Oh, But There's No Bias In The Media!

Interesting story about a probe into possible corruption in New Jersey.

What is of particular interest is that nowhere in the story is Sen. Corzine identified as a Democrat.

Of course, if he were w Republican, his party affiliation would not only be mentioned in the first paragraph, but several times throughout the story.

Nope, no bias here.

Let's Sweeten The Deal

Godwin Kipkemoi Chepkurgor of Kenya has offered former Pres. Clinton 40 goats and 20 cows for the hand of his daughter Chelsea in marriage.

Note to Mr. Chepkurgor: if you'll take her mother, too, we'll give you the 40 goats and 20 cows. And throw in 10 camels for good measure. But you have to promise to keep both; no give-backs.

The Truth Will Out

So it turns out that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts might have belonged to an organization called The Federalist Society. Oh, the horror of it all! How could anyone be confirmed to the Supreme Court if they belong to a society that "is founded on the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be"?

On the other hand, Sen. Robert "KKK" Byrd doesn't seem to have a problem with him.

In terms of The Bigger Picture, however, our own opinion is that if Ann Coulter is against him and the junior Senator from New York supports him, maybe he shouldn't be confirmed. He could be another David "Liberal In Conservative's Clothing" Souter.

The Libertarian Party Comes Unglued

It's quite understandable for the parties out of power to criticize the one(s) in power. And, since they're the third-largest political party in the United States, it's also understandable for them to criticize even "the lesser of two evils". But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

When it comes to the abuses of what the esteemed Vox Day refers to as the "bi-factional ruling party", we stand shoulder-to-shouder with our fellow Libertarians. However, we must not only respectfully disagree with their call for Karl Rove's head on a platter, we have to wonder what they've been smoking lately.

As the esteemed Neal Boortz so astutely points out, Karl Rove has broken no law. In order to have violated the law, it must be proven that:

A) Valerie Plame was an undercover CIA operative. She was not. (Considering that even her family, friends, and neighbors knew that she worked for the CIA, that wasn't much of a cover.)

B) Karl Rove knew that she was an undercover operative. Since she was not, he couldn't have. QED.

C) Karl Rove referred to Valerie Plame by name (Matthew Cooper says he didn't).

D) The CIA was actively trying to keep her identity a secret. (They weren't.)

E) Rove would have to find out that she was an undercover operative. Obviously, since she wasn't, he didn't.

In light of the bumper crop of sour grapes they've been toting around, it's easy to understand that the Democrats want something done about Rove, preferably something nasty. He did, after all, help engineer Bush's two wins over them. But, since they're supposed to be the party of principle, we expect better of the Libertarians.

In our own humble opinion, the efforts of the LP would be better spent demanding an answer to the question of why Judith Miller is still sitting in jail.

World Leader????

Today's Parade magazine has a cover story title "Are Men Smarter Than Women?". (Let's not go there. We all know the politically correct answer to that one.) Imagine our surprise, however, at seeing a certain former President's picture in the upper left-hand corner with the caption "World Leader".

Indeed?

Perhaps someone at Parade could explain just how the rest of the world managed to vote for the President of the United States. We certainly don't recall seeing his name on any foreign ballots, nor do we recall election returns from any other countries (with the exception of absentee ballots from American citizens).

Notwithstanding the certainty of significant numbers of illegal aliens casting fraudulent ballots, the President of the United States is elected only by and for Americans. And if he's doing the job he's supposed to be doing (which is at best questionable in the noted case) he's got his hands full just running the United States government.

Not that Parade has any biases in the matter, you know.

Different Tack, Same Destination

Although we've never had the pleasure of going sailing, we are familiar with the art. Not every vessel is blesed to have the wind at its back, so sailors have devised a way of traveling thru a crosswind or even a headwind. This technique -- called "tacking" -- consists of zig-zagging back and forth across one's line of travelbut always in such a way that the vessel is nonetheless headed for its chosen destination.

In politics, it is also done this way. This vessel we're in called the United States is being steered toward tyranny. Oh, the politicians who steer her will zig left and zag right, but the destination is always the same. To complicate matters, too many of the passengers -- seduced by the siren song of socialism -- are insisting on rowing toward the rocks. Only when it is too late will they realize the folly of what they have done.

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodies?

OK, quiz time. A part-time rap "artist" produces a CD that includes lyrics about flying a plane into a building and describes himself as a "crazy, suicidal Arabic... equipped with bombs". Now, what is this individual's regular job?

A) Imam at an area mosque
B) Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado
C) Lobbyist for the Republican National Committee
D) Baggage screener at an airport

If you answered D, go to the head of the class. You've discovered much of what is wrong with the nonsense posing as "security" at our nation's airports.

But don't you feel safer knowing that your bags are being screened by guys like Bassam Khalaf? After all, didn't former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) say that "you don't professionalize unless you federalize"?

At least TSA officials managed to remove their heads from a very dark place long enough to fire him, noting the "authorship of songs which applaud the efforts of the terrorists on September 11th, encourage and warn of future acts of terrorism by you, discuss at length and in grave and alarming detail various criminal acts you intend to commit, state your belief that the U.S. government should be overthrown, and finally warn that others will die on September 11, 2005".

Now all they have to do is fire the idiot who hired this guy in the first place.

On the other hand, at least he didn't exceed his quota of screening passengers of possible Middle Eastern heritage.

God help America.

But Did He Give The Secret Handshake?

From the continuing non-story about White House Advisor Karl Rove trying to corrrect a story by pointing Time reporter Matt Cooper in the right direction, it's reported that the two spoke on "double super secret background". Shades of Deep Throat! One has to wonder if Karl "Otter" Rove had just come from a screening of Animal House.

