00Publius Contributor

00Publius Contributor - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Vince Johnson

What Happened to Reality?

October 13, 2008 by

-By Vince Johnson

When I was a kid, banks focused upon finding ways to get people to stash a little of their money into a savings account. The idea was basic. If you wanted something, you saved up and bought it. That sort of reality no longer exists. The banks of today want people to borrow money instead of saving it. The ability to actually make the payments is incidental. What counts is a signature on the loan documents. The loans are sold to larger financial institutions, and when they (the larger financial institutions) get in trouble, arrangements are made to have Congress bail them out. That may not be the way it ought to be, but that’s the way it is.

As you can readily see, reality is imploding right before your eyes. Ordinary folks can invest in stocks, bonds, CD’s, real estate, their own businesses, education, precious metals and real things like that. Financial institutions and insurance companies, etc. have found it much more lucrative to invest in intangibles like political influence over Congress and billions for advertising programs designed to encourage people to have cars and houses and vacations and boats and TV’s and computers etc., by using credit rather than cash.
Continue reading “What Happened to Reality?”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

HORRORS! AP Says Bad Economy Makes Us Ugly!

October 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s getting close to Halloween, so I hope this story doesn’t scare you too much. But the Associated Press has discovered that this bad economy is making us ugly. That’s right, ugly. Because of this downturn people just cannot afford to go to their friendly neighborhood plastic surgeon for those nips and tucks any more. So it is the AP’s sad duty to inform us that “As economy sags, faces do too, cosmetic docs say.” It’s a horrible, horrible world that we now are cursed to live in if we can’t afford our Botox and tummy tucks! Now, they are serious with this so quit your laughing this instant.

The economy isn’t the only thing that’s sagging — so are faces, breasts and bellies as would-be cosmetic surgery patients increasingly opt against costly nips and tucks because of tough financial times.

You know, I was complaining to my Mommy yesterday that I didn’t want my liposuction and she told me to do it anyway because kids in China could barely afford an eyelift these days. I know I should be grateful for what I have, though. Some people DO have it worse, ya know?

Continue reading “HORRORS! AP Says Bad Economy Makes Us Ugly!”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Education - News - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

Garmmur Nazis Can Jump off A Clift

October 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Internet suffers from both extreme ends of the same problem: grammar. Specifically, bad grammar. At the top I will absolutely admit that I am no king of grammar, no Grammy winning grammarian, so sometimes I misspell a word, or misplace a comma. Consequently, I am not coming to this argument as a grammar Nazi. On the other hand, I am not arguing the case of laze faire writing, either. I firmly believe that grammar is very important and every writer should strive to observe those rules and that those who lack adherence to them harm their credibility.

The web and electronic communications — such as email and texting — has had a baleful influence on grammar. Specifically, this annoying cell phone texting business, for instance, is a travesty for the English language. Far from being the next evolution, it is a monumental step backwards. Purposeful misspelling, awful shorthand, and a penchant for completely dispensing with punctuation characterizes this bastardization of the language. This sort of pigeon English finds its way onto the web in a myriad of ways. From blog postings and comments sections to the MySpace and FaceBook pages, the mangled idioms abound. Add the fact that our schools are universally failing to teach students how to write clearly and we get a veritable doomsday for the written language.

Coming upon a webpage with multiple misspellings, incorrect usage, nonexistent punctuation, and other grammatical errors makes one imagine right off the top that the person responsible for the webpage is a complete moron. And, if they aren’t, it sure makes dismissing what they are trying to communicate awfully easy to do.

Continue reading “Garmmur Nazis Can Jump off A Clift”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Update on Colorado’s Amendment Propositions 47, 49, 54

October 12, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The folks at the Aspen Times have come out in support of Amendment 54 this week. In November Coloradans will be tasked with voting on three Amendments that are ostensibly anti-union measures of which 54 is one. The Times also reports that several other union oriented amendments have been removed from the ballot.

The Aspen Times came out against Amendments 47 and 49 but for a curious reason.

To us, the first question to ask about all these measures is whether they merit a constitutional amendment. There should be a compelling reason to amend the Colorado Constitution, and we don’t think a tug-of-war between business and labor belongs in the state’s most fundamental guiding document — regardless of which side you’re on.

