*Help Needed*

Click here and scroll down to Soldiers Angels and hit enter.

Please. It costs you nothing.

Please pass this along.

From The Jawa Report:

It's this simple. Click here. Scroll down and pick Soldier's Angels. Enter.

You just gave Soldier's Angels $2. That's it. And it didn't cost you a dime!

Squidoo.com decided they have $80,000 to give to charity, so they're letting people vote on which charity to give to. One vote = $2 until all the money is given away or until Oct. 15th when voting ends.

No gimmicks. They didn't even ask for an e-mail so they could spam you later. If they don't get 40,000 people to vote they'll just divide the money up proportionally.

Please pass this along to other bloggers, friends, and family members.

Corrupt DemocRats caused this!

YouTube keeps removing this video because it tells the inconvenient truth about the "Economic Meltdown" we're going through.

I've gotten this from several blogs via email.

Watch it and then pass it on to everyone you know. The truth shall set us free, but it won't if you don't do your part.

PEOPLE SHOULD GO TO PRISON OVER THIS.

But more than likely, they'll get away scott-free, just like they always do. I'm so pissed-off about this, I can hardly see straight.

(FYI: The video goes kind of fast, so you'll have to hit "pause" to read some of the stuff.)


If for some reason this one is removed, go here or here.

Added:

What a joke!

Does this guy even know how much of a buffoon he really is?

Oh well, one more POS TV show that I don't have to watch...

Jesse Ventura working on new series for truTV

MINNEAPOLIS — Jesse Ventura will be working on a new conspiracy-theory series for truTV.

Production of a pilot featuring Ventura begins next month. The project comes from A. Smith & Co. Productions, which also produces "Hell's Kitchen" and "Trading Spaces."

Ventura will travel the country, investigating cases and getting input from believers and skeptics before passing judgment on a theory's validity.

"Ventura will hunt down answers, plunging viewers into a world of secret meetings, midnight surveillance, shifty characters and dark forces," truTV said in a statement. [LOL! What an idiot!]

Ventura, a former pro wrestler and Minnesota governor, hosted a weekly talk show that lasted two months on MSNBC in 2003. He was also a TV commentator for the XFL, an alternative football league that folded after airing for one season on NBC in 2000. Elected governor in 1998, he did not run for re-election in 2002.

Part of the "New Greatest Generation"

This guy is a true warrior and patriot. There are thousands more just like him.

Semper Fi Garrett!


From Pat Dollard via Castle Argghhh!!!

Idiot of the day.

Los Angeles mayor announces bold housing plan

By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press Writer Tue Sep 30, 6:53 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled a $5 billion plan to provide 20,000 affordable homes in the city over the next five years, but acknowledged he'll have to reach far and wide to raise the funds amid the financial meltdown.

"This is the least affordable big city in America," the mayor said at a press conference Monday. "I'll go to Washington and New York. I'll go to the Middle East, to China. We'll knock on every door that we have to."

Villaraigosa said he has already lined up the first investor, Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit financier of affordable housing that has pledged $700 million. That will be on top of $1 billion — $200 million a year from federal grants, state housing bonds and local taxes — that had already been earmarked for housing and will be used to leverage more investment.

The rest of the funds will come from a combination of philanthropists, private lenders and government grants, the mayor said.

He noted that while bank loans are drying up because of the credit squeeze, other sources are available. The city last Friday received an unexpected federal grant of $33 million to buy foreclosed homes and turn them into affordable housing, he noted.

"Other doors will open that will offset that closure," Villaraigosa said.

Others weren't so optimistic.

'Ya think?

Amazings you'll never hear from the MSM...

7 US troops have been killed by hostile fire in Iraq this month. The lowest monthly total since OIF began.



H/T: NewsBusters

When the going gets tough...

...Congress goes on Recess!

That's right, apparently Congress has nothing to do, so they gave themselves the day off today and tomorrow.

Worst. Congress. Ever.

LOL!!! That Mullah Omar...What a jokester!

Good one, Omar!

Let me know how that works out...

Taliban's Omar offers deal to U.S. on withdrawal

Mon Sep 29, 7:04 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Taliban leader Mullah Omar on Monday urged U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan to withdraw or face a similar defeat to occupying Soviet troops a generation ago.

In a rare message, posted on militant websites and monitored by the U.S.-based SITE intelligence group, Omar offered a bargain to the U.S.-led forces that drove the Taliban from power in 2001 but are now fighting a fierce insurgency by the Islamist militia.

"Reconsider your wrong decision of wrong occupation, and seek a safe exit to withdraw your forces," said the message, which the Taliban said came from Omar.

"If you leave our lands, we can arrange for you a reasonable opportunity for your departure," he said, adding that the Taliban posed no harm to anyone in the world.

If the occupation persisted, "you will be defeated in all parts of the world ... like the former Soviet Union," Omar said.

The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to prop up a Marxist government against mujahideen fighters, but was ground down by guerrilla warfare and withdrew in 1988-89.

Omar's apparently conciliatory remarks were reminiscent of statements by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in which he has offered to spare Western countries from attacks if they cease what he calls a war against Muslims. Western governments have always dismissed such offers out of hand.

Actually, I think its kind of the other way around.

We're going to be the ones that arrange for Omar's "reasonable departure" in the near future...

Just like we did with Osama bin Laden.

*SHOCKER*

Since 2001, the DemocRats have blocked efforts to overhaul Fannie May and Freddie Mac 18 TIMES.

Read it here.

H/T: John Lott.

This is wrong.

If the pastor at my church did this, I'd find a new church, no matter which candidate he'd endorsed.

The church is not the place to talk about politics.

33 Pastors Flout Tax Law With Political Sermons

By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 29, 2008; A02

CROWN POINT, Ind., Sept. 28 -- Defying a federal law that prohibits U.S. clergy from endorsing political candidates from the pulpit, an evangelical Christian minister told his congregation Sunday that voting for Sen. Barack Obama would be evidence of "severe moral schizophrenia."

The Rev. Ron Johnson Jr. told worshipers that the Democratic presidential nominee's positions on abortion and gay partnerships exist "in direct opposition to God's truth as He has revealed it in the Scriptures." Johnson showed slides contrasting the candidates' views but stopped short of endorsing Obama's Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain.

Johnson and 32 other pastors across the country set out Sunday to break the rules, hoping to generate a legal battle that will prompt federal courts to throw out a 54-year-old ban on political endorsements by tax-exempt houses of worship.

The ministers contend they have a constitutional right to advise their worshipers how to vote. As Johnson put it during a break between sermons, "The point that the IRS says you can't do it, I'm saying you're wrong."

The campaign, organized by the Alliance Defense Fund, a socially conservative legal consortium based in Arizona, has gotten the attention of the Internal Revenue Service. The agency, alerted by opponents, pledged to "monitor the situation and take action as appropriate."

Each campaign season brings allegations that a member of the clergy has crossed a line set out in a 1954 amendment to the tax code that says nonprofit, tax-exempt entities may not "participate in, or intervene in . . . any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office."

This time, the church action is concerted. Yet while the ministers say the rules stifle religious expression, their opponents contend that the tax laws are essential to protect the separation of church and state. They say political speech should not be supported by a tax break for the churches or the worshipers who are contributing to a political cause.

In an open letter Saturday, a United Church of Christ minister, the Rev. Eric Williams, warned that many members of the clergy are "exchanging their historic religious authority for a fleeting promise of political power," to the detriment of their churches.

Will this be the "October Surprise"?

I'll bet that Barry O'Bama and Rod Blagojevich are pretty nervous right about now...

Attorneys believe Rezko is talking to prosecutors

By MIKE ROBINSON, Associated Press Writer 49 minutes ago

CHICAGO - Convicted political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko has been quietly visiting Chicago's federal courthouse, setting off speculation that he may be spilling secrets to prosecutors in return for a lenient sentence.

Prosecutors investigating Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration would plainly like to hear what Rezko knows, and there is plenty of incentive to talk.

"Jail is horrible and Tony Rezko has just two options," says Jay Stewart, executive director of the Better Government Association. "One option is to do nothing and get a full sentence. The other is to cooperate with prosecutors."

Attorneys with knowledge of the government's investigation of corruption in state government say they are convinced the one-time key fundraiser for Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Sen. Barack Obama is either talking or about to do so.

