The Texas Songbird

Change? Been There, Done That

2008-08-12T07:54:00.002-05:00

Last month, an interesting "Letter to the Editor" was printed here in the main Richmond newspaper (the Times-Dispatch). The writer had a unique perspective, and a warning to all those who are voting for change this year just for the sake of change.

When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said "Praise the Lord." And when the young leader said, "I will be for change and I'll bring you change," everyone yelled, "Viva Fidel!"

The author finally escaped Cuba and the promised "change" in 1968, and his letter is brief but extremely powerful and quite relevant. Read the whole thing here (skip down to the heading, "Beware Charismatic Men Who Preach 'Change'").

[Cross-posted to Lone Star Times]

Too Busy for the People?

2008-07-15T09:29:00.005-05:00

More and more people – including left-leaning libs like the leaders of La Raza and the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle – seem to be grumbling about Sen. Obama's willingness to talk to the people of this great nation:

Presidential candidate Barack Obama addressed the nation's largest Latino civil rights group here Sunday, but the appearance before the National Council of La Raza raised questions about whether the Democrat - who declined a town hall appearance here with GOP rival John McCain - is too shielded from off-the-cuff grilling from voters and the press.

Obama told [La Raza] he is "not taking a single Latino vote for granted," adding, "I know how powerful this community is - and by the way, so does John McCain."

But in making the La Raza appearance, Obama rejected McCain's challenge for a joint town hall appearance before the organization, which gathered 15,000 people in San Diego this weekend - and represented the capstone of a week in which both candidates addressed Latino issues in several major venues across the country.

Obama delivered his 30-minute remarks Sunday without accepting questions from the audience, or later from the state and local media - a contrast with the Arizona senator, who has generally held a town hall meeting weekly as part of his campaign events, and whose "Straight Talk Express" bus rides with reporters have been a hallmark of his campaign.

McCain will address the La Raza group today and has scheduled a town hall session for the public Tuesday in Albuquerque, expected to draw a largely Latino audience.

Apparently, this is the closest Obama came to mixing and meeting with actual voters during his San Diego stay:

Of course, this is not the first "town hall" question and answer opportunity that Obama has refused, nor I am sure will it be his last. As radio host Laura Ingraham reported in her latest daily e-blast, Obama has as yet refused to take part in a similar town hall meeting and debate with McCain in front of the military servicemen he hopes to soon lead (or abandon, as the case may be):

POTENTIAL COMMANDER-"OF"-CHIEF AVOIDS MILITARY: We'd like to know what incredibly important event Barack Obama has scheduled on August 11 that prevents him from participating in a debate at Texas' Fort Hood. The townhall event, sponsored by an array of military support groups, hopes to offer the 6,000-strong audience (predominantly veterans and military families) an opportunity to directly question their next commander-in-chief. John McCain is ready and willing, but so far the Obama just can't find an opening. We wonder what scares him most -- a face-to-face matchup with McCain, potential heckles, or simply not being in front of his customary mass gathering of zombies. Whatever the explanation, Obama looks weak in front an audience that needs to respect him as their commander. Not a good start.

I wonder if the San Francisco Chronicle will push the good senator on this missed opportunity as well...

Just Because He's Black?

2008-06-27T16:10:00.000-05:00

I have been asked quite often in the last year by friends, co-workers and even family members how I can reconcile not supporting the first black man to have a legitimate chance of becoming president of the United States. I always answer that I do not vote for the color of a person's skin, or their hair color, gender, height, weight or other physical attributes. I try instead to always vote for the candidate who most closely resembles and represents my own beliefs, morals and politics, and who I believe will best represent, protect and lead our great nation. Barack Obama does not fit anywhere in that definition.

But I must say, I like the answer put forth recently by Ms. Barbra Howard, the Florida state chair for Congress of Racial Equality, and another strong black conservative Republican:

"Therefore, when [Sen. Barack Obama] says he wants to tax the windfall profits of the 'evil' oil companies, I do the math and see that instead of hurting them, it will ultimately be the consumers who will end up paying the price. And when he talks about bringing Republicans and Democrats together for the good of the country, I look at the fact that he is the most liberal of Democrats with no evidence of being bipartisan. But when he promises to make America the leader of the free world like it 'used to be,' I can't help but look at his friends who don't even like America -- like domestic terrorists Bernardine Dohrn and William Ayers, who were sorry they didn't bomb enough buildings on American soil. He opposes vouchers, which comprise one of the single most effective strategies that helped low income black mothers provide the same quality education for their children as middle class mothers do. He said Iran and Venezuela were 'little countries' that didn't pose a threat to America. It is of no consequence to him that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promotes 'Death to America' or that his friend, Venezuelan dictator President Hugo Chavez, stood in Harlem ranting against President Bush, calling him 'El Diablo.' Funny you can't go to Venezuela and call Chavez anything but El Presidente and not disappear. But let's not let facts get in the way of our euphoric, hypnotic trance. We must bask in the glory that only 40 years ago, Democrats were beating blacks who just wanted to vote. If Obama wins, we can pop the champagne, and when our taxes go up, we can just blame Bush again and pay the piper."

[Hat-tip: Shay of Booker Rising]

Gorilla My Dreams

2008-06-26T14:14:00.002-05:00

Conservatives in the gay marriage debate often make the argument that allowing same-sex couples to marry is just one step away from allowing marriages between three-or-more individuals, between immediate family members, or even between humans and other species.

Their liberal opponents counter that these are ridiculous assertions are unfounded, that no one is (currently) asking for them, and that U.S. lawmakers would never allow such partnerships to become legal.

But considering the high courts recent propensity for using European laws to interpret our own constitution, this news from Madrid might be cause for concern:

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialist government has legalized gay marriage, reduced the influence of the Catholic Church in education and set up an Equality Ministry.

Spain's parliament voiced its support on Wednesday for the rights of great apes to life and freedom [ed.: and the pursuit of happiness?] in what will apparently be the first time any national legislature has called for such rights for non-humans. Parliament's environmental committee approved resolutions urging Spain to comply with the Great Apes Project, devised by scientists and philosophers who say our closest genetic relatives deserve rights hitherto limited to humans.

I fully expect the first order of business once this passes to be a lawsuit brought by the Grape Ape Project against anyone referring to wedding tuxedos as "monkey suits."

I Miss Craig Biggio

2008-06-26T09:49:00.001-05:00

Move over Michael Vick and Latrell Sprewell – there's a new sports bad boy in town. Unfortunately, it's our town he's in.

The Houston Astros must have thought they were getting a good deal when they signed pitcher Shawn Chacon to a one-year contract earlier this year. Despite a tendency to start well and then quickly fall apart (see his records with the Rockies and the Yankees), the Astros front office jumped at the chance to bag the one-time All-Star. Chacon worked hard during spring training, earned a spot on the rotation, and by the end of May was still holding his own in the starting lineup. Then, true to nature, his numbers started dropping. Then tumbling. And by last weekend, Wade and Astros manager Cooper had little choice but to demote him to the bullpen.

But the bottom didn't fall out until Wednesday, when Chacon refused a summons to Coop's office. GM Ed Wade confronted Chacon in the lunchroom, and somebody lost control. According to Chacon, he was sitting – quietly and innocently minding his own business – when Wade sauntered up and started yelling and cursing at him. Uh-huh.

"... So at that point I lost my cool, and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. I jumped on top of him, because at that point I wanted to beat his (behind). Words were exchanged."

I realize I don't get paid $2 million per year, but if I was having trouble at work and was beginning to worry about my job, my first reaction would not be to throttle my boss, throw him down and start pounding on him. Oh, and then "words were exchanged." That, my friends, takes some read Chacon-es, if you know what I mean.

This, of course, is where I realize how much I miss having Craig Biggio in the clubhouse. Biggio had the reputation of being a real leader on the team, and would often take new teammate aside and "let them know" how Astros players were expected to behave. And if Bigg's soft-spoken words weren't enough, his best bud Bagwell could always come over and sit on you for a bit. I'm pretty sure they held a strict "no choking the coaching staff" policy back in the good old days.

Owner Drayton McLane has already made up his mind about the ex-starter: he won't be throwing any more hardballs for the home team at Minute Maid Park.

"We can't have anarchy," McLane said. "You can't have rebellion. If he disagreed with what Cecil wanted him to do, he should have had the courage to sit down and talk to him."

McLane went on to say, "If you shoved a policeman down or any other public servant ... can you imagine shoving a principal in a school? It was in full view of several players. Players pulled Chacon and restrained him. There's absolutely no way."

I love Chacon's parting comments to reporters:

"Maybe it shouldn't have happened," Chacon said. "But when you do those things and you're yelling at somebody and you're cussing you better know what type of person you're dealing with. If there's any regret, I just wish they had just let me alone."

In other words, it wasn't his fault. Wasn't his fault that he was pitching lousy, losing games, not focusing. He's a star, he's entitled to that starting position! And if they try to take that away from him, well, he's not responsible for what might happen.

I wonder how long it will take before he starts claiming racial discrimination.

A Loss for the Youngest Victims

2008-06-25T16:32:00.002-05:00

The leftward-leaning Supreme Court of the United States today enacted a cruel and unusual punishment on victims of child rape.

Justices Kennedy, Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg and Breyer struck down a Louisiana state law allowing the death penalty for rape of a child.

Justice Kennedy ... wrote that executing someone for that crime, assuming that the victim was not killed, violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment, which draws its meaning from "the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society."

Apparently, we the people of the United States of America have evolved (devolved?) to such a point where our standards should permit an adult who knowingly and purposely violates a defenseless child should be allowed to live, no matter the extent of the crime or damage inflicted.

Justice Alito wrote a dissent lamenting that the majority had ruled out executing someone for raping a child "no matter how young the child, no matter how many times the child is raped, no matter how many children the perpetrator rapes, no matter how sadistic the crime, no matter how much physical or psychological trauma is inflicted, and no matter how heinous the perpetrator's prior criminal record may be."

However, as all good liberals tend to be, the justices seemed more concerned for the rights of the convicted criminals than those of the innocent, defenseless victims. After all, as Justice Kennedy wrote for the majority, "sentencing someone to death for raping a child could have terrible, unintended consequences.

And speaking of cruel and unusual punishments, a Massachusetts state congressman (and defense attorney) recently vowed to further victimize the victims of child rape if his fellow lawmakers passed Jessica's Law, mandating stiffer penalties for child sex offenders.

"I'm gonna rip them apart," Fagan said of young victims during his testimony on the bill. "I'm going to make sure that the rest of their life is ruined, that when they're 8 years old, they throw up; when they're 12 years old, they won't sleep; when they're 19 years old, they'll have nightmares and they'll never have a relationship with anybody."

Too many of these victims already experience those same repercussions from their ordeal, necessitating such stringent measures as Jessica's Law legislature and Louisiana's death penalty laws.

Unfortunately, today's Supreme Court ruling will also affect similar laws in Texas and other states:

"Because of the 5-4 decision, a criminal convicted of multiple brutal acts of child rape will be treated less severely than one who commits treason or espionage," said Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. "While we will abide by the court's judgment, Texas will continue to seek the toughest penalties [for] the most barbaric child predators."

UPDATE: There is a very good discussion of the court's comments and decision on Lone Star Times.

On This Day in History

2008-06-12T11:52:00.002-05:00

Looking back at years past, a number of interesting and important events have occurred on this day in history.

In 1776, the Virginia Convention of Delegates adopted a formal Declaration of Rights affirming the inherent natural rights of men, including the right to "reform, alter, or abolish" any government "found inadequate" to sustaining the "common benefit, protection, and security" of its citizens. This document was the predecessor to the United States Declaration of Independent and the Bill of Rights.

In 1939, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was dedicated in Cooperstown, New York, with a speech by baseball legend Babe Ruth.

In 1967, the Supreme Court struck down state laws that prohibited interracial marriages, deeming such laws to be illegal under the Fourteenth Amendment and to be "odious to a free people whose institutions are founded upon the doctrine of equality."

Oh, and in 1987, some guy made some speech or something.

(For a real touch of history, go back and read or watch the entire speech.)

Record, Schmecord!

2008-06-10T16:08:00.004-05:00

It has been a rather topsy-turvy week for the two (viable) remaining presidential candidates. First, the John McCain camp seemingly spit in the eyes of Christian conservatives in their total disinterest and somewhat brusque refusal to meet with the ailing evangelist Rev. Billy Graham (and then apparently tried to cover their tracks with what appears to be, at best, half-truths).

Then today a rather outspoken Democratic Congressman came out against his party's candidate for being too liberal:

Democratic Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma said Tuesday Barack Obama is "the most liberal senator" in Congress and he has no intention of endorsing him for the White House.

And as for Obama's promises to forge a less partisan Washington?

Boren ... said that while Obama has talked about working with Republicans, "unfortunately, his record does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion."

Record? Who needs to look at his record? This is the Black Messiah we're talking about!

The Art of Assassination

2008-06-05T15:43:00.000-05:00

When a performance artist set up shop in Manhattan yesterday with signs referencing "The Assassination of Hillary Clinton" and "The Assassination of Barack Obama," the Secret Service and New York's finest didn't take it lightly:

By 9:30 a.m., New York City police detectives and Secret Service agents had shut down the exhibition, and building workers had quickly covered over the inflammatory title with large sheets of brown paper and blue masking tape.

Mr. Arboleda, who is 27, said in an interview: "It's art. It's not supposed to be harmful. It's about character assassination — about how Obama and Hillary have been portrayed by the media." He added, "It's about the media."

The interview was abruptly ended as Mr. Arboleda was led off to the Midtown South police precinct station for what he called an interrogation.

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, speaking to reporters at 1 Police Plaza around noon, said, "...[W]e want to determine what his motives are. Obviously they could be interpreted as advocating harm to protectees; both of the senators, of course, are now being provided Secret Service protection, that's why the Secret Service was interested; both of them are federal employees, so, ah, of course it is a concern to federal authorities as it is to ourselves."

Understandable.

It is interesting to note, however, that no such concern was voiced by New York authorities or most American media outlets when the British film Death of a President -- a so-called "fictional documentary" about the assassination of President George W. Bush -- played for several months in New York theaters last year. In fact, the movie received high acclaim from film critics in Europe, and received both an Emmy Award and an award from the Toronto Film Festival.

Apparently whether or not a performance is "art" depends at least in part on the intended target or victim of the so-called assassination.

Those Rich Democrats and Their Evil 527s

2008-06-04T17:21:00.004-05:00

I took some time off work a couple of weeks ago to, among other things, help move Darrell back home from the dorm. (Man, it is good to have that young man back home, if only for the summer.)

Today I finally got around to catching up on all the non-critical (i.e., non-work-related) email from that week, and I came across this jewel from the McCain campaign:

Our Party needs to pull together, and we need to do it now.

Never in memory have the Democrats, liberal special interests groups, labor unions and unregulated "527" soft-money groups come together with so much money and so much determination toward one purpose: Defeating Republicans.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it somewhat ironic that the man who helped empower these 527 groups (via the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002) is now complaining that the Democrats are using it against him?

To make this plea for money even more interesting, clicking on any of the numerous "Donate Now!" links in the email takes you to this web site, which begins:

Grassroots Republicans like you will play a crucial role in the 2008 presidential election. Our Party leaders and candidates are counting on your active support of Victory 2008 to make sure our Party has the resources to reach out to voters and promote our positive, conservative agenda.

Although I don't always agree with former Congressman Tom DeLay, he points out quite effectively that Senator McCain's agenda is not necessarily known for being all that conservative:

Flipping the Byrd

2008-06-03T15:11:00.004-05:00

Vice President Dick Cheney did a whirlwind tour through Richmond last week, flying in to stump (and raise a little money) for John McCain and heading back out again in a matter of hours. His speech reportedly focused on the traditional Republican issues of national security, lower taxes and limiting government.

