Bad habits? Or good living?

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman;
it depends on how much happiness you can handle."

--George Burns--

This quote reminded me of an amusing little story as related by Dennis Prager:

The late legendary comedian George Burns was a listener to my radio talk show. When he was around 90 years old, he invited me to his Beverly Hills home. In the course of our two hours together, he smoked two cigars and had a couple of martinis. I asked him what his doctor said about those habits. George looked at me and responded, "My doctor died."

The terrorists’ man in Washington

Last April, in an attempt to kill the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Promotion Agreement, House Democrats removed a requirement that would have brought the bill up for a vote within a specific period of time. This underhanded method of keeping the bill from reaching the White House on President Bush’s watch was the brainchild of Rep. James McGovern (D-MA). Now, the capture of a terrorist’s computer has shed some light on McGovern’s possible motivation for stiffing the United States’ closest South American ally.

On 1 March, the Colombian Army attacked a camp in Ecuador belonging to FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization that is trying to overthrow the capitalist government. FARC leader Raul Reyes was killed, and his laptop computer was captured. Colombia turned the laptop over to Interpol, whose computer forensics lab confirmed that the 37,872 files on the computer’s hard drive were legitimate and had not been tampered with or created by the Colombian government. The files were a veritable smoking gun, indicating that FARC had (among other things) bought 60 pounds of uranium; that they were interested in building a dirty bomb; that Hugo Chavez had offered $300 million and Russian weapons to the terrorist organization; that FARC was responsible for numerous assassinations and bombings; that FARC had met with “gringos” about Barack Obama; and that FARC had links with a certain Democrat from Massachusetts... named James McGovern.

Indeed, it seems that FARC was trying to do business with McGovern. At the time Reyes’ laptop was captured, McGovern was using a go-between to offer the congressman’s services to FARC as a person of influence in America. The intermediary admits that he wrote some of the letters found on the captured laptop, but he excuses his actions on the basis that it is “a mistake to isolate [FARC].” McGovern also attempted to excuse his treachery, saying that “we need to find an interlocutor who could discuss these things including the safe haven” for FARC. So there you have it: Representative McGovern wants to make sure that Colombia gives a terrorist organization “safe haven.” Not only that, but he did FARC’s communists a huge favor by masterminding the holdup of a capitalist free-trade agreement. While correlation does not equal causation, we don’t think it’s a stretch to say that at least some Democrats oppose the Colombia trade deal because they have more sympathy for terrorists than an anti-terror ally.

From the Patriot Post

Congress enacts farm bill despite president's veto
The Boston Globe

WASHINGTON - Congress enacted a massive farm bill yesterday over President Bush's veto, sending new and bigger subsidies for farmers and more food stamps to help the poor with rising grocery prices..... (More)

Senate OK's war funding, but of course they ADD BILLIONS in programs
Story at Boston Globe

Congress Raises More Obstructions to Oil Availability
By E. Ralph Hostetter

The United States Senate voted on May 13, 2008 to block oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the offshore areas of the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts. It is indeed remarkable how quickly the Senate can organize a negative vote when the issue is of such magnitude and importance to the economy and welfare of the nation. To reverse the damage this vote has done to America’s energy independence will take months of endless hearings -- ensuring that every dissident is heard......... (more)

Fakery? Yes. Libelous? No.

Critic Who Questioned Shooting of Palestinian Boy Vindicated by French Court

A Paris appeals court has overturned the libel verdict against a media critic. Philippe Karsenty, who was found guilty of libel in 2006 for claiming that French TV faked the footage, hailed Thursday’s court ruling as a significant victory. The case involves a French state television report showing the alleged shooting of a Palestinian boy by Israeli soldiers in 2000.

A “just and rational new international order.”

New Russian President Visits China to Cement Strategic Ties

Visit will detail common views on international issues. Dmitry Medvedev, making his first trip abroad as Russian president, will also discuss trade, energy and military ties with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao. In 2001, the China and Russia signed a “good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation” pact aimed at counteracting America’s global influence and installing a “just and rational new international order.” More.

Domestic Drilling OK, Just ‘Not in My State,’ Senators Say

“We can’t drill our way out of this crisis,” Democrat says. Another Democrat says the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is off limits. The consensus in the Senate seems to be that the United States should increase its domestic oil supply by opening up more drilling sites, but senators are conflicted about exactly where to allow drilling.

NO VP SLOT FOR HILLBILLARY

EARTH TO HILLARY: NO PRIZE FOR SECOND PLACE
By DICK MORRIS and EILEEN MCGANN

There is a growing effort by the Clintons — led by Bill — to convey a sense of entitlement for Hillary's newly minted vice presidential ambitions. The theory seems to say that she has earned the designation by her strong showing in primaries throughout the nation, particularly by her recent victories in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana. Her supporters are demanding a place on the ticket as their right after a bruising primary season.

