Thursday, December 27, 2007

Pakistan in Flames


What a powder keg! Benazir Bhutto, the only woman ever to be elected prime-minister of a Muslim country and the leader of Pakistan's largest political party, was brutally murdered today. Is there anyone who still downplays the seriousness of the terrorist threat the whole world faces after a day like today? There is no reasoning or negotiating with people whose main weapon is mass murder on a global scale.

Monday, December 24, 2007

Say it With Gusto: MERRY CHRISTMAS!


He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Socialist gadfly Gary Mullen-Schultz, whose Sith name is Darth Pompous, has opened up his wallet and made "a generous gift donation" to Wellstone Action! in my honor.



I laughed out loud when I got the notification from Wellstone Action! member services above. At least Mr. Mullen-Schultz didn't use taxpayer money to "honor" me, unless he can get a tax deduction of some kind. I wouldn't put it past him.

If his faulty thinking is as predictable as it's always been, Mr. Mullen-Schultz meant the gift as one of his childish insults. Actually, I don't take it that way. Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife Sheila may have have been misguided in their liberal zeal, but at least they were intellectually honest and consistent. I can respect that. Unlike Mr. Mullen-Schultz and his fellow left-of-center ideologues, the Wellstones had the moral backbone to stand by and fight for their convictions came Hell or high water.


The truth is, Mr. Mullen-Schultz can't stop thinking about me (Not that there is anything wrong with that). The man is drawn to me like a moth to the flame. I ask again, should I be flattered or frightened?

If any other liberal cyber-stalkers out there want to honor me with their money, the Salvation Army is the organization I favor to receive your not-so-hard-earned cash. This being a free country and all, you are at liberty to donate your money to the Sierra Club, PETA, the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement or the Kucinich campaign in my honor if you want.

Merry Christmas to all, particularly Gary Mullen-Schultz. May he find emotional peace and mental health in the coming year.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Bill and Hillary: Endless Soap Opera?

Maureen Dowd, a.k.a. "The Snake," seems to think so. According to her, Bill and Hillary are playing their usual little game:

Let’s create chaos and then get out of it together. You ride to my rescue or I ride to yours. We come within an inch of dying and then recapture the day by the skin of our teeth. While we’re killing ourselves, we blame everyone else. We’ll be heroes.
It sounds right. Bill and Hillary haven't matured either personally or politically in any way since their fateful, morally corrupt Arkansas days.



When her cynicism is not in full bloom, Dowd can ask insightful questions. For example:


Is Bill a loyal spouse or a subconscious saboteur?

Her tentative answer further down the piece is more precise than she might think:


Maybe the Boy Who Can’t Help Himself is simply engaging in his usual patterns of humiliating Hillary and lighting an exploding cigar when things are going well.

If Hillary's candidacy is, as Dowd suggests, "a plebiscite on the '90s," her campaign is certainly doomed.










Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Mullen-Schultz's "Revenge"

It's been over a year since Gary Mullen-Schultz lost his electoral bid for a school board seat. He hasn't gotten over it, however, and blames yours truly for his humiliating defeat. I mean, this guy had the election bagged until the Rochester Post-Bulletin editorial board endorsed Fred Daly, the incumbent and Mr. Mullen-Schultz's opponent. As a result, Daly won by a very respectable margin. I believe Fred would have won regardless, but the P-B endorsement sure didn't hurt. Here are the official results:





Rochester School Board Dir. 5


61 of 61 Precincts (100%)

Fred Daly
19,261 55%

Gary Mullen-Schultz
15,653 45%



Mr. Mullen-Schultz's supersized ego must have taken quite a blow.

Because I exercised my free speech rights to express my thoughts on the school board election then, I seem to have become the object of Mr. Mullen-Schultz's misplaced resentment. A good friend alerted me to the fact that Mr. Mullen-Schultz has started an anti-Othelmo blog.

I was quite amused by it at first. I mean, Mr. Mullen-Schultz is a Consulting IT Specialist at the International Technical Support Organization, IBM Rochester Center. That means that he is supposedly very smart.
You would think Mr. Mullen-Schultz has better, more important and time-consuming things to do - like, say continue to develop and improve Blue Gene, IBM's super duper über computer - than harass a lowly academic advisor and occasional blogger. But Mr. Mullen-Schultz has carved up some time out of his busy schedule and dedicated it to me.

Bear with me as I give you a brief history of our "relationship," if you want to call it that. Mr. Mullen-Schultz used to write a very liberal and very pompous column for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. I often took the time to respond to it either online or through a letter to the editor. That never sat well with him. Liberals purport to be open-minded and tolerant of opposing points of view. Not true, as evidenced by the tenor of his testy reactions to my challenges of his faulty arguments.

I knew who Mr. Mullen-Schultz was by sight. I had seen him at a few school board meetings. That was when he was eying Fred Daly's seat. After his defeat, I never saw Mr. Mullen-Schultz at another school board meeting. He never seemed pleased to see me. I often wondered why.

Finally one evening, Mr. Mullen-Schultz could not contain himself any longer. During a break at a candidate's forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters, he talked at me as I made my way to another room. "Othelmo, Gary Mullen-Schultz. You have been very rude to me online," he said. I was surprised because (1) I didn't expect him to ever condescend to talk to me, (2) I had never heard his voice and (3) I thought it would be more grave and masculine. I managed to say that I objected to his points of view, not to him personally but he wouldn't hear it. After allowing him a brief rant, I said I was sorry he felt the way he did and excused myself.

That was the last time I saw Mr. Mullen-Schultz before the 2006 election. And what a massacre that was. At the time, I noted here that the only local silver linings in the election results were the defeat of Amy Blenker's reelection bid for Rochester City Council and Gary Mullen-Schultz's for school board.

I didn't think about Gary Mullen-Schultz at all after the election until Fred Daly stopped by to retrieve his lawn sign about a week later. I congratulated Fred on his reelection and he told me that Mr. Mullen-Schultz had not yet extended his congratulations as it is the custom in civilized societies. Pitiful.

