I have resisted the urge to comment on the "holy war" now taking place in the GOP race, for awhile now. I have done this mainly because I couldn't care any less about religion as it applies to politics. And I definitely worry that the real issues are being overshadowed by the Dobson (and other evangelical) groups that want to drive the political train.
That said, here is a synopsis of Mike Huckabee's (the religious right's preordained candidate) past record, written by Deroy Murdock from the Hoover Institute. He is not a liberal and this is no hit job. So, it's good information to know before one jumps onto a bandwagon, uninformed.
The Republican presidential race has devolved into holy war. Former Massachusetts's Gov. Mitt Romney recently told voters he believes "Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind." Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee subsequently asked a writer, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers?"
How this will cut taxes or kill terrorists remains elusive. These theological niceties also distract from the urgent task of examining Huckabee's Earthly record. His background and positions should scare the hell out of GOP primary voters.
I like Huckabee's stance on the Fair Tax. As far as I can see, he is the only one that has come out openly for it. But, I will not throw out the baby out with the bath water, for any one issue that doesn't include national security as a major component. And frankly, some of what Mr. Murdock outlines here is truly troubling. Huckabee should be given a good look, but not to to rule in.
There are several that I have ruled out as someone I wouldn't vote for. So unless I find that I have seriously misunderstood any of these things, Mike Huckabee is now on this list.
From the Washington Post, a paper most liberals call fair and balanced (unlike FOX News), comes this article explaining how the Dems that control Congress will likely be spending their holiday break.
When Democrats took control of Congress in January, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) pledged to jointly push an ambitious agenda to counter 12 years of Republican control.
Now, as Congress struggles to adjourn for Christmas, relations between House Democrats and their colleagues in the Senate have devolved into finger-pointing.
Essentially, what we have is the classic blame game that usually comes with failure. Many Americans have learned that by projecting blame, they can get sympathy and respect in the same paragraph (and often, the same sentence). This group of Congressional Democrats are no different.
One simply must laugh at this prime dictionary example of a debacle. The House blames the Senate, the Senate blames the House, instead of blaming the White House.
As we note the current dissatisfaction with both houses (as reflected in poll numbers), we see that Americans may be ready to make some real changes in Congress, next time. The time sure is right. But the key will be getting some brave souls that are willing to mount a grass roots effort, for the purpose of unseating a rich and powerful incumbent. In solid blue or red districts and/or states, it may even require a rogue member of the party firmly entrenched in power (in that district) to challenge the career politician, representing them.
If the member that has taken their constituency for granted for too long (be he/she Democrat or Republican), has been a powerful machine operator for too long, he/she may not be able to stand the wrath of the many that feel let down and disenfranchised, by their dismal performance, thus far.
Under this kind of scenario, a Nancy Pelosi could be defeated by Cindy Sheehan in the primary, and be out of a job (just that quick). That's an example of an extremely left-leaning district and would be due to the perception that Pelosi is not far enough to the left, for their tastes. . Other situations may be a little more complicated, in that the officeholder may be too extreme (be they left or right). Still, other situations may involve an outright switch in parties. This will be true most notably)( in battleground areas.
But whatever scenario plays out, there needs to be some real soul searching by voters. Last election the evil/sellout (depending on your affiliation) GOP leaders lost a lot of ground and control, because the voters were not happy with their representation. They saw how ineffective and corrupt the GOP had become and voted to make a change.
Now, the same pendulum appears to be swinging backward for the very same reasons. The dissatisfaction with this Congress is much more pronounced than when the GOP was in control. This bunch has hit rock bottom, and only after a year in office. It may very well leave a sour taste in the mouths of independents, who in many cases, swing elections. Another political strategy issue will be unfolding soon. The real question to be asking right now will be looked at more closely, as the voters pick the nominees. Will the Democratic candidates distance themselves from the Democratic Congressional leadership? (In the primaries or the general election?) With the numbers Congress is pulling in right now, it would be a very risky move on their part. But one must remember that politicians get comfy very easily, when they have a big campaign war chest.
I am sure we'll learn the answers to these questions, soon enough. I am equally sure, there's enough blame to go around, but much of it will be sorely misplaced in the external fields of energy. I cannot imagine that arrogant and corrupt politicians will ever look inward, to see where the source of the failure comes from. Meanwhile, the blame game continues unimpeded and the Democrats may be showing signs of weakness, which will ultimately result in their own self-destruction (long before the general election of 08 rolls around).
All of this may come long before the first inter-party shot is fired. And that means it's going to be a miserable holiday season for the Democrats.
Update (12-14):
Larry Sabato represents the conventional wisdom in objective political analysis. He is a smart man and I often agree with him, in his analysis. Here is his latest essay, hot and fresh off of the press.
Normally, I would defer to the good doctor, because of his many years of studying (and experience dealing with all things Washington). But after seeing what could be done in a grass roots movement in Indianapolis this past November, I have to wonder if a lot of people haven't taken some notice of the upset and how it was done. I know one thing for sure, the posts I did on this particular election netted PYY the most hits ever, from all over the country (and they are still getting hit).
