JOHN EDWARDS AND POVERTY

The National Review has a fascinating article by Robert Rector, senior research fellow in domestic policy studies at the Heritage Foundation about John Edwards and his poverty issue. According to Mr. Rector, Edwards has claimed that poverty in America is "a plague which forces 37 million Americans to live in terrible circumstances." Edwards also claims that "one in eight Americans lack enough money for the food, shelter, and clothing they need." According to Mr. Rector, the Census Bureau will release its annual report on poverty in America on Tuesday and there are some amazing facts that seemingly rebut much of what Edwards claims. For example, according to Mr. Rector and the Census Bureau 46% of all poor households actually own their own homes. 80% of poor households have air conditioning. Only 6% of poor households are overcrowded. 75% own a car, 31% own two or more cars, 97% have a color tv, and over half own two or more color tvs. Check out the full article by Mr. Rector. As he says, of course poverty exists in the United States, but much of it can be reduced.

NEAL BOORTZ RESPONDS TO BARTLETT

Neal Boortz has responded to the column in the Wall Street Journal by Bruce Bartlett entitled "Fair Tax, Flawed Tax". Boortz makes several important points rebutting what Bartlett had to say. Read his entire article, and let me know what you think.

FEDERAL DEFICIT CONTINUES TO SHRINK

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the federal deficit is shrinking significantly. The editorial gives credit for this to the Bush tax cuts.

MITT ROMNEY'S HEALTHCARE PLAN

I have spent the last several hours poring over Mitt Romney's health care proposal. Preliminarily, I seriously question the figure that I keep hearing that there are 45 million uninsured Americans. I believe that number to be extremely high, and would suspect that the number is closer to 35 million. Admittedly, even that figure is much too high. So, with that caveat, what does Governor Romney propose?
Basically, according to the Boston Globe, his plan consists of four parts:

1. The federal government must create an environment in which private health care insurers can expand;

Romney doesn’t really say how he proposes to accomplish this. For example, what kind of tax incentives, or business credits does he propose to offer to make private health care insurance a profitable business for the major insurance companies?
Republican administrations are traditionally inclined to be friendly to businesses. That is certainly not a bad thing. But it would seem to me, that the major objective in creating a business friendly environment is to find a way to get health care costs under control. That certainly doesn’t mean that I am implying that socialized medicine is the way to go. Nothing could be further from the truth. I favor a free market because I believe that competition will drive health care costs down in a fair and meaningful way. But, as long as hospitals charge $25.00 for a single aspirin and $30.00 for a band aid, it will be impossible for insurers to be competitive at lower rates. The same thing holds true for doctors.


2. The federal government will help states lower premiums by deregulating the insurance industry:

Absent any more information than this, it is impossible for me to comprehend what the Governor is talking about. Deregulating the insurance industry as a general proposition would be a major mistake in my opinion. If Mr. Romney is thinking of deregulation of the insurance industry regarding the types of medical plans they can offer and the circumstances under which they can offer them, I would certainly favor that. In a free market competition is the key. The insurance industry can become competitive without completely deregulating the industry.


3. Make tax changes - so that everyone can use pretax dollars to buy coverage;

Of course tax changes must be made. But, in my opinion, Mr. Romney makes the same mistake that so many politicians make. If the idea is to provide a way to make healthcare insurance available to everyone, then tax changes won’t work. Most people who do not have healthcare coverage don’t have it because their priorities are such that healthcare insurance is not a top tier priority. Giving these people a tax break, and making pretax dollars available to buy coverage will not work unless they can be convinced that healthcare insurance must be a top priority, not a luxury. What makes more sense to me than giving individuals tax breaks is to give those kinds of tax breaks to businesses as an incentive for them to provide affordable health care for their employees. Businesses are much more likely to take advantage of such a tax incentive, especially if there is a carrot and stick approach taken. For example, if they do not provide a plan for their employees at a competitive rate, perhaps not only will they not get a tax break, they will pay a higher rate of tax, or some sort of penalty for failure to do so.

4. Medicaid program should be overhauled - the goal should be to provide states with block grants so they can create an insurance program freed from federal mandates and that are tailored to their individual state needs.

Well, of course Medicaid needs to be overhauled. Mr. Romney will probably not like the overhaul that is needed. There are a lot of able bodied people receiving Medicaid who are simply taking advantage of the system. They need to be cut from the program. Experts estimate that Mr. Romney’s proposals will cost approximately 6 billion dollars. Giving states block grants so they can create their own program is not the answer. You will end up with 50 wildly different programs, and most of them will have no resemblance to what Mr. Romney wants to see. Finding a way to make health insurance available at an affordable cost for even the poorest of Americans is the answer.

According to the Boston Globe, Governor Romney wants to continue the existing system of employer provided coverage. Romney says it only needs modified to expand coverage to the uninsured. Another point made by Romney is that health care costs will be tax deductible once the person enrolls in a plan. Also, no one would be penalized for failure to buy insurance nor would it sanction businesses that do not provide it for their employees. Individual states could set such rules, but the federal government would stay out of regulations. In order to help drive down health costs Romney says there would have to be changes in medical liability and more information provided to consumers so they could shop for better quality and prices.