I didn't think about Mr. Mullen-Schultz again until I saw him at the Public Library reception for Dr. Romain Dallemand, our new School Superintendent. Mr. Mullen-Schultz didn't look as clean cut as he did when he ran for office about a year before. His hair was longer and he was wearing very casual clothes - shorts and a polo shirt, I believe. Mr. Mullen-Schultz sprang back to life after I wrote a letter to the P-B editor regarding the SCHIP legislation. His pompous response was as insipid and void of intellectual honesty as usual. I was glad to see him back in the game, however.

Mr. Mullen-Schultz was kind enough to inform me himself of his new hobby - trashing me - via an email which subject line read, "Enjoy!" The following is a record of our email exchange since then. Follow along and laugh with me.
Should I be flattered or frightened? You be the judge.

Gary <glms@yahoo.com> wrote:

http://locustofevil.blogspot.com/

Sincerely, Gary


Othelmo da Silva wrote:

Mr. Mullen-Schultz,

You are, as usual, a day late and a dollar short. I was made aware of your website yesterday.

Have you considered anger management? I ask the question sincerely. Or at least consider directing your vitriol toward the editorial board of the Rochester Post-Bulletin. They are the ones who objected to your candidacy for the school board. It was their reasonable arguments regarding a conflict of interest if you were elected to the school board while your wife was a teacher in the district that sank your candidacy rather than anything I may have said on a blog that is read by a couple dozen people. Certainly the readership of the Post-Bulletin is greater than that. Besides, Fred Daly is a decent and hard-working school board member. He possesses what I believe is the hallmark of leadership: humility. I know you think very highly of yourself, but pride does come before a hard fall. Remember that.

I will have you know that my "banishment" from the comments feature of the P-B Online as well as the wise counsel of level headed older friends of mine have tempered my zeal. You will notice that I endeavor not to be critical of people and reserve my incisive commentary for the opinions they express. I regret that I do not receive the same consideration from you and your friends. Moreover, one cannot have a thin skin if he wishes to express his views honestly and forthrightly. But surely you know that. Please know that I am a better man now.

You seem to be a bright and accomplished individual. You have the potential to contribute to the Rochester community in many productive ways. It would sadden me to see you allow yourself to be consumed by the pettiness, resentment, jealousy and anger you express on your blog.

Please trust me when I say that I have gone for months without thinking about you. At all. I was quite relieved to see your letter to the editor in response to my own comments on the SCHIP legislation. I rather thought you had suffered an irreversible nervous breakdown after your humiliating electoral defeat last year. I am glad you are up and at it again. If I have had anything to do with your recovery, I am thankful for it.

That is all. Please do not expect to hear from me ever again. Good luck with your blog. You are, of course, always welcome to peruse mine. Please check out my most recent entry. It is a picture of Senator Hillary Clinton as she must look like on the inside and a few pithy comments from yours truly.

Finally, give my best to your wife Pam. We met years ago as students at Winona State University. We had at least one special education class together. You certainly heard stories about Frank Rocco, our teacher then, from her. Pam is a charming, witty, driven and intelligent woman. You are fortunate to be married to her.

Hoping that you will let go of your pain,

Your unwilling nemesis,
Othelmo da Silva



Gary <glms@yahoo.com> wrote:

Mr. da Silva:

Thanks for your note. Words of advice on humility and anger management coming from you are really, really rich.

I sincerely hope that you have truly changed – but based on your recent posts to the PB and to your blog, I have my doubts. You seem to harbor a strong misogynist bent (your “ugly” pictures of “Hitlery” and Pelosi). Perhaps that’s just a remnant of your Brazilian upbringing – but I suspect something more deeply ingrained and pervasive. In addition, there are simply too many glimpses of the “old” Othelmo in your note to me – “witty” sarcasm cloaked in feigned concern. The caged animal can’t help but snarl, no matter how innocent he may pretend to be.

Don’t be overly worried about my mental state – it’s just fine. I just felt it was time to shine a light on the religious bigotry and hatred displayed by you and your friends. If there is anything factually inaccurate in my posting, by all means let me know. As I wrote, I’m truly interested to see how you all would react to a Romney candidacy. It would undoubtedly be difficult for you personally to embrace a candidate whose religion calls yours an “abomination.”

Yes, Pam remembered you. Like many others I’ve met who knew or know you, she too was shocked at the depths of your nastiness as displayed on your blog. Speaking of college, I’m curious – did you completely pay your own way through college, or did you take advantage of financial assistance? Given the nationwide and local desire to hire minority teachers, I imagine you had a decent amount of aid available to you. You undoubtedly, on principle, refused it all.

Sincerely, Gary


Othelmo da Silva wrote:

Merry Christmas.

Good bye. Forever.
Othelmo



Mr. Mullen-Schultz used to trash me to his running companions and co-workers, some of whom I know and who asked me what the deal was. Apparently, whenever I responded to his columns online, Mr. Mullen-Schultz would say that he was "daSilvaded." How childish!

I think it's laughable how hypersensitive liberals pretend to be regarding race and ethnicity, but think nothing about perpetuating stereotypes themselves. Notice that Mr. Mullen-Schultz' attributes my alleged misogynism to my Brazilian upbringing (Since he is ignorant of so many things, I will kindly assume that Mr. Mullen-Schultz does not know that I am a naturalized American citizen either). Mr. Mullen-Schultz seems to be saying that all Brazilians are misogynists. That looks like prejudice to me. Could it be that such an enlightened liberal mind would harbor such ignorant stereotypes? By the way, I like women so much that I married one of them.

