[6/11/07]

[Bill Leonard, Member CA Board of Equalization] 12:03 am [permalink]
True Believers Take Out Nuclear Power’s Competition In case you missed it, a couple weeks ago the California Energy Commission unanimously approved rules that will forbid municipal utilities, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, from buying electricity made from coal. Identical regulations were imposed on private utilities in January. This implements SB 1368 (Perata), which prohibits the state's publicly owned utilities from entering into long-term financial commitments with plants that exceed 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per megawatt hour. This also follows AB 32 (Nunez) that requires California to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases by 25 percent by 2020.

On one hand this policy is a short-sighted price penalty on consumers. America has lots of coal and the industry is rapidly making coal-to- electricity conversion cleaner and more efficient. But coal is not a zero emission fuel source. True believers of the need to drastically cut back on emissions that cause global warming have no choice but to ban coal everywhere they can. And, we learned last month they do not care for liquefied natural gas either. On the other hand, by going after cheap and available fuel sources the environmentalists accelerate the need for nuclear power with every victory.

Let me offer an inconvenient truth: California has a growing population and growing economy. California consumers will consequently demand more electricity. This demand will be reflected in the market and in the political arena.

This is a dangerous game for our political leaders. If they think Californians are going to casually bake in 100-degree summer heat with no air conditioning, they will be surprised by the push-back from a public more concerned with how warm they are now than how warm the world might become in a hundred years -- maybe. [Leonard Blog]

[6/6/07]

[Found in the ebag-from Karen England, Capitol Resource Institute]
12:01 am [permalink]
Homosexual Marriage Approved by California Assembly, passes bill to overturn Proposition 22 In a 42-34 vote, the State Assembly voted to pass AB 43, allowing homosexual marriage in California. After a lengthy floor debate, Democrats voted to flout the will of California voters by choosing to overturn Proposition 22, the 2000 initiative that clearly defined marriage as between one man and one woman.

"The arrogant majority in the California legislature have decided that they know better than the people by voting to force AB 43 on California," declared Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute. "The people of California clearly decided this issue when they passed Proposition 22. It is outrageous for legislators to waste time and money debating an issue that Californians have decided."

Several lawmakers expressed their opposition to AB 43 by boldly declaring their support for traditional marriage. Assemblyman Chuck DeVore eloquently argued that this is not an issue of rights, but is a fundamental question of the purpose of marriage. Assemblyman Doug La Malfa expressed his dismay that there are no longer any institutions so sacred that they are untouchable by the liberal California legislature. Also speaking out against AB 43 were Assembly members Anthony Adams, Joel Anderson, Sharon Runner, Bill Maze, Mike Villines and Ted Gaines.

"Especially alarming was the tone of lawmakers as they argued in favor of AB 43. The contempt lawmakers have for the constituents they supposedly represent is appalling," continued England. "Instead of respecting the decision voters made with the passage of Proposition 22, lawmakers chided them for being 'discriminatory' and 'bigoted'."
Joining the derisive chorus, Assemblywoman Laura Richardson declared that even if her constituents voted for Proposition 22, she must make the right decision and override their decision. Assemblyman Lloyd Levine stated that, "what we have here is the need to overcome fear" and prejudice.

"Proponents of the bill argue that Proposition 22 did not apply to homosexual marriages within California-only marriages outside of the state. It is extremely disingenuous of lawmakers to obfuscate this issue with their legal jargon," stated Meredith Turney, Legislative Liaison for Capitol Resource Institute. "The people of California understood what they were voting for when they passed Proposition 22-protecting traditional marriage. It is the height of arrogance to overturn the will of the people simply because lawmakers believe they are more enlightened."

AB 43 will now be considered in the state Senate.

[6/5/07]

[Senator Tom McClintock] 12:07 am [permalink]
Garbage In, Garbage Out… In January, I noted that the Governor’s claim that there are 6.5 million uninsured Californians was highly misleading – the report actually said that 6.5 million Californians are without health insurance AT SOME TIME during the year, but that 45 percent had obtained insurance within four months. In other words, about half that figure is folks who are in-between plans, usually because of job moves.

Columnist Dan Walters last week reported that another of the Governor’s health care claims is equally misleading: that every family pays a “hidden tax” of $1,200 a year on their health insurance to subsidize those patients without health insurance. According to Walters, that statistic comes from a self-interested pressure group called the “New America Foundation.” A recent critique by economists for the Stanford University’s Hoover Institution reports that this estimate is overstated by nearly A FACTOR OF FOUR.

