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00Publius Contributor - Anti-Americanism - Constitution - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Founders - GOP - Media Bias - Nancy Salvato - News - Patriotism - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - The Law - UN

Undermining Our Sovereignty from Without & Within

January 14, 2009 by

-By Nancy Salvato

The first amendment to the United States Constitution expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws that infringe on the freedom of the press. While it should be expected that those elected to the legislature have at least a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights, this is not necessarily the case.

“Those who have held elective office earn an average score of 44% on the civic literacy test, which is five percentage points lower than the average score of 49% for those who have never been elected.” Neither score bodes well for the state of our nation.

If we are to continue to be a sovereign country, we must understand the rule of law and why each and every word of the founding documents are so important to the defense of our nation and to the continuation of our freedoms.
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00Publius Contributor - Congress - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Inernet - News - Technology - Warner Todd Huston - YouTube

Congress Comes to YouTube (again)…But it Almost Didn’t Happen

January 13, 2009 by

John Boehner, GOP Minority leader, reports on a new venture…

Today marks the launch of a new collaborative effort between The U.S. Congress and YouTube.com. The House Hub and Senate Hub have been developed to make it easier for visitors to find their elected officials and their YouTube channels. YouTube and other popular technologies continue to empower American citizens with real-time information about the policy debates and actions being undertaken by Congress.

As we see more and more members from both sides of the aisle embrace web video and social media, it’s easy to forget that only a few months ago Democrats on the House Administration Committee were proposing rules that would have brought this free flow of information to a screeching halt. The proposed rules, including an “approved list” of websites that could be used by members of Congress, would have amounted to new government censorship of the Internet by a panel of federal officials that is neither neutral or independent.

Continue reading “Congress Comes to YouTube (again)…But it Almost Didn’t Happen”

00Publius Contributor - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Founders - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Giving Obama ‘A Chance’… Or Not

January 10, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

America has always had a great tradition, one mature for it’s age and true at birth, of the peaceful turnover of power from one faction to another. Never have Americans rioted when a president of another party took his seat in the White House, never has the military been called in and never has government been wholly shut down during the turnover of power because of political strife and unrest. This is, it cannot be denied, a good thing. It is one of the things that makes the USA’s unique among the history of nations. But, does this relative good sense include the necessity of one party giving the new president of the opposing party “a chance” once he takes office? As Republicans, are we obliged to sit back and allow a new president we opposed — in this case Barack Obama — the opportunity to do anything and everything he so pleases? Is this what is meant by “giving him a chance”?

I’ll have to politely say “no” is the answer to that question. Republicans are under no obligation to chuck all principles to the four winds in some mistaken notion of giving Barack Obama “a chance” to do whatever it is he wants to do in office. We have no reason to sit back and do nothing just because “the people have spoken.” To that, it must be pointed out that none of our members of “the people” spoke in Obama’s favor.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - News - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois GOP Wrong On Special Election to Fill Obama’s Senate Seat

January 8, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once it became known throughout the state that Governor Balgojevich was being entertained by the U.S. Attorney for his creative attempts to shore up his retirement plans and once it was realized that the Governor had yet to pick a replacement to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat, the Illinois GOP latched on to the call for a special election as the solution for that issue.

Unfortunately, they’re wrong.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, it is definitely the only way a Republican could possibly be sent to Washington as our junior senator from Illinois. But special elections are not the constitutional way we fill a vacated senate seat. It just isn’t.

Continue reading “Illinois GOP Wrong On Special Election to Fill Obama’s Senate Seat”

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Lowering Expectations for Obama

January 5, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Reuters ran a little flak for Barack Obama trying to help dull the outrageous expectations placed on The One by his irrationally exuberant adherents in theirs headlined “Congress faces historic challenges” — As if no other Congress has faced “historic challenges” before? Reuters assures us, though, that times are so bad that we should not expect Obama to live up to any of his outlandish promises. This way, of course, if Obama reneges on them, the Old Media can remind everyone that it’s really our fault for expecting too much, not Obama’s for reneging.

Naturally, we get the kind of Bush-is-worst rhetoric we expect from Reuters but we also find that Reuters seems to have forgotten that Congress itself has even lower ratings than does Bush. And Reuters starts off the story conveniently forgetting that the Democrats have controlled Congress since 2006.

