Viewed From The Right

OMG! He's Returned...

2011-12-14T12:03:00.001-08:00

More to come, so many stories to tell...

A Message From Lipton T. Bagg

2010-09-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

So, you guys thought Lipton was dead, or inconito, WRONG! Here goes:

"It's dark here. It's smelly. I feel trapped. Damn, why didn't I stay in the states?

"All my mates are fine. I'm fine. But it is dark here. And did I mention smelly?

"Yeah, I'll say it. I'm THAT guy. I'm the miner who is trapped until Christmas and his wife and his paramour just met standing outside awaiting his release."

"Please get a message to my wife: 'Honey, don't believe a word that bitch says. There is only you in my life.'"

"LTB

"p.s. Please surreptitiously get a word to my bitch on the side: Mookie-Mookie, don't believe a word that the press and my soon to be ex-wife say about you or me. We belong together. You 'complete me.' I'll see you the day after Christmas. Your LTB sandwich. Your 'Candy Man.' Your Patton, your Napoleon. Hell, I'll say it, your Hannibal! XXOOXX LTB"

The Continuing Saga of Lipton T. Bagg: So the photo of the cheerleader got me to thinking...

2010-08-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in my dive of a hotel in Reno, Nevada, after a long night of Texas Hold 'em. (My official position is that I lost huge sums of money, if you are reading this Mr. IRS man.) Perhaps I was over-thinking this. Or to be more accurate, I was treating my search for Lipton T. Bagg as if I were searching for me. Granted, Lipton and I seem to have much in common. But how much do I really know him? Maybe I had just gotten lucky by searching in every local run down bar in or near the Florida gulf coast. I finally had to admit that I found him because he happened to be doing what I would have been doing if away from my wife on an extended stay to that location. He already told us where he was going, he just did not say exactly where, nor did he give a reason.

So, back to square one. He was not at any gambling establishment within a thousand miles of where he last escaped, er I mean left me standing outside the women's rest room. The cheerleader made me think, hey, perhaps he likes football. With an unlimited bank account and time on my hands, and football season about to get hot and heavy, I'd go to the best games in the country, as many as possible. But what if he likes pro baseball instead? The pennant races is heating up. Or, and I like this personally, what if he digs NASCAR (which somebody called "WWF for dumbies")?

I have to admit, this revelation that this might be a job too big for John Doe made me depressed. Okay, it might have been lack of sleep and alcohol, combined with the dreary hotel room and lack of female companionship (in case wifey reads this) that contributed to my depression. At any rate, I'm going to bed, and I'll think about it in the morning. Over every damn item on the breakfast served in my room menu.

John Doe

Why even God hates the New York Times

2010-08-23T06:47:00.001-07:00

A sentence from a NYT's Editorial, via NRO "The Corner:" “But many of Mr. DeLay’s actions remain legal only because lawmakers have chosen not to criminalize them.”

So it's come down to this: A House Majority Leader can be forced to resign his position and his elected office based on allegations that certain of his actions might have been criminalized but for the fact that lawmakers have chosen not to criminalize them. Yeah, and I might have been guilty of speeding if the lawmakers had chosen limit the speed at 45 instead of 55.

What comes to my mind is the immortal phrase attributed to former Labor Secretary Ray Donovan after he was acquitted after a nine month trial (I paraphrase): "Where do I go to get my reputation back?" At least back then the liberal press by and large had the decency to condemn the local prosecutor whose baseless charges forced Ray Donovan to resign his cabinet seat in the Reagan Administration. (God be praised for St. Reagan!)

Love him or hate him, "The Hammer" did not deserve to be run out of office on trumped-up charges that turned out to be nothing, zip, zero, nada. And Republicans allowed it to happen. Delay was the House Majority Leader for the Republicans at the time. The equivalent today would be if some Republican local prosecutor from Maryland indicted Steney Hoyer and he was forced to resign his seat to defend himself.

I say do it. The only thing that Democrats understand is "the Chicago Way." They indict one of yours, send three of theirs to the slammer. Don't give me this crap about turning the other cheek. That just allows Dems to sit back and pick off conservative leaders at zero risk to

themselves.

And dumbass little cheerleaders in froufrou pom poms and short skirts sit behind their desks at the NY Times and cheer them on. Whoever penned this statement disgusts me (here is a link to the entire Editorial). As does the paper that allowed it to be printed.

John Doe (cross posted at Smash Mouth)

FACTUAL UPDATE: The Justice Department chose not to prosecute--after leaving Delay dangling for several years while investigating him. The local charges are still pending. So it's not over yet. But whatever the hell happened to the constitutional guarantee of a "speedy trial?"

[p.s. LTB, phone home. Won't you come home LTB, won't you come? Won't you come home today! LTB won't you please come home!!??

Won't you come home LTB, won't you come home?
She moans the whole day long.
I'll do the cooking darling, I'll pay the rent;
I knows I've done you wrong;
Member that rainy eve that I drove you out,
With nothing but a fine tooth comb?
I know I'se to blame; well ain't that a shame?
LTB won't you please come home? ]

Shit this is getting boring...

2010-08-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting in a casino in Reno. And I'm losing my ass off. I thought for sure I'd find Lipton by now. First, I tried New Orleans. I thought it was the closest place where I might find him. Damn it all for America allowing too many casinos. There are riverboats. There are Indian reservations. Too many places where a good man can hide.

Reno is just a stopping spot, on my way to Vegas. That drunken bum has to be somewhere.

At first I loved my new gig. An unlimited supply of money. Hell, my first night in Nawleens I tried to see if I could lose more money gambling than my new friends had available as a re-supply. Nope. Three times I needed more, three times I just walked around looking lost, and some different dude came up surreptitiously and asked me if i needed more. Yup I replied, and each time I got a new stack. Nice.

But losing money, even if it is somebody Else's' money, and drinking copious amounts of alcohol, gets old. Believe it. Always in the back of my mind was "Where is the Big Guy?" We miss him. This blog ain't the same without him. His "wife" misses him, whoever he is. And besides, she's paying me a hefty sum on the side to find his sorry ass. She just mumbles something about "I get that sorry bass tard if me get chance!" Dunno what her beef is but she pays well.

I looked down at pocket aces. I grimaced and just cold called a 3x raise from the under the gun guy. He was not a local, probably just some Internet wannabe poker player. I had been sitting here for two hours just checking out the place, hoping HE might come in. The guy to my left re-raised, a pot sized raise. I did not get too excited. Too many tight players, all waiting to bust some tooorist. To my surprise the original raiser pushed all in. He only had a couple hundred, unfortunately. I gave a look as though my heartburn was acting up. I feigned mucking my cards, while surreptitiously glancing at the original raiser's direction. Reluctantly, I hoped I was acting, I just called.

Dude to my left re-raised all in. He had almost a grand. Now, I got an instant erection. "Call" I said, with no hint of gastronomical distress. I turned over my aces instantly, and heard his groan--I'd know the groan of pocket kings anywhere. The other guy stood up to leave. He didn't show, either. The flop was non-descript, no paint. Turn and river equally good for me, and my pocket rockets got paid off. I took all the chips, got up and went to the cashier, hoping my new friends had noticed my losses but not my wins, secretly wondering to myself..." Where is that asshole LTB? We miss him."

I cursed myself for not finding him, and vowed to redouble my efforts to find lard ass.

To be continued...

John Doe...

Once I got my wits about me...

2010-08-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

I started thinking. I am, after all, a lawyer by trade. Or profession as all those phonies out there like to think of themselves, with the pompous "Esquire" after all their names. Even the women. Think about it: "Jane B. Doe, Esquire." I always thought of Esquire as being a gentleman. Many of the female lawyers with whom I have had the displeasure of meeting are certainly not gentlewomen. But I digress.

Before I got out of the black S.U.V. with the darkly tinted windows, I asked a few questions. "Ummm, how am I to afford this attempt to find Lipton T. Bagg?" [Or whatever the hell his name is?] That earned a scowl, but I learned that Uncle Sam would foot my entire bill. "My entire billlllllll?" "Yup." Daaaaaayaaaaammmmm.

"My F-150 has over 200,000 miles, and most of the gaskets leak fluid."

"We'll get you a car." Music to my ears.

"I may have to break a few laws to find him..."

"You have a 'get out of jail FREE' card from us!"

I hope he did not see the corner of my lip curl up just a bit when I heard that.

"I'll need some cash."

He didn't flinch. He reached into his coat pocket and took out a stack of hundies. I acted as though it was no big deal and took the stack and stuffed it awkwardly into my hip pocket.

"One more thing. Stay off my trail. To find him, I have to be left alone."

That did not set too well. These alpha males did not appear to be the types to want to let me have free reign during my search for LTB. But I am not dumb. I was holding all the cards. Or at least these bozos thought that I was. They all nodded in agreement.

"Ugh, one last, stupid question..."

"What!?" This time it was the driver, whom I had never heard utter a word before.

Nonplussed, I replied: "Does Lipton get the same considerations that I get?" I saw that my question was not understood. "Does he get an unlimited supply of money when he is performing his special tasks for America?"

I swear they all looked at me as if I were a fucking imbecile. I took that as a yes.

So the first thing that I did once they were gone, I got on my bug-infested lap top and Map-quested the distance to certain locations from the location of the dive where Lipton had been seen. "This is gonna be easy" I thought to myself. Can you tell where this is going?

HOLD YOUR BREATH IN ANTICIPATION! MORE IS COMING!!!

John "I'm a Secret Agent Now" Doe

So imagine my surprise...

2010-08-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

I got back home from searching for Lipton T. Bagg, or whatever the hell his name is. How about "Captain America?" He gets to go on drunken binges and then save America. I want me some of that.

I had about patched things up with my wife, and with my irate clients, all of whom felt severely neglected while I was off on a lark and a frolic trying to save my good friend whom I had never met.

The phone was hopping with clients and lawyers and a judge's secretary and a Federal District Court Clerk, all who had their noses out of joint that I had not returned their calls while I had been indisposed. Into this hectic madness came a knock on the door. I should never have opened the door.

It was them. I knew the drill. I followed what's his name into the black S.U.V. with darkly tinted windows. Same crowd in the car. None looked too happy.

"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SPILL THE BEANS ABOUT LIPTON T. BAGG ON HIS BLOG!!? Don't you know all our nations enemies monitor that site!!?? They know Lipton is the baddest, most able, most cunning and most willing anti-communist, anti-terrorist, anti-anti anything agent in America? They are always trying but failing to find more info on the guy. Until now, they did not even know for sure that that picture of him was really him. They assumed it was just some hawt male underwear model pasted up there to fool them. DAMN!" He slowly ran out of steam and sputtered a few more profanities.

Sometimes not saying nothin is the best policy. I shrugged and looked away.

"Now, you owe us. You owe America. You owe over 250,000,000,000 Americans."

I looked up in surprise. He saw my crinkled brow and puzzled look, and he did not appear pleased. Come on, I'm not a fucking mind reader. Give me a break my next look said.

"You blew his cover. He's gone deep under. We think he is on the bender of all benders, the Lipton T. Bagg Speciallll, super duper deluxe, never before seen and hopefully never again duplicated Lipton T. Bagg is hiding out somewhere getting drunk on his ass and failing to even make contact with us, let alone with his wonderful, world famous--infamous?--blog known as "Viewed from the Right."

I saw his point. It was all my fault. Lipton would have probably saved the world, but I had screwed up and found him when he wasn't supposed to be found, and then I had blabbed about it here. What a fool I was. America probably hates me, or would if they knew what a mess I had made of American foreign policy.

I almost cried. What could I do to make up for my mistake? They had me, like putty in their hands.

"Find him for us. You did it once before. Maybe you can do it again. You think like a drunk. You seem to be inside his head."

"I'll do what I can." I pursed my lips, gritted my teeth, thrust out my jaw, and was determined to make up for my past mistakes. I could almost hear the National Anthem as my heart beat faster.

To Be Continued...

John Doe

Part IV of the Lipton T. Bagg Saga

2010-08-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

I did not know what to do without my new old, no, old new, friend. So I did what any red-blooded American boy would do when alone at a bar somewhere in east Texas. I started drinking heavily. Man, that line-dancing shit (while certainly not as hip as hippie twirling) ain't bad when you have several shots of tequila under yer belt (no, I did not wear one of those Texas huge fancy belt buckles! No cowboy boots neither! I wasn't that drunk.)

Whatever time it was that they kicked us all out of the bar I could not tell you if my dog's life depended on it. Nor could I tell you how I managed to make it into some cheap hotel room. All I can tell you is that I was fully-clothed, laying on top of the bed, and hung-over, when the phone rang sometime near almost mid the next day (Sunday).

I tried to ignore it. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. RING RING RING. I cursed at the phone, but that hurt my head too. Finally it stopped. Thank you Dear God!

Then it started ringing again. On and on and on.

I finally rolled over and grabbed it: "WHAT!!!!!!!!!????????" Oh, shit. That was too loud. I almost puked from the pain in my throbbing head.

"Mr. Doe?" Some formal sounding white male, mid-40s I guessed.

"Who the fuck wants to know!?" But softer now, for my head's sake.

"Special Agent Frank Barnes, F.B.I."

"What do you want?" Trying to sound tougher than I really felt.

"We need to talk to you."

Gulp. "What's this about?"

"We think you know. We can't talk over the phone. Meet us in front of your hotel room in fifteen minutes." Click.

I immediately called California. Collect. A sexy sounding oriental female voice answered: "Hello?"

"Why did you call the F.B.I.? And how did they find me?"

"I did not call the F.B.I. Why would I? I not really sure I want Lipton back. I getting used to him being gone." Click.

Adrenalin cursed through my veins. I had never met with the F.B.I. before. I assumed I knew what this was about, but in fact there were a few sordid details in my past that I am certain the F.B.I. would want to ask me about if they knew. Oh, shit! I hope they had not talked to my wife while I was gone. I didn't tell her the details of why I left so suddenly. Maybe she had second thoughts, and concluded that I was a lying dirt bag who had really left her. Well, I am a lying dirt bag, I just didn't want to tell her that I had left work, home, and my very important blogging to track down some dude that I have never met.

I cleaned up, slowly, took a wet wash-cloth to wipe off what looked like dried puke from my pants, used some of that cheap mouthwash that was provided with the room, and walked out my door. The mid-morning hot Texas sun caused me to shut my eyes in pain. Throbbing head. Damn that cheap tequila. Damn me for drinking too much.

When I had finally adjusted to the light so that I could see, I couldn't see nothin. I did not recognize where I was. Didn't know how far I was from the bar and my car. There was a single road that I did not recognize and no traffic on it. I stood there and started to sweat. Some big ass bug flew around my head, again and again.

I stood there melting for what seemed like fifteen minutes. Finally, I started to walk back inside. I don't wait for nobody more than fifteen minutes. Okay, it might have only been 4-5 minutes, but in my condition it seemed longer.

Suddenly, a big black S.U.V. with darkly tinted windows drove up. The back door opened up, and a man dressed in a suit jumped out, grabbed my arm and said "Get in." It wasn't a request. When I hesitated, he showed his badge. I got in.

I might talk tough, but I don't mess with the fibbies. Or any law enforcement. My number one rule--or two, I forget, it's somewhere up near the top of my list--is never mess with a guy who has a badge and a gun.

He kind of pushed me in and got in beside me, then slammed the door. There was another guy already in the back seat, and two more in front. The S.U.V. sped off.

"Heyyyyy, what's going on? I didn't consent to..."

"Shut up Mr. Doe," the man in the front passenger seat turned and said. "This involves a matter of national security. This is top secret. Nothing that we tell you can leave this vehicle. If you tell anyone, ANYONE, anything that occurs in the next few minutes, you could be charged with violating national security laws." He said it in an ominous tone and glared at me as if he was trying to burn what he was saying into my brain.