Speaking of prejudice, have you notice that few things irritate liberals more than a Black conservative? Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, economist Thomas Sowell, former University of California Regent Ward Connerly, former Secretary of Education Rod Paige, former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland Michael Steele, Supreme Court associate justice Clarence Thomas among a legion of others, are an open and consistent target of liberal derision. It is as if the only "real" Blacks are the ones who still bow at the altar of the liberal Democratic elite. "Clean" and "articulate" (a reference to Senator Joe Biden's "complimentary" words toward Senator Barack Obama) Blacks who neither parrot nor say "Amen" to said elites are viewed as traitors to the cause. How condescending!

Trust me, I have seen more than my fair share of kids throwing temper tantrums before. Mr. Mullen-Schultz's rival them all, however. Thank Gore for spam filter. My system will mercifully spare me Mr. Mullen-Schultz's xenophobic and prejudiced rants from now on. Hopefully he will save his egocentric bile for his childish blog. Feel free to visit it and leave your comments there.

I wouldn't normally give this non-issue the time of day. It is disturbing, however, to be the focus of someone's misguided obsession. It feels like I am being cyber-stalked, in a way. You've heard about people who stalk celebrities, former spouses, teachers, students, peers, co-workers, perfect strangers and so on. At first they become obsessed with the person, then they start writing about them, then to them. Before you know it, they start calling then show up at their door. I have no idea what Mr. Mullen-Schultz's mental state is but decided to create a record just in case. The more people know about it, the better. I have even considered contacting the police to express my concerns. Maybe I should do it.

Even otherwise respectable and professional people snap on occasion. Sometimes it's the people you least expect. I won't be taking any chances.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

It doesn't look good for Hillary right now




The picture above, lifted from today's Drudge Report, tells the story. Hillary is down. The aura of invincibility (or was it just heavy makeup?) is gone. Is Hillary's run for the White House over before it began? Let's hope so. America deserves better than another President Clinton.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Clinton Trouble in Iowa?

Iowa Poll Trouble for Hillary

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Obama with 30 percent support among likely Democratic caucus-goers, Clinton with 26 percent and Edwards with 22 percent. About half the Clinton supporters who were surveyed said they had never attended a caucus compared with 43 percent of Obama supporters _ a finding that could be significant because voters considered the most reliable caucus participants are those who have caucused before.


Playing the victim doesn't seem to be working too well for Hillary in Iowa. The primaries may not be the cakewalk the presumptuous former First Lady expected them to be.

Hillary may be the new Howard Dean.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

The Winner of Last Night's Democratic Candidates' Debate? RON PAUL!

How embarrassing for the Democratic contenders to have Ron Paul's supporters steal the show like that!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

What is "Democratic" about this party?

Ralph Nader Sues Democratic Party
Oct 30 04:38 PM US/Eastern


WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumer advocate and 2004 independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party on Tuesday, contending officials conspired to keep him from taking votes away from nominee John Kerry.

Nader's lawsuit, filed in District of Columbia Superior Court, also named as co-defendants Kerry's campaign, the Service Employees International Union and several so-called 527 organizations such as America Coming Together, which were created to promote voter turnout on behalf of the Democratic ticket.

The lawsuit also alleges that the Democratic National Committee conspired to force Nader off the ballot in several states.

"The Democratic Party is going after anyone who presents a credible challenge to their monopoly over their perceived voters," Nader said in a statement. "This lawsuit was filed to help advance a free and open electoral process for all candidates and voters. Candidate rights and voter rights nourish each other for more voices, choices, and a more open and competitive democracy."

Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that the DNC tried to bankrupt Nader's campaign by suing to keep him off the ballot in 18 states. It also suggests the DNC sent Kerry supporters to crash a Nader petition drive in Portland, Ore., in June 2004, preventing him
from collecting enough signatures to get on the ballot.

The lawsuit seeks "compensatory damages, punitive damages and injunctive relief to enjoin the defendants from ongoing and future violations of the law." It was not clear how much money Nader is seeking; his attorney, Bruce Afran, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

A DNC spokesman also did not immediately return a telephone call for comment.

What We Are Fighting For

I got this over email earlier tonight and thought I'd share it with you.



John Gebhardt (pictured above)'s wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head...but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair. The girl is coming along with her healing.

He is a real Star of the war, and represents what America is trying to do.

This, my friends, is worth sharing with the WORLD! Go for it!!
You'll never see things like this in the news. Please keep this going. Nothing will happen if you don't, but the American public needs to see pictures like this and needs to realize that what we're doing over there is making a difference. Even if it is just one little girl at a time.

James Gates U. S. Navy















Monday, October 29, 2007

A Taste of Hillarycare



Record numbers go abroad for health treatment with 70,000 escaping NHS

The Daily Mail, last updated at 09:47am on 28th October 2007

Record numbers of Britons are travelling abroad for medical treatment to escape the NHS - with 70,000 patients expected to fly out this year.

And by the end of the decade 200,000 "health tourists" will fly as far as Malaysa and South Africa for major surgery to avoid long waiting lists and the rising threat of superbugs, according to a new report.

The first survey of Britons opting for treatment overseas shows that fears of hospital infections and frustration of often waiting months for operations are fuelling the increasing trend.

Patients needing major heart surgery, hip operations and cataracts are using the internet to book operations to be carried out thousands of miles away.

India is the most popular destination for surgery, followed by Hungary, Turkey, Germany, Malaysia, Poland and Spain. But dozens more countries are attracting health tourists.

Research by the Treatment Abroad website shows that Britons have travelled to 112 foreign hospitals, based in 48 countries, to find safe, affordable treatment.

Almost all of those who had received treatment abroad said they would do the same again, with patients pointing out that some hospitals in India had screening policies for the superbug MRSA that have yet to be introduced in this country.

Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said the figures were a "terrible indictment" of government policies that were undermining the efforts of NHS staff to provide quality services.

The findings come amid further revelations about the Government's mishandling of NHS policies, and ahead of official statistics that will embarrass ministers.

