Right Mind

Ice Age: West Wing Buried in Snow

From the Associated Press:

The snow is piled up in front of the West Wing of the White House in Washington Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010. Mid-Atlantic residents were buried by a blizzard that the president jokingly called 'Snowmageddon.'

Obama's Crib

Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

Snowjob

Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

The great global warming collapse: As the science scandals keep coming, the air has gone out of the climate-change movement

From the UK Globe and Mail:

In 2007, the most comprehensive report to date on global warming, issued by the respected United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, made a shocking claim: The Himalayan glaciers could melt away as soon as 2035.

These glaciers provide the headwaters for Asia's nine largest rivers and lifelines for the more than one billion people who live downstream. Melting ice and snow would create mass flooding, followed by mass drought. The glacier story was reported around the world. Last December, a spokesman for the World Wildlife Fund, an environmental pressure group, warned, “The deal reached at Copenhagen will have huge ramifications for the lives of hundreds of millions of people who are already highly vulnerable due to widespread poverty.” To dramatize their country's plight, Nepal's top politicians strapped on oxygen tanks and held a cabinet meeting on Mount Everest.

But the claim was rubbish, and the world's top glaciologists knew it. It was based not on rigorously peer-reviewed science but on an anecdotal report by the WWF itself. When its background came to light on the eve of Copenhagen, Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the IPCC, shrugged it off. But now, even leading scientists and environmental groups admit the IPCC is facing a crisis of credibility that makes the Climategate affair look like small change.

“The global warming movement as we have known it is dead,” the brilliant analyst Walter Russell Mead says in his blog on The American Interest. It was done in by a combination of bad science and bad politics.

RFK, Jr. 15 months ago: Global warming means no snow or cold in DC.

You gotta love it when liberals make these kinds of proclamations.

From the Washington Examiner:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who flies around on private planes so as to tell larger numbers of people how they must live their lives in order to save the planet, wrote a column last year on the lack of winter weather in Washington, D.C.

In Virginia, the weather also has changed dramatically. Recently arrived residents in the northern suburbs, accustomed to today's anemic winters, might find it astonishing to learn that there were once ski runs on Ballantrae Hill in McLean, with a rope tow and local ski club. Snow is so scarce today that most Virginia children probably don't own a sled. But neighbors came to our home at Hickory Hill nearly every winter weekend to ride saucers and Flexible Flyers.

In those days, I recall my uncle, President Kennedy, standing erect as he rode a toboggan in his top coat, never faltering until he slid into the boxwood at the bottom of the hill. Once, my father, Atty. Gen. Robert Kennedy, brought a delegation of visiting Eskimos home from the Justice Department for lunch at our house. They spent the afternoon building a great igloo in the deep snow in our backyard. My brothers and sisters played in the structure for several weeks before it began to melt. On weekend afternoons, we commonly joined hundreds of Georgetown residents for ice skating on Washington's C&O Canal, which these days rarely freezes enough to safely skate.

Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil and its carbon cronies continue to pour money into think tanks whose purpose is to deceive the American public into believing that global warming is a fantasy. 

HT: Rod D. Martin

Senator Richard Shelby Goes to Bat for Major Financial Benefactor

David writes:

Senator Shelby has placed a hold on ALL of Obama’s nominees and in return wants billions in earmarks for Alabama and an Air Force tanker contract for his client, EADS (the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, which owns AIRBUS).

Shelby is just an opportunistic lawyer-politician who 1986 won, as a Democrat, the Senate seat held by Republican Jeremiah Denton, a retired Navy admiral and long-time resident of the Hanoi Hilton, as the Democratic Party regained control of the Senate. Shelby was easily re-elected in 1992 even as Bill Clinton lost Alabama's electoral votes.

On November 9, 1994, Shelby switched his party affiliation to Republican, one day after the Republicans won control of both houses in the midterm elections, giving the Republicans a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

The Democrats will gain great political capital during the next few weeks on his greed.

This is yet another example of Republican fascism, and why the Tea Partiers are fed up with both political parties. These kinds of shenanigans very well may lead to the emergence of another political party.

Via Public Integrity:

Senator Richard Shelby The unusual “blanket hold” placed on Obama administration nominees by Senator Richard Shelby, represents an effort to support a firm that has contributed more than $100,000 to the Alabama Republican over the course of his long political career, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis.

Shelby reportedly initiated the blanket hold in an attempt to back a $35 billion tanker contract for Northrop Grumman and EADS; the plane would be built in his state.

The contract had been initially awarded to the companies in 2008, but was canceled after rival Boeing protested and the Government Accountability Office upheld the protest — forcing the Defense Department to rebid the contract. Shelby has been outspoken in support of granting the contract to Northrop Grumman and Jeremiah Denton,. Shelby and Northrop Grumman have both objected to the Defense Department’s new rebidding process.

While by all accounts a Northrop Grumman contract would create significant numbers of jobs in his home state, Shelby’s initiative is also a move to secure funding for a company that has long funded him. The fourth-term Senator has received at least $108,233 in PAC contributions to his political campaigns and leadership PAC from Northrop Grumman’s corporate PACs. This includes contributions, dating back to his first Senate election in 1986, from the company’s political action committee and from the PACs of companies that are now part of Northrop Grumman.

According to the Center analysis, this level of support ranks Northrop Grumman as the seventh most generous institutional supporter over the course of Shelby’s political career.

By placing the holds, Shelby essentially announced he would filibuster any nominee sent by the White House to the Senate for confirmation. The White House lists more than 200 nominees who have not yet received a Senate confirmation vote.

Calls to the office of Senator Shelby were not returned by publication time. But in a statement to Talking Points Memo, a Shelby spokesman said the holds were “due to unaddressed national security concerns.” Among those concerns, he said, “is that nearly 10 years after the U.S. Air Force announced plans to replace the aging tanker fleet, we still do not have a transparent and fair acquisition process to move forward.” He said the senator was also “deeply concerned” that the Obama administration will not release funds already appropriated to the FBI to build the Terrorist Explosives Devices Analytical Center, a facility to be located in Alabama.