Two attorneys said Monday they and other lawyers have been contacted by prosecutors seeking to check information that only Rezko could have told them. Both attorneys spoke only on condition of anonymity, saying prosecutors have sought to keep such matters secret as part of the grand jury investigation.

The Chicago Tribune reported Sunday that four lawyers claimed to the newspaper that they have been called by prosecutors with information from Rezko or his attorneys.

Rezko, 53, a one-time millionaire real estate developer and fast-food entrepreneur, raised funds for many Illinois politicians — more than $1 million for Blagojevich. And in return he became one of the governor's key advisers.

He also raised money for Obama's Illinois campaigns but not for his presidential bid. Obama has donated $159,000 in Rezko-related contributions to charity.

Rezko was convicted in June of mail fraud, wire fraud, attempted extortion and money laundering. Witnesses said he launched a scheme to get $7 million in payoffs from a contractor and a group of money management firms that were hoping to do business with state boards stacked with his political allies.

Some of the charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years each.

Rezko attorney William Ziegelmueller declined to comment about the courthouse visits, and attorney Joseph Duffy, the lead counsel at Rezko's trial, did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press on Monday.

Rezko's sentencing on Oct. 28 comes only days before the presidential election. Republican rival John McCain has been running TV ads linking Obama to Rezko. But Obama's name surfaced only briefly at the trial and there was no evidence of wrongdoing on Obama's part.

Rezko also faces trial next year on charges of swindling General Electric Capital Corp. out of $10 million in the sale of a pizza business. The sheer size of the loss could send him to prison for many more years if he is convicted.

And Rezko is also facing allegations in Las Vegas that he failed to pay debts totaling almost $800,000 to three gambling casinos.

"If he is convicted of causing the loss of $10 million he is looking at a very high sentence and that obviously shifts a tremendous amount of leverage to the prosecution side — the only way to get out of that is to cooperate," said former federal prosecutor Anthony Barkow, now executive director of the Center for Administration of Criminal Law at New York University.

He's lucky he wasn't friends with the Clinton's, he'd be dead by now.

This is serious business.

I've never before been really worried about the Economy and my portfolio, but we are in desperate times.

I read this at Flopping Aces:

I can only offer the perspective of someone who manages money for a living, rather than someone who follows politics closely.

The failure of the House to pass the bill – combined with the resulting bickering – will likely lead to a substantial market sell-off. We’re seeing part of that occur right now, but we may well see much worse over the coming days as the inevitable sell-off hits overseas markets, followed up by another collapse at home as forced selling really kicks in and many institutional investors are required to liquidate their leveraged positions. While it would be nice if all this was confined to a few select Wall Street bad apples, the reality is ordinary people will be hurt very badly as their investments deteriorate and the economic environment turns even more negative. Unemployment will likely spike sharply from here, and the lack of available credit will impair many small businesses that rely on credit lines to finance their operations.

How any of this could possibly be construed as a positive for either McCain or the Republican Party is beyond me (and I say this as a life-long Republican)? In fact, it would seem much more likely to me that the House Republicans just handed the election to Obama on a silver platter. Blaming the vote on Pelosi’s antagonistic remarks seems especially dumb, and I expect to see Barney Frank-type comments all over the MSM tonight and throughout the week.

No doubt this was a lousy bill – everyone agrees on that. But the consequences of not passing it, or something like it, are going to be far reaching. Clinging to the “small government” mantra as things collapse around us will probably not resonate well with most voters in November.

Larry Kudlow:

A number of Republican House members and staff, along with others who are plugged in, are telling me that Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats will come back with a new bill that includes all the left-wing stuff that was scrubbed from the bill that was defeated today in the House.

As this scenario goes, the House Democrats need 218 votes, and they have to pick up a number of black and Hispanic House members who jumped ship because the Wall Street provisions, in their view, were too benign. So things like the bankruptcy judges setting mortgage terms and rates, the ACORN slush-fund spending, the union proxy for corporate boards, stricter limits on executive compensation, and much larger equity ownership of selling banks through warrants will all find itself back in the new bill. Of course, this scenario will lose more Republican votes. But insiders tell me President Bush will take Secretary Paulson’s advice and sign that kind of legislation.

Personally, if this scenario plays out, I would probably withdraw my support for the rescue mission and switch to plan B, which would center on the FDIC and its bank-recapitalization powers. The bank-ownership issue, in particular, could lead to heavy nationalization of America’s financial system with a three-house Democratic sweep in November.

I’m not forecasting, because I don’t know the next bill’s content. And while McCain’s polls are heading south, he could still win. But a three-house Dem sweep to implement some of the very onerous provisions being talked about could set up the end of the U.S. financial system as we know it.

The DemocRats could indeed make it a "sweep" in November because of how things are perceived, but we're in this mess primarily because of the DemocRats and the MSM is covering their asses. Unless the Republicans fight back with the truth, they're going to get creamed and this country won't recover from that for generations.

This just proves there are a lot of idiots in the world...

"War on terror" has not weakened al Qaeda: poll

LONDON (al Reuters) - People across the world think the U.S.-led "war on terror" has not weakened al Qaeda and many believe it has actually strengthened Osama bin Laden's network, a poll for the BBC World Service said on Monday.

The poll of almost 24,000 citizens found people in 22 out of 23 countries surveyed thought attempts to counter al Qaeda since its September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States had not weakened it.

The predominant view was that neither side was winning, the BBC said.

"Despite its overwhelming military power, America's war against al Qaeda is widely seen as having achieved nothing better than a stalemate and many believe that it has even strengthened al Qaeda," said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes, which helped carry out the research.

Kenya -- which experienced deadly al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. embassy in 1998 and on an Israeli-owned hotel in 2002 -- was the only country where a majority thought al Qaeda has been weakened.

In the United States, only 34 percent believed al Qaeda had been made weaker with 26 percent reckoning the "war on terror" had had no effect and 33 percent thinking it had made the militants stronger.

The majority U.S. perception was that neither the United States nor al Qaeda were winning.

More than 40 percent of citizens in France, Mexico, Italy, Australia and Britain believed the "war on terror" had strengthened al Qaeda.

While the majority of people questioned had negative views of al Qaeda, more citizens in Egypt and Pakistan had mixed or positive views of the group than negative feelings.

The poll, conducted by GlobeScan with the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, involved 23,937 people in 23 countries between July and September 2008.

I wouldn't doubt that this is one of any number of bogus polls that have been circulated of late.

O'Bama and his prop bracelet.

What a freaking tool!

I don’t have to look at my KIA bracelet to remember his name. I brought his body back from Iraq.

And I didn’t have to look at the MIA bracelet that I wore for almost 20 years before that, either, because I met his parents so I could get to know the man I wore on my wrist.

I’ll never forget their names as long as I live.

But to Barry O’Bama, a KIA bracelet is a political prop, just like the American flag pin he now wears on his lapel. The same one he refused to wear a little while ago…

He’s a disgrace.

Liberalism is a mental-disorder!

As we all know, Liberal "tolerance" is a complete sham.


H/T: American Digest

You should see this movie!

I saw it this afternoon and it was fantastic!



See it this weekend, because I don't know how long it'll be in theaters.

Bill O'Reilley is Ted Baxter

Bill O'Reilley really is a buffoon and I really can't stand to watch him anymore. He knows nothing about Economics, but tries to sound like he does.

But that's probably just because he loves to hear himself talk. He sounds just like his arch-enemy (Keith Olbermann) here.

Mark Levin puts him in his place.

P.S. I think BOR is queer for Jeffery Immelt, since he has to mention him like every show.

H/T: HotAir

The Nanny-State strikes again!

Well Kalifornia nanny-state has struck again.

The Austrian-Oaf signed this into law and it takes effect on January 1st.

I'm sure telling me how many times a day I can urinate won't be too far behind.

Kalifornia has about the worst legislature in the country. These mopes seldom come up with anything meaningful. They come up with crap like this (and the cel-phone ban) to justify their exorbitant salaries, but they can't get a budget passed on time.

Everyone knows you can't legislate stupidity, but these mopes try, at every turn.

Utter failures.