What the governor has proposed for health care is the biggest and riskiest intervention by state government in a market since the electricity debacle, and it appears to be based on two claims that are very highly suspect. Not only is the structure of his proposal a house of cards (as other states are now discovering), but it’s a house of cards that’s built on a shaky foundation.

[6/4/07]

[Found in the ebag] 12:01 am [permalink]
In Case You Cared: ROMNEY ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS TO THE CALIFORNIA LEADERSHIP TEAM - Governor Mitt Romney announced that Coronado Communications, led by Duane Dichiara, will head the daily operations of the California Romney for President campaign.  Rob Stutzman and Mike Schroeder were named Senior Advisers for the California campaign.  They join previously announced State Chairs Tony Strickland and Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman.

"California will play an important role in the upcoming primary elections, and this team will be critical in making sure every voter knows about my message of change in Washington," said Governor Romney.  "I look forward to working with them so we can bring conservative leadership back to our government."
 
With today's announcement, Duane Dichiara said, "Coronado Communications is committed to electing a leader who is not afraid to fight for conservative principles and demand change.  Governor Romney's proven leadership is needed today more than ever.  He has successfully turned around private businesses, the 2002 Winter Olympics, and state government, and he will do the same as President."

Senior Adviser Rob Stutzman said, "Governor Romney is a strong leader who doesn't just talk about change, he gets real results.  By using proven conservative principles, Governor Romney has shown he is the candidate who can establish benchmarks in Washington to streamline government and return fiscal responsibility to our nation's capital.  I'm convinced Governor Romney is the candidate for Republican voters in California."    
 
Senior Adviser Mike Schroeder added, "Governor Romney has a strong California team and we will work to make sure every voter in California knows Governor Romney is the leader our country needs.  His new and innovative ideas are what our country needs to remain strong."

Background On The California Romney For President Leadership:
Coronado Communications, Duane Dichiara – Head of State Daily Operations: Coronado Communications, owned by partners Duane Dichiara and Jennifer Jacobs, is an award winning, full service political consulting and public affairs company with offices in Sacramento and San  Diego. Coronado clients have included hundreds of successful federal, state, and local campaigns, including those of Congressman Brian Bilbray, State Senator Tom Harman, and Assemblywoman Shirley Horton.

Rob Stutzman – Senior Adviser:  Stutzman is currently a principal at Navigators, an issues management firm with offices across the country.  He is the former Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and is a California political operative.  He co-directed communications for Governor Schwarzenegger's historic California recall election campaign.  He was a founding partner of CommandFocus, a Sacramento based communications firm.  Prior to CommandFocus, he operated a consulting venture which managed statewide campaigns and pioneered the use of internet communications for volunteer and campaign management efforts.  In addition, he served as Communications Director for Attorney General Dan Lungren and worked in the Office of the Minority Leader in the California State Senate.

Mike Schroeder – Senior Adviser:  Schroeder has a long history of running campaigns and Republican Party activities.  He was the Treasurer, Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the California Republican Party.  He was also the National Vice-Chairman of the New Majority Council for the Republican National Committee.  He served as State Co-Chair for Bush for President in 1992, Dole for President in 1996, and Bush for President in 2000 and has advised over 40 campaigns.  He most recently served as Political Director in Steve Poizner's campaign for Insurance Commissioner.

Previously Announced Romney For President California Leadership Team:
·       Tony Strickland – Chair
·       State Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman – Chair
·       Assemblyman Anthony Adams, Monrovia
·       Former Assembly Leader Scott Baugh, Orange County
·       Former Assemblyman and Republican Caucus Chair Russ Bogh, Yucaipa
·       Congressman John Campbell, Newport Beach
·       Fresno City Councilman Jerry Duncan, Fresno
·       State Senator Bob Dutton, Rancho  Cucamonga
·       Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa, Richvale
·       State Senator Bob Margett, Glendora
·       Congressman Buck McKeon, Santa Clarita
·       Assemblyman Jim Silva, Huntington Beach
·       Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, Moorpark
·       State Senator Mark Wyland, Carlsbad

[6/1/07]

[Steve Finefrock - scriptwriter] 12:05 am [permalink]
Run, Fred, Run? Listen, All, Listen! He’s In? Probably.
 