In case you are not a regular reader and missed them, take a look at any one of these to get an idea. Start with the earliest and work your way back and see how the entire thing unfolded in the final days. If anyone is interested in mounting this kind of anti-incumbency campaign, it's going to be a long shot. But, this shows it can be done, if the mood is right and the work is done.
Three altercations in a bar over the last year or so, involving Pacer players. One at a strip club during training camp last season, one during the season at a dive, and now one the other night after drinking in another dive. The common name that surfaces is Jamal Tinsley.
Today, we read an article from Reuters that makes a claim that the penguins in Antarctica are in danger, due to global warming.
Antarctica's penguin population has slumped because of global warming as melting ice has destroyed nesting sites and reduced their sources of food, a WWF report said on Tuesday.
The Antarctic peninsula is warming five times faster than the average in the rest of the world, affecting four penguin species -- the emperor penguin, the largest and the grandest in the world, the gentoo, chinstrap and adelie, it said.
Nothing new here. Nothing will sell faster than fear.
Southern Hemisphere’s ice cover now is at the same level as last June, i.e., a level seen during the last winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Besides, there are two more millions square kilometers of ice now compared to December 2006. And the large positive anomaly has persisted since September.
So, what we have here is a discrepancy. The ice is melting and yet, it's not. The poor little creatures stuck in the middle of this are these defenseless little penguins. So far, we have yet to find a slew of them dead because of warming.
I cannot count how many times, I hear global warming fearmongers state how there is a consensus among the world's greatest scientists. The UN believes there is, Al Gore believes there is, and both of those entities are duping the unscientific masses into believing it. But when the chips are down, these people never want to debate the science. It's already settled, they will say, ever so smugly.
An international team of scientists skeptical of man-made climate fears promoted by the UN and former Vice President Al Gore, descended on Bali this week to urge the world to "have the courage to do nothing" in response to UN demands.
Hardly.
Anytime a gifted medical researcher comes up with a new drug regimen for some disease process, he/she submits his/her hypothesis to a group of peers, first. That group, then, scrutinizes every scientific aspect of the proposal. The researcher usually stands on a stage or platform, presents his/her findings, then allows the group of peers to shoot critical questions toward the presenter. And you can certainly say, they are not very merciful. If it stands this test, it then goes into trials.
But, I have never seen any debate with Al Gore (or any of his cult members) sitting in front of other skeptical scientists like Dr. Vincent Gray and Lord Christopher Monckton. And believe me, there's a good reason for that.
They can't. They cannot debate scientists, because they have no credible evidence to back up their baseless claims and the skeptics would chew them up on the specifics.
No, they'd rather make movies and write books, for the specific purposes of making some money and draining wealth from the wealthiest nations. They can do that without fear of having to explain themselves before a group of real scientists that have real facts and hard scientific data.
If they paid attention to the lectures and read the material, anyone that has taken a microeconomics course knows the concept of minimizing loss, as a common practice in business. When profit cannot be realized, this must become the focus if the business is to remain solvent and prosperous.
Shift this thinking toward the recent shooting at New Life Church, the Colorado congregation that was attacked by (yet another) deranged gunman, armed to the hilt for a little personal war, with people that likely had nothing to do with the cause of the gunman's unhappiness. Then, contrast what might have happened vs. what did, in fact, happen. It is there you will see the value of what having a gun for protection, really means in this day and age.
Meet Jeanne Assam, the lady that in all likelihood saved hundreds of lives in that church Sunday.
Many that are predisposed to being adverse to the licensing and carrying of firearms as well as those that have a tendency to be critical of the Christian faith, will likely be villifying this woman as the days wear on. But, when you do the math and count the heads, be sure you consider the caskets that may have been used in the next few days, in the Greater Denver area.
If this woman had not had that weapon, if she had not been trained to use it, and if she had not been willing to use it, the death toll could/would have been much higher and grief would have been more abundant. As it stands now, only a few were shot before she could neutralize the threat.
This is something every anti-gun advocate cannot deny, if they have any critical thinking skills.
It wasn't really that close. If Indy hadn't emptied their bench (to include Jim Sorgi in for Manning), it would have been much worse. But there's no reason to run the score up and risk injury to the starters.
There is a lot of mystery surrounding Marvin Harrison's knee, as he missed another game. The word around here is, he will have a good practice session and the next day he will swell a little, the next day. So since they have demonstrated they can win without him, they are letting it take it's time to heel well. MRIs are showing the knee is heeled. (Medicine is not an exact science.)
Manning was able to seriously exploit the experience level of the Baltimore corners. Both starting CBs were out and the subs were sub-par, to say the least. The running game looked good too. Not many teams can run the ball on the Ravens, but the Colts did it well because they were able to open up their defense by forcing them to respect the long ball.
This is exactly what the Pats do with Randy Moss (who I think is the league MVP this year, no matter how deep they go into the playoffs). Maroney is nowhere near the running back Addai is, but Moss makes him look good because defenses are forced to respect the long ball. If it wasn't for Moss's threat the Pats would have had more trouble with Pittsburgh.
Mush to Rocket's chagrin, Dallas found a way to turn a sub-par performance into a win yesterday. Dallas is clearly the best team in the NFC. They have found ways to turn bad games into wins and that is the mark of a winner, right there.