One might wish he had stuck to those talking points at the National Press Club yesterday, where an ill-advised joke about West Virginian inbreeding turned into a media firestorm. The quote? "So I had Cheneys on both sides of the family -- and we don't even live in West Virginia." I've heard worse in almost every Aggie joke that has been thrown my way in the past thirty years.

Yes, the comment was in poor taste, especially coming from a sitting vice president. And sure, you would expect West Virginians to be grumbling about it, and even to hear the requisite wailing and gnashing of teeth from their representatives in Washington.

But nothing could have prepared me for this ironic response from West Virginia's own pride and joy, Senator Robert Byrd:

"That a man who has ascended to the seat of vice president of the United States would openly display such contempt and astounding ignorance toward his own countrymen is an insult to all Americans," Byrd says in a statement.

This, coming from a one-time Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan? And considering the Democratic Party's years of exploitation of the black voters who have unexplainably continued to support them, Byrd's next statement is even more incongruous:

"This pitiful comment is not entirely surprising when you consider the source," Byrd adds. "Vice President Cheney's words reflect the attitude of an administration and a party that says what they must to get elected and then turns their backs on those they promised to represent."

Pot, meet kettle.

Razing Indiana

2008-05-15T07:29:00.001-05:00

Leave it to the ABC Newsroom's crack investigative team to reveal the shocking truths that affect our lives the most.

NEWSFLASH: Indiana Jones is no real archaeologist!

...[Archaeology professor Paul] Zimansky would have liked Indy to be a more realistic role model. "I wish he'd take more notes and things. What's his publication record?" Zimansky said.

The reality of archeological field work is not a lone hero dashing into hidden chambers with a bullwhip and a pistol and coming away with a priceless relic. It's large groups of academics and students painstakingly sifting through grids to retrieve artifacts as mundane as pottery fragments.

Say it ain't so, Indy!

Next thing you know, they will be telling us real spies do not drive souped-up Aston Martins and bed the most beautiful girls in the world. Or that crime scene investigators are not some special breed of super-cops (who, of course, always bed the most beautiful girls in the world). Or that ... well, you get the message.

I am almost surprised they didn't save this ground-breaking story for Sweeps Week.

Yo, Adrian!

2008-04-02T06:47:00.004-05:00

Coming on April Fool's Day, you would almost think yesterday's breaking news story was a put-on:

In a speech in Philadelphia today, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, compared herself to Philly icon Rocky Balboa.

"Well, could you imagine if Rocky Balboa had gotten half way up those Art Museum steps and said, 'Well, I guess that’s about far enough?'" Clinton asked.

"Let me tell you something, when it comes to finishing the fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common," she [told] the Pennsylvania A.F.L.-C.I.O. audience.

I can actually say that for once, I agree with Hillary Clinton. At first glance, they do have a lot in common.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Clinton, not even her fellow Democrats are inclined to agree with her comparison:

Hillary Clinton is so obviously Apollo Creed, not Rocky Balboa. It was Creed who had it all, let himself grow deluded with entitlement, surrounded himself with an entourage of yes-men who never thought for even a second that their fighter might actually have to fight.

Ouch!

And, as ABC gently reminds the good Senator from New York...

Um….Senator? Rocky lost.

It was a split decision, but the judges (superdelegates?) awarded the fight to Rocky's black opponent, Apollo Creed.

Meanwhile, Rocky's lovely sidekick Adrian sits forlorn at the ringside, anxious and distraught over the beating her lover is taking.

Hmmm. Perhaps that analogy can only play so far...

A Sign of Gratitude

2008-02-08T07:56:00.000-06:00

A reminder: when you see a member of our armed forces or a veteran, take the time to express your gratitude for their service. It can be a simple gesture, but let them know it comes from the bottom of your heart.

Learn more at The Gratitude Campaign.

Stupid Is as Stupid Does

2008-02-07T23:17:00.000-06:00

If you were heading to trial for burglary charges, what defense would you employ in an attempt to beat the rap?

A 34-year-old man is in trouble for trying to bring a fake bomb into the criminal courthouse in downtown Houston.

The device that Boris E. Perez reportedly had in his backpack was displayed. It contained, police say, circuit boards, wires connected to a soda can and even a remote control.

Perez was at the courthouse to face a burglary charge. He's now charged with possession of a hoax bomb.

Sometimes you just have to wonder.

An Image Problem in Houston's Fifth

2007-07-03T07:29:00.000-05:00

We are back in Houston for a few days to visit family and take care of some business. And while it is bittersweet to be "back in the old neighborhood" without Shebird, the kids and I have enjoyed our time back in the Bayou City so far.

Watching the KHOU local news coverage this morning (without Debra Duncan, who I hope is only on vacation), I saw a story on a recent YouTube video that "depicts a rough image of Houston's Fifth Ward," highlighting and even glorifying the gang life and drug use that has long been so prevalent in our inner-city neighborhoods.

The self-proclaimed gang members and drug dealers are bragging about their so-called thug life on a popular video site over the World Wide Web.

Unfortunately, when the news team brought the video to the attention of Houston City Councilman Jarvis Johnson, his reaction demonstrates one of the reasons Houston's traditionally low income, minority majority wards has stayed in such a state for so long.

"They can't be the voice of Fifth Ward," said Jarvis as he watched the video. The councilman's district includes the Fifth Ward.

"The Fifth Ward has such a strong history, a strong culture, a strong sense of pride. I'm angry. I'm angry about a video that portrays such a great neighborhood in such a negative manner."

Not angry that crime, gang violence and drug use have for years dominated these neighborhoods. Not angry that families living in his district must deal with these evils on a daily basis. Angry that a video accessible around the nation is depicting his home turf "in such a negative manner."

And to underscore just how angry Councilman Johnson was about the atrocities shown in this online video, it was left to the 11 News crew to take the video to the local authorities in an attempt to have something done about it.

Tell me again why we call such people "community leaders"?

Congressional Black Clout

2006-12-18T13:52:00.001-06:00

The new 2007 House of Representatives is still a couple of weeks away from convening, and yet many members of that august house are already looking forward past next year toward the 2008 presidential race. Those forward-looking lawmakers include the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, but these purpose-driven congressional delegates have another agenda that is, to their minds, of even more import. Clout.

The Congressional Black Caucus, in its 35th year, has grown to a new level of influence. Three of its members now chair major House committees: Michigan Congressman John Conyers (the Judiciary Committee); New York Congressman Charles Rangel (Ways and Means) and Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson (Homeland Security).

Amaya Smith, spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, says beyond the CBC chairmanship and subcommittee chairs, key members are becoming powerful players in the presidential race because of their influence. That includes Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the new majority Whip.

Of course, the whole reason the CBC was formed 35 years ago was to unite black lawmakers in their efforts to better serve their primary constituency, black Americans, right?

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks [I've always wondered: Is that her given name or a nickname?] Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, says her role will be to galvanize the clout of CBC constituents to help Democrats win the presidency in 2008...

As I have said so many times before, I think the members of the Caucus would do a much better job of serving their constituents if they were to focus their attention on the betterment of their communities, rather than their continuing, single-minded ambition for more and more political power. If they truly want to help their constituents, perhaps they should be looking for a different sort of clout.

Parting Shot

2006-12-18T06:44:00.001-06:00

Now that Washington has closed the door on the 109th Congress, I think we're really going to miss one former lawbreaker... er, lawmaker. While she didn't accomplish much for her once loyal Georgia constituency, Rep. Cynthia McKinney certainly did provide us all with plenty of laughs and good memories with her inspirational service in the House.

Although she publicly despises Republican President George W. Bush, Ms McKinney was well known in DC for arriving early to the halls of Congress for State of the Union addresses and any other occasion when the president was on hand to address the Congress, and procuring a seat right on the aisle in order to take every advantage of getting her picture taken with the commander-in-chief.

She has hosted numerous panels on Sept. 11 conspiracy theories and suggested that Bush had prior knowledge of the terrorist attacks but kept quiet about it to allow friends to profit from the aftermath. She introduced legislation to establish a permanent collection of rapper Tupac Shakur's recordings at the National Archives and calling for a federal investigation into his killing.

But it was her scuffle with a Capitol police officer that drew the most attention. McKinney struck the officer when he tried to stop her from entering a congressional office building.

In what has become the expected response from this grand lady of politics, the race card was played to the fullest effect, and she was never indicted for the act.

Much to her chagrin, Rep. McKinney was unable to play that same race card when she found herself ousted by Georgian voters earlier this year. For the first time in her career she faced another black Democratic candidate, and the voters jumped at the chance to replace her.

But true to form, Ms McKinney left her former colleagues with as much class and panache as she entered their presence -- with a parting shot only she would dare to deliver.

In what was likely her final legislative act in Congress, outgoing Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney announced a bill Friday to impeach President Bush.

McKinney ... has long insisted that Bush was never legitimately elected. In introducing her legislation in the final hours of the current Congress, she said Bush had violated his oath of office to defend the Constitution and the nation's laws.

The legislation has no chance of passing and serves as a symbolic parting shot not only at Bush but also at Democratic leaders. Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has made clear that she will not entertain proposals to sanction Bush and has warned the liberal wing of her party against making political hay of impeachment.

Luckily for all of us, Ms McKinney is -- as always -- much more interested in seizing the limelight than being a team player, so Speaker (that title still rankles) Pelosi's warnings bore little weight to this lame duck.

We'll miss you, Cynthia!

Adios Ernesto

2006-09-04T23:08:00.000-05:00

Well, we weathered the storm just fine over the weekend. Just like in Houston, the local Richmond weather-mongers foretold nothing but doom and gloom as Hurricane Ernesto quickly downgraded to tropical storm status, dumping lots and lots of rain across North Carolina and Virginia. And just like Houston, all the junior reporters spent the weekend standing out in the rain, ankle-deep in whatever puddles they could find.

Here in the Richmond area, we did get a lot of water. There was even a little flooding in certain areas, apparently ones that see that kind of flooding just about every time a major storm turns up the east coast like this. We lost electricity for a few hours, but it was nothing like some of the storms we've seen back in Houston.

Shebird is stable here at the house, with hospice care coming each day. The kids are trying to settle into the new schools, and I am trying to remember again how to do real work. I had no idea how lazy being a manager could make you.

We miss everyone, but are still hoping to be back in Texas as soon as possible. Everyone here sends love to everyone back home.

Away from the Nest

2006-07-31T10:12:00.000-05:00

First of all, thank you to all of you who have offered prayers and good wishes through comments and emails. The thoughts and sentiments are felt, and the prayers are appreciated.

Shebird is not doing well, but we continue to hope for the best. I am back home for the day to take care of things on the homefront and wrap up a few loose ends at the office, then the kids and I will be heading back to Virginia. For the time being, we plan to be back in Houston in time for the start of school. Other than that our plans are fluid.

For the short term, blogging will be on hold here at The Texas Songbird. We do not have internet access at the in-laws', and other more important things are necessarily taking priority at this time. I may ask Pops to post an update from time to time, if the absence is extended. I fervently hope that life will return to "normal" (whatever that may mean) before too long.

Again, thank you to all who have expressed their concern. Please accept my humble apologies for the slow response.

Songbird is out...

2006-07-18T10:21:00.000-05:00

Dear friends and family, I just wanted to let everyone know that Songbird will probably not be posting for the next few days. "Shebird" is back in the hospital, and all of his time and focus are currently on her, as they should be.

The grand-kids stayed with us over the weekend, and are currently back at home with their Auntie Kay. She will be staying in town for the short term to help out around the house and such.

Please keep the kids in your prayers. I will try to add an update as we get them.

Pops

Getting Huff-y with the 'Stros

2006-07-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

Let's hope this is some good news for the Houston Astros:

HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Astros acquired third baseman Aubrey Huff from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for two minor league prospects Wednesday, hoping Huff can help revive the Astros' struggling offense. [snip]

"This will give us an offense boost which we sorely need," Astros general manager Tim Purpura said.

The 30-year-old Huff, who went to high school and junior college in Texas, hit .283 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs in 63 games for the Devil Rays this season. He has been the subject of trade speculation each of the past three years.

In his sixth major league season, Huff has a career average of .287 with 128 home runs and 449 RBIs.

The 2005 National League champions have struggled the first half of this season, with an offense that has not even been able to keep up with the lackluster performance of the slumping pitching staff. In spite of that, the Astros are actually in a slightly better position following the All-Star break than they were at this point last year, trailing the St. Louis Cardinals by only six games. Astros management hopes that adding Huff to the equation will give the team a boost as they aim for a repeat of last year's performance. Unfortunately, not everyone will be happy about the trade, as adjustments will be necessary to move the new bat into the rotation.

To make room for Huff, Houston will send outfielder Jason Lane to Triple-A Round Rock. Lane has struggled in the Astros lineup, batting only .205 this season.

Purpura said Huff's arrival could also affect third baseman Morgan Ensberg, who has also struggled at the plate. Besides third base, Huff has also played first base and the outfield.

"Obviously it will cut into (Ensberg's) playing time," he said. "We're in a position where we have to start moving forward. We can't give bats to players because they have been in that spot before. We have to get production and performance out of our players."

"We can't give bats to players [just] because they have been in that spot before." Wow, you never expect to find such words of wisdom coming from the sports arena. Sometimes I wish politics were a little more like baseball. I know of a few old-timers that have been allowed to "play the game out" just because they have held that spot for so long, even though they are way past their prime and their usefulness. (And all too often working from the wrong playbook, as well.)

Oh Thank Heaven for 7/11!

2006-07-11T14:52:00.000-05:00

I find myself wishing for those good old days, when every neighborhood in Houston had a 7-Eleven corner store within walking distance and when the biggest decision you had to make each month was whether to blow the monthly allowance on candy and pop or a couple of 12¢ comic books. (The comic books almost invariably won out!)

If you happen to be located somewhere outside of Houston (where the convenience store chain closed its doors several years ago) and you find yourself suffocating in today's repressive July heat — or you just want to enjoy a quick free-bie — swing by the nearest 7-Eleven on your way home from work today.

Every year, July 11 marks the day that the world's No. 1 convenience retailer observes its birthday. This year is 7-Eleven's 79th year in business, longer than any other convenience retailer in the world. To celebrate, participating 7-Eleven® stores across America will serve up 3 million free 7.11-ounce Slurpee® drinks in special "Happy Birthday!" cups to customers as long as the cups last.

Of course, if you happen to be in Delaware, make sure you have at least "a slight Indian accent" or you aren't allowed to enter a 7-Eleven. According to Sen. Joe Biden, that is.

World Cup High Jinks

2006-07-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

If you saw any news at all over the weekend, you probably saw this clip from the World Cup Final match, where France's Zidane head-butted Italy's Materazzi and was subsequently thrown out of the game.

Last night Jay Leno had the funniest observation I have yet heard about the incident. According to Leno, Italy...

...won after France's best player got ejected for head butting. That's the closest anyone in a French uniform has come to combat in 60 years. Can you believe that? I mean, the French finally find somebody who's willing to fight, and they kick him out!

UPDATE: Here is another video of the confrontation from a different camera angle, close-up and at field level.

Calling the Kettle Black

2006-07-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" education reform has had its share of opponents since it was passed by Congress in 2001. Few individuals or organizations have been more vocal in its opposition than the NEA, which holds that the law is "fundamentally flawed," and which has hounded the president and supporters of the law steadily over the past five years.

