The Law

Britain - Christianity - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Freedom - Liberals - Patriotism - President - Religion - Rights - Society/Culture - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston - Western Civilization

ISI Conference Part Two: Christ in Our Soul

November 16, 2009 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

This is part two of my three part report on the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s one day conference on The Roots of American Order. So here is part two of mine titled Lift a Glass to the Past: America Rooted in Tradition or a New Covenant? (Part one can be seen here)

The second speaker of the day was Brad Birzer who regaled us on America’s Judeo-Christian History.

Bizer began his session by noting that historian Donald Lutz discovered that the founders used Christian references in their pre-war writing far more than any other source. St. Paul was the most referenced New Testament figure with Micah 4:4 being the most referenced Old Testament verse.

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

On this Lutz quotation, though, I want to clarify something. Many have bandied about the claim that Donald Lutz said that 34 percent of the founder’s writing contain direct Biblical citations. This claim is not altogether true. On the other hand, it is not something to quickly dismiss as fans of the Enlightenment influence want to do, either.
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ISI Conference Part Two: Christ in Our Soul”

Britain - Chicago - Christianity - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Education - History - Liberals - Patriotism - Religion - Rights - Society/Culture - The Law - Warner Todd Huston - Western Civilization

Lift a Glass to the Past: America Rooted in Tradition or a New Covenant?

November 16, 2009 by 8 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Is the United States a grand experiment, a new covenant invented out of whole cloth by the fertile minds of the founders from never before seen ideas or is it a nation spawned from deeply rooted traditions of western thought? This was the question posited in a one-day-long conference on classicism in America’s founding sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) and held in Skokie, Illinois, a near northern suburb of Chicago.

The short answer is that the liberal mindset that holds that we should invent the USA anew with each succeeding generation is an erroneous conception of what the United States was meant to be when it was founded. Sure America has some ideas never before seen by political man, but at heart, America is rationalism informed by tradition, not some amorphous mélange of constantly changing ideas.

The founders created a new nation based heavily on Western ideas through British tradition, not one based solely on rationalist thinking. As they struggled to set their new nation on its new Constitutional course, for instance, the words of Founder John Dickinson of Delaware served as their benchmark.

Let experience be our only guide. Reason may lead us astray.

An intimate crowd of 60 some participants enjoyed four separate addresses by lecturers associated with ISI. Appearing behind the lectern were Bruce Thornton, Professor of Classics at Fresno State University; Brad Birzer, Professor of History at Hillsdale College; Mark C. Henrie, Senior VP and Chief Academic Officer of ISI; and E. Christian Kopff, Professor of Classics at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

In these three installments, I will lay out what we talked about at this interesting one-day conference.

Part One: How it all Began
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Lift a Glass to the Past: America Rooted in Tradition or a New Covenant?”

Anti-Americanism - Chicago - Congress - Conservatives - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Illinois - Immigration/Immigrants - Liberals - Race - Society/Culture - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Where Does Ratowitz Stand on Immigration?

November 14, 2009 by 5 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

**UPDATED** 11/15 2:30 PM

Over at the always interesting Cao’s Blog there is a spot ‘o controversy over the candidacy of David Ratowitz who is running as a Republican to take the Chicago based 5th District Congressional seat that Rahm Emanuel once occupied. In the election timeline, we’ve arrived at the infuriatingly common stage where every candidate in the state is running around challenging everyone else’s petition signatures and Cao feels that Ratowitz is acting the hypocrite with his actions in this case.

If you want all the ins and outs of the petition challenge argument Cao makes, I suggest you go on over and visit the posting. As for me, it doesn’t much interest me. There is a far more important part of the story that Cao talks about after the petition discussion that I find far more important.

First, though, I will agree with those that find the whole petition challenge milieu one of the most vexing aspects of the Chicago Way style of Illinois politics — one repeated all across the country not being a strictly Chicago phenomenon, granted. Petition challenges are usually petty, niggling, cynical, and strikes against the whole one-man-one-vote ideal where a candidate throws his hat in the ring and the people decide his suitability to serve them.

