TooConservative, both the man and the blog.
In case you are confused, his blog is one year old, and Vincent is 18. :-)
Happy Birthday To You,
Happy Birthday To You,
Your Blog may be truculent,
But it's Popular, Too.
Go stop by and ring up his numbers some more. Hey, click a few advertisements while you're there -- consider it a birthday present.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Rebuild the Twin Towers
I remember watching on my computer at work when the Twin Towers were burning on 9/11. I remember wondering how they would ever be able to repair the damage without taking down the towers first.
Then of course, and all too quickly, the worst happened, and the towers came down, felled by the brutal heat of burning jet fuel.
I didn't figure we'd rebuild the towers. Too big a target? No, we just didn't need all that office space in one place. If it was cost-effective to build buildings that big, I figured people would be lining up to do it -- so if they weren't, I was fine with putting up a memorial or a park or whatever else New Yorkers could dream up, and be done with it.
But I've changed my mind, because of Katrina. See, Katrina (well actually poorly-built levees) drowned New Orleans. And a good number of people questioned the economic wisdom of rebuilding a city under water. And at first I agreed with them as well.
But, thinking about New Orleans, I decided that if we were going to abandon a city, it had to be because we DECIDED to do it, not becuase of some storm.
And if that was true of New Orleans, which was felled by an act of nature and incompetence, how much more should that be true of the Twin Towers, felled by a brutal act of terrorism?
So, I say Rebuild the Towers. I don't care if they make economic sense. I don't care if a sensible person would tear down the towers if they were there today (they wouldn't, but I don't care anyway).
We can't let the terrorists get away with changing our landscape. It may be vain, it may seem silly, it may defy logic, but sometimes I just feel (not think, feel -- I know, I know, don't live by feeling -- I don't care), I just feel that just as New Orleans needed Mardi Gras to show it was coming back, or nation just won't be really healed from the scars of 9/11 until something really big is standing where the two towers once stood.
If you agree with me, please go to The Twin Towers Alliance, and sign their petition. Then read the comments made by some of the other signatories. Then tell a friend.
Update: The New York Sun ran this piece by Alicia Cohen which also mentions the alliance. Unfortunately, you have to subscribe to read it. Starting line:
Then of course, and all too quickly, the worst happened, and the towers came down, felled by the brutal heat of burning jet fuel.
I didn't figure we'd rebuild the towers. Too big a target? No, we just didn't need all that office space in one place. If it was cost-effective to build buildings that big, I figured people would be lining up to do it -- so if they weren't, I was fine with putting up a memorial or a park or whatever else New Yorkers could dream up, and be done with it.
But I've changed my mind, because of Katrina. See, Katrina (well actually poorly-built levees) drowned New Orleans. And a good number of people questioned the economic wisdom of rebuilding a city under water. And at first I agreed with them as well.
But, thinking about New Orleans, I decided that if we were going to abandon a city, it had to be because we DECIDED to do it, not becuase of some storm.
And if that was true of New Orleans, which was felled by an act of nature and incompetence, how much more should that be true of the Twin Towers, felled by a brutal act of terrorism?
So, I say Rebuild the Towers. I don't care if they make economic sense. I don't care if a sensible person would tear down the towers if they were there today (they wouldn't, but I don't care anyway).
We can't let the terrorists get away with changing our landscape. It may be vain, it may seem silly, it may defy logic, but sometimes I just feel (not think, feel -- I know, I know, don't live by feeling -- I don't care), I just feel that just as New Orleans needed Mardi Gras to show it was coming back, or nation just won't be really healed from the scars of 9/11 until something really big is standing where the two towers once stood.
If you agree with me, please go to The Twin Towers Alliance, and sign their petition. Then read the comments made by some of the other signatories. Then tell a friend.
Update: The New York Sun ran this piece by Alicia Cohen which also mentions the alliance. Unfortunately, you have to subscribe to read it. Starting line:
While I'm not sure which maximum-security federal prison will be stuck with Zacarias Moussaoui for the rest of his life, it looks like we in New York are getting stuck with the awful Freedom Tower.
Did Rove Leak Critical Data to China?
That's what I had to ask myself, after reading THIS story.
Everybody knows that Karl Rove has the ability to control the weather, and uses that ability to attack his enemies, and benefit the illegal and illegitimate Republican fascist rule in our country.
It was Rove who not only set Katrina in Motion, but also steered it away from New Orleans to give the residents a false sense of relief, before blowing up the levees and putting the city underwater.
A month later, he steered Rita away from Texas and through Louisiana again, just to show them who was boss.
Anyway, from the above story, we find out that China is now controlling the weather. This can only mean that Rove has leaked the technical details of his secret Weather Control Machine to our enemies:
My favorite part of this story is this line:
Unusual? I should say so. This does however illustrate a serious point about government. Government, in any form, often does pointless things, completely guaranteed to not be any help whatsoever.
But, much like people getting better when given a placebo, once in a while good things happen independent of a government program -- and this can lead people to the false conclusion that government is good at something.
So, it is unlikely Rove gave away the secrets to his Weather Machine. The Chinese obviously have a pale imitation knockoff.
Update: I know Karl Rove uses a K, but every time I write his name I spell it Carl, and someone corrects me.
Everybody knows that Karl Rove has the ability to control the weather, and uses that ability to attack his enemies, and benefit the illegal and illegitimate Republican fascist rule in our country.
It was Rove who not only set Katrina in Motion, but also steered it away from New Orleans to give the residents a false sense of relief, before blowing up the levees and putting the city underwater.
A month later, he steered Rita away from Texas and through Louisiana again, just to show them who was boss.
Anyway, from the above story, we find out that China is now controlling the weather. This can only mean that Rove has leaked the technical details of his secret Weather Control Machine to our enemies:
China Makes Artificial Rain for Beijing
BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese weather specialists used chemicals to engineer Beijing's heaviest rainfall of the year, helping to relieve drought and rinse dust from China's capital, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.
Technicians with the Beijing Weather Modification Office fired seven rocket shells containing 163 cigarette-size sticks of silver iodide over the city's skies on Thursday, Xinhua said.
The reaction that occurred brought as much as four-tenths of an inch of rain, the heaviest rainfall this year, helping to "alleviate drought, add soil moisture and remove dust from the air for better air quality," Xinhua said.
My favorite part of this story is this line:
Though unusual in many parts of the world, China has been tinkering with artificial rainmaking for decades, using it frequently in the drought-plagued north. Last month, another artificial rainfall was generated to clear Beijing after the city suffered some of the fiercest dust storms this decade.
Unusual? I should say so. This does however illustrate a serious point about government. Government, in any form, often does pointless things, completely guaranteed to not be any help whatsoever.
But, much like people getting better when given a placebo, once in a while good things happen independent of a government program -- and this can lead people to the false conclusion that government is good at something.
So, it is unlikely Rove gave away the secrets to his Weather Machine. The Chinese obviously have a pale imitation knockoff.
Update: I know Karl Rove uses a K, but every time I write his name I spell it Carl, and someone corrects me.
Why Give Tax Breaks for Capital Gains and Dividend?
Using Waldo's aggregator, I wandered over to Vivian Page's website to read her post about the Republican Tax bill, in which among other things she said:
I wrote a lengthy comment, and decided to promote it up to my own blog as a separate entry because (at least at 12:45am) it seemed like a good idea:
The purpose of lower (or zero) tax rates for capital gains is well-known — to encourage investment in businesses, who can use that investment to grow, improving the economy and employing more americans.
If you buy that, including dividends is a rational and actually necessary move. By taxing dividend higher than capital gains, the tax code artificially inflated the value of stock price inflation over return of income via dividends. So rather than pay dividends, business would buy back stock or build up cash, both in an effort to raise the value of their stock. Since paying dividends is a better indication of REAL income (it’s hard to fake income when you have to send real checks), we needed to change the tax code to eliminate this artificial bias toward stock price inflation.
If you wanted to push a lower tax rate on interest, I’d be with you. The argument isn’t as clean, but you could still say we want to encourage savings, and lower taxes on interest would do so. As it is, SOME interest gets special treatment, others don’t — that is why we won’t see this, because it subsidises state and county borrowing (because they are allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds at a lower interest rate).
The tax code as it is makes people do odd things. For example, if you have both normal investment, AND an IRA, you should put all of your INTEREST investments in the IRA, and use your normal investment for risky stock purchases. The reason? Capital gains are taxed at a much lower rate than interest — but ALL earnings in IRAs are taxed as normal income at retirement. So your IRA should have all the non-favored investments.
From a theoretical perspective, a fair tax code would tax investments only on the inflation-adjusted increase. If I buy a stock, and 5 years later it has only increased at the rate of inflation, I haven’t really made ANY money - the sale gives me money that buys the same items I could have bought 5 years earlier. But I can’t imagine how complicate THAT sort of calculation could be.
The lower tax rates for capital gains is a quick-and-dirty way of mimicking the theoretical desire for taxing only REAL gains, while encouraging people to invest for the long term.
What I don’t like is that while gains are fully taxed in the year they occur, losses can only be taken against gains, with only $3,000 loss allowed each year. People like myself, without a lot of money, and with large losses in the stock market, literally can take DECADES to write off all of our losses. If you earn $10,000 in one year, and lose 10,000 the next, it will be 4 years before you get your losses reflected in your taxes — but if you lose 10,000, and gain it the next year, all of the losses are taken care of in that year.
I like the teacher tax deduction — although it signals a problem with local schools providing the tools teachers need.
I have never understood the preferential treatment of capital gains and dividends, especially dividends. Back when the top tax bracket was 70% (and, yes, I'm old enough to remember) the capital gains rate was 20%. The wealthy have gotten significant cuts in the tax brackets - the top bracket is now 35%. I see no reason for capital gains to be a maximum of 15%. And if dividends are taxed at 15%, why not interest as well? Both are investment income. Doesn't it penalize conservative savers over risk-takers? Is that what we want to accomplish?
I wrote a lengthy comment, and decided to promote it up to my own blog as a separate entry because (at least at 12:45am) it seemed like a good idea:
The purpose of lower (or zero) tax rates for capital gains is well-known — to encourage investment in businesses, who can use that investment to grow, improving the economy and employing more americans.
If you buy that, including dividends is a rational and actually necessary move. By taxing dividend higher than capital gains, the tax code artificially inflated the value of stock price inflation over return of income via dividends. So rather than pay dividends, business would buy back stock or build up cash, both in an effort to raise the value of their stock. Since paying dividends is a better indication of REAL income (it’s hard to fake income when you have to send real checks), we needed to change the tax code to eliminate this artificial bias toward stock price inflation.
If you wanted to push a lower tax rate on interest, I’d be with you. The argument isn’t as clean, but you could still say we want to encourage savings, and lower taxes on interest would do so. As it is, SOME interest gets special treatment, others don’t — that is why we won’t see this, because it subsidises state and county borrowing (because they are allowed to issue tax-exempt bonds at a lower interest rate).
The tax code as it is makes people do odd things. For example, if you have both normal investment, AND an IRA, you should put all of your INTEREST investments in the IRA, and use your normal investment for risky stock purchases. The reason? Capital gains are taxed at a much lower rate than interest — but ALL earnings in IRAs are taxed as normal income at retirement. So your IRA should have all the non-favored investments.
From a theoretical perspective, a fair tax code would tax investments only on the inflation-adjusted increase. If I buy a stock, and 5 years later it has only increased at the rate of inflation, I haven’t really made ANY money - the sale gives me money that buys the same items I could have bought 5 years earlier. But I can’t imagine how complicate THAT sort of calculation could be.
The lower tax rates for capital gains is a quick-and-dirty way of mimicking the theoretical desire for taxing only REAL gains, while encouraging people to invest for the long term.
What I don’t like is that while gains are fully taxed in the year they occur, losses can only be taken against gains, with only $3,000 loss allowed each year. People like myself, without a lot of money, and with large losses in the stock market, literally can take DECADES to write off all of our losses. If you earn $10,000 in one year, and lose 10,000 the next, it will be 4 years before you get your losses reflected in your taxes — but if you lose 10,000, and gain it the next year, all of the losses are taken care of in that year.
I like the teacher tax deduction — although it signals a problem with local schools providing the tools teachers need.
Friday, May 05, 2006
REDUCING GRIDLOCK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
From the PWC Committee of 100:
REDUCING GRIDLOCK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
THURSDAY, MAY 11
MANASSAS HOLIDAY INN
Dinner at 7 p.m.; Panel discussion begins at 8 p.m.
The Washington metropolitan area has the second longest commute in America. What can be done to reverse the downward spiral in the time Northern Virginians have available for family life and productive work?
Hear this issue discussed by Virginia’s top transportation official; the leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, who insists that transportation needs can be met without tax increases;
a prominent advocate of "smarter growth"; and a widely published advocate of free market solutions. Bring your questions and see if there is an answer to life in the slow lane.
Panelists
PIERCE HOMER
VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
Former Deputy County Executive—Prince William County
BILL HOWELL
SPEAKER, VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
PAT McSWEENEY
COLUMNIST—Newport News Daily Press
STEWART SCHWARTZ
SMARTER GROWTH COALITION
Sponsored by the Prince William Committee of 100
www.pwc100.org
For dinner reservations ($20), contact Nancy at (703) 670-5915 or pratt1@comcast.net by
11 a.m. on Monday, May 8. No reservation is required to attend only the panel discussion.