Any program that is offered must have penalties for not taking advantage of it. Offering a program that will have no penalty for individuals and no sanctions for businesses is a toothless tiger. Letting the states set those kinds of rules will only create chaos. Everyone knows that our medical liability system is deeply flawed, but so far Congress has been unwilling to fix it. Mr. Romney has a lot of work to do to come up with a viable, consumer friendly system.

ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALES RESIGNS

Fox News and the New York Times are reporting that the Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, on Friday telephoned the President and told him he was resigning as the Attorney General of the United States. Too bad.

THE FAIR TAX

I must admit that I have never really understood how the Fair Tax could benefit the average American. Sure, I want to see the Internal Revenue Code simplified. But I'm not sure that the Fair Tax is the answer. The Wall Street Journal has a thoughtful editorial by Bruce Bartlett in which Mr. Bartlett argues that the Fair Tax is a flawed tax. According to Mr. Bartlett legislation has already been introduced in Congress to implement the Fair Tax. Under this legislation, a rate of 23% would be utilized. Mr. Bartlett argues that the Fair Tax rate is not 23%. He also argues that the Federal government would have to pay taxes on itself on all of its purchases of goods and services, as would state and local governments. According to Mr. Bartlett, Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation, in a 2000 estimate , found that the tax-inclusive rate would have to be 36% and the tax exclusive rate would be 57%. What do you think? Do you favor the Fair Tax?

IS JOHN MCCAIN TOO OLD?

There is a good article in the New York Times about the issue of John McCain's age. McCain is almost 71 and the question is raised repeatedly on the campaign trail. Is John McCain too old to be President? The older we get as a society, the less important age is to us. Although I have never been a John McCain supporter, I have always respected the Senator. I must admit, however, that as I have watched McCain campaigning, he looks old and sounds and acts old. Could that be one reason (along with his stance on immigration) that he has plummeted in the polls?

THE HUFFINGTON POST CALLS FOR A MILITARY COUP

The Huffington Post has reached the pinnacle of irrelevance as far as I'm concerned. This left wing hate machine now wants General Pace to remove the President as Commander in Chief. The people at Huffington obviously have lost their minds.

HOWARD DEAN LOWERS THE BOOM ON FLORIDA DEMOCRATS

DNC Chair Howard Dean had warned the Florida Democratic party that if they changed their primary to January 29 they would likely forfeit all their delegation votes in selecting a presidential nominee. Elected officials in Florida are threatening legal action. It will be interesting to see how this is resolved.

SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE INDICTED

TPMuckraker reports that Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Michael Joyce was indicted on Monday. Now, normally I don't pay much attention to anything TPMuckraker reports, because they don't always check their facts, but this story interested me. I remember Michael Joyce from my days of practicing law in Pennsylvania. According to the story, Joyce was indicted on Monday on nine counts of money laundering and mail fraud. Supposedly, back in 2001 he was involved in a minor fender bender. No police or paramedics called - vehicles traveling about 5 mph. A year later Judge Joyce filed claims against his insurance company and the other drivers and collected $440,000. Therein lies the problem.

TORRICELLI STILL RIPPING PEOPLE OFF

For those of us who remember former Senator Robert G. Torricelli, his exit from politics in 2002 was good news. But it seems that Mr. Torricelli is still finding a way to rip people off. It seems Mr. Torricelli collected donations from thousands of people during his aborted 2002 campaign. When he abruptly quit the campaign because of allegations of ethical misconduct, he quickly became a lobbyist. What did he do with the money he collected from average people for his ill-fated campaign? Well, he gave $4,000 from his campaign fund to Puerto Rico's nonvoting member of Congress. He gave $10,000 to Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois and more that $40,000 to Nevada Democratic Party organizations and candidates linked to Harry Reid. Now mind you, none of this is illegal. But wouldn't you think he would just give the money back to the people that gave it to him?

BILL FRIST: PROVING AID CRITICS WRONG

Doctor Bill Frist is in Bangladesh working with Save the Children. He has a thoughtful blog on VOLPAC titled "Proving Aid Critics Wrong". Dr. Frist doesn't understand that it is people like he who are proving aid critics wrong, not the bureaucracy that administers American foreign aid. Dr. Frist represents a small group of Americans who are determined to use medicine as a currency for peace. I truly believe that he and others like him can change the world. Unfortunately our state department, where the foreign aid is administered by bureaucrats who have no understanding of what foreign aid is intended to do, continue to give America a black eye.

EX-ASTRONAUT - ANKLE BRACELET UNCOMFORTABLE

Lisa Nowak, the ex-astronaut, who allegedly drove nearly 900 miles wearing adult diapers to assault another woman who was dating her ex-boyfriend, has asked the Judge to remove her ankle bracelet because it is uncomfortable. Am I missing something here? By the way, this lady is still serving in the United States Navy. I would think her bizarre behavior would make her unfit to continue her career in the Navy, but what do I know?

COUEY SENTENCED TO DEATH

I am a strong supporter of capital punishment for crimes such as this, so I thought the sentence of John Couey to death for the murder of Jessica Lunsford was certainly proper. If you listened to the Judge reciting the established facts in this case at Couey's sentencing hearing, you could not help but weep for the nine year old child who never had a chance to grow up. Jessica was a beautiful little girl, and her death was especially horrifying. My prayers and thoughts are with Jessica's father and family.

MUSINGS ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON: FOX NEWS: FAIR AND BALANCED?

