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DEAN DODGES THE LAND OF PICK EM UP TRUCKS
Thursday, June 30, 2005

And rebel flags...

<a href="http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/12019677.htm">The State | 06/30/2005 | Bad weather keeps Howard Dean from rally</a>: "Bad weather keeps Howard Dean from rally

COLUMBIA

The South Carolina Democratic Party fund-raiser featuring national party chairman Howard Dean was canceled Wednesday night because of bad weather."
Image hosted by Photobucket.com

I'm sure it was much to his relief!

 

posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/30/2005 04:08:00 PM   0 comments
Scientist Warns of Enlargement of the Politician
Yes, Stanley Truelove, the democracy scientist, warns the American people of dangerous times ahead. America is experiencing a serious sign of cancer – proud politicians. Oh, if we could only eliminate our excess waste properly! An excellent OpEd piece by Peggy Noonan opened my eyes to this enlarged cancer. After you read the piece, go back and count all the "I"'s mentioned in the speech by Bill Frist. You will not notice the arrogance the first time, because we are accustom to politicians bragging about their record or devotion. When politicians feel they should tell us about their humble life and work, they lack the humbleness to lead. OpinionJournal - Peggy Noonan
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/30/2005 01:11:00 PM   1 comments
GET MAD!
We can sit around and let the activistic socialism of our Supreme Court do away with private property rights--give big business and the government the right to take away your grandparent's homestead and put them in a tenement or condemn a single mother's starter home and place her on the street--or we can DO something about it! Those on the LEFT who care about civil rights should be screaming at the top of their lungs, those on the RIGHT who believe in private property should be doing the same. Copy and paste this letter into a letter to your congressmen and send! If you look in the left hand column you will see a "Contact Congress" box. Enter your zip code and your congressmen names and email addresses will be pulled up immediately. TAKE ACTION NOW! ____________________________________________________ Dear Representative: The recent ruling by the Supreme Court to expand the power of eminent domain to private enterprise in not only unconstitutional, but unconscionable. As a citizen of the United States the threats to my private ownership of property are already stretched thin, through taxation and current eminent domain laws. I urge you along with congress to take action against this ruling and directly challenge the Supreme Court. Someone needs to champion the cause of we the people. Sincerely,
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/30/2005 07:17:00 AM   14 comments
TERRORIST IS A TERRORIST IS A TERRORIST
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Unless you're a part of the MSM- "Most of us have no problem using the word “terrorists” for people who regularly blow up innocent bystanders for political effect. But the mainstream media still shun the “T” word in favor of “insurgents” or “the resistance.” The “insurgents” in Iraq aren’t really “insurging.” They are blowing up large numbers of random people. But the press keeps talking about activists, rebels, militants, fighters, assailants, attackers, hostage-takers, etc., etc. Some media outlets are willing to refer to “acts of terrorism,” as long as they don’t have to call the people who perform those acts “terrorists.” We have sin, but there are no sinners. " John Leo
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/29/2005 09:15:00 AM   7 comments
TERRI SHAIVO - THE AFTERMATH
Alright, Kathy, here is the article you have been waiting for: Just when it seemed that every liberal commentator on the Terri Schiavo case was starting to sound like Barney Frank, the great Joan Didion published a long and remarkable article on the case in the quite far left New York Review of Books of June 9. Frank, of course, took the occasion of last week's Schiavo autopsy results as yet another opportunity to denounce Republicans as “this fanatical party willing to impose its own views on people.” For those of you still somehow unaware, “imposing their views” is a semiofficial Democratic meme or code phrase meaning “religious people who vote their moral views and disagree with us.” Didion, on the other hand, cut through all the rhetoric about imposing views and said the struggle to spare Schiavo’s life was “essentially a civil rights intervention.” This is a phrase of great clarity, particularly since Democrats have a long track record of protecting civil rights and Republicans don’t. Behind the grotesque media circus, the two parties were essentially switching roles. In the first round of public opinion—the polls—the GOP took a beating. But in the long run, the American people tend to rally behind civil rights, and the party that fights to uphold them is likely to prevail. On the “rational” or “secular” side of the dispute, Didion wrote, there was “very little acknowledgment that there could be large numbers of people, not all of whom could be categorized as ‘fundamentalists’ or ‘evangelicals,’ who were genuinely troubled by the ramifications of viewing a life as inadequate and so deciding to end it.” Amen. There was also little admission that this was a “merciful euthanasia” controversy posing as a “right-to-die” case. Many of us understood, as the autopsy has now shown, that Schiavo was severely damaged, but a national psychodrama built around the alleged need to end a life without clear consent is likely to induce anxieties in all but the most dedicated right-to-die adherents. Didion did not conclude that ending Schiavo’s life was a wrongful act, but she seemed to be leaning that way. She wrote: “What might have seemed a central argument in this case—the ethical argument, the argument about whether, when it comes to life and death, any of us can justifiably claim the ability or the right to judge the value of any other being’s life—remained largely unexpressed, mentioned, when at all, only to be dismissed.” That issue was slurred and muffled by the media and by shrewd, though completely misleading, right-to-die arguments that distracted us from the core issue of consent. George Felos, the attorney of Terri Schiavo’s husband, Michael, told Larry King, “Quality of life is one of those tricky things because it’s a very personal and individual decision. I don’t think any of us have the right to make a judgment about quality of life for another.” Here Felos piously got away with adopting a deadly argument against his own position by presenting it as somehow bolstering his case. This can happen only when the media are totally incurious or already committed to your side. Michael Schiavo made a somewhat similar eye-popping argument to King: “I think that every person in this country should be scared. The government is going to trample all over your private and personal matters. It’s outrageous that these people that we elect are not letting you have your civil liberties to choose what you want when you die.” Americans were indeed scared that they might one day be in Terri Schiavo’s predicament. But Michael was speaking as though Terri Schiavo’s wishes in the matter were clear and Republicans were determined to trample them anyway. Yet her wishes, as Didion says, were “essentially unconfirmable” and based on bits of hearsay reported by people whose interests were not obviously her own—Michael Schiavo and two of his relatives. One hearsay comment—“no tubes for me”—came while Terri Schiavo was watching television. “Imagine it,” Didion wrote. “You are in your early 20s. You are watching a movie, say on Lifetime, in which someone has a feeding tube. You pick up the empty chip bowl. ‘No tubes for me,’ you say as you get up to fill it. What are the chances you have given this even a passing thought?” According to studies cited last year in the Hastings Center Report, Didion reminds us, almost a third of written directives, after periods as short as two years, no longer reflect the wishes of those who made them. And here nothing was written down at all. The autopsy confirms the extraordinary damage to Schiavo and discredits those who tried to depict the husband as a wife-beater. But the autopsy has nothing to say about the core moral issue: Do people with profound disabilities no longer have a right to live? That issue is still on the table [even though most Americans want to forget it]. John Leo
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/29/2005 08:32:00 AM   2 comments
Welcome to SC, Howard!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
“I can be [America’s] first gay president!” "Southerners have to quit basing their votes on "race, guns, God, and gays." "I will have this old-fashioned notion that even with people like Osama, who is very likely to be found guilty, we should do our best not to, in positions of executive power, not to prejudge jury trials." "The thing that really bothered me the most … is the insinuation that the president continues to make to this day that Osama bin Laden had something to do with supporting terrorists that attacked the United States. That is false." "Republicans are "liars," "evil," "corrupt," and "brain-dead." “I hate the Republican Party and everything it stands for.” "Republicans have "never made an honest living in their lives." "Republicans are "pretty much a white, Christian party."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/28/2005 03:48:00 PM   0 comments
GIVING THE REPUBLICANS EQUAL TIME...