"Even Wikileaks?" I said to myself. But I dared not voice that joke aloud.

Gulp. I nodded assent. "What's this about?"

"The man that you know as 'Lipton T. Bagg' is not who you think he is. I hate to break it to you but that isn't even his real name."

"No shit!?" Sherlock, I thought but did not add. Even a moron such as myself knew that could not be his real name. He he. Even in my hungover state I hadn't lost my sense of humor. But I did not say the Sherlock part out loud. I wasn't completely stupid.

"He is under cover in order to perform invaluable service to our country, a job that no one else is as uniquely qualified to perform."

"What running away from home, getting drunk, and then crawling out the bathroom window after I've come all the way cross country to track him down and take him back to his wife?" I smirked. I am gullible but I wasn't buying it. "Evidently his wife doesn't think he is performing valuable services. She wanted him back, but now is getting used to having him gone."

"She doesn't know about who he really is."

"Oh, great. What is he, anyway?"

"We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you." He glared at me, then smiled and all of them started smiling. "Sorry, just a joke." Then deadly serious again. "Top secret. You don't need to know."

"Okayyyyy, so why am I here? Why have you taken me against my wishes? What the hell do you want from me!?"

Suddenly the S.U.V. stopped and the door opened and the agent who had "helped" me into the vehicle got out.

"We only gave you a ride back to your car."

I looked out the open door and there it was. I got out and tried to retain, er regain, my dignity.

"Stop looking for Lipton T. Bagg. Forget that you found him. Don't tell anybody where he is. Forget that you know him."

"Come on, this is B.S. No 'special agent' with unique talents on a 'super duper top secret' assignment runs around getting drunk in shabby run-down bars all over the south." Saying it aloud made it sink in. Really, what were these guys up to? No waaaaaaay Lipton, or whoever he really is, is some special agent undercover.

"I assure you that this is no joke. Mr. Teabagg's getting drunk at seedy bars is not part of the plan. But when you have somebody as special, with such unique gifts and talents and experience, you use him despite his flaws. When he gets used to being drunk for a few days, or weeks, he will get tired of it. He does this often. Then he will get down to business and perform his appointed task with great skill. Then he will return to his wife, and his silly little blogging."

"You know about his blog? 'Viewed from the Right'?" I gave him an incredulus look.

"We know everything about him. And about you. We even know all about those illegal things that 'Gramps' is always doing. And those sordid little details in your past? The ones that you wish we did not know about? Well we know about them. But don't worry, keep your mouth shut, don't tell anybody about what you have seen and heard, and we won't pursue charges against you. Oh, and call Mrs. T. Bagg and tell her not to worry, her husband will be coming home soon."

With that, the agent jumped in, the vehicle sped off, and I was left somewhere in the middle of east Texas, wishing I could delete all the posts that I had already made about the exploits of Lipton T. Bagg.

So if you read this, forget about it. Forget that you've ever visited this blog. Who knows when what's his name will be back, I couldn't say if I wanted to. I swear if any of the readers here say a word about what I have written I will track you down and make your lives miserable. Delete, damn posts, delete! I do not have administrative powers here, so I can't make them go away. Did you read that F.B.I.? I wrote all these articles before you told me not to tell anyone!??

John Doe, er I mean HardRightRudder, er, no, this was somebody else posting under my name. I know nothing. I see nothing.

p.s. A hacker wrote this, not John Doe!

New Development

2010-08-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

After we got Lipton cleaned up, fed, and (almost) sober, he and I got to know each other in person. "Knowing" somebody through blogging together is not the same. He seems like a really nice guy while blogging. Not so much in person.

We drove several hundred miles, talking most of the way, except when Rush Limbaugh was on the radio. LTB did not even ask where his car and his personal effects were. It would not have done any good because I had no clue. They were wherever he had last left them. All he had was the clothes on his back. If he had cash, the cheap bastard never shared any of our expenses as I was taking him home to his significant other.

It was somewhere in east Texas that we stopped for a cold one. Small town, out in the middle of nowhere. I'm not really into frequenting bars in the middle of nowhere, but playing wing man to LTB it wasn't so bad. Until he told the bartender that I was buying a round for everybody. I tried to tell the bartender no, but by then the whole damn place was in an uproar. Discretion told me to put it on the MasterCard and hope that I could pass it off as a business expense later.

Next thing I remember about Lipton was he was being lead around like a dog in heat with a pretty little cowgirl in some sort of line dance. He followed her into the women's john. I rolled my eyes, but minded my own business. I had only signed on to get him home, not to baby sit him.

But he never came out. Nor did she. Many other women went in and out, but neither of them. Good Lord, I thought, how long is this going to take? Finally, after an awkward hour, I stopped some lady and asked her to check on them and give me a report. When she said they weren't in there, I stormed in myself. A couple of screams and some curse words chased me out again, but not until I noticed the open window with the chair beneath it. Damn.

Collect call. Sexy female voice: "Hello?"

"He's gone. I lost him somewhere in east Texas." I thought it best not to mention the sexy little cowgirl and the circumstances of his departure.

I heard a deep sigh on the other end of the line and then a click, and then a dial tone. All I could think about was that it might be longer than I thought until Lipton T. Bagg was back blogging again. Sorry folks. Damn it all, why hadn't I watched him a little closer?

John Doe

Awkward

2010-08-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

I drove into the wee hours of the night. Finally I found some dive just off the interstate. I paid for a single and got ready to stumble into bed for the night. Dumb ass woke up just before I could slip away into my room.

I see this shaggy head lifted up above the side of the truck, obviously still wasted. Unfocused eyes tried to focus on me. I heard him swallow hard, trying not to puke. Fail. I made a mental not to run my truck through the car wash tomorrow. I tried to ignore him and head into my room for a few hours of shut-eye.

"Got any whiskey, Friend!?" Said with the typical slurred words of a practiced drunk.

I shrugged, gave him my best I don't drink line and kept walking.

"Wait! I know you?" He looked at me cock-eyed through whiskey goggles.

I shrugged and kept trucking.

"I know, I KNOW! YoU aRe thAT gUY f f from aMERicanNNNn IDOllll!"

Me, slightly flattered: "Lee DeWyze?" I said it modestly, because many had said that I resembled him.

"Noooo-oooooo." Through booze infested haze: "William Hung."

My baffled look flew over his head. But he did notice it when I shook my head no. I turned and started walking.

I got to my door and turned one last time. His head was out of sight in the truck bed. Good night Lipton.

------

I heard what sounded like torrential rains. I must have been dreaming. Yeah, dreaming. It never rains in south Alabama, or western Georgia, or wherever the hell we were. Oh, it was somebody pissing. I rolled over and tried to ignore the weather. My next recollection was of bad breath. Really bad breath. I opened one eye. The unmistakable face of LTB was about six inches away. Bad dream. Really bad dream. I opened my eyes again. Bad reality. Realllllllllly bad reality. LTB still there.

I slept on the floor after he grabbed me in the night. I don't know who "Leila" is but Lipton sure has a thing for her. It was a fitful night.

He had the shits all morning. I vacated the premises while the getting was good. After some Mickey D's coffee and a McMuffin, I dared to return to the room that I had paid rent on for the night. The bed was squared away, no undies in sight. The room appeared to have been made up by the maids. I was about to split, thinking that LTB had already checked out, when this big furry head appeared out of the head, "Who are YOU!"

I make it a practice not to shake hands with dudes who are just coming out of the head. "I'm John Doe."

Unfocused blood shot eyes stared at me without comprehending. Then he bent at the waste and puked. Okay. Maybe it was the dry heaves, but I was not taking any chances. I vacated the premises.

More updates later.

A bar somewhere in Florida

2010-08-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

It had been a long day. I was tired, sunburned (in a red-neck sort of way--no shirt off for me), greasy with sunblock, and had bits of sand in my hair and some in my eyes. And it was past the time of day when I start drinking. In an unknown town with one blinking light, somewhere near the coast of Florida's panhandle, I pulled over at the only watering hole in town.

Though it was late afternoon, the sun was still bright. I left the keys in my F-150. Go ahead, punk, make my day. Steal that worthless piece of crap. For a moment I pondered my laptop sitting in the passenger side seat. Naw, take that bug-infested land-fill, too, if you dare. But I did go back into the truck for my last Hoyo De Monterrey Short Corona. I'd purchased some in a dark alley somewhere in Tampa from a guy who claimed "no ablo Engleese" so I had to make do with the twenty or so words of Spanish within my command. At least he claimed that that's what they were. I wasn't giving up so easily on something that cost so much.

I pushed on the door that was desperately in need of new paint and walked in. It was dark as shit. I took off my Foster Grants but still couldn't make out much until my eyes adjusted to the light. It was a little hell hole. Smoke filled. Cramped. A juke box in the corner playing "Well I'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter" sung by I forget her name. A pool table sat off in the back left corner, deserted. The bar had five stools, three were occupied by old geezers. I put them on being locals, perhaps because they stopped talking, drinking and it seemed even breathing as they sat peering intently at me.

Hell, even the bartender, a woman whom I put at about mid forties, dish-water blonde hair in desperate need of a new die job to cover her dark and grey roots. Eventually she spoke up, in a thick New York accent (Brooklynese? Da Bronx? Hell, I never knew in the first place so how the hell would I know?) "What'll ya have?" She finally took a towel that was draped over her shoulder and resumed polishing glasses, have watching me and half watching what she was doing. The three old geezers just kept staring.

"Give me a Guiness Stout draft and a shot of Glenfiddich on the side. Hell, make it a double shot on the side."

She looked at me as though she thought I was a moron. "We have J&B and Cutty Sark, that's it. And the only beer on tap is Budweiser and Miller Lite."

Now it was my turn to look at her as if she was a moron. What kind of place was she running here? "What kind of bottled beer do you have?"

She didn't even bother to look up from her polishing: "Bud and Miller Lite."

I thought about moving on down the road, just walking out and never coming back. But who was I kidding? If I did not get some serious start towards elevating my blood alcohol content in about two minutes I was going to have to hit somebody or something.

"Gimme a double J&B and a glass of water."

She poured while the three wise men kept staring. I sidled up to the bar, staying far away from whichever of the three men who smelled as if he had not bathed in a week. I slapped a twenty on the bar, she gave me a ten back. I fished in my pockets for a tip, laid what appeared to be 32 cents on the bar and backed away from stinky. I bumped into something, which turned out to be somebody.

I turned and there he was. He was slumped over in a chair in one of the only three tables in this cramped and smokey hell hole. I'd know his distinctive mug anywhere. It was him. After days and days of searching, I'd found him. Or what was left of him. Some bottle of cheap bourbon was sitting on his table, with maybe a finger left in the bottom. Several shot glasses were sitting in front of him, a couple upside down. I had actually bumped into him quite hard, but he did not stir.

I looked back over at the bar. All four still staring at me. "How long has he been like this?"

The three wise men acted as though they did not understand English. Finally, when I did not stop staring back at them and the bar tender, little Miss New York 1983 said in her most practiced "I could give a shit" accent: "Oh, since ten minutes after we opened this afternoon."

I shook his shoulder gently. No response. I picked up the only shot glass that had not been totally drained yet. One sniff told me all I needed to know about his choice of bourbon. Sheeeeit! No thanks.

I shook him a little harder. No response. I poured a little of the lukewarm water into my double J&B, shook the glass a little, held my breath and drained it. I don't like cheap Scotch, and holding my breath did the trick, for awhile. Eventually I had to breath, and the after-taste of bad whisky hit me. I shuddered, looking forward only to that warm comforting feeling that would soon be coursing through my veins.

I shook him harder. No response whatsoever. I briefly considered that perhaps he had passed. But I heard his barely audible labored breathing. I sized him up, having never seen him in person before. Yup, not a chance in hell of me carrying him out of there. I got behind him, got both arms under his arms and wrapped around his barrel chest, and lifted part of him out of the seat, and started dragging the rest towards the door. Thanks a lot for not helping, assholes. I stopped several times, giving any of them ample opportunity to volunteer. But no.

I got him to the door and bumped my butt against it, hoping it would swing open. Just my luck, it opened up inside, not out. I took a deep breath, braced myself, and held him up with one arm while quickly opening the door handle with the other. I almost dropped him, but I got the door open. I dragged him the short way to the truck, somehow got the tailgate down without dropping him, and God knows how I lifted that big bastard into the bed of the truck and got him in enough to shut the tailgate afterwards. However I did it, I was drenched in sweat, panting, and in desperate need of another drink. I left him there and went back inside.

Just in time, too, because the bartender was already at his table, getting ready to clear it off.

"He paid for that bottle, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll take it."

"You can't take whiskey off the premises."

I swiped the bottle from her, "I won't." I held my breath and drained it in a few gulps. It was even worse than the J&B. "Got a pay phone in here?" I didn't think they would, I didn't think anybody did anymore, but she nodded over in the direction of the "His and Hers" only john in the joint and resumed clearing off the table.

I sauntered over and called Mrs. Lipton T. Bagg. Collect. When a sexy woman's voice with some unknown-to-me oriental accent answered, I said simply: "I found him. I'm bringing him home to you as soon as possible. We should be back in California in three to four days."

She did not respond, so I just hung up and walked out into the late Florida sunshine. Lipton had not stirred, so I drove off in a westerly direction, hoping to find the interstate. Hopefully, if all goes well, when I get him home Lipton will be back up and posting shortly.

John Doe

Where in the world is Lipton T. Bagg?

2010-08-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

Recent theories have circulated the internet. Some theorize that he has been abducted by a roving band of sex-crazed women. Others speculate that he went Gary Brooks Faulkner on us. Other, less reliable reports claim that he finds the thongs on those Florida beaches more interesting than blogging.

My personal theory is that he is just on a bender, having not been free from the intense scrutiny of The One Who Must Be Obeyed in quite a while. Once the newness of being totally sloshed gets old, hopefully after a week or two, he will come crawling back and show his pretty mug, and maybe even post an update.

What’s your theory?

John Doe

It's OFFICIAL! I hate the new format of Viewed from the Right

2010-08-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

Love the pretty colors, the red white and blue motif. I just find it hard to read the words for my getting old as dirt eyes.

John Doe

A rejoinder to The Classic Liberal

2010-08-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Our good friend The Classic Liberal commented after one of my previous posts ranting about libertarians deserting social cons on the fight with liberals over homosexual marriage (and every other social issue).

I thought his question, and my reply, deserved their own post, and hopefully everybody else is as interested in this as I am so that it will get a good discussion going. (Sorry for some profanity.)
Here is TheCL’s reply to my original post:

What I’d like to know is, why do you insist on the state being involved in marriage in the first place? Does the state need to regulate even the realm of God? Is God’s word only good if backed by the Almighty State?

The right has become as beholden to the state as the left. The conservative movement has turned into the Israelites who demanded a king. God punished them with one.
Our Founders wanted the state to stay out of the church for good reason. Today, you want the state in the church so it can define what is and is not marriage. Can the state do something for you God cannot? Demand your Overlords define marriage, and you’ll lose the battle forever.
The left turns to the state. If the right turns to the state too, it matters not their intentions, you’ll both get to the same place.

Here is my reply to TheCL (whom I greatly admire and respect, so I hope I don’t come off rude or condescending).

TheCL: Good question, one that most libertarians fail to understand. You and I come to many of the same conclusions, but we get there using vastly different premises.

I am a believer in our Constitutional form of government as handed to us by the Founding Fathers. My basic premise is that they handed us a blue-print for the most wonderful form of government known to man. Not perfect, just vastly superior to other forms of government. So my basic premise is if it was good enough for the Founding Fathers, it is still good enough for me.

Libertarians, on the other hand, look at life through the premise that government should have the absolute minimal impact on personal lives, and only do the bare minimum. I agree with that philosophy to an extent so long as it does not contradict what the Founders did, or so long as it does not lead to absurd results.