Fred Thompson is bucking some serious odds – oddly akin to my TV “un-WestWing” series’ star, Buck Sullivan – as he slips quietly into the presidential race.  A lot against him – a Senator only, whereas we elect governors most of the time, and not much of a “fire in the belly” senator then – but we have a lot against us in this movement:
 
NO SPEAKERS WORTH HEARING.
 
All candidates, a NEW ALERT: Listen to Fred.
 
What he says should be copied and quietly, and privately, imitated.  The most common complaint in my posse-dominatus circle is that No one can deliver our message.

True enuf – Rudy hits a triple once in a while, mostly doubles; Mitt is too-too-perfect, from central casting, and the POW candidate is erratic at best.
 
But Fred Talks Good!
 
Ain’t Paul Harvey smart enough a reason, with Fred taking that slot on the radio?
 
So, listen up and listen good, Americans of all colors and candidates of all winning-odds.  Fred’s got the message, and you should inculcate yourself in how he explains things.
 
Cause republican got a lot of ‘splainin’ to do this time around,.  And Fred’s the man, even if he’s ultimately not the candidate.

[5/31/07]

[Senator Tom McClintock] 12:07 am [permalink]
Immigration Follies: Radio talk show hosts John & Ken on KFI-640 AM in Los Angeles (http://www.johnandkenshow.com) are organizing a campaign to get U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) 30,000 phone calls opposing the illegal alien amnesty legislation being debated in the Senate currently (S. 1348). Feinstein has indicated that she would require 30,000 phone calls before she feels that "something is really going on" -- (see Washington Times article below).  

Feinstein is one of those senators who can carry other senators with her - her switch to oppose the amnesty would likely persuade enough other senators to do so as well.  Yes, that is an uphill battle, but enough pressure may cause senators to see enforcement as the only choice right now.

Following is the link to Senator Feinstein's contact form.  She does not publish an email address, so you must this form to reach her:

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe

Here are all the public phone numbers for Sen. Feinstein:

Washington Office
Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
Address: 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-0504

San Francisco
Phone: (415) 393-0707
Fax: (415) 393-0710
Address: One Post St., San Francisco, CA 94104
 
Fresno
Phone: (559) 485-7430
Fax: (559) 485-9689
Address: 2500 Tulare St., Fresno, CA 93721
 
Los Angeles
Phone: (310) 914-7300
Fax: (310) 914-7318
Address: 11111 Santa Monica Blvd., #915, Los Angeles, CA 90025
 
San Diego
Phone: (619) 231-9712
Fax: (619) 231-1108
Address: 750 B St., #1030, San Diego, CA 92101
 

Speaking of Unnecessary Carbon Dioxide Emissions…

All of the debate in Washington this week over the hundreds of pages of minutia in the new immigration bill (that painstakingly detail procedures and processes and priorities and guest workers permits and z-visas and head-of-house touch-backs, ad infinitum) amounts to so much hot air.   Future illegal immigrants will ignore the hundreds of pages of the new law just as 12 to 20 million are now ignoring our current law.  And when Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (the chief law enforcement official in our nation) says that we can’t possibly enforce our nation’s immigration law (as every other country in the world routinely does) – that’s a very clear indication that he has no intention of enforcing a future law either. 

Which brings us to the second point: The entire debate seems predicated on the assumption that some new immigration law is vital if we are to address the unprecedented silent invasion of our country.  I wonder if someone can explain what, exactly, is wrong with our current immigration laws, EXCEPT THAT THEY’RE NOT BEING ENFORCED?

[5/29/07]

[Streetsweeper] 12:05 am [permalink]
Streetsweeper's Cinema Sweepings: Star Wars' Libertarian Mission by John Tabin - Thirty years ago today, Biggs Darklighter articulated perhaps the most uncompromisingly libertarian critique a government has faced on film.

At this point, some of our less-nerdy readers are wondering who the heck Biggs Darklighter is. A minor character in Star Wars, which first hit theaters on May 25, 1977, Biggs, played by Garrick Hagon, is better known as Red Three, a pilot who perishes during the assault on the Death Star.