Monday, June 27, 2005
Advertisement: "Top Ten Reasons Why A Palmetto Democrat Won't Attend Next Week's Fundraiser With Howard Dean"
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/27/2005 02:22:00 PM   4 comments
TrueBlueDemocrats.com - Howard Dean Visit
The following post is from the local chapter of Democrats. Its humorous, but I thought I'd add my own: TrueBlueDemocrats.com - Howard Dean Visit: "Liberals Enthusiastically Welcome Howard Dean to South Carolina: Top Ten Reasons Why Palmetto Republicans Secretly Envy Howard Dean" True Blue Democrats posts the Top Ten Reasons Why Palmetto Republicans Secretly Envy Howard Dean Responses to the TOP 10 are below: 10. National Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman is so boring compared to Howard. Anyone remember anything Ken Mehlman ever said? No one particularly remembers anything Howard says, unless one considers "the scream" as articulating something. Wait, some do remember one thing, "The Republican Party is a white Christian party" 9. When he served as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, Howard had a clean driving record C'mon, Andre was in a hurry (and much younger than Howard). 8. SC Republicans love Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia and just wished they lived near the factory like Howard I think it's more about campaign contributions. Didn't Ben & Jerry finance Howard's? 7. Howard made his mom so proud by not only becoming a doctor but by marrying one And HE thought that this prepared him for politics! 6. When Howard was first elected Governor of Vermont, he actually won more votes than his opponent It IS Vermont… 5. They realize that Howard was right when he said invading Iraq was not necessary Only because his friend Lindsey Graham is sewing the seed of doubt. 4. Since Vermont is 'next-door' to Canada, Howard has always known that French is an official language of Canada and being 'Franco-phobic' would not help him should he one day ever want a job with the US Ambassador to Canada Sending Dean to Canada would be like putting Bolton in the U.N. 3. As Governor, he balanced his state's budget every year without alienating both parties of the legislature with vetoes that both parties voted to override Tax increases tend to do that. Both parties? 2. Howard has never used live pigs to persuade others to his point of view But didn't he try to call them? Wait, that wasn't a pig call was it... 1. Before Howard's innovative internet-based Presidential campaign, South Carolina Republicans only used the internet to download pictures of which their pastor would not approve. Like this one:
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/27/2005 12:27:00 PM   2 comments
EVIL, MANIACAL KARL ROVE
Friday, June 24, 2005
The evil, maniacal Karl Rove If I didn't know better, and of course I don't, I might think that Karl Rove said what he did about liberals the other night for the sole purpose of tricking Democrats into reacting with hypocrisy and hilarity. Whether it was an intentional trap or not, and we all know that Rove is evil and maniacal, the Democrats fell into it, one after another. Even before the dust had settled on Sen. Dick Durbin's potentially treasonous assertion that our military guards at the Guantanamo Bay terrorist prison camp were acting like Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot, followed by his tearful apology to himself for attracting the wrath of friend and foe alike, Rove offered Democrats the opportunity to stand out as uniquely hypocritical. In the world of politics, where hypocrisy is an art form, to be uniquely hypocritical is indeed a remarkable accomplishment. Democratic Senators Harry Reid, Charles Schumer, Hillary Clinton, et al, had dutifully circled the wagons around their second in command, blaming the right-wing media for any controversy that may have arisen from Durbin's remarks. But the folks back home were not quite as accommodating. It was the man who rules over Durbin's party in his home state, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley who rang Durbin's bell by calling his comments a "disgrace." Shortly thereafter, the Illinois Senator apologized to himself, saying, "In the end, I don't want anything in my public career to detract from my love for this country." The closest he came to apologizing to those whom he not only offended, but may have endangered, was this: "I'm also sorry if anything I said cast a negative light on our fine men and women in the military." IF? While most of the Republicans in Durbin's fraternity, the U.S. Senate, quickly accepted his so-called apology, and the Democrats in the fraternity breathed a sigh of relief, Rove decided to make what he knew that some would try to portray as a Durbinesque remark. He told a political gathering that while "conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war, liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers." Democratic Senators who had defended Durbin immediately attacked Rove. Senator Schumer raced to the microphones to proclaim that Rove's remarks were "not only a slap at New York and all those who suffered. It's a dagger to the heart of what America is all about." Senator Clinton confronted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and demanded, "I would hope Mr. Secretary that you and other members of the administration would immediately repudiate such an insulting comment from a high-ranking official in the President's inner circle." That, ladies and gentlemen, wins this year's gold star for political hypocrisy. I will now anticipate the liberal rebuttal of my proposition. If no such liberal rebuttal exists, I will apologize in advance to my liberal friends for insulting their intelligence, and of course to myself - in the spirit of Sen. Durbin. Liberals might argue that while Schumer, Clinton and others are in fact hypocritical for attacking Rove and defending Durbin, conservatives are similarly hypocritical for attacking Durbin, but not Rove. That argument would have merit only if the two men's statements were similarly outrageous. Here are the differences. First, What Durbin stated was demonstrably fallacious. Anyone with even a modicum of historical knowledge and perspective would not seriously equate the alleged mistreatment of Gitmo prisoners, cited by Durbin, (uncomfortable heat and cold; loud rap music) with the inhumane murder of millions of innocent civilians at the hands of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot. What Rove said is largely factual. Liberals, specifically the group Moveon.org, did in fact counsel "moderation and restraint" after 9/11. While many Democrats voted for the war on terror, it is true that some liberals reacted exactly as Rove described. He could have been more accurate if he had said "some liberals," but that's a miniscule rhetorical error compared to Durbin's slander of the guards at Gitmo. Second, Rove served up his remarks at a setting that is accepted as a "red meat banquet," a gathering of the New York Conservative Party. Durbin's comments came on the floor of what is supposed to be "the world's most deliberative body." Finally, and most important, Durbin's allegations can and will be repeatedly broadcast by America's enemy as a tool to reinforce the fury in the Jihad soldiers and inspire others to join the battle. His comments will be a useful and enduring propaganda tool in the hands of the enemy. At worst, Rove's comments are an inaccurate rendering of some Democrats' support for the war, which could harm their electoral chances in the future. Those three things make the Democratic senators' condemnation of Rove and support for Durbin uniquely hypocritical - and I believe Rove tricked them into winning the prize. Ralph Bristol activist: a politically-concerned citizen given to the vigorous pursuit of Liberal causes. Not to be confused with extremist, a politically-concerned citizen given to the vigorous pursuit of Conservative causes. (e.g., animal-rights activist, gun-rights extremist) source: liberwocky