I happened to watch Special Report with Brit Hume last night and was really surprised with the behavior of Brit Hume and his panel of political experts. Keep in mind, this was a panel discussion, and their job is to generate interest in the show. But to me, the whole session amounted to a hit piece on Fred Thompson and a love fest for Fox News favorite candidate Rudy Giuliani. While I am a supporter of Fred Thompson, and want that clear up front, I see this as an issue of fairness. Frankly, I have been disturbed with Fox News for quite some time because of their obvious pandering to the more liberal groups in an effort to win viewers. It seems to me Fox News has lost their way and instead of being a beacon of light for conservatives, it has now become just another CNN wannabe. It's time for Fox News to decide whether it wants to continue to be the Conservative voice or just another cable station with a declining viewing audience.

The following transcript was provided to me by Joan Litton a/k/a Shelbysbest

Brit Hume: Let's look at the latest poll on the republican side of the political, presidential equation here. You see here our Fox Dynamic Poll out today -- Rudy Giuliani remains in the lead with roughly the same kind of lead he has had for some time.

Fred Thompson now since June has sort of surged into second place and remains there. We've been getting a further sample of Senator Thompson and his uh, and his uh, and his wares. How's this going?

Jeff Birnbaum: Well, I think that Thompson ran into a bit of a problem in his speech the other day before the Veterans of Foreign Wars up in Kansas City. He didn't seem to know his own applause lines. Even though he's a practiced actor, he didn't seem to have rehearsed very much for his speech. He isn't much of a player in a lot of the serious, substantive debates that are going on. I recently wrote a story about each of the candidate's views, for example, of the big credit crunch that's been shaking the markets around the world and Thompson wouldn't even play either because he didn't have a proposal or because he didn't want to speak out because he's not an official candidate. Uh, none the less,

Brit Hume: In other words, he had no articulated position?

Jeff Birnbaum: Nothing to say and has been shooting at people like Rudy Giulian1 over his anti, uh his gun control position which Thompson complained was too much anti-gun. I think that's in general a problem of the whole republican race, where they've been attacking each other in a way that may pull whoever ultimately wins down, when it gets to the general election.

Charles Krauthammer: You know this could be a first. The Thompson campaign is going negative before it even begins. (Laughing from panel.) I don't know if it's ever happened, but it's historic. Look, he's a good guy; he's a nice guy but he was in the senate for a while, and I don't think he's left many traces. He's an actor who is popular, accomplished in other ways, and uh, has had a boomlet. I think the boomlet was.... is ....

Brit Hume: Peaked?

Charles Krauthammer: May have been spent. Umh, but what's really interesting here is -- I think the Giuliani effect. This is a guy who defies gravity. Everybody expected six months ago, that yes, he was high in the numbers, because people associated him with 9/11, but when republicans discover how socially liberal he is, his numbers will plummet, and they haven't. People, I think are aware of his positions on abortion, etc., and I think the answer is, that republicans are growing up, and they understand that a president is not going to revolutionize... He's not going to have a revolution on social affairs. Uh, Reagan did not on abortion. It's not going to happen and what's important is the war on terror. Democrats are not reliable. Giuliani's a guy who in a democratic year, which is going to be '08 can win. After all, he's a guy who won re-election twice in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Fred Barnes: Yeah, and now you've touched on the important issue I think. Here's what helps him uh with social conservatives and so on, who obviously don't agree with him on abortion, others don't agree with him on guns, because he's a gun controller, and that is... he gets credit for cleaning up New York tangibly. Now, people visit New York; they know Times Square is different -- they know crime is way down. They know New York is very different; it's not just 9/11. It's, it's uh, it's image, which I think is a largely accurate one of the mayor who changed Sodom and Gomorrah and turned it into a city that it's safe to visit. Uh, that's important.

WHAT DID MICHAEL VICK PLEAD GUILTY TO?

I have just reviewed the plea agreement entered into by Michael Vick, courtesy of Fox News. Here is what Paragraph one says Michael has agreed to as part of the plea agreement:
1. Offense and Maximum Penalties
The defendant agrees to plead guilty to Count 1 of the indictment charging the defendant with Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. The maximum penalties for the violation of this offense are: a maximum term of 5 years of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, full restitution, a special assessment, and 3 years of supervised release. The defendant understands that this supervised release term is in addition to any prison term the defendant may receive, and that a violation of a term of supervised release could result in the defendant being returned to prison for the full term of supervised release.

Wonder what the Judge will think of this sweetheart deal?

VOTE FOR BILL HOBBS

"The Further West" is urging its readers to vote for Bill Hobbs. I've already cast my vote for him. Please make sure you do too.

THE COMMISSIONERS DESK

Check out the new site THE COMMISSIONERS DESK. For all of you hockey fans, it's got a lot of information. Chris, from "The Further West" and Pete from "Ten Minute Misconduct" have started the new site with their friend Duane.

YOU HAVE TO LOVE COBURN

I don't know what any of you think of Senator Tom Coburn, but when I read his exchange with Senator Ted Stevens after the 2006 elections, I knew I liked him. He has fought for what he believes in on the floor of the Senate day after day and I really respect him for that.

HOUSING MARKET STILL IN TROUBLE

Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo said today that the housing market is still in trouble and shows no sign of improving.