The Founders certainly “legislated morality.” We might not agree with the morality that they espoused, but don’t give me this crap that it is “unconstitutional” or that we should not attempt to do so.

We legislate morality all the time: we legislate against polygamy, child porn, underage sex, animal abuse, etc. ad nauseam. The only difference between those issues and homosexuality or homosexual marriage is one of degree, not kind. We just decide to draw lines and make choices because most of society agrees with those choices.

The states have since the inception been “involved” in marriage. States have required licenses, have dictated who could marry, who could marry them, when they could marry, and have made it difficult to get a divorce. So don’t tell me that the state has not been “involved” in marriage since the beginning of this country. And don’t try selling me the canard that opposition to homosexual marriage by social cons is some new phenomenon. It’s been around hundreds of years. I stand squarely in the mainstream of American thought through out the ages. You, sir, are outside, in a little slip-stream eddy off to one obscure side, far from where the majority has been through out the ages. (I do not question your ethics or your integrity–I merely believe that you have been misguided by your sincere–but incorrect–basic premise.)

And liberals/progressives/perverts/hippies, etc. and various other anti-American types come to the same conclusions as good people like you do, but again, based upon vastly different premises than either yours or mine.

Those people, many of whom I despise, I’ll just lump together and call liberals. Liberals despise America, and they despise America’s morality. They (many perhaps unconsciously) believe that if they tear down her morality and the country will follow. Others just think that they know better than all those who have lived before them. (Liberals being know-it-all? Go figure!)
They have their own brand of morality, but most would in the past call it immorality. “If it feels good, do it!” “There is no God, so we can do what we want.” Their attitude is that they certainly do not want those sanctimonious social cons telling us what we can and can’t do with our lives.

Notice, however, the contradiction–those same people are the first–THE FIRST–to tell others what they can and can’t eat, smoke, drink, say or do when liberals are in power.
What they and you don’t realize is that the reason this country has done certain things for centuries is because that way works.

Notice, for instance, what happened to the country as a result of the “sexual revolution.” Sure, there were horror stories of people staying in bad marriages, being unhappy, blah blah blah. But by and large in the past people married, stayed married, had children and prospered.
With the sexual revolution, the throwing off of traditional marriages, etc. (thanks you fuc–er dirty, hippies) the family unit began to suffer. Children lost parents, mothers were forced to raise children without a husband, women and children became poorer and dependent on the state for welfare. Men had numerous children by numerous un-married women.

All this occurred without any social disapprobation. Ooooh, don’t judge them. We can not be judgmental. Let them live their own lives, blah blah blah! B.S. That ain’t the way we did it in the past.

Believe me, I’m old enough to remember vividly how much of a scandal it was when unmarried women became pregnant. Many left town due to the pressure. This type of behavior may seem mean to you, but it was an effective deterrent to what society knew was a bad result. The world may not have been a paradise but people stayed married and children had stable homes. Then laws against easy divorce and morals against divorce and sex out-of-wedlock became loosened or completely undone.

I believe that marriage and morals based upon our judaeo-christian heritage was the glue that held society together, allowed our country to prosper, and to become the greatest country evuh. Sure, the country is great due to many other reasons, too, but I maintain that it would not and cannot prosper without our foundation of a strong marriage and morals.

So really, in my humble opinion, you are fighting against history. (Heh heh, no pressure!) You are (perhaps because you have not thought about it this way) setting yourself up as smarter than the millions who lived before you, who delivered to you the greatest country in the world, based on the greatest system of government ever devised. And you want to fuck with it because you don’t want the state “involved.” I don’t think so, absent some pretty unbedamnedlievable great reasons. Just “I don’t want the government involved in marriage in the first place” does not cut it for me.

Hope this halps.

Sincerely,

John Doe (cross-posted at Smash Mouth Politics)

p.s. I maintain that the reason marriage “works” best for society is because it was ordained by God in the Bible. Our creator just happens to know what is best for us. Who would have thunk it?

You don’t have to believe that to still come to the same conclusions that I do. Come along and join my side because the “proof is in the pudding.” Marriage is best for families, for health, for children, for prosperity, and for society in general. Ann Coulter has an entire book devoted to showing the devastating effect that the break-down in marriages has had on society. Can’t remember the name but I heartily recommend it.

And yeah, perhaps this deviated from the points you made. I see this as an opening of a dialogue, not the end all and be all of this discussion…

Will you admit that you regret voting for Obama?

2010-08-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

You know you regret it. Let's compare your attitude to that of an addict. Before you can recover you must admit that you have a problem, and then seek help.
Your problem is that you regret voting for Obama, and you want to admit it and move on with your life, but you just can't. Your liberal friends will shun you. Your black friends will call you an "Uncle Tom" or a raaaaacist. And let's face it, the prospect of having McCain and Palin as President was not something that we all looked (or look) forward to with great joy and confidence.

Even your pride prevents you from admitting your mistake. Let's face it, the past election was acrimonious. It was not friendly or nice--it was a mud-wrestling contest. Your side "won." You were stoked. You hated those of us who were saying that Obama was inexperienced, that he was lying and that he was really a closet socialist. You scoffed at us. You called us rubes. You even went out and bought some arugula as a show of support.

Besides, the Obama Girl is so hawt! Voting for Obama was "cool;" it showed that you weren't a racist and who wanted to support that old intemperate McCain anyway?

Now, the last thing that you want to do is to admit that you hate how Obama is screwing our country. How he is jamming bad legislation down our throats against the will of the people. How he claimed he was against this and that other Bush foreign policy and he hasn't changed any of it even one lick. How he said his would be the most "transparent" administration, and the most ethical administration evuh! And you, stupid fool poor duped great American citizen that you are, believed him. And now you don't know how to get out of this crappy situation of publicly supporting a an inexperienced fool who flat-out lied to the American people.

Here, let me help. Repeat this admission after me: I was a fool...I believed Obama's lies...I wanted to believe them because he is such a good teleprompter reader of lies...but I am not the only one...Obama had 90% approval at the time of his Inaugeration...Now his approval ratings have tanked, so almost half of the population was likewise hoodwinked by that lying bastard. Since he lied, I therefore no longer believe a word he said. I supported his lies, but since I found out that he was just lying, I no longer support him.

Or, if that does not suffice, just tell everybody that you recovered from your temporary lobotomy. Hope dis halps.

John Doe

What IF Crist beats Rubio?

2010-08-02T10:40:00.001-07:00

Will that "prove" that a great conservative candidate cannot beat a Republican "moderate"? After all, if a "conservative" Republican can't win an election in this current environment, when can he ever win an election? To you hand-wringers and RINOs and Country Club Republicans everywhere, and you good conservatives who are nervous about the polls, I have this to say: chill the hell out.

First, so what if Crist wins? That means Floridians are collectively stupididider than I first thought. Voters deserve what they elect. If they want a politician whose views are so malleable that they call themselves a Republican, then switch to an "independent" and/or finally switch to being a Democrat (Arlin Spincter), let them have that God-damned elected official.

Do we really want somebody like that on our side? Charley Crist is shamelessly switching positions on the issues faster than Obama breaks campaign promises. You cannot know in advance how some putz like that will vote because his word means nothing. He will vote in accordance to how the wind happens to be blowing on each particular day. Having an elected official like that is more akin to being ruled by a despot than by a representative form of democracy. Your vote does not matter because you do not know what you are getting in advance. He may support the views that he campaigns on, or he might switch once elected and support the diametrically opposed views. Y0u cast your votes and you takes your chances.

Politics is not just about governing. Democrats will do anything to get elected, to get other Democrats elected, and then they say and do whatever they want. If this country is so damn ignorant that they want that kind of government, that is what they deserve. Inner cities all over America, and many liberal states (Mass, Cali, Oregon, etc.) do just that. We can't stop them. We don't want to stop them by electing people like Crist who will be just like them once in office, just so long as they have an (R) after their name.

All that said, the latest numbers that I've seen show Rubio ahead by 5% among likely voters. We conservatives are going to be mightily motivated come November. Keep the faith. Florida hopefully just gained one more conservative vote if Lipton gets off his duff and registers to vote down there. ;)

John Doe

A Southern T. Bagg Is Born

2010-07-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

I write you today as I pass through Atlanta on my way to Florida. Flight was uneventful except we skirted the back end of a huge storm which had some of the most spectacular cloud formations I've ever seen.

Unfortunately the pictures just don't do them justice.

I will be pulling into Florida in a couple hours and will try to get a quick hit in before I call it an evening.

Two more items: First, thank you to all of you who continue to stop by recently, in spite of my sparse posting. Your readership is truly valuable to me, my friends. Secondly, would you who are inclined to do so please remember Ms. T. Bagg in your prayers? She's a remarkable woman, I love her dearly and our separation will be difficult for her - she's rather gotten used to having me around. I know it's a personal thing I ask, but my faith in God and prayer is great - I've never known anyone to say s/he received too many prayers on their behalf.

Thank you all, and until we speak again...

-LTB

Top 10 Rock Covers - Part 1

2010-07-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

"..Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery..."

An interestingly obscure quote - typically credited to Charles Caleb Colton in 1820. Which may itself be an imitation as a form of flattery. But I digress. For a long time I've been ~~threatening~~ offering to put together a top-10 list of (mostly famous) rock songs which as covers greatly exceeded the promise of the originals. Now seems like a good time to get started (and is far less research than I typically do when writing on politics).

These songs are my opinions only. I'm not listing the songs in any particular order - although I might sometime in the future. Feel free to agree or disagree - although if you choose to voice disagreement, may I ask your thoughts as to why???

And I promise to get writing on more political and social issues after I get settled into Pensacola over the weekend.

Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Originally released on (and the first single from) Bruce Springsteen;s 1973 "Greetings From Ashbury Park NJ"; this was a fairly forgettable song as recorded by Bruce. Reworked a couple of years later by Manfred Mann and released on 1976's "The Roaring Silence" (BTW, a great and under-appreciated album") it became a #1 hit in the U.S. and Europe. Manfred Mann brought an energy and vibrancy to the song which Springsteen's version sorely lacked.

This particular video is from the TV show "Midnight Special" in 1976 (incorrectly labeled 1975):

All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

Originally written by Bob Dylan and recorded on 1967's "John Wesley Harding", this song took on an entire new and vastly different persona when handled by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. At the time the song was penned, Dylan had been recovering from a motorcycle accident, and by all accounts experiencing a bit of spiritual re-birth. There is documented similarities when the lyrics of the song are juxtaposed with Isaiah Ch. 21, v. 5-9. Whether this speculation is true or not, there was a sparseness to Dylan version that was not well received by his audience, and thus the song was never a commercial success.

Jimi Hendrix, to which spareness was not generally a concern, brought this song to full blossom. In later years, Dylan acknowledged to song as rightfully becoming "Jimi's song", and for decades changed the performance of the song to mirror Hendix's arrangement over his own. Only in the past few years has Dylan returned his live performances to their original syntax.

Dylan has described his reaction to hearing Hendrix's version: "It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn't think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day."

This video is from his Isle Of Wright concert in 1970 - shortly before Jimi's death. While not as iconic as other performances such at Woodstock or Monterey, this performance shows more of Jimi the man - a musical genius who was lost to us far too soon...

Hurt - Johnny Cash

This is a case where the past usurps the present. In 1994s "The Downward Spiral" Nine Inch Nails released a somewhat forgettable version of "Hurt" (which, being a HUGE Trent Reznor fan, is hard for me to admit). In 2002, shortly before his death, Johnny Cash covered "Hurt" on the acclaimed 2003 album "America IV: The Man Comes Round". Cash received a CMT "Best Single" award, CMT's #1 Best Video of 2003, and Billboard's #33 "Best Single" of 2003. It was simply one of the best performances in any genre during that decade.

Sadly, Johnny Cash passed away on September 12, 2003.

Trent Renzor (an egotist is one ever existed) admitted in a Rolling Stone interview that Johnny Cash had made the song his - gnashing his teeth with every word. For your consideration, the original Cash video. I can't for the life of me dispute that Cash owns this song - another case where a superior performer made someone else's words his....

To my son:
If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

Bush Tax Cut expiration could cost nearly 50% more in taxes

2010-07-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

for a married couple filing jointly with a combined income of $100,000. So much for sticking it to the "rich." From an WSJ Blogs. Follow the links to see how much it might cost you and your "rich" family.

Meanwhile, George Steinbrenner's family saved millions because old George checked out during the year when there are no death taxes due. Nevertheless, I applaud the repeal of the death tax. Income and property that a man has spent his life earning, legally, while paying his taxes, should not be taxed again when he dies. Even if he is rich as a fat bastard Teddy Kennedy.

Mexican invasion

2010-07-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Mexican drug cartel takes over two ranches in the USA. This sounds too unbelievable to be true, but it is breaking news. United Conservatives has the story. (All should be reading their blog site anyway).

This Blog, It's A Changin'...

2010-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

I've been threatening to change the look of my blog for a while. Today, I made good my threat.

Please leave your thoughts and comments - good or bad. It's a bit of a work in progress, but ultimately I hope to give the three or four of you who read my musings something more attractive and functional to look at.

And of course, still packing for the trip to Florida...

-LTB

Day By Day - Media's Worst-Kept Secret

2010-07-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Another Unseen Tax In Healthcare Regs -- Taxing Gold Coin & Precious Metal Purchases!

2010-07-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

If Liberals cannot win an argument with Conservatives based upon fact and sound logic, why not tax them some more! In a move tailor-made to face-slap fans of Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck, it has been discovered that the recently passed ObamaCare legislation has a hidden initiative to tax and monitor the sale of gold coins.

Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will amend the Internal Revenue Code to expand the scope of Form 1099. Currently, 1099 forms are used to track and report the miscellaneous income associated with services rendered by independent contractors or self-employed individuals.

Starting Jan. 1, 2012, Form 1099s will become a means of reporting to the Internal Revenue Service the purchases of all goods and services by small businesses and self-employed people that exceed $600 during a calendar year. Precious metals such as coins and bullion fall into this category and coin dealers have been among those most rankled by the change.

This provision, intended to mine what the IRS deems a vast reservoir of uncollected income tax, was included in the health care legislation ostensibly as a way to pay for it. The tax code tweak is expected to raise $17 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. What this means to individuals is that any bullion purchase over $600.00 will have to be recorded on a 1099 - thus monitoring both taxation and movement of precious metals.

People, Socialism is creeping upon us! Get angry about it! Get active! Vote these people out!

Woodsterman Strikes Again! Long Live The Left Coast Resistance!

2010-07-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Odie over at The Woodsterman was cool enough (was there ever a question?) to make us Left Coasters our own flash.

I'm hoping Tim at Left Coast Rebel doesn't send the Blog Nazi's after us if we used his trademarked "LCR" in short from time to time. I can see the discussion now:

Tim: "...you want LCR?"
LTB: "Yes, please?"
Tim: "THREE DOLLARS! "
LTB: "..uhhh, No!"
Tim: "No Blog for you!!!"

(Not to worry Tim, I pay in Scotch and Beer...)

Liberals now have a new name for their pain:

SJC Americans: Fighting Socialism In Their Community!

2010-07-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Folks, if you are not doing this, or helping someone do this in your own hometown, you are giving Libs an opportunity to dig in like ticks!

The Brown and SJC Americans are a great template for home-spun community action. here is what they are up against this month:

LONG LIVE THE LEFT COAST RESISTANCE!

SJC Americans: www.sjcamericans.com

Good Evening Patriots!

Just wanted to bring to your attention an agenda item for tomorrow night's meeting at 6:30 at City Hall.

If you have ever wondered what impact the Redevelopment Agency has on our City, this will be an eye opener. The CRA, as it's called, invokes eminent domain, REQUIRES the City to provide Affordable Housing and acts as a slush fund for the City Council.

In this case, item D1 on the CRA agenda is entitled "Downtown Global Parking Strategy". Does that sound like something our "village" of 35,000 needs? Have you read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? Socialism! The City plans on taking parking from private property owners and then "sharing" it with other properties.

