Why Speak Out? Why Bother? Why Blog?

I was asked last week why I write about Obama and the current crop of lunatics running the country. I answered her at the time and got that glazed look that says "So? And your point is?" She said "I vote. That's my voice. What else can I do?" To which I replied simply "You don't get it, do you?" No, I guess not. 

 

She didn't. 

 

I didn't feel like I could enlighten her at the moment so, after the meeting, I was back at my office and decided to write a quick letter to try to explain to the uninitiated what drives me. It truly amazes me that someone can read what is on these pages and not understand why I do it.

The following is the letter and the link I sent to her:

http://www.floppingaces.net/2010/03/23/can-obamacare-be-stopped-and-if-not-what-is-our-future/

 

I’ve been thinking about your question earlier. I don’t think I answered it to my satisfaction.

 

If you want to know why I blog or write about these things, Here is the bottom line. I love the ideas of the Founders. I love freedom and liberty and I know we are losing them. I want to lend a voice to the thousands/millions of others who wish to stop what is discussed in this article. It’s not the absolute best article I’ve found but it is does reference some law professors who agree that if these guys aren’t stopped, our country is quite probably doomed. They are setting precedent that will have future consequences impacting individual property and liberty. In other words, every aspect of your life.

 

That doesn’t scare you? It does me. And it makes me mad that I see it happening on such a large scale here. It makes me angrier to see liberals who gloat over the destruction of the very thing that enables their prosperity, the Constitution. Activism is needed. Not just at the ballot box. I know for some that is all they feel they can do. I happen to think they are wrong. The more I learn, the more I feel it is our duty as Americans to be informed about our country so as to defend it from these types of attacks. We’ve been asleep and inattentive as is needed by the form of government the founders set up for us. It requires our involvement.

 

I’ve had this conversation before and what I always find myself saying over and over again is: If I didn’t think I could change it, I would still do it because it’s what I feel I must do as an American.

 

Call me what you will, but I’m not crazy. These people are more power hungry than most realize. I don’t wish for anyone to live under oligarchy and I hate aristocracy. Both of those paths are tyrannical and often lead to dictatorships. For anyone to think it couldn’t happen here is, to me, not as aware as they should be. History does repeat itself.

 

I look at it this way, the left owns 90% of the main stream media. Bloggers are a part of the opposition to that misinformation. I’m proud to be a part of that opposition and have fun doing it most of the time. Believe me, sometimes I wish I was ignorant to what is happening. Ignorance may in fact be bliss, but now that I know some of it, now that I’ve gone down the rabbit hole as they say, I want to see it all and I might as well share it with whomever would listen.

 

OK, I’ll go back to work now boss,

 

God Bless.

FYI Boss, I posted this on my time,   ;-)

Read more...

Medina vs. Perry - A Discussion on Strategy and Open Thread

Yesterday morning I was composing a post cautioning the TEA Party crowd and Independents on voting for unknowns with no voting records for Governor of Texas, when I received The Peter Morrison Report. What's interesting is, Peter and I are almost at odds, but in a good way. So today, I've decided to put both of our arguments out there and let you help me make up my mind. I plan to vote for whomever gets the nod, but I think I may have something to offer by way of strategy.

Both views after the jump...

First - THE PETER MORRISON REPORT:
(I omitted the summary to get straight to the article.)

The Texas primaries are rapidly approaching, and as we get closer to the March 2nd date, the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination has changed dramatically in just the past few weeks. Debra Medina, a virtual unknown in Texas, has come out of nowhere to throw a real monkey wrench into the race. Late last year, her support was in the single digits. By late January, a Rasmussen poll showed her as the choice of 12 percent of Texans, compared with 43 percent for Perry and 33 percent for Hutchison. Because of her rising numbers, she was included in the  statewide televised debate on January 29th.

Since her strong performance in both the first and second debates, her support has skyrocketed. In fact, according to a February 9th poll by Public Policy Polling, Debra Medina has now passed Kay Bailey Hutchison. The new numbers are Perry at 42 percent, Medina at 25 percent, and Hutchison at 23 percent. Medina's rapid rise in support changes everything for Texas conservatives, and now we have a real opportunity to send a message to both Austin and Washington, and to make it loud and clear - we're fed up with career politicians and politics as usual, and we want true conservatives representing us. Therefore, I'm strongly urging Texas conservatives to vote for Debra Medina on March 2nd. Let's look at the candidates briefly to see how I arrived at my position.

Rick Perry has a well known track record, which means we know what we're getting when we vote for him. Unfortunately for conservatives, his track record is very uneven, and he has a tendency to campaign as more conservative than he actually is.

It's true that he has done a lot to keep the Texas economy strong in the middle of the worst recession in decades. That's a real positive in his favor. So is his record on moral values; he
opposes abortion and the legalization of gay marriage. On other important issues Perry has either talked out of both sides of his mouth, or has let us down completely. He pushed for the Bush
bailout. He led the fight for the Trans Texas Corridor. During the last presidential race, he endorsed the most liberal Republican running, the far-left Rudy Giuliani.

