Tell Me Again, Which Side is Full of Racists

Liberals (especially when losing an argument) like to call conservatives racist while ignoring the obvious racism in their policies and positions. Occasionally, they will say what they really think. Here is liberal extremist Bill Maher:

"I thought when we elected a black president, we were going to get a black president. You know, this [BP oil spill] is where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting with the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt where you can see the gun in his pants. That's -- (in black man voice) 'we've got a motherfu**ing problem here?' Shoot somebody in the foot."

Yet, that clown will be one of the first to call others racist for having different point of view.

Here is a link to the video (if you can stomach watching).

Congressman Sestak, Were You Lying Before OR Are You Lying Now?

During the run up to his primary challenge to Sen. Arlen Specter, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) stated that the Obama administration offered him a job in the administration if he would give up his run against Specter. This became an issue when people realized it is a felony to offer compensation to induce someone to quit a race. Since people realized his original claim amounted to an accusation of a crime, both Sestak and Obama spokeman Robert Gibbs have been evasive at best when asked about the situation. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) has been pushing the issue hard for the last month or so. Yesterday, President Obama held his first actual press conference in close to a year and he was asked about Sestak's claim. Obama did his best Nixonian self-finding of no personal wrongdoing and said a full report will be forthcoming shortly. Today, a report was issued which mostly refuted Sestak's claim that they attempted to bribe him to get him out of the race. Basically the report (here's a link) says former president Bill Clinton talked with Sestak and recommended he drop out of the race for the good of the party and told him that if he wanted to stay in government service he could be appointed to some executive branch advisory board position. The memo makes a point to clarify that the advisory board positions are uncompensated (no pay). Now Sestak is saying "Yeah, sure that's about right."

Nope. Doesn't pass the smell test. This guy is a congressman trying to get a job as a senator. In other words he makes $174,000 and looking to keep making that kind of money. You don't convince him to drop out of a race with an offer of an unpaid board position. My guess is he was offered something more substantial (ambassadorship or a cabinet position) and this memo specifically modified that to an unpaid position to sanitize the crime.

Bottom line, I don't think the initial act was all that out of the ordinary in DC. The underlying crime is now less important than the cover up. Integrity should matter to voters and both the administration and Sestak have shown they are lacking in that department. Will Pennsylvanians care?

Reporters should continue to attempt to get Sestak to answer whether he was lying months ago or if he is lying today. My guess is reporters will buy the administration's spin on this and quietly move on to other matters.

An American Hero Lost - Rest in Peace - LT John Finn

Our nation lost a great man yesterday as John Finn took his last breath. You may not have heard about Finn as culturally we tend to mainly celebrate singers, actors and athletes. However, we would be better off if our children got to know about men like Finn as much as Miley Cyrus or LeBron James.

John Finn enlisted in the Navy in July of 1926 and by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor he was a seasoned Chief Aviation Ordnanceman. On Sunday 7 December 1941, Finn was at home when a neighbor alerted him that he was needed at his squadron. From his Medal of Honor citation this is what followed:

“ For extraordinary heroism, distinguished service, and devotion above and beyond the call of duty. During the first attack by Japanese airplanes on the Naval Air Station, Kanoehe Bay, on 7 December 1941, Lieutenant Finn promptly secured and manned a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on an instruction stand in a completely exposed section of the parking ramp, which was under heavy enemy machine-gun strafing fire. Although painfully wounded many times, he continued to man this gun and to return the enemy's fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention. Following first-aid treatment, although obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty, he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised the rearming of returning planes. His extraordinary heroism and conduct in this action were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

Finn fully recovered and returned to duty with a bombing squadron onboard USS Hancock (CV-19). After the war, he remained on active duty retiring as a Lieutenant in 1956.

I met Finn a couple of times where he was the guest of honor or speaker at Navy balls or Dining-outs. Despite his past heroics he was a modest and unassuming man. He did not like being labeled a hero and would respond with this comment:

"That damned hero stuff is a bunch crap, I guess. [...] You gotta understand that there's all kinds of heroes, but they never get a chance to be in a hero's position."

Finn turned 100 years old last July. A life well lived. Thank you for your service Lieutenant Finn and may you rest in peace.

IYAOYAS!

Rest in Peace - Art Linkletter

Art Linkletter passed away today at 97 years of age. Linkletter is best known for a skit he did at the end of his show called "Kids say the Darnedest Things."

C. S. Lewis on Progressivism

Liberals have taken to using the word "Progressive" as a self-descriptive rather than liberal as liberal has fallen out of favor in recent decades. However, I don't think progress always means what they believe it does. Liberals are of a mindset that all change is progress. I, of course, disagree. Here is a quote from C. S. Lewis regarding the concept of progress:

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.