Democrats will pack greater clout when the new Congress convenes on Tuesday but they face enormous expectations from voters as they grapple with two wars, a financial crisis and record budget deficits.

Yeah, “greater clout.” But they’ve been in control since 2006 and faced a weakened president to boot. But, have Congressional Democrats had no “expectations” since 2006? Let us also not forget the two wars they have to “grapple with” were approved by the Democrats almost to a man and that the record deficits and the financial crisis were engineered by many of their own votes.

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Humor - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

ABC News Shocker: The ‘All Time Dumb Quotes’ Are All From Republicans

January 2, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Looks like ABC News is starting out 2009 with a partisan bang. On its main page, ABC News is hosting a slide show featuring what it is calling the “All Time Dumb Quotes.” Now, these are not all strictly political dumb quotes, to be sure. They also have the empty headed Christina Aguilera, that sharp as a tack Jessica Simpson and other denizens of the Hollywood Mensa club among the 16 featured quotes — and some of them are doozies, too. But, there are six political quotes five by Republicans and one by Tina Fey making fun of a Republican (Palin, naturally), yet there are no “All Time Dumb Quotes” from any Democrats. Not a one. Apparently ABC doesn’t think there’s ever been a dumb Democrat?

Even more absurdly, all these “dumb quotes” are from the last year or so. Apparently, ABC also is not aware of anything “dumb” that was ever said before contemporary history. Yet, even as all these supposedly “All Time Dumb Quotes” are recent, they have one quote…. just one… from farther back in time than just recently. And guess who it’s from? Amazingly, the ONLY “All Time Dumb Quote” ABC can find from before the year 2008 is a 1988 quote by… drum roll please… Dan Quayle!

Continue reading “ABC News Shocker: The ‘All Time Dumb Quotes’ Are All From Republicans”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

AP Attacks Gov. Palin EVEN in Birth Announcement of Grandson

December 31, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press is classy, indeed. They can’t even keep sniping at Sarah Palin out of a story announcing the blessed birth of her grandson. Ah, but wait, it gets even more annoying because not only did the AP snipe at Palin in its first birth announcement story, once called on it the AP went back twice to rearrange the piece rewriting history to make it seem as if they never sniped at her in the first place.

Initially, the AP attacked Palin in its very first paragraph saying that daughter Bristol’s pregnancy was the thing that caused Palin’s candidacy to “go downhill.” At 7:20 PM the AP gave us this: (Bold my emphasis)

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Inernet - News - President - Republicans - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Technology - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Skewz.com Predicts Top 5 Trends for 2009

December 31, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Skewz.com has put together its top 5 predictions for how political communications under the Obama presidency will be changed in 2009.

Now, in some ways, I can see where the Skewz team is coming from seeing as how they are in that Internet bubble, but I think that their assumptions of Internet domination of politics is a bit overblown. Still, I think in many ways the predictions are right if not quite as strong as presented nor as immediate.

Here are their predictions and my replies to them:

1. Blogging Gets Issue-Specific : The 2008 election re-enforced and validated the need for candidates to have a strong outreach program to the blogosphere to amplify their message. While it’s apparent that bloggers are becoming more important and tightly linked to campaigns, the increasing number of blogs is pushing many bloggers to become “issue specific” as a way to differentiate themselves. For example, rather than being just a “right” or “left” blog, specific topics such as crime, the housing crisis, government bailouts, poverty, etc. will dominate. In addition, day-to-day issues such as crime and poverty will become more relevant to larger portions of the electorate.

I think this is less a reaction to “differentiation” among bloggers, more an act of going with what one knows based on the growing legitimacy of the medium. Over the year 2008, Blogs have become a legitimate news source and this has spurred even more people with specific fields of knowledge to feel confident that they won’t merely be laughed off with their blogging efforts. Smart people with detailed knowledge and a passion to debate the issues have migrated to blogs in great numbers over the year. And with the growth of social networking sites like Twitter and FaceBook — all of which rely heavily on linking to stories on news media and blogs — the Internet has really come into its own as an “official” news source. Witness the recent survey that shows a far grater number of people than ever before saying the Internet is their news source.