He also tries to straddle the fence on illegal immigration, and hasn't done much to prevent it. Possibly worst of all, in 2007 he ordered that sixth grade girls be given dangerous vaccinations for venereal diseases without their parents' consent. Rick Perry is a mixed bag, at best.

Many were encouraged last year when Perry made some controversial remarks in favor of state sovereignty and secession as a last resort to federal abuses. However, I have recently learned that
Perry was a 2007 speaker and attendee at the super-secret Bilderberg Conference in Istanbul, Turkey:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/DN-perry_31tex.ART.State.Edition1.43b926a.html

I doubt that the speech he gave there on federalism and state-federal relations shared many similarities with his recent campaigning on state sovereignty.

I'm not big on conspiracy theories, but it's well known that this group is a private, secret meeting of the top echelons of the globalist elite. A primary reason to invite any politician to address their group is to vet him for higher office. Texas Monthly claims Perry has his eye on the White House in 2012. It's not encouraging to true conservatives that he flew halfway around the world to hobnob with a powerful group opposed to everything we care about as patriotic Americans.

Kay Baily Hutchison? Frankly, there are almost no good reasons conservatives should vote for her. She voted for the Bush bailout, after first denouncing it. Like many other politicians, she's
talking fairly tough about illegal immigration right now, but she's been in the Senate for nearly two decades, and the problem has only gotten worse. She certainly hasn't made a name for herself as a forceful opponent of the immigration invasion that is overwhelming our state.

The one thing she is best known for, and is quite proud of, is pork barrel politics. One watchdog group says that Hutchison is responsible for an incredible one out of twelve of the billions of
dollars spent in federal earmarks since 2005. She's not even slightly embarrassed about this. "Why wouldn't I fight for Texas?" Hutchison said to the Dallas Morning News. "I'm proud of my effectiveness. To be hit for being effective for Texas is puzzling."

On traditional moral values, Hutchison is even worse. She openly supports Roe v. Wade and keeping abortion legal. For that reason alone she shouldn't get our votes; imagine the kind of judges she would appoint to fill possible vacancies on the Texas Supreme Court.

Finally, there's Debra Medina. We may not see eye to eye with her on every single item, but she certainly agrees with us on the vast majority of issues. It's true that she doesn't have a long
political resume, but that's fine. Career politicians are killing this country, and it's time for some true outsiders to clean up the mess they've made.

Outside of politics, though, she's well known and respected in her community. Married for nearly 30 years, she's a Christian who owns a small business, and home schooled her children. I conducted a lengthy interview with her back in December, and I was impressed with the answers she gave.

It's obvious why she's gaining in popularity - she's for less government spending, getting rid of racial preferences, cracking down on employers of illegal aliens, state sovereignty, free market
health care, 2nd Amendment rights, less government regulation of the economy, and most important of all, she's strongly pro-life. When I asked her when human life begins, she didn't mince words: "Human life begins at conception."

Subsequent to that interview, the more I found out about Medina, the more I liked her. For example, she recently told the Dallas Observer that all property taxes in Texas ought to be abolished:

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/debra_medina_tells_us_why_prop.php

Not reduced, not appraisals reformed, not Robin Hood, but eliminated, gone; just close down all of the appraisal districts because they're not going to be needed. Think about it: why should
we have to pay 2-3% "rent" to the government just to own our home or land? Rick Perry wanted to steal your land to build toll roads, while Medina wants to restore true property rights.

This is not to say that Medina is perfect on all the issues. I personally have low expectations that she will do anything more than Perry or Hutchison on the problem of illegal immigration. In
my interview with her, she said she supported a border fence in "densely populated urban areas only."

This means that none of the three gubernatorial candidates support a complete border fence. In 2006, Rick Perry told the Texas Border Coalition that building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border was a "preposterous idea" and that "the only thing a wall would possibly accomplish is to help the ladder business." In 2007, Hutchison used a voice vote in the U.S. Senate to personally gut the Secure Fence Act (SFA) that would have provided for a border fence.

The bottom line though is I believe Debra Medina is the best of the three GOP candidates for governor. Many Texas conservatives share this view, but up until now, have been reluctant to back her. They've been afraid of splitting their votes between her and Rick Perry, allowing Hutchison to win. With Medina's astonishing rise in the polls, and Hutchison's collapse, that's no longer a concern. Now that there are three viable candidates, it's going to be virtually impossible for anyone to get 50 percent of the vote, which means there will be a runoff, and there's no risk of "wasting" your vote by voting for Medina.

If Debra Medina comes in third, she won't be in the runoff, and conservatives can back Perry. But if enough of us vote for Medina on March 12th, she could easily come in second, and then the runoff would be between her and Perry. If that happens, Texans would finally have a chance to elect a real conservative to the office of governor, instead of always settling for the lesser of two evils.

Scott Brown just gave the establishment the shock of their lives by winning Ted Kennedy's old seat in the Senate. Now it's our turn here in Texas, and we can send an even bigger message by voting for Debra Medina on March 2nd.

To summarize:

1. Many had legitimate concerns back in December that Medina was nothing more than a protest candidate not running a serious campaign, and voting for her was a wasted vote that would benefit the greater of two evils: pro-abortion Kay Bailey Hutchison.