Unfortunately, the time to fight that battle is before such measures end up on the ballot, not after! Still, the point is well taken on merits.

The Times does see “merit” in 47, though.

Continue reading “Update on Colorado’s Amendment Propositions 47, 49, 54”

00Publius Contributor - Communism - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes

Reasons Why No One Should Vote for Obama Except His Family and Friends!

October 12, 2008 by

-By Don Boys, Ph.D.

Every person has a right to his own opinions but no one has a right to his own facts. The Obama facts that follow should limit those voting for him to his immediate family, a few friends, and of course all committed racists and socialists.

Like all sane citizens, I want the best candidate to win the office of President. After all, we are all in the same boat and if one end goes down, we all go down. After a thorough examination of the relevant facts, I cannot vote for Obama for the following reasons:

He is the Senate’s most liberal Senator and Joe Biden is the third most liberal. Some people have accused me of not liking liberals so let me set the record straight. I don’t! They have done more harm to our nation than the Communist Party (their first cousins). Liberals march and scream over the slaughter of baby seals in Newfoundland and destruction of the spotted owl but they can’t squeeze out a single tear for the butchered babies who can’t even raise a whimper of protest against their slaughter.
Continue reading “Reasons Why No One Should Vote for Obama Except His Family and Friends!”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Media Bias - Michael M. Bates - News - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture

Cubs carry a devilish burden

October 12, 2008 by

-By Michael M. Bates

This begins with an apology. Last June a column from your humble servant focused on Barack Obama’s refusal, after initially approving the idea, to hold frequent town hall meetings with John McCain. I wrote: “When it comes to confronting McCain, however, Barack folds like the Cubs in September.”

I was wrong. Not about the pusillanimous Obama, but about the Cubs folding in September. They made it all the way to October this year before folding like a cheap and, as in Barry’s case, empty suit.

In spring training, pitcher Ryan Dempster predicted the Cubs would win the World Series this year. That sounded familiar. A year earlier, pitcher Carlos Zambrano ventured the same prophecy. That was about the time manager Lou Piniella spoke of instilling a “Cubbie swagger” in the team. Bet he’d love to have that line back.
Continue reading “Cubs carry a devilish burden”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

George McGovern Takes it to the Next Step

October 12, 2008 by

As we reported months ago, one-time Democratic Party nominee for president George McGovern has come out against Barack Obama’s union plan to institute the woefully incorrectly named “Employee Free Choice Act.” McGovern sees the truth of the matter, that this act will take away freedom and liberty from the worker and put them under the thumb of union thugs.

Well, now McGovern has taken the next step in his fight against this horrible, unAmerican law. He’s made a commercial spot to cement his position.

Good for the Senator. He gets one in the right column!

00Publius Contributor - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Media Bias - News - President - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Glenn Beck- Michelle Obama’s Communist Agenda

October 12, 2008 by

Beck talks about Michelle Obama’s communist agenda (and by extension Barack’s) by focusing on one of her comments at a North Carolina campaign stop.

Michelles said in NC:

“The truth is most Americans don’t want much. Folks don’t want the whole pie… someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie sop that someone else can have more.”

The woman is Marx personified for the 21st century! And, we absolutely MUST realize that her cuckolded hubby Barack agrees with her.

Bonus Mark Steyn appearance.

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Google - Inernet - Media Bias - News - Scott Cleland - Society/Culture - Technology

Why eBay’s deals stoke Google-Yahoo investigation fire — less competition among friends?

October 12, 2008 by

-By Scott Cleland

Just when the DOJ is investigating if the Google-Yahoo ad partnership is anti-competitive, eBay bursts onto the antitrust stage with “investigate us too!” acquisitions of Bill Me Later and more classified ad businesses. (See NYT article and post, and WSJ article for excellent background.)

Why are the eBay acquisitions relevant to the Google-Yahoo investigation?

First, they spotlight how dominant and incestuously interdependent the primary Internet players are.

Continue reading “Why eBay’s deals stoke Google-Yahoo investigation fire — less competition among friends?”

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

Obama Pledges That ACORN Will ‘Shape’ his ‘Presidential Agenda’

October 11, 2008 by

ACORN is the criminal organization responsible for the biggest vote fraud campaign in American history — going on right now throughout the country — and is under indictment and investigation in multiple states. The brother of Wade Rathke, ACORN’s founder, stole $1 million from ACORN’s operating funds and had the crime covered up by his brother the founder. And THIS is the corrupt group that Obama wants to “shape ” his presidency!

