Gun Control by Bush?

Second Amendment Issues II

The gun control debate -- The Washington Times

Fueled by false images of machine guns, the debate next year is likely to be very emotional. Hopefully, it will not be fact free.

Nuclear Strategy Sounds Good 'bout Now

Dem Political Shenanigans

Bill Murchison: They know the stakes, all right

A word needs to be said in praise -- yes, I said praise -- of the Democratic senators now blockading the confirmation of judicial nominees Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen. A word not in praise of the senators' motives, which are grimy, or of their political ideology, which stinks. No, a word in praise of their native cunning.

Let's Hope the Supreme Court Weighs In On This

Second Amendment Issues

Judges rap court on gun-rights case -- The Washington Times

"The panel opinion erases the Second Amendment from our Constitution as effectively as it can, by holding that no individual even has standing to challenge any law restricting firearm possession or use. This means that an individual cannot even get a case into court to raise the question," the 32-page main dissent said.

It said "rights" were retained by individuals while "powers" were delegated to governments, so "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" means what it says.

A barbed postscript by Judge Alex Kozinski, writing alone, said history would be vastly different had American slaves or Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto been able to arm themselves.

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Dems Try to Scuttle Affordable Health Care

Health Insurance Shenanigans

Closing the health insurance gap -- The Washington Times

The cost of health care continues to rise, as does the number of uninsured workers. In 2001 alone, health-care costs rose by $67 billion, almost 14 percent. Because of the steep increase in premiums, many small businesses have dropped their policies. This trend threatens the coverage of millions, as 52 percent of the private-sector workforce is employed by small businesses. Association health plans (AHPs) are one way to close the widening coverage gap without increasing government spending.

In a nutshell, association health plans offer small businesses a way to pool their resources to buy insurance . . . .

The two biggest impediments to an AHP law are resistance from major insurance companies and liberals in the Senate. . . .

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Disney Funds Michael Moore

Disney Hires Michael Moore

In a move sure to upset many Americans, Disney has agreed to fund Michael Moore's next "documentary," to use the term loosely. It will, of course Bash Bush and Republicans, except this time, it will be even more explicit.

He has every right to say what he says. Disney has every right to spend its money how it sees fit. But be damned if any more of my money will go to them if they go through with this.

Then again, itmay just be a rumor. We'll see how it turns out.

DRUDGE REPORT 2003®

The WALT DISNEY CO. is set to spend millions financing a new explosive Bush-bashing documentary from Michael Moore [BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE] -- a documentary which claims bin Laden was greatly enriched by the Bush family!

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Bloomberg - Smoking Ban is Good

Gee, thanks, Dallas Mayor Laura Miller for putting Dallas in the same situation with its new smoking ban.

Bloomberg was responding to a survey of 50 establishments in yesterday's Post that found many had been hurt since the ban took effect. In some bars and restaurants, business was down as much as 50 percent, The Post found.

Now I agree that the survey above is not valid. It's junk science and there should be a more complete survey done, taking into account such factors as debt rate, unemployment rate, other economic downturns, etc. My guess is that is would show the same or similar results.

"I'm not trying to hurt anybody's opportunity to smoke. If you want to, you can do it. You just don't have the right to kill somebody else. That's what secondhand smoking does," Bloomberg said.

Can I be the first to call BS on the mayor's statement? Check out the following links to study this claim:



NYPOST.COM Regional News: BLOOMBERG LIGHTS INTO CIG-BAN BIZ BROUHAHA By FRANKIE EDOZIEN

Are the Reps Finally Going to Stop Playing and Get Down to Business?

Senator Frist may finally be growing into his role as Senator MAJORITY Leader. So far, he has capitulated in far too many ways, acted like a minority leader, and generally failed to show the backbone of a leader who has the majority in the Senate, is supported by a strong President, and has a similar majority in the House.

Let's just hope this strength of character can extend to the Tax Cut issue as well.

Frist to seek rules change to end filibusters on judges -- The Washington Times

Republicans plan to begin the process today of using their so-called "nuclear option" to end the Democratic filibusters of judicial nominees by changing Senate rules governing how many votes are required to break such blockades.

Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican, plans to introduce the rules change today, according to two Senate aides involved in the Republican planning. . . .

Currently, 60 votes are required to break a filibuster, which is also called invoking cloture. The resolution, co-sponsored by several senators, will require 60 votes only in the first attempt at invoking cloture. In each attempt after that, the vote requirement will drop by three until it reaches a simple majority of 51 votes.

This rule change will apply only to executive nominations, not legislative business. . . .

The idea was first floated by Sen. Zell Miller, Georgia Democrat, in an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal several months ago. Mr. Miller has consistently voted with Republicans to end the filibusters. In 1995, a similar plan was introduced by Democratic Sens. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Tom Harkin of Iowa.