On Wednesday, figures are expected to show rising numbers of hospital infections. Cases of the superbug Clostridium difficile, which have risen five-fold in the past decade, are expected to increase beyond the 55,000 cases reported last year.

On the same day, statistics will show that vast sums have been spent on pay, with GPs' earnings rising by more than 50 per cent in three years to an average of more than £110,000.

New research shows that growing NHS bureaucracy has left nurses with little time to see patients – most spending long periods dealing with paperwork.

Katherine Murphy, of the Patients' Association, said the health tourism figures reflected shrinking public faith in the Government's handling of the NHS.

2000 Presidential Election Revisited





I got the following from my buddy Brian and thought I should acknowledge it.

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Number of States won by: Gore: 19 Bush: 29

Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580 ,000 Bush: 2,427,000

Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million Bush: 143 million

Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2 Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: 'In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country.

Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...'

Thursday, October 25, 2007

10 Liberal Platitudes

Washed up, I mean retired Post-Bulletin editor and publisher Bill Boyne knows how to get America "back on track." His answer? You guessed it: left-wing liberalism. Amazing!

Here is Dr. Boyne's diagnosis:

We are trapped in two endless wars and lack the strength to deal with growing international and domestic threats to our country's wellbeing.

Pretty dire, huh? But wait. Don't despair. Dr. Boyne has the right, I mean left prescription for America. Here are his "10 ways to escape the trap and build a better future for ourselves and our allies" with commentary from yours truly. I will try to be kind. It's late and this is too easy.

1. Bring U.S. troops home from Iraq as quickly as feasible
That's the "cut, run and surrender" directive. Every liberal conversation, argument and rebuttal starts and ends with cutting and running in Iraq. We will endanger our future as a nation if we capitulate to terrorism in Iraq or elsewhere. Liberals are not capable of understanding this concept. Leaving Somalia emboldened Osama bin Laden and led to the attacks of 9/11. Imagine what "bringing U.S. troops home" (the liberal euphemism for cutting and running) from Iraq would do to motivate Middle East terrorists to even greater degrees of carnage and destruction. No, Mr. Boyne. As much as it pains me to say it, let's finish the job.

2. Launch a Campaign for World Peace

How cute. I'm sure Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Cuba's Fidel Castro, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, North Korea's Kim Jong-Il, not to mention Osama bin Laden are dying to sign on to such a campaign.

3. Support the Kyoto Protocol

Sure. As soon as India, China and Russia agree to do so as well. Liberals are very fond of leveling the playing field as long as America is at a disadvantage.

4. Introduce health insurance for everyone in the United States

It works so well in Canada and Britain. Why not do it here? Forget the free market. Dump the doctor-patient relationship. Put bureaucrats and politicians in charge of life-or-death decisions.

5. Perfect the methods of delivering medical care.

If the market determines them, not big government.

6. Balance the federal budget by slashing Pentagon expenses
Not wasteful government programs, bureaucratic red tape, truckloads of money to perpetually failing schools or welfare to illegal immigrants? Let's spread the sacrifice here, shall we?

7. Adopt policies to discourage free trade programs and outsourcing of jobs
We are paying the price for decades of greed from trade unions. Outsourcing is here to stay. We need to innovate, create and anticipate. Ours is still the most productive workforce on the planet. Bar none. We can thrive again if the government does not intervene to "solve" the problem.

8. Give strong support to early childhood education
The newest mantra of the left is "early childhood education." I will have quite a bit to say about it at a later date. Suffice it to say that liberals are once again trying to expand their power and influence on the backs of our children. Think S-CHIP legislation. Their aim is to grow government and advance their liberal dogmas while hiding their agenda behind the legitimate needs of the youngest and most vulnerable among us.

9. Give high priority to improving the academic success of low-income and minority students.

How many more millions of dollars do we have to dump on education before we see results? Education IS a priority. K-12 funding goes up every year in Minnesota. What do we have to show for it? Government fails miserably when it tries to raise children. Parents are the solution, not more money or more programs.

10. Take substantive action to reduce the poverty and racial discrimination that afflict too many members of minority groups in the United States

Poverty and discrimination will remain a problem as long as condescending liberals continue to victimize the poor and minorities. The "War on Poverty" has been an abject failure. Government programs do not foster independence, give poor people self-respect or minorities a healthy self-image. Self-respect and integration are the answers to poverty and discrimination, not dependence on government and self-victimization.






Tuesday, October 23, 2007

They are certified

Only from the mind of a liberal. Or what passes for it


Here's a copy of my letter to the editor published in the Rochester Post-Bulletin today, the original title of which was "Liberals Abuse, Misuse Children's Health Insurance Legislation."

A step toward socialized medicine

10/23/2007 7:49:57 AM

Letter writer Frank Hawthorne will be happy to know that, contrary to the misleading assertions of his recent letter to the editor, President Bush actually favors legislation offering health insurance to children who really need it.

However, the president opposes what has been appropriately dubbed "Hillarycare on the installment plan," Mr. Hawthorne's party's disingenuous attempt to socialize American health care on a gradual basis.

The Democratic Party has inflated the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) legislation by covering children who already have private health insurance and whose parents' income is three times above the poverty line, hence the presidential veto. Using CHIP as a stepping stone to undermine private insurance and build the kind of inefficient and expensive health care model that has been proven a failure in Canada and Great Britain defies common sense. Physicians and their patients, not politicians or government bureaucrats, should make health-care decisions.

The Democrats' Kennedyesque brand of intrusive liberalism has nothing to do with children's health coverage and everything to do with central government control of health-care delivery.

Mr. Hawthorne and his party have the right to promote and advance the tried-and-failed single-payer socialized medicine model as much as they please. However, it is intellectually dishonest to abuse and misuse the legitimate health insurance needs of truly needy children to do so.

