It is amazing what anger motivates some people to do.

Will this bleed votes off of McCain?

I hope what this does, is makes McCain pay attention to his conservative base. Barr is excellent on Guns and Borders - two Issues McCain has become horrid at.

This is going to be a bizarre Presidential election cycle - the First Black nominee, a Kool-Aid fight at the DNC Convention... The Republican is a pre-cambrian Vietnam Vet and now there is a deranged former Congressman with national name ID in the race. Where the hell is Michael Bloomberg? (Maybe Gary Coleman should run for Governor, too...)

This is the 40-Minute Old AP article

Written by Will Manly and originally published last month at www.thestironline.com

Dear Barack Obama:

I grew to like you over the last year.

I've always thought of you as dangerously naive at best. Eloquent, gifted, genuine, yes. But dangerously naive at best.

I couldn't vote for you -- but not because of your funny name or your lunatic pastor. I couldn't vote for you because you say we should raise taxes (even on the rich, who I'm convinced already pay too much), and because you say we should abandon Iraq (which I'm convinced would be surrendering a war we must win), and because you don't respect the Second Amendment (which I'm convinced should disqualify any politician from any office).

Still, I've liked your message of unity and your ability to inspire. And, since your rise I've hunted, quite frantically, for young conservative leaders with your talent. (To my relief, I found Bobby Jindal.)

And I've long said if you beat Hillary Clinton, you will have done your country a tremendous service. But anymore I'm having a harder and harder time rooting for you.

First came your wife's comment about being proud of...

It is both amusing and troubling that several clerics and teachers in Muslim communities around the globe still use the word "infidel" (unbeliever) to describe folks that refuse to accept a medieval, stark worldview. At times this condescending term is used against moderate Muslims, or Muslims who voluntarily convert to another religion. However, In most cases it refers to people that don't subscribe to a Salafist, or Wahhabi version of Islam.

Where is the so called cooperation, justice, peace, and tolerance we hear about from Muslim PR organizations that constantly attemp to explain Islam? Unfortunately, some of the Islamist teachers hold sway over large numbers of naive followers who aren't allowed to think for themselves. These clerics think of God as a slave master, or prison warden, and they are the enforcers of divine mandates.

From the perspective of the radical extremists, what is an infidel? Apparently, it includes well over 80% of the world's population that adheres to the Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Jewish, Shinto, Sikh, Taoist, and other faiths. What about the millions of people that are agnostic, or don't believe in any faith system? According to the Islamists, these "infidels" shouldn't possess the...

Apparently Barack Obama has recently been endorsed by Hamas, the infamous terrorist organization.  The news was spilled later today after one of Obama's Middle East policy advisers left the campaign after admitting he has held talks with Hamas.

Ahmed Yousef said in a recent interview, "We like Mr. Obama, we hope that he will win the election."

Is anyone really surprised by this?  Most Republicans probably are not; especially if they have followed the usual anti-American rhetoric that the Obama's consistently spew.  Doesn't the fact that a famous terrorist organization has endorsed Obama speak volumes about this man?  Perhaps even those Americans who support Obama for his "youth and vision" will be bothered by this... 

Senator McCain may not be the Republican we all have supported for our party's nominee.  However, regardless of his sometimes "liberal" tendencies, we must look at the big picture.  Senator McCain is a patriotic American hero and is right on the issue that matters most in such times as these: national security.  Now is the time that we must rally behind our nominee while the Dems continue to tear eachother apart.  This presidential election is a choice between an American war hero... and a man who has been endorsed...

If $4.00 for a gallon gasoline is pinching your checkbook, just wait until you see your electric and natural gas bills in the coming year.

California gets 42 percent of its electricity from natural gas.  Many homes also use natural gas for heating, cooking, and hot water.  Natural gas prices increased 45 percent in the past year.  The Wall Street Journal recently reported that gas costs may double soon.

Gas and coal power 70 percent of America's grid.  Coal prices have already doubled, following demand and oil price increases.  This has caused electrical rate increases across the nation.  Virginia is looking at a 29 percent rate increase this summer.  Oregon saw a 10 percent rate increase last year with another 9 percent by next January.  Maryland residents will see their electric bills rise almost 8 percent in June, increasing home electric costs by $137 a year to $1,800 annually.  Maryland's commercial customers can expect rate hikes of 27 percent to 41 percent price by the summer.

Higher costs boost conservation efforts as consumers and business cut back and become more efficient users of energy.  In addition, government mandates and subsidies boost conservation efforts, albeit unevenly...

If I were a Democrat, I would be absolutely livid.  I would be screaming at anything and anyone who would listen.  2000 was only the beginning; Bush 'stole' the election and Gore should be in his twilight years as we speak.  But he's not.  Instead he grew a beard and not only drank the global warming kool-aid; he's the cult leader who laced it with cyanide and passed it around the room.  Oh crap, I stepped out of character.