Schwarzenegger signs bill banning texting by motorists

By Edwin Garcia
Mercury News Sacramento Bureau
Article Launched: 09/24/2008 06:08:06 PM PDT

SACRAMENTO — Get ready to remove your fingers from that tiny keyboard while driving.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday signed into law a measure banning motorists from text-messaging and e-mailing while operating a vehicle.

The law, written by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, takes effect Jan. 1.

"Building on legislation already helping save lives in California, I am happy to sign this bill because it further encourages safe and responsible driving," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "Banning electronic text-messaging while driving will keep drivers' hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, making our roadways a safer place for all Californians."

Drivers caught using their phones to write, read or send messages will be hit with a $20 ticket the first time and $50 on each subsequent offense. The penalty is a base fine, which is uniform across the state, but does not include the fees added by local municipalities.

Simitian also is the author of the law that requires motorists to use hands-free devices if they chat on the phone while driving. That law went into effect July 1.

He intended to ban texting shortly before the Legislature approved the hands-free law in 2006, but decided against including the provision in order to improve the hands-free bill's chances of passage.

In pushing for the texting bill, Simitian cited a study that showed that the majority of people who text-message in the United States, also did so while driving.

The texting legislation, SB 28, introduced in June, received overwhelming support in the Legislature.

"Texting while driving seems so obviously unsafe, it's hard to believe anyone would attempt it, yet everyday observation tells us it's all too common," Simitian said. "I think this bill is a lifesaver."

Driver-safety proponents praised the law, though some said the fine is too small.

"I think it ought to be $500 or $1,000 for the first time, and double every time thereafter; it's the only way to get people's attention," said Steve Smith, a consultant to IBM and San Jose resident who gets irked when he sees drivers texting or talking into the phone. "It's clearly not a deterrent at $20," he added, "nor is it worth our enforcement time to hand our $20 tickets."

Simitian said the $20 base fine, which is the same amount for violating the hands-free law, "is likely to cost you close to $100 out of pocket," once penalties and court costs are added.

A third law proposed by Simitian and signed by Schwarzenegger, which took effect July 1, prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from operating a cell phone — whether using voice or text — at the steering wheel of a moving car.

LOL!!! What a joke!

This is just too damned funny!

After a year of protesting the military recruitment office in Berkeley, CodePINK has won its battle: operations at the Marine Recruiting Station have ceased.

Celebrate this accomplishment at CodePINK's one-year "End Recruiting" commemoration, where you can hear testimonies from the peace activists who drove the recruiters out.

CodePINK and our allies have prevailed!

Major protest operations at the MRS have been ended, one year since covert military recruiting operations were first uncovered in Berkeley!

Our coalition is now engaged in dis(as)sembling and deconstructing the U.S. military, making the world safe and secure!

Our city and our coalition are proud of these accomplishments!

Come to our One Year End Recruiting Commemoration Wednesday, Sept 24th noon at the MRS* to honor these courageous Peace Activists!

The only problem with this: The Marine Corps recruiters are still there, still open for business and will be there for the remainder of their lease.

So basically, Code Pink just decided they didn't feel like protesting anymore, declared victory and are moving on.

You can't make this stuff up...

From Weasel Zippers via This Ain't Hell

"Fundamentally sound..."

Right...


H/T: Ace

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

10 points!

I guess that'll teach him to bring a knife to a car-fight!

The Gaffe-o-nator!

HotAir

Sgt. Paul Starzyk - Martinez PD

I read this on an online cop/gun forum that I frequent:

My department has just experienced our first line of duty death since 1973. And it is a real story about police bravery and courage that should be an inspiration to all of us.

The Martinez Police Department dispatch received a 911 call on September 6th at 1135hrs of an ex-husband (SUSPECT 49yrs) who had arrived at his wife’s place of employment, a nail salon, waving a firearm. The ex-wife saw him as he was getting out of his car and locked the front door because of prior threats which resulted in the issuance of a temporary restraining order.

As two (2) MPD officers were en-route, they were updated that the SUSPECT had shattered the front window of the business & was displaying a handgun. Moments before the first officer arrived, the majority of the patrons fled out the back door into a parking lot; the ex-wife hid in a storage closet while the SUSPECT followed the patrons into the rear parking lot. While in the parking lot, the SUSPECT’s teenage daughter confronted him & plead with him to leave; the SUSPECT told his daughter he intended to kill his ex-wife & the rest of his children.

The suspect observed several women in the upstairs portion of the apartments adjacent to the salon. He ran to the upstairs apartment and kicked in the front door as the first MPD unit (Officer Leong) arrived, which was less than two (2) minutes after the first call was received. As Officer Leong exited his vehicle with his HK MP-5, he immediately heard gunshots from the upstairs apartment. Sgt Starzyk arrived within 30 seconds of the first unit & deployed his M-4 rifle. The officers realized they had an active shooter situation.

Sgt Starzyk & Officer Leong ascended the south stairs to the two-story of the apartments. The upstairs apartment windows face the street and there are not any windows on the landing where they approached. As they neared the apartment they encountered an open hallway right with an opposing flat wall. The short 10’ hallway led to opposing apartment doors. At that time, they heard small children & an adult female screaming from inside the apartment; and then two more shots were fired and more screaming.

As they got to the right turn they the took the corner on the fly and the SUSPECT extended his left arm out & around the front door & fired two (2) rounds from a S&W Model 10 .38 handgun, one round struck Sgt Starzyk above is vest in the neck & shoulder. Both Sgt Starzyk & Officer Leong engaged the SUSPECT with multiple .223 & .40 cal rounds. Sgt Starzyk fell to the floor. As Officer Leong tried to pull Sgt. Starzyk to cover, the suspect again began firing from behind the partially closed front door. Officer Leong shielded Sgt. Starzyk and again engaged the SUSPECT, striking him multiple times. At this point, a second K9 unit (Corporal Walkup) arrived & covered Officer Leong as he pulled Sgt. Starzyk to cover. Corporal Walkup sent his K9 into the apartment, locating the SUSPECT inside the front door; the K9 bit the suspect & began dragging him out of the apartment.

As Corporal Walkup approached to view the SUSPECT, he saw that the SUSPECT was still armed and waving the handgun at the K9; Corporal engaged the suspect with his handgun & ended the threat. The SUSPECT was pronounced dead at the scene. The SUSPECT had several .38 rounds in his pockets.

Inside the apartment, three (3) small children were found hiding in a closet, along with a two hysterical females. Another female who was shot in the face, was located in the kitchen. She was the ex-wife’s cousin and a DV advocate. She was also pronounced at the scene. The deceased female was actually shielding another female who was located under the victims’ body. The survivors were removed from the apartment while additional units arrived to assist Sgt Starzyk.

I am sad to report that Sgt. Starzyk died from the single gun shot wound at a local hospital. Five (5) civilians survived this incident because of the bravery, courage and sacrifice of Sgt. Paul A. Starzyk and the bravery and courage of Officer Ian Leong and Corporal Glenn Walkup.

We all know that our officers and deputies are the only ones standing between the Felix Sandoval’s of the world and their potential victims. Sgt. Starzyk leaves behind a wife, Deputy Shannon Starzyk (Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office) and children, Vincent 6, Jacob 4, and Jessica 20 months. He is also survived by his parents, Marvin and Ann Starzyk and three sisters all from Illinois.

The outpouring of support by the local, state and federal agencies has been overwhelming. Please pass this story on to your Police and Deputy Sheriff’s Associations. We have received numerous inquiries from all over the county about the story and the memorial fund. Please feel free to pass both along.

A Trust Fund has been established in Sergeant Starzyk's name for his children. Donations to the Starzyk Family Memorial Fund can be made by phone or mailed to:

Contra Costa Federal Credit Union Starzyk Family Memorial Fund (Account # 57950-00)
1111 Pine Street
Martinez, CA 94553
925-228-7550 Extension 855

Thanks to all,
Gary


Commander Gary D. Peterson
Field Services Division
Martinez Police Department
525 Henrietta Street
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 372-3448 (office)
(925) 228-3753 (fax)

No one's twisting your arm...

Libs are all talking out of both sides of their mouths.

Tina Fey's not above abandoning her principles to make a buck.

Cunning. Stunt.

She even shrugged off her resemblance to Gov. Sarah Palin, whom she won raves for portraying on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live."

"But then my kids saw her on TV and started saying, 'Mommy?'" she said.