A SOBERING REPORT

The World Health Organization said today that "infectious diseases are emerging more quickly around the globe, spreading faster and becoming increasingly difficult to treat." They remind us that monitoring is vital. Isn't this what Senator Frist has been saying for years? I remember him calling for a Manhattan Project way back in August of 2005. Maybe people should start listening to him.

SHOULD BAGGY PANTS BE OUTLAWED?

When I first read this article, I got a big laugh out of it. Atlanta City councilman C.T. Martin wants to ban baggy pants that show boxer shorts or thongs. He says baggy pants are an epidemic and he doesn't want young people thinking that its ok. Then I started thinking, well, if we ban baggy pants, can we then ban flip flops, because I really don't like the looks of them? What about heavy set people wearing tank tops? or shorts? It seems to me that Councilman Martin wants the City of Atlanta to take on the responsibility of the parents. What do you think?

RANGERS SCORE 30 RUNS

I have been following baseball for over 50 years, and I have never heard of a team scoring 30 runs in one game. It turns out this is the ninth time a major league team has scored 30 runs. It's the first time it has happened since 1897. On June 28, 1897 The Chicago Colts set the major league mark in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game.

HUGH HEWITT SURE HAS IT RIGHT

I laughed out loud when I looked at the article posted on Hugh Hewitt's site. The doctored picture is perfect. The article is titled "The Thee Senate Stooges Rebut The Presdent's Iraq Speech Wednesday". Take a look.

PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH TO THE VFW

In case you haven't had a chance to read the President's speech to the VFW in Kansas City, take a minute and read it. I think that River West is right when she says that it was an excellent speech. Thanks to River for the link.

WHY DON'T WE JUST START VOTING NOW?

The Michigan State Legislature has just voted to move their Presidential primary up to January 15. I understand the reason that the states are doing this. They are all determined to play a role in the selection of Presidential candidates, but at some point we have to just say ok enough is enough. It seems to me that with so many states moving their primaries to a date earlier than New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina, and trying to beat the super primary date of February 5, the whole primary process is spinning out of control.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!

The Washington Times has reported that the Imams have dropped their lawsuit against the passengers who reported them to Airline authorities. Now maybe the passengers will sue the Imams for abuse of the legal process.

THE DEMOCRATS GET IT WRONG AGAIN

Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters has an excellent post on the Democrats miscalculation about Iraq. Once again the Democrats have gotten it wrong. Now they are backpedaling away from previous claims that the military surge hadn't worked. So what is left for them to fight about? You have seen their response today - from Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin - Maliki must go because the political process doesn't suit the Democrats. Well, I for one am willing to let the decision of whether Maliki goes or stays up to the Iraqi people who elected him.

SHOULD THE SHOOTER BE CHARGED WITH MURDER FORTY YEARS LATER?

A rookie Philadelphia policeman was shot while on duty forty years ago. On November 27, 1966, Walter T. Barclay was shot by William J. Barnes, during an attempted burglary. Barclay was left a paraplegic. Barnes was sentenced to a 10 to 20 year term in the shooting. This week Walter T. Barclay died of his injuries. Now the Bucks County Coroner has ruled his death a homicide. The District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case to determine whether murder charges should be filed against Barnes. There is no statute of limitations on murder, and given all the pain and suffering that Officer Barclay went through for forty years, I favor the filing of murder charges. Officer Barclay deserves justice.

DO YOU READ?

TigerHawk has a story from Yahoo about the reading habits of the American people. This story was hard for me to believe. As an avid reader, I sometimes read a book a week. Usually I read fiction, but frequently I read biographies, and other non-fiction books. That has been a way of life for me since I was a youngster. I can't imagine that one in four Americans didn't read one book last year.

FREEDOMS WATCH

Freedoms Watch.org has launched a campaign to support our troops and their efforts. Check it out

WHY SHOULD WE HELP THE FBI

Just read this article in Captains Quarter. It seems the Seattle Post Intelligencer has refused an FBI request to publish photos of men wanted for questioning regarding suspicious behavior on Seattle area ferries. The Post Intelligencer refused. What really made me pay attention to this story is that as I was reading it, I saw a news alert on Fox News that the bomb squad had been called because a suspicious package had been found on one of the Seattle ferries. Equally outrageous to me is the fact that the PI is running a haiku contest for its readers. No wonder the newspaper business is in trouble.

BETTIS NEW BOOK

As a lifelong Pittsburgh Steeler fan, I have been looking forward to reading the book by my hero Jerome Bettis - "The Bus". However, after reading this preview, I'm not so sure that I want to read it. According to Bettis things were not always on the up and up in Steeler land. I'm shocked.

MICHAEL VICK'S TROUBLES MAY BE JUST BEGINNING

With the announcement by Virginia law enforcement authorities that they are looking at charges against Michael Vick relating to the dog fighting scandal, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell still considering what the NFL should do, it may be that Michael Vick's problems are just beginning.

WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH HERE?

The New York Times has an article about nasty politics in New York. It will be interesting to see who is really telling the truth here. Either way, it is politics at its worst.

