Foot Dragging... Knuckle Dragging... Neanderthals

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show tonight on MSNBC, and between host and guest liberal hypocrisy was on full display.

Maddow attempted to equate Grayson's "Holocaust" rhetoric to statements made by Republican representatives. She actually had a little bit of a point, in the sense that it has taken some extreme statements by those on the right to awaken the masses to the oncoming socialistic monstrosity known as "health care reform."

However, she went over the top in the number of Republican quotes she used, and there came a point where the quotes she played were actually based in hard fact, therefore invalidating her comparison completely.

Maddow attempted to regain some credibility by offering criticizm of Grayson, stating that his remarks could be "part of that inflammatory montage" and were a "departure from the civility that you would hope to see in political debate in Congress." However, she then tried to go back to slamming Republicans, saying that due to their previous remarks it is ridiculous of Republicans to demand an apology from Grayson.

As she introduced Grayson, Maddow asked if he meant his words literally. He attempted to say that it was all tounge-in-cheek; then proceeded change the subject by stating that Republicans have no plan for health insurance reform. This is simply untrue, as seen in this outline available for all to read. Additionally, Republicans have been pigeonholed in committee on more than one occasion since this issue again became the national debate.

To be fair to Maddow, she attempted to pin Grayson down to the Third Reich reference invoked by his rhetoric. He waffled twice, attempting to deflect the issue back to words said by Republicans, and raising issues like "44,000 people dying every year because they don't have health care" which is an open-ended and unverifiable number meant to pull at heart strings.

Upon her third request for his opinion as to whether or not he thought "Holocaust" was appropriate, he finally offered an explanation of sorts. As Maddow nodded her head in agreement, Grayson said:

"It may not have been the best choice of words, but my words don't matter, that's not what's important here. What's important is that we do what we need to do, that we solve these problems."

When given a chance to truly call out one of her own, she nods like the good media sheep that she is and allows Grayson to attempt to diminish the importance of his own words. After Maddow just browbeat the hell out of Conservatives for their "hateful rhetoric," as has been done by the entire left-wing media since the beginning of this discussion to anyone who offers a dissenting opinion, she does not stop him and at least make some small effort to put Grayson in his place? Fascinating, to say the least.

Grayson then goes back to the party line of "Republicans do nothing, all they do is block everything." Maddow then opens up the opportunity for Grayson's Grand Finale, and it indeed is grand.

She asks what would be the best method for Democrats to fight Republicans, complimenting him on how he's taken a very "rhetorical stand" as a legislator, just as he campaigned... funny, didn't we just discuss how rhetoric and argumentative stances are not what's best - if a Republican is doing it?

I'm not going to tell you how it ended... but if you want to shortcut, jump in at about the 9:00 mark...

America's Holocaust?

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) said Tuesday that "If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: die quickly. That's right. The Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick."

His remarks weren't spontaneous: He reinforced the point with signs saying the same thing.



In an effort to apologize for this stroke of genius, Grayson Wednesday said "I would like to apologize,” he said. “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America."



His sarcasm, delivered on the House floor, drew a swift rebuke from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which hopes to see Grayson defeated in an Orlando-based swing district next year.

Grayson told reporters he’s not worried at all about a backlash from voters and instead thinks his chances for re-election have been boosted.

"It improves them," he said. "People like elected officials with guts who say what they mean."

Via: Politico

Why Blogging Matters

Yesterday I posted about a situation between a Kiosk owner and the management of the Mall at Johnson City in Tennessee.

Dan Fuchs, owner of the Graphic Edge, was given an eviction notice by the management of the aforementioned mall, based on "complaints from customers" regarding some items on display. Fuchs' kiosk sold many items, some of which were special order items. He chose to display some of these special order items, many of which were items with an "anti-Obama" message.

Fuchs said mall officials met with him and told him to take down the anti-Obama items on display or face immediate eviction. Fuchs said these items were taken down, yet he still was evicted from the mall.

Today I received a comment on that article, from "Graphic," which read:

“We thank all the viewers, readers and listeners for your ongoing support. Your responses, emails and telephone calls have been overwhelming.

Graphic Edge has reopened online http://www.graphicedgeonline.com , and a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to our legal fund to help in our fight against our wrongful eviction from the Mall at Johnson City.

The website will be expanding and evolving over the next several weeks. Please keep checking back, as we will be adding new merchandise and special offers.

For those who wish to have a custom order, please contact us by email at graphicedgeonline@gmail.com

Thanks again, Team Graphic Edge"

Additionally, Fuchs has started a blog, located at http://graphicedgeonline.wordpress.com/.

Yet Another School Video, Asheville NC

44th President of the United State of America

Change has come. Change has Come

Hope.

Uniting blacks and whites.

Hope.

Being both Obama can not take sides.

Hope.

Don’t worry said hope I will be your bridge.

In time hope will be the bridge for others.

Hope will last enough for you to make a difference.

Change has come. Change has Come

Go now. Fly Free

Study. Watch. Learn. Keep your eyes open.

Education is the key.

Education is the secret.

Education is the way.

Education is the path.

Can I make America better?

Can I make America better?

Can we make American better?

Yes.

Yes we can.

Yes.

Yes we can.

Via: Nearly Famous Barry Young Show, KFYI AM 550 Phoenix

Bias In The Shopping Place

Dan Fuchs said business was just starting to pick up at his kiosk in the Mall at Johnson City, Tennessee. Now it appears Fuchs is out of business at the mall, but mall officials say this decision was not based upon 'political views'.