Current Council Member and former Mayor Mark Nielsen states "Part of the essence of a small town is its ultimate sense of the extended family. At times some of the family may have to give in order to benefit the larger family." WOW!

Please consider expressing your view on this subject, either by speaking out at the City Council meeting or writing to the Council at cityclerk@sanjuancapistrano.org. Even if you do not live in San Juan Capistrano, this concept may be coming to your City sooner than you think.

Unfortunately, we will not be here to attend but we hope some or many of you will take a stand against globalization of anything!

Shirley Sherrod: "I was A Racist 24 Years Ago, But I'm All Better Now"

2010-07-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one thinks that Shirley Sherrod sounds like the late Sen. Robert Byrd's "political love child"?

The Department of Agriculture official who resigned Monday night over comments she made at an NAACP dinner in March is claiming that the video clip that caused the firestorm excluded critical context.

Shirley Sherrod said the Obama administration got scared after the YouTube clip surfaced. In the video, the department's ex-Georgia director of Rural Development is shown telling the story about how she withheld help to a white farmer in trouble.

But Sherrod, in an interview overnight with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said she was telling a story about events that happened 24 years when she was working for a local non-profit group.

She said the whole video would reveal that she eventually came to work closely with the white farmer and that she was trying to impart a lesson about how important it is to get "beyond the issue of race."

I admit to being more cynical than the average person, but this just sounds like BS to me. I watched the video, and she was clearly telling a story portraying how she had a chance to "stick it to Whitey." Which, oh by the way, sounds a lot like our current "post-racial President."

Shirley, I don't care if it was 20 years, or 20 days ago. If you withheld the powers of your position based upon someone's race, you earned the termination and public humiliation. Sorry, Liberal rhetoric not spoken here.

UPDATE: Tim at Left Coast Rebel also covers this and includes a great quote from Shirley:

"Fox News and the Tea Parties are scaring the Obama administration."

Tim continues: "By Fox, she clearly emphasized Glenn Beck per her superior. And by the reference to Tea parties - I stand proud and accept the honor. We are doing the Lord's work, saving the nation from a neo-Bolshevik regime and per today's Journolist revelation - doing the work that the press simply won't."

"The sunlight of truth is 'scary,' no?"

Spot-on Tim!

Watch the video yourself and make your own judgement. We report (Liberal BS), you decide...

FMT + BMW = AWOL. WTF??

2010-07-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Good thing we know all illegal aliens love the United States and would never do anything to endanger the country's security, right? FMTs, or Foreign Military Trainees are being coaxed (and coached) to go AWOL (AWOL = Absent With Out Leave) from Language training at a U.S. Air Force base in Texas by "Big Mexican Women" (BMWs), many of whom are themselves (allegedly) illegal. I wonder if BMWs are advertising on a pizza box like "Big Sis"?

In the past eight years, it has been reported no fewer than 46 members of the Afghan military have gone absent without leave from DLI. Most of these have "washed out" of training and are being sent home as academic failures. Since most FMTs, Afgans included, are not allowed much petty cash or personal transportation many of them depend on these ample undocumented backsides to pick them up at Lackland's back gate in the middle of the night and help them vanish.

BMWs refer to "Big Mexican Women", a loosely-networked group of Hispanic women, some of whom may be illegal immigrants, which have been responsible for helping numerous Afghan military deserters go AWOL from an Air Force Base in Texas. Lackland AFB is just south the San Antonio, TX. (Pic is not known to reflect actual BMWs, but it might...)

Many of the Afghans, with the women's assistance, have made their way to Canada; the whereabouts of others remain unknown. Some of the men have been schooled by the women in how to move around the U.S. without any documentation.

For these Afghan deserters (and presumably other country's FMTs we've not heard about yet), BMWs are often the first step in the their journey from failed military training to Canada, or perhaps across to Mexico. The trainees who flunk out are likely attempting to avoid humiliation and ostracization for their failures once they return home.

Side note: Says a lot for the character of these losers, doesn't it? Willing to kill us "Infidels" for a shot at eternal existance among imaginary virgins, but won't face academic failure in the face.

Fox News reports the Afghan military men usually meet the women at three nightclubs in San Antonio. According to the DLI source, these nightclubs include two military hangouts — Tiffany’s Cocktails and Mirage, located outside Lackland's main gate — and Graham Central Station, a massive warehouse-like building in downtown San Antonio that houses "six nightclubs under one roof" that host a variety of theme nights (like Midnight At The Oasis? Let's play Sheepherder In The Moonlight? How about Three Wise Men - and one BMW? The ideas just don't stop flowing!).

Photos on Graham Central's website show scantily clad women rolling around in what appears to be Jell-O. Didn't find that one, but otherwise seems like a typical bar in a military town...

Although their website did have pictures of Drowning Pool performing so have to give them some credit...

The women who help the deserters are like groupies, sources told FoxNews.com. Many are single and older than the Afghans, who tend to be in their early 20s. If an Afghan needs a ride, they’ll pick him up. If they're needed to run errands — or to take them away from the base in the middle of the night — they will be there at a moment’s notice, the sources said.

Side note: So they are BMCWs! Big Mexican COUGAR Women! That makes SOOOOO much more sense!

But the women do more than drive the "getaway cars"; sources said they also provide the deserters with crucial advice and encouragement, apparently drawn from their own personal experiences. The women, they said, have told some of the men that it's possible to live in the U.S. illegally.

“These guys, they want a better life, but they’re scared to run away without their passports or identification, they’re scared they’ll get caught," a source who has assisted in the multiagency investigation said.

"These BMWs say, 'It’s OK.' Then poof, they're gone."

The official said most of the students were too afraid of life on the run to ever consider going AWOL — until they met the women, who assured them that many people live illegally in the U.S. and in Canada without getting caught or deported.

In a related story, VP Joe "Cholo" Biden blames the BMWs on failed policies of the Bush Administration. Biden was quoted "...If Bush had taken care of these women instead of going home to his wife, this would never had become the national security issue it is today..." (/sarc - but I'd believe it!)

And finally, you all know what the "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" means.

Story via Fox News. Nausea provided by, well, just so many things....

Day By Day - With Pink Floyd Accompaniment

2010-07-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

You got to be crazy, you gotta have a real need
You gotta sleep on your toes and when you're on the street
You got to be able to pick out the easy meat with your eyes closed
And then moving in silently, down wind and out of sight
You gotta strike when the moment is right without thinking

And after a while, you can work on points for style
Like the club tie, and the firm handshake
A certain look in the eye and an easy smile
You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to
So that when they turn their backs on you
You'll get the chance to put the knife in...

What Happens When You Mix LCR, TWP, LTB and ETOH?

2010-07-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

You get a hellaciously good time, fiery conversation, pictures of minivans (I'll let Tim break that story), new converts created from innocent bystanders and ultimately an evening not to be forgotten.

Although one more of those Scotches and who knows.......

Had a great time guys, thanks once again!

-LTB

LONG LIVE THE LEFT COAST RESISTANCE!

Lipton T. Bagg Heads To Gulf Coast, Leaves Left Coast Resistance!

2010-07-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

I hereby, and with great regret, submit my resignation from the Left Coast Resistance, effective 01 August, 2010. I have accepted a position in the Gulf Coast area, so I will be able to witness and report first-hand on the effects of the BP oil contamination and government (mis)handling thereof.

As a lifelong left coast resident (military service notwithstanding) I have witnessed the highs and lows of life in what I consider the most beautiful state in America, California. It saddens me to see what she has become in the hands of incompetent Liberals and to a lesser degree, RINOs. However, I am leaving her in the most capable of hands...

Our vaunted Left Coast resistance team is strong, vibrant and carrying the truth to the people. With the help of The War Planner, Little Miss Attila, Opus #6 @ MAinfo, Tim @ Left Coast Rebel, Odie @ The Woodsterman, Clifton@ Another Black Conservative, Lilac Sunday and the many others not listed, I have no doubt California CAN again be the shining star she once was.

Please don't forget our community based teams such as SJC Americans! The Browns and their team in southern Orange County, CA.are fighting hard to keep their community safe and right-minded. They are a great example to everyone who laments "we can't make a difference"; and SJC Americans is an excellent template for community based activism everywhere. Remember:

EVERYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

My blog will NOT be going away, but you will see a change in focus after I settle in next month. I will be blogging more on regional issues, Marco Rubio's candidacy (very likely working with his campaign) to go along with national issues. I will also continue writing at Smash Mouth Politics with my good friend John Doe (aka Hard Right Rudders on this site). My heart remains in California, and I will continue to support our Left Coast Resistance from afar.

With kind regards and gratitude to all,
Lipton T. Bagg

ps: TIm, I'd enjoy meeting you and Bill in Oceanside tomorrow, if you can send details!

Good Morning Raaaaacists!

2010-07-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

So timely.
So "spot-on"
So Raaaaacist!

Chris, you rock!

My God, maybe Chris Matthews really believes that conservatives really are all racists

2010-07-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

From Newsbusters comes this gem of Matthews interviewing U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, R-SC: "How do you figure your state out? It's pretty conservative obviously. It's Strom Thurmond country in many ways and, and it has people like DeMint pretty far over and then people like Lindsey Graham who are sort of regular conservatives. But then you nominated, your party has nominated an Indian-American woman, Nikki Haley. Obviously an attractive candidate, she knows how to present herself obviously, but what's that about? Is that just an interesting little aspect? "It's okay to be Indian-American but we got a problem with this black president?" What's that about?"

Oh, my God! It's not that Matthews is a devious race-baiter when he calls conservatives and Republicans raaaaacist, it's that he is "stupider" than a box of rocks! He really believes that conservatives oppose Obama because they are racists when in fact it is because they oppose Obama because he is a progressive, anti-American thug from Chicago who has been elevated well beyond his level of competence solely because he is black. As Rush Limbaugh said, if he had not been born black he would probably be a tour guide in Hawaii now.

From now on, I'm not going to hate Chris Matthews for being a non-stop lying stooge for the Democrat Party. I'm going to instead pity the fool. I still won't watch him, unless forced to, and in those rare cases I'll grind my teeth and throw hard objects at the T.V. Because in the end, whether it is due to lying partisanship or unadulterated idiocy, his rants are beyond my tolerance level.

John Doe

p.s. WHAT A PHUCKING MORON!

The Silent Majority - Deceased Harry Reid Campaign Manager Slams Him In Obituary

2010-07-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

Election 2010 has just heard from a member of the Silent Majority.

You know, from a deceased person. And in this case, Harry Reid's deceased former campaign manager.

Chances are good you never met Charlotte McCourt during her 84 years, but I’m willing to bet you’ll be hearing about her in the coming days now that her obituary has taken Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to task. It’s the kind of small story that has the potential to ricochet like a bullet through the campaign showdown between incumbent Reid and Republican challenger Sharron Angle.

Not because McCourt, who died July 8 after a long illness, was a political player or business powerbroker, but precisely because she was neither of those things. She was a homemaker, proud mother and grand mother and wife of 67 years to Patrick McCourt.

And she was at one time a loyal supporter of Harry Reid.

Her obituary, printed in Tuesday’s Review-Journal, reads in part, “We believe that Mom would say she was mortified to have taken a large role in the election of Harry Reid to U.S. Congress. Let the record show Charlotte was displeased with his work. Please, in lieu of flowers, vote for another more worthy candidate.”

(FoxNews)

Welcome To Obama's "Post-Racial" America

2010-07-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Racism is the belief that race is a primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. As a practice, it means the same thing as racial discrimination. In the case of institutional racism, certain racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or receive preferential treatment. -(Wikipedia)

Let's also lay a few facts out: I am a white male of European descent. I am the patriarch of a mixed-race family, one I am deeply proud of. Our multi-ethnic children are God's greatest gift; individually and collectively some of the finest men and women I've ever known. This family is racially aware, and has seen racism first hand - but there is not a racist bone in their, nor my, body. There is no factual assertion to dispute this.

Which is why I can state with great condifence that as with most things Obama, America has been lied to about the so-called "post-racial America". Today, race relations in the United States are on their heels, and in danger of staggering backwards. Behold, if you dare, recent evidence offered to the jury:

"The NAACP as early as Tuesday could take up language to "repudiate the racism of the Tea Parties" and stand against the movement's attempt to "push our country back to the pre-civil rights era."" (Reuters)

"MICHELLE TELLS BLACKS TO 'INCREASE OUR INTENSITY'".. (Drudge, various)

"The Rev. Jesse Jackson... said billionaire sports franchise owner Dan Gilbert was treating mere multi-multimillionaire LeBron James like “a runaway slave.”" (AP)

"In the year since President Obama smashed barriers to become the country's first black president, his tenure at the top has been punctuated by racial taunts and innuendos that have slyly, or sometimes blatantly, been circulated on the Internet, in e-mails and cartoons." (ABC News)

"When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy, those kinds of things are beyond the bounds," (Jimmy Carter)

“We think all of it is!” exclaimed Gwen Dawkins, a Democratic activist from Michigan and retired state employee when asked to what degree the fervent opposition to Obama was driven by his skin color. (via Politico)

And of course, this gem....

And this list can go on, and on, and on. So let's get some things straight, shall we?

Item #1: Conservatives and Tea Party participants challenge Obama because of his policies and rhetoric, not his race.
As previously stated, it is standard Liberal operating procedure to fight fact with hate and disdain. Thus race becomes an oft-used weapon.

Item #2: Liberals, and their conjoined twin, the MSM is PRIMARILY responsible for the increased racial rhetoric in America today.

This is simply because Liberals by nature, when confronted with truth they cannot overcome, turned to lies, deceit guilt and hate to pummel the listener into submission. Obama is their anointed Liberal Demagogue, therefore cannot be wrong-minded in policy, rhetoric or implementation (or lack thereof). Without a factual counter-argument, the machine resorts to hated. Ergo, if you disagree with Obama, it's because of the color of his skin. The MSM look for race angles in every story (even when none exist) because it's "Dirty Laundry".

Item #3: Racism indeed exists, and not necessarily where Liberals tell you it does.
Let's be clear on this as well - The Tea Party Movement IS NOT RACIST. However, there are racists who associate themselves with the Tea Party movement. These facts are not interchangeable, nor does one correlate the other. If some Martians are green, and I see a Martian in New York, this does not mean all Martians, or all New Yorkers, are green. Simple algebra.

Tea Party leaders must root out and dismiss these racist and supremacist influences; they muddy the waters and dilute the good message. However, there are racists in all political parties, and all ethnic groups. Written examples you ask for?

From the blog Latino Insurgent: "For the uninitiated it may come as a surprise that there is a great amount of racism within the Hispanic community. Not only does it exist, it is rampant, blatant, and without shame. Hispanics are the last bastion of pure unadulterated racism and it is high time we were called out about it."

From San Francisco Chronicle, via UC Davis: "It is no secret that many Asian immigrants harbor racist attitudes toward African Americans and Latinos. What is less noticed is that Asian American community activists are ignoring the problem, doing nothing proactive to deal with immigrant racial intolerance."

King Samir Shabazz (New Black Panthers) during a 2009 National Geographic documentary interview: "You want freedom? You're gonna have to kill some crackers! You're gonna have to kill some of their babies!"

From David Horowitz's article: Black Racism: The Hate Crime That Dare Not Speaks it's Name:
"...While the federal government rushes to Los Angeles to investigate an incident in which a handcuffed youth was slammed into the hood of a car and punched by an officer, a pall of silence still blankets the horrendous racial murder of four young people whose murderers are now on trial. The difference in the responses to these two stories can hardly be attributed to anything other than the skin color of the perpetrators and the victims involved. Apparently the sexual torture and brutal executions of four promising youngsters is of no interest to the nation's moral guardians, because the victims happen to be white."