But, that annoyance aside, one of Cao’s commenters, Jim Fuchs, made an excellent point on the whole subject.
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Where Does Ratowitz Stand on Immigration?”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Liberals - Republicans - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Obama to Fire All Civil Servants, Replacing Them With Obama Loyalists

November 13, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In the Washington Examiner Mark Tapscott is decrying the Obama Administration’s bold new directive to rid government of anyone that was hired during the Bush years so that Obama can replace them with his loyal operatives.Tapscott is saying that this violates the spirit of civil service and brings back the spoils system instituting a “partisan political factor” to civil service jobs.

Well I say it’s about time. Unlike Tapscott, I say bring back the spoils system and do away with the professional civil servant. Let Obama fire every Bush appointee and put in his place political hacks, buddies, and friends. And then let the next president do the same… and so on, and so on.

First let’s explain what happened. As Tapscott reports:
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Obama to Fire All Civil Servants, Replacing Them With Obama Loyalists”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Communism - Congress - Constitution - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Buy What Democrats Say to Buy or GO TO JAIL

November 7, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It has come to this, America. Democrats have decided that if you don’t agree with their policies, you are to be fined. And if you don’t pay the fine, you are a criminal and will be sentenced to jail. That’s right, Democrats are criminalizing dissent.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has decided to leave language in her heatlhcare bill that criminalizes and prescribes jail time for any American that does not want to buy private healthcare insurance. Think of this, America. I am telling you that the U.S. Congress has decided to force you to buy the product of a privately owned corporation! The power of the U.S. federal government has never been used to purchase something from a private company but here comes San Fran Nancy to do just that. But, let’s face it. She is only taking her cue from the big guy and his “Chicago way” sort of political thuggery.

The Joint Committee on Taxation issued a letter (Download pdf file) in reply to Representative Dave Crump’s inquiry about the matter of the criminal penalties of refusing to buy healthcare insurance should Pelosi’s version of Obamacare pass.
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Buy What Democrats Say to Buy or GO TO JAIL”

Abortion - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Family - Health - Illinois - Liberals - Rights - Society/Culture - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Parental Notification for Abortions Delayed AGAIN! Call Springfield Now!

November 3, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

(Passed on from my friend Eunice Conn)

It took 14 years to get the Parental Notification Bill of 1995 passed in August(of this year) in Illinois. Then, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation decided to enact a 90-day “grace period” to give abortionists time to prepare for the new policy.

That grace period should have ended today (Tuesday, Nov. 3) but….well you know our Illinois Gov’t. They approved another extension.

Tomorrow, they will decide how much time they need.

If you are so inclined contact Gov. Quinn and urge him to instruct the Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation to end the delay.

Govern Quinn, Springfield Office : 217-782-0244

Governor Quinn, Chicago Office: 312-814-2121

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Journalism - Judges - Liberals - Media Bias - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Why Is Cook County AG Looking Into Students Studying the Wrongly Convicted?

October 27, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The work of the Medill Innocence Project has already led to the exoneration of 11 inmates in Illinois. In 2000 Governor George Ryan cited the Medill Innocence Project of Northwestern University as one of the reasons he suspended the death penalty in the Land of Lincoln. It has yet to be fully reinstated.

The Medill Innocence Project has recently set its sites on the case of Anthony McKinney, convicted of murdering a security officer in 1978. The students of the Project feel that they have successfully proved that McKinney was wrongly convicted and have also succeeded in getting a judge to review the case.

One might think that thanks and accolades should be the student’s reward for their efforts to repair justice in Illinois. But for some reason Cook County prosecutors have subpoenaed the grades, grading criteria, class syllabus, expense reports and e-mails of the students of the Project. You heard that right. Prosecutors seem to be investigating the students!
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Why Is Cook County AG Looking Into Students Studying the Wrongly Convicted?”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Founders - Frank Salvato - Free Speech - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Supreme Court - The Law

When Ideology Masks Ignorance

October 26, 2009 by

-By Frank Salvato

After giving a talk to a group of family values minded Freeport, Illinois area residents addressing three major threats facing the United States – which I term “The Perfect Storm,” and a solution to a problem that safeguards the US Constitution, I found myself personally and ideologically assailed by a letter-writer to a local newspaper, a Ms. Patricia Wemstrom. I take issue with her critique not only because she mischaracterized each and every point that I made at the event, but also because she wasn’t even in attendance.