REDUCING GRIDLOCK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
THURSDAY, MAY 11
MANASSAS HOLIDAY INN
Dinner at 7 p.m.; Panel discussion begins at 8 p.m.
The Washington metropolitan area has the second longest commute in America. What can be done to reverse the downward spiral in the time Northern Virginians have available for family life and productive work?
Hear this issue discussed by Virginia’s top transportation official; the leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, who insists that transportation needs can be met without tax increases;
a prominent advocate of "smarter growth"; and a widely published advocate of free market solutions. Bring your questions and see if there is an answer to life in the slow lane.
Panelists
PIERCE HOMER
VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
Former Deputy County Executive—Prince William County
BILL HOWELL
SPEAKER, VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
PAT McSWEENEY
COLUMNIST—Newport News Daily Press
STEWART SCHWARTZ
SMARTER GROWTH COALITION
Sponsored by the Prince William Committee of 100
www.pwc100.org
For dinner reservations ($20), contact Nancy at (703) 670-5915 or pratt1@comcast.net by
11 a.m. on Monday, May 8. No reservation is required to attend only the panel discussion.
Did Chavez give illegal campaign contributions to democrats?
OK, That's a catchy title. Let's connect the dots. First, from the AP via SeattlePI:
The story goes on to cite many instances where Chavez used oil, and the money raised by the nationalization of oil companies in his country, to favor leftist politicians and help their campaigns in Nicaragua, Peru, and Mexico.
Of course, this could never happen in the United States, because our election laws prohibits campaign help from foreign governments. Or could it? From the Portland Press Herald:
But this is nothing like those other deals:
And where was this cheap oil sold? Throughout America? Think again:
There are of course a lot more than 181,000 homes in that area. It seems the oil was delivered to areas that were heavily democratic, although there isn't a lot of information given. Obviously Philadelphia is about the most heavily democratic part of Pennsylvania. And what happened to New Hampshire?
This service was supplied through Citgo, a company owned by Venezuela. Notably, while Citgo is one of the big-5 oil companies, and it's gas is as expensive as every other company's gas, you won't hear the name "Citgo" from democrats attacking the oil companies for their "price gouging".
Instead, Citgo gets singled out for praise:
If Chavez was simply being charitable, he'd sell his oil for less to drive the price down -- he has direct control over a considerable supply of oil. But while the democrats demonize American oil companies, many of whom are net importers of foreign oil purchased on the open market, they meet with, cut deals with, and praise a man as responsible as anyone for the high prices we are now paying at the pump.
Because it isn't about the high price of gas -- it's about taking back power by any means necessary. If that means coddling brutal foreign dictators driving up the price of gas, well, for the democrats that a true win-win situation. Democrats don't want gas prices low, they want the issue.
If the Democrats really wanted lower gas prices, they would stop blocking oil exploration, allow the integration of state and federal regulations to speed up approval of new refineries (a measure they blocked last week), and instead of praising Chavez, they would use their bond of common philosophy to persuade him to pump more oil and stop making threats which spook the oil markets and force up the price we all pay.
Since however they want to win in November first and foremost, they will do NONE of these things. Anybody have a good quote of a democrat calling Chavez evil for his support of high oil prices, please post it here.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Norman Caldera has asked Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to butt out of his country's political affairs after Chavez signed a favorable oil pact with dozens of leftist Nicaraguan mayors.
Peru and a Mexican presidential candidate also have recently accused Chavez of interfering in internal affairs.
Chavez agreed last month to ship 10 million barrels of fuel a year at preferential prices to 51 Nicaraguan communities, many of them allied with the party of Sandinista presidential candidate Daniel Ortega. He also made a donation of 10,000 tons of urea to Sandinista farming organizations, Caldera said.
...
On Saturday, Peru withdrew its ambassador from Venezuela to protest what it called Chavez's "persistent and flagrant" interference in politics.
The story goes on to cite many instances where Chavez used oil, and the money raised by the nationalization of oil companies in his country, to favor leftist politicians and help their campaigns in Nicaragua, Peru, and Mexico.
Of course, this could never happen in the United States, because our election laws prohibits campaign help from foreign governments. Or could it? From the Portland Press Herald:
WASHINGTON — Venezuela will expand its discounted oil program for poor New Englanders next winter under a politically sensitive new deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., and former Massachusetts congressman Joseph Kennedy.
...
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., also participated in the session with Chavez, said Delahunt.
But this is nothing like those other deals:
A hidden agenda? You people know we don't have one," Chavez said Monday in Venezuela.
And where was this cheap oil sold? Throughout America? Think again:
Houston-based Citgo Petroleum Corp., a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, had discount heating oil programs last winter in Massachusetts, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware and the Philadelphia area.
Citgo provided nearly 151 million litres of discounted oil for some 181,000 households and hundreds of homeless shelters, according to the company.
There are of course a lot more than 181,000 homes in that area. It seems the oil was delivered to areas that were heavily democratic, although there isn't a lot of information given. Obviously Philadelphia is about the most heavily democratic part of Pennsylvania. And what happened to New Hampshire?
This service was supplied through Citgo, a company owned by Venezuela. Notably, while Citgo is one of the big-5 oil companies, and it's gas is as expensive as every other company's gas, you won't hear the name "Citgo" from democrats attacking the oil companies for their "price gouging".
Instead, Citgo gets singled out for praise:
“This is a moment for other oil companies to emulate what Citgo is doing,” Mr. Delahunt said. “You can just imagine what their profits will look like at the end of this quarter. Now is the time for Big Oil to stand up and do it.”
If Chavez was simply being charitable, he'd sell his oil for less to drive the price down -- he has direct control over a considerable supply of oil. But while the democrats demonize American oil companies, many of whom are net importers of foreign oil purchased on the open market, they meet with, cut deals with, and praise a man as responsible as anyone for the high prices we are now paying at the pump.
Because it isn't about the high price of gas -- it's about taking back power by any means necessary. If that means coddling brutal foreign dictators driving up the price of gas, well, for the democrats that a true win-win situation. Democrats don't want gas prices low, they want the issue.
If the Democrats really wanted lower gas prices, they would stop blocking oil exploration, allow the integration of state and federal regulations to speed up approval of new refineries (a measure they blocked last week), and instead of praising Chavez, they would use their bond of common philosophy to persuade him to pump more oil and stop making threats which spook the oil markets and force up the price we all pay.
Since however they want to win in November first and foremost, they will do NONE of these things. Anybody have a good quote of a democrat calling Chavez evil for his support of high oil prices, please post it here.
Chapman Officially enters race
It is now OFFICIAL -- Steve Chapman has filed papers for the 50th district race. There are now two OFFICIAL candidates, Chapman and Miller.
The Potomac News announces Steve's candidacy, and speaks briefly about the scurrilous charges brought against him last year that have since been DISMISSED:
Steve's Candidacy has been predicted many times by other bloggers, such as TooConservative. Everybody has a right to guess at the future. But as I wrote once in a newspaper column, what is important is what actually HAPPENS, not what people think might happen in the future.
Because, as Doc Brown so eloquently explained in the 3rd Back to the Future movie, the future hasn't been written yet. In fact, by predicting the future, you can sometimes change it.
So I'll leave it to others to "scoop", "predict", "guess", or "forshadow" what is coming up -- I'll stick to what is factual, true, and part of our reality.
In this case, it's Steve Chapman running for Delegate.
The Potomac News announces Steve's candidacy, and speaks briefly about the scurrilous charges brought against him last year that have since been DISMISSED:
Another local Republican plans to compete for the vacant 50th District seat.
Steve Chapman will vie for the GOP nomination to run for the office, previously held by the late Del. Harry J. Parrish for 13 terms.
...
Chapman was indicted for allegedly lying about his address on a voting registration form, but the charges were later dropped.
Steve's Candidacy has been predicted many times by other bloggers, such as TooConservative. Everybody has a right to guess at the future. But as I wrote once in a newspaper column, what is important is what actually HAPPENS, not what people think might happen in the future.
Because, as Doc Brown so eloquently explained in the 3rd Back to the Future movie, the future hasn't been written yet. In fact, by predicting the future, you can sometimes change it.
So I'll leave it to others to "scoop", "predict", "guess", or "forshadow" what is coming up -- I'll stick to what is factual, true, and part of our reality.
In this case, it's Steve Chapman running for Delegate.
Can I trust a Kennedy?
OK. I was ready to defend Patrick Kennedy. As you may know, he ran his car into a security barrier at about 2:45am Thursday morning, but was not at that time arrested or checked for alcohol -- instead he was driven home.
He later issued a statement that he was on two prescription medications which made him drowsy and disoriented. He says he was not drinking. Instead, after taking the medication, he mistakenly thought he was late for a vote, and was driving to the capitol when he ran his car aground.
Obviously this is a republican's dream -- we can make fun of another Kennedy for being a drunk. But when I read about the medication, I was ready to believe his story. After all, there is no testimony that Pat himself ASKED to be let off without a breath test, or that he pulled strings himself. And I could imagine how a mix of prescription drugs could cause one to become disoriented.
Of course, I still wanted him charged for driving under the influence -- after all, we had a guy in Prince William who was sentenced to 5 years in prison for falling asleep at the wheel and causing another driver to swerve of the road. So while I wanted to give him a pass on the deliberate drunk driving bit, we can't let people go scot free just because they weren't fully in charge of themselves.
But now, I'm wondering if I was stupid to believe Pat. I thought it was safe -- I mean, how could he make up a story about the House physician giving him a prescription? That's so easy to check out -- there would be records, the physician could be allowed to testify, there's pharmacy records, and Pat would have the pills.
But today the Boston Herald reports that a woman at a bar saw him drinking hours before the accident:
Now, it could be he just stopped for a drink on the way home, and didn't consume nearly enough to be drunk. A little alchohol, along with his prescriptions, would be a very bad mix.
But now that he seems to have lied about drinking at all, it will be that much harder for him to argue that he DID drink, but just a little bit.
So it could be he didn't do anything wrong, or maybe he got stone drunk and nearly hit an officer's car before crashing into a barrier. We'll probably never know the truth -- but it could well be we'll know Pat wasn't truthful with his FIRST explanation.
Or it could be that this hostess is mistaken. Funny thing is, the police who maybe thought they were doing him a favor may have done him a grave disservice. If they had given him a breathalizer test, we would know for certain whether he was drunk or not. And if it came back clcean, as his testimony would suggest, there wouldn't be this cloud of suspicion around him.
But being a Kennedy, and an elected official, I have to believe he could have easily figured out the political angle that I just mentioned -- in which case he should have INSISTED on a breathalizer -- it's what I would have done. The fact that he DIDN'T ask for one is just another factor which will make people believe he was drunk.
UPDATE: So now Kennedy says he's addicted to --- Painkillers. Odd how the previous statement didn't mention painkillers. Also, he now says he can't remember anything about the accident -- whereas in his previous WRITTEN statement he described details regarding the accident.
Either Kennedy is lying, or he is lying. Neither helps me out in my efforts to defend him.
And oddly, NONE of his statements helps me reconcile the statement by police that they smelled alcohol on his breath.
If he's addicted to painkillers, he should get treatment, and we shouldn't give him a hard time about that -- anybody can get addicted to painkillers. I'm on Vicodin right now, and I'm using it sparingly because I don't want to depend on it.
And if Ambien can make people drive while sleeping, we need better warning labels, or maybe people should hide their keys before going to bed.
But if he was drinking, he should just admit it. He can't be prosecuted for being drunk because nobody took a breathalizer. But when he says he had nothing to drink, if the two witnesses and the police turn out to be credible, his passionate plea for understanding will be seen as simply an attempt to change the subject.
He later issued a statement that he was on two prescription medications which made him drowsy and disoriented. He says he was not drinking. Instead, after taking the medication, he mistakenly thought he was late for a vote, and was driving to the capitol when he ran his car aground.
Obviously this is a republican's dream -- we can make fun of another Kennedy for being a drunk. But when I read about the medication, I was ready to believe his story. After all, there is no testimony that Pat himself ASKED to be let off without a breath test, or that he pulled strings himself. And I could imagine how a mix of prescription drugs could cause one to become disoriented.
Of course, I still wanted him charged for driving under the influence -- after all, we had a guy in Prince William who was sentenced to 5 years in prison for falling asleep at the wheel and causing another driver to swerve of the road. So while I wanted to give him a pass on the deliberate drunk driving bit, we can't let people go scot free just because they weren't fully in charge of themselves.
But now, I'm wondering if I was stupid to believe Pat. I thought it was safe -- I mean, how could he make up a story about the House physician giving him a prescription? That's so easy to check out -- there would be records, the physician could be allowed to testify, there's pharmacy records, and Pat would have the pills.
But today the Boston Herald reports that a woman at a bar saw him drinking hours before the accident:
WASHINGTON -U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy insisted yesterday that he had consumed “no alcohol” before he slammed his Mustang convertible into a concrete barrier near his office, but a hostess at a popular Capitol Hill watering hole told the Herald she saw him drinking in the hours before the crash.