Okay, I'm a Democrat again, and I'm angry.  Much better.  The last two major Presidential elections were supposed to be ours.  We should be in control of the House, Senate and the White House; but two out of three ain't bad right?  But this year is our year.  There is no way we are losing again.  Bush is at an all-time low and the Republican brand is fading.  We got this thing in the bag!  In the words of the Party Chairman, "Yeeeawwww!!"

Yet something doesn't feel right.  Suddenly I am feeling more than a little uneasy about our so-called...

Tonight, as I am sure many of us probably tuned in, Hillary Clinton entered the No Spin Zone on the O'Reilly Factor.  When questioned about how she would handle the flux of illegal immigrants and the "sanctuary" cities that harbor them (because they refuse to enforce federal legislation), she said she wouldn't do anything about it.

Hillary wants illegal immigrants to feel safe reporting crimes and said that "sometimes you have two competing values."  What are those two competing values?  People who follow the law and those who break it?  What about the victims of crimes committed by illegals?  Do they feel safe?

Too bad Senator McCain probably won't be too big on crackdowns, either.  But on a more positive note... according to AP, illegal migration has decreased significantly since 9/11-thanks to our sluggish economy and more security on the borders. 

This came over in the morning from the California Republican Party:

RNC Chairman Names CA Congressman Kevin McCarthy 2008 GOP Platform Committee Chairman

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Mike Duncan today announced that U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA-22) will serve as Chairman of the 2008 Republican Platform Committee.  California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring issued the following response to the announcement:

"I'm excited to see my friend Kevin McCarthy asked to serve our party in such a key national role this year.  As we work to elect John McCain to the White House, Congressman McCarthy will be instrumental in developing a platform that showcases the Republican vision and our party's solutions for the problems everyday Americans face."

The Republican Party Platform Committee - comprises one man and one woman from each state and territory - will meet in Minneapolis, Minn., during the last week of August to help outline the Party's key positions and core values.  A Republican Governor and U.S. Senator will serve as Co-Chairs of the Committee and will be announced at a later date.

Kevin McCarthy was elected to Congress in 2006 after being elected Republican Leader in the...

Science and faith are in a battle, we are told, and those who stand on the side of reason and academic maturity side with the scientists, while those who stand on the side of irrationality and religious superstition side with the faith-based lunatics.  The elites in secular academia do not prove this, but they assert it - repeatedly.  It is one of the large disconnects separating the ivory tower from the mainstream of American culture: the vast majority of Americans believe in something transcendent, and do not feel it fair or appropriate to be condescended to by elites who have suddenly taken to rejecting millennia-old beliefs and values.  Well, I agree with the mainstream of America here, and it is one of the large reasons I do not take seriously the large increase in "popular atheism" as of late, evidenced by best-selling books from Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins.  While I am always concerned that people could be led astray by the self-serving propagandizing dogma of secular rationalists like this unholy trinity, the truth is that I am fully confident that there will never, ever be a time in American culture that we vastly repudiate the transcendent truths...

I've just spent the better part of a week inundated with information on environmentalism because of Earth Day 2008. It is amazing what the media and environmentalists don't want you to know about their movement. Here is an oversimplification of some of the facts of environmental protectionism.

The environmentalists' movement has levels of fanaticism that rival, and in some instances exceed, anything that has been spewed by other fanatics.

Environmentalists are responsible for the terrible wildfire seasons that have been plaguing the western states.

Environmentalists are responsible for families bringing deadly toxins into their homes.

Environmentalists are responsible for the growing food shortages around the world and rising food prices at home.

Environmentalists are responsible for rising gas prices and the United States dependence on foreign petroleum.

And then there is the non-debatable fictional "facts" of global warming. In Christopher Columbus' day all of the experts believed the world was flat, and this belief was a non-debatable "fact." In Galileo's day it was an irrefutable "fact" that the sun, stars, and moon circled the earth--the true center of the universe. Both of those "facts" are wrong--as is the consensus that global warming...

This mornings announced 6-3 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States to uphold a Indiana voter identification requirement was the only logical path for the court to travel to ensure the integrity of the nations elections process, the cornerstone of our form of government.

 

One citizen, one vote. What a concept!

 

Proper identification helps protect against multiple voting, under age voting, and voting by non-citizens. in other words, "voter fraud". Today, more than 20 states have such laws on the books and more will likely follow in short order. Hopefully all states will enact such provisions.

 

States should however ensure that photo identification should be free to those unable to pay.

 

The Indiana lawsuit in question was brought forward by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Out on the campaign trail, Senators Clinton and Obama have made it abundantly clear that their objective is to usher in "change" and government "solutions" into every nook and cranny of our lives. If elected president, either one would attempt to fashion a nanny state the likes of which we have never experienced in our history.

This state would be crafted by a tax hike on higher income taxpayers, and the effect would be a reduction in our freedoms. Perhaps only Congress and the American people could modify their socialism.

But where do these contenders stand on national security and foreign affairs? How would either one handle China and Russia, both of which are flexing their muscles? Both candidates oppose free trade and hope to erect protective barriers to trade. That protectionism would have an adverse impact on American exports, as well as on imports coming in from other regions. These senators rail against outsourcing of American jobs, but ignore the fact that millions of jobs have been insourced to America during the past 15-20 years.