The critique was caustic and hateful in nature:

“I am surprised by the hatred, bigotry and lack of knowledge expressed by Frank Salvato in the front page story of Oct. 18. (“Speaker Warns of Threats”) It seems to me the danger to this country rest not so much in ‘Radical Islam,’ but in people like Salvato.”

Such explosive rhetoric emanating from a person who wasn’t in attendance and who never attempted to contact me for any clarification leads me to believe – through the context of experience – that Ms. Wemstrom is not only of the Progressive or Liberal political ideology but, also, either uneducated on the issues, disingenuous and partisan in her approach, or both.

Although out of order of presentation I will attempt to clarify the misinformation presented by Ms. Wemstrom…in the interest of truth and education.
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When Ideology Masks Ignorance”

ACORN - Ann "Babe" Huggett - Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law

Anita MonCrief – A Modern David Takes on The Obama/ACORN Goliath

October 22, 2009 by

-By Ann “Babe” Huggett

On Tuesday, October 20, 2009, in a teleconference for bloggers hosted by Andrew Breitbart of Breitbart TV and BigGovernment.com and ACORN whistle-blower, Anita MonCrief, the launch of Ms MonCrief’s defense fund website, Fight for Anita, (http://fightforanita.com/) was announced.

A brief description of Anita’s website, which was included in the invitation, read, “ACORN is doing everything it can to intimidate Anita and others like her from telling the public what they know about ACORN. In June 2009, Project Vote and ACORN filed a lawsuit against Anita to try to get her to stop talking. The defense fund, Fight for Anita was created to help Anita with her very expensive legal fees during this crucial battle for Anita’s First Amendment rights so that she may continue to tell her brave story.”

The Fight for Anita site is as direct and as straightforward as the lady is herself. Anita never wanted the publicity, legal persecution or notoriety of whistle blowing on ACORN, Project Vote and ultimately President Obama himself. However, her innate honesty, patriotism and the very same idealism that led her to work for ACORN in the first place, also gave her the strength and courage to reject and expose the corruption, voter fraud and thuggery she saw around her.
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Anita MonCrief – A Modern David Takes on The Obama/ACORN Goliath”

Anti-Americanism - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Education - Free Speech - Liberals - Rights - Socialism - Society/Culture - The Law - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Union Threatens Blog Against Using Union’s Name

October 21, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

In an interesting take on what is or isn’t legal, a union is threatening a critical blog for using the union’s name in its blog title. The American Federation of Teachers had its lawyers send a cease and desist letter to the operators of a blog called AFTexposed.com.

Now right off the top, this is an idiotic attempt to use legal threats on a blog. Imagine if this proscription became a legal precedent! Imagine a movie reviewer not being able to use a movie title in an article critical of the movie. Imagine a TV news station not being able to use the name of an organization it is investigating. Obviously this is more union thuggery on display, attempting to use the threat of law to stop people from criticizing them.
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Union Threatens Blog Against Using Union’s Name”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - California - Democrats/Leftists - Judges - Liberals - President - Race - Senate - Society/Culture - State Government - Supreme Court - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Newest Racemongering Judge: California’s Edward Chen

October 16, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

President Obama has gone out of his way to “diversify” the federal bench with his spate of nominations of various minorities chief of which was his successful seating of the “wise Latina,’ Sonia Sotomayor, on the Supreme Court. Obama’s nominees* for 10 district court openings include four African-Americans, three Asian-Americans, one Latino and four women. One of those nominees, San Francisco U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward Chen, received a favorable vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington today.

So what sort of judge is Edward Chen? Well, for one, the left-wing American Bar Association rated Chen a “well qualified” nominee and many of his associates at the ACLU speak highly of him. As an ACLU lawyer, Chen was known for opposing English-only policies and for pushing discriminatory affirmative action ideals. He even came to the aid of gang members in one case. Chen was quite the ACLU activist between 1979 and 2001.

His ACLU history would suffice to make many wary of him, of course. But for a segment of America, working for the ACLU is not a disqualifier. So in order to judge Edward Chen one must look at his past. Discovering what Judge Chen thinks of the country upon which he apparently assumes to sit in judgment is a telling exercise. Sadly, it seems he has quite a low opinion of the nation that he will be serving.
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Obama’s Newest Racemongering Judge: California’s Edward Chen”

Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - Society/Culture - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Governor Recall Initiative Approved!