“He was drinking a little bit,” said the woman, who works at the Hawk & Dove and would not give her name.
Now, it could be he just stopped for a drink on the way home, and didn't consume nearly enough to be drunk. A little alchohol, along with his prescriptions, would be a very bad mix.
But now that he seems to have lied about drinking at all, it will be that much harder for him to argue that he DID drink, but just a little bit.
So it could be he didn't do anything wrong, or maybe he got stone drunk and nearly hit an officer's car before crashing into a barrier. We'll probably never know the truth -- but it could well be we'll know Pat wasn't truthful with his FIRST explanation.
Or it could be that this hostess is mistaken. Funny thing is, the police who maybe thought they were doing him a favor may have done him a grave disservice. If they had given him a breathalizer test, we would know for certain whether he was drunk or not. And if it came back clcean, as his testimony would suggest, there wouldn't be this cloud of suspicion around him.
But being a Kennedy, and an elected official, I have to believe he could have easily figured out the political angle that I just mentioned -- in which case he should have INSISTED on a breathalizer -- it's what I would have done. The fact that he DIDN'T ask for one is just another factor which will make people believe he was drunk.
UPDATE: So now Kennedy says he's addicted to --- Painkillers. Odd how the previous statement didn't mention painkillers. Also, he now says he can't remember anything about the accident -- whereas in his previous WRITTEN statement he described details regarding the accident.
Either Kennedy is lying, or he is lying. Neither helps me out in my efforts to defend him.
And oddly, NONE of his statements helps me reconcile the statement by police that they smelled alcohol on his breath.
If he's addicted to painkillers, he should get treatment, and we shouldn't give him a hard time about that -- anybody can get addicted to painkillers. I'm on Vicodin right now, and I'm using it sparingly because I don't want to depend on it.
And if Ambien can make people drive while sleeping, we need better warning labels, or maybe people should hide their keys before going to bed.
But if he was drinking, he should just admit it. He can't be prosecuted for being drunk because nobody took a breathalizer. But when he says he had nothing to drink, if the two witnesses and the police turn out to be credible, his passionate plea for understanding will be seen as simply an attempt to change the subject.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Newspapers are Better than Blogs Because....
they have editors?
Front Page, Print Edition, Potomac News:
Of course, this is wrong. The board didn't increase the proffers BY $37,719, they increased the proffers TO $37,719.
I'm sure tomorrow's paper will have a correction somewhere -- it's already corrected on the online edition.
Speaking of increasing the proffers -- it's a good trick if you can pull it off. Proffers are in fact VOLUNTARY contributions made by builders, often in order to win support for changes to current zoning. It's really a form of a bribe to get the government to do what it should do as a matter of course.
A more rational mechanism to raise the funds would be to impose a new home tax on the purchasers. They pay the proffers anyway, and this would make it clear who is really paying.
It will never happen, because government truly wants to hide all the taxes we pay. So we have rules preventing gas stations from advertising the actual price of gas, instead hiding the gas taxes in the totals. We have withholding of Income Tax so that come April 15, many people are actually HAPPY because they get their own money back. We get charged user fees instead of taxes, and many taxes are applied to the companies we deal with so the taxes are built into the price we pay.
So the Virginia Senate wants to raise gas taxes, but wants to hide the fact since everybody (except Russ Potts, bless his liberal soul) promised last year that there wouldn't be an increase in the gas tax.
Instead, they have a plan to tax the wholesalers. But the tax won't be passed on to us, the consumers, because the Senate is going to write the law so they CAN'T pass the tax on. Which guarantees that when they DO pass it on, we won't know it.
Front Page, Print Edition, Potomac News:
New home prices may rise by $37,000
Supervisors vote to increase builder's contributions to county
The price of a new single-family home in the county could increase by as much as $37,719 following a vote Tuesday by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.
Of course, this is wrong. The board didn't increase the proffers BY $37,719, they increased the proffers TO $37,719.
I'm sure tomorrow's paper will have a correction somewhere -- it's already corrected on the online edition.
Speaking of increasing the proffers -- it's a good trick if you can pull it off. Proffers are in fact VOLUNTARY contributions made by builders, often in order to win support for changes to current zoning. It's really a form of a bribe to get the government to do what it should do as a matter of course.
A more rational mechanism to raise the funds would be to impose a new home tax on the purchasers. They pay the proffers anyway, and this would make it clear who is really paying.
It will never happen, because government truly wants to hide all the taxes we pay. So we have rules preventing gas stations from advertising the actual price of gas, instead hiding the gas taxes in the totals. We have withholding of Income Tax so that come April 15, many people are actually HAPPY because they get their own money back. We get charged user fees instead of taxes, and many taxes are applied to the companies we deal with so the taxes are built into the price we pay.
So the Virginia Senate wants to raise gas taxes, but wants to hide the fact since everybody (except Russ Potts, bless his liberal soul) promised last year that there wouldn't be an increase in the gas tax.
Instead, they have a plan to tax the wholesalers. But the tax won't be passed on to us, the consumers, because the Senate is going to write the law so they CAN'T pass the tax on. Which guarantees that when they DO pass it on, we won't know it.
Zarqawi's Funniest Home Videos?
ABC News reports that the U.S. military has released a fuller version of the Al Zarqawi tape that was on the internet last week. This version, which was seized in a raid, was shown by Major General Rick Lynch with commentary:
May 4, 2006 — Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted man in Iraq, doesn't exactly look like a terrorist mastermind in a new videotape released by the U.S. military today.
In blooper-type footage from a Zarqawi video released last week, the al Qaeda in Iraq leader is seen fumbling with a machine gun.
U.S. Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said the video was found during a series of raids in April on purported terror cell safe houses southwest of Baghdad.
Is Waldo's Aggregator a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?
I was delighted to be included in Waldo Jaquith's virginia blog aggregator, knowing that it would expose my writing to a wider audience, possibly driving up traffic to my site, making my writing more worthwhile.
But a conversation with another blogger opened my eyes to another possibility which, while not a big deal for a new, small blog like mine might be a consideration for bigger sites, especially those who use advertising to help defray the costs of maintaining a blog.
That being, if someone can read everything you write in one aggragated blog, and they aren't that interested in making comments, they would have NO REASON to ever visit individual blogs again.
No hits, no traffic, no Ad revenue. No money to keep the blogs running.
Of course, any blog can ask Waldo to be removed from the aggregation. That might keep your hits up, but if people are reading the aggregator anyway, they might not have time to come back to the random individual blog that isn't involved.
So, is the Aggregator a boon for mankind, or the death knell for individual blogs? Well, one thing's for sure -- if the individual blogs go away, the aggregator will be worthless.
I expect there will be some serious discussion of this issue somewhere in the coming months. Probably not in this blog, but somewhere.
But a conversation with another blogger opened my eyes to another possibility which, while not a big deal for a new, small blog like mine might be a consideration for bigger sites, especially those who use advertising to help defray the costs of maintaining a blog.
That being, if someone can read everything you write in one aggragated blog, and they aren't that interested in making comments, they would have NO REASON to ever visit individual blogs again.
No hits, no traffic, no Ad revenue. No money to keep the blogs running.
Of course, any blog can ask Waldo to be removed from the aggregation. That might keep your hits up, but if people are reading the aggregator anyway, they might not have time to come back to the random individual blog that isn't involved.
So, is the Aggregator a boon for mankind, or the death knell for individual blogs? Well, one thing's for sure -- if the individual blogs go away, the aggregator will be worthless.
I expect there will be some serious discussion of this issue somewhere in the coming months. Probably not in this blog, but somewhere.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Men Glued To Toilets -- No film at 11 (thankfully)
Just when I was thinking about how politics sometimes feels like cleaning latrines, a real potty story comes along to cheer me up. From NBC-4 in Los Angelos (don't they have any human interest stories closer to home?) comes THIS STORY about happenings in Maryland:
Go to the site, they have an online poll about the subject.
Last November, toilet-gluing made big news when a man announced a lawsuit against Home Depot after being glued to the seat in a store bathroom:
But that incident was in 2003, and for a while it seemed us males could breathe easier. But no longer. I don't know what they are putting in the water in Maryland, but we can only hope this fad doesn't cross the Potomac.
Men Glued To Toilet Seats At Wal-Mart, Denny's
SALISBURY, Md. -- You'd think more people would check the seat before they get comfortable in a public restroom.
For the second time in a month, police in Salisbury, Md., are investigating a report of a man glued to a toilet seat.
Go to the site, they have an online poll about the subject.
Last November, toilet-gluing made big news when a man announced a lawsuit against Home Depot after being glued to the seat in a store bathroom:
BOULDER, Colorado Nov 2, 2005 (AP)— A hardware retailer Home Depot has found itself in a sticky situation, defending a lawsuit filed by a man who claims the chain's Louisville store ignored his cries for help after he fell victim to a prank and was glued to a toilet seat.
But that incident was in 2003, and for a while it seemed us males could breathe easier. But no longer. I don't know what they are putting in the water in Maryland, but we can only hope this fad doesn't cross the Potomac.
Republicans Lose in Manassas Park
While Herndon was throwing out most of the Day Labor Center supporters, Manassas Park was replacing it's Republican Incumbents with tax-conscious .... Independents.
From Wednesday's Potomac News, Bunner wins, GOP incumbents tumble:
Two of the winners bear out that theory, citing taxes as their most important issue:
But the winners also cite another reason for the Republican loss:
I think both of those are good lessons for republicans moving forward. First, voters don't like overtly negative campaigns (even if they might work) -- since republicans are right on the issues, we should be able to win without getting into personalities.
But more importantly, if republicans give up their smaller-government, tax-conscious philosophy, there are politicians ready to claim the mantle for themselves, whether they deserve it or not.
From Wednesday's Potomac News, Bunner wins, GOP incumbents tumble:
The Republican Party lost its grip on Manassas Park Tuesday when three independent candidates swept the city council elections.
...
But, for Judd the issue boiled down to taxes. Larson and Bunner vehemently opposed tax increases, which Judd believed helped secure more votes.
Two of the winners bear out that theory, citing taxes as their most important issue:
A 42-year-old police lieutenant, Bunner hopes the city builds its commercial tax base to reduce the dependency on residential taxes.
Larson, 38 and a communications engineer, promised he would work to lower the tax rate in Manassas Park.
"I feel great," he said. "I am looking forward to tackling our tax problem."
But the winners also cite another reason for the Republican loss:
Brendel, Slater and Judd sent a letter to Manassas Park voters challenging Kassinger's political track record, and questioning Larson's anti-tax position.
"I think it also shows the way the Republican party ran their campaign, that the citizens in Manassas Park don't want to see things like that," Bunner said. "I think they want people to stick to the points of what they stand for."
"I knew that, that turned a lot of people off, because it was just uncalled for," added Larson.
I think both of those are good lessons for republicans moving forward. First, voters don't like overtly negative campaigns (even if they might work) -- since republicans are right on the issues, we should be able to win without getting into personalities.
But more importantly, if republicans give up their smaller-government, tax-conscious philosophy, there are politicians ready to claim the mantle for themselves, whether they deserve it or not.
No Metro Fare Hikes -- More Riders, Fewer Cars
all because of High Gas Prices. From WTOP:
But there is a downside higher ridership:
Sure be nice if metro could pay for itself.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Metro's chief says riders shouldn't expect any rate increases before 2008, despite rising gas and electricity costs.
Interim General Manager Dan Tangherlini says more commuters are using Metro because of the higher gas prices. The increase in transit ridership and revenue is offsetting its energy costs
But there is a downside higher ridership:
But Tangherlini warns the transit agency needs an infusion of dedicated funding to improve its equipment because heavy ridership is straining the system.
Sure be nice if metro could pay for itself.
Administration Conducting Research Into Laser Weapon
From the New York Times: Administration Conducting Research Into Laser Weapon :
If you are interested, check out the link. It's got way too much information for what is supposed to be a "highly secret" program.
I just thought it was funny to imagine "the administration" conducting laser weapon research. I mean, I like Bush's cabinet, but who is qualified for this type of work? Is this why Rove had to quit his policy post -- his subsystem is running way behind schedule? And I wouldn't trust McClellan within 100 feet of an electric outlet, much less working on a high-powered laser.
Are they going to get Cheney to test it on his next hunting trip? What part does Snow play in all of this? Has any administration ever had TWO people named Snow before? Did Bush just think that would be cool?
Apparently, Bush's laser is much more powerful than Clinton's puny laser program, which apparently was just meant to provide x-ray vision.
The Bush administration is seeking to develop a powerful ground-based laser weapon that would use beams of concentrated light to destroy enemy satellites in orbit.
If you are interested, check out the link. It's got way too much information for what is supposed to be a "highly secret" program.
I just thought it was funny to imagine "the administration" conducting laser weapon research. I mean, I like Bush's cabinet, but who is qualified for this type of work? Is this why Rove had to quit his policy post -- his subsystem is running way behind schedule? And I wouldn't trust McClellan within 100 feet of an electric outlet, much less working on a high-powered laser.