Friday afternoon, Fuchs was handed a lease termination notice by mall officials and signed by Mall General Manager Tembra Aldridge. The letter states that the option to terminate the lease agreement is effective 11:59 p.m. today and that he must vacate the mall premises and remove his property before then.

Fuchs’ business, the Graphic Edge, printed slogans and pictures on items such as coffee cups, bumper stickers and T-shirts.

Fuchs said he was given no reason for this termination and was shocked and upset. Thursday evening, Fuchs said mall officials met with him and told him to take down the anti-Obama items on display by closing time or face immediate eviction.

Marsha Hammond, the mall’s marketing director, has a different take on the meeting between Fuchs and mall officials. She said that Aldridge and Melinda Davis, the mall’s specialty leasing representative, suggested that Fuchs also display items in support of Obama. The mall had received several complaints from customers regarding the anti-Obama items, she said. Hammond also said that it was Fuchs’ decision to remove the items completely from display.

“That is not true,” Fuchs said. “I was given no choice. I was given, (Thursday) night at about 4:30, the option of taking it down or get out, receive an eviction at closing time.”

“I was upset about it, of course,” he said Friday prior to receiving the notice. “That’s my livelihood.” By Friday morning, Fuchs said these items had been taken down.

Fuchs had been in business at the mall for around two months and hadn’t initially set out to create anti-Obama items. He said one day a customer asked for an anti-Obama shirt to be printed. A few days later, he said, another customer asked for a similar item.

Some of these items were put on display, but most were completed upon customer request, Fuchs said. He said that around 60 percent of items being sold out of the kiosk was anti-Obama merchandise.


This is not the first time such a disputed kiosk closing has taken place. In late July 2009, The Concord Mills mall in Concord, N.C. decided not to renew its contract with Loren Spivack, who fought to stay in business in that shopping center. Spivack says his kiosk, Free Market Warrior, was nudged out of its lease with the mall for purely political reasons.

After a meeting between Spivack and officials from The Concord Mills mall, the mall released a statement which read "Mr. Spivack has not agreed to remove the objectionable merchandise and will be moving out of Concord Mills at the end of his lease."

Spivack told FOXNews.com that mall officials specifically asked that three bumper stickers and a T-shirt believed to be linking President Obama with terrorism be removed from the kiosk, including one that read, "Obama Wins and They Celebrate in Iran, Do You Get It?"

According to Spivack, the hottest sellers at the kiosk before its closing were items that were critical of President Obama.

They include a “Work Harder, Obama Needs the Money” bumper sticker and a T-shirt that lists the top 12 things Obama has been doing as the economy crashes.

Among the other merchandise sold at the kiosk and on its associated Web site are GOP elephant bobblehead dolls, a Republican president jigsaw puzzle and baby bibs that say, “My parents chose life. Thanks Mom and Dad!”

Via: Macedonia International News Agency

Via: Fox News

We Are All Witnesses...

Sunday in Dover, Delaware, Jimmie Johnson reminded everyone why he is the three-time consecutive and reigning champion of NASCAR's senior circuit, the Sprint Cup Series. After winning the pole position on Friday, Johnson led the most laps in winning his fourth race of the 2009 campaign and closing to within of 10 points of current points leader Mark Martin.

What makes this feat remarkable is that Johnson, 34, has never won a race this early in the ten-race Chase format during his three previous championship years. In winning the second of the ten-race Chase, Johnson seems to have set a tone and set a message to the other drivers in the 12-team championship contest.

"I'm pretty sure that dude is Superman," Martin said. "I've seen that dude up close and I see why he's so successful. He works harder at it than anybody else, I think, on the circuit." Martin, who won last week's race at Louden, NH is considered by many to be the most physically dedicated driver in the business. Martin is well known for his physical fitness and workout regimen.

This is not the first time a fellow driver has called Johnson Superman. During the 2007 Chase, after the race in Texas which was won by Johnson, four time champion Jeff Gordon said of Johnson "He's Superman. Nobody is going to stop him this year. He's unbelievable." Johnson went on that year to win the his second consecutive title.

Asked about his win today, Johnson said "As far as sending a message, I hope it does. I hope people talk about it. I hope people are worried. And we'll keep our heads down, we'll keep our blinders on and we'll go to work.

"At the end of the day, all the talk means nothing. We've still got to show up at Kansas and run that race. That's what we do a really good job at, staying focused."

In addition to the greatness shown by Johnson in his win, NASCAR proved what great technological advances they have made in the area of safety. Rookie driver Joey Logano was involved in an amazing crash, during which his car rolled seven times before standing on the driver's window side, then falling back to its wheels. Remarkably, Logan walked away, even commenting on the fact that he didn't feel sore after the crash.

Next Sunday's race is at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Last year Johnson won the race in Kansas on his way to winning his third consecutive championship.

Friday Night Videos

I'm feeling like a laugh tonight, given the week that we've had in this ObamaNation.

We've seen Pittsburgh, PA become a war zone. If you've ever been to Pittsburgh, you know that while it is no island paradise, it certainly does not deserve to be broken down and torn apart by a bunch of lazy thugs who want the hard workers of the world to pay massive taxes, just so they can sit their asses on a couch and play PS3 all day.

We've had psychotic world leaders gather in NYC to tell the world how awful America is - and then when Barack Obama was finished, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got up and spoke.

We have seen Glenn Beck mocked on SNL, meaning he's really doing the work of a good journalist. Not bad for a guy who constantly has to remind people he is not a journalist, he's just a rodeo clown.

We heard that Sarah Palin spoke overseas, and then we were told that she was the equivalent of The Dixie Chicks, because she dared to question America's current economic policies - as she was speaking to a group of young financial investors who were learning about the American marketplace.