October 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The State legislature has approved a governor recall initiative for the 2010 ballot today.

When Illinois voters go to the polls in 2010 they will have the opportunity to vote to amend the Illinois Constitution to allow for a recall of an errant governor… finally.

In November of 2010, if 60 percent of Illinois voters vote “yes,” Illinois will at last be able to rid themselves of the sort of criminals with whom it has so often been saddled.

The current initiative, though, will not create a simple “vote them out” process to eliminate a criminal governor. Several provisions will have to be satisfied to facilitate the removal of a governor. One requirement will be that 30 legislators will have to vote to remove; 20 State Reps and 10 Senators (and no more than half of those voting must be of the same party).

Another one of the provisions is that the citizens must raise signatures on a removal petition counting 15 percent of the total number of voters that voted in the previous election. This petition will have a five month period for the names to be gathered.
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Governor Recall Initiative Approved!”

Chicago - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - State Government - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Local Lawmakers Votes on Cook County Tax Repeal Bill

October 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Daily Herald posted the votes of the Chicago area legislators on the bill to repeal the Cook County sales tax hike.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House voted 65-51 to reject a plan that would have repealed the Cook County sales tax increase and required voter support for such tax increases. The proposal needed 71 votes for approval.

Local House members voting “yes”:
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Local Lawmakers Votes on Cook County Tax Repeal Bill”

Anti-Americanism - Business - California - Capitalism - Congress - Economy/Finances - Environment - Free Trade - GOP - Jobs - Liberals - Republicans - Senate - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Carly Fiorina: Looking Like a Good Fit for Conservatives

October 13, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Cary Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO and probable candidate for U.S. Senate from California, is starting to look like a viable choice for conservative voters in the Golden State, giving the GOP two conservatives from whom to chose.

Fiorina’s bona fides have been a question to many California Republicans because she is a relative newcomer to politics and many are not familiar with her political philosophy or what her campaign will stand for. But her recent hard hitting editorial in the Fresno Bee helps bring her ideals better into focus for the voters.

Firoina’s editorial in the Bee focuses on the water controversy of the San Joaquin Valley. As many know, a federal bureaucracy has summarily shut off water to thousands of acres of farmland merely in order to save a fish; the delta smelt. This enviro-activism has shut down thousands of acres of farmland and put thousands of residents out of work. Down the line it will also negatively affect the nation’s food supply because the San Joaquin Valley supplies much of our vegetables and fruits.
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Carly Fiorina: Looking Like a Good Fit for Conservatives”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Chicago - Cook County - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Free Trade - Freedom - Illinois - Liberals - Republicans - Rights - State Government - Taxes - Tea Party - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Chicago Tea Party: Special Conference Call Wednesday

October 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The American Liberty Alliance has announced a special conference call in order to plan the next round of Illinois Tax Day Tea Party events to be held Wednesday, October 14 starting at 6PM central time.

We have some HUGE things on the table for Tax Day Tea Party of 2010. Please check out the links below and make sure you’re plugged in for the upcoming updates.

APRIL 15 TAX DAY TEA PARTY PLANNING CALL
Join us on the evening of Wednesday, October 14th at 6:00 PM Central time.

You can RSVP via Facebook here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165494786760

OFFICIAL CHICAGO TAX DAY TEA PARTY WEBSITE
We’re making significant changes to the website over the next few weeks so keep an eye on it and stay tuned for updates.

http://www.OfficialChicagoTeaParty.com

NEW FACEBOOK GROUP
Join us in the new Official Chicago Tea Party Facebook group here.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=152052919129

RSVP for the Chicago Tea Party on April 15th here
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=165494786760&index=1

For Liberty, Eric Odom

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Chicago Tea Party: Special Conference Call Wednesday”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Immigration/Immigrants - Liberals - President - Security/Safety - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Obama Census Bureau To Count Illegal Aliens in Census?

October 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

On the website of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) a press release from Obama’s U.S. Census Bureau Director, Robert Groves, can be found. That press release appears to make obvious that the Bureau plans to count illegal aliens in our census. The press release was issued to America’s Hispanic organizations to urge them to help with the coming census.

