News Shocker: Dem Reid Likes Freebies

AP reports that Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid accepted free boxing tickets worth thousands of dollars from a Nevada state agency trying to influence him on reviewing federal legislation for the sport.

Republican Senator John McCain insisted on paying for his ticket to one of the sporting events he attended with Reid. Republican Senator John Ensign accepted a free ticket, but had already recused himself from consideration on the legislation.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean called criticism of Reid's ethics "ridiculous." That's because Dean is nuts.

The Washington Post previously reported that Reid accepted $40,000 in donations from disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his associates -- money he has declined to return, while demanding Republicans give back money they received from Abramoff. Some estimates say Reid got as much as $60,000 from Abramoff and his Indian clients.

And yet Reid supposedly is leading the charge in the Senate on ethics reform.

Fox. Henhouse.

No Time for Chicks

Returned my copy of Time to the publisher today. Here's the text of my letter:

To the Publisher:

I'm returning my copy of your May 29 issue, with the Dixie Chicks on the cover.

Perhaps you consider this musical group to be timely, topical, relevant and important, but I do not.

Frankly, if I were interested in the political and social views of entertainers I would subscribe to People magazine.

I'll expect that my subscription will be extended by one issue to compensate for this one. If you are unable or unwilling to do that, please let me know and I will cancel my subscription and subscribe to one of your competitors.

Regards,

Antiwar Nuts: Still Wrong

Presidential advisor Peter Wehner makes an excellent case for why those opposing the war in Iraq are not only wrong on the facts, but may actually be intentionally ignoring them and trying to mislead people.

He makes a fact-based case in the WSJ today, specifically noting his sources on how:

-- The Bush Administration did not lie about WMD estimates in Iraq;

-- The intelligence community did not cook the data and was not pressured to do so;

-- Saddam did pose a threat to the U.S., the Mideast and the world, by deliberately concealing WMD capabilities and resources (which he was not allowed to have);

-- Advancing democracy in Iraq was not a post-invasion rationalization.

Read it all.

Nagin In, Jefferson Out

Proving that Lincoln was right when he said you can fool some of the people all the time, New Orleans citizens returned Mayor Ray Nagin to office yesterday, despite his pathetic performance when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city last year.

The Chicago Tribune writes: "As the hurricane bore down on the city last Aug. 29, Nagin failed to arrange for the evacuation of the city's poor, stranding thousands when the levees burst. After the storm hit, with thousands of victims clinging to rooftops awaiting rescue, he exaggerated the death toll by a factor of 10. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency wanted to set up temporary trailer parks in the city, first Nagin said "yes," then he said "no," then he said "maybe."

Now THERE'S a man whose hand you want on the wheel.

Oh well, we ARE talking about people who live in a swamp between a river and a lake.

One fellow Democrat who couldn't make it to the victory parties though, was Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson, whose Washington offices were raided by the FBI on Saturday. He is accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.

The New York Times story on the raid said Jefferson had so much ill-gotten cash that he stuffed about $90,000 into his freezer, which was recovered by the FBI last August. That was probably his "storm fund," in case a hurricane ever hit.

Really? A Democrat? Taking bribes? Why, I thought only mean, old Republicans did that.

Does Harry Reid know about this? Oh that's right, he still hasn't given back the $60,000 HE got from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his cronies.

Nice. Only in New Orleans.

"Close Gitmo," Blows UN

A blue ribbon UN panel issued a report yesterday urging the U.S. to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, again alleging (without proof, of course) torture and abuse.

Two things to note:

-- None of the 10 members of the panel nor the five investigators assigned to the study have ever actually visited the center, relying largely on hearsay and the word of former detainees -- Al Qaeda members instructed during training to fabricate accusations of abuse if captured;

-- No one is lining up to take the terrorists and killers off the hands of the U.S.

Same goes for the antiwar nuts in the U.S. who complain about Gitmo -- can they stay at your house?

No?

Didn't think so.

Bush Border Stunt Stumps Dems, Grumps Cons

President Bush's proposal to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexico border to assist the U.S. Border patrol appears to be helping to break the Congressional logjam over immigration reform, Reuters reports.

Compromise measures appear to be moving forward, as the NG deployment gives Conservatives the political cover they need to mollify their constituents who want greater security on the southern border.

A new ABC News/USA Today poll shows that four out of five Americans think that the entire border area should be turned into a giant minefield and the 101st Airborne Division should be permanently deployed there.