We have now waited almost one full week for Barack Obama to answer the call from his Commander in the region - the one he appointed - for a deployment of more troops, else we suffer greater loss of life and possibly a complete loss of all efforts we have put forth thus far in Afghanistan.

We have learned that Islamic Jihad is alive and well - on American soil. And to that point - where the hell is Barack Obama, and why has he not given a press conference to compliment the local, state, and federal authorities for working in tandem to root out the evil that was ready to do harm to our fellow Americans?

Why has that handsome woman Janet Napolitano, head of the DHS, not spoken out in total support of the system that was created by George W. Bush and Tom Ridge, with the goal of results exactly as we have seen come to fruition this week?

This was one of the trademarks of George W. Bush's Presidency - he was always there with an "atta boy" for the hard working men and women who keep us safe.

Is this the trademark of the Obama Presidency - to bury his head in the sand and pretend that these events never transpired, in an effort to keep the loony leftists in their fantasy land that there is no such thing as evil??

Well.. I'm sure there's an overwhelming amount of other news stories I have not listed, but I came here at this moment to spread some good cheer, and dammit, I'm going to do just that.

Here's a classic for you, I found this the other night. I thought of Dr. Dave over at Feed Your ADHD, a great blog where he, Matt, innominatus and Mike are doing their best to get themselves listed on a DHS watchlist. Dave has been suffering through the wrath of Mother Nature. He posted about the flooding in his home, as he told us "little rivers literally flowed through my basement," and in the process ranted decently about "Greenie whackos who run around claiming the sky is falling."

I also thought of Nickie Goomba who along with the other two Tenors, DC and Rhod, have a great blog called "It Don't Make Sense." Nickie's "Al Gore's Carbon Assprint Update" posts are always sure to bring a laugh, as well as inform.

These are just two of the blogs you can find in my blog roll, appropriately titled "Wisdom of Others," because from each of them I have gained some wisdom, no doubt.

So in honor of Dr. Dave, Nickie, and all of you who hate listening to AlGore type B.S. - a little George Carlin on a Friday night.



Happy Friday!

Sarah Palin v. The Dixie Chicks

I'm having an "Arguing With Idiots" moment as I sit through Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonight.

I know - you want to know why I'm watching that crazy kook? Well, it's not because I'm looking to be fit for a straightjacket anytime soon, if that's what you're thinking. As I've stated here before, it's actually because I believe it makes me a more well informed person to know what the 'other side' is saying, plus there are no good sports on tonight.

Mr. Olbermann is going to attempt to equate Sarah Palin's speech in China to The Dixie Chicks' anti-American diatribe in London back in 2003. If I know BathTubBoy as well as I believe I do, he is going to say that the Republicans came out in a rage against the little country music angels who were just being concerned citizens, while Mrs. Palin, given her previous political experience and place in the eye of the public should have known better than to slander Barack Obama and The United States while on the soil of Communist China!!

So let's be truthful here. The Dixie Chicks were in London, doing what they were paid to do: perform music. The date was March 10, 2003. In the process of performing, Natalie Maines, a Texas native, said:

"Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

The only conflict the U.S. was involved in at the time was in Afghanistan, as we did not invade Iraq until March 20, 2003. Afghanistan, as we all know - because Barack Obama tells us so, is "the good war, the war worth fighting."

However, Ms. Maines chose to speak abusively of the President of The United States, while on foreign soil, in a moment which had absolutely nothing to do with politics whatsoever.

Her rationale? "I said it there 'cause that's where I was." Very classy. After an amazing outcry, Maines attempted to clarify matters on March 12 by saying, "I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world."

Really...? We went into Afghanistan with the support of pretty much the world. Even the impending invasion of Iraq was going to be done by a multinational force led by The United States and... you guessed it - The United Kingdom.

Conservatives, Republicans... Hell - all good Americans spoke out about this repulsive and unpatriotic act. They spoke on the airwaves, and they spoke with their wallets. Listeners called for boycotts of the Dixie Chicks' music on radio stations nationwide (except perhaps Berkeley and Soho) and massive CD crunching parties were organized, plowing over piles of Dixie Chicks music with bulldozers. At one point, 76% of former fans polled responded with, "If I could, I'd take my CDs back."

Of course, there were those in Hollywood and the music biz who sided with the Chicks. Over time, and after an apology and the creation of an alliance with moveon.org, and a bunch of creative expression of non-guilt (a liberal not feeling guilty? I don't get it) the Dixie Chicks have returned to a reasonable level of success.

On to Sarah Palin (Guys, get your minds out of the gutter). As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Mrs. Palin was paid to give a 90 minute speech in Hong Kong, at a conference sponsored by investment firm CLSA Asia Pacific Markets. The speech was aimed at educating investors about the American market and how it might play a role in their future dealings. There were persons of various nationalities in attendance, including Americans.

Speaking on China policy, the former governor criticized the Obama administration for cutting back on some defense spending, suggesting that it sends a worrisome signal to allies depending on U.S. strength to counterbalance China's growing influence.

"Our strong defense posture in Asia has helped keep the region safe and allowed ... this area to prosper," Ms. Palin said. "Our Asian allies get nervous if they think we're weakening with security commitments."

According to The New York Times, Melvin Goodé, a regional marketing consultant, thought Mrs. Palin chose Hong Kong because it was “a place where things happen and where freedom can be expanded upon.”

“It’s not Beijing or Shanghai,” said Mr. Goodé . “She also mentioned Tibet, Burma and North Korea in the same breath as places where China should be more sensitive and careful about how people are treated. She said it on a human-rights level.”