Othelmo da Silva

Rochester


And here's Frank "Shaggy" Hawthorne's online comment:

Frank Hawthorne - 10/23/2007
Contrary to what Mr. da Silva thinks I think about George Bush, I don't doubt that the President (like Othelmo and many Republican friends) cares deeply for America's children. He/they just need to legislatively care as deeply for the born as they do for the unborn. Naturally, if we did have one of those "inefficient and expensive" [SEE current U.S.A. system, by the way] foreign-style single-payer systems which Othelmo carries on about, this argument would be unnecessary. --Frank Hawthorne


Only in a liberal's mind would a bloated federal program and the indiscriminate killing of unborn children come together in the same sentence. What is the morbid liberal fascination with and blind devotion to killing the most innocent and the most vulnerable among us?

Government should be about preserving our liberties, not limiting them. Liberals must be fought and defeated at every turn. Liberals are bullies. Every bully backs down when confronted forcefully and consistently. Charge!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

The Real Party of Diversity

Louisiana's Governor-Elect Piyush "Bobby" Jindal


Here's yet another disingenuous political commentary disguised as news story from the New York Times. Bobby Jindal's election as Louisiana Governor does not bode well for Democrats in the coming election and the media elites, epitomized by the Gray "Lady," are worried. Hence the drive-by report that follows.
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: October 21, 2007
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 20 —
Bobby Jindal, a conservative Republican congressman from the New Orleans suburbs and the son of immigrants from India, was elected Louisiana’s governor Saturday, inheriting a state that was suffering well before Hurricane Katrina left lingering scars two years ago.

Nossiter tips his hand right on the first paragraph by assuming that Jindal's election is not a direct result of the incompetent blue state response to Katrina. Louisiana was "suffering well before Hurricane Katrina" because it had been rule by Democrats for too long "well before" Katrina.

Mr. Jindal, 36, defeated three main challengers in an open primary, becoming this state’s first nonwhite governor since a Reconstruction-era figure briefly held the office 130 years ago.

With more than 90 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Jindal received 53 percent, above the 50 percent-plus-one threshold needed to avoid a runoff in November. He will be the nation’s first Indian-American governor when he takes office in January.

Mr. Jindal’s victory over a state Democratic party weakened by perceptions of post-hurricane incompetence and corruption was expected, as he has had an overwhelming lead in polls for months. The incumbent, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, hurt by stumbles after Hurricane Katrina, did not seek re-election.


The NY Times again tries to downplay Jindal's overwhelming victory against eleven opponents. ELEVEN! Nossiter argues that the Louisiana Democratic Party was "weakened by perceptions of post-hurricane incompetence and corruption." Perceptions? Did the electorate perceive that Democrats are corrupt only because the Feds found $90,000 of tagged bribery money in New Orlean's Democratic Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson's freezer? Did the electorate perceive that Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco failed to respond to Katrina in a timely manner because she assumed that a federal government agency should do her job?


Why does Nossiter think Governor Kathleen Blanco decided not to run for reelection? She wouldn't have had a chance in Hades, that's why. Blanco knew she was being held responsible for the disastrous handling of Katrina and its aftermath. Placing the blame on President Bush and FEMA wasn't going to work and she knew it. And will someone please tell me how come Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson (D-LA) is still in Congress? Wasn't Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi going to "clean house" and fight the "culture of corruption" she said had taken hold of Washington while Republicans were in power? Clean your own house first, Madam Speaker!


The ascendancy of the Brown- and Oxford-educated Mr. Jindal, an unabashed policy wonk who has produced a stream of multipoint plans, is likely to be regarded as a racial breakthrough of sorts in this once-segregated state. Still, it is one with qualifiers attached.


Someone please tell Mr. Nossiter and his bosses over at the NY Times that Jindal's election IS a racial breakthrough! Not a racial breakthrough "of sorts." No "qualifiers" are necessary. Just because Louisiana's governor-elect Jindal is an Indian-American who is not a Democrat, it doesn't take anything away from the fact that it is a notable election in racial terms. Downplaying its significance because Jindal is a Republican is downright despicable. I am always amused about how selective liberals are regarding the importance of race.

For one thing, he is by now a familiar figure in Louisiana, having made a strong run for the governorship in 2003, though losing to Ms. Blanco. Before that he had held a series of high-profile administrative jobs, including state health secretary at the age of 24, when he earned a reputation for efficiency — critics said cold-bloodedness — for slashing a bloated budget, cutting jobs and lowering reimbursements to doctors.


So now we know one of the reasons why Mr. Nossiter downplays governor-elect Jindal's accomplishment so quickly. Jindal, America's youngest governor and the first non-White to hold Louisiana's governorship since Reconstruction, is a competent fiscal conservative. And a minority! And a Republican! Horror of liberal horrors!

For another, he did not have the support of a majority of the state’s blacks, about a third of the population, who vote Democratic.



Of all Mr. Nossiter's sour grapes arguments, this is the most disturbing to me as a Black voter. If Jindal earned 53% of the vote running against eleven opponents, did he ever really need the African-American vote? Relying on the Black vote was a failed strategy for Democrats here. Perhaps African-American voters "perceived" the Democratic candidate as the heir of his party's incompetence and corruption and decided to vote for Jindal instead.

Maybe Lousiana Black voters have finally figured out that even though they have voted Democratic for perhaps generations, their communities still have nothing to show for it. Maybe African-Americans are tired of being condenscended to by millionaire White liberal politicians who would have no dealings with them if it were not for a perception that said politicians need the Black vote in order to amass power for themselves.


Mr. Nossiter's points out a few other of Lousiana's governor-elect's sins according to liberal dogma. Jindal is a pro-life born-again Catholic who is not ashamed of his religious faith, believes that "intelligent design" should be taught in public schools as an alternative to evolution, and wants to repeal hate-crime laws.

How could Louisiana voters elect such a "regressive" (i.e., not a condescending, self-important flaming White liberal) to lead the state as its Chief Executive? If liberals over at the NY Times and elsewhere can't figure it out, Republican chances to keep the White House and retake Congress in 2008 look extremely good.