US to Ask UN to Lift Unnecessary Sanctions

Bloomberg.com: Top Worldwide

``The general mood in the Security Council is that the war we didn't want is over now, so let's not repeat the debate of yesterday,'' said Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany, a council member that was among the main opponents of the war. ``The council is in a constructive and cooperative mood.''

I'll believe it when I see it.

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PATRIOT Act Sunset Still Intact

Now if we can just get some of the provisions repealed. I can't believe I am agreeing with something Senator Schumer said. Ugh. But at least I admit it when the Left says something right.

Senate Deal Kills Effort to Extend Antiterror Act

Senate Republicans backed down today from an effort to make permanent the sweeping antiterrorism powers in a 2001 act, clearing the way for passage of a less divisive measure that would still expand the government's ability to spy on foreign terrorist suspects in the United States. . . .

Under current law, federal officials must establish a link to a foreign terrorist group in order to secure or request a secret warrant . . . .

"There's a delicate balance between liberty and security," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat who was one of the authors of the so-called "lone wolf" counterterrorism measure. "It's a seesaw, and that's the debate that we're seeing now in Congress. . . ."

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Eco-Nuts Don't Like Safe Drinking Water

Chemical Plant Safety Important . . . So Are the Chemicals

Yet another great Junk Science article by Steven Milloy on Foxnes.com.

FOXNews.com

In sum, Inhofe wants to ensure chemical facilities are secure while Corzine and the eco-scoundrels want to make sure there are no more chemicals at chemical facilities — a regressive goal that would harm public health, reduce the quality of our lives and wreak economic havoc.
What should be debunked first, however, are the EPA's disaster scenarios. They aren't "worst-case" — they're pure fantasy.

In developing the scenarios, the EPA made a number of unrealistic assumptions. The agency, for example, pretended wind would blow in a 360 degree-radius from the site of a chemical release — that is, in all directions at the same time.

The EPA also pretended that the topography of heavily populated areas is flat — no buildings, trees, mountains or other barriers to drifting chemicals — and that chemical facilities have no capabilities for preventing or mitigating releases.

None of these assumptions are true, much less their confluence. The EPA's worst-case scenarios are worthless as policy-making tools.

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Fast Food Lawsuit Comes Up Again

This is Why People Hate Lawyers

GD opportunistic, money-grubbing, frivolous crap. Sorry, but this stuff really makes me mad. Lawyers, smelling a fat paycheck, are once again trying to extort money from the fast food industry.

Ok, let's see a show of hands here: who out there does NOT know that too much fast food is bad for you? Anybody? Who out there has a gun held to their head and is forced to eat burgers and fries?

Check out Overlawyered.com and Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse for more about this sort of thing.

Also, write a letter to your congressman or woman and tell them you want lawsuit reform which moves us to a loser-pays system. That way, people will think twice about filing frivolous lawsuits in hopes of making a big payday.

Lawyers plan new fast food assault

Fast food purveyors McDonald's and Burger King are about to be hit -- again -- with a slew of claims that their burgers and fries cause obesity, and some critics say they even feed an addiction.
Litigators want to charge companies in the business of selling burgers with contributing to the rising obesity rate in the United States.

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Left Reliance on Failure to Find Weapons A Mistake

Blinded by Bush-Hatred

NOTE: This article is found in the notoriously conservative Washington Post and written by the notoriously conservative Jonathon Chaitt of the notoriously conservative New Republic. You should definitely not pay any attention to what he says about how some liberals hate Bush sooooo much that they would gleefully make predictions about how we "won't find any WMD in Iraq."
Blinded by Bush-Hatred (washingtonpost.com)

So Bush's claims should never be taken at face value. But accepting the fact that Iraq had an extensive and continuing program for weapons of mass destruction doesn't require taking Bush at his word. The U.N. Special Commission, when it finished its work in 1999, concluded the same thing. So has Germany's intelligence service. So has the United Kingdom's. Indeed, the only people who seem to doubt it are either allies of Hussein or those who distrust Bush so much that they automatically assume everything he says must be false.

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McCain-Feingold Notes Cont.

More McCain-Feingold Notes

The Miami Herald | 05/08/2003 | Political advocacy vs. freedom of speech

Under that law, after ads have run and their legality has been challenged, the Federal Election Commission shall brood about their intent. But would not fear of an adverse ruling from the FEC's speech police have a chilling effect on political advocacy?

No problem, according to Judge Richard Leon, who complacently suggests: Do you find the McCain-Feingold speech rules vague and confusing? There are two ways to be safe from criminal prosecution. Avoid mentioning a congressional candidate. Or seek an advisory opinion from the FEC about whether the speech you want to engage in is criminal.