WILL THEY NEVER LEARN

Somehow, someway we have to get the message to public officials, no matter what level they serve, that the American people demand integrity from all of them. There is a story in the SACBEE talking about an ex-school official facing arrest. The headline says "Conflict of interest by former Natomas administrator alleged." What did he do?
Well, it seems this guy owned a consulting firm. In January 2004, when he took a job with the Natomas School District to head up new school construction, he and the Natomas School superintendent said that he had divested completely from the consulting firm. Well, the district attorney's office said not exactly. He did sell the company to his partner, but agreed to take payments over time, and during this period steered no-bid contracts worth $433,900 to the company he founded. Thanks to River West for the article.

CAL THOMAS SPEAKS OUT

I've always enjoyed reading Cal Thomas' articles. His latest one, published in the Washington Times and titled "A new old message for GOP" gives excellent advice to the Republican party. Mr. Thomas points out that Republican politicians can't just talk about tax cuts. If the party hopes to be competitive in 2008 they need to focus on out-of-control spending. He compares the political situation in the United States with what the British Labor Party has been able to do in Great Britain, in terms of their plans to grow their government and warns that Republicans had better start talking to Americans about the dangers in following the lead of the British Labor Party and the Democrats.

THOSE RUDE WASHINGTON POLITICIANS

Michelle Malkin takes on those rude Washington politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, with an article titled "Beltway-itis - When Politicians Attack."

GIULIANI'S QUESTIONER SPEAKS OUT

The lady who asked Rudy Giuliani the question about why the American voter should support him when his own children don't is speaking out. If you remember, Rudy responded by saying "Kind of leave my family alone and I'll leave your family alone."
Personally, I think these kind of questions are out of bounds. Giuliani's relationship with his kids has nothing to do with the kind of President he will make. I'm glad he told the public to butt out.

CALIFORNIA PASSES $103 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET

California, after a 52 day delay, passed a $103 Billion Dollar budget. That's just one state. No wonder the Federal government has so much trouble with the budget process. Thanks to River West for the article.

CNN - "BUSH SPEAKS OF FRUSTRATION WITH IRAQI LEADERSHIP"

This is the headline on CNN'S homepage. This comment was made during a press conference between Bush, the leader of Canada and the leader of Mexico. Do you think that was all that they said that was important. The MSM has their mind made up what the story is going to be every time. It doesn't matter what else is said. It will always be a negative story about Iraq.

WHEN IS A STORY NOT A STORY

Just read another interesting story about the News Media not reporting quite the truth. Willisms, which is a really good blog, with stories not usually picked up by other bloggers, reports on an AP story blaming a shortage of ammo on the Iraq war. It turns out that the shortage has been caused by an increase demand by Police Departments for ammo, and an increased demand for copper by China.

CONGRESS APPROVAL AT NEW LOW

The Gallup Poll reports that Congressional approval is at an all time low. Only 18% of the American people approve of the job that Congress is doing.

JUST ANOTHER REASON TO LAUGH AT THE MSM

When the Mainstream media puts garbage like this out as an opinion, you can only laugh, and wonder what planet they live on.

MSM AND THE TRUTH

Ace of Spades has a really good blog about the Mainstream Media, and their distortion of the truth. Everyone should read this article.

CONGRESS BEHAVING BADLY AGAIN

Congressman Bob Filner, a Democrat from California is going to be charged with assault and battery as the result of an incident at Dulles Airport. Allegedly, the Congressman pushed a United Airlines employee. The Congressman's staff said the charges are untrue.

OOPS!!! HOTEL KICKS OUT NOBEL LAUREATE

Do you think this five star hotel in Cancun might have some explaining to do? It seems they mistook 1992 Nobel peace prize winner Rigoberta Menchu for a bag lady, and ordered her to leave their hotel. It was only when other people, who recognized her, interceded on her behalf, that the hotel relented.

JOHN LEBOUTILLIER AND THE RUINATION OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM

My good friend John LeBoutillier can always be counted on to write thought provoking and frequently, controversial columns. His latest is no exception. Whether you agree with John or not, you must admit that he makes you think. His article in Newsmax puts the blame for the current state of American politics directly on the Clintons and Bush. I'm not so sure that he is wrong on this one. I have the utmost respect for John's opinions, and have found that in the two years that I have been reading his columns, more often than not what he says turns out to be on the money.

MICHAEL VICK TO PLEAD GUILTY

Michael Vick's attorney announced today that Vick will plead guilty to the federal charges filed against him. A sad day for professional sports, but more importantly the complete waste of a talented individual.

NASCAR'S RICKY RUDD TO RETIRE

Those of us who are NASCAR fans will miss the class act of Ricky Rudd, who announced his retirement from NASCAR racing at the end of the racing season.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SCHEDULED FOR DEPORTATION

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a problem with the outrage expressed by the immigration activists who question the right of federal officials to deport this illegal immigrant, who lived in a Catholic church for a year to avoid deportation. I also have a problem with the Catholic church on this one.

TEN MINUTE MISCONDUCT COMMENTS ON ARTIFICIAL LIFE

Ten Minute Misconduct has a thoughtful post on a news article about scientists being only 3 to 10 years away from being able to create artificial life. I agree with Pete that I don't trust all scientists enough to rely on them to always do the right and ethical thing.

WANT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT? WRITE A BOOK!!

Does anyone else have a problem with this story? It seems to me that if a candidate is serious about wanting to serve their country, that is just what they should convey. The books, and all the money that goes with them can surely wait until after their public service careers are over.

