When Tom Grimes lost his job as a financial consultant 15 months ago, he called his congressman, a Democrat, for help getting government health care.

[…]

Though, as Michael Kazin, the author of “The Populist Persuasion,” notes, they tended to push for more government involvement. The Tea Party vehemently wants less — though a number of its members acknowledge that they are relying on government programs for help . [emphasis mine]

Here’s where the NY Times, and really all leftists get it wrong, the safety nets of unemployment, food stamps etc. are not wanted but taken as a final option which has disrupted the employability of otherwise qualified people. I know this because I too, a Conservative, have “been on the welfare” for the last 7 months after exhausting my savings. I tried my best to not get here[1], but unfortunately, with the anti-business rhetoric emanating from Washington, forcing small business owners to avoid creating new jobs till they understand what all the changes will cost them .

Moreover, with this new found free-time, we who have been so busy being productive and adding to the tax revenues (which are still declining ) are able to expand the right of center view point most of America holds. Doing so will produce a legislative result in 2010 clearing away the Democrat choke-hold over the nation. That is why those of us who have never protested, been activists or be involved in much political activity previously can ensure America will not fall again to the socialism of the left.

Support Conservative candidates:

http://www.votejessekelly.com/

http://www.gomarlin.com/

http://www.nikkihaley.com

http://www.marcorubio.com

http://www.david10.com/welcome.cfm

[1] Erick Erickson is 100% correct by the way in saying the extension of unemployment is a disincentive to working. I, myself have given up looking for a job here in Arizona and just collect my $265/week till I move to Denver.

Speaking is Krysten Sinema (D-15) is on the White House Health Reform Task Force. She was the only legislator from Arizona to be chosen and that’s because the Obama Administration wanted the most “progressive” lawmaker from the State of Arizona. And boy is she that.

She said as a member of the task force, one of her responsibilities is to listen to Arizonans’ thoughts and communicate them back to Congress and the president. Krysten Sinema (D-15)

As long as those thoughts do not conflict with her views that Obamacare is the panacea for all.

And of course, Rep. Gabrille Giffords (D-AZ) is Missing In Action.

Now would be a good time to recommend giving a contribution to Jesse Kelly, Rep Giffords replacement.

Great thanks to Zoie Walden for taking the time to meander up to this event and get the video. Without her tireless efforts the hypocrisy of yet another Democrat would not be made public.

How true. All that Bush is Hitler, Assassinate the President movie, Illegitimate and so on drivel that originated from Kos, Moveon.org and the others was fun, for them. Now that those same (but hardly new) political manipulation tactics are being used against The One, well, it’s not so much fun any more.

Elections matter. Vote for the right candidate.

201 Cannon House Office Bldg • Independence and 1st St, SE • Washington DC 20515 • Phone: 202-225-4865

300 East 8th St. #763 • Federal Building • Austin, TX 78701 • Phone: 512-916-5921 • 1-866-916-5921

On August 3rd Rep. Lloyd Dogget (D-TX-25) was on Hardball and said:

Many of these people were summoned in by the local Libertarian and Republican parties, they don’t even live in the neighborhood…a desperation tactic.

A mob scene (the protests) are just one way to intimidate members into weakening their position

In my case it just reaffirmed my resolve to go back (to DC) to get a strong public plan, force more competition…and get the reform my constituents want.

And video from the event itself:

Rep. Dogget is ready and willing to vote for the Health Care Bill, regardless of what the good people of Austin have to say about it. Let him know that this will be his last term in Congress if he does.

First dear reader allow me to introduce you to Dr. Warren Hern, Director of the Boulder (Colorado) Abortion Clinic. This man (more aptly, sick bastard) preaches his success of killing unborn babies since 1975 and preach he does, at just about every opportunity he gets. Dr. Hern is the presenter of session OOS 7-1: Pulse of the planet: An epidemiologist’s global ecological diagnosis at the Ecological Society of America’s 94th annual meeting in Albuquerque, NM pontificates that you, I and of course not himself are a malignant growth upon Mother Earth.

If you have never heard of the Ecological Society of America they are in all senses a group of leftist enviro-whack jobs. Oh, and we are all the descendants of amoebas.