Are they going to get Cheney to test it on his next hunting trip? What part does Snow play in all of this? Has any administration ever had TWO people named Snow before? Did Bush just think that would be cool?
Apparently, Bush's laser is much more powerful than Clinton's puny laser program, which apparently was just meant to provide x-ray vision.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
May 1 protest not just about jobs for immigrants
Watching the coverage of the various May 1st protests, you would think that a million people wanted nothing more than to be allowed to continue the hard work they do for America.
The truth is, many subversive organizations were behind many of the protests.
For example, there is this picture from the San Diego Protests:
The truth is, many subversive organizations were behind many of the protests.
For example, there is this picture from the San Diego Protests:
Two Mexican flags (the MSM had such a hard time finding mexican flags in THEIR coverage). The banner on the right has the shield and map of Aztlan. The map shows several states, including most of California, as part of the country of Mexico. This is what the marchers protested for -- not jobs, but to take back "their" country.
See the meaning of the word Aztlan HERE.
As I said in my column to be published tomorrow, we need to separate the good from the bad. There are hard-working immigrants who want to be Americans. We need to find a way to get more of them into our country, while we remove the illegal immigrants.
But there are many who have no desire to be part of our culture. They want to take over our country, to expel the "invaders", to take back what was once theirs. They are invading our country just as certainly as an army would -- millions of people who want to overthrow our government.
And on May 1st, they stepped out into the light -- and most Democrat politicians, and TOO MANY republicans, saw them and said "it is good".
It is time to contact YOUR congressman and Senator. Remind them of the lesson of Herndon, and send a clear message -- our country is at war, and is being invaded. The FIRST job of the federal government is to protect the homeland, and no politician who shirks that duty should expect to be in office after November.
Pro-Immigration Herndon Council Voted Out
Kristinn at FreeRepublic has the scoop:
I bet thats 6 people who wish the elections happened before the May 1st immigration protest.
This is the beauty of local politics. If the politicians take actions that the people dislike, it is possible for the people to boot them out of office. It seems clear that the Herndon Day Labor center was NOT in the best interests of the people of Herndon.
We can hope that the lesson is not lost on other jurisdictions (such as Prince William) who may be thinking to make the same decision.
Voters in the town of Herndon, Virginia delivered a stunning rebuke today to elected officials who opened a taxpayer funded day labor center for illegal aliens in the town last year. Incumbent mayor Michael O'Reilly lost to Steven DeBenedittis while five of the six at-large town council seats went to candidates opposing the day labor center.
Town Council winners are Bill Tirrell, incumbent Dennis Husch, Connie Haines-Hutchison, Charlie Waddell and Dave Kirby.
Only one of three incumbents on the council who supported the day labor center won re-election, J. Harlan Reece. The other two who went down in defeat were Carol Bruce and Steven Mitchell. Day labor center supporter Jorge Rochac also lost.
I bet thats 6 people who wish the elections happened before the May 1st immigration protest.
This is the beauty of local politics. If the politicians take actions that the people dislike, it is possible for the people to boot them out of office. It seems clear that the Herndon Day Labor center was NOT in the best interests of the people of Herndon.
We can hope that the lesson is not lost on other jurisdictions (such as Prince William) who may be thinking to make the same decision.
A Way Back from the Brink on Immigration
My column for May 3rd is titled: A Way Back from the Brink on Immigration, and will be posted at the Critically Thinking web site tomorrow evening (after publication).
My column provides a plan for immigration reform that is a sensible, conservative alternative to the two prevalent plans of arresting and deporting all the illegals, or making them all citizens.
After publication, I want to present each of the three points in its own thread in the hopes that people will come and tell my how stupid I am.
My column provides a plan for immigration reform that is a sensible, conservative alternative to the two prevalent plans of arresting and deporting all the illegals, or making them all citizens.
After publication, I want to present each of the three points in its own thread in the hopes that people will come and tell my how stupid I am.
VIrginia Election Results
Washington Post election results site.
Highlights:
City of Manassas City Council : Aveni, Randolph, Harrover win.
City of Manassas School Board: Brooks, Wundurly, Demeria win.
Manassas Park City Council: Larson, Kassinger, Bunner win.
Dumfries Mayor: Yohey Jr. wins
Herndon Mayor: DeBenedittis wins.
Herdon council not decided as of 9:38pm
Haymarket Mayor : Stutz wins.
UPDATE (Thanks, MOM): Vazquez, not Tobias
Haymarket Town Council: Shuryn, Sikorsky, Vazquez, Jarboe, Cole, Weir
Occoquan Mayor: Porta
Occoquan Town Council: Hardy, Walbert, Smith Jr, Dean, Konwin
Quantico Mayor: Gasser Jr.
Highlights:
City of Manassas City Council : Aveni, Randolph, Harrover win.
City of Manassas School Board: Brooks, Wundurly, Demeria win.
Manassas Park City Council: Larson, Kassinger, Bunner win.
Dumfries Mayor: Yohey Jr. wins
Herndon Mayor: DeBenedittis wins.
Herdon council not decided as of 9:38pm
Haymarket Mayor : Stutz wins.
UPDATE (Thanks, MOM): Vazquez, not Tobias
Haymarket Town Council: Shuryn, Sikorsky, Vazquez, Jarboe, Cole, Weir
Occoquan Mayor: Porta
Occoquan Town Council: Hardy, Walbert, Smith Jr, Dean, Konwin
Quantico Mayor: Gasser Jr.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Rice chooses bad analogies to support Spanish "Anthem"
On Sunday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she saw nothing wrong with a spanish-language version of the national anthem. An article in Pakistan's Daily Times has her explanation:
Now, I happen to disagree with her acceptance of the various musical renditions of our national anthem. But even if they were acceptable, there is still one notable difference between these and the spanish Anthem --
They are all in ENGLISH, with the original words. The spanish ANTHEM is in spanish, and has a much different meaning. The spanish anthem is no star-spangled banner, it is an affront to what we as Americans hold dear, and those singing it should be rightly laughed off the stage where they perform.
“From my point of view, people expressing themselves as wanting to be Americans is a good thing,” she said in an interview on CBS television’s “Face the Nation” programme. “I’ve heard the national anthem done in rap versions, country versions, classical versions. The individualisation of the American national anthem is quite underway,” she said. AFP
Now, I happen to disagree with her acceptance of the various musical renditions of our national anthem. But even if they were acceptable, there is still one notable difference between these and the spanish Anthem --
They are all in ENGLISH, with the original words. The spanish ANTHEM is in spanish, and has a much different meaning. The spanish anthem is no star-spangled banner, it is an affront to what we as Americans hold dear, and those singing it should be rightly laughed off the stage where they perform.
Spanish Anthem's planned re-work is even worse
I missed this, from Thursday's Washington Post:
These kids have no parents? What laws are keeping them from having no parents?
Our lax immigration enforcement encourages fathers to leave their families and come to america to try to earn more money for his family back home. If anything, tough enforcement will make these fathers go back to be with their families, giving the children their "parents" back.
Nobody wants to start a war. We simply want to make sure people follow the law, and go through the proper procedures to enter our country.
A remix to be released in June will contain several lines in English that condemn U.S. immigration laws. Among them: "These kids have no parents, cause all of these mean laws ... let's not start a war with all these hard workers, they can't help where they were born."
These kids have no parents? What laws are keeping them from having no parents?
Our lax immigration enforcement encourages fathers to leave their families and come to america to try to earn more money for his family back home. If anything, tough enforcement will make these fathers go back to be with their families, giving the children their "parents" back.
Nobody wants to start a war. We simply want to make sure people follow the law, and go through the proper procedures to enter our country.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Another translation of the spanish-language Anthem
I found this translation floating around on the web:
Jose can you see, by the dawns's early light,
It is time to hang out, at the seven-eleven,
When the Gringos drive by, to their truck take your flight,
To your low-paying, menial job you'll be driven.
Though some people may glare,
You have nothing to fear,
To stay is your right,
Congress says "please stay here",
Jose will that Mexican Banner soon wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
"Our Anthem" -- Not the Star Spangled Banner
I've seen a translation of the so-called spanish-language version of our national anthem. And it bears little resemblance to the real Star Spangled Banner.
All the pro-illegal-immigrant crowd has done is taken the music to our anthem, and written thier own version of what they think America means.
Which is what they want to do to our country -- turn it into what THEY think America should be.
This was probably one of the worst political moves they could possibly make. And if they understood America, and had learned of our culture and values, they NEVER would have made this mistake.
Here are the words to the spanish-language song "Our Anthem", translated back to english (I didn't do the translation, I found this on the web):
That is NOT our National Anthem. Where are the brave?
The National Anthem:
I happen to like the 4th verse the best.
All the pro-illegal-immigrant crowd has done is taken the music to our anthem, and written thier own version of what they think America means.
Which is what they want to do to our country -- turn it into what THEY think America should be.
This was probably one of the worst political moves they could possibly make. And if they understood America, and had learned of our culture and values, they NEVER would have made this mistake.
Here are the words to the spanish-language song "Our Anthem", translated back to english (I didn't do the translation, I found this on the web):
"Our Anthem" (Translated from Spanish)
Verse 1
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail as night falls?
Its stars and stripes floated yesterday
In the fierce combat, the sign of victory
The flame of battle, in step with liberty.
Throughout the night it was said, "It is being defended."
Chorus:
Oh, say! Does it still show its beautiful stars
Over the land of the free, the sacred flag?
Verse 2
Its stars and stripes, liberty, we are the same.
We're brothers, it's our anthem.
In the fierce combat, the sign of victory,
The flame of battle, in step with liberty.
Throughout the night it was said, "It is being defended."
Chorus:
"Oh, say! Does it still show its beautiful stars?
Over the land of the free, the sacred flag?"
That is NOT our National Anthem. Where are the brave?
The National Anthem:
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
I happen to like the 4th verse the best.
If one blogs on the internet, and no one reads...
does it make a difference?
I don't know, but I've added a counter so I can see how many (or how few) people are visiting my site.
I don't know, but I've added a counter so I can see how many (or how few) people are visiting my site.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Rush Limbaugh -- Not Guilty
That's the truth. In what is certainly an odd plea agreement, Rush Limbaugh filed a "Not Guilty" plea to one count of "Doctor Shopping" in his case involving his addiction to prescription drugs. According to MSNBC, in a somewhat mistitled article Limbaugh surrenders on drug charge:
The charge of "doctor shopping" is not technically a "drug charge", although the normal reason for doctor shopping is to obtain prescriptions for re-sale or abuse. Also, he did not agree to "enter" a program, he agreed to remain in the program he is already in.
But it isn't until later in the article that they reveal what is probably the most important point. Normally, in a plea agreement, the accused pleads guilty to some charge, which the agreement allows to be dropped at a later time.
In fact, this wasn't a "plea agreement" at all, because there was no guilty plea entered:
Note the devious use of the word "though" in the first paragraph -- usually it signifies a contradictory clause, but in this case it simply separates to independent items. First, Limbaugh pleads not guilty, and Second, the charges will be dropped.
However, there is an interesting kicker in this deal -- Rush agreed to pay the costs of the investigation for the prosecution. Of course, for Rush, $30,000 is nothing -- it would have cost a lot more to keep his attorney on retainer for a trial. But it will open him to charges of buying justice -- how many of us could afford to pay that much to get charges dropped?
On the other hand, prosecuters rarely go after first-time offenders who are addicted to pain pills as a result of treatment, especially when they have voluntarily entered rehabilitation.
So Rush can tell his fans he's "not guilty" -- clearly he is, as that is what he plead, and no court case is pending. And those who hate Rush can say he paid a fine (the $30,000 is not listed as a fine), and therefore "admitted guilt".
My guess is, if the prosecuter really thought he could make a case, he would have pursued it. And if Rush was absolutely certain of being found innocent, he probably would have fought it just to be able to say he was FOUND not guilty.
On the other hand, Rush probably would lose a mint having to show up in court to fight the charges, so this is probably what victory actually looks like -- meaning this is probably a BETTER outcome for Rush than even going to trial and being found innocent.
After all, a trial itself bears a stigma of guilt, even if a jury rules otherwise.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Rush Limbaugh and prosecutors in the long-running painkiller fraud case against him have reached a deal calling for the only charge against the conservative commentator to be dropped if he continues treatment, his attorney said Friday.
Limbaugh was booked on a single charge that was filed Friday, said Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Jail. He left about an hour later, after Limbaugh was photographed and fingerprinted and he posted $3,000 bail, Barbera said.
The radio giant’s agreement to enter a diversionary program ends a three-year state investigation that began after Limbaugh publicly acknowledged being addicted to pain medication and entered a rehabilitation program.
The charge of "doctor shopping" is not technically a "drug charge", although the normal reason for doctor shopping is to obtain prescriptions for re-sale or abuse. Also, he did not agree to "enter" a program, he agreed to remain in the program he is already in.
But it isn't until later in the article that they reveal what is probably the most important point. Normally, in a plea agreement, the accused pleads guilty to some charge, which the agreement allows to be dropped at a later time.