Mr. Goodé, an African-American who said he did some campaign polling for President Obama, said Mrs. Palin mentioned President Obama three times on Wednesday.

“And there was nothing derogatory in it, no sleight of hand, and believe me, I was listening for that,” he said, adding that Mrs. Palin referred to Mr. Obama as “our president,” with the emphasis on “our.”

According to AFP as reported on Breitbart.com, Two US delegates left early, with one saying "it was awful, we couldn't stand it any longer". He declined to be identified (imagine that - probably a liberal).

However, some of those who attended praised Palin's forthright views on government social and economic intervention.

"She was brilliant," said a European delegate, on condition of anonymity.

"She said America was spending a lot of money and it was a temporary solution. Normal people are having to pay more and more but things don't get better. The rich will leave the country and the poor will get poorer."

So what Mrs. Palin did was completely within the scope of what was expected of her, with the understanding, of course, that it can be risky for a potential candidate to speak out against current American policy. However, as Palin has no stated plans for candidacy, she was simply a representative of the U. S. with a greater understanding given her history as a governor, and as reprted she completed her expected task with little to no controversy... outside that which Mr. Olbermann wishes to create.

"Truth for those who wish to look," Glenn's little song says...

Revisiting Our Past To Find Our Future

I was intrigued by a discussion that took place on Glenn Beck's radio program today. It seems that he has created quite the discussion amongst "Good Republicans" by stating that he might very well have voted for Hillary Clinton over John McCain, because had John McCain been elected President we would have had many similar domestic policies enacted, and there would have been less of a motivating factor for the current Conservative groundswell that is clearly reaching across this great nation.

Some on the right seem to believe that to have a Republican in office is the solution, and that no matter what, a political landscape filled with Republicans will always offer a better chance for good policy than any other scenario.

I have learned through my transition from being a Liberal to being a Conservative that such a perspective has done great damage to our nation over the course of the last forty years or so. In my younger days, my perspective was the opposite - I thought only Liberals would make good policy. I learned that I was wrong, and now I believe that I am better served and more politically astute and intuitive than I used to be.

This is the position that (I believe) Beck represents as well. As he took calls today, it became interesting to listen to the callers who said they "get it" and are "on board" with his message, yet some of them continued to beat the partisan drum and attempt to draw everything down party lines. Glenn became increasingly frustrated, particularly with one caller, because he didn't "get it" at all. This caller just wanted to liberal-bash, and it was moving the conversation backwards rather than forwards.

Right at the close of his show, a caller mentioned that to find the truth in Conservatism and to have hope for a better future regardless of how uncomfortable things may be today, we should find Ronald Reagan's 1977 speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Some of you may already be familiar with this speech. It is truly amazing. I had heard of it, but never read it in its entirety.

I recommend that you take the time to really read this speech. There are amazing similarities between 1977 and today.

Some of the social issues remain the same today as they were then. Abortion, for example. While not today's hottest topic, it is always a topic of great debate. What now is being called "Social Justice" by Obama was then known as "quotas," as we were in earlier stages of the ever-failing concept of affirmative action.

Watergate and the remnants of Vietnam parallel Iraq, and Nixon parallels George W. Bush in the way each led people to distrust government on a whole. Therefore Nixon (and Ford who never stood a chance) led to Carter just as Bush 43 led to Obama.

The Cold War of Reagan's era was what we see in Radical Islamic Terrorism today. The organization and structure of our enemy is different, but the desire of our enemy is the same: to destroy freedom.

The polling data he presents in this speech is remarkable, if not downright eerily similar to that which we have heard recently. We are in an amazingly similar political climate today as that which brought Dutch to the forefront of American politics.

There is a complete misunderstanding in the media today of what Conservatism is as compared to the Republican party; the same seemed to be true as Reagan brought Conservatives together in a great American resurgence.

We were under the presidency of a young inexperienced far left leaning Liberal, just as we are today - and although in February 1977 Carter had just become president a few weeks before this speech, the writing was on the wall; Conservatism needed a leader, and Reagan was the man for the time. We must seek to recognize our leader, the man or woman whose time is now.

There is no shortage of greatness in this speech, as you will soon understand. For me, one particular paragraph stood out as probably the most profound:

"Let us lay to rest, once and for all, the myth of a small group of ideological purists trying to capture a majority. Replace it with the reality of a majority trying to assert its rights against the tyranny of powerful academics, fashionable left-revolutionaries, some economic illiterates who happen to hold elective office and the social engineers who dominate the dialogue and set the format in political and social affairs. If there is any ideological fanaticism in American political life, it is to be found among the enemies of freedom on the left or right—those who would sacrifice principle to theory, those who worship only the god of political, social and economic abstractions, ignoring the realities of everyday life. They are not conservatives."

I was also amazed by the number of times in this speech Reagan referenced 'wisdom' and 'common sense.' I'm flattered...

This is a link to a complete copy of Reagan's 1977 CPAC speech, which is clearly guided by principles.

Enjoy.

Thank You, President Obama

President Obama, I would like to thank you for your speech today.

Thank you for denigrating our former President (albeit indirectly) on the world stage. How very American of you.

Thank you for telling the world absolutely nothing positive about the greatest nation on God's green Earth.

Speaking of green, thank you for not speaking directly to India and China, two growing nations whose agenda regarding pollution control is equivalent to your apparent respect for The United States - none.

Thank you for throwing our brave troops under the bus. We understand that you could not take time away from your busy 5 network tour to address the serious request for more troops brought forward the Generals in charge of the region, for after all you do need to maintain your status as the coolest celebrity around - but maybe next time you get up on the world stage you might consider speaking well of the efforts and sacrifices of the brave men and women who have given life and limb for the hope of a more safe and free world?