A spokesman for Northrop Grumman told the Center that the company “is very conscientious in adhering to all federal regulations and reporting requirements when supporting members of Congress. The company’s contributions to representatives of both political parties are a matter of public record.”

Obama Praises Navy "Corpseman"

Not just once, but two times Obama mispronounces “corpsman” as “corpseman”.

HT: David D.

Obama on the Constitution

From the Canada Free Press:

Recently I’ve noticed several things that the Progressives are having trouble with.  Well, actually a LOT of things, but this article will focus on just a few of them.

First of all, Obama, like most Progressives, seems to have a problem identifying the U.S. Constitution. 

In his State of the Union address, Obama stated that “We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal….” 

Darn near made me want to stand up and salute, (something our POTUS could use some lessons in, by the way).  There’s a problem here, however.  It turns out that “the notion that we are all created equal” is not “enshrined in our Constitution”—it’s from the Declaration of Independence.

Doesn’t say much for Obama’s grasp of the Constitution, when he confuses the U.S. Constitution, with the Declaration of Independence

This mistaken attribution is an understandable faux pas for your average “Joe six-pack,” but Obama’s supposed to be a Harvard-trained Constitutional lawyer.  It doesn’t say much for Harvard Law School, or Obama’s grasp of the Constitution, when he confuses the U.S. Constitution, with the Declaration of Independence.

(Note to the White House (and Harvard Law School): they are two totally different documents, with different wording, and different purposes.  They are not interchangeable.  I know—bummer).

One can imagine Obama’s final exam on Constitutional Law:

Harvard Law professor:  “Mister Obama, what are the opening words of the U.S. Constitution?”

Obama:  “Uh, ‘When in the course of human events….’”

Harvard Law professor:  “Close enough!  You pass!”

No wonder these folks have so much trouble following the Constitution.

If I may, let me make a suggestion to the Progressives (and Harvard).  The Cato Institute sells a small book that contains a copy of both the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence.  It’s inexpensive, so there’s really no excuse for you not to have one—as a handy reference, you know.

 I’ve still got my copy that was given to me back in the early days of serving in the US Navy.

Herbert Marcuse’s “Repressive Tolerance”

Dr. A writes:

Indiana University’s recent refusal to have a conservative-leaning speaker on campus is just one of an increasing number of such acts of “repressive tolerance” at universities nationwide. Ideologues of the Academic Left demand toleration of every sexual and social perversion known to man, but systematically refuse to allow speakers or programs that hint of anything biblical or conservative. This hypocrisy of the Left in such matters of free speech and “tolerance” is baffling to most non-Leftists until you read Herbert Marcuse, the father of campus radicalism. In his 1965 article “Repressive Tolerance” (dedicated to students at Brandeis University), Marcuse explains why the Left should suppress the freedoms of those on the Right. For Marcuse, the only way to “true tolerance” is by denying freedom to those on the Right (i.e., anyone who disagrees with Leftist ideology) and withdrawing their freedom of speech.

Here is Marcuse’s argument, straight from the horse’s mouth:

“Reopening channels of true toleration may be accomplished by apparently undemocratic means that include the withdrawal of toleration of speech and assembly from groups and movements which promote aggressive policies, armament, chauvinism, discrimination on the grounds of race and religion, or which oppose the extension of public services, social security, medical care, etc. Liberating tolerance is intolerance against movements from the Right and toleration of movements from the Left.”

You have to love the progressives: only tolerating and allowing that which they agree with.

Sure gives a new meaning to the word “tolerate”.

Cushion for higher ed proposed: Idaho lawmakers say accounts for colleges, universities should be established to reduce pain of tight budget years

Think of this as Social Security for Idaho’s colleges. We all know how well the Social Security Ponzi scheme works. Now we’ll do the same for Higher Ed.

The following article ran in the Lewiston Tribune.

In the midst of famine, two Idaho lawmakers are imagining a feast.

Sen. Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston, and Rep. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, will propose legislation this session to create a higher education savings account, similar to what's already in place for public schools. The funds would be used to shelter Idaho's colleges and universities from future budget cuts.

The lawmakers say very little money could be put into the account initially, given the state's current budget constraints. However, they're imagining a time when general fund revenues start to improve. They want to establish the account now, so it's ready when times get better.  

Hear no Climategate, see no Climategate

The following commentary by Michael Costello ran in today's Lewiston Tribune. Costello is always well worth reading.

You can find a copy on his website: The Pajamahadin.

Mike pulls together all of the data in one place and makes a compelling argument.

Is this a scientific scandal or a journalism scandal?

It took an inordinately long time for the original Climategate scandal to percolate to the surface of the mainstream news media's consciousness. In that one, files were hacked from the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University exposing the biggest names in global warming research as cynical, dishonest, politically motivated hacks.

The famous computer model used to predict global warming was found to be buggy and unreliable. And even though these men and their predictions were the basis for international treaties and proposed U.S. law, the news of their corruption garnered scant attention.

The Associated Press decided the leaked e-mails did not prove that climate data was faked, a judgment disputed by the left-leaning British newspaper, The Guardian.

But the AP missed the point. The e-mails did prove that the leaders in global warming science were not impartial researchers in pursuit of the truth, but had definite political agendas and did use their positions to stifle dissent and hide contradictory data.

For the past three years, we've been assured that the science supporting the international drive to impose economic burdens, erase national sovereignty and to crush individual liberty was based upon the best possible science. It was "settled," they told us. Balderdash.

But even as the U.S. news media played "hear no evil, see no evil," newspapers in Europe have begun to peel away the layers of deceit and have exposed the shabbiness and political agendas of the "research" used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to make their predictions.

Among the more dramatic claims made by IPCC was that, by 2035, Himalayan glaciers would melt. These glaciers are critical to agriculture for three nations, including the two largest, China and India. Their disappearance would be devastating. The disappearance of those glaciers would lead to famine in India.