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

Fake Palin SAT Scores Fool Left-O-Sphere

October 11, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Did you hear that Governor Palin is stupid? Well, if you watch TV, listen to the radio, or read any news outlet you can’t help but find the lefties there claiming in unison that she is the dumbest woman to appear on the scene since Goldie Hawn made her chops as the blonde ditz on 1960’s TV. And, heck it’s gotta be true. Why, even her SAT scores prove it! Except that the “proof” of that is an Internet hoax that fooled Wonkette, the DailyKos and a blue million nutrooter sites. But, who cares? As long as it makes Palin look bad, we’re golden, baby! Truth-schmooth, right?

On October 10, blogger Dawn Eden found that a posted image of hers had been stolen, then altered, and then posted everywhere as “proof” that Sarah Palin is stupid. Apparently, the biggest stir was created by the tabloid site Gawker.com on its “Assignment Desk” section.

Originally, Gawker wondered if the image presented as Palin’s SAT scores was real and posited that it was believable. Later in the day, however, one of their own site commentors effectively proved it an obvious fake. But not before it fooled Wonkette and the DailyKos and a score of other nutrooter sites.

Before the obviousness of the fakery was settled, the DailyKos site pronounced the SAT score card as “credible,” and the unprofessionally profane Wonkette said that the faked scores “sounds about right.”

Continue reading “Fake Palin SAT Scores Fool Left-O-Sphere”

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

Time’s Beinart: Republicans Hate Obama For His Kenyan Father, it’s ‘Racism’

October 11, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

This furious beating of the racism drum by the left shows how worried they are that Barack Obama might lose this election. Time Magazine’s Peter Beinart once again charges “racism” against anyone that won’t support Barack Obama. But, Beinart adds a twist to his accusation. It isn’t just his race that is being held against him, in Beinart’s eyes it is the fact that Obama has “foreign roots” that causes “whites” to mistrust him. But, like everyone blinded by the flash of the race card he doesn’t see that it isn’t racism that causes moderates and conservatives to shy from Obama. No, it isn’t his relative blackness that people are against, it’s his redness. Beinart misunderstands the simple fact that it’s Obama’s unAmerican ideals makes him not “American enough” to get the support of millions of Americans.

As the Time headline asks “is he American enough,” Beinart delves into what he sees as the “Racist” claim that Barack’s foreign father is offputting to “white” Americans. He posits that this is the main reason why people cannot warm to Obama. Then Beinart claims that the strategy of the McCain campaign is one of “using race to make Obama seem anti-American.” Beinart says these “attacks” are hurting Obama in the polls with “working-class whites.” He also seems to say that the whole campaign is filled with code words such as questioning what “kind of person” he is. These all culminate into a racist attack that undermines Obama.

Beinart thinks he knows why it works so well against Obama, too.

Continue reading “Time’s Beinart: Republicans Hate Obama For His Kenyan Father, it’s ‘Racism’”

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

Gallup Finds Race is Meaningless in This Election… Unless You’re Non-White

October 11, 2008 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

As Gallup polling organization says, race is a natural question to ponder with this election since Obama is the first black man to gain the nomination of a major party. But, instead of finding race to be a major factor among whites, the polling from Gallup has found that considerations about race is basically a wash making the issue practically meaningless as a factor in possible vote outcomes with white voters. So much for the Left’s claims that whites won’t vote for Obama because he’s black.

Gallup found that only six and seven percent of white voters polled even found race a factor at all, with six percent saying they’d be less likely to vote for Obama based on race and seven percent actually saying they are more likely to vote for Obama because of his race. That pretty much cancels each other out, I’d say.

But of note are the non-whites that say they will vote for Obama because of his race. About double the amount of non-whites (15%) said they are more likely to vote for Obama because he’s black as well as less likely to vote for McCain based on his race (13%).

So, it looks like the race card is firmly in the hands of minorities instead of whites. One wonders why all the charges of racism from the Old Media and the political left are levied against whites when it seems that minorities are far more racist than whites? At least if these polling numbers are to be believed, this would be the case.

But, even at that rate, let’s face it. Race is so far at the bottom of the list that it doesn’t factor in much for voting totals nationwide.