Thank you as well for spitting in the face of the brave people of Iraq and Afghanistan, who have weathered incredibly unforgiving conditions of domestic political corruption within their budding new governments, as well as civil and military conflict, in the hope that their children may someday live in lands that are free.

Thank you for telling Israel to bend over and take it from the Arab and Muslim world. Thank you for not promising the Israeli people that we will stand by their right to live.

Thank you for telling the entire world that you would like to be rid of nuclear weapons, in essence offering the idea of peace throughout the world. I could not agree with you any more that this is a wonderful concept; in fact, I'd call it rather Utopian. Sadly, it is also extremely far-fetched, and while it feels good to act as if we're "part of the masses," the truth is a real leader would stand before the world and tell them that only responsible nations should ever be allowed the privilege of having such harmful mechanisms.

On that note, thank you for saying absolutely nothing to Iran directly regarding their obviously underhanded and manipulative behavior in an effort to gain such powerful killing devices.

Mr. President, you have compared yourself to Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. At this point in your presidency, I would put you on pace to be the next Jimmy Carter - if you're lucky.

Mr. President, if you really wish to be a leader, then lead. True leaders have the courage to stand before those who oppose them the most and tell their opposition the truth. Period.

Updated: School Children Sing The Praises of Obama

There is nothing I can say that this video doesn't say itself.

I have this copied to hard drive - if it disappears off of YouTube I will post it directly.



Via: Drudge Report
Via: Michelle Malkin

****UPDATE****

Hat Tip to Clifton B. at Another Black Conservative

(Click for larger image)

(h/t Michelle Malkin and Smart Girl Politics) Here is a little more indoctrination for you. This is a test given in a high school anatomy class. The test is pure pro Obama. Notice there is not a single question expressing the opposing point of view. Notice also how Obama's point of view is treated as fact! The 30,000,000 uninsured number is totally in dispute, but you would never know from this exam.

Don't let the left fool you, your children are being indoctrinated! Obama did not have to say anything Dear Leader-ish to the children, the teachers are the ones who would do the indoctrinating for him.

I am beginning to wonder more and more if the Department of Education had a telephone conference like the NEA did.

Glenn Beck Interviewed By Katie Cupcake

Yes, I know it's sexist and dismissive of me to call her that, so feel free to yell at me. I'm still going to call her Katie Cupcake, because I believe it fits her.



Anyway - here's Glenn's online interview with Ms. Couric, for those who didn't get a chance to see it (like me) or those who didn't even know about it.

**UPDATE**

I watched this interview in full. It was fair, generally speaking. You can read very clearly into the ideological differences between the two, and to be honest I believe you get a sense at the end of the interview that Couric has a new-found respect for Beck.

Beck did not allow Couric to play 'gotcha' as she attempted. He offered his website as a place to gather information. If you didn't hear his radio show the day after the "Obama's a racist" comment, go here to listen, just click on the 'free audio' button and it will open in media player. It's about 16 minutes and very informative.

Also, here's a very interesting video clip from around the same time frame.

A Trip To Lefty-land

What an interesting time I have had this evening, and I wish to share this experience with all of my friends. I hope that in turn you will spread the word, for people need to know what I've just experienced.

I have only the proof of screen shots with the clock in the corner as a time-stamp. Those who attempt to defend these images will say that I have manipulated them somehow, but each image is also stamped with a marker on it as well.

The moral to the story is this - I went to the lefty site Huffington Post tonight, just to chat it up for a bit over there. They're all over the fact that Glenn Beck was on a videocast with Katie Cupcake, plus I guess Mark Levin is now their new hero because Mark said he doesn't understand some of what Glenn said on Katie's grab for ratings.

Anyway, the discussion turned to racism, as it always seems to with these folks. The very first comment I saw was by someone called amandla who said:

"I'm sorry, but I think that 90-95% of the people attending the "9/12" marches are PROUD racists, with the other 5-10% being racists in denial. People like Beck will openly express their belief in the inferiority of non-white people, yet they for some reason think their bias is hidden and undetectable by others (?). Code words are easily deciphered by even the most politically unsophisticated person, thus racists in denial (Beck) must apparently believe non-whites are so stupid that they can't understand what is being said.

The 2009 Republican Party has truly become the refuge of far-right whites who can't shake the feeling that they've necessarily lost something with the election of a Black man to the presidency. I'm hoping their hopes of secession from the US come to fruition - there's a lot of living space out in the wilderness of Alaska, Montana, and Idaho..."

Well, I couldn't just sit quietly, so I replied -

"I'm sorry, but I am one of those people who attended such an event, and I will tell you with great clarity and certainty that you are absolutely incorrect.

We are good people, just as you are good people, and for you to continue to label us as r@cists is only setting your cause back. You are coming across as arrogant, snide, and dismissive - while all we wish is to have a civil discussion.

There was disagreement to exactly this same level in '93 when Clinton tried to pass HillaryCare. It didn't rise to the same levels of display, such as the rallies you see today - but that is because we on the right are just as upset about some things we saw from the past 8 years, then we got told "change" and we see more of the same - an out of control spending agenda, cronyism, and a disturbing arrogance from the WH toward dissent.

The republican party is lost - about that you are correct - but Conservatism is alive and well, and is growing more strong each and every day people like you speak in such a condescending manner about your fellow Americans."

The discussion continued. I have a bunch of the back and forth comments saved, but what is now much more interesting is the fact that at some point, the moderators began to pull my comments upon the next refresh.