2. Polls now show Medina is a serious candidate, tied with or even leading Kay Bailey Hutchison. The concerns about wasted votes are now irrelevant. Medina is a serious candidate who could win.

3. No candidate has enough votes to win outright on March 2nd. There will be a runoff. Rick Perry is so far ahead in the polls he is guaranteed to make the runoff.

4. Since Perry cannot win outright and will make the runoff anyway, voting for him on March 2nd is a wasted vote that will make no difference. However, a vote for Medina could make all the difference in the world.

5. Even if you think Perry would make a better governor than Medina, voting for Medina and humiliating Hutchison, a sitting US Senator, with a third place finish would be a beautiful coup de grace for conservatives looking to send a message to the party's elite in Austin and Washington. You can still vote for Perry in the runoff if you want. Even if you're a committed Perry supporter, Perry is in a better position to win a runoff against Medina than Hutchison.

6. If Medina makes the runoff, regardless of whether she wins, it will be a message heard round the world, comparable to the Scott Brown victory in Massachusetts. This will do wonders for Medina's name recognition and could even set her up to pursue a less competitive state office in a subsequent election. If you're worried about Medina's lack of experience, then let's at least put
her in the runoff where she will enjoy notoriety such that she can run for a smaller office in the future and win to get that experience.

7. For these reasons, I think all conservatives should strongly consider a vote for Debra Medina in this year's primary election. It's a no-lose, no-risk proposition.

***Last minute update***

I had originally put this report together in the middle of last week, scheduled for Friday release. After Medina's interview with Glenn Beck last Thursday, I decided to postpone release until I
could more thoroughly think about the issues. My thoughts:

A. For those who don't know, Medina was asked by Beck if she believed the government had any involvement in the 9/11 attacks. She gave a poor answer and the impression that she does possibly believe the government had some involvement in 9/11. She later clarified her response in a press release, but the damage was done.

B. I consider conspiracy theories to be a waste of time because most of the time they're wrong and they don't accomplish anything because they make people feel powerless. The globalist elites push their agenda through consensus, because it's in their interest to do so, not because there's some grand conspiracy.

C. We don't have any new poll numbers post-Beck on Medina, and of course it will be interesting to see what the polls say later this week. I don't expect the impact to be all that significant. Outside of DC and NYC (where Beck spends his time), the federal government is not seen as a Deity Who Can Do No Wrong, and Medina's views are not nearly as shocking to the average Republican primary voter as they are to Washington insiders.

D. The worst thing that can be said about Medina concerning this issue is that she trusts the federal government even less than Glenn Beck. That's not necessarily a bad thing for a governor if we want someone who will stand up for state's rights. On the other hand, Perry still wants to steal our land for toll roads and forcibly vaccinate our daughters for STD's, while Hutchison still
supports killing unborn children and wears her Washington "Pork Queen" title proudly. Which of these issues is least significant on principle?

We conservatives claim we are tired of professional politicians. Yet I see too many people willing to throw Debra Medina overboard because she gave a non-professional response to Glenn Beck. Do we want someone who tells us what we want to hear or a person of principle? I still recommend a strategic vote for Medina for the reasons outlined above, for Medina and Perry supporters alike.

Sources:

http://www.examiner.com/x-30789-San-Antonio-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m2d10-Debra-Medina-is-changing-minds-with-astonishing-poll-results-of-likely-Texas-GOP-voters
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Medina-invited-to-appear-in-The-Belo-Debate-81994852.html
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/02/06/6hpv.html
http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2008/20080821120743.aspx
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101807dntexperry.17bf40158.html
http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/006987.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/120706dntexperry.e08679.html
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/scott_stroud/64187727.html
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/30085729.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100909dnmetearmarks.3ed6311.html
http://www.rnclife.org/faxnotes/2004/july04/04-07-08.html
http://www.mwilliams.info/archive/2004/07/marriage-and-submission.php
http://www.medinafortexas.com/issues.php
http://startelegram.typepad.com/politex/2008/10/perry-joins-wit.html
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2007/12/19/the_incredible_disappearing_border_fence
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4383332.html

The Peter Morrison Report
http://www.PeterMorrisonReport.com
http://www.facebook.com/morrisonreport

Thanks to Peter for the fine research and commentary.
I'm sure you'll agree that Peter puts a lot of heart, thought and effort into his  articles.

NOW FOR THE ROBOT...
Less research, more gut feeling.

By Longhaired Conservative:

As far as I'm concerned there are two front-runners for Texas Governor, and the race between Perry and Medina has me asking questions (Kay Bailey Who?).
First, who is truly best for Texas at this moment in time. Secondly, will Medina hurt the TEA Party movement if she gets elected and fails? (Much like Obama is tearing up the Democratic Party, Medina could cast a long black shadow over the TEA Party candidates if she doesn't perform well or if in fact she turns out to be a loony conspiracy theorist as some have said lately). The third question on my mind is, can a weaker Republican candidate (Medina) beat Bill White, who will most surely be the Democrat candidate? Don't underestimate White. As liberal as he is, he's got a good track record in Houston to build on.