She was more open about her thoughts on reprising the "SNL" role. As in, she'd prefer not to.

"I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5," she said. "So if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me."

Right. Because they're holding a gun to your head and making you.

What will he do...

...when he doesn't have a teleprompter to speak to Ahmawhackjob or Putin or Chavez?


H/T: Gateway Pundit

This just keeps getting better and better...

Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson (along with some Republicans and most DemocRats) wants to foist a $700 billion bailout package on US taxpayers.

Oh and BTW, the bailout package is subject to absolutely no Executive, Congressional or Judicial oversight.

Oh and BTW, Paulson is a pretty well-known DemocRat. You know, the same people that got us into this mess.

Oh and BTW, he's VERY friendly with the ChiComs.

He doesn't have America's best interests at heart with crap like this being shoved down our throats.

Michelle Malkin has the whole scoop.

Media conjures up "racist" Whites that don't exist!

MSM reporters doing jobs honest Americans won't do.

The Times' Editor basically calls Ms. Cichon a liar, but I'm pretty sure I know who the lair is.

Media Caught Fabricating White Racists?

Posted Sep 20, 2008 by [Citizen Journalist] Barbara Sowell in Politics

A quote attributed to Sandra Cichon, a private citizen, is spreading across the internet as a living example of White Racism. Did a reporter put words in this woman’s mouth?

An article in the St. Petersberg Times, quotes Cichon as having said, “I can't imagine having a black president . . .”

In a phone interview Saturday, Sandra Cichon of Spring Hill, Florida denied that she ever spoke with any pollster or reporter concerning Obama or about anything regarding race. Cichon was taken by surprise when phoned by this reporter, and she was not aware that she had been quoted in any newspaper.

The September 15, 2008 article Black ‘issue’ hangs over presidential polls by Adam Smith of the St. Petersburg Times Political states:

A pollster calling Sandra Cichon, a 60-year-old Democrat from Spring Hill, would hear her identify herself as an undecided voter. But is she really?

"I can't imagine having a black president, and I think he's inexperienced," she told a reporter recently, eventually acknowledging she was leaning unenthusiastically toward McCain. "I don't think we (Democrats) have a chance to be in the White House with Obama."

Many analysts wonder how many voters answering polls hide their racial biases or mislead survey-takers about their real preferences.

The article fails to name the pollster who claimed to have called Cichon. When asked during my phone interview, Cichon denied speaking to any pollster on the phone.

Cichon explained that the only time she spoke with a reporter was in August when she went to vote in the county commission races. She said that he (the reporter) seemed nice and she gave him a catalogue for gift baskets.

Cichon is quoted in an August 27, 2008 article in the St. Petersburg Times, Russell, Mitchell, Hackworth win congressional primaries, by Rita Farlow, Stephanie Garry and John Frank, Times Staff Writers.

Many Democratic voters said they were unimpressed with the quality of the candidates.

"I don't know one from the other," said Sandra Cichon of Spring Hill.

Sandra Cichon shows up in another August 27, 2008 St. Petersburg Times article Dismal voter turnout in Hernando by Barbara Behrendt and John Frank. Times staff writer, John Frank, was a reporter on both August 27th articles.

Some Democratic voters said they found the experience largely unsatisfying based on the quality of congressional candidates on their ticket. . . .Sandra Cichon, 60, cast a ballot at Spring Hill United Church of Christ. She left disappointed because she couldn't vote in the hotly contested commission races as a registered Democrat.

"I wouldn't even have come if I knew," she said.

In a phone call to Times Political Editor, Adam Smith, who authored the article in question, Smith said that he had the utmost confidence in the reporter, John Frank. Smith said that Frank was the reporter who actually spoke with Cichon. Smith said it is understandable that Cichon wouldn’t want to admit over the phone to making that statement, but “polls all over are showing that people are not hesitant in stating that they won’t vote for a black person.”

The progressive DoubleTake is the blog for the Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere - Los Angeles. AWARE-LA paraphrases the same September 15, 2008 article Black ‘issue’ hangs over presidential polls, by Adam C. Smith. But notice that something has been added to the Cichon quote.

Later in the article Sandra Cichon, a 60-year-old Democrat from Spring Hill, who originally identified herself to a pollster as an undecided voter, recently told a reporter, “I can’t imagine having a black president, and I think he’s inexperienced.”

Sandra then asked the reporter if she would like a fresh batch of “Obama Waffles.”

Sandra Cichon was asked during my interview today if she had asked the reporter if he would like a fresh batch of “Obama Waffles” ?

Cichon responded, “Why would I ask a reporter about waffles? This is crazy. I never spoke to any reporter about Obama. I’m going right down to the St. Petersburg Times and demand a retraction!

Times Editor, Adam Smith was asked if he had heard that Cichon had offered the reporter “Obama Waffles?” Smith said he was not aware of that quote.

From Ace

The last throes of a dying campaign...

Grasping. At. Straws.

Dems seize on McCain's 13 cars

Posted: 08:50 PM ET
(CNN) — Democrats eager to portray John McCain as out of touch with average Americans and as a flip-flopper seized on a report Sunday the Arizona senator and his wife, Cindy, own more than a dozen cars — including several foreign-made automobiles.

A Newsweek article published on the magazine's Web Site Sunday said registration records show the McCains currently own 13 cars — two of which are foreign-made: a Honda and a Volkswagen. That appears to contradict the Republican presidential nominee's past statements he only buys cars made in America. (Cindy McCain also drives a Lexus and daughter Meghan owns a Toyota Prius, but neither are registered to the McCains.)

Newsweek also reported Barack Obama owns one car: a Ford Escape Hybrid.

In a quickly-arranged conference call organized by the Democratic National Committee, United Auto Worker Union President Ron Gettelfinger — an Obama supporter — said the registration records show McCain is not being truthful with Americans and undermining autoworkers.

Blah, blah, blah...

Another bad day at Black Rock...

Hope and Change!

And lies...

It is also likely that the PR firm was paid by outside sources to run the smear campaign. While not conclusive, evidence suggests a link to the Barack Obama campaign. Namely:

* Evidence suggests that a YouTube video with false claims about Palin was uploaded and promoted by members of a professional PR firm.

* The family that runs the PR firm has extensive ties to the Democratic Party, the netroots, and are staunch Obama supporters.

* Evidence suggests that the firm engaged in a concerted effort to distribute the video in such a way that it would appear to have gone viral on its own. Yet this effort took place on company time.

* Evidence suggests that these distribution efforts included actions by at least one employee of the firm who is unconnected with the family running the company.

* The voice-over artist used in this supposedly amateur video is a professional.

* This same voice-over artist has worked extensively with David Axelrod's firm, which has a history of engaging in phony grassroots efforts, otherwise known as "astroturfing."

* David Axelrod is Barack Obama's chief media strategist.

* The same voice-over artist has worked directly for the Barack Obama campaign.

TONS more at The Jawa Report...

I don't care who you are...

...this is funny!


H/T: HotAir

This is rich!

File under "Lying to get elected".

One of rural Democrats’ biggest fears about Obama? That he’ll come after the Second Amendment. Not so, said Biden — and he’d better not try.

“I guarantee you, Barack Obama ain’t taking my shotguns, so don’t buy that malarkey,” Biden said angrily. “They’re going to start peddling that to you.”

“I got two, if he tries to fool with my Beretta, he’s got a problem.”

Biden has said he doesn’t hunt, but shoots skeet with his two firearms. “I like that little over and under, you know? I’m not bad with it,” he said today.

1) He's a dumbass for saying something like that against his running-mate.
2) He's a liar.

NRA gun ratings:

O'Bama - F
Biden - F

They can talk all they want about taking people's guns, but they really want to. "If" they get elected, you can be sure they'll try.

Totally!

From IMAO via Michelle Malkin

It's Caturday!

Nothing much to post about today, so I'll put these up.

I love LolCats.

Water Buffalo vs. Lion vs. Crocodile

This is about a year old, but I just saw it today, for the first time.

I'm sure everyone else has already seen it, but I heard about it from my barber.

Way cool.

Now I know how my Mom feels...

...when she's a passenger in my car!


H/T: American Digest

So we've got that going for us....

It's from the New York Times, so take it with a grain of salt.