But ever since Aaron Burr rose from a vice presidential candidacy to contest Thomas Jefferson for the presidency in the House of Representatives, the person who came in second in the balloting for president lost his entitlement to anything. There are no more rewards for second place. No silver medals in the presidential race.

A less arrogant argument from the Clintonistas is that ..... (Read more)

TMLC Retained by Univ. of Toledo Administrator Fired for Biblical Views Against Homosexuality

"Crystal Dixon, an African American and high ranking administrator of the University of Toledo, summarily fired because she wrote an editorial expressing her Christian views against homosexuality and objecting to the comparison of so-called “gay rights” with the civil rights struggles of African Americans, has retained the Thomas More Law Center to represent her. The Law Center will be assisted by local Toledo attorney, Tom Sobecki.

Dixon was fired by the....." (read on)

The Real Obama OR Change We Don't Dare Believe In

By David Limbaugh

Columnist Robert Novak (*McCain, Not Disarmed *) reports that John McCain will not yield to Barack Obama's efforts to shame him into running a vanilla campaign. Read more of Limbaugh.

We Need Reagan's Principles, Not His Agenda
By John Hawkins

A Gaffe, an Absurdity, and a Policy
By Charles Krauthammer

WASHINGTON -- When the House of Representatives takes up arms against $4 gas by voting 324-84 to sue OPEC, you know that election-year discourse has gone surreal. Another unmistakable sign is when a presidential candidate makes a gaffe, then, realizing it is too egregious to take back without suffering humiliation, decides to make it a centerpiece of his foreign policy.

Before the Democratic debate of July 23, Barack Obama had never.....

Click on picture to enlarge.

Obama's Tired Old Formula
By Linda Chavez

Barack Obama must be too busy declaring victory to read a newspaper. How else can you explain the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's obliviousness to what is going on in Iraq at this very moment?

Both The New York Times and the Washington Post this..... (more)

Police Enforcing Immigration Laws Accused of ‘Terrorizing’ America
An ACLU attorney is complaining about a federal-state anti-immigration partnership, saying that state and local police who help enforce federal immigration laws are targeting Latinos and "terrorizing" people across the United States. But others say there is nothing unconstitutional about states cooperating with the federal government.

Repeal DOMA? Some Democrats Don’t Agree With Obama
Several Senate Democrats say they would not support Sen. Barack Obama in any attempt to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Repeal of the federal law would have the effect of legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide. Although Obama opposes same-sex marriage, the “pride” section of his campaign Web site calls for repeal of DOMA.

China's Hour of Need
By Hugh Hewitt

"The devastation in China has claimed more than 70,000 lives, a stunning toll that we are having difficulty absorbing. The loss and grief is enormous. So is the challenge for Christians as well as other people of faith across the globe.

The great shockwave has also left hundreds of thousands of injured and homeless and from around the world there is coming an outpouring of assistance, much of it from private persons or organizations.

We encourage this giving. We know that one organization, Caring for China.org operates orphanages and medical clinics in the devastated region, and that they have established an earthquake relief fund. We know their leadership and their work, and point you to CaringforChina.org if you would like to join in the effort to bring comfort to the disaster zone."

Islamic Bloc Nations Control One-Third of Seats on Human Rights Council
Following Wednesday’s vote, 16 of the 47 Human Rights Council members belong to the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Apart from multiple resolutions condemning Israel, the OIC has drawn attention for blocking efforts to censure Sudan over the conflict in Darfur and for promoting a “defamation of religion” resolution that critics say is aimed at limiting freedom of expression.

Another Blow to Democracy in Lebanon
—David Aikman

Remember what happened in Gaza last June? Hamas gunmen staged a bloody coup in the territory, murdering anyone who stood in their way, and seizing power from the Palestinian authority. Well, the same thing has just happened in Beirut, Lebanon. Gunmen from Hezbollah, the radical Islamist party, drove out anyone who stood against them. The Lebanese army, apparently intimidated, did nothing.

Technically, Lebanon still has an elected, pro-Western government. But Hezbollah went rampant because the government told them they couldn't have their own private, fiber-optic phone network and they shouldn't be allowed to operate their own surveillance camera at Beirut's airport.

Hezbollah denied it had pulled a coup and later withdrew its gunmen. But nobody doubts who now controls Lebanon. Iran has now reached the shores of the Mediterranean and Islamic extremists are on both ends of Israel.