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00Publius Contributor - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - News - Patriotism - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

Controversy Over RNC Chairman Selection, Emineth Commeth

December 27, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

To some conservatives, what North Dakota Republican Party Chairman Gary Emineth told The Hill last week is proof of the arrogance of an out-of-touch Republican Party. Emineth says he is being misunderstood, but his words were badly chosen regardless.

The Hill quoted Mr. Emineth concerning the selection of the next Republican National Committee Chairman. Mr. Emineth has made a special request during this process, one that has not been contemplated in the past. He is circulating a petition to have all six candidates for the position of RNC Chairman appear before the entire 168 member RNC committee to take questions from the whole body during this deliberation.

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00Publius Contributor - David Huntwork - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Humor - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture

The 99 Most Memorable, Interesting and Outrageous Political Quotes of 2008

December 27, 2008 by

-By David Huntwork

The year 2008 was politically the most exciting and unusual in a generation. It hosted a long, divisive and drama filled campaign season that featured the rapid rise and fall of Rudy Guiliani, Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee, the unlikely rise of John McCain and Barack Obama, and the eventual bitter defeat of Hillary Clinton. It brought us an unusually long and brutal primary with emotional charges of racism and sexism, the rise of the Superdelegate, and the explosion of Sarah Palin upon the national stage. All of this was followed by a rough and tumble presidential campaign whose outcome may have never been truly in doubt but was still a never ending soap opera of charges, counter charges, personal attacks, character assassinations, rumors, smears and the occasional, unexpected surprise.

2008 also also brought us a huge spike in gas prices, more political scandals, a mortgage and credit industry in a state of panic and a sitting president who was almost completely politically powerless in the face of such challenges. Rarely does such an alignment of events occur in a single year and the resulting deluge of memorable political quotes is a goldmine for the blogger, columnist, political junkie, and all those who follow current events. Without further ado I present to you my selection of the 99 most memorable, interesting, and outrageous political quotes of 2008.
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00Publius Contributor - Crime - GOP - History - John Armor - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture

Come Back to 1600, Johnny Dean, Johnny Dean

December 21, 2008 by

-By John Armor

I’m certain that all of you, being well-read folks, recognized the reference to the play that Robert Altman directed and then turned into a movie, “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” That quirky play and movie involved a group of women reaching back to what their lives were like a generation before, when Jimmy Dean was alive and they created a fan club for him.

Today, we need a return to Johnny Dean, not Jimmy. Remember Johnny? He was in all the papers. He even wrote a new book a few years ago to make a few bucks and to remind the world that he wasn’t dead yet. Careerwise, he’s dead. But we’re talking biologically.

John Dean was Counsel to President Richard Nixon. He was asked to write a report on the Watergate situation. It was supposed to be a whitewash, concluding that the President had nothing to do with the break-in or the cover-up. Not much was said about the Dean Report. However, all Hell broke loose when John Dean grew a conscience, or just adjusted to the winning side politically. and told the Senate Watergate Committee that there was “a cancer on the Presidency.”
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00Publius Contributor - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

In Case You Forgot, AP Still Reminding Palin’s a ‘Failed Republican Vice Presidential Candidate’

December 19, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

I don’t know. Maybe the Associated Press thinks that no one is aware that John McCain lost his race for the White House? Maybe the AP thinks no one is aware that his choice for VP, Governor Sarah Palin, lost right along with him? Maybe the AP thinks that hardly any American has gotten the word that Obama and slow Joe Biden won on November 4th? The AP sure acts as if they think people still need it pointed out that Governor Sarah Palin is “the failed Republican vice presidential candidate.” At least if its current report on the latest doings in Alaska is concerned, anyway. After all, right in the middle of a report on Alaska state workers having sent around some race tinged joke emails, the AP helpfully reminds us that Palin is that aforementioned “failed Republican vice presidential candidate.” I mean, who knew she lost?

The AP is reporting on some race-y emails that were reported to them by a state worker, using it to needlessly jab the governor. At one point the AP sternly tells us all that, “State officials were unaware of the e-mails until asked about them by the AP,” as if something untoward was going on in the Administration itself. But, even the AP’s own report seems to show that a mountain is being made of a mole hill.

Naturally, the AP found Reverend Alonzo Patterson, Alaska’s own homegrown race baiter, to scold the Governor for not yet having said anything about an issue that is neither much investigated at this point, nor even in her initial purview in the first place.