Continue reading “Gallup Finds Race is Meaningless in This Election… Unless You’re Non-White”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Socialism - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Another Union Thug Pleads Guilty to Corruption

October 11, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

From time to time here on the blog we like to highlight the convictions, imprisonment and punishment of union thieves. It warms our heart here at the blog to see such criminal union thugs cut down by the law, to see them finally get their just deserts. We only wish that more of them found their proper ends sooner. But, when they are caught we rejoice at the justice done.

Today we have what, if we were in an HBO TV series, might have been a member of Tony Soprano’s bunch (is New Jersey sick of this allusion yet?) with the admission of guilt by one Kenneth Campbell, 57, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey. It seems that Kenny was a corrupt union boss that used union funds to buy his Dad a car, buy himself expensive TVs and the like and also took more than $250,000 in bribes.

Kenny boy was a union boss of Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers but now faces up to 40 years in prison.

Continue reading “Another Union Thug Pleads Guilty to Corruption”

00Publius Contributor - Communism - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Frank Salvato - Media Bias - News - President - Security/Safety - Socialism - Society/Culture

Who Did You Know, Sen. Obama, and When Did You Know Them?

October 11, 2008 by

-By Frank Salvato

There has been much talk, both pro and con, about whether Sen. Barack Obama’s “associations” matter with regard to his qualifications to hold the office of President of the United States. This argument, this avenue of political discourse, misses the point. Whether or not Sen. Obama has associations with criminals, terrorists and other nefarious and infamous individuals pales in comparison as to whether he has been influenced by them.

We have heard the names of the people on the list of radicals and ne’er-do-wells that Barack Obama says he knows but doesn’t know; has worked with but hasn’t worked with; has taken money from but hasn’t taken money from. They include but are not limited to:

Williams Ayers, Saul Alinsky, Don Warden (aka Dr. Khalid Al-Mansour), Frank Marshall Davis, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Fr. Michael Pfleger, Rashid Khalidi, Tony Rezko, Franklin Raines, James Johnson, Nadhmi Auchi, Joseph Aramanda, Louis Farrahkan, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Kevin Wardally.

While it is legitimate to question whether it demonstrates good judgment to associate with such decidedly radical ideologues, it is more important to understand whether or not Sen. Obama has been influenced – at any point in his life – by any of these people.
Continue reading “Who Did You Know, Sen. Obama, and When Did You Know Them?”

00Publius Contributor - 2nd Amendment - Anti-Americanism - Congress - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Frederick Meekins - History - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture

What Part Of “Shall Not Be Infringed” Don’t You Understand, Senator?

October 11, 2008 by

-By Frederick Meekins

In her brief time in the national spotlight, Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, if nothing else, has rejuvenated the debate in this country regarding certain fundamental values. Interestingly, not all of this stems directly from the candidate’s spoken statements but rather from a number of comments made about her by her Democratic counterpart Senator Joseph Biden.

From comments made on Fox and Friends mentioned in an Associated Press article titled “Biden says Palin family is off limits to critics”, voters learn that, to the Delaware Senator, government and politics are the ultimate and perhaps only source of values, truth, and hope.

In analyzing Palin’s acceptance speech, Biden remarked, “I didn’t hear the phrase ‘middle class’ mentioned. I didn’t hear a word about healthcare. I didn’t hear a word about what we’re going to do about the housing crisis, college education, and all the things that the middle class is being burdened by now.”
Continue reading “What Part Of “Shall Not Be Infringed” Don’t You Understand, Senator?”

00Publius Contributor - Business - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Calling the Old Media: Five Million Illegals Have Illegal Mortgages in U.S.A.!

October 10, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A single report by KFYI radio of Phoenix, Arizona highlights a shocking claim made by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD says that five million illegal aliens hold illegal mortgages. This is just one more example of the lax lending laws put into place by Democrats like Barney Frank that have contributed to this economic crisis. One would think this would be big news. But, so far we have only this one report to cover it.

There have been earlier stories of home flipping schemes that made liberal use of illegal aliens as straw buyers and the FBI has followed numerous cases to prosecution and conviction. But the Old Media have not done much with this story.

Continue reading “Calling the Old Media: Five Million Illegals Have Illegal Mortgages in U.S.A.!”