As it turns out, the primary evidence used to make those predictions were anecdotes collected in a mountaineering magazine and a single master's thesis written by a Swiss graduate student who cited the magazine as his source. It was eventually confessed that the predictions were included in the final report to increase political pressure for a climate treaty.

Another prediction in the IPCC report said the Amazon rainforest would be denuded by even minor fluctuations in annual rainfall. This turned out to be entirely fabricated. The observed losses in rainforest were caused by logging and not climatic fluctuations. What's particularly disturbing is the reliance of the IPCC upon very suspect information sources for these predictions. Both the World Wildlife Federation and Greenpeace were treated as disinterested, reliable sources. But both the WWF and Greenpeace are politically driven advocacy pressure groups with left-wing agendas even more transparent than those of the scientists exposed in the original Climategate scandal.

And as is so often the case in climate science, there's money involved. The chair of the IPCC, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, had a fiduciary interest in pushing the IPCC's findings. Pachauri is heavily invested in such schemes as carbon trading, and the future of his investments depend upon sustaining hysteria and the passage of laws and treaties intended to cap carbon emissions.

Gee. This reminds me of a certain failed presidential candidate in this country who is on track to become the world's first "green" billionaire.

The IPCC report also concluded that global warming was responsible for an increase in the frequency and severity of disasters such as floods and hurricanes. The sourcing for that study was also anecdotal and not a single peer-reviewed paper was cited.

Both the United States National Atmospheric and Space Administration and the Climate Research Unit have been presented with Freedom of Information Act requests to share their data. In the case of the CRU, they were found to have violated the law and much of the requested information is missing. What has been found is that CRU cherry-picked and even moved data recording stations. At NASA, the little bit of information that has been gleaned reveals that NASA systematically deleted recording stations that returned cooler than desired results. The actual number of stations used in their data collection has fallen from 6,000 to only 1,500.

There was once a time when cover ups piqued journalistic attention. No more. Kim Jong Il is treated with more skepticism by North Korean newspapers than global warming orthodoxy receives in the United States.  

Christ Church sponsored the pro-life march?

The following “Ink” by Vera White appeared in today's edition of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

The INKster keeps talking to people still wondering why the Jan. 23 University of Idaho Vandal Appreciation Day Parade in downtown Moscow also included an anti-abortion rally in Friendship Square. She understands the parade drew a good turnout and rightfully so, since this was the Vandals' first bowl win in 11 years. But the Dec. 30 Humanitarian Bowl win against Bowling Green State University was a thriller and the Vandals needed the attention focused on them.

The INKster understands the folks at Christ Church sponsored the anti-abortion rally.

"Apparently St. Augustine's Catholic Center was in on it too as I saw a sign in the window there promoting the event," said one puzzled fan who was on Main Street for the short parade. "I'm not faulting the rally, but it just seemed like poor timing to have it coincide with the parade."

In Moscow, we call it "Community Togetherness."

Now, you would think that I would have some knowledge whether Christ Church sponsored a pro-life rally. But Vera’s column was the first I knew of it. Clearly she has some insider information. I didn’t get that secret message.

But Daily News reader, Leonard C. Johnson, sent the following Letter to the Editor in an attempt to disabuse the editorial staff of yet another Vera mistake.

Editor, MP DN:
 
Each year on the Saturday nearest the January 22 anniversary date of the fateful, homicidal finding handed down by the U. S. Supreme Court in Roe v.Wade, defenders of the sanctity of the gift of life all over America gather in commemoration.  They march in silent protest against legalized killing of unborn infants, join in prayers, and listen to invited speakers.

In Moscow, this annual event takes the form of a march from the parking lot of Logos School to Friendship Square in downtown Moscow.  Participants this year, on 23 January, were reminded of a need to be more mindful of the clock than usual, lest the message of our invited speaker, a local Christian pastor, be drowned out by noise generated by the Humanitarian Bowl victory parade marching past on Main Street.  As it happened, the last few minutes of the speaker's message were pretty much overwhelmed by the celebratory music.  C'est la vie.  (I hope this assuages some of Vera White's angst). 

This demonstration, its date determined by the calendar and its city permit obtained in advance, is sponsored solely by the Moscow Right to Life Committee. It has no formal or sponsorhip linkages with any other local organization, not even with the leprous Christ Church. 

Good try, Vera, but no cigar!

Leonard C. Johnson
Moscow, Idaho

They will print the letter. But will the Daily News issue a retraction/correction? Not holding my breath.

Sarah Palin: ‘Bi-partisanship’ out

From the Canada Free Press:

Sarah Palin hit the nail on the head when she told the Tea Party Nation Convention that this repeated mantra of ‘bi-partisanship’ needs to find exit. Quickly. Like right now.

When Congressmen continue to boast on their bi-partisanship, it reveals their lack of conviction. That’s the upshot of what Palin was declaring.

For an elected official to state sweet things to media by continually bragging on how nicely he reaches “across the aisle” makes bland a Congress.

Greta Van Susteren of Fox News gets to the same point. When interviewing John McCain, he kept sounding lovely by accenting his “bi-partisanship” in Congress.

She interrupted him abruptly to ask him why he said those sweet words about his opponents. And then she went on to refer to others who do the same. She did not let up on her criticism of limp verbiage.

She put it to McCain by saying that accenting how kindly Congressmen dialogue with one another gives the American public the idea that conviction has drained out. Of course, the present proof is that conviction has indeed drained out, except for liberals. They cling to insane conviction even when it beheads the nation.

Van Susteren said that conservative patriots want leaders who stand for something, not for officials who kiss up to one another with these pretty phrases.

Palin drummed the same. And the Convention responded loudly with cheers of assent.

From what Scott Brown has been telling about his senatorial style, it appears he is of the same conviction cloth. He’s not going to be cute with other Congressmen; instead, he’s going to stand up for what Brown believes and so go at it.

It’s time that this wishy-washy laudatory verbiage be cut out of Congressmens’ giving forth. It does not make points with the grassroots.