Luke Skywalker's closest friend from his home planet of Tatooine, Biggs makes his eloquently anti-statist critique of the Galactic Empire in a scene that only appeared in a handful of prints that were released to some drive-in theaters. The so-called Anchorhead sequence, named for the town where Luke goes to hang out with his friends, was deleted from the film to improve the flow of the story. [more at American Spectator]

[5/28/07]

[Allan Wall] 12:02 am [permalink]
Memorial Day At The U.S. National Cemetery, Mexico City May 28th is Memorial Day (formerly Decoration Day), originally established to honor our war dead. On that day may we all honor our nation’s war dead, and strive to be worthy of their example, by fighting to preserve the nation they died for.

The U.S.A. has 164 national cemeteries, and 24 of them are outside of U.S. territory. At all 164 of them, ceremonies are scheduled on Memorial Day.

Probably the quietest such ceremony will be that of the U.S. National Cemetery in Mexico City, a one-acre plot unknown to most Americans. It’s actually the oldest national cemetery outside U.S. territory.

This graveyard, located by a busy expressway , is visited by few American tourists , most of whom haven’t even been told of its existence. It is the final resting place of 1,562 Americans who died in Mexico City, 750 of whom were soldiers who died in the invasion of Mexican City in 1847.

Among the others buried there are former Confederate officers who moved to Mexico after the Civil War, including General James E. Slaughter.

If you’re interested, check out this Arizona Republic article about the cemetery, which contains more information and commentary.

On Memorial Day (which is just another day in Mexico), a ceremony is planned for the U.S. National Cemetery in Mexico City. The U.S. ambassador to Mexico and a Marine honor guard are scheduled to be there, but no Mexican officials are expected .

On Memorial Day, remember the U.S. National Cemetery in Mexico City.

[Nick Winter-administrative editor- found in the ebag] 12:02 am [permalink]
California Marine wins Free Speech Case on Illegal Immigration: This came in the ebag from Pacific Legal Foundation:

NOVATO STUDENT HAD FREE-SPEECH RIGHT TO BLAST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, COURT RULES

Novato High  School officials violated the free-speech rights of student Andrew Smith by condemning an opinion article he wrote in the student newspaper opposing illegal immigration, according to an appellate court ruling issued this week. The California First District Court of Appeal held that California law "mandates that a school may not prohibit student speech simply because it presents controversial ideas and opponents of the speech are likely to cause disruption."

The ruling reverses a 2005 Superior Court decision that favored school officials and even ordered Andrew and his father to pay the Novato Unified School  District’s litigation costs.

"This is a resounding victory for the speech rights of public high schools students up and down California," said Pacific Legal Foundation attorney, Paul J. Beard II, who represents the Smiths. "California school districts are now on notice that they can’t enforce a code of political correctness on their students."

In 2001, while he was a high school senior, Smith’s speech was chilled by District officials after he expressed a "politically incorrect" viewpoint in the school newspaper. He submitted a commentary piece criticizing illegal immigration. In order for a person to become a citizen they have to comply with a few very reasonable requirements," he wrote. "The first and most obvious is that you have to speak, write, and understand simple English. Second, you cannot have any felony convictions. ... You must pass a test on American history and culture, and you must be patriotic. ... There should be no tolerance for anyone to be an illegal immigrant. If you can’t comply with our requirements, then stay out of our country."

Was he trying to incite? No, Smith insists. "The only reason why I wrote the article and the way I wrote it ... was to get people to read it and to think about the topic I was presenting," he told the Fox News Channel. Indeed, the article was approved for publication in The Buzz by the principal and the journalism faculty adviser. As the Court of Appeal noted, the article did not urge or provoke disruption on campus, and it was not designed to incite.

Nevertheless, the school changed its tune when Smith’s editorial drew more jeers than cheers. The day after the piece ran, as many as 150 teens and adults showed up on campus and called on students to leave class and protest Smith’s message. Instead of defending a student’s exercise of free speech, school officials responded by turning on him. They ordered that the remaining issues of the paper be pulled from circulation, and sent a letter to parents stating that the article never should have been published.

This week’s appellate ruling gives Andrew the relief he sought: A declaration that his article was protected speech and that his rights were violated, along with nominal monetary damages.

"The opportunity for students to express legitimate ideas and opinions on issues of the day is part of the learning process," said PLF Principal Attorney Sharon L. Browne. "This vital development of communications skills and critical thinking must not be hampered by rigid ideological constraints that might be imposed either because of bias or because of fear. So says common sense, and so says California law, and we are glad that the Court of Appeal has recognized as much."

Now a corporal in the Marine Corps Reserves, Andrew Smith is currently in Thailand in training.