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

Newest Left Attack on GOP: Rallies are ‘Inflammatory’ and ‘Violent’

October 10, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

For the last few days various groups like MoveOn.org, and the folks at Huffington Post, DailyKos and DemocraticUnderground have been beating the drum of a new theme to attempt to undermine the McCain campaign among the media. The newest claim from the extreme left is that McCain’s focus on the Obama/Ayers connection is responsible for fostering “threats” and “violence” to be ginned up among Republicans at McCain rallies. The left is pushing the idea that McCain is inciting riots and “hate” among GOP voters and they are pushing this theme in an email campaign to the main Old Media outlets.

On October 9, for instance, I got no less than 25 emails “alerting” me to a particular Huffington Post jeremiad that is amusing in its replication of the same behavior it pretends to condemn. In this childish bloviation the HuffPo writer uses as much name calling, guilt by association, and bald faced lies as he claims to be refuting from McCain. But, the germ of the argument is that McCain is inciting violence.

Continue reading “Newest Left Attack on GOP: Rallies are ‘Inflammatory’ and ‘Violent’”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Entertainment - Media Bias - News - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

An American Carol: Filmmakers are NOT Saying there is a Conspiracy

October 10, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Once again, we see the long knives sharpened against the right by employing innuendo and outright lies. This time it is against the movie An American Carol. On Tuesday, I reported that there was some concern that ticket sales for the movie were being diverted to other movies at certain theaters across the country. But, I never said there was a “conspiracy” to do so. The filmmakers also attempted to do some detective work to find out the veracity of the claims. But they didn’t call it a conspiracy either. Apparently simply asking the question, though, is too much for Wonkette and Huffington Post to handle. They had to gin it up as some wild-eyed claim of a “conspiracy” on our part.

In her inimitably profane and unprofessional style, Wonkette claimed the filmmakers are saying some great, leftist conspiracy is destroying the movie. The next day, an entry at the Huffington Post asserted the same thing. From there the lefty blogs took over to add to the din. Unfortunately for their hyperbole, the movie folks never asserted any such thing (for that matter, neither did I).

Continue reading “An American Carol: Filmmakers are NOT Saying there is a Conspiracy”

00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Media Bias - News - Society/Culture - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Detroit Auto Makers Unions to Spend $3 Mil on Obama Campaign

October 10, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

According to Reuters, the United Auto Workers (UAW) has announced that they are spending $3 million on TV, radio and Web ads to promote the election of Barack Obama this month.

The ads, which feature UAW members talking about lost health care benefits and the loss of manufacturing jobs, will run on television, radio and Web sites in the key manufacturing states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

These union thugs have some gall to claim that increasing benefits is a good idea. Let’s take a look and see how unions have already made American car manufacturers uncompetitive with others.

According to Fortune Magazine, union health care costs add at least $1,635 to the cost of every vehicle. The same measures only add $215 to the cost of a car made by Toyota. Other union costs add an additional $980 per vehicle.

US auto makers are already thousands of dollars in the hole per vehicle compared to their foreign competition before a single car rolls off the lines.

These anti-competitive costs will soar under an Obama administration.

Continue reading “Detroit Auto Makers Unions to Spend $3 Mil on Obama Campaign”

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

Indiana: More Registered to Vote Than Eligible, Media Misses Story

October 9, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

If Barack Obama wins this election, there will be absolutely no doubt whatsoever that one of the things that will help push him over the top is massive Democrat vote fraud. It’ll make the Democrats that stole the 1960 JFK/Nixon election for Kennedy look like Pikers. One example of this massive vote fraud is in the amazing fact that there are now more registered voters in Indianapolis than are actually eligible to vote. News at 11? How about no news at all.

Oh, sure, there have been stories in the media in Indiana covering the vote fraud issue. But almost to a report they are covered as mere charge and counter charge and end up making the GOP look as if they are engaged in just the normal partisan bickering. But no one is reporting the true nature of this vote fraud.

WANE, TV 15 out of Fort Wayne, for instance, reported on a visit to that city by Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita (R) who was there to talk about voter fraud. In Lake County, IN, the GOP is accusing the Democrats of vote fraud, but the report does not reveal any further details.