Let feathers fly. Let sparks flash. Let the moralist convictions light up the sky.

HT: Bill J.

Legislative Update # from Rep. Tom Trail

From Rep. Tom Trail (R-Moscow).

Constituents — There was at least one good piece of news to come out of the Idaho Legislature this week. Sen. Schroeder and I along with five other Central Idaho Legislators attended the State Park Board meeting on Wednesday to urge the Board to overturn their decision to close Dvorsach State Park. There was an excellent turnout of both legislators and citizens at the meeting. The Board unanimously approved reopening of the Park and Director Merrill has given her staff 30 days to come up with a management plan. The successful management of the Park will mean that many different stakeholders will have to join forces to help the Park move towards becoming economically self sufficient.

Here are some other news items that occurred during the week:

1. Economic News and State Budget — While the news from Washington, D.C. indicates that we have turned the corner in the recession, there are certainly no positive signs here in Idaho. We still have almost 70,000 citizens unemployed. Agriculture experienced a 47 percent decline in net income last year. The only good news was that Micron’s last quarter earnings were on the positive side for the first time in several years.
   
   January’s tax receipts came in about $10 million under projections. Projections are that all state agencies including public and higher education will be facing a 10 percent reduction in their budgets for Fiscal Year 2011. This means that JFAC will be faced with some very hard decisions. For example, if we cut Corrections by $5 million this means that we have to release 250 felons into society. I doubt that the Legislature is willing to go this far. There are almost 50 school districts whose reserves are almost exhausted. The University of Idaho’s state funding was cut back $22 million last year. Key programs are being cut and top researchers and teachers along with their grants are being cherry picked off by other universities. Morale among public school teachers and higher education faculty is suffering. Fewer classes will be offered and class sizes will increase.
   
2. Guarding the State’s Dollars — The recent news that $74,000 was spent for dedication of highway openings and ceremonies caused Rep. Wood, Chair of House Transportation Committee to say, “This is appalling.” The finger pointing went all the way from the Transportation Board to the Governor’s Office. Certainly no one was watching the henhouse on this one.
   
   I recently learned that three Idaho employees (all with salaries of over $200,000/year) are able to take their spouses on domestic and international trips at state experience (assuming there is some benefit to the state). These are the three University Presidents at ISU, UI, and BSU and, yes, it is legal and it is written in their contracts. None of the other University Presidents have this privilege nor does the Governor. I have written the State Board of Education asking for them to provide the Legislature with specific and measurable evidence how such taxpayer expense benefits the state and why none of the other university presidents is given such a privilege. I’ve also requested the Board to provide how much has been paid out for spouse travel over the past five years. The practice may be legal but it certainly sends out the wrong sign to our citizens and other state employees.
   
   On the local scene in Moscow there are reports that a Hilton Gardens Hotel and International Pancake House will be built at the old Wally Orvik Chevrolet location and that the Moscow Walmart will remain open even after the opening of the Giant Walmart in Pullman.
   
3. Taxes — Republican legislators may be promoting some tax cut bills for large businesses in the hopes of attracting more corporations to Idaho to create jobs. I think the emphasis should be on legislation that strengthens our small businesses which is the driving force for creating jobs in the state. As I mentioned in another newsletter the Idaho State Tax Commission reports that is they can hire about 150 part time tax auditors that they can potentially collect about $70 million in unpaid taxes in the state. This would be a return on investment of $10 for every dollar invested. The IRS reports that almost $300 million in taxes go unpaid every year in Idaho. I think this is where we should be getting some of our added revenue. Another area are taxes on internet sales—estimated to be about $60 million/year. This seems to be another fruitful area. The examination of all of the 75 tax exemptions also merits attention.
   
4. Idaho Public TV — I’ve received about 80 e-mails all in support of continuing funding for Idaho Public TV. If the Governor’s plan is carried out it is most likely that citizens in the Treasure Valley and selected southern areas in the state would have access to public TV programs. There are some hidden costs to phasing out funding for public TV. IPTV has spent $22 million for digital conversion over the past 10 years with $6 million from the federal government with strings attached. If public TV cannot maintain the equipment then the state would have to repay the feds about $2 million. I’m working with other legislators to try and overturn this very bad proposal. Citizens should contact the Governor and their legislators to indicate their support.

That’s all for this week. I’d appreciate your e-mails and calls with your comments and suggestions.

I wonder if Tom Trail knows what a “sunk cost” is?

To my readers: feel free to let the governor know if you support him in eliminating state funding to government TV. Why in this day and age of internet content do we need to spend this kind of money on government media is beyond me.

Palin: No monarchy for tea party

From the Tribune:

The burgeoning tea party movement should remain leaderless and decentralized, former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Saturday, calling the effort "bigger than any king or queen of the tea party."

"Put your faith in ideas. I caution against allowing this movement to be defined by one leader or operation," she told the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville. The small government movement is "a ground-up call to action that's forcing both parties to change the way they're doing business. This is about the people."

In her keynote address, Palin offered her analysis of President Barack Obama's foreign policy record and delivered a critique of his stimulus package - decrying the federal deficit as "generational theft." The list of Obama's broken promises is long, Palin said in her signature folksy delivery.

"How's that hopey, changing stuff workin' out for ya?" she asked 1,000 or so supporters who paid $300 apiece to attend her speech.

Palin applauded the president's decision to increase forces in Afghanistan while deriding his efforts at diplomacy, singling out North Korea.

"We must spend less time courting our adversaries and more time working with our allies," the former Alaska governor said. "The lesson of that last year is this: Foreign policy cannot be managed through the politics of personality."

In recent months, Palin has positioned herself outside the Republican Party establishment. She passed on an invitation to attend the annual Conservative Political Action Conference and agreed to speak at the Nashville event.

Palin also has said she would attend two upcoming tea party events: a rally next month in Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's hometown of Searchlight, Nev., and an April get-together in Boston. Both gatherings are being organized by the Sacramento-based Tea Party Express.