Continue reading “In Case You Forgot, AP Still Reminding Palin’s a ‘Failed Republican Vice Presidential Candidate’”

00Publius Contributor - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - News - Society/Culture - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Urging a Special Election for Senate in Illinois

December 18, 2008 by

Can the Ill. GOP FINALLY Find a Winning Issue?

As for me, I stand against voting for a Senator in the first place. I think the 17th Amendment was wrong to recreate the Constitution to have the people vote for Senators. Originally, the state legislature was to appoint a Senator from their state. There was no election as the position of Senator was supposed to be one that represented the state governments, not “the people.” The people were to be represented by the House of Reps and the President on the Federal level.

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - President - Society/Culture - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Jefferson and Obama’s Birth Certificate: My Reply to Michael Gaynor

December 10, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Tuesday morning of December 10, I sent out my piece titled “Thomas Jefferson says forget about Barack’s birth certificate.” I was sure it would raise the hackles of those vested in the Barack Obama birth certificate issue, abbreviated as COLB (certificate of live birth) by those so inclined to care about it. Boy was I right. My email has been stuffed with accusations that I hate the Constitution or am secretly an Obama supporter despite that in my original piece I clearly called the man a socialist whom I didn’t want in the Oval Office.

But, I felt we need an actual discussion, not of Obama’s birth itself, but of the Constitutional, electoral, and philosophical issues that underlay the debate. Fortunately, Michael Gaynor of RenewAmerica.us obliged. To that end and to his piece, I’d like to take some time to reply here, being sure to thank him for at least allowing that I was “well-intentioned” with my original consideration of the matter.

Unfortunately, Mr. Gaynor starts out right off the top with a misconception of what I am saying and it misinforms his entire take on my piece. He writes:
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - Republicans - Warner Todd Huston

On Gov. Palin All the Lies Fit to Print

December 3, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

It seems that Froma Harrop of Creator’s Syndicate news service was on vacation from just about five days before the general election until today and she’s just catching up on all the Palin hatin’ she must have missed. Unfortunately for Harrop, she still hasn’t caught up with the truth yet because her latest is filled with every lie about Governor Palin she could jam into one column, quite despite that for weeks her digs have been proven lies.

In hers headlined, “Palin should move to TV talk show,” Harrop proves that she should move from Creator’s Syndiacte to the National Enquirer… unless Creator’s Syndicate is trying to unseat the supermarket tabloid in hack writing. If that is the case, then Harrop is on the right track.

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00Publius Contributor - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Media Bias - News - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

On Palin’s Celebrity, AP Reminds She’s A Failed Candidate… Over and Over and Over Again!

November 24, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Governor Palin is in demand. Every newshound, every TV talking head, every newsertainer in the country is after her. She is being pursued for TV shows, book deals, movie roles, hounded by photographers and every hanger on in both Hollywood and the newsertainment industry. But the Associated Press wants to be sure you understand one thing: she is a FAILURE! That’s right, in discussing Palin’s current celebrity, the main concern AP has is to make sure you know she is a big ol’ loser. The AP is so intent to remind you she lost that it has to tell you she lost over and over again. You know, just in case you were unaware she and McCain didn’t win the election.

So, did you know Sarah Palin lost the election? Here, let the AP remind you (My bold throughout)…

Continue reading “On Palin’s Celebrity, AP Reminds She’s A Failed Candidate… Over and Over and Over Again!”

00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Media Bias - News - Podcasting - President - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Warner Todd Huston vs Crooks and Liars

November 19, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I was asked to be a part of a podcast for http://www.skewz.com. The quality of the recording is not so hot, but that is a minor annoyance. At least you can understand all involved for the most part. Go on over and give it a listen.

Skewz Podcast #36: Sound-Off- Mike Finnigan of Crooks and Liars and Warner Todd Huston of NewsBusters Talk About Media Bias in the 2008 Election

We had a blast speaking to Mike Finnigan of Crooksandliars.com and Warner Todd Huston of Newsbusters.org. We discussed how the media may have played a role, if any, in the 2008 election. Mike was in rare form and Warner and I had a good time keeping up with him. Of course, Warner felt the treatment of Palin was especially abusive. Mike, as you might have guessed, didn’t entirely agree. Listen in and decide what you think.