In fact, this wasn't a "plea agreement" at all, because there was no guilty plea entered:
Limbaugh pleaded not guilty Friday to a charge of fraud to conceal information to obtain prescriptions. Though he steadfastly denies doctor shopping, the charge will be dismissed in 18 months if Limbaugh complies with court guidelines, his lawyer Roy Black said.
“Mr. Limbaugh and I have maintained from the start that there was no doctor shopping, and we continue to hold this position,” Black said in an e-mailed statement.
Limbaugh spokesman Tony Knight said the commentator signed the agreement Thursday, and that it called for him to enter the not guilty plea. “It’s not in the system moving toward trial. It was all a formality. It’s a concluded deal,” Knight said.
Note the devious use of the word "though" in the first paragraph -- usually it signifies a contradictory clause, but in this case it simply separates to independent items. First, Limbaugh pleads not guilty, and Second, the charges will be dropped.
However, there is an interesting kicker in this deal -- Rush agreed to pay the costs of the investigation for the prosecution. Of course, for Rush, $30,000 is nothing -- it would have cost a lot more to keep his attorney on retainer for a trial. But it will open him to charges of buying justice -- how many of us could afford to pay that much to get charges dropped?
On the other hand, prosecuters rarely go after first-time offenders who are addicted to pain pills as a result of treatment, especially when they have voluntarily entered rehabilitation.
So Rush can tell his fans he's "not guilty" -- clearly he is, as that is what he plead, and no court case is pending. And those who hate Rush can say he paid a fine (the $30,000 is not listed as a fine), and therefore "admitted guilt".
My guess is, if the prosecuter really thought he could make a case, he would have pursued it. And if Rush was absolutely certain of being found innocent, he probably would have fought it just to be able to say he was FOUND not guilty.
On the other hand, Rush probably would lose a mint having to show up in court to fight the charges, so this is probably what victory actually looks like -- meaning this is probably a BETTER outcome for Rush than even going to trial and being found innocent.
After all, a trial itself bears a stigma of guilt, even if a jury rules otherwise.
What Liberals Really Think
They say that Art imitates life. Television, on the other hand, imitates what it's creators THINK is real life.
If so, one has to wonder about the liberals who are behind ABC's struggling show "Commander In Chief", which airs I think on Thursday nights now. This is the show that some speculated was the left's attempt to "soften up" the nation for the idea that a woman could be President.
On last night's show, they wanted to deal with crime. So, being liberals, they chose what they believed would be the most obvious crime-ridden county -- one with a large number of minorities, Prince George's County.
To further offend those who liberals profess to be their base, they have the President show up at a local restaurant, where they serve Chitterlings and Pork Chops.
Local politicians are outraged, as reported on ABC 7 tonight.
Update: Among other things the residents are upset about:
If so, one has to wonder about the liberals who are behind ABC's struggling show "Commander In Chief", which airs I think on Thursday nights now. This is the show that some speculated was the left's attempt to "soften up" the nation for the idea that a woman could be President.
On last night's show, they wanted to deal with crime. So, being liberals, they chose what they believed would be the most obvious crime-ridden county -- one with a large number of minorities, Prince George's County.
To further offend those who liberals profess to be their base, they have the President show up at a local restaurant, where they serve Chitterlings and Pork Chops.
Local politicians are outraged, as reported on ABC 7 tonight.
Update: Among other things the residents are upset about:
- President saying "To Greet some people, and try the chops"
- A resident who shouts that they need "Mo' better cops"
- Scenes of near-rioting.
Apparently that is what liberals think happens all the time in minority neighborhoods.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Hispanic Boycott "Downgraded" (some fear backlash)
When hundreds of thousands of supporters of amnesty for illegal immigrants took to the streets a few weeks ago, it was seen as a blow to those who wanted to deport the illegal workers and seal the border.
Even Senators like John McCain encouraged the protesters, asking them to keep it up to put pressure on the Senate to pass an amnesty bill.
But since that time, the political landscape has shifted. For example, Democrat leaders are calling for strong border enforcement (even though they filibustered it in the Senate), and polls show that americans are tired of the problem and want their legislators to protect the borders first.
IN the face of this new opposition, many organizations who were supportive of the various protests are now balking at support for the May 1st "boycott" of work.
According to the Potomac News:
I'll admit a certain fascination with the idea of a day without immigrants -- I think a lot of people would be shocked to find out what jobs are taken by both illegal and legal immigrants.
However, I don't think that shock would be good for those pushing illegal immigrants. Most people who support amnesty do so because they simply don't have any idea of the scope of the problem or how many immigrants are around.
By labelling this a "partial strike", the organizers hope to avoid the embarrassment that might have come if the strike wasn't even noticed, or if it led to real problems or even violence.
But this is a defeat for groups that hoped they were building momentum for the eventual citizenship of millions of invaders who want to take over our country.
Even Senators like John McCain encouraged the protesters, asking them to keep it up to put pressure on the Senate to pass an amnesty bill.
But since that time, the political landscape has shifted. For example, Democrat leaders are calling for strong border enforcement (even though they filibustered it in the Senate), and polls show that americans are tired of the problem and want their legislators to protect the borders first.
IN the face of this new opposition, many organizations who were supportive of the various protests are now balking at support for the May 1st "boycott" of work.
According to the Potomac News:
WASHINGTON - An economic boycott by Hispanic businesses and employees on May 1 has been downgraded to a "partial strike," promoters said at a Wednesday press conference.
A disagreement among the immigrant rights leadership has lead to a reduction in the scope of "a day without immigrants," a general strike designed to demonstrate the economic contribution of Hispanic immigrants.
I'll admit a certain fascination with the idea of a day without immigrants -- I think a lot of people would be shocked to find out what jobs are taken by both illegal and legal immigrants.
However, I don't think that shock would be good for those pushing illegal immigrants. Most people who support amnesty do so because they simply don't have any idea of the scope of the problem or how many immigrants are around.
By labelling this a "partial strike", the organizers hope to avoid the embarrassment that might have come if the strike wasn't even noticed, or if it led to real problems or even violence.
But this is a defeat for groups that hoped they were building momentum for the eventual citizenship of millions of invaders who want to take over our country.
Too Many Supervisors Spoil the Meeting?
(Now I'm drugged up on Vicodin -- so I can't feel a thing, let's see how I can write):
Board of Supervisors Meetings are public. If you want to see them debate, you can show up at the meeting, and watch. This is a good part of our form of government, and it means that any deal-making is done where we all can see it.
The law says that if 3 or more supervisors are at a meeting, that meeting is a public meeting and must be advertised. This law enforces that common-sense notion of open government.
However, two separate newspaper articles in the past week have raised the specter of applying this law to meetings where supervisors are merely attendees, or invitees. The Washington Post was first, in an article County to Publicize Groups' Meetings, April 20, 2006:
The Potomac news had a little more detail in their article Supervisors in a quandary, which details exactly what happened at the Nokesville meeting:
The idea that you have to publicly advertise a republican committee meeting if the republican supervisors will attend may seem strange, but those meetings are already publicly advertised and generally open to the public -- probably because of this law.
And if the county wants to be overly cautious by advertising every meeting that the supervisors plan to attend, I think that is fine to. But what worries me is that supervisors may use this as an excuse to limit dialog.
For example, Sean and Wally both speak well of the Brentswood plan, while John and Corey both seem to oppose the rezoning. If by inviting Sean and Wally, a civics organization intended to prevent the other supervisors from appearing so only one side of the issue was discussed, that would be a bad thing. I'm not saying that's what happened -- in fact, if anything John and Corey were the only ones left to give their views -- which also was I think a BAD thing for the organization.
There is also the question of how much of a burden it is to advertise. Hilda Barg in the Washington Post article seemed to think groups should foot the bill for advertising if they want supervisors to show up, while Jenkins questioned whether Supervisors should show up at all:
Corey Stewart doesn't want to limit supervisors talking to constituents::
We had two supervisors (Wally and John) present views on the Brentswood project at the monthly Republican meeting, and Stewart was also in attendance -- other supervisors could also have been expected to attend. The meeting was publicly advertised at the McCoart building.
I wouldn't want anything to restrict the ability of groups to get supervisors to come speak at events. If that means having the supervisors take the responsibility for public notifications, then we should do that -- even if it is for private groups we wouldn't normally support.
Board of Supervisors Meetings are public. If you want to see them debate, you can show up at the meeting, and watch. This is a good part of our form of government, and it means that any deal-making is done where we all can see it.
The law says that if 3 or more supervisors are at a meeting, that meeting is a public meeting and must be advertised. This law enforces that common-sense notion of open government.
However, two separate newspaper articles in the past week have raised the specter of applying this law to meetings where supervisors are merely attendees, or invitees. The Washington Post was first, in an article County to Publicize Groups' Meetings, April 20, 2006:
Prince William County will now publicize all meetings held by civic associations and other groups and attended by three or more county supervisors who could address pending votes of the Board of County Supervisors in those forums.
County Attorney Ross G. Horton clarified the need to publicize such meetings at the supervisors' meeting Tuesday.
The clarification was spurred by recent meetings of the Prince William County Republican Committee and the Nokesville Civic Association, where more than two supervisors were in attendance. The potential developments of a quarry in Nokesville and a planned community of 6,800 houses and two town centers, dubbed Brentswood, were discussed. The board is scheduled to vote on Brentswood on May 16, and the quarry will be on the agenda in June.
The Potomac news had a little more detail in their article Supervisors in a quandary, which details exactly what happened at the Nokesville meeting:
Four Prince William County supervisors recently wound up at a civic asssociation meeting during which discussion turned to a development that will come before the board in May.
..
The recent meeting of the Nokesville Civic Association drew Connaughton, and Supervisors Wally Covington, R-Brentsville, John T. Stirrup, R-Gainesville, Corey A. Stewart, R-Occoquan.
Covington and Connaughton were invited to speak. They were already there when Stirrup and Stewart showed up, Connaughton said.
When the discussion turned to the 6,800-home Brentswood development, a matter that will come before the board on May 16, Connaughton and Covington left the meeting.
The idea that you have to publicly advertise a republican committee meeting if the republican supervisors will attend may seem strange, but those meetings are already publicly advertised and generally open to the public -- probably because of this law.
And if the county wants to be overly cautious by advertising every meeting that the supervisors plan to attend, I think that is fine to. But what worries me is that supervisors may use this as an excuse to limit dialog.
For example, Sean and Wally both speak well of the Brentswood plan, while John and Corey both seem to oppose the rezoning. If by inviting Sean and Wally, a civics organization intended to prevent the other supervisors from appearing so only one side of the issue was discussed, that would be a bad thing. I'm not saying that's what happened -- in fact, if anything John and Corey were the only ones left to give their views -- which also was I think a BAD thing for the organization.
There is also the question of how much of a burden it is to advertise. Hilda Barg in the Washington Post article seemed to think groups should foot the bill for advertising if they want supervisors to show up, while Jenkins questioned whether Supervisors should show up at all:
If there is enough time, the county can include such meetings in public notices advertised in newspapers. Supervisor Hilda M. Barg (D-Woodbridge) questioned whether the county should pay for advertising the meetings of private groups.
...
Supervisor John D. Jenkins (D-Neabsco) said that supervisors have to be careful about speaking in front of groups about their positions on pending votes. "It's a very dangerous action," he said.
Comments can affect pending land sales and open the county up to lawsuits. "The lawyers are very smart out there, and they pick up on that," Jenkins said.
Corey Stewart doesn't want to limit supervisors talking to constituents::
Stewart said he would never support limiting supervisors' right to make their position known. "Don't anybody actually go out there and advocate something. We might get sued," he said sarcastically.
We had two supervisors (Wally and John) present views on the Brentswood project at the monthly Republican meeting, and Stewart was also in attendance -- other supervisors could also have been expected to attend. The meeting was publicly advertised at the McCoart building.
I wouldn't want anything to restrict the ability of groups to get supervisors to come speak at events. If that means having the supervisors take the responsibility for public notifications, then we should do that -- even if it is for private groups we wouldn't normally support.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Blogging Lite
I've been under the weather, so to speak, the last few days, with some painful muscle problems involving my leg, which make it hard sometimes to concentrate or to sit for more than a few minutes at a time (some at the PWC meeting may have noticed I stood for the entire meeting).
Anyway, I had to focus on writing my weekly column, so I've been using my few free minutes here and there to comment on other blogs rather than writing my own material.
I'm under a doctor's care, so to speak, and hopefully will be recovering. No sympathy is necessary -- I've been developing this problem for over a month and could have taken care of it sooner, and I doubt I'd have a problem if I just got my weight down to a normal number.
Anyway, I had to focus on writing my weekly column, so I've been using my few free minutes here and there to comment on other blogs rather than writing my own material.
I'm under a doctor's care, so to speak, and hopefully will be recovering. No sympathy is necessary -- I've been developing this problem for over a month and could have taken care of it sooner, and I doubt I'd have a problem if I just got my weight down to a normal number.
High Oil Prices Will Drive Our Energy Independence
Or, so says "Critically Thinking", my Wednesday Potomac News column. I've put the full text online at my column website. It starts:
Through what was likely an unintended editing error, the last paragraph was dropped from the column. My last paragraph, as intended:
Our government sees a problem, and is ready to attack it. I am speaking of the horrors of three-dollar gasoline. What once looked like only a momentary blip in the storm-ravaged summer of 2005 now seems to be back with a vengeance, with no relief in sight.