It looks like all things old are new again. Maybe the two identified themselves by flashing their Magic Decoder Rings.

Update: 2005.07.17
Apparently, we were right about the connection to Animal House. Remember, you read it here first. :-)

Update on Capt Z

As previously reported Capt Ziegenfuss was injured in Iraq, but is on the mend. His wife passes along an update, along with a mailing address for anyone who wishes to send along cards and such. We wish the good Captain a speedy recovery.

The mailing address is:

Capt Charles W. Ziegenfuss
P. O. Box 59051
Washington, DC 20012

Let's See Him Explain That

Once again, a Democrat gets caught with his foot in his mouth. NY's senior Senator "Chuckles" Schumer -- who also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee -- was overheard on board a DC-to-NY train plotting Democrat strategy for the upcoming Supreme Court battle. Quoth he: "It's not about an individual judge. It's about how it affects the overall makeup of the court."

The Drudge Report passes along an additional tidbit from Chuckles: "We are contemplating how we are going to go to war over this."

And the legacy news media would have you believe the Dems have no agenda?

Oh, it's war all right. A war between right and wrong, good and evil, freedom and tyranny. And you are in the cross-hairs.

We have said before that George W. Bush is no conservative. One of the justifications people gave for voting for him was that he would likely have the opportunity to fill one or more vacancies on the Supreme Court. Now is time is here. However, as we have also pointed out previously, if he hasn't done anything else that would be considered conservative, what assurance does anyone have that he will appoint a conservative (or even libertarian) to the Supreme Court?

Now, the question is: what are you going to do about it? The proper course of action is obvious: you should be contacting your Senators and the President and demand that a strict construcitonist be appointed to the fill Justice O'Connor's pending vacancy. It is high time to have people on the Supreme Court who will uphold the Constitution, not "interpret" it.

Another great move would be to flood the local newspapers with letters to the editor, expressing support for strict constructionists. Forget about all the on-line petitions and surveys -- they're worthless.

Find your Senator here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Write to the President at this address:

President George W. Bush
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500


As Thomas Carlyle said: "Yes, the times are bad. Very well, you are here to make them better."

Will you be a part of the solution, or a part of the problem?

Lean, Mean, Fighting Machines?

The Old Sarge weighs in on the state of military fitness:

It's no damn wonder people in society generally aren't fit, what with all the sitting down we do. But it's inexcusable for military people to not be fit. Of course, if we spent a bit more time doing soldierly stuff and a lot less time sitting on our butts, we'd probably be in better shape.

A squadron commander I once served under used to say that if we could fight wars with paperwork, we could take over the world. Sadly, he was right.

The bad part is, not only do we spend far too much time sitting down and not enough time staying fit, the fitness "standards" are a joke -- especially in the "Chair Force". Let's hope the incoming Chairman of the JCS (a Marine!) can make some serious changes. I'd love to see him get all those "perfumed princes" of the Pentagon out in the parking lot every morning for calisthenics.

Probably never happen, Sarge. The worst thing you can do in a bureaucracy is upset the status quo. However, if it did ever happen, the rest of the world would know the USA means business when it comes to fighting.

Got Freedom?

So, how many of you are celebrating this Fourth of July?

Now, how many are celebrating Independence Day?

Ah, big difference there, eh?

Amidst all the picnics, games, fireworks, movies, shopping, etc., etc., etc., it seems the real meaning of this day gets lost.

We could cite any number of quotes on the subect, but we'd prefer to be more original on this day.

Freedom is heady stuff, but it's also scary. By accepting freedom, you must accept that other people are going to do things you might not agree with. However, our libertarian philosophy would not be consistent if we did not acknowledge that unless one's actions deprive another of the right to life, liberty, or property, one's actions should not be a crime.

Of course, there is an obvious difference between morality and legality. There are many legal things which we find morally repugnant (although the same cannot be said in reverse; we can think of no moral action which we would find legally repugnant).

Another obligation of accepting freedom is that one must accept responsibility for one's own actions and inactions. So, you decided to take up smoking? Well, the fault for your lung cancer lies with you. Didn't pay attention in school and got bad grades? Tough cookies, you can't blame the teacher.

If you're willing to accept freedom on its own terms, than the credit is all yours when things go right. And when things go wrong....

Accepting responsibility also means relying on oneself in the first instance to run one's own life. Instead of calling for yet another government program to spend yet more taxpayer dollars, the free man looks first to himself to take care of his needs. If one's own resources are insufficient, one then seeks to exchange something of value for what one needs. Only in extreme circumstances does the free man rely on charity, and then only private charity.

Happy Independence Day. Enjoy what freedom you have left. And work for more.

And The Nominee Is....

This morning, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the Court.

Let the games begin.

Naturally, there are already calls for another woman -- accompanied by a demand that she be non-Caucasian -- just to maintain "diversity" on the nation's highest court, as though "diversity" is more important that an understanding and an appreciation of the Constitution.

That sound you hear is the Lunatic Left gearing up to trash whoever Pres. Bush nominates. No matter who it is, he/she will be denounced as "out of the mainstream" or having "extreme right-wing" views or being "completely unqualified". To his credit, Pres. Bush has already launched a pre-emptive strike by calling for a "dignified process of confirmation".

Despite the occasional denunciations from the Left, O'Connor was never all that "conservative". In fact, she was pretty much a swing vote on the court. Not that that would deter the Left. In their view, anyone to the right of FDR is/was a "right-wing extremist". With any luck, though, people are beginning to see thru that ploy (see our previous post).

Of course, as we've pointed out earlier, the chances of Pres. bush nominating an actual conservative rank somewhere between slim and none. In other words, don't hold your breath.