We hope you enjoy the conversation with Mike and Warner as much as we did.

00Publius Contributor - Conservatives - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

He Said, She Said

November 19, 2008 by

Why The Finger Pointing Aids Democrats
-By Warner Todd Huston

We have gone through the first round of internal recriminations with the recent excoriation of Governor Palin by those “unnamed” McCain staffers. We are also starting to see a few hints of the slaps for John McCain more of which will soon come from amongst GOP faithful. But, while the media loves the bashing, this internal carping does nothing to help us at all. And most especially, breaking out the long knives for our own will only strengthen Barack Obama by cementing in the voter’s minds that the GOP is in permanent disarray setting Obama up to create a Democratic majority that will be difficult to defeat.

First of all, the attacks on Governor Palin are sure to cleave this party in half if they continue. The candidacy of Palin highlighted the split in the Republican Party that has been there since Reagan forged a new GOP majority to support his bid for the White House in 1980. Palin does not appeal to what used to be called the country club Republicans but she appeals very much to the family values voters that Reagan brought into the Party. In fact, she doesn’t just appeal to them, she excites them.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Censorship - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Europe - GOP - John Armor - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture

The Barack Obama – King George Connection

November 16, 2008 by

-By John Armor

Barrack Obama seems poised, based on his associates and his appointments to date, to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine for American radio programming, If he does that administratively through his naming of a new Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, he’ll be taking a page out of King George III’s book of policies toward the American colonists.

Say what?

Isn’t that a bit of a stretch since the number of radio stations in 1776 was shockingly low, and King George did not have a Royal Communications Commission? Well, actually he did, and thereon hangs a tale.
Continue reading “The Barack Obama – King George Connection”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

CNN Distorts Palin Comments From Its OWN Interview With Her

November 14, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

What is it about CNN that they have to distort things that Governor Sarah Palin has said in interviews? This time, CNN even distorted what she said in an interview one of its own correspondents conducted. On CNN’s Political Ticker Blog on November 11, CNN had this absurd headline:Palin in Obama’s administration? And followed that up with a paragraph that materially misstated what she told their own commentator, Wolf Blitzer.

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Wednesday she would be honored to help out President-elect Barack Obama in his new administration, even if he did hang around with an “unrepentant domestic terrorist.”

Yet, the several paragraphs that follow shows that the header and the into paragraph twist what it is she really said. If one were to read just the headline and that first paragraph of the Political Ticker entry, one would get a very distorted view of what the governor said.

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00Publius Contributor - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - History - Media Bias - Nancy Salvato - News - Patriotism - President - Society/Culture

True Patriots Put Country First

November 14, 2008 by

-By Nancy Salvato

Sometimes, I find it hard to stomach reading the headlines in my preferred publication of choice, the New Media Journal. I just finished an article reporting that Osama Bin Laden is planning on attacking the U.S. again –real soon. It’s hard to believe 7 years have passed since our hijacked planes were flown into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. It almost seems surreal. However, we must remember that the terrorists who would do us harm do not adhere to commonly accepted timetables, do not fight a conventional war, do not distinguish between military or civilians, and are not affiliated with any one country. And any westerner or infidel is considered fair game for their next atrocity.

While some citizens have become complacent, others have been vigilant in monitoring the war on terrorism. Most news reported about the war on terror is picked up by the New Media Journal as a courtesy for the readers who don’t want to see another 9/11 befall our civilization in their lifetime or after. For those who have opted not to take a permanent news holiday by burying their heads in the sand (As Andrew Weil recommends) and instead continue to expose their intestines to ulcers and IBS in order to stay informed and to inform others, it will not come as a surprise if there is an electro magnetic pulse explosion in our immediate hemisphere. Terrorists are capable of pulling off such a feat. Needless to say, they won’t have any remorse over such actions. It is all in a days work.
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00Publius Contributor - Business - Communism - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Thomas Brewton

The Auto Bailout

November 13, 2008 by

-By Thomas E. Brewton

Classic socialism in action.

Socialism is characterized by ignoring the free marketplace and empowering intellectual planners to control the economy with a cocoon of regulations and directives. In Europe (and today in China) economically moribund companies are designated national champions and kept alive at taxpayer expense, even when they can’t compete in the free market without government subsidies.