Okay, I totally made that up.

But public opinion has been exceptionally strong that tightening the border is essential to national security.

Problem is, without immigration reform -- specifically a guest-worker program and some reasonable method for dealing with 11-12 million illegal immigrants, whether it be immediate amnesty or some gradual path to citizenship -- not even a massive minefield and the 101st can truly make the border secure.

Conservatives grumble that the 6,000 troops aren't nearly enough to seal the border, but they'll likely grumble their way through the legislation because nobody wins if the problem doesn't get fixed.

Dems go to 11, as usual, saying that "militarizing" the border isn't solution, but their secret fear is that Bush will succeed in pushing through the very humane and rational reform measures they give lip service to, possibly costing them the fall elections.

Parties on both sides have derided the measure as a "stunt."

Both fail to understand, apparently, that it's not a stunt if it works.

Polls: For What They're Worth

There it was, tucked in at the tail-end of a NY Times story on President Bush's current poll numbers.

A story that went on for nearly two pages picking through the polling data that Bush's numbers are the lowest of the low at 31 percent for general performance as president.

Numbers driven down primiarily by gas prices and the Iraq war.

Then, in the last two paragraphs, the Times reveals that John Kerry and Al Gore -- they guys who didn't even get the job -- score even lower than Bush, at 26 and 28 percent respectively.

These guys didn't even get to bat, and they're numbers are in the toilet.

Kind of makes you wonder about the value and accuracy of polling as predicter of anything.

I suspect it reflects a general dissatisfication with politics and politicians more than anything else. And once again illustrates that while Bush and Republicans may be slipping, the Democrats are gaining no traction.

And one final thought: isn't it refreshing to have a president who doesn't base his decisions on the polls?

Mossaoui Verdict: It's A Wonderful Life

Al Qaeda member and 9/11 plotter Zacarias Moussaoui will spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement in a super-maximum security prison in Colorado.

And it's a win-win for everyone.

The prosecutors got to argue for the death penalty, showing they're tough on terror, without actually turning Moussaoui into a martyr.

The families of the victims got justice, knowing that at least this terrorist will never threaten anyone ever again.

America got to demonstrate its moral superiority over the terrorists who kill the innocent.

And Moussaoui is robbed of the martyrdom he so craves. He'll spend the rest of his life alone, dropped into a oubliette, anonymous and forgotten.

Well, I guess not EVERYONE wins.

I'm good with it though.

Boycott Bust

"Monday's pro-immigrant boycott might not have changed any minds, and didn't even ding the U.S. economy, but supporters said they succeeded in a show of unity and strength," said the lede of a story in today's Journal News.

Yup, you guessed it -- nothing after the word "economy" in that sentence matters.

The story notes that those businesses that felt the impact of the boycott the most were... immigrant-owned businesses in largely immigrant communities.

Gee I dunno, where I come from, we call that...a failure.

Turns out, the second part of that sentence is not only irrelevant, it's untrue.

Participation in the protests throughout the U.S. was spotty -- large turnouts in some cities, smaller ones in others -- and even the participants are divided on whether they were successful and what their goals are, says the NY Times.

I still believe in immigration reform -- adoption of a guest-worker program, higher penalities for companies that hire illegal immigrants, path to (but not automatic) citizenship for illegals now in the country, etc.

But whether Monday's protests moved that agenda forward is doubtful at best.

Bush Prof Poll: Predictable

The majority of American college professors give President Bush a poor grade, a Siena College Research Institute pool reports.

Now's a real "earth still orbiting sun" headline for you.

The poll reports that 67 percent of the 744 professors polled would rate the current president a failure.

The only thing shocking is that they number isn't higher.

We are, after all, talking about the people who:

-- Granted walking consumer fraud Ward Churchill tenure as a full professor. Churchill, as you may recall, faked his credentials an American Indian and said those who died in the 9/11 attacks deserved it.

-- Welcomed a former Taliban mouthpiece to study at Yale University. You know, the Taliban? Those guys who wouldn't let girls go to school, tortured and executed adulterers, and played gracious host and benefactor to Al Qaeda.

Yeah, now there's a seriously credible source.

Immigration Protest: Who's Gonna Pay?

"Massive " immigration reform rallies planned across the U.S. today, with literally millions of immigrants (many of them illegal) planning to ditch work to participate.