In that press release, Groves says the following (my bold):

We have the enormous challenge of convincing everyone in the country to participate in the national count – regardless of race, ethnicity or citizenship status. To reach the Latino community, we are counting on community-based initiatives like ya es hora to partner with us in spreading the word that the 2010 Census is easy, important and safe,” said U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves.

Notice that Graves says “regardless of citizenship status.” With this comment it is clear that Graves intends to count illegals in our census.
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Obama Census Bureau To Count Illegal Aliens in Census?”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Freedom - Liberals - President - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

The Obama Justice Department’s Secret Blogging Team… Is it Illegal?

October 7, 2009 by 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, has apparently hired a cadre of left-wing, Democrat campaign bloggers to troll through the Internet looking for news stories and blog posts that denigrate the Obama agenda. After such websites are found it is the job of these secret lefty bloggers to leave comments that come to the support of Obamaism in the comments sections. It seems that Eric Holder has created his own little propaganda unit in a valiant effort to become the Bloggi Riefenstahl of the Obama era.

As reported at The Muffled Oar, a blog that first broke the story of Holder’s secretive blogging unit — dubbed the “Blog Squad” by blogger Isaac Muzzey — Holder has housed this unit in the Office of Public Affairs at the Department of Justice. It also appears that former John Edwards staffer Tracy Russo is part of this special unit.

A site called whorunsgov.com reported back in May that DOJ hired Russo to do “media outreach for the whole department.” It is, according to whorunsgov.com, the first time such an effort has been made at DOJ.

Of Russo’s duties, The Muffled Oar says:
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The Obama Justice Department’s Secret Blogging Team… Is it Illegal?”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - GOP - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

What Mandates Do To Our Insurance

September 21, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

There has been a lot of talk about mandates emanating from the federal government to force each of us to buy healthcare insurance but what do those mandates do to the insurance itself? And are they even Constitutionally justified?

First of all we need to remind everyone that these mandates cannot possibly be Constitutional. After all, the Constitution does not give Congress the power to demand that the citizens buy a certain product. The Constitution only gives Congress the power to tax, not to serve as an arm of any industry. These mandates will essentially make the federal government an insurance salesman and this is most certainly unconstitutional.

Still, even if we are unfortunate enough to be burdened with this new system, what will it do to our insurance companies?
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What Mandates Do To Our Insurance”

ACORN - Congress - Cook County - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Illinois - Liberals - Morals/Sex - Senate - Society/Culture - State Government - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Ill. Senators Stand By Prostitution, Tax Cheat Hiding ACORN

September 15, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Democratic Illinois Senators Durbin and Burris both voted to stand behind ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) in a Senate vote to defund the criminal organization this week.

A measure placed in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill was overwhelmingly passed by the Senate to defund the group over the latest round of bad publicity of this nefarious organization.

On top of the last decade of constant convictions for vote fraud all across the country, ACORN offices have been caught in a tri-city “sting” of sorts where ACORN employees were helping to cover up what they understood to be a mortgage fraud and prostitution business by helping fudge IRS forms to disguise the activities. These ACORN employees even thought they were helping to cover up sex trafficking in underage, illegal aliens.
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Ill. Senators Stand By Prostitution, Tax Cheat Hiding ACORN”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Freedom - Liberals - President - Security/Safety - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

A Warning For Obama: President Hoover’s Fealty to Unions Worsened Great Depression

August 30, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

An economist is saying that President Hoover set the stage to worsen The Great Depression because of his pro-labor union stance.

Pro-labor policies pushed by President Herbert Hoover after the stock market crash of 1929 accounted for close to two-thirds of the drop in the nation’s gross domestic product over the two years that followed, causing what might otherwise have been a bad recession to slip into the Great Depression, a UCLA economist concludes in a new study.

Lee E. Ohanian, a UCLA professor of economics, lays the worst of the Depression at the feet of Hoover who, in his opinion, made the recession “three times worse” by keeping industrial wages too high which “sharply depressed employment.”