Let's just say, I'm suggesting caution in electing people who we have no voting record to reference for judging policy. How will she handle the pressure from both sides of the aisle when the two parties inevitably come knocking on her door with seemingly impossible problems and compromised convoluted solutions? Does she have any political allies in Austin to turn to for guidance? I would want a set of trusted confidants if I were her. I think in reference to the Glenn Beck question and her subsequent handling of it, she and her team are ill prepared for surprises. In fact, I think she is too vulnerable. Texas is as big as many countries. We are considering electing, in essence, a political newcomer to what is in effect a national stage. Let's be cautious.

As an alternative, let me suggest a more patient approach. I would urge TEA Partiers to first get started on a local level. Establish policy positions and back them up with voting records. As a matter of fact, this is already happening.

While they are serving in the smaller offices is the time to establish political ties for runs on larger issues and offices. For instance, Medina's idea for abolishing the state property tax is a grand idea that I am all for. Where is she going to find backing for it in the Austin establishment? Nowhere. I wager the thinking there is too ingrained for such radical change. She needs allies where I don't think she has them. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

Besides these reasons, Medina may have already burned the Republican bridge when she sued the Republican Party in Wharton. Why would they help her get any of her policies implemented? They have nothing to gain by letting a newcomer just waltz into the Governor's mansion and start changing anything but the drapes. I think she'll be held back by a lack of allies in the Republican party and could get so frustrated to show any sign of progress that she reaches across to the aisle to strike some crazy deal just to show she did something.

I believe the TEA Party needs to establish itself locally and build from there. Truly grass roots. If it doesn't, it will be infiltrated too easily by people who are pretenders, Pied Pipers and snake oil salesmen.

Think of it as a chess game. This is going to be a long battle, so we need to position our players on the board, not bring out the queen before we're ready to strike.

I think Medina and others like her would best be suited to run for State Senators and Congresscritters. Get to know the system and learn how best to change it. Be whistleblowers in the House and the Senate when the corruptocrats bring in the back room deals. Help the up-and-coming TEA Partiers when they arrive and then launch to Governor with a track record of
votes and a group of elected officials to back their agenda.

One last thing. If a candidate for Governor of Texas can't speak out strongly against illegal immigration and make an outright call for deportation of all illegal's and to finish the border fence, then I'm reluctant to jump ship and vote for an unknown.

Comments are open. Any thoughts? Keep it clean, please.

Read more...

Texas Primary Voters' Guide 2010

...from The Liberty Institute/Free Market Foundation. Get it here.

Read more...

Tea Baggage: Debra Medina a 9/11 Truther?

Hmmm...


Commentary all over the net.
Ace of Spades HQ thinks Truther,
The Classic Liberal thinks maybe not, just for two.
UPDATE: Gateway Pundit weighs in.

On Glenn Beck right now, he's saying that some Texans are glad he asked the question, some are angry that he asked it. Why get mad about a question? Questions are good. That's why we have primaries, to expose and inform.
Personally, I wish I could take some of Medina's policy positions and implant them into Perry's mind. Can I get Spock over here for a "Vulcan Mind Meld" please?

Read more...

Sarah Palin TEA Party Keynote Speech and Q & A

Thanks to Another Black Conservative who also offers notes on the speech here.



Continued after the jump...

Read more...

Senator Shelby Holds Obama Nominations Hostage

Via a FB friend... and the Alabama TEA Party
Senator Shelby placed "blanket holds" on 70 nominations awaiting Senate debate and approval pending two spending programs for his home state of Alabama. While it may seem like this is holding out for pork spending, in reality it just makes sense to make use of the stimulus money to actually create jobs rather than using it for Obummers private slush fund.

We cannot confirm any previous use of a blanket hold in recent history. But it makes sense to spend federal dollars on programs (in any state) that either maintains employment or REALLY creates jobs. The idea of killing hundreds of thousands of jobs each month and then saying the “stimulus” is creating them is delusional. Americans who haven’t awakened to the reality that their tax dollars are being spent, not to create or hold jobs, but to pay off unions, ACORN and others who helped put Obama into power, need to adjust to the reality of it very quickly. Someone MUST put an end to this and the only people who can are the members of the GOP. They aren’t the party of “NO”, they are the party of NO WE WON’T GO ALONG WITH IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING any longer.

Read the rest here.

UPDATE: I'm getting a bit of schooling here from The Trog who points to interesting takes on the issue.  Attila Girl just flat out thinks he's an idiot.

Part of me likes the fact that their own (Dem's) tactics are getting used against them and from an ex Dem no less. Plus, I would like the money to go for defense spending in the US. I don't care if it's in Alabama or any other state.

On the other hand, if it is just pork spending and politics as usual, as the a fore mentioned astute bloggers have pointed out, then hopefully the people of Alabama will pay attention and get rid of their RINO when the time comes.

Read more...

Political Projection and Demagoguery

Everybody Panic! Terrorist Attack Certain!

Have you heard? We are going to be attacked by terrorists. I hear that it's "certain" within the next 3 to 6 months according to Director of National Intelligence Agency Dennis Blair.

Well now, isn't that the kind of reassuring news we all want and need to hear from Director of National Intelligence? Granted, I don't wish to be lied to. By all means, be truthful with me.