Michael Myers, New York Civil Right Coalition - At the Million Man March!: "... we should not have unity around a demagogue. The demagogue's tactic, the demagogue's role is to reduce complexities to the lowest, most simplistic agenda. That's what Farrakhan does, and he--he takes the marginalization of blacks, the ghettoization of blacks and he knows that blacks are angry about that and frustrated and despair as--in terms of being disproportionately unemployed, disproportionately undereducated, that the family make-up is in some ways dysfunctional because of ghettoization. Does he want to break up the ghettos? No. He wants ghettos, because it serves his agenda. It serves his, his purpose. And his purpose is to have a black nation within the nation. When they talk about community, they're talking about a racial community. They're talking about no racial mixing. That is Farrakhan's agenda. That is his religion.

Question: Does anyone see the common thread here? If not allow me to fill in the blanks:

Item #4: As an Institution, Racism is perpetrated by traditional Liberal/Progressive groups for the benefit of their own agendas.
This is not to say racism is unique to The Left, but I know of no legitimate Conservative institution which thrives on or propagates racist agenda as those on The Left do. Witness NAACP, MALDEF, La Raza, United Negro College Fund (when did you last hear of the "United Caucasian College Fund"?), AAA Fund, ACORN (and it's bastard children), SI, SPA and so on.

Any similar organization supporting Conservative ideology would be on Eric Holder's hit list in hours, if not minutes.

I have been on record since Obama's coronation election that I take pride in America electing a candidate who was not of European (white) descent. It was a seminal event and SHOULD HAVE had the power to begin closing the book on racism as an institution. It has in fact had the opposite effect, keeping racism alive in well in the bosom of those so long afflicted by it.

There are those whose forefathers once suffered under the whip who now yearn to grasp that same whip, and in sanctimonious fashion cast it down upon others. They have not yet grasped, or in some cases utterly reject, the reality that ALL racism is wrong.

I find ethnic communities willing co-conspirators in the perpetration of this crime. In the same vein as I blast religious leaders in the Islam Middle East for not doing more to denounce radicalism, there is a "roaring silence" amongst the true (red: not self-appointed) leaders within ethnic communities for not being more vocal about the crime of racism displayed daily by those such as Louis Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Jeremiah Wright, et. al.

And while on the subject of Islam, I would be remiss in not pointing out that Farrakhan, as national representative of The Nation Of Islam, is a true double-edged sword: A perpetrator of racism, and ostensibly, a perpetrator of acts against "Infidels." He is after all, the 1996 recipient of the Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights founded by Libya's de facto leader Muammar al-Gaddafi. That's quite an endorsement. Radical Islam is radical Islam, skin color irrespective.

Anyone who has read my musings over the years knows I am quite consistent on the issue of race: Racism is intolerable and an affront to all in society. That race is now used as a political marker is unconscionable. It continues to sadden me that beginning at the highest level of leadership in the United States, the ethnicity of a man or woman is considered suitable replacement for fact and logic within political discourse. This is of course because in politics all that matters is power and control. The human condition is only relevant when it comes to gathering enough votes to stay in office. This is also the basis for Obama's push for "Comprehensive Immigration Reform"; code for "permanent underclass" and "dependable Democratic voting block".

Item #5: "Equal Opportunity" is another word for racism.
Denial of benefit or preferential offer of benefit because of color is (fill in the blank). Does not matter what color(s) are preferred, racism is racism. And "reverse racism" does not exist - it's all simply racism.

Item #6: We, the People - All Of Us - Are The Key To A Genuinely Post-Racial America.
Perhaps a good first step is to reduce the country's taste for racial politics. I believe it's long past time to retire so-called "civil rights leaders", which are in fact more like brokers of hatred to the highest bidder. We need a true leader in this country who will not be thin-skinned and fork-tongued on the issue of race. It need not be a (wo)man of color, but it needs to be someone of great fortitude and conviction. We have not have such a leader at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for some time.

But most of all, we as the voting public need to profoundly reject racial politics. Use you votes to reject those who practice race-baiting. Embrace the rule of law within our society. Start demanding competence and moral courage in our elected officials - or vote them out. We the people DO have the power, we simply must find the courage to use it wisely.

Item #7: MSM: Police Thyself, Or Face Extinction.
The MSM need police itself, and if that not be possible (nor likely -ED) the general public needs to police them with their wallets. As long as sensationalism sells, someone will peddle the drug. The MSM has graduated from "reporting the story" to "becoming the story." More so than reporting facts, todays media wants to be the force to shape news and define reality on its own terms. It's time to hold them accountable, or help speed them toward becoming fossils.

I wish I had a realistic answer to the problem of racism in America. The symptoms are so evident, the solution so elusive. This country I so love continues to suffer self-inflicted wounds as she moves toward racial parity. Witness the progress of former slave states such as Brazil, where the road to desegregation was longer, but less eventful. We should embrace the positives in society, and reject those who wish to perpetrate the lie. We as a people did a great thing electing the first person of color to the White House. The people simply made a poor choice in who that particular person was - based on his true beliefs.

I know much of this is idealistic, but as a wise man once said, "I have a dream...."

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

-LTB

What The Swiss Decision On Polanski Says About The United States

2010-07-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

1. Europe, perhaps the remainder of the free world, believes the United States is a shell of its former self.

2. That other free world countries, such as Switzerland, believe that our justice system is broken. Not just because of politics, but because the Los Angeles County DA would not provide specific details about the case to Swiss authorities; and most important

3. This is de facto evidence that we, in the world community, are no longer seen as a just and proper nation. Other sovereign nations consider us virtually third-world.

Thanks Obama - your "Pussification of America" plan seems on-track.

Azzhole.....

Spain Defeats Netherlands In World Cup Final 1-0

2010-07-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

...and no one cares all that much.

In a related story, Nielson reports World Cup viewers totaled about 5,000 greater than re-runs of "Punk'd".

Just saying...

LeBron James

2010-07-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Had almost 8 million reasons to take the job in Miami. Florida has no state income taxes. Ohio taxes income above $200,000 at 6.24%. On his $99 million contract, that is a savings of about $6 million. Sure, that might be spare change to him, but I'd be his personal servant for the next 30 years if he would give that savings to me!

John Doe

p.s. Regarding the announcement? What Lipton said. I was embarrassed for the guy, and for ESPN which played that crap for hours. We turned down the volume and listened to country music while playing poker after about 10 minutes. One of the pre-announcement questions stunned us all: "Are you still a nail biter?" That passes as journalism now!?

Slap Me Once! Slap Me Twice! C'mon Baby, Keep Me Drilling.....

2010-07-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected the federal government's effort to restore an offshore deepwater drilling moratorium, opening the door to resumed drilling in the Gulf while the legal fight continues.

The ruling is not the final word on the Obama administration's fight to suspend new drilling projects so it can study the risks revealed by the disastrous BP oil spill.

The same appeals court is expected to hear arguments on the merits of the moratorium case in late August or early September.

While it's possible that 33 exploratory wells suspended by the moratorium could resume drilling, companies might not bother with the expense while the ultimate future of the projects hangs in the balance.

Catherine Wannamaker, a lawyer for several environmental groups that support the moratorium, said she was disappointed by the ruling but expressed confidence that the Obama administration ultimately will win its appeal.

Wannamaker said it's unclear whether any offshore companies would resume drilling because Thursday's ruling doesn't resolve the case.

"Clearly, it's legally allowed," he said. "The question is, practically speaking, will anybody do it given the uncertainty? It's hard to know what will happen."

The CEO of one of the companies that sued to stop the moratorium, Covington-based Hornbeck Offshore Services, said he didn't know if any of the companies involved planned to resume drilling.

"We need to get back to work," Todd Hornbeck said of his company, which provides vessels that serve the offshore industry. "We can't work without any drilling units working."

The moratorium, which prompted a lawsuit from oil and gas service companies, was first rejected June 22 by U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman.

Day By Day - Today!

2010-07-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

And Thank God for Chris Christie! Nothing but Man-Love for Ya, Big Guy!

Did Anyone Else Notice That LeBron James' Announcement Was Kinda Like Opening Al Capone's Vault?

2010-07-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

LeBron James, the NBA's reigning two-time MVP, ended months of speculation and suspense by telling the world Thursday he will play for the Miami Heat next season, leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers after an unsuccessful seven-year quest for the championship he covets.

Big. Fugging. Deal. They still lose to the Lakers in 6 games.

We All Know That Crap Is King - Give Us Dirty Laundry

2010-07-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

As I was doing my morning reading, I notice several sites I regularly read had postings on the delivery and digestion of information in the Internet age. With so much thought of it out there already, perhaps putting some of it together makes sense. And allows a gratuitous Don Henley video as well...

It only takes an acute perception of the obvious to realize we live live in the "gotta have it" age (apologies to Coldstone Creamery). Social media, Twitter, RSS feeds, The Blogosphere all feed our insatiable desire for information - NOW! It's the dawn of a new chapter in communication - much like the telephone once was.

But it's not without perils, of course. Information fast is not always information accurate. And as our parents once taught us - it's difficult if not impossible to take something back once you've said it. Which doesn't keep MSM from trying, but I digress...

Lilac Sunday (a new read on my bloglist and a member of our Left Coast Resistance) has an interesting post this morning on Information Fragmentation. It draws several parallels to my own life (likely without the 23" B&W Philco TV with two remotes - my sister and I) and sent me down memory lane. My parents also had a firm "no TV during meals" policy. Of course, when parents wanted to watch TV, meal times were flexible (privilege of authority). Back then, no one really knew what Walter Cronkite's political affiliation was, it wasn't germane to any discussion because Cronkite was so beloved and believable. It was simply unfathomable he'd twist news to support his own politics. Reference LBJ - when he lost Cronkite, he felt he'd lost the country. Point being, in our home Cronkite was THE source of truth. And when he did rarely err, he was forthright and clear in correcting his error. Checks and balances worked, and people had faith in this.

Lilac Sunday makes a good point on information delivery. Perhaps the "News Pendulum" has swung too far toward "NOW" and too far from "ACCURATE". Lilac correctly points out that the question of feasibility of instant news has been emphatically answered. But should the complete question be "ACCURATE AND NOW"? And where is the balance?

Over at Tweetage Wasteland (being a Who fan, I LOVE the name!) I saw Dave Pell's article discussing tweeting during an execution in Utah. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff tweeted during the preparations for Ronnie Lee Gartners execution by firing squad. Shurtleff tweeted as he gave final instructions to proceed with the execution:

"I just gave the go ahead to Corrections Director to proceed with Gardner’s execution. May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims."

Heady stuff. Dave wonders aloud whether this is the wrong forum for something so profound and somber. Ultimately, he finds it meaningful and important. And of course, "NOW." Dave goes on to ask:

"How do we quickly differentiate blurbs that are almost entirely outside our personal experiences from those with which we have a deeply personal connection?"; followed by:

When do we pause? Which stories are worth an extra click? Should we know any details about the victims of Ronnie Lee Gardner’s crimes? Do we need to know anything about Gardner’s own biography?

Is this story close enough to our own daily lives to go deeper, or does this batch of 140 characters just pass us by along with the other data of the moment?

Dave and I share many things - we are both professionals who work and play in cyberspace. We are both early adopters of on-line information gathering and dissemination (I started 1978 via Harvey Mudd, how about you Dave?) We both know the age in instant information is here, and here to stay. We both also wonder how society will ultimately learn to create that homeostasis of "NOW" and "ACCURATE".

And really how important is "NOW", anyway?

My good friend and right wing co-conspirator John Doe from Smash Mouth Politics just came back from several days of visiting family in northern Michigan. During that time, he was on somewhat of an information lock-down. No internet, just some cable TV - which rarely made it to news.

My sister and her family do not have access to the internet. They do not get a newspaper. They have cable but instead of news when watching T.V. I watched the NFL total access station and the history channel, or the “Band of Brothers” for the 18th time. I was totally cut off from my usual political watching activities. And you know what? It was no big deal. What Obama and Pelosi and Reid did had zero effect on life up in rural Michigan.

I missed the 24 hour news cycles about the latest gossip. I missed learning of Obama’s latest proof of incompetence. And I re-charged my batteries.

Which goes to show that even the worst information whores/whorettes can live without "NOW". I don't know about you, I still find "ACCURATE" far more important than "NOW"

So what drives "NOW"? Originally, the need for the MSM to be first in delivering a story. In the world of media - first is considered best. it sells more copy. First wins more awards. First garners one more bonuses when direct deposit (where there is also convergence of NOW and ACCURATE - but another day) hits. But even in the day of "next day news" - mistakes of Herculean proportions have been made.

Does anyone remember:

Mark Twain? "...The report of my death was an exaggeration..." (1897)
"..the Titanic has been saved..." (1912) A note here, it was only the New York Times of the day's newspapers which accurately reported the Titanic had indeed been lost. My, how times have changed...
"DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" (1948) Chicago Tribune. Some things also never change...
"Gerald Ford to appear on Republican Ticket (1980), and "Dick Gephart to head Democratic ticket (1984). Both of course, incorrect.
Gore Wins Florida, Becomes President (2000) We all know how that worked out...

So as you see, the fight between speed and accuracy is nothing new. It's the result of two diametrically opposed forces working against one another - the fiscal rewards of "first report" and the balance of trust to report accurately. Don't look for Twitter and it's followers to resolve that conundrum.

Which again takes us full circle back to Lilac Sunday:

"...since when is Twitter considered all the news that's fit to print? If we get all our information from people who are like us, it will become increasingly difficult for us to talk to each other, because we will have fewer and fewer areas of common ground. I don't want to go back to the days of Walter Cronkite, but I am anxious about the consequences to society when people increasingly rely on their own affinity groups for information. And I don't know what the middle ground is, or how to get there."

Indeed. However since businesses are driven by profits, we can expect mainstream news resources to continue flipping a coin and guessing which way a particular issue will go - comforted by the fact they can bury an apology in page 31 under the Metamucil ad when they fail to get it right. News sells. Breaking news sells better. Apologies? well, no one worries much about that.

Like Don Henley said:

We can do the innuendo
We can dance and sing
When it's said and done,
We haven't told you a thing
We all know that crap is king
Give us dirty laundry!

And so we shall.
-LTB

UPDATE: Downgraded Quake 5.43 in Southern California Near Palm Springs!

2010-07-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Updated map and intensity chart below...

Earthquake Details (original)

This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude	5.9
Date-Time	Wednesday, July 07, 2010 at 23:53:33 UTC Wednesday, July 07, 2010 at 04:53:33 PM at epicenter
Location	33.417°N, 116.483°W
Depth	11.7 km (7.3 miles)
Region	SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances	22 km (13 miles) NNW (332°) from Borrego Springs, CA 23 km (14 miles) SE (131°) from Anza, CA 33 km (20 miles) NE (52°) from Lake Henshaw, CA 41 km (25 miles) SW (215°) from Indio, CA 45 km (28 miles) S (174°) from Palm Springs, CA 94 km (58 miles) NE (41°) from San Diego, CA
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 0.3 km (0.2 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters	Nph=122, Dmin=10 km, Rmss=0.26 sec, Gp= 29°, M-type=local magnitude (ML), Version=3
Source	California Integrated Seismic Net: USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR
Event ID	ci10736069

Earthquake Details (Updated map)

Update: J. Christian Adams to Civil Right Commission: DOJ Abetted Wrongdoing and Abandoned Law-Abiding Citizens

2010-07-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

In emotional and personal testimony, an ex-Justice official who quit over the handling of a voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party accused his former employer of instructing attorneys in the civil rights division to ignore cases that involve black defendants and white victims.

J. Christian Adams, testifying Tuesday before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, said that "over and over and over again," the department showed "hostility" toward those cases. He described the Black Panther case as one example of that -- he defended the legitimacy of the suit and said his "blood boiled" when he heard a Justice official claim the case wasn't solid.