A copy of the ruling is available on Pacific Legal Foundation’s website: www.pacificlegal.org.

[5/22/07]

[Streetsweeper] 12:05 am [permalink]
File Under: "You can't make this stuff up" - Hugo Chavez to Finance Danny Glover Movies Venezuela's Congress says it has approved financing for two films by actor Danny Glover, a close supporter of President Hugo Chavez.

The lawmaking body, which is closely allied with Chavez, said in a statement on its Web site Thursday that it approved $20 million for two Glover productions.

They include "The General in His Labyrinth," which deals with the life of South American liberator Simon Bolivar. It is based on a novel by Colombian Nobel Prize-winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez and will be directed by Venezuela-born director Alberto Arvelo.

The other is "Toussaint," which the statement said Glover plans to direct documenting the life of Haitian revolution leader Toussaint Louverture.

Government officials and Glover's representatives were not immediately available for comment.

The statement said that the funds will come from proceeds Venezuela obtained from a recent bond sale with Argentina.

Glover is among a number of high-profile U.S. supporters of Chavez. The group also includes singer Harry Belafonte and Princeton University scholar Cornel West, who have defended the Venezuelan president against accusations of democratic abuses.

Glover has met Chavez during visits to Venezuela and even appeared on his television and radio talk show, "Hello, President."

[5/21/07]

[Mac Johnson columnist] 12:09 am [permalink]
How You Can Help Fight The Senate Amnesty As most of you know already, the Democratic leadership in the Senate has cut a deal with elements of the GOP that will extend amnesty to at least 14 million illegal aliens AND allow them to bring their families into the United States. This will result in an unprecedented increase in immigration, both legal and illegal.

Unless people act quickly to organize against this mass giveaway of American residency and citizenship, it will be railroaded into law in short order.

For those who wish to act and who desire a better understanding of the political calculus behind this lunatic move by the Senate, I refer you to an article that I wrote in April ("Why One Illegal Alien Is Worth Six Americans"), when it was apparent that such a move was being contemplated by Congress.

The article explains why many Congressmen believe they will benefit from issuing an amnesty and it includes a list of organizations you can link up with to help fight amnesty for immigration criminals.

This is a fight we can win if we organize. [Also posted at Human Events Right Angle blog]

[5/18/07]

[Streetsweeper] 12:05 am [permalink]
Streetsweeper's Opinion Sweepings: Christopher Hitchens Is a Treasure A good, useful atheist. By Michael Novak - One of the writers whose courage and polemical force I highly admire is Christopher Hitchens. He gives frequent proof of a passionate honesty, which sometimes has obliged him to criticize ideological soul mates when he thinks they are wrong on some important matter. Many of our colleagues today pretend publicly to have no enemies on the Left out of a panicky fear that they might “help the wrong people” on the evil Right. Though always a man of the Left, Hitchens will have none of that.

Another thing: He does his homework and he thinks clearly. If you go to debate him, you had better think things through rather carefully and well, for his is a well-stocked, quick, and merciless mind. Withal, he is a brave and good man — and an excellent man (so others tell me) to have a drink with.

Normally, too, Hitchens is a fair man in debate — although employing often enough those wicked and withering rhetorical ploys that the British often display in verbal jousting. Agent Provocateur is Hitchens’s chosen pose. But this time it is a bit disappointing to find so much hostility and so many — unusually many — intellectual missteps in his latest tirade (not his first) against religion, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. [more at National Review]

[5/16/07]

[Streetsweeper] 12:05 am [permalink]
Streetsweeper's Cinema Sweepings: Britain, Year Zero - By Andrew Stuttaford It’s time to put a stake through the heart of these particular zombies. Here’s the problem. This review was meant to be about 28 Weeks Later, the newly released sequel to the hugely successful 28 Days Later, but, quite frankly, there’s not a lot to say about it. Judged in its own right, 28 Weeks Later is nicely paced, reasonably exciting, competently made, and well acted (with Robert Carlyle, as so often, a stand-out). What’s more, it boasts a few thought-provoking moments, and has enough deaths-by-helicopter-blade to justify the price of admission alone. The difficulty is that it’s a sequel. It cannot just be judged in its own right. The awkward, inconvenient fact is that those 28 weeks (or should it be 24?) simply weren’t worth the wait.