The law's critics cried foul in 2005, when documents revealed that the Bush administration paid TV and radio commentator Armstrong Williams $240,000 to promote it on his syndicated programs. The revelations led to a government-wide inquiry.

Interestingly enough, it turns out the administration is not the only party to put its money into swaying public opinion.

A report to be released today by the group Education Sector says the National Education Association (NEA) has given at least $8.1 million to education, civil rights and policy groups that have opposed or criticized No Child Left Behind, Bush's far-reaching and controversial effort to reform public schools.

Now that's the pot calling the kettle pitch, sable, ebony and as many other forms of black as Mr. Rogett could ever dream of.

Celebrating Independence

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

I just read the best 4th of July post I have ever seen, and wanted to share it with my own friends and readers. Blogger "FLYTHEMIG29" of Those Wacky Iraqis has been there, done that, and really understands the reason we celebrate Independence Day. Please take the time to give this post a good read.

To me the 4th of July has become intensely personal. ... It was the best 4th of July I could imagine. Nothing public, just the back yard. Everything I need in the world was in that back yard. Everything our founding fathers dreamed of was in that back yard. The reason we are in the fight in Iraq was in that back yard. Yep, it was the 4th of July all right and it was just what I needed.

An intensely personal and exremely educational post, I have already emailed it to the several employees and co-workers who expressed dismay at the simple, private holiday celebration I described from the Songbird household this year. No parades, no fireworks, no loud parties or raucous houseguests. Just family, homecooked food and a lot of good ol' togetherness, with a rash of thankful prayer mixed in for seasoning.

Some Days You're the Frog

2006-07-07T08:48:00.000-05:00

Ever have one of those days?

Queen Moonbat Shrieks Again

2006-07-06T17:26:00.000-05:00

While she looks no worse than usual, her ongoing hunger strike is obviously taking a mental toll on "America's most outspoken anti-war activist," Cindy Sheehan. The Moonbat Queen appeared on MSNBC last night, where guest Hardball hostess Norah O'Donnell grilled her over views which even the liberal media often find a bit extreme.

Here are some of the better exchanges from the interview:

O'DONNELL: Americans may hate the war, but they don't necessarily hate the president. How do you expect to get change by going around the world and trashing the president of the United States?

SHEEHAN: Actually, I don't hate the president, either. And I don't trash the president; I trash the president's foreign policy, which is fundamentally and inherently wrong and immoral. ...

O'DONNELL: But you called him "the biggest terrorist in the world." So you are trashing the president.

SHEEHAN: Well, you know, he says a terrorist is somebody who kills innocent men, women and children, and there have been over 100,000 innocent men, women and children killed in Iraq on his orders.

O'DONNELL: Cindy, you have just begun a two-month hunger strike. Isn't this really just more of a publicity stunt?

SHEEHAN: No, actually it's not. It's a moral reaction to an immoral war. Thousands of people all over the world are joining us. And hunger strikes have proven to be effective tools in civil disobedience and changing policy.

O'DONNELL: But do you honestly expect Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld or the president of the United States to say, "Cindy Sheehan is going on a hunger strike and so I'm going to end this war?"

O'DONNELL: Would you rather live under Hugo Chavez than George Bush?

SHEEHAN: Yes. You know, Hugo Chavez is not a dictator like you introduced him. He's been democratically elected eight times, and he's not anti-American. ... He has helped the poor people of America. He has sent aid to New Orleans. He has sold heating oil to disadvantaged people in America, in the United States of America at low cost, and he — the people of this country love him.

O-kaaaayyyy. Thank you, Cindy. (Where are those men in the pretty white coats when you really need them?)

You can watch the entire segment at Expose the Left; those who tend to suffer from migraines or weak stomachs may prefer to browse the transcripts instead.

Expose the Left also has video footage of Sheehan's patriotic Fourth of July outing, at which she labeled American troops as rapists and war criminals:

We are here to declare independence from war and occupation and oppression. We are standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the American coalition, and Iraqis don't have enough water to drink, who don't have enough food to eat, who can get killed when they go to the marketplace to shop for their families, who can get raped by our soldiers just living, whose families can be killed. This war is a war crime and soldiers trying to survive are committing war crimes.

I for one am hopeful that Sheehan's dedication to her "moral reaction" hunger strike is as unwavering as her hatred of President Bush and the American military.

Teaching an Old ISD New Tricks

2006-07-06T16:09:00.000-05:00

As amazing as it seems, it appears someone at the TEA was actually using their brains for once this week.

A Katy teacher fired after Scotch taping the mouths of her students must be reinstated or paid her $40,000 annual salary, a Texas Education Agency official ruled in a case that raised questions about how teachers discipline their students.

In case you don't remember the facts of the case, elementary school teacher Jennifer Silva was disciplined and dismissed earlier this year for placing scotch tape over the mouths of several garrulous members of her second grade classroom.

Silva admitted taping the mouths of a handful of students after trying several other methods to get them to work quietly. She appealed to the students to control their own behavior, marked some discipline cards and issued repeated reminders to quiet down.

Some parents praised Silva for being creative in her discipline approach, saying the district overreacted in firing her.

Other parents criticized Silva, saying she overstepped her authority as a teacher. They called for her immediate removal from the classroom.

As a parent, I can say that I whole-heartedly support Ms. Silva both in her attempts to regain her teaching position and in her original endeavors to discipline and educate her students. By placing two strips of tape over the children's mouths, she neither injured nor endangered the students. (I know this because my own children have on numerous occasions applied tape to their own skin for one silly reason or another, and have attempted to use the tape-over-the-mouth routine to try to silence annoying siblings. It doesn't usually work, but it also doesn't hurt.)

Instead, what she attempted to do was to draw attention to the recurring problem in a way that was both humorous (assumedly to both the offending chatters and the rest of the class) and at the same time demonstrative of the problem and the solution. In the Songbird household, if we discovered that a teacher of one of our "little angels" had to resort to such an action, the entire family would have gotten a good laugh about it. After a little home disciplining was applied to discourage a repeat offense.

But in too many households in today's overly permissive society, parents disdain any actions by teachers or school administrators that might threaten their child's self esteem. And the school administrators seem to agree with such a stance. Not only is classroom discipline expressly forbidden, but many are pushing to remove such atrocities as grades, scores (showing winners vs. losers) in athletic events, and anything else that might set one child above another as a result of effort, talent or intelligence.

Not surprisingly, these same parents who refuse to allow the education system to discipline their kids are all too often the very same ones who seem to rely on the schools to teach morals and values to their children, blaming teachers when their little angels fail to succeed or grow up with major behavioral problems.

Perhaps if more teachers were allowed to apply a little scotch tape in class, our classrooms might be a little more productive and might maintain an atmosphere more conducive to education. I wonder if Ms. Silva would be willing to expend a few strips of that tape to the parents, as well.

Another Delay on Texas Ballots

2006-07-06T12:46:00.000-05:00

Or more accurately, the same DeLay. And his name is Tom.

The Texas Republican Party cannot replace former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay on November's ballot, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks ruled today.

The Texas Democratic Party sued to keep the indicted Sugar Land Republican on the ballot because party officials believed that their candidate Nick Lampson could more easily defeat DeLay instead of a GOP replacement.

Sparks' order prevents state Republican Chairwoman Tina Benkiser from completing the process of naming a DeLay successor.

The entire issue revolves around state and federal election laws, and just exactly where (and when) DeLay's legal residency is established. According to the Statesman, "Under state law, a political party cannot replace a nominee who resigns in mid-election."

State Republicans argued that DeLay had changed his legal residency to Virginia, making him ineligible to run and bypassing the above prohibition, but District Judge Sparks ruled that the U.S. Constitution only specifies the residency requirement as of election day. (Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states that "No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.") And since that date is still in the future, no legal ruling regarding DeLay's residency as of this November's election day can be determined at this time.

Of course, it didn't help that the DeLay family still owns and maintains their "former residence" in Sugar Land, Texas.

Lawyers for the Democratic Party ... noted that DeLay testified his wife was still living at their Sugar Land residence and that they subpoenaed him for his court appearance at that house.

D'oh! Note to DeLay: in the future, please disregard all mail and other correspondence received at former address.

The state Republican Party is expected to appeal Sparks' decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, but if that fails then DeLay will remain on the ballot this November. In that case, let's hope he will actually put forth some effort to campaign. It likely would not take too great an effort for the former House majority leader to beat Democrat Nick Lampson (who does not even live in the disputed House district), but an indifferent showing might tip the scales in the Democrat's favor.

Kentucky Guards the Border

2006-07-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press reported last week that the governor of Kentucky has agreed to send a contingent of the Kentucky National Guard to help patrol the southern border.

Kentucky will send up to 650 National Guard troops to patrol the U.S. border with Mexico under an agreement signed by Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

Fletcher said the soldiers could be deployed by July under a memorandum of agreement with several other states.

Fletcher said the troops will not be permanently used for immigration patrols. "It will be on a rotational basis for a short period of time — maybe for several weeks," Fletcher said. "Then they'd come back and we'd have another group go down."

There is no word yet on whether the Guard troops being deployed will include canine units utilizing the state's prized breed of hunting dogs.

A Rocky Ending

2006-07-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

...to a long, drawn out story. Close one chapter to the Enron saga:

Former Enron CEO Ken Lay has died of a massive heart attack in Aspen.

He was there with his family awaiting sentencing for his fraud and conviction.

According to the Houston Comical, Lay and wife Linda were vacationing at their Colorado property near Aspen when "his heart simply gave out." (Many Houston residents have since expressed surprise and dismay that he even had a heart.) No one in the local or national media seems to be asking the obvious question yet: If the Lays are as broke as they have been whining about for the past year or so, how is it they are still able to vacation in Aspen?

Of course, as recently as six weeks ago Lay was still professing his innocence of the fraud and conspiracy charges.

"I firmly believe I'm innocent of the charges against me,'' Lay said outside the courthouse [immediately following his conviction]. "We believe God is in fact in control and indeed he does work all things for good for those who love the Lord.''

Both men were expected to receive lengthy prison sentences in an Oct. 23 hearing before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake.

Lay had said more than once that he believed he would not spend a day in jail. One has to wonder if perhaps this is not quite what he had in mind.

American Confidence Remains High

2006-06-28T17:50:00.000-05:00

Patriot from A Soldier's Perspective points us to the latest Gallup poll results, which show that American confidence in our military is still riding high:

The 2006 Gallup poll results on public confidence are in and the military is again at the top of the list.

Seventy-three percent of Americans polled from June 1-4, 2006, said they have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the military, according to Gallup poll writer Lydia Saad. [snip]

The military surpassed the police and organized religion, the next highest ranking organizations, by 15 percent. The police and organized religion are the only other institutions rated in the poll that earned a high confidence rating from Americans, according to Saad.

This in spite of the almost endless haranguing by the American media and certain members of Congress and the almost daily depiction of the U.S. military as cold-blooded murderers.

And speaking of Congress, you might wonder just how well that august body performed in this public confidence poll.

Congress earned a confidence rating of 19 percent, while big business earned a confidence rating of 18 percent. In the 2005 poll, Congress and big business were tied at 22 percent.

I would be curious to see just how well certain media outlets fared, especially in light of the latest New York Times treachery.

The Personal Touch

2006-06-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

I've heard of "giving her the finger," but this is going a little too far:

CORPUS CHRISTI - A woman received a severed human finger in the mail along with a threatening letter from her ex-boyfriend that said, "This is my last chance to touch you," police said.

Ewww!

Hat-tip: Lone Star Times

Fighting Terrorism, One Classified Secret at a Time

2006-06-28T11:44:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of The People's Cube.

Back to the Drawing Board

2006-06-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld all but one of the changes made back in 2003 to Texas' congressional districting map.

By a 5-4 vote, the court said the 23rd District in Southwest Texas, represented by Republican Henry Bonilla, was unconstitutional because its design violated the rights of some Hispanic voters. Reshaping the district, a task that apparently now is assigned to federal court in Texas, would force a change in at least one other neighboring district.

But the high court ruling preserved the other districts in the Houston area and elsewhere that were created by the Texas Legislature in 2003. This includes a Dallas-area district whose constitutionality was challenged by black voters.

The "one other neighboring district" that will likely require changes is the 25th District, represented by Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Austin and which currently stretches from Austin to the Mexican border.

I found it interesting that the Houston Chronicle and the Austin-American Statesman seemed to look at the court's decision in two very different lights, as reflected by their headlines:

Chronicle: Most of Texas' redistricting map upheld
Statesman: Supreme Court throws out part of Texas congressional map

Both papers seemed to agree on one point, though: that former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was the evil engineer behind the malevolent redistricting act. The Austin reporter spent almost a quarter of his article on the charges against DeLay, and seemed almost gleeful in his subtle reminder that the redistricting move "indirectly led to [DeLay's] political demise."

Missing in Action

2006-06-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

My apologies for the unanticipated absence. A business trip was unexpectedly extended due to some major design changes that had not been communicated to us. When I realized I would be unable to post for a while I tried to contact my backup blogger to fill in for a few days, but discovered he was out due to a death in the family.

I am back and will resume blogging as schedule permits, while I attempt to catch up with a week and a half worth of email, phone calls, customer complaints and the like.

Rather Not

2006-06-16T11:55:00.000-05:00

Not on CBS, that is.

CBS executives have decided there is no future role at the network for Dan Rather, making it certain that the man who sat in the anchor chair for 24 years will depart by this fall.

Rather, who has been missing from the anchor chair for over a year now, was demoted to the level of "contributor" and "advisor" to CBS' 60 Minutes news team, has been allowed minimal exposure since his highly visible departure. And now it appears the network is finally ready to move on, dropping the formerly high profile anchor like an aging first wife over a newer model with a sexy pair of gams.

The CBS executives hope a dignified exit can be arranged and that Rather can find a second career, perhaps in cable, the sources say. But they also believe that with Couric debuting as anchor in September, the news division needs to move on from the Rather era. And the fallout over his 2004 piece alleging that the Guard had given Bush favorable treatment -- based on documents that the network later acknowledged could not be authenticated -- has been a complicating factor.

Hat-tip to Austin-American Statesman TV blogger Diane Holloway, who is still pining over the loss that America endured when Mr. Rather was forced off the air due to, as she put it, "a poorly sourced story":

Will we ever see Dan Rather on TV again? Or will we just have to catch him ambling through Whole Foods, near his downtown Austin condo?

It's hard to imagine Rather sitting still for long. Sure, he loves to fish and play with his grandkids, but he's too energetic, smart and restless to languish for long. It would surprise no one if he turned up on CNN — or even Fox — and began trotting the globe once again.

I, for one, would be very surprised to see Rather turn up on Fox. It would require an awful lot of conservative counterweight to maintain that "fair and balanced" equilibrium they so proudly espouse.

A Time for Heroes

2006-06-16T11:23:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Lone Star Times editor David Benzion for pointing out this excellent special publication of Stars and Stripes honoring U.S. military heroes and their extreme valor in the war on terror:

For more than four years now, American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have been fighting the war on terror. While politicians and pundits argue the merits and demerits of strategy and prosecution, the military man or woman has been slugging it out, every day, with a foe who is often unseen. [snip]

In this special section, Stars and Stripes ... looks at the deeds that have earned medals of valor for the servicemembers profiled in these stories. Those included stand as surrogates for the thousands of others so recognized.

There are more than twenty servicemen and women featured, and each story is an intriguing look in to the hearts and minds of those heroes who are daily giving their all to shield us from harm. Please take the time to read — and make sure you have time to spend, because once you start reading it is very hard to stop.

You Heard It Here First!