But...

How about this... If it is indeed "certain". If in fact they have enough factual information to confirm an actual attempt to kill Americans is going to take place, then why on earth don't they arrest or kill the terrorist who is going to perform this "certain" act?

Hellooo...   McFly...

It would seem that the people we put in place to protect America have given up on their task if they have pronounced the next attack as "certain". Perhaps we should fire Blair and his staff and instead put the people who nabbed the underwear bomber in charge of national security. The passengers on that plane were obviously better equipped to deal with a terrorist than our own government. With outstanding leadership like this, we are left shaking our collective heads asking ourselves "Who are these imbeciles comrade?"

The next attack is "certain". - These types of exaggerations are just the kind of scare tactics the left accuses it's opponents of.

Such as...
Sarah Palin was accused of inflating the facts when she pointed out that there are Death Panels in the Health Care bill. Newsflash! There are Death Panels in the bill. But if they call her a liar enough then it must be true. The Thinker points to an excellent article on the subject of "spread the lie" strategy.

Or...
Obummer calling his opponents demagogues in speeches overseas.

"(There almost certainly will be) demagogues out there who try to suggest that any form or pathway for legalization for those who are already in the United States is unacceptable." - Pres. Obama

So, if Obummer says it enough, it must be true.

I'm not buying it.

A psychologist would call this a form of "psychological projection", as in projecting your own faults onto others. Politicians use a form of this against their opponents. It is in my mind "Political Projection" or a form of demagoguery taken to the next level, which is to accuse your opponent of whatever you are doing or are about to do. The left is extremely adept at it. the Clintons used it to great and unfortunate outcomes during their term in orifice. Some would have said they perfected the whole projection as offense/defense tactic. Mixed with various other smear and slander stratagies it can be a devisive tool against one's political enemies. Yet, as proficient as the Clintons were, I think it has yet to find it's apex under it's current employers. "We have only just begun to project and demagogue!" should be the Obummer administration's credo.

For the uninitiated, let's not forget the media outlets in Obummers pocket are projecting too.
Case in point Kieth Olbermann. A well known left wing extreemist hired by NBC just prior to the 2008 elections and who has in recent months gotten ever more shrill. There are others - Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews blah blah tele-blah, all towing the line for the elite projectionists in power. It is time to unplug the projector.

Another case in point:
Right-wingers are demagogues. They must be because we say they are!

As I was writing this, I ran across a prime example of the ultimate bit of projection-ism/demagoguery at The Troglopundit. Seems that someone who shall be unnamed is writing a book comparing Republicans to Jihadists. I don't know for sure, but I'll bet he's a 9/11 truther.

Alice, we are truly through the looking glass.

Read more...

Destroying America - A Tutorial

Ten easy steps to a New World Order.
Mark Levin said it. Doug Ross found it.

I'm just relaying the manual.

Obummer along with a few others in recent history, seem to be following this playbook.

Read more...

"The era of big government is over" - Bill Clinton

Yea, Right.

From 1981 through 2008, the civilian work force remained at about 1.1 million to 1.2 million, with a low of 1.07 million in 1986 and a high of more than 1.2 million in 1993 and in 2008. In 2009, the number jumped to 1.28 million. 

Including both the civilian and defense sectors, the federal government will employ 2.15 million people in 2010 and 2.11 million in 2011, excluding Postal Service workers.

According to The Washington Times article.
Plus .65 mil if you add in postal workers from 2008 statistics brings the figure to. 2.8 million.

Like I said before. Your government wants to eat you.

Read more...

Ménage à Trois Monday!

A triple threat to start the week:
A question of crimes
plus...
Some vital information...
and to complete the threesome...
A heartwarming story of a Marine in Iraq with a quasi-tearful ending.

And yes, I know the definition of Ménage à Trois. So that you aren't too disappointed, here's a picture of three random babes.

First,
Patterico's Pontifications points to a threesome - er - questions why only one out of three alleged crimes is being prosecuted. You be the judge.

Second,
I missed the webcast but thanks to Rush pointing it out today we can all benefit from Hillsdale College's archived Constitution Town Hall from January 30, 2010.
Given the current political climate, I can?t imagine a better way to invest a couple of hours of one's time.

And thirdly,

A U.S. Marine squad was marching north of Fallujah when they came upon an Iraqi terrorist who was badly injured and unconscious.
On the opposite side of the road was an American Marine in a similar but less serious state. The Marine was conscious and alert and as first aid was given to both men, the squad leader asked the injured Marine what had happened.

The Marine reported, "I was heavily armed and moving north along the highway here, and coming south was a heavily armed insurgent.
We saw each other and both took cover in the ditches along the road. I yelled to him that Saddam Hussein was a miserable, lowlife scum bag who got what he deserved. 

And he yelled back that Barack Obama is a lying, good-for-nothing, left wing Commie who isn't even an American. 

So I said that Osama Bin Laden dresses and acts like a frigid, mean-spirited lesbian! 

He retaliated by yelling, "Oh yeah? Well, so does Nancy Pelosi!" 

"And, there we were, in the middle of the road, shaking hands, when a truck hit us."