DIABETES - THE EPIDEMIC SWEEPING AMERICA

If you or a family member or loved one has diabetes, you will readily understand the seriousness of the situation.

DO THE DEMOCRATS HAVE THE MAGIC?

It will be interesting to see which Democratic candidate ultimately wins the nomination.

MISSILE LAUNCHERS FOR SHOES

Not a bad exchange. Missile Launchers for shoes. Just strange that it happened in Orlando, Florida and not in Iraq.

MUSINGS ON A SUNDAY NIGHT

Sometimes it seems the older a person gets the more cynical they become. Thus it is easy to say, when someone you consider a friend does something hurtful, well, they weren't really a friend. But that doesn't really deal with the underlying problem. Why did it happen, what could you have done to prevent it? Is it a meanness of spirit that sometimes seems to be uniquely American, or is it a part of the human psyche? I find myself asking these types of questions on a daily basis as I read comments left for public consumption. Why can't we be civil in our behavior toward each other? Why can't we be tolerant of people who are different from us? Why can't we accept other people's religions? Why can't we accept other peoples political beliefs without thinking that the other person is evil or crazy?

AMERICANS

This is a really thought provoking article. One that I believe all of us should discuss - "To Be or Not To Be American." What do you think?

HURRICANE DEAN HEADING FOR JAMAICA

As a Floridian who suffered through four hurricanes in 2004, I can only pray for the people of Jamaica. May they stay safe from the fury of a Category 4 storm.

SPECTER FINDS VOTERS ANGRY

Arlen Specter has been traveling around Pennsylvania during the month of August. He says the voters are angry and hostile. Do you think so Arlen? Are you listening?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Senator Patrick Leahy has a role in the upcoming Batman movie. You have to be kidding me. I would think the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who won't let judicial nominees be voted on, who is trying to get Attorney General Alberto Gonzales removed, among other things would have more important things to do than this kind of silliness.

WHY WASN'T THIS COVERED BY THE MSM

Surprise!! More positive news from Iraq. Bet you didn't see this article anywhere in the mainstream media.

ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN DOE

Big Lizards has a superb analysis of the fiasco created by Pat Leahy, Chuck Schumer, and the rest of their cronies. Big Lizards takes you through the whole chain of events before pointing out that the only person not heard from is "Attorney General John Doe" a/k/a John Ashcroft.

TALK ABOUT WEIRD

How is this for a weird story. It happened in Lakewood Colorado. Two men decided to settle a dispute over a gambling debt by killing the man who allegedly owed them money, using rattlesnakes. The idea was to build a wooden box to hold the snakes, and "the lid was to be built to allow the victim's legs to be put inside but not pulled out." Just the mention of snakes is enough to freak me out. Oh by the way, the two men have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

HAVE THE REPUBLICANS ALREADY GIVEN UP?

If you read Joe Klein's article in Time Magazine you come away (at least I did) with two distinct impressions: 1. The Republicans are a whacky group, and are ready to fall on their sword for the sake of principles, like they did in 1964; 2. The Republicans want to win at all costs, even if it means nominating someone they aren't really happy with (Mitt Romney) because he has the money to wage a battle. I am no fan of Joe Klein, in fact, I find him obnoxious, and this article is just another example of his smugness. The Republican party can stand on principle and they can raise the money to compete with any of the Democrats.

MIKE HUCKABEE - A TRUE CONSERVATIVE?

The Politico has an article about Governor Mike Huckabee, the other man from Hope, Arkansas. I've always liked Governor Huckabee. But I've never thought that he is a viable candidate for President. The article in the Politico really points out what I think his fatal flaw is - he is a social conservative, but really a fiscal moderate. It will be interesting to see what happens to Huckabee when and if Fred Thompson gets into the race.

DAILY KOS TRIES TO SMEAR MAINE BLOGGER

Patrick Ruffini has a terrific article about the Daily Kos trying to smear a Maine Blogger. It's well worth taking the time to read this strange article.

DEMOCRATS PLAY POLITICS WITH SCHIP

The Democrats have made a campaign issue out of votes of Republican House Members against the SCHIP legislation. The DCCC Chair Rep. Chris Van Hollen said that they intend to label those Republican House Members as obstructionists. What he failed to mention is that the House Schip bill would reduce payments to Medicare Advantage Plans, and make a number of revisions to Medicare. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill. In the Senate, there are enough votes to override the President's veto, but in the House there are not presently enough votes to override his veto. It should be an interesting campaign. Thanks to River West for the information.

BILL FRIST HEADS TO BANGLEDESH

Dr. Bill Frist continues his work to help cure illnesses and poverty around the world. For the next ten days he will be working with Save the Children in Bangledesh. Dr. Frist is firmly committed to using medicine as a currency for peace. Those of us who respect and admire Dr. Frist can only hope that his mission succeeds.

A BAD IDEA

The Census Bureau wants the government to stop enforcement actions during the 2010 census. Why? They say that they need to be able to count the illegal immigrants, and that if our government is conducting raids on illegals, the immigrants won't trust the government, and won't cooperate with the census takers. It is never a good idea not to enforce our laws, regardless of the consequences.

CNN REPORTS THAT FRED THOMPSON IS GETTING IN THE RACE

Cnn News is reporting that Fred Thompson is definitely going to enter the race for the White House. It will be interesting to see if he has waited too long. In any event, his entry into the race will really shake things up for the Republican field.