If you apply that thought to our political landscape you will realize that in many cases actions and policies espoused by the left are not progressive at all as they are not leading us any place we should want to go.

Book Review/Recommendation

I just finished a book that I would recommend to anyone with a thirst for history. The book is The Last Founding Father - James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness by Harlow Giles Unger. When I read a non-fiction book, particularly biographies, my hope is that the tome will add to my existing knowledge and cause me to reassess my opinion of the subject. The Last Founding Father definitely meets that requirement. Each year around President's Day a theme on the internet will be to rank the presidents. Usually Washington and Lincoln vie for the top of the list followed by Jefferson, Reagan, the two Roosevelts and so on with James Buchanan almost universally ranked last. Monroe would often get lumped in the second ten with the likes of Eisenhower, Polk, John Quincy Adams, etc. After reading this book I'm inclined to rank Monroe much closer to the top. Also, having read this book just after reading David McCullough's John Adams' biography I would move Thomas Jefferson down considerably as he seems to have been vastly overrated.

Dumb Idea of the Day

From Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard we get this ridiculous idea:

All the well-deserved praise for Campbell Brown’s classy statement announcing her departure from CNN prompts a thought: Brown is now a free woman, she's a well-spoken and impressive one, she lives in New York, and she has moderate political views. And she's a patriot who wants to serve her country. Campbell Brown should accept a draft (which I hereby launch!) to be the Republican nominee for the Senate against Chuck Schumer.

Is that how messed up New York is that the Republicans should spend money backing a liberal candidate who was so unpopular that she quit her prime time cable news show because no one bothered watching???

(H/T Baseball Crank via Twitter)

Vote 'em All Out

This morning the president of Mexico Felipe Calderon addressed the various reprobates in Congress and attacked our immigration policies in general and the new Arizona law in particular and around half of congress stood an applauded. I know my congressman wasn't one of those applauding the insulting speech. Find out if your congresscritter applauded and if he/she did then vote 'em out of office.

An analogy would be if the head of a bunch of criminals visited your house and lectured you about your plan to put locks on your front door.

Sadly, but predictably, our blame America first president agrees with the Mexican president. Most likely neither one of them has read the Arizona law.

Dishonest Headline/Article of the Day

It is one thing to slightly slant news coverage or to give the benefit of doubt. It is another thing altogether to completely lie as James Oliphant and Christi Parson did in an article titled:

Kagan's abortion stance has both sides guessing

What?!?

We have someone appointed by the most pro-abortion president (You know, the creep who wouldn't want his daughters punished with a baby. In other words, he would prefer his grandchildren be murdered than be inconvenient.). Do you need to guess whether he would appoint a supreme court justice that has any qualms about infanticide?

I will hope and pray she comes around to see abortion for the evil it is, but I'm not silly enough to think I need to guess what her views are as of the day President Obama nominated her. I guarantee you Obama isn't guessing about this question.

Latest Edition of the "What if Bush Had . . . " Series

A major complaint of conservatives and Republicans is how the hypocritical mainstream media handles alleged controversies differently based on which party is involved. An easy way to view this is to see the reaction to something done by the current Democrat led administration and imagine how the media would react if similar decisions were made by the previous Republican administration. Here is the latest example:

Valerie Jarrett and David Axelrod, both senior advisers to the president, have been given the luxurious and prestigious perk of being picked up at their homes and driven to work or around town throughout the day in government vehicles chauffeured by military drivers, according to a list of those given the benefit provided to The Daily Caller by the White House.

The closest equivalent in the Bush administration to Axelrod would be Karl Rove. Any guesses how loud the whining and screaming would have gotten if Rove was given a military driver to chauffeur him around?

To the main question of drivers, I can understand the president always being driven. Anyone else can drive themselves anywhere they need to go. I could be sold on the need for a driver for the Secretary of State and Defense. Beyond that, they can all whistle for a cab.

Kagan Nominated for Supreme Court

This morning President Obama nominated his Solicitor General Elena Kagan to replace Justice Stevens on the Supreme Court. If you're unfamiliar with Kagan you can think of her as a less experienced Harriet Miers that kind of resembles Mike Myers. Separated at birth? You decide.