The goal is simple: to show Americans how much of an impact it will make on their daily lives if immigrant workers don't show up for the day.

I wonder who will feel it more though -- the person who's wastebasket doesn't get emptied or who can't buy a latte at his favorite coffee shop today, or the immigrant who will miss a day's pay?

I'm betting it's the immigrant.

Which goes to illustrate the price of protest and what it can mean for the participant. Before taking to the streets, protesters should think about whether their actions will stimulate the change they want, or if they're wasting their time at their own expense.

At an extreme was the Transit Workers Union strike in NY City last winter which can only be described as a complete disaster. By striking for a week during a bitter cold December and the heart of the Christmas holiday season, they strikers earned the anger and hatred of the working New Yorkers they stranded when buses and trains stopped rolling.

And since the strike was illegal, the workers personally were fined two days pay for every day they missed. The union itself was fined $1 million a day for every day of the strike, effectively depleting its coffers within a week.

The union president was sent to jail last week for contempt of court.

And union STILL doesn't have a contract and has made no progress on the concessions it sought -- in fact, they may have lost ground.

Snow Fox To White House

Fox Television commentator Tony Snow will replace Scott McClellan as the chief White House media punching bag, the NY Times reports today.

The story reports that Snow is more gregarious and aggressive than McClellan, which personally I think will be a nice change. Frankly, I hope they issue him a whip and a stun gun.

The story also reports that Dems are noting critical comments made by the conservative Snow about the president and his policies.

These are the same people, of course, who always tells us the president surrounds himself with people who tell him only what he wants to hear.

*cough, cough* full of crap *cough, cough*

To remember is to act

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis during World War II.

Some estimates of this systematic murder place the number at close to 10 million, if you include Poles, Czechs, Slavs, homosexuals, the disabled, and others deemed as "undesirable" by the Nazis.

In all, WWII deaths exceeded 40 million people.

And as important as it is to remember the dead, it's important to recall how it call came about -- because moral, decent human beings watched the escalating violence against the innocent and failed to act until it was too late.

In 1933, Hitler is named chancellor of Germany and the Nazis open the first concentration camp outside of Berlin. Dachau opens later that year. All other political parties are outlawed. Anyone not of pure German blood, and especially Jews, are classified as "non-Aryan." Jews are prohibited from owning property and publishing newspapers. Criminals, beggars, and other "undesireables" are rounded up and hustled off to the new concentration camps.

And no one does anything to stop it.

In 1934, Jews are prohibited from getting health insurance and obtaining legal licenses of any sort.

And no one does anything to stop it.

In 1935, German Jews are stripped of all their rights, reclassified as subhuman under the Nuremburg Race Laws. The Nazis pass a law calling for forced abortions for women with hereditary diseases.

And no one does anything to stop it.

In 1936, the Gestapo is placed above the law and the Germans reoccupy the Rhineland in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.

And no one does anything to stop it.

In 1937, Jews are prohibited from holding professions such accounting and dentistry, and are denied all tax exemptions.

And no one does anything to stop it.

In 1938, the Germans annex Austria and invade the Sudetenland. German Jewish businesses and homes are attacked and Jews are beaten and murdered on "Kristallnacht." Jews are prohibited from practicing law and medicine, and must register all businesses. Jewish women must add the name Sarah and Jewish men the name Israel to all legal documents, including passports.

And no one does anything to stop it.

In 1939, the Germans invade Czechosolovakia and later Poland. The sick and disabled in Germany are rounded up and murdered. German Jews are forced to surrender all gold and silver, may no longer hold government jobs and are forced into ghettos. They are under curfew from 8 p.m. in the winter and 9 p.m. in the summer. Slovakia adopts its own version of the Nuremburg race laws. Jews in occupied countries are also forced into ghettos. A ship filled with Jewish refugees is turned away by the U.S., Cuba and other countries, and returns to Europe.

Finally, France and England act. America maintains neutrality.

But it's already too late.

The Germans have allied themselves with Italy and Japan, and the three begin their plans to split up the globe.

In 1940, the Germans force the Allies forces off the European continent in a stunning defeat. Paris falls. Auschwitz is established in Poland, and the Nazis begin deporting German Jews to concentration camps in Eastern Europe. German ally Romania begins persecuting Jews.

And there is nothing anyone can do to stop them.