Friday, October 19, 2007

Hillary, the Money Bunny



An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton

The candidate's unparalleled fundraising success relies largely on the least-affluent residents of New York's Chinatown -- some of whom can't be tracked down.

By Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 19, 2007
NEW YORK -- Something remarkable happened at 44 Henry St., a grimy Chinatown tenement with peeling walls. It also happened nearby at a dimly lighted apartment building with trash bins clustered by the front door.

And again not too far away, at 88 E. Broadway beneath the Manhattan bridge, where vendors chatter in Mandarin and Fujianese as they hawk rubber sandals and bargain-basement clothes.

All three locations, along with scores of others scattered throughout some of the poorest Chinese neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, have been swept by an extraordinary impulse to shower money on one particular presidential candidate -- Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Dishwashers, waiters and others whose jobs and dilapidated home addresses seem to make them unpromising targets for political fundraisers are pouring $1,000 and $2,000 contributions into Clinton's campaign treasury. In April, a single fundraiser in an area long known for its gritty urban poverty yielded a whopping $380,000. When Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) ran for president in 2004, he received $24,000 from Chinatown.

At this point in the presidential campaign cycle, Clinton has raised more money than any candidate in history. Those dishwashers, waiters and street stall hawkers are part of the reason. And Clinton's success in gathering money from Chinatown's least-affluent residents stems from a two-pronged strategy: mutually beneficial alliances with powerful groups, and appeals to the hopes and dreams of people now consigned to the margins.

The LA Times story goes on to say that "neighborhood association leaders" "told" Clinton's Chinatown donors to give money to Hillary's campaign. Donors also say they felt "pressured" to give. Strong arm tactics aside, bribery is also part and parcel of Hillary's Chinese money strategy. Hillary has signaled she is for granting citizenship to illegal immigrants and "family reunification." Interestingly, the article states,

One-third of those donors could not be found using property, telephone or business records. Most have not registered to vote, according to public records.

And several dozen were described in financial reports as holding jobs -- including dishwasher, server or chef -- that would normally make it difficult to donate amounts ranging from $500 to the legal maximum of $2,300 per election.


And then concludes,

Like many who traveled this path, most of the Chinese reported as contributing to Clinton's campaign have never voted. Many speak little or no English. Some seem to lead such ephemeral lives that neighbors say they've never heard of them.


So, illegal Chinese immigrants who cannot be found and hold such menial and low paying jobs they could not possibly donate campaign money in the amounts reported, are a sign of political strength. The American "mainstream" media has gone to Hell.

Does anyone remember former Clinton scandals involving illegal Chinese contributions? Lippo Groug, Charlie Trie, John Huang Johnny Chung and, more recently, Norman Hsu ring a bell? Let's take a quick walk down memory lane, shall we?




According to Wikipedia, long time Clinton friend and fund-raiser Charlie Trie,
was convicted and sentenced to three years probation and four months home detention for violating federal campaign finance laws by making political contributions in someone else's name and by causing a false statement to be made to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).


John Huang, another Clinton bag man, deserves to be remembered. Curiously, after two years of investigations into whether Huang's illegal money contributions during the 1996 presidential election campaign reached into the leadership of the Democratic Party or the Oval Office itself, then Attorney General Janet Reno offered to give Huang immunity if he flipped on Maria Hsia, of Buddhist temple fund raising infamy,
a relatively minor player in the illegal contribution scam.

When asked if he was acting as an agent of the Chinese army, Huang cited his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. 2,000 times! Huang, a former Lippo Group executive and Clinton appointee to the U.S. Commerce Department, pleaded guilty to a felony violation of campaign finance laws. In 1999, he was sentenced to one year of probation, 500 hours of community service, a $10,000 fine and instructed to continue cooperating with federal investigators as a condition of hi
s probation.


Please check for updates. There's a lot more dirt and corruption to remember. Johnny Chung, The Lippo Group, Chinese military campaign contributions to the Clinton-Gore 1996 reelection campaign and their influence during Clinton's second term and Hillary's ties to Norman Hsu.































Thursday, October 18, 2007

Unhinged!


"You don't have money to fund the war or children. But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president's amusement."
- Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif, losing it after the S-CHIP veto override vote went down in defeat.



I'm glad Congressional Republicans responded to this outrage immediately.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 18, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. Ð House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement regarding remarks made on the House floor by Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) during the debate on the State ChildrenÕs Health Insurance Program (SCHIP):

"Our troops in Iraq are fighting against al-Qaeda and other radical jihadists hellbent on killing the people we are sent here to represent. Congressman StarkÕs statement dishonors not only the Commander-in-Chief, but the thousands of courageous men and women of AmericaÕs armed forces who believe in their mission and are putting their lives on the line for our freedom and security. Congressman Stark should retract his statement and apologize to the House, our Commander-in-Chief, and the families of our soldiers and commanders fighting terror overseas."



The sad thing is that Rep. Stark's view reflects what has increasingly becoming the "mainstream" view of the liberal Democratic Party.

Friday, October 12, 2007

And the Consolation Prize Goes To ...


Poor Al Gore. He lost the 2000 presidential election. Let's give him an Emmy. (Didn't America "Ugly Betty" Ferrera win one of those this year?)


Poor Al Gore. He lost the 2000 presidential election. Let's give him an Oscar. (Didn't actor Denzel Washington also win an Oscar?)


Poor Al Gore. He lost the 2000 presidential election. Let's give him a Nobel Peace Prize. (Didn't terrorist trendsetter Yassir Arafat also win a Nobel Peace Prize?)


Even runner-ups get goodies.