The session OOS 7-1: Pulse of the planet: An epidemiologist’s global ecological diagnosis comes to the WRONG conclusion that:

The most significant characteristic of malignancy is uncontrolled growth, and that is displayed in global energy use by urban populations.

Results/Conclusions The human species as a whole now displays four major characteristics of a malignant process: rapid, uncontrolled growth; invasion and destruction of adjacent normal tissues (ecosystems); metastasis (distant colonization); and dedifferentiation (loss of distinctiveness in individual components).  We have become a malignant ecopathologic process.

He points out that like the accelerated growth of a cancer, the human population has quadrupled in the past 100 years, and at this rate will reach a size in 2025 that leads to global collapse and catastrophe.

And there you have it. Advice from an abortion doctor who kills babies for profit that humans are a scourge upon the earth and that we will all die. Of course Dr. Hern is a complete fool; everyone knows that Algore has set the date of earth’s destruction in January 2016, a full 9 years before this WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE prediction.

And lastly, what would some crazy earth ending prediction by a tin foil hat nut be without the obligatory socialist rhetoric calling for a government on high to regulate our existence.

The hope from above is that governments will finally realize that never-ending economic growth is incompatible with the finite material resources Earth has to offer, and begin to manage those resources more fairly and equitably through some kind of world government.

So enjoy:

Note: I do apologize for using the New Scientist links. I still feel dirty, even after a Pine Sol and bleach shower.

“I think people are justifiably angry at the way Congress has been operating,” -Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

From what I have read so far the event was (relatively) well behaved and other than some heated disagreements, which is to be expected, it was a civil exchange of ideas. Now here is a Parliament fight to watch.

Rep. Flake took and responded to UNSCRIPTED questions from the people:

Q: Do you believe that the Democrats will be using this bill as a means to an end to get everyone on a government healthcare system?

A: Yes, this legislation “will inevitably lead to [everyone being on] a single-payer system,” …to have insurance, you’ll have to be on the government’s rolls.

Q: How in the world can we allow our children to have to pay for this down the road?

A: “We are committing generational theft”

Q: How do you respond to the idea that the government will essentially be setting standards on who lives and who dies?

A: The “government will have to ration either by costs or by services. It’s a legitimate fear of many that the government will start to ration services.”

More video I can not get to embed:

Fox 10 News

ABC 15 News

I want to credit Andrew Meeusen who attend this event and provided the photos. If you have the time follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DBacks08

DISCLAIMER: I so wanted to go but this having to work thing got in the way.

par.a.lip.sis / Rhetoric.

the suggestion, by deliberately concise treatment of a topic, that much of significance is being omitted, as in “not to mention other faults.

Meet Carlos Watson, MSNBC contributor and host of The C Note in his commentary forwarded the position that anyone who calls Obama a Socialist is really calling him a Ni***. Aside from the complete ignorance of Mr. Watson and others as to what Socialism is, something that describes Obama’s policies precisely, their immediate run to pull the race card is indicative of the collapse of ideals the left is experiencing.

Just some advice MSNBC contributors and others who believe that it’s just “white folks” who oppose Obamacare, it’s YOUR racism that is on display.

Dems were too afraid to see public today, so public went to the Dems. About 2000 protesters showed up infront of Mitchell office -Tweet

~2000 people and it was about 101 Degrees at that time. Kinda cool for early August, Darn global warming.

No matter, as we here know the result was as it has been across this great nation, Democrats are being beaten like a rented mule over the Obamacare disgrace.

While not able to attend, fellow Phoencian and frequent Twitterer Hellebore5000 was and he got some great pictures:

Full set here.

And of course the requisite Youtube Video.

I;m sorry I was not aware of this as I would have gone, but no matter, there will be plenty more. And seeing as AZ-6 is traditionally a Republican district, having been only narrowly won in 2006 and 2008, it’s my understanding that ‘ol Harry may have some re-election problems in 2010.

And of course if you are using Twitter, and now is a great time to be, follow Hellebore5000, among others PhxGonline (shameless plug).