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/24/2005 10:34:00 AM   4 comments
TALKS A GOOD TALK
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Advertisement: "Today, State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum will once again give her annual 'State of Education' speech. "What Mrs. Tenenbaum will deliver will be feel-good fluff. Unfortunately for South Carolina students and parents, that's no longer good enough. In last year's 'State of Education' speech, Mrs. Tenenbaum said, ...we are building a world-class public education system in South Carolina--a system through which all students will become educated..." We hope Mrs. Tenenbaum can explain how the 50% of the children who dropped out of high school are receiving a "world-class" education." NOTE: Of course Mrs. Tenenbaum is relying on the collective IQ of South Carolinians to interpret her failure as success...maybe she'll succeed.
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/23/2005 09:28:00 PM   0 comments
THICK ON RHETORIC, THIN ON SUBSTANCE
Like most ultra-liberal foundations, they are more focused on process rather than solutions. Typical. 10News.com - News - Shelters Upset PETA Killed Animals Instead Of Adopting Out: "Two North Carolina counties have stopped turning over shelter animals to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Officials said they were surprised to learn the group euthanized cats and dogs instead of trying to find them homes. They said they believed the animals were being taken for evaluation, and were being adopted out -- and that euthanasia would be only a last resort. PETA said unfortunately, even some healthy animals may be euthanized if PETA cannot find them homes. "
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/23/2005 03:38:00 PM   0 comments
GITMO FOR DUMMIES
It should be a major concern to all Americans that most of the people in charge of making policy for the United States don't seem to understand the difference between an American charged with a crime and an enemy combatant plucked off a battlefield and put in a prison camp. I cringe when I hear presumably educated people who have risen to the ranks of a member of Congress insist that the detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp deserve to lawyer up, see a judge and get their day in court, as if they were American citizens charged with a crime. I am therefore indebted to one William Barr, a former U.S. Attorney General for the first President Bush, who eloquently confirmed my position on the Gitmo prisoners of war in an interview with Brit Hume on Fox News Monday night. I was beginning to think it was possible that my views - contradicted by some many others - just might be wrong. Not anymore. Mr. Barr testified on the issue last week, trying to set members of Congress straight. He has not been completely successful, and it's a mystery as to why. It's almost as if some people refuse to accept the indisputable facts for - I don't know - political reasons perhaps? First, Barr corrected the misconception that the Supreme Court has ruled that the detainees deserve their day in court. Barr explained that the court only found that Habeas Corpus does place a burden on the administration to explain why it is holding the detainees. Barr further explained, "All that would be required is showing that this is a foreign person who has no connection with the United States, and I'm holding him because it's our judgment that we encountered him on the battlefield and he's an enemy combatant." Barr continued, "What's going on with a lot of the critics is they are fundamentally confusing the context of our own domestic law enforcement versus fighting a war against an armed foreign enemy. We wrote a constitution not for the world, but for the people, the American people, and we made the decision when we set forth in the constitution that when the government, enforcing our own domestic laws against the people, we're going to put checks on the executive and we're going to insist that they get it absolutely perfect, no mistakes - it's better to let guilty people go free than to make a mistake - and so there are all these hurdles that have to be jumped over when we're disciplining a member of our own body politic. But when a foreign enemy comes and attacks the people, there's no neutrality, and what the constitution is worried about there is winning the war and the effectiveness of the government." Barr is also adamant that the prisoners should not enjoy the privileges of the Geneva Convention. "The whole purpose of the Geneva Convention was to offer privileges to countries, the soldiers of countries that honored certain obligations, and the main one being protecting civilians by not mixing in with them and differentiating yourself with civilians" in order to minimize civilian casualties. He scoffed at the idea that "we would take terrorists, the very antithesis of people who deserve the privileges, and say 'well, yeah, you can go out and slaughter civilians and hide amongst them and we're going to treat you as if you are honorable combatants'" Barr also stressed that the prisoners are not being held as alleged criminals. He said, "That is not punishment. It's detention. It's always been the case that in war, you are trying to destroy the enemy - destroy them, by either killing them, or in lieu of killing them, capturing them and taking them away from the battlefield and holding them until you can impose your will on the enemy. We've done that for 235 years." Barr reminded the audience that, during World War II, 400-thousand Germans and Italians were kept as prisoners of war in the United States. They didn't have access to our courts. I'm amazed at the people who don't understand the simple truth that Barr speaks. In an interview on Meet The Press, Sen. John McCain admonished the Bush administration to bring the detainees to trial. McCain scolded, "Even Adolf Eichmann got a trial." That's true, but it was 15 years after the war was over. Eichmann was hunted down, captured, and tried as a war criminal. Most of the prisoners of war were simply released. Al Qaeda formally declared war on the United States in 1996. We were late to join the battle, but finally did so after one of their attacks killed more than 3,000 Americans on American soil on Sept. 11, 2001. When that war is over - when al Qaeda hostilities against the U.S. cease, and there is no longer a cause for which the Gitmo detainees will fight, then we can set them free. Until then, it would be self-destructive to do so, and nonsensical to give them a trial. Ralph Bristol
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/23/2005 03:07:00 PM   0 comments
SOCIALISM - COLLECTIVISM. YOU WANTED IT, YOU GOT IT.