Continue reading “Indiana: More Registered to Vote Than Eligible, Media Misses Story”

00Publius Contributor - 2nd Amendment - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - GOP - Media Bias - President - Security/Safety - Society/Culture - Warner Todd Huston

LATimes’ Snead: Palin With ‘Rifle’ on Newsweek Cover… is it ‘OK?’

October 9, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Over at the L.A. Times’ The Dish Rag blog, Elizabeth Snead wonders how Newsweek got Governor Sarah Palin to pose “with a rifle” for the cover of its next issue? Snead then reveals that it was not a new photo but an old one, that the Governor did not pose for the cover at all, and wonders if it is right for the magazine to use the photo as they did? I suppose Snead wasn’t really too worried about the photo, but she did just prove that she has no idea what a “rifle” is because Palin is holding a shotgun, not a rifle, in the cover photo.

Snead tries to give a ribbing to Governor Palin for holding the “rifle” over her shoulder with the barrel pointing toward the ground and the breech open with the shoulder stock draped over her left shoulder. Showing she has no idea how a firearm works, Snead wonders if Palin could “shoot” her “foot off like that?”

Hey, is that even the right way to hold a rifle? Can’t you shoot your foot off like that?

What we have here is another denizen of Hollywood that knows zip about firearms. Palin is not holding a rifle. And even if it were a breechloading rifle, with the breech cracked open, draped over a shoulder, one cannot shoot one’s foot off regardless. A breech must be closed before any foot shooting can be in the offing.

Looks to me like the only self-inflicted foot shooting is being done by Elizabeth Snead as she reveals her ignorance of firearms.

As to Newsweek using the photo of a gun toting Palin, I don’t see anything wrong with it. It’s an old photo form 2002, but so what? They didn’t doctor it and it doesn’t show Palin in a bad light — unless you are a gun hater, of course. And, only someone in Hollywood could presume that a cover photo had to be “posed for,” after all.

It always makes me wonder what country these people in Hollywood are from, anyway?

Continue reading “LATimes’ Snead: Palin With ‘Rifle’ on Newsweek Cover… is it ‘OK?’”

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

Newsweek: Palin Too Common, Too Stupid to be Vice President, She’s ‘Dangerous’

October 9, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston


Newsweek’s Jon Meacham thinks that Governor Sarah Palin is too much a commoner and too stupid to be allowed to become vice president of the United States of America and apparently his employer agrees with him. The October 13 cover of Newsweek features a close up photo of the Governor with the headline “She’s One of the Folks (And that’s the problem),” and Meacham writes the accompanying cover story. Be clear about what this means: This is a direct attack on Mr. and Mrs. America. We are all too stupid to be president in the elite opinion of Jon Meacham and Newsweek magazine.

Meacham finds Palin to be incurious, unprepared, and even finds it “dangerous” if she were to become our vice president but he offers us nothing but his opinion to judge by. And it’s all because she doesn’t measure up to his personal standards. Sadly for Meacham’s elitism, however, Palin easily satisfies the standards that the Founding Fathers set as criteria for stepping into the highest office in the land. Curiously, Meacham does not once mention the actual Constitutional requirements to run for office in his entire sarcastic attack on Sarah Palin. Like most of his ilk, the Constitution seems meaningless minutia to him.

Continue reading “Newsweek: Palin Too Common, Too Stupid to be Vice President, She’s ‘Dangerous’”

00Publius Contributor - Crime - Democrats/Leftists - Media Bias - News - The Law - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

OLMS Institutes New Union Reporting Rules for Hidden Slush Funds

October 9, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) has issued new reporting procedures for unions to report the details of what are called T-1 Trusts. These new reporting efforts should help bring light to these funds that have heretofore been shielded from transparency allowing unions to use many millions of dollars without accountability from its members or the government.

A T-1 Trust fund is a nice bit of accounting sleight of hand that unions have used to fund what they claim is “retraining” of its members. But, millions of dollars end up in these funds and there are no rules to account for where this money goes or how it is being used. Rumors abound that, instead of “retraining,” this money goes into the pockets of union officials as “fees” and “salaries” to union bosses to “administer” the accounts.

There have been past reports that these funds have been used to sponsor NASCAR events and have gone into the pockets of political candidates, but the truth is, no one is really sure where it all goes. After all, there are NO rules for reporting what these funds are used for.

The government wants to shed light on these funds.