To understand why 28 Weeks Later is, relatively speaking, such a disappointment, it’s necessary to take another look at its predecessor. That’s just as well, because 28 Days Later is a much more interesting movie... [more at National Review]

[5/14/07]

[Nick Winter-administrative editor- found in the ebag] 12:02 am [permalink]
Cease and Desist: from fellow Bear Flag Leaguer Publius - We've managed to stir up some significant controversy in Pomona. Friday, we received a cease and desist letter from the City Attorney of Pomona (of dubious legality itself) that basically demanded we stop covering the city on our blog (only a slight exaggeration).

The issue has garnered some serious support in the blogging community, but we could use the addition of your aid.

Our post on this is here:

http://foothillcities.blogspot.com/2007/05/pomona-city-attorney-threatens-foothill.html

Blogs that are linking to us on this issue include the Volokh Conspiracy, Mayor Sam, and LA Observed:

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_05_06-2007_05_12.shtml#1178919974
http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2007/05/pomona-harrassing-bloggers-or-not-ready.html
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2007/05/city_goes_after_foothill.php

[5/11/07]

[Daniel Pipes - author, activist, activist] 12:01am [permalink]
Jihad in Jersey - National Review Online asked a group of experts: What's the most important lesson we should take from the averted terrorist attack on Fort Dix?" For all replies, see "Symposium: Jihad in Jersey"

I draw two lessons. First, that immigrants seeking refuge in the West must be grilled for their attitudes toward our civilization, our religion, and politics. Whether it be Somali refugees in the United Kingdom, Algerian ones in France, or Balkan ones in the United States (remember the Salt Lake City shooter in February, as well as four of the current six accused terrorists), individuals given the privilege and benefits of a new life then with some regularity turn around and attack their adopted fellow citizens. This unacceptable pattern has to be scrutinized to prevent future such atrocities.

Second, mercifully, terrorists can be counted on to make dumb mistakes. I established an honorary "Stupid Terrorists Club" in 2005; its founding members gained entry with such acts as having returned to retrieve the deposit on a van they had used to blow up a building, not wearing a car seat belt while transporting terrorist gear, or ordering $3,300 (in American dollars) worth of airline-related goods with an overdrawn credit card. This new group of six joined the Club by dint of its sending a jihadi DVD to a store be copied commercially and choosing as its target Fort Dix, a hardened military installation (among other components, it includes a prison). (May 9, 2007)

Update: For a discussion of the propriety of discussing this topic in public, see "Am I Helping the Enemy?"

[5/10/07]

[Laura Mansfield - author, Strategic Translations] 12:01 am [permalink]
New video from Al Qaeda of Magrib shows bombers in recent Algerian bombings preparing explosives, reading last wills

A video produced by Al Qaeda of Magrib shows the three suicide bombers in last months Algerian bombings preparing the explosives for the attack.

The video also records the last wills of the young men.

News footage from the scenes of the attacks is used to celebrate the "success" of the bombings.

The video can be downloaded here.

http://www.lauramansfield.com/Badre_HQ2.rm

[5/9/07]

[Streetsweeper] 12:05 am [permalink]
Streetsweeper's Opinion Sweepings: It's Not Easy Being Gavin Newsom By Thomas Cheplick - Most San Franciscans believed their mayor would coast to reelection this November. They labored under this happy delusion because they were widely kept in the dark by the local press on just how problematic Gavin Newsom is for Gavin Newsom.

Indeed, tales of Newsom's nights on the town are seeping out of City Hall fast now that it's out that the mayor slept with his campaign manager's wife. But that is only one part of Newsom's problems. Key San Francisco power players cannot stand him and are gunning for him with a vengeance.

The list of people who have already declared publicly that they will work against Newsom's reelection reads like a Who's Who of San Francisco Power Players. First, there is Joe O'Donoghue, the head of the San Francisco Residential Builders Association (SFRBA). A classic Irish Democrat, O'Donoghue accumulated his fortune during the first real estate gold rush in the late 1980s. His SFRBA sits atop a pile of cash. [more at American Spectator]

[5/8/07]

[Streetsweeper] 12:05 am [permalink]
Streetsweeper's Opinion Sweepings: Bush Much Greater By Ben Stein - A little note on life and death in modern America and why George W. Bush is a much greater man than some think he is.

Last night I watched on CNN as news filtered in of a young mother in Arizona who had given birth in a gas station bathroom sink, then drowned her baby in that same sink -- then driven off to buy a high end car stereo nearby.