Supreme Court Rules Cities May Seize Homes: "The Supreme Court today effectively expanded the right of local governments to seize private property under eminent domain, ruling that people's homes and businesses -- even those not considered blighted -- can be taken against their will for private development if the seizure serves a broadly defined 'public use.'"
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/23/2005 12:43:00 PM   2 comments
HOWARD DEAN'S ENERGY
Sunday, June 19, 2005
A thought. I have heard nothing but praise for Howard Dean and his "energy". There are two types of energy in the universe, positive and negative. I do not see much positive energy coming from Howard Dean. Is the Democrat Party become one fueled by negative energy? Your thoughts?
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/19/2005 07:54:00 PM   0 comments
PROOF POSITIVE
THAT ITS ALL JUST ABOUT POLITICS FT.com / US - Clinton slams Guantanamo: "Bill Clinton has become the most prominent figure so far to add his voice to criticisms of the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/19/2005 07:49:00 PM   0 comments
A LITTLE EXCITEMENT IN MY HOME STATE
Democrats anxious as Dean visit nears: "Democrats anxious as Dean visit nears By LEE BANDY Columnist South Carolina Democrats will be holding their breath next week when their embattled national chairman arrives in town to have a few beers with the grass-roots and raise money for the state party."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/19/2005 07:46:00 PM   0 comments
FATHERS DAY
Saturday, June 18, 2005
SOME INTERESTING NOTES ABOUT FATHER'S DAY: 1. $2 Billion more is spent on Mother's Day than on Father's Day. 2. AT&T and MCI report more collect calls on Father's Day than on any other day of the year. 3. Fathers Day was officially marked for observance in 1972, 58 years after Mothers Day was officially recognized. I'M FEELING A LITTLE UNDERAPPRECIATED...
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/18/2005 08:51:00 PM   4 comments
GROSS IGNORANCE
Thursday, June 16, 2005
YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME I TRY TO GIVE SOME DEMOCRATS THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT ALONG COMES ONE WHO MAKE THE REST OF THEM LOOK BAD. A FIRST YEAR POL-SCI MAJOR EVEN KNOWS THAT TERRORISTS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE GENEVA CONVENTION. Durbin refuses to apologize for Guantanamo Bay comments: "CHICAGO Illinois Senator Dick Durbin says he won't apologize for comments comparing American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Nazis and Soviet gulags. News of the Democrat's comparison created a buzz around the Internet today, fueled by sound bites of yesterday's Senate floor speech on radio talk shows. By this afternoon, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna asked Durbin to apologize. Durbin says the Bush administration should apologize for abandoning the Geneva Conventions."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/16/2005 12:28:00 PM   2 comments
Keep the Cap: Why a Tax Increase Will Not Save Social Security
Keep the Cap: Why a Tax Increase Will Not Save Social Security: "Some opponents of allowing younger workers to privately invest a portion of their Social Security taxes through individual accounts have suggested that most or all of Social Security's financial problems can be solved if the current cap on income subject to the Social Security payroll tax is raised or removed altogether. Indeed, public opinion polls show widespread public support for the idea. Even President Bush appears open to the idea, although only in the context of larger reforms that would also include the creation of personal accounts. However, removing the cap would create the largest tax increase in U.S. history: $ 1.3 trillion over the first 10 years. Even increasing the cap to cover the first $150,000 of wages would amount to $384 billion in new taxes. It would give the United States one of the highest marginal tax rates in the industrialized world, with the potential for severely disrupting economic growth."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/16/2005 09:07:00 AM   0 comments
FROM NEWS SNIPET GUEST WRITER STANLEY TRUELOVE
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
From BBC news: The African-American chat-show host, Oprah Winfrey, announced during a recent visit to South Africa that she had had a DNA test that had shown her to be a Zulu. South Africa nevertheless has a special place in Ms Winfrey's heart. "I'm crazy about the South African accent," she said. "I wish I had been born here." So do we, Oprah. So do we. With Love, Stanley Truelove
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/15/2005 02:14:00 PM   0 comments
Abortionist accused of eating fetuses
WorldNetDaily: Abortionist accused of eating fetuses: "With Rajanna's case pending, abortion opponents won legislative approval of a bill requiring abortion clinics to obtain an annual license from the Department of Health and Environment, hire surgeons as their medical directors and report patient deaths to the state within a day. The measure also mandated that the department set standards for equipment, medical screenings, ventilation and lighting. But Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, an abortion-rights advocate, vetoed the measure, saying medical professionals - not legislators - should set standards. " How convenient. When did this start?