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Chem Wepaons in Iraq?

Doesn't Matter . . . the Left won't Believe It Anyway

U.S. sees proof of biolab -- The Washington Times

The Pentagon confirmed yesterday that a tractor-trailer found in northern Iraq is a mobile biological laboratory that could be used to make deadly germ weapons.

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Lieberman's Energy Plan

Lieberman Shows Big Gov't Roots

Senator Lieberman wants to let gov't controlyour energy usages rather than go get the energy that is already waiting for us to retrieve it.

Lieberman lays out a tough energy plan -- The Washington Times

Myron Ebell, director of global-warming policy for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said Mr. Lieberman would "essentially create a centrally planned economy for energy."

"The government would tell people how much energy they could use," he said. "So if you like rationing and higher energy prices, then you should support Mr. Lieberman."

BTW - for those who oppose drilling in ANWR - check out this site.
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The Left Loves Dictators, part 239

Jeff Jacoby on Castro's Cheerleaders

Boston Globe Online / Editorials | Opinions / Castro's cheerleaders

Who could disagree? In a ruthless crackdown just four weeks ago, the Castro regime rounded up 75 peaceful dissidents - economists, journalists, pro-democracy petitioners, even a poet or two - and sentenced them to prison terms of up to 28 years. The combined total of their sentences was a stunning 1,454 years. One US official characterized it as ''the most despicable act of political repression in the Americas in a decade.'' No less barbaric was the fate of three Cubans who attempted to escape Castro's island gulag by hijacking a ferry to Florida: They were killed by firing squad. Of course the whole international community should be condemning Cuba.

But it isn't. Last week Cuba was elected to a new three-year term on the UN Commission on Human Rights. There it will serve with such other human rights luminaries as Libya (which chairs the commission), Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Saudi Arabia. The American ambassador, disgusted by the commission's deference to the foremost human rights violator in the Western Hemisphere, walked out. No other country followed suit, not even the democracies. So much for the outrage of the ''international community.''

Time to Take Off the Gloves

Reps May Trump Dems With Technical Rule

Ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease. I hope they do this.

Question: why is it always Reps that need to compromise?

The article says, at one point, “this proposed tactic is that it might destroy whatever is left of the working relationship between Democrats and Republicans.” So what? The Dems have already declared war and are doing everything they can to block the President’s agenda. They have thwarted the will of the Constitution by requiring a de facto supermajority to approve judicial nominees. They are using a parliamentary trick to deny nominees their opportunity to have a vote in the Senate. So what’s the problem in using a parliamentary trick to stop them from their underhanded moves? NOTHING.

The Democrats have long talked about how the Reps need to play nice and not play hardball. Anybody remember the disaster known as "power sharing" while the Reps were in the majority? What happened when the Dems regained control? Where'd "power sharing" go then? No. When they are in charge, they can do whatever they want and they justify it because what they are doing is too important to compromise. But let the Reps try to advance their agenda and then, all of a sudden, the "working together" lines come out again. Screw 'em. The Reps have lived in this fantasy world for long enough. They are not going to be any different when they get the power back - regardless of whether or not the Reps play nice right now. They will unashamedly advance their agenda. All I suggest is that the Reps do what the Dems have been doing for years.

Hatch group may go ‘nuclear’ on judges=TheHill.com=

Plan would limit use of Rule XXII in Dem filibusters By Alexander Bolton and Geoff Earle
Several senior Republican senators are seeking wider party backing for a bold plan that would break the Democrats’ filibuster of President Bush’s judicial nominees.

Their approach calls for employing a rarely used parliamentary tactic to overturn current Senate procedures.

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CAPTCHAs Gotcha!

Go Earthlink! Kill Spam!

This is probably a variation on the sort of thing you see if you sign up for a free Yahoo mail account. Called CAPTCHAs, these little bits of technology are designed to present tasks that are easy for humans to accomplish but really difficult for computers. They are not perfect, but they can certainly make a dent in the amount of spam that fills email inboxes at earthlink. Find more about this technology at Captcha.net.
EarthLink to Offer Anti-Spam E-Mail System (TechNews.com)

Known as "challenge-response" technology, the system thwarts the ability of spammers to reach their intended audience with millions of automatically generated e-mails. When someone sends an e-mail to a challenge-response user, he or she gets an e-mail back asking to verify that the sender is a live person.

Once the sender does that by replicating a word or picture displayed on the screen, the original e-mail is allowed through. The system automatically recognizes future e-mails from the same sender, so the verification needs only to be performed once. Without the verification, the e-mail is not delivered.

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