2006-06-13T15:12:00.000-05:00

You may remember that back at the beginning of the year, I made a few pretty wacky predictions. Looking back over that post, I am actually surprised that one or two have been right on the money. Okay, not really, but this one was somewhere in the vicinity:

13. Hurricane season will start off with a bang in early June, prompting Al Gore to say "I told you so." Bill Clinton will come out of retirement to lead Gore's 2008 presidential campaign. The entire former Clinton administration will reunite to [blame] Presidential Bush and Karl Rove for any and all hurricane damage, caused of course by the secret Republican Weather Control Machine.

I know, I know, we aren't supposed to mention the secret weather control machine. But according to this AP story you can see I was on the right track:

As Tropical Storm Alberto threatened to strengthen into the ninth hurricane in 22 months to affect Florida, former President Clinton predicted Monday that Republican environmental policies will lead to more severe storms.

"It is now generally recognized that while Al Gore and I were ridiculed, we were right about global warming," Clinton said at a fundraiser for the Florida Democratic Party. "It's a serious problem. It's going to lead to more hurricanes."

Sometimes I amaze myself.

Hat-tip: Ian of Expose the Left

Oh Canada, Thy Liberal Heart Still Beats

2006-06-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

In spite of the media's wailing and gnashing of teeth after the Conservative Party's recent rise to power, it appears that liberalism is alive and kicking in Canadian politics.

Less than a year after the terrorism attacks in the States took place on September 11, 2001, the Canadian Parliament passed a sweeping Anti-Terrorism Act (much like our own Patriot Act) as a tool to help authorities prevent a similar attack on Canadian soil. Four years later the powers permitted under the ATA were key weapons in the exposure and capture of a cell of radical Islamic would-be terrorists in the Toronto area. And yet Canadian lawmakers are now scrutinizing the ATA, worried that key sections may be considered offensive to some portions of the population.

The federal government is considering changes to the Anti-Terrorism Act to make it clear police and security agents do not engage in racial or religious profiling.

Justice Minister Vic Toews said last night he is troubled by the ATA's definition of terrorism as an offence motivated in whole or in part for a "political, religious or ideological purpose." [snip]

As Justice Minister, he told a Senate committee, he has seen no evidence that in fact the RCMP, CSIS or any other federal law enforcement or security agency has engaged in profiling.

Nevertheless, he fears the motive section "may be at cross purposes to Canadian values" of respect for human rights and equality before the law.

Never mind the Canadian values of personal safety and national security. As pointed out by Robert Spencer of Dhimmi Watch,

Equality before the law does not require willful blindness or tolerance of an imperialist, totalitarian, supremacist ideology.

Unfortunately, that is too often the creed of liberalism, which tends to elevate the comfort and liberties (note that I did not say "rights") of the individual far above the rights, safety and well-being of the society in which they live.

Media Bias, Part 247

2006-06-13T09:56:00.000-05:00

I just love it when the media gets this blatant:

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove listens to questions after his speech on economic policy at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington May 15, 2006. REUTERS/Jim Young

It calls to mind this recent attempt at photographic journalism regarding the vice president.

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling...

2006-06-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

There have been some interesting posts across the blogosphere concerning the news of last week's death of al-Zarqawi. But I have to say, one of the best MSM stories I have yet seen comes from The Boston Herald's Jules Crittenden, who sums it up quite nicely in his op-ed title: That warm, fuzzy feeling when a murderous thug is blown to hell.

A murderous bastard is dead. Who better than the Iraqis to celebrate this.

Sometimes, you just have to stop and smell the roses. We’re in the middle of a very long war. Savor the moment: In this case, it’s that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you learn that a cold-hearted, murderous thug has been blown to hell.

Hat-tip: Those Wacky Iraqis, who was linked to in the Boston Herald piece.

Those EEEE-vil Texas Longhorns

2006-06-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

From the 9-11 Conspiracy Trading Card deck:

Hat-tip: Pat of Brainster's Blog

Opportunity Missed

2006-06-12T11:55:00.000-05:00

CNN reporter Brent Sadler, currently on assignment in Afghanistan, filed this report last week about a recent chance to view the USAF's Predator drones up close and in person:

As I stood talking into a camera on a remote airstrip in Kandahar, a Predator drone circled the sky, putting me into its sights with its high-precision cameras -- and just a trigger away from being turned into the charred remains of a Hellfire missile.

Better luck next time.

Prison: Merciful or Inhumane?

2006-06-12T09:11:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the year, many from the left and members of the American and international media seemed to be somewhat united in their outspokenness about the fate of convicted terrorist collaborator Zacarias Moussaoui. Their opinion? The death penalty is bad — life in prison with no chance for parole is the perfect solution. Reporters anguished in great detail over Moussaoui's chaotic upbringing "in a violent and unstable household." Trial updates for weeks included the defense arguments that rather than execution he should receive "the long, slow death of a common criminal" with life in prison. Columnist Molly Ivins stated what so many of the liberal media seemed satisfied to argue: "Why let this guy have martyrdom and world fame when we could just put him away?"

Only two short months later, they seem to have changed their tune. Over the weekend, it was reported that three of the suspected terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay committed suicide. The liberal media — who so recently praised life in prison as a reasonable penalty — was quick to bemoan the deaths as new American military atrocities and to denounce the imprisonments as cruel and inhumane.

Dispirited and desperate prisoners at Guantanamo Bay look to suicide as a way out of a hopeless situation, and not because they seek martyrdom...

"There is no hope in Guantanamo. The only thing that goes through your mind day after day is how to get justice or how to kill yourself..."

In seemingly unrelated news, charity organizations across Texas have reported record increases in donations of rope.

Fresh from the Garden

2006-06-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

Not to be outdone by the new McFungus Asian Salad, Burger King unveiled its newest all-natural garden salad this week in the Netherlands.

A woman eating at a Burger King restaurant in the Netherlands found a live frog in her salad, the company confirmed Sunday. [snip]

Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad quoted the customer, identified as 23-year-old Astrid Roek, as saying "it was a big black thing, a frog or a toad."

There is no news yet as to when the new menu item will be featured in the Houston area. When it is, expect to hear that old familiar question: "Do you want flies with that?"

This Round's on Me

2006-06-08T12:46:00.000-05:00

I got an email yesterday from an old buddy of mine. Several of us from the old gang still get together for steak and a beer a couple of times a year, and we have plans for this weekend. It turns out his son is home on R&R, and he was wondering if anyone minded if he brought the kid along. I wrote back that we would be honored to have him, "as long as that flyboy doesn't mind hanging around with a bunch of old grunts." (Pete is currently stationed in Europe, but according to his dad has seen Afghanistan from the air more than once over the past couple of years and is somewhat familiar with the aerial view of northern Iraq, as well.)

I woke up to the outstanding news from Baghdad this morning, and immediately fired off another email. Not only is he welcome, but I'll be buying that young man's dinner at Taste of Texas on Saturday. And I can guarantee he won't have to pay for a single drink this weekend.

A Request for Prayer

2006-06-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

Regular readers of The Texas Songbird will want to know about this. I got an email Tuesday morning from Kyle M, who has guest blogged for me on several occasions over the past several months. His mother-in-law has been fighting cancer for about a year now — one of the things that brought us together, as Shebird has been struggling through the same battle — and he sent me the following note:

Yesterday they had to take Tiffany's mom Ethel back in to the emergency room at MD Anderson, the second visit in a week's time. The fluid that keeps building up in her chest is compressing the lungs, and she has been in a constantly increasing struggle just to breathe. We are still in hopes that she will be accepted for the experimental drug study later this month, but if they cannot do something soon I worry that she may not make it that long.

Please be praying for Ethel, and for the doctors who are treating her.

I got a follow-up note from Kyle a little while ago that she was doing better, and might be going back home as soon as this afternoon. The doctors inserted a catheter in order to better control the fluid build-up, but for the foreseeable future she will need someone to move in with her to help take care of her until she is back on her feet and able to regain some independence again. She is not "out of the woods," but is at least moving in the right direction. Their main concern now is that she gets back enough strength to be able to participate in the new chemo drug test.

I would encourage friends and family alike to be in prayer for Ethel and her family in this time of need.

Fat Free, No Calories

2006-06-06T12:07:00.000-05:00

Blogging will be light over the next few days, as I will be tied up in client meetings most of the week. (It's that "OBSCENE PROFITS" thing my fellow LST bloggers keep talking about.)

In the meantime, enjoy the Top Ten list from last night's Late Show with David Letterman:

Top Ten Surprises in Al Gore's Global Warming Movie

10. The role of Al Gore was played by Bruce Willis

9. During summer months, Al and Tipper host nude barbecues

8. Hilarious outtake of Al Gore saying, "Wobal Glarming"

7. It's a musical

6. Refers to Arizona as being "Hotter than Tipper's ass"

5. Claims global warming melted Kenny Rogers' face

4. Blames the crisis on a creepy Albino

3. The scientist who supports all his claims is Al Gore in a mustache

2. Best solution is to contribute heavily to Gore-In-2008.com

1. It felt longer than the Florida recount

Moron Criminal Masterminds

2006-06-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

It has been another hard week for the shady side of the street, as criminal masterminds around the world have learned much to their chagrin.

In Longview, Texas:

An East Texas man [was] killed when a bomb he was making detonated... [snip]

[Assistant Fire Marshal Brian] Howell said Torrence had been looking into his case records on the Internet. He said investigators are not certain of Torrence's intent and do not plan to notify the people they believe he was targeting with the bomb. [snip]

"We don't know for sure," Howell said, "but you don't build pipe bombs before you go to jail for no reason."

Luckily, the local neighborhood watch was keeping a close eye on this repeat offender.

Neighbors previously reported hearing explosions from Torrence's home but didn't report them to authorities.

D'oh!
-------------------------------In Paderborn, Germany:

Thieves broke into a car repair garage in Germany and sliced open the roof of a convertible being worked on, but had to abandon their night-time robbery when the vehicle wouldn't start.

Police said the engine was missing — being repaired in a separate part of the garage...

Another proud product of German engineering.
-------------------------------Near Tokyo, Japan:

A would-be Japanese bank robber asked staff how he should carry out the crime before meekly obeying a request to leave and then accidentally stabbing himself in the leg with a knife he was carrying. [snip]

...[T]he man first asked a bank teller, "Any idea how you rob a bank?" The teller alerted another member of staff, who asked the man to leave.

"He left quietly when asked to," the police spokesman said.

However, the staff member escorting the man out of the bank noticed the knife sticking out of his pocket and a bloodstain on his trousers.

They're such a quiet, respectful people.
-------------------------------In Ogdensburg, New York:

A man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly stealing seven calves from a Canton farmer, sheriff's deputies said.

Victor R. Gardner, 22, is accused of squeezing seven of the young cattle into the back seat and trunk of a 2000 Dodge Neon. He is charged with third-degree burglary and third-degree grand larceny.

Cattle rustlin', Yankee-style.
-------------------------------But the real mastermind didn't get caught! From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

Brazilian police are investigating how an accused drug kingpin wanted by the authorities dropped by a local prison to take part in a sermon last week and left through the front door.

Alberico Medeiros spoke during a Pentecostal sermon in front of 480 inmates about his years as a drug trafficker, how he used drugs, carried guns and had a huge gang of cutthroats at his command. He says he has since become religious and has abandoned his criminal ways.

Medeiros, who has spent time in Rio de Janeiro's maximum security jail, faces trial on 12 counts of trafficking and other unlawful activities.

I wonder if his confessional sermon can be used against him in a court of law.

A Sea of Red

2006-06-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

We all remember the highly effective imagery of the political maps showing the vast plains of red stretching across the nation after the last two presidential elections. Wouldn't it be nice to see such a sea of red stretching across the workplace, restaurants, and elsewhere around town — this time in a solid show of support for our troops?

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record-breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.

Many Americans, like you, all our friends, and me simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday — and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV — let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red, much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers. Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday.

We live in the land of the free, only because of the brave.

THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED — SO WEAR RED EVERY FRIDAY!

May God help America to become one nation, under God.

'Stros Wars: A New Hope?

2006-05-30T17:04:00.000-05:00

Breaking news from Newsday.com:

Roger Clemens is making yet another comeback with the Houston Astros, Newsday has learned. An announcement is expected as soon as today.

Clemens, 43, has signed a one-year deal that is believed to be worth about $3.5 million per month, which will probably equate to about $10.5 million for the season, depending on when exactly he returns to action.

Is it true? Can there be real pitching once again at Minute Maid Park? Not so fast, reports the Houston Comical:

Roger Clemens may very well be ready to announce he'll play this season, but Astros owner Drayton McLane and general manager Tim Purpura were still waiting today. [snip]

...McLane and Purpura said they were surprised because they were still waiting for an answer from Clemens' agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks.

"We've been standing by," McLane said. "Tim or I have talked to him every two or three days. They haven't given us a decision. They haven't said a word to us about it. That's complete news to me. We haven't finalized the deal yet nor has he told us. Boy that's total news to us."

Hopefully it's only a breakdown in communications somewhere in the Astros main office. (Like that's never happened before.)

Maybe Papa Clemens can whoop those young'uns in the Houston bullpen back into some semblance of shape, and breathe a little life back into the club.

Jimmy's Against English

2006-05-30T10:52:00.000-05:00

What a surprise, eh? Just last week, President Peanut voiced his opinion on the issue of amnesty for illegal aliens. Now he has left the farm again in opposition to naming English as our official language.

Loony Liberal Carter is against English being the official language of the USA, because the USA has not had an official language before. He ignores that ... in Georgia, English is already the official language of the state. It's bad enough that he embarrasses this state as a former governor turned President, but now he claims the Federal government doing what has been done in his own home state for years is a bad idea.

The Independent Conservative goes to on express a point to the official language debate that many of those crying "racist" do not seem to recognize:

It's a common sense idea, because it prevents the government from having to make translated copies of documents for every language under the sun. And with all the non-English speakers already here in Georgia, we see it never hurt them much. But it does save the state money. As it would everyone if enacted at the federal level.

Here in Texas, we have already experienced this multi-lingual expense. In Harris County at least, all information pertaining to voting — including ballots, multi-media presentations, eSlate voting machine displays, et al — are currently provided in three languages: English, Spanish and Vietnamese. There has been talk in the past of expanding that to include Chinese (Mandarin) and one other European language, either French or German.

To see the multi-language issue gone to an extreme, we have only to look slightly northward. Canada has found itself in an expensive mess, as political activists years ago forced the Canadian government to require all official writings — from government documents to road signs and other public notices — to be displayed in both English and French, even though English is used by the vast majority of the nation's citizens. The one exception is the state of Quebec, which requires signs and notices to be posted in French only — to hell with the rest of the country.

New Rash of Global Warming

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

Global warming is once again the culprit, according to the latest scientific studies:

Another reason to worry about global warming: more and itchier poison ivy.

The noxious vine grows faster and bigger as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, researchers reported on Monday.

And a carbon dioxide-driven vine produces more of its rash-causing chemical, urushiol, concluded experiments conducted in a forest at Duke University where scientists increased carbon dioxide levels to those expected in 2050.

So if anyone survives the increased storms and devastating floods to be caused by global warming, they better beware — poison ivy is out to get us all!

When I Grow Up

2006-05-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

Last Friday evening, we attended the "graduation ceremony" of my nephew, who has just finished kindergarten at a local Montessori school. The program for the ceremony included a section entitled "When I grow up...", in which each of the soon-to-be first graders wrote a simple sentence describing their dreams for the future.