Ohanian’s study is being published by the peer-reviewed Journal of Economic Theory in December and was also posted at www.nber.org, the site of the National Bureau of Economic Research.
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A Warning For Obama: President Hoover’s Fealty to Unions Worsened Great Depression”

2nd Amendment - Anti-Americanism - Constitution - Education - Guns - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Security/Safety - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Catholic News Agency Needs Civics Lesson

August 23, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

I am sad, today. The Catholic News Agency seems to have shown that its reporters don’t know a blamed thing about the Constitution. Unfortunately, this uninformed reporter for CNS is not an isolated case as too many Americans haven’t a clue about what is actually in the Constitution of the United States.

For CNS, reporter Chaz Muth published a story headlined Interactive display at Library of Congress makes Bible come alive, but right away the first sentence condemns Chaz to the ranks of the uninformed.

Separation of church and state is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution but that doesn’t mean the Bible can’t be admired and appreciated by a public or government institution.

No, no, no, no.
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Catholic News Agency Needs Civics Lesson”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - California - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - Liberals - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Thomas Brewton - Welfare

Obamacare: Quintessential Socialism

August 23, 2009 by

-By Thomas E. Brewton

The overriding characteristic of President Obama’s National Socialist healthcare is forced equality of consumption, a major step in the direction of egalitarian distribution of income. Emphasis is upon the word forced.

As we see with the widespread town hall protests against the President’s proposed National Socialist healthcare proposals, people do not willingly surrender the fruits of many years’ labor to the government in the name of an undefined abstraction called the common good. Particularly is this true when it is liberal-progressive bureaucrats who decide arbitrarily what constitutes the common good.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed essay, Martin Feldstein, Harvard economics professor and former chairman of President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisors, sums up Obamacare: it’s all about the raw power to decide who gets what treatment, while cramming everyone into identical little boxes in order to eliminate any efforts in the direction of individuality. And the bureaucratic mechanism for eliminating individuality is rationing medical care.
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Obamacare: Quintessential Socialism”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Race - Republicans - Socialism - Society/Culture - The Law - Thomas Brewton

Multi-Cultural Amorality in the White House

August 22, 2009 by

-By Thomas E. Brewton

Washington Post reports that President Obama aims to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Doing so will offend hundreds of millions of heterosexual married couples in order to please a minority of voters. If one looks only at homosexual couples, that minority is probably less than 1% of the population, particularly if one takes into account the lesser degree of stability in homosexual relationships than in heterosexual ones.

Politically, the President’s opposition to DOMA is probably motivated by his need to throw a sop to his liberal-progressive-socialist worshippers, who have been irritated or outraged by his failure to deliver on many of his campaign promises.
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Multi-Cultural Amorality in the White House”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Freedom - Journalism - Judges - Liberals - President - Republicans - Society/Culture - Supreme Court - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Why Conservatives Get Sandbagged By Liberals

August 19, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A few weeks ago the Weekly Standard had a ridiculously hopeful editorial about how President Obama couldn’t possibly go any further to the left with his next SCOTUS pick because of the ideological basis upon which they sold Justice Sotomayor. For the Standard, Terry Eastland was sure that the logic by which Sotomayor was sold to the country would preclude a shift leftward for the next court pick. Unfortunately, Eastland proved once again that too many conservatives simply do not understand that liberalism does not rely on logic or consistency , it simply barrels forward with no heed to reason. You see, liberals are powermongers, not logicians. They only care about what wins not that their logic is consistent moment to moment. Eastland’s complete lack of understanding shows why conservatives are sideswiped by liberals every time.

Eastland’s main point was that during the confirmation process, Judge Sotomayor “dissented from her sponsor’s view of what a judge should be” by presenting her judicial philosophy as one based on a strict interpretation of the law. This, Eastland notes, is in stark contrast to President Obama’s apparently long-held belief that a judge needed “empathy” to be a good jurist.