THE STEELERS NEW MASCOT

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new mascot. After spending a week in the Pittsburgh area recently, I can tell you that the majority of the Steeler nation that I talked to are not very happy with a mascot at all. Their attitude is, as it has been since the Steelers came into existence - Steeler fans don't need mascots because we are the mascots. Our fans are among the most rabid fans anywhere in the country, and weird sights are routine at every Steeler game. Check out the mascot and let me know what you think.

THE WASHINGTON POST AND ALBERTO GONZALES

Dan Eggen of the Washington Post has been writing story after story about Alberto Gonzales. Well, surprise, surprise!! Not all of them have been accurate. Powerline has the story under the heading "The Washington Post facricates a 'contradiction.' "
It makes me wonder what the media thinks they are doing!!

MOVEON IS AT IT AGAIN

Move On has launched another campaign against Republican candidates. They are going to highlight the cost of the Iraq war for individual congressional districts. The article is important reading for all of us. According to CNS NEWS.com MoveOn is being helped in this latest tactic to derail the Iraq war by the National Priorities Project. My thanks to my good friend River West who provided me with this article.

THE DEBATE ON THE THREATS TO CONSERVATISM

Patrick Hynes has written a thought provoking post titled "Identity Group Conservatism" at Ankle Biting Pundits and Patrick Ruffini has written a compelling response titled "The Threats to Conservatism". I believe that this type of debate is exactly what the Conservative movement and the Republican party needs to engage in. We must get back on track with all of the voters who call themselves Republicans, and this is a good start. An open and honest dialogue about where we want to go as a party is crucial.

WHERE ARE ALL THE GOP SENATE CANDIDATES?

Chris Cillizza, who blogs for the Washington Post at "The Fix" has an interesting story about the GOP candidates for Senate races. I'm not sure that the situation is as dire for the GOP as Cillizza makes it sound, but it is worth reading, especially for his list of the top ten Senate races.

BILL HOBBS - MORE ON MEDIA BIAS

Bill Hobbs, who is one of my favorite bloggers, has an article in Newsbusters expanding on the media bias that seems to have become a way of life. Take a look at his story titled Media Bias Shows in Coverage of Complex Securities Case

ALLEN ROTH ON HOW TO BUILD A CONSERVATIVE WEB OPERATION

I have enjoyed reading Allen Roth for quite some time. His article on how to build a conservative web operation is a must read for every Conservative.

THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND THE TRUTH

Just read a fascinating article about the misrepresentations of the MSM. This article particularly talks about CBS News, but this kind of reporting is all too common.

BUSH FINDS A WAY AROUND CONGRESS

According to the Associated Press, President Bush intends to push his agenda without Congress. It will be fascinating to see how the President's strategy develops. While there are a lot of things that President Bush can do in the form of executive orders and regulations, he runs the risk of making things much worse for Republican candidates across the country, by pursuing agendas that are unpopular with the American public.

PADILLA FOUND GUILTY

Score one for the good guys. Jose Padilla was convicted of federal terrorism charges.

MEL MARTINEZ - IS IT TIME TO LEAVE?

Redstate has a devastating post about Mel Martinez. They call him an incompetent fool. What has the folks at Redstate so riled up? It seems that Mel attacked Rudy Guiliani and Mitt Romney for their opposition to illegal immigration. As Redstate correctly points out, one of the fundamental principles of the Republican party is DO NO HARM. Seems like Mel forgot. He has been to say the least, an ineffective Chairman of the Republican Party.

ABC NEWS - DON'T WORRY IF IT ISN'T TRUE

Powerline has a good post on how the media can twist a story to achieve the result they want. ABC News has been doing some research on Mitt Romney, and the investments he has made. Their headline reads "Romney in Stem Cell Biz, Despite Political Opposition." As Powerline correctly points out less than one thousandth of Romney's fortune is invested in a company that carries out some kind of stem cell research. Check out the Powerline article.

IS MICHAEL VICK GOING TO ENTER A PLEA BARGAIN

There are all kinds of stories being reported on Cable News today that Michael Vick is about to enter into a Plea Bargain, where he will plead guilty and serve one year in jail. If it is true, its not a bad idea. Vick is young enough that he could give up one year of his career and still be a force in the NFL, that is if the NFL will let him come back.

SOMETIMES RESEARCHERS HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS

This is a really strange story circulating on Yahoo right now. It seems that a group of researchers at the University of Texas, Austin have studied every called pitch in Major League Baseball from 2004 and 2006 and has decided that umpires are racists, based on their calls. I kid you not. Check it out.

MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE HITS PERU

At least 337 people have been killed in a massive, 7.9 earthquake that struck near Lima, Peru late Wednesday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Peru.

BILL FRIST: WORLD HEALTH

I came across another article that interested me, just because of the pure magnitude of what former Senator Bill Frist wants to accomplish. The New York Sun ran this article on August 10, but again, I think it is well worth reading. The article mentions just a few of the many tasks that Senator Frist is undertaking: " working to overhaul health care in America, researching the origins of animal-borne viruses, performing heart surgery in Sudan, visiting refugee camps in Chad, and going to Bangladesh to work with Save the Children."