UN Searches for Racism in America

I posted a link to an article quite some time ago that was promoting the idea that the US should pull out of the UN. This post was just left in the comments section and I have decided to post it here on the main page.

The comment was written and posted by John Wallace, who is running for congress in New York:

A special U.N. Human Rights investigator has been invited to come to the United States to probe racism and Islamophobia in America. During his three week visit, which started on May 19th, Mr. Doudou Diene, a Senegalese lawyer, will be visiting eight cities and will meet with various federal, state and local government officials, lawmakers and members of the judiciary. According to the United Nations, the purpose of his visit is to gather information on issues related to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related intolerance in America.

Mr. Diene is from Senegal, a country with a 95% Muslim majority that is also a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which makes up the largest single voting bloc in the United Nations. The 57 Islamic countries in this (OIC) bloc have a record of consistently voting against Western-style democracies and routinely condemning Israel. Mr. Diene has a personal history of focusing his human rights investigations mostly on Western-style democratic societies, issuing biased reports on alleged institutionalized racism and ‘Islamophobia’ in democratic countries such as Japan, Canada, Denmark, and Switzerland while ignoring real human-rights violations in the non-democratic Muslim countries of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

It should also be pointed out that the United Nation’s Human Rights Council includes some of the world’s worst human-rights violators, including China, Russia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. This same UN Human Rights Council has previously urged the United States to halt the post 9-11 racial profiling of Americans of Arab, Muslim and South Asian descent. At the same time, the United Nation’s Human Rights Council has ignored the fact that United Nations’ own peacekeepers in Africa are currently raping women in the Congo and have turned a blind eye to the man-made starvation of millions in southern Africa. In the arena of human rights, the United Nations is not only morally bankrupt, but it is rapidly becoming an irrelevant institution.

Doudou Diene has a clear record against freedom of speech and free expression when it comes to Islam. Mr. Diene had criticized Danish newspapers when they published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, accusing them of placing their country’s right of free speech above fighting religious intolerance and incitement to religions hatred against Muslims. It would appear that Mr. Diene would not be a supporter of the First Amendment of the US Constitution either.

As we all know, copies of the Quran are available in almost any bookstore in America and the book is studied in countless American universities, while Christians and other non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia are not even allowed to possess a copy of their holy books. The Saudi government routinely desecrates and burns Bibles that its security forces confiscate at immigration points coming into the country or during raids on Christian expatriates worshiping privately. Just days before Crown Prince Abdullah recently met with President Bush, two Christian gatherings in Saudi Arabia were raided in Riyadh where Bibles and crosses were confiscated to be eventually incinerated. Why hasn’t the United Nations’ Human Rights Council sent Mr. Diene to investigate Saudi Arabia’s overt religious intolerance and persecution of non-Muslims? Why hasn’t the United Nations sent Mr. Diene to investigate the anti-Christian persecution and murders in Albania and Kosovo committed by the Muslim governments? It’s because a very clear double standard now exists at the United Nations.

American taxpayers contribute approximately $5 Billion a year to the operations of the United Nations, which devotes much of its double-standard energy to shielding dictatorial regimes, attempting to usurp individual nations’ sovereignty and promoting a future new world order in which UN bureaucrats will be in charge. Worst of all, the United Nations serves as an on-going forum for rampant anti-American and anti-democratic diatribes.

The United Nations has been granted no authority over the American people or our government because the UN does not derive its powers from the consent of the American people. Americans need to stop thinking that the United Nations has some legitimate, legal authority over our country. It does not! Americans have a choice. We can follow the U.S. Constitution and protect our freedoms, liberties and sovereignty, or we can continue to contribute billions of dollars to a bottomless pit and submit to the unconstitutional interference by the United Nations in our country’s internal affairs.

In this particular investigation into racism and ‘Islamophobia’ in the USA, Mr. Diene is interfering in our country’s internal affairs and he is hardly an objective reporter or an impartial judge of racial conditions, xenophobia and other related intolerance in America. Indeed, Mr. Diene will find a great deal more racial, religious and ethnic intolerance and persecution in his own backyard in Africa and the Middle East.

Perhaps, the time has finally come for Americans to rethink the value of our membership and participation in the United Nations.

The evidence is clear. Not only should we get out of the United Nations, but maybe it is also time for the United Nations to get out of the United States as well.

I support the “American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2007” (HR-1146), introduced by Rep. Ron Paul, to end the membership of the United States in the United Nations.

By: John Wallace
Candidate for Congress
NY’s 20th Congressional District
www.FreedomCandidate.com

David Limbaugh: None Dare Call It 'Appeasement'

When Obama compared Hillary Clinton's threats against Iran to President Bush's threatening "bluster" and "cowboy diplomacy," no one batted an eye.