"It is false," Adams said of the claim.

"We abetted wrongdoing and abandoned law-abiding citizens," he later testified.

The department abandoned the New Black Panther case last year. It stemmed from an incident on Election Day in 2008 in Philadelphia, where members of the party were videotaped in front of a polling place, dressed in military-style uniforms and allegedly hurling racial slurs while one brandished a night stick.

The Bush Justice Department brought the first case against three members of the group, accusing them in a civil complaint of violating the Voter Rights Act. The Obama administration initially pursued the case, winning a default judgment in federal court in April 2009 when the Black Panther members did not appear in court. But then the administration moved to dismiss the charges the following month after getting one of the New Black Panther members to agree to not carry a "deadly weapon" near a polling place until 2012.

In a statement Tuesday, a Justice spokesman said the civil rights division determined "the facts and the law did not support pursuing claims" against the two other defendants and denied Adams' allegations.

"The department makes enforcement decisions based on the merits, not the race, gender or ethnicity of any party involved. We are committed to comprehensive and vigorous enforcement of both the civil and criminal provisions of the federal laws that prohibit voter intimidation," the spokesman said.

The Civil Rights Commission, which subpoenaed Adams, has been probing the incident since last year. Adams said he ignored department directives not to testify and eventually quit after he heard Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez testify that there were concerns the Black Panther case was not supported by the facts.

Adams has described the case as open-and-shut and said Tuesday that it was a "very low moment" to hear Perez make that claim.

But he described the department's hostility toward that and other cases involving black defendants as "pervasive." Adams cited hostility in the department toward a 2007 voting rights case against a black official in Mississippi who was accused of trying to intimidate voters. Adams said that when the Black Panther case came up, he heard officials in the department say it was "no big deal" and "media-generated" and point to "Fox News" as the source.

But as the investigation unfolded, he said he discovered "indications" that the Black Panther Party was doing the "same thing" to supporters of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary season in early 2008. He urged the commission to pursue testimony from other Justice officials to corroborate his story.

It's unclear how far the commission will get. The commissioners want to hear from Christopher Coates, the former chief of the Justice Department's voting section, but the commission claims the Justice Department is blocking Coates from testifying about why the case was dropped.

In a written statement last week, the department questioned the motives of Adams, now an attorney in Virginia and a blogger for Pajamas Media.

"It is not uncommon for attorneys with the department to have good faith disagreements about the appropriate course of action in a particular case, although it is regrettable when a former department attorney distorts the facts and makes baseless allegations to promote his or her agenda," the statement said.

Adams said Tuesday that his personal views played no part in his handling of the case. He also said he did not fight to testify before the commission but resigned after the department would not take action to quash the subpoena.

It's Official! US vs. AZ!

2010-07-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's new law targeting illegal immigrants, setting the stage for a clash between the federal government and the state over the nation's toughest immigration crackdown.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix argues that Arizona's law requiring state and local police to question and possibly arrest illegal immigrants during the enforcement of other laws such as traffic violations usurps federal authority.

"In our constitutional system, the federal government has pre-eminent authority to regulate immigration matters," the lawsuit says. "This authority derives from the United States Constitution and numerousacts of Congress. The nation's immigration laws reflect a careful and considered balance of national law enforcement, foreign relations, and humanitarian interests."

The government is seeking an injunction to delay the July 29 implementation of the law until the case is resolved. It ultimately wants the law declared invalid.

"Big Sis" Blocks Websites With "Controversial Opinion"

2010-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

via CBS News:

My first reaction to the headline was "OMG! It's beginning already. Fortunately that was a false alarm. The article refers to workplace computers only, and it's not unusual for any workplace to have content filtering in place. But a clear description of "controversial opinion" would have made this a non-story. I am guessing TOTUS was not consulted before the original notice was crafted.

Of course, there was also no word if "whitehouse.gov" was considered a site promoting "criminal activity." A developing story...

Of course the news is not all bad. One would quickly notice that TSA employees appear to retain access to porn on Government computers. Maybe that's required by union contract.

Just sayin'..

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is blocking certain websites from the federal agency's computers, including halting access by staffers to any Internet pages that contain a "controversial opinion," according to an internal email obtained by CBS News.

The email was sent to all TSA employees from the Office of Information Technology on Friday afternoon.

It states that as of July 1, TSA employees will no longer be allowed to access five categories of websites that have been deemed "inappropriate for government access."

The categories include:

• Chat/Messaging

• Controversial opinion

• Criminal activity

• Extreme violence (including cartoon violence) and gruesome content

• Gaming

The email does not specify how the TSA will determine if a website expresses a "controversial opinion."

There is also no explanation as to why controversial opinions are being blocked, although the email stated that some of the restricted websites violate the Employee Responsibilities and Conduct policy.

The TSA did not return calls seeking comment by publication time.

Real American Heroes - SJC Americans and Tony & Orrie Brown

2010-07-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

There's an obscure quote I read from a few years back from a British Columbia legislator, Leonard Krog, which went something like:

"Leaders aren't born, they're developed. And a true leader is a leader in every area of life...community leadership starts at home."

It's a great quote, and in succinct fashion defines where many maladies of todays society begin. It has become far too fashionable for parents to leave stewardship of their children to teachers and others outside the home. The same can be said of our political climate. With the majority of voters practicing apostasy when it comes to the body Politic, it's no wonder our government has become more covered in weeds than bountiful of harvest.

There are exceptions to this trend, and I had the pleasure of meeting two of them face to face about a month ago over lunch. Tony and Orrie Brown are citizens who are making a difference in their community. They are genuine people who love the community they live in, and are the epitome of leadership beginning at home. Today, I'd like to introduce you to them.

The Browns are long time citizens of southern Orange County, California. Orrie attended school in the same city where they later raised their own children. A few years ago they began to notice signs of neglect and blight within this quaint community. They also began to notice that local politicians were not only turning a blind eye to the blight, but were in some cases aiding and abetting its advance for political expediency. They saw bad signs. They decided to begin fighting for the home they love.

The Browns and a few others who became interested in joining the fight started a loosely based community group called SJC Americans. SJC Americans became dedicated to the fight against gangs in their community. They took on ACORN-esque organizations which were receiving subsidies from city leaders while coaching illegal immigrants how to gain state and county benefits. They fought to better their community. To change the political climate within their city. To lead from home.

Along the way, they have been labeled as hateful, bigoted, racist and associated with other words we generally don't repeat around children. They have been threatened, publicly humiliated and humbled by their own mistakes. But they have also been noticed by others who believe in doing the right thing. And ultimately, they have been successful. They have influenced local elections, and changed wrong minded policy. They have achieved success in many of their endeavors. The Browns feel they and other active citizens have made a difference within their community. SJC Americans and the Browns have now earned the attention - and in some cases the support - of their city leaders.

These are real American heroes; and great examples of how America was meant to be: hands-on citizenship as defined by "government of the People, by the People and for the People". To maintain their integrity, SJC Americans accepts no outside funding. All fliers, signs and publications are paid for by the Browns, and a few other people who regularly contribute time and materials to the cause. SJC Americans does not seek to influence on a state or national level because they believe change is best effected at home. It's a good strategy.

Over lunch that Friday we met, I asked Tony what his vision for SJC Americans would be. He told me of a hope to show others that community-based activism does work. That through involvement and dedication to right minded causes, individuals can refocus government when it has gone astray. That even seemingly insurmountable wrongs can be righted - when citizens stand up for their beliefs. The Browns certainly know it's not easy, but it can be done. They hope others will learn of their efforts and perhaps find a way to effect changes in their own communities.

Finer examples of Americans I've not known in a long time.

I also invited the Browns to send me periodic updates of SJC American's activities, and I will post them here, and selected posts to Smash Mouth Politics. We'd all appreciate your readership and comments.

SJC Americans website is: http://site.sjcamericans.com. They also publish a periodical flier, maintain a website, send email updates of activities and participate in community activities such as city government meetings and local rallies.

I have an video of their July 3, 2010 rally for you enjoyment as well. We all look forward to your thoughts.

-LTB

Racism From The "Black Panther" Side Of The Tracks.

2010-07-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

So this is what Obama meant by "Hope and Change"? Allowing black militant thugs to yell, scream and intimidate voters with nightsticks, then dismissing charges after (get this, it's classic!):

"...one of the New Black Panther members to agree to not carry a "deadly weapon" near a polling place until 2012."

Oh yeah, so he'll be off probation and free to carry a machine gun to the polls to ensure Obama gets the majority of the vote in his district.

Fking Brilliant!

By the way, isn't racism defined as preferential (or detrimental) treatment based on racial heritage or ethic background? But of course, militant Socialist isn't a race. But it is apparently what gets Jr. Senators from Illinois elected to the Oval Orifice.

I hope Eric Holder and the "Colon-In-Chief" get their asses handed to them for sweeping this under the carpet. With all the charges leveled and Tea Party participants and, well, anyone who dares disagree with Obama's policies I cannot fathom why rote thuggery on the part of the New Black Panthers can go uninvestigated or unpunished.

A former Justice official who claims the administration backed off a voter intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party for racial reasons is set to testify Tuesday before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

The testimony from J. Christian Adams, who resigned from the Justice Department last month in protest of the administration's handling of the case, comes after he made a series of explosive allegations during an interview with Fox News last week. He said the administration abandoned an open-and-shut case of voter intimidation and that Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez gave false testimony before the commission in May.

Adams claims the administration has failed to prosecute non-whites when it comes to voting intimidation cases and that the New Black Panther incident demonstrates that.

"I don't think the department or the fine people who work there are corrupt, but in this particular instance, to abandon law-abiding citizens and abet wrongdoers constitutes corruption," Adams told Fox News.

The case stems from an incident on Election Day in 2008 in Philadelphia, where members of the New Black Panther Party were videotaped in front of a polling place, dressed in military-style uniforms and allegedly hurling racial slurs while one brandished a night stick.

The Bush Justice Department brought the first case against three members of the group, accusing them in a civil complaint of violating the Voter Rights Act. The Obama administration initially pursued the case, winning a default judgment in federal court in April 2009 when the Black Panther members did not appear in court. But then the administration moved to dismiss the charges the following month after getting one of the New Black Panther members to agree to not carry a "deadly weapon" near a polling place until 2012. The department boasted that justice had been served.

But Adams, the former administration lawyer, accused the Justice Department of not continuing the case for political and racial reasons.

Adams called the case "a slam dunk," telling Fox News that "nobody thought there was any doubt that this was the clearest case of voter intimidation that I've seen since I've been practicing law."

The Justice Department disagrees, saying it enforces voting rights laws equally. In a written statement, the department questioned the motives of Adams, now an attorney in Virginia and a blogger for Pajamas Media.

"It is not uncommon for attorneys with the department to have good faith disagreements about the appropriate course of action in a particular case, although it is regrettable when a former department attorney distorts the facts and makes baseless allegations to promote his or her agenda," the statement said.

But Bartle Bull, who was a poll watcher in Philadelphia in 2008, doesn't buy the Justice Department denials.

"I find it deeply offensive," Bull said. "I know people who died over these issues, like Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. If we can't defend their legacy, it's shameful to us and this administration."

Bull is a prominent New York Democrat and longtime political adviser. He was Robert F. Kennedy's New York campaign manager, went to the south in the 1960s to protect the voting rights of black voters and just came back from Afghanistan where he traveled with the troops.

He says the administration's actions amount to protecting the New Black Panthers.

"If Americans can't vote honestly, and the government doesn't protect their right to vote, we don't live in a democracy. Last year Obama complained when the government in Afghanistan did not run the election properly. What about Pennsylvania?" he said, claiming the president "violated his oath of office."

Bull has already testified before the Civil Rights Commission, and the commissioners also want to hear from Christopher Coates, the former chief of the Justice Department's voting section who has since been transferred to the U.S. attorney's office in South Carolina. But the commission claims the Justice Department is blocking Coates from testifying about why the case was dropped.

Bull said that in 2008, one of the Black Panthers turned to him and said "now you will know what it means to be ruled by the black man, cracker."

The result of the Justice Department action, or lack of it, he said, is that "these guys now think it's safe for them to bully voters and citizens. And that's why the Department of Justice must stand up."

Happy Independence Day 2010

2010-07-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'm away from home but wanted to log on and wish the two or three people who read my blog a wonderful 4th of July. I hope this finds you all in the company of family and friends - enjoying their fellowship in celebration of the birth of this great Republic in which we live.

Please keep in mind those who are away from their families, serving to keep us safe.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You
May the Lord make His face shine upon you
And be gracious unto you
May the Lord lift up His continence upon you
And give you peace.

-LTB

Socialist, Silence Thyself! Liberal Blogs Censor Obama Criticism

2010-07-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is straight out of TASS, Xinhua or IPS (Vietnam State News). Liberal blogs (not just DU as noted below) are taking both passive and active measure to decrease and dismiss public criticism of Fearless Leader.

TAKE NOTE PEOPLE! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO TO ALL MEDIA!

And a memo to all you left-brained windbags within the sound of my voice:
IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE SAFE BECAUSE THERE'S A ~~FASCIST~~ DEMOCRAT IN OFFICE ARE SERIOUSLY MISTAKEN!

DU is just the beginning. Watching the Huffing-glue Post and other blogs begin to reel in public criticism of the Colon-In-Chief. Even the Daily Koz, although we will have to check with Research 2000 to get (worked) numbers showing the same.

With a Democrat in the White House whose approval ratings have fallen well below 50 percent, liberal websites are entering some new territory--how to handle users who are reliably liberal but are not fans of President Barack Obama.

Case in point is Democratic Underground (aka DU), a liberal discussion forum started in 2001 that, up until recently, was united in its hatred for former president George W. Bush. But now that many Democrats have withdrawn their support of Obama, DU responded last week with regulations on how its users may express opinions about the current occupant of the Oval Office and Democrats generally.

It turns out Democratic Underground is a safe haven for all Democrats too faithful to their party to say anything beyond "constructive criticism" of Obama or other Democrats in office. The last thing they need is another voice telling them that maybe Obama should have factored hurricanes into the oil cleanup plans. Oh, and don't you dare think about calling our president "Barry."

"Forget about criticizing Obama," warned PJ Gladnick, Examiner Opinion Zone blogger and operator of a blog called "DUmmie FUnnies" which pokes fun at Democratic Underground members.

So, if you suggest "that a particular point of view is required in order to be a Democrat, liberal, or progressive," call someone a conservative, make a comment that's "too rhetorically hot, too divisive, too extreme, or too inflammatory," prepare to be booted

Here are some more samples of the ludicrous list of rules violations:

"Telling someone to 'shut up,' 'screw you,' 'go away,' 'f--k off,' or the like;" "belittling someone for being new or having a low post count; "negatively 'calling out' someone who is not participating in the discussion."

That is just the beginning...

* Insensitivity, which includes "weight or other physical characteristics" and "use of insensitive terminology."
"Over-the-top assertions of bad faith" in Obama, or "advocating voting against Democrats, or in favor of third-party or GOP candidates; broad-brush smears against Democrats generally; broad expressions of contempt toward Democrats generally."
"A sustained or organized effort to demean, belittle, bully, or ostracize another person; digging up or posting personal information about any private individual, on DU or elsewhere; stalking someone across discussion threads or forums."

The final tally of new rules: 60. Whew.

The net effect of these overstated policies is to decrease discussion, Gladnick said.

He said it's pretty easy to tell what's been posted before and after the policies went into affect — before, there was a lot of criticism of the president, especially regarding the oil spill. Now, you can barely find comments implying a misdeed.

"Right now, you really see it about the Gulf," he said. "Whereas before the rules, DU was rife with criticism of how Obama has handled the oil spill, now, such complaints have ceased."

Only time will tell if DU defectors will return to the fold.