Luckily, I was ready for this, because I've been seeing this a lot lately. Any time a discussion turns against the leftist, the moderators delete the comment of the Conservative - or at least they've done it to me.

So in order, I offer you a timeline of my comments being added, then deleted. My screenname is 'solopico' there, and you'll even notice at one point I told the moderators I was screen grabbing. Didn't seem to matter.

Click on each picture to enlarge it, and notice the clock in each picture.










So - make of it what you will... but I believe there's a big lesson learned from all of this, which is that quite simply this is extreme proof that in the battlefield of truth and ideas, Conservatism is winning - big time.

9/12 Protest Count - Accuracy Counts

Huge hat tip to Left Coast Rebel, as he's the first I saw with this posted. Well done, sir.

Here's a well explained breakdown of the numbers in attendance at a number of Washington, D. C. events, including the 9/12 Protest of 2009.

Zac Moilanen at Indiana University has concluded an approximate 1,782,760 attendees.

And we've only just begun.

The Real Number of Protesters - Zac Moilanen

Mr. President, Thou Dost Protest Too Much

President Obama said he didn't know about the seemingly anti-American rantings of his former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The President had attended Wright's church for nearly twenty years, averaging (by his own admission) one visit every other week - an approximate 520 visits across that period of time. He and his wife Michelle were married by Wright, and both of their daughters were Baptized by the Reverend. Yet President Obama claims he never heard such statements made by Wright.

President Obama said he didn't know about the shady financial dealings of Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the political fundraiser, restaurateur, and real estate developer from Chicago who arranged a "special" deal for the Obama family, so that they might by part of the plot of land they own in Hyde Park for just pennies on the dollar.

President Obama said he didn't know about William Ayers' history in The Weather Underground, a 1960's group found guilty on more than one occasion of domestic terrorism. Granted, Ayers himself was never found guilty (although his wife Bernadine Dohrn was), but he was at one time quoted "Guilty as Hell, Free as a Bird - America is a great country."

President Obama said he didn't know about the radical statements made by Rashid Khalidi, former Press Director for the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

So when President Obama said on Sunday in an interview with George Stephanopoulos that the ACORN story, including the votes in both the House and Senate to cut off funding, was something he's not really followed closely... and the fact that he claims he was not even aware that ACORN is getting "a whole lot of Federal money" - should we believe him?

Bailouts For Birdcage Liners?

According to Michael O'Brien at The Hill, President Barack Hussein Obama said he is "happy to look at" bills before Congress that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses.

"I haven't seen detailed proposals yet, but I'll be happy to look at them," Obama told the editors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade in an interview.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced S. 673, the so-called "Newspaper Revitalization Act," that would give outlets tax deals if they were to restructure as 501(c)(3) corporations. That bill has so far attracted one cosponsor, Cardin's Maryland colleague Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D).

I did a little research into 501(c)(3) requirements. According to www.irs.gov, a 501(c)(3) "must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates."

Now I'm no legal beagle, so maybe someone can tell me where I'm wrong. The way I understand those words, newspapers will not be legally permitted to influence legislation. They will not be legally allowed to endorse any specific political candidate (as this would be "participation in a campaign activity for or against political candidates).

Additionally, there is this paragraph: "Section 501(c)(3) organizations are restricted in how much political and legislative (lobbying) activities they may conduct. For a detailed discussion, see Political and Lobbying Activities. For more information about lobbying activities by charities, see the article Lobbying Issues; for more information about political activities of charities, see the FY-2002 CPE topic Election Year Issues.

I may be completely misunderstanding what I am reading, and I welcome anyone who understands tax law to correct me if I am wrong. Otherwise - I say bring it on! For the first time in American history, print media might be held to a high standard and remain neutral in political debate.

Is New Zealand Racist?

Well, you certainly will not find this headline on any newspaper in The United States, nor will you find such an honest story on NBC or the other networks, Fox News Channel notwithstanding.

New Zealand's TVNZ offers on its website the headline "Obama-linked Acorn in major US scandal," which is followed by an honest assessment of the recent events surrounding the scandalous community organizing group, as well as its ties to the 44th President, Barack Hussein Obama.

From the article: "Acorn was also a major supporter of Obama's campaign to become president, even though it is a non-profit non-partisan government organisation that receives over $70 million in taxpayer money."

Also, the last sentence of the article from NZTV says: "As Obama starts a media blitz to push his government-run healthcare plans, the Acorn scandal has cast doubt on the government's ability to run anything."

If only... nah, never mind. They're in the tank, and they're not coming out.

H/T to Don Surber. You've got to read his piece, if for no other reason his last sentence. It's priceless.

One For The Aged

As we begin (in my opinion) the best ten weeks in sports outside of Super Bowl Sunday, history today was made in Louden, New Hampshire. Fifty year old Mark Martin, driving the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, won his first ever race at Louden Motor Speedway, and in doing so became the oldest driver to win a race in the "Chase For The Sprint Cup," a playoff-style change to NASCAR that began in 2004.

Mark Martin began driving in NASCAR in 1981. In 1982 he finished 2nd in "Rookie of the Year" standings. However, it was not until 1989 that Martin won his first race, at thew North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham. He has finished second in the Cup Series standings a remarkable four times, earning him the title "Best Driver never to win a Championship." Additionally, Martin currently has more wins than any other driver in NASCAR's "junior" series, currently known as the Nationwide Series.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a fan of the #48 team, with driver Jimmie Johnson and Crew Chief Chad Knaus, which is also owned by Hendrick Motorsports and is the reigning and 3-time consecutive champion of NASCAR. However, Mark Martin is most definitely the sentimental favorite to win the championship, and any fan of almost any NASCAR driver would agree that if there is one driver besides their favorite whom they would love to see win, it is indeed Martin.