In 1941, America enters the war only after the Japanese bomb the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. (The Germans are not involved, but that doesn't stop them from immediately declaring war on the U.S.). Jews throughout Europe are persecuted, murdered, and forced into labor.

That same year, German Einsatzgruppen (Special Purpose Teams) begin rounding up and murdering Jews and other "undesireables" throughout eastern Europe. German Jews are ordered to wear yellow stars. The Nazi leadership adopts "The Final Solution" -- the systematic murder of all Jews. Zyklon-B gas is used for the first time at Auschwitz, and mass deportation of German Jews begins.

There's nothing anyone can do to stop them.

In 1942, mass murder of Jews throughout Germany and elsewhere begins at extermination camps throughout Europe. German Jews are banned from using public transit. Jews in France, Belgium, Holland, Slovokia, Croatia and Romania are ordered to wear yellow stars. The New York Times reports that the Germans have already murdered one million Jews.

There's nothing anyone can do to stop them.

In 1943 and 1944, the Allies invade Europe, first in Italy and later in France, and the Russians begin driving out the invading German army. Over the next two years they will fight their way across Europe into Germany. But the deportation and killing of Jews throughout Europe continues.

There's nothing anyone can do to stop them.

In 1945, the Allies liberate the concentration camps.

But it's already too late -- 10 million people are dead, murdered by the Germans and their allies.

Take a good look at the pictures. You're seeing unrestrained evil in its vilest, most corrupt form.

Confronting evil always comes at a cost. Hesitating to do so only increases that cost.

The coolest toy ever

Definitely. Bought it for my little guy the other day when I was in New York City.

We got it at the Toys R Us in Times Square -- the store is so cool, my teenagers still like to go there.

Anyway, remote control copter that flies 40 feet in the air.

Made of stryofoam, but suprisingly resilient.

Uses a rechargeable battery -- runs about 20 minutes.

The minute I saw the young lady at TRU demoing I thought, "Okay, that's hot -- gotta get one for the little guy" and immediately walked over to the pile and pulled one out.

Only 20 bucks. Available online.

Impeach Has No Reach

We've heard the pathetic wailing for going on five years now, offered up for every and any excuse -- impeach Bush, impeach the president, impeach the crook, impeach the liar.

The 2000 election, 9/11, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, warrantless surveillance of terrorists, ingrown toenails, whatever.

Now they even have a song, penned and recorded by (Canadian) Neil Young.

When comes to actually putting it into practice though, not so much.

In fact, when Senator Russ Feingold recently introduced a resolution to simply censure the president -- a step much less severe than impeachment -- he couldn't get anyone to second it.

In fact when asked for comment by the media, his Democratic Senate colleagues RAN AWAY. Some actually hid in the bathroom.

Yeah, uh, okay. So much for solidarity within the Democratic party.

But I'm sure the chants will continue. And Neil will keep singing.

But they don't matter.

The muted voice of protest

The flooded the streets of cities across the U.S., large and small, thousands in New York , perhaps a quarter million in Los Angeles.

Demanding a voice in the debate over reforming immigration. Many of them illegal immigrants themselves.

Failing to understand that the very conditions of their presence in the U.S. mute their voice.

One does not gain a voice through protest, because the only ones who listen to protesters are the protesters themselves and those who agree with them.

The way you get heard in this country are through the following:

-- Voting -- and illegal immigrants can't vote because they are not citizens;

-- Taxes -- and illegal immigrants don't pay a representative share of taxes, and can't even take credit for the taxes they do pay because, as I mentioned before, they're here illegally.

-- Economic power -- illegal aliens have some of this, as a labor force and as consumers. But again, they can't participate fully because of their illegal status -- they can't, for example lobby their Congressmen for stricter enforcement of working conditions and the minimum wage. They can't join collective bargaining organizations like unions.

So, they mostly talked to themselves. And what a confused message it was. One banner displayed on the front page of a local newspaper declared "Oust the Bush Regime Now."

Ironic, since it's the Bush "regime" that is advocating the very reforms they are demanding -- a guest-worker program, a path to citizenship for current illegals.

Some were demanding the return of California and other parts of the Southwest to Mexico. Yeah, uh, hey listen, good luck with that.

Despite such idiocy and confusion, I expect Congress will pass immigration reform to address the more serious issues. Hopefully, they'll forgo stupid ideas like building a $2 billion fence along the Mexican border.