The commentators were hysterical. How could she do such a thing? How can anyone be so cruel and unfeeling and vicious? That's what the commentators were asking.

But wait a minute: How different is what this woman did from what millions of American women have done by aborting their babies, especially late in term when the babies could easily have lived with available care? What's the difference at all between what this woman in Phoenix did and what women who have partial birth abortions do when they enlist abortionists to murder perfectly viable babies OUTSIDE THE MOTHER'S BODY? But how many women stood up and screamed their lungs out when the Roberts Supreme Court per Kennedy, J., said that a state could have a legitimate interest in stopping such hideous practices? How many women said how awful the Bush appointees to the Supreme Court were for treading on a woman's right to kill? [more at American Spectator]

[5/7/07]

[John Mark Reynolds, author, philosopher academic] 12:01 am [permalink]
Debate Winners: Romney, McCain, and (Almost) Huckabee Loser: Rudy - Professor’s grade . . . and so here is quick grade sheet on the Republican debate. I did not grade students auditing the class (no money, not much support), though their parents, I mean handlers, are free to write for my impressions. (To give one example: Brownback remains a great Kansas senator.)

There is one exception to this rule. Mike Huckabee turned in a great performance . . . which he then marred- demonstrating that any student can have a “shining moment” in class followed by a silly one.

Tonight’s debate was a reminder why the B-team gets invited. Sometimes the understudy forces a key debate moment.

Mike Huckabee was doing a great job . . . until he got suckered into discussing religion and politics. By doing so, he turned himself into part of the story about Chris Matthew’s weird attack on Romney’s religion. He is now a talking head in the Romney story, not the story of the evening. First rule of Republican debates: do not answer any question on Chris “I am Going Quite Mad” Matthew’s terms.

I have not decided on a candidate (really!) and was starting to like Huckabee, until he moved back to the B-squad by falling into someone else’s trap. I could vote for Mike Huckabee enthusiastically, but sadly he cannot run for governor of California. Huckabee proves he will not be able to break out of the second tier. (B-)

Romney showed he is a very serious player as the money raised had done already. He loosened up and actually talked about the importance of the American family to our culture. He made no mistakes, but he also has not yet reached the stride that any candidate will reach by the end of the primary season. Tonight (and last night on Leno) I began to believe that I am looking at the next President of the United States. Hugh: is he as good as he seems? (B)

McCain was hard to follow at times, but he makes for great sound bites. I don’t like McCain, but his desire to follow Osama to the “gates of Hell” was magnificent. Romney gave the right answer in technical terms, but McCain had the human answer. If you have to listen to all of McCain, he is a loser . . .but if you see bits of his performance (most of us), then he is a winner. (B+)

Some “A” college students have a term where they do bad work. It never fails to shock me and Rudy did that to me tonight. If I were to vote for Rudy (which would be very hard for me), it would be because of the War. And yet. And yet tonight he showed either appalling ignorance regarding our foes . . . or was weirdly unprepared. Rudy made me sad. He actually looked pathetic and lost.

He looked like a mayor running for President and was not ready for prime time. Like a student with many “A” grades early in the term, Rudy needs only to get decent grades to win a big chunk of Republican voters. However, like many a student too eager for summer break, America’s mayor became the former mayor of New York by coasting and flunking a major test. (F)

[5/4/07]

[Mediacrity] 12:01 am [permalink] Will the Media Cover Hamas 'Kill All Americans' Sermon? The Jerusalem Post online edition, quoting from MEMRI, yesterday recounted a speech by a top Hamas official that is about as bloodthirsty as you can imagine. Here is an excerpt from the report:

Ahmad Bahr began: "'You will be victorious' on the face of this planet. You are the masters of the world on the face of this planet. Yes, [the Koran says that] 'you will be victorious,' but only 'if you are believers.' Allah willing, 'you will be victorious,' while America and Israel will be annihilated. I guarantee you that the power of belief and faith is greater than the power of America and Israel. They are cowards who are eager for life, while we are eager for death for the sake of Allah. That is why America's nose was rubbed in the mud in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, and everywhere."

Bahr continued and said that America will be annihilated, while Islam will remain. The Muslims "'will be victorious, if you are believers.' Oh Muslims, I guarantee you that the power of Allah is greater than America, by whom many are blinded today. Some people are blinded by the power of America. We say to them that with the might of Allah, with the might of His Messenger, and with the power of Allah, we are stronger than America and Israel."