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/15/2005 01:46:00 PM   0 comments
THE COST OF LIBERAL SOCIALISM
AND THE PROBLEM IS, MOST OF THEM CAN'T SEE IT COMING. The 2005 Index of Dependency: "The opposite of independence is dependence, which the American Founders deplored following Blackstone's definition: "Dependence is very little else but an obligation to conform to the will or law of that superior person or state upon which the inferior depends." [2] Thomas Jefferson, as usual, was more to the point: "Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition."[3]" “The best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it” Benjamin Franklin
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/15/2005 10:50:00 AM   6 comments
The Heritage Foundation: Policy Research and Analysis
The Heritage Foundation: Policy Research and Analysis: "'Are we more or less dependent on the government's income and social support programs than we were 40 years ago?' asks Center for Data Analysis director William Beach."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/15/2005 09:57:00 AM   0 comments
THE UGLY POLITICS OF GITMO
I don't automatically accept everything Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says, but he is in a position to know a whole lot more about the value of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp than any of its critics. So, when he answers their rhetorical questions about the value of the camp, I listen. I think you should too. In recent days, following the now retracted Newsweek article about guards throwing Kurans into toilets, and the outrageous Amnesty International comparison of the camp known as "Gitmo" to the Russian gulags, Democrats and other Bush administration critics have publicly speculated about the value of Guantanamo Bay. They claim it has become an icon for alleged American bullying, and it may be doing more harm to our public image around the world that any good it might be producing. Before I get to Rumsfeld's answer, let me remind you just how that image was crafted. It started with the detainees themselves, the vast majority of which were plucked from the battlefields of Afghanistan. They are, in every sense of the word, prisoners of war, not alleged criminals awaiting charges and a trial. They don't fit nicely into the outdated definitions of a prisoner of war, but you may have noticed that our war against al Qaeda and its allies is not exactly a traditional war, whose combatants wear uniforms and fight for a recognized country. Nevertheless, this war is as real as any we have fought before, and the enemy is as crafty, large and dangerous as any. If we need to rewrite the definitions, so be it, but the detainees at Gitmo are prisoners of war - plain and simple - and there are two reasons to hold prisoners of war. One is to keep them from rejoining the battle. The second is to extract useful information from them that will help us win the war. Our allies, the British, got hold of the training manual for al Qaeda operatives, and the Washington Times published an instructive chapter from the manual. It specifically instructs our enemy, in the event of their capture, to complain about their conditions - to claim mistreatment. They have followed their instructions well. International groups like Amnesty International and the Red Cross have helped to add credibility to their claims, as have the American news media and domestic political opponents of the Bush Administration. The image that the detainees were instructed to paint has been finished by international and domestic political enemies of President Bush and his war on terrorists. Some of the information being published is true, but some (or much) of it is not, and its abusive nature is being exaggerated for the sole purpose of embarrassing the Bush administration, forcing a change in policy, and/or giving Democrats an edge in the next election. It must be a source of great comfort to Usama bin Laden that, while he is currently losing the actual war, he is scoring major propaganda victories, thanks mostly to the efforts of President Bush's domestic political enemies and critics in Congress and the media. Now to Rumsfeld's answer to the question about the strategic value of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp. According to Secretary of Defense, information extracted at Gitmo from Mohammed al-Qahtani, the so-called "20th hijacker," and others led to the capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11; the identities of 20 bodyguards of Usama bin Laden; and the disruption of planned terror attacks around the world. I cannot guarantee that Rumsfeld's answer is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but Americans should find it to be a lot more credible than the allegations of abuse being leveled by enemy detainees who were trained to make such allegations. If Guantanamo Bay has become a more useful propaganda tool of the enemy than a strategic tool of the U.S., it is only because some of President Bush's domestic political opponents are willing to sacrifice national security for potential political gain. Ralph Bristol
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/15/2005 09:22:00 AM   2 comments
WHAT OTHER ALTERNATIVE?
Raise taxes and increase retirement age. Democrats shot down the only other alternative. So this is what's left. My Way News: "WASHINGTON (AP) - Work till you're 69 before getting full Social Security benefits? That's one possibility - for Americans who retire two decades or more into the future - as Republicans on a key Senate committee review suggestions for improving the program's solvency."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/15/2005 06:24:00 AM   0 comments
USING THE POLITICS OF HATRED
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Cults, fascists, and extreme nationalists have all used the politics of hatred and victimization to their advantage. This was an interesting article from 1998. First Lady Ignores Scandal During Visit to N.Y. School - January 26, 1998: "She told one child working on a 'dream' composition who had misspelled a word, 'Learning how to spell is a lot easier than stopping people from hating you.' "
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/14/2005 04:00:00 PM   0 comments
Open season on guns in D.C.
Open season on guns in D.C.: "The same anti-gun-at-any-price folks look with horror at Virginia, where a recent fad has been to wear guns openly. But they never bother to check Virginia's gun-crime statistics, which make the "gun-free" District look like a killing zone."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/14/2005 03:51:00 PM   5 comments
Open season on guns in D.C.
Open season on guns in D.C.: "Open season on guns in D.C. My trusty shotgun is in storage, but I don�t dare tell you where. The fall hunting season opens in a few weeks, and city slickers, including many from Capitol Hill, will try to regain the manly status of hunter-gatherers. They will rise to alarm clocks, tromp over fallen leaves, sniff the frost and perhaps see a wild turkey, covey of quail or a white-tailed deer. No thanks to D.C., which has the strictest gun law in the country."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/14/2005 03:50:00 PM   0 comments
DUH!
DailyComet.com | Daily Comet | Thibodaux, LA: "Investigators of the U.N. oil-for-food program said Tuesday they are 'urgently reviewing' new information that suggests U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan may have known more than he revealed about a contract that was awarded to the company that employed his son."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/14/2005 01:05:00 PM   1 comments
MILLIONS DIE BECAUSE OF US POLICY
You know, I wonder who they blamed before the United States? Africa's Suffering Is Bush's Shame: "The millions of Africans who die young and the hundreds of millions going hungry are not victims of fate. They are the consequences of U.S. policy."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/14/2005 09:35:00 AM   0 comments
INTERESTING BLOG
Indian Muslims in Calcutta urge a young boy to urinate on an American flag. Gateway Pundit: Pissing on "Old Glory" at Raza U: "It is interesting how the news media today will jump on a story if it denigrates our military or our country. The media may get their facts from an anonymous source and rush to print it in a major newspaper or weekly magazine. The story may turn out to be inaccurate. The original accuser may even retract his accusations. But, the damage is already done and our media moves on to their next anonymous sourced Anti-American story. Yet, here tonight there is actual footage of Muslims burning, spitting on, and making urinals out off our American Flag. And, as US citizens we are supposed to get immuned to a lot of this. Many people believe that we even deserve this! We constantly see Muslims spit on and burn effigies of our president, threaten our country with the words (in English) on their posters, spit on the symbols of our nation, and now today, piss on our flag and our president! "
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/14/2005 09:21:00 AM   2 comments
TORTURE!
The following is from TIME and outlines the "terrible" torture used on the terrorists who behead, maim and kill. TIME.com: TIME Exclusive: Inside the Wire at Gitmo: "More Muscular Strategies: Al-Qahtani�s resilience under pressure in the fall of 2002 led top officials at Gitmo to petition Washington for more muscular "counter resistance strategies." On Dec. 2, Rumsfeld approved 16 of 19 stronger coercive methods. Now the interrogators could use stress strategies like standing for prolonged periods, isolation for as long as 30 days, removal of clothing, forced shaving of facial hair, playing on "individual phobias" (such as dogs) and "mild, non-injurious physical contact such as grabbing, poking in the chest with the finger and light pushing." According to the log, al-Qahtani experienced several of those over the next five weeks. The techniques Rumsfeld balked at included "use of a wet towel or dripping water to induce the misperception of suffocation." "Our Armed Forces are trained," a Pentagon memo on the changes read, "to a standard of interrogation that reflects a tradition of restraint." Nevertheless, the log shows that interrogators poured bottles of water on al-Qahtani's head when he refused to drink. Interrogators called this game "Drink Water or Wear It. "Dripping Water or Playing Christina Aguilera Music: After the new measures are approved, the mood in al-Qahtani's interrogation booth changes dramatically. The interrogation sessions lengthen. The quizzing now starts at midnight, and when Detainee 063 dozes off, interrogators rouse him by dripping water on his head or playing Christina Aguilera music. According to the log, his handlers at one point perform a puppet show �satirizing the detainee's involvement with al-Qaeda." He is taken to a new interrogation booth, which is decorated with pictures of 9/11 victims, American flags and red lights. He has to stand for the playing of the U.S. nanational anthem. His head and beard are shaved. He is returned to his original interrogation booth. A picture of a 9/11 victim is taped to his trousers. Al-Qahtani repeats that he will “not talk until he is interrogated the proper way.” At 7 a.m. on Dec. 4, after a 12-hour, all-night session, he is put to bed for a four-hour nap, TIME reports. I ENDURED MORE DURING MY FRESHMAN HAZING!!!!!!!!!