But this seems pretty serious.

Congressional Leaders Stunned by Warnings

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN

WASHINGTON — It was a room full of people who rarely hold their tongues. But as the Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, laid out the potentially devastating ramifications of the financial crisis before congressional leaders on Thursday night, there was a stunned silence at first.

Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

As Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, put it Friday morning on the ABC program “Good Morning America,” the congressional leaders were told “that we’re literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the implications here at home and globally.”

Mr. Schumer added, “History was sort of hanging over it, like this was a moment.”

When Mr. Schumer described the meeting as “somber,” Mr. Dodd cut in. “Somber doesn’t begin to justify the words,” he said. “We have never heard language like this.”

“What you heard last evening,” he added, “is one of those rare moments, certainly rare in my experience here, is Democrats and Republicans deciding we need to work together quickly.”

Although Mr. Schumer, Mr. Dodd and other participants declined to repeat precisely what they were told by Mr. Bernanke and Mr. Paulson, they said the two men described the financial system as effectively bound in a knot that was being pulled tighter and tighter by the day.

“You have the credit lines in America, which are the lifeblood of the economy, frozen.” Mr. Schumer said. “That hasn’t happened before. It’s a brave new world. You are in uncharted territory, but the one thing you do know is you can’t leave them frozen or the economy will just head south at a rapid rate.”

As he spoke, Mr. Schumer swooped his hand, to make the gesture of a plummeting bird. “You know we’d be lucky ...” he said as his voice trailed off. “Well, I’ll leave it at that.”

As officials at the Treasury Department raced on Friday to draft legislative language for an ambitious plan for the government to buy billions of dollars of illiquid debt from ailing American financial institutions, legislators on Capitol Hill said they planned to work through the weekend reviewing the proposal and making efforts to bring a package of measures to the floor of the House and Senate by the end of next week.

Lawmakers in both parties described the meeting in Ms. Pelosi’s office on Thursday night with Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke as collaborative, and that they were prepared to put politics aside to address the needs of the American people.

While Democrats initially said after the meeting that they planned to use the administration’s proposal of a huge rescue effort to win support for an economic stimulus package, they pulled back slightly on Friday morning, saying that their top priority was to help put together the bailout package and stabilize the economy.

But it was clear they continued to examine ways to make clear that the government was stepping up not just to help the major financial firms but also to protect the interests of American taxpayers and families by safeguarding their pensions and college savings, and by preventing any further drying up of consumer credit.

In addition to potential stimulus measures, which could include an extension of unemployment benefits and spending on public infrastructure projects, Democrats said they intended to consider measures to help stem home foreclosures and stabilize real estate values.

Among the potential steps Congress can take include approving legislation to allow bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of primary mortgages — authority that the bankruptcy laws do not currently allow and that the banking industry has strenuously opposed.

But the Democrats said it was too soon to discuss such details, and that they were awaiting a draft of the proposal from the Treasury Department.

“We have got to deal with the foreclosure issue,” Mr. Dodd said. “You have got to stop that hemorrhaging..If you don’t, the problem doesn’t go away. Ben Bernanke has said it over and over again. Hank Paulson recognizes it. This problem began with bad lending practices. Those are his words, not mine, and so this plan must address that or I’ll be back here in front of a bank of microphones at some point explaining the next failure.”

Even before the drafting of the plan was complete, the Bush administration and the Fed began efforts to sell the idea of a huge rescue to potentially skeptical rank-and-file members of Congress. Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke held a conference call with House Republicans to explain their thinking.

Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the senior Republican on the Senate banking committee, said in a television interview that cost to the government of purchasing bad debt could run to $1 trillion — a potential warning sign since Mr. Shelby is a longtime skeptic of government intervention in the private market.

Until Mr. Shelby was interviewed on Friday morning, officials on Capitol Hill had been careful not to discuss specific figures, though the rescue envisioned by the Treasury Department clearly entails a government appropriation of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Actually it's pretty funny, when you think about it, since they're part of the reason we're where we are.

H/T: HotAir

"Exact words."

I would've told him unequivocally: "YES!"

But that isn't what this is about.


H/T: Hugh Hewitt

Hero cops.

Calif. governor awards officers Medal of Valor

Imperial Valley News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today awarded the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, California’s highest public safety award, to six law enforcement officers for their outstanding commitment to the people of California.

The award was given to Officer John Anderson and Officer Brian Shadle of the Fremont Police Department, Sergeant Jererdo “Charlie” Chamalbide of the Fresno Police Department, Officer Kelley Walker and Officer Aaron Taylor of California Highway Patrol, Bakersfield, and Deputy Todd Carver of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

“These six officers are the best and bravest California has to offer and we honor them today for going above and beyond in answering the call of duty,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “These individuals personify what it means to be a hero - and we thank them for their service, their courage and for dedicating their lives to protecting the lives of those in their communities.”

The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act, effective January 1, 2003, authorizes the Governor to award a Medal of Valor to one or more public safety officers who are cited by the Attorney General for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. The Medal of Valor is the highest state award to a public safety officer. The Attorney General’s Office receives nominations from public safety agencies which are then reviewed by the Medal of Valor Review Board which makes a recommendation to the Attorney General.

Today’s award recipients were unanimously recommended to the Attorney General by the Medal of Valor Review Board and recommended by the Attorney General to the Governor.

“It is a privilege to stand in the company of such brave individuals,” said Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. “They embody in their lives the courageous spirit of California that has always made this state great.”

The following individuals are being awarded with the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor:

Officer John Anderson & Officer Brian Shadle, Fremont Police Department - On November 1, 2007, Officers John Anderson and Brian Shadle were on a traffic stop when a citizen approached and advised them of an apartment complex fire. The officers ran into the building and found a second-story apartment engulfed in flames. Told a person may be trapped inside, the officers radioed for assistance and then chose to attempt a rescue. Upon forcing open a locked apartment door they were faced with high heat, flames and smoke. The officers crawled in just a few feet, without fire gear, before being forced out. They quickly regrouped and re-entered, finding a 40-year-old female victim inside - who they brought to safety. Due to their efforts, the victim survived.

Sergeant Jererdo “Charlie” Chamalbide, Fresno Police Department - On February 20, 2007, the City of Fresno was hosting a festival when a suspect drove the wrong way down a city street. An officer attempted to engage the suspect when shots were fired, hitting the first officer and an innocent bystander. Another motor officer took a round in the bicep and Sgt. Chamalbide took a grazing round to the head. Even after being injured, Sgt. Chamalbide remained in pursuit and eventually rammed the rear of the suspect’s vehicle. Despite the damage, Sgt. Chamalbide was able to exit his vehicle and confront the suspect. When the suspect refused to show his hands or obey commands, officers were forced to fire rounds at the suspect resulting in fatal injuries. It was later determined that the suspect fired at least 40 rounds at officers during the event.

Officer Kelley Walker & Officer Aaron Taylor, California Highway Patrol, Bakersfield - On November 3, 2007, Officers Kelley Walker and Aaron Taylor responded to a traffic accident involving a rollover vehicle that was on fire, with a passenger trapped inside. Upon arrival, the officers saw two citizens attempting to extract the victim. The officers quickly assessed the situation and while small explosions began to occur around the vehicle, they entered the burning vehicle to save the victim. The victims clothing, possibly saturated by fuel, kept reigniting causing complications for rendering aide. After moving the victim a safe distance from the vehicle and ensuring his vitals were stable, the officers also assist other passengers involved in the accident.

Deputy Todd Carver, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office - On June 5, 2007, Deputy Todd Carver responded to a report of shots fired. The suspect, who was heavily armed, shot and killed his father, injured three deputies and a sheriff’s K-9. Deputy Carver came face to face with the suspect moments after the suspect shot the three deputies. Deputy Carver gave the suspect a verbal command to surrender, after which the suspect fired a shot at Carver, narrowly missing him. Deputy Carver returned fire, stopping the suspect from injuring or killing more innocent people.

Copyright 2008 Imperial Valley News

From PoliceOne.com

Tony Romo is a class-act.

I've always been pretty indifferent to Tony Romo, so this is pretty cool.

This stands in stark contrast to another guy from Dallas by the name of Josh Howard.

Howard is a douchebag of the highest order.

Tony's a good guy AND he's got Jessica Simpson? Cool.