Through what was likely an unintended editing error, the last paragraph was dropped from the column. My last paragraph, as intended:
Three-dollar gasoline won’t make us stop using oil. But it’s high enough to make us think about it. For years OPEC has kept prices low enough to deter competition. Now they have lost their ability to manipulate the market, and that may be just what we needed to break our dependence on unstable and unfriendly countries. High gas prices hurt now, but may open the door to a better future.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
PWC Meeting - Come Early, Get Stickers?
James Young says the PWCRC is meeting Monday night at 7:30pm.
What he didn't mention is that if you come early, you may have your old stickers removed, and get new stickers for our current races -- Allen, Wolf, and Davis stickers should be available if all goes as planned.
I don't know if I should be announcing this, but since I've been asked to be there early to help with the stickers, I figure it's OK to mention. If it doesn't work out, at least we tried.
I have already removed all my stickers. I did keep my Bush sticker for a while, simply because it still made sense to support him during the last year. I remove loser stickers immediately, there's nothing as sad as seeing a car with a pathetic Kerry/Edwards sticker all faded and cracked.
A trick I use is to attach my stickers to the flat refrigerator magnets everybody mails to you these days (usually about 4-5 are enough, and you can trim them). Then you can slap that stickers on your car and remove them, and put them on the sides and front and all over the car.
I used to have a big sticker I would stick to whatever side of my car was facing the exit to any store I was frequenting, kind of like a moving billboard.
I still had the American flag from my Jeff Frederick bumper sticker until last week, when my bumper was removed from the car (I was rear-ended and the car was just repaired).
Anybody have any good bumper sticker stories?
What he didn't mention is that if you come early, you may have your old stickers removed, and get new stickers for our current races -- Allen, Wolf, and Davis stickers should be available if all goes as planned.
I don't know if I should be announcing this, but since I've been asked to be there early to help with the stickers, I figure it's OK to mention. If it doesn't work out, at least we tried.
I have already removed all my stickers. I did keep my Bush sticker for a while, simply because it still made sense to support him during the last year. I remove loser stickers immediately, there's nothing as sad as seeing a car with a pathetic Kerry/Edwards sticker all faded and cracked.
A trick I use is to attach my stickers to the flat refrigerator magnets everybody mails to you these days (usually about 4-5 are enough, and you can trim them). Then you can slap that stickers on your car and remove them, and put them on the sides and front and all over the car.
I used to have a big sticker I would stick to whatever side of my car was facing the exit to any store I was frequenting, kind of like a moving billboard.
I still had the American flag from my Jeff Frederick bumper sticker until last week, when my bumper was removed from the car (I was rear-ended and the car was just repaired).
Anybody have any good bumper sticker stories?
More evil from the Party of Compassion
When you claim your opponents to be ruthless, evil, heartless people, sometimes people wonder if you are just projecting.
With the democrats, we don't really have to wonder. While they cry tears over standard campaign tactics like quoting your opponent saying stupid things, publishing their voting records, or noting that their policies will help those who seek to do us harm, they regularly resort to physical intimidation, foul language, violence, and juvenile behavior when it suits their purpose.
In the latest example of love and compassion shown by the party of personal destruction, writer, guest commentator, and fellow blogger Michelle Malkin has been forced to move:
Worse, sites like DailyKos, which are frequented and supported by the likes of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, published this information and have supported its release, and many verbal dehumanizing assaults on Michelle and her husband.
So now she has to uproot her family and move, simply because she copied and published a PRESS RELEASE the students had published on their own web site.
With the democrats, we don't really have to wonder. While they cry tears over standard campaign tactics like quoting your opponent saying stupid things, publishing their voting records, or noting that their policies will help those who seek to do us harm, they regularly resort to physical intimidation, foul language, violence, and juvenile behavior when it suits their purpose.
In the latest example of love and compassion shown by the party of personal destruction, writer, guest commentator, and fellow blogger Michelle Malkin has been forced to move:
After UC-Santa Cruz-Inspired Threats, Malkins Pack Up
Days after receiving threatening emails and finding personal information plastered across the Internet by campus thugs, FOX News Channel contributor Michelle Malkin and her family are moving, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
...
In a story published Saturday, Malkin told Sentinel reporter Roger Sideman, "I am now forced to remove one of my children from school and move my family."
...
Mentioned in the piece, but not properly emphasized, is that SAW intended for public disclosure of their personal information, while Malkin gave no such authorization. After the anti-US military activists saw their numbers widely distributed, they attempted to withdraw them.
...
For Malkin, her family now bears the brunt of what notoriously- selfish UCSC activists didn't consider (because that would require caring about others): SAW disclosed details that put her children in danger.
Worse, sites like DailyKos, which are frequented and supported by the likes of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, published this information and have supported its release, and many verbal dehumanizing assaults on Michelle and her husband.
So now she has to uproot her family and move, simply because she copied and published a PRESS RELEASE the students had published on their own web site.
Kopko's Op-Ed about the Budget Crisis
I didn't see anybody else post this, so I thought I would -- it's Tom Kopko's editorial about the budget mess:
Update: James Young notes that this may not have been published yet. I misread the e-mail which I thought said it was published last Thursday, but instead was submitted for last thursday.
Pending clarification, I've pulled the info.
-----------------------------
The Washington Post Sunday had an article about how well Kaine's first 100 days went, and they had the audacity to say that he was trying to KEEP HIS PROMISE by pushing the tax increase through. Politicians can get away with lying if the 4th estate, entrusted with the truth, refuses to wield it because of partisan considerations. We need to keep the pressure on the legislature, because otherwise we may end up with another unnecessary tax increase, and another double-digit increase in spending.
Update: James Young notes that this may not have been published yet. I misread the e-mail which I thought said it was published last Thursday, but instead was submitted for last thursday.
Pending clarification, I've pulled the info.
-----------------------------
The Washington Post Sunday had an article about how well Kaine's first 100 days went, and they had the audacity to say that he was trying to KEEP HIS PROMISE by pushing the tax increase through. Politicians can get away with lying if the 4th estate, entrusted with the truth, refuses to wield it because of partisan considerations. We need to keep the pressure on the legislature, because otherwise we may end up with another unnecessary tax increase, and another double-digit increase in spending.
Was CIA Detention Center Story a Sting Operation?
That's what Captain Ed asks over at CaptainsQuarters:
Read more over at his site. At the time of the first press reports, the Bush administration strongly denied the existance of these detention centers, and now investigators have found no evidence of them. They seem as missing as the WMD. But unlike the WMD story which led to calls for resignations, Dana Priest received a Pulitzer for his reporting on what may have been a fiction circulated in the CIA solely for the purpose of finding leakers like McCarthy.
The sad thing is, if this was a sting, it was a bad one, because the information damaged our national credibility with key allies.
Rick Moran at Right Wing Nuthouse wonders if the story on CIA detention centers might not have been a sting operation to unmask leakers at Langley. The possibility comes up because on the same day that the CIA terminated Mary McCarthy for her communications to the press, the New York Times reports that European investigators cannot find any evidence that the detention centers ever existed:
Read more over at his site. At the time of the first press reports, the Bush administration strongly denied the existance of these detention centers, and now investigators have found no evidence of them. They seem as missing as the WMD. But unlike the WMD story which led to calls for resignations, Dana Priest received a Pulitzer for his reporting on what may have been a fiction circulated in the CIA solely for the purpose of finding leakers like McCarthy.
The sad thing is, if this was a sting, it was a bad one, because the information damaged our national credibility with key allies.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Teacher's Union Assault for Kaine's Budget
The Virginia Eduation Association is pulling out all the stops to try to force through Kaine's/Chichester's huge tax increase.
From their e-mail:
Of course, the house speaker is simply refusing to violate Virginia's constitution by voting for a budget that uses tax revenue that is not already in place.
The real question is, if the Senate and Kaine are so certain that the people will support thier plan, why won't they pass the budget without it, and bring it up in a special session?
The answer is clear -- Kaine thinks that without the threat to shut down Virginia, he can't get support for his bill.
I'd love to go to the meeting with a sticker "You'll pay more, and get nowhere fast".
From their e-mail:
Dear Cyber-lobbyist:
Thanks to you the pressure is building on the House. We are closer to seeing a budget passed that provides needed funding for our schools, protects the general fund and fixes transportation.
What are some things you can do to help? It is really as easy as one-two-three.1. The CTB will hold three statewide public hearings on the draft six-year program at the locations below. Please attend the hearing that is closest to you. You don’t need to speak, just look for the person handing out the stickers that say, “I’ll pay more to get there faster,” and slap one on. The hearing schedule is as follows:
- Williamsburg, Tuesday, April 25, 6:30 p.m. James City County Administrative Building 101 C Mounts Bay Road Building C
- Chantilly, Wednesday, May 3, 6:30 p.m. VDOT Northern Va. District Office 14685 Avion Parkway
- Salem, Tuesday, May 9, 6:30 p.m. VDOT Salem District Auditorium 731 Harrison Ave. Salem, VA
2. Check out and pass around the most enlightened editorial in today’s Staunton New-Leader: http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/OPINION01/604210301/1014
3. Check out www.itstimevirginia.org This site features an article “Turfgrass and Budgets” by none other than your chief lobbyist. Read that one and pass it on if you think it worthy.
In the meantime, watch how hard Speaker Howell is working to prevent a vote on the Senate Budget or any transportation plan in the House. Could it be that he does not have the votes? Let’em vote on the bill, Bill!
Of course, the house speaker is simply refusing to violate Virginia's constitution by voting for a budget that uses tax revenue that is not already in place.
The real question is, if the Senate and Kaine are so certain that the people will support thier plan, why won't they pass the budget without it, and bring it up in a special session?
The answer is clear -- Kaine thinks that without the threat to shut down Virginia, he can't get support for his bill.
I'd love to go to the meeting with a sticker "You'll pay more, and get nowhere fast".
Friday, April 21, 2006
Democrat CIA employee fired for leaking classified information.
NBC and other news outlets have reported that CIA employee Mary O'Neil McCarthy has been fired from the CIA after admitting she was the source of the leaked information about secret prisons in Europe. The leak did serious damage to our relationship with several European allies.
Mary was at one time a Special Assistant to President Clinton, as noted in this story from USIS in 1998:
Ironic that the man guilty of stealing classified documents by hiding them in his clothes appointed the woman guilty of leaking classified information to the press.
From the NBC News story:
Unlike the Valerie Plame "leak", this was a serious breach of security with national implications -- and yet the media and the democrats said not a single word about "finding the leaker", nor are there congratulatory stories in the press about plugging this "leak", as was the case when Libby was indicted.
Mary was at one time a Special Assistant to President Clinton, as noted in this story from USIS in 1998:
National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger announced June 16 the appointment of Mary O'Neil McCarthy as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs.
Ironic that the man guilty of stealing classified documents by hiding them in his clothes appointed the woman guilty of leaking classified information to the press.
From the NBC News story:
In a rare occurrence, the CIA fired an officer who acknowledged giving classified information to a reporter, NBC News learned Friday.
...
The leak pertained to stories on the CIA’s rumored secret prisons in Eastern Europe, sources told NBC. The information was allegedly provided to Dana Priest of the Washington Post, who wrote about CIA prisons in November and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize on Monday for her reporting.
Sources said the CIA believes McCarthy had more than a dozen unauthorized contacts with Priest. Information about subjects other than the prisons may have been leaked as well.
Unlike the Valerie Plame "leak", this was a serious breach of security with national implications -- and yet the media and the democrats said not a single word about "finding the leaker", nor are there congratulatory stories in the press about plugging this "leak", as was the case when Libby was indicted.
Democrat Rep. Mollohan steps down from Ethics Chair
As I first reported in the post Culture Of Corruption could haunt Democrats, Representative Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), the ranking member of the ethics committee, was under investigation for ethical lapses, and the democrats were digging in their heels against calls by Republicans for him to step aside from his ethics post while the investigation continued.
Well, the democrats have finally realised that having your "paragon" of virtue under an ethical cloud was bad for your trumped-up culture of corruption charges.
According to Roll Call, they have reconsidered, and Mollohan will step down pending the outcome of the investigation:
When a democrat charged that Tom DeLay was a "rich white boy", I did some checking and found that he had very little money, according to his financial disclosures. If he was "corrupt", he had done a terrible job of it.
But checking Mollohan's disclosures, he went from being in debt to being worth millions of dollars in a few short years. That doesn't prove he is corrupt, but the money trail leads to people who have benefited from legislation he has passed.
Just last night Alan was on TV claiming he was innocent and insisting he wouldn't step down.
Of course, this will be used as another ploy by hte democrats to hold up the ethics committee. The democrats have shut down the only committee that can investigate ethics complaints in the house since last year -- the same time they launched their "culture of corruption" political campaign.
They clearly know that impartial investigations would show first that there is no culture of corruption, and second that what ethical lapses DO exist are bi-partisan in nature.