There are many rumors going around about what is and is not include in the text of the bill that is currently being discussed by the House of Representatives. Please check back here soon for a guide to separating the rumors from the facts. -2009, Ann Kirkpatrick House Website

At 1:05 she gets up and walks out of her own town hall meeting, one she called and planned several weeks in advance in Holbrook, AZ. I guess this congresswoman, one who bamboozled her constituents into voting for less D.C. and more Arizona style politics by sounding like a conservative was not willing to dispel the rumors about Obamacare to the people in her district.

Run Ann Run…..As Fast As You Can.

The Japanese resolve to fight had been seriously hampered in the preceding months. Their losses at Iwo Jima and Okinawa had been staggering. Their navy had ceased to exist as an effective fighting force and the air corps had been decimated. American B-29′s made bombing runs over military targets on the Japanese mainland an integral part of their air campaign. Japan’s lack of air power hindered their ability to fight. The imprecision of bombing and the use of devastating city bombing in Europe eventually swayed United States Pacific theater military leaders to authorize bombing of Japanese mainland cities. Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kobe all were decimated by incendiary and other bombs. In all, hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed in these air strikes meant to deter the resolve of the Japanese people. Yet, Japanese resolve stayed strong and the idea of a bloody "house to house" invasion of the Japanese mainland would produce thousands more American and Allied casualties. The Allies in late July 1945 declared at Potsdam that the Japanese must unconditionally surrender.

After Japanese leaders flatly rejected the Potsdam Declaration, President Truman authorized use of the atomic bomb anytime after August 3, 1945. (From the Truman Library)

On August 6, 1945, the cumulated works of the Manhattan Project came to fruition in the first release of a nuclear device in time of war. Within seconds of the impact and estimated 70,000 Japanese inhabitants of Hiroshima were killed. Three days later the second, and last nuclear attack ever was completed on Nagasaki.

Shortly thereafter Emperor Hirohito made the following statement:

Moreover, the enemy now possesses a new and terrible weapon with the power to destroy many innocent lives and do incalculable damage. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.

Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers.

Which led to this:

The Japanese unconditional surrender on September 2, 1945. Which ultimately saved millions of lives because the Japanese culture would have produced a fight to the death for every person, military or civilian alike had Operation Downfall been commenced.

A tough call, but one that was made in the best interests of America. Thank you President Truman.

[update 2:15 PM (4/8)] Arpaio interview with Neil Cavuto.

[update 4:30PM PDT] Local talk radio station KTAR has an interview with Sheriff Joe.

Arpaio told KTAR Sharpton is not the first to try and stop him.

“Because what they read in the newspapers, that’s enough to get me investigated, that’s enough for the mayor to call me and my officers racist,” he said. “And, now this guy is repeating the same garbage and terminology.”
“You’ve got this small group of people trying to intimidate me, asking me to resign, which is ridiculous, I’ll never resign, so if they want to come down here, be my guest,” he said.

—-Still trying to get audio.

[update 2:00PM PDT] Reuters has chimed in and added this gem:

“Arpaio needs to be confronted, he needs to be removed. … We also need to suspend the law that he is using. We must stand with our brown brothers and sisters,” Sharpton said.

Seriously Al, “our brown brothers and sisters”. Could you be any more of an ass?

Via Phoenix New Times (Yes Neil, I will get better sources as they are available)

This morning there was a national conference call this morning, featuring the Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network, ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis, Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, Pablo Alvarado of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, Rev. William Barber of the North Carolina NAACP, and other civil rights leaders from around the country.

There is audio I am trying to get now of the classic Sharpton calling for repercussions for Sheriff Arpaio if he is to continue his illegal immigration sweeps and arrests of illegals.

The speakers called for Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s removal or resignation, the stripping of his 287(g) authority by the Department of Homeland Security, his continued investigation by the feds, and, ultimately, an end to the 287(g) program. Both Sharpton and Lewis promised to participate in future actions in Maricopa County to oppose Arpaio, and Sharpton stressed the importance of Arizona as a battleground for civil rights. They labeled Arpaio a 21st Century Bull Connor, and insisted he must be stopped.