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/14/2005 09:02:00 AM   2 comments
WE'RE READY TO LISTEN!
Monday, June 13, 2005
Ok, Howard! We want to hear! We want to hear what you believe in. All we are hearing is what you DON'T believe in. We're ready to hear the other side now. Hello, helloo... CNN.com - Dean renews attacks on Republicans - Jun 12, 2005: "Addressing Iowa party activists later Saturday in Des Moines, he added: 'We need to be blunt and clear about the things we're going to fight for. I'm tired of lying down in front of the Republican machine. We need to stand up for what we believe in.'"
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/13/2005 01:42:00 PM   0 comments
Toned-down Dean finds friendly audience at PUSH
Toned-down Dean finds friendly audience at PUSH: "To counter this, Sunday afternoon, Dean talked about the Bible, Jesus, respecting people who disagree with you and the persuasive power of deep convictions. It came out right. 'Let me remind those Republicans,'' he said, that the Bible mentions helping the poor '3,000 times. I have not yet seen gay marriage mentioned in the Bible. That is a Republican issue.''" If Dean read his Bible he would find that: 1. There is no where in the Bible it advocates people using government to force others to help the poor. It only talks about helping them. Wonder how many people Dean helps? 2. The Bible does mention marriage. All cases were between men and women--back to Adam. Gay marriage is not dealt with, unless someone reads something into Romans 1: "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." Of course, what this verse means I have no idea. Dean needs to stick to what he knows best, and as has been demonstrated, theology isn't one of them.
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/13/2005 01:37:00 PM   2 comments
DEAN - DEMOCRAT'S AND DEAN'S WORST ENEMY!
This guy is hilarious! Toned-down Dean finds friendly audience at PUSH: "'My view is that Fox News is a propaganda outlet for the Republican Party and I don't comment on Fox News.''"
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/13/2005 11:05:00 AM   1 comments
NEXT STOP - JUNK FOOD!
The State | 06/12/2005 | Women's political savvy vital to seat-belt victory: "Five women dubbed the "Safety Chicks" were behind last week's decision by Gov. Mark Sanford to let a tougher seat-belt bill pass. For two years, the Safety Chicks helped by an 70-year-old man they called the "Quarterback" who gave them their politically incorrect nickname � have worked quietly for a tougher seat-belt law. That law will allow police to ticket motorists for not wearing seat belts regardless of whether they committed another traffic offense. The Safety Chicks dogged lawmakers, working behind the scenes to win victories in the S.C. House and Senate." News Snipet note: Next stop for the Safety Chicks: 1. Junk food reform 2. Prohibition renewal 3. Mandatory flu vaccination
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/13/2005 10:40:00 AM   0 comments
FrontPage magazine.com :: Democrats vs. Christians? by Don Feder
FrontPage magazine.com :: Democrats vs. Christians? by Don Feder: "In an interview with NBC, Dean attempted to clarify his 'white Christian' comment, remarking that Republicans 'have the agenda of the conservative Christians.' And Democrats consider that nothing less than apocalyptic. For years they've been telling us that the GOP has been hijacked by wild-eyed Christian 'fundamentalists' who are intent on keeping women barefoot and (very) pregnant, returning America to the morality of the 1950s, and establishing a theocracy."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/13/2005 07:38:00 AM   2 comments
FrontPage magazine.com :: Democrats vs. Christians? by Don Feder
FrontPage magazine.com :: Democrats vs. Christians? by Don Feder: "It's easy to dismiss Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean as a hard-core ideologue, a loose-lipped lightening-rod for the Democratic Party, and a man who's perfected a form of yoga which involves opening his mouth and inserting his foot to the knee. It's always a mistake to underestimate the opposition. Dean's seemingly casual remark that the GOP is 'pretty much a white Christian party,' was in fact a calculated appeal to his party's Christian-hating base. It's red-meat intentionally tossed to those who view Christians as public enemy #1, a clear and present danger to democracy, liberty and tolerance. Dean's right, by the way. Most Republicans are white Christians (82 percent). So are most Americans (67 percent). Shame on the American people, for being so Caucasian and Christian!" Continued
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/13/2005 07:37:00 AM   0 comments
LINDSEY THE OMNISCIENT!
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Graham Says GOP Erred By Focusing on Accounts (washingtonpost.com): "Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who has spent weeks attempting to recruit Democratic support for a plan to restructure Social Security, said yesterday that Republicans 'made a strategic mistake' by initially focusing on a proposal to create individual investment accounts. The accounts, the centerpiece of President Bush's proposal, would benefit young and poorer workers by letting them use compound interest to help make up for any benefit reductions, Graham said. But he said the accounts, by themselves, will not fix the solvency problem Social Security faces as baby boomers begin to retire...Read more...
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/12/2005 08:49:00 PM   0 comments
REQUIRED: AFRICAN HISTORY CLASS
Friday, June 10, 2005
CNN.com - Philly schools to require African history class - Jun 9, 2005: "PHILADELPHIA, Philadelphia (AP) -- City high school students will be required to take a class in African and African American history to graduate, a move that education experts believe is unique in the nation. The requirement in the 185,000-student district, which is about two-thirds black, begins with September's freshman class, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday. The yearlong course covers subjects including classical African civilizations, civil rights and black nationalism, said Gregory Thornton, the district's chief academic officer. The other social studies requirements are American history, geography and world history." There's no problem with this, as long as they require an Asian history class, an Australian history class, a European history class, a Greenland history class...