But by blocking the committee, the democrats (with the media's help) can make baseless claims about widespread corruption, without having to worry about any real investigations proving them liars.
Well, the democrats have finally realised that having your "paragon" of virtue under an ethical cloud was bad for your trumped-up culture of corruption charges.
According to Roll Call, they have reconsidered, and Mollohan will step down pending the outcome of the investigation:
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), under fire from Republicans and watchdog groups over his personal financial dealings, will step aside, at least temporarily, as ranking member of the House ethics committee, according to Democratic insiders.
When a democrat charged that Tom DeLay was a "rich white boy", I did some checking and found that he had very little money, according to his financial disclosures. If he was "corrupt", he had done a terrible job of it.
But checking Mollohan's disclosures, he went from being in debt to being worth millions of dollars in a few short years. That doesn't prove he is corrupt, but the money trail leads to people who have benefited from legislation he has passed.
Just last night Alan was on TV claiming he was innocent and insisting he wouldn't step down.
Of course, this will be used as another ploy by hte democrats to hold up the ethics committee. The democrats have shut down the only committee that can investigate ethics complaints in the house since last year -- the same time they launched their "culture of corruption" political campaign.
They clearly know that impartial investigations would show first that there is no culture of corruption, and second that what ethical lapses DO exist are bi-partisan in nature.
But by blocking the committee, the democrats (with the media's help) can make baseless claims about widespread corruption, without having to worry about any real investigations proving them liars.
America Faces Critical Shortage of Engineers
There was an amazing editorial in the Wall Street Journal on April 19, 2006 from the head of Lockheed Martin, Robert J. Stevens. Unfortunately, you have to pay for the Wall Street Journal so I can't provide a useful link.
In this editorial, titled Social Engineering - Commentary, Mr. Stevens draws attention to the stagnation of engineering majors in this country, while other countries like China are greatly increasing their graduation rates in high-tech fields:
Bob notes that the U.S. technology workforce is aging, and our schools aren't producing enough talent to replace those retiring and grow the supply of workers to meet new needs. He gives some interesting statistics for his company:
In other words, one company, Lockheed Martin, is looking to hire almost 22% of the supply of new graduates. I would have guessed the fear would have been that 1/3 of the workforce was going to be drawing retirement in the next 15 years, but that problem apparently pales next to the difficulty in finding enough skilled laborers who meet the security needs of a defense contractor.
Mr. Stevens warns that if we don't solve the problem of job training for our technology sector, it will hurt every aspect of our country and way of life:
He has his solutions. First off, one I disagree with:
I don't believe our problem with math skills is a lack of teachers capable of imparting the knowledge. In fact, given technological advances, we should be looking a new way of educating, where a few teachers of proven ability to connect and explain the material are piped into schools throughout the land in short lectures, with local teachers who we would pay less but hire more of, would be available for small-group counselling and work-group leadership. We will never find one million "best" teachers -- we shouldn't try. I note that we often use volunteers to work with students, and those volunteers, largely untrained, seem to do a better job than the trained teachers, because the important thing is the interaction and directly applied lessons, rather than the skill of the teacher.
In any case, with the existing NEA and local unions, increasing pay won't replace a SINGLE teacher -- the unions SAY they need better pay to attract qualified teachers, but they don't ever suggest the existing teachers are unqualified and should be fired when we increase the pay. Instead, the increased pay is to go to existing teachers. Are they suggesting the teachers simply aren't doing a good job because they are holding out for higher pay? I don't think so.
Bob Stevens has other ideas that work well and should be expanded:
One statistic he provided surprised me, as he said it would:
As a person with 25 years of experience in the technology field, I was surprised to find so few engineers were graduated each year. I would have thought it was much higher-- I thought I remembered over 1000 from my Virginia Tech graduating class back in 1981.
If we can't graduate our own hi-tech workforce, we will need to increasingly rely on foreign-worker visa programs to fill the gap, if we want to keep the companies within our own borders.
That means getting control of our borders, stopping illegal immigration, so we can put some sanity into the process of picking who should work here, and who shouldn't. Democrats and a few republicans argue we need lettuce-pickers, but it looks like we need some good Java programmers as well.
In this editorial, titled Social Engineering - Commentary, Mr. Stevens draws attention to the stagnation of engineering majors in this country, while other countries like China are greatly increasing their graduation rates in high-tech fields:
Americans are focused on China's rise and the implications for U.S. preeminence -- especially in technology. The revving of China's science and engineering engine is too loud to ignore: 50% of its undergraduates receive degrees in natural science or engineering, compared to 15% in the U.S. Between 1999 and 2003, China doubled production of engineering grads; U.S. numbers are stagnant. Meanwhile, China's global high-tech exports approached $220 billion in 2005 -- more than 100 times 1989 levels.
Bob notes that the U.S. technology workforce is aging, and our schools aren't producing enough talent to replace those retiring and grow the supply of workers to meet new needs. He gives some interesting statistics for his company:
For Lockheed Martin, where almost half of our 135,000 employees are scientists and engineers, questions of technological competitiveness go to the heart of our ability to innovate and thrive. Given the security constraints surrounding our work, outsourcing and offshoring aren't feasible options for companies in our sector. For the aerospace and defense industry, the front lines of the brainpower battle aren't in China, they're here at home.
One in every three of Lockheed's employees is over 50. To sustain our talent base, we're hiring 14,000 people a year. In two years, we're going to need 29,000 new hires; in three years, 44,000. If this trend continues, over the next decade we will need 142,000. We're not alone; industry-wide, some 19% of employees are eligible for retirement. Yet Department of Education data suggests U.S. colleges and universities are only producing about 62,000 engineering BAs a year -- fewer than the visual and performing arts graduates -- and that figure hasn't grown in a decade.
In other words, one company, Lockheed Martin, is looking to hire almost 22% of the supply of new graduates. I would have guessed the fear would have been that 1/3 of the workforce was going to be drawing retirement in the next 15 years, but that problem apparently pales next to the difficulty in finding enough skilled laborers who meet the security needs of a defense contractor.
Mr. Stevens warns that if we don't solve the problem of job training for our technology sector, it will hurt every aspect of our country and way of life:
The looming tech talent shortfall will have an impact far beyond any single firm or sector. Science and engineering aren't just crucial for national security; they're critical for economic growth. High-tech industries drive development, boosting productivity and generating good jobs. If the U.S. intends to remain the world's technological leader, we have to act today, inspiring more young people to thrive in advanced-tech careers. It's achievable, as long as government, the private sector, schools and communities work together.
He has his solutions. First off, one I disagree with:
The classroom is the place to begin. A major study ranked us 24 out of 29 countries in terms of 15-year-olds' ability to apply math skills. The Bush administration's pledge to improve math and science education, including 70,000 newly trained high-school teachers, is encouraging. But in order to attract the best teachers, we should pay them what they're worth. Between 1993-94 and 2003-04, 15 states saw declines in teacher salaries when adjusted for inflation.
I don't believe our problem with math skills is a lack of teachers capable of imparting the knowledge. In fact, given technological advances, we should be looking a new way of educating, where a few teachers of proven ability to connect and explain the material are piped into schools throughout the land in short lectures, with local teachers who we would pay less but hire more of, would be available for small-group counselling and work-group leadership. We will never find one million "best" teachers -- we shouldn't try. I note that we often use volunteers to work with students, and those volunteers, largely untrained, seem to do a better job than the trained teachers, because the important thing is the interaction and directly applied lessons, rather than the skill of the teacher.
In any case, with the existing NEA and local unions, increasing pay won't replace a SINGLE teacher -- the unions SAY they need better pay to attract qualified teachers, but they don't ever suggest the existing teachers are unqualified and should be fired when we increase the pay. Instead, the increased pay is to go to existing teachers. Are they suggesting the teachers simply aren't doing a good job because they are holding out for higher pay? I don't think so.
Bob Stevens has other ideas that work well and should be expanded:
Industry also has an important role to play. At Lockheed Martin, we fund and participate in programs like Mathcounts, Space Day and National Engineers Week, when our employees go into classrooms and community centers with hands-on activities to kindle an interest in engineering. Our goal is to mentor kids, helping them see beyond the stereotype of the nerd in the lab and start thinking of math and science as compelling, rewarding, even fun.
...
There are other avenues worthy of exploration: visa extensions for international students who earn advanced math and science degrees from U.S. institutions and want to work here; or student loan forgiveness for math and science graduates who commit to work in national security fields. But just as important as revitalizing policy is reshaping attitudes.
One statistic he provided surprised me, as he said it would:
Most Americans would probably be surprised to learn that more S&P 500 CEOs got degrees in engineering than any other field.
As a person with 25 years of experience in the technology field, I was surprised to find so few engineers were graduated each year. I would have thought it was much higher-- I thought I remembered over 1000 from my Virginia Tech graduating class back in 1981.
If we can't graduate our own hi-tech workforce, we will need to increasingly rely on foreign-worker visa programs to fill the gap, if we want to keep the companies within our own borders.
That means getting control of our borders, stopping illegal immigration, so we can put some sanity into the process of picking who should work here, and who shouldn't. Democrats and a few republicans argue we need lettuce-pickers, but it looks like we need some good Java programmers as well.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Kaine's Vetoes all survive.
The AP reports that All seven of Kaine's vetoes of legislation passed this year were upheld by the legislature, apparently protected by democrats who previously voted for many of the measures but now acted with the new partisanship championed by the Governor who pledged to work across party lines and even delivered a State of the Union Response extolling the "bipartisan" nature of Virginia's politics:
By "people", it appears he means "fellow democrats":
No mention in this article of what happened to the bill to have DMV voter forms ask if the applicant is a citizen.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The Republican-controlled General Assembly failed Wednesday to override any of Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's seven vetoes, including a bill that would allow motorists to carry firearms in glove compartments.
...
"Seven-for-seven on vetoes is something I feel good about," Kaine told reporters. "People hung together very well on those. ...It was a good, productive day."
By "people", it appears he means "fellow democrats":
In the House, the closest legislators came to overriding a Kaine veto was Del. Clifford L. "Clay" Athey's concealed-weapons exemption for motorists. The veto was sustained on a 61-36 vote, largely on party lines and five shy of the two-thirds majority needed to override it.
No mention in this article of what happened to the bill to have DMV voter forms ask if the applicant is a citizen.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
What's the Upshoot on the Buckshot?
The NRA sent an urgent action alert warning of impending disaster in the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. According to the mailing, as provided by James Young, the Board yesterday was to vote to ban Buckshot:
BUT, on the same day an article in the Potomac News said the vote was to open public hearings to allow slugs (the small metal kind, not people waiting for rides) in hunting:
Well, it turns out the NRA knew a lot more about what was going on than the Potomac News, which reports on Wednesday Buckshot, rifled slugs debated (a misleading title, as you will see):
So they did, in fact, have a real vote, and they did, in fact, ban buckshot in favor of slugs.
I could have missed it, but I don't remember reading of anybody in Prince William County being injured by errant buckshot in the last five years. Although I'm happy any time the board meets and does something OTHER than raise my taxes.
On the merits though, I think you should be able to use either type of round. We should have learned our lesson when the board realised (apparently) that they had banned the wrong thing earlier. What I mean is that this board's vote was a statement that at some previous time a previous board, obviously meddling in things the knew nothing about, banned SLUGS, when they should have banned Buckshot.
My point being that when Government micromanages, they often get it wrong, and when the "fix it" they never learn the lesson that they shouldn't be passing so many detailed directives to begin with, because they usually don't know what they are doing.
But worse, both articles were written by the same reporter, and yet the Wednesday article makes no mention of the completely incorrect Tuesday report. It's as if it never happened. To tell your readers that the BOCS is deciding whether to have public hearings to add slugs to the list of approved rounds, when in fact they were deciding to ban buckshot, was a disservice to the people who pay for the paper, and I think an acknowledgement of the error was in order.
Virginia Prince William County of Board of Supervisors is meeting at 2:45 p.m. today to consider banning the use of buckshot, commonly used in hunting
BUT, on the same day an article in the Potomac News said the vote was to open public hearings to allow slugs (the small metal kind, not people waiting for rides) in hunting:
The supervisors will vote Tuesday on whether to authorize public hearings to consider whether to allow the use of rifled slugs for hunting.
Well, it turns out the NRA knew a lot more about what was going on than the Potomac News, which reports on Wednesday Buckshot, rifled slugs debated (a misleading title, as you will see):
The decision on whether to outlaw buckshot in favor of rifled slugs for hunting generated a lot of discussion among the Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday.
[wait, I thought it was just a vote on whether to hold hearings to add slugs to the list?]
...
The board voted to pass the ordinance after Barg asked Horton to add provisions to exclude home and livestock protection.
Stirrup and Corey A. Stewart, R-Occoquan, opposed the ordinance.
A staff report showed that the notice of the change must get to the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries by registered mail before May 1 to be in effect for the 2006 hunting season.
So they did, in fact, have a real vote, and they did, in fact, ban buckshot in favor of slugs.
I could have missed it, but I don't remember reading of anybody in Prince William County being injured by errant buckshot in the last five years. Although I'm happy any time the board meets and does something OTHER than raise my taxes.