So ends the Monday Ménage à Trois

But wait there's more!

Bonus Baby!
It seems that all politics is local.
Instapundit found an article showing where the TEA Party is actually making headway in some communities à la a version of the Get Local Get Vocal meme I mentioned here. I'm not taking credit for it. I'm just sayin'...

Ciao

Read more...

Texas' In-State Tuition Law - Unconstitutional

Our second installment of The Peter Morrison Report:
Summary of this week's report:

Under current Texas law, illegal aliens qualify for in-state tuition at state colleges and  universities, paying far less than legal immigrants and American citizens from other states. This
benefit costs Texas taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually, and the amount is getting higher every year. IRCOT has filed suit to put a stop to this outrage. Let's support their efforts, and also contact our lawmakers to demand they repeal the law.

Full report:

Many Texans aren't aware of it, but public colleges and universities in Texas are required by law to treat illegal aliens better than American citizens who live in other states. Back in 2001 the legislature passed a law letting illegal aliens pay the same tuition as legal Texas residents pay, as long as they've been in the country for at least three years, and promise to apply for permanent residency. Meanwhile, a young man or woman who is an
American citizen, but grew up a few miles across the Oklahoma or Louisiana state line, has to pay thousands of dollars more than the illegal alien to attend the same Texas university.

There are certainly good reasons to charge out of state residents higher tuition at public  universities than Texans pay. State funded colleges and universities are set up primarily to educate Texans. In-state tuition rates are subsidized by Texas taxpayers, and so if out of state students want to attend one of our schools they're more than welcome to, but they'll have to pay extra for the privilege and don't get the Texas taxpayer subsidy. This is standard operating procedure in almost all states, and has been going on for decades. There's nothing unfair about it.

It becomes extremely unfair, however, when people who are in the country illegally are given in-state tuition, which is subsidized by the taxpayers of Texas, while American citizens from other states have to pay thousands of dollars more per semester. We are now becoming second class citizens in our own country. American citizens from out of state are treated worse than people who shouldn't even be here in the first place, people who are breaking the law every day they remain in America.



Liberals and RINOs like to claim that giving illegal aliens in-state tuition at taxpayer expense is a good "investment."  According to this theory, because the illegal must promise to seek permanent residency, it encourages them to assimilate and become legal citizens, and in turn they become role models for other illegals to emulate. They also say that it's far better for them to go to college and get employment training so they can become productive members of the economy, which justifies the massive tax subsidies they receive.

They're wrong on all counts. Illegal aliens shouldn't be "assimilating" in the first place. They should be returning to their country of citizenship, not freeloading here. As far as the "role model" argument, all we do when we give illegal aliens tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer subsidies for college is to encourage even more illegal immigration. That's Economics 101 - what you subsidize, you get more of. Compounding this is the fact that legal immigrants who respect our nation's laws don't qualify for the lower tuition. We're rewarding illegal immigrants and
punishing the ones who follow the rules. Their third argument is also faulty. If we need more productive workers in the Texas economy, we could simply quit charging higher tuition for out of state Americans.

It's an outrage that this law was ever passed, as it's blatantly unconstitutional. Finally, a patriotic organization is stepping up to the plate to do something about this injustice. The Immigration
Reform Coalition of Texas (IRCOT) has filed a lawsuit to put a stop to this practice. IRCOT spokeswoman Rebecca Forrest spoke to the Lone Star Report about the lawsuit:

"We believe Texas is in clear violation of federal law by giving cash grants to illegal aliens. Texas is currently treating illegal aliens better than it treats legal residents and American citizens, and we obviously want our leaders in Texas to change this situation...we want people to come  legally, obey our laws, speak our language and assimilate."

IRCOT is a fine organization working hard to reverse the invasion of illegal aliens, and deserves your support. Former Supreme Court Justice Steven Wayne Smith is also a party to the lawsuit, which speaks well of the solid legal argument the suit is based on.  Several states have passed similar laws, but there's a growing groundswell of opposition from outraged Americans fed up with their government coddling illegal aliens. Oklahoma recently rescinded its law, and even in liberal California, the state appeals court ruled their version unconstitutional (although it's been appealed to the state Supreme Court).

Texas' in-state tuition law is not only unconstitutional; it's also extremely expensive. No  government office tracks the figures, but The Lone Star Foundation estimated that in-state tuition for illegals cost Texas taxpayers approximately $18 million in 2003 and nearly $35 million in 2005, nearly doubling in just two years! If that rate of growth continues, it won't be long before its costing Texas over $100 million per year. As long as our government refuses to get serious about stopping illegal immigration, that figure is going to keep going higher every year.

We've got high hopes that the IRCOT lawsuit will be successful, and that the expensive, unjust practice of granting illegal in-state tuition benefits will be officially declared unconstitutional.
It's a travesty that IRCOT has to even take this to court, because our legislature could rescind the law at any time. There's no excuse for it ever being passed in the first place, but in today's economy, it's even more indefensible. We can't afford to be giving tens of millions of dollars every year to illegal aliens who shouldn't even be here in the first place, while legal immigrants
and American citizens have to pay their own way to attend Texas universities.