Why is anyone giddy over the fact that the hate-America-first, anti-capitalist, Bush derangement syndrome types both here and abroad are lavishing the pompous Al Loser Gore with such meaningless accolades?
Will the former VP run again? Liberals dissatisfied with Hillary's "centrism," meaning she is not far enough left of Josef Stalin for their taste, would love for Gore to jump into the presidential race. I would be very surprised if he did, though.
Gore is about show, not accomplishment. He is having too much of a good time being loved to bother with the rough and tumble of politics. The truth of the matter is that Gore thought he was owed the U.S. presidency back in 2000. His daddy, a Senate Democrat who voted against the Civil Rights Act, had raised him to be president. Gore tried to steal the 2000 presidential election in Florida by demanding a vote recount of only the most heavily Democratic-leaning counties there and failed. Miserably.


Thursday, October 11, 2007

Death, Taxes and Tim Walz

Angelique Sklavounos

Randy Demmer's press release below says it all.

Tim Walz Votes to Keep Death Tax Alive
Democrats continue to tax Americans from cradle to grave

Rochester — “I’m amazed that Tim Walz (MN-01) would vote for the “Death Tax”,” said Randy Demmer, Congressional Candidate for Minnesota 01. “His support of this onerous tax is in direct contrast to the interests of the families, business owners, and farmers he represents. By supporting Nancy Pelosi and voting the Democratic Party line, Walz in effect voted for a $1.35 trillion tax hike.

“Tim Walz’s vote is a serious blow to family owned businesses and farms and their ability to pass their livelihood on to future generations. In casting his vote, Walz showed he is more interested in growing government with increased taxes than he is in helping hard working families. Tim Walz is apparently so committed to raising taxes that he is literally following the American people to their graves,” said Demmer. “Walz is not the supporting the best interest of his constituents by voting to take money from their estates built up by a life time of hard work.”

The motion that Walz voted to kill was offered as part of the Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007 (House Roll Call 959). “Walz’s choice was simple. Instead of standing up and fighting for America ’s family businesses, he chose to continue his allegiance to the Democrat leadership by voting against a permanent repeal of the Death Tax.

“Tim Walz is showing that he is out of touch with his constituents by voting to raid the estates of hard-working taxpayers. Walz’s unwillingness to stand up for family-owned businesses and farms is an example of why we must defeat him in November 2008,” stated Demmer. “How much longer can we afford to let Walz and the Democrats raise our taxes and threaten the future of America ’s small businesses and farms?”


Contrary to his Hy-Vee persona, Congressman Tim Walz is a bona fide Pelosi Democrat. After voting to renew FISA drew the ire of the liberal base, Walz will behave like the good little liberal that his nutroot followers want him to be and vote the party line. Or else.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Ringing Endorsement

Castro's tip: Clinton-Obama the winning ticket
By Anthony Boadle
Tue Aug 28, 1:51 PM ET HAVANA

(Reuters) - Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro is tipping Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to team up and win the U.S. presidential election.












"The word today is that an apparently unbeatable ticket could be Hillary for president and Obama as her running mate."
-- Cuban President for-what's-left-of-his-life in the Communist Party newspaper on Tuesday
In his rambling editorial, Castro also writes that Jimmy Carter is his favorite American president praises former president Bill Clinton for "rescuing" Elian Gonzalez from his relatives' Florida home in 2000.
Enough said.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the most sanctimonious state senator of them all?"



Minnesota Health Commissioner Dianne Mandernach has tendered her resignation as a result of her unilateral decision to withhold data about mesothelioma, a lethal form of lung cancer, among Iron Range miners for a year.



Commissioner Mandernach's action brought untold and needless pain to the victims of the disease as well as disrepute to the Minnesota Department of Health and she did the right thing by resigning. DFLers are not interested in the right thing, however.



In characteristic self-righteousness, Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) has reportedly said that "commissioners don't make decisions like this on their own" and that he has "always felt that the governor knew what was going on." Rep. Rukovina has produced no proof that Governor Tim Pawlenty conspired with Commissioner Mandernach to withhold crucial health data on mesothelioma cases, however.



In her latest feeble attempt to raise a negative profile, Senator Ann Lynch has released a statement expressing "relief " that Commissioner Mandernach has resigned her position. Like Rep. Rukovina, Sen. Lynch is quick to smear the Pawlenty administration without concrete proof of a wide conspiracy to conceal health information on mesothelioma cases.



In what has quickly become a trademark sanctimonious tone, Lynch expresses the contrived hope that "others" in the Pawlenty administration "will take a long look in the mirror to evaluate their own competency and leadership.”



I sure hope there's enough room in front of that mirror for Sen. Lynch to evaluate her own competency and leadership. It shouldn't take very long.





Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Cat Fight


"One of the things, the important aspects of this race is role modeling what good families should look like. And my view is that if you can't run your own house, you certainly can't run the White House."
-- Michelle Obama at a recent Women for Obama event in Chicago.
I hear that the Obama campaign has categorically denied that Mrs. Obama's comment was a reference to Hillary Clinton. Right. Everyone knows Michelle was talking about Denis Kucinich.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Vultures Circling the Ruins of the I-35W Bridge


First, it was the media. Then it was the DFL. I suppose it was a matter of time before trial lawyers started to exploit the I-35W bridge collapse for personal gain.

Law firm petitions for access to I-35W bridge collapse site
8/14/2007 8:43:27 PM
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS -- A law firm asked a federal court to grant its experts immediate access to the Interstate 35W bridge collapse site so they can begin their own investigation into what could lead to wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits.

The petition was filed in U.S. District Court here Monday by the law firm of Schwebel, Goetz & Sieben, which specializes in personal injury cases. In the petition, the firm said it's representing three people severely injured in the Aug. 1 collapse and the families of two people who died in the disaster. It did not identify the victims, and attorney James Schwebel declined to reveal them.

A hearing on the petition was scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in St. Paul. "We are in the very preliminary stage on this," Schwebel said. "We've been retained by several families. We've been contacted by many others. They're obviously wanting to make sure there is some accountability for whoever is culpable for this disaster, and we need to have experts to answer many of these questions for us."