All of the great teams throughout history have found ways to win, despite the fact they didn't play particularly well. The Pats may have had it handed to them last week, but to their credit they cashed it in. They had to make it happen. The Colts had a tough game against KC a few weeks ago, but found a way to do it. And yesterday, Dallas didn't look too good, but still made it happen when the game was on the line.
Jacksonville showed why they are the third best team in the AFC yesterday, bouncing right back from their humiliating defeat at the hands of the Colts last week. This is why I say, if the Jags would run their mouths less and play harder, they could get the monkey off their backs. If they whined and complained less, committed less personal fouls, they would be able to challenge for a division right now. But instead, they are relegated to being the best wild card team in the NFL. They were one cheap shot away from coming back and defeating the Colts last week, when the game was on the line.
One cheap shot from being in a division race, that's something for the Jags and their rabid fans to think about.
It's still too early to make predictions. But if you are a NE, Indy, or Dallas fan, you have to like the way your team is playing right now. (There is one playoff scenario that would have the Jags beating the Pats to play the Colts in the Dome for the AFC Championship. I would take my chance with the Pats in Foxboro, before I would risk trying to beat the Jags for a third time this year.)
The UN is there to discuss global warming, but what about those that have data that contradicts UN data? Answer: It's disregarded. These global warming people have their minds made up and if you present evidence that shows otherwise, it's only going to make them dig in deeper. That's science, the UN way.
Rock and Roll is for everyone. It knows no nationality, no race, no creed. Anyone who wish to partake and enjoy it, is free do do so. But it's birthplace is right here America. Several places make a claim as being the birthplace of rock and roll. But only one can claim a phenomenon and several icons, as real evidence of being the one that people think about most.
Country rock, jazz rock, folk rock, classical rock, blues rock, punk rock, alternative rock, or just plain rock and roll. It has been an evolutionary process, to be sure. (That's why I try to bring a variety of styles to this feature.) But, they all have one thing in common, this being the word rock. And when we look back for the roots of this phenomenon (they said would never last), there is a place where the heart and soul of this musical movement was conceived.
Universities almost always offer a basic rock history course for non-majors, so they can pad their GPAs. In any one of those courses, Memphis Tennessee is mentioned prominently as an early pioneer. The Memphis sound inspired many rock artists throughout the years, and it's far reaching influence is unfathomable.
Memphis is known for its blues. If you have ever walked up Beale Street on a Saturday night, you would be in heaven (if you are a fan). And since rock is a primarily a blues-based entity, there's no better place in the world to hear what rock and roll first sounded like, than in and outside the clubs that line this famous stretch.
One of the more avant garde (at the time) artists came in the rockabilly era, and certainly helped shape the early style of one little band you may remember, the four moptops from Liverpool. Listen to an early Beatle song and you'll hear Carl Perkins. Here is the song that has probably been replayed more times than we can all count, Blue Suede Shoes:
Jerry Lee Lewis was another legend that helped integrate the piano into the rock and roll sound. He and guys like Fats Domino helped make the piano a cornerstone instrument, as equal to (or more so than) the guitar. And was he ever a talented showman. Here is one of his signature songs, Chantilly Lace:
When I was in Memphis a few years ago, I had to go to B.B. Kings place for some BBQ and fried dill pickles. But the main reason was to hear some good blues. B.B. wasnt there that night, but the band was a good one. To see the original Lucille was a treat. Here is his signature song, The Thrill Is Gone:
Bobby Blue Bland is one that often gets overlooked as a Memphis-based artist. Here is one of his best songs ever performed by him. It's called Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City:
These previous artists are a few of the icons I spoke of that came out of Memphis. The following is the legend. He needs no introduction. Here is A Little Less Conversation:
China insisted Friday the U.S. and other wealthy nations should bear the burden of curbing global warming, saying the problem was created by their lavish way of life. It rejected mandatory emission cuts for its own developing industries.
Environmental activists, meanwhile, labeled the United States and Saudi Arabia the worst "climate sinners," accusing them of having inadequate polices for climate problems while letting greenhouse gas emissions rise. But the activists also said no country is doing enough.
Nothing new here, it's fashionable to blame America these days.
Su Wei, a top climate expert for China's government attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference, said the job belongs to the wealthy. He said it was unfair to ask developing nations to accept binding emissions cuts and other restrictions being pushed for already industrialized states.
Because they are developing, China believes they deserve a pass. How misguided are they? Take a look at this. Then come back and tell us all how it's the West's responsibility to curb emissions. If this doesn't convince you take a look at this report from the BBC:
Los Angeles in it's smog heyday couldn't compete with this scene.
As Sarah Kreager, 26, tried to sit down on a Baltimore City bus Tuesday, police say, a middle-schooler told her she couldn’t. When she attempted to take another seat, a middle-schooler wouldn’t let her. Finally, according to police, Kreager just sat down.
She was “immediately attacked” by nine students — three females and six males — from Robert Poole Middle School. They punched and kicked her at 2:59 p.m. at the intersection of 33rd Street and Chestnut Avenue, according to Maryland Transit Administration police.