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 12:26:00 PM   2 comments
ISN'T HE JUST BEING HONEST?
ABOUT WHAT MOST DEMOCRATS FEEL? Los Angeles Times: Dean's Zeal Is Looking Like Zealotry, Some Fear: "Dean's Zeal Is Looking Like Zealotry, Some Fear Tone down the rhetoric, Democrats tell their leader after his recent inflammatory remarks." I say, let 'em speak! Honesty is always the best virtue.
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 09:54:00 AM   1 comments
GOOD ARTICLE OVER AT NEO-LIBS!
BEEN TO THE LIBRARY LATELY
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 09:16:00 AM   0 comments
Of Brilliant Political Foresight and Contemporary Ideological Myopia. Part 2
RIGHT MYOPIC IDEOLOGUES Many people of the "right" persuasion are staunch advocates of the all of the amendments except for the fifth, the right to "due process". In their feverish desire for quick and swift justice, they are impatient with the justice system and its "seemed" imperfections. For example: Many on the right lauded and supported the "anti-racketeering" (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)) Act. The act made provision to circumvent issues of due process under defined circumstances, and gave the government and legal system more power than it should have. One of the first applications of the new "short cut" was leveled at...Abortion protestors! One of the first indictments was against Operation Rescue and the Pro-Life Action League -- as well as three of the league's top leaders. The first to yell "foul play" was the right, but they had gotten what they wanted--even if it was used against them. Their failure was to understand that the fifth amendment guarantees the remainder. Like the Left myopics, right ideologues are often willing to dismiss or even try to change individual amendments because of fear and distrust The natural progression of circumventing the fifth is as follows: 1. Eliminate due process 2. Reinterpret law 3. Get thrown in jail for anything the government or its leaders want. Its called the Bill of Rights, people, and all parts of it need to stand united or all of it will fail. Guard it well, every bit, or your children won't have any of it.
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 09:08:00 AM   2 comments
American Family Association - Take Action
American Family Association - Take Action: "Kraft Inc. is sponsoring the upcoming Gay Games in Chicago. Ask Kraft to withdraw its sponsorship. Your letter will be sent to Kraft Foods CEO Roger Deromedi, EVP Marc Firestone and other key Kraft executives."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 08:20:00 AM   2 comments
GAY GAMES PHOTOS (Caution)
Gay Games photos: "According to the Gay Games official website: 'The Gay Games Social Committee is currently in the process of gathering together Chicago's best bars and clubs, and some of the biggest and best party promoters in the country to create a Social Schedule unlike anything you've ever seen. Chicago's LGBT scene is fierce no matter what time of year it is, but during that one week in July 2006, we are committed to making sure you have the time of your life. 'We are working on a Social Guide that will providing a Bar/Clubs listing. As we move forward and our events calendar starts to fill in, we'll be updating our Events calendar as well, so be sure to bookmark this website and periodically come back to the Guide to check for the latest updates and information regarding Chicago's hottest bars, clubs, and nightlife. We can't wait to show you the line-up of fantastic parties that Chicago is going to see.'" Hat tip: Rob
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 08:08:00 AM   0 comments
KRAFT SUPPORT OF "GAY GAMES"
Kraft Foods: I have difficulty with a company I support involving themselves in obvious activism. Would Kraft equally support the Fundamentalist Baptist Games? I have nothing against homosexuals, but I do have signiificant reservations about the open display of sexuality in the public. It will be some time before I buy Kraft products. Respectfully, Jack Mercer P.S. I am not saying that Kraft should not support anyone they want to, just that I am reluctant to support a company that supports activities I am not in line with. (Note from Jack: In 1994, the American Psychological Association removed pedophilia from the aberant/devient sexual behavior category. This would mean that America's behavioral medicine authority who indicated that homosexuality is normal, endorses pedophilia as such. In 10 years, will Kraft be sponsoring the *NAMBLA Games?) *North America Man-Boy Love Association
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 08:00:00 AM   2 comments
A FEW GOOD MEN
Having given up on politicians, I have to be reminded that there is at least one good one left. CLICK HERE FOR GOOD LETTER FROM THE GOV. ON THE SEAT BELT LAW Governor Mark Sanford knows what its all about. Too bad our legislature with its cumulative IQ of 70 doesn't get it.
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/10/2005 07:16:00 AM   0 comments
RUSH LIMBAUGH ON FRIST/BUSH DISPATCHING GRAHAM
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Bush, Frist Did Not Dispatch Graham & DeWine to Make a Deal: "It's a Major Garrett report that he was told by senior Republican sources that Senators DeWine and Lindsey Graham were dispatched by Senator Frist and the White House to cut the best deal possible on judges, and I said, 'Well now, if that's true, that's one of the biggest news breaks and stories in the world,' and I dug deep today, and I have assured myself that this is so far from the truth that it doesn't even deserve speculation."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/08/2005 12:47:00 PM   0 comments
ONE HAS TO QUESTION JUDGEMENT
Growing up, no one had as tender a heart towards animals as I did. I rescued MANY in my day, and safely I might add. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but is there possibly something wrong with society and its judgement when things like this happen? FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Six-Year-Old Girl Killed Trying to Save Turtle: "Emily Kent (search) was riding with her mother Sunday when they spotted the turtle trying to cross busy U.S. 41. Geraldine Kent pulled over so they could help, and Emily jumped out as her mother screamed at her to wait, friends said. The first-grader was struck by a car and died of her injuries. No charges had been filed."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/08/2005 10:41:00 AM   1 comments
FOR MY FRIEND RELIGIOUS LEFTY!
TIME TO SWITCH, LEFTY! :) SF Gate: Multimedia (movie): "In S.F., Dean calls GOP 'a white Christian party' In this 4 min. 48 sec. excerpt from Howard Dean's remarks Monday in San Francisco, Dean responds to a question from reporter Portia Li with the World Journal about a poll showing a slide in support for Republicans among Asian and women voters. ... Later in the roundtable interview, Chronicle reporter Carla Marinucci asks a follow-up question about Dean's recent aggressive tone toward the GOP. (Listen with QuickTime software for Windows or MacOS)"
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/08/2005 07:52:00 AM   0 comments
AND THESE PEOPLE WONDER WHY THEY HAVE NO CREDIBILITY
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
John Leo: Stories Not Told: "Rule 18. A different omission marred the reporting of Amnesty International's report charging torture in U.S. detainment camps. The group didn't just call Guantanamo a 'gulag,' an over-the-top remark that was universally reported. In a press release that most reporters ignored, the group also invited foreign governments to snatch certain visiting American officials off the streets and bring them to trial for crimes against humanity. The suggested snatchees, should they travel abroad, were President Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, former CIA Director George Tenet, and other unnamed civilian and military officials. Amnesty International said that 'all states have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute people responsible for these crimes,' just as the British pounced on Augusto Pinochet in London in 1998. The snatching recommendation wasn't new, but the Amnesty press release is a useful reminder of the dangers of signing on to the International Criminal Court."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/07/2005 06:39:00 PM   0 comments
WINNER!