We should all support IRCOT and their efforts to nullify this unjust and wasteful law, but we shouldn't stop there. Contact your legislators today and demand that they repeal the in-state tuition law. They have the authority to do so, and there are no good reasons why they shouldn't. When it comes to illegal immigration, it's often the federal courts that impose these liberal  policies, and there's little we can do about it. That's not the case this time. It's our own elected officials in Texas who passed this law, and it's time we demanded they repeal it.

Sources: 
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6772447.html?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:0ae09396-5284-4525-95a5-276c5f0602be 
http://www.ircot.com/documents/Lone_Star_Rpt_IRCOT_Lawsuit_12-18-09.pdf 

The Peter Morrison Report 
http://www.PeterMorrisonReport.com 
http://www.facebook.com/morrisonreport

Read more...

The Texas Debates

In case you missed it or would like to see it again, this is a link to a video archive of the debate between Hutchison, Medina and Perry Jan. 14.

Found at Patterico's Pontifications.

Read more...

Apathy, Willful Ignorance and Corruption - What More Do We Need?

There are 3 major problems facing Americans today: apathy, willful ignorance and corruption. The most damaging of these, in my mind is apathy. I would say corruption but corruption cannot thrive without the other two. The good news is, you are reading this blog. To me, that means you are at least curious and hopefully politically active. Better still, you would be informed, educated and active. If this is you, I'd like to offer you encouragement. If not, I say "Get your head out of the sand! Cease being an ostrich! The political climate has taken a drastic turn and you don't know it." It's the same thing I said to my Democrat Father over ten years ago and he still won't believe it. I understand blind loyalty. I'm an Astros fan. If you don't understand blind loyalty, you can not be a fan of the Astros. However, there comes a point in one's political life when you simply have to examine the facts.

Progressives/socialists/lefties, call them what you will, are so convinced of their intellectual superiority that they will not accept debate. I call this willful ignorance. The ability to look at the fact that your political philosophy has been proven wrong, or worse, is downright harmful and despotic, and still push it on an unsuspecting public is borderline treasonous. I don't have to be trained in scatology to recognize a steaming pile of horse manure when I see it and for the statists to try to convince us otherwise is surely misleading and more likely an outright lie.

Which leads me to apathy. An unsuspecting public should not be the case in this USA. Put another way, our public schools have been taken over by these progressives who, by design, do not teach our founding principles, our constitution, or our values. Diversity is not the key to our country. It is a part of it but not the key factor. The key is the Constitution, personal property and the defense thereof and the right to live freely and pursue our dreams. These things should be the center piece in any social studies class in American schools. Not class envy, entitlement mentality and songs sung to and pledges made to our president.

I'm no Washington insider. I'm not running for office in your town or mine. I'm a concerned citizen. That's it. I've been awakened within the last few years as to misdeeds by our leaders both Democrat and Republican who claim to want the best for us (U.S. as Paul Harvey used to say). These enlightened sophisticates and aristocrats are busy whittling away our very title and sovereignty as Americans. How can we call ourselves Americans if we have presidents who run around embracing things like "New World Order" or apologizing for doing what needed to be done on the world stage while blatantly disowning our Christian heritage? I find these things disgusting and I feel that it is a disgrace that 537 aristocrats in our federal government think that they rule America. Our ancestors, with divine help, built this nation to what it is and here we are, by apathy and willful ignorance, allowing it to be destroyed.

I cannot sit idly by and allow this to happen, and neither should you.

Consider this another call to action. I would encourage you to talk to one person each week who you think may be an ostrich, who may have given up because of apathy or because of the constant media blitz telling them "It's not worth the fight - you can't win.". That's the same tactic that Tokyo Rose used and we know how well that turned out. We are Americans, after all. Let's start acting like it.

As for corruption, when enough good people cease to stand idly by,  only then can we rid ourselves of enough corruption to begin to turn this country around. Until then we are derelict. Until we stand against tyranny and despotism, we are not living up to the potential our founders envisioned and the promise they supplied in our Constitution.

May God one day bless America again.

Read more...

Quote From My Facebook Page This Weekend

From someone I knew when I was a Democrat.

OMG, I've friended another Republican....

I laughed out loud. (There, I wrote it. It wasn't that hard.)
Actually no Dear, but close.  I could be Republican but not conservative. I could also be conservative without being Republican. The two aren't married to each other although I wonder if they should be.

Read more...

Beaumont TEA Party Express Pictures

Beaumont, TX TEA party Express pics
More after the page break...

Read more...

Southeast Texas RINO's?

UPDATE 4/5 am: KBMT picked up the story (with video)

UPDATE 4/5 am: SETXhomepage (also with video)
True switch? I'm encouraged but skeptical.

From Blair Dedrick Ortmann at the Beaumont Enterprise:
"The following is a list of Hardin County officials who announced today they were switching their political party affiliations.

All of the officials changed from Democrat to Republican.