Of course how many people really recall Bull Connor at this point? And really, whether you agree or disagree with what he did that fateful spring day in 1963 he was, ultimately enforcing the laws on the books at that time. Sheriff Joe, love him or hate him (I am in the latter but that is because of his performance overall in the county) is ultimately enforcing the laws of the United States as commissioned to do so by the federal government under the 287(g) program.

“We must stop Arpaio to stop the spread of racial profiling,” said Sharpton. “It is imperative on the African-American community to stand with the Latino community, the Latino community to stand with the Asian community. This is a human rights issue. You cannot have human rights for some and not for all. We must stand with our brown brothers and sisters…this is a national outrage.”

Is it racial profiling to go to the areas where illegals frequent? Would you stop every airline pilot at Sky Harbor just to see if they were a citizen or go to the local Home Depot parking lot where 30+ Hispanics were milling about, few speaking english and rushing every patron who drives up for a day job?

Arpaio and the MCSO are actively enforcing laws which ALL police departments in the city are doing. And really, the cities outpace arresting illegals far beyond what the MCSO does every month. The only difference is that Arpaio is a media whore who will call a press conference to announce his intentions to take a daily constitutional. And while I may not agree with him or his methods, he is still the duly elected sheriff being targeted by people outside Arizona for reasons that are nefarious and intended to not solve the problem.

H/T Bosch Fawstin

In a time where our Dear Leader announces that "We are not at war with Islam", Islams’ extremists are announcing attacks on Washington D.C.

The most honest and courageous politician on earth give a speech about Islam’s threat to the civilized world after a screening of his short film, “Fitna. [NSFW-graphic imagery]” It was just another reminder of how important strong leadership is in a dangerous world

His stand against the Islamization of the Netherlands has been so effective that his political party, the Freedom Party, has become the most popular political party among his countrymen.

Enter Obama and the spreading of misery to all. You want an SUV, no; you want less regulation, no; you want to go to Antarctica, NO!!

Via FoxNews

The Obama administration is pushing to protect Antarctica’s fragile environment by imposing mandatory limits on the size of cruise ships sailing there and the number of passengers they bring ashore.

At a conference set to begin Monday in Baltimore, U.S. diplomats will propose amending the 50-year-old Antarctic Treaty. The move would seek to mandate, under international law, the current voluntary restrictions on tourism.

A U.S. document provided to The Associated Press by the State Department says the plan would "minimize the likelihood of marine oil spills" in the Antarctic and "ensure that tourism is conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner."

According to the Cool Antarctica website the cost for an Antarctica cruise ranges from "US$5,000 for a place in a twin cabinplus the cost of air fares and other sundry costs to and from your point of embarkation to US30,000. Certainly a longer trip will cost more.

I called a tour operator Expedition Trips to see what they thought of the potential outcome of this and they said "people will still go, it will just cost more". 

And there you have it, Obama is spreading misery to a class of people (Tourists) because another class (Environmentalists) are in his back pocket. This is not the America I believe in.

How did a group of female support soldiers-mechanics, supply clerks and engineers-end up fighting alongside the Marines in some of the bloodiest counterinsurgency battles of the Iraq war?

Find out in Lioness, a film about female combat veterans.

Regardless of your position on women allowed/not allowed to serve in combat positions, the fact is that a wartime environment is fluid and can and does change by the minute. Gone are the days where spectators would come out to watch the brightly festooned soldiers line up and slug it out for the day. No, today a female soldier who is a tank mechanic, a clerk or radio operator may just be firing rounds back, fighting for their own survival alongside their buddies no different than any other front line troops.

Harbor no disillusion, the filmmakers are good liberals and while I have not yet viewed this movie it can be expected to have certain leftist underpinnings. However, I believe that the policy of allowing women in or excluding them altogether from even being in a combat situation needs to be addressed and resolved.

Women in uniform and have proven themselves competent to perform the same tasks deserve the same recognition as their male counterparts.

What you may not know is that Phoenix is second only to Mexico City in kidnappings.

There were 368 reported kidnappings for ransom here last year…[In Mexico] where kidnapping is such a long-established industry that the wealthy sometimes buy kidnap insurance. It is difficult to know how many kidnappings occurred there or here: Many are not reported because it can be dangerous to do so. And because they are settled before there is time to report them. Receiving a finger severed from the kidnap victim often speeds ransom transactions in Mexico. Not here yet.