“This final rule builds on the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability for corporations, pension funds and labor unions. Union members expect access to relevant and useful information in order to make fundamental investment, career and retirement decisions, evaluate options and exercise legally guaranteed rights,” said Don Todd, deputy assistant secretary for labor-management programs. “With meaningful disclosure, the department hopes to deter potential misuse of union trusts that have occurred in the past and allow union members to know exactly where their hard-earned dollars are being spent.”

Look for this to be either ignored by unions or actually repealed by Congress once the union bought and paid for Barack Obama gets into office.

Continue reading “OLMS Institutes New Union Reporting Rules for Hidden Slush Funds”

00Publius Contributor - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Google - Inernet - Media Bias - News - Scott Cleland - Socialism - Society/Culture - Technology

Googleopoly III – Dependency – Crux of the Google-Yahoo Problem

October 9, 2008 by

-By Scott Cleland

I wrote a new white paper, Googleopoly III, to answer the core question in the Google-Yahoo deal: Would Yahoo compete as vigorously with Google post agreement?

My detailed analysis concludes Yahoo would not compete as vigorously, because the deal would make Google Yahoo’s single most important business relationship — effectively making Yahoo financially, operationally and strategically dependent on Google.

I also describe the agreement as a “Hotel California deal” where Yahoo could check out but never leave…

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00Publius Contributor - Democrats/Leftists - Family - Morals/Sex - News - Religion - Society/Culture

Emergent Church: Top Evangelicals Like Dr. Dobson Huddle with the Hares and Hunt with the Hounds!

October 9, 2008 by

-By Don Boys, Ph.D.

It is obvious that many evangelical leaders do not want to be “put on the spot” especially when they are asked to take a position that embarrasses their friends or supporters. Many evangelical leaders often criticize political cronyism in the political arena but often refuse to deal with religious cronyism when their friends are involved. Too many evangelical leaders preach convictions but practice compromise. They are quick to point out dangerous error in the political arena but are very reluctant to see dangerous error in some of their own connections. On many controversial issues their favorite color is grey. Not black or white. They try to huddle with the hares and hunt with the hounds! Such is the relationship of leading evangelicals with the Emergent Church.

There is no question that the Emergent Church is a departure from historic Christianity. Their many leaders are unabashed universalists, mystics, and kingdom builders. Leaders make it very clear that they are not too concerned with your final destination as long as your journey is kingdom oriented—and you vote Democrat! As with all movements, there would be some who do not take extremist positions; however, I cannot be rightly accused of distortion, dishonesty, or even disingenuousness. EC leaders are prolific authors and have made their positions clear.

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

Michael Moore Says ‘Free’ Film Not Free to Foreigners?

October 8, 2008 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

**Update – Apparently Moore is Against Copyright Laws**

Left-wing, faux documentary filmmaker Michael Moore famously announced late last year that his newest film would be a “free” download on the Internet. He claimed that his new film was a “free” gift to all his fans. Apparently, he didn’t really mean “all” his fans, though. It turns out that his lawyers have sent out a raft of letters to downloading services like PirateBay.org, TorrentFreak and BitTorrent to cease and desist allowing downloads for anyone outside of the U.S. and Canada because he wants to sell the film to foreign markets. I guess “free” is in the mind of the beholder?

Lawyers representing Slacker Uprising’s international rights holder have sent letters to download sites telling them to remove access to the movie, file-sharing news site TorrentFreak reported.

The move – so far unsuccessful – appears to contradict Moore’s earlier comments saying the film was “done entirely as a gift to my fans” and to inspire people “to get off the couch and give voting a chance”. Moore implored viewers to “email it, burn it and share it with anyone and everyone.”

Apparently, for all his claims that he is for all the little people of the world, Moore isn’t so interested in offering his “free” film to foreigners.

Still, when asked for his reply to this story, Moore claimed that it was all “out of his hands.” He claimed it was all the lawyers and not him. In the past he has also claimed that he was against copyright laws saying they are too “restrictive.”

So, a mixed message from Michael Moore, for sure. On one hand he claims he’s for open access to everyone else’s efforts, yet on the other hand he limits that access to his own products.

So what does he really support? Most likely only what’s good for Michael Moore.

Continue reading “Michael Moore Says ‘Free’ Film Not Free to Foreigners?”