The highest toilet in the Valley

From KLEW TV in Lewiston:

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a toilet?

Hahn Rentals boosted a porta-potty 126 feet into the air along Thain Grade last week.

General Manager Larry Bean said he came up with the idea Monday night, that in his younger days he would do radical displays, but hasn't done it in decades.

The store has received lots of phone calls Tuesday and he said he did it to inspire other employees to come up with display ideas.

Bean said it only took a couple of minutes to do it, but that it's for sure the highest toilet in the Valley.

Is this guy for real?

From The Politico:

President Barack Obama acknowledged Sunday that local opposition is likely to nix the administration’s plan to hold the trial for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York City. “I have not ruled it out,” Obama told Katie Couric of CBS News. “But I think it’s important for us to take into account the practical, logistical issues involved. I mean, if you’ve got a city that is saying ‘no,’ and a police department that’s saying ‘no,’ and a mayor that’s saying ‘no,’ that makes it difficult.”

 HT: Bill J.

WaPo: Dem. lieutenant governor candidate exits Illinois race

“Democratic leaders had not considered him a threat to win and didn't highlight his past during the campaign.”

David D. asks the hard question:

Another disgraced Chicago politician who drops out only a few days after winning the nomination.  If you did not think Chicago politics was a dirty game, consider the reporter's statement above.  It wasn't the opposition who would have exposed his record, but his own party if they thought he would have won.

Makes you wonder if they did not do it post-election.

From the Washington Post:

The Democratic nominee for Illinois' lieutenant governor dropped out of the race Sunday night, less than a week after winning the nomination, amid a political uproar about his past.

In announcing his decision at a Chicago bar packed with people watching the Super Bowl, Scott Lee Cohen said the Democrats were not certain they could win with him on the ticket.

Since Cohen won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, it has become widely known that he was accused of abusing his ex-wife and holding a knife to the throat of an ex-girlfriend - a woman who was herself charged with prostitution. He also admits using steroids in the past.

"For the good of the people of the state of Illinois and the Democratic Party, I will resign," a clearly emotional Cohen said in a rambling remarks made as the Super Bowl halftime entertainment blared in the background.

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, who would have been paired with Cohen on the November ticket, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and Sen. Dick Durbin all had urged Cohen to leave the race. Quinn has said he knew nothing about the allegations against Cohen until after Tuesday's primary.

Surrounded by his two sons, his fiancee and his fiancee's sons, Cohen apologized to his family, his supporters and anyone he may have let down.

"The last thing I wanted to do was put the people of Illinois in jeopardy," Cohen said.

Until his nomination, Cohen was a political unknown. Democratic leaders had not considered him a threat to win and didn't highlight his past during the campaign.

The pawnbroker and owner of a cleaning supplies company ran against several veteran politicians, spending $2 million - mostly his own money - on his campaign, more than twice as much as all his opponents combined. He gained strong name recognition with a flurry of advertising featuring people who said they got jobs at employment fairs he held.

Which is why people ask: can anything good emerge from Chicago politicians?

Abortion is a private matter?

The following letter to the editor appeared in today’s Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Larry Kirkland's Jan. 27 Town Crier concerning abortion disconcerts me.

Murdering babies disconcerts me, not an editorial.

He is overly glib in his proposal that women with unwanted pregnancies should just opt for adoption. He believes this not only "saves babies" but women from "post-abortion trauma."

There are a couple of things I'd like to point out to Kirkland. First, the 1973 Supreme Court decision held that a woman may abort her pregnancy for any reason up until the point of viability.

That is not true. A woman may abort her baby well into the third trimester. In fact, as long as the umbilical cord is intact and the baby is still inside, the mother may murder her child. That’s US law.

Why does she think we’re having all of the fights about partial-birth abortion? Those are not done until after viability.

The court based these conclusions on a constitutional right to privacy. So the decision to have an abortion is a private matter between a woman and her doctor!

Too bad the babies aren’t consulted. I wonder what their input would be?

There are myriad reasons a pregnant woman might choose an abortion. It is no one else's business. Ideally, there are no adverse health consequences to a full-term pregnancy.

A second point. Kirkland readily makes the inference that any woman having an abortion will assuredly suffer long-term pain and regret. What he fails to note is that carrying a pregnancy to term can have long-lasting health consequences and/or death.

Abortion has been around as long as women have been getting pregnant. There are no easy answers to this issue. I support the Supreme Court's decision and believe women should have access to safe and legal abortions. I also believe that education is a key factor in preventing an unplanned pregnancy. There are many safe, effective and inexpensive birth control methods available today. It is beyond me that there are those in our legislatures and communities who strive to limit people's access and education to them.

Yes, Larry Kirkland, every child should be a wanted child. It takes all of us to work towards that end both in the United States and around the world.

Nancy Maxeiner, Viola

Latah Eagle/Boomerang to cease print edition

As reported in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

Kai Eiselein, publisher of the weekly Eagle/Boomerang, made a gut-wrenching business decision earlier this week.

The community newspaper he purchased in July ceased publication of a print edition, but will continue its online presence.

The economy has hit his advertisers hard and many accounts receivable are not current, he said. That makes it difficult to meet business obligations.

"There comes a time when you have to stop digging a hole," he said. "It's the only way to keep the paper alive."

Eiselein is hopeful enough back advertising money will come in to be able to restart the print edition in March.

"We're looking toward that," he said.

The Eagle and Boomerang newspapers have existed in Latah and Whitman counties under various names for about 100 years.

Eiselein combined the two when he bought them from previous editor-publisher LuJane Nisse. He was an editor for Nisse for a number of years.

The Eagle/Boomerang will be available free online at www.eagle-boomerang.com.

Hard times for the print newspapers.

And, of course, there’s no money to be made by online publishing.

Shirley Ringo Legislative Update

The following is from Idaho District 6 liberal Democrat, Rep. Shirley Ringo:

One of the early and critically important actions of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee involves the official projection of general fund revenue for fiscal years 2010 and 2011.  This is an action with great political implications.  Those who are extremely conservative and push for reduced state-funded programs will try for a low number.  On Friday, February 12, JFAC will probably take action.  In all probability, the projection for FY 2010 will be 3% below the Governor's recommendation, and the projection for FY 2011 will be 6% below the Governor's recommendation.

It seems to me that the projections that JFAC keeps coming out with is always more optimistic than the actual numbers that result. If anything, I would say that the politics keeps telling the JFAC to not be as accurate as possible, but look through the budget with rose-colored glasses.

The Republican majority is determined to deal with reduced revenue by using reserve funds and cutting support for programs.  I believe a more balanced approach would also require certain revenue enhancement.

It appears that Ringo’s phrase “revenue enhancement” is a euphemism for “increase taxes.”

Here’s one for you: why don’t you raise taxes on just the Democrats, since they love to pay taxes so much.

People in District 6 and around the state need to decide whether the narrow approach taken by the Republican majority takes us in the right direction.  Here are some of the results:

• Phase out state support for Public Television, the Human Rights Commission, the Hispanic Commission, the Independent Living Council, the Developmental Disabilities Council, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Council, and the Digital Learning Academy.  (JFAC will probably not act on these recommendations unless the appropriate policy committees concur.)
• Medicaid will charge user fees for parents of children with disabilities.  (These fees are to be on a sliding scale, based upon gross income.  This is problematic because of expenditures parents must make to provide for the special needs of their children.)
• Greatly reduced support for State Parks.  This requires a business model that has not been successful in other states and a reduction of 25 positions.
• Further reductions in support for Higher Education, requiring furloughs, cuts in programs and higher student fees.  Proposed cuts in Professional/Technical Education could result in the need to return millions of dollars to the federal government.
• Reduced support for Agricultural Research and Extension Service may force closure of a number of Research and Extension Centers.
• Deeper cuts will challenge the Department of Corrections.  The prison population is growing.  Further cuts will require furloughs and add challenges with respect to supervision.

It is clear that reductions in spending are required, and we must be creative in seeking efficiencies.  However, cuts can be damaging.  Loss of jobs for state employees and cuts in some services will have serious effects on the private sector and their ability to create and sustain employment.

OK, how does that work? It’s always been my experience that the government just gets in the way of the private sector. And government workers now have better pay and benefits than the corresponding private sector employee.

I will propose these measures to enhance revenue:

• 5% surcharge on income tax for those with more than $50,000 taxable income.  (For example, a family of four earning approximately $75,000 would have taxable income over $50,000.  The 5% surcharge would add about $164 to their yearly tax.)
• Partially freeze growth of the Grocery Tax Credit.  (The credit has been increasing by $10 per person per year, with the goal of reaching $100 per person per year.) 
• Hire additional compliance officers to recover unpaid taxes owed to the state.
• Impose an additional 50-cent per pack tax on cigarettes.
• (One of my colleagues has a proposal to collect taxes on internet sales.)

The Governor opposes the partial freeze of the grocery tax credit saying, "This is a promise we must keep."  In 2006, we held a special session at the call of acting Governor James Risch.  The purpose was to shift support of public education from an automatic property tax assessment to the sales tax.  To confirm their support of this shift, citizens were asked to vote on raising the sales tax from 5% to 6% for the purpose of "protecting education."  Approximately two years later, legislators voted to increase the grocery tax credit in stages.  When the incremental changes are complete, it will cost the state about half of the money gained by the 6% sales tax to "protect education."  It would seem that we broke our promise to the people when we raided funds available to education to pay for a new program.

It was an awful idea to shift from state tax to sales tax back in 1996. I was against it at the time, and I’m still against it.

However, Ringo should know that taxing people to eat is worse than taxing them to support government education. Remember Maslow: food, clothing, shelter?

I will appreciate hearing from you regarding your questions or opinions.

Representative Shirley Ringo

Cruel Logic: Ideas have Consequences

Ideas have consequences.

A brilliant serial killer videotapes his debates with college faculty victims.

The topic: His moral right to kill them.

Written and directed by Brian Godawa.

HT: Yoost N.

Ignorant liberals in denial? How Planned Parenthood Duped America

While I have no doubt that some liberals are ignorant, and some are in denial, I fear that the vast majority are going into this with their eyes wide open and in the full knowledge of what they are doing. And while they claim to be anything but racist, the outcome of their words and deeds shows otherwise.

This is from the website Black Genocide.

At a March 1925 international birth control gathering in New York City, a speaker warned of the menace posed by the "black" and "yellow" peril. The man was not a Nazi or Klansman; he was Dr. S. Adolphus Knopf, a member of Margaret Sanger's American Birth Control League (ABCL), which along with other groups eventually became known as Planned Parenthood.

Sanger's other colleagues included avowed and sophisticated racists. One, Lothrop Stoddard, was a Harvard graduate and the author of The Rising Tide of Color against White Supremacy. Stoddard was something of a Nazi enthusiast who described the eugenic practices of the Third Reich as "scientific" and "humanitarian." And Dr. Harry Laughlin, another Sanger associate and board member for her group, spoke of purifying America's human "breeding stock" and purging America's "bad strains." These "strains" included the "shiftless, ignorant, and worthless class of antisocial whites of the South."

Not to be outdone by her followers, Margaret Sanger spoke of sterilizing those she designated as "unfit," a plan she said would be the "salvation of American civilization.: And she also spike of those who were "irresponsible and reckless," among whom she included those " whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers." She further contended that "there is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped." That many Americans of African origin constituted a segment of Sanger considered "unfit" cannot be easily refuted.

While Planned Parenthood's current apologists try to place some distance between the eugenics and birth control movements, history definitively says otherwise. The eugenic theme figured prominently in the Birth Control Review, which Sanger founded in 1917. She published such articles as "Some Moral Aspects of Eugenics" (June 1920), "The Eugenic Conscience" (February 1921), "The purpose of Eugenics" (December 1924), "Birth Control and Positive Eugenics" (July 1925), "Birth Control: The True Eugenics" (August 1928), and many others.

These eugenic and racial origins are hardly what most people associate with the modern Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), which gave its Margaret Sanger award to the late Dr. Martin Luther King in 1966, and whose current president, Faye Wattleton, is black, a former nurse, and attractive.

Though once a social pariah group, routinely castigated by religious and government leaders, the PPFA is now an established, high-profile, well-funded organization with ample organizational and ideological support in high places of American society and government. Its statistics are accepted by major media and public health officials as "gospel"; its full-page ads appear in major newspapers; its spokespeople are called upon to give authoritative analyses of what America's family policies should be and to prescribe official answers that congressmen, state legislator and Supreme Court justiices all accept as "social orthodoxy."

HT: Rod D. Martin

Thanks to Barack, as many as 12 Senate seats are winnable by the GOP

From The Washington Times:

The long-shot bid by Republicans to retake control of the Senate is suddenly in play, as the prospect of high-profile Republican candidates entering the fray has pushed the GOP even or ahead in polling for 10 races.

The potential candidacies of former Republican Govs. George E. Pataki in New York and Tommy G. Thompson in Wisconsin are improving the polling fortunes of the party as it pursues seats long in the hands of Democrats, while the anti-government "tea party" movement has provided momentum to Republican challengers in states such as Florida, Arkansas and Pennsylvania.

And here is the Zogby kicker:

"If the election were held today, the Republicans could come close to winning back the Senate, if not actually win it," said pollster John Zogby.

Republicans are solidly ahead to take at least five seats now held by Democrats — in North Dakota, Delaware, Nevada, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. Five more are now considered winnable — Colorado, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and even liberal New York. Two other races, in California and Washington, are tightening daily.

But here’s the rub for the GOP: no one wants the same kind of Republicans in office that we had rubber stamping George Bush’s big-spending agenda for eight years. They need to find true-blue conservatives.

Good luck with that.

HT: Rod D. Martin

L.A. Confidential: Seeking Reasons for Autism's Rise

From the Wall Street Journal:

Why is a child born in northwest Los Angeles four times as likely to be diagnosed with autism as a child born elsewhere in California?

Medical experts have pondered for years why autism rates have soared nationwide, and why the disorder appears to be much more prevalent in certain communities than in others. Now, some recent studies that zero in on California may shed some light on these baffling questions.

Researchers from Columbia University, in a study published in the current Journal of Health & Place, identified an area including West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and some less posh neighborhoods that accounted for 3% of the state's new cases of autism every year from 1993 to 2001, even though it had only 1% of the population.

Another recent study, from the University of California, Davis, published in Autism Research, also found high rates of autism in children born around Los Angeles, as well as nine other California locations. Autism, usually diagnosed before a child is 3 years old, is a developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and repetitive behavior.

Both of the California-based studies suggest that local environmental or social factors are driving the high autism-diagnosis rates. And they conclude that childhood vaccinations—which some people fear is a factor behind rising autism—are not to blame. Otherwise, diagnoses of the disorder would be more evenly dispersed, they say.

The studies also disagree on some points. According to the UC Davis study, greater concentrations of autism occur in communities where parents are highly educated, which could mean they have more awareness of autism and access to treatment. By contrast, the Columbia researchers discount the role of educational levels. They believe that social influences, such as shared information about diagnoses, doctors and services, are largely responsible for the high rates they found in parts of Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles itself, residents have a variety of explanations for the high autism rates, ranging from a family's affluence and the activity of autism-advocacy groups to past air and water pollution.
…
On average, one in 110 American 8-year-olds had an autism spectrum disorder in 2006, an increase of 57% since 2002, according to a December report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some parts of the U.S. are seeing much higher rates than others: Metropolitan Phoenix, for example, has twice the prevalence as northern Alabama.

Whether those differences reflect actual higher risk in different regions, differences in awareness among local residents, or simply variations in record keeping is something the CDC is trying to untangle.

"We still don't know what causes autism, and we don't know a lot of the underlying factors, so we can't rule out the possibility that there are differences in the distribution of risk factors." says Jon Bai, a CDC epidemiologist.

Theories abound to explain the steep increase that has occurred in recent years. Some experts attribute it to genetic changes within families. But others say genetic changes wouldn't occur so quickly and instead they blame environmental toxins or childhood vaccinations.

HT: Bill J.

Group Blasts IU for Refusing Speaker

How often this story is repeated, from campus to campus across America.

From Campus Reform:

Campus reformers at Indiana University are fighting back against gross liberal bias and bureaucracy to bring free thought, and a free market thinker, to campus.

IU’s Union Board Lecture Committee turned down free market champion Dr. Thomas Woods as a campus lecturer because he lacked “sufficient academic credibility” in the opinion of the IU Economics Department.

But Dr. Woods was educated at Columbia and Harvard, works as a Mises Institute senior scholar, and has written nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse.

And IU previously hosted disgraced liberal John Edwards for $35,000, as well as “controversial sex columnist” Dan Savage, far-left feminist Jessica Valenti, prominent atheist Richard Dawkins, and “hip hop intellectual” Marc Lamont Hill.

To put it simply: it’s Dr. Woods’ principles — not his credentials — that IU doesn’t like.

So campus reformers are now taking action. The IU Young Americans for Liberty, who invited Dr. Woods, are fundraising to bring Dr. Woods to campus on their own. They have raised 40 percent of the $4000 they need thanks to the generosity of concerned IU alumni and champions of liberty across the country.

HT: Dr. A

Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration

Half-way across the globe,
And we're standing on new ground
Screaming 'cross the waves
You can't hear a sound
There's no fair trials, no trade, no liberties
No tea!
We've colonized America. We won't stand for tyranny!
O king:

And its too late to apologize.
Its too late!
I said its too late to apologize
Its too late!

We've paid your foolish tax, read the acts
And they just wont do.
We want to make it clear, we believe this much is true:
All men were created with certain

Unalienable rights!
Among these are life-liberty, and the pursuit
Of happiness!

Its too late to apologize!
Its too late!
I said Its too late to apologize!
Its too late!

Its too late to apologize!
Its too late!
I said its too late apologize!
Its too late!

I said its too late to apologize! Yeah!
Its too late!
I said its too late to apologize, yeah!

Half-way across the globe
And we're standing on new ground

“Instead of relying on thermometers, we should listen to Mother Earth.”

In this article, the author says that we should disregard what the thermometers say (since they are clearly lying to us), and go with our feelings on Global Warming.

You’ve got to love the “AGW faithful”. As I’ve said before, they have more faith and more credulity than any fundamentalist I’ve ever met. From New Jersey dot com.

Polls indicate an alarming percentage of Americans have doubts about global warming, even to the point of suspecting that scientists are lying about the data. Much of the bluster centers on whether or not it has been colder this year than last.

Instead of relying on thermometers, we should listen to Mother Earth.

Love it.

HT: David D.

Legislative Update #1 from Rep. Tom Trail

From Rep. Tom Trail (R-Moscow).

Constituents:

In what may be the highlight of the Idaho Legislative session was the opening and dedication of the new remodeled Capitol Building. After three years of work the job was completed on time and on budget. The total cost was $120 million and financed through the sale of bonds supported by a tax on tobacco. The bonds will be paid off in 2023. Everyone is delighted in the great job on the Capitol. The Capitol still has its classical and traditional look, but the presence of light in all corners of the building is outstanding. The two new underground wings add an additional 50,000 sq. ft. My office last year was a 4’ x 5’ cubical! The new one is 12’x 15’.

The Governor’s State of the State address did congratulate both BSU and University of Idaho football teams on their bowl victories. Frankly, I would have liked to have heard some words about academic and research work in recognition of our Idaho institutions. Nothing was said about our most important industry, Agriculture. The University of Idaho, the agribusiness sector, and the Department of Agriculture, for example, have demonstrated a great example of working together to continue the operation of the Parma, Tetonia, and Sandpoint Research Stations. It would also have been appropriate to indicate that last year the University of Idaho went from $80 million/year to $90 million/year in research contracts and that BSU went from $12 million to $11 million. The University of Idaho also has 65 National Merit Scholars as compared to about 5 at BSU.

The state of the Idaho economy may be turning around according to some economists, but it is hard to ascertain this when you talk to individual legislators about local economic conditions. The unemployment rate hovers around 9.2% but is certainly higher when you consider those individuals whose benefits have expired. They are not even on the radar so a true unemployment rate may be around 12%. During the past 20 years in north Idaho, for example, the total number of board feet of timber harvested has dropped from 2 billion to 1 billion board feet. The number of Jobs has decreased from 20,000 to 13,000 during the same time span. Agricultural gate receipts have dropped to about $5.7 billion last year. This is down about 17% compared to the previous year. Micron earned a profit of $200 million the past quarter which may be a positive sign in the technology sector. However, the majority of legislators complain that all of the positive signs from D.C. that we have turned the corner on the economic recovery just isn’t visible here in Idaho as of yet.

The Governor did commit $1 million to the Idaho Tax Commission to hire part time auditors to go after individuals and companies who have not paid an estimated $300 million in taxes each year. The Tax Commission conservatively estimates a return of $6 for every $1 dollar spent on salaries and benefits for the auditors. Past efforts have reaped a return of almost 1 to 12. I certainly support this effort. Supporters from both sides of the aisle have advocated that the $1.8 billion granted in 75 tax exemptions be examined. This is a concept that I’ve worked on for a number of years. Those organizations need to prove to the State that their exemptions truly do benefit the state. I will be introducing legislation to sunset all exemptions and set up a system to evaluate whether or not exemptions do or do not benefit the state. If an exemption is not benefiting the state then those funds could flow back to the General Fund to support, for example, education.

The Governor is also recommending phasing out funding for Hispanic Affairs, human rights, independent living, developmental disabilities and the deaf and hearing impaired realizing a savings of $2.5 million. I disagree with these cuts because they impact programs directed at our some of our citizens in greatest need. It is a priority of our government to provide services for those in greatest need in our society. The Governor is also proposing cuts over four years for Idaho Public Television totaling $1.5 million.

Public schools will be subject to a 1.6 percent holdback or a total of $28 million. Higher Education will take an additional hit of about $15 million. During the past year, for example, the University of Idaho lost about $19 million in state funding. Since 1980 higher education funding has decreased from 18% to about 8% of the state budget. The Governor did budget $1 million in scholarships for the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship Program. Otter said we badly need the best and the brightest of our Idaho young people to get their educations here and stay for productive and fulfilling careers. He also proposed a 0.55% decrease for Community Colleges. The Governor did say that when the economy turns around that Public Education and Higher Education would be the highest priorities to receive additional funds.

There will be more specifics as we move ahead in the session.

Please send me your ideas and suggestions.  

'Gentleman's club' rumors abound in Moscow: Officials say no plans for such a business have come before the city for approval

“Gentleman’s Club” is an interesting euphemism for strip club.

As reported in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

Rumors of a potential gentleman's club in Moscow are swirling, but evidence if such an establishment is coming and where it would go is still emerging.

In early January an ad for Flames, "a new bar and gentleman's type club," appeared in the jobs section of the Pullman/Moscow Craigslist Web site seeking bouncers, servers, entertainers and other staff, stating that the bar would be "opening soon in Moscow, Idaho."

The ad has since expired and is no longer viewable.

E-mail inquiries to the ad seeking comment were not returned.

Community Development Director Bill Belknap said currently no permit applications or other paperwork concerning such a business is before the city, but acknowledged that the rumors have reached his office as well.

Belknap said the Flames ad is the first time he has heard of such a posting on Craigslist, but not the first time someone has contacted the city about potentially opening a similar business in the area.

"We have fielded calls once a year or every two years from people inquiring about similar businesses, but nothing has ever come of it and nothing has ever come before the planning and zoning commission," he said.