On the merits though, I think you should be able to use either type of round. We should have learned our lesson when the board realised (apparently) that they had banned the wrong thing earlier. What I mean is that this board's vote was a statement that at some previous time a previous board, obviously meddling in things the knew nothing about, banned SLUGS, when they should have banned Buckshot.
My point being that when Government micromanages, they often get it wrong, and when the "fix it" they never learn the lesson that they shouldn't be passing so many detailed directives to begin with, because they usually don't know what they are doing.
But worse, both articles were written by the same reporter, and yet the Wednesday article makes no mention of the completely incorrect Tuesday report. It's as if it never happened. To tell your readers that the BOCS is deciding whether to have public hearings to add slugs to the list of approved rounds, when in fact they were deciding to ban buckshot, was a disservice to the people who pay for the paper, and I think an acknowledgement of the error was in order.
Jack Bauer named as new Press Secretary.
Courtesy of Blogs4Bauer, the news that Scott McClellan has been replaced by Jack Bauer.
Top 10 changes Bauer will make:
Top 10 Changes Jack Bauer Would Bring to the White House Press Corps
10. Positive stories about Bush increase 145% in his first hour alone.
9. Five moles weeded out of press corps by Bauer.
8. Ask a stupid question; get hooked up to the sensory deprivation device.
7. Podium replaced with bullet-proof barrier with gun ports.
6. All press conferences last an hour, with all tough questions coming at 45 minutes past the hour.
5. By the end of a press conference, a minimum of 34 people would have been killed.
4. "No comment" replaced by "We don't have time for that question".
3. Gary Bauer mistakenly showed up to a press conference, once.
2. All comments will be yelled.
1. Blogs4Bauer starts to live-blogs press conferences
Howard Dean's Child Molester is a Democrat.
I'm reading Commonwealth Conservative, as I do every night, and Chad's got one of his 1-liner posts Howard Dean: the best thing that ever happened to the GOP.
It references an Instapundit reference to opinionjournal, regarding this exchange with Salon's Walter Shapiro:
Anyway, the interesting thing is that OpinionJournal references this blog, which tells us that the molester in question was actually a career civil service employee, and a Democrat to boot. So I guess Howard was wrong, they DO molest people:
I agree with Chad's assessment -- any time Dean speaks, it helps republicans.
UPDATE: Dean is the gift that keeps on giving. In an interview with the Christian Science Monitor, Dean is quoted as saying: "The religious community has to decide whether they want to be tax exempt or involved in politics."
Ignoring the constant use of black churches by the left, this can only be a not-so-veiled attack on christians who think they should have a voice in the direction our government takes our country.
It references an Instapundit reference to opinionjournal, regarding this exchange with Salon's Walter Shapiro:
Shapiro: Governor, from where you sit, is the fact that there will be two caucuses between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary a done deal, or is this still open for negotiation, as to whether there will be caucuses and/or whether New Hampshire will have its traditional unmolested Iowa/New Hampshire role in American history?
Dean: We don't molest anybody. We leave that to the deputy press secretary of the Homeland Security agency.
Anyway, the interesting thing is that OpinionJournal references this blog, which tells us that the molester in question was actually a career civil service employee, and a Democrat to boot. So I guess Howard was wrong, they DO molest people:
Brian Doyle is a career civil servant - NOT a political appointee. Government workers aren't "vetted." Doyle, as a DHS employee probably has a secret or top secret government clearance, but in DC that's hardly a unique commodity. Unless there is some prior history of pedophilia or sex crimes, the background searches and investigation wouldn't have alerted anyone to the possibility that he might get into the kind of trouble he's in now. The kind of hindsight analysis suggesting that the White House should have been "vetting" the civil service employees of their agencies, is laughable considering that the Clinton administration who dogged for years over the FBI files scandal (Filegate). It's also probably illegal...
So what do we know about is Brian Doyle? He's a former long-time Time magazine Washington bureau employee, a civil servant, and a registered Democrat. ***
...
The image above is a Wizbang created, graphical representation of actual public record voter registration data obtained (in person) this morning. You can see the raw image here, and it's all (somewhat) easily verifiable
I agree with Chad's assessment -- any time Dean speaks, it helps republicans.
UPDATE: Dean is the gift that keeps on giving. In an interview with the Christian Science Monitor, Dean is quoted as saying: "The religious community has to decide whether they want to be tax exempt or involved in politics."
Ignoring the constant use of black churches by the left, this can only be a not-so-veiled attack on christians who think they should have a voice in the direction our government takes our country.
McClellan and Rove Announcements
First, the news. Scott McClellan has resigned as White House Press Secretary, and I for one am grateful. It was hard to watch him the last two years after the fine performance of Ari Fleischer. Plus, you don't want your press secretary to be the story, as Scott too often was.
Also, Carl Rove is giving up his Deputy policy advisor position, to focus on his tasks on the political side. I didn't think making him a policy advisor was ever a good idea -- I like to see the political side kept seperate, and while I think Rove could be a good policy person, I don't think he's done a good job on that front.
So I'm happy enough with these announcements that I'm willing to give you a glimpse into what the events as reported by the European site ITV, errors and all.
So I bring you, from ITV, "Bush rocked by resignations":
Oops. Well, one out of two isn't bad -- as I said Rove isn't resigning, he's just going back to politics for the 2006 election. And the headline is probably wrong, rumor is that Bush forced McClellan to resign (in any case Scott's going back to help his mother run as in independent for Texas Governor).
To contrast, here's a report from Marketwatch, White House aide Rove to give up policy role: reports
Hard to see how a "widely expected move" would have "rocked" the administration. But that's the entertainment value of the web.
Also, Carl Rove is giving up his Deputy policy advisor position, to focus on his tasks on the political side. I didn't think making him a policy advisor was ever a good idea -- I like to see the political side kept seperate, and while I think Rove could be a good policy person, I don't think he's done a good job on that front.
So I'm happy enough with these announcements that I'm willing to give you a glimpse into what the events as reported by the European site ITV, errors and all.
So I bring you, from ITV, "Bush rocked by resignations":
White House press secretary Scott McClellan and senior advisor Karl Rove have announced their resignation from the Bush administration.
Oops. Well, one out of two isn't bad -- as I said Rove isn't resigning, he's just going back to politics for the 2006 election. And the headline is probably wrong, rumor is that Bush forced McClellan to resign (in any case Scott's going back to help his mother run as in independent for Texas Governor).
"I don't know whether or not the press corps realises it, but his is a challenging assignment dealing with you all on a regular basis. And I thought he handled his assignment with class and integrity," Mr Bush said.
To contrast, here's a report from Marketwatch, White House aide Rove to give up policy role: reports
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Top White House adviser Karl Rove will be giving up his policymaking role to focus on political strategy ahead of this fall's mid-term elections, news reports said Wednesday. The move comes as President Bush's new chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, moves to shake up the White House staff. In a widely expected move, White House press secretary Scott McClellan announced his resignation Wednesday morning. Bush on Tuesday announced that he would nominate U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman to replace Bolten as head the White House's Office of Management and Budget
Hard to see how a "widely expected move" would have "rocked" the administration. But that's the entertainment value of the web.
Virginia Number One in Tech Job Creation!
According to the AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), Virginia Leads the Nation in Tech Job Creation.
This isn't much of a surprise -- a lot of high-tech jobs are tied to Homeland Security, and our proximity to Washington DC makes us a prime choice. Of course, companies have a choice between Virginia and Maryland, and they seem to like us better, even with the transportation problems.
From the press release:
Of course, the number of jobs involved is a very small percentage of the total employment of Virginia.
This isn't much of a surprise -- a lot of high-tech jobs are tied to Homeland Security, and our proximity to Washington DC makes us a prime choice. Of course, companies have a choice between Virginia and Maryland, and they seem to like us better, even with the transportation problems.
From the press release:
Virginia Poised to Surpass Colorado for First Place by Concentration of Tech Workers
...
Virginia's high-tech industry employment grew by 9,100 net jobs, to 253,300 in 2004, the most current state data available. A significant part of this job growth occurred in Virginia’s largest technology sector, computer systems design and related services, which gained 6,600 jobs between 2003 and 2004. Virginia ranked 2nd by computer systems design and related services employment nationwide.
Virginia ranked second in the country in terms of high-tech concentration of jobs with 88.6 of every 1,000 private sector employees working in the tech industry, only slightly behind Colorado at 88.7."
The high-tech industry is booming in Virginia,” said Gregory Poersch, Executive Director of the AeA Potomac Council. "Tech jobs, wages, and exports are all on the rise. Venture capital investments jumped by 38 percent in 2005. If these trends continue, next year Virginia will become the state with the highest concentration of tech workers in the nation."
Virginia’s rapid tech job growth is positive for the state’s economy, as tech industry jobs in Virginia pay nearly twice as much as the average private sector wage.
Of course, the number of jobs involved is a very small percentage of the total employment of Virginia.
Save The Date - Manassas Railway Festival
June 3rd, 2006.
After a 1-year Hiatus, the 12th Manassas Heritage Railway Festival is back on the calendar (3rd down). It's a day of fun for the entire family, centered around the universal attraction to trains.
My family will have a booth at this year's event, displaying a model railroad built entirely of Lego Bricks. The official Washington Metropolitan Area Lego Users Group - Lego Train Club group will have a much larger Lego layout. (Yes, there really is a WamaLUG organization, and a WamaLTC group -- in fact, adult lego fans are a vibrant part of the Lego community).
There will also be many other Railroad groups displaying layouts of various shapes and sizes, from Garden-size outdoor railroads to tiny z-gauge lines.
The show is about trains, but a political candidate could interact with an entirely different group of voters at an event like this.
The show was cancelled last year because the previous two years it rained out, costing thousands of dollars.
A small show was held in its place over at the Manassas Boys and Girls club (a great place to go, btw).
Information should appear on the Manassas City web site. I'm expecting there will be cut-rate train trips on VRE, there have been in the past. And of course there is plenty of food, and people selling train-related items.
UPDATE: From the Manassas City Web Site:
After a 1-year Hiatus, the 12th Manassas Heritage Railway Festival is back on the calendar (3rd down). It's a day of fun for the entire family, centered around the universal attraction to trains.
My family will have a booth at this year's event, displaying a model railroad built entirely of Lego Bricks. The official Washington Metropolitan Area Lego Users Group - Lego Train Club group will have a much larger Lego layout. (Yes, there really is a WamaLUG organization, and a WamaLTC group -- in fact, adult lego fans are a vibrant part of the Lego community).
There will also be many other Railroad groups displaying layouts of various shapes and sizes, from Garden-size outdoor railroads to tiny z-gauge lines.
The show is about trains, but a political candidate could interact with an entirely different group of voters at an event like this.
The show was cancelled last year because the previous two years it rained out, costing thousands of dollars.
A small show was held in its place over at the Manassas Boys and Girls club (a great place to go, btw).
Information should appear on the Manassas City web site. I'm expecting there will be cut-rate train trips on VRE, there have been in the past. And of course there is plenty of food, and people selling train-related items.
UPDATE: From the Manassas City Web Site:
12th Manassas Heritage Railway Festival
June 3, 2006
Historic Old Town Manassas
10:00 am until 5:00 pm
FREE to the public
The Manassas Heritage Railway Festival is a celebration of the rich railway history that Manassas has to offer. Manassas Junction was the site of both the 1st and 2nd Battles of Manassas during the Civil War and of the nation’s first military railroad.
Festival activities include the following:
· VRE Excursion Rides
· Model Rail Displays
· Train Memorabilia
· Antique Toy Train Display
· Civil War Re-enactors
· Budweiser, Draft Team Horses
· Telegraphy & Signal Flag Demonstrations
· Animal Nursery
· Dairy Demonstrations
· Victorian Street
· Manassas Community Culture Area
· Children’s Rides
· Kids Kaboose, Peek-A-Boo-Choo-Choo
· Live Music, Food, and Railroad Entertainment
FREE to the public. Train Rides $5, advanced tickets available on Monday May 1, 2006 at the Train Depot in Manassas, 703-361-6599.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Critically Thinking Alert
Wednesday will bring a new Critically Thinking column on the Potomac News opinion page (and quite possibly the Manassas Journal Messenger page). The submitted title is "Jobs Americans Won't Do?".
One-Sentence Summary: Americans will do any job provided they are paid appropriately.
Discussion over at Critically Thinking. (I've never gotten anybody to actually discuss there, as I've never told the readers that I have the site. Maybe next week).
One-Sentence Summary: Americans will do any job provided they are paid appropriately.
Discussion over at Critically Thinking. (I've never gotten anybody to actually discuss there, as I've never told the readers that I have the site. Maybe next week).
Blog Introspection 4 -- Like Final Destination, but nobody Dies
I'm thinking of changing the name to TwoConservatives-1. Or maybe advertising for a new "conservative two".
Apparently some opportunities sound much more inviting before they are taken, and are merely drudgeries in the execution.
I'm still holding out for good things from my counterpart -- but time is running short.
Apparently some opportunities sound much more inviting before they are taken, and are merely drudgeries in the execution.
I'm still holding out for good things from my counterpart -- but time is running short.
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