Going for the Green

It's springtime, and a young man's heart turns to...lawncare.

Put down about 100 pounds of Lesco pre-emergent and fertilizer -- fights the crabgrass and greens up the lawn nicely.

Ton's of nitrogen in this stuff, which is what makes the lawn so green.

Used my trusty Scott's SpeedyGreen 3000 spreader. I like to set the spreader at half the drop-speed recommended and go over the lawn several times in various directions -- that way you get even coverage and avoid streaking.

A cold, rainy morning -- which, of course made it perfect for putting down fertilizer. The rain instantly activates it and sets it in the lawn, so that it doesn't blow or roll off.

Only problem is that as the fertilizer gets wet, it tends to clump in the spreeder. So you have to give it a stir and a sift occasionally to keep it flowing nicely.

Congressional Dems: Pot, Kettle Black Redux

Dems rejoicing at the resignation of House Majority Leader Tom Delay (although I don't know why, since this pretty much assures that a Republican will retain his seat in the fall elections), saying this is time to sweep Congress clean of GOP corruption and the stink of special-interest lobbying.

But Investor's Business Daily notes that the Democratic broom they want use ain't so clean. Some highlights:

-- Nancy Pelosi's two PACs (they rules say you're only allowed to have one, incidentally) have both been investigated and fined for contributing beyond legal limits to 36 political campaigns -- you know, the same kind of thing Delay is currently on trial for;

-- Harry Reid's sons have netted more than $2 million for lobbying on behalf of special interest. Reid himself has accepted more than $70,000 in contributions from Jack Abramoff and his associates -- you know, the same lobbyist Reid has the coconuts to attack the GOP over;

-- Hillary Clinton recently conceded to filing false FEC reports for her 2000 Senate bid, understating contributions by over $720,000.

Nice, huh? I'm thinking fox...henhouse...glass houses...throwing stones....

Cynthia: Not Sorry

Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney reportedly "apologized" yesterday for assaulting a police officer last month.

The facts of the incident are these: McKinney entered a government building last month. She walked around a metal detector, which she is authorized to do as a member of Congress. Except she was not wearing the special ID tag that allows her to do so. A Capitol police officer, who did not recognize her, asked her to stopped. She declined. He put his hand on her to stop her. She slapped him.

Later, when called on it, she regrettably played the race card.

The fault here is clear: she's to blame. Now with her Democratic colleagues slowly backing away from her and a grand jury weighing criminal charges, she has issued an" apology."

Or did she?

Here's what she said: ''I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation, and I apologize. There should not have been any physical contact in this incident.''

She then went on to talk about how she will vote for legislation providing funding for the Capitol police.

Not much of an apology. She says the words "sorry" and "apologize," but fails to take responsbility for the incident. There was a misunderstanding. An incident occurred. It should not have escalated. I regret that it happened. Note the use of passive voice.

THIS would be an apology: "I'm sorry. I should have been wearing my ID and I should have complied with the police officer's order to stop -- he was merely doing his job, trying to keep us all safe. And I should NEVER have raised a hand to him.

"I don't know what I was thinking, but I'm totally responsible for what happened. This was not about race or anything else other than my own behavior. I hope that fine officer will accept my personal apology and forgive me, and I hope you all will too. I can only assure you that this was a momentarily lapse of judgment on my part, and I will work daily to conduct myself in a manner more appropriate and responsible for a member for Congress."

She's welcome to use that one if she wants.

Hey, Lookee What I Bought!

Sweet, Huh. I't s Pedulla Rapture J2-5.

Got my annual bonus last week, and decided it was time to trade my crappy Carvin in for a new bass. Planned to buy a Musicman Stingray 5, and had my man Rick at the Guitarhangar looking for one -- he's not an MM dealer, so he was making a rounds.

Called me today, saying he was having a tough time finding what I wanted. Mentioned that he a G&L in stock, but I'm not really keen on those.

Then mentioned somewhat casually that this had come in -- mint condition, barely played. Price was half original list, which was less than I had planned to spend on a new 'Ray 5.

Went into check it out, and it was nearly unplayable. But a quick adjust on the trussroad did the trick.

Nice feel, nice balance. And the tone!!!! Oh my goodness. Can't wait to hear it through my Eden Rig. The pickups and elex are Barts, which I love.

It's still at the shop -- getting strings, set-up and straplocks. I pick it up Saturday.