As would be expected of six-year-olds, the results were a humorous mix of the mundane and the unexpected. Sometimes you can tell right away how much imagination and motivation these future leaders will have. This year's batch of dreamers included the usual suspects:

"I want to be a teacher." — Megan

"I want to be a ballerina." — Emily

"I want to be a veterinarian." — Zoe

"I want to be a doctor." — Nicholas

"I want to be a mom." — Alina

"I want to be an astronaut." — Nicolas

"I want to work at Build-A-Bear and be a nurse." — Olivia

"I want to be a pilot." — Hayden

"I want to be an artist." — Jasmine

"I want to work at the zoo and take care of the animals." — Camryn

"I want to count money, like my mom." — Evan

"I want to be a princess." — Allyson

"I want to be a paleontologist when I grow up." — Isbah

Of course, there is always one dreamer who is ready to reach for the unobtainable, and this class was no exception:

"I want to be a grown-up." — Ernestina

'Attagirl, Ernestina! Reach for the stars!

As the man once said, "Kids say the darnedest things!"

The Hijacking of Memorial Day

2006-05-30T08:23:00.000-05:00

Lone Star Times contributor Owen Courrèges reports this morning on a disgusting new development from the bowels of Louisiana.

If one need proof that I was correct about Memorial Day being hijacked, you need look only to a headline in the New Orleans Times Picayune today: "A SEPARATE GRIEF: Memorial Day takes on new meaning: remembering the victims of Hurricane Katrina."

[Soldiers] only receive one mention in the entire piece — "Memorial Day is meant for soldiers. But in New Orleans on Monday, a city grieved for the dead of the storm."

In today's liberal media-driven culture of anti-military and anti-Americanism, I suppose this should not surprise me. But it does, and it hurts as well. This is far more than simple political correctness. As has previously been done removing the celebration of Christ from Christmas (or Winter Holiday), they are now trying to rewrite the purpose of this special day, on which we honor those brave men and women who have given their lives in the service and protection of our country.

As Owen states:

It is proper and fitting for those New Orleanians who lost family, friends, and loved ones to mourn their passing. Memorial services are wholly appropriate. But I feel it is highly disrespectful to try and hijack Memorial Day for any other purpose besides honoring soldiers who gave their lives, especially when we've seen nearly 2,500 die over the past few years in Iraq.

This is the equivalent of going to a friend's funeral, and using the opportunity to eulogize your mother who died recently, because you’re still broken up about it. It's completely out of place, and you shouldn't be surprised if people resent the act in spite of your own heartfelt loss.

I have to wonder just how many others in New Orleans actually felt that resentment, or expressed it to their city leaders.

Memorial Day

2006-05-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

In this place where valor sleeps, we are reminded why America has always gone to war reluctantly: because we know the costs of war.
—Pres. George W. Bush at Arlington Cemetery, May 29, 2006

Quote of the Day

2006-05-27T14:50:00.000-05:00

No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.
—Ronald Reagan

In Memoriam: The Name in the Stone

2006-05-27T13:10:00.000-05:00

In honor of Memorial Day, and of his uncle who gave the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, blogger Gerard Van der Leun of American Digest posts this moving story of his family's loss and his own journey to maturity.

...[M]y grandfather rose from his chair and walked to the middle of the hallway. He took a framed photograph off the wall where hung next to a framed gold star. It had been in that place so long that I'd stopped seeing it.

My grandfather walked back to the table and very gently handed me the photograph. It show a smooth-faced handsome young flyer with an open smile. He was dressed in fleece-lined leather flying jacket and leaning casually against the fuselage of a bomber. You could see the clear plastic in the nose of the plane just above his head to his right. On the picture, was the inscription: "Folks, Here's my new office! Gerard."

My grandfather stood behind me as I looked at the picture. "You are not Gerard. You just have his name, but you are not him. That's my son. That's Gerard. If you don't mind, we will continue to call you Jerry in this house. If you do mind, you don't have to come here any more."

Hat-tip: Pat of Brainster's Blog

In Memoriam: Heroes Unaware

2006-05-27T11:41:00.000-05:00

In honor of those who have gone before, giving all that we may live in freedom.

Heroes Unaware
by Mark A. Wright

I first saw him on a park bench
I've seen him every day
Sitting in a shady grove
Where my children come to play
Sometimes he feeds the birds and squirrels
Or whittles little toys
Sometimes he just sits and smiles
At the laughing girls and boys
And I never paid him any mind
'Till one day just this year
I noticed that he wore a frown
And on his cheek ... a tear.

Well I asked him why he seemed so down
He looked up, began to say
I lost half my friends 60 years ago today
He told me of the terror
As he fought to reach dry land
By the time the beachhead was secure
Half his friends lay in the sand

That was just in one long day
He fought on for 4 years more
And the 60 years from then to now
Have not dimmed His sights of war

He said they have reunions
Just to keep in touch and share
And for each comrade who has gone on
They leave an empty chair

Well, His park bench has been empty now
About 6 months or so
And if I'd never took the time
Then I never would've known
That sitting on that simple bench
With bread crumbs and little toys
Was a man who gave his all
To guarantee my daily joys

So give thanks to all the men and women
Who're still here or have gone before
And made the highest sacrifice
In both Peace time and in War
Because they bought our freedom
Paid their own blood, sweat, and tears
Then endured the heartache of those empty chairs
For all these years

So please do not ignore them
Or speed by without a care
'Cause you never know
When you might pass by
A hero, unaware

You can find more Memorial Day themed poems, prayers, speeches and essays at this site.

Out of the Storm

2006-05-26T09:03:00.000-05:00

As I am sure most of us do, I receive dozens of funny (and some not-so-funny), interesting, and even inspirational emails from friends, relatives and readers every week. Many I get more than once. It is rare that I will post any of those emails here, but this is one that I just felt I should share.

Unfortunately, I have no idea who the original author of this modern-day parable is.

There was once a man who didn't believe in God, and he didn't hesitate to let others know how he felt about religion and religious holidays.

His wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to also have faith in God and Jesus, despite his disparaging comments.

One snowy eve, his wife was taking their children to service in the farm community in which they lived. They were to talk about Jesus' birth. She asked him to come, but he refused.

"That story is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to come to Earth as a man? That's ridiculous!"

So she and the children left, and he stayed home. A while later, the winds grew stronger and the snow turned into a blizzard. As the man looked out the window, all he saw was a blinding snowstorm. He sat down to relax before the fire for the evening. Then he heard a loud thump.

Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see more than a few feet. When the snow let up a little, he ventured outside to see what could have been beating on his window.

In the field near his house he saw a flock of wild geese. Apparently they had been flying south for the winter when they got caught in the snowstorm and couldn't go on. They were lost and stranded on his farm, with no food or shelter.They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles,blindly and aimlessly. A couple of them had flown into his window, it seemed.

The man felt sorry for the geese and wanted to help them. The barn would be a great place for them to stay, he thought. It's warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and wait out the storm. So he walked over to the barn and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open barn and go inside. But the geese just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice the barn or realize what it could mean for them.

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some bread, broke it up, and made a bread crumb trail leading to the barn. They still didn't catch on.

Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward the barn, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward the barn. Nothing he did could get them to go into the barn where they would be warm and safe. "Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm?"

He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human.
"If only I were a goose, then I could save them," he said out loud. Then he had an idea. He went into barn, got one of his own geese, and carried it in his arms as he circled around behind the flock of wild geese.

He then released it.! His goose flew through the flock and straight into the barn — and one-by-one,the other geese followed it to safety. He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier replayed in his mind: "If only I were a goose, then I could save them!"

Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"

Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the
geese — blind, lost, perishing. God had His Son become like us so He could show us the way and save us.

As the winds and blinding snow died down, his soul became quiet and pondered this wonderful thought. Suddenly he understood why Christ had come.

Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm. He fell to his knees in the snow, and prayed his first prayer:

"Thank You, God, for coming in human form to get me out of the storm!"

With Friends Like These

2006-05-26T07:52:00.000-05:00

If this doesn't convince skeptics that the president's "immigration reform" bill is bad for our country, I don't know what will.

Former president [Jimmy] Carter, a Democrat and frequent critic of President Bush, sees eye-to-eye with him on immigration.

Carter on Wednesday called the Republican president's commitment to immigration reform "quite admirable," saying he agrees with Bush's support of a system that would eventually grant citizenship to some illegals.

'Nuff said.

The Real Brains of Enron

2006-05-25T15:50:00.001-05:00

I remember hearing the phrase "the smartest guys in the room" bantered about a few times during the trial of former Enron chiefs Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling.

I'm not buying it. They were caught and convicted.

On the other hand, this guy has to have been the smartest man in the company:

Lou Pai is the real mystery man in the Enron scandal. A former executive of the energy trading firm, he cashed in an estimated $270 million in stock and left the company before it collapsed, divorced his wife, married an exotic dancer, bought an enormous piece of Colorado, sold it and then disappeared into obscurity.

I have a feeling Lay and Skilling wouldn't mind a little obscurity right about now. Or the exotic dancer, for that matter.

Down Memory Lane

2006-05-25T15:42:00.001-05:00

As most of the nation has by now heard, former Enron CEOs Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling have been found guilty in the jury trial that ended in Houston today. (Sentencing is set for September 11.)

Lay was convicted on all six counts against him in the trial with Skilling. Skilling was convicted on 19 of the 28 counts against him, including one count of insider trading, and acquitted on the remaining nine.

Lay was also convicted of bank fraud and making false statements to banks in a separate trial non-jury trial before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake related to Lay's personal banking.

What many across the country may not be aware of is that Ken Lay was involved in a far more dastardly scheme, years before the 2001 collapse of the energy giant:

...[I]n 1994, [Sheila] Jackson Lee (serving her third term as a member of the Houston City Council) defeated incumbent Congressman Craig Washington in the Democratic primary for the 18th Congressional District of Texas; a victory which assured her the seat itself, as the district is overwhelmingly Democratic. Washington had previously made powerful enemies, namely Houston's downtown power brokers (such as then-Enron Chief Kenneth Lay), by voting against congressional bills favoring NAFTA and NASA...

Irked by [what] they perceived as Washington's overt and aggressive liberalism, Lay and other conservatives first convinced then Councilwoman Jackson Lee to run against Washington, then put their sizable deep pockets behind her and her campaign, even though she was a Democrat.

Get a rope.

Another Step Backwards

2006-05-25T14:58:00.002-05:00

According to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the Senate took another step backwards today in the fight against terrorism.

Senator Chuck Grassley today said the Senate failed to pass an amendment that would help break down the barriers of information sharing between federal agencies. The amendment, sponsored by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, would have allowed the Department of Homeland Security to share information about illegal aliens who receive amnesty if they were connected to national security or criminal investigations. The underlying bill says that if an illegal immigrant applies for amnesty, the federal government cannot use information provided in the application for anything but adjudicating the petition. This provision was one of Grassley's "Top 10 Flaws" that he outlined in a press release Tuesday.

Here is Grassley's statement on the failed vote.

"This provision in the bill is a serious flaw. National security is at risk because some believe that illegal aliens deserve unlimited privacy. But, it ends up handicapping the federal government while it tries to protect the American people. Since September 11, we have made information sharing one of our top priorities. The failure of the Senate to pass the amendment takes us backwards in our fight against terrorism."

Remember that the individuals targeted by this immigration reform bill include all illegal aliens, not just those who have poured over the southern border. This also includes those who have overstayed expired student or work visas.

Top 10 Flaws with Immigration Reform Bill

2006-05-25T14:28:00.002-05:00

As discussed today by Rush Limbaugh, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is standing strong against the Senate's version of the immigration reform bill:

Sen. Chuck Grassley today said the immigration reform bill being debated in the U.S. Senate is riddled with loopholes and flaws. During a speech on the Senate floor, he outlined for the American people nearly 30 flaws within only two sections of the bill.

"I was burned once in 1986 when I voted for amnesty believing that it would solve our problems. Now, we have a 12 million illegal immigrant problem. I'm not getting burned again," Grassley said. "Not only do we have a glide path to citizenship, but it's a glide path with plenty of loopholes that don’t meet the common sense test."

Grassley's Top 10 Flaws with Amnesty and Guest Worker Portions of the Senate's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill:

$2,000 fine — Under the bill, an illegal alien can go from illegal to legal by paying a small fine of $2,000. ...
Taxes — ... The bill would treat lawbreakers better than the American people. ...
Security Clearances in 90 days — ... This is a national security concern because Homeland Security will be pressured to complete these checks without doing a thorough job.
Work Requirements — ... [T]he bill ... allows illegal aliens to ask anybody to attest that they have been employed. This invites fraud, and the government cannot realistically investigate all these cases.
Confidentiality — Under the bill, if an illegal alien applies for amnesty, the federal government cannot use information provided in the application for anything but adjudicating the petition. ... This provision severely handicaps national security and criminal investigators. Also, if a federal agent does use information provided by an illegal alien in an application for amnesty the agent would be fined $10,000. This is five times more than the alien has to pay to get amnesty.
Social Security to illegal aliens &mdash Under the bill, illegal aliens are not prohibited from getting credit for the money they've put into the Social Security system if they've worked in the U.S. illegally. ...
Employers get a tax pardon for hiring illegal aliens — ... Businesses that hired illegal workers would now get off scott-free from paying the taxes that they owe the government. ...
Family Members of H-2 Visa Holder need not be healthy — Under the bill, spouses and children of H-2C visa holders are exempt from a requirement proving that they meet certain health standards. ...
Mandatory Departure isn't really Mandatory — Under the bill, the Secretary of Homeland Security may ... waive the departure requirement if it would create substantial hardship for the alien to leave.
No Interview Required — Under the bill, illegal aliens in the 2nd tier who are required to leave the country can re-enter the United States on a visa. However, the bill does not require these individuals ... to be interviewed. ... Today, the State Department requires most applicants to submit to interviews, and waives them only for children and the elderly.

See Sen. Grassley's web site for his complete discussion of each point.

In Defense of Free Speech

2006-05-25T10:25:00.001-05:00

...but only when it fits their purposes.

It will probably come as no surprise to many to hear that the ACLU, that bastion of free speech, is not quite so tolerant when it comes to speech about its own policies and positions.

The American Civil Liberties Union is weighing new standards that would discourage its board members from publicly criticizing the organization’s policies and internal administration.

"Where an individual director disagrees with a board position on matters of civil liberties policy, the director should refrain from publicly highlighting the fact of such disagreement," the committee that compiled the standards wrote in its proposals.

"Directors should remember that there is always a material prospect that public airing of the disagreement will affect the A.C.L.U. adversely in terms of public support and fund-raising," the proposals state.

Given the organization's longtime commitment to defending free speech, some former board members were shocked by the proposals.

Unfortunately, they may have been the only ones shocked by this news. One former board member remarked, "I can't think of anything more contrary to the reason the A.C.L.U. exists." (Hat-tip: Stop the ACLU)

But the ACLU is not the only one employing double standards on he subject of free speech. The Independent Conservative reports that after weeks of spreading information (and misinformation) and working hard to stir up community and nationwide animosity toward the Duke University Lacrosse Team members accused of raping an "exotic dancer," the NAACP just yesterday reversed course when they announced plans to seek a gag order in the case.

From the group that had no problem running around in the media, now they want to keep the defense out of the media.

Gag order sought in lacrosse case

DURHAM — A lawyer with the state NAACP said the civil rights organization intends to seek a gag order in the Duke lacrosse case, and a journalist who participated in a forum with him on Wednesday said media coverage of the alleged rape may deprive the alleged victim of her legal rights to a fair trial.

Al McSurely, an attorney who chairs the Legal Redress Committee for the state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he generally respects the defense attorneys in the case as colleagues. But they are violating the State Bar's rules of professional conduct that discourage comments outside court that are likely to prejudice a case, he said. [snip]

Of course the NAACP had no problems with information in this case going to the media when it was anything that favored the stripper accuser.