This flows from socialist governments’ belief that full employment can be maintained only by massive deficit spending. J. M. Keynes, the economics guru of the the New Deal era, opined that it would be suitable government policy to hire men to dig holes one day, fill them up the next day, then re-dig them and refill them ad infinitum.
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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Vince Johnson

Post Election Blahs

November 12, 2008 by

-By Vince Johnson

Blah #1. Now that the election is over I’m wondering what the News Industry will use to keep their journalists busy. Those reporters who were asked to take early retirement will probably follow Joe Biden around just in case someone asks him a question. They will do this out of habit and an inborn drive to come up with a scoop.

Blah #2. My understanding of the word “enormous” reached new heights when I read the autobiography of William F. Buckley, Jr. I refer to the awesome dimensions of his ego, of course. Despite the vastness, it had something that attracted thoughtful appreciation. Perhaps it was a twinkle from a group of his ordinary genes wishing they could come out of hiding and mingle with the rest of us.

Blah #3. For sixty years whenever I heard the word “scrambled” I always thought of eggs This all changed when the media focused so much attention upon Joe Biden’s untiring efforts to outdo Dan Quayle.
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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Frank Salvato - GOP - Media Bias - News - Republicans - Society/Culture

Will Republicans Have the Courage to Hit the Reset Button

November 11, 2008 by

-By Frank Salvato

So, the voters of the United States have spoken. They have chosen – or we have chosen because it is important to treat the presidency with respect, something the Progressive-Left wouldn’t have understood until now – a 47-year old multiracial man, who had a decidedly “Progressive” upbringing, who taught community activist organizations to pressure financial institutions into embracing bad business practices, whose records when in the Illinois Senate were destroyed and who started campaigning for the presidency almost from the beginning of his US Senate career. Congratulations, President-Elect Obama. You pulled off.

We, as a people, chose Obama, questionable theology and all, to be president over an increasingly inclusive, reach-across-the-aisle, established war hero who proved his love of country through bone-breaking torture at the Hanoi Hilton. We chose Obama, questionable political ideological belief system and all, over a seasoned Senator with a proven track record of getting things done and a man the mainstream media used to adore before he dared to run against the “First Black President,” even though Obama really isn’t all that “Black” (a genealogical examination of Obama’s family line indicates he is 50% Caucasian, 43.75% Arab, and 6.25% African corresponding to the demographic of his Great-Great-Grandparents: 8 Caucasians, 7 Arabs and one African).
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00Publius Contributor - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - GOP - Media Bias - News - Patriotism - President - Republicans - Socialism - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Conservatives, Obama’s Win is Your Fault

November 10, 2008 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

With that headline you may think I am employing hyperbole. If so, you would be wrong. I am absolutely and positively blaming the conservative movement for the rise to the presidency of a man that adheres to a socialist ideology. In fact, in this day and age, I might even blame conservatives for the continued existence of this man’s ideas altogether, though that might be a stretch. No, more directly, conservatives are at fault for the singular fact that many millions of Americans saw no reason not to vote for a socialist. They mistakenly imagined his ideas were still just as American as anyone’s. These voters haven’t the first clue that their vote stood four-square against true American ideas. Unfortunately, conservatives are at fault for this rampant inability of our fellows to understand what is an American ideology and what isn’t. Sadly, we have allowed several generations to pass without being educated as to why Barack Obama’s basic political creed is blatantly socialist.

Leftism got its start in America before the turn of the 20th century but in 1960 a conservative grass roots movement began to form around what later became the 1964 candidacy of Barry Goldwater. His campaign biography, Conscience of a Conservative, captured the minds of hundreds of thousands of Americans yearning for a return to American principles. After only its first few short years the book that bore Goldwater’s name had sold over 3 million copies and has by now gone through dozens of printings.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Republicans - Society/Culture

The Opposition Response

November 10, 2008 by 6 Comments

-By Dan Scott

Barack Obama gave his press conference outlining his general plans, which include everything from a stimulus package to extending unemployment benefits to bailouts for virtually everyone and their brother, along with other Democrat priorities. He called for quick action by the lame-duck Congress to implement these plans before he even takes office. The GOP seems to be either still in shock or simply mesmerized by the imperative of we must do something so let’s go along otherwise we will get blamed for being bipartisan or not being relevant. The lack of response is to say the least is shocking and reflects either incompetence on their part or a lack of courage by simply laying low to see what shakes out. Since Obama is bound and determined to follow the Democrat path of redistribution of wealth instead of wealth creation to solve the current economic crisis, and the GOP it seems is willing to shirk it’s responsibility as the opposition party, we as conservatives will give the response instead.