Copies of the petition were served on the offices of the U.S. attorney for Minnesota, the Minneapolis city attorney and the state attorney general because federal, city and state and city agencies are involved in the collapse investigation. The U.S. attorney's office issued a statement calling the petition premature. "Efforts to recover the bodies of the victims are still under way and could be delayed or hampered by accommodating the law firm's request," the statement said. "Similar requests would be sure to follow. There will be ample time for a full investigation of the causes of the collapse after all the victims are accounted for."

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Tic-toc


Well, it didn't take long for Minnesota liberals to exploit the I-35W bridge collapse for cheap political gain. The rescue effort got barely underway when the "progressive" blogosphere and other "mainstream" media outlets began to infer that the tragedy would not have happened had Minnesota raised the gas tax or if Governor Tim Pawlenty had not vetoed the DFL’s pork-laden transportation bill.

Instead of expressing sorrow and sympathy for the victims of the bridge collapse, liberal politicians wasted no time criticizing and blaming Republicans in general and Governor Pawlenty in particular for the tragic event. Never mind that the investigation on the real cause of the bridge collapse hadn't even begun in earnest. But why waste time waiting for the facts when liberals can start exploiting the tragedy and sowing the seeds of distrust and blame in the minds of potential voters early in the process? After all, the presidential and congressional elections are almost a year away.
The liberal blame game has gone all the way up to the nation's capital. According to The Politico, Harry Reid said that the I-35W bridge collapse was a "wake-up call" and that President Bush was "too distracted by the Iraq war and post-Sept. 11 national security needs to focus on the country’s water, sewer and transportation infrastructure." Shame on the President for keeping us safe from the same terrorists who slaughtered 3,000 Americans on 9/11.

The market place of ideas and issues has not been kind to liberals in the past. When cooler heads prevail and facts are laid out, liberalism loses. Always.At a time when Minnesotans should focus on alleviating the sorrow of victims’ families, the recovery and rebuilding efforts, as well as the real cause of the bridge collapse, liberals have chosen to posture and pontificate. Building support for a partisan agenda on the ruins of the I-35W bridge seems wrong to me.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Those Who Can't


It's hard to believe but true. The Rochester School District has hired Rep. Andy Welti (DFL-30B) as a temporary, part-time American Government and Economics teacher. That's on paper. In reality, Welti will be teaching Disingenuous Liberalism 101. You know, the kind that throws the words "bipartisan" and "moderate" around like they really believe or act on them.
A teacher in the Dover-Eyota School District, where Welti used to sub, told me that students complained that all Welti did during classes was talk about himself and about running for office. Fortunately, his assignment with the Rochester School District only lasts until the end of the fall semester. Still, he could do a lot of damage and spread a lot of misinformation during that time.
I wonder if Welti is going to talk about his legislative crown jewel, HF522, which criminalizes the possession of glass containers on the waters of the state.
Welti is an unfortunate validation of the saying, "Those who can't, teach."

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Done In For

"I would."
- Senator Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL) during the Youtube debate when asked if he would meet, without precondition, with Cuban, North Korean, Syrian, Venezuelan and Iranian leaders during his first year in office.


This was a major gaffe on the part of Senator Obama and I doubt he will recover from it. Hillary pounced on his answer as if on cue. "I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes," Hillary said.

Back in February, while campaigning in New Hampshire, Bill Clinton's wife was whistling a different tune, however. "You don't refuse to talk to bad people. I think life is filled with uncomfortable situations where you have to deal with people you might not like. I'm sort of an expert on that. I have consistently urged the president to talk to Iran and talk to Syria. I think it's a sign of strength, not weakness." Obama couldn't agree more. Then and now.

Hillary is a sociopath. She has no credibility whatsoever on the issue of dealing with rogue nations. Heck, she has no credibility on foreign policy. Period!

By the way, didn't Hillary vote FOR the Iraq war?

Friday, July 13, 2007

Say It Ain't So, Dennis!


Kucinich: Edwards 'Trying to Rig an Election'

An angry Dennis Kucinich lashed out at John Edwards on Friday, saying his Democratic rival showed "a consistent lack of integrity" by suggesting fewer candidates should participate in presidential forums and then trying to explain his remark to reporters.

"This is a serious matter and I'm calling him on it," Kucinich, an Ohio congressman, said in a telephone interview Friday. "Whispering, trying to rig an election, then denying what's going on and making excuses. It all reflects a consistent lack of integrity."

Kucinich's comments came after Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton were overheard Thursday discussing the possibility of limiting the number of participants in future presidential forums.

In an exchange captured on camera and open microphone by broadcasters after an NAACP forum in Detroit, Edwards approached Clinton onstage and whispered in her ear.

"We should try to have a more serious and a smaller group," Edwards said, and Clinton agreed.

"Our guys should talk," Clinton said, complaining the format had "trivialized" the discussion.

When asked about the incident, Clinton and Edwards gave conflicting accounts. Hillary "Our Guys Should Talk" Clinton, believe it or not, shirked responsibility. "I think [Edwards] has some ideas about what he'd like to do," she said as if she disagreed with Edwards. If that is the case, what should "their guys" talk about?

Edwards is not as good a liar as Hillary. Heck, no one is as good a liar as Hillary. Between $1,000 haircuts, Edwards said that he favors dividing the Democrats into two groups of four to facilitate more "serious discussion" so people would better see the contrast among the Democrat candidates. Right. I'm shocked, SHOCKED! that liberals Democrats would even think about rigging an election.
I never thought I would ever agree with Dennis Kucinich about anything, but he has a point when he says that Hillary and Edwards show a "consistent lack of integrity" in this matter. As a matter of fact, their lack of integrity is so consistent that it affects every other matter, personal as well as political.
These people are not for a free, uninhibited exchange of ideas. They do not want to compete fairly for fear of losing. Back room deals and rigged games is how they function most effectively. The democratic process is a bother to the liberal elites, unless it serves their nefarious purposes.