Josh Howard? Not so much.

A fine Sunday indeed for Tony Romo

By RANDY GALLOWAY
rgalloway@star-telegram.com

Tony Romo had been somewhat of an NFL opening-week quarterbacking exception, enjoying a great Sunday in Cleveland, except, of course, for that bloody chin thing.

The weekend had also gone very well for Bill and Sharon White of Irving, who were returning late in the evening after an out-of-town trip.

The national news was about a day of QB disasters around the league, even at the elite level. Tom Brady, down and out for the season. Peyton Manning, looking feeble and lost. Carson Palmer, his once stellar reputation taking another plunge.

And for pure weirdness, there's Vince Young, a young man in obvious need of either a good shrink or a good butt-kicking.

Meanwhile, even as devout football fans, the Whites had been on the road and out of touch with the NFL events. They particularly didn't want to know the Dallas Cowboys' outcome. The TiVo at home was waiting. Bill planned to watch the Cleveland game immediately, with suspense attached.

But a couple of miles from the house, while driving on MacArthur Boulevard, the Whites had their own mini-disaster. A tire blew on the Mercury. Bill, luckily, managed to nurse his wounded ride off the street and into the lighted parking lot of a strip mall.

For troubling news on a Sunday, it didn't rank up there with taking a direct hit to the chin from the helmet of linebacker Willie McGinest, but Bill became a bit woozy himself when he discovered his jack was malfunctioning. Never a good thing at midnight.

Plan B kicked in, however. One of those cigarette-lighter-plug-in air compressors was available. Except it was leaking more air than it was pumping.

"I don't know, a hundred cars, probably more, had to go by. Nobody was stopping," said Bill. "That's just kind of the way it is in today's world."

And then ...

"Bill was fooling with that tire, and I was standing beside the car watching him," Sharon said. "The next thing I know, a nice-looking young man, very well-dressed, but with something strange on his chin, he walked up, smiled, and said, 'Hey, you need some help?' "

Sharon hadn't even noticed a car pull up.

So now it's Bill and the well-dressed young man both bent over a flat tire at midnight on a Sunday, trying to figure out why a faulty air compressor plugged into the cigarette lighter was leaking more than pumping.

"I didn't get a good look at him at that point," Bill said. "We were both trying to get the tire pumped up."

Sharon, however, took a second look. "You are Tony Romo," she said. No reply, just a smile, and then it was back to work on the compressor.

Finally, they got the tire aired up. Enough, anyway, to make a slow drive home.

"I didn't want to bother him," Sharon said, "but I asked again, 'You're Tony Romo, right?' " I knew it was him by then. But he smiled and said, 'Yes, ma'am.' "

Sharon: "I did something no 50-year-old woman should be doing, but I screamed real loud, and then jumped up and hugged him."

Bill's immediate response was "Don't tell me how you guys did. I'm going home to watch it."

By the next day, after seeing what the "something strange on his chin" was about, that made the Whites appreciate Romo's gesture even more.

"He gets almost knocked cold in that game, and I read it took 13 stitches to close the cut, and then there's a long flight home [the Cowboys charter arrived at around 11 p.m.] and Tony's got to be dog tired, but he still was a good enough person to stop and help us," Bill said.

"Look, we're driving a 10-year old car that is sitting in a parking lot with a flat tire in the dead of night. He could tell by that we're nothing special. But here's a young man making millions of dollars, and he's got all this fame and glory, and he does this?"

The Whites couldn't thank Romo enough. "But if I ever had the opportunity, I'd also like to thank two other people. His mom and dad," Bill said. "They obviously raised him right. We've got kids about his age. We know how difficult it can sometimes be in this day and age."

(An e-mail from Sharon alerted me to Tony's good deed. No Cowboys official knew about it even by Wednesday.)

Not that the Whites weren't already Romo fans, but ...

"After all this, what I realized is the athletic thing is Tony's gift, yet it goes beyond that," Bill said. "This was a good person we met. A good person with small-town values despite all the big-city fame and fortune."

Shrug off a blow to the chin. Win a game. Help strangers fix a flat. It was a fine Sunday for the kid.

H/T: NewsBusters

Yeah, let me know how that "investigation" works out for you guys...

H/T: Ace

Ain't that the truth!

And now it's been pretty much confirmed that he did, in fact, try to make a back-door-deal to keep the troops in Iraq until after the election.

Is this a violation of any criminal laws?

It's funny how the MSM has given more press to Palin's tanning bed than to O'Bama's disgraceful activities.

Absolutely pathetic.

And BTW, I still think McCain is a crap sandwich. He just tastes better than the alternative.


H/T: Ace

Laugh of the day.

Not too shabby.


H/T: LGF

Ha!

From Theo Spark

Be careful what you wish for...

I don't think this is going to work out too well for them.

Pelosi: Dems bear no responsibility for economic crisis

By Klaus Marre
Posted: 09/16/08 04:14 PM [ET]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, when asked Tuesday whether Democrats bear some of the responsibility regarding the current crisis on Wall Street, had a one-word answer: “No.”

Pelosi (D-Calif.) ripped President Bush’s “mismanagement” of the economy and a lack of regulation that led to the current situation.

“I think the American people have had it with this situation where the middle-income people in our country are not protected from the ramifications of the risk-taking and the greed of these financial institutions,” Pelosi told MSNBC.

When asked whether the Democrats “deserve some responsibility” regarding the economic crisis, Pelosi responded: “No.”

“John McCain said that this is a result of overregulation by the Democrats in Congress,” she added. “Either he doesn’t know what he's talking about or he’s misrepresenting the facts as he knows them. But it’s simply not true.”

Republicans responded quickly, pointing out that a Congress led by Democrats had not helped the economy.

“The Pelosi-Obama Congress has failed to pass an all-of-the-above energy plan, failed to stop earmarks, and failed to break the partisan gridlock that plagues Washington,” RNC spokesman Alex Conant said. “If Pelosi thinks the Democratic Congress is doing a good job handling the economy now, then just imagine how bad our economy would be if Democrats controlled the White House, too.”

I'm betting that there's more than a few DemocRats that are pretty nervous right about now...

Pelosi orders wide Wall Street probe

By MIKE ALLEN | 9/16/08 6:51 PM EDT

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has ordered a broad, swift investigation of Wall Street and will demand testimony from Bush administration officials and captains of finance, congressional officials said.

House Democrats plan to aggressively look at the administration’s role in the meltdown over the weekend and to explore further regulation and government structures that would be taken up under the new president.

Republican aides accused Democrats of trying to shift blame with a series of “show trials,” but acknowledged that key officials will wind up cooperating.

The hearings will take place over the next few weeks, the officials said. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who regularly appears on Capitol Hill, will be called to testify as part of the investigation.

As the main event, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House oversight committee, wrote to Richard Fuld, chief executive of the imploded Lehman Brothers, to ask him to appear on Capitol Hill on Sept. 25.

“The hearing will examine the regulatory mistakes and financial excesses that led to yesterday's bankruptcy filing by Lehman Brothers,” Waxman wrote. “The committee will also explore the impacts of the Lehman bankruptcy on financial markets and the United States economy.”

Separately, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, plans a forward-looking hearing with economists on Wednesday to “begin a conversation about where we go with the capital markets,” a House aide said.

Frank plans “oversight of what happened this weekend with the Treasury and Federal Reserve,” and will look at “how bad the capital markets are, and what may be needed.”

“The markets are not self-correcting,” the aide said. “If they continue to not self-correct over the next several months, is there a federal response? There might be more federal intervention that’s needed. We’ll proceed cautiously, and that would be next year."

Both chairmen are acting at the direction of Pelosi, who told them to figure out what happened and demonstrate that they are on top of the situation, the officials said.

Pelosi said Tuesday on MSNBC that she expects a “restructuring” of the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “in the next Congress with a new president.”

“Are they quasi-governmental organizations, are they quasi-nongovernmental organizations? Should they just be share hold private institutions?” she said. “We have to examine that. And I've asked the chairmen — Chairman Frank and the Chairman Waxman, the chairman of our Oversight and Reform Committee, to take a look at both of those.”

Incompetent liars.

This is a shameless ad by the Democrat Party in Minnesota.



The DemocRats never let the facts get in the way of a good lie.