This is the most hilarious post I have ever read. You have GOT to check it out! Schrenk Rap: Pat Buchanan is...
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/07/2005 01:35:00 PM   3 comments
LITTLE JUDGEMENTAL I THINK...

Your Political Profile

Overall: 80% Conservative, 20% Liberal
Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal
Ethics: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
How Liberal / Conservative Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/liborconquiz/
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/07/2005 01:28:00 PM   2 comments
MONEY AND EDUCATION
Its interesting that if one goes on the South Carolina salaries database and does a search on salaries over $150,000 they will get 155 results of which only 6 are not related to education. That means 96% of people making over $150K a year in South Carolina are in education. More money down the failing education drain. State Salary Database
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/07/2005 10:25:00 AM   0 comments
BLIND AMERICANS
Dear Ms. Scoppe: I read your article about seatbelts and have to bring up several similar scenarios. 1. Tens of thousands of people die each year (MANY more than people in auto accidents) from the flu. Mandatory flu shots would prevent this. 2. Millions contact AIDS from unprotected sexual contact. Mandatory condom use would prevent this. 3. Millions of Americans die from obesity related illnesses. Mandatory diet control would prevent this. 4. Thousands die from cigarette and alcohol related illness. Banning such or making the substance abuse illegal would prevent this. 5. Women talking on cell phones and putting on makeup while driving have caused many accidents. Outlawing makeup, talking, cell phones AND cars would eliminate this problem. Ok, the last was a little extreme, but the examples could fill pages. Having lived most of my life in socialist countries, the seatbelt law is the first step of introducing laws that limit personal behavior on personal outcomes based on the "collective good". I find that most Americans are naive to the subtleties of law and its uses to advance fascism via the vehicle of socialism. (One of my pet theories is that American public schools do not teach advanced reasoning technique, analytical thinking, etc.) When we live in a nation that proposes and passes in excess of 100,000 laws a year (and that is just in our National Congress) don't think that a freedom you hold dear would become immune to government's natural lust for power and control. I look forward to reading your articles with much interest! Kindest regards, Jack Mercer P.S. If we start making decisions about limitations on personal behavior because of its cost to society, then we will need to outlaw many things. As mentioned above, just think about the cost added to health insurance premiums and medicaid/care as a result of alcohol, cigarettes, and over-eating! When I was in Australia in 1972 the introduction of the seatbelt law established a precedent for Australian courts that has done more to restrict the every day freedoms of Australians. If you advocate government control and micromanagement of our every day lives, then the seatbelt law is a good place to start. I would be happy to provide several articles that I have written on this if you would like them.
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/07/2005 08:11:00 AM   0 comments
Republicans Act Like Addicts
Republicans Act Like Addicts - Yahoo! News: "I'm beginning to grow concerned for the Republicans. They can't stay on message, they can't pass any reforms, they can't support their president, they can't whip count, and they can't get along. They are starting to act like, well, Democrats. "
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/07/2005 07:55:00 AM   0 comments
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Monday, June 06, 2005
"And in [William] Pryor's case, his beliefs are so well known, so deeply held, that its very hard to believe, very hard to believe that they're not going to deeply influence the way he comes about saying, 'I will follow the law.' And that would be true of anybody who had very, very deeply held views." Senator Charles Schumer, Hearing on nominee William Pryer, June 2003
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/06/2005 12:41:00 PM   0 comments
John Lott's Website
Thursday, June 02, 2005
The difference between an ideologue and a scientist is that an ideologue will use science deceptively to reinforce their faith-based paradigm. The scientist will present the facts and let them speak for themselves. Such is John Lott and his insightful books on the whole GUN CONTROL issue. John has been attacked for his research repeatedly by the left. Notice I say that JOHN has been attacked--his research is scientific and untouchable. Visit John's site: John Lott's Website BUY THE BOOK (But only if you want to face the facts)
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/02/2005 04:17:00 PM   0 comments
ACCEPTABLE BIGOTRY
The following link is fascinating, given the destruction of Trent Lott (for praising Strom Thurmond) for supposed racist comment. Grand Master Robert Byrd, formerly of the KKK, gets a free pass from the inconsistent left, as apparently Muslim bigots too. Interesting post over at the Room2View
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/02/2005 12:44:00 PM   0 comments
POLITICS AS USUAL
The State | 06/02/2005 | Another failure on reform of spending, taxes, government: "Another failure on reform of spending, taxes, government DESPITE ALL THE progress they made on several important fronts, lawmakers will end the 2005 General Assembly this afternoon having once again utterly failed to make fundamental reforms in the way our government operates, collects taxes and spends money."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/02/2005 07:14:00 AM   0 comments
WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Democrats praise House Republicans in South Carolina while the Governor is criticized. This one isn't hard to figure out. GreenvilleOnline - AP Nation / World: "Democrats praise legislative session, criticize Sanford By PAMELA HAMILTON Associated Press Writer COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina Democrats took aim Tuesday at Republican Gov. Mark Sanford, praising legislators for overriding vetoes and putting together a budget that adequately funds education, law enforcement and health care agencies."
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/01/2005 04:10:00 PM   0 comments
DEEP THROAT
Could it be that those lauding Deep Throat as a hero are the same ones who despise Linda Tripp?
posted by Jack Mercer @ 6/01/2005 05:14:00 AM   2 comments
About Me

Name: Jack Mercer
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"Snipet" (pronounced: snipe - it) is not a word.It is a derivative of two words: "Snipe" and "Snippet".


Miriam Webster defines Snipe as: to aim a carping or snide attack, or: to shoot at exposed individuals (as of an enemy's forces) from a usually concealed point of vantage.


Miriam Webster defines Snippet as: : a small part, piece, or thing; especially : a brief quotable passage.


In short, "Snipets" are brief, snide shots at exposed situations from a concealed vantage point.

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