewriting history and teaching children total bullshit in our classrooms. We are sick of them, period.

Our message to the Ludicrous Left? Shut the hell up and get out of the way. We have serious work to do in this country, and you people are in the way. If you can't help find solutions then don't open your mouths at all. You clearly don't love this country or its people, so what are you still doing here?

We hear Canada is nice. Why don't you take an extended group trip north? We'll call you if we need you.

Tags: Censure, New York Times, Murtha, War Powers Act

Good luck and God Bless

2006-06-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

It seems to us that when this kind of talk starts, a shuttle blows up.

We are behind getting back into space, but let's do it safely.

We couldn't have said it any better

2006-06-26T13:09:00.000-05:00

The Absurd Report has a great post concerning Weapons of Mass Destruction and the New York Times.

You see, for a WMD to qualify as an honest to goodness infernal device, it’s got to be the size of an auto, capable of destroying Manhattan in an instant, large enough to look good on the front page, be discovered by a smiling Wes Clark, be described by Madeleine Albright in a pithy Times editorial, have its economic importance hailed by Bill Clinton from a foreign podium, decried by Jimmy Carter for its deleterious effect on the Palestinians and Yasser Arafat’s growing legacy, pass the Judge John Murtha taste test, and be noted by John Kerry in a stultifying and pedantic Senate speech, wherein he avers his foreknowledge of its appearance and all the ramifications of its later use, save his vote for or against its eventual destruction. …

Rock on John Burtis.

Okay, "crazy" it is.

2006-06-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

Is this guy serious?
If California, Washington state and Oregon can be wiped off the planet - without having to wait for plan A (global warming acceleration) to finish, that will leave just a handful of blue states, and they'll be no match for the endless sea of red stretching into the western horizon!

Yeah, crazy pretty much covers it.

Tags: Protecting the Homeland, North Korea

The definition of success

2006-06-21T15:27:00.000-05:00

U.S. authorities said Monday that detentions along the U.S.-Mexico border decreased by 21 percent, to 26,994, in the first 10 days of June, compared with 34,077 for the same period a year ago.

And that monumental change has been accomplished by only 55 of the 6,000 guardsmen expected to be posted to our southern border states. Impressive, to say the least, and about damn time.

Human Events Online had this to say: The government and the media can bury it, or ignore it, or distort it, but the incredible change on the border this month demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt that the illegal alien invasion has been an invited one, caused by government sending all the wrong signals about America’s commitment to border enforcement.

The only way to undo such damage is to send a new message, loudly and clearly: anonymous border infiltration is illegal and will result in summary deportation, or worse. Those who wish to immigrate will apply, be screened and wait for our permission to enter our country.

We agree completely. A show of strength is exactly what our country needs.

Links to additional coverage and related stories:
Guv Visits Border
Troops Scare Would-Be Illegal Immigrants Away From Border ...
Border Strategy - Desert Chats in Spanish

Tag: Border patrol, Illegal immigration

Jumping in feet first

2006-06-18T12:24:00.000-05:00

As the title suggests, this will be a mostly political blog. My brilliant cohort and I hope to entertain, as well as open the eyes of those people who are clearly not paying attention or who are intent on taking our country down. As a qualifier, since that last sentence sounds very smug, we hope to learn, as well. Ideally this should be a symbiotic relationship, full of the give-and-take and debate necessary to the understanding, learning and changing of almost anything.

Here at Mostly Political we are tired of our government doing as they please, and just as tired of people who follow the party line no matter what, who make uninformed choices during elections, and who believe anything and everything they read or hear, to the detriment of our country. We hope to annoy, hound and infuriate those people, groups and politicians who are screwing up the United States. You know who you are, and more importantly, we know who you are, as do others who wish for change.That's why we started this blog; to change the status quo, to shake things up, and to be heard. Our country deserves better than it has been getting lately, and we want to be part of a revolution of meaningful change, change with teeth.

Sounds like a mighty big task, doesn't it? We agree - it is an enormous undertaking, but we have to start somewhere.

And now for our first politically charged comment-God Bless America!