Norm Coleman was the Mayor of St. Paul when the Authorization to Use Military Force in Iraq was voted on (Oct. 2002). Norm Coleman didn't become a Senator until Jan of 2003.

I'm sure their son is proud of them...



H/T: Ace

POW's for McCain

A Prisoner’s Mind

By LEO THORSNESS
Published: September 13, 2008

My memories of the time I spent with John McCain as a prisoner of war in Hanoi are still vivid. I still see us sitting on a bed slab in a 6-by-7-foot cell talking about the questions we always talked about: When would the war end? Would we ever be able to catch up with our peers, our families, our faith and our friends?

Many things happened during those six years that made us better men, better Americans. I know that every year my respect for our founders grew. We saw communism from its bowels — it was a terrible system. We frequently said, “If we could bring every American to this prison for just one day, without subjecting them to torture, their appreciation for everyday freedoms would soar.”

While looking at a guard through a peephole in my cell’s bricked-up window, I marveled that by chance I had been born an American. As if by the flip of a coin I had been given the most precious gift in the world — freedom — and a platter full of rights, opportunities and freedoms.

All of us in the prison were aviators, so we had at least a bachelor’s degree. But there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom, and though most people acquire knowledge, few become wise. Great minds like Socrates, Homer, Confucius, Gandhi, Thoreau and Churchill believed that meditation or suffering could lead to wisdom. For anyone who is imprisoned for years and who is subjected to frequent torture, meditation is automatic. Most P.O.W.’s from Vietnam came home wise.

In war, wisdom stops you from crossing the line from courage to brutality. Wisdom is needed to avoid entering a war not in the national interest, while not hesitating to defend America’s liberty if threatened.

The years in a brutal prison were equivalent to earning a Ph.D. in psychology. We saw that peace without freedom is empty. We gained a deep appreciation for justice and courage. We learned that survival depends on teamwork. We were colorblind — whites, blacks, Asians, we were all the same. We learned the value of always doing what is right regardless of consequence, as John did by refusing early release though he knew he would be tortured for it. A president who has been tested in this way can be counted on to make wise decisions.

— LEO THORSNESS, the author of the forthcoming “Surviving Hell: A P.O.W.’s Journey”

Mr. Thorsness was also awarded the Medal of Honor.


H/T: Powerline

STOP THE PRESSES!!!!

Holy Crap!

Sarah Palin had a tanning bed installed in the Governor's Residence!

And she paid for it herself!

Lamest. Smear. Campaign. In. History.

H/T: HotAir

Powerful ad.

H/T: Gateway Pundit

Fair winds and following seas...

Two SEALs from Dam Neck killed in Afghanistan

By John Warren and Louis Hansen
The Virginian-Pilot
© September 14, 2008

VIRGINIA BEACH

Two highly decorated local Navy SEALs died Thursday night from injuries sustained in fierce fighting against insurgents in Afghanistan, according to the Navy.

Senior Chief Petty Officer John Marcum, 34, and Petty Officer First Class Jason Freiwald, 30, died in a battle with heavily armed militants, the Navy said. The men were deployed from the highly selective Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck Annex in Virginia Beach.

Capt. Scott Moore, commanding officer of the development group, said the deaths were “tremendous losses.”

“These men were true warriors, dedicated to their country, their fellow SEALS and the cause for which they were fighting,” Moore said in a statement. “They died taking the fight to the enemy, going in harm’s way with the selflessness that resonated in their character and made them giants among men.”

Marcum and Freiwald are the second and third sailors from Development Group to be killed in Afghanistan within three weeks. Petty Officer First Class Josh Harris, 36, drowned on Aug. 30 while crossing a river on a combat mission.

Marcum, a native of Flushing, Mich., had received four Bronze Star medals, among numerous decorations. He joined the service in August 1991. After basic training, he attended the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center at Dam Neck. He then went to basic SEAL training, and took his first permanent post with SEAL Team 2 at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base.

Marcum began training for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group in March, 2000. He had deployed numerous times.

He is survived by his wife, Cynthia, and a daughter, Madison. He is also survived by his parents, Wayne and Luellen Marcum, and his sister, Kaylee Pierle.

Among his many citations, Freiwald, a native of Utica, Mich., was a Bronze Star recipient. Tuesday, he was to have been promoted to Chief Petty Officer.

After graduating from basic SEAL training, his first permanent duty was with SEAL Team 5 at Coronado Naval Amphibious Base in California. In March 2005, he began training with the development group.

After completing training, he received orders for Naval Special Warfare Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron 2. He is survived by his wife, Stacey, and a daughter, Jasmine. He is also survived by his parents, Richard and Terri Freiwald.

Petty Officer First Class (Chief Select) Jason Freiwald







Senior Chief Petty Officer John Marcum








H/T: OpFor

*SHOCKER* of the Day!

Barry O'Bama has lied about his so-called "experience.

Why am I so not surprised?

Read about it here.

H/T: Michelle Malkin

Hmmmm...

America's former enemies want John McCain to win.

America's current enemies want Barry O'Bama to win.

Big surprise...

H/T: Powerline

In case you missed it...

Freedom is ALWAYS worth the price.

Who knew?

I'd certainly never heard of this.

Those "new" tires of yours could be six-years old and ready to disintegrate on the highway. Tire rubber dries out after six years, but unlike in Europe and Asia, American companies are allowed to sell expired tires long after they turn into death donuts. A 20/20 investigation found that the "new" tires on sale at Sears and Walmart can be up to 12-years-old.

All tires bear a Department of Transportation number hidden on the inner wheel wall. At the end of the number is a four-digit sequence that shows the week and year the tire was made. Tires with the notation 3502 were made in the 35th week of 2002. If you only see three digits, get new tires immediately; your tires are from the 90's and are way past their effective lifespan.

Is this a big deal? I don't know, but I'm not willing to take the risk.
And I'm due for new skins soon...

Stories like this are all the media is good for any more.


H/T: The Consumerist

She should've known better...

...than to mess with CHUCK NORRIS!

What an idiot.


H/T: NewsBusters

The Army of Sarahs

Excellent article from Hugh Hewitt.

I think he's correct and I think we'll see an election that isn't going to be even close.

The Great Snarl that has arisen and is directed at Sarah Palin has registered at a very deep level outside of the coastal elites. I know because I talk with people in the midwest and south every day, as well as in the suburbs of Atlanta, near the Rockies, in the smaller towns of Minnesota. They love Sarah Palin, and now they are increasingly angry with the MSM and especially with Obama and his campaign operatives.

These people hear the attacks on Palin and understand them --rightly-- to be attacks on themselves and their families. The dismissal they hear from studio talking heads are directed not just at Sarah Palin's life experiences, but at theirs. The contempt American media elites feel for their viewers has never been so sharply on display.

---------------------------------------------------------------

That's just the way it is with a deeply-biased, almost openly partisan MSM, but a very, very media-savvy American public knows exactly what is going on. The voters' distaste for the great prop-up of Obama showed itself first in the late primaries where Hillary racked up win after win and now in the sudden shift of independents towards McCain-Palin.

Last week I wrote about Palin's appeal across the anti-freeze states. That appeal has since deepened, and the rallies are huge and growing wherever she travels. Americans like her, and dismiss the idea that she's not ready to be vice-president when the obviously unprepared whisp of a resume that is Obama is the nominee of the Democrats.

The MSM is clueless, and the Army of Sarahs is growing.

Read the whole thing, it isn't very much longer than what's here.

Hurricane Geraldo

Can't this guy just blow away?

Shocker of the day...

ABC News (Charlie Gibson) edited key parts of the Sarah Palin interview, so she'd sound worse than she really is.

Unfortunately, ABC News is the one that comes out as the bad guy in this whole fiasco.

Check it out at News Busters.

One more reason why the MSM has ZERO credibility. The MSM is dead.

H/T: HotAir

The power of Trig.

A pretty great article from NRO:

Your Brother Is a Blessing
The power of Trig.

By Michael G. Franc

‘Children with special needs,” Gov. Sarah Palin said during her acceptance speech at the Republican convention, “inspire a special love.” As someone who grew up alongside a brother with Down Syndrome, I can attest to that observation.