-via Washington Examiner

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? Soldier Billed For Gear Left In Iraq After Being Shot

2010-07-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

We have ~~thieves~~ elected officials stealing from the country by millions and billions, but a wounded soldier get his disability pinged for gear lost in the battlefield. Or an accounting error. And yet, he refuses to take a dime from others.

Wish I could buy the man a beer.

Gary Pfleider doesn't remember much of what happened after he got shot. The former Oregon National Guard soldier was in a truck on patrol in Iraq in 2007 when a bullet tore through his left leg.

"I remember grabbing ahold of my leg and realizing I had blood on my hands," Pfleider told KVAL-TV. "And from that point on, until I got loaded onto the Stryker, it was just a big blur."

Pfleider flew back to the states and recuperated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where he was awarded the Purple Heart. One-third of the muscle in his leg is gone and he'll have to wear a brace for the rest of his life.

And according to the government, he also has some debts to repay.

Last June, the Army sent Pfleider a bill for more than $3,000. Technically, the clothes and weapons his unit had to leave behind after he got shot were the responsibility of his commanding officers.

Pfleider claims he got sworn statements from his bosses that he was no longer liable. The government says he may have misfiled them, or they may be lost. It's issuing a ruling on Friday to determine what Pfleider owes.

The feds are already docking Pfleider's social security and put a freeze on his tax returns. Making it even more difficult for him to mentally prepare for an upcoming surgery on his leg, the ninth one he's undergone since getting shot.

In the meantime, altruistic strangers are reaching out to Pfleider and offering to cover his expenses.

"I'm asking those people to wait," he told KVAL. "I appreciate the offers, but that's not the issue. I want a response back from the military. I want them to admit they are wrong. I want it known that vets are not going to stand for it and be treated the way we're being treated."

UPDATE: An Army spokesperson told KVAL that privacy laws prevent them from saying why Pfleider owes them money, but that it's not for gear.

Pfleider, however, says he knows why. According to a conversation he had with military's accounting wing, they accidentally overpaid him for his last three months in the Oregon National Guard. But Pfleider says he was not overpaid and he has the paperwork to prove it.

My Meeting With The War Planner!

2010-07-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

I had the distinct pleasure of having an adult beverage or two (OK, maybe three) with The War Planner this evening. I found him an engaging down to earth man who had far more in common with me than I first thought.

I cannot say if that is a good or bad thing, I'll let the audience decide....

Anyhow, I can see a Left Coast Consortium of sorts forming - maybe we can also ~~kidnap~~ invite the Left Coast Rebel, Woodsterman and MAInfo to join. Who knows maybe even Little Miss Atilla will join our cabal????

The sky's the limit here in California. Perhaps together we can muster a voice loud enough to be heard in Sacramento. God knows, in California it can't get much worse.

TY TWP - I enjoyed your company immensely.

Kagan hearings

2010-07-01T04:58:00.000-07:00

I refuse to watch. I refuse to read about it. Seeing gutless Senators roll over and play dead is not my cup of tea.

I remember vividly the Bork hearings. Real men of conviction stood up to Bork just because they hated his conservatism. Teddy Kennedy lied about Bork, and blustered, and spewed rabid spittle. They made up in red-faced feigned outrage what they lacked in good reasons to oppose Bork.

And the Justice Thomas confirmation hearings were even better. I recall having to make a business road trip to South Carolina. I would twist the dial on my radio frantically when the station that I was listening to went out of range, trying to find a new one providing coverage of the hearing. What lie, what preposterous low would the left reach for next?

Did I mention that I hate leftys and everything that they stand for? But I do admire their fighting spirit. Leftys get elected so that they can foist their anti-American agenda on the rest of us. Republicans, by and large, get elected so that they can hold onto the office. They usually do not really want a fight, they want to "get along."

Well fu#k that. Fight you lazy bastards. Oppose this ignorant b!tch just because she is a liberal. Just because she was born and raised in one of the most liberal areas of our nation. For God's sake, we already have two other women exactly like her on the bench. And oh by the way, can't you fuc#ing ignorant liberals find any women smart enough to sit on the Supreme Court who were born outside of New York City? Are all the other liberal women who aren't born in NYC retards unfit for elevation?

We've already seen the standard that Senator Barack Obama had for opposing conservative appointees based solely upon their conservative views. He voted against them. So fuck that stuff about confirming liberals so long as they aren't axe murderers and are--arguably at least minimally in Kagan's case--qualified.

Fight the liberals in the ocean. Fight them in the air. Fight them on the beaches, and in the hedgerows, in the fields, in the streets, in the halls of Congress and in the courts of justice. Fight them now. This bitch could be ruling us with an iron fist for another forty plus years if we don't. If the liberals don't ruin our country before then.

FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John "F Leftys!" Doe

DHS Reverses Course, Grants Mosan Hassan Amnesty!

2010-06-30T20:02:00.001-07:00

I believe this was the right - and upright - decision. Any man who works to destroy radical Islam should be not only given amnesty but the thanks of a grateful country.

Mosab Hassan was more shocked than anyone when a Department of Homeland Security official announced in immigration court today that government officials had changed their mind about him.
Yesterday they saw him as a "threat to U.S. national security." Today they say he's welcome to stay in the United States and become a citizen.
Why the change of heart? DHS officials won't say, but public pressure, Congressional support for Hassan and the word of an Israeli intelligence agent likely all played a part.
Mosab Hassan was born in the West Bank, the son of one of the leaders and founders of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group considered a terrorist organization by the US.
In his early 20s, Hassan became disillusioned with Hamas, and ultimately became a spy for Shin Bet, the Israeli intelligence agency.
His handler, Gonen Ben Itzhak, told Fox News that Hassan saved American, Jewish and Palestinian lives. We aired our exclusive interview with Ben Itzhak on Tuesday. By Wednesday morning Homeland Security had changed its position on Mosab.
What is strange is that one would think the information we reported could have been found and corroborated by Homeland Security with a few phone calls to their Israeli counterparts. Instead they pursued a long and expensive legal case against a man who appears to be a hero, who appears to be committed to fighting terror. And a man who now promises to help the US fight the threats against it. Common sense it seems has finally prevailed among the bureaucrats of Homeland Security.

Since this was obviously the morally correct position, I can only assume neither Obama nor "Big Sis" were involved in the decision.

-LTB

Full-Frontal Stupidity - Tuesday Edition: Rep. Pete Stark D(imwit) - CA

2010-06-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Further proof that California has become the land of Fruits and Nuts. Sadly, the voters of this state chose to put these nuts into office in Sacramento. While I get someone using absurdity to point out the absurd, the fact is our borders are as secure as this States financial dealings - that is to say leaking like a sieve.

I'm also remiss if I do not point out while the MSM refers to a smart-ass Democrat as "edgy"; the same press would refer to Conservatives making a similar comment as "hateful", or label them "Nazis". Typical Liberal thought process at work.

A California congressman known for edgy sarcasm mocked an opponent of illegal immigration during a town hall meeting last week, asking, "Who are you going to kill today?" before the constituent, a self-identified Minuteman, posed his question.

Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., no stranger to controversy, mocked the idea that the borders are not secure when asked about the federal government's lack of activity on border security.

"We can't get enough Minutemen armed. We'd like to get all the Minutemen armed so they can stop shooting people here," Stark said.

Eventually, members of the audience urged Stark to offer a serious answer.

"If you knew anything about our borders, you would know that's not the case. Our borders are quite secure, thank you," Stark said, drawing jeers.

Stark resumed his hostile act, asking the Minuteman what he would do to secure the border.

"I would send about about 25,000 troops for one thing and build a wall down so vehicles could not pass," the Minuteman said.

"How high and long would it be?" Stark asked.

"As high and as long as it takes," the Minuteman said, elicting cheers.

Stark said he would start a ladder company with the Minuteman if he designed the wall and doesn't shoot the people coming over.

"But I've got to know how high the wall is and I'll sell a whole lot of ladders for people who want to come," Stark said.

"This is a very serious matter and you're sitting there making fun of it," the Minuteman responded.

"I don't have to make fun of you sir, you do a fine job all by yourself," Stark said.

Stark made the comment last week at a town hall audience that included Steve Kemp, a member of the Golden State Minutemen, a group that opposes illegal immigrants.Kemp recorded the confrontation.

The clash came as the national spotlight focuses on Arizona tough new law cracking down on illegal immigrants and the protests it is drawing across the country, including a legal challenge from the federal government.

Good Lord, is it November yet?

"Full-Frontal Stupidity": Open Mic Catch Reporters' Snarks After Palin Speech

2010-06-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

A reasonable and prudent person might think that after Joe Biden's numerous "lobotomy moments" in front of open mics that Liberals would learn. Nah... Liberal stupidity continues, this time by several people after Sarah Palin concluded her remarks at a fund raising speech as California State University Stanislaus.

These are Liberals after all; thus reasonable and prudent tests don't apply.

Several people were caught on an open mike mocking Sarah Palin for delivering a "roller coaster"-type speech after she addressed California State University, Stanislaus on Friday. In related news, Police are apparently looking into filing charges against the reporters for public display of full-frontal stupidity. (/sarc)

A real shame Palin didn't hear the remarks so she could have followed Biden's shining example of how to treat citizens...

As the former Alaska governor stepped off stage at the sold-out dinner fundraiser and the sound of applause faded away, voices identified as reporters in a viral video could be heard one after another cracking jokes about the speech.

"Oh my God, I feel like I just got off a roller coaster, going round and round, and up and down. Sh-t flying out … everywhere," one said, as someone else made whooshing sounds.

Another one chimed in, comparing the address to the work of a sloppy college student.

"When you’ve got to write a report as a college student and you just try to jam as many quotes in as possible … That’s what I got," he said.

Someone else added: "She didn’t finish a statement."

Then another voice could be heard cutting through, saying: "Did she make a statement, because I didn’t catch that either."

California Meth Head Couple Offers To Sell Baby At Wal-Mart - ONLY $25.00!

2010-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Talk about "Prices Dropping"!

Let's run down the check list, shall we?
Meth? Check!
Stupid "Trailer-Park Grade" people who never should be allowed to breed? Check!
Local Wal-Mart parking lot in the dump city of Salinas? Check!

And I bet they were using their California Welfare EBT card at the Casinos after tweaking! Classic! After all the stupid woman was breast-feeding the kid while getting high!

Yep, the recipe for disaster is complete! I just thank God some real adults interceded.....

Everyone knows you can find just about anything you need for a low price at Wal-mart -- including baby stuff. But an actual baby? That's not usually part of the deal.

Unless you're desperate for cash and not in the best frame of mind.

That's the case in Salinas, California, where police say a couple tried to sell their 6-month-old baby for $25 outside a Walmart. Now they're facing child endangerment charges.

Patrick Fousek, 38, and Samantha Tomasini, 20, were arrested Wednesday, hours after Fousek allegedly approached two women outside Walmart and asked if they'd like to purchase his child -- at the bargain price of $25. The women initially thought Fousek was joking, but when he became persistent, they got suspicious and reported it to police, Salinas police spokesman Officer Lalo Villegas said.

"They did an outstanding job and gave our officers good information." Villegas said. "I don't know if they're mothers but they definitely had that instinct to help."

"The Governator" Turns Off Welfare EBT Cards At California Casinos

2010-06-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

With news like this, is there any wonder this state has gone to hell in a hand basket? This is insane! Welfare at the Casino! Makes perfect sense!!!

Spurred by a newspaper's report that California's welfare debit cards can be used to withdraw cash in more than half the casinos in the state, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday issued an immediate ban on state-provided cash assistance at ATMs in gambling establishments.

The Los Angeles Times disclosed that Electronic Benefit Transfer cards work in automated teller machines at 32 of 58 tribal casinos and 47 of 90 state-licensed poker rooms. The report also found the state Department of Social Services published a list of useable ATMs where the EBT cards that work like debit cards could be cashed.

That list included the addresses of two Coachella Valley casinos — Spotlight 29 Casino, 46-200 Harrison St., Coachella, and Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, 49-500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon.

“I will use every available power I have to protect taxpayers from waste, fraud and abuse in government,'' Schwarzenegger said.

Except of course, resign and get the rest of the criminals in California to follow suit. That's what this state really needs...

Is it November yet????

-LTB

McChrystal Story Turning Uglier - Documentary Will Claim McChrystal Instrumental in Pat Tillman Cover-up

2010-06-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

If there is truth to this, I immediately began to pray McChrystal rots in Hell. Pat Tillman was a hero, his family has suffered greatly over the treatment of his death. I hope this helps to them, and a final resolution to this travesty of justice.

Soon after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, pro football star Pat Tillman surrendered his multimillion-dollar NFL contract, left behind his wife, Marie, and joined the United States Army Rangers, where he completed multiple combat tours.

On April 22, 2004, while serving in the mountains of Afghanistan, Tillman was shot dead in what the U.S. government initially said was a result of enemy fire from a hostile ambush near the border with Pakistan. But it ultimately emerged that Tillman was, in fact, shot by his fellow soldiers, and details surrounding the motives and circumstances behind his death remain a source of great controversy.

In his new documentary, “The Tillman Story,” filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev explores these controversies and the roles numerous high-powered political and military figures played in falsely reporting how Tillman died and turning his killing into what his mother, Dannie Tillman, called a “recruiting” tool for the U.S Army.

One of the high-powered figures highlighted in the film for his alleged deception is Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was relieved of his military duties in Afghanistan on Wednesday.

Reacting to McChrystal's forced resignation, Bar-Lev said he was shocked that McChrystal had made the remarks critical of the Obama administration that led to his resignation.

“I am quite frankly surprised," Bar-Lev told Pop Tarts. "In the Tillman case, he was much more strategic than he seems to have been in this Rolling Stone interview.”

Prior to President George W. Bush addressing Tillman’s death at a White House dinner, McChrystal, who reportedly knew that it was fratricide but chose to omit such details from his subsequent paperwork, sent an urgent memo to Bush’s speechwriters, warning them that "unknowing statements by our country's leaders ... might cause public embarrassment if the circumstances of Corporal Tillman's death become public."

Tillman's father told the New York Daily News on Wednesday that "I do believe [McChrystal] participated in a falsified homicide investigation."

McChrystal did not share his side of the story in the film, despite the filmmakers' request, Bar-Lev said.

Bar-Lev has not spoken to the Tillman family since McChrystal resigned.

"The Tillman Story," which will see limited release in late August, was narrated by actor Josh Brolin, who told Pop Tarts he was “shocked” by what he learned while working on the project.

“I remember hearing in the documentary that someone [Gen. Kensinger] was saying that the family doesn’t have God in their lives and they are having a tough time getting over the death of their son because they don’t have anything to rely on,” Brolin said. “That was a guy that knew that they were lying to the family. So to say that to someone publicly was just so disrespectful to every person fighting for the country and fighting for the freedom in the country, that is the most evil thing you could do."

The documentary alludes to the fact that the government put the all blame on Kensinger after he had retired from the military, after which he could not be criminally charged, and “conveniently” no further investigation could then be ordered. While the family doesn’t believe Kensinger is blameless, they do believe he was merely a pawn to protect then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The film also shows a letter Rumsfeld allegedly sent to military officials after Tillman enlisted, telling them that he was “a special man” and that they needed to “keep an eye on him.”

A fellow Ranger, who was at Tillman’s side when he died, indirectly raises the question that the former NFL star may very well have been murdered. Despite Tillman’s constant screams and, what turned out to be his last words, “I’m Pat f***ing Tillman, why are you shooting at me?” the bullets continued to gain momentum.

Tillman’s longtime friend Russell Baer, who was with him when he killed and accompanied his body back home, hopes the documentary brings some sort of closure in giving the American public a sense of what really happened to Tillman.

“If you’ve spent a lot of time in the service, they tell you to never lie. They hold you high with integrity and the truth and always sticking up for what you believe in and having each other’s backs, and when it came down to it they completely lied,” Baer said. “They completely held everyone out to dry, including Pat.”