Eastland notes that in 2005, then Senator Obama voted against the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts “precisely because… the nominee came up short on the empathy measure.” Eastland then points out that early in the four-day-long confirmation process Sotomayor began “separating herself from Obama on the matter of empathy” and that her testimony eventually made explicit the difference between the nominee and her patron on that point.
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Why Conservatives Get Sandbagged By Liberals”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Congress - Conservatives - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Health - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law

Primer On The Economy

August 19, 2009 by

-By Dan Scott

Speaking of misinformation, here is a question, how can the MSM crow that the recession is over when 1) positive GDP quarterly results haven’t been reported. 2) the EIA is reporting we once again used LESS gasoline than the disastrous year before??? 3) Summer job hires were virtually nil. 4) The gross number of unemployed has not dropped in any month despite the statistical skewing of the unemployment rate due to the continuing reduction in civilian labor force because all those on unemployment for over a year are NOT being counted as unemployed. And 5) Tax collections revenue continues to nose dive.

What we need to determine here is what are the reasonable non-political indications a recession is over because we are not getting it from the MSM or the prattling fools in Congress desperately hoping to gin up a recovery in a vain attempt in talking up the economy. Just because you can talk it down, it does not follow you can talk it up. I think they are taking this “animal spirits” thing too far, expecting people to believe the latest story line that the economy is on the rebound. At what point is the assertion falsified (
Karl Popper )? Falsification is the logical process verifying an assertion or theory is sound. A sound assertion or theory must be able to be disproved by being mutually exclusive of contradictory occurrences such as claiming the plane is not crashing because the rate of speed isn’t as great as before even though it is still headed straight to the ground. It is contradictory to claim an increase when objective measures say a decline is still present. I suggest reading what Karl Popper had to say as it really does speak directly to the current situation with the liberal spin.

How can we show an assertion of economics to be falsified? What benchmarks would be appropriate to not be simply deemed a pessimist? What are the objective terms of measure can we present that are easily understandable and difficult to spin without coming off as propagandizing for one side or the other? The point here is to give the public the means to firmly suspend their disbelief in giving the benefit of the doubt to the current administration. It is the benefit of the doubt that gives cover to the multitude of rosy stories being told.
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Primer On The Economy”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Liberals - President - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

Government Rules All it Surveys With House Bill

August 17, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A fellow named John Lewis has put up on the web a few aspects of House Bill 3200 that raises many a few red flag about the overarching power that the federal government is attempting to accrue unto itself should the so-called “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009” pass into law.

Wondering what sort of effects the bill would have on his “freedom as an American,” Lewis identifies some extremely un-American powers that will be suddenly bestowed upon government with this act. At the outset Lewis discovers that this bill will be onerous, indeed and paying for it will fall on every American whether involved or not.

Higher taxes, more borrowing, printing money, cutting payments, or rationing services–there are no other options. We will all pay for this, enrolled in the government “option” or not.

Lewis does an outstanding job pinpointing some of the worst parts of the House bill by excerpting the actual language of the bill and then giving a bulleted, point-by-point explanation of what will occur upon passage.
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Government Rules All it Surveys With House Bill”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Democrats/Leftists - Liberals - President - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Obama’s Newest Ethics Waivers, More Death of Hope-n-Change

August 17, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Remember the hope-n-change we were gonna get if The One were to take the White House? ‘Member how it was going to be a new era in ethics, and all? Do ya remember all the wonderfulness of no lobbyists and a new day dawning? Are ya feeling a bit let down on the hopie-changie stuff, bunkey?

Well here is another broken promise from the Obammessiah that you can chalk right up there on the score board marking the death of hope-n-change.

Obama’s White House has engaged in some more ethics jujitsu and given ethics waivers to more White House lawyers.

As Josh Gerstein of Politico reports:

The White House has waived its ethics rules to allow two lawyers in the White House Counsel’s Office to continue to work on matters relating to former President George W. Bush.

The waivers were granted Thursday to Chris Weideman and Jonathan Kravis, both of whom formerly worked for Williams & Connolly and both of whom handle matters that involve Bush, White House ethics counsel Norm Eisen said in a statement posted on the White House blog.

Pile this on top of the over a dozen so-called journalists becoming White House flacks, dozens of evil lobbyists joining Obama’s administration, and lawyers out the wazoo that had the happy coincidence of receiving ethics waivers all since The Won came to office.

But, let’s revisit this claim I made above that Obama isn’t changing anything at the White House. He really IS making changes. Why, he’s changing all of Washington to become the land of patronage just like it was before Chester Alan Arthur instituted Civil Service reform.

Obama has brought in “change” alright. He’s changed government back into the patronage army it was in the 1800s!