In any case, law-abiding citizens here are rarely at risk. Most of the kidnappings are drug smugglers and human traffickers preying on one another.

And herein is the crux to the problem: Kidnapping is an industry among the Mexican drug cartels who are preying upon people associated with the drug/crime activities. The conventional wisdom is that if you do not involve yourself with the "criminal element" then you are safe. Unless of course you are caught in the middle of a (Mexican*) Gang shoot out on a public street in the middle of a weekday afternoon.

Crime, in general is down, for the people who are willing to report to police a criminal event; but for those too scared of doing so, crime is, at least subjectively on the rise.

Obama has positioned the government and ICE to attack the employer, not the worker. And like the recent release and granting of work authorizations to the illegals in Washington State, this will embolden more to travel north using the cartels as coyotes. This will embolden the cartels to escalate the fight when confronted by law enforcement. Using those weapons received from the US, you know the fully automatic military rifles that can be bought in any American gun store, lone DPS officers will be unable to fight back. Northern Mexico style violence is coming to America, have no doubt about that.

Thankfully, Arizona is a concealed carry state and I am a permit holder and plan to carry every day now. Sure, I have no belief that I will be involved in a criminal event, but if I am, I will be ready.

*The AZ Republic (AZ Central) will not print anything even remotely related to the perpetrators if they have any Hispanic heritage. The AZ Republic is pro-illegal immigration. More Here.

On Martian Luther King day 2009 several pieces of pro-Obama art was given to the US Ambassador to South Korea. Included in that gift was this drawing which really sums up the opinion of our enemies.

She wrote an e-mail to the PIC and received this response:

PIC spokesman Josh Earnest, who is now working in the White House press office, said last month, "We’re sympathetic to the disappointment of those who had tickets to the swearing-in but were not admitted – many of whom had dedicated their time, energy and money to our successful campaign. It’s also why we’re following the congressional inquiry into the logistical problems that plagued the Capitol Hill ceremony."

Talk about a "go pound sand, we’re keeping your money" response. And really, Obama & Co© are good at keeping money and punishing the little guy.

Don’t take it personally Ms. Blessman, you are only one of 66,882,230. Back in 2007 blogger Rock Hacksaw, unabashed Obama supporter for Room Eight New York made this exact observation about the then candidate Obama. 

Obama is running the risk of people perceiving him as using New York as an Automatic Teller Machine. He comes to the city, brings his ATM card, makes withdrawals, then leaves.

And finally, this jem which I am sure Ms. Blessman is feeling like this morning:

[Obama is] like the guy who sneaks into his girlfriend’s apartment every Friday night after a long week working; he spends the weekend laying up, eating, drinking, using the phone to call his homeys, watching the ballgames on cable television, screwing, sleeping and such, but never takes her out anywhere…They often feel that they are being used, abused and taken for granted.

Also available at PhxGonline.com

Today is National Medal of Honor Day. The United States Congress has designated March 25th of each year as NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR DAY, a day dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients. (Public Law 101-564) March 25th was selected as the date because it is the date of the first presentation of the award 156 years ago. You can read more about it here.

If you are ever in the Charleston, SC area I highly recommend that you take a day and visit the Patriots Point. Plenty of things to see and do and of course, in honor of today the Medal of Honor Museum.

H/T BlackFive

Also available on PhxGonline.com

Former President George W. Bush, making his first public speech since leaving office in January, says he wants Barack Obama to succeed and that it’s "essential" to support the new leader.

"I love my country a lot more than I love politics," Bush said. "I think it is essential that he be helped in office."

Seriously, did the MiB come by and flashy thingy you on Jan 21st erasing your memory of all the disgusting and vile attacks that Obama supporters perpetrated upon you as President?

Now I know that you really honor and respect the office of president and of course know first hand the pressure that the office places upon the man. But your policies of the GOP, including praising our political opponents is finished. Please, I implore you to just keep praise of anyone on the left to yourself; it is not helpful in OUR rebuilding the party efforts.

Also available at PhxGonline.com