Interestingly enough, political figures such as Jesse Jackson and the NAACP have worked hand in hand with some members of the media to prejudice the case against the defendants. However, as more and more evidence appears to exonerate the accused students, the urgent call is suddenly made to suppress information being distributed to the public.

Race for the Borders

2006-05-24T16:18:00.001-05:00

I still do not think the president's plans for Guardsmen on the southern border — defined as "supportive roles only" — is nearly comprehensive enough, but I must admit I am impressed with the swiftness with which the implementation has begun.

The first wave of about 800 National Guard soldiers will head to the U.S-Mexico border as early as next week, including planners and leadership personnel who will stay longer than the planned 21-day missions, the National Guard chief told lawmakers Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Steven Blum said 200 soldiers are preparing to go to the four border states — California, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico — around June 1. He said the initial troops will be part of a longer-term force of project managers who will stay on the job over time to provide continuity in the new border program.

Homeland Security officials again stated that the Guardsmen will be armed for personal defense, but that they "would not do significant law enforcement duties"; rather, their supportive role would be to provide "engineering, road and fence building, transportation, logistics and surveillance and reconnaissance" for Border Patrol agents. I trust, however, that they their deployment orders would allow them to "defend themselves" if encountering any armed Mexican military incursions.

UPDATE: Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, gave the following report to members of the House Armed Services Committee today:

"This limited, temporary deployment will not adversely affect operational readiness or DoD's ability to conduct the global war on terrorism, nor hinder the National Guard's ability or capacity to aid their states in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency," Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said in his prepared remarks. The maximum 6,000 National Guard members to support the mission represent just 2 percent of the Guard force, Blum noted. That number, even when added to the 71,000 National Guard members currently deployed in support of the war on terror, "still leaves a pretty robust inventory of over 350,000 citizen soldiers" to respond to hurricanes and other natural disasters, he said.

McHale told committee members the border-security mission will track closely with the counternarcotics mission the National Guard has been conducting along the southwest border for more than two decades. "The difference is the size of the force, and the commitment of resources will be far greater than anything we have done in the past," he said.

Black Republicans Stand Strong - UPDATED

2006-05-24T15:37:00.001-05:00

UPDATED: Added new link to FOX News feature on Lynn Swann.

Black Republican candidates seem to be doing well in this year's anti-incumbent fervor:

Lynn Swann to take on incumbent in Pennsylvania gubernatorial race

Kenneth Blackwell wins GOP nomination for Ohio governor

Blackwell already making fiscally conservative impact on Ohio legislature
Blackwell's campaign site — I love this picture from his campaign blog

Michael S. Steele stands strong in bid for U.S. Senate seat

Steele stands strong against gay marriage
Steele enjoys support from former President Bush (41)
Steele's campaign site, including this message from Martin Luther King Day
Steele faces racial attacks from Democrats

Racial Profiling on the Border

2006-05-24T15:15:00.001-05:00

Once again, political correctness runs amok:

Worried about possible racial profiling in El Paso County, a South Texas lawmaker has asked Gov. Rick Perry to specify how the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition is permitted to spend nearly $10 million in border security grant money. [snip]

[Sen. Juan] Hinojosa expressed concern that people are being detained in both the roadblocks and the raids on a hunch that they "look" illegal. He said some residents have even complained that they were asked for a Social Security card as a tactic to figure out whether they were illegal immigrants.

This is almost as ridiculous a complaint as those who railed against the government when Arab males were being searched at airports in an attempt to detect radical Islamic terrorists.

What's Good for the Ganso

2006-05-24T12:29:00.000-05:00

When it comes to the subject of U.S. policies on illegal immigration, you have to wonder just how sly this Fox really is:

Kicking off a four-day, three-state tour [of the United States], Mexican President Vicente Fox said Tuesday that his nation wants to be part of the solution in the immigration debate, not the problem. [snip]

Earlier in the day, at a lunchtime speech to about 500 business, civic and religious leaders, Fox stressed the need for greater cooperation between his country and the U.S. on such issues as trade, energy and security.

According to Fox's official spokesman,

... one purpose of the trip is "to promote the immigration reform that is now being discussed in the United States Senate."

In recent months, the Mexican president has decried the exploitation of and discrimination against those of his countrymen who are in our country illegally, constantly pressuring the U.S. Congress and President Bush to move America "closer toward the [Mexican] government's goal of 'legalization for everyone' who works in the United States." Now he is pushing that agenda harder than ever as he speaks across our own nation, with plans to address a special session of Congress in Washington today.

Interestingly enough, what is good for the goose apparently is not quite so important for the gander:

"Even as Mexico presses the United States to grant unrestricted citizenship to millions of undocumented Mexican migrants, its officials at times calling U.S. policies 'xenophobic,' Mexico places daunting limitations on anyone born outside its territory. In the United States, only two posts -- the presidency and vice presidency -- are reserved for the native born. In Mexico, [nonnatives] are banned from those and thousands of other jobs, even if they are legal, naturalized citizens."

"Foreign-born Mexicans can't hold seats in either house of the Congress. They're also banned from state legislatures, the Supreme Court and all governorships ... And Mexico's Constitution reserves almost all federal posts, and any position in the military and merchant marine, for 'native-born Mexicans.' Recently, the Mexican government has gone even further. Since at least 2003, it has encouraged cities to ban [nonnatives] from such local jobs as firefighters, police and judges."

And while amnesty proponents and the American media so often denounce opponents as having racist intentions toward those who have been pouring over our borders in recent years, this AP report also documents a seemingly racial undertone among the citizens of Mexico, targeted at those who enter their own country illegally.

Speaking of the hundreds of thousands of Central Americans who enter Mexico each year, chauffeur Arnulfo Hernandez, 57, said: "The ones who want to reach the United States, we should send them up there. But the ones who want to stay here, it's usually for bad reasons, because they want to steal or do drugs."

J. Michael Waller, of the Center for Security Policy in Washington, documents that the Mexican goes even farther in its double standards on immigrants [PDF format]:

In brief, the Mexican Constitution states that:
Immigrants and foreign visitors are banned from public political discourse.
Immigrants and foreigners are denied certain basic property rights.
Immigrants are denied equal employment rights.
Immigrants and naturalized citizens will never be treated as real Mexican citizens.
Immigrants and naturalized citizens are not to be trusted in public service.
Immigrants and naturalized citizens may never become members of the clergy.
Private citizens may make citizens arrests of lawbreakers (i.e., illegal immigrants) and hand them to the authorities.
Immigrants may be expelled from Mexico for any reason and without due process.

Fortunately, American lawmakers do not rely on foreign law in enacting the laws of our own nation. Unfortunately, however, it appears they are beginning to listen to the will and whim of foreign leaders in determining exactly what those laws should be.

Under the Table, Above the Law

2006-05-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I just have to shake my head in wonderment.

If you or I happened to be observed by police in the middle of the night, "traveling at a high rate of speed in a construction zone and also swerving into the wrong lane of travel" with no headlights on, and then failed to stop when pursued by the officers until "finally stopping after colliding head-on with a vehicle barrier" — I would dare to speculate that we would be promptly cuffed, charged and carted off to spend the rest of the night in the local hoosegow. Unless our name happened to be Rep. Patrick Kennedy, in which case we would be offered a ride back home with no charges, no breathalyzer test, and a free "Get Out of Trouble" card issued by the national media the next morning. (Lucky for us, Capitol Police spokesmen have reassured the nation that "the Capitol Police remain committed to impartial and fair enforcement of laws and impartial and fair treatment of all citizens.")

If you or I happened to slug a uniformed policeman who was in the course of performing his sworn duty, I would expect we would quickly find ourselves face down on the ground with a knee in the small of our back and a loaded gun or two pointed in our general direction, and at the very least would be serving a few hundred hours of community service as punishment for our actions. Unless our name happened to be Rep. Cynthia McKinney, in which case we would play the race card against the actions of the white cop and then offer a half-baked apology. ("I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all and I regret its escalation and I apologize.") Oh, and don't forget the "Get Out of Jail Free" card, courtesy of the U.S. Constitution.

If you or I happened to have been caught taking illegal — or, at the very least, unethical — campaign contribution funds, we would have found ourselves indicted by Ronnie Earle or some other prosecutorial office. Unless our name happened to be Senate minority leader Harry Reid, in which case we would hit the weekend political shows decrying the "culture of corruption" of our political enemies; or Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Speaker Dennis Hastert, Sen. Tom Daschle, Rep. Richard Gephardt, or one of dozens of others who either made a show of giving the money back or simply flew under the radar hoping that only the bigger fish would be fried.

If you or I happened to be caught — on video, no less — taking $100,000 in cash bribes, I am sure we would have found our houses and offices being searched and ourselves under indictment. Unless our name happened to be Rep. William Jefferson, in which case ... well, okay, he did have his house and office searched by FBI agents, who found $90,000 of that cash hidden away in Jefferson's freezer. On the other hand, the man is claiming innocence and has no plans to resign from his seat on the prestigious House Ways and Means Committee, and has every intention of continuing his run for reelection to the House in his home state of Louisiana. Jefferson even found a sort of support in his troubles from an unlikely source: the Republican Congressional leadership, who are very vocally taking exception to the FBI raids.

Republican leaders, who previously sought to focus attention on the Jefferson case as a counterpoint to their party's own ethical scandals, said they are disturbed by the raid. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said that he is "very concerned" about the incident and that Senate and House counsels will review it.

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) expressed alarm at the raid. [snip]

"Insofar as I am aware, since the founding of our Republic 219 years ago, the Justice Department has never found it necessary to do what it did Saturday night, crossing this Separation of Powers line, in order to successfully prosecute corruption by Members of Congress," he said. "Nothing I have learned in the last 48 hours leads me to believe that there was any necessity to change the precedent established over those 219 years."

I find it hard to believe that the founding fathers, who were sick and tired of the abuse of power and legal exemptions and immunities exploited by the English ruling class over the Americans and the common man, intended for those very same sorts of privileges to be used and abused by our own "citizen legislators." As they once said,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...

Perhaps this November it will be time to alter this government in the best way possible, by voting to rid ourselves of some of these incumbents who seem to have forgotten that their job is to serve and protect the people of this great nation, rather than to be served and rewarded by the taxpayers who elected them.

Deep Thoughts from the Deep Woods

2006-05-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have really enjoyed reading the Lufkin-based blog of The Pine Blogger, the newest contributor to join the ranks of Lone Star Times. This Friday morning post is just one great example of the thoughts of this East Texas blogger, and it puts into words the feelings and frustration that many of us often feel when confronted by liberals or the unapologetic bias of the American media:

Because of my Christian faith, I often struggle with how far to take my blogging and opinions.

I have been called a "proselytizing bigot" because I believe the Bible calls for marriage to be between a man and a woman.

I have been asked how I reconcile Jesus' teachings concerning loving and helping one another when I want this country to enforce its immigration laws.

I have been told several times that it's "un-Christian" of me to criticize Cynthia Hall Clements' opinion columns that bash conservatives and the religious right.

Does being a Christian mean "sitting down, shutting up, and letting everyone walk all over you?"

Unfortunately — at least in the eyes of the mainstream media and much of the rest of the world — that is all too often exactly what it means.

Separation of God and Change

2006-05-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

The principal of Liberty Elementary School in Colleysville, Texas, had a difficult decision to make. Run the risk of offending a small handful of people, or change the image on the school's yearbook. He did the second, but not quite in the way you might think:

The cover of the Keller ISD school's annual depicts the 2005 Liberty Nickel — complete with the face of Thomas Jefferson — but the words "In God We Trust" are missing.

Instead, the $16 yearbook contains a sticker with the credo and directions on how to apply it to the cover if the owner chooses.

Apparently school administrators were much more worried about political correctness than they were about manipulating the image of U.S. currency.

Aren't you glad we have such fine examples and role models shaping the minds of our children?

Hat-tip: The Pine Blogger

Black Republicans Stand Strong

2006-05-19T15:47:00.000-05:00

Black Republican candidates seem to be doing well in this year's anti-incumbent fervor:

Lynn Swann to take on incumbent in Pennsylvania gubernatorial race

Kenneth Blackwell wins GOP nomination for Ohio governor

Blackwell already making fiscally conservative impact on Ohio legislature
Blackwell's campaign site — I love this picture from his campaign blog

Michael S. Steele stands strong in bid for U.S. Senate seat

Steele stands strong against gay marriage
Steele enjoys support from former President Bush (41)
Steele's campaign site, including this message from Martin Luther King Day
Steele faces racial attacks from Democrats

HPD Mobile Crime Unit Pays Off

2006-05-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

The Houston Police Department's new mobile crime unit, known as U-Net (for Unified Neighborhood Enhancement Team) is making a real impact on neighborhood crime. For example, just last night it was parked...

... across the street from an apartment complex where three shotgun-carrying robbers held up three men at 3:30 a.m. One of the men was beaten.

The crime victims spotted the mobile police unit and ran there for help.

U-Net had only been parked in that location for about 12 hours when the crime happened. [snip]

The gunmen got away with jewelry, money and a car stereo.

Apparently the fact that the highly visible HPD-RV was sitting just outside did not make much of an impact on the perpetrators, and the officers on duty inside the unit somehow failed to notice the "three shotgun-carrying robbers" nearby.

The big money quote from the news report:

The mobile unit was launched as a high-profile deterrent to crime in high-crime areas.

I hope HPD kept the receipt.

Hat-tip: Owen Courreges of LST

Debunking the Da Vinci Code

2006-05-19T14:08:00.000-05:00

With the new movie being released nationwide this weekend, The Da Vinci Code is the hot topic once again. KSEV's Edd Hendee spoke in length this morning about the movie and its lies and mistruths. His guests for the hour long segment were a professor (I am afraid I did not get her name) from the University of St. Thomas and pastor Ben Young of Second Baptist Church, who provided the following excellent review that was posted on Lone Star Times this morning:

Was Jesus Married?
No. There is neither biblical nor extra-biblical evidence, including the Gnostic writings, that Jesus was married. Both conservative and liberal scholars as well as historians agree that Jesus was celibate. And even if Jesus had been married, it would not in any way have negated his deity.

Who Was Mary Magdalene?
Jesus cast seven demons out of her when he first met her. From that moment on, she was a devoted follower of Christ and, along with a few other women, helped support his ministry. Mary was an eyewitness to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and was the first person Christ appeared to after the resurrection. Nowhere in the bible or in any other historical references is she referred to as his wife or as having any special relationship to Jesus other than as one of his devoted followers.

Did Constantine invent the deity of Christ?
No. The New Testament disciples worshiped Jesus as divine. The early church worshiped Jesus as divine. The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus was ancient history (250 years old) by the time Constantine was in power.

Did early Christians worship Jesus as divine?
Yes. History records that the early church recognized and worshiped Jesus as fully God and fully man. This truth is well recorded in the works of the early church fathers. To name a few: Justin Martyr, Origen, Tertullian, and Irenaeus.

Is the New Testament Reliable?
Yes. The New Testament books are well documented and historically verifiable. They are both internally and externally reliable. Each of the books was linked to eyewitness accounts of apostles. They all date back to the first century, with the very latest book having been written within only 60 years of Christ’s life. In such a short amount of time, there would be many still alive to refute or verify the claims. To put it into perspective, think WWII. There are still many people alive who can check the facts on that war because they were there. The truth of the matter is, many books in the New Testament were written a mere 30 years from Christ’s life. We’re talking Watergate now. Information in the gospels has also been cross-referenced with secular historical accounts, and the gospels have proven consistent and reliable.