CALIFORNIA BUDGET LOTTERY

California RINO Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to close the state’s estimated $20-billion budget shortfall by gambling on the lottery. Schwarzenegger wants to raise $15 billion over three years by selling bonds based on anticipated lottery revenue and use a third of that to help with the deficit, leaving $10 billion in a reserve fund that will be part of his budget reform. Both proposals will be on the ballot in November, a place where the governor’s ideas have not seen much success in the past. Notably, the lottery brought in only $3.3 billion last year, a problem Schwarzenegger plans to remedy by allowing bigger prizes in order to attract more revenue.

If he fails at the ballot box again, the backup plan is—drum roll please—a one-cent sales-tax increase. It would be temporary (of course) lasting only three years. Then again, “temporary” and “tax increase” rarely end up staying in the same sentence.

From the Patriot Post

A tale of tort reform

Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, “A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.” Well, in two states, the kitties’ feast has finally ended. Missouri and Mississippi, both one-time playgrounds for trial lawyers, have closed the door on free rides.

Missouri’s transformation began three years ago, when the legislature limited punitive damages in liability cases to $500,000 or to five times the net amount of the plaintiff’s award, whichever proved greater. The legislation also capped non-economic damages at $350,000. Since then, medical-malpractice claims have plunged by 61 percent, and fewer doctors are leaving the state.

Travel south to Mississippi, and the results are similar. Since that state’s tort reform four years ago, which capped awards for non-economic damages and banned trial attorneys from shopping around for a sympathetic judge, jobs are up by approximately 60,000. In addition, unemployment is down from nine percent to six percent, out-of-state business investment is up and medical-malpractice lawsuits are down by almost 90 percent, resulting in a 30-45 percent reduction in malpractice insurance. Furthermore, more students are now considering studying business and fewer are studying law.

While there is reason to celebrate, don’t hold your breath. Outside of unions, trial lawyers are the biggest Democrat donors on the list. And while cats will often bite the hand that feeds them, Democrats won’t.

From the Patriot Post

MAKE A LIST, CHECK IT TWICE

“Supply and demand will never replace ‘need’ and ‘greed’ in political discussions of economic issues. ... One of the many ironies of politics is that those politicians who do the most to reduce supply often express the greatest outrage about high prices. So long as the voters buy it, the politicians will keep selling it. Make a list of those politicians who do the most to prevent our drilling for our own oil. Then make a list of those politicians who express the most outrage about the high price of gasoline. Don’t be surprised if you see the same names on both lists. Make a list of those politicians who most loudly lament the lack of ‘affordable housing.’ Then make a list of those politicians who have most consistently promoted restrictions on the building of housing, under the banner of ‘open space’ laws, ‘farmland protection’ policies, preventing ‘urban sprawl,’ and other politically soothing phrases. Again, do not be surprised at seeing the same folks on both lists... So long as voters prefer heroes and villains to supply and demand, this game will continue to be played.”
—Thomas Sowell

EXACTLY SO......

“Today’s most widely accepted political belief is that because an unprecedentedly high percentage of Americans—81 percent—believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, the Republicans are headed for a major defeat this coming November. If this is the case, it can only be because the American voter translates ‘headed in the wrong direction’ as ‘because the Republicans have had their way, so it’s time to let the Democrats have theirs.’ That should not be the case. I count myself as one of the 81 percent who believes America is headed in the wrong direction, and that is precisely why I am voting Republican. Moreover, I suspect I am not alone among the 81 percent in ascribing the wrong track to the leftist, not the conservative, influence on American life. ... Perhaps most of the 81 percent think that ‘wrong direction’ means, among many other things, the following: Forty years of left-wing control of the news media, of Hollywood, of the public schools, of the universities and of nearly every big city government have nearly ruined those institutions. Forty years of a litigation explosion has had terrible social and economic effects... Multiculturalism is destroying the concept of an American culture and people. Obama and the Democrats even opposed declaring English as America’s national language. So 81 percent of Americans are right. We are on the wrong track. But the future of America entirely depends on what track it is most Americans think is wrong.”
—Dennis Prager

“[W]e are currently in the midst of a re-ordering of the political realities that have shaped our time. We know today that the principles and values that lie at the heart of conservatism are shared by the majority. Despite what some in the press may say, we who are proud to call ourselves ‘conservative’ are not a minority of a minority party; we are part of the great majority of Americans of both major parties and of most of the independents as well.” —Ronald Reagan

“Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm.” —James Madison

Obama: Wrong On Iran

By Dick Morris and Eileen McGann

President Bush is absolutely right to criticize sharply direct negotiations with Iranian President Ahmadinejad.
Read more.