But… I’m a gussin’ that wasn’t the sort of “change” the hope-n-change crowd wuz lookin’ for!
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Obama’s Newest Ethics Waivers, More Death of Hope-n-Change”

ACORN - Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Jobs - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - SEIU - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - The Law - Unions - Warner Todd Huston - Welfare

USA Today Hides Left Wing Sources of ‘Church’ Effort for Min. Wage Push

August 14, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

USA Today is attempting to pass off an effort to push a higher minimum wage law as an effort by “churches” when in reality it is a left wing effort sponsored by ACORN, unions and the extremist group American Progress headed by former Clinton front man, John Podesta.

With a misleading headline and an artfully vague first paragraph, USA Today tries to make this effort seem to be headed up by churches and religious figures. The headline, “Churches push for $10 minimum wage by 2010,” pins this effort squarely on churches even as the first paragraph walks that claim back in an artfully vague way.

Religious leaders and advocates, not satisfied with the 70-cent rise in the federal minimum wage that went into effect on Friday, are calling on congressional leaders to hike it up to $10 by 2010.

Notice how the headline doesn’t quite match up to the “Religious leaders and advocates” of the first paragraph. Notice that it goes from “churches” to “advocates.” We all know that churches and advocates are not necessarily one and the same. And when it comes to left wing “advocates,” actual churches are rarely anywhere involved.

Right in the first paragraph we must realize that it isn’t really “churches” that are involved in this effort but it is more likely the advocates of the first paragraph that is heading this min. wage movement.
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USA Today Hides Left Wing Sources of ‘Church’ Effort for Min. Wage Push”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Children - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Family - Freedom - Health - Liberals - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Obamacare Will Take Away Your Children

August 12, 2009 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Do you want government healthcare? OK, then you shouldn’t mind if the government comes knocking at your door to see if you are raising your child in the government approved manner, right? Well that is just another of the authoritarian provisions of Obamacare.

Former Hollywood tough guy and current conservative columnist Chuck Norris found another one of Obama’s little Chicago styled, thuggish provisions tucked into the House healthcare bill that should make everyone worry about government overreach.

In sections 440 and 1904 on page 838 of the House bill, government aggregates unto itself the right to invade the home of any citizen with minor children in order to institute “home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children.” The supposed goal is to “help” train parents in the government approved style of child rearing.

Now, you do understand what this means, don’t you? This means that if the government perfunctory that enters the home decides in her wisdom that the children in the home are not being raised in the government approved way, why then the Department of Children and Family Services will be called in to remove the children from the home. (Side note: I say “her” above because it will likely never be a male government employee in such a position. I am not violating the standard practice of using the male pronoun.)
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Obamacare Will Take Away Your Children”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Conservatives - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Speech - Freedom - Health - Islam - Islamofascism - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Patriotism - President - Republicans - Rights - Security/Safety - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Terrorism - The Law - Warner Todd Huston

Arab American Institute Says Amer. Conservatives are Racist, Dangerous

August 12, 2009 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

James J. Zogby is the president of the Arab American Institute out of Washington D.C. and he thinks that if you are an American that stands against President Obama’s communistic healthcare policies, or you happen to believe in the integrity of our borders, or you are worried that this nation is being systematically dismantled one brick at a time by Big Government overreach then you are angry, dangerous, and obviously a racist, nativist.

Publishing this sort of accusatory blather in the Saudi Gazette for Sunday, August 8, Zogby, an American, gives succor to our enemies who happily read his nonsense as they smugly sit in their oil-bought royal palaces and smile at America’s supposed turmoil.

Zogby assures his Muslim readers that American Conservatives are “angry and alienated,” are responsible for a “persistent presence of anti-black sentiment,” and are about to promulgate a “full-fledged nativist siege that could tear apart the fabric of our nation.”

And guess what? It isn’t because we have any idea what we are talking about. No siree. Why, we couldn’t possible be right that our nation is being destroyed from within by bad policy, anti-American ideals, and ruinous government growth. No, it has to be because we are idiots that are being mislead by “radical talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh and Mike Savage, Fox News and even CNN’s Lou Dobbs.”
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Arab American Institute Says Amer. Conservatives are Racist, Dangerous”