In all seriousness, I fully expect she'll be confirmed. The president gets to appoint justices with the advice and consent of the Senate. Barring a major revelation about Kagan she should be confirmed. Elections have consequences and this is one of the lasting consequences. The people who foolishly voted for Obama in 2008 also were voting for a left wing supreme court whether they understood that or not. Senate Republicans should vigorously question Kagan during confirmation hearings, but should not attempt to filibuster the nomination. The best they can do is get her on the record on her positions on contentious issues including her anti-military history at Harvard. The senate should not address the rampant rumors about her personal life at all. I don't care about her sex life (eewww!). I do care whether she has read and will follow the United States Constitution. Considering who picked her for the job I don't have high hopes in that regard.

Want to Improve Education?

If you want to improve education a good place to start would be firing the school administrators in the next two stories:
From California:

Administrators at a California high school sent five students home on Wednesday after they refused to remove their American flag T-shirts and bandannas — garments the school officials deemed “incendiary” on Cinco de Mayo.

The five teens were sitting at a table outside Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Wednesday morning when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two of them to remove their American flag bandannas, the Morgan Hill Times reported. The boys told the newspaper they complied, but were asked to accompany Rodriguez to the principal’s office.

The five students — Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho, Matt Dariano, Dominic Maciel and Clayton Howard — were then told they must turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home, though it would not be considered a suspension. Rodriguez told the students he did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags.

“They said we were starting a fight,” Dariano told the newspaper. “We were fuel to the fire.”

Tee shirts with the image of a murderous communist named Che are fine, but ones with the United States Flag are not. Good enough reason to fire a principal to me.

From Michigan:

An Ann Arbor elementary school principal used a letter home to parents tonight to defend a field trip for black students as part of his school’s efforts to close the achievement gap between white and black students.

Dicken Elementary School Principal Mike Madison wrote the letter to parents following several days of controversy at the school after a field trip last week in which black students got to hear a rocket scientist.

Hey, dummy! Deciding which children get to go on a field trip based on race is well . . . RACIST!

Teaching and running a school system are not easy jobs and I'm not usually comfortable calling for someone to lose their job. However, these folks have proven they are not qualified to be trusted to develop young impressionable students.

Tasing for Tresspassing - Appropriate or Excessive Use of Force?

Earlier this week security used a taser to take down a moron who ran on the field and disrupted a baseball game in Philadelphia. In the days that followed there were various editorial columns decrying the tasing as an excessive use of force. There were a few people who acknowledged the risk to players from a crazed fan citing the stabbing of Monica Seles and the beating of first base coach Tom Gamboa from a few years back. A couple commenters noted that being taser poses less risk of injury then being body slammed by a 250 pound security guard.

Chris of A Large Regular has the most interesting idea on the subject:

Philly should have the "Don't Tase Me Bro" Taser Challenge. Here's what I would do:

Step 1: Get 5 volunteers from the fans at the game. They would have to sign a release and have a blood alcohol level that's not too too high.

Step 2. The 5 volunteers would race from 3rd base to home. The volunteer with the best time would get to be the "Don't Tase Me Bro" contestant for the night. . . . .

Click the link for the rest.

Needless to say in our overly litigious society today no team would have the guts to do this promotion. Where is Bill Veeck when we really need him. I have no doubt this idea would double the attendance for Indians home games. How about tasing players after making errors??? Ignore that last idea, I was just thinking out loud there and imagining Jhonny Peralta twitching and shaking after another bad throw.

Okay, okay I was Wrong About New York's Mayor Bloomberg

I thought my opinion of New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg couldn't get much lower. Bloomberg embraces all the intrusive nanny state policies that give government more and more control of the citizen's lives. Whether it is attacking smoking, outlawing trans-fats (whatever that is it sounds tasty), fighting against salt, he is usually in the news for something that is none of his business. What has he done to lower my already low opinion? He commented on the recent terrorist attempt to set off a car bomb in Times Square. Did he thank the alert person who sounded the alarm about the suspicious vehicle and remind everyone else to remain vigilant for things out of the ordinary? Nope. He mused that the attack could have been by someone upset with the health care bill. What?! He wouldn't want to offend Muslims (you know the folks who do most of the terror attacks) by suggesting this might have been what it was. He'd rather assume it was an American unhappy with lousy health care legislation.

His stupid comments follow recent attempts by Democratic party leaders and their accomplices in the media to label the Tea Party protesters as dangerous radicals. However, it ignores the fact that while people opposed to the radical agenda of the current administration are angry their protests have been peaceful. Compare the aftermath of the various Tea Party protests/marches to the actions of the recent protests by supporters of illegal immigration or the anti-war protests during the last administration.

Update:
Here is a link to a comparison between two recent rallies in Boston.

Congratulation to Lebron James on MVP Selection

It was announced today that Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers was selected as the NBA Most Valuable Player for a second straight year.

Congratulations! Now go finish the season with a championship!