The Hamas spokesperson concluded with a prayer, saying: "Oh Allah, vanquish the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, count their numbers, and kill them all, down to the very last one. [italics added] Oh Allah, show them a day of darkness. Oh Allah, who sent down His Book, the mover of the clouds, who defeated the enemies of the Prophet, defeat the Jews and the Americans, and bring us victory over them."

Will the mainstream media be covering this bloodcurdling exhibition by a top official of the Palestinian Authority? We'll be watching. [go to Mediacrity blog]

[5/2/07]

[Streetsweeper] 12:05 am [permalink]
Streetsweeper's Cinema Sweepings: Con Job Hollywood goes Right. By David Kahane - I had the worst nightmare last night. I dreamt that I’d spent the weekend in Malibu, following in the footsteps of every screenwriter’s idol, Joe Eszterhas — lunch at Paradise Cove, a walk on Westward Beach to check out the bikinis, happy hour at Moonshadows, then dinner at Geoffrey’s, followed by a few carefully chosen nightcaps at the Dume Room in search of an appropriate companion for later in the evening.

For those who only know the Dume Room from St. Joe’s heroic accounts in such autobiographical tomes as Hollywood Animal and The Devil’s Guide to Hollywood: the Screenwriter as God!, let me tell you you’ll never find it unless you know where to look: in a little shopping mall on the west side of the Pacific Coast Highway near Point Dume.

(I’m not going to tell you exactly where it is, because then you might actually show up there and the last thing we need is more east coast tourists affecting the screenwriter’s mufti of running shoes, black jeans, black T-shirt, and baseball cap and trying to convince the Polish starlet at the bar to go to bed with them.)

Anyway, there I was, chatting up a few expensive-looking Malibu wives and their surfer-dude cabana boys when I suddenly realized that something was terribly amiss — I made a crack about what an idiot Bush is and nobody laughed. [more at National Review]

[5/1/07]

[Julia Gorin pundit/comedian] 12:05 am [permalink] What we can learn from Indians In a Front Page Mag article a few weeks ago about the incursion of Sharia Law into normal societies, Robert Spencer of JihadWatch recalled the following anecdote by a British general in the 1800s:

General Sir Charles James Napier, the British Commander-in-Chief in India from 1849 to 1851. It is said that a Hindu delegation protested against the British prohibition of sati, the practice of burning a widow to death on her husband’s funeral pyre, by telling Napier that it was part of their cultural custom. Napier famously responded:

“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”

When Leftists and Rightwing isolationists whine, asking how long we’ll be in Iraq and complaining that it’s already been too long, they occasionally get the wise answer that “England was in India for 200 years.” Indeed.

At the same time, if ever there were a population that could claim “subjugation,” “colonization”, “humiliation”, and “discrimination” at the hands of Western imperialism, it’s the Indians. Even though they’d have a better excuse than the Muslims as regards terrorism, notice that Indians haven’t been engaging in terrorism against the West. By and large, Indians are not terrorists. What’s more, Anglicized/Americanized Indians are functional, productive members of society who as a group don’t need to be monitored for subversive activities.

Yes, Indians in India still have a way to go. The protests and effigy-burning last week after Richard Gere overdisplayed public affection for one of their actresses is proof of that, as is the fact that they still have a tendency to bury their female babies in the desert. But the point is that they’re not going to bury yours. [Gorin Glob]

[4/30/07]

[Richard S. Lowry] 12:33 am [permalink]
Seven Suspected Secret Cell Terrorists Detained: I wonder how the MSM will cover this...  

Seven Suspected Secret Cell Terrorists Detained [Multi-National Force-Iraq Combined Press Information Center/Baghdad, Iraq] Coalition Forces detained seven suspected terrorists Friday morning during an operation in Sadr City.

The individuals targeted during the raid are suspected members of a secret cell terrorist network known for facilitating the transport of weapons and explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, from Iran to Iraq, as well as bringing militants from Iraq to Iran for terrorist training.

Intelligence reports also indicate the secret cell has ties to a kidnapping network that conducts attacks within Iraq.

"Individuals coming into Iraq from other countries for the purpose of endangering Iraqi civilians and disrupting security won't be tolerated," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.  "We will continue to work diligently to rid Iraq of foreign terrorists trying to thwart the development of a stable and peaceful Iraq." [Lowry index]