Gay Rights vs. Democracy
By Dinesh D'Souza

It is the essence of democracy that people should be able to decide the moral rules that govern the nature of a community. If people don't have that power, then they are living under an autocracy. Read more.

As our universities go, so go our courts
By Star Parker

California's Supreme Court has made its contribution to the ongoing debasement of our law, our language, and our culture by legalizing same-sex marriage.

McCain's self-help health care plan

By William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

With two political philosophies once again vying for the White House, the issue of America's health care "situation" is once again being re-visited – it's one of the premiere issues of the campaign. As you know, the potential Democratic nominees, Sens. Obama and Clinton, are both in favor of varying degrees of socialized medicine.

However, we haven't heard from Sen. John McCain on the issue. Since Obama and Clinton are busy tearing at one another, McCain has been happy to sit back and keep his political cards close to the vest. But now the first hints of his position are coming out – and in spite of McCain being painted as a political "maverick" who's "too liberal" to be a true Republican, his health care philosophy seems to be in the right – in both senses of the word.

McCain unveiled his health care stance during a recent visit to a Miami children's hospital, where he criticized his Democratic opponents for their "big government" approach to health care and said he planned to focus his efforts on reducing costs and increasing coverage.

America can have a health care system that is characterized by better prevention, coordinated care, electronic health records , cutting-edge treatments – and lower costs," McCain said. He added that the fundamental difference between his plan and either Democratic plan is that "they want the government to make the decisions; I want the families to make the decisions."

Obama and Clinton are both in favor of "universal" healthcare coverage for the 47 million Americans without health insurance. Clinton's plan would mandate some form of coverage (i.e., make it COMPULSORY) for all individuals; Obama would only make coverage compulsory for children. Either way, I think that the Clinton and Obama plans would both be bad news. (Read "Straight talk about universal healthcare.")

McCain's plan would include a tax credit of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families, and would make it possible to buy coverage through any organization. It would reduce but not eliminate reliance on employer-provided plans. "I am convinced that the wrong way to go is to turn over your lives to the government and hope it will all be fine. It won't," McCain said.

In my opinion, McCain's plan isn't likely to win over any Democrats who have been put off by either Clinton or Obama. Why? Well, Democrats tend to WANT the government to take care of things for them. They love for the big government bureaucracies to take care of them. There is something phenomenally infantile in the thought process of many Democrats. And if you ask me, McCain's rational idea of giving tax credits — and giving you a say in the matter — will sound like too much work for many Democrats, and especially the uninsured.

Think about it: you're uninsured, either by choice or circumstance. There are two candidates. One candidate tells you he'll make healthcare cheaper and give you more access so you can make the decision on your own. The other candidate tells you, "we'll take care of your health care for you." Which do you think the uninsured will choose?

McCain's plan makes sense, but compared to the "big daddy government" message, it's likely to sound like a lot of work to people who don't have health insurance already. As is typical with many Democratic messages, it panders. I like McCain's plan, but he's going to need to make a more powerful case for it. Many people fear healthcare because of the potentially astronomical costs, and they're willing to give up their freedom of choice to have it taken care of for them.

McCain's got a long way to go to make his tax-credit-based plan more palatable to traditionally Democrat voters.

USA Today:
Bill for taxpayers swells by trillions
Deficit far bigger than government estimate

USA Today:
Government debt per U.S. household: $531,472

BBC:
Leading FARC commander, a woman, surrenders

Gore-bull Warming Heroes

Gore Tells Graduates They Can Become Heroes
By Daniel Lovering, Associated Press
CNSNews.com

Pittsburgh (AP) - Former Vice President Al Gore on Sunday told graduates of Carnegie Mellon University they could become part of the next "hero generation" in American history by solving environmental problems.

In a commencement address before a record crowd of about 10,000 people, the Nobel laureate said there had already been two "special generations" of Americans: the one that founded the country and the one that defeated fascism during World War II.

"You, I hope and expect, will be called upon to be part of the third hero generation in American history," by countering the threat of global warming, he said.

Read more.....

'Indict Ahmadinejad for Inciting Genocide'

The Australian government says it is taking legal advice on whether a case could be brought against the Iranian president before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a television interview called Ahmadinejad's statements "appalling by any standards of current international relations" and "an incitement to international violence."

Obama's Plan: Some Will Pay More So Others Can Retire
Sen. Barack Obama wants higher earners to pay more into the Social Security system -- to "protect" senior citizens "who have earned the right to retire with dignity."