County Judge Billy Carraway
Precinct 4 Commissioner Bobby Franklin
County attorney Rebecca Walton
Sheriff Ed Cain
Justice of the Peace Butch Cummings
Constable Wayne McDaniel
Justice of the Peace Kent Walker"

Hmmm, is the ship sinking? Do these officials know something we don't? Did they see something in last night's election coverage that suddenly changed their ideology? Do they think we won't remember this in 2010? One has to wonder, doesn't one.
I don't live or vote in Hardin County. Just thought I'd share this for those that do.
Make a list folks. Take note and do some searching for voting records and political platforms. Let's just see what kind of republicans these officials will be.

Read more...

Republicans Are Losing The Conservative Base

Ok, check this out: I'm quoting a comment from the "Quote of the Day" section of Hot Air, who is quoting Reagan. My head is spinning. It's like one of those crazy mirrors where it just keeps getting deeper and deeper. Puleeeze make it stop!

"How much more clear can we possibly get, for the Party to understand our discontent, our disconnect, and our disatisfaction with what the Party has become? They are now trying to "brand" us as the "Radical Right"–this is why people are not identifying with the Party. They are trying to marginalize us, in the same way that Obama has done to the Republican Party. This the losing strategy of the Party.
What part of the saying, "I didn’t leave the Republican Party, the Party left me" don’t they understand?"
lovingmyUSA on October 27, 2009
Spot on. I say Oust the RINO's in 2010 & 2012!

I'm loving "lovingmyUSA". You hang in there. ~ I hope you're not a guy, cause, you know, I'm loving you. But hey, if you are, I still love you anyway, cause I can do that. It doesn't make me weird(er).

Read more...

Conservative Candidate Roundup - Updated 11/18

UPDATED 12/8/09

The other day I was looking for a list of conservatives running for offices across the US. I couldn't find one. Thus is born the CCR (not the band). I'll be posting links to blogs discussing the candidates along with their websites. If you have any suggestions for true conservative candidates, you can email me at pbgreen at hotmail dot com.


VA
Virginia: Statewide roundup of Conservatives at REDNoVA

FL
BackyardConservative: In Florida Senate race: Rubio Rising: Yes He Can
BackyardConservative: Rubio Climbing Higher and Higher
Marco Rubio Q & A on Morning Joe

Support Rubio in 2010.

FL District 22
Col. Allen West news at RS McCain
Allen West

IL
Blonde Sagacity: BLACKFIVE's Matt Burden is running for State Representative in Illinois' 41st district.
AceOfSpadesHQ: Vote Matt Burden (BLACKFIVE)
LorieByrd: I Wish I Could Vote for Matt Burden
BLACKFIVE
Help Matt Burden here.

UPDATE: Added 12-7-09
US Congress in Illinois 8th District - Joe Walsh endorsed by blogger Paul Mitchell who is also running in Illinois for State Representative in the 62nd District, Paul's blog can be found here and in my blogroll as Thoughts of a Regular Guy.

MO
Reboot Congress: Ed Martin's race to unseat Russ Carnahan in Missouri's third Congressional District
Ed Martin's site can be found here.

Also at Reboot Congress: Paul Curtman running for state representative in Missouri's HD105 - link goes to  video which, I think, launched him to the forefront.
Paul Curtman's site is here.

MN
Sister Toldja comments on Michelle Bachmann, who is running for congressional re-election in Minnesota
UPDATE: Just found a video at Legalize the Constitution recorded earlier of M.B. on the House Floor summing it all up. Love Michelle.
Help Michelle Bachmann here.


NV
Added 12/ 8/09
Danny Tarkanian for US Senate - Opposing Harry Reid
The Other McCain has more on Danny Tarkanian

NY
UPDATE: It ain't over?
UPDATE: Hoffman did concede again in order to concentrate on a vigorous 2010 run. Good luck Doug.
Doug Hoffman NY-23 - RS McCain has continuing coverage of the race.
Also, from Hot Air: NY23: Ordinary Americans Make Miracles Happen — Start Doing What You Can!
Update #1: Fred Thompson endorses Doug Hoffman
Doug Hoffman's website is here.

PA
Pat Toomey is running for Senator in a tight race in Pennsylvania LGT NRO article
Hat Tip to Blonde Sagacity
Pat Toomy's website is here.

UT
Where I Stand: Sam Filder announces for Utah State Senator
Blackfive: "Sam Filder is the kind of man you want protecting your family"
Help Sam Filder here.

Related: A couple of political event calendars leading to and including the 2010 elections -
Here is the link
Here's another for 2009

Read more...

Saturday Sloth

First a thanks to Smitty at The Other McCain for the FMJRA link back. Smitty called me "The Mind Numbed Robot" which is, after all, in the url of the site. Maybe I'll consolidate the site name, blog title and my alias. We'll see. Any thoughts?

Right now I'm at The Saloon, feet up, coffee in hand, watching the movie "Fall Of The Republic - The Presidency Of Barack H Obama" posted by Riley Jones who asks the  intriguing question "Are the producers of this film laughably insane or terrifyingly accurate?"
The movie is disturbing, if accurate. Certainly conspiratorial (who doesn't love a good conspiracy?) and worth a watch, if you have time. 

Read more...

TEA Party Express II Coming To Beaumont November 7

 

Southeast Texas TEA Party - Join Today!

Read more...