But these special children, and the special adults they grow up to be, inspire something else of equal importance. When these little, unexpected ambassadors of God enter our lives, they offer us the opportunity to rise to that greatest of all challenges — to treat others as we would want to be treated. Their presence, in short, elevates all of us.

So, from the perspective of a brother of one of these children, allow me to offer Track, Bristol, Willow, and Piper some unsolicited advice: You are most likely still trying to understand how your lives have changed now that you have a brother who will, in one way or another, always depend on you. He will require loads of attention, an unlimited supply of patience, and love — the sort of love, it is worth noting, that one usually never bestows on a sibling! It is the sort of relationship that, in time, will more closely resemble the bond between a parent and child than between two siblings.

Chances are, you don’t know other families with a Down’s child at home. Your friends and neighbors most likely won’t be able to offer first-hand advice on handling the challenges ahead. Trig may provoke stares from those you pass on the street, or the occasional hurtful comment from someone who just doesn’t understand. Caring for him may drain you of the energy you would prefer to devote to other pursuits.

In short, Trig sets you apart as well. Much will be required from you in the years ahead. But, if my experience is any guide, you will be immeasurably better off with Trig in your lives. And, unbeknownst to you, others will watch how you treat Trig and will quietly benefit from the good examples you undoubtedly will set.

Allow me to explain.

It wasn’t until my brother John lost his battle with cancer ten years ago that I truly appreciated how much he influenced those around him. A dear friend from my elementary and high-school days expressed it most eloquently. “You and your parents” he wrote in one of the many moving letters I received after his passing, “were just doing what came naturally, I guess, all those loving years with John, so you might not have realized the collateral effect.”

What was that collateral effect?

“The people who knew the Francs counted themselves very lucky, indeed, that you made John part of our lives [emphasis added]. Particularly in high school, to have John around Loyola High School or basketball games and other events took some of the high-spirited aggression of teenage boys and turned it around. Given what we now know about teenagers (as parents), that was at least a small miracle. So thanks to him, and to you, for opening up a better side in many of your cohorts.”

I came to realize that this was the theme of John’s life and, if the Lord indeed works in mysterious ways, this is the reason John entered my life and the lives of those around me. He made us better people, bringing forth “the better angels of our nature.” Indeed, “a little angel” is how my teary-eyed mother described Trig upon seeing him on the stage at St. Paul.

And it’s undoubtedly why the Lord has entrusted Trig to you and your family.

Our tight-knit neighborhood near the Lower East Side of Manhattan, known as Stuyvesant Town, is one of those park-like housing developments built after World War II that eschews a regular urban street grid for numerous playgrounds, benches, lawns, shade trees, and other amenities one normally doesn’t find in Manhattan. John took full advantage of this layout, plopping himself down on one of those benches and allowing his naturally outgoing and friendly personally to touch his neighbors. Normally grouchy personalities softened, smiles replaced perpetual frowns, and harried New Yorkers somehow found the time to pause and ask how he was doing — even those who really didn’t know who he was. Far better known than I, he could have been elected Mayor of Stuyvesant Town; to many, I was simply “John’s brother.”

As Trig grows up, be sure to integrate him into your lives. Make sure he attends your sporting events, accompanies you to the school play or high-school dance, or spends a weekend with you when you leave home to attend college. Take him to movies and to all your favorite restaurants. Let him tear open the wrapping paper on all your birthday and Christmas presents. Don’t hesitate to hold his hand in public when you walk down Main Street, even (especially) after he reaches adulthood. Be honored to be known simply as Trig’s brother or sister.

Another friend, this one a college chum, recalled one of the times John spent a weekend at our campus. My roommates and I hosted a rather boisterous party with plenty of loud music and dancing. With great ease, John coaxed every woman onto the dance floor. He was the life of the party. Two decades later she observed how he coaxed something special out of her that night: “There was something about being there with him that night that reminded me what play was all about and that sometimes it’s awfully fun to be a little bit childish and naughty.”

May Trig bring out the child and the better angels in all of us. Congratulations, and God bless.

— Michael G. Franc is vice president of government relations for the Heritage Foundation.

John McCain doesn't know how to send email!

"Our economy wouldn't survive without the Internet, and cyber-security continues to represent one our most serious national security threats," [Obama spokesman Dan] Pfeiffer said. "It's extraordinary that someone who wants to be our president and our commander in chief doesn't know how to send an e-mail."

Um, yeah. It isn't so much that he doesn't know HOW to send email, it's that he CAN'T send email.

McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball.

Five and a half years as a Prisoner of War tends to do that to a person.

Especially when they were subject to constant and severe torture. And I'm not talking about torture like at Abu Ghraib, where they put panties on someone's head.

Mark Steyn:

It's extraordinary that someone who wants to be our president and our commander in chief knows how to send an e-mail ...but not how to do a five-minute Google search.

Touche!

I wonder exactly how long it will be before O'Bama and Co. remove this ad...

H/T: Mostly from Instapundit.

Maybe it's because I live in Kalifornia...

But I just can't get worked up about Ike.

But that could change...

And not in a Barry O'Bama "Hope and Change!" kind of way, either.

What a fricking tool.

People notice small things.

John and Cindy McCain placed their roses down with dignity and reverence.

Barry O'Bama tossed his, like he was at the county fair.

He just doesn't get it. I'd wager to bet that most First Responders would rather shake John McCain's hand, than Barry O'Bama's.

Skip to 1:25.

H/T: Michelle Malkin.

Things could've been so very different...

Yest another reason for people to carry a gun.

This beautiful young woman would've (should've) died that day. I believe due to God's hand, she didn't. Things could've been so very different.

In so many ways...

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

From Xavier again.

On Friday, August 22, twenty-three year old Heather Brammer was working the counter at City Laundry and Cleaners in Manning, South Carolina. Tuxedo rentals had just been adopted as a sideline for the business. Around 10:30AM, a man talking on a cell phone entered the establishment requesting a tuxedo for a wedding, and the young woman helped him pick one out. He was to return at 1:00PM to be measured for his tux.

Around 11:00, Heather was surprised to have the man return early. He said he had changed his mind about the tux. Then he drew a handgun, fired a round into the ceiling and began barking orders at the frightened young woman. "If you set anything off, I’ll kill you. Don’t do anything that’s going to surprise me," he snarled. He demanded that she open the safe and cash register and that she hand over all the money.

Heather did as she was told, both by her assailant, and previously by her employer. She had been instructed by her employer that if she was ever robbed to comply and do as she was told and no harm would come to her. She gave the money to the criminal.

Once the man had the loot, he ordered Heather into the rear of the building and instructed her to lay face down. She did as she was told, expecting no harm to come to her because she complied. Then, the criminal shot Heather Brammer in the back of the head. He left her for dead.

"911 What's your emergency?"
"I've been shot. I just got robbed."
"You've been shot and robbed?"
"Yes."

Heather Brammer had indeed been shot in the back of the head. The gunman's bullet had struck the occipital prominence of her skull and lodged in the bone. She had been unconscious for about twenty minutes. Her arms and legs were numb, and her vision was blurred, but by divine providence, she was alive.

Heather stayed on the telephone with the 911 dispatcher and was transported to a hospital where neurosurgeons cared for her. Although the brain is still bruised from the bullet's impact, she is expected to make a full recovery. Her attacker is still at large.

He says it more eloquently tan I can:

For those who reject the notion of depending on the graciousness of criminals or divine intervention to preserve their lives in a lethal encounter, there is another path, another way. Begin to take your life into your own hands. Decide that you will not count on compliance to convince a criminal not to kill you. Frankly, the criminal does not care if you are compliant or not. He is following through with a plan that he has already scripted. From robberies and muggings to crimes such as the Wichita Massacre, a criminal's victims are only humanless characters in a violent melodrama of egocentrism playing in his head.

As Heather Brammer was asked by Meredith Vieira, "You could do what he says or you could run........ What was going through your mind?" I wanted to pound my screen. Are those the only choices you can think of Meredith? How about taking cover, drawing your own gun? How about being proactive and saving your life with lethal force if need be? Yes, there is another way to self preservation. Buy a gun and make up your mind to use it to save your life. Train to use it to save your life. Use it to save your life. Dependence on a criminal's generosity is a path fraught with risk. Heather Brammer is was a very lucky young woman. I hope she is planning on going armed from here forward.