Both candidates have assailed the FISA laws, the Patriot Act, and other assets used to disrupt terror plots and prevent attacks. Moreover,...

Today Barack Obama criticized Senator John McCain:

"John McCain says he's different, but when you look at his policies he's got no agenda for you, how to make you a little more successful," Obama told his heavily blue-collar audience.

And this coming from a man who has accomplished almost nothing in the Senate?  Or what were the issues he fought for back in his home town as a state legislator- the issues on his agenda?  Sure, Obama has quite an extensive resume and recieved an ivy league education.  But the man has no major policy achievements, unlike Senator McCain.  Republicans can list many major achievements of John McCain- and some they may not even agree with philosophically.  But at least the man takes his job seriously.  Obama's followers cite his charisma or his eloquent stature as reasons as to why they like him, and why he deserves the presidency.  In fact, there have been instances on TV when Obama's fans are asked to list major accomplishments and they list personal characteristics... because that's all he's got going for him.

Perhaps he spends the  time missing 3 X as many votes as Hillary and being absent for 82 of his chamber's ...

Though business travels, tax season, and routine family commitments have delayed this article from being drafted, I really wish I had completed this just after the death of William Buckley.  I fear that the delay in getting this out will dilute the message I am trying to communicate herein, and to me, it is a crucial message.  On February 27, God took William F. Buckley Jr. home.  As I commented to my wife that night, the last several years have brought about the passing of Ronald Reagan, Milton Friedman, and now, Bill Buckley.  With the passing of Buckley, the triumvirate that these three men represent is no more.  The world is a worse place for it.
 
I have written in the past what Ronald Reagan meant to me as a young person.  Though not an intellectual per se, we certainly see in the publications that have come about since his passing what a true ideologue Reagan was.  Unlike our current President, the man governed with a clear, distinct, and forceful philosophy in place.  And while President Bush may have such in the world of foreign policy (one I largely agree with, for that matter), he has been the...

In the Presidential Election of 1972, George McGovern failed to win in all but one of the fifty states.  The state he won? Nope, not even his home state of South Dakota; it was none other than lefty liberal Massachusetts.  Now, according to a Survey USA poll done earlier this month, Barack Obama is only leading John McCain by two points in the Bay State; even McGovern won it by nine.  Could Barack Obama really get shut out in November?

Now, of course this is all assuming Obama wins the Democratic nomination.  But this looks more and more likely despite Hillary Clinton's win in the Pennsylvania primary just days ago.  The Democratic Party's foolish primary structure has created a cloud that could eventually rain on their parade come November.  If even one of the major swing states had been winner-take-all, Clinton would be cruising on frontrunner status right now.  But despite staunch momentum and a retiring Republican President with sub-thirty percent approval ratings, the Democrats still haven't realized just how much they have shot themselves in the...

I found this little item from the Politico amusing. Perhaps I'm naive or maybe it's because I'm a Republican, but I cannot possibly imagine a joint letter from the feckless triumvirate of Reid, Pelosi, and Dean to send shudders down my spine.

Reid, Pelosi, Dean may intervene in nomination

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid  said Thursday that he may try to force undecided superdelegates to make their decisions in the Democratic presidential race if it stretches into June.

Reid said he would consider writing a joint letter with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) demanding that superdelegates make their endorsements public.

"The three of us, we may write a joint letter [to superdelegates]," said Reid. "We might do individual letters. We are in contact with each other."

Reid's comments suggest that the party's top three officials are contemplating a high-level intervention if the primary season concludes in June without a nominee and many superdelegates still undecided.

The rest of the article is here.

If I am a superdelegate, I'm thinking I'm sitting in the catbird seat. It seems any harm to my career that the three...

Submitted by Alberto Araoz from Westminster, CA

Written by Ken Rietz

On the face of it, the Republicans have no right to even DREAM that they have a chance to win the Presidency this year.

We are in the middle of a drawn out and unpopular war in Iraq, our economy is hurting everyone with higher food prices, gas prices and a growing jobless rate. Our mortgage market is in a shambles. Over 80% of Americans think our country is headed in the WRONG direction.

On top of all this President Bush's performance rating is at an all time low. In addition, John McCain would be the oldest man ever elected President and he is not universally liked by conservative Republicans.

So why do polls suddenly show that McCain is running neck and neck with EITHER Obama or Clinton ?

When will Hillary exit stage left? I am ready to make a not-so-bold prediction.

As I type this, the idea sounds a bit ridiculous. Hillary has been "running" for president for so long I can hardly imagine a time when she isn't running. While she has spent years casting an aura of inevitability, raising mountains of money, and leveraging two decades of political connections, it will not have been enough. Hillary is done.

But the pundits are still all over the map. Ask 100 "insiders" and your will hear 100 scenarios. Some worry about a brokered convention. Howard Dean is barking about giving the Republicans an undue advantage. Harry Reid mumbled something about being bitter. Nancy Pelosi is whistling the same superdelegate tune as camp Obama. And Drudge is once again floating a story about a joint ticket.