Bar-Lev says the story does not end with his movie.

“This is an unsolved mystery; nobody has ever really paid a price for what was done to the Tillmans,” he said. “No one has taken accountability or made an admission for a deliberate attempt to conceal the truth. This story is not over yet.”

Rolling Stone Reporter is "A Rat In An Eagle's Nest"

2010-06-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

What a great line, and what's really gonna twist your noodle is who said it... Geraldo Rivera!

In this Fox News segment with KT McFarland, Geraldo articulates - quite well in fact - the importance of context and camaraderie in a setting with members of the military. When I discussed context and character here and at Smash Mouth Politics, I tried to balance what I felt were sneaky, underhanded tactics of the MSM against the naivety and perhaps blind trust given the reporter by Gen. McChrystal and his staff. Ultimately, Gen. McChrystal bears the responsibility for his words and with so much of Obama's agenda spinning down the drain, BO has no choice but to accept McChrystal's resignation.

His "trailer trash shows" and some political leanings aside, I believe Geraldo to be perhaps the best reporter in the media today. An old-school type of guy who has spent more time embedded with and in support of military forces than anyone else I can think of. A hell of a job here, and I applaud him for it.

Women Of Music Rule 5 - Wendy O. Williams

2010-06-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

A few things for the audience to contemplate here:

Do you even remember Wendy O. Williams and The Plasmatics?

If so, do you know how hard it is to find PG pics of Wendy?

For the uninitiated, Wendy O. Williams was the Lady Gaga of her time - only far more punk, far more vulgar (imagine that) and frankly, far more talented. The Plasmatics were punk rock of the First Order, and as such reflective of a period in American culture which is not really so different today (minus the polyester leisure suit, of course).

Without further delay, Wendy O. Williams (RIP)

Yep, I will always be one of em.....

-LTB

Morgan Hill, CA. Students Sue School Over US Flag Shirts Worn On Cinco De Mayo

2010-06-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's about damn time! I love it when Liberals get to taste their own medicine. The lawsuit names the Principal, Assistant Principal and the Morgan Hill School District.

Personally, I hope these kids all get Corvettes out of this mess!

Four California high school students are fighting for their right to show their patriotism any day of the year, after they were forced to remove their American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo.

While other students at the school wore clothing depicting the colors of the Mexican flag and other attire related to the holiday, the four students and one other were told by a school administrator that they could wear the shirts any other day but May 5, which celebrates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla.

They filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Morgan Hill Unified School District.

The students’ attorney, William J. Becker Jr., said state law explicitly grants students the right to exercise freedom of speech by wearing “buttons, badges, and other insignia” and prohibits public schools from interfering with their speech rights unless a “clear and present danger” exists, such as the commission of unlawful acts on school premises, the violation of school rules or substantial disruption of the school’s orderly operation.

McChrystal Relieved Of Command By Obama - Petraeus To Take Command

2010-06-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just as I suspected - an act of ego, not pragmatism. McChrystal has been relieved, to be replaced by Gen. David Petraeus. Gen. Petraeus is a good officer assuming a bad situation.

Here’s the thing: A military leader still answers to his civilian leadership. This is one of the checks and balances which protects our way of life and prevents us from becoming another junta-controlled banana republic. Our military – as designed- does not work effectively when criticism and back-biting is done in public.

Yes, even when the criticism is justified. It's how military chain-of-command MUST work. McChrystal is a smart guy, he knows this. Why he failed to do so I cannot say - but he's made a bad situation worse.

Many in the Blogosphere are drawing parallels between Obama/McChrystal and Truman/MacArthur. And while IMHO neither of todays players can but stand in the shadows of their predecessors there is commonality in the cases – failure of civilian leadership to hear the plight and needs of those who have boots on the ground which triggers public rebuke by the military leadership.

By all accounts (I never met McChrystal) he is a proud – perhaps arrogant – man who carries substantial disdain for those in “suits” along with rabid respect for his troops. Fair enough, but in my career I also worked beside other proud leaders with similar traits – and famous last names such as Abrams, Patton, White, Westmoreland and Powell – who had similar concerns about civilian leadership but (mostly) checked their public voice at the door. Because it’s what the job demands.

And let’s not forget McChrystal has his share of valid criticism to bear. His restrictive engagement policies have led to demonstrable increases death and injury – specifically for Infantry and Marine “first contact” teams. This for the sake of soothing the political beast. One would have thought Korea and Vietnam taught us better but alas, I fear not.

IMHO, McChrystals greatest tactical blunder is speaking his mind for a dumb-ass liberal wonk rag like Rolling Stone which would never give account for “this is how military guys speak privately” and filter accordingly. Today’s MSM in general looks for the dirty laundry – the killer sound byte – instead of the depth of the story. Being a reasonable good tactician. McChrystal should have know he exposed himself and his team to a PR flanking maneuver. Even if he is correct (which by all accounts he is) the snarks should have remained behind closed doors and in privileged company. And in the end, such open disrespect weakens morale and military discipline; it cannot be allowed. Showing public disdain for the chain-of-command would get a private or sergeant UCMJ punishment. Like crooked politicians, Generals cannot be “above the law”.

Obama’s best move would have been to censure McChrystal and put him back to work. However, Obama acted on ego (his MO), McChrystal is gone. Watch the Afghan government relationship with the US fall further into disrepair (McChrystal was about all holding that alliance together - Petraeus does not have that high regard in Afghanistan) and troop morale bottom out for the remainder of the year while new leadership is found and installed. Troop deaths and injuries will rise. The mission will flounder rudderless until Petraeus can get hold of things.

Obama will blame it on McChrystal – and of course, Bush. Ultimately, I hope another commonality between Truman/MacArthur and Obama/McChrystal comes to pass. As their flap helped end Truman's presidency, I hope this incident seals the fate of Obama's. At this point, I'll accept any contributing factor to show the "Colon-In-Chief" the door OUT.

-LTB

Obamassiah "Defaced"

2010-06-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

H/t Drudge Report. So I went to see what the fuss was about, and below is a picture from the New York Daily News. (My cousin in law was the Editor there for a short while.)

I see the picture and think to myself, "So what? Why is this "news"?" Then I click on a poll at the site which asked:

Obama Defaced

Was this simply a political statement, or a case of racism against the President?

I took the poll and was astounded by the results. I thought it would be a bunch of liberal New Yorker's. Though I realize the results might be skewed by the link from Drudge, nevertheless the polling numbers warmed my heart!

Still, it is pretty damn sad that the "reporter" even bothered to write the silly article, and that the Editor unwisely chose to publish it.

Eat dirt and die you liberal sucking pigs. To "deface" der Fuehrer's photo is not "racist," it is one of the highest forms of political dissent, not to mention evidence of good sense and sound judgment!

John "Defacer" Doe (cross-posted @ Smash Mouth)

Media Consultant Who Arranged Gen. McChrystal's Rolling Stone Interview Resigns

2010-06-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

The media consultant who arranged the interview that got Gen. Stanley McChrystal summoned to the White House has become the first casualty of the general’s candor.

Duncan Boothby submitted his letter of resignation to the International Security and Assistance Force in Kabul early Tuesday morning. The civilian senior adviser played a critical role in arranging the interview Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings conducted with McChrystal, America’s top commander in Afghanistan, and his staff.

In the magazine story, “The Runaway General,” McChrystal and members of his staff were highly critical of President Obama and his key military aides in Washington. The president has ordered McChrystal to meet with him in Washington on Wednesday, and there is widespread speculation that he will be severely reprimanded or even relieved of duty for his remarks, which many observers say amount to insubordination.

Boothby’s resignation, which came after McChrystal apologized “for using poor judgment” in the interview, puts a spotlight not only on himself but on the “new media types” the military is employing to serve as key media advisers to America’s top brass. Before managing McChrystal, Boothby was a key media adviser to Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, who headed the Combined Arms Center (CAC) in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

While at the CAC, Caldwell became a proponent of using "new media" to communicate with targeted audiences, and he began collecting civilian public affairs specialists, including Boothby, to expand the work of the military's rigid public affairs system and to maximize the "strategic impact of new media" through a program called CAC Stratcomms. "He wanted to use media as a weapon," one officer explained.

Nikki Haley Wins GOP Nomination for Governor in South Carolina

2010-06-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

Via Fox News:

State Rep. Nikki Haley, an Indian American woman, smashed a glass ceiling in South Carolina Tuesday by winning her bid to represent the Republican Party in November's gubernatorial race, defying a history of racially charged politics.

Chalk Another Failure Up For Obama - Drilling Moratorium Overturned By LA. Judge

2010-06-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Thank God some of the courts still have thinking Judges. As reported by Bloomberg:

I predict this leads to several other high profile failures in policy. Obama's lawsuit over SB 1070 will fail, as will pieces of ObamaCare. The possibilities of abject failure to a degree which makes Jimmy Carter appear competent is a real possibility. This blundering idiot would be outright amusing if he were not destroying the world's trust and faith in America in the process.

Damn shame it can't happen faster...

A New Orleans federal judge lifted the six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling imposed by President Barack Obamafollowing the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Drilling services shares jumped on the news.

Obama temporarily halted all drilling in waters deeper than 500 feet on May 27 to give a presidential commission time to study improvements in the safety of offshore operations. More than a dozen Louisiana offshore service and supply companies sued U.S. regulators to lift the ban. The U.S. said it will appeal the decision.

U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman today granted a preliminary injunction, halting the moratorium. He also “immediately prohibited” the U.S. from enforcing the ban. Government lawyers told Feldman the ban was based on findings in a U.S. report following the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig off the Louisiana coast in April.

“The court is unable to divine or fathom a relationship between the findings and the immense scope of the moratorium,” Feldman said in his 22-page decision. “The blanket moratorium, with no parameters, seems to assume that because one rig failed and although no one yet fully knows why, all companies and rigs drilling new wells over 500 feet also universally present an imminent danger.”

Steny Hoyer Announces House Dems Will Not Pass A Budget This Year

2010-06-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

From John Boehner's website.

Cancelled: There Will Be No Congressional Budget This Year

***The Following Is An Important Fiscal Health Announcement***

Washington (Jun 22)

In light of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s (D-MD) announcement this morning that House Democrats will not pass a budget this year – failing to fulfill what he has called “the most basic responsibility” of governing – the following important fiscal health warning has been issued:

THE BUDGET HAS BEEN

CANCELLED
WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGETPLANNED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011 HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WASHINGTON DEMOCRATS’ OUT-OF-CONTROL SPENDING SPREE.

AN APOLOGY FOR THIS BETRAYAL OF AMERICAN TAXPAYERS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE FORTHCOMING AT THIS TIME.
BE ADVISED THAT THE FOLLOWING SERVICES WILL BE INTERRUPTED:
Imposing the fiscal discipline economists say is needed to create jobs and boost our economy

Reining in the out-of-control spending spree that is killing American jobs
Carrying out the “most basic responsibility of governing”

Stopping middle-class tax hikes that will sock family budgets at the worst possible time

Providing the leadership on jobs and the economy that Americans say is sorely lacking

Protecting our kids and grandkids from the enormous debt burden Washington has placed on them

We reserve the right to notify you of additional consequences that may arise in light of this budget failure, which is unprecedented in the modern era. In the interim, please brace for more spending, more debt, more tax hikes, more broken promises.

For families and small businesses looking for a government that listens to the people it serves and respects their hard-earned money, House Republicans are offering better solutions to cut spending now and help small businesses put people back to work.

UPDATED: General McChrystal Reportedly Submits Resignation

2010-06-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

Reported by Joe Klein to CNN. CNN trying to confirm the report.

Updates via HotAir:

Update: Via the Right Scoop, here’s the CNN report on Joe Klein’s scoop about McChrystal’s resignation. No independent confirmation yet, although it’s possible that Klein’s source is McChrystal himself. He’s a big fan of Mac, despite the fact that he argued today at Time’s website that McChrystal should go.

Update: Time is now walking back Klein’s scoop a bit, claiming that McChrystal didn’t actually tender his resignation but offered to do so. Over to you, Barry.

Developing story...

Obama's Numbers Continuing To Drop Steadily - Oh Well...

2010-06-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

My friend and fellow left coaster The War Planner has been keeping frequent updates of Scott Rasmussen's polling on "Fearless Leader". As expected Fearless Leader's numbers are dropping like a bad burrito through the digestive system.

I'm sure Fearless Leader is lamenting the daily devolution of his regime, and to that, I had two things to say:

First: "couldn't happen to a nicer fascist", and second (courtesy of Fleetwood Mac)...

"...don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me too.
Oh well..."

"Day By Day" Gets Obama Spot-On

2010-06-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Chris Muir bulls-eye'd this one...

Not a dream, rather a nightmare...

-LTB

South Carolina Dems Refuse To Overturn Alvin Greene's Victory

2010-06-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

After again listening to an Alvin Greene sound bite, I believe him more prone to dirty laundry than dirty political tricks. Apparently, South Carolina Democrats agree - albeit reluctantly.

Democratic Party officials in South Carolina voted Thursday to uphold the result of their controversial Senate primary even though the winner was Alvin Greene, an unemployed political novice who stands almost no chance of defeating Republican Sen. Jim DeMint in November.

Meeting in Columbia, members of the state Democratic Party executive committee voted by a 38-7 margin to reject a protest from former state lawmaker Vic Rawl, the establishment-backed candidate who unexpectedly lost last Tuesday’s primary to Greene.

I discussed Alvin Greene a few days back, and while I continue to believe Mr. Greene has some outside assistance to enter and compete in the race, there can be NO QUESTION that Mr. Greene defeated Vic Rawl legitimately. 100,000+ voters cannot be all wrong; and 100,000+ South Carolina voters said they didn't want the anointed Democratic candidate Vic Rawl.

Coincidentally, Alvin Greene has found a most unlikely fan - Ann Coulter. As noted by Stacy McCain, Ann finds Greene to be "the most qualified Democrat I've ever seen." Ann again points out the obvious regarding outside intervention in Greene's candidacy:

The only thing a Republican could possibly have done is pay Greene's filing fee. It's likely that someone paid his filing fee, inasmuch as Greene doesn't appear to have enough money to buy a sandwich.

But anyone could have paid it -- ACORN, a community organizer, a stimulus grantor, Betty White. If a Republican paid the $10,000 filing fee, why not give Greene another hundred bucks for a campaign website? Or how about making it $150, so Greene could buy a new suit?

It again makes little sense for the GOP to drop big money into Greene (assuming it's true on any level) inasmuch as Jim DeMint was not seriously challenged by any of the Dem offerings - certainly not Rawl. But as far as I'm concerned, whoever contributed Greene's filing fees got their money's worth - if only for political shock value and the seemingly bottomless cup of subject matter for bloggers such as myself.

There is one good thing to take away from this story; that our voting system remains largely intact and retains the trust and confidence of the electorate. My greatest fear in this vote was the overturn of Greene's election results. Such an action would have had a chilling effect on the voting public. The potential for damage from a partisan overturn of Greene's results could have met or exceeded the 2000 Florida presidential elections' damage to the public's confidence in election processes - and trust in government in general.

As I've stated previously, the confidence Americans place in our electoral system is a mainstay of society. Without it, our way of life is profoundly changed, we become a third-world nation. Public trust and confidence in the elections process cannot be understated. An overturn of Greene's results could have been devastating, reaching far beyond Alvin Greene's 15 minutes of fame. I applaud South Carolina Democrats for putting that in perspective (all but the seven knuckleheads who voted for the overturn, that is).

-LTB

LOS ANGELES LAKERS DEFEAT BOSTON CELTICS FOR 16TH NBA CHAMPIONSHIP!

2010-06-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 for their second straight and 16th overall Championship. Sweetest because they beat Boston in game 7 - a feat never before accomplished by this team.

Kobe Bryant named the NBA Finals MVP.