Is the premise of The Da Vinci Code self-contradictory?
Yes. Dan Brown’s two main points actually contradict each other. His conclusion is that we should worship Mary Magdalene, whom he refers to as the "sacred feminine" because she was married to Jesus, he claims. However, his earlier argument was that Jesus was not divine. If Jesus was not divine, then why would we worship Mary Magdalene for being married to a regular guy, Jesus the carpenter?

Good Resources
http://www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com/
Breaking the Da Vinci Code by Darrell L. Bock, Ph.D.

Prophecy or Publicity?

2006-05-18T13:48:00.000-05:00

I recently heard an excellent sermon by Dr Ed Young, pastor of Houston's Second Baptist Church, in which he talked about the prophets of the Bible and self-proclaimed modern prophets. Dr Young made an excellent point that, according to God's Word, true prophets are accurate 100% of the time, while it only takes one "miss" to expose a false prophet. He also warned of using the phrase, "God told me..." God prompts, leads, guides and directs us in many ways; but it is very rare that God speaks directly to his human creations in that "still small voice" with which he directed his chosen prophets.

So I must admit that I look on this bit of news with more than a little trepidation:

In another in a series of notable pronouncements, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson says God told him storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year. [snip]

Robertson said the revelations about this year's weather came to him during his annual personal prayer retreat in January.

"If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms," Robertson said May 8. On Wednesday, he added, "There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest."

Rev. Robertson is certainly not the first to predict hurricanes and massive storms this year, and I expect there are few who would question such expectations after the hard-hitting hurricane seasons of the past few summers. But to maintain that such predictions were received directly from God is — in my humble opinion — to swim in very perilous waters.

This has always been one of the biggest problems that I have with televangelists claiming to have received special messages from God, or "hearing" their viewers' prayer requests as they pray online. Many of them deal in generalities that are seemingly designed to be either self-fulfilling or impossible to contradict: "God sent/is sending a storm to punish New Orleans/America/this world," or "I hear the woman praying for healing in her marriage."

Be careful where you seek the truth. God's true Word is always the best place to start.

UPDATE: Welcome to Houston Chronicle (chron.com) readers, and thank you to Mr. Silverman for the link! Please feel free to peruse the rest of The Texas Songbird while you are here. Enjoy!

A Soldier's Perspective

2006-05-18T00:17:00.000-05:00

I try to scan through my list of favorite blogs on a weekly basis when at all possible, just to see what some of my favorite bloggers are reporting and writing about. One of these, A Soldier's Perspective, is quickly becoming more of a daily read. Blogger CJ has recently opened his site to allow other soldiers and marines the ability to post about their experiences. In his own words, he has transformed the site "into a multi-soldier, multi-marine forum."

One example of the quality blogging coming from this site is this narrative, originally written by Lt Col Mike Strobl, of his recent duty as a casualty escort. I dare you to try to keep a dry eye as you read the Colonel's report.

Chance Phelps was wearing his Saint Christopher medal when he was killed on Good Friday. Eight days later, I handed the medallion to his mother. I didn't know Chance before he died. Today, I miss him.

Over a year ago, I volunteered to escort the remains of Marines killed in Iraq should the need arise. The military provides a uniformed escort for all casualties to ensure they are delivered safely to the next of kin and are treated with dignity and respect along the way.

Thankfully, I hadn't been called on to be an escort since Operation Iraqi Freedom began. The first few weeks of April, however, had been a tough month for the Marines. On the Monday after Easter I was reviewing Department of Defense press releases when I saw that a Private First Class Chance Phelps was killed in action outside of Baghdad. The press release listed his hometown — the same town I'm from. I notified our Battalion adjutant and told him that, should the duty to escort PFC Phelps fall to our Battalion, I would take him.

[Continue reading "Taking Chance"]

It is a long read, but well worth the time. I would suggest making A Soldier's Perspective one of your regular sources for news and information, from the soldiers' perspective.

You've Been Warmed: The Storms Are Coming

2006-05-17T17:34:00.000-05:00

As "An Inconvenient Truth" — former Vice President Al Gore's new movie about climate change — gets ready to debut across the nation, global warming is once again a hot news topic everywhere you look. A new report by the Earth Institute at Columbia University warns of dire consequences in the coming months and years.

New York at high risk of flooding from climate change

[A] recently published study by researchers from The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the International Institute for Environment and Development suggests that as much as 10 percent of the world's population is vulnerable. In particular, the authors have found that many large cities face risks posed by rising sea level and increased storm intensity. [snip]

Ten percent of the world's population lives in coastal areas that are less than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level, reports Balk and her colleagues. Although they only comprise about 2.2 percent of the world's land area, these low-elevation coastal zones (LECZs) are home to 600 million people. In addition, about 360 million people in LECZs live in urban areas which means that more people will be exposed to hazards such as sea-level rise and storm surges — phenomena that are expected to worsen as a result of global warming.

And some scientists are once again pointing an accusing finger at human civilization for the woes of the planet.

Experts: Global warming behind 2005 hurricanes

The record Atlantic hurricane season last year can be attributed to global warming, several top experts, including a leading U.S. government storm researcher, said on Monday.

"The hurricanes we are seeing are indeed a direct result of climate change and it's no longer something we'll see in the future, it's happening now," said Greg Holland, a division director at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Holland told a packed hall at the American Meteorological Society's 27th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology that the wind and warmer water conditions that fuel storms that form in the Caribbean are "increasingly due to greenhouse gases. There seems to be no other conclusion you can logically draw."

Of course, as we have seen so many times in the past, one man's "no other conclusion you can logically draw" is another scientist's "I haven't the foggiest notion where you are coming up with that!" Scientists in the United Kingdom are reporting that "climate change might have little to do with anything humans have done." And science writer Tom DeWeese documents that there are plenty of scientists and experts whose research contradicts Holland's assertions.

You hear it everywhere. Global Warming is a fact. It is here. It is now unstoppable. The Polar Ice Cap is melting. Polar Bears are endangered. Greenland is actually turning green! Hurricanes are blowing with more force. Tornadoes are growing in numbers. Water levels are increasing, threatening to flood New York City. Human existence is threatened. And, of course, the deserts are starting to burn. We are assured that scientists are in near total agreement with the assessment. [snip]

Global Warming has become a euphemism for a political agenda. There is Socialism, Capitalism and Global Warmingism. It has become a religion run by fanatics reminiscent of the leaders of the darkest days of the Inquisition that nearly destroyed civil society only a few hundred years ago. We are not to question the great god of Global Warming. Those who do are separated from civil society and labeled as heretics.

So how can anyone question the decrees handed down from the Ivory Towers to the unwashed masses? Answer: every religion has its heretics.

The simple truth is there is no scientific consensus on Global Warming. In fact, as the media frenzy screams global warming, there are a growing number of scientists who are expressing their doubts.

The truth about the hurricanes is that during the past 35 years, the average number of "significant" tropical cyclones in the southern regions, including the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Indian Ocean, is about 28.5 storms per year. The breakdown by decade is: 1970s - 32.9; 1980s- 27.8; 1990s - 29.1; and the 2000s, so far - 25.0 It is interesting to note that so far in the 2000s the numbers are actually below average. Even if one calculates just the last ten years it only amounts to 28.5 — well within the average.

The fact is, researchers are now looking into Hurricane Katrina to determine its true strength. It is currently listed as a category 4 storm. But will probably be downgraded to a category 3. It is important to remember that the disaster of New Orleans was a result of bad government not taking care of the levies. There was relatively little actual hurricane damage.

And speaking of hurricanes, Colorado State University's Dr William Gray predicts another busy hurricane season this year. Or maybe not. But probably so.

The Colorado State University team led by Dr. William Gray, a pioneer in forecasting storm probabilities, said it expected 17 named storms to form in the Atlantic basin during the six-month season, which officially begins on June 1.

Nine of the storms will strengthen into hurricanes, with winds of at least 74 mph, the team said, reaffirming an early prediction made in December and updated to include current trends like the La Nina weather phenomenon, cool Pacific waters and an abnormally warm Atlantic. [snip]

Gray's predictions are valued by companies but their accuracy can be difficult to gauge because they are revised regularly as a season progresses.

The Colorado State team, for example, initially predicted 13 storms for 2005 and raised the forecast in May last year to 15. It wasn't until August 5 — almost halfway through the season — that Gray increased the prediction to 20 storms. In the event, 2005 saw a record 27 named storms, of which 15 became hurricanes.

-------------------------------------------
On a side note, humans have at least been cleared of culpability in these tragic events, all of which scientists link directly to global warming:

So if humans are not to blame for all this global warming, I wonder what could be the cause?

A tip of the hat to Pat of Brainster's Blog for some of the links.

Just a Reminder

2006-05-16T11:02:00.000-05:00

...to those who continue to call for withdrawing American troops from Iraq. We did that once before, now we are back. This guy says it better than I ever could:

Sadr City is what Luke Stricklin sings about in his song "American by God's Amazing Grace." Imagine having to patrol this. Imagine having to live in this. Imagine trying to raise children in this. I feel a lot like Luke does. Let's do this right, finish the job, and leave it orderly so our sons don't have to come back over here to finish what Saddam started back in the 1980s and we are trying to clean up now.

Sure, we have slums in America but the difference is that anyone in an American slum can get out and rise above it by simply obeying the rules and working hard enough. These people will never have that kind of opportunity if we pull up and leave now. This job is half over. Just like any major project, the toughest part is the back side of the bell curve. We are well into it.

The Wild Kingdom

2006-05-16T09:48:00.000-05:00

Somebody call PETA!

But They ARE Criminals

2006-05-16T08:29:00.000-05:00

If there are two things that bother me the other side of the debate on the illegal immigration issue, they are: (1) the constant claim by "undocument workers" (read illegal aliens) that "we are not criminals," and (2) the inevitable comparison made between the plight of illegal immigrants and the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

This morning on the radio, I heard the "we are not criminals" quote three times on different news broadcasts, so I was already "stewing in my juices" (as Pops likes to say) a little by the time I got to work. When I checked email, the very first note I read was from longtime reader Daffyd Sperling, who from time to time makes it his mission to find items in the news that he thinks will provoke me. Today, he is batting 1.000.

This morning's Sacremento Bee reports on newly proposed laws being considered in San Bernardino, California, that would far outshine any reforms the national government will even consider.

A proposal that would impose sweeping restrictions on the ability of illegal immigrants to live and work in the city will be put before voters after the City Council refused to adopt it.

The proposal would prohibit landlords from renting to undocumented people, force day laborers to prove legal residency to work, ban taxpayer-funded day-labor centers, mandate that city business be in English and deny permits to businesses hiring illegal immigrants.

Impressive, to say the least, especially coming from the Left Coast and an area where "nearly half of residents are Hispanics." Note that the article does not distinguish between legal, voting residents and illegals. But might be expected, the writer feels obligated to play the whine card:

Councilman Rikke Van Johnson cited his upbringing in Alabama as he denounced the measure.

"In Alabama, you knew who the Klan were. They openly paraded around in sheets," Johnson said. "In California, racism has taken on a more covert approach. Here they wear suits, they have Web sites and they use initiatives to spread their message of hate."

Roberto Arreola, 30, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, addressed the council before the decision.

"We are not criminals and it doesn't make sense for the city to pass a law against us," said Arreola, speaking in Spanish with a translator.

What these people do not seem to understand is that they are criminals, or at the very least lawbreakers. They are in this country illegally! The only reason states and cities are even considering such "sweeping restrictions" is because for years now the federal government has refused to enforce laws that are already on the books.

And I will never understand the claims of widespread racial discrimination such as this city councilman is making. I expect that San Bernardino, as do cities across this country, has plenty of examples of Hispanic American citizens that have succeeded in business and the community. No one is proposing that American citizens of Hispanic descent should be discriminated against or treated as second class citizens; or if some extremists are, they are few and far between, and their views are not supported by the general populace. These laws and restrictions are aimed not at a racial group, but a group of lawbreakers — people who have shown a total disrespect and disregard for our country's laws.

And while I do not remember ever hearing of blacks donning white sheets and joining with the cross-burners back in the 1960s and before, I have heard, seen and even met example after example of Hispanics — both those who were born and raised in America and others who have become citizens through the legal naturalization process — who have joined their voices in opposing both the unstemmed influx of illegal immigrants and the idea of granting amnesty to those already here.

UPDATE: I had thought this was an original piece from the Sacramento Bee; it turns out it is actually an Associated Press article picked up across the country, including by the Washington Post. — Songbird, 9:38 am, 5/16/2006

Living in a Dream World

2006-05-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

Except that this dream is just too horrible to even consider...

"I'm not a real president, but I played one on TV."

Pic of the Day

2006-05-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

Just a little too close for comfort...

Austin Caters to Illegals

2006-05-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

According to some family members living in the Austin area — who, by the way, lean politically much to the left of center — a large majority of Austin citizens still are not very happy with the city's open-arm policy of "undocumented workers" (read illegal aliens). Even the residents of this liberal bastion seem to understand what our so-called "conservative" leadership does not.

In Austin's case, one of the biggest complaints locals have is over the city-sponsored "day labor center," which serves as a sort of headquarter for day laborers — the vast majority of whom are reportedly illegal aliens — to meet up with potential short term employers. The center is taking up thousands of dollars of the city's already swollen budget, and residents around the existing center (and the nearby Home Depot that serves as an alternative gathering place) are not happy with the people it draws into their neighborhood.

The city spends about $253,000 a year to lease the property and staff the current day labor center, [Health and Human Services Directory David] Lurie said. The converted bus station averages 150 to 200 workers per day, with 60 percent to 70 percent getting jobs, he said. [...snip...]

Workers have complained about the bureaucracy of the center, where jobs are assigned through a lottery system, and many have bypassed it to wait for work near the Home Depot at I-35 and St. Johns Avenue, bringing complaints from nearby residents.

So city leaders have finally come up with a solution for the growing problem: build a second center!

City of Austin officials are looking on the south side of town for a site for a second day labor center.

"When the first day labor center opened, we always envisioned it as a start, but we were never going to have just one site," Assistant City Manager Michael McDonald said.

When I got into the office this morning, I was met with a phone message and two emails from my cousins Marcus and Anthony, who both live in Austin. Apparently the report of the new center was the talk of the town this weekend, and the talk is already beginning to get ugly.

On a side note, I found it very interesting that the Austin-American Statesman article never once makes reference to the fact that these day labor centers are used primarily by illegal immigrants, referring instead simply to "workers." Apparently this newspaper shares the view of our own Houston Comical that as long as they do not say or report on it, then it must not be true.

White Supremacy in the Democratic Party

2006-05-13T17:56:00.000-05:00

Racial hate-mongering is alive and well in the Democratic Party, and anyone who thought Senator Robert Byrd (former Exalted Cyclops of the KKK) was an anomaly should probably check out this man:

A Democratic candidate for Alabama attorney general denies the Holocaust occurred and said Friday he will speak this weekend in New Jersey to a "pro-white" organization that is widely viewed as being racist.

Larry Darby concedes his views are radical, but he said they should help him win wide support among Alabama voters as he tries to "reawaken white racial awareness" with his campaign against Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson.

[...snip...]

Darby, founder of the Atheist Law Center and a longtime supporter of separation of church and state, ... also has publicly advocated legalizing drugs and shooting all illegal immigrants.

In their defense, Alabama Democratic Party officials began looking into the candidate just last week (although Darby has been campaigning long enough that an April poll showed him trailing the other Democratic Primary candidate by only nine percentage points). The big money quote from state Democratic Chairman Joe Turnham:

While the party supports the free-speech rights of any candidate, Turnham said some of Darby's views appear to be in "a realm of thought that is unacceptable."