Rest In Peace, Irving Kristol

Irving Kristol, considered by many to be the Godfather of modern Conservatism, has died of complications from lung cancer at the age of 89.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

Kristol was the husband of critic-historian Gertrude Himmelfarb, and father of two children; Editor of The Weekly Standard and Fox News Contributor William Kristol , and daughter Elizabeth.

Kristol, who once said the Republican Party was "foreign to me as attending a Catholic Mass,"

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

f from President George W. Bush, who praised him as "a wide-ranging thinker whose writings have helped transform America's political landscape."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

Once a Trotskyist and a far-left Liberal of the 1930's, Kristol would soon sour on Socialism, and broke from Liberalism after the rise of the New Left in the 1960's.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

He called himself a "Liberal mugged by reality."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

His turn to the right was joined by countless others, including GOP Cabinet officials as Jeane Kirkpatrick and William Bennett and another neoconservative founder, Norman Podhoretz.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

his

"The influence of Irving Kristol's ideas has been one of the most important factors in reshaping the American climate of opinion over the past 40 years," Podhoretz said.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

He was a flagship in the network of think tanks, media outlets and corporations that helped make conservatism a reigning ideology for at least two decades, the "vast right-wing conspiracy" that Hillary Rodham Clinton would claim was out to get her husband.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

He was a fellow at a key think tank, the American Enterprise Institute, and at least two major conservative books, Jules Wanniski's supply-side manifesto "The Way the World Works," and Charles Murray's anti-welfare "Losing Ground," were published with Kristol's help.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

He was a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, writing a series of essays in the 1970s that called on businesses to invest in conservative scholarship and counter the "permanent brain trust" of liberal politics.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

"More than anyone alive, perhaps, Irving Kristol can take the credit for reversing the direction of American political culture," liberal commentator Eric Alterman wrote in 1999.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/irving-kristol-dead-at-89_n_291766.html

Via: memeorandum
Via: The Weekly Standard

Jay Leno Must Be A Racist

Jay Leno has now joined the ranks. On last night's program, the unrepentant racist did this skit about the much maligned community organization ACORN.



Via: Michelle Malkin

We Have Watched And Now We Gather

I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who check in with me from time to time and read my blog.

I know you have many choices in life, and many ways you could spend your time. The fact that you choose to spend some of your time sharing a moment with me is something for which I can not thank you enough. Thank you for the thoughts you share and the compliments you give.

I am extremely grateful to those of you who have given me accolades on your own blog; it is a very wonderful feeling to receive such an honor. I know it brings you happiness too, for the idea of helping others is something we certainly all share here, in this community of good ideas and great people.

I would like to share the good work and insights of someone who has stopped by my blog from time to time, and has a very thoughtful and inspiring blog of her own. Actually, to be fair, I really wish to recommend that you start your visit by reading this letter by Jan's niece, written to Congress, and titled "We Have Watched And Now We Gather." This letter captures the spirit of the people I have come to know and appreciate through my blogging experience, and I think you will find it truly inspiring.

So give a hoot, and go say hi to Jan, and enjoy.

Stepped In It...

Jimmah Cattah in all his glory.

Who's Fanning The Flames Of Fear?

Watch this clip from The Rachel Maddow Show, and you decide which side of this discussion is playing on people's fears.



Yours most sincerely, from a "Dangerous Person to have as a neighbor."

D-FENSE! D-FENSE!

Tonight on "The Ed Show" (also known as "The Horse's Ass", but I digress) the CEO of ACORN, Bertha Lewis claimed that "Just because you repeat a lie over and over again doesn't make it true."

She then proceeded to repeat a lie, trying to make it true. Toward the end of the interview, she declared "We are not going to stand for this modern day McCarthyism."

She then went on "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer, and claimed that she and ACORN owed Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe thanks because they "sort of did us a good service" for helping ACORN initiate an overhaul. During this interview she also attempted to claim that due to ACORN's excellent quality control no paperwork was ever filed on behalf of the undercover filmmakers, and that "As soon as we found out [...] they were terminated." And in an egregious attempt to twist responsibility, she attempted to frame O'Keefe as a "Right-Wing Conservative videographer."

Although he did offer a more pressing interview than Mr. Ed, Blitzer failed in his journalistic responsibilities to some degree. As Lewis went on about her attorney's expectations to file suit against O'Keefe and others, Blitzer failed to bring to light the fact that ACORN is under investigation for operating illegally in Maryland.

ACORN: Blemished By The Border

Tonight's Hannity offered an opening segment in which Andrew Breitbart and Hannah Giles gave details of a visit paid to the San Diego, California office of ACORN by Miss Giles and her investigative partner, James O'Keefe.

During this discussion, which was accompanied by video in the vein of the previous exposures, the local ACORN representative offered to connect Giles' and O'Keefe's characters with Coyotes, or persons who specialize in the illegal trafficking of humans across the border.

The ACORN representative on the videotape also appeared to be propositioning the 'hooker' played by Miss Giles. During her interview with Sean Hannity, she admitted that while she didn't feel completely unsafe, this was the first situation in which she became uncomfortable and had to think on her feet in order to both maintain composure and maintain her undercover status.

Today in a surprising turn of events, ACORN has suspended advising new clients as part of its service programs and is setting up an independent review to see what happened. ACORN chief executive Bertha Lewis said in a written statement that she was “ordering a halt to any new intakes into ACORN’s service programs until completion of an independent review.”