PEGGY NOONAN, GENERAL PETRAEUS AND BILL FRIST

As I try to catch up on my reading after being away for two weeks, I came across an article by Peggy Noonan in the Opinion Journal. I know it is old news, but I think it is worth reading again. Take a look at it.

FRED THOMPSON INTENDS TO SHAKE UP THE RACE

David Broder has an interesting column in the Washington Post. He talks about his interview with former Senator Fred Thompson, and what Senator Thompson intends to try to do when he enters the race. If just half of this is true, it could be a very interesting election in 2008.

A LITTLE GIRL AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS

If this story by the Victory Caucus doesn't make you proud of our troops, then nothing will. I have always known that our soldiers are the best and the brightest the world has ever known. Now I know they are also the most compassionate. They make me proud to be an American.

MITCH MCCONNELL AND THE DEMOCRATS

Mitch McConnell, who I admit remains a real enigma to me, recently gave a speech calling the Democrats "Old Europe Democrats". Mitch's point seemed to be that Harry Reid and company want to ram through legislation that would turn the government into "Old Europe." Well, I think that has been going on for quite a while, but leaders like McConnell, who say they don't like a piece of legislation, then turn around and vote for it, sure don't help matters. McConnell really needs to get the Republican caucus in the Senate in order. Trent Lott has certainly been no help to McConnell, in fact he has been a big part of the problem. What I would really like to see from McConnell is less of the phony little speeches on the floor of the Senate, all prefaced with remarks about his good friend the Majority Leader, and more action to sock Harry Reid in the nose.

ZOGBY REPORTS BUSH'S APPROVAL RATING TWICE THAT OF CONGRESS

The latest Zogby poll is out. According to Zogby, President Bush's approval rating is at 32%, a slight drop from last month, when it was at 34%. Congress, however, has an approval rating of 15%, less than half of what the President's is. I continue to wonder "Is anybody on Capitol Hill listening to us?"

HOW WE HANDLE THE MENTALLY ILL

To those of you not from the Pittsburgh area, this may seem like a curious post. But I have long been concerned with how our government, both state and federal, handle the mentally ill. Mayview State Hospital is one of the few state hospitals left in Pennsylvania to treat the mentally ill. The hospital, which at its peak, cared for more than 350 people, will be closed, and patients who cannot be moved to homes in the community, will be moved to Torrance State Hospital, which handles mentally ill persons who have committed crimes. My problem with the closing of these kinds of facilities is what we do with people who are mentally ill. Releasing them is certainly not the answer. I believe that one reason that we have so many homeless people in this country can be directly tied to the last massive closings of mental hospitals across the country. Now the courts are involved, directing that people with mental illnesses be served, whenever possible, in community settings. Placing the mentally ill in community settings is not fair to the mentally ill or to the community itself. We need to re-examine how we care for our most vulnerable people.

FORMER NBA REFEREE PLEADS GUILTY

Former NBA Referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty to felony charges related to his activities in betting on games he officiated and accepting payoffs from gamblers. I guess my question is - Is this the end of the story or just the beginning? It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

TEN MINUTE MISCONDUCT ON RUMSFELD

Ten Minute Misconduct has a terrific story on Rumsfeld. Evidently, Secretary Rumsfeld sent the letter of resignation before the 2006 election, but President Bush did not announce it until the day after the elections. Could it have made a difference? Check out the article at Ten Minute Misconduct.

IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS =TERRORISTS

The Bush Administration is preparing to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a Terrorist organization. Well, it's about time.

FRED THOMPSON - FAIR TAX A GOOD PLACE TO START

Newsmax has an article about Fred Thompson and the Fair Tax. The Newsmax article is a little misleading in that the headline says that Thompson embraces the Fair Tax. What he actually said is that the Fair Tax is a good place to start. Read the Article and let me know what you think.

MUSINGS

Posting has been sporadic the last couple of weeks since I have been on vacation. I wanted to take a few minutes and reminisce about my trip up North. It was a hectic two week period, but well worth the effort. As we drove north, we stopped in Fayetteville, NC and were able to have dinner with Volpac volunteer and good friend, Alvin Reed. It was a real delight to meet his beautiful wife Donna and their three little boys, Joseph, Jeremiah, and Jacob. Alvin is a lucky man to have such a beautiful family. The boys were so enjoyable and Donna is such a joy to talk to. As we headed North we were able to visit with family in Lancaster, Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh. We were also able to catch up with Volpac Volunteer Parker Novak. I had an opportunity to have lunch with Parker, who will be starting his freshman year at Ohio State University. Parker is already hard at work for Republican candidates throughout the State of Ohio. What a bright young man, and what a terrific future he has. On our trip to Pittsburgh we were able to have breakfast with another Volpac volunteer, Joshua Fellers. Joshua is another incredibly bright guy, with a tremendous future ahead of him. After having the chance to meet with these three guys, I can't help but think that with people like this involved in Republican politics, the future of the Republican party is bright, indeed.

BILL FRIST AND HEALTH CARE

Former Senator Bill Frist has been interviewed by the Associated Press. It's an interesting perspective on where Senator Frist's priorities are, but for those of us who continue to hold out hope that he will re-enter the political process, a somewhat disturbing interview.

MORE POLITICAL COURAGE

Whether you agree with John Sununu's political philosophy or not it is refreshing to see a politician who will not change his political philosophy even when his Senate seat may be at risk.