"We have Holocaust survivors and families of Holocaust survivors here in Alabama, and many of them are members of the Democratic Party," said Turnham.

Hat-tip: Gateway Pundit

Kick 'im When He's Down

2006-05-13T13:34:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite weekly reads, the Anchoress, has sworn off writing and reading about politics, at least for the summer. But in her "farewell address" on the subject, she says a mouthful!

I just have to ask all of you people — on every side — who have decided that immigration is one man's burden, and that every good thing President Bush has done is to be negated because he hasn't snapped his fingers and done what YOU think is the solution to the immigration problem...what did Clinton do about immigration, what did Bush 41 do? What did St. Reagan do? What did Carter do? What has any president, congressperson or senator done about immigration for the last 30 years, except kick the issue down the road for someone else to deal with?

Reagan, if you remember, was the amnesty president. Clinton was the "borders? What's borders, everyone is our pal" president.

Lots of bills that were ignored by past presidents, particularly during our "vacation from history," have come due on Dubya's watch. The whole world seems to be coming due on his watch, and damn him for not handling everything perfectly. What a loser, eh? And it's easy to kick a guy when he's down, isn't it?

While I have to admit that I am not pleased with President Bush's outspoken reluctance to deal with this issue the way I want him to deal with it, the lady has a point! And she goes on to list and detail several of those points that have "come due." A very good read, as always, from Our Lady of Conservatism.

Racial Discrimination by Georgia Police

2006-05-13T12:56:00.000-05:00

FOX News yesterday highlighted an interesting story of racial discrimination — with a twist — by Georgia's Dekalb County police.

Police union officials released an audio recording Thursday purportedly containing the voice of [Assistant Police Chief] R.P. Flemister, who is black.

On the tape, Flemister is heard asking someone: "Have you ever thought about why I ain't promoted them nine on the list right now ... because seven of them are white."

As The Independent Conservative points out, this is an area where you would expect people to have a heightened awareness of and lower tolerance for such inequality.

Dekalb County, Georgia is mostly Cynthia McKinney's US House Congressional District. (Georgia’s 4th Congressional District.) Given this is the home of such a “freedom fighter”, who “stands against racism”, “stands against discrimination” and “stands against racial profiling”. You would think people in her district would never discriminate against anyone. OK, I’m being sarcastic. In reality, the actions of lower level officials in Dekalb County are simply a reflection of the higher level representatives, elected by a majority of voters in that county. Oh but let a Black person cry racism and they will ensure there are lights and cameras on the scene! Protest marches and candlelight vigils, demanding everyone resign and be charged with Civil Rights violations. When a White is the victim, silence!

Interestingly enough, none of the usual suspects (including Ms. McKinney, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Joseph Lowery, et al) have jumped in front of the cameras to decry this bigotry. In fact, the only county official raising an outcry is the lone white Republican on the seven member Board of Commissioners.

On a side note, I must commend FOX News for not using the label of "reverse discrimination" that is so often applied to such stories. Racial discrimination is the same, no matter what color the perpetrator or victim happen to be. True reverse discrimination is in reality the reverse, or the lack, of discrimination. And in spite of the racial baiters, true reverse discrimination is continuing to break out and flourish all over this great nation.

Quote of the Day

2006-05-12T16:12:00.000-05:00

I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.
—Ronald Reagan

In Poor Taste

2006-05-12T16:03:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year again. The NBA play-offs are in full swing, and O.J. Simpson and his white Ford Bronco are back in the news.

In a scene from his new candid-camera program "Juiced," O.J. Simpson pulls a prank involving the infamous white Bronco, drawing criticism from the family of a man he was accused of killing.

As part of the pay-per-view show, Simpson pretends to sell the Bronco at a used car lot and boasts to a prospective buyer that he made the vehicle famous, according to a segment aired Thursday on "Inside Edition."

"It was good for me - it helped me get away," Simpson said, referring to the slow-speed, televised police chase that preceded his 1994 arrest on charges of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

Once again, the Juice flaunts his poor taste for all the nation to see. Does he not realize that such a stunt can only feed the pain that still lingers from that vicious act twelve years ago? Every time Simpson's name is mentioned I, like so many Houston Rockets fans, still feel the agony of having to watch that excruciating "chase" scene that preempted the Rocket's drive to the NBA Finals. That memory still burns in the deep, dark recesses of my mind.

Just think how the families of Simpson's real victims must feel.

New Hope on the Illegal Immigration Front

2006-05-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

As the Minutemen rallied today near the U.S. Capitol, they were joined by a man who just might light a new ray of hope in the hearts of American citizens fearing for their country. According to a FOX News report:

John Clark, a congressional liaison for the American Immigration Control Foundation, a nonprofit research and education group, told supporters near the Capitol that illegal immigrants marching in the streets "should be rounded up and deported." There have been mass protests throughout the country in recent weeks in opposition to tougher illegal immigration enforcement.

"We have to get this under control," Clark said. "This is the occupation of the United States of America by a foreign country. We have to put a stop to it."

Many may remember the clandestine Mr. Clark from his previous exploits battling the drug trade in Baltimore, rescuing downed American soldiers from the jungles of Columbia, working under cover for the CIA in both Russia and China, and leading the world's first and foremost international anti-terrorism unit. If he says he will put a stop to illegal immigration, you can bet it will happen.

And don't be surprised to see Jack Bauer getting involved as soon as he wraps up the Russian mob and those responsible for Palmer's assassination.

Bush Making Moves Toward the Borders?

2006-05-12T09:52:00.000-05:00

This morning during my drive in to work, I listened to KSEV's Edd Hendee talk with Congressman John Culberson about the president's stand on illegal immigration. Rep. Culberson said that he and the entire Texas Republican delegation have met with a number of White House staff, culminating in a meeting yesterday morning with Carl Rove, to express Texans' outrage over the lack of leadership and involvement by the president on this critical issue. He told Hendee's listeners that "the president has woken up and has heard our message" and is (finally) making moves in the right direction to deal with the influx of illegal aliens across our borders.

One of the things they were told yesterday by Rove, and which was reported this morning by the Associated Press, was that President Bush has asked the Pentagon to find a way to legally use the military to secure the border with Mexico.

In back-to-back moves this week, the Pentagon began exploring ways to lend support at the southern border, while the House on Thursday voted to allow the Homeland Security Department in limited cases to use soldiers in that region.

At the Pentagon, Paul McHale, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, asked officials to offer options for the use of military resources and troops — particularly the National Guard — along the border with Mexico, according to defense officials familiar with the discussions.

[...snip...]

"The Texas delegation is very concerned about the border and are pushing urgency," said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who joined other Texas Republicans in a meeting with Rove this week. He said Rove was "very forthright" about border projects that Homeland Security is starting up, its current projects and what the needs are.

Rep. Ken Marchant, R-Texas, who also attended the meeting, said the lawmakers left "very encouraged."

According to a FOX News this morning, Congress is actively pursuing this same goal:

The House voted 252-171 to allow Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to assign military personnel under certain circumstances to help the Homeland Security Department perform border security.

Culberson also mentioned that he asked Rove about the reports of Mexican army incursions and stories of armed Mexican mercenaries entrenched on U.S. hilltops just inside the border, using satellite communications to relay Border Patrol movements to smugglers and coyotes. When Rove initially scoffed at the notions as silly rumors, Culberson said he pulled out the U.S. Border Patrol-issued wallet card he received from a USBP agent detailing what to do when confronting an incursion by armed Mexican military personnel. According to Rep. Culberson, that ended the conversion rather quickly.

When asked about this week's media reports about the Border Patrol tipping off the Mexican government about the locations and activities of Minutemen volunteers, Culberson's mood darkened noticeably. He told Hendee this was one of many questionable Homeland Security practices and issues that were being investigated, and he expected Congressional hearings would be started soon on a whole host of problems. According to Culberson, "The deeper you dig into Homeland Security, the worse it gets."

UPDATE: Media outlets are reporting that President Bush has scheduled an address to the nation for ~~tonight at 9:00 pm (CDT)~~:

Amid a clamor over illegal immigration, President George W. Bush will make his case for a comprehensive overhaul of U.S. immigration law on Monday night in a prime-time Oval Office address, the White House announced on Friday.

UPDATE #2: Okay, so the real day and time of the president's address is Monday at 7:00 pm (CDT). Apparently I need a refresher course in second grade math and reading...

If We Only Nude Then

2006-05-09T16:06:00.000-05:00

Faith and Action is a nonprofit Christian organization whose mission is "to reintroduce the Word of God into the public debate surrounding legislation and policy matters." Based in Washington DC, Faith and Action has been on the front lines of many of the recent political battles over such issues as the Marriage Amendment and displaying the Ten Commandments on public property.

I recently received the following note from Rev. Rob Schenck, President of Faith and Action:

In just a few weeks, Faith and Action will install a beautiful sculpture of the Ten Commandments in front of our Ministry Center across the street from the US Supreme Court.

Why is this a great challenge? Because the liberal left-leaning District of Columbia government (separate from the federal government) doesn't want us to install this sculpture. They say the Ten Commandments will offend federal workers — including some of the Supreme Court justices across the street!

When I pointed out that a building near our ministry center has a life-sized nude statue in front of it, a District of Columbia official said if I were installing a nude statue it wouldn't be a problem! Nude statues don't concern anyone, he claimed, but the Ten Commandments may offend many people!

This statue is to be installed on private property in front of the organization's headquarters, yet they have already been threatened with bureaucratic red tape and even possible lawsuits from the politically correct police.

There is something very, very wrong in this nation right now.

The Two Faces of the Mainstream Media

2006-05-05T17:36:00.000-05:00

Face #1:
Representative Patrick Kennedy, son of famed teetotaler Edward Kennedy, held a press conference today (click to see the video) to explain the bizarre circumstances behind his auto accident early Thursday morning. As did his father before him, Kennedy seems to have weathered the storm and gained sympathy in the eyes of the media with his confession of addiction and depression.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy said Friday that he will enter a rehabilitation program after crashing his car on Capitol Hill a day earlier.

"I know that I need help," the Rhode Island Democrat said at an afternoon press conference, detailing what he called a long-term struggle with depression and addiction.

"I struggle every day with this disease, as do millions of Americans," Kennedy said.

In spite of the circumstances surrounding the incident, Kennedy was driven home without taking a breathalyzer test, and no charges are pending.

The report said that when [Capitol Police Sgt. Kenneth] Weaver approached Kennedy, he noticed that his "eyes were red and watery, speech was slightly slurred, and upon exiting his vehicle, his balance was unsure."

[...snip...]

[Officers on the scene were instructed] to drive Kennedy home. His car had been damaged, police said.

"I think he was extended a courtesy by virtue of his position," union President Lou Cannon told CNN.

A life of privilege and position has served this family well.

Face #2:
Last week, a deal was made between conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and prosecutors in West Palm Beach, Florida. Back in 2003, authorities began investigating Limbaugh on charges of doctor shopping and prescription drug addition, predicated by allegations printed in the National Enquirer. CNN has this to say about the matter:

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. (Watch to see who was the 'winner' in this deal-- 3:54)

[...snip...]

Before his own problems became public, Limbaugh had decried drug use and abuse and mocked President Clinton for saying he had not inhaled when he tried marijuana. He often made the case that drug crimes deserve punishment.

[...snip...]

Limbaugh reported five years ago that he had lost most of his hearing because of an autoimmune inner-ear disease. He had surgery to have an electronic device placed in his skull to restore his hearing. But research shows that abusing opiate-based painkillers also can cause profound hearing loss.

Media reports this week seemed extremely disappointed that Limbaugh will not be rotting in prison.

Alone Against the Pork Fest

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

Imagine being a Muslim at a luau or a Georgian barbecue — nothing but ham as far as the eye can see. What do you do? Everything you can to cut the pork, if you ask Senator Tom Coburn:

The Republican senator from Oklahoma has spent the past week trying to remove pet-project "earmarks" that his colleagues have added to an emergency spending bill -- and the earmarks are winning, big time.

Yesterday morning, he was out on the Senate floor demanding to know why the emergency legislation -- for Iraq, Afghanistan and Gulf Coast hurricane recovery -- includes millions of dollars for Hawaiian sugar growers.

He stepped out for a break on a Senate balcony and pointed to the work on the Capitol Visitor Center, which may get another $27 million in emergency spending. "That's another one!" he fumed.

After lunch, he returned to the Senate floor to try to kill earmarks for a defense contractor, a study of shrimp and reef fishery profitability, aircraft that weren't requested by the Pentagon and other items in the groaning, $106.5 billion spending package.

Other pork items on the menu for this emergency spending bill:

post-hurricane rebuilding of a Northrop Grumman facility in Mississippi (even though the repairs would otherwise be covered under the corporation's insurance policy)
$176,000,000 for a retirement facility in Mississippi
$11,000,000 for riverbank erosion control on California's Sacramento River
a driver's license facility in Georgia
a profitability study for the shrimping industry
compensation for losses due to a red tide outbreak in New England

The earmark-engorged Senate spending bill is $14 billion more than the White House requested and the House passed. So far, Coburn has succeeded in cutting just $15 million of the $2.6 billion he has tried eliminating.

Senators scratch each others' backs: You vote for my earmark, I'll vote for yours.

But the iconoclastic Coburn knows the value of symbolism. (He went through the Capitol metal detector yesterday like an ordinary citizen even though he doesn't have to.) With his 19 amendments to the spending bill, Coburn is trying to embarrass senators so that they think twice before trying audacious earmarks in the future.

Unfortunately, the congressional back-scratching won out. All but one of Coburn's amendments were soundly defeated, and the pork barrel spending bore on. Or boar on, as the case may be.

So much for political conservatism in the Republican-led assembly.

Breaking News: Business Tax Stalls in Texas Senate

2006-05-02T14:32:00.000-05:00

This just in: at least one Republican was willing to cross the line and make a last minute stand against the governor's new tax bill.

Senators this afternoon failed to get the votes they needed to bring up House Bill 3, the business tax overhaul that appears to be on the fast track to the governor's desk.

Senate rules require support from twothirds of the senators (21 members) to bring up a bill. Today, a measure to bring up House Bill 3 for final passage received only 20 when Sen. Mike Jackson, R-LaPorte, raised two fingers, signaling his "no" vote.

Jackson had voted to bring the bill up on Monday, when it passed.

As the Austin-American Statesman reporter notes, this "setback" — or reprieve, depending on your point of view — may only be temporary. While there is no word yet as to why Mr. Jackson changed his mind, you can bet Perry and Dewhurts will be applying the pressure. Jackson apparently received a summons to the principal's office immediately following the vote:

After the vote, Jackson spoke with several colleagues before walking toward Perry's office with a Perry aide. He declined comment.

Do Not Pass Go

2006-05-02T09:24:00.000-05:00

For over 70 years, Hasbro's popular Monopoly game has led the market in sales and family fun. This year the game maker is updating its long familiar neighborhoods with new parcels of property from major cities around the United States, and they are asking for help in picking these landmarks.

Houston was picked as one of the 22 U.S. cities to be represented on the new game board, with the following three sites available for the voting.

Johnson Space Center currently holds a commanding lead, with about a week and a half left to vote. (Click on any of the images above to make your choices. You can vote for your favorite landmark in any or all of the selected cities, once per day through May 12.)

One final note — I thought it was interesting that the Kemah Boardwalk was one of the top three choices for the Houston area, but it is represented by a picture of the Downtown Houston skyline.

Jose, Can You See?

2006-05-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

Sunday's offering from Cox & Forkum, cartoonists extraordinaire: