Mr. Independent Becomes Dirty Harry

OMG, Dirty Harry is at it again. Somehow in his world when a Republican does something that even slightly resembles an ethics problem, Mr. Reid is pounding the podium over it. But when he’s found with his hand firmly in the cookie jar, he claims super human integrity…

Reid Attended Boxing Matches Paid By Nevada Athletic Commission

WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid accepted free ringside tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission to three professional boxing matches while that state agency was trying to influence him on federal regulation of boxing.

Reid, D-Nev., took the free seats for Las Vegas fights between 2003 and 2005 as he was pressing legislation to increase government oversight of the sport, including the creation of a federal boxing commission that Nevada’s agency feared might usurp its authority.

He defended the gifts, saying they would never influence his position on the bill and was simply trying to learn how his legislation might affect an important home state industry. “Anyone from Nevada would say I’m glad he is there taking care of the state’s No. 1 businesses,” he told The Associated Press.

Well Mr. Reid, I’m from Nevada, and I think the whole thing stinks from your swindling of the Nevada populace with your “Independent Like Nevada” campaign right down to your grasp of what ethics are.

Mr. Reid, you’ve consistently been an embarrassment to the state of Nevada, it’s high time you thought about who’s interest exactly you have been representing, the people of the state, or your own.

Things That Make Me Happy

People who get what they deserve…

Anti-War Protesters Pepper Sprayed at Port of Olympia

OLYMPIA, Washington — Police fired pepper spray as about 150 anti-war protesters tried to enter the Port of Olympia as part of ongoing demonstrations against the shipment of Army equipment to Iraq.

Protesters chanted “Out of Olympia, Out of Iraq” as they rocked a chain-link gate to the port late Monday, and at least three tried to use wooden boards to pry the gate open, The Olympian newspaper reported. …

Police and sheriff’s deputies clad in riot gear fired at least four rounds of pepper spray in an hour after asking the demonstrators several times to stop, authorities said. No one was arrested, but paramedics were dispatched to treat some activists.

And then they act surprised when someone takes action…

Dozens of demonstrators crouched in the port plaza, dousing each other’s eyes with water and offering slices of onion to soothe their throats.

“It burned. I couldn’t open my eyes for 20 minutes,” said Rachel Graham, among those hit. “My face is burning. I dunked my face in water and in Puget Sound.”

Lesson here…

Don’t try to break down a fence of a port or a military installation; it could be hazardous to your health.

The Slippery Slope: Evil 101

Abortion on demand:

Late terminations have been performed in recent years because the babies had club feet, official figures show.

Babies are being aborted with only minor defects.
Other babies were destroyed because they had webbed fingers or extra digits.

Such defects can often be corrected with a simple operation or physiotherapy.

The revelation sparked fears that abortion is increasingly being used to satisfy couples’ desire for the ‘perfect’ baby.

A leading doctor said people were right to be ‘totally shocked’ that abortions were being carried out for such conditions.

But why should anyone be shocked? It’s only tissue, like an appendix, right?

Remarkable pictures recently have revealed how at just 23 weeks baby in the womb appears to smile, yawn and flinch in pain.

In 2004 it emerged a baby was aborted at 28 weeks after scans showed it had a cleft palate. Curate Joanna Jepson tried to ensure criminal charges were brought against the two doctors involved but the authorities last year decided against prosecution.

She however vowed to continue in her fight to make terminations illegal after 24 weeks and to ensure cleft palates were not included within the term ’serious handicap’ and used to justify late abortions.

Ms Jepson reacted angrily to news of the club foot abortions.

‘The law was not designed for this,’ she said. ‘Actions like these are fostering a disposable attitude to human life and I’m extremely concerned it is going on.

‘I am appalled that the medical profession is allowing or even suggesting abortions for these conditions.’

A disposable attitude toward human life indeed. How can abortion be anything else?

24 Weeks. But it’s just tissue, and a woman has an inalienable right to kill “it,” right?

Freedom isn’t Free: Kelly Strong, Commander, USCG

There are few sites more moving, and more appropriate to this Memorial Day than The International War Veterans’ Poetry Archive. Browsing this growing work of art would be a tribute to those brave men and women who have given their lives for us all.

One of my favorites is by Commander Kelly Strong:

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze;
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform,
So young, so tall, so proud;
With hair cut square and eyes alert,
He’d stand out in any crowd.

I thought… how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers’ tears?

How many pilots’ planes shot down
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers’ graves
No, Freedom is not Free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still;
I listened to the bugler play,
And felt a sudden chill;

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant “Amen”
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend;

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands.
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea,
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No. Freedom is not Free!

©Copyright 1981 by Kelly Strong

Cmdr Strong may be contacted by email at:
kellystrong@aol.com

Video Friday – Gator Growl Military Video

Who Cares!!!

Apparently, more people than care about their own government.

Taylor Hicks Wins ‘American Idol’

HOLLYWOOD — Taylor Hicks, the silver-haired crooner from Birmingham, Ala., was crowned the “American Idol” Wednesday night, in what will surely go down as the most-watched season finale of 2006.

First, why is this the TOP headline on Fox News this morning?

Second, has America become so shallow that a second rate, rigged, specticle of a TV show, gathers more votes than any presidential candidate in history?

Sad really.

Apathy will be the death of us.

Random Email of the Day

From: Dave
To: Matthew
Subject: Election Reminder…

This morning in the snack room at my golf club, a buddy had a strange request. He asked, “Go stand in front of that mirror over there and look straight at yourself while I ask you one question.”

I said, “What’s this all about?”

He said, “Go ahead. It’s just sort of an experiment.”

So I stood before the mirror trying to figure out who was the bigger nut, me for standing at the mirror or him asking me to do so. He went on, “Now, look straight at yourself while I ask you one question….and tell me your straight-out answer.”

Figuring to humor his request I said okay. What’s the question I wanted to know.

He asked this: “As an American, do you believe English should be the one and only language spoken in all U.S. schools, in the business sectors, in restaurants, shops, and all public places within and throughout the United States?”

Staring at my reflection in the mirror I said, “Of course.”

Then he handed me the below-

Want to know how your US Senator voted in yesterday’s (17 May, 2006) vote to make English the official language of the USA? The roll call is below. I guess all the people who voted NAY have some other language in mind. The NAY votes in bold so they stand out If your senator voted no then you may want to give them a call…or you may agree with them.

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Nay
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Not Voting
Burns (R-MT), Yea
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Nay
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Chafee (R-RI), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
Coburn (R-OK), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Yea
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Nay
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Nay
Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Frist (R-TN), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Yea
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Jeffords (I-VT), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Nay
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Not Voting
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Nay
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Nay
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Not Voting
Salazar (D-CO), Nay
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Nay
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Nay

I wonder indeed what other language we should speak… I nominate German… or French… yeah French, I think that’s appropriate.

Anybody got a white flag?

Have you seen the LOWLIFES!!!

Cops Seek Couple Accused in Grisly Videotape Rape, Murder

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police are searching the Kansas City area Wednesday for a couple accused of raping, beating and strangling a 41-year-old woman and burying her in a shallow grave.

Richard Davis and Dena Riley of Independence, Mo., have been on the run since Friday when police discovered a videotape of the deadly assault of Marsha Spicer in the couple’s apartment.

The couple was sighted Sunday in Perryville, Mo., at the Hilltop Apartment Complex, FOX News has learned.

If you see these lowlifes contact the Kansas City, Mo. PD

Politics is Messy

To anyone who is wondering why I have not been posting much lately, the answer is simple. I have been busier than a one legged man trying to win a butt kicking contest. (Yeah I know I changed it… but it fits better with that analogy). Not only in my personal life (don’t get me started), but in my political hobbyist life too.

Being a director of an Independent Conservative PAC is a lot of work, especially when you ruffle a few feathers. People get caught up here on the word Conservative, and assume that that means Republican. While it is true that we seek to endorse Conservative candidates, those candidates are not always Republican, nor are all Republican candidates truly conservative. Sometimes it is a toss up; there may be several well qualified candidates in a race (especially in the primaries).

Invariably in these situations someone can feel jilted. That’s unfortunate as most of the time it comes down to a simple vote of the organization. But what is more telling is the reaction that any one candidate (or candidates supporters) may have.

Apparently my PAC, Nevada Independent Conservative PAC, a grass roots conservative political action organization, has been turning heads. Why, it is certainly not because of the money we provide, we prefer a different approach. Our members walk neighborhoods, talk to voters, call for candidates, and generally just get off their butts, and get involved. This type of action is invaluable and unquantifiable. It means more than money, and allows monetarily disadvantaged candidates to make a showing. It’s a new movement that takes the power of the green backs away from the “frontrunners”. It doesn’t work all the time and it doesn’t work alone, but it does change the dynamics of the campaign. To many in the established status quo, it’s scary. An election cannot be bought anymore (if this catches on) and the outcomes become far from certain.

It is funny then how people react. The latest of the mud slinging, implicates our organization, a PAC that exists for its members, and is guided by its conservative ideals, in a money for endorsement “scandal”. I find this funny and absurd for several reasons.

First, it all revolves around one person, our former chairman, who after founding NICPAC, found his niche in helping to run campaigns for a political action company. His skills and unique thinking quickly lead him to move up in the company, and attract many clients. The deal is that this energetic political activist caught the attention of candidates that NICPAC happened to endorse (as well as others). His implicated “immorality” here appears to be his zeal, and maybe just a little naivety.

Ah, live and learn I guess.

So upon hearing of this “scandal” (I use “scandal” in quotes because so far it’s just an anonymous commenter making a stink on a well read local Blog) this individual stepped down from his chairmanship. Sadly a great loss for us, but that simply shows his dedication to his clients.

Second, you would think that a PAC that was selling its endorsements would have something to show for it… NICPAC has exactly $30 in the bank (as of today, because I donated money for a project), while we are currently planning some great fundraisers (because grassroots alone won’t get the whole job done) we have never concentrated on money. We always put our members first. Up until now, it has been free to join NICPAC. Our strength has always been our action. Given all of that, I wonder where all of this money we supposedly sold our endorsements for went. I would love to spend it on a few candidates that need help.

Third, it’s funny that the attacks are coming from the shadows (the comfort of anonymity must be nice, you never have to prove anything, and you never have to take credit), as NICPAC has always been open and transparent. And in response we are becoming more open and more transparent. We will not compromise our standards just because of a vocal poltergeist trying to muddy the waters.

So NICPAC soldiers on, assisting our candidates, pushing our initiatives, helping other PAC’s with similar goals, and serving our members. But now I am sure you can see why blogging has gone to the wayside. These events, the busy primary season as well as the initiative deadline have been taking up all of my spare time. Hopefully it will improve in the near future. Thanks for reading my rant, it felt good to write it and get it off my chest.

39 Heroes: The Iraqi Government

Doesn’t matter if you agree with the war in Iraq or not. You can still salute these brave men and women who have put their lives, and the lives of their families, on the line to create a new democracy. Bravo:

Prime minister: Nouri al-Maliki, Shiite.
Deputy prime minister: Barham Saleh, Kurd.
Deputy prime minister: Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie, Sunni Arab.
Acting interior minister: al-Maliki (also prime minister).
Acting defense minister: al-Zubaie (also deputy prime minister).
Oil minister: Hussain al-Shahristani, Shiite.
Finance minister: Bayan Jabr, Shiite.
Trade minister: Abed Falah al-Sudani, Shiite.
Foreign minister: Hoshyar Zebari, Kurd.
Justice minister: Hashim al-Shebli, Sunni Arab.
Electricity minister: Karim Waheed, Shiite.
Industry minister: Fawzi al-Hariri, Kurd.
Water resources minister: Latif Rashid, Kurd.
Housing and construction minister: Bayan Dazee, Kurdish woman.
Agriculture minister: Yarrub Nazim, Shiite.
Education minister: Khudayer Al-Khuzaie, Shiite
Higher education minister: Abed Theyab, Sunni Arab.
Health minister: Ali Al-Shemari, Shiite.
Transport minister: Karim Mahdi, Shiite.
Migration minister: Abdul-Samad Rahman, Shiite.
Acting minister of state for national security: Saleh (also deputy prime minister).
Minister of state for civil society affairs: Adel al-Assadi, Shiite.
Minister of state for House of Representatives affairs: Safa al-Safi, Shiite.
Youth and sports minister: Jassim Mohammed Jaafar, Shiite.
Minister of state for tourism and archaeology affairs: Liwa Semeism, Shiite.
Planning and development cooperation minister: Ali Baban, Sunni Arab.
Communications minister: Mohammed Twafiq, Shiite.
Labor and social affairs minister: Mahmoud Mohammed al-Radhi, Shiite.
Municipalities and public works minister: Riyad Gharib, Shiite.
Environment minister: Narmin Othman, Kurdish woman.
Culture minister: Assad Kamal Mohammed, Kurd.
Minister of state for womens affairs: Fatin Abdel-Rahman, Sunni Arab woman.
Minister of state for provincial affairs: Saad Tahir Abid, Sunni Arab.
Science and technology minister: Raed Fahmi, Sunni Arab.
Human rights minister: Wijdan Mikaeil, Christian woman.
Minister of state for Foreign Affairs: Rafaa al-Esawi, Sunni Arab.
Minister of national dialogue: Akram al-Hakim, Shiite.
Minister of state: Mohammed Abbas Auraibi, Shiite.
Minister of state: Ali Mohammed Ahmed, Kurd.
Minister of state: Hassan Rhadi Khazim, Shiite.