Also, in a statement released Wednesday afternoon, David Lagstein with California ACORN wrote, “San Diego ACORN confirms that the unscrupulous undercover team visited the San Diego office some time last month. The incident will be investigated as part of the work of the Independent Advisory Council announced today. ACORN confirms that no paperwork of any kind was filed by the San Diego office. We are also demanding that FOX news release the full content of the tapes (and all of the undercover tapes).”

Secretary of the San Diego County Republican Party Michael Rosen said today ""What's coming into focus now is that ACORN itself may be at the epicenter of the economic and political crises facing this country."

***UPDATE - VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE***



H/T - LL for getting the video online so I could add it as an update. He also has a powerful post up regarding this subject, check it out here.

Via: Big Government
Via: NBC San Diego Online
Via: Fox News

Sending a Message

The Twitter feed of James O'Keefe, a young man who is now becoming a folk hero of sorts amongst those of us who want corruption to be exposed and destroyed.

I found particularly amusing his statements directed to NBC and Today Show producers.

Tip o' the hat to Pedaling.

They Must Be Very Busy...

"Shower-heads harbor a bounty of germs."

"Jimmy Carter: Wilson Comments based on racism."

"Obama's new fuel economy rules."

Yet on the front page of http://abcnews.go.com/ there is not one mention of the exploding ACORN scandal at the time this piece was written.

Charlie Gibson, host of ABC World News Tonight, was interviewed on WLS AM in Chicago, and had no knowledge of the story.

On http://www.cbsnews.com/ the story made the front page, below two articles about the "racist" Joe Wilson and one about the raid of a Yale professor's apartment. One of these stories is worthy, in my opinion, and it ain't the week old Wilson issue.

MSNBC - I suppose I'd better say something here, otherwise you might think I spaced out and forgot to fill in the blank. Zero. Nada. Nein. Nil. Squat. Zilch. I know you're surprised.

CNN? Forget it.

The New York Times. "The Gray Lady." Considered "The Standard in News." Toward the bottom of their front page, in the small print block, was this (you be the judge) hatchet job of an article, making it a partisan issue as opposed to a legal and taxpayer concern.

Rather than concerning themselves with the fact that ACORN has received millions of taxpayer dollars and is a tax-exempt organization that has, to date, been documented on videotape in multiple locations, offering advise on tax evasion and prostitution, ptentially operated illegally in the state of Maryland, as well as having open discussions about murder - The Times decided to print an article in which such statements were written as:

"For months during last year’s presidential race, conservatives sought to tar the Obama campaign with accusations of voter fraud and other transgressions by the national community organizing group Acorn, which had done some work for the campaign"

as well as:

"Conservative advocates and broadcasters were gleeful about the success of the tactics in exposing Acorn workers, who appeared to blithely encourage prostitution and tax evasion. It was, in effect, the latest scalp claimed by those on the right who have made no secret of their hope to weaken the Obama administration by attacking allies and appointees they view as leftist."

And those are just two of the first three paragraphs from the article.

According to statistics provided by Glenn Beck's TV show on Monday, these are the news agencies they have tracked and the number of times this story has been reported by each:

FNC - 133 CNN - 90 MSNBC - 10 NBC - 2 NYT - 17 Washington Post - 10 The Wall Street Journal - 5 ABC - 2 CBS - 1

Really?? I'm having a big 'WTF' moment, and I think blood is about to shoot out of my eyes.

Okay... truth moment. I have not watched any of the "big three" national newscasts in I don't know how long. I've never had a subscription to the New York Times. I did, a few years ago, consider CNN to be a reasonably fair network, and on September 11th, 2001 and shortly thereafter, I was a regular viewer of MSNBC. That ended when they changed, and became the partisan shell of what they once were. Tim Russert is dearly missed, and likely rolling over in his grave.

I am not a journalist, but I know journalism when I see it. What Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe have done, with the support of Andrew Breitbart, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and the entire Fox News Channel - this is the work of Pulitzer Prize winning journalists.

Giles and O'Keefe are two brave young Americans who have chosen to act on an idea because they knew there was something wrong. They are now being desecrated by some in the media and some politicians for acting in a way that paid professionals are refusing to accept as their responsibility as a part of "The Fourth Estate."

Meanwhile, as our tax dollars are being wasted away on this clearly questionable (if not corrupt to the core) organization, The House felt today that it was extremely important to formally rebuke Joe Wilson (R-SC) for his outburst during last week's health care speech before a Joint Session of Congress.

Again... Are you kidding me? This is the most important thing you have to do with our 435 representatives, Ms. Pelosi?

To date, The Senate has voted 83-7 to de-fund ACORN. The Census Bureau has broken any potential ties with ACORN. Minority Leader John Boehner, in a letter signed onto by 130 total members of the House, has called on President Obama to use his Executive power to immediately disclose and stop any public funding to ACORN, as well as sever all ties. Three members of The House have asked the IRS to immediately sever all ties and stop all funding to ACORN.

This is not a Democrat issue, nor is it a Republican issue. This is an American issue. and it needs to be the focus of a full blown investigation.

The fact that there are now more than three instances pointing toward corruption and possible extortion merit a RICO investigation.

If not that, then certainly The United States Department of Justice should begin an immediate investigation.

ACORN stands to bring in BILLIONS of dollars through its own name and its family of agencies from the "stimulus" bill signed in mid-February by President Obama.

There is absolutely not one decent American citizen who, regardless of personal politics, should be able to learn the details of this story without feeling absolutely repulsed and offended.

Yet the media and the Democrats in The House of Representatives are remarkably silent to date.