First off, an analogy will be helpful in helping describe what the proper response is to get the economy out of the current tailspin. When a pilot loses control of a nose diving plane that goes into spiral, the intuitive response of a novice pilot is to grab hold of the controls and fight the spin to regain control of the plane. This is precisely the wrong thing to do, the proper response is either to steer in the direction of the spin or to let go of the controls and the plane will right itself by doing exactly the opposite motion that a pilot would direct it. This same principle of recovering from a spin also holds for a car by turning in the direction of it and not applying brakes.
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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

ABC Reignites ‘Troopergate’: Officer Portrayed as Victim, Palin as Guilty

November 9, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

ABC Still Attacking Gov. Palin

On its Blotter from Brian Ross Blog, ABC News is trying to re-ignite the “Troopergate” issue by portraying Alaska state trooper Mike Wooten as a victim of “threatening phone calls.” And, in reporting this new aspect of the story, ABC waits until the last sentence of the story to mention that Governor Palin was deemed innocent of charges of ethics violations in trying to be rid of Trooper Wooten even as 90% of the story pounds home what the supposed charges against the Governor were. Further, ABC misrepresents the charges against Wooten as a simple “she said” argument by Palin and fails to mention that he was actually found guilty of many of them.

In fact, this whole report subtlety makes Governor Palin look like the bad actor in this situation and garners sympathy from the reader for Trooper Wooten. In the first paragraph, the piece talks of Palin’s “harsh allegations” and states that he has been “taken off patrols recently for his own safety” because of “threatening phone calls.” The report mentions that both Wooten and his union are whining that he cannot get over time pay since he’s stuck on a desk job “for his own safety.” Looks like ABC thinks Trooper Wooten is a victim here.

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - News - President - Race - Republicans - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Remember How Whites Were Too Racist to Vote Obama?

November 8, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On November 5, the Associated Press put out a story on how the so-called Bradley Effect theory is now finished. You’ll remember the Bradley Effect as the effect that was sure to defeat Barack Obama because all whites are secretly racists and, therefore, wouldn’t have voted for the man when it came time. You’ll also remember that just about every wire service and every paper was filled with discussion about all those hick, racist whites and every TV tongue was wagging about it. But, now that this mythic theory has been proven a bust, will the Old Media say much to correct the record?

So, what about it? Are all whites secret racists with the Bradley Effect having proven they won’t vote for a black man, or is it a great humbug now proven faulty? The AP, for its part, comes down on the side of the later. The Bradley Effect is kaput. Several other sources, including NPR and The New York Times, also celebrate the end of the soundness of the Bradley Effect. In fact, quite a few Old Media sources seem happy to kill the Bradley Effect as a sound theory. How could they not? After all, Barack Obama got more votes than the “first black president,” Bill Clinton. It all seems like sunny days are here again. But…

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00Publius Contributor - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - Michael M. Bates - News - President - Race - Society/Culture

Why the race was lost

November 7, 2008 by

-By Michael M. Bates

Castro this week described Obama as “more intelligent, cultured and levelheaded than his Republican adversary.” The American people agreed. So let the finger pointing commence. In no special order of consequence, here are a few probable reasons for the GOP loss:

  • The candidate. John McCain wasn’t conservatives’ first, or even fourth, choice for nominee. Infinitely preferable to Obama, he nonetheless carried too much baggage for many in the party’s base. Legislative liaisons with Teddy Kennedy and Russ Feingold on matters like immigration and campaign finance didn’t inspire confidence. Neither did McCain’s late conversion to tax cuts. Not discussing the Jeremiah Wright connection, a sensible basis to question his opponent’s judgment, was unwise. Bringing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to the ticket did help a lot. People who dislike her would never have voted for the GOP anyway and she was a huge asset to the campaign. McCain’s estrangement with the rank and file never fully healed. When the Republican Party stops